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

42 THE GOD-MANbut to cook a large quantity of food and distribute it to the poor of the village. In the evening thearti ceremony of the Maharaj was performed, attended by a number of the villagers. AfterwardsBaba returned to Ahmednagar.Next day he visited Arangaon, about five miles from Ahmednagar railway station, wherethere is the tomb of Buaji Bua, a Hindu saint who is said to have entered his grave when alive.Arangaon is a small sixteenth-century walled town now in complete ruin inhabited by poorpeasants; there was a military camp near to it during the first world war, which had fallen into astate of dilapidation. These buildings had a few years earlier been purchased by Adi's father,Kaikhushroo Sarosh Irani, in the course of his business. To the amazement of his disciples,Baba said he would like to stay there, and asked them to clear out the refuse and thorns aroundthe building once used as the post office and to make it habitable. They started on the work nextday; Baba remained there for four days, and then returned to Ahmednagar. This was his firstcontact with the place that afterwards became Meherabad.During the course of the stay in the camp Baba summoned his disciples, and said:"After taking full counsel with yourselves, I want all of you to make a choice from threeproposals which I make to you. The first is that you stay with me, but if you do so, you willhave to carry out all my commands. Life with me will not be a bed of roses; for spiritualreasons, I may have to subject you to many a hardship. No servants are going to attend uponyou. You will have to do whatever manual work I ask you to do. If you cannot see your wayto live in my company under these conditions, then by all means you may separate from me.After separating from me you may either break off all connection with me or not. But if youwish to continue, you will have to carry out a few orders of mine, particularly ordersregarding your residence and occupations. Think well and clearly before coming to adecision."We shall see that demands of great severity were to be constantly made upon close disciples;the closer they were, the more severe the demands. None wished to break off the connectionwith Baba entirely. Thirteen decided to live in his company, the rest to separate from him forsome time but to act according to his orders. The thirteen who decided to live with him wereBehramji F. Irani, Gustadji Hansotia, Jal (Baba's second brother), Adi K. Irani, Aga Baidul,Rustom K. Irani, Babu Ubale, Ramju, Pendu, Padri, Slamson, a Zoroastrian who wasnicknamed Nervous, and another Muslim.