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Editor’s Corner Jai Baba folks!

et me offer my humble apolo gies for the lateness of this issue. One thing thatMeher Babawould nottolerate was unpunctua1itThis is always uppermostin my mind as I strive to get the magazine together and out to you on time. Alas, that it not al ways possible. My Mother just turned 90, wanted to go to India one last time. She has been many times before 1961 the first and 1994 the last. She lives by Avatar’s Abode in Queensland, Australia, so I told her to meet me in Mumbai and we would go to Amar tithi together. It was a first for both ofus, and what an experience! It would seem there are Amar tithi Junkies those who go back year after year to get what it has to offer. Others, like myself prefer their communion with the Beloved to be a quieter, more private affair, and so go when the crowds are at their lowest ebb. However this is becoming more and more difficult. The crowd of eager lovers grows each year. Why, Upper Meherabad is now on the route of a tour bus to various spfritual sites in India! But I feel Amartithi is to be experienced at least once in your pu grimage years. Itwas unlike anything I could have imagined. And that is why this April issue comes to you in May! I was over there covering it for you instead of here in Los ngeles gathering all the other stories together. One of our LampPost staff Betty Lowman, was also there. We were seldom without camera in hand, so we do hope you enjoythe large section on Amartithi.You will not find much writing, as we felt it to be best experienced by the heart and the eyes. Hopefully some small measure of what we all felt and saw this 30th Amartithi will be imparted from these pages. A very special moment for me was when we got the message that Meheru would like my Mother to sit with the Mandali on the Mandap (the stage across from the Sa —

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madhi in front ofBaba’s Room) during the 15 minute silence. A great honor indeed. Prior to myleaving for India,Tom Hart, another staff member, suggested that since this May marked 10 years since Baba took His Beloved from us, it would be a good thing to create a spe cial tribute to her. Many of our readers have expressed their appreciation for the memorial issue we did on the passing of His sister, but sorrow that we were not able to do the same for Mehera. In this issue we try to make amends for that omission. While in India I asked Meheru if she would be able to write about something Mehera for us. We are deeply appreciative that, as busy as she is, she was able to make the time for a really beautiful article for us. Meheru, as most of you may know, is Mehera’s niece, and at Baba’s request, served her beloved aunt for most ofher life. While I was in India, Kacy Cook, who has lived since 1972 in Meherabad, visited “Meherabode” and spoke at our Center about the ‘old days’ with

Mehera. I was disappointed to have missed the talk, but very happy to learn that Marc Brutus had recorded it in its entiret Advertising on the Baba List Serv for a tran scriber, Michael Ivey eagerly offered to do it, typing 18 pages in all! It was then edited down to the fascinating account you can read herein. The response to our request in the January issue for your yearly donations to support this maga zine was most gratifying. Wendy Ward, one ofthe volun teers who helps handle the mail, had the heart warming task of reading all your letters and turning the checks over to her hubby Rob, who entered them in our data base. The majority of those who did respond, did so with a check over and above the $ 10 that would just cover the bare cost of a year’s issue per person. But almost more than the money enclosed, were the letters you were moved to write, telling us just what the LampPost meant to you. IfI had the time I would respond to each and every one of you who wrote your letters were so beautiftil. Alas, that is not possible, so please, you know who you are know that you are thanked from the bottom ofour hearts. A spe cial thank you to Sufism Reoriented for your very generous donation. “Without the LampPost, how would we find Love Street?!” wrote Mark Trichka and Lisa Brande songwriting husband and wife duo. —

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In His love and service, Dma

£ove&eet

a A publication of the Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern Ca4fornia

£ovetStreet fsmj2osr

welcome

Cw-cti-*t& F

The £ova5trecLCamjPosr is dedicated with love to Avatar Meher Baba. Its primary purpose is to contribute to a sense ofcommunity among all His lovers by providing a place for sharing His remembrance. All the members ofthe Babafamily are invited to contribute to thisfeast ofLove. Your stories, photos, art work, poetry, letters, articles, and humor are all actively solicited. We seek expressions of Baba’s message of Love and Truth. Please submit your text on computer disks if possible (in any software format); typewritten copy on white paper is also acceptable. Be sure to clearly identify all submissions and credit every quote or reference.

Amartithi,

The

th 30

ftffl3Jfl1Effi

Meherabad

Amartithi Impressions

Don Stevens

Barbara Roberts

Bili Eaton

Various contributors

A Love So Amazing: Rocky Mt. Sahavas

The LastJudgement

Transformations at Meherabode

Progress on the Archives Building, Meherabad

Remembering Mehera Meheru Irani

Kacy Cook

Vesta Clinton

Anne Ross

The Ivory family and Tony Paternini

Jamie and Zo Newell

Josephine Ross Bernice Ivory

ScottTycer

deadlines: -

Jim Auster

Passing On

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Dint Pane (The French God Speaks)

Baba’s Beloved

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for the January March issue: April June issue: July September issue: October December issue:

Irene Holt

ATrashyAmartithi Story

The Day ofBeloved Baba’s Birth

Dma Snow

Betty Lowman

Blue Moon Amartithi, 1999

Mehera and Meherazad

Love Street LampPost Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southem California 1214 South Van Ness Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90019-3520 323-731-3737 or Bababoolcs@aol.com

1999

Remembering Mehera

submissions, subscriptions, donations:

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November 8th February 8th May 8th August 8th

ViolaFarber

ReginaSadonno

J oe Harmon

Charles Harmon

Kendra C. Burroughs

WhereAreThey?

ManiS.Irani

On theThresholcl ofChange

Ron Sehiegel

Robert Thornburn

Dma Snow

The AndraTour ofMeher Mount

Love Street Bookstore: Dma Snow (at the addresses above) 310-837-6419 between 7 and 11pm 310-839-BABA (2222) 24 hour fax Bababooks@aol.com

Monsoon Seasons

credits: editor: Dma Snow design and layout: Cherie Plumlee, Betty Lowman, Dma Snow, Thomas Hart distribution: Chris Lyttle cover: Cherie Plumlee, photo composition. Carolyn Parker photo composite of Mehera with flowers. Photos ofBaba and Mehera © Hermes.

Editor’s Corner

The _Cova5freetLimflbsr i published ah% quarterly, inJanuaryç April,July, and October. tAr All contents © 1996 Avatar Meher Baba Center of $iJ t Southern California. $Rz4 All quotations, photos, or books, ofAvatar Melter Baba, © AMBPPCt India

Poetry

various contributors

Announcements

various contributors

Notes From The Internet

various contributors

Humor for Fluma

various contributors

Dma Snow

t5tep Dnside... TheJ.ove Street Uiookstore

•. GiaEcz=z:L Allwords, images, andgraphics in thispublication areproperey sfthe cspyright holders and/sr the contribu tors. Messages andphotos ofMeher Baba © Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust, Ahmednagaelndia, and © Lawrence Reiter Unautharizedduplieation isprohibitedby law.

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The 3Ot Amartithi, Meherabad January 31st 1999 By Dma Snow, Los Angeles They say that things that are rare happen nce in a blue moon.’

e have since discovered that the term simply describes the second full moon in one month. But attendees at this very special Amartithi were not ready to write it off as mere coincidence that it was a Blue Moon the day our Beloved was laid st to rest in His Eternal Peace January 31 th 1969, and it was again on this 30 Anniver sary. Meherabad was lit up like a carnival ground, but the glorious full moon in a sparkling star filled sky provided an aura of magic.

After all the hoopla had subsided, the last bus departed, the pandals all taken down, with just a hundred or so still in residence, Upper Meherabad once again became an area of tranquility. After Arti, during the quiet walk down the hill back to the Pilgrim Center, deep in contemplation of His Divine Love, it was heavenly to be bathed in the radiance ofthis blue moon that shone so brightly for over a week. But Ijump ahead... Although we had both been to India many times, it was the first Amartithi for both my Mother and mc. A complete de scription of the events of the week would fill this entire magazine, so I shall limit myself to the bare essentials and let you enjoy the photos taken by LampPost staff mem ber Betty Lowman and myself. Except for the aged and infirm, the Pilgrim Center is cleared out and all are moved to the hostels, hospital, nurse’s quar ters and quarantine rooms waybehind the P.C. A special ‘dining room’ pandal was set up there and the amazing Alan Wagncr who daily cooked for nearly 10,000 people (both up on the hill and here), provided us with the usual excellent fare.

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3 Blue Moon

Blue moon, You saw me standing alone Without a dream in my heart, without a love fmy own Blue moon, you knew Just whatl was therefir

You heard me saying aprayerfor Someone I really could carefàr And then sudden& appearedBefore me, the only one My arms could ever hold I heard somebody whisper please adore me’ But when Ilooked, that moon Had turned to gold -

Blue moon, Now rm no longer alone Without a dream in my hear4 Without a love ofmy own Without a love ofmy own.

Rogers and Hart The hilarious painting ofBaba is by Jim Frisino. Compared to the figure in the foreground, you can see just how big this was! The tent had the table laid for 500 guests, but as soon as one had finished eating, the banana leaves were cleared away, a fresh ‘plate’ laid down and newcomers took their place. In this fashion, around 8000 were fed here each day! Betty Lowman is seated in front of a standard place setting.

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A question we are often asked is “Just how manypeople were there at Amartithi?” The answer is it is very hard to give the definitive answer. There were 124 Westerners registered, but I could have sworn I saw at least 200! Around 10,000 Indians were billeted at lower Meherabad, with 400 in the theater, around 2000 in a huge pandal set up with mats side by side on the floo; and the rest scattered in every nook and cranny possible. The New Site,just pastJal and Dolly’s place and up towards the Samadhi accom modated another 5000.This is where 20 or more busses from all over India were parked. We found out the busses had to pay a heavy tax as they crossed the border of Maharashtra State coming down to Meherabad on the 29tI and 3OtI. If they did not cross back over the border before midnight on Sundaythe 31st, they would have to pay all over again. Consequently, the entire New Site emptied out shortly after the 15 minute st silence at noon on the 31

Watching the pandals go up was a treat in itseffi It took days, & literally miles of cloth were used. The stage was beautiful, with an exquisite backdrop of Baba and a rainbow painted by Catherine Cox. Once the show started, it was not empty for even a minute over the 48 hour period actually it was al most three solid days of performances. Hugh andJeannie Macdonald put in some heavy hours at the side ofthe stage on microphone and technical sound support. The metal guardrails weretaken down at the train crossing, and the spaces filled in by the tracks to make it a level crossing. What a time saver! Prior to this the rickshaws had to go through Arangaon village to get up the hill! There was a continuous stream of cars, bikes and people crossing back and forth as most of the commercial stands for food and Baba trinkets were on the PC side ofthc railroad tracks.

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When you got tired ofthe musical offerings on stage, there was always shopping! The stalls from many of the Baba Centers across the country were set up opposite the wall in front ofthe water tower compound Happily shopping for Tee shirts (which are now available in the Love Street Bookstore for only $8 each.) are Meghan Wylde (right) and friends. Taking a break on the steps of the Mandap after the festivities had drawn to a close are (left to right): Teresa Nugent, John Adams, Dieter and Ursula Lange and Max Siebert. -

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The trains made a special stop here as they did in the old days. Hundreds climbed down with their possessions in bundles and made their way up the hill. In these bundles were their food supplies, (al though plenty was always available to buy in the many food stalls set up,) and their clothes. As they arrived at the Samadhi area they staked out their little family space on the tarpaulin. The area between the Samadhi, Baba’s Room, the Mandap and then stretching all the way down to the AmpMtheater was completely covered overhead with brightly colored material. This had pieces oflight cloth hanging from the ‘roof’ mak ing it look like waves in the ocean as it was stirred by the breezes. (The weather was perfect! Not too hot, nor too cold.) The ground over all this area was covered with a tarp of 10,000 or st so square feet. Empty it looked enormous!The morning ofthe 31 it was sardine-to-sardine not a single place to put one more body! Since the program was continuous for over 48 hours, many slept and waited the old and the young.

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t rifice and a difficult pilgrimage for us to make. Granted, the journey could never be called ‘a piece ofcake’ by any standards! However, it is nothing to the sacrifices and hardships that countless thousands of the Indians made to be there to wait for hours to bow down at His feet for 4 seconds to touch His stretcher His photo. To observe their love, was for me, the most moving moment ofthe entire Amartithi experience. Although I must admit, sitting on the Mandap with the Mandali st at the stroke ofnoon on the 31 and hearing the silence descend on us as though a blanket had been thrown over the crowd effectively shutting out all sound, was a pretty awesome event. After thel5 minutes ofSilence had ended with a mighty roar from 30,000 throats of”Avatar Meher Baba ki Jai!”, the rest of the day and night seemed rather anti-climactic. Things wound down in a hurry especially after the 5000 or so left in the busses for all parts north. The pandals were cleared out and gradually the miles of cloth were rolled and stored for the next year. One lonely dog, ‘Old Faithful’ perhaps, guarded the deserted hill. —

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Volunteers were called to sign up for duty as crowd control persons. I arrived too late to request Samadhi duty but did manage to secure a spot on the roster for Baba’s Room which is just opposite. Baba did much seclusion work in this room this tin shed on the hill and when His body was laid in the Samadhi, the stretcher that had carried Him was placed in this room. To protect it from over-enthusiastic lovers, it is now covered by a glass case so it will not further deteriorate as the elderly lean on it when rising from their knees. The volunteer’s duty was, for 2 hours, to keep the masses flowing smoothly, allowing 3 to bow at the one time at different positions of the stretcher, then to stop at all the photos in the room, namaste, or kiss the fingers and place on Baba’s visage. For the entire 2 hours it was a continuous stream of humanity. It was an extremely poweriful thing for me to be witness to the incredible love and devotion ofthese people. We think because we flew 18,000 miles and paid $1,500 it was a major sac—

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of February we were all allowed to move back into the Pilgrim Center. It was now all very quiet, with plenty oftime for a relaxing read on the walkway outside the women’s rooms.

The Teen Corner

Pretty tidyfor a teen dorm, even without mom looking over their shoulders!

Henna was all the rage. One youngftllow even had intricate designspainted all over his recently shavedheacL 1’ry attractive.

When I finally returned home, I said to my friends “It was an amazing experience, one every pilgrim should do at least once; however I don’t think I wiil choose to go back at that time again.” But now, from the distance of a month, and in writing about it I can’t wait for the next one! —

here was a large group of teens and twenty-somethings at Amartithi this year. Their enthusiasm for Baba was conta th, the night before Amartithi, the usual gious! On January 30 evening curfew as lifted and the teens energetically put on a disco night in the westerners’ food tent everyone was invited. Meanwhile, down the street in the hostels, the easterners soulfully sang bajans into the wee hours. Baba poured the Amartithi wine early for His lovers, young and old, western and eastern.

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and everyone was ch thing seemed to stop tou d han a ly inct dist te qui felt I i. Samadh g together. no watching and listenin was re The . ind beh from er uld my sho I be Baba. Iraj Namiranian, Seattle, WA, USA: person touching me. I knew it to I ht. nig with our stayed up on the hill all night one We come to Him, reaching to Him the at to us and asked if I could help with duty hearts, and He also reaches out nce for Samadhi, and luckily there was a cha know He is here. us lets ut 2:30 at this me to do itbetween midnight and abo It’s hese reminisinces were collected A: US SC, r, Rive le Litt s, nce yon erie SandyL thi” at a.m. I was surprised to find that exp e, year’s 30th Anniversary Amarti tim cial spe a is it rse cou (Of init. but t’s not feel tired at the Trust over. Tha ing of very refreshing; I did feel the Pilgrim Registration Office The ’t. wasn it if e t ugh com ’t I wouldn stead very refreshed. I would have tho Compound in Ahmednagar. .) day, cial g love is spe , it’s I would feel exhausted from the lon “Amartithi is Amartithi. It’s hot a y: man Ger adt, from mst s Dar Thi ge, ple. Lan the dust everywhere. But not at all! It was Dieter dusty there’s a million peo t ap righ es us overheard in good experience. Afterward I had a nap Amartithi is a special time: it mak a 26-year veteran ofthe event, nd es! ednagar in preciate being able to be here at other tim on the hiIl for a couple ofhours. My frie the Registration Office in Ahm ian spot Ind y man so usee tho to le, ful eop der ofp Mohammad sat all night long in one But it was won early February Thousands I t see. Amartithi. near the Samadhi. lovers ofBaba, which we usually don sands ofthings to be said about the side out r; ng eve sitti than an ple wom saw an old This year there were more peo John Migliorisi, St. Petersburg, FL, e flowing down her face. y do they wer Wh . rs tyet h the Tea ties i. dus adh the Sam as itw y ainl cert USA: I helped Flint and Hughie wit silence, in bliss it seemed. lling night in ave k, ng oftr wor t sitti rs stan rigo was con ly the She g fair vin was It bra . e, com sound system any n see er ill nev had ing I fall , g; vin und It was very mo and day, sleeping on the gro the 28th installing wiring, setting up ng in had a kind of beauty from wdi She cro , . tion that with aus like exh g or thin flu s, cold with speakers on the 29th and continuing a ath, bre e. a , crib pse m. We you cannot des amongst so many for a glim maintenance throughout the progra while we in ten Lis ia: meals, i? tral sing adh Aus mis Sam es ne, sba the etim in Bri t som momen J ohn Adams, hill for two or three worked all day, ld to wor the the und me aro For ld. from cou ers we lov n a the whe ask Bab catching a nap Standing up on i 1999. tith umar just I tho ofA felt and I ds nce dre that erie hun was exp g t r par chin thei share really wonderful nights running wat dow of A: n, it occurred to me US , sha OH dar , for at.ti in ncin file Cin might be getting a tiny taste, or a sha ds t, san ber Sei Max tdali plan man n, the sha hat Dar Sisal ofw s, ver the day Uni few ing a taste, in these that Baba is giving The high point for me was dur of thai a nds Bab usa ing tho in y serv in dut lity on ears itua was went through fory ing the seed of spir lence at noon onjanuary 31st. I ething had die and be reincar I will and i ls adh sou se Sam The the constant activity with no let up, som e rts. osit hea opp in at the cab e was a ther thi ally arti ntu eve Am il to my unt wd So be cro e. the always to be don nated around the glo a wonderfiil view down across yI who bus h so eart I was the st. of of t mo sea for par a ry stage. I saw little different than will be souls in eve Baba’s picture on the for link n, sha that y dar carr for i of adh and i et adh Sam carp didn’t go in the have been in the Sam h Baba behind it all. A people, wit quietude dur and there will be a universal instance. But I really felt that the feeling of e tar, yth Ava ckb stru the to was I humanity. s the globe. dren settled being in the Samadhi was for those day flowering of spirituality around ing that time. Even the chil d aba her Me of le was who thi the arti A: The panded to include down after a few minutes. Am James Corbett, Cocoa, FL, US ng goi I’m e. tim le the who ns, dow ticked me hillso I was in it the like a lifespan it had its ups and babies crying during the Silence . the ugly ing Dur the to try to come every year now. and p. good, the bad off. Also people fell aslee , a group of USA: Kathy Williams, Los Angeles, CA night, at about 3:00 am. when Boba Anderson, Chicago, IL, to t the wen on ul ing Ma n play ly whe and I felt real USA: I felt it so much musicians were singing This is my first time here and I got up on Baba, and I thought, now Mani is gone, and , the cing en dan giv like was I felt . t pate Ijus tici e, par stag very honored to od, now thousands i for a time, Baba’s blood is gone, His family blo the stage and danced in front of chance to be inside the Samadh ed year lov this I nd d. fou I s goo d up. Thi it won’t be the same. But of Baba lovers. That felt removing the flowers as they pile her athig gre e a , ofth ion one re stat to me. The there is more Manife Amartithi, LOVED it. It’s felt like an incredible privilege of ing feel The rs. n’t ers who did Amartithi than past yea est experiences of my life. were so many Indian Baba lov on, tati ifes man totally hon , USA: Baba, of the people, of get that chance that I did. I was Armin Kraemer Sunnyvale, CA a thoue Som de. insi i love adh ing Sam high...High...HIGH!!! Only I miss elm the s walking toward ored. I felt overwh lady a saw I h to take wit was in a sand times Maui. people would ask for a flower waving her arms in the air, like she I rts. hea r thei I the all h then wit But us them and thank For me, being on Meherabad Hill all trance. It was amazing to see. e wer re The . ’s dilove Baba the the h at like y is wit i was overwhlemed nights and days ofAmartith think she threw up. I had dut The ul. utif bea The the so ht. of t nig was par d it so many people, vine Wineshop on a really goo in and I felt fortunate to be surprised it cab are on ers could oth that so gs thin of energy is amazing. I also was n atio doors are flung wide and the drinks organiz ed. aniz org l I e. wel ther and , ted was so calm, orderly the house! come in and do what they wan night, e ofth a dle had mid I the ia: in Ind sic ai, mu mb Mu the loved Beheram Raja, Irene Holt in correspondence for thc favorite my And this . ce sitar sen the pre ’s ms, aba dru ofB vy the hea Baba Trust. very clear experience n every- Avatar Meher time I was thing was the films of Baba, whe Amartithi. During the silence in near His sitting behind Baba’s cab

Amartithi Impressions

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Blue Moon Amartithi, 1999 They came by bullock cart, bus and jeep. They came by plane, by train, by automobile. “We’re here, We’re here!” Shouting, they found places to sleep, old friends to greet. They washed, they ate, Then walked up the long hill for their time with the Master once more. They set up a village on the path to His door. Meher tea, Meher flowers, Meher sweets,

Meher’s wine, Meher’s wine, free for all.

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e to leave... And then it was tim down, ared, the pandal came The village was cle town. cks drove back into The jeeps, the bullo ains. iet, His presence rem The Hill is now qu again! me co r, ithi. Next yea So, that was Amart

i Story A Trashy Amartith wport Beach, CA

Auster, Ne by “Trashwalla” Jim .12 them, since the Rs i, Meherabad ith art Am d g hir rin e-t du on ar is very ye price of a bag with has gotten completely covered . of of a days wage m the New Site west With a small group trash everywhere fro st of the Hos ea lds fie ked the to i the Samadh of volunteers we pic ndously with me tre sed pro rea inc the s in tels. This ha up litter and, plastic packag le sab the bags ‘were for. po at dis wh of ted n the explosio cess, demonstra ian Ind an d an nsciousness chang nwrappers, ing; bags, cups, pa It was an interesting co on ng thi ery ev to leave tried to corrirnunicate culture conditioned ing experience. We re to als im an eds to be respected und for sweepers or t all ofMeherabad ne tha t bu , the gro ore and ym an sweepers i, not just the T’ouul move. There are no as Baba’s Samadh . er srg ers ter us1 d many lit w down” to t1much more litter an that we all get to “bo the er we aft t as jus es row usands of tim For two years in a Samadhi many tho tnessed a big wi I ll Hi it clean. the ep t ke lef crowds had pick up trash to mess up to the all h os wo do Pilgrims Trash Torna sibly, to the surroundd to me Trash Heaven (or, pos see ed d this always happen on. tch ing fields). I was tol ca the ry year and realized n ga be ey at the same time eve Th up. wanted this cleaned the ing obvious, that Baba us David and I, with The next year, Will bags and ap rs sulky women worke the help of 1 0 very preciated the g o consider trash pickin from the village wh improvement sh picked up all the tra beneath their caste, to the general trash

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t to the winds. cleanup was lef to keep ill and I decided W Last year , so we thi rti an during Arna the grounds cle ks and ac ys ite plastic gunn purchased 400 wh s ridi wa a where. The ide hung them every letely mp co o considered it culed by many wh

yone to know what the impossible to get an them, and not to steal bags were for, to use

same thing with a This year we did the rking volunteers and larger group of hard wo m the pilgrims. It great cooperation fro volunteers were com seemed at times that aining bits of trash! peting over the few rem , caught the spirit— The stall vendors, too sh bag! ir own white tra each one wanted the

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DieuParle (The French God Spea ks)

hile translating and proofing Meher Baba’s works is never a cup of tea, God Speaks manages to cha llenge all of ones resources. The French transla tion had been in preparation first by José Chelkoff ofAntibes for several years, and then her work in turn was revie wed and modified mostly from a styling stan dpoint by several persons from the French groups. The copyright of God Speaks hav ing been given to the Sufis years ago when Murshida Duce took on the prim ary re sponsibiity for the final editing and publication, the right to translate and publish remains in the hands ofthe Sufis. They in turn have their own stable oflangu age spe cialists, so after an original translat ion has been made, it in turn must pass mu ster by the Sufi experts. This can be very exacting, and the French translation was no exception. This resulted in long hours of head scratching and detailed disc ussions of many points, to the extent of rewriting totally the Supplement. But the translation is only the beg inning of the story. The publishing is per haps even more challenging, as it becomes clear very rapidly that it is of no great value in a public sense to have translated and prin ted a book if the means to get it into the publ ic market place is lacking. There is a good deal of stor age space in the world devoted to wel l-meaning projects of publishing various philosophical works that have grea t merit no ioubt, but which lack this essen tial public ink. The works devoted to Me her Baba, lespite the love and care that goes into all of hem, are often consigned to a hop efully dry torage point, and left to the wave of devo ion of the future that an avataric advent invitably arouses. The effort to find and solidify a strong ublishing and distributing contact in France oes way back into the early 70s when a iendly relationship of Claude Lon guet in aris turned up the first solid lead, in this ise to a well-known translator and mystic [5 own right, Jacques Weiss. Despite his putation and literary connections, the pubhing end did not flourish, and at his death, ompanion Books decided to pub lish pri tely the French translation of Liste n, Hu anitywhich Weiss had preferred as a first

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By Don Stevens, Cagnes Sur Mer, France

sponsibiity, acted under an intu itive jab from Don and made a personal call at the offices where the “tentative” was being pursued. Instead of the boss-man, she ran into his wife. You know of course what can happen when two women get together, and it happened again on this occasion. The wife thought the husband would be really interested in Babas charts if he just sat down and concentrated on them. The inevitable happend of course. When Baba turns the key ever so slightly, not even the most hide bound publisher can resist. He accepted, and the negotia tion was clear and short-lived , the only question then really being the date of ap pearance and the binding, whi ch also meant the translation ofthe title . If you’ve never had to face up to what God Speaks sounds like in a foreign lang uage, you should try it out one day. The resu lt is not obvious. In English it is not exac tly an easy home run. In fact, the French introductory effort for Baba in Fran gro up ce. involved in the translation and pol ishing, had Nevertheless, immediate wor k was warned that in French, it sounds a good bit started on the translation of the Disc ourses, tougher than in English . with Francois Lemétais eventually turning Claude Longuet gave a lunch out a generally admired and competen for the t work. publisher and the translating team in his However, this was not until the usua l amount Paris apartment. All was silence when, after of difference of viewpoint on how and what cheese, Mr. Trédaniel opened up his briefto translate had let a considerable amount case and took out the English copy of the of blood onto the surrounding landscape. work and looked long at the title. God This work, when completed, was also pubSpeaks, “he read out. A pause. Eve ryone held lished by Companion Books. his breath. Then, ‘Dieu Pan e. Another You would think that about this point pause. Still no one breathe d. “Why not?” Ev the Avatar would turn the key and the next eryone let out his bre ath in incredulous step would happen miraculously. Not at all! amazement and relief. He can be very tough on occasion before he Do you think that was the end turns that opener even a very little of the bit. Anstory? Baba rarely lets one off that easily and other two years elapsed with a very fine pubdefinitively. Only a few days late r Trédaniel lisher deeply interested, but afte r many realized that with that title, if he put Baba’s months of deliberation, and incidental ly the photo directly undern eath, he would have development of a fast friendship that looks an impossible problem in the pre sent atmo as if it will be a forever one, the publisher sphere in France con cerning sects. decided that his Islamic clientele would be Several highly publicized allegati very deceived if he printed a book ons of in which mishandling of funds and human beings, the writer is mentioned as being TH E Ava culminating in a small mass suic ide/murder tar of the age. tragedy involving predictions of the end of The search started anew. Another year the world, had set France s public attitude of tentatives, and the tentative was about to literally on edge. Tré daniel was not about to be abandoned when one day Francoise risk putting his head into that lion’s mouth. Lemétais, again carrying a full load of re The hunt was on to find a new cover design. “

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This time Baba had already set up the ball game. Years ago we had had to get a variety of photos and designs from the Trust when the German translation of the Discourseswas about to be published. Included in that was a copy of the painting Rano had done under Babas intimate guidance, a design somewhat in the form of a cone with a ramp leading up it with many people sitting on the pathway. Baba never explained the meaning of the painting, but it has always commanded deep interest and admiration. Don woke up at three in the morning and was suddenly struck by the thought of sug gesting this. But next morning, the photo was nowhere to be found. Again the same routine, and he had the thought of a pile of unsorted papers under the new computer. At eight the following morning, after a few fumbles in the pile, the photo emerged, after six years of not being seen. Of course, Trédaniel liked it, and everyone else seems to be of the same opin ion. When the Avatar wants something, he manages to get the message through. We hope you will all learn French in order to read this latest translation of the Beloved’s master work, Dieu Pane.

Freeing Up Emotional Energy hen Meher Baba reoriented the Sufis in 1952 He made each mureed again take a vow which included among other things a provision for trying to achieve strict honesty. This was the most troublesome of the components of the new commitment, as each aspirant began to recognize the frequency of deception and dissimulation in his daily life. Neverthe less, we all accepted it, took the new engagement with the murshida and promised ourselves to try to fulfill it. The first weeks were sheer hell. Imagine contemplating telling your wife you think she is a terrible cook because she burns the breakfast toast regularly; or your boss that he is incompetent because he hasn’t even a beginning grasp of accountancy. And if you are a doctor, what do you say when the pretty young housewife sitting before you with a baby on her lap has inoperable cancer? Worse still for me, a new experimen tal roofing product I had just developed had flopped miserably on the Orange County Fair Grounds reroof ing project. Did I tell the cus tomer the truth and offer to pay the $ 100,000 for labor and materials already used? In fact I did, and we experi

mented and found a way to solve the worst of the appearance problem. The customer was so astounded by such honesty that he only asked us to furnish free of charge the extra material he used to cover over the first botched application. Incidentally, when I told my superior originally that I wanted to tell the customer the truth, he looked long and hard at me. I thought he was going to fire me. Finally, slowly, he said, “Don, I support you.” After the first weeks of battering, life began to settle down again. All of us had gone through some pretty shaking episodes, but we were still alive and no blood had been shed. We began to congratulate ourselves on surviving the first round. Then I began to note an unexpected internal shift. I felt light, alive. What was going on? A miracle? During the ensuing weeks the answer became clear. None of us realize how much time and energy we use up nor how much uncon scious tension we generate in fabricating and then remembering all the big and little stories and white lies we tell in our daily lives. Once these are eliminated, a truly startling simplifi cation of the details ofliving occurs and a star— thing amount of emotional energy is freed up. I would never have expected it. The Inner Path in the New Life, pp. 49© 1989, D. E. Stevens. 50,

Companion Books Now Listed at Amazon.com ver the years Compari ion Books has published a number of transla tions of Meher BabWs works, as well as books by Bhau, Don Stevens and Mirek. These are now out there for the world to see at Amazon.com on the World Wide Web. These books are stocked in Denver and sent out promptly to supply orders placed through Amazon. The Love Street Bookstore in Los Angeles, Sheriar Press in Myrtle Beach and Compan

80th While on his book tour with Dieu Pane, Don celebrated his groups. California Southern and Northern the both birthday with Here, he shares birthday cake with Linda Zavala at Meherabode.

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ion Books at 228 Hammersmith Grove, London W6 7HG have stocks of several of these works, and major groups in the U.S.A. often have supplies as well. You should be aware that the efforts of 30 years in translating Baba principal works into French, German and Spanish have now largely come to fruition, and God Speaks, Discourses and Listen, Humanity are for the most part now available in these three Ianguages. But these are not the only ones. Other titles arid other languages are also in print, so ifyou have a friend who is dying to read Babas words or a book about Baba in his own language, put in a query to Dina or to Companion Books and ask what is available in that language.

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Photo by Ada McDiIl

Left to rqht.Peg Clover-Stipeic MithaelSt4xJc Karen Ireianct Judi Schoeck), Bill Eaton, Mark Jamieson (directJybehindBiii, RussFreister Kathryn Harris andKeva Harris (with puppet!). -

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annual Rocky Mountain Sahavas for Beloved Avatar Meher Baba was held February 12-15, celebrating Valentine’s Day with the King of Hearts. This year’s Sahavas (which is the give and take of His Love) was held at a spendid lo cation, La Foret, in the Black Forest region of Colorado Springs, Colorado. La Foret is a church camp, with the stately pines and a columbine blue sky framing snow-capped Pike’s Peak. The grounds, cabins, main lodge and sweet atmosphere reminded many of the Meher Center in Myrtle Beach. The Spanish style adobe chapel, a duplicate of the one in Rancho De Taos, New Mexico, and dedi cated to Saint Francis, provided a place to enjoy His Silence. Friday evening’s program began with Arti around the massive fireplace, with Baba and Mr. Moosehead smiling down on us, dear Ms. Deer beaming behind us and carved wooden cougers guarding the doors. .a truly Western Sahavas! Next, we participated in heart-felt round robin sharing of our first encounters with Meher Baba, and the ways we experience and .

express His Presence now. Each tale was a unique and beautiful expression ofHis Love. After Arti and a delicious breakfast, Satur day morning brought us the first of three sparkling talks given by Bii Eaton. From the Sahavas flier, “Bii was drawn to Meher Baba in the early 1950s andjoined in Sahavas with Him while He was in America in 1952, 1956 and 1958. She also attended the East-West Gathering at Guruprasad in 1962. Bill was the U.S. contact for OperationTopsy (19551956), distributing copies of letters from Mani, Mehera and Baba to group heads in the United States (before Xerox!).” In her talk, Bii pointed out that everyone can contact Baba inwardly, and that meeting Baba within is almost more impor tant than having had the rare privilege of meeting Him physically. “Take Me with you—I’m within” was His much repeated instruction. When He said this to Bili, He seemed to be small enough to fit into her heart, even though He was sitting quite close. Bill said that in following Baba, the heart and mind have to be balanced. “We

think we know everything, but with Baba, we find we know nothing!” She continued, “All we are is a bunch of sanskaras, so Baba has us clash together. He wants our love; without our love, He can’t do anything. We’ve got to give Him love in order for Him to help us. Baba is addicted to His creation. He comes back for love, over and over again. Baba gives so much love to us, but we cannot receive from Him without later having to give. The first and only thing He really wants us to tell others about is Divine Love. He is within us and everything is within us. All is nothing but God.” Baba said it’s so simple. To follow Him, remember these three rules: “Just love Me. J ust love Me. Just love Me.” When Bili first met Baba in 1952, His love for her was so abundant, it brought up this wonderful image: she once had a much adored dog, who, when she came home at the end of the day, would be so very happy to see her that the dog’s wagging tail would cause her whole body to shake in pure ec stacy. The dog would be rooted to the spot in her eagerness to see Bili. Such was the totaljoy that Baba had at Bils return to Him at the end of a very long ‘day’ of separation. There were workshops on “Don’t Worry” (don’t!), “Faith and Belief” (have conviction and thenjust love Him) and “Intuition” (byingly surrender to Him within, talk to Him, and then listen to Him). The Beloved’s wine shop was opened, wherein flowed beautiful poetry, story and song. We concluded with Arti and Dhuni fIre, consuming all worries and doubts, chased away by the light and warmth of His Being. We departed the next morning, secure in His eternal embrace, minds empty and hearts full, ready to once again be His agents of love in the world. \\

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Editors Note: Bili means “cat” in Hindi, and Mani often drew little cats on her letters to Bii. Several of these charmingly illustrated letters appear in Bils book A Love SoAmaz ing, Memories ofMeherBaba.

Photo by Russ Preister

The Last Judgement by Bill Eaton

You shouldnt go swimming when you have the Avatar.” “But I didn’t go swimming,” I said. “I was typing for Baba.” Still farther on toward the Guest House, we met Eruch. “Bili,” he said, “the whole Center is mad at you. Baba threatens to go back to India because nobody loves Him when they go to the beach while He is here. You went to the beach, and Baba has everyone looking for you.” Again, I explained to Eruch that I had been typing and hadn’t gone anywhere. Still, I wasn’t upset because I knew I had done what Baba wanted. He was creating a situa tion to get everybody in a turmoil. I was just dying to know why. At last we arrived at the Guest House and there was Baba all in white sitting on the sofa in the living room with the whole encampment sitting around looking like the Last Judgement. But Baba was smiling and happy not at all angry looking as cheerful as a birthday cake. I stood in the doorway and smiled at Him, and He smiled back at me. I looked around at the assemblage and saw Margaret Craske among them. He followed my eyes and looked at her, too, with that quick, flashing look that those who have been with Baba know so well. Then He looked back at me -

loved sunbathing and swimming, and I was tempted by the lovely white beach and lusciously warm water at the Center. One morning, Baba dismissed us until lunchtime, and I took this to mean we would not see Him until after lunch. Having nothing to do, not even the usual editing, I decided to go to the beach, and mentioned the fact to Adele and some others, for I was ignorant then of Baba’s ways and expectations of us. However, before I could start for the beach, I was given some typing to do for Baba, and Kitty told me there was a small cabin in the woods with a typewriter that I could use. I suppose I must have typed for an hour or so and when I had finished I started looking for Eruch. I hadrit gone far when I met Meherjee. When he saw me, his face became very red and he yelled, “Where have you been? Baba is angry with everyone because you went swimming. He sent people to the beach with the station wagon looking for you.” “No, I didn’t go swimming,” I replied. “I’ve been doing some typing for Baba.” I kept on walking, with Meherjee grumbling away at my heels. I wasnt in the least dis turbed, however, because I had begun to be a little wiser by now about Baba ways and had an inkling ofwhat was going on. I knew He knew where I was, so He had to be up to something. A little farther on, we met Adi, who said, “Bill, Baba is furious. Where have you been?

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Photo by Russ Preister

Micki and GabeKeycs enjoying theRockyMountain Sahavas with Barbara Roberts.

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and patted the sofa beside Him, gesturing for me to come and sit next to Him. With great delight, I did, trying not to look like the cat who swallowed the canary. He said not a word about my going to the beach. He had known all along, of course, that I hadn’t gone, and I knew He knew it. And He knew that I knew that He knew it. It was a game, arid He held all the cards. Why He had gotten everyone into such a stew He never revealed to me. But I did learn something from it and I think everyone else did, too. He was saying in effect, “Don’t even think of doing anything else other than to think of Me and be with Me as long as I am around. Even if I say I won’t be around, wait for Me anyway. Take advantage of your op portunity.” It reminds me of the parable in the Bible containing the words, “No one knows when the bridegroom cometh. I spent a beautiful afternoon bathed in His love. From A Love So Amazing Memories of MeherBaba, by Bill Eaton, Copyright 1984 Meghan Blakemore Eaton, Printed in the U.S.A. by Sheriar Press, Inc.

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The Day of Beloved Baba’s Birth February 25, 1894 “

n the early morning of Sunday, Febru ary 25th, 1894, the long-awaited mo ment of our Age arrived. Shireen was lying asleep in bed at the David Sassoon Hospi tal; her mother, Golandoon, was by her side. Then the midnight gong sounded twelve times u-i the distance. Nurses came frequently to look in on her; the expectant mother was relaxed in a deep sleep. Suddenly, Shireen awoke and told her mother she had had a vision a dream. Golandoon anxiously inquired, ‘A vision? What did you see in the dream, my dear?’ Shireen answered: ‘I saw a glorious person like the sun sitting in a chariot, and his cool brilliance pervaded the atmosphere. A few people were pulling his chariot, while thousands were gazing at him, consoled by his divine radiance. I too was in the procession and marveled at the luster of his face. His light fell on the whole procession and people’s eyes were fixed on him; they could not look away.’ Hearing this, tears of joy come to Golandoons eyes, and she said, ‘Shireen, my daughter, a very auspicious son will be born to you. His name will be spread all over the world. He will be among thousands of people one day and will be carried in grand proces sions, as you dreamt. He will be given spe cial reverence and honor.’ Her mother’s interpretation com fortedShireen and she soon fell fast asleep again. The hospital was quiet. A change in the atmosphere of the planet was about to occur. However much our Age anticipated what was about to take place, it would take many years for mankind to interpret what this change would mean. A gentle sweetness filled the air. In the silence, an unimaginable joy pervaded the hospital. He who pervades was coming! Daily, hundreds of thousands of human beings are born in the world, but there is no discernible change in the atmosphere of the planet at their birth. That Sunday morning the weather was neither hot nor cold; the —

breeze that was blowing through Poona had a different significance. While people slept, the cool breeze gently wafted over them, soothing them in their slumber. Stillness came; the quietude blanketed the city and it seemed as if all the din and hubbub of the world had been absorbed in a state of soundlessness. How our Age must wish that this peace would be ever-present; how happy life would be. Then the birds started singing, piercing the stillness with their songs. There was dis tinct merriment in their voices. How sweet were their songs how healing the effect of their chirping in the stillness of the com ing dawn. If only lffes noises were subsided in their melodies, then truly the soul of man would blossom forth. Shireen’s labor pains started and a Catholic nun was summoned from her morning prayers. Golandoon sat near her daughter, watching anxiously. Sheriar waited outside the hospital room, continuously re peating God’s name, ‘Yezdan. Yezdan... Yezdan. —

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A gentle sweetness filled the air In the silence an unimaginablejoy pervaded the hospital. He who pervades was coming!

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The hospital’s night watchman made his rounds; as he struck the gong five times, the crying of a baby was heard. How innocent how pleasant was the sound of the newborn. The birds increased theirjoyous notes, and even the sun seemed excited, eager to rise over the horizon. Golandoon emerged from the room with joy. She smiled at Sheriar and lovingly ex claimed, ‘A son. .a son!’ Sheriar was filled with happiness and immediately rushed into the room to see his new born son. Poona wasjust starting to awaken. Was it because of the baby first cry? It was as if he had proclaimed, ‘Arise now, I am the Awak ener!’ Although people were awakening at the time of his birth, little did they know that a day would come when he would awaken them from their life ofsleep. At that holy moment, by taking birth in the early hours ofdawn, the child had signaled his arrival as the Awakener the Avatar of the Age.” LordMeher Bhau Kaichuri, © 1980 AMBPPCT, pg. 145. -

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February “

n Sunday, February 2 1st, Shireen fell and suffered a brain hemor rhage. She was rushed to the hospital, but the doctors said they could not save her and that she would not survive. Baba arrived at the men mandalis quar ters at eight o’clock on the morning of Feb ruary 23rd and instructed Chanji to leave for Poona to help his brothers Jal, Beheram and Adijr. deal with the crisis. Baba also warned, ‘My mother might pass on, so inform all concerned in Bombay, Ahmednagar, and elsewhere, to be ready at any moment for the news.’ Chanji left on the afternoon bus and arrived in Poona at seven in the evening. Baba’s three brothers were at the hospital, watching over their mother. Shireen was brought back home on Thursday, February 25th, but she was still unconscious. Yet she had a pleasant smile on her face, as if she were watching something magnificent. That night at 9:40 PM, Shireen passed away, forever merging in the Ocean of bliss, at the age of sixty-five. Baba received a telegram that night and came directly to Poona from Mahabaleshwar. It was late at night when he arrived, but he did not enter the house to see Shireens last remains, but instead stood outside at a dis tance in the lane. Shortly thereafter, he went to Bindra House with Eruch, who had ac companied him. Shireen’s funeral was held the following day, and her body taken to the Tower of Silence. At Bindra House, Baba remarked to Gaimai, ‘It is good Memo died before I came. Had she not died, I would not have allowed her to die, and shewould have suffered greatly.’ Gaimai related to Baba that when Shireen had breathed her last, she (Gaimai) had seen many tiny, shimmering, golden hands emerge from Shireen’s nostrils and hover over her before floating away. Baba’s final remark was: ‘She is now freed.’ Shireenmai! Our Age will always re member you! How blessed you were to have given birth to the Avatar! Words cannot sufficiently praise your fortune. You are the Mother of the Age! 0 Shireenmai, our supreme salutations to you! You will be remembered with Him forever!” Lord Mehei Bhau Kalchuri, © 1980 AMBPPCT, pg. 2851.

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25, 1943

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Your Lighthouse

His Loving Heart

MayyourLihthouse oflove, LordMehei

H]sgentle all embracing all forgiving all Joving heart

guide mylittie boat

that consumes allhearts that come near Flim

through the stormy sea

like teardrops in the ocean ofHis Jove

ofworidiy desires

that is whyit is said ‘Meher Baba is Jove”

negativity and sorrow toyour heart

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AndI— one ofthe teardrops in His ocean oflove

where there is onlypeace

and unbounded Jo ye

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so Idon get Jostin the chaos ofthe world

but am athome in your luminous light ofpure Jove. —

. .,

Jack McTanney, 1997 Silent snow secret snow Is melting in my room But I’m still alive

You’re the one who holds the key You are everything to me Februarys Child

The indoor shag begins to grow The floral walls in bloom

You are beautiful to me And to all with eyes to see

Now you’ve arrived

I wish it could be Forever February

Starry night crescent moon Reflect the golden street When you appear

Lonely heart empty glass The water turns to wine An Ocean with no shore I kiss the ground where you pass You say that you are mine But its I who am yours You’re the reason that I live There is nothing I can give Februarys Child

March April May and June Surrender at your feet With grateful tears You’re the reason that I live There is nothing I can give Februarys Child

—gretchen Blumegough

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Birthdaycakefor the BeJovedatBaba J05th birthdayparty Mtherabode, LosAngeles.

Februarys Child

You’re the one who holds the key You are everything to me Februarys Child

for Ilove Him more than anyone or anything

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gretchen Blumegough

You’re the reason that I live There is nothing I can give Februarys Child

weep silently over the beauty offrlis being

You’re the one who holds the key You are everything to me Februarys Child, Februarys Child...

Bithd

Poem

Barbara Roberts, February 25, 1977 A fair day sun sets as the cool night rises with a moon so pale. Its ending was just the beginning, like a serpent eating its tail. It is the Birthday for a Man for Whom time is never reckoned, Whose Birthday comes in the spaces between the seconds. He is the One Without A Second, without a second to spare, But He has time to show each minute drop of creation He does care. The nightcap sky sparkled starry fantasies, Accompanied by bright dancing galaxies, Yet even if the Milky Wayjoined in a pas de deux with the Pleiades, Its naught next to His still, Silent Dance, sitting under a neem tree. The sun rises on another day turning from night. Time is running out for people running without His Light. At the heart of this hum stands the One Whose Party it is anyway. But only a few take the time to stop and look up from the fray. Hes always beaming Smiles even if none pays Him any mind. Someday, everyone will see Him, far away from easy reach. Today, He’s winking from the corner shop, a sweet surprise, a rare peach. If you catch a glimpse of that Special Forever-Born Shopkeeper, Go pay Him a call; Give Him your all, And in gaining His All, Ye finders-keepers, Then go tell the losers-weepers, “Please, no more gnashing and wailing.

Instead, start ‘Happy Birthday, Avatar Meher Baba’ All-Hailing!”

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Baba’s 105th Birthday at Meherabode, Los Angeles

RitharclPeikoffplays while NancyMerwan tells the storyofBaba birth.

Goodrum and Chuck Campagna play Billy songfrom Something About Mary.

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Special Guestfeff Wolverton.

Thmara Mark reads a ghazal byBhau.

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Mahoo Chorbani doing a Persian cance.

Callinglndia!LoisJones, MitthellRose, and the rest ofthegroup (on speakerphone) that with the mandali. .-

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Meherabad will be thegreatestpilgrimage center in the world “—A vatarMther Baba

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Transformations at Meherabode Baba’s Room Baba treasures are now archivay treated and displayed in Babas room at Meherabode.

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Our copy ofa signed

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‘Build it and they will come...

Babasadhra underspethii UV glass with a silver Mastery in Servitude emblem embeddedin the mahogany box.

We never had babies at the center until we converted the little sun room into a fully— fledged nursery with rocking chair, crib/playpen and changing table.

I Tamara Mark withlan Short (8months) andPamela Coodrum with Annabelle Rose (3 months).

LeftAlexandni Routhon on couth with Sophia Stermei Foregrouno Nicolas. Juliana. and theirmotherAnna Stermei

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Fat Griffin, Debra Ash, andDana Lee take a well deserved break.

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The Teens beautifuiroom was ori’hia1Jy an even grungier stomge shed! Work on the oklDogKenneis (above) resuitsin the beautifulnew office andbookstore-arthives storage room (below left,).

Exterior view ofthenew office.

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name was imprinted on her heart Baba was with heE Baba was in heE Baba was her lifc, and thephoto that captured this secret shows Babaâ€™c image shining in her eyes.

Photograph of Mehera by Win Coates

7 ? ememerthy JJ(eA’era

by Meheru Irani, Meherazad

he 30th Amartithi ofour Beloved Baba is behind us, and as May 20th ap proaches, it will be the 10th anni versary of His Beloved Mehera’s reunion with Him. How deeply her heart longed for that day of reunion, yet twenty long years went by that she continued to live with us, smil ing through the pain. Bravely she faced this life, striving ever to please her Beloved in every way she could. In life with Baba, it was such a privilege to see the closeness and love Baba and Mehera had for each other. Any service for Baba, such as combing His hair or clipping His nails, was for Mehera a great joy. Daily when she combed His hair she did it with such gentleness, with her complete concentration on Him. And when at times Baba was in a hurry, she would do it with the same caring and deliberation. And last of all when the braid was cornpleted, she had to tie the little ribbon either blue or pink just so, giving reign to her artistic touch, while Baba, though tapping His fingers impatiently, never tried to hurry her. Witnessing each day Mehera attentiveness to Baba in her service to Him was for me a continuous revelation of her love for Him. But what we witnessed more and more over the years was Baba’s love for Mehera, and the attention He gave to everything concerning her. And how affected He would be if anything troubled her, whether it be her mood or her health. Baba often took us out for walks. In fact, in Mahabaleshwar, with its scenic beauty and bracing mountain air, it was a daily outing. And even when Baba was in seclusion for periods of time, He would encourage us to continue. —

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Baba also played badminton with us dur ing one period, and when it was windy and

bumped into Mehera rather forcefully and knocked her down. Mehera hurt her knee, and naturally the game ended when Mehera could not continue. Not to have Kitty feeling worried about I it, Mehera made light of it. But that knee kept bothering her every now and then. A year later when we were in ‘Nagar, staying at Goher’s parents’ house while Meherazad was being rebuilt, I re member that Mehera had a marked limp and, when Baba questioned her, she said that the knee bothered her a little. Baba insisted on Mehera allowing Him to massage her knee, which He did with a lib eral amount of lodex every afternoon. I still have that picture in my mind of the scene of Mehera very shyly and hesitatingly allowing Him to do so, which He did with gentle hands and complete conceri tration for quite a while until the black ointment was totally ab sorbed and the skin the natural colour. This continued daily for a number ofdays till Babaleft ‘Nagar in the heat ofsummer for His mast work. By the time He returned, Mehera’s knee was completely well and never bothered her again, even when we walked all those miles ev ery day in the New Life. This 30th year 1 999 will also be the completion, on October 16, of 50 years since we went on the New Life with Beloved Baba. In F Archive, Sufism Reoriented the months and days of prepara MtherBaba andMehera at the 1952 Saha vas tion leading up to the momentous in MyrtleBeach, South Carolina. day that we would be leaving we could not play, He introduced us to vol Meherazad, so much happened our world. leyball. He would play for a while and then This upheaval was exciting for some and dis go to the men mandali’s side and tell us to turbing to others, but I observed how calmly continue whatever game we were playing. Mehera accepted it all. It was not that she One time during a volley ball game, Kitty was a stoic by nature and did not allow anyand Mehera and others were on one side, thing to affect her equanimity, but I had al and in their enthusiasm to hit the ball, Kitty ways seen at such times when Baba asked 2i

j: anything of Mehera, she showed how unhesitatingly, how graciously she was there for Him. In this period leading to the New Life, He asked for a fme sari to give to someone in the ashram. She immediately agreed and took out more than one for Baba to choose from. Baba took two saris, one for the person and one for another. Mehera happily acquiesced, “Whatever you wish, Baba.” In such instances as this, I have witnessed the unquestioning acceptance of Mehera to Babas wishes, however strange or varied they might be. We all know that Baba was in two auto accidents in the ‘50s. In 1952, though Baba was so badly injured, with facial bruises and fracture of the left arm and left leg (both the tibia and fibula), it was Mehera He thought of, asking that she be attended to first. Baba was so concerned for her, and each day asked after her progress in the hospital. When Baba had His second accident in ‘56, though Mehera was deeply affected, she tried to be as courageous and helpful as pos sible. It was to her that Baba turned for His every personal need, a drink of water or a cup of tea. And she who had never taken care of a sick person would so gently wait on Baha, feed Him and wash His face, pour the water for Him and sponge Him and try to fulfill His personal needs. The pain and suffering He went through affected her deeply. And from then on we felt that for Baba too this was a New Life, a life of extra binding and constant suffering. It naturally affected all His close ones, espe cially Mehera. Often I felt that when we in turn were both massaging Baba in the morning to try and help counteract the pain in His hip, Mehera would get restless and feel the heat. Though Baba was lying with His head on the pillow He would immediately sense her discomfort and ask Mehera to go out in the cool air until she felt all right. I felt it was not just the warmth of the room but also that His pain and suffering bothered her so much. When Baba was doing His work in se clusion, the pressure on Him was always greater. Because of Mehera’s closeness to Baba, it was important that she remain in a good mood. But we noticed that at such times, one thing or another would affect her and disturb her mood, and we felt that Maya, rather than the incident, was the cause. Mehera in her childlike way felt dis

turbed by her own hasty nature. She wanted so much to help and to be perfect for Baba in every way worthy of Him. I remember also how sweetly -

Mehera would tell Baba how she wouldhave liked to have had a beautIful voice to sing/or Him. Baba wouldlook at her with such depth in His eyes and tell her He lovedher exactly the way she was. and this meant so much to Mehera.

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One of the many memorable moments of Baba and Mehera together, was captured in time for me around the end of His last year with us. Visibly we could see the toll His work had taken on His body, yet there were moments when His divinity showed through the coat that He had assumed. At this time there was another glimpse of His infinite love for Mehera that tran scended the frailty of His health. In Baba’s room, Mani had put on, at His request, a favorite long playing record of qawali singing. Baba was enjoying both the voice of the woman singer and the depth of the meaning of the song. It was a description of the intensity of the love that the mast has for the Beloved, caring not for himselfbut buming in love for God. I was about to enter

Babas room but stopped at the door so as not to interrupt the mood. Baba was seated and looking down at Mehera with such concentration, interpreting through gesture the depth oflove the song portrayed. And there was Mehera looking up at Baba in complete absorption with the sweetest expression, and a smile on her face. I cannot describe the scene: it was the feeling I got. They were by themselves, complete in their own world, with Baba’s love pouring on her and filling the room. I waited for the record to end, the moment to pass, before entering. To see them together was something so indescribably touching, so beautiful to behold, it was an unforgettable moment captured in time. We felt that the deep pain Baba was going through in those last years was the anguish He knew that Mehera would suffer when He dropped His body. Together with Mehera, we all went through this deep sor row of separation when Baba left His form. How she survived and came out of it could only have been possible by Baba’s sustaining presence and help. Even in that agonizing pain of her love for Baba, like a lost child groping in the dark, Mehera tried to please and obey Him. His last message to Mehera, sent through Mani, was uppermost in her mind: to be courageous and not to worry. This year 1999, on our Beloved’s 30th Amartithi, there was a full moon in a clear sky, a blue moon, which added to that magi cal atmosphere that Babas presence creates. And gazing at the moon brought back memories which could never be forgotten or dimmed by time, of another full moon, in January 1969, when our Beloved dropped His body, and was laid in state in the crypt for those seven days before the interment. Even in that state He was giving, as He had done all His life, giving darshan to all who came. While Meherabad had been practically asleep those many years when Baba lived in Meherazad, now this momentous event shook it awake as thousands from all over India flocked here. Heartbroken Baba byers coming for this last darshan, many with their entire families, often arriving at night and not knowing where to go, what to do. The place was absolutely unprepared to handle this influx; among other inadequa cies, there was no electricity, just a few dim kerosene lanterns, so different from the lights you see everywhere now. Everybody was in

a daze, only knowing that they had to come, joined as in prayer, unconscious of the time spending the entire morning with the pil that they must come. And in that darkest slipping by. Mehera felt the hours in the grims talking of Baba! period of our lives, the moon rose shining day she spent remembering Baba were not I could not help remonstrating with her. bright and full for those seven days. The sufficient, and she would keep awake as long I knew how much she needed her sleep. moonshine was Gods light of hope for ev When she would finally fall into a deep eryone, and showed that even at such a time sleep, it was so difficult to face the task of everything was in Baba hands, and He was awakening her, but time stops for no one, watching over all. For Mehera and for all and she needed to be up for the next day of us in that state of shock, stunned as we and the next. were, the light of the moon penetrated that So this period after Baba dropped His darkness in ourselves and helped us also as body was another new life that Mehera had only Nature can. to face, a life that for her was the most dif Remembering all this and looking back ficult ofall. But her desire even then to obey even further, I cannot help but recall the Baba and to please Him was what helped presence of the moon with us when we set her to hold on to life, and sanity, and to out on the first walk of the New Life, at 4 survive nay, to fulfill with glowing in the morning, walking from Supa to Sirur. colours this last role that Baba asked of her. How beautifully the moon glowed, and how In this new phase, our daily lives were wonderful it felt in the cool, balmy air to greatly changed. What a cloistered life we be walking with the Avatar. Memories of had lived with Baba and now, how great such moments helped us to look back on was the challenge we had to face! the New Life as being special, and to re Not to be living in the physical prox member that sense of adventure and freeimity of our Beloved, but to be simply talkdom ofjust being with Baba. frigofthose days. Where the focus of people In ‘69 and the early ‘70s, the anguish had been on Baba, it turned now to His of separation from her Beloved was mandali, to hear them talk and tell of His overwhelming for human ways. Mehera. During the Naturally day she tried to oc Mehera had to phy cupy herself with .J a leading role, one work related to which she could :ir I Baba, taking care of never have imagineli His room, His pér for herself. When sonal things, etc. pilgrims began to And we visited come to Meherazad, Meherabad fre l .. .;. at first a few and quently for darshan then in larger groups, and would stay to she felt she had to look over Baba’s receive them, but things that had been when talking of stored in the East Baba, she could not Room. Involvement do so without breakin all this helped, ing down. Try as she but the moment she did, the tears could was by herself, much not be stemmed Lf as she tried not to, whenever she menMehera would tioned Babas name. Photograph by Dave Lowman break down. What a Photographs top and lower right Yet when she was consolation it was by Laurie Brooke able, the times that Baba’s image appeared on the Umar tree as possible in the night after everyone was Mehera spent talking of Baba were happy outside her window. Time would be forgotasleep to think of Him. She would often go ones. Her face would light up withjoy when ten as she would sit by the window sill conto bed in the early hours of the morning, she remembered a certain story or incident, templating His face, with the changing sometimes at 5 am when we used to start and you saw she was with Him still, and the expressions caused by the play of light arid waking up. When we tried to dissuade her, listener felt how present Baba was for her. shadow on it. Even in the night, Mehera Mehera would say, “But when can I think of As one Baba lover wrote of Mehera after she would stand before the window with hands Baba and be with Him?” And this after had gone to Baba: “Mehera’s radiant love —

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for Baba has been like a warm fire on a long, needed to sleep a lot, as though her body cold night. Being with her and hearing of was trying to make up in that short time for her love and devotion gave me a very perall the years of sleep she had not allowed sonal and precious glimpse of the Beloved.” herself. She seemed to forget names of Through Mehera, so many Westerners people, notjust the short-time pilgrims, but and Easterners have felt Babas love and lis people she had known well, who had come tened enthralled to her stories of Baba. often. And we saw she had a problem in When she would sit with Baba lovers, looktrying to convey properly in speech what she ii-ig back in time on those early years with meant. Him, she would glow with pleasure, as she Our last time spent with her in Poona in would describe Baba beauty, or the way He the summer of 1989 was so special. To be looked at her, as though He was standing with her in close proximity, to be able to there before watch over her with her as she re greater attention, was counted the Baba’s gift to Mani, story. Goher and myself. And Mehera when she slept for a always had a while in the morning or very close af afternoon, we could see finity to the how her face seemed to moon. From relax completely and all her window, the lines of strain melt whenever she away. saw the full Mehera was so moon rising ready to say the arti above the morning and evening, nearby hill, sil and before any words of houetting the His prayer which she terple on top, would unfalteringly re she would call cite Baba’s name us, wanting us would come to her lips. to ‘share in the In fact, at other times joy and admire too, Baba’s name would the scene too. slip out before she said We often what she had intended gazed at the to. Photo Archive, , Reoriented full moon and His name was im Mthera on theporch atMeherazaa 1973. tried to see printed on her heart. Baba’s face in Baba was with her, it. In the right conditions we saw Babas proBaba was in her, Baba was her life, and the file looking northwards, and it was so excit photo that captured this secret shows Babas ing to watch. And she always remembered image shining in her eyes. how one late evening Baba called us all to On the last Tuesday evening, when I His room and pointed to His ‘T.V. window’ woke her for arti, to which she always re for us to look at the moon the beautiful sponded no matter how deep her slumber, colored orb of the harvest moon. That day she tried to rise, but was unable to sit up. watching it with Baba, the moon seemed She had gone closer than ever to Baba, and more beautiful than usual, and Mehera al after that evening she remained unconscious ways remembered the episode. to the world, with her eyes closed until the Then came 1989 and that last period last. when Mehera was ill. How could we have On Saturday morning when Goher said known how short the time would be? For the end was near, we all gathered around her, Baba in His compassion for Mehera did not holding Baba photo before her, with Mani let her suffer long. Mehera then became leading the chant of Baba’s name. The men much gentler, sweeter, as the day to day re mandali were also called into the room and sponsibiities had been lifted from her. She joined in the singing. I was fighting inside .

with Baba to let her remain, but I felt Him not giving way. Suddenly after all those days Mehera opened her eyes. Mani and I held the photo for her to see.

Meheragaze was strong and direcL beyond anything in the room, beyond our vision. Something she was seeing, something sopowerfuL which none ofus cou1dsee, heldhergaze. For those few seconds that seemed like eternity, she looked on with unwavering gaze and then shut her eyes. There was no weakness here, but the strength of the soul reaching the end of itsjourney seeing the Beloved in all His Glory. When she finally went to Baba almost 10 years ago, that night was Buddha Purnima, the full moon, the day of Buddh&s birth, the day of the full moon of BuddhWs enlightenment, and the day ofHis dropping His human form. And this, too, was Mehera’s day of attainment, her Day of Reunion with Her Beloved.

Photo Archive, SufIsm Reoriented

Mehera, MeherabadHilL 1972

Radiantgolden glow

Through Mehera’s Eyes

Oh Baba You tell us that we cannot see You As You really are But in my ignorance, Ilong to see Thu Only through Mehera eyes

By Lynne Douglas, Walnut Creek

aba inspired me to go to India for the first time in 1992. Although I had been a Baba Lover since 1979, I had never felt a pull to go there prior to that time. Everyone told me I would be sorry that I had never met Mehera. When I got there, I knew that they were right. I felt very drawn to her. The women mandali seemed to sense this and gave me things and told me stories about her. I remember being struck but the cornment that Mehera followed Baba everywhere with her eyes. One afternoon, kneeling by Mehera’s tomb, tears flowing, thinking about this phrase, a poem began to come to me. I got up to get pencil and paper to capture it and the words just poured out one of those things that seems to write itselfand you don’t even think about it. Then you read what you’ve written and you find its brand new to you too like you’re reading it for the first time! You don’t even need to change a thing. I always felt that Mehera gave me this poem. Mani loved it, and I had the pleasure of reading it to her several times. Heather Nadal told me that Mani had remarked to her that she was surprised that I had so captured Mehera’s description of Baba without having ever known her. Mani later asked me to read this poem at the Meherazad Christmas performance of 1995.

Oh Lynne Doyou knowfor whatyou ask? Mehera were the eyes ofcomplete devotion Doyou think she didnot see Flim As He truly was? Such love comes only by His grace Long onlyfor His grace

Through Meherac Eyes Oh sweet Baba Mehera followed You everywhere With her eyes But You are gone from me Andlhave only the eyes ofmy heart With whith to envision Yourlovely being: Strength ofbrow Gentling face Curllnghaii twinkling eye Fiercingglance ofJoye Laughing theek Compassionate smile Flowingsadhra, grace ofstep Gesture, slender fingers Shininglotus feet

My Dream of Mehera by Kendra Crossen Burroughs, Meher Mount Ojai -

n September 1991 I had this dream while sleeping in the Tree Room at Meher Spiritual Center in Myrtle Beach: I feel pain and irritation in my back over my right shoulder and try desperately to brush it away, but I can’t quite reach it or feel what is caus ing it. I turn my head and realize with astonishment that the sensation is being created by Mehera, who is standing behind me, patiently working at removing a long shaft that pierces through my back, protrud ing out my chest near my heart. The memory of this dream continues to be a comfort whenever I am suffering. It seems to say: Trust the process!

Tea With Mehera By Nancy Shev, Phoenix, AZ

hen I was at the Pilgrim Center, February 1988, I had the good fortune to be seated right next to Mehera when we had tea at the table in her house. We were all served tea and some crunchy stuff that also had peanuts in it. All of us were speaking, mostly lingering on every story Mehera shared. After a while, I noticed that she had been placing all her peanuts over to the side of her plate. I don’t know what possessed me, but I asked her, “are you going to be eating those?” She laughed and smiled and put some on my plate. It was so sweet and made me laugh. I was somewhat embarrassed too, but everyone at the table sort of sighed and a few people said, “can I have a peanut of yours too?” She passed out all her peanuts and we all had a laugh. She didn’t skip any beats really, just went right on telling stories. That is such an enduring and sweet memory of her. A little later on the porch, she noticed my camera and szid something like, “would you like to have a picture with me?” I said of course, and here is one of my most treasured photos.

JKeJera anJJKeJerazaJ by Kacy Cook (from a talk given at Meherabode, February 7, 1999)

et me tell you a little bit about my life at Meherazad with Mehera, and try to show you a glimpse of what it was like on the quiet days when the pilgrims weren’t there, because we all know how Mehera would come out on Baba’s porch and would shine for us, but it wasn’t easy for her it was a struggle, because she was a very pri vate person. But the pilgrims would come, and something would happen, Baba would take over and there would just be that magic. But Mehera liked to be alone perhaps because she liked to think about Baba in her own way. You might find her reading a book, orjust doing things around the house, but you always felt she was alone with him, was finding new ways to be with him or something to do for him; thinking about the flowers she was going to offer, or thinking about how she wanted to give Baba’s prasad to somebody nonstop thinking of Him. The house was quiet; there was the most magnificent stillness in the air. It was a vibrant stillness! You didn’t move quickly through the house the way people tend to now. She was always focused, and I felt it that amazing focus, that stillness, that quiet, it was just that concentration on Baba. She would stay up late in the night; Goher would find her standing in Baba’s room talking to Him. Regardless of what she had done all day long she never felt she had given Him enough. Goher would say “Mehera please, it’s time to go to bed!” and even when she went to bed she had to say some prayers Baba had given her. She could not put her head on the pillow, so Goher would very sweetly get some nice warm heating blankets and prepare the bed and make it nice and warm. So after all these hours and hours of standing and thinking about Baba and talking about Baba, finally at 2 or so in the morning she would rest. Mehera felt she could never give enough to Him once she told me she was trying to give back to Him all he had given her. I thought to myself, I have a few sincere moments in a day when I feel that I am with Him or thinking about Him, but this was a twenty four-hour a day thing for

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ful tapestry effect created by Baba’s gadhi, the sofa, and the reddish carpet. The walls were also a specific color her concept of beauty was so magnificent it had a real wholeness to it. Also in Baba room, everything was so carefully done. Perhaps she did it like this to create a feeling of wholeness, of harmony, a oneness of beauty with no dis— tractions. For instance in her own room, there was a certain picture of Baba that she liked, but there was a man’s head showing behind Baba, so she carefully took a little piece of tissue, tore it and wrapped it over the plcture gently covering the man’s face so she could see only Baba. Anything that we ever did for Him, she knew it, she felt it, and she was supportive 100%. It seemed that that is all she wanted for herseW that was all she wanted for us. She saw in all of us there is a little bit of God and she was trying to get that out. Now, she was also a bit of a mischiefmaker and I remember one time I had a bee sting on my knee. Since I am very allergic to bees my knee was very swollen. She knew I was suffering; so she said, “Come on, let’s take a walk. Of course I wanted to take a walk with Mehera, who wouldn’t? So I found myselfgimping along with her. It was funny. I thought, she just wants me to forget my“

Mehera. She would be out in the garden working because that’s what He wanted her to do, or talking with the pilgrims or she would be giving us work I was very lucky in —

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that she gave me all kinds

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of little house repair things. Most of the pictures in Baba’s house were from Baba’s time. If f she wanted me to change : the color of a frame she would have me open it and repaint it. I’d be

my knee, forget the pain, walk on. We had a beautiful walk out b e h I n d Meherazad.

working for hours trying

She found

to find the color she wanted, then she would come out and say “No not that” and she would go dab dab dab i hat s the color i wants Her idea ofbeautywas out ofthis world. In the sitting room in Meherazad she never liked any piece of white to show because she said it would break the mosaic -the beauti-

me a wonderful stone that they

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Photo by Jamie Newell

use to bathe

with, to scrub off the old skin. I still have that rock. She did that with my scooter too. I had ridden a bicycle to Meherazad every day for about a year, and one day she said “When

are you going to get a scooter?” She knew I erything. I was very lucky to have all those was exhausted. And so I said I’d get a scooter. times, so many memories! I found an inexpensive one, it was orange. Mehera never liked to have a picture of And I bought it and I took it to show to her Baba look toojowly, so you’ll see a lot of the and I thought shes going to be so happy I pictures at Meherazad have a little pencil line got a scooter, I can now here and there, making come to Meherazad on Him look a little more a scooter. But she slender. His feet were al looked at it and she ways beautiful and slen said, “Its orange.” And der, and He was still I replied “Iis the only beautiful, but when she’d one I could get.” And see a photograph that she told me, “You have was not so flattering she to have it painted.” Sur couldn’t bear it, so out prised, I asked her what would come the pencil! she meant by that. “It’s She was so adorable. I a Rajneesh color, she feel very fortunate that I replied. In those days had that time. Every af there were a lot of ternoon about 2:30 Rajneesh people flying Mehera would call me in around in maroons and after she’d had her lunch oranges and she dis and she would say, liked the way her beau“Bring Adele to me, I tiful Poona was need to see Adele, or changing, with all the Kendra, or Reggie, or orange and maroon Photograph by Win Coates Lynn.” I would go to get robes hanging in the them and I would invari trees. And she didn’t like us, representing ably find that the person she wanted to see Baba, wearing or having anything that was was sitting all alone feeling a little lost or orange. So I paid another 500 rupees to have whatever. Day after day, she doesn’t know my scooter painted blue. I couldn’t afford it, what’s going on, I thought, she’s just sitting but I did it! She helped us understand that there. But it opened my eyes to understand you do it for Baba. Her reasoning was none how she was so available to Baba in every other than to glorify Baba. moment. When she would be telling a story Then there was the day when she de about Baba, and she knew it was the best cided she wanted to teach me how to eat thing for us to hear, if a visitor came up and chana raw garbanzo beans. So we took she was in the middle of a beautiful story, this nice big hunk ofraw chana straight from she would drop the story, meet the new perthe field, beautiful little green pea pods, and son, make them feel welcome, the whole she sat me down and said “Now this is how thing, then settle down and resume the story. you eat it,” and she showed me just how to She could be sharing a very beautiful Baba open up the pod and have that little chana story and yet she could let it go in a flash, and delight in it. I would think, “I’m sitting then pick it right up as though there had here eating chana with Mehera,” and it was been no interruption at all. It stunned me so ordinary yet so wonderful, everything was how she could do that. just so simple and natural. Mehera would always say how appreciation was so impor Question from the audience: “Baba called tant in life for loving Baba. Appreciating the Mehera the only person who loved Him as smallest things, because if you appreciate He should be loved, but did you ever see her Him, you appreciate what He does, and it’s struggling herself to be a better Baba lover, all His. That means that everything that hapto love Him more, feeling that she wasnt pens is His, the smallest thing that you noloving Him enough?” tice if you attribute it to Him it glorifies Baba, the smallest thing. And she would do I think she was always striving to please that. No matter what was happening she Him more. I mean always and in everything! would always give it to Baba. Always ev I think that she felt that she was trying to “

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give back the love that He had given her. That is an impossible task, so she always felt that she wasn’t loving Him enough. It was something that was of extreme importance to her. I remember an amusing incident at Adi’s funeral, which was held in lower Meherabad. We had said the prayers by His body and all the formality was over. Mehera and I were in saris and I was holding an umbrella next to her. She looked at me and said “How fast can you run in a sari?” “Very fast,” I replied. “Let’s go!” she exclaimed, and we took off! She wanted to go over to Baba’s Table House because this was in the summer, and she didn’t get to Meherabad very often. I think it was May and it was hot, and the wind was blowing, and she’s in this beautiful sari and we get over there and she climbs over that thing in her sari. She gets in and all of a sud den just presses her face against the screen at the table. I’m looking at this scene and she is just lost in the moment lost in her memories ofBaba there and it wasjust wonderful. Just wonderful. But I don’t think she ever felt that she loved Him enough. That’s the thing. He may have said it, but she never felt it. That’s what kept her going. -

ber one time she was gathering hollyhock seeds in the garden. She loved gardening and Baba wanted her to do it, so she gardened for both of those reasons. The hollyhocks had all gone to seed and when you are col lecting seeds you can either collect them all, or you can select only the healthiest ones so the next crop will be strong and healthy too. It was after lunch, all was very quiet; she was by herself and as I came out I noticed her there. All I can say is that it was one of the most divine moments I’ve ever seen in a hu man being. She must have been focused on Baba with such intense concentration! I Question:”Baba mentioned that Mehera looked over and thought “Everything that was the purest soul in the universe. Do you she does, she’s surrounded by Baba. It was have a story of your time with Mehera that such a divine moment and there she was reflects her purity?” collecting hollyhock seeds. She didn’t know I was looking, she wasn’t doing it for anyI don’t know how I can answer that. body. She was simply looking for the best What comes to mind is her eyes, the clarity seeds to grow in Baba’s garden for the nicest and beauty of her eyes. The atmosphere hollyhocks for the next season. what she created. I remem around her Or sometimes you’d catch a glimpse of her offering little flowers at Baba’s image on the tree. These were sublime moments. Mani used to say “Whenever Mehera looked at a photo ofBaba it was a meeting!” Mani, of course, was quite different from Mehera. In my years with Mani, I knew her to be totally adorable and wonderful. But she didn’t have that same quiet divinity sur rounding her. However one morning in May of 1996 a very lovely thing happened. Let me set the stage: In the early days when Mehera would talk about the first time she saw Baba, one of the things that struck her was how thin and gaunt He was; and she would always talk about “His curly, curly, matted hair.” She’d always say that. And the way that she described it made you want to see it so much. I would always anticipate her telling this story and think, Photograph of Mehera by Win Coates “She’s coming to that part,

“You come here for what Baba givesyou now, don bring other stufiyoue here for this, you come for this. Ifyou don want to be here, you don ha ye to be here, but ifyou’re coming for this, be here now. Take advantage ofthe time.” -

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she’s going talk to about His hair. You just knew she that loved that so much. So now here we are in 1996, just a couple of months beeoriented i fore Mani 0 Archive, Sufism passed 1970, Meherazad away. Even though she wasnt well at the end, she would still offer the flowers in Baba’s room for the evening arti. I would collect them and put them in the room. Now lets go to May 23rd. Maui, with Heather’s help, hadjust finished the writing 23 stories complete, for her Dream Book and we celebrated because it was May 23rd! But inside, Meheru and many of us thought “Twenty three? Why twenty three, where’s the twenty fourth?” That evening I had the flowers ready for Mani to offer to Baba in His room, but she came up to the door and leaned against it. She said, “I won’t be offering the flowers tonight, I’ll be forcing myself if I do. So I’m going to go lie down in my room.” I was devastated, I thought, “Oh, God, if she can’t do that, if she doesn’t have energy for that, this is very sad,” (because it was something that she loved to do so much). So I offered the flowers in Baba’s room, then I took a plateful of flowers to Mani’s room, because she would always offer flowers on Mehera’s bed after Mehera went to Baba. So Maui offered the flowers, and I watched and thought, “This is not good, she has so little energy,” I was very concerned. Then we finished the arti and I said goodnight and I went over to my quarters. The next morning I was walking from my little place over to the house because I would come in and start to do work around 7:00. At that time Mani would always be inside having her breakfast. But this day I saw her sitting on the porch. I thought to myself, “This is very odd.” As I’m walking over, I had this experience of an ocean of as if love just rolling off Mehera’s porch in like stories the telling there was Mehera me. overwhelmed feeling This days. early the Usually this kind of stuff just doesn’t hap“

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pen to me, but I was overwhelmed with the love just rolling off the porch! So I walked up to Mani and suddenly I looked at her hair. Her hair was matted, matted, and curly, curly, curly. I said, “Have you done something to your hair?” “Well, I put a little water on it” she replied, “and I just pressed it down.” “Mani,” I said, “I can’t help but tell you that it feels like Mehera is sitting here on the porch and your hair looks exactly the way Baba’s must have when she used to describe Him. And it feels like Mehera is sitting right here!” She looked startled and said, “Oh, I wasn’t going to tell anybody. What do you mean?” I asked, and she replied, “I had the twenty fourth dream last night!” She had dreamed, you will read in her book, that last dream, where Baba came into her room. And I thought, “Isn’t that beautiful, she couldn’t go into His room the night before, so in her dream, He comes into hers” Ah me, those were the days. But life goes on. We try to go with the flow, and live in the present. We all sorely miss the old days the days of Mehera and Mani, but we have our memories, and they are so very very precious. We will never let them go. “

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so SWEET TO HEAR HIM by Mehera J. Irani

nDecember 1924 Babatook us to Bombay on the night train. In those days there was no direct train, so we had to change trains at Dhond in the middle ofthe night. Baba told be ready to leave by five o’clock and, as it December and would be chilly on the way, He told us to take our warm things and not to catch colds, We got our things ready. and I had my warm, pink knitted coat lying on my packed bedding. My mother loved to crochet and knit, and she had knitted it for me while I was still at school. It was veryloose and came almost to my knees, but it was warm, so I always kept it with me.The pmnkwas a pretty colour, nottoo bright, andithad awhite band knitted into the border. Baba came into our room with a bundle oflightpinkish-mauvecloth inHishand and, to our surprise. He threw this bundle onto the big cotton carpet on our floor still hold-

us to was

ing one end in His hand. Baba then started to wrap the cloth around His head very, very quickly,looking so beautifuiwith a slight turn of His head this way, then that way, until His hair was hidden inside a turban! Baba did not want His hair to be seen while we were trayelling. Then He asked us, “Are you all packed and ready? We have to leave in fifteen mmutes. Have you left your warm things out?” Baba saw my pink coat lying on my bedding and picked it up asking, “Whose is this?” “It’s mine, Baba,” I said. He put the coat on and, because it was knitted, it fitted Him. “This is a nice, warm coat,” Baba said. “Remember to wear it if you feel cold on the

train.”

Babalooked so lovely in the pink coat and pink turban, but before we got into the tonga to go to the station, He took the coat off. Now at night when I think of Baba and remember every little thing that we did with Him, I realize that this was the first pink coat that Baba had worn. Baba always wore white or almond-coloured or very pale-blue coats, not pink ones, but at Guruprasad Baba wore

a pink coat at darshan time. Someone had. given it to Him, and it suited Him, so we

said, “Baba, why don you wear it?” But the

very first pink coat Babawore had been knit-

ted for me by my mother! We went by tonga from the Post Office to the station. In those days there were very few people at the train station. It was twi light when we arrived, and Baba told us to sit on a bench as we waited for the train, while He began walking from one end of the platform to the other looking so beauti ful in the Kamli coat, sandals, sadhra and turban. As Baba walked He began to sing quite loudly at each end of the platform where there were no people, and softly as He passedus and the others waiting for the train. Babawentback and forth singingloudly and then softly. It was so sweet to hear Him. and it showed He loved music and and how much He suffered in keeping silence for all those years. Mhem, pp. 71-72, © 189 AMBPPCT

very

singing,

Why the Beloved Has a Beloved by Heather Nadel, Meherabad

aba said Mehera was His beloved, that He loved her most, that her love for Him was matchless and childlike in its purity and simplicity—and that she was the one chosen to be His beloved in this Advent. He would treasure her expressions of love for Him, and see that she was pleased always. He would tell her, “If you are happy, I am happy. The worldlyminded, who do not know the meaning of divine Love and cannot understand a loving that is not expressed physically, misconstrue the role of a beloved in the Avataric Advent, and wonder if the Ava tar, too, has need for a partner like any other man. Down through the ages, hu manity has witnessed each time the Ava tar comes, He has a beloved: as Ram He had His Sita, as Krishna He had His beloved Radha, as Jesus He had His dear Mary Magdalene. But down through the ages people have wondered, and it’s no wonder that they continue to wonder in this Advent: “Why does the Lord have a beloved when He Himself is the Beloved Lord of all!” Something most insignificant throws light on this most significant question. Baba always went to such an extent to please Mehera and to keep her happy that one day Mani, in exasperation, said to Him, “Baba, if Mehera were to tell you that the earth is square, I guess you would say, yes it is, wouldn’t you?” Baba looked at Mani, and very seriously nodded His head, “Yes, I would.” As Mani recalls, it wasn’t until later that it dawned on her— that Baba loved Mehera in the way that he wanted His lovers to love Him! The Avatar sets the guidelines for humanity in His life, and becomes the gauge by which humanity can measure itself. In bying His beloved, the Avatar perfectly plays the role of the lover, and sets the guideline for all His lovers to love Him, the Divine Beloved.

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Sketch by Diane Cobb, from the archive of SufIsm Reoriented.

A Vision by Jenny O.T. Markoe, Maryland

was May of 1989, the day after Mehera had gone to Baba. A friend and I were walking barefoot along the beach. We knew of Mehera’s passing and so we were talking about it when I suddenly stopped and cried out, “Wait! You won’t believe what Ijust saw!” She gave me a puzzled look. “What do you mean? Tell me...” In the blink of an eye I had had a vision ofBaba and Mehera together, both infinitely happy to be in each others company. Mehera was quiet, sitting still but smiling, sending out rays oflove. Baba was doing a lively dance

around her, laughing. And then He started showing her various “toys” from His creation: “Look at this, look at that.” It was as though He were showing off, like a school boy with a crush. Suddenly, He stopped and pointed upwards to the sky. There was the little planet Earth, beautiful, blue and green. On all the land masses were tiny pinpricks of light glowing brightly. Clearly, He had saved the best for last. As He pointed to it, Baba laughed and cabled out proudly: “Look, Mehera See those lights? Those are My lovers!” -

Reprinted from Friends ofthe A vatar Meher Baba Trust Newsletter,”

January 1982.

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In the Company of the Beloved

Meheri, Mehera Mani. and Goher -Mtherazaa 194& Januar) L948duringMurchida Duceandher daughter Charmiaith Ik:t visit to Mtherazed tomeetMtherBaba.

During the I952Sahavasin MyrtleBeath. SC (eft to right) MinL Mthem and Gobei

I9212 on theporth atMtherazad (left torighç) Gohei Mebera, Mani Meheri, and Naja.

Photographs abüve are from the Photo Archive Sufism Reoriented

Baga’s 73efooec/ by Vesta Clinton, Santa Barbara, CA

was blessed to be in India when our Beloved Meher Baba came to have the last waltz with Mehera. The Ava tar whisked His Beloved from the dance floor as they danced to the music of His Love. It’s resonance and heavenly notes felt to me like Baba’s glorious Opus, echoing the sound of the original whim of God. I heard in my heart a magical combination of the elements of this Love, befitting the end of all cycles. Baba’s Beloved Mehera was the most finely tuned instrument of His Glory, His Godhood, and most of all, His Love. She was His Symphony, Hi Choir. It is Mehera who reached the high notes with definite, perfect pitch. It was she who Had the unblemished sound to sing His true praise. Her lyrical voice was the sym phony of His divinity; she was Baba’s illuminated songbird. Mehera was Meher Baba’s sun reflected so luminously in the full moon. So powerful was her reflection it appeared to control the tide of His expansive Ocean of Love. Mehera Jehangir Irani’s melodious call drew Baba byers to her porch. It was divine, with chords unmatched in the universe- your very soul sensed its’ simplicity as you heard the essence of God’s Love. Her voice af forded complete communion with God. Mehera was the Beloved of the Beloved. 1974 was the year Meher Baba brought me to India. Baba’s Godhood was unques tionable to me, my faith young, and my love for Baba so great, or so I thought! (I was an eager pilgrim, one of those whom Padri re ferred to as a “Lunatic from Baba’s Asylum.”) It was during Amartithi that I received my

fIrst glimpse of Mehera. Approaching for a hug, I was deeply moved. It was, and still remains, a most exquisite moment for me. I treasure my connection, (by Baba’s Grace) with Mehera. My daydreams are filled with memories, experiences, and les sons. Just as we all develop our relationship with Baba, we all have our own relationship with Mehera. It matters not whether we have seen either with our eyes, for it is our heart and soul that cultivates this exquisite, personal familiarity with God and His Beloved. 3j,

This ‘knowing’ ofGod, and the resulting trust and faith in Him, is what Adi calls, “God realization in disguise.” Adi shared with me many wonderful times of his life with God. Adi Kaikushroo Irani, in 1974, told me of an experience he had with Meher Baba and Mehera that explained to me the significance of Mehera’s position with the Avatar: On one of the many walking trips throughout India, Baba gave Mehera the pleasure and company of a horse she named Sheeba. Also, Meher Baba’s Wish and Will for Mehera to be protected from the outside world was strictly enforced, so she was not privy to its demands. She was truly innocent in the ways of the world. One afternoon Mehera sweetly expressed to Baba how much Sheeba would enjoy a special grass to chew. Baba loved Mehera so much, and saw how lovingly she cared for Sheeba that He sent for Adi and asked him to obtain this grass. Adi told us he was stunned by this seemingly whimsical request. He told us Baba knew how little money was at hand, and that the cost of procuring this grass would be prohibitive. As Adi stood before his elder brother’, he became a little upset, explaining to Baba that the grass was only available in a particular region of southern India. He told Baba the three day round trip by train, meals, and the cost of the special grass would deplete their financial resources and waste precious time. Warming to the subject, Adi told Baba one man would have to go and it would leave the ashram shorthanded, delaying much needed work scheduled for completion. Adi became very exasperated. At this point, Adi’s raised voice and disre

spectful tone became too offensive to us— ten to. Baba became very stern with Adi, teuling him it was an order to obtain the grass and to do it immediately! Baba turned arid strode away, leaving Adi staring in disbelief, his anger continuing to rise. What a waste of time and money he thought, and how unnecessary when there was real work to be done. He told me it had crossed his mind that Mehera caused prob lems for him and I made Baba spend money needlessly. He believed Mehera made him, Adi, look like a fool to the oth ers for allocating time and money for ‘silly horse grass!’ Adi kept stuffing his feelings and thoughts for days. His mind whirled like a tornado and he told us he had become trapped in the ‘eye of the storm’ By the time the man re turned with the grass, Adi was fit to be tied. He was given the bundle to take to Baba, who, upon its presentation, asked Adi what was in the bundle. Adi responded, with great irritation in his voice, “The stu pid grass has come, and at more expense than just money!” Baba rose with fire in His eyes! He told Adi he was an ignorant fool and had learned nothing! The look He gave Adi pierced his heart. His shame grew as Baba said, .

“You fool! Don you know that Ilove you foryour sake, but I love Mehera for mine! As Adi finished the story, we sat in si lence, stunned. Tears welled in his eyes, and as one rolled down his cheek, I felt as if I was sitting underneath a great, healing waterfall. A few more moments passed in silence, then Adi told us this was a great humbling for him, and that it had never left him. It was indelibly scorched on his

mind. Adi looked so downcast, I could not break the lengthening silence. As his story swept through me, I could literally feel each cell in my body recognize the mas tery of the experience Baba gave Adi. This knowledge resounded deep within me. The moment of clarity I had while ustening to Adi had become a cornerstone of my faith in Avatar Meher Baba, changing

Baba at her side. She lived every moment for Him. Every morsel of food that entered her mouth was for Him, every song for His ear only. Mehera, through her stories and love of Meher Baba, taught me the wonderful lesson of living in His Presence. I trained myself to be conscious of Baba’s Presence by my side, at all times. At first, I needed to fine-tune the instrument of my imagination, based on His Love! I started with drivingmycar.To be a more careful driver, I always imagine Meher Baba sitting in the car with me. It is a great respon sibility, so I must use caution and great care! When I am riding in someone else’s car, it is Baba who is behind the wheel. When I care for someone, it is Baba or Mehera I imagine I am caring for. When I go to the dentist, it is Baba behind the mask. When I walk alone in the dark to reach my car, I Photograph of Meher Baba and Mehera © Lawrence Reiter imagine I am on my my perception of the world. Through this, way to Darshan, or tea with Mehera. If a my association with Mehera had become an man is encountered along the way, it is al odd mixture ofdiverse elements. She was my ways Meher Baba. When the wind blows favorite aunt, my best friend, and the most deep in the night, and I can ‘hear’ something loving and tender person I had ever met. Yet or someone entering through a broken door, I was so in awe to have had the privilege of I imagine it is Baba coming in from the her person in my daily life. She was wise, storm. deep, and also a very strong person, inno The moon is evidence that a reflection cent and pure. of light is proof of His Love. A beautiful God in Mehera is revealed as she smiles symphony is testament to His Glory. A pre in the embrace and beauty of Divine Love. cious gem can only be illuminated by the It was the musical poetry of His Songbird twinkle in His eye. (Mehera described so elo that was so capturing, yet so freeing. From quently how this twinkle was beyond mea Mehera’s individual notes and pleasing sure.) I make myself remember there is melody I received my lessons. Sharing some nothing without Meher Baba. Nothing can of my lessons with you, on this 20th day of exist without him. That means you and me! May 1999, seems appropriate. It marks the Mehera said so. first decade since Baba and Mehera waltzed away to Paradise together. When I began my relationship with Mehera over twenty-five years ago, I never once felt her to be without

Our Last Letter from Mehera

Song for Mehera’s Anniversary by Heather Nadel

by Mehera

By the Gate

(Editor. note: The following message from Mehera wasgiven by her to Gulnar Sukhadwalla for reading to Baba frstern lovers as she visited us during herrecentjourneyhere. It was read out to ourgroup by Gulnarat the LosAngelesMeherBaba Center on April22 1989)

eloved Baba’s dear children gathered here today, I am happy to wish you all through Gulnar amostlovthgJai Meher Baba. it is so heart warming to know ofyourlove for Baba who, as Avatar of the Age, came on earth to awaken all hearts in love for God. Beloved Baba loved us all very dearly and now we must love Him with all our hearts. In so many dif ferent ways you can show your love for Meher Baba who is omniscient and omnipresent. Remember him in all you do and He wifi guide you to do what is right. It may not always be what you want, but in your love for Him you must ask yourself, “What would Baba want me to do?” and the answer from within you is always forthcoming. Baba says, “The voice of intuition is My voice.” There are so many guidelines to help you do what would please Baba. When you are loving and helping other people you are bying and serving God. And when you love Meher Baba pleasing Him and obeying Him are most important and dear to Him and should be dear to you. When each ofyou tries 100 percent to do as Baba wants He is surely near you helping you. to do so is often not easy, but with Babas help it is not impossible. Beloved Avatar Meher Baba coming on earth as man was to help us on our spirituabjoumey. Know that he does help and guide us on the path to the Goal, which is to Himself. And each one of us, sooner or later, knowingly or unknowingly, must undertake thisjourney. It is our journey to God. And by offering us His Daaman to hold Beloved Baba is making thejourney so much easier for us. So hold on fast to Mehers Daaman with both hands and love Him more and more. You are all so fortunate to love Beloved Baba for it is His love that you reflect in your hearts. Much love to you each and all our dear family, ever in Beloved Baba’s eternal love.

Mehera, He said ‘Z’e brave,” What agift to us thatyou obeyed Andstepped awayfromyour own heartpain to live for Him, to smile again, for us who came so late. For twentyyears He paused by the gate; He was alive in you for us who came so late. Mehera ofthe sparkling eyes, You meant much more than we could realize. Alwaysyoung with an ancient calm, Th be with you was His healing balm for us who came so late. For twentyyears Hepausedby the gate for us who came so late.

Th care for us wholnot been there! You were so naturaL but we became aware He was alive in you for us who came so late. -

For twentyyears Hepausedby the gate for us who came so late. Mehera, a livingprayei You talked to R]m and we feltHim there. Nowyou’re gone butyourgarden fair; Your love for Him itstillblooms there for us who came so late. He paused by twentyyears For the gate and thrived in you and sighed in you and was alive in you for those ofus who came so late.... He was alive in you for us who came so late.

Mehera, the loveyou shared The teayoupoureci the time you spared

Cable from Meherazad

cable dated 20th May, 1989 came with the following message:

BELOVED AVATAR MEHER BABA HAS TAKEN MEHERA HIS BELOVED UNTO HIMSELF ON 20 MAY 1989 MORNING. WHILE MEHERAS BODY IS BEING BURIED NEXT TO SAMADHI ON MEHERABAD HILL AS SPECIFIED BY BABA, THE LIGHT OF MEHERA’S PURE SUPREME LOVE FOR HER ONLY BELOVED WILL FOREVER ILLUMINE THE EARTH AND THE HEARTS OF HIS LOVERS EVERYWHERE.

;d; : .

MANI AND ALL MEHERAZAD FAMILY Photograph of Mehera, Gary Demo 40

7sit ...andlthink ofdarlingBaba andHis Lovefor us alL andhowHesufferedfor us. Andlremember all the little details ofHis beautifulForm, andlthink ofall the little incidents wfth Him... ofmyfirstglimpse off—Jim at Sakori... ofBaba dancing and singing in the dawn liqht on the Post Office verandah... Andnow it is time for us to return His love. “You must keep JovingBaba more andmore, andmake Baba happy withyour love by rememberingHim always. Think ofHim andsayHis Name, andHe wilaiways helpyou. You love Him because He lovesyou, so be happyin His Love. Know thatBaba is withyou, andknow thatHe lovesyou. Andso be happy. He is the God-Man, and to be lovedby the God-Man is so beautifuL How veryfortunateyou are.” Quotations from Mehera by Mehera Jehangir Irani, Beloved Books © 1989 AMBPPCT Photographs of Mehera on the porch at Meherazad, top 1973, bottom 1976, Photo Archive, Sufism Reoriented

Passing On J osephine Ross By Anne Ross, Averil Park, NY How can you adequately describe in words the life of another person? Even a person you think you know well your mother. Especially a mother who was not what anyone would describe as typical. Instead of breakfast, she fed us on poetry; instead of housework, we were treated to the smell of lilacs and walks in the woods... J osephine Esther Ross was born on November 21, 1907 in New York City, the daughter ofDr. Amadeus William Graubau, Professor of Geology and Paleontology at Columbia University, later at the University of Peking China, and Mary Antin, author ofThe Promised Land and lecturer on prob lems of immigration and related subjects. Later in life, she would tell us that it was difficult being the child of two “geniuses.” Although she learned the Hebrew prayers from her Jewish mother (her father came from a Lutheran family) and they kept the Sabbath, she attended a Christian boarding school and there developed a love for Christ which later reflects in her poetry. When she was a young girl, her mother took her to a palm reader who told her “this is the hand of a born mystic.” In November of 1931 at the age of 23, she met Meher Baba at Harmon, New York on His first visit to America.* This experi ence was to have a profound effect on her and she said that she immediately recognized Baba as the living Christ and she became a lifelong devotee. Up until then, she had never written po etry, but after meeting Baba, she said the words just flowed. She describes how He appeared to her: -

Thybeauty, Loro Ic like a thousand blossoms thatlift their fragrantpetals to the night, andali the myriadjewels ofthe stars arepale beside the radiance of Thy light.

She was one of the fortunate few who stayed for the month that Baba was at Harmon. She said that she was given the honor of bringing Baba’s meals from the kitchen to his room and would catch a *

glimpse of Him through the open door. She was thrilled that Baba asked her to stay at Harmon to help with typing until he re turned in the spring, as the house was permeated with His presence. After He left, she expressed her deep longing:

Margarita. He also accepted Baba as his Master and became a life-long disciple. (He is the one who played the bagpipes for Baba subsequent visit to Challa-combe in 1932, mentioned in the English newspaper ac counts.) A few years later Josephine and Kenneth met in NYC through mutual friends who were interested in Baba, and they were innmediately drawn to one another, as she so beautifully writes in her poem: Out ofeternity You come to me; hook intoyour eyes And there Isee Myselfreflected! Oh, in what dim past frf4re we two partec/ Now to meet at last Under these newer skies, In this strangeplace? What destiny now brings us Face to face?

4 v....

Istand on a balcony neargentlyswaying tree tops, And a golden summer moon floods the world with her light. Crickets andkatydids fill the night with theirshrill cries; And myheartis lonely. Where is He whom hove more than all eartith beauty? IlookforHim in the stars Andfindhim not.

Prior to this, on His way to America, Baba had visited England and spent 10 days at the retreat at East Challacombe in Coombe Martin, established by Meredith Starr. One of the early English group gath ered there to meet Baba was Mother’s fu ture husband, Charles Kenneth Ross, who was the brother of Meredith’s wife,

See page 1586, Volume V, LordMeher

H2____-----*---------t!m - --

Even though she felt a deep soul connection with him and he told her shortly af ter they met “that he would like her to be the mother of his children,” she told him she wasn’t ready for marriage. He went off for a year to the Northwest Territories of Canada and when he came back and visited her, she said “I’ll marry you now ifyou stiiwant me.” (I often think how near my sisters and I came to not having them as parents, though I’m sure Baba planned for them to be married long before they met each other.) Mother said that she asked Baba if she could go to India with Him and He answered in His own inhnitable way, “If you were a boy, I would take you!” In June of 1937 they were married fri NYC and moved to a five-acre uncleared plot of land in the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey, about 1 7 miles inland from Atlantic City. Their new home consisted of a one room cabin along with a large tent, no indoor plumbing and a hand pump for water. Daddy started clearing the land (with an axe and a shovel) and started building another room onto the cabin,which was not yet com

r—i-

pleted when their first child, (Margarita Esther) was born in April of the following year. Though Mother had been used to all the fmer things in life, she said that she was very happy during these early years. They were quite isolated from other Baba followers (the closest being in NYC 150 miles away) though they both kept in touch writing letters. Following is an excerpt from a letter Mother wrote in July of 1939 to one of the early Baba group about their plans for a retreat for Baba: to help in the work of a retreat, I have proposed to others who love Baba, that you consider the idea of joining us here. Our plan is to build individual cabins for those who come here to stay and we have worked out a plan for a large community house where guests will eat if they choose and where a large library will be available for study and for meetings, as well as a meditation room in which will hang a portrait of Baba to inspire those who wish to use it. The cabins will also be equipped for housekeeping so that people can cook and eat alone if they so desire.” Though their plans for a retreat for Baba never materialized, they maintained a small farm growing organic food, along with freerange chickens and for a time, a goat herd. The following verses from her poem called “Homemaker” were written during those early years and expresses her contentment A woman’c life is little things, A babjth cry, a childhurt knee; The way thegrassesgrow along Thepath beneath the maple tree. Dayin, day out, oflittle things She weaves apattern, to and fro Th make a home: a woman life Ispeace, ifshe willkeep #50. She would send copies of her poems to Baba in India and some of them were published in the early copies of the Meher Baba Journal. Baba told her that her poems were “the Songs of His Heart.” Mother had tremendous courage and great faith in Baba. She never appeared to

be afraid of the unknown, as she showed when leaving city life to live as a 20th cen tury pioneer woman. And when her hus band died after 17 years of marriage, she picked up the pieces of her life and started over, even though it was heartbreaking for her, as she expresses in these verses from an unpublished poem written in 1955:

lishing company in NYC as a young woman, and even though she was advised that she would never be able to get a job at her age and after such a long time out of the bustness world, she started her life over again in a city strange to her by getting a job and a small apartment and gathering her family together. Life was never smooth for :-: Mother, and as with others who follow Baba, it seemed as though she was burning up Sanskaras from many lifetimes. She lost all ofher household belongings twice, and suffered much physical distress toward the last part of her life. For much of her adult life, she suffered from extreme mood swings. She never complained even when in obvious pain. She was the epitome of the sign of Scorpio, “the Phoenix rising from the ashes.” About five years ago, while in the nursing home, she com pletely stopped taking in nour ishment and my sisters and I decided not to interfere as it J — appeared that she had decided Photo submitted by Anne Ross that it was time for her to leave her physical body. (She told me that she saw a bright light and heard lb One Who Knows beautiful singing.) Butjust to be sure, I asked her, “Mother, do you want to die, is that why Icannotlook back you’re not eating?” When she answered Font breaks my heart, “No,” I realized that she had not made the Now that we are forever decision and still wanted to live, that she was Apart. not eating because of depression. We started The things we dici her on an antidepressant and she began tak Andthepath we troct ing small amounts of orange juice and then Aregone from me now gradually Rice Crispies and milk, which diet By the W’ll of God she stuck to for months until finally getting His was the wisdom back to her normal diet and coming back to In allyou said life. How could Ithink Though she was living in a nursing home, Thatyou were dead? there were some bright spots in her life. Each ofyour children Once I took her outside behind her buildLike shining fib wers, ing where there were two giant willow trees, Proves to the world a favorite spot of hers. It had been a long God’c Creative Powers. day and I was feeling exhausted from prob And in all ofour hearts lems at work and Ijust sat back and listened The flame ofourlove to her talk. She started telling the story of Willbeguardedand watched her stay at Harmon with Baba and it was ByHis angels above. the most beautiful rendition of that part of She had worked as a secretary for a pub- her life that I had ever heard. I wished that

t ‘ other Baba lovers could have been there (or that I had a tape recorder with me). When she fmished, I got up out of the chair and found that I was completely relaxed and re freshed, as if I had been there with her at Harmon... on other occasions when she was feeling sociable, she would immediately ask for Bill Cliff to come and sing Baba songs for her. She had her favorites and would severely critique his rendition if he didn’t get it just the way she thought it should be sung. The highest praise she gave him was that he fi nally got The Tavernjust right! She particu larlylikedjeanne ShawFink Coat Songand Manes Open Up the Door Lord and would sing along and harmonize with Bill. Many of the nurses and aides at the nurs ing home asked for copies of her book and would look at Babas picture on her bedside table and ask about it. We felt that Baba had His own reasons for having her there and perhaps worked through her to benefit the staff who provided personal services. Last year in January, while my sister, Rose, was reading the latest edition of Lord Mehoi she said it suddenly came to her that she should take Mother home and care for her. She is a nurse and she was at a stage in her life when this would be possible for her. Three weeks before this, Mother had fallen out of her chair from a propped-up position and landed on the top of her head. She was very bruised and shaken but X-rays did not indicate a break or concussion, though her back bothered her for a long time. We felt that this fall was a wake-up call for us to get her out ofthe nursing home; we are convinced that angels were present to help break her fall or she would not have lived through it. Onjanuary 31st the whole family gath ered and escorted her to the ambulance that would take her to her daughter’s home in Lake Luzerne. Mother was not an easy person to care for and did not like to be moved, fed or changed most of the time. It took a lot of patience and determination for Rose to put her life on hold and devote herself to taking care of Mother for the ten months she lived with her. We had talked it over and we knew when Mother left the nursing home that she might not have much time left, but we wanted her to be in a loving atmosphere surrounded by family for as long as possible, and not to be alone in her last .

hours. She was able to get to know her grandchildren and great grandchildren, and her last hours were spent with Rose and her husband and daughter. Baba’s name was repeated for her and she went peacefully home to Him.

All thatlam Igive to Him. Oftalents andgifts ofart Tiiallaregone andlrost at last, Wfthin J-Jis Sacred Heart.

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and need to care for other children. She became a mother to many including eleven foster children, three ofwhom she adoptedValerie, John and Frederick; and a granddaughter, Yonnette, all ofwhom she lovingly took into her home. Bernice leaves to cherish her loving memory her husband Harrison; three sons Carlton, Frederick and John; a son-in-law Victor; three daughters Janice, Carlene and Valerie; four grandchildren Yonnette, Eurydice, Isaiah and Myron; a grandson-inlaw Jan; three great-grandchildren -Jada, Jhan and Jave; a brother, Kelton, Sr.; a sis ter-in-law, Audrey; a sister, Benita; a brotherin-law, George; and a host of nieces, nephews, in-laws, other relatives and friends. -

Bernice Carmen Williams Ivory

ernice Carmen Williams Ivory was born on October 6, 1926 at Lying In Hospital (now New York Hospital) to the late Harold and Helena Williams, Sr.; she was the fifth of seven children. Bernice was raised in Harlem, New York, attended public schools and graduated from Center Needle Trade High School, where she studied sewing and home economics.She worked as seamstress for many years after her graduation; she also worked as a nurses’ aide for years until her retirement. Bernice was a very spiritual person and it came to the forefront in 1956 when her sister Beryl introduced her to The Avatar, Meher Baba. Meher Baba was a Perfect Master who lived in India and was visiting the United States at the time. Bernice became very de voted to Baba and lived according to His teachings until her passing on February 7, 1999. She was not only a very spiritual person, but also a very caring and nurturing woman. Her love touched many lives here and abroad. Bernice met Harrison Ivory when she was 12 years old and hewas 14. OnJune 15, 1947 they werejoined in Holy Matrimony. To this union three children were born Janice, Carlton and Carlene. On June 14, 1997, Bernice and Harrison renewed their vows for their 50th wedding anniversary in front of family and friends. They were married for 51 beautiful years of happiness and love. Bernice volunteered at New York Foundling Hospital where she developed her love -

Lovingly submitted by her family

ike Bernice, her funeral was a loving and

beautiful experience. It had a mostly Christian flavor a rich Christian flavor including a reading from scriptures and the singing of WhataFriend kHaveinJesus (which never sounded so heart-stirring to me before). It also included Babas favorites Pre c/otis Lord and Begin the Beguine and a reci tation of The Master Prayer in which all not just present were able to participate the “Baba lovers.” The stories of Bernice told by her family were the most touching. I was particularly moved by the heartfelt tribute ofher adopted daughter Valerie, who spoke of all she is still learning from Bernice, and of Bernice’s strong support when children taunted her about being adopted. Most of all, Baba’s love, in the uniquely nurturing aspect with which it always flowed through Bernice, held that funeral in the palm of His hand. God bless you Bernice... —

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by Tony Paterniti, New York.

Scott Tycer by Jamie and Zo Newell, Nashville

ongtimeBaba-lover, trustwalla for the Nashville area, and dear friend of many, Scott Tycer died at his home at 1:30pm Nashville time, Saturday February 27th. He loved Meher Baba and served him with all of his heart. He will be greatly missed by those of us who knew and loved him. Scott had been battling cancer for several years.

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To: Viola Farber@MeherBaba.luv

From: Regina Sadono

Re: Dancing with God in the Wings

iola Farber, on the other hand, was phrase, a sentence, a paragraph, a page, a esting, she says. Interesting because they quixotically quirkier like silly putty chapter, an indelible volume in the aren’t mistakes, but something that hapwith sure fire hyperplex instincts, and with Cunningham saga. She is never rewrit pens in spite of what we intend, revela an angular, wiry; and sinuously off-centered ten, only replaced. “For instance, if Merce tions. flexibility” (Kenneth King). was working with Viola’s quality in an area From 1968-1985, she directs the Viola “Her body often had the look of one of a dance and I was in that part, I was Farber Dance Company. “Her work is like part being in balance and the rest ex then supposed to deal with her quality Abstract Expressionist Painting. You follow tremely off” (that was Merce). somehow” (Steve Paxton). it (as you follow all dancing) for the act of “In the quintessentially creation, not for the sake of some dis Farberesque ‘Legacy,’ which she cho embodied product that creation leaves ?ji’** : reographed in 1968 to a Chopin :: behind...” (Arlene Croce). Her dances étude, Ms. Farber moved like a are a response to the way everything is dreaming, elegant giraffe (a New mixed up in this world, “people and mi 1: YorkTimes obimary byjennifer Duncrobes and elephants and cassowary ning). birds.” w r : Jeff Slayton says Viola met Baba In 1971, she and Jeff Slayton win : sometime, he doesn’t know when. In gold a medal in the Ninth Interna 4 * the Fifties? When did Baba come to tional Dance Festival in Paris. She t . the United States? It was in New 4 becomes artistic director of the Centre York. “As soon as I saw Baba,” she National de Danse Contemporaine and says, “I knew He was God.” establishes an institute for the trainIn 1958 she dances for Baba, in ing of dance teachers. In the 1990s, the Barn at Myrtle Beach, a dance is named Officier de l’Ordre des Arts made by Paul Taylor. What is it like et des Lettres in France. to dance for Baba? Are you scared? Vwla Farber was born in Heidelberg, Baba smiles, an inscrutable smile, sa Germany. She came with herfamily to the’ voring a silent, happy secret. “Now US at the age of7, and became a US citi and again it was like two persons, anzen when she was 13. In 1952, she met other just ahead or behind the first” Merce Cunningham andJohn Cage at (Merce). Baba smiles at them both. Black Mountain Colllege, where she was And in this picture she embraces studyzngdan andmuszc ce Viola became one the space that embraces her, arms ofCunningha cprincial m dancersfor 12 both straight and curved, holding years creating many roles in his early something invisible, like love. She beworks After leaving Cunningham she :! comes the painting, which becomes •: formed her own company and became •: her. Still life. world-renow nedfor her contribution both ‘*4 In another picture (Crises 1960) as an artist anda teacher shejumps into Merce’s arms. They are An edge oflazity subversive wit lay young. Her hair flies up, curling upbeneath her plain-spoken ess in conversa Photo by Richard Rutledge wards like her smile. Merce looks up tion and in her dancinp Thatcfrom the Viola Farber in Summerspace (1958). at her, holding her against him like a New York Times obituary. ViolaFarber Slayton Choreography by Merce Cunningham, child. He peers up at her, beyond her mys died in New York Stage ofa Design cerebral by Robert hemorrhage Rauschenberg, on teriously at his own vision, which she emDecember 24, 1998. She was 67. bodies, which she represents. Her feet curl “I never thought I was a very good adupward, too, behind her, as he grasps her vertisement for Baba,” she says at Pilgrim Viola’s good friend Bunty Kelly reminds waist, her arm around his shoulder. They Pines in 1990. But how do we advertise us that Viola shared Baba’s birthday, Febru share a center, leaning away from it, tryBaba? Knowing, as she did, all of herself, ary 25. Bunty remembered a recent phone ing to escape. She is happy. They are knowing herself, as we all do, twenty-four conversation with Viola: “The last time I bound together, producing unity and au hours a day, how do we advertise Baba? spoke to Viola we were discussing the diffi tonomy. Better than an unselfconscious study culties of life and she said she hoped that She dances with Merce Cunningham in quiet unpredictability?” With more hu when she went to Baba she would get a great from 1952-1965, becoming a word, a mility? More grace? Mistakes are interbig hug from Him. I’m sure that she did!” —

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Passing On

Reviews

(continued) J oe Harmon

On the Threshold of Change by Margaret Bernstein

by Charles Harmon

ormerly of Atlanta and more recently of Myrtle Beach, Joe Harmon passed away December 29th after a nine year battle with leukemia. He was born in Front Royal, VA in 1927. Joe led a very active life. During WW II he volunteered as a marine, and was at Bikini Atoll for 2 atomic tests. He also received many awards from Marine Veterans organizations. AfterWWII he received both his undergradu ate and law degrees from Emory University He lived for many years in Atlanta and became a lawyer, and founded the very suc— cessftul law firm of Harmon, Smith, Bridges & Wilbanks. One of their many clients was the Martin Luther King Foundation and he was also personal friends with Coretta Scott King. He was very active in volunteer work of many different natures, including volunteer legal work representing the poor. He was also involved with the Peace Through Law orga nization. While he lived in Atlanta, he was an early member ofthe local Meher Baba cornmunity started by Charles Haynes at Emory University Joe came to know Baba through Tom Caudle in 1969. For 25 years,Joe was on the Board ofDirectors ofthe Meher Center in Myrtle Beach and served as their legal counsel. He was an expert negotiator and was known for his abil ity to look at the bright side ofthings during great difficulties. Even while enduring exten sive suffering, he continued to ftMiil his role on the Board. He amazed those around him with his continued dedication to the work of the Beloved. He also had a great interest in the caretaking ofthe center and was a volun teer caretaker for a number ofyears. He was buried in Senoia, Georgia, a small rural community south ofAtlanta on January 3. The bagpipes played, while a small group of Marines led the way. Along with his wife Ellen, he left 6 children. There was a memorial for Joe in Myrtle Beach at “Dilruba” at the Meher Center onJanuary 10. Those who knewJoe will miss him. Donations may be given in Joe’s name to the Meher Center.

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by Ron Schiegel, New York

he gentle melodic strains offlute famil iar to Baba Lovers all over the world are featured on Margaret Bernstein’s new CD On the Threshold ofChange. The album, which is a perfect follow up to her debut CD Full Circle, consists of ten original instru mental compositions. Like Full Circle, Margaret’s virtuoso flute playing is often doubled up in exquisite harmony tracks and is also accompanied by herselfon piano and keyboards. In addition, BayArea Baba Lover Gay Dunn graces three ofthe compositions with her beautiftil cello playing, andjazz guitarist Mimi Fox (courtesy of Monarch Records) adds upbeat Brazilian flavor to “Breaking Through.” Margaret has a unique talent in bringing out an awareness of our connectedness to nature through her music. She manages this partlyby incorporating authentic nature sounds (such as babbling brook, buoyant birds and buzzy bumblebees in “Living in Lagunitas”) into the fabric ofher music, in-

Monsoon Season by Richard Peikoff by Robert Thornburn, Los Angeles CA

plendid acoustic playing combining cutting-edge fingerstyle technique with a raga-inflected slide style. In this reviewer’s opinion, this 1995 Guitar Player magazine accolade is an understatement. Many will know this as Richard’s “Made in India?’ cas sette, originallyreleased in 1994; however this DAT recording has been remastered for CD release. This instrumental offering has been beautifully presented in two suites. The Western Suite is quite diverse. “One Hand Clapping” and “100 Mile House” move with propulsive and confident rhythms; while “Waterlilies” and “Gondar Gardens” reveal

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terweaving her flute motifs with bird calls. Her music also evokes powerful images of Nature and Baba since her compositions have been inspired by the forests and hills of Northern California and upstate New York (where she has lived during the last few years), and her pilgrimages to Meher Cen ter (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) and Meherabad, India. Some musical highlights on the album include “Awakening Hearts and Souls Dance,” a waltz-like ballad dedi cated to her horse, Rosie, and “In the Direc tion of Home,” which won honorable mention in the International UNISONG competition. The music on On the ThresholdofChange reflects Margaret’s ongoing spiritual quest for union with the Beloved as well as the changes and transformations that she has dergone during the last few years, most notably giving birth to her son, Julian Song, who additionally helped to inspire the re cording process from utero. There is a pu rity and honesty that comes through in Margaret’s flute playing and in her musical compositions that transports the listener to an altered state where one cannot help but feel Beloved BabaJGod’s presence. There is continuity between the musical numbers yet enough contrast from meditative, peaceful pieces to upbeat, dance-type melodies to keep the listener engaged. This album is rec ommended for everyone! an elegant and sensitive side to the artist. The Eastern Suite is comprised of four selections and features Peikoff’s provocative slide guitar. His variations on the Gujarati Arti are fresh and heartfelt. Unique to the album is his collaboration with Parsuram Sherla, who plays tabla and tambura. In the words of the artist: “It was a meeting of two musical brothers from cultures thousands of miles as well as thousands of years apart. Music is sacred to me, as it is to Parsuram. For us, music is God.” Recorded by Hugh Macdonald in the study hail on Meherbad Hill, the live ses sions capture not only the beautiflil acoustic ambiance ofthe room, but a deep apprecia tion of the silence of Baba’s love. We are fortunate to have such devoted and talented musicians in the global Meher Baba community I highly recommend that you include Richard Peikoff’s Monsoon Season as part ofyour musical library.

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Announcements Avatar’s Abode You are invited to Avataii Abode From 11th to 14th June, 1999 to the 41st Celebration of Meher Baba’s 1958 visit to His Abode in Australia.

his Sahavas in 1958 was Meher Baba’s last outside India. It was during this time that He named the property Avatar’s Abode and said that it will become one of the great places ofpilgrimage in the world. The Anniversary of Meher Baba’s visit to Avatar’s Abode is a special time for all Australian Baba lovers and this is enhanced when the time is shared with Baba lovers from the international community. Our special guest this year is Bhau Kalchuri, one of Meher Baba’s closest dis ciples and Chairman of the AMBPPC Trust.For further information, registration, accommodation and costs contact: Phone: Bernard Bruford, 61-7-5442 1487 Fax: Gärd Saunders, 61-7-5441 3123 Email: samgard@campac.net.auTour Avatar’s Abode by visiting the website at http :/fwww.positive-australia.com/ avatar/index.htm Please share this invitation with your local Baba group and friends.

Avata?s Abode New Library

vatar’s Abode now has a new re ception center, which also includes a IibraryThis is accessed by pilgrims and visi tors and the Trust is in the process of adding copies ofbooks relating to Baba. Ifyou are an author or publisher we would love to place a signed copy ofyour book in the library for visitors to the Abode to read. Please donate a signed copy and send it to: Avata?s Abode PtyLtd. P0 Box 184 Woombye, Qjd.4559 Australia. If you have any queries, please email positive@’thehub.com.au orfax (ISD) 617 38465009 Michael Rohan.

Correspondence to Bhau

A Note from Our Trustwafli Lynne Berry

26th November 1998 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Baba,

month ago Bhau had asked me to Post a note on the Baba Listserv and various Baba web sites conveying that, owing to the greatlyincreased pressure ofTrust work, it is no longer possible for him to continue his personal correspondence. This was not at all a step that Bhauwanted to take, and he delayed long before taking it; but the force ofcircum stances has left him with no alternative. Since then, many dear friends and close ones throughout the world have, as requested, desisted from their personal correspondence with Bhau. Bhau has been deeply touched by this; indeed, the silent consideration they have shown attests to their love more than any letter could do. At the same time, a fair amount of personal mail continues to flow in. Those of us around Bhau know how virtually impossible he finds it to keep from replyingin these cases, keenly conscious as he is ofthe feelings ofthe persons concerned. Unfortunately, a trickle of such correspondence will inevitably increase to a stream and a river, as has happened in the past: and this will interfere withTrust work at a particularly critical juncture. Therefore, Bhauji has asked me to reiter ate his heartfeltrequest to all Babais dear ones to refrain from sending him personal letters (as distinct from letters concerning necessary Trust work). He continues to give talks at the Pilgrim Centre at Meherabad, for those who come here on pilgrimage, and he is currently planning another visit to the West next year. By Baba’s grace, there will be many further such occasions in the future for the free flow and sharingin ourOne Beloved’s Divine Love. —

In Film, Ward Parks

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you’ve been thinking that some time you’d like to make a love-dona tion to theTrust, today may be the perfect time. The Avatar Meher Baba Trust runs a first-rate school, provides medical care for villagers and maintains Baba’s tombshrine and Trust properties. There are also beneficiaries ofthe trust whose living expenses are covered by donations from Baba-lov ers. All ofthese worthyprojects were spedfled by Baba Himself in the Trust Deed. Many oftheTrust’s charitable projects and outreach projects are carried out by Eastem and Western volunteers. Some projects, however, require the assistance ofpaid Indian workers, and as India raises its standard of living, the cost of materials and labor is on the rise also. Now this new opportunity presents itself Love donations are also needed for the archives project preservation of the pre cious articles used and touched by Baba that mean so much to all of us. Ifthis appeals to you, please make your check payable to Friends ofMeher Baba Tmst, and send it to: Lynne Berry 267 Hanover Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

arguerite Poley wishes to send thanks to her dear Baba friends for all the cards and letters. And especially for your love and prayers that are keenly felt. She’s sorry she can’t answer her mail. Her current address is: Beverly Manor, Room 17, 7940 Topanga Canyon Bi. Canoga Park, CA 91304 Marguerite shares with us one of her memories ofBaba at Myrtle Beach: One ofMargaret Craske’s dancers did a solo performance with Baba in attendance. At the end amidst resounding applause, she ran up to Baba and kissed Him directly on the mouth! Baba was visably startled. Ev eryone paused astonished, then He smiled and made a sweet hand gesture Marguerite tookto mean “She’s trying to steal myheart!”

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Young Adult Sahavas at Meh Mount, 1999 c

Come to share Avatar Meher Rain’s love in our lives through music, poetry, discussion groups, films, art activities, work/service projects, shared meals, daneing and more. The young Adult Sahavas will take place at the beautifid hilltop re treat center, Meher Mount in Ojai, Callfornia, which was visited by Meher Raba in 1956 and cared for by Agnes Baron until her death in 1994. Meher Mount now serves as a universal center, and is located two hours from Los Angeles by cat Dates: Friday afternoon, June 25 noon Tuesday, June 29. Ages: 20 39 (Parents maybring cullthen under S years old.) Background: Many young adult fol lowers ofMeher Baba have discussed the idea of holding a sahavas (which means “living with God”) for young adults sirni lar to the much loved sahavas programs for all ages and theYouth Sahavas forhigh school students. Last year, a few young .aduhs met informally in Los Angeles at one ofBhau’s talks and discussed the idea of beginning a sahavas for young adults. Bhau then joined in and told us, “There has been enough talk, talk, talk! Now is time to do, do, do!” So we de cided to do. with less than 2 weeks of -

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preparation, about 35 young adults from sevParents must provide their own eral parts ofthe country gathered and shared childcare a beautifullong weekend at Meher Mount W A few scholarships will be available The gathering was honored with a letter for people who would otherwise not be from Eruch, encouraging us to, “Uphold the able to attend. Trust He has reposed in you, by ever striv- :::: • Iflinyone would like to donate extra ing in all circumstances and endeavors, to money to help someone else attend, your live a life of love, sacrifice and honesty so gift would be very welcome. We are also that your very being becomes a beacon of looking for the donation of a refrigera light for the New Humanity, pointingthe tor for Meher Mount. way to His Pleasure.” • Please contact: Allyoung adult followers ofMeher Baba and those who would like to know more Julann Lodge about Him are invited to attend the second flli 2846 Juniper Street Young Adult Sahavas. Please share this inWY SanDiego,CA 92104 vitation with others who mightbe interested (619)231-4950 in attending. email: jlodge@vusd.k12.ca.us Meher Mount can only accommodate 100 people, and the number ofpeople who For more sahavas information and reg want to attend is already overwhelming. istration forms come visit our Web Page: Please register as soon as possible. httpi/pantheon.yale.edubfad8/sahavas Cost: $150 per person Write check to YoungAdult Sahavas.This charge will cover the cost of food and facilities. If there are left over funds, they will be donated to the Meher Mount Corporation. . We will be camping out. . Parents may bring children under five years old at no extra cost. Please notify _1 us in advance ifyouwiilbe bringing dillthen. .

JAI BABA!

Young Adult Sahavas, 1999 Registration Form (Please fill out one per participant.) Send with payment of $150 to:

Address:

*Do you have any special needs that we should know about?__________________ *Any special requests for discussion groups/workshops?

Phone:

How did you hear about the Young Adult

Julann Lodge 2846 Juniper Street SanDiego,Ca 92104 (619) 231-4950 Please write checks to: Young Adult Sahavas.

E-mail: Age:

will you be bringing any children? No

Yes

Ifyes, what are their ages?

Please check offall the days that you will be attending: Sun

Sat

Fri Mon

Tues

Detailed information about the sahavas will be mailed to you. See you there!

B aba, B aba Everywhere: Cailing all of B aba’s Young Artists by Rob Narke

aba, Baba Everywhere wants to be a

book, a book with lots of colorful pic tures of Baba painted by His lovers, by His children, children of all ages. If you would like to paint or draw one or more pictures of Baba in the places or circumstances we find Him in this poem, and you would like your art to be included in this Baba book, please send it to me at the address below. I intend to publish the book within the coming year and to use as many ofyour paintings/drawings as possible. Please do them on standard 81/2 x II” white paper and be sure to include your name, address and telephone number. Please, send all Baba artwork to: Rob Narke, 510 Woodgate Drive, Marietta, CA 30066. I’ll let you knowwhen I receive it, and I’ll keep you posted on the book’s progress. Meanwhile, if you like, you can hear me reading the poem by tuning into Baba’s Home Page. http://davey.sunyerie.edu/mb/ htmllmusic.html I’ll be looking for your loving submissions. Meanwhile, Jai Baba, Baba Everywhere!

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Baba, Baba Everywhere (Ode to Meher Baba) Baba, Baba in my soup. Baba, Baba on my stoop. Baba, Baba in my hair. Baba, Baba everywhere! Baba, Baba in the sky Baba in my piece of pie. Meher Baba is the man Sifting through my garbage can!

Baba, wearing funny hats. Baba taming tiger cats. Baba dancing with the stars. Baba, strumming wild guitars!

Baba, Baba, Baba who? Baba one, and Baba two, Baba three and Baba four; Baba more, and more and more. Meher Baba up a tree; Meher Baba, just like me. Baba in the ocean too, And in an ocean-drop like you.

Baba coming, Baba going, Baba laughing, Baba knowing. Baba riding on a train. Baba, running in the rain!

Baba-balloons high above; Baba-balloons filled with love. Baba, flowing in the breeze. Baba in a real tight squeeze...

Meher Baba in the sun, Kissing, hugging everyone. Honey for the bumblebee; Sweetly loving you and me.

Baba why? and Baba how? Baba then, and Baba now! Meher Baba on the wall. Listen! Can you hear His call?

Baba, skipping up the walk. Baba signing Baba-talk. Baba tumbling at the fair. Meher Baba, everywhere!

Baba, lighter than a feather. Baba in all kinds of weather. Baba, all at once forever. Baba rolling in the heather.

Can you find him? can you peek? Baba’s hiding... Will you seek? Baba morning, noon and night, Beaming love with love’s delight.

Baba short and Baba tall. Baba bouncing like a ball; Bouncing, bouncing down the hill. Baba on my windowsill!

Baba’s mustache! Baba’s eyes! Baba’s got a big surprise! Can you guess what Baba wants? Can you guess what Baba hunts?

Baba riding on a fly, Smiling as He’s riding by. Baba in a blue canoe; Wave to Baba, “Yoo-hoo! Yoo-hoo!”

Baba-lovers, quite a few; Baba-lovers,just like you! Baba bobbing in the pink bubbles ofyour kitchen sinlç

Baba, just about to start. Baba with a great big heart. Meher Baba all day long, Baba sings a happy song.

Waving, calling with a wink, “Come on in! What do you think?” Follow, follow ifyou dare, Baba, Baba everywhere...

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Baba playing with a goat. Baba in a rainbow coat. Baba, sailing like a kite, Seeing everything in sight. Baba big and Baba small; Inside, inside, inside all. Baba up and Baba down, Baba lost, and Baba found.

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e::!t Groundbreaking at Meherabad Properties, Inc. byjames Cox

nThursday, October 10, 1998, at about 5:30 pm, Bhau Kuichuri swung the pick (“tickau” in Marathi) to break the first ground for construction on the first 24 condominium units to be built at Meherabad. J ames Cox broke the ceremonial coconut. More pictures of the event are available at the Meherabad Properties Web Site: http:// www.meherabad.com. After seven long years ofendless frustra tions and delays due to innumerable ob stacles, this marks the actual beginning ofthe first private development at Meherabad where foreigners have been permitted to pur chase land and to hold the same in their own names. These buildings will belocated a little less than one mile due west ofMeher Baba’s Samadhi, across an ideal, small windsurfing lake which will probably dry up soon. The design ofthese townhouse-like condominiums has been inspired and helped along byTedjudson, while the actual building is being done by Meherabad Construc tions Pvt. Ltd., Ahmednagar. Model photographs of the buildings going up are also currently available at the above mentioned Web Site. Since I havebeen involvedwiththis project from the beginning, quite a few people have now come up to me to offer congratulations and to tell me that I must feel excited and happy, but for some reason I don’t, it is almost anticlimactic. I suppose I have become numbed by the process and the many, many disappointments, but I am reminded of Baba’s promise to ultimatelygivepeoplewhateverthey askfo; although by the time they get it, it no longer matters. For me, the work itself has become the thing, and I hope by running fast enough, I’ll be able to keep up. Just now at Meherabad, there is a lot of talk and interest regarding future planning and zoning ofthe lands adjacent to the Trust

lands, as well as other nearby lands, the main focus being on how to preserve the special atmosphere here as much as possible. While some persons feel that most ofthe land within a one or two mile radius ofBaba’s Samadhi should be preserved as a green area, and development should be severely re stricted or prohibited by anyone other than the Trust, this is not what Baba had said would happen. On various different occassions, and to various different persons, He had indicated that a city would spring up from the southwest to the northwest of the Samadhi, and building that city is not really one of the objects of the Trust Deed, set forth by Baba. Also most of this land is not now owned bytheTrust, nor does it have an available opening in it’s land ceiling to purchase the same. TheTrustwill, no doubt, provide many public and charitable facilities to the nearby commu nitybuttheTrust cannot bylawbe in the busi ness ofproviding private housing, nor does it have the framework or desire to do so. On the contrary as the charitable activities oftheTrust increase, it will be the private households of Baba Lovers that will provide much ofthe la bor force to sustain the activities of the Trust, just as they do today. However, the form of development that this upcoming city takes is definitely a matter ofconcern for all Baba Lovers, and I feel that virtually everyone would agree that it should be done in the very best manner of which we are collectively capable, even ifwe don’t all agree on what that “very best manner” might be. In my opinion, that simple act of trying to do one’s best to please Baba is the thing that each ofus can do which is the most contributory to maintaining His special atmo sphere at Meherabad, so, while it may be very easy and tempting to sit back and say someone else should do this and not do that, it has been my experience in life, that to influ ence a process by example is far more effec live than to try and regulate that process by some form oflegislation, especially in India. If anyone is interested in more informa lion on this subject, feel free to contact me.

J ames Cox, Post Meherabad, Ahmednagar Dist. M.S. 414005, India Ph. 241-58728, 241-58744 Web site: http://www.meherabad.com

Notes from the Internet J ames Cox December 5th

his morning was crisp, cool and very bright with the low golden sun of early morning clipping the brown high grasses that stand and swaywhere plowed fields used

to be. Birds fluttered from tree to tree, and for a moment I thought I saw a deer leaping through the grass as I have seen on so many similar chilly mornings in Texas, but it was just my imagination, although it could eas ily have been real. Last month, while driving through some fieldsjust west ofthe Samadhi, I almost ran over a spotted fawn crouched in the abun dant tall grass. This one was the size of a baby goat, but had big ears that stuck straight out as it ran first one way, then another much faster than any kid, almost comical looking. We see deer very often now, not too far from the Samadhi, near the small lakes to the northwest. Wildlife in general has prospered with the thick vegetation of an exceptional mon soon, and last week as I was looking out of my office window one afternoon, a large hare hopped out of the grass onto my driveway, sat in the warm sunshine for few minutes, then hopped off My dogs must have been asleep, because they don’t let much get by. About 10 days ago they caught a stray mother cat and killed her in front of the house, but my servant found the 3-week-old kittens and we are raising the three of them on our back verandah. They have been named the Mews, and are rather vociferous with their primary interests. Food. The first morning they were here, I had the idea to take one to the Samadhi, so at Arti time I popped her into my shirt pocket with the head sticking out and took her for a walk, mew mew, mew! She was making so much noise, that I thought people would complain, but hardly anyone noticed unless they saw this small head sticking out over the edge of my shirt pocket with two little paws holding on. When I bowed down, her head also touched the cloth covering the slab. The mewing seemed to have stopped for a minute. I don’t suppose there is any rule against taking kittens for Darshan...yet.

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f: December 25th

January 11th

astTuesday saw Baba’s Samadhi draped in three colored flower buntings for the celebration ofMehera’s birthday, with most ofthe Women Mandali visiting Meherabad on that cool, bright, late winter morning. Since Christmas is also a national holiday in India, many people stretch their vacation to also cover December 22, and the crowd was fairly large this year, only superseded by Christmas, today. ...this dusty, holy Indian hilltop in the Central Deccan, quite evocative ofanother time in Bethlehem, 2000years ago.

Last night we sang mostly Christmas carols at Arti and it was, as it always has been, a unique blend of a tropical, crisp, Christmas nip in the air with traditional western carols transplanted onto this dust holy Indian hilltop in the Central Deccan, quite evocative of another time in Bethlehem, 2000 years ago. One new touch this year was that some people made cellular Chrismas phone calls to their friends and relatives all over the world, directly from Evening Arti at Baba’s Samadhi, as the singing continued in the background. This morning four bussloads of His byers left the Pilgrim Center for the traditional Christmas program at Meherazad, although one bus didn’t quite make it, it’s passegers haying to be ferried over the last 2 mile stretch. The crowd at Mehera’s garden was 5everal hundred, definitely more than last year. For the occasion, a richly colored pandal (flat-topped tent), had been erected and a stage was assembled on one end. The performance was a wonderful collection ofmusic, singing, skits, magic tricks and two of Mani’s jokes told by Heather Nadel. After the performances were over everyone joined a long queue for darshan at Baba’s chair in Mandali Hall as Aboba gave out the Christmas present packages, then came “board the bus,” and we all headed back to Meherabad. Words can never adequately describe the atmosphere on such occasions, but it ap proaches “sublime,” and one gets the feeling that everything really will be OK one day as our individual differences and petty sufferings get washed out in His waves that keep breaking on the shores.

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his has been about the coldest winter at Meherabad that I can remember. For the last few weeks the thermometer has hov eredjust below 500F in the early mornings, and some people staying in Hostel D and C have been making blanket tents over their mosquito nets. For an open place with no heat, this can be quite chilly, but the days warm up to about 700, and there is no shortage ofsun. It seems the locals blame the cold on the heavy monsoon this year. The green ofthe rains has now given way to a more familiar dusty dried yellow color of land, and last week there was a grass fire ofsuspicious origin that burned most of the Nagar side of Seclusion Hill, the wind pre venting it from also consuming the Meherazad side, so from the north, the hill looks relatively normal, and Pimpalgaon Lake, easily visible, remains quite full. Computerizing of Meherazad and the Trust Office continues, and the new exten sion to the Meher Health Center, Arangaon, was opened by Dr. Goher on Saturday. Last Wednesday also saw a hugely successful first Parents’ Night program at the Meher English School with performances by students and some residents. Bhauji gave what may have been his shortest “talk’ ever (about 5 minutes.) The Women Mandali came, refreshments were served, and an appreciative time was had by all. This school, which goes through the 10th standard, had 0 pupils pass its first im portant 10th standardbenchmarkexam 2 years ago, but with the help ofa new principal and the active participation ofa few trustees, a new spirit has been created resulting in 48% pas sage results last year with hopes for better this year. People have worked hard, the results show and I cannot help but feel Baba must be pleased with the effort. Congratulations are due on ajob well done. Planning and construction, both private andTrust, continue in the areawest ofBaba’s Samadhi, and as the legal and political re strictions on the Trust purchasing more land evidence themselves, it becomes increasingly clear that private Baba lovers will assume an ever more important role in the development and acquisition of land in the vicinity of Baba’s Samadhi. In a country as crowded as India, and especially at a location which Baba said would become the main center ofworld pil

grimage, there can be no question of large pieces of non-Trust land remaining unde veboped, there is only the question of how they are developed. Here, development rules have also been largely ineffective in accomplishing what they set out to do due to massive circum venting by way of “regularizing” irregulari ties. The only really successful method of controffing local development is by way of example and by cooperating to make it in the interest of the persons actually living there to look after the other adjoining lands, whether Trust or private. Forestation, maintenance, development ofgardens, security, protection from livestock and access control can only be accomplished effectively by the constant presence ofsomeone who cares. However, at the same time it is impor tant to provide opportunities so that persons ofa wide range offinancial abilities, nationalities and cultures, etc., can participate. And while the main focus ofcreating a harmoni ous environment dictates that there be mostly low density development, the need to make housing available to all income groups will necessitate some limited devia tion from that norm, and flexibility in planning for that eventuality needs to be considered. The various private Baba lover developers and landowners at Meherabad are already working together to develop consensual guidelines to this end, and we hope by this means to achieve a quality and standard of development which is almost nonexistent in India today, and which we hope would be pleasing to Baba. .

..we are still constantly reminded of the wildnature ofthisplace.

And while the building has started, we are still constantly reminded ofthe wild na ture ofthis place. Last night one ofmy construction supervisors came to the house at about 9 pm to tell me that he hadjust been on a round to see that all was well at the construction site, and found the watchman very concerned that their hut be finished the next day with corrugated metal sheets sur rounding the bottom. Theywere afraid that the wolves might try to carry offone oftheir small children in the night.

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what they call Him in church. You know the prayer we say, “Our Father, who art in Heaven, Harold be Thy Name.”

Humor for Huma!

four-year-old prayed: “...And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.”

uring the minister’s prayer one Sunday, there was a loud whistle from one of the back pews. Gary’s mother was horrified. She pinched him into silence, and after church asked: “Gary whatever made you do such a thing?” Gary answered soberly: “I asked God to teach me to whistle... and Hejust then did!”

ho were those five children at the sweltering summer Sahavas program who went around squirting people? The Five Perfect Misters

mother was preparing pancakes for her son Kevin, and his younger brother Ryan. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake (because they’re boys), and the mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. She taught them, “IfJesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait.” Kevin’s eyes got really big, then he turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus!”

ne Sunday in a Midwest city a young child was acting up during the morning worship hour. The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle. Finally the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out. Just before reaching the safety ofthe foyer the little one called loudly to the congregation, “Pray for me! Pray for me!”

dad was listening as his child began saying his prayers: “Dear Harold. At this, dad interrupted and said, “Wait a minute -how come you called God ‘Harold’?” The little boy looked up and said, “That’s

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ne night Mike’s parents overheard this prayer: “Now I lay me down to rest, and hope to pass tomorrow’s test, If I should die before I wake,that’s one less test I have to take.”

five-year-old said grace at family dinner one night. “Dear God, thank you for these pancakes. When he concluded, his parents asked him why he thanked God for pancakes when they were having chicken. He smiled and said, “I thought I’d see if He was paying attention tonight.” . .“

little boy’s prayer: “Dear God, please take care ofmy daddy and my mommy and my sister and mybrother and my doggy and me. Oh, please take care of yourself God. If anything happens to you, we’re gonna be in a big mess.”

rabbi said to a precocious six-yearold boy: “So your mother says your prayers for you each night Very commendable. What does she say?” The little boy re plied, “Thank God he’s in bed!”.

woman had a dinner party. At the table, she turned to her six-year-old daughter and said, “Will you say the blessing?” “I don’t know what to say,” the little girlreplied. “Just saywhat you hear Mommy say,” the mother said. The little girl bowed her head and said, “Dear Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?”

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preacher dies and is waiting in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him is a guy in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket and jeans. “Who are you,” Saint Peter asks the man, “so that I may know whether to admit you to the Kingdom of Heaven.” “I’mJoe Brown,” the guy says, “taxi driver, Noo Yawk City.” Saint Peter consults his list. He smiles and says to the man, “Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” Next it’s the minister’s turn. “I am Joseph Snow, preacher for the last 43 years.” Saint Peter consults his list. “Take this cotton robe,” he says, “and this wooden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” “Just a minute,” says the preacher. “That man was a taxi driver and he gets a silken robe and golden staff. How can this be?” “Up here, we work by results,” Saint Pe ter says. “While you preached, people slept. While he drove, people prayed!”

ne day, Eve was walking in the garden with the Lord. She said, “Lord, the garden is wonderful, and the animals and birds provide such joy, but I am still lonely sometimes.” “No problem!” the Lord replied. “I will make you a man for a companion. He will desire to please you and to be with you. But I have to warn you, he won’t be perfect. He’ll have a difficult time understanding your feelings, and he will tend to think only of himself “That’s OK. I think I can handle this ‘man’,” Eve replied. “Great, I’ll get right to it!” God said, and started grabbing some mud and shaping it. Suddenly, the Lord stopped and said to Eve, “Oh, there’s one other thing about this man I’m making for you.” “What’s that?” asked Eve. “You’ll have to tell him he was here first.”

A Prayer

ear Lord, so far today, I’ve done afl right. I haven’t gossiped, haven’t lost my temper, haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty or over-indulgent. I’m very thankful for that. But in a few minutes, Lord, I’m going to get out of bed. And, from then on, I’m going to need a lot more help! Amen.

Siep inside...

The

he Bookstore at Meherabode is bursting at the seams! I brought back three huge suitcases ftillofgoodiespurchased at all the different stalls that sprang up over night forAmartithi. What fun I had shopping for you, it’s such a shame you cant see everythingdisphyed.Actuallythelitderoom that is presentlyour Bookstorewifl,we hope, give way to a 700 square feet room adjoining the present meeting hail sometime next year depending on donations received. Only then will there be room for all our treasures to be seen. But since words are all % we have on these pages, let me try: We have just a few black cotton backpacks with a wonder&il large elephant embroidered in very colorful threads $12. Hand paintedpictures of Krishna and his gopis on siikfor framing various sizes and prices from $12 to $20.We have 6-foot-longby3-foot-wide chiffon scarves in almost every imaginable color -

Keychainholders, about 2” longinthe shape ofa guitar with a photo ofBaba on it $2. Nu merous heart shapedpendants, bright shiny col ored backgrounds with photos of Baba in the center ofthe heart $1. ‘Gold’ rings with photo, some adjustable in size $3. Incense. Lots of it! I went to the Incense wallah in the ‘Nagar Bazaar and bought dozens of each perfume that I had smelled at the Samadhi.Wrapped in brightly colored faux vel vet are 24 sticks in the scents of Lilly, Mogra, Gulab and Chandan. Each pack sells for $3. Manypeoplehavebeen askingforBaba’s flag, containing stripes ofthe seven colors. We finally have them in.They are made out ofcotton, mea sure 19” x 34” and sell for $8. I boughtjust twelve ofthe beautiflil goodqualityquartzwatches that have the “Masteryin Servitude” emblem with those words along the top and Meher Baba around the bottom. They have blackleather bands. The women’s are $18 and the men’s are $20. Both are with round gold face and black Roman numerals. I had been asked to bring back tapes by Madhusudan. He is the gentleman responsible for most of the Indian songs sung at the Sarna?ila.MeherGeetDharnisMadhumdan sing-

ing his own songs to great musical accompani ment. They come in a two-volume set, but since I was only able to buy twelve sets, it is fairer to everyone to sell them separately unless, that is, you are a rabid Madhusudan fan! $8 each. Kusum Singh, the lovely ladywho, with the help ofher husband Mokham, runs the Delhi Center, is also awonderfiil singer. I managedtobuyoutherentirestock One tape is ofBhajans, the other Qwwalis. Specify which one you would prefer. $8 each. Last but not least is the set of three tapes I had brought back on my previous trip, advertised on the Baba listserve, and sold them all within the day! The late Dr. Barucha went through God Speaks chapterbychapter explainingit all. He also added some anecdotes of what Baba had said to him on cer tam subjects covered in the book For those of us who have found reading God Speaks a very daunting prospect, this is the painless way to get the information into your brain. I have always felt Stay With Godby Francis Brabazon (whichBaba saidwas the second-most important book next to GodSpeaks), was for the heart and God Speak for the brain. Needless to say, we sell Francis’ beautiful book, $14 paperback). The set of God Speaks tapes sell for $18. Buturilessyou are quickoffthe markin ordering

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these, I fear we will be sold out! Mentionedintheeditoriallastissue,but certainly worth a mention again herein, is the superb quality 12” x 12” color photo of the Samadhi. It is the scene that lays before you as you stand on the threshold of the Beloved’s Tomb, th everything in crystal dearfocus.Itis printed on heavystock, ready for framing, and indudes three beautiful cards that each have one ofthe three Artis onthebackandtwophotos ofCharlieMills paintings and a small one ofthe Samadhi on the other side. Not content with these treasures, Jal Dastoor, who created this gift pals also added a 12” x 4” strip offour more reproductions of Charlie’s paintings. This strip, also on cardstock,canbe foldedin four places to stand alone on your desk or table. The whole pack is only $12. Speaking ofCharlie lVIills, we made a typographical error in our last issue when giving you Charlie’s e-mail address. It is Info@MillsStudio.com.Hiswebsite address is httpJ/www.MillsStudio.com/art. Logon here and you can check out his latest paintings, gettingweeklyreports on the progress ofhis current work This ultra-close up photo of Baba is taken from a frame of the film Louis Van Gasteren made in 1967 titled Beyond Words. The photo is printed on card stock in full color with a black

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Photograph by Louis Van Gasteren

border and measures 14” x 18” and sells for $15. The film itself quite breathtaking in its imme diacy and superb quality is also available for $52 and runs for almost an hoot Ifyouhaven’t heard ofitbefore,itwas takenbyaworldfamous docu mentarian withprofessional35mm cameras, and is the only record we have ofEruch translating Baba’s gestures as He ‘speaks’. We have 4 new C Ds: On the Threshold fChangebyMargaret Berstein,Monsoon Season

3i t by Richard Piekoff both of which are re viewed in this issue, Through the Light of it A14 by Wayne Galler and Your Lfè is Not Your Own by Robert Een. This last is the most unusual musical offeringwe have yet had.The CD tells us it is “music for solo voice and cello.” The cello is a beautiflil instrument all byitseWas any one who has heard Gay Dunn play the Gujerati Arti, or seen the filmHilla,yandJackiecan attest. Robert certainly plays it beautifblly, but what sets this cello apart from other playing is the solo voice that accom panies it. Robert uses his voice as an instrument to very unusual effect. He gave a performance at Meherabode that left many members ofthe audience (this reporter among them) with their mouths hanging open in amazement “How can he do that?!”Hewould be sinngwhat sounded like onelong note, but suddenly we could hear many other tones, the mostincrediblebellhike notes, allthewhile maintaming the one note. I have never heard anything like it before, it certainlywas fascinating! This effect is most prominent in TheAwak enei: My favorite is the verybeautiful title num ber YourLfè isNotYour Own. This is not casual background music, but for people who like the unusual, who like to really concentrate and ‘be th’ the music they are hearing, this CD is for you. All four CDs sell for $15 each. Wayne Galler told me he created his album Through theLihtjitAiin response to many of thepilgrimswho were so happyto hearbim sing his songs atthe Samadhi, andusedto exhort him to get them down on tape. He went one better than that &th a group ofmusician friends re corded twelve ofhis songs in a NewYork studio. These love songs to Baba are available on tape for $10 or CD for $15. The Hafiz renderings by Danny Ladinsky are still selling briskly IHeard God Laughing and The Subject Thnzht is Love. In fact they are selling so well all over the country in the mercial bookstores that Penguin, the huge paperback publishers, has picked up the third of the books Dannyhas written.This next one The Gjftwill be released this summer. Read about it intheJulyissue.We are allveryexcitedforDanny and his success. Aude Gotto, a Babaloverlivingin England, was in India for the 1998 Amartithi andwas inspiredbyBhau Kaichuri’s bookofghazals Ocean Waves to write some herself The name Namo was given to herbyBhau for the purpose ofthese poems. (It is a Sanskrit word meaning “worship ofthe Dhnethid’).Merreadingthe firstfew -

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Bhau wrote: “I felt you were inspired to write these ghazals. I like them very much. I feel very touched.” Aude says she takes no credit for the book She feels that the poems were a gift from Babato help her alongherwa”Theymaystrike a chord of recognition in others, since all journeys are the same in essence.” Odes to the King fHearts can be seen as a travel diary on the spiritual path: God, (Baba, the King of Hearts, the Beloved, the Lord) is both the Goal and the Constant Companion. The landscapes are varied; there are tears and laughte; fears and worries, many battles and a few glimpsesofpeaceful havens. The one quoted here is but one ofmany I loved. Paperback, 70 pages, $8.

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The King of Hearts pictured here is a postcard I showed you last issue, but now we have it as a tee shirt. I wore one to India and took orders for many of them, so thought I would give you the opportunity to do so here. It is very colorful, printed on white 100% cotton tee shirts and sells for $14. Medium, large and extra large.

Au Can Offer You isMy Wllingnesto Try Oh Meher, Iface the impossible task offorgetting mysef I didn know how impossible it was untill tried. It soundedsimple enough when You said “Think ofMe more thanyou think ofyourse’f” Oh Beloved, all can offer You is my willingness to try and fail again and again. Alllhave is my determination not to give up, regardless ofsuccess orfailure. Ohpeople ofthe world sometimes I envy you; you wholeheartedly pursue your desires and live in the comforts ofIllusion while Istumble and groan on the harsh road to Reality. But I know it is too late to turn back: the Divine Fisherman has got His hook embedded in my heart and He draws me on. Ohfriends, the world does not likefailure andgives no marksfor ejjorts without results. But the Beloved asks only that we do our best howeverpoor that might be. He is easy to please, provided we do not mind makingfools ofourselves. -

Oh Namo, don lose your sense ofhumour: just laugh atyourse pick upyourpack, and take the next step.

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Last time I was at the Vedanta Book Press, I saw a number ofbooks I thought our younger readers might enjoy. They are very nicely printed with covers made of heavy cardstock, 8 1/2 x 1 1 with many col ored pictures throughout. We have The Story ofKrishna, 1 and 2, The Ramayanafor Chil dren, and Stories ofDivine Children some of whom include Vamana, Nachiketa, and Dhruva, altogether eight different holy chil dren in there. All of the books are $4 each. -

From the smallest to the biggest we finish up this month with the news that Vol ume 13/14 ofthe great LordMeher biogra phy series is on the shelf. This $80 book covers in great detail the years 1954 through 1956 many Sahavases in India and His trip to America and Australia. -

Hermes is now hard at work readying volume 15/16. Till next time, I’ll see you in the Bookstore Dma

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Where Are They? by Mani S. Irani have naturally revered and loved the Per- seemed to cover the whole sky but made no fect Masters ofBeloved Baba’s time, more sound. Right after the clap,there appeared a so the ones with whom I have had a special range of mighty mountains before us, showing connection: Upasni Maharaj whom I would clearly that the habitat of one of the Perfect visit with my family when I was little; Masters was in the Himalayas, in India. Narayan Maharaj whom I met just once Baba looked very pleased with the revela when I was 11 years old but who has been, lions He was making, and now and then cast a during His lifetime and later in my dreams, glance at me to see ill was properly impressed. a guardian angel over me; and especially the I was indeed much impressed as the second place adorable Babajan whom I met many times revealed Egypt, theland ofthe Pharaohs.There under Her old neem tree in the Canton- before me stood the pyramids where Baba had ment. I also met Her a few times under the stood when He visited Egypt. large mango tree in Bund Garden, where The seat ofthe third Perfect Master was a sur years later Baba used to stop to give darshan prise for me. As Baba pointed towards the sky I to His saw Mt. lovers Fuji with when de its snowparting bound f r o m peak, and Guru I knew prasad to thatone of Meher thePerfect azad after Masters our yearw h o m B ab a ly visit to Poona. spoke ofas AsI being in said, itwas d e e p natural to monas revere and tery” was love the placed in f Perfect Japan. Dreaming ofthe Beloved is availablefrom the Love Street Bookstorefor $22. Masters of To show me the habitat ofthe fourth Perour Beloved’s Advent. But, unlike some Baba-lovers, I was never eager to know the fect Master, Baba and I had to walk over some whereabouts ofother Perfect Masters. So it rough terrain till we stood before a towering was really quite ftinny that some time after wall of sheer rock. We had to bend our necks Baba dropped His body, He should come way back to be able to see some apertures in into my dream and ask me if I knew where the rock which I understood were used for bringing in domestic supplies. This place had the present five Perfect Masters were! He stood facing me, His eyes bright th a profound effect on me, and I knew without excitement, sang dearlyin Gujerati, “Do you a doubt that this was Greece. By now I was pretty much caught up in know where the five Perfect Masters are?” I said, “No, Baba, I don’t.” this drama of our Beloved, and was eager to He said,”Come,I’llshowyou.”Andsttode know of the fifth Perfect Master. Suddenly over to my side. I could no longer see His face. feeling ro movement beside me, I looked up I couldseeonlythewide sweepingmovements at Him as if to say, “Where do we go from ofHisbeautifulhands as He dlisphyed this tre here?” and found that Baba was striding away, mendous drama before my cyes. far ahead. Try as I did, I could not catch up Baba said, “The Perfect masters are in with Him, and woke up. deep monasteries, which is why you cannot see Them. I’ll show you where They are.” Dreaming ofthe Beloved pp. 28-30, He clapped His hands, a clap which © 1998 AMBPPCT

Baba Tree at Meher Mount by Kathryn Wiederhold

The “Andhra Tour” of Meher Mount by Kendra Crossen Burroughs, Meher Mount

November 25, the Wednesday be fore Thanksgiving, we were delightfilly surprised by ten visitors from the state ofAndhra Pradesh, India. Four members of the group are California residents: Ram and Uma Ivatury and their little boy, Akshay, from Davis, and Jyoti Raju, a student from Santa Cruz. The Indian guests they were hosting were P. Veera Raju and his wife, C. P. Papayi, from Mandapeta, who met Baba; A. N. Raju with his wife, A. Syamala, and his mother, A. Saraswathi, from Hyderabad; and N. Narasimharao Babu from Chittoor. Ram told us that the visitors from India were eager to come here because “they know the importance of Meher Mount.” Imagine that! Andhra State is where Meher Baba made two important tours (in 1953 and 1954) and a significant public declaration of his Avatarhood (see the video Journey with and yet here were these people rec God) ognizing the importance ofMeher Mount, where Baba came for one day in 1956. We were so touched. They loved the Baba Tree, where we re cited Baba’s prayers in English and they in Telugu. They sang the Hindi arti, and Mr. Narasimharao Babu sang some bhajans. The group took darshan at the Sanctuary too the fireplace remaining from the guesthouse (whichbumed down in 1985)where Baba met with His lovers. Back at the house, our set of Lord Meher volumes was examined and admired, and we gave out some pictures of Beloved Baba from the box ofphotographs that Agnes used to keep on hand to offer to guests. Then the Andhra folks shared their delicious home-cooked lunch of rice, dal, and veggie dishes with us. What a great afternoon! —

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“She is my very breath without which I cannot live. Meher Baba “

AVATAR MEHER BABA CENTER OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

1214 SOUTH VAN NESS AVENUE LOS ANGELES, CA 90019-3520

NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE

PAID