The conversation stemmed from the recent episode concerning a Hindu gentleman, a genuine bhakta (devotee), who had visited Shri Baba several times previously. Always in the past Baba had freely given him interviews and discussed the various points he raised with regard to the yogas, tap-jap, and so forth. But it so happened today that Shri did not allow the gentleman to approach him in the usual manner—and this, despite the fact that he had been here at Meherabad since the night before and waited for him all day long. Conjecturing on the cause of Shri’s special attitude towards him on this particular occasion, the man finally opened his heart to Kakaji, explaining that today he came with the intention of speaking to Shri on money matters and certain difficulties he was facing. But (as the man now realized) Shri knew all of this beforehand and did not permit him even to come into his presence. This so impressed the gentleman, convincing him of Shri’s greatness, power, and lilas that, having narrated all of this to Kakaji, he quietly walked off without uttering a word more.
When this little drama came up for discussion later, Shri explained that, when the gentleman first came him, Shri had asked him what he desired, God or what the world sees as “good.” The man replied that he preferred God to the world. So when he came today with the desire to speak about matters other than God, he was shirking his promise. Shri saved him from actually breaking his word by refusing to allow him to come before him and broach worldly matters; he had to content himself simply with remaining nearby in Shri’s proximity. The Hindu visitor was indeed a good man, Shri commented, sincere at heart, a premi (lover), who had observed so much tap-jap-vrat (penance and austerities) and other such practices. But with reference to the gentleman’s inability to stick to his original intention, Shri went on to give the mandali the following good piece of advice (upadesh):
“This is how the world changes. It’s all on account of Maya, which you have to renounce before you can hope to aspire for spiritual advancement. The greatest weapons of Maya are ‘woman and wealth’ (kam-kanchan). Any so-called saint (sant) who keeps talking about these subjects is not really a saint at all. Maya and all its paraphernalia have to go, Maya has to be destroyed, before one can attain Realization: and this is the only real qualification for sainthood.”
– “Meher Baba’s Tiffin lectures”, p88
28-June-1926; Meherabad