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Weekly Reflections No. 13
from Meher Baba Books
(Los Angeles, California)
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Greetings from Los Angeles!
Dear Friends and Companions:
Hello again with a smile from us to you. Wishing you happy times in Baba's Love.
Welcome to the world of this mini-circular, which is now 13 weeks old! May Beloved Baba be pleased with it. This week's circular is dedicated to "His remembrance."
Spontaneous remembrance of Baba with love is what helps throughout the day. Baba stated, "In the same way, automatic remembrance of God in a natural way is what is worthwhile. And without love, it is not possible. When there is intense thirst for the remembrance of the Beloved, love is born, and one's only thought is of the Beloved." Making Him our constant companion leaves no room for fear, doubt or indulging in our desires. Baba has paved the way so well and has made it so easy to remember and love Him that sometimes we miss the boat. It is constant effort on our part that leads to earning His grace, one day.
Meher Baba's words on remembrance are so vast and complete that we will continue reflecting on it even next week. There is just not enough of His words to relieve our thirsty souls.
As you may have noticed, we have been reflecting on the life of Meher Baba, partly for sake of some of the newcomers who are now coming into His orbit of Love. This week we continue with Part 5.
We hope you enjoy these small occasions for reflecting on the power of Beloved Baba's words. Enjoy His presence.
In His Love and Service,
Meher Baba Books
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Who is Meher Baba? (Part 5)
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 Meher Baba with Prem Ashram boys -- Painting by Diana Le Page.... During this year [1927] he established a school that provided secular and spiritual training for boys from all creeds and castes. The boys often cried with love for Baba. There is one story about a boy who wept with love so much at night that the others could not sleep. Baba came to the dormitory to hug the crying boy. The boy stopped, and said that he could see nothing but Baba. The school came to an end in 1929. By 1930 Baba was becoming slightly known in the West, and he decided to travel to England in 1931 and again in 1932. He also met with Mahatma Gandhi in September 1931 during one of these journeys. In England Baba was greeted by spiritual seekers drawn to him, as well as a multitude of news reporters. He willingly gave interviews and discourses, and did not deny that he was the Messiah; but he emphasized his true purpose. "I have come not to establish any cult, society or organization -- nor to establish a new religion. The Religion I shall give teaches the knowledge of the One behind the many. The Book which I shall make people read is the book of the heart, which holds the key to the mystery of life." Baba was met with a certain amount of hostility. Some reports called him a false prophet, because they expected him to display his infinite power. Baba exclaimed that the only "miracles" he will perform are the awakening of the heart and the breaking of his Silence, "but spiritual work is strengthened by opposition, and so will it be with mine." He also visited the United States in 1932, including a visit to Hollywood. There, film celebrities greeted him at a large reception; among them were Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Tallulah Bankhead. Tallulah Bankhead took particular interest in Meher Baba, and they met several times. From Los Angeles he went to Ojai and contacted more spiritual seekers. During this time he stressed that America needs spiritual redirection, and the only way for this to come about was through eliminating self-interest. Between the end of 1932 and early 1936, Baba toured Europe and some parts of Asia a number of times, meanwhile keeping contact with the European aspirants, some of whom visited India to be with him there. In 1936 Baba began a mission to seek out and collect masts (pronounced "musts") -- God-intoxicated men and women who have reached such states of bliss that they may appear unaware of all that is around them. A few temporary mast ashrams were set up where Baba fed, bathed and clothed masts and lepers; simultaneously he helped them on their path to God. As a note, masts are only found in the East. To Be Continued ...  Meher Baba in Hollywood with Tallulah Bankhead ~~~~~~~ |
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Meher Baba's Rememberance
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[More than three hundred lovers were called for a meeting at Meherabad, 7-9 Nov, 1952 for planning mass darshans during the Fiery Free Life. Addressing them, Baba said]:
... Whether I give you work or no work, leave you alone or keep you engaged, I want all of you to stop all other thoughts over your personal affairs, and to think of me most of the time. That would be the best way for you to remain ready to do, as and when I find it necessary for you to do, anything. Only do as I say and remain free from your worries and your own plans.
from Lord Meher (First Edition, p. 3914); see also Lord Meher online, p. 3139
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... He [Baba] also stressed to them that they [Western disciples] should always think of him in everything they did. He stated:
Try to do it very, very seriously as if your very spiritual life depended on it, not merely as exercise, drill or a bore - or like taking castor oil. Clear?
Once you experience a tiny bit of what I intend giving, it will be bliss just to sit and concentrate on me. Until then try to follow literally what I have told each separately.
You should think of me in everything you do. Eat, dance, but forget yourself in the action and think of me instead. The less you think of yourself and the more you think of Baba, the sooner the ego goes and Baba remains. When you -- ego -- go entirely, I am one with you. So bit by bit, you have to go. Today your nose, tomorrow your ears, then your eyes, your hands, everything.
Think of me when you eat, sleep, see and hear. Enjoy everything, but think it is all Baba. Baba enjoys it. Baba is eating it. Sleep soundly in Baba, and when you wake up remember it is Baba getting up. Keep this one thought constantly with you. If you do wrong, then think it is Baba doing wrong. If you get a pain, think it is Baba getting a pain. Then it will be all the time Baba.
On the 1st of April starts this new life. Try to forget yourself and do all as Baba and you will enjoy what you do. It is really all bliss - all love. It is we who have created misery.
per old edition of Lord Meher online, p. 2143; in variant form, the
same text is now found in Lord Meher revised online edition, p. 1814
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Baba asked Singh, "Do you know what real love is like?" and then explained, "The flame of love within does not even give out smoke for others to see. When you love me, you burn within yourself, and yet seem cheerful with a broad smile upon your lips. You bear the pangs of separation calmly and quietly. Even a sigh of the pangs of separation is an insult to that love!
"Attend to all your duties; you can still love Baba by dedicating all your good and bad to me. Just as you cover your body with clothes and forget all about the dress you wear all day, similarly dress your soul only once in a day with thoughts of Baba, and Baba will then be all the time with you, even without your paying any further attention."
The youth did as Baba instructed.
September, 1954 ("The Three Incredible Weeks"), Meherabad
-- from Lord Meher (First Edition), p. 4528;
see Lord Meher revised online, pp. 3625-3626
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 ~Charles is the young man at the far left
Remembrance
by Charles Haynes
Remembrance of the Beloved is offered by Meher Baba as an avenue for ending the seemingly endless cycle of accumulating fresh impressions (sanskaras) in lifetime after lifetime. The central predicament of the aspirant is that every action creates new bindings: "It is, therefore, most necessary for the aspirant to keep free from the idea 'I do this, and I do that.' This does not mean to keep clear of all activity through fear of developing this form of the ego. He may have to take to the life of action to wear out the ego that he has developed. So he is caught up in the dilemma that if he keeps inactive he does nothing toward breaking through the prison of his ego-life, and if he takes to a life of action, he is faced with the possibility of his ego being transferred to these new acts." The way out of this ego-bind, according to Baba, is for the lover to remember the Beloved constantly, thereby "replacing" the ego with the Beloved as the center of consciousness. Such remembrance creates what Baba called the "provisional ego": "Before beginning anything, the aspirant thinks it is not he who is doing it but the Master who is getting it done through him; and after doing it he does not claim the results of action or enjoy them, but offers them to the Master. By so training his mind he creates a new ego which, though provisional, is able to become a source of confidence, enthusiasm and energy. This new ego is spiritually harmless, since it derives its life from the Master and since, when the time comes, it can be thrown away. With the Beloved as the provisional ego, the lover accumulates fewer new impressions and becomes more and more centered in the Beloved, who is the true Self. In this way, remembrance of the Beloved is a gradual ego death: "The less you think of yourself and the more you think of Baba, the sooner the ego goes and Baba remains. When you -- 'ego' -- go away entirely, I am one with you. So bit by bit, you have to go. . . So better think of me when you eat, sleep, see or hear. Enjoy all, don't discard anything, but think it is Baba -- Baba who enjoys, Baba who is eating. It is Baba sleeping soundly and when you wake up, remember it is Baba getting up! Keep this one thought constantly with you." Meher Baba made it clear that to remember the Beloved leads to a gradual awakening of the true Self. Though such an awakening results in forgetfulness of the ego-self, it is in no way an avoidance of the ego conflicts experienced in daily life. On the contrary, by focusing on the Beloved, the lover is opened to the Master's work of ego-elimination. from Charles Haynes, Meher Baba, The Awakener (1993), pp. 96-98 |
 I want every lover of mine to repeat my name with every breath. The repetition should be continuous and such that even in sound sleep it should continue like your breathing. Then there is some possibility of experiencing a glimpse of me. Never worry about thoughts while repeating my name. Do not check them because when you repeat my name, the thoughts will not create binding for you -- good or bad.
Lord Meher (First Edition), Vol. 13, p. 4818
see also Lord Meher, online revised, p. 3874
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Painting from the walls of His beautiful tomb-shrine in Meherabad, India.
My loving remembrance will gradually awaken discrimination in you, which will give you the required strength. Just think how many times you have assumed male and female forms, how many children you had, how much you have worried over them and that it was all self created. If you think you are bound, bound you are.
With trust in Me if you think you are free, free you are. Don't lose heart. Remember Me.
Meher Baba
from Bal Natu, Glimpses of the God-Man, Vol. VI (1994), p. 196
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Prayer Corner
... Baba had instructed his lovers to chant the prayer of the different names of God
"Hari, Paramatma, Allah, Ahuramazd, God, Yezdan, Hu."
for a certain period every day. Baba had given the melody for this prayer, and it held great significance.
Lord Meher (First Edition), Volume 8, p. 2759;
see also Lord Meher, online revised, p. 2260
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Video Corner
By way of conclusion, this week we'd like to offer
a music-video with a sequence of devotional songs excerpted from the film Sant Tukaram (1936) with English subtitles. This film was one of Meher Baba's favorites.
 | | Sant [Saint]Tukaram -- songs from the award-winning 1936 film (in the Marathi language), Sant Tukaram |
See you all next week. Keep Happy in His Love.
Jai Meher Baba!
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Meher Baba Books (Los Angeles)
www.meherbababooks.com
Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California
1214 S. Van Ness Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90019
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