TRAINING-SCHOOL FOR SAINTS

 
By April, 1927, the recently opened School at Meherabad, with ten Indian boys of various castes, was under way, and in July, with the advent of fourteen boys from Persia, a special Persian section was added. The usual secular education was given to the boys by accredited teachers, who served without pay, while Baba instilled into their minds great spiritual truths.

This instruction, which to an outsider might have seemed far beyond the boys' depth, was evidently understood intuitively by them, because by the end of November the divine spark which Baba had been implanting in their hearts, burst into a flame of supernal love which spread throughout the school.

In January, 1928, one Mohammedan boy of fifteen, now known as Chota (little) Baba, entered into the super-conscious state and remained unconscious of his body for four days. Concerning his experience, he writes:

"One night, after delivering a spiritual — scientific discourse, the Master said to me, 'Child, have faith and try your best; I will make gold out of you.' These words of my beloved Master produced a great impression on my mind, quite out of proportion to what one might expect. They were surcharged with spiritual force and they made me very restless. A great spiritual longing took possession of me, and every waking moment I said to myself, 'When will this dust of myself turn into gold?' A great revolution was effected in me. Both boys and disciples wondered at my changed condition. I myself wondered at it. I could not sleep soundly, all relish for any kind of food vanished.

Then, one day in the month of December, while partaking of dinner, I felt a great sensation in my body, from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet. Tears rolled down my cheeks and I could not refrain from crying out loud. Everything around me seemed to whirl and vanish. My blood became extremely hot and heat pierced my body from the inside. Then I swooned. When I regained consciousness, I saw my beloved Master sitting near me. I could not help crying. He calmed me and gave me a cup of milk.

I could not think of anything or anybody but him. I meditated upon him continuously. Even in school hours, when I was apparently reading, my heart was with my Beloved. Separation from him made me suffer intensely. I was contended only when I was with him. This feeling was divine love, a gift from the Master — the love of which Shams-e-Tabriz, the Sufi poet and mystic speaks: 'When Shamsul Hacke Tabriz opened the wings of Love, it made the Angel Gabriel run after Him.'

"One day, in January 1928, when the holy Master was imparting spiritual instruction to the boys and disciples, I began to feel that I was losing consciousness, and after blurting out, 'Oh, Baba,' I actually lost it. I became unconscious of everything but the divine form of the Master.

On the fifth day my gross consciousness was restored to me, but with its restoration the Master's divine form — which, it should be remembered, is not his physical body — did not vanish. Since then I see it in everything, in everybody, and now enjoy ineffable bliss. Before I attained to my present sublime state I had often read and heard that this gross world is nothing but Maya (illusion). Now I see for myself that this is really true. God alone is Real. All else is unreal."