MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
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VOL. 19
WINTER 1990 to him. Chanji was the one who was always with
CHANJI
Baba. Wherever Baba went, even when Baba
Framroz H. Dadachanji was the paternal uncle of both Arnavaz and and her late husband Nariman Dadachanji. Arnavaz is the narrator of this story, which was pieced together from informal interviews first published in Neti-Neti, with thanks to Arnavaz who helped edit it for our newsletter.
Chanji was very, very patient and such a loving, sweet person that I loved him more than I loved my own father. He was a wonderful person. The mandali loved him so much that when he died some of the mandali also cried and the mandali asked Baba
at that time, "Baba, why did he have to die? He was so indispensable to you."
made ten trips to the West from '31 to '37, Chanji was the only one who accompanied Baba on all the trips. So he was most of the time with Baba. At that time there were no planes so Baba always used to travel by ship. It used to take thirteen to fifteen days according to which ship He would take. Once I remember He went to England, stayed for a couple of days and then returned back. So can you imagine • one month of travelling and just two or three days of being there. Baba's work was so important that He didn't even mind travelling for a month just to be in England for a couple of days.
I would like you to know about a few incidents that took place, about how humiliating situations took place many times with going to commit suicide. At that time, in 1924, the population of Baba. 1931 was die first time that Baba made the trip to the West Bombay was very sparse, one tenth of what it is today. and mere were only four of them: Baba, Chanji, Rustom and AH. Chowpatty Beach was one of Baba's favorite places. Chanji had Baba told Chanji to go and ask the captain, "Why is the ship gone to Chowpatty Beach to commit suicide, and at that time moving so slowly?" So Chanji had to go and ask him. The Baba was there with the mandali. Baba said to one of his captain gave him a very funny look. The next day Baba told mandali, "Go and find out what that man is doing all alone Chanji to go and ask the captain, "What day will it arrive at its there." And it so happened that the mandali Baba sent was destination?" A day or two later he sent Chanji to ask the Chanji's friend. He told Baba, "He is my friend; he is a very captain, "At what time of day will it arrive?" And again! He unhappy person." Baba said, "Go and bring him to me." must have gone so many times, and the last time Baba told him Chanji was sitting alone on the beach at a distance and Baba and to ask, "Why can't you speed the ship up?" Chanji was so afraid a few others were sitting on the other side. Baba sent him to to go and ask the captain and he really thought "Now the captain bring Chanji to Baba, so Chanji came. He was unhappy because will just throw me overboard." Today we laugh and it seems his wife had left him and he was in debt. He thought there was humorous but you can imagine the humiliating situation. nothing to live for, so he wanted to commit suicide. When Chanji came to Baba, Baba must have asked him some Similarly Baba would tell Chanji to go and ask the steward in questions, but the important thing was that Baba wanted Chanji the dining room, "Why is there so much salt in the food?" The to meet Him the next day where He was staying. The next day next day he would again send Chanji to ask, "Why is there less Baba did not wait. He sent one of his disciples to fetch Chanji salt?" And so on and on and one had to do what Baba told one to from his home and He asked Chanji whether he wanted to tell do and Chanji would always do it Baba something, and Chanji poured out his whole story. Then Chanji owned a cinema that Baba used to visit. Once He brought Baba said, "Will you do what I tell you?" and he said, "Yes." So Baba answered, "I saved him twice." The first time, he was
the mandali from somewhere, some travels, so the mandali were
Chanji must have had a profound experience at that time which nobody has told me. I don't know, but I feel he must have had that profound experience. When Baba said, "Will you do what I tell you?" and Chanji said, "Yes," Baba said, "Wind up your business and come and stay with me permanently." So that's how he went and stayed with Baba. Baba was severe with him and Chanji used to talk about how strict Baba was but at the same time Baba was very, very loving
unshaven and Baba made them carry big vessels of cooked food because Baba wanted to go to die cinema and have his lunch there. At the time when the film was over and thousands of
people came out of the cinema, there was this funny sighL Baba entered with this odd group of people with vessels on their heads and their clothes full of dust. Because Chanji was die owner,
people knew him. He was so embarrassed seeing all these people coming into the cinema, and naturally he took diem aside to
Š1990
continued on the inner (third) page