Superstitions..

Meherwan was talking about superstitions and how Baba dealt with them. He said that there is a superstition that if someone sees crows mating, then one of the group will die. Once, while on the New Life, Baba and the Mandali did see a pair of crows mating, and someone said to Baba that this was terrible and it meant that one of them would die. Baba, instead of phoo-phooing it, said that perhaps they could avert it if someone notified one of His lovers who was not with them, that one of the Mandali had died. He said, 'If I send a telegram to say I have died, it will be too much of a shock, let us send Keki Desai a telegram to say Pendu has died.' Accordingly, a telegram was sent to Keki to tell him of Pendu's passing. Then Baba said, 'Let us not keep this up too long, go send another telegram to say "Don't worry, Pendu alive".'

A while later they heard from Keki. He had never got the first telegram, so was very surprised to receive the second saying Pendu was alive!! He did not know what to make of it. Baba found this very amusing.

Gaimai, Eruch's mum, had certain superstitious beliefs, one being that if someone sneezed while people were leaving one's house, they should return and go a bit later. Baba was walking out of Bindra House with His Mandali one time, when someone sneezed. Gaimai told Baba that He could not go. She explained that leaving right after someone sneezes brings bad luck. Baba very sweetly turned back, sat a while longer and then left.

She also did not allow people to cut their hair or nails on a Saturday, which is supposed to be a 'heavy' day - things don't go well if you start them on a Saturday. While at the ashram, Mehera would occasionally decide to cut Baba's nails on a Saturday, and Gaimai would protest. Mehera would say to Baba, 'Why does it matter what day it is?' but Baba would ask her to postpone it a day, so that 'bad luck' would not strike! (Manu and Meherwan still will not cut nails or hair on a Saturday, nor do we, mostly. Avoiding it always reminds me of Gaimummy.)

A while back I wrote about how Baba put the kajal on my forehead and in my eyes. Now a lot of folks would say, how superstitious. But as He said, it repels the evil eye. Even His! Today, a lot more people are able to accept the concept of negative energy or vibrations. They exist.
A bit like ghosts, which Eruch didn't believe in, until Baba confronted him with one. So, who knows, maybe superstitions have some element of truth in them after all. Anyone have good superstitions or stories about them to share?? Jai Baba.