Despite Baba’s having avoided being filmed upon his arrival in London, the Paramount Film Company would not leave him alone, and he eventually acceded to their request for a filmed interview. A film of Baba was taken on April 8th (1932) from 5 to 6 P.M. in the garden of the Davys’ home. Baba wore a white robe, which had been sewn by his American lovers at Harmon, New York, and given to him during his visit there the past November. During the filming, Baba gave a message while Charles Purdom sat next to him and read his dictation from the alphabet board. Purdom had to read it out three times. As the film was being taken, Baba’s brothers Beheram and Adi Jr. played the sitar and harmonium in the background.
Meher Baba’s message for the Paramount Newsreel was as follows:
My coming to the West is not with the object of establishing new creeds and spiritual societies and organizations, but it is intended to make people understand religion in its true sense. True religion consists in developing that attitude of mind, which would ultimately result in seeing one Infinite Existence prevailing throughout the universe; when one could live in the world and yet be not of it, and at the same time, be in harmony with everyone and everything; when one could attend to all worldly duties and affairs, and yet feel completely detached from all their results; when one could see the same divinity in art and science, and experience the highest consciousness and indivisible bliss in everyday life.
I see the structure of all the great and recognized religions and creeds of the world tottering. The West particularly is more inclined toward the material side of things, which has from untold ages brought in its wake wars, pestilence and financial crises. It should not be understood that I discard and hate materialism. I mean that materialism should not be considered an end in itself, but a means to an end.
Organized efforts, such as the League of Nations, are being made to solve the world’s problems and bring about the millennium. In some parts of the West, particularly in America, intellectual understanding of Truth and Reality is attempted, but without the true spirit of religion. It is all like groping in the dark.
I intend bringing together all religions and cults like beads on one string and revitalize them for individual and collective needs. This is my mission to the West. The peace and harmony that I shall talk of and that will settle on the face of this worried world is not far off.
Meher Baba’s message was publicized in all corners of the world through the Paramount Newsreel. As it was shown in movie theaters, many people came to know about him.
Lord Meher, Bhau Kalchuri, Original Publication, Vol. 5, pp. 1553 – 1554.