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

144 THE GOD MANin seclusion as he required. He had a special ashram made for the masts only, and gave carefulinstructions to Kaka and Eruch to gather together a nucleus of advanced masts, detailing how theywere to approach them, not on any account to say that Meher Baba had sent them. After someweeks of great effort they contacted a number of masts, without success, and returned confessingtheir failure. Baba thereupon set out himself, with the same men and two others, going over theground again. He had more success and among the masts he gathered was Chatti Baba, of whomsomething will be said later.I have no note of what Baba said when the second world war broke out. He made reference to iton 17 December 1939, in a message at the laying of the foundation stone of the centre ofByramangala, when he said that the war had engulfed all departments of life, and self-preservationenhanced by fear was aggressively active under various guises:"Exclusiveness is parading as nationalism; self-interest is known as economics; fanaticism issynonymous with religion; libertinism is looked upon as social and moral freedom; andexploitation is termed politics."This instinct of self-preservation is legitimate and natural in the lower order of life in the scale ofevolution; but when it expresses itself through man it makes of him nothing more than a talkinganimal.... ""Is it anyone's fault if he finds himself on the right side of things or on the wrong side? No.Every human being has come to serve and achieve a definite purpose, and by playing his part heworks out his own salvation....""In the divine scheme, individuals or peoples when instead of progressing higher are about tolapse into bestiality it is suffering that rehabilitates them. "There is a note in Dr Donkin's diary on 19 February 1940, which contains a description of Babaat this time:He was looking radiantly noble with hair let down for once. He was a fine sight .... Hisphenomenal strength of character and sort of mysterious spiritual beauty were astonishing as he saton his couch. Baba's face in repose has a fusion of spiritual bliss and serenity yet such sadnesswhich gives it grandeur. His face really surpasses all experience of nature in its hold on thebeholder, and in its rapid changes of mood.Between 11 and 20 March all at Meherabad had been made to fast