God to Man and Man to God: the Discourses of Meher Baba; edited by C.B. Purdom

Royal octavo in xv, 287 pages; 22 cm; index. Uncommon. "Meher Baba (born Merwan Sheriar Irani; 1894 ? 1969) was an Indian spiritual master who said he was the Avatar, or God in human form, of the age. A major spiritual figure of the 20th century, he had a following of hundreds of thousands of people, mostly in India, but with a significant number in the United States, Europe and Australia. Meher Baba's map of consciousness has been described as "a unique amalgam of Sufi, Vedic, and Yogic terminology". He taught that the goal of all beings was to gain consciousness of their own divinity, and to realise the absolute oneness of God. At the age of 19, Meher Baba began a seven-year period of spiritual transformation, during which he had encounters with Hazrat Babajan, Upasni Maharaj, Sai Baba of Shirdi, Tajuddin Baba, and Narayan Maharaj. In 1925, he began a 44-year period of silence, during which he communicated first using an alphabet board, and by 1954, entirely through hand gestures using an interpreter. He died in 1969, and was buried in Meherabad. His tomb has become a place of pilgrimage for his followers, often known as "Baba lovers". Meher Baba's teachings concerned the nature and purpose of life. He described the phenomenal world as illusory, and taught that the Universe is imagination. He taught that God alone exists, and each soul is God passing through imagination in order to realize its own divinity. He advised followers wishing to attain God-realization, emphasizing love and selfless-service to others. His other teachings included discussion of Perfect Masters, the Avatar, and those on the various stages of the spiritual path, which he termed involution. God Speaks and Discourses are regarded as among his most important written works. For decades he declined to speak and later refrained from communicating via written language. This practice has remained a topic of discussion among some of his followers." / Mysticisme -- Hindouisme. Mysticism -- Hinduism. Meher Baba, 1894-1969. Very good(+) with owner name and minor external wear; in a good to good(+) jacket in archival mylar.…