(May 1960) The following day, Baba informed some visitors, “Let your heart be pure. Do not act outwardly what you are not inwardly.
“Be absolutely honest. God is infinite honesty. Do not pose as being pious, because God is everywhere. God cannot be fooled – so why pose as something you are not?
“I do not want anything else from you but the gift of your obedience. Give me that and you will free yourself from the bondage of ignorance.”
On another occasion, Baba cuttingly remarked about false saints (persons who pretend to be saintly) – hypocrites. An abhang of the Sadguru Tukaram was read aloud, wherein Tukaram mentioned:
“The act of beating a hypocrite –
a man who pretends to be a saint –
cannot be thought of as a sin.”
Couplets of Hafiz, which pertained to such hypocrites, were also recited in Persian. One couplet of Hafiz was:
“These rogues are in a way courageous;
they try to deceive God!
However, they should be flogged!”
In response, Baba commented, “The only sin which God does not forgive is hypocrisy. The hypocrite deceives himself and others too.
“These days the hypocritical saints have increased in such numbers that, though I am the Ocean of Compassion, it has become nauseating even to me!”
He also stated, “It is no sin if one does not believe in God, but to be a hypocrite is a sin! If you have no faith, it does not matter.
“By coming to me you do not lower or raise my status. It is immaterial if you do not come to me. But when you come, if you continue being hypocritical, it displeases me. I will not be displeased if you speak against me or do not come to me. But I cannot tolerate hypocrisy because a hypocrite not only harms himself, but also disturbs the faith of others.”
Lord Meher, Original Publication, Bhau Kalchuri, Vol. 17, pp. 5749 – 5750.