680. Daniel Stone on Meher Baba

Daniel Stone is a follower of Meher Baba. He came to Meher Baba in 1972 after a period of spiritual search that led him to travel overland to India in search of a master. While there he found and received an awakening with Neem Karoli Baba, who then inwardly guided him to Meher Baba, who Daniel recognized and accepted as his master. Meher Baba is widely known and regarded my many throughout the world as the Avatar of our current age, as God in human form, and as a source of spiritual guidance and awakening for all who approach him. Since becoming a follower of Baba, Daniel has been actively engaged in sharing about Baba’s teachings and life-work through talks, publications, radio programs, video programs, and music. He serves on the board of directors for the Meher Spiritual Center, the major center for Meher Baba in the West, and has consulted extensively for Baba groups around the world. Videos: Journey in Consciousness - A 7-part series that provides an overview of the teachings and life-work of Avatar Meher Baba. God in Human Form “Avatar Meher Baba: Highlights of His Life and Work” Meher Baba ~ Human Side Of God Books: God Speaks, by Meher Baba (Meher Baba’s cosmology)* Discourses, by Meher Baba (Teachings about the spiritual life)* The Silent Messenger, by Tom and Dorothy Hopkinson (an easily accessible overview of Meher Baba’s life and his teachings) The God Man: The Life, Journeys and Work of Meher Baba with an Interpretation of his Silence and Spiritual Teaching * Digital copies can be downloaded for free at https://avatarmeherbabatrust.org/online-library/ Websites: Meher Spiritual Center in S. Carolina Journey in Consciousness In his professional life, Daniel is a strategic organizational consultant, providing assistance to a wide variety of organizations including the Centers for Disease Control, the United Nations, World Economic Forum, and many others. He lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with his wife, two cats and a grand-dog. Daniel is also a member of the Evolutionary Leaders Circle where he co-leads a group focused on helping achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. He is also a recording musician, whose first CD of songs dedicated to Meher Baba is entitled “Decorate With Song”. Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group Summary and transcript of this interview Interview recorded April 16, 2023 Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:06:30 - Meeting Neem Karoli Baba 00:15:18 - Introduction and Background: Meher Baba's Early Life 00:21:37 - The Wanderings and Encounters 00:26:34 - The Role of the Avatar 00:32:28 - The Concept of an Avatar 00:37:59 - The Limitations of Human and Divine Capabilities 00:43:24 - Meher Baba and His Ability to Make Contact with Multiple Beings Simultaneously 00:50:06 - The Male Form of the Avatar 00:56:49 - A Life of Hopelessness and Helplessness 01:05:34 - Earning Trust Before Obedience 01:13:07 - Baba's Silence and Communication 01:20:15 - Accessing Higher Levels of Consciousness 01:25:21 - The Fourth Layer of the Heart and Divine Guidance 01:31:11 - Revitalization of Sufism and World Religions 01:36:10 - The Miracles and Love of Meher Baba 01:39:55 - Insightful Film and Atheism of Zeffirelli 01:44:48 - The Masts and their Spiritual States 01:50:08 - The Ripple Effect of Baba's Work 01:56:45 - Awakening All Over the World 02:04:01 - The Role of the Master in Eliminating Sanskaras 02:08:38 - The Journey of the Soul and Higher Planes 02:15:13 - Finding Me Inside Your Heart 02:19:51 - Links and Resources

Om Podcasten

The implication of the title - Buddha at the Gas Pump - is that ordinary people are experiencing higher states of consciousness once thought to be rare and difficult to attain. People everywhere are undergoing a shift or awakening to their true nature. For some, this shift has been abrupt and dramatic. For others, it has been so gradual that they may not have realized it has occurred. Such shifts, or awakenings, are not new: Christ spoke of the Kingdom of Heaven within, Buddhists speak of Nirvana, Zen masters of Satori, Hindus of Moksha, but these traditions generally regard these states as rare and difficult to attain. Many people are therefore skeptical of claims of higher states of consciousness. They find it hard to believe that apparently ordinary friends and neighbors might be experiencing something extraordinary. Maybe they expect Enlightenment to look as remarkable on the outside as it is reputed to be on the inside. This show will attempt to dispel skepticism and misconceptions by week after week, allowing otherwise ordinary people to relate their experience of spiritual awakening. The terminology is tricky, because there are no universally agreed upon definitions to describe this experience. So please forgive us if we use some unfamiliar terms. We will try to clarify our definitions as we go along. Perhaps, after a while, those listening will become convinced that genuine and permanent spiritual awakenings are not just a pipe dream, but are real and are becoming relatively commonplace. These podcasts are the audio track of a weekly interview show which may be seen as videos on our YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/buddhaatthegaspump). Also see the main site: https://batgap.com. For search purposes, I will add the following to this description - batgap, Buddha at the Gaspump, Buddah at the Gas Pump.