The Advent (Page 4 of 4)

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.