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

130 THE GOD-MANAfter about six weeks Baba declared to his three companions-for the third still remained withthem-that the work for which he had gone there was finished, and that he would leaveimmediately to start work again elsewhere. The news startled his hearers, and, after discussingwith them where he should go, Baba surprised them still further by saying that he would return toMeherabad.It should be noted that before leaving Meherabad Baba had given instructions that a new cabinshould be prepared for him, as the old one had almost collapsed. This was to be a wooden cabinin an isolated corner on the hill.The return was kept secret, and the journey started immediately, Baba with one companiontravelling for most of the way second class to be in as much seclusion as possible, the other twotravelling third class as usual. He passed through Bombay unknown to anybody, and left the trainat Dhond, fifty miles from Ahmednagar, travelling the remaining distance by car so that heshould not be recognized. Thus he returned to Meherabad, where, he said, the foundations forgreat spiritual work had already been laid.Baba then went into seclusion, seeing very few people.In February 1936 Baba was in Madras on his birthday; before he left Meherabad he had givenstrict instructions that there was to be no observance of the birthday by anyone. This happenedfor the second year in succession. On the actual day of the anniversary his Master, UpasniMaharaj, went to Ahmednagar to the house of one of his own disciples, and as usual went to thespecial room kept for his visits where there was a photograph of Baba. To the surprise of all hewent up to the photograph and said to Gulmai 'Meher is my loving child. Tell him that I havebeen here on his birthday and waved his arti myself.' Then he performed the ceremony. Aremarkable incident, considered to be the reason why Baba did not allow others to observe theoccasion; for it is said that what a Master does he does for all.A new phase of Baba's work was now about to open. He went into seclusion at Rahuri, a towntwenty-three miles from Meherabad on the road between Ahmednagar and Nasik, and while therearranged for a trust to be created to take charge of the various ashrams in different parts of Indiaand to look after the persons and families dependent upon him. A new property was alsopurchased at Nasik, with the object of providing an ashram for Western disciples.Baba took with him to Rahuri a few selected members of the mandali, and there he gatheredtogether a number of mad or mast (spiritually intoxicated) people, upon whom he waited with hisown