Raabiya Basri

This is the Persian Miniature painting of Raabiya Basri. HH Sree Babaji Maharaj tells her story how she use to live peacefully among the birds in the forest, who used to love and flutter around her. But when a Faqueer came to meet her, they flew away in fear. She explained that it is because you are a meat eater you have an inherent nature to harm them which is picked by these birds. She was herself a vegetarian the birds see only inherent love in the depths of my heart.
Now the interesting thing. As HH Babaji Maharaj had told her story and advocated her being a vegetarian, I was not surprised that she is considered among the principle advocators of Vegetarianism in the ancient world and the only person from Iran to have made it to the List of Vegetarians “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_vegetarians.” This is a list of notable people who have claimed or been reported to have adhered to a vegetarian diet at propagated it at some point during their life. You can see her name at – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Andomedium/List_of_vegetarians/country#Iran. Shri Nathji also used to tell the story of this legendary lady saint, Raabiya Basri who was ordered to be stoned by the king. As a crowd gathered around her to stone her, she noticed amongst her persecutors one of her closest devotees.
The man had joined the mob out of fear, lest he be identified as a supporter of the saint and be stoned as well. When the people began pelting stones at the lady saint, she bore the pain in silence.
However, when her devotee pretended to hurl a stone, but instead hurled a flower at her, she cried out loudly with the pain: “Haaye!” It was the thought of her devotee’s betrayal that hurt her.
To know more about her life and teaching you can read the book by Margaret Smith
Rabi'a the Mystic and Her Fellow-Saints in Islam. For a brief overview pls see link – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabia_Basri

Comments -

Priya Nath Mehta -  Blessings Siddharta! You have truly studied the life of HH Shri Babaji!