1790NASIK & CANNES1937
The feet, which are physically the lowest part of the body, are spiritually the highest. Physically, the feet go through everything — good and bad, beautiful and ugly, clean and dirty — yet they are above everything. Spiritually, the feet of a Perfect Master are above everything in the universe, which is like dust to him.
When people come to a Perfect Master and touch his feet with their heads, they lay the burden of their sanskaras on him. A Sadguru's feet collect the sanskaras from all over the universe, just as an ordinary person when walking collects dust on his feet. This is the burden to which Jesus referred when he said, "Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Those who love the Perfect Master deeply, and wish to lighten his burden as much as possible, wash his feet with honey, milk or water. Honey represents red sanskaras [mental]; milk represents white sanskaras [subtle]; and water represents yellow sanskaras [gross]. Some devotees place at his feet a coconut which represents the mind and symbolizes their complete surrenderance of their will to him.
Curiously, no doubt related in some way to the Master's work, while returning from the celebration, there were a number of accidents along the way. The Rahuri bus (with Minoo Kharas) and the luggage van (with Kalingad and Masaji) both met with accidents; five or six of the twenty buses going to Arangaon dashed into an unfinished culvert. But the most serious accident, perhaps, was at the same spot to the Pontiac driven by Padri, carrying Daulatmai, Freiny Masi, Gulmai and Piroja. The last two were thrown from the car, and Gulmai sustained a head injury.
When Baba received news of the accident on the 20th from Padri, Baba and Adi Sr. immediately left for Ahmednagar.
Adi, naturally, was frantic with worry about his mother. Considering that and the hectic two days of celebrations, at Rahuri on the way, Baba remarked to him, "Amidst intense activity, if there is absolute calmness of mind, that is the highest love!"
He also revealed that the parties involved in the different accidents were saved from death by his dua (blessing).
Baba met Gulmai at Khushru Quarters, before going to Meherabad.
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