On January 5th, (1937) Baba took the Westerners to Rahuri. All rose early, at 4 A.M., and after breakfast left Nasik at six o’clock. Arriving at Rahuri, the group met the men mandali – Ghani, Vishnu, Pendu, Padri, Raosaheb, Baidul and Dr. Nilu. After they toured the ashram and saw the mad and masts, Baba discoursed about selfless service:
As an object lesson to others to render service to humanity, I myself serve others. In the ashram school at Meherabad, I wanted my Brahmin devotees to serve the Untouchables. For that purpose, I personally served the Untouchable boys, bathing them and washing their clothes. When I asked my Brahmin devotees to assist me, they did, for they loved me. In true service, there must be no lingering idea that one is free to yield service or refuse it. One must feel that one is not master of one’s own body, but that one’s body is the Guru’s and exists merely to render him service.
I may want anything from you. I may like some of you to nurse and wash the lepers and look after them. I may want some to meditate on me, or wander about like sadhus, or dance and sing with joy, or become like skeletons or grow big and fat. But whatever it may be, all should work for me.
It is your doing it for me that counts; otherwise, we have hospitals and nurses to attend them. But I want you to work for me, beg for me, play for me, then it is the same. This is Vedanta and Christian philosophy in a nutshell: so very easy, yet so very difficult!
Turning to Margaret Craske, Baba concluded:
If you dance for me, you do as much good as one who meditates on me. Some like work, some like play. But when you do it for me, then it is the same. Try to forget yourself and do all for Baba. Let it be Baba all the time!
Lord Meher, Original Publication, Bhau Kalchuri, Vol.6, p. 2070.