J1’kher Ei3abds 13irthdaj at J44ehernbad 3ebrury 25, 2003
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I feel very, very happy to offer the fol lowing prayer to Beloved Avatar Meher Baba for His 109th Birthday: ay Beloved Avatar Meher Baba touch the hearts ofthose who celebrate His Birthday, so that they maylong and long to experience the secret of births and deaths in His love. May Beloved Baba touch the hearts of His dear ones with a Ray ofHis Divine Sun, so that they maylong and long to know and experience that the Divine Sun shines eter nally. And whether He is in physical form or not, He cannot stop shining even for a moment. And in fact, there is no past and no fttture for Him. He always remains in the everlasting Present. Mayyou all enjoy the celebration of His Birthday and may you feel His active Pres ence during your celebrations. With afilove andJai Baba to all you dear ones ofthe Beloved, In His love and service, Bhau
M
YJour birthday begins with bells. We rise in the dark, the morning already a song, our name, as always, humming at the heart of everything.
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Juniper Lesnik, Meherabad Baba’s 109th Birthday was graced here at Meherabad with a humor and tenderness that transfused the atmosphere with a generous dose of His The day began with a 5 am arti at His Samadhi. In preparation, the hill had been decorated with birthday razzle dazzle, the Samadhi itself strewn with ornaments reminiscent of Christmas. The saying of the prayers was preceded by five minutes ofsinging His name, followed by 7 unified “Avatar Meher Baba Kijais!” After singing His arti, people gathered in more while others coiled into a darshan line, moving closer to His threshold as they waited for the first light. Right before the sun began to color the sky there began
]Jeher sweetness.
song, 26
Baba’s Birthday Play. The afternoon festivi ties were kicked off at four, with tea and chocolate cake and ice cream. The play this Meherabad’s first ever revival: the resurrection ofa comedywritten by Heather Nadel and Alan Wagner and performed for the mandali at Meherazad in 1979: Eveiy t.hingYouAlways WantedtoKnow about the Ten States of God but Were Afraid to Ask. Based on chapter 9 of God Speaks, the script personifies each of the States of God, as explained in Meher Baba’s chart. The 2003 production reflected the full glory of Meherabad’s current theatric capabili ties. This included exquisitely painted sets, costumes frill ofglitter and flair Alan’s usual energetic direction, the enthusiastic acting of a hilarious cast, Ward Park’s inspired composing, and Debbie Nordeen’s awesome choral direction. but that’s not all! This year marked another dramatic first for the Baba’s birthday play tradition: computer projection! Using the combined skill ofBob Frederick’s flash animation and the technical wizardry of the newly donated film this production was greatly enhanced by a colorful fill-screen illustration that depicted each state of God, building the chart as the play progressed. Despite the usual electrical hiccups, the playwas greatly entertaining and the theater was filled with the laughter ofappreciation and enjoyment. Alan noted that this was the most harmoni ous production process he’d ever been a part ofand that he felt it heralded the beginning of a prolific and energetic phase in the ar tistic life of Meherabad. As the day drifted back into darkness, a sweetness lingered. And it wasn’t just the chocolate cake. The opportunity to come together and celebrate His birth had released a fragrance in the air, a buoyancy that uplifted us all into the undying atmo sphere ofHis Love. At day’s end, there was still the whisper in the air: little darling, it’s all right.” Even on His own Birthday, He tends to our hearts with the transcendent joy that He is. ..
projector,
a beautiftil version of the old Beatles tune “Here comes the Sun.” Together, voices “Here comes the sun, little sweetly darling, here comes the sun, and I say, it’s all right...” It soundedlike a lullaby. As is so often the case with songs sung at His Sama dhi, it feltlike us singing to Him singing to The feeling ofcomfort that flowed from repeating those words, captures something ofwhat it feltlike to be standing at His door on the day ofHis birth: Whatever state the world seems to be in, the sun continues to rise, He continues to hold us close, and it all of it, the whole wonderful chaotic world, all right. And beyond that, the entire morning was a glorious reminder ofthe gift He gave in coming to live a life among us, the gift of the Beloved. By His Grace, both Meheru and Bhauji were able to come to Meherabad to watch
sang
us.
is,
“...
4ll talk about thepath and the goal
is as a lantern carried by a blind man. A blind man needs a staffin his hand: The seeker needs his hand in God-Man’s.” 82 FarnilyLetters, 1965, Meher Baba, p. 9 l 2