OTHER FACTS & ITEMS

MEHER BAB'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."