APiuL - JUNE, 2000a

Tot LoveStreet Lamjlost

Baba’s Home in the West, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on Tuesday, January 25, 2000

:.. e1come to Spring! And hew wel::.. come it Most parts of the

United States had some very nastyweather this past winter. But some of itwas very beautiful.

Dean Nordquist, a carpenter who isone of the caretakers at the MeherSpiritual Center in Myrtle Beach wasin the right place at the right time andcaptured the beautiful photo on ourcover. It is ofthe bridge across the lake,after a very unusual snow fall had coy-ered the Center with its beautifulmantle. :•

On page 17 you will find a photo ofthe Lagoon Cabin in the snow, also byDean. Bal Natu sent us an article he hadwritten on Baba’s Home in the West,and we felt this was a beautiful photowith which to illustrate Bat’s story.

We have put togetherfor you an extensive article on Amartithi, startingwith January 3Pt 1969. These days, atrip to India is not as far-fetched as itused to seem back in the ‘70s. More andmore people are making the pilgrimageto the Samadhi, but for those who can’t,the cyber-age is making it possible foryou to participate in a waythat wouldhave been beyond imagination and con-ception back in 1969! On January 30th,

Joe Stewart, manager of the Baba listserv posted this message:

“I’ve just received late news fromIndia that a groujofIndian Baba levers(MVRK Balaji) are planning to take liveimages ofthe Amartithi celebration andmake them available to the west. Theplan is to rush to Ahmednagar wherecommunications are suitable andtransfer the images to theAvatarMeherBaba.org web site. Wewill receive the files about 4:30 a.m. onJanuary 31, EST. P11 quickly constructa web page which will be available atthe following un: http://www.AvatarMeherBaba.org/india/

A link will also be available from thehttp://www.AvatarMeherBaba.orghome page. This is as close to live shots

tr

as possible given the communication in-frastructure in India.”

What a world we live in! Possiblyi.coverage of the 2020 Amartithi will bebeamed around the world and carriedlive on every network

The LA Baba Center lost a very dearfriend in January. Rocky Rogers passedquicklyinto the waiting arms ofthe Be-loved. There were some very interest-ing happenings at his memorial (seepage 18). Rocky had a great wit, butkept it close; to most people he seemedquiet and reserved, but with closefriends he would cut loose. He evenwrote his own ‘obituary’ two years be-fore he died! While creating a new resume for himself, he got to thinkingwhat a resume for the Avatar would looklike. The results are on page 21.

The email address for the LoveStreet Bookstore has for the past threeyears been Bababooksaol. coin. Timefor a change — AOLjust could not sup-port the work needed to produce theLampPost. From now on, our addresswill be

Bababook@pacbell.net

since PacBell will only allow 8 letters,we had to drop the from books, sonote carefully.

I am very happy to be able to say“Thank you so much” to the manypeople who have been kind enough tosend in donations for another year ofthe Love Street LampPost. This is nota money-making venture - we need yoursupport in order to keep publishing.

I also say, “Thank you Baba” for allowing me the joy of helping to create,along with our staff members, thismagazine dedicated to our Beloved.

May it make Him, and you our read-ers, happy.

Hafiz

A wine bottlefelifrom a wagonAnd broke open in a field.

That night one hundred beetlesand all their cousins

GatheredAnd did some serious binge drinking.

They evenfound some seed husks nearbyAnd began to play them like drums

and whirl.This made God very happy.

Then the “night candle” rose into thesky

And one drunk creature, laying downhis instrument,

Said to hisfriend —for no apparentReason,

“What should we do about that moon?”

Seems to HafizMost everyone has laid aside the music

Tackling such profoundly uselessQuestions.

From The Gift, Poems by Hafiz, Translations byDaniel Ladinsky, Copyright 1999 Daniel

Ladins1q Published by the Penguin Group.

‘ .. .;.

Jai Baba folks!

Editor’s Pager!rb Dma Snow

fr

What Should We DoAbout That Moon?

I 2 £oveSfrectEamjthW

4.

,///

/.

i1

The £ove5trectEam1Posr is dedicated with loveto Avatar Meher Baba. Its primary purpose is tocontribute to a sense ofcommunity among all Hislovers by providing a place for sharing Hisremembrance. All the members ofthe Babafamilyare invited to contribute to thisfrast ofLove.

Your stories, photos, art work, poetry, letters, articles, and humor

are all actively solicited. We seek expressions of Baba’s message

ofLove and Truth.

Please submit your text on computer disks if possible (in any

software format); typewritten copy on white paper is also

acceptable. Be sure to clearly identify all submissions and credit

every quote or reference.

submissions, subscriptions, donations:Love Street LampPost

Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California1214 South Van Ness AvenueLos Angeles, CA 90019-3520

323-731-3737

deadlines:

— or —

Bababook@pacbell.net

for the January - March issue: November 8thApril - June issue: February 8th

July - September issue: May 8th

October - December issue: August 8th

Love Street Bookstore:Dma Snow (at the addresses above)310-837-6419 between 7 and 11pm310-839-BABA (2222) 24 hour fax

Bababook@pacbell.net

credits:editor: Dma Snow

design and layout: Cherie Plumlee, Pris Haffenden,and Nancy Perham

research assistant: Barbara Robertsdigital preflight: Betty Lowman and Tom Hart

distribution: Chris Lyttlecover: Dean S. Nordquist

We extend our heartfelt appreciation to all the individuals and organiza

tions that own the copyrights to the Meher Baba pictures we have used

throughout this issue to bring joy and love to the hearts of all Love Street

LampPost readers. Photos ofthe Meher Spiritual Center used by kind

permission of their Board of Directors.

All words, images, and graphics in this publication are property of the

copyright holders and/or the contributors. Messages and photos of Meher

Baba © Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust, Ahmedna

gar, India, and © Lawrence Reiter.

Unauthorizedduplication isprohibitedby law.

welcome

A publication of the Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California

£ove&reet LamjLPosr

Eruch Jessawalla 4Meher Baba’s Final Days

Mehera’s Grief Arnavaz Dadachanji 6

Our Man in Meherabad James Cox 7

AWorid Apart Heather Nadel 8

I Am Here Bal Natu 10

Lord Buddha and Lord Meher Dr. C. D. Deshmukh 12

Dancing with the Beloved Gary Kleiner 16

Baba’s Home in the West Bal Natu 17

Rocky Rogers Memorial Lois Jones 18

Hot Offthe Presses various contributors 26

New Years Eve in Meherabad Irene Holt 30

The Birth ofLord Meher Bhau Kaichuri 32

Merwan’s Good Nature Baily Irani 33

Baba’s Birthday at Meherabad Irene Holt and James Cox 34

Baba’s Birthday at Meherabode various contributors 35

Manzil-e-Meem T.K. Ramanujam 45

Editor’s Page Dma Snow 2

Announcements various contributors 37

From Meherabad various contributors 36

The Love Street Bookstore Dma Snow 38

Huma Bo Lozoff 41

Poetry Page various contributors 43

Children’s Corner Annonymous 42

ih £oveSfteetCain;Lsr Is published q.’Jsii Ipril July and October I. contents © 196 Avatar Meher Baba Center of:h::Pb, ICalifornia / J ! IAfl quotations or books, of Avatar Meher Baba4

© AMBPPCT4d ‘:c’ :III 5—,

__

3

On January 27, 1969, Baba told me thatalthough the doctors had recommended

He should be moved to Poona, He would notgo there until His customary time at the endofMarch. However He was willing to permitDr. Ginde to come and stay at Meherazad inorder to check Him every day for the nastyspasms which were plaguing Him.

The spasms lasted almost continuously forabout sixteen hours on the following day leaving Baba quite exhausted and restless. Thesensation was like that of a very severe shockreceived by a person who accidentally touchesa main, and it tookfour ofthe mandali to holdHis body down in bed. Every jerk from aspasm almost broke Baba’s back, and anymovement on His part, like raising His handsor fingers to tell us something, would result ina jerk that lifted the body from head to foot.Baba even found breathing difficult. Dr. Goherwho was attending to Baba around the clock,advised that Dr. Ginde should come preparedifpossible, to operate in Baba’s room Wit werenecessary. Dr. Grant who examined Baba’snervous system, found everything normal except that His reflexes had diminished.

)On January 30, Baba announced that He

wanted five disciples to be always-near Him,included among whom Padri and Chaganwere specially mentioned.

The mandali began their watch through-out the day and that night, attempting withBaba’s encouragement, to press hard on Hisbody to eliminate the spasms if possible, orelse to hold His bodydown ifthe spasms came,in order to avoidjerks to His spinal cord thatwere causing Him severe pain in the back andshoulders. While we were pressing His body,we would first feel ripples passing under ourhands and when they got stronger we knewHe was going to have another massive spasm.Accordingly, we tried to press harder but thenthe doctors advised that the pressure shouldbe lighter, otherwise the jerks might damagethe bones which had already been injured inBaba’s two car accidents in 1952 and 1956.

This attention to Baba kept us all on ourtoes, including ofcourse the women mandali.Baba had reduced His food intake about twoweeks previously and Mehera did her best toprovide nourishment by sending Him thingslike fruit, juice, grated apple and so forth. Atfirst He said that He did not want the gratedapple but Mehera would send word back that

by Eruch Jessawala

C 15 dIt is completed- satisfaction. The result of

this . also be 100% and willmanifest from the end of September.”(Family Letter #78, 9th September

1968.)

C?< Jan 31st 1969 <>6

The First Amartithi

: AVATAR MEHER BABADROPPED HIS PHYSICAL BODY.ATTWELVE NOON 31JANUARY..AT MEHERAZAD TO LIVEETERNALLY IN THE HEARTSOF ALL HIS LOVERS STOP BE-.LOVED BABA’S BODY WILL BEINTERRED AT MEHERABADARANGAON ON 1 FEBRUARY AT10 A.M. IN THE TOMB HE HADORDERED TO BE BUILT LONGAGO. ‘

—Adi K. Irani Cable received on 1Feb.1969 ,

44a7

He should have it, and after taking a spoonflilor two, Baba would offer the remainder to themandali, much like prasad. However, since wefelt that He needed the food, we would tellHim thatwe could not eat anything as we hadjust eaten pan, but that did not deceive Him.“Come on,” Baba would say amusingly, “youare all making excuses, saying that you havejust eaten pan in order to avoid eating what Ioffer you.” Baba was very humorous up to thetime He dropped His body.

Since the spasms did not lessen or disappear, Padri suggested homeopathic medicineand Baba agreed to take some of his pills.Chagan who was an ayurvedic specialist, recommended herbs which he said were verygood for spasms. Baba wanted to know if theywere reallygood and requested Chagan to readout their properties from his book, after whichHe would approve of certain ones and askChagan to administer them. So it was thatBaba gave a chance to all the mandali members to minister to Him.

Somewhat earlier, Dr. Ram Ginde ofBombay who had sent word that he was prepared to come and spend some days at Baba’sside, was informed that Baba would notifyhim, but meanwhile he should arrange his affairs so that his patients were notleft stranded.

At the time, Dr. Ginde thought he would befree by February 15 and when this information was given to Baba, He wondered whetherhe could not come sooner. Eventually Dr.Ginde was informed that Baba wanted himat Meherazad on January 3 1 and since hewould be passing through Poona, we suggestedhe should see Dr. Grant whose last reportwould be helpfiil. Dr. Ginde thenleft Bombayin the early morning hours ofJanuary 31.

In Poona, Dr. Ginde was informed by Dr.Grant ofthe latest report on Baba’s condition,and after receiving this medical report over ahasty breakfast, Dr. Ginde left Poona immediately for Ahmednagar.

Baba had only about two hours of sleepon the night ofJanuary3O due to the frequencyof the spasms and the intense pain He washaving in the small ofHis back, and He waspleased to learn that Dr. Ginde was comingto see Him by lunch time.

It was close to midday when Baba lookedat the clock as ifto remind Padri that it wouldsoon be time to give Him the last two ho-meopathic pills at noon and after taking them,Baba, reflecting His long-held opinion abouthomeopathic treatment, said to Padri, “What’sthe matter with your drugs? Your homeopathyis useless; it does no good.Throwthe bottleout!”We aillaughed andjoked about the mat-ter. Meanwhile, Baba had not forgotten aboutDr. Ginde andwhen an exchange oftelephonemessages revealed that he had not yet arrivedat Adi Sr.’s office in Ahmednagar, Baba said itwas getting late and that another messageshould be sent to Adi Sr. telling him not todetain Dr. Ginde on arrival with tea or any-thing, but to send him on to Meherazad forth-with.

It was at fifteen minutes after noon whena fresh spasm took hold ofBaba as He restedin the reclining position to which His specialbed had been set. As He was thus sitting withHis head and back propped up, His frameshook with a final jerk. He flexed His arms,closed His mouth firmly, and all movementin the Beloved’s body came to a halt, indicating to all around Him that He had left us toembark upon that “unique and direct journeyto the unbounded and indivisible ocean ofdi-vinity”

I immediately opened His mouth and resorted to mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for aperiod ofabout thirtyminuteswhile Dr. Goher

Meher Baba’s Final Days

gave several injections to help revive Him. Butall our efforts in this desperate attempt to restore life into the One who gives and sustainsall life, drew no response from the body onthe bed, and I collapsed on the floor out ofsheer exhaustion.

About thirty minutes later Dr. Ginde andDr. Brieseman arrived from Ahmednagar car-rying an oxygen cylinderwith them.They toomade attempts to revive Baba, however, theheart had definitely stopped, the reflexes weregone and life was now extinct without a doubt.

In retrospectwhen Drs. Grant and Donkintogetherwith Meherjee visited Baba onjanuary 30, He suffered a spasm but said that itwas His crucifixion and that His time hadcome but that everything was all right andthere was no need for Him to go to a Poonaclinic as Dr. Grant was suggesting. In fact Babaeven discussed His forthcoming darshanprogramme with Dr. Grant who remindedBaba that it would be a very strenuous affairfor which He should first get strong. Onceagain Baba told the doctor not to worry, thatHe would indeed carry out the programme asplanned, and invited him to see for himselffrom his house opposite to Guruprasad inPoona — the site of the darshan programme— exactly how He would give His darshan.“It wdl be something unique,” said Baba. Inconnection with this, I might mention thatpreviously Baba had told the mandali, “Youwill see My boys and My girls who will comewith all love” in such waves that the great rushto Him willjust push the mandali aside. Babawas giving us hints that His stay among uswas coming to an end but we never anticipated that He was going to drop His bodyeven though, as we now look back on the discussions He held with us about His darshanprogramme, the hints were not so veiled.

We who were responsible for and knewwhat was involved in any darshan programme,were worried whether Baba would physicallybe able to bear the strain, but to Baba, thedarshan He had in mind, was nothing for usto be alarmed about. “Don’t you all worry aboutthat;” He said, “giving my darshan this timewill be veryeasy.”And turning to Francis, Babainquired, “Francis, will it be all right if I givedarshan in a reclining position?”

“Why, have Your way, Baba,” Francis an-swered.

“But what will Mylovers think. Will theyask why is it that Baba is just lying like that?”persisted Baba who again stressed, “I will berechmng when I give darshan.”

At the time we thought that this recliningposition Babawas talking aboutwould be due

to the fact that He would be incapacitated byfever or some other symptom, just as we ear-lier thought that when He said His time hadcome, He was referring to the great days ofthe forthcoming darshan when His loverswould be coming with all love. We never real-ized then that it was all hinting at somethingdeeper.

Anyway the more we thought about thedarshan programme and Baba stressing a redining position, the more we wondered aboutwhat it would impose on Him in the way of ahandicap to His gestures and certainly ofcourse to His facial expressions which alwaysspoke so eloquently.

But Baba was prepared for this too.“What will be the harm ff1 give darshan

in complete silence?” He asked, supplying uswith yet a flirther glimpse ofevents to come.So we said, “All right,let itbeYourway Baba.”Even then Baba did not drop the matter.

“They will feel let down about it, won’tthey?” Baba continued, but even though weassured Him thatwould not be the case, I stillfelt His body could not stand the strain of aprogramme which would most certainlystretch to four hours in the morning and an-other four hours in the afternoon, and I wasafraid. When I expressed this feeling to Baba,He told me not to worry and at another timeHe rebuked me saying, “Don’t talk about thedarshan to Me.It will be veryeasyfor Iwillbevery strong. Goand attend toother work!”

And thenHe told us,“The time toworry is nowwhen I am veryweak and youhave to takecare of Me. Imight be well,by, say, March,to meet thecrowd on April10, and Marchmeans ‘quickmarch!” It wasanother allusion which wemissed.

Once during the con-finement toHis room,

among the tidbits of daily information Ibrought to Baba, was a story I had read abouta monk who was much revered by his follow-ers. One day as this monk was preparing towalk out ofhis room, he informed his follow-ers that he was leaving them but he wouldeventually return though he did not specify atime. Accordingly, the faithful followers prepared his bed every day with fresh bed sheetsand clean linen in anticipation of the eventand this routine, according to what I read, hadresulted up to the time of the report, in theusage of millions of yards of bed sheets andlinen because 2000 years had passed and therewas still no sign ofthe monk.

We all enjoyed the report and had a goodlaugh with Baba saying that He too wouldreturn and adding, “But not like the monk!”

From TheAncient One, by Eruch Jessawala, Pages144 - 148, ©1985 Naosherwan Anzar, Published

by Beloved Books

“I am never born, I never die. Atevery moment Itake birth and undergodeath. ...Although I am present every-where eternally in Myformiess Infinitestate,from time to time Itakeform, andthe taking oftheform and leaving it istermed My physical Birth and Death.In this sense, lam born and Idie whenMy Universal Work is finished.”(Meher Baba Calling, Pg. 88)

-

When we reached Meherabad, we weretold that Beloved Baba’s body had

been placed in the crypt. We went straightup the Hill to His Samadhi,where we found Padri and several others. Padri told us thatMehera had broken down andEruch and others, unable to bearseeing her in such pain and fear-ing that she would collapse, hadconvinced Mani and the otherwomen to take her back to Me-herazad for the night. He feltthat after the whole day’s ordealthe women would not have beenable to withstand spending allthat night and the following dayin Meherabad. Padri opened thedoor ofthe Samadhi, and Katie,Sarosh, Nariman and I went in-side. Beloved Baba’s body waslying in the crypt, but when Ilooked down, my shock at see-ing Him the way I had imagmed a few weeks earlier made itseem as though He were lyingfifty feet below us. Padri, seeingour stunned expressions, immediately told Sarosh to take us to

‘his house for the night.The following morning at

4:00 we returned to Upper Me-herabad to wait at the Samadhifor Mehera, Mani and the otherwomen to come. When their cararrived, I opened the door andMehera got out. I was about toembrace her when she cried out in anguish,“What will I do without Baba? How will Ilive without Him?” There was nothing Icould say, so I silently held her in my arms.Mehera’s griefwas so deep that we all sup-pressed our own in an attempt to consoleher.

It is impossible to describe the experience of being present when the Avatar ofthe Age leaves His human body. Baba by-ers from all over India started phoning andsending telegrammes to Adi, Sr., begginghim to postpone the interment of BelovedBaba’s body. Dr. Ginde said that His bodycould remain uncovered in the crypt fordarshan as long as it showed no signs of deterioration, and he instructed Goher to examine Baba’s body every day to determinewhen to cover it and close the crypt. Dayafter day thousands ofbovers flocked to Me-

Mehera’s Grief

herabad by plane, train, bus, car and bullockcart, even on foot; as one group left, anotherarrived, singing bhajans to our Beloved Lord.Even though we were heartbroken, we weresustained by the love that flowed from thehearts ofthose who had come to bow downto Him and gaze upon His face one last time.

Years later I was booking at the pictureof Christ I kept in the room with the photograph ofBaba that He had given Narimanand me at our wedding. For the first time Inoticed the words “Jesus in the Sepulcher”written beneath it. Suddenlyit struck me thatJesus looked very much the way Baba hadlooked while His bodywas lying in the cryptin His Samadhi. I knew at that moment whyI had been compelled to buy the picture andremembered the day when Baba had askedme about it and told me to keep a lamp under His photograph burning twenty-four

hours a day. The bight from the lamp reby Arnavaz N. Dadachanji, Meherazad minded me that even though Beloved Baba

had dropped His physical body, the light ofHis Divine Presence would con-tinue to bum eternally.

During the days before Baba’sinterment we women stayed byMehera’s side wherever she was.She cried inconsolably to Baba inthe Samadhi, and it was good thather tears flowed easily. Had shenot expressed her anguish, itwould have been very difficult forher to maintain her mental andemotional balance. Her griefshowed others how deeply sheloved her Beloved Darling Baba.When we could bear Mehera’stears no longer, we would take herto Baba’s cabin and sit talking withher near the stretcher that hadborne His body from Meherazadto the Samadhi. Sometimes shewould become quiet and composed, greeting with great poisethe women who came to her withfolded hands, saying “Jai Baba.”Men with folded hands would alsotry to catch a glimpse ofdear Me-hera.

Those closest to her had wit-nessed the total devotion Meherahad for Baba, and we honouredher as Baba’s beloved. Now Me-hera was to leave the secluded life. she had led thus far, so that all of

S

Baba’s lovers, both men andwomen, would witness the perfect love ofHis closest disciple. I felt that Baba had lefther behind to play the very important rolethat He had been gradually preparing herfor, carrying on His mission of Pure Love.In order for Mehera to play this role, shehad to accustom herself to many new situations, among them learning to converse withmen, something she had not done before.Baba led me intuitively to use the circumstances to help Mehera take a first step inthis direction. When some of the Westernmen arrived in Meherabad, I took the opportunity to ask Don Stevens if he wouldlike to say “Jai Baba” to Mehera. Surprised,Don asked ifthatwere possibbe.Then I wentto Mehera and told her that Don Stevenswanted to say “Jai Baba” to her. Mehera, inher grief agreed automatically, so I broughtDon into Baba’s cabin. Facing Mehera, he

said “Jai Baba.” Mehera, without looking athim, softly said “Jai Baba” and told me some-thing to say to Don for her. Don said a fewwords in response. The next day I told 5ev-eral men to stand outside the Samadhi in arow and, one at a time, say “Jai Baba, Me-hera” when she came out. They did so, andshe replied “Jai Baba” in return. Mehera wasin a state of shock and responded to thewords “Jai Baba” without giving any thoughtto the fact that she was speaking to men.

From Gift ofGoc4 Arnavaz N. Dadachanji© 1996 AJVIBPPCT Published by Beloved Books

“I am not limited by this form. Iuse it like a garment to make Myselfvisible to you; and I communicatewith you—Don’t try to understandMe. My death is unfathomable. Justlove Me. I eternally enjoy the Christstate of consciousness, and when Ispeak I shall manifest My true Selfbesides giving a general push to thewhole world, Ishallleadallthose whocome to Me toward Light and Truth.”(Awakener, Vol. V. No.4, p.33)

From our man inMeherabad

January 30thbyjames Cox,

Amartithi officially started at noon to-day, but there were many who jumped

the gun and arrived last night, just to sleep— under a tree, or anywhere. My firstAmartithi was in 1972, and the total crowd

then was less than that ofthe volunteers andearly arrivals yesterday, probably not even 5%ofwhat it will be tomorrow. In the expand-ing scheme of things, Meherabad Hill hasonce again been enclosed under a great festive sky ofundulating, brightly colored fabnc, punctuated by poles holding vertically

mounted tube lights, the dusty dry groundcovered by a sea of green tarpaulins. Al-though the count for people staying belowis about 500 less than last year, the crowd on

the Hill seems more, but who can really tell?

Baba’s magnet continues to draw in Hisdrunken filings from all over the board.

As the crowd grows, procedures change,and there have been a few new additions this

year, probably the most noticeable being the

addition of the “Meherabad Mall” betweenthe railway tracks and the Nagar-Daund

road. All ofthe lower stalls have been shiftedfrom the side of the path up the hill to alarge compound just to the left as you walkup the Hill, and this gives the impression ofmore space and less chaos for those goingup and down. There have also been changesto the darshan procedure, those being thatno one is allowed to bow down at the thresh-old while entering or exiting the Samadhi,or to prostrate oneselfon the floor in a proneposition. As small as these two changes may

seem, they have speeded up the rate at which

persons can actually take darshan, and theline is moving more smoothly than in the

past.Amartithi is also a time ofintense activ

ity by most ofthose who live here, but while

we live in the Sun, sometimes the work demands our attention to such an extent that

we are not able to appreciate the subtletieswhich flow around us. About 1:00 p.m. this

afternoon I had been at the Samadhi for anhour trying to keep the darshan line flowingsmoothly, seeing to various requests for flow-ers from the Tomb, prasad donations, and

dealing with requests to touch an assortment

of photos, books, etc. to Baba’s slab, when

Judy Stevens, standing near Baba’s cabin tothe right, caught my attention and asked mewhy the window to the Samadhi from Mani’sside was not open. I hadn’t even noticed thatit was closed, and I had no idea why it might

have gotten that way, so I told her that, andwe both agreed that it would have been nice

if people could also see inside from thatangle. Around here, one never knows whatnew rule might have been made or policychanged, so the best thing to do in such a

case is nothing until one can find out moreinformation. Then, as I walked back to myplace on the Samadhi platform after talkingwith Judy, Raphael Villafane immediatelyapproached me from the other side of theTomb, where he could not have seen or heardmy conversation withJudy, and told me thathe was wondering whether we should openthe window on Mani’s side now that the sunwas not shining in. He said he had closed it

earlier because of this, but as there was nomore sun, what did I think? I said, I thoughtthen it must be time to open the window.

February 3

I think on the 30th, Bhauji made somecomment about Amartithi darshan going

on for seven days. But the physical shop defi-nitely started closing up on theist, the mammoth brightly colored pandal slowly peelingoffendless emaciated limbs which had separated it from the ground.

Perhaps the crowd this time was ten per-cent greater than last year, and who knowswhat that number might be, but every yearthe organization gets better and better, andthings seemed to go smoothly, with only

minor glitches. I also felt there was a certainsweetness present this time, which I don’t

always perceive.The line for Darshan, which used to get

over at midnight of the 3ist, went on until

3:00 a.m., and then was heavy again on thefirst morning, but it seemed to move faster

with the new procedure ofpilgrims not bow-ing down at the threshold. And although afew people created trouble by cutting lines

and jumping over railings, by and large it

was a rather subdued and disciplined crowd.Only the dust was unruly, and some peopleare still recovering from that, cough, cough.

Ofcourse most people would say that thehigh point ofAmartithi is the Silence whichis observed from noon to 12:15 p.m., thetime at which Baba dropped His body, andthis year the crowd under the pandal musthave numbered in the tens ofthousands during those 15 minutes, punctuated only by

7

A Song to The Beloved

ftam His Meheraby l\’Iehera

Meher Baba, Lord a ;zd Friend,I[(v Beloved to the end.

IT are my heart, my life, my soul,You are 1fl)’ all, my only Goal.

J, Jal, Jal

Beloved, I am by Your light.Your love-Sun makes mv moon bright.

.Jai, Jai, ,Jai (Chorus)

All day longfor You I long.Sing urVame and Yourlove song.

Jai, Jai, .Jai (Chorus)

Though my heart weeps all the while,For Your sake, I wear a smile.

.Jai, Jai, Jai (Chorus)

Your dearpleasure is ;nyjoy.Mine is not to question why.

.Jai, Jai, Jai (Chorus)

You Who play the perfect gameShape my heart into Your1Vaine.

Jai, Jai, J(ii (Chorus)

iiiake me, Lord, Youi song ofpraise.Fill all hearts wit/i Your dear grace.

Jai, .Jai, Jal (Chorus)

babies’ cries and coughs. But there are othertouching moments also, like at 5:00 a.m. onthe 31st, when Kusum Singh and group fromDelhi sing the rose song as hundreds ofpeople, including some of the WomenMandali, shower roses on Baba’s Gadi(couch).

More and more people always are coming, and similarly, one of my friends fromNagar, who does not claim to be a Baba lover,was on the hill for the afternoon ofthe 3 1st.As all the tokens for darshan had been is-sued many hours before, she decided to haveher darshan from the outside, and then left.The next day she called to tell me that thismost incredible thing had happened to her,that while standing there, she felt Baba takeaway the effect ofall her many problems thatwere weighing on her head, and althoughthe situations were still there, they didn’tbother her anymore. She said, “It’s really like‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy,’ amazing, I mustcome for Baba’s darshan more often.”

Yes, isn’t it?

A World ApartHeather Nadel, Meherabad

Today is February 7th, the day BelovedMeher Baba was interred in the

Samadhi 31 years ago. The women mandaliare coming for Arti and darshan, as they doevery year. It is the “real” end of Amartithi.

The 11,504 people who stayed overnightat Meherabad this year on the 30th Januaryhave all gone home. Most of the tents aredown, and the sense ofMeherabad being aworld apart from its normal self (if there issuch a thing) has gone. The queue railingsthat guided thousands ofpeople to His feeton the 31st have come down, the sides ofthe tent covering the hill are gone, (thoughthe colorftil top tent is still flapping in thewind, protecting people from the strong February sun). There are no more non-stopbhajans and songs pouring out from theamphitheatre. The leftover Baba photos,lockets, books, t-shirts, stickers and calendars have all been packed up and carted awayby the groups from all over India whobrought them to sell here, and the food andflower shops down the Hill in the “MeherabadTent Mall” by the railway tracks are gonetoo.

People are back in the Pilgrim Centre orthe hostels, out of their makeshift lodgingson a floor somewhere. For a few days afterAmartithi, the 600 volunteers were stillaround, helping to dismantle things, and itfelt like they were a skeleton crew after themasses who came for the Silence and darshanon the 31st — 25,000 by one estimate.

Like some old-time magic show on aprairie, it is all suddenly gone, whisked away— that time apart that feels unlike any otherever. Now you can walk to the Samadhi andtake darshan after a 10-minute wait at themost. You can sit on the portico outside theSamadhi for as long as you want. You canno longer buy soft drinks behind the compound up the Hill, or coffee or ice cream, ora south Indian meal, caprices that come withAmartithi. Meheru and Katie and Aloba andEruch and Bhauji and Bal are no longerstrolling on the Hill, just around the corner.

But the memory of the One thing thatmatters about Amartithi is still in the air. Arecollection of that great fire of Baba’s in-comparable Love that spilled out from theSamadhi, with an all-encompassing warmththat lingers on in the very walls, like thewarmth of a great kiln that glows inside fordays after a firing . . . . The photos that came

alive, the remembrance ofHim that suddenlywas so easy, His Name that came withouteffort straight from the heart, the smilesamong people from all over the world whoall at once truly seemed your family, the talksofHim, the closeness shared, the vast shoutofHisJai from all those throats and all thosehearts at 12:15 pm after the great silence,His recollection that flowed through the tentand up and down the Hill like wine, and allthe things you forgot remembering Him.“How could anyone be so beautiful, so beau-tiful as You; and were all of my lives of by-ing just to bring me to loving You” (as thesong says).

Amartithi at Meherabad: for all the dustand chaos, disruption and discomfort, inBaba’s world there is really and truly nothing on heaven or earth quite like it.

“Believe thatlam theAncientOne. Do not doubt thatfor a mo

ment. There is nopossibility ofMybeing anyone else. I am not thisbody thatyou see. It is only a coatI put on when I visityou. I aminfinite consciousness. (The Everything and the Nothing, p.56)

A Message from Bhauto the L.A. Group for

Amartithi 2000

I just give one message for the L.A.group for the Amartithi program:

What is Amartithi? Amartithi meansEternal Date. How is this date eternal?This is the date when Beloved AvatarMeher Baba released His Universal Workto the creation. He was suffering and suffering at that time terribly and He said,“Maya is killing me but I will win.” Andthen just before He dropped His physicalbody He said to Padri who was givingHim homeopathic medicine,”Your medicine will not work.” And he pointed outthe board ofthree couplets ofHafiz whichwere for obedience. That was the last message from Beloved Avatar Meher Baba,and then He dropped His body.

Now people may think that Mayakilled Him but it is not so. Maya was obstructing His Work which He was to release and He had come to release HisWork. Unless the Work was released Hecould not have dropped the body. And the

You Are Not DeadYou are not dead

Your gaze warms and armors meWhen i’m all alone in the desperate

hours of darkness

You are not dead‘ibur liands are firm on nrv shoulders

turning me guiding meveiled for safety

through the mirror maze

You are not deadi hear Your footsteps in my own

and Your silent voicereminding imr heart of itself

‘Thu are not deadi smell ‘Thur perfume bliss

enticinglurmg me

to Your illusive elusiveness

You are not dead‘We have become entwined

so that i can hardly tellwhich ofUs begins where

You are not dead so to grieve is a lieYdu are not dead so to cry is a farce

Yàu are not deadso the depths of my soul proclaim

Avatar i’vleher Baba ki jai!Avatar l’vleher Baba Ki jai!Avatar i’vleher Baba Id jai!

Jack ]\‘Ic Tamne 1/31/2000

dropping of the body was the indicationthat His Universal Work was released.And therefore the time when He droppedthe body, the time became Eternal, andthat is why it is called Eternal Date orAmartithi.

Had He not released His UniversalWork He would not have dropped Hisbody because He comes in every age toWork for the universe and to release theWork to the universe. That is His responsibility. And what is His Work? To makethe creation free from bindings, or to openthe way to move towards the Eternity andnot towards illusion. Once, before drop-ping the body, He had said, “I am stretch-

ing and stretching the bow, and when Irelease the bow it will go on touchingheart after heart. It will not leave out anyheart.” And we see that at the time ofdropping His body He released the Ar-row and that Arrow is touching heart after heart in the creation and that’s whypeople are coming to Him. One day thewhole world will come because the Be-loved released the Arrow on that EternalDate when He was dropping the body.And therefore this Eternal Date is very,very important.

We must bow down to our BelovedAvatar Meher Baba and pray to Him thatHis Arrow should go on pricking our

hearts so that we may not be able to liftour heads from His feet and will remainbowed down to Him until we become onewith Him.

At the darsha n-discussiongathering in Meherazad, (October 13, 1968) Beloved Babasaid: “I have been saying: theTime is near, it is fast approaching, it is close at hand.Today Isay: the Time has come.Remember this!” (Family Let-ter #79, 1st November 1968)

The Shepherd andHis Sheep

From a talk given by Mani iniVlandali Flail 197?, recorded by

Peter Raymond, England

When we returned to Meherazadafter the 1969 Darshan at Gu

ruprasad it ras the first chance we hadto be conscious ofour own feelings, andto realize ust how very much we weremissing Baba’s physical presence. It wasa flood of memories, because there isnothing in Meherazad that Baba has noteither touched or used, or that is norpersonally associated with Baba. ButEruch had made it very clear from thestart, that this was no time to beginthinking of ourselves. Ve had to dowhat we knew Baha would want. Thiswas merely a continuation of our liferith Baba.

A few days after our return Eruchtold me that he needed a certain document I had, as it was to he sent off toAdi. 1 promised to bring it, andpromptly forgot. Suddenly that eveningI remembered and decided to take it toEruch before the night became too dark.1 got the document from my cupboardand went across the compound toEruch’s room. \‘Vhen I arrived Eruchwas washing his face at the tap outside.

“Eruch,” I said, “I’re brought thedocument that you asked for.” fle saidnothing, finished washing, stood up anddried his face. But instead of going tohis room he walked awa straight to—wards the field that lies beyond.

I said, “But Eruch...”

All he said was “Come.”We stopped at the edge ofthe field

and stared In..to the vast expanse ofdarkness before us. “Can you hear?”asked Eruch. I strain.. ed my ears in thesiince and I heard coming from across

the field, “Baa-baa, baa-baa...”“Yes.” I said.“Can you see?”I looked; there were some white

sheep in the flock, I could just see themmoving about.

“Yes Eruch, I see the sheep.”“No. To the left. Look to the left.”To the left I could see nothing.But as I stared I noticed that there

was a form darker than the darkness, it

looked like a large rock. I stared harderand realized that it was a person. Hewas seated on the ground beside theflock, with a blanket draped over hishead and shoulders. “Yes,” I said, “I cansee the shepherd.”

“The sheep think that their shep—herd has left them.” explained Eruch,“rle are restless and confused, look-ing for him and calling out to him. Buthe’s there, he’s right there and his wholeattention is on them. He is watchingover his flock with such one—pointed—ness, ai-icl he rill stay like that all night.‘\‘Vhen the davn comes the sheep willrealize that their shepherd is with them,and has always been with them. Theydid not know he was there because it

ras dark and they could not see him.”And when Eruch said that it made

such a difference.I said, “Yes Baba I know von are

here, but it is dark, we cannot see youand ;ve may sometimes feel that youhave left us. But you haven’t, you areright here with us and when the dawncomes re will know that you have al—avs been here.”

1I

I Am HereBalNatu

When Baba veiled His visible physicalform in 1969, I was suddenly at a loss

as to how to relate to Him. As I sat or stoodoutside the Samadhi during that first weekof February 1969 and watched His loverstaking darshan, it became clear to me thatBabawas still activelygreeting His lovers andshowering them with His love. But the question arose in my mind, “Where is Baba asMeher Baba, that dynamic Avataric person-ality? His body is in the crypt, this is clear,but where exactly is the Source, the Power-house, of the love His lovers feel?”

During the next few years, in the early‘70s, I would be struck time and time againby Baba’s active dispensation oflove to thosewho would visit Him in the Samadhi. Peoplewould also pour into Meherazad from allover the world at all hours of the day andshare their stories of Baba’s loving presencein their lives, felt especially when they werein the Samadhi. I was drenched in the show-ers oftheir love for Baba as the Eternal Be-loved, but my mind would ask, “But where

.

is the fountain that is showering us with thisliving water of Love?”

In talking to Indian Baba lovers and us-. tening to their stories, I also felt Baba’s love

very strongly. I would often be reminded ofplaces I had been with Baba and of darshanprograms I had attended, especially those atGuruprasad. Various incidents of my lifewith Baba would be replayed in my mindwith sudden vividness. Each time, my heartfelt illumined as if a light had been turnedon. But again my mind asked, “But where isthe generator that is providing the power?”With Meher Baba’s veiling of His physicalbody, the form which had been the focus ofmy thoughts and feelings for so many years,I felt as if my link to Baba had in some waybeen disrupted. I would inwardly ask Baba,“Where are You?”

I felt that if I knew the answer to thisquestion, it would help me reestablish thesame sense ofrapport with Baba which I hadfelt before. I wondered, “Should I try to picture Baba now in the Samadhi?” But some-how there seemed to be a contradiction inassociating Baba’s divinely dynamic person-ality with the place which He used to some-times refer to as His “Final Resting Place.”My mind was in a state ofextended suspenseawaiting a resolution to this turmoil whichwould appeal to my heart. Some years later

this distressing problem was finally resolvedby an experience which, even to this day, Ifind difficult to categorize.

One morning in May 1987, I was rest-ing on my bed at Meherazad with my eyesclosed, waiting for the call announcing thatthe car was ready to leave for the Trust Of-fice in Ahmednagar. Baba chose this moment to reveal the answer to my question ina way that not only totally eased my mind,but also consoled and convinced my heart.

While resting, I suddenly found myselfin the midst of a kind of”waking dream.” Isaw myselfstanding on the platform in frontof the Samadhi at Meherabad, just to theright of the door. There was no furniture asthere is now, no cabinets or benches. No oneelse was present. It was all blissffilly quietwhen, most unexpectedly and to my greatsurprise and joy, I saw Meher Baba and

Eruch, one ofHis dear disciples, coming upthe slope from the south. As they approachedthe platform, Baba asked Eruch to wait atits edge. He then walked graceftilly towardsthe door of the Samadhi, His arms swing-ing, hair flowing, His eyes flashing brilliantly.He gave me a glance of deep intimacy thatwords cannot convey, then entered theSamadhi. I waited with great anticipation forHim to come out, trying to decide how Iwould greet Him. “Should I bow down toHim, do this, or that . . . or what?”

Just then, from inside the Samadhi, Iheard a deep voice with a sweet ring to it,and the words resounded, “I AM HERE, I

AM HERE, I AM HERE.” These wordsreverberated throughout my whole being.Just then I heard someone calling my name,saying that the car was ready to go to theTrust Office. As I opened my eyes, I foundmyself uttering the word “EVER.”

My heart was filled with an inexpressible joy. I felt deep within me that Baba hadclearly shown me: HE IS THERE, HE ISTHERE, HE IS THERE, in the Samadhi,as the Ancient One, ever divinely vibrant,responding to the calls of those who visitHim for darshan, or think ofHim whereverthey may be.

Thus, thinking of Meher Baba in theSamadhi has come to be, for me, the sameas thinking of Him when He was visible inthe physical body. This has become the natural way for me to feel closer to the presenceof the Avatar — the Infinite, Active Con-sciousness that assumed human form asMeher Baba. Since that day, Meher Baba’sliving physical presence in the Samadhi hasbeen for me a fact beyond all doubt.

This experience reminds me of an mci-dent from Baba’s life when He also spokethree significant words. Once, Baba was visiting the Ellora Caves with some of HisEastern andWestern women disciples. Oneof the caves they visited is known as theBuddha’s cave. Mani sometimes shared thestory ofthis visit and commented that as theywere inside, looking at the impressive statueof the Buddha which dominates the cave,theywere moved by the spiritual atmospherewhich they felt there in Baba’s presence.Justthen, Baba took His alphabet board fromunder His arm and dictated to Mani thesethree words, “I A]VI BUDDHA.” As Maniread aloud from the board, she felt as if every particle of the cave resounded with thetruth ofHis words.

One evening a few years after I heardthe three words, “I AM HERE,” I foundupon returning to Meherazad from the TrustOffice that, as usual, someone had placed onthe table in my room some pictures of Babaand a few pamphlets to be distributed to pilgrims. I was tired and went to bed immediately after having supper. The next morning,when I rolled back my mosquito netting, Isaw a painting of the Samadhi on the win-dowsill next to my bed which I had not no-ticed the night before. Later, I learned thatit had been sent to my room from Baba’sHouse, where the women mandali stay, tobe given away or kept as I chose.

Naturally, I decided to keep it. In fact, Iwas overjoyed to receive it. I had been want-

,.‘

— I

ing a picture of the Samadhi ever since my“vision.” Not only that, but this paintingshowed the Samadhi with the door open asI had seen it, and I took this as an objectiveconfirmation from Meher Baba that thewords I had heard were trulyHis.This paint-ing adorns the wall of my room to this day,proclaiming from the Samadhi AvatarMeher Baba’s message, “I A1\4 HERE.” Andyes, He is.From The Samadhi, Star ofIflnity, by Bal Natu,

Pages 29 - 33, © 1997 Sheriar Foundation

From The Samadhi -

Star of Infinity,byBalNatu

My personal feeling is that from February 7, 1969, a fresh dimension of

Baba’s spiritual work has commenced. Theveiling of Meher Baba’s body heralded thebeginning ofa new adventure in love. It wasas if Baba had decided that the time hadcome to hide His physical form from oursight so that His divine presence could bios-som all the more in our hearts. The AncientOne, in each of His advents, veils His format an appointed time, so that humanity maybe able to experience His formlessness in amultitude ofbeguiling ways. I feel it is important even for those who met Baba to availthemselves ofthe opportunity to meet Himagain in this new dimension of His work.

I do not expect all to agree with me, butthis is what I sincerely feel. Meher Baba onceconveyed to His close ones, “This [body] isonly an overcoat that I am wearing; this isnot the real Me.” That “Real Me” of theAvatar’s presence is now manifesting itselfin innumerable ways through the Samadhi.There the atmosphere is permeatedwith Hisdivine presence, awakening hearts to Hisglorious love. To enter the Samadhi is tobathe in a clear pool of puritc It not onlycleanses the impurities of mind and heart,but perfumes one’s entire being with His ii-luminating presence. The Samadhi is whereMeher Baba responds to His lovers’ longingfor the Avatar’s physical company. When-ever one has the rare fortune to visit there,either physically or in one’s thoughts, it per-forms a wondrous sanctification of one’smind and heart. That little room holds thekey that unlocks any human heartwhich sin-cerely calls to Him, the Eternal Beloved.

From The Sarnadhi, Star ofIifinity, by Bal Natu,© 1997 Sheriar Foundation

A Part of the TruthNaosherwan Anzar, Eruch Jessawala

Anzar: After Meher Baba dropped Hisbody at the end ofJanuary 1969, a number offalse saints who claimed to be Perfect Masters, began to appear on the scene. How doyou react to this situation?

Eruch: Meher Baba gave us a profoundsense ofunderstanding and awareness of thismatter. First ofall, He pointed out that every-thing in this phenomenal world of existenceis nothing, but simultaneously it is also part ofthe Truth; not the wholeTruth but only a partoftheTruth.Therefore,having livedwith Babafor so long, I would not presume to point afinger at anyindividual,be he a false guru, falsesaint or false Perfect Master. I have no basisfor forming ajudgment and thus I must con—sider him to be a part ofthe Truth, for he undoubtedly plays his role.

What I have said does not mean that Iwill encourage anybody and everybody. I real-ize that it is all Baba’s Will that the individualis doing what he does, and because he is there,others eventually will come to realize what isfalse and what is true, and discern right fromwrong. Thus, because ofthe awareness I havereceived from Baba, I will never condemn,knowing that everyone has his role to play inthat part ofTruth represented bythe phenomenal world.

Anzar: What is your advice to Baba by-ers faced with the situation ofhaving to trustsomeone who makes such claims?

Eruch: Trust in God, or ifthat is too impersonal, put your trust only in Meher Babawho is the God-Man of the age. Also don’tscoff at or ridicule anyone for the claims theymake, but stay away from such individuals.

Anzar: Would such false masters causeharm to their would-be disciples and to whatdegree?

Eruch: Meher Baba Himself used theterm ‘wolves and lambs’ to describe what hap-pens. The pseudo gurus borrow from Baba’smessages and discourses without revealing thesource ofwhat they have to say, and their listeners being carried away by the words oftruth,are deceived into paying homage and accept-ing the pseudo guru as the real master he pretends to be.

When such situations arose, Baba re-.minded us that whenever He came in ourmidst, He suffered threefold. “I suffer physically which all are witness to,” He said. “Mymental suffering is when I come in your midstand assure you that I am the One for whomyou are longing, and give My love to you inabundance. You accept me as that but yet yougo out and search for another guru, anothermaster. Despite mywarning, despite Mywanting you not to be with such people, you try togather as much blessings as possible from thesedifferent persons. My spiritual suffering isfinding Myselftotally bound in each one. Al-though I am eternally free, I am bound in eachofyou. So I suffer threefold.”

This then is one of the most importantthings Baba has warned us about. Once MeherBaba is accepted as the God-Man, as yourMaster Guide, Guru, Companion or Re-deemer, it is totally absurd for anyone even tothink ofgoing to another for relieffrom suffering or for spiritual guidance. Ifone is a Babalover, hold on to Baba’s daaman and don’t goelsewhere.

From TheAncient One, by Eruch Jessawala,Edited by Naosherwan Anzar Pages 7 - 9,© 1985 Naosherwan Anzar, Published by

Beloved Books

This Longing You ExpressOne night a man was crying,

“Allah! Allah!”His lips grew sweet with the praising,

until a cynic said,“So! I have heard you calling out,

but have you ever had a response?”

The man had no ansver to that.

*5 He quit praying and fell intoa conftised sleep.

: He dreamed he saw Khidr,

C the guide of souls,in a thick green foliage. •

“Why did you stop praising?”

“Because I’ve never heardanything back.”

“This longing you expressis the return message.”

The griefyou crT out fromdraws you toward union.

Your pure sadness that wants helpis the secret cup.

Listen to the moan of a dogfor its master.

That whining is the connection.

There are love-dogsno one knows the names of.

Give your life to be one of them.

From The IllaminedRuini, © 1997 byColeman Barks and Michael Green,

Publiched by Broadway Books, 1997, NY, NY

11

Lord Buddha and Lord MeherI

is one of the most tragic ironies Enlightenment attained, he came backof history that Buddhism should have Dr. CIX Deshmukh, MA., Ph.D. to the world and began to turn the wheel of

been all but extirpated from the land Dharma(Law)Andtheyearsofhismin—where it first came into existence. It is istry are one of the most marvelous pen—needless for us to go into the various ods, which the world’s history has seen. Itcauses of the decay of Buddhism in In- is said ofNapoleon that wherever he wentdia. But we may be sure that the causes crowns and thrones came crashing down.of the decay of Buddhism were mostly The same was the case with Lord Bud-connected with the vast and complicated dha. Wherever he went to announce hissuper-structure ofBuddhistic societyand Noble Teaching, not only the vast multi-the network ofbeliefs which came to be tude of common people but even kingsbuiltup during the centuries that followed and princes, as well as the most learnedthe original Teachings ofLord Buddha. people, came to his feet in order to receiveEvery religion tends to become corrupt the dispensation ofthe Truth.and gets mixed up with a heap of irrel- Before we can füllyappreciate the sigevant and inessential details as time rolls nificance ofthe Teachings ofLord Bud-on until atlast the followers lose their grip dha it is necessary for us to understandupon the original vision ofits founder. the atmosphere which was prevalent in

The truth contained in the original his time. The intellectual atmosphere ofTeachings ofLord Buddha is eternal and his time, as in our own, was full ofbarrentherefore incapable ofbeing shaken bythe Metaphysicalquibbles.The Great Panditsstorms which the course of time brings ofhis day were preoccupied with fruitlessin its train. It will be my endeavour to wranglings andhairspliffing debates aboutdisentangle the truth in Buddhism from things that did not matter, for that wasthe various inessentials with which it got thelegacywhich corruptBrahmanism hadmixed up during the centuries that fol- leftforhis age.The Pandits ofhis daywerelowed, and to draw parallels between the more concerned with the interpretationTeaching of Lord Buddha and the new of the sacred scriptures than with thedispensation of the Truth which we are search after theTruth. For them the mosthaving through the Teaching of ShniMeher Baba.

It is not possible for us to appreciatethe frill significance of the Teachings ofLord Buddha except in the light of thewonderfiil life which he led. Those criticsof Buddhism, who describe it as the phi-losophyofthosewho have failed in this lifewill do well to remember that Lord Bud-dha came from a royal family and was inhis youth surrounded by every pleasurewhich this world can give. He had aroundhim all the power and prestige, wealth andfame, comforts and luxuries, which a princecould command; and he was very happilymarried to Yashodhara who was one ofthefmest flowers ofhumaulty In his palace hewas all the time surrounded by music anddance. But one day when he was going tohis pleasure garden, in his chariot, for thefirst time in his life, he came into contactwith the sufferings of this life. He saw anold man crippled with age. He was on theway to death and the sight of this personwas enough to set him thinking about thesufferings of life. Again on another occasion, he saw a sick man who was coursinghis way to death with slow but sure steps.And on the third occasion he actually sawa dead body, which was being carried for ius iiigiitst siaie oi iiicuiiauoii, iimgiiceiuiiem.

Photo by Patricia Adams SmithIndian Buddha statuefound in Ellora Cave #10 vital question was not life but the inter-

pretation of the Shastras. It was thereforeno wonder that a multitude of Schools ofPhilosophy came into existence in order toafford for these Pandits opportunities to displaytheir extensivelearning and intellectualskiltThese schools always identified them-selves with a set ofunrelated and unimportant beliefs and dogmas. And they tried tosecure following not so much by any appeal

funeral on a bier. These sights of sufferingsimpressed upon him very strongly two sterntruths aboutlife: (1) sarvam kshariikam — everythingis transitor and(2) sarvam dukkharn— everywhere there is suffering. He there-fore set his mind to the discovery ofthe causeof suffering and to the search after the realmeaning oflife. Itbecame now impossible forhim to lull his mind into stupor by drowningit in the delights ofhis palace and one day (inhis 29th year) he quietly renounced his abodeofpleasure at midnight in order to go out inthe world in search ofunderstanding.

After leaving his home he made manyexperimentswith life in order to have the finalsolution of the problems of life. He tried allthe existing systems, not excluding extremeasceticism. But he found all these methodsfhtile.Then he turnedbackupon his own innerresources and spent years in the earnest searchfortheTruth. Before attainingunder- standinghehad to conquer all the temptations ofMara(who symbolises the forces of darkness) whoopposed him with his three sons (1)Confusion, (2) Gaiety and (3) Pride and, histhree daughters (1) Lust, (2) Delight and (3)Thirst. But he resolutely freed his mind from

1rc1

Asiai Buddha statue

to their intrinsic claims for our acceptance,as by drawing upon strings of quotationsfrom the Shastras. And as a result of theconffict of the diverse traditional systemsof philosophy the spirit of general scepticism was in the air.

As in our own time, the social atmosphere which was prevalent at the time ofLord Buddha was also full of confusion.The Hindu societywas, as it is to-day, divided into numberless castesand creeds. And religion wasmostly a matter of observing certam prescribed ceremonials andperforming superstitious ritualswith the hope ofgaining some reward in the life after death. One ofthe most wicked rituals was thepractice ofsacrificing animals in religious functions. And the mind ofthe age had been so much dead-ened by theweight ofagelong traditions that people had becomeincapable ofrealisingthe appallingcruelty and stupidity involved insuch religious practices.

It was in such an intellectualand social atmosphere that LordBuddha made his appearance inthe world, and became a great andan unsurpassed reformer in bothfields. He vehemently denouncedthe existing caste system andshowed to the people how thedistinctions based upon birthalone are not only ridiculous butpernicious. He equally vehemently denounced distinctionsbased upon race and the pridewhich was usually associated withit. When after his enlightenmenthe came back to the city of hisfather in the garb ofa Monk, with a beg-ging bowl in his hand, his father reminded him that he belonged to the Solarrace in order to put him to shame. Buthis answer was that he refused to takeany pride in his race or extraction be-cause he now belonged to the race ofthe Buddhas. Nor did he recognise anysuperiority of one sex over the otherThe traditional Hinduism did notrecognise any salvation for women andas a rule, convention prevented themfrom reading the scriptures or takingto renunciation. The privileges of be-coming a Sanyasin was reserved onlyfor men. As against this unfair discrimination Lord Buddha stood for theemancipation ofwomen and threw hisOrder open to them. He fully

recognised their right to attain the high-est spiritual value.

Like Lord Buddha, Shri Meher Baba isa great reformer who throws an uncompromising challenge to the entire existingsocial order. And on the whole, he takes asimilar attitude with regard to theintellectual tendencies of our age. He isnever tired of proclaiming the futility of

barren metaphysical discussions divorcedfrom life and experience. He throws thewhole weight of his magnetic personalityagainst the tendency to separate Philosophyfrom life and invites the attention of our ageto the vital issues of life.

Lord Buddhas general attitude to bar—ren Metaphysical problems may be illustrated by his attitude to the problems of(i) the existence ofGod and (ii) the exist-ence of the individual soul. He is said tohave refused to answer the question, ‘DoesGod exist or not?’ Even when he was repeatedly asked that question, he scrupulously maintained inviolable silence onthat point, because for the Pandits of hisage God was merely an idea to play with.They had encountered upon some descriptions of God in their extensive study

and they had turned these descriptionsinto tools for carrying on their unending controversies. God was for them nota living reality, but merely a possible hypothesis And although they played withthe idea they did not have any genuinedesire for knowing him. It is true thatthe Upanishads had declared that Godwas unapproachable through the intel-

lect alone. In spite of these declarations these Pandits wanted to

ss 4I

- --

:* Iprove or disprove the existence ofGod merely through intellectualdebates. Whenever, therefore,Lord Buddha was invited to givehis opinion about God he em-phatically said that the belief ordisbelief in the existence of Godis ofvery little importance so longas the everyday life of man remains unchanged.

The mind of our age is similarly caught up in the craving forintellectual gymnastics fromwhich it has to be emancipatedbefore it can be pursuaded to seekthe Truth. Shri Meher Baba onceasked one of his Mandali thequestion, “Where is God?” Andwhen he said that “One shouldfirst form a conception of Godand then reply”, he gave the following discourse: “All these talksare cut and dry. Pandits babble iteverywhere, for years, withoutfinding any clue, till they die babbling. The orthodox section ofallcommunities listen to these innumeràble dissertations by religiousstudents and scriptural scholars,

MeherBaba in Bangalare, Mysr6Jiy 1939- February 1940 and forms various pet beliefsabout God and His existence

somewhere in the skies or in the bestthings, and not in others, and clings tothese erroneous ideas tenaciously with-out the least effort at enlightenment orto go beyond the four walls. They refuseeven to talk or listen to the fact of hay-ing actual experience, and consider itblasphemy even to think of it. It is onlythese talks and philosophies that appealto them, and they are quite satisfied withthese. That is why I say it is all philosophy and of no use without experience.One must try not only to learn andknow, but to feel and experience.”

“Parallels Between the Teachings of LordBuddha and Meher Baba,” by

Dr. C.D. Deshmukh, M.A, Ph.D.,from The MeherBabaJaurna4

Vol. 1 No. ii, p 65-65. Copyright 1939

13

Think of me every day for five minutesonly, at any time ofthe day. Of course,

the best time would be at five in the morn-ing when I remain almost everywhere. Thislittle beginning of a mere five minutes willalso be your first step on the spiritual path.Once you get interested in and attuned tothe thought of God, you will have a con-stant urge to think of Him for a certain penod every day. It is sincere thought I want.No amount of prayer and chanting wouldbe of any value if done as a ritual. This fiveminutes of thought, meditation or concentration on God or the master are a thousandtimes better than any prayer. God wants love— pure, sincere love. He does not want tohear bombastic, jaw-breaking words andshiokas from the shastras and passages fromthe Avesta.

The prayer books ofall the religions, theAvesta of the Parsis, the Koran of the Musurns, the Bible ofthe Christians, the 1das ofhe Hindus and all other religious books arelong treatises and have nothing to do with-the truth. Zarathustra taught that you mustburn your “heart” in love of God and thedasturs thereafter changed the meaning ofit and altered it to mean burning externallywith sandalwood. The religious dogmas anddoctrines ofthe “Kasti” and other prayers inthe Avesta have all been changed from timeto time. Take one name sincerely, lovingly,devotedly for a few minutes without thethought of anything else and that is worthmore than hours of mechanical prayers.

Zarathustra had fourteen disciples towhom he gave God-realization. Thereafterthere was only one God-realized disciple, andfrom him the knowledge and experience ofGod enlightened the communityfor 700 years.This knowledge came down from father toson.The last true dastur was Azar Kaivan. Eversince, there have been false priests among theZoroastrians who have given their own versions oftheAvesta. From that period until to-day there has been no realized saint amongthe Zoroastrians.Whatever religious books theZoroastrians have today are the works ofthosedasturs and not of Zarathustra. However, tohis special fourteen disciples he gave realknowledge and experience, and to the worldhe gave a way of life. As changes were made

by the dasturs in the teachings ofZarathustra,so were similar changes made by the priests inChrist’s Bible and Mohammed’s Koran. Some-times these changes came about inadvertently.Members ofthe Avatar’s Circle would go outto different parts of the world and addressmasses of people. These lectures would betaken down by scribes and later attributed totheAvesta, Bible, Koran and the l4das. As timepassed, the changes became so complete thatthe original teachings were lost.

I therefore once again repeat that insteadofwasting your time on religious discussions,reading and listening to doctrines and dog-mas of different religions, love God andthink ofGod. Meditation, concentration andthe creation of a feeling oflove in the heartare the essence and substance ofall religions;all else is illusion.

The alphabet is taught to the beginnerwith a view to making him master of thelanguage. But if the student merely learnsthe alphabet and does not make an effort toform words, he has learned nothing. Similarly, if an aspirant sticks to religious doctrines and dogmas, he will never achieve hisultimate aim, realization of the Truth. Godand Truth are far above religions.

The Best of The Glow, ed. NaosherwanAnzar, pp. 1-3, Copyright 1980 AMBPPCT

Why do theAvatars Differ?

Meher Baba

The Avatars are the manifestation ofthesame Divine element incarnate in this

world at different times; therefore theirteachings have to be adapted to the mental-ity of their epoch.

At times the Avatar bases His teachingon the search for the personal God; and atanother time on the search for the impersonal aspect of God. At one time He willprohibit the eating of pig’s meat, drinkingofwine, or the eating ofcow’s meat. It is asin a hospital where the sick complain abouttheir thirst; the doctor will prescribe tea orcoffee in the morning, water or a refreshingfruit juice in the afternoon and in theevening sour milk; then before sleeping, hotmilk.

God, manifesting through the Avatarof different periods, quenches the thirst ofman in different ways. All human beings,whether consciously or unconsciously, havethe same thirst for truth.

Treasures, ed. Jane Barry Haynes, pp. 175-176© 1980 AMBPPCT

The Now

The ‘yesterdays’ ofthe past and the ‘to-morrows’ of the future hinge on a

point in time which is the NOW of thepresent moment in Eternity.

Meher Baba

God and Truth Are Far AboveReligions

Meher Baba

Meher Baba as Zarathzistra,MeherabadHill, 1938

vatar Meher Baba told a group of Hislovers, “I will teach you how to move in

the world and yet be at all times in inwardcommurnon with Me as Infinite Being.”

The period that we are now in is exceed-ingly special because direct relatedness withthe Divine Being, the Avatar, is most avail-able. His atmosphere and influence remain forone hundred years even after He has droppedthe body.Therefore, His cardinal advice whichshould never be for gotten, is: “Hold on toMy daaman. Remember that I love you so thatyou can reflect Mylove. Be loving towards all,be honest, simple, natural and childlike.”

That is all that we have to do. That is ourpath -- no more than that. That also is ourspirituality for everything lies in holding onto Him.There is nothing beyond that. All therest -- the philosophies, the theologies, etc. -

- has no meaning, for true spirituality lies inour relationship with Meher Baba.True spin-tuality is total effacement without giving athought thatwe are taking this step or the nextin our spiritual progress. The practical way ofeffacement then is simply to hold on to Himand to be simple and natural. In this way, wewear ourselves out by holding on to Him. Itsounds so simple but it is very difficult.

Accordingly, we have not to concern our-selves with following some spiritual path be-cause in holding on to Him, wherever we are,that becomes the path. Even ifyou turn awayfrom Him, the path will follow you wheneveryou go for He will give you another opportunity to turn back to Him. Remember that Heis the pivot and as long as the concentration isall on Him, there is no such thing as path.

What happens is that when our focus ison Him, whatever path there is will follow usbecause we are headed towards Him. We havenothing to do with “path.” We have no timefor that for we are all the time focussing onHim.That is the advantage ofthose who comeinto the orbit of His love. The path followsthem while for other wayfarers they have tofollow some path.

However, for the latter there will come atime when the Beloved is available and theywill be able to focus on Him alone and thenthere will be no need for a path. The lovers ofMehen Baba do not follow any path becausethey have the Beloved. They have direct con-tact with Him, so their energies, their might,their soul and their very being are all focussedon Him. That is the difference between the

lover ofMeher Baba, the God-Man, and thewayfarer who follows some path.

One must remember that the dispensation is ever there to dispense with the pathwhen the Beloved,being the goal,brings Him-selfinto our midst.

Let me try and put this in a figurative way.We are here now at Meherazad where MeherBaba lived. So this is His seat and many havebeen permitted to come here on a visit. Andbecause of the opportunity which had beengiven them, these lovers ofMeher Baba wereanxious with thoughts aboutwhen theywouldsee Him, or be embraced by Him and similarthoughts about Him to the exclusion of allother thoughts.

No there is a long approach road fromthe bus stop to Meherazad and along that roadthere are many sights. There are a great van-ety of trees, many huts, many shepherds andcowherds and other similar sights to behold.But in their eagerness to be in His arms, didthese lovers take notice ofany ofthese sights?Ifyou had asked them, “Did you notice thatparticular chernytree alongside the road?” theywould have said, “No. Is that so, is there acherry tree? I haven’t seen it!”

“You were passing right alongside of it,

how could you have missed it?”

And the reply would have been, “We werenot even aware we were walking on the road,much less paying attention to a cherry tree onthe side. All our attention was fixed on thedestination to which we were headed.” In otherwords, the path was following them.

But for the one who is very muchconcerned with the path, siich a one will noticeevery rock, every pebble and all the ruts onthe roadway. He will also notice the shepherdsand cowhends and the people living in all thehuts. He will also stop to converse with thosepeople and allow himself to be invited intotheir homes to have a meal with them, and hewill derive a sort ofhappiness in spending timeon such activities. And so it will take him along time to reach the destination, and visitingtime will be over when he gets there. All hewill get for his efforts will be the opportunityto admire the mansion where the Lord lived,and that is exactly what happens to a wayfareron the path.

Every time with each advent it is a greatblessedness, and it is a blessing that we arenow in such an era when He has been with usand is still with us.

Thus it is that the path is created by us,but for the one who concentrates all histhought and devotion upon Meher Baba,there is no such thing as a path. Such a onediscards even the very thought of God-Real-ization, but the path is still there though thereis no experience of it. One may think of it asbeing blindfolded but it is notjust a mechanical blindfolding because the heart, the wholeconsciousness of the lover is set on MehenBaba. He then becomes the path, the way andthe goal.

From TheAnciern’ One, by EruchJessawala,Copyright 1985 Naosherwan Anzar. Pub-lished by Beloved Books

How He Plannedfor Us

Eruch Jessawala

From a talk by Eruch in Mandali Hall, 10February 1979, on theAvatarc work.

B aba once told the mandali that ‘all youfind and see of My Work while I am

Meher Baba was planned and chalked outat the time when I was Mohammed.’

“All those whom He met as Meher Babaand all that He did as Meher Baba He hadplanned for when He was Mohammed. Itwas all so to say, ‘filmed’ at the time He wasMohammed, and was ‘projected’ while Hewas Meher Baba.

“All that has happened since 31st Januany 1969 was planned while He was MehenBaba. It was ‘filmed’ then and is being ‘pnojected’ now.”

Someone asked about those who had metBaba for only a short time, towards the endas it were. Eruch said: “Your meeting withHim in 1962 was planned when He wasMohammed, and what you have done sinceHe dropped the bodywas planned while Hewas Meher Baba.

“So for all who met Him as Meher Babathere is an overlapping, a continuing, of Hisministry as Mohammed and His ministryas Meher Baba. Those who have come toHim since He dropped the body, Heplanned for as Meher Baba, and those whomHe meets and all He does as the next Avatarhas been planned while He was MeherBaba.”

From Lettersfrom the Mandali ofAvatar MeherBaba, Compiled byjim Mistr Copyright 1981

AMBPPCT.

“Inscribe these words upon your heart:Nothing is real but God. Nothing is mattersbut love for God.” — Meher Baba

The Goal in Our MidstEruch Jessawala

15

Although I could not have phrased itthen, I longed to drown in the Ocean ofLove. I had no idea, at that time, that aMeher Baba existed, but already my youngmind knew that ifHe did not exist, it wouldbe necessary for me to invent Him. So,whether He invented me or I inventedHim. . . does not matter. . . what does matteris that we finally got in the ring. . . and although we promised to LOVE each other...we quickly started to beat each other up!

This brings me around to today - January 1st 2000. I have just come down fromMeherabad Hill, Baba’s Tomb, where we hada “Midnight Mass Gathering.” It was beau-tjful! In fact, for me it was an experience of

beatitude, a blend ofperfect blessedness andperfect happiness. At the stroke ofmidnightI was standing at the window ofBaba’s Tomb,next to Mehera’s Tomb. As we were shout-ing out “Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai” seventimes, I realized that my question and my

prayer from almost 40 years before, had beenanswered. I AM HERE. IT IS NOW! It isalways like that. It will always be here andnow. . . no matterwhere andwhen it is!!! Andit will be like that whether I am in my own“Heaven or Hell” state. . . but tonight as Istood between the Beloved and His Beloved,and we shouted out His Praise and HisGlory, there was magic in the air!!!

The beauty ofMeher Baba to me, is thatHe identified the game that we all play as“The Lover and the Beloved.” And my en-try into that game took me out of the nor-mal birth and death cycle. For that I ameternally grateflil. Baba said, “To be mostnatural is to be most Godly.”With that state-ment, He toppled more religious dogma than

Jesus overturned by knocking around somevendors at the Temple in Jerusalem. But be-ing the same guy, He wasjust doing the samething at a different time. I AJVI HERE. ITIS NOW. And all this is what Meher Babahad to do get me Dancing with Him. Andeverything that I did, is what I had to do toget Him dancingwith me! I love our Dance,I love our Song, I love our Story, I love ourPlay!!! I love that He can embrace my naturalness without condemnation. It is this acceptance that encourages me to becomevulnerable. . . to be naked. . . transparent -

and yet to be open to the embrace and to beopen to love.

It takes two to tango and the EternalBeloved and I have been waiting a long time

for this dance! I don’t want to lose Him, andHe does not want to lose me. We want tohold this embrace. Neither ofus wants some-one else to cut in. We are dancing naked...the music is coming from within us . . . “andthe palms seem to be swaying”.

The nakedness which we bring to thisdance only heightens the attraction. Thereis nothing as beautiful as vulnerability...because in that state one is open to the

greatest possible joy and the greatestpossible pain. In one ofHis other disguisesas The Buddha. . . my dancing partner said,“Vulnerability is the greatest strength.”And now, with the mask ofMeher Baba,He gestured that, “THERE IS NOPOWER GREATER THAN LOVE.”Perhaps love and vulnerability are twosides of the same coin. Perhaps He and Iare two sides of the same coin. PerhapsHe and I are One, and love andvulnerability is the coin with which we payfor this Dance! My name is Gary Kleiner.I have just entered the New Millenniumwith my Beloved. His name is MeherBaba!

The Now

The ‘yesterdays’ ofthe past and the ‘to-morrows’ of the future hinge on a

point in time which is the NOW of thepresent moment in Eternity.

Meher Baba

The Strings of my Lifeare in Your Hands

by Adi K. Irani

C ompletely entrust yourself read hisbooks, discuss what he has said, argue

about it, try to understand, contemplate,meditate. But remember one thing, thesethings will not give you spiritual position.

It is only your love, it is only your adherence, it is only your understanding, your con-viction about him, and your service to him,that will give you a push forward.

AU I have to do is submit myself and bethe humblest man in the world and say,“Baba, the strings of my life are entirely inyour hands, you guide me. Whatever youwant me to do I shall do, for the rest of thethings, you are responsible.”

Originally from a transcribed interview withAdi K. Irani, October 1975, Printed in The

Mastery of Consciousness, by Allan Y. Cohen,page 124, copyright 1977 by Ira G. Deitrick.

Dancing with The Belovedby Gary Kleiner, Meherabad

When I wasjust a little boy, I wonderedwhere I would be when the year 2000

came around, and what my life would be like.I figured out that I would be 46 years oldwhen 2000 came. . . and that sounded so oldat that time. This was the early 1960’s andmy family was living in Poland then, hay-ing moved from Russia a few years ear-her. My father was a survivor of theHolocaust. Everyone in his family wasmurdered. Ofthe 25,000Jews in his town,less than 100 survived. My mother sur-vived the bombing and the battle ofStalingrad, which was one of the major ‘- i

turning points ofWorld War II. -

As a young boy I would take short cuts . - - - -

to school through bombed-out buildings - S

that had not been repaired after the war. •

One day I sat down in one ofthose build-ings and thought about Life. It seemed to 4 S ‘

me that one is born, one grows up a little,one goes to school, possibly to college, get ajob, get married, have children, then watchthem grow up a little, send them off toschool. . . and the whole process just gets repeated over and over, one generation afteranother.

As I sat there, I knew that I somehowwanted out of this cycle of Birth andDeath. . . but of course, I would not havecalled it that, then. It was my first feeling ofangst. . . through which I realized that byjustfollowing the formula oflife, as I saw othersdoing, it would not bring happiness to myheart. I was seeking an alternative to thisrelentless and inexorable Life current, inwhich I felt that I could soon drown. Andthis was not the ocean that I wanted to drown

Baba’s Home in the WestBal Natu

The Laioozi Cabin, A’Icher Spiritual Ciz/ei; Pvlyit/e Beach, South Carolinaonjainiary 28, 2000.

I is difficult to narrate the incredible experiences of those who were drawn to Baba during His first stay

at the Centei An.d it is still more difficult to put into words how this contact, as time passed, intensified

in each one’s heart. So here I prefer just to add a few comments about the Center itself For when Baha

stayed there fir two months, beginning April 22, 1952, He was inaugurating notust the physical property

of 500 acres, but a phase of His Divine Plan which continues to this day.Even now, the various activities carried out at different parts ofthe Center are still fresh in the memo—

ries of those who were with Baha. But more than that, every structure built on the propert small or big,

vas endowed with its o\vn outstanding feature and eternal inner importance: the Ne\v [louse, especially

built fhr Baba, retains its unrivalled spiritual importance; the Guest House, where the Indian women mandali

staved; the Lagoon Cabin, the Avatar’s audience chamber; the Barn, where the God-ian dispensed His

spiritual bounty; all are still fragrant with the perfume of His presence.In short, Baba’s love and presence, experienced by His dear ones and the visitors during the earlier

interviews and darshan on the Open Dax still permeate the entire property with a penetrating sublirnit

The following quote, from one ofBaba’s interviews given in the Lagoon Cabin, sheds light on the continu—

ity ofthis exalting experience. To one of the visitors Baba had conveyed:“I will tell you \vlw you feel happy here. Those who are connected with me ought to feel happy here for

tvo reasons. Ages ago this was a place where Baba visited, moved about and stayed, and the combination of

the lake, ocean and the woods gives it a unique atmosphere.”No wonder that in His subsequent visits to Myrtle Beach, Baba referred to the Meher Center—on—the-

Lakes as His Home in the West.From Glimpses ofthL’ God-iVIan, Me/er Baba, Volume 3, by Bal Natu, © 1982 AI\IBPPCT

Rocky Rodgers went to Baba on Jan-uary 6, 2000 (in Christianity, Jan-

uary 6 is the day of the Epiphany). Hehad only recently been diagnosed withmyositis, an auto-immune disease, whichattacks the body’s muscles. Needless tosay, we were all extremely shocked at theswiftness with which this disease ravagedhis body. No one, not even the doctors,

expected Rocky to depart when he did.Purely by Baba’s grace, Nancy Merwan andLois Jones, along with Rocky’s sister, MaryEllen Holmen, were at his bedside whenhe went to Baba. Earlier that morning, hetold Mary Ellen, “Everything is going according to schedule.” On Sunday, January9, we celebrated Rocky’s life in a movingand uplifting memorial, here atMeherabode.

Rocky was the kindest, most generousand harmonious person. Many people sawhim as a “behind the scenes” kind of per-son. But, he did so much for so many be-hind the scenes. Rocky had been activelyinvolved in the L.A. Center since his arrival in Los Angeles in the mid-seventies.He served on the Board ofDirectors as Secretary and Director ofFixed Assets. Rockyis probablybest known throughout the U.S.,as the “Transportation Walla” for the L.A.Sahavas. He was “volunteered” for the job

18

by Lois Jones

wayback in 1989 andlovingly carried outhis ‘sometimes challenging’ duties for tenyears. Rocky had an amazing mind, as youwill see in the fliture, when we publisharticles he wrote. Rocky was a talentedartist whose beautiful drawing of Babaonce graced the cover of the Awakenermagazine and two ofwhich were featuredin the last issue of The Love Street

LampPost.Most importantly, Rocky was

a good friend and loving brother.He was so much Rin and such greatcompany. While we rejoice at hisunion with Beloved Meher Baba,our world won’t be the same with-out him.

We love you, Rocky, and wemiss you.

A Letter fromGloria Reck —

Rocky’s eldest sister0 the members of the Meher

Baba Center in Los Angeles.On behalf of my husband John and I,

my daughter Maren Schouw, Mark andMary Ellen Holmen and John and TrishRodgers, I want to take this opportunity toformally express to each and every one ofyou, our sincerest appreciation for your extraordinary caring and efforts, especially exemplified by the memorial service you sograciously provided for Rocky, our belovedbrother. We will especially treasure the lovely“A Celebration of Rocky’s Life” brochureso beautifully created on such short noticeby Pris Haffenden and the rapid organization ofso much, no doubt generated by LoisJones and others.

Obviously the rapid progression ofRocky’s illness and sudden demise weredevastating events for us, but our loss wascertainly cushioned by the love andacceptance we all felt pour forth from yourmembers. We are very grateful that Rockyhad such a tremendous circle of wonderful,

supportive friends. We do lament that ourinitial meeting with you was under suchcircumstances. But I, particularly, nowunderstand much that I did not previouslyunderstand — much less appreciate.

There is no doubt in my mind that Rockyknew full well, for at least two weeks — andprobably for much longer —what wasaround the comer. Although always organized and meticulous, his records and affairswere in pristine order, with only a few itemsseen to by me according to his instructionsduring those last few days. He could not haveaccomplished this unusual order injust a fewdays, especially considering his weakenedcondition. We can see now that he had madedetailed preparations well before any of usin the family had any realization ofthe gray-ity of the situation. How like him to spareus anguish as long as possible!

I should mention also that in the ten dayshe spent at my home before I called EMTpersonnel to take him to the Hospital onJanuary 3, and even thereafter, he continuedto give me detailed, strict instructions aboutmany things, and tolerated with lovingpatience my arguments that he wasabsolutely mistaken—that there was noreason to be making such plans.

Immediately after his death I was puzzledwhen I realized that he had covered literally“every base” except the mention of any funeral or memorial service preference. Within

Our Dear Friend,Rocky Rodgers

a few days I understood his “neglect” of thisparticular item—it too was thought out anddeliberate. He certainlyknewwho his friendswere, and knew frill well that your group andmembers would provide for that need withincredible speed, efficiency and graciousness.

We were of course impressed, but, moreimportantly, deeply touched. I fear we wereall still in somewhat ofa stateof shock and probably werewoefully inadequate in expressing aloud, at the service,the true depth of our gratitude.

The loss ofRocky still hasme, when the reality ofit suddenly descends withoutwarning, rather stupefied andstunned. I suppose the real-ization has yet to hit me fully,much less acceptance. I couldsee that your Meher Babagroup possesses an acceptance, tranquility and faiththat I certainly envy. I fearthat my traditional up-bring-ing in the Episcopal Churchhas failed to provide the sort of support soevident among your group.

Again, thankyou foryour efforts — as wellas your kind words about those ofus there ofRocky’s blood relatives. I am praying for theacceptance, tranquility and faith that was soevident in the attitudes ofeveryone to whomI spoke. I wish I had been in a little less of ablur. I was, ofcourse, quite weary after so manydays ofworry and stress and sleeplessness, soI’m certain that I, at least, was not at my best.But I feel certain everyone there surely wasacutely aware and forgiving, if some of usseemed to be at a loss for appropriate words.

I am very pleased and grateful to know thatRocky was so sunuunded by such caring, lovingfriends. Rarely have I witnessed such anoutpouring of thoughtIidness and warmth so

freely and spontaneously given withouthesitation or reservation.

Again, we all extend to you all our pro-found “Thank You” and appreciation for yourgenerosit caring and incredible support anddisplay of love when it was most needed.Please know that we are grateful in ways farexceeding my poor ability to express in mere

words. — Gloria Reck[Babapulledihisfamily in

with a speed that was as-toundingandhas touchedtheirlives in a veryprofbund way.Mary Ellen, who lives in Al-buquerque, very soon afterjoined the Baba list serv andis now chatting with Babalovers all over the world viaher computei She wrote methisprofiundty moving letter.]

From my heart toyours, you should knowthat miracles happenedthat day at the Center.With our normaldefenses in shreds, theheady perfume of Baba’s

Love wafted into our hearts andpenetrated our minds. Our individualresponses to this varied, ofcourse, but onething became manifest to us all:WHATEVER this is — it’s REAL. I had,by the time ofthe Memorial Service, spentsome time reassuring the family thatRocky didn’t belong to some weird cultthat would try to talk us into castratingourselves and catching the next comet, forinstance. (Remember Heaven’s Gate?Come to think of it, maybe you guysshould hang a big sign on your door atthe Center —“Notjust Another SouthernCalifornia Religion”, but I digress.)

Regardless what each of us expected,what we received was a deluge ofwarmthand sweet sensitivity. It was truly a dip in

His Ocean ofLove, and when we finallywashed up on shore, we couldn’t believewhat we had experienced.

We are changed forever.

Marc Brutus read from The Silent WordofMeherBaba, “Men are born, and die, andare reborn; untilthey die into theDeathless andare never bornagain. But oneMan, beingbirthless and

? •• .

deathless, takesbir-th again andagain because ofthe cry of theworld for relieffrom the burden of living; and to mirrorhimself in the tears of his lovers.

This Man is the God-Man:Whole God;Perfect Man. Because He is God, His actionsas a Man are perfect and because He is a Manmankind partakes ofthe divine qualities ofhisGodhood... He comes His not-coming—justas the sun rises it’s not-rising...”

[Rocky wrote this poem in April 1996and described it in thefollowingfashion.]

This poem was hashed out one after-noon when toying with a “Magnetic Poetry Kit” given to me by my sister. Theside ofa metal file cabinet in the bedroomserved as my work surface. The outcomeis a poem about dreamy desire, reality andthe notion that time erases everything.

You AskSwim under the rose garden rock

Soar beneath the cool music ofmist

Recall the delicate sweet dream

But itc always less than it could be

And we moan when the honey sleepis gone

Yet lustfor the essential moon—vision

And luscious rainforest water symphony

And though a sadshadow ofbitter lfè—rust

Mavplace us in some delirious void

We must let lie thefrantic moments

For languid time is our true gft.

You ask.

Michael Compagnac band “The AverageJohnsons”, one ofRockycfavorite bands.Mia Campagna andDebraAshe singing.

Rockjlc sister Gloria

19

IThis document wasfoundon Rockys corn-puter by his sistei He had written it in 1998]

PostmortemIfyou have discovered this “document,” it’s

a probable indication that I have alreadypassed away (died) in some abrupt manner. Itmay have been scuba diving orjoy riding in asmall plane, my two favorites, or in some othertype of accident. Regardless of the details, Iassure you that itwas OKwith me, and I didn’tsuffer any undue fear or resistance. And if Idiso what, it’s over with, it’s in the long gonepast. If someone else did me in, absolutelybeyond question I forgive them completelyand also, quite truthftilly, they did me a favor.I have had an interesting and long enough life,and I always wanted a quick transition to theother side. I’m not a “goodbye” type personanyway. Well, all right then, goodbye!

The purpose for this letter is to share myfinal farewell and comments about death anddying. Chances are that WI have already gone,I’m fine. I guarantee it. It is you that are per-haps experiencing discomfort and feelings ofsadness. Thanks, I’m glad I meant somethingto someone. And I shall miss all ofmy friendsalso, but I will of course be hdavily distractedwith the potential enchantments ofexploringthe “other side.”

The freedom from the release from thedense plane of this solid world will be positivelywonderfiil. I have no doubts, trust me. Ihave worked hard all my life to enlightenmyself I have done so in hopes ofunderstanding enough of the big spiritual picture to nothave to fear death. And I didn’t—that is, thephilosophical aspect of dying. Of course theego is not philosophical when it faces its owndemise, and itwill instinctuallyreactwith fearor try to fight. Regardless ofone’s fair weatherbeliefs, when the reality hits, there will be as-pects ofthe ego that won’t be tamed. Sicknessand suffering, however, are another story Iwould much rather die suddenly, withoutwarning, than go through a process of pro-longed and increasing levels of suffering.

I will miss myself I will miss who I was. Irather liked most things about myself How-ever, I will not miss my life. My life was veryunsatisf5ring and lonely. It seemed like a wasteof a “lifetime” from certain perspectives. Iwanted to accomplish more in the name ofwealth, social relationship and notorietyc I wassuch a nobody in comparison to the world ofcelebrity I was definitely mediocre in all respects.

One small item, however, chipped awayat my guilt meter sometimes. I was not proudofthe fact that during mylife I exhibited gen

20

erosity and unseffishness. But these acts weremotivated more from social fear or having apeople pleaser’s personality trait. There wasgiving only when trying to impress or onlywhen I was outright asked to lend someonesome assistance that I acted. I did not volunteer or go out ofmyway to help anyone, especially strangers,just for the sake ofhelping. Ididn’tjoin philanthropic causes. Most ofwhatever indulging I did was done exclusively formyself I was less than mediocre in the help-fulness departments. So that concludes thelong list ofweaknesses I possessed.

The only thing I ever positively excelledat was being Rocky No one could have doneitwith better insight and subdety I played thatroil perfectly, don’t you think? However I desired to be better looking, have a lot moremoney, and most importantly, have a lovingrelationship with the opposite sex. OK, somuch for unfulftlled ego desires. I’m not awhiner. In all fairness, however, I enjoyed agood enough life and was always thankftil ona dailybasis that my life was as good as it was.

Sometimes, secretly, I would actually feellucky to be so unencumbered (no family, nogirlfriend) and incrediblyfree. I didn’t think itwas normal to enjoy such unattached freedom,so I had a difficult time in acknowledging myenjoyment ofthe unusual predicament. I wasable to focus myselfon the things I was inter-ested in. I was not having to give 99% of mytime and energy to others (wife and children).

I didn’t miss children because I didn’t wantchildren. Mostly because I never believed Icould manage a family financially. The financml responsibility required to operate a familywas a formidable proposition. I always real-ized that I would never have the financial norvocational security necessary for such a responsibility. I began adult wage earning quite lateby returning from fours years with the VietNam waste and then going back and finish-ing a four year university degree in art. Then Iblew another sixyears attempting to be an art-ist. Then when

I finally didjoin the work force, I was under-skilled and quite late getting started onthe earning curve.

I was very careful also not to create an accidental pregnancy (family) by mostly notchasing after sex. Hence the loneliness. Thisis the truth — 98% ofmy life was unwillinglyspent celibate as a monk but without any ofthe benefits monks have.

It is ironic how I was always preparingmyseifto be in a relationship. I constantly readeverything I could about the psychology ofrelationships and careftilly observed everyoneelse around me. I-was always making myselfinto a real catch. Many people sought my

counsel about their own relationships. Manysaid I had a great talent for it and that I shouldbe a family therapist. I was deeply committedto being an unusually good mate for somewoman. All that study, preparation, observation, counseling others, practicing on friends—it was all for nothing. It all went down thetubes. No one ever took advantage ofall that Iwanted to offer. Can’t you just hear the sadmusic now as I type this in October of 1998?

The humorous aspect of all my Mr.Goodguy self-awareness in this life is that inmy next lifetime, I’ll probably be the opposite. I’ll be an unsophisticated, narcissisticjerkand destroy a dozen relationships and threeor four of what could have been successfulmarriages. And I shall die still clueless andbitter. And there won’t be a single woman atthe funeral. About the same count as you willsee or saw at this one. Leave to me, the overlyresponsible and practical cynic, to already becomplaining and worrying about mynext life-time.

I’m “dead” now and there should be noembarrassment on mypart to divulge my mostguarded personal secret since childhood. Ihope I don’t embarrass you either in case youare offended by such a disclosure. I have had acontinuous and deeply personal belief (con-viction, perhaps) or “relationship” with God.A relationship atleast in myimagination. Andno one, of course, is expected to necessarilyjoin my club nor make a big deal about myingrown spiritual subjectivity

You have only to be aware that I derivedgreat comfort from this delusional state ofmind. Even ifGod does exist, it is still a delusional act to believe it. The word “faith” is of-ten used instead of”delusion” or “hope,” and Idon’t know what “conviction” is supposed tomean. Intellectual stubbornness, maybe? Well,I had it. Many people, perhaps yourself in-cluded, don’t require comfort ofmind such asI needed, so as always, we are all just slightlydifferent from one another, so live with it. Nopun intended.

Keep well, be happy, and what is the useof taking anything too seriously? I’m only alittle ahead of you getting back here to thesoul reclamation center. Nothing is wasted,souls are repackaged and shipped back downin an unrecognizable format. Don’t worryabout forgetting me sooner than you thoughtyou would. When it happens, know that it isonly a sign ofyour own spiritual health. I moveon, you have a right to also. May you findknowledge and understanding. And never prayto me. And no, I’m not allowed to help youwin the lottery.

Rocky

Meher Baba

do AMB Trust Office, Kings Road,Ahmednagar, India 414001

Professional Resume

OBJECTIVE

EMPLOYMENTHISTORY

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

ACHIEVEMENTS

MEMBERSHIPS

PERSONAL

REFERENCES

Continued employment in a Parvardigar position with power infinite and omnipresentresponsibilities. Qualifications reflect a mature and wide background in Universe Management.

Established a trinity ofleadership fimctions as Chairman of the Board, Chief ExecutiveOfficer, and President of the Three Worlds. Included: highest of the high decisions onall planes, management and operations ofMandali and direct supervision ofMasts andthe Inner Circles. Possess expert awakening skills including techniques for creating finalmanonash. Formerly held frill time positions as Zoroaster, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus,and Mohammed. Expertly adept with maya management and applied cosmology.

Capable ofmaking imperceptible and independent decisions. Skilled at being manifestand unmanifest. Fully knowledgeable in the economic manipulation of sanskaras. Adept atperformance evaluations of followers and the administration of mind and heart experiences.

Reliable, organized, and productive in coordinating journeys of souls. Continualmanagement ofgross, subtle, and mental divisions of consciousness.

Ph.D.in Divinity of the Everything and the Nothing, from the “Ocean of KnowledgeInstitute”, majored in ‘Infinite Attributes and Knowledge Itself’. Completed seminarsin “All Merciful Benevolence”, and mastered “Unlimited and Unfathomable Truth” withemphasis on the evolution of consciousness towards REALIZATION of DivinityExperienced the “School ofAll Knowing”, experienced the gaseous state up through the6th plane ofawareness including the final 7th plane ofReality Possess in-depth knowledgeof suffering and ignorance balanced with continuous outpouring of compassion.

Mastered the Disciplines of Creation, sustaining creation and Mahapralaya. Authoredvarious discourses and books. Conducted darshans, training and workshops with realistic

life experiences for the multitudes. Ability to forgive anything, and radiate LOVE at alllevels. Expert at initiating cosmic events and knowing everything in advance. Inventedpsychology, acting, the universe, and life.

President of the Perfect Masters Society. Hold the titles of Elahi and Yazdan including

Parameshwar status for attainingfanafillah. Crowned “Ancient One” for achieving“Without Beginning and Without End” consciousness. Membership in Club Bliss. Annualguest ofhonor at the Adoration by Saints Association. Possess the only ‘I Am” awarenessin the perfect and exclusive AVATAR experience known as the ‘Beyond Beyond

Happily married with illusion and have many children. Enjoy giving prasad, cricket,marbles and other Divine sports, including teasing, mind reading, humor and universal

compassion. Love spiritual themes and hearing ghazals and music and people saying theyLOVE ME.

Excellent references available upon request, including sublimetestimonials and recommendations from the enlightened andthe spiritually advanced.

5/91 Rocky Rodgers, revised 5/95

Don’t Worry About Sanskarasby Eruch Jessawala

Kill a man — get God Realization?

Most of the time when we were withMeher Baba, we did not talk about

God, or spirituality. We talked about what-ever work we were engaged in at the time,or we talked about commonplace things; it

was not often that Baba was in the mood togive a discourse. But in the earlyyears, Babawould repeatedly bring up the subject ofsan-skaras. He would explain how it was our san-skaras which kept us from realizing ouroneness with God. Because ofthe emphasisBaba put on it, many in the mandali becameconvinced that their goal should be to getrid of their old sanskaras and avoid takingon any new ones. And Baba did not discourage them in this.

But as Baba explained more and moreabout the nature of sanskaras, the mandaliwere forced to adopt more and more des-perate measures to avoid taking on moresanskaras. It reached the point where peoplevrere reluctant to sit near each other, or tohave someone look at them while they wereeating — it became almost impossible foranyone to do anything, and it wasthen thatBaba told the following story.

There was a notorious bandit, a high-wayman who not only robbed but also murdered people. This was how he supportedhimselfand his family. In the course ofearn-ing his livelihood, he had killed ninety-ninepeople. It was at this point that he experienced a sudden and intense change ofheart.He realized for the first time what terriblekarma he was creating for himself throughhis occupation. Deeply tormented with thethoughts of his evil deeds and in great despair, he left his family and wandered thecountry seeking peace of mind.

He grew more and more desperate, con-stantly beseeching God to forgive him hissins. One day so happened that he had thegreat good fortune to attract the attentionof a Perfect Master. The Master asked himwhat was troubling him, and he told theMaster his whole stor poured out his heartto him, and pleaded with him to help.

The Master agreed to do so and led therepentant man into the surrounding jungle.He took him to a certain spot and instructedhim to sit there and repeat God’s name.

“Never leave this spot, except to beg for foodor to attend calls of nature, and even thenreturn to this exact spot immediately and stayhere.”The man was overjoyed that there wasthe possibility ofescape from his karma andimmediately began following the Master’sinstructions.

Well, years went by, and because the manwas sincere in his quest for forgiveness, hecontinued to sit where his Master had in-structed him and repeated God’s name. Infact, he became lost in the repetition ofGod’sname and graduallyleft the spot less and less.Although he seldom came into town now tobeg for his food, the people there began torespect him and eventually to revere him forhis dedication in repeating the Lord’s name.

so happened that thejungle where theman sat lay in between one town and an-other. The king decided that a path shouldbe cut through the jungle so that hissengers could more speedily travel from onetown to the other so, accordingly, towns-people were hired to cut a track through thejungle. When they reached the spot wherethe man sat, they stopped and waited untilhe had gone off to beg for food, and thenthey worked hurriedly so that the sectionwould be done by the time he returned.

Absorbed in his repetition of God’sname, when the man returned, he simplyresumed his spot which was now in themiddle ofthe king’s highway. Years went byand the man continued to sit there. Travel-ers respected the man and would always edgeto one side of the path so as not to disturbhim when they passed. And always the manheld to the repetition ofhis Beloved’s name.

Nowit so happened that one daythe kingsent a courier on this road to deliver a message to a neighboring king. The messengerwas full of arrogance and self-importance,and he reacted to the spectacle of a manseated in the middle ofthe track, forcing himto slow down and go around. He reined inhis steed and called out to the man, “Hey,you, are you blind? Move aside, and at once!”

The man was so absorbed in his repetition that he didn’t even hear the messenger,who continued to yell at him and to abusehim. The messenger got so angry at the man’s

lack of response that he reached down andslashed the man across the cheek with hisriding whip. In a flash, the highwayman’s oldskills reasserted themselves and instinctivelyhe reached up, yanked the messenger fromhis horse, and throttled him, thus makinghim his one-hundredth victim.

But the messenger happened to be car-rying an order from the king for the execution ofone hundred innocent people. Thus,the one hundred people the highwayman hadkilled were exactly balanced by the one hun-dred people he had inadvertently saved, andbecause his sanskaras of killing and savingwere thus so balanced, he instantly becameGod Realized.

This was the story Baba told us. But ofcourse its point was not that it is okay tokill, but rather that balancing one’s sanskarasis such an exceedingly subtle operation thatthere is no way one can hope to do it onone’s own. The intricacies of the path arefiner than the finest hair. So be natural, Babaurged. Simply do as I tell you to do, obeyMe, and don’t worry about sanskaras.

From Thatc How it Was, by Eruch Jessawala,Pages 280 - 282, Copyright 1995 AMBPPCT

22

Action Without CreatingImpressions

Meher Baba

Spiritual orMoral Life?

Meher Baba

A long as the mind is there, the body isalso there and there is continuous ac

tion. Only when the mind is at rest, completely stilled or unconscious, does actionstop ninety-nine per cent. Even then the oneper cent ofactions continue, such as breath-ing, snoring, turning in bed, etc. Thus actions continue and there is no escape fromthem. Actions create impressions whichagain feed the mind, and so there is no rem-edy or way for the ego to rid itself of impressions and experience its Real State. Sothe Masters suggested action to kill action,that is, action done in such a way that theeffect of the action is impotent, i.e., it creates no result which leads to any kind ofbinding. For example: a scorpion by naturewags its tail and stings anyone who comesnear it. Now suppose the dangerous sting isremoved, even then the scorpion goes onwagging its tail and continues to behave asbefore; but the action is rendered impotent,without dangerous results—that is, the badeffect of the action is removed. If actionshave to be without binding, their effectswhich lead to binding have to be eliminated.

The world and its activities are reallyworthless. Actions continue whether theyare good or bad, and therefore the Mastershave said, “Act in such a way that the actions do not bind you and impressions arenot created.” This is an almost impossibletask, as explained below. Yet there are threeways by which action can be done withoutcreating the impressions and the consequentbindings:

1) To act, but with absolutely no thoughtthat you are acting. This must be a continuous process. The ego must not give even onemoment for the mind to exert its influence.In fact, you act for others and not for your-self. This selfless action, which is also calledselfless service, or Karma Yoga, is also almost impossible, because the moment youthink, “I am serving others, I must help, Imust uplift a certain cause,” you are caught.For a leader it is very risky unless thisthought about himself is given up 100 percent continuously. This point may be explained further. If a leader asks another tosacrifice everything for some cause, with thebest ofmotives and with no self-interest, but

fails to give up every thought ofselflOO percent continuously, then the result is a disaster. All the Sanskaras (impressions) of thewhole group fall on him and even his followers are caught up in the impressions, eventhough they might have acted with the bestof intentions. A similar disaster occurs incase of a guru and disciple, if there is anythought ofselfon either side. Even pity forothers should not be there. In short, whenaction has to be without effect then it mustbe done without self-interest, which is almost impossible.

2)The second way is that whatever goodor bad you do, you dedicate to God or yourMaster. This, too, is almost impossible asthe dedication has to be continuous with-out a moment’s break. Ifyou are able to doso, then impressions are not created by youractions; but if there is a break even once,the reaction is disastrous and all thesanskaras fall upon you.

3) The third way is to do whatever youare asked to do by a Master who is freefrom impressions and whose mind is destroyed. Such actions do not bind you.This, too, is difficult. You must have 100per cent unflinching faith in the Master;even a moment’s doubt is fatal. Krishnahad to convince Arjuna that He was ineveryone and that no one died, as all weredead already. Then what Arjuna did was“action without action.”

The above three ways are thus almostimpossible to attain. So how should one act?To be involved in the mere “sansar” [worldlymatters] with your wife, children, and to act,results in your getting bound with hoops ofiron. But submissive, loose and weak impressions are created by actions done with-out self-interest, even if at times thoughtsof helping or pitying others come into themind, because mind’s part is to make theego identifywith the body and not feel false,and to experience the sanskaras. But whenthe mind sees that the ego is not so ready toaccept its dictatorship, then the impressionsformed by the actions ofthe above type areweak. Such actions are therefore eventuallyof help towards attaining Man-O-Nash.

From The Path ofLove, by Meher Baba,Pages 50 - 52, Copyright 1986 AMBPPCT

With me, no one can live what theworld considers a moral life. Here,

we are concerned with spirimalit not morals. A spirituallife is not ruled nor bound byany principles. The sanskaras ofeach one aredifferent, and so the behavior and tempera-ment of everyone are different.

In a virtuous life, evil is suppressed andgood surfaces; but the evil is still there. Thebad sanskaras remain and have to be workedout, ifnot in this life then in the next or theone after. In the spirituallife, both good andbad sanskaras express themselves, and bothget nullified. A spiritual life leads one to-ward naturalness, whereas a virtuous life, inthe guise of humilit inflates the ego andperpetuates it! A spiritual life, though, is onlyled under the guidance and orders of theAvatar or Perfect Master, who knows thepulse ofeveryone and treats everyone accord-ing to his particular malady.

You do not like Aloba’s behavior, but hisbehavior was quite natural and necessary forhim. How can you understand that? Peopleof the world act according to moral standards and socially acceptable behavior, butthe Avatar or Perfect Master deals with everyone according to his or her sanskaras.Thus spiritual life is totally different andcannot be judged on the basis of morality,ethics or any principle.From LordMehei; The Biography ofiheAvatar of

the Age, Meher Baba, VAzime Thirteen & VolumeFourteen, 1954-1956, Page 4591, by Bhau

Kaichuri, Copyright ofMeher Baba’s Words:AMBPPCT

TVhat We speak • ‘

Becomes the house we live in.Tl1ho ze’i1l W(lflt to sleep ifl your bed

Ifthe roof leaksRight above it?

Look what happens when the tongueC(iflflOt say to kindness.“I will heyour slate.”

The i;zoon (‘overs herfricewith both hands

And can’t hear lo look.

The Gift Poems by Hafiz, the great Sufilaster Renderings by Daniel Ladinsky,

Penguin, Arkana, 1999

23

IThe Love Street LampPost comes from‘Meherabode, “the home oftheLosAngelesMeherBabaCenter which is a hop skzp and ajumpfrom Holly-wood Infac4 asyou are walking towards the Dome,wherein we have our Baba room that holds His chairand sadra, you can see the worldfamous HOLLY-WOOD sign. Many ofour members are in the En-tertainment Industry, both here in L.A. and aroundthe world For thesepeopleparticularly, weprint thesevery interesting wordsfrom Baba.]

I do not need to tell you who are engagedin the production and distribution of mo

tion pictures what a power you hold in yourhands, nor do I doubt that you are ftilly aliveto the responsibilities which the wielding ofthat power involves. He who stimulates theimagination of the masses can move them inany direction he chooses, and there is no morepowerful an instrument for stimulating theirimagination than motion pictures.

People go to the theater to be entertained.If the play is strong, they come away transformed.They surrender their hearts and mindsto the author, producer, director and the stars,and follow the example which they see portrayed before their eyes more than they them-selves realize.

Both the press and the radio influencethought, but both lack the power of visibleexample, which is the greatest stimulant toaction, and which the motion picture offersb<rtter now than any other medium.

We find ourselves today in the midst of aworldwide depression which affects everyone,rich and poor alike, and from which all aregropingblindlyfor deliverance.The film companies, the picture theaters and the stars havealso suffered from it. Ifthey could help to endthe depression, I am sure they would be gladto. How could the motion pictures help in thisrespect?

First, it must be understood that the depression is not an accident, nor is it purely theresult ofoverproduction and inflation. Those,although the immediate causes, are merely theinstmments which were used to bring the depression about.

The depression itselfwas caused by thoseentrusted with the “evolution of humanity”Man has to be stripped ofhis material posses-sions in order that he may realize through actual experience that his true base is spiritualand not material. Then will he be ready to receive the Truth which I have come to bring.

This Truth consists ofthe knowledge thatman, instead of being a limited, separateindividual completely bound by the illusionof time, space and customs, is eternal in hisnature and infinite in his resources.The worldillusion is a dream of his imagining, a playenacted in the theater ofhis consciousness — acomedy in which he is at once the authorproducer director and star. But his absorption24

in the role, which he has chosen to enact, hasmade him forgetful of his true seff and hestumbles now as a creature through the pathhe has created.

Man must be awakened to his true nature. He must see that all material expression depends upon and flows from a spiritualbeing. Then he will be steadfast and sereneunder all circumstances. There will be nofurther need then for the depression and itwill disappear.

Now how can the motion pictures helpman attain this realization? The character ofthe film need not be changed. Love, romanceand adventure are themselves ftindamental.They should be portrayed as thrillingly, as en-tertalningl and as inspiringly as possible.Thewider the appeal the better.

What needs to be changed is the emphasis, or stress. For example, courage is a greatvirtue but it may, ifmisapplied, become a vice.So it is with love, the mainspring ofour lives,which maylead to the heights of Realizationor to the depths ofdespair. No better examplecan be given ofthe two polarities oflove andtheir effects than that of Mary Magdalenebefore and after meeting Jesus*.

[*When the Prophet Jesus was in Jerusalem, Mary Magdalene was a prostitute whowas condemned to death by stoning by theJewish community At the time of her stoning, Jesus intervened and saved her life, dedaring, “He who is without sin may cast thefirst stone!” No one could cast a stone. MaryMagdalene gave up her prostitution and be-came a devoted follower ofJesus. -— ed.]

Between these two extremes are manykinds oflove, all ofwhich are good, but someofwhich are better than others. I use the terms“good” and “better” simply to designate thedegrees of liberation which they lead to orconfer. Even the love which expresses itselfthrough physical desire is good to the extentthat it frees one from the thraildom of per-sonal likes and dislikes, and makes one wantto serve the beloved above all other things.

Every human relationship is based on lovein one form or anothe; and endures or dissolves as that love is eternal or temporal incharacter. Marriage, for example, is happy orunhappy, exalting or degrading,lasting or fleet-ing according to the love which inspires andsustains it. Marriages based on sexual attraction alone cannot endure; theylead inevitablyto divorce or worse. Marriages, on the other

hand, which are based on a mutual desire toserve and inspire, grow continually in richnessand in beauty and are a benediction to all whoknow of them.

To lead men and women to the heights ofRealization, we must help them to overcomefear and greed, anger and passion. These arethe result oflooking upon the selfas a limited,separate, physical entity having a definitephysical beginning and definite physical end,with interests apart from the rest oflife, andneeding preservation and protection.

The “self”, in fact, is a limitless, indivisible, spiritual essence — eternal in its natureand infinite in its resources. The greatest romance possible in life is to discover the “Eternal Reality” in the midst of infinite change.Once a person has experienced this, one seesoneself in everything that lives. One recognizes all oflife as his life, everybody’s interestsas his own. The fear of death, the desire forself-preservation, the urge to accumulate sub-stance, the conffict of interests, the anger ofthwarted desires are gone. One is no longerbound by the habits of the past, no longerswayed by the hopes of the future. One livesin and enjoys each present moment to the frill-est. There is no better medium to portray thisthan motion pictures.

Plays which inspire those who see themto greater understanding, truer feelings, bet-ter lives need not necessarily have anything todo with so-called religion. Creed, ritual,dogma, the conventional ideas ofheaven andhell, and sin are perversions of the Truth, andconfrise and bewilder, rather than clarify andinspire. Real spirituality is best portrayed instories ofpure love, ofseffless service, ofTruthrealized and applied to the most humble circumstances of our daily lives, raying out intomanifold expressions, through home and business, school and universit studio and laboratory — everywhere evoking the heights ofjoy,the purest love, the greatest power — producing everywhere a constant symphony ofbliss.

This is the highest practicalityc To portraysuch circumstances on the screen will makepeople realize that the spiritual life is some-thing to be lived, not talked about, and that it,and it alone, will produce the peace and loveand harmony which we seek to establish asthe constant ofour lives.

LordMehei; T’i V, Bhau Kaichuri, pp. 1656-1659, Copyright 1986 AMBPPCT

Man Must Be Awakened toHis True Nature

Meher Baba, Hollywood, 1932

The SpiritualPotential of the

Film WorldMeher Baba

r better or for worse, the world of motion pictures has grown up extensively

within the larger world of so-called realities.But the film world is not foreign to the “real”world — the two are affiliated so intimately thatthey can beseen, essentially, to be made ofthesame fabric. For everyone is, in a sense, an actor and the world has often been compared tothe stage by poets and philosophers. In pointoffact, much ofwhat goes for “action” in mod-em life can be called little but “acting”; and sothe larger world has little ground to regardonly the film world as being imitative. In thefilm world, the actor has to think, feel and actaccording to the pattern held before him; tomirror, though temporarily, the personality ofthe character being portrayed by him.

This can be said to be equally true, to aconsiderable extent, of those outside theworld of motion-pictures; who struggle tofollow the conventional pattern ofliving asthey imagine it is expected of them, even ifit cramps their inner individual expression.This is so not only figuratively but literally.While looking in the mirror, people oftensee themselves more through the eyes ofothers than through their own.The reflectedimage evokes in their minds the impressionthey will make on others and the expectations which others have of them — and thebest that most can do is to try to look thepart they play. Thus the mirror, literally andfiguratively, has become such a seeminglyindispensable part of modern life that wemight almost name this age a mirror-civilization.

When the actor plays the part ofa king heknows it to be an illusion and has, in a sense,an advantage over the king in the outer worldwho is not necessarily aware of any illusion.Both, however, are equallyhelpless in their fail-ure to find the Real. No one condemns theactor who plays the part of an emperor or reformer as a hypocrite, for although he appearsto be what he is not, his honesty is taken forgranted because his audience knows that he isacting a part. But there are many outside theworld of stage and screen who, in actual life,do not appear as they really are. The formerare on the screen of their creation, the latter

less in his part, is yet trivial and worthless ifhetries to evade his inherent spiritual potential.The film world cannot escape its obligationsto the larger world on which it makes so sub-stantial an impression; and these obligationsdemand that its spiritual potential take precedence over the desire to make money. Thescript writers, the producers and the actorsshould realize their spiritual potential insteadoflooking at their art as merely or mainly abusiness. The more vividly they realize this,the more dignified and satisfactory will theresult of their efforts be; and their inner account with themselves will be vastly gratif,ring, even though the same might not be saidoftheir account in the bank. Ifthe film worldcannot or will not give the greatest importanceto this spiritual potential, it is a failure.

The ordinary man, whose urgent need isto relax from the stress of life, to lessen thesense ofinsecurity and try to fill the emptinesswithin (for which greed and war are mostlyresponsible), turns instinctively to the fleetingdiversion of entertainment — and the filmworld affords this to a great extent. The filmworld therefore, which still has one of thegreatest scopes for influencing the lives ofmyriads, should askitselfwhether it is utilizingits spiritual potential to the full so that manmay be helped in his search for Truth, ormerely pandering to his pleasure in the false;whether it is encouraging and inspiring youth

to face the responsibilities of the world oftomorrow, or retarding youth’s inner growthwith an overdose of sex and crime films; andwhether it is striving after wealth and fame atthe cost ofman’s inherent thirst for the spiritualand uplifting.

So my message to the film world is: Donot play to the gallery or the salar but playalso to the Infinite within. Live in the presence of God, even while acting your part, sothat you can be true to yourself to your part-ners and employers, and to the larger and oneIndivisible Life ofwhich you are each an in—separable part. Ifthe world is a stage, God isthe only producer and you can never be any-thing but a trivial actor ifyou are not in unison with Him.

From The Path ofLove, by Meher BabaCopyright 1986 AMBPPCT

Published by The Awakener Press

I’

behind thescreen oftheir creation.

There are5 p e c i fi cclaims andprivileges aswell as specific dutiesand potentialities that noactor can afford to ignore. Anactor whomay be tech-nically fault-

-

‘1—. \

,c ••••

/

--4: ‘

Baba with Thllulah Bankhead at movie studio in Hollywood, May-June 1932

While (a student) at St. Vincent’s,Merwan . . wrote a complete scenario ofnearly two hundred typed pages in En-glish and mailed it to the Universal FilmStudios in Hollywood, California. Un-fortunately, what became of this manuscript nobody knows since he neverreceived a reply from the film companyin America.From LoidMeher Volume I p182 by Bhau

Kalchun ©1979 Lawrence Reiter

25

pared to handle any emergenciE

ar in the.. busixiess of prepaiing for the un

• ‘

By Rajiv Sekhri

LONDON (Reuters) - Rock legendPete Townshend brought to fruition 30years ofworkwith the live premiere of hisrock opera Lifehouse in London on Friday. Townshend, who was part of the rockgroup The Who, has been developingLifehouse since 1970.

The story of a post-apocalyptic society has become topical with its portrayalof a vast communication network calledthe Grid — similar to the Internet — usedfor all interaction by urban communitieswho have fled indoors from rampant pollution.

In fact, the piece is scheduled to bebroadcast on the Internet in April or Mayby MCY.com, a New York-based company that offers digital downloads ofpopular music.

“The inspiration for Lifehouse camefrom a lot of things,” a tired Townshendtold Reuters after the performance at apacked Sadler’s Wells Theater in London.It came from a spiritual journey into thecosmic world ofWoodstock and Sufi writ-ings ofMeher Baba.”

Three decades ago, when Townshendbegan work on the rock opera and theInternet was still a fantasy, he found littleinterest for his mix of science fiction,spirituality, eastern mysticism and goodold rock and roll.

“Lifehouse was intended as film scriptbut floundered effectively every time,” saidNick Goderson, Townshend’s businessmanager. He said Friday’s performancemight lead to a bigger, more dramaticshow with more interaction with the audience.

At the premiere, Townshend, 54, tookthe risk ofputting a rock band —withouta drummer — in front of the 28-pieceLondon Chamber Orchestra, and inter-spersing both with poetry, for a show thathad seen only two weeks’ practice.

Townshend apologized for what he feltwas an unrehearsed performance, but the1,500 fans clapped, cheered and screamedas he sang Baba O’Riley, Behind BlueEyes, and Won’t Get Fooled Again.

Goderson said Townshend’s goal wasto take Lifehouse, which was playingagain at Sadler’s Wells on Saturday, to a

much wider audience: “It seemed to usthat the best way to do this would be towebcast rather than go the traditionalroute by television or video.”

*Used by permission-Reuters.[See Announcements (page 37) for the

latest on Pete Townshend’s new releaseson CD ofthe Baba albums.]

Religion has place in U.S.Schools, Clinton saysBy Deborah Charles

WASHINGTON (Reuters)Religion has its place in U.S. public

schools, President Clinton said on Saturday as he unveiled new guidelines showingteachers how to include religion in schoolsand stay within the Constitution. . . “That’swhy this is a breakthrough,” said CharlesHaynes, who was involved in writing theguidelines. “This is neither imposing religion in schools, which is wrong and unconstitutional and unjust, nor is it leaving religion out which is also wrong and I wouldsay unconstitutional and certainly unjust.”

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26

SA close adherent ofMeher Baba’sbrings his master’s message to a local church.

By WAVENEY ANN MOORETimes Staff Writer

ST PETERSBURG— Outside St. Petersburg’sUnitarian Universalist Church, a Mazda Miata’slicense plate read Baba Lvr.

Inside, where the cloying fragrance of incensehung in the air, the car’s ownerjoined other Babalovers, devotees of Meher Baba, an Indian-bornreligious leader said to have been the world’s latest manifestation of God.b -

Delivering Baba’s

!% message at the Mir

‘ ; —‘%, ,ror Lake church last

i• 9 week was disciple* . Bhau Kalchuri, on a

-

:-4 speaking tour span-rdil

‘,

fling Australia,1Iê. Canada and the

r -“- United States., .. , :? “God alone exists,”

of about‘ “, \ 50 people. “What

ever we see existing,exists in non-existence.”

Kalchuri’s knowledge of Baba stems from eye-witness experience.

As a graduate student, Kalchuri recalled in aninterview that preceded the evening’s program, hebecame captivated by Baba.

“From a distance, I saw him. He was so radiant,so glorious,” he said.

When Kaichuri pleaded to become his disciple,Baba asked, “will you obey my instructions? If Iask you to become naked and go begging, willyou?”

Kaichuri assented and began to undress. Babastopped him. In 1953, after completing his stud-ies at age 26, Kalchuri willingly became Baba’snight watchman, secretary and translator.

His master did not come to create a new religion, Kalchuri said.

Baba taught that the world’s religions “are therivers that go to the ocean, but the rivers are dry”Kaichuri said. Additionally, the world is “addictedto the rituals and ceremnoies; and doesn’tlove God,Baba is reported to have taught.

Born in 1894, Baba claimed to be the most recent incarnation of God, following in the foot-

steps of such figures as Zoroaster Gautama Bud-dha, Jesus and Mohammed. For the last 44 yearsof his life, he did not speak, preferring instead tocommunicate with an alphabet board and eventually only with gestures. He traveled to the UnitedStates several times. In 1952, he established theMeher Spiritual Centerin Myrtle Beach, S.C. Babadied in 1969, though his followers prefer to usethe term “dropped his bod)a”

“He has said,” Kaichuri explained, ‘I will comeback after 700 years.”

Baba’s tomb at Meherabad, India, has become asacred destination for believers.

Locally the number ofknown Babalovers is quitesmall. There are about 30 to 40, said Dr. TomDecker, a Baba devotee since 1969. Decker wasKalchuri’s host during his visit to Tampa Bay.

The Clearwater physician, who said he was in-spired bythe disciple’s presence in his home, addedthat he attempts to follow Baba’s teachings in hisdaily life.

“One tries to see the Lord in everyone, to seeGod in every soul, and treat everyperson with equanimity and a fair sense. And to accept what comesalong with the feeling that it is all in his hands andnot to worry” he said.

Like Decker Danny and Pam Rubenstein arefervent believers. Lastweek they traveled from theirsouth Tampa home to hear Kalchuri speak.

The couple first met the disciple six years ago.“We went to one ofBhau’s (Kaichuri) public talksand we just kind offell in love with Baba throughBhau,” Danny Rebenstein said.

“We were just struck by how personable, howsweet Bhau was, and he seemed to say things thatwe were looking for. He tcild a lot of humorousstories aboutlivingwith Baba. Iwas struckby neverhaving thought of God as having a sense of humor. I was really charmed by it. It made the con-cept of God seem much more real, because he wastalking about a person who had lived in recenttimes, whose life was well documented, well photographed,” Rubenstein added.

Last Wednesday the couple again listened asKalchuri told stories ofhis life with Baba.

There is a bond among fellow believers, saidDanny Rubenstein, who hosts one of the weeklygatherings of Baba followers at his home.

Worldwide, they are a large, generous family, hesaid.

“There are thousands and thousands of MeherBaba devotees around the world. . . . There are alot of Baba lovers all over the world.”

I Enjoy PlayingMeher Baba

I enjoy games, chiefly cricket, pIay-ing marbles, flying kites and also ustening to music, although I can do soonly on rare occasions. From time immemorial, I have been playing withthe Mayavic universe and this enjoy-ment ofplaying still persists

I sometimes see motion pictures(mostly humorous ones), and enjoy myreal state ofbeing the eternal Producerofthe vast, ever-changing, never-end-ing film called the universe. I also findrelaxation in listening to humorousstories, all the time being aware of thehumor that lies in the aspect of thesoul, which is the source of infinitepower and glory, being made to feelso helpless in its human bondage ofignorance arising from its variousforms of duality.

From Life atits Best, by Meher Baba,edited by Ivy 0. Duce, ©1957 by

Sufism Reoriented

Listening to StoriesMeher Baba

After a cricket match on Sunday,August 2nd, Baba reminisced

about his childhood:As a boy, I used to get up early in

the morning and after tea go out andplay cricket. On return I would havebreakfast and thereafter play marbles.After lunch I would rest a while andthen start playing gillidanda. I wouldhave afternoon tea and at about fiveo’clock go out again to fly kites. After dinner I would play cards. Thus Iwould pass my time.

I want to live such a life now, butthe mandali have changed my luck,my fate. From the very beginning Ihave been fond of games and listen-ing to stories. I will come again afterseven hundred years and be able tospend my time like that.

From LordMehei Volume 11 & 12,

p. 4204, by Bhau Kalchuri, ©??

‘God alone exists,’ saysdisciple of Indian Leader

TIMES WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 , 1999

Reminder we are now:Bababook@pacbell.net

27

Hot Offthe Presses (cont-1frompage27)

[We had originallypub/ished an article onEarl Starcher in our October 1997 issue. Niceto see it in a commercial newspapei Ed]

By Sylvia BrennerDeming Headlight

Deming, N.M. (AP) - Travelers and tour-ists coming through Columbus rarely noticethe small, domed shrine on the windsweptsouthwest fringe ofthe village.

The temple is called “The Perfect ManShrine.” Only a few locals know the story ofthe man who erected it, and ofthe Indian guruto whom he was devoted. “When EarlStarcher was living in Florida, I understandhe had a very comfortable life,” said JulyMcClure, a Columbus acquaintance. “He saidhe used to have a great job as an air trafficcontroller and lots ofmoney, friends and ma-terial things.Then he had an experience whichtotally changed him.”-

The change, McClure said, happenedwhile Starcher was on a trip to India. Despitesuccesses in his life, she said, Starcher apparentlyhad been feeling a great spiritual vacuum.Starcher may have heard about Avatar MeherBaba in the United States, but itwas while hewas in India that he found the answer to hisquest and became a devoted disciple.

Born in India in 1894, Meher Baba wasconsidered exceptional from his infancy.When he was in his early 20s, he was publiclyacknowledged as Sustainer of the Universe.Meher Baba trained an inner circle ofdisciplesand founded a spiritual community, thenstopped speaking for the remainder ofhis life.

In 1931, Meher Baba sailed to Londonwith Mahatma Gandhi and became Gandhi’sspiritual advisor. AfterWorldWar II, he tray-eled around India, working with the poor thelepers and those with mental disabilities. Stillnot speaking, Meher Baba established places

ofpilgrimage outside India: Meher SpiritualCenter in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Avatar’sAbode, near Brisbane, Australia.

When the popularity ofdrugs and Indiangurus crashed on the shores ofAmerican culture in the 1960s, Meher Baba wrote an artide entitled, “God in a Pill?” in which hecondemned the use of drugs as an aid to aspiritual high. He died in 1969.

Starcher chose a remote desert village asthe perfect place to live and express his devotion to Meher Baba. He bought land in Columbus with the intent of building both ashrine and a museum.

He began work on the shrine first. Hehired local workmen and used structural steelbeams from Silver City to reinforce the build-ing against high winds.

“Earl was interesting to talk to and en-thusiastic,” said David Sha, who met Starcheraround 1983, “I found the information heshared with me about Meher Baba fascinating. I was amazed the personality and magnetism of one teacher could cause such anoutpouring oflove, attracting people from allover the world.”

Starcher completed the shrine andopened a temporary museum in his homeacross the street, but he never lived to see thecompletion ofhis dreams. He became ill withcancer in 1990 and died at the Meher Centerin Myrtle Beach in 1995.

Before he left for Myrtle Beach, Starcherhad a monument constructed next to theshrine, “The Perfect Man Shrine,” the cap-tion reads in both Spanish and English.Starcherleftbehind alastinglegacyto the manwho had forever changed his life.

,

The Heart *.‘ “ t_ .

,* Chronies— . ‘

Discovering Divine Love

When you meet a follower ofMeherBaba for the first time, one of the

initial questions oti ask is, “How did youcome to know about Baba?” The story isalways fascinating, and it becomes the linkthat immediatelvjoins you and your newfriend in otir love for Baba.

The Heart Chronicles is a compilation of these heart-warming, how-I-carne-to--Baba stories. Each story remindsus how unique we are and how Baba con-tinues to find ways to draw us to Him.

The stories range from long, dramaticjourneys of surrender to simply saying,“Yes.”

The Heart Chronicles, written bythe Avatar Meher Baba Listserv

contributors and compiled byTern Zee, published by The Love

Street Press, will be availablethrough the Love Street Bookstorein a few months. All proceeds go to

the Avatar Meher Baba Trust.(Volume II ofThe Heart Chronicles

is in the thought stage.)

The Languageofthe Heart

Meher Baba

God does not listen to the language ofthe tongue, or ofthe mind, but He re

sponds to the language ofthe heart. The lan-guage ofthe heart is the song oflove for theBeloved.

When the heart weeps for the Beloved’sunion and the mind suffers the pangs ofseparation, then the Beloved’s response is thefinal embrace into Oneness.

This means to love God one has to keepHim present and never be absent from Him.

This means while doing all duties, do-mg all deeds, while thinking all thoughts andspeaking all words, we have always to haveHis remembrance, remembering Him as thebackground to everyone and everything.

This means in every little thing, good orbad both, we should remember Him andthen all responsibility rests with Him.

LordMeher, Volume 11 & 12, p. 4258,Bhau Kalchuri © 1997 AMBPPCT

Man who helped disadvantagedhonored with shrine

in Columbus

THE DURANGO HERALD

SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, 2000

The article is accornpaniedby aphotograph taken by Sylvia Brenner ofiheDerning Head—light. Thephoto is ofEarlc replica ofAvalar Meher Babac Samacihi in Meherabad, India.Meher Babas motto, ‘Mastery in Servitude” is above the doorway with the WheelofLfl, theEight-Fold Path ofBiiddha. beneath the slogan, and capping the roofareffiur ofthe otherAvataric symbolsfrom thepast. The caption reads, “On thefringe ofthe village ofColumbusstands a shrine dedicatedto AvatarMeher Baba called ‘The Perfect Man Shrine.”

In the early 1940’s Meher Baba said “Nowwhen you go out and try to tell people in

the world about Meher Baba, you find thatmost ofthem have not even heard ofMe. Butin the future you will have to search hard tofind a person who has not heard of Me.”[source: “In His Service” December 1998newsletter].

For the Mandali “The future began at sun—set on the 31st ofJanuary 1969...”, as told byMani in the March 14, 1969 “Family Letter.”For many ofus “the future” isjust dawning onus and while many have long had a desire tospread Meher Baba’s Name, it seems of lateHe is making it far more possible than ever.

His Precious Name was brought to thehearts of untold numbers during BhauKaichuri’s recent tour ofAustralia and the US.Interviews of Bhau on national and local ra—dio stations, and newspapers took place inAustralia and the U.S. In Portland, OR, NYC,and possibly other US cities, videos such as“Eternal Beloved” “Meher Baba’s Call” “3/4ofthe World” and “A View ofGod” were airedon cable TV. Being the “Thief of Hearts” itseems Baba used these media airings to stirthe hearts ofmany, drawing new faces to wellattended public talks across the country Oneradio interview taped in late June, 1999 remains to be aired at a later date.

The persistent and loving labors of Bar-bara Brustman came to fruition in late Junewhen MichaelToms had the good fortune tointerview Bhau Kaichuri on “New Dimensions”. A national institution ofpublic radioin its own right, Michael and his wife Justinehave produced “New Dimensions” for nearly30 years for national and international broad-casting by PBS.

“New Dimensions” makes audio tapes oftheir interviews available byphone (800-935-8273) or through their web site(www.NewDimensions.org). [Just click on“Program Library” and search by name, key-words, etc. and follow the links to orderonline.] Bhau’s interviewis Program No. 2782.

Michael described being drawn to threeskinny little volumes for some 30 years, littlebooks he comes back to now and again, “TheDiscourses” of Meher Baba — and so hebegan the interview. Bhauji was pleasedwith his questions and sincere interest inMeher Baba.

It was clear the studio staff Michael &Justine Toms and their engineer, were verytouchedbyBhau and especiaflyloved his won-derflil stories.Justine said to dojustice to themBhau should have a 4 hour sho as they usedto have in their early radio days.

[Those ofyou who live in Northern Call-fornia may want to send an email tondradio@pacific.net requesting the airing ofthe show”SilentWisdomwith Bhau Kaichuriand Marilyn McGivney” (show#2782). Theirmailing address: New Dimensions Radio, P0Box 569 Ukiah, CA 95482-0569. Addressyour letter to New Dimensions.

Mast of BaramatiBal Natu - Meherazad

Meher Baba graceftully permitted me tovisit him during my vacations from

school. In the early 1960’s, during one Desi(Festival ofLights)vacation I enjoyed BelovedBaba’s company for over ten days at Meherazad. Being in Baba’s presence is always indescribable, like the perfume of a rose.

At the end ofmy stay, I took Baba’s leaveand went to the Ahmednagar train station. Iwas waiting for the train when I saw NarimanDadachanji, one ofBaba’s close disciples, whohad also been staying at Meherazad. After theusual greetings, he said he had a message forme from Baba. I was surprised because I hadjust been with Baba for over ten days andwondered what the message could possibly be.Nariman said, “Baba wants you to visitBaramati (a town in the district ofPune) andcontact a mast.” “What is the name of themast?” Iasked. He replied, “Baba doesn’t remember the name, but He gave a descriptionof him.” He is like a born mast, doesn’t takecare ofhis clothes, moves about aimlessly, andchatters meaninglessly”

As I reached my home town, I thoughtthat Baba’s instruction should be my firstpriority. If I were to die soon I would not beable to carry out His order. So I decided tovisit Baramati the next weekend. Since I hadnever been to Baramati, I wondered where Icould staywhile there. Some days later, one ofmy colleagues told me that his daughter livedin Baramati and would be happy to receiveme for the weekend. I took it as a sign fromBaba andleft for Baramati, reaching the town

by Saturdayevening.The familyvery cordiallyreceived me and asked me the purpose of myvisit. I said I was in town just for a change ofpace and reported on the welfare of theirrelatives.

The next morning after having my break-fast, without any plan, I started roamingaround the town. An idea struck me that Icould talkwith those who came to the barber’sshop and so I entered one on the main street.Whenever a new customer would arrive Iwould ask those who sat near me about themast. Luckily, one man who sat beside me,not only knew of such a person, but lookingat his watch said, “It’s about this time that hegoes by this road.” And lo and behold, justthen I saw the mast walk by. I asked the manto please help me in dealing with him. Hereadily agreed and we began to follow the mast.Inwardlyl felt that this was the mast that Babawanted me to contact.

I wondered what to do now that I hadfound him. I remembered that Baba generally bathed, clothed, and fed the masts Hecame in contact with. Not knowing the to-pography of the town, I asked the manwhether there was a river nearby. He repliedthat there was a canal. As we walked, I saw ashop of ready-made clothes. I rushed in andhurriedlypurchased some clothes for the mast:Along with my guide, we entreated the mastto follow us to the canal. To my surprise, hereadily agreed. I gave him a bath, changed hisclothes, and returned with him to the mainstreet. I found a restaurant with benches anda few tables outside. I sat down and requestedthe mast and my guide to join me. I orderedtea and bread and, as far as I remember, fedthe mastwith myhand.Then I wonderedwhatto do next. Somehow I felt that the work en-trusted to me was done. I thanked my guideand left the mast, who appeared totally indifferent to what hadjust transpired.

I went home, had my lunch, and told myhosts that I would like to leave on the nextbus. The hostess was surprised at the changeofmy plans, but somehowI convinced her thatI had enjoyed mywalk through the town, butwas ready to go. When I returned home, Iwrote to Baba informing Him that I had car-ned out His instructions.

During my successive stays with Baba, Henever inquired about the details ofmyvisit toBaramati. I knew in my heart that, not onlydid He know the details, but He was the Onewho had been guiding me throughout the activities.When Baba on His own gives any or-der, I have found that He opens all doorsnecessary to carry it out.

A NEW DIMENSION FORPUBLIC RADIO

Mary Marino, Portland OR

29

New Years Eve in MeherabadIrene Holt, Meherabad, 4 January, 2000

JMeher Baba!We really had alovely timeat Meherabad ushering in the new year in

a new way for everyone. There had been quitea bit of pre-new year’s discussion about howto go about celebrating the event.The centralpoint was to be prayers and arti at Baba’sSamadhi right at midnight.That was excitingenough. But what would we do to lead up tothat moment? Because it is the year 2000, it

was felt that people reallywanted to do some-thing special and that we should offer thatsomething at Meherabad, something whichwould indeed be uniquely Baba’s and differ-ent from how theymayhave celebrated iftheyhad been anywhere else. And so it evolved thatthe evening would consist of severalcelebratory parts, revolving around our gathering at the Samadhi with Baba.

The planning and preparations began afew days ahead of time. It was wonderftil tosee the enthusiasm andjoywith which peoplegot ready for New Year’s Eve atMeherabad.There were several behind-the-scenes teams of folks making things happen.Of course Alan’s catering was central to theevent! He and his staff created a wonderfulbuffet supper for the New Year, held after ourreturn from arti at the Samadhi. The decorating team,with support from Gar was a groupofpilgrims headed byjeda (age 16) who designed the re-creation of the Pilgrim Centredining hail interior. They hung tiny coloredlights and colorful streamers all across the highceiling and adorned the walls and paintingsof Baba with streamers, lights andballoons.The whole room sparkled. Tom setup the sound and made the dance tapes. Oneteam of artists designed and made masks forparty-goers. Another group planned the

Samadhi singing by preparing typed cop-ies ofwords to Baba songs (western andeastern), and arranging instmmentationAnother planned and provided for acandlelight procession up the hill. Yet an-other, mostly ofteenage boys, set up a fire-works display. For hours on the 31st, theteams worked and created. Afternoon teawas served on the verandah because thedining hail was still “in process.” A littlelight music suppported the happy mood.The feeling ofanticipation began to buildas the environment took shape under thecreative hands ofall who helped.

After dinner the partybegan, launchedinto orbit by the fireworks, set offin outerMeherabadbyMorgan, Ben and the otherboys. Big sound, big color, big light. Weloved it. The dance music started in thedining hail and before long the place waspacked. Our whole Meherabad communityjoining together for fun in His Love.Because we were at Meherabad, it was anon-alcoholic New Year’s Eve, yet theevening was hardly sober! Even those whodid not dance were enjoying the atmosphere ofcelebration. There was an infectiousfeeling ofjoy and togetherness — and maybeintoxication — in the air.

At about 11:00 p.m, everyone took alighted candle and, led by a couple of drum-mers, walked in a very long line up the hill,chanting Baba’s name all the while. Then followed a lovely hour ofsinging together to theBeloved in front of the Samadhi, while thedarshan line snaked its way forward, givingeach one their special moment inside withBaba. Five minutes before midnight, westopped the music to call everyone’s attention

to the time. Then wechanted together “MeherDhoon” (a repetition ofBaba’s name in a certaintune) until 12:00. Thenseven ringing calls all to-gether of “Avatar MeherBaba lii Jai!” I think I canspeak for most who werethere that there was a tremendously powerful feelingat that moment and thefeeling seemed to take ex

—— — pression as we spoke aloudPhoto byjudy Phillips together the words ofBaba’s

prayers. “Oh Parvardigar....”Theywere recitedin a perfect unison, as if in one voice, at aslightly quick pace, which may have been dueto the feeling ofthe energy ofBaba’s unif,ringLove. For me, that was how it seemed. Afterthe Gujerati arti and Australian arti, moresinging continued while the darshan line wascompleted, until about 1:00. Down the hillagain, in the dining hall, we mingled togethera short while enjoying the light supper pro-vided and wishing each other and the wholeworld, happiness in the brotherhood of theAvatar’s Love. Jai Baba!

Shelley Marrich - Meherazad28 January 2000

JaiMeher Baba and belated Happy New

Year to all from Meherazad.The excitement ofentering a new century

and a new millennium inspired a quiet celebration at Baba’s Meherazad Home. As theIndian subcontinent prepared to cross over themillennium threshold, Baba’s men and womenmandali arose fromtheir sleep to gather respectivelyin Mandali Hall and Baba’s Room wheretheyjoined in saying Baba’s “Jai” seven timesat the midnight stroke, and greeted the New

U byJudyiDecorations in the Pilgrim Center

30

Year with His arti and prayers. Baba’s Roomglowed in the candlelight, reflecting a softpinkfrom the elegant counterpane gracing Baba’sbed and from the beautiftil sari given by Me-hera to Meheru who gently draped it in scallops around the canopy on Baba’s bed for thisoccasion. Shortlyafter midnight each returnedto their waiting beds with a sense of havingshared a unique moment in Beloved Baba’sAdvent with the entire world.

The New Year has brought many healthchallenges to the Meherazad Mandali. Promthe latest version ofinfluenza currently circulating the Pilgrim Centre and environs (whichaffected Eruch and others in the household),to the ongoing problems experienced by thosewith heart and other conditions. I’m happy tosay that Eruch returned to work after a week’sabsence from the Trust Office and MandaliHall, that Goher has rallied after a 10-day ill-ness, and everyone else affected by the “Y2Kbug” is slowly on the mend.

With each year we see that as Baba’sbounty increases, attracting more and moreold and newlovers to His Home at Meherazadand Meherabad, the capacity of His dearMandali lessens, leaving them easily fatiguedand susceptible to illness. Often these illnessestravel from Meherabad to Meherazad wherethey spread throughout the household. Thatis why it’s particularly important to heed Dr.Goher’s request for pilgrims who are ill torefrain from visiting Meherazad until theattendingMeherPiigrim Centre doctorgivesthe green light. As Mani would say, Baba’sMandali are also precious relics in need ofpreservation!

So let us all participate in the Archive‘subcomittee’ for maintenance of the healthand welfare ofBeloved Baba’s Mandali!

Baba’s canine capers continue at Meherazad on a lighter note this time. About twoand a halfmonths ago a stray black and whitefemale dog, who has attended Baba’s Meherazad clinic for years to beg for food from thepatients, gave birth to eight darling puppiesin the cactus hedge on Meherazad property’sperimeter.Ten days after their birth, themamma dog carried her pups one by one to asafer Meherazad den underneath a raisedflowerbed near the clinic where she tendedthem devotedly. As they gre this black andwhile avalanche of puppy fhr would roll outfrom under the flower bed to enthusiasticallygreet whoever came to visit. They were a delight to behold (especially at nursing time)and a major attraction at Meherazad forseveral weeks.

All pups have been placed in good homesexcept for two who are now permanent Me-herazad residents - Rolly, a convincing doublefor a baby black bear whose gentle nature reminds the women Mandali of Mastan, andRust a black and white spitfire who surviveda stray dog attack when he was only 7 weeksold which punctured his lung, his abdomenand fractured his ribs. With these two energetic additions to the Meherazad Kennel, I’msure there are many canine capers in store forus all!

And with this I close - wishing each ofyou a happy, healthy New Year and amillennium filled with Baba’s Love andcompanionship.

A Message for theNew Milleneum

Meher Baba

M eher Baba dictated the followingstatement when he arrived in En-

gland, in view of the many questions thathad been asked of him, which I print herefor the first time:

“My coming to the West is not with theobject of establishing a new creed or spin-tual society on organization, but is intendedto make people understand religion in itstrue sense. True religion consists of developing that attitude ofmind which ultimatelyresults in seeing one Infinite Existence prevailing throughout the Universe, thus find-ing the same divinity in art and science andexperiencing the highest conciousness andindivisible bliss in everyday life.

“The West is inclined towards the ma-terial side of things, which has from untoldages brought in its wake wars, pestilencesand financial crises. It should not be under-stood that I discard and hate materialism. Imean that materialism should not be con-sidered an end in itself but a means to theend.

“Organized efforts such as the Leagueof Nations are being made to solve worldproblems and to bring about the Mullen-nium. In some parts of the West, particularly in America, intellectual under standingof truth and reality is attempted but with-out the true spirit of religion. This is likegroping in the dark.

“I intend to bring together all religionsand cults like beads on one string and revitalize them for individual and collectiveneeds. This is my mission to the West.”“Literature and Life,” from Everyman, London,

April 21, 1932, by Charles B. Purdom

The New HumanityMeher Baba

The New Humanity will come into existence through a release oflove in mea

sureless abundance, and this release of lovecan come through the spiritual awakeningbrought about by the Perfect Masters. Lovecannot be born of mere determination;through the exercise of will one can at bestbe dutiftul. Through struggle and effort, onemay succeed in assuring that one’s externalaction is in conformity with one’s conceptof what is right; but such action is spirituafly barren because it lacks the inward beautyof spontaneous love.

Love has to spring spontaneously fromwithin; it is in no way amenable to any formof inner or outer force. Love and coercioncan never go together; but while love can-not be forced upon anyone, it can be awakened through love itself. Love is essentiallyself-communicative; those who do not haveit catch it from those who have it.Those whoreceive love from others cannot be its recipients without giving a response that, in itself,is the nature oflove. True love is unconquerable and irresistible. It goes on gatheringpower and spreading itself until eventually.it transforms everyone it touches. Human-ity will attain a new mode ofbeing and lifethrough the free and unhampered interplayofpure love from heart to heart.

When it is recognized that there are noclaims greater than the claims ofthe univer—sal Divine Life — which, without exception,includes everyone and everything — love willnot only establish peace, harmony, and hap-piness in social, national, and internationalspheres but it will shine in its own purityand beauty. Divine love is unassailable to theonslaughts ofduality and is an expression ofdivinity itself. It is through divine love thatthe New Humanity will tune in to the di-vine plan. Divine love will not only intro-duce imperishable sweetness and infinitebliss into personal life but it will also makepossible an era ofNew Humanity. Throughdivine love the New Humanitywill learn theart ofcooperative and harmonious life. It willfree itself from the tyranny of dead formsand release the creative life of spiritual wisdom; it will shed all illusions and get established in the Truth; it will enjoy peace andabiding happiness; it will be initiated in thelife of Eternity.

From Discourses by Meher Baba, Copyright1987 AMBPPCT

31

The Birth ofLord MeherS ome months passed after Jamshed was

born, Shireen again conceived.Thispregnancy, from the beginning, was nearly ablissftil experience. She felt the natural joyofan eagerly expectant mother. Shireen hadbeen unprepared for her duties with her first-born. Whenever her sister, Dowla, wouldbring Jamshed to her, she would shy awayfrom the baby. During this pregnancy, how-ever, her feelings were quite the reverse asher maternal instincts had matured. Theyoung woman’s heart longed to shower herlove upon her unborn child; this time Shireendesired to be a mother.

The family was now residing in their ownhouse at 816 Butler Street in Poona (latercalled Meher Moholla).The house was calledBhopla, which means Pumpkin House, fornext to its entranceway was a large roundstone resembling the shape of a pumpkin.

During her pregnancy, Shireen wouldoften have wonderful dreams and describethem to her mother, Golandoon, who wouldinterpret their meaning. From the day ofconception, the young woman was convincedthat this child would be extraordinary andremarkable. Sheriar could sense his youngwife’s expectation. He would read beautifrilghazals to her from the Divan of Hafiz, explaining the poetry’s hidden meaning.Sheriar was a poet and he would occasion-ally compose monajats — Zoroastrianprayers or spiritual songs in honor of thischild’s birth.

As to be expected, the whole family andeven the neighbors anxiously awaited thebirth of Shireen’s second child. Shireen wasmore lovely and radiant than ever and allanticipated a remarkable and beautiftul child.The atmosphere of the earth seemed surcharged and it was emanating from a humblePoona lane. The whole universe was stirringwith new energy from what was emanatingfrom earth. A new Age was dawning. GodHimselfwas incarnating! The most wonder-ftil event in fourteen hundred years was aboutto occur.

In the early morning of Sunday, February 25th, 1894, the long-awaited momentof our Age arrived. Shireen was lying asleepin bed at the David Sassoon Hospital; hermother, Golandoon, was by her side. Themidnight gong sounded twelve times in thedistance. Nurses came frequently to look inon her; the expectant mother was relaxed ina deep sleep. Suddenly, Shireen awoke and

Bhau Kaichuri

told her mother she had had a vision — adream.

Golandoon anxiously inquired, “A vision?What did you see in the dream, my dear?”

Shireen answered: “I saw a glorious per-son like the sun sitting in a chariot, and hiscool brilliance pervaded the atmosphere. Afew people were pulling his chariot, whilethousands ofpeople led him in a procession.Tens ofthousands ofeyes were gazing at him,consoled by his divine radiance ...

“I, too, was in the procession and mar-veled at the luster of his face. His light fellon the whole procession and people’s eyeswere fixed on him; they could not look away.”

Hearing this, tears of joy came toGolandoon’s eyes, and she said, “Shireen, mydaughter, a very auspicious son will be bornto you. His name will be spread all over theworld. He will be among thousands ofpeopleone day and will be carried in grand processions, as you dreamt. He will be given special reverence and honor.” Her mother’sinterpretation comforted Shireen and shesoon fell fast asleep again.

The hospital was quiet. A change in theatmosphere of the planet was about to occur. However much our Age anticipatedwhat was about to take place, it would takemany years for mankind to interpret whatthis change would mean. A gentle sweetnessfilled the air. In the silence, an unimaginable joy pervaded the hospital.

He whopervades was coming!

Daily, hundreds of thousands of humanbeings are born in the world, but there is nodiscernible change in the atmosphere of theplanet at their birth. That Sunday morningthe weather was neither hot nor cold; thebreeze that was blowing through Poona hada different significance. While people slept,the cool breeze gently wafted over them,soothing them in their slumber. Stillnesscame; the quietude blanketed the city and itseemed as if all the din and hubbub of theworld had been absorbed in a state ofsoundlessness. How our Age must wish thatthis peace would be ever-present; how happylifewouldbe.

Then the birds started singing, piercingthe stillness with their songs. There was

distinct merriment in their voices. Howsweet were their songs — how healing theeffect oftheir chirping in the stillness of thecoming dawn. If only life’s noises weresubsided in their melodies, then truly the soulof man would blossom forth.

Shireen’s labor pains started and a Catholic nun was summoned from her morningprayers. Golandoon sat near her daughter,watching anxiously. Sheriar waited outsidethe hospital room, continuously repeatingGod’s name, “Yezdan . . . Yezdan . . . Yezdan

The hospital’s night watchman made hisrounds; as he struck the gong five times, thecrying of a baby was heard. How innocent— how pleasant — was the sound of thenewborn. The birds increased their joyousnotes, and even the sun seemed excited —

eager to rise over the horizon. Golandoonemerged from the room withjoy. She smiledat Sheriar and lovingly exclaimed, “A son...a son!” Sheriar was filled with happiness andimmediately rushed into the room to see hisnewborn son.

Poona was just starting to awaken. Wasit because of the baby’s first cry? It was asifhe had proclaimed, “Arise now, I am theAwakener!” Although people were awakening at the time of his birth, little didthey know that a day would come whenhe would awaken them from their life ofsleep. At that holy moment, by takingbirth in the early hours ofdawn, the childhad signaled his arrival as the Awakener— the Avatar of the Age.From LordMeher, Volume One & Volume Two,

Pages 143 - 145, © 1979 Lawrence Reiter,Published by MAN-ifestation, Inc.

February 25th

A BIRTHDAY MESSAGE

On this anniversary of nw birth—davl give you im b1essing for the death—day of your false selves and for thebirthday in \Ie ofyour one True Self.

It i open to every man to chooseGod or self, to flower or to whither, andthe choosing is continuous.

— Meher Baba

32

Merwan by I age

I so happened that once Merwan’smother told his elder brother Jamshed

to make some purchases from the Can-tonment market, and he asked Merwanto accompany him. Merwan was absorbedin his studies and was disinclined to go,but his brother persisted so he agreed.

Jamshed, who had a rough nature, wasnot in the mood to go shopping and wasupset that his mother insisted he do thiserrand. On the way,Jamshed collided witha smaller Muslim boy and both of themstarted arguing about who was at fault.Merwan tried to pacify them, but in theheat of the moment the Muslim boy uttered a particular word of abuse whichmade Jamshed lose his temper. Withoutregarding the consequences, he slappedthe boy across the face and was about todo so again when Merwan intervened bythrusting the Muslim boy aside and taking the slap himself.

As soon as Jamshed’s hand touchedMerwan’s face, he calmed down and theycontinued to the market. A crowd had gathered on the road and witnessed how Merwantook the slap in defense of the smaller boy.This was the quality of character possessedby Merwan at the age of ten.

But the incident did not endthere. After Merwan and Jamshedhad returned home, the Muslimboy brought his mother and a fewneighbors and sought out Shireen.Her name was yelled out and sherushed to the street, followed byMerwan. The Muslim boy’s facewas bruised and his motherwanted a word of apology. Whenasked who had beaten him, theboy pointed to Merwan.

Merwan took it calmly and of-fered his apology in the presenceofall the neighbors and passersby

. gathered there and the Muslime boy and his mother left, satisfied

Shireen, however, did not believeit and knew instinctively thatMerwan had been a scapegoat for

1 Jamshed. Afterwards Shireenscolded Jamshed and warned himto stop fighting. The accusationdid not perturb Merwan. On thecontrary, he seemed to enjoy it by

the reaction on his face — he had a smilewhile apologizing.

From LordMeher, Volume 1, p. 167, byBhau Kaichuri, © 1979 by Lawrence Reiter

Merwan. . . seemed to innately under-stand the meaning of true spirituality

as evidenced by these words spoken to hisfriends when he was only twelve years old:

Every soul lives in the world only for ashort time, and when it is our time to leavethis world we go empty-handed. We do notknow in the least at what moment we willmake our departure from this caravan serai(caravansary); but sooner or later we have togo, leaving everything dear to us.

In spite of knowing this, it is sheer fool-ishness to be attached to this world and itspossessions, and hold to them at all costs.

It is meant for us to make good our short-lived and momentary existence, which we cando by following the teachings ofour Prophet,Zarathustra. Ifwe strictly carry out the tenetsofour religion — good thoughts, good wordsand good deeds — our life will be a success.And by freeing ourselves from this life’s toils,we will enjoy quite a different life.

From LordMeher, Volume 1, p. 161, byBhau Kalchuri, © 1979 by Lawrence Reiter

A St. Vincent’s, Merwan ranked highin almost ail his subjects. He was at the

top of his class in Persian, which he loved.At fifteen, he liked history and literature, especially poetry, but did not care much forgeography, science and his nemesis — math-ematics — although he never failed in thesesubjects. One remarkable characteristic aboutthe boy was that he possessed such a sharpmemory and would never forget any particular fact about a subject he either heard orread about. In fact, Merwan was consideredto be so inteffigent that some thought hecheated during his exams. No one graspedthat the boy’s memory stored every fact, andthat it was easy for him to recall facts duringhis exams. One priest who thought he wascheating caned him, but afterward admit-ted, “There is something different about youMerwan — something special. Forgive mefor having beaten you.”“What is there to forgive?” replied Merwan.“It is all right. It was a mistake. It is forgot-ten and forgiven.”

From LordMeher, Volume 1, p. 177, byBhau Kalchuri, © 1979 by Lawrence Reiter

Merwan’s Good NatureBaily Irani

4%

I • L \‘.

, ,,

I‘Have

LearnedSo much from God

That I can no longerCall

Myself

A Christian, a Hindu, a Muslim,A Buddhist, aJew

The Truth has shared so much of ItselfWith me

That I can no longer call myselfA man, a woman, an angel,

Or even pureSoul.

Love hasBefriended Hafiz so completely

It has turned to ashAnd freed

Me

Ofevery concept and imageMy mind has ever known.

Daniel Ladinskjr - ‘The Gf/

33

Birthday Preparationsin Meherabad

Irene Holt, Meherabad

February is always a busy and excitingtime for us here in Ahmednagar. The

weather is dr still cool in the mornings andevenings, andbeautiftillysunnyin the daytime.Baba lovers are arriving day by day, most in-tending to stay for Baba’s 106th birthday onFebruary 25th. And everywhere preparationsare being made for that special day.

At Meher Nazar in town, the buildings ofthe Trust compound are whitewashed andspruced up every year at this time. The flowerpots and garden bricks are painted red. Soonthe tinycolored lights will be hung in the treesto decorate the area at night.The AMBAhmednagar Centre has scheduled a numberofevents to celebrate Baba’s birthday and theannouncement sheet for these has just comeout today. They have planned evenings ofbhajans, music, lectures and a magic showspanning three days, as well as two performances by professional sitar musicians, to beheld at Meherabad on February 28 and 29.

At Meherazad special decorating of theMandali Hall and Baba’s room is always donefor His birthday. Pilgrims visiting Meherazadon Tuesday were treated to the special beauty

-

of colored tinsel streamers and decorationsover Baba’s chair in the hail and on Mehera’sporch. Soon the portico outside Baba’s roomwill sport a big star with lights, the colored-powder “rangole” designs will be crafted onthe ground in front ofthe house, and candlesand flower arrangements willgrace His bedroom.

At Meherabad the elaborate decorationsfor the Samadhi and tin shed area are beingworked on now. Every year the artistry putinto these decorations seems to hold new delights and surprises. Also ofcourse the rehearsals, set-building and costume design for thedramatic performance are going along at fullspeed at Meherabad. The play this year willbe held at the Music and Arts Demonstration Centre at Meherabad, as usual, but at anew time: 4:00 p.m., following tea and birth-day cake on the verandah there.

The play is tided “The Time Has Come”and is an adaptation of a play and filmscriptoriginally written by Bhau called “The An-cient One.” Last year the birthday play atMeherabad was based on Act One of Bhau’sfilmscript, and this year represents Act Twoofthe same piece. The original playwas per-formed in front ofBaba during the 1960’s bythe Ahmednagar Centre.

At last on Thursday evening, hopefully,all the busy preparatory activitywill come to ahappy conclusion and some ofus may even beable to “turn in” early. For well before 5:00 a.m.,we will rise in the darkness of early morningto get ready to celebrate the hour ofHis birth.At the three locations, Meherazad, MeherNazar, and Meherabad, 5:00 on the dot willhear the resounding sound of”Avatar MeherBaba ki Jai” seven times, followed by prayersand arti, and the singing ofHappy BirthdaAtBaba’s Samadhi, the singing programme willcontinue for some time, as the air grows evenchillier before dawn, as the sun pops up overthe horizon, and as hundreds of hearts bowdown to the advent of God in our time.

Friday, the 25th ofFebruary, 1944

Baba was busy chalking out a plan to distribute grain and clothing to the poor of thearea. Eruch and brotherJal were sent for fromPoona to assist in the work. The work beganon Friday, the 25th of February, 1944, whenBaba distributed two meters ofcloth and threeseers of millet to each poor person gatheredin the Aurangabad Town Hall. Baba handedout the prasad continuously from 1 p.m. to 6p.m. The grain had been brought in trucks,and had been tied in two meters of clothbundles by the mandali. This making ofbundles had been going on day and night forsome time. The wonderful fact was that thesewere the days ofstrict rationing, and no milletwas available in the market. The milletandcloth had been procured from the govern-ment with great difficulty

From LordMeher, Volume 7 & 8, p. 2936 byBhau Kaichuri, ©1979 Lawrence Reiter

Baba’s BirthdayJames Cox - Meherabad

It’s 6:10 am on Meherabad Hill, and thequeue has dwindled down to dozens from

hundreds an hour ago. Avatar Meher Baba’s106th birthday celebration has started off asthe largest yet, the Samadhi adorned withtwinkling Christmas lights, flower buntings,sewn decorations, tinsel and roses, roses, roses.By 3:00 am people had started arriving on theHill, but I had set my alarm for 4:30, just intime to make a last minute dash up for theprayers and songs at the hour ofBaba’s birth,5:00 am. But I got a phone call at 4:00 am,and it must have come from Baba, because noone else was on the line, so I managed to makeit half an hour early, although even then, theline was 45 minutes long.

The sky has been unseasonably cloudy herefor the last two days, sprinkling a bit yesterday, and the weather has turned warmer. It’sbeen the coldest February I can remember, butthis morning you were comfortable without asweater under the hazy half moon.

At 5 minutes before five, the queuestopped while we all sang “Meher Baba,Meher Baba.. .“ and at 5:00 am, seven shoutsof “Avatar Meher Baba ki Jai,” then Prayersand Arti. In single file, out from the dark, theserpentine line wound its way to the door ofthe Samadhi, while lover after lover placedtheir flowers and hearts at His feet, alwayssinging. At times like this, Baba’s Tomb has asubfle glow or radiance that is very difficult todescribe, kind of a light ofwarmth and hap-piness, almost breathing, which spreads outinto the dark and charges the air around it,

invariably touching those that are present.After darshan, Mansari’s tea was served

under the shed, next to Baba’s Gadi, andpeople, as usual mingled and wished each othera happy birthday until dawn.

Later today the Women Mandali come fortheir Arti, then the traditional play is at 4 pm,the schedule having been changed this year.Dinner at the PC will be half an hour early,and the buses will take anyone wishing into‘Nagar for an evening ofBaba music. As usual,the after dinner music programs will continueon for several days, and will alternate betweenWestern and Indian music at the Ahmednagar Center and the theater at Hostel A.

From Meherabad, I wish all ofyou, all overthe world, a very happy Baba Birthday in HisLove. He is still very much with us, where everwe might be.

34

We Celebrate Baba’s Birthday at Meherabode

Babdc Birthday CakeBaba’s Birthday at Meherab&e was celebrated with musicians from all over.

Henry Kashouty entertained us with the trombone with which he played Beginthe Legume at the Sarnadhi after Baba was interred.

! There was greatI audience particiI pation and much

fmi was had

fl1 ‘“

hj

Damzv Maguire, 41 ‘. J”Josh LLe & Jancnu “

Leepeiform.

V fi

IvIark DeMatteis cings.

35

From MeherabadTrust DevelopmentPlan moves forward

By Emory and Susan Ayers,Connecticut

The Trust Development Plan contin—ues to manifest those objects of pur

pose as stated in Beloved Avatar MeherBaba’s Trust deed. Bhau reports, “Over thelast fifteen months, a large volume of workwas completed, and in several months morethe first phase ofthe Development Plan willhave drawn to a close. Construction of anAnnex to the Meher Health Centre and aMeeting Hall for the Spiritual Academywasfinished, and by June the final wing of theEducation Building housing the Meher En-glish School will be ready for use. In the Pilgrim Education Site, work began on the newAmartithi accommodation facilities, which,according to the plan, will be ready to host4000 additionalAmartithi pilgrims in aboutthree years. Significant infrastructure — in theform of water tanks, roads, and high-ten-sion electrical wiring — was put in place. OnMeherabad Hill, more than 2000 new treeswere planted, for which drip irrigation lineswere laid and brought into use.’

“During the year 2000, the second phaseof the Plan will be inaugurated with thegroundbreaking for the new Pilgrim Centre, a facility that in the future will accommodate 200 pilgrims throughout the ninemonth pilgrim season. Meanwhile, construction will continue on the Asnartithi site. Onanother front, the furnishing ofthe Archivesmuseum, and Research Building, completedat the end of 1999, will begin with the purchase of about 200 cupboards that will beused to house precious articles, documentsand films.”

The team contacting Meher Baba loversinforming them of the need for firnds reports that of the total budgeted need of$3,227,000 for the Development Plan, 136Meher Baba lovers have made contributionsin amounts ranging from $5 to $10,000 ormore for a total of $500,000 to date. Con-tributions of $400,000 are needed in 2000in order to keep t he Plan on schedule.

In the United States those who wish tomake a tax-deductible contribution to thePlan may do so by contributing to

AMBCSC grant program. Please send yourcheck, stock, or credit card contribution witha note requesting the contribution be usedfor the Trust’s Development Plan to:

Avatar Meher Baba Center of SouthernCalifornia, do Kanji Miyao,Treasurer, 1214South Van Ness Avenue, Los Angeles, CA90019-3520 phone (213) 731-3737.

For those interested in more detailed in-formation abou the Plan and its progress, orfor more information about making a con-tribution, please contact Emory and SusanAyers at P.O. Box 398, Mystic, CT 06355-0398; phone (860) 536-0303, or emailTrustPlan@ambppct.org.

Computer Updatefrom Meherabad

Jerry Edwards, December 31st 1999

The computers for the school have arrived and will be installed soon. The

computer lab is being renovated to protectthe new equipment. Glass or plasticwindows, (presently only shutters which areopen during the day), a new door, plywoodceiling (to help reduce the heat from themetal ceiling), exhaust fans and air filters atthe intake vent. The steel security desk forthe computers has been completed. It has acage top which fits over the Monitors and islocked (after school) so that the entirestructure will not fit thru the door. It is thesame design which was used previously withsuccess.

The school now has 6 computers, 3 old386’s and the new 400 mhz Celeron’s with32MB Ram, 4.3 GB Hard disk, 14” colormonitor, floppy Drive, 52x Multimediakit, 56kbps modem, an HP 610C Deskjetprinter, Printer switch for the 3 comp’s anda UPS. This was to meet the new all In-dia requirements, which include graphics,and the internet. We hope to have this upand running when school opens for theMillennium.

The Meherabad computer systemneeded an upgrade this year. The old MacLC 475 system running at 25mhz was muchtoo slow for the work that Jal Dastur is do-ing with Ramesh Vangar, and Kishore Bojjawho program and operate the system. Soabout 2 weeks ago, we installed a 400 mkz

Celeron with with 64MB Ram, 8 GB Harddisk, 17” color monitor, floppy Drive, S2xMultimedia kit, 56kbps modem, an HP810C Deskjet printer, and UPS. Jal hopesto be able to accept reservations by emailfrom throughout India.

The cost of a Mac system became pro-hibitive this year, and Windows 95 (andlater) is much easier to handle, and the system can be serviced right here in Ahmednagar. ACCESS is currently taught here bytwo schools, and programmers are availablelocally, if needed.

The Amartithi programs have been mostlyconverted to the new system using ACCESSdata base, and Ramesh is learning to programwith it. The Volunteers & Helpers (VoHelp)is 3/4 complete and with Ramesh’s help withreports &layouts, we hope to be fmished soon.We are expecting about 10,000 pilgrims forAmartithi, and about 600 volunteers.

As always, if anyone wants a tour of thecomputer facilities, theyjust have to ask me.I’m usually at morning arti singing blues forBaba. During the day at my house, or theschool, or Jal’s office, all in Meherabad, orMehernath’s office in ‘Nagar, programmingfor Baba.

We have a great need for the follow-ing items:

1) Dara Irani needs some software forthe blind so he can do word processing. Heuses the touch typing system, but needssomething to tell him what he’s done. Hehas an IBM 100mhz Computer with 64MBRkM,Windows 98, 3GB internal drive, 14”Color Monitor 3.5 & 5.25” Floppy Drives.

2) MS DOS manuals for School.3) Both Black & color ink Cartridges

(HP 810C Deskjet printer) for the Meherabad computer in Jal’s office.

Ifyou happen to have any ofthese itemsand can arrange for transportation to India

( someone must take them they can’t beshipped!) or failing that, the money to helpus buy them — it would help us enormously.

I can be emailed atjerrye@pn2.vsnl.net.in

“Think of things you will not hesitateto thinkin God’s presence. Speakwords thatyou will not hesitate to speak in God’s presence. Do things you will not hesitate to doin God’s presence.” — Meher Baba

36

The winner of the 1999 Flyto India Sweepstakes. . .

atour Christmas partywas CathyBroadleyof Mission Viejo California Cathy hasworked tirelessly on the Sahavas commit-tee for many years, so we are very happy tosee Baba rewarding her this way.

Second prize, a $50 gift certificate tothe Love Street Bookstore, was won byMary Sandberg ofRedmond Wasffington& third place went to Richard Fox ofLowell Massachusets. We sent him a copyof the latest book from the pen of DonStevens —AvatarMeherBabg, Awakener oftheAge.

Congratulations to all three ofyou andmany thanks to all who helped our Centerby buying tickets. You never know whenBaba decides it’s your turn to win!

Births:

Born to Kevin & Jane Mossberger inNSW Australia Ellora Jane

Mossberger is as healthyas can be at 3.4 kg(7lbs,8ozs), 483cm (19”),bom at 12:25pmon Feb. 14, 2000 (Valentine’s Day! Austra—ilan time).

Kevin tells us Ellora means “light” andcomes from India. “However the root ofEllora is Helen, so I assume this is becausethe Greeks had part of India duringAlexander the Greañ era.

Another BabaAmeralianisborn.(Kevinis American andJane Australian. For Key’sfriends in the US (and around the world)you can check on his creative and beautifblweb site for family photos: http://wwwusers.bigpond.comiMSN/ke_dude/ellora.htm

At home here in Meherabode, pastBoard member Mehernoush LorkalantañMcPherson followed herbigsister Golnaz’sproduction announced in ourJanuaryissuewith alittle production number ofher own!

Mehera Isabellajoined us at 9.23am onthe 17t January She weighed in at 7lb 6ozs and 19”

Our congratulations to both familiesand a hearty welcome to the Baba world tothe two girls!

4.4: Marriages::J$ Also on the home front, we Bon Voyaged

another Board member on his first trip to In-dia last Decembet Kennedy Macintosh (exofthe Cfficago Bulls) was to go for a 4 weekvisit. Imagine our shock to get the news hemet, fell inloyewith and marrieda pllgrim hemet there!! Prasava Alexander from SanRafael, California is the bride.Theystayed tillBabôbirthday. Congratulations to themboth.

Merwan Scott, son of Ten Adams andHank Scott,married Cecilia Cerda.The wed-ding, on January 29th, was held at MeherMount, Ojai. The couple exthanged vows atthe Point near to Baba’s tree.With 70 oftheirfriends attending, it was averybeautiful wed-ding. Congratulations and Babis blessings onyou both.

Passings:Our loss is their gain but we will sorely

miss our dear friend Rocky Rogers. Read moreofRockyonpage 18.

A shock to all who knew him was the verysudden passing ofa youngJosh Clayton.Joshentertained us all with his guitar playing atour last Sahavas and on a few occasions, hereat Meherabode. The following is excerptedfrom the obituary in the Los Angeles Times.Josh was quite famous in the Rock world.

“Josh Clayton-Felt, Co-founder and leadsinger ofthe band School ofFish who wenton to become a solo recording artist, is deadofcancer at the age of32. Clayton-Felt, whoalso perfomed under the name Josh Clayton,diedJan. 19 in Los Angeles,less than a monthafter his il]ness was diagnosed.

The lead singer, composer and guitaristreleased his first solo album, Inarticulate Na-ture Boy in 1996. It proved somewhat differ-ent from his work with School of Fish from1989 until the group disbanded in 1993.

“This is classic rock in the best sense ofthe term;” noted a Times reviewer evaluatingthe solo album. “Clayton has found his voice,fbll of melodic ideas and throbbing hooks ofgroove-laden funk crossed with notable,memorable song craft.”

For the album, Clayton wrote and sangthe songs and played all the instruments -

guitar, drums and an old Wurlitzer piano he

taught himsefftoplnyThe CD, whose bestknown song is “Windoi”was accompaniedby a surrealistic video that Clayton-Feltmade in NewYork, Prague and New Delhi.Another song, “Soon Enough,” was used inthe 1996 motion picture “Kingpid’ starringWoody Harrelson.

Broughtup in Boston, Clayton-Feltwasalways interested in music, once telling aninterviewer: “In fourth grade I had a musicclass I’d always get to early so I could bangon the bongos.”

Clayton dropped out bf college andmoved to Los Angeles in 1988 to make hiscareer in music.”

Two close friends lost their husbandswithin 4 days ofeach othe; husbands thathad also been dose friends for years. Faithand George Knox, who had been marriedfor 22 years, were members of the weddingparty when October Woods married IraWhelchelon Valentine’s Day 1998. Ira diedonValentinës Day2000. George died 4 dayslater. Faith told us that both men were joking about going fishing ‘on the other side’SWe hope Baba gives them a great river tofish in, and leads them to His ocean oflove.

, Happenings:All Baba lovers abroad can heave a sigh

of relief with the news that the newMumbai-Pune Ø’ress highway is almostcomplete. It is expected to be opened forpublic use in the secondweek ofApril 2000.It promises a tnvel time of about 2 hoursbetween the two cities. Currently, it is any-where between S hours to...

EelPie Recording Productions Limitedhas released a limited edition box set tided“Avatar” which consists of three albumsmade by PeteTownshend and friends in the1970’s, ‘Happy Birthday’, ‘With Love’, and‘ I Am’. It also includes a CD-ROM version of’O’Panrardigar’. Also for sale is Pete’s“Lifehouse Chronicles” a six CD box set.Your Love Street bookstore walli is negotiating with Pete Townshend to have themavailable for your purchase through us.

Read about Pete’s new rock opera onpage 26.

Announcements from Meherabode

37

Velcome to ...

The

This is the month I have been waitingfor for some time now — a month where

there are few new releases. So now I have thespace to tell you about a number ofbooks thatonly those who actually walk into our Book-store get to see.

The first is of interest to anyone who hasever pickedup a guitar and tried to strum alongto some of the Baba songs. Chris Haffendenspent 2 years putting togetherFrom the Source.

.He tells us:

“Back in 1973, when I first began comingto Baba meetings here in L.A., we all used toenjoy singing Baba songs.John Connor wouldbring little booklets with the words to all ofthe popular songs. I vanted to learn thesesongs, and was surprised to find so few ofthemavailable in musical notation. I decided, formy own benefit, to transcribe some ofmy favorites in this manner. Steve Edelman sawwhat I was doing and insisted that I continuethis work so he could publish it as a musicbook. It took me two years to complete all ofthe pieces in the book (with the exception ofthe children’s music, which was added later),and finally in 1977 From the Source was released. $7

Back in 1956 when Baba first came toSydney Australia, during one ofour meetingswith Him, He asked to be entertained. “Singto me,” He said. There was an embarrassedsilence and much shuffling offeet as we triedto come up with an appropriate song. Even-tually, much to Francis Brabazon’s extrememortification, we sang Him a Christmas carol— in August! When Baba returned to India,determined this would never happen again,Francis immediately set to composing songs!Mostly he set them to existing tunes, but somehe composed himself

These have all been put in a book, wordsand chords, Golden Book ofPraise that sellsfor $6.

Ifyou wish to hear these beautiful songsand ghazals sung as Francis intended them,buythe tape RainyDay, $10. Raine Eastman-Gannett learnt about Baba and singing atFrancis’ feet. A really beautiftil tape recordedin the 70s and recently remastered.

Raphael Rudd, pianist extraordinaire, hasgot a number of exciting projects going. Hegave me a demo CD ofsongs that he recordedwith PeteTownshendbetween 1978-1980. Hetold me:

“I have remastered the Pete Townshend/Raphael Rudd Oceanic Meher Baba recordswhichwere recorded at EelPie Studios in frontofalive audience ofapproximately 100 people,includingDelia de Leon and Maude Kennedy.

This remastered copy as it now stands has19 live songs that either Pete or I have writtenand we have performed either solo or as a duettogether. Some ofthe pieces from Pete includeBargain, Drowned,The Seeker, 0 Parvardigar,and Who is Meher Baba. Some ofthe piecesthat I perform are Kitty’sTheme (on harp), aswell as some early solo piano pieces that havenever been released on previous recordings.Some duets that we performed together in-dude songs not previously released on eitherWho or Pete Townshend solo records. Alsoon this CD, are the first live versions ofTownshend’s hit single Let My Love Openthe Door (in which I accompany him on theharp), as well as A Little Is Enough, on whichI accompany him on piano. I am waiting tohear from Pete as to a release date.”

Keep tuned folks, we’ll let you know assoon as theybecome available.Asyouwiil haveread in the announcements column (you didread it didn’t you?) Pete is also releasing onCDs the 3 albums he made to Meher Baba inthe 70s. I am emailing Pete as to the possibility ofgetting them in our Bookstore. Will letyou know.

Raphael has also produced a very touch-ing, and ftinnyvideo, Memories ofMeherBaba.It is an interview with his mother. The videojacket describes it as follows:

Virginia Rudd is an earlywestern discipleof Meher Baba, a great spiritual master recognized by many to be the Avatar ofthe Age.In 1952 Virginia first met Baba at the MeherSpiritual Center, a retreat devoted to MeherBaba in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Shesubsequentlymetbim againin 1956, 1958 and1962 (at the East/West Gathering in India).

Interspersed with photographs and filmfootage of Meher Baba, this video weavesan extraordinary story of the impact of theGod Man.

Before retiring, Virginia was Chair- Per-son of the English Department at RutgersUniversity where she pioneered the develop-ment ofcourses in Mythology, drawing on herwork with Joseph Campbell (“The Power ofMyth” with Bill Moyers).

Memories ofMeher Baba is the touchingand often humorous account of Virginia’sawakening to the soul’sjourney to God, andconveys the sense of what it was like for awesterner to have a close association withthe Avatar.

In this video her recollections of personalstories of her years with Meher Baba beforehe died in 1969 capture the unique flavor of acharming, witty and accomplished womanwhose encounter with Meher Baba 48 yearsago, changed the course ofher life. $25

People often ask me to recommend Bababooks to give to a friend who has asked“Who is Meher Baba?” We actually have asmall book by that title. $3. Gives a basicoutline of the Avatar.

I believe the best of the starter books isWhat am I Doing Here? by Ivy 0 Duce. Itgives an overview of the spiritual life, andexplains about reincarnation. A small pa-perback, it is just $3.

Much Silence, a little larger, tells the storyofDorothy and Tom Hopkins’ search for thetruth, and how they came upon Meher Baba.It also contains a lot of Baba’s messages andteachings. $6. Two small hardbound books,excellent to have on any shelfofBaba books,are fill ofBaba’s wondrous wisdom, edited byIvy 0. Duce.They are Beamsfrom MeherBabaand Ljfè at its Best - $12.50 and $6 respectively. Meher Baba Calling is a 4” x 4” paper-back printed in India that has a beautifulcollection of sayings. Many people buy 6-12at a time to have handy to give away. They are$1.50 each.We also haveThe Universal Message pamphlet, which includes, besides thatone, The Seven Realities, How to Love Godand two beautiful photos. Just 50 a piece.

In 1962 Francis Brabazon wrote in theintroduction to his book The Everything andthe Nothing:

Baba says “I am the One whom so manyseek and so few find.” “Naturally,” Francis con-tinues, “many will not accept this assertion.Indeed, while all men are praying for Someone

Jai Baba!

38

or Something to save the world, some will bepraying that this Man be saved from the gigantic deception ofbelieving he is God!” Someexcellent messages and discourses from Babalie within these pages. $8. The above men-tioned books are small, unobtrusive ones thatcan be given without feeling you are pushingthe St. James version of the Bible on some-one. I know we are all most careful not toprosyletise, but ifyou know someone really ismost anxious to learn more about this Master,well then you can step up to the following:Listen Humanity, hardbound $20, paperback$15, Don Steven’s latest - Meher Baba TheAwakener ofthe Age, $15, followed by Discourses, hardbound $25, paperback $15, andending up with the Daddy of them all GodSpeaks.

For artists and people who appreciate thebeautiful drawings and paintings by RanoGayley and Lynn Ott, we have two beautiful large format books, with many coloredreproductions of their paintings. In BecauseofLove -$35- Rano tells us what life waslike living in the Ashram at Meherabad, aswell as how Baba instructed her to paint TheTen Circles of the Avatar. This is the hugepainting that now hangs in the Museum onthe ground floor of the Water Tower atUpper Meherabad. We sell 11 x 17 repro-ductions ofthis painting for $10. Rano alsopainted, under the strict supervision ofBaba,the chart showing the evolution and involution ofMan that is explained in the bookGod Speaks. We have these charts for sale:the 18x22is $l2andthe8 1/2x14 $8.50.

Lyn Otts book, In Quest ofthe Face ofGod$30, gives us much ofhow Lynn felt at meet-ing Baba while he still had minimal vision.He tells us the story ofhe and his wife Phyllisjourneying to India for the greatest momentof their lives. The book features many of hispaintings full page, in color, with what wasgoing on with the artist as he painted — howthe inspiration came through —for him to paintsuch impressive portraits of the face of Godwhen he had almost no eyesight. Phyllis, anartist herself helped him with many of thepaintings done in his later years.

In the foreign language section, we havetwo books in Farsi, God Speaks and While theWorld Slept, $25 and $10. We have the Discourses (complete) in German — Darlegungen- $32 cloth bound.

We have selections from the Discoursesin French, Italian and Spanish, $8 each.

We have the full Discourses in Spanish,paperback for $14. Ecoute 0 Humanite is theFrench version of Listen Humanity. $14Paperback.

Then of course, we have the latest fromthe pen ofDon Stevens - Ensenanzas deMeherBaba., $15. This is the bookwe asked you, inour last issue, to help us get into bookstores allacross the country that sell foreign languagebooks. A few ofyou wrote asking for the namesofbooksellers in your area; to these few we saya hearty thank you! Any one else who wouldlike to help with this very worthy project,please let me know and I will send you thenames of your local bookstores. Along withthis comes a sheet telling you how to presentthe book and the information you need to givethem as to how they can go about orderingthem. Remember the Spanish publisher hasset the sale of 600 of these biographies ofMeher Baba as the magic number before hewill go ahead with the publication of DiosHabla (GodSpeaks in Spanish.)

Don tells me sales are going well, I guessBaba wants it to happen, but He can alwaysuse your help! Remember what a privilege itis to serve our Master.

Ensenanzas de Meher Baba. sells for $15,the same price as the English version of thisvery interesting new release. Don tells us hecame upon a lot of new insights into Baba’steachings while writing this book.

There are so many more books I could tellyou about, but space prohibits. We are edgingyet closer to getting a new catalog printed, alsoto getting a web site.

But when we can only have volunteer labor, no matter how dedicated, it does take time.

See you —

In the Bookstore! Dma

Offering OuiImperfectionsby Heather Nadel, Meherazad

Eruch has been telling this storyoften over the past year in

Mandali Hall, and it seems a greatone to share. Here’s how Eruchtells it:

ing flowers, coconuts, fruits and garlands.The scene is still vividly imprinted upon myconsciousness. Hour after hour, His loversapproached Him with their offerings, as Hesat on the dias.

Suddenly, Baba signaled to me to stopthe crowd. Baba’s expression was intense.He gestured to me to speak out: “I am theCreator, the Provider and the Sustainer ofthe Universe. All these offerings are nothing other than that which I, as the Provider,have already given to you. Now you are of-fering to Me that which is already Mine!”

I tell you, I can see Baba’s expressionstill to this day, as He continued to ad-monish the crowd, gesturing, “I don’t needyour fruits and garlands, they are of nouse to Me.”

Then Baba shook His head, pressingHis hand to His forehead in consternation.“Nobody gives Me what I really need....Nobody offers me what I really want. . . .“

The hall was packed, but there was pin-drop silence. Finally, a single high pitchedlady’s voice petitioned Baba, cutting throughthe silence. “But Baba, what is it that youneed? Tell us so we can offer it to You.”

Once again, Baba held His head in Hishand, shaking His head from side to side,sadly conveying, “Nobody. . . nobody. . . no-body gives me what I need. All your offer-mgs are nothing other than what I, as theProvider, have given you. There is only onething that I do not possess, and that is yourimperfections. I am Perfection personified.Offer Me your imperfections so that youmay one day become free, and I may oneday be released from being bound in you!”

The Love Street Bookstore sells a videoofthis talk (much longer), $30

I am reminded of a massdarshan programme which tookplace in Poona. Thousands of Hislovers traveled long distances tohave His darshan; to look into Hiseyes for a fleeting moment, and to :

bow their heads at His Feet, offer- ,

39

Finance Reportfor Meherabode

Michael Ramsden, Vice-president &Director of Finance

February 7, 2000

T all Voting Members, Associate Members and Interested parties.

Good news! Your Board was able to authorize the final pay off of the outstandingmortgage - January 17, 2000. This was preceded by several large unexpected donationsgiven expressly for mortgage reduction. TheBoard wishes to thank all contributors to thepurchase, going back as far as 1975 whenthe idea for owning property dedicated toAvatar Meher Baba was first put forward.

Your Board recognizes that it is only bythe Grace of Avatar Meher Baba that frillunencumbered ownership has been achieved.It is all His doing. Thank you Baba.

However we still have work to do tocomplete the Renovation project! As authorized by vote of the Membership onSeptember 12th, application to the Zoning Administrator was made to give a fullone year extension to delay the start ofconstruction. The extension was granted.Architectural plans have been completedand approved by the city and await finalapproval by the Zoning Administratorwhen enough contributions have been received to finish Renovation Constructionon or by November 28th• We will then havea further 2 years to complete the renova—tion. If all money is available, the Boardprojects a start date in September, 2000with expected finish by December, 2000.

Center Membership authorized a con-struction Budget of $188,180 on September12, 1999 for Phase 1. At this time the architect has been paid 95% ofhis fee, $24,000 lastyear and $4,620 this year. The remainder isdue at start ofconstruction. This leaves a bud-get of$160,000 to complete Phase 1.We have$74,130 in hand.This leaves $85,870 to raise.We have yet to receive about $10,000 in prop-erty taxes due to our exemption and we havein hand a book donated by Don Stevens, StayWith God written and signed by FrancisBrabazon and Avatar Meher Baba, to be auctioned with benefits to be used for renovation. Don has requested a reserve of $10,000.That would leave about $65,000 to be raisedfor Phase 1. How about Phase 2 as well withinthe next 2 years! That would require an additional $60,000.

At this time the Board has authorizedall surplus money raised for general findingof Center Operations and not needed foroperations, to be put aside for renovation.We expect that Center operating costs willbe reduced from $5,000 per month to $3,500due to mortgage payoff, property tax exemption and other reduced payments.

President’s ReportLois Jones

Jai Baba! We would like to congratulateand introduce the Board of Directors for

the year 2000:

Lois Jones — PresidentMichael Ramsden — Vice President and

Director of FinanceHarry Thomas — SecretarySteve Berry — Publications and

Communications DirectorMahoo Ghorbani — Fundraising DirectorKennedy McIntosh — Personnel DirectorGolnaz Manouchehr-Pour- Service

DirectorNancy Merwan — Program DirectorKen Pellman — Fixed Assets Director

The Board would like to thank the retiring directors, Mehernoush McPherson, DmaSnow, and Linda Zavala.

The Board has again appointed KanjiMiyao as Treasurer. We greatly appreciateKanji’s continued faithful service in this position.

The new board’s first order ofbusiness wasto authorize the final payment onMeherabode’s mortgage (see MichaelRamsden’s report). What a great way to startthe year! Avatar Meher Baba IC Jai!

A Note fromOur Trust-walli

Lynne Berry

I you’ve been thinking that some timeyou’d like to make a love-donation to the

Trust, today may be the perfect time.The Avatar Meher BabaTrust runs a first-

rate school, provides medical care for villagersand maintains Baba’s tombshrine and Trustproperties. There are also beneficiaries of thetrust whose living expenses are covered bydonations from Baba-lovers. All ofthese worthy projects were specified by Baba Himselfin the Trust Deed. Many ofthe Trust’s charm-table projects and outreach projects are car-ned out by Eastern and Western volunteers.

Some projects, however, require the assistance of paid Indian workers, and as Indiaraises its standard ofliving, the cost ofmaterials and labor is on the rise also.

More love-donations are also needed forthe ongoing archives project; preservation ofthe precious articles used and touched byBabathat mean so much to all of us.

If this appeals to you, please make yourcheckpayable to Friends ofMeher BabaTrust,and send it to: Lynne Berry, 267 HanoverDrive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Audio TapeLending Library

D you ever find yourself in a ‘dry spell’spiritually? Are you bored listening to

the same old negative news, weather and traffic reports on your way to work? Would yourather have something inspiring to listen to?Do you need an interesting theme for yourBaba meetings. . .? Well, the audio library hasmany interesting and intellectually stimulating discourses on life with Baba. We have over150 titlesjust waiting to be delved into by in-quiring minds. What unsuspecting treasuresto behold! Don’t waste your time on this tiredold world any longer. Make your choice tomove into the cosmic Baba linkup. LynneBerry(official tape waUl) is ready to assist you.For catalog or info write to: AMB LendingAudio Library do Lynne Berr 267 HanoverDrive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626-6173.

40

Humorfor Huma

Church Bulletin Bloopers1. This afternoon, there will be a meeting

in the south and north ends of the church.Children will be baptized in both ends.

2. Tuesday at 4 pm there will be an icecream social. All ladies giving milk come early.

3. Thursday at 5 pm there will be a meet-ing ofthe Little Mothers club. Ailladies wish-ing to be Little Mothers please meet with thepastor in his study.

4. This being Easter Sunday, we will askMrs.Johnson to come forward and lay an eggat the altar.

5. The ladies of the church have cast offclothing of every kind and they may be seenin the church basement on Friday afternoon.

6. A bean supper will be held on Saturday evening in the church basement. Musicwill follow.

7. The rosebud on the altar this morningis to announce the birth ofDavid Alan Belzerthe sin ofRev. and Mrs. Belzer.

8. For those ofyou who have children anddont know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

9. Remember in prayer the manywho aresick of our church and community

10. Potluck supper. Prayer and medicationto follow.

11. Don’t let worry kill you off - let thechurch help.

The PopeA man who reeked of alcohol flopped on

a subway seat next to a priest. The man’s tiewas stained, his face was plastered with redlipstick, and a half empty bottle of rum wassticking out ofhis rippedjacket pocket.

He opened his newspaper and startedreading. After a few minutes, the disheveledguy turned to the priest and asked “Say, Father, do you know what causes arthritis?”

The priest, disgusted by the man’s appear-ance and behavior snapped “It’s caused bylooseliving, being with cheap, wicked women, toomuch alcohol, and a contempt for your fellowman!”

“Well, I’ll be,” the man muttered and returned to his newspaper.

The priest, thinking about what he hadsaid, nudged the man and apologized, “I’msorry to have come on so strong - I didiñ meanit. How long have you been suffering fromarthritis?”

“I don’t have it, Father. I was just readinghere that the Pope does.”

01’ Fred01’ Fred had been a faithftil Christian and

was in the hospital, near death. The familycalled their preacher to stand with them. Asthe preacher stood next to the bed, 01’ Fred’scondition appeared to deteriorate and he motioned frantically for something to write on.

The pastorlovinglyhanded him a pen anda piece ofpaper, and 01’ Fred used his last bitof energy to scribble a note, then suddenlydied.

The preacher thought it best not to lookat the note at that time, so he placed it in hisjacket pocket.

At the ftmeral, as he was finishing themessage, he realized that he was wearing thesame jacket that hewas wearing when 01’Fred died.

He said, “Youknow, 01’ Fredhanded me a note justbefore he died. Ihaven’t looked at it,but knowing Fred, I’msure there’s a word ofinspiration there forus all.”

He opened thenote, and read, “Pleasestep to your left—you’re standing on myoxygen tube!”

The TestTwo college seniors had a week of exams

coming up. However they decided to go to aparty instead and they didn’t get any studyingdone.

When theywent to the test, they decidedto tell the professor that their car had brokendown the night before due to a flat tire andthey needed a bit more time to study.

The professor told them that they couldhave another day to study.

That evening, both ofthe boys crammedall night until they were sure that they knewjust about everything.

Arriving to class the next morning, eachboy was told to go to separate classrooms totake the exam. Each shrugged and went totwo different parts ofthe building.

As each sat down, they read the first question. “For 5 points, explain the contents of anatom.”

At this point, they both thought that thiswas going to be a piece ofcake, and answeredthe question with ease.

Then, the test continued... “For 95 points,tell me which tire it was.”

There once was a Beach called MyrtleWhere the Avatar met an old turtleand a big aligatorWho said ‘see you later’Now the Centre is spiritually fertileThere once was a sixth plane mastWho transcended his anger and lastWhen brought to the masterHe moved on even fasterAnd now he’s in bliss in the dast

Michael Da Costa

[We will missyou Charlie Brown! Thankyoufor all thejoyyou gave us!]

H H r <

iilThBCASE WC?N MXE $4 EX(lfl MRSCHULZ

41

Children’sCorner

6’

Ice Creamfor the SoulAuthor unknown

Last week I took my children to arestaurant. My six-year-old son

asked ifhe could say graceS As we bowedour heads he said, “God is good. God isgreat. Thank you for the food, and Iwould even thankyou more ifMom getsus ice cream for dessert. And Libertyand justice for all! Amen!”

Along with the laughter from theother customers nearbyl heard awomanremark, ‘That’s what’s wrong with thiscountry. Kids today don’t even knowhow to pray. Asking God for ice-cream!Why, I never!”

Hearing this, my son burst into tearsand asked me, “Did I do it wrong? IsGod mad at me?” As I held him andassured him that he had done a terrificjob and God was certainly not mad athim, an elderly gentleman approachedthe table. Hewinked at my son and said,“I happen to know that God thoughtthat was a great prayer.” “Really?” myson asked “Cross my heart.” Then in atheatrical whisper he added (indicatingthe woman whose remark had startedthis whole thing), “Too bad she neverasks God for ice cream. A little ice creamis good for the soul sometimes.”

Naturally, I bought my kids icecream at the end of the meal. My sonstared at his for a moment and then didsomething I will remember the rest ofmy life. He picked up his sundae andwithout a word walked over and placedit in front of the woman. With a bigsmile he told her, “Here, this is for you.Ice cream is good for the soul sometimesand my soul is good already.”

[Shirin Borthwick ofSydneyAustraliasentus thefollowing enthusiastic descrzpeion ofTheYouth SahavasAtAvatarcAbode.]

Go to the Sahavas!Baba ROCKS!

Shirin Borthwick, Australia

I arrived with a slight feeling ofdread deepdown in my stomach. Would I survive a

week with herds of unruly, hormonal teen-agers roaming the green expanse ofAvatar’sAbode? I had my doubts. And on top ofthat,I had brought along one ofmy school friends!Would she manage to have a good time andget a better idea ofthe Baba scene? Or wouldshe be turned off it forever...?

These rather melodramatic thoughtsdominated my thinking right up to the 8th

ofJanuary, 2000.But upon entering Avatar’s Abode on

that sunny morning, I happened to reach intomy backpack and by chance pulled out anold Baba card along with my sunnies. [OZfor sunglasses. ed.] Its inscription read:“Don’t Worry, Be Happy, and I will helpyou.” I was somewhat comforted, as I wasreminded that this was a Baba event, andHe would ensure that it was filled with Hislove.

And right from the moment God drovearound the corner in his funky red jeep to acrescendo of drumming, I knew this wasgoing to be cool. It was also fascinating tolearn first off not only each of theyouthwallas’ names, but also what theirfavourite soft toy had been.

So began a week that I will never forget.Thoughts of Baba prevailed in every activity we did, be it lanternmaking, getting toknow each other, dancing, looking at thestars, dodging cane toads or strugglingthrough the rather large (from my perspective, anyway) surf at the beach. I even had achance to improve my coordination skillswith the daily ball game!

The discussion groups were great, be-cause everyone had their own unique viewto share, while everything was still broughtback to what Baba said. No one ever lostsight of what they were there for, and life-long friendships were formed by all involved.My schoolfriend was immediately acceptedwith love into the group, and seemed to havethe time of her life, saying “I’ve never metsuch a big group of people, and such nicepeople all at one time before!” I felt the same

way — Everyone was so great! And it’s solovely to know that as long as we have a con-nection with the Baba community, we willhave a connection with each other.

So on the whole, it was one of the besttimes I’ve ever had, and the first time I’veever felt so much Meherabad-like energy andhappiness flowing through the Abode. I leftwith a heightened awareness ofBaba’s con-stant presence in my life, and a thousand andone beautiftil memories.

If only next year’s Sahavas would comearound sooner!

1*

Se(f-pity is the worstpoverty;it overwhelms one untilhe seesnothing but illness, trouble andpain. — Hazrat Inayat Khan

Commentary by Hazrat Samuel L. Lewis:

This is a concentration upon nufs [falseego], the cause of all disharmony.

When one concentrates upon God,nothing but love will be found, but when theattention is centered around the thought ofself, all ugliness, pain and illness will rise.Of course in a certain sense they were always there, but this concentration gives themmore life. It deprives the body and mind ofthe usual life which is naturally bestowedupon them by the Grace of God.

It feeds the elementals who derive theirpotency from the excrescences of man, andthese elementals in turn increase his trouble.Concentration upon darkness does not in-crease the darkness, but it does impede theopportunity for light and health to reach theplace of sickness.

I am very happy to hear music. Itreminds Me of the First Song that wassung ages ago, and that Song producedthis. phenomenon called the Univere.

Goi will make Me soon break My Si-lence and that first original Song will besung again and theworldwill realize thatGod alone is real and that everyone iseternally one with God.”—. Meher Baba

Reminder we are now:

Bababook@pacbell.net

42

One Foot in the World -

One Foot in the Spiritual LifeRich Blum

I want to resist your bliss because it willonly lead to more suffering when I leaveyour company. I have one foot in theworld, and one foot in the spiritual life.

I feel as though I am standing on tworocks in the ocean near the coast. Watersurrounds these rocks and the waves crashagainst them. High cliffs rise above thecoast. I have one foot on each rock. Butthe rocks are not stable - they are not an-chored. They begin to slide away from oneanother. My legs are being pulled apart inopposite directions. The rock ofthe worlddrifts towards the coast, while the rock ofthe spiritual life drifts out to sea.

Now it is time for me to make a decision.Either lift up the foot on the rock of theworld and put both feet into the spirituallife, or lift the foot on the rock ofthe spin-tual life and put both feet back into theworld.

I try to lift the foot on the spiritual rock,but it is cemented to the rock. I then tryto lift the foot on the rock of the world,but it is also cemented to its rock.

With my feet cemented to both rocks - Iam pulled apart, nipped apart. Slowly, Isink, my head is nowjust above the water.A splitting pain is focused in my heart.With waves crashing against me, I canresist you no more.

I cry out for you. Neither the spiritual life- nor the worldly life - only you.

I see you on top ofthe cliffs. I see you onthe ocean coast. I see you hovering directlyin front of me. All light surrounds yourform. My heart reflects your light. Andyour bliss flows from heart to my head.

There are no more rocks, no more cliffs,no more ocean. Only your light and bliss.Once more I surrender, and there is onlyYou.

You Walk with Me

As you walk aloneyou walk with MeMy waves ofgrace

lap at you feetMy love requitesyour burningfire

consumes false hopesbrings true desireto one whose hopeand heart are true

it’s through your lovingthat lam you

The Only GameGeorge Snow, ©1997

Now, the onlyTime You,the only One,Love, the only Game

As marbles you play with usLittle solid drops of lightRolling around in Your FingersMelting to glow in the warmthofYour Love

Play the game, draw us nearPick us upTo be played in your HandOne more timeThen return in another AgeAnd it will continue to be

Now, the only TimeWith You, the only OnePlaying Love, the only Game

Do You Know’Ed Flanagan, Boston MA

All the worldc museumscouldn’t begin to holdthe massive treasureinjust one tiny ray

ofyour bodycInfinite Radiant Light

One sparkfrom that Divine Firewill one day ignite the crudities ofmilleniain a conflagration worthy ofa million suns.

Ifall theparallel lines in the universe—just the vertical and horizonal ones

speak such volumes ofthe DivineBelovedc care

for each and every single cell in existencejust imagine fyou were to start counting

all the oblique ones!

One whffofHisperfume unsettles one,disarms anothei ravishes a third andcompletely slays the rare chosen one.

When that breeze blows will there beeven one left

not changed, irrevocably andforever’

Doyou know what manner oflfèforms—fairies, elves and even angelspassjoyously

in and out ofthe secret thresholdsand openings

inyour body asyou sleep at nightFor they know thatyour heart is

the very temple oftheir most Divine Beloved

,-

: Øt4*A;

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Poetry Page

0Terry McCarthy, February 22, 2000

(With a little help from The Friend... a lotreally.)

‘

,

43

How Can ITouch Him?

Bhau Kaichuri

After dinner, Baba got up to leave threetimes, but Mary Pickford would not

allow him to go. Finally, when he stood up,all surrounded him. Dictating from his alphabet board, he continued to converse withthem while standing. After a few minutes,his roving glance fell on a young lady stand-ing isolated at the far end of the room withher back to him. Baba beckoned for her andwhen his summons was relayed, she turnedher face toward him but remained aloof. Shewas called again. Slowly coming forward, shestopped at a distance. Norma told her, “Comeand shake hands with Baba, child.” Theyoung lady remained reserved, and Elizabethsaid to her, “Why are you afraid, dear? Comenearer and meet Baba.”

She asked, “How can I touch him?”“Why not?” Norma replied. “All can

meet Baba!”This brought tears to her eyes, and she

pitiably asked, “But I am a sinner! How canI touch a holy being like him?”

Baba then went to her, and passed hishand over her head and shoulders. Shestarted weeping, and Baba gestured to her,“I am the purest ofthe pure. I can purify theworst sinner. You have understood your mis-takes and acknowledged them faithfully inthe presence of others, and so you are for-given. This penance from the depths ofyourheart is adequate, and you are now cleansed.Now, don’t fear in the least and don’t repeatyour past mistakes. I give you my blessings!”The girl burst into tears, and Baba lovinglyembraced her. The tears which Baba haddrawn from her heart wiped out all her sins.

Those who witnessed this were deeplymoved; their hearts overflowed and their eyesalso teared. Before departing, Baba againembraced all the guests and putting his handon the girl’s head, consoled her, “You havereceived forgiveness for everything! Forgetthe past and don’t worry at all.” The girlpressed her eyes to Baba’s hand and kissedit. As Baba left, all eyes followed him. In theirfilms, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbankshad depicted scenes ofdeep human love, butwitnessing this sight ofpure divine love fromMeher Baba was a rare experience indeed.Their hearts were fill.

From LordMeher, Volume 5, p. 1659, byBhau Kalchuri. ©1990 Lawrence Reiter,

ustadjiinformed Baba that in his ab

sence there had been a heated argumentbetween Rustom K IraniandNavalThlati. Na-val was certain that jfa megha rag (rain tune)

wasproperi5isung, rain wouldfalL Rustom, how-evei wasfirm in his opinion that withoutspiri

titalpowers, it was not possible to bring rain.In order to appease them, the Master gave thisdiscourse on soundandUniversal Sound:

What Naval says is true. By singing themegha rag, rain is possible and no spiritualpower is necessary It is an acknowledged factthat by rain clouds colliding, rain falls. Soundalso travels in waves, and scientists have proventhat it takes time for them to travel. The tray-eling ofsound waves can be easily understoodif you look at a person washing clothes at adistance. When he strikes the clothes on thestone, the sound does not immediately reachyou; he strikes the clothes, but you hear it after a few seconds.

Similarly, in singing the megha rag, whenthe sound has the required pitch and vibrations it creates waves causing a disturbance inthe clouds which results in rain.This is a natural phenomenon; what is there to disbelievein it? Compared with this, the discovery ofthe radio and the telegraphic wireless is harderto believe; without any apparent connectinglink, message or sound is made to travel greatdistances between two points.

Now what is the voice? Where does itoriginate? When one hears sound comingout ofhis mouth, it must be existing some-where. In truth, sound pervades the universe.God is sound, light — everything. There is apoint from where sound issues forth, andfrom that Creation, or Om point, evolutionstarts. Sound has been given a door — ourmouth — to manifest from. When a soundcomes out ofthe mouth it is lost in the Universal Sound which is everywhere.

So what wonder is there if the soundproduced by singing the megha tune reachesthe clouds two miles above the earth andproduces rain, when it is a recognized factthat sound waves are sent through telegraphy thousands ofmiles away. There is nothing spiritual or supernatural in producingrain through sound waves.

It is for this reason, because sound travelsand creates various vibrations, that a personshould read the holy books whether he Un-derstands their meaning or not. The words inthe Zoroastrians’ ZendAvesta, or in the Hin

dus’ Gita, or in the Muslims’ Koran, and inother scriptures, are so harmoniously arrangedthat when they are pronounced the sound created comes very nearly in unison with the Universal Vâice, or the Universal Sounc4 and is agreat help in influencing a person spiritually.

From LordMeher, Volume 2, 1922-1925p. 448-9, by Bhau Kaichuri, © Lawrence Reiter

On Pleasing Bababy Adi K. Irani

1 2 October 1976. The important thingconcerning your life is that you do what-

ever draws you closer to Baba. The detailsof one’s profession and career are not sonearly important as maintaining and increasing the connection one has with Him in theabode of the heart.

Baba will be with you no matter whatyou study. Try your best to decide in yourheart what Baba wants; then make a decision, and as long as you take His name withyou, you will be doing the right thing.

All the divisions you speak about existin the mind only. The heart is only one.See from the heart, not the mind. It is themind that wants to divide and separate. Itis the heart that is one. Through your con-stant remembrance ofHim, His grace willflow to you to help you seek and experience everything as one, as parts of thewhole unity of life.

In deciding not only what to take inschool, but what personal relationships todevelop in friends, and what life partner tochoose ifyou decide to get married, ask thisquestion: Will this relationship help bringme closer to my heart’s desire: Meher Baba?In deciding where to live, where to go foryour vacations — in virtually every decisionin your life the criteria for making the decision should be: Will this action ofmine bringme closer to Him, and will it please Him?Or can I do something else which, althoughit isn’t something I like, will please Him andwill bring me closer to Him?

Ifyou do this with the attitude ofa child,looking to its parent to see what the parentwould be happy with, then Baba will guideyou and His Grace will be upon you.

From Lettersfrom the Mandali ofAvatar MeherBaba, Compiled byjim Mistry, pp 91-92, ©

1981 AMBPPCT, published by Sheriar Press.

Do Rain Dances Really Work?!Meher Baba

44

Manzil-e-Meem in Bombay is one ofthe extremelyimportant holy sites con—

nected with Meher Baba, but it is also amongthe least visited.When Baba had completedhis work in this building on April 19, 1922,no provision was made to conserve it. Babadid not insist or say it was his wish to preserveit and the Indian devotees regrettablylet it slipaway from their grasp. The building at 167Main Road, Dadar, had in fact been rentedfor a year in Beheramji’s name the previousJune 7th, for Rs. 350.

Many Baba devotees seem reluctant, evena little embarrassed, to discuss Baba’s behavior during this early period of the Advent.More than at any later time, Baba could appear to be impatient, stormy and explosive,capricious and arbitrary like a supremely spin-mal version ofa U.S. Marine Corps boot campdrill sergeant. Yet many of the people whogathered around Baba at that time were wellacquainted with the irascible demeanor ofUpasni Maharaj and might even have expectedtheir new Master to manifest exactly thesejala1i qualities ofdivine glory

“They were given the opportunity of liv-rng with men ofdifferent religions and communities — something none ofthem had everdone before. In Meher Baba’s camaraderie,they were inspired to shed their various mdi-vidual differences, prejudices and respectivelikes and dislikes, for the general benefit andwelfare ofall.”(Lord Meher Volume II, p. 503)

By the time Don Stevens and I got to

Bombay in 1980, the place had been declaredvirtually off-limits.What had been a clean andsafe neighborhood in the early 1920s had be-come a den of thieves and too many unpleasant incidents with the residents of the placehad piled up, and the place itselfwas ankempt and deteriorated ramshackle. Never-theless, Nargis Dadachanji volunteered to takeus there and to show us around.

I spent a lot of time with Nargis duringmy pilgrimage in 1973. She was a wonderfulexample ofthe consummate Parsi matriarch.These extremely capable and formidablewomen have a way, over tea and sweets, likemyjewish mother, ofquickly sizing men up.

From the first moment I felt as though Iwere being probed, tested, interrogated,observed and evaluated. I was being screened.Yet the process was gentle and courteous,gracious and warm, accompanied by humorby deep natural good will and hospita1ity Herhome was like an outlier, a satellite of oldMeherabad, and Nargis, like Mansani aloneon the Hill. I must have somehow passed thetest, because seven years later I was invited tostring along with her and Don to view theremains of Manzil-e-Meem in February of1980.

The building itselfwas dead as a doornail.The living spirit of Manzil-e-Meem withinBombay seemed to me to have relocated toNargis’ home in Dadar. But the place camealive again for a short time when Nargis setfoot on the property.

The residents were not a bitwelcoming, but Nargis regallyintruded s right into theinterior, which was by thenaccessed through a differentdoorway than that in use in theearly 1920s. That old entrywaywas blocked, the lovelylatticework and the windowspainted over thickly, the stepscrumbled and the pieces left tolie in place. Little makeshiftplanters were hung over the stepsat some past time. These wererusty and one held a plantclinging to life, perhaps byfortuitous rain catchments.

Inside, the rooms were nearlyas unfurnished as they had beenwhen inusebyBaba and the firstgroup ofMandali. Strange as it

seems, there was a worn and decrepitoverstuffed armchair, set at an angle in a sunnycorner ofthe big room, with only a single tornpillow to sit on. I thought of this chair againlater thatweekduring Baba’s birthday celebration at Meherazad, sitting in Mandali Hallwith Eruch and Don, Francis and Mani —

and Baba’s chair there at the same angle.on the balcony overlooking this former

entryway, moribund car tires had been piledup. Resentfully, the residents permitted thetour, but I kept my camera under wraps andgot offonly a few surreptitious exterior shots.

Every mm has its own unique atmosphere.The shell of Manzil-e-Meem was momentarily brought to life for me by the companyofNargis and Don, but it was stark nevertheless, a place for zen-like appreciation of impermanence, emptiness and eternity

The feeling was closer to my experienceofBabajan’s much reduced Samadhi in Poonathan to the terrible loss I felt in 1973, stand-ing on the construction sitewhich I had knownin 1969 as Guruprasad. I believe it is largelysubjective, but notentirely.

I wonder ifthe Manzil-eMeem structurein some form isstanding today?Are mine thevery last photosofthe holy site? Iwas privileged toget to go there.

Manzil—e-Meem — 1980by Dick Duman Colorado

45

My Peace Is In Pieces!byBalNatu

I was sitting on a bench in a quiet cornerofthe garden, enjoying the variety offlow-

ers with their glorious colors. They remindedme of Your matchless creativity and infinitebeauty What a wonder!

Inresponse to this fleeting appreciation,

You appeared before me with a smile ofgoodhumor. Being everywhere, You can manifestanywhere, although it may seem as ifYou comefrom nowhere! I was so stunned that I greetedYou with an awed and grateftil silence.

Before I could recover from this unexpected heavenly surprise, You asked me casually, “How are you?”

“I’m okay,” I replied vaguely, still under thespell ofYour arrival.

You looked probingly at me. “Really?”I felt my mood shift, and answered some-

what defensively “Why? Don’t you think so?”“But are you at peace with yourself?” You

asked gently.Your loving concern disarmed me corn-

pletely, and gave me the courage to open mywounded heart. “In fact, my mind is inshambles, and my peace is in pieces!” I con-fessed.

“Yet you look quite composed,” You observed.

“That is only camouflage,” I answered.You nodded, as though in sympathy. “I’m

glad you say so. Generally, people do camouflage themselves, especially when they are atparties and public gatherings.”

46

“But aren’t these occasions supposed to betimes for relaxation and relief from the stressof life?”

“Yes, but you soon find that all this merriment is only temporary. By the time you reachhome, you begin to brood on unpleasant eventsconnected with some ofthe persons you havehad conversations with.”

“You’re right,” I admitted. “Even when Iopen certain letters, the contents irritate me.Or when I occasionally hear comments madeduring the day that I disagree with, I feel aggravated. I often lose my mental balance as aresult. How can I get over this?”

“Don’t lose heart, and you will receive Myhelp,” You assured me.

“But what is the real cause of all this an-noyance and irritation?” I asked.

“It is natural that manyunexpected thingshappen to you which annoy you, and this creates a sense offrustration. Sometimes you can-not help but express your irritation outwardly.But the more you see your life as being harmoniously interwoven with those you meet,your responses will be less selfish and moreloving. The truth is, meeting others is really ameeting with your own many selves, in orderthat you may eventually find your real Self inMe. When you begin to feel My presence inothers, then the qualities thatyou envyin themwall exude a new perffime of appreciation foryou. Discovering My presence in others is always a joyous surprise, and goes a long waytoward helping Me to help you.”

“You are right,” I acknowledged. “I haveexperienced this. But then I totally forget theblessings You have showered on me, and Icontinue the bad habit of keeping a careftilcount of all my troubles. This seems to bedeeply ingrained in me.”

“That is because you forget that delight-ftil encounters are waiting for youjust aroundthe corner.”

“Are they?”“Yes, because life is always moving, con-

sciously or unconsciously, toward that Blisswhich is your Real Nature.”

“Yet it seems that in spite of anticipatingthis Bliss, I am constantly passing throughdisturbing experiences.”

Again, I saw a look of deep sympathy inYour eyes. “The disturbances you speak of arealways relative to your acceptance ofMy will.Ifyou take the things that happen to you asexpressions of My will, you will feel less an-noyed, and the spirit of acceptance will beawakened in you. Learn to accept life as it is,without getting annoyed, and I will help you.Do you think that I am cruel?”

I could only look at You.You shookYour head solemnly. “No. Even

ifl wished to be, I could not. I love you. I loveall.”

From Intimate Conversations with TheAwakener by Bal Nato, pages 27-30, Copyright1998, Sheriar Foundation, Published by Sheriar

Foundation

This is not written by a Baba lovei but we

feel it has a very good message that seemsright in keeping with Baba’s teachings.

lAsked Godlasked Godto take away mypain. Godsaid

No. It is notfor me to take away, butforyou togive it up.

lasked God to make my handicapped childwhole. God said No. Her spirit is whole, herbody is only temporary.

lasked Godto grant mepatience. Godsaid,No. Patience is a byproduct oftribulations; itisntgranted, it is earned

lasked Godtogive me happiness. Godsaid,No. Igiveyou blessings. Happiness is up to you.

lasked Godto spare mepain. Godsaid, No.Suffiring draws you apartfrom worldly caresand brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow. Godsaid, No. You must grow on your own, but Iwillpruneyou to make youfruiful.

Iaskedfor allthings thatl might enjoy lfr.God said, No. I will give you ljfè so that you

mciv enjoy all things.lask Godto help me LOVE others, as much

as he loves me. God said.. Ahhhh, finally youhave the idea.

“To love God for what He may give youis not loving Him at all. To sacrifice any-

thing in His cause to gain something for

yourself is like a blind man sacrificing hiseyes for sight. God is the Divine Belovedworthy of being loved because He is Love.He who loves God because of this will beblessed with unlimited sight and will seeHim as He is.”

“To penetrate into the essence of allbeing and significance and to release thefragrance ofthat inner attainment for theguidance and benefit ofothers, by express-ing, in the world of forms, truth, love,purity and beauty,—this is the sole gamewhich has any intrinsic and absoluteworth. All other happenings, incidentsand attainments can, in themselves, haveno lasting importance.” — Meher Baba

t

Staywith GodA Statement in Illusion on Reality

by Francis BrabazonFor lovers ofBeloved Meher Baba and Baba bibliophiles alike, here is a rare opportu

nity to obtain Francis’ book of memories and illuminations from his life of many yearsspent in Baba’s presence. This hardbound edition, which is signed by Baba and includesa note enclosed with Francis’ signature will be auctioned on May 6, 2000 at the AnnualDinner Auction to benefit the Renovation Project for Meherabode.

Thisbook ofprose, published by Francis Brabazon in 1959, is written in six parts as areflection and analysis on the human predicament between human love and awareness

and Divine Love and Divine Wisdom as personified in the Divine Beloved as Avatar.Francis shares his views on many different aspects of the search the spiritual seeker in-evitably finds himself drawn into. He also shares his reflections on time spent withMeher Baba and poetic revelations he gained through the love Meher Baba gave him.

‘Stay with God’ which is in excellent condition, has been lovingly donated to the LA Center byDon Stevens.Although 5,000 copies werepublished, veryftw copies were signedby Baba.

Don’t Miss this Rare Opportunity.

Auction Bid for “StayWith God” Reserve: Ifnot metbook will be withdrawn

Yes I am bidding $ by mail for this book.Name: Telephone:Address:

___________________________________________________________________________

©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©

Return Bid by April 29 in enclosed envelope or Bid by Cell Phone at Auction.Payment may be made via MC/V/AX, bank draft or Money Order.

‘Babac Garden ofLove’Dinner andAuction. Saturday May 6th between 4:30 and9.30p. m. at Meherabode. Many Baba related items will be auctioned All net

proceeds to benefitAMBCSCgeneral operationsfund. You may bid byphone duringthe auction. For more information callMahoo Ghorbani at 310-732-0299.

.,. . ;.

:

I

“I will tell youwhy you feel happyhere. Those who areconnected with meought to feel happyherefor two reasons.Ages ago this was aplace where Babavisited, moved aboutand stayed, and thecombination of thelake, ocean and thewoods gives it aunique atmosphere.”

From Glimpses oftheGod-Man, Meher Baba,Volume 3, by Bal Natu,

© 1982 AMBPPCT

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