meditation.AsGodisunanticipatoryEver-Newness,wenevertireofHim.Canwebe
surfeitedwithbliss,delightfullyvariedthroughouteternity?”
“I understand now, sir, why saints call the Lord unfathomable. Even everlasting lifecouldnotsufficetoappraiseHim.”
“That is true; but He is also near and dear. After the mind has been cleared by KriyaYogaofsensoryobstacles,meditationfurnishesatwofoldproofofGod.Ever-new joy is evidence of His existence, convincing to our very atoms. Also, in meditationonefindsHisinstantguidance,Hisadequateresponsetoeverydifficulty.”
“Isee,Guruji;youhavesolvedmyproblem.”Ismiledgratefully.“Idorealizenow
that I have found God, for whenever the joy of meditation has returned
subconsciouslyduringmyactivehours,Ihavebeensubtlydirectedtoadopttheright
courseineverything,eveninminordetails.”
“Human life is beset with sorrow until we know how to tune in with the Divine Will,whose‘rightcourse’isoftenbafflingtotheegoisticintelligence,”Mastersaid.
“Godalonegivesunerringcounsel;whobutHimbearstheburdenofthecosmos?”
From AutobiographyofaYogibyParamahansaYogananda.
120
SEVENTEEN
MEHERBABA
1894-1969,INDIA
MEHERBABAwasquitecertainthathewasGodincarnate,the Avatar(incarnationof God)oftheAge.Whoelsewouldtitlehisbook, GodSpeaks?Hisoverwhelminglove forhumanity,hisselflessserviceandrigorousausterity,andhisapparentomniscience
—communicatedviaalphabetboard,signlanguage,andbooks,despiteaforty-four-
year vow of silence—are convincing evidence that if not the divine Avatar, he was certainly an extraordinarily spiritual and compassionate human being. Many
thousandsofpilgrimssoughthisblessinginthelatteryearsofhislife,andthousands still attend the annual celebration of his passing in 1969. This saintly master, who owedallegiancetonoreligion,encouragedhumanitytoloveGodevermore.Healso
diligently served the poor and the uneducated, and especially the masts, God-intoxicatedpeopleconsideredbytherestofsocietytobehopelesslyderanged.
MeherBabaisprobablybestknownforthephrase“Don'tWorry,BeHappy”long
before it was popularized by singer Bobby McFerrin. His smiling, captivating,
mustachioedvisagegracesbusiness-sizedcardsandrefrigeratormagnetsdistributed
byhisdevotees,knownasBabaLovers.
ThetransformationofMerwan,acollegestudentinPoona,India,intoMeherBaba,
the Avatar, is a fascinating story. One day in January 1914 a wild, disheveled old womannamedHazratBabajan,aself-realizedSufisaintindisguise,calledMerwan
to her beneath a neem tree as he was returning from college on his bicycle. As she kissedhisforehead,Babajancatalyzedaspiritualawakeningthatforeverchangedthe
fateoftheyoungman,andmillionsofothers.Merwanwasdrivensomadfornearlya
year that he beat his head forcefully against a sizeable rock in order to regain his senses. During a grueling five years of spiritual transformation, Meher Baba was assistedbythosehecalledtheFivePerfectMasters,includingSaiBabaofShirdiand
Upasani Maharaj, who helped him return to “normal consciousness” while
maintainingawarenessofhisdivinity.
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MEHERBABA
Meher Baba had often said that the breaking of his silence would be a defining moment.“WhenIbreakmySilence,theimpactofmyLovewillbeuniversalandall
lifeincreationwillknow,feelandreceiveofit.Itwillhelpeveryindividualtobreak himself free from his own bondage in his own way. I am the Divine Beloved who lovesyoumorethanyoucaneverloveyourself.ThebreakingofmySilencewillhelp
youtohelpyourselfinknowingyourrealSelf,”hepromised.Whetherthisbreaking
ofthesilencewasmeanttobeliteralormetaphoricalwasneverrevealed.Thoughhe
went to his tomb without actually speaking, his last communication to his disciples was,“DonotforgetthatIamGod.”
Meher Baba's story comes from his own biography of Hazrat Babajan, the Sufi
woman saint, who, with a kiss on the forehead, began his incredible transformation fromschoolboytoAvatar.
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THEUNIVERSALLOVEOFANAVATAR
WHENTHE five Perfect Masters bring me down they draw a veil over me. Although Babajanwasintheformofawoman,shewasoneofthem(thefivePerfectMasters)
andsheunveiledmeinmypresentform.Withjustakissontheforehead,between
theeyebrows,Babajanmademeexperience(May1913)thrillsofindescribablebliss
whichcontinuedforaboutninemonths.Thenonenight(January1914)shemademe
realizeinaflashtheinfiniteblissofself-realization(God-realization).
At the time Babajan gave me the nirvikalp (inconceptual) experience of my own reality,theillusoryphysical,subtleandmentalbodies—mind,worlds,andoneandall
createdthings—ceasedtoexistformeevenasillusion.ThenIbegantoseethatonly
I,andnothingelse,existed.
Theinfiniteblissofmyself-realizationwas,isandwillremaincontinuous.Atthe
momentIexperiencebothinfiniteblissaswellasinfinitesuffering.OnceIdropthe
body,onlyblisswillremain.
ButafterIbecameself-consciousIcouldnothavesaidallthis.NorcouldIsayit
even now if it had not been for the indescribable spiritual agonies which I passed throughforanotherperiodofninemonths(untilOctober1914)inreturningtonormal
consciousness of the suffering of others. During those nine months I remained in a statewhichnooneelsecouldhavetoleratedforevenninedays.
Afterphysicaldeathanordinarymanisusuallydeadtotheworldandtheworldis
dead to him. Yet he continues to live his discarnate life beyond the sphere of gross existence.Duringthefirstthreedaysofmysuperconsciousstate(January1914)Iwas
trulydeadtoeverybodyandeverythingotherthanmyowninfiniteReality,although
myphysicalbodycontinuedtofunctionmoreorlessnormally.Actuallydead,though
really living, I was consequently considered by others to be seriously ill. I was allowedtoremaininbed,lyingwithwideopen,vacanteyeswhichsawnothing.
Whenman(theindividualizedsoul)enterstheseventhplane,whichistheoneand
only plane of Reality, his consciousness is fully freed once and for all from everythingelse.IttheniswhollyoccupiedbytheRealityoftherealselforGod.Soit issaidthattheindividualsoulbecomessuperconscious,orGod-conscious.
Toothersoulswhofunctionwithintheillusionofduality,theGod-consciousone
mayseemtobephysicallyasmuchaliveastheyare.Nevertheless,regardlessofthe
fact that the superconscious one's gross, subtle, and mental bodies may remain functioning,heisdeadtoillusionforalltime.Hisconsciousnesshastranscendedthe
illusorylimitationsofbirthsanddeathsthatliewithintheillusionofduality.
TheconsciousstateofGodisknownonlytothosewhohaveachievedit.Sucha
stateofrealizationondivineonenessiscompletelybeyondthedomainofminditself.
It is rare for man to become superconscious. One in millions might achieve it. It is rarerstillfortheGod-consciousnesstobeabletoreturnwithGod-consciousne
ssto
normal consciousness of all the illusory existence—gross, subtle, and mental—as a PerfectMaster.
Usually the gross, subtle, and mental bodies of the God-conscious one
automaticallydropwithinfourdaysif,afterattainingsuperconsciousness,hedoesnot
begintoreturntonormalconsciousnessoftheillusoryworldofduality.Inanunusual
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caseallthreebodiesoftheGod-consciousonecontinuetofunctionindefinitelyinthe relativehigherandlowerspheresofillusion.Then,forothers,suchaoneistrulythe ever-livingdead,areal Majzoob-eKamil,orconsciousGodinthemidstofillusion-conscioushumanity.TotouchsuchaoneistotouchGodHimself!
Inmyease,Ididnotdropthebodyonthefourthday,nordidIbecomeestablished
inthegrosssphereasa Majzoob,nordidIbegintoregainthenormalconsciousness ofaPerfectMaster.OnlysuchaPerfectOneiscapableofknowingthestateinwhich
Ihadtoremainforninemonths.
OnthefourthdayandafterIwasslightlyconsciousofmybodyandbegantomove
aboutwithoutanyconsciousnessofmysurroundings.Ireceivednopromptingsfrom
mymindaswouldanordinaryman.IhadnoknowledgeofthethingsIdidordidnot
do.Ididnotsleepandhadnoappetite.Noonehadanyideathroughoutthisperiod
that I sat, talked, walked, lay down, and did everything by instinct, more like an automatonthananordinaryhumanbeing.
Mysleepless,staring,vacanteyesworriedmymothermost.Shebelievedandtold
othersthatIhadgonemad.Inheranguishshecouldnotrefrainfromgoingonceto
Babajananddemandingtoknowwhatshehaddonetome.Shirinmaididthisbecause
she knew that I used to go and sit near Babajan for a while each night during the previous nine months (May 1913–January 1914). Babajan indicated to my mother
that I was intended to shake the world into wakefullness, but that meant nothing to Shirinmaiinherdistress.
ForalongtimeIwasgivenregularmedicaltreatment,butnoamountofdrugging
andinjectionscouldputmetosleep.AsShirinmaiusedtosay,“Havingexhaustedall
availablemeans,”shesentmetoBombaytostaywithJamshedforachange.
Thinkingtokeepmeoccupiedwithday-to-dayactivities,Jamshedencouragedme
tocookthefoodforthetwoofus.SometimesIdidthecookingallright,butIdidit
asIdidotherthings—withoutknowingwhatIwasdoing.Icanrecalltheparticular
bench in the Victoria Gardens on which I passed most of the time, sitting alone, entirelyobliviousoftheworldanditsaffairs.
Although the infinite bliss I experienced in my superconscious state remained
continuous,asitisnow,Isufferedagoniesinreturningtowardsnormalconsciousness
of illusion. Occasionally, to give some sort of relief, I used to knock my head so furiouslyagainstwallsandwindowsthatsomeofthemshowedcracks.
In reality there is no suffering as such, only infinite bliss. Although suffering is illusory, still, within the real of illusion, it is suffering. In the midst of illusion, Babajanestablishedmyreality.Myreality,althoughuntouchedbyillusion,remained
connectedwithillusion.ThatwaswhyIsufferedincalculablespiritualagonies.
Nine months after my self-realization (November 1914) I began to be somewhat
consciousofmysurroundings.Lifereturnedtomyvacanteyes.AlthoughIwouldnot
sleep, I began regularly to eat small quantities of food. (It is an incredible fact that Babadidnoteatfortheninemonthsfollowinghisself-realizationinJanuary1914.)I
nowknewwhatIwasdoingbutIcontinuedtodothingsintuitively,asimpelledtodo
thembyinnerforces.Ididnotdothingsofmyownaccordorwhenaskedbyothers.
For example, when I began to teach (December 1915) Persian to Buasaheb, my
mothertriedtocollectmorepupilsforme,thinkingthiswouldhastenmy“recovery.”
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ButIwouldattendtonooneelseandcontinuedtoteachonlyBuasaheb.
Lateron(April1915)Ialsobegantogoforlongdistancesonfootorbyvehicle.
OnceIleftPoonabyrailforRaichur(morethanthreehundredmilessouthofPoona),
but after travelling for only thirty-four miles I felt the urge to leave the train at Kedgaon. There for the first time I came in physical contact with Narayan Maharaj (oneofthefivePerfectMasters)whose ashramisnotfarfromthatrailwaystation.
Similarly, from time to time I was also drawn to see Majzoobs like Banemiyan Baba at Aurangabad and Tipoo Baba at Bombay. Once in the company of Behram
(Buasahib)ItravelledasfarnorthasNagpurandsawTajuddinBaba(anotherofthe
fivePerfectMasters).
Finally (December 1915) I felt impelled to call on Sai Baba, the Perfect Master amongMasters.AtthattimehewasreturninginaprocessionfromLendi(inShirdi),
aplacetoandfromwhichhewasledeverydayinordertoeasehimself.Despitethe
crowdsIintuitivelyprostratedmyselfbeforehimontheroad.WhenIarose,SaiBaba
lookedstraightatmeandexclaimed,“Parvardigar”(God-Almighty-Sustainer).
IthenfeltdrawntowalktothenearbytempleofKhandobainwhichMaharaj(Shri
UpasaniMaharaj)wasstayinginseclusion.Hehadbeenlivingonwaterthereunder
Sai Baba's direct guidance for over three years. At that time Maharaj was reduced almosttoaskeletonduetohisfastonwater.Hewasalsonakedandsurroundedby
filth.
WhenIcamenearenoughtohim,Maharajgreetedme,sotospeak,withastone
which he threw at me with great force. It struck me on my forehead exactly where Babajanhadkissedme,hittingwithsuchforcethatitdrewblood.Themarkofthat
injuryisstillonmyforehead.ButthatblowfromMaharajwasthestrokeofdnyan
( MarefatofHaqiqat,ordivineknowledge).
Figuratively, Maharaj had started to rouse me from “sound sleep.” But in sound sleep man is unconscious, while I, being superconscious,waswideawakeinsound
sleep. With that stroke, Maharaj had begun to help me return to ordinary
consciousnessoftherealmofillusion.
That was the beginning of my present infinite suffering in illusion which I
experience simultaneously with my infinite bliss in Reality. But it took me seven yearsofacutestruggleunderMaharaj'sactiveguidancetoreturncompletelyto,and
becomeestablishedin,normalhumanconsciousnessoftheillusionofduality,while
yetexperiencingcontinuouslymysuperconsciousness.
The more normally conscious I became, the more acute my suffering grew. For
yearsthereforeIcontinuedtoknockmyheadfrequentlyonstones.ThatwashowI
eventually lost all my teeth, for through the constant knocking they became
prematurely loose. This also resulted in a wound which was constantly fresh, and thereforeIalwaysusedtokeepacoloredhandkerchieftiedaroundmyforehead.
ThemoreIreturnedtoworldlynormality,themoreimpatientmymotherbecame
to see me settled into the routine of life. To satisfy her I joined the Kan (Kavasji) Khatau theatrical company as its manager (1916) and traveled with the show to Lahore.
Severalyearslater,afterbecomingalmostthree-fourthsnormallyconsciouswhile
retainingfullsuperconsciousness,IwenttoSakor
iandstayedforsixmonths(July–
125
December, 1921) near Maharaj. At the end of this period Maharaj made me know fullywhatIam,justasBabajanhadmademefeelinaflashwhatIam.
DuringthosesixmonthsMaharajandIusedtositneareachotherinahutbehind
closeddoorsalmosteverynight.OnonesuchoccasionMaharajfoldedhishandsto
meandsaid,“Merwan,youaretheAvatarandIsaluteyou.”
For about four months after this (January–May, 1922) I stayed in a small jhopdi (thatchedhut).Itwasbuiltformetemporarilyontheedgeofsomefieldsinthevery
thinlypopulatedareaofwhatisnowtheShivajinagarareaofPoona.InthismannerI
began to live independently, surrounded by men who formed the nucleus of the mandali. One of these was the first to start addressing me as “Baba.” (Meher Baba meansliterally,“CompassionateFather.”)Someofthemenweredrawnintuitivelyto
melongbeforetheyhadanyclearideaofmyinnerstate.Otherswereattractedtome
byhintsfromBabajanandMaharaj.AndstillothersIdrewdirectlytome.
At that time both Babajan and Maharaj began telling various people, referring to me, that “The child is now capable of moving the whole world at a sign from his finger.” Once (May 1922) Maharaj addressed a large gathering of the mandali and said,“Listentomemostcarefully.Ihavehandedovermykey(spiritualcharge)now
toMerwan,andhenceforthyouarealltosticktohimanddoasheinstructsyou.With
God'sgraceyouwillsoonreachthegoal.”Stillothers,Maharajaskedindividuallyto
followme.
From HazratBabajanbyAvatarMeherBabaandA.G.Munsif.
126
J.KRISHNAMURTI
127
EIGHTEEN
J.KRISHNAMURTI
1895-1986,INDIA
JIDDU KRISHNAMURTI was born in Madanapalle, a small village in South India. His parentsweremiddle-classBrahmins.Theboy'sfatherwasaDistrictMagistrateand
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