Meher Baba

We enjoy the Asheville Daily Planet and saw your (John Northís) article about Meher Baba just as we were leaving for Meherabad, India, where we live every winter. We took you with us on the plane!

My husband, Peter, has written a response. Weíd love to see you publish it in fairness to this subject. It is two hundred words less than your article. We ask you not to publish it if you are not able to present it in its entirety.
Looking forward to hopefully seeing this in your paper soon!

†From Meherabad, India to you in Asheville, in the spirit of ìOne people, one planet, one futureî.... ìYou and I are not ëweí but ëone.íî† ó Meher Baba

Iím grateful,
DEBBIE NORDEEN

6 November, 2007, Meherabad, India
ï
ìDo your honest best, then donít worry, be happy ...

Recently, someone shared an article with me written by the publisher of the Daily Planet, John North, entitled, ìëDonít worry, be happyí† ó OK, if you prefer tyranny.î

Mr. North cited that the phrase originated from Meher Baba, whom he referred to as a ìguru,î with a ìphilosophy.î

I found it interesting that John North took the liberty to use several hundred words to criticize this ìphilosophyî which he assumed could be reduced to four words.

So even though, during his lifetime, Meher Baba was lovingly indifferent to people who criticized or praised him, I felt the need to respond for the sake of the few readers who might be genuinely interested in the truth of Meher Baba.

Meher Baba stated that his lifeís mission was to help all souls come to a deeper understanding of the inviolable unity of all life in creation, not by establishing a new religion or cult, but by living a practical life of loving service without self-interest. He always frowned upon religious bigotry and spiritual pretension of any type. As such, there is no carrot-on-a stick in following Meher Baba ó no promise of being a member of an exclusive dogma while others be damned (since we are all one).

What then has attracted the growing numbers of people from all different faiths to Meher Baba, despite the cynical reactions of both the religious and intellectual orthodoxy?

From the very beginning it has been and continues to be his unparalleled love. The price and the reward for his followers (known as Baba-lovers) for enjoying that love is an increased capacity to live honest, pure, and natural lives.

Meher Baba gave little importance to lectures and speeches, focusing instead on his work to deliver a great spiritual push to the world, which he promised would happen within the century after he ìdropped his bodyî (January 31, 1969). Indeed, one of the elements of that work was his self-imposed silence of 43-1/2 years. Yet he continued to communicate eloquently, and many of his messages and explanations have been recorded and published.

The phrase ìDonít worry, be happyî often loses its context in a world obsessed with pop culture and sound bites; Meher Baba did not mean ìdonít be concerned with anything, do whatever you want.î

In a list of directives he gave to his followers entitled ìMy Wish for My Lovers,î No. 1 is ìDo not shirk your responsibilities.î In the book, ìDiscourses by Meher Baba,î one can read a chapter with the title, ìThe Conditions of Happiness.î The explanations of spiritual life in this book are considered to rank amongst the most beautiful and comprehensive by serious seekers of truth.

A clearer context for the phrase in question here, often used by Meher Baba, is: ìI want you to do your honest best, then donít worry, be happy. Just think of me, and I will help you.î

Of course, this doesnít fit on a bumper sticker. Though it may be less appealing to our present culture, if we were to ask Meher Baba himself for one of his short messages, he might reply, ìInscribe these words in your heart; nothing is real but God ó nothing matters but love for God.î

Oh, and by the way, though he did indeed enjoy the song ìHeartache Following Me,î his favorite song was, ìBegin the Beguine.î

PETER NORDEEN
Meherabad, India

EDITORíS NOTE: Peter Nordeen is the writer and producer of the biographical documentary, ìGod in Human Form: the Life and Work of Avatar Meher Baba.î He lives in both Asheville and Meherabad, India.