This question had come up during Baba’s lifetime and He wanted gatherings to be about Him. Sometimes there can be discussions about the life of Perfect Masters or saints associated with Baba, but this should be kept to a minimum.

As far as decisions over practical matters: Baba has said that decisions should be made by democratic vote. The members of the group should elect the officers, and then those officers are empowered to make the decisions. No one has the right to make authoritarian decisions.

One very important thing is that anyone who is elected an officer or has any position at the Center, should do so only in an administrative capacity, and not in any spiritual capacity. There is no hierarchy in Baba's outward work. There is only Baba and His lovers. Everyone has an equal position. Baba has no chargeman on earth. He communicates equally to all of His lovers in the heart.

Baba has not appointed anyone nor any organization to represent Him in a spiritual sense. Certain centers and individuals have been given specific orders and responsibilities by the Beloved, but this is between Baba and that person or organization. No one has the right to impose anything on anyone else. Each heart is free to relate directly to the Beloved in his or her own way.

Naturally, as I wrote to the_____, no one taking drugs should be allowed at the meeting while they are under the influence of the drugs.

The best guide is the heart. Baba has said, "Think of things that you would not hesitate to think in My presence, speak words that you would not hesitate to speak in My presence, and do things that you will not hesitate to do in My presence."

Whenever His lovers gather together. Baba is there. Therefore, when you have Baba meetings, Baba is there. Act accordingly.

The purpose of meetings is to serve as a channel to awaken His Love. The meetings have no other purpose. The problem with traditional religions is that their gatherings start to assume a purpose of their own, rather than as mediums for awakening His Love. As long as some activity serves the purpose of awakening love, it has a value. But the moment it starts assuming importance of its own, it should be dropped.

For example, silence at a meeting. Keeping silent for a few moments can be useful to remember the Beloved. But there is no value in silence for silence's sake unless it is used to remember Him. Singing, plays, etc., all have a value as long as they point to Him.

There is the old story of a disciple asking his master where the moon is. The master points to the moon with his finger, and the ignorant disciple thinks the finger is the moon.

Likewise, so often His lovers tend to forget the purpose of His work. The purpose of Baba's messages was to awaken love in the hearts of His lovers. So all activities should only continue as long as there is love in them; otherwise, they should be given up. Baba wants love in the hearts of His lovers.

Baba's medium is the heart, not organizations. No organizations no groups should get established as to assume importance on its own. More important than all the archives, books, movies, is the heart of the one true lover of the Beloved. All of these outward activities have a value and should be taken care of but not to the neglect of what is most important.

It is like the comparison between the heart and the feet. The feet have a place and are very useful but if one loses one's feet, one would still live. But if one loses one's heart, then one cannot live. Baba activities — like publishing,forming corporations, centers, etc., are like the feet. They have a value, but the feet cannot be compared to the heart.

If the world fell apart and disaster struck and all the books, movies, archives and centers disappeared that would not affect Avatar Meher Baba's Love. Beloved Baba uses all of these things, but does not need anything nor anyone. His work is independent.