When Babajan first came to Poona people surmised her age to be not less than 90 years, and thereafter even 30 years added to her life in the city wrought no material changes in her personality. Short in stature, firm and agile in gait, back slightly bent with rounded shoulders, skin fair and sunburnt, face broad and heavily wrinkled, high cheek bones, liquid blue eyes possessing great depths, head covered with a silvery crown of thick white hair hanging loose up to the shoulders, deep sonorous voice, all conspired to make her personality very unique and unwordly. Her attire was simple, consisting of a long apron extending below the knees, a pyjamas narrowed round the legs and a linen scarf thrown carelessly round the shoulders. She always went about bare-headed; the luxuriant crop of white hair — never oiled or groomed — was for all practical purposes a head dress in itself.
Numerous miracles are attributed to Hazrat Babajan, and they are recounted separately in this book. However, some of her characteristic habits (khirqeadat) need a mention here. Babajan slept very little, and the apparent bodily relaxation of Perfect saints is nothing like what human beings enjoy as sleep. Irregular scanty meals and frequent potions of Indian tea would surely have shattered any robust constitution but Babajan, in spite of her age, felt no adverse effects therefrom. One day she would feel out of sorts, at times even high fever, and the next day she would be her usual self without recourse to any medication. Young and old, male or female, she used to address everyone as Bacha or Baba (child or baby). And if anybody accosted her as Mai (mother), she would flare up and say, "I am a man and not a woman," thereby confirming one of the sayings of Prophet Mohammad, meaning, "Lovers of God are males; lovers of paradise are eunuchs; and lovers of the world are females.
Her method of healing was quite unique and entertaining. When anyone approached her for a cure, she would say, "The child is being tormented by goliyan (small round pellets), meaning thereby the effect of Amal — sanskaras — here wrong actions. To the amusement of those around, she would hold between her fingers, the painful or diseased part of the person concerned, and calling upon some imaginary being, she would give two or three sharp jerks to the affected part, simultaneously ordering the troublesome entity to quit. Surprisingly enough, this funny operation would impart instantaneous relief, and the party concerned would depart smiling and happy.
Babajan's love and charity towards humanity was supremely Divine in expression; it could not but reclaim a most confirmed sinner and subdue the cruelest of minds. Articles of clothing and other presentations to Babajan, people would remove without her permission, and her seat being open to the road some would even dare to steal, feeling convinced she would not protest. Once a man tried to steal a costly shawl covering her body while asleep, but he found its removal rather risky, as some portion of it was held underneath her body. Babajan instinctively raised herself bodily a little, thereby helping the thief to achieve the purpose.
On another occasion, a person from Bombay, in token of his fulfilled desire, placed two bangles of solid gold round Babajan's wrists. At the earliest opportunity, an unknown person snatched away the bangles so very roughly that it gave her wrist a nasty cut which bled profusely. The cry of 'catch the thief' was raised by people around, and a policeman on duty approached the scene. To the discomfiture of every one around, Babajan ignored the real culprit, and asked the policeman to arrest those around calling for thief.
An idea can be had of her superphysical state when the act of eating was described by her as Jodna (patchwork to the body); and the attendants (Mujawar) also, when reminding her of food, would address her in that sense.
A regular visitor to Hazrat Babajan could never miss hearing her constant muttering to herself, worded somewhat like this: "Vermins are troubling me incessantly; I sweep them away, but still they keep on gathering." Simultaneous with these mutterings, unintelligible to listeners, she would keep on moving the palms of the hand all over her body, as if removing dust or cobwebs.
Hazrat Meher Baba, when questioned as to the meaning and significance of the above meaningless utterance and the almost constant movement of the hands, gave the following illuminating explanation: "Annihilation Of all Amal (actions) good and bad, means Najat (salvation) and Babajan being God-realized was much above the state of salvation. She not only had no Amal (actions) to account for, but was in a position to destroy the Amals of others. The physical body of a saint like Babajan, when working on earthly plane after realization, becomes the focal point to which myriads and myriads of Amal of the universe get attracted, and getting purified in the furnace of Divinity i. e., the body of the saint, they go out again into the universe as spiritual Amal. Take for instance the white ants which, you know, have a tremendous power of multiplying. The queen of the white ants, a far round bulky creature about three to four inches in length, feeds upon its own kind, the smaller ants. But the queen procreates much more than what she consumes. Likewise perfect saints like Babajan give out more spiritual Amal to the world than what they destroy. Hence it is that living saints are a blessing and mercy to the world whether one knows it or not." This condition: (halat) in saints is the aspect of Divine love and beauty (Shane-jamal).
Hazrat Babajan often times, when the aspect of Divine glory (Shane-Jalal) possessed her, used to rave and grumble in the following strain: "Why do you torment my children; nay, you even kill them. They have done no wrong to you. Do I not feed you, and clothe you? What is it you lack? And still you perpetrate all these atrocities on them. What have I done to merit all this?" Words conveying this sense have been frequently heard from Babajan and naturally they gave rise to some guess-work on the part of the hearers, who interpreted the words to mean that Babajan was remembering and bemoaning the loss of her children who perhaps were cruelly dealt with by her people.
Hazrat Meher Baba, when questioned on the point, explained: "There can be nothing further from truth; Babajan was never married and had no children. By children, she evidently meant the saints of the time (AwIiyae-waqt), who are misunderstood, vilified and persecuted by the churches of all denominations, upmindful of the circumstances of which they are the outcome. Babajan was equally concerned with the enlightened and the ignorant, and hence her reference to feeding and clothing of the latter. She was as much for the material well-being of the world at large, as for the spirituality of the godly few whom she called her children.
Hazrat Babajan's spiritual status in the hierarchy of saints is that of Qutub. Literally the word Qutub means a peg or a pin, and a Qutub functioning on the physical plane is the hub round which the universe revolves. Babajan's subjective experience (halat) of Gnosis (Irfan), would be described by Sufis as that of Salik-Majzoob. After God-realization, one returning to normal consciousness is possessed both of Divinity and Gnosis (Haqiqat and Marefat). When Divinity is uppermost in him he is called Majzoob, and when Gnosis predominates he is a Salik. Babajan had both these aspects in her equally balanced, and hence she was Salik-Majzoob of the time, possessing all the characteristics of a Qalandar.
Hazrat Babajan, like all Qutubs (Perfect Masters), had a circle of twelve disciples and the spiritual chargeman thereof is Hazrat Meher Baba of "Meherabad" (District Ahmednagar). She stood in the unique position of a mother (a storehouse of spirituality) to all the saints of the time.
Once a Fakir complained that Tajuddin's durbar was more lavish and free in providing worldly amenities than hers; Babajan retorted by saying, "What can Tajuddin give? He gives what I give Him." This incident is significantly eloquent of Babajan's relationship with saint referred to above.
After a spiritual sojourn of about 35 years in Poona, Hazrat Babajan left her mortal coil on 21st September 1931 at the ripe old age of 125 Years. Her funeral procession was a tremendous affair, never accorded to any dignitary or royalty in the annals of Poona. Her remains were laid at rest at the very spot* underneath the neem tree where she sat and dispensed Divine Grace for such a long number of years, thus confirming the Sufi belief, that:
"Cycles change,
the worlds rotate,
But Qutubs ne'er their
seat vacate."
------
Hazrat Babajan | The Qutub of India
Babajan Sufi Saint
Hazrat Babajan (1806 - September 18, 1931) was a Baloch Muslim saint considered by her followers to be a sadguru or qutub. It was Babajan who gave Indian spiritual master Meher Baba, his God-realization through a kiss on the forehead in January 1914, after this, he said that he experienced being in bliss for nine months. According to Meher Baba, Babajan was one of the five Perfect Masters of her time.
Meher BabaMeher Baba on
experience with Babajan
"When the five perfect masters brought me down, they drew a veil over me. Hazrat Babajan was one of the perfect masters, and she unveiled me to my present form. With just a kiss on my forehead, between the eyebrows, Babajan made me experience (in May 1913) thrills of indescribable bliss that continued for about nine months. Then one night (in January 1914) she made me realise in a flash the infinite bliss of God-realisation.
At the time Babajan gave me the nirvikalp experience of my own reality, the illusory physical, subtle and mental bodies—mind, worlds, and all created things - ceased to exist for me even as illusion. Then I began to see that only I (in the sense of Highest Self), and nothing else, existed.
The infinite bliss of my self-realisation was, is, and will remain, continuous. At the moment I experience both infinite bliss as well as infinite suffering. Once I drop the body, only bliss will remain.
But at the time, I could not have said all this. During the first three days of my superconscious state, I was truly dead to everybody and everything other than my own infinite Reality, although my physical body continued to function more or less normally. Actually dead, though really living, I was considered by others to be seriously ill. I remained in bed, with wide open, vacant eyes that saw nothing.
On the fourth day, and after I was slightly conscious of my body, I began to move about without any consciousness of my surroundings. I received no promptings from my mind, as would an ordinary man. I had no knowledge of the things I did or did not do. I did not sleep and had no appetite. I did everything by instinct, like an automaton.
Although the infinite bliss I experienced in my superconscious state remained continuous, as it is now, I suffered agonies in returning towards the normal consciousness of illusion. Occasionally, to get some sort of relief, I would knock my head so furiously against walls and windows that some of them showed cracks.
In reality there is no suffering, only infinite bliss. Still, within the realm of illusion, it is suffering. My reality, although untouched by illusion, remained connected with illusion. That was why I suffered spiritual agonies.
Nine months after my self-realisation, I began to be somewhat conscious of my surroundings. Life returned to my vacant eyes. Although I would not sleep, I began to eat small quantities of food. I now knew what I was doing but I continued to do things intuitively, as impelled to do them by inner forces. I did not do things of my own accord or when asked by others.
Later, I began travelling long distances. Once, I left Poona by rail for Raichur, but felt the urge to get off at Kedgaon. There for the first time I came in physical contact with Narayan Maharaj (one of the five perfect masters) whose ashram is not far from that railway station. Similarly, from time to time I was drawn to see masters like Banemiyan Baba at Aurangabad, Tipoo Baba at Bombay and Tajuddin Baba (another perfect master) at Nagpur.
Finally, in December 1915, I felt impelled to call on Shirdi Sai Baba. The perfect Master among Masters. At the time he was returning in a procession from Lendi (in Shirdi). Despite the crowds, I intuitively prostrated myself before him on the road. Sai Baba looked straight at me and exclaimed: "Parvardigar" (God-Almighty-Sustainer, equivalent Quranic term would be Rabb).
I then felt drawn to walk to the nearby temple of Khandoba in which Maharaj (Shri Upasani) was staying in seclusion. He had been living on water there under Sai Baba's direct guidance for over three years. When I went near him, Maharaj threw a stone at me that struck me on the forehead exactly where Babajan had kissed me. That blow was the stroke of gyan (Marefat of Haqiqat, or divine knowledge)."
- From Hazrat Babajan by Meher Baba and A.G. Munsif (credit)
MUHAMMAD
"... A Perfect Master brings himself down so close to the ordinary run of mankind that in course of time, he is able to impart his knowledge to them. Take the case of Muhammad himself: when harrassed by enemies, and finding himself in danger of his life, he actually fled from Mecca and took refuge in Medina. Now, the greatest spiritual Master in the world, by fleeing from the place of his birth, acted after the manner of an ordinary human being when confronted with such an emergency."
Meher Baba, 14 October 1922, Bombay, RD p108
Another version: LM2 p441
Another version: LM2 p441
"Muslims say that experience can only be gained through the Islamic religion, arguing for circumcision and other rituals. How ludicrous. Do any of you know why Muslims practice circumcision? Muhammad told them to cut down and annihilate their minds, meaning to cut through maya and cut away their sanskaras. This means keeping one's own mind under control and away from worldly thoughts. But failing to understand the true meaning of the Prophet's teaching, some theologians concentrate upon the custom of circumcising children -- a custom which people, without thinking, accepted and started to follow."
Meher Baba, 22 June 1926, Meherabad, LM3 p817-818
"Prophet Muhammad once told his chief apostle, Ali, 'If you want to know me, try your utmost to control your anger and transform it into love.'
"The very next day someone challenged Ali to a fight. Ali fought him and won. He brought the man down and sat on his chest.
"The man spat right in Ali's face (the worst insult to a Muslim), and Ali got so angry he raised his dagger to kill him. But then Ali remembered what Muhammad had said, and so instead he kissed him, and let him go.
"Now if he had not gotten angry, he would not have had the opportunity to control himself.
"That does not mean that you should go on kissing each other when you are angry.
Meher Baba, 5 September 1940, Meherabad, LM7 p2607
"Muhammad said, 'Keep engrossed in action alone. If you act well, you will go to heaven. If you act evil, you will go to hell.'"
Meher Baba, 17 May 1943, Meherabad, LM8 p2887
For a more complete version of this
quote, see the chapter 'The Avatar'
For a more complete version of this
quote, see the chapter 'The Avatar'
"It is said that once Rasool-e-Khuda (the Messenger of God) felt indisposed, and someone suggested that that was due to an evil eye, and that he should sleep on a pillow with an open knife underneath it. He did so, and thereafter declared himself to be all right. Call it ordinary or call it divine, it was Mohammad's sense of humor."
Meher Baba, 4 November 1952, Meherabad, GGM3 p156
"Let us take for example the stern discipline and fasts associated with Ramadan.* No doubt they serve some spiritual purpose. But one way of looking upon it is to regard them as a sort of compulsory rationing of food and water in those areas where they were rare, and where such control was necessary in the interest of society. It is not necessary to convert the instructions of the Prophet into inflexible and eternal rules of discipline. In the context in which they were given, they served both material and spiritual purpose. They cannot be regarded as inescapable or necessary in all times and climes. The same thing applies to any other disciplines given by other seers or Masters.
The Masters have sometimes followed external disciplines, including prayers, and have set an example of humility and readiness to learn from others. Thus Muhammad played the role of being taught by Gabriel. He thereby achieved two things. Firstly, he gave to the world an example of readiness to learn from others. And secondly, he awakened the teacher in Gabriel.
Meher Baba, 1957? Be p73-74
* Ramadan = the ninth month in the Muslim calendar, when the faithful abstain from all food, drink, tobacco and sexual intercourse from sunrise to sunset (alcohol is always forbidden in Islam).