The Advent (Page 3 of 4)

As far as the religions we follow, Meher Baba does not want us to give them up in order to follow him. On the contrary, he wants us to become aware of the precepts that were laid down at the time of the Advent that brought about each particular religion.

When he was in our midst as Zoroaster, there was no such thing as Zoroastrianism. At the time of Buddha when he was in our midst, there was no such thing as Buddhism, and at the time of Jesus when he was in our midst, there was no such thing as Christianity.

These religions cropped up only after the Advents. First, there were a few followers in each Advent and with the passage of time, the followers increased in numbers and they tried to form themselves into groups with the same ideologies, holding on to the precepts laid down in that Advent and they formed a religion.

Religion that is man-made has nothing to do with the Advent. That being so, why is it recognized as Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism or Hinduism? It is to commemorate an Advent that mankind creates such religions and thus each religion revolves around a particular Advent.

Meher Baba never told us to leave or give up our own religion. I am a Zoroastrian by birth and he wants me to be a true Zoroastrian. So if you are a Christian, he wants you to be a true Christian, a true Christian, mind you! We call ourselves Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, Zoroastrians, but are we really and truly true Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, Zoroastrians and Hindus? Hardly!

All that the Avatar does each time he comes, is to give us the same Truth. He does not differentiate a Mohammedan from a Hindu, or a Christian from a Zoroastrian. He brings them all together and once again regenerates that Truth in their hearts. He wants everyone to become aware of their shortcomings in not having lived up to the precepts laid down in the past. So he revives some of those precepts, regenerates them and once again puts us back on the path of righteousness. We, in turn, begin to uphold what he has said and by following his precepts, cause posterity to label our activities "a religion."

Now whether posterity will create a new religion to commemorate Meher Baba’s Advent, I do not know, nor am I the one to say that it should start as a religion. Meher Baba himself has spoken out against any such movement.

The basis of all religions is nothing but love for God, so what is really needed is to establish that love in our hearts without formalizing it. If rites, rituals and ceremonies were to become the center of formal expression of love for God, then it will undoubtedly be a disservice to Meher Baba who came to do away with such practices that are so widespread in all the religions.

I am sure Meher Baba lovers would not want a religion of their own but would prefer instead to embrace all the religions of the world as one religion, following the precepts of Meher Baba to live the life of Love and Truth in the name of the Lord. I am equally certain that there will be others who will continue to be bound to religion in the customary manner.

Perhaps the lovers of Meher Baba may be perceived in the future as just another sect living a different kind of life, and other religious groups may view them as simply another religion. But as long as these lovers of Baba continue devotedly to live the message of Love and Truth, they will never slip into the rut of formal religion. On the contrary, they will be serving Meher Baba as he wanted them to do.

Of course Meher Baba lovers will want to congregate together and in doing so they should bear in mind the following guidance from him: First and foremost, pleasing Baba by actually living his message is the paramount thing and by thus pleasing him, the heart becomes his center and no other center or institution can compare with that. However, if need for a center is felt, Meher Baba has said that there are quite a number of public gardens or huge trees under which lovers can gather to talk about him, to remember him and to sing devotional songs. Such a gathering then becomes a group of similar hearts that carry love for the Lord.

Once a group is formed, the number of lovers is likely to increase and the group becomes larger. There are now many minds that have come together in closeness to the same heart where Baba’s love resides and the group will need discipline, organization and so forth.

For such a situation, Meher Baba has said, "Have your centers where you can gather as often as you wish, and a place or address where others who wish to find out about me, may come or write to, but in the gathering let there be no difference between one and another, and let it be remembered always that at these meetings, it is Baba himself who presides. In this way no one will begin to dictate, dissensions and rifts will be avoided and my message will be promoted."

The way to share this treasure of Meher Baba then is to live such a natural life based on Meher Baba’s message of Love and Truth, that those who live a most unnatural life may sense and enquire as to the source of inspiration. They can then be told about Meher Baba, and if only a handful of lovers were to spread out in the crowd and do their natural work, that is all that would be required.

There is no need ever to worry about centers, institutions, small halls, large halls or the spreading of the message if we first love him as he should be loved. After all, who inspires people to go or not to go to a center? It is Meher Baba! The inspiration to have or not have a center or hall is also through him, so if we do our part and leave it up to him, there will be no need to worry. Meher Baba summed it up when he said, "To love me is your business, the rest is my business."

However, if there is an organization, it should be a formal one in order to function according to the laws of the land, but let it be a democratic one where every individual can have his say, and above all let the embodiment of Truth that the Avatar is, be the example to each one to become likewise a walking-talking church, temple, pagoda or agiary.

It is the failure to keep such things in mind that leads the very institutions which were created to commemorate the Advent into the paradoxical ways of dissipating the message and creating the confusion that breed the congenial atmosphere for another Advent.