Mehera tells the story of the gold ring that Upasni Maharaj gave her and how Baba used it to test her. Rich in details, Meher recounts how Upasni was given the ring and then, after wearing it on his toe and giving darshan, he put it on Mehera’s finger. Upasni then ordered her to “always keep it on your finger and don’t part with it.” But later, when she was with Baba, He asked for everyone’s gold rings. Mehera immediately complied, despite Upasni’s order, and gave the ring to Baba. Within minutes, He returned the ring to Mehera and then gave her a second one.

The second part of Ann Conlon’s “fairytale” opens with her momentous first sighting of Baba after waiting five long years to meet Him. She expected to be able to see Him for only one hour, but that hour stretched to three hours and then five full days. With her dry wit, she recounts Baba’s delight in a rambunctious, enthusiastic crowd, several stories He shared and what they meant to her, as well as what seemed like a truly confounding direction. After Baba had invited her into a meeting with the men mandali, He told her that when He returns in 700 years to “make sure that you come back as a man so you can attend these exclusive meetings.” After everyone laughed and she left, Ann thought “Wait a minute…”

Ann Conlon wittily recounts how she missed her first opportunity to meet Baba in 1958 and her subsequent longing and regret. And then, in 1961 was given an unexpected opportunity to travel to India. Despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles at work, the passport office, and the airlines she finally got to meet Baba. She called it her “fairytale.”

Christopher Wilson, April 09, 2025 - Meher Spiritual Center

Meher Baba in Spain

Meher Baba singled out St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) as one of His favorite

Western saints and as a model of how to love Him. In October 1933, He took a

group of His Eastern and Western disciples to visit places associated with her

life in Avila, saying “I am so happy here.” The group then went to Madrid,

where Baba spent two hours at the Prado Museum and was pleased by the

paintings of the lives of Jesus and the saints by El Greco and other Spanish

artists. Christopher will discuss the sites that Baba visited; the life, work, and

writings of St. Teresa; and the paintings that He admired.

In this light and humor-filled audio, Lud Dimpfl talks about his life with Baba and "the different things Baba put me through." From money matters to false assumptions to the importance of honesty, Lud's delightful stories offer a glimpse into how Baba worked with a determined and devoted lover.

Baba’s close disciple and gifted storyteller Eruch Jessawala tackles the riddle that words about God present: How they may delight the mind and increase the longing for God, but they can never explain Him. Eruch starts with the story of a young boy given a description of a wedding yet still has no idea of what a marriage is. He then moves on to God Speaks and its delightfully confounding conclusion: “God cannot be explained, He cannot be argued about, He cannot be theorized, nor can He be discussed and understood. God can only be lived.” This recording is also chock full of Eruch’s clear, simple explanations of just what that means to him.

To kickstart his Artist in Residence Program, Charles Haynes talks about storytelling. What is storytelling? What role do stories play in relationship to Baba? In the Baba culture, stories often help us remember and love Him. Charles shares his favorite storytellers from the mandali, the experience of a story vs. an explanation, and the glorious ways in which people feel Baba’s love and divinity through stories of and about Him.

Meherjee Karkaria was a longtime disciple of Meher Baba, accompanying Him to Meher Center in both 1952 and 1956. In this recording, Meherjee begins by talking practically about how Baba wants us to be in the world, to lead a “straightforward, honest life.” He goes on to answer questions from the small crowd assembled outside the Lagoon Cabin on Center, touching on topics such as Sufism and helping others, all while feeling Baba’s presence in your life always.

In this short, but profound story. Rhoda Dinah shares an incident that brought her to safety through Baba’s loving grace.

Meher Baba in Historical Perspective Part Four