Affirmations

AFFIRMATIONS

Book Two

"On one occasion the Master emphasized to the boys,

' Remember you are not the body. You are soul, spirit. Try to stop thinking you are the body. Try to stop thinking you are energy. Try to stop thinking you are mind. Think,

I am soul.

I am spirit. '

And the boys actually did try. One boy was found shouting to his body that it was not real."

Bhau Kalchuri, LM3 p977
(November 1927? Meherabad)

A man came to meet Baba. He said he was addicted to drugs.

Baba: Are you happy?

Man: No, very, very miserable.

Baba: Try to be always happy. Never think that life is dreadful, 'I am tired of life.' Such thoughts really make life miserable. Life is worth living. If you think like that, all difficulties will appear insignificant.

I will help you to try to develop love. Never think, 'I am alone,' 'I have so much to do,' 'I am poor,' and so on. All are poor. The whole world is poor. Even the millionaires are poor, because they have greed and want more. Love someone, and I will help you.* Do not worry. My blessings.

1930s, Europe? A p2
Another version: PM p249
* Another version of this line:
"Love someone, and you will be rich." PM p249

Q. I have come to ask to develop the divine within. I feel I cannot achieve it alone, without help.

Baba: You will... by my help. Never be disheartened. It is all within, and I will help you to open it. I am so happy to see you longing for spiritual attainment.

Q. I do not know anything but this, and I ask for nothing else.

Baba: I am so happy to know this.

Q. How can spirituality be attained?

Baba: It can be attained, not by the intellect, but by heart and feeling and inner experience. I would explain for hours, but that would be nothing compared to one second of my internal help. Do one thing: every night, just before retiring, think for one minute,

The infinite God is within me, and I am part of the infinite.

This will contact you more and more with me internally.

1930s, Europe, A p6
Another version: PM p243

An architect came to see Baba.

Baba: Anything to ask?

Q. I cannot ask anything. I am so perplexed.

Baba: And it is a pity I have not much time, because when one comes, I must explain. But for that I must have time. Anyway, you can ask. I would like to make you sit here and think of questions.

Q. But it makes it so awkward for you.

Baba: Never mind, go on.

Q. I am very anxious to find something real that we have to think of and do.

Baba: And that something is the only thing worth having. I will help you spiritually.

Q. Can I have that?

Baba: Yes, I know. You can. It is not through words or explanations that it can be explained. It is within you. It is to be opened. I will do it.

Q. In New York I saw some of your people, who made me think and feel I must have something else to seek, and for that, I do try to see that reality.

Baba: And when you find it, you can experience (higher) things even while being in your worldly affairs. Every morning, just the moment you get up, think for a minute,

It is in me.

And rest assured that I will help you. I can help you.

Q. I understand very well. I realise and believe it. I thank you very much for all that you have given me already, and am sure I will be helped.

1930s, Europe? A p7
Another version: PM p247

A woman psychology student came to meet Baba.

Q. I don't dream or think of Jesus.

Baba: Why bother about the physical Christ (if you can't get that idea as clearly as you want)? If you can't picture him, you can feel the Christ within. That means the ideal, or pure love.

Q. I have read the Sermon on the Mount, but can't have a clear conception of Jesus.

Baba: I will help you. Do one thing. Immediately when you get up every morning, just let yourself have this thought,

Christ is within me

and leave the rest to me. I will help you spiritually.

1934, Zurich, Switzerland, A p8
Also PM p239

A woman nurse came to see Baba. She told him some of her fears.

Q. Oh, I am so happy to see you... I am so tired of life, and very unhappy... don't see how I can improve.

Baba: Everyone is unconsciously tired of this life, because everyone seeks happiness, but knows not how to get it. But life is so beautiful. It is meant to be happy.

I will help you. Then things will appear changed. You will see it.

It is always the outlook that counts, and not the object. Today you feel tired, upset, seeing nothing beautiful in things round you in life. If tomorrow you do not feel bored but cheerful, in the same things that appeared so black to you yesterday... it is all due to changed mentality and outlook.

The easy way is not to make much of things. Take them lightly. Say to yourself,

I am meant to be happy, to make others happy.

And gradually you do become happy yourself, and make others too. Don't suggest to your mind, 'I am tired, haggard, depressed.' That will make you feel worse. Always say,

All is well and beautiful. I will be happy.

I will help you spiritually. I can and I will. You will feel it.

1930s, Europe? A p13
Another version: PM p241

A woman came to see Baba with her son, an actor.

Q. Very glad to have met you.

Baba: Anything to ask?

Q. How can one achieve one's ambition? (she pointed to her son) He is an artist.

Baba: And art is one of the sources through which the soul expresses itself and inspires others. But to express art thoroughly, one must have the inner emotions opened thoroughly. If you feel something checks you from expressing yourself thoroughly, then you have to do one thing. That is to adjust your mental attitude thus: just before expressing, think,

I can and will express it thoroughly.

And every time you express it, you will find you are more convinced of your expression. It is the mind that keeps it closed.

There are many actors who, either through inferiority complex, or through nervousness or through dryness, feel they cannot express, and this feeling of the mind checks the expression. While acting, think you are one of the greatest actors of the world, and try to express yourself thoroughly.

I will help you spiritually. Just think you are the greatest. Where's the harm in thinking like that? It is not for pride you do it, but for bringing the best out of you. There is nothing wrong.

Q. What binds me to the Almighty?

Baba: Divine love.

Q. But I do not feel I have it.

Baba: That is because you are unconscious of it. You will feel it now, and I will help you.

1930s, Europe,
A p15-16 and PM p253-254

Meher Baba told Chakradhar and Indumati Deshmukh,

'Don't meditate, but have this longing:

I want to be one with Baba's infinite existence.

9 April 1938, Panchgani, LM7 p2279

Three separate affirmations mentioned by Meher Baba:

    I am infinite.

    I am not my desires.

    I am not my body, but the infinite.

Meher Baba, 1940s, Di (7th ed.) p208, 210s

For an explanation of the use of this kind of affirmation, which Baba called 'associative meditation' and 'dissociative meditation,' see the Discourses, 7th edition, p207-212.

Five more separate affirmations mentioned by Meher Baba:

    I am as infinite as the sky within.

    I am as infinite as the ocean within.

    I am as infinite as the emptiness within.

    I am the infinite within.

    I am infinite.

For an explanation of the use of this kind of affirmation, which Baba called 'impersonal meditation' see the Discourses, 7th edition, p234-239.

This affirmation, given by Meher Baba, is known as the Mandali's prayer.

    I am not the body.

    I am not the mind.

    I am not this.

    I am not that.

    I am nothing but a living lie

    of that truth that is me

    and unless the lie is dead

    the truth cannot be.

Q. What about the Mandali's prayer? Was it given by Baba?

Eruch Jessawala: Yes. He gave it. But we didn't recite this out loud in his presence. It was given to the Mandali as their personal prayer.

1980, Meherazad, Aw 19:2 p8-9

Index - Book Two