Wednesday 10 November 2010

Papa Jessawala's love and sacrifice were the greatest - Meher Baba.

Byramshaw Jessawala, Eruch's father, was not a spiritually inclined man. He enjoyed luxurious homes, good food, gardening, the status and prestige of his position as a Boiler Inspector and most of all, he loved his car.

When his wife Gai brought the family to Baba through His meeting with the Satha clan in Meherabad, he didn't particularly want to be with Baba. He was a devout Parsi, and really didn't want anything to change. However, his wife and children were totally in love with and devoted to Baba so he began to come with them. His love of his family brought him to Baba and he gradually learned to first resepct and then love Baba.

When Baba asked them to sell everything and come to Him, Eruch had to sell their palatial bungalow in Nagpur and all it's contents in a big hurry. Taking advantage of this, a Parsi couple called the Pochas bought it for less than a third of its value, and not only that, they even didn't give the full price they had agreed on. The property was worth Rs. 100,000/- or more in those days, but they agreed to pay only Rs. 35,000/- and finally said they only had Rs. 30,000/- which Eruch reluctantly accepted.

Many years later the wife came to Poona, to Bindra House where the family was living. She came to apologise and said, "What my husband and I did was wrong, and we knew it. We took advantage of your circumstances and bought your home for much less than it was worth. But we never really had any joy living in it." When asked to elaborate she said, "As soon as we moved in, I began to see your Meher Baba everywhere in the house, it really scared me, and I could not sleep or relax in the house." Gaimai was so shocked, and commented on how fortunate she was, that Baba had come to them in their old home. Not seeing it quite like that, the woman said that she would like to offer them the difference between the agreed price and the price paid, though they had sold the house a while ago for a lot of money. Papa refused, saying "We have everything we need, thanks to Meher Baba. Please give the money to a good cause." This was a big change in Papa's nature.

When Papa died in 1959, Baba had Eruch drive behind the funeral procession taking him to the Tower of Silence, and during that drive He said of Papa, "His sacrifice and love were greater than all of you. You all came to the spiritual life naturally, he came to it for your sake, and eventually for Mine." A loving salute to a great lover from the One and Only Beloved! Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai!

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