Meher Baba, 1894-1969 |
“God exists. If you are convinced of God’s existence, then
it rests with you to seek Him, to see Him, and to realize Him. Do not search
for God outside of you. God can only be found within you, for His only abode is
the heart.”
– Meher Baba
As a precursor, it deserves mention that
religion has always been a very private subject for both of us. We were
respectively raised in Protestant and Jewish households, and the precepts,
philosophies, and practices never gelled with us, despite having a baptism and
a bat mitzvah. For Alexa, she did not like the idea of paying an annual
membership for a synagogue. She found it to be a social club born out of
materialism and half-hearted practices. As a proud feminist, she also took (and
still takes) a lot of issue with the treatment of women in the more
conservative sects of Judaism.
For me, I found the Christianity that was taught
to me in my youth was served with a side of fire and brimstone. It is worth
interjecting that this skewed, fear-oriented view was not from my parents, but
by a series of whack-job Sunday school teachers and a few weeks at church camps
throughout my childhood. We were taught the art of “apologetics,” the notion of
being able to argue in favor of Christianity in what we were told would be a
Godless world. And yet, with most of the United States having a church on every
corner, with chicken patties being used to let the world know that you’re not a
fan of the gays, and the continued existence of political figures whose
philosophy of the world was last updated in the Bronze Age, I keep wondering
just where in America is there this Godless society?
The last thing I’ll go into (at least for now –
you’ll have to wait for the book to get more) is that most – and I say “most”
because there are exceptions to this rule – Christian thought teaches that it
is creeds, not deeds, that grants one access to the Kingdom of Heaven. All one
needs to do is recognize that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, and that he
died for mankind’s sins. With that logic, think of all the vile figures
throughout history who could have had a deathbed conversion: Hitler, Stalin,
Attila the Hun, Pol Pot, Mr. Hooper from Sesame
Street – all of these people, despite living lives driven by hatred,
bloodlust, and greed, would be in Heaven.
Now, for people who lived good lives but simply
were not followers of Jesus, consider these names: Mahatma Gandhi, Golda Meir,
Confucius, Lao Tzu, and the Buddha. By the logic adopted by fundamentalist
Christian thought, these people are in Hell. This never sat well with me, and
hopefully not for you, either. As a kid, when I asked what would happen to
people living in the bush of the Kalahari, I was assured that they would be
saved…because “they didn’t learn about Jesus.”
Again, there are many exceptions. My dad has
said many times he finds Jesus to be, as he says, “a way, but not the way.”
A friend of mine who has extensively studied Orthodox Christianity has said all
are saved by God’s grace. However, in my
experience, most of the people around me stuck to very strict and
conservative views regarding salvation. They were good Christians who went to
church every Sunday, but spent the rest of the week on their asses, doing
nothing to make their corner of the world a better place, but because of their
simple profession of faith, were saved.
I left Christianity in 2006, with a few
skeptical “you’ll be back” remarks from people, and I can only hope they have
stopped tapping their toes and glancing at their watches, because it’s getting
late and there are mosquitoes out. I’m lucky to have parents who are
understanding and appreciative of my search for Truth. I cannot imagine what it
is like for people who do not have that level of support. In the time since then,
Alexa and I have both investigated and read about other religions and belief
systems, from the different sects of Judaism to the Baha’i Faith to Sikhism,
and it is with the umbrella of Hindu thought (and it is a big umbrella) that we have both found a philosophical view of the
world that we both like.
My interest in Meher Baba, like I am sure is the
case for at least a small segment of people, came by way of Pete Townshend. In
the late 1960’s, Townshend developed a deeply spiritual side, abandoning the
psychedelic temptations of the period and injecting Baba’s philosophies into
his songwriting. Baba’s influence helped inspire Tommy, where the deaf, mute, and blind title character represents
mankind: blind and deaf towards God-consciousness, and consequently unable to
express themselves. Upon the shattering of a mirror, itself an image of vanity
and egoism, Tommy becomes aware. Naturally, like many messianic figures of the
past, Tommy ends up rejected and forsaken by his own followers.
For the indirect influence on Tommy, Baba is credited in the album’s
sleeve as “Avatar.” I have no doubt that this small nod led more inquisitive
minds in 1969 to discover more about this fellow with a strange name, a name
that two years later would partially comprise the title of “Baba O’Riley.” (The
latter half is a wink to Terry Riley, whose piece A Rainbow In Curved Air inspired the synthesized ostinatos that
make up the song’s intro.)
It certainly brought me to him, and, if you’ll beg our indulgence (as individuals who,
until now, have kept discussions of religion limited to interested and/or
like-minded people), we loved what we found, and find his ideas interesting enough
to share with our audience.
Baba, with the symbols of (clockwise, from the top) Zoroastrianism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism surrounding him. |
Meher Baba, born Merwan Sheriar Irani in 1894,
grew up in a Zoroastrian family, attended a Christian school, and studied under
both Sufi and Hindu mystics. This religious training from a number of different
backgrounds inspired Baba’s divine message. His early followers called him
Meher Baba, which means “compassionate father.” At a time where the caste
system was still a powerful force in Indian society, Baba opened a school that welcomed
people of all backgrounds. His championing of equality among caste, religion,
race, and even sexuality in 1920’s India was remarkably progressive. Baba
eventually declared himself to be the Avatar – or earthly manifestation of God –
of the modern era, a lineage that included Zoroaster, Moses, Jesus, Krishna,
Rama, Mohammed, and the Buddha.
It cannot be stressed enough – he even says it
twice in his Universal Message – that Baba did not declare the foundation of a
new religion. In fact, the direct quote follows:
“I have come not to teach but to awaken. Understand,
therefore, that I lay down no precepts.”
Baba taught a philosophy of love, stating many
times throughout his speeches, screeds, and lessons that love is the key to
finding God. Loving your enemy is one of Jesus’ most powerful (and yet
oft-overlooked) teachings, while the concept of recognizing the presence of God
in everyone is regarded as one of the keys to breaking the cycle of rebirth in
Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Looking at your worst enemy – be it a personal
enemy, a political figure, or even a coke-addled celebrity making the headlines
yet again – and acknowledging that there still exists in them, however much
they cloak it, the same divine presence that dwells within you and your loved
ones, is a Sisyphean task. However, that is the challenge: love everyone, with
no exceptions.
Baba also gave us this proverb, not Bobby McFerrin. |
Baba proposed this philosophy as one that is
compatible with all systems of thought, with his own ideas merely highlighting
the precepts of other religions. Because of his philosophy being easily
adaptable for different religions, I find him very similar to the Buddha.
Although the Buddha’s philosophy has since had an “ism” affixed to it, I still
have yet to encounter a Buddhist who does not quickly state that their belief
is not a religion, but a philosophy, one that can exist with or without the
acknowledgment of a god-figure.
In his travels, Baba wished to establish a base
of operations in the West. He had several requirements for an ideal spiritual
center: a pleasant year-round climate, near both fresh and salty waters (there
is a gorgeous lake on the premises), virgin soil, sustainable land, and that
the land should be given from the heart. After a few efforts to obtain land in
California, Baba’s American devotees were able to secure a patch of land in
Myrtle Beach.
In the time since the founding of the Meher Spiritual
Center in 1952, Myrtle Beach has become a cesspool. It is a melded shit-pot of
food, family-friendly entertainment with the occasional strip club, and goods
that solely exist to say that not only did you go to Myrtle Beach, you have a
t-shirt, golf visor, pair of flip-flops, and thong underwear to prove it! One
boutique we stumbled upon at Barefoot Landing that specialized in Eastern
religious items sold – don’t laugh – statues of Ganesh and Buddha with MYRTLE
BEACH, SC emblazoned across the base. (They also sold bongs, too, so take from
that what you will.)
The state of Myrtle Beach, as a sort of Redneck Riviera,
only serves to make the continued existence of the Baba Center a powerful
testament to both his message and his legacy. Nestled between a Wal-Mart and a
housing development, just down the road from a resort that boasts being a “plantation”
(a word that conjures up a very different image for us Yanks), and across the
street from a massive shopping mall with a Hooters in the parking lot, the Baba
Center is a 500-acre haven away from the sensory overload and neon decadence
that litters Myrtle Beach’s main drag.
First-time visitors receive a guided tour. Our
group was all people within our age bracket, mostly college students, and our
tour guide Ambika had been a devotee of Baba since 1989 – as long as Alexa has
been alive. Noting my necklace, which features a picture of Shiva in
meditation, the three of us talked about Hinduism for a few minutes near the
lake. Ambika was her adopted name, one of the many names attributed to Parvati,
Shiva’s consort. Ambika means “dear mother,” a fitting name for our guide.
We had an interesting moment when Ambika
introduced us to the groundskeeper. At one point, when Ambika mentioned again
that Baba’s philosophy could work for anyone of any faith, the groundskeeper
(unfortunately, his name eluded us at the time of this writing) added, “Or no
faith at all,” adding that what makes Baba so great is his teachings in and of
themselves do not make up a religion. Ambika then said, “At least we hope it
stays that way.”
Most followers of a philosophical or religious
leader seek to elevate that individual to religious figurehead status as soon
as they have passed away. This is most likely what happened to Siddhartha Gautama,
the Buddha, a reformer of the Hindu faith whose philosophy spawned an “ism,”
one frequently regarded as an independent religion rather than an intricate web
of philosophies and guides for good living. It was refreshing to see that despite
Baba’s charisma, even 44 years after his passing, the people most dedicated to
preserving his legacy do not want to see his teaching become an “ism.”
At the Center’s library, we thumbed through a
massive book of photographs of Baba throughout his life. We saw a very kind and
loving man, warmly embracing and feeding lepers, smiling with groups of
followers, and playing with animals, including his dog Cracker, baby lambs, and
a capuchin monkey.
Another striking feature about Baba, something
the librarian pointed out as well, was his seemingly shifting affect. En route
to France, the mustachioed Baba, wearing a beret, looked like a Frenchman. In a
photo taken while fasting in India, Baba looked like an emaciated holy man.
Wearing an all-white suit among the likes of Tallulah Bankhead in Hollywood,
with his mane of long hair, Baba looked like a handsome film star. These
photographs served as proof of sorts of his universal appeal, in that he could
almost miraculously match with his surroundings.
Baba in Hollywood in 1932, with Tallulah Bankhead. |
As Ambika parted ways with us with a round of
hugs, Alexa bid her a “Jai Baba,” the greeting shared among Baba’s devotees,
while she told me, “Say hello to Shiva for me.” Walking to the barn where Baba
gave many of his lectures, Alexa and I both felt a presence, something not
entirely tangible, but something that followed us out to the beach, back
through the center, and even stuck with us as we pulled out onto North Kings
Highway and once more gazed upon the Hooters.
Baba in the 1920's. |
“I have come to sow the seed of love in your hearts, so
that, in spite of all superficial diversity, which your life in illusion must
experience and endure, the feeling of Oneness through love is brought about
amongst all nations, creeds, sects, and castes of the world.” – Meher Baba
The Meher Spiritual Center online.
Sheriar Books, just up Kings Highway from the Center.
Meher Baba's Wikipedia page.
Meher Baba's Discourses.
My review of Pete Townshend's Baba-centric solo album, Who Came First, at Woman Around Town.
This was a, genuinely, fascinating post!!! 1, because it introduced a side of you about which I knew nothing and, while we didn't get to spend much time together, I certainly enjoyed the conversations we've had and look forward to getting to know you as much as this life allows. 2, I had absolutely no idea that there was something this redeeming in Myrtle Beach - being a proud Charlestonian, I must shiver a bit when saying that name... honestly, last time I went, I fought back panic attacks and desperate desires to flee, like, guttural flight response - and I'm glad to have learned about it! :) Meher Baba sounds like a fascinating individual, and his teachings sound even better... I also always appreciate hearing someone bring up my chosen faith tradition (Buddhism) and actually know what they're talking about... lol. I cannot tell you how many times I've heard people who just didn't quite get the "we're not really a religion so much as a philosophy" thing. Good job on surviving Myrtle Beach... hope you treated yourself to Charleston, too! :)
ReplyDeleteNice post. Thank you for sharing about Meher Baba.
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