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Editor’s CornerJai Baba and a Happy New Year

to all our readers!

The first quarter ofthe year means twothings to Baba lovers — Amartithi and

the Beloved’s Birthday. Unfortunately, thismagazine has to be written almost threemonths in advance so it does not allow usto be veiy timelywith our coverage ofevents.However this year, your editor will bepresent at Amartithi — a first for her — soyou will get very complete coverage in theApril issue. I’m sure we can count on theusual full reporting ofthe Birthday celebrations by Heather Nadel or Irene Holt, bothon the spot from start to finish. Ifany ofourreaders plan on being there for the Birth-day celebrations and would like to submittheir account, we would love to read it. Dotake photos — lots of photos! Please remember at any time, when submitting photos, to always put your name and addresson the back ifyou wish them returned.

Speaking ofphotos, you will note wehave a photographic essay The Steps t oHis Feet as our centerfold. We would liketo encourage you to send in any photos thatyou have taken in India that particularlymove you, and you feel will have the sameaffect on our readers. Please, send only goodclear well lit pictures, preferably in blackand white. Often what looks wonderful incolor does not have the same effect whenprinted in black and white. Be sure to giveus full information as to where and when itwas taken. Ifthere are people in the photo,you must first obtain their permission incase it is published.

We are constantly striving to improvethe LampPost. It is a learn-as-you-goperience for all ofus involved in its production. None ofus have done anything likethis before, and we would love nothing morethan to be able to do it full time. Alas, it isall volunteer work done after our regularjobs are finished for the day. For 6-8 weeksevery quarter we are all burning the mid-night oil to get it out to you almost on time.

The letters we receive make it allworthwhile. The one Bree Rael sent fromCanada pretty much sums it up for a greatmany of you:

“Itruly cherish receiving the LampPost.

It is a masterpiece ofcollective love in Babacname andllookforwardto each issue. It keeps

mefromfeeling so lonely and isolated up here

in the British Columbian woods...”We are glad you feel that way, because

it makes it easier to tell you “Its that time ofyear again. . .“ We need your donations inorder to keep publishing. The actual cost ofproducing and domestic mailing of themagazine is $10 per person for the year.Because ofthe extremely high cost ofpost-age overseas, we must ask for $20 for magazines going to foreign countries. We havealmost 1000 on our mailing list but only425 have ever sent in a donation. Thisstrains our finances to the maximum — tothe point ofhaving to dip into other fundsto cover costs. Luckily there are some verygenerous people to whom Baba has giventhe abilityto donate far above the $10 nec-essary. These kind souls are allowing themajority ofyou to continue receiving yourLampPost. We do not have the commercialmagazine’s ability to track when you paidand have that expiration date printed onyour label. (Ifwe charged $30 a subscription we probably could!) So we leave it upto you, send in what you can when you can,and for those ofyou who are really financially stressed (and doesn’t that seem to gowith being a Baba lover?!) not to worry —

we’ve got you covered. Ifyou would prefernot to receive the magazine, please let usknow so we can save the costs. For our over-seas subscribers, you may find it easiest toput your donation on a credit card, but forthose with an American checking account,we would prefer checks. Please make themout to The Love Street LampPost. We havemany new subscribers who have sent in

£ozeStreet£zmI2bst’

donations over the past few months, pleasedon’t feel you have to send in more now!And ifyou cannot rememberjust when yousent it in, neither can we! Don’t worry — behappy. We function only by Baba’s Grace.It is all up to Him.

Remember — this is your magazine, itis only as good as the material we receive— so keep on sending! But please, no hand-written submissions. No one has the timeto type out 8 handwritten pages such as werecently received! Ifyou can’t email it to us,or send it on a disk, then it must be clearlytypewritten — with no corrections in themargins! We love to receive your submissions — but please have mercy on theslaves at this end!

Our cover photo is courtesy of JalDastoor who had it beautifully reproducedand made available for sale in the LoveStreet Bookstore. They are approximately12 x 12, in full color, and are actually a composite, created by the incredibly talentedphotographer Homyar Mistry, of3 differ-ent photos. Manypeople have photographedthe inside ofthe Samadhi, but the tiny photoof Baba that is on the wall high above thetomb, and also the writing on the marble havenever been as clearly captured as they are here.

In the photo we have for sale, the brassstudded doors are visible also. It is printedon quality card stock and included in thepackage are 3 small 2 x 3 colored reproductions ofCharlie Mills’ portraits ofBaba thathave the 3 main artis printed on the back.Also in the packet is a strip of4 more colored reproductions ofCharlie’s paintings.These are scored so that each photo can befolded along the crease and stand alone asa series ofBaba pictures for your desk ordresser. The entire package is extremelyhigh quality and is available for only $12.Thank you Jal!

In His love and service, Dma

j

welcomeThe £ovcStrcetJ.amJJPosr is dedicated with love toAvatar Meher Baba. Its primary purpose is tocontribute to a sense of community among all Hislovers by providing a place for sharing Hisremembrance. All the members ofthe Baba familyare invited to contribute to thisfeast ofLove.

Your stories, photos, art work, poetry, letters, articles, and humorare all actively solicited. We seek expressions of Baba’s message ofLove and Truth.

Please submit your text on computer disks ifpossible (in any softwareformat); typewritten copy on white paper is also acceptable. Be sureto clearly identif5 all submissions and credit every quote or reference.

submissions, subscriptions, donations:Love Street LampPost

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

213-731-3737

deadlines:

— or —

Bababooks@aol.com

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

July - September issue: May 8thOctober - December issue: August 8th

7he Love Street EBookstore:

credits:

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

Bababooks@aol.com

editor: Dma Snowdesign and layout: Betty Lowman, Cherie Plumlee,

Thomas Hartdistribution: Chris Lyttle, Harry Thomas,

Don Douglas, Marc Brutus

The £oveStreetJ..am1JPost’ is published quarterly, inJanuary,Apriljuly, and October.All contents © 1996 Avatar Meher Baba Center ofSouthern California.All quotations, photos or books, ofAvatarMeher Baba,© AMBPPCT India

Follow His Footsteps Around the World!. 4

God’s Signature. 5

God Speaks in 10 ½ hours Debra Aslie . 6TRUsT UNVEILS EXPANDED DEvEt.OpMErrrPi FOR MEHEiisu EsotTE 6A Note from Our Trustwalli Lynne Berry 6A Letter from Pratap Ahir 7‘fimsgfiui poetry by Hafiz 7‘TrppingOver5ey poetry by Hafix 9The Divine Power House Bid Nato . 9Surrenderance Meher Baba . 9A Zoroastñan Wedding at Meher Mount Wendy Ward I 2Step Over the Obtacles Mani S. Irani 14That’s How You Should Live in the World Meher Baba I 4Unity Meher Baba I 4The Turning of the Key Sarah McNeill I 6It Was He Who Kissed Meheth Hand Mani S. Irani I 7The ‘Turkey Swing Dance’ 191$aw.ou 3ancing poetry by Hafiz I 9iTh St€ps to Ris 3:ed photo spread 20The Filming of The Witness Series Videos Wendell C. Brustman 22Memories from Past Lives Meher Baba ....... 24Message tn Disciples Meher Baba 24Snuff Margaret Craske ...... 24A Magical Thanksgiving Day at Meher Mount Fred Stankus 24‘ro.5cnytl;ing(-rI;at.k4Yd poetry by Hafiz 2The Darbar Pose Picture of Meher Baba Bal Natu 26How SL Franth, Walking One Day With Brother Leo,Explained To Him What ThingsAre PerfrctJoy by Brother Ugolmno 27The Making oftlie Film Meher Baba in Italy David Carter 28Sheriar in the Desert Ward Parks 31The Most Precious Thing MI K. Irani 31A Letter from Bhau to Our Readers Ward Parks 32Letter to the Editor Desmond O’brien 32Meherana Sahavas from A Kids Point ofView jamie Dillon 35An Update fromJay Ram 36It is a Divine Art to LookAiways Cheerful Meher Baba 38Old indian. Teaching Story 38‘Don’t Werr Be Happy!” “The Truth Shall Make Ye Free”

Do.n Stevens 39MeherBaba 39MeherBaba 39

Editors Corner Dma Snow . 2Steji 3nside.. tThe Love &re4 ¶3ookstore Dma Snow I 0Children’s Page (Living in His World) Cynthia Barrientos I 5The President’s Report Lois Jones . I 8Center and Facailities Report Linda Zavala .. 18Announcements (The LampPost Needs Your Help) (Congratulations) 25Notes from the Internet various contributors 29Prayers, Prose,. and Poetry various contributors 33Humor for Huma (Godc Quality Control Questionaire) 37

Illlq.tjorijs zniaes an4r iphics in thsspithlzcatzon arepioperty ofthe vpyrççhthollers and/orthecontributors. Messageoimdphotosofll4eherThtha tAvatarA’leherBalm PerpetualPublic ChuzuitahleTrust Ahinedna5arlndsa and ©I swrence Reiter Unauthorzzedduphcatson zsprohthited by law

A publication of the Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California

£ove&eetLamgosr

The Language ofthe HeartBe Cøntent With Your Lot

The Ocean OfLoveWaiting On This HillThe Story ofBaba BalSa

reviewed by Kendra Crossen Burroughs 8reviewed byjini Wilson 8

Debra Ashe 9

ccooIV

You are invited to join us in the two biggest fundraisers for Meherabode in Los Angeles.

AU monies raised will go towards ongoing renovations of the Center.

The first fundraiser is a raffle to win airfare around the world (to Meher Baba’s home in India,

Avatar’s Abode in Australia, Assisi in Italy, East Challacombe in Devon, England, and Centers

Meher Baba established in the United States (as well as a chance to visit us here at Meherabode

in Los Angeles). There will also be second and third prizes! Flyers with more information

about the around the world pilgrimage will be mailed in January.

Second PrizeA complete set comprising all ofAvatar Meher Baba’s video tapes from

F: the LoveStreet Bookstore (Meherabode).

(t Videos will include Beyond Words, Love Personfled, 0 Parvardigai. . .

7 and other movies ofBaba that you and your family will treasure for generations.

: Third PrizeA $250 gift certificate from the LoveStreet Bookstore with which you

can purchase books, music tapes, videos, t-shirts, jewelry, and much more.

Tickets are $25 each or 7 ticketsfor $100.

The second fundraiser is an auction for a copy ofGod Speaks signed by Meher Baba.

4

91eherabad and9Y/eherazad

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The 9’o’leherc5pirlliial Cenler,9Xyrh1e73oach,aott/h Carolina,

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in J?os Wnge/e)

(See next page.)

•‘•

Avatar Meher Baba has inscribedeach of our hearts with His Divine

Love. This Love propels us on the pathhome to Him. To help us understand thisjourneywe must all make through creationand involution, He wrote God Speaks, amost precious gift to humanity!

Never before in recordedhistory has there been a book written

and signed byGod Himsefl

At Meherabode as the wind danceswith Baba’s flag and the sun caresses theshining dome, we continue major construction on the Center. In the comingyear, thecenter needs to raise another $85,000 sothat we may obtain our occupancypermitand complete renovations. As a fund-raiserfor our ongoingprojectswe will be offeringfor auction this incomparable book signedby the Avatar of the Age. There are only498 copies signed byHim in existence, thecopy which we are selling is number 397. .

Ann Forbes, a long time Baba Loverfrom Miami, was fortunate to receive thisgift oflove directly from the Avatar. She

k bequeathed herlIbrary including this copyofGodSp&ths to Earl Starcher the architect

.. ofthe “Shrine to the Perfect Man” (a rep-

lica of Meher Baba’s Tomb) in NewMexico.* He in turn left his treasures to hisfamily and they are kindly sharing themwith the Los Angeles Center.

Waves ofnew Baba lovers are comingto Meherabode as His message oflove and

truth circulates rapidly. To accommodateall who wish to come, this construction isour Mghestpriority Therefore, the Centeris reaching out to have this auction viainterne4 mail, telephone, andfaxfbrworldwideparticpation! Thelast auctioned copyof God Speaks inscribed by Baba sold for$14,000. Sealed bids will be accepted anytime before March 1st.

More information will be mailed bymid-Januarç 1999.*See Love Street LampPost, October, 1997

Debra conceived this zany approach toreading God Speaks in an effort to uti

lize the heartfelt lunatic energy of the L.A.group to focus on Meher Baba. Create theevent and they will come! And come theydid! Twenty-nine people participated in thereading outloud and recording of God Speaks.

Each person approached the reading ofBaba’s words with a sense of commitment,determination, wonder, andjoy. Each personwho read had their own style and read at theirown pace. Tamara Mark commented that thereading of God Speaks was surprisingly easyand effortless. Once the presence of MeherBaba was strongly felt — it was as if Babawas there reading His words Himself WendyWard felt a sense ofawe and so much powerin what was happening — she read at 2 pmand stayed with Debra until the verylast pagewas read. While Dana Lee was working onthe grounds and watering the flowers, shecould hear the voice ofBaba’s words over theP.A. system and it gave her a feeling of calmand serenity. Shireen Lorkalantari read GodSpeaks in Persian, after which her daughterGolnaz translated the passages into English.Adele Wolkin read with clarity and strength.Fred Stankus made every line sound as if hewere reading a children’s bedtime story GeorgeGerdes and Michael Campagna acted out thewords as ifit were a performance at a theater.

Regarding Baba’s words, the followingquote was given by Meher Baba Himself,

4s Baba works on these words that Hegives out, He attaches to each word a spiritualenergy ofgreat quantity, greatproportion, andthe individualwho takes the trouble, even with-out understanding, to read Baba words, tapsinto thisgjft ofspiritualenergy which theAvatar has attached to His own words.”

Debra Ashe* began the reading at 9 amwith: “All Souls (atmas) were, are and will bein the over-soul (Paramatma).” At 7:30 pmMarc Brutus completed the reading with“Therefore, the Goal is to realize the Realityand attain the “I am God” state in humanform.” GodSpeaks— 190 pages —read in tenand a half hours!

*1 heard the words of our Beloved roll one intoanother for 10 ½ hours spellbound, listening to aseamless work of love by His loved ones. I am stillintoxicated by the experience!

God’s Signaturet:

GODSPEAKS

The Theme qf Creationand Its Piupose

kv Meher Baba

tAdUr P1

scRceg

Dodd, Mead & CompanyEW YØj l9

God Speaks in 10 1/2 Hours!by Debra Ashe, Los Angeles

The Marathon Reading of God Speaks, hosted by Lunatic Asylum member, Debra Asheand of course inspired by Meher Baba the Beloved, took place on Sunday, November

15th in the main meeting room at Meherabode. The reading of God Speaks consisted of 190pages ofwritings by Meher Baba, which minutely detail thejourney ofthe soul.

EL .‘

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TRUST UNVEILS EXPANDED DEVELOPMENT PLAN

FOR MEHEiBAD ESTATE

U.S. Residents Can Now Make Tax-Deductible Contributions To Development Plan

The premier issue of Avatar MeherBaba P.PC.Trust News1etter In His Ser

vice, was published this month. It stated that“The Avatar Meher Baba Trust has established a master plan for the large-scale development ofits estate over the next five years.This plan envisions the creation ofa parklikeenvironment on Meherabad Hill space withtree plantations, gardens, and permanent pa-vilions for pilgrims’ use during Amartithi andother gatherings. The plan also projects thedevelopment ofa new site for Pilgrim accom—modation in a quiet section oftheTrust estateapproximately one kilometer to the west ofthe Tomb. Construction ofroads, water reservolTs, and pipelines has already begun, andthe laying offoundations for new Amartithiand pilgrim facilities should start within theyear.”

The Trust also reported that the mandaliand the trustees have long been aware of theneed to prepare for the large crowds and con-tinuous streams of pilgrims in the decadesahead which will be the manifestation ofMeher Baba’s words “Meherabad will even-tually become the greatest center ofpilgrim-age in the World”. Even now the facilities arefrequently overcrowded. An added stimulusinvolves the Indian land use ordinances, whichrequire that the Trust now begin to utilize itsproperties for appropriate nonagricultural purposes.

The estimated cost ofthe Five Year Development Plan is $1,890,000 of which$235,000 is needed in the first year. WhileU.K. citizens have been able to take tax-deductions for love gifts to the Trust, U.S. citizens have not in the past generally been ableto do so. Since a very large sum is needed forthe Plan, the Trust has set in place a structurewhere U.S. citizens can now make tax-deduct-ible love gifts to the Trust for the Five YearDevelopment Plan. With the help of U.S.counsel the Trust prepared an Affidavit ofitsEquivalence to a U.S. public charity with sup-porting documentation. While the Affidavitdoes not permit U.S. citizens to donate to theTrust directly in a tax-advantage way, it doesmakes it easier for qualified U.S. tax-exemptBaba organizations to make grants to the Trust.Individuals can receive a tax-deduction bymaking alove gift to one ofthe qualified U.S.

Baba tax-exempt organizations with the request that the money be used for the FiveYear Development Plan. To date, six Babatax-exempt organizations have signed grantswith the Trust and contributions can be madeto them.These six are:

Avatar Meher Baba Center ofSouthem Californiac/o Kanji Miyao. Treasurer1214 S. Van Ness AvenueLos Angeles, CA 90019-3520(213) 731-3737Meherana, Inc.do Christine Pearson5311 Italian Creek RoadMariposa, CA 95338(209) 966-5078Sheriar Foundationdo Andy Lesnik3005 Highway 17 North BypassMyrtle Beach, SC 29577(843) 448-1106Meher Baba Housec/o Keith Sheridan236 West 27th StreetNew York, NY 10001(212) 645-6400Meher Prasad Inc.do Steve Edelman4364 Glengary DriveAtlanta, GA 30342(404) 261-3563Meher Baba Washington Gathering, Inc.do Pam Butler-Stone1127 Dewey CourtKensington, MD 20895(301) 946-0236

Tax-deductible contributions to theTrust’s Five Year Development Plan of $250or greater should be made directly to one ofthe above organizations who will provide theindividual with an acknowledgment of theirgift for IRS purposes.Tax-deductible contri

butions for the Five Year Development planof less than $250 can be collected byTrustwallas who will give them to the quali

fled Baba tax-exempt organizations with aletter detailing the contributors and amounts.The Trust plans to workwith the Trustwallasto institutionalize this system.

‘Street£amUbst-

Please note, however, that donations toAvatar Meher BabaTrust (for the support ofthe mandali and other beneficiaries) cannotbe made through U.S. or U.K. tax-exempt or-ganizations. As in the past, these donationscan be sent directly to the AvatarMeher BabaTrust office in Ahmednagar, or your localTrustwalla.

L__

A Note fromOur Trustwaffi

by Lynne Berry

Ifyou’ve been thinking that sometime

you’d like to make a love-donation to

the Trust, today maybe the perfect time.The Avatar Meher Baba Trust runs

a first-rate school, provides medical care

for villagers and maintains Baba’s tomb-shrine andTrust properties. There are also

beneficiaries ofthe trustwhose living cx-

penses are covered by donations fromBaba-lovers. All ofthese worthy projectswere specified by Baba Himself, in the

Trust Deed. Many of the Trust’s chari

table projects and outreach projects are

carried out by Eastern and Western vol

unteers. Some projects, however, require

the assistance ofpaid Indian workers, and

as India raises its standard of living, the

cost of materials and labor is on the rise

also.Now this new opportunity presents

itseW Love donations are also needed for

the archives project; preservation of the

precious articles used and touched by

Baba that mean so much to all ofus.If this appeals to you, please make

your check payable to Friends of Meher

BabaTrust, and send it to: Lynne Berry,

267 Hanover Drive, Costa Mesa, CA92626.

_i__

— - -

,J @. .t 1

A Letter fromPratap Ahir

[The following is excerpts from a letterwritten to Shireen Lorkalantarifrom PratapAhir who was a verypopularguest at the LA.Sahavas lastJuly. D Goher had recommendedthat we ask him, and as it was hisfirst time inAmerica, he was very excited to be here. Since somany ofyou were really touched by him and hislovefor Baba, Shireen graciously agreedto shareher letter withyou all. It carries theflavor ofhistalks, andfor those ofyou who met him, it willbring backfond memories.]

D ear Sister Shirin and dearMehernoush, Jai Meher Baba. It is

more than a month now since I returned toMumbai after enjoying a months’ stay withyou all. Mywriting to you was postponed forone reason or another. It was only during thethird week of this month that I could go toNagar. It was a nice meeting with all themandali The feelings ofsatisfaction and hap-piness which many ofyou expressed throughyour letters to the mandali about the L.A.Sahavas and other programmes showed onthe faces of all of them, and they all verywarmly greeted me. Baba lovers in Mumbaiand Pune were very keen to hear from me thefull account of my trip to U.S.A., and inMumbai, I spoke on two weekly meetings giving to the Baba lovers there a feeling ofpar-ticipation in the Sahavas in L.A. and all thosemoments I enjoyed at Myrtle Beach. I gave atalk in Poona Center and also in ‘Nagar Center. Baba lovers at these centers could enjoyand feel the love of all ofyou who arrangedthese programmes. The happiest person inMeherazad was obviously Dr. Goher andthrough her hand shake with me I could feelthe warmth ofher feeling ofsatisfaction. Mytrip to U.S.A. still appears to me like a dream.It was as ifsome one was pushing me throughthese events of my life and I was followingjust as an automaton. Even though I have astrong beliefand a firm conviction that Babahas an eye over every moment ofmy life, thatis a conviction without evidence, or so to say, aone way traffic. But indeed there are certaintimes when Baba gave positive assertion andmade me feel that He has His grip over thedriving wheel ofmy life. I cannot express inwords the blissful moments I spent with youall. I never knew that the Iranians are such

good hosts! Shirin must have fed me with somuch butter and cheese in a short period ofabout three weeks that I might never haveeaten in three years! You recall I had told youthat Baba had instructed me to eat milk andbutter during my early days because accord-ing to Him I was anaemic. Baba must havebeen very happywith Shirin because she fedme with lots ofbutter and cheese! When Inarrated all this to mywife and children, theywere excited and all ofthem asked me to con-vey thanks to all ofyou for all that you haveverylovingly done for me. Before I started forL.A., dear Havovi, Hoshang and Naju Kotwalwho had earlier visited L.A. had told me somuch about Baba lovers ofL.A. that I had totell them that iftheyused all the superlativesthemselves then I would be left with no wordsto express my feelings. Really, there is some-thing special in the people of Los Angeles,something which cannot be expressed inwords but which can only be felt in hearts.Baba had opened several Mast Ashrams inMeherabad,Toka, Rahuri, and Bangalore, andI cannot help feeling that Los Angeles is asimilar ashram in the West. In Indian lan-guage, we call such people Mast Ram, mean-ing people living in ‘Mast’ - or a state ofintoxication.

All the programmes in Los Angeles andthe Sahavas programmes in Pilgrim Pineswere heart touching and I enjoyed every bitofthem. In the stillness ofthat night, the silent march towards Dhuni and lighting ofthedhuni, reciting prayers and taking darshan andsingers singing on guitars - all was touching tothe core ofmy heart. An experience which Ican never forget in my life. The very atmosphere of Pilgrim Pines is so very enjoyingthat even a stone-like heart will start singing.Hats offto the high taste ofthe lovers of theHighest ofthe High for making an excellentchoice ofsuch a beautifial place. Sister Havovihad told me that sister Lois is a very goodorganizer. Indeed, she is. A common interestthat I share with her is the liking to work withchildren (I consider all those below the age of16 as children) . I remember Dr. Gani tellingus that Baba had said to them that it will bethe third generation which will do His work inthe real sense. Dr. Gani & Co. was the firstgeneration, ours is the second and our children are the third generation who will do therealworkfor Baba. I find the signs in the children ofBaba families. They do not cling on tothe old traditions and faiths as the people ofour generation do. We seek some measuringrods from the old scriptures to measure the

greatness of Baba. I remember a couple ofBaba people had contacted some high priestsofthe Hindu school ofthought to confirm theperiods ofAvataric advents on the backgroundofBaba’s statements in that respect. But theboys and girls of the 3rd generation acceptBaba’s declarations as the absolute Truth andin relation to this Truth, they decide whetherwhat is stated in the old scriptures is authentic or not. We reallylearn so many things fromthe children.

And what to say ofthe programme stagedbyjeffMaguirc and Fred Stankus and othersduring the Sahavas?Jeff&Co. deserve greatappreciation for their novel and creative ideas.Both the guests, Robert, by his talk frill ofemotion andjamie byhis enchanting singing,made a deep impression on my heart and itwas my privilege to share with them thehonour ofbeing one ofthe invited guests.

Thank you in our beloved Baba’s love toall who helped make myjourney so wonder-ful. Jai Meher Baba!

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: :

:ReviewsThe Ocean ofLove

by Kendra Crossen-BurroughsMeher Mount, Ojai, CA

I ‘m pleased to announce the release of a

cassette single featuring Bob Holdt

(1944-1997) singing his song “The Ocean

ofLove.” Most Baba-lovers have heard and

sung this beautiftil, timeless song—at the

Samadhi, around the dhuni fire, and at van-

ous Baba gatherings around the world. Dolly

Dastoor ofMeherabad has characterized it

as an Anti in its own right. In 1996 a benefac

tor brought Bob into a studio in Cambridge,

Mass., where he recorded versions ofthe song

in three tempos, accompanying himselfon his

autohanp. Although Bob was quite ill with

THE OCEAN ()1:: LOVEBOB i—ic)iI)T

the cancer to which he eventually succumbed,

his voice was strong. With Bob’s permission I

took the recording from his bedside and put it

into safekeeping. We would have produced

the cassette earlier, but Bob couldn’t quite

make up his mind which tempo of “The

Ocean of Love” to use. Now a little over a

year after Bob’s death, I have chosen the one

I think is best and produced the cassette. On

side B, Bob is singing one ofhis favorite Baba

songs, “Look on Me” by the late JeffMylett.

By an interesting coincidence, in both songs,

Baba speaks to the listener in the first person.

People have their own way of singing their

favorite songs. I produced this tape because I

wanted Bob’s own version to be known and

remembered. Bob had a rich, deep baritone

voice thatl always thought ofas an ideal coun

try-music voice (I loved to hear him sing “Wel

come to My World”). Barbara Schultz, a

professional graphic designer volunteered to

design thej-card, which features the lyrics on

the inside ofthe card.The front, with a lovely

photo ofBaba, is a gorgeous ocean blue. Even

though Bob was blind since early childhood,

he did have a favorite color blue. (People had

told him he looked good in it, and hejust felt

it must be his color.) Another Baba lover of

Southern California kindly donated the print-

ing ofthe card. Anyprofit from the sale ofthis

tape goes to the Trust in India. $4.

Waiting on This Hillbyjim Wilson, Oregon

Wand Parks has once again created a

new CD with an offering ofsongs for

the Beloved, songs that probe into the es

sence of “the only game of intrinsic worth.”

Ward has collected together a group ofBaba’s

lovers who perform for Baba’s pleasure. Their

efforts seem to unfold the love, truth, and

beauty ofour Beloved’s broken silence in each

heart.The title song of the CD, Waiting on

this Hill, vocalizes several themes that emerge

from the composer’s inner moments with his

Beloved. These themes enchant us even frtr

ther in the song Sleep Like the Night that

Made You. The melody, by Giamaco Puccini,

sung so beautifully by Debbie Nordeen,

merges soulftillywithWard’s poem, a lullaby

of trust and union and gratitude to the Be-

loved, a gem ofmusicality reflecting deep per-

sonal awakening.Unlike many contemporary songs where

the singer/composer is processing personal

“dreaming and awakening” in a language of

everyday idiom, Ward’s songs seem to tran

scend that focus. Perhaps the CD package

should include a copy of the lyrics. These

compositions are more demanding in the lis

tening, perhaps that is whythe melodies catch

so easily in the recesses ofyour memory and

you find yourself singing along. The com

pressed language ofhis poems, when released

in the consciousness of the heart, explodeswith light andjoy and pleasure. The choralsinging on many ofthe songs is reminiscent

ofWestern sacred music, but the embodiment ofBaba’s presence and beauty cannot

be mistaken. The harmonies are uplifting.

The rhymes, so anchored in symbols and

metaphors, blossom into fragrant garlands to

give from our hearts and place at His feet.Our brother, Ward, has been writing

poems and melodies for many more than the

20 years I’ve known him. As time passes I

see a volume of work growing in quantity,perhaps several hundred songs now. The

depth, beauty and polish of his poetry andmusic have earned a place in the arts that

surround Meher Baba and express His in-

carnation.The level ofhis craftsmanship has

to be admired and appreciated for its excel-

lence, as indeed such quality is demanded

when the object of its attention is Meher

Baba. So, too, with the precision and profun

dity ofthe music; one will find it resonating

in the inner spaces ofthe heart.The compositions he creates for the

Meherabad celebrations ofBaba’s birthday

spring from a deep reservoir of experience,

notjust in music and poetry, but also in the

searching for and experiencing ofBaba’s place

and significance in the worlds of literature

and music. The first person voice, the “I” of

his songs, is the lover smitten by the Divine

Beloved. The awareness focuses on the long-

ing for and distance from the Beloved while

at the same time glorying in His advent and

manifestation.The songWaiting onThis Hill

sums up the lover’s search for his Beloved:

:4cross the worldYourfootsteps here

I’vefollowed, ‘ti/I reached this hill, the

ending ofrny road; and what ofyon has died

in me has hollowed an aching space to serve

as Your abode. 0, why weep, then,for the

emptiness I seer Meher Baba,

Meher Baba will come to me.”

We are fortunate to have such a trou

badour, and in the busy life he lives in In-

dia where precious few moments are spent

waiting on that hill, we hope Ward will con-

tinue.$12.

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The Story ofBaba Bob

by Debra Ashe, Los Angeles

O February 7th, 1981 MichaelCampagna and I left our Hollywood

apartment and followed our hearts to India.Using royalties earned from our songNothingiGonna Thke You Away which had been recorded on Chaka Khan’s, “Naughty” albumfor Warner Brothers,we left the world behindto keep our date with the Master. We had thegreat fortune to perform our Rythym andBlues, Gospel style songs for Baba’s Mandaliin Mandali Hall. Mehera and Mani gaveBaba’s sign ofperfection after each song wasperformed straight from the heart. Mani,Baba’s sister, was so inspired by our Holly-wood Arti, that she made time to meet withus to teach us the Qwali song Baba Bobwritten by the Hamirpur Baba group. EveryFebruary 25th at 5 a.m., the day and time ofBaba’s birth, this group ofBaba lovers weavetheir way through the streets ofthe city sing-

ing “Baba Bollo” to awaken the hearts of thesleeping city to Beloved Baba’s name.

With the support ofFilis Frederick andGai Geherardi, the Baba Bollo album projectwas completed in 1987. The tape of songswas sent to Mani. And in a letter to me she

said “Two days ago, on my Sony-Walkman(with headphones on) I listened to the Ash-Campagna song-tape Baba Boho.The intoxicating singing and music thrilled me. Alongwith you, I feel drunk with the wine of ourBeloved’s name!!”

Due to the enthusiasm of many at the1998 L.A. Sahavas, we decided to reissue theBaba Bob tape. Besides the eponymous title,it features The HollywoodArti, Loving You,Run to Him, Giving It Up, In the Night ofDreams, Rickshaw, and the very popular JeffMylett song — House ofthe Lord.

This new digitally-mastered release isnow available for all to enjoy. fl2.

The DivinePowerhouse

byBalNatu

Throughout my association with Baba, Ihave gathered that the only real miracle

is the awakening in one’s heart oflonging forthe love ofGod. And it is this real miracle thatcontinues to happen within the Avatar’sSamadhi. There are many touching, marvel-ous, and humorous incidents associated with

those visiting the Samadhi; these reflect theactive presence ofthe Avatar’s omnipotence,omniscience, and omnipresence, respondingto the faintestlonging ofan individual’s heart.He is infinitely benevolent!

7Have ComeNotto Teach But toAwaken”— these words were spoken by Baba in July1925, a few days before beginning His silence, and they are now inscribed on themarble slab in the Samadhi, clearly revealingthe purpose of the Avatar’s Advent. Theyshow us the right approach to have when visitmg Baba’s Samadhi, the center of infinitePower, Knowledge, and Bliss, “Sat-Chit-Anand.”

Meher Baba, the source of all Blessed-ness, once conveyed, “The Powerhouse willnever fail, provided the wires take care oftheirconnection with It.” The Powerhouse is Godas Avatar — the God-Man. When formlessGod takes form as the God-Man, that formbecomes the vehicle through which Creationreceives a spiritual push. Meher Baba as theAvatar ofthe Age personally chose the placewhere His form should be covered, so it isinevitable that this place be regarded as thedivine Powerhouse.

Ifone’s connection with this Powerhouseis intact, then one can feel His presence wherever one happens to be.This connection is loveand trust in Baba as the Ancient One. As thePowerhouse has infinite resources at its disposal,Baba can transmit His love to anyone, anywhere,anytime. Those receiving Baba’s love shouldtake care oftheir linkwith the Powerhouse tobe more receptive to His guidance. But evenwhere the connection seems to be nonexistent,a visit to the Samadhi still delivers a wonderful,unexpected charge, as itvibrates with the infinity ofthe Avatar’s Dixinity Anyone who visitsthe Samadhi receives an indelible impressionof unconditional love from the Source —

whether one is conscious ofit at the time or not.

The Samadhi, Star oflnfinity, by Bal Natu,© 1997 Sheriar Foundation.

SurrenderanceTurn to God in complete surrenderance

and receive the divine love. You areequally a part ofthe one indivisible divine life.There is not a single atom that does not vi-brate with this divine life.

Meher Baba, Echoes, The Glow Pub., July 1969

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Step inside...

71w Love Street BooIcstoreby Dma Snow

Happy New Year! And thank you allfor making it the busiest Christmas

ever. Ofcourse a lot ofit might well have

been the inordinate number ofnew releases

we had available. Judging by your orders,there was a lot ofvery happy Baba loverscome Christmas morning. Remember, evcry cent ofprofit from our Bookstore goes

to the Center to help with all the necessary

repairs, renovations and improvements. So

you not only get some beautiful Baba trea

sures for yourselfbut you are contributing

to Meherabode in a very tangible way.Musicallywe have 3 new additions to

ourline.Waiting onThis Hill— $15, BabaBoflo — $12 and Ocean ofLove — $4, all

three ofwhich have a write up following

this article.In the October issue we featured one

ofthe most popular ofthe Baba artists —

Wodin (Steve Jameson). This month we

turn to another favorite — Charlie Mills.

As we sell the photographic prints of

Wodin’s original artwork, so too do we sell

the 15x20 fine quality lithographs of

Charlie’s paintings. He has also made four

ofhis most popular paintings into greeting

cards. Shown here are two, both ofwhich

we have in the large print size ready for

framing — $25, and in a 10 card pack (withenvelopes) for $15.

Forthose ofyou withcomputers,you canput hishome pageup and seehis paint-ings intheir fullcolor. Eachw e e kCharliegives anupdate on the current painting. It is fasci

nating to watch it come to life in front ofyour eyes. The on-line address is

www.MillsStudio.com. Charlie tells me he

is now doing something very new! He will

take commissions to paint a portrait ofBaba

or your favorite Mandali. I’m very excitedabout that! There are at least eight photosofMani I would like him to paint! You canconsult with him by phone at 843 272

5613 or email to Info@Millstudio.com. His

studio is in his home in North Myrtle Beach.

Ifyou are visiting the Meher Spiritual Center, give Charlie a call and drop by to see

his beautiful work. (Admittedly, I’m biased

— I have one ofhis portraits ofBaba in my

living room and donated one ofMehera to

Meherabode.)Cherie Plumlee has released three new

cards for your pleasure. Cherie starts with

a black and white photo of Meher Baba,

and proceeds to take out all the smudges,

Lord of Tran.ftrmationby Cherie Plumlee

Er o LoveStreet£nm2st I

i

Mehera by Charlie Mills

Charlie Millspainting Maui

Charlie Millspainting Babac Face

Meher Baba by Charlie Mills

spots, cracks,lines andfade outs(many of thenegatives ofthe mostbeautifulphotos ofBaba are inbad condition). Whenthey’re asclean as possible, shesharpensblurrededges, adds

-

Whenthat is done,she adds asuitableback-ground. Onsome artpieces, thebackgroundis made of4-5 differ-ent photo-graphs,these arecombinedin a waythat con-solidates

the entire composition and “feels right” toher. All ofthis, ofcourse, is accomplishedon the computer in PhotoShop and maytake weeks to “fine tune.” You think theylook beautiful here? Well tune your computer to http://eccinfo.sunyerie.edu/cplumlee/mbartpage.htm and check outher website where you can see them in fullcolor. When she has completed work on aphoto, Cherie has a negative made and thenmakes photographic prints which shemounts on fine quality linen card stock,adds a matching envelope, and enclosesthem both in a cellophane bag. For all this

The original painting is by Maggie Bevanand it has been made into postcards thatsell for $1 each. (The high cost is becausethey are made in England and we have toimport them.) They are, of course, in fullbrilliant color and would look beautifulframed. An eye-catching conversationstarter to be sure.

Hermes tells me Manifestation will bereleasing Volume 13/14 of the Lord Me-her series early this year. Baring holdups atthe printers, it should be out before sum-mer. We do carry all the others, but sincevolume 3 and 4 are almost completely outof print, we are keeping them for peoplewho are going to buy the entire set. Andwe do allowyou to buythem one at a time.Ifyou wish to build on the collection youalready have, that is fine too. After volume5 Hermes released them in a double volume, so 6/7, 7 (part 2)/8, 9/10, and 11/12,plus a re-release of 1/2 are all priced at$80 per double volume. They contain anenormous collection ofphotos, never seenanywhere else, and some absolutely fascinating glimpses into the life ofthe Avatar.

Some good news about some oldfriends! Many ofyou have asked over theyears for these next four tapes that havebeen completelyout ofstock, but now SteveEdelman ofMeher Prasad tells me he hasthem available. Ancient One the Original

Kitchen Choir — 1974 — presents a van-ety of songs from the late ‘60’s and early‘70’s. Be Mine is the second tape Bob andJane Brown released. And boy, have I beenasked for this one! It has 24 songs on itincluding the very beautiful Seven NamesofGod. Sweet Wine ofLove is the first solorelease by Kathy Haas Rileywith 15 songsalong with the most requested song of all— Bob Holdt’s Ocean ofLove.Jim Meyer’s1976 album featuring The Tavern and IWiliNeverLeave You is entitled One RealFriend. The Tavern is such a powerful andbeautiful song — kind ofa signature songofJim’s, but Ted Judson plays it at theSamadhi so beautifully too. For those ofyouwho have long since worn these tapes out,I know how happy you will be to see themback on the market again! Ifyou have neverheard any ofthem, well they all come highlyrecommended. Steve certainly chose thebest ofthe best to re-release. They all sellfor $10 each.

We still have plenty ofthe most beau-tiful 1999 Baba calendars — a work of antin themselves.These are 8 apiece or 7ifyou buy 5 or more. The last book by Mani,Dreaming ofthe Beloved, was the runawaybest seller at Christmas. But ifyou lookedfor it in vain under your Christmas tree,relax, we have plenty more. Hardbound, 80pages, 24 full color illustrations of thesedreams, it is a steal at $22.

The very finely crafted Witness Seriesvideos, the ones with interviews with Me-hera, Mani, Agnes Baron and Irene Billo(see the article on page 22) were originallyreleased only in NTSC. But that has beenrectified and for you folks overseas, you cannow buy them in PAL. Australians shouldcontact: Rod Tyson P. 0. Box 991 ByronBay, 2481 NSW Australia E-mailrrecords@om.com.au. Europeans shouldwrite or call Ralph Lewis, “Kelmscott”Church End, Hampton Green, Stroud,Gloucester GL6 9AD UK. Ralph’s Fax andphone: 01 453 886179 E-mailralph.adeptconsulting@ukonline.co.uk

Ifyou wish to place an order, or wouldlike us to send you a catalogue, (alas we onlyhave the one created for us over 5 years ago!)you can e-mail to bababooks@aol.com, phoneme weeknights from 7-11 pm at 310 8376419, fax 24 hours a day to 310 839 BABA(2222)orwnite.

In his love, Dma

De5treet£ainJ2bst 11 H

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work, the $3 cost is extremely reasonable.She also has enlargements ofher artworkavailable that are suitable for framing.

Don’t youjust love the King ofHearts?

details where necessary, and then colors thephoto using a variety of tools to tweak theflesh, hair and clothing tones.

Moondreamsby Cherie Plum/ce

L :- - -

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k Zoroastrian Wedding at Meher Mountby Wendy Ward, Los Angeles

here is nothing beyond God and there

is nothing without God yet God can al—

vays be captured with love. “ These words of

aba graced the cover page of the wedding

nvitation announcing the marriage of

Vlehernoush Lorkalantari from Los Angeles

nd KerryMcPherson from Victoria, Canada

)n September 12, 1998 at 4:00 pm at Meher

Vlount, California.Kerry and Mehernoush wanted the wed-

hng to be held at a place that had been graced

) Baba’s Presence. Meher Mount was per-

ect since Baba had actually visited there.

Viuch of the property remains in a natural

;tate, just as it had been when Baba visited.

fhe area chosen for the wedding was where

:he house that Baba slept in used to be be-

Fore itwas destroyedbyfire in 1985.The origi

rial chimney from that house still stands and

was beautifully decorated with flowers &pho

tos ofthe Beloved.One hundred and thirtyguests from both

the Zoroastrian and Meher Baba communi

ties attended the wedding. The Zoroastrian

marriage ceremony was used to unite

Mehernoush and Kerry in matrimony. When

all the guests had gathered, Mehernoush and

Kerry entered the wedding site walking arm

in arm. The bride and groom were seated at a

table upon which were placed many symbolic

items. Most noticeable was a picture of

Zoroaster in front of Kerry’s seat, and a pic

ture ofJesus in front ofMehernoush’s seat. In

the center ofthe table sat a slightlylarger pho

tograph ofBeloved Avatar Meher Baba.Jeff Maguire, the MC, introduced the

Mobed (the officiator ofthe ceremony) and

announced that parts ofthe ceremony would

be spoken in both English and Farsi. The

Mobed began: “In the name ofAhura Mazda,

the great, wise creator, we have come here to

bring Mehernoush and Kerry together who

have resolved to share their lives as husband

and wife in accordance with the law and cus

tom ofZarathustra.” He then asked the bride

ifshe accepted the bridegroom as her physi

cal and spiritual partner. After an affirmative

answer from the bride, he turned to the bride-

groom and asked him the same question. AT-

ter his assent, the benediction began. “To the

i2%

auspiciousness ofall thepeople assembled here,I pray to Ahura Mazdathat this wedding beblessed with durabilitysolidarity love, joy, andhappiness. May you beblessed with good children possessed ofinnatestrength of body andmind.”

The Mobed continued by counseling thecouple. “Here are somespiritual directives, listenand practice them so thatthey bring you to divine pleasure and happi

ness. Pray and praise God, Ahura-Mazda the

Creator, for he has granted us every blessing,

and know God as the all knowing Creator.

Turn to truth and righteousness. Live alife of

good thoughts, good words, and good deeds.

Help the poor as best as you can. Perform the

Najote (initiation) ofyour children, so that they

may stand praising Ahura-Mazda. Be grate-

ful to your parents and teachers and hold

them in reverence, for God is pleased when

they are pleased. Hold memorial services in

honor ofyour departed souls. It is necessary

to select one wise person as your guide in life,

to consult him or her, because knowledge is

vast and it requires the guidance of a wise

person in order to obtain a good result. Omni

scient God who has created man above all

other worldly creations, and endowed him with

the knowledge ofspeech, loves philanthropy;

therefore do not hurt people with your

thoughts, words, and deeds. Be kind to your

I

MobedBabrarn Shahzadi with Mehernoush and Kerry.

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juniors and respect your superiors.”The Mobed continued by charging the

bride and groom to follow the six attributes ofGod (Amesh Splendam) and to strive towards

spiritual per-fection. 1)The principle ofVohuManah ispeace andgood think-ing. Be be-nevolent andwell wishing.Acquireknowledge,be wise, andspread

knowledge. Be just to your enemies. Be kindto your friends. 2) The principle ofArdibeshesht is truth and righteousness. Al-ways keep yourselves mentally and physicallyclean. Be united with one another in heart andsoul. May you bear each other’s joy and sorrow. Give help and receive help. Try to be lawabiding and useful citizens. 3) The principle

ofShahrivar Ameshaspand is spiritual powerand self-restraint. Work for leadership andpower. Be obedient and respectful to the justleaders. Be diligent and self-reliant. Do not

covet other’sriches.Donotbejealous. 4) Theprinciple of SpentArmaz is humilityand kindness. Bemeek and modestin life. Be good

I and kind to each

1 other. Do not be

I selfish and arro

I gant. Be gracious.:J Do not regardyour poor relatives as a disgraceto your position.Help them financially. Establishschools, hospitalsand other beneficial institutes. Bewell, yielding andforbearinglike theearth. Keep theearth clean andprosperous. Donot pollute her. 5)The principle ofKhordad is hap-piness and pros-

perity. Have a happy heart and clean body.Cleanliness is in fact purity of soul. Do notbe ungrateful. Do not be sad. Look at theworld with clear eyes. Be glad and gratefulfor what God has granted you. Bring pros-perity and create happiness. Keep water, theagent ofprosperity and happiness, clean anddo not pollute it. 6)The principle ofAmeritatis health and prosperity and longevity. Keepyour body healthy and strong. Avoid evil andpollution. Have your home and clothes clean.Drain stagnant water and create farms. In-crease trees and plantations. Treat the worthywith medicine and care.Take care ofthosein trouble.

The Mobed then solemnized themarriage and the Tandorsoty was recited. “Inthe name ofAhura Mazda, I declare you ashusband and wife. I wish Ahura Mazda willlook afteryou, guide you and help you in yourgreat adventure. Mayyou always rememberAsho Zarathushtra’s advice to his daughter

Pouruchistra and her husband Jamasya attheir wedding ceremony: He said “Dearchildren, bear in mind that to be truthful toeach other is the best way to live together.May you strive lovingly to excel each other.

“Dear Ahura Mazda, we commend thesetwo young people to your care and attention.Look after them; guide them in their endeavors. Amen. Dear Ahura Mazda, I ask for yourblessing to sanctif5i the union of these twohearts, so that their wedded life be blessedwith your Love. Amen.”

JeffMaguire then described what was tofollow and told Kerry “Adi K. Irani said that aman without a woman is incomplete; but oncehe is married, he is finished.” Light or fire is tothe Zoroastrians symbol oflove, divine illumination, enlightenment, warmth, and energy Itis a reminder ofthe Divine Light, purity, andlove of God, much as the Dhuni fire is forBaba Lovers. It is the custom for the Mobedto lead the bride and groom, hand-in-hand,around a fire seven times. Each circle symbolically brings the couple closer and closer tothe element of Divine Love, increasing thewarmth and love in their own hearts. In thismanner the marriage is sealed. The families ofthe couplejoin in the circle oflight and loire.Tradition was broken when many Baba by-ersjoined in the circle. And at the end of thisbeautiftil circle, a resounding cry ofAvatar Me-her Baba kiJai rang out.

Then a beautiful song was sung in Farsi,followed by Debra Ashe singing “The Rose”,Pris and Chris Haffenden playing “Begin theBeguine”, and Billy Goodrum singing “Deepis the Ocean.” During the songs a feeling oflove andjoyfilled the air. A Persianlady stand-ing next to me commented on the presence oflove she felt.

An incredible Persian feast and hours ofexhuberant dancing followed the wedding.The four-tier cake decorated with laceworkicing and fresh flowers was cut by the brideand groom, and enjoyed by all.

At one point some friends and I decidedto walk to Baba’s tree. As I walked up the hilltowards the tree, I found that there were manypeople doing the same thing. Alarge group ofBaba lovers were gathered at the tree and wejoined them just as they began saying theParvardigar Prayer. Many Zoroastrianguests quietly walked by while listening tothe prayer; othersjoined the back ofthe groupand listened respectfully. There seemed to besuch total acceptance and mutual respect for

13

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each group’s spiritual practices. I thought itwonderftil that there were so many membersofthe Zoroastrian community present at Me-her Mount (which is dedicated to serving allcommunities.)

Mehernoush and Kerr you have chosen to wed on a Dhuni day. Mayyour love foreach other be like the Dhuni, so that as youeach sacrifice your own individual wants anddesires for one another, you find more andmore room in your hearts for an ever deeper,self-giving and expansive love for each otherand for Beloved God.

Avatar Metier Baba kijai!

Step Over the ObstaclesbyMani S. Irani

I t’s good to remember life isn’t a make it

or break it affair; while taking the deephappiness a union of two beings in love canbring, one should not close one’s eyes to theconstant little demands marriage is bound tomake.

When understood in that right give andtake it will bring you ever closer together andto Him. So because Baba is happy and hasapproved ofyour marriage it does not meaneverythingwill be blanklysmooth, or that therecan never be problems and no hurts.

Baba does not sweep our paths for us,He teaches us to step over the obstacles tohigher giving and loving.

Lettersfrorn the Mandali, II, p. 80© 1983, AMBPPCT

That’s HowYou ShouldLive in the World

Meher Baba

Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya, the PerfectMaster ofDelhi, was once asked by a

visitor how one should live in the world. Atthat moment so happened that a fewwomenwere passing by with pitchers of water balanced on their heads, and, as they walked,they gossiped and gesticulated. Pointing tothem Nizamuddin said, “Look at those women— that’s howyou should live in the world.”

Asked to explain this cryptic remark, theMaster continued, “These women returningfrom the well with pitchers balanced on theirheads seem to be thinking ofnothing else butexchanging tidbits ofgossip with each other;and yet they are all the time concentrating onsomething far more important, on balancingthe pitchers on their heads. Thus, whateveryour body, your senses or the purely surfacepart ofyour mind may be occupied with, seethat the root ofyour mind is constantly focused on God.”

GodSpeaks, p. 208©1973 Sufism Reoriented, Inc.

Unity

Meher Baba

Love is the reflection of God’s unity inthe world of duality As love gathers it

generates creative restlessness and becomesthe spiritual dynamic which ultimately suc—ceeds in restoring to consciousness the original unity ofbeing.

Meher Baba, Echoes,The GlowPub.,July, 1969

“There is nothing beyond Godand there is nothing without God,yet God can always be captured

. with Love. “ Avatar Meher Baba

2]Thiiii . .

— -

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Children’s ¶Page

Living in His WorldFrom Cynthia Barrientos,

Seattle, WA

Here’s a true story oflife in a Baba home.My son has two sweet little black and

white gerbils. This morning, at 5:20 am, myhusband calls upstairs to me as he’s gettingready to head off to work, “Honey!JAILBREAK!The gerbils are loose!” We dolet them out every few days, though they rollaround in these clever little, clear plasticballs...free, but VERYeasyto catch. So, picturethis, 5:30 am, flashlight in hand, scanning all

t__eo 5

cranmes ofour

1’tr kitchen and

) living room,fL4;: calling for our•: r? ( little friends.. ft We finally

y discover one is

. , \ hiding out

ç;’k; drTh’:-- ) easy, we setI his cage in

there withfood, close the utility room door and wait forhim to crawl in. Each time I go to check onhim, he’s snatched some sunflower seeds anddashed backunder the dryer. Hmmmmmm...Maybe not so easy.

At 6:15, our dog finally spots the tamerofthe two, peeking out from under the couch.He’s escaped before, is pretty friendly and willapproach ifwe talk in a sweet soft voice whileoffering food! So, offand on, for about a halfan hour--he comes right up to me, we stare ateach other I speak sweetly, offer the sunflowerseeds. He EVEN lets me stroke his tiny littlepaws. The moment my hand opens to reachfor him, away he dashes!

In a moment ofdesperation, I say Baba’sname outloud, notvery sweetly. BOINK! Outpops his pointy little face. *IDEA* J’ sayBaba’s name again. Sure enough, he comescompletely out from behind the couch andstands up on his hind legs. For those of younew to gerbil nature, this is what they do whenthey are curious and feel comfortable enough

to check things out.There he stands, tall andvery alert, looking at me as I say “Avatar Me-her Baba kiJai!”A KODAK moment! Need-less to say, each time I move to reach for him,behind the couch he zips.Mumble, grrrrrr, sigh,harumph and an occasional “Oh, Baba”.

It’s 6:50 — I’m beginning to lose my pa-tience. Now he’s behind the file cabinet, nextto our computer. This is convenient. I can checkmy emailwhile waiting for him to come backout. Hmmmm, haven’t done prayers yet thismorning. Believe it or not, I fold my handsand begin, “0 Parvardigar, the preserver andprotector of all... “You guessed it! Out hecomes, stands up VERY tall (well, as tall as agerbil possibly can) holds his little paws wayup close, under his chin, and LOOKS at meas I continue with prayers. Distracted by hiscuteness, I pause. He crouches down andquicklywalks back into the dark space behindthe cabinet.

7:00 strikes, I give up trying and let himbe. He (ofcourse) then saunters out throughthe kitchen. I am able to corner him near abook shelfand FINALLY have him! ThankYou, Baba!

Now, what about the one under thedryer? He has food, water and his cage to hopin and out. It’s time to wake my son and getready for school. Believe I’ll leave him thereuntil my husband gets home this afternoon. Imay try”O Parvardigar” and Baba’s name withhim. But, really.. . what are the chances of twoBaba loving gerbils in the one house?

As Halloween approached, my 5-year-old son Lee was learning fun

little songs at school. One was:“Jack o’ lantern,jack o’ lantern

You are such a funny sightAs you sit there in the window

Looking out at the night

You were once a yellow pumpkinGrowing on a sturdy vine

Now you sit there in the windowSee the candles that shine.”

“Jack 0 Lantern...”

“Meher Baba, Meher BabaYou have such a loving heart

As you look out in the windowAt the people who hug.

Meher Baba, Meher BabaOne who loves our everyoneNext time you come to see us

Sing a song about ME!”

. . .As Lee sang, I dashed to get a piece ofpaper tojot this down and had him sing it afew times so I could get all the words justright. I asked him ifhe’d like to send this offto the LoveStreet LampPost and he agreedwith a smile and a nod. He also agreed todraw a picture of Baba to accompany it.

Handing him a pen and paper, we sat to-gether on our steps. He spoke while draw-ing:

“Meher Baba is wearing a Mexico hatcalled a sombrero. See those lines rightthere? (Connecting his legs like rungs of aladder) Those are all the future people thatdied. (Is that a fascinating sentence orwhat?) That means they are dead on Hislegs. He uses people’s LOVE for the NEWpeople to love other people. His feet kindoflook big, but that’s OK. I can’t make asbig ofa leg. See that hair right here? (AtopBaba’s head.) This is when He was a littleboy.That’sit!”

[Ah, those Baba babies!Anyone else have stories

like thisi Please let itshearfrom you.]

One day I heard him sing to the tune of

. .£oveswect4Dam1;c(

Lee

-_;_

I e:;1$® t 4

The Turning ofThe Keyby Sarah McNeil,Sussex, England

I he question back in October‘88 was “How?”Two students of theol

)gy had put the question to Eruch. It was:ourageous ofthem. Most ofthe people I met)n that first visit to Meherabad had no probem with this question at all, recounting withhining eyes and real feeling their personalxperience ofloving the Avatar. For me it didiot connect. I seemed to be able to present:learly thought out rea;ons why I needed toblow this path, butvhen it came to thequestion of love Iisked myself how do:hey do it, how do theyreel that, what kind offfort should I be makng to get to that point:f actually feeling;omething? Shiningyeswould be nice aswell. So I was gladwhen the theology duoput this important (tonie) question to Eruchin Mandali Hall. HeLold us Baba said we aregiven an example of how to love God in theway lovers behave towards each other; theLoved one is constantly in their thoughts andin the songs and poems theywrite to celebratetheir love; a picture ofthe loved one is worn asa locket and another might be placed underthe pillow at night. “Right,” I thought,”I’ll giveit a try.” For the next two weeks I slept withBaba’s picture under my pillow but nothinghappened. No ecstatic dreams. No feelings ofbliss. No shining eyes.

Sure I knew what love meant! I lovedmy children and I loved my husband likeno one else in the world. I loved my par-ents, fondly and dutifully; my friends, myhome, mywork, myself, yes,yes! But that’snot what people were talking about, notwhat they meant. I spent a considerabletime thinking about this, even feeling guiltyon the days we went to Meherazad be-cause I found that the anticipation of see-ing Eruch again was stronger than the love

for the Avatar I wanted to be able to tuneinto and share.

That first visit to India was also the firststep ofajourney round the world. I had threemonths leave and a travel grant. My husbandhad urged me to take this chance to visit allthe Meher Baba locations (India, Australiaand the United States) in the caring hope thatmaybe I’d find whatever it was I seemed to be

looking for. So after India, when I went on toAustralia to spend time at Avatar’s Abode,the same question was still uppermost in mymind.

The orchestration of the events of thatweek on Kiel Mountain was simply brilliantthough I did not see the pattern emerge untilmuch later. First, was Mrs. Love. She was awhite-haired elderlyladywho was staying atthe pilgrim house on the Avatar’s Abode estate. She did not want to be there, but her sonwas helping her move at the time and thiswas the only place she could stay until thingswere settled. For Mrs. Love, the arrival of awandering Brit who moved in to share hertemporary bedroom was not exactlywhat shemight have wished for. But as it was, I couldnot use the other bedroom because two younglovers had arrived with theirlove-child, a beau-tifril 3 year old cherub. They would be mar-ned at Avatar’s Abode the following Saturday(my last day there).

In those days there was a key to Baba’sCabin hanging on a special hook in the Pilgrim House. It could be taken and returnedwhenever pilgrims wished to visit the Cabin.I went there very early each morning. I canstill hear the chucklinglaughter ofa kookaburrathat greeted my appearance as I swished upthrough dew-laden grass at sunrise in a still-ness broken only by these sounds. I took it

personally and felt hewas laughing at me! Ileft my shoes at thedoor ofthe Cabin, creptinside letting myselfinto Baba’s room andquietly sat on the floorby the bed.

What I felt I hadto do was say “I loveyou Baba” loudly andclearly in that room overand over, as if repeat-ing a magic formulacould make it happen!Outside, the kook-aburra laughed again.But I was thousands ofmiles from home. No

one would hear me, see me, or ever know. Soover and over an hour each day, the sound ofmy voice speaking those words echoed in aroom with a polished resonance like the intenor ofa perfectly made musical instrument. Aroom which for me became a force field ofenergy and power. I could not honestly say inthe time I spent there I registered any feel-ings oflove for the Avatar. But I loved sittingin His room and it was important to me tokeep on trying. I really felt this was somethingI had to do and that my lack of feeling wasbecause ofsomething I was failing to do.

Meanwhile, the days passed and theweddingloomed. Earlyon the Saturday mom-ing, afterleaving Baba’s Cabin, I went in searchof a house where I could make a telephonecall to the UK. Peter and Leigh Rowan wereat home and invited me in. It was my wed-ding anniversary and I talked at length withmy darling husband in far offEngland. Then,backup to the Pilgrim House where my busy

Er’ tovestreetcani1ast-’.

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( , ®

“doing” persona popped up and I assisted

wherever I could.On returning to the house to get my

lunch, I found the whole place taken over by ateam ofparents and helpers who had arrived

to organize the entire wedding. “Never mind,”

I remember thinking to myselfrather piously,

“I don’t mind going without lunch.”“Where’s Sarah?” called a voice. It was

an Australian ladyl’d met in India, who lived

nearby. She had heard I was staying up atAvatar’s Abode. “Thought you might like tocome for a picnic lunch,” she said, brandishing

a well-stocked picnic basket. We ate fruit andsandwiches on the grass underneath the trees.

It was delightftil.The wedding tookplace thatafternoon at the top ofthe hill where bbs-som-scent and music intermingled till youcould smell the music and hear the flowers.Summer dresses, fancy hats and laughter

adorned the occasion. Mrs. Love was there,her hat in bloom and a smile ofenjoyment onher face.

When Peter and Leigh then invited me

out for the evening (“We gather it’s your wed-ding anniversary”) I explained that I hadnothing suitable to wear as I was travellinglight. “No worries,” said Leigh “I’ll lend yousomething.” That evening at her house, sheinvited me to choose something from her ward-robe. She added shoes, beads, earrings andbangles to the colourful array ofdresses andleft me to select whatever I liked. So I deckedmyselfout in celebratory style and we all went

out for a meal.Back at midnight for mylast night at the

Pilgrim House I quietly crept into the bed-room so as not to disturb Mrs. Love. Sheswitched the light on and I wished her goodnight saying, “It’s mylast night. Tomorrow Igo back to Sydney.”

Joanna Bruford came to see me off atMaroochydore as well as Alice and her twochildren Alicia and Karim, all friends from myweeks in India. Joanna had been seriously illwhile she was at the Pilgrim Centre that October. During my time at Avatar’s Abode I’dspent a daywith her and heard all about whathad happened. As well as being very ill shehad also been very upset about causing theMeherabad residents and other pilgrims somuch trouble. “I only started to get betterwhen I learned to be able to receive their love,”she told me. In the end, it was probably thisstatement that helped me to see things in anewlight.The nagging doubts could come out

now. Everything at Avatar’s Abode that weekwas showing me the same thing.

All around me were people open to receiving it, expressing in their lives the fbllnessofits dynamism. It is ofcourse contagious ineffect.

That is not all.There was another time atAvatar’s Abode. Sixyears later. Bythen (1994)it was no longer possible to wander up toBaba’s cabin at will. Visits were prearranged;mybonged-for early morning time withheld;another step to be made. It happened on thelast day.Venturing out soon after sunrise for an earlywalk, I realized that the Cabin was open.Lorna Rouse was inside doing some cleaning

work. She let me into Baba’s room while shefinished.Just for a few minutes. For me, it wasnot long enough! I asked if I might be allowed to stay on awhile after she left and lock

up the place myself. She declined quite firmly

and looking me straight in the eye said,

“Baba is in your heart. Thatcwhere you’llfind him.”

Now I did actually have a “secret” keyon trust, lent to me by another friend I’dmet recently. I did not want to betray thattrust by letting anyone know. So I couldhave waited until Lorna had gone back toher house and then let myself back into

Baba’s room. I could have. It was my lastday. But there was something about theway Lorna Rouse spoke to me. somethingabout what she said and the way she lookedat me which made that option wither in-stantly. Part ofme felt rebellious. But I returned there and then down the hill to make

arrangements for my “secret” key to begiven safely back to its owner. The real keywas mine and Lorna had turned it. Avatar’s

Abode was the place. And the whole pro-

cess from my initial question to its eventualanswer was completed in Baba’s perfecttime. I didn’t have to do anything.

*Thjs is also the title of a book on Meher Baba inAustralia by Bill LePage.

It Was He WhoKissed Mehera’s

Hand

by Mani S. Irani

The absolutely clear mirror ofMehera’simmaculate heart, which Baba took

great pains to keep unclouded by the dustofthe world, reflects Baba’s image, the image ofthe Divine Beloved, as none other

From the beginning, and throughouther life with Baba, Mehera’s status as HisBeloved grew obvious to us in manyways.Her place was foremost in all things con-cerning Baba. All personal privileges inattending to Babas Form were hers - comb-ing His hair, trimmIng His moustache, cut-ting His nails, seeing to His clothes, and allthings concerning His precious person.

Let me give you an example ofBaba’srelationship with Mehera that clearly mdl-cates her special position in the kingdom ofHis Love. When we would be seated atthe dining table, itwould be Mehera whohad the prIvilege of serving Baba. And,when Mehera would offer Him somethingfrom her plate something she knew Babawas partial to, like a piece ofcheese or somesuch delicacy- Babawould taste it to pleaseMehera and return it to her saying, “No,Mehera, you eat it; it will bejust the sameas ifl am eating it.”

Another example ofMehera’s No. 1position among us; while on occasion Babawould offer His hand to us to kiss, it wasHe who kissed Mehera’s hand. We wit-nessed this natural gesture many a time, atMeherazad and Guruprasad, and happilyit is captured on one ofthe films for you allto share.Mtherti, by Mehera S. Irani, Foreword by ManiS. Irani, (c) 1989 Avatar Meher Baha PerpetualPublic Charitable Trust, Ahrnednagar, India,Published by Naosherwan Anzar, Beloved Books.

“The love I was lookingforwas not to be accessed by my

doing or making efforts to doanything at all. All around

me, like meteor showers in theAustralian night sky, were

examples ofthat love.”

can.

[ I 7

The President’sReportby Lois Jones

4ll those who love Me andwant to share My work can do so.”

—Avatar Meher Baba

hat a busy year we’ve had here at Me-herabode. We were able to observe

kmartithi and celebrate Beloved Baba’sBirthday in our beautiftdhome. Many guestsvisited us, including Baba’s niece - ShireenBonner and her mother, Freny. A highlightwas Bhau Kaichuri’s return to Meherabode.Mieher Baba’s flag, a gift from the Mandali,flow graces our meeting hail and is flown out-loors on special occasions. Bhau, guest3peaker Pratap Ahir from Mumbai, RobertDreyftis and singerJamie Newell, along witha]l who attended, helped to create a wonder-ftil 1998 L.A. Sahavas!

Attendance at the Farsi language meet-ings continues to grow. Thanks to the work ofthis group, a Persian God Speaks is now avail-ablethe first publication from our own LoveStreet Press.

The Service Committee has reactivatedpublic Community Outreach, and proceedsfrom the “Turkey Swing” dance will be usedto make Thanksgiving baskets for families inneed. Meanwhile, efforts to provide opporturnties for the L.A. Baba community to spenda relaxing time together have resulted in afun-filled Sunday pancake breakfast as wellas a group marathon reading ofGod Speaks.

This year we paid our second mortgagein frill. Before the end ofthe year we will havea fhlly functional center! The three storagebays are being converted to an office and anarchives & bookstore storage room. We willfinally have all of our archival treasures onsite.The far shed is presentlybeing convertedto a teen room, and the garden shed will soonbe a kitchen with a small dining area adjoin-ing the green house. When the office is movedto its newlocation, the former office space willbe converted to a room for the younger children. Since so many Baba babies are beingbrought into the world from our Center’smembership, we are converting the oldchildren’s room to a mother and baby facilitywith changing table and rocking chair. Aftermuch planning, next year we will begin the

renovations necessary to obtain our Certificate of Occupancy.

This year’s Board ofDirectors had lots ofwork to do, which required many long meet-ings. Thank you, Mahoo Ghorbani,Mehernoush Lorkalantari-McPherson, LynnMaguire, Golnaz Manouchehrpour, NancyMerwan, Dma Snow, and Linda Zavala foryour time, hard work, and many talents.

Thank you also to all ofyou in the community who volunteered at the Center orhelped in other ways. And to those aroundthe countrywho consistently send in your lovedonations - a thousand thanks. It warms ourheart to know there are so many people whocare so very much that the Center be here forallwho visit L.A.. Meherabode is such a lovelyplace! Come often and bring your friends.

Center and FacilitiesReport

by Linda Zavala

Construction Activities

In November we were able to move theoffice into one ofthe back storage sheds,

which was renovated from top to bottom— walls, windows and ceilings were added.Another one ofthe sheds has now becomethe Teen space and the garden shed (adjacent to the Green House) has been con-verted into a small kitchen. This will helpthe Center function during the renovationofthe main building this year. We plan tobuild the handicap bathrooms (mandatedby law) as soon as we obtain the BuildingPermit, perhaps by April or May. Construc

tion on the main meeting hallwill probablystart just after Silence Day and continuefor the duration ofthe year.

Minor renovations are being done tothe Babies and Children’s roomsjust adjacent to it. For years people have longed forchildren and teens to be able to have their

own space for special activities and pro-grams, and now that is becoming a reality.A member has bartered services for beau-tiful imported wood furniture, which hasreally spiced up the front porch and Book-store.

After 20 years ofkeeping Baba’s Sadrain a small box, lovingly made by ChrisPearson in the early 70’s, a new archivaldisplay case has been purchased. Now everyone will be able to see Baba’s Sadrabeautifully displayed and feel confidentthat it will be preserved properly for yearsto come under the plexiglas and securityhousing. Mahogany wood was chosen forthe frame and a silver “Mastery in Servitude” emblem made by Randall Williamshas been set into the casing at the front ofthe cabinet. A tortoise shell barrette, beau-tifully decorated by Mehera with Baba’sfingernail clippings, has been placed aboveBaba’s Sadra, at the top ofthe display case.Mehera had given it to Hedi Merten as abirthday present in 1938 while she was inIndia. Unfortunately, we do not have aphoto ofthe cabinet as ofthis printing.

Many small things have been accomplished to spruce up the Center. A littlepruning here and there, more flowers andtrees planted, a little painting and ofcourse,there are always the ongoing repairs. Stepby step, the Center is improving and allthe loving care is going into enhancing thatfeeling ofBaba’s loving Presence and Grace.

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r Roberto he/ping bui/d the new storageshed behind the garden shed.

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The old ‘log kennels” being made intothe new bookstore and archives storage.

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Y have heard of a Turkey Trot, wellthis year organizer Lynn Maguire de

cided to have a Swing Dance to raise funds,hence the title. It was a wonderful night, well

attended, with most people out on the floordancing their legs off. Professional dancerMitchell Rose taught some of the basic steps

for those who had never attempted to swingdance, and thenwe were off anddancing up astorm to GlenMiller and othergreat bands ofthe ‘40’s.

Itwas also anight thatbrought out allthe new mothersand their babies,although theysat out thedances!

Almost500 was raisedand with thismoney it has

been the Center’s tradition to buyThanksgiving Baskets for the poor. Shopping for the baskets isgreat fun! Agroup sweeps into the grocery

store, and likean army with awell-organizedplan, proceedsto fill over adozen shop-ping carts withturkeys and allthe trimmingsnecessary for afamily of 4-6people. Wevary which

Alexandra Rouchon getsdancing tipsfrom

Mia Compagna andGlenn Russ

churches wegive it to. Thisyear we are tak

rng them, when they are all packed up, to St.Joseph’s Church inSanta Monica. Theyhave at least 200families on theirneedy list, so will beable to place themwhere they are mostneeded. Of coursewe slip a Baba cardin with each basket,so the families get tofill their tummiesand allow a little ofHis Divine Love toslip in too.

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The ‘Turkey Swing Dance’

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In the mood!

Dance InstructorMitchellRose

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Lynn MaguireandMitchell

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Myrtle Beach

—

The Witness Series Videos

For three months in the Fall of 1986 ourfilm crew encamped at Meherazad. Not

since Louis vanGasteren hadcome 20 yearsearlier had therebeen this seriousa collaborationover filming. Lifewas intensified,particularly forthe resident man-dali, as wevideoed themprofessionally forthe bfficial mediaarchives ofMeherBaba’s Mandali.Residents andpilgrims alikejoined in the spirit of turning Mandali hall,Mehera’s porch and yard, and Baba’s roomupside down and into film sets. Meherazadcoped with our demand for output on off-days;Eruch with trekking to Imampur in the darkearly morning hours; arti-goers with our film-ing Mehera inside the Samadhi. We lived atthe Pilgrim Center coming and go- ing in abeat-up green van Sudam had commandeered for us at a good price. Consumed withour work, we kept late hours and took fiber-ties, often putting the tolerance of Ted andothers to the testwith such trouble as startingthe only room fire in PC history when BillHaviland’s immersion heater caught the win-dow curtain on fire in M-1O.

Myvideo work for Meher Baba did notbegin with an inherent interest in the field.Actually, I usually disliked watching television and movies, preferring real life. Rather, it

began because ofmy deep personal interestsin theology, psychology and esthetics whichhad also guided my business and professionallife. Years ago, they combined to lead me towork on the problem ofhow to discern Realityin illusion. I came to focus on ordinary lifewith the God-man as the place to discern sup-port for a walk offaith andlove along our fflu

sion-obscured path to God. I knew from myChristian upbringing, and identification with

the Apostles,that, short ofhaving beenable to live with

Jesus, next bestwas to havebeen one ofthese disciple’scompanions.

In 1983,the questionoccurred to me,“With high-re 5 olutio nvideo, can we insome sense‘freeze’ the liv-ing mandali

and close ones ofMeher Baba, only to restorethem to life in perpetuitywith a VCR?” Thesimple, “yes” answer I gave myselfset in motion a video project that came eventually, withthe India portion, to be uniquely underMehera’s direct guidance. How this ‘cryogen-ics’ work could be done, was a more difficultquestion to answer. Liveliness in Baba onvideo, demanded the camera be the inter-viewer, and the viewer’s exchange with thesubject on camera be a speaking heart-to-heart. Done well, the balance of head andheart could be there, and Baba’s real presencecould emerge through the impressions made.When a few months later I met Bill Havilandat the Pilgrim Center, my abstract conceptwasjoined to practical technique, and a partner-ship was born. Behind the scenes, BarbaraBrustman also became a partner and gave heractive support.

The resuitwas the initiation of“The Wit-ness Series” ofvideos, personal meetings withmandali and Westerners alike. It began witha trip by Bill, myselfand my 14 year old son,Tommy, to Heiden, Switzerland in 1984 tofilm Irene Bib, and then the next year toFrance and England for Anita and RogerVieillard, Don Stevens and others. Even

thoughMani atflrst demurred, citing time con-straints and the condition of the mandali as“broken-down ftirniture,” after a meeting I hadwith Bhau Kalchuri in 1985 in California, thefollowing year our crew was able to pack off14 cases of gear and go to India. We werefinally at the high point ofthe project: sittingsquarely in front of Mehera, Mani, Eruchand the other mandali. By 1987 we had accumulated all together several hundred hours ofhigh-quality 3/4” video. Five years later, theoriginal tapes became Sheila Krynski’s initialcollection with which to begin SheriarFoundation’s permanent archives.

During video sessions, holding thesubject’s attention to the camera was key. BillHaviland or Ken Petrie behind the cameracould safely draw it; likewise Roman Babiakor Tom Brustman working the sound withshotgun mike and headphones; but mostly itwas intended to go to our crew member sit-tingjust under the camera’s lens. As director,

I was most of-ten this one

‘ - , standing in forfuture videoviewers. MinaB rus tm anand PaulMorris still re—call their frequent dutiesas my alter-nate. Mina5 0 m e t i m e 5

needed todiscr:tely give

Meherazad, October 1 986 first to this leg,Porch ofMandaliHall, then to that, to

BillandRornan keep eyesopen in order

to do her job of holding the speaker’s gaze.But even glancing away to the left or right atpilgrims, the speaker’s heart seemed always toremain attuned, even though for the insideshoot, mandali hall had been turned topsy-turvy Wall colors had been toned down with

11. (

The Filming oft \%3 I

by Wendell C. Brustman, Ph.D.

Left to rightBillHaviland, David Walkenhauer, RomanBabiak, Thm Brustman. August, 1 986, Hong Kong

Airport. Photos by Wendell Brustrnan

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dulling spray; film lights had cranked up theOctober heat almost unbearably thick orangepower cords, even when tucked under the on-ental throw rugs, could be seen running everywhene across the floor, then snaking out adoor or windo backpast Pendu’s room to thecontrol center in Bal Natu’s office.

There were manypoignant, but also difficult and tense moments during our videoshoot which Baba would resolve, and use tocall attention to the spirit ofsacnifice and harmony that these mandali had become capableofunder His years oftraining. For example, Iremember that after a few weeks, Mani gotinto the swing ofit, and was spending most ofher limited free time preparing for her ownstints before the camera. A paucity of mate-nial from memories and ideas had now be-came a cornucopia ofriches hard to select from.One day, while discussing filming her in heroffice at the Trust compound, Mani intro-duced the idea of including Rano. Up untilthen, we had excluded Rano because her dementia was so advanced, it would have beenundignified to record her in this condition andalso skew history’s perception ofthis once exceptionally sharp mandali. Mani knew all ofthis, of course, yet she was determined andpresented this plan: “We will include Rano inthe office filming by having her sit on her famthar chair to the side ofmy desk. While I amtalking to the camera, I will turn to Rano andask her a question. We will coach her in ad-vance. She’ll only have to remember a veryshort reply. Rano will do it ifl ask her.” I washappily surprised by the planned adventureand readily agreed. To me, Rano was stillenough “present” for us to capture some senseofher persona1itc We moved our equipmentinto Mani’s office at the Trust and all work

stopped. Furniture wasmoved, lights were set up,cables run. We built a filmset. Even Eruch on theporch was effectively keptfrom working. Yet all wereexcited by what was hap-pening. And Rano tried.Mani went over the lineswith her again and again.As soon as she could repeat them correctly twice,we’d switch on the camera.In that short time, Ranowould forget, hesitate, orscramble the sentence.We’d tryagain,Mani, chiefof the endeavor with Bal

Natu and Eruch watching quietly. Suddenly,through the outside doorway, burst a new pugrim arrival, hysterically reacting to the ten-non in the air, screaming, “You’re killing themandali,Wendell! Stop, now!” and so on, witha litany I’d heard so often before, but nowboth maddening and humorous, because, hadthis pilgrim known, she should have screamedthis time at Mani, not at me. Mani rose to theoccasion with grace, and eventuallywe got ourRano clip.

Under the direction of Mehera andMani, but with fill cooperation from Eruchand the other men mandali, these stellar lightsin Meher Baba’s close circle worked tirelesslyon their video assignment, even while theycontinued to perform their other duties. I remember Mani telling me early on, the mandaliwere tired and good for at most five hourseach, and not to expect more. She even extracted a promise from me not to ask for moreonce we had done that much. But, within afewweeks, as we moved ahead, not countingthe hours recorded, nothing more was eversaid about limits until several months hadpassed by. Only then, did Mani tell me thatMehera had instructed her and the rest ofthemandali to cooperate fully with whatever Iwanted to do.

Mani herselfspent hours combing filesfor notes and letters to jog her memory andhelp her with time sequences, as shepiled a very long list ofstories and commentary. Eventually she edited that list down.We shot almost 20 hours ofMani, practicallyall of which was already self-edited by thiscareful preparation and selection process shefollowed. Our first Mani video, 4ll This andHeaven Too”, required practicallyno additionalediting as a result. The rest ofher tapes in the

Witness Series will have the same stamp.Mani and Eruch, as well as Bal Natu and

Aloba, were shot almost exclusively in man-dali hall at Meherazad.The result oftheir efforts before taping has produced a mostnatural flow ofmaterial for the viewer. Thatflow, leading to limited editing, makes possible the verisimilitude many experience withthese programs while viewing them in a the-ater setting, namely, that it is like sitting withthe mandali again in India. That experience,ofcourse, is what we had sought. Our interestwas not in producing documentaries. Wewanted to make it possible to return to Indiaagain and again, and for those new to MeherBaba over the next 700 years to be able to go,and also to be with the mandali, whenevertheychose to do so.

I met Mani at Meherazad for the finaltime in earlyDecember of1995. She had recently returned from the hospital in Poona andhad asked to see me. I gladly extended mystay to do so. We sat together facing eachotherjust inside the outer living room door-way of her quarters. Kacy was nearby, as Irecall, but I saw no one except Mani, and feltnothing except Baba’s sublime love. It wa amoment oftransport in which we both weresurrounded by white light. Though she wasquite laudatory in her comments, all was inBaba alone, and I could then listen to her tellme how important this video project had be-come to her in spite ofearly doubts. I shouldnow take it as from Baba that it was important for me to carry the work forward, evenafter she was gone. By Baba’s grace, I will domybest to honor her wish.

WendellandAloba inAloba Roomat Meherazad, October 1 986Photograph by Mina Brustman

5et£nni

IJ

Mani Irani with BiliHaviland in Mandali Hall,Meherazad, September 1 986

A

Message to DisciplesMeher Baba

The present world crisis, chaos and universal suffering are absolutely necessary

for the eventual spiritual upliftment and for anew world wherein peace, love and Divineaspirations will reign supreme. None shouldtherefore feel scared and dismayed, bearingin mind the certainty ofthis bright future.

From the spiritual point of reality thewords national and foreign, killed and killer,war and peace, success and defeat, have noexistence and are imaginary dreams; and thepresent urnversal chaos isjust a universal night-mare necessary for the universal awakening.

Body-forms and minds are innumerableand ofinfinite variety but souls are all originally and eternally One. In fact, only One in-finite reality exists and that is God. So thisapparent world catastrophe is, by Divine will,essential for a Divine manifestation in thenear future oflove and real peace, in which Ihave to play the greatest part.

Men and women all over the world whocare to share in My work can do so by tryingtheir utmost to maintain a pure character; andto avoid strictly, feelings oflust and enmity inany form. To try not to be the victims of fearsnor ofthe weaknesses oflying and backbit-ing; in personal quarrels never to attack any-one save in defending the weak, but to doeven that absolutelywithout hatred; to meditate on Divine Love for any period every day,according to individual circumstances. . .

Treasures, ed. Jane B. Haynes, pp. 213-214,© 1980 AMBPPCT by Fred Stankus, Los Angeles

ith an open invitation to all, a deli-cious Thanksgiving meal was served

to over 70 on a bright, magical day at MeherMount in Ojai, California. The dependablecaretakersJonathan and Kendra Burroughs, only4 days back from a trip to Meherabad/Meherazad, India, were the congenial hosts.Tables and chairs were rented and arrangedwithwhite doth, flowers, and candles, alongwiththe plates and utensils were awaiting therival of the guests who were asked to bring adish to complement the meal. And from deli-cious turkey to vegetarian stuffing, candied yams,delicious mashed potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce, and homemade lemon, apple, andpumpkin pies, the arraywas trulyfit for a Kingor Qiieen! After the meal Gigi Driessenled off

oveStreetnmf,st

wretch was getting a reprimand.There was living with the group an old

person by the name ofBanubai.It is said that ifa Mastervery much wants

to take a disciple awayfrom his worldly familyduties in order to serve Him closely, He willtake into His ashram the members of thefamily for whom this disciple is responsibleto feed or clothe or educate. Baba Himselftakes this responsibility.

Barnubai was one such person.She had an irritating habit at crucial mo

ments during Baba’s wonderful evenings withus oftaking alarge pinch ofsnuffwhich broughton a loud and enjoyable-to-her fit of sneezing.

Norma was particularly annoyed by this,and to show it, gave out shudders ofjudgmental annoyance. Baba always looked surprised but said nothing to either culprit.One evening, however, with a loving smileHe produced a large box ofBanubai’s favorite snuffand gave it to her.

This lesson was seen and digested by allofus,just as it had been when in earlier days atNasik He hadlovinglyhanded Ruano a box ofcigars.This action ofHis was not to show approval ofeither cigar smoking or snuff takingbut to remind us to leave these things to Baba.At the right moment when the time was ripeHe easily swept aside these minor things.

StiliDancing with Love, Margaret Craske,© 1990 Sheriar Press, pp. 65-66.

A MagicalThanksgivingDay at Meher Mount!

Memoriesfrom Past Lives

Meher Baba

. . .

Lifewould be infinitelymore complicatedif one who is not spiritually advanced

were burdened by the conscious memory ofnumberless past lives. He would be dazedand unsettled by the diversity of settings inwhich persons would appear to him in thelightofhis memory.

He is not called upon to face such confttsion, however, because he is shielded from theresurrection of the memory of past lives.Things and persons come to him in a limitedand definite context and setting, with the result that he finds it easy to determine his actions and responses in the light ofwhat heknows from the present life. This does notmean that his actions and responses are “en—tirely” determined bywhathe knows from hispreoent life. All that has happened in pastlives also has its ()Wfl unconscious but effective share in determining his actions and responses.

In spite of the actual influence of pastlives, the fact remains that since he is shieldedfrom the resurrection ofconscious memórç hisconsciousness is not subject to the confusionthatwould result ifthe conscious memoryofpast lives were among the data he had to con-sider for the purpose ofdetermining his actions and responses. The resurrection ofthememory of past lives can be faced withoutconfusion or loss of balance only when theperson has become desireless and has lost allfeeling of”mine” and “thine.”Those whom heonce looked upon as belonging to him mightbe seen in the present life belonging to some-one else. And ifhe were to continue his at-tachments and supposed claims, he wouldcreate untold complications, misery, and con-fusion for himselfand others. Possessivenessofall types has to be purged from the mind ifthe aspirant is to be spiritually prepared towithstand the disturbing influence ofmemo-

ries from pastlives. .

Discourses, Pub. Sheriar Press, p. 315-316

Snuffby Margaret Craske

This is another short story which showshow Baba used very simple means to

teach us not to criticize the built-in habitsofothers which were objectionable to therest ofus.

For a time upon the Hill at Meherabadpractically every evening Baba gave us the hap-piness ofgathering around His gadi.We placedour mats on the floor and sat there whileHe gave us perhaps a short talk, made jokeswith us, or told us a story illustrating someaspect ofthe spiritual path.

Usually these were times of happiness,unless as sometimes happened some poor

L24

t1r Hwith “her” thanks, and around the room one

would stand and give thanks for “family being

together,” or “a newjob” or as Charlie Morton

so movingly conveyed, “I am happy to be born

at this time so as to experience this feeling of

being one family with you all, thank you Be-

loved Baba” or Debra Ashe giving thanks with

a soul-stirnng rendition of”Precious Lord!” Al-

ter dinner a walk to Baba’s tree for Prayers and

Arti,while the golden light ofthelate afternoon

sun embraced all with a mystical glow.Desscrtwas like Prasad on this magical day,

the feelingoflove and togethemesswasverystrong

and about 20 guests remained well into the early

night singingoldies and doing theater games or-

chestratedbyMitchell Rose, alongwith remem

beringMeherBabawith stones andgames. One

ofthegameswascalled”WaitingforMeherBaba.”

Those playingwere sitting outside on the west

porch ofthe house in silence and the first per-

son to come into view from around the corner

would be Baba disguised as that person... so we

waited and waited and suddenlyTerry Adams

arrived and said, “Where is the Gravy?” .. .we

all burst out into laughter but Lois Jones re

plied, “Baba is the Real Gravy and He has

poured His Love all over us today!” What a

Magical Day at Meher Mount!

AnnouncementsCongratulations!

T Regi and her son Steve Sadano. Theyboth graduated in June 1998. Regi

earned her Doctorate from the Theater De

partment at UCLA, and is now teaching part

time at Cal State L.A. in the Department of

Theater and Dance. Steve graduated from the

City of Angels Independent School and

earned a scholarship in music at Cal State

Northridge,where he is majoring in piano! We

have been treated to Steve’s piano recitals

since he was a young boy — great to see him

carrying his talents on to higher levels.

ToHeidi and GabrielRouchon on the birthoftheir second daughter Natasha Chey

enne, born November 11, ‘98 at 11:33 pm

weighing 7.8 ibs, and 20” long.

To Billyand Pamela Goodrum on the birthoftheir first child Annabelle Rose, born

September, 26, ‘98 at 5:55 pm weighing 4.11

lbs, and 17.5” long.

TheLampPostNeeds Your

Help!by Dma Snow

I t’s time again to ask you for your donations to help keep the LampPost shin-

ing on your street. The actual cost of pro-ducing and domestic mailing of eachmagazine is $10 per year. Because of theextremely high cost ofpostage overseas, wemust ask for 2O US from all foreign countries. We have over 1000 on our mailinglist but only 425 have ever sent in a donation.This strains our finances to the maximum — to the point ofhaving to dip intoother funds to cover costs. Luckily there aresome very generous people to whom Babahas given the ability to donate above the1o necessary.These kind souls are allow-ing the majority ofyou to continue receiving your LampPost.

Since everything to do with the Love

StreetLampPost and Bookstore is all doneby volunteer labor, after regular daytimejobs, we do not have the commercialmagazine’s ability to track when you paidand have that expiration date printed onyour label. (Ifwe charged $30 a subscription we probably could!) So we leave it upto you, send in what you can when you can,and for those ofyou who are really financially stressed ( and doesn’t that seem to gowith being a Baba lover?!) not to worry —

we’ve got you covered.Ifyou would prefer not to receive the

magazine, please let us know so we cansave the costs. For our overseas subscribers, you may find it easiest to put your do-nation on a credit card, but for those withan American checking account, we wouldprefer checks. Please make them out to theLove Street LampPost. And remember —

this is your magazine, it is only as good asthe material we receive — so please keepon sending!

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The Darbar Pose Picture ofMeher Bababy Bal Natu, Meherazad

T his is one of the favorite picturesofBaba, loved by His dear ones, and dis

tributed widely. It has also appeared in thespecial issue of Deeplaxrni, which was pub-lished in 1970-71. Here I wish to share a storyconnected with this picture, which was takenby Shri Regay ofPune.

Since 1958, Baba began staying inGuruprasad, Pune, for about three monthswith his close men and women mandali. During my six weeks summer vacation from school,Baba had graciouslypermitted me to staywithhim. One ofmy duties during this time was toread out Marathi letters to Baba, and replyaccording to His directions.

I think it was in 1960 that one day I received a postcard from Regay addressed toBaba. In it he mentioned that he had takenpictures ofgreat dignitaries, and he requestedBaba to give a special sitting so that he couldtake His portrait.

In those days, Baba had given me discretiori about which letters to read to Him. I per-sonally reacted against the demands Regaywas making of Baba, especially in seeking aspecial sitting. I regarded this as being impertinent on his part. So I kept this postcard atthe bottom ofthe pile. Baba would generallyattend to three or four letters each day, andthen askme to stop.

I thought this way the letter would neverbe read out to Him. However, the next dayEruch, who used to read out English correspondence to Baba, had verylittle to read. Andso Baba signed me to continue with the remainingMarathi letters. I would tell Him thegist ofeach letter, and, through gestures, Hewould convey His response. That day He wasin a mood to listen to more of these lettersthan usual, and at last I came to Shri Regay’sletter. Instead ofreading out the letter, I toldBaba the gist ofit, and made some disparaging remarks to the effect that Baba would notlike the tone ofthe letter. I assumed that Babawould feel myjudgement about it was correct.

However, Baba showed interest in thecontents, and asked me to read the entire let-ter to Him. Bythe time I finished reading it, tomy surprise, Baba looked at me and said,“That’s fine! When should we call him?”

He also asked me to set a definite date for

pected.Baba appeared in a happy mood and took

His seat. I had never seen Baba making aspecial effort for any other photographer be-fore. That day He looked very pleased andradiant.

Looking at the photographer, He askedhim,

“How should I pose? What side of Myface should I show? What angle?”

While asking these questions, Babawould also look at me, which served as a lesson to me that I should notjudge the intentions ofothers. At one point, He even askedthe photographer ifHe was folding His hands

in the proper manner, and the photographerstepped forward and rearranged them.

In all, four pictures were taken of Baba,and, in addition, the photographer had hisown picture taken with Him.

A week later, he came with all thepictures and one enlarged coloured print, as apresent. This is the same one that is now inthe Blue Bus at Meherazad.

As I say, this was a great lesson for me.Not only should I neverjudge others, I shouldnever assume I knew how Baba would reactto them.

This picture has a special significance forme, because Baba, without any prompting,was willing to have it taken. In this particularpicture, Baba’s frill form is visible, includingHis feet. He looks veryregal, like the King ofKings, and that is why this is known as the“Darbar Pose Picture.”—13 February 1994

whave learned throughBabac example that there is

no creature too small orinsignficant to be therecipient ofHis loving

glance andattention —

that nothing is leftunattended or is overlooked

by the God-Man.

God takes Mancformand becomes the living

expression ofPerfrctionas man.

—MeheraJ. Irani,from Baba Loved Us Tho

*_‘‘ 4: c[p26 . U

the sitting, and instructed me to receive himand arrange to help him set up his equipment.

In those days it was not easy to take pictures; there was a great deal ofparaphernaliainvolved for such a special photo.

I received a mild shock, but obeyed Baba,and wrote a reply to Shri Regay.

On the appointed day, the photographercame, and with a meek smile, I greeted him,and helped him to arrange his things in themandali’s room, where Baba was shortly ex

- - .

.. ._

IHow St. Francis, Walking One DayWith Brother Leo,

Explained To Him What Things Are Perfect Joy

One day in winter, St. Francis was go-ing with Brother Leo from Perugia to

St. Mary of the Angels, and was suffering

greatly from the cold. He called to Brother

Leo, who was walking on before him, and said

to him, “Brother Leo, ifit were to please God

that the Friars Minor should give, in all lands,

a great example of holiness and edification,

write down, and note carefully, that this would

not be perfectjoy.”A little further on, St. Francis called to

him a second time, “0 Brother Leo, ifthe Fri

ars Minor were to make the lame to walk, if

they should make straight the crooked, chase

away demons, give sight to the blind, hearing

to the deaf, speech to the dumb, and, what is

even a far greater work, if they should raise

the dead after four days, write that this would

not be perfectjoy.”Shortly after, he cried out again, “0

Brother Leo, ifthe Friars Minor knew all lan-

guages; if they were versed in all science; if

they could explain all Scripture; if they had

the gift ofprophecy, and could reveal not only

all future things, butlikewise the secrets of all

consciences and all souls, write that this would

not be perfectjoy.”After proceeding a few steps farther, he

cried out again with a loud voice, “0 Brother

Leo, thou little lamb ofGod! ifthe Friars Mi-

nor could speakwith the tongues ofangels; if

they could explain the course ofthe stars; if

they knew the virtues of all plants; if all the

treasures ofthe earth were revealed to them;

iftheywere acquainted with the various quail-

ties ofall birds, ofall fish, ofall animals, of

men, oftrees, ofstones, ofroots, and ofwa

ters—write that this would not be perfectjoy.”Shortly after, he cried out again, “0

Brother Leo, ifthe Friars Minor had the gift

ofpreaching so as to convert all infidels to the

faith of Christ, write that this would not be

perfect joy.”Now when this manner ofdiscourse had

lasted for the space oftwo miles, Brother Leo

wondered much within himself; and, ques

tioning the saint, he said. “Father, I pray thee

teach me wherein is perfectjoy.”St. Francis answered: “If, when we shall

arrive at St. Mary ofthe Angels, all drenched

with rain and trembling with cold, all covered

with mud and exhausted from hunger; if, whenwe knock at convent-gate, the porter should

come angrily and ask us who we are; if, afterwe have told him, ‘We are two ofthe brethren’, he should answer angrily, ‘What ye say isnot the truth; ye are but two impostors goingabout to deceive the world, and take away thealms of the poor; begone I say’; if then herefuse to open to us, and leave us outside,exposed to the snow and rain, suffering fromcold and hunger till nightfall—then, ifwe accept such injustice, such cruelty and such con-temptwith patience, withoutbeing ruffled andwithout murmuring; believing with humility

and charity that the porter really knows us,and that it is God who maketh him to speak

thus against us, write down, 0 Brother Leo,that this is perfect joy.

And ifwe knock again, and the porter

come out in anger to drive us away withoaths and blows, as ifwe were vile impostors, saying, ‘Begone, miserable robbers! tothe hospital, for here you shallneither eat nor sleep!’; and ifwe accept all this with pa-tience, withjoy and with char-ity, 0 Brother Leo, write thatthis indeed is perfect joy.

And if, urged by cold andhunger, we knock again, callingto the porter and entreating himwith many tears to open to usand give us shelter, for the loveofGod, and ifhe come out moreangry than before, exclaiming,‘These are but importunate rascals, I will dealwith them as theydeserve’; and taking a knottedstick, he seize us by the hood,throwing us on the ground, roll-ing us in the snow, and shallbeat and wound us with theknots in the stick—ifwe bear allthese injuries with patience andjoy, thinking ofthe sufferings ofour Blessed Lord, which wewould share out oflove for him,write, 0 Brother Leo, that here,finally, is perfect joy.

And now, brother listen tothe conclusion. Above all the

graces and all the gifts ofthe Holy SpiritwhichChrist grants to his friends, is the grace ofover-coming oneself, and accepting wiffingly out oflove for Christ, all suffering, injury discomfortand contempt; for in all other gifts ofGod wecannot glory seeing theyproceed not from our-selves but from God, according to the wordsofthe Apostle, ‘What hast thou that thou hastnot received from God? And ifthou hast received it, why dost thou glory as ifthou hadstnot received it?’ But in the cross of tribulationand affliction we may glory, because, as theApostle says again, ‘I will not glory save in thecross ofour LordJesus Christ.’ Amen.”

From: The Little Flowers ofSt Francis ofAssisi

by Brother Ugolino.

Photo composite ofSt. Francis’ cave in whichBaba meditated. © 1 998 Cherie Plumlee

. .. -.‘

I £ovsfrL&t-’

-

—

The Making ofthe Film Meher Baba in Italy

by David Carter, New York

Over the years I have come to see howBaba not onlyplants the seed for a major

event long before the event takes place, butdoes it in a way so that we cannot foresee theeventual fruit, nor the long twists and turnsthe stalkwill take before blossoming. So it isthat Baba laid the foundation for the makingofthe film Meher Baba in Italy. And while Itreasure Francis Brabazon’s insight that Baba“loves variety,” I think it is equally true thatHe enjoys surprising us as He writes the plotsofour life stories.

I always had an interest in history and aninstinct for preserving the past, no doubt theresult of having parents who recorded andtreasured bits and pieces of bygone times.When I started following Meher Baba myfreshman year ofcollege, I felt compelled todocument His life. But how could I make aliving doing this? The only possible solutionseemed to be to become a professor of corn-parative religion and write books about Him.

.

The inspiration for the film began somemonths before I started following Baba.Charles Haynes was my resident advisor during my freshman year at Emory University inAtlanta, Georgia (1970-1971). I stopped byhis room one day to find him sorting and arranging post cards on his floor. He said that hewas making a collage ofplaces he had visitedin Europe. He explained that he had gone fora special purpose—to visit places Meher Babahad traveled to in Europe. It impressed medeeply that Charles would go all the way toEurope to visit places associated with Baba.

When I started following Baba I alsowanted to visit the places He had traveled toin Europe. But how could I get to Europe?Again, Baba provided a way, this time with aseed planted long before I had even heardHis name. When I was in junior high, myolder brother Bill won a Fulbright scholarshipto France. His letters home had filled me withthe desire to see Europe and had inspired meto learn French in high school. I decided toget a second major in French in order to studyat the Sorbonne for twelve months in 1972and 1973. I carefully planned every schoolbreak so that I could visit the countries Babahad visited. Italy excited me most of all.

While researching Baba places in Eu-

rope, I wrote to Naosherwan Anzar the editorof The Glow. I asked him for a back issue onCannes and explained myproject in passing.He wrote back suggesting that I write an account ofmy research and travels, and I hap-pilyundertook the assignment.

A year later on myway to graduate schoolin Wisconsin, I visited the Meher SpiritualCenter. As I signed in I was told that PeteTownshend was staying at the Center andwas looking for me. I was told it had some-thing to do with making films about MeherBaba and His disciples. That sounded extremely exciting. However, when we met, Petesimply asked me ifl had more documentationabout Baba in Europe beyond what I hadput in the Glow article. I answered “No,” andhe said, “Oh,” and that was pretty much theextent ofthe conversation.

But I did meet Pete’s cinematographer,

John Annunziato, and later I asked him whathelp they needed. John shot back, “I tell you,what we really need are scripts.” That plant-ed an idea in my head: a film about Baba’sstays in Italy.

Not long after I arrived in Wisconsin, I

met a film student who was also a Baba lover.I told him ofmyidea for a script and he agreedto help. I wrote to Pete and he wrote backexcitedly, saying that ifwe wrote the film, hewould make it. I spent the next summer atmy parents’ house poring over The God-Man,back issues of The Awakener and my ownnotes and photographs to piece together ascript. I had no script writing or film experience, and the film student had dropped out ofthe project. At the end ofthe summer I mailedthe script to Pete.

Many months later, a slim enveloperived in the mail from Pete. I opened it withtrepidation, assuming from its slender size thatit could be nothing other than a rejection let-ter. I was wrong. Pete wanted to make the filmand when could I come to England?

I went to London the summer of 1977.Pete Townsend had established the companyMeher Oceanic to make films about MeherBaba and His mandali.

The company was housed in a buildingPete had built by theThames River and chris-tened the Boathouse in honor ofthe buildingthat had previously stood on the site. Pete,accompanied byJohn Annunziato, gave me atour ofthe Boathouse, excitedly showing methe equipment he had bought, explaining howthe place was set up, and introducing me tothe film professionals he had hired.

The three ofus ended up at the kitchentable, and I asked Pete what part I was to playin all ofthis. I assumed my role was to be onhand as a kind ofadvisor and imagined my-self doing such things as making sure theyfilmed the right cave. Pete looked at me a bitwonderingly, and replied, “Well, we thoughtyou were going to direct the film.”

I, with no film experience, was to direct abunch of professionals using state of the art16-mm film equipment I knew absolutelynothing about?! The only thing I could do wasto try to rise to the great opportunity Baba

had handed me. I told Pete that I would domy best, but that ifhe or the others ever felt Iwas going wrong, to speak up. Pete, alwaysvery direct, gave me a pointed look and said,with some feeling, “Look, ifwe didn’t thinkyou were capable ofthis, you wouldn’t be sit-ting here!” All those who worked on the film

continued on page 34

‘q

MeherBaba in Portofino, Italy,July, 1933

El 2

_

H

Notes from theInternet

Our Man in Meherabad,

James Cox

September 16, 1998

A couple of days ago I returned toMeherabad after nearly 6 weeks in Eu-

rope, and it has been quite an adjustment. In

Bombay it is raining almost constantly, and in

‘Nagar, not only is everything fantastically

green and overgrown, but mold is also sprout-

ing on almost every unused surface. We are at

just over 30 inches for the year, and it is still

raining, with at least 6 weeks of the season

left to go. The wells are so full that you can

draw water standing at the top with a bucket

and no rope. Our watertable is almost ground

level.Ofcourse, besides the omnipresent mold,

the down side ofso much rain is what it does

to the roads. In manyplaces, they are horrible

and some of the potholes are big enough to

swallow a small car, but on the bright side, the

government has just cleaned out all the stalls

and hawkers from the side ofStation Road in

Ahmednagar, near the ST Stand, and now

traffic actually moves somewhat smoothly

through that morass.In preparation for the new afforestation

scheme on Meherabad Hill, tree pits are be-

ing dug in all ofthe fields, and the new devel

opment work to the west and northwest of

the Samadhi, both Trust and private, is pro-

ceeding.A few months ago, I was preparing a map

for the master plan ofthe whole Meherabad

area, and the town planner with whom we

were working had asked us to show substanital

water bodies behind the large earthen dams

in the valley to the west ofthe Samadhi. As

these are almost always completely dry, I was

amused, but complied. The funny thing now

is that these same dams have even more wa

ter in them that what we have shown on the

map, and I thinkyou could wind surf!The Mandali are more or less “linger

ing,” as Eruch puts it, but at least none are in

critical shape at the moment, and Aloba has a

new, blue, 3-Star General Cap, which he loves

to wear about as he blows his whistle and

gesticulates emphatically. Things are pretty

much the same at Meherazad, except that

there is no water shortage anymore.

E

October 10, 1998

Sometime last night Meherabad must havecrossed the 40 inches ofrainfall mark since

June 1, and it is raining as I type this.I returned to Meherabad from Europe onSeptember 16, and it has rained every daysince then with the exception ofmaybe two.We are well beyond a record as far as anyoneliving can remember, and there aren’t any othersources. Mini lakes are everywhere, with water buffalo happily standing in the ponds nextto the road munching plentiftil vegetation. It’sa good life ifyou’re a water buffalo, but thehumans are starting to say “baaas” (enough).Most ofthe early crops in this area have beendestroyed.

However thanks to the contributions byso many Baba lovers, today the roof slab ofthe ground floor ofthe Archive Building wasfinally finished. I think it took about a weekto pour, one gamela (steel bowl) ofconcrete ata time, and itlooks like it came out quite well.

The building is starting to take shape, andthere will be one more floor added to what iscurrently on the ground. The trees have grownso much this monsoon that there is a smallforest coming up around what will soon bethe repository ofmost ofthe physical objectsconnected with Meher Baba’s life.

Diwali, the Hindu Festival ofLights, willstart next week, and most oflndia will shutdown for 4 or 5 days while people celebratewith fireworks and Christmas-type lights.Formerly, Hindus used small oil lamps, andsome still do...it can be verybeautiftil, as wellas quite noisy ifyou happen to be in a city.

Traditionally Diwali is seen as the end ofthe monsoon, and some say that in ancienttimes, the burning ofoil lamps had a practicalorigin as well as religious. As long as it is rain-ing, the mosquitoes don’t come out much, butwhen it stops, they attack with a vengeance;

and I have been told that the small oil lampflames also attracted and burned the bugsthat the monsoon fostered. I guess there ci-ther used to be a lot fewer bugs or a lot moreflames than they have now.

October 23, 1998

,figersat Meherazad?! About 10 days ago

a goat herder watching his goats in thevicinity ofSeclusion Hill, Meherazad, claimsto have seen a tiger. . .you know, the big catwith stripes and a nasty reputation for eatingnon-vegetarian fare.

Evidently the goat herder was an adult

\3

and a somewhat reliable fellow, who was nevertheless approached with questions like, “Areyou sure it was a tiger?” and “I know youthought it was a tiger, but don’t you think it

could have been a . . . ?“ Reportedly (noticethis is all 3rd party), the fellow replied, “Ofcourse it was a tiger, don’t you think I can tell atiger when I see one?”

As a precautionary measure, SeclusionHill has been closed to pilgrims and otherswanting to climb it, but as far as I know, therehave been no further sightings. I really don’tknow what to make of this story, or what toadvise potential travellers to Meherazad. ...

maybe carry mace? Life is never boring herefor anyprolonged stretch oftime. In defenseofthe veracity ofthis shepherd I can say thatthere have been a few reported sightings oftigers across Maharashtra in these last coupleofmonths.

With 42.5 inches ofrain, this place is actually beginning to looklike thejungle it oncewas, and the weather is still cloudy. The stringof holidays that constitute Diwali are nowdrawing to a close, and there hasn’t been anyrain since they started, which is a welcomebreak. There are actual streams flowing infront ofthe Pilgrim Center and it hasnt rainedin a week. Some wells are actually aboveground level, and there is a rather large lakeand several smaller ponds to the west andnorthwest ofthe Samadhi. It is rather an unusual experience to view the Samadhi acrossa body ofwater.

All ofthe Mandali are more or less OKhealthwise, meaning “about the same,” andno one else seems to be in critical condition, soI guess things are about normal, except forthe surfeit ofvegetation. Don’t know whenwe’ll see this again.

October 30, 1998

I has been nearly 7 years in the making,but the first 18 persons ofnon-Indian on-

gin have just been granted official approvalfrom the Reserve Bank of India to buy lotsand build houses or buy condominiums intheir own names at Meherabad.

Although it is raining as I write this onMeherabad Hill, it is really a glorious day forall ofthose who have yearned over the yearsto have their own place at Meherabad. . . to beclose to the Sun, and Baba has now, finally,turned the key to make that possible. I can’tbegin to tell you about all of the interim approval problems, legal fights, frustrations and

29

tz (

Street

—- -

L (& t e:vexations we have waded through in this long,long battle, but it is now done. Ijust phonedEruch as he was leaving the Trust Office forMeherazad, and both he and Bhau were veryhappy, saying that this is really good news in-deed. I told Eruch that he would have moreproblems as more people would now surelycome, and he said with a smile, “We are puthere to face those problems, congratulations,Jai Baba!”

At this moment, there are about 60 otherpersons who have committed for lots or con-dos at Meherabad, and their applications willbe presented in due course, as will those thatfollow. After years ofcontinuous delays, disappointments and inertia, I can finally say thelogjam appears to have been broken.

Of course it is all His game, still I can’thelp but feel that He is also in a happy moodtoday.

October 31st

Acouple days ago, the Department ofTelecommunications started the firstlo

cal Internet access number for Ahmednagar,but ofcourse there is always garlic ice creamwith Baba, and it hasn’t been turned on fromArangaon yet, as it requires some reprogram-ming at the local exchange. But we have highhopes for Monday. The charge for Internetcalls is now cheaper than a local call, and Ithink there will be a surge of Internet sub-scriptions from Meherabad, and since mosteveryone here is on a Mac, configuring thesame will fall on us, as the helpdesk regularlyrefers any Mac customer with questions tome. Oh joy!

Well, Erico should be back within amonth, andJerryCool is here now so we shouldbe able to bumble through all ofthe differentcomputer and modem combinations in thisrather eccentric environment.

However, I suppose there will be onemore downside to this encouraging develop-ment, and that is that it will surely tie up moreofour phone circuits which link ‘Nagar withArangaon, and which are already overloadedat peak times. The only short-term solutionfor the overloaded Arangaon exchange seemsto be a temporary microwave tower about 130’tall, which the telephone company is proposing to install on the Arangaon side ofthe Farm-ers’ Educational Center until they finish theirnew exchange in the village, and which wouldthen be shifted there.

Understandably, there is quite a bit of

opposition from various residents and sometrustees to this tower from an aesthetic pointof view, and this is shaping up as a classictrade offdecision: What are we willing to sac-rifice in appearances to ensure thatMeherabad stays connected with the outsideworld, including Ahmednagar, via the telephone lines?

Whenever I write something like theabove, I feel I should also add the usual rejoinder not to write to the Trustees or theMandali about this issue, because they arevery busy, and ulitmately Baba will solve theproblem in His own way.

November 18

I know that most ofyou will find this hard tobelieve, especially ifyou have ever fed the

mosquitoes at the Pilgrim Center, but after allthe rain we have received this year, and withall the water still standing, there are hardlyany mozzies. And other than perhaps a feed-ing frenzy ofthe ubiquitous fat toads that always seem to jump just before youinadvertantly step on one, I am at a loss toexplain this pleasant lack ofinsect irritation.The other day, as I went to put on a shoe leftoutside, I was prepared to see a swarm ofmosquitoes fly out ofthe darkness as I stuckin my foot, but instead, my foot was obstructedfrom entering my shoe. On closer examination I found a giant toad sitting inside the toe,but not a mosquito in sight. This connectionhad never really dawned on me before.

It’s still cloudy, vegetation plush, sunsetsspectacular, nights dropping into the 60s(Fahrenheit), and the volleyball games arewell-attended. Ifyou can get a plane reservation, it is a beautiful time ofyear to come toMeherabad.

James CoxPost MeherabadAhmednagar Dist. M.S. 414005, India

Ph. 241-58728, 241-58744Cellular 9822024128

From Jerry Edwards

I arrived 10 Oct. Just got myINDIA e-mailsetup and a subscription to the listserv! It

took a bit ofwork, but thanks to James Cox,we were saved some grief.

The setup in Jal’s office continues well. Ibrought an upgrade for the 4th Dimensionprogram which is used for the Amartithi work.Ramesh and Kishore do much programmingwith Excel (Spread sheet) and Filemaker Pro(DataBase) on their own. I help them whenthey get stuck.

Continuing last year’s new setup in thetrust office in ‘Nagar, the training for the accountants has paid off. They have developedseveral accounting programs on their own inExcel and Filemaker Pro.

We are now looking at expansion usingFoxPro (Which was included in their corn-puter course at APTEC, Ahrnednagar). (Ibrought FoxPro software and manuals withme.) We are investigating the possibility ofexpanding the Trust office Computer facilityDue to many power failures, the possibility ofadding a backup generator is seriously beingconsidered. I will try to issue monthly reports.

A Note from Prashant Ahir

IPratap Ahir was a guest at our last Sahavas,andhis son, Prashant, is on line with the Babalist serv. Heposts.]

I attend the Murnbai Centre regularly forthe weekly meetings, Sundays 5:30 pm ‘til

7:15 pm.The center is otherwise open on alldays between 6 pm and 7:30 pm. It is locatedin avery central place in Mumbai called GrantRoad in Navyug Nivas Building, oppositeMinerva Cinema. It does not have a phonenumber. It is an apartment converted into ameeting place and there is no on-site care-taker.

Weekly meetings at the Pune Center areon Monday between 6:00 pm and 8:30 pm.The secretary of the Center, Mr. KKRarnkrishnan lives on the premises. Pilgrimsare welcome to stay overnight while visitingall the Baba places in Pune. There are bedsand shower facilities there. A donation is allthat is asked.

My phone number is 009 1-2192-50201and my father, Pratap Ahir, also lives inMumbai. His number is 009 1-22-4156954.He first met Baba in his younger days in 1950has been around Baba ever since. Please getin touch with me ifyou need any help here.Prashant_Ahir_PG@RIL.COM

r £oveSfreell .

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I e:

Sheriar in the DesertbyWard Parks, Ahmednagar

Great treasures can sometimes be found

in unlikelyplaces. In a small room that

is hardly more than a hole in the wall at the

north end ofthe compound at Meher Nazar

in Ahmednagar Khorshed Irani, now in her

upper eighties, might seem, on first glance, like

a simple old Zoroastrian woman and no more.

Yet the memories that inhabit her waking

hours are the stuffthat grand legends are made

of, and the life that she has lived is one that

queens and emperors could envy.Khorshed is an extraordinary fund ofrec

ollections particularly from the early years of

Beloved Baba’s ministry when only a few had

found their way into His fold. But the story

that is my subject here concerns not Baba

Himselfbut His father, Sheriar Irani.It is a narrative detail that I first heard

from Korshed a year or two ago; and since itdoes not seem to have gained wide circula

tion, this seems like a good opporunity to re

late it.

The episode dates back almost eighty

years to a time when Khorshed was living with

her mother and father in their flat at Bombay.

Her father, Kaikhushru, was a friend of

Sheriar, and the two men used to enjoy con-

versing together.Once it happened that Sheriar was in

Bombay to visit a doctor. That evening, at

Khorshed’s family residence, Sheriar began totell his friend about the years when he had

wandered through the deserts of Iran as adervish in search ofGod.

A young girl in her early teens, Khorshed,

ofcourse, had no part in the conversation; but

the subject intrigued her. Sitting quietly be-hind a chair, she listened in on the discourse

of her elders, and this is some of what she

heard:It seems that at certain times Sheriar was

residing in desolate places that provided him

with nothing to eat or drink. But remarkable

things began to happen when he was hun-

gry—out ofthin air a tablecloth would spread

itself on the ground before him and a tray

laden with food would appear. When he had

finished eating, the cloth and traywould van-

ish again.On other occasions, when Sheriar was

thirsty he would cup his hands, and, to ac

companying glugging sounds as from an un

seenjug, water would fill them until his thirst

—was quenched.

One day in his wanderings,Sheriar’s road was blocked by a riverwhich he had no means ofcrossing, butas he stood on the bank, the watersparted, providing him with a narrowpath. When he had crossed, the Wa-ters closed again.

The beauty in these little stories, orvignettes, is that Sheriar was a genuine

seeker without any interest in the miraculous or the occult. But God takescare ofHis own; and in Sheriar’s case,God’s providence was there to ensurethat the man destined to become the

father ofthe Avatar ofthe age wouldnot perish in the desert for lack offoodand water or drown in a river for lack ofa boat.

Good reminders for all ofus as wewander through this desert of a worldin our individual quests for Him.

The MostPrecious Thing

Adi K. Irani

One-pointed devotion to MeherBaba or His work does not imply that

one should give up all other work and responsibilities oflife. On the other hand, it meansthat one should be practical and devoted todoing all the things that one is required to do,including looking afterhis possessions and allthose dependent on him.

From the indications Meher Baba hasgiven, it means that one should be attached toall things and beings conducive to a normallife ofhelpfiilness, happiness and honesty Letthese attachments be skin-deep and attach-ment to Meher Baba heart-deep. All attach:ments, except to Meher Baba, one day oranother are tobe given up, whether one wantsthem or not. But the attachment to MeheiBaba will outlive man’s life and help him tocross the ocean oflife and gain eternal blissfor himself

Meher Baba places alternatives before youas a novice. His is a game oflove with no ceremony ofinitiation, no lure ofproselytizing,no coercion, no foisting, no forcing ofideas orinjunctions. Hejust appeals to your heart andlets His words sinkinto yourlogical head—ifit is loghal and not prejudicial.

The pillars of all His messages and discourses, His behests and His advice, are loveofGod and love ofman, obedience, serviceand charity. Love is the most common posses-sion ofeveryman. Itis the mostprecious thing

ofhis life. All feel this lovewithin themselves,but very few can rightly direct it toward theirrelease from illusion. On the other hand, it is

used, misused and abused in pursuit of sexand greed.

Just ThLove Him, p.58©1985 AMBPPCT

31

Sheriar Mundegar Irani, early 1 900s

[L f 3® t

A Letter from Bhau to Our Readersby Ward Parks

(for Bhau Kaichuri)5th October 1998

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Baba:Bhau has asked me to convey the

following message to all Baba’s dearones in the West, and particularly tothose withwhom Bhau has maintaineda correspondence in the past.

As many ofyou know, Bhau’s practice until now has always been to respond, promptly and frilly, to virtuallyeveryletter that he receives. Since thiscorrespondence has very much becomea medium for the flow oflove, and sinceBhau’s tours and travels have broughthim into contact with many Baba by-ers around the world, it is not surprisingthat the volume of mail which Bhaureceives and responds to on a dailybasis has been growing by leaps andbounds.

.

At the same time, the Trust hasbeen entering into a new phase in whichlong-term concerns and large-scaleprojects are demanding more and more ofBhau’s time. This has most markedly beenthe case since 1996 when Bhau assumed thechairmanship, a change which in itselfhas in-

creased in a dramatic way the responsibilityand workload which he has to bear.

In view ofthis state ofaffairs, Bhau hopesthat his friends in the West will understand,

and will not take to heart, the decisionwhich circumstances have forced uponhim. From now on he will have to discontinue all personal correspondence.He requests, therefore, that old friendsand new refrain from sending him per-sonal letters. This ban extends even toletters in which correspondents appendthe note, “Bhau, please do not writeback.” It is too difficult to refrain fromanswering the cry ofthe heart in suchcases, and therefore, we have to ask thatyou desist from writing to Bhau alto-gether.

Ofcourse, Bhau continues to visitwith pilgrims and give talks at the Pugrim Centre at Meherabad, and we allhope that he will be able to travel tothe West next summer as in previousyears. Perhaps there will be further opportunities for “chats” on the internetand other channels for contact.

But in the meantime, we knowthat Bhau’s friends and contacts willhonour his request not to write him per-sonalletters. In doing so, by maintain-

ing this silence, theywill be giving their lovetangible expression and assisting in the Trustwork to which Bhau must now devote moreand more ofhis time.

Letter to the Editor[This impassioned letter was in response to anarticlefeatured in our April ‘98 issue, but wasmislaidtill now.]

From Desmond O’Brien, Tempe, Arizona

Dear Editor: As usual the Love StreetLampPostbrought a bright ray ofBaba

Bhakta into myhome.Thankyou. I write be-cause ofconcerns raised by the article writtenby Don Stevens regarding Meher Baba’s ownwords. I was stunned to read that there areLovers who truly think that the reading ofBaba’s books may be a philosophical sidetrackfrom the path ofthe spiritual heart.To me thisidea is sheer madness and an egotistical follyofhuge magnitude. I mean no insult to any-one when I declare this and do ask others whodo not share my opinion to allow me to explainwhy I feel the way I do.

Even the most cursory study ofreligioushistoryworld-wide reveals that enormous suf

j32

fering has been inflicted by men upon othermen due to the misunderstanding ofvariousscriptures. This is true in all the cultures ofreligious theologies. From Islam to Christian-ity; from Buddhists to Kabbalists there havebeen schisms, jihads, persecutions, burningstakes and pure bloodbaths over questionsofphilosophical and theological interpretations ofsastras ofall sorts.

In our own culture the controversystarted with the discovery of the Dead SeaScrolls and is a clear example of the battlesthat serious and well meaning scholars areprone to over matters oftranslation, historicalaccuracy ofauthorship and so on, ad infiniturn, regarding matters ofscriptural purity

Our generation of spiritual seekers hasbeen given the greatest gifts that the Avatarhas ever given to mankind in all of His ad-vents. Never before, as far as we know, havewe hadphotos, film, pictures, etc. etc. thatwith

£PveAStrI

out doubt record the life ofGod on earth withabsolute historical veracity Never before hasthe Avatar, except for the eight prayers ofCaitanya MahaPrabhu, given to mankind thewords by His own Hand!.

Even the Holy Koran was transmittedthrough the medium ofthe Archangel Gabrielto the Prophet. Never before has He pickedup the pen to compose by His own will insuch a plain and factual manner that leavesno doubt as to authorship. This is a prize ofincalculable value to all Lovers of God. Iwould not even dare to think that I have theinsight, wisdom or intelligence to knowwhatis ofvalue or isn’t on the marvebousjourney tomyMaker. Anyone who does so dare, is a farbraver man than I.

It would seem to me that to dismiss theAvatar’s own words due to the smug notionthat true gnosis is beyond words reveals moreabout the inflated ego than it does about real

Bhauc visits to the 14/est are his chance to spendtime withfriendsoldand new. Hecpicturedhere with the children at last summeriPortland, Oregon Sahavas. Left to right: Michelle Rustan’zi,Mitra and Mehra Namiranian, Jordan Raffo, MehrzadNamiranian, Bhau, Margot Draegei, Lee Barrientos andElUah Raffo. Photo by Malani Raffo.

continued onpage 34

----------- --- - - . - -

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.j

PoetryA Poem By Gary Nedzweck

Oh, Baba, one sees Your Mandali, old now,Tired, broken: by hard life gladly given

In service to You.

Now, their voices, their eyes, their whole

being

Seem to emanate unbearable longingjust toreturn to those days lived

In service to You.

How can I, Oh Beloved ofthose whom all theworld reveres,

Ever match that matchless, terrible beauty ofa live lived

In service to You.

What are You asking? What? Those stories,messages, circulars

Those lives of love and service stamped onglorious faces ofthose who lived

In service to You.

Oh God, Oh, Baba, Oh Nameless, Formless,Beyond Beyond,

Oh Comforter, Dearest of the Dear: Howcan so weak, ever be worthy ofthe Bless-ing to live

In service to You.

How can I, Beloved Baba, ever hope for thehard-as-steel-soft-as-butter,

Yet living oh-so-simply and oh-so-worldly,YET..

In service to You.

I listen again and again to Your dear Francis’voice,

rolling like distant thunder, rough yet sooth-ing, with so much longing: to be nothingbut all

In service to You.

How can You have done it? How can Youhave been so Infinitely Cruel, so

Infinitely Kind,

And always just when each one needed thatdose ofworldly-life-cleansing medicine tohelp live more and still yet more

In service to You.

Oh, Gary, learn patience. It is not yet yourtime. (Oh, it is always your time.) Walkthe middle line.

Remember Me and Repeat in all you do:

In service to You.

The Beyond Beyond Hotelbyjim Migdoll (July, ‘93)

Let me belike the dogchained outside the pub

his attention doesn’t waverwhen strangers pat him,his eyes and ears remain alertfor the One.

His Master fills his instinct/mind

sniffs the airfor a whiffofthe One he loves,his bark is every lover’s sigh

make me like the dogBaba — to wait and longfor Your returnfrom the pub

ofthe Beyond Beyond

My chain is short,strain and pull as I mayI can’t reach Your AbodeSo Belovedwhen You’ve drunk Your fillofmy tears ofseparation

You must come to meand unchain this mangy self

outside The Beyond Beyond Hotel

Open Houseby Ron Greenstein, 1998

Put out the welcome matThrowwide the doors.

Send out the notice today Of thegreat open house Goingon in your heart

Do it right now don’t delay!

Clean up—Dust something-Take out the trash.

They could drop in any old time Sobe ready to greet The Lordand His Friends.

Theywon’t call first—they ain’t got a dime!

And those strangers—oh my—Who long made their homes

In your heart—well they’re in for a shockOnce you’ve made it quite clearWho’s invited today And repeatedthe name ofWho’s coming to stayThey’ll quickly start packing.

And slipping away,Before they hear the Lord’s knock.

A Poem By Francis BrabazonI sang a song in early spring,

a song each lover sings.Then summer camewith its hot flameand burnt myyoung song’s wings.

I sang again—a smoldering tunein a new key and fashion -

Till summer’s heatchanged to winter’s sleet,and with it died my passion.

And from the ashes ofmy songarose a Phoenix singing -

A song offlameofMeher’s Name:to you this song I’m bringing.

A song offlame, yet very cool,as is an evening sky:A song that leaps,yet love’s seal keepsimprisoned in a sigh.

A song offlame? No, a few dropsfrom His Flood ofcompassionThat have over-spilledand my cup filledand drowned me in its ocean.

So listen kindly to my song -

it’s all I have to give you:These drops offlameofMeher’s Name

when I have done I’ll leave you.

<A4

I-- , 4

This poem appears in Steve Klein’sbookPraisein Complaint, © 1978:

Let us make one thing clear about thisGod-realization business from the very start—

There are those on the path towards it,

and there are those with God, and the two areworlds apart.

The former are spiritual, austere, selfdisciplined men who from their goal have nevershrunk;

The latter’s onlyvirtue seems to be theirability to stay sober even when overwhelm-ingly drunk.

Those on the path are engaged in an epicstruggle, slaying dragons, rescuing maidens,receiving great wealth;

Those with God lead an ordinary lifewhose daily grind graduallywears away littlebits ofthe self.

The knights ofthe path are armed withweapons oftechnique, and have glory etchedupon their faces;

God’s companions are simple farmerswho never carry swords, but are pretty goodshots with dung at twenty paces.

Those on the path get wisdom, powervisions and a peace ofmind that never lacks;

Those with God get old, deaf, blind, andsuffer from bad knees, teeth and backs.

But ifyou have the choice, let the heroride offinto the sunset on his charger pride,

Turn your back on the path itself, butnever, ever leave the Beloved’s side.

Tricia Migdoll, Queensland Australia tells usthis spontaneous prayer that came to mind attheTomb, while visiting the gravesites of Hiswomen mandali:

Prayer For WomenBless me Baba.Let me love you like Mehera loved you.Give me the wit and humour, and the lovefor humanity like that ofsister Mani.Let me serve you...with the selflessness of Soona Masi.Give me the culinary talents ofNajaand the artistic eye of Rano.Give me the spontaneous goodnessthat you granted to KittyAnd Baba, bless me also with thepatience and obedience ofMansari.

MeherBabaln Italy’continuedfrom page 34

were patient with me and worked very hard.The film turned out better than I could everhave imagined. I have always felt that the filmworks only because it was made by peoplewho love Meher Baba. Because oftheir lovefor Meher Baba, the professionals who workedon the film submerged their egos to the goalofmaking the best film they could.

I was also inspired by the lesson CharlesHaynes passed on to me from Kitty Davy andElizabeth Patterson: When one works forBaba one must take it as seriously as possibleand pay attention to every small detail. With-out the benefit ofElizabeth’s and Kitty’s example and how I saw Charles work for Baba,I do not think the film would work nearly aswell as it does. So even there, Baba had pro-vided the help I would need before I everknew I would need it.

Although I still think it is worthwhile todocument Baba’s advent, I also see how theunparalleled collection ofthe Avatar’s wordsdoes not necessarily mean that we love or trulyunderstand Him any more in thisadvent thanin past ones. I am now less interested in collecting facts about Baba’s life than I am intrying to incorporate what I feel about Babainto mylife.The most powerftul lesson I learnedfrom making “Meher Baba in Italy” is one Ineed to live by more: Baba has our lives allplanned out with loving care for He loves usso much that He wants to give us what wereallywant in our heart ofhearts, but not nec-essarily when or as we want.

How could I know that aiming at writinga book, I’d end up making a film and enjoythat more than any book I’d ever planned?When I think of all the minute and subtletwists and turns that were necessary in mylife to be able to have an experience as rewarding as making a film about the Avatar, Irealize that truly He is compassionate beyondour comprehension.

The only place that can hold Meis the Heart. Keep me close with

you. I am always there.

LoveAlonePrevails, p. 302,KittyDavy© 1981

Letter to the Editorcontinuedfrom page 32

spiritual knowledge. If I offend with such aview then so be it.

It has been declared often and with em-phasis by the Master that even the most casual ofHis actions has universal scope. Thehistorical record ofBaba’s life reports that Babaspent countless hours in what must have beenfor Him most tedious and exacting work toinsure that His words were faithftilly given tomankind.

How can any intelligent person dismissas unimportant the effort ofthe Lord in thisregard? It is absurd in the extreme to enter-tam the notion that Baba’s books need not beread. To the contrary, Baba’s own books aretreasures of incalculable value, beauty andknowledge that mankind can onlyglimpse asdoes an ant gaze upon a nebulae.

It saddens and amazes me that any per-son wishing to know and love Baba could beso foolish to think that this treasure can beignored. Ofcoursc it can be so but only at thegreatest ofloss to the fool who does. Baba’swords, even if never understood NOW, arelike seeds planted in the soil ofthe soul thatwill fructify in His own time and by His ownsweet will.

If one does not even bother to preparethat soil with careful and devoted attentionthen that garden will remain fallow and notbloom as it is intended to do, by His Grace. Iurge, no I beg allwould-be Baba Lovers to atonce purchase and pore over each of Baba’swonderful books.They are nectar! Nothing inall the literature ofthe human race even compares to them in importance.

True faith is a form of sight andnot ofblindness. It need not be

afraid of the free functioningofcritical reason.

Discourses, p. 367,Meher Baba, ©1987

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Meherana Sahavas from A Kid’s Point ofView

byjamie Dillon, Salinas, CA

Llam, now 7, and I went to our thirdgathering at Meherana last spring and

have become attached to the place. Dma askedfor impressions, and I’ve been wanting to givea sidelong view ofwhat it’s like for the kidsthere.

We’re backpackers, Liam incipient and melongtime, and there’s an open feel to Meheranathat’s satisfying. Central for Liam is the Kids’Tent (referred to by the grownups as theChildren’s Pandal). There’s an mazing rangeofcreative fun stuffto do, plus a great bunchofkids. The child care folks—Betty Lowmanand Anne and Mehera Makeig can only guessat the immense effect they have on their world,cultivating a rich sense offtin in a generationofkids, in their work and in their play.

As a backcountry person, it never ceasesto astound me that dozens ofpeople can comeinto wild hills, then spend their days sittingunder a tent listening to someone talk. Theclaustrophobia would kill me. So I’ve missedthe adult part ofthe festivities and hung withthe kids when not poking around the trails.

This time it was green, as those foothillsjust west ofYosemite are for a short time eachyear. Those who knew said there were 30 kindsof wildflowers out, and Liam counted 20.There were even fairy lanterns, a rare treat.

It feltvery different for me this time, morelike Myrtle Beach, with Baba’s presence everywhere in layers. Liam and I had a longhike up the ridge toThe Bench,looking downthe slope at green meadows wending theirway thru the trees downhill. Lovely.

The weather on Saturday morning justplain sucked until afternoon, hailed at leasttwice. We very nearly bailed after lunch, thenthe sun came out and my toes finally thawed.

The atmosphere among the people thereis low-key and cordial. The food’sjust great,and the teenagers and little kids generate aloose sense ofjollity (the teenagers never actually slept). We’ve both made new friendsfrom far places. I’ve gotten to cement a coupleof virtual friendships as well. And oh theBookstore, out there in the wild hills.

There’s a big fire risk, there are rattlers,bears, rough country, especially in the sum-

mer, so anybody who wants urban comfortsmight make other plans.

But for those who are falling in love withthis place, there’s a sense of community already building. Christie Pearson and I weretalking about this, and she expressed what hadbeen creeping into my head, that the ones forwhom this will be most important are the little

guys, who are forming their own friendshipsand associations now. This is their own Babaretreat here on the West Coast.

Thanks, Baba, for making this wild, dan-gerous ridge your own, 700-Year Bridge andall. Dangerous as with cobras at Meherabadand alligators at Myrtle Beach.

r if £ove5treet£amI1bst- 3 5 1

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Priya Bufield, Betty Lowman andLiam Dillon at the Chi/drens’ Panda!

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___

The Meherana kitchen crew. Roz Taubman, Brian Do/an, Bill Pearson, Herrnann Loew, MaryHamilton, Mo//ic Irani, Meherose Hami/ton andA/an Wagnei

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_

[Editorc note. When wefirst wrote aboutJayRam in the late 1980s it was about the 18 boys hehad adopted and was raising on a largeproperty onthe big islandofHawaii. He was also experimentingag’iculturaliv with easilygrownfoodsfor Third Worldcountries. Now that most ofthe boys are grown, Jaycan devote himse(ffiull time to the Neem ]‘Vlission, asth property is called They have been featured on

television, hadthe Ministers ofAgriculturefor manydifferent countries come to visit his farm, and arenow commercially producing health supplements

from the wondeifiul pharnsacv in a tree” as the mdi—ans call the Neem tree.]

Dma Snow’s gracious tormenting over thepast years has finally paid offin getting

me to write a sequel about “the guy raising nilthose boys in Hawaii.”To summarize the twolong-past Love StreetLampPost articles on thesubject—A common schmoe in Hawaii, JayRam, becomes infested for seventeen yearswith innumerable boys from adoptions, fostercare, and private situations. Meher Baba in-tervenes, providing everything for the task, andpreventingJay from going insane during con-tinuous preteen and adolescent episodes corn-rnon in American culture.

Now, all these boys are grown up andmostly on their own, ages ranging from 20 to31, and there are an increasing number ofgrandkids, with one five year old already ask-ing me when he can go with me to Baba’shome. There are many incredible stories totell. Stories ofwatching so manylives passingthrough times ofsanskaric turmoil, stories of

AnUpdate

fromJay Ram

1998Hawaii

trials and tribulations, stories ofBaba’s Nazar,and the touch of His gracefrul hand alwaysupon us. Hellish stories ofthe meshes ofMaya,and breathtaking stories ofDivine intervention.

Suffice it to say that we all watched inawe as Baba would smooth over, make good,and otherwise fix up the many daily situations which came up in this house full of di-verse energies. Not once, out ofinnumerablehard times, did He leave us hanging by athread ofMaya; one crisis after another wouldbe resolved. Most importantly, because Babaclearly provided so much for us in really everyrespect, the boys were able to understand Hisways in a very natural manner each accordingto their own needs and capacities.

Those boys who were able to rememberBaba in their daily lives, also were fortunateto be able to remember him in times of urgency. There is many a surfing story whereyet another head was about to be smashedsmack in the middle ofa rock, save for shout-ing Baba’s name at the last moment and get-ting away with a scratch. And one storyespecially stands out regarding Baba’s pro-tection, even when He is not directly calledupon:

One ofmyboysjoined the navy and wasin boot camp where he was having a very difficult time. This particular boy was one thathad a close relationship with Baba. One nightduring marching practice, the Drill Sergeantwas tormenting him to the point where hecould take it no longer. Anger built up, and he

ten.Like everyone else, they go on with their

lives and daily struggles. For those boys whostill have a connection with Baba, His hand isvery apparent in their lives. For those who donot, His hand is very apparent in their lives,for is it not an unconditional hand, after all?Most of the boys now are doing well, struggling to make it in a culture which is not toounderstanding ofthe past it has infficted uponthem. Some have managed to stay clear ofthenegative impressions oftheir biological roots,and for some it is a routine conffict. Some havemade a positive connection back with theirnatural families, and as adults, the healingprocess has more easily manifest.

If you are in a difficult position with achild, or know ofone who needs a living situ-ation, I would like to hear from you. You maycall me at (808) 963-6823, or e-mail toneempac@interpac.net

Jai Meher Baba!

rr 36 J2oveSfreetjnm1

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was ready to punch him out, which ofcourse,would have resulted in a court martial. At thatmoment, a vivid vision ofBaba appeared tohim while marching. It was Baba as He appeared in the 1920’s, wearing a long flowingwhite sadra, and it was as if He were reallypresent. Immediately, the anger left, a greatfeeling of peace came about, and the wholesituation with the Drill Sergeant was forgot-

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God’s Quality Control Questionaire

God would like to thankyou for your beliefand patronage. In order

to better serve your needs, He asks that you take a few moments to

answer the following questions. Please keep in mind that your re

sponses will be kept completely confidential, and that you need not

disclose your name or address unless you prefer a direct response tocomments or suggestions.

2. Which model God did you acquire?

—Yaweh — Father, Son & Holy Ghost Trinity

_Jehovah _JesusAllah _Satan

—God — None ofthe above, I was taken

in by a false god

3. Did your God come to you undamaged, with all parts in goodworking order and with no obvious breakage or missing attributes?

Yes _NoIfno, please describe the problems you initially encountered here:

4. What factors were relevent in your decision to acquire a god?

Please check all that apply.—

Indoctrinated by parents Like organ music—

Indoctrinated by society Needed a reason to live

—Imaginary friend grew up Fear of murder by a missionary

—Desperate need for certainty Need to feel Morally Superior

—My shrubbery caught fire and told me to do it.

5 . Have you ever worshipped a God before? If so, which false godwere you fooled by? Please check all that apply.

_Odin _Cthulhu—

Zeus _The Almighty Dollar—

Appollo _The Great Pumpkin—

Ra — A burning cabbageThe Great Spirit The Bomb

_The Sun — Other:

_______________

_The Moon

6. Are you currentlyusing any other source ofinspiration inaddition to God? Please check all that apply.

Tarot

7. God employs a limited degree ofDivine Intervention to preservethe balanced level offelt presence and blind faith.

Which would you prefer (circle one)?a. More Divine Interventionb. Less Divine InterventionC. Current level ofDivine Intervention isjust rightd. Don’t know. . . what’s Divine Intervention?

8. God also attempts to maintain a balanced level of disasters

and miracles. Please rate on a scale of 1 - 5 His handling of thefollowing: (1=unsatisfactory 5=excellent):

9. Do you have any additional comments or suggestions for improving the quality ofGod’s services?(Attach an additional sheet ifnecessary)

N UMC)R—

Astrology—

Fortune cookies—

Psychic Friends Network—

Palmistry—

Self-help booksMantras

—BiorythmsTea Leaves

—Pyramids

—Enneagrams

—

Feng Shui

—LotteryTelevision

—Ann LandersDianeticsEST

—Sex, Drugs, and Rockand Roll

—Burning ShrubberyCrystalsInsurance policiesOtherNone

1. How did you find out about God?

—Newspaper

—Television

—Word of mouthKoranTabloidBibleTorah

—Bhagavad Gita

—Divine Inspiration

—Near Death Experience

—Communist Manifesto

—Burning Shrubbery

—Other sources

(specify): a. DisastersfloodfamineearthquakewarpestilenceplagueAOLWindows 98

1234512345123451234512345123451234512345

b. Miraclesrescuesspontaneous remissionsstars hovering over townscrying statueswater changing to winewalking on watertalking flaming shrubberyVCR that sets its own clock

1234512345123451234512345123451234512345

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It is a Divine Art toLookAiways Cheerful

Meher Baba

Iyou don’t want to be old before you really ought to

become old, be cheerfhl in deed, thought, word and inappearance—most of all in appearance.

Maybe you are not happy. I always find half of yougarlic-faced. When you eat garlic it is a smell passed on toall; so when you appear garlic-faced, that too is catching—it is contagious. It is a divine art to look always cheerful. Itis a divine quality It helps others. When you are garlic-faced it makes others unhappy.

If you take me as God, God’s word must be youreverything. You must follow myword with all your heart.Ifnot, it is just an “everyday topic.” You take me as God,but you do not follow me as God.

HowAMaster Works, Ivy 0. Duce, p. 625.,©1975 Sufism Reoriented, Inc.

Old IndianTeaching Story

Qneday, the Lordwas sitting in His courtyard,looking deeply

dejected, with eyes downcast, resting His chin on His hand.Devotees whispered quietly among themselves, wondering whatto do — never having seen Him looking so disconsolate.

“Is there something You would like; something we couldbringYou?” tentatively asked a devotee.

The Lord’s response was to sigh deeply, turn, and rest Hischin on His other hand.

Another devotee asked hesitantly, “Perhaps there is some-thing You would like us to do? We are all concerned about Youand would do anything to please You!”

A flicker ofinterest, then more sighs!“No! No! It’s ofno use to ask! You would never do it! Over

and over again, you say you will, but then you don’t! Why con-tinue asking?”

“Oh! Please tell us what it is? We would do anything toplease! Anything You wish!”

“Really? Anything?”“Yes! Yes! Anything!”“Well! There is only one thing that would please Me! I

want you all to BE HAPPY!”“Oh!” said the devotee. “Is that all? We thought it was

somethng important!”

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Photo taken at Avatarc Abode in 1 958 by 13 year old Co/in Adams.

LALAAr£ove’Street£nmE1?ost

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We all know how many times MeherBaba repeated and repeated the first.

It has even become folkioric in our day. It isnot so often that we focus on the constantreturn He made to the necessity for honestyin life. Ofall the things that He asked me onsuccessive visits to embrace and be embracedby Him, was whether mywork allowed me tobe completely honest. At one gathering ofthe Sufis in Murshida Duce’s apartment inNewYorkin 1952 He spent almost an hourverylong for Baba, even for the most abstruseof subjects, clarif5iing ‘what Baba means byabsolute honesty.’ There has also been thegrowing recogmtion ofhow many times in Hiswritings He brought in the key role ofhonestyin thejourney ofthe aspirant.

But then, what about the second ban-ner line above, ‘and the truth shall make yefree?’ As I read this today in an editorial inthe HeraldTribune, it had a familiar ring, andI caught myselfin a déjà vu circumstance. Ineeded to reflect, and I needed to tie thingstogether that were important.

Excuse me, Baba, you said to steer clearofpolitics, but on this occasion the politicalconsiderations led to something far more basic. An editorial writer in The Far EasternEconomic Review (Hong Kong) was commenting on team ofdiplomats who had beenaccorded the right to visit Tibet, and wasmulling over what theywere likely to reportto the public. ‘If they say (what they saw)were only small problems, then they are nobetter than (many other apologists in similarposition in the past). But ifthey say that theywere unfortunately limited in what they saw,but that (the situation) appears to be movingfrom a bad situation to one with more potential for improvement, the real real test will bewhat is done to exploit these opportunities.As far as we can recall, the truth is supposedto setye free.’

This is where I woke up with a start andthought, this is a fundamental spiritual principle, and Baba insisted on it constantly, butin the deepest sense of setting us free fromour inner bindings. our sanskaras, our habitpatterns. What is the connection between thetwo?

Would it be surprising to find that a ftmdamental truth for the spiritual path shouldalso be an equally fundamental truth for theprogress ofhumanity caught in the complexities ofviolent and complex storms ofambitionand ancient animosities? Haven’t we recentlywitnessed two or three marvelous examplesofindividuals who have gone through sheerhell in prison and under torture, to emergewith a sense of truth and what must be theroad to follow to reconcile one human to an-other, regardless ofthe inheritance by each ofcyclonic antagonisms?

My own experience of the truth, sincethat day in the 1950s when Baba insistedthat one ofthe conditions for following him onthe Path must be a pledge to try to observethe truth 100%, has been that this has beenone ofthe most incredible adventures of mylife. I would never have attempted some ofthe decisions that had to be made in the lightofthat vow to the Beloved, ifl had not madeit, and with trembling at the possible consequences. But the immediate chapters that followed were not just crisis and catastrophe,although they did occur. Rather the incrediblefact was a totally unexpected succession ofevents that I could never have dreamed of. Somany times, the results were inspiring, notonly to me, but to the one with whom I hadbeen honest. What a man is this our Avatar!

The Languageofthe Heart

Meher Baba

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

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

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

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

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

This means in everylittle thing, good orbad both, we should remember Him and thenall responsibility rests with Him.

LordMeher, Vol. Eleven and Twelve,© 1979, Manifestation, Inc.

Be ContentWith Your Lot

Meher Baba

Above all else, be content with your lot,rich or poor happy or miserable. Under-

stand that God has designed it for your owngood, and be resigned to His will.

Remember the present in the frame of thepast and the friture. You eternally were andalways will be. You have had innumerableforms as man or woman, beautiful and ugly,strong and weak, healthy and sickly, powerfuland helpless, and now you are here again inanother form.

Untilyou gain spiritual freedom you willbe invested with many such forms, so whyseek temporary reliefnow which will only result in future bindings later?

r Do not ask God for money, fame, power,

health or children, but seek His grace and it

will lead you to eternal bliss.

Not 14k, But One, p. 52,© 1977, Meher Baba Foundation

“Don’t Worry, Be Happy!”“The Truth Shalliir I 7 1’iviae re rree

by Don Stevens, France

1

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4vatarMeherBaba”by Charles Mills

Fullcolorlitho reproduction,approximately 12x15 inches.

Available throughThe LoveStreet Bookstore, $25.

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