Relationship -- the game that the Infinite plays with Itself

Relationship is a game that the Infinite plays with Itself.  If you want to learn about this game, read Meher Baba’s book God Speaks.

In the dedication Meher Baba states; “To the Universe—the illusion that sustains Reality.”

An amazing statement! Even some of Meher Baba’s closest followers thought that He had got that wrong! Illusion sustains Reality, how can that be? But, as the Perfect Master Hafez once said;

“About what you hear from the Master, never say it is wrong, because, my dear, the fault lies in your own incapacity to understand Him.” – Hafez

Perhaps the first most obvious question is; if the Infinite is Infinite, then nothing exists that is not the Infinite; so how is it possible for the Infinite to have a relationship with itself?

And secondly, why would the Infinite even need, or want, to have a relationship with Itself?

Of course the mind, especially the Western mind, is addicted to knowing—to trying to know—  and so Meher Baba was generally very patient with our questions and our doubts. But in the conclusion of God Speaks, Meher Baba reminds us;

“Nevertheless, all that is said here and explained about God to appease the intellectual convulsions of the mind of man, still lacks many more words and further explanations because the TRUTH is that Reality must be realized and the divinity of God must be attained and lived.”

In human terms we can say that relationship is something—a something—that can exist between two entities. It is also something—a something—that can exist among more than two entities.

We speak about a marriage between two people—two distinct individuals, but one marriage—one relationship. By its very nature, a relationship is something—a something—that makes one thing out of two or more entities.

There are all kinds of relationships; between the bird and the tree, the tree and the earth, the earth and the sky;  relationships between a man and a woman, the rich and the poor, the good and the bad, the sane and the insane, the heathy and the sick….

Relationships exist among all the people of a nation and among all nations in the world. Planets are in relationships with other planets and in relationship to the sun, the sun with other suns, galaxies with other galaxies… on and on throughout all of creation. It might be said that the very nature of creation itself is relationship and that the ultimate question is about the relationship that exists between this creation and its Creator.

Meher Baba reveals the essence of any and all relationships on page one of  God Speaks:

“All souls were, are and will be in the Over-Soul.

Souls are all One.

All souls are infinite and eternal. They are formless.

All souls are One; there is no difference in souls or in their being and existence as souls.

            There is a difference in the consciousness of souls;

there is a difference in the planes of consciousness of souls;

there is a difference in the experience of souls and thus there is a difference in the state of souls.”

What is a soul?

A soul is a drop of the Ocean of the Over-Soul. The drop is of the Ocean; the drop is the Ocean; the drop is one with the Ocean.

What is the Ocean of the Over-Soul?

The Ocean is all of the drops of the Ocean. In Reality no distinction exists; but in illusion distinction exists as consciousness, planes of consciousness, and experience.

But how can there even be a drop of an Ocean which is Infinite? Does not the state of a drop imply some part of the Ocean as being, as becoming, separated from the Ocean?

And if the Ocean is Infinite, than nothing can be other, or outside, of the Infinite; therefore, how can a drop even exist?

Meher Baba explains that the existence of the drop is an illusion—a delusion—an imagination of the Ocean Itself.

Then, what gives the drop its apparent reality as a drop?

Meher Baba tells us that three bubbles apparently surround the drop—the soul. There is a bubble of mind He calls the mental body, a bubble of energy that He calls the subtle body, and a bubble of form He calls the gross body. It is these three bodies, actually the consciousness of these three bodies, which creates the illusion of existence of the drop and its separateness from the ocean.

So might we ask what’s the point of it all the apparent-lies, the illusions, the delusions, the bubbles, etc.?

Again, Meher Baba tell us that the point—the purpose—of this game of drops and bubbles is for the drop to gain consciousness of itself as the Ocean.

So that original one, in order to consciously experience itself—its oneness—makes itself appear to itself as two, so that these two can, in the end, unite and experience consciously and eternally its  original oneness that it always was, is, and will be. 

But is there another word, perhaps a better word, than relationship to describe this game? Do we dare say the word is love?

Rumi once said; “The tale of love must be heard from love itself, for like the mirror, it is both mute and expressive.”

And on another occasion he was heard to say; “And when the subject turned to love, the quill broke and paper tore!” – Ibid

But can more be said? Is there anything more to say? And to whom can we turn to for the truth? No doubt, that is for each to decide for oneself, but as for me, I turn to the words of Meher Baba:

“The development of love is conditioned and sustained by the tension of duality. God has to suffer apparent differentiation into a multiplicity of souls in order to carry on the game of love. They are His own forms, and in relation to them He at once assumes the roles of the divine Lover and the divine Beloved. As the Beloved, He is the real and the ultimate object of their appreciation. As the divine Lover, He is their real and ultimate savior, drawing them back to Himself.” – Discourses, 7th edition, pp. 115-116

The attraction and repulsion of one magnet to another; the orbits of the planets circling the sun; and what about the hunter and the prey; are these not all the expression of love at different levels?

Then, there is human love and hate, and there is also Divine love—the love of the Creator for the creation? Does not relationship exist at the core of all and everything in creation and therefore, does not love exist as the core—the reality—of all of creation, no matter how much to the contrary it may appears to the limited mind?

There is the story of a king who asked his minister why God periodically takes birth in His creation in human form. The minister put off the question, saying it was far too weighty a question for such a beautiful day and that instead the king should have a nice picnic aboard the royal barge.

And so the barge set sail on the river with the king, his young son, the minister, and a whole royal retinue of soldiers, guards, and servants.

It was indeed a beautiful day, for a while, but soon the weather changed; the sky turned dark and rainy, and winds whipped the waters into menacing waves. And then, at the height of the storm, the minister picked up the king’s young son and through him into the raging waters! Without the slightest hesitation, the king leapt into the water and saved his son.

As soon as they were safely aboard, the weather again abruptly changed, and the sky was clear and sunny, the winds were gone, and the waters were calm.

Of course, the king was furious and demanded an explanation from his minister who immediately replied; 

“You yourself jumped into the water to save your son, even though you had a whole retinue of soldiers and guards who were ready, willing, and able to jump into the water to save him. But you saved him yourself because of love, and that is the answer to the question you asked me this morning—this is why God comes again and again into His creation—the answer is always the same, the answer is love!”

    (c) copyright Michael Kovitz 12/13/2019

"My Name is Legion"

“Then Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’
 ‘My name is Legion,’ he replied, ‘for we are many.’ – Mark 5:9

The implication of this statement attributed to Jesus, and supported by those of Gurdjieff, Upasani Maharaj, and Meher Baba, challenge the belief that most of us hold and often relegate to our own personal, what can be called, Domain of the Obvious and Unquestionable, that a man, or a woman, is one—is an individuality—is a singular being with a permanent and unchangeable ‘I’.

But, is this true?

“Thus, in one teaching, man is compared to a house in which there is a multitude of servants, but no master and no steward. The servants have all forgotten their duties; no one wants to do what he ought; everyone tries to be master, if only for a moment; and in this disorder, the house id threatened with grave danger.

“The only chance of salvation is for a group of the more sensible servants to meet together and elect a new ‘temporary’ steward, that is, a ‘deputy steward’. This ‘deputy steward’ can then put the other servants in their places, and make each do their own work: the cook in the kitchen, the coachman in the stables, the gardener in the garden, and so on.

“In this way, the ‘house’ can be got ready for the arrival of the real steward who will, in his tern, prepare it for the arrival of the master.” – Gurdjieff, as quoted by P.D. Ouspensky in his book, In Search of the Miraculous.

Every morning and every evening at Meher Baba’s Tomb Shrine in India three prayers, dictated by Meher Baba, are recited by all in attendance:



Universal Prayer (Master’s Prayer) (Given by Meher Baba on 13 September 1953)

O Parvardigar — the Preserver and Protector of all!
You are without Beginning, and without End,
Non-dual, beyond comparison, and none
can measure You.
You are without color, without expression,
without form, and without attributes.
You are unlimited and unfathomable,
beyond imagination and conception,
eternal and imperishable.
You are indivisible; and none can see You,
but with Eyes Divine.
You always were, You always are, and
You always will be;
You are everywhere, You are in everything;
and You are also beyond everywhere
and beyond everything.
You are in the firmament and in the depths;
You are manifest and unmanifest, on
all planes and beyond all planes.
You are in the three worlds, and also
beyond the three worlds;
You are imperceptible and independent.
You are the Creator, the Lord of lords,
the knower of all minds and hearts;
You are omnipotent and omnipresent.
You are Knowledge Infinite, Power Infinite,
and Bliss Infinite.
You are the Ocean of Knowledge, all-knowing,
infinitely knowing, the Knower of the past,
the present, and the future, and You are
Knowledge Itself.
You are all-merciful and eternally benevolent;
You are the Soul of souls, the One with
infinite attributes.
You are the Trinity of Truth, knowledge, and
Bliss,
You are the Source of Truth, the Ocean of Love;
You are the Ancient One, the Highest of the High;
You are Prabhu and Parameshwar, You are the
Beyond-God, and the Beyond-Beyond God also,
You are Parabrahma, Allah, Elahi, Yezdan,
Ahuramazda, and God the Beloved.
You are named Ezad — the only One
worthy of worship.

Prayer of Repentance (Given by Meher Baba on 8 November 1952)

We repent O God most merciful, for all our sins;
For every thought that was false or unjust or unclean;
For every word spoken that ought not to have been spoken;
For every deed done that ought not to have been done.
We repent for every deed and word and thought
Inspired by selfishness;
And for every deed and word and thought inspired by hatred.
We repent most specially for every lustful thought,
And every lustful action;
For every lie; for all hypocrisy;
For every promise given, but not fulfilled;
And for all slander and backbiting.
Most specially also, we repent for every action
That has brought ruin to others;
For every word and deed that has given others pain;
And for every wish that pain should befall others.
In your unbounded mercy, we ask you to forgive us, O God,
For all these sins committed by us;
And to forgive us for our constant failures
To think and speak and act according to your will.

Beloved God (Given by Meher Baba, 25th August 1959)  

Beloved God, help us all to love You more and more, and more and more and still yet more, till we become worthy of union with You; and help us all to hold fast to Baba’s daaman (garment) till the very end.

I have always been struck by the fact that in all three of these prayers, there is no use of the word ‘I.’ 

The Parvardigar Prayer is addressed to God in all His states and stages.

The Prayer of Repentance is spoken to God by us. But there is no mention of me. It is not, I repent..., but, “We repent…

And then again, in the Beloved God Prayer, a prayer that by Meher Baba’s own declaration was for His lovers and followers, notice that it says, “Help us all…,” not help me…

Who is/are the us? Who is/are the we?  Where is the I?

“Then Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’

‘My name is Legion,’ he replied, ‘for we are many.’ – Mark 5:9

Of course it can be argued that the “I am Legion” quote should not be taken literally. After all, the so-called, Biblical Times, favored the use of such literary devices as parables and metaphors,  and it can be argued that the man who called himself Legion was not a “normal man”, but an exception—a madman— or as some say these days, a person with multiple personality disorder.

“Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.” – Mark 5:5



“He shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God's name don't torture me!’” – Mark 5:7

But for those who are familiar with Meher Baba, the description of the man who called himself Legion appears quite consistent with a type of advanced soul that Meher Baba identified as masts. A mast is a God-intoxicated soul who has little or no gross consciousness of the gross world or his, or her, own physical body, often is indistinguishable from an ordinary madman, and sometimes was reticent to allow Meher Baba’s contact.

Listen to this description of a mast from, The Wayfarers, a book by William Donkin that catalogs Meher Baba’s contacts with masts and spiritually advanced souls:

 “(This man was) a high mast of the fifth plane; who stays in the cremation ground. He looks very fierce, with big eyes shining like fire, and has the fierce temperament of a jalali type of mast. He has with him ten to twelve dogs, but to those who dare to come near him, he says, ‘ Meherban,’ meaning gracious friend.”

Could the man who called himself Legion have been a mast or an advanced soul who was aware of that which lay beyond the gross physical world? Such an individual could literally see the legion of souls inhabiting his body and mind. Perhaps, the fact that he was a legion of many ‘I’s) was not as unique as the fact that he was aware of them?

The second example I cited was the absence of the personal pronouns I and me in the three prayers dictated by Meher Baba. Once more, this omission certainly can be interpreted as something other than the lack of real I in man that was suggested by Gurdjieff.

I do still wonder, however, because the Masters have always been very consistent in asserting that once one has a real connection with the Avatar or a Perfect Master, that individual’s destiny is fulfilled and all that remains is for the Master to facilitate the removal of the residual sanskaras that continue to veil the disciple’s experience of Infinite Bliss. So, if the disciple has already been accepted by the Master—is with the Master—then who is it that is bowing down to Him?

As for me,  I have always had the feeling that when one bows down in Meher Baba’s tomb the disciple’s physical body is the vehicle through which all of the disciple’s relations—parents, grandparents, children—past and present—can themselves physically bow down to Meher Baba and attain the wondrous gift of His physical presence.

Have any of the Perfect Masters spoken directly about the lack of unity, the lack of I in man?

The answer is yes. Here, Upasani-Baba Maharaj explains the illusion of oneness in Man. In my opinion, His statements leave no doubt that He is speaking literally and not in parables or allegories.

For those not familiar with some of the terms, I offer the following:

Jiva, or Jiv-Atma, refers to the embodiment of the consciousness of the soul, with its attendant gross, subtle and mental bodies.

“Jiv-Atma—that pure celestial soul identified with the projections of the mind,” – Upasani Maharaj 

Buddhi, in this talk, can be taken to be intellect—that which thinks.

Ahamkara is pride—pride in the sense of how one identifies—experiences— oneself as being anything other than God. It is the force of takes one to be.

“Within the human body there are so many other bodies, so many Jivas, and so many types of Ahamkaras; between them they react mutually, sometimes in a friendly manner and sometimes in an unfriendly manner. Now what are these other bodies, Jivas, and Ahamkaras? With whatever beings we form stable associations, their Jivas and there forms enter and occupy our mind.

“There are many a Jiva who has thus lodged themselves within us for lifetimes on end; and, according to their natures, friendly or unfriendly, they affect our Jiva—and so, we have to take to that type of Ahamkara and act and behave accordingly.

“Think of a huge mirror; if hundreds stand in front of it, all of them, in a mass are reflected in that one mirror. To begin with, it was a clean mirror, but now it becomes full of those reflected in it, and with all that reflected mass, its clear appearance disappears.

“In the same way, our state began as clear, unsullied, and pure, but as our association with other Jivas occurs, those Jivas begin to accumulate within us, and we become like the mirror reflecting the hundreds who stand in front of it; and due to these associations we seem to have spoiled our original, real, pure, clean state.

“Like the mirror that forgets its original clear state because of the reflected mass within it, we also begin to identify ourselves with all those Jivas that associate with ourselves. That is why we do not remember our original state, nor are we able to experience it. This means that this body of ours is not really one’s own, but a place to accommodate all others who are related to us.

“In other words, our body and mind are nothing but a store-house to accommodate all the good and bad relatives and associates, the friends and foes, various desires with their and the corresponding Ahamkaras pertaining to them.” – The Talks of Sadguru Upasani-Baba Maharaj, Volume II, Part B. pages 692-693

So, the fair question would be; “If this is so, what can be done? What can one do for oneself when there is no one to do it?”

Earlier, I quoted Gurdjieff. In his unique way he explained it this way:

“Thus, in one teaching, man is compared to a house in which there is a multitude of servants, but no master and no steward. The servants have all forgotten their duties; no one wants to do what he ought; everyone tries to be master, if only for a moment; and in this disorder, the house id threatened with grave danger.
“The only chance of salvation is for a group of the more sensible servants to meet together and elect a new ‘temporary’ steward, that is, a ‘deputy steward’. This ‘deputy steward’ can then put the other servants in their places, and make each do their own work: the cook in the kitchen, the coachman in the stables, the gardener in the garden, and so on.
“In this way, the ‘house’ can be got ready for the arrival of the real steward who will, in his tern, prepare it for the arrival of the master.” – Gurdjieff, as quoted by P.D. Ouspensky in his book, In Search of the Miraculous.

A friend of mine became an Amoco Oil junior vice-president while still in her twenties. I once asked her what was the secret of her success. Her simple reply was, “Always do what you say you’re going to do, and always be on time.”

Why is this simple advice sometimes so difficult to follow?  And why is it not so obvious that it even needs to be stated at all?

“Thus, in one teaching, man is compared to a house in which there is a multitude of servants, but no master and no steward. The servants have all forgotten their duties; no one wants to do what he ought; everyone tries to be master, if only for a moment; and in this disorder, the house id threatened with grave danger.” – Gurdjieff, as quoted by P.D. Ouspensky in his book, In Search of the Miraculous.

“Then Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘My name is Legion,’ he replied, ‘for we are many.’” – Mark 5:9

If a  man is a legion; if a man is a house in disorder; then if one ‘I’ makes a promise that another ‘I’  needs to fulfill,  so-called, continuity of thought and word and deed is not, and cannot, be assured or taken for granted. One ‘I’ often does not necessarily know, or care, what another ‘I ‘considers important.

Gurdjieff used the term disorder to describe the house of a man, but this disorder, though it can create chaos, is, in itself, law-conformable and not chaotic.

 In fact, it can be observed that all actions, whether physical, mental, or emotional, are guided by an all-pervasive law of movement and deflection.

Consider a tree; from the trunk extend limbs, from the limbs branches, from the branches, smaller twigs. Look at the human form; does it not seem to conform to the same law?  From the torso extend legs and arms. The segments of both become smaller; the segments of both have the capacity to bend and move in different directions.

Perhaps an old servant remembers the days when the house was in in order; perhaps a curious servant hears about the happiness inherent in a house in order; perhaps a servant who feels miserable begins to ask the question, “Why am I not happy?” Cause and effect are always in play, but other forces, higher forces, are also in play, and perhaps, for no reason at all, a house in disorder falls under the compassionate gaze of a Master. One way or another, ultimately, disorder gives way to order—suffering bows to bliss. One way or another,

“A group of the more sensible servants meet together and elect a new ‘temporary’ steward, that is, a ‘deputy steward’. This ‘deputy steward’ can then put the other servants in their places, and make each do their own work: the cook in the kitchen, the coachman in the stables, the gardener in the garden, and so on.

“In this way, the ‘house’ can be got ready for the arrival of the real steward who will, in his tern, prepare it for the arrival of the master.” – Gurdjieff, as quoted by P.D. Ouspensky in his book, In Search of the Miraculous.


We say that a person becomes interested in God, or the Path, or a possibility of some higher consciousness. Maybe they begin to read philosophical books, spiritual books, and their interest grows. Perhaps Gurdjieff would say that an ‘I’, or a small group of I’s, have become interested, but the majority of the person’s ‘I’s’, don’t know or share the other ‘I’’s interest. So the person continues to lead his or her life as he or she has always led it. Yet, something has changed, something has subtlety changed, but like a seed growing below the ground, no evidence appears above the ground.

Over time, however, the ‘I’ or ‘I’s’ interested in the new possibilities become increasingly agitated. The seed has sprouted and begins to long for the light, and the person enters the stage called sitting between two chairs. Sitting between two chairs is uncomfortable; one cannot relax; one cannot sleep as deeply…

A deputy steward is appointed from the interested group of ‘I’s’. His or her job is to get all of the I’s to work for a common cause—a common happiness—a more real happiness. What is it that Gurdjieff said, “Life is real only then when I am.” –  also, the title of his third book, Life is Real only then when I am

When the time is right, the steward, who has a deeper knowledge and experience of the path, appears and begins to direct the functioning of the house in such a way as to attract the master—the master is the real owner of the house.

“When his time has come, the prey finds the hunter.” – Old Persian saying

But these days, in the Age of Kali, when the shadow appears to be larger than the sun, such work is very difficult—meets with much resistance.

“These days, nobody has his own reasoning to work with. The reasoning has become like a blind man and a blind man has to be led by somebody else. These days, people are seen to behave according to others reasoning and faith; it only proves that their reason has been suppressed or destroyed by others reasoning and faith. The consciousness—the existence of one’s own reasoning and faith has disappeared…

“To get out of this situation in every way and to attain the original state of Sat-Chit-Ananda (Knowledge-Power-Bliss); there are two chief methods:

“One is faithful behavior and mode of life for the Brahmana class, and the other is to closely associate with God in the form of the One who has attained full liberation. This is where comes the importance of sticking to a Satpurusha (God-Realized being); because He is the One who has realized Himself.” – The Talks of Sadguru Upasani-Baba Maharaj, Volume II, Part B. pages 694-695

What is Upasani Maharaj saying here? What is the significance of the Brahmana class?  He is, of course, directing this remark to His Hindu followers. The Brahmanas are those individuals who can rightfully guide individual consciousness towards the Goal. But to do this, they have to remain very pure in their practice and in their lives. Only then, can are they part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

But this is the Kali Yuga, and the Brahmana class does not always function as it should. The path more certain is the path of love—love for God—love for a God Realized being—and most of all, love for the Avatar. And this path, The Path of Love, is available to all.

“I am equally approachable to one and all, big and small;  to saints who rise and sinners who fall, through all the various paths that give the Divine Call." -Avatar Meher Baba

“The construction of a new ego which is entirely subservient to the Master is indispensable to the dynamics of spiritual advancement.” – Discourses of Meher Baba

 Are you ready? The seed cannot be forced to sprout; the sprout cannot be forced to leaf; the leaf cannot be forced to bud, or the bud to flower, or the flower to seed.

Meher Baba said, “Don’t worry, be happy!” When an ordinary person says, “don’t worry.’” It is a suggestion or a reminder, but when God in human form say be, it is! It is assured, like the river is certain to merge in the sea!