NOVEMBER 8, 1956 - ATTACHMENT OR LOVE?

[Kalyan Meher Kotay]

After Bhau had joined Baba, his wife, Rama, and two children, Sheela and Mehernath, had gone to stay with Rama's parents in a village about a hundred miles from Nagpur. Sheela was over four years old, and her brother was three. One day, Mehernath accidently knocked his sister against a large vessel of boiling milk, and Sheela suffered severe burns.

On November 8th, a telegram was received in Satara about Sheela. Bhau did not inform Baba because there was a ban on correspondence during Baba's seclusion. But that day at 5:00 P.M., Baba called him to Grafton and asked if any letter or telegram had been received. Bhau said one from Rama had come. "What does she say?" Baba asked, and Bhau told him.

"Send a telegram immediately to Nana Kher to arrange for Sheela's medical treatment."

"Everything will be done there," Bhau said. "Why should Nana be troubled?"

This upset Baba so much, he picked up his sandal and forcefully threw it at Bhau. "Why this talk of trouble to Nana instead of simply following my order? Aren't you ashamed to speak like this to me? Who is sending a telegram to Nana, you or I?"

Bhau kept quiet, and Baba added, "Would you have talked about trouble had I sent him a telegram about someone else?" Bhau replied no, and Baba disclosed, "You are still attached to Rama, Sheela and Mehernath. Had there been no attachment, you would not have said what you did. Not out of love, but because of attachment, you think they are yours. Had you considered them yours out of love, you would never have said a word about trouble to Nana because I am the one ordering Nana to look after her."

Calmed down, Baba added, "You are always with me, and your wife, with two small children, is living in a remote village. Not once, in several years, has she made a request to send you there, and when she rarely does write, she says she is happy and content. Do you see how she helps you? She has love for me, and the children are mine. They are not yours, so have no concern for whatever I do for them. If you have thoughts, then it is your attachment; if you have no thoughts, then it is love. Even now, do you want to follow me or not?"

Smiling, Bhau replied, "I want to follow you, Baba."

Baba then questioned, "How long has it been since you have written to Rama?"

"Six months," Bhau replied.

"Six months! Never in my life have I come across such a madcap as you. Why don't you write to her? Write her about me – my activities. Is she not my lover? You write to so many others, why not to her? This goes to show that due to attachment you take them to be yours. If you take her to be a lover of mine, then you would write to her as lovingly as you write to others. There is no harm in writing her. It is due to your attachment. So, try to love her, as love is without attachment." Baba ordered, "Go and send the telegram to Nana, and write to Rama once a month. I have much love for her." So Bhau sent a telegram to Nana Kher, who promptly proceeded to the village. Everything had already been done about Sheela's treatment, but Rama felt much consoled by having Nana there. By Baba's nazar, Sheela recovered after being bedridden for six months, and although just over four years old, she continuously called on Meher Baba for his help.

Lord Meher, Bhau Kalchuri, Vol. 15, pp. 5124 - 5125.

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