ONE REAL THING YOU CAN DO IN THIS LIFE

 
As I have said, Baba suffered for each one of us, for His Love for each one of us. In many, many ways Baba suffered. Baba had so much work and put so much stress and strain on His body with His fasts; with His seclusions; with His mast work when He walked for miles and miles in the hot sun and travelled in third-class trains for days without rest; with His contacting the lepers; with His bowing down to the thousands of sadhus and poor people; and with His two accidents. And Baba had to constantly put up with the natures of those around Him, and with many other things. So much He has gone through. I cannot tell you of all the suffering that He took upon Himself. And He used to just keep quiet and not say a word. Baba had to swallow all the suffering and all the difficulties He had to go through. Such a strain it was never to be able to speak out. We cannot know now great that suffering was for Baba.

Keeping silence all those years was most difficult for Baba. Baba's nature was happy and cheerful. He loved to talk and to laugh and to sing, but after silence Baba could not say anything. He had to spell everything out on the alphabet board. Baba had a very fine sense of humour, but if He wanted to be funny or to tease someone He would have to point to the letters on the board. And by the time He had finished saying it, half the fun was lost. Then Baba gave up even the alphabet board, and with great patience He would have to repeat again and again, through gestures, what He wanted to convey. And Baba's nature was to do everything quickly.

Baba loved to laugh, but even that sound He denied Himself and held back. All those years Baba had to hold back and not say what He wanted to say. Every second of the day, every minute, every day, every month, every year for forty-four years Baba could not say what He wanted to say.

In 1941 Upasni Maharaj knew that He was soon going to give up His body, and He wanted to see Baba one more time. Baba agreed to meet Him alone, but not in Sakori. So it was arranged that they meet outside Sakori. They met, and with tears in His eyes Maharaj told Baba, "Give up Your silence. Now it is bringing too much suffering."

And Baba replied, "No, I have come to suffer, and My work is most important. I must finish My work." And how much Baba suffered as time passed. He never told us He was suffering, but He was.

And for those last twelve years Baba could not even walk. Baba lived those twelve years with great difficulty, yet not the sound of a groan or a moan did He make. His health was such that He must have wanted to, but He did not complain. Baba quietly suffered to the very end.

Baba suffered for our sake, for each one, and for all humanity, and for all creation. Baba has given a great push to every soul in creation. He is the Creator, and it all belongs to Him.

And Baba is all-forgiving, and very, very loving. Sometimes we made mistakes, because it was not easy to live with the Avatar. He always tested one. And when that time came, we did sometimes forget and make mistakes. But Baba would at once forgive us and say, "Don't worry. Take it out of your head, forget it." And we did our best to serve Him and love Him to the best of our ability.

So Baba has suffered for each one of us, and now we should love Him because He loves us and went through all this suffering for each of us. Always hold on to Baba's daaman and love Him, that is the one real thing you can do in this life. Baba may seem to try to snatch His daaman from your hands, but be sure not to let go, be sure to hold on tightly. Be true to His love for you.