A blind Bengali scholar named Dr. Subodh Chandra Roy, 50, had been teaching in New York at the New School for Social Research since 1948. Tom Riley had been a student there in 1956 and had taken courses in Indian philosophy with Dr Roy. One day Tom told Dr. Roy about Baba and referred him to God Speaks. Dr. Roy became so intrigued that he had someone read the book to him. He subsequently met Filis and Adele, and another student, Rose Garbade who, like Tom, had met Baba in America in 1958.
… Â After arriving in Calcutta and talking at length with A. C. S. Chari, Dr. Roy was determined to meet Meher Baba. He wrote to Adi in October 1963, and Baba permitted him to come to Meherazad at his convenience on any date in the last week of November or first week of December 1963. But Dr. Roy failed to show up on the appointed day. Baba acted very concerned about him. By mistake, Dr. Roy had gone to Ahmedabad instead of Ahmednagar, a difference of over 500 miles. But the man had a strong will and, at last, found his way to Adi’s office in Ahmednagar, along with an Indian escort who was a schoolteacher.
On the morning of Tuesday, 21 January 1964, at 9:00 A.M., Dr. Roy and the teacher were brought to Meherazad by Adi. After embracing him, Baba kissed him two or three times and lovingly permitted Dr. Roy to pass his hand over Baba’s face.
…Subodh Chandra Roy was with Baba for about three-quarters of an hour. Baba gave him a short discourse and answered the scholar’s questions about reincarnation. “There are many births and deaths apparently,” he was told. “But in reality, there is only one birth and one death.”
Dr. Roy then asked, “What does your darshan mean for a person without sight?”
Baba explained, “All who come for my darshan are blind, for none can see me as I am. There are very few in the world who can ‘see’ me, the rest see only illusion. But the contact of touching me or receiving my embrace is a darshan of untold blessing, and so you are blessed.”
When Dr. Roy asked about the breaking of his silence, Baba replied, “The fact that I have observed silence is in itself the answer that I must break it. “My silence is no vow. I had the urge to observe silence, and I will equally have the urge to break it. An urge is independent of time, but the time is fast approaching when I will have the urge to break my silence.”
Dr. Roy spoke of his deep study of various world religions and the conclusions he had reached, and invited Baba’s comments. In response, Baba stated, “There are two aspects of religion, the ceremonial and the spiritual — in other words, the husk and the substance. When a man’s consciousness begins to involve and he dives deep within, he can rightly assert that he belongs to no religion but that all religions belong to him.”
“How should I characterize your teachings?” asked Dr. Roy. “To what philosophy or religion is it closest to?”
Baba replied, “My teachings are not like any religion or philosophy. If you are looking to anything for close similarity, it would be a sort of synthesis of Sufism, Zoroastrianism and Vedantism.”
“I am glad to know this. As a professor in America, I teach comparative religion. I teach all three of these religions, Sufism as a part of Islam.”
Dr. Roy next inquired, “How do you convey your gestures when you feel tired or get impatient?”
Baba took the blind man’s hands into his and showed him how he did his signs, letting him feel his hands as he gestured. Dr. Roy asked, “Do you feel impatient at my questions?”
Baba joked, “Not yet.”
Dr. Roy said, “I lost one day in my life by going to Ahmedabad by mistake instead of coming to Ahmednagar. How am I to make it up?”
Baba’s answer was: “Time has no real existence in Eternity.”
Dr. Roy put other questions to Baba about metaphysics, to which he replied, “You will find all the answers to your questions in God Speaks. Study the book thoroughly and absorb it.”
Dr. Roy said, “I have found that your teaching is the same Truth established through the ages.”
Baba smiled and remarked, “If it were otherwise, it would not be Truth! Truth is but one, the same and eternal. However, I have not come to teach it, but to give it.”
Baba pointed to the metal plaque on the wall, which Eruch read out, “I have come not to teach but to awaken.”
The schoolteacher then took a photograph of Dr. Roy and Baba, with Roy seated on the floor near Baba.
While leaving Meherazad, the professor told the mandali how happy and satisfied he was with meeting Baba, and said more than once, “Baba is indeed compassionate!”
Later, Dr. Roy summarized his meeting with these words:
Meher Baba’s love is really very genuine and very great. He showed me what life should really embody, that is, about the “power of love” as opposed to “love of power.” Most of us have experienced love of power, but very few of us have experienced the power of love.
After meeting Baba I concluded for myself, here is a person who embodied, practiced and inspired many of us with the power of love. I will cherish the interview I had with him throughout my life.
-www.lordmeher.org, p5059
Jan, 1964; Meherazad