Master allowed those Westerners who came to stay several days. During one darshan Baba called up Fred in front of everyone and asked him why he hadn’t brought Ella. Fred explained why she had stayed behind. Baba persisted, "But you should have brought her." Fred replied he had done his best and even kept her ticket open. Baba was not satisfied. "Why didn't you bring her?" By this time Fred was embarrassed by being rebuked in front of everyone, in fact became more and more angry until his whole body was trembling. Baba continued to press the issue. Finally Fred burst out, "It's your fault, Baba!" At this point Baba beamed and gave Fred His familiar sign for "perfection." He then dictated a cable to be sent to Ella along these lines: "Fred may be here with Me but I am there with you."

At the very moment of Fred's exchange with Baba, Fred later discovered, Ella was so stricken by remorse for not going to see Baba that she was contemplating suicide by jumping from her apartment window. Fred felt that Baba, by stirring up intense anger in him, was using the energy to save Ella. Its a well-known fact that Baba would scold someone not present and at that very moment that person would "miraculously" escape some difficulty or danger: by talking about them He was attracting negative sanskaras to Himself. One can imagine how deeply touched Ella was by Baba's loving cable giving her super support in her remorse. It reminds me, too, of the men's darshan with Baba in 1954, when 21 Westerners joined Him at Meherabad for "three incredible weeks" of Sahavas.* Fred attended this Sahavas (see page 32 for his account). One day he asked Baba "What about the women?" and Baba replied "I am always with them."

Baba also "visited" the Winterfeldts in His own illimitable ways. Fred had always been a "sensitive," In fact, in his youth he had had some unusual experiences. He had even delved into the occult but some very negative experiences turned him off. Baba used this ability of Fred's in a positive way - by appearing to him occasionally. Once, when serving jury in New York on a murder case, Baba suddenly appeared and walked down the aisle so close to Fred, he could see the moving garments and feel the wind of His passing. Baba also appeared to Fred when he was in the hospital after a serious accident (a gas heater in the basement blew up). Fred had been asking Baba, "Why?" Baba appeared at the foot of his bed and said, "It had to be.”

Before hearing of Baba, Fred apparently was able to leave his body and "astral travel." Once, on returning, he found someone else occupying it, who, apparently, was a frustrated alcoholic who went on a three-day binge, leaving poor Fred stuck in the waiting room, so to speak! Ella, unaware of the true state of affairs, was shocked and embarrassed at Fred's sudden debauchery, especially when the tenants started to whisper about this previously very sober super!

 

*See Vol. 2, No. 3, The Awakener. Now also in book form.

 

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