[A Filipino Margi had recently come to India, and had heard many stories about how Bábá could reveal the past lives of individuals. He was very anxious to know his past life, and several times expressed this desire privately to his companions. “I wish Bábá would show me my past life,” he used to say.]

[Bábá said to the Filipino Margi:] Mr. P–, what is your permanent address?

[Mr. P–: “Manila, Bábá.”]

[Bábá said laughing:] Oh, is it so? [Bábá called one dádá (literally “elder brother”, a spiritual teacher) to sit and do meditation.] An ordinary person is under the three bondages of time, place and person.⁽¹⁾ But a mahápuruśa [a great human being elevated by the practice of yoga] can remove them. [Bábá reached down and held the dádá on the back of his neck. He said to the dádá:] Look into the mind of Mr. P– and go back 135 years. What do you see?

[Dádá: “I see a tall man wearing a dhoti and kurtá.”⁽²⁾ ]

Can you tell who he is?

[Dádá: “He is a Brahman⁽³⁾ in West Bengal. His name is Shankara Mishra.”]

Yes, and today that man is Mr. P–. [To Mr. P–:] What is your permanent address, my boy? [laughingly] Is it Manila or India?

[Mr. P–: “No, Bábá!”]

What is it then?

[Mr. P–: “ The universe, Bábá.”]

Yes, the universe is your permanent address.

Footnotes

(1) Bondage of person, meaning one is confined to one’s personality; bondage of time, meaning one cannot know all the past, present and future; bondage of place, meaning one can only be in one place at a time. –Eds.

(2) Traditional East Indian dress. –Eds.

(3) The uppermost caste in India, who traditionally perform priestly functions or live by intellectual labour. –Eds.