DISCOURSES & TALKS BY MEHER BABA

 

PRIEST BLESSING & PREACHING ONLY TO EARN MONEY

 

 

 

25th January, 1927

 

 

The head Zoroastrian priest of the Poona fire-temple, Dastur Kaikobad Aderbad, had died recently, and his passing was reported in the newspaper.  When the priest's death was mentioned, it elicited this response from Baba:

 

 

All these priests, pundits, maulvis and dasturs do nothing but pray, preach, and pocket money that a blind public pours out to them. They preach to people solely to earn money. It's not their fault; they accept it because people give them (and then grumble aloud that they are cheats). People should have that heart and courage not to give them. But if I tell people that all these ceremonies advised by priests are useless and a waste of money, they will attack me with sticks!

 

 

Take for instance, marriage ceremonies: The priests perform marriages according to religious customs and then bless the man and woman. After some time, the couple starts quarreling. What happened to the priests' blessings and prayers? They are useless! In fact, the priests are hired murmur-ers of prayers and paid conferers of blessings. They pocket the money and walk off. Let the couple then go to the dogs!

 

Mutual love, understanding, and kindness towards one another is required so the married couple can live in harmony.

 

But to obtain blessings from the priests, people pay large sums of money, and the priests utter some mumbo jumbo! The naïve people are satisfied with this custom, and it is they who are equally at fault for perpetuating such nonsense. Guests come, the priests give blessings, and all are treated to a sumptuous wedding feast. But within a short time, strife rears its head between the "happily-wedded" couple. What sort of tamasha [sham] is this? The priests establish rites and rituals in the name of religion to line their pockets and the real essence of the religion is wiped out.

It is not ceremonies, festivities, or so-called blessings that save one from tragic consequences, but one's own actions.

 

 

Lord Meher On-line page 767

Lord Meher Vol.3 p.902