As Per System

Valencia, Spain. Because Ananda Marga began here only two years back, our local organization is not yet strong. There is no large yoga house. Our living quarters and program facilities had to be arranged in a Catholic church on the outskirts of the city.

We arrived in the late evening. Without any experienced local group to help, the arrangements were particularly taxing for me. Baba demands maximum speed. He instructed me that all workers were to meet in His room in one hour.

Besides passing along this order, I also had to see to the general security, the kitchen, the program plans, the darshan room, and the workers’ rooms—not to mention dealing with the stream of workers and volunteers who bombarded me with questions about their respective responsibilities.

In the absence of properly experienced security volunteers, I was forced to post a guard at Baba’s door who was, well shall we say, more occupied with spiritual than practical concerns.

It was almost time for the workers’ meeting when a ruckus occurred. Running to Baba’s room, I saw one of the priests stalking out, swearing to God in Spanish, and saying that he would call the police; he wouldn’t be restricted within his own quarters. He was at least a bit drunk. The guard looked on helplessly. I glanced into Baba’s room. He was sitting calmly, unperturbed by the intrusion. When He saw me He instructed me to call the workers to His room immediately.

Within a few minutes everyone arrived. He said to us, “It is the duty of the guest to ensure the host’s comfort in every possible way. Our presence causes some inconvenience to our host. As gentlemen we are to fulfill our duty in the proper way. We should therefore leave this place immediately. We should not stay here another moment.” He turned to me and said, “Please thank the priests for allowing us to be here for this hour.”

I was dumbfounded. It would be difficult enough to find facilities on short notice for such a large group—but add to that Baba’s special needs: a room with an attached bath, a nearby room for His personal assistant, a call-bell, space for darshan, a kitchen for Him plus a kitchen for the workers, etc. The challenge was mind-boggling. And it was evening.

Another priest appeared. The drunkard had been only a subordinate; this was the head-priest. I told him we were leaving, and conveyed Baba’s thanks as directed. He pressed his palms together and said in Spanish, “Please, please excuse this great disturbance! Father Carlos was out of his senses. I request you to stay on!”

Hopefully, I passed his words back to Baba. He replied, “Again you must thank him, but we have to leave.”

0, Baba… how could You? Ithought. How in the world will we immediately find another place?

Baba was already packed. He started walking with Ramanandaji toward His car. It was late night. My mind turned blank in bewilderment.

Just at that moment the Dada appeared who had made the original arrangements to stay at the church. “Perhaps I know a house which will be adequate. Your car and Baba’s should follow mine.”

I was astounded. “But how is it possible?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

After a half hour’s drive we arrived at a suburban duplex. Dada led the way upstairs. We entered the room which would serve as His bedroom … then the attached bathroom … looked at the call-bell… the adjacent room for Ramanandaji… the darshan hall, which was adequate, albeit small…

Baba turned to us. saying with a smile, “It’s a miracle that you could get it ready so quickly.”

Afterward I asked that Dada, “What’s the secret?”

“Only a mistake,” he replied. “I first booked the duplex for our program, and even prepared the call-bell. Then the church became available, so I left this place. In my haste, I simply forgot about it and neglected to cancel it.

“No, no, that’s not the secret,” he added. “The secret is that both problems and solutions have the same source .” 59

Typical intricacies

Notes of all Baba’s talks during field walks have been taken by Dr. Patak, but this morning the doctor could not come so I was requested to do the note¬ taking. Though Baba always speaks informally while walking, I tried my best to transcribe word for word. So these notes are special because of their relative completeness. They cover three days. These three days’ talks were more or less typical of His “usual” style, that is if it can be said that He has a usual style . 60 Notes from the first field walk follow:

“Why do oranges grow here?” He asked. No one answered. “It is because of the Mediterranean climate. The flora and fauna are Mediterranean here. The sweet scents here are also due to Mediterranean climate. Roses and sweet peas are only scenting in the north. It may be that there are some medicinal herbs growing here because the climate is so hot. All of them belong to the Calendula family, having yellow flowers….

“The name of a small stone or pebble in old Latin is rockin. Similarly a small man is mankin in English.”

He requested us to search for a particular herb. It was difficult for Him to look for it because His vision was impaired by the poisoning in prison. One Dada picked up a leafy plant. “Is this it, Baba?”

59 The next day Baba mentioned that something similar had happened to Him twice before in India. On one of those occasions, He was brought to the home of an ex¬ tremely wealthy man. As He entered the house, the owner himself was cooking food for Baba. Baba refused to stay, however, saying the man had earned all of his money by immoral means.

60 J ust near the time of publication, I saw a manuscript for another soon-to-be printed book called " Shri PR Sarkar on History—a Guidebook for Future Historians”. It is based on notes compiled by Acharya Ragunath during the field walks of Baba’s two-month tour of northeast India in 1984. Those informal talks were even more complex and academic than the ones He gave in Europe. By the word “informal” I do not mean talks which were given without prior research or systematic preparation—because Baba gave all of His talks without the slightest preparation. The only characteristic of His so-called formal speeches was in His method of giving a series of speeches on related subjects over a period of days, weeks or months. On the other hand, His informal talks followed no rule.

“No. this is not the herb which I requested. Nevertheless, this also is a valuable herb. It cures liver problems, dysentery, and other digestive ailments.”

He told the herb’s name in old Latin, Sanskrit, Russian, modern Latin, old Hebrew, and several other languages. One Spanish sister then asked, “And in Spanish, Baba?” He looked at her, laughed, and told its name in—Arabic! I knew that the motivation of this sister was only to test Baba.

Baba’s bedroom and the darshan room are on the second floor. The weather is hot, so the windows are left open.

Throughout the entire darshan we could hear the singing of Baba Nam Kevalam coming from the street outside. After Baba finished darshan and was returning to His room, He asked us, “Who was that singing?”

Bodhishvar stepped forward. “It was my wife Anchala and 4 other sisters.”

“Huh, what do you say?”

“It is their way of protesting, Baba. Only brothers can receive Personal Contact from You. They feel that sisters also should be able to receive Personal Contact.”

Baba’s face suddenly lost its softness. “No one has the right to make demands on me regarding Personal Contact. It is my personal matter. Neither can the organization dictate to me, nor can any individual or individuals force me to give Personal Contact except as I so please.”

He raised His voice slightly.

“Do they have any idea of the inner meaning of Personal Contact? I assure you, they cannot understand it. There is good reason why I give Personal Contact to some and not to others. Shri Aurobindo gave such Personal Contact only one time in his life? And that too was while he was standing on a balcony, and the individual was down below. No, they do not and cannot understand the significance of Personal Contact.”

“Tell those five ladies that they are henceforth permanently expelled from the organization. This is my strict order. No one should make any representation on their behalf. If any Dada or Didi appeals for them, then that very Dada or that very Didi will likewise be expelled.”

We were shocked. Bodhishvar said, “Oh, no!” Others said. “It is too extreme!” “How could He do this?” Yet there was nothing to do but accept it.

He left no room for any sort of initiative from our side.

The girls were still singing kiirtan. Someone approached them, and they stopped singing, keen and hopeful to hear Baba’s comment. When they heard His order, they swooned and wept pitifully.

How could Baba be so cruel?

For the rest of the day and much of the night the 5 of them sat silently on the steps outside.