The Perfect Master
De Simple Silence.
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[modifier] Whether You Follow Me Or Not
A daughter of a clergyman : I am happy to see you.
Meher Baba : Not nervous ? Anything to ask or say ?
Q. [through an interpreter] : She has doubts about you ; and also cannot understand why Western religion calls the Eastern confusing.
B. And the Eastern people say the same about Western religions : everyone thinks his own religion the best. This is ignorance. Jesus never meant that. What does religion mean ? To find God within. What did Jesus teach ? To find him within and not to carry on wars, as his own followers have been doing.
Q. How can we realize that ?
B. Through love, and helping others selflessly. It is very easy ; if you think less of yourself and more of others, it is so easy. No matter if she doubts me, or does not even believe in me. I will help her.
Q. She wants to believe in you and has faith in you.
B. But why ! If what you want is within, you will find it only there ! And my aim is only to help you find it, whether you follow me or not.
Q. But it is difficult.
B. I will help you, even if you don’t want it. When the sun is high up, and you feel hot, you cannot avoid it. It shines on you even if you don’t want it. It is a question of going out of yourself to help others. This contact will help you greatly. My blessings.
[modifier] Bus Driver To Persia 1929
The main outlets of Persia to India are by sea, by its three ports Bushire, Bunder Abbas, and Mohamerah. The only one by land is via Duzdab, but very few foreigners who visit Persia go by that route, since it is difficult to get across the desert between Bam and Duzdab. Many a caravan has perished there, buried in the sands.
Therefore some members of Baba’s party wondered why he took the land route to Bam and Duzdab when there were easier and safer routes by sea via Bunder Abbas. Even the manager of the bus service, which on rare occasions operated through the desert, expressed his surprise at the selection of this route and warned the party about the dangers and the risks they were undertaking in crossing the desert, telling them that « Going across this route is inviting death. »
But when they insisted he promised to arrange it, though reluctantly. The route is mainly used for the transport of goods from Persia to the surrounding countries, and is not meant for passenger traffic. He promised to give them one of the most expert drivers on the route, thoroughly conversant with the perils of the crossing, and a good mechanic.
Baba had given definite instructions to reserve a bus exclusively for the party, with not a single article of luggage belonging to anyone else. This was promised, and all arrangements were made to start next day.
Before starting, however, Baba sent some of the party to see that his instructions had been carried out. The driver put in two bags of almond shells, saying that they were very light, which they were.
Baba did not like him breaking his promise, but though he was displeased he did not say anything, and the bus left Bam at about 4 p.m. The Mandali felt, from Baba’s request being ignored by the driver, that « something » was ahead.
The next halt was after two hours, in a rest-house where the party could rest for the night, proceeding next morning. Although the bus was practically new and in a sound condition and was fitted with new tyres, two tyres burst within the period of one hour, to the amazement of the driver. They were already late by one hour through mending the last tyre, and still had some miles to go, when suddenly something went wrong with the radiator.
Steam puffed out of the radiator cap, though water had only recently been put in. On inspection all parts of the engine were found to be in good condition. The driver almost scratched his ear off trying to find out why the radiator got so hot without any apparent reason.
He poured in fresh water and started again, but after a few minutes the radiator again began to get overheated. Stopping the engine the driver again examined every part of it carefully. He racked his brains trying to find the cause of the trouble, when suddenly he discovered a crack at the bottom of the radiator, through which the water was oozing out.
It was the last thing the driver had expected. He could not proceed very far with the car in this condition, so he drove slowly and carefully to the resting-place, which was reached in safety. He tried the whole night to mend the cracked radiator, but in vain.
Tired, he went to rest in the morning, and tried again and again for two days. The resting-house was in a very small village, where it was impossible to get any material, but he managed to repair it at last. He mixed some powder with the white of an egg, making it into a paste through which the water could not ooze out.
All wondered how he had done it. The man’s skill and perseverance were remarkable : he repeatedly uttered : « Ya Allah [Oh, my God], I never had such an experience before ! » He started the engine after the radiator was filled with water. It ran smoothly for a few minutes, and then the water began to ooze out again.
He was taken aback, utterly broken. It was in this moment of despair that the realization of « something » he had up till now failed to realize came to him. He rushed to the room where Baba was sitting.
He met Kaikhushru Afsari (of Baba’s Mandali), and cried to him, « Brother, I realize now why and how it all happened. It is all so clear. I broke my promise to your Master, and this is the result of my ignorance and folly ! How can I ask for his mercy and pardon now ? I feel so miserable and ashamed to show my face to him. Won’t you plead for me, please ? »
Afsari understood and sympathized. But he had warned the driver seriously before starting from Bam not to break his promise to Baba, but the driver had taken it too lightly at the time. However, now that he realized his mistake and had suffered so much he was taken to Baba, who not only forgave him, but advised him : « Never disregard the word of a Buzoorg. And never break a promise, and be true to your word, to whomsoever given. »
He was instructed to return to Bam in the same car, driving slowly and carefully, and to bring another car immediately. It seemed impossible to drive the car with its leaking radiator over such rough and rugged roads across the desert. But Baba told him not to worry, that he would see that he reached Bam safely, provided he followed his instructions and drove slowly.
It looked hopeless, but he agreed to venture on the four hours’ journey back, now that he knew who Baba was. He reached Bam without mishap and sent another big car with another driver, as he felt too tired to come back himself.
All this meant a delay of three days for Baba and the party in an isolated desert place, though he kept himself and the others busy one way or the other.
What they thought was this : that the chauffeur had suffered, but in suffering had learned a lesson and had an unforgettable experience ; how much Baba had suffered to teach a lesson to an individual, he alone knew !
[modifier] A ClergyMan And A Doctor Friend
Interview in Zurich, 1934
Question : From the Christian standpoint, Christ is the only one ; he is unique. Do you believe that ?
Baba : Unique, indeed, from the standpoint of his state and consciousness. The Mahommedans claim that Mahommed is the only prophet. The Hindus claim Krishna, the Buddhists claim Buddha, the Parsees Zoroaster. Each says that his ideal of the prophet is the unique one. But why bother about that ? What do « names » matter ? What is important is the life that Jesus lived. To understand Christ, to know him, one has to live his life. Mere ceremonies, talk, discussions, and criticisms do not help one towards knowing Christ. Christ taught one simple thing — Love — and in few of his followers has that Love developed.
Question : Is this standpoint of love consistent with Christian dogma ?
Baba : Love has in it selfless service and renunciation of desires. Pure Love includes everything. If one loves, all other qualities dissolve themselves : and by Love I mean Pure Love not sexual love as it is meant today in the world of matter.
Question : This kind of love is impossible without the help of Masters.
Baba : God is within and without. Why not seek him within ? If one seeks the Grace of God, and God is not able to give it, what kind of God do you call him ? People talk, but do not seek his Grace. God is Infinite, the Soul of Souls. And the individual souls are the drops of that Infinite Ocean. All this depends on outlook. You see this (pointing to a flower) as a flower ; I see God in it.
[modifier] Miracles
The question of miracles is constantly asked in connection with Baba. As soon as his name is mentioned as a holy man from the East, it is expected that he will perform miracles to convince the world of supernatural powers. In the East, miracle is not the unusual and inexplicable phenomenon that it is in the West, for the East is trained to credulity as the West is trained to doubt.
Miracle is certainly a matter of time and place ; but it is surely more than the product of superstition. It is a phenomenon of religious experience to be found everywhere. The lives of saints, not only in the East but in the West too, abound with incidents of a miraculous kind. Even today in the East, practices that appear miraculous, such as walking on live coals with naked feet without receiving hurt (which was demonstrated in England by an Indian before a number of spectators in 1934), are familiar, if not exactly common events. Shri Purohit Swami, in the account of his life An Indian Monk (Macmillan, 1932), tells the story of a holy man who would not let a train go without him.
One day a Sadhu, or holy man, went to the railway station and requested the ticket collector to admit him to the train, saying he was a Sadhu and had no money for a ticket. The Anglo-Indian[1] not only did not listen to his request, but pushed him aside rudely. He took the insult very calmly and muttered to himself : « I will see now whether this train will start. » The driver whistled, and tried to start the train, but to no purpose. The engine refused to obey. Others came to help, all failed. The train service was very frequent, and as the first train could not start, many others were held up. Wires were sent to the head office. Experts arrived ; they tried their best, all to no avail. For one full hour the service was at a standstill. Ultimately the Indian stationmaster, who knew that the Sadhu had intervened, approached the officials and said to them : « Unless that Sadhu who is standing outside the gate is given a seat in the train, it is not likely to start. » He was ridiculed, but after a short time common sense prevailed, and the Sadhu was accommodated comfortably in a first-class compartment, and the train steamed off. It was a practical demonstration, and the officials, however wise, had to climb down. Thenceforth the Sadhu was allowed to travel first class.
The Swami also relates how Shri Ramdas Swami when called by some simple people to see a Sadhu walking across the River Krishna, said, « This is a wonderful feat indeed, and when one comes to think of it worth exactly one halfpenny, for which sum the ferryman would have taken the Sadhu across. »
The last incident is an example of the contempt for miracles that is felt not only by scientifically trained men, but also by the spiritually developed.
That a master in the spiritual life, who lives on the plane of creativeness, has control over the mechanism of matter, and therefore if he thinks fit can perform what are called miracles is to be accepted as true, though science takes no account of it. But that a miracle is proof of the most highly developed spirituality is to be doubted. On the contrary, the performance of miracle, while it may be evidence of powers beyond those of ordinary men, may often be regarded as a sign of defective spirituality. It depends on why the miracle is done. If done for the sake of the performer, or to establish his claims, or to create astonishment, or as exhibitionism, or for any like reason, the miracle is unquestionably a demonstration of inferior spirituality. Those who are masters do not need miracles.
The miracles of the New Testament are acts of love and mercy. They are mostly connected with healing, and all are symbols of truth, performed for their symbolic value rather than for the sake of those whom they benefited. It is a law of the spiritual life that if miracle is possible it must not be done except for spiritual reasons and even then in secret and seldom. The Sufi master, al-Hujwiri, said : « The novice desires to gain miracles, but the adept desires to gain the Giver of miracles. » Life itself is the supreme miracle, and to be born again in the spirit is the miracle of miracles.
The question, Can Baba perform miracles ? is therefore the same question as, Is Baba a spiritual master ? to which miracles would provide no answer ; and to ask, as is continually done, Does Baba perform miracles ? is to forget that his plane of activity is that of spirit, not that of matter.
The stories of remarkable events in Baba’s life, some of which I have related, though I have ignored many more, are no more than stories. They have no « evidential » value : their significance is of another kind altogether. They belong, as do all miracles, to the realm of fairy-tale, of phantasy, of the childlike and innocent. Do not let us be so foolish as to deny the existence of that realm, for to do that is to deny the significance of our own childhood. That realm exists, and it is true. This is hard for the rational man to believe, but the lover of divinity, of the infinite possibilities of man, does not find it hard. Do not I who write this look for miracle ? Yes, let me admit it, a miracle within my own heart, my own personal miracle, which I must perform myself.
There are stories told of Baba where the « miracle » is psychological, of which a characteristic example is that of an incident which occurred in New York in 1931 :
A large reception was being given for Baba at a private house. He was seated on a balcony above a large room and the visitors were led before him one by one. Among them was a Russian lady whom Baba asked to be brought near to him. The woman felt rather uneasy and did nothing but smile and blush. Baba said on his board, « I will help you spiritually. » The woman, however, was not greatly impressed by what she heard, but it had the following result. She had never been able to feel love for her daughter, who was twenty. They lived in constant conflict, and hated the sight of each other, for there were constant disputes, and hard words. One morning after meeting Baba she woke up in great excitement, a feeling of well-being and ecstasy pervaded her, she did not know herself. She had an intense desire to see her daughter, went to her and begged her forgiveness. The daughter was deeply affected, and since then the mother and daughter have been happy and united.
A matter closely related to miracle and partaking somewhat of its nature is that of the healing of physical ailments. There are many cases of healing done by Baba, but here again it must be remembered that the healing is not done for the sake of miracle. These cases prove no more than that Baba has healing powers, which he exercises from time to time. Baba does not hold himself out as a healer. His concern is not with the body but with the soul. He turns the attention from material things to inner realities, how then could he devote himself to the cure of bodies ? That is the task of the physician.
In an interview given in 1932, Baba said in answer to a question about miracles :
The only real miracle for a perfect one is to make others perfect too, to make them realize the infinite state, which he himself enjoys. That is a real miracle... otherwise miracles have nothing to do with truth at all.
[modifier] The Permanency Of Spiritual Bliss
When a good thing is given to one, the mind is pleased, but soon after settles down into its previous state ; if some bitter medicine is forced upon it, it revolts but almost immediately reverts to its normal state. This shows that both the pleasures and pains of this world are transient.
A few minutes ago you ate chocolates with relish, but that enjoyment has now become a thing of the past and has resulted in nothing. So with all pleasures and pains. One of the greatest enjoyments of the carnally-minded is sexual intercourse. But its pleasure lasts only so long as the intercourse lasts. No sooner does the intercourse come to an end than the pleasure ends.
Compare the transiency of earthly pleasures with the permanency of spiritual bliss, and you will find the difference between the two.
[modifier] Either Love Or Lust
[At a private interview] a man presents a written statement — confessions of the confused state of his life, which makes him believe that he is fallen and utterly broken.
Baba : I know. No need to tell me, and I will explain. Don’t worry. When one is meant for spiritual advancement, one has either love or lust to the extreme. This lust must be converted into love.
What is lust but a craving of the physical senses, and love is the craving of the soul. I know all about you and will spiritually help you. Never think that you have fallen so as not to rise again.
C. B. Purdom. Published by Sheriar Press. © 1976 Sheriar Press, Inc
- ↑ « Anglo-Indian » is now the legal substitute for the old term « Eurasian. »
