Once Meher Baba was asked about the principal mental stages through which His lovers have to pass in order to see Him as He really is. Upon hearing the question, Baba broke into a gay smile at first, but because of the profundity involved in answering, He then looked solemn. With a tender, beautiful radiance on His face, His eyes glowing with benevolent love, He conveyed:
I am the eternal Beloved, drawing the infinite number of lovers to Myself in infinite ways. So they have experiences of innumerable types; they have to pass through endless stages. However, for the sake of intellectual understanding, these can be broadly divided into the following three stages:
The first is the stone stage. One feels unconsciously drawn towards God or the God-Man. Here, the initiative is entirely with me. One feels attracted to me as a particle of iron to the magnet.
The second is the worm stage. Herein the mind constantly wriggles like a worm. The person worships me, yet sometimes disbelieves me. He adores me; he distrusts me! Doubts and devotion go together. The pull of love, however, prevails in the end. In this phase, various types of impressions are executed.
The third is the dog stage. The dog has absolute faith in the master. He just moves with his master here, there, anywhere. In a sense, he has no will of his own. He only knows to follow the master without ifs and buts. Once a lover arrives at this stage, he is blessed.
-Glimpses of the God-man, p304
Photo courtesy: Meher Nazar Publications