“I feel closer to Him when I’m doing that work” Talk by Anna Lena Phillips Bell
Anna Lena Phillips Bell was raised in a Baba family in South Carolina and has been closely connected to the Center throughout her life, including volunteering at the Youth Sahavas and being a current a member of the Center board. This is a talk about what Anna Lena calls her “honeymoon” with Baba, the period as a teenager when she got a chance to live and volunteer at Meherabad and Meherazad. She also talks about her process of re-engaging in the West upon her return, including connecting with Baba through work and creativity.
Video, 15:58
Meher Center Baba’s Birthday Virtual Celebration, February 26, 2022
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
“Baba’s way was not formulaic”
In this talk, Donald Mahler remembers his life with Baba. He starts by narrating the time when he heard about Meher Baba from a fellow dancer and went on to ask Margaret Craske (his dance teacher) about Him. Thus began his journey of observation of the unique disciple, Miss Craske, and meeting Baba first in New York, then in Myrtle Beach and finally in India. Later, Donald shares letters he received from Meher Baba and Margaret Craske. He ends the talk with reflections on his life with Baba.
Video, 55:31
Meher Center Meeting Place, February 25, 1999
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
“I daydreamed about meeting Jesus Christ”
In his trademark storytelling style, Tom Riley shares the story of his remarkable life with Baba. Details and nuances are not lost as Tom humorously weaves in incidents from his childhood and youth that led him to meet Baba. As a child, Tom was convinced that he would meet Jesus Christ in this life. In fact, that verbal conviction prevented him from being drafted in the Military! He met Meher Baba at Meher Center in Myrtle Beach in 1958, and shares some profound stories of being in the divine and human company of the Christ come again.
Video, 1:04:57
Meher Center Meeting Place, April 5, 2008
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
“He held me so tight, I lost consciousness”
A. S. Jaganath shares the story of his reluctance to meet Meher Baba and how his life changed when he first met Him. Being Hindu, he had previously met many holy men but had kept his physical distance from them. However, when he saw Baba, Baba held him so tight that he could not breathe and went into a trance. Tears soaked his shirt when he rose. Instantly he knew that Baba was God. Then, he talks about a visit to Guruprasad on a stretcher to see Baba who placed his leg upon Jaganath’s chest. In the latter part of this talk, we hear anecdotes about Baba’s humor, His sahavas and the love borne from the repetition of His name.
Video, 1:29:42
Meher Center Meeting Place, May 22, 2008
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
Talk by Merwan Dubash
Merwan Dubash (son of Adi and Rhoda Dubash) grew up in close contact with Meher Baba and spent time with the Master throughout his childhood and youth. In this talk, Merwan describes Amartithi at Meherabad from his experience of volunteering there over the past two decades. Then he focuses on six weeks that he spent with Baba in 1965, when he was 18 years old. Through his description of simple acts like reading the newspaper to Baba or playing card games with Him, we get a glimpse of intimate daily contact with God in human form.
Video, 44:30
Meher Center Virtual Amartithi Program, January 30, 2022
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
“Has He kept His promise?”
In this talk, Meherwan Merchant powerfully describes the life of Pleader, one of Baba’s dear Mandali. While Pleader was seeking God-realization as a young man in 1928, he was told by Narayan Maharaj that he would find his guru within a month. Soon after, he found himself at Meher Baba’s feet. Baba promised Pleader God-realization, but not without severe suffering. From months of seclusion, to journeys through the Himalayas, to exhausting work with Masts, to intense physical pain, Pleader lived for Baba for thirty-two more years until the moment He fulfilled His promise.
Video, 1:18:49
Meher Center Meeting Place, April 7, 2012
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
“Baba’s perfect timing”
In this talk, Jehangir Daver describes his journey to Baba. Despite his family’s relationship with Baba’s masters Hazrat Babajan and Narayan Maharaj, Jehangir’s first connection with the Avatar was a powerful love for Jesus. He didn’t hear Meher Baba’s name until 1962, when he was 23 years old. However, he says that Baba was watching over him constantly, and eventually made Himself known through His close Persian disciple, Raosaheb. After reading Baba’s books and being convinced that He was Jesus come again, Jehangir begged Raosaheb to take him to the Master—whose face, he found, was “radiating with divine love.”
Video, 1:25:32
Meher Center Meeting Place, June 1, 2012
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
Opening Speaker Wendy Connor “Challenges are His gifts”
In this short but profound opening talk, Wendy Haynes Connor goes straight to the the heart of life with Baba. She talks about Baba’s grace in life’s challenges and the tools that He has provided to remember Him while interspersing stories of Kitty Davy to showcase the practice of the presence of God.
Video, 18:49
Meher Center New Year’s Eve Virtual Sahavas, December 31, 2021
Closing Speakers Vinod Khilnani & Preeti Hay
In this sweet, informal, and wise chat, father and daughter Vinod Khilnani and Preeti Hay discuss their lives with Baba. As they range from topics like Vinod’s life with Baba as a child, to the differences and deep commonalities between generations, to the role of intuition, their talk shines with love and remembrance of their common Beloved.
Video, 53:23
Meher Center New Year’s Eve Virtual Sahavas, December 31, 2021
“He is your Jesus”
Filis Frederick describes how she came to Baba: from first seeing Him as Jesus in a vision, to developing a deep connection with three of His Western women Mandali, to catching a glimpse of Him at the train station in New York, to finally spending a week with Him on Center in 1952. She gives an intimate description of that heavenly week, when through both playful, informal times and deep truths He brought home the importance of love for God.
Audio, 30:07
October 1, 1981
Courtesy of the Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California