Biographical Incidents In Meher Baba's Life: Avatar Meher Baba Anthology

My work and aims are intensely practical. It is not practical to overemphasize the material at the cost of the spiritual. It is not practical to have spiritual ideals without putting them into practice.

To realize the ideal in daily life, to give beautiful and adequate form to the living spirit, to make brotherhood a fact, not merely a theory as at present -- that is being practical in the true sense of the word.

LORD MEHER, 1st USA ed, vol. 5, p. 1627, Bhau Kalchuri
1990 © AMBPPCT

AVATAR MEHER BABA'S LIFE

A Brief Biography Of Avatar Meher Baba: Merwan Sheriar Irani was born February 25, 1894, in Poona, India, into a Zoroastrian family.
The Actual Name Is "Meherwan"...: ...from which He was later called Meher Baba.
Minor Incarnation: Baba once said that each Incarnation of Avatar is preceded by a minor incarnation which prepares the way for his Advent.
Compassionate Father: Soon after, they returned to Poona — including Merwan now named Meher Baba. It seemed the whole purpose of the circle of men coming to Nasik was to choose the new name.
An Old Framed Photograph: The man said, "Tell him that I always remember him from our school days."
I Feel Especially Happy These Days: Nowadays the happiness that I derive is also personal and individual.
I Always Have That Mark When I Come: He gestured towards this painting and commented, "The artist has captured the Star," indicating the star-shaped mark between the eyebrows in the portrait.
What Harm Is There In Playing Cards?: One day Merwan Seth casually asked, "Munshi, why don't you ever play cards?"
How Meher Baba Slept: Even when Baba was asleep and snoring, he always knew what was going on around him.
Always Awake: Baba then asked me, "What type of sleep do I have?"
So Perfectly, So Silently, So Skillfully: In short, in whatever field of endeavor you can name, Meher Baba was perfect in it. I say this to people and they still don't understand.
I Am Listening: Even then, if Mani stopped reading, Baba would say, "Go on. I am listening."
Embracing Baba: If anyone in the ashram had a runny nose or a cold, they were told to keep away, from Baba and from everyone else.
His Work Was Finished 100 Per Cent: Before leaving Guruprasad in 1968, Baba told us that his work was finished 100 per cent to his satisfaction.
Absorbed In The Affairs Of The Little Ones: During the short intervals, the Master would make the boys sit around him and enjoy with them divine songs, through Urdu, Persian, Marathi and English records of famous singers on the gramophone.
Baba Was Delighted As We Threaded The Narrow, Perfumed Alleys: After dinner we drove round the three cities — French, British, and the fringe of the Chinese city with its gay lights, restaurants, hotels, and haunts.
A Divine Ordeal: Then continuing Baba said, "This shock concerns him, I tried for him but failed."
We Still Must Try Our Best: Usually our very efforts to help only resulted in causing Baba more pain. Why this should be I don't know.
Is That Meher Baba With You?: The person would conclude that if we didn't recognize the name Meher Baba then we certainly couldn't be traveling with him and so they would stop asking questions and wouldn't try and approach Baba.
Each On His Or Her Own Level: As he approached to take darshan, Baba asked him, "Why did you remove your slippers? I am also in your slippers."
Only Palliative And Not A Cure: He then explained that Perfect Masters assume illness, while He being the Avatar must undergo all the physical pain and discomfort and illness which the ordinary human body has to undergo.
An Unforgettable Joy: Work permitting, Baba would sometimes sit with us all for a short while after supper and the time would be spent listening to recordings of the beautiful spiritual songs composed to words from the poems of Hafiz, Kabir or Shams-e-Tabriz (Master of Rumi).
His Love And Compassion For His Own: Mani stood there transfixed, realising that what she had just witnessed in this little episode was His love and compassion for His own, however insignificant.
This Was God's Will: Baba took my hand and then wrote on his board: "You must understand that this was God's will and it will result in benefit to the whole world."
At The Clinic In Prague: I went to collect the laundry, which was piled up on the sidewalk outside, and found this enormous stack of bloodstained clothes.
The Soil Of America Wanted His Blood: He had foretold that the soil of America wanted his blood and, in his infinite mercy, he was spilling it there.
The Anguish Of That Moment: We saw people standing round Baba who seemed to be lying on the ground. The women were lying in various directions. Sarosh exclaimed, "O God, there's been an accident!"
He Would Shed Blood On American Soil: The personal disaster for some years foretold by me has at last happened while crossing the American continent.... It was necessary that it should happen in America.
He Was Still Smiling: Later I determined that the most astounding quality that was something which made it possible for him to receive such profound devotion and loyalty from so many fine and educated people.
No One Knew Who He Really Was: When Chanji went to thank the ship's officer, he could not find him.
The Fulfillment Of A Prophecy: Two decades later, Meher Baba used the game of cricket to fix in the minds of His mandali and others the identity of a particular spot in the village of Udatara.
Meher Baba's Reminiscences, Part: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10: Baba often reminisced during the sahvas month, particularly when he showed the sahvasis places near Ahmednagar.
Lord Of The Universe: Inside the temple, Maharaj commanded the gathering of Brahmins to bow to Merwan.
Dr. R. Ambedkar - The Leader and Spokesman of the Untouchables: Unbeknownst to Minoo, Meher Baba had arranged, per Gandhi's previous request, to go to Bombay to meet with Dr. R. Ambedkar, the leader and spokesman of the Untouchables, also known as the depressed classes.
The Great Event Had Happened: On January 31, between noon and 12:15, Baba's body was seized by a climactic spasm, and His respiration stopped.
When I Looked At Mehera, I Lost All Courage: What an expression! I couldn't control myself. Seeing Mehera's face, I had to leave the room.
Dr. Ginde, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4: Nariman followed Dr. Ginde around and explained the situation, and Ginde agreed to come.
It Is As I Wanted It: The healing of the fracture seemed to progress satisfactorily, but he continued to be in great pain.
Only Interested In Remaining Disinterested, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3: Besides Baba's acute physical suffering, there was another element which made those times even more trying and unbearable for the Meherazad mandali, and that was Baba's mental attitude.
Seclusion Hill: The hill is now barren, but a time will come when there will be much construction there by My disciples.
Meher Baba's Stopover In Japan: Due to Baba's "restlessness" they did not spend much time on shore.
The Present Suffering Was Intended For The Benefit Of Others: As for Baba, he was imposing upon himself, during this period, all sorts of physical austerities such as fasts of long duration, sometimes on water, milk, tea or lemon juice.
Bhrigu-Samhita: An astrologer in Bombay, Govind Janardan Borkar, possesses a copy of this work and gave this reading from it to one of Meher Baba's devotees, who on his own initiative submitted his master's birth date.
The Flow Of A Crystal Current: The chart was first printed in block letters on paper, then later on cardboard, and eventually the alphabet was painted on a small wooden board. Baba began using the board from Friday, 7 January 1927.
I Completed My Work On 30th January 1969: Now I say, 'O Father, forgive them all, for they know not what will happen.'
At Home Among The Stars: One evening, while we were in Hollywood, we went with Baba to Pickfair, where a large dinner party had been in progress.
The Wretched Accident: With lightning speed we jumped out of the car and rushed forward. The anguish of that moment is unforgettable .... Baba's face with blood pouring from His head, the extraordinary expression on Baba's face.
Several Of The Glass Marbles Were Shattered: At 5:15 P.M., almost directly opposite where they had played cricket, as Eruch was reading Baba's gestures, the steering wheel suddenly and inexplicably went completely out of control.
Baba Walked Unaided For A Few Steps: Baba walked along the shady paths every morning, using two sticks, and once getting into the momentum of it, would lift the sticks and walk unaided for a few steps.
Homage To The Masters: Baba travelled by car and most of his men by a State Transport Bus especially engaged for the trips to the Samadhi (tombs) and Dargahs (shrines) of Upasni Maharaj, Sai Baba and Babajan.
The Day Of The Master: Maharaj took Gulmai to Dahigaon, a few miles from Sakori, where he showed her a hut. Gulmai returned to Panchgani, and informed Baba, who fixed the date of their meeting for October 17th.
Life With God: At 8:45 or 9:00 A.M., holding Mehera's hand, Baba came out of the main house to go to mandali hall. Until 1965, Baba often walked very slowly to the hall, with Mehera on one side, Goher on the other, and Meheru following a few minutes later.
God Willed It To Happen In America: The entire left side of His body had been shattered, and that's a very striking thing to me.
Green Frogs And Eggs: Food in the ashram was always vegetarian and consisted of either rice and curry, or rice and daal, with an occasional vegetable.
The Bursting Of Hearts: All were allowed to pour a small pot of warm water over Baba's chest and thus thousands of liters of water were showered upon him, and a great number of people touched his delicate flower-like body.