Volume 19 Number 1 Page 72

If you are in Sahara and for four days you have no water to drink and all of a sudden one bottle of water appears . . . how do you react? If you have poise, you will let your companion drink and not mind dying and letting her live. But if you fight and grab for it, you lack poise and spirituality. It is this poise that makes you sacrifice and makes others happy. For example, I always say: Make the best of everything. Here you have food, swimming, boating. Make the most of it and feel happy. Do not say it is not spiritual to enjoy innocent pleasures. But when we are driving on tour and there is dust and we feel hunger, thirst and feel sick, then feel as happy as you do now. This is poise. If you do not feel happy, it is not easy to feel happy then (under these conditions), you are not spiritual in enjoying this swimming, boating, etc . . . , is this clear? I do not mean making a show of being happy, but to really FEEL HAPPY.

For you My circle,* it is all right. You live with Me, leave all for Me, so you are serving the Universe. But for those who are not living near Me, this Poise is 100% essential for spirituality. Again, what is spirituality? POISE, PERFECT POISE. MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY SITUATION. HE WHO UPSETS NO ONE IS A GOOD MAN. HE WHO IS UPSET BY NO ONE IS A GOD-MAN.

They had difficulty crossing the river because of the ferry boat swaying on the waves. But, as always with Baba, all was O.K. It was nearly 10 a.m. by the time all four cars were across -- five hours. We gave the ferryman a "purgative" for being so deceptive about the time of the tide. We had lunch in the jungle — very hot, and then Jal’s car started going wrong, pilot pipe blocked, and clutch slipping on steep Ghat road through the jungle. Eventually we had to leave the car in the jungle for the night and all crowded into the bus and Opel and we came on to Supa where Baba was waiting for us. As soon as we arrived, Baba took us men to the river's edge — about 8:30 p.m. and poured water from a kettle for each of us in turn while we washed face and hands — rather like Christ washing his disciples' feet, I felt. He is both our servant and Master; He gave us all food. Needless to say, He was very pleased with all the trouble, though we were all very tired indeed. Elizabeth had burst a tire on a big stone — which Jal afterwards ran over, rather stupidly, and we bumped a cyclist, who skidded into us, and stuck on one corner where we had tried to turn the bus where it was too narrow; one trouble after another with each car, rather like the Jog Falls night. Baba told us this was why He had given us the talk on "poise", and we must not grumble if He makes us undergo one little tiny bit of suffering He is going through now — He was groaning last night a lot, and says, He is now suffering tremendously internally.

Baba ordered the broken-down car to be towed to the nearest village this morning by the Opel, which Kaka, Tuka, Jal and Nilu did, and then Nilu has gone to Belgaum by train, where he will tell Vishnu's brother-in-law to have the car taken to Belgaum for rapid repair; we meet Nilu again in Panjini, Goa.

This Amboli is a lovely place; a jungle stream half a mile off for bathing. I had a swim in the river this morning at 5 a.m. and Baba told me that if I have fever or a cold tomorrow as a result, I go to the war. Baba very pleased with all today, as all are resting after yesterday.