ON ONE OCCASION, Norina telephoned her old friend Mercedes D’Acosta, a movie screenwriter, to tell her there was someone in town she should meet. But the woman had been severely depressed of late and did not wish to meet anyone, but Norina urged her that she would not regret meeting this person. Norina would not say who he was since she wanted it to be a surprise. Finally, she persuaded her friend to come. It was December 31st; Norina was waiting at the door when Mercedes arrived. Upon seeing Baba, the woman felt an overwhelming warmth radiating from him. She rushed into his embrace and asked, “Who are you?”
Baba gestured, “I am you.” Then suddenly he spelled out on his board, “Go and bring me your revolver.” Mercedes was amazed, for she had told no one about the gun in her car. She went to the car and returned with the revolver, handing it to Baba. He took the bullets out one by one and handed the gun back to her.
Baba then consoled her, “Suicide is not the solution. It only entails rebirth with the same problems all over again. The only solution is God-Realization – to see God in everything. Everything is easy then. Promise me that you will put this revolver away and never again think of suicide.”
Feeling his compassion, Mercedes promised. She then told Baba about her friend Greta Garbo whom she loved dearly.
Baba commented, “You both were husband and wife in a past life in Italy. That is why there is such love between you.”
Mercedes said, “This explains why Greta said when she first met me, ‘Oh, I have been looking for you.’ ”
Baba added, “She was a yogi in a previous life and died suddenly. She has latent yogic powers in her in this life, too, but no spiritual elevation. She both suffers and enjoys simultaneously. She will be in the pangs of such agony one day that she may commit suicide. She needs my contact. If she sees me, all this will change.”
Mercedes was happy meeting Baba and presented him with a phonograph. Baba sent her a handkerchief as a New Year’s gift and directed her never to give it away. She said that she would always sleep with it under her pillow.
On this occasion, Mercedes invited Baba to tea at her house. Baba was usually declining most invitations but, for her, he consented. The following day the group arrived at Mercedes’ house by car. As soon as he entered the beautiful home, Baba marched straight up to the top floor and proceeded to open every closet and cupboard in the house, ending up in the kitchen. There stood the cook, a woman with an obvious irritable disposition whom Mercedes kept on because she was so good at her job. Beaming with a smile, Baba gently patted the cook on the shoulder and then sat down for tea.
As Baba was ready to depart, Mercedes and her friends assembled on the porch while the cook peered through the screen door. Baba suddenly went back up the steps, shook the cook’s hand and returned to the car. On the way back, Baba ordered the driver to circle Greta Garbo’s house three times.
A few days later, Mercedes went away for several weeks and when she returned she found that her cook had transformed into a mild angelic creature, meek as a lamb. Puzzled by this, she finally demanded to know what had produced this change. The cook explained, “I know you will find it hard to believe, but while you were away, I woke up one night to find my room flooded with light, and the Master who came to tea entered my room. I got up out of bed and touched him and, I swear, I felt his robe in my hands. For some reason that I cannot explain, I have not felt angry since.”
Lord Meher, Original ed., Bhau Kalchuri, Vol 6, pp. 1940 – 1941.