Modern life does not conceive of silence as a possibility. From the moment you leave, you face the car horns, the shouts of the public transport workers, the phone calls. Meetings for work, study or social entertainment, all wrapped in a confusing atmosphere of diverse sounds that have become part of life. A moment without speaking is, nowadays, practically a luxury, something reserved for masses, wakes or for the famous "minutes of silence" that are usually requested in ceremonies or massive shows, to pay tribute to someone who is no longer is among us (even the latter is little respected and, before 60 seconds are up, people inevitably start talking and making noises). But there was one man who defied this human need to speak out and kept a vow of silence, for strictly spiritual reasons. We refer to the Indian-born mystic Meher Baba. Let's know the history of it:
Meher Baba's biography begins in Poona, India, on February 25, 1894. Little Merwan Sheriar Irani was raised in the Zoroastrian religious tradition. His parents also had a great interest in Islamic esotericism.
As a young man he attended a Christian school. Later, when he studied at Deccan College in Poona, he cycled past the home of a celebrated Muslim mystic, Hazrat Babajan. Unexpectedly, she beckoned the boy to her and, when she was before him, she kissed him on the forehead. This sign of choice plunged young Merwan into an indescribable state of stupor. He decided to turn to Hinduism and successively became a disciple of Sai Baba (of Shirdi) and Upasni Maharaj (of Sakori). Both teachers perceived that Merwan was nothing but the Avatar of the age, that is, the new receptacle of divinity.
In the Hindu religion, the superior God Vishnu regularly descends to earth to preserve the stability of the universe. Hindus thus consider Rama, Krishna, and even Buddha as Avatars, that is, human incarnations of the God Vishnu.
For the two Indian masters of the early 20th century, the new Avatar is none other than Merwan. In 1921, Upasni Maharaj considered that the young man was ready to carry out his avataric mission. From that moment on, the new teacher changes his name and becomes Meher Baba, which means “compassionate father”.
Starting in 1923, the cult organized and acquired an abandoned military camp dating from the First World War that became the world center of the “Baba Lovers”:Meherabad. A free school, a hospital, a dispensary and shelters for the poor were installed there.
From July 10 until his death in 1969, Meher Baba did not say a word. He first began to communicate using an alphabet tablet and later, with particular hand gestures, which were interpreted and translated into words by his mandali (group of disciples). Meher Baba said that his silence should not be taken as a spiritual exercise available to all, but was only a connection with his universal work
On several occasions, Meher Baba promised to break his silence by uttering a single word before he died, he even used to say exactly when and where that would happen, but according to all existing versions, he was in silence until his death. Many of his followers were disappointed at this broken promise, though others saw it as a test of faith.
For years, Baba asked his followers to commemorate his vow of silence every July 10 by practicing austerity, fasting and prayer. On his last July 10, he just asked his followers to keep quiet. To this day, many of his followers celebrate the Day of Silence in his honor.
Baba's travels and teachings left a legacy of followers and devotees around the world. Although Baba participated in large public gatherings, he did not agree with evangelizing:"I do not need any propaganda or publicity". Instead, he urged those who followed him to live his life as a message of love and truth to others and to spread his message of love and truth far and wide.
In the wake of the hippie movement and Flower Power, a large number of rebellious young students worshiped the “Indian messiah”. His adherence to the cult was very attractive because there were no demands, payments or repression of behavior. Baba has hundreds of thousands of followers in India. In the United States, in 1971 there were seven thousand disciples.
His influence on popular culture is wide-ranging, particularly in the world of contemporary popular music. For example, the English guitarist, singer and songwriter Pete Townshend, leader of the rock group The Who, composed the song Baba O'Riley in 1971. , combining the name of Meher Baba with that of Terry Riley, one of his musical influences. Also, in 1988, the American artist Bobby McFerrin released his well-known hit Don't worry be happy (Don't worry, be happy) , whose title is a famous phrase of the mystic.