LOVE STREET LAMP POST 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Qtr 1992

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~veStreet ,CamfPosv THE AVATAR MEHER BABA CENTER OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NEWSLETTER & CALENDAR FOR WINTER 1992

Kitty is United with Baba An Account of Kitty's Passing and the Events That Took Place That Day December 3, 1991, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Compiled by Wendy Connor, EIlen Book, and Sheila Krynski

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n Monday evening, December 2nd, a beautiful card for Kitty arrived from Mani, Federal Express via Nashville.

Mani had plucked a hibiscus flower from outside Kitty's room in Meherazad and mounted it on the card saying, "Dear, dear, dear Kitty, there is a kiss in every petal of this flower from Mehera's garden for you. " It was placed on Kitty's bed and was with her when she passed on. A special white cloth from Bal Natu was delivered to Kitty

by Jeff Wolverton on Sunday, December 1st. The cloth had been placed both on the Samadhi and on Baba's bed in Meherazad. It was used to cover Kitty from Sunday, December Ist, until the end.

At 4 a.m. on the morning of December 3rd Kitty began repeating Baba's name in unison with Wendy, continuing until 4:39. She then began saying it more and more quickly, and louder and

louder. At 4:41, Kitty stopped saying Baba's name and for the next nine minutes, as she went to Baba, Wendy continued to say His name until Kitty passed on at exactly 4:50 a.m. At that time, Wendy said the three prayers.

Jane arrived, and she, Ellen Book, and Wendy again said the three prayers. Just as they finished, Dr. McKay arrived and confirmed that Kitty had gone. He wrote in the nurse's log: "Kitty has passed. Dr. McKay." The doctor had visited the day before and was very moved by the care Kitty was getting, saying, "Everything that could be done is being done."

After the doctor left Wendy and Ellen bathed and dressed Kitty with Jane in the room. During this time the Dilruba helpers and the Center workers were called, and gathered in ~ Dilruba.

India was telephoned and Eruch sent salutations to Kitty from the Mandali, remarking that Kitty was

"released and had won her race. She is the oldest one who has joined the Ancient One." Sheila delivered this message to Kitty in her room and kissed Kitty with love greetings from the Mandali. At this point the helpers and Center workers came into Kitty's room. Marshall Hay then led the prayers. Bob Brown led the Australian Arti and Jane Brown followed with the Gujerati Arti. There was 15 minutes of silence from 6:15-6:30 a.m., ending with three "Avatar Meher Baba, Ki Jai's!" The message from Mani and the Meherazad Family was received by phone and read aloud to all present in Kitty's room. There was almost a full hour for people to sit quietly with Kitty in her room before the funeral directors arrived at 7:20. At 7:30 Dennis McCabe, Jeff, and Marshall trans-

Message sent to Mani and Meberazad Family ftom Myrtle Beacb: Beloved Baba's sweet Saroja gently slipped into her darling Baba's arms, 4:50, morning, December 3rd. After repeating His Name for 40 minutes, her eves opened for a moment, then closed, as she joined Baba.

Kitty's life of selfless love, of enthusiastic dedicated service will stand as a shining example for lovers of God for all time. We will miss her sweet and loving presence which brought Baba's joy and harmony to all who knew her. Yet we rejoice in her long awaited union with her Lord and Master Avatar Meher Baba. Our love to all Meherazad Family.

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ferred Kitty to the stretcher and escorted her to the hearse in the compound. As Kitty came out the front door onto the porch, again all exclaimed "Avatar Meher Baba, Ki Jai!" three times. The crowd followed her to the hearse and there was a moment of silence just before she was placed in it. The door closed and all waved, repeating "Avatar Meher Baba, Ki Jai!" as the hearse drove away, with many giving the familiar Meherazad Wave.

Kitty was brought to Bullard and McKenzie Funeral Home where a small group of sixteen gathered to be with her before she was cremated.

The prayers were said and Janet Luck sang "Begin the Beguine." All said "Avatar Meher Baba, Ki JaW' Each person placed a rose on Kitty and bid a final farewell. A Baba card was continued on page 16

Cable from India Sent December 3, 1991, and also telephoned to DiJruba at 7 a.m. the morning Kitty passed on.

To: Jane Bany Haynes Meher Spiritual Center Myrtle Beach, SC We salute our most precious Kitty Saroja the oldest disciple of the Ancient One. Her lotus-pure reflection of Beloved Baba's love will continue to shine at His home in the West and in the hearts and lives of His many lovers who are enriched by the example ofher life for her Beloved Lord and Master Avatar Meher Baba. Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai!

Meher Center Family

Mani and all Meherazad Family

Two messages were sent to the Meher Center in Myrtle Beach from our Center. First, John Stout, president, cabled: We send our love and heartfelt appreciation for having had our lives touched by Kitty Davy who was always radiant with Baba's Love. Her memory will always be alive in our hearts.

Rocky Rodgers, from the service committee sent the following message with flowers: Love now and forever to Baba's Saroja.

The fragrance of Kitty's spontaneous goodness with which Baba had inspired and graced her life has indelibly entered the hearts of all who have known and loved her.

Kitty Davy, Baba's Saroja This briefbiography was compiled by Patty Stout from Glow International, Nov. 87 and Aug. 91; The Awakener Magazine, Vol. 20, No.2; and Kitty's book, Love Alone Prevails itty Davy was born August 26, 1891 in London. Her father was a prosperous publisher. Early in her life Kitty decide to be a music teacher, and in London, at St. Paul's School, her piano pupils were 7 to 13 years old. In developing her career, she came to America for special training in Boston in the Fletcher method, focusing on inspiring a love of music in pupils and encouraging spontaneity and enthusiasm. She loved her "children" and enjoyed teaching.

It was an attack of pleurisy that led the young piano teacher to visit Meredith Starr's retreat at East Challacombe, N. Devonshire, and so hear of Meher Baba for the first time.

Her brother Herbert had discovered this retreat through an ad in Light, a metaphysical journal. On July 17, 1931 came Baba's cable to Meredith: "Love calls Me to the West. Make preparations. " England was the first Western country visited by the Avatar of the Age, and 13-2 Russell Road, Kensington, London, home of Kitty Davy, was the first place He stayed.

The year was 1931, eight years before World War II, the same year Gandhi first visited England. In fact, Gandhi and Baba arrived on the very same boat, the Rajputana, at Marseilles, September 11.

Gandhi's mission was the liberation of India; Baba's mission was of course, the liberation of mankind. On this, His first visit to the West, His immediate target was a group of very special souls.

That very first evening under the same roof with the Master, Kitty, together with her brother Herbert and Margaret Craske, fell under the spell of the Beloved. She was one of those who saw Him alone that evening, September 12.

Kitty recalled, "Baba stood very still, His eyes darting in all directions, absorbed.

Meredith introduced us and I shook hands with Baba in a very formal way. What had I expected? I don't know. Certainly some veil hung over my eyes, but this was to change. II The next day, Baba asked Kitty if there was anything she wanted.

Without time to think or consider she said, "Yes, Baba, only two things have I always desired: an increased capacity to love and increased opportunities for service." And as an afterthought, "And, yes, spontaneous goodness."

Baba told her she would have all in a few days.

Four days later, in East Challacombe, Baba called for Kitty after lunch. "This was the first moment of some kind of realization." Kitty said. "I was conscious for the first time of a deep response to Baba's pure love. I had not felt that intense, great spiritual love before...and for the first time in my life experienced that ecstasy of divine love that the mystics experience...! don't think I said much, but I wept a lot." " "I had no idea how my life would change," she said. "Baba was little known in continued

on page 15

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The GUriJ g,s

of the Avatar Meher Baba Trust As Baba-lovers, we're all familiar with Meher Baba 's Tomb, the most sacred place in the universe, which holds the Treasure of all Treasures. Baba's flame of love radiates from it and draws us down at His feet to receive His darshan. Yet many do not fully understand the Avatar Meher Baba Trust, whose primary purpose is the maintenance and cultivation of the Tomb as a place of universal pilgrimage. The Trust is a master plan created by Baba in 1959 and laid down in an extensive document. It comprises three key aspects: (1) Baba's Tomb and the development of the surrounding area, (2) the Beneficeries, and (3) the Charitable Objects.

G~ vaw Meher ~ Baba's Tomb Bhau Kalchuri tells us Baba's Tomb, situated in Meherabad, continues Baba's physical work of awakening the hearts of mankind. The Meherabad we've watched develop over the past few decades will continue its transformation under Baba's direction. Baba says the time will come when it will be visited

by His lovers from all over the world and will flourish beyond imagination as the greatest place of pilgrimage on earth! Accordingly, the trustees have wisely acquired adjacent lands and are upgrading them with improved water systems, reforestation projects, and pilgrim accommodations.

In 1959, the Trust owned 16 acres. As of 1987 it has 220 acres. More land is needed to provide for the growing number of pilgrims, expecially our Indian brothers and sisters who come at Amartithi. Some of them who sacrifice all to go to Beloved Baba's Tomb can't even afford to buy a cup of tea once they're there, so the Trust must provide cooking facilities as well as sleeping accommodations for them.

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eneficiaries

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Baba's Beneficiaries are His close ones who depend on the Trust to provide for their living expenses. These are His resident mandali who

have dedicated their lives to serving Him. Baba specifically named these Beneficiaries in His Trust Deed. Originally numbering 41, we still have 17 of these precious souls with us today.

!;gJbarilable Objects The remaining key portion of the Trust is the Charitable Objects outlined by Baba. Primarily this consists of educational and medical facilities for the residents of villages surrounding Meherabad.

The Meher School now goes to the 5th grade, and in 1998 will be completed through the 12th grade. About 200 children attend at no cost to them, and they have the advantage of receiving their instruction in English. Your heart will be warmed by their joyful faces which you can see in the Trust video.路 The Meher Health Centre (a free dispensary) and Meher Hospital provide much-needed medical care to the community. The dispensary is fully staffed with doctors, nurses, and medicines and filled with villagers needing medical attention. Meher Hospital now serves the community on a limited basis, mostly through various health camps. Once more resources are available, it will open on a fulltime basis with beds for 20 patients. [Note:"Dr. Goher's dispen*The video, "A Visit to the Avatar Meher Baba Trust" is available on loan from the Trustwalla.

Jangoo Came Too!

sary" at Meherazad is privately funded and operates independently of the Trost.]

This is a brief sketch of the extensive activities of Meher Baba's Trust. Baba extends to each ofus a choice, an opportunity, to become involved in supporting it. A trustee told me that Baba's spiri~l work is His alone and is beyond our domam. But His physical work is His Trust and with that He gives us the opportunity to se~e Him and follow His Wishes that are spelled out in the Trust Deed.

Baba has given us an extraordinary privilege to allow us to participate in His very special Trust work. Meher Baba tells us that He is the Personage by whom serving, we serve the whole universe! Jai Baba!

If you wish to offer a love donation to Baba's Trust, please make your check payable to "Friends of the Meher Baba Trust", and send to: Lynne Berry, Trustwalla 267 Hanover Drive Costa Mesa, CA 92626

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THE LOVE STREET LAMP POST A quarterly pUblication oftbe Avatar Meher Baba Center ofSouthern California 10808 Santa Monica Boulevard Los An8eles, CA 90025 (310)474-9454

This newsletter is designed to keep the Southern California Meher B~ CODlIIlllIlity and friends abreast of Center activities, and to provide a forum for comtClIlp<QlY ac<OUnts of life with Meher Baba .. Guide.

Bditon: Greg and Gay Dunn PnlpuI~ Jen-Maguire

CGalrilUon: Lynne Beny, Will David, Dina FI1lllkIin JenMaguire, Caroline McDona1d, Christina Riley, Rocky , Rodgera. Patty Stout, Adele Wolkin, and Linda zavala JI~ Chris and Pris Haffenden

Brutus

[In a momentary oversight -- the heart remembers, but the mind forgets -- we forgot to include in last issue's mention ofsummer visitors to our shores one more special gift from Baba: Jehangir Sukhadwalla, from India. Our thanks to Marc Brutus for reminding us of the mistake and for providing this account of Jangoo's visit.-- Ed.] In an all too brief visit as one of the Sahavas guests, Jangoo delighted us with many uplifting and humorous stories from his life with Beloved Baba. Jangoo is married to Baba's niece Gulnar sister to Rustom and Sohrab. With that good ' fortune to become part ofBaba's family, Jangoo has also picked up the family sense of humor, warmth, and generosity of spirit.

Though a spiritual millionaire, Jangoo struck a familiar chord with many of us, indicating that he too, along with father-in-law, Behram, Baba's brother, suffered from a deficiency of Vitamin "M". Even after many efforts, with no improvement, and with Baba always interested and e~couraging, i.t ~ecame a rather tender spot. Yet thIS close. farruhal contact and reliance upon the CompassIOnate One, Source of Purity and Integrity, has helped Jangoo overcome all temptation and weakness to become a brother who is understanding, relaxed, and whose company is easy to enjoy.

Our heartfelt thanks to you, Jangoo, for the pleasure of your company. Please come again soon.

And we wish you, by Baba's Grace, lots of His vitamin! _

...,.It..

matariaJ to: Greg and Gay Dunn 340 I Dow Avenue Redondo Beach, CA 90278 (310) 371-6321

PJa. NDd aU ...

by Marc

P_NDd_czIIqeaf~~ro:

Pris Haffenden 3616- 112 S. Cenlinela Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90066 (310)390-2779 Published quarterly (Jan, Apr, JuI, Oct) All contents copyright 1992 by the Avatar Moher Baba Cenler of Southern California, except where noted.

!year YLfter !year ... it is always the same with You A year's dryness A day's longing An hour's remembranee A minute's tears And a second's glimpse.

John Page

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~s~.*~~s~.*~~st.*~~s~.*~

Bal Natu's "Conversations" Excerpt from Conversations with the A wakener, by Bal Natu Sheriar Press: $10.00; 113 pp.

Conversations with the Awakener is a collection

ofendearing encounters, perhaps in the flesh, but assuredly in the heart, between Bal Natu and his Beloved. In the poetic pursuit to understand the enigma ofhis Beloved's ways, Bal's "cunning, bargaining, pwpose-seeking mind" is always melted by the Awakener's compassion.

In the following excerpt Bal remembers a "conversation" without words:

"Just One Tear"

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There has never been a sigh of mine ignored

by You. And never a call which You did not respond to.

I have lived my life foolishly and recklessly, yet You never uttered a word of reprimand. In all my moments of suffering I have found You standing beside me. For Your benevolence, I never showed any gratitude. You never showed the slightest sign of expecting any.

Lately You have been frequenting my residence whether I have called You or not.

Whether we converse, or remain together in silence, You shower on me Your unconditional peace.

Why should You visit me? If there is any logic to this, it is that Love is a law unto itself.

Logic will never unravel the mystery oflove, or love's disregard of merit. Logic will exhaust itself trying to fathom how love can be so indiscreet.

Each of Your visits has been a priceless, profound gift to me. But the visit that intrigued me the most was the shortest one.

You came for a moment, and then You left.

You did not gesture anything.

Yet I cannot forget that intimate glance, or the urgency I saw in Your expression. Had You said a word or two, I would have understood, or misunderstood. But You were silent; that really scared me, and I was left at a loss.

As You were leaving, I saw one large tear rolling down Your cheek. Just one! It had a rare sparkle and a glowing transparency. What it

meant I could not guess. I do not understand it to this day.

That single tear has affected my entire being, yet I am unable to fathom its significance.

So a number of possibilities spill out of my heart: Were You displeased with me, and yet refrained from saying so? I am grieved if this is so. Or was it that You were pleased with me, too much so for words to say? If it is this, then I am blessed, though I can think of nothing I have ever done to please You. Or perhaps You foresaw some future suffering for me, and, out of love, were unable to withhold a tear? If that is the case, then please be my companion when that time arrives, and sustain my Trust in You, which is Your gift to me.

Or was that tear a belated response to some earlier, unanswered call?

Or was it a gentle reprimand for my forgetfulness of You? I assure You that, with Your help, I will do my best to remain centered in You, in the midst of my daily chores and activities.

Or was that tear a crystal clear sign 0 f Your love, regardless of what I do, or fail to do? What a wretch I am to displease You! You are love, and what a love! You guide me and awaken confidence in me in my moments of deepest confusion and diffidence.

You could have simply said to me, even hurriedly, "You are Mine." But what presumption to suggest to You what You should say or do! Forgive my impertinence. Your ways are infinitely direct and unconditional. But it is no wonder that my cunning, bargaining, purposeseeking mind cannot understand You and Your ways.

So excuse me for what I have expressed here.

Let that one unique tear be my guiding star to live a life worthy enough to please YoU...at least some of the time.

Let the sparkle of that tear mirror to me in advance the moment I am about to displease You, so that I can correct myself. I pray to You for this saving grace.

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Thanksgiving Baskets for Needy Families This year our center collected enough donations to purchase 1400 lbs offood to feed 35 families at Thanksgiving. Each family received the following: 15 lb turkey beverage mix for pwnpkin pie 2 quarts yarns Ig. can cranberry sauce 1 lb of margarine 1 jar of peanut butter turkey stuffing can of.mixed 5 lbs of potatoes vegetables 24 brown 'n serve rolls turkey gravy mix The food was delivered to Second Baptist Church in South Central L.A., which distributes it directly to families in the vicinity.

A raffle was held in conjunction with the purchase of the donation tickets. The winners: GRAND PRIZE: LUNCH FOR TWO AT THE CITY CAFE RESTAURANf, won by Lelah Hopp, a friend of Margarite Poley's from Woodland Hills UNIVERSAL STUDIO TOUR FOR TWO - John Stout FOUR AMC THEATRE TICKETS - Marco Swearingen DINNER FOR TWO AT THE VELVET TURTLE Golnaz Manouchehrpour DINNER FOR TWO AT GLADSTONE'S FOR FISH LeelaDunn Thanks to the service committee and all the volunteers who helped with the shopping, preparation, and delivery of the baskets.

Silence Day Sabavas Mark your calendar now for the 18th Annual Silence Day Sahavas. These dates are Thursday, July 2nd through Sunday, July 5th. Our guests will be Shireen Bonner, Jack Small, and Jim Meyer. Shireen, Baba's niece, is the daughter of Adi Jr. and Franey. By Baba's wish, she lived and was educated in England. She and her husband Jay Bonner, her daughter Mehera, and her mother Franey will all be joining us. Jack Small, former Los Angeleno and one of the initiators of our "Silence Day Sahavas" tradition, will be sharing his experiences as aid to Adi K. Irani; and encore guest Jim Meyer will be singing Baba's praises.

Contributions for the Lamp Post Please share your artwork, poetry, letters, articles, and ideas with us. Send to Greg and Gay Dunn, 3401 Dow Ave., Redondo Beach, CA 90278. The deadline for the Spring issue is February 21.

The AMBCSC appreciates your donations for the Lamp Post. Please send these directly to the AMBC of SC, 10808 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025.

Phone Tree If you are not on the Center's phone tree and want to be, call Steve Berry at (714) 966-1078.

If you would like to be on our mailing list, contact Pris Haffenden at (310) 390-2779.

Mehermas Sweepstakes '91:

The Baba Tree Baba lover seeks to connect with others for the formation of a learning/retreat center and "healing space". A place for bodywork, gardening, creative celebration through art, and spiritual study.

Contact: Sharonah, M.A., M. T. 1106 2nd St. #253 . Encinitas, CA 92024 (619) 942-0785

Although, due to print deadlines, the winner of the Fly-To-India sweeps won't be announced until our Spring issue, our Center thanks everyone who has participated in this drawing.

Through nationwide support, you and our Center are able to sponsor a pilgrimag~ to the Beloved's home at MeherabadlMeherazad and give one of the greatest joys to be experienced in the world.

(Of course it is really Baba who bestows this gift!.)

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All events, unless otherwise noted, are at the Center, 10808 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, (310) 474-9454. If you have any program suggestions or are interested in presenting a program, artwork, or music, please contact Jeff Maguire at (310) 545-3671.

JANUARY EVENTS January 4, Saturday, 6pm. FARSI LANGUAGB MEBTING devoted to discussion of Beloved Baba. All are welcome. Coordinated by Dr. Mahmoud Ajang.

January 4, Saturday, 8pm. MANDALI HALL NIGHT. John and Patty Stout present slides and memories of their recent pilgrimage to the Beloved's abode in India. Come share your favorite stories.

January II, Saturday, 8pm. SPECIAL ENCORE! Dina Franklin's presentation (including video) last quarter on the wonderful Baba work by Jay Ram in Hawaii made such an impact that we've had several requests for a repeat performance.

January 18, Saturday, 8pm. THB UNIVERSB AS ILLUSION and the parallels between nuclear physics and eastern mysticism are explored by Rocky Rodgers who will prove that, as Einstein said, "God doesn't throw dice," and, thanks to Baba, the house always wins.

January 25, Saturday, 8pm. ANNUAL GENERAL MEBTING. Tonight we elect a new Board of Directors and hear reports on

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Our deep appreciation to the 1991 Board for their dedication and hard work: President, John Stout; Rose Choi; Georgene Tarbox; Mahmoud Ajang; Steve Berry; Jeff Maguire; Rocky Rodgers; Fred Stankus; and Marco Swearingen, who deserves an extra pat on the back for that long commute.

all Center activities for 1991. To ensure that our Center's democratic tradition continues to thrive, we urge all voting members to attend.

Plenty of comic relief is guaranteed. If you want information on becoming a member, call Steve Berry at (714) 966-1078.

January 30, Thurday, 8pm. AMARTITIH NIGHT. Come and remember Beloved Baba's release from his Divine physical form on January 31, 1969. Movies, music, and readings, followed by silent meditation from 10:30 to 10:45 (concurrent with silence in India where it will be noon on the 31st.) Coordinated by Lynne Berry and Adele Wolkin.

FEBRUARY EVENTS February 1, Saturday, 6pm. FARSI LANGUAGB MEBTING devoted to discussion of Beloved Baba. All are welcome. Coordinated

by Dr. Mahmoud Ajang.

February 1, Saturday, 8pm. ANIGHTOF

MUSIC, POBTRY, AND ART INSPIRED

BY THB BBLOVED. A loose, festive evening hosted by Will David and Pris Haffenden. All are invited to share their music, writings, artwork, or any other form of expression with your Baba family. Any questions? Contact Will at (310) 548-7072.

February 8, Saturday, 8pm. SPBCIAL GUEST! MIK. HAMILTON was one of the few westerners to meet Baba during His seclusion in 1966. Mik's story is full of international intrique, simple twists of fate, and Divine Grace. This is a night not to be missed.

February 15, Saturday, 8pm. REUGIOUS ROOTS OF THB BABA COMMUNITY. Were you raised Christian, Jewish, Zorastrian, Muslim? Tonight we'll discuss our earliest concepts of God and how we came to Meher Baba because of (or in spite of) them. Hosted

by Sam Ervin and Margaret Magnus.

February 22, Saturday, 8pm. SPECIAL GUEST! MICHABL LB PAGB will describe his meetings with Meher Baba as a child aged 5, 7, and 11. Memorable times for him: sure to be a memorable night for us.

Music by Matthew Breindel.

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February 25, Tuesday, 8pm. HAPPy BIRTHDAY BABA! Music, devotion, and celebration in honor of the Beloved's 97th birthday. Hosted by Lynn and Jeff Maguire with "Baba Caroling" led by Greg and Gay Dunn.

February 29, Saturday, 8pm. MOVIES OF BBLOVED BABA spun by the inimitable Charlie Morton.

MARCH EVENTS March 1, Saturday, 6pm. FARSI LANGUAGB MEBTING devoted to discussion of Beloved Baba. All are welcome. Coordinated

by Dr. Mahmoud Ajang.

March 1, Saturday, 8pm. ADBLB WOLKIN REMEMBBRS HER TIMES WITH BABA, PART IV. In the fourth part of this higWyacclaimed series Jeff Maguire interviews Adele about Beloved Baba's trip to the west in 1958.

March 14, Saturday, 8pm. GUTTA NIGHT. Fred Stankus once again serves up a unique feast of refreshments and Divine Love.

March 21, Saturday, 8pm. PORTRAITS OF THE AVATARS. Judy and Carl Ernst offer slides and discussion on the ways the Godmen have been portrayed in art throughout the ages. This oft-postponed program is really going to happen tonight and will prove well worth the wait. Music by Fariborz.

March 28, Saturday, 8pm. MOVIE NIGHT. Baba said, "The ordinary man, whose urgent

need is to relax from the stress of life, turns instinctively to the fleeting diversion of entertainment-- and the film world affords this to a great extent." Tonight, forget the local movie multiplex and sample films of the GodMan projected by the inerrant Charlie Morton.

Area Meetings There are area group meetings in Orange County and in Pasadena. For meetings in Orange County, call Georgene Tarbox at (714) 953-3193. In Pasadena, call Diana Goodheart at (818) 191-1078.

Fresno Baba Group The Fresno Meher Baba Group meets every fIrst, second, and third Wednesday each month. For location and time call Sharon or Phil Scott at (209) 449-0877.

OJai Baba Group The Ojai Meher Baba group meets every other Sunday evening at 7 p.m. For location and other information call Marta Flores at (805) 646-850 I. Santa Barbara Baba Group The Santa Barbara Meher Baba group meets every other Friday. For meeting information call Donna Bayet at (805) 682-1877.

San Diego Baba Group The San Diego Meher Baba group meets monthly. For meeting times and locations, call Scott or Anne Makeig at (619) 4812941.

Portland Baba Group The Portland group meets every Friday night. Discourses meeting are ileld every other Sunday afternoon, and a monthly meeting is held every month at the Wilson's house in Scotts Mill, (503) 813-2048.

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At the Bookstore

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First let me say a big "Thank you!" to all who reto our Christmas sale! I was so joyfully overwhelmed to see all those orders rolling in. I do hope you were even happier to receive them!

We did sell out of most of our video tapes at that terrific sale price, but we still have a few left at 15% off. They are "Padri", an hour's worth of rare interviews with this staunchest ofBaba's early Mandali: Faredoon Driver. As Mansari is to Upper Meherabad, so Padri was to Lower Meherabad. He died in the early eighties, so this is all we have of him on tape. Its sale price is $25.45.

"Avatar" is the Australian group's introductory film ofBaba which was presented on television in Sydney. It includes some great footage ofBaba from the fifties and sixties. It's a great one to show your friends who want to know "who is this man?!" Only $16.95. Also at that extremely low price is Pete Townshend singing the Master's Prayer, along with clips of the best of all the Baba films, in "0 Parvardigar".

The same price will get you Emch's views on "The Future with Meher Baba". For $25.45 you can choose Emch's most recent interview, "Beholden to Him", which is a very personal and revealing glimpse ofEmch's life and dedication to this Lord and Master; or "The Godman", a film of the 1976 Amartithi as experienced through the eyes of pilgrims all round the world; it also includes interviews with Mani, Rano, Padri, and Emch. All the other tapes are still available of course, but at their regular price.

We also have a marvellous video of Kitty Davy, Margaret Craske, and Delia De Leon, "The Frivolous Three", as Baba used to call them. They were together again for the first time in 18 years, having all lived with Baba as the "western mandali" in the thirties and forties.

Due to space limitations in our last issue we were unable to fully mention some of the great array of musical tapes we have. First and fore-

most, the Australian Songbird, Raine Eastman Gannett, has released a two-cassette pack that is the definitive album to relive your experience of morning and evening Arti at our Beloved's Samadhi (you even get to hear Mansari's dogs barking!). Of the 39 songs, 12 of them are by her musical mentor, Francis Brabazon. She has put together a very helpful booklet that has the words to all the songs, plus chording for guitar.

The double tape sells for $18, and the book for $6. Raine has also released a tape with 15 of her most popular and frequently requested songs, including the beautiful "The Last Thing."

"Raine Sings Raine" sells for $10.

Another Berkeley-ite, Cindy Lowe, has a dynamic album which includes several of her best known songs, "Keep Me Near", "(Love You) Now Till the End", "Dreaming Too Long", and "Thunder After Lightning". Widely performed and recorded by other musicians, these familiar favorites are now played and sung by the composer. New songs include "Beloved God", the prayer given to us by Baba, and "Keep Me Near", a powerful musical offering oflove to Avatar Meher Baba and His Mehera. $10.

Following in the success of her first album, "Blessing for the New Soul", Gabriella Tal has just released "So Close", a wonderful blend of rhythms, ranging from the slow ballad "Your Full Face" to the faster beat of "Celestial Caravan" (a particular favorite ofrnine). The latter is a poem by Rurni, set to music by Gabriella. If you liked her first album, you'll love this one. $10.

Bob and Jane Brown, the Myrtle Beach duo, have just given us another outpouring of their love for our Beloved. There's a great variety of songs in "Only Your Love", and what I think is an excellent idea: they have printed the words to all the songs on the cassette liner. Hopefully more of our musicians will follow this example.

It's so much more meaningful to actually know and sing all the words.

It has been a prolific period these last few months, as Raphael Rudd has also released a tape, "Skydancer" -- his best yet! It has been released commercially in Japan (for starters) and

has the Gujerati arti on it, sung by Jane Brown.

Jane shows us another side to her magnificent pure soprano: she sings this beautifully in an alto range! It's great! $10.

The hot item in our Bookstore right now is the very unusual, very beautiful Conversations with the Awakener. Bal Natu puts many an English or American author to shame with his style, fluidity, and grace with the English language (not to mention the profound spirituality of the thoughts contained therein!). $10. See the excerpt on page 6.

Another must have book is Ocean of Love, Delia De Leon's memoirs of her early years with Baba. We reviewed it in our last issue; if you missed that review, here's another one. "It's terrific, you'lIlove it!" $10. Some years ago Kitty Davy wrote her own account of her life with Baba and the years she spent with Him in His Ashram. It's a wonderful, thoroughly engrossing hard cover book for $25.

For those of you who have not yet treated yourself to Mehera's beautiful autobiography, we have just lowered the price to $30 for the large format, hard cover book, containing many color, and black and white photos. It is told in Mehera's own sweet, simple, "love personified" style. If you were not privileged to meet her, this is a wonderful way to get to know her.

Do you or your children own (and still use) a record player? We have hundreds ofall the early Baba records sitting in our storage room and would love to see them go to Baba families everywhere. For a mere dollar a piece (Plus $.75 postage) they are yours! Please help us find a home of all of the following (Francis Brabazon fans take note: the first four are of his songs): "Avatar's Abode Anniversary" featuring the Avatar's Abode Singers; "In His Love" with the Original Kitchen Singers; "The East West Gathering," a double album of the song-story of an event unique in history, music by David Miotke; and "Song Road", with a spoken introduction by Francis, and containing 13 of his songs. "You're Here At Last" is a solo offering

by Bob Brown, followed by "Songs to the Eternal Shepherd", sung by Bob and Friends (Cathy, Jane and Heather).

If the "Don't Worry Be Happy" or "I Am The Ancient One" poster you bought in the 60s is looking a little ratty round the edges, you can replace it with a new one for $3. Then of course there is the one every home benefits by having: the beautiful color photo ofBaba with hands clasped and the words "Real Happiness Lies in Making Others Happy". This poster is printed on heavy stock, is 16 1 x20" and costs only $6. If you would like an 8x10 photo of Baba or any of the Mandali, let me know who you would like and I can send you a xerox copy of the photos we have available for that person for you to choose from. We have 5x7s, 8xlOs, and Ilxl4s, black and white and in color. The photo of Kitty Davy on page I is available 5x7 for $10 or IOxl2 for $20.

Teresa Kiser, the ever resourceful creator of the beautiful Kiser Kards, has come up with something new for us: exceptionally well made rubber stamps of the Mastery in Servitude emblem and a picture of the Samadhi. (We sold out of them the day they hit the store, but we have since reordered!) These two are $11 each, and "Don't Worry Be Happy" stamps are $9 for continued on next page

Four different rubber stamp designs are available from $8 to $11 each.

The reproductions here are 213 the actual size.

Don't Worry

~~ Be H6ppy

Library Project The Library Project of the Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California is entering another cycle of activity, placing books by and about Avatar Meher Baba in libraries across the country. Started in 1978, the Library Project has placed hundreds of books in libraries throughout the U.S. and Canada. The Library Project invites you to participate in seeking infonnation about Baba books currently in circulation and finding libraries that need Baba books.

In our new project we are asking individuals to choose a specific area to be a "Librarywalla." The area could be the size of a city, county, or simply several libraries that are near your residence.

For each major library system in your area we ask that you: l. Check the current holdings of books by or about Meher Baba and forward this infonnation to the Library Project.

2. Personally receive and then place the book(s) in these libraries, serving as a 'gobetween' for the Library Project. (Ibis is optional-but it helps insure that the books are actually incorporated into the libraries' holdings.)

Uyou would like to help in this effort and make books available to those who seek them in as many libraries as possible, contact the Los Angeles Avatar Meher Baba Library Projectwalla: Adele Wolkin 7l4-A S. Pacific Coast Hwy Redondo Beach, CA 90277 (310) 540-8404 We would appreciate your sharing this infonnation with others. The Library Project has been, and continues to be, a beautiful opportunity to spread Beloved Avatar Meher Baba's message oflove and truth.

Bookstore continued

too: among balloons, stars, hearts, teddy bears etc., are the joyous words "Have aBaba-filled Birthday". They are $2.75 each or six for $15.

Occasionally we get letters from the more far-flung reaches of the U.S. asking us if we sell books here and do we know of any Baba Centers near where they are. We recently received such a letter from a lady in Boise, Idaho. Are there any other Boise-ans out there?

Maybe we could start a "Pen Pal" column? If you feel you are not only the sole' Baba Lover on your block, but perhaps the only one in town, and would like contact with other likeminded people near to you, write to us and we'll see what we can do to put you in touch with one another.

If you have any questions about our Bookstore, would like a copy of our latest price list, or would like to place a credit card order by phone (minimum $40) you can call me at horne after 7 p.m. (Pacific time) at (310) 837-6419.

Till next time...

See you, at the Bookstore!

the round fonnat and $8 for the straight.

In a black and white magazine it's impossible to do justice to the beautiful cards Teresa makes, as they have gold embossing, photos, delicately colored hearts, flowers, universes, and photos on them. But I can tell you she makes a birthday card that any Baba lover would love to receive, then frame! They are fun for children

I love you. Do not wony about your wealmesses.

Eventuall y they will go; even ifthey linger, love will one day consume them. Everything disappears in the Ocean of Love. Because I love you, you have a pool of love within you. When you feel wretched, when you fall in your wealmess, have a dip in that pool of love. RelTesh yoursel fin that pool of love within.you. It is always there. Even if you wash your wealmesses every day in that pool, it will remain cl ear. Don't wony. Babs loves you, that is what really matters. -- BBLOVBD BASA

~~o-

~

Normal Till It Hurts? AY Rare Interview with Will David In this exclusive Lamp Post interview, Caroline McDonald probes the enigmatic psyche of the

Southern California Baba community's Most NonnaJ HUIWJIJ. So designated for a record two consecutive years by popular vote at the Silence Day Sahavas, Wi11 David (a.k.a. "Unscientific Beaucoup") serves as a light house to all in our community who strive to "fit in". But, as we learn, nonnalcy is not a11 sweetness and light...

f

I

"

McD: Mr. NonnaJ, it's a pleasure chatting with you today. Tell me about yourself Mr. N: I was raised on a fann in Idaho under the blue skies and there were horses in the fields. I had a great life as a kid, and then a dark cloud pounced upon me during my teenage years and I started looking for God. Later on, Meher Baba revealed Himself to me with a tap on my shoulder as I walked through a field of grain in the Blue Sky country.

McD: How did the first Mr. NOIrnaI contest take place?

Mr. N: the first competition was held at the Sahavas (two years ago) with five candidates on stage. We were called out of the audience,like Jeopardy. The audience shrieked and howled and rolled on the floor with laughter. I was elected Mr. Normal because the laugh-o-meter was quite high when Bobby Manonash held his hand over my head. My place was assured in history.

McD: What was it that gave you the edge?

Mr. N: My quick-witted memory. When asked what would I tell my non Baba-Lover friends when asked where I was going that weekend, I told them I was going to Las Vegas for a real state weekend and swimming.

McD: What were some of the other questions?

Mr. N: They all had to do with what you would tell your non Baba-Lover friends you're doing.

I've been trained so well to think, that even these questions seem normal. However, I don't know what to think any more. This is why this interview is so difficult for me. I don't know

what's normal or abnormal anymore.

McD: How's that?

Mr. N: To have thousands ofBaba followers in Southern California looking at me to see how I react in any given situation has caused me considerable strain.

McD: How have you managed to deal with that?

Mr. N: I go to group therapy and support group five days a week now. On Monday it's a Catholic Support Group. On Tuesday it's a Zoroastrian men's group, on Wednesday it's the Muslim support group, Thursday it's back to the Christians, and on Friday it's the Vedic men's social dance night. Ofcourse all of these groups are closed to the general public so no Baba people will know the depths of my plight. Your good-natured questioning is helping to reveal the first crack in my ~ veneer ofnormalhood. (" --.......

McD: How has , thistitJe changed ~ your life?

~

'NORMAL DOG'

BY WIll DAVID

Mr. N: Surprisingly, everything has changed.

Where I used to be happy, now I'm sad. Where I had sorrow, now I'm mad. Where I was lukewann, now I'm passionate. Where I was conunitted, now I'm wistful. I long to give 'my title up this next summer, but it is now such a part of my life. Actually there are no financial remunerations and my personal finances are in awlspin.

However, this itself gives me much happiness knowing that wherever my tail spins, Baba will guide me. Jai Baba!

-

13

'Bon COO'laBe

by Andy Muir

All that is of worth is found in the heart of a lover of God. For it is only here that He may be found: not in stories told by graybeards.

Go east and see the ground where God incarnate walked with His intimate ones.

Go east, young ones: Look in the eyes of the best ofhwnan-kind-the chosen ones.

Hear the nightingale sing its Sarnadhi song to the Rose In the quiet of star-filled night on the Hill of Home.

If you believe none live and die for God alone, go eastward.

If you would see who God would have you be, close the books for a while.

The professor, the confessor, the transgressor would tell if possible.

Philosophers don't know they play in the sand box of life.

See the poor and know that they are rich in His love.

Stand, in Poona, where the Kiss was given and received.

Enter the Tomb and know there is no death except the form.

Take wing and fly to ground blessed by the press of His dear feet: to the Hill where stones sing silently to the rhythm of His heartbeat.

Take greetings from those shining ones, polished by His hand and the sands of days in His company.

His Mandali shared years with the Ancient One Whose glance is of worth more than all the prayers prayed since the Beginning.

Embrace these symbols of His love.

14

Feel the heat of the blazing sun And let your throat be parched with the dust you must become: dust at His feet.

Then know the joy of sipping from His cup That clears the thirst, giving the voice to sing with joy.

Return the love His grace has given.

Know that the cup of your heart will be filled with the wine of His love, Your eyes washed with tears of Compassion -not the salt of sorrow.

At His boyhood home, Enter the tiny room where He suffered agony beyond imagination.

Remember He did that for all.

Climb the Seclusion Hill Where the Monarch of the Universes, King of Kings, Lord God Almighty, walked.

He has shown a path for you.

Love God: The Avatar of the Ages will take you to the Top. Take the hem of His garment now, in both hands, and never let go.

Hennitage Cabin, Meher Spiritual Center Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, May 1988 [Editor's Note: Andy was recently hospitalized for an illness, but is now at home and on the road to recovery. You can write him at 3601 Connecticut Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20008.]

Kitty, Baba's Saroja from page 1

I 'i

church on such a holiday. But as the rain poured down, and she gazed at Baba, she suddenly realized, "He is the Christ." There was no need to the West...and the tradition that I was brought up go Church to find Him. in was that everyone in the Eastern world was In 1952, Kitty assumed she would return to heathen. It was rather a strange thing for an India with Baba, but He asked her to stay in English woman to even associate with an Indian.

America and help Elizabeth Patterson with the "But from the moment I met Him, he running of the Center in Myrtle Beach. became the object of my consciousness."

Of all the Western women Baba contacted, Kitty left London in 1937 and moved to Kitty spent the longest time in actual day-to-day Baba's ashram near Ahmednagar. "It caused residence with Him, and thus held a unique quite a sensation when we first left. The press position from which to wrote about the bevy of what it was like to young girls who followed "From the moment I met ~ describe follow the living Christ, day Baba. They thought it was He became the object ofmy to day, month to month, year another Rasputin story. consciousness. " to year. Knowing this, Filis 'Messiah's Well-Dressed Frederick asked her years Girl Disciples Reveal Their ago to write up her reminiscences for the A wakPlans,' the headlines said. ener Magazine, which she did, later adding more "It was a very practical life; in many ways material and publishing her book Love Alone it was difficult. Our meals were different, our liberties taken away, and then Baba would leave Prevails. Fortunately, she had kept continuous diaries, and her book, as no other, gives a for long periods. We had come to be with Baba, coherent story of life with Baba from 1931. but he was often away from us."

Filis had a most precious memory of Kitty: At the end of the first year, Baba, Kitty, and "At the Sahavas in California, at Pilgrim Pines, 30 women began traveling across India in a groaning bus built for 16. For three years, they 1978, Kitty was on stage, ready to read her talk to us, when Baba "appeared" by her chair, and crossed nearly two-thirds of the country, often eating only bananas, a raw onion, a slice of placed His hand on her head. Just so, we began our sahavas, keeping company with the Lord. bread for lunch, and rice and lentils for dinner.

"The whole time." she said "Baba was On the last page of Love Alone Prevails, training us to love God and give ourselves in Kitty leaves us with this message: "If we try to selfless service." remember Baba every time our consciousness During the trips, Baba washed and fed slips back from the 'One' to the 'Many', we will lepers and gave money, grains, and clothing to be on the way to putting into practice the valuable the poor. "We saw love in action." lesson of mental control and obedience, and thus Baba called her "Saroja," meaning be pleasing Baba. There are so many opportuni"Lotus"; the Saroja Library at the Center is ties that we miss throughout the day simply named for her. Coming from a typical upperbecause of our inability to keep our focus on class English family -- Kitty was presented at Baba. What we need to try to do is to learn to Court, white feather headdress and all -- she was love Love. Baba reminds us to let all our a member of the Anglican church, and was, as thoughts, words, and deeds be controlled by our she related in her autobiography, devoted to constant remembrance of God, with Love. " â&#x20AC;˘ Jesus. She had read the lives of the Christian mystics. Though she had surrendered her life to Baba as her living Master, in the beginning she did not identifY Him as the Christ until, perhaps, Births and deaths are illusory phenomena. One really one very rainy Easter morning in North India. dies when one is born to love as God, the eternal, who Baba usually gave her permission to go to is beyond birth and death. --MBHBR. BAllA.

Kitty United with Baba from page 2 also placed on her. Everyone left the room at I p.m.

People came from all over the country to the Center the next weekend. On Friday night, Part I of the Pete Townshend film taken of Kitty about 14 years ago was shown. Saturday at 4 p.m. there was a service at the Good Shepherd Memorial Chapel followed by a reception at Dilruba. Saturday night Part 2 of the film of Kitty was shown. Sunday at 2 p.m. was a special remembrance program at Meher Center.

Pat Sumner and Heather Nadel reported that at arti Tuesday evening at Meherabad, just five hours after Kitty went to Baba, garlands of roses were placed on Baba's Tomb for her. Andy Lesnik and Jim Meyer were there from Myrtle Beach and were the first to place a garland on

AVATAR MEHER BABA CENTER OF SOlJTHERN CAliFORNIA 10808 Santa Monica Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90025

ADDRESS CORRECTION

the samadhi for Kitty. Jim sang many of her favorite songs. Ted Judson sang several songs, including hymns of which Kitty was particularly fond. Heather sang a Hindi song, and Eastern Baba Lovers contributed to the music as well.

They said it was very, very beautiful at the Tomb that night.

On Thanksgiving Day, November 28th, Kitty had awakened early in the morning and said clearly to Buz Conner, who was beside her bed, "I want to run. I want to run quite free."

Our darling Kitty is free at last.

AVATARMEHERBABA, KIJAI! â&#x20AC;˘

Your love for Me, which is your life, speaks My message to all who come to My cent e:r and makes Me happy --MmmR BABA ro KnIT DAVY

NofH'roflt 0IllWzation

u.s. Postage PAl D

Redondo Beach, CA Permit No. 196

DATED MATERIAl

~veStreet,CamfPosv THE

AVATAR MEHER BABA CENTER OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NEWSLETTER & CALENDAR FOR SPRING 1992

Baba's Message On Drugs: Still Timely in Our Time

by Adele Wolkin

I spent a semester last year as an assistant high school, and one in every 33 high school teacher with a Special Education specialist in a seniors smokes marijuana daily. One in 20 high school in Palos Verdes, CA. Most of the drinks five or more drinks on a single occasion teenage girls and boys (15 to 17 years old) were within a two-week period. from fairly affluent homes. Many had divorced Youcha and Seixas also note that, "Mariparents. They were sorely deficient in English juana sold in our time is eight times stronger on and math skills, not from genetic causes, but the average than that sold in the 1960s." from behavioral or attitudinal ones. Many were I recollect Meher Baba's redeeming work in chronically late or absent from class; above all the 1960's so poignantly in heart and mind. The they showed a short attention span and poor Divine Physician selected His "expert" instruconcentration. Their medical histories were ments, among them Robert Dreyfuss, Rick confidential, but the head Chapman, Allan Cohen, Henry teacher gave me a general Kashouty, and others, to "~e remedy for all picture of the source of their spread His message of Truth leaming problems. Physical, ills is to remember and Love while condemning emotional, and mental signs of such abuses.

Me constantly and some debilitation, revealing a I first met Robert Dreyfuss prevalence of drug and/or at the home of Fred and Ella wholeheartedly." alcohol indulgence, were Winterfelt in NYC in 1965. He â&#x20AC;˘ MEHERBABA evident. had just returned from a What is the scope of this pilgrimage to Baba which was phenomena? According to Geraldine Youcha richly rewarded when Baba, out of His strict and Judith Seixas in Drugs, Alcohol, and Your seclusion, opened a breach and in His compasChildren: I sion received Robert to give him the following The U.S. continues to have the highest level message and mission: "Go back to the U.S., of illicit drug use in the world... spread my Love among others --"'articularly Although the picture in high schools is among the young -- and persuade them to desist improving, stilLmore than half of all American 1. Crown Publishers, New York, 1989 teenagers try some illegal drug before the end of

l!J

from taking drugs; for they are harmful physically, mentally and spiritually."2 Another landmark memory associated with Meher Baba's redeeming work in the sixties is the proclamation carried from Baba by Rick Chapman upon his return to America in 1965: "Now is the time for all to know that I am God in human form." Both the message that Robert brought and the one proclaimed by Baba through Rick pierced me like thunderbolts, suffused with spiritual dynamite, compelling me to cooperate in any little way I could.) It was really remarkable to discern how Baba worked even through me, in obtaining so many receptive invitations especially for Rick and Allen in radio and television interviews and the like.

Allan Y. Cohen came to Baba in 1964. Later he became Director of the Institute for Drug 2. 82 Family Letters, Sheriar Press, N. Myrtle Beach, SC; Letter No. 68.

3. Family Letter No. 72 4. "Decisions About Drugs ", Chicago Sun- Times, March,I969

Abuse Education and Research at John F. Kennedy University. Allan also played a major role as one of Meher Baba's "expert" instruments. He provided authoritative answers on the effects of marijuana and the psychedelics.

Because the temptation still exists to consider marijuana too lightly or frivolously, I quote the following from one of Allan's writings: 4 "You are probably acquainted with the research on LSD and the strong psychedelics -probable chromosome damage with high doses, possible damage to brain and liver tissues, etc.

"But what about pot? ...Certain things are already clear. Research in Kentucky suggests that ruc (the active ingredient in marijuana) may, by weight, be stronger than any psychedelic except LSD itselLStudies have shown that ruc can produce wild hallucinations and painful psychoses, as well as destroying and deforming the offspring of laboratory animals. And the possibility of chromosomal damage cannot be discounted, even if the damage is temporary. continued on page 14

Side Effects ofMarijuana Use Drugs like LSD and pot can fake out the most intelligent and sincere people. They create a subtle self-delusion, dangerous because it is so subtle. Many acid-heads and almost all pot users never look for any bad side effects, so they never notice them.

For those of you who might want to ask yourself (or a friend) if the danger line has been crossed, here are some things to watch out fot: opposite sex 1. Problems in concentrating 9. Greater impulsiveness, flying off the 2. A failing memory handle easily 3. Decrease in mathematical ability 10.

Feelings of the futility oflife and hopeless4. Creeping paranoia, feelings of persecution, ness about your own future, and or thinking that certain people or institu11. A total denial on your part that drugs might tions are getting more hostile to you be harmful for you 5. Exaggerated feelings of self-confidence or If you turn on and many of these signs apply growing underlying feelings of inferiority 6. Passivity, loss of energy and lack of desire to you, the symptoms could be caused from an to do things except "lie back and groove" accumulative overdose ofruC (from pot) or from 7. Difficulty in speech, feeling you can't get other mind-altering substances. It would be very hip of you to turn off for a while, say three weeks, thoughts into words. to see if these signs improve and to discover how 8. Increasing hailgups in close relationships, especially with parents and those of the dependent you are on getting high. 4 2

Why Choose Anything Less Than the Best?

A talk on drugs by Mani S. Irani Given in Mandali Hall, Meherazad, 31 December 1988 When I look arOlmd Mandali Hall and see so many lovely young people here today for Baba, my heart feels that I must say something on a subject that concerns you deeply -- the use, or I should say, the abuse of drugs.

First let me say that I really marvel at the young generation of today -- you're exposed to so much more than we ever were. The challenges and the temptations you all face are so different from what we faced in our time.

I'll give you an idea of what it was like when I was a child. We children felt so secure, so taken care of -- all was right with the world because our parents were always there to see to everything for us. The future seemed to stretch ... ". . beyond anything you could see; there was no such

t'J/

thing as divorce or separation; parents were for all times; the world was for all time. Everything was solid; everything was lasting.

So in many ways life is much different for the young people of today than it was for us, and it is very hard on you all, I know. But remember, you who are Baba's children are so different. You are different because Baba has given you something He has not given to everyone; you have been accepted by Him into His fold. You have a privilege, a place, a responsibility, as Baba's

children.

Suppose that you love somebody very much.

He's your best friend. And suppose that one day you see him holding a very poisonous snake in his hand -- a cobra. What would you do? You'd tell him to drop it! You'd tell him that it's poisonous, even ifit doesn't appear to be.

Baba knows what is bad for us and what is not, and in His Infinite Knowing He has warned us again and again: Drugs are harmful-- physically, mentally, and spiritually.

So knowing that Baba has said this, why would anyone want to risk so much by taking drugs? Why gamble one's whole self on that?

Baba's statements against the use of drugs are some of the strongest He has given us. He was very strong when speaking about drugs to His lovers. Give them up for Baba; you're really giving them up for yourself.

We who lived with Baba would sometimes play games with Him, joke with Him, play cards with Him (and laugh when we caught Him cheating!) Then all ofa sudden He would remind us: "Stay with Me. Play with Me. But don't ever fool with Me." If you do something Baba says not to do, .. you're fooling with Him. You're defying ............. Him. And that is really asking for trouble.

You may think you can get away with it, but you can't. He never lets you get away with it, believe me. So why do it?

Marijuana, LSD, hashish, ganja, crack, cocaine -- these things are only temporary pleasures. Why not give up something that is temporary for something that is lasting? This isn't the only life you'll ever have. This life is just one station where your train is stopping on the way to Him. So why give yourselfjunk, something harmful to you, that only slows down your journey to the destination?

Look at the great lovers of God. Baba called them warriors because they fought great battles -- not on the battlefield, but within themselves.

3

4

Baba is not asking us to go through what they went through. He is not asking that much. He is telling us just don't do this certain thing. Just because you like something, so you automatically do it, even ifit is harmful for you? No, of course not.

Baba says, "Don't take drugs"-- so even if you like drugs, don't take them. By not taking them, you have made one big conquest over yourself.

And that is what it is all about: conquering yourself -- your desires, your thoughts, your longings. How long will we keep on chasing the shadows of illusory, temporary things? Baba is the substance in life. Don't give up the substance for the shadows.

It should be our pleasure, our privilege to obey Baba. Do you know, future generations will read about the weaklings of today and they will laugh at us. They will say, "They couldn't do that much for God? For Baba? For the Avatar?" Now is our opportunity to show the world that we are different. If a friend leads you into this kind of habit, believe me, he is no friend. Only Baba is your friend, your friend of friends, and this is why He says "no."

While we are on this subject, there's a little misunderstanding I must clear up. If you think you can take drugs and stay at Meherabad, please know that it is not so. After all, you must come here only for Baba. To stay at Meherabad and at the same time indulge in drugs or even seek them out is re-

ally defYing Baba, so you will not be allowed to stay. If you've given up drugs, then you're most welcome.

There are many things that we learn from the young people of today. One of the most amazing things I fmd in you is your honesty. If I ask a young person "Are you taking drugs?" they won't hedge; they'll say "Yes" or "No," even if it goes against them. I really marvel at that. Another thing I have found is that you don't like imitation; you want the real thing.

Now that you have Baba, you've got the Real thing! And since you know He is God, you know that He knows what He's telling you! So don't ever go against His order, His commands; this is how you'll be safe always.

You young people have so much discrimination, and sense and wisdom. I know, because I see it in you. Why then choose anything less than the highest? Why choose anything less than the best? Choose the best and stick with it for all time.

Today is the last day of the year, when one buries the past and starts afresh. Tomorrow is the New Year. Let's take this opportunity now that we're together in Baba's home to make some new resolutions. Resolve within yourself never to touch drugs; resolve to renounce them for all time.

Thank you for listening to me. _

From the Board

Archives, New Center Co-Chair Publicity Co-Chair Fred Stankus Christina M. Riley Publicity Co-Chair Mailing and Membership Pris Haffenden Co-Chair Marko Swearingen Service Although Rose Choi is not a board member this year, by her request, she is once again the Treasurer. The Treasurer's work is a never ending process and is therefore a job that deserves special thanks. Thank you Rose Choi!

And thank you Dr. Ajang for all your work last year on the 1991 Board of Directors.

The new 1992 Budget was termed the continued on page 15

The voting members of The Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California.held the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on January 25, 1992. There was a very good attendance of voting members throughout the duration of the meeting, and by evening's end a New Board of Directors had been elected and a new budget was adopted.

The New Board of Directors is as follows: John Stout President, Finance Chair Steve Berry Vice President, New Center Co-Chair, Membership Co-Chair Rocky Rodgers Secretary Jeff Maguire Programs

Georgene Tarbox

In an English Baba Garden An interview with Tanya Moller

by Christina M. Riley

Recently, I had the pleasure of talking with longtime Baba lover Tanya Moller as she was on her way back from a trip abroad. She was in Los Angeles for just a day and we spoke a few hours before her return flight to England. Tanya is the daughter and youngest child ofMaud Kennedy (see page 12). She lives near London and currently works as a siIkscreen printer.

I'm so glad you could take the time for an interview. I wanted to taft with you because I thought we might bave some things in common.

I always like to au people wbo've srown up in a Babs family wbat it was like. We just bad Bill LaPage's son, Micbael, bere as a speaker.

Oh yes, I've just been to Avatar's Abode on my way from New Zealand, and I met Bill LaPage.

What was it like srowing up in a Baba family?

Well, you see, my mother was brought up in India, and perhaps because of that was always interested in religions and [their] philosophy. She read many different texts from different religions -- Hindu, Buddhist, Chinese -- when she was a young adult. When I was a child she used to read to me from the New Testament, and so I grew up knowing about Jesus. Then she got involved with all sorts of different groups, but she never really felt that any of these were "it." She always had the feeling that there must be something else.

Then in 1960 she happened to meet Simon Thorpe and his mother Hilda, and they got on very well -- they were interested in poetry also.

They had met Baba in the fifties and they lent my mother books, including Avatar. She read the book once, then once again, and that was it for her. She realized Baba was God.

And bow old were you then?

THE LOVE STREET LAMP POST A quarterly publication of the Avatar Meher Baba Center ofSouthern California 10808 Santa Monica Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90025 (310)474-9454

This newsletter is designed to keep the Southern California Meher Baba COIDD.lIl.ity and friends abreast of Center activities, and to provide a fonun for comlelq>Of1ll)' aa:ounlS of life with Meher Baba

as Guide.

Bditon: Greg and Gay Dunn Propam ~ Jeff Maguire CaalriIUon: Lynne Berry, Will David, Dina Fr2DkJin, Jeff Maguire, Mebera Makeig, Tanya Moller, Max Reif, Christina Riley, John Stout, Adele Wolkin, and Linda Zavala ltlliliJJf: Chris and Pris Halfenden

P_

_

all DOn.lt... moIori&J to:

Greg and Gay Dunn 3401 Dow Avenue Redondo Beach, CA 90278 (310)371-6321

PI

eu cllaD&e&llUbIcriptiOll lequem to: Pris Halfenden 3616-112 S. Centinela Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90066 (310) 390-2779 Published quarterly (Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct)

All contenlS 01992 by the Avatar Meher Baba Center ofSouthern California, except where nOled.

I was about 17 or 18.

Did she share ber experience with you?

Yes, she did. I wasn't living at home then, and whatever she was interested in or reading at the time she would share with me. I didn't have any "thing," but I just kind of expected it. We had always talked about Jesus corning again and then when I heard about Baba it sort of came natural to me ... I accepted Him. I immediately started putting pictures ofBaba up. I didn't read much but I liked Baba's picture and I put it up in my room. By the time of the East-West Gathering my mother wasn't really part of a group that would rush to India, and I know she felt she missed an opportunity. But she started going to the London group, which was very small in those days and consisted of many of the older people, including John and Dorothy Hopkins, Charles Purdom, Delia and others. But the people she took to most of all were Will and Mary Backett. She had a very close relationship with Ma))', and I think she was really the link between my mother and Baba.

Mary was rather special. continued on page 12

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Meherabad Bo~d?

1bis i~ to ~ounce a private travel arrangement servIce available for the assistance ofBaba lovers o~y. It will enable them to be mentally and phYSically free of the various problems one confronts after a tiring j oumey from abroad. 1bis service can also be enjoyed when leaving India (from Bombay). â&#x20AC;˘ We will arrange the onward travel from Bombay to Poona and have confirmed reservations ready prior to the landing of the Baba lovers. Pilgrims arriving from abroad will be met at the airport where a private taxi will be ready to ~e them to a hotel or the railway station, as reqwred. The chauffeur or an attendant will h~dle the porters, get excess luggage endorsed, dissuade touts and beggars from harassing Baba lovers, etc. Arrangements can also be made for people who wish to travel directly to Nagar or Poona in a private taxi, luxury car, or minibus.

In short, the. servic~ will try to help with any problems associated With traveling and will endeavour to make one's joumey as comfortable as possible. However, one must always keep in mind that certain things, such as strikes cancellations or inclement weather are beyond our control.

The charges listed on page 16, quoted in U.S. dollars, are present rates and are subject to c~ge. All payments will be made in equivalent indian rupees, after arrival in Nagar. Please note that no tips should be offered to the staff attending to Baba lovers. If one wishes, the tip can be paid along with the final amount and it will be equally distributed amongst all the drivers and attendants.

To avail yourself of this service, please address your request to: Rustom Vazifdar 23 Khushnuma Apts.

29A Carmichael Road Bombay - 400026, India.

6

(Telephone # from abroad: 91-22-4943030, or, 9.1-2~-4940047). In order for us to respond to you m hme, please get your request in the mail as early as possible.

Include all names, ages, male/female,

Airline, flight number, Bombay arrival time, and date. Specify how you wish to travel onward from Bombay, and please include a passport photo of yourself, if possible, for identification at the airport. (When two or more persons are traveling together, one person's photo will suffice). It will help if you include your telephone number, in case we have to reach you for some matter on short notice. We would ask you to reimburse us for the International call.

Rates Effective From 01-01-91 Service Charge for 1st person $30.00 Service Charge for ea. additional person .. $15.00 Service Charge for group (l0 or more) .... $100.00 In addition to the flat service charge listed above, the following rates will be charged for specific services rendered.

1st Class reserved train ticket to Poona $9.00 Taxi from airport to HoteVstation $23.00 12 seat Minibus, airport to HoteVstation $52.00 Direct taxi from airport to Poona (maximum 4 passengers) $75.00 Direct taxi from airport to Ahrnednagar .. $155.00 A.c. Mercedes, airport to Poona $290.00 A.C. Mercedes, airport to Ahrnednagar .. $490.00 Outward journey: Bombay V.T. to Hotel or airport (inclusive of service and taxi) .. $34.00

New Site The proposed new site on Alvarado Terrace was carefully considered and put to a vote at a general meeting on February 29th. As the vote was "no" our meetings will continue be held at our present location. Our need is still great, however, for a better facility, so we encourage you to keep looking. Baba willing, this will be the year!

Trust Donations If you wish to offer a love donation to The Avatar Meher Baba Trust, please make your check payable to "Friends of the Meher Baba Trust," and send to: Lynne Berry, Trustwalla 267 Hanover Drive Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Youth Sahavas 1992 Youth Sahavas 1992 will be held at Meher Spiritual Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina June 24th through the 28th. The Sahavas is designated for high school teens entering 9th grade through 12th grade, ages 14-18. Registration fonns will have been mailed out at the end of February and should be retumed to the Youth . Sahavas Committee be April 15. If you need more information contact: Youth Sahavas Committee 2908 Wiley Drive N. Myrtle Beach, SC 29582 (803) 272-2219 Special Note: If you are interested in being a counselor at the Sahavas please send a letter to the committee by March 15th (or as soon as possible) stating why you would like to be a counselor, your qualifications and experience.

Be sure to include your age and current address.

18th Annual Silence Day Sahavas July 2nd through July 5th, 1992 are very important days for Baba lovers in Southern California and elsewhere, because Baba brings us together in His Love.

We have three special guests this year: Shireen Bonner is Baba's niece -- the daughter of Adi Jr. and Franey. Shireen, her husband Jay Bonner, daughter Mehera, and mother Franey will all be joining us.

Jack Small, who helped to organize our first Sahavas, is a resident of Ahmednagar. He worked closely for many years with Adi K. Irani and is currently a lawyer for the Trust.

Jim Meyer -- singer, songwriter, artist and writer -- is back by popular demand. From Myrtle Beach, Jim is well-known for his powerful and lovely Baba albums and tapes.

Library Project/Prisoner Project The Library Project is an on-going effort to make Baba books available is as many libraries as possible. To help in this effort, contact the Los Angeles Avatar Meher Baba Library Projectwalla: Adele Wolkin 714-A S. Pacific Coast Hwy Redondo Beach, CA 90277 (310) 540-8404 Under the umbrella of the Library Project is the Prisoner Project which is being coordinated by Dan Stone of the Meher Baba Washington Gathering Center. Dan, one of the originallibrarywallas, working with other members of Meher House in Atlanta, initiated this program of distributing Baba books to prisons. Those of you living in the Eastern U.S. wishing to send books to prisoners or prison libraries please send a letter requesting the order to be placed to Dan Stone: 11227 Dewey Court Kensington, MD 20895 (301) 946-0236 Liaisons in the Western U.S. are David Cooper and Adele Wolkin. You may write to either of them c/o AMBC, Attn: Prisoner Library Project.

We would appreciate your sharing this infonnation with others. The Library/Prisoner Project has been, and continues to be, a beautiful opportunity to spread Beloved Avatar Meher Baba's message oflove and truth.

New Arrivals Congratulations to Rohinton and Haydedh Ghaswalla on the arrival, January 10th of their first child Mehera Tiffanie.

Radha and Fritz Sperberg were surprised and blessed with the early arrival of a boy, Russell, on Baba's birthday, February 25.

Call for Performers

Contributions for the Lamp Post

Three Sahavas plays need actors, musicians, stage managers, costumers, and general support.

Plenty of parts for all ages, speaking and nonspeaking. Rehearsals begin in April (special arrangements for out-of-towners). Call Christina Riley for infonnation at (213) 665-6654.

Please share your artwork, poetry, letters, articles, and ideas with us. Send to Greg and Gay Dunn, 3401 Dow Ave., Reaondo Beach, CA 90278. The next deadline is May 24.

Mail your Lamp Post donations to AMBC, 10808 Santa Monica Blvd., LA, CA 90025.

7

All events, unless otherwise noted, are at the Center, 10808 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, (310) 474-9454.

All are invited to share at the Saturday night meetings. If you have music, art, ideas, or requests for future programs, please contact Jeff Maguire at (310) 545-3671.

APRIL EVENTS April 4, Saturday, 6 pm. FARSI LANGUAGE MEETING devoted to discussion of Beloved Baba. All are welcome. Coordinated by Dr. Mahmoud Ajang.

April 4, Saturday, 8pm. THE KALIYUGA COFFEE HOUSE. An informal night of music, art and poetry inspired by Beloved Baba, coordinated by Pris Haffenden. Bring your voices, guitars, oboes, poetry, artwork or just gross bodies to share.

APRIL 10, FRIDAY, 8pm. SPECIAL CONCERT! Singer/songwriter JAMIE NEWELL comes from Nashville to "Sing A Song Of Meher Baba."

April 11, Saturday, 8pm. SPECIAL GUEST! MARGUERITE POLEY describes her spiritual journey from circus bareback rider to munitions plant worker to Meher Baba's embrace in 1956.

GOOD FRIDAY, April 17, 8pm. "REMEMBRANCES OF JESUS, " a play adapted from Kahil Gibran's "Jesus, The Son Of Man," offered with prem by director Marc Brutus and a talented local cast. (To be repeated on Saturday, April 25) April 18, Saturday, 8pm. "PULLING MY

HEAD OUT FROM UNDER THE COVERS" Special guest, psychologist Winnie Barrett, discusses psychological growth with Baba and how He can help us cope with anger, anxiety and our attempts to make it in the world while not being ofit.

April 25, Saturday, 8pm. "REMEMBRANCES OF JESUS, " a play adapted from Kahil Gibran's "Jesus, The Son Of Man,"

MAY EVENTS May 2, Saturday, 6pm. FARSI LANGUAGE

Area Meetings There are area group meetings in Orange County and in Pasadena and the South Bay. For meetings in Orange County, call Georgene Tarbox at (714) 953-3193. In Pasadena, call Diana Goodheart at (818) 791-1078. In the South Bay, call Mahmoud Ajang at (310) 544-2878 .

Fresno Baba Group The Fresno Meher Baba Group meets every first, second, and third Wednesday each month. For location and time call Sharon or Phil Scott at (209) 449-0877.

Ojai Baba Group The Ojai Meher Baba group meets every other Sunday evening at 7 p.m. For meeting information call Marta Flores at (805) 646-8501.

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Santa Barbara Baba Group The Santa Barbara Meher Baba group meets every other Friday. For meeting information call Donna Bayetat (805) 682-1877.

S D' B ba G h Than S legDO' a M hrouBP b e an lego e er a a group meets t e first Sunday of each month. For more information call Scott or Anne Makeig at (619) 4367155.

Portland Baba Group The Portland group meets every Friday night.

Discourses meeting are held every other Sunday afternoon, and a monthly meeting is held every month at the Wilson's hou e in Scotts Mill, (503) 873-2048.

BHAU KALCHURI! Year after year, when the wick ofL.A. righteousness burns low, Bhau comes with tales of the Beloved! He and perennial sidekick Johnny Kawai arrive at LAX, June 11, on United Airlines flight 816 from Brisbane at 10:05 am.

His schedule is as follows:

Bhau will return to the west coast in July:

June 11

July 12-14 Seattle

June 12

July 16-21 Berkeley July 24-26 BHAUSTOCK III in Mariposa

June 13

July 28

Santa Barbara

July 30-Aug.5 L.A. (with details to be announced in the July Lamp Post.

Aug. 5

-

MEETING devoted to discussion of Beloved Baba. All are welcome. Coordinated by Dr. Mahmoud Ajang.

May 2, Saturday, 8pm. MANDALI HALL NIGHT. Capture the feeling of MandaIi Hall.

Share your favorite stories or readings, and sing along with Greg and Gay Dunn. Coordinated by John Stout.

May 9, Saturday, 8pm. SPECIAL GUEST! TOBY MERTENS discusses meeting Baba in Switzerland in 1934 and '49.

May 16, Saturday, 8pm. SUFFERING SILENTL Y. An alternate and occasionally humerous perspective on health and health practices while attempting to become Baba dust.

Hosted by Mike Ramsden.

May 23, Saturday, 8pm. BABA 'S ACCIDENT IN PRAGUE, OKLAHOMA occurred on May 24, forty years ago. Tonight Jeff Maguire examines the omens, details and ramifications of Baba's self-prophesized "physical disaster."

May 30, Saturday, 8pm. FILMS OF BELOVED BABA with your host, the irrepressible Charlie Morton.

Departs for Singapore on United FIt. 897, 12:45pm.

JUNE EVENTS June 6, Saturday, 6pm. FARSI LANGUAGE MEETING devoted to discussion of Beloved Baba. All are welcome. Coordinated by Dr. Mahmoud Ajang.

June 6, Saturday, 8pm. ADELE WOLKIN

REMEMBERS HER TIMES WITH BABA, PART V. In an interview with Jeff Maguire, Adele describes her life with Baba in India in 1962.

June 13, Saturday, 8pm. GUTTA NIGHT. The one and only Fred Stankus serves up another feast of tasty treats and divinely intoxicating conversation.

June 20, Saturday, 8pm. MEHER BABA'S DIVINE THEME. Confused about the purpose of creation? Steve and Lynne Berry, and Adele Wolkin will clear it up for you with a discussion ofBaba's Divine Theme.

June 27, Saturday, 8pm. BABA MOVIES projected by the incandescent Cflarlie Morton.

(Don't be surprised ifsome Sahavas guests show up and bump Charlie.)

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At the Bookstore Spring has sprung! It's 80', the birds are chirping happily, and my garden is calling me, but I must tell you of the new items in our Bookstore.

I've been a book collector since childhood and have valued my books so much that I always put a book plate on the front page.

Christina M. Riley recently gave us four beautiful designs which we have had printed on decorative

10

4" x 21h" gummed papers which you apply to proclaim your ownership. This shows not only that you value your book, but helps it fmd its way back home after you've loaned it out! A thoughtful and inexpensive gift, or a nice treat for yourself, the plates come 25 to a box for $4. Buy all four!

We have a new videotape and it's a beauty!

Journey With God is an account of the nine weeks that Meher Baba journeyed with His disciples to remote towns and villages in Hamirpur and Andhra. During this period beginning January 1, 1954, Baba publicly

declared Himself to be the Avatar. You may have heard stories of how fleet of foot Baba was, but from all the old movies made in slow motion, you would never know! Take heart, there are some shots in this film where Baba seems to be flying and His entourage is scrambling to keep up. What ajoy to see! Aloba, Bhau Kalchuri, Bal Natu, and Eruch were with Baba on this tour, and they bring this film to life as they describe, on camera, events that took place. It runs for 52 minutes, and is $49.95.

Let me also remind you about the wonderful video, The East West Gathering. It has only recently become available in video format, as it was taken from the film Pete Townshend produced and Ginny Katz edited. It's 22 minutes of beautiful footage of the historic 1962 Darshan, coupled with a great soundtrack of classical music. A very good value at $35. Still on sale at 15% offis The Ancient One, The major portion of this film was taken at the last public Darshan given by Meher Baba in Poona, India, 1965. The soundtrack features Meher Baba's Universal Message, and the 64th Family Letter. $33.95.

The Future With Meher Baba is a 45 minute videotaped interview with Eruch, taken in 1981. $16.95. Padri is an hour spent with one of Baba's original mandali. $25.45.

Selling at cost (because I so overordered them!) is the latest, very moving and intimate interview with Eruch entitled Beholden to Him. This is yours for only $23.50.

If you have been trying to find a tape by the man who sings "Someone Like You" on the soundtrack of the Meher Baba's Call video, look no further. At the urging of his friends and admirers, Gary Edelman has made a very upbeat, rocking album that includes this beautiful song, along with 14 others. It's called "White Rock Trail," and is $10.

Do you all have "Song of Huma"? If you are new to the Love Street Lamp Post you may have missed our review of this most beartiful tape.

"Huma" was the pen name Baba took in the 30s and 40s, and the tape is a collection of ghazals written by Baba at that time, and sung

A~dltation

by Max Reif To learn to live in a conununity of human beings -- can't this be a "yoga"-- the most ego-deflating experience, in this age of "individuality"?

Real individuality can't be just a sense of eccentricity, ownership, or "opinion," nul wild. It has to have something to do with living in relative harmony with others, who are also individuals.

It is so easy to delude myself in isolation. It is easy to imagine the importance of what I am doing (and there's a lot to be said for having faith when popularity, etc. are not immediate).

In a conununity, my mind constantly goes out to others, whether I am "personally" involved with them, or not. (In a sense, we are all "personally" involved).

If the things I do do not seem to be appreciated, it is easy for my mind to grumble, criticize the others for their lack of discrimination and taste, even want to pack up and leave.

The fact remains that my mind, and its perceptions, remain ego-bound. Though I may operate by what feels like inspired intuition, it remains for God to judge, to use, as God sees fit. And other people, in a spiritual conununity, surely are in some sense the instruments of God's Wish.

The artist, the person who aspires to love God, is not a dictator. No, the artist's and the lover's work is done and surrendered.

This vulnerability, this "helplessness," has much to do with true spirituality, it seems.

To really surrender the work of our hands, our hearts, our minds, and to receive, like manna from heaven, whatever God deigns to give us -- and to truly be grateful -- is this not a beautiful state to aspire to?

Bookstore continued

by Katie Irani, one ofBaba's intimate circle of women mandali; Mani, Baba's sister; and Rhoda Mistry. The Ghazals are read in English and then sung in Farsi, Urdu, and Hindi. $10..

In 1956 Baba directed His resident artist Rano Gayley to paint what has come to be known as The Evolution Chart. Actually it is a pictorial version of God Speaks, the Creation, Evolution, Reincarnation, Involution, and Realization, according to Meher Baba. Rano painted it under His supervision. Apart from the deep and profound spiritual meaning, it is a beautiful painting in and of itself. Very colorful, it has been beautifully printed in two sizes. A 19" x 25" version is $12, and the smaller 12" x 9" one goes for just $6.

We get many requests for audio tapes of speakers: anything new and different. We do

have a very extensive library of talks given by visiting luminaries. These are particularly good for you folks who like to hold meetings in your home for a few interested friends. For information on how to get these tapes, and for a complete catalogue, send to AMBC-CL P.O. Box 3233, Redondo Beach, CA 90277.

If you would like a complete price list of all the books and various other goodies we sell at our Bookstore, write to me at the Center, or call me at home, evenings, at (310) 837-6419.

See you, at the Bookstore ~~

,3

Art is an act of love in likeness of itself -- Spirit moulding matter into lovely form: God's compassion as Avatar unto men; and men's devotion to Avatar as God, by God -- for devotion is by grace alone.

FRANCIS BRABAZON

English Baba Garden from page 5 What about you? How did you feel about Mary?

My contact with her was brief. She was very old then, in her eighties. I would take her cookies.

She and Will were very devoted to each other.

When she died, in 1964 I believe, he went to live with my mother until he died about a year later.

Will and Mary were very united and they couldn't live without each other. Will was one of the very active members of the London group in the thirties, he and Delia.

At what point did your relationship with Meher Baba become independent from your mother's?

I think it was tied in with her for the first couple of years. But I know that by the time I was 19 or 20 He was having an influence on me. For instance, I knew that I shouldn't take drugs; I knew that I shouldn't be promiscuous. He did immediately start having an influence. I'm 49 now and it's a bit hard to think back.

How did you feel about all of these other Baba people? What was your impression?

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My first, strong, personal feelings didn't really start until a few years later when I started going to the group in London where Don Stevens had discourses meetings. I didn't take an active part early on. When you're young you don't really want to have other people's ideas imposed on you. You've got to fmd it for yourself. You can't pick up somebody else's belief... take the wrong door. In about 1967, because he moved alot for his business, Don was in London. He had just finished the discourses and was very full of them. So a group started that mainly consisted of readings from the discourses followed by Don giving a very detailed explanation of the meaning. These meetings were very powerful. We didn't have discussions really at all at that stage, we just listened to Don. There were tapes kept of all that material. Those meetings went on right through the time that Baba dropped the

body. It was a very intense period; and it was also the period in London when young people started coming to the group.

What was the catalyst for that?

Well, I don' know. It was that sort of "flower power" time and I think it became more okay, and that was Baba stirring everything up. It was a very exciting time; yes, exciting is the word.

We had a very active group in London, a lot of young people who weren't tied with children, so we were able to meet quite often and make music and do plays, and it was really fun. And it was very nice for the older people, too. My mother at that time lived in the country. Because she had a house with a lot of space and liked people, she used to invite everybody to her home. And the American people who were passing through would call in and visit and the young people in England would stay for the weekend. It was a nice atmosphere and quite a few people heard about Baba from my mother. I wasn't living there but I would visit frequently.

Maud Kennedy, a sweet flower...

Maud was born in 1905 in the Indian city of Jaiphur, and sent back to England at age six upon the death of her mother.

She had a sense of harmony with nature, wrote poetry, sketched and painted beautiful water colors and oils, grew organic vegetables and old-fashioned roses...

She came to know of Meher Baba in 1960. Lacking the funds to attend the East!

West Gathering, she was not to meet Baba before He dropped His body, but she is ever close to Him. Maud welcomed many visitors to her simple Cotswold cottage. Her kitchen table was the center of hospitality. This open house was extended to the "flower children" of the 60s. Among those, Pete Townshend enjoyed her poetry and set some to music.

Many will remember her lovely postcards of

What about now?

It's quite an interesting time, now. A lot of us have been with Baba for many years. Some people seem to reach a plateau, as it were. I've found that Baba has never, ever let me down.

I've been through a divorce and my mother's passing, and I've found a terrific amount of support from belief in Baba.

You mean faith?

Yes. I've talked to many people about Baba.

Some people like to go around every day saying, "Baba wants me to do this," and all that kind of thing, and other people can't bear that, and fmd that very irritating. And they think, "Oh, well, you can't do that in front of[new] people who don't know Baba, they just think you're mad."

Personally, every now and again, I say to Baba, "I lay my whole life down at your feet;" therefore, one doesn't necessarily have to be constantly worrying about whether you're doing the right thing. If you really commit yourself, presumably, automatically, you're in Baba's

hands and you're being helped along. And I've never felt totally let down. Although some people seem to go through a period when they feel Baba's gone and they can't really fmd Him anymore and He's not there when they need Him. I've fortunately never found that -- He's always there.

I remember being told how Baba had said parents should develop a relationship of trust with their children because that then lays the foundation for the child's -- the individual's -trust in God. That's very true. I can see that may very well be.

Are you very involved with the group in London now?

Yes, I am. I was away from London for a while, but I was always in touch with Baba people.

Now I'm near London and I got involved in the committee and I took on the bookstore -- selling and buying the books. I'm the "bookwalla."

Do you blow Dina Franklin here?

Not really, no.

Oh boy, has she taken over our bookstore/

in Baba's Garden flowers rendered in watercolor with quotes from Baba on the reverse side. Shown here is "honesty." Her mind and heart were open to enjoying life: people, young and old; traveling; nature; literature; and art.

Upon her death, May 17, 1991 a cable from Meherazad was sent: I

I

\ I

Dear Maud's memory, a sweet flower in Baba's garden, spreading the fragrance of His Love to many hearts.

<.Hymn to ~hÂŁ1" cna&a He is the power and glory of the Sun He is the lonely beauty of the Moon.

His words of wisdom are circling the world, Like the stars in brightness.

He has the levelling quality of water, And the rich depth of the earth.

But his Love is the air we breath.

Maud Kennedy

I would have liked to have met her. It's quite a task. My mother died recently and all during that time when I was nursing her I was also doing the books. Every moment that was free I was writing out bills, invoices, orders, mailings...

Baba kept me quite busy.

There is also some archiving to be done. In London we have quite a lot of older Baba publications and at the moment nobody is doing archiving of these. And as people have passed away and left us suitcases full of papers and books... it is something that needs doing. My mother kept diaries from the time she heard about Baba; she recorded all kinds of things. In the sixties she also did that book called The Unstruck Music which is a diary of quotations. It isn't in print. It's a daybook with substantial quotations for every day of the year. Then she did a second complete one; I alse re-typed the first volume about eight years ago. That's the work I'd like to do: publishing. I'm quite interested in writing and publishing. My mother

13

Drugs continued from page 2 "As I look back, I recall how drugs (especially pot and psychedelics) inflate peoples' egos: 'I know where it's at...!'ve taken more trips than you... There's nothing left for me to learn.' I have heard statements like those hundreds of times, originally from my own thoughts; more recently from some University of California drug users whom I saw during my two years as a counseling psychologist at Berkeley.

"Meher Baba has pointed out that the experiences derived through the drugs are experienced by one in the Gross World of the shadows of the subtle planes and are not continuous... There is no short cut to the Goal except through the grace of the Perfect One...The feeling of having had a glimpse of Reality may not only lull one into a false security by also will in the end derange one's mind... "s Meher Baba in the Family Letter No. 74 in 1965, referred to Rick, Robert, Allan, and others as part of the "great youth force" of America.

English Baba Garden from page 13 left a book which she said could be published.

It's about her experiences with Baba -- from the honeymoon on, you know.

What about your group iD. London? Do you have a meetiD.g place that you rent? Do you meet from house to house each week?

We have a little center; just a little apartment in a basement. It's very simple. We have our monthly meeting and our committee meetings there and special gatherings.

How big is your group?

The English mailing list is getting on to 200.

When we meet in London, except at Sahavas', it's probably only about 30 or 40 people. The rest are sort of scattered around the country.

What are your meetiD.gs like?

14

We have started having more open discussions which seems nice. One person will think of a theme and start with a quotation or their own

Now we are here in 1992, 27 years later. My question is: Who are their successors, still so desperately needed?

5. Family Letter No. 68

References available at our bookstore: "God in a Pill?" a compilation of statements relating to spiritual aspects of psychedelic and marijuana use.

What Am I Doing Here? By Ivy O. Duce Discourses, Vol. I-III by Meher Baba -

Mehermas Sweeps Winners Congratulations to Marko Swearingen who was the winner of a trip to India in our Mehermas Sweeps drawing last Christmas. The consolation prize, a signed copy of Meher Sarod

by Bhau Kalchuri, went to Sam and Margaret Ervin.

personal feelings about something Baba has said, and then we'll open it to discussion. We've had some quite interesting things actually. It's seems to be quite a good way of working.

Are there many musical programs?

Yes, although we're not on the whole a frightfully musical group. There are some very talented people. We've found it very hard to get people to join together to sing... there have been attempts in the past! Mainly we sit and listen to someone else. In Lewis, where I live, we have a very small group and we meet every Thursday.

When my mother was alive she started that, and now I carry it on. I am in my mother's house now and I extend the invitation to people to visit here. It's always been a Baba house. Of course, people should write or let me know when they'd like to come.

Write to: "Merwanji" 16 St Swithuns Terrace Lewis, East Sussex BYN lOJ

QrFte Gift of SeMina

by Will David

Beloved Baba on numerous occasions showed His concern for humanity by clothing, feeding, and washing us.

In this spirit, commemorating His birthday (and inspired by our Berkeley Baba family) numerous hearts and over 30 pairs of hands showed up recently at the center to prepare sandwiches, joke, energize (then) pack into three small autos and walk the neighborhoods of nearby Santa Monica distributing food.

And what happened?

Repeatedly we were greeted by kindness, love, and whimsy. We learned a lot about our brothers and sisters on the street: their

equanimity, nobility, tiredness. Some Baba cards were give out and gladly received. We learned more about giving.

The group I accompanied fOlllld ease in following intuition, listening, talking, jiving; and receiving in tum the joy of common links which makes us one family.

"Let's do it again ...next month!" A natural wish, I heard after a beautiful day accomplished.

Look for a phone tree announcement regarding the next group opportunity.

This event was organized and sponsored by

Will David.

From Mani in the 63rd Family Letter, we learn, "Giving food and clothing and service to the needy in His compassionate Name has by now become an estaablished feature of nearly all Baba Birthday programs." This practice still continues today in India as well as Santa Monica, in conjunction with this wonderful holiday.

From the Board from page 4 Austerity Budget and for good reason: The board had to cut nine categories classified as work projects to $0.00. These nine categories with no funding are as follows: Archives, Equipment, Office Supplies, Repairs, Special Projects, Decorations, Centennial Celebration, Publicity, and Service. These work projects will function by donation only through support from the membership. The donations may take the form of hands-on work or dollar donations. The programs that are enjoyed on Saturday night and most of the special events were cut to one forth budget. The board arrived at these cuts by a very simple calculation: Add all the projected income for the year, subtract the basic expenses that are

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known, and spread the remainder over the "must do" projects such as the Lamp Post and the many center mailings. As a goal, the board also voted to save approximately I0% of the income for the New Center and Bookstore account. The rising costs of rent and operating expenses simply demand that we save for that move to a different center whether we rent, lease, or purchase.

This new approach of the Austerity Budget concept was not only to balance the budget, but it was the result of many heartfelt decisions by the Board of Directors to begin a new time of greater community effort. Together, we can succeed!

Avatar Meher Baba K.i Jain!

In His Love and Service

John Stout, President

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Very Important Notice We need your help in updating our mailing list which now contains over a thousand names, covering five continents.

If, as we hope, you want to continue to receive the Lamp Post and other Center mailings, please enclose your name and address in the envelope attached inside this issue and send it back to us. If you have friends who want to be on our list, let us know about them too.

We are also trying to combat ever-rising costs of printing and

AVATAR MEHER BABA CENTER OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 10808 Santa Monica Boulevard los Angeles, California 90025

ADDRESSCORREcnON

mailing by requesting a donation of $4 per year from those who can afford it. You can enclose this amount (or more if you feel moved) in the same envelope. This is only a request for a donation; the Love Street Lamp Post is free and the important thing is that we get your name and address back.

Jai Baba. ~ The Board of Directors Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California

Non-Proflt Olllanization

U.S. Postage

PAl D

Redondo Beach, CA Permit No. 196

DATED MATERIAL

~veStreet£amfPostJ THE AVATAR MEHER BABA CENTER OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NEWSLETTER & CALENDAR FOR SUMMER 1992

An Interview with Jal Dastoor

by Caroline McDonald

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contacts, but some of the seeds have already al Dastoor's gaze is steady and sure.

His voice is soft, but strong with the been sown by Baba during his trips to foreign confidence of a man living a life free countries. " of petty worries and doubt.

"We encourage (pilgrims) to be with Baba Once a businessman, Dastoor and his wife more and more, so whatever problems they have Dolly settled at Meherabad 12 years ago where are taken care of by Baba. Once you accept Him he works as a trustee of the Meher Baba Trust there is no way He will let you down. " and is in charge oflodging and accommodations "But accepting Baba doesn't mean sitting for the Dharmshala and hostels for both Indian back and waiting for things to happen," Dastoor and Western pilgrims. said. "It means doing our part."

During his residence at Meherabad, Dastoor "Accepting is very hard," he said. "But if said he has seen a steady increase in the number you have accepted Him, then after fully doing of pilgrims and is amazed by their stories of your best to get the best possible results, you coming to Baba. leave the results to Him. Do all the possible, and leave the impossible tasks to Him. " When asked to identify the biggest issue he sees in the world today, his "But you have to make unhesitating answer was, the effort to achieve someWith your help, only, we can go •• The Search. The search thing." from one shore to another in our boat for the God Man that About Baba breaking because we know that you are the began as a trickle during His silence, Jal said: captain of our ship--of our own life Baba's lifetime has in"Baba will break His and all lives. creased to the proportions silence in our own selves.

GUJERAT! ART! of a raging torrent. " We beckon to His call in Last year, Dastoor our hearts, one-by-one. said, there were an increasHe has been telling us so ing number of international visitors--two pilmany things in so many languages but we have grims from Yugoslavia, one from the Ukraine, failed to listen...All these things.lfuat are happenone from Russia, and about 20 from France. ing (in the world) are an eye-opener for us all.

"The Baba family is going to grow," he said.

Baba wants us to go through these problems. " "People from Eastern Europe and now pouring About giving money to beggars, Jal said, in. They usually hear about Baba from personal continued on page 4

Reflections on the Los Angeles Riot

by Harry Thomas

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n Thursday morning, April 30th, having driven to the local store, and unaware of any disturbance, I witnessed the looting of a mini mall across the street. At one point, a rock smashed into the window of the store in front of which I stood, as would-be looters eyed their next prize.

Following a little behind the screaming fire trucks, I witnessed the burning of another minimall. Later that day, from 3 pm onward, I and three others watched, with shared binoculars from a local hilltop, the city aflame. One man remarked, "The Revolution is here. " The next day, Friday, my friend Troy and I toured the riot-torn area of South Central. We passed block after successive block ofbumed out, gutted, and looted structures. A red light stopped us at Florence and Nonnandy, where the trouble manifested but where, historically speaking, it certainly did not begin.

All throughout this tour, underneath the eerie

calm that prevailed, I strongly felt Baba's presence. I experienced the same thing while driving through Korea Town, Hollywood, and other parts of Los Angeles over that weekend.

The riot emblazoned in my consciousness the aspect of the Lord's destructive side when utilized for constructive change. Everyday normalcy involves week-by-week, month by-bymonth stability where, despite personal and social changes, the infrastructure remains fairly intact.

A riot reverses such stability.

Baba certainly had a purpose for this civil disturbance. For one, deep-seated racial feelings were forced to the surface, causing everyone to examine their true sentiments.

So often we've read how Baba brought antagonistic personalities into close associations, only to have fIreworks erupt between them due to their mutually igniting natures. Inevitably, this dramatic honesty resulted in a reconciliation or a heightened understanding of each others' firmly lodged personality traits.

It was perhaps also significant that Baba chose Los Angeles, the film and television production capital of the world--perhaps the illusion capital of the world--to display the images of racial and class antagonism, and materialism run amok, given full expression. There was a curious symmetry to the events. We, and the nation, witnessed the savage beating of a black motorist by four white policemen; then, fourteen months later in a videotaped counterbalance, a white truck driver cruelly beaten and then robbed by four members of a black street gang. We saw entire continued on page 13

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From the spiritual point ofview of the last and only truth, all souls are, in their essence, fundamentally one. War cannot create any real cleavage or division between the people who are fighting with each other.

The people of the warring countries seem to be different from each other merely by virtue ofhaving different bodies and minds; but from the point of view of their souls, all differences are not only secondary but false. -A VA TAR MEHER BABA

L.A. at War

by Christina M. Riley "For 36 hours, from Wednesday evening to early Friday moming, the city was out of control. The social bonds that tie most ofus together, as well as keep us apart, broke loose. This was neither the romantic uprising that some leftists have dreamed about nor the venal anarchy that reactionaries have feared. Which is to say, the Los Angeles riots contained both those elements and considerably more. Fear, criminality, horror, nihilism, retribution, despair, paranoia and need raced through the city and took on a life-a pathology-oftheir own.

The lid blew." (Kit Rachlis, LA Weekly)

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t's April 29, 10:30 p.m., and my housemate has just decided to defy the mayor's citywide curfew and take a drive aroWld town to have a look-see. Almost every channel on television is either covering or addressing the events that are taking place in L.A. at this very moment. I step out onto the front porch and nothing is moving in any direction, not even a cat. I am alone. It is very quiet, and a slight mist has thickened the air. It smells like smoke. Reports indicate the fires are getting closer. If! were forced to pound on a neighbor's door for help, would they open up?

I have been talking to Baba all evening and feeling that it is all in His hands, but the smell of smoke has lurched my psyche into an involuntary primal survival mode. I am isolated from the rest of (L.A.) humanity. I am afraid. The sense of community that enabled my mind to feel secure and reasonable has seemingly disappeared, and I know everyone awake and breathing is feeling it.

How blessed we are to have the words of the GodMan written down for us in times of spiritual crisis like this!

The world is at war today. It has engulfed all departments of life-political, economic, social, and religious. The instinct for self-preservation, enhanced by fear and uncertainty of the future, is aggressively active in the guise of various pseudonyms and catch-words. Exclusiveness is parading as nationalism; self-interest is known as economics; fanaticism is synonymous with religion; libertinism is looked upon as social and moral

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freedom; and exploitation is termed politics. This instinct of self-preservation is legitimate and natural among the orders of life which are lower in the scale of evolution. but when it expresses itself through man it makes of him nothing more than a talking animal, and as such he is still a long way from deserving the title, "the best of creation".

Is it anybody's fault if one tmds oneselfon the right side ofthings or the wrong side of things: No! Every human being has come to serve and achieve a definite purpose, and by playing his part to perfection he automatically works out his own salvation. There is this difference, however.

In the divine scheme ofthings, when individuals or peoples are about to lapse into bestiality, instead ofprogressing higher and onward, it is suffering that rehabilitates them. Spiritual Masters achieve this same resurrectirgJ for humanity much more easily and less painfully not only by preaching, but by translating into fulfillment those familiar words 'self-denial' and 'brotherhood ofman, ' whose very beginning and whose --+

3

ultimate end is LOVE. " (A vatar Meher Baba, Universe) The whole world is rioting in one form or another all the time. Has there ever been a time when our planet has not somewhere had a war, even for one day, one hour? Regardless of where we live, all of us are feeling a great sense of frustration and disillusionment over events sparked by the verdict in the Rodney King case.

We've all been touched emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. I saw people doing so many insane and heroic things, heard so many parallel justifications, assessments, indictments, evaluations... reasons. (I was deeply saddened and appalled by the violence and anger--no, madness-I saw, and the entire experience was a demonstration of the failure of our politics to address real human need.) There couldn't have been enough camera crews or tv stations to give a view from every side of this event, but when the fues died down something had definitely ended and some-

Interview with Jal from page 1

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"Baba said He is totally against professional beggars. He said, 'Never give money to the beggars--you do not know how that money is going to be used. Ifhe gambles or buys drugs or alcohol the karma is on you, too. Instead of giving them money, buy them some food.'"

The American economy, Dastoor predicted, will get worse before fmally crumbling, bringing a collapse of the world economy.

"But in all this we have our Beloved Baba," he said. "He helps us to cling to his Damaan. He is our only hope. The last line ofBaba's own Arti says: 'With your help, only, we can go from one shore to another in our boat because we know that you are the captain of our ship--of our own life and all lives. '" "This material world is nothing but zero that we will pass through from birth to death," Dastoor said. "If we all cling together in His oneness, life will be worth living. Once we have accepted Him, all these hardships are there physically and mentally, but He takes away 50 percent.

He tosses us up, and catches us coming down." â&#x20AC;˘

thing new begun. Meher Baba says that during such events individuals experience moments that change them forever, and hopefully bring them closer to an understanding of human relationship and the unity of life. We have been changed by these riots.

Inspiration came from the most unlikely place-the streets. Eager television camera crews stumbled across individuals and small groups simply helping: whole families working with an overwhelmed fue department untangling hoses; people of all colors and economic groups putting their hands together to clear away broken glass and debris; a black man rescuing a white man being beaten to death by a mob angered by racism; the young man who, when asked where he was going on this dangerous night, answered, "Wherever help is needed;" and many, many more moments gone undocumented. Every moment, every day, each one of us, individucontinued on page 15

THE LOVE STREET LAMP POST A qUMterly publi<:ation of the Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California 10808 Santa Monica Boulevard Los Angeles. CA 90025 (310)474-9454 This newsletter is designed to keep the Southern California Meher Baba community and friends abreast of Center activities. and to provide a forum for comt~ aa:ounts of life with Meher Baba as Guide.

Bdiu:n: Greg and Gay Dunn Propam ~ JelTMaguire C<lIIIri1lulcn: Lynne Beny. Dina Franklin, JelTMaguire. Caroline McDonald, Christina Riley, Jurgis SapIrus, Bill Stephens, HalT)' Thomas, and Adele Wolkin JlaiJUÂĽ; Chris and Pris HalTenden

Pleue MJJd all ""......"... mataria! to: Greg and Gay Dunn 3401 Dow Avenue Redondo Beach. CA 9027g (310) 311-6321

PleueMJJd ...... ~,..,.-to: Pris HalTenden 3616 '/2 S. CentinelaAvenue Los Angeles. CA 90066 (310) 390-2179 Published qUMterly (Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct) All cootentll C 1992 by the Avatar Moher Baba CenterofSoutbem California, except where nocod.

Meher Baba's Message to Humanity in Crisis What is the resolution of the perennial hatred and war in which humanity continually finds itself enveloped? The irrepressible shout from the heart cries: "Meher Baba - His arsenal of Love is the answer!"

Dr. C.D. Deshmukh, in his pamphlet "Meher Baba--The Awakener", paraphrases the solution in the words that follow. They seem most relevant in the wake of L.A.'s recent tumult.

--Adele Wolkin

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he world, as it is today, is full of chaos because of warring sections of humanity, which has been divided on the basis of (1) class, (2) nationality, (3) race, (4) religion, and (5) culture. We thus find, throughout the structure of the modem world, innumerable pernicious distinctions, which are based upon economic, social, political and cultural competition. The only way out of this chaos is to transcend these narrow differences through "Universal Love. " The urgent need for solving this world problem has impressed itself upon us by the tragic catastrophe of the last Great War and by .the present international armed conflicts, which, like a tremendous conflagration, threaten to consume the whole world in their flames. It is time that we begin to reflect upon the causes of this persistent muddle and set ourselves to discover ways of

Book Review: Faces of the Enemy Sam Keen, (Harper & Row, San Francisco, 1986,199 pp.)

Sam Keen in his book Faces of the Enemy, indicates some of the remedies which alone could turn the tide of perennial War and dehumanization. Keen writes: "The era of modem total war is nearly finished. We are living in the last days in which men can live by the sword without humankind perishing by the bomb. The warrior psyche, which has thus far governed what we insist on calling the history of civilization, has brought us to the point of suicide, if not cosmocide. Either we awake from the

avoiding any such future catastrophes."

"In our time, the whole world has really become one. There is economic and spiritual action and reaction between all its parts; and it is impossible to ignore this fact. A nation or a race can no longer be regarded as being a self-sufficient and isolated unit. Our individual and social activities must, therefore, be organized on the basis of cooperation rather than competition. We must put forth our united efforts for counteracting the old ideas of narrow patriotism and petty loyalties and carry on a vigorous propaganda in favour of the recognition of the claim which the whole human brotherhood has upon us all. We can thus create a general sense of international responsibility.

The real problem lies in the urgent need for forming an intelligent and healthy world-opinion; and this is a Herculean task. There will be a need for innumerable organizations and serviceleagues, in every part of the globe; and the activities of these organizations will have to be coordinated, so as to secure harmonious and effective action planned by reason and inspired by love. There will be a need for setting afoot a number of movements or currents of vitalizing thought, so that, by and by, the whole of humanity will become conscious of its unity as an

continued next page nightmare of violence or we sleepwalk into oblivion. And likely there will be no fire, during the long nuclear winter, and no storyteller left to remember that our generals and statesmen were leaders of a race of lemmings that was endowed with a promise of reason and a potentiality for compassion that might have made us human beings." (p. 90) Faces of the Enemy documents and exposes the "shadow" side of our individual and collective psyches which will continue to justify and perpetuate violence, murdeJ, and all dehumanizing ways of current life unless it is rejected and more humane ways to resolve hate are discovered and applied.

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Putting on Baba Like a Coat

by William M. Stephens _'''--''''_'' Next Baba placed one hand atop His head and .....~~':'~~ the ?ther on His. chin. Then He ra~sed His head 路f:-:"',:....i'. .3~\,\. hi~ above HIs body, .so that HIs neck looked ,<.,.\ ....:~\~:, like the neck of a gIraffe. ~ ,.~:,,::. ~ Returning to His normal self, He ;( _ ~., beamed at me and opened His arms to , .:i ~ :#11 "1":-' \ receive me. I came to Him and He em\,.,~ , ,/7! \~ braced me warmly. Just as I began to expe", '-7' I. \ ' /' J lJ ~;i/ rience the bliss of His embrace, He whirled f'~' _,~ 9'") me arOlllld, and at the same time His entire yo / ;~ / " body expanded and stretched and wrapped ~1" itself around me--totally enclosing my body in His. Baba was like a warm and protective coat, Bill Stephens, from Brentwood, Tennessee, is a enveloping every part of me, and I wanted it man ofmany talents, interests, and accomplishnever to end. But, unfortunately, I went to sleep at ments. An attorney specializing in issues ofthe that point and I can't remember anything else. elderly, a marine biologist, author, husband, faBut now I have a better appreciation of what ther, and grandfather, he has been with Baba since Darwin has been talking about, and why Darwin's the Sixties. Drawing by Bill and Peggy Stephens. face is so suffused with joy and bliss when he describes the process. I haven't felt that kind of ince the fIrst time I heard Darwin Shaw relate bliss yet, of course, but I hope to someday, in the story of how Baba said to put Him on like a coat four times a day, I have often wondered how Baba's good time. In the meantime, I'm having a great time reliving the experience of putting on one puts on Baba like a coat. A body is not like a coat. Where do you start? I searched the literature, Baba like a coat! consulted my friends, pondered the problem, and still drew a blank. In order to put Baba on like a Baba's Message from page 5 coat, I concluded, we need more information. organic whole. It is true that all the historical Recently, however, by Baba's Grace, this religions have been attempting the same stupenquestion was answered for me. I was relaxing in dous task. But their efforts have obviously not my reclining chair at home, when an image of the been crowned with success. The amount of Beloved entered my consciousness. Baba was selfless zeal and enthusiasm as well as the standing on a beach, smiling and beckoning to me. unflickering faith in life, which are required for As I approached Baba, He raised His right achieving unification of humanity can only come hand to point to the sun. Suddenly His right arm stretched up into the sky until He literally held the from the inspiration derived from a living Perfect Master, like Meher Baba." sun in the palm of His hand. I stared at His hand holking the fiery sun, and then looked back at Contributions for the Lamp Post Baba, and He grinned impishly. He retracted His Please share your artwork, photos, poetry, hand (leaving the sun in the sky) and pointed to letters, articles, and ideas with us. Send to Greg His mouth. Hooking His forefmgers into the opand Gay Dunn, 340 I Dow Ave., Redondo Beach, posing corners of His mouth (one fmger on each CA 90278. The Fall deadline is August 24. side), He pulled in opposite directions. His mouth If you wish to send a donation, please send it stretched like rubber until it was like a huge cavern, into which I covertly glanced without seeing a directly to the AMBC of SC, 10808 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025. sign of a tooth. v

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Avatar Meher Baba Trust Baba has given us an extraordinary privilege to allow us to participate in His very special Trust work. Meher Baba tells us that He is the Personage by whom serving, we serve the whole universe! Jai Baba.

If you wish to offer a love donation to Baba's Trust, please make you check payable to: "Friends of the Meher Baba Trust," and send to: Lynne Berry, Trustwalla 267 Hanover Drive Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Thank You To: Members of our Center, led by Will David, who spent another Saturday making sandwiches and distributing them to the homeless.

The group who recently went to Marguerite Poley's horne to help with some heavy yard work.

To Radha Delamarter for introducing many of us to her "Freeing the Creative Self' workshop.

Congratulations To: Donna Bayet and Elliott Karpeles on their marriage, May 30th. Best Baba wishes!. ..Jeff Maguire on selling his script...Prudence Holmes on her role in the movie "Sister Act" ... George Gerdes on his role in the play "Sea of Cortez"... the Haffendens on going pro...and everyone else trying to do their best at all times for Baba, knowing that "in Reality, nothing happens".

A Fond Farewell To: The Ernst Family: Carl, Judy, Sophie, and Theresa, as Baba takes them to Chapel Hill.

A Sahavas Invitation On behalf of the Los Angeles Sahavas Committee, I am writing to extend an invitation to all who are interested in participating in the creative transforming, planning, and downright fun of the Sahavas, to please corne and join us! There is a wealth of opportunity for Baba Lovers outside the immediate L.A. area to be involved in the process of "putting up the framework" and keeping things running smoothly for this wonderful time we share together in His Love and Grace. Baba never fails to fill the planning of this event with lots of excite-

ment, intrigue, emotion, and His everpresent Love and Guidance to help us along. Serving on the Committee has provided me with the truly fulfilling experience of focusing on Baba exclusively and being in the company of other friends who share a deep commitment to serving Him. The dates for the Sahavas 1993 have not been set, but it will fall around the July 4th holiday. All work is done on a purely volunteer basis, and meetings will begin in August. We meet once a month until June, and then as often as needed thereafter. (Upon request, we will mail a copy of the monthly minutes and agenda to out-of-town volunteers in order to keep you updated on committee discussions and decisions.)

There are numerous positions available in many different areas of interest. Also, there are always opportunities to lend your services at the Sahavas itself when and where needed. Maybe you have a talent or skill which has not yet been considered or utilized for this event? Maybe you'd like to try your hand in some area in which you've not yet had an opportunity to do so? This is a wonderful way to discover new and untapped potential within...and Beloved Meher Baba never fails to send the kisses that make it all worthwhile (sometimes at the very last minute, but always at the perfect moment!).

If you're interested, or want more information, please contact me.

Cathy Broadly 26171 Escala Drive Mission Viejo, CA 92691 (714) 951-9254

Library and Prisoner Projects The effort to make Baba books available in as many libraries as possible continues, along with the work of distributing Baba books to prisoners and prison libraries. For information regarding the library project, contact: Adele Wolkin 7l4-A S. Pacific Coast Hwy Redondo Beach, CA 9p277 Regarding the Prisoner Project you may also contact Adele, or Dan Stone: 11227 Dewey Court Kensington, MD 20895

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All events, unless otherwise noted, are at the Center, 10808 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, (310)474-9454.

All are invited to share at the Saturday night meetings. If you have music, art, ideas, or requests for future programs, please contact Jeff Maguire at (310)545-3671.

SPECIAL NOTE: We are currently trying to put together an ongoing program devoted to children, featuring art, music, games and stories that will foster love and understanding of Baba. Whether or not you're a parent, if you'd like to be involved in any way, call Jeff Maguire.

Baba. All are welcome. Coordinated by Mahmoud Ajang.

July 11, Saturday, 8pm. SILENCE DAY SANSKARAS. Corne share the thoughts and events you experienced yesterday while keeping silent (or trying to) in remembrance of Beloved Baba. Hosted by Diana Goodheart.

July 18, Saturday, 8pm. TREASURE TALES. Bring and share your most precious Baba treasures and talk about their origins and significance. A treasure can be anything related to Beloved Baba, from a lock of hair to an airline ticket to a piece of string handed you by Mehera.

Hosted by Marguerite Poley.

July 25, Saturday, 8pm. VIDEOS OF THE BELOVED. We'll be taking requests tonight.

JULy EVENTS July 4. This is the one Saturday night of the year that the Center is closed, due to the annual Silence Day Sahavas at Pilgrim Pines with special guests Shireen Bonner, Franee Irani, Jack Small and Jim Meyer. For Sahavas info call David McNeely at (213) 258-9887.

AUGUST EVENTS August 1, Saturday, 8pm. BHAU KALCHURI SPEAKS! Music by Johnny KawaI.

July 10, Friday, 5-1Opm. SILENCE DAY. Drop by the Center to informally share Baba's love and watch films of the Beloved in silence.

August 8, Saturday, 6pm. FARSI LANGUAGE MEETING devoted to discussion of Beloved Baba. All are welcome. Coordinated by Mahmoud Ajang.

July II, Saturday, 6pm. FARSI LANGUAGE MEETING devoted to discussion of Beloved

August 8, Saturday, 8pm. SHORT STORIES FROM MANDALI HALL, Meherazad, India

Bhau Kalchuri's '92 Tour!

Tell your boss you're sick (or put your job search on hold as the case may be), for Bhau Kalchuri, intimate disciple of Meher Baba since 1952, is returning to remind us once again of what's really important in this life: the warm glow of Baba's love and the fme company of His Lovers!

The festivities start with BHAUSTOCK III on the weekend of July 24-26 at Meherabode, the horne of Chris and Christi Pearson in Mariposa (6 hours north of L.A.). As this

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is not a Center-sponsored activity, reservations should be made with the Pearsons at (209) 966-5078.

Bhau and perennial sidekick John (Johnny KawaI) Connor will be in L.A. from July 30Aug. 5. Check the Center for the schedule of teas and programs.

Bhau and John return to India on the 5th on United Flight 897 at 12:45pm.

- JeffMaguire

as recorded on audio tape in 1990 and '91. Selections from one 115 hours of audio recordings shall take us to a different time and place in our imaginations as we listen to His Mandali speak of their Beloved. Hosted by John Stout.

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August IS, Saturday, 8pm. THE KALIYUGA COFFEE HOUSE. An informal night of music, art, and poetry inspired by Beloved Baba, coordinated by Pris Haffenden. Bring your voices, guitars, oboes, poetry, artwork, or just gross bodies to share.

September 26, Saturday, 8pm. BABA MOVIES projected by the ineluctable (or is it unelectable?) Charlie Morton.

Area Meetings There are area group meetings in Orange County and in Pasadena. For meetings in Orange County, call Georgene Tarbox at (714) 953-3193. In Pasadena, call Diana Goodheart at (818) 791-1078.

August 29, Saturday, 8pm. FILMS OF BELOVED BABA with your host, the irreducible Charlie Morton.

Fresno Baba Group

September 5, Saturday, 6pm. FARSI LANGUAGE MEETING devoted to discussion of Beloved Baba. All are welcome. Coordinated by Dr. Mahmoud Ajang.

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up another feast of tasty treats and divinely intoxicating conversation.

August 22, Saturday, 8pm. "LORD MEHER ".

Tonight we'll share our favorite stories and quotes from Bhau Kalchuri's multivolume biography of the Beloved. If you own copies, bring them to share. Hosted by Adele Wolkin.

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

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September 19, Saturday, 8pm. GUITA NIGHT. The one and only Fred Stankus serves

September 5, Saturday, 8pm. VIDEOS AND QUOTES OF THE BELOVED. Come share your favorite Baba quotes and view the Beloved on video. As this is Labor Day weekend, try to find some quotes on doing Baba's work.

September 12, Saturday, all day. GARAGE SALE at the home of Adele Wotkin. 714-A S. Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach. Bring items to sell to the Center or to Adele's home by September II tho September 12, Saturday, 6pm. FARSI LANGUAGE MEETING devoted to discussion of Beloved Baba. All are welcome. Coordinated by Mahmoud Ajang.

September 12, Saturday, 8pm. SPECIAL GUEST! LEATRICE JOHNSTON, one of . Baba's treasures, will share insights and love gleaned from a life devoted to Baba, whom she first met in 1952.

The Fresno Meher Baba Group meets every first, second, and third Wednesday each month. For location and time call Sharon or Phil Scott at (209) 449-0877.

Ojai Baba Group The Ojai Meher Baba group meets every other Sunday evening at 7 p.m. For location and other information call Marta Flores at (805) 646-8501.

Santa Barbara Baba Group The Santa Barbara Meher Baba group meets every other Friday. For meeting information call Donna Bayet at (805) 682-1877.

San Diego Baba Group The San Diego Meher Baba group meets monthly. For meeting times and locations, call Scott or Anne Makeig at (619) 436-7155.

Portland Baba Group The Portland group meets every Friday night.

Discourses meeting are held every other Sunday afternoon, and a monthll meeting is held every month at the Wilson's house in Scotts Mill, (503) 873-2048.

9

Sketching the Beloved The highlighted artist in this month's "at the Bookstore," Diana LePage, has kindly given us the background on the beautiful drawings featured in this month's issue.

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y professional artistic training was in Paris, France where I was apprenticed to two sculptors. I returned to the Los Angeles area where I worked as a sculptor for fourteen years.

Initially my sculpture was figurative work in wood, stone, and bronze casting. Later I did hardedge multiple-unit sculptures, using lucite, chrome-plated steel cylinders, and white Carrara marble. I was intent in trying to put into these sculptural experiments something of the inner beauty oflife by using light reflection and refraction, spatial displacement, and repetitive design.

Then I moved from "The City of Angels" to "The Land of the Southern Cross." I married Bill lePage and we lived at Avatar's Abode in W oom-

bye, Australia. Most of my energy went into all kinds of other projects. I did do some drawing and large air-brush paintings of Baba.

It wasn't until two years ago, when my youngest son, Coleman, left home, that I found myself with more uninterrupted time--the perfect time for a Baba project.

The end result of this project, Baba willing, will be a seven foot by five foot oil painting of Baba making the "Shhh... " gesture with a border of eighteen other smaller paintings of Baba gesturing--all taken from a series of photos during October 1950 at Mahabaleshwar. I decided to do pencil drawings of everything first in order to improve my understanding. The set of six prints that are now on sale are taken from six of the original graphite pencil drawings which I thought went together well as a set. Now I am working on the second stage which is to repeat the same exercise using oil paints. I have had no professional training in oil painting, so it's "leam as you go". To work out which colors best express each gesture and to coordinate all the moods harmoniously is my aim. It's like a beautiful meditation, sometimes frustrating because my skills fall short, but always fulfilling because of Him. Strangely enough for someone who has gone into the visual arts professionally, I was born with a congenital eye defect. I am nearsighted, light sensitive, and I see colors differently. But Baba has blessed me with the determination to try to catch Him. I have always loved drawing and when I was little I would tell stories to myself through drawing. Then I went through the "horse crazy" stage: if! wasn't at the stable riding horses I was drawing horses. At that time I had a lovely recurring dream about a white horse who was my silent friend and protector.

In 1968 my younger brother, Charlie Morton, told me about Meher Baba. But it wasn't until 1971 that I accepted Him as the Eternal Beloved.

Of course I was stunned when I heard that Meher Baba was also called Kalki, the White Horse Avatar of our Age. I hope that, by His Grace, I shall continue to draw, paint and sculpt the Beloved for the rest of my life. Jai Baba!

--Diana LePage

The Feet of the Master

by Christina M. Riley

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ast Avatars have left behind remnants of their presence on earth. It is said that Buddha left his footprints in a temple in Samath, India, where a few hairs from his head are also enshrined. In a royal mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Mohammed's footprints, a white robe and a bow are preserved. Buried in the archives of the Vatican in Rome may be Jesus' image (called Veronica's veil) and a robe he wore. In comparison, since Meher Baba has departed from the physical plane, he has lift many artifacts and impressions, most notably those being preserved at Meherazad and Meherabad for centuries to come. Unlike past incarnations of God, Baba wanted certain things kept for posterity.

For the first time in this cycle of time, the GodMan has chosen to leave behind the impressions of his hand and feet. Through his hand--by writing, of course, by dictation on an alphabet board, and then by gestures--Meher Baba "spoke" for almost 44 years. And he allowed thousands to receive his darshan through a touch on his feet. At the request of certain dear ones in India and America, a cast of Meher Baba's right hand, casts of both his feet, and casts of his footprints are available to the public.

The original cast of Meher Baba's hand was molded in London by the sculptor Edward Merritt in 1932. Both his feet were molded in Bombay in 1959. His footprints were molded in 1954 in Meherazad. The footprints were taken

by Shatrughna Kumar Ghildial (always called Kumar by Baba), a faithful disciple ofBaba's for many years. During 1954, Kumar was staying at Meherazad by Baba's wish during his vacation from work. One day, Kumar had the idea that it would be good to have a plaster impression ofBaba's footprints; but he did not tell Baba. Later, while Baba was resting, Kumar requested Mani and Goher to ask Baba ifhe would consent to allow his feet impressions to be made. Kumar explained that even if Baba

agreed to only give his right foot it would be sufficient.

In case Baba agreed, Kumar prepared the plaster-of-paris powder in a cardboard box.

Some time passed and he was called to Baba's room. As he was carrying the plaster he became extremely nervous as to what Baba might say, or ifhe would like such an idea. When he arrived, Baba promptly gestured, "Yes, all right. But do it now." So Kumar, his heart beating fast, quickly mixed the plaster with water. Eruch Jessawala and Bhau Kalchuri were also present at this occasion and helped Kumar.

Baba graciously placed his right foot in the mixed plaster. After the impression was made he asked Kumar, "What about my left foot?"

Again excited by Baba's request, Kumar quickly mixed the remaining plaster. Then Baba placed his left foot in the mixture. Afterward. Kumar expressed how happy he was to have obtained impressions of both feet.

Some years later Kumar expressed what he felt inwardly at the time: "If you ask for something from the Master, it is like water; if the Master gives you something, it is like milk; but if you extract something from ilill Master, it is like blood!" Because Baba himself offered his left foot, Kumar was made most happy. During continued page 14

11

At the Bookstore

inches. If you would like the entire set of six, the total price would be just $90.00, a savings of $21.00. Diana's story is on page 10.

Our newest audio tape is something definitely different, and it comes to us from Jaye Baecher of Victoria, Australia. It is called, The Ancient One, and is a play on the theme of creation in accordance with Avatar Meher Baba's Gnosis. In 1961, Baba directed Bhau Kalchuri to write this play. Upon completion it was presented as a live performance in Ahmednagar for Baba's birthday celebrations. Baba attended the

ew book, new artwork, new tape... there's always something new at the Bookstore! We are very happy to have on sale a book that is selling very well in all the major bookstores across the country-and we are underselling the Big Guys by $3.45! It is entitled, Zen Munchleins. A catchy title indeed! It means "little wisdoms," and is a compilation of 48 selections of wonderful words of wisdom from the Spiritual Masters, about 85% being from Meher Baba. continued on page 14 (Actually, it's 100%, when you consider that the others are Christ, Buddha and Zoroaster!) It is a very artistically done book--an oriental ink brush painting on one page, the quote on the facing page.

Although each page stands alone, when Drunken Moon fell down, knocking head on stony earth, fractured read right through from start to fmish it bone-white face, and with difficulty regained creates a Zen kind of story. The author, heaven, but sense ofdirection D.T. Munda, is a Baba lover living here lost. in Los Angeles. He will be happy to write a personal inscription for you if you so Leaning on inebrious companions, Mars and Jupiter, Moon turned away desire. While it is a lovely book for a from groggy Venus, whose glory in rosy dawn Baba lover to own, it is especially good to from loitering give as a gift to a friend who is just awakwas lost. ening to the Spiritual Path. Paperback, 95 Heaven full of crows, black wingbeats against black sky, pages, 6"x9", $9.50. feather-shutter on moon-bone, Two weeks ago the mail brought us a ' dog boundary of the wonderful surprise in the form of art path. lithographs of six magnificent pencil At the top of the hill they're cleaning and garlanding the Avatar's drawings from myoid friend and native tomb, readying all for Arti, before the stars Los Angeleno, Diana Succop, who has in sun's glare are lost. since moved to Queensland Australia and become Diana LePage. Diana has capStand and face the rock wall of the Samadhi, seeing face of faces tured six different moods and expressions in stone glance of Infinity, and head of the Beloved as He was in Mahabaon the threshold leshwar in 1956. Her brother, Charlie knock.

Morton, tells me that Mani, Baba's sister, Inside Samadhi mind slows; before God's marble topped grave critiques all of Diana's work before it knees bend, arms reach out helpless, goes to the general public.-We are reproprayers in bliss are ducing three of the six in this issue; more lost. will appear in subsequent issues. Such is the printing quality of these drawings, Evening in Poona in Baba's room, precious objects You used, that no one can believe they are not origislippers, letters in Your hand, nals! Only the price, $18.50 each. is the family photographs, giveaway. They measure I P/4x16 112 Your chair.

CHead-

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Reflections on L.A. Riot from page 3

only of the underclass problem here in Los Angeles, but nationwide and even globally.

Prior to the riot, we in Los Angeles perhaps pictured our city as a vibrant metropolis of multicultural unity and cooperation: the great melting pot. Although there remains some truth to this image, the riot clearly exposed that multicultural and multiracial harmony as tenuous and provisional, maintained more perhaps for a variety of self-interests than from genuine feelings of brotherhood.

Yes, we can get along, as Rodney King suggests; but the real question is, "Can we really and truly love one another?" That's the real challenge.

One result from this is assured: no one will remain unchanged. Some may view the underclass with a deeper sense of compassion or understanding; others may see them ~ocker with heightened suspicion, loathing, or fear.

And the underclass will view their situation The rock You battered Your precious head on still waits in comer differeently: perhaps with renewed hope, for Your familiar head-bash when perhaps with more desperation.

Absolute Bliss You The fact that remains obvious is the dire lost. need for change. The L.A. riot has demonstrated how fragile our social peace really At Samadhi many of Your lovers touch their hearts, bend to touch is. It has also highlighted the near bankfinger to sacred wood when passing ruptcy of our materially-centered values, Your threshold; and confirmed our nation's arrogant hypocA head-knocker on the other hand am I, Master: before God Himself risy in human rights standards which we I cringe a little, and only by knocking head assail others nations for violating, yet stand hard on threshold my fears guilty of ourselves. are lost.

America certainly has a destined leaderOn other unyielding objects too I bash it; when will I learn that ship role in our planet's transition to its new stone walls to bead's battering ram order. Meher Saba has stated that He will do not surrender? use the energy of our nation to bring about a spiritual regeneration. However, the entire You too a prodigious head-knocker were, Beloved; after Your of present-day values must be panorama skull sessions in Poona, one by one systematically overpowered by the surging Your teeth were waves of spiritual truth as dispensed by the lost.

God-Man of this age.

Please Lord, if You love me, in Your next advent, on rocks The L.A. riot illustrates where we presdon't smash Your precious head; ently are; but more importantly, it clearly nor gel Yourself crucified. indicates the direction needed to achieve actual peace, security, and satisfaction. The Although to You pain and pleasure are equally Illusion, time of real and significant change is drawto we who love You, the distinction ing near, and we, espeJlially as Saba lovers, is not yet lost. must be receptive to every opportunity to spread Saba's message of Love and Truth, so desperately needed in these times.

13 Richard Winston families looting stores--this in the context of a society where a constant bombardment of advertisements proclaims the all importance of material wares, promoting their use with promises of happiness, while our neglected spirits languish in unfulfilled confusion. The riots were touched off by the acquital of the four L.A.P.D. officers--an event symbolic of class and racial inequality--but they were sustained by greed and opportunism.

Now that the smoke has cleared and order has been restored, the examination process begins.

This riot must, of necessity, foster a rethinking not

Feet of the Master from page 11 this occasion Baba was in a pleasant mood and Kumar distinctly remembered him remarking afterward: "It is good that you had this idea. It will be good for the future generations."

Subsequently, Kumar took the plaster impressions back to his home in Dehra Dun. Some years later he gave Adi K. Irani, Baba's secretary, cast reproductions to make them available. Los Angeles sculptor Jurgis Sapkus had originally been approached in India in 1970 to take care of the mold ofBaba's hand. A year later Jurgis was again approached to take the molds for Baba's feet. In the mid-70s Jurgis received the original footprints. Both footprint impressions had remained as they were until Jurgis actually pulled away the cardboard boxes to make the molds for reproduction. "I feel I have a great responsibility to take care of these treasures and I appreciate how Baba has enabled them to be available. It is a pleasure to do it," Jurgis says.

After experimenting with a variety ofmaterials from polyester to hydrastone, Jurgis has found that the most appealing material is simple plaster ("It wi11last as long as you don't drop it. "). The casts and impressions can be left in natural white or painted, upon request, by Jurgis with a special gold-bronze or marble-white fInish. They are being offered for sale through the Los Angeles Baba Center's Bookstore. _

At the Bookstore

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from page 12

performance and expressed His happiness with it. The play was translated from Hindi into English in 1972, and this year, 1992, it has been adapted for radio presentation and audio cassette production, and is available for sale during Bhau's tour of the U.S. The play is a succinct exposition of Avatar Meher Baba's Divine Knowledge on the process of evolution, reincarnation, and involution through which every individual soul has to pass on its journey to Perfection--God Realization. The Ancient One, in the form of Zoroaster, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, and Mohammed, has come again in the form of The Compassionate Father--Meher Baba. Why does he keep returning? The play,

The Ancient One, answers this question. It is 90 minutes long and sells for $11.00. All profIts from the sale of this cassette go to the Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust, Ahrnednagar, India.

Don Stevens, of Companion Books in Switzerland, has asked me to remind you that The Discourses of Meher Baba have been translated (in their entirety) into French, German, and Spanish. The latter is available at our Bookstore, but for the fIrst two, write to: Companion Books, c/o Tureva Treuhand AG, Splugenstrasse 10, CH8002, Zurich, Switzerland. In addition, they also have small volumes of fIve selected Discourses in French, German, Italian, and Spanish.

(Again, the Spanish is available through us.)

Despite the war currently raging in Yugoslavia, there are many people interested in spirituality, and there is quite a flourishing Baba group there.

Can you believe God Speaks in Croatian? It has been so published.!

In the column to the left you'll read about the plaster impression ofBaba's hands and feet reproduced by Jurgis Sapkus. They are available through the bookstore. Contact Dina Franklin at (310) 837-6419 for details.

Such was the interest generated by the articles on Jay Ram in our Summer and Fall 1990 issues, that we have asked him to give us an update. I think the latest count on his adopted boys is 19, and the PacifIc Neem Mission in Hawaii has grown by leaps and bounds as an experimental agricultural station to benefIt the third world countries. When I met Jay last year I was surprised to see how like Baba (in His thirties) Jay looked-same nose, moustache, and long black/brown hair. Lately a lot of government officials and people from the private sector have been visiting the Mission on agricultural affairs, and were surprised by the amount of photos of "Jay" around the house. "Enough of this," Jay thought, so off went the long hair and moustache, and he's now growing a beard! When we have pictures of the Avatar on the wall, we want there to be no misconceptions! Look for the latest from the Big Island in our next issue. Meanwhile, See you, At the Bookstore. ~ , ~\_\-o\... ~'--

L.A. At War from page 4 All Saints Episcopal Church ally, can choose this path. We don't need a Fred Jordan Mission 132 N. Euclid Ave:, Pasadena riot. We can behave in a manner that would 445 Towne Ave., Los Angeles (818) 796- 1172 or (213) 681-9441 (818) 915-1981 please Baba, even if only one small little Bethel AME Church thought, word, or action of spiritual underGreater BethariyCommuoity Church 7900 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles standing that promotes unity and coopera8422 S. Hoover St, Los Angeles (213~750-3240 (213) 750-0523 tion. We can live in a community in which Requesting baby formula and diDistributing. food. diversity is balanced with commonality, apers; call to arrange donations of inclusive and respectful of all: where achot meals for seniors; referrals to Hol,rnan United Methodist Chuch cepting others' differences is valued as open ~as stations and check-cashing 3320 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles ~tores, askmg looters to bring in their (213) 731-7286 highly as understanding our own.

III-gotten gams, no questions asked.

Islamic Center What can we do? To say there's nothBroadway Department Stores ing one can really do is to be pessimistic. I 434' S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles (213) 383-2717 Collecting donations at all 42 believe that the Los Angeles Baba group, stores in eight counties, including pilformally and individually, has much to L.A Conservation Corps lows, blankets, clothes, toiletries. contribute to the city through outreach 2824 S. Main St, Los Angeles (213) 749-3601 Brookins Community AME Ctlurch and service projects. I would like to see 4831 S. Gramercy PI., Los Angeles Requesting brooms, trash bags, more efforts in this direction generally, (213) 296-5610 gloves, shovels, dust masks, safety and now a unique opportunity exists to Collecting and distributing food vests, yellow caution tape. let others know that our priorities as and supplies; requesting volunteers Leo Baeck Temple citizens are about loving and obeying to staff the relief center.

1300 N. Sepulveda Blvd:, Los Angeles God. Rebuild L.A., the organization (3101476-2861 Brotherhood Crusade headed by appointee Peter Ueberroth is African American Community Unity Normandie Church of Christ Center taking on the task of orienting commu6306 S. Normandie Ave., -Los Angeles nity support efforts. I encourage all 944 W. 53rd St, Los Angeles 12131750-3212 (213) 789-7300 members of the local and international Collecting and distributing food.

Baba community, if you feel so moved, CARECEN Office Pepperd/ne University to express your feelings about the need 668 S. Bonnie Brae St., Los Angeles Thorton Administrative Center (213) 617-0294 or (213) 483-6868 for spiritual as well as economic, politi24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu CDmmand postfor cleanup volcal, and social development in the (310) 456-4270 unteers In the Pico-Union area. present and future Los Angeles. Send a Open Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Catholic Charities letter or a postcard to: Peter Ueberroth, Radio Korea 1400 W. NinthSt, Los Angeles Rebuild L.A., 200 North Spring Street, (213) 251-3551 2001 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles Room 305, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

(213)487-1300 Accepting food, household In addition, there is an urgent need goods including mattresses, bed linSt Paul's Apostolic Church ens and c-Qokirig utensils. for volunteers, and will be for at least 10750 Ohio Ave" West Los Angeles six months. The Red Cross needs Corpus Christi Catholic Church (310) 474-1527 volunteers daily for all its branches; 887 Toyopa Drive, Pacific Palisades (310) 454-8976 or (310) 454-1328 call (213) 739-4502. The City ofL.A. St Paul's Presbyterian Church Emergency Volunteer Office requests 5100 Coliseum St., Los Angeles Faith Temple Church of God in Christ (2131292-0471 phone inquiries at (213) 617-0294.

11937 S. Main St, Los Angeles They need every kind of help from (213) 418-0906 Sinai Temple picking up rubble to inquiring of Collecting money and water in 10400 Wilshire Blvd., West Los Angeles individuals' needs to serving in a (310)474-1518' addition to food. soup line to answering more phone First AME Church Temple Beth Am inquiries. Right is a partial list of hot 2270 S. Harvard St, Los Angeles 1039 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles lines, services and relief providers.

(213) 735-1251 (2131655-6401 .

Most of them also need volunteers. _

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Do You Want to Continue Receiving the Lamp Post!

Last quarter we enclosed an envelope in your Lamp Post and asked you to return it with your name and address so that we could update our mailing list. If you forgot to send the envelope back (as many ofus did), please take the time to drop us a note now, before we start trimming our list to eliminate the people who are no longer interested in receiving Center mailings.

If you can afford to help defray the ever-rising costs of printing and mailing by sending a donation of $4 per year, we'd be grateful. But remember: the Love Street Lamp Post is free; the important thing is that we get your name and address back so we'll know to keep you on the mailing list.

Jai Baba.

The Board of Directors of the Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California

AVATAR MEHER BABA CENTER OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 10808 Santa Monica Boulevard los Angeles, California 90025

ADDRESS CORRECTION

Non-Proflt Orianization

U.S. Postage

PA I D Redondo Beach, CA Permit No. 196

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~veStreetÂŁamp:Posv THE AVATAR MEHER BABA CENTER OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NEWSLETTER & CALENDAR FOR FALL 1992

Summer of Real Love

Above: The Love Street Singers of Northern California perform at Bhaustock in Mariposa.

Far Left: Sahavas guests, Franey Irani, Jack Small, Shireen Bonner, and Jim Meyer at Pilgrim Pines.

Left: Bhau speaks at Jacko's

Proposal to Establish a Home for Beloved Avatar Meher Baba for the Western United States [The following proposal has recently been drafted by an ad hoc committee comprised of members from the Northern and Southern California Meher Baba groups. This is an open com-

mittee; ifyou are interested in participating please contact John Stout in Southern California, Herman Loew in Northern California, or Chris and Christi Pearson of Mariposa (phone numbers given at end ofarticle). The committee drafting this proposal included Soussan Adham, Dick Anderson, Roman Babiak, Chris Haffenden, Pris Haffenden, Laura Hogan, Peter Justin, Herman Loew, Brad Mandell, Dee Mehta, Jack Mormon, Kevin Mossberger, Chris Pearson, Christi Pearson, Rocky Rodgers, Darrell Rupe, Nick Skok, John Stout, Patty Stout, Marko Swearingen, Georgene Tarbox, and Linda Zavala. The proposal is presented in unedited form. - Ed.}

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e propose to establish an universal center for Spiritual renewal, dedicated to Avatar Meher Baba suitable for Sahavas and for individual retreat as guided by Avatar Meher Baba's principles oflove and service to others.

For this purpose we propose that the Northern and Southern California Baba Groups of California: 1) purchase a piece ofland, 40-acre minimum, in the Mariposa area.

2) the ideal location would: a. be at an elevation of2000 to 3800 ft b. be adjoining the National Forest c. have a gentle slope with a minimum of 20 acres of useable land d. be near a paved road e. have a good source of water (well) f. have tillable land 3) Short-teon goals (to be achieved within 1-2 years): a. a site for group Savahas b. year-round spiritual retreat for people with an interest in Avatar Meher Baba, with camping facilities available.

4) Long-teon goals to be achieved while

maintaining a natural setting: a. a meeting/dining hall and kitchen facilities to serve 500. b. housing for a caretaker c. cabins for pilgrims d. recreation facilities e. a library and archive center f. meditation areas g. children's play area h. orchard and garden.

5) The source of funds to purchase and develop the land described above would be: a. from existing accounts of the Northern and Southern California Baba groups. Amounts to be separately approved by each group. b. fundraising efforts from Baba-Iovers world wide. All donations to be given with love. c. target range of initial purchase price of land to be $100,000 to $400,000. d. initial development cost of short-teon goals to be $20,000 to $40,000.

[This concludes the proposal as drafted.}

Whom to Contactfor Further Information Or If You Are Interested in Participating Actively Northern California: Reonan Loew (707) 763-8424

Southern California: John Stout (818) 888-6330

Mariposa: Chris and Christi Pearson, (209) 966-5078

I cannot expect you to understand all at once what I want you to know. It is for Me to awaken you from time to time throughout the ages. sowing the seed in your limited minds. which must in due course and with proper heed and care on your part. germinate. flourish and bear the fruit of that True Knowledge which is inherently yours to gain.

--AVA TAR MEHER BABA

Baba Orchestrates Irani-Bonner Marriage

by Caroline McDonald hireen and Jay Bonner were married in 1980 on the seventh day of the seventh month.

They would have been married at 7 a.m. if Shireen had her way.

"I chose the date because seven is Baba's favorite nwnber," she said. "But Mehera and Mani said enough was enough when it came to 7 a.m."

Shireen described an "old-style" weave rosepink silk: sari with gold trim that she wore to the wedding party. Her hair was loose with a pink flowered hair piece. She wore gold and turquoise necklace and earrings -- a gift from her father, Baba's brother Adi -- and a blue necklace given to her by Baba and Mehera. For the wedding, c which took place in Baba's Samadhi, Shireen iii said she wore a white sari with gold trim. The ~ wedding was "beautiful beyond description and IIL. --'c perfect in every detail" -- all planned by Mani and Mehera.

Shireen spoke of her meeting and subsequent child. He said: 'You are pregnant, aren't you?'" marriage to Jay at the L.A. Sahavas where she After Jay's initial visit, Shireen said she was a guest speaker. She emphasized the impordidn't see him again until she was 21, when he tance of her marriage ~cause ofBaba's tremenapplied to a London art school.

But before his trip to England, Shireen said dous influence. "He arranged our marriage as if he were still in the body," she said. she ran into a good friend of Jay's, Charlie Keeler, when she visited the Meher Baba Center Shireen and Jay first met when she was 14.

Jay, like other Baba lovers traveling through in Myrtle Beach.

London, stayed as the family's guest. Adi fre"He said 'an old friend of yours is coming to quently opened their home to Baba lovers on the England soon.' I said 'Who?' and he said, 'Jay way to India.

Bonner.' I felt chills when he mentioned Jay's Shireen said she and Jay were friends from name." Shireen said she found out much later the start and frequently played cards together. that Jay had the same feeling when Charlie told "It was my father's rule that no men were him about seeing Shireen. allowed in my room" she said. "But there were After he planned to return to London, she said Jay sheepishly wrote Adi a letter apologiztwo exceptions -- an old family friend and Jay." ing for not corresponding for so many years. Jay Because her father was uncharacteristically called it a "groveling letter of apology." But lenient when it came to Jay Bonner, Shireen said rather than being annoyed, Adi wrote Jay a very she is convinced beyond a doubt that her father warm letter, inviting him to stay with the family knew all along they would eventually marry. again while he visited London.

"My father was very intuitive," she said.

"For example, years later he knew when I was "He said to me, 'You reme!Jlber Jay Bonner. pregnant. The day I myself found out, I got a He is a nice boy -- should we ask him to come and stay with us?' I was 21 and I thought this letter from him with a photo of a beautiful antique continued on next page crib and he said he would buy it when we had a 3

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was strange," Shireen said.

Jay arrived at the Irani home while Shireen was out. When she returned, she said she was loaded with packages and rang the doorbell.

"Jay answered the door and that was it," she said.

When he returned to the Irani household in London, Jay said it was like "walking into my own home. It had such a sweet atmosphere, it felt immediately relaxed and familiar. Then Shireen came home." he continued. "I remember her clothes -- she wore a print dress and a green sweater - Adi told me to get the door. It was love at first sight. It was so extraordinary on both parts, a real gift from Baba...

From that point on, Shireen and Jay were in love, she said. But even though she knew her father "knew what was going on," they had to "be discreet."

"That period had a momentum of its own."

Jay said. "A flood oflove -- it was really wonderful. Adi was so much a part of that. He played a role, he facilitated it so it could happen. He did not want to see us holding hands, but he encouraged us to go out all the time."

That Christmas, Jay went back to the United States to visit his family.

"The day Jay went to the airport I was weeping in my room." she said. "My father came in and said to me 'Shireen, are you very sad? I know you love him and you can marry him. You have my blessing.' I couldn't have ever married Jay without my father's blessing. I felt Baba was saying 'This was meant to be..., Shireen and Jay were separated for six months while he eamed money for his three years of study in London. During this time her feelings for Jay were "out in the open," though they still had to be quiet until it was "official."

After Jay arrived back in London, Shireen said her father and mother swrunoned him and asked, "What are your intentions toward my daughter?", to which a stunned Jay replied that he loved her and wanted to marry her. "Now you have my blessings," was Adi's reply.

Jay said he realized that to tell Adi and Franey "I'd like to get to know her" would be "totally inappropriate. I thought 'this is when I

get thrown out of the house.' I took the bull by the horns and said 'Adi, I'd like to marry your daughter.' I hadn't expected to do that. He put me on the spot and I had to be truthful with myself. " Shireen's parents were visibly relaxed, he said, and he felt "elated" after making his decision.

"I realized that if Shireen would accept my proposal, the person I loved more than I could imagine would be my wife. I proposed to her that day."

Shireen accepted, a cable was sent to Mehera and the wedding was planned for the following year, after which the couple took a three month honeymoon touring Bali, Hawaii, and the U.S. Now Shireen, Jay, and their daughter, Mehera, await completion of their new home in Santa Fe. "After having a daughter I can only imagine how concerned [Adi and Franey] must have been for her marriage," Jay said. "They were so gentle with me and so good. We had a wonderful time.

"Then the roller coaster began... " â&#x20AC;˘ THE LOVE STREET LAMP POST A quarterly publica1ion ortbe Avllar Moher BIba Conler orSoulhem Caliromia 10SOS Santa Monica BouJoyard Los AnS..... CA 90025 (310) 474-9454

This ....... Ielter is designed to keep tbe Soulhem Caliromia M.ber BIba COIIDmliIy IDd _ _ orConlerl<:tivilies.1Dd to provide. ronun ro< C<mUIIIpOI'IIY _ ortir. with M_ _ â&#x20AC;˘ Guide.

B4iton: Gr.g IDd Gay Dwm JIJ<lpm CIlaitJoor-: J.lTMaguire CaaIrilUcn: Lynne Beny. Jacko Canco. Dina Franklin, Donna Korpe.... L)'IIII. Danny .t J.ff Maguire. Prom .t Mehera Mak.ig.

Caroline McDonald. Chris.t Christi Peancn, Cbristina Riley. Rocky Rodg.... John Stout, GeorJeoe Tarbox.1Dd Adele Wolkin AlailiIJI: Chris IDd Pris Halfendeo

Pu- ...... all ..".,.". -.w III: Greg IDd Gay Dwm 3401 Dow Avcoue Redoodo Beacb, CA 9027S (310)371-6321

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Pris Halfeoden 3616 S. CentioelaAveoue Los Ang.les. CA 90066 (310) 390-2779

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Publisbed quarterly (J.... Apr, JuI, Oct) Allcoate1llsC 1992 bytbeAv.... M_ _ C_orSoulhem Caliromia, except where DOCed.

On !Metier: I understand how you felt a little mischievous when you were a very young chicken.

I even understand how you felt very, very mischievous.

But now you are old, Now you are the Ancient One. So why are you still so mischievous?

And why does it all seem to come out in my life?

I try to do my life right because I know it's really yours.

But your mischievousness gets in my way of trying to live your way!

On

(jeorgene:

Listen to Me, and laugh and smile!

Remember, I gave very few orders

But one was: "Don't Worry, Be Happy!"

Even in my mischievousness, I have only your good at heart.

The only Real Knowledge is the Knowledge that God is the inner dweller in good people and in socalled bad. in saint and in socalled sinner. This Knowledge requires you to belp all equally as circumstances demand without expectation ofreward. and when compelled to take part in a dispute. to act without the slightest trace of enmity or hatred; to try to malce others happy with brotherly or sisterly feeling for each one; and to hazm no one in thought. work or deed. not even those who hazm you.

AVATAR MEHER BABA

My mischievious ways are in your life because you invited them into your heart.

So enjoy them and know I teach by a laugh as often as by a tear.

On Peop[e of ttie 'Worla: Take me seriously, but do not take yourself seriously!

Then You too can learn all you need to know in life with a laugh instead of a tear.

Welcome me into your heart and come to understand the laughter and joy that can be found in my mischievious ways.

Jai 'Ba6a XOBRAT,0991

5

Letter to the Editor: A Mariposa Meher Retreat Center [The following letter represents my personal view, expressed simply as an individual member of the Southern California group. The Lamp Post encourages others among you to express your views on these and other topics of interest and concern to our community. - Ed.]

6

I enthusiastically support the Mariposa Meher Retreat Center project.

During earlier periods of my life when the time and money were easier to come by, I used to visit Myrtle Beach at least yearly, and sometimes more often.

Those many of you who have visited the Center there know that it provides a truly unique opportunity for refreshment and renewal in Meher Baba's love. I have always thought, as I am sure many of you have, that it would be very satisfying to live nearer to it and to be able to take a more active role in its upkeep and operation.

Some of you actually have done so, but fmd that fate has now brought you here to the western U.S. As the world recession deepens, with no reversal in sight and the possibility that this is only the beginning, opportunities to travel to Myrtle Beach and India will only become more rare than now. I believe it only makes sense for us to establish a western retreat center here, both for our own spiritual renewal, and for the benefit of those who will be newly attracted to Baba as the "three-quarter destruction of the world" and the emergence of the New Humanity proceed.

I would also like to see us involved in developing a community away from the large urban centers in California. I believe that decentralization of the California population and economy is in the best interests of everyone, and is much more likely to contribute significantly to a solution of the problems of the megalopolis that any attempt to straighten out the mess here. They perform a noble and valuable service for the commonweal who, lucky enough to have the opportunity, are inspired enough to undertake the risk and brave the hardship of creating new

RELIGION Spirifualleader ~ Meher Saba's D1eSSage:Love

Profiles in Faith: Meher Baba The Santa Barbara NewsPress recently featured Meher Baba in one of a series of articles called "Profiles in Faith'. Donna Karpeles, Coselle Buser, and Marta Flores contributed to the article which was written by Kathy Price.

centers of life and community in this state and in this country. This is entrepreneurship of the highest and most relevant order.

I also feel that the effort to combine forces with our northern California brothers and sisters in Baba will be a stimulating and valuable one for all concerned. While comparisons of this to a blending in Baba of the head and heart are perhaps a bit overblown, it is nevertheless apparent that there are significant differences in culture and outlook between the two groups; and I think we will all emerge from the effort to work together with a more encompassing and better balanced perspective on life in Baba. Heck, I think it'll be exciting and fun.

I have often asked myself why I endure the intense negatives of living in Los Angeles -- the expense, the crowding, the noise, the crime, the intense competition for work, and so forth. I've always come up with the same answer: because of the dynamic Baba community that is here. If!

continued on page 8

Sheriar Foundation The Sheriar Foundation is a non-profit, taxexempt corporation formed in 1989 to "broaden awareness and deepen the appreciation of the spiritual values exemplified in the life and writings of Meher Baba."路 The foundation serves as an umbrella over the Baba-publication activities of Sh~riar Press, and has also produced, to date, five Vldeo productions: The Frivolous Three An Evening with Margaret Craske, Kitty Davy, ~d Delia Deleon; A Date With the Eternal Beloved: Amartithi in India -- 1989' "Hello Ducks"-- Remembering Margar~t Crask~; Peter: A talk by Peter Saul; and Baba's Kitty: A True Friend. The Foundation has accumulated hundreds of hours of video tape of Meher Baba's disciples and of places most deeply connected to His life and work, and is currently producing Darshan, a multi-faceted exploration of being in the presence of God. An extensive list of additional video projects is under consideration.

Sheriar Foundation also has a particular interest in widening distribution channels for Meher Baba-related books and videos: "In a world torn apart by self-interest and separate~ess, Meher Baba's afTmnation of the unity of hfe stands as a powerful alternative. Today, more than ever, it is a story that cries out to be told."

For ~orrnation on the Foundation's projects, or to receive a brochure, please write or call The Sheriar Foundation at 3005 Highway 17 N. Bypass, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577, (803) 448-1106.

I

Quotes in this article are from a Sheriar Foundation brochure published in 1992.

Library and Prisoner Projects The Library Project of the Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California is entering another cycle of activity placing books by and about Avatar Meher Baba in libraries across the country. Begun in 1978, the library project has placed over 400 books in more than 175 libraries throughout the U.S. and Canada.

The Library Project invites your participation in anyone or more of the following ways: I. Make a donation to the Library Project care of the Avatar Meher Baba Center of South-

em California; 2. Check your local public libraries for current holdings of books by or about Avatar Meher Baba and forward this information, including the names and addresses ofthe libraries, to the Project Coordinator; 3. Personally receive and then place the book(s) in your local area libraries, serving as a 'go-between' for the Library Project. .Ifyou would like to participate in the Library Project or would like more information on the Library Project, please contact us.

Avatar Meher Baba Library Project Brian Drygas, Project Coordinator P.O. Box 390039 Mountain View, CA 94039 (408) 356-3512, or Adele Wolkin, Project Board Liason 714-A S. Pacific Coast Hwy Redondo Beach, CA 90277

Lord Meher Baba's extensive biography, Lord Meher, by Bhau Kalchuri, and published by Manifestation, Inc., is in need of sales (volumes 2, 3, 4, and 5) as a condition for the future publishing of volumes 6 and 7. Wouldn't you like to see these gems of Baba literature on the bookshelves of your local library as well as your home library?

Congratulations Wedding bells rang on September 26 for Susan England and Richard Stermer. Congratulations and best Baba wishes.

Avatar Meher Baba Trust Baba has given us an extraordinary privilege to allow us to participate in His very special Trust work. Meher Baba tells us that He is the Personage by whom serving, we serve the whole universe! Jai Baba.

If you wish to otTer a love donation to Baba's Trust, please make you check payable to: "Friends of the Meher Baba Tru!lt," and send to: Lynne Berry, Trustwalla 267 Hanover Drive Costa Mesa, CA 92626

7

All events, W1less otherwise noted, are at the Center, 10808 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, (310)474-9454. If you have any program suggestions or are interested in presenting a program, artwork, or music, please contact Jeff Maguire at (310) 545-3671.

October 17, Saturday, 8pm. A BABA SWAP MEET hosted by Marguerite Poley. Bring some of your favorite Baba quotes, put them in a grab bag, and see who Baba directs them to.

Find out what special words of wisdom He directs to you!

OCTOBER EVENTS

OCTOBER 17 -18, Saturday and Sunday, SPECIAL MEETING/CAMPOUT IN MARIPOSA, CA. at the home of Chris and Christie Pearson to consider the purchase and construction ofa West Coast Baba Center in the Mariposa vicinity in league with the Northern California Baba Group. For details and directions, call the Pearsons at (209)966-5078.

October 3, Saturday, 6pm. FARSI LANGUAGE MEETING devoted to discussion of Beloved Baba. All are welcome. Coordinated by Dr. Mahmoud Ajang.

October 3, Saturday, 8pm. MANDALI HALL NIGHT. Come share stories of Baba, hosted by John Stout. As John is President of our Center, tonight may also provide a forum for questions regarding the Center's future direction.

October 10, Saturday, 8pm. THE NEW LIFE of Beloved Baba began October 15, 1949 and will continue on even if there is no one to live it according to Baba. Lois Jones will host an evening devoted to one of the most important phases of the Godman's work.

Letter of Opinion from page 6

8

could have that Baba community in a place closer to nature, with a less materially hectic lifestyle, would I do it? Ifl could have it an hour's drive from Yosemite Park, the heartland of natural environments, would I choose it?

Dam straight.

I believe we should use the Permanent Site money to support a down payment on land for a Meher Retreat Center in the Mariposa area. After years of trying we have been unable to locate a suitable site in the Los Angeles area. We can find places here that are large enough to accomodate our activities; we can fmd centrally located places we feel halfway safe coming to; we can find places we can afford; but we haven't even come close to doing all three at the same time.

In contrast, I think our chances of building a

October 24, Saturday, DINNER-AUCTION FUNDRAISER at the home of Sam Ervin and Margaret Magnus. Come enjoy a sumptuous feast and lots of laughs while providing our Center with much-needed financial support.

Details will be provided in a mailer, or call Sam and Margaret at (310)498-0883. THE CENTER WILL BE CLOSED TONIGHT. October 31, Saturday, 8pm. HALLOWEEN BABA MOVIES projected by the irredoubtable Charlie Morton who may very well turn up in costume tonight. successful "permanent site" in Mariposa are excellent. Like the baseball diamond in the movie Field of Dreams, I think if we build a center, "they will come". (They will be us, at least in the beginning!) I also think that the resources to build that center will come, too. I think significant numbers ofus will be inspired to contribute whatever we have -- love, time, labor, materials, and as required, money -- to make it happen. It can be the home many ofus have been unable to afford here.

And of course, starry-eyed prognostications aside, the practical reality is that by holding our annual Sahavas on our own land rather than at Pilgrim Pines, we can recover every two years more money than we've been able to raise for the Permanent Site in 20 years. Let's do it!

Greg Dunn

NOVEMBER EVENTS November 7, Saturday,6pm. FARSI LANGUAGE MEETING devoted to discussion of Beloved Baba. All are welcome. Coordinated by Dr. Mahmoud Ajang.

November 7, Saturday, 8pm. GUITA NIGHT. Baba and Fred Stankus once again provide the sustenance, both material and spiritual.

November 14, Saturday, 8pm. SPECIAL GUEST! Herman Alvarado met Baba in 1956 and attended the East-West Gathering. He'll share his story with us tonight, hosted by Steve Berry.

November 21, Saturday, 8pm. THE KALIYUGA COFFEE HOUSE. Another informal night of music, art, and poetry inspired by Baba, and coordinated by Pris Haffenden. Bring your voice, instruments, artwork, poetry, or rapt attention.

November 28, Saturday, 8pm. FILM NIGHT. The Beloved on celluloid hosted by the insouciant Charlie Morton.

DECEMBER December 5, Saturday, 6pm. FARSI LANGUAGE MEETING devoted to discussion of Beloved Baba. All are welcome. Coordinated by Dr. Mahmoud Ajang.

December 5, Saturday, 8pm. BABA'S SECOND AUTO ACCIDENT occurred during this week in 1956. Tonight Bob Dearborn will discuss the Godman's necessary Helplessness and Hopelessness in the face of disaster and what it means to be hopeless and helpless in our own lives.

December 12, Saturday, 8pm. MEHERA, BELOVED OF THE BELOVED will be remembered with love in tonight's discussion led

by Diana Goodheart. Bring your stories to share.

Decem er 19, Saturday, 8pm. MERRY MEHERMAS! Our annual Christmas Party will feature carols and plenty ofho-ho-ho's. The

winner of the Mehermas Sweeps will be drawn tonight. BRING AN INEXPENSIVE GIFT IF YOU'D LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN A GIFf EXCHANGE. December 26, Saturday, 8pm. FILM NIGHT. Movies and/or videos of Beloved Baba with your ineluctable host Charlie Morton.

Area Meetings There are area group meetings in Orange County and in Pasadena. For meetings in Orange County, call Georgene Tarbox at (714) 953-3193. In Pasadena, call Diana Goodheart at (818) 791-1078.

Fresno Baba Group The Fresno Meher Baba Group meets every fIrst, second, and third Wednesday each month. For location and time call Sharon or Phil Scott at (209) 449-0877.

Ojai Baba Group The Ojai Meher Baba group meets every other Sunday evening at 7 p.m. For location and other information call Marta Flores at (805) 646-8501.

Santa Barbara Baba Group The Santa Barbara Meher Baba group meets every other Friday. For meeting information call Donna Karpeles at (805) 682-1877.

San Diego Baba Group The San Diego Meher Baba group meets monthly. For meeting times and locations, call Scott or Anne Makeig at (619) 436-7155.

Portland Baba Group The Portland group meets every Friday night.

Discourses meeting are held every other Sunday afternoon, and a monthly Il}.eeting is held every month at the Wilson's house in Scotts Mill, (503) 873-2048.

9

At the Bookstore amaste!

I'm writing this from the Pilgrim Center in Meherabad. Not only is this my two-yearly pilgrimage, but also a massive buying trip for the bookstore. I have just about bought out Joy Meher with lots of the laminated wooden standup frames with beautiful photos of Baba, three different kinds of key chains, masses ofBaba buttons, and at least six different types of pendants. I was also lucky enough to buy 10 of the beautifully made round silver pendants, with a clear quartz top and the photo of Baba that is on the cover of the Discourses. This exceptionally well-made pendant sells for $20. But be quick, as they may be gone as soon as they hit the store!

"Traveling MusicH

A Book From the Heart

by Craig Ian Ruff Review by Dina Franklin

10

When I was having lunch with Johnny Kwall at the Trust Office on my first day here, I was introduced to one Craig Ian Ruff. "Did you just get here, too?" I asked. "No," he replied, "I've been working here for 14 years!" Talk about your nose to the grindstone, self-effacing worker! We got to talking, and he told me when he got "the call," in his youth, he wanted to come to India, drink in the spiritual atmosphere, and write poetry. Baba shattered this when he came in a dream to Craig and said, in no uncertain terms, "What I want from you is not poetry but action." And so he went to work for the Trust for thirteen years. He has only in the last year or so allowed the poet to come out -- and what an outing!

I was privileged to read his manuscript, as the book is not back from the publishers (but should be by the time you read this), and the beauty and intimacy of his words just took my breath away. He kindly allowed us to give you a sneak preview of one of my favorites. But before

I have also located six of Allen Cohen's Mastery of Consciousness, with a possibility of getting more. Let me know if you want one: it's an excellent book for Meher Baba 101 (beginning).

I doubt I will be allowed on the plane without paying masses ofexcess baggage, as I have over 100 books of the Indian publications from Meher Nazar and Meher Era. There is aBaba publisher in Madras who has printed two very nice introductory Baba books: Avatar Meher Baba, Awakener of Hearts, is a good selection of sayings and information. $2.50.

While in Pune I bought many photos from Meelan Studios: magnificent llxl4's, excellent quality 8xlO's and smaller. I saw many photos I had not seen before. One that is worth a particular mention, is a very sharp 8x10 photo that has been hand-colored so well it looks like you read "Wholehearted" and what Craig has to say of how it came about, here is a little more information about him from his publisher, Meher Prasad: "There is nowhere to go but to travel in Your remembrance. The heart travels from Separation to Remembrance, from Remembrance to Presence, and from Presence to Absorption.

This is travelling music...

With these words begins a book that expresses the dynamics of the search for Divine Love, and the relationship with The Divine Beloved, Avatar Meher Baba. It is written by Craig Ian Ruffwho has been living in Ahrnednagar, India for the past 14 years, dedicating his life to this search. Under the Spiritual Training Program of the Avatar Meher Baba Trust, he has been fortunate to have had daily association with Avatar Meher Baba 's close disciples, and this 130-page book is the shared fruit of that association and his own spiritual aspirations.

Through the art ofpoetry Craig creates an atmosphere ofintimacy that allows the readers to enter the private world of their own search for their Higher Self. It is a poetry that takes us past the personal world of the author through the impersonal world of art till we reach the highly personal world oflove for God as Beloved. This

Kodacolor, of Baba holding a brown and white baby goat. A must for every child's room! $15.

For descriptions of the others, you can call me at (310) 837-6419 (evenings) after I return September 16.

A couple of items oflocal news: Every visitor who enters the Trust Office in Ahmednagar has quenched their thirst and satiated their cravings for cookies at Sarosh's Canteen. Well, this venerable establishment is no longer! But wait, a wonderful new garden restaurant, for al fresco dining, is springing up right next to the 'Nagar center. That wonderful Bombay businessman, Baba-Ioving Rustom Vazifdar and his lovely wife larine, owners of Joy Meher, are building it for us. When I noticed the kitchen walls were sparkling white tiles from floor to continued on page 14

is a book rich in the expression of the conflicts and hannonies of mind and heart as the 'traveller' on his own inner path makes his music oflove as he seeks the truth ofthe Soul. "

Paperback, $10.

In a letter to me, Craig describes how his poem entitled "Wholehearted" [shown at right] came about: "One summer evening I was locking up the Trust Office and just as I put the key into the lock, the quiet voice of inspiration whispered within me, saying "I am a spirit unto your love, as you are a spirit unto mine." Recognizing immediately the inspiration that had come upon me, I thought, 'It's a poem.' I ran down the verandah and put the keys in Bhau's office. Then ran to my room with this inspired thought, prepared to totally devote myself, mind and heart, to writing this poem.

"There is a medieval Italian tradition regarding poetry: if! recall it correctly it goes, "une line dinee" (oon leen denay), which means "the one line given." That is, one line of inspiration comes to the poet, and the rest of the poem is up to him. I appreciate this traditional saying very much, but on the other hand, living as we do in the Age of the Avatar, I feel the entire poem is inspired by our Beloved Meher Baba.

<\VholeFtearte4 I am a spirit unto your love As you are a spirit unto mine.

We know not each other Through the frail touch of sense Which ever begets distance.

Ours is of the heart So singular in its intent That all action of the body Or movement of the mind Is in sweet unison With a secret giving-way to the wishes Of one to the other.

There is no breath to our love.

For breath is a transient thing, Ever coming and going and finally stopping.

No, our love has no breath, Nor does it know the clarity of day, Nor the obscurity of night, And it is beyond the power of the dreaming world No matter how brilliant the imagination is.

It is all too simple for the senses.

Too light for the weight of thought Too complete for the intimacy of feeling.

It is as it is, our love.

Shameful am I to say even the word 'our' For it is the lie of separation.

Ever are we together.

No, not together, but one.

But neither can I say 'one'.

It is not one It is a love Where there is neither one nor two.

What is it then This mad sweet thing called lo"e?

~

Craig Ian Ruff

11

MeherBaba From the Encyclopaedia BritMmica, 1987 Edition'

M

EHER BABA, also called TIlE AWAKENER, original name MERWAN SHERIAR IRANI (b. Feb. 25, 1894, Poona, India - d. Jan. 31, 1969, Ahmednagar), spiritual master in western India with a sizable following both in that country and abroad. Beginning July 10, 1925, he observed silence for the last 44 years of his life, communicating with his disciples at first through an alphabet board but increasingly through gestures. He observed that he had come "not to teach but to awaken," adding that "things that are real are given and received in silence."

He was born into a Zoroastrian family of Persian descent. He was educated in Poona and attended Deccan College there, where at the age of 19 he met an aged Muslim woman, Hazrat Babajan, the frrst of five "perfect masters" (spiritually enlightened or "God-realized" persons) who over the next seven years helped him find his own spiritual identity. That identity, Meher Baba said, was as the avatar of this age, interpreting that Vedantic term to mean the periodic incarnation of God in human form. He placed himself among such universal religious figures as Zoroaster, Rarna, Krishna, Gautama Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad. "I am the sarne Ancient One come again into your midst," he told his disciples, declaring that all major religions are revelations of "that One Reality which is God. " Meher Baba's cosmology may be summarized as follows: the goal of all life is to realize the absolute oneness of God, from whom the universe emanated as a result of the whim of unconscious divinity to know itself as conscious divinity. In pursuit of consciousness, evolution of forms occurs in seven stages: stone or metal, vegetable, worm, fish, bird, animal, and human.

Every individualized soul must experience all these forms in order to gain full consciousness.

Once consciousness is attained, the burden of

12

â&#x20AC;˘ Reprinted with permission from Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th edition, (:) 1989 by Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.

impressions accumulated in these forms prevents the soul from realizing its identify with God. To gain this realization the individual must traverse an inward spiritual path, eliminating all false impressions of individuality and eventuating in the knowledge of the "real self' as God. Meher Baba saw his work as awakening the world through love to a new consciousness of the oneness of all life. To that end he lived a life of love and service which included extensive work with the poor, the physically and mentally ill, and many others, including such tasks as feeding the poor, cleaning the latrines of untouchables, and bathing lepers. He saw a responsibility to give spiritual help to "advanced souls" and travelled throughout the Indian subcontinent to fmd such persons.

These outward activities Meher Baba saw as indications of the inner transformation of consciousness that he came to give the world. He established and later dismantled many institutions of service, which he compared to scaffolding temporarily erected to construct a building that really was within the human heart. He said that a "new humanity"

would emerge from his life's work, and that he would bring about an unprecedented release of divine love in the world.

Between 1931 and 1959 he made many visits to the United States and Europe, on one such trip in 1952 establishing the Meher Spiritual Center in Myrtle Beach, S.C. A similar centre, Avatar's Abode, was created at Woomby, Queensland, Australia in 1958.

From the mid-1960's Meher Baba was in seclusion. and during that period several U.S. drug experimenters were drawn to him in a quest for spiritual truth. Through them his admonitions against the non-medical use of psychedelic and other drugs came to the attention of the news media in the U.S. and the West. He wamed young

people explicitly that "drugs are harmful mentally, physically, and spiritually," trying to draw them away from drugs and toward a spiritual life.

Meher Baba never sought to form a sect or proclaim a dogma; he attracted and welcomed followers of many faiths and every social class with a message emphasizing love and compassion. the elimination of the selfish ego, and the potential of realizing God within themselves.

Although his equation of the several manifestations of God was syncretic, he won many followers from sects and denominations that repudiated syncretism, and encouraged those followers to be strong in their original faiths. After his death his followers heeded his wish that they not form an continued last page

Bookstore continued

adjacent (give or take a mile) to the Samadhi for $3500 to $4000!! I hasten to tell you it is not immediately available; it may even take up to a year before all the red tape has been worked through. James Cox, who is currently building his own permanent home here, is in charge, and today he took a group ofus over the fields to show us approximately what areas would be coming available. We were told that in 1954 Baba said that in 70 years there would be a city here. How nice to get in on the ground floor!

To inquire just how to do this, write to James Cox, Meherabad Properties, Inc., 104 Ogden Ave., Jersey City, NJ 07307; telephone (201) 963-6271.

I was happy to hear that our two latest audio tapes are getting great play over here -- especially by Mani! Being a lover of Rock 'n Roll since its inception. I really enjoyed these two upbeat albums, White Rock Trails by Gary Edelman (who sings on the Meher Baba 's Call video), and The Unstopable Train by Caris Arkin, however, I thought they might be a little I too rowdy for the Mandali. 1;ust shows what I know -- they loved them! They are $10 each. I was told Caris played the lead in the play here last year and proved immensely p,.opular!

See you, At the Bookstore, ...

ceiling, Rustom told me cleanliness will be the #1 concern! It's scheduled to open the end of September, but that could well be anytime before Christmas. It is very eagerly awaited by all here.

Not content with two jobs, Rustom also has a third he has started: R.A.G.s., the Receive and Guide Service. lIDs is an absolutely invaluable service they are offering to visiting Baba lovers.

The airport and the "hangers on" at Bombay have gotten even more frantic than usual, and I can't tell you how nice it was to be greeted with a big photo of Baba with my name attached to it. I was then taken by taxi to the train station, with a stop-off for lunch and to wash up at the Taj Mahal hotel, given my ticket with a reserved seat, and put on the train. All baggage is handled for you, and your guide never leaves your side.

When you know your arrival time, write to Rustom Vazifdar, 23 Khushnuma, 29A Carmichael Road, Bombay 400 026, India. Telephone 22-494-0047.

I read about this next item in two other Baba magazines, but found there are many people who still have not heard the exciting news that the Indian govemment has now made it possible for foreigners to own land here! "Meherabad Properties," a corporation set up to handle the buying and selling ofland, has half-acre lots on the land

(~o.....

13

Message For Youngsters

Dreaming

I remember very well when, not long ago, I was just like one of you. You little ones are especially dear to me. Children are innocent and free from vain egotism. Children have no low desires. When, after becoming free of all childishness, a man really becomes childlike, he realizes God. Whether you like it or not, you must soon grow up and cease being childish. More and more you must enjoy letting your teachers teach you and your elders lead you while you are growing into men and women. Unless you are willing to learn and ready to obey, they cannot help you as they would like to do.

The whole of life is like playing the game of hide and seek, in which you must fmd your real self. I give you my blessings, that you may succeed in this realization that life is alltime play. God alone is real, all else is false, and so you must try to love God who is within us all. To gain this love you should try to be honest in your thoughts, words, and actions. â&#x20AC;˘ Meher Baba

One day Baba was sitting in his chair and his dog Peter was lying at Baba's feet.

Mani was sitting near Baba, and they were both watching Peter who seemed to be asleep. Suddenly Peter twitched and growled and his little paws made running motions. Baba said, "See how Peter is fast asleep, but in his dreams he is being chased by another dog. Yet he is really safe at my feet. This life too is really a dream, and one day when we wake up from it we'll realize that all along we were really safe here at my feet and were only dreaming." â&#x20AC;˘ Mehera

Hot Cross Buns (from Francis Brabazon's Four and Twenty Blackbirds) Hot cross buns, hot cross buns, Sing a little song about the Perfect Ones.

If you love God truly -- then you are His sons, And there'll come a day when you'll be Perfect Ones.

CE-vo(ution We are like little kites.

God lets us go into the wind.

We struggle and fight.

The day might be sunny and bright, But then a strong wind turns us round and we spin.

When we have done our job he pulls us back, Back in to him.

Our lives are like balloons

God lets us into the sky 14

Up into the air of happiness and hardships.

He says, "Goodbye."

Our journey is long, we will travel for

many years.

Some days we will fly on the currents of love Others we'll drift in wisps of tears.

When our journey is over, God will pop our balloons of evolution and let us return to him We will say,"Hello".

Prem Makeig, age 14

The Monkey Named Lucky In the 30s Baba sent out a call for a special monkey. He said it would be a monkey who would respond to him.

Monkeys after monkeys were brought up the hill. But none were the right monkey. One day a tiny cage arrived. In it was a wee monkey with huge, spark1ing eyes and long lashes. Baba and the men mandali made a circle around the cage. Then it was opened. Baba said if the monkey jumped first on to Baba, it was the one! Yes, the tiny monkey shot right onto Baba's left arm, right under his heart! And was spontaneously named Lucky. Lucky was given to Norina to take care of. He used to sleep on her open palm. He was very naughty too, and squeezed out toothpaste and L..knocked over powder boxes. But as soon as Baba appeared, he would jump onto him and hug him dearly.

• Mehera

Knock. knock. -- Who's there? -- Baba.-Baba who? -- Baba-Hu, Baba-Hu, Baba-Hu....

Children's Letters to God © 1966 by Eric Marshall and Stuart Hample

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~ ~ ~

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Request to Children Does Baba talk to You? Do you dream of Baba. or play with him? If you share with me, I'll try to draw/paint what you tell me. Later a book could be published of these tellings ("Baba's Children Speak").

Contact Will David at (310) 548-7072 or P.O. Box 21, San Pedro, CA.

Essandess special editions.

•

Dear God,

I am eight years old My name is Sharon. I am in third grade. I live in Seattle. One thing I would like to know. Do you like what you do?

Sharon •

Dear God, Do you get your angels to do all the work?

Mommy says we are her angels and we have to do everything.

Love, Maria

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Encyclopaedia from page 13 organization, but continued to gather infonnally and often to discuss and read his works and express through music, poetry, dance, or drama their reflections on his life. His tomb at Meherabad, near Ahmednagar, has become a place of pilgrimage for this followers throughout the world. His books include Discourses (5 vol., 1938-43; the earliest dictated on an alphabet board, the others by gesture), "God Speaks": The Theme of Creation and Its Purposes (1955), and "The Everything and the Nothing" (1963). â&#x20AC;˘

Contributions for the Lamp Post Please share your artwork, photos, poetry, letters, articles, and ideas with us. Send to Greg and Gay DUIUl, 3401 Dow Ave., Redondo Beach, CA 90278. The Winter deadline is November 23.

If you wish to send a donation, please send it directly to the AMBC of SC, 10808 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025.

AVATAR MEHER BABA CENTER OF SOUTHERN CAlIFORNIA 10808 Santa Monica Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90025

Do You Wish to Continue Receiving the Lamp Post?

We're still trying to update our mailing list, so if you haven't sent us your name and address (letting us know you wish to remain on the list) please help us out by doing so at your earliest convenience. One of these days, we hope to start cutting the list in order to cut costs.

Remember there is no charge for the Lamp Post, but if you can afford to send an annual donation of $4 to help defray printing and mailing costs, we'd be most grateful. Thanks. 1ai Baba.

The Board of Directors of the Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California

You can leave your mind to My care by remembering Me or repeating My Name silently as otten as you can. - AVATAR MEHER BABA

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