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6 SPIRIT AND THE MIND
of light—and at such a moving point in the spiritual discourse that we were left stunned and gasping. I almost fell over. The mind simply becomes humbled and lost in the face of this magnificent mystery.1 It is as if one is sitting in front of the creative force that gave birth to all matter.
At that moment, Baba beamed with happiness. He showed the beautiful ring to everyone and then, looking at the professor, said, “How can you understand this?” He took the professor’s hand in his own, and Plum turned into a little child. It is something to see, this instant unmaking of a person, this transformation of even the strongest and most reluctant into an innocent, giggling child.
Baba slipped the ring on Plum’s right ring finger and it was a perfect fit.
Then, quite unexpectedly, Baba reached over to me and brought me to his side. He took my hand and looked at the ring he had materialized for me about four years before.2 Taking it off my finger, he examined it carefully. It was made of a silver-like material with his image, which seemed to be an enamel painting on copper, on the surface. Wanting to protect it, I had put about twenty coats of fingernail lacquer over it.
Pointing to the large glob of lacquer rising about an eighth of an inch above the surface, he asked, “What is that?”
“Swami, I was trying to protect the ring from being nicked and hurt,” I answered.
Looking at me playfully, he said, ”You brought it back to the repair station—I’ll fix it,” Holding the ring between thumb and index finger of his right hand and in plain view, he slowly blew on it three times. I watched carefully with the utmost attention and, suddenly, the ring instantaneously and completely changed before my eyes.3
It was completely changed: a different border, different picture—a completely different ring, yet exactly the same size. Baba gently replaced it on the same finger and it fit perfectly.
We left the interview elated. The ring Baba had made for Plum was larger than mine, a perfect fit for his larger finger, but similar to