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by: Arnavaz Dadachanji
Publisher: Beloved Books, 1996
Reviewed by: Noreen O´Brien This book is more than an autobiography; it is one woman’s story of her awakening to the "Gift of God" in her life. Arnavaz Dadachanji illustrates her story with details of lessons in obedience to God through simple, ordinary daily living. Dadachanji first met Avatar Meher Baba when she was a young girl of eight and there begins a life-long relationship with the one who would awaken the love of God within her. From her earliest experiences with Meher Baba, Dadachanji learned the value and importance of literal obedience, and came to learn something I think many of us misunderstand as we face our own daily trials and tribulations. Dadachanji says that because we obey God, all our sufferings will not end. “Suffering is absolutely essential to the journey of the soul, as it alone can break us of our attachments...” I find this so fascinating because so many of us seem to believe we should have a carefree life with no struggles, physical discomfort, or pain of any kind. I’m not sure why we believe this, but I think it is an inaccurate interpretation of life, including a life with God at the center. I believe the difficulties are of no less value than the happy events in our lives and, perhaps, have even more value. I think this is so for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is to allow us an opportunity for growth and to aid in measuring the differences between happy and sad, good and bad. The struggles themselves are not good or bad, they simply are, and we must learn to work through them on the path to Love. Dadachanji illustrates coming to terms with this misunderstanding in her book, "Gift of God." While hers is a personal story, Dadachanji’s illustrations act as examples of how we can all learn to love through service to others, which is in effect, obedience in and of itself. Obedience to God and to humankind; truly one and the same thing. The book includes twenty-five chapters, each with a heading that is a quote of Meher Baba’s. For instance, Chapter Three begins with Baba’s words, “When pure love is first received as a gift of the Master, it becomes lodged in the consciousness of the aspirant, like a seed in favorable soil, and in the course of time, the seed develops into a plant and then into a full-grown tree.” And at the head of Chapter Nine, “The service that the disciple can offer the Master is not only linked with the universal cause of humanity, but is one of the most potent means of bringing the disciple nearer his spiritual goal.” "Gift of God" has black and white photographs of people mentioned in the book sprinkled throughout, including Meher Baba from the time Dadachanji first met him through his later years. There is a glossary of terms at the back of the book, which is very helpful in understanding the terminology of Baba, as well as Indian phrases, some of which I was unfamiliar with before reading this book. I found myself marveling at Dadachangji’s openness and willingness to give her life over to God while remaining very much a part of the world in which she lived. Dadachanji is a truly inspirational model. |
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