The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers

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…… " The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers " .

 

Wordsworth says that it is much better to be a pagan and have visions of Proteus

and Triton rather than be a highly civilized man without any such visions. But

worldly men will always be worldly men. Few care to change their nature

completely and begin a new life. To get to great ends, one must abandon all

earthly ambition and face poverty and obloquy, if need be, calmly and cheerfully

and hold on to the Guru as the be-all and end-all of one's existence.

 

This high ideal we find in the diary is held up before Khaparde for his

consideration and concentration. But he never cared to accept that ideal.

Passivity was anathema to him. He preferred even at Shirdi, when he could always

contact Baba, to spend his time reading up every bit of newspaper and writing

letters to friends. Once Baba wanted to draw his attention to the absurdity of

frittering away time like that at his age and stage and Baba asked him what he

was doing and what he had been doing in the morning. His answer being writing

letters, Baba's comment was 'It is better to move your fingers instead of

sitting idle'. The next day, even in the act of writing letters Khaparde went to

sleep.

 

The tamas in him was so powerful that he was frequently indulging in long sleep

when he ought to have attended to artis and classes or kept busy. For a healthy

man of only 58 (Khaparde's age at that time) day sleep was not wanted at all.

Yet Khaparde was having long spells of day sleep and sometimes he slept away

when the noonday arti was going on in the Masjid.

 

When Baba was told that Khaparde could not be roused up by people calling at his

place, Baba said that he himself would wake Khaparde up. Khaparde was roused up

just before the close of the noonday arati about '1 or 2 p.m. and thus was made

to attend that arti. Baba gave him good advice not to allow this tamasic

tendency of oversleeping, but Khaparde was unable to follow that advice. Hence

for one reason or another, the ideals kept before him by Baba were not achieved

even in such small matters as keeping awake.

 

As for facing poverty, Khaparde notes how bitter it was to him. On the 1st

February 1912, when Baba said that Dixit should give Rs. 200 to his (K's) wife,

Khaparde notes in his diary as already stated 'Has it come to this? I prefer

death to this'. He adds that Baba wanted to put down his pride. But his pride

could not be put down. Baba wanted to show the pettiness of the " great objects "

that were greatly moving the heart and soul of Khaparde. Wealth was the chief

aim.

 

On the 13th February, Baba pointed out, 'Here is the cow of Dixit. Formerly it

was a Jalna man's. Before that it was somebody else's and before that it was

Mahlsapathy's. God knows whose it is'. He was pointing out that property was not

anything permanent and not worth striving for. On the other hand he pointed out

that so far as the absolute needs of the body were concerned, a person who had

firm faith had no fear of lacking them. Baba gave the assurance that none who

had firm faith in God would be left in want.

 

Baba also gave the assurance that He was powerful and his orders were supreme.

Baba also pointed out the obverse of the above story. In referring to one of his

earlier lives, he said that his father at that time was a rich man. Having

differences with his father, he left his father and went away. Finding a heap of

treasure on the way, he was doting on the same and spending his time thereon.

This, Baba said, made him a cobra, that is, a very inferior species of rajasic

and tamasic creature. This was the effect of over-fondness towards wealth.

 

Baba pointed out that he got disgusted with that later on, left the treasure,

and resumed his human form. Thus Baba tried to hold up before Khaparde the

pettiness of men who were hankering after wealth, wealth of the world that never

lasts. How was Khaparde to get his wealth? Only by seeking the favour of

innumerable persons and avoiding the displeasure of others.

 

All this required that his time and attention should be wasted upon petty

creatures. Baba told him that he must serve God alone and he also repeated that

advice. Baba said, 'What God gives lasts for ever; what man gives does not'.

This was repeated time and again to Khaparde, but all that was lost upon

him. " .....