Karen Lynn Sterkin presents traditional spirituals, international multi-cultural folk songs, bhajans, ghazals, devotional songs, Sufi poetry, thumri and light classical in English.

To bring down love and joy of the Divine in devotional songs to a Western English-speaking audience and give more exposure to the great saints and masters: Meher Baba, Saints Mira, Kabir, Tulsidas, Tsoordas, the Sufi poets (Hafiz, Rumi, Ghalib), Tibetan, Middle Eastern, Persian, and others.

Songs from international spiritual traditions: Ghazal, Bhajan, Khayal bandish, Sufi Quawalli, French, Irish, Middle Eastern, Indian, Russian, Pakistani, Persian, Australian and Gaelic — presented in English.

Karen's early childhood music training came from Freida Khan, her maternal grandmother, who was a well-known opera singer in Germany. At nine Karen studied the sitar for two years privately. At 14 years, Karen sang with Cantor Alan Michelson and began performing opera arias for the "Mostly Mozart" light festival in Southern California. During her early 20's, she continued private music lessons and gave performances with the Western Dollar Opera in Northern California. Karen went back to study Eastern Classical and North Indian semi-classical vocal at the Ali Akbar Khan College of Music. She continues to study privately and performs locally.

"[In] the period immediately preceding [the Avatar's] manifestation, man seems more than ever enslaved by desire, driven by greed, held by fear, swept by anger. The strong dominate the weak; the rich oppress the poor; large masses of people are exploited for the benefit of the few. The individual finds no peace or rest. Immorality increases, crime flourishes. Corruption spreads. Class and national hatreds. Wars break out. Humanity grows desperate. There seems no possibility of stemming the tide of destruction. At this moment the Avatar appears." 1

"This Eternally One and the Same Avatar repeats His manifestation from time to time, in different cycles, adopting different human forms and different names, in different places." "Of the most recognized Zoroaster, Ram, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed." Born Merwan Sheriar Irani in 1894, His early disciples named Him Meher Baba, which means "Compassionate Father."

"The Avatar is always one and the same, because God is always One and the Same, the Eternal, Indivisible, Infinite One, who manifests as the Messiah, Prophet, Ancient One - the Highest of the High." 2

"there are countless Sadhus, Mahatmas, Mahapurushas, Saints, Yogis and Walis, the number of genuine ones is very, very limited. The few genuine ones are neither on a level with the ordinary human being nor on a level with the Highest of the High. The Sadhus, Saints, Yogis, Walis and such others can and do perform miracles and satisfy the transient material needs of individuals who approach them for help and relief." 2

"Some God-realized souls use their own bodies consciously to work in creation, in order to help other souls in their God-ward march. Such a God-realized soul is called a Salik, Sadguru, or Man-God. In the Sufi tradition, this centre is called the Qutub [who] controls the whole universe through his agents. The foremost Sadguru who first emerged through evolution is known as the Avatar. When man [or woman] becomes God and has creation-consciousness, he is called Sadguru (Man-God or Perfect Master). When God becomes man, he is called Avatar (God-Man or Messiah)."

"The work of the Man-God [Perfect Master] is fundamentally different from most priests. Most priests of established religions attach too much importance to external forms, rituals, and conformity. Since they themselves are not free from selfishness, narrowness or ignorance, they exploit the weak and the credulous by holding before them the fear of hell or the hope of heaven. The Man-God, on the other hand, has entered forever into the eternal life of love, purity, universality and understanding. He is concerned only with things that really matter and which eventually bring about the inner unfoldment of spirit in all whom He helps. Women can become saints and Sadgurus (Perfect Masters, Qutub-e-Alam), but the Avatar always appears in male form." 3

"The Avatar is called the Messiah, Christ, Ganesh, Adam, the Ancient One; God descends into man form as the God-man into His own creation. "The Avatar awakens contemporary humanity to a realization of its true spiritual nature, gives liberation to those who are ready, and quickens the life of the spirit in his time. For posterity is left the stimulating power of His divinely human example, the nobility of a life supremely lived, of a love unmixed with desire, of a power unused except for others, of a peace untroubled by ambition, of a knowledge undimmed by illusion. He has demonstrated the possibility of a divine life for all humanity of a heavenly life on earth. Those who have the necessary courage and integrity can follow when they will." 3

"The strength of His [the Avatar's] greatness lies, not in raising the dead, but in His great humiliations when He allows Himself to be ridiculed, persecuted and crucified at the hands of those who are weak. Throughout the ages, humanity has failed to fathom the true depth of the Humility underlying the greatness of the Avatar, gauging His divinity by its religious standards. Even real saints and sages, have failed to understand the Avatar's greatness when faced with His real humility."

"Age after age, when the wick of Righteousness burns low, the Avatar comes yet again to rekindle the torch of Love and Truth. Age after age, amidst the clamour of disruptions, wars, fears and chaos, rings the Avatar's call: 'Come all unto Me'." 4

"I have come to sow the seed of Love in your hearts so that the feeling of oneness through love is brought about amongst all nations, creeds, sects and castes of the world. All religions of the world proclaim that there is but one God, the Father of all in Creation. I am that Father. I belong to no religion. Every religion belongs to Me. My own personal religion is of My being the Ancient Infinite One and the religion I teach to all is Love for God."

"I was Rama, I was Krishna, I was this One, I was that One, and now I am Meher Baba. In this form of Flesh and blood, I am that same Ancient One who is eternally worshipped and ignored, ever remembered and forgotten. I am that Ancient One whose past is worshipped and remembered, whose present is ignored and forgotten, and whose future (Advent) is anticipated with great fervour and longing. I am the Ancient One. Not a leaf has the power to quiver without My wish. I am the One who knows everything about everyone. I am God. I am in you all. I never come and I never go. I am present everywhere. I am the Universal Thief, I steal hearts."

"I have come not to teach but to awaken. Understand that I lay down no precepts. Man's inability to live God's words makes the Avatar's teaching a mockery. Instead of practicing the compassion He taught, man has waged crusades in His name. Instead of living the humility, purity and truth of His words, man has given way to hatred, greed, and violence. All this world confusion and chaos was inevitable and no one is to blame. There was and is no way out except through my coming in your midst. I had to come, and I have come. I am the Ancient One." 5