I AM THERE TOO

 
In 1963, when I was stationed in Poona, I held the post of Research Officer in the Government's Tribal Unit. One day, I received notification that I had been promoted and was being posted as Project Officer at Shahada in Dhulia District. It was a Class I post, equivalent to a Deputy Collector of the District.

My first feeling after being happy that I had been promoted was, "Why should I go there?" I imagined there would only be half naked natives with bows and arrows there and, more importantly, I did not want to be so far away from Meher Baba....

Soon after this I was with Baba at Guru Prasad and told Him of my promotion. Before I could tell Baba I didn't want to go, He turned to some Westerners who were present and with a smile remarked, "Look at this boy! He has become an officer. Now he will go to Dhulia among the tribals."

I then said to Baba, "But I don't want to go there."

"Why not?" Baba asked.

"Because I will be away from You." I replied.

Baba looked at me and gestured, "I am there, too!" He repeated it twice.

So I went. I thought it would all be jungle, but actually it was quite nice and I was pleasantly surprised. After I had been there for about three weeks, I went to a village in a jeep to visit with the headman there. When I arrived at his house, to my complete surprise I saw a big photo of Baba there! The head-man was sitting with some ladies. I asked them who the person in the photo was. They replied in Gujarati, "He is our God. He is Meher Baba."...

We then had much happy talk about our Beloved Meher Baba. It was at this point that I remembered Baba's saying in Guru Prasad, "I am there too." When I asked if the villagers knew about Baba, they replied, "Oh yes. He is our God, all the villagers know about Him!"

Truly, He is everywhere.