(Aug. 1958) During this period, each of the mandali had to wash his own smaller items of clothing. A laundryman did the heavier work. Baba ordered Kumar to wash Bhau’s things. Bhau hesitated giving him his laundry, since Kumar was older than he. Yet to fulfill Baba’s order, he gave him a coat which he had never used. After four or five days, the same coat was given again for washing. Baba heard of this and asked Bhau why he did not give his clothes to Kumar to wash. Bhau replied that he gave Kumar his coat. “Don’t irritate me!” Baba chided. “Do you think I am a child? Whatever you have done, do you feel it is proper?” Bhau admitted his mistake and assured Baba that in the future, he would have his clothes washed by Kumar. Baba, however, freed him from the order.
Once while talking with Kumar, Baidul got enraged over something Kumar said and openly expressed his anger. Baba intervened and scolded Baidul, “All your prayers and recitation of God’s name are useless! Your prayer is helpful only if you can keep your heart clean! This is the purpose of prayer. If the heart is clean, no prayer is necessary.
“You keep awake to do the japa from midnight until 1:00 A.M. and again at 4:00 A.M., hardly sleeping each night for three or four hours. How you wail while praying to God! But all this is of no avail as long as the heart remains unclean. If you keep your heart clean, you will be matchless.”
Lord Meher, Original Publication, Bhau Kalchuri, Vol. 16, p. 1502.