We have some informal chat after every arti, the "post-arti party"! But once a week, Jeff Wolverton joins us for some serious mining of the spiritual depths. Join us for conversation, more readings, songs, quotes - you never know what treasures will be uncovered!

Topic: Telling Others About Baba

Dear folks of Baba,

This topic has again come up and it bears delving into a second time. Some of my most awkward moments in this life have been when I’ve been asked by someone suddenly, “Who is that person on the locket you’re wearing?” Sometimes my words come out spontaneously and surprise me by how apt they are in meeting the situation. But at other times, I am lost at what to say, especially when it is someone I know. One of the easiest moments of sharing about Baba is on an airplane with someone next to me I will most likely never see again!

We probably all have struggled to explain who Baba is to those who haven’t heard of Him, and we have also had to face being around family, neighbors or people at work who we fear might strongly disapprove of our life with Baba. These situations are often challenging in their own way. How do you deal with these? Do you say directly who Baba says He is, or do you skirt around the issue by referring to Baba as a spiritual master from India or deflect the question by talking about His teachings instead? Do you have a usual way of introducing Baba or do you often have to use your intuition each time in assessing the situation? Baba has said, “Your job is to bring My name to the ear of a person, and My job is to bring it from ear to heart.” You may feel relieved that He has discouraged “proselytizing” which often puts people off. I’ve heard a wide range of approaches to sharing Baba, and they are all valid. I’ve never heard a fellow Baba lover say, “Mind your own business!” when that is exactly what one might fantasize sometimes. Explaining Baba to others can definitely be a challenge, and in some cases, there can be a natural fear of being rejected or even scorned. There is also a resistance to sharing with others something so sacred in this profane world. Do you feel pressure from Baba to tell others about Him?

It can be difficult and even alienating when family or colleagues or people in our neighborhood express their outright disapproval of our following Baba. How can we explain that we had no choice; it was our destiny. In some cases, the Baba-lover may become an outcast, the black sheep of the family, and are never really accepted. This can definitely be very hurtful and even lonely sometimes, especially when there are no Baba-lovers or spiritually aware people where one lives. Some have chosen to go completely within in their life with Baba to avoid being hurt or disapproved of. Others have joined meditation and religious groups, spiritual centers and yoga classes to find like-minded people who are more likely to understand them. Joining zoom meetings has been a godsend for those who find themselves cut off from family and friends. Have you had to deal with alienating circumstances and what have you done?

I think most of us try to say things about Baba that we feel will resonate with others, and when their attention drifts, we tend to re-adjust, like making a wrong turn and our GPS has to recalibrate. Sometimes even that doesn’t work. When the Bombay group had a booth at a large city-wide fair, they contacted Baba at Meherazad for help in answering the question, “Who is Meher Baba?” He replied through Eruch, “He is the One who provokes that question in you: the Being of all beings.” I have found if I offer this response, I often have to wait until later in the conversation because this answer is so unusual and seemingly esoteric.

It is only natural to want to share what is most precious to our heart, and yet it might be better to wait until we feel there is a real receptivity in others.. Francis Brabazon , one of the intimate mandali, once recommended to first become friends with others before telling them about Baba. I think it will be informative and helpful to hear what others have done in these examples. Some of their methods might be directly applicable to our own situation.

In His love with the help of friends, Jeff

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