The Beloved (Book)
De Simple Silence.
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Contents |
[modifier] The Beloved, The Life And Work Of Meher Baba
[modifier] Both Good And Bad Are Mine
In December Baba’s youngest brother, Adi S. Irani, who lives in England, visited him with his family. It is on record that on this occasion it was astonishing to witness the tremendous awareness of seven?year?old Shireen, Baba’s niece.
When Baba told her that he loved her, she went over and said in his ear : « I love you even more. » Shireen asked several intelligent questions which intrigued all those around her.
« Baba, I know we are born again and again, but you are God so how is it that you get born? »
Baba replied, « Once in a while God takes birth because of his Love for His Creation. I am born in human form so that you may see me as you are, and if you are fortunate to know me and love me then some day you will see me as I really am. »
Shireen shot back, « You are in all of us, then are we all in you, Baba? »
Baba nodded, « Yes, that is so. »
« We are your children, then why can’t we stay with you? »
Baba very lovingly replied, « If you love me, then I am with you wherever you are staying. »
A very puzzled Shireen asked, « If I did not love you, Baba oh, I am not saying I don’t, because I do love you! – But just supposing I didn’t, then it would not be my fault, would it Baba? It would be because you did not want me to love you? »
Baba said, « Yes, it is all my Will. My will governs the creation. You love me because I want you to love me. »
Shireen then asked the last question, « You are beautiful and so merciful, then why did you create snakes and scorpions? »
“You, Shireen, are so pretty and sweet, yet when you sit on the potty you bring out what is dirty and stinking. Why do you do it? Because it is necessary – and moreover it keeps you well and pretty. And so are all things in God’s creation necessary. Both good and bad are mine.”
[modifier] Clarification To Final Declaration
Everyone is free to interpret my words in any way they think and feel. But one thing I tell you, that whenever I say a thing, I naturally use my own ‘language’, and whatsoever is said by me is truth. But my ‘language’ is such that none can understand or grasp the underlying meaning of what I say ; therefore, when I want to say a thing I have simultaneously to make use of your language also, knowing well that you would understand nothing whatsoever if I were to make use of my ‘language’ alone.
In order to help you to understand my Final Declaration and to put an end to your confusion and worry, I want you all to know that when you saw me dictate on my alphabet board during the Meetings at Meherabad, and heard about :
(1) A strange disease attacking my body : was said in your language.
(2) The humiliation that I shall suffer : was said in your language.
(3) The breaking of my silence and my uttering the one Word of words : was said in my own ‘language’ and simultaneously in yours, because when I utter that word, it will be an audible word to you.
(4) My Glorification : was said simultaneously in my ‘language’ and in yours.
(5) The destruction of three-fourths of the world : was said in my own ‘language’ alone.
(6) The stab in the back : was said in my own ‘language’ alone.
(7) The dropping of my body : was said in my own ‘language’ and simultaneously in yours.
Consequently, whatever is said by me in your language, you are able to understand and know what is said ; but that which is said in my own ‘language’ is impossible for you to understand, however much you may try to interpret the meaning behind my words. Only the fulfillment of events can unfold to you, in due course, the meaning of what is said in my own ‘language’.
[modifier] I Took The Boy's "Prasad"
30-9-1954 : On entering Upper Meherabad, Baba walked straight into the Tomb followed by those who were accompanying him. He asked all to sit down on the platform and at 09.10 hours said :
« This is the place of my seclusion. I sat here continually for a year, 1927-28. During this period I did not take any solid food but only drank coffee. Before sitting in seclusion here I had instructed the women mandali to bring a flask full of coffee and send it to me to last for the day. A Harijan boy named Lahu was deputed to bring the flask full of coffee every day. I noticed that the flask was brought to me each day only half full. On completion of the year long seclusion, I enquired why the women mandali sent me only half a flask of coffee, contrary to my instructions. They assured me that each day they had sent a full flask.
« I then called the little boy Lahu, embraced him and asked him to tell the truth. He confessed, ‘Baba while bringing the coffee, I felt thirsty and drank half the flask of coffee every day.’
« In this way for one year I took the boy’s ‘prasad’ of (partly drunk) coffee. »
[modifier] Sometime, Somewhere, Somehow
In the latter half of January, Baba's health started deteriorating fast. His physical suffering and pain had become more and more evident. On January 30 Baba's body shook with severe spasms. Dr. Grant was called from Poona and Dr. Ram Ginde from Bombay to Meherazad. Just before Dr. Grant left, Baba told him, "My time has come." Surprisingly, Mohammad, the mast living at Lower Meherabad, uttered in a rambling lisp, "Tomorrow (January 31) Dada (Baba) is coming here and is going to join Gustadji (one of the mandali members who had passed away some years earlier)."
In the early hours of Friday, January 31, 1969, Baba instructed Aloba (one of the mandali members) to bring a board at 10 in the morning from mandali hall to be kept in Baba's room. On the board three couplets of the poet Hafiz were written:
1) "Befitting a fortunate slave, carry out every command of the Master, without any question of why and what."
2) "About what you hear from the Master, never say it is wrong, because my dear, the fault lies in your own incapacity of understand Him."
3) "I am the slave of the Master who has released me from ignorance; whatever my Master does is of the highest benefit to all concerned."
The spasms continued and his body shook intensely with pain. The allopathic medicines given to him brought no relief. Biochemic pills were administered by Padri, one of the members of Baba's mandali. Just after twelve noon, when the fourth dose of pills was given, and the resident Dr. Goher gave him an injection, Baba said, "Do not forget that I am God."
At 12:15 p.m. Baba's entire physical framework shook with severe spasms as he sat on a surgical bed with his back and head raised. His arms flexed and his mouth closed tight. His respiration suddenly stopped. Baba became motionless. Eruch Jessawala opened Baba's mouth, put his mouth again it and began breathing into his lungs forcibly. This mouth to mouth resuscitation was carried on for thirty minutes. Eruch collapsed on the floor out of sheer exhaustion while Dr. Brieseman from Ahmednagar, who had just arrived with Dr. Ginde and Dr. Donkin, gave him a cardiac massage. Three doctors, Dr. Brieseman, Dr. Donkin and Dr. Ginde examined Baba's heart. Dr. Ginde checked Baba's eye reflexes. It was pronounced that life was extinct. The Avatar had dropped his body.
I am now infinitely enjoying bliss and infinitely suffering at the same time. As soon as I drop my body, I will go to my abode of Infinite Bliss. —-Meher Baba, September 17, 1954 For seven days Baba's body was kept in the tomb at Meherabad hill for thousands of his lovers to take his darshan. Men, women and children, the rich and the poor, Easterners and Westerners, people from all castes, creeds and religions, irrespective of any inconvenience, converged atop Meherabad hill to see and feel their "crucified" Beloved.
The entire area around the hill was virtually a sea of solemn faces mourning their Beloved. Meher Baba was interred on the seventh day.
To honour their Beloved's invitation to take his darshan "sometime, somewhere, somehow" thousands of his lovers from the East and the West poured into Poona April through June 1969. Unparalleled in spiritual history, this darshan too was unique when even those who had not seen or met Meher Baba in his physical form, bowed down in their love for him. And that was the beginning of a New Era — an era of continued love and service to the God-Man.
I am the Ancient One and you will all love me more and more after my body is dropped, and will see me as I really am. —
-Meher Baba, September 24, 1954
[modifier] Feast In Calcutta
In the October of 1943, Baba and a large group of disciples visited Calcutta during the terrible famine of that year, when millions died of hunger.[1] During this visit, Baba fed about a thousand people, organized the distribution of about ten thousand chappaties (baked bread) and distributed vests to two thousand children.
To the feast, organized at the Puddopukkur Relief Centre, were invited some middle class people who, because of their social position, could not ask for charitable relief.
When all were seated in the school building where the feast was being given, some of the orthodox Hindus were disconcerted at being served by a non-Hindu, i.e. by Baba, whose identity was kept secret. However, the social workers of Calcutta who had helped organize the feast explained to the guests that these people (Baba and his disciples) had come all the way from Bombay to serve them, and that they should be grateful. Nearly all accepted this generosity and were even struck by the fact that the originator of the charity had himself come to serve them and supervise the work. When the feast was over, Baba personally gave each person clothes and money.
Naosherwan Anzar. © 1974 by Naosherwan Anzar and Sheriar Press, Inc.
[modifier] References
- ↑ On an earlier visit to Calcutta in June 1940, Baba met Karim Baba, a sixth plane jalali mast. The mandali named him 'the tiger man,' for he had long nails and skeins of steel wire round his throat. His hair and beard were thick, black, dirty and matted. Despite the filth, his face shone and there was fire in his eyes. The mast was taken to Ranchi where Baba fed him several times a day and sat alone with him.
