LOVE STREET LAMP POST 4th Qtr 2006

FOURTH QUARTER,

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Above: Panorama ofthe MPR, August, 2006; below left, main entiyway into the dining room, administrative offices and womenc quarters; be/ow right, an intimate eating terrace offthe dining room.

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Editor’s ¶JLage

Baba Folks, Welcome to the final 2006 edition of the Love StreetLampPosz’ Did we surprise you with our wonderful cover? I hope you enjoy it as much as we who saw the original did. You can read about the artist, Marius, in our cover story.

Please don’t feel you have to tear off the cover if you wish to frame the pic ture—check out the special holiday book store report and you will find you can buy a reproduction of it in a variety of sizes.

After you got over the shock/surprise! delight of the cover, I wonder how many sharp eyes noted that we are no longer putting the month on the cover? That was the brilliant idea of Pris, my right-hand gal, who hated to see me so stressed out when the magazine did not arrive at your house in the month stated on the cover. So now that it will say First, Second, Third Quarter etc, I won’t feel so bad when you

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don’t get it till November in the Fourth to help pack the orders. Give us a break and please get your orders in early.

Quarter.

Those ofyou who have computers and an notice eyes sharp And did the same on the Baba List Serv, are very aware are maga of your the look overall change in controversies swirling around the the of our staff join to zine? The latest volunteer released book Infinite Intelligence. recently Caro South Columbia of Becci Robbins publishing some very thoughtwill be for We us. sorts of lift’ ‘face lina, suggested a and letters in the Janu articles provoking layout but the fonts, same We still use the what we said in the mind in Keep aryissue. hope and change the is lighter. We love do not publish only we Page: Editor’s July com is edition entire you do too. This agree. You will we which with articles the pages, color for the posed by Becci except by well-known run articles have we notice Californian of our which come courtesy opinions, differing widely have who people to stunned I was staffer—Cherie Plumlee. to allow our responsibility it is feel we but of “Greening the of see her photographs The presented. be issue to ofan sides both each there been only Meherabad,” having a years, become the over has, LampPost brown. and dry year for Amartithi—hot, for community Baba active the in forum advantage take So we thought we would many differing viewpoints. This could be of the colored cover and show you these of interest in the future when, inevitably, the around area beautiful pictures of the other confficts arise. In this case, arisen season.The newMPR after the Monsoon they have! of courtesy are rainbows on the back cover In the April 2007 issue I hope to have in the definitely Homyar Mistry. He was very exciting (to me anyway) news some time! right place at the right delight in sharing with you, and I will that Holiday the Many of you like to use pregnant! Charles and I maybe I’m not no, give to report edition of the Bookstore two years, but I am a tad past only married items you circled your friends and family age! All will be revealed child-bearing the please gift, so would like to receive as a time. in good your can get check that out first so you But for now—we at the Love Street orders in to me before Dec. 12. Remember wish you all a happy and safe LampPost who year the lady I told you about last nd 22 Season.

Holiday plaintively, of December said on the In His love and service, “Well Amazon.com says they can get it to kindly may you in two days.” Some folks think I am notjust Australian but Amazo nian, but hey! It’sjust me with the help of Michalene who comes over each fortnight

BooI.stOTe fas FLotid:ay speciaLs! aed,t Bookstore Repoii

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4:pu &atIon cft 6 e Avatar Me6er Ba6a Center fSout6ern Ca(fornIa 6

Love SfreerJampT1?osr efco e m ...

features

Love Street £amp ost is dedicated with love to .Avatar J4leher 2 13aba. Dts primary purpose is to contribute to a sense of community among all :2-I is lovers by providing a place for sharing 2lis remembrance. ...‘4ll members of the I3aba family are invited to contribute to this feast of Love.

Su BSCR I PTIONS: The magazine actually costs us $16-$20 per person per year domestic, and $25430 for overseas. Subscription is by donation only. Donate whatever feels right to you.

SuBMISSIONS:

Your stories, photos, artwork, poetry, letters, articles, and humor are all actively solicited. We seek expressions ofBaba’s message ofLove and Truth.

Send to: Love Street LampPost do A]VIBCSC 1214 South Van Ness Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90019-3520 Phone: 323-731-3737 Web site: http://wwwmeherabode.org E-mail: Bababook@pacbell.net

BABA’S BIRTHDAY

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A DOCUMENTARY

PETER SUMNER

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CoVER STORY (BABA ART OF MARIUS MICHAEL-GEORGE)

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NOW AN EXTRAORDINARY THING...

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CARRIE BEN SHAMMA!

AVATAR MEHER BABA’S FINAL DECLARATION WET, WILD, AND WONDERFUL WEDDING

23 MICHAEL IVEY

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THE HEARTLAND CENTER

MICHAEL IVEY

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MANI ON PRAYERS

RUSTOM FALAHATI

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LOS ANGELES SAHAVAS

EVA GREENSTEIN

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DEADLINES:

for the January issue: April issue: July issue: October issue:

November 1st February 1st May 1st Augustist

LOVE STREET BOOKSTORE:

Dma Snow Gibson (at the addresses above) 310-837-6419 from 9 am. to 4 p.m.

310-839-BABA (2222) 24-hour fax e-mail: Bababook@pacbell.net website: wwwLoveStreetBookstore.com or wwMeherBabaBooks.com

departments EDITOR’S PAGE GREETINGS FROM THE BOOKSTORE REVIEWS WHAT’S HAPPENING AT MEHERABAD MEHERABAD DIARY WHAT’S HAPPENING AT MEHER MOUNT WHAT’S HAPPENING AT MEHERABODE PASSINGS POETRY

CREDITS:

editor: assistant editors: design and layout: color layout: proofreader: assembly & preffight: distribution: mailing list waili:

front cover: inside front cover: back cover: inside back cover: color printing:

Dma Snow Gibson Kathy Hill, Becci Robbins Becci Robbins Cherie Plumlee Kathy Hill Tom Hart Ray Madani, Pris Haffenden Pris Haffenden 3616 1/2 South Centinela Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90066-3124 Phone: 310-390-2779 Please call with address corrections or questions.

Painting by Marius Michael-George Photos by Cherie Plumlee Photos by Homyar Mistry Photos by Cherie Plumlee Behzad Partovi of EZ Printing, Los Angeles

ANNOUNCEMENTS HUMOR FOR HUMA WORLDWIDE MEHER BABA MEETINGS

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thank ou We extend our heartfelt appreciation to all the individuals and organiz ations that own the copyrights to the J fr1eher J3aba pictures we have used 7 throughout this issue to bring joj and love to the hearts ofall Love Street Lamp1?ost readers.

All words, images andgraphics in thispublication are property £ove&reetJamposris published quarterly, injanuary, April,July, and Octo ofthe copyright holders and/or the contributors. Messages and ber. All contents © 2006 Avatar Meher Baba Center ofSouthern California. photos ofMeher Baba ©Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public AU quotations, photos, or books ofAvatar Meher Baba, Charitable Trust, Ahmednagar India, and © Lawrence Reitei © AIVIBPPCT, India Unauthorized duplication isprohibitedby law.

9reetings from the 13ookstore Dma Snow Gibson ai Baba and welcome to our holiday shopping guide. For our new subscrib ers, this is the issue in which I tellyou what items have been the top 20 best sellers of the year.

Many ofyou have told me you feel this is an invaluable help to you and your fam ily. Holiday shopping made easy—simply circle all the items you would like in one color, then pass the magazine on to the rest of the family to do the same, but with a different color. Ifyou have a big family—a color code on a Post-it note stuck inside the magazine would be helpful. (Hey, we

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The Comic!

Beloved—emits sweetly from every page.

Paperback, 117 pp. $8.

2007 Meher Baba Calendar For those not familiar with this beauti fiil reminder of our Beloved, it is 9 x 11” and opens to hang a fhll 18”. Not only does it have a beautiful photo ofBaba on every page, along with some excellently chosen quotes, but on the bottom half in the squares for the dates, it lists in small print what important event happened on that day in Baba history Very good quality paper, printing, and black and white photos; it sells for $1 1. If you wish, as so many do, to give them as gifts to your friends, purchase a quantity oflO-19 and you will pay only $9.50 each.

And ifyou are feeling really generous, or

Someone called and told me that there was a Meher Baba comic selling on E Bay and that it went for $500!

Poor sucker—Love Street Bookstore sells it for $5.

Avatar v’1eher Baba What a stocking stuffer!

Ed Legum authored it—the story of Meher Baba and the Five Perfrct C A L B N D A R Masters. Gives you fasci nating details as to how Merwan contacted all five All hymns and prayers of them and was brought reach out towards the to the realization of His eternal ?}uth of Godhead Godhood. $5

2007 titter them in silent rnd uiendiiig adoration.

By Rustom Falahati A well-written, rich collection of short vignettes about the author’s interactions and conversations with Meher Baba’s Mandali from his years ofliving as a resi dent in Meherabad, Meherazad and the Trust compound in India. This warm com pilation of stories illustrates the wisdom and profundity ofMeher Baba’s Mandali.

The scent oftheir love-perfume—a reflec tion of having lived a lifetime with the

Meditations and Prayers on 101 Names ofGod

By Michael Kovitz The 101 names of God (all in Old Persian) that are the subject of this book form part ofthe ancient Zoroastrian prayer compilation which can be traced back at least 2,000 years and is traditionally associated with Zoroaster himself.

Michael Kovitz brings to bear his own creative interpretation in the meditations on the 101 divine names that comprise this book. He draws upon spiritual symbolism from a variety of sources, including Hindu, Christian, Sufi, and Buddhist themes.

Paperback, $18.

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only to merge those who

The Real Treasure, Life of a Resident with Avatar Meher Babac Mandali

Danny Ladinsky We are selling them at $11 each, which is $2 less than the price in commercial bookstores.

Love Bade Me Welcome

By Phyllis Ott Wife of the artist Lyn Ott, and an accom plished artist in her own right, Phyllis tells her life story, from her earliest times, to meeting Baba in 1964 and ‘65 and how that changed forever her focus on life. Her account of her conversations with Baba and the thoughts and feelings passing through her as she conversed with Him are a purejoy to read. Paperback, $16.

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wish to buy for your Center to resell, 20-39 is $8.25 each, and 40-60 is $7.75 each.

The Hafiz and the Rumi Calendar Both ofthese calendars are in glorious color with Indian and Persian paintings, each one ofthem a frameable work of art.

Both calendars are 12” x 12” when closed.

The Hafiz one contains translations by

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MeherBabac Gft oflntuition

By Don Stevens “This is one of the most significant books ever written about the spiritual path.

It is an in-depth profound exploration of how we obtain guidance in our daily lives

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direct from the Avatar”—from the review Kaichuri, Meherwan Jessawala and Ward Avatar Meher Babac

by Raiph Lewis.

Parks (all ofwhom worked for years pre Mandali—Beloved Mehera Many people must agree with him, as paring the manuscript for publication). we have sold hundreds. Paperback, $14.

It includes clear explanations of the This was our best seller last year and Also from Don Stevens, released last four major themes of the book: thinking year, but still extremely popular: and imagination, the cycles of Ishwar, has continued as such—and rightly Meher Babac Word and His Three sanskaras and their annihilation through so—throughout 2006. It is the excellent Bridges is packed with deep sharing, emo the four yogas, and Infinite Intelligence as work, from start to finish, ofFrench Baba tionally charged issues, priceless stories, A11inA1L Edited by Robert Fredericks and lover Paul Comar.

The first half-hour is a selection of original ideas, contemplative questions, narrated by Bruce Felknor. 39 minutes, black-and-white stills of Baba, each one and much more. The entire book is based yes, $5. fading into the next. on the transcript of For meditation it A a two-day seminar is superb—just to that Donpresented INFINITE IrTELL1GENCE : sit and be absorbed to more than 30 Baba ASALLINALL •;:• INFINITE in His face is wonlovers in London. Painviuzbk overview ,f This recrdh C)fl2fl5 INTELLIGENCE derful. Throughinfiae Zntence by Mehei BabL Consiswg of perback, $7. inteTvtWS wtth hau Kakhuri, MeheranJessawaIa out the whole two an Ward Parks fl of whom worked Ict ys hours the musical j,cpanng the maiiusaipt for puhlicdon) the DVD AL: Has Meher background is Paul aodmo theofgiwar, sobos : Baba Told Us Comar’s beautiful an easthA1HrL1t semi-classical piano When He Will f: .:O playing. ianthn awn Break His bofnnanWnf The &*o*s thenw zooan Following the annveran fof Inon Down on4 photos of Baba is Silence?

1s knae lO hnPWfinoUf and bnvnno4nn ofratflt$ footage Paul shot

By Kenneth Lax o13ofny (iann aneOoneo# b(fran aapoItoqPo*w thai at Meherazad in o ootndanan coanantinn aan #fhff’ aO an o andio anAy bofo OO4 wat the early 1970s. I Qualifying as the had forgotten how w bookwith the longest n::in ‘b young all the Mantitle, itis reallya small dali looked then book with big ideas. (didn’t we all?) and Fascinating reading how very beautiful The Theme ofCreation, and very thought-provoking. Paperback, Mehera was. $5.

An Exploration ofAvatar Ifyou have never been to India or met any ofBaba’s Mandali, this is an excellent Meher Babac God Speaks Kabir and Other Stories introduction. Using colorftui text on the screen, Paul has identified each of the

By Sam Kerawala This is the documentary by Tim Thelen encompassing the essentials of Mandali in individual close-ups.

In this book, Sam, the consummate sto For a mere $15 for two exquisite hours, Meher Baba’s most important published ry teller, translates some of Kabir’s poetry work. This new documentary traces the this DXTD can’t be beat. from Hindi to English. And ifthat wasn’t journey of the soul from its unconscious enough, he tells us more ofthose stories we origin, through evolution, involution and YouAlone Exist love to hear of his life with Meher Baba. on to God realization.

Paperback, 182 pp., $12.

If you are one of the thousands who This is the prayer written by Meher have found it difficult to get through the Baba and Bhau Kaichuri (for which Bhau book, this DVD is a must! God Speaks is was roundly chastised by the other Manexplained in most understandable terms, dali), set to music and sung byjim Meyer. and it is a great help in grasping the eso It is coupled with brilliantly edited footage teric themes. ofMeher Baba. It doesn’t get much better Infinite Intelligence as The DVD includes live footage and than this—Jim’s voice, Bob Fredericks’ film All in All stills of Baba as well as interviews with work and Baba and Bhau’s words! $20.

12 ofHis followers: Rick Chapman, Allan This is a documentary-style DVD Cohen, Kendra Crossen Burroughs, RobAvatar Meher Babac providing an invaluable overview of the ert Dreyfuss, Charmian Duce Knowles, book Infinite Intelligence. It is an excellent Carl Ernst, Bhau Kaichuri, Pascal Kaplan, Final Declaration introduction to the book, consisting of Phyllis Ott, Tom Riley, Don Stevens, and background information surrounding the Adele Wolkin. Music by Richard Peikofl In a talk given at the Sufism Center writing of the book and it’s discovery in Tim Thelen and LarryThrasher. Narrated in Walnut Creek earlier this year, Bhau 1969 along with interviews with Bhau by Richard Stermer. 54 minutes, $25. recounts the history of Meher Baba’s ‘.

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Clar/ication, Confirmation, Decision and Die is Castmessages that were given out in the form of circulars to His lovers. Bhau’s personal story of the tour that Meher Baba sent him on following His Final Declaration, in order to pacify His many alarmed lovers, reveals the astounding and unprecedented nature of this mysterious aspect of the Avatar’s advent.

The eyewitness account of spiritual history in-the-making is an absorbing and heart-touching experience. 60 mmutes, $14.

TheAncient One—the Ljfe ofuivatar Meher Baba The latest documentary on the life of the Avatar. Beautifully put together by Australian Michael Le Page, with much footage of Baba and accompanied by the superb guitar playing of the renowned Tuck Andress.

Just under an hour (made for televi sion), $20.

if you do want more, there is the great piano ofDavid Miotke, cello and vocals by Gay Dunn and guitar and vocals by Greg Dunn. Ron’s first volume titled Baba Says with just guitar accompaniment and this one are both $14.

CDs Echoes ofthe Infinite and Sun and Moon These two CDs by Simon Reece of England sold like crazy when we first got them as tapes years ago. Many ofyou wore out those tapes and are now so happy to find you can buy them as CDs. Ifyou do body work, your patients will love listening to these two tapes, whether they are Baba lovers or not. If you are into meditation, these two form a perfect backdrop.

But if, like me, you do neither of these two things, and can usually be found in a high state of stress with way too many things to do in way too short a time, these CDs will help lower the stress 1evels, thereby letting you live longer. Not too many CDs can do that for you, now can they?! You can’t help but slow down, breeeeathe, and get lost in the beautiful music, which consists of mostly classical guitar, wordless vocalizing, along with a great variety of musical instruments: sitar, san— toor and tampura etc. $15 each.

Gems. Songs & Ghazals in the Celtic Tradition Raine Eastman Gannet is without doubt our most prolific album producer.

Each ofher albums is a gem, but this latest one ofhers, incorporating the best of her 37 years of writing and singing for Baba is really outstanding.

There is quite an eclectic mix here, from her days with her mentor, Francis Brabazon, to many of her own composi tions that are her most requested songs.

She has released so many, but I believe this and Moon Over Meherabad are my two favorites. $14 each.

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Conquer Yourse(f

Mugs Far and away the most popu lar mug of all time is our sig nature mug, a gently curved, ivory-colored with burgundy accents, 12 oz. mug that carries the Beloved’s signature. $8.

We still have some of the Do&t Worry Be Happy mugs for the incredibly low price of $3 each, or just $10 for a set of four.

We also have the Mischevious Chicken mug, 16-ounce, teal green mug with Meher Baba’s self portrait on it. $8.

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This is the second volume Ron Greenstein has produced by putting Baba’s words into song form. Play the tape throughout the day or in your car and you have beautiftil music and the Beloved speaking to you. Who could ask for anything more? But

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T- shirts Our most popular shirt lets you wear His name across your heart. The Beloved’s very own signature M S Irani. It is available in many different colors and sizes—check out our Web site at www.lovestreet bookstore.com to see the colors.

They are Hanes 100 percent cotton, $11.

Then there is the brilliantly col orful t-shirt Baba With a Rose (it is in His hair.) Original design by Bob Fredericks. Silkscreen printed on Hanes heavyweight pre-shrunk 100 percent cotton.

Very limited quantities available in 5, M, L and XL. See Web site for colors. $15.

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!:Reviews Sexuality on the Spiritual Path

Don’s introduction sets the stage and tone for the book, which is one of explo ration rooted in Baba’s own words and example during His physical lifetime, as it Review by relates to Don’s extremely personal expeni DanielJ. Sanders, Arizona ences in this area.

In his seminal chapter, “Tactual Expres en I first heard that Don Stevens sion of Oneness in Creation,” Don goes and some of his companions were out on a limb to express his vision of how putting together a book on sex and spin— spiritual aspirants can sublimate their sex tuality, I admit I was not overly intrigued sanskaras through the process of “tactual as I had already readjust about everything sublimation” whereby warm, affectionate Meher Baba ever said in print about sex. physical contact, devoid of sexual activity, Therefore I was not sure what more, new to my understanding, could be offered. can transform sexual energy over time (all However, I was pleasantly surprised and based on his own direct experiences with excited to find that indeed seekers who had Meher Baba). gone before me were able The Forum on Hoto explore Baba’s words and mosexuality was a landactions in regard to sex and mark event in the hisSEXUALITY spirituality in ways I never tory ofthe Meher Baba anticipated. community as it was the ON THE This ambitious project first public opportunity SPIRITI IAL brought together some of to share, address and the most eloquent Meher begin to heal some PATH Baba followers around today deeply divisive issues to speak about sexuality on that our community 1)CN LS [V[N the spiritual path, spotlighthas struggled with for UJARIIS 11AVNE ing the experiences of hoDAVID CARTER manyyears now. Charles EL) FLANAGAN mosexuals, but giving room Haynes went way beFl lA IFTRIL)ES for bisexual and heterosexual yond the call of duty to MARLENA AIPLFBA IM sharing as well. Ofthe seven share profoundly from lAUREN I ‘&‘F1CHBERGER authors, the minority are the depths of his hardheterosexual. The content of earned wisdom concernthe book is as follows: ing Baba, homosexuality, .

Introduction by Don Stevens and the Baba community. David Carter .

“Tactual Expression of Oneness in takes us on a mythical journey through Creation,” by Don Stevens archetypes, Jung, Baba, and back again .

Forum on Homosexuality (Myrtle to contemplate the deeper meanings of Beach) complete transcript, edited, with all sexuality, in light ofvarious examples, new additional materials at the end of this musings, and potential hearsay about the chapter, by Don Stevens status ofvanious close ones to Baba. .

“Meher Baba and Homosexuality,” by In “A New Messiah and the Gay Charles Haynes Community,” Ed Flanagan does not beat .

“Meher Baba, Homosexuality and the around anybushes to proclaim that Baba is New Humanity” by David Carter indeed all for the homosexual movement. .

“A New Messiah and the Gay Com We are treated to a vision ofhomosexuality munity” by Ed Flanagan coming from our French brother, Elias, in .

“Spirituality—Homosexuality,” by his sharing on the relationship between Elias Petrides spirituality and homosexuality, and this .

“How Best to Honor the Intoxication European viewpoint is priceless. of Love,” by Marlena Applebaum Marlena Applebaum and Laurent .

“Sublimation: Research and Develop- Weichberger are given plenty of scope ment,” by Laurent Weichberger in the last portion of the book to remind There is also a piece on the Hijara Story us that heterosexuality is alive and well,

by Eruch Jessawala from his book Thatc and their unique vantage provides much How it Was. for us to contemplate. Manlena has been

trained in the psychoanalytic realms, and she brings this knowledge to her writing.

Laurent shares primarily from his expeni ences of traveling with Don on a journey through India, and how that affected his outlook on sexually charged issues in the spiritual life. Laurent also researched the history of both Baba’s rainbow flag and the gay pride rainbow flag, looking for connections while comparing and contrasting the two.

All in all, these topics are universal and yet brought to bear on the intensely personal relationship with the divine that seekers of truth the world over deal with every day. This book is a must-read for any Baba lover who has struggled with sexuality in relation to spiritual life. $15.

Meher Baba in Greenwich Village A New DYD by Christopher Ott 1932, Meher Baba was filmed by Fox Movietone News (An American version of the British company Movietone) for a newsreel segment on His 1932 trip to the U.S. It was shot in Greenwich Village. It appears from Lord Meher (on-line page 1,618) that this filming was done almost certainly outside the home ofGraham and Lettice Stokes where Baba first stayed with the Mandali seen in the film.

“The reporters wanted to photograph Baba, but he did not allow it then. During the disembarkation atNewYorkharbor that same day at 1PM, however, photographs of him dictating on the alphabet board were taken. Several people were observing this scene aboard the ship, and surrounded Baba as he slowly made his way down the gangplank and through the crowd.

Norma Matchabelli, Jean and Malcolm Schloss, Graham Phelps Stokes, Anita de Caro, Nadine Tolstoy, Elizabeth and her husband, Kenneth Askew Patterson, and a few other lovers were at the pier to receive Baba.

Mr. Patterson drove Baba to Greenwich Village to the home of Graham and Lettice Stokes, and the others followed in taxis. Staying with the Master at the Stokes were Adi Jr., Quentin Tod, Meredith and Margaret Starr. The other mandali, Kaka,

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was a “master shot,” a “close up,” and an “over the shoulder shot” of Baba’s alphabet board. Each one ofthese angles were simply strung together—shot in no special order on a single reel with the obvious intention of editing them later into what would appear as a “real time” segment.

Federal Law prohibits simply doing this and giving my version away.

So I called and purchased a license from USC Film Libraries. Licensing is surprisingly expensive, with a fee charged for every second usedin the finished product. Therefore, I decided to purchase only those seconds that would need to appear in a tightened professional edit. This wound up being about 120 seconds of the origi nal 360 seconds. While it is shorter, it is

Ghani, Chanji and Beheram, stayed at the Albert Hotel [Lord Meher].

The film apparently disappeared and was forgotten for two main reasons. First, Movietone never released the segment.

According to USC Film Libraries todian Ben Singleton, Movietone would customarily only release to newsreel about halfofthe segments they shot. As a result ofbeing pulled from the news, it was never edited into a linear coherent form, but simply left as a string of shots chosen by the film’s newsreel director. Fortunately, it was not thrown away, and the sound print was archived and eventually made its way into a large Movie Film Libraries collec tion held now at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. The other reason that the film footage likely “disappeared” is that there was no mention of its being made in any biographies of Baba. It appears from LordMeher that Baba mostly avoided cameras on disembarking and gave out a pre pared written message instead—Baba’s lengthy “Message to America.”

Baba did not appear to arrive in the U.S. in very good health, and this may have played a part • LBRRfl NtWSFfl.M in His avoiding a lot of publicity at that time.

However, in 1993 Sheila Krynski ofMyrtle Beach came across the footage while going through a film database. Sheriar Books then released a video version ofthe raw footage on VHS, which has been available for 13 years. However, the VHS showed only the unedited form, which is great for posterity but is a bit un comfortable to watch and has fluctuating sound volumes, camera fizzles, etc.

In 2006 a friend ofmine called me and told me that he heard Baba’s “voice” on the film. I was so intrigued that I asked him to send me a copy ofthe VHS so I could see (hear) for myself I did in fact hear Baba hum and even make a very surprising (but mysterious) guttural throat sound in the audio on good equipment. As I examined the film I noticed that it was probably possible to edit the film in a way that was compatible with the director’s original intention. In accordance with the very simple directing style of the film there

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infinitely more enjoyable to watch, and the viewer can focus on the message better, as there are fewer technical distractions.

So in the new, shorter edited vrsion Baba actually gets His message across much better, which was the intention of the shoot, it seems. Therefore, there are good things about both the VHS and the new DVD version. I ought to note that the stiff style of directing at the time largely dictated how I edited the film, i.e. in ac cordance with the simple 1, 2, 3 principles ofediting ofthat time period. Shot today, it would look quite different and have more pizzazz.

I had hoped to recoup at least some of the money from the licensing fee. This meant selling a few copies, and that need led to coming up with ways ofmaking the film more attractive to Baba lovers and collectors (like me). To make the movie more attractive I did several things.

1. I designed what I think is a very flattering disc case. The entire design is restrained to black and white and it keeps a NewYork 1930s theme.

2. Next, I wanted to juice up the film and make it more like a show. This involved bringing in some public domain period blues (obtained through the U.S. Library of Congress and other public domain sources). These songs went on the opening and closing credit sequences.

In addition to music, some public domain film footage of the New York Harbor and docks were added to heighten the sense oftime and place. These shots were also obtained from the U.S. Library of Congress.

3. I felt that no one wants a DVD without some bonus features.

For now there are only two on the disc. Others might be added later. They include a short retrospective of the year 1932, events around the world captioned on the screen against stills of life in New York City in 1932.

On top of this is placed some period blues music.

The segment is short but entertaining, even a little thought-provoking.The other feature is the most interesting, though certain to be the most controversial.

Here, a few ofthe “sounds” Baba makes are inserted and accentuated. very good equipment, on Actually, four very distinct hums, about makes Baba time in acknowledg each made sounds is reading or has Meredith ofwhat ment of these were the best of Two said. just along feature, bonus this in included shake to is sure that “sound” another with equipment an be might It up. people glitch. I can’t testifr under oath that it is what it sounds like, but it is on the origi nal reel as presented. I’ll let the viewer be the judge.

In all but the last “sound” the person will need to have very good TV speakers and boost the sound. Until I can afford a sound engineer to filter this a bit better, it will have to remain that way. But rest assured everyone who has seen it on my equipment (including my 10-year-old daughter) hears the hums.

Admittedly, one friend sadly could not on her own home equipment. So here is 9

my little disclaimer. I promise it’s there. I can’t promise you’ll hear every one.

Search the rest ofthe film itself (DVD is great for that) and you will find the other two hums Baba makes. There is also an audible “sniffle” Baba makes and Baba’s footsteps.

My feeling about all this is that even if you can’t “hear” these sounds, you’ll be “listening to Baba’s silence.”

In Baba’s message (on the film itself) he says he will take America’s great but misdirected energy and divert it into “creative and spiritual channels.” I hope making this movie is one of those “creative channels” He was speaking about. $20.

The “hums” Christopher talks about are what I would call m-mmm, the sound you make when you are nodding assent but cant be bothered openingyour mouth and saying ‘yes.

Ed

ematical relationship to the various phases of Baba’s life and work. The discussion on the Chinese calendar reprises much of what has been previously introduced by Harry Thomas in his earlier article in the Love StreetLampPost(Ju1y2002), but Ken takes a very patient and logical approach to re-examining some of its profound synchronicities.

As a result I found that, after having read and listened to previous explanations ofthe Chinese system, a light really began to go on for me this time. This is not at all to diminish Harry’s excellent exposition, but to acknowledge that a second voice coming from another angle can often illuminate a challenging subject. After reading through a thoughtful analysis of these synchronicities once again, it is hard

serious abatement. On the other hand, illusion is illusion, and for those who are with Baba, His manifestation in our lives and the lives ofmany around us often ap pears as the greatest blessing imaginable.

I do not believe that Ken would deny this, but is simply implying that our Beloved Avatar still has much more in store. $5.

May, Arise Review by Debbie Nordeen, North Carolina ay,Arise! is a beautiful instrumental CD by guitarist/composer Baba— man, David Stevenson ofNorth Carolina.

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Has MeherBaba Told Us When He Will Break His Silence?

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By Kenneth Lux Review byRichard Griffin, Massachusetts [In theApril issue wepublisheda descri tion ofthis book that was NOT by Richard Grn—although attributedto him. Following is the REAL Grn review.]

re you a “suddenist” or a “gradualist”?

This is the question that Ken Lux asks ofhis readers in his provocative new Baba offering. As much as some of us in the Baba community might like to think that we were let off the hook when Baba dropped the body, and would no longer have to listen to promises of His silence breaking, a few stalwarts, such as Ken, do not relent in drawing our attention to this drama that the “suddenist” will say has continued since 1925 and still continues.

If nothing else, this little book brings about a feeling of Baba’s presence in the world, and that he is still promising us, “Something will happen that has never happened before...”

The title of the book is the lead-in to the eventual subject matter. Ken examines not only Meher Baba’s own words on the timing ofthe breaking ofHis silence, but goes on to take an in-depth look at the Chinese calendar and its elegant math-

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to deny that something authentic, if not Avataric, is behind them.

Ken does not deny that Meher Baba has been working and still works in the world with His devotees, and that His message of love and truth continues to be spread through many channels. He does, however, remind us that the state ofthe world is not what Baba promised us that it would be once He manifested. As Ken quotes from the Discourses, “The Avatar”: Those who are spiritually awake have been aware that the world is at present in the midst of a period such as always pre cedes Avataric manifestations. For the moment they must be patient. The wave of destruction must rise still higher, must spread still further.

It is certainly hard for even the most optimistic of “gradualists” to argue that this wave of destruction has begun any . . .

May Arise can also be called “Meher’s Eyes” or “Meherize,” and that’s what the music on the CD does for me, puts me in a vibrant place for remembering Meher Baba. I love the flow of the selections on this dynamic CD. David is a classical guitarist who trained with Au Akbar Khan and others. His compositions weave Eastern and Western music traditions creatively together for a variety of soulful effects. His stunning arrangement of Baba’s Gujerati Arti is bound to pull the heartstrings of every Baba lover.

David’s skillful and creative guitar playing is perfectly accompanied by the amazing percussion ofRiver Guerguerian, who has performed with such groups as Ziggy Marley and the Gypsy Kings. This is uplifting, transformative music. I love to be “Meherized!” $14.

Conquer Yourse(f e reviewed Ron Greenstein’s latest CD—the second in the series of theJulyissue. Butwe have Says...—in Baba rave reviews about it, I such getting been of them with you some share to wanted you feel that them, reading upon in case, for is you.

CD this perhaps I enjoyed ‘Baba’s Words Vol.1’ so much that I almost wore the CD out.

Fortunately, Vol. 2 has come out in the nick of time.

Listening to the songs on “Conquer Yourself” has helped to etch Baba’s words into my mind. I feelblessed to have Baba’s words float into my mind at unex pected, yet much needed, times. Each time I listen to Track 10, “A Test of the Daring,” I feel Baba’s compassion wash over my entire being. The variety in the music and the beauty ofthe lyr ics of the album help to center me.

Natasha “

I am affected probably similarly to Natasha. I am moved by beauti fial music accompaniment (Miotke’s piano and Dunn’s cello and guitar in concert with yours) enlivening Baba’s words. [This] selection has brought out many of Baba’s statements that have previously been little heard to be noticed. It makes Baba’s words sing in your brain, a great aid to remembering them during the day.

Gay Dunn’s cello adds an impor tant and feelingful bass character to many of the songs, filling out the sound from Ron’s four-string guitar.

Similarly, Greg Dunn’s six-string guitar adds a fullness with finger picking and strumming finesse complimenting Ron’s playing. David Miotke’s piano give a wonderful jazzy and dramatic quality and his singing brings out a soft, heartfelt meaning from Baba’s words.

Hughie Lively! Rhythmic, sonorous and soulful; a little bit of Calypso, a little bit of piano bar? Ron Greenstein’s new CD is many things, reflecting the Avatar’s infi mte variety and all this delicious music is background to Meher Baba’s own sayings, carefully footnoted in the liner notes.

I always look forward to Ron’s music.

He is unique, for sure. But this time, he has outdone himselfin collaboration with the inimitable Dave Miotke on piano, and

sweethearts Greg and Gay Dunn playing guitar and mellow cello. Together, they have created a rich musical tapestry for the Beloved.

Truly, this is a must-have CD. In a quick moment before work, you can play one or two selections for inspiration or, on a Saturday afternoon, play it while you do the dishes or swing in the hammock.

Baba’s words ofwisdom will stay with you ever-so-sweetly as you hum along.

Betty

mative and well-done comic. And quite a conversation piece. We also sell comics, mostlyfor children, created by the Vedanta society, on Krishna, The Ramayana and the Mahabharata. $5 each..

An MTV Video

ofBily Goodrum!

Dma Snow Gibson

ilmmaker Mitchell Rose gave us a wonderful presentation for our Sunday meeting last week. He brought along a new DVD that has a collection of 1 1 of his Five Meher Baba and the award-winning comedic short films.

Winner of 48 film festival awards, The Washington Post wrote that his workwas “in the tradition of Chaplin, Keaton, and Tati—funny and sad and more than the sum of both.”

Mitchell is a graduate of The American Film Institute. His offbeat films screen around the world on television and in locations as diverse as the Getty Museum and the CBS JumboVision in Times Square.

The DVD includes films made in collaboration with Baba lovers Ashley Roland, Billy Goodrum, Robert Een and Fritz Sperberg. Featured are Modern Daydreams (called “a flinny and surprisingly touching fantasy”

by The New York Times), Case Studies from the Groat Center for Sleep Disorders (called “hilarious” by The New York Times), and Elevator World ( called “a computer masterpiece” by The CBS Evening News.)

It also contains a music video 7tWYY made for MTV of Billy singing his r song “Weightless.” We can see why V AIvrHD,dy WItLJAMS Mitchell won all those awards—his work is terrific!

Fans of Billy Goodrum will buy this DVD just for this song, but what a trea Perfect Masters sure trove of other goodies awaits them. with story by Ed Legum, ingenious—and to keep the Inventive, illustrations by Anthony alliteration going—infinitely intelligently Williams designed films—that’s what Mitchell Rose is all about. I would consider an ap his comic book has two claims to propriate title for this DVD “A Gathering fame: I believe it is the first comic of Roses.” book about Meher Baba and, secondly, I The DVD sells for $20. That’s $1.82 was told it sold for $500 on the Internet per film—cheaper than a Dove bar but site E-Bay. Pity the poor foolwho bought providing longer lasting pleasure and, it. He obviously had not heard ofthe Love overall, is much healthier. [Mitchell’s Street Bookstore, where it is not a rarity words; I’m not that clever!] and sells for a mere $5! It is a very infor

Wow! What more is there to say?! $14.

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What’s 2 1appening cit J44eherctbad

ext time you go to India on pilgrimage, you’ll find there’s been some changes made—and definitely for the better.

1. No need to change rooms! There are so many rooms currently available (and 12 singles!) there is no reason to move once you have settled in.

2. Hot showers! Yes there are hot showers, but no, the shower heads are not anything like a western shower head, so the bucket is still preferable for a thorough drenching. Although you can have a hot shower every day, be aware that this is a drought area. It would be advisable to be thoughtful and opt for a half-bucket a day shower ifyou need to bathe every day.

3. Larger towels! We know how hard it was to dry off using those little hand towels! The little towels have been cut to wash cloth size and are in baskets in the bathrooms for drying your hands. Much more sanitary than in days ofold. The new personal bath towels are much bigger, still cotton, but dry overnight under the fan when hung by the mosquito net.

4. More privacy! Ifyou’re the type that prefers privacy, it abounds in the new MPR. There are little cubby holes in sev eral places for dining alone ifdesired. Take a pillow and go relax on the roof. Lounge rooms available for those who can’t sleep and don’t want to disturb roommates.

5. Cost ofroom increases. Prices have gone up for those staying in Meherabad at the MPR, due to increase in staff and other costs to run the new facilities. It is now 130 rupees per day for a room plus 140 rupees per day for food (currently there are 44 rupees on the U.S. dollar) These bills are paid separately, preferably

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upon arrival. No longer can we wait until the daywe leave!

However—all this beauty, comfort, convenience and spirituality at a cost of less than $7 U.S. a day does not really cover costs. Our stay is subsidized by the Trust. The Trust that our Beloved set up and left very explicit instructions as to how we should be cared for. My point is, (and this is my personal point of view) if you can afford more than $7 a day, do make a donation when you are paying your bill.

6. Money Change, The Registration office in the old P.C. can no longer change your money. They request that you bring an ATM card which you can use at the HDFC or State Bank in ‘Nagar. You can also change money or cash travelers checks in the Mumbai International Airport. The State Bank booth is cheaper than Thomas Cook. You’ll need to keep your receipt for changing your rupees back when you leave the country—ifyou have any left i.e.

7. Good walking shoes. It’s a longer walk to the Samadhi and back, longer still ifyou want to go to the Cyber cafe or lower Meherabad. On a cool day it can be quite enjoyable, otherwise it can be tiring. Make sure you have a hat and take water with you. Rickshaws are available, but you’ll need to budget for a little more output as it takes longer to get to the different sites and gas prices in India are very high!

8. Taking the low road. The path directly from the Samadhi to the MPR is across land owned by a local farmer. In order to curb his frustration and keep good relations between the local community and us (which is important) Ted went to the trouble ofcreating a new path and installed powerful lights to guide us home after

Arti. The path is outlined also by white rocks. It angles offto the right as you leave the MPR. It’s only three minutes longer to walk, and you’ll be keeping the farmer happy. Happiness lies in making others happy. Hmmm... sounds familiar.

9. Transportation from Mumbai or Pune to Meherabad. The Registration office no longer handles this. It is now a private enterprise by a couple of services.

When you send an e-mail (or call) to get your reservation, in a return e-mail you’ll be given a link to several transportation services from which you can choose. The group of owners/drivers that the office has been using for years are now handling their own scheduling and correspondence, under the guidance of a pro and with the name Pilgrim Express. They have a Web site for ordering to which you will be directed when you write for reservations.

My own personal favorite is Pathan, who will pick you up at the airport at 1 AM or whatever heinous hour you arrive, and instead ofhaving to hang around a hotel for hours waiting for the sun to rise (and the traffic to pick up) he, or one ofhis drivers, will whisk you off to Meherabad in just five hours, arriving in time to participate in cleaning the Beloved’s tomb. You can e-mail him at pathan@meherbabatours. com. [See details in Announcements.]

And on another note: The Meherabad medical staffwould like you to know that due to a recent outbreak of chikungunya, a flu-like, mosquito-borne disease, please be sure to bring a good supply of mosquito repellant. The chemical DEET is known to be effective. Among natural repellants the most effective according to studies done is Repel Lemon Eucalyptus.

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Letter from 21ome Suzi limura

July 3 Baba dear friends, It is without a doubt great to e back. After spending a night in Mumbai, I flew to Pune—a half-hour journey—and out of the plane window I could look down and see India at its most glorious. The rains have come early this year, turning everything into a luscious, almost fluorescent green, and believe it or not, Mumbai—which is perpetually covered in a brown haze—was visible from the air looking clean, green and beautiftil. I could have been flying over a Greek island. The buildings were white, the sky was a rich blue, and little fluff white clouds were all that was between the ground and me.

My friend Pam picked me up at the airport and took me to her new apartment in Pune right on the river. We had just arrived, and her phone rang. It was Kitty asking me if I would like to stay in her house at Meherabad for four months while she is away in the States. Talk about good fortune. Living in Kitty’s home is like living in paradise. Her garden is rich in color, variety, some exotic plants brought in from Thailand, with a vegetable and herb garden, fish ponds and chimes. Better still, she has a servant who does all my washing, cleaning and cooking, so desired.

Pam and I drove to Meherabad and ar rived in time for lunch at the new Meher Pilgrim Retreat. Over the past season, I was one of the team helping to set it up.

We had meeting after meeting, and when I left everything was on paper—where this would go, how many ofthat we would need, etc. What a joy it was to come back and find that everything is in place. It is truly very very beautiful, the rains having made it more so. The artwork around the place is spectacular, the vistas peaceflil and it is so quiet. It is such a change from the old P.C., with the busy road running right in front. I had been concerned about the distance to cover from lower Meherabad up the hill and out beyond to the Retreat, but I am finding it a pleasure, the

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Meherabad I do hope to see some or all ofyou over the next year. There is nothing quite like the Samadhi. The entire world slips away into nothing, and only the heart functions. Pure joy.

Jai

Suzi andArnavaz

walk being good exercise and somewhat meditative.

I have to say that everyone who has worked tirelessly for the past five years towards the opening ofthis new Retreat has done so with 100 percent concern for the pilgrims’ needs. It is quite incredible what a small group of people have managed to do in a country where nothing is easy or straightforward. The trials, headaches and difficulties they have had to deal with cannot be imagined. They have put their backs, hearts and souls into this project, and now it is up and running.

I am going out to Meherazad two days a week to help care for Arnavaz. I come back totally saturated with Baba’s love, as Arnavaz talks about her days with Baba and she loves to talk aboutTadaaki [Suzi’s late son] as she says she loved him and felt he was a special boy. The other day, when Meheru and Arnavaz and I were talking about Tadaaki, I was able to tell them some ofthe amazing things that happened while he was dying.

My other duty is reception at the MPR. I am presently learning the new computer system and the run of the place.

July 9 The atmosphere here at Meher abad is somewhat charged at the moment. Tomorrow is Silence Day. Some 1,300 pilgrims are expected at Hostel D, 160 at the Meher Pilgrim Retreat, and many more will be here from the surrounding districts just for the day. There is such an air of anticipation at Arti! To stand amidst so many at beloved Baba’s Samadhi, many ofwhom have traveled far, to see theirjoy at reaching His threshold, hear their exuberance during prayers, the quiet hearts repeating Baba, Baba, Baba—to be among so many lovers of Meher Baba—one has the feeling He is saying, “Oh my lovers, welcome!” with His arms open wide.

Yesterday, July 8, our dear sweet Roda Mistry went to Baba. It was one of those very special days, an auspicious day.

Her passing was unexpected. She had been coming on her porch, greeting the pilgrims, always replying, “I’m fine,” no matter what.

Once I said to her, “Roda you always say ‘I’m fine’ even when you are suffering from this or that.”

She replied, “If I say I’m fine, then I will feel fine. If I say I’m not fine then I won’t feel fine.”

The news reached us at the MPR about 1 PM, just as lunch was beginning.

I worked Reception in the morning, and after lunch wandered back across the fields and past the Samadhi with a quick bow down. As I walked across the railway line, a resident passed by and asked me if I have been to the new Banyan Tree Cafe, which has just opened near the Meher Darbar. Ah, mango and chocolate ice cream!

It was then that I saw along the road to Ahmednagar, as far as the eye could see, families walking towards Arangaon village dressed in their very best. Women were in ‘3

their bright lime green, sunshine yellow, hot pink, and fluorescent orange saris. A big festival was being held in the village to celebrate the life ofBhuji Bawa, who Baba said was a Perfect Master. Somewhere in the mid-1800s he went into Samadhi and a crypt was built around him.

One hundred years later some villag ers decided to break into the crypt and in doing so disturbed Bhuji Bawa from his Samadhi, upon which he issued a curse that for the next seven generations the first born in each family would die. So the story goes.

One ofthe attractions at the fair was a very fast, very scary looking Ferris wheel.

Upasani Maharaj once said that life is like a Ferris wheel (not a box of choco lates). We go round and round—birth, death—round and round. But sometimes, on an auspicious day such as yesterday, the Ferris wheel stops, and at the bottom some get on and some get off. Perhaps it is that yesterday Roda got off the Ferris wheel.

Tomorrow is Silence Day. Thank God for Silence Day.

Oct. 12 There has been a lot of rain. Beautiful rain. Out beyond the Samadhi there are lakes ofwater. The green panorama makes being here really delightful. To take the path from the Samadhi out to the Retreat, looking out over the wide-open green fields, is nothing short of breathtaking.

Katie is not well. Even so, she dresses to the nines every Meherazad day, and no one would know how she is suffering. She goes to the kitchen every day, supervises, and cooks. She is 86 and does not miss a day. I tell you these women are amazing!

Arnavaz also dresses and comes out onto her porch and greets everyone with such love. She talks constantly about Baba, bringing tears to many an eye.

Arnavaz told us this story on the porch today: “In 1958 there was a lovely Sahavas at Meherabad. It was for both men and women. A beautiful pandal was set up at lower Meherabad. Baba would come out and we would all sit around Him. One af ternoon at 4 PM Baba had a violent cough-

ing fit. It was so bad it echoed around the tent. The next day at the same time, 4 PM, the same thing happened—Baba started coughing violently. Baba then said, ‘This cough reminds me ofthe black cloud that is drawing near.”

Arnavaz says it is now over our heads.

She told us, “Obeying Baba means being resigned to His wish and will, leaving everything entirely to Him, remembering Him more and more.”

Tian Gunther, visiting from Australia, gave a talk on Infinite Intelligence. Her understanding ofthis book and God Speaks is incredible. There is a Taiwanese family here. Yi-Bin, the father, sits at the Sama dhi and reads the Discourses for hours at a time. Because ofTian, the Chinese-speaking world now has access to Baba.* We know this, but to see the fruit ofher work brings it home. She is a true treasure. *Tian a native ofChina, has translated the Discourses into Chinese, available in the Love Street Bookstore. In ourJanuary 2006 issue, Tian wrote the article “Baba Goes to China. “Afascinating account.

J44elierctbctd Dictry Judy Stephens

16. This was the first full day of the new Meher Pilgrim Retreat. Many of the pilgrims departed early. They just wanted to spend the first night at the Retreat. The energy of everyone was up.

When I passed Hostel C, I noticed the National Cadet Corps was here. They do service projects at various locations, and Meherabad has been one of their choices because we have facilities such as large sleeping areas and lots ofspace to do their drills, play games, etc. They are a tremen dous help to Meherabad, doing ground maintenance and other projects. This year there are around 450 cadets and officers, all very friendly and polite. l8June. We are helping each other in the MPR Reception Office on our un scheduled days because we are learning the

June

new computer system. It is monsoon time and thunder was heard in the distance.

Soon it was pouring rain. It came down hard with strong wind blowing the rain across the verandas. We had to walk along the wall in order to avoid being soaked.

Some places we had to run!

Roxanne, the housekeeping supervi sor, called us into the dining hall to see rain pouring in all around the area of the fountain. It is a semi-circular area with only screens, no windows, so nothing to stop the rain. There was a mad dash to mop up the water.

21 June. I was on duty at the Retreat.

Frank Parker was there to help. He is going to take over the Superintendent’s job at the beginning ofJuly. Our current Superintendent, the Major, is leaving for anotherjob. He is a pleasant man to work with and knows how to handle the workers. We are so grateful for all the work the Major has done.

24June. It rained all night.

25 June. I cleaned the Samadhi while the pilgrims were at breakfast. Dot Lesnik has been cleaning the back wall ofthe inside ofthe Samadhi in the evenings. Two

Meherabad sides by the door have gotten dirty from people resting their heads against the wall, which affects the painting.

29 June. There is a new restaurant by Meher Darbar run by Baba Lovers. It is called The Banyan Tree Cafe. And they serve meat! What is so nice is we know it is clean and safe. There is also a new ATM machinejust down the road, at the entrance of VRDE. Life is getting more comfortable around here. This was the 50th anniversary of the inauguration by Meher Baba of the Ahmednagar Meher Baba Center, which hosted a program of

bhajan singing and a dinner.

3OJune. We had a small good-bye tea for the Major. We gave him a Baba photo

as a gift and a card that we had all signed.

We will miss him. What is wonderful is— he has become a Baba lover! He was so taken by the love of everyone, and the joy and cooperation and respect. He said he has never seen anything like it. It is the love we all have for each other, Baba lovers of all races, nationalities, religions, and lifestyles. He was just blown away by it. It penetrated his heart! It was Baba in

this love that won his heart!

This was the second anniversary ofdear Dr. Goher’s going to Baba.

2 July. Opening day of pilgrimage for Meherazad. I took my dear friend, Vir ginia, who was remembering the many times she would sit with Mehera. Cindy Lowe and Charlie Kehier sang in Mandali Hall. Peter Booth showed two Baba mov ies. On the way home rain prevented us from getting homemade ice cream at the new Banyan Tree Café.

3July. Pouring rain in the morning. At the MPR entrance it was difficult to drive through all the mud.

4 July. Rain most of the night, with heavy rain and lots ofwind. The Mumbai International Airport was closed. There were mudslides on the main highway to Mumbai.

6 July. Receptionists met on how to smoothly check in over 90 arriving pu grims on July 9; orientation often takes around 20 minutes. Hostel D, C, and B will take in over 1,200 pilgrims in groups of 150, but they do not get orientation.

Pilgrims at the Retreat usually stay weeks or months, but Hostel guests are permitted two weeks tops.

7 July. This is the time the screen door to the Table House is unscrewed and someone goes in to clean it. Over the years we have had world experts come and show how to properly care for archival things. Jessica Mednick, one ofour young residents, was overseeing the cleaning.

She has become quite knowledgeable.

The Archive building cleaning women were brought down to sweep and wipe the underside ofthe overhead covering of both the areas around the Jhopdi and the Table House. Though several of us clean the Jhopdi and Table House every week, it is not the same as a thorough archival cleaning, which took almost four hours of very careful work. I was impressed by the meticulous care to detail Jessica showed.

It was from a deep love for Baba that only comes from the heart.

There is a pandal put up along one side of the Samadhi railing to give shade to the large number ofpilgrims expected for Silence Day. Next to Baba’s gadhi under the tin shed was a beautiful, intricately designed rangoli, a painting on the ground made with colored powder.

8July. Up the hill by 5:30 AM to change Baba’s cabin room curtains, shelfcover, and the stretcher cover. The stretcher is under a glass frame that requires several people to careftillylift it. When we were changing

the pillow cover, we took turns holding the pillow and kissing it. This pillow held His head when He was on the stretcher; how fortunate we feel to be able to hold it in our hands! After giving a Historical Tour of Meherabad I received the news that Roda Mistry had gone to Baba. When I got to Mandali Hall in Meherazad that evening, her body was on a stretcher in front ofBeloved Baba’s chair. Roda’s sister Arnavaz was sitting nearby.

9 July. We were expecting around 90 Silence Day pilgrims to arrive, a flood. Ro da’s body was brought to the Meherabad Mandali Hall. A bus from the Retreat gave pilgrims a chance to say goodbye to Roda.

After a short while, her body was taken to the cremation grounds on the other side of the Pilgrim Center. The logs were being put all around Roda’s bodywhen I arrived.

I picked a red rose from the basket by her feet to place on her. Once the fire was lit, pilgrims began singing songs. Because there were to be so many pilgrims here for Silence Day, they were given badges.

It rained on and off during the day. lOjuly. Silence Day. The weather was especially lovely. The wind felt as ifit was gently brushing against you, the clouds were soft and fluff5r. On the way down the hill, I bought a garland for the Jhopdi.

Silence Day is the only day ofthe year we are allowed to sit in the Jhopdi, which is open most ofthe day. Next to the door is a basket ofred roses for pilgrims to put by Baba’s photo. liJuly. I saw a beautiftil unfamiliar bird in the garden, with bright blue feathers and white wing tips. New kinds of birds are making Meherabad their home. I was going to have our bus drop me off at the MPC when it went down to take Retreat pilgrims to Meherazad. The first was packed, so the Trust sent up another bus.

To my absolute delight I saw it was our new bus, which holds 30 pilgrims. It was fun riding in our new bus on its maiden voyage to Meherazad.

12 July. Anne told me about train bombings in Mumbai. We have a lot of Baba lovers here from Mumbai. They were all trying to reach their families and friends, wanting to know if everyone was okay. There are still hundreds here from Silence Day. Most are staying in the hos tels, and staff gave them tours of the art of Meher Pilgrim Retreat. There were so many Baba lovers that you had to put your stick in the Dhuni with as many as could fit around the fire instead of one at a time.

13 July. I lunched at the Banyan Tree Café, a firn place to eat, like an exten sion of Meherabad—only you can have meat. Residents came to the Retreat for a program by pilgrims thanking us for our work and ice cream and brownies were served with tea. The thoughtful idea was from Janet Jacobs, and Mira Lutgendorf was MC. The first performer was Kokila Gillett from England, an accomplished violinist who gave a breathtaking performance. Next was Bahram, from Iran, who played guitar and sang warmly. Then Mira said they would show the type of pilgrims we Residents had to put up with.

First was a “business pilgrim” telling us how wonderful each thing was, then telling how we could improve it. Next was a “reincarnated Mandali,” who believed he had once been Mehera or Baba. Then came the “complaining” pilgrim who complained about the food, the bed, the room, the weather, etc. There were one or two more, followed by the “triple-dipper” at the Samadhi on Silence Day. This one really had us laughing. The “triple-dipper” pilgrim first insisted on touching all around the door frame of the Samadhi before bowing down. (Now mind you we are talking Silence Day, when the line is constantly one or two hours long, with well over 1,000 pilgrims. During Silence Day and Amartithi, it is only a quick bow, maybe two seconds, then out. The lines are just too long to allow more.) Then the pilgrim bows inside the tomb with every kind of bowing you can imagine. While they are trying to take him out of the Samadhi, he falls to the floor prostrate.

Before they can carry him, he falls on the marble and spreads his arms out. At last, with great effort they manage to get him out. We had a big laugh.

Then the program had a sweet ending.

The performers gave Tedjudson a present, a carpenter’s level. Everyone asked Ted to sing. He finished the wonderftil, enjoyable afternoon with the song “Forever Young.”

Ted at his best. Tears were in many eyes.

19 July. We now have a phone at the Retreat for calling anywhere in Maharastra State, handy for pilgrims because it covers Mumbai and Pune.

23July. Rain on and off Placed some stones called ‘farsi’ on the ground for bi— cycles and motor scooters so we will not have to deal with mud when parking.

27July. Saw sumps being dug around the drain areas of the doctors and nurses quarters to help prevent mosquito breedIs

ing. Chickungunya is spreading all over India, a mosquito-carrying virus giving swollen and painfliljoints and fever lasting one to two weeks.

29 July. Watchmen at the Samadhi were using rags to take away the water all around the women Mandall’s shrines after overnight rain. One ofthe pilgrims on the historical tour was from Taiwan; when there were words she did not understand she used a little electronic translator. Saw a movie of Padri giving a tour of Meher abad.

31 July. An additional three feet are being added to the height of the external fence around the MPR by putting in iron rods welded together. There is a huge yellow-jacket beehive outside an upper floor window on the women’s side. To get rid of a beehive they pour boiling water on it at night. It drops the hive and kills the bees.

1 August. All kinds of activity taking place in the rooms ofthe old Pilgrim Res ervation Office in the Trust Compound in ‘Nagar. Because of limited space, the ac counting office used to be in two separate areas. Now they were brought together in the adjoining rooms of the old PRO. The desks all had computers and printers! In one ofthe back rooms was a water dispenser. It seems the Trust Office is also going into a new phase—like Meherabad and Meherazad. At Meherazad the new medical clinic is soon to open.

3 August. At Meherazad I sat on Mehera’s porch and listened to Meheru tell stories. She was passing out candy in honor ofDr. Goher’s birthday. In Meherabad, the

weeklyjam session was held on the theatre verandah, “Playing on the Porch.”

5 August. Rained during the night and most ofthe day. Saturdays tea and cake are served on the theater veranda before films are shown. Now there will also be art dis played during this time. Two films today: Meher Baba’s Call and You Alone Exisi 6August. One ofthe topics addressed at a regular staff meeting was the worm farm. These are specially prepared areas that garbage is put into so worms can turn it into a highly desired product for fertil izing trees and plants. From the balcony ofBanyan Tree Café, I could see the main road where there were bullock cart races. I don’t knowwhat the occasion was, but they are such fun to witness. Men riding mo torcycles surround the carts, hollering and honking their horns. One ofthe pilgrims from Colorado gave a welcome tea for our newest residents, also from Colorado.

9 August. My housekeeper has been out with Chickungunya for a week. Many in the village have it. Rained so hard at night that the dirt paths and roads were really difficult to walk on. I had to get a rickshaw to take me to the Retreat. Finally settled for one that would meet me on the Samadhi side ofthe railroad tracks. I dare not ride my scooter or bicycle; it isjust too dangerous. Tuesday Baba movies are now on Wednesdays. lOAugust. Working on a description of the artwork at the Retreat to be translated into Marathi for our porters, who will use it when they take pilgrims from the Hostels on art tours.

11 August. When our bus was on

Station Road in Ahmednagar we passed a small procession of religious Hindus playing finger cymbals and carrying orange flags. I saw in the middle was a man roffing on the ground holding a sitar-like instru ment and as he rolled he made sure the instrument did not touch the ground. A man followed closely using a cloth to brush dirt off the sadhu’s body. [Indiac Hindu ‘rolling man”Lotan Baba, on apilgrimage to England, demonstratedhis craft by rolling on his sidefor three miles through the middle of town in his questfor worldpeace and eternal salvation. He says he has rolled over 4,000 kilometers in India, through deserts, and in the middle ofmonsoons.—Eci] 13 August. Jimmy Khan told delightlid stories of being with Baba. He said sometimes when Baba played cards with the men, he would have two teams. The top cards were the Jokers and the Aces. If Baba’s team did not have those cards Baba would askwho did have them.Then Baba would tell that person to give those cards to Him. Baba’s team always won.

15 August. India’s Independence Day today. Groups ofpeople were all along the main road in front of the MPC, Dhond Road, which many of us call Meherabad Road. There were exciting bullock cart and horse tonga races on the road, ftm to watch from Banyan Tree Café’s balcony.

The last group was three tongas and about 20 motorcycles. One man on a motorcycle yelled “Jai Baba!” What a delight it was to hear!

These are excerptsfromJudyi very detailed daily diary thatshe writes, which can now be found at www.jaibaba.com. —Eel

JPilgrims Offered £New Opportunities to &rue eherabad and Meherazad are growing in leaps and bounds.

First there were the lovely Archive buildings for housing Beloved Baba’s precious items, and now we have the new Meher Pilgrim Retreat at Meherabad to welcome the ever-increasing number of pilgrims and the new Medical Dispensary at Mehe razad which Dr. Goher would be so happy to see. Plus there is more to come!

As Meherabad flourishes and Meherazad does likewise, many opportunities for selfless service are being made available for flill time, part-time or even now-and-then-time workers. For this reason, the MeherVolunteer Service Opportunity (in the former M3 room of the MPC) has been created to help in making this transition smoother. It’s a place ofinformation where Baba lovers who wish to offer their services can find what work is available at Meherabad, Meherazad and Meher Nazar.

Beloved Baba has made each one ofus unique with many tal ents and skills, which are His gifts to us. For those who sincerely

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wish to serve Beloved Baba at Meherabad and Meherazad, there is now a way to enter His gates through this new little door.

There will be service projects—landscaping, maintenance, medical, art, education, entertainment, library, archival, technical, computer—and a lot ofnew service areas too! The former Meher Pilgrim Centre will take on a new form, transforming Meherabad into a place where pilgrims can drink the atmosphere of Baba through historic tours, music and arts demonstrations, special events, recreation, and so much more.

We will need so many different types of talent and service from all kinds of individuals. Meherazad will require skilled karma yogis for the new Medical Dispensary, and the completed Archives will need all sorts of volunteers willing to do many kinds ofworthwhile work. What the frill scope will end up to be, Beloved Baba only knows!

We welcome you to share the work—share the love.

Debjani Ray, Meherabad

77ie iJanLIctn 7ree Cherie Plumlee

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Café

California

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he Banyan Tree Cafe is the kind of hygienic kitchen and small restaurant you wish was right dining experience. down the street from home. Clean as a The Aquaguard UV whistle, great coffee and chai, an inexpen combination filter is sive menu with fabulous food, and waiters used for safe drinkthat are so kind you want to tip them ing water and ice and a week’s wage. The owners, Rawat and all vegetables and Shanti, have put a lot ofloving energy into fruits are soaked in this cozy haven of gastronomic delights sodium hypochlorite and Deena has helped them in many ways solution and rinsed including concocting sensational recipes. with filtered water.

J ust across the street from the Meher A dishwasher is used Deena andlrene in the back room Dabar Cyber Café and three minutes up for high-temperature the road going towards ‘Nagar, it’s in the cleaning. From my point of view their A glimpse at the menu. second story of a clean brick building set kitchen is whistle clean and I’d be willDrinks: coffee (organic espresso) which back from the road. There’s a deep blue ing to bet it could pass the test of any US they will make as strong as you like, iced water tank on top of the roof a beacon Health Inspector! coffee, chai, fruit smoothies, milk shakes, calling you to the best (safe) Western food The food is great! It’s all Western (so and sodas. in India. (After seven meals and ten cups if you came to India to also enjoy spicy Desserts: homemade ice cream, choco of coffee I’m very biased, I admit.)

Indian food you may not be interested in late, vanilla, coffee, vanilla mint chip, pas Up the stairway is a rooftop balcony the café—except perhaps for the coffee sion fruit and occasionally ‘taste’ tests of with tables and chairs painted in green and and hot apple pie with ice cream). You can the chef’s new inspiration. pink lacquer—a great place to sit and relax show up any time before the closing hour Salads: small or large, are safe and deliwith a cuppa. There are two dining areas offive pm for meals or snacks orjust coffee cious with many savory ingredients and a inside, the front room with a large table and chai and a great desert! fabulous tofu or oil dressing. and chairs where residents and pilgrims Take away (take out) is also available.

Sandwiches: tuna, chicken salad, enjoy casual conversation. Then there is They offer the finest, freshest ingredients, chicken breast, and the old favorite—BL T the back room, cozy and clean with pillows although availability may depend on what’s ( bacon, lettuce and tomato.) on benches and small individual tables that in season. A selection ofinternational reci Pasta: (hand-made fresh noodles for allow for more intimate conversation. pes and treats includes many imports and fettuccini) is cooked with garden veg The owners and staff are very aware foods from outside Ahmednagar. Their etables and olive oil, pine nuts and cream of the delicate constitutions of West- own ice cream, made from pure water cheese. There is also Pesto pasta with erners and put the highest value on a buffalo cream and other natural ingredi Parmesan cheese available. (Yes, you can ents, is fabulous, ask for a chicken breast to be added to and I spooned it the pasta dish.) Their full meals include in my coffee or roasted chicken in herbs with vegetable chai as a delicious rice. Often, other dinner specials are availtreat. Their best ice able and theywill be listed each day on the cream so far is pas ‘Specials’ board, or you can give them a call sion fruit ice cream. and find out in advance. Their number is It’s delectable and 2548503. how I miss it! If Prices: Ridiculous!! You can have an you have special incredible dinner for two—soup, salad, dietary needs, let main course, desert and chai or coffee for them know a few under $10! (For both of you!) days in advance of Baba said (words to the effect of) I dining and they never promised you a rose garden, I picked will see if they can Meherabad for my place because it is not meet your needs. luxury. Hmmm. .1 hope He doesn’t mind They are open for a few luxuries. breakfast but you When you’re on pilgrimage do stop can order bacon, by, meet everyone, enjoy the ambience The kitchen crew—Lattah, Kavita, Shanti (one ofthe owners) and eggs and toast anyand a safe, Western meal. Boy, do I miss Mangal—show offihe apple crisp. time. that place! .

73ctba’s Birthdcty

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a Documentctry

Director Peter Sumner (Australia) reports on the progress ofthis new film. bedroom talking with Baba’s will, and Luke. These sequences the grace and favor are glorious, and Baba’s of the Mandali and so bedroom seems to glow many Baba lovers from with love. We spent the around the world, prin rest of that day filming cipal photography is Meheru and Katie as complete for the docu they entertained pil mentary the documen grims on the verandah tary Babac Birthday, and with stories of the ani the filmmakers are now mals Baba, Mehera and editing the many hours Mani loved. of excellent and illumi We had many adnating footage. ventures through our After the initial constant need for cars “light bulb” idea at the and rickshaws, and huge Australian October Sa thanks are due to Pahavas at Avatar’s Abode, than and his team, who the producer Michael were always on time Ney and I contacted and got us to our desthe Trust in India and Filming in Pune, Cinematographer MichaelNey with Director Peter Sumner tinations safely. At one all individuals to be involved to gain approval for the idea and musicians, designers, costumers, props and time, Michael decided on the scenic route and strapped himseifto a mattress on the permission to film in sensitive areas. We technical people. car roof and filmed the bumpy journey were delighted that Bhauji and the ManThere were lots of laughs shootdali felt the idea was worthy and offered ing the wig and wardrobe fittings, and on the road to Meherazad, with people in their ftill support. various trials for makeup and beards. Jim Ahmednagar cheering him on with the occasional shouts ofJai Baba!

The story involves a young Baba lover, Lyon’s face as the Lion was a work of art!

At the Trust office, Bhauji graciously Luke Sumner, making a pilgrimage to Naturally, we shot the entire production Meherabad, and his appearance in the play of”Leila and Majnun” on the big night of entertained us with Luke and Monica asking several to celebrate Baba’s birthday. Much to our Baba’s birthday, key questions astonishment and delight, Alan Wagner as well as all the concerning the offered Luke the part of Majnun in the hilarity and hiyounger generaclassic Arabian tale “Leila and Majnun.” jinks after what tion. Everybody Luke, of course, was thrilled to bits. proved to be a went out oftheir In February 2006, our documentary very beautiful way to help us, crew arrived at the Meherabad Pilgrim and moving and for this Centre in the usual cloud of dust. Earlier performance. we are deeply on in our communications with the ManBetween grateful. At one dali, Meheru had expressed a natural fear rehearsals we point someone ofus turning up like Bollywood with large spent time at remarked that trucks, great banks oflights and cameras, Meherazad, as the filming and dozens of crew. We were happy to where we were was going so Luke, Bhau and Peter assure her that our outfit was small and allowed to film smoothly, Baba very discreet. in Baba’s bedThe first days were taken up with adroom and the surrounding gardens. must want this production to happen.

At Baba’s home in Pune, Jhangu justing to life at Meherabad, meeting the Meherwan [Jessawala] walked Luke to ambled across the courtSukhadwalla] people we were to workwith, and scouting the top of Seclusion Hill, speaking on [ out the various locations. Luke had quite a camera about the significance ofthe Hill, yard talking to Luke about Baba’s early life, job on his hands attending daily rehears and Baba’s work on the Hill. Then to our and in Baba’s room, about Baba’s contacts als for the play and filming with us in any surprise Meheru called us down to Baba’s with the five Perfect Masters. Another pleasant surprise was when Rustom and spare time. Luke’s involvement in the play bedroom, where she and Luke stood beSohrab [Baba’s twin nephews] unexpect is the “spine” ofour documentar so many side Baba’s bed and Meheru told several hours were spent at the theatre shooting stories of His days at Meherazad. Later edly turned up and entertained us with the interplay between Alan and the actors, that day we also filmed Bhauji in Baba’s stories of their boyhood with Baba. And

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finally Penn [Behram’s wife] blessed us with ash from the first Dhuni. That day we discovered that shooting a scene at Babajan’s Tomb on a busy Pune street is not possible without drawing an unruly crowd.

On many days, we filmed in and around Baba’s Samadhi, including during Arti, and of course we shot Baba’s birthday Arti on the hill at 5 AM. Apart from the Mandali, many other Baba lovers spoke on camera. Alan Wagner and Debbie Nordeen spoke of the importance Baba placed on the arts, Laurie Blum and Dot Lesnik about the visual arts.

As this production is aimed at young people, great interviews were done with some of the younger Baba lovers such

as Shireen Borthwick, Forest Ivey, Ra fael D’Argenio, Raina Scott, and Corey Miljour. Gary Kleiner even roared up on his motorbike and gave us an impromptu dissertation.

With great pleasure we accepted from Raine Eastman-Gannet a number of her new CDs to use in the film. We are most pleased to have also received permission from Pete Townshend to use his music.

We also greatly appreciate the encouragement we have received from Gusi of the Meher Baba Australia magazine, from Dma Snow Gibson of Love Street LampPost and Naosherwan Anzar of The Glow magazine.

With the wholehearted assistance and co-operation of everybody at Meherazad, Lp

13aba’s J4/lessacje to )3outli is the privilege ofyouth to be full of energy and hope. Not being caught in any ruts, your dreams of the future have the advantage ofbeing inspired by an unfettered imagination.

In the glow of a new-born love or in the warmth ofa newly-caught enthu siasm, you are quick to respond to the call for action and self-sacrifice.

Life would be poorer without these qualities that are predominantly present in youth. But if you are to derive the full benefit of the quali ties with which you are abundantly endowed, you must also try to acquire some other qualities which are rare in youth.

Hope should be fortified by a courage that can accept failure without upset. Enthusiasm should be harnessed by the wisdom that knows how to wait with patience for the fruit ofaction. Idealistic dreams about the future should be balanced by a sense of the realities of the present. And the glow of love should allow itself to be illumined by the full exercise of reason.

It is easy for youth to be so ab sorbed in realizing the ideal that it becomes bitter against the present and the past. But it is as well to

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cultivate a spirit of idealizing, while being appreciative of the heritage of the past. The world as it is may not seem to conform to the pattern that youth adores, but you must never forget that it is always good enough to merit your most loving attention.

In your desire to improve the world, do not, by becoming bitter, surrender your right to be happy.

Youth loves freedom and therefore has a natural impulse to rebel against all authority This is well and good, but you should make a real effort to keep free of the many illusions to which youth is particularly suscep tible. True self-expression need not include irreverence for others. True criticism need not involve snobbishness or cynicism. True freedom need not manifest hostility or separateness.

Freedom without responsibility is a doubtful boon. Freedom is worth having only where there is self-restraint and willingness to cooperate with others. Youth is always willing to act and take risks. It should be allowed to yield freely to this fearless and imperative urge oflife within. But while engaged in action, youth must take every care that it is creative, and not destructive. Let your watchwords be LOVE and SERVICE. Listen Humanity, ed. D. E. Ste vens, pp. 179-180, © 1982, Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Chari table Trust

Meherabad, Pune and Ahmednagar, we have returned to Australia with such an abundance of inspirational material, we feel confident that the completed produc tion may be a worthy addition to the many wonderful films about Baba, and one that will surely reach a wide audience if we can find acceptance within the television world.

We are now working on a preview DVD with some of the longer interviews of Bhauji, Meherwan Jessawala, as well as some brief highlights of the play. As a fund-raiser we will be making this available exclusively through the aforemen tioned magazines and a Web site. Anyone wishing to be put on the emaillist of news ofthis, please write to the producer. Baba willing, we intend to return to Meherabad with the completed documentary next February.

Thank you to those who have helped the production funding through dona tions.

We still have a long way to go before the finished product is ready for broadcast, so we appeal to the Baba community for help.

Please email enquiries to: babasbirthday@ mac.com.

Leads to 2ligIier Realms L/4Tt

Meher Baba orina [Matchabelli] commented about art and introduced a painter named Helen. Baba remarked to her, “I am also a painter. I paint the hearts of people with the colors of spirituality.”

To another artist, Baba spelled out, “I am an artist who has the whole world as my canvas. I paint souls. One can express all ofone’s spiritual qualities through art, but one must put all one’s heart into it. Art is one ofthe sources through which the soul expresses itselfand inspires others. But to express art thoroughly, one must have his inner emotions thoroughly opened. I love artists, for through art, one can express oneself beautifully. When inspired with love, art leads to higher realms.”

Gesturing to the beautiful gardens outside, Baba inquired, “How do you like my painting?”

LordMehei Vol. 6, pp. 1883-1884, ©

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2003 A1VIBPPCT

Our Cover Story Dma Snow Gibson Michael-George is a classically trained Marius visionary artist and art teacher who specializes in sacred art. He is a native of Eastern Europe, born in Bu charest, Romania, and pres ently divides his working time between an art studio in Paradise Valley, Montana, and the Art Gallery in Mt. Shasta, California.

Scanning the unseen through the “eyes of the soul,” Marius creates images that become portals into other realms and invites the viewer to participate in a spiritual experience. Angels, saints and masters seem to feel at home in his studio and, whether in ethereal bodies or physical form, they are the main protagonists of his compositions.

Marius studied painting with one of the most prestigious masters of clas sical art in the U.S.—Frank Mason—at the Art Students League in New York City After that, he was trained in the system of classical realism at Atelier Le Sueur and Atelier Lack in Minneapolis.

Our cover painting started as a commis

one ofBaba, he approached the artist in a rather unusual way.

First, he started talking to Marius about Baba, then gave him GodSpeaks to read, followed by more books on Baba, including the large photo albums Love Personi— fted and God in Human Form.

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sion by Elias Hanna, but it is much more interesting than that. Elias told me he had previously bought a couple ofother paintings by Marius, of other subjects. When he decided he wanted Marius to work on

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Marius at work in his studio, surrounded by the spirits and hisfaithful companion Honey.

This was all done over a pe nod of a year, during which he also played many Baba videos for Marius. Finally he decided the artist was ready to paint the Master.

I have seen and loved many portraits of Baba by the most famous ofthe Baba artists, yet I have not seen anyone who has captured the complete essence of Baba’s face, as has Marius. He told Elias that it was Baba who painted it—he merely held the brush and paints.

When Elias finally got to view the finished painting, he generously asked Marius (whom he knew was attending the LA Sahavas in July) to take the painting with him so we could all share in its beauty It stood in the Bookstore for all to admire and then we got to keep it back at Meherabode for another few weeks until it was picked up and returned to Elias. How wonderful that we got to spend time with it—just to stand in front of this more than five-feet-tall painting was a spiritual experience.

Marius’ original oil paintings and murals are found in public and private collections across North and South America and Europe. His artwork is also published as prints and cards.

To view more of his work, visit www.Mariusfineart.com. The painting of Baba is available as prints of different sizes, and can be ordered from the Love Street Bookstore.

Row ‘in Extraordinary Thing 1tappened Carrie Ben Shammai Editorc note: This memoir

by Carrie Ben Shammai is based on a transcrztion of an interview byEtzion Becker on July 14, 1971,for the series called “The Human Side Of God,” videotaped by Irwin and Edward Luck, copyright Meher Baba Archives. The story has been editedfor clar— ity. Etzion notes. 7 spent 14 years with Carrie, and received her Baba center when her body startedfailing her independent workfor Him. My veryfirst impression of Carrie was that she was a very ancient soul. Her lovefor her Beloved was stillsizzling with her open—heart emotions, as herfirstsupreme meeting with Him hadneverdwindled She lived a life oftotal absorption with Her Beloved.”

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Israel

One day, I heard by an acquaintance that a Master from India was coming for four days to New York.

This was about two-anda-half months before His arrival. Immediately I contacted the source for His writings, and found the Winterfeldts, and decided to read the Discourses first.

My husband was not ready to wait, and had to return, wanted to return to Israel.

When he left I took a little room somewhere, retiring entirely from the outside world, and experienced the Discourses, utterly shocked by their perfection and beauty. Day and night I was preparing myself for Oblivious ofthe candle about to burn her arm, Carrie sees only her Beloved. that divine meeting.

The Delmonico Hotel, 1956, New York Among the 10 million New York City people, I am Carrie from Israel. I am born of and married there. was the only Israeli who was led into the I was always keeping on the search, German-Jewish parents and my father, living presence of our Beloved Master, and came into contact with Lao Tzu, the who forever now has consciously brought Rabbi Ya’akov Rosenheim, was a wellChinese sage who lived about 4,000 years known public figure, the first president me into His internal contact. The first of World Orthodox Jewry. I very early ago. I was very much impressed by his moment I came to the living presence teachings and then came across Christian discovered that although I had been always of Meher Baba I knew I had found my Science, then Zen Buddhism, and I knew Master, THE Master. going with my father to the temple three about the teachings that everyliving crea times a day, praying with him, I could not Later on people asked Baba, “How entirelybe satisfied in going the way of my ture has one day to meet his Master on the is it that Carrie was brought into Your Earth planet. I had met Him in books, but presence among the mass of Americans?” father towards religion. Very early I started not in person, and I often wondered about Baba answered through Mani, “The ways to occupy myselfwith other philosophers it. In spite ofmy continuous endeavors and and through this discovered that Eastern ofthe Masters are wonderful. IfHe sees a teachings were far more profound and longing to live the life of a yogi in India, soul ready to be contacted, He has all the satisfactory. I began secretly studying the I did not succeed. means at His disposal to bring this soul Now an extraordinary thing happened. teachings ofthe Hindu religion, Vedanta, towards Him.” One day through a strange incident my Veda and Upanishads, and continued So, actually when I had the grace of husband won the lottery We never had any having come into the living contact of contact with Persian teachings.

I one day left the house in the hope of money and he hadn’t seen his parents in the Master which I had never dreamt in the States for 25 years, so he wanted to use coming to India, wanting to live the life my keenest dreams, there had not been a that money for coming to the States, and I of a yogi, not just in theory. My way led moment of separation ever since up till stated that I would come in order to meet this very moment. I had, as Baba told me me towards Egypt. I lived there in great my Master from Persia or India, without later, entered His innermost heart, and spiritual isolation among the Arabs. Noactually knowing what it was all about. body heard of me, but I was looking for He had entered my innermost heart. And So we left together for New York City, the Master unconsciously. I thought I was there was nothing else to it, but to keep only interested in the eternal truth without and as soon as I could, I contacted some it up. I remember when I sat before Baba personal contact with the Master. But I yoga societies. I sat with Zen Buddhists for the first time at the Waldorf Astoria didn’t succeed then in meeting the Master. in meditation. I was travelling by subway hotel, as the only Israeli, I decided to be I returned after eight years of staying in at night, while my husband was asleep, just like a child, forgetting everything else Egypt in utter spiritual isolation, to Israel, wondering what it was leading me to.

I had ever learnt, endeavoring to make my

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mind blank and my heart empty, so Baba could work in it.

Now an extraordinary thing happened. My sister, who had long been sick in a mental hospital, I had visited a few days before. She was so noisy, chattering, and I had wanted to bring her out, to bring her before Baba, but they wouldn’t let her leave.

The very day I had an appointment with Baba for her and myself, I had a telephone call. I was allowed to take her out to meet Baba; her husband was very orthodox, and he came along but didn’t come in.

We brought my sister before Baba, and He patted her on her shoulder and He looked at me and said, “She will be all right.” And I believe the next day they sent her home after she had been there for quite a long time!

But she unfortunately never recognized Baba, and He made a point oftelling me at every opportunity that she would never recognize Baba, nor would any ofmy nearest so-called family. Baba told me, “Carrie, no matter what they will do to you, I shall stand byyou, at any time,” and He repeated it: “No matter what they shall do to you, I shall stand by you.”

Now an extraordinary thing happened.

I had known I was going to remain without my husband in the States, but I was not allowed to work there. I had no money anymore, and I had waited already twoand-a-halfmonths for Baba.Just a bit of money was left; and I was terrifically sad, I thought my heart was breaking, they all were now going to Myrtle Beach! They knew that they prepared themselves finan cially and otherwise for going with Baba.

But I was supposed now to remain behind after having met at last my Master.

So, standing in great sadness among the people who were preparing themselves to go with Baba, suddenly somebody pats me on my shoulder. It was a lady of the airport telling me that I had been invited

by Baba to come along in His own plane to Myrtle Beach. Baba had been contacting some American Baba lovers telling them to see to it that Carrie was coming along to Myrtle Beach! [Adele Wolkin collected money from people who attended the Delmonico restaurant reception in order to help Carrie travel to Myrtle Beach, as per Baba’s instruction to her.]

Then when I told my sister that I 22

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iJ Carrie, 1982

could not attend to her now at home, she was making an extreme ftiss, but it didn’t matter, I explained to her that I had to go. so I flew with Baba on my first flight, and came with Him to Myrtle Beach.

Extraordinary things kept happening, the tops ofthe trees and the frogs and the water, anywhere and everywhere they were calling out “Baba, Baba.” Whenever I had a wish, the slightest wish, it was fulfilled! I had a wish to see one ofthe Mandali; there he stood in front ofme. I thought to speak to Kitty; there she was, all I needed was to think of Baba.

When Baba led us through the woods towards the sea, I was always running as close as possible behind Baba, as far as Harry Kenmore would let me, and sud denly found myselfdown at the sea alone, walking directly in the footsteps of my newly found Master on this planet. It was extraordinary symbolic, actually walking in His footsteps!

Then Baba told us to look for the most beautiful shells at the beach, to bring home to Mehera. But I was so shocked, and I was only thinking of Baba, and while it was still time to find, but not to present, I found two very strange shells, but I could not wait any longer and I had to run to Baba and show Him the shells. And Baba looked and said, through one of the American disciples, “Very interesting, very original.” Then I simply sat down next to Baba, and there was the American disciple also sitting with Baba and very surprised how naturally I sat down next to my Father while everyone else looked for shells.

I felt after all the wandering on this Earth planet, from the first day ofmy birth, because we had been suf fering a lot at home with nine sisters and brothers, and mother not having the strength to discipline, and my father being a public figure, finding, nevertheless, realizing even as a little girl that there must be reincarnation, never doubting it. Anso understanding the ancient saying that every living creature must meet, once in this lifetime, his Master. But having been isolated in the West, in my extraordi nary oriental nature there was another fact in all my prayers, in my postures, in my dancing; I was absolutely onental, particularly Indian. I had never seen Indian dances, but I danced them all on my own, and decided never to dance except if my Master allowed me to dance before Him, even if it should be at the moment when I was dropping my body.

Now an extraordinary thing happened.

Baba fulfilled this desire ofmine in 1969, when He suddenly made me dance in Poona without anyone knowing about it.

Ramaknishnan later wrote to me, “Carne we didn’t even know that you were dancing.”

When later on Mani and Mehera desired for me to dance, it was more for Baba than for them; I naturally combined dance with song and speech, all creative, newly created.

Through the grace ofBaba there hasn’t been a moment of interruption of inner contact with Baba. No matter that Baba dropped His earthly frame; there Baba works in our hearts, day and night. And so it will be at the end of the days. He creates an indestructible bond between all creatures on different levels of evolution, and particularly of course among our hu man sisters and brothers.

Baba told me, after I had been with Him in Myrtle Beach, “Go straight back to Israel and there spread my message of love.” Since I had recognized Him as my Master, there was no questioning of flil filling His very wish. Though I had only arrived a short time ago in the States, I packed my things, and offl went, knowing that Baba was sending me into worse than a desert island regarding Israel, where there was intellectualism and nationalism and Zionism. It was there Baba wished me to be ever since.

LAvatcir J4e1ter

EBabct’s 3final Declaration

Bhau Kakhuri recently dictated over 13,000 words on the subject Destruction of Threeoft/se World, which was sent out on the newslist. For those interested in the essence uarters Q ofthe subject, the series ofmessages issued by Meher Baba in the 1950s is given here infull.

To read the e—mails with Bhaujic interpretations and additional comments, write to newshivalist@jaibaba.com. An hour-long talk he gave on this subject is also availablefrom Love Street Bookstore on DVDforjust $12. —Eel

is perceived to be false and nonexistent, illusion throughout is illusion. There is no end to it, just as there is no end to imagination.

There are two aspects experienced in illusion: manyness and oneness. While manyness multiplies manyness, oneness on magnifying itself. Manyness is goes ..... the “religion” ofillusion on which illusion sal work, only to repeatedly dissolve them Sept. 30, 1954, exactly at 3 PM, thrives.

Meher Baba’s Final Declaration was once that purpose has been served.

In the illusorybeginning ofTime, there The universe is my ashram, and every was no such state of manyness in illusion read out in four languages: heart is my house, but I manifest only in I am very happy to have you all here. as there is today. When the evolution of I know that many of you have come those hearts in which all other than me consciousness began, there was oneness, in ceases to live. to Meherabad under very difficult cir spite ofthe diversity in illusion. With the When my universal religion of love is growth of consciousness, manyness also cumstances. Some of you have covered on the verge offading into insignificance, went on increasing, until now it is about to thousands of miles and even crossed I come to breathe life into it, and to do overlap the limit. Like the wave that reachcontinents to be at Meherabad today. It is your deep love for me that has braved all away with the farce of dogmas that de es its crest, this height of manyness will file it in the name of obstacles and prompted you to sacrifice dissolve itself and bring religions, and stifle it your comforts and conveniences to honor about the beginning of I have come to sow with ceremonies and my call and to be near me today. oneness in illusion. Suf I am deeply touched by your devotion, rituals. fering at its height will the seed oflove in your The present uni and I am proud ofthe hearts that contain cause the destruction of hearts so that, in spite versal confusion and such love and loyalty. this climax of manyness There are many more devoted hearts unrest has filled the in illusion. ofall supeificial like yours yearning to be present here, heart of man with The time has come but these are not to be seen in your midst greater lust for power for the preordained de diversity which your and a greed for wealth today. I know that in spite of their instruction of multiple ljfi in illusion must tense desire to be near me, they could not and fame, bringing in separateness which possibly come for one reason or another. its wake untold miskeeps man from expe experience and endure, Therefore they depend on you to convey ery, hatred, jealousy, riencing the feeling of to them in detail all that you see and hear frustration and fear. unity and brotherhood. thefreling ofoneness Suffering in the world during these two days ofunique opportu This destruction, which through love is brought will take place very soon, nity that has fallen to your lot. I trust you is at its height, in spite will not fail them. of all the striving to will cause three-fourths about amongst all the Although you are present here with all spread peace and of the world to be de love and faith in me, and though you feel prosperity to bring nations, creeds, sects and stroyed. The remainblessed to have my personal contact, yet about lasting happi ing one-fourth will be castes ofthe world.

I know that you will not realize today, as ness. brought together to live For man to have you ought to, the true significance of my a life of concord and call and your presence here at this juncture. a glimpse of lasting mutual understanding, Time alone will make most ofyou realize, happiness, he has first to realize that God, thus establishing a feeling of oneness in not many months from now, the signifi being in all, knows all; that God alone acts all fellow beings, leading them toward cant importance of this assembly. and reacts through all; that God, in the lasting happiness.

The time is fast approaching when guise of countless animate and inanimate Before I break my silence, or immedi all that I have repeatedly stressed, from entities, experiences the innumerably varately after it, three-fourths of the world time to time, will definitely come to pass. ied phenomena ofsuffering and happiness. will be destroyed. I shall speak soon to Most ofyou will witness those events, and Thus, it is God who has brought suffering flilfill all that is shortly to come to pass. will recall very vividly all that transpires in human experience to its heights, and To affirm religious faiths, to establish during these two days of your stay at God alone who will efface this illusory societies, or to hold conferences will suffering and bring the illusory happiness Meherabad. never bring about the feeling of unity I have not come to establish anything; to its height. and oneness in the life of mankind, now Whether it manifests as creation or dis I have come to put life into the old. I have completely absorbed in the manyness of appears into Oneness of Reality whether not come to establish retreats or ashrams. I illusion. Unity in the midst of diversity create them for the purpose ofmy univer it is experienced as existing and real, or can be made to be felt only by touching

On

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the very core ofthe heart. This is the work for which I have come.

I have come to sow the seed oflove in your hearts so that, in spite of all superficial diversity which your life in illusion must experience and endure, the feeling of oneness through love is brought about amongst all the nations, creeds, sects and castes of the world. In order to bring this about, I am preparing to break my silence.

When I break my silence, it will not be to fill your ears with spiritual lectures. I shall speak only one Word, and this Word will penetrate the hearts ofall men, and make even the sinner feel that he is meant to be a saint, while the saint will know that God is in the sinner as much as He is in himself When I speak the Word, I shall lay the foundation for that which is to take place during the next 700 years. When I come again after 700 years, the evolution of consciousness will have reached such an apex that materialistic tendencies will be automatically transmuted into spiritual longing, and the feeling of equality in spiritual brotherhood will prevail.

This means that opulence and povert literacy and illiteracy,jealousy and hatred, which are in evidence today in their full measure, will then be dissolved through the feelings of the oneness of all men.

Prosperity and happiness will then be at their zenith.

This does not mean that oneness in illusion shall remain so eternally. This is because all this that is, is illusion. The consciousness ofoneness, as well as manyness in illusion, is part of the process of evolution. The time is bound to recur when there will be again the same beginning, growth and culmination of the heights of manyness and oneness in illusion.

My next advent, after I drop this body, will be after 700 years, and that will mark the end and the beginning of a cycle of cycles. All cycles of time in illusion end and begin after 700 to 1,400 years. There have been and will be millions and biffions of such cycles in a cycle of cycles. Thus, there is no end to illusion, which always remains in illusion.

Age after age, I come amidst mankind to maintain my own creation of illusion, thereby also awakening humanity to become aware of it. The framework of illusion is always one and the same, but the designs in illusion are innumerable and ever-changing. My advent is not to destroy illusion because illusion, as it is, 24

is absolutely nothing. I come to make you become aware of the nothingness of illusion.

Through you I automatically maintain illusion, which is nothing but the shadow of my Infinite Self and through me you automatically discard illusion when you are made aware ofits falseness.

My manifestation as the Avatar of the time will be of short duration. This short period will, in quick succession, cover my humiliation, the breaking of my silence, my glorification and my violent physi cal end. Everlastingly, with all the divine bliss within me, I eternally suffer for one and all—thus I am crucified eternally and continually for all.

During this short period, my Word of words will touch the hearts ofall mankind, and spontaneously this divine touch will instill in man the feeling ofthe oneness of all fellow beings. Gradually, in the course of the next 700 years, this feeling will su persede the tendency of separateness and rule over the hearts of all, driving away hatred,jealousy and greed that breed suf fering, and happiness will reign. .

Baba gave to his Mandali, through the use of gestures in the air, the following explanation, which was issued in the form ofa circular on Nov. 20, 1954: CiRIFIcATIoN

It is really very difficult for anyone to believe and understand what I say, because no one can grasp the meaning underly ing my words. It is natural, even for my intimate Mandali, not to understand my Final Declaration. But I want you to take everything that I said in Meherabad dur ing the meetings very seriously, because all that I said was the truth; they were words ofGod, and all the things said must come to pass exactly in the manner described by me.

From the day I declared in Meherabad that there will be the destruction of threefourths ofthe world, that a strange disease will attack my body, that I will suffer humiliation, that I will break my silence and speak One Word, the Word ofwords, that there will be my glorification, and that finally I will drop my bodywhen I shall be stabbed in the back, my lovers and others

have been trying to interpret my words in different ways.

Everyone is free to interpret my words in any way he thinks and feels. But one thing I tell you, whenever I say a thing, I naturally use my own “language,” and whatsoever is said by me is Truth. But my “language” is such that no one can understand or grasp the underlying meaning of what I say. Therefore, when I want to say a thing, I have simultaneously to make use of your language also, knowing good well that you would understand nothing whatsoever if I were to make use of my language alone.

In order to help you to understand my Final Declaration and to put an end to your confusion and worry, I want all ofyou to know that when you saw me dictate on my alphabet board during the meetings at Meherabad and heard about: 1. A strange disease attacking my body; it was said in your language.

2. The humiliation that I will suffer; it was said in your language.

3. The breaking of my silence and ut tering the one Word ofwords; it was said in my own language and simultaneously in yours, because when I utter that Word, it will be an audible word to you.

4. My glorification: it was said simulta neously in my language and yours.

5. The destruction of three-fourths of the world: it was said in my own language alone.

6. The stab in my back: it was said in my own language alone.

7.The dropping ofmybody: itwas said in my own language and simultaneously in yours.

Consequently, whatever is said by me in your language, you are able to understand and know what is said; but that which is said in “my own language” is impossible for you to understand, however much you all may try to interpret and grasp the underly ing meaning behind my words. Only the frifflilment of events can unfold to you, in due course, the meaning ofwhat is said in my own language.

I therefore want you all not to worry unnecessarily or to be confused. Just believe that whatever I say is Truth and that all which I said in my Final Declaration will come to pass, precisely as I have dic tated, by the end ofApril 1955. And the beginning of all that is to happen within the period of these six months will be ef fected by me from the 1st of December 1954.

When Meher Baba returned to Satara, he dictated a Confirmation of his Final Declaration, which was issued as a circular on Feb. 3, 1955: CoNFIIuviiTIoN

say, “die,” for I will then become actually God’s Life in illusion are not and cannot dead to the world up to the end of the be one and the same. Illusion has no life modified period of time. and can have no life. Illusion is illusion, During the indefinite period of the and is nothing by itself modified time, I will completely stop one Illusory life means life in illusion, and and all of my external activities as carried though it is life, as experienced by the Soul out and carried on by me in the course in creation, it is illusory life. But God’s Life of the different phases of my physical lived in illusion is not illusory because, in life so far, including the present life of spite of living the illusory life, God re retirement among those who live with me mains conscious of His own Reality. permanently.

God is absolutely independent, and 1 I will, throughout this modified pe the universe is entirely dependent upon nod of time, live a life God. Yet when the of complete physical Perfect Masters ef When I come again after detachment from ev fect the “descent” of erything and everybody, God on earth as the 700years, the evolution except a few things, as Avatar, they make will be absolutely necofconsciousness will have Reality and illusion essary for my requireinterdependent, each reached such an apex that upon the other. And ments of nature in the barest sense of living thus it is that His materialistic tendencies the life ofa man alive.

Infinite Mercy and 2.Iwish allmylov will be automatically Unbounded Love ers to observe a fast and are eternally drawn transmuted into spiritual upon by those who remain only on water (which can be taken any are immersed in iilonging, and thefreling number oftimes during lusion. the fast) for 24 hours, ofequality in spiritual Between God from 8 PM on Saturday, and the universe, brotherhood willprevail.

February 12th, to 8 PM Infinite Mercy and on Sunday, February Unbounded Love 13th; and to devote act as a prominent all available time during the twenty-four link which is eternally made use of by hours in praying to God in the way each men who become God (Sadgurus, Perfect likes best to pray to Him. Masters or Qutubs), and by God Who 3. Honesty is the keynote to Divinity. becomes Man (Avatar, the Christ, the Ra He who can love God honestly can lose sool); so the universe becomes the eternal himselfin God, and find himselfas God. playmate of God. Through this prominent link, the Avatar not only established life in his Divine Play, but also established Law in illusion. And this Law being established by the God-Man or Avatar is the Law of Baba later dictated his Decision re the lawless Infinite, and it is eternally real garding the Final Declaration, which and at the same time illusory It is this Law was issued as a circular on Sunday, April that governs the universe; all its ups and 10th, 1955: downs, constructions and devastation are guided by this Law. THE FINAL DECISION OF GOD At this cyclic period, God’s indepen dent Absoluteness is made to work upon This universe has come out of God. this Law by the God-Man as God’s Will.

God has not come out of the universe. This means that anything and everything Illusion has come out of Reality. Reality that the Avatar wills is ordained by God. has not come out ofillusion. God alone is Consequently, all that I stated in the Final Real; the universe by itself is illusion.

Declaration and Confirmation is ordained God’s Life lived in illusion, as the Ava by God, and must and will happen. tar and as Perfect Masters, is not illusory, I was in Khuldabad for nearly a week whereas God’s Life lived in creation, as from the 22nd of March. There, night all animate and inanimate beings, is both and day, I did My work most intensively. real and illusory. Illusion, illusory life and The intensity ofmy spiritual work caused .

Meher Baba and those living with Him have carried out a special program ofspecific activities for a period of4O days from the 1st December 1954, to the 10th ofJanuary, 1955. Having completed this special phase ofHis work, Baba desires all concerned to know that: Each and all things as intimated, declared and clarified by me are all fixed and ordained facts, and God will see that everything happens and is done as foreordained.

A1l that is desired to take place is un avoidable, yet the resultant effects can be modified in two different ways according to relative circumstances. The modifica tion of the effects of a destined plan can, on the one hand, either affect the intensity scope or size ofthe chain ofevents or, on the other hand, bring about a considerable change in the factor of time.

In either case, the effects can be modi fled as much in relation to me and those closely connected with me, as to the world at large. For example, the world can absorb fttlly a simultaneous spiritual and material shock, either by a modification in the quality and quantity of events or by a considerable change in the time factor.

If the time limit (that is, April 1955, as mentioned at the Meherabad meetings) remains unchanged, then in order to enable the world to fully absorb the shock of shocks, the chain of events may be modified both in degree and in kind.

But ifthe time limit is changed considerably, the events will take place without any modification whatsoever.

In the latter case, the most important and significant point is that definitely and emphatically the link between my physical body and all my external activities as carried on up to now will be dropped

by April 1955, and there will take place an immeasurable change in the external relations between me and those who are closely connected with me. So that ifl do not drop my physical body, I will yet, so to

25

great pressure on my physical body and mind, and it was there that I decided that all that I had declared in my Final Declaration must come to pass exactly in the same sequence and with the same intensity of effect, but with modification in the time factor.

Therefore, with change in the time limit, the intensity, scope, shape and size of the chain ofevents will take place without any moderation whatsoever, to bring into effect the destined plan.

In the meantime, mankind must await, as it must according to my Final Deci sion, the witnessing of all that is come to pass as ordained by God. This is the time when man must love God more and more.

Let him live for God and let him die for God. In all his thoughts, in all his words and in all his actions, love for God alone must prevail.

On April 16, 1955, Baba asked Eruch to read out the circular entitled The Die Is Cast. While Eruch was reading it, it started raining. Baba remarked, “The circular has come out of my heart and so it is raining.”

THE DIE IS CAST

According to my Final Decision, except for the time factor, everything will happen in every detail and sequence as declared, clarified and confirmed by me. There is now no limitation to any point in time, no contact with any point in time. Things may happen after one month or three months, after three years or 20 years. In short, I may speak tomorrow, or my silence may be broken after 10 years.

I am free from all promises, bindings, undertakings, and arrangements. No one should therefore ask for anything material or spiritual from me at any time or on any account. I will do what I think to be the best for one and all, and when I deem it fit.

It is only on the above basis (Paragraphs two and three) that all concerned must now decide whether to give up or hold on to my daaman—i.e., to believe in me, revere me and remain devoted to me by following my orders and instructions. The period ofthree months, from May 1st to July 31st, 1955,

is a period ofcrisis for me. I must go into retirement for three reasons: First, for myself Second, for those who love me; And third, for all. a. During the period of my stay in Jal Villa, Satara, I will not step out of the central rooms ofthe bungalow. b. I may or may not eat and sleep regu larly for the duration of the crisis. c. I am not bound to remain at any one place during or after the first months of my retirement. I may change my plans at any moment, and might undertake to go on foot from place to place, or go into even greater solitude.

No one should under any circumstanc es come to see me or communicate with me, directly or indirectly, for any reason whatsoever up to the end ofJuly 1955.

All those closely connected with me, all those who love me, and all those who care to follow my instructions, must be scrupulously honest, must strictly abstain from sexual actions, and must try to spread my message of love and truth as far and wide as possible during the period ofcrisis of three months.

Dreams of War Bhau Kaichuri [This was dictatedMarch 23, 2003. Nevertheless, the message it contains is still very relevant. War was declared on Iraq on March 19, 2003, and the invasion began thefoiowing day.]

A[

the Pilgrim Centre [Meherabad] earlier this month, March 2003] someone from London asked me my opin ion about the possibility ofwar in Iraq. “There is opposition in every country against the war,” the man said. “Because of this, no one will dare wage war against Iraq.” And I replied, “Everyone has his or her own opinion. But whatever is destined, it happens. And you will see.”

Because the Pilgrim Center closes on 15th March, I went there on the l3th-l4th March. As I was departing Thursday, that man came to me and expressed his apology. I consoled him and told him that he should not worry. Whatever he felt, he had expressed.

But now I see that America and Great Britain have de dared war against Iraq. It may be unnatural for the world, and yet it is natural in the sense that it is destined in the Divine Plan. Why this has happened, we cannot give any opinion.

In order to do so, you must realize God. You take birth. You die. And these births and deaths are continuous unless you experience divinity.

These lives are all a dream, and a very long dream, but this long dream exists in order to knowyour real selfWhat is hap-

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•

Meherabad

pening in Iraq is also a part ofthe long dream, and this dream has no value. Everyone goes on dreaming, whether they are having a good dream or a bad dream. A bad dream is better than a good dream: you wake up from bad dreams sooner than the good ones, which you wish to prolong. Therefore, a bad dream should be appreciated. You should become fearless. You should not feel scared of a dream, because God is all knowledge, all power and all bliss. To find Him, you must pass through the dream state. But it is a very long state, and you forget that it is a dream.

War is a dream. Peace is also a dream. Whatever we see in the world is nothing but a dream. In the dream, there are distinctions between good and bad. In reality there is nothing such as good and nothing such as bad. Realityis beyond either.

We have to come into the world in order to wake up from this long dream. So why worry about it? Let the armies fight.

You eat ice cream and laugh, in order to show that you are also dreaming. But in order to understand that this is all a dream, we must love God. Beloved Meher Baba has been telling us that the world is nothing but illusion, that only God is reality and we must love realityc That is the aim oflife, and the goal oflife is to become one with reality So you will not wake up from the dream unless you love God to the extent that you forget the world. Then you will have no worries. You will laugh and laugh eternally as you enjoy bliss.

World War iii?

B

abasaidthere wouldbe anoz’herworldwai starting in the Middle East. As we write this, it is certainly looking like a possibility.

What Baba said in thefollowing letter refers to WWII. But I guess mankind didn’t get the message and so He needs to continue stirring things upfor another biggie. —Ed Baba’s Message, given upon His return from Calcutta.

Meherabad,June 21, 1940.

“The present world chaos and the universal suffering are ab solutely necessary for the eventful universal spiritual upliftment and for a new world, wherein peace, love, and Divine aspirations will reign supreme. From the spiritual point ofrea1it the words nation and foreign, killed and killer, war and peace, success and defeat, have no meaning, because the worlds of forms and of duality have no existence and are imaginary and dreams and the present universal chaos isjust a universal nightmare necessary for the real universal awakening.

Body-forms and minds are innumerable and ofinfinite variety but Souls are all originally and eternally one. In fact only one Infinite Reality exists and that is God. So the present appar

ent world catastrophe is, by Divine Will essential for a Divine manifestation in the near future, oflove and real peace in which I have to play the greatest part, and in which I want my men and women disciples to play the corresponding parts of helping me in this my work.

Those ofyou who are absolutely wiffing and prepared to share my present universal burden and to help me in my work have to obey my following order implicitly: Things are happening and will happen as they ought to happen by the Divine Will and so whether war ends now or next year, or whether there is truce now or peace next year, having no thought in mind whatsoever of war or peace, you will have to stay here or go where so ever I may send you and do whatsoever I may tell you, at the cost of the supreme self—sacrifice, from August 1st 1940 toJuly3lst 1941.

I definitely will speak on the 1st ofAugust 1941, and it will be the Divine word that I shall utter first and which will resurrect the dead world.

This is my last war, peace, and manifestation message to my disciples.”

; / 4 I Wil! and )3our °vVorrj

13aba’s 7I/Ianifestion

Meher Baba

EruchJessawala

uality implies separateness. Separateness causes fear. Fear makes worry.

The way of Oneness is the way to happiness; the way of manyness is the way to worry.

I am the one who has no second so I am eternally happy. You are separate from your Self, so you always worry.

To you, what you see is absolutely real; to me it is absolutely false.

I alone am Real and my will governs the cosmic illusion. It is the truth when I say that the waves do not roll and the leaves do not move without my will.

The moment the intensity ofyour faith in my will reaches its height you say goodbye to worry forever. Then, all that you suffered and enjoyed in the past, together with all that you may experience in the friture, will be to you the most loving and spontaneous expression of my will; and nothing will ever be able to cause you worry again.

Live more and more in the Present which is ever beautiful and stretches away beyond the limits of the past and the future.

If at all you must worry let it be how to remember me constantly. This is worthwhile worry because it will bring about the end of worry.

Think of me more and more, and all your worries will disappear into the nothing they really are. My will works out to awaken you to this.

From The Everything and the Nothing, © A1\/IBPPCT.

D

J44eher 73abct on War ook at the weapons ofdestruction science has evolved. Nation accuses nation ofpreparations for war, and world catastrophe might come without warning at any moment. World events reflect the results of my inner working. At the time of Noah’s Flood, hell was let loose in the world. Scientists and statesmen now declare that if total war comes, the whole world may perish.

From The God-Man, by C.B. Purdom, p. 291, © 1992 AMBPPCT.

L

he lovers ofBaba, too, believe that Baba is in their midst, although His physical presence is out of sight. He seems to have come into their hearts more forcefully than ever before. They feel His presence without seeing Him, and I can quite believe that, because I too feel it the same way. I feel His presence without seeing Him. We, the Mandali, feel that there will come a day when the world will know about the Avatar of the age, about His silence, about the Word of all words, that will be released and felt by the world. We still believe that He will manifest to the world, so that the world can know that the much-anticipated Avatar lived among them, suffered for them and dropped His body and left them.

Some came to know of Him while He was still in the flesh, some came to know Him when He rested in the Tomb giving darshan in silence, and the rest will come to know of Him when He will manifest in their hearts. And, I believe that the time for that manifestation will not be far, it must happen soon; and I would not at all be surprised if Baba were to appear in His body, at different places to His lovers, at one and the same time, or at different times, giving them His darshan. This I will consider as His world-wide manifestation.

AvatarMeher Baba, theAwakener ofHearts, pp.

29-30, © 1992, Meher Baba Tamilnadu Centre, Madras.

T

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77ie

Wc Wild and °vVonderful Wedding of L/ rt and J44onicct 2slordeen 4 Michael Ivey

2006: The wedding ceremony was to occur in the backyard of Art’s house in Plainsboro, NJ, but there was a tropical storm working its way up the coast, sending rain-bands across, starting a few days before the wedding. About 50 yards out the back door between some big trees we had built an arch of tree limbs, which Jeanne (Nor deen) Felknor decorated with beautiful chains of flowers. A huge tent was set up for the reception with 25 big circular tables for about 200 guests.

But this story should probably start in Meher abad last February. That’s where Art talked Monica into climbing up on the water tower on Meherabad Hill, claiming that the view was spectacular and she just had to see it. The view was pretty good all right—from up there they got a wide vision of the future when Art pulled out an engagement ring and popped the question. That was Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, 2006. Nobody ever said Art didn’t have a dramatic streak. But most things that happen have a great deal more significance than we ever dream at the time. As it turned out, the choice of a water tower was the perfect beginning for this story.

On the day of the wedding, we were watching the skies and the Weather Chan nel. The event was scheduled for 3 PM. It was overcast, with pretty dark clouds.

About 10 AM a mighty wind came up and I swear I thought rain was about to pour down within seconds! The Weather Channel said 70 percent chance of torren tial rain. Phil Ludwig said he heard it was

Oklahoma

July

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the drops were falling in periodic sprinkles; we just couldn’t see the ceremony happening in the tent. We went to Plan C: this wedding was going to happen in the house.

The five Nordeen wom en—Jeanne, Kristine, Angela, Dianne and Debbie— are all gorgeous, obsessive, hilarious mad-women. Five perfect matrons of matri mony made this happen in all its intensity and un certainty to the end. I fell in love!

A spot in the house was chosen for its background beauty (large, double-glass doors with large windows out to the tree-draped back yard) and sightlines for a good number of wedding guests. The bridal proces sion would go down the oak staircase through the crowd to the spontane ously planned altar. The video guy set up a feed to the dining room for guests who couldn’t squeeze into viewing range.

Monica got back to the house about 2 PM a vision ofbeautyc She wondered what the hell had been going on in her absence—what happened to her outdoor wedding? After getting explana tions, Monica’s look ofmild consternation deepened into acceptance, quickly evolving into joy for her imminent marriage to the man she had grown to love so deeply.

I had other duties, so I slipped out and joined the gathering crowd below. I briefly saw Art as he came through the front door in formal attire, feigning stress and strain, but everyone knew it was just his humor—he was solid as a rock.

Tony Paterniti kicked it offwith a professional-sounding version of an original .

flooding to the south ofus. I called Art and told him I thought we were flirting with disaster to set everything up outside.

The big-top tent was about 80 percent dry, 20 percent having been soaked the night before from the runofffrom a nearby field. Art decided that Plan B would be to have the wedding ceremony at the dry end of the tent so everybody could witness it, there being no place indoors large enough.

We quickly started working on a plan for the entrance of the bridal party through the “pandal” and decorated ofthe dry end of the tent.

It took about 30 minutes to torpedo Plan B. The wind was blowing hard and

The dash to thefood teni The newlyweds are game, but the guestsprejir to watch!

ode to love. Susan Taylor and I followed that with the old Everly Brothers hit “Let It Be Me.” Then Debbie Nordeen came through the buzzing crowd with authorit)1; grabbing the microphone and saying, “Hello everyone! Welcome to the wedding of Monica and Art!” That caused the crowd to stop their conversations and turn to look. Debbie sang Schubert’s “Ave Mana.” Then the wedding procession began to the tune ofPachelbel’s Cannon—right through the crowd like a medieval scene with babies and children within touching distance of the royalty. The kitchen and the living room were standing-room only. Children stood on the kitchen island stretching their necks to see.

Art and Monica met at the unexpect edly intimate improvised center stage, facing each other, with minister Julia Margaret (Burleson) between. Julia Margaret, daughter ofDr. Ned Burleson, who cared for Baba after He spilled his blood in America in 1952, met Baba in His hospital room and was touched by the Christ ofthis age. Hard to get a more Christian wedding than having a minister who was actually touched by the Christ!

They radiated love as they stood in the focal point ofthe combined concentration offriends, family and lovers and gazed into each other’s eyes. David Nordeen stood up and forceftilly recited a selection from Baba on the nature oflove. Monica’s family is pretty skeptical about this whole Meher Baba thing, kind of wishing the Force wasn’t so strong in this family she’s marrying into, but recognizing that these are very cool, good people, these Nordeens. Art and

Monica had decided to respect the bride’s family’s inclinations by not being overt about Baba in the cer emony. It came as a surprise when David ended his recitation with an “AVATAR MEHER BABA KI JAl!” joined by a few devotees on the last two syllables. Later, when he was asked why, he reflected, “The words of the Avatar are like lightning from the heavens. How could I say those words without acknowledging their Source?”

Louie Nordeen followed David with

a soft, intense version of the Dan Fogel berg classic “Longer.” After rings were exchanged,Jeanne (Nordeen) Felknor got up to sing “At Last” a la Etta James. She had been struggling with a voice/respira

“Sir Galahad to the rescue!”

29

tory problem that made singing a near ing away from the deeper water. Soon it ing. Monica had taken about two barefoot impossibility and rehearsal hadn’t gone was so big that it had engulfed half of the steps into the water when Art lifted her at all well. She couldn’t practice the next buffet tables! Water prevented guests from into his arms and carried her across that morning because of her throat problem. getting to the food.

Big Muddy to the (both) literal and figura Now she sang it like a pro. Jeanne was There are times when you get little tive safety ofthe rest oftheir lives together. later to attribute her soft, soul-wrenchhints about the fragile nature of the glue People cheered. ingly heartful performance to the Rolling that holds human societies together. It’s People ate, rain stopped, waters eventu Rock beer she knocked down just before like a house of cards. Small disruptions ally receded. As darkness came the party the event. can have serious consequences. It took shifted into dance-gear, complete with As to the details of the guests about 30 ceremonial Slavic wedding-ritual polkas. the vows and ceremo seconds to process I bet Noah wishes he could’ve partied like ny, I’ll have to refer the parameters of this that when his flood receded, but music and you to the DVD. Let problem. The only beverages are so much better these days! me only assert their thing that was keep- I recall that author D. H. Lawrence used emotional beauty and ing them away from water as a symbol for the breaking free of principled signifI the food was the soinhibition, the bursting forth ofthat which cance. The unplanned cietal aversion to getis within, the uninhibited expression of departures from the ting their feet wet. I love, as in the 2001 movie, “Monsoon structure were all the could see the wheels Wedding.” more endearing as turning. They were The next day, the sky was clear and improvisation, humor thinking, “Hmmm— sunny—the rain had come just at the and love pervaded the mm, there’s the food. perfect moment for the wedding. Co atmosphere. The cer It smells really good. incidence? Baba knows. Somehow the emony ended, and Art When I was a kid I universal religious iconic symbolism of and Monica kissed really liked to wade water and the spirit is also mixed in there like 18-year-olds in in the muddy water as everyone received a baptism of sorts. love without the huge after a storm—so how I hope we can all come together as one crowd watching, even Sole man at table, Phil much different can family and allow love to flood our little thought thefood was though all very much this be?” lives. I know it wants to. definitely worth wadingfo were. The atmosphere The wedding cel Th view all thephotos ofthe wedding go inside was festive and ebullient, while the ebrants weren’t the only ones here who to www.stephaniejonesphotography.com/and atmosphere outside was still threatening a decided to “take the plunge.” The whole click on Art andMonica. —Ed biblical deluge but—no rain yet! The buf congregation did it. Baptism by fet was being set up in the tent so it looked rain, mud, hunger and the shedpossible that we might get away without ding of inhibitions—that’s what the cats and dogs thing going down. it was. Crossing the muddy RuAbout half an hour after the ceremony bicon to engage the Roman feast. ended, word went out that people could Damn the torpedoes—fttll tummy go get food. We moved like a big herd of ahead. cows to the tent—and that’s when it hapMost just waded in with their pened. What Art would later refer to as “a dress shoes on their feet. Some big screw-up” was his choice to have the took off their shoes and socks and tent pitched right across the low spot in rolled up their pants. One of the the yard where the farmer’s field next door tables became the shoe table. What drained when it rained really hard. Now it had been a cocktail party only mo started raining—really hard. ments before was now a hillbilly, As people lined up at the long tables, barefoot, wading-in-the-water rain came down like Niagara Falls, conshindig. Not only did nobody seem tinued for about 20 minutes, then started to mind, everybody seemed to let to let up, but you’ll remember the ancient go and let God have His way, and principle ofwater-behavior —I mean the started thinking this was the best fact that it flows downhill? A lot of water party they’d ever seen! I know that’s had fallen on the farmer’s field and here what I thought anyway. it came. As people began to get food, a One highlight of the flash small stream started trickling through the flood festivities was when Monica tent. The stream expanded in minutes and decided to join the main body of before you could say”Women and children Noah’s (party) animals under the to the life boats!” a mid-sized river was tent. She had to cross about 40 feet running through the tent. At first, people of muddy water in her wedding Artc sistei bridesmaid Kristine, takes the plunge looked at this flow with amusement, mov dress to do so, but Art was followto help with thefood

which are very small. Some have creative names like “Love Invasion Church,” “View ofthe Cross,” and “Cowboy Church.” (I’m not mak ing this up). I particularly like the significance of “View ofthe Cross” being situated a stone’s throw from where the Christ ofthis age underwent His physical suffering for all mankind.

After the initial flap over haying Baba people buying a house in town, things quickly settled down and we built great relations with the immediate neighbors and larger community as well. I’m part country boy anyway, so local people who have contacts with me don’t think we Baba-folk are all that weird. Both Lynn Wilhite and I attend the Methodist Church now and then, and I play guitar for services there on occasion. (Lynn is the only other Baba lover living in Prague, and was instrumental in getting the Center established.)

One Sunday, I was providing acoustic guitar music while the congregation came forward to take communion. For a good Michael D. Ivey Caretaker/Treasurer . Prague, Oklahoma insidejoke between me and Lynn, I slipped otherTeresa has a now-famous reply lished in the United States—one ofwhich in a few bars ofthe Gujerati Arti between the traditional Christian hymns. to the question, “How do we know was to be “in the heartland.”

Since the dedication ofthe Center last what God’s will is?” She said, “It’s easy to Prague is a sleepy farming town of know God’s will. It’s what happens.” about 2,500, maybe 1,000 more in the May, we’ve been seeing a steady flow of I was reminded ofthat statement when surrounding rural area. The country-sub- pilgrims from all parts of the country— beginning a description of the first year urban atmosphere ofthe homes and streets primarily people who live on the coasts of operation of the Avatar Meher Baba is reminiscent of the first TV sit-coms of and are traveling through. Our first year Heartland Center (AMBHC). Most of 50’s families like “Father Knows Best.” saw an average of seven or eight pilgrims you are probably aware ofhow everything The streets are safe for all the children coming every month. (Suggested donation came together to create this Center in on summer break from school, who play for overnight stays is $20.) A small group the Oklahoma town of Prague in the under a big, open skywith a near-constant arrived for Thanksgiving and were treated to a full traditional Thanksgiving dinner winter and spring of2005. It was a series southern breeze and clean air.

Dr. Burleson was extremely com cooked by Elaine Cox. (I’m begging her for of events so fortuitous that it was easy to an encore this see the guiding hand of the Master: the munity-oriented year.) We’ve had availability of the Burleson House, the and donated two pilgrims generous outpouring of donations for large tracts of from Australia: the purchase, the rallying of workers for land to the city Shirin Borth the renovation, the donation of an entire over the years. wick, who came houseftil of antique furniture; the moving Today, there is a for Silence Day ofBaba’s chess-piece lovers into place. residential area of this year, and a Initially, there had been vocal opposi Prague called the Zen monk from tion by fundamentalist ministers in town, “Burleson Ada Vietnamese but some of their own members stepped dition” and the Zen monastery up and said that talking against Baba-folk high school footon the outskirts wasn’t in line with their idea of Christian ball field is—you of Oklahoma values. So the opposition died away in guessed it—Bur City. short order, and the new Heartland Center leson Field.

Pilgrims to Prague has at was dedicated on May24, 2005.The name was taken from Baba’s own description of least 17 Christian Board members ofihe Heartland Center take a break on the Heartland Center get the the five Baba centers that would be estab churches, most of thefrontporch during their working retreat in May.

7he 21eart!and Center— Our 3irst )3ear

M

efficiency, and electrical Dr. John Poag is the current President wiring, to name a few, but of the A1\4BHC Board. He is interested the old house is a remarkin developing a strategy for the possible ably strong structure and acquisition and/or use of the Prague hos the interior is homey and pital if the hospital becomes available in comfortable. some manner. Currently, the hospital is Last October, Julia in the second year of a five-year lease by Margaret [Dr. Burleson’s a company that operates the financial and daughter] came and we personnel aspects as a business. hung new curtains on all This company may not renew the lease the downstairs windows and it may not be financiallyviable for the that gave the dining room hospital to remain in operation after the and living room a truly el term of the lease. John is recruiting other egant feel. We were joined Baba lovers in the health care field to form

by Eileen Bentley, and a committee to examine the possibilities Di Ned Burleson in l 959 stands infront ofthe Emergency Room the three of us got several for the future of the hospital. If you are entrance where Baba and cn’w were rushed after the accident. other jobs done, includ interested in serving on such a committee, ing the renovation of the tour of the Burleson House, the hospital write to John at: jlpoag2@msn.com. downstairs bathroom. next door where Baba, 1\lehera and Eliza At the end ofMay, the board of the In December, we had a large, beautiful AMBHC traveled to Prague and engaged beth were treated for 12 days following the accident (I’ve always enjoyed the irony portrait of Baba framed and mounted in in a “working retreat” for five days. A “Baba’s room” at the hospital. The ofBaba’s passion-play here in Oklahoma typical day would hospital staff and administrators being referred to as an “accident”—that consist of workterm being synonymous with an event that welcomed the portrait and have ing on the Burle occurs by blind chance), and the accident been consistently friendly and ac son House in the commodating toward pilgrims. De site itself morning, engaging spite the fact that all or most of the The accident site is unmarked. It is an in vision, planning hospital employees are traditional unremarkable spot on a two-lane coun and strategy ses Christians, they seem to recognize try highway (Hwy. 62). This is another sions in the afterand respect the sincerity of people’s irony—the complete insignificance of the noon and, after devotion to Baba. It’s also possible physical appearance of the accident site dinner, free-wheelthat it gives them a lift to think that compared to the profound and universal ing discussions and their otherwise mundane place of significance of what happened there in singing. Our major May of 1952. No one lives in the nearby work is a spot that draws pilgrims house project was from around the world. brick farmhouse—the Moucka house—so Thisportrait ofBaba now hangs the complete landThe room in which Baba stayed in the hospital room in which He scaping ofthe front pilgrims to the site disturb no one. The is now an office. Until two weeks stayedfor 12 days in 1952 while of the house. We spot where, according to witnesses, Baba’s ago, it was the office ofthe hospital’s body came to rest after being impacted recoveringfrom His injuries. dug out decadescomptroller. Now it’s the office out ofthe car is only eight or 10 feet from old scrubby bushes of the director of nursing. Every time I the roadway. It is now a shallow drainand pnicklyhollybushes from either side of bring a pilgrim to the room the occupant age culvert for water passing under the the entryway. We dug up old roots, mixed ofthe office is friendly—even when some Moucka driveway. in lots of new soil-builders and planted pilgrims get demonstrative, like lifting The Burleson House was one of the almost 50 new plants out front. their hands in the air or falling on the nicest houses in Prague when it was built.

Probably the most interesting single floor to their knees in personal displays of topic we dealt with at the board retreat was It is now nearly 80 years old and is still one ofthe nicest. devotion. an application to the Oklahoma Historical Now it also has The 12 days Society (based in Oklahoma City) for an the added charm that Baba spent historical landmark to be placed at the ac that comes with in the Prague cident site. I had communicated with the older, well-kept hospital repre administrator ofthe historical society and houses that seem sents the ionhad been sent an application packet. The to age gracefully. gest time that administrator led me to believe that most They accumulate Baba remained applications were approved. If approved, a certain nobil in one place in the Historical Society would allow us to ity of character. the Western erect a 4½-foot pink granite marker at the There are mainhemisphere, accident site a few feet offthe road with a tenance issues to other than the pull-off area for cars to stop. be sure—shiftMeher SpinThis was a very exciting prospect—an ing foundation, tual Center at officially sanctioned historical marker for windows, energy Myrtle Beach. one of if not the, most sacred spot in the ChefElaine Coxprepares a magnflcent turkey dinnei 32

Western hemisphere! The discussions of exactly what to say on the application to the Historical Society as well as what the exact wording of the marker itself would be was the stuff of really good drama.

I was later to bemoan the fact that we had not videotaped those discussions because they contained most elements of human psychology and the human drama.

The board members who were there will always remember that. We came away from them with a new level oflove in our hearts for each other.

Here is the wording that we decided upon for the historical marker at the ac cident site. These words would be under the “Mastery in Servitude” emblem.

BuA’s ACCIDENT SITE

On May 24, 1952, an automobile collision occurred here, resulting in ex tensive injuries to the world-renowned spiritual leader Avatar Meher Baba (1894-1969).

Meher Baba (Compassionate Fa ther) lived a life of selfless service to all humanity Dedicated to awakening the spirit of the oneness of God in all, he traveled worldwide bringing people together in Divine Love.

“Pure love is matchless in majesty; it has noparallelinpowerandtbere is no darkness itcannotdispeL Itis the undyingflame that has set hfe aglow.”

As it turned out, some five weeks after the application was submitted, the Oklahoma Historical Society denied our application for such a marker, stating that the event in question did not relate closely enough to Oklahoma history.

Before everyone writes to me suggesting how we could have made the case that the accident was related to Oklahoma history, I must plead that we did that to the best ofour abilities in the application itself. I feel that it was more a case of the landmark committee’s not knowing who Meher Baba was than there being a tenu ous tie to Oklahoma history.

So it goes. We’ll try again in the £ture.

Financially, the Heartland Center is doing well without being flush. We receive monthly donations sufficient to cover our operating expenses, but the Center can always use donations for improvements and upgrades to the Burleson House. Our current project is to replace the 80-year-

old steel casement windows with modern double-paned windows. This would enhance the appearance ofthe house and significantly improve the energy perfor mance, reducing utility bills year-round.

We have a current campaign to raise

funding for the window-replacement job called “Windows to the Heart(land)” in which we are accepting donations for individual windows purchased by individual donors. Contact me at miveyl@charter.net or (405) 567-4774 for details.

And please come visit Baba’s home in

the Heartland ifyou have a chance. Almost every pilgrim who has come here in the last few months has commented on how much theylove this place and how happy they are that the Heartland Center exists.They also comment on how they feel Baba’s presence here so strongly.

In closing, I’d like to repeat something I said in a 1992 piece about Baba’s accident in Oklahoma in 1952: How appropriate it is that Baba chose to undergo His physical suffering in the wrecks of machines on opposite sides of the world. At the end ofthis, the Kali Yuga, sometimes called “the Age of Machines,” the Avatar comes and allows his body to be broken in the wrecks of the machines that have defined our time. Breaking His body to affect the breaking ofMaya’s grip on human consciousness.

The physical blood that Baba bled

into the Oklahoma dirt on May 24, 1952, continues to be poured (in the form ofHis metaphysical “blood”) into all our souls all over the world.

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•ani on Prayers Rustom Falahati the latter half of the 1980s almost everyone would go to Meherazad on a bus that the Trust provided. It would leave Meherabad from the Pilgrim Center and then stop in town briefly to pick up anyone who was there and to allow for the pilgrims to quickly attend to personal matters at the Trust. It would then head out to Meherazad.

Some days there would be two buses of pilgrims. Generally, af— ter getting down from the buses, people would line up in a queue for the chance to greet the Mandali. It hadn’t always been this way, but the sheer volume of pilgrims, and the diminishing number of the Mandali, eventually resulted in there being large crowds around Eruch and Mani.

As the Mandali were always sensitive to someone feeling left out, they would try to make it a point to greet everyone.

Eventually, the habit fell into place of forming a queue so that everyone got a chance to greet all the Mandali.

I was standing in queue to greet Mani Irani, Baba’s sister. About her, Baba had said that she was His sister, Subhadra, when He was Krishna.

Although it must have been exhausting for her, Mani would greet every pilgrim in queue with an embrace that overflowed with love. She would also spend a minute or two after each embrace chatting with that pilgrim or making ajoke or telling a funny story; as was Mani’s nature.

When my turn came, Mani embraced me but then looked at me and said very

In

34

seriously, “We have had no rains this year; the water situation is bad. Rustom, pray to Baba on our behalfto send us rain.”

I was surprised by Mani’s request and said, “Mani, you are Baba’s sister and if He doesn’t listen to your prayers, then why would He listen to mine?”

Mani replied, “You see, that’s not true about prayers. Let me tell you a story to

Mani, 1938

help you understand the significance of prayers.

“There was a party going on in a huge hall. The table was laid with the best food that you can imagine. Delicacies were flown in from all over the world. A royal

feast was being given to all who assembled for the party. However, a condition was imposed on everyone who came for the party One hand of each person was tied behind his back and to the other hand was tied a long spoon. They were free to eat to their hearts’ content but had to comply with this restriction.

“One would think they would have a grand time but no, that was not the case. The people were unhappy. The long spoon made it impossible for them to eat anything.

The spoon would not reach their mouth because it was too long and the food was spilling all over the floor.

People were terribly unhappy because the room contained delicious items as far as the eye could see but not a single morsel entered anyone’s mouth.

“Meanwhile, in another room a similar party was taking place. Again, a royal banquet was laid out and delicious food was flown in from all over the world.

The people assembled were subjected to the same condition. One hand of each person was tied behind his back and to the other hand was tied a long spoon.

“But there was a difference in this party Everyone was enjoying the food.

How did they manage to do this? Each one was picking up the food with the spoon and feeding the person sitting opposite him. In this way, everyone was happy and enjoying the food.”

Mani ended by adding, “Prayers are like that. When you pray for someone else, they are answered.”

The Real Treasure, pp. 7-8, © 2006

Rustom B. Falahati

Returning to the main housefrom ‘Babac Tree” (upper right corner) after the concert.

en Avatar Meher Baba visited Meher Mount in Ojai, Ca, on Aug. 2, 1956, He said, “Next to Myrtle Beach, I love this place best. This land is old. I have been here before.”

On Aug. 5, 2006, He returned at least in remembrance. About 60 people gath ered at Meher Mount to commemorate th the 50 Anniversary ofMeher Baba’s visit to this sacred place.

In 1956, Baba and His traveling party departed from Los Angeles and spent a

day at Meher Mount. Fills Frederickwrote an extensive account ofthat daywhen she was publisher of The Awakener, and that account is included in Lord Meher. One of the traditions of the celebration is a reading of that account—this year by Ed Flanagan.

Meher Mount is located in the Ojai Valley, which is one of a few East-West valleys in the world and has long been a haven for other spiritually based groups, including Krishnamurti and the Theo sophical Society The anniversary festivi ties began with a continental “Breakfast with Baba,” which was followed by a walk to Baba’s Tree at which arti was performed. Billy Goodrum and Raine Eastman Gannett sang beautiftilly, creating the perfect beginning to a day of celebration.

Baba’sTree is an incredible and powerful California live oak that grows on a point on the property about 200 yards from the main house. Baba’s Tree was severely burned two decades ago, and it was feared the sturdy oak would perish. But, phoenix-like, it gradually surged back to life and now provides spiritual comfort to all who gather there. Throughout the day, many people spent special Meher Baba tours Meher Mount in 1956 time within the refreshing

shade ofthis magnificent tree. A samadhi cloth was located under the tree on the spot where Avatar Meher Baba sat.

Another 20 yards from Baba’s Tree is the knoll of the hill that provides a wonderful view into the nearby Oxnard/ Ventura plain, the Santa Monica Moun tains, the Pacific Ocean and the Channel Islands.

One of the highlights of the day was hearing Adele Wolkin, who was at Meher Mount on that momentous day when Baba visited. She deliv ered a heartfelt talk in the afternoon.

The loving thoughts ofeveryone were with Tex Hightower, one ofMargaret Craske’s dancers, who had intended to come as a special guest to Meher Mount on this oc casion since he had been there with Meher Baba in 1956. He was unable to attend for medical reasons.

In between group gatherings there was food, conversation and other activities. A large circled area outside was the staging place for marbles, one of Baba’s favorite games. RayJohnston, Manager/Caretaker, had researched Lord Meher, and shared stories of Baba’s adventures with games of marbles, including Baba’s statement about waking up ages ago and beginning to play marbles with the universe. The “competition” resulted in the awarding of the first annual Meher Mount Marble Master award to Fred Stankus.

Inside the main building, we watched videotapes ofBaba’s visit and ofan interview with Agnes Baron, proprietor for several decades, who had escorted Baba

35

sey, LoisJones, Mans— that carried us higher and closer to our sa Fuentes, Boti Bliss, heavenly host. When Billybelted out “GaSteve Berry, Sandy tay Chelo” most everyone sprang to their Gray and Margaret feet and danced to the infectious beat of Magnus. This mov this lively devotional song. The recitation ing piece has special ofBaba’s prayers enfolded everybodyinto a significance to Meher solemn embrace and signaled a marvelous Mount, for on Oct. conclusion to this meaningful event. th 16, 1985 (the start of All told, the 50 Anniversary gathering the New Life), a fire was a glorious event that took place on a from the surrounding perfect day. We give ajoyous acknowledg area, whipped by high ment to Beloved Baba who walked the winds, swept along sacred grounds ofMeher Mount 50 years the ridge of Sulphur ago and whose guiding and nurturing Mountain and conpresence continues to radiate in the air, sumed the house Baba soil, trees, stones and wildlife of this gor Billy Goodrum entertains the crowd under His tree. had stayed in that Augeous place, which by His own statement, gust visit, as well as all in terms ofoccupying a place in His heart, six of the other structures, and the 1950 is second only to Myrtle Beach, His home on his first visit to the property. Inside Ford “woody” station wagon in which the main room there was an audio tape in the West. of Darwin Shaw, who also participated Agnes had driven Baba. Only the chim A loving invitation to all: Avail yourneys ofthe guest house where Baba spent in the Beloved’s visit. A viewing machine selves ofthe opportunity to spend time on most of the displayed 3-D pictures of Baba amidst day and the His lovers. main house Around noon, it was time for the in which potluck picnic lunch, featuring a sumptu— Agnes lived ous spread of eclectic edibles. Celebrants from 1946 feasted and enjoyed one another’s com pany under a gorgeous blue sky pleasantly survived among the warm weather and a caressing breeze. charred Many expressed appreciation for the tenremains. der loving care that has clearly been put Baba’s Tree into Meher Mount, and into making it burned for ready for Beloved Baba’s “re-visit” by the days, and Manager/C aretakers Ray Johnston and no leaf re Elizabeth Arnold, former Caretakers, the mained.

Board of Directors and other volunteer Adele Wolkin, seated withJamshidEbrahimzadeh, tells us what it was like being Since then, workers. with theAvatar at Meher Mount.

Baba’s Tree has expressed a resurgent “new life” ofits own, with healthy and abundant foliage.

After the tea break, Adele relayed her impressions of Baba’s visit to Meher Mount as well as other topics related to Meher Baba. How fortunate for us that someone who actually walked this sacred ground with our Beloved Lord Raine Bill Gannettflew downfrom Berkeleyfor the special joined our celebration. event withfriend Georgann Erskin.

The enchanting In the afternoon, there was a group sounds of music de dramatic reading of “Song of the New livened Baba’s lovers to the day’s Life.” Sam Ervin had adapted “The Song,” fitting close. Raine Eastman Gan written by Dr. Abdul Ghani Munsiff and nett, Bob Een,Jim Whitson, Billy amended byMeher Baba, and put together Goodnum and his brother-in-law the Mehen Mount Players: Sam, Ron Hol J acob Keller served up a sonic feast 36

--

this mountain permeated with the pres ence ofBeloved Avatar Mehen Baba.

Meher Mount 9902 Sulphur Mountain Road Ojai, California 93023 805-640-0000 E-mail: MeherMount@sbcglobal.net Caretakers: RayJohnston and Elizabeth Arnold

Vista Clinton has some amazing tales about ljfe in Meherazad in the early 1 970s.

Wendy Haynes Connor shares memories of being with Baba.

Judy Stephens tells ofljfé as a resident in Meherabaci

WIictt’s Iappening at J44eherctbode ur Sunday programs have given us some very interesting guests these past few months.

Don Stevens breezed through town and had many entertaining stories of following Baba’s orders.

Dr. Farhad Shafa and musician Mischa Rutenberg came down from Walnut Creek to talk about Farhad’s time spent with

O

Bhau visits Meherablode.

Baba. Mischa treated us to songs from his latest CD, Love is all That Matters.

J udy Stephens came for her summer sabbatical from India, and told us of all the preparations the resident workers in Meherabad were doing, leading up to the opening of the MPR. Gary and Mehera Kleiner, also from

India, spoke about the Sophia Meher Founda tion they have started up to help the Indian village women rise from poverty and subservience to selfsufficiency.

Los Angelino Vesta Clinton had the great good fortune to spend some years in Meherazad in the early 1970s living with the Mandali and assisting Dr. Goher in her clinic.

Buz and Wendy Connor flew from the East Coast to share stories of Wendy’s time with Baba as a young girl, and Buz sang some of his great songs for us, including some of those from his popular CD Open up the Door.

Radha Delamarter and Behnaz Partovi developed a Children’s Summer Festival, with stories being read to the children, and songs being taught and then performed.

With the renovations in the children’s room having been completed, it is ajoyflil place for the children to be—large plasma screen TV, a Mac computer, an excellent

Don Stevens andfriends

selection ofbooks,jigsaw puzzles, and toys for the younger ones. There is something for all ages, so do bring your children to the meetings.

We had to bid farewell to one of the stalwarts ofthe Los Angeles Baba Center.

Charlie Morton heeded the siren call of his wife, Anna, who is from El Salvador.

They quit LA for good and moved into a large home by the ocean. He says we are all welcome to stay. (Lots ofguest rooms.

I think a number of us are going to take him up on that.)

Charlie will be sorely missed. He has been videotaping our Sahavas at Pilgrim Pines for more than 20 years, as well as 37

Harry Thomas has a last chat withAnna and Charlie Morton before theyfly to El Salvadoi

Billy Goodrum

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a farewell party for the Goodrums, Mitchell Rose sang this song to Billy —even making Billy accompany him on guitar. It is a favorite song from Billy’s eponymous CD, so we all knew it—but what words Mitchell had written!

Sung to the tune of”We Should Always Be Together”

Pam andBilly Goodrum all important guests we have at Mehe rabode.

Charlie McReynolds is doing wonderflu work archiving Charlie’s hundreds of videos and transferring them to DVD to eventually be made available for loaning out.

Ray Lee stood in for Charlie Morton at the Sahavas.

Another departure that saddened us was in the Goodrum family. We have enjoyed Billy’s singing and guitar work (not to mention the mean boogie he can play on the piano) for almost 10 years. Life just won’t be the same without them!

Finally, our annual Dinner Auction was held while Bhauji was here, adding to the crowd, upping the bidding, and generally creating much more ftm for our festivities.

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He sang he didn’t want to go But then they went and bought a ticket They’ve loaded up the car With the intent ofdrivingfar We should all tell them to stick it.

Idont want us to be Just anotherphone bill entry Apostcard and candygram, Leaves us trying to hold on to you, Trying to make sureyou stay in our lives.

Idon’t wantyou to leave us Evenfor a minute That is why whenyou went back east and bought a house Ihad to say, Oh noyou didn

break (group improv, pleads to them not to go)

They say that time heals all wounds Well thatc a lousy diagnosis I don’i want this wound to heal Andthat is why you get This good—bye atrocious.

I know I’m supposed to act all sweet Andsay I’m gonna miss you But I am morepissed off Than Nicholas Kristof Now someoneplease hand me a tissue.

Ifyou thought Ojai wasfar Then Asheville is ridiculous In caseyou didn’t know Thatplace isfilled with snow Where all the red states are contiguous.

He sang he didn’t want to go Then he saidl’ll see y’later But when they get into the car With that intent ofdrivingfar They’llfindl took their carburetor That way we can always, always be togethei Until trzple—A comes, we can always be together

Children’s EDay

DVDs Computer /Wo way, give me a book every time!” says Nicole.

That must be a sad story Maggie and Benjamin are listening to.

,

‘.‘

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Rapt attention to Radha, the story teller

Wow! This is better than we have at home!

Nicole, Saba andMehri sing a song while signing.

Mia, when she wasn’t singing, was keeping the children happy.

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rDinner &: 3undraising ,Auction

h

Clockwisefrom top left. the Meherabode meeting hail tranforms into afive-star restaurantfor the Dinnei: Mia Campagna the singer joins Thmara Mark the actress, both kibitzing with the Chairman of the Board. Bhau always has a good time in LA! Ailfor a good cause, Bhau hands his suspenders over to Billy to be auctioned off John Page hands a $100 rose to his wft Karma, representing a donation to the refurbishment ofthe kitchen. Fred Stankus, our auctioneei; takes bids with Sonya Valentine holding one ofthe copies ofLord Mehei Rosie Choi reads Bhau lengthy inscriptions on one ofthe complete set ofLord Meher.

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A

a first-time contributor to Love Street LampPost, I share my passion

experience. People enjoyed passing the time in small groups around the camp, for a subject that represents much of my sharing stories with each other at meal childhood history and, if Dma had not times, between talks, and in the evenings. suggested it, someone else may have coyThe Toddy Shop was serving up samosas, ered the 2006 Los Angeles Sahavas. hot dogs, fresh chai, ice cream, cookies It is so easy to look back fondly on my and other snacks while musicians kept youthful memories ofbeing a child cared the buzz going following the evening for in thejunior Lodge, coming ofage as a programs. People enjoyed reminiscing Eva Greenstein California Meher Miniature in the Creek Lodge and over the collection of photographs from participating in the talent shows by the 30-year history of Sahavas and dancing, tumbling and role-playing laughed at how people have changed in skits. I always recognize Pilgrim over the years.

Pines as a nostalgic place where I On the volleyball court were a can count on seeing Grandpa Bhauji handful of players ranging in age, every year, growing older with other size and gender, dueling with power kids my age and not recognizing serves and overhand spikes. Others adults who recognize me. who sought an introspective and In my humble opinion, I believe I bibliographical reference point to have a respectable attendance record their Sahavas experience spent time for being present at LA Sahavas. in the Love Street Bookstore, which The only ones I have missed were featured both classic and newly re in 1992, due to a month-long fam leased films, music, books, trinkets ily pilgrimage in India, and in 2005, and collectibles. According to Bhauji due to a busy summer. Therefore, and the other Mandali who have seen I shall begin where the journey has it, it is the biggest Baba bookstore left off in the world! Shoppers told me they In the mountains above the wait all year to buy up big at the LA Southern California smog and Sahavas. Those who were seeking heat waves, the gathering together to achieve a state of meditation and in Baba’s love for the 4th of July solitude could take a walk through weekend at Pilgrim Pines was a the labyrinth or a hike to view the sanctuary. Upon arrival, the greetgrand sight of the mountains. ings were gregarious from the Los Highly energized volunteers Angeles Baba community organizers. contributed to the success of the The stage backdrop was striking this Sahavas. New and exciting transi year with a breathtaking photograph tions are happening in the crossover Twentvyears ago, Anne Byard andJim Morris ofColorado were married by the Rev. Larry Pesta at the LA Sahavas. ofBaba centered between two rainof different Baba adult generations, on their 20th anniversary, they look like newlyweds. bow striped silk sashes, designed by and it was certainly evident by the Georgene Tarbox, Raina Scott and way the program ran this year. One Ten Adams.

We miss you Danny and Norma! noticeable distinction was the way young People who attended the Sahavas My understanding is that people who adults participated wholeheartedly when included fami come to Sahavas seek to blend being given responsibilities to take charge lies, couples, nature, humanity and loving of traditional components. For example, individuals and oneness while appreciating the evening program on opening night guests from far the discipline and freedom featured the “Manonash Variety Show” away, with a that is creat few newcomers ed by leaving adding to the our worldly spirited gatherhabits and ing. A moment possessions, of silence was including the observed during headline news, camp orienta foreign poli tion, facilitated tics, worries,

by Lois (Lob) Specialguests BillandDiana LePage grief and daily stressors.

J ones, to recog nize several dear ones who rarely missed The small size of the a single Sahavas and were unable to be Sahavas group (just under Artists Laurie Blum andMarius Michael Georgefind out they both present due to serious life-altering events. 200) made for an intimate likepainting while listening to Wagner.

i: 4 .J1ngeles

&thctvas •

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word schemas, I observed a few slips ofthe joy to see the stage crowded with children tongue during the delivery of certain jokes adorned in elaborate costumes playing to correct the name “Bhauji” to “Baba.” In Baba’s creatures in The Turtlec Darshan, a keeping with the Bobby Manonash Show play written and composed by Bob Brown. tradition ofmoon pie consumption, Shan Multitalented Margaret Bernstein was not non Hage set a competitive eating record only the organizer and director ofthe play; this year, putting 14 moon pies down the she also coordinated the childcare program hatch in less than an hour. Take that, realityTV! Another example ofvolunteer leadership were the Meher Mmiature coordinators, David Greenstein and Mia Campagna. The teens had fin dressing up and looking punk with Mia’s colorful hair extensions and mo hawk toupees. Steven Barrie-Anthony was a terrific MC for the incredible music concert with performers Bob Een, Deborah Ash, Billy Goodrum, MiMichael and daughter Mia Campagna rock on! chael Campagna, Mia at this year’s Sahavas and played tunes on Campagna and company. The audience her flute as a musical guest. :..] jumped to their feet and .j The playful nature oftalents was com danced around the room plemented with stories and wisdom shared with each other while the special by guests on the program. grooving to the songs. For Visiting Australia, Diana and Bill from the finale, all of the chairs Page of vibrancy and oral Le were full were stacked aside as a histories.

Bill told stories about his expe grand party ensued. riences with Baba during His 1956 and We experienced a great 1958 visits Australia.

Diana presented to variety oftalent from both her life an artist through slide show as a adults and children during program.

She told us the 18 magnifi about the talent shows.The adult talent show featured mag cent paintings she created that now adorn the walls ofthe dining room in the Meher ic, poetry and Pilgrim Retreat. songs with Special guest Bhau instrumental Kaichuri shared his wis accompani Bhau talks about dealing with anger while Christina Ramsden dom about “the ocean ment. Raina demonstrates the technique. of love and compassion” Scott revis and “selfless service.” hosted by Chris Wolfe and Kipper Shauer ited a song, He asked for Christina Khalchuriei (spelled the Welsh way with The Rose, that she had sung Ramsden to demonstrate an “iei” on the end). Moments ofhysterics, when she was 10 years old on on stage and answered calamity and plays on words tickled the the same stage, which moved her question regarding receptive audiences. One of my favorites some people to tears. how one should spiritu was the Top Five List of Commercials The children’s talent show ally handle expressing for Bhauji’s products. “You’ve seen people featured pianists, string inMargaret Bernstein charmed us anger and frustration by driving gas-guzzling SUVs on the superstrument ensembles and with herfiute playing. filling her cheeks with air highways, but have you test driven the songs with—in the case of and keeping silence. We S-Bhau-G, which writes ghazals [guzzles] the Een, Connor and Goo all had laugh. a for you?” drum families—accompaniment by their In a workshop led by Ron Greenstein, On a separate note, for an interesting fathers. In addition to a superb magic show Freudian study of Meher Baba-isms and and creative skits by the children, it was a Daniel Sanders recalled Baba devotees’ ..

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her later if she was always that psychic.

“Only sometimes,” she replied. “But I really knew I was winning that one for the brother.”

Saying goodbye was difficult, because every S ahavas has its own unique feeling of getting to recon nect with people you thought you already It takes us about 10 hours to get it set upfor the enjoyment This is what the Meherabode Bookstore looks like when we have ofthe Sahavasees, withfive or sopeople workingfull-time. knew, and meeting nigh on strzped it ofthings to take up to Pilgrim Pines. new people you had sharing personal stories of their experi when Vesta Clinton was talking to a couple never met before. I ences with Baba.Two different storytellers at the dinner table. She was listening to found it particularly enjoyable to travel had each met someone who had experi— the tale of a rather rough passage a fellow back to my northern California home by enced visions ofJesus, only to later see a attendee was going through, and she said shared shuttle and flight with a group, to photograph of Meher Baba, recognizing with confidence, “I am going to win the be able to continue sharing our experiences Baba as the Jesus that had appeared to sweepstakes ticket tomorrow and I will and debriefing about our Sahavas with them. give you the ticket. You need to get to the Avatar Meher Baba.

In another workshop, Laurie Blum My wish is for Baba’s love to reach Samadhi!” discussed the creative process and her visit “No no,” he protested. “My brother new heights in the coming year as it heals to the tomb of Hafiz in Iran. Due to the needs it far more than I do! He is going generations of ancient religious division and brings us together like “beads on one small number of people who attended, through a really rough time!” string.” workshops were an intimate group expe “Okay,” Vesta said. “It is his!” rience. By the last night, few people were So on the last day, left, resulting in a quiet yet quaint Dhuni Vesta was sitting beside with a mixture of soft singing and poetry Bhau in the front row from the talented group. when he was presented On an emotional level, this Sahavas with the huge box filled was about letting go, mentally unloading, with the tickets. It had and spiritual work for individuals. I think been thoroughly shaken and stirred and was held above his head so he had to reach up to pull out a ticket. He did so, and without looking at it passed it on to Behnaz who then—also without looking at it—walked back up on stage.

As Bhauji passed the ticket to Behnaz, Vesta leaned over to Bhauji and whispered “I know you pulled out the ticket with my name on it!” Bhau Bhauji hands the winning Fly to India sweepstakes ticket to sta—who knew she was looked at her strangely, goingto win! but said nothing. When Behnaz read out the winDhuni made it possible to reach the state ner we were stunned to of oneness those of us attending were hear it was indeed Vesta craving. who had bought the winAt the end ofthe Sahavas, the drawing fling ticket! She is making was held for the Fly to India sweepstakes, good on her promise and and that was a major surprise to all but giving it to a most deserv What would the Sahavas be without Fred Stankus and helper Marc one. The story starts on the previous day, ing Baba lover. I asked Brutus at the Thddy Shop!

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Children’s &thctvcts Photos by Hughie MacDonald

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7 (Counter—clockwise,from left.

Child care extraordinaire with Betty Lowman. Bob Een plays apiano duet with daughter Aria. The childrenperform a play ofThe Turtle’s Darshan

by Bob Brown, directed by Margaret Bernstein with assist from Mia Campagna. Kevin Connor accompanies his son Narayan on cello. On strings, Ielal Connoi Julian Jacobs andNarayan Connor The Goodrumfamily sing Meher Baba Guru MajaaAiyee in Marathi (from the CD of Katie Irani Singsfor Baba,).

Benjamin is on drums, Billy andAnnabelle on vocals. .

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ctss 2 : Roda J44istry Not only did Baba visit their home many times during the 1930s, but He also called her to stay in the ashram now and again. From early childhood until the end, Roda’s life was guided by Baba, and she lived solely to love and serve Him. In 1948, Roda married Jimmy Mistry, and later gave to their birth Roda Returns to Baba three sons—Meherwan, Falu and Sarosh.

Roda’s devotion to and love for Meher Arnavaz, Meheru, Katie, Falu Baba throughout her married life was and all at Meherazad the touchstone by which her family was nurtured and guided.

V eloved Avatar Meher Baba gathered After their children were grown and 1) His dearest Roda settled, in 1979 Roda and Mistry into His emJimmy moved to Meher brace onjuly 8, 2006, abad to serve Him on the at 12.58 PM in Mehe Trust estate.Jimmywas a razad. Rodi—as Baba Trustee for Baba’s Trust, would affectionately and Roda fulfilled her call her—passed away wish to serve by tending from a heart attack at Baba’s precious Sama 82 years of age. dhi.

Cremation was at 1996, after Jimmy Meherabad on the passedaway,Rodamoved morning ofJuly 9. to Meherazad, where her Roda’s great forson, Falu, had been living tune was being born and serving since 1978. into a family destined At Meherazad she confor such closeness to tinued to serve Him and Beloved Baba that to be a shining example He considered their of love for God, despite home His own. Her the many physical trials Uncle Chanji, Baba s she cheerfully faced first secretary brought We, your Meherazad Roda and son Fain the entire Dadachanji family, honor you, dearest family to meet Baba for the first time at Roda, for a life lived in one-pointed faith Meherabad when Roda was only 3 years and commitment to your Beloved. old. From that day on she was frequently AVATAR MEHER BABA KI JAI!! in His company.

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The cover ofRoda CD

Memories ofMother Meherwan Mistry, NewJersey he immense joy of my mother’s life was in seeking the pleasure and happiness of her Beloved—Avatar Meher Baba. In His happiness, His “Rodi” now blissfully abides.

In the everyday, happy and simple life she exemplified to her children, family and all those who knew her, the way to be completely resigned to—and find contentment in—the Beloved’s will under all cir cumstances. She lived by depending upon none but Him and by constantly striving “to live for Him and to die for Him.” Prophet Mohammed’s saying, “Paradise is under the mother’s feet,” is what her children can affirm with conviction. The greatest bequest any parent can leave to their children is to guide and bring them to seek shelter at the Beloved’s feet. For such a mighty great fortune the children of Roda andJim Mistry are eternally grateful to our Lord and beloved Master, Avatar Meher Baba.

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Roda and Yoga Shirla Edwards Myrtle Beach, South Carolina the early 1990s, when my husband and I were living half of each year at Meherabad, Roda noticed that I was limping and having alot ofpain in my hip. She

In

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told me that years before she had suffered from severe knee pain and went to Pune to work with BKS Iyengar, a yoga master who. in addition to his regular teaching, did special yoga work with people with physical problems. (One of his famous students was Yehudi Menuhin, violinist, who once celebrated his “cure” by doing a headstand on his concert stage.)

In the Mistry’s tiny cottage in Lower Meherabad, Roda showed me the asana: virasana. She did it faithfully, and urged me to go to Pune and work with Iyengar.

Since he was famous and hard to see, she recommended I tell him I was a follower of Meher Baba and knew the Mandali.

Meherjee, a friend of Iyengar, died not long after this. Fol lowing Roda’s advice, I easily obtained an interview with Iyen gar and admission to his special classes, where he gave me personal attention and asanas.

He said at the initial meeting, “I am afraid we cannot cure the hip problem, but we can help with the pain.”

That was true. And one of my asanas was the same one Roda did. So even now when I do that yoga pose, I remember dear Roda.

Roda, Baba’s Mastani im Mistry arrived in Meherazad on the 27th October from Bombay. Baba enjoyed jesting with him, and jokingly commented, “Your Roda has become a mastani! What will you do now?”

J im said, “I am proud that she has so much love for you!”

“Couldn’t she have found someone better to marry?”

“It is her great good luck that she found me! I never come in the way of her work for you!”

When asked, Jim Mistry narrated an example of his wife’s “mastani-like” behavior. He said once all the taxi drivers

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in Bombay were on strike. It was wellpublicized, and everyone knew ofit. Roda had to go to the local Center that day and went to the taxi stand as usual. She waited for four hours in the hot sun and no taxi came, though normally one stopped every five minutes.

was Baba’s first secretary. Chanji, as he was affectionately called, had resided with Meher Baba for three years, and he was anxious to draw the rest ofhis family into Baba’s fold, so he invited Roda’s family to come on a picnic to Meherabad, where they first tookMeher Baba’s darshan in the building that is now the dharamshala.

Roda and husbandfimmy

In her absorption ofgoing to the Cen ter she forgot about the strike. Someone saw her and reminded her of it, and she walked back home.

Baba joked, “She will forget me, too, one day!”

In response, Jim joked, “If she forgets me in your remembrance, I will be happy too.”

Baba replied, “Then write her a letter today saying that I am happy with her mastani-like state.” And Jim did.

Lord Meher Vol. 20, pp. 6673-6674 Bhau Kalchuri, © 2003 AJVIBPPCT

Roda’s Cheerful Acceptance Judy Robertson Washington, DC/Meherabad oda’s passing was the culmination of a fe lived in devotion and acceptance ofBeloved Baba’s wish and will.

Roda first met Meher Baba in 1927.

Her paternal uncle, Framroze Dadachanji,

As a result of these early contacts, Roda and the rest of her family became deeply devoted to Meher Baba. She had numerous op portunities to be with Baba and the women Mandali as she grew up, as well as during her marned life. Her hus band,JimmyMistry, served as a Meher abad Trustee for many years, and her three sons—Meherwan, Falu and Sarosh—as well as their families, are all devoted to Baba.

Her son Falu has resided at Meherazad since 1978, and he now serves as a Trustee for the Avatar Meher Baba Trust.

Whenjimmy and Roda retired in 1979, they moved to Meherabad and served in many capacities. One of Roda’s main re sponsibilities was to care for Meher Baba’s Samadhi, which she did with a quiet but palpablejoy. She greeted each pilgrim who came for darshan with the same loving warmth with which she welcomed her own family members.

During the last several years of her life, Roda suffered from a serious heart condition. This especially affected her when she fell and broke her hip. Because of the vulnerability of her heart, surgery to repair her hip could not be performed.

This meant that Roda experienced excru ciating pain whenever she moved her legs or torso even slightly.

I had the good fortune to be part of Roda’s care team immediately following her hip injury. The acceptance and cheerftiiness with which she endured significant and unrelenting pain still amaze me.

Roda’s heartfelt resignation to Beloved Baba’s will is a gift and a teaching that I will always cherish.

She would often say, in tremendous pain, “I saw Baba suffer from the pain in His hip after His second accident. This is nothing.”

Throughout the final years of Roda’s life, she maintained a joyous and cheerlid attitude in the midst of suffering that was uplifting to all those around her. Her loving and joyous spirit and her unfailing focus on Beloved Baba will be treasured by all who knew her.

Roda—Friend, Neighbor and Teacher Debbie Nordeen, North Carolina oda was our dear Baba friend and eherabad neighbor.Just thinking of her brings her sweet voice to my memory.

She had a beautiftil singing voice and a lilting laugh.

Peter lived near Jim and Roda in the staff quarters at Meherabad. After our marriage and a three-month visit back to Meherabad where we stayed at the Pilgrim Center, J immy arranged for us to live as temporary residents once again in Peter’s old staff room. That’s when I really got to know Roda.

I would see her go to the Tomb very early every morning and stay until at least 9 AM. She had the morning arti duty shift at the Samadhi. She would stay there after all the pilgrims left the Hill for breakfast, and then she would tidy up Baba’s tomb. I loved to watch her rearrange the garlands that had been offered. She would add roses, marigolds, and tuberoses. In time I became her morning helper. I didn’t have to rush to the MPC for breakfast, so I had this precious opportunity ofwatching love in action by being with Roda.

One year, when Peter and I were pre paring to return to the West, I wanted to leave a donation for ongoing flowers to be delivered daily to the Tomb. Dear Nana Kher discouraged me and suggested I leave the donation for prasad instead.

Later that day I told Roda about his reply and I was surprised at the force ofher reaction. “Who is more worthy than Baba to receive flowers? No one. Ifyou want to order flowers for Him, you should. He is the only one worthy. Besides, Nana has a sweet tooth, and likes the prasaa’!”

It made a deep impact on me. She was not joking; she was serious. So I left the donation for daily flowers.

There are times when being a resident can be difficult. It has been said that the shadow is darkest around the lamp, and also that Meherabad is the fire! Anyway, I went to Roda with some of my confusion about turmoil I was feeling. I’ve forgotten the cause of my plight, but I remember her answer. “Your life at Meherabad is about pleasing Baba and focusing on Him. Do not try to understand anything else.

Just focus your thoughts on Him and do what He places in front ofyou to do. Try not to worry about anyone else’s opin ion ofyou. Aim to please Him.” Her advice re mains with me to this day. And it works.

One time I was very ill with dysentery and had become quite weak. The doctors said that recupera tion would take at least a week.

Roda would come every day and sit a while at my bedside.

She was so dear and gave me the mcdicine I needed—her companionship. She entertained me by telling me all the love stories ofmembers ofher family;just what a young wife would like to hear. Every day she came with a new episode. It was incredible to have her as an example of how to live a full life as a Baba woman in the path of marriage. The stories tickled the romantic corner ofthe heart that Baba alone places there, and each one had Baba’s unique touch.

Another memory is about Roda being my singing guru when I wanted to learn a Mira bhajan. As Roda was always so loving and sweet to me, I was astounded at the strict task master that came forth as I tried to learn Hindi pronunciation and musical

nuances. She was very encouraging as well as very particular. I worked and worked and finally got a little approval and smile from her. She coached many singers over the years, and I’m sure they would all say the same thing about her style.

It was always fun to observe Jim and Roda together. Theywere a loving couple.

She seemed at times to be what we might call preoccupied, because she was always thinking of Baba. Jim was the down-toearth one in the family, and Roda was focused on the heavens. After all, she spent a lot of time in the Tomb!

Several years ago Peter produced, “God in Human Form” [a DVD documentary of the Avatar], and we asked Roda ifwe could record her singing Ishtiake. Although there had been a professionally produced rendition of her singing it, we wanted a voice-only version.

Being the trooper she was, she agreed, though she was bedridden at the time.

When you hear her singing on the film you can know now that Chris Pearson recorded Roda singing from her bed in her little room at Meherazad, Last Christmas, we received a sweet Christmas card from Roda and Falu, in her own hand-writing. I cherish it. When I got to India injanuary, she reminded me.

“Did you get my card?” My heart was so touched at her thoughtful efforts, even in poor health.

We had a fewwonderful conversations.

I did not know theywould be our last. But her sweet voice and her shining love for Beloved Baba remain permanently in my heart, and her words will always ring true.

“He is the only one worthy.”

Memories of Roda Raine Eastman Gannett first met Roda in 1973 in Mumbai and had toast and tea for breakfast at her apartment. The family lived around the corner from Nargis, where we would stay the night in the old days before heading off to Pune. Roda and Nargis were sisters of Arnavaz Dadachanji who we knew through letters and through Francis Brabazon.

It was our early contact with Mumbai Iranis and Parsis, along withJal and Dolly Dastoor, who would also have us to their Mumbai apartment in those early years.

They were sweet and innocent times, and

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gave us the fragrance ofwhat was to come when we would arrive in a couple ofdays at Meherazad. Roda was very loving, sweet, charming and extremely beautiful. She loved Baba so much and was always talking lovingly ofHim. It began a friendship with her of 36 years.

Roda and Jimmy eventually moved to Meherabad when Jimmy retired. I felt so happy to be able to see her more often on my pilgrimages, and in 1987 and 1988 when Freiny-etta [daughter] and I spent two six-month stays at Meherabad, Roda was most loving, and always made sure we were comfortable in the various places we stayed.

It was at that point I decided to really try to sing the artis as she did, and asked Hugh McDonald ifl could come while he recorded Roda singing them in her home at Meherabad. He also record ‘Ishtiake’ by Baba and a couple ofMira Bhajans. (This recording session is now the ‘almost lost’ recordings I finally found when digitizing and making Moon Over Meherabad. They were nestling beautifully preserved on the reverse side of that cassette.)

Somehow seeing Roda every day at arti and hearing her lovely voice made me realize I would never sing those artis as she did. She had the love, the humilit everything that prayers and arti should contain when done ideally. I would visit her for tea and she would mention that she

remembered very early days at Meherabad and her young years of coming over to Ahmednagar and Meherabad. On one visit she gave me a lovely piece ofParsi sari braid, bright purple with white peacocks embroidered on it that had belonged to her mother.

The family grew— Meherwa married and moved to the USA; Sarosh married Havo vi and Hoshang’s daughter Meherukh; and Falu moved to Meherazad to be of service.

•1 have always felt a closeness to all of them, and now am friends with two of her granddaughters, Gulrukh and Meher.

In these last years, we all think of dear Roda as the first one we see when we arrive at Meherazad. Sitting outside her room and sweetly chatting to us, she was so aware, and also had a great sense of humor and could dazzle one with her smiling eyes.

Making the CD of the found six songs was wonderful. Roda wanted to be very much involved as it turned out. She wanted to hear the tracks, see the pho tos and help rewrite the biography with

Heather. She would not allow her photo to be on the CD at all at the start, but with the help ofGulrukh and Meher we talked her into it and she agreed, as long as it was much smaller than that of Beloved Baba.

Roda wanted Baba’s eyes to really stand out on the cover most of all. Roda wanted the proceeds ofthe CD to go to the Trust in India (when the cost of production was covered, which she mentioned many times.)

In February, when I last saw her, I was able to give her the finished CD. She was so happy about it, but she handed me back the sample saying “Sell this one too, make sure that when there is a profit it goes to AMBPPCT! You did it very nicely, and Baba’s eyes are twinkling. Very good!” She asked me into her tiny room at Meherazad and there on her wardrobe mirror was the photo of Baba in Cannes that she had she insisted be so perfectly reproduced on the cover. As she saw my eyes go to it, Roda said, “This is how to remember Him, so beautiful. This is my favorite picture of Him.” God speed, Roda. Avatar Meher Baba kiJai!

7imnct Lee 2lctllet and 3lajg ;:Kris remembered ByJim Hallett

Timna &Jim Hallett h, Baba!” Anyone who was fortunate enough to have been around Timna even for a short time heard those words often. She would say

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them as exclamations of surprise (like the surprise of waking up each morning), when startled (at the sight of a rainbow or opening a gift), during moments of empathy (when she would see and feel the pain and suffering in others and send His name to them to help), or just when she would feel His presence.

Timna was a mother, a daughter, a sister, my wife, loyal friend, encourager of others, entrepreneur, gallery owner, fashion designer, prolific writer ofpoems,

haikus and short stories, a forceftil grace and a gracefhl force and her love and dedication to Baba was evident within all her endeavors.

Timna and I celebrated the last days she spent on this earth reading aloud Mehera’s words on her recollections and experiences with Baba, and His kind words. She would talk ofthe “angels” she began to see and would describe them to me as they spoke with her. But I have gotten ahead ofmyself, let me start at the beginning.

Timna and I met in 1974 and had an instant attraction the moment our eyes met. (We used to argue about our anniversary date, as she would say March

2nd and I would counter with the 3rd, as it took me another whole day to fall in love.) We had many goals and ambitions in common and shared a strong spiritual longing and a search that came to the forefront almost immediately as we began our adventures together.

We had been aware of Baba as He slowly introduced himself to us, through mentions in books we read and through the “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” smiling posters that appeared during antiwar days. He allowed Himself to become amazingly clear to us on a trip through Myrtle Beach in 1975.

We used to travel to seek out marathons Flagg Kris with Kristin Crawford in Meherabad to race in when we had her to travel through India and Nepal breaks at school. While practicing one day on the beach, we noticed a woman with him, and sent tickets. She brought with purple sari-type veils flowing as she along books of Baba to show her father, ran in front of us. Interest grew, so we and they began to seek other information caught up with her and she invited us to and would read aloud to each other. her house for a meal oflndian food and a She (and Baba) had caught enough of movie on the “Highest of the High.”

Flagg’s interest to convince him to go to She told us her name was Shireen, Meherabad. Flagg was interested in and which we later learned was not her a searcher of spiritual name. That evening she held a gathering guides much ofhis life with perhaps 5-7 others, two of whom prior to this. She later were the Luck brothers. The film “0 described the difficult Parvardigar” was shown on a small TV. journey and the Our experiences differed slightly, but we rugged, very muddy, KNEW when near the end ofthe movie, misquitoey, simple Baba walked out from under the shadow conditions they were of an umbrella into the bright sunlight, offered upon arrival and into our light. We went to the Center (in pre-Pilgrim Centre days) and of the warm the following day.

Upon returning to Kent State Univer welcome they received. sit)’; where we were students, we looked for Flagg heartwarmingly books to read, put up pictures we already would later tell me of had and found new ones to constantly his first visit to the remind us of His twinkles, gentle hands Tomb: on entering, he “broke down and and mesmerizing smile. We seemed to be cried like a baby” and “knew.” During graciously guided into being more aware. their stay they were blessed by being able Baba began to be a loving confidence- to spend time with the Mandali and were building fixture that would shape the rest rapidly becoming Baba sponges, soaking ofour lives. in the new-found ocean of love.

In the fall of that same year Timna’s Timna would return three more times; father, Flagg Kris, who was living and once when she was six months pregnant, working in Kuwait at the time, asked she would sit on Flagg’s lap during the

rickshaw rides to soften the trip to Meherazad.

During this visit, she began to have dreams of the Baba lover Nariman.

I think I remember her telling me that Arnavaz had allowed her to nap in a bed that Nariman had slept in. When her son was born in September 1980, she named him Nariman Chanji Flagg.

Timna, Nariman, and I would return to celebrate Nariman’s 12th birthday there.

Flagg, ofcourse, would return almost yearly for 25-plus years, working diligently in organizing the library and editing the Discourses, and he was instrumental in having Baba’s words placed in the Library of Congress.

He was also known for his love of and engaging in, entertainment, and the passionate discussions within his men’s group.

He loved to say he was “Baba’s Flagg.”

During one ofthese trips he would bring Rama, his wife. I shall always be thankful to him for bringing us all to India.

Timna lived her life saturated with the love of Baba. She had the ability to see Him in everything and expressed it in the way she lived, worked and interacted with others. She would open galleries offashion and art around the country, and had the ability to encourage local artists by giving them a showcase to display their works. She loved to create a place where many could have a voice as well as a way to make a living with their crafts. Within these galleries she always found ways to display Baba’s pictures, posters, books, articles and T-shirts, so that all who entered came in contact with the grace and face and silence of Baba.

Timna had Baba’s signature tattooed on her right foot and when people would ask her what that “scribble” was, 49

she delighted in responding “it is God’s autograph.”

Timna would say one of her greatest joys was spending time with her dear friends, Baba lovers Leatrice Johnson, husband John and daughter Sherri, sharing meals, talking and sharing Baba.

Timna and Leatrice would laugh and laugh together and Leatrice would say that she could always laugh out loud and be herself when around her. Timna had a way of doing this with all she encountered.

Timna’s last stop on this Earth was Hawaii, where we went when her physical body began to weaken. Her favorite things to do here were to drive by “Baba’s hotel,” as she called it, as He had stayed there on a visit here in 1932.

She loved to sit under and touch the banyan tree in the hotel courtyard as Baba did, while witnessing a hula that

she could picture Him doing. We would wander the halls of “His hotel” and try to feellguess which room he might have stayed in. Tourists would turn and look as she would yell out “Meher Baba Ki Jai.” Timna would tell me “I am not sick, only broken” and feared not leaving this Earth. She did worry about me, though, as she always did, with “who will make your sandwich for lunch” when I went to work, as she always did, accompanied by a note, for 30 years. She unselfishly would insist in teaching and preparing me in taking over the tasks that she always did to maintain a household.

I love and miss her dearly. I have come to realize how God gave me a moment’s grace just to even see her face, for which I thank Him daily.

As I said, she was/is a forceful grace, a graceful force, a strong but gentle light

that continues to shine. Timna left to be with Baba on Nov. 8, 2004, and Flagg followed on Nov. 5, 2005, soon after his last trip to India.

I would like to give a mahalo nui 1cm (a Hawaiian thank you from the heart) to the three ladies (Kristen, Caren and do forgive me, I forgot the name of the third) who lovingly took her ashes to visit Baba’s tomb and nearby areas (and actually called me in Hawaii so I could be there during this dance).

I would also like to give another mahalo nui ba to the all the caretakers, nurses, pilgrims, Steve, Dr. Ann, and of course Caren again (who organized it all) who helped to guide Flagg through his last moments on Earth.

Meher Baba Ki Jai! Meher Baba Ki Jai! Meher Baba Ki Jai!

2:1is A1ain Job

:fl

0••

QE:jritma øretinç tar Qtbrit upon tji QtjrItma morn Ict aft men kucep that pou kuire born Zfrlpon tji £artJ tt tjougjt o fair fljat but tn (tro u1jItb ‘ou must bear.

Z!flje beautp of tbe bubbing roe, Zlflje tobeip biamonb of tje beku, roc1aIm naugjt but tbe pain ‘ou cjjoe Zlfljat kue miçt one bap Iltie a pou. (tt {okier’ peec, aft infant’. cr’, It ,ftft -beb kueat anb b,in groan, 3 ou in u tijat kue mat’ bit I;o uI anb 11kw a ou alone.

Let u tijen, brotljer, lift our banb nb plebçe our oul in bol” banb Z1to labour for im tJjroug tbe lanb

ZlLtll cartlj itself in Qfljritjoob tanb.

—

jfranci &abaon

Francis Brabazon

S

o when beloved Baba used to tell us that he was God, I used to think, “Yes, Baba, you are God all right—the One God and all the gods—but what good is that to me?” In fact, I used to get so fed up with Him being God that I wished He wasn’t.

Or I wished He was a sort ofan Old Tes tament God to whom I could slaughter some fat lambs or a spotless young bull in return for some added acreage.

I got so tired of His being so much God that I wrote a song about it and sang it to Him. It goes something like, “If only you were a bit less God, a bit more man, I wouldn’t feel so much like someone upside down in a garbage can.”

But Baba wasn’t going to become more man just for my sake, so I had to settle for Him as the divine beloved—one whom I could serve sometimes, instead of thinking about myself all the time.

After all, although He is God, and sometimes is a man, being one’s own and the world’s beloved is His mainjob. 0thers can become as much God or as much man as he, but only Baba is more beloved than any other beloved. And is infinitely worth serving.

Three Talks, © 1969 Meher House Publications. [Available from Love Street.]

JPoems to the 73eloved A Host of Angels

The Silence is Thundering

Billions of souls afloat in the cosmos and I’m on my way home. how can I tell you what the mind does not know?

Like the brother in the field, I dropped my scythe where I stood.

how can I whisper the fragrance of the divine? how can I point out the One

There’s another harvest I must attend— where I’ll be cut off at the knees.

when nothing else exists?

My horse has gotten a whiff of the barn.

Nothing can keep me now from my Beloved’s side.

the Silence is thundering.

Katie Rose

My name in His throat, the name He gave me, ages ago, when I was first sent out—

The Invitation

a host of angels over my shoulder and the highway rising up to greet me.

Billions oflaboring souls lost in the maze, tossing in feverish sleep and my Beloved has come to awaken me; billions of souls drunken from rage, lust and hate and my Beloved offering His sobering wine.

0 child of God, look beyond this ephemeral existence into the ageless face ofyour dear Beloved.

Brian Darnell

Till the Break of Dawn 0 Meher, You are the Real hottest nightclub, And my heart is Your red carpet.

You’d rather sit on the floor of that cold, forgotten place than anywhere else; This thought is what really keeps my blood flowing.

I got all dressed up and slipped a hundred dollar bill, But You have 2 big bouncers named Lust and Anger And I can’t seem to get past them.

Baba, I don’t even know how to dance, what am I doing at a nightclub?

You told Your lovers to go inside, and I can hear them Singing Your arti while I wait in line.

Baba, I bet you know all those bartender tricks, like pouring behind the back And throwing bottles in the air— It’s just that You don’t like to show off.

Your lovers aren’t interested in all that show anyway; They’re discriminating, so theyjust want the good stuff.

0 Meher, Jonathan’s ftxin’ to get good and drunk, And wants You to be his designated driver.

You are invited to attend the court of the Emperor.

You should come.

Make haste waste no time.

Don’t worry how long the journey or how hard; However far away you are, You will be accompanied every step of the way.

And such a welcome awaits you!

—

The finest musicians, The best singers and dancers And all the most gifted artists and artisans Are there at His court.

Music drifts through archways, Fountains play, Pitchers of cool water are there to slake your thirst, And a feast is being prepared.

It is His wish.

Instructions have been given down to the last detail.

He will know ofyour arrival And will ask which room has been made ready for you.

When you have rested, Birdsong and the scent of roses Draw you to the garden.

That’s where He is waiting for you, Reclining in a hammock swinging gently in the shade.

He is so happy you have come.

Can you imagine the smile on His face?

The look in His eyes?

That look speaks the words of this invitation.

You should come.

Sarah McNeill

Jonathan Steinberg

5’

LAnnouncements Archives DVD Set Offering Irwin Luck, director ofthe Meher Baba Archives, has a set of 123 DVDs for sale.

These videos are unedited first-hand ac counts made in 1971 ofover 100 ofMeher Baba’s disciples in India, Pakistan, Israel, Iran, Europe and America. This was the first time they ever told their stories with all the emotion, love and experiences of their lives with Meher Baba, recorded just after He left His body. Never before or after was such an extensive documentation made of those who lived, traveled and were guided

by Meher Baba.

This is a rare documentary DVD set never before offered by the Meher Baba Archives. For details about purchasing the set, e-mail OPFDl@yahoo.com. As we went to press there were only two sets left.

No ftirther sets are planned.

Also, those centers or groups who do not yet have the movie: “Meher Baba, Avatar ofthe Age” may request the circular for the free gift of the movie on video. Only four free gift copies left: Meher Baba Archives, Inc. 1 130 Waterway Lane, Myrtle Beach, Sc 29572 U.S.A. Phone: 843-491-6013.

can help you with air ticket booking and hotel reservations all over India.

The Web site is www.meherbabatours. com. You can e-mail pathanl3@yahoo. com or pathan@meherbabatours. com.To call, the numbers are (mobile) +91 9823247022, home number+91 241 2325022 (outside India).

Inside the country, call (0)9823247022 or (0241)2325022. Proprietor—Pathan.

Abadazad Series

Many of you bought the terrific D

by Marc de Matteis I-low Many Ljfètimes, released some years ago. Great singing, song writing and musical accompaniment.

When I first received it, I played nothing but that, day after day. Ifyou don’t have it, I highly recommend it—but beware—it has some great rock on it, some gentle ballads, but is not for those who prefer the softer gentler meditative music. ($15) I mention this now because the LampPost ran an article on Marc some years back.

Not only is he very musically talented, but he writes comic books for thinking adults (not the euphemistic ‘adult’) and has been known to feature Mohamed and Baba Welcome Baby Cyprus ( secretively) in some of the more esoteric stories.

Lilly and Laurent and Aspen Weich Marc sent me this publicity release on berger are thrilled to his two new children’s proclaim that a soul books. Marc says: “I am has joined our family delighted to announce through the male incar that the first two books nation of our new baby, in my Abadazad series— cwms Rhonan Laurent Abadazaci The Road ThInWeichberger, born on conceivable and Abadazaci Aug.19 at 9 PM at our The Dream Thief—are home in Flagstaff Anin stores now. If you’re a zona. He weighs seven cyber-shopper, you can pounds six and a half the Weichbergers order them from Amazon. ounces, and is 20 inches com. The books—with long. Happy and healthy! illustrations by the amazing Mike Ploog and color by the equally amazing Nick Bell—look beautiftil, and I feel like a very Baba Tours &Travels proud father.”

National Public Radio recently did an Service is the name of the game! We interview with Marc about his new books. have all types of air-conditioned and nonArc cars and busses for pick up and drop A day or two later this was the result on Amazon.com: Road to Inconceivable is #86 off from Mumbai or other destinations overall, #five in children’s books and #two within India, and we can arrange tours for in children’s books for ages 9—12. And they you to all historical and spiritual places in are number one in “Movers and Shakers,” the country You can travel any time, 24 meaning they are the fastest-moving book hours a day. We accept all credit cards. We

on the chart! (Knocking Andy Rooney out ofthe top slot!)

Check outhis Web site at www.Abadazad com.Andforallyou veryfaithfidshoppers who prefer to buyfrom Love Street (knowing that the prftts go to keeping the doors of Mehe rabode open) we won’tstock it—butAmazon. com does. —Ed

TheAwakener Magazine

Now On-line Filis Frederick heard about Beloved Meher Baba in 1943 and remained devoted to Him for the rest ofher life. In 1953, she began publishing TheAwakener Magazine, continuing until 1986.

Now thanks to the dedication ofJeanne Kassof of Walnut creek, the entire series from Volume 1, Issue 1 (July 1953) to the final issue in 1986, is now on-line at: wiytheawakenermagazine.org.

“This Web site contains all 67 issues of The Awakener Magazine conceived and edited by Filis Frederick during the years 1953-1986. The Awakener Magazine was producedwith the direct approval ofMeher Baba and was dedicated to spreading His message oflove and truth.

“These journals contain messages, discourses, and pearls ofwisdom given by Meher Baba, along with fascinating firsthand stories told by many ofHis intimate disciples from all over the world. They also hold very lovely paintings and drawings of Baba, sweet poems, and precious photos of Him and His lovers.

“Please help improve the quality of the images by donating copies of any of the photos, drawings or paintings you see in these pages. We invite you to send us your comments, questions or corrections so we can offer to posterity the best possible reproduction of this most extraordinary magazine. Meher Baba’s The Awakener Magazine.”

J eanne remained true to the published spellings and corrections, but the Web site is still a beta version, which means some heavy tweaking remains. She is happy for users to send comments.

[For those who stillprejèr a hard copy to curl up with, the Love Street Bookstore sells themfor $5 each, or $4 jfyou’re buyingfive or more.] . .

::iiumor for 71uma The 19 Commandments 1 Ifyou feel far away from God, guess who moved?

2. Fear knocked. Faith answered. No one was there.

3. What you are is God’s Gift to you.

What you become is your gift to God. 4. I am God’s Melody oflife and God Sings God’s Song through me.

5. We can never go where God is not, and where God is, all is well.

6. No matter what is happening in your life, know that God is waiting for you with open arms.

7. God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.

8. Do your best and then sleep in peace.

God is Awake.

9. God has a purpose and plan for me that no one else can füffill.

10. Ihe Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not protect you.

11. We are responsible for the effort, not the outcome.

12. We set the sail; God makes the wind.

13. Begin to weave and God will give you the thread.

14. When God says “no,” it’s because God has something better in store for you.

15.]Iie task ahead ofus is never as great as the power behind us.

16. Prayer: don’t bother to give God instructions, just report for duty.

17. It’s my business to do God’s busi ness and it’s God’s business to take care of my business.

18. Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm.

19. How come you’re always running around looking for God? God’s not lost. .

The Sibling Commandment A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her fiveand six-year-olds. After explaining “honor thy father and thy mother,” she asked, “is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?”

Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, “Ihou shalt not kill.”

)i)

I .

The Birds and the Eggs A six-year-old boy told his father he wanted to marry the little girl across the street. The father, being modern and wellschooled in handling children, hid his smile behind his hand.

“That’s a serious step,” he said. “Have you thought it out completely?”

“Yes,” his son answered. “We can spend one week in my room and the next in hers.

It’s right across the street, so I can run home ifl get scared of the dark.”

“How about transportation?”the father asked.

“I have my wagon, and we both have our tricycles,” the boy answered.

The boy had an answer to every ques tion the father raised.

Finally, in exasperation, his dad asked, “What about babies? When you’re marned, you’re liable to have babies, you know.”

“We’ve thought about that, too,” the little boy replied. “We’re not going to have babies. Every time she lays an egg, I’m going to step on it!”

Nunsense The head nun tells the two new nuns that they have to paint their room without getting any paint on their clothes.

The one nun says to the other, “Hey, let’s take all our clothes off fold them up, and lock the door.”

So they do this, and begin painting their room.

Soon they hear a knock at the door.

They ask, “Who is it?”

“Blind man!”

The nuns look at each other, then one says, “He’s blind, he can’t see. What could it hurt.”

Theylet him in. The man walks in, does a double-take, and says, “Where do you want me to hang the blinds?”

Seeing the Light An 80-year-old man goes for a physi cal. All ofhis tests come backwith normal results.

The doctor says, “George, everything looks great. How are you doing mentally and emotionally? Are you at peace with God?” George replies, “God and I are tight.

He knows I have poor eyesight, so he’s ftxed it so when I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, poof! The light goes on. When I’m done, poof! the light goes off.”

“Wow, that’s incredible,” the doctor says.

A little later in the day, the doctor calls George’s wife.

“Ethel,” he says, “George is doing fine!

But I had to call you because I’m in awe ofhis relationship with God. Is it true that he gets up during the night and poof! the light goes on in the bathroom, and when he’s done, poof! the light goes off?”

“Oh my God!” Ethel exclaims. “He’s peeing in the refrigerator again!”

Hear this!

An elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years.

He went to the doctor, who was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100 percent.

The man went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, “Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.”

The gentleman replied, “Oh, I haven’t told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I’ve changed my will three times!”

53

Worldwide J i/Ielier EJ3ctbct J44eetings 1 Thefbiowing is injbrmation about the various Baba groups around the country and afèwfrom overseas.

Ifyour local data is not includedplease send it to me and should things changefrom thepublished details, please let meknow thatbfore the next issuec deadline.

—Dma

D0M ESTIC ARIZONA

Tucson—Irma Sheppard, 52O321-1566, 7320 N Village Av 85704; ihs222@theriver.com.

Flagstaff—AMB Lovers ofN Az, 928-774-8305, 4505 S Lance Rd 86001 laurent@ompoint.com.

CALl FORN IA

Los Angeles—Meetings are Sundays, 11 AM to 1 PM, held in our center”Meherabode,” 323-731-3737, 1214 South Van Ness Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90019 Just east fthe intersection ofArlington andl2th Street.

The Avatar Meher Baba Center of Los Angeles now has its own web site at wwwMeherabode. org to bring the local news, programs, activities and announcements to the Baba community and the public.

Ojai—Meher Mount. Phone: 805-640-0000 Caretakers RayJohnston & Elizabeth Arnold. mehermount@sbcglobal.net San Francisco Bay Area—Call for information regarding meeting times and related information: 510-845-4339 or Ben Leet at 510-351-8259, Benleet@earthlink.net. The Northern California Avatar Meher Baba Center is located at 6923 Stockton St., El Cenito 94530-2931, wMeherBabaMeherBaba.org.

Sacramento—Meetings first Friday of the month at 7 PM. Marilyn Buehler, 916-925-4451, premsay@ sbcglobal.net. wwwpremsaycomIMeherBaba.

on the third Sunday and take turns hosting the gatherings at 1 PM starting with potluck, then meeting.NoreenO’Brien,207-273-3173;Heartwood Cottage, 101 Hart Road, Warren, Maine 94864, ompoint@tds.net Ken Lux, 207-594-6391 P0 Box 108, Rockland, Maine 04841, kenlux@aoicom.

MAssAcHusEi-rs

Cambridge—Meher Baba Information Center ]Vlichael Siegell 617-864-3997.

M ISSISSIPPI

Jackson—Avatar Meher Baba Sahavas Center Peter Rippa, 3404 Casa Granda Circle Jackson, MS 39209, 601-355-8959, film and information presentation upon request; weekly prayer/Arti; monthly Dhuni,peterrippa@gmail.com.

Tampa—Jane Paladino, 813-962-8629.

Clearwater—Tom Decker, MD, 727-536-9282.

HAWAII

Maui—Meredith Moon, Phone: 808-573-1188 or 808-572-6556, Fax: 808-573-1189; 1940 Olinda Road (or P0 Box 1269 for mail) Makawao, Maui, HA 96768, mm@dreamcircle.org.

Molokai—Shirley Alapa at “Meher Dham”, 808567-6074 or 808-567-6383, Fax: 808-567-6363 Message: 808-567-6363; 69K Farrington Ave., Hoolehua, HI 96729 (mail: EQ. Box 177, Kualapuu, Hawaii 96757), salapa@a1oha.net.

LOUISIANA New Orleans—Avatar Meher Baba Center for monthly meeting and film program please contact: Joe Burke 601-278-6245 for the date, time, location and directions, burkeno@aoicom.

WASHINGTON,

D.C.

Pamela Butler-Stone, 310-946-0236, Friday and Saturday Meetings, www.lifeimages.com/ MeherBaba WASHINGTON STATE

INTERNATIONAL ENGLAND

London—Meher Baba Centre, 228 Hammersmith Grove, LondonW6 7HG, (0044) 020 87 43 44 08, wwwmeherbaba.co.uk FRANCE

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Liz Miller 603-749-3668, mceliz200l@yahoo.com.

Santa Fe—Robert Reser and Edle Andersen host meetings on the last Thursday of the month at 7 PM in their home, 505-983-6621; 1921 Fort Union Drive, 87505, robertreser@yahoo.com.

NEVADA

LasVegas—Dickand CarolMannis, 702-326-1701.

Meetings at 5 PM, followed bypotluckdinner, 10809 Garden Mist Dr, 89135, rkmannis@aoicom.

NORTH CAROLINA

Asheville—Winnie Barrett, 828-274-7154, 78 Bailantree Dr, 28803, winkiebai@charter.net.

Peter and Debbie Nordeen—5 Fern Street, 28803, nordeeni@bellsouth.net.

Greensboro—Sheldon Herman, 336-288-8090 or 336-235-2730,2405 KeryDrive,27408, bikewalla@ gmail.com.

Chapel Hill-Durham-Raleigh—Carol Verner, 919-933-3550; 120 Taylor St., Chapel Hill, NC 27514, carolvemer@nc.ff.com.

MAINE

Spruce Head/Rockland—We meet once a month

TEXAS

Nacogdoches—Chris and Anne Barker, 936-5602631, 3101 Skyline Drive, 75965, rockbl@yahoo.com.

Seattle—Meher Baba Group Meetings: Fridays at 8 pm. Also gatherings for special events (Amartithi!

Baba’s Birthday). Location rotates each week in homes. Mail do Cynthia Barrientos, P0 Box 16081, Seattle,WA 98116. 206-713-9905, cybar7@ comcast.net.

NEW MEXICO FLORIDA

TRI-STATE AREA

Bronxville, NY—Meher Baba House, 212-9711050. President: Ira M. Gross, 480 12th St. Apt. 8, Brooklyn, NY 11215. Inquiries: meherbabahouse@ cnsp.net, wwMeherBabaHouse.org Philadelphiaand surroundingtri-state areaofNew York, NewJersey, and Pennsylvania—bi-weekly meetings on Saturdays at 4 PM. Frank Bloise, 856696-4374, 431 West Garden Road, Vineland, NJ 08360, fbloise@earthlink.net.

MONTANA

Missoula—Andy Shott, 406-549-5949; 336 Connell, 59801.

Emigrant—Anne Haug, 406-333-4582; 24 Liberty Ln., 59027.

COLORADO

Denver—Meetings Sunday evenings at 7 pm at vanous homes in the Denver-Metro area.The contact person for Colorado, Utah, NewMexico, Wyoming, and Arizona is Barbara A. Roberts, 303-238-4649; 3475 Moore Court,Wheat Ridge, CO 80033-5543 ( near Denver), babara@fone.net.

retreat and visiting Babds accident site. 1319 Barta Ave., 74864, 405-567-4774. ambchc@charter.net, wwwheartland.meherbaba.org.

OKLAHOMA

Prague—Avatar Meher Baba Heartland Center, for

Marseille:C.Dallemagne, Le SylverealAl. des Pins, 13009 Marseille. Ph: 4 91 39 02, Marc Molinari.

Cannes: Debby Sanchez, 1300 Route de Callas 83490 Le Muy (near Cannes). Ph: 4 94 41 39 02.

St.Nazaire: Christine andPhiiiipeJoucla, 7Alee des Pins, La Salette 56610 Arradon. Ph 2 97 46 13 19.

Connerre: Andre Grimard, Champ Bnile Duneau, 72160 Connerre. Ph: 2 43 89 01 94.

Paris: ClaudeLonguet, 13-15 Rue Pastourelle, 75003 Paris. Ph: 1 44 59 30 06.

ISRAEL

Jerusalem—Michal Sivan, phone/fax: 02671-5835 46 Hebron Road, Jerusalem, Israel 93513, myb@ netvision.net.il.

MEXICO

Mexico City—Rafael Villafane, We have meetings about every month at 7 pM—no particular meeting day—people on the list are contacted prior to any meeting. Email addresses are preferred. I am also found in Cancun or Acapulco at times, so email me if you will be in those areas, Ph from US: 011 52 555 295-0512. Cell from US: 011 52 555 502-7225.

Email is best as I travel a lot, raal@royerlabs.com.

Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa area—Jeff and Cindy Lowe, We will have a meeting any time there is a request for one. Please contact us ifyou’re going to be in the Zihuatanejo/Ixtapaarea.PhonefromUS:011 52 755 544 6303, cindearaba@yahoo.com.

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Above. the open courtyard in the wornenc quarters; below 4fl. Mehera and Baba restored and colorized, original black and whitephoto, copyrightMSlcollection; below right Babac home in Meherazad.

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Homyar Mistry was on the hi/i when this glorious rainbow appeared over the Samadhi. It was stilishining when he arrived at lower Meherahad tofilrn it over the men Mandalä graves.