A WORLD COMMONWEALTH

 
Ira Shader: We would like to know about your first meeting with Meher Baba.

Princess Von Brancovan: I first met Murshida Ivy Duce at one of her Sufi classes and she engaged me to do some readings for her. One day she mentioned Avatar Meher Baba as someone she felt I should know about. Instantly, I felt as if a light turned on inside me and a strong thought occurred to me that I must meet Meher Baba. Later she also introduced me to Princess Norina Matchabelli. Norina deepened my awareness of Meher Baba and we became good friends. One day Norina told me the exciting news that Meher Baba was coming to the West and that I could meet him.

Q: What was your initial impression of Meher Baba?

A: I felt an immediate connection with him as our eyes met. The radiance of Baba's aura was so great it was like stepping into the sun. His eyes just beamed love.

Q: Did he communicate anything to you?

A: Yes, He indicated that I would see Him later in India. Although this then seemed remote, I implicitly believe it. When I mentioned I had recently studied with Swami Yogananda, Meher Baba communicated, "We are all waves on the ocean, not one is better than another." Shortly after this meeting with Meher Baba, my mother died and so did my brother. I felt impelled to launch a pilgrimage to the East to deepen my experience of truth.

Q: Where did you travel first?

A: I traveled to Israel. I had some wonderful experiences there, particularly at the "Stations of the Cross." Then, I went on to Egypt and spent a night in the Great Pyramid. Then I boarded a ship for India from Naples. I felt faint of heart as the ship pulled out, overwhelmed by the strange faces around me and felt like jumping off the boat, but I saw a vision of Meher Baba pulling me to come and so I was heartened and able to continue.

After a long sea journey, we landed in Bombay. I met a gentleman who is a friend of Swami Sivananda. He invited me to go to the Yoga Vedanta University at Rishikesh. I felt this would be a preparation for the meeting of the Great Master. So I boarded a train for Rishikesh.

Q: What was Swami Sivananda like?

A: He beamed love. One really didn't see a body, but a walking soul.

Q: Did you mention Meher Baba to him?

A. Oh, yes!

Q: What did he say?

A: He said he had met Meher Baba and that Meher Baba was one of the greatest souls on earth. Furthermore, he referred to Meher Baba as the Avatar.

Q: What did he say to you?

A: He said I would be groomed for further spiritual service. He said I must learn to give rather than take. The next morning he directed me to a Leper Colony to do work there. He noticed I was reluctant to go. He asked me, "Why do you fear? As long as you have service in your aura you are protected and won't catch anything." So I went. Throughout my stay, he stressed that I must depend on my inner voice, the voice of guidance.

Q: How long did you stay?

A: I stayed for several months, after which I became increasingly restless and felt the inner voice urging me onwards. I told Swami that I was anxious to meet Meher Baba and wondered when it would happen. He told me that Baba would surely call me at the right moment. Finally, I left to spend some time at the Gandhi Ashram.

Q: Did Sivananda ever tell you anything more about his meeting with Meher Baba?

A: Yes, He told me that Baba told him that he was on the right path and that his University would become a University of light to help introduce Eastern Spirituality to Westerners. Then Baba took Swami's hand and led him to the Ganges. Swami Sivananda said he was deeply touched by Meher Baba. It was his reference to Meher Baba that augmented my own. He encouraged and inspired me in my connection with Meher Baba. He told me that Meher Baba was my Master and that he was merely preparing me for Him.

Q: What happened next?

A: I spent some time in the Gandhi Ashram and later with some Jain Monks. After awhile I ran into Princess Norina Matchabelli and told her of my ardent desire to meet the Master. Shortly after this, I received a telegram from Meher Baba inviting me to visit him in Mysore.

When I arrived in Mysore I had no idea where to find Baba. I assumed everyone would know of his presence there. I soon found this was not the case and prayed for guidance. I was led to a large white house where a French lady, Mrs. Dreyfus answered and invited me in for lunch. I told her I didn't know if I could as I was anxious to find Meher Baba. She said I should not worry.

After lunch, her cook acted as a guide and brought me through the forest to where there were some simple structures. Suddenly some lovely ladies descended on me and I felt as if I was home. One of them had a red coat which she said was a gift from the Master to shield me from the cold. Then Dr. Donkin escorted me back to the hotel while regaling me with tales from his life with the Great Master. The next morning, he brought me back to the forest to see Baba. There was Baba; He just came up and threw his arms around me as I cried.

Q: What did he say to you then?

A: He said he had sent for me. He called me a goodwill ambassador. He also said that my color work was an international language, an esperanto of the universe. He said I should go back to the West and help make others aware of the coming New Age, which would be an age of cooperation not competition, faith and not fear, conflict resolution and not bombs.

Further, he said that there would be a World Commonwealth with seven Houses of Justice, where one person for each 15,000 would be elected to seat and facilitate conflict resolution. These elected seats would rotate and all would have a chance to sit in these august bodies.

Q: Did he say anything else?

A: He spoke of there being an armageddon of the soul, where there would be a separation of the wheat and the chaff, and there would be many, many deaths.

Q: How has your contact with Meher Baba affected your spiritual growth?

A: It has deepened my awareness of the divine in the mundane.