Holy Sites in Europe

Here is an infographic generated by Gemini's Notebook showing the four spiritual centres in Europe that Meher Baba identified and visited.

Here is an excerpt from Lord Meher giving more details:

(Oct. 1933) ARRIVING IN AVILA that evening at six, Baba and the group stayed at the Hotel Ingles. Baba appeared very happy to be in Spain, which reminded him of India more than any other country he had thus far visited in Europe. Before dinner, Baba went for a walk with the men past the house of Saint Theresa. (1)  Baba remarked to them, “I feel at home here; it is like Assisi. It is the spiritual atmosphere that you feel which gives value to the shrines of saints.” Pointing to his wrists and arms, Baba revealed, “Saints are like the nerves of my body; they work for me and I guide their lives.”

Baba and the men returned to the hotel and had their last meal for the next twenty-four hours. Baba had explained to them, “I have very special work in Avila. You must all fast and we must walk together over the hills, although no one should touch me.”

The next morning, they visited the cathedral there, and Baba instructed them as they were leaving that four silver coins be given to the sacristan. Led by Baba, the group then walked through the surrounding countryside. The scenery was magnificent.

It was to them as though they were walking

with Jesus through the hills of Galilee.

In cryptic fashion, Baba revealed to them, “Long ago, before the cathedral was built, I was here in Avila. I used to walk on this hillside, and quietly rest and meditate here. There were no trees there at the time. It was more desert than countryside.” (2)

They returned to their hotel at 4 P.M. and broke their fast with fruits. Baba was in a good mood and revealed to them, “My spiritual work is successfully accomplished. How fortunate you are to be with me! Even those of my followers who are not with me will share in the spiritual benefits of this work.

“In Europe, as on other continents, there are holy places connected to great spiritual work. The four centers of Europe are Saint Mark’s in Venice, a place on the Ligurian Coast of Italy, Assisi and Avila. I have now visited and revisited them all. From their holy grounds have sprung many saints!”

Herbert was ordered to return to Avila in ten days to visit this place, and sit on the same rock on which Baba sat every day.

Baba’s disclosure that Avila was one of the four main spiritual centers in Europe and he had visited it in the ancient past was a surprise to them, as Baba had never before mentioned that he wished in particular to visit Avila.

(1)  Theresa of Avila (1515-1582) was a Carmelite nun and one of the great Christian mystics and saints. A leading figure in the Catholic Reformation, in 1562 she founded in Avila the first of many convents for nuns. Theresa combined intense practicality with the most rarefied spirituality. Although a mystic, she was endowed with great personal charm, tact and boundless good will. With her associate, John of the Cross, she produced a remarkable awakening of religious fervor that spread far beyond Spain. Her writings, notably The Life and Way of Perfection are among the greatest in Christian literature.

(2)  Meher Baba did not explain about this minor advent in Spain.

Here is a map showing the locations of these centres: 

Here are more details of Baba's itinerary:

Here is a detailed chronological travel itinerary of Meher Baba's 1932–1933 European journeys, focusing specifically on the journeys that linked the four great spiritual centres: St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice, the Ligurian Coast (Portofino), Assisi, and Ávila [cite: 215, 499].

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1. Spring 1932: The Initial European Traverse (2nd Western Visit)

• 24 March – 4 April 1932: Meher Baba sails from Bombay aboard the SS Conte Rosso, accompanied by six mandali members (Adi Jr., Beheram, Chanji, Kaka, Ghani, and Adi Sr.) [cite: 144].
  
  
• 4–6 April 1932 (Venice, Italy): Baba disembarks at Venice on 4 April [cite: 145]. Accommodated at the Hotel International, he tours St. Mark's Square, the Doge's Palace, and rides in gondolas along the Grand Canal [cite: 145, 147-148]. On 6 April, he departs by train for Milan, continuing onwards to London and the United States [cite: 148].
  
  

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2. Summer 1932: The Ligurian Coast, Assisi, & St. Mark's (3rd Western Visit)

• 29 July 1932: Returning from the West, Baba arrives at Marseilles aboard the Kaiser-i-Hind, met by Kitty Davy and Herbert Davy [cite: 162].
  
  
• 29 July – 5 August 1932 (Ligurian Coast / Santa Margherita & Portofino): Baba establishes headquarters at Villa Fiorenza, situated on the coastal road between Santa Margherita and Paraggi [cite: 162]. He spends days in deep spiritual work and companionship with Eastern and Western disciples, enjoying sea bathing at Galto Pedale, boating excursions to Portofino, and mountain picnics at Portofino Vetta [cite: 162-163, 169-170].
  
  
• 6–7 August 1932 (Assisi & Mt. Subasio): At 2:30 A.M. on 6 August, Baba departs by car for Assisi [cite: 165]. Arriving that afternoon, he ascends Mt. Subasio to a hidden cave associated with St. Francis [cite: 166]. At 7:30 P.M., Baba enters the cave for a 24-hour total seclusion and fast, strictly guarded by Chanji and Herbert Davy [cite: 166].
  
  
• 8 August 1932 (Florence & Monte Ceceri): Following the Assisi fast, Baba travels to Florence and ascends Monte Ceceri to a spot where St. Francis experienced a vision of Christ, directing Herbert to return there for a five-day seclusion [cite: 167-168]. Baba then returns to the Ligurian Coast [cite: 169].
  
  
• 17–19 August 1932 (St. Mark's, Venice): Baba and the entire group travel to Venice, staying again at the Hotel International [cite: 171]. On 18 August, Baba inspects St. Mark's Cathedral from the square [cite: 172]. He instructs the group to count the 120 pillars, domes, and arches, explaining that they correspond to the Avatar's 12 Inner Circle and 108 Outer Circle disciples [cite: 172]. He reveals that he had sat on that exact spot as Jesus with two of his apostles one month prior to the Crucifixion [cite: 173].
  
  
• 20 August 1932: Baba sails from Genoa back to India [cite: 41, 204].
  
  

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3. Winter 1932: The Return to Venice (4th Western Visit)

• 21 November – 2 December 1932: Baba sails from Bombay on the Conte Verde with Jalbhai, Adi Jr., Vishnu, and Kaka [cite: 176].
  
  
• 2–3 December 1932 (Venice, Italy): Baba arrives in Venice on 2 December, met by Elizabeth Patterson, Princess Norina Matchabelli, Countess Nadine Tolstoy, and Quentin Tod [cite: 178]. After brief visits to Milan, Paris, London, and Zurich, he returns to India in early 1933 [cite: 42, 178-180].
  
  

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4. Summer 1933: Portofino & Villa Altachiara (5th Western Visit)

• 23–28 June 1933: Baba arrives in Genoa aboard the Conte Verde and travels to Portofino [cite: 43, 191].
  
  
• 28 June – 24 July 1933 (Portofino, Italy): Baba and his mandali take residence at Villa Altachiara, a cliffside mansion overlooking Portofino's main piazza [cite: 191]. During this month, Baba dictates messages, guides disciples, and holds outings on the Mediterranean [cite: 191-195].
  
  
• 6–8 July 1933 (Excursion to Rome): Baba takes a brief side trip to Rome, visiting the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, and the Basilica of St. John Lateran for spiritual work [cite: 196-197].
  
  
• Revelation of Portofino: While at Villa Altachiara, Baba reveals that in an ancient "minor advent," he had come to that exact hill in Portofino with members of his circle when only a few fishermen's huts existed there [cite: 199]. He prophesies that Portofino will one day become a major sacred pilgrimage site like Vrindavan [cite: 203].
  
  
• 24 July 1933: Baba sails from Genoa on the Victoria, returning to India [cite: 202].
  
  

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5. Autumn 1933: Ávila & The Four Spiritual Centres (6th Western Visit)

• 25 September – 6 October 1933: Baba sails from Bombay on the MV Conte Verde with Adi Jr., Chanji, and Kaka, arriving in Venice on 6 October [cite: 207, 212].

• 6–7 October 1933 (Venice, Italy): Rejoining Kitty Davy, Minta Toledano, Enid Corfe, and Bill Precey at the Hotel International, Baba circumambulates St. Mark's Square before proceeding through Milan, Paris, and London to Spain [cite: 212-214].

• 22–24 October 1933 (Ávila, Spain): Arriving in Ávila on 22 October, Baba stays at the Hotel Ingles [cite: 214]. On 23 October, Baba and his party observe a 24-hour fast [cite: 21, 215]. Baba walks past the birthplace of St. Teresa and sits on a solitary rock in the desert hills outside the town walls [cite: 214, 216].

• The Four Centres Declaration: While in Ávila, Baba declares:

  "In Europe, as on other continents, there are holy places connected to great spiritual work. The four centers of Europe are St. Mark's in Venice, a place on the Ligurian Coast of Italy, Assisi and Avila. I have now visited and revisited them all. From their holy grounds have sprung many saints!" [cite: 215]

  He reveals that he had walked and meditated on those same desert hills of Ávila in the ancient past long before the cathedral or town was built [cite: 216].

• 2 November 1933: After visiting Madrid and Barcelona, Baba sails from Marseilles back to India [cite: 43, 217].

The Sanskaric Haystack

I had to copy this extract from Lord Meher because it really sums up the whole of our existence:

ONLY A MATCHSTICK IS NEEDED TO SET THE SANSKARIC HAYSTACK ON FIRE

(Oct. 1922) No yogi can gain eternal freedom or emancipation, even though he might have reached the highest yogic state of samadhi through his practices, because sanskaras (bindings) are still there and all ties have not yet been snapped.

Sanskaras mean the impressions in the mind left behind while doing any good or bad action. Even a thought creates sanskaras. Talking, listening, thinking, seeing, eating, sleeping, in fact, even subtle motions, produce many more sanskaras which have to be experienced with mechanical precision unless removed or nullified by a Sadguru’s grace.

Our present life, with all its experiences of pain and pleasure, virtue and vice, is the result of our past sanskaras. The very breath we breathe, the blinking of our eyelids, the finger we lift are all due to past impressions. It is the mere unfoldment of our past subtle impressions reflected in our present life. And our present life goes on creating more sanskaras. A good word or action has its beneficial result compressed in an impression – imagine it in the form of a circle – and a bad word or action likewise stores up a bad result in a similar subtle form. Thus good deeds of this life assure a happy future life, and bad actions in the present life result in a miserable future birth.

This bondage of actions is the tie that is deep-rooted and cannot be easily uprooted and gotten rid of. Good actions bind a man with a golden chain, and bad actions with an iron spiked one. But the chain is there in either case, and the man is never set free. Yoga and other practices are good and merit an aspirant a good life in the next birth, but a man is never free from bondage or given mukti (liberation) as a result of them.

Therefore, to achieve emancipation, one must be without virtues or sins – without any kind of sanskaras. One’s slate should be quite clean without credit or debit in one’s account, and this is impossible without the grace of the Perfect Master. But for the Master, it is the work of a fraction of a second! The vast, nearly infinite number of impressions in a person’s mind are like straws in a haystack which are impossible for the person to wipe out on his own. Even the process of cleaning them away through yogic practices, without the help of a Perfect Master, means contacting some kind of sanskaric impressions again in a different form.

Sanskaras keep one separate from God. To realize God, the sanskaras have to be removed. Only a matchstick is needed to set the haystack on fire. It is a moment’s work, but only a Sadguru has that match! He uses it for his circle members and thereby, in even less than a second, brings them to his own divine level of Realization. Even those persons who have no direct connection with a Sadguru from past lives can derive the greatest possible benefit merely through his physical contact and company.

Lord Meher, Original Publication, Bhau Kalchuri, Vol. 2, pp. 414 – 416.

 I especially like the very last sentence:

Even those persons who have no direct connection with a Sadguru from past lives can derive the greatest possible benefit merely through his physical contact and company.

To be reborn and to come into contact, even peripherally, with a Sadguru is the key to getting off the merry-go-round.

The Pneuma

I had the following dream last night (today is the 22nd September 2026, the day before the Equinox).

Big dream last night. I was lying in bed in my old room in Mayneview Street. I was lying on my side with my back to the sliding doors leading on to the verandah. Suddenly a very strong wind started blowing against my back coming from the direction of the verandah. This was accompanied by very heavy rain. I struggled to close the bedroom windows that were near me on the bed. I then attempted to reach the verandah windows but could only drag myself along the floor. I was half in and half out of my room but could make little progress. I was cursing all the while until Desy finally woke me up. I'd been making quite a lot of noise as usual.

On awakening, I immediately thought of the wind and rain storm being a metaphor for Jung's pneuma. I decided to refresh my understanding of this Jungian concept via Gemini. What follows is its response to my request for clarification.

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 In Carl Jung’s analytical psychology, pneuma is the Greek word for "breath" or "spirit" which Jung used to describe the autonomous, non-material, and divine-like dimension of the unconscious and human psyche.

Key Concepts of Pneuma in Jungian Psychology

• Spirit and Breath: Derived from ancient roots meaning wind or breath, Jung viewed pneuma as the vital, insubstantial, and essential force of life without which nothing is truly alive.
  
  
• Connection to the Unconscious: Drawing on Gnostic traditions, Jung positioned pneuma in the upper, transcendent regions of the psyche—representing the spiritual and divine-like layer of the collective unconscious—as opposed to physical matter (hyle or the body) at the bottom and the human psychological sphere in between.
  
  
• Phenomenon of Inspiration: Rather than treating spirit (pneuma) as an abstract theological concept, Jung approached it scientifically as a lived psychic phenomenon that brings meaning, inspiration, and inner transformation.

Carl Jung meticulously differentiated between psyche (the soul or mind) and pneuma (the spirit). While secular psychology often blends these terms, Jung drew heavily from classical Greek philosophy, Gnosticism, and Christian theology to treat them as distinct layers of human experience. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Jung separated the two concepts based on specific structural boundaries, psychological functions, and principles of energy:

1. Scope: The Container vs. The Dynamic Content

• The Psyche (The Totality): For Jung, the psyche is the entirety of all psychic processes. It is the ultimate container that encompasses everything—including the conscious ego, the personal unconscious, and the collective unconscious. The psyche represents the total human personality. [5, 6, 7]
  
  
• The Pneuma (The Autonomous Force): In contrast, pneuma is not the whole system, but an autonomous, dynamic force within the psyche. Jung viewed pneuma as an objective, empirical phenomenon—a burst of spiritual energy or a spark of the divine that breaks into human consciousness from the deepest layers of the collective unconscious. [3, 8]
  
  

2. Archetypal Principles: Eros vs. Logos

Jung mapped pneuma and psyche to the ancient polarities of cosmic principles: [1]

• Psyche as Eros (Soul/Yin): Jung often associated the soul (psyche or anima) with the principle of Eros—the feminine, receptive, relational, and connective tissue of life. It is bound up with emotion, subjectivity, and biological vitality. [1, 9, 10, 11]
  
  
• Pneuma as Logos (Spirit/Yang): Jung aligned pneuma (or animus) with Logos—the masculine, generative, discriminating principle of intellect, law, meaning, and higher consciousness. Pneuma provides the "word," the framework, and the overarching meaning that structures the chaotic emotional landscape of the soul. [1, 9, 11]
  
  

3. The Tripartite Hierarchy of the Self

Adapting early Gnostic systems, Jung visualized the human constitution as a vertical spectrum where the psyche mediates between the physical and the spiritual world:

• Hyle (Matter): The lowest level; the physical body and biological instincts.
  
  
• Psyche (Soul): The middle tier; the psychological sphere, individual ego, personal memories, and emotional complexes.
  
  
• Pneuma (Spirit): The highest, most transcendent tier; the overarching spiritual reality that holds universal truth and guides human transformation. [7, 8, 12]
  
  

Summary of Differences

Feature	Psyche (Soul / Mind)	Pneuma (Spirit)
Nature	The entire system of human consciousness and unconsciousness.	An autonomous force or spark that activates the system.
Core Principle	Eros (Connection, relationship, emotion, biological animation).	Logos (Meaning, intellect, dynamic will, divine inspiration).
Source	Rooted in both personal history and human biology.	Rooted in the transcendent, transpersonal collective unconscious.
Function	To experience, adapt, and process everyday life.	To inspire, provide revelation, and force deep inner transformation.

Ultimately, Jung argued that a psychologically healthy individual cannot ignore either. The goal of individuation (becoming a whole self) requires the conscious ego to bridge the raw, biological vitality of the psyche with the transcendent, orienting meaning of the pneuma. [2, 7]

[1] https://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com

[2] https://www.quora.com

[3] https://forskning.ruc.dk

[4] https://www.marxists.org

[5] https://en.wikipedia.org

[6] https://www.ebsco.com

[7] https://www.youtube.com

[8] https://www.researchgate.net

[9] https://en.wikipedia.org

[10] https://www.quora.com

[11] https://www.youtube.com

[12] https://www.psychologistworld.com

In Jungian dream work, pneuma (spirit) manifests not as an abstract theological concept, but as a vivid, autonomous force that breaks into the dreamer's awareness to challenge, correct, or drastically shift a stagnant conscious attitude. [1, 2]

Because Jung understood the core nature of the unconscious as inherently symbolic and personified, the transcendent energy of the pneuma translates into specific, highly recognizable dream motifs: [3]

1. Archetypal Figures of Wisdom (Logos Personified)

When the spiritual force of the pneuma speaks to the dreamer, it often takes the form of personified archetypes representing absolute, objective insight. [4]

• The Wise Old Man: A mentor, a philosopher, a dynamic spiritual master, a priest, or a cosmic guide. This figure speaks in universal truths, providing the dreamer with sudden revelations or answers that they could never have reasoned out with their waking intellect. [1, 3, 4]
  
  
• The Animus (The Inner Masculine in a Woman): In a woman’s psyche, the animus is often the direct psychological messenger of the pneuma. He may appear as a brilliant thinker, a guide leading her to a mountaintop, or an inner voice offering sharp, logical, and illuminating truths that challenge her emotional stagnation. [5]
  
  

2. The Dynamic Elements: Air, Wind, and Breath

Because the literal Greek translation of pneuma is "breath" or "wind", the collective unconscious frequently uses these raw physical elements as metaphors for the invisible movement of the spirit. [4, 6]

• Storms and Hurricanes: A sudden, violent storm in a dream that sweeps away old buildings or shifts the landscape symbolizes the pneuma forcefully tearing down a rigid, outdated ego structure.
  
  
• The Breath of Life: Dreams of deep respiration, being given artificial respiration by a divine figure, or a sudden gust of fresh, clear alpine air breathing life into a dying room or object symbolize spiritual rejuvenation. [6]
  
  

3. Light and Vertical Movement

As the "highest tier" of Jung's tripartite structure of the psyche, pneuma is almost always associated with the upper celestial realm and sudden illumination.

• Ascent Motifs: Flying upward, climbing an impossible mountain peak, or taking an elevator into the clouds all indicate the ego being pulled out of the murky, instinctual layer of the body (hyle) into a place of higher spiritual perspective (pneuma).
  
  
• Illumination: Spotlights, a brilliant sun breaking through heavy clouds, a burning bush, or an all-encompassing golden light indicate that a spiritual truth is being revealed to the dreamer.
  
  

4. The Self and Mandalas (The Divine Geometry)

When the pneuma acts to unify the entire human personality, it produces the most sacred symbols of the collective unconscious: [4]

• Geometric Wholeness: Dreams featuring complex, radiant circles, squares, or fourfold geometric shapes—what Jung called mandalas—represent the pneuma creating cosmic order out of psychological chaos.
  
  
• The Divine Child: A motif representing new, untainted spiritual potential born out of absolute darkness. [4]
  
  

How it Functions: The Compensatory Principle

Jung noted that pneuma manifests most aggressively in the dreams of people whose waking lives are either dangerously materialistic or deeply chaotic. If an individual is overly consumed by physical cravings, status, or biological impulses, the pneuma will break into a dream—perhaps as a terrifying storm or an authoritative guide—to force the ego to look upward and re-establish the psyche’s natural equilibrium. [1, 2]

[1] https://www.youtube.com

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org

[3] https://www.youtube.com

[4] https://somniary.com

[5] https://en.wikipedia.org

[6] https://forskning.ruc.dk

The Spiritual Hierarchy

 This follows on from the previous post The Journey of the First Soul. 

Gemini asked me: 

Would you like to explore how the First Soul, upon attaining God-Realization, established the eternal "Spiritual Hierarchy" and the role of the Avatar to guide subsequent souls?

I said I would and here was Gemini's response:

The First Soul and the Origin of the Divine Plan

When the First Soul (also referred to as Adi Purush, Adam, or the Ancient One) completed His direct, unencumbered journey through evolution and involution, He became the very first drop-soul to achieve God-Realization independently on the seventh plane (Ars-e-Maula or Vishnu Pad).

Unlike souls who might remain solely absorbed in divine bliss (Majzoobs or Brahmi-Bhoots), the First Soul simultaneously gained complete, direct consciousness of all Creation. Realizing that millions of other drop-souls remained trapped in the illusion of separateness, He felt infinite compassion and laid out the Divine Plan [cite: 583, 590, 602]. To execute this plan, He established the Spiritual Hierarchy—the permanent, universal administrative structure designed to guide all subsequent souls through the maze of illusion back to God-Realization.

The Structure of the Spiritual Hierarchy

According to Meher Baba, the Spiritual Hierarchy operates continuously on Earth:

The 56 God-Realized Souls: At all times and in all ages, there are exactly 56 God-Realized human beings (Shiv-Atmas) living on Earth.

The Five Perfect Masters (Qutubs or Sadgurus): Out of these 56, exactly five souls hold the active governing offices of the Five Perfect Masters. They control the movements of the universe, maintain the cosmic balance, and guide pilgrims through the inner subtle and mental planes [cite: 17, 60, 136, 517, 595]. One of these five acts as the Qutub-e-Irshad, the head of the universal administration.

The Unique Status and Return of the Avatar

The First Soul, by virtue of being the first to achieve God-Realization, established the eternal office of the Avatar (the God-Man, Christ, Messiah, or Prophet):

Man Become God vs. God Become Man: A Perfect Master is an ordinary human soul who progressed through evolution, reincarnation, and involution to become God (Man become God) [cite: 137, 138, 400, 425]. In contrast, the Avatar is God directly descending into human form (God become Man) without undergoing evolution or reincarnation.

The Avataric Advent: Every 700 to 1400 years, when spiritual decline reaches its lowest point and materialism reigns, the Five Perfect Masters conjointly precipitate the direct descent of the Avatar into human form.

The Veil of Vidnyani Sanskaras: To allow the Avatar to function in a human body, the Five Perfect Masters place a temporary veil (vidnyani veil) over His infinite consciousness at birth. At the designated moment in His life, the Perfect Masters rend this veil, awakening Him to His divine Avataric identity and handing over the sole charge of the universe into His hands.

Guiding Subsequent Souls & The Avataric Circle

Because subsequent souls carry a heavy burden of accumulated, unnatural sanskaras, they cannot cross the inner spiritual planes or the final abyss between the sixth and seventh planes by independent effort; they strictly require the grace and direct help of a Perfect Master or the Avatar.

The Universal Push: When the Avatar manifests on Earth, His physical actions release immense spiritual forces across all planes, giving a simultaneous "Universal Push" to all animate and inanimate creation, accelerating the evolution and involution of consciousness everywhere.

The Eternal Avataric Circle: In every advent, the Avatar brings with Him His permanent Inner Circle of 12 men and 2 women (a total of 14 offices), alongside outer circles totaling 122 members. While the specific human personalities change in each age, the 14 specific cosmic offices/roles (such as the roles filled by Peter or Judas in the time of Jesus) remain identical across all Avataric advents. All members of the Avatar's Inner Circle attain God-Realization during or shortly after the Avatar's life on Earth.

The Journey of the First Soul

 Using my Meher Baba notebook, I asked Gemini the following question:

Can you summarise what Meher Baba said about the differences the first person’s reaching the seventh plane of consciousness made to the attempts of subsequent aspirants wishing to attain this state.

This was the response:

Meher Baba explained that the journey of the very first soul to attain the seventh plane of consciousness was fundamentally different from the path of all subsequent spiritual seekers in its speed, ease, and requirement for external guidance.

The Journey of the First Soul

• The "First Soul" or "First Pilgrim" navigated the evolutionary kingdoms in just seventy-seven forms and progressed through the seven planes of involution very easily.

• His journey was significantly quicker than that of any subsequent soul because He lacked a heavy burden of accumulated impressions, or sanskaras.

• When facing the vast abyss between the sixth and seventh planes, He transcended His own mind and crossed over completely independently, without any external help.

• This First Soul instantaneously passed from Majzoobiyat (a God-merged state) to Qutubiyat (Perfect Masterhood).

• By doing so, He established Himself as the Personal God—the "Nameless Ancient One"—and was the first to occupy the eternal throne in the seventh heaven.

The Challenge for Subsequent Aspirants

• Unlike the First Soul, subsequent seekers accumulate innumerable sanskaras during their long evolutionary process, forcing them into a slow, zigzagging cycle of reincarnation to wear these impressions down.

• Because of these dense impressions, their progress through the inner planes is fraught with the risk of becoming enchanted or trapped by the ecstatic experiences of the subtle and mental heavens.

• It is entirely impossible for later aspirants to cross the deep abyss separating the sixth and seventh planes through their own independent efforts.

• To attain the seventh plane and achieve God-realization, subsequent souls absolutely require the direct grace, touch, or guidance of a Perfect Master (Sadguru) who has already realized the ultimate truth and can pull them across the final threshold.

The figure of 77 forms for the first soul prompted me go directly to the notebook and ask the following:

"The "First Soul" or "First Pilgrim" navigated the evolutionary kingdoms in just seventy-seven forms and progressed through the seven planes of involution very easily." I find this confusing as normally 500 million forms are required. The number 77 seems preposterous. Can you clarify my confusion.

Here was the response:

The contrast between the 77 forms taken by the First Soul and the millions of forms and lifetimes required for all subsequent souls is one of the most unique aspects of Meher Baba's cosmology.

1. The Journey of the "First Soul" (The First Pilgrim)

According to Meher Baba, the First Soul (also referred to as the First Drop, Adam, or the Ancient One) was the very first individual drop-soul to emerge from the unconscious state of God at the OM Point when the original Whim ("Who am I?") arose.

• Only Natural Sanskaras: When creation first emerged, there were no accumulated "unnatural" sanskaras—such as complex desires, lust, greed, or binding psychological attachments. The First Soul gathered only the bare minimum of natural sanskaras strictly necessary to unfold consciousness.
  
  
• A Direct 77-Form Evolution: Because His journey was completely pristine and unencumbered by unnatural impressions, He did not need to branch off into millions of sub-species or repeat evolutionary forms. He moved smoothly and directly through key archetypal stages—the First Stone, First Metal, First Plant, First Worm, First Insect, First Reptile, First Fish, First Bird, First Animal, and into the First Man—taking exactly 77 major forms in total.
  
  
• Independent Realization: During involution, because He had no dense web of desires entangling Him in the inner heavens, He traversed the seven planes effortlessly. When He reached the vast abyss between the sixth and seventh planes, He transcended His own mind completely independently—without any external help—becoming the first God-Conscious human being.
  
  

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2. Why Subsequent Souls Require Millions of Forms

For every soul (jeevatma) that follows the First Soul, the process is radically different:

• Accumulation of Unnatural Sanskaras: As creation develops, subsequent souls accumulate dense, complex, and unnatural sanskaras through their experiences and desires in illusion.
  
  
• 50.4 Million Evolutionary Forms & 8.4 Million Species: To develop full consciousness and wear out these impressions across the seven evolutionary kingdoms (stone, metal, vegetable, worm, fish, bird, animal), subsequent souls must pass through approximately 8.4 million species (or 50.4 million total sub-human forms).
  
  
• 8.4 Million Human Reincarnations: Once human form is attained, the soul is caught in a cycle of 8.4 million human births and deaths (reincarnations) to balance and thin out its accumulated impressions before involution can begin.
  
  
• Need for a Perfect Master: Because of their heavy sanskaric burden, subsequent souls cannot cross the spiritual planes or the final abyss on their own; they strictly require the direct grace and intervention of a Perfect Master or the Avatar.

In short, 77 forms applied exclusively to the First Soul because His journey was 100% natural, direct, and free of unnatural sanskaras. For all souls following Him, the web of accumulated impressions expands the journey into millions of forms and reincarnations.

God and Ego

For some reason I was reminded of the equation:$$ \text {GOD}=\frac{1}{\text { EGO}} $$It's an effective way of communicating a spiritual truth to someone with some mathematical or scientific understanding. As Meher Baba said:

The less you think of yourself and the more you think of Baba, the sooner the ego goes and Baba remains. When you - ego - go away entirely, I am One with you. So bit by bit, you have to go.

Here is what Gemini had to say about the equation.

The equation GOD = 1/EGO is a spiritual metaphor meaning that God and the ego have an inverse relationship, where as one increases, the other disappears. 

The Inverse Relationship

• Opposite forces: You cannot be full of your own self-importance and fully aware of the divine at the same time.
• Growing the ego: When your ego goes up toward infinity, your connection to God approaches zero.
• Surrendering the ego: When your ego drops toward zero through humility, your experience of God approaches infinity. 

What the Ego Means

• Separation: The ego makes you feel like a separate, isolated creature fighting for survival and status.
• Edging God out: It traps your identity in your body, possessions, and reputation.
• Blindness: A loud ego blocks you from feeling love, peace, and unity with others. 

What God Means

• The infinite whole: God represents the universal reality and unconditional love that exists beyond human pride.
• What remains: God is what you experience when you finally let go of the illusion of your separate, fragile self. 

There are many variations on this theme:

You Alone Exist

I've copied the following from the Avatar Meher Baba Bombay Centre's daily email so that it can be easily located:

(Sept. 1962) . . . Bhau was translating some of the discourses into Hindi. One day, Baba handed him the manuscript and gestured, “I want you to translate this into Hindi and make it interesting [for the Hindi speaking people].”

Bhau said, “If it is interesting in English, naturally it will be interesting in Hindi.”

Baba replied, “That I don’t know. I want you to make it interesting and the language should be simple.”

Bhau thought over what Baba had said. It occurred to him to put the whole book in dialogue form, and he completed one discourse in this style. He read it to Baba, who was pleased and complimented him, “Yes, this is what I meant.”

Baba also suggested songs should be included, and mentioned there should be a prayer, too. Bhau remembered that back in 1959 Baba had given him a special couplet in Hindi: He found the couplet, made it the first couplet of the ghazal, and composed eleven more to go with it.

The next evening when he went for watch, Baba asked, “Did you compose the prayer?” and hearing that he had, Baba asked Bhau to read it to him. Baba was pleased, but stated the prayer should be longer. Baba was in a very good mood that day and, drumming his thighs with his fists in rhythm to the lines, he began composing new couplets, which Bhau wrote down. Sitting on his bed, Baba dictated seventeen more couplets, and thus, the poetic prayer Tumi Tau Ho (God, You Alone Exist) came into being. In a later period, Meher Baba stated that one day this prayer would be recited by people in their homes throughout the world. The following is the entire prayer. (1) 

YOU ALONE EXIST

 

O priceless treasure of Knowledge!

You are within and without, and You are the Ocean of Mercy.

You are in all the worlds; You are the Ocean of attributes!

O Meher, God-Incarnate, You alone exist!

You are Yezdan. You are Ezad.

You are Allah and Ishwar.

You are Ram and You are Buddha.

You are Beloved Lord Krishna,

Who with one finger lifted the mountain; You alone exist!

You are the Beyond God and the Beyond-Beyond God also.

O Ocean of Kindness, You alone exist.

You are Muhammad, You are Perfection Personified.

You are Knowledge Itself, and You alone exist. 

You live in everyone and You are everyone.

O Beloved, You are the Enlightened One, and You alone exist.

You are with attributes and without attributes!

You are the sole player in the divine game. You alone exist.

You are matchless, the Only One!

You reside in every heart, and You alone exist.

You are eternally motionless, and immovable is Your abode.

You are the Highest, for You alone exist.

You are the Doer, the deed, and the cause of doing!

The sustainer You are, and the Master of Masters.

You alone exist.

You are the seeker, the worship and the sadhana. (2)

O Meher, God-Incarnate, You alone exist!

You are in front and behind, You are above and below,

O Lord, You live in every house, and You alone exist.

You are beyond Beyond, yet You remain within everyone.

You are All-Pervading, and You alone exist.

You are in each neighborhood. You are the Sustainer.

You Yourself are all worlds, and You alone exist.

Everywhere, whether above or below,

You are complete; You alone exist.

You are unseen, yet seen also.

You live in everyone forgiving each his sins. You alone exist.

There is no one without You!

You are manifesting and unmanifest, as You alone exist.

You are man. You are birds.

You are fish and animals, for You alone exist.

You are bugs and gnats, You are snakes and scorpions,

You are ants and mosquitoes, for You alone exist.

You are insects. You are lice.

You are dogs, asses and pigs. You alone exist.

You are deer and elephants;

You are cats and monkeys; You alone exist.

You are the moon and the stars, the dawn and the night,

and the sun and also the light. You alone exist.

You are wind and water,

and the animals of the water; You alone exist.

You are silver and gold, You are copper and iron,

You are brass and stone; You alone exist.

You are tea and coffee, and the sugar also; You alone exist.

You are paper and the book,

You are the school and office; You alone exist.

You are pen and ink and You are the gifted writer. You alone exist.

You are the door and window.

You are the marble floor; You alone exist.

You are the medicine and the disease

and the Doctor also; You alone exist.

You are the game and the Player,

and the spectator also; You alone exist.

You are the flower and the thorn,

and You are the fragrance. You alone exist.

You are the Singer. You are the musical instrument.

You are the sweet tunes, for You alone exist.

You are the Prayer and the words of the prayer.

You are the forces of evil and the powers of light. You alone exist.

You are the soldier, the army, and the Supreme General.

You alone exist.

You are the Sailor, the ship, and the wide Ocean;

You alone exist!

You are the storm’s turbulence and the tranquil waters.

You are the pearl and You are the shell. You alone exist.

You are the shore, the Ferryman, and the sea also, 

for You alone exist.

You are the Beggar, the giver, and the charity; You alone exist.

You are the slave and the Lord;

You are the Beyond God. You are God. You alone exist.

You are Mother and Father;

You are Master, brother and friend.

You are family and relatives; You alone exist.

There is no one besides You!

Eternally You are, for You alone exist!

You are Pran (3) and You are heart.

You are also the Beloved of the heart; You alone exist.

You are the Beloved and the Lover,

and You are the nectar of Love, as You alone exist!

You are breath and life itself.

Our minds are enthralled by Your beauty! For You alone exist!

You are the house. You are the inhabitants

and the bricks and furnishings. You alone exist.

You are the Worshipper, his worship,

and the One worshipped, as You alone exist.

You are Consciousness and the Way to Consciousness!

O Meher, God-Incarnate, You alone exist!

You are Khwaja, (4) You are Qutub!

You are Pir and Qalandar! (5) You alone exist.

You are Hafiz, You are Sanai! (6)

You are Dara and Alexander! (7) You alone exist. 

You are Jesus Christ! You are Elahi!

You are the Ocean, infinite and pure; You alone exist.

You are the Koran and the One who prays!

You are Vali, (8) and You are the Messenger; You alone exist.

You are the Beginning, and You are the End.

You are also beyond the Beginning and beyond the End.

You alone exist.

You are infinitely beautiful and infinitely close!

O Meher, God-Incarnate, You alone exist!

You are Brahma and You are Vishnu;

You are the guileless Shankar. (9) You alone exist!

Bhau says, “O Beloved Meher, You are The Word

and You are The Letter! You alone exist!”

 

1. This prayer was first printed in its entirety as part of the introduction to The Nothing and the Everything by Bhau Kalchuri, which was his first book published in English written under Meher Baba’s direction, 1982.
   
   
2. Sadhana is a yogic spiritual practice or discipline. Refer to Meher Baba’s Discourses.
   
   
3. A Sanskrit word, Pran is the original underlying Force or Energy in the universe, as the original Space is called Akash. Refer to The Nothing and the Everything, pages 32-34, regarding the original conflict between Pran and Akash causing the beginning of creation or Matter.
   
   
4. Khwaja, meaning Lord, may refer to the Persian Perfect Master Khwajah Khizr, who is a legendary figure who discovered and drank the water of life and became immortal, and from time immemorial presides over the well of immortality.
   
   
5. Khizr is a divine post of a Perfect Master who bestows Realization and Perfection upon a man who has no physical connection with a living Perfect Master. In such instances, Khizr takes a physical form and bestows his divine grace of Perfect Masterhood. Two known instances when Khizr intervened was the perfecting of Francis of Assisi and Narayan Maharaj of Kedgaon.
   
   
6. Qalandar, literally meaning freespirited in Persian, is a Muslim ascetic or monk who gives up all possessions and wanders in the world.
   
   
7. Sanai was a Persian Sufi Perfect Master and renowned poet of Shiraz, Iran, author of Hadiqatul Haqiqat — Garden of Truth. Died 1131.
   
   
8. Alexander refers to the Greek conqueror of Persia, Alexander the Great, king of Macedon, (356 B.C.-323 B.C.) 
   
   
9. In Arabic, a Vali or Wali-Allah means a Friend of God, a fifth plane mental conscious pilgrim who is said to speak with God, or hear the voice of God. In Vedanta, a man of the fifth plane is called Shiv. In Sanskrit and ancient Hindu mythology, Vali was the name of a king who was punished by God (Vishnu) in his incarnation as Vamana (the Dwarf), for his excessive charity and condemned to rule over the nether world. The name Vali was also of a monkey chieftain mentioned in the epic Ramayana. He was killed by Ram.Shankar is another name for Shiva; in Hindu mythology, the First Man. Shankar is also the abbreviated name for the Vedic philosopher, Sankaracharya (788-820).

Lord Meher, Original Publication, Bhau Kalchuri, Vol. 18, pp. 5932 – 5935