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, Vol. Five, Bhau Kalchuri, p. 1627
1990 © Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust

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.

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."

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."

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!"

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.

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.