I DO NOT ADVOCATE EVEN THE STATE OF NAJAAT-MUKTI

 
The Muslim inmates of Manzil-e-Meem came in for a good deal of Baba's attention, and much light was thrown on the vexed questions of Shariat (external religion) the bugbear of the Muslim world when confronted with spirituality and saintliness.

In reply to a poser of a Muslim friend of mine quoting the words of the Persian poet Saadi:

"Verily it is worse than the tortures of hell to walk into heaven with the feet of another."

Meher Baba said, "It is really commendable attitude if heaven can be earned by one's own exertions instead of depending on its acquisition on the grace of another. Leaving aside the question of aspiring for Khuda-Shanashi (God-realization), the regrettable position is that even the problem of heaven is being relegated to the mercy and grace of Rasul-e-Khuda — the Prophet of God.

My disciples are not concerned with heaven or hell. They find themselves confronted with the ideal of the realization of Truth-God-Divinity. This Gnosis of God is impossible for anyone to attain without the help of a Murshid (Master), and the Sufi world insists upon the need of a Master in unmistakable terms. By one's own and unaided exertions, one either creates heaven or hell and both are limitations and bindings.

Heaven represents the resultant of too many good actions (Neki) and hell is the outcome of excess of bad actions (Badi). In order to attain Najaat (Nukti-Liberation), a correct balance of good and bad actions must be struck. The credit and debit side of good and bad actions must cancel each other, and the balance sheet must show zero on both sides.

This result can only be brought about by a Master, otherwise if left to individual efforts, one or the other side must predominate bringing in its wake the situation known to the laity as heaven or hell.

I do not advocate even the state of Najaat-Mukti (Liberation of the individual soul), because you were already that prior to the precipitation of the universe. If Salvation means reverting to the original state of the Ocean, then all the trammels and travails of the bubble (individual soul) through the long and laborious stages of evolution have been to no purpose.

With me Najaat means the Realization of Abdiat (bubble-state) and Mabudiat (Ocean-state) at one and the same time. Whosoever realizes this state, can be said to be perfect. This stage of Perfection is known to the Sufis as the Reality of Mohomed (Haqiqat-e-Mohomadi) — the Divine I-state, the raison d'etre of creation.

Amongst many other methods advocated and practised for realizing the state of Perfection, the best and the easiest is the company of a Perfect Master. Living with me as you are, you are considered to have renounced the world in spite of living in it. Every moment passed in the company of a Master may be said to be spent in what people call Ibadat (devotion)."