Society's high expectations

(During the meeting of the district incharges from Area West of the Indian Sector. A Margi stands in front of Baba.)

BABA: GS, ask him how many full-timers he created.

GENERAL SECRETARY: How many full-timers did you create in the last one year?

MARGI: None.

BABA (now directing his words at the Margi): How many schools have started due to your own efforts?

MARGI: None, Baba.

BABA: Could you even inspire any Margis to become Block Secretaries within your district?

MARGI: No, Baba. I’m sorry.

BABA: You’re sorry. Are you married?

MARGI: Yes, Baba.

BABA: Then why are you also keeping a secret wife? (Some of us gasp in surprise. Most surprised is the Margi, who rolls his eyes and is no longer able to stand still.) Haram jada! (You donkey!) Because your lifestyle is immoral, of course you could not achieve anything. Due to your illicit behavior you have also contracted some serious disease. Is it not so?

MARGI: Yes, Baba…

BABA: Do you promise from this very moment to rectify yourself and become an ideal man, serving the society with all of your capacity?

MARGI: Yes, Baba.

BABA: Come closer. (The Margi moves near Baba, who reaches out and momentarily touches him below the navel area.) You are henceforth cured of that disease. Do you understand that we, the members of the collective society, maintain high expectations regarding the contribution that you will make for the universal welfare?

MARGI: Yes,

Baba. BABA: Very good.

When we spoke to him afterward, he refused to tell what disease he had, saying only that it was something abominable. Then he went to the bathroom. After coming out, he said, “By Baba’s grace it is cured!”

Service beyond party politics

Today Baba introduced a new program called ARS: All-Round Service. Henceforth it will be a daily-report item.

ARS consists of basic relief works to be offered to the most needy people, and will be directed primarily at the communist and post-communist countries. Baba explained 4 points:

1. ARS had to be created due to the defective economic subsistence level in the communist countries.
2. ARS has nothing to do with party politics.
3. We have to help the people down to the district level at the time of calamity.
4. We should continue cooperation with other service organizations such as Red Cross and Oxfam.

The Fareast Asia sector has the greatest population of any sector suffering under communism. It includes China, Asiatic Russia, Mongolia, North Korea and Tibet, so this new emphasis will be very important for us.

An article appeared in the newspaper today about a flood in South Korea. Baba, to whom at least four newspapers are read daily, requested a report within 12 hours about our relief work. I tried to telephone our office in Seoul, but could not get through.

When the deadline for reporting approached, Baba’s personal assistant pressed me for the report. I told him that I couldn’t get through, but he wouldn’t accept this reply.

Not knowing what to do, I closed my eyes, meditated on Baba’s face, and asked Him for guidance. I imagined what work we should have done in Korea, and accordingly, on opening my eyes wrote the following false report:

“In the aftermath of Typhoon Judy, Seoul Regional Secretary (Dada Alok) and Universal Proutist Intellectual Federation Secretary (Dada Mahaprajinananda) organized a relief team of 12 Margis to help homeless and suffering people in the Seoul area. Already clothes have been given to 25 families, and food to 200 people. The team also helped to clean out and make habitable four houses so far. They will continue their work with accelerating speed.”

Soon after the report was submitted, Baba called a meeting in His bedroom. During that meeting, He praised Hong Kong Sector for responding so quickly to the flood in Korea, and encouraged the representatives of other sectors to follow this example.

On top of that, He directed the Central Public Relations Secretary to submit the news of our on-going Korean relief work to the Calcutta newspapers.

I was thoroughly embarrassed, but could tell nobody. All this hoopla over a false report. At the end of the session, I immediately took permission to go to the city public telephone office.

This time I got the line to Seoul. Dada Alok answered:

ME: Alok, it’s absolutely urgent that you do something for the people suffering from the flood in Korea. Baba read about it in the newspapers.

ALOK: We already did a bit of relief work.

ME: Great! I’m writing it down. Tell me who did the work?

ALOK: About a dozen Margis under the guidance of Mahaprajinanandaji and myself.

ME: Wow! I was just guessing Mahaprajinanandaji was there.

ALOK: What?

ME: Nothing. How many people did you help?

ALOK: We gave clothes to about twenty-five families, and food to about 200 people.

ME: That’s incredible! Absolutely totally Baba Nam Kevalam! Did you, by the way, did you clean out any houses?

ALOK: Yeah.

ME: Was it about four houses?

ALOK: No, it was three houses. Wait a moment, come to think of it, it was four houses. How did you know?

ME: I love you, Baba! Somehow Baba knew all this even without the telephone call. He’s reporting your work to the newspapers already.

ALOK: What’re you talking about? Really? But it’s not such a big deal yet. Anyway you can let Him know that there’s a lot of people still suffering, so we’ll do more and more work.

ME: I already told Him you’ll work with accelerating speed.

ALOK: Exactly.

ME: We should give some more news to the papers. So try to call me with your report tomorrow and the day after also.

ALOK: Will do.