AT HIS FEET

 
Baba was seated in a chair on the edge of the platform, with his feet resting in a silver basin. To one side stood a silver pitcher containing a mixture of milk and honey; another pitcher contained water. A little of the milk and honey was poured by the devotees over Baba's feet, then a little of the water. Some of the worshippers scooped up a handful of the mixture in the bowl and drank it. Others touched their moistened fingers to their hearts or foreheads. It reminded us of the use of Holy Water in Catholic Churches and of the sacrament of baptism, with its symbolic washing away of sins.

Later, Baba explained this symbolism to us: "The feet which are physically the lowest part of the body, are spiritually the highest. Physically, the feet go through everything, the good and bad, the beautiful and ugly, the clean and dirty, yet they are above everything. So, spiritually, the feet of a Perfect Master are above everything in the universe, which is like dust to him.

When people come to a Perfect Master and touch his feet with their heads, they lay upon him the burden of their samskaras — those subtle impressions of thought, emotion and action, which bind the individual soul to recurrent earthly lives. This is the burden to which Jesus referred when he said, 'Come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.'

"A Perfect Master collects these samskaras from all over the universe, just as an ordinary person, in walking, collects dust on his feet. Those who love him deeply and wish to share his burden as much as possible, wash his feet with honey, milk and water, which represent different types of samskaras, and place at his feet a coconut which symbolizes the complete surrender of their wills to him."