Baba arrived in Surat at five o’clock on the morning of September 18th (1947). From the station, he was paraded in a beautifully decorated automobile to the home of Sohrab Vakil. Baba was welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd. The opposition forces that had collected to shout slogans against him were outnumbered by his devotees. Amidst the crowd, here and there, a few people whispered against Baba, but not one had the nerve to come out openly with their criticism. When Baba arrived at Sohrab Vakil’s house, the man was ecstatic. He could not control his emotions, and tears of joy streamed down his cheeks. A large crowd of Zoroastrians had gathered at the Parsi dharamshala and Baba went there to deliver this message to them:
As a born Zoroastrian, I can well imagine your elation to find me amongst so many of you here, who, like myself, also happen to be Zoroastrians by birth; but what makes me feel so very happy today is the love and the devotion of those of you who have succeeded in drawing me all this way to Surat.
In the immediate atmosphere of my country, my community, my this and my that, I may not mind if some of you feel proud or consider the community fortunate because I happen to be born among you. But having realized once and for all the Truth, which is the goal of all life and the end of each and every religion, I have thereby transcended all religions and to me, therefore, every religion is equally an approach for those who have yet to arrive at the same infinite and indivisible Ocean of love and knowledge, peace and bliss that now and again, here and there, continues rippling with selfless service and unsolicited sacrifice through the unflinching faith and sublime devotion of its lovers.
There can be no greater folly than for the wayfarers to quarrel over the pros and cons of this way or that, instead of remaining concentrated upon and concerned with one’s own onward march along the path that one happens to be on.
One road may be steep, another full of potholes, the third torn with forging rivers. Similarly, one may walk best, another may be a good runner, the third a fine swimmer; yet, in each case, the things that should really count are the destination and the actual progress that each individual makes. Why should one who can run like a hare come in the way of another who is more likely to succeed only with the speed of a snail?
Selfishness is the root cause of all troubles. It is all the more dangerous because, under the subtle influence of selfishness, the worst evils are apt to assume false colors of chivalry, sacrifice, nobility, service and even love. In spite of sometimes turning into a beast with cruelty, anger and the lust of aggrandizement and subjugation, man can and often does cheat himself into believing that he yet remains a man, a patriot and so on.
Of all the forces that can best overcome all difficulties is the love that knows how to give without necessarily bargaining for a return. There is nothing that love cannot achieve and there is nothing that love cannot sacrifice.
There is nothing which is beyond me and there is nothing without me. Yet, I am and can always be captured with love.
Pure love is matchless in majesty, it has no parallel in power and there is no darkness it cannot dispel. It is the undying flame that has set all life aglow. All the same, it needs to be kindled and rekindled in the abysmal darkness of selfish thoughts, selfish words and selfish deeds in order to burst out in a mighty spirit to serve as a beacon for those who may yet be groping in the darkness of selfishness, be it deep blue or all black.
The light of love is not free from its fire of sacrifices. In fact, like heat and light, love and sacrifice go hand in hand. The true spirit of sacrifice that springs spontaneously does not and cannot reserve itself for particular objects and special occasions.
Just as it can never be too late or too early to learn to love for the sake of love, there can be nothing too small or too big to be sacrificed or sacrificed for. The flow of life, the flow of light, the flow of love is as much in the drop as in the ocean.
The smallest thing is as big as the biggest, and the biggest thing is as small as the smallest. It all depends on the particular yardstick with which one measures a thing.
The spirit of true love and real sacrifice is beyond all ledgers and needs no measures. A constant wish to love and be loving and a non-calculating will to sacrifice in every walk of life, high and low, big and small, between home and office, street and cities, countries and continents are the best anti-selfish measures that man can take in order to be really self-ful and joyful.
May you one day behold the ever-shining Light of Love that never dies and knows no darkness.
My blessings to you, one and all.
Lord Meher, Original Publication, Bhau Kalchuri, Vol. 9, pp. 3188 – 3191.