Is it not life’s experiences that bring up to the surface what is already there - in this case, awareness? And this is what Baba has come to awaken. Not consciousness which was there in its completion at the time of human birth, but the awakening and unfoldment of a consciousness of the unconscious, which in its final aspect is Infinite Consciousness or Divine Love.

Perhaps you will recall the message from Baba's Discourse entitled, "The Avatar," in which He tells us:

"Those who are spiritually awake have been aware for some time that the world is at present in the midst of a period such as always precedes Avataric Manifestations. Even unawakened men and women are becoming aware of it now. From their darkness they are reaching out for light, in their sorrow they are longing for comfort, from the midst of the strife into which they have found themselves plunged, they are praying for peace and deliverance."

Does this not fulfill Baba's statement to the press in Nasik, India in 1937:  "I have come to bring about a revolution in man's thinking, the slowest of all revolutions."

This spiritual awakening is reflected in a practical awareness that we observe in so many of Baba's followers and others who are involved with prison reform, child abuse, and many other aspects of social work. And it is also reflected in a general awareness of the critical situations throughout the world; for example, over $40 million raised for Ethiopia and help for Africa and India.

Surely this is one aspect of spiritual awareness in practical form to which Baba has awakened us all, and made us - if not fully aware - at least more aware to the extent of participation and sharing in various kinds of service work, which carries out Baba's words of bringing knowledge where there is ignorance and strength where there is weakness.

We have touched on two aspects of awareness - the mystical and the practical. But there is also another perspective we have not yet considered - that of scientific awareness. This concept, Baba emphasized, would play its part in spreading His message when He manifested, or broke His Silence - a voice out of the Silence which would be heard throughout the world.

Baba did not say in what way awareness was a great help to Him in His work, and we cannot confine the concept to just two avenues of approach - the mystical and practical. Baba's work touched on all aspects of life including working with the masts*, the poor, the helpless, the disabled.

We too, I feel, must not limit our vision. Where would we be without the awareness of men and women such as Newton, Einstein, Madame Curie, Pascal and others if their perception and vision had not persevered to prove their discoveries?

Awareness does, I believe, include advances in science and technology which can be used for solving world-wide problems. Therefore before closing, I would like to share a few excerpts from a letter I received recently.

Less than a month ago, I thought I had nothing more to add to this informal sharing of ideas when late one evening, the telephone rang and a Baba follower, but one unknown to me, asked, "Are you Kitty?"

"Yes," I answered, and he began to express a vision he had recently had concerning scientific technology leading to an awareness that could alleviate world poverty.

And it came to me in a flash - why  yes, we have not considered the tremendous growth of awareness in relation to science and technology. And Baba has told us not to divide life into compartments - emphasizing that all knowledge comes from God and that life in its various directions, if correctly applied, can be helpful toward fulfilling God's Universal Plan.

The caller was so full of enthusiasm and so fully aware that I could not help but feel inspired by his vision, and I asked that he send me a written version. Time

* for Baba's work with masts, see William Donkin's  " The Wayfarers"