THE GOD-MAN The Life, Journeys and Work of Meher Baba with an ...

98 THE GOD-MANbreakfast at seven-thirty, and was ready for visitors at nine 0' clock. In the evenings he wouldlisten to music or play games, and occasionally he would ask one or other of the company, 'Areyou happy?'The July-August-September number of the Meher Message, issued when Baba was in Europe,appeared with the announcement that from January 1932 the name of the magazine would be theMystic Review. In 'My Heart-to-Heart Talk' the editor said that he had been 'face to face withgreat difficulties', and confessed that 'if he had made mistakes, he had done so honestly'; in theOctober number he declared in another 'My Heart-to-Heart Talk' that with great pain he nowconsidered Meher Baba 'to be a charlatan'. He went on to say, 'I still love Meher Baba', butapologized to the critics of Baba for having denounced them.I record this incident because the magazine was associated with Baba, and the behaviour of theeditor seems to require some accounting for; the explanation is the simple one of the defection ofa disciple. The significant thing is that Baba remained unconcerned. He had allowed the editor todo what he pleased, as he always does, and having expressed his own wishes he left the matter tothe one concerned. Baba can sometimes be persuaded to do what he does not wish to do to pleasea disciple, but the results are never what the disciple expects, and if a disciple wishes greatly tofollow a particular course of action, Baba usually does not stand in the way. This, indeed, formsan important element in his method.FIRST WORLD TOUR, 1932On 16 January 1932, Baba left Bombay for Nasik. A second visit was arranged to the West atthe invitation of some of his English followers, and he left India on 24 March by the Conte Rosso,accompanied by six Indian disciples, including his two brothers Behram and Adi, arriving atVenice on 4 April, where he was met, reaching Dover two days later, whence he was taken bycar to a private house at Kensington. There, every day from nine o'clock onwards, people came tosee him, and he allowed a film company to take him in the garden 'speaking' from his alphabetboard.Baba went to the country house of one of his English friends, and visited Kew Gardens, theBritish Museum, and a number of theatres and cinemas. A children's party was arranged at thehouse, and occasionally in the evenings there was music. Many Press representatives came forinterviews. I invited James Douglas, editor of the