Do You Believe Baba’s Final Declaration?
On November 6, 1954, after visiting with the saint Gadge Maharaj in Pandharpur, Meher Baba was gathered with some of his lovers when the following discussion arose.
Source: The Awakener Magazine, vol. 2, no. 4 (Spring 1955 ), pp. 8-9
. . . Continuing his silent conversation with the group sitting before him, [Baba] conveyed that they must remember one thing and that was, that all he had declared in his Final Declaration [Sept. 30, 1954] would certainly come to pass without fail. Here Baba enumerated the main points of his declaration, and added that he wanted his lovers to tell others all he had declared, and to spread his message of Love far and wide.
One of them then remarked, “Baba, when we speak about the destruction of three-fourths of the world, the rich and the intellectuals ridicule us, whereas the poor believe and say emphatically the world will be destroyed.”
Baba was greatly amused at this and said through gestures that this intimation brought a sort of relief to the poor and oppressed, in the hope and belief that such destruction in the world would automatically destroy with it their own suffering and poverty. They believed it, not because it came from Baba, but because this circumstance perforce invited such a situation to abet their own selfish motive of relief from them. Baba added that it was only natural for the rich and the intellectuals to ridicule — it was not their fault. “When you, who love Baba and have had such close contact with him, do not understand Baba’s Final Declaration, then it is absurd to expect others to understand or believe it.”
Baba then pointed towards the Mandali present and asked each in turn to say truthfully whether he believed what Baba had said about the destruction of the world, about his humiliation and about his death. A number of them frankly admitted that their minds balked at the fact of such things happening now, and found them impossible to believe.
Baba then explained that it was but natural that even his lovers could not believe such things could happen and in a short period, because no one had yet grasped what he had said. Only he knew that whatever he had said in Meherabad was nothing but Truth. And, Baba continued seriously, “Your GOD knows what BABA says, because it was HE who spoke in the meetings.”
Baba again advised the Mandali and his lovers present that though they might not understand, they should try and believe in his words, for everything he had declared would come to pass as he had precisely declared in the Meeting at Meherabad; and that all his lovers must make it a point to convey this to others without fear or hesitation.
At this someone said, “Baba, we have no fear for ourselves, but we hesitate to tell others or the public all that you have said, for if these things fail to come to pass by the end of April then the reflection will fall on our dear Baba. For us, it matters very little whether anything you say comes true or not because we love you deeply and have faith in you.” Baba was so much amused by this statement that he could not help laughing. His reply was that if one has the daring to say to others what Baba had declared, then it must be said with confidence and not in desperation. But that if through lack of daring or confidence on one’s part one said this in desperation because Baba wanted one to, then it was better to remain silent.