Fred - Meher Baba's 'Grand Old Man of Engalnd'

Fred is the biography of an ordinary man who ultimately led an extraordinary life of devotion to his beloved spiritual Master, Avatar Meher Baba. Born at the turn of the twentieth century, Fred's life was seemingly no different from countless others throughout the United Kingdom. But it would not remain ordinary, and with the passage of time, can be considered exceptional, and entirely worthy of record. This biography is written in tribute to Fred but also, as he might prefer it to be described, as a testament to God, illustrating a spiritual path devoid of dogma or ritual, cult or creed: a path that requires no affiliation to any specific religion. It is written to exemplify that the path towards union with God is a 'simple', if not easy, path of pure love.

Fred Marks was from Nottingham, England. Raised as an Anglican, he had three brothers and one sister, and his father worked as a French polisher. In his late teens, Fred served in the First World War, returning with compromised health and a degree of disillusionment with humanity. His thoughts turned increasingly inward, and in his 30s he read a newspaper account of a visit to England by Avatar Meher Baba, described in the Press as an Indian Mystic. Fred recognised Him inwardly and, a few years later, experienced a 'Divine Call' to 'leave all and follow the Master'. He was convinced that it was Meher Baba who called to him.

Avatar Meher Baba was born in Poona [Pune] India in 1894. His mission as Avatar - the Hindu word for God incarnate - began in 1921. His principal message of love was expressed by practical example in countless ways - establishing schools, feeding the poor, bathing lepers, establishing homes for the mad, and for mothers and their babies. He travelled widely, making contact with countless people. Declaring that enough words had already been given through every past spiritual advent, He chose to observe strict silence from 1925 until His death in 1969.

Eventually Fred was destined to encounter a circle of Meher Baba's followers in London, and he came to understand that Meher Baba was the Avatar of the Age: the same Eternal One as Zoroaster, Ram, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed. It changed Fred's life forever, taking him on pilgrimages to India and the USA. He became a trusted disciple, chosen to disseminate Meher Baba's messages of love throughout the UK and beyond.

Fred was asked to write about his life by Meher Baba's Mandali (or close circle). This he did, but the manuscript was lost for more than forty years owing to the passing of the proposed publisher. Intensely humble, Fred shunned the limelight, and it is rare for one so shy to reveal their inner spiritual journey. Yet Fred's writings make his journey to, and with, God entirely accessible to the reader through its utter simplicity. In so doing, he makes it crystal clear that every one of us may have direct access to God. Moreover, he impresses upon the reader that God Himself is longing for our love and waiting patiently for us to turn to Him.