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

THE FIRST TEN YEARS 67Baba 'spoke' regularly in the evenings on spiritual matters. He impressed upon them all tomeditate daily upon God with heart and soul:Think of one thing only-God-and remain in a fixed position throughout the meditation,without change. Let the name of the Lord alone be on your lips. If your mind begins towander, don't stop trying to concentrate upon him. Strive to reach the aim, and you will see mein my true form and experience many spiritual blessings.Meher Baba’s signature: his only writing since 1927: see p. 83One day Baba said that it was Sai Baba who controlled the Great War of 1914-18; though heseemed to be doing nothing, sitting in an out-of-the-way place, Shirdi, near Sakori-in the sameAhmednagar district - unknown to the world at large. There was a long discussion among themembers of the mandali about the war in China and the sending of Indian troops there. Babasaid that if the hostilities in China did not soon come to an end, the British people would bethe greatest sufferers. This was one of his unusual comments on political affairs.Thursdays were set aside for visitors as before, and large numbers came bringing food andsweets to Baba. One day there came a yogi from the village of Rahuri who attracted muchattention. He was said to be three hundred years old; others said that he had been living forfourteen hundred years, changing his body whenever necessary through his yogic powers!What was known for certain was that he was well known in the district as an ascetic. Heremained for long periods without food and water, and according to his own statements lived'on air'. He demonstrated to the mandali his control over breathing. He seemed to have noother aim than to serve animals, and to all visitors who came to see him he offered foodprepared by himself. He lived upon gifts and collections, and Baba presented him with twentyrupees.From 1 February to the 6th Baba kept a complete fast, taking food only on the sixth day.During this time he remained shut up for hours in his hut and went for solitary walks. Theerection of a new building in which to reopen a boarding school was debated among themandali; Baba insisted that the staff must be unpaid, being provided only with