“He was my destiny”
Following Havovi Dadachanji’s sharing from last week, Hoshang Dadachanji narrates his part of the story of his family’s coming to Baba. Starting from his uncle Chanji’s story, followed by his own first meeting with Shri Meher Baba, Hoshang spent glorious years of intimate contact with Baba at Guruprasad where he played games with Baba, sang for Him and was part of the Master’s orbit. Baba took personal interest in his business and family life but through all of it, He always reminded them to never forget that Baba was God in Human Form.
Video, 42:59
Meher Center Meeting Place, August 27, 1996
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
“Correcting every error without fail”
In this talk, Havovi Dadachanji wryly describes her process of coming to Baba over seven years: from feeling skeptical and uncomfortable to finally embracing Him as the God-man in 1960. She then talks about Baba’s role in her family’s life, including an intimate monthly mail correspondence and His performing her son’s Navjot ceremony in December of 1968, a month before He dropped His body. Finally, she describes how Baba continues to be present in her life.
Video, 43:56
Meher Center Meeting Place, July 27, 1996
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
“Why are we with Baba?”
Meher Baba gave Bruce Hoffman the order in 1968 to speak about Him, and spread His message of love and truth. Bruce founded Meher House in New York City as a step to fulfill this order. Here, he shares his thoughts on what it is to be with Baba while simultaneously living in the world and ever striving to get closer to Him. This wonderfully insightful talk relays Baba’s messages through quotes, anecdotes and humorous stories from Bruce’s own experiences.
Audio, 50:44
Saroja Library, January 20, 1974
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
“From here to here”
Robert Dreyfuss first heard Baba’s name in 1965. With his friend Rick Chapman, Robert saw a Baba quote on the door of Alan Cohen’s office at Harvard. Through Alan he learned who Baba was. Here, he narrates the eventful story of hitchhiking over land to India, his meeting with Baba in Meherazad, and Baba’s instruction to him: “Tell those that are [taking drugs], that if drugs could make one realize God, then God is not worthy of being God.” By Baba’s express wish, Allan Cohen, Robert Dreyfus and Rick Chapman became the three principle spokespersons to spread Baba’s message about drugs in the West.
Video, 1:01:09
Meher Center Meeting Place, April 3, 1996
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
“Baba was very kind to me and to my father”
In this talk given to a group in Washington, D.C., Digambar Gadekar describes his family’s rich and loving history with Meher Baba. Digambar’s father Ramchandra first met Baba in 1924, when He was still speaking. Ramchandra had intended to visit Baba to ask that He cure a medical condition— but when faced with Baba’s love and presence, he asked for God instead! Thus began a multi-decade relationship between Meher Baba and the Gadekar family, from Baba distributing sweets at Digambar’s parents’ wedding, to His arriving unexpectedly at the family house for meals, to His becoming young Digambar’s most beloved playmate.
Audio, 44:31
Washington, D.C., November 22, 1982
Courtesy of the Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California
“Sacredness was all around me”
Tom Riley first heard about Meher Baba in 1954 in his hometown of Woodstock. Here he shares the detailed account of his first meeting with Baba at Meher Center in 1958, including the divine effulgence that he experienced at the Lagoon Cabin. Speaking about the submersion in Baba’s presence at the Center, Tom reflects on Baba’s messages to him and their continuing culmination in his life.
Video, 1:17:30
Meher Center Meeting Place, May 22, 2018
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
“The luckiest man on the face of the earth”
James McGrew was a student at Harvard in the 1960’s with the group of seekers that included Rick Chapman and Alan Cohen. In this audio recording, he describes his journey of exploring spirituality, being drawn to India, finding out about Baba, and finally getting an appointment to meet Him during His seclusion. James then speaks in detail about his one five-minute interview with the Master, and how Baba’s love, insight and naturalness stayed with him for the rest of his life.
Audio, 58:49
Meher Center Meeting Place, April 5, 1974
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
“The Master is never absent”
Khodadad Namiranian first heard about Meher Baba when his parents chose to send his twin brothers to India, to attend the Prem Ashram school started by Meher Baba. Here, he narrates the story of when he called out to Baba to rescue him in danger to test His Godhood, his first meeting with Baba at the East-West Gathering, and being a Baba lover in Iran. Translated by his son Farshid, this is a rare account of deep longing for God.
Video, 1:09:01
Meher Center Meeting Place, July 3, 1998
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
“Baba winked at Eruch”
Meher Baba’s twin nephews Rustom and Sohrab Irani tell the unforgettable story of the time they dressed Sohrab up as Ann Conlon, one of Baba’s Western lovers who was due to arrive at Guruprasad, and went to visit Baba—fooling most of His Mandali, but not Baba Himself who enjoyed the humorous incident to the utmost.
Video, 10:00
Meher Center, August 31, 2011
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives
“Put that drink in a cup and saucer”
Shireen Bonner, Meher Baba’s niece, tells two of the jokes that Baba asked her to tell over and over. He would laugh heartily at them every time.
Video, 11:09
Meher Center, August 1, 1998
From the Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Archives