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

56 THE GOD-MANsadhu–the begging bowl, water pot, the rod, the long braided hair, and the bundle. This man wenton with the instructions for nearly ten days, at the end of which he declared himself unwilling tostay any longer. It was found that his complaint was about the food.Together with such people there was always a number of true ascetics and aspirants whocame in an unpretentious manner, and with most of them Baba generally 'talked' in seclusion.One ascetic was reported as having gone to Pandharpur from Ahmednagar rolling all the wayin the dust. When Gonde-Bua of Khandesh, a well-known ascetic of that district, came he wasnot allowed an interview. Baba sent him word that 'male visitors were not allowed that day',and he went quietly away after hearing the message. Persons of this type were observed to bevery humble.About this time a yogi, who had a large following and lived about fifty miles fromAhmednagar, came to see Baba with the object of testing him. Baba did not usually seepeople of this sort, nor answer their questions; on this occasion, however, he was in the moodto allow the man to be brought to him. The yogi was given a slate on which to write hisquestions, and while he wrote Baba also wrote on another slate, finishing his writing beforethe yogi had completed his. When the yogi's slate was handed to Baba he put it aside withoutlooking at it, and handed his own slate to the yogi: it contained the answers to the questions.The yogi got up, prostrated himself in the Hindu manner, and said 'I am sorry.'Since October the year before, Baba had again begun to observe fasts. The word 'fasting' isnot to be taken in its literal sense, for Baba has said that he never keeps fasts. That is, he doesnot stop food although able to eat it, for during periods when he does not take food he isunable to eat. His physical system at such times is not in a position to accept food for variousspiritual reasons, though the suffering and weakness caused by abstention is felt as acutely asby any man. For six days Baba abstained from solid food from 11 to 17 October 1925, whenhe took only a few sips of milk or tea or dal soup occasionally. After this six days' fastingBaba began to eat irregularly and scantily.At times he would take a few morsels of food after an interval of hours, or days, or remainonly on liquids. Up to 26 March 1926, he was fasting in this manner off and on. Even whennot fasting he would take very little food, and that at odd hours. From 17 June 1926, Babastarted on regular fasts. He took one meal every twenty-four hours in the afternoon up to 11July; from 10 to 22 July, for ten days, he remained on liquids.