SADHU VASVANI’S INVITATION TO MEHER BABA

The social and charity worker Sadhu Vaswani, of Saint Mira High School in Poona, invited Baba to visit there. Baba accepted and set Sunday, July 6th, (1958) for the occasion. The night before, Baba had a high fever and was unable to pass either urine or stool. He tried several times, but without success. Still, at 7:00 A.M., he left for Poona with Eruch, Bhau and brother Jal, stopping in Ahmednagar to pick up Dhake. Homa Dadachanji was driving. Because of Baba’s indisposition, he was not in a good mood.

Along the way, the car was halted under a tree, and Baba tried to urinate behind a white sheet held around him by the men. Another car happened to drive past. Recognizing Baba’s car, it too halted. The passengers alighted and asked Jal if they could quickly take Baba’s darshan. The Avatar was suffering unimaginably, and on top of it, his devotees were seeking his darshan. Without passing urine, Baba returned to the car, and the people approached him. Smiling, Baba greeted them. After they had left, he complained, “I have a high fever, I cannot piddle, there is much pain and discomfort – but to please others, I have to smile.”

Baba was given a splendid reception by Sadhu Vaswani, and as soon as he arrived at Saint Mira High School, a rapid change overtook him. Baba’s face blossomed like a rose and joy flowed from his sweet expression. A bhajan program was to be held.

Baba also had a private meeting with Vaswani and a few others in a separate room. Vaswani’s secretary asked, “Baba, when will I realize God?” Baba did not answer, so the man said, “Baba, why don’t you answer me? There are so many questions I wish to ask.” The following reply was dictated by Baba:

There is only one question. And once you know the answer to that question, there are no more questions to ask. In fact, there are not two questions. There is only the one Original Question. And to that one Original Question there is only one Final Answer. In between the Original Question and the Final Answer, there are innumerable false answers.

From out of the depths of unbroken Infinity arose the Question: “Who am I?” And to that one Question there is the only Answer: “I am God!”

God is Infinite; therefore His shadow, too, must be infinite. Reality is infinite in its Oneness; illusion is infinite in its duality. The one Question, arising from the oneness of the Infinite, goes through a maze of answers infinitely unending in the duality of illusion.

So before you arrive at that Final Real Answer, there are countless false answers to be received, tested and discarded – such as “I am stone … I am bird … I am animal … I am man … I am woman … I am great … I am small,” and so on, and so on, ad infinitum.  These answers are as distorted echoes resounding from the hollow forms of unending nothingness, repeatedly misleading until finally leading to the right answer, the one and Final Answer, “I am God!”

Therefore, stop giving yourself false answers, and then you will realize God.

Sadhu Vaswani had many followers, all of whom Baba allowed darshan. Baba appeared to be in a happy mood. Homa was to drive Baba back in Meherjee’s car. Meherjee’s wife brought the car to Saint Mira High School and handed the keys to Homa, who locked the car, but by mistake left the keys inside. Baba was occupied with giving darshan, and Homa was gazing at him as if entranced. Joy and happiness prevailed in this pleasant atmosphere. Seeing Baba’s smile had a wonderful effect.

Suddenly Homa remembered the keys and discovered he had locked them inside the car. He became nervous, went to Meherjee and told him. Meherjee told Homa to go quickly to his house and bring a duplicate set. The darshan was about to end. Homa took another car and was able to return just as Baba was stepping out of the hall. Baba left with the mandali in Meherjee’s car for Meherazad, and remarked on the way, “No stool, no urine, but the work done was quite good.”

Baba was in a cheerful mood, and when informed of Homa’s blunder, he remarked to him, “I am so happy today that I forgive you. Now, drive fast.”

Baba’s fever left him and his face glowed with triumph, as if he had won a major victory. Throughout the previous night, Bhau witnessed how restless Baba appeared. Dr. Goher had tried her best to make him urinate, administering diuretics and other preparations, but all her efforts were to no avail. Baba had been in a wretched mood when they set out for Poona. Now after the darshan, a transformation had taken place, so the mandali concluded that Baba was in fact suffering only for others. He had to do some special inner work at Saint Mira High School, and it manifested in this physical way or complication. His real work was to take the burden of others’ sanskaras upon himself, and it was the sole cause of his suffering.

Lord Meher, Original Publication, Bhau Kalchuri, Vol. 16, pp. 5477 – 5478.