A special message from Baba, dictated by him on July 7th, (1952) had been posted on a bulletin board. Jeanne Shaw had been assigned the duty of requiring everyone to read it. It read:
I am equally approachable to one and all, big and small.
To saints who rise and to sinners who fall,
Through all the various Paths that give the Divine Call.
I am approachable alike to saint whom I adore
And to sinner whom I am for,
And equally through Sufism, Vedantism, Christianity,
Or Zoroastrianism and Buddhism, and other “isms”
Of any kind and also directly through no medium of “isms” at all.
Baba later explained his message:
This poster must have made it very clear to all that I can be directly or indirectly approached. That means through different “isms,” sects and different formations; or personally by direct contact; or in the Indian term “sahavas,” which means literally physical nearness and service. But today we are concerned with Sufism, so I will not go into details about the direct approach, but can tell those who are in personal contact through love or service that I can be realized by their direct approach.
If you take Baba to be perfect and one with God, Baba is then the Ocean and these different paths – Sufism, Vedanta, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Jainism and Christianity – are as rivers to the Ocean. But now the time has arrived and a period has arrived when these rivers have more or less become dry. Those who follow these different paths do it only in form. More importance is given to ceremonies and practices, but the real purpose is lost sight of.
Vedanta, which is based on unity and assertion, finds its goal in the “Aham Brahmasmi,” (“I Am God”) state. Buddhism, which is based on good living, finds its goal in Nirvana. Zoroastrianism, which is based on pure thoughts, pure words and pure deeds, has its goal in Ahuramazda. Christianity, which is based especially on Christian mysticism, has its goal in becoming one with the Father. And Sufism, which is based on love, ends in fana and baqa, the annihilation and the becoming. And the different yogas – bhakti yoga, dnyan yoga, karma yoga and raja yoga – have their endings in Nirvikalpa samadhi.
All these ends mean becoming One with God, and living the life of God – in short, deification.
But, as I say, the time is such that these rivers have gone dry and so the Ocean itself has to go out and flood these rivers. So it is now time for me to reorient these different “isms” which end in one God.
I intend to make one unique charter regarding this reoriented Sufism and send it to Ivy Duce from India in November, with my signature, and entrust the American Sufism work to her. This charter will have an entirely new aspect but not lose its originality.
In the same way I intend to reorient the different “isms” and entrust the work to responsible workers and worthy persons. Now when I send the charter and constitution, and the instructions, it will be applicable to the whole Sufi world – and will, by God’s grace, be lasting in its effect and influence.
I give you all my love, including all of those who could not be present here.
Lord Meher, Bhau Kalchuri, Original Publication, Vol. 11, pp. 3872 – 3873.