The spiritual leader who spent forty-four years in silence and claimed to be God
In short: Meher Baba was a 20th-century Indian figure who claimed to be the Avatar, the reincarnation of major religious prophets. After beginning a period of silence in 1925, he communicated only through hand gestures for the rest of his life, leaving behind a legacy of global followers and a unique spiritual philosophy.
Born Merwan Sheriar Irani in 1894, Meher Baba’s spiritual path began at age 19 after a transformative encounter with the saint Hazrat Babajan. Over the next seven years, he engaged with five figures he later identified as the 'Perfect Masters' of the age, including Sai Baba of Shirdi. By 1922, he had gathered his own disciples, who bestowed upon him the name Meher Baba, meaning 'compassionate father.' His teachings, detailed in works like God Speaks, described the phenomenal world as illusory and emphasized that the soul’s ultimate goal is to realize its own divinity through love and selfless service.
In 1925, Baba began a 44-year period of silence, which he maintained until his death in 1969. He initially used an alphabet board to communicate, transitioning to a complex system of hand gestures by 1954. This silence was not a spiritual exercise, but a component of what he termed his 'universal work.' His life was marked by intense periods of seclusion, fasting, and humanitarian efforts, as well as two severe automobile accidents in 1952 and 1956 that left him with chronic pain and limited mobility.
Baba’s influence extended into Western pop culture, notably inspiring the slogan 'Don't worry; be happy,' which appeared in Bobby McFerrin’s 1988 hit song. In the 1960s, he actively campaigned against the use of hallucinogenic drugs, corresponding with figures like Timothy Leary to argue that such substances were spiritually damaging. Despite his physical decline, he held a final mass meeting in 1962, the East-West Gathering. Following his death in 1969, his tomb at Meherabad became a site of international pilgrimage, and his followers, known as 'Baba lovers,' continue to observe the anniversary of his passing as Amartithi.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Meher Baba
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