The Reality Friend

Meher Baba tells us that all this world is an illusion and only God is Real. “It is time humanity had a fresh vision of the truth that all life is one and God is the only thing that is real and that matters. God is worth living for, and He is also worth dying for.”1

When Darwin and Jeanne Shaw were with Baba at Meher Mount, California, in 1956, Baba encouraged everyone gathered there to “Take Me with you” as they walked around individually enjoying the nature of the surrounding area. Jeanne experimented with this idea as she walked, speaking with Baba as if Baba was physically with her; talking to Him, asking Him questions. At one point she “said” to Baba, “Oh, there’s a big beautiful tree over there, Baba. I’d love to see You sitting under it.” And then, within moments, Jeanne was surprised to see that Baba had made His way to the tree and sat under it. Later everyone dispersed but Baba was still there by the tree and motioned Jeanne toward Him. When she reached Baba, He reached over and most lovingly kissed her cheek. Jeanne felt that Baba was showing her His approval of her obedience to quite literally take Him with her. And dare I add, that He was also actually there with her, internally, hearing her, as His sitting down at the tree implied.2

Musing on this story, I once said to my mother, “Keeping Him as our constant Companion is kind of like having an imaginary friend!” We talk to Him, we share with Him, we try to remember Him, we imagine what He might say in any given situation or how He might direct us. And my mother, in her unique ability to instill deep insight in a flash, said to me, “Oh no. He’s not our imaginary friend, He’s our Reality Friend!”

For years, I chuckled to myself at the brilliance of her statement. Yes! He is our Reality Friend. He is the one grounded in Truth, we are the ones lost in illusion. And then … one day, it occurred to me … and it made me laugh out loud … “Wait a minute … if He’s the Reality Friend, that means I am the imaginary friend!!!” After getting a really good kick out of this truth bubbling up, I got to thinking, “What does that mean?” If I am Baba’s imaginary friend, and I would most definitely aspire to be that, what does it mean to be a good imaginary friend to Him?

Well, what kind of imaginary friend would I like to have? One that is ever attentive. One that is kind and loving and funny—mischievous, irreverent! Would I want an imaginary friend who is always worrying and depressed and has a “garlic face”?

Meher Baba says: “Don’t worry … Let Baba do the worrying. He enjoys working things out. There is no need for both you and Baba worrying. If you are going to worry then I won’t worry.”3 Did you read that? Baba ENJOYS working things out! So if we want to be a good imaginary friend and please Him, we must not deny His enjoyment of working things out! We can please Baba by allowing Him to work things out.

Would I want an imaginary friend who is wholly concerned with what type of insurance is best or what outfit to wear? Would I want an imaginary friend who is always talking about how bad the world is and how much worse it’s getting? No! I would want a happy imaginary friend: an understanding, compassionate friend. I would want an imaginary friend who is always there for me; thinking of me and how to support and love me—how to please me!

And that, as He has said, is exactly what Baba wants of us. He wants our love. He wants our happy, attentive love and focus on Him. He wants us to aim to please Him. And to be clear, He wants this for our own sake. He wants us to direct our full attention on He who is Perfect, He who is the personification of our Truest Self, so that we may someday come to experience and realize the Truth of who we really are. “God is your innermost Self.”4

In the meantime, may we all have the great good fortune to stay focused on being the best imaginary friend to The Friend that we can possibly be.

1 Discourses, by Meher Baba, 7th edition, p. 339
2 As Only God Can Love, by Darwin Shaw, p.395
3 As Only God Can Love, by Darwin Shaw, p. 497
4 The God-Man, by Charles Purdom p. 240