“He turned bitter resignation into sweet surrender” Opening Talk by Jenny Keating
Jenny Keating is an Australian Baba lover who met Meher Baba as a child in 1956 and then again at the East-West Gathering in 1962. Here, Jenny speaks of her time as a young adult with Baba. She focuses on a critical point in her life when she had to choose whether to live a life she felt would please Baba or a life she felt would please herself—and the deep happiness that eventually sprang from her choice.
Video, 40:27
Meher Center Virtual Young Adult Sahavas, November 5, 2021
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
“He doesn’t promise us miracles but He does promise us His companionship”
Preeti Hay is a third-generation Baba lover whose grandparents came to Meher Baba in the 1950’s. She grew up in Bombay (visiting Meherabad frequently!) and now is part of the small but growing group of young Meher Center staff. In her beautiful first public talk, Preeti starts by discussing how Baba drew her family to His feet in those early days—and then how His intimate and tailored care for each of us is still very much alive.
Video, 34:46
Meher Center Virtual Young Adult Sahavas, November 7, 2021
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
“We eventually arrived at our Home”
In this intimate chat in the Meher Center’s Original Kitchen, Bill Le Page shares his experience of the East-West gathering. He begins by talking about the herculean task that Baba gave him of helping organize transport of the large Australian group to and from India. Then he describes moments during the gathering, as well as during a later visit with Baba in 1967, when he was face to face with his Beloved.
Video, 1:00:42
Meher Center Original Kitchen, September 16, 2015
Courtesy of the Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California
“Never try to interpret Baba’s Orders”
Shridar Kelkar narrates the story of the divine connection of the Talati family with Meher Baba. Shridhar was married to Perviz, the daughter of Dina and Naval Talati, who were very close disciples of Beloved Baba. He shares the family’s generations of spiritual longing and connection with the Perfect Masters that led them to Baba. When Shridhar proposed marriage to Perviz, Dina asked him to seek Meher Baba’s permission. After Baba approved, Shridhar came into His fold through the dedication, unerring obedience and complete faith in Baba demonstrated to him by the Talati family and their lives with Baba.
Video, 48:12
Meher Center Meeting Place, May 29, 2019
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
“I could see Jesus in Baba’s eyes”
Joyce Bird begins this talk with a brief description of how she came to Meher Baba—from an experience of Jesus in 1942 to meeting Him as Baba in London ten years later. She then dives into the extensive notes she took during the 1958 American Sahavas to share an “eyewitness account” of some of the powerful, humorous, unexpected, and divine moments that made up that remarkable week on the Center.
Video, 1:02:30
Meher Center Meeting Place, May 9, 1998
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
“Service comes above all”
In the final part of this audio by Najoo Kotwal, Najoo continues to share the love, compassion and care that Baba showed towards each person in her family while individually catering to their worldly and spiritual needs. At the end, she answers some questions from pilgrims about the untimely and heart-wrenching death of her brother and sister-in-law in a car accident and how the family accepted the incident as Beloved Baba’s will. This event changed the course of all their lives including Najoo’s who took on the role of care-giver and mother to her nephew who was the sole survivor of the car accident.
Audio, 20:15
Meher Pilgrim Center, Meherabad, India
Courtesy of the Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California
Mehernosh Mehta – Talk on Baba’s New Life
Mehernosh Mehta grew up in a Baba family and has been involved at the Avatar Meher Baba Bombay Center for over two decades serving in many roles. One of those roles includes being a Key Speaker. Here, he shares stories from the New Life and his own reflections on how the Master continues to inspire us to live this life—right here and right now.
“Those who know the emperor do not bow to the guards”
In part two of this audio by Najoo Kotwal, Najoo shares how her father’s desperation for God and disillusionment with the world lead him to submit his life to Baba. Savak Kotwal showed up at Meher Baba’s ashram along with his family after giving up all his worldly possessions, but Meher Baba asked for more, until not one material object belonged to them. Happily the family surrendered and Baba beamed in satisfaction while making a powerful and eternal promise to Savak: to ‘give him the ocean.’
Audio, 23:06
Meher Pilgrim Center, Meherabad, India
Courtesy of the Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California
“The guiding hand of God”
Louis Agostini first began seeking a higher truth when as a young child he suddenly recognized the inevitability of death. This search took him everywhere from beginning training as a Catholic priest to becoming secretary for Paul Brunton (who, while writing his famous book, In Search of Secret India, had garnered an unimpressive view of Meher Baba). Then, in 1960, Louis found himself at Meher Center with Kitty, Elizabeth, and a number of Baba books. At long last, Baba’s truths began to answer his deep-seated questions. When he met Baba two years later at the East-West gathering, all he could whisper was, “thank You for everything.”
Video, 56:13
Meher Center Meeting Place, November 9, 2002
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
“A fairytale filled with joy and pain”
The Kotwal family’s love for Meher Baba spans generations. Najoo Kotwal grew up in Meher Baba’s intimate company after her father Savak Kotwal and mother Nargiz decided to dedicate their lives to Baba and live under His direction at His ashram. In part one of this three part audio, Najoo recounts the early life of her father and what led him to seek God in the way he did, until he found Meher Baba in 1928. Baba’s entry into their lives caused her mother such great misery that she went to confront Him, but things did not go quite as expected.
Audio, 21:52
Meher Pilgrim Center, Meherabad, India
Courtesy of the Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California