Chapter 5

Who is Meher Baba?

    Avatar Meher Baba was born at Sassoon General Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, on 25th February 1894. He was born to an Irani who had been a true seeker of God since a very young age.
    The five Perfect Masters of that time-Hazrat Babajan, Upasani Maharaj, Narayani Maharaj, Shirdi Sai Baba and Tajuddin Baba gave enlightenment to Meher Baba. Hazrat Babajan of Pune, kissed Him on His forehead in 1913, and awakened Him to His true identity. Thus, He came to know about His spiritual work on earth. Sai Baba of Shirdi recognised His God-hood and declared Him as Parvardigar; Upasani Maharaj of Sakori performed His aarti and acknowledged Him as Aadi-Shakti; Narayani Maharaj of Kedgaon and Tajuddin Baba of Nagpur also accepted His Avatar-hood; thus, it were the five Perfect Masters or sadgurus of that time who brought Him down from His formless being into human form i.e. Godman.
    After Meher Baba was awakened to His true identity, He remained secluded in a room at His residence in Pune for quite some time. He walked out one day, forever.
    Avatar Meher Baba observed silence from 10th July 1925 till He dropped His body. He observed self-imposed silence for 44 years (1925-1969). The 10th of July is observed as the Day of Silence by Baba lovers all across the world.
    Meher Baba had declared that He was the same Ancient One, who had incarnated in the past as Zoroaster, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed, and now had once again descended upon the earth to awaken the humanity from ignorance.
    With regards to His silence, Meher Baba has assured that once He breaks His silence and manifests Himself as the Avatar, peace, love and universal brotherhood will spread across the world. However, this can happen only when we have stopped discriminating amongst ourselves on the basis of caste, creed, cult, religion and nationality, and become citizens of the world.
    Most of the times, Meher Baba did His Avataric work in seclusions; He did it either at Meherabad or Meherazad near Ahmednagar. However, He continued His spiritual work even while He was meeting spiritual agents in India and abroad, helping masts, serving the sick and the poor, giving darshan to the masses, and traveling across the globe.Avatar Meher Baba would give His sahavas to His lovers, devotees and workers; He would play outdoor-games with them; He would embrace them, enjoy listening to Kavvali with them, but all along, He would continue His spiritual work as well.
    Meher Baba said, “I have come not to teach but to Awaken.”
    He awakened His followers to the Truth and made them realise that the true purpose of life was to love God and the goal of life was nothing but being one with God. He explained that there could have been no other reason why the Creation had sprung up. He said, “You and ‘I’ are not ‘we’ but one. The veil between God and you is ‘I’, the ego.”
    Meher Baba said, “To be nearer and nearer to God, you should be further and further away from ‘I’, ‘me’ and mine.”
     But, is it possible to eliminate the ‘I’ on our own? Perhaps, not! However, we can do so only when we surrender to a living sadguru or the Ancient One i.e. the Avatar.
     In Shrimad Bhagvad Geeta, Lord Krishna has mentioned about Sankhya yoga, Karma yoga, Dnyan yoga, Bhakti yoga. He has explained matters pertaining to Atma (soul) and Parmatma (The Over-Soul). In the 18th Chapter, Verse 66, Lord Krishna has said, “meJe&Oecee&ved HeefjlÙepÙe ceeceskebâ MejCeb Jeüpe” (“Take refuge in Me alone.”)
     Surprisingly, Lord Jesus has also said, “Leave all and follow Me.”
     Meher Baba has said, “Come all unto Me.”
     Meher Baba dropped His body on the 31st January 1969 at 12:15 PM. On 31st morning, Meher Baba had asked Aloba, one of His mandali members, to bring a board from the mandali room, on which the following three Hafiz’ couplets were written:
     “Befitting a fortunate slave, carry out every command of the Master without any question of why and what.”
     “About what you hear from the Master, never say it is wrong, because my dear, the fault lies in your incapacity to understand Him.”
     “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.”
     Meher Baba has descended on planet earth to unify the world in God’s Oneness with the help of God’s Infinite Love. Though, many humanitarians, institutions, societies and organisations, saints and yogis, have tried to bring about brotherhood amongst the people but they have failed miserably, for they have never been able to touch the hearts of the people. However, Avatar Meher Baba, the Love-Incarnate has not only touched the hearts of millions but He has brought them together like beads in a string, for He has lived the true meaning of love—selfless Love. Meher Baba has truly lived to His words- ‘Mastery in Servitude’.
     There are no restrictions in following Avatar Meher Baba. Meher Baba has said, “You must come to the samadhi with a clean heart to receive My blessings.”
     Baba has explained spirituality through me in this book. He has also put forth important messages to humanity, with a humble request to the intellectuals and sceptics, to accept Him as the Avatar of the Age before it is too late. He has also cautioned the masses that a great spiritual upheaval, greater than anyone has ever imagined, is about to take place in near future.
     Avatar Meher Baba says that when goal of life is attained, one achieves: