24 October 2007

I Love Baba-Lovers

“I am a potato.”

—Bhau Kalchuri

Sometimes I have heard people complaining about Baba-lovers—and Baba-lovers are as likely to be the complainers as anyone else. They say we are not very spiritual people, because we behave no better than worldly people. We talk about someone behind their back even though Baba told us that backbiting is the worst thing you can do. We hurt the hearts of others. We fail to control our desires. We may misbehave sexually, drink or eat too much, freely express anger, or even commit crimes. We walk around repeating “Jai Baba,” but we do not remember Baba as we should or act like a true Baba family toward one another.

I am not particularly surprised by any of this. The Avatar has come for one and all, and that means anyone can approach him with love and the longing to receive his grace. No qualifications are necessary. Sinners as well as saints are among his lovers. Maybe we are even in the majority. As many times as the so-called sinners offend you, they are offering you the opportunity to forgive and forget. One who recognizes this opportunity and takes advantage of it is not a saint but is on the way to being a lover.

The same people who are sinners one day may, on the next day, be the first to go out of their way to help you at the cost of their own comfort or to be kind to you when you are in trouble; and when you are sick or at the end of your life they will even be ready to wipe your bottom (try to stop them), repeat Baba’s name in your ear, and put your ashes to rest in places they are not supposed to. When you call on Baba for his help and guidance, a lover of Baba—visible or invisible—will come out of the woodwork and meet your need. Then they crawl back in and continue to be “bad Baba-lovers” as before, because we are all imperfect unless we are Perfect.

In a well-known message, Meher Baba indicates that those who would live the New Life should “believe in the lovers of God.” I believe in Baba-lovers—which does not oblige me to be close friends with every single one of them, or even to like them as individuals, but I have my connections and internal links that Meher Baba has established for me.

Baba said his lovers are really great. They love him—often without ever having met him or received any worldly blessing or spiritual advancement from him—not for what he gives them but because he is worthy of being loved, as God in human form. They have conviction that "he is who he says he is" for no reason that they can explain. And even if this conviction gives them no advantage whatsoever, and they cannot demonstrate any self-improvement to the world—looking like fools, idiots, failures, or potatoesthey continue to love him, without earning any special holiness thereby.

This is why I love Baba-lovers.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree and disagree. I have led a very full life, full of joy but also full of mental (not physical) anguish so have met all sorts of people along the way (I am 54, btw). I have BL friends and "regular" friends. I have had friends of all ages, races, sexual orientations, you name it. Currently my best friends in this small town I live with are "sisters". Though I no longer share their enthusiasm for Christianity (as the only true religion/dogma), I see and feel their intense spirituality and love and caring and am moved.

From what I've seen of the world, though, I would generalize that BLs are MUCH more caring than average. I would MUCH rather spend an afternoon with a BL, even a quirky, intensely liberal one (annoying sometimes for a moderate like myself) than a regular joe or joanne. To just bask in their Baba glow would be enough really!

Re loving Baba: I think Baba uses our passion for Him, our occasional attempts to proselytze to perhaps only slightly interested friends as an opportunity to reduce our ego. Why? Because invariably that person will look unconvinced at a minimum if not totally bemused you feel you have discovered the Godman, Christ reincarnated. I told a devout Catholic friend once that it was at least possible I was granted the grace to learn of MB in this lifetime, that I was right about him. I am neither a famous nor a particularly important person from a local, regional or certainly national standpoint, but apparently I have earned the right to finally find Him this lifetime due to some good past lifetime actions/love, the details of which are lost in the mists of time, unfortunately.

So He accomplishes two things by our passion and vocal/silent adoration to others (even pictures of Him elicit condescending comments from others sometimes): He plants a seed (in them) and reduces OUR ego at the same time. Pretty neat trick, huh?

Anonymous

Anonymous said...

Well said, Kendra! I love Baba lovers, too... I even hope to be one someday...

love,
jack

Anonymous said...

Is it really the thought of "sinners" that separates people who follow Baba? I'd say it's personality, although it's natural to judge and think, "That person doesn't love Baba as much as I do." And maybe they don't - or maybe they do - but it doesn't seem to matter.

It seems Baba always had people around Him who were different in personality and who thought they love Baba more than X,Y, or Z.

Given that, why not get used to being thought of as not being "a real Baba-lover" by some. After all, everyone except the mandali will probably be thought of in this way by others from time to time. On the other hand, Baba had stated that he wanted the "Baba Family" to act in a harmonious manner. As a result, that should carry the day.

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

thanks Kendra,
I really needed to read this today. most days lately...
I'm feeling like maybe I fall into the "Baba-lover as failure and fool" column. But ya know what? I just don't care at all. I will continue to hold tightly to Him. It's the "success story" of my life.

Jai Avatar Meher Baba!

Anonymous said...

I just hurt my back-I can't walk nor drive, I live in Chapel Hill and I have few friends-being a recluse, I am about to ask for help from the Baba community, no I didn't meet Baba nor am I a recognized muscician but I know I will get help. Marc Flayton


All quotes of Meher Baba © Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust unless otherwise indicated. Writings by Kendra are © Kendra Crossen Burroughs unless otherwise noted.