Don't feel it to be infra dig to do anything for the Master,

[Guest guest]

……“As for worldly matters, naturally in the position

of a judge, he had not much trouble, though on account

of his increasing family burdens, he had demands and

burdens. But Rege never troubled Baba with prayers for

worldly gain or support, for instance, in matters of

promotion, etc. He had his income from property and

insurance. He was quite content with the provision for

the present and the future. If need arose, somehow

money was coming in, and Rege had nothing to complain

of.

 

Baba's kindness and provision for Rege's welfare had

no limit. Rege says that it is not possible to give

out all his experiences, but about Baba's method of

communication, he gives a classification. There are

three forms. The first is in the active waking state.

When the sishya is in difficulties or Baba wants his

sishya to take a particular course, the sishya gets an

inspiration as to what course should be adopted and

the feeling that that is Baba's inspiration. That is

quite enough, and is verified by the events in his own

case. When he was at the Ayi's house, he would feel

that Baba called him, and would go up to the Mosque

and find that Baba was actually waiting for him there.

So, the inspiration really came from Baba.

 

Baba would give him some songs to sing or some tunes,

because both Baba and Rege knew music. The second

relates to the sleeping or trance state. Baba would

appear in dreams or trances. This would be called

Sakshatkara and is considered most impressive and

unmistakable. Of course Rege had Baba's Sakshatkaras.

In the third method, Baba directed his sishya to go to

some other person, who did not even know why the

sishya was sent, but who nevertheless benefited the

sishya in accordance with Baba's internal and

unperceived guidance. Sometimes the person to whom

Baba sends a devotee is totally unfit to give any

reply, for instance, the rustic girl to whom Das Ganu

was sent for interpreting Isavasya Upanishad'.

 

Mr. Rege tells how he was sent to several persons in

the year 1912. He had taken Rs. 100 with him in his

pocket to Shirdi. Baba asked for dakshina of Rs. 40

first, again Rs 40, and again the balance of Rs. 20.

Then again, he asked for dakshina, and when Rege said

he had no more left, Baba said, 'Go and get it'. 'From

whom?' asked Rege. The answer was " From Shama " , a

woefully poor man. When Rege went to Shama and told

him that Baba wanted dakshina to be taken from him,

Shama replied, 'You do not understand Baba at all.

Baba does not care even a rap for your rupees. What he

wants is your mind, your heart, your time, and your

soul, to be devoted to him. That is the meaning' Rege

went back and reported this to Baba.

 

Baba smiled and said, 'Go and ask Kaka (Dixit).' So he

went to H. S. Dixit. This was in 1912, when Dixit's

practice was extinct. Dixit said that he had no cash

and that Baba's direction must be understood as a

lesson that Rege should not feel being poor or begging

for money or asking for anything else to be a

humiliation. " Don't feel it to be infra dig to do

anything for the Master " , he said. Dixit said that

Rege should never esteem himself to be above begging.

So Rege went back and reported to Baba. Again Baba

smiled and said, 'Go to Nana (Chandorkar)'.

 

Rege went to N. G. Chandorkar at Khandoba's temple

where he was reading religious books with the learned

Upasani Sastri. Chandorkar then sketched out plans and

schemes and showed how he himself arranged to bring a

lump sum, left one half of it at Kopergaon, went on

giving dakshina after dakshina, and at the opportune

moment sent for his reserve in Kopergaon. Chandorkar

in his worldly wisdom said, 'You must act like that'.

Rege reported this to Baba. Baba sent for Nana

Chandorkar and asked first for Rs. 40, again for Rs.

40, and again for the balance of Rs. 20.

 

Immediately he asked for another Rs. 20 before the

Kopergaon reserve would come. Thus Nana was taught a

lesson that it was presumption on his part to suppose

that he was the great Providence supplying the needs

of Baba, which was the impression he had. So, Baba

showed how differently demands for dakshina were

intepreted by different devotees. Rege concludes that

the object of the whole proceeding was to teach

lessons to him and to Chandorkar. Baba really cared

nothing. at all for money or for presents and wanted

only love-deep, intense, passionate, and wholehearted

love. ”……