Meher Baba's Life & Travels
TOPICS
MEHER BABA'S FLAG
The History Of Meher Baba's Rainbow Flag WHY HE SUGGESTED A SEVEN-COLORED FLAG
To prevent stray cows and goats from destroying the jasmine saplings, a wire fence was erected on all four sides of the Jhopdi
( hut ) at Meherabad ( near Ahmednagar, India ). Later it was proposed that a flag be flown near the Jhopdi and, on April 23rd 1924, a debate ensued about it. The Hindus said the colour of the
flag should be red, but Ramjoo ( a local Muslim resident ) objected, saying that red reflected only Vedant, and that green was better. Then the Hindus took objection, arguing that green was
typically a Mohammedan colour. The Parsis and Iranians disapproved of both colours, and to bring about an accord, Meher Baba ( the master ) proposed, "The flag should be of SEVEN colours." Naval
( a local residant ) prepared a flag accordingly and, after it was sewn, it was hoisted near the Master’s Jhopdi in the evening. As the flag stirred, Baba remarked, "Do you know why I suggested a
seven-coloured flag? The seven colours represent the seven planes of consciousness." Meher Baba then specified the positioning of two of the colours: "Red should be at the bottom of the flag and
sky blue at the top. Arrangement of the other five colours is your decision." Then he later added: "Besides representing the seven planes of consciousness, these colours also represent SANSKARAS
-- impressions. The colours in the flag signify man’s rise from the grossest impressions of lust and anger -- symbolized by red -- to the culmination in the highest state of spirituality and
oneness with God -- symbolized by sky blue."
Bhau Kalchuri LORD MEHER, Vol. Two, p. 619 Copyright 1987 AMBPPCT
The prototype of the Gay flag was a take-off from Baba's flag, but it had a black square field in the top left-hand corner, over the rainbow, similar to the American flag in the way it is laid out. In the center of the black field, there was a 5-pointed white star.
The prototype was designed by Gary Cook in the early 70's in San Francisco. It was designed to honor Meher Baba but to signify conciousness coming to fruition, thru the spectrum of light, from the Abyss of ignorance. Gary Cook wanted to honor Meher Baba and Gay Pride by carrying the "prototype" in the first annual Gay Pride parade up Market Street to the Castro ( in San Francisco ).
Thereafter, in each successive annual Gay Pride Parade, a series of rainbow flags came into popularity, and eventually settled to the more popular one that is seen today around the world, which usually represents the home, or vehicle of a gay person, when seen. This flag is only similar to Meher Baba's flag, whereas it is usually only 6 colors, the top one always being red.
Courtesy of JaiBaba.com
