Meher Baba ( Devanagari : मेहेर बाबा; birth name is Mervan Sheriar Irani ; February 25, 1894 - January 31, 1969 ) is an Indian mystic and spiritual teacher and writer who publicly proclaimed himself the " avatar of the century" in 1954 .
| Meher Baba | |
|---|---|
| मेहेर बाबा | |
 | |
| Birth name | Mervan Cheriar Irani |
| Date of Birth | |
| Place of Birth | |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
| A country | |
| Alma mater | |
| Language (s) of works | |
| School / tradition | Sufism , Vedanta , mysticism |
| Period | XX century |
| Core interests | |
Content
Biography
In childhood, he did not show much interest in the spiritual sciences. However, at the age of 19, he had a short meeting with the Muslim saint Hazrat Babacan, which was the reason for his spiritual rebirth. [3] [4] For several months he was in contact with four other clerics, including Babacan, whom he called "Spiritual Masters." Before starting his public activity, he spent seven years of spiritual training with one of the five spiritual masters - Sponsor Maharaj. [5] The name Meher Baba, meaning “Compassionate Father”, was given to him by his first followers. [6]
Starting July 10, 1925, Meher Baba remained silent and communicated using an alphabet board and unique hand gestures. [7] He spent a lot of time with his students in prolonged solitude, often fasting . Between his solitudes, Meher Baba traveled, held public meetings, was engaged in charity work, including working with lepers , poor people and mentally retarded people.
In 1931, he visited the West several times, gathering many followers around him. [8] During the forties, he worked with a mysterious type of people, whom he referred to as "spiritually advanced souls." [9] Beginning in 1949, he traveled “incognito” with several of his “chosen” students around India, calling this period of his life “New Life”. On February 10, 1954, Meher Baba proclaimed himself an avatar, the embodiment of God in human form. [ten]
After the suffering he suffered as a result of car accidents in the United States in 1952 and in India in 1956, his ability to move was significantly limited. [11] [12] In 1956, he invited his Western followers to India for a "mass darshan " called the "West-East Assembly." [13] Concerned about the increasing consumption of LSD and other potent drugs , [14] in 1966, Meher Baba gathered fans around him, saying that abuse of them does not bring real benefits. [15] Despite his deteriorating health, he continued his “worldwide work,” which included fasting, solitude, and meditation , until his death in January 1969. His samadhi (tomb) in Meherabad became a place of international pilgrimage . [sixteen]
Compositions
- Meher Baba Everything and nothing. Translator D. Slabko. - SPb .: “All”, 2002. - 128 p. - ISBN 5-94435-221-3 .
- Meher Baba Rays of light on a spiritual panorama. - Kirov: "Aikya", 2010. - ISBN 978-5-9902389-1-6 .
- Baba, Meher Discourses. - Myrtle Beach, SC: Sheriar Foundation, 1995 .-- ISBN 1-880619-09-1 .
- Baba, Meher God in a Pill? Meher Baba on LSD and The High Roads. - Sufism Reoriented, Inc., 1966.
- Baba, Meher God Speaks. - Walnut Creek, California: Sufism Reoriented, 1997 .-- ISBN 0-915828-02-2 .
- Baba, Meher Silent Master. - Spartacus Educational Publishers, 1989 .-- ISBN 0-948867-25-6 .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Encyclopædia Britannica
- ↑ 1 2 SNAC - 2010.
- ↑ Hopkinson, Tom & Dorothy Much Silence. - Meher Baba Foundation Australia, 1974. - c. 24
- ↑ Purdom (1964) c. 20
- ↑ Haynes (1989) p. 38–39
- ↑ Haynes (1989) c. 40
- ↑ Purdom (1964) c. 52
- ↑ Kalchuri (1986) c. 1405ff
- ↑ Donkin (2001)
- ↑ Kalchuri (1986) c. 4283
- ↑ Kalchuri (1986) c. 3834–3840
- ↑ Kalchuri (1986) p. 5130
- ↑ Kalchuri (1986) c. 5942ff
- ↑ Brecher, Edward M; et al. (1972). "How LSD was popularized." Consumer Reports / Drug Library .
- ↑ Kalchuri (1986) c. 6399ff
- ↑ Haynes (1989) c. 62
Literature
- Balagushkin E. G. Meher Baba // Religious Studies: Encyclopedic Dictionary / Ed. A.P. Zabiyako , A.N. Krasikova , E.S. Elbakyan . - M .: Academic project , 2006. - 1256 p. - ISBN 5-8291-0756-2 .
- Abdulla, Ramjoo Ramjoo's Diaries, 1922-1929. A Personal Account of Meher Baba's Early Work. - Walnut Creek: Sufism Reoriented, 1979.
- Choquette, Diane New religious movements in the United States and Canada. A critical assessment and annotated bibliography. - Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 1985 .-- ISBN 0-313-23772-7 .
- Cohen, Allan Y. The Mastery of Consciousness. An Introduction and Guide to Practical Mysticism and Methods of Spiritual Development. - San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1977 .-- ISBN 0-06-090371-6 .
- Donkin, William The Wayfarers. Meher Baba with the God-Intoxicated. - Myrtle Beach, SC: Sheriar Foundation, 2001 .-- ISBN 1-880619-24-5 .
- Ellwood RS Religious and Spiritual Groups in Modern America. - New York: Prentice-Hall, 1973. - C. 334. - ISBN 0-13-615641-X .
- Haynes, Charles C. Meher Baba, the Awakener. - Avatar Foundation, Inc., 1993. - ISBN 0-9624472-1-8 .
- Kalchuri, Bhau The Nothing and the Everything. - Manifestation, 1982. - ISBN 0-932947-02-6 .
- Kalchuri, Bhau Meher Prabhu: Lord Meher, The Biography of the Avatar of the Age, Meher Baba. - Manifestation, 1986.
- Landau, Rom God is my adventure. A book on modern mystics, masters, and teachers. - Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press, 1972. - ISBN 0-8369-2848-2 .
- Purdom, Charles B. The God-Man. The Life, Journeys & Work of Meher Baba with an Interpretation of His Silence & Spiritual Teaching. - London: George Allen & Unwin, 1964.
- Sutcliffe, Steven J. Children of the New Age. A History of Alternative Spirituality. - London: Routledge, 2002.
- Nan Umrigar Sounds of Silence. Translator M. Kalmykova. - Kirov: “Aikya”, 2011. - 288 p. - ISBN 978-5-9902389-2-3 .
Links
- Biography of Meher Baba
- The book "Everything and Nothing"
- Glossary of Meher Baba's terminology
- Meher Spiritual University Free Online Courses based on teachings of Meher Baba
- Meher Baba Highlights of His Life, Work and Message