DISCOURSES Volume II - Avatar Meher Baba Trust

THE WAYS OF THE MASTERS 55the crowd so that for five minutes the party saw nothing butwinking. Then Bahlul cried, "Stop! O you wise men. Why do youwink?" And the notables replied, "We are winking because yougreat men were winking. We only imitate you." Then immediatelyBahlul took off his wig and said, "We two are both bald. Imitateus." The notables then went away and on the third day they allcame with shaved heads. Then Bahlul turned to the Prince andsaid, "We two are permanently bald; these men will have to shavetheir heads daily in order to remain bald." Thus through his tactfulhandling and sense of humor he secured access to those whom hewanted to help.The Master takes infinite pains to contact and win over thedisciple for spiritual life. Since the progress of the disciple issecured only if his love for the Master is not allowed to dwindle,Dealing with failingsof discipleshe takes every care to remove all obstacleswhich might be standing in the way of thewhole-hearted devotion of the disciple. Ifsometimes he is seen to humour the individual nature of thedisciple it is only to keep those obstacles from creating a seriousimpediment in his way. Sometimes he might even seem to feed theego of the disciple, but all this is just giving a long rope to theignorance of the disciple. It is only a preparation for the finalextinguishing of his ego, just as animals to be offered in sacrificeare carefully nurtured before their annihilation. The Master ishimself beyond good or evil and is not perturbed by the failings ofthe disciple. He tolerates them with unfailing patience and infinitecapacity to wait, knowing full well that once the disciple getsestablished on the Path these failings will be swiftly washed away.Once the Master is satisfied that the disciple is