The birds
“Why did you have these kinds of accidents? Were there forces trying to harm you?” one young woman asked.“I don’t know,” said the Master. “The bicycle accidents may have been caused by carelessness. Of course, I sometimes kept birds on my shoulders while riding and even tried playing a mouth organ.”
“What kind of birds were they, Master?”
“They were parrots. They were so fond of me.”
“Did they talk?” asked another disciple.
“Oh my God, how they talked! My sisters taught them how. Early in the morning the birds used to call ‘Krishna, Krishna’. My sisters also taught them, chup, which means ‘shut up’. The birds used to say this to my sisters when they had heated discussions.
“The first time I went back home to India after coming to America, I knocked at the door and called out to my sister. At the time I didn’t know the birds were there, and one bird called back in a voice that sounded exactly like my own. I said, ‘How is it that I am hearing my own voice?’ I asked this very seriously thinking my sister was joking with me and imitating me. Then when I came inside, I called again, but only the birds were there.”
“When the birds say spiritual words, can this help their evolution?” one young woman asked.
“Absolutely,” the Master said. “In India my family has seven birds. At five o’clock in the morning, four or five will begin speaking, saying only spiritual words. They were taught by my eldest brother. First they say, ‘Krishna, Krishna, Krishna’, and then they say, Krishna katha kau, ‘Krishna, speak.’ This goes on and on. It never ends.”
