last spiritual Plane, and God. And love for the Godman Rano and Kitty have in abundance. They write of the day-to-day relationship between a human being and a Christ, an Avatar, something we have not had before in history. How scattered and unreliable the New Testament is, scholars inform us; the life of Buddha, Ram and Krishna, have fragmented into legend, and the Hadith, or anecdotes of Mohammed's life, are also fragmentary.

To give a flavor of these two books, I quote, first from Kitty:

For instance, when there was a water shortage for bathing, Baba would order for each of us one-half pail; but some criticized others for using more, or what the criticizer thought was more — not easy to measure when a pail is narrow at the bottom and wide at the top! It was, however, just these daily happenings that afforded Baba His opportunity to work up a crisis of ego-elimination and bring us a step further on the Path toward God, through control, obedience, and a mind concentrated on Him. "Any time a person's thoughts turn truly to Me, I am truly with them," He told us.

Baba would see all that went on, arbitrate between two contending parties and bring about a compromise, but He rarely took sides. Each would have the opportunity to get a straight talk with Baba, and this was very refreshing, Baba never evaded anything and never harbored bitterness. I think He rather enjoyed watching the tussle between two pronounced egos. He had a wonderful way of finding both parties to be in the right As Baba said, for instance, to Norina and Elizabeth after a heated argument: "You are both in the right, but Norina has got to go a little slower and Elizabeth has got to try and move a little faster." Then, looking at both with a smile, He added, "Now both embrace."

At another time He said, "Love and forget. This is the only thing that matters and it pays . . . Learn to jane do (let go) — to give up wanting the last word. Why do you care to be understood when you know you are right? Give up all wants and be happy. But you must try consciously."

from Rano:

At Meherabad and in later years traveling around India and living at Meherazad, I was given every kind of household chore except cooking. I have done the sweeper's job and secretarial work; I have washed clothes, done carpentry; and I have been a doctor's assistant, a watchman, a dressmaker, a porter and a painter. The important thing with Baba was flexibility.

I remember one experience regarding this point which made a strong impression on me. Very early one morning at Meherabad, Baba called me into the kitchen. I never liked getting up early, especially when it was still dark, so I was always the last one up. On hearing that Baba wanted me, I hurried to finish dressing and went running to the kitchen. As I entered, Baba looked at me sweetly and said, "Listen to the kettle sing."

I thought to myself, "Baba has called me here just to hear the kettle sing!"

My face must have given me away because Baba said, "It is not the fact of the kettle's singing that is of importance, but that I thought of you to call you."

I felt very small and very contrite. It showed me that with Baba I must never judge things by their outward appearance. Baba always meant something more than appeared on the surface and I would have to be quick enough to realize it.