Get Him Out Of Here

A certain pattern had evolved wherein Maharajji frequently called upon myself and a couple of other foreign men whenever he required some enforcers. Sometimes it was to deliver some bad news such as a Jao, other times just to get the group herded together for some purpose. It was not an enviable role, such as that enjoyed by a favorite singer or the one with the honored and coveted job of waving the towel to move the flies along.

But any way in which one was called to serve was a blessing, and we all wanted his attention.

One morning in Kainchi we were sitting around Baba ji on the verandah singing and laughing at his play. At some point evey morning he would get up from the tucket and walk across to his office. This morning as he descended the three steps to the courtyard, with the whole group of us standing to accompany him, one young western man wrapped in a red shawl stumbled down the stairs and sprawled on the ground. He may have brushed against Baba, who turned around, saw him and continued to his office.

Of course by now we could all see that the man was wearing nothing from the waist down. Apparently he had consumed a good dose of LSD earlier on and had lost his lower clothes. No one had noticed earlier as he sat there wrapped in red.

Once in his office Maharajji started to roar. Already he had frequently used the expression regarding the foreigners, "Goli khaya, nanga nachata hain!" (They have taken LSD and are dancing naked)

He shouted for me and another devotee. We approached the screened window, "He's taken goli (acid)! Get him out of here."

We said, "Yes, Baba, right away."

He said for us to take him out of the ashram and to stop the first bus and to put him on it. Then he said for us to stop the bus for Almora, put him on it and send him to Dinapura. (This was my old stomping grounds, but by now it had become synonymous with hippies and drugs).

By now the guy was wrapped in his red shawl and had been taken out of  sight of Baba's window. We realized that in his present state, he could hardly speak or walk, but had a grin from ear to ear. There was no way he was going anywhere soon. we hustled him out of the ashram and someone volunteered to take him to their house, not too far (away).

When we got back to Baba, he was in a jovial mood, and kept repeating "He took acid and was dancing naked by the river." We wondered after that incident whether the guy could ever come back. When he returned Baba ji welcomed him back as if nothing happend.

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