[Quotes] quotes: BHOOTY

[Babaette7 at aol.com]

                          BHOOTY

                      Mehera J. Irani


Baba had heard of a mast living in the foothills 
of the Himalayas and He wanted to contact him. 
I can't recall the exact region of the Himalayas, 
but Baba and five of the men mandali set out to 
contact this mast. It was an arduous journey as 
Baba and the men mandali had to hike for many 
miles in the hot sun and through rocky and 
steep hills along narrow paths.

We girls, of course, did not accompany Baba on 
these mast trips, but often when Baba returned, 
He would share stories of their adventures.

On this journey as they were walking through 
one of the valleys that connect the foothills of 
the Himalayas, Baba noticed a scattering of 
goats and sheep grazing in the distance and a 
darting black mountain puppy. The puppy was 
immediately drawn to Baba and came 
scampering over. 

Baba stopped for a minute to pet her and then 
turned toward the steep hill that He and the 
mandali were about to climb. The puppy 
continued to follow Baba. She would playfully 
frisk and jump at Baba's feet. 

As they climbed higher and higher up the ridge 
of the mountain, the pup, undaunted, tagged 
along from behind. Now the path was getting 
dangerous, being barely wide enough for one or 
two people. On one side was a sheer drop and 
on the other side the wall of the mountain.

Suddenly, they heard a whimpering sound 
behind them. To their dismay, they saw that the 
puppy had slipped off the edge and was dangling 
from a rock below. The puppy was just managing 
to hold on to the ledge with its two front paws! 
Baba rushed to the puppy and lifted her to safety. 
He gestured to the mandali, "This puppy is really 
brave and strong to have held on to the rock until 
I could save her. I like her very much."

Baba and the men continued on, this time with 
one of the mandali carrying the puppy. When 
they reached the mast Baba met with him alone, 
while the mandali stood at a distance with their 
backs to Baba. As soon as Baba's work was 
completed to His satisfaction, they began the 
journey home. When they crossed that same 
valley where Baba had first seen the puppy, He 
had one of the men mandali enquire if the owner 
would part with the dog. The man agreed, and 
so Baba brought the puppy all the way back to 
Ahmednagar.

We girls were staying at Rusipop's house in 
Ahmednagar. The house at Meherazad was 
under construction. It was 1948, a year prior to 
the New Life, and Norina and Elizabeth were 
staying with us.

The mandali were a short distance away in a 
house called the Ice Factory. Baba could easily 
walk between the two residences. Kaka Baria 
was doing the cooking for the mandali and for 
Norina and Elizabeth who had to have special 
food.

During this period, Dr. Donkin had finished the 
printing of _The Wayfarers_. He had discovered 
that several maps showing the places where 
Baba had contacted the masts had spelling 
errors. Our task was to meticulously erase the 
incorrect letters and with black ink carefully write 
in the correct letters. It was painstaking work 
requiring our full concentration. So our time 
passed in correcting maps of the whereabouts 
of the masts, while Baba contacted the masts!

When Baba returned from His mast trip, He told 
us the story of the puppy's narrow escape from 
death, and how He had rescued her. Baba's 
gestures were so perfect in their expression that 
we all listened spellbound. In silence, how 
eloquently Baba spoke. He made the story 
come alive.

When we saw the puppy we fell in love with her. 
She was fluffy and plump and really lovely to 
look at. Baba told us He had brought the puppy 
for Kaka as she would make a good watchdog, 
being a pure Tibetan Mastiff. These dogs are 
known for their fearlessness and are very strong.

Baba named the puppy Gol-Gol (round-round) 
because she was just that. Kaka called her Gul 
(flower), and we girls called her Bhooty because 
she looked like she was wearing booties or 
slippers. Her paws were white, then to her 
ankles she was brown, and the rest of her was 
black. Above each eye was a yellow spot giving 
her the appearance of having four eyes! And, I'm 
not exaggerating, her coat was so thick that you 
couldn't part it.

When the construction of the big bungalow at 
Meherazad was finished, Baba brought us here 
to stay. Baba, knowing Bhooty's nature, 
hot-tempered and distrustful of strangers, wanted 
to make sure that we girls would be safe if 
Bhooty ever happened to be free. You see, 
Bhooty wouldn't let anyone except Baba and 
Kaka come near her. She would snap and growl 
and so was always kept on a short leash.

Baba wanted Bhooty to know that we girls 
belonged to the house. Baba one day told us all 
to stand on the verandah of the house, as He 
was going to bring Bhooty over to meet us. We 
were to speak to her in our own voices so that 
she could get used to us. Baba brought Bhooty 
over on a short leash. Bhooty walked like a 
Parisian lady wearing high heels -- each step 
measured daintily, not like an ordinary dog. She 
was a purebred and wanted us to know it.

We followed Baba and Bhooty into the house 
and out to the kitchen verandah. We'd say 
"Bhooty... Bhooty..." trying to make friends with 
her. But Bhooty looked at us coldly. Baba told 
us to bring a plate with an egg on it for Bhooty. 
Then Baba told me to give Bhooty the egg. She 
slowly and deliberately walked over to the plate. 
Even with the egg just waiting for her to eat it, 
she remained dignified and ladylike. She didn't 
rush and lap it up like some hungry and greedy 
dog. Oh, no, she ate her egg slowly and 
delicately. And when she had finished, she 
looked up and said with those yellow eyes, "Yes, 
I like eggs. It was good of you to give me an egg. 
Thank you."

After a few days, Bhooty did become warmer 
toward us, but her proud independent nature did 
not allow much more than that. She never played 
with us, she just showed a friendly tolerance.

In 1949, Baba announced His plans for the New 
Life. Mani, Meheru, Goher, and I were to 
accompany Baba. Kaka was also going to 
accompany Baba, so someone was found to 
stay with Bhooty. Later on, after the New Life 
was completed and Baba was going out on tour, 
He had Kaka remain at Meherazad to watch 
over the property. Bhooty was Kaka's only 
companion.

When Baba finally returned to Meherazad, Kaka 
told Baba how glad he was to have had Bhooty 
here with him.

Kaka felt safe at night only because of Bhooty's 
presence. I should mention here that Meherazad 
was not as you know it now -- it was quite a wild 
area. There were wolves and hyenas living in the 
surrounding hills and at night they would come 
out prowling for prey. Once Bhooty chased a 
jackal up a tree and kept watch over it until 
morning! Bhooty was such a good watchdog that 
she would keep alert throughout the night, 
surveying each corner of the property, listening 
for stray sounds, and watching out for intruders. 
She would continue her rounds till daybreak, so 
with Bhooty as Kaka's companion and guard, 
Kaka didn't feel afraid.

When Bhooty had puppies we were with Baba in 
Poona. Baba sent word to Kaka that he wanted 
to see the puppy that looked most like its 
mother. Adi Senior arranged to drive Kaka -- with 
the prized puppy held on Kaka's lap -- to Poona 
in his car. That puppy was Mastan, Baba's most 
beloved pet. But before I tell you that story, let 
me share with you one last incident about 
Bhooty, Mastan's mother.

We already had Peter, Mani's pet dog, with us, 
and after Mastan was born, Peter and Mastan 
would love to play together in the Meherazad 
garden. One day Bhooty started to play with her 
pup Mastan and Peter became very jealous.

He growled at Bhooty: "Why are you playing 
with my friend?"

Peter couldn't understand it. He would see 
Bhooty run and jump with Mastan, pushing him 
over and playfully holding on to Mastan's neck, 
teaching him how to catch prey.

Peter would growl at Bhooty, saying to her 
"Don't do that!" And it was so funny because if 
Bhooty had wanted to, she could have eaten 
Peter in one bite! Bhooty would patiently look at 
Peter and with disdain in those yellow eyes say, 
"But Mastan is my puppy. Don't you know 
better? I'm his mother!"

Eventually Bhooty and Peter became good 
friends, but Bhooty always maintained her 
dignity, even while playing with the other dogs. 
Her proud air -- part of her cool Himalayan nature 
-- always set her apart.

When Bhooty died, Baba was in seclusion. No 
outsiders were allowed to see Him and the 
mandali had strict instructions that He must not 
be disturbed.

Kaka loved Bhooty very much, but his obedience 
to Baba was unquestioning. Not wanting to 
disturb Baba with the news of the occurrence, 
Kaka quietly began preparations for Bhooty's 
burial.

When I heard that Bhooty had died, I felt Baba 
would want to know. I waited until Baba had 
come to our side and then I personally told Him.

For a few moments Baba was silent as He took 
in the news. Then He gestured to me, "Bhooty 
loved Me and served Me faithfully. In her next 
life she will take human form. Now I must go 
there." Immediately word was sent to the 
mandali that Baba was coming over.

Baba stood before Bhooty's grave and with His 
own hands showered flowers over her before the 
first earth covered her. What a fortunate end to a 
fortunate life!


BABA LOVED US TOO, pp. 85-93
Copyright 1989 Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual 
Public Charitable Trust
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