| Avatar Meher Baba: His Life |
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1931-37: Travels to the West. The six-year span from 1931 to 1937 was a period of world travel, during which Meher Baba visited Europe ten times, America thrice, and China and the Far East. While some of his visits drew press coverage and fanfare, his purpose in coming to the West, as he explained at the time, was “not with the object of establishing new creeds or spiritual societies and organizations” but rather “to make
people understand religion in the true sense.” This, he continued, entailed “developing that attitude of mind which should ultimately result in seeing One Infinite Existence prevailing throughout the universe,” in attending to worldly responsibilities while remaining detached from results, in seeing “the same Divinity in art and science,” and in experiencing “the highest Consciousness and Indivisible Bliss in everyday life.” A core group of close Western
disciples was attracted to him at this time; and the integration of Eastern and Western perspectives in the light of a transcendent spiritual Truth has remained an enduring characteristic and appeal of his message. next
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Meher Baba,
New York, 1932 |
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1937-49: Work with the God-intoxicated. In the late 1930s and throughout the 1940s Meher Baba’s work took a new turn, focusing increasingly on his personally contacting and serving persons whom he called “masts.” Masts are advanced souls on the inner planes of the spiritual path who have become spiritually intoxicated from direct awareness of God. While to outward appearances masts often seem to be mad, in
actuality they are vast reservoirs of spiritual light and as such were useful to Meher Baba in his spiritual mission. Throughout the length and breadth of the Indian subcontinent, from small hamlets to large cities, by train or bullock cart or even on foot, Meher Baba traveled in search of these individuals, whom he would feed, bathe, and sit with in seclusion. Another aspect of his work at this time and, indeed, throughout his life involved bathing lepers, washing the feet of the poor, bowing
down to these unfortunate ones, and giving them grain, cloth, and money. Again, Meher Baba gave to understand that these actions when performed by the God-Man had an impact not only on those directly concerned but on all humanity. next
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Meher Baba happy
after working with Mast. |
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Meher Baba bathing
a leper, 1954 |
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| 1949-52: The New Life. On 16 October 1949, Meher Baba dissociated himself from the places, possessions, and connections that he had maintained until that time and embarked on what he called a “New Life” of complete helplessness and hopelessness in total reliance of God. During the next three years he appears to have voluntarily given up his state of Perfect Master in order to embrace the role of Perfect Seeker. This
phase culminated in early 1952 with what he called “Manonash” or “annihilation of the mind.” top | next page |
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Meher Baba with New
Life Companions, 1949 |
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