Listen Humanity

by Meher Baba

Narrated and edited by Don Stevens, Listen Humanity describes a series of meetings between Avatar Meher Baba and his followers. Part I recreates the atmosphere of these meetings, immersing the reader in the balance of humor and pathos, activity and quiet that was achieved. Part II sets forth the enduring philosophies of Meher Baba. The final part is devoted to the challenges involved in the deep relationship between Master and devotee.

Genres: Spirituality

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 28, 1971

About the author

Meher Baba was an Indian spiritual master who said he was the Avatar, God in human form.

From 10 July 1925 to the end of his life, Meher Baba maintained silence, communicating by means of an alphabet board or by unique hand gestures. With his mandali (circle of disciples), he spent long periods in seclusion, during which time he often fasted. He also traveled widely, held public gatherings and engaged in works of charity with lepers, the poor and the mentally ill.

In 1931, Meher Baba made the first of many visits to the West, where he attracted followers. Throughout most of the 1940s, Meher Baba worked with a category of spiritual aspirants called masts, who he said are entranced or spellbound by internal spiritual experiences. Starting in 1949, along with selected mandali, he traveled incognito about India in an enigmatic and still largely unexplained period he called the "New Life".

Meher Baba gave numerous teachings on the cause and purpose of life, including teaching reincarnation and that the phenomenal world is an illusion. He taught that the Universe is imagination, that God is what really exists, and that each soul is really God passing through imagination to realize individually His own divinity. In addition he gave practical advice for the aspirant who wishes to attain Self-realization and thereby escape the wheel of births and deaths. He also taught about the concept of Perfect Masters, the Avatar, and those on the various stages of the spiritual path that he called involution. His teachings are most importantly recorded in his principal books Discourses and God Speaks.

Reviews

[Gregory Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for all you Baba Lovers,
and all of humanity indeed.

Loved it

[Joseph Knecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

The quality which determines one's capacity for love is not one's wit or wisdom, but one's readiness to lay down life itself for the beloved, and yet remain alive.

"The mandali who have been with me through thick and thin all these years are fully prepared for love of me to lay down their very lives at such a sign from me. Yet even they do not love me as I love them. If they did, then they would have become one with my oneness, which in reality is the oneness of us all.

"Love is meant to be experienced and not disclosed. What is displayed is not love. Love is a secret which is meant to remain a secret save for the one who receives it and keeps it.

"I have also said that you cannot love me as I ought to be loved. To do that you must first receive the gift of my love, and that gift depends upon absolute pleasure on my part in giving you just a glimpse of the reality of my self. No one can possess love by any means other than as a gift. But I give love to self and accept it myself. The giving of love knows no law save love, which by itself is the law which governs all other laws of nature.

[dirt]

This book baffles me.

There's some charismatic dude who thinks he is god and doesn't speak for 30 years, but someone else translates his gestures into words for a mass audience of people (some of whom have given up their lives to follow the silent guy). Then this third guy comes around and transcribes the articulated gestures. So already, your spiritual teachings are third hand knowledge.

Oh, and the god dude is driven around in this blue car by a guy in a red fez. In my mind, John "Planet Walker" Francis is a little closer to god because he didn't get chauffeured around during his 17 years of silence. Heck, Johnny boy didn't even ride in a car for 22 years!

So far this wisdom that has been put forth is something to the effect, "Love is good, obedience is better, and surrender is the best. Let's play some dodgeball!" Well, he didn't quite say dodgeball, he said Seven Tiles because they are in India.

[Ben Ihloff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of the 4 or 5 books on Meher Baba that I've read, I'd have to say this is my favorite so far. I still think "The Awakener" by Charles Haynes is probably the best primer for anyone interested in exploring Baba. Listen Humanity is beautifully written. The first half gives a sense of being with Baba as it is a detailed account of the Sahvas where many of his lovers joined him at Meherabad for a period of time and the second half of the book is comprised of teachings directly from Baba that is life-changing and extremely inspiring, to say the least. I will definitely be reading this one again!

[Gregory Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

I became a Baba Lover after being introduced by an Australian gentleman who knew Meher Baba when he set up "the Avatars abode" on the Sunshine Coast of Australia. Meher Baba advised that "if I am bipolar" I should read the book three times. It takes a while for the "true knowledge" to sink in but once it does, I am left humbly seeking as much as I can get of Meher Baba works. Like who he met, the things he has said, and the things that he did - for humanity.

I love you Meher Baba
Namaste
Jai Baba