WHAT BABA MEANS BY REAL WORK

 
Addressing a large gathering of his devotees and workers, Meher Baba said:

This is no political or social meeting. The meeting for which you all have assembled here, and which is the first of its kind that I have held in this sixty years of my life, is for the Divine Cause. This assemblage reminds me of former meetings during my previous Incarnations. Then the circumstances were different; but since eternity the same God-Incarnate has been presiding over such meetings for the same Cause — the Divine Cause. Thus never has it been more truly said than in the spiritual cause that history repeats itself.

Even if this meeting were to take all night for what I have to say, I would not mind, because this one night would be worth millions of nights if you all honestly live up to and act according to what I wish for my real workers. The Apostles and the "Asahaba" who worked for the Divine Cause did my work at the very cost of life itself. So heed my words most attentively.

My personally contacting the masses in India through vast "darshan programmes" has been sufficient for my work. The presentation of addresses and the giving of messages mean nothing on the actual Spiritual Path. I tell you with Divine Authority, that chanting my "arti," performing my "puja," garlanding me, offering me fruits and sweets and bowing down to me, in themselves mean absolutely nothing. It is a waste of money to spend on garlands, fruits and sweets as offerings to me for the conventional "puja," and a sheer waste of breath and energy to merely chant my "arti." From time eternal gods have been performing my real "puja." What I want from all my lovers is real, unadulterated love, and from my genuine workers I expect real work done.

I want also to draw your attention to the fact that miracles experienced by my devotees and admirers, both in the East and in the West, have been attributed to me. On the basis of my Divine Honesty I tell you that in this Incarnation I have not, up till now, consciously performed a single miracle. Whenever a miracle has been attributed to me, it has always been news to me. What I wish to emphasize is that by attributing such miracles to me, people cheapen and lower my status as the Highest of the High. But today I do say this, that the moment I break my silence and utter the Original Word, the first and last miracle of "BABA" will be performed. And, when I perform that Miracle, I shall not raise the dead, but shall make those who live for the world, dead to the world and live in God. I shall not give sight to the blind, but make people blind to illusion and make them see God as Reality.

I have had enough of the alphabet board and my silence. I must break my silence soon. And when I do, all will come to know of it. Those who have come in contact with me will have a glimpse of Me. Some will have a little, some a little more, and some still more. When the "Power House" is switched on there will be Light wherever the electric bulbs are connected with it, provided these bulbs are not fused. Where the bulbs are of small candle power, the light will be little; where the bulbs are of high candle power the light will be considerable. Where a bulb is fused there will be no light.

Love me whole-heartedly. The time for the Power House to be switched on is so near that the only thing which will count now is Love. That is why I have been telling you all to love me more and more. Love me, love me, love me, and then you will find me.

From you I want no surrender, no mind, no body, no possessions, only LOVE.

I come now to the main point of "Baba's work and workers." Those who have assembled here have been called workers of Baba; therefore, you must necessarily first understand what my work is.

I know that you all, big and small, rich and poor, have done your best to work for the Divine Cause. And I say with happiness that you have tried to express your love for me by spreading my messages of Love to the masses. But I feel that something deep down is very wrong, and that you have not clearly understood how my work should be approached. It is natural that amongst workers of any cause, be it political, social or spiritual, there are bound to be differences of opinion. These difference of opinion and feelings of competition and jealousy lead to the break-down of the very basis of work.

You have been called upon to do "Baba's work," and you have been called "Baba's workers." But, is it necessary for you to work at all for "Baba?" If I am the Highest of the High and God- Incarnate, then where is the necessity for me to have workers and to be entangled with Centres and Organizations, mass Darshan programmes, and other channels through which to spread my Message? Can I not, in my own silent way do the Universal Work. If I am "Baba," which definitely I am, then whether the whole world goes against me or worships me, it is all the same to me. If I am not the Infinite One, but am just as one of you, then thousands of centres and programmes in my name would be of no avail.

The reason I have called upon you individually to work for me is so that each one of you may share in the Divine Cause; and these programmes such as mass Darshans are created to give an opportunity for the expression of individual and collective love.

Therefore, if you are prepared to share my Universal Work, the work which falls as your share must be done whole-heartedly and honestly. That work is to spread my Message of Love in every corner of the world — all, rich and poor alike — without any distinction as to religion, caste, creed, sect or sex. My Message always has been and always will be of Love Divine — let the world know it. I entrust this share of the Universal work to my real workers who genuinely desire to serve in the Divine Cause.

I will now explain to you how you should work. First of all, bear in mid that you should not seek appreciation from me or from others. Though this may seem easy, it is very difficult to put into practice. Remember that work in itself is its own appreciation; the moment you seek appreciation the work is undone. Therefore, seek not any appreciation for the work you do for me.

Secondly, do no count upon someone else or on outside help in your work for me. Many of you are ready to work for me one hundred percent; yet because some of you are poor and have families, you cannot devote your time and means for my work. But why then work beyond your means? When the worker depends upon anyone or anything the work suffers. Therefore, do as much as you can, but do it honestly.

Thirdly, if money is collected for the work and spent wrongly and without being accounted for, then all work in the name of the Divine Cause, must be stopped immediately by the so-called workers. Even one penny extracted in my name without true foundation, is dishonesty, and will be the cause of millions of rebirths; and for one cent taken from others by such false pretensions one dies a million deaths! Therefore, let honesty in work prevail.

Fourthly, when you spread my eternal message of Love to others, show them first that you really love me. Do not merely make them read my books and messages; do more. Live such a life of love, sacrifice, forgiveness and tolerance, that others will automatically love me. If instead of doing the real work of love you start doing organized propaganda work for me, it is absurd. I need no propaganda or publicity. I do not want propaganda and publicity, but I do want love and honesty. If you cannot live the life of love and honesty, you should stop working for me. I am quite capable of doing my Universal Work alone.

Fifthly, I want you all to know for certain that "Baba's work" needs no money. In other ages my work has been done without money, it can now be done without money. When money was in use, it was the cause of Judas' undoing, and for which he sold Jesus. It is natural for those workers who are poor to think that they must have money for "Baba's work" to spread far and wide his Message of Love. But, from my point of view, to depend on money for "Baba's work" is work undone. To ask people to give money and then in return to propagate "Baba's Message of Love" is utter folly. Therefore, whether you have money or not, let it not affect my work. Money comes and goes; whereas, my work is eternal. Money does not play any important role in my work of the Divine Cause; it is the life that you live that plays the most important role. Hence, live such a life that others not only know you love me, but feel your love for me. Begin to live this life and let other workers for the Divine Cause follow suit. Let there be no compromise in this; no mixture of honesty and dishonesty. Absolute honesty must be there — there can be no "Baba" without it. I am Baba — I know what I AM.

All those who love me and want to share my work can do so. Those who have money and can afford to go from place to place can spread my message of Divine Love in every distant nook and corner. Those who have a little money can go around their own town and district spreading my Message of Love and living the life of love by doing the service of God. And those who have no money, or have families and little time, can also do the work by guiding their own families and friends towards Baba's Love. If you all love me even a little, I want your hearts towards each other to be clean and for you to forget your differences. Cleanse your hearts and live for Baba.

Outwardly you may establish hundreds of centres for Baba, or none at all; that is your own responsibility. But bear in mind that for my work it is not necessary to have centres, or offices, nor the "botheration" of accounts and the collecting of money. Let Baba's Love be the Centre, the Office, the Help and the Work.

I want my lovers and workers to know that there is no greater "Baba Centre" than the heart of my lover. Those who truly love me are my Centres in the world. Let each "Baba-lover" wherever he or she may be, be a "Baba's Centre" personified, radiating the eternal message of Love Divine, living the life of love, sacrifice and honesty.

When I say that each one of you be a "Baba-Centre" it does not mean that each of you should work individually when you can work collectively in groups as "Baba-Centres." Neither does this mean that you should not work on your own. I have shown you how I desire the work to be done; it is for you to follow the method best suited to you.

Let me now see how you love and work for "Baba." I am everywhere. I am in you and see you. Do your share in my work in all sincerity. Be responsible for what you do and how you do it. I now will do my personally ordained work and break my silence very shortly.

I love all. I am the Lord of Love, the slave of my lovers, and devoted to my devotees. Although I do not perform miracles, I will give anything to whomsoever asks for it from the bottom of the heart. If I am "Baba," everything is possible to me. Ask whole- heartedly and you will get it from me. But this I tell you too, that the one who asks for my love will be the chosen one.

You who love me have expressed your love in a way that touches my heart, and I feel very happy. Yet I have not known one who loves me as I would wish to be loved. There are about 220 men and women from the East and West who have so completely and utterly surrendered to me that they would do anything I say. Whatsoever I order them they will carry out, even if it means being cut to pieces.

To surrender is higher than to love, and paradoxical as it may seem, to love me as I ought to be loved is impossible, yet to obey me is possible. Therefore to say you love me and yet not to obey me would be hypocritical.

The time is very near for the breaking of my silence and then, within a short period all will happen — my humiliation, my glorification, my manifestation, and the dropping of my body. All this will happen soon and within a short period. So, from this moment love me more and more.

Do not propagate what you do not feel. What your heart says and your conscience dictates about me, pour out without hesitation. Be unmindful of whether you are ridiculed or accepted in pouring out your heart for me, or against me, to others.

If you take "Baba" as "God-Incarnate," say so; do not hesitate.

If you think "Baba" is "the devil," say it; do not be afraid.

I am everything that you take me to be, and I am also beyond everything. If your conscience says that "Baba" is the Avatar, say it even if you are stoned for it. But if you feel he is not, then say that you feel "Baba" is not the Avatar. Of myself I say again and again, I am the Ancient One — the Highest of the High.

If you had even the tiniest glimpse of my Divinity, all doubts would vanish and love — Real Love — would be established. Illusion has such a tight grip on you that you forget Reality. Your life is a Shadow. The only Reality is Existence Eternal — which is GOD.