MEHER SPIRITUAL CENTER
Meher Baba's Home in the West
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Meher Center Archive Collection | |
"If you meet life squarely, accepting its opposites with equanimity while carrying on your duties in a spirit of selfless love and service, you will not only come in tune with the Infinite, but you yourself will become the Infinite which you seek."
Meher Baba
Life at Its Best, online edition, edited by Ivy Duce, p. 24
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Dear Meher Center Family and Friends,
Meher Spiritual Center is happy to announce an addition to our virtual programming initiative with a new program entitled, Discourses and other Messages by Meher Baba.
Starting on Sunday, June 9th, at 5 p.m. EDT, there will be monthly readings of Baba’s messages selected from a variety of Baba’s books including the Discourses and other sources. Selections will be announced ahead of time so that those who wish to read the discourse prior to the meeting can do so. The selections will also be displayed on the screen for all to see during the meeting.
Discourses and other Messages by Meher Baba expands upon the directive in the Center’s Charter which calls for: “…group meetings for reading of the Discourses of Meher Baba and other universal truths.” To fulfill that directive, Discourse meetings have been regularly held at the Center for decades, attended to by both guests and members of the nearby community. We are excited to extend this opportunity to the Worldwide Baba community.
We are also pleased to announce the launch of our new podcast, “Meher Center Podcast”! The podcast will primarily consist of the rich library of Meeting Place talks going back many years, as well as more current content. We will be creating new podcast episodes on a bi-monthly basis with the intention of making live accounts of moments shared at Meher Baba’s home in the West more accessible to all. To learn more and to access the podcast, please click here.
In His Love and Service,
Buz Connor
For Meher Center board and staff
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Meher Baba in Australia, 1956 | |
In this compelling footage, we see Meher Baba's first and highly anticipated arrival in Australia in 1956. Accompanied by beautiful music, this is a short but delightful visual treat.
Video, 3:24
Courtesy of The Avatar Meher Baba Center Southern California -US – Archives
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The Mother of the Avatar
By Preeti Hay
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Earlier this month on Mother’s Day, I thought of Shireenmai: the mother of the Avatar. How well chosen she must have been for Baba to say, “It was I who first gave you birth – and then you bore Me! I was your mother in the beginning of creation, and now you are My mother.”1
Baba’s parents were quite a pair. While Sheriarji always looked at an issue from the spiritual and idealistic point of view often leading to a generous giving away of his time and money, Shireenmai had a material and practical approach. She managed the household and its finances with a scrupulous bearing and a judicious attention to detail. She had a sharp wit, keen sense of humor, and the courage to speak her mind.
Although Merog (Merwan was fondly called Merog at home) was her favorite child, her exceptional fondness for Him also led to her clashes with Him over His Godhood. She had high hopes for Merwan’s future and saw the experiences given to Him by the Perfect Masters as a hindrance to His growth in the world. While He went through immense physical, mental and emotional suffering to achieve the ‘I Am God’ state, as one reads about that time period, it is interesting to note the role that Shireenmai played in the process. How could a mother bear the loss of her child to an obscure and shocking future?
She grappled with the incomprehensibility and the gravity of the fact that her son could be God personified. What did that mean? And whatever it meant, it was in complete opposition to her plans and dreams for her dearest son. She visited the perfect masters Babajan, Narayan Maharaj and Upasani, failing each time to make any headway. Circumstances stood in the way of her intent and Merwan’s destined future as the savior. She felt trapped, angry, anxious and extremely concerned for the well-being of her son, who appeared to have gone mad.
It took Merwan almost seven years to gain consciousness and function as a spiritual master. In 1921, Shireen visited Upsani Maharaj on numerous occasions to bring Merwan back. On one of her last attempts, after begging Maharaj to return her son, she quarreled with Maharaj and Merwan, but Merwan refused to go back with her.
“After this quarrel, Memo (Shireen) suffered a breakdown and her health deteriorated. She would lie in bed weeping and was, most of the time, insensible. She refused to cook, and the children and home were attended to by servants ... .Weeks passed, there was no sign of recovery, and Bobo (Sheriarji) thought Memo might die. Once, while she was sleeping, Bobo, who was keeping watch over her, saw the door open and two figures approach her bed. One spirit resembled Merwan and the other, wearing a white turban and kafni, resembled Sai Baba. The two figures stayed a few minutes near Memo, gazing at her; then they vanished. Soon afterward, Memo awoke and, for the first time in weeks, spoke clearly and asked for water. Bobo poured water for her and, amazingly, Memo's condition rapidly improved. She then became well and normal, much to the relief of everyone in the family.”2
After Merwan began to be recognized as Meher Baba, Shireenmai finally started looking up to Him reverentially. This led to another internal conflict between her love for the man who was the Avatar of the age but also happened to be her son. She continued to exercise her right over Him by telling Him how to run His ashram and commanded authority with His followers. For many years to come, she would also continue to ask Him to get married. With humor, love and great tact, Meher Baba handled His mother and she came to be loved and respected in His ashram.
In 1932, when Baba was well established as a Master, another blow came her way in the form of the loss of her only daughter, Mani. After Sheriarji died that year, Shireen and Mani went to Baba to discuss family matters. Naturally, Shireen wanted Mani to get married but Mani desired nothing more than being with her God Brother. This would be another fight that Shireen would take on with obstinate determinacy. Baba suggested to Mani. “Behave in such a way that Memo would let you go.”
Although it was difficult for Mani to behave rudely with her mother, she argued, spoke back, and did not obey her mother’s requests. At last, Shireen let her “Go to Merog” and Mani joined Baba’s ashram as a fourteen-year-old. The battle was not yet over –not with an opponent like her mother. Nonetheless, Shireenmai went ahead with plans to arrange Mani’s marriage. During a heated argument, Baba put Mani in a room and locked the door. Baba said, “You are so keen to have her married, now let’s see how many offers you get!” When Shireenmai opened the door, Mani’s leukoderma had flared up, and her face was covered with white patches. “Merog, what have You done?” Shireen screamed. Baba let His mother know that if Mani did not remain in His ashram, her condition would worsen.
In order to give His mother a female companion to replace Mani in the household, Baba called His brother Behram to a heartbreaking task. Behram, who wanted to also be with Baba as one of His men mandali, was asked to marry. He obeyed Baba and married Perin in March of 1933, much to Shireenmai’s delight. Yet, Shireen was reluctant to let Mani go.
Chanji wrote, “This annoyed Baba greatly, and He turned the key. Mani was at home at the time. After a while, she developed the skin disease again…Still the mother refused. The disease grew worse and worse covering Mani’s arms, feet and legs. Then Shireenmai said, ‘Take her away.’” That was how Mani joined Baba and Shireen gave her daughter to Meher Baba.3
About His mother, Baba said, “She helped so much in My work…She played her part well…She was an exceedingly adventurous woman and extremely fearless…She was purest crystal!”4
1. Shireenmai, The Queen of Beauty, Compiled by Avatar Meher Baba Bombay Center, p. 48
2. Lord Meher, Online Edition, By Bhau Kalchuri, p. 253
3. Shireenmai, The Queen of Beauty, Compiled by Avatar Meher Baba Bombay Center, pp. 46-48
4. Ibid, Introduction
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Life on the Center: The production of "Trail of Tears" | |
On May 23rd and 24th, over the anniversary of Meher Baba’s automobile accident in Prague, Oklahoma, the Center hosted a wonderful play called “Trail of Tears,” which was written and directed by Joe DiSabatino. After two months of rehearsals, the play’s fifteen cast members put on two memorable performances for 160 people at the Center’s Meeting Place.
In speaking about the origins of the play, Joe says, "the concept came to me all at once in early 2023. I wrote the first draft of the script on the Center at the playground gazebo in about two weeks.” But despite being the one to physically write the script, he happily acknowledges that Meher Baba is truly the One behind it all. "In my experience writing and directing plays in Myrtle Beach and Meherabad, there are always amazing Baba “coincidences” that take place during the planning and rehearsal phases that convince me He truly is the author, director, actors, audience and stage.”
If you were unable to attend the play in person, stay turned for a recorded version which will be shared in an upcoming weekly offering!
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Meditation on Meher Baba’s Wish
By Alex Davis
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I first discovered Meher Baba as an adult through His writings—reading the Discourses in college, and then later God Speaks, Listen Humanity, and the many other texts that bear Baba’s name as their author. There was so much advice to be gleaned from these books, whether on the subjects of marriage and sex or on the appropriate uses of violence, that I rarely bothered to ask the question, “Is there anything in particular that Baba would like me to do?” I could meditate on Baba’s picture, or repeat His name, or make a pilgrimage to Meherabad–all of these felt like worthy forms of bhakti, but it could be challenging to state definitively what someone who considers himself a Baba Lover actually does.
Over time, I came to consider myself part of the Baba community, and it often seemed like every Baba Lover had a slightly different conception of what Baba really wanted. Some people would talk about not backbiting, and others would try their hardest to resist worry. “Mastery in Servitude” was a constant theme through service to others. Baba Lovers stressed an individualistic interpretation of Baba’s words, but it was hard to know which words to even start with!
During Baba’s life, the Life Circulars occasionally provided specific instructions to Baba Lovers–these were usually limited to a specific period of time. Similarly, there were many stories of the strict orders Baba gave his mandali either collectively or individually. Orders changed over the course of Baba’s life and work, as the mandali sought His pleasure in obeying whatever the Master willed them to do. Many years later now, when Baba’s physical body and direct orders are not present, a lover like me asks if there were any specific orders Baba gave His lovers in the world at large, that would carry on after His dropping of the body?
This indeterminacy for me was bolstered by Baba’s Universal Message, which states, “I come not to teach but to awaken…Understand therefore that I lay down no precepts.” No precepts! That meant that there would be no “Ten Commandments of Meher Baba,” nor a ready-made answer for what to do next. The precept approach had been tried in previous advents, and we’d turned them into stagnant religions—so this time would be different. What was left for a young Baba Lover to do, except try my best to remember Baba and await an awakening? I felt confused.
Of course, I had an idea of what not to do: the Prayer of Repentance was posted in the Lagoon Cabin in Myrtle Beach. This prayer suggested that lustful thoughts and harming people–among other things–should be avoided. I figured a person could spend his whole life attempting to not do the things repented for in this prayer. The Prayer of Repentance was repeated often in Baba gatherings, and I quickly came to know it by heart. Yet, I continued to wonder if there was a more positive message that Baba left behind: if not precepts, then was there anything that Baba specifically directed His devotees to carry out?
In 1958, Meher Baba had a message now known as “My Wish” read aloud before an audience in Meherabad. Later that same year, Baba had the same message read before a gathering of His Western followers in Myrtle Beach. To emphasize the message’s importance on this occasion, it was read aloud three times. Baba stated here, “the lover has to keep the wish of the Beloved,” He then laid out six distinct points on how He would like His lovers to behave if they would like to please him:
1) Do not shirk your responsibilities, such as home, family, office, jobs, et cetera.
2) Attend faithfully to your worldly duties, but keep at the back of your mind that all this is Baba's.
3) When you feel happy, think Baba wants you to be happy. When you suffer, think Baba wants you to suffer.
4) Be resigned to every situation and think honestly and sincerely that Baba has placed you in this situation.
5) With the understanding that Baba is in everyone, try to help and serve others.
6) I say with my divine authority to each and all that whosoever takes my name at the time of breathing his last comes to me. So do not forget to remember me in your last moments. Unless you start remembering me from now on, it will be difficult to remember me when your end approaches. You should start practicing from now on. Even if you take my name only once every day, you will not forget to remember me in your dying moments.
Out of everything I’ve read from Meher Baba, this message stands apart in its immediacy and directness. I believe that “My Wish” is the most encapsulating answer Baba gave to the question of what Baba Lovers should actually strive for in their lives.
Baba’s use of the word “wish” carries a special significance, as He would clarify in 1960, “I want you to do this means I would like you to do it if you can. That is, it is a request. I wish you to do this means I want you to obey whether you can or you cannot. That is, it is an order.”1 It would appear that Baba has given His lovers direct orders with the “My Wish” message. Baba even conditioned their being on the path of love with this obedience: “Don’t take it for granted that you are all in that state of love! […] For those who want to love me, I have given them specific points to follow.”
The distinction between obedience and love itself is a line that Baba blurred, as He once commented strikingly, “Remember, my wish is supreme! It is not love if one fails to carry out my dictates!”2 and also “Obedience is higher than love.”3 Having understood Baba’s Wish, we are given more than a hint of what this obedience and surrender should look like. Most Baba Lovers don’t like to tell other people how to follow Baba, and I include myself in that camp. However, I also feel that the “My Wish” message should be at least as well-known to every Baba Lover as the Master’s Prayer–it provides clear guidance, and is certainly less difficult to remember.
The Beloved God Prayer, originally given to Baba’s mandali, concludes with an entreaty to God to help us all, “hold fast to Baba’s daaman until the very end.” It took me too long to discover what Baba meant by His “daaman,” but in 1955 Baba explained it clearly: “It means to keep Baba pleased always. And how to please Him? By your obeying Him wholeheartedly!”4 It is up to each of us to interpret how we obey Baba’s Wish during the course of our daily lives. My strategy recently has been to stop and ask myself, “In this moment, am I obeying Baba’s Wish?” and then run through each point like a checklist, comparing them to my present actions. I appreciate this structured approach, though I always find myself lacking under self-examination.
However Baba Lovers attempt to follow Baba’s Wish, it is important that we make an effort to do so. We know that the path of love will not always be so readily available to humanity as it is now. This is a special time in Baba’s advent, where we have a unique opportunity to receive His grace. Baba explains how this grace is bestowed, “To receive my grace, you must obey me wholeheartedly with the firm foundation of unshakable faith in me. And you can only obey me spontaneously as I want, when you completely surrender yourselves to me so that my wish becomes your law, and my love sustains your being.”5
1. Lord Meher, Online Edition, by Bhai Kalchuri, p.4715
2. Ibid, p. 1628
3. Ibid, p. 4979
4. Ibid, p. 3698
5. Ibid, p.3411
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