[On this day in 1952 Avatar Meher Baba met with an automobile accident that resulted in spilling HIS blood in America]
On the morning of May 24, 1952, Anthony Joseph Palmieri was driving east on Oklahoma’s Highway 62 with Billie Hanson, who would soon be his wife, and her mother, Jane Hanson.
Anthony had lost both legs in the Korean War. That day he was driving for the first time a new, specially equipped Mercury sedan.
The two-lane highway was slick from rain the night before. About 10:00 a.m., at a spot that is nearly the geographical center of the United States, their car was climbing a rise where, according to Anthony, a mail truck was blocking the right lane. He pulled around the truck and into the path of an oncoming blue Nash with South Carolina plates.
As the Mercury flew towards the Nash, a collision unavoidable, Jane cried out, “Please , God, don’t let us die!” She had no idea that at that moment God, in the human form of Meher Baba, was stretching out his hand to point at her car.
As Anthony applied the brakes, the Mercury spun across the road and the Nash smashed head on into its side. Anthony, Billie, and Jane were unhurt.
In Meher Baba’s car, Elizabeth, who was driving, had a broken arm and 11 broken ribs. Mehera, Meher Baba’s closest woman disciple, suffered a skull fracture. Meheru’s wrists were both broken, and Mani, who had been sleeping at the time of the accident, sustained only minor injuries. Only Meher Baba had lasting effects of the accident.
(https://www.mehermount.org/events/2019/anniversary-of-meher-babas-accident-an-international-japa)
“…the personal disaster, for some years foretold by me, took place in the form of an automobile accident while crossing the American continent… It was necessary that it should happen in America. God willed it so.” — Avatar Meher Baba
(www.lordmeher.org, p3191)
Baba took my hand and then wrote on his board: “You must understand that this was God’s will, and it will result in benefit to the whole world.” – Avatar Meher Baba
(www.lordmeher.org, p3097)
“Again and again, God takes human form to suffer for his creation. I am that One. Like you, I have a body and mind, and so I feel hunger and thirst, heat and cold, et cetera. But I also have the Universal Body and Universal Mind and, therefore, your individual suffering is nothing compared to my eternal, infinite universal suffering! I have infinite knowledge. I do not have to use my mind in order to know — I just know! I do use my infinite knowledge. But, although I have infinite bliss and infinite power, I do not use them. Were I to make use of the bliss that is at my beck and call, how could my suffering be suffering? And of what benefit would it be to mankind? I also do not use my infinite power. Were I to use it, how would I remain helpless? I remain infinitely helpless because, while having infinite power at my command, I do not use it. I shall use it only when I break my silence to give a universal spiritual awakening. “ – Avatar Meher Baba
(www.lordmeher.org, p4837)