He who works for me does not oblige me,

for he works for his own self.

Sparks from Meher Baba, ed. Delia de Leon & Kitty Davy (2nd ed., 4th printing, 1986), p. 14 

Weekly Reflections No. 23

from Meher Baba Books

(Los Angeles, California)

Greetings from Los Angeles, the City of Angels, let's hope!

This mini-circular is now celebrating its 23-weeks Birthday. Yay Baba. Thank you. Without you, this would not be possible.

This week's focus is on "Meher Baba on Work (Part 2)". We would like to reflect on this theme again, and are now offering the second installment full of Baba-pearls to share.

As explained by Meher Baba at Rajahmundry, India, in 1954:

What I want from all my lovers is real, unadulterated love,

and from my genuine workers I expect real work done.

Baba is loud and clear. From His workers He wants real work that is only to be accomplished by loving Him endlessly.
How is this possible? By "Let go and let God."

In reality Baba really does His own work, as His Mandali-man Eruch told us.

We offer this small circular at His feet and hope He is pleased. We hope you enjoy these small occasions for reflecting on the divinity of Beloved Baba's words. Enjoy His presence, while being in the world and not be of it. Now we have a gift for people who are born in April. Here is your gift: a rare photo of Beloved God, the handsome Meher Baba. Enjoy.

In His Love and Service,
Meher Baba Books

~~

Meher Baba on Work, Part 2

~~

The Truth of the Unity of All Life

Meher Baba

In the path, the most important condition of discipleship is readiness to work for the spiritual cause of bringing humanity closer to the Realization of God. Through your faith and love for me, you have wholeheartedly offered yourselves for sharing my universal work of spiritualizing the world. You will not only inherit for yourself the Truth, but also become enthusiastic and valiant torch-bearers for humanity, which is enveloped in deep ignorance.

Because of its supreme importance for the true and final well-being of humanity, spiritual work has a natural and imperative claim on all who love humanity. It is therefore very necessary to be quite clear abut its nature. The whole world is firmly established in the false idea of separateness, and being caught up in the illusion of duality, it is subject to all the complexities of duality. The spiritual workers have to redeem the world from the throes of imagined duality by bringing home to it the truth of the unity of all life.

Lord Meher, 1st ed., Vol. 7 & 8, pp. 2846-2847

(for a slightly different version, see Lord Meher, revised online ed., p. 2320)

* * *

One as the Vehicle of the Other

Meher Baba

One often hears in religious discussion of the opposition between matter and spirit. There is no fundamental opposition between matter and spirit. Like the closely knit elements of life and form in a person, the spiritual and material aspects of human life are closely united. Realization of this would eliminate erroneous contrasting concepts such as God and man, one and many, light and darkness, etc., all of which spring from the illusion of duality.

The fundamental link between spirit and matter can be seen in the necessary connection between ideas and deeds. Mere playing with spiritual ideas without putting them into action is as unproductive as emphasizing the material at the expense of the spiritual. The simplicity of the real solution to all problems makes that solution increasingly baffling. The real solution lies in the elimination of all self-interest; this makes man practical in the truest sense of the word and gives him strength to face the facts concerning body and soul.

The aspirant need not worry about the opposition between spirit and matter, but should rather concern himself with the proper use of the one as the vehicle of the other. Then he will realize the higher ideals which relate to the actions of everyday life. The living spirit behind love, service and brotherhood then blossoms out in accomplished deeds and is no longer empty words and academic theories reserved for armchair practice. God's infinite beauty, power and bliss are experienced with full consciousness in art, science, literature, nature and all walks of life.

Listen Humanity (1957), ed. D. E. Stevens, p. 175

Rendering Service Directly Unto God

Meher Baba

Selfless work, as you all know, has many aspects in the social and political fields. Each aspect thereof, though tinged by a particular cultural background, has its own merit and consequential reward.

But the work relating to the welfare of babies is in a class by itself. Babies and infants, everywhere in the world, are the very epitome of God's purity and innocence. They are guileless and helpless - and yet they desire and expect nothing. Why do men see and recognize the enemy and the criminal outside? Because the so-called enemy and the criminal are already within them. Babies have no criminal or enemy within and, therefore, see none outside.

I am also called "Baba," which endearingly means a baby. In fact, all God-Realized souls are unsophisticated, like babies. I therefore see and enjoy my purity and colorlessness in the unself-conscious ones - the babies.

This is what is real selfless service, when you are serving the little selfless ones - and this is tantamount to rendering service directly unto God. The Biblical statement "And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me," bears out what I have said.

I bless you all.

Lord Meher , 1st ed, Vol 9, p. 3306

(see also Lord Meher, revised online ed., p. 2676)

How Please Him Whom You Love?

Meher Baba

It is through work that you come to purity. Work dedicated to God frees you from responsibility and binding, and by so doing you surrender to Him whom you serve for love.

This leads automatically to love for all whom you serve; because how can you hurt one whom your Master loves without hurting Him - your beloved; and how please Him whom you love except by pleasing those whom He loves equally with you?

Love will take you still further, for would you wound your Beloved if, by so doing, you caused another standing by, whose love may be deeper than yours, to suffer?

Treasures from the Meher Baba Journals (1980), ed. Jane B. Haynes, p. 42

Obstacles are Meant to be Overcome

Meher Baba

It has been seen that spiritual workers must necessarily be confronted with many obstacles, but obstacles are meant to be overcome. Even if some of them seem to be insuperable, you have to do your best to help others irrespective of results or consequences. Obstacles and their overcoming, success and failure, are all illusions within the infinite domain of Unity. Your task is already done when it is performed wholeheartedly. You are steadfast and one-pointed in your desire to help my cause of awakening humanity to the sole reality and the ultimate worthwhileness of God and God alone, and you will get many opportunities for spiritual work. There is ample scope for work in this field.

You must do your work without worrying about consequences irrespective of success or failure, but you may be sure that the result of work done in this spirit and with this understanding is sure. Through the untiring activities of spiritual workers, humanity shall be initiated into the new life of abiding peace and dynamic harmony, unconquerable faith and unfading bliss, immortal sweetness and incorruptible purity, creative love and infinite understanding.

Discourses, 6th ed, Vol III, p. 111

The Only Work Is To Love Him

Eruch Jessawala

In spite of the summer pilgrim vacation, there's ever a spring-blossoming of activity, which by Beloved Baba's Grace enables us to keep our hands, mind, and heart ever more sharpened to Him as He needs one for His work. Unceasingly, He alone does what needs to be done, but in the process He avails us with innumerable opportunities to serve Him, allowing us to feel our little love for Him from His greater love for us.

Ultimately, the only work is to love Him, and the only real worry is how to love Him. This does not necessitate any linkage to groups, organizations, or any such media. It's purely and simply one's silent sighs and happy cries in remembrance and love for Him; and greater is the opportunity in our old age. So tell our dear mutual friend to forget everything, so that he can ever remember the One who is worthy of being remembered.

He knows Who I mean - not his relatives, nothing and no one, but the One and Only Beloved Avatar Meher Baba; and let him do so without distractions or diversions of any other Sadguru or gurus.

Letters from the Mandali of Avatar Meher Baba, Vol. 1 (1981), ed Jim Mistry, p. 38

Single Silent Beat of the Heart

Mani S. Irani

It is extraordinary how His love expresses itself best in our simplest and most intimate of labours - be it making a pen, baking a cake, or raking the garden. When it's from the heart, it's for Him and He is right there to accept it.

I wish God's church was only in the heart - it is for lack of it that we build high walls, ring bells, fix days when we should shut up our work and walk out to 'remember' God - none of this can make up for a single silent beat of the heart that loves and remembers most when busiest.

Letters from the Mandali of Avatar Meher Baba , Vol. 1 (1981), ed. Jim Mistry, p. 23

~~ Poetry Corner ~~

"Love must love..."

He travelled all around the world many times;

He suffered crucifixion like Christ;

He was silent for 44 years.

His silence was His crucifixion.

He suffered for us.

He loves children, birds and animals.

He had the love because He was Love personified,

And Love must love.

And now we must love Him...

But it should be gentle. It cannot be forced.

- Mehera J. Irani

February, 1984

Meherazad

Awakener Magazine, Volume 21, Number 1 (1984), p. 29