What is Meher Center?
Meher Baba called Meher Center His Home in the West. From the very beginning, when the Center property was acquired in 1943, it was a place dedicated to Baba, and a place where many felt His presence. When Baba first visited in 1952 with a group of close disciples, His sister Mani said that, though she was traveling with Baba, it felt like He was already at the Center welcoming them. Baba visited two more times, in 1956 and 1958, greeting His lovers old and new and giving discourses on how to love God, and find Him as one’s own self. He said of the Center, “I never leave. Remember, I do not leave because this is my home.”
There are no specific practices or required activities at the Center, and people come from all different spiritual and religious traditions. It is a place for “rest, meditation, and renewal of the spiritual life.” Many elements of the Center are intentionally kept as close as possible to the way they were when Baba visited, especially three special buildings: Baba’s House, where He stayed; the Lagoon Cabin, where He gave individual and small group interviews; and the Barn, where larger gatherings took place.
Guests spend their time on the Center in a variety of ways: walking the beautiful trails, connecting with people from around the world, reading spiritual literature, playing games, or in meditation or contemplation. On an inner level, many describe sinking into the unique atmosphere of love and peace at the Center, and often feeling Meher Baba’s continued presence.