William Shakespeare - one man or many?

I wonder if Shakespeare was one man or many people put together.
H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, Caxton Hall, London, 21/7/80

Now, Shakespeare was a very great realised soul, no doubt about it. His contribution is so beautiful, but people do not see it. They have no eyes to see what he’s trying to show. Say we saw Hamlet. Hamlet is what? Is nothing but he’s trying to show the futility of every nonsense we do. ... I call him, Shakespeare, an avadhuta. Avadhuta is a person who’s beyond. He’s a person who’s not an incarnation. (Caxton Hall, London, 1/9/80)

I would say Shakespeare was a great evolved soul.
(Talk on William Blake's Birthday, London, 28/11/85)

If you read Shakespeare you feel like understanding that he was a great realised soul.
(Press Conference, London, July 1999)

(Shakespeare) was Avadhoota; means a person who has gone beyond all human destructive habits, Avadhoot is a very high quality yogi. (Easter Puja 2000)


Was 'William Shakespeare' the pen-name of Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford? Or maybe of de Vere and his circle of friends? Read more:
Shakespeare Authorship Sourcebook
Shakespeare By Another Name

photo: Edward de Vere

Further comment:
We have both felt this is a strong possibility, after going to an exhibition in Hedingham Castle, UK on this very subject a few years ago. It put forward very convincing arguments for the de Vere theory, with quite a lot of detail about his life that would compensate for the seeming inadequacies of Shakespeare's own life experience. How interesting that Shri Mataji suggested Shakespeare could have been many people put together! Added to this, the good vibrations of de Vere also seem to bear it out. Christopher Marlowe seems to be another possible contender ... Best regards, Judy and John Dobbie.