2B or not 2B

The pun, chosen for its memorableness due to sounding like the line by Shakespeare, refers to the state of consciousness that Meher Baba said the Avatar enters when he "drops his body." The reference to 2B is to a "state of God" described in Meher Baba's most important book God Speaks, in which he goes into detail on the metaphysical mechanics of the soul and the Universe.

In May I posted a short explanation of this state Baba said the Avatar enters when he drops his outer form under the Post title Where is Baba Now? Since that time I have received a few contacts objecting to what I posted Baba said in this regard. I want to make it clear that I have no opinion on any metaphysical point Baba gave, and would have been just as happy for Baba to have said any other thing on this or any subject. But this is what he said, and it can't be denied, nor what its implications are about Baba's current state if we are to believe him. And here it is simply reported. I certainly have no way to know if Baba was right or even that he was the Avatar as he claimed he was. What I do know is that he said he was the Avatar, and that it has been my choice to believe him. This blog is dedicated mostly to what Meher Baba said. It is meant to highlight interesting and often counterintuitive or surprising things Baba said in his lifetime, for such quotes are far more interesting to think about than those that simply affirm what most people already assumed before he spoke on such matters. If what he said sounds controversial, so much the happier.

But because there seems to be some objection to Baba's words as I have quoted them regarding the Avatar's state after disembodiment, or perhaps some feeling that I as a blogger have performed some kind of fancy logical dance I have some access to to obscure the meaning of Baba's words, or that I have taken his words out of their real context, or that I might have omitted some part of his words on this particular subject, or that I am imposing some controversial personal interpretation of his words, here I'm going to make it even more clear exactly what Baba did say on this subject and where one can look it up for themselves.

Shambhala

Shambhala, the mythical Kingdom
of Tibetan Buddhism

In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Shambhala is a mythical kingdom hidden somewhere beyond the snowpeaks of the Himalayas. The Kalachakra prophesizes that when the world declines into war and greed, and all is lost, the twenty-fifth Kalki king will emerge from Shambhala with a huge army to vanquish Dark Forces and usher in a worldwide Golden Age. (Shangri-La)

To most people Shambhala is imagined to be a place. But Meher Baba said that such spiritual places are not really places at all, but that such terms represent planes or states. By "states" he means states of consciousness.

Hollywood screen
writer Garrtt Fort

Garrett Fort: Is there really the place known as Shambala, the Astral centre where the Masters dwell in disembodied form? 

Baba: It is presumed that you already know that planes are not places. (The Answer, pp. 26-28)

Baba continually makes this distinction between his view and our modern misconception of spiritual states as places. Besides Shambhala, he says the same of heaven and hell.

Neither hell nor heaven should be regarded as places. They are mental states, and imaginary in the same sense that the world of duality also exists in the realm of illusion. (Listen Humanity, p. 99, Online version, footnote).

Now Baba says this state of Shamhala is known as Vidnyan in Hinduism.

The state and stage connoting Shambala exists. There is difference of terminology only. This is also known as Vidnyan. (The Answer, pp. 26-28)

Baba says that this state of Vidnyan is "the resting place of the masters." (God Speaks, Online version, p. 226)

Baba is specific about the nature of the state of Vidnyan that the Avatar retires to when he drops his form. In the chapter "The Ten States of God" of his major book God Speaks Baba designates this state by two different numbers — representing the same state shown twice on one chart in the book. These are "State VIII" and "II B" (these numbers representing the same state).

This State VIII of God is of the highest divine consciousness... All God-realized beings... and Rasool (Avatar) retire to this state B of God in the Beyond after disembodiment. (God Speaks, 1997 and online version, p. 184)

The state that Baba says is the same as Vidnyan is state 2B (abbreviated as "B" in the above excerpt). A careful reading of the chapter "The Ten States of God" reveals that this state is the same as state VIII, also known as the state of Majzoobiyat or Nirvakalpa Samadhi.

In case one doubts this is Baba's true position, perhaps because it might at first appear to be stated so plainly only in his book God Speaks, they may refer to Listen Humanity. (Download here)

When the Avatar or the Sadguru drops his body after finishing his spiritual task in the imaginary universe of duality, he retains the God-consciousness that is his continuous eternal state. This fourth and last journey of the Avatar and Perfect Masters is the same as the second journey of the Majzoob-e-kamil. (Listen Humanity, online version, p 114)

Baba is not at all vague about what this state of Majzoobiyat entails, and what experiences it excludes. In the state of Majzoobiyat there is no experience of the gross, subtle, or mental worlds or bodies that comprise the phenomenal apparent Universe Baba insists is an absolute illusion. The experience of Majzoobiyat is entirely comprised of the experience of indivisible Reality. Baba also says that the soul in this state does not use its Divine attributes of power, knowledge and bliss for the benefit of others still caught in illusion.

The Majzoob has no body-consciousness and no consciousness of the three spheres, the gross, the subtle and the mental. This means that in this State VIII, God as Majzoob consciously experiences His own infinite trio-nature of infinite power, knowledge and bliss, but does not make use of these infinite aspects of His nature. (God Speaks, Online version, p. 184)

Baba said that this state can be compared to being awake in deep sleep. It is the goal of all beings in Creation to achieve this Beyond state, and it is the resting place of the Sadgurus and the Avatar.

So 2 B or not 2 B? 

William Shakespeare

So, from now on, when someone asks you what state Meher Baba said in his books the Avatar retires to when he leaves his form, remember your Shakespeare. The answer is "II B," same as state VIII of the Ten States of God, also known as Majzoobiyat, Vidnyan, Shambhala, nirvakalpa samadhi, the Beyond State of God, or the state of baqa-billah which is beyond fana-fillah — the resting place of the masters.

The two Ring-bearers Frodo and Bilbo Baggins prepare to part with Gandalf
 across the Gray Havens to the Undying Lands at the end of Lord of the Rings, seemingly representing the Fourth Journey as described by Meher Baba. The Appendix tells us that Samwise Gamgee, the last of the great Ring-bearers, follows them also after his wife Rosie Cotton passes away and his work as mayor of Hobiton is finished.

For Part II of this discussion GO HERE!