ER UCH, continued from page 8 is not allowed. So the pilgrim may ask, "What is this? Is Meher Baba not there where smoking is allowed?" There are many people who would have such thoughts. So what I am saying is that those who are responsible for making the rules cannot expect to remain happy. There are bound to be such criticisms. But the responsible ones should rise above
"...those who are responsible for making the rules cannot expect to remain happy." these things; they should not brood and feel hurt about the remarks that are passed against them. That is why they are meant to sit on the seat of responsibility, because they are above criticism. But this does not mean that those who sit on the seat of responsibility are above criticism and that no one should criticize them. What I mean is that criticism should not affect them. So when a person is responsible and true, and out of love for the Cause of Beloved Baba formulates rules as guidance to the pilgrim, he should expect a lot of criticism but he should not be affected by this criticism. He should make himself above criticism. (Part-two of this interview will appear in the next issue ofthe LoveStreet LampPost)
IIFor the celibate as well as for the married person the path of inner life is the same. When the aspirant is drawn by the Truth he longs for nothing else, and as the Truth increasingly comes within his ken, he gradually disburdens himself of craving." AVATAR MEHER BABA 10
PROBLEM?, continuedfrom page 9 out having the consequences. That's a rationalization, but I don't say Baba approved of that. There's a difference between trying to obey Baba, and disobeying Baba and saying, "That's okay with Baba," or, "To disobey is okay with Baba because what He said is just a goal, but I'm not going to obey Him, I'm going to do this other thing. And I'm not going to say I'm failing. I'm going to say 'this is okay, too!' or, 'Baba approves of this because He loves me.'" That's not right! It's one thing to say, "I'm disobeying Baba, and I don't care." It doesn't please Baba to disobey Him. That's a personal point in your relationship with God-whether you care to please Him... how far you're willing to go to please Him. But often this stuff is the first step in eventually phasing out all of His requirements that we live in a certain way. And before you know it, we're just living like everyone else in the world; and we're doing what everyone else is doing; and we're just as nonchalant as everyone else; and then you look down and there's no more daaman in your hands. There's a few threads under your nails, but the daaman is gone. Baba's gone. It's rough. But these rationalizations about Baba approving of sex outside of marriage, or approving of birth control is absolutely... That's not why Baba came down here. He came to uplift everybody as human beings; and to move us away from our desires, our cravings, away from acting out our lower selves. Not to approve of it on a worldly level." (male. mid-fifties, married) "I'm willing to be celibate for the rest of my life. I really don't know what women want these days. I have a great diffIculty with relationships. Celibacy is less complicated. The marriage thing has been burnt out of me. You'd better do what Baba says to do, or you're playing with fire. And you will get burnt, either with AIDS, or a child out of wedlock, or amazingly difficult personal relationships. Baba's not fooling; He's not somebody to play with or to rationalize with. We've had our day of asserting ourselves, of saying, "Oh, that's for Easterners to live up to; us Westerners can't do it." Like it or not, one way or another, you're going to be forced to deal with it. Baba says sex is a "given" in duality, one of the things in life that has to be dealt with." (male, mid-forties, single parent in custody hanleY
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