THE GOD-MAN The Life, Journeys and Work of Meher Baba with an ...

394 THE GOD-MANThat man has a relation with God which gives him a unique position in creation seems more clearlybrought out in the Western conception of Jesus as God-Man than in the Indian idea of Avatar. The descent ofGod in Christ has meant much more than avataric events have seemed to mean because the historicity ofChrist is central in Western thought, giving concreteness and actuality to the idea not found elsewhere.Often in Indian writings the Ultimate Reality is referred to as an ocean, symbol of infinity.This is not (at least not always) intended to be pantheistic, for the ocean in this sense is thought of ascontaining an infinity of drops, which, maintaining identity with the ocean, do not lose their own identity,the ocean as a whole surpassing the infinity of drops. The 'ocean' is a symbol, no more. Ramakrishna speaksof the 'one God who rises up at one point and is known as Krishna, and, after another plunge, rises up atanother point and is known as Christ.' This is difficult for those brought up in the Western tradition toacknowledge, though an idea akin to it is that of the Unknown God beyond God who can be known.Before proceeding further I must refer to what Meher Baba says about the Avatar. In an early discourse(November 1938) he said:(4).... the first individual soul to emerge from the evolutionary process as a Sadguru- is the only Avatar whohas ever manifested or ever will manifest. Through him God first completed the journey from unconsciousdivinity to conscious divinity, in him he first unconsciously became man in order consciously to becomeGod. Through him, periodically, God consciously becomes man for the liberation of mankind. (God to Manand Man to God, p.49)Later in God Speaks he said that…..... the advent of the first Avatar on earth was not possible without there being the five Perfect Masters toeffect that coming· in the beginning the five Perfect Masters became realized first and then there took placethe first advent of the Avatar. (p.226)I shall have occasion later on to refer to the nature of the statements we have from Baba in books bearinghis name and elsewhere; we have to