Late Night Chat with Jeff Wolverton: “To be natural is most godly”, Jan 22, 2023, live on Baba Zoom

We have some informal chat after every arti, the "post-arti party"! But once a week, Jeff Wolverton joins us for some serious mining of the spiritual depths. Join us for conversation, more readings, songs, quotes - you never know what treasures will be uncovered!

Topic: “To be natural is most godly.” Meher Baba

Dear folks of Baba,

Over the years in Mandali Hall, one of the most frequently shared quotes of Baba by Eruch, one of His intimate mandali, was the following: “To be natural is most godly.” And Eruch was just that—so natural. He would arrive in the hall, seemingly without any agenda and allow the morning and afternoon sessions to just unfold spontaneously. All of the mandali had that naturalness. As a result of decades of living with Baba were they in fact evolving toward being natural?

Naturalness—a wonderful thought, and it seems so attainable. What could be easier than that? On a closer look, are there deeper issues that Baba is opening up? We think of little children as being natural, but when that child reaches its teenage years, the naturalness often turns to an unnatural self-consciousness. At this point, has the mind begun to interfere with the spontaneous response of our heart?

But what does Baba mean by being natural? Why didn’t He say to be spiritual is most godly, or to be religious or helpful is most godly?

` What interferes with naturalness? What about selfish impulses and desires? Or mental calculations about the situation we find ourselves in? In giving in to these, are we being natural in the sense that Baba means?

To what extent do attitudes, opinions and beliefs interfere with naturalness?

How does spontaneity figure into this?

What part does love play in being natural? Is being natural really being loving? When love comes into play in an activity or type of work that we are completely absorbed in, doesn’t naturalness come quite effortlessly?

Will making efforts to give up all forms of unnaturalness lead to naturalness?

Is giving in to our desires, wants and negative emotions ultimately natural? Is there a line between being “desire" natural and “heart" natural?

What part do awareness and intuition in each situation play in being natural?

Victor Hugo, the French novelist, once said, “Virtue, as it the case of vice, is a calculated action. But love is not calculated. It wells up in the heart and expresses itself spontaneously.”

In His love with help from dear friends, Jeff

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