Beloved Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai!
Trust Office
Kings Road
Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India
Tuesday, 25th February, 2003
After Baba's second accident on 2nd December, 1956, Baba was taken to Merherji's house in Poona to convalesce. His tongue was cut, His hip joint was fractured very badly, and He was bruised all over. He couldn't even bend His body; He could only lie down;
He was in strict seclusion and would not meet anyone. But one day, Chauhan, a Baba lover from Pune who would come to Baba from time to time, was standing outside Meherji's house. He was asked what he wanted.
Chauhan said, "I must see Baba. I don't drink water, I don't eat food since the time I heard about Baba's accident. I must see him."
Baba said to tell Chauhan, "I am all right. I am in seclusion. Now go and drink and start eating."
When Chauhan was told, he replied, "No! I will not eat, and I will not eat drink. Until that time when I see Baba, I will sit here."
So Baba called Chauhan. As soon as he came, Baba asked, "What do you want?"
And Chauhan replied, "I want your blessing."
"Don't ask for My blessing," Baba said. "You'll be nowhere. Now what do you really want? Tell Me why you came here, and I will give it to you."
"I don't want anything but your blessing," he said.
"It will be very difficult for you. You can't digest it," Baba said. "My blessing means ruination."
"No. I want your blessing."
"All right," Baba said. "Do one thing. I'll give you some time, one month. Then I will be at Meherazad. You decide what you want. I am telling you, you cannot digest My blessing. Never ask for it. It will be My Birthday, and whatever you want from Me, ask, and I will give it to you."
After the one-month convalescence in Pune, we went to Meherazad. We asked Baba, "How should we celebrate your Birthday?"
And Baba said, "Bring 701 poor people."
701 poor people were collected on Baba's order and brought to Meherazad. Dr. Goher saw that Baba carried to where they were gathered. He Himself sat on the ground, and the poor people would stand on a wood plank. Baba would wash their feet, and though He could not bend, somehow, on that day, He would bow down to them, and then give each of them a present. He was so happy and shining! He had no pain, nothing.
After the program, Baba was carried to Mandali Hall, and Chauhan came. Baba said, "Now tell Me, what do you want?"
"I want your blessing," Chauhan repeated.
"You cannot digest it. Why do you insist? You will lose everything; you will be nowhere. So, now, tell Me what you want."
"Your blessing," Chauhan insisted.
Baba gestured, "Granted," and told Chauhan to go.
At the end of March, we would go from Meherazad to Pune to stay at Guruprasad. When we went there, Chauhan was the first person at the gate. Baba saw him as He rode in the car. That evening, Chauhan was still standing there. Eruch was taking a walk, and Chauhan called him. Eruch asked him what he wanted.
"I have lost my house. My wife and children are living in dharamsala (cheapest lodging). We don't have anything."
Eruch said, "Baba warned you."
"That I don't know, but now I don't want his blessing. Please go and tell Baba that I lost my house, I lost everything."
Eruch said, "What can I do? You did not accept what Baba wanted, now why do you complain?"
"That was my mistake," Chauhan replied.
Eruch went to Baba and told Him. Baba said, "I warned him. All right, ask him to come at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow."
The next day, Chauhan came, and Baba said, "Did I not tell you?"
"That was my mistake," Chauhan answered.
Baba said, "Now I have to take My blessing back."
"You can do whatever you like."
So Baba instructed Chauhan, "Do one thing. Wash your feet and come."
Chauhan washed his feet and returned. Baba bowed down to him 101 times and then said, "I take My blessing back."
Baba gave him 1000 rupees and said, "Now go."
Chauhan went to Bombay and immediately got a partnership in a shipping company. He was given a car, a residence. Every Sunday he would come to Guruprasad to see Baba, and Baba would ask, "How are you?"
"By your blessing, I am very happy."
"Don't say that. It is not My blessing. Whatever you wanted I gave you, but never say that it was My blessing."
Chauhan came the following week. His children were well fed and well dressed. Again Baba asked him, "How are you?"
"By your blessing, I'm very happy."
"I am very happy to see you," Baba said, "but never say that this is My blessing."
*****
I feel very, very happy to offer the following prayer to Beloved Avatar Meher Baba for His 109th Birthday:
May Beloved Avatar Meher Baba touch the hearts of those who celebrate His Birthday, so that they may long and long to experience the secret of births and deaths in His love.
May Beloved Baba touch the hearts of His dear ones with a Ray of His Divine Sun, so that they may long and long to know and experience that the Divine Sun shines eternally. And whether He is in physical form or not, He cannot stop shining even for a moment. And in fact, there is no past and no future for Him. He always remains in the everlasting Present.
May you all enjoy the celebration of His Birthday and may you feel His active Presence during your celebrations.
With all love and Jai Baba to all you dear ones of the Beloved,
In His love and service,
Bhau
Ps. From Bhau’s office staff: Bhau has received the many Birthday greetings which people have sent via the inner prompting of their hearts ("the INNER-net") or by oral messages from pilgrims who have come to visit him in the Trust office. He thanks you very much and appreciates the fact you have chosen these media to convey your love to him rather than emailing or snailmailing him.