Working 24 Hours a Day

Delhi, 1989. Today, as I arrived at the airport with 3 large boxes containing my sector’s quota of 600 plants , I was compelled to undergo a complex customs process. 96 Two officials insisted that twelve of my plants were forbidden by law.

Because these happened to be my most expensive plants, I was sure they were lying, with the intention of selling the plants afterwards. Officers commonly indulge in this sort of corruption. My argument to keep the plants thus fell on deaf ears.

They had already removed the expensive plants, and I was awaiting their final okay to leave. When their backs were turned, I silently exchanged cheap plants for the expensive ones. A moment later, they handed me the authorization. As quickly as possible, I made my way through the rest of customs, and jumped into a taxi. Just as the taxi was pulling out, I noticed one of the officials run out and anxiously look around.

“Since 1981, each of the eight sectors outside of the Indian sector, and each of the ten regions inside of the i ndian Sector was required to deposit about 600 plants monthly with the Calcutta office. In addition, each time any worker reported to Calcutta, she or he was required to personally deliver a number of extra plants. In total, about 13,000 plants were brought every month.

The plants were not brought arbitrarily, but according to specific lists provided by Central Headquarters. These included seedlings and small cuttings of flowers, vegetables, medicinal herbs, fibers, spices, cosmetic plants, plants on the verge of extinction, fruit trees and other trees. For example, at the time of this entry, Hong K ong sector was requested to bring Acasia Triacantus, Taiwan Calmanis. Serissa Foetida, Yellow Palm, CalamisFormosana, Cryptomeria I apanica, and J apanese Cherry. Calcutta would then distribute the plants to different M aster Units of I ndia, and to some extent overseas. Now our botanical gardens rank among the largest of India.

Languages of the world

[Author’s note: In today’s workers’ meeting, Baba spoke at great length about languages around the world. He frequently spoke on this subject. Even when speaking about something else, He commonly went on linguistic detours, explaining the derivation of important words. I include these notes not because they are exceptional, but to give an example of a lecture on His pet subject.. However, the matter is highly technical and so the reader is referred to the article “On the evolution of languages throughout the world” in the appendix Technical talks by Baba or with Baba.]

Philosophy becomes reality

Calcutta. A few days ago, while taking the train from Delhi, I sat next to Dada Devashraddhananda, who is working in the USA. Though he is a dynamite worker, he couldn’t help but mention to me about his health problems. He said, “I’m suffering so much for so long, I don’t know how I can take it any longer. Why doesn’t Baba free me from this hectic lifestyle of constant touring and post me to supervise a farm on a Master Unit, or something like that?”

“Why do you worry?” I said. “Baba knows everything, and is treating you and all of us perfectly. When He wants to cure you, He will. Otherwise we have to simply keep tasting the fruits of your past actions, whether they be sweet or sour.” I knew my words were blunt, but here was an elevated man who would understand my meaning.

“You’re just speaking philosophy,” he said, “and I’m suffering.”

Hearing this, what could I say?

After we came in Guru’s presence, Devashraddhanandaji’s attitude changed. Smiling, laughing, enjoying Baba—He seemed unaware of his own suffering.

Baba called me out of line to answer a few questions. Then He also called Devashraddhanandaji forward. After two or three questions, Baba’s mood suddenly changed. “Devashraddhananda, stand straight. Do you know that there is a defective functioning of your urinary tract?”

“Yes, Baba.” (Later, Dada told me he hadn’t really known, but was only saying so.)

“You should take only liquid diet in the evening. Do you understand?” “Yes, Baba.”

Baba told us to step back, and continued the session. I looked at Devashraddhanandaji—he was beaming a million rupee smile.

Criteria for board member

Baba was listening to the report of one of the workers’ boards : 97 BABA: During the last one month, this board did nothing significant. Should a chair or a table be a member of this board? What do you say?

DADA WHO IS MEMBER OF THE BOARD: Perhaps we achieved nothing, Baba, but we were active, and we met regularly.

BABA (getting a little angry): What do you mean to say? Should a ceiling fan be a member of the board?

F rom the perspective of P rout

Today Baba expressed some points on Prout. There may be some small mistakes in my notes:

Regarding the case of Salaman Rushdie’s book Satanic Verses, i.e., Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini demand for Rushdie’s death because of the book’s criticism of Islam and Mohammed, Baba commented:

Prout does not support the suppression of any popular sentiment. If it is suppressed then some people may think there is some value in it. Hence suppression only helps to keep the idea alive, and it will manifest in different ways later. If the Proutists believe that a particular popular sentiment is harmful to the path of human progress, they should encourage the idea to be brought into the public light so that it may be countered by logic and reason. A constructive alternative should be presented. Thus negative energy is channeled in a positive way. Of course, this does not deny the importance of legal defamation guidelines.

Regarding the economic development of a nation, Baba gave six points: l) Maximum industries should be developed in local areas according to the availability of raw materials for local consumption. (This is diametrically opposed to the present policy of every country in the world.)

97 This brief conversation is included as an example of a Baba-style criticism during review- meetings.

2 ) Finished products which can he locally produced should not be imported.

3. No country should invest significantly in industries which depend on imported raw materials.

4 ) The first step to decentralized planning is to make an economic plan according to the needs of the lowest level, i.e. block-level planning for areas having about 100,000 people.

5. In pure economic terms, developmental promts are those projects which directly and indirectly increase nations wealth.

6. The more government revenue is spent on development projects, not including the salaries of government employees, the better it is for the country’s economy.

[Author’s note: At this point, Baba went on to give a detailed explanation regarding the way for Bangladesh, one of the world’s poorest nations, to solve its economic problems. Refer to the aricle “On solving Bangladesh’s economic problems” in the appendix Technical talks by Baba or with Baba.]

[Author’s note: During a workers’ meeting, Baba asked me some ques- tions about microvita, the mysterious emanation of the Cosmic Mind. I tried my best to answer, and He gave some hints for further contemplation of this complex subject. About two weeks later, 1 was in Taiwan. It was 3:00 in the morning, and I was struggling to stay awake while answering the questions of one of our Margi scientists. Suddenly I had a long stream of thoughts on the same subject. These diary entries are combined into the article “On microvita” in the appendix Technical talks by Baba or with Baba.]