MEHER BABA LOVERS OF NO. CA. INC.

N E w s L E T T E
235 BERKELEY CA. 94 704
R
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE. RM. I

VOL. 14 SUMMER

MESSAGES "My mission is to utter

BY
MEHER SABA
ON HIS SILENCE
On t he evening oF July 9,
1925, Meher Saba entered the
Jhodpi cabin on the property
at the Meherabad colony. The
morning oF July lOth he left the cabin
silent, his phys1cal voice not to be
heard again by his disciples. We are
approaching the 60th anni v ersary of this
memorial date. We will recall here a fe w
of the messages Saba gave us regardi ng
His silence, its importance and the
breaking of it.
"God has been ever lasti ngly working
in silence, unobse r ved, unheard, ex cept
by t hose who experience His infinite
silence. If my silence cannot speak, oF
what avail would be speeches made by the
tongue?
"The very moment when He thinks my
speaking would be heard un iversally God
will make me b reak my silenc e ."
Myrtle Beach , SC
April 25, 1952
"Al though I appear to be silent,
speak through you a ll. I am ever silent
and e ve rlast ingly s peak ing, but time has
arr ived when soon I will break this
apparen t silence and then those who love
me wil l see my Real Self."
Nauranga, UP, I n dia
February 5, 195'f
this Wo rd of Truth which will
pierce the mi nd of the world
and go to i ts very heart. It
will convey the s i mple Truth
in its utter and indefinable
simplicity. It will mark the
moment of fulfillment of the
Divine Life. It will throw
open new gates to Eternity.
It will bring new hope to despairing
humanity.
"The Word that I will speak will go
to the world as from God, not as a
philosopher; it will go stra i ght to its
heart. With the dawn of the realization
of the Unity of all life, hatred and
dissensio n will come to an end. There
will be unfaltering love a nd unfailing
understanding , and men shall be united in
an inviolab l e brotherhood based on the
realized Oneness of God.
"Be ye guided by Love and Truth.
Thi s is the s1mple way that leads to God.
Not by the endless maneuve r i ng of
a l luring illusions, but by loyalty to the
Unchangeable Trut h can ye hope to be
established in Ab i ding Peace.
"When I speak , it will be only one
Divine Word ; but it will be the Word of
words or the Manifestation of Truth.
This word will have to be hear kened by
the heart , and not merely by t he mind.
It will go home to you and bring you the
Awakening."
"My Love and Ble ssings."
Andhra Darshan Tour
F ebruary and March, 195'f

"To a sk whether my followers will be

"When b reak my silence, the informed oF the time and place oF the
greatest miracle of all times will breaking oF my silence would be
happen . Be worthy to receiv e the Divine ridiculous and in itself would prove that
Grace and for that be prepared now to the signi fica nce of the breaking of my
receive the Grace." silence h as no t been t ru l y understood.
" 1 really am , and always was, t he "I must break my si lence soon. You
s l ave of my real lovers." al l who have come into contact with me
will have some glimpse of me. Some wil l
Eluru , Andhra, India
February 23, 195'f Continued on next page

COOt Uifldtbl . CJIBL I U t 8QL USS

Ben Leet and Carol S1nger.
 THE 11TH ANNUAL SILENCE DAY SAHAUAS
The Avatar Meher Saba Center of Southern
California is holding the 11th annual
Silence Day Sahavas from July 3rd thru
7th at the Pilgrim Pines Conference
Grounds in Oak Glen, CA. The special
guests this year include Bhau Kalchuri,
Kitty Davy, Fi lis Frederick and others.
Locally, call Karen Talbot (530-52~2) for
transportation help. This event is a
very special gathering in Maher Saba's
Lave.
TRUSTWALLA
Our Trustwalla is Jenny Califf. All who
wish to share in fulfilling
commitments laid down by Meher Saba
through the 1nstrument of the Trust
should contact Jenny c / o Safeguard,
1'th _s.t_. , Sa+~-F-t:-ar"lcisco , CA 9'!103.
Jenny's home phone is 285-9117 and her
work phone is 86'-3377.
MEHER SABA INFQRMATION - THE BOX
Worknights at Meher Saba Information are
Thursdays, 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM. Work
ranges from responding to requests for
information to processing orders for
books and ather literature, and many new
. projects. If y ou would like to help,
call Rick Chapman or Gary Freeman at
562-1101.
MEHER SABA BOOKMOBILE
If you cannot attend meetings when the
bookstore is scheduled to be there, but
would l ik e to see or purchase something,
contact Dan Sparks at 339-1090. No mail
orders, but he can probably arrange to
get something to you or let you look over
our stock.
FUND-RAISER UPDATE
The Curry Cook-off on April 20th was a
big success. All who attended had a
great time, especially the children.
Donations received exceeded $1200.00.
Thank you for your support.
A flea-market is planned for September.
Please begin looking in your garage and
attic, etc. for donations. To arrange
for delivery or pick-up of your donated
items call Jenny Califf at work 86'-3377
or at home 285-9117, or Lisa Greenstein
at 525-336~.
CHILDCARE DURING MEETINGS
the Childcare is now free but available only
by calling Soosan Adhem C52'-9159) to
request a sitter for the upcoming meeting
7~ at least five days in advance, and only
if - three or more parents reserve. - - -
Childcare is provided in the downstairs
playroom from 7:'5 - 9:'5 PM. (Children
are welcome at meetings as well.)
ABOUT PROGRAM CHANGES
In order for out-of-towners to have a way
to confirm their expectations before
coming to meetings, a recorded message
will announce any program changes and
give the location of meetings whe n not
given in the newsletter. Only changes or
important information will be added to
the regular phone message. If you want a
confirmation, call the day before the
meeting: C'15) 8~5-~339 .
I AM THE GOD OF ALL GODS. TRUST ME.
I KNOW EVERYTHING. DON'T WORRY.
Meher Baba
MEHER BABA LOVERS NONPROFIT ORG .
of Northern California, Inc. U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
2131 University Avenue, Room 235 PERMIT NO. 3975
Berkeley, California 94704 OAKLAND. CA.
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
 MEHER BABA LOVERS OF NO. CA. INC.

N E w s L E T T E R
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE. RM. 235 BERKELEY, CA. 94 704
VOL. 14 FALL 1985

SAHAVAS WAVES Oh Bhau ! Why do you think of

your weaknesses and why
GHAZALS BY do you feel confused?
If you l ead your life in
BHAU KALCHURI sahavas with the Beloved
He will make you free
Witten by Bhau Ka lchui fo f om eveything.
the occasion of t he 11th
Annua l Sahav as at Pilgim
Pines this summe, these
ghazals give us a glimpse of the Real SAHAUAS WAUES 5
Sahavas with Mehe Saba. Bhau has given
us p~mission t o epint a few of these Oh Mehe! How should enjoy You
ghazals fo those who did not have the sahavas when I am i n the sahavas
oppotunity to hea them at the Sahavas of so many wan ts and des i es?
o couldn't puchase a copy of these But as I accepted You I feel that
ghazals at the Pilgim Pi nes bookstoe. You will ta ke cae - nF the m and give
me You sahavas!

SAHAUAS WAUES 1 Oh Bel oved ! Had we not been weak why

would You have come down on eath?
Oh Mehe! What can say about You Your coming down on earth shows that
loving sahavas ? You come down in ode to make us
You loving sahavas of even a moment fee fom weaknesses through Your
can wipe out millions of sins! sahavas.

Oh Beloved! It is a fact that You Gace
descends like ain.
But why don't You emo ve the seven
coloed umbella so that we may get
denched.
Oh f iends ! What a miacle the Beloved
has pefomed duing His physical
life - time.
He has gi v en us so many wods of the
Tuth while obseving silence.
Oh Beloved! What wok You have done for
us while we wee sleeping.
You ae now waking us up by giv i ng
us You sahavas in ou heats.
Oh fiends! Why do you woY about
anything? Jus t long fo the sahavas
of the Beloved!
And I tel l you - e v ey bud of His
gaden will open up with the aoma
of wine du i ng His Advent!

Oh people of the wol d ! Thee is no Oh fiends! We have been in the sahavas

diffeence between y ou and us except of the sel f for ages - but what have
fa one : we gained?
The Belov ed is ou life, while the Let us now enjoy the sahavas of the
wold i s yous. Beloved and see what happens!

Oh Be l oved! Because we ae in You Oh fiends! It is tue that the Beloved

sahavas we ask you a vey simple feels happy to give His sahavas when
quest i on - the othe one Cself) emains absent .
When ae You going to give up you Let us theefoe dink a little wine
habit of hiding fom us? so that the othe one stats dozing!

Oh bothes! Do you know why the Beloved
has given us so many wods o f Tuth
though His silence?
So that we may live His wods and
enjoy His sahavas in ode to become
s i lent!
Oh Bhau! Do you know how to enjoy the
sahavas of the Beloved?
Remain close to Him and keep away
fom you own self in His love!
Continued on. - t psge

~1985
 IL
Conrinued from first page

SAHAUAS WAUES 11

On Meher! We have 1 n v 1 ted You to g 1 ve AUGUST 23r ~llLQ~~-S~O Pl'1

Your sahavas to us sa you should Friends Meet1ng Hall
feel at home Wlth US. Walnut a nd U1ne , Ber k eley
Sa now 1t 1s far You to do something
sa tha t You may feel at home with us Bhau meets w1th us th1s first evening
to indicate that You have accepted to talk about Avatar Meher Saba of
our 1nv1tatian. COLirse.
Oh Beloved! We need Your sahavas! And AUGUST 2~th, SATURDAY 12:00-~:00 PM
you need us because of Your lave Al an & Karen Talbot's home
for us! 22 Woodford Dr . . Moraga, CA
So why don't You w1pe aut everything ~15-3 7 6-~325
which comes between our need far You
and Your need far us? A pat luck l unch . Came spend an
afternoon with Bhau.
Oh religlanists! There is a difference
between you and us. AUGUST 2~th, SATU_RDA Y 7:00-10:00 PM
You go after the dress of the Unitar1an Church
Beloved whereas we go after the Cedar and Ban1ta, Berkeley, CA
Beloved Himself!
Tan1ght we present an even1ng of
Oh rel ig ian1sts! Why do you create enterta1nment far the Avatar, far our
differences by creating different spec1al guest Bhau Kalchuri and for
cereman1es and r1tuals? the community. All are welcome.
Know well that the ceremonies and Coord1natar: Sue Jam1son.
rituals are the buttons of your
illusory dress! AUGUST 25th, SUNDAY 2:30-5 : 00 PM
Un1tar1an Church
Oh philosophers! Please do nat tell us Cedar and Bonita , Berkeley, CA
about the philosophy of the sahavas
w1th the Beloved. A public tal k by Bhau Kalch ur i
We do not want to make simple th1ngs followed by music and a film of
complicated and miss His sahavas. Avatar Meher Saba. Tea and cakes
wi 11 be served .
Oh Bhau! You want the sahavas o f the
Beloved - the relationship of lave AUGUST 25th, SUNDAY 7:00-9:00 PM
between you and Him. Michael LePage ' s home.
Then maintain this relat1anship of 8~6 Sea Uiew Dr. , El Cerrito, CA
lave with Him and forget about
religions , philosophy and logic! A ghazal meeting with Bhau reading
some of n1s ghazals and d1scussing
them. Ghazals are a farm of Persian
BHAU 'S VISIT poetry that speaks of the
relat1ansh i p between the laver and
the Bel o ved. Bhau 1s the author of
We a re privileged to welcome Bhau two outs tanding books of ghazals ,
Kalchuri to the Bay Area . Meher Saba's Meher Sarod and Meher Rashan1.
nlghtwatchma n s1nce 1955, Bhau joined
Saba when he was 23 years ald . He l ives AUG~ ST__~ th. MONPAY 7: 00-9:QO Ptl
at Meherazad at the Avatar Meher Baba Sue Jam1 s an's ho me
Trust compound in Ahmednagar, and works 1075 Keith St. , Ber k eley , CA
for the Trust as a lawyer and
agriculturist. He is also a prolific FOR WOMEN ONLY. Here is a cha nce to
writer . He is the author of The Nothing ask Bhau any question that comes to
and the Everyth1ng, a substant i al body of mi nd abou t wome n, men , splrituality ,
teachings Meher Saba gave him for ch i ldren. Bhau , who 1s married , has
publication, as well as a major biography twa ch i ldre n a n d t wa grandchildren.
o f Meher Baba 1n Hindi and several
volumes of sp1ritual poe t ry 1 n the ghazal 8 UGJ,j_ar.__az.t h_, TUE~.0..B.'L.Z : 0 0.::.;3.: 00 PM
tradit1on. Michael LePage ' s home.
8~6 Sea U1e w Dr . , El Cerr 1 t a, CA

Che r i e Dreyfuss l S coor din ati ng Bhau ' s FOR f1EN ONLY . A fran!<: and open
v1 s1 t to Ber ke ley. Please cal l her wi th d1scu ss1on n1ght far me n o nly. Bhau
any q u e s tions . ~ 15-52 5 - 3~98. w1ll field any and all ques t 1ans.
 FRIDAY MEETINGS - Meher Saba meetin gs a re held on Friday
evenings a t 7:30pm with time for visiting before the program beg ins at
8:00pm sharp. Meetings are at the Friends Meeting Ho use. 21 51 Vine St.
(n ear Shattuck Ave.) in Be rkel ey, or elsewhere as ind icated in the
meeting description.
means
bookstore
will be
present
SEP LEM~~B_1 3th - WHA T - ME WORRY ?
We al l worry, even t hough Meher Saba
repeatedly states, " Don't worry, be
happy. I will help you. " How do we do
this? Is there any escape from worry?
Tonight we will discuss the problem of
worry and share ways of remembering
Meher Saba through " worry1ng " t1mes .
Coordinator: Har old Jamison
SEPTEMBER 20th - GUES T SPEAKER:
CHARLES HAY NES
As a ch1ld , Charles had the fortune to
meet Meher Saba in 1958 a t t he My rtle
Beach Center and in 1 962 at the East
West Gathering in Poona. Ton 1ght he
will share many of those personal
e x per1ences. Coordinator: Jenny Ca li ff
SEPTEMBER 21st CSaturdayL - GROWING
TOGETHER WITH MEHER SABA
Charles Haynes wil l facilitate an al l
day ( 9 AM - ~ PM ) workshop at the
Unitarian Church at Cedar and Bon it a 1n
Berkeley e xpl or 1ng wa ys to support one
another in our life w1th Meher Saba .
Please sign up for t his workshop with
Jenny Califf ~ 1 5-86~-33 77 (work ) or
~15-285-911 7 ( home ) . Coord1nator :
Jenny Cal i ff
SEPTEMBER 2~nd <Sunday ) - SUNDA Y SOCIAL
An afternoon of fun , mus ic , food and
stor ies w1th Charles Haynes at 8~6
Seavi e w in El Cerrit o from 1-6 PM.
Coordinator : Jenny Calif
SEPTEMBER 2 7 th - SABA I N HOLL YWOOD
A remembering of the years Meher Saba
spent 1n Hollywood from the 1930s thru
the 1950s with a special focus on the
mot 1on p1cture i ndustry. Coordinator:
Cherie DreyfLtss
OCTOBER ~th - HOW I CAME TO SABA
Another grou p of ta l es of how Saba
brought us to Him, b y members of our
group whose stor1es ha v e not yet been
told. Coordinator : Larry Pesta
OCTOBER 11th - SABA'S FAUORITE SONGS
AND SINGERS
Meher Sa ba loved music and was
means
particularly fond of certa1n s1ngers
childcare and songs. Come list en to some of
Will be
available these . As a special treat, hear a tape
of Fred Mar k s , an old time Saba lover
from England who recent ly d1ed ,
explain1ng the meaning of the words to
"Begin The Beguine". Coordinator: Sue
Jami son.
Q_CTQ.b.lLl.f;;ltJJ. - GUEST SPEAKER: JIM MEYER~
Ji m Meyer, longti me resident of Myrtl e
Beach and s i nger of Meher Saba songs ,
wi l l share his story of com i ng to Saba
and t he im pact it has had on his life.
Coordinator : Jenny Califf
OC l OBER ~9 th < Sat urday ~ - CONCERT WITH
JIM MEYER
Jim Meyer , whose a lbums of Meher Saba
s ongs ha ve been v ery popu l ar, will g1ve
a fundraising concert in honor of Meher
Saba ' s New Life held at the Friend's
Meeti ng Hal l at 8 :00 PM. Coordinator:
Jenny Calif f.
OCTOBER 25th - FIU1S OF MEHER BAB~ ~
Coord1nator: Bruce Eck er
NOUEMBER 1st - SABA ' TRIUIAL PURSUIT '
Brian Narelle wil l MC the game that was
such a hit at this year's Sahavas in
LA. Ha l loween desserts and treats will
be ser v ed. Come i n costume if you
like . Coordinator : David Miotke.
NOUEMBER 8th - LOUE COMES WEST
Ton ight, the superb slide show "Love
Comes West," created in commemoration
of Meher Saba ' s first v isit to the West
on No vem ber ~ . 1931 , and first shown a t
our 50th Anniversary celebration of
that e v ent at the Palace of Fine Arts
in San Franc i sco in 1 981 will be shown.
Coordinator: Cherie Dreyfuss.
NOUEiiBER 15th - SPECIAL GUEST : ~
F ILlS FREDERICK ~ ~
Another wonderful e v ening i s planned
with Filis , who shares her e x periences
w1th the Ma tchl ess One. Meher Saba .
Coordinator: David Mi otke. Conti nued on back page
MEHER BABA LOVERS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
President. Cherie Dreyfuss " Vice Presid ent. David Miotke Secretary, David
Miotke " Treasurer, Alan Talbot .. Office Manager, Dan Sparks
Board of Directors: Soosan Adhem. J enny Califf, Cherie Dreyfuss. Bing Heckman.
Sue Jamison, David Miotke, Larry Pesta
Coordinators: Programs. Larry Pesta Finance. Jenny Califf Publicity, Soosan
Adhem Community & Service, Louise Barrie .. Bookstore. Dan Sparks ..
Archives. Bruce Ecker
Continued from previous page
NOUEMBER 22nd - MEHER SABA'S MASTERS
Maher Saba told us that there are
always five Perfect Masters actively
supervi sing, so to speak, the entire
universe on all planes. He identified
the five who were holding this ultimate
office during His early years and
described something of their roles in
relation to Him. Tonight we explore
the lives of these special people.
Coordinator: Bing Heckman.
NOUEMBER 29th - MANDALI UIDEOS
Come take a video mini-trip to India as
various of Meher Saba's close disciples
talk of the Beloved in their garden
setting in Meherazad. Coordinator:
David Miotke.
FUND-RAISER UPDATE
The Rock n' Roll party at the Albany YMC ~
was a success. David Miotke showed us
where Elvis must have gotten hi s
inspiration, the children k ept pace with
their parents and the $268. 00 raised will
help with the e xpenses of managing our
group's affairs.
The sweepstakes to send a pilgrim to
Myrtle Beach was won by Lesley Tejada of
Santa Barbara. The event f eatured Filis
Frederick as guest of honor plus th~ ever
growing group of Saba ' s tots. Thank you
for your support.
A fl ea-market is planned for Saturday,
September, 28th at the Sausalito flea
market. Please begin looking in your
garage and attic, etc. for donations. To
arrange for delivery or pick-up of your
donated items call Jenny Califf at work,
86~-3377, or at home, 285-9117, or Li sa
Greenstein at 525-336~.
CHILDCARE DURING MEETINGS
Childcare is now free and available at
meetings indicated by the teddybear in
the calendar. It is also available other
nights but ~ by calling Soosan Adham
( 52~-9159 ) to request a sitter for the
upcoming meeting at least f ive days in
advance, and only if three or more
parents reserve . Childcare is provided
in the downstairs playroom from 7 : ~5 -
9:~5 PM. CChi ld~en are welcome in the
meeting room as well.)
TRUSTWALLA
Our Trustwalla is Jenny Califf. All who
wish to share in fulfilling the
commitments laid down by Maher Saba
through the instrument of the Trust
should contact Jenny c / o Safeguard, 7 ~
1~th St., San Francisco, CA 9~103 .
nny's home phone is 285-91 17 and her
rk phone is 86~-3377.
MEHER BABA INFORMATION - THE BOX
Worknights at Meher Saba Information are
Thursdays , 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM. Work
ranges fro m responding to requests for
information to processi ng orders for
books and other literature, and many new
projects . If you would like to help,
call Ric k Chapman or Gary Freeman at
562-1101.
Love makes the Formless and Infinite
1
c:-4lecome enformed and finite as the
God-Man among men. Love me more
and more because for the sake. 9f
love I have come among you.
-- Meher Baba --
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED ---
 MEHER BABA LOVERS OF NO. CA. INC.

N E w s L E T T E
235 BER KEL EY CA. 94 704
R
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE. RM . I

VOL. IS SUMMER 1986

Reprinted from Bhau Kalchuri's of evolution on the straight
recent book Avatar Of The Age path toward God-Realization.
Meher Baba Manifesting by per- When he completes this first
mission of the publisher: phase, the Avatar drops his
Manifestation, Inc., P. o. Box physical body. The result of
991 , North Myrtle Beach, South the first phase of his work
Carolina 29582 manifests gradually over a
period of 100 to 200 years.
The Three Phases This phase is of sanskaric
Of His Work annihilation and burning.
The goal of life is to realize God After the Avatar has dropped his body
and the whole of creation has come into the second phase of his work starts. The
existence to.fulf~ll this purpose, though second phase of the Avatar's work is the
all of creat1on 1s actually non-existent. distribution of wine - his divine lo~
There is a straight path to God- The Avatar's wineshop opens to all
Realization, and it passes straight humanity and he first distributes wine
through seven stages of evolution and freely to those who are already on the
seven levels of involution. Each soul has straight path toward realizing God, and
to pass through evolution and involution who are extending their hearts to him in
before it can attain the level of God's acceptance of this wine. This is the
Consciousness. phase of intoxication.

The path to God-Realization is A person whose mind is burdened with

straight, but almost every human being mostly unnatural sanskaras cannot thirst
misses it, because the accumulation of fo: the divine wine of this Avataric age.
unnatural sanskaras is causing a lmost Th1rst starts after the unnatural
everyone to deviate from that path . sanskaras are severed and burned up; onl y
Natural sanskaras propel consciousness in then is the straight path found. The
its evolution and are necessary for result of the first phase of the Avatar's
progress through the seven stages of work is universal, as he places all the
evolving consciousness. Unnatural san- stages of evolution back on the straight
skaras are accumulated in human form and path. When this happens, the evolution of
they halt the progress of the human being th7 universe becomes natural once again.
toward his involution. Unless these Th1s is a phase of purification.
unnatural sanskaras are wiped out of the
human mind, progress toward involution is During the second phase of
delayed . The human being is entangled in intoxication, the Avatar works to
his gross consciousness, and so wanders distribute his wine free l y and there are
through the world lifetime after lifetime. some individuals who strive their utmost
and dri~k more wine; they receive a push
to a h1gher plane. Some individuals who
The Avatar appears on earth because are becoming div inely intoxicated thirst
the whole sanskaric pattern of evolution for .more wine and they enter the beginning
has become unnatural. Humanity misses the of 1nvolution. Some individuals have only
straight path toward God-Realization a taste of the wine, but in their
because of its unnatural condition. Even temporary intoxication they do not advance
the stages of evolution have become beyond gross . consciousness, although they
unnatural, mainly because of mankind's are approach1ng the entrance to the inner
scientific explorations, experimentations path. The Avatar's wine pours through the
and exploitation of various species of heart of humanity as his love floods the
evolving life forms. world purifying, to some extent, all of
human consciousness.
The first phase of the Avatar 's
universal work consists of wiping out the The light of the Avatar's sun, his
unnatural sanskaras in humanity a nd the effulgence, pours into the three worlds
lower evolving forms, thereby plac ing a l l through seven doors . His light pours in
continued on the next pace
1986
Con rin ued from finr page
IL
the gross world through the opening of the
seventh door. When all stages of
evolution are moving on the straight path
to God-Realization and humanity is
experiencing the wine of divine love, the
consciousness of each level then focuses
toward the light of his sun as it pours
through the seventh door. When this light
is seen everywhere on earth by mankind,
the third phase of the Avatar's work
begins and this is his manifestation on
earth.
In this third phase humanity expe-
riences the full impact of the Avatar's
manifestation consciously, while other
stages of evolving life forms are
universally affected and their progress is
stepped up. Those human beings who are
closest to the seventh door experience his
manifestation most directly and intensely.
The rest of humanity experiences the
manifestation in accordance to their
relative distance from the seventh door.
This light seen by humanity, as hi s
manifestation, inflames human conscious-
ness so that divine intoxication is actu-
ally experienced.
Avatar Meher Baba started the second
phase of his universal work the day he
dropped his physical body. Since January
31, 1969, he is now distributing wine
freely. Those people who did not come
into his physical contact, or did not see
him physically during the first phase of
his work while incarnate on earth, did not
miss anything! Meher Baba completed the
first phase of his inner work for them
without their awareness of him, or of his
presence on earth. The first phase of his
work has prepared them to receive his wine
and to participate in the second phase of
his work. However, if they fail to extend
their hearts to him and accept his wine,
they will actually miss the real glory of
his manifestation - divine intoxication.
I remember one incident that occurred
in September, 1968, that clearly pertains
to the second phase of Meher Baba's work.
Baba was discussing the forthcoming 1969
darshan program with the mandali.
Padri said to Baba, "We are old now.
Close the shop, Baba!"
Baba immediately became annoyed and
gestured, "What are you saying? Close the
shop! The shop will now be opened!"
None of us understood at that time
what Baba meant by this. But, soon
afterward he dropped the body and more
people started coming into his contact,
even though they had not met him. This
moving stream of humanity signifies that
he has opened h is wineshop for the world -
to freely distribute wine to all of those
who were unknowing participants in the
first phase of his work. They are now en
the path to him .
Another incident occurred in October,
1968 , during the seclusion phase o f Baba's
work. I felt deeply disturbed that Baba
would not r eply to the correspondence from
his lovers. There was at this time a
strict ban on correspondence for both the
east and west.
Recognizing my disturbance , Baba
explained to me, "My lovers are so great,
they want nothing material or spiritual.
I come down to worship them... Why are
you so disturbed? You have been with me
for so many years and still you do not
understand what I am doing for them .
"If they come here, what will they
see? only this physical bo~y! This is
the real thing that I am gl.Vl.ng them."
Then Baba made the sign for his seclusion
work which was a pounding on his thighs.
He continued, "My work is t h e real
thing which I am giving them and you will
witness with your own eyes what will
happen to those who have not met me
physically."
Because his work is the real thing he
has given to the world, people are now
coming to him, even though they did not
meet him in the physical form. Meher Baba
has completed the first phase of his work
for them, though these people have had no
physical contact with him. Without their
knowing it, h e has bestowed a great
blessing upon them, and in his own way he
h as prepared them to participate in the
second phase of his work - the wine of
love.
Near the end, Baba' s health was in
very critical condition. During January,
1969 , Baba was discussing his forthcoming
darshan program in April. His suffering
was terrible. His body was being crushed
by the infinite burden of the universe.
This was the last stroke of the f irst
phase of his work on earth. Spasm after
spasm wracked his body. It was as if his
bones were breaki ng. That memory will
never leave me.
During the discussion about the
darshan, Baba said, "Once I start giving
darshan to my lovers, I will never stop.
It will be continuous and I will be very
strong at that time."
Again we mandali did not understand
what he meant. But since he has dropped
his body, I have witnessed more and more
people coming for his darshan. I now see
cont inued on the back pa1e
 IL
FRIDAY MEETINGS - Meher Baba mee1ongs are held on Fnday
even 1ngs a1 730 pm wil h 11me for v1S1hng before I he program beg1ns a1 JULY 18th - MEHER BABA AND WAR
BOO pm sharp Meehngsareallhe Fnends Meeling House.,21 51 Vine St.
(near Shalluck Ave.) in Berkeley, o r elsewhere as ond1ca1ed on l he
mee1ong descripl ion. Recent political disturbances make. us
, means
think about Baba's declarat1ons
To check tor
books tore ptogram changes concerning world conflict. What does
will be
presenl
cll 4 15/ 8 4 5 -4 339
the Master say about our role in the
midst of international unrest?
JUNE 6th - AFTER THE HONEYMOON coordinator: Larry Pesta.

Several of our group will discuss how

the course of their life has changed JULY 25th - FILMS OF AVATAR MEHER BABA~
because of their involvement with Meher
Baba. Coordinator: Harold Jamison. Coordinator: Doug Ross.

JUNE 13th - SLIDES AND COFFEE

Tonight some of our members will b e
sharing personal experiences and color
slides of India at the new home of
Harold and Sue Jamison, 6934 Fairview
Drive, El Cerrito. Coordinator: David
Miotke.

JUNE 20th - SPECIAL GUEST: KACY COOK ~

LIVING IN INDIA
We are pleased to have Kacy with us dur-
ing her visit to this area where she was
raised. She has lived in Meherazad for
over seven years and will share her
stories of her life there.
Coordinator: Bing Heckman.
RESULTS OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
JUNE 27th - FRANCIS BRABAZON REMEMBERED A new board of directors for Meher Baba
Lovers of Northern California, Inc. was
Meher Baba's disciple and poet passed elected at the Annual General Meeting on
away two years ago. Tonight we will April 11th. Elected to the Board were
savor selections from his written works Bing Heckman, Harold Jamison, Ben Leet,
and glimpses of his life . Coordinators: Michael LePage, David Miotke, Larry Pesta
Sue Jamison and Michael LePage. and Doug Ross. The new board held its
first meeting on April 19th and appointed
the f ollowing people as officers:
JULY 4th - INDEPENDENCE DAY - NO MEETING
President Bing Heckman
There will be no meeting tonight due to Vice President Harold Jamison
the holiday and because many are at the Secretary Jamie Dillon
L. A. Sahavas this weekend. Treasurer Alan Talbot
Office Manager Ben Leet

JULY 11th - "ANCIENT ONE" SLIDE SHOW and the following committee chair people:

Tonight "The Ancient One" a slide show Programs Larry Pesta

created in 1984 for the public Finance Michael LePage
celebra~ion of Meher Baba's 90th Membership Harold Jamison
birthday, held at the Palace of Fine Publicity Harold Jamison
Arts in San Francisco. This slide show Service Louise Barrie
covers in broad strokes the many Archives Bruce Ecker
different phases of Meher Baba's advent. Bookstore Ben Leet
It is offered tonight to mark the 6lst
anniversary of Meher Baba's first day of The budget for the new fiscal year (April
silence (July 10,1925); a silence that 1986 - April 1987) was passed and a new
continued unbroken for 44 years. nominating committee was elected: Jenny
Coordinator: Michael LePage. Califf, Ron Greenstein, Karen Lundegaard,
Fred White and David Worthen.
Continued from previous pagtJ CHILDREN'S SING- ALONG
how he is giving darshan continuously and
how he distributes his wine. On the first Sunday of each month
there is a gathering of c h i l dren with
Now he is very strong. The wineshop their parents and other adul ts to sing
is open and the door is remaining open. Baba songs at the home of Ron and Lisa
Maya cannot close it. Wine is the second Greenstein (525-3364) at 11:30 AM. This
phase and the world is receiving it, for is oriented to children, but is fun for
wine is his work. He gives darshan all ages. The next two meetings will be
continuous l y to all those who now thirst on June 1 and August 3 . There will not
for his wine. Wine is the most important be a gathering in July because many
phase for this is the period of people will be at the Sahavas.
preparation for participating in the third
phase of his work his divine THE 11TH ANNUAL SILENCE DAY SAHAVAS
manifestation to the entire world.
The Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern
Now is the time to participate Californ ia is holding the 12th annual
wholeheartedly in the second phase of Silence Day Sahavas from July 3rd thru
Meher Baba's work and drink deeply the 6th at the Pilgrim Pines Confer ence
wine of love. We need to avail ourselves Grounds in Oak Glen, CA . The spe cial
of the spiritual opportunity by drinking guests this year include Virginia Rudd,
evermore deeply of his wine. Our Naosherwan Anzar and Ann Conl on. In the
intoxication is his preparation . This Bay Area call Karen Ta lbot (415-376- 4325)
preparation will make us ready to for transportation help. This event is
experience the manifestation more fully. a very special gathering in Meher Ba ba's
We should become prepared to put ourselves Love.
at his feet and bow to him who suffered
infinitely in his work for all of us. CHILDCARE DURING MEETINGS
We regret that until further notice the
MEHER BABA INFORMATION - 'THE BOX' use of the downstairs children's room at
the Friends Meeting Hall is discontinued.
Worknights at Meher Baba Information are However, we can continue to use the
Thursdays, 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM. Work education room in the small hall . This
ranges from responding to requests for also means we will not be providing a
information to processing orders for baby-sitter. Children are welcome at the
books and other literature, and many new meetings if supervised by their parents.
projects. If you would like to help,
call Rick Chapman or Gary Freeman at
562-1101.
The way of my work is the way of effacement, which is
TRUSTWALLA the way of strength, not weakness; and through it you
Our Trustwalla is Jenny Califf. All who become mature in love. At this stage you cannot know
wish to share in fulfilling the what real love is, but through working for me as you
commitments laid down by Baba through the should work for me you will arrive at t hat ripeness where,
instrument of the Trust should contact in a moment, I can give you That which you have been
Jenny cjo Safeguard, 74 14th St. , San seeking for millions of years.
Francisco, CA 94103. Meher Saba --

MEHER BABA LOV ERS NON-PROFIT ORG.

of Northern California, Inc. U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
2 13 1 University Avenue, Room 235 PERMIT NO. 3975
Berkeley, California 94704 OAKLAND. CA.

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

 MEHER BABA LOVERS OF NO. CA. INC.

N E w s L E T T E
235 BERKELEY C A. 94704
R
Z131 UN IVERS ITY AVE. RM . I

VOL. 15 FALL 1986

At the 1986 Sahavas sponsored love, but you have to love.
by the Los Angeles group, If you surrender, if yo~ love,
Naosherwan Anzar gave a He doesn't give a ra~se in
powerful tal k entitled "The pay. He is already there .
Ten Demandments of True
Discipleship.' 1 Excerpts from It is not a joy for Him
this t alk are r eprinted here, to live in t he body, it's t h e
with permission from crucifixion and He suffers for
Naosherwan and the LA Group . each one of us . I have seen
Him suffer with my own e yes.
THE NON-COMPLACENT LOVER So when you say you surrender , you
stretch that surrender all the way . It's
When you come down to the bottom not a one-time thing, it's a continuity.
line, it's not the dollar, it is love .
The desperateness that you
Look within you and ask this experienced when you were seeking, when
question: what is the bottom line in my you were searching you let that
life, why is there confusion and conflict d esperateness flag. You have found Baba,
in my li fe , why is there a breakdown of you take a sigh of relie f, and you become
relationship, why don't I get along well complacent. That desperateness, that
with my mothe r, why am I estranged with pull, that ember -- don't l et it turn to
my father, what's going on between me and ashes . That fir e of love, let it go all
my husband , why can't I relate to my the way through not only this lifetime,
son -- and the answer is that you've put but many , many l ifet imes. That divine
this heavy block on your heart. You ' re desperateness that Baba talks of, let i t
not relating to them. You're not talking go al l the way through so you can get
to them, we are only talking to that g l ow, that feeling, that fire that
ourselves. can be a continuity. That sahavas
living with Hi m can be a continuity .
Go back to the discourses of Baba
and read al l the discourses from 1931 to The third factor , the third demand-
1958 that Baba has given in the United ment that you make on yourself is one of
states . Every dis course is on self obedience, a factor that Baba time and
interest. And Baba time and again time again emphas ized. He relegated
described the greatest problem of this everything else into the shadows when He
country: it has tremendous spiri tual t a lked of obed ience . The two aspects of
energy which it can share with the world obedience that Baba gave me directly
if it can eliminate self interest. of course Baba gave me several orders
but the ones that were v ery important to
I see it happening in New York all me were "Don't Worry" and "Be Happy" .
the time, but I also find that hearts are Now , to us these sound like trivial
opening up. The revolution that Baba words, but to me these are two very
talks of, the emergence of a new important orders because they totally
humanity, is now happening . eliminate every other confusion, every
other negativity. I fin d that Baba 's
What are the demands we must make on order "not to worry" has helped me to see
ourselves? Surrender -- Baba has asked things through. To "be happy" has
for our surrender . We say, " Yes Baba, I sometimes been a problem, but one has to
will surrender to you." But is that an make a concerted effort. Baba always
empty word? Is that just a promise that said, "Try to be happy. Try!" So one
we don't intend keeping? We have to tries to be happy. People sometimes say ,
carry the promise of s urrender that we "Well , Baba is not in the body, so what
have made to Him all the way, as a orders do I obey?" Don't worry, be happy
demandment on our selves . We demand is a very important order. And if you
ourselves to surrender . He isn' t asking were to follow this order, take my word
you for your surrender. But you have to for it, a ll your problems would be ironed
surrender . He's not asking f or your out. continued on the next pace
1986
Continued from first page
We've already talked of love, which
is a very important aspect of our rela-
tionship to Baba. But what bothers me
constantly is that we love Baba, yet we
have no love for the people around us, a s
if Baba doesn't live in them. conse-
quently there is divorce, separation,
unhappiness. We are happy to love Baba,
but we can't love those who we are
supposed to love in our daily lives . Is
that what Baba wants of us, that we put
Him on a pedestal and love Him and can't
love those who we should love? I think
that is something we all should consider
at some point so that the confusion can
be dispelled. We love Baba and that love
must be translated into our daily lives.
Baba was a practical Avatar. You don't
put him on a pedestal and worship Him,
you bring Him into your daily life and
use what He has given you.
Another important aspect is intu-
ition. The present period is a very
intimate time with the Beloved. A time
will come when thousands will follow Him
and all of us will be relegated to the
back. It is a very intimate time with
the Beloved. our intuition has recog-
nized the Beloved, but we have to
strengthen it further. And the only way
you can strengthen it is by loving Him
more and more. There are no other
gymnastics to do.
Selflessness is another area of work
with Baba . Selflessnes means letting go
and giving in. I know of couples who got
married, brought their books into the
home -- and these books are mine and
these books are yours! Selflessness is
to be practiced in our daily lives as we
go from day to day, letting go of I - me-
my-mine .
have already talked of work for
I
Baba , developing our capabilities and
capac- ities and applying them to working
for Him. He can do all the work Himself,
but He makes use of your efforts and
channels His work through you.
A very important aspect or
demandment that we can make in our lives
is that of recollection. That is going
back to the source of when you met Baba,
how you came to Him, what brought you to
Him. This is your touchstone tha t you
have to go back to a nd hold on to tightly
because that is the gift that He has
given you. The gift of Baba is love and
that is what will sustain you . And how
do you recollect? By constantly
repeating His name. That is the tal isman
He has given you, His name! There are
several stories of terrible moments in
people's lives which have been transmuted
simply by uttering His name. That is the
greatest gift Meher Baba has given us,
the gift of His name. Repeat it a l l the
time,and talk to Him. You don't need an
intermediary, you don't need a gui de, a
murshid , a priest, a mullah, anybody.
You relate to Him directly. You don't
need churches and temples. He is there,
here and now. Just reach out to Him,
talk to Him, tell Him your daily
problems, and He will give you an a nswer
in different ways. He may not answer
right away, but as the days go by you
will discover that He will give you an
answer. So talk to Him . There are
always pro fess ionals you can go to, but
the greatest gift in this lifetime is
that he is available now. Isn ' t it great
that He is with you all the time a nd that
you can never be alone?
(Special thanks to Charlie Morton who
provided us with a n audiotape of t he
talk.)
CENTER SEARCH REPORT
After a long and pleasant association
with the Friends, we are being eased out
of the nest and nee d to find a new pl ace
to meet. The Friends would like to make
more use of their buildings , and they
have told us that after October lst they
cannot schedule our meetings on a weekly
basis. As a result , the Center Search
Committee is looking for a new place to
meet. At the business meeting on July
25th, the membership passed a motion to
permit commitment to a permanent Center.
The motion supported e ither a rental or a
purchase, but favored a purchase. We are
still unsure if we can afford a permanent
Center and are carefully exploring all
possibliities. In the meantime, we will
be meeting in people ' s homes and other
locations, so p lease check the schedule
for each meeting. Locations are subject
to change ; please cal l and confirm to be
sure .
 IL
FRIDAY MEETINGS Meher Saba mee t ings a re he ld on Fr i day evenings October 17th - CELEBRATING THE NEW LIFE
at 7 :30PM with ti me fo r visiting befor e th e prog r am begins at 8:00
PM sharp. Meet ings are as indicated in the meeting description. To
GUESTS: DARWIN AND JEANNE SHAW
check fo r program changes call 415/8454339 .
The Shaws, New Yorkers who first met
Meher Baba in 1931, will be our special
September 5th - FILMS OF MEHER BABA guest speakers as we celebrate the New
Life, which "lives eternally, even if
Films of Avatar Meher Baba will be there is no one to live it."
shown to welcome everyone back from the Coordinator: Bing Heckman . Location:
August break . Coordinator : Doug Ross. Unitarian Church, Cedar and Bonita,
Location: Friends Meeting Hall, Walnut Berkeley.
& Vine, Berkeley.
October 18th (SATURDAY) - POT- LUCK
September 11th (THURSDAY) - FUNDRAISER BAR-B-Q WITH THE SHAWS.
DINNER WITH DON STEVENS
A chance to socialize with our dear
A fundraising dinner will be held with friends from the East coast. Please
a favorite friend-in-Baba, Don Stevens, bring a salad, or dessert, or drinks.
as our special guest. Don is the Coordinator: Michael LePage. Location:
author and editor of several books 846 Sea View Dr, El Cerrito . Telephone
about Meher Baba and was blessed to 415-525-8416. TIME 2:30PM
have had many opportunities to meet
with Him. Don will share some of his October 24th - MUSIC NIGHT
experiences and insights from many
years with Baba. Coordinator: Bobby A special night of music centered in
Buggia . Location: Unitarian Church, Baba. Coordinator: Ron Greenstein .
Cedar and Bonita, Berlekey. Location: 600 Albemarle, El Cerrito .
Telephone: 415 -52 5-3364 .
September 12th - NO MEETING TONIGHT
October 31st - VIDEOTAPE OF NAOSHERWAN
.September 19th - VIDEOTAPE OF ANN ANZAR FROM THE 1986 SAHAVAS.
CONLON'S TALK AT 1986 SAHAVAS.
Tonight is your opportunity to see this
Here is Ann 's wonderful talk on how she brilliant and fiery talk by Naosherwan
came to Baba, including her weekend in Anzar, from which our feature article
India in 1961, captured in full living was drawn . Coordinator : Michael
color by ace video cameraman, Charlie LePage. Location: 846 Sea View Dr, El
Morton. Coordinator: Michael LePage. Cerrito. Telephone 415-525-8416 .
Location: Friends Meeting Hall, Walnut
and Vine, Berkeley. November 7th - BEADS ON ONE STRING

September 26th - BALANCE, PART II Baba's work of bringing religions

together like "beads on one string"
Living quality lives balanced between encourages us to discuss and consider
the material and spiritual is a the true heart of religion. Where do
challenge for e v ery Baba Lover. This we fi t into this process? Coordinator:
is Part II of our lively discussion . Larry Pesta. Location: The Carriage
Coordinator: Larry Pesta. Location: House at Rosen Institute, 2315 Prince,
Friends Meeting Hall, Walnut & Vine, Berkeley.
Berkeley .
November 14th - GUEST: RICK CHAPMAN
October 3rd - HOW BABA CHANGED MY LIFE
Tonight we are pleased to have a talk
The circumstances are different, but by Rick Chapman, who met Baba in 1966
the theme is the same; Meher Baba comes and has headed Meher Baba Informati on
into our lives and turns them right since 1967. The topic will be caring.
side up. These changes are happy and Coordinator: Bing Heckman. Location:
sad, easy and hard, but they all bring The Carriage House at Rosen Institute,
us closer to Him. Coordinator: Harold 2 315 Prince, Berkeley continued on the back pege
Jamison . Location: The Carriage House
at Rosen Institute, 2315 Prince, ME HER SABA LOVERS OF NORTHERN CALl FORNI A
Presi dent , Sing Heckman * * Vice Pres iden t, Ha r old J amison **
Berkeley . (Near Telegraph) Secreta ry, J am ie Dillon** Tr e asurer, Al an Talbot** Office Manager,
Be n Leet.
October lOth - FILMS OF MEHER BABA BORAD Of DIRECTORS: Bing He c kman , Harol d Jami son, Ben Leet, Michael
LePage, Davi d Miotke, La rry Pes ta, Doug Ross .
Coordinator: Bruce Ecker. Location :
The carriage House at Rosen Institute , COORDINATORS: Programs , La rr y Pesta ** Finance, Michael LePa ge **
Membersh i p, Harol d Jam i son ** Public ity, Harold Jamison ** Service,
2315 Prince, Berkeley. Lou i se Barrie ** Archives, Bruce Ecker ** Bookstore, Ben Lect.
Continuod from previous page
November 21st - DOWN-HOME FOCUS ON BABA MYRTLE BEACH SWEEPSTAKES
An evening of focusing on Baba thru The Grand Winner of the 2nd Annual Myrtle
song, story and personal story telling. Beach Sweepstakes wil l be karmically
Coordinator: Ron Greenstein. Location: chosen at the pot luck dinner for Darwin
600 Albemarle, El Cerrito. Telephone: and Jeanne Shaw at Michael LePage's home
415-525-3364 . on Saturday, the 18th of October . The
winner does not have to be present to
November 28th - GIVING THANKS win. Tickets are available from the
Board Members at $1.00 each, 13 chances .
Everyone is invited to bring stories of for $10.00 or 75 chances for $50.00. The
gratitude to God your own or as winner may take the trip from San
found in spiritual literature on Francisco or Los Angeles a irports or the
this evening after the American equivalent amount in cash . Tickets may
Thanksgiving celebration. Coordinator: be purchased through the mail by s ending
Max Reif. Location: 600 Albemarle, El your check for the proper amount to:
Cerrito. Telephone: 415-525-3364. Meher Baba Lovers of Northern Cali f ornia,
2131 University Ave., RM 235, Berkeley,
TRUSTWALLA CA 94907 . Mail in requests must be
received no later than October 1 8 , 1986
Our Trustwalla is Jenny Califf. All who to be entered into the drawing.
wish to share in fulfilling the
commitments laid dmm by Baba through the FUNDRAISING NOTES
instrument of the Trust should contact
Jenny c jo Safeguard, 74 14th St., San Thanks to the great generosity of Ove
Francisco, CA 94103. Wittstock, the group was able to hold a
very unusual and successful fundraiser on
CHILDREN'S SING-ALONG June 29th . Starting with an idea
concocted over lunch at Larry Blake's by
on the first Sunday of each month there ove and Billy Ward, plans were made to
is a gathering of children with their staff Oves shoe store , Laytons on
parents and other adults to sing Baba Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, for a sale
songs at the home of Ron and Lisa with a percentage of the sales for the
Greenstein (525-3364) at 11:30 AM. This day being given by ove to the Group .
is oriented to children, but is fun for Former veteran shoe sales people , Ben
all ages . The next three meetings will Wright and Ron Greenstein, willingly gave
be on September 14th, October 5th and of their services and dazzled the
November 2nd. customers with their knowledge of
MEHER BABA INFORMATION - 'THE BOX' fractional fittings and other esoteric
subjects . Others also helped in the
sales; although less brilliant, all
worknights at Meher Baba Information are agreed that to spend a day stuffing feet
Thursdays, 7:30 PM to 9 :30 PM. Wor k into Birkenstocks probably had some
ranges from responding to requests for important, although indefinable,
information to processing orders f or spiritual value . $500 . 00 was raised for
books and other literature, and many new the group. This f lippant and irreverant
projects. If you would like to help, r eport was NOT submitted by the Minister
call Rick Chapman or Gary Freeman at for Finance .
562 -1101.

MEHER BABA LOVERS NON-PROFIT ORG.

of Northern California, Inc. U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
2 131 Univer.;ity Avenue,' Room 235 PERMIT NO. 3975
Berkeley, California 94704 OAK LAND. CA.

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.

N E w s L E T T E R
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235 BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
VOL. 17 WINTER 1988

water is now being obtained from Ahmadnagar.

AN Through great difficulty and much bureaucratic
INTERVIEW red tape the Trust was able to obtain permission
to transport water across a municipal limit.
WITH Because the entire area around Meherabad is a
drought stricken area there are severe rules
BHAU KALCHURI pertaining to water and its uses. In explaining
the exceptional privledge of obtaining this
On Sept. 1, 1988, Chris Pearson interviewed, Bhau I<alchuri. The topics water Bhau stated "... but this is just Baba's compassion, I
covered in the interview concerned the Avatar Meher Baba Trust should say. Baba's help that we could get the supply ...Still
(firstly) and the Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust. more water is needed each year as more and more pilgrims
The article which follows is a brief synopsis and contains quotes of come ...Beloved makes the arrangemcnts...according to the need.
Bhau Kalchuri's. So water facility to a certi'in extent is solved." To help with]
water retention the~corid ~b~ecti~ a re-forestation program,
Bhau began his interview by giving a brief history of the Trust trees are planted tonelp ho d water in the land. This is an
He stated "Avatar Meher Baba Trust was created in the year ongoingprogram.
1959 by Baba Himself. But the Trust was dormat for ten years . __ .. __
when Baba was phy~ically present. He wou~d not allow the " Th~!r4_p~tiy). is the- fa~ilities !~ ~~u_se the J?iigri~ At
trustees to take donations. After he dropped hi~ body the Trust present there IS the Pdgnm Center housing aoout 5~ people at a
started functioning. There are two Tru~ts: one IS Avatar Meher time. Darmashala houses about 26 pilgrims, and there are
Baba Trust (firstly), and the other Is Avatar Meher Baba three large hostels to accommodate a large number of pilgrims.
Perpetual Public Charitable Trust." Both Trusts are set at Amarthithi draws thousands of people each year with more
Meherabad, India. coming each year. In 1987 25,000 people paid homage at the
. . . . . tomb of Me~~!- .'!J~~~--?..90_Q_ of which stayed in the current
In AMBT there are 41 beneficianes named by Baba Htmself. /facilities f(ir three days. ~ccommooabons were not sufficient so
Funds recei~eg _for tl}is ':('rust are u~ed for the ~upport and /in 1988 a new hostel was builf and accommodafiOilswere
w-ell-being of the benefici~ries so_ that they _may <:ontinue t~{ increased-by -3,000 _fii?re.- The riew-hostef15 the same size as
concentrate on the tasks asstgned_ t() them by &.~a. On the_evenr.\ pi'evlous-thiee;oufof multi-purpose construction. There will be
of death, the d~eased members share of funds IS tu~e~ over to . a stage built so that the facility will be utilized for plays,
flleAMBPPCT. Upon the death of the last beneftctary the.J skits, etc. during programs and holidays. Construction is
AMBT will cease to exist. As it stands now 50% of all.funds ongoing, with focus on bathrooms and toilets. Therfourth \
recei~e? by the A~~T currently goes to ~h~ AMBPP.C:: ~tth the p~j~~tiye i~_!and -~ccu~~~au~~ At present there is enoug~
remaimng to be divtded equally by the hv1ng benefictartes. 0 hold Amarthitm programs (about 250 acres total) but each
year there are thousands more to accommodate. In India there
The AMBPPCT is the Trust that addresses the details of are very strict regulations concerning land purchasing and
accommodating the. pilgrims, the continuation of the spiritual development. At present there are about 35 acres purchased at
work begun by Avatar Meher Baba, and the various projects the back of Baba's tomb, at least 70 more are needed for
undertaken by the trust in Baba's name. Bhau is certain that no buildings and facilities. 39 have been allocated for medical
other Trust in India has so many objectives. facilities and 39 acres of land have been allocated for use in
----~ ~ _ educational programs. 100 more acres are needed to
Th~t objectiveol the Trust is to provide adequ~te water for/ accommodate future pilgrims coming to celebrate Amartithi
lands, villages, citizens and pilg~i~s. Meherabad ts a d~o.u?h!J based on projections comparable to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
stricken area. Baba gave prtonty to all water facthhes.
Currently there are 26 open wells and 12 more wells and still r In India regulations set the limit of owning agricultural land to
requirements cannot be met. Water cannot be obtaine? from .50 acres. Non-agricultural land has no limit, but it must have a
Arangaon, the closest village, for they cannot meet thetr own :building(s) currently in use or a home being occupied on it. To
requirements. Bhau was pleased to report that additional . co~yert land from agricultural (land with no buildings) to
 continued from the first page
non-agricultural (land with buildings), construction must be~~ be a monumental building. So we will devote time for that, but
and be completed within a specified time span. This is the Ianning of course ... we will not be there when the work will
regulation that severely limits the Trust's ability to buy land tart, we will die. So the planning will be there so that when it
Also, foreigners cannot buy land themselves so special s time, the work can be taken up. Ted and others are interested
arrangements must be made for them. n submitting plans so we just asked them ...all right you just
submit illustrations and prepare them. Afterwards we wiiJ
Bhau expressed his concern that in the future people will thii~ ecide."
that the current Trust did not concern itself with the land
problem. That people will think that they should have Chris remembered getting a circular several years back from
purchased thousands of acres immediately. Because of lega Mani suggesting that Baba Lovers donate $10.00 per month.
difficulties this is impossible. To use Bhau's words"...not that That these monies would be sufficient to keep the Trust running.
we don't think about it, but we are just helpless because the law Bhau said that the Trust had now come. to another conclusion
is there." about funding and donations. They have decided not to ask for
---------------------------- - -- -funding-fr-om-Baba lovers.-- He-stated-that-when pilgrims came
._..J~:urther objectiY.e~Jor the_Trust_ar~Jh~.)lledical and edy_~jjp.J.tal to India that they would see the many projects that were
facilfties:-T"he medical facilities include a dispensary, a underway in Baba's name. He stressed the donations should
-ho-spital~-and a veterinary clinic for animals. The dispensary is come from people's own hearts and should not inconvenience
completly paid for by the Trust. It has been ongoing for many them unduly. Bhau also recommended that donations be made
years and serves the medical needs of Arangoan and surrounding through the trustwalla because they had specific instructions
villages. Dr. Alan Scott will be giving a presentation of his about how to send funds and which tax breaks could be taken
experiences at the dispensary (see calendar for details). The dvantage of, and how to allocate funds for specific projects.
Meher Hospital building is continually under construction and Bhau suggested that all donations not being sent for
this past month marked the first series of eye operations beneficiaries should be allocated for a specific propose (such as
performed there. There was a joint effort between the educational supplies, bandages, etc.) to help with tax breaks.
government of India and the Trust, in sharing the expenses for
the patients needing this operation. When asked if there was anything else he wished to discuss
Bhau made the following statement "You ask me.. .I can
The educational facilities include a farmers educational center, tell ...but this is true...that -~~~_!ru~t projects are just expanding
primary and high school buildings. Plans are underway for the r--afld expanding and we ~~..Q ..ffiQIJ.ey._.for_that __It i~!!_C?t that we
construction of a college building. All building and operational don'frieoo 'irioney,-liut at the same time now, we think that Baba
costs are paid for by the Trust. Lov~rs -~~ a~~.B!'~~n.g_~~'!R-Q~!~~~~~:~~~~-~~e}i~so_ aware
"? ortnat f~ct~ _ So why s!tould ~~ey_n.Qt__ take_up____the _initiative.
The farmers educational center brings experts from universities Initiative in the sense that they sl!Q~l.Q_give what .they- can and
in to help the local farmers with their crops. The primary nofoelnoonveniericed ~or -:uncomfQrtable._ .whatever they~ can
school started two years ago with a kindergarten, last year a spare, an~~.!.h~! 01-tto.tlove,_, through .. their-hear~s. They should
-. first_yade was adqejl,_jhi.S_ye_ar _a _second _grade. The high_ ~on-their own._ ~g sho11_Ig_not just th_~~-_tha(ll!~~T_rust
school is fully operational. A college will be added to continue 1 should give any i!l_~t~cJ!<>.:t:t about it. From their hearts tfiey
.the c?ucation of the s~dent~ currently in the high schoo~. Both Ls_hould donate, out of lov~ !o~-~oa...------- -- - ---------
\Enghsh and Marathi mediums are used. Scholarships are
available to students from surrounding villages for higher
,educational
/ purposes if they pass their primary school
/examinations. Aid is also given to surrounding villages for use MEHER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN CA, INC
~ upgrading their educational programs. President, Bing Heckman Vice-President, Irene Meyers Secretary,
Janice Ouatrieri Treasurer, Karen Lundegaard Office Manager, Fred
'Bhau was then asked about the plans for the superstructure White.
\ that is to be built to proctect Baba's tomb. Bhau stated "It is Board of Directors : Louise Barrie Lisa Greenstein Joe Elia Bing
Heckman Irene Meyers Janice Quartieri Fred White
! under the deed. This is Baba's wish that superstructure will be
Coordinators: Program, Louise Barrie Finance, Lisa Greenstein
: constructed. So superstructure of course, we are going to construct, Membership, Janice Ouartieri Publicity, Bing Heckman Service,
'\ but it will take time...time in the sense of course, under income Janice Quartieri Archives, Michael LePage Bookstore, Ben leet
ltax law , medical and educational. .. these are the two objects Newsletter, Melissa Penn.
which are considered "public charitable", so we must fulfill
)'!_hose~jects. Afterwards when all the "public charitable" BOARD MEETINGS
\oojects which are under the Trust deed are fulfilled, then we Meher Baba Center of Northern California Board meetings are
,will have full concentration on the superstructure. And it will open to all members. Call Janice Quartieri at (415) 527-6739 for
the date and time of upcomming meetings.
 IL
FRIDAY-SATURDAY MEETINGS Maher Baba meetings are held at the Albany Methodist
Church, Stannage Avenue and Marin in Albany. The first meeting of each month is on Saturday, with
the remainder on Friday. All programs begin at 8:00 PM sharp and normally end at 9:30 PM with time
for visiting before and after the meeting. To check for program changes call (415) 8454339.
DECEMBER 3RD (Saturday) - STORIES MEHER BABA TOLD
PART II
A continuation of the popular meeting from last quarter.
Storytellers will share favorite tales as told by Avatar Maher Baba.
Coordinators: Irene Meyers & Louise Barrie.
DECEMBER 9Tii- MEHER HOSPITAL
Dr. Alan Scott will discuss his experiences working in the
dispensary at Meher Hospital (in Meherabad). He will also talk
about the need for supplies and support. Slides will be shown.
Coordinators: Janice Quartieri & Fred White.
DECEMBER 16TH- MEHERA'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
AND FILM NIGHT
A brief talk and filmon Avatar Meher Baba's most devoted lover.
Share your favorite Mehera story over ice cream and cake!
Coordinators: Melissa Penn & Janice Quartieri.
DECEMBER 23RD -NO MEETING -
HAPPY MEHERMAS!!
DECEMBER 30TH- NO MEETING AT ALBANY CHURCH-
BUT- SPECIAL VIDEO NIGHT AT THE HOME OF JANET&:
FRED WHITE. 7:3o-10:00P
Videos of Baba will be shown. Please call to RSVP and receive
directions (843-4417) as seating in limited.
JANUARY 7TH- DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY DANCE PARTY
&: BAKE SALE !
Dance away the post-holiday blues too "DWBH" and other hits of
the late kaliyuga. Suggested donation $5.00. Coordinators: Lisa
Greenstein & Janice Quartieri.
JANUARY 131H- BABA BABA BABA . .
Larry Pesta leads a talk and discussion olthe importa~e of
repeating Saba's name. Coordinators: Bing Heckman
.
8 arr~.
JANUARY 20TH- GROWING UP WITII BABA
A panel of Baba lovers will share their experiences of growing up
in Baba families. Coordinators: Janice Quartieri & Fred White.
JANUARY 27TH- HOW I CAME TO BABA
A panel of guests will speak of their personal experiences in
coming to Baba. Coordinators: Ron Greenstein & Irene Meyers.
JANUARY30-(MONDAY) AMARTITifi 9:00PM
January 31st is the 19th Amartithi, the anniversary of Beloved
Saba's physical passing in 1969. At Saba's samadhi (tomb) on
Meherabad Hill in India, 15 minutes of silence are observed by the
throng of lovers that gather there each year on this occasion, from
noon to 12:15 pm when Baba dropped the body. Our special
Amartithi program will culminate in 15 minutes of silence from
10:30 pm to 10:45 pm, simultaneous with all the lovers at the
samadhi. Our Amartithi celebration will feature slides, readings,
and just before the 15 minute silence time, the special film of
Beloved Saba's entombment known as "The Last Darshan" will be
shown. Coordinators: Janice Quartieri & Ray Powell.
FEBRUARY 4TH-
EXPERIENCES WITH BABA
Robert Dreyfus, who met Meher Baba in 1965 and spent four
years living with the Mandali in India, will give a talk about his
experiences. Coordinators: Louise Barrie & Irene Meyers.
FEBRUARY 10- IMAGINATION A TALK&: DISCUSSION
WITH GREG HARLAND.
Recently arrived from LA, Greg is re-presenting a talk he gave in
southern California. This talk concerns using imagination to enter
the world of mental life, making mental contact with Avatar Me her
Baba to expand one's spiritual experience. Coordinators: Greg
Harland & Melissa Penn
FEBRUARY 17- INTRODUCTION TO MEHER BABA, A
BRIEF LOOK AT HIS LIFE &: TIMES
A multi-media introduction to Maher Baba's life, message, and
Avatarhood ... music, readings, and film. For those new as well as
old to Maher Saba's message. Coordinators: Lisa Greenstein &
Melissa Penn.
FEBRUARY 25 (Saturday)
BABA'S 94TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
Stay tuned for further information!
Coordinator : Joe Elia & Board Members
ct Louise
OTHER BABA MEETINGS!!
'
FRESNO : Meetings on wednesday evenings - 7:30 - 8:30pm.
For info call Sharon or Phil Scott : (209) 266-9094.
SACREMENTO : Meeting is first friday of every month at 6728
Fair Oaks Blvd. #406, Carmichael. For info call Marilyn Buehler :
(916) 966-4740 or Marie Rhodes: (916) 723-6631.
SAN FRANCISCO : Meeting/dinner first friday of every month.
Enjoy an evening of wining & dining at local restaurants. Share
stories, conversation & connections. RSVP a must!! Call Larry
Pesta (415) 441-7008 at least two days prior to event. Guests
welcome.
 TRUSTWALLA
Our Trustwalla is Jenny Califf who is currently serving her fourth
year is this responsible posistion. Many thanks Jenny for your
contribution ! All who wish to share on fulfilling the commitments
laid down by Baba through the instrument of the Trust should
contact Jenny c/o Safeguard, 74 14th Street, SF 94103 Phone :
(415) 864-3377
FUND RAISER A GREAT SUCCESS !!
This years rummage sale rained in dollars...1800 of them to be
exact!! Our heart felt appreciation to Cindy Lowe for her hard work
and dedication in the making of this successful event. Let's
remember to save for next years sale!!
OTHER COMMENDATIONS
It's time to say goodbye to two members who've stepped down
from many years of service. Alan Talbot has turned over the
position of treasurer to Karen Lundegaard. Alan served as
treasurer for 8 years. We appreciate your dedicated service of
balancing the budget, Alan (which is more than we can say for
some members of public service)!
Ben & Lee Wright have left the newsletter staff, turning the work
over to Melissa Penn. Both Ben & Lee served long and well ,
surviving deadlines and changes in getting our newsletter out in a
timely fashion in spite of it all. Thank you Ben & Lee for your Eler,.a Alvarado has hand-made with love a quilt which she has
excellent service in creating the professional publication we've all dwYci'ted for a raffle . The quilt can be seen and raffle tickets
grown to appreciate !
. . .
CHRISTMAS SALE
Sunday December 4th, 1-3pm
The Greenstein's will host a showing & sale of Ray Powell's
imports. 20% of the money received from the sale will be donated
to the Meher Baba Center of No. California. Call for directions:
(415) 525-3364.
CHRISTMAS POTLUCK!!
Janice Quartieri is interested in sharing her home for a potluck on
Christmas Day. Suggested time is 4pm. If interested please give
her a call ASAP to make arrangements. (415) 527-6739.
Anyone interested in the coordinating of making sandwiches for
the poor over Christmas holidays should contact Janice Quartieri
(415) 527-6739.
MEHER BABA INFORMATION- ''THE BOX"
Worknights at Meher Baba Information are Thursdays 7:30 PM to
9:30 PM. Work ranges from responding to requests for
information to processing orders for books and other literature,
and many new projects. If you would like to help, call Rick
Chapman or Gary Freeman at (415) 562-1101 .
RAFFLE!!
bought at meetings for $1.00 per ticket. The drawing date will be
announced.
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. I NC.
N E w s L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL.17
Quest for Perfection in
Oriental Mysticism
The following are excerpts from a paper pre-
pared by John Bussanich. Thank you John, f or
permission to reprinJ these portions.
The subject I wish to address in this paper is one that is
far removed from what we might call normal human experi-
ence. So I hope you will indulge my admission at the outset
that I don't understand what I'm talking about, i.e. the exper-
iences I propose to discuss are far beyond my own and, I
would add, of the vast majority of human beings. But this
should not deter us from considering, sympathetically I hope,
some of the most remarkable achievements of the human
spirit. By the quest for perfection I mean something rather
specific: the notion of deification or God-realization. I have
chosen to explore this theme in the lives and writings of
several Oriental mystics largely because the evidence for it is
much more abundant in the Oriental traditions than it is in
the West.
I would like to quote at some length from the Visionary
Diary of Ruzbihan aJ-Baqli not only because it contains stun-
ning accounts of the mystic's approach to God but also be-
cause this text has not been published:
I saw God on the roof of my house , with the qualities of
might, majesty, and eternity. I saw as it were the world en-
tire, a resplendent light, manifold and great. And he called
me from the midst of the light, seventy times: "Ruzbihan, I
have chosen you for sainthood and selected you for lo ve .
You are my friend and lover. Fear not nor sorrow , for I am
your God, and I see you in your every aim." I saw as it were
from zenith to nadir that he was an ocean, and it was like a
shining sun. My mouth opened without my willing it, and
all of the ocean entered into my mouth. No drop remained
without my drinking it.
I saw God once again, in the most beautiful form, and I
loved him for his beauty and qualities, and I was worried
about nearness and union with him. And I did not stay dis-
tant, but humbled myself. Then he appeared to me with
something in his hand. I said, "My God, what is this?" He
said, "Your heart." I said, "Has my heart such a station that
it lies in your hand?" He gazed at my heart, and it was like
something folded up , so he spread it out. And my heart cov-
ered heaven and earth. I said, "This is my heart?" He said,
"This is your heart, and it is the vastest of all things." He
went as though it were still in his hand to the ange lic re-
1988
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
SPRING1988
gions, and I went with him, until I reached
the office of the Hidden of the Hidden. I
said, "Where are you going?" And he said,
"To the wo rld of eternity, so that I may
look in it, and create the wonders of reality
in it, and forever manifest in it with the at-
tribute of divinity." And I said, "With what
quality do you exist in eternity?" He said,
"There is no way f or you to know that." And I implored him
and said, "I want that!" And the lights of greatness ap-
peared, and I became vanishing and annihilated.
I saw one night a great ocean, and the sea was of red
wine. I saw the Prophet sitting cross-legged in the midst of
the deep ocean, drunk, and in his hand a cup of wine from
that ocean, which he drank. When he saw me , he ladled out
a cup of wine and gave it to me to drink. After that someth-
ing was revealed to me, and I knew he was above all the rest
of creation, since they die thirsty and he is drunk in the
midst of the ocean of beauty. In the hidden world I saw a
world illuminated with a brilliant light, and I saw God in the
clothes of beauty and majesty and glory, and he ga ve me to
drink from oceans of love, and honored me with the station
of intimacy, and showed me the world of holiness. When I
passed through the air of eternity I stopped at the door of
power, and I saw all the prophets present, and I saw Moses
with the Torah in his hand, Jesus with the Gospel in his
hand, David with the Psalms in his hand, and Muhammed
with the Quran in his hand. Adam imbued me with the Most
Beautiful Divine Names, Moses nourished me with the Torah,
Jesus nourished me with the gospel, David nourished me
with the Psalms, and Muhammed nourished me with the Qu-
ran. I learned something of the elite and lordly sciences by
which God possesses his saints and prophets.
Now I turn to Tukaram whose accounts of searching for
God, seeing God and becoming God have been discussed very
little by scholars of mysticism. I begin with his painful ex-
perience of what many mystics have called the dark night of
the soul, the state where everything is doubted:
I have grown powerless to make my way. My cries are
of no avail. Tuka does not know how to sacrifice himself to
God and God has become indifferent to him. God's impo-
tence is now proved. His name has no power. My love to-
wards you is gradually diminishing. Enormous sin stands in
the way. My mental agony increases. To me, God is dead.
After this despair, Tukaram attains the mystical vision
and God-realization.
I see God's face, and the vision gives me infinite bliss.
My mind is riveted on it, and my hands cling to his feet.
cominued on the next page
 IL
continued from the first page
As I look at Him, all my mental agony vanishes. Bliss is
leading me to an ever higher bliss.
I have become entirely careless of objects of sense. Di-
vine joy is seething through my body. My whole body has
been filled by the heat of Divine passion. My tongue has
become uncontrollable, and ceaselessly utters the name of
God. All my emotions have been unified in God, as the riv-
ers in an ocean.
I cannot know the night from the day and the unceasing
illumination exists at all times. How shall I be able to de-
scribe the great bliss I enjoy? I have worn the ornaments of
Your names, and by Your power nothing is lacking to me.
When the body is emptied, God came to inhabit it. By
my bodily death, the unending light began to burn. At one
stroke, Tuka became non-existent, and his personality came
to an end.
When God comes to live in a man, He deprives him of
everything except Himself The marks of God's presence are
that He allows no desires in a Saint, nor any affection.
I gave birth to myself and came out of my own womb. All
my desires are at an end, and my end is achieved. When I be-
came powerful beyond measure, I died at the very moment.
Tuka looks on both sides, and sees Himself by himself.
Deep has called unto deep, and all things have vanished
into unity. The waves and the ocean have become one.
Nothing can come, and nothing can now pass away. The
Self is enveloping Himself all around. The Time of the Great
End has come, and sunset and sunrise have ceased. The
death-cry "I am God" emerges loudly.
I will conclude this survey of dizzying experiences of be-
coming God with perhaps the most mind-shattering testimo-
ny of Bayid al-Bistami:
I vanished into almightiness, and forded the seas of do-
minion and the veils of godhead, until I came to the Throne;
and behold, it was empty. So I cast myself upon it, saying
"Master, where shall I seek You?" Then He unveiled, and I
saw that I was I, turning back into what I sought, and I my-
self, not other than I, was where I was going.
Bistami got into serious difficulties for saying: "Glory be
to Me! How Great is my Majesty!"
I gazed upon My Lord with the eye of certainty, after He
had turned me away from other than Him and had illumined
me with His light; and He showed me marvellous things of
His secret. He also showed me His Selfhood, and I gazed
upon my identity with His Selfhood; and there passed away
my light in His light, my power in His power. And I gazed
upon Him with His Selfhood.
You are the Seeker and You are the Sought.
He made me unique in his Uniqueness, and one in His
Oneness; and He attributed me with His attributes. Go forth
with my attributes unto my creatures, that I may see My Self-
hood in your selfhood. Whosoever sees you will see Me.
The status and function of the perfect man is a complex
topic and one that has not been discussed very much. Tuka-
ram speaks to this issue in these words:
In order to continue the spiritual tradition, I have been
crowned king of the spiritual world. The white umbrella now
unfurls itself; the banner of the super-conscious state flullers
in the air; the mystic sound fills the universe.
A Saint devotes himself entirely to the happiness of oth-
ers. He worships God in helping his fellow beings . To us
there are neither friends nor foes; for wherever I look, I see
the vision of God.
Immense joy is derived from the feet of the Saints. It is
for this reason that people live at their feet . One cannot
even so much as stir from that place, as all of one's anxie-
ties come to an end.
The Saint is indeed a boat by which one can cross the
ocean of life uncontaminated...by the stream_gi existence.
The Saints incarnate in this world only in order to uplift
the unholy, and to increase happiness and devotion to God.
Saints are truly robbers, who on coming to the house, de-
prive the owner of his clothes and pots. They rob him of
everything in his possession, and take it way to a place
from which there is no return.
Sainthood can be acquired, says Tuka, only at the cost of
life. He who is not prepared to sacrifice his life, should not
brag of spirituality.
That man alone is a great Saint who bears imperturbably
the buffets of the world.
This brings me to my concluding point: these great mas-
ters, or perfect men, have spoken to the issue of false
saints, an important consideration in the present age
[Tukaram):
Many people look like Saints, but they are not Saints.
Saints are not those who go on pilgrimage, or to a forest.
Saints are not those who wear garlands and white marks on
their body.
The true Saint can never show any miracles. He has no
long list of disciples with him. He does not go instructing
people who do not cq.re for his adv~e. Hej___ not a philoso-
pher who can argue about trifles. He does not whirl round
himself a fire-brand of ecstasy.
He who can tell what is going to happen in future, or can
give news of the past or present-!' m entirely weary of these
fellows! Those who follow their powers, and try to make re-
ality square with their word~these will go to hell after their
merit is exhausted.
The Perfect Man is the archetypal reality of the universe;
the instrument or means by which revelation descends into
the world; and the perfect model for spiritual life and the ul-
timate dispenser of esoteric knowledge.
 IL
FRIDAY-SATURDAY MEETINGS Meher Baba meetings are held at the Albany Methodist
Church, Stannage Avenue and Marin in Atlany. The first meeting of each month is on Saturday, with
please call one of the coordinators: Ron Greenstein
the remainder on Friday. All programs begin at 8:00PM sharp and normally end at 9:30 PM with time (415) 525-3364 or Ben Leet (4 15) 834-2321.
for visiting before and after the meeting. To check for program changes call (415) 8454339.

APRIL 9th (Saturday) - CONCERT FUND RAISER

MARCH 5th (Saturday)- IMPRESSIONS OF INDIA Tonight Cathy Haas will make a rare West Coast con
Herman Lowe and Jim Hastings spent two months cert appearance to support our fund raising efforts
in India, including Armartithi and Baba's birthday in for this year. Cathy's superb singing has graced
1987. They also traveled to many places around In- many of the most popular Baba albums over the last
dia where Baba did his work. Their talk will be illus- decade. Coordinator: Michael Le Page.
trated with a complete slide collection. Coordina-
tor: Malinda McCulloch. APRIL 15th - WHAT ME WORRY?
Larry Pesta leads a discussion of Baba's call to the
MARCH 11th - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING "mad" lifestyle of not worrying. Coordinator: Bing
The 1988 AGM will begin at 7:00PM. Under the by- Heckman.
laws of Meher Baba Center of Northern California,
the voting members shall 1) discuss and vote on a APRIL 22nd- PREPARATION FOR ALOBA
budget for the coming year; 2) consider other old Aloba is one of Baba's Mandali who still resides at
and new business; 3) elect a new board of direc- Meherazad. He said in 1984, "If my simple pres-
tors; 4) elect a nominating committee for next year's ence can't make you laugh, then there is no pur-
AGM. This year's nominating committee will pose for Aloba!" Come and learn more about him
present a slate of not more than three candidates and help plan for his visit. Coordinator: Ben Leet.
for each of the seven board positions. Candidates
will be announced at Friday meetings at least 30 APRIL 29th - A MUSICAL EVENING
days before the AGM. According to the bylaws you A night of music with David Miotke and guests. If
are a voting mamber if you: 1) have a sincere inter- you are interested in doing a song, contact David at
est in Avatar Meher Baba; 2) live in Northern Califor- (415) 549-1487. Coordinator: Carol Singer.
nia; and 3) have attended meetings of our group or
supported it in other ways during the preceding MAY 7th (Saturday) - ALOBA
year. If you are eligible, please notify us to add your Here's your chance to have India come to you!
name to the membership list by signing a sheet Come share in this extraordinary visit with one of
provided at Friday meetings, or by calling Bing Baba's dear Mandali.
Heckman at 415-494-6443. Notification of your eli-
gibility to vote will be mailed to you two weeks be- MAY 13th - ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
fore the meeting along with a list of candidates. We Are you curious about how non-Baba-lovers per-
urge you to attend this meeting. Participation in se- ceive Him and His followers? Come hear a panel of
lecting our leadership is the way to assure that our those involved with His lovers for their unique per-
meetings and other activities will suit our needs and spective. Coordinator: Carol Singer.
be in the spirit of Meher Baba's love. Coordinator:
Bing Heckman. MAY 20th - FILMS OF AVATAR MEHER BABA
Coordinator: Malinda McCulloch.
MARCH 18th - THE NEW HUMANITY
Max Reif and Ben Leet will lead a discussion on MAY 27th - BABA AND PRAYER
Baba's description of the New Humanity and how This meeting explores prayer as a means of keep-
we experience it in our own lives. Coordinator: ing close to Baba and doing Baba's work. What has
Karen Lundegaard. Baba told us about prayer? How did He make use of
it with His foll owers? Presentation and discussion
MARCH 25th - FILMS OF AVATAR MEHER BABA to be led by Malinda McCulloch and Ron Green-
Coordinator: Louise Barrie. stein. Coordinator: Malinda McCulloch.

APRIL 2nd (Saturday) -TREASURES OF BABA

Through the years the Center has gathered many
treasures related to Beloved Baba, among them
His sadra and a painting by Lyn Ott. These and
many other items in our archives will be on display
and their history and significance will be explained.
If you have any other items you would like to share,
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, INC.
President, Bing Heckman Vice President Louise Barrie Secretary, Malinda McCulloch Treasurer,
Alan Talbot Offtce Manager, Ben Leet.
Board of Directors: Louise Barrie Bing Heckman Ron Greenstein Michael LePage Karen Lunde
gaard Malinda McCulloch Carol Singer.
Coordinators: Program, Karen Lundegaard Finance, Ron Greenstein Membership, Bing Heckman
Publicity, Harold Jamiso~ Service, Carol Singer Archives, Michael Le Page Bockstore, Ben Leet.
 BOARD MEETINGS
Meher Baba Center of Northern California Board
meetings are open to all members. Call Karen
Lundegaard at ( 415) 549-1736 for the date and time
of upcoming meetings.
PHONE TREE
We are attempting to organize a workable phone
tree. If you have not been contacted and would like
to be included, please mail your name, area code and
phone number to the office or leave the information
on the office answering machine, (415) 845-4339.
MEHER BABA INFORMATION- "THE BOX"
Worknights at Meher Baba Information are Thurs-
days, 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM. Work ranges from re-
sponding to requests for information to processing or-
ders for books and other literature, and many new
projects. If you would like to help,. call Rick Chap-
man or Gary Freeman at (415) 562-1101.
SAN FRANCISCO ZOO TRIP
An afternoon of fun has been planned for children
of all ages on Sunday, June 12th. Bring your picnic
lunches and meet at noon in the picnic area at the en-
trance of the Zoo. The group will depart at 1 PM for
a tour of the Zoo. Call Karen Talbot at (415) 376-
4325 for more information,
ARTI
Each Sunday morning at 10:00 AM, Arti is per-
formed at the home of Ron and Lisa Greenstein, 600
Albemarle, El Cerrito. Phone: (415) 525-3364.
TRUSTWALLA
Our trustwalla is Jenny Califf. All who wish to
share in fulfilling the commitments laid down by
Baba through the instrument of the Trust should con-
tact Jenny c/o Safeguard, 74 14th Street, San Francis-
co, CA 94103. Phone: (415) 864-3377.
REMINDER
There are sometimes last minute changes in the
meeting schedule. Please check the answering ma-
chine at the office, (415) 845-4339 for up-to-date in-
formation.
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
N E w s
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL.17
ALOBA
The Newslelter staff was privileged to interview
Aloba on Friday morning, May 6th. We present
here excerpts from our delightful conversation
with him.
"Aloba says, 'Meher Baba has not broken His
si lence yet.' Aloba says, 'Meher Baba has not
manifested Himself to the world yet'. In Aloba's
belief, Meher Baba soon is going to break his silence
and soon Baba will manifest publicly all over the
world. These are some things that have some weight
in them. This is what is important. The other things
are unimportant."
The Best Days of My Life
What were the early days like with Baba?
When we first entered Meher Ashram, we would
see Meher Baba with His woolen cloak. On first sight
a great respect for Meher Baba automatically came to
our hearts. I saw everyone obeyed Meher Baba,
everyone. Meher Baba was the top figure, through
his money the whole ashram ran. The school, hostel,
hospital, everything ran only by Meher Baba's
money.
Meher Baba loved us so much, more than our
fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters. He loved
each one of us so much that we forgot all other love
from this world. Slowly by passage of time, we felt
so in love with Meher Baba that the hardest thing to
imagine in the world would be that you would be sent
away from His school.
Everything was provided free to the boys at Meher
Ashram - food, clothing, bedding, books, pencils,
medical treatment. Having God's love added to all
this - that is the charm of it! Those were the best
days of my life, I will never forget them. I especially
remember the taste of the simple breakfast of tea and
bread, especially the bread, even after 50 years!
Was there one moment when you came to know Baba
as God?
L E T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
SUMMER1988
After one week at Meher Ashram, I
was sitting with Meher Baba and
suddenly I embraced Him tightly, then
I put my head on His feet. I loved
Meher Baba so much I wanted to
become one with Him, just crush
myself into His body and become one!
That was the moment.
All of the boys at Meher Ashram were like that.
We would weep at the sight of Him - tears from all
our eyes, not just me alone.
Invisible Strings
How did you re-connect with Baba after your uncle
took you away from Meher Ashram to Bombay when
you were 12?
I completed my schooling in Bombay for five
more years and left the school in 1934. In 1935 I
engaged myself as a cashier and manager of a
restaurant in Bombay. At that time the seed of love
that had been sown in my heart by Meher Baba
started to grow. I seemed to feel invisible strings
pulling me to Meher Baba. I started reading Hafi z
and others. The memory of Meher Baba was revived
in my mind so strongly I could not resist it. I had to
leave Bombay to go to Meher Baba. I made secret
preparations, packing a few clothes in a bundle.
Having told no one, after fini shing my job one night,
I went to Meher Baba. I took the night bus to Poona
and another to Amednagar. From Amednagar I went
to Meherabad, but Meherabad was dilapidated - no
school, no ashram, nothing. I found a person there
that told me Baba had gone to Nasik.
So I arrived in Nasik to meet Meher Baba. By
this time I had been traveling four days and nights on
a bus without proper food or enough sleep. I took a
tonga to the Sarosh Auto Works where Baba was
staying. Meher' Baba was not there, a person told me
that Baba had gone out and may return in one or two
hours.
I was very tired. I looked arou nd and found an
old bus that had been brought in for repair and I went
inside to sleep. After some time I heard a rattling on
1988 continued on lhe next page
 IL
cominued Irom the first page
the window and I came out. A person said, "Who are
you?". I said, "My name is Ali Akbar. I have come
from Bombay, then to Meherabad. I want to see
Meher Baba". He told me to sit down and he went
in to an office.
I looked around and realized there were six people
standing in a line looking at me. I was asked why I
had come. I said I had come for Meher Baba. One
of them was Meher Baba and I did not recognize Him
at all! When I had last seen Him He had a long
moustache and wore a long coat over His thin body.
Eight years had passed and His moust~che was short,
He had gained weight, wore a hat, silken coat and
trousers and had no alphabet board.
They all went in side the office for one or two
minutes. When they returned B aba brou ght an
alphabet board and had removed His hat. I saw the
alphabet board and His hair flowing. In less than a
second I was struck with His divine glory! I fell at
His feet in the dust of the street. They picked me up,
but I could not bear the sight of His glory, His divine
li aht, and I fell down again. Once again I was picked
up, and once again I fell down! After the third time,
Baba seriously looked at me and said, "Behave!",
then continued, "Go to Bombay and stay there one
month. After one month, you come".
I was taken in Baba's car to a restaurant and had a
meal, and then to the railway station where a ti cket
was purchased for m e from Nasik to Bombay.
Everything was paid with Baba's money.
In Bombay, I did not get a job, I passed the days
until I could return to Baba. But Baba "turned the
key" for me. After two weeks a letter arrived telling
me not to come as planned, but to wait until I was
called. So I took the opportunity to run a small tea
shop with a partner, the Iran Restaurant in the Colaba
sec tion of Bombay.
In 1937 there was a historical birthday celebration
in Nasik for Meher Baba. American me n and
women prepared food for the poor to be distributed by
Baba. I went to the celebration and Baba asked about
my life in Bombay. When I told Him about the tea
shop, He said "Good ". Baba instructed me to come
and visit Him on the first of each month . He also
called me to Him four or five other times during the
year for special occasions.
Show All Your Cards to Meher Baba
How do you remember Baba? What one time stands
out in your memory as a most special time?
First of all, Baba was very soft, very kind. But to
those who committed mistakes, Baba would suddenly
change. He would be harsh, a hard task-master to
correct us. Had not Baba corrected me, for example,
I would not be a refined man. Only through mistakes
and Baba being harsh and seemingly cruel to me did
I change my life.
Did you ever want to leave Baba?
Yes, at one point that feeling did come. Actually,
it was Baba who wanted to throw me o ut of Guru
Prasad! One day Baba told me to go and call Dr.
Donkin who was staying at the Poona Club. It was
about one mile from Guru Prasad. I went by bicycle
and told Dr. Donkin that Baba wanted him, so he
said to come in. A man from the hotel overheard me
and started talking to me about Meher Baba and
asking questions. I answered his questions which
took very little time, only one or two minutes.
On my return to Guru Prasad, I saw an old woman
sitting on the railway bridge. I had seen her
whenever I went on my daily errands. She had
nothing to eat or drink, sittin g there in the hot Indian
sun, so I decided to go and get her some food. Th e
first shop I came to was closed, so I went on a little
farther and then returned with food for her. Thi s
caused me to be about 25 minutes late to Guru
Prasad.
Upon my return, Meher Baba looked at me and
said, "Why are you late?". I told Baba, "I was
talking about you". Now, this was true, but at the
same time I was lyin g to Meher Baba.
Baba said, "How much did you talk?" . I said,
"Baba, I did not keep track of the time, but I was
talking about you.
Again Baba said, "You are late ." Baba was
constantly tellin g me I was late and asking what I
had been doing. But I did not explain to Baba that I
had purchased food for the old woman. Meher Baba
is God, He watches every action of everyone in every
part of this world, whether it be in Chin a or in Rus_sia
or Iran or in any part of the world. No one can h1de
anything from Baba's eyes or Baba's knowledge. But
I still did not reveal what I had really been doing.
Baba became very angry because of my two
mistakes. The first mistake was an error; the second
mistake was my lying to Meher Baba. Baba wanted
me to go to Dr. Don kin, call him to Guru Prasad, and
return . Upon my r e turn I cou ld ask Baba's
permission to take food to the old woman. I should
have shown all my cards to Meher Baba, but I did
not do that. continued on the back page
FRIDAY-SATURDAY MEETINGS Meher Baba meetings are held at the Albany Methodist
Church, Stannage Avenue and Marin in Albany. The first meeting ol each month is on Saturday, with
JULY 22nd - STORIES BABA TOLD
the remainder on Friday. An programs begin at 8:00 PM sharp and normally end at 9:30 PM with time
lor visiting before and alter the meeting. To check lor program changes call (415) 8454339.
Baba often told stories to deepen understanding
J UNE 4th (Saturday) - BABA MUSIC and illustrate spiritual points. Many of these stories
are fo und in Saba's literature and many have been
Local musicians will share music for the Beloved to- passed on to us by the Mandali. Tonight's panel will
night. Coordinator: Ron G reenstein. retell some of the stories the Avatar told. Coordina-
tor: Lisa G reenstein.

J UNE lOth - REMEM BERING FILlS FREDERICK

JULY 29th (6:30PM)- A SOCIAL EVENING
Filis' birthday was this past May 31 . Tonight we will
remember her life with Baba and view a wonderful Bring a main dish or a salad. A film of Meher Baba
video of a talk she gave near the end of her life. will be shown after dinner. Coordinators: Janice
Coordinator: Ursula Van Buskirk . Ouartieri & Linda Delgado .

J UNE 17th- FILM PREMIER FUNDRAISER REMINDER : There a re no meetings scheduled fo r

the month of August. Lookin g forward to seeing
This is the first Bay Area showing of Irwin Luck's everyone in September!
new film. A special donation is encouraged to help
defray the costs of producing this extraordinary
film. Coordinator: Malinda McCulloch.
SAN FRANCISCO ZOO TRIP

JUNE 24th- " NO STRINGS ATTACHED "

An afternoon of fun has been planned for children
of all ages on Sunday, Ju ne 12th. Bring your picnic
lunches and meet at noon in the picnic area at the en-
Sanskaras ......... What are they? Who wants them?
trance of the Zoo. The group wi ll depart at 1 PM for
What do we do w ith them? A talk and discussion
fed by Larry Pesta. Coordinator: Bing Heckman.
a tour of the Zoo. Call Karen Talbot at (415) 376-
4325 for more information.

WEEKLY ARTI & DISCOURSES

JULY 2nd (Saturday) - NO MEEfiNG TONIGHT
IN SAN FRANCISCO
There will be no meeting tonight because so many
Tuesdays at 8 PM (beginning June 7, 1988), Larry
of our members are attending the Sahavas in
Pesta will host a weekly performance of Arti and dis-
Southern California.
cussion of Meher Baba's Discourses. The meetin gs
will be held at the Dolores Street Church, 208 Do-
lores Street (at 15th Street) as part of Open Arms for
J ULY 8th - SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER: Meher Baba outreac h. Everyone is invited! Call
DR. GOKARAN SHRIVASTAVA (415) 441-7008 for more information.
Dr. Shrivastava met Baba in the 1950's. He is cur- PHONE TREE
rently in the U.S. as a visiting professor of Botany at
the University of Iowa. He will share stories and talk We are attempting to organize a workable phone
about Baba groups at home in Madhya Pradesh, tree. If you have not been contacted and would like
India. Coordinator: Bing Heckman. to be included, please mail your name, area code and
phone number to the office or leave the information
on the office answering machi ne, (415) 845-4339.
J ULY lSh- THE PRAYERS MEHER BABA GAVE US
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, INC.
Larry Pesta will present a discussion on the spiritual President, Bing Heckman Vice President, Malinda McCulloch Secretary, Gary Cook Treasurer,
Alan Talbot Ollice Manager, Fred White.
significance of the prayers Baba composed and en- Board of Directors: Louise Barrie Gary Cook Unda Delgado Lisa Greenstein Bing Heckman
couraged His Mandali and followers to say. Coordi- Malinda McCulloch Janice Ouartieri.
Coordinators: Program, Louisa Barrie Finance, Lisa Greenstein Membership, Janice Ouanieri Pub
nator: Louise Barrie. licny, Bing Heckman Service, Linda Delgado Archives, Michael Le Page Bookstore, Ben Leet.
continued from the second page
When Baba asked why I was late and I lied, Baba
became very, very angry. The degree of Baba's
anger shot up to 99%. He was about to tell me to
take my bedding and leave, which I wou ld have
done.
What I did was to stand in front of Baba and
inwardly pray to Meher Baba to forgive me. Baba
was sitting and had become very red-faced. He was
very serious and very tense and very red. This was a
sure sign of danger. I didn't want to leave and I
didn't want Baba to throw me out, so I continuously
prayed, "Baba forgive me. Baba, I will never do it
again. Baba forgive me".
Then slowly, slowly, slowly Meher Baba began to
become normal again.
On the subject of bringing more of God into one's
life:
In India people spend millions of rupees each year
to purchase flowers to offer to their Gods, past
Avatars, this and that to use when they perform Arti.
In America there is no such thing. There are
some photos in the house, but no one performs Arti,
no one brings flowers. They are happy just to have
Baba's photo in the house. Of course it is good that formed at the home of Ron and Lisa Greenstein; gQO
Baba's photo is in the house. But it is like a flower Albemarle, El Cerrito. Phone. ~415) 525-33'64!.. ~ -
pot, it needs water or it will die. The water is in the ;.,:
form of our Arti to Baba, even if it is only two. -~'.
minutes a day.
BOARD MEETINGS
Meher Baba Center of Northern California Board
meetings are open to all members. Call Janice Quar-
tieri at (415) 527-6739 for the date and time of up-
coming meetings.
MEHER BABA INFORMATION - "THE BOX"
Worknights at Meher Baba Information are Thurs-
days, 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM. Work ranges from re-
sponding to requests for information to processing or-
ders for books and other literature, and many new
projects. If you would like to help, call Rick Chap -
man or Gary Freeman at (415) 562-1101.
TRUSTWALLA
Our trustwalla is Jenny Califf. All who wish to
share in fulfilling the commitments laid down by
Baba through the instrument of the Trust should con-
tact Jenny c/o Safeguard, 74 14th Street, San Francis-
co, CA 94103. Phone: (415) 864-3377.
ARTI
Each Sunday morning at 10:00 AM, Arti is per-
_.....
~-- ~.... -...
~,
~
- ..
. --'
-
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
N E w s L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE. , RM. 235
VOL.16
FORGETFULNESS
Excerpted from God Speaks by Meher Baba
The whole philosophy of approaching and
realizing the Truth hinges on the question of
what we may call forgetfulness. The word
"forgetfulness" used here must not be associated with its com-
monly accepted meaning of forgetting to post a Ieucr, or of a
state of mind that is simply dull and blank. Forgetfulness in
this special sense is an attitude of mind that develops gradu-
all y into spiritual experience. External ren unciation is not
forgetfulness, because it is mostl y physical and partly men-
tal; but internal renunciation, when it becomes purely mental ,
docs assume the quality and dignity of forgetfulness. Thus
one may renounce the world, but it is not so easy to forget
it.
Forge tfulness in this special sense thus ex plains the secret
that lies behind ali happiness, spiritual or otherwise, that hu-
man beings experience. The Sufi term for this forgetfulness is
bikhudi , and it should not be mixed up - though it often is -
with bihoshi (unconsciousness).
The difference between forgetfulness and unconsciousness
is important, and a few examples of types of unconsciousness
will help to make it clear. To begin with, one must remem-
ber that forgetfulness is the partial or total detachment of the
mind from the physical world, and unconsciousness the par-
tial or total deadening of the mind to the physical world. The
former gives rise to various degrees of spiritual ecstasy and
the latter to various degrees of cessation of pleasure and pain.
Let us then look a t one or two examples of unconscious-
ness. In perfect health one does not bother about the func-
tioning of a vital organ like the heart. This means that one
fo rgets that this organ is beating ceaselessly and perfectly in
the human body for the ma intenance of life and health . If,
however, there is a disturbance in the cardiac rhythm there is
immediate discomfort, and if there is a cardiac infarct there is
immediate precordial pain. In either case one is reminded
that one has a heart. The sensation of discomfort or pain,
though is arises from the heart, is felt only because of the
functioning of the mind. The more the mind is directed to
the heart, the more is the discomfort or pain felt. When pain
reaches its climax, unconsciousness may supervene - a break
in the threads of consciousness that enables one to forget the
1987
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
WINTER1987
pain. But this is unconsciousness and not
forgetfulness in its spiritual sense. A sur-
geon by performing a prefrontal Ieucotomy
can interfere with some of the nervous path-
ways that serve this focussing of the mind
on the intractable pain of some incurable
disease like cancer. After this operation the
pain is still there, but the patient ceases to
direct his mind towards it, and so ceases to bother about it.
This again is a partial unconsciousness broug ht about by
purely phys ical means, and not true forgetfulness in its spir-
itual sense. Sleep is a state of unconsciousness that affords a
temporary respite fro m the wear and tear of life; but sleep is
no t true forgetfulness in its spiritual sense.
The whole philosophy of happiness and unhappiness there-
fore hinges on the question of forgetfulness of some kind or
another. Remembrance is an attachment of the mind to a
particular idea, person, thing or place , and forge tfulness is
its opposite. Once it is understood that remembrance causes
pain, it follows that the only cure is some kind of forgetful-
ness, and this forgetfulness may be either positive or nega-
tive. The positive forgetfulness is one in which the mind re-
mains aware of external stimuli, but refuses to react to them.
The negative forgetfulness is either mere unconsciousness - a
stopping of the mind as in sound sleep - or an acceleration
of it as in madness, which has been defined as a way of av-
oiding the memory of suffering. Either sleep or madness
may be artificially induced in various degrees by the use of
intoxicants or drugs; but this also is a negative way of over-
coming remembrance.
Positive forgetfu lness, then, is the cure, and its steady cul-
tivation develops in man that balance of mind which enables
him to express such noble traits as c harity, forgiveness, tol-
erance, se!Oessness, and service to others. One who is not
equipped with this positive forgetfulness becomes a barome-
ter of his surroundings. His poise is disturbed by the slight-
est whisper of praise or Oattery, a nd by the faintest sugges-
tion of slander or criticism; his mind is like a slender reed
swayed by the lightest breeze of emotion. Such a man is
perpetually at war with himself and knows no peace.
In the exercise of this positive forgetfulness, not only is
nonrcaction to adverse circumstances essential, but also non-
reaction to favourable and pleasurable circumstances. Of
these two the Iauer is the harder and is less often described,
although it matters just as much.
continued on lhe next page
 IL
conrinued from lhe firsl page
Positi ve forgetfulness, althoug h it lies at the very root of
happiness, is by no means easy to acquire. O nce a man at-
tains this state of mind, however, he rises above pain and
pleasure; he is master of himself. This forgetfulness, to be
fully effecti ve for the spiritual life, must become perm anent,
and such permanence is only acquired thro ugh constant prac-
tice durin g many lives. Some people, as a result of efforts
towards forgetfulness in past lives, get spontaneous and tem-
porary flas hes of it in a later life, and it is such people who
give to the world the best in poetry, art and philosophy, and
who make the greatest discoveries in science.
In such moments of true forgetfulness there is a mental de-
tachment from an material surroundings in which the poet al-
lows his imagination to soar. An artist, when he gives form
to an ideal in which he completely forgets himself and all ir-
relevant surround ings, creates a masterpiece. T he best of
philosophy is uttered when a man surveys the problem of life
without reference to the ups and downs of his purely personal
circumstances; and some of the greatest scientific discoveries
have been made in this same frame of mind. Such manifes ta-
tions of genuine spo ntaneity of forgetful ness are very rare
indeed, and althoug h it is said that poets , artists and philoso-
phers are born and not made , these fleeting phases of real
forgetfulness are the result of efforts made in past lives.
In an attempt to make life bearable some people develop a
feeble kind of stoicism - a sort of "who cares, anyway" out-
look - and others plunge recklessly into epicurianism. The
former is the apathetic acceptance of defeat, and the latter the
effort to forget defeat in the a rms of pleasure. Neither are
true forgetfulness. But when a man acquires the true forget-
fulness, he enters the spiritual kingdom and passes through
different degrees of forgetfulness until the Goal is reached.
Meher Baba tells us, "Forgetfulness of the world makes one a
pilgrim (rahrav; sadhak); forgetfulness of the next wo rld
makes one a saint; forgetfulness of self means Realizatio n;
and forgetfulness of forgetfulness is Perfection."
The fo llowing letter was received by the newsletter staff in
response to the last issue. The information is important and
illuminating and it was fe lt that the letter should be brought
to the attention of our readership. Thank you, Don, for clari-
fying the error!
Dear Quarterly Newsletter Staff:
Let me first thank you for your continuing kindness in
sending regular copies of the Quarterly and compliment you
on its excellent quality. I a lways share my copy with Neti,
Neti staff, and you may have noted that on occasion they re-
print some of your very good articles.
In your FALL 1987 issue you reprint the Song of the New
Life and in the third from last verse you give what is unfortu-
nately now the class ic version of "Let not despair or disap-
pointment..." which I believe is based on P urdom's version,
and was repeated in this same version in Tales f rom the New
Life.
When I was writing Listen, the New Humanity, in research-
ing a good bit of original source material on the New Li fe, I
noted that the Song as ori ginally quoted in m y sources was
"Let despair or disappointment ravage ... ", with the "not" be-
ing o mitted. After considerable reflecti on, I concluded that
actually this made sense and Purdom's version seemed obscure
to me. I quoted the Song as I found it in the older sources.
All this created considerable interested discussion, so on an
early trip to Ahmednagar I raised the point with Eruch and
Bal Natu. Bal came to me the following morn ing with, mi-
raculo usly, several o riginal copies of the So ng printed up on
one sheet by Adi Sr. under Baba's instructions and approved
by Baba. (Baba inc identally personally reviewed minutely
all communications given out during the New Life and was
quite severe if some error was found in what He had instructed
to be sent.) This original o mitted the "no t". Eruch looked
carefull y at the matter, and he too concluded that omitting
the "not", as originally printed, appeared consistent with the
tenor established by Baba in the New Life.
Final chapter in the story. The next day Bal Natu came to
me again and said he had c hecked the Hindu original also,
and it too was most consistent with the original English ver-
sion which did not have the "not".
You migh t want sometime to correct this error, as it is an ex-
tremely interesting point in many ways, not least of all, to
ill us trate how easily the Avatar's sense can be unwittingly
changed in later editing.
Warmest love to you all,
Don Stevens
September 6, 1987
 JL
FRIDAY-SATURDAY MEETINGS Maher Baba meetings are held at the Albany Methodist
Church, Stannage Avenue and Marin in Albany. The first meeting of each month is on Saturday, with
the remainder on Friday. All programs begin at 8:00 PM sharp and normally end at 9:30 PM with time
for visiting before and alter the meeting. To check for program changes calf (415) 6454339.
DECEMBER 5th (Saturday) - PHOTO FESTIVAL AND SALE
7:00 PM- A special event to make the photos tak-
en by each and all available to one another. Come
and view each other's collections and place your or-
ders for copies. Just in time for Christmas, too!
Please contact Ron Greenstein at (415) 525-3364
so we can share your special prints or slides. Coor-
dinators: Ron Greenstein and Karen Lundegaard.
DECEMBER 11th - LIFE AFfER RETURNING FROM INDIA:
FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE MUNDANE
Constant fo cus on Baba seems natural when we
are in His home. Integrating the experience of be-
ing with Him after returning to our home is more of a
challenge. Joi n Alexandra Conn in a panel and
group discussion of ways we can keep Baba with
us as we ree nter our home and wo rk lives. Coordi-
nator: Carol Singer.
DECEMBER 18th - FILMS OF AVATAR MEHER BAllA
OJ Coordinator: Michael Le Page.
DECEMBER 25th -NO MEETING TONIGHT
JANUARY 2nd (Saturday) - A NEW YEAR FOR THE BABA
CENTER: NEW DIRECTIONS
As we start another New Year, let's meet and talk
about our center and its directions. Coordinator:
Ron Gree nstein.
JANUARY 8th- FIRST TRIP TO INDIA IMPRESSIONS
An evening to share the impressions of several
people who have recently returned from their first
trip to India. Coordinator: Ron Greenstein.
JANUARY 15th - ON SURRENDER
Dick Anthony will give a talk and lead a discussion
on surrendering to Baba in daily life. Coordi nator:
Louise Barrie.
JANUARY 22nd- BABA'S SUFFERING
In order to absorb the burdens of the universe, the
Avatar suffers both physically and mentally. This
evening we will explore the nature of Saba's suffer-
ing and the meani ng it holds for our day to day
lives. Presented by Malinda McCu lloch . Coordina-
tor: Karen Lundegaard.
JANUARY 30th (Saturday) - SPECIAL AMARTITHI
OJ PROGRAM
Janu ary 31st is the nineteenth Amartithi, the anni-
versary of Meher Saba's physical passing. Our spe-
cial program begins at 9:00 PM (early arrivals are
welcome as of 8:00PM) and features music, a su-
perb slide show on Mehe r Saba's Samadhi (tomb)
and the intimate film of the Beloved's entombment.
We will end with 15 minutes of silence from 10:30 to
10:45 PM , simultaneous with the traditional silence
observed by the many lovers gathered at the Sa-
madhi in India (where the time is 12:00 to 12:15 PM
on the 31st, th e time Baba dropped the body). Co-
ordi nator: Michael Le Page.
FEBRUARY 6th (Saturday) - MUSIC DADA LIKED
"I am the song, its words and its melody, and I am
the singer." - Meher Baba. Sue Jamison will repeat
a wonderfu l review of music Baba especially en-
joyed. Coordinator: Louise Barrie.
FEBRUARY Uth - AVATAR MEHER DABA TRUST UPDATE
Ed Van Buskirk will explain th e significance of the
Avatar Meher Baba Trust and will update us on its
current status. Coordinator: Michael Le Page.
FEBRUARY 19th -- TEN YEARS AFfER
Michael Le Page will talk about his research project
for his dissertation in psychology. Michael studied
the psychological development of long-term Baba
lovers. Discussion fo llows. Coordinator: Dick An-
tho ny.
FEBRUARY 25th {Thursday) - HAPPY BIRTHDAY DABA
t:IJ5:00 AM - Arti at the home of Michael Le Page, 846
Sea View, El Cerrito. Phone: (415) 525-8416. Co-
ordinator: Michael LePage.
7:00PM - A special Happy Birthday Celebration.
Come celebrate Meher Saba's birthday at the Uni-
tari an Church , corner Cedar and Bonita, Berkeley.
Coordinators: Louise Barrie and Bing Heckman.
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, INC.
President, Bing Heckman Vice President, Louise Barrie Secretary, Malinda McCulloch Treasurer,
Alan Talbot Office Manager, Ben Leet.
Board of Directors: Louise Barrie Bing Heckman Ron Greenstein Michael Le Page Karen Lunde
gaard Malinda McCulloch Carol Singer.
Coordinators: Program, Karen Lundegaard Finance, Ron Greenstein Membership, Bing Heckman
Publicity, Harold Jamison Service, Carol Singer Archives, Michael Le Page Bookstore, Ben Leet.

BOARD MEETINGS
Meher Baba Center of Northern California Board
meetings are open to all members. Call Karen
Lundegaard at (415) 549-1736 for the date and time
of upcoming meetings.
--
ARTI
Each Sunday mornin g at 10:00 AM, Arti is per-
formed at the home of Ron and Lisa Greenstein, 600
Albemarle, El Cerrito. Phone: (415) 525-3364.

PHONE TREE TRUSTWALLA

We are attempting to organize a workable phone
tree. If you have not been contacted and would like
to be included, please mail your name, area code and
phone number to the office or leave the information
on the office answering machine, (415) 845-4339.
Our trustwalla is Jenny Califf. All who wish to
share in fulfilling the commitments laid down by
Baba through the instrument of the Trust should con-
tact Jenny c/o Safeguard, 74 14th Street, San Francis-
co, CA 94103. Phone: (415) 864-3377 .

NIEHER BABA INFORMATION- "THE BO) REMINDER

Worknights at Meher Baba Information are Thu.
days, 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM. Work ranges from re-
sponding to requests for information to processing or-
ders for books and other literature, and many new
projects. If you would like to help, call Rick Chap-
man or Gary Freeman at (415) 562-1101.
.c are some times last minute changes in the
. .. ceting schedule. Please check the answering ma-
chine at the office, (415) 845-4339 for up-to-date in-
formation.

CHILDREN'S BIRDTHDAY PARTY

On Sunday, February 21 a party for children of all
ages will be held to celebrate Meher Baba's birthday
at the horne of the Talbots, 721 Crossbrook Drive,
Moraga, CA. The celebration will begin at 1 PM
with birthday cake for everyone. Call Karen Talbot
at (415) 376-4325 for more information.

MEHER--B~A
of Northern ( CENTER
alifomia, Inc.
2131 Universi~y 1>~-Jenue, Room 235
[IC H RIS TMAS

Berkeley .~ r;;~ 947~

'-.._9 J!
.-..:...,::_
- - M<>n>Oi, NotiorW Gallery
---
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
 MEHER BABA LOVERS OF NO. CA. INC.

N E w s L E T T E R
213 1 UN IV ERS ITY AVE. RM. 235 BERKELEY. CA . 94 704
VOL.l8 SPRING 1987

The Springtide of fostered . Wars breaks out. Human ity

grows desperate. There seems to be no
Creation possibility of stemming the tide of
destruction.

(Taken from The Discourses, Vol. 3, a At this moment the Avatar appears.
part of the discourse entitled "The Being the total manifestation of God in
Avatar.") human form, he is like a gauge against
which man can measure what he is and
Avataric periods are like the springtide of what he may become. He trues the standard of
creation. They bring a new release of power, a new human values by interpreting them in terms of
awakening of consciousness, a new experience of divinely human life.
life - not merely for a few, but for all. Qualities of
energy and awareness, which had been used and He is interested in everything but not concerned
enjoyed by only a few advanced souls, are made about anything. The slightest mishap may command
available for all humanity. Life as a whole is stepped his sympathy; the greatest tragedy will not upset him.
up to a higher level of consciousness, is geared to a He is beyond the alternations of pain and pleasure,
new rate of energy. The transition from sensation to desire and satisfaction, rest and struggle, life and
reason was one such step; the transition from reason death. To him they are equally illu sions which h~.
to intuition will be another. has transcended , but by which others are bound, and
from which he has come to free them. He uses every
This new influx of the creative impluse takes, circumstance as a means to lead others towards
through the medium of a divine personality, an Reali zation.
incarnation of God in a special sense - the Avatar.
This Avatar who has ever manifested or will ever He knows that men do not cease to exist when
manifest. Through him God first completed the they die, and therefore is not concerned over death.
journey from unconscious divinity to conscious He knows that destruction must precede
divinity, first unconsciously became man in order construction, that out of suffering is born peace and
consciously to become God. Through him, bliss, that out of struggle comes liberation from the
periodically, God consciously becomes man for the bonds of action. He is only concerned about
liberation of mankind. concern.

The Avatar appears in different forms, under In those who contact him he awakens a love that
different names, at different times, in different parts consumes all selfish desires in the flame of the one
of the world. As his appearance always coincides desire to serve him. Those w ho consecrate their
with the spiritual birth of man, so the period lives to him gradually become identified with him in
immediately preceding his manifestation is always consciousness. Little by little, their humanity is
one in which humanity suffers from the pangs of the absorbed into his divinity and they become free.
approaching birth. Man seems more than ever
enslaved by desire, more than ever driven by greed, Those who are closest to him are known as his
held by fear, swept by anger. The strong dominate circle. Every Sadguru [perfect master] has an
the weak; the rich oppress the poor; large masses of intimate circle of twelve disciples who, in point of
people are exploited for the benefit of the few who reali zation, are made equal to the Sadguru himself,
are in power. The individual, who finds no peace or though they differ from him in function and
rest, seeks to forget himself in excitement. authority. In Avataric periods the Avatar has a circle
Immorality increases, crime flourishes, religion is of one hundred and twenty disciples, all of whom
ridiculed. Corruption spreads throughout the social experience reali zation and work for the liberation of
order. Class and national hatreds are aroused and others. continued on the next page

1987
- - - - - ,r - - - o J ---. ... .... J '"' ...... ~.,.----v'".~. ... 5 ... v-:a.v YJ."'u.::tv uv&.tJ. y ----- ------ -- --- -&
. . .. -~
President, Bing Heckman Vice President, Harold Jamison " Secretary, Jenny
us to add your name to the membership list by Califf" Treasurer, Alan Talbot" Office Manager. Ben Leet.
signing a sheet provided at the Friday meetings,
or by calling Bing Heckman at 415-494-6443. Board of Directors : Jennifer Buggia. Bing Heckman, Harold Jamison, Ben Lee!,
Michael LePage, Larry Pesta. Doug Ross.
Notification of your eligibilty to vote will be
mailed to you two weeks before the meeting COORDINATORS: Program, Larry Pesta " Finance, Michael LePage "
along with a list of candidates. We urge you Membership, Harold Jamison " Publicity, Harold Jamison" Service, Louise
Barrie " Archives, Bruce Ecker Bookstore, Ben Leet.
to attend this meeting. Participation in
 IL
A QUIET MIND IS A
continued f()(m the previous page
MAY 2nd (Saturday) - SPECIAL GUEST:
DONALD MAHLER
Tonight we will hear Donald's stories of his time
with Meher Baba. Donald met Meher Baba in
1958 at Myrtle Beach and then again in 1962 at
the East-West Gathering. He was one of the
young men who carried Baba in his chair at
Myrtle Beach. Coordinator: Jenny Califf.
MAY 8th - SPIRITUAL CHOICES
Dick Anthony and Bruce Ecker, authors/editors
of a new book, "Spiritual Choices",will discuss
their book which is being received with strong
public interest. Coordinator: Michael Le Page.
MAY 15th -
GUEST SPEAKER: ROBERT
DREYFUSS
Robert met Meher Baba in 1965 after hitch hiking
across Europe and Asia. Sent back by Baba with
His initial message about drugs, Robert has been
living in the Bay Area since then except for four
years he spent living/working in India with
Baba's mandali. Robert will share some of his
experiences with Meher Baba. Coordinator:
Harold Jamison.
MAY 22nd - FILMS OF AVATAR MEHER BABA
Coordinator: Michael Le Page
MAY 29th - GUEST SPEAKER: BRYNAR MEHL
At the East-West Gathering in 1962, Brynar met
Meher Baba through his connection with Baba's
long-time disciple, Margaret Craske. Brynar will
share some of his Baba stories with us.
Coordinator: Ben Leet.
tn
What God will s!and for is love and truth. It is up
,,...,-l """"'"t- t-'h;.., n~...l ~: ~ ---' ~
P~rh tf'l Vnf'l\11 th1c
NEW MEETING PLACE AND DATES
We are very pleased to report that we have a new
place t<? meet on a regular basis -- the Albany
Methodist Church. The address is 980 Stannaoe
Avenue in Albany. It is at the comer of Marin
Avenue, just south of Solano Avenue and just east of
San Pablo Avenue. Also note, the first meeting
of each month. is on a Saturday evening
rather than on Fnday. We hope this will make it
easier for people coming a long distance to attend
more conveniently. This is an experiment and we
welcome your thoughts on meeting days and times.
TRUSTWALLA
Our Trustwalla is Jenny Califf. An who wish to
share in fulfilling the commitments laid down by
Baba through the instrument of the Trust should
contact Jenny c/o Safeguard, 74 14th Street San
Francisco, CA 94103. (415-864-3377) '
ARTI
Each Sunday morning at 10:00 AM Arti wiii be
performed at the home of Ron and Lisa Greenstein
600 Albemarle, El Cerrito. Phone: 415-525-3364. '
MEHER BABA INFORMATION- "THE BOX"
Worknights at Meher Baba Information are
Thursdays, 7:30 PM to 9:30PM. Work ran oes from
responding to requests for information to pr~cessing
ord~rs for books and other literature, and many new
proJects. If you would like to help, call Rick
Chapman or Gary Freeman at 562-1101.
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
N E w s L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 16
FILlS
By Ursula Van Buskirk
Whenever I remember Filis, I remem-
ber Meher Baba because Baba instructed
me co meet her. Filis was a very special
Baba contact because of that fact, but she
was also a confidante and special buddy. She always
had time to listen, even to the smallest nothing; she was
never judgmental and she was a special friend to many,
many people because of those qualities.
After I settled in Santa Barbara in 1966, Meher Baba
instJucted me, by letter, to meet Filis. I called and made
arrangements to attend one of the weekly meetings in her
home. My first impression was that she was unique -
she was the first 50-year-old "hippie" I had ever met.
The people at the meeting were all much older. I was 2 1
at the time and to me they were a strange assortment of
astrologer-occult types, the type of people I had not en-
countered before. Prominent among this group was a
former Mr. America who c laimed he was a
"Breatharian" and upon seeing a chart of the Ten States
of God from God Speaks, informed the group that he
was so advanced that he was "off the chart." This was
before the wave of younger seekers began coming to
S aba, and while I liked Filis very much and was in-
trigued by her, I didn't spend much time at her meet-
Ings.
I le ft Santa Barbara in 1967 and Filis moved to New
Jersey shortly thereafter. I didn't meet her again until
1971 when I was invited to give a talk to the Los An-
geles group about my meeting with Baba. The group
was entirely different by that time, mostly comprised of
new, young followers of Baba, and Filis was the
group's "Godmother."
From 1971 onward a very close friendship evolved
and I began to know the person behind the sweet exteri-
or, a very sensitive, inte llectual type of person who was
totally focused on her Beloved Baba through the many
ups and downs of her life.
Filis was very psychic from the time she was a c hild,
and this faculty had caused her much suffering until
Baba "toned down" her psychic abilities and made it
much more bearable for her. While she was still very
1987
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
SUMMER 1987
psychic and saw auras at all times, she
was very matter of fact about it. Filis
helped many other people with similar fa-
culties put their abilities into a propel
spiritual perspective.
In 1971 she innocently told me there
was a "boy soul" hanging around me all
the time. I had no intention of ever having children, so I
never gave it much thought, but surprisingly I became
pregnant in 1983. I had an amniocen tesis because of
my age and it revealed I was carrying a boy. I can still
hear Filis' innoce nt voice after I told her, saying, "I
could have told you that."
Filis spent ten years from 1942 through 1952 living
with, and in close connection to, Norina Matchabelli,
Elizabeth Patterson, Nadine Tolstoy, Margaret Craske
and others of Baba's early Western disciples. She en-
dured many hardships and much sufferi ng to maintain
her relationship with this group. They were her connec-
tion and her hope of one day meeting her Beloved Baba.
Apparently she was severely tested during these years
and she was a virtual treasurehouse of stories about
Baba and His work in America through these great dis-
ciples. She seemingly had a photographic memory
about all of these things and over the years we spent
many hours, often until two or three o'clock in the
morning, absolutely lost in the magic of these times.
When questioned about the source of her quotes or
stories, her stock reply would be, "It's in the A waken-
er." And it always was, whenever I checked. She had
a large archive of materials for the Awakener, a quarter-
ly publication she so lovingly tended over thirty years,
often with no help and usually with financial strain. A
lot of the material was given to her directly by Baba and
much of it remains unpublished. Probably because of
the Awakener was she allowed continual mail access to
Baba, even during periods while Baba was in seclusion
when most othe~s were forbidden to write.
In 1979, Filis in vi ted me to accompany her to India
both as a companion and to help her through the rigors
of the journey . Naturally the friction that Baba stirs up
ensued as soon as we arrived . It took the form of Fi lis'
almost constant snoring and my almost total lack of
sleep. This drove me to the limits of my patience, but
her sweetness won out as she would innocently insist,
continued on the next page
 IL
continued from the first page
"But I can't hear myself snoring," and I just couldn't
stay mad. The trip was very special and I felt privileged
to share in and witness her joy at being there, especially
at the Samadhi and when she would visit with Mehera.
I remember so many other stories and times with Filis,
including our 1981 trip to Australia where she was the
guest speaker at the anniversary celebration at Avatars
Abode. She was particularly happy to be with Frances
Brabazon, whom she deeply admired, as she was a tal-
ented poet in her own right. It was during this visit that
she inadvertently stirred up a controversy among the
Australian Baba lovers. Filis was a femin ist and a liber-
ated woman long before it wasjg vogue, and her talks
to the Australian women naturally reflected her ideas
about how they could be more involved in the affairs of
the group there. This was quite at odds with the ideas
of the Australian men as to the role of women, and some
were very upset. I don't think she realized how deep
were the sensibilities that she offended.
My favorite memory of Filis is when in 1977 a group
of us took Adi K. Irani to San Francisco on BART, our
local subway, and we went to a revolving restaurant on
top of a large hotel. The drink of the day on the menu
was a Banana Nirvana and we felt this was a nice little
Ba~a touch to the occasion. Later as we toured the huge
atrium lobby of the hotel, there was a band serenading
the patrons of one of the lobby restaurants. We request-
ed Begin the Beguine and when they played it, Filis and
Jack Small spontaneously began to waltz around the
lobby even though there was no dance floor. Somehow
that incident has always stuck with me as a reminder of
the innocence and spontaneity she expressed in her love
for her Beloved.
Filis had many times intimated that she remembered
being my mother in past lives and somehow this seemed
naturally right to me as it explained the closeness we felt
with one another. A few days before she died I visited
her in the hospital. This was an unexpected visit for her
and she started crying when she saw me and her lips
just said, "Surprise." This was obviously a goodbye
visit and we held hands and shed tears; she was in great
discomfort and seemingly too weak to talk. I was im-
mersed in the overwhelming feeling of peace and of
Baba's presence in that hospital room. After awhile, I
became restless with the silence and somehow blurted
out, "Maybe you'll be my mother again." Abruptly she
sat up and with a suddenly found vigor said rather stern-
ly, "I just want Baba." Most of all, that is how I'll re-
member Filis.
POEMS BY FILlS
The spark of Creation is still there
In His Adam-eye
I saw it fleck and flare
As I stood by
As I, burned witness, stood
....
Silent, in Meher wood.
I saw all Bliss
In His Eyes
I saw all Love
In His Heart
Out of His Mouth
....
Came the Silence of Truth.
Where will He run
Where will He run
God in His little gold shoes
-- And may we run along?
RESULTS OF THE ANNUAL
GENERAL MEETING
The AGM was held on April 4, 1987 at the Albany
Methodist Church. Following is the new Board of Di-
re~tors elected from the slate presented: Louise Barrie,
Bmg Heckman , Ron Greenstein, Michael LePage,
Karen Lundegaard, Malinda McCulloch, Carol Singer.
The nominating commitee for 1988 is: Alisa Geno-
vese, Harold Jamison, Ben Leet, David Miotke Lee
Wright. '
After discussion, a new name was selected for the
group from the opr~ons offered. Henceforth we shall be
known as: MEHER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA.
 1L
FRIDAY-SATURDAY MEETINGS- Maher Baba meetings are held at the Albany
Methodist Church, Stannage Avenue and Marin in Albany. The first meeting of each
month is on Saturday, with the remainder on Friday. All m eetings commence at 7:30
PM with time for visiting before the program begins at 8:00 PM sharp. To check for
program changes call (415) 845-4339.
JUNE 6th (Saturday) - MEHER BABA AND
THE ARTS
An evening of music and poetry dedicated to Meh-
er Baba. This program received great reviews
when it was first presented at Shared Visions in
March. Don't miss it. Coordinator: Ben Leet.
JUNE 12th - BABA, BABA, BABA ...
Repeating the name of God has been important in
every culture. Baba has revitalized this age-old
practice for us. Come share your experiences in to-
night's discussion. Coordinator: Larry Pesta.
JUNE 19th - IMPRESSIONS OF INDIA
Herman Lowe and Jim Hastings recently returned
from two months in India, including Amartithi and
Baba's birthday. They also visited sites in northern
India associated with Baba. They will illustrate their
talk with slides.
JUNE 26th - SPORTS, GAMES AND MEHER
BABA
Over the years Baba made many interesting com-
ments about sports and games. We will present
these comments along with a discussion of how
athletes may bring Baba into their recreation. Coor-
dinator: Harold Jamison.
JULY 4th - NO MEETING TONIGHT
There will be no meeting tonight because so many
of our members are attending the Sahavas in
Southern California.
JULY lOth (Friday) - SILENCE DAY: 10 TO
10 ON THE lOth
In remembrance of Baba's Silence, our meeting
place will be open from 10 AM to 10 PM. Drop by
during the day, then come for films from 8 to 9:30
PM . A special area will be set aside with Baba's sa-
dra, picture and flowers. Also available: lending li-
brary, bookstore. tapes.
JULY 11th (Saturday) - SPECIAL GUEST
SPEAKER: BILL LE PAGE
Bill LePage, who first met Baba in 1954 in India, will
be with us tonight to share stories and reflections
on his contacts with Baba over succeeding dec-
ades. Coordinator: Michael Le Page.
JULY 12th (Sunday) - BARBIE AND BILLY
TEA WITH BILL LEPAGE
Join us from 3 PM on for a pot luck barbeque at the
home of Michael Le Page, 846 Seaview, El Cerrito.
Phone 525-8416 . Bring salads, desserts and
drinks (main dishes provided - maybe even a shrimp
or two!) .
JULY 17th - DREAMS, VISIONS AND
MEHER BABA
Meher Baba has touched the lives of many of his
love rs through dreams and visions. After present-
ing some of these stories, we will discuss some of
Baba's own comments on such phenomena and
share how they have played a part in our own lives.
Coordinators: Karen Lund egaard and Ron Gree n-
stein.
JULY 25th (Saturday, 7 - 9 PM) - KIDS '
NIGHT
Puppet show, magic tricks and entertainment by
kids for kids and adults. Come share the fun! Coor-
dinator: Patti Lough .
AUGUST 1st (Saturday) - FILMS OF
AVATAR ME HER BABA
Coordinator: Michae l Le Page .
REMINDER : There are no meetings sched-
uled for the remainder of August. Looking
forward to seeing everyone in September.
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN CAUFORNIA, INC.
President, Bing Heckman Vice President, Louise Barrie Secretary, Malinda
McCulloch Treasurer, Alan Talbot Office Manager. Ben Leet.
Board of Directors: Louise Barrie Bing Heckman Ron Greenstein Michael Le
Page Karen Lundegaard Malinda McCulloch Carol Singer.
Coordinators: Program, Karen Lundegaard Finance, Ron Greenstein Member
ship, Bing Heckman Publicity, Harold Jamison Service, Carol Singer Archives,
Michael Le Page Bookstore, BenLeet.
JBJEG UliNJE JBUJLJLJE1fliN
MEH ER M OUNT UPDATE
We arc pleased to report that some good progress has been made
toward mak ing Mcher Mount habitable for Agnes Baron (a major
fire burned out her home in October, 1985).
Agnes had been living on Meher Mo unt in a small trailer w ith
very limited facilities since September, 1986. A mobile home has
been set up along with water, electrical and sanitary services. A
water system was put in place to provide basic water pressure and
avoid contamination that was a concern with the existi ng stagnant
supply reservoir (a forty-year-old swimming pool). The new sys-
tem includes filtration of the high sulphur content. Hot water is
also provided for the first time in several decades.
The provisions for basic habitability have resulted in some ac-
crued debts, and any contributions large or small to help pay them
off would be appreciated very much. Checks can be made payable
to "Mchcr Mount Fund," and all contributions can be sent to:
Agnes Baron
Mcher Mount
9902 Sulphur Mountain Road
Ojai, CA 93023
ARTI
Each Sunday morning at 10:00 AM, Arti will be performed at the
home of Ron and Lisa Greenstein, 600 Albemarle, El Cerrito.
Phone: (4 15) 525-3364.
BOOKSTORE NEWS
Several new books and other interesting items have arrived. The
following is a sampling:
1. Practical Spirituality with Meher Baba by John Grant.
The story of Baba's visits to Australia.
2. Is That So? by Bill LePage. A compilation of stories
from Eruch.
3. The Silent Master edited by Irwin Luck. A collection of
quotations enjoyed by Baba. The companion to the film soon to
be completed by Meher Baba Archives.
4. The Compassionate One by Meher Baba Information. A
revised introductory pamphlet.
5. The Road to Melzerabad by 3-D Jones. A new tape s1illg-
by the Jones sisters. Available from Meher Prasad.
TRUSTWALLA
Our Trustwalla is Jenny Califf. All who wish to share in fu lfill-
ing the commitments laid down by Baba through the instrument of
the Trust should contact Jenny c/o Safeguard, 74 14th Street, San
Francisco, CA 94 103. Phone: (415) 864-3377.
ME HER BAllA INFORMATION - "THE BOX"
Worknights at Meher Baba Information are Thursdays, 7:30PM to
9:30 PM. Work ranges from responding to requests for infonna-
tion to processing orders for books and other literature, and many
new projects. If you would like T6 help, call Rick _Ql]liman or
Gary Freeman at (415) 562-UOl. tri- .
- , <f~-r
~
...,..
c
A DDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
N E w s L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL.16
MEHER BABA'S WORK
IS OUR
OPPORTUNITY
By Charles Haynes
As lovers of Avatar Meher Baba we know that this is a
special and unique time in the unfolding of His Divine
Work to awaken humanity. This is both the time of
deep intimacy with the Beloved and the universal mani-
festation of His love. Now, more than ever, He is most
available to all who approach Him with love. Thus there
is a sense of urgency in the air as Baba calls us to take
advantage of His availability by deepening our inner
connection with Him, while at the same time doing our
part to share in the work of His manifestation.
The immediacy and significance of Baba's call to ac-
tion was driven home to me once again last fall with the
passing of Pendu and Rano. The men and women who
have served Meher Baba best, those he called His man-
dali, are leaving the stage. I feel as thou gh the Beloved
is completing the dropping of His physical body now
that His companions, His hands and feet in the world,
are rejoining Him. As this change takes place, Baba is
releasing His love more and more to waiting hearts eve-
rywhere. Simultaneously, He is pushing His lovers
onto the stage to play a greater role in His work.
Naturally, as the mandali leave, many of us ask our-
selves if we are ready and able to carry the torch of His
love in the world. As the world experiences His love
and asks about His ways, are we prepared to tell the
Story? Fortunately, we can take comfort in the fact that
the Avatar does His own work in spite of the limitations
of his workers! At the same time, we also know th at
Baba uses His lovers as instruments in His awakening,
and He asks us to put our whole hearts into the work He
gives us to do. "My work," He tells us, "is your oppor-
tunity." Why are we given such an opportunity? "I al-
low you to work for Me," Baba says, "so that you have
the opportunity to use your talents and capacities self-
lessly and so draw closer to Me."
Though we may not feel ready or worthy to do His
work, we cannot complain that we have had no time to
1987
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
FALL1987
learn His ways. The Beloved has given
and is still giving us years of intimate
contact with Him through His close com
p anions. He has invited us into Hi~
Homes, places where He slept and ate,
worked and played, and permits us to sit
with His dear ones to hear the Story.
"Come," He says, "drink deep of My
love and learn of Me while I am so fully present with
you."
To this day, we can sit on His porch with Mehera, the
beloved of the Beloved, and sit by His chair with those
who lived and worked with Him daily. Such intimacy
is a blessing beyond words, given to a very few. How
fortunate are Beloved Baba's lovers to be allowed to in-
hale the fragrance of His Divinity while hearing the Sto-
ry of His humanity! Now that He is taking His mandali
to Him, and we are called to a greater work, we may
find ourselves scrambling a bit to be sure that we have
taken full advantage of this rare chance to catch hold of
Him.
The days of intimate contact with the Beloved through
His mandali are dwindling to a precious few. But even
as these special days pass away, and He takes His dear
ones Home, a new and exciting chapter of His Life with
us begins. While we can only see the tip of the iceberg
of His work, reports from everywhere signal a new
surge of His love in hearts throughout the world. A
record number of new people are coming to His Home
in Myrtle Beach, and many Baba groups throughout the
world report new activity and new energy.
Ready or not, the time has come for us to take our
places on the stage of His divine love drama. We need
not feel unready, because His timing is always perfect.
And we should not mind our unworthiness, because He
has chosen us just as we are. In fact, our very unworth-
iness is the precondition for sharing in His Work, ena-
bling us to remember that He alone does the Real Work.
Our Beloved invites us with open arms to be workers
in this glorious time of His Awakening. As he has so
often reminded us, this is the opportunity of many,
many lifetimes: "At this stage you cannot know what
real Love is, but through working for Me as you should
conlinued on thenextpage
 IL
continued from !he firs! page
work for Me, you will arrive at that ripeness where, in a
moment, I can give you That which you have been seek-
ing for millions of years."
Avatar Meher Baba ki jai! The victory is His.
11
SONG OF THE NEW LIFE
Listen to the silent words of Meher Baba;
The life of all lovers of God is in these words.
You who are serious to follow the New Life
Will renounce your ephemeral existence.
We have taken to this life in which we rely only upon
God;
Our will is strengthened by our oath.
We merrily sing the song of hopelessness;
We invite all calamities and difficulties.
We neither wail over lost hopes, nor complain about
promises,
Or covet honor, or shun disgrace.
Back- biting is ended and we do not fear anyone;
This is the tenor of our New Life.
No confusion in the mind now, neither are any ties left;
Pride, anger, lust and greed are sloughed off.
No religion for any of us, nor care for physical and
mental aims.
The Sheikh and the Brahmin are now in the same boat.
There is for us all no small or great.
Neither disciple, master, nor Godhood exist.
Brotherliness is the link,
And our common enjoyment of suffering.
This world or the next, hell or heaven, we are no longer
concerned with.
Shaktis and siddhis, occultism and miracles, we are no
longer plagued with.
All false impressions have been purged from the mind;
Now we live with the active present.
Dear ones, take seriously the words of Baba.
"Although now I am on the same level with you,
Yet all orders from me, good, bad, or extraordinary,
You should carry out immediately, leaving the result to
God.
"Even if the heavens fall,
Do not let go the hand of Truth;
Let not despair or disappointment ravage and destroy the
garden of your life;
You beautify it by contentment and self-sufficiency.
"Even though your heart be cut to bits, let a smile be on
your lips.
Here I divulge to you a truth:
Hidden in your empty hands is treasure untold;
Your beggarly life is the envy of kings.
"God exists indeed, and true are the Prophets,
Every cycle has an Avatar, and every moment a wali.
For us, however, it is only hopelessness and
helplessness,
How else can I describe to you what our New Life is?"
A translation of the song
composed by Dr. Ghani
3 1 Oc tober 1949
The New Life will be kept alive by those:
Who live the life of complete renunciation of false-
hood, lies, hatred, anger, greed and lust; and who to ac-
complish all this, do no lustful actions, do no harm to
anyone, do no backbiting, do not seek material posses-
sions or power, who accep t no homage, neither covet
honour nor shun disgrace, and fear no one and nothing;
by those, who rely wholly and solely on God , and who
love God purely for the sake of loving, who believe in
the lovers of God and in the reality of Manifestation ,
and yet do not expect any spiritual and material reward;
who do not let go the hand of Truth, and who, without
being upset by calamities, bravely and whole-heartedly
face all hardships with 100% cheerfulness, and give no
importance to caste, creed and religious ceremonies.
This New Life will live by itself eternally, even if there
is no one to live it.
FRIDAY-SATURDAY MEETINGS Maher Baba meetings are held at the Albany Methodist
Church, Stannage Avenue and Marin in Abany. The first meeting of each month is on Saturday, with
the remainder on Friday. All programs begin at 8:00 PM sharp and normally end at 9:30PM with time
for visiting before and after the meeting. To check for program changes call {415) 845-4339.
SEPTEMBER 12th (Saturday) - FILMS OF AVATAR
MEHERBAl3A
OJ Coordinator: Michael LePage.
SEPTEMBER 18th- DEVOTIONAL PROGRAM
An evening of songs, readings, short talks and
films presented by Larry Pesta. Coordinator: Bing
Heckman.
SEPTEMBER 25th - SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER:
DICK ANTHONY
Tonight Dick Anthony w ill speak on "Following
Meher Baba as an Internal Master". There will be a
discussion after the talk. Coordinator: Louise Bar-
rie.
OCTOBER 3rd (Saturday) - "THE ANCIENT ONE"
A repeat of the internationally acclaimed multi-
media slide show produced by Cherie Dreyfuss, Ed
Van Buskirk and Michael LePage. Coordinator:
Bing Heckman.
OCTOBER 9th - SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER: URSULA
VANBUSKIRK
Ursula met Meher Baba in March, 1966. Tonight
she will share with us the story of that meeting and
the travels that led to it. Coordinator:. Louise Barrie.
OCTOBER 16th -THE NEW LIFE
A special meeting ce lebrating the anniversary of
the beginning of Mehe r Baba's New Life. Present-
ed by Larry Pesta. Coordinator: Bing Heckman.
OCTOBER 23rd- RELATIONSHIPS AND BABA
Tonight's panel and group discussion will focus on
how our relationships with family, friends and dear
cn~'S al~ a\\~c\~d by our relationship with Meher
Baba. Coordinator: Carol Singer.
NOVEMBER 1st (Sunday) - FILM FESI1VAL
CIJ Come savor an afternoon of films of Avatar Meher
Baba. The location and times will be announced.
NOVEMBER 7th (Saturday) - SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER:
RICK CHAPMAN
"A Meet ing With Meher Baba: The Avatar of the
Age". Rick first met Meher Baba in 1966 and will
share the impact of that meeting with us tonight.
This program will be of interest to people who are
newly acquainted with Meher Baba as well as to old
timers. Coordinator: Bing Heckman.
NOVEMBER 13th - BABA AND BRINGING UP CHILDREN
Tonight's panel and discussion promises to be a
lively one! Coordinator: Louise Barrie.
NOVEMBER 21st (Saturday) - CONCERT FUND RAISER
CIJ Join in an evening of musical entertainment with a
focus on Baba. Our spec ial guest will be an-
nounced. Coordinator: Malinda McCulloch.
NOVEMBER 27th- REMEMBERING BABA
Come share in a group discussion of the ways we
commune with and remember Baba. Coordinator:
Ron Greenstein.
DECEMBER 5th (Saturday) -PHOTO FESTIVAL AND SALE
A special event to make the photos taken by each
and all available to one another. Come and view
each other's co llections and place your orders for
copies. Just in time for Christmas , too! Please con-
tact Ron Greenstein at (415) 525 -3364 so we can
share your special prints or slides. Coordinators:
Ron Greenstein and Karen Lundegaard.
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, INC.
President, Bing Heckman Vice President, Louise Barrie Secretary, Malinda McCulloch Treasurer,
Alan Tabot Office Manager, Ben Leet.
Beard of Directo!S: Louise Barrie Bing Heckman Ron Greenstein Michael LePage Karen Lunde
gaard Malinda McCulloch Carol Singer.
Coordinaro!S: Program, Karen Lundegaard Finance, Ron Greenstein Membership, Bing Heckman
Publicity, Harold Jamison Service, Carol Singer Archives, Michael Le Page Bookstore, Benl eet.
 BOARD MEETINGS
Meher Baba Center of Northern California Board
meetings are open to all members. Call Karen Lunde-
gaard at (415) 549-1736 for the date and time of upcom-
ing meetings.
ART!
Each Sunday morning at 10:00 AM, Arti is performed
at the home of Ron and Lisa Greenstein, 600 Albemarle,
El Cerrito. Phone: (415) 525-3364.

PHONE TREE
We are attempting to organize a workable phone tree.
If you have not been contacted and would like to be in-
cluded, please mail your name, area code and phone
number to the office or leave the information on the of-
fice answering machine, (415) 845-4339.
TRUS1WALLA
Our trustwalla is Jenny Califf. All who wish to share
in fulfi lling the commitments laid down by Baba through
the instrument of the Trust should contact Jenny c/o
Safeguard, 74 14th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103.
Phone: (415) 864-3377.

REMINDER
MEllER BABA INFORMATION- "THE BOX"
There are sometimes last minute changes in the meet-
Worknights at Meher Baba Information are Thurs- ing schedule. Please check the answering machine at
days , 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM. Work ranges from re- the office, (415) 845-4339 for up-to-date information.
sponding to requests for information to processing or-
ders for books and other literature, and many new pro-
jects. If you would like to help, call Rick Chapman or
Gary Freeman at (415) 562-1101.

ClllLDREN'S BARBEQUE
On Saturday, September 5 a barbeque will be held at
the home of the Stovalls, 954 Acalanes Road, Lafayette,
CA. .The festivities will begin at 11:00 AM and all ages
are welcome. Please bring snacks, salads or desserts to
share; main course and juice will be provided. Call An-
nie Stovall at (415) 284-2773 for more information.

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
N E w s
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL.l8
A Mehera Story
Visirors to Meherazadfrequenlly enjoy talks by Mani,
lvleher Baba's sisrer in which she movingly relates the
experiences of life around Baba. In this narrative re-
corded in August 1989, she gives us a glimpse illlo
her relarionship with Mehera, Baba's beloved.
I wonder if anybody has noticed this pin that I
have on. One stone is missing and it has been painted
so that the missing stone won't show up so much, but
this has a history. It has a delightful history; some-
body asked me this morning and I thought that it
would be nice to tell it.
This is a pin that was given to me in the 1940s by
Arnavaz on the occasion of her e ngagement to Nari-
man. It came at a time when we didn't have even cos-
tume jewelry like we have now. It was a very special
thing, and I would often put it on when we went out
with Baba. Whenever there was an occasion, we took
our our finery from the bottom of the trunk and we
would dress up, so this pin always served. We were in
Hyderabad, and I remember I put this pin on a sari to
go to a cinema with Baba. Afterwards, I couldn't find
rhe pin. I looked all over, but I'm never sure of my-
self, I never trust my memory and I hate to say that I
lost it, because maybe someone will think someone
has stolen it. Somehow it came out, Mehera missed
my pin and inquired about it.
"I can't find it, Mehera," I said.
"Oh," she said, "The servant must have taken it,"
because we had a new servant.
"Oh, I don't know about that," I said, "Maybe I
misplaced it."
"But you just said you looked everywhere" Me-
hera said. You see in some ways Mehera was stronger
than l was, and I didn't want to face it, that's the whole
point.
L E T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
WINTER 1989
I said, "No, no I'm sure not - I'll
look again ... "
"No," she said, "you leave it to me."
I don't know what she must have
discussed with the servant, very nicely,
but whatever she said, the servant
L - - -.!2
brought the pin, and along with it she
brought a pair of scissors that nobody had missed.
She'd stolen a pair of scissors as well, you see, and
then when Mehera saw that in stead of one thing she's
given back two things, I heard Mehera say, "And now
you must go home and get the third thing also."
I couldn't believe it. And you know, she had tak-
en a third thing, another brooch, and I hadn't even
missed it. I said, "Mehera, you're absolutely a marvel,
how do you do it?" So this is a very special thing for
me. One stone had fallen off, and the servant girl re-
fused to acknowledge that she had taken it. I knew it
was there before, and had disappeared during the
theft, but it never got resolved between us.
She has given me many lovely gifts every now
and then. Specially after every time when .... Mehera
and I who were so close together all of our lives, oc-
casionally there would be little sparks. I could exas-
perate her, she could exasperate me, so when things
like that would happen... Now a long time ago, on
one occasion when Baba sensed that I was impatient
with Mehera over something, He told me, "Don't be
impatient with Mehera, you and Mehera have a con-
nection that's way back, far away back, so don't get
impatient."
I would always try, but one day, we were in
Baba's room and she got exasperated with me, some-
thing that I wasn't doing right, I could be dumb some-
times, and Mehera said, "Mani, I know we have a
long past connection, an ancient connection, 'that's all
very well, and we have it in this life, OK? But that's
enough - not in the next life - enough."
I said, somewhat coolly, "That's fine with me,
e t989 continued on the next page
continued from the first page
OK Mehera." So, by evening, she came with a present
for me. Whenever she had said something that she
thought wasn't gentle enough, she was a very gentle
person, very sweet, she came and she would give me
something. Usually it was a soap. She knew I liked
fragrance, but sometimes some of the soaps she had
were not fragrant. But they were very good. She used
to say, "Read, read what's on the label, it's made of
oatmeal, very good for the complexion."
"I know, Mehera, I love it." I still have two or
three, but the last gift she gave me (she would give me
other things, too) was this second pin, in the shape of
a heart, which is very precious to me. This also has a
story. She made me realize without saying it that this
heart would be the last gift.
Somehow she knew or at least in her wisdom she
spoke of things like that. She- called me into Baba's
room. I sat next to her and she said, "I would like to
tell you something. When my time comes, see that I
am in Baba's room before you carry me out. See that
only Goher and you handle my body after I go to
Baba, while making the arrangements for the funeral. "
In the last week while she was sitting on the
porch on that chair that you are used to seeing her sit
in, it was a great thing. We were all united in seeing to
Mehera, bringing her out from her bedroom to the
porch with the support of our arms, Heather and Janet
and Dolly and Rhoda, all were around her. After we,
Goher and I and Meheru had seen to her ablutions and
everything, then everyone would help Mehera and
come sit down and then would begin the little lessons.
Heather would teach Mehera to repeat words, so she
would come up with a tray, it was a game, it was so
much fun. It was so tenderly we were caring for Me-
hera, and Mehera was like a child in that. You'd some-
times see a twinkle in her eye that amazed us. Mehera
would be seated on the porch and there would be the
tray, all kinds of things on it, cup, spoon, saucer, and
Heather would say, "Now Mehera, what's this?" And
Mehera would look at the thing and I knew she knew
what the thing was, but she couldn't get the word for
it. So she'd usually begin by saying, "Ba .. ba .. "
Heather would gently correct her, "No, Mehera" and
sometimes she would get exasperated. Once Mehera
said, "It's extraordinary, I never seem to get i.t."
"Mehera, you just said so much! This is cup! "
And then she'd say, "Ca .. ca.. cup .. " and then there
would be so much joy. So once she was outside, and
Janet would come with a set of boxes, and each per-
son had her own thing to help Mehera. When she was
seated among them, I would come away to the little
cottage to do what little work I had to do, but I would
keep an eye on her. I would come out now and then
and the moment she'd see me go by, they tell me that
Mehera would lose interest in everything else, and un-
til I was out of sight and not seen by them, she would
lose her attention on whatever else she was doing.
When I heard that, I would purposely come out every
now and then from whatever else I was doing to say,
"Jai Baba, Mehera." One morning when I was out of
sight for a time, she said to me very clearly, "And
where were you all morning?"
"Mehera I was with you, it's only after sitting
here on the porch with you that I had to do other
things." Now this is all leading up to this little inci-
dent. The last morning that Mehera was seated on the
porch in her chair, I was, again after a while, down at
the little cottage, and I would peek out now and then
and say "Jai Baba, Mehera." Each time, she folded her
hands to me in namaste. I was very surprised. We're
too close sisters for that. The gesture is used for a po-
lite way of greeting someone (used by Mehera in sa-
luting Indian visitors, for example) or a good-bye, but
with me - never! I went back, and after a while I came
out again to say "Jai Baba" to her. In a total of three
such tries, each time very solemnly she did it. "Oh," I
said to myself, "it's just a pattern that will reoccur to-
day . I'll try it again tomorrow." But, she never came
out again to the porch. Little things like that, signs,
convince me that Mehera knew.
 lL
~IEETINGS Meher Baba meetings are held on Saturday nights at the Alba-
ny Methodist Church, Stannage Avenue and Marin in Albany. All programs be-
gin at 8:00 PM sharp and normally end at 9:30 PM with time for visiting before
and after the meeting. To check tor program changes call (415) 845-4339.
DECEMBER 2- MEHER BABA STORIES
Come hear and retell stories either told by
Saba or told in Saba's presence. Meeting coor-
dinated by Ron Greenstein.
DECEMBER 9- ON BEHALF OF THE TRUST
A production of classical/Saba/Christmas mu-
sic by David Miotke, Peggy Rock and Raine
Eastman - Mormon. Donations for the Avatar
Meher Saba Trust in India are welcomed.
DECEMBER 16 - BY GEORGE, WITH A TWIST
of St. Nick. This play, a musical satire of Amer-
7 PM ican presidents for kids of all ages, comes to
Start! us from Fantasy Theater, the honorary state
chidren's theater. It is directed by Saba lover
Tim Busfield. Show starts at 7 PM!!!
DECEMBER 23 - No Meeting - Merry Christmas!
DECEMBER 30- No Meeting- Happy New Year!
JANUARY 6- FILMS OF MEHER BABA
A special event in the life of any Saba lover
is the opportunity to see moving images of the
Beloved. This month's films will be the short
films from Nasik, Rahuri, Saba's visit to Seclu-
sion Hill and the East-West Gathering.
JANUARY 13- BOB AND JANE BROWN VISIT
Bob and Jane are co ming to sing up a storm
for Meher Saba. Come join us on this special
occasion. Suggested donation is$ 10 (adults).
JANUARY 20- DANCE PARTY OF THE NEW DEC-
ADE
Shake off the 80s and rock into the 90s dance
party. Guest OJ, refreshments, $5 donation.
JANUARY 27- INTRODUCTORY MEETING
Bring friends or new ones to Meher Saba to
this introductory meeting at which Ed Van Bus-
kirk, Harold Jamison and Michael LePage will
speak.
JANUARY 31 - AMARTITHI CELEBRATION
This year, Amartiti falls on a Wednesday. The
meeting will start at 9:30 so that we can have
a period of silence between 10:30 and 10:45,
the same time that silence is being observed in
India.
FEBRUARY 3 - LOVE COMES WEST
A slide show produced for the 1981 event held
at the Palace of Fine Arts commemorating
Saba's visits to America.
FEBRUARY 10 - NAOSHERWAN ANZAR
Naosherwan, the publisher of The Glow and
an intimate lover of Saba is coming to speak
on his experiences with Meher Saba.
FEBRUARY 17 - IMAGES OF THE MASTS
A talk, presented by Ed Van Buskirk, about
Meher Baba's work with the masts, along with
some rare slides of Baba with His divine chil-
dren.
FEBRUARY 24- No Meeting - See Below
FEBRUARY 25 - BABA'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
An afternoon party will be held at the Albany
Methodist Church at 4 PM, with refreshments
and entertainment.
Special Events and Notices
Meetings in Nearby Cities
FRESNO: Meetings on Wednesday evenings from 7:30-
8:30 PM. For information call Sharon or Phil Scott: (209)
449-0877.
SACRAMENTO: For information call Marilyn Buehler at
(916) 925-4451.
SAN FRANCISCO: Meeting/dinner first Friday of every
month. Enjoy an evening of wining & dining at local res-
taurants. Share stories, conversation & connections.
RSVP a must. Call Larry Pesta: (415) 441-7008 at least
two days prior to event. Guests are welcome.
continued on the next page
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA,
INC.
President, Ursula Van Buskirk Vice President, Larry Pesta
Secretary, Janice Quartieri Treasurer, Keith Gunn Office
Manager, Fred White.
Board of Directors: Marilyn Buehler Ron Greenstein Keith
Gunn Greg Harland David Miotke Larry Pesta Ursula Van
Buskirk.
Coordinators: Program, Greg Harland Finance, Ron Green-
stein Membership, Bing Heckman Publicity, Marilyn Buehler
Service, Larry Pesta Archives, Michael Le Page Bookstore,
Ben Leet.
continued from the previous page

Discourse Meetings Board Meetings

Thursday Evenings, 7:15 PM . Saba's discourses are
used to shed light on ou r daily lives with Saba. Loca-
tion and leader w iill change as discussion meeting de-
velops. Organized by Janice Quartieri and Ben Leet.
Call 527-6739 for a phone message on location and
leader.
Arti
All are welcome to gather for Arti at the home of Ron
and Lisa Greenstein, 600 Albemarle, El Cerrito each
Sunday at 10 AM. Phone: (415) 525-3364.
Meher Saba Center of Northern California Board meet-
ings are open to all members. Call Janice Quartieri at
(415) 527-6739 for the dates and times of meetings.
Reminder
There are sometimes last minute changes in the meeting
schedule. Please check the answering machine at the of-
fice, (415) 845-4339 for up-to-date information.
Meher Baba Information - "The Box"

TrustwaJla Work nights at Meher Saba Information are Thursdays ,

Our trustwalla is Jack Mormon. All who wish to share
in fulfilling the commitments laid down by Saba through
the instrument of the Tru st should contact Jack at P.O.
Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701.
Samadhi Photographs Sought
Photographs or slides taken prior to October 1971
showing the wall paintings inside Saba's tomb are re-
quested by the Avatar Meher Saba Trust for their
records. Materials should be sent to Pat Sumner c/o
Avatar Meher Saba Trust, Postbag 31, Kings Road Ah-
mednagar, MS, India 414001 or to Sheila Krynski d o
Sheriar Press, 3005 Highway 17 North Bypass, Myrtle
Beach SC 29557.
7:30 PM to 9:30 PM. Work includes responding to re-
quests for information, processing orders for literature and
many new projects. If you wou ld like to help, call Rick
Chapman or Gary Freeman at (415) 562-1101 .
The Godfather
With a twitch of His little finger
In the twinkling of His eye,
While His hand seems to linger
In the space between, you die.
What have you got to lose?
Speaksthemockingenuousface
As His ministering hand's shake makes
An offer you can't refuse.
Gareth Calway

~-------

MEHER BABA CENTER

NON-PROFIT ORG .
of Northern California, Inc.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
2131 University Avenue, Room 235 El CERRITO, CA.
Berkeley, California 94704 PERMIT NO. 186

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
N E w s
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 18
Surrendering
to Meher Baba
Excerpts from a talk given by Charles Haynes,
August 19, 1988 (with Charles' permission.)
Meher Baba says "Greater than love is
obedience. Greater than obedience is
surrender." I often wonder about the mean-
ing of "surrender," an important term because
for Baba, it is the highest form of love. It is
difficu lt to k now what it means, and whether
or not one has surrendered.
Once, some years ago, I asked Eruch about
it. A group of us were sitting in Mandali Hall,
in front of Baba' s chair. During a lull in the
conversatio n, Eruch looked at me and asked,
"What sho uld we talk about?" I said the first
thing that popped into my mind: "surrender."
Eruch said , "Yes, alright. .. do it." Taken
aback, I said, "That's fine to say, but what
does it mean?" Eruch replied, "You people
think I just say these things, but I'm not just
saying it. Do it. .. Do it!" I said, "Well, I am
trying. But isn't surrender the ultimate goal?"
He said, "No, no, just do it now. Right now."
I could only say "Oh, alright." Eruch added,
"Then surrender again tomorrow . .. then the
next day, surrender again. Why should we
wait?" Then I began to grasp what was being
said: surrender is something one does continu-
ously, and each time one does it, it is a little
bit more. One lets go a little bit more.
My favorite image for surrender comes from
the East- West Gathering in 1962. During the
darshan, Baba gave an image that has stuck
with me all these years. I was thirteen at the
time, and sitting on the floor next to Baba. He
was on the couch and I was concentrating on
inching my way closer to His knee. Baba was
co nveying something about the breaking of His
silence. He said that the time would come
when it might seem natural to leave Him, to let
L E T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
SPRING 1989
Him slip from out gr asp. He said:
"So I am telling you now
that you must hold on to Me.
That is the most important
thing ... to hold on to
Me ."
I became alert as B aba had
touched on a topic I was most interested in as
a child . Then Baba picked up the hem of His
sadhra, held it in front of us and said:
"Remember to hold on to My Damaan,
because what will happen will make it
easy for your grasp on Me to slip away.
So you must practice holding on to My
Damaan." He compared our situation to that
of a child in a village crowd . Unless the child
holds on to the mother's hand, it will get lost.
Baba then took His other hand, and held His
damaan tightly with both hands. He told us,
"Don't hold on with one hand, but with
both hands, so if, by chance, one hand
should slip away, you wi ll still be
holding on." Remember, Baba told us, hold
on with both hands.
To this day, I keep that image before me.
What does it have to do with s urrender? It oc-
curred to me as a child (sometimes children
have the best notions) th at if you are holding
on with both hands, you have no free hands to
hold on to anything else! To hold on to Him
with both hands, then, means that we have to
let go of everything else. To even begin to
grasp His damaan with both hands, we have to
begin to let go of all else. How can we hold on
to what we want, if we are holding on to Him
with both hands?
I feel that Baba is telling us that if we hold
on with both hands (the beginning and end of
surrender), it is then His task to help us let go
of the world. He (Meher Baba within each of
us- our Real Self) works constantly to help us
to let go of everything false, and to cling only
to what is Real.
continued on the next page
1989
 IL
continued from the first page

The job of the Beloved is to get the lov er to "PEARL" FROM NAGPUR
let go. We cannot do it alone. We will not do
it. If it were completely up to us to let go, and The Meher Baba Center of Northern California recent-
to hold on only to Him, we wou ld not do it ly received a note from Mrs. Indurnati Deshrnukh,
The ego is not about to surrend.er the illuso.ry wife of the late Dr. C.D. Deshmukh, who thanked us
clinging that is its old, old h abit. The e go IS for sending her our newsletter and enclosed a devo-
not going to voluntarily let go ... we cannot tional poem, her own composition, entitled "Pearl."
outsmart it. That is His job. Ours is to remem-
ber Him constantly with love. There was a waiting
and waiting
So whatever happens, we mu s t hold on to and waiting.
Him.:. trusting alw ays, as we see that which is It showered at last!
false stripped from our grasp, that Baba is do- At last it showered!
ing His work of ego-elimination. As Baba has
said, "To stick to Me mean s to keep Me It was a drop of His Grace
pleased at the cost of your own com- that went to a mother-o-pearl.
forts and pleasures. It means to remain And a pearl came into being.
resigned to My will, whether you keep
good health or bad, whether you make The pearl knew nothing.
money or lose it, and whether you gain It knew not it was some being.
name and fame or become the laughing Knew not, it could do something.
stock of others." It was all dark, dark, dark
Nor could it sing as a lark!
Holding on to Him and being resigned to
His will is not easy. Fortunately, it is a gift But Lo! the Beloved
th at Baba gives us gradually in our life with one day, pierced through the pearl
Him. Everythin g He does in us conspires to and showed it the way
help us to hold on . .. and to let go of all else. To Union, Joy and Eternal Bliss.
How lovin g of theBeloved to work in us to in-
spire us to be wholely resigned to His will in
all things. Resigned to His will. .. th at is the
true meaning of "surrender." MEMBERSHIP AND VOTING INFORMA-
TION FOR ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING:
OTHER BABA MEETINGS
This year's nominating committee will present a slate of
FRESNO: Meetings on Wednesday evenings from 7:30- candidates for each of the seven board positions. Candi-
8:30 P.M. For information call Sharon or Phil Scott: (209) dates will be announced at meetings at least 30 days be-
266-9094. fore the AGM. According to the bylaws you are a voting
member ifyou: 1) have a sincere interest in Avatar Me her
SACRAMENTO: For information call Marie Rhodes: (916) Saba 2) live in Northern California and 3) have attended
723-6631 . meetings of our group or supported it in other ways during
the preceding year. If you are eligible, please add your
SAN FRANCISCO: Meeting/dinner first Friday of eve ry name to the membership list by signing a sheet provided at
month. Enjoy an evening of wining & dining at local restau- the meetings or by calling Bing Heckman at (41 5) 494-
rants. Share stories, conversation & connections. RSVP a 6443. Notification of your eligibility to vote will be mailed to
must. Call Larry Pesta: (415) 441-7008 at least two days prior you two weeks before the meeti ng along with a list of can-
to event. Guests are welcome. didates.

MEHER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, INC.

President, Bing Heckman Vice President, Irene Meyers Secretary, Janice Quar
tieri Treasurer, Karen Lundegaard Office M anager, Fred White.
Board of Directors: Louise Barrie Joe Elia Lisa Greenstein Bing Heckman Irene
Meyers Janice Quartieri Fred White.
Coordinators: Program, Louise Barrie Finance, Usa Greenstein Membership, Ja.
nice Quartieri Publicity, Bing Heckman Service, Janice Quartieri Archives,
Michael Le Pag\l Booksto~e. Ben Leet.
 1L
FRIDAY-SATURDAY MEETINGS Meher Baba meetings are held at the Albany
Metho~ist Church, Stannage Avenue and Marin in Albany. The first meeting of each
month IS on Saturday, with the remainder on Friday . All programs begin at 8:00 PM
sharp and normally end at 9:30 PM with time for visiting before and after the meeting.
To chuck for program changes call {415) 845-4339.
FEBRUARY 25th (Saturday) 7:30 PM - MEHER
t:J:l BABA'S 95th BI RT HDAY CELEBRATION.
Come celebrate the 95th anniversary of the Be-
means
~k:!ore loved Avatar's coming among us. Music, film and
pre"'"' birthday cake for all! Coordinators : Joe Efia and the
Board.
FEBR UARY 26th (Sunday) 2-5 PM - BAllA 'S
BIRTHDAY PARTY F OR CHILDREN.
A special Saba birthday celebration for children of
all ages, featuring the marvelous puppetry of
Sandra Starr. Festivities from 2:00 - 5:00PM , PUP-
PET SHOW at 2:30 PM SHARP! Pot Luck Snacks .
At the home of: Vern and Annie Stovall (284-2773)
954 Acafanes Road, Lafayette
MARCH 4 (Saturday) - TODDY SHOP.
An informal evening featuring Indian refreshment
and music. Bring your favorite Saba poems and
passages to share. Coordinators : Fred White and
Janice Quartieri.
MARC H lOth- FILMS OF MEHER BABA and
QUILT DRAWING.
Elena Alvarado has lovingly hand made a quilt
which she has donated as a fund-raising item to the
Meher Saba Center. Raffle tickets can be bought
at meetings for $1.00 per ticket. Tonight's program
will feature films of the Avatar and the drawing for
the quilt. Coordinators : Irene Meyere and Joe Elia.
MARCH 17th- ANNUAL GENER AL MEETING.
The 1989 AGM will begin at 7:30 PM . Under the
bylaws of the Meher Saba Center of Northern Cali-
fornia, the voting members shall : 1) discuss and ap-
prove a budget for the coming year 2) consider old
and new business 3) elect a new board of directors
4) elect a nominating committee for next year's
AGM. We urge you to attend this meeting. Partici-
pation in selecting our leadership is the way tc as-
sure that our meetings and other activities will suit
our needs and be in the spirit of Meher Saba's
Love. (See announcement p.2 for more details.)
MARCH 24th- AUSTRALIA NIGHT.
r11 Michael Le Page will host an evening of Aussie de-
~ votion featuring music , readings of Francis Braba-
zon's poetry, readings from John Grant's book
Practical Spirituality and films of Saba. Coordina-
tors: Michael LePage and Lisa Greenstein.
. .
APRIL 1 (Satur day) 6 :30 PM - M EHER BABA I N
ITALY PAST A DINNER I FUND RAISER-
Come and get a "taste" of the days Meher Saba
spent in Italy. Enjoy an authentic Italian dinner and
hear stories of those wonderful times. Special At-
traction : If we can obtain it, we will view a beautiful
film showing many of the places Saba visited in Italy.
Suggested donation : $7.50 or quarterly donation.
APRIL 7 - PERSONAL STORIES OF BABA I N OUR
LIVE
Come to share your own anecdotes of fife and times
with the Avatar. Calf Ron Greenstein if you want
more information at 525-3364. Coordinators : Ron
Greenstein and Louise Barrie.
APRIL 14 (Saturda y) - DI SCOURSE NIG HT
Bring your favorite passage from one of Meher
Saba's Discourses to read and discuss. Coordina-
tors : Fred White and Janice Quartieri
APRIL 22 (SAT URDAY) - TWENTY YEAR ANNI-
VERSARY C ELEBRATI ON OF T HE 1969
DARSHAN
From April to June, 1969, Saba allowed his West-
ern lovers, many of whom had waited through years
of His seclusion, to visit His home in India. Hun-
dreds from the West honored Saba's invitation to
what became known as ''The Great Darshan." Join
those who participated in this unforgettable experi-
ence as they remember and celebrate this event.
Coordinators: Robert Dreyfuss and Irene Meyers.
APRIL 28 - FILMS
r l l Films of Meher Saba will be shown tonight. Coordi-
~ nator: Fred White.
MAY 6 (Saturday) - 7-10 PM - AUCTION
FUNDRAISER
Fine art by internationally acclaimed Saba artists, as
well as many exceptional items and services from
our focal members, will be available in both live and
silent auctions. Hors d'oeuvres will be served. Coor-
dinators: Lisa Greenstein and Janice Quartieri.
MAY 12 - MEHER BABA, THE EARLY YEARS,
PART II: KASBA PETH - M ANZIL-E-MEEM
Slide show and talk hosted by Harold Jamison. Co-
ordinator: Louise Barrie
MAY 19 - NO MEETING TONIGHT
continued on the next page
continued from the previous page
MAY 19, 20, 21 - OJAI CAMPOUT
We will have a camp-out and visit with Agnes Baron
on Friday and Saturday nights on Meher Mount.
Baba visited there in 1956. The weekend wi ll in-
clude a dhuni and some clean-up work as well as a
special time here with ocean and Ojai Valley views. If
you are interested in going, please call Bing Heck-
man, 494-6443.
MAY 26 - MEHER CENTER AT MYRTLE BEACH
An evening of appreciation, reminiscence and his-
tory of Meher Saba's home in the West. Coordina-
tors : Allen and Karen Talbot.
MAY AUCTION
Donations of excellent quality objets d'art, Baba art,
framed Baba photos and services are requested. Servic-
es can be anything from cooking and serving a dinner
party to babysitting or whatever your talent and imagina-
tion can provide. Call Lisa Greenstein, 525-3364.
MEHER BABA INFORMATION - " THE BOX"
Worknights at Meher Baba Information are Thursdays,
7:30PM to 9:30PM. Work includes responding tore-
quests for information, processing orders for literature
and many new projects. If you would like to help call
Rick Chapman or Gary Freeman at (415) 562-110{
TRUSTWALLA
Our trustwalla is Jenny Califf. All who wish to share in
fulfilling the commitments laid down by Baba through
the instrument of the Trust should contact Jenny c/o
Safeguard, 74 14th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103.
Phone: (415) 864-3377.
REMINDER
There are sometimes last minute changes in the meeting
schedule. Please check the answering machine at the of-
fice, (415) 845-4.3 39 for up-to-date information.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Dr. and Mrs. H:P. Barucha and their daughter are ex-
pecting to visit the Bay Area in mid-April. As soon as
we know the dates of their visit we will schedule a time
to meet them. Check our recording for letails.
BOARD MEETINGS
Meher Baba Center of Northern California Board meet-
ings are open to all members. Call Janice Quartieri at
(415) 527-6739 for the dates and times of meetings.
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
N E w s L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL.18
The Mighty Beloved
Address given by Francis Brabazon
at
Guruprasad, Poona
during The Great Darshan, 1969
J AI BABA!
I am amazed and fil led with j oy to discover that th e
Beloved I have been servi ng for many years is truly a
ver y mighty Beloved.
Of course, I have known all a long that He was God.
Bu t there are so many Gods. There is th e God wh ich
people see in a s hape of illus ion s uch as a s un set or a
mountain view or a sy mphony, or whose hand is seen
in one's not getting ca ught in a rain- storm or in ob-
taining a good job: no doubt a very comfortable and
profitable God to have- well worth a Ch ris tian candle
or some Hindu incen se-but not a God to whom one
wou ld offer one's life. There is the God w ho rul es the
s hining planes of consc ious ness: but s ight of him
wou ld blind one. And th e God w ho is bey ond the
planes is unknowable except by His own Grace. And
He is extremel y careful to whom He gives that Grace.
So when beloved Baba used to t ell u s that He was
God, I used to think , "Yes, Baba, you ar e God a ll
right- the One God and all the Gods- but what good
is that to me?" In fact I used to get so fed up with
Him being God that I wished He wasn't or I wi s hed
He was a sort- of-a n Old Testament God to whom I
could s laughter some fat lamb s or a s potless young
bull in re turn for some added acreage. I got so tired of
His being so much God that I wrote a song about it
and sa ng it to Him. It goes so mething like, "If only
yo u were a bit less God, a bit more Man, I wouldn't
feel so much lik e someone ups id e down in a garbage
ca n."
But Baba wasn't goi ng to become more Man ju s t for
my sake, so I had to settle for Him as the divine Be-
lov ed-one whom I could ser ve sometim es, in s tead of
1989
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
SUMMER 1989
thinking about myself all the time. Af-
ter all, a lthough He is God and some-
times is a Man , being one's ow n and
the worl d 's Beloved is His main job.
Others can become as m uch God o r as
much Man as He, but only Baba is
more beloved than any oth er beloved.
And is infinitely worth serv ing.
But now a great problem a ri ses. How to ser ve that
One who is All - beloved, for whatever one does with
love is done by Him. All that is done for th e Beloved
is done by th e Beloved. And so one arrives a t the
painful conclusion that the Beloved alone ex ists-
which means that oneself doesn't. And tha t's a te rri ble
predicament to find oneself in-for one is sti ll th ere!
The only sol ution I found was to accept the position:
"Yo u alone are and I am not, but we ar e both here ."
And having arrived at thi s acceptance Baba now
taught me a poe tical form capable of expressing all
the shades of th e impossib le re lationship s of lover and
Beloved. Such a form has not existed in English till
now, because the lover-Beloved dilemma was not part
of th e British-America n consciousness . And, of
course, Beloved Baba being the author of th is new
form was (or seemed to be) delighted with my exer-
cises in it.
And here is a de lic ious piece of humor in connection
with thi s. There was a period whe n Baba had me read
a new poem to Him three times ever y morning. Do
you know why three times? Baba was memorizing
them. Why memorizing them? So that He cou ld quote
th e m next time He comes back, in seven hundred
yea rs! That is really God-Man humor, isn't it. Then
there were hi s extraordinary orders or comm iss ions.
His las t was for thirty ghazals-ghazal is the name of
the new poetical form He taught me. It happened th is
way . One morning after the usual morning busin ess
was finis hed, Baba said He wanted me to write thirty
g haza ls. Cou ld I do th at? I replied promptly and
brightly, "No, Baba." This reply seemed to rather
continued on the next page
 IL
continued from the first page
astonish Him. He turned to the other mandali and
sa id, "Well, what do you think of that? I ask thi s fel-
low to write thirty ghazals and he says , 'No, Baba."'
Then Baba turned questioningly back to me. I said, or
rather groaned, "I don't know whether I can write one
ghazal- and You ask for thirty. I don't think there
are any more in my head." Then He says sympatheti-
cally and persuasively, "Try, and I will help you." So
it was back to the stone-quarry again to cut and build
thirty more lillie poe m- houses, each one a bit differ-
ent; for the Beloved likes variety.
But still I did not know what a mighty Beloved our
Beloved is. This knowledge has come to me only re -
cently -s ince Baba laid aside His body.
Now, th e Beloved would not be the Beloved if He
didn't have a thousand whims and moods , if He didn't
play His eternal game of divin e pretence; if He was
not all ears for the lover's praise and s tone d eaf to his
co mplaints ; if He was not All-knowledge and All-
ignorance at the same tim e . He would not be th e Be-
loved if He did not decorate the walls of Hi s wine-
shop with pretty pictures s uch as "All the religions
being drawn together as beads on one string" and
"seven hundred years of peace"; and th en invite the
lover to cross deserts of heart-dryness and oceans of
tears to receive the wine of His kiss; but when the
lover at la st staggers in at the door, the Beloved
s pe nd s th e whole time showing him the pictures and
ex pecting his interest and admiration.
What a Beloved our Beloved is! What a Beloved we
have chosen to serve! What is it to the thir st-crazed
lover if a lot of glass beads are s trung on one string?
Will that make them turn into diamonds? What if
there is seve n hundred yea rs of peace? Will not war
agai n follow?
He would not be the Beloved if He did not tell th e
lover to stand up and sit down at the same moment; to
become footless and walk; to become headl ess, and
think; to exert himself to the utmos t, and leave every-
thing to Him.
Though it is not the time yet for us to know th e wine
of His kiss on our lips, we ha ve received the kiss of
His Word in our hearts. If it were not so, how could
all you dear ones who have never seen His Man-form
be here now ?
Who but the Beloved of Beloveds could speak His
Word silently in your hearts and make you come from
across the world to take His darshan, to bow down to
Him in your hearts? Such a thing has ne ver happened
before. I have been at mass darshans where tens of
thousands cam e and bow ed down to His Man-form.
But to come thousands of miles to bow down to Him
in one's own heart, that is of an entirely different or-
der of devotion .
Why has beloved Baba given you people this extraor-
dinary privilege? Because He required a few to do
what~ the many, what everyone, must eventually do:
journey across the world of illusion to take darshan of
Him in the ir hearts. What a Belove9 is our Beloved;
what a mighty Beloved. This Word which He has
spoken in your hearts, which will b e spoke n in every
heart in the world, will lead you by the ha nd, and
drive you with whips to the door of your Beloved , to
the wineshop of your Master-where it will become
your own pure song of praise and will cause the be-
loved winemaster to open the door and bring you in
and pour for you a glass of the wine o f self-
forgetfulness and Beloved-alone-remembrance . The
very Word with which He knocked on the doors of
your hearts and aroused yo u to set your feet on the
path to Him, the same Word will knock on H is door
and make Him open it to you-Himself. I bow down
to this mighty One in each of you.
But you also have your parts to play on thi s grand
journey you hav e begun-you must not leave it all to
yo ur Beloved. For every step the lover takes to the
Beloved, the Beloved takes ten to the lover. But the
lover mu s t continually take that one s tep . We must
practice taking beloved Baba's darshan , bowing down
to Him in our h earts, every day , the n every moment
until we have con tinuou s sigh t of Him.
Happenings will happen--even Grand Happenings.
But they will not be that Happening which has to hap-
pen in our hearts . So do not look to these othe r hap-
penings to nourish your faith; depend only upon His
Word and its song in your hearts.
Be prepared for a long , long journey to have the Be-
loved 's rea l darshan. But it may only take a mere sev-
en hundred years to reach His door and bow dow n to
Him for the las t time and merge in Him forever.
J AI BABA! The Victory is His.
 JL
FRIDAY-SATURDAY MEETINGS Meher Baba meetings are held at the
Albany Methodist Church , Stannage Avenue and Marin in Albany. The meeting
JULY 23 (Sunday!) FUND RAISER/GARDEN PARTY AT
schedule is going through a transition to mostly Saturday nights. In the interim,
be sure to read this calendar carefully. All programs begin at 8:00 PM sharp VAN BUS KIRKS'
and normally end at g:30 PM with time for visiting before and after the meet- A gala affair at the home of Ed and Ursula Van
ing. To check for program changes call (415) 845-4339.
Buskirk. The drawing of this year's Myrtle Beach
Sweepstakes will be held at the party, which lasts
JUNE 3 (Saturday) - FILMS OF MEHER BABA
from 1 to 6 PM. Adults and children welcome .
A special showing of Irwin Luck's film "Meher
Suggested donation $ 15 per adult. Soft drinks
Baba" - Avatar of the Age has been ar-
will be there. Entertainment will be there. Hot
ranged for us. The film, which has been shown
coals will be available for those who wish to walk
here once before, includes material complete-
on them, or even barbecue. Bring food, bring
ly new to all Baba Lovers.
swimming suits and come for an afternoon of fun
in the sun.
JUNE IO(Saturday) - INTRODUCTION TO MEHER
BABA
JULY 29 (Saturday) - FILMS OF THE BELOVED
Greg Harland is going to lead a group meeting
A special event in the life of any Baba lover
to which people who have never heard about
~ is the opportunity to see moving images of the
Meher Baba, but would like to, are cordially in-
~ Beloved. This month's films will be of the tour
vited. If you know someone who has shown an
around America by Baba in 1956 (all reels).
interest in Baba, please encourage them to
visit. Greg will show the film "Meher Baba's
REMINDER: There are no meetings scheduled for the
Call ."
month of August. Looking forward to seeing every-
one in September!
JUNE I7 (Saturday) -SONGS AND STRINGS FOR
THE BELOVED
Special Events and Notices
David Miotke, Ron Greenstein and others will
sing, play and strum along for Baba's pleasure
Myrtle Beach Sweepstakes
and amusement. Why not join us all in a mid-
summer night's merriment?
Note the flyer inserted into this calendar concern-
ing the Myrtle Beach Sweepstakes. This year's
JUNE 24 (Saturday) - AN EVENING WITH FRANCIS
sweepstakes drawing will be held on July 23rd, so
~ BRABAZON only a little time remains to purchase your ticket
~ Raine Eastman, who s~ent many h~ppy ti~es
to ride! Get your chance for a visit to Baba 's
in Francis' company, w111 present a f1lm, slides,
means "f h home in the West by contacting your ticketwalla
bookstore readings and songs. Contact Raine 1 you ave
or Ron Greenstein at 525-3364.
will be a Francis piece you'd like to read or sing.
present
Quilt Winner
JULY I -NO MEETING TillS WEEK
In anticipation that many of us will be at the
Congratulations to David Miotke, who won the beautiful
Los Angeles Sahavas, no meeting has been
quilt made by Elena Alvarado and donated as a love gift
scheduled for this weekend.
continued on the next page
JULY 8 (Saturday) - RICK CHAPMAN
Rick Chapman will give a talk entitled "Enter-
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, INC.
ing the Silence."
President, Ursula Van Buskirk Vice President, Larry Pesta Secretary, Janice
Ouartieri Treasurer, Keith Gunn Office Manager, Fred White.
JULY IS (Saturday) - MEHER BABA'S SILENCE Board of Directors: Marilyn Buehler Ron Greenstein Keith Gunn Greg Harland
Larry Pesta will lead a discussion on the David Miotke Larry Pesta Ursula Van Buskirk.
meaning and purpose of Meher Baba's si- Coordinators: Program, Greg Harland Finance. Ron Greenstein Membership,
lence. Come share your ideas and Silence Bing Heckman Publicity , Marilyn Buehler Service, Larry Pesta Archives,
Michael Le Page Bookstore, Ben Leet.
Day experiences.
continued from the previous page
The Coming Rummage Sale
Our annual rummage/garage sale is scheduled to be
held the second weekend in September. Don't throw
anything good away! This is your chance to donate it
for the greater good. To find out more about what
things move well, call Cindy Lowe at 339-9094 or Lisa
Greenstein at 525-3364.
Prashada ("Necklace of Praise")
Doug Stalker writes from New York City to announce a
plan to share poems in praise of Baba back and forth
between Baba lovers. The goal of this effort is to as-.
semble one long poem, composed of many short piec-
es by various Lovers, in praise of the Beloved. Please
contact him at 330 W. 101th Street N.Y., N.Y. 10025
for further details.
Trustwalla
Our faithfu l trustwalla for years has been Jenny Califf.
Starting July 1, Jack Mormon will be taking over the re-
sponsibility. All who wish to share in fulfilling the com-
mitments laid down by Baba through the instrument of
the Trust shou ld contact Jenny c/o Safeguard, 74 14th
Street , San Francisco, CA 94103 . Phone: (415) 864-
3377 through June 30, 1989. Thereafter, they should
contact Jack at P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701 .
Meetings in Nearby Cities
FRESNO: Meetings on Wednesday evenings from
7:30-8 :30 PM. For information call Sharon or Phil
Scott: (209) 266-9094.
SACRAMENTO: For information call Marie Rhodes:
(916) 723-6631 .
SAN FRANCISCO: Meeting/dinner first Friday of every
month. Enjoy an evening of wining & dining at local res-
taurants. Share stories, conversation & connections.
RSVP a must. Call Larry Pesta: (415) 441-7008 at least
two days prior to event . Guests are welcome.
Meher Baba Information - "The Box"
Work nights at Meher Baba Information are Thursdays,
7:30 PM to 9:30 PM . Work includes responding to re-
quests for information, processing orders for literature and
many new projects. If you would like to help, call Rick
Chapman or Gary Freeman at (415) 562-11 01 .
Reminder
There are sometimes last minute changes in the meeting
schedule. Please check the answering machine at the of-
fice, (415) 845-4339 for up-to-date information.
ARTI
Each Sunday morning at 10:00 AM, Arti will be performed
at the home of Ron and Lisa Greenstein, 600 Albemarle,
El Cerrito. Phone: (415) 525-3364.
Board Meetings
Meher Baba Center of Northern California Board meet-
ings are open to all members. Call Janice Ouartieri at
(415) 527-6739 for the dates and times of meetings.
MEHER BABA CENTER NON PROF IT ORG.
of Northern California, Inc. U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO, CA.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
PERMIT NO. 186
Berkeley, California 94704
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.

N E w s L E T T E R
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235 BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
VOL.l9 WINTER 1990
CHANJI to him. Chanji was the one who was always with
Framroz H. Dadachanji was the paternal uncle Baba. Wherever Baba went, even when Baba
of both Arnavaz and and her late husband made ten trips to the West from '31 to '37, Chanji
Nariman Dadachanji. Arnavaz is the narrator of was the only one who accompanied Baba on all
this story, which was pieced together from the trips. So he was most of the time with Baba.
informal interviews first published in Neti-Neti, At that time there were no planes so Baba always
with thanks to Arnavaz who helped edit it for our used to travel by ship. It used to take thirteen to
newsletter. ~,;;;;;;;=======~=~ fifteen days according to which ship He would
Chanji was very, very patient and such a loving, sweet person take. Once I remember He went to England, stayed for a couple
that I loved him more than I loved my own father. He was a of days and then returned back. So can you imagine - one month
wonderful person. The mandali loved him so much that when he of travelling and just two or three days of being there. Baba's
died some of the mandali also cried and the mandali asked Baba work was so important that He didn't even mind travelling for a
a t that time, "Baba, why did he have to die? He was so month just to be in England for a couple of days.
indispensable to you." I would like you to know about a few incidents that took place,
So Baba answered, "I saved him twice." The first time, he was about how humiliating situations took place many times with
going to commit suicide. At that time, in 1924, the population of Baba. 1931 was the first time that Baba made the trip to the West
Bombay was very spar se, one tenth of what it is today. and there were only four of them: Baba, Chanji, Rustom and Ali.
Chowpatty Beach was one of Baba's favorite places. Chanji had Baba told Chanji to go and ask the captain, "Why is the ship
gone to Chowpatty Beach to commit suicide, and at that time moving so s lowly?" So Chanji had to go and ask him. The
Baba was there with the mandali. Baba said to one of hi s captain gave him a very funny look. The next day Baba told
mandali , "Go and find out what that man is doing all alone Chanji to go and ask the captain, "What day will it arrive at its
there." And it so happened th at the mandali Baba sent was destination?" A day or two later he sent Chanji to ask the
Chanji's friend. He told Baba, "He is my friend; he is a very
captain, "At what time of day will it arrive?" And again! He
unhappy person." Baba said, "Go and bring him to me."
must have gone so many times, and the last time Baba told him
Chanji was sitting alone on the beach at a distance and Baba and to ask, "Why can't you speed the ship up?" Chanji was so afraid
a few others were sitting on the other side. Baba sent him to to go and ask the captain and he really thought "Now the captain
bring Chanji to Baba, so Chanji came. He was unhappy because will just throw me overboard." Today we laugh and it seems
his wife had left him and he was in debt. He thought there was humorous but you can imagine the humiliating situation.
nothing to Jive for, so he wanted to commit suicide. When
Chanji came to Baba, Baba must have asked him some Similarly Baba wou ld tell Chanji to go and ask the steward in
questions, but the important thing was that Baba wanted Chanj i the dining room, "Why is there so much salt in the food?" The
to meet Him the next day where He was staying. The next day next day he would again send Chanji to ask, "Why is there Jess
Baba did not wait. He sent one of his disciples to fetch Chanji salt?" And so on and on and one had to do what Baba told one to
from his home and He asked Chanji whether he wanted to tell do and Chanji would always do iL
Baba something, and Chanji poured out his whole story. Then
Chanji owned a cinema that Baba used to visit. Once He brought
Baba said, "Will you do what I tell you?" and he said, "Yes."
the mandali from somewhere, some travels, so the mandali were
Chanji must have had a profound experience at that time which unshaven and Baba made them carry big vessels of cooked food
nobody has told me. I don't know, but I feel he must have had because Baba wanted to go to the cinema and have his lunch
that profound experience. When Baba said, "Will you do what I there. At th e time when the film was over and thousands of
tell you?" and Chanji said, "Yes," Baba said, "Wind up your people came out of the cinema, there was this funny sight. Baba
business and come and stay with me permanently." So that's how entered with this odd group of people with vessels on their heads
he went and stayed with Baba. and their clothes full of dust. Because Chanji was the owner,
Baba was severe with him and Chanj i used to talk about how people knew him. He was so embarrassed seeing all these people
strict Baba was but at the same time Baba was very, very loving coming into the cinema, and naturally he took them aside to

1990 continued on the inner (third) page

 IL
MEETINGS - Meher Baba meetings are held on Saturday nights at the Albany
Methodist Church, Stannage Avenue and Marin in Albany. All programs begin
at 8:00 PM sharp and normally end at 9:30 PM with time for visiting before
and after the meeting. To check for program changes call (415) 845-4339.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR WINTER 1990
SATURDAY DEC 1- MUSIC NIGHT
Come to perform or just to listen to songs for
the Beloved's pleasure. Hosted by David
Miotke.
THURSDAY DEC 6- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
Join us each week for an evening of reading
and discussing Baba's Discourses. Tea and
cookies afterward. Location: home of Louise
Barrie and Dick Anthony (524-1440).
SATURDAY DEC 8- FILMS OF THE BELOVED
Footage of 1959 darshan, Don Stevens' Stay
with Me her Baba (also shot in 1959), and
Meher Baba washing the feet of lepers. The
production values of much of this night's
footage are comparatively unsophisticated.
THURSDAY DEC 13 - DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
*FRIDAY* DEC 14- DINNER WITH JIM MEYER
A pot-luck/get together will be held in honor of
Jim, who is visiting from Myrtle Beach. RSVP
to Alan and Karen Talbot at 376-4325.
SATURDAY DEC 15- CONCERT BY JIM MEYER
Jim, the composer of such songs as "I Will
Never Leave You", has been well-known in the
Baba community as a singer and songwriter for
years. Join us for a return engagement of this
gifted performer. Suggested donation $ 10.
THURSDAY DEC 20- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
SATURDAY DEC 22- HOLIDAY POT LUCK PARTY
Come celebrate the season at the home of
Wendell and Mina Brustman. NO RED MEAT
PLEASE. RSVP 284-5660.
THURSDAY DEC 27- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
SATURDAY DEC 29- NO MEETING. HAPPY NEW
YEAR IN BABA'S LOVE
THURSDAY JAN 3- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
SATURDAY JAN 5- MEHERA'S BIRTHDAY
Music, readings and anecdotes in
remembrance of our Beloved's beloved,
Me hera.
THURSDAY JAN 10- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
SATURDAY JAN 12- ROBERT MEETS BABA
Robert Dreyfuss, who met Meher Baba on
November 17, 1965, will tonight relate this
unparalleled experience.
THURSDAY JAN 17- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
SATURDAY JAN 19 - TALES OF THE GOD-MAN
Ron Greenstein will host this informal meeting.
Come with your favorite anecdotes, music or
poetry about or for Baba.
THU~SDAY JAN 24 - DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
SATURDAY JAN 26- RAINE'S SONGS
Raine Eastman, who often inspires us with her
interpretations of songs by Francis Brabazon
and others, is herself a prolific and talented
composer. Her concert tonight, a wonderful
pre-amartithi celebration, will showcase
Raine's own compositions.
WEDNESDAY JAN 30- 9-11 PM AMARTITHI MEETING
January 31st is the 21st Amartithi , the
anniversary of Beloved Saba's physical
passing in 1969. On Meherabad Hill, silence is
observed tor 15 minutes by the throng of lovers
who gather there each year. Our meeting is
timed to observe the silence from 10:3 0 to
10:45, simultaneously with Saba's lovers in
India.
THURSDAY JAN 31 DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
SATURDAY FEB 2- INDIAN DINNER:FEAST AND
FUNDRAISER -7:30 START
Whether you've been there recently or not,
come for a festive and authentic taste of India.
Suggested donation $ 10.
THURSDAY FEB 7- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
SATURDAY FEB 9- FILMS OF MEHER BABA
The film tonight is Meher Baba, Avatar of the
Age, a film by Irwin Luck.
THURSDAY FEB 14- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, INC.
President, Ursula Van Buskirk Vice President, Ron Greenstein
Secretary, David Miotke Treasurer, Jack Mormon Office
Manager, Fred White.
Board of Directors: Joan Harland Ron Greenstein Soosan
Adham Greg Harland David Miotke Darrell Rupe Ursula
Van Buskirk
Newsl9tter published by Alexandra Cons and Keith Gunn
 IL
SATURDAY FEB 16- TAKING BABA'S NAME
The repetition of God's Name is a spiritual
practice common to the religions of the world.
Larry Pesta leads a discussion tonight on this
aspect of following the Avatar.
THURSDAY FEB 21- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
*SUNDAY* FEB 24- BABA'S BIRTHDAY PARTY
3-SPM
We will celebrate the 97th anniversary of
Meher Saba's coming amongst us with
entertainment and birthday cake in His honor.
PLEASE NOTE LOCATION: FIRST
UNITARIAN CHURCH, #1 LAWSON R.D,
humiliation brings about the chipping of the ego. Humility is
KENSINGTON.
SPECIAL EVENTS AND NOTICES
Meetings in Nearby Cities
FRESNO: Meetings on Wednesday evenings from 7:30-
8:30 PM. For information call Sharon or Phil Scott: (209)
449-0877.
SACRAMENTO: For information call Marilyn Buehler at
(916) 925-4451.
Trustwalla
Our trustwalla is Jack Mormon. All who wish to share in
fulfilling the commitments laid down by Baba through the
instrument of the Trust should contact Jack at P.O. Box
1250, Berkeley, CA 94701.
Service Opportunity
For anyone interested in providing emotional, practical or
spiritual support for people with HIV (AIDS), please con-
tact Jim Tomlinson at (415) 457-2487. Jim can put you in
touch with a local support network group.
Arti
All are welcome to gather for Arti at the home of Ron and
Lisa Greenstein each Sunday at 10 AM. Phone: (415)
525-3364. Arti is also performed every Sunday at Her-
mann Loew's home in Petaluma. For information, call
Hermann at (707) 778-1195.
Board Meetings
Me her Baba Center of Northern California Board meetings
are open to all members. Call David Miotke at (415) 549-
1487 for the dates and times of meetings.
Meher Minor Update
The first international Meher Minor Retreat (9th - 12th
grades) will be held at Meher Center, Myrtle Beach, SC on
June 19 through 23, 1991. Additional information will be
forthcoming. Please call Margaret Bernstein at 567-2016
for more details.
Meher Baba Information
Interested in helping with the Baba-work at "The Box"?
Call Sheryl/ Rick Chapman for details (415) 562-1101.
Reminder
There are sometimes last minute changes in the meeting
schedule. Please check the answering machine at the
office, (415) 845-4339 for up-to-date information.
CHANJI, continued from Page 1
rooms and they had lunch.
How many times, not once or twice, but hundreds of times,
Chanji has gone through humiliating situations. But it was so
important! As I repeat, "Humiliation brings humility and
It
so important
We were surprised to find Chanji's diaries after he died. We
never knew that he was writing the diary. But he always carried
a typewriter with him wherever he went - a portable typewriter
and an earthenware water pitcher. So later I realized that he was
writing Baba's diaries. What happened was that he used to store
everything at Meherabad in his trunks. He never told us and we
never realized it, so when (after his death) I saw stacks of
diaries, I was amazed. In the future someone will really take
great pains to publish his diaries and I think it will be a
wonderful thing.
Chanji used to write in Gujarati as well as in English, but some
of his sentences were in his own shorthand and naturaJJy what
was his own shorthand we can't decipher. He thought that he
would one day do everything clearly but he died very young. He
was only fifty-two and I remember he used to say many times,
"I would like to do so many things." But he didn't have any
time. He was always so busy. My God, Baba didn't give him
any time.
Where Baba's work was concerned he was very, very particular
but he was absentminded in little ways. Suppose he had to carry
his luggage to the station. He would forget one or two things;
then he would run back and get the bag and then run to the
station. I remember that once he went some place and instead of
carrying his own bag he carried someone else's bag. And then
the other person realized what had happened and he ran after
Chanji. And sometimes he would put his specs on his head and
then search and search, and naturally, knowing his nature, one
of the mandali would say, "Well, Chan, what are you searching
for?" "Oh, I am searching for my specs."
Chanji himself narrated the story of the second time Baba saved
him. It was in Toka and he was drowning. Whether the current
was pulling him down or what, he was drowning, and he went
twice deep down and the third time he shouted at the top of his
voice, "Baba, Baba" He said he shouted from the very bottom
of his heart and that he felt that a hand lifted him up to the
surface. It was actually one of the mandali who pulled him out
but this is the experience he had
I will tell you another thing that connects with thi s . My
grandmother was always worried about him: who will look after
him in his old age? Chanji was with Baba but nobody knew
anything about Baba, nobody understood Baba because you see
in our Zoroastrian religion we didn't know about gurus and
masters, only Zoroaster. We were with Baba, without any
understanding so grandmother naturally worried. She insisted on
Chanji getting married again and Chanji said, "Leave me alone, I
don't want to get married. "But being the mother she worried, so
in the end she thought why not go and show Chanji's horoscope
to an astrologer? When my grandmother went to the astrologer
and showed him Chanji's horoscope, the astrologer said, "You
are giving me the horoscope of a dead man."
My grandmother said, "But he is alive. He is my son, he's alive."
But the astrologer said "But there is no life." So they came back
and my grandmother thought that perhaps the astrologer was
mistaken. He had not read it properly. A few months later Chanji
came to our house and narrated this incident of his drowning and
then my grandmother understood and left him alone.
That is how he was saved twice. Baba saved him from
committing suicioe, Baba saved him from drowning. So, when
the mandali asked him, "Baba, why did Chanji have to die?"
Baba said, "I saved him twice." Baba thought that it was the best
time for him to go; his work was over. You see it was exactly
twenty years of his service to Baba: 1924 to 1944. He joined
Baba when He was still talking.
When Chanji was in Bombay in the month of May (he died in
August 1944) Baba told him that he should bring all of his
luggage,whatever he had, and that he wouldn't be going back to
Bombay for a very long time. So he was very sad. I realized that
later, not at the time. There was no one in the house at the time
except me and he just left the house to go to the station.
Sometimes I used to accompany him to go to the station but
Baba told Chanji not to reveal to anyone where he was going. So
I went with him to the station. He embraced me tightly, removed
his wallet and gave me a five rupee note, saying, "Keep it."
I said, "But, uncle," because Chanji did not have any money, and
I knew that this was a very unusual gesture. And he left, but he
didn't allow me on the platform so that I wouldn't know where
he was going. I left him at the station, but I felt that he was very
sad. But before he left the house he said, "Arnavaz, I am going
and not coming back for a long time, a very, very long time."
For Baba and the mandali, long time, short time, had a different
meaning altogether. I said, "A long, long time, yes, means six
months, one year?"
"No, no, a very long time," he said. I said, "Two years?" "No."
And that made me feel later on that perhaps he knew that he was
never returning. I saw the sadness on his face. After all, you see,
we had a human relationship and he loved us all so much that
i>erhaps he felt that he was not going to see us again.
As I said, I loved him more than I loved my own father, he was
that close. It was such a shock when he died. Baba did not send
us a telegram that he died. He sent the telegram to Adi and Adi
telegraphed to us that Chanji died of typhoid fever. We didn't
know where, we knew nothing . Later Adi came to Bombay.
Baba wanted him to tell us that Chanji died in Kashmir. As Baba
Himself said, it was a loss to Him. We were so grieved and felt
so much for Chanji that in order to remove that depression Baba
said, "Why do you feel for Chanji? Who is he to you? It is a loss
to Me." It is not a small thing for Baba to say that.
I think that I have never met such a wonderful man in my whole
life. In his own way he was really so loving, with dee p
understanding and with a humour, too. That's why Baba said,
"Chanji was not only my disciple but he was my friend."
Because he was really so tolerant and he wanted to please Baba
and obey Baba -surrender to His wish and will, surrender to all
the whims that we think were whims, but they are not. It's Baba's
training; and at the same time humiliation brings humility. It was
so necessary for the chipping of the ego.
MEHER BABA CENTER NON-PROFIT ORG.
of Northern California, Inc. U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO, CA.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
Berkeley, California 94704 PERMIT NO. 186
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. I NC.

N E w s L E T T E R
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235 BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
VOL.19 SPRING 1990
ADI'S LAST TOUR Hamirpur and others.
by Robert Dreyfuss On the morning of the first day, Adi
drew aside a purple curtain on which
On February 27, 1980, Adi K. Irani, was inscribed in gold lettering, "I Veil
Meher Baba's secre tary and disciple Myself From You By Your Own Cur-
since 1921, left for Guntur in Andhra tain Of Ignorance" (Meher Baba). Be-
Pradesh to inaugurate a new Baba cen- hind the curtain was a larger than life-
ter. He was accompanied by Jack Small, ;__ _.-._.._...,_""'--~ sized statue of Baba with His arm raised
Steve Berry and me. in greeting just as He had stood at Darshan programs
We journeyed by train, taking 24 hours in all. At 5 so that all could see Him. Niches in the wall enclosing
a.m. on the 28th, upon arriving at Secunderabad the statue held carvings of past manifestations of the
where we were to change trains, we were met by a Avatar. Everyone present sang Baba's arti, recited the
group of Baba-lovers who brought flowers, tea and Master's Prayer and then passed before the statue,
fruit to us, taking advantage of the opportunity of hav- which had been garlanded by Adi. The entire week-
in g Adi in their mid st. At this point we were joined by end was a great joy to us all, and everything proceed-
Mr. M. B. G. Shastri of Hyderabad, who had arranged ed smoothly. Adi several times expressed his happi-
the tour for Adi and who was to accompany us for the ness with the programs.
remainder of the journey. His help and loving atten- His talks ranged in subject matter from Baba's humor
riveness, in concert with other volu nteers, proved in- _sprinkled with references to incidents that occurred
valuable. in his long life with Baba- to his exhortations to all to
Upon reaching Guntur that afternoon, we were met by stick with Meher Baba through thick and thin. He em-
Saba-lovers exclaiming "Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai" phasized that Baba uses both a kiss and a kick in His
as we arrived. We were taken by car to the Hotel Su- working with us, that through the kiss He gives us
darshan where we were to stay. The hotel is built on love and through the kick He gives us knowledge. Adi
the site of a garden that Baba visited in February, spoke at length on the theme of spiritual advancement
1954. A bronze bust of Baba adorns the lobby as a being contained in self-effacement, and that it is only
memorial of that visit. As Adi had been there with through effacement that one can draw closer to and fi-
Bnba, it added a measure of significance to our stay. nally merge in the Divine Beloved. He said, "To
We rested the following day, and on Saturday, March please Him who served the whole universe is the
1, were driven to the site of "Meher House, Meher height of spirituality and the greatest of all practices,"
Nazar" for the beginning of the weekend program. and that "Meher Baba is God, undoubtedly." He
Adi was scheduled as principal guest speaker to give stressed to all the significance of Baba's "Last Warn-
talks in the mornings and evenings of both days, with ing" which he recently had reprinted for world-wide
rest periods in between. About 500 people attended, distribution. He felt it to be most pertinent at this time.
having come from all parts of Andhra for the occa- The day followin g the weekend program was to be a
sion. Many had been present when Baba visited rest day. Adi met for an hour each with a group of
Andhra in 1953 and 1954. lovers from Vijayawada and a couple seeking advice.
The weekend program consisted of Baba's flag being At lunch he said how pleased he was with the trip to
unfurled, the unveiling of the portrait of the late N. V. Guntur and how much he was enjoying himself. We
Ramanaiah who had initiated and been the primary who were accompanying him felt that we had rarely
source of financial support for the building of the seen him happier or perkier than on the weekend. Adi
Guntur Center, bhajan programs, talks by Dr. T. was cracking jokes and telling stories as usual, yet
Dhanapathi Rao, head of the Andhra Centers, K. K. was careful to have his full measure of rest as well, as
Ramakrishnan of the Poona Center, P. D. Pukar of befitting his 76 years.

1990 continued on the next page

 IL
continued from the first page
On Monday evening, March 3, we went for a walk
and then had a nice dinner together at a restaurant ad-
joining the hotel. For three other meals, we had eaten
at a nearby restaurant in a private dining room which
we happily noted was called "The Inner Circle."
As we were due to leave the hotel the following morn-
ing at 5 a.m. for our train, we all went to bed early.
Ad i slept well, then awoke at about 3 a.m. to take his
bath, finish packing and have tea. After bathing he
complained of having difficulty breathing, vomited
and expressed feelings of extreme discomfort. He sat
on the edge of his bed breathing strenuously. Adi
thought at first that it was gastric distress. As the
symptoms continued, however, a doctor was called
who arrived about 4:30 a.m., diagnosed his problem
as lu ng uouble and gave Adi some medication. Know-
ing Ad i's hi story as a heart patient, he decided it
would be best to take him to the hospital for more
careful treatment.
When the doctor was telephoning to make arrange-
ments, Adi from the depth of his being repeated
"Baba!" several times. Then he began to have a heart
attack. His pul se was alanningly weak. Oxygen was
brought and mouth-to-mouth breathing and heart mas-
sage were begun. Adi at this point had stopped breath-
ing. No ambulance was available, but as the car which
was to take us to the train had arrived, we carried Adi
down stairs wrapped in a bl anket and quickly drove to
the hospital, maintaining mouth-to-mouth breathing
and heart massage the whole time. The hospital was
sadly lacking in emergency equipment. The doctor
shook his head and informed us that Adi was dead
while we vainly continued pulmonary resuscitation
techniques. He examined his eyes and ascertained that
Adi had in fact died at the hotel. Several of the Andh-
ra lovers had arrived by this time and we all stood
with folded hands around Adi's body , shouted "Ava-
tar Meher Baba Ki Jai" three times and recited the
Master's Prayer and the Beloved God prayer.
A telegram was sent and a phone call made to Ah-
.mednagar to inform everyone of what had transpired.
It was decided that the least difficult and most direct
.method of transporting Adi's body to Meherabad for
burial was by car. Accompanied by Mr. Shastri and a
driver, we escorted Adi back from hi s last tour to his
final resting place. The 650 mile journey took 22
hours. On the way, at Vijayawada, we were met by
about forty people waiting for us at the entrance to the
town so that they might pay their final respects; this
also occurred at Hyderabad.
All arrangements had been made for the funeral in the
24 hours since the telephone call giving the news of
Adi's passing. About 350-400 people were present
when we finally arrived. Adi's body was placed in a
coffin and carried by all who could to the grave site at
Lower Meherabad where many of Baba's men manda-
li are buried. All the mandali were present. Mehera
and the ladies garlanded Adi's coffin as those assem-
bled recited the Master's Prayer, sang the Seven
Names of God given by Baba and prayed to God that
we might love Him more and more. As the coffin was
lowered, we stood in silence and one by one threw
flowers onto the coffin and a sprinkle of earth as we
payed our last respects to Adi K. Irani who, after 59
years with the Avatar, held fa st to His daaman till the
very e nd. The last word he uttered was "Baba. "
On March 4, 1980, at 5 a.m., the river of love, service
and devotion that was Adi K. Irani entered the Ocean
that is Meher Baba.
The followin g cable was sent to Baba-lovers around
the world by Baba's sister, Mani:
ADl SENIOR BELOVED SECRETARY DISCIPLE
OF AVATAR MEHER BABA PASSED AWAY OF
HEART ATIACK ON FOURTH MORNING IN
GUNTUR, ANDHRA STATE WHILE IN ACTIVE
SERVICE OF HIS BELOVED LORD MEHER
BABA. PLEASE INFORM CONCERNED IN YOUR
AREA. FUNERAL FIFTH MARCH NINE
O'CLOCK MORNING, MEHERABAD.
JAI BABA- MANI
 IL
MEETINGS . Meher Baba meetings are held on Saturday nights a! the Alba
ny Methodist ChLorch, Stannage Avenue and Marin in Albany. All programs be
gin at 8:00 PM sharp and normally end at 9:30 PM with time for visiting before
and after the meeting. To check for program changes call (415) 845-4339.
MARCH 3 - FILMS OF AVATAR MEHER BABA
This month's films will be The God Man and 0
Parvardig ar.
MARCH 10 - STORIES OF VISITS TO INDIA
Baba lovers who have been to India reminisce
about what it was like to visit their family in the
East, the Mandali, and see the Baba holy plac-
es.
MARCH 17 - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The 1990 AGM will begin at 7:30 PM. Under
the bylaws of the Meher Baba Center of North-
ern California, the voting members shall: 1)
discuss and approve a budget for the coming
year, 2) consider old and new business, 3)
elect a new board of directors, and 4) elect a
nominating committee for next year's AGM.
This year's nominating committee will present
a slate of candidates for each of the seven
board positions. Candidates will be announced
at meetings at least 30 days before the AGM.
According to the bylaws, you are a voting
member if you have a sincere interest in Ava-
tar Meher Baba, live in Northern California,
and have attended meetings of our group or
supported it in other ways during the preceding
year. If you are eligible, please add your name
to the membership list by signing a sheet pro-
vided at regular meetings. Notification of your
eligibility to vote will be mailed to you two
weeks before the meeting , along with a list of
the candidates. We urge you to attend t his
meeting. Participation in selecting our leader-
ship is the way to assure that our meetings
and other activities will suit our needs and be
in the spirit of Meher Baba's Love.
MARCH 24 - ADI K. IRANI MEMORIAL
Robert Dreyfuss tells stories of Adi K. Irani
(see article on Pages 1 and 2 of this issue for
background.) Adi's life story is an inspiration
for any lover of God.
MARCH 31 - DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY
Larry Pesta leads a group discussing what it
really means in the crazy changing world we
live in today.
APRIL 7 - SLIDES OF INDIA
Ursula Van Buskirk has gathered a collection
of slides of India and the mandali over the 23
years since she met Meher Baba. She plans to
show some of her favorites tonight, and to tell
about the people and places.
APRIL 14 - FILMS OF MEHER BABA
Irwin Luck's film "Meher Baba - Avatar of the
Age " will be shown. The film has been playing
to entranced general audiences in theatres all
across the country for the last six months.
We're fortunate to have our own print for these
showings.
-APRIL 21 - MEHER BABA STORIES
Come hear and retell stories either told by
Baba or told in Baba's presence. Meeting coor-
dinated by Ron Greenstein.
APRIL 28 - MEETING MEHER BAllA
Mick Hamilton tells about his meeting with
Meher Baba on March 7, 1966.
MAY 5- A PROGRAM OF MUSIC
David Miotke is coordinating this night of musi-
cal entertainment for the Beloved.
MAY 12 - FILMS OF AVATAR MEHER BABA
This month's films will be Meher Baba's Call
and The Ancient One.
MAY 19 - MEHERA J. IRANI MEMORIAL
On this, the first anniversary of the passing of
Mehera, Wendell Brustman is lending us previ-
ously un-displayed video footage of Mehera
shot with a surrounding cast of Baba's intimate
lovers - the Mandali. This material is priceless.
MAY 26 - TEX HIGHTOWER COMES TO TOWN
Tex. one of Margaret Craske's dancers, who
had the good fortune to carry Baba in Myrtle
Beach during the 1958 Sahavas, will speak on
meeting Baba and dancing for Him.
Special Events and Notices
Meetings in Nearby Cities
FRESNO: Meetings on Wednesday eve nings from
7:30-8:30 PM. For information call Sharon or Phil
Scott: (209) 449-0877.
SACRAMENTO: For information call Marilyn Buehler
at (916) 925-4451 continued on the next page
continued from the previous page
SAN FRANCISCO: Meeting/dinner first Friday of every
month. Enjoy an evening of wining & dining at local
restaurants. Share stories, conversation & connec-
tions. RSVP a must. Call Larry Pesta: (415) 441-7008
at least two days prior to event. Guests are welcome .
Discourse Meetings
Thursday Evenings, 7:15PM. Baba's discourses are
used to shed light on our daily lives with Baba. Loca-
tion and leader wiill change as discussion meeting de-
velops. Organized by Janice Quartieri and Ben Leet.
Call 527-6739 for a phone message on location.
Trustwalla
Our trustwalla is Jack Mormon. All who wish to shara
in fulfilling the commitments laid down by Baba through
the instrument of the Trust should contact Jack at P.O.
Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701.
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA,
I NC.
President, Ursula Van Buskirk Vice President, Larry Pesta
Secretary, Janice Quartieri Treasurer, Keith Gunn Office
Manager, Fred White.
Board of Directors: Marilyn Buehler Ron Greenstein Keith
Gunn Greg Harland David Miotke Larry Pesta Ursula Van
Buskirk.
Coordinators: Program, Greg Harland Finance, Ron Green-
stein Membership, Bing Heckman Publicity, Marilyn Buehler
Service, Larry Pesta Archives, Michael Le Page Bookstore,
Joan Dimpfl.
Art I
All are welcome to gather for Arti at the home of Ron and
Lisa Greenstein, 600 Albemarle , El Cerrito each Sunday at
10 AM. Phone: (415) 525-3364.
Board Meetings
Meher Baba Center of Northern California Board meetings
are open to all members. Call Janice Ouartieri at (415) 527-
6739 for the dates and times of meetings .
Meher Minors
A group for Baba Lovers aged 12 to 17 has formed in the
Bay area. Activities are tentatively scheduled for the Hrst
SIJnday of each month. A camping trip is planned for the
spring. Please call Margaret Bernstein at 567-2016 or Molly
Hay at 929-7825 for further details.
Meher Baba Information - "The Box"
Work nights at Meher Baba Information are Thursdays,
7:30PM to 9:30 PM. Work includes responding to requests
for information , processing orders for literature and many
new projects. If you wou ld like to help, call Rick Chapman
or Gary Freeman at (415) 562-1101.
Reminder
There are sometimes last minute changes in the meeting
schedule. Please check the answering machine at the of-
fice, (415) 845-4339 for up-to-date information.
MEHER BABA CENTER NONPROFIT ORG.
of Northern California, Inc.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
2131 University Avenue, Room 235 EL CERRITO, CA.
Berkeley, California 94704 PERMIT NO. 186
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
N E w s L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL.19
Margaret Craske
by Filis Frederick
Margaret was born in Norfolk, England
in 1892. Her father was owner of a
small coastal fleet. She started studying ~~~~..;&!h
dance at an early age, and was always
very athletic. At 18 she took up ballet
and progressed very quickly. She stud-
ied with the famou s Enrico Cecchetti in the private
London studio he ran from 191 8 to 1923, wh ile he
served as teacher for the Diaghilev Ballet Company.
She says of Cecchetti, "He was already old when I
met him ... he was a darling ... he would bend his head
and look under his eyes at you as if you were a crimi-
nal. And he did occasionally give us a tap with the
stick. That's not legal now. He was a very fine teach-
er. One loved him."
At the end of her study with him, the Maestro gave
her a certificate indicating she was qualified to carry
on his teaching tradition - a rare honor. Today her
own book, The Theory and Practice of Allegro in
Classical Ballet (1920), coauthored with critic Cyril
Beaumont, is a classic reference on the famed Cec-
chetti method.
She danced with the Diaghilev Ballet Company but
her performing career ended abruptly with tubercu~o
sis of the Achilles tendon. Thus she took up her m-
credible career as a teacher. She founded her own bal-
let school in London in the Thirties. She is
philosophical about the loss of a stage career: "I hurt a
tendon. I couldn't dance for some time, and then I was
getting older ... so what!" she says now.
In one year she lost five people dear to her - her par-
ents, a teacher, a friend, a sweetheart. In a depressed
mood she searched for a place to get away and heard
about a retreat in East Challacombe, Devonshire, run
by a man named Meredith Starr. When she went down
there for a rest, she was much drawn to a photograph
of Meredith's spiritual teacher, Shri Meher Baba.
Meredith had recently been to His ashram in India and
was expecting Him to visit England.
The small group of souls drawn to Starr's retreat had
the privilege of being the first "aspirants" Baba con-
. 1990
T T E R
. .- .... BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
SUMMER 1990
tacted in the West. They included Mabel
Ryan, Margaret's partner in her dance
school, Delia de Leon, Kitty Davy, and
Kim Tolhurst. Baba nicknamed a small
group "Kimco", of which Margaret was
~.-.~!1 a part. They were the "lightheruted"
ones, as distinguished from those who
were spiritually "serious", addicted to
long hours of meditation, etc.
Margaret met Baba at the home of Kitty Davy in Lon-
don. It was she who first opened the door for Him. At
that moment, she saw Him as "a vision of gentleness,
grace and love that touched the heart immeasurably."
At the end of that momentous day, she says, "I only
knew that from that moment, whatever rough treat-
ment He may afterwards handed out, there has never
been a moment's doubt as to His being the embodi-
ment of Love and life ."
In 1933 Baba called a group of women to India to be
with Him permanently. Margaret gave up her ballet
school to go. But they were all sent back in a few
weeks. She reopened the school and continued teach-
ing, taking part however in Baba's many trips to
theWest. She describes some of the episodes in her
delightful book of reminiscences, The Dance of Love.
In 1939, the Master called her to India for the third
time. Again, she gave up her ballet school. Baba's or-
der was to come immediately after war broke out: He
had to have someone cross the sea after war began.
By a series of persistent maneuvers she got on the last
boat out of England and arrived in India at a time
when Baba was involved in creating the first Univer-
sal Spiritual Center at Bangalore.
Some young Baba lover said when you go to India
you just exchange Western maya for Eastern maya.
Now Margaret became one of the close group around
Baba - Easterners and Westerners mingling their
sanskaras together. Margaret told me that one doesn't
know how "Western" one really is until you live in the
East. For example, she described some of the intense
East-West battles in the kitchen over food and diet.
One Eastern, lady insisted rice was pure protein! A
Westerner, an avid vegetarian found a piece of pork in
the canned beans, but the others showed their sense of
continued on the last page
 IL
MEETINGS Maher Baba meetings are held on Saturday nights at the Alba-
ny Methodist Church, Stannage Avenue and Marin in Albany. All programs be-
gin at 8:00 PM sharp and normally end at 9:30 PM with time for visiting before
and after the meeting. To check for program changes call (415) 845-4339.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR SUMMER 1990
SATURDAY JUNE 2 - NO MEETING (SEE JUNE 3)
SUNDAY JUNE 3 - DON STEVENS VISIT
Don Stevens visits the Bay Area after many
7 PM ! !years' absence. He'll be here to give one of his
inimitable talks on the Way and the Goal.
..
THURSDAY JUNE 7 - DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
--aabas-disc::ourses--areused to shed-lignt on -
our daily lives with Baba. Location and leader ~
will change from time to time. Organized by
Janice Quartieri and Ben Leet. Call 527-6739
for a phone message on location. This week's
discourse- "Stages of the Path."
SATURDAY JUNE 9 - FILMS OF THE BELOVED
This month's films will be of the tour around
America by Baba in 1956 (all reels).
SUNDAY JUNE 10 - PICNIC SOFTBALL GAME
Come to the field in Berkeley for a grand out-
door activity, starting at 1 PM. Bring bats,
balls, gloves. Come eat or play, or both. Call
(415) 845-4339 for location.
THURSDAY JUNE 14 - DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
See description under June 7. This week's dis-
course- "Arriving at Self-Knowledge."
_.SATURDAY JIINE 16.--POT-POURRI
Ron Greenstein hosts this opportunity for all to
participate in an informal format.
THURSDAY JUNE 21 - DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
See description under June 7. This week's dis-
course- "God Realization."
SATURDAY JUNE 23 BRABAZON MEMORIAL
Raine Mormon, who spent many happy times
in Francis' company, will present a film, slides,
readings and songs. Contact Raine if you
have a Francis piece you'd like to read or sing.
THURSDAY JUNE 28 - DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
No discourse meeting.
SATURDAY JUNE 30 - NO MEETING
In anticipation that many of us will be at the
Los Angeles Sahavas, no meeting has been
scheduled for this weekend.
THURSDAY JULY 5 - DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
See description under June 7.
SATURDAY JULY 7- ON SILENCE
This meeting will incorporate a showing of
Mani's tape, in which she demonstrates
Saba's gestures for various people and things.
THURSDAY JULY 12 DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
See description under June 7.
SATURDAY JULY 14- PILGRIMAGE TO BABA
Janice Quartieri is holding an informal meeting
for people who have been to India and want to
__ -----~~~~~ 1~~ E!~Q~~!~~~~~!~ _ot_h~rs _Qf -~~r group._
S!JNDAY JULY 15- BHAU ARRIVES
Oakland Airport at 7:15 PM, United flight 1225.
Bhau is available most mornings for personal inter-
views. Those interested in meeting in private with
Bhau are encouraged to call Janice Quartleri to set
up their meeting times.
MONDAY JULY 16 - BHAU VISITS SACRAMENTO
Bhau will speak at 21 00 J St (21st and J) at
the First United Methodist Church. Music at
7:30, talk starts at 8 PM.
TUESDAY JULY 17- BHAU VISITS PETALUMA
For details, call Herman Lowe at
(707) 778 -1195.
THURSDAY JULY 19- BHAU VISITS PALO ALTO
For details call Hugh and Jean MacDonald at
(415) 322-0886.
THURSDAY JULY 19 DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
See description under June 7.
FRIDAY JULY 20 - EVENING WITH BHAU (6:30)
At Ron and Lisa Greenstein's house. RSVP,
and, for directions 525-3364.
SATURDAYJULY21-BHAU KALCHURITALK
Bhau, a member of Saba's intimate mandali
since the early 1950s, will speak tonight, cli-
maxing a week of visiting with Bay Area Baba
Lovers. See the next page for Bhau's schedule
while he is in the Bay Area.
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, INC.
President, Ursula Van Buskirk Vice President, Ron Greenstein
Secretary, David Miotke Treasurer, Keith Gunn Office Manag-
er, Fred White.
Board of Directors: Joan Dimpfl Ron Greenstein Keith Gunn
Greg Harland David Miotke Darrell Rupe Ursula Van Buskirk.
SUNDAY JULY 22- GARDEN PARTY
Second annual summer gathering at the home
of Ed and Ursula Van Buskirk. The drawing of
this year's Myrtle Beach Sweepstakes will be
held at the party, wh ich starts at 1 PM. Adults
and children welcome. Soft drinks and hot
coals will be available for those who wish to
cool off and barbecue (respectively). Bring
food, bring swimming suits and come for an af-
ternoon of fun in the sun. Bhau will draw the
sweepstakes winner.
MONDAY JULY 23- MEN'S MEETING WITH BHAU
Bhau will speak to the men of the Baba group
tonight at 8 PM, at the house of Keith and Jan
Gunn. Call (415) 486-1024 for directions.
TUESDAY JULY 24- BHAU LEAVES
Bhau departs on the 12:10 (noon) flight out of
Oakland Airport.
ings are open to all members. Call Janice Quartieri at
(415) 527-6739 for the dates and times of meetings.
Meher Minors
A group for Baba Lovers aged 12 to 17 has formed in
the Bay area. Activities are tentatively scheduled for the
first Sunday of each month. A camping trip is planned
for the spring . Please call Margaret Bernstein at 567-
2016 or Molly Hay at 929-7825 for further details.
Meher Baba Information
Interested in helping with the Baba-work at "The Box?"
Call Sheryl or Rick Chapman for details (41 5) 562-
1101.
Reminder
There are sometimes last minute changes in the meet-
ing schedule. Please check the answering machine at
the office, (415) 845-4339 for up-to-date information.

THURSDAY JULY 26- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)

See description under June 7.

SATURDAY JULY 28 - FILMS OF MEHER BABA

This month's films will be Meher Baba's Call
and The Ancient One.
SPECIAL EVENTS AND NOTICES
Meetings in Nearby Cities
FRESNO: Meetings on Wednesday evenings from
7:30-8:30 PM. For information call Sharon or Phil Scott:
(209) 449-0877.
SACRAMENTO: For information call Marilyn Buehler
at (9i6) 925-4451.
Trustwalla
Our trustwalla is Jack Mormon. All who wish to share
in fulfilling the commitments laid down by Baba through
the instrument of the Trust should contact Jack at P.O.
Box 1250, Berkeley , CA 94701 .
Service Opportunity
For anyone interested in providing emotional, practical
or spiritual support for people with HIV (AIDS), please
contact Jim Tomlinson at (415) 457-2487 . Jim can put
you in touch with a local support network group.
Arti

All are welcome to gather for Arti at the home of Ron

and Lisa Greenstein each Sunday at 10 AM. Phone:
(415) 525-3364.
Board Meetings
Meher Baba Center of Northern California Board meet-
humor - they took it out in the garden and buried it to your female vanity to find yourself "in second
with great ceremony! Finally, the work of preparing place" and some never quite got over it. It is to
separate menus became too tedious, and all agreed Margaret's credit that she saw through Baba's
on a common menu. The same happened with relig- game, and harmonized with His chief woman disci-
ious holidays. There were a tremendous number and ple so well that Mehera was often in Margaret's
Baba insisted each should celebrate the others' holi- care. Baba used to take Margaret's palm and trace
days. Again, it got to be too much and just a certain an "M" on it, meaning "How is Mehera?"
number were celebrated by everyone. When Baba, very abruptly in Dehra Dhun in 1946,
Anita de Caro once told Margaret she was tired of sent her back home, and she began her career with
maya and would like to get out of it. Margaret's an- Ballet Theatre, His significant words "Your danc-
swer was "But I love maya." I always loved her for ing is Mine" came true. Gradually a small group of
that answer. dancers came to hear of Him through contact with
The seven years of life with Baba in India had many her, and came to meet Him in 1952 in Myrtle
phases. She was one of the few Western women al- Beach. Some well-known ballet stars have become
lowed to live intimately with the close Eastern disci:. close Baba lovers. In 1956, they gave a special bal-
pies, Mehera, Mani, Dr. Goher, Naja, Mehru. Osten- let performance for Baba in the Bam at Myrtle
sibly she joined them because of an illness that Beach; and you can see them in the old 1958 mo-
needed special care. How kindly Baba circumvented vie~ carrying Baba about in His special chair.
the jealousy of the other Western women! But there After the stint with Ballet Theatre, Margaret was a
were also trying times; for example, when Baba or- moving force behind the Metropolitan Opera Ballet
dered her to "disappear" whenever He came to visit for nearly 20 years. At 90 years of age she was still
the Eastern women - and without explanation. Sure- teaching- at the Manhattan School of Ballet. Ask-
ly a most humbling experience. ing her once for spiritual "advice," she told me, "Be
Baba had, in a playful moment, under the name of like a rag doll, then Baba can work through you."
"Mr. Thomas", taken a dancing lesson from her It's perhaps the technique of a good dancer , to be
(Santa Margherita, 1932) and acquitted Himself as so relaxed, so balanced, maya can't tip you over ...
gracefully as ever. "He had a perfect spine," she You may even get to love her, like Margaret.
says, "And I know what a perfect spine is!" Taken from The Awakener, Volume 20 Number 2
One test for all the Western women was the presence Copyright 1983 by the Universal Spiritual League
of His beloved Mehera. Every Avatar has His "femi- in America, Inc. All rights reserved.
nine counterpart" as part of His innermost Circle.
But for some of the Western women, the privileged Miss Craske passed away on February 18, 1990 in
position of Mehera in His Circle evoked real jeal-
Myrtle Beach, SC. In her final days she was sur-
ousy, at times concealed as derogatory indifference, rounded by her dancers and other friends.
sometimes flaring in bad moods. It was quite a blow

MEHER BABA CENTER NON-PROFIT ORG.

of Northern California, Inc.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO, CA.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
Berkeley, California 94704 PERMIT NO. 186

J,
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.

N E w s L E T T E R
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235 BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
VOL.19 FALL 1990
A Meherjee Story and fell unconscious. I was sitting there
Meherjee Karkaria, Baba's disciple and I saw him. Though it was the month
since 1926, died on June 26, 1990. Here of December and very cold at that time,
he reminisces about how he came to be- \ Baba removed His coat, the black coat
lieve in Baba's omniscience. that is in the museum, and He had a nap-
kin around His head, He was sweating
in the bitter cold. He removed, and then
I taught at the Hazrat Babajan High _____......;_ _ _......-.. He asked us to remove the boy to the
School. In that school the boys were "hospital," a room in the Ashram kept
studying. Later some of the boys who were attending with some medicines and a cot. Baba said that he was
that school were kept separately. They were called the experiencing the experiences of the 6th plane, and
"Prem Ashram." these are real experiences. For four days this boy re-
I gradually learned about Baba, staying with Him, lis- mained totally unconscious, eyes wide open. Very lit-
tening to the discourses He was dictating at that time, tle sleep, and food had to be thrown into his mouth -
and He convinced me about His Godhood. At that he would not ask for it. On the fourth day, we were
particular time, two incidents happened at the ashram sitting near Baba, it was then about noon, and Abdulla
school that brought me nearer to Baba. Baba was in started crying loudly. So Baba explained to us that
seclusion at that time in the cabin that is His tomb. If now he was coming back to his consciousness, and he
some of you have been to India, you must have seen thinks the bliss that he was enjoying is being taken
that one side of the cabin has a window. Where His away from him. That's why he's crying. He asked me,
body lies now, there was a pit. Baba used to sleep in "Go and ask him why he is crying." So I went and
that pit without a cot, just with a mattress. He was not asked him, and he said, "Oh no, why is Baba taking
coming out of the cabin, He was observing fast also, away what He has given me?" I brought the message
and every evening the boys and the teachers were to Baba. Baba said, "Go and tell him 'you're corning
gathered together on that platform and Baba used to into consciousness, but at the same time the bliss that
dictate discourses. The Discourses that we have got you are enjoying will also stay with you. You should
now are the discourses dictated in those days. Notes not worry."' That impressed me, that Baba could give
were taken by different people, some in English, some such experiences.
in Gujarati, some in Persian. Those notes were taken The second thing that happened in the same period
afterwards and edited by Dr. Deshmukh and others, was, you know Baidul who used to go after masts for
and when they found something not clear, Baba used Baba on mast trips? Baidul was in those days one of
to correct. Somewhere that I read the statement that the supervisors to look after the needs of the boys to
the Discourses were dictated to Dr. Deshmukh. It is make them eat well and everything. So he comes run-
not correct. You should know about this - they were ning with a pot in his hand with some rice in it.
given by Baba in 1927 - 1928 in His seclusion. Desh- "Baba, today the rice is not cooked properly - it is un-
mukh worked from the notes collected by Chanji, cooked." Baba sends for Chhagan. Chhagan was in
Vishnu and others. Clarifications, as needed, were re- charge of the kitchen. Here I must make it clear that in
ceived directly from Baba. Baba's ashram, somebody was working as a barber, a
One day there was a boy from the Persian Gulf, Ab- sweeper, a cook. It's not that it was their profession.
dulla Pakrawan, who was later named Chota Baba. Chhagan was not a cook. Baba said to Chhagan, "You
This boy was rather a grown-up boy compared to the want to kill my children, you cook the rice this way?"
age of other boys. He never believed in Baba. He had Chhagan was just quiet. He was a six foot tall hefty
come only to study free of cost. He was a staunch fellow. Then Baba called Rustomji. Rustomji was
Muslim of the Sunni sect. One day he was sitting just Adi's elder brother, the superintendent of the ashram
like other boys. All of a sudden he screamed aloud at that time. Under Baba's orders only, he would pun-
1990 continued on the last page
 IL
MEETINGS Meher Baba meetings are held on Saturday nights at the Alba-
ny Methodist Church, Stannage Avenue and Marin in Albany. All programs be-
gin at 8:00 PM sharp and normally end at 9:30 PM with time for visiting before
and after the meeting. To check for program changes call (415) 845-4339.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR FALL 1990
SATURDAY SEPT 1 - FILMS OF BABA
This month's films will be Meher Saba's tour
around America in 1956.
THURSDAY SEPT 6 DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
Join us each week for an evening of reading
and discussing one of Saba's discourses. Tea.
and cookies afterward. Location: home of
Louise Barry and Dick Anthony(524-1440), all
thursdays except first thursday of the month at,
Janice Quartieri's (527-6739). This week: The
Circles of the Avatar.
SATURDAY SEPT 8 - SECOND ANNUAL ITALlAN
FESTIYAL DINNER
Come for a taste of the days Meher Baba
spent in Italy. Enjoy an authentic Italian dinner
cooked by the Baba chefs. Suggested Dona-
tion: $ 10.00 per adult.
THURSDAY SEPT 13- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
This week: The Travail of the New World Or-
der.
FRIDAY SEPT 14- RUMMAGE SALE WORK SESSION
Help is needed from 4 to 10 PM to do pricing
for the rummage sale . Baba people have first
call on items during this night's pre-sale. Work
is done at the Friends' Meeting Place, corner
of Walnut and Vine in Berkeley. From 8 to1 0
the atmosphere is similar to a Baba meeting.
SATURDAYSEPT15-RUMMAGESALE
Come help at the year's single largest fund
raiser. Work off all those sanskaras you've ac-
cumulated since the last rummage sale!
THURSDAY SEPT 20 - DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
This week: Reincarnation and Karma.
SATURDAY SEPT22- "KEEP ME NEAR" CONCERT
Cindy Lowe, along with Raine Eastman, Chris-
tine Sanders, Karen Sterkin, Keith Gunn and
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, INC.
President, Ursula Van Buskirk Vice President, Ron Greenstein
Secretary, David Miotke Treasurer, Keith Gunn Office Manag-
er, Fred White.
Board of Directors: Joan Dimpfl Ron Greenstein Keith Gunn
Greg Harland David Miotke Darrell Rupe Ursula Van Buskirk.
Jacob Marshall will perform songs from
Cindy's new album - a powerful musical offer-
ing of love and tribute to Meher Baba and His
Beloved Mehera.
THURSDAY SEPT 27 -DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
This week: Hell and Heaven.
SATURDAY SEPT 29- ARTIS & PRAYERS TO MUSIC
A workshop to teach participants/practice the
Indian and western artis, including the Gujerati
and Hindi artis.
THURSDAY OCT 4 - DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
This week: The Existence and Memory of Past
Lives
SATURDAY OCT 6- INTRODUCTORY MEETING
Greg Harland will lead a group meeting for
people who would like to know more about
Meher Baba. If you know someone who has
shown an interest in Baba, please encourage
them to visit. The film" Meher Saba's Call" will
be shown.
THURSDAY OCT 11 - DISCOURSE MEETING (7: 15)
This week: Specific Conditions of an Incarna-
tion.
SATURDAY OCT 13 - A VISIT FROM RENAE AND
LEATRICE
Renae Shaw and Leatrice Shaw Johnson, met
Baba as young adults in 1952, and again in
'56, '58 and '62. Time permitting, they will rem-
inisce about each of these meetings - personal
experiences of the Beloved.
THURSDAY OCT 18- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
This week: The Need for Male and Female In-
carnations.
FRIDAY OCT 19 - ANN'S TIME WITH BABA
Ann Conlon, another of the Americans who
met Baba in the early years, will come to tell
her story of meetings with the Beloved.
THURSDAY OCT 25- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
This week: The Operation of Karma Through
Successive Lives.
SATURDAY OCT 27- POETRY NIGHT
Bring your favorite Ghazal. A night of recita-
tion , coordinated by Raine Eastman.
THURSDAY NOV 1- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
This week: The Destiny of the Reincarnating
Individual.
SATURDAY NOV 3- EAST-WEST GATHERING
David Miotke will sing and play from his adap-
tation of Francis Brabazon's "East-West Gath-
ering." We will also see a short film of the
gathering and hear readings from Francis'
book.
THURSDAY NOV 8- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
This week: Live for God and Die for God.
SATURDAY NOV 10 - BENEFIT AUCTION (7 PM)!
Fine art by internationally acclaimed Baba art-
ists, as well as many exceptional items and
services from our local members, will be avail
able in both live and silent auctions. Hors
d'oeuvres will be served.
THURSDAY NOV 15- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
This week: Work for the Spiritual Freedom of
Humanity.
SATURDAY NOV 17- JAMIE NEWELL CONCERT
Second annual appearance by singer I
songwriter Jamie Newell. Hors d'oeuvres will
be served. Suggested donation$ 10.
THURSDAY NOV 22 - NO DISCOURSE MEETING
Thanksgiving intervenes in the schedu le of
discourse meetings.
Art I
All are welcome to gather for Arti at the home of Ron
and Lisa Greenstein each Sunday at 10 AM. Phone:
(415) 525-3364. Arti is also performed every sunday at
Hermann Loew's house in Petaluma. For information,
call Hermann at (707) 778 -1 195.
Board Meetings
Meher Baba Center of Northern California Board meet-
ings are open to all members. Call Janice Quartieri at
(415) 527-6739 for the dates and times of meetings.
Meher Minors
A group for Baba Lovers aged 12 to 17 has formed in
the Bay area. Activities are tentatively scheduled for the
' first Sunday of each month. Please call Margaret Bern-
stein at 567-2016 or Molly Hay at 381-2927 for further
details.
Meher Baba Information
Interested in helping with the Baba-work at "The Box"?
Call Sheryl/ Rick Chapman for details (415) 562-11 01.
Reminder
There are sometimes last minute changes in the meet-
ing schedule. Please check the answering machine at
the office, (415) 845-4339 for up-to-date information.

SATURDAY NOV 24- NO MEETING

Thanksgiving intervenes.

THURSDAY NOV 29- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)

This week: Task for Spiritual Workers.

SPECIAL EVENTS AND NOTICES

Meetings in Nearby Cities
FRESNO: Meetings on Wednesday evenings from
7:30-8:30 PM. For information call Sharon or Phil Scott:
(209) 449-0877.
SACRAMENTO: For information call Marilyn Buehler
at (916) 925-4451.
Trustwalla
Our trustwalla is Jack Mormon. All who wish to share
in fulfilling the commitments laid down by Baba through
the instrument of the Trust should contact Jack at P.O.
Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701.
Service Opportunity
For anyone interested in providing emotional, practical
or spiritu al support for people with HIV (AIDS), please
contact Jim Tomlinson at (415) 457-2487. Jim can put
you in touch with a focal support network group.
ish. Baba directed Rustomji to give four strokes of This note came from Mani, Baba's sister, about Me-
the cane to Chhagan. Rustomji administered the pun- herjee's passing.
ishment. Chhagan just kept quiet. Baba just said, Our dear Meherjee Karkaria (Trustee, Avatar Meh-
"Now get out of here." After few minutes, Baba just er Baba Trust) passed away on the 26th of June,
asked those who were sitting near Him to go and call 1990 in Poona after being bed ridden for a long
Chhagan. One fellow went, and then came back. He time. As wished by our Beloved Baba, his remains
couldn't find Chhagan. I and Raosahib Afseri, the will be buried at Meherabad. The funeral will take
Persian teacher, were sent specially by Baba. Afseri place on the 27th of June in the morning where lo-
was also a hefty man. We reached the storehouse cal Baba-lovers from Meherazad, Ahmednagar and
where the goods of the ashram were kept. Chhagan Meherabad will join, along with some Baba-lovers
was on the point of cutting his throat with a barber's from Poona, to pay their tribute to dear Meherjee's
razor. Afseri just caught his hand as he was about to love for and service to our Lord Avatar Meher
do it, and we brought him to Baba. Baba was again Baba. Below is the copy of the cable that was im-
wild against him, "What right do you have to take mediately dispatched to Meherjee's loved ones in
your life? You have surrendered to me, does your Poona on 26th June:
life after surrendering to me belong to you that you .
tried to take it?" Well, after a little more commotion, BELOVED MEHER BABA'S LOVE HAS RE-
Baba embraced Chhagan, and everything was as be- LEASED HIS DEAR MEHERJEE FROM PRO-
fore. But it impressed me very much that Baba knew LONGED SUFFERING AND PAIN STOP :ME-
this man was committing suicide. He sent us after HERJEE AS THE TRUS1ED AND DEDICA1ED
him and saved him, too. These incidents impressed LONGTIME DISCIPLE OF THE AVATAR AND
me most in those days. TRUS1EE AMBT LIVED FOR AND SERVED
. . . HIS BELOVED LORD AND MASTER TILL
Bhau Kalchun , on the subJect of MehefJee, adds: THE VERY END BLESSED INDEED IS OUR
When Baba would need anything, Meherjee would DEAR MEHERJEE STOP ALL MEHERAZAD
be there. There would be a very few persons Baba MEHERABAD MANDALI TRUS1EES AND
would always ask them send so much money, but RESIDENTS SALU1E DEAR :MEHERJEE'S UN-
they were the persons who would never say no. They FLINCHING FAITII IN AND LOVE FOR BE-
would not say, ".Oh I am in difficulty Baba." And LOVED AVATAR :MEHER BABA WE SEND
even if they would be in difficulty Baba would say, HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES AND OUR
"Send this", and there would be no question. So few LOVE TO YOU AND TO DEAR RUSIPERVIN
persons were there, just like Meherjee, Nariman, ADILZUBIN :MEHERNAZASHA
Elizabeth, Norina. So Baba would not hesitate, and MANIJA CHAIRMAN TRUS1EES AMBT ME-
whatever Baba would say they would send. Why? HERAZAD :MEHERABAD MANDALI AND
Because they would know that it was He who was RESIDENTS
giving. So what He had given, to offer at His feet
they would feel happy and very fortunate.

MEHER BABA CENTER NON PROFIT ORG.

of Northern California, Inc.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO, CA.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
Berkeley, California 94704 PERMIT NO. 186

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

i i i 'l i Ji li i i ii
i l :~:: l ::: li nt:ll~t d:l:ll: nl
i
 l MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
N ~ E w s L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM 235
WINTER 1991
VOL. 21
OCEAN OF LOVE
This excerpt is from the "The Ocean of Love"
by Delia Deleon and is a portion of an article
that was first published in the Meher Baba
Journal of Apri/1940. Her fascinating new
book also contains many tellers from Baba and
is currently available from our bookstore.
Why do we worry so much? With many people it is
because they feel an eternal dissatisfaction. They want
things different; something eludes them always. Small
wonder that in their desperate desire to be free from
worry they follow false gods, thinking they will be led to
Utopia. They are deceived by words and grandiose
promises, and are "let down" invariably for they fail to
realize that the remedy lies within themselves. It is only a
Perfect One like Meher Baba that can give them the right
answer to all that troubles them and the world today. He
has Himself attained freedom and can help others to this
freedom. If we turri to Him, He will help us and in Him we
can find hope and strength. The very fact of His telling
us, "Don't worry, be happy" helps us and gives us power,
for it loosens up within us the causes of our worries.
To love Him and to obey Him is the next step--it is so
much easier with Him behind us. For it is a spiritual
solution, and no amount of physical or mental striving can
solve our problems. Meher Baba does help us to change
our attitude to life; and it is not a negative attitude that
Baba asks us to cultivate, but a positive, joyful accep-
tance of experiences in their right focus . Not to be
caught in the passing p hases of illusion (maya)--"to be in .
the world and not of it"--does not mean a shrinking from
life. We have our parts to play. And to withdraw from life
to practice austerities, to sit in a cave to meditate, does
not necessarily mean spiritual advancement. It would not
.. be right for the majority. Meher Baba seems to prefer us
to be active and d ynamic, tho~gh He wants us to accept
whatever experience is necessary for our spiritual
progress and development.
Meher Baba helps us in so many ways not to worry or
tear and to develop this right attitude toward life. It
sounds so simple yet most of us find it so difficult. "Don't
- I
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
worry" says Baba to someone and
usually if that person is receptive he soon
begins to realize what a worrier he is,
even though it may have been in the
depths of his subconscious self; and the
measure of the new inrush of life that fills
him is the m~asure of Baba's help.
It is a subtle and pernicious foe that
we have to fight; but if we follow Baba's
advice we soon find that troubles and
fears begin to vanish, because the things
that were important to us before do not matter anymore.
Why should we worry when we can turn to Him and love
Him and serve Him? We must try to know and under-
stand ourselves truly; for Meher Baba says: "Everything
is within you: the secret of Life, Go<?"
'The life in eternity knows no bondage, decay
or sorrow. It is the everlating and ever renewing
self-affirmation of conscious, illimitable divinity.
My mission is to help you inherit this hidden
treasure of the Self."
Meher Baba
MEHER BABA NETWORK
To give greater scope to the sharing of Meher Saba's
Love, Trulh, and Presence, an information bank is being
<;:reated to help Baba Lovers who want to connect with
others who have similar interests. The network is meant to
stimulate new and old enthusiasms through facilitating
small, informal gatherings in a variety of locations through-
out the Bay Area.
Some examples of the kind of activity the network can
promote include:
Discourse meetings, Discussion groups, Artis,
Theater projects, Music composing or playing ,
Poetry or prose readings, Workshops, Publishir)g
projects, Sports teams, Game playing, Recre-
ational activities, etc.
For more information and to participate in the network
call Ron Greenstein at (510) 525-3364 or Dick Anderson
at (510) 930-8319.
 1L
THE PRESIDENT~ COLUMN
The decimating fire in the Oaklana-Berkeley hills on
October 20 took the homeE\ of two of our dedicated
newsletter wallas'. Besides their difficult personal losses,
the Center has lost its Quarterly feature article, updated
mailing list and a variety of records that were stored on
computer discs. We are doing our best to piece together
an old mailing list with our records of addr-ess changes
and new member requests so that we can still send out a
schedule of events for the Winter Quarter. If you know of
anyone who has not received this newsletter, please have
them call the office at (510) 845-4339 and leave their '
name, address and phone number on our message
machine.
These past six months we have had an unusual wealth
of special guests. Obviously Katie Irani's visit was
monumental in importance as it was the first time since
1958? that and Eastern woman Mandali visited the West.
We also had Bhau Kalchuri make himself available for
those who were unable to make the trip out to Mariposa -
for a festive weekend now referred to as Bhau Stock. Mr.
Esfandiar Vessali, an original and very special Prem
Ashram boy, gave a' talk with the help of our Farsi inter-
preter, Soussan Adham. Although before entering the
. room , he stood outside the door humbly claiming he had
nothing of importance to say to lead us to God and we
would be better off spending the evening in prayer and
meditation. Fortunately Baba must have moved him to
share his stories with us anyway.
Baba's nephew Jungoo Sukhadwala, whom we have to .
thank for the various movies taken of the Avatar, gave a
very entertaining talk, and Baba's sister-in-law, Franey
Irani, who has just moved to the United States from
England, gave perhaps the most moving, heartfelt talk of
all.
Whatever good fortune brought so many wonderful
people to visit us, we are thankful, and on many levels, I
am sure we t)ave all benefited from their visits.
I would like to add that Katie Irani refused 'to draw the
winning ticket for our 'Take a Trip" Sweepstakes, noting
that drawing one winning ticket would create hundreds of
losing tickets and her heart would not allow her to do it.
So we enlisted the help of innocent-hearted, two-year old
Mani Rose Dreyfuss, who like a good daughter, immedi-
ately pulled out her father's ticket for the Grand Prize.
To. those unable to RSVP iri time for the Indian Summer
Dinner, WOfJderfully hosted by Raj and Damyanti Mehta,;
we apologize but preparations needed to be made in
advance. Besides the highlight of excellent~ authentic
Indian food, an exciting game of Baba Trivia engaged all
in a fierce yet good-hearted competition. It was inspiring
to note that all .participants commanded a healthy, well-
JE IR2
rounded ignorance of many trivial details surrounding
Baba. Don't miss a similar meeting scheduled in January
1992, devoted less to the food and more to the game !
I would like to mention a few other outstanding pro-
grams that took place last quarter. One event was the
Dhuni Fire at Muir Beach which was blessed by Baba with
a warm evening. Also the special children's program was .
a delight, thanks to Hugh MacDonald's magic and .
Her(T'Iann Loew's storytelling. Anq one other event that is
not to be missed, should we present it again, was the
Cricket game in Golden Gate Park. It became apparent .
in .a few short hours why Baba liked this g8:fl1e so !
An event which extended well beyond our Northern
California Center was the Youth Sahavas in Myrtle Beach,
which was attended by teen age BabaLovers from
across the co~nlry. This Sahavas may have the most
profound and long lasting effect on many _of their lives,
and I know that many hope it is the first of many more
Youth Sahavas to come....
Lastly I am happy to report a favorable response to our -
call for contributions last June and heartfelt thanks to all
who support the Center however they can. Again we
enclose our donation card as a reminder because united
we can assist in the bringing of those special people who
can tell us the first~hand experience of being in the
presence of the Avatar of the Age.
I would also like to put out a call for help with re-
establishing and maintaining our membership mailing list
and our future newsletters. If you have the room, either in
your schedule or comp~ter or both, and feel a commit-
ment toward attempting to serve Baba through the group,
we would like to hear from you.
.Jai Baba- Darrell Rupe
"Above all else, be content with your lot, rich or
poor, happy or miserable. Understand that God
has designat!i!d it for your own good, and pe .
resigned to his will. Remember the present in the
fraQ'le of the past and the future. You eternally
were and always will be. You have had innumer-
able forms as man and woman, beautiful and
ugly,strong and weak, healthy and sick, powerful
and helpless, and now you are here again in
a~other 'form.
Until you gain spiritual freedom you will be
invested with many such forms, so why seek
temporary relief now which will only result in
further bindings later? Do not ask God for money,
fame, power, health, or children, but seek His
grace and it will lead you to eternal bliss."
Meher Baba
 IL
EVENTS.FOR WINTER 1991
IMPORTANT NOTE ON EVENTS AND THEIR SCHEDULING
Meher Baba EVENTS are held on Saturday nights at
- the Albany Methodist Church (on the corner of
Stannage and Marin Avenues in Albany) exceptfor
meetings held on the THE FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY
MONTH unless otherwise indicated below. Meetings
on each first Friday are in lieu of meetings on the first
Saturday nigflt of the month. Programs begin at 8:00
PM sharp and normally end at 9:30 PM, unless
otherwise noted below, with time for visiti(lg before
and after the meeting.
To check for possible program changes call (510)
845-4339.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6- MICHAEL LEPAGE'S BABA
STORY
Michael grew up in an Australian Baba family and, as
a child, met Baba thr~e tiiTJeS.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14- DON STEVENS
Don Stev~ns author of Listen, Humanity and Listen,
the New Humanity, and co-editor of (?od Speaks and
the Discourses, on a visit from France, will talk about
our personal relationship with Baba and the role of
inner guidance.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER.21 - LOVE STREET SING-
EftS . been recorded by sev~ral popular artists, will perform
The Love Street Singers will lead a sing-along follow-
ing a performance of old favorites and carols.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28 ., FILM NIGHT AND
COOKIE CONTEST
Bring your best Christmas season cookies for sharing.
-)
After the screening of "Three Incredible Weeks"
' (1954) and "Seclusion Hill" (1955), the person with the
bes_t cookie.s will receive a prize from the Baba
bookstore.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 3- COMING TO BABA
Hear the first-person acc_punts of several Baba Lovers
describing how they ~ere snare'd j n the net of the
Beloved's Love.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 11 -IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF
THE NEW LIFE
1-ierman'n.Loew and Jini.l-jastings accent stories of. the
New Life with slides taken during their 1987 journey
retracing the New Life travels.
SAlURDAY, JANUARY 18- HIGHER TRIVIAL PUR-
SUIT AND DINNER AT 7:30PM .
Rice, dahl, and vegetable curry dinner followed by a
game of Baba Trivia. Dinner available for the first 50
persons only. Dinner cost:$ 5.00 per person. Chai
for everyone.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 25- THE FULL CIRCLE CON-
CERT
Margaret Bernstein performs f!ute and piano compo-
sitions from her soon to be releqsed album featuring
traditional Baba favorites and classical works.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30- THE AMARTITHI CEL-
EBRATION AT 9:00PM
The time of this meeting coincides with the Celebra-
tion in India ot:the Anniversary of Baba drepping His
Body on January 31, 1969. The special program will
culminate with 15 minutes of silence from t 0:30 to
10:45 piT). This silence is simultaneous with the one
obseNed at Maher Baba's Samad[li (Tomb) on
Meherabad Hill, where the time will be Noon -12:15
, pm, the time of Baba's physical passing.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7 -100TH BIRTHDAY BRAIN-
STORMING DINNER AT 7:00PM
Help in the preliminary planning for Baba's 100th .
Birthday in 1994. Discuss ideas while enjoying
excellent indian food. Meeting will be at: Sabina
Restaurant, 1628 Webster St. (at 16th), Oakland. Call
(510) 273-9426 to RSVP or for information.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15- DEBORAH ASH AND
, MICHAEL CAMPAGNA CONCERT
The soulful duo from Los Angeles, whose-songs have
an acoustic concert of original Baba songs with a
gospel edge, accompanied by our own Larry
Thrasher on tabla. Suggeste_d donation at door: $
10.00.
. '
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22- BELOVED SABA'S .
BIRTHDAY PARTY AT 7:00PM
AT ARUNGTON COMMUNITY CHURCH
52 ARLINGTON A vENUE (AT R INCON) IN KENSINGTON.
Celebrate Baba's Birthday with ca~e and excerpts
from Francis Brabazon's play "Being is Dying by
Loving", performed by The Love Street Singers and
Players. Please call the office in advance if you need .
a ride from 1he El Cerrito Bart.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25- DISTRIBUTE FPOD TO '
THE POOR
Arrangements are being made to distribute food to
the poor on Baba's Birthday. To participate, cal.l John
Nye at (415) 668-2131.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29- DR. GOHER VIDEO AND
BABA ON SUFFERING
Dr. Goher talks about Jife with Baba from her unique
perspective as a medical doctor and one of the
women Mandali. Ben Leet I
will supplement the video
with a collection of Baba quotes on the role of suffer- .
ing in the Divine Romance.
 MEETINGS 1H NEARBY CITIES
FRESNO: Meetings on Wednesday even ings from 7:30 to 8:30
PM. Call Sharon or Phil Scott at (209) 449-08 77.
SACRAMENTO: Call Marilyn Buehler at (916) 925-4451
ARTI
All are welcome to gather for Arti at the home of Ron and Lisa
Greenstein each Sunday at 10:00 AM. Call (51 0) 525-3364. Arti
is also performed every Sunday at Hermann Loew's home in
Petaluma. For information, call (707) 778-1195.
BoARD MEETINGS
Maher Baba Center of Northern California Board meetings are
open to all members. Call Darrell Rupe for the dates and times
of meetings at (5 10) 527-771 3.
MEHER BABA INFORMATION
Interested in helping with the Baba work at "The Box" ? Call
S~eryl or Rick C hapman for details at (51 0) 562-1101 .
DISCOURSE MEETINGS
Join us each Thursd ay for an evening of reading and discussing
Saba's Discourses at the home of Louise Barrie and Dick
Anthony. Tea and cookies afterward. Call (51 0) 524-1440 for
directions. ' administrators, etc.). Saba Lovers who are clients and patients in
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, INC.
President, Darrell Rupe - Vice President, Alexandra Cons -
Secretary, Roman Babiak - Treasurer, Jack Mormon - Off ice
Manager, Fred White. Board of Directors : Soussan Adham,
Roman Babiak, Alexandra Cons, Harold Jamison, Raj ty1ehta,
Darrell Rupe, Paul Williams. Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Keith
Gunn, Soussan Adham, Roman Babiak, Lisa G reenstein.
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701}
THE MEHER BABA'SELF-HELP NETWORK
"It's nor me helping you or you helping me, ir' s we helping us" -
Meller Baba
Formerly the Meher Saba Union for Ne~ Psychology, this is a
phone-and-pen-pal network of Baba Lovers and those connected
with Him, who have volunteered to make their "ears and he{lrts"
compassionately available to those who may be opening to Meher
Saba with an accompanying sense of isolation, shame, or other
emotional trauma (or the coming-to-awareness of previously
buried trauma).
We are a group of lay men and women, and even professional
therapists among us function as "ordinary" volunteers. We claim
no expertise, only a desire to be "Saba's Ears and Heart" for
others, Many of us have been through our own deep traumas
and wish to be as present for other sufferers as we can be,
knowing that we are "nothing in ourselves", but can be
"everything in Him", as He wishes. (
Those who would like to avail themselves of our network may
Fontact us at:: Meher Saba Self-Help Network, 65 Royal D~ive, #
222, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
REQUEST FOR A RTICLES, POEMS, STORIES: '
The Journal for Psychological and Spiritual Integration, a semi-
c>;~nual journal addressing clinical, theoretical and experiential
issues in psychology and spirituality in light of Meher Saba's
teachings. is seeking articles from Saba Lovers engaged in the
mental health, helping profession, and related fields.
Contributors include professionals in the mental health field and
helping professionals (therapists, teachers. body workers,
therapy, members of the Mandali, and others. Our goal is to have
a forum in print where Saba Lovers who have some connection
with or interest in the broad field of "mental health" can articulate
and exchange their ideas, thoughts. insights, and experience.
For further information contact Jason Saffer at 227 South
Wildwood. Hercules, CA 94547, phone (510) 724-157 1
MEHER BABA CENTER NON-PROFIT ORG.
of Northern California, Inc. U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO. CA.
21 31 Unlve~slty Avenue, Room 235
PERMIT NO. 186
Berkeley, California 94704
II ~l!! jI!!! II!!!! II!! ! I ! j! II! Ill
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
213 1 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 20
Growing Up in Baba's Family
Mehera Kerawala Arjani
Mehera grew up in Baba's intimate family.
She spent much of her childhood living
with the Jessawala family. Her maternal
and paternal grandmothers were sisters,
from the Satha family of Ahmednagar's Akbar Press.
Eruch Jessawala's mother Gaimai is her Aunt. Her story
was recorded at the Pilgrim Center about 6 manths ago.
This talk is about being a baby in Baba's family, because
Baba dropped His body when I was 10. My parents are
first cousins and even in a community like ours which is
known for intermarriage, first cousins don't normally get
married, especially since in my mother's family, all the
brothers and sisters other than my mother suffered from
muscular dystrophy.
Baba said He wanted Sam Kerawala, my father, to marry
Roshan , Gulamasi Satha's daughter. Both the families
said, "But Baba, you know what happened with muscular
dystrophy - all the brothers and sisters have had th is
problem." But Baba said, "Do you believe that 1 am God?
Well, as God, I guarantee that not only Roshan and the
children, but for seven generations after, nobody will be
bothered by muscular dystrophy. So there should be no
reason for you to object to the marriage."
So they were married in due course, and Baba attended
the wedding, and like all Baba occasions it was a mish
mash of many things. For example, somebody mixed up
the salt and sugar cellars, so they had sugar in their food
and salt in their ice cream. You know, things li ke that
always happened with Baba. He personally supervised the
wedding. And then, as He is wont to do He sort of dictates
exactly how each step of their life has to be lived out. So
when Sam got married they had a short honeymoon and
then he went away to sea, for Sam was a sailor. When he
came back for leave Baba said, "Well what about a child?
Why aren't you having a child? And they said, "Well,
1991
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
SPRING 1991
Baba, we aren't doing anything to prevent
it. But Baba said, "You must hurry to have
it." Baba went off to the West then in '58.
Mummy went to see Him off and Baba
said, "By the time I come back I expect you
to be carrying." Sure enough, by the time
He came back, she was carrying. And I
was born and Baba waited in Guruprasad to be told just
like any other father would. Eruch says He paced up and
down. The next morning He came to the hospital to see
me. He spent some time with mummy and me, and then
mummy went home to Bhindra house where she lived with
Eruch's family.
So He would come. Right from the time I was a few days
old, He sort of took over. They'd be cooking in the kitchen,
and He wou ld say, "Leave her on the table in front of Me."
Baba would ask for a glass of sherbet (as I've been told),
and He'd be drinking from it, and then He'd dip a finger in
and give it to me to suck. And very often because He did
that I used to wet His sadra. He never minded , He just
took it in His stride. There were little things that Baba
would say, such as, "How is My kid?"
So Baba would come in and spend time with me, and we'd
visit in Guruprasad when He was alone. And Mehera said,
"Baba, it's time." And Baba said, "Yes, it's time. Roshan
should have another child." Mehera said to Baba, "Baba,
this time be sure it's a boy." And Baba would smile at her
very sweetly, and say, "We'll see." And He said to Roshan,
"Now it's time for you to have another baby." She did, and
it was again a girl. Baba named me after Mehera, and He
named Dolly Daulat after Mehera's mother. Mehera was
very disappointed, and she said, "Baba, I asked you, I
wanted a boy." Baba said, "Mehera, don't worry whether
they're boys or girls. Both these girls will do my work
better than any man could do, when their time comes."
And yet, Mehera always wanted a third child. She said,
"Baba, one more." But Baba said, "No more children." So
before Sam went to sea that time, Baba said, "Go have a
continued on the inner (third) page
 IL
MEETINGS - Meher Saba meetings are held on Saturday nights at the Albany
Methodist Church, Stannage Avenue and Marin in Albany. All programs begin
at 8:00 PM sharp and normally end at 9:30 PM with time for visiting before
and after the meeting. To check for program changes call (415) 845-4339.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR SPRING 1991
SATURDAY MARCH 2 SHARING POETRY
Bring and read your favorite spiritual poetry.
Meeting coordinated by David Miotke.
THURSDAY MARCH 7- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
Join us each week for an evening of reading
and discussing Saba's Discourses. Tea and
cookies afterward. Location: home of Louise
Barrie and Dick Anthony (524-1440).
SATURDAY MARCH 9 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The 1990 AGM will begin at 7:30 PM. Under
the bylaws of the Meher Saba Center of
Northern California, the voting members shall:
1) discuss and approve a budget for the
coming year, 2) consider old and new
business, 3) elect a new board of directors,
and 4) elect a nominating committee for next
year's AGM. This year's nominating committee
will present a slate of candidates for each of
the seven board positions. You are eligible to
vote if you have a sincere interest in Avatar
Meher Baba, live in Northern California, and
have attended meetings of our group or
supported it in other ways during the preceding
year. If so, please add your name to the
membership list provided at regular meetings.
Notification of your eligibility to vote will be
mailed to you two weeks before the meeting,
along with a list of the candidates. We urge you
to attend this meeting. Participation in selecting
our leadership is the way to assure that our
meetings and other activities will suit our needs
and be in the spirit of Meher Saba's Love.
THURSDAY MARCH 14 - DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
SATURDAY MARCH 16 EAST-WEST GATHERING
FILMS
This month's gems include two rarely-shown
silent films of the East-West Gathering - one
taken by Saba's brother Beheram and one
taken by Annece Hassen. Music, in the manner
of silent films, to be added by David Miotke.
THURSDAY MARCH 21- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
SATURDAY MARCH 23 -MUSIC AND GHAZALS
David Miotke hosts this night of singing just for
the love and pleasure of the Beloved.
THURSDAY MARCH 28- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
SATURDAY MARCH 30- TOM RILEY VISIT
Tom Riley, an artist who met Baba in '58 and
'62, will tell us about the time he spent with
Meher Baba. Tom's life work has been an
exploration of how art and spiritual values are
linked.
THURSDAY APRIL 4- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
SATURDAY APRIL 6- CATHY HAAS RILEY CONCERT
Cathy, whose albums and Myrtle Beach
concerts are favorites with many Saba lovers,
will perform her latest songs for Beloved Saba.
The suggested donation, $ 10 for adults, will
provide partial repayment for our cost to bring
Cat.hy and Tom to the Bay area.
THURSDAY APRIL 11- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
SATURDAY APRIL 13- COMING TO BABA
Ron Greenstein leads this meeting of people
telling their stories of how they came to Baba.
THURSDAY APRIL 18- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
SATURDAY APRIL 20- MEHER MOUNT MEMO
Bing Heckman will bring us up to date on the
current activities and future plans for Meher
Mount in Ojai.
THURSDAY APRIL 25- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
SATURDAY APRIL 27- ADELE WOLKIN VISIT
Adele, who met Meher Baba on occasions too
numerous to list, will come to speak to us
about her memories of the Beloved.
THURSDAY MAY 2- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
SATURDAY MAY 4 MEHER SINGERS
Songs dedicated to Beloved Avatar Meher
Saba, the Song in our hearts. Coordinated by
Karen Sterkin.
THURSDAY MAY 9- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
MEllER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, INC.
President, Ursula Van Buskirk Vice President, Ron Greenstein
Secretary, David Miotke Treasurer, Jack Mormon Office
Manager, Fred White.
Board of Directors: Joan Harland Ron Greenstein Soussan
Adham Greg Harland David Miotke Darrell Rupe Ursula
Van Buskirk
Ne.wsletter published by Alexandra Cons, Keith Gunn and Lisa
Greenstein
 IL
SATURDAY MAY 11 BEA AND JOAN SPEAK
Bea Dimpfl and her daughter Joan Dimpfl
Harland will share memories of Saba's visits to
the West in 1956 and 1958.
THURSDAY MAY 16- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
SATURDAY MAY 18- FILMS OF BELOVED BABA
This month includes a Super-B film festival of
rarely shown movies, including Return to
Meherabad 1948, Meherazad Memories, the
short Nasik and Rahuri films and a film of the
1958 Myrtle Beach Sahavas taken by Donald
Mahler.
THURSDAY MAY 23- DISCOURSE MEETING (7:15)
SATURDAY, MAY 25- MEHERA MEMORIAL
. .
Louise Barrie hosts a meeting of singing, film
and celebration of May 20, 1989, the second
anniversary of Mehera's passing.
SPECIAL EVENTS AND NOTICES
Meetings in Nearby Cities
FRESNO: Meetings on Wednesday evenings from 7:30-
8:30 PM. For information call Sharon or Phil Scott: (209)
449-0877.
SACRAMENTO: For information call Marilyn Buehler at
(916) 925-4451.
Trustwalla
Our trustwalla is Jack Mormon. All who wish to share in
fulfilling the commitments laid down by Baba through the
instrument of the Trust should contact Jack at P.O. Box
1250, Berkeley, CA 94701.
Service Opportunity
For anyone interested in providing emotional, practical or
spiritual support for people with HIV (AIDS), please con-
tact Jim Tomlinson at (415) 457-2487. Jim can put you in
touch with a local support network group.
Arti
All are welcome to gather for Arti at the home of Ron and
Lisa Greenstein each Sunday at 10 AM. Phone: (415)
525-3364. Arti is also performed every Sunday at Her-
mann Loew's home in Petaluma. For information, call
Hermann at (707) 778-1195.
Board Meetings
Meher Baba Center of Northern California Board meetings
are open to all members. Call David Miotke at (415) 549-
1487 for the dates and times of meetings.
Meher Minor Update
The first international Me her Minor Retreat- (9th - :t 2th
grades) will be held at Meher Center, Myrtle Beach, SC on
June 19 through 23, 1991. Please call Margaret Bernstein
at 721-3727 for more details.
Meher Baba Information
Interested in helping with the Baba-work at t'The Box"?
Call Sheryl/ Rick Chapman for details (415) 562-1101.
Reminder
There are sometimes last minute changes in the meeting
schedule. Please check the answering machine at the
office, (415} 845-4339 for up-to-date information.
Continued from Page 1
vasectomy." And Sam said, "Yes Baba, I will if that's what
you want. t And he went away to sea, and that was a
planned family, Baba planned it - two girls, mother and
father.
We grew up visiting Baba as and when He called us.
About the time Dolly was a year old, she got smallpox. It
came about because Baba initially said, "Give her a
smallpox vaccination" when she was a few days old. The
doctor said, "No, she's too young," and my grandmother
and mother said, "Perhaps we should wait a little while."
And so they waited a little while, and in the meantime it
was too late - she had already contacted the virus. She
was very sick and was unconscious for 40 days in the
hospital. Every day Mehera would pray, "Baba whatever
you, do save the child." Dolly was always more precious
to Mehera than I was. So she prayed every day, "Baba,
don't let there be anything wrong with that child. Make
sure she stays." The doctor said, "Well, if she lives, she
will be blind." Me hera said she couldn't stand that. And
then Baba said, "All right, I'll pray for her." After 40 days
Dolly came home. She could see, although she was still
very sick. She still can see; she's perfectly healthy now.
So basically, Baba wanted the two of us to do whatever
work He has set out for us to do, perhaps later on.
We used to live part of the time in Bhindra house. Baba
would come and stay there before Guruprasad was
available to Him. We used to go for walks with Baba in
the Botanical Gardens. I still remember going along as a
three year old stomping on the big black ants. One day
He caught my foot, "Why do you kill those ants?" I said,
"You know, they bite." He said, "No, they don't, and I
order you not to kill any more of them. Never again
should you kill one of those ants." That's how Baba gave
us orders when He would catch us doing something. He
would say, "I order you, don't do it again." So we didn't
Continued on Page 4
do it again because Baba said no.
Soon we started go ing to school. Baba said, if you were in
school you had to study and you had to do as well as you
could. So, because 1 could remember things easily, 1 was
expected to do well. My report cards would come home
and go to Baba. They'd come back with comments on
them from Him, "Why haven't you done well in this?" 1only
used to have bad comments in the area of behavior - very
talkative in class, can be obstinate and cheeky. And Baba
would te ll Eruc h, "Tell her - she shouldn't do that."
Teachers, like any other guru, have to be respected. Treat
them in the same way as you treat Baba, with respect. So
slowly but steadily I learned to be good friends with my
teachers.
We had to write to Baba. The only subject I used to fail in
was my hand writing. He would have Eruch read the letter
and would say, "Hand writing still not improved." Eruch
would say, "Baba commented today that your hand writing
has still not improved. You should be working on your hand
writing a little bit more." It was things like that, it was very,
very personal. Baba was there for us to ask Him things.
You could go and visit Him in Guruprasad, you could sit on
the bed and tell Him stories. He would say, "If you want to
you can massage my feet." So I would be telling Him a
story while massaging His feet. He would never react to
your story like an adu lt reacts to a child's story. When the
funny bit came He would whoop with laughter. He'd be
lying on the bed, He'd sit up, "Go on, what happened after
that," Baba the child talking to the child that was me. So
we never actually realized. Yes, we knew Baba was God,
we knew He controlled most of our life, we prayed to Him
and yet He was the Father above the father. He was
always there. So really it only struck home that He was
actually the Avatar when He dropped His body. Until then,
we only knew the man, we didn't know the God aspect,
only the man aspect of the God Man. But even there He
always understood.
As a child, I was terribly jealous of Baba. I hated it when
He paid any more attention to another child, or even to His
dog Mastan. One day we were sitting in Guruprasad, and
there was this girl who used to do Ind ian d anc ing
beautifully. She always danced in front of Saba, and I was
sitting right by Saba's hand and He used to put His hand
on my head. As soon as He sensed that I was starting to
get worked up about her dancing, He would gently try to
work it out of me. One day He was in Meherazad, lying
downon the bed- we'd all had lunch with Saba- and Baba
clicked His fingers, "Bring Mastan in." I was sitting on
Gaimai's lap, and all the others were around, and Mastan
came in and jumped on Saba's bed, and Baba was making
such a fuss over this dog. I pinched Gaimai and shrieked,
and shrieked. Baba said, "You don't like the dog? Send
him away. Come and sit by Me." Gaimai still remembers
how I pinched her.
Baba really excused all our little human frailties, just as
long as you were sure you were His, no ambiguities or
doubts in your mind, and there's never been.
This is part 1 of two parts. The second part will appear in
the Summer Issue.
MEHER BABA CENTER NON-PROFIT ORG.
of Northern California, Inc. U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO, CA.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
Berkeley, California 94704 PERMIT NO. 186
.'
I
')I
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
N E w s L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 20
Growing Up in Baba's Family
PART2
Mehera Kerawala Arjani
Mehera grew up in Baba's intimate family.
She spent much of her childhood living
with the Jessawala family.
I once foolishly commented to one of the western girl
Baba lovers, "You are lucky you had the romance of Baba,
Baba wooed you and courted you. With us we had an
arranged marriage straight away. Born into a Baba family,
no choice about it." So she went and told Eruch about it.
The next time I came to mandali hall he said, "Well,do you
realize how fortunate you were that you didn't have to
search for Him? He found you in the first place." I said,
"Well, possibly, but it might have been a bit more
interesting to have wandered about a bit." "Don't be silly,"
he said, "you wouldn't have liked it if you had tasted it in
the first place."
Our family, who were so much a part of Saba's life, were
very protected and sort of pampered, shielded from most
of the things that other people go through. Even though
my dad was away at sea while we were growing up, we
had Meherwan, Eruch's younger brother and he was
always there, in fact he was more of a father to us than
Daddy was, because he was the one we went to if we had
a problem.
Baba would always insist that we children should live by
what He expected of us when we grew up. One had to do
all of one's bits in life properly, as well as you can. But that
doesn't mean you don't have fun, you can have fun as
well. You know this bit about silence in the Tomb. I know
people want to be close to Baba, but I remember once He
was sitting in the mandali hall in Guruprasad, and the two
of us were running around and around the hall past where
Baba was lying with the men, talking. We did that for quite
a while, and then Baba said, "Come here. Do want a
sweet?" "Yes, please" and He gave us all prasad, and
1991
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
SUMMER1991
then He said, "Can you go run somewhere
else - go run on the other side?" But He
never said, don't do it, but instead, do it,
but do it somewhere else. And it was the
same with most other things.
You could ask Baba all kinds of things.
Some people say not to bother Him, but 1
always asked Him. If he was there I would ask Him. If He
wasn't there I would pray to Him for everything. When 1
was little I had a problem with my tooth. Instead of
growing downwards like any other permanent tooth, it
grew out at an angle. Every morning, first thing I would
pray is "Saba, please let me have another tooth." Because
I would have to wear a false plate otherwise, and I hated
that thing. So every day for two years I prayed and prayed
and prayed, "Baba, please can I have another tooth." And
ultimately I did get another tooth, in the sense that this
little tooth over here [pointing) is a baby tooth that never
fell out because the tooth that went astray never pushed it
out. So, I got what I wanted, no problem, but then, Gaimai
said, "You must have spent a lot of time praying about it ...
hours and hours. Perhaps it was something that Baba did
to keep you thinking about Him." I think that's true. In the
beginning, when you are children and you ask Saba for
something, He gives it to you. As you grow up, you just
think about Him because you want to think about Him. So,
Saba's incentive program works every time, the carrot
~efore the stick. I've found that now I don't ask Him for
that much; occasionally I do - I did want a child, I asked
Him, and look what I got [pointing to her son, Sheriar - lots
of laughter].
There were things that were all right for some people and
not for others. For instance we were sitting in Guruprasad
one day. Mehernaz, Gulnar's girl, and I were very chubby
children. So, somebody gave Mehernaz a sweet and Baba
said, "She's getting fat- no sweets for her," and He gave
her an order, she couldn't have any more sweets. So my
Banumasi said, "But Baba, my Mehera is also fat, give her
continued on the next page
 IL
an order." And Baba said, "No, no, no. She'll be like this
one day" and he lifted up one finger. So I'm hoping, one
day ... [lots of laughter].
He didn't give me that order, so it was not for me.
Whereas, one day, I had this lovely black coat that my
mother stitched for me, and I was dressed up in my new
coat and taken to Baba, and Baba took one look at the
coat and said, "How dare you dress the child in black?
She can't wear black." So, no black. And another time,
somebody gave mother a very pretty dress that had been
used by their child, and mother took me to Baba, and that
time Baba said, "It's a lovely dress. Where did it come
from?" As if He didn't know. And Mother explained it was
someone else's child's who had grown out of it. Baba said,
"Not her. Don't use second hand goods for her. The only
persons whose clothes she can wear are Mehera and
Gaimai." That was an order specific to me. Baba allowed
Dolly, my sister, to wear second hand clothes. Mummy
said , "Why not, Baba?" He said, "Most people will not
absorb bad impressions from things like clothing. But if
you put clothes on her that someone else has worn, she
will get the bad impressions." So I don't wear second-hand
clothes, which would solve lots of problems with the family
budget.
Meherwan, Eruch's brother, was very protected. Until I
was four, he had an order that he couldn't touch any
women, not even his own mother. He was. the only boy
who was allowed to stay up on the hill with Saba's women
mandali when they were living here, and even Gaimai
couldn't touch him. When I was born, Baba said to
Meherwan, ''You can touch her, you can hold her, you can
play with her." For a long time, no one but Meherwan was
a11owed to kiss me. And then slowly he was allowed to
touch his mother and his sisters again. But Baba was very
strict with Meherwan - Meherwan was very protected.
Our family used to cook for Baba and the ladies. And
sometimes I would make the chutney, put in the coriander,
or make the chapatis. And I would put in a little note,
''Today, Baba, I made the chutney." And Baba would send
back a note, "They were lovely. I enjoyed them."
We had special flowers growing at Bhindra house. I used
to make garlands for Baba, and send them with the food.
And Eruch would send back a message, "Baba wore your
garland today." Or when we went for darshan I used to
make garlands for Baba myseH. There used to be lots of
discussion about the contents of Saba's meals. What
should we send Him for lunch? Sometimes we could take
food into Baba ourselves and sit with Him while He ate.
Baba would make sure you ate everything on your plate,
and at the end of the meal if they had fruit, He'd throw it at
you across the table, and you were supposed to catch it
and eat it. He threw figs most of the time because it was
the fruit in season.
We were sitting in Guruprasad once and Baba was giving
darshan. Dolly was about a year and a half old and had
just started to talk. She crawled up to Baba, and she
pulled herself up onto His knees and stood up and she
said, "Baba 1 love You. Do You love me?" That was a
beautiful thing to say to Baba. And Baba said, " Yes."
I used to say the prayer for Baba. The first time He asked
me to say the prayer I hadn't learned it properly. But, He
had this big pile of sweets by His side. I asked, Baba if I
say the prayer, can I have a sweet?" "Yes, of course you
can," He said. So I treated Him to a very garbled version. I
mixed up the Master's prayer and the Prayer of
Repentance, and He gave me all the sweets, and I didn't
eat a single one, I wanted to savor them all for myself. And
He said, "Are you going to give some to Gaimama?" and I
said, "No, no, I said grace, so I get to eat them all myself."
So I took this whole bundle of sweets home.
We had a picture of Baba at Bhindra house, that has come
to Meherazad now, and I put my sweets at the base of the
picture when I got home, and said, "I'll keep them by
Baba's feet and I'll eat them tomorrow." I had this servant,
and she polished them off in the night and I didn't get a
single sweet. I woke up, and I went and told Saba my
sweets had vanished. Baba said, "I have only one sweet
today, but you can have one sweet." So that was alii was
meant to have.
That servant is very, very special. She was the only one,
when Baba was up on Meherabad hill in seclusion, who
was allowed to take Saba's food into Him. Eruch's father
always wanted to get rid of her, because she is slightly
crazy. She once ate my medicine when I was a child. Baba
made her eat a whole bar of soap because he wanted to
wash out all her eating sanskaras. She did it - she ate the
whole bar of soap because Baba told her to. Eruch's father
used to get so mad at her- he'd say, "Baba get rid of this
woman she's a pain to us, she's always bothering us." And
Baba would say, "No, she's meant to serve your family,
she's meant to be part of your family.''
When I was born, 1 was born with closed fists. And Baba
 IL
would come every morning and He'd put a little oil on
my fists, and He'd open them up. And then they'd curl
up again. Baba said to Mehera, "I've done everything I
can for her. She'll grow up tight-fisted. There's nothing I
can do now."
Baba wouldn, allow any of my family to lift a finger to
me in anger, because Baba said, "If you hit her, you'll
be hitting Me." My husband deeply regrets that order
was given. He says, "If you'd been spanked a bit more
when you were a child, you'd be lots better as a wife."
[gales of laughter]. Because I couldn't get smacked,
Do\ly couldn't either, it wouldn't have been fair, but she
used to get stuffed under the covers Yfhen s~e was bad.
SPECIAL NOTICE ABOUT KATIE IRANI'S VISIT
Meher Baba Center does not have a regular meeting
schedule during the month of August. This year,
however, we are fortunate to be expecting a visit from
Katie Irani, one of Baba's women mandali. Katie will be
with us the week of August 19. She will not do
individual interviews but is eager to see her brothers
and sisters in the Bay Area. The following events have
been scheduled. For schedule changes, call Darrell or
Soussan at 527-7713.
Friday, August 23, 6:00PM
Potluck dinner at Alan and Karen Talbot's home.Call
376-4325 if you need directions.
Saturday, August 24, 8:00 PM
Katie wiJJ talk about her life and experiences with Baba.
She wishes us to know that she enjoys talking
informally, but does not want people to ask questions
about Baba, as that is not her specialty.
Sunday, August 25, 15 PM
Poolside garden party at the Van Buskirk's (947-0495).
Bring food for a pot-luck meal and suits and towels if
you want to swim. Soft drinks will be provided.
MEllER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, INC.
President,Darrell Rupe Vice President, Alexandra Cons
Secretary, Roman Babiak Treasurer, Jack Mormon Office
Manager, Fred White.
Board of Directors: Soussan Adham Roman Babiak
Alexandra Cons Harold Jamison Raj Mehta Darrell Rupe
Paul Williams
Newsletter published by Alexandra Cons, Keith Gunn and Lisa
Greenstein
SATURDAY JUNE 1- A TRIBUTE TO MEHERA
t0\ This meeting, in loving memory of Saba's
~ dearest disciple Mehera, will feature music she
inspired and a special large screen showing of
b:~:~e an hour-long video of Mehera produced by
willbe
present
Wendell Brustman.
SATURDAY JUNE 8 -"BEING IS DYING BY
LOVING"
An unpublished play by Francis Brabazon
Location: Unitarian Church at Cedar and
Bonita, Berkeley 7:30 START
The US premiere of this collection of songs,
sketches, stories and recitations. The Love
Street Singers and Players, the Bay Area's new
performing group, presents this exciting
evening of entertainment for the Beloved. A
$10 donation is requested. Note: Because of
space limitations at this facility, childcare will
not be provided for this evening's performance.
SATURDAY JUNE 15- COMING TO BABA
Come to hear personal experiences of the Divine
Romance, as local Baba lovers tell their stories of
stepping into His net.
SATURDAY JUNE 22- FILMS OF MEHER BABA
We are fortunate to have so many images of
the Avatar on film. Tonight's films will be: The
Andhra Tour, 1954, an unedited film with brief
but stunning shots of Baba and "Stay with
God," filmed by Don Stevens in 1959. Ron
Greenstein and Darrell Rupe will provide a
musical introduction.
SATURDAY JUNE 29 AN INTRODUCTION TO
MEHERBABA
Bring friends for an informal introduction to
Baba. There will be a short film, live music, and
a discussion between newcomers and a panel
of Saba's lovers.
SATURDAY JULY 6- NO SCHEDULED MEETING
Because many of our group attend the
Southern California Sahavas, no meeting is
planned for this evening. If you are interested in
meeting informally in Beloved Saba's spirit,
please call Darrell or Soussan at 527-7713.
WEDNESDAY JULY 10 ANNIVERSARY OF THE
BEGINNING OF MEHER BABA'S SILENCE
SATURDAY JULY 13 SPECIAL GUEST JEHANGIR
"JUNGOO" SUKHADWALLA
Baba called Jungoo one of His jewels and
selected him to marry His niece Gulnar. Jungoo
Continued from Page 3
will tell us stories of living around Baba
and his exp erience with th e Be loved
over the years.
SATURDAY JULY 20- FILMS OF MEHER BAllA
Come for a showing of rare footage of Baba.
SATURDAY JULY 27- PROMOTING FELLOWSHIP
IN THE BABA COMMUNITY
A casual meeting at the home of Harold and Sue
Jamison, 6934 Fairview, El Cerrito. Please call in
advance if you will need to be picked up at BART.
The Jamisons' number is 236-7993 or call Ron
Greenstein at 525-3364.
SPECIAL EVENTS AND NOTICES
Meetings in Nearby Cities
FRESNO: Meetings on Wednesday evenings from 7:30-
8:30 PM. Call Sharon or Phil Scott: (209) 449-0877.
SACRAMENTO: Call Marilyn Buehler at (916) 925-
445 1.
Trustwalla
Our trustwalla is Jack Mormon. All who wish to share in
fulfilling the commitments laid down by Baba through the
instrument of the Trust should contact Jack at P.O. Box
1250, Berkeley, CA 94701.
Service Opportunity
For anyone interested in providing emotional, practical or
spiritual support for people with HIV (AIDS), please con-
tact Jim Tomlinson at (415) 457-2487. Jim can put you in
touch with a local support network group.
Arti
All are welcome to gather for Arti at the home of Ron and
I )
' I
Lisa Greenste in each Sunday at 10 AM. Phone : (415)
525-3364. Arti is also performed every Sunday at Her-
mann Loew' s home in Petaluma. For information , call
Hermann at (707) 778-1195.
Board Meetings
Meher Baba Center of Northern California Board meetings
are open to all members. Call Darrell Rupe for the dates
and times of meetings at 527-7713.
Meher Minor Update
The first international Mehe r Mi nor Retreat (9th - 12th
grades) will be held at Meher Center, Myrtle Beach, SC on
June 19 through 23, 199 1. Please call Margaret Bernstein
at 721-3727 for more details.
Mehl!r Baba Information
Interested in helping w ith the Baba~work at "The Box"?
Call Sheryl 1 Rick Chapman for details (415) 562-110 1.
Reminder
There are sometimes last minute changes in the meeting
schedu le. Please check the answering machine at the
office, (415) 845-4339 fo r up-to-date information.
Bookstore
Paul Williams, who is our new bookstore manager, needs
an assistant. If you can help, please call Paul at 668-2131.
Discourse Meetings
Join us each thursday for an eve ning of reading and
discu ssing Saba's Discou rses. Tea and cookies after-
ward. Location: home of Lou ise Barrie and Dick Anthony
(524-1 440).
MEETINGS Meher Saba meetings are held on Saturday nights at the Albany
Methodist Church, Stannage Avenue and Marin in Albany. All programs begin at
8:00 PM sharp and normally end at 9:30 PM with time for visiting before and after
the meeting. To check for program changes call (415) 845-4339.
MEHER SABA CENTER NON-PROF IT ORG.
of Northern California, Inc. U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO, CA.
2131 Univers ity Avenue, Room 235
PERMIT NO. 186
Berkeley, California 94704
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
N E w s L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE. , RM. 235
VOL. 20
A Child's Experience of
Meeting Meher Baba
by
\Vendy Haynes Connor
Wendy first met Meher Baba in Myrtle
Beach in May of 1958, when she was 6
years old. In this talk she recalls that first meeting. Our
next issue will describe her meeting with Baba in 1962.
In 1958, the news came to Myrtle Beach that Saba was
coming to America again. I didn't grasp the full import of
what this meant, but I knew that now I would get a chance
to see Him. I was very excited, chiefly because Elizabeth
and Kitty were so excited. Everything was focused on
getting ready for Saba's coming, getting everything perfect
for Saba. The most exciting thing for me, getting ready for
Baba, was that my mother took me shopping for a dress to
meet Baba in. We looked and looked for the perfect dress,
and we found a lovely purple dress with no sleeves and a
little white collar. My mother found one just like it! It was
the first mother/daughter dress that we'd ever had. I was
so excited that we had the same dress. My mother also
got my hair cut, so I was all ready.
The day for meeting Saba dawned, my mother and I put
on our mother and daughter dresses, and I got my hair all
combed. 1 don't remember how I got to my Mother's
theater (whe re He had arranged with Elizabeth the day
before for me to meet Him). I just remember waiting in the
foyer that afternoon, holding my mother's hand very tightly,
feeling rather shy. Suddenly Saba appeared in the
doorway. He was very beautiful. I remember being so
struck by Saba's beauty. He had on a pink coat, His hair
was back in a pigtail, and I couldn't take my eyes off Him.
The first thing He did, which touched me so much, was to
gesture to our dresses, and my heart leapt that Saba
would notice my dress. How Saba knew the one thing that
would touch the heart of a child! The next thing Saba
gestured was how tall I had grown. It was true .. I was
1991
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
FALL 1991
spurting up, everyone was talking about it.
Then Saba beckoned to come to Him. I
remember letting go of my mother's hand,
and beginning to walk towards Him, and
ended up running. Saba opened His arms,
saying "Come" and I ran into His arms, and
Saba enfolded me in the most wonderful
embrace that seemed to last forever. Then, Baba grabbed
my arms, pushed me away still holding on and began to
play with me. He pushed me away, and pulled me close
over and over. He did it so hard that I began laughing
hysterically because it was so much fun. It was just the
two of us. Then He took my face in His hand and
squinched my mouth and gestured for me to try to talk. I
tried, but I couldn't. Nothing intelligible came out, and that
just made me laugh even harder. Saba's face was getting
pinker and pinker as He suppressed His laughter. We
were having such fun.
Then, it was time to go inside the theater. Saba motioned
for the dancers to pick Him up and take Him inside. That
moment 1 felt panic at the thought that I wou ld have to
leave Him. 1 looked up and said, "Saba can I stay with
you?" Saba looked so happy, big smile, and He patted the
side of His chair- "Stay with Me, stay here." I was happy
again and my heart calmed down. They put Saba down in
front, and 1 plopped down by Saba's right foot , and my
brother Charles plopped down on the left foot. Suddenly, I
remembered my mother for the first time. Now, that was
quite unusual, since she was the center of my life. I turned
around to see where she was, and at that very moment I
saw her motioning to us to move away from Saba ,
because she felt we were being a little too aggressive.
She hadn't yet had her experience of Saba's divinity - that
came later the same day. At that instant Saba swivelled
around and gestured to mother saying, "Let them be, Jane
- let them be." I was so happy, I had been afraid that I
wou ld have to lea ve. Th e film started, but I don't
rem ember looking at the film at all, I just remember
looking at Saba's feet and looking up at Saba. Every time I
continued on the next page
 IL
would look at Baba, He would do something- tweak my
cheek, or pat my head or pat my shoulder. That's how the
afternoon passed for me. I don't remember looking at the
films at all. I don't remember leaving the theater. In fact,
many of the details are fuzzy for me. Rather, my memories
are like flashes of lightning. The times I remember vividly
are the times with Saba Himself.
My next memory is the next day at the birthday party. I
think you all have seen the films of the birthday. My mother
had ordered a beautiful garland of pink carnations for
Charles and me to give to Baba. As soon as Baba came,
Charles and I ran up with the garland. Saba loqked so.
happy and so surprised. He leaned over so that wy could- Another memory 1 have was of one day standing outside
garland him. He enfolded us in a big embrace, and then
went over to take His seat. They had it all set up with a
picnic table in front of Saba, and His chair opposite the
table. Well, of course Charles and I immediately plopped
down in the best seats in the house, nearest to Baba at
the end of the picnic table. First, everyone greeted Baba
and went up to get a hug. Baba began serving lemonade.
Somebody was taking Polaroid photographs of Saba.
They started to pile up on the table in front of me and I
began looking at them. The woman who was taking the
photographs said, "Would you like to take them up to Baba
to show them to Him?" Delighted to have an excuse to go
up to Baba, I reached over and, without thinking, took the
top photograph to Saba. Saba admired it and had other
people look. I went back to the table and got another
photograph to show to Saba, and another and another. I
must have gone up at least 10 times. Each time, Baba
made a big thing about the photograph and each time I
would get a pat or a kiss. All the photographs were pretty
much the same, but Baba acted as though each was
unique, showing them to Eruch and everyone. He made
me feel very special.
About the same time, I noticed that different people were
holding the umbrella over Saba. I watched the umbrella
passing back and forth for a while. The more I watched,
the more the longing grew inside me to hold the umbrella!
Out of the blue, Baba looked over at me and gestured,
"Would you like to hold the umbrella, Wendy?" "Oh yes,
Baba." It never occurred to me to wonder how Baba would
know. I ran up to hold the umbrella. It felt as if time had
stopped. Eve ntually, it mu st have begun to get heavy,
because I remember having to hold it with two hands. I
think it must have begun to drop, because Baba motioned
fo r Jea n Shaw to t ak e th e umbre lla from me. Baba
thanked me for holding the umbrella. He gave me a little
tweak and a kiss. It was so sweet of Baba, because I had
wanted to do it so very much.
One lovely moment I remember - you know how Baba
used to give prasad, a piece of candy or a piece of fruit.
Each one went up individually. When it came my turn,
Saba put it in my hand and then, with a very purposeful
movement, He took my face in His hands and brought it
up to kiss Him on His forehead. It was such a sweet,
memorable gesture , but it happened so quickly that
afterward, I wondered if I had imagined it. I later learned it
had been captured on film.
the Barn. Every day Saba would have large gatherings in
the Barn. It was the one building that could hold everyone.
But, children were not allowed to go to those programs.
We were on the Center, and somehow I slipped away and
ran to the Barn in the hope that I could see Baba. I stood
by the door looking in. I knew I wasn't supposed to be
there, so I didn't climb the steps. When Baba came out of
the Barn, He looked so surprised but so happy to see me
there, like "what are you doing here." And then Saba
twinkled at me, as if to say "I know why you're here." He
reached over and gave me a wonderful hug, w hich is what
I had been hoping for.
In all of this time, I never noticed Saba's silence. It seemed
so natural that Baba was using His hands. Every time He
said anything to me I always understood what He was
saying. I never noticed Eruch, even though he was there
whenever I met Saba. I just remember Baba.
During this time, Kitty asked Baba about my mother and
father's separation. Kitty said, "Baba, what about Jane and
Charles (my father's name was Charles), what about the
divorce? " Baba said, "The separation is final." Kitty said,
"But Baba, what about the children's father?" Baba said,
"Kitty, what do you mean? I am their father."
Baba left on Ma y 30th. After He left, everything felt
different, and everything was different. I don't remember
what life was like before Baba, what life was like without
Him. Looking back, I realize that I didn't understand who
Baba was. All I knew was that I loved Him with all my
heart and that I wanted to stay with Him always. It wasn't
until later that I came to realize that Baba was the Christ,
and that I knew Him. And it wasn't until I became an adult
that I began to discover - I'm still discovering - what it
means to love Baba and to try to live a life for Him.
 -
IL
IMPORTANT NOTE ON MEETINGS AND THEIR SCHEDULING
BEGINNING THIS QUARTER, we are switching the scheduling of meetings.
Meher Saba meetings will be held on Saturday nights at the Albany Methodist
Church, Stannage Avenue and Marin in Albany except for THE FIRST FRIDAY OF
EVERY MONTH. Meetings on each first Friday will replace the otherwise
scheduled Saturday night meetings. All programs begin at 8:00 PM sharp and
normally end at 9:30 PM with time for visiting before and after the meeting. The
Board welcomes your comments about the re-scheduling. To check for program
changes call (415) 845-4339.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR FALL 1991
means
bookstore
will be
present
FRIDAY, SEPT 6 - SPECIAL GUEST FRANEY IRANI
Meher Baba's sister-in-law Franey, the
widow of Adi K. Irani, Jr., will tell us of
her experiences with Baba.
SATURDAY, SEPT 14 - CHILDREN'S MEETING
(PARENTS' NIGHT OUT)
Tonight's program is for children, with stories,
songs , magic show and a film of the Beloved.
Treats will be served.
SATURDAY, SEPT 21 -RON AND DARRELL SING
Ron Greenstein and Darrell Rupe perform a
concert of Baba songs - some old and familiar,
some new and original.
SATURDAY, SEPT 28- INDIAN SUMMER INDIAN
DINNER 7 PM!!
Come in your Indian garb, as Raj and Dee Mehta
host an Indian evening at their home in Fremont.
RSV P 790-7188 no later than Sept 21. Bring
beverages and please, no children.
FRIDAY, OCT 4- COMING TO BABA
More episodes in th e drama of the Divine
Romance , in which love rs tell how they came to
love the Beloved.
SATURDAY, OCT 12- MUIR WOODS WALK AND
DHUNI 3 PM!!
Celebrate the 42nd anniversary of Meher Baba's
New Life with a walk in Muir Woods, followed by a
Dhuni at Muir Beach. Meet at 3 PM at the entrance
to Muir Woods. Call 668-2131 for details.
SATURDAY, OCT 19 - FILMS OF MEHER BABA
Tonight's showing of the Perf ect One's
images will include the 1932 Paramount
newsreel, the Ancient One and Avatar.
SATURDAY, OCT 26- FELLOWSHIP IN THE BABA
COMMUNITY
In His Song of the New Life, Meher Baba stated,
"Brotherliness of fellow feeling is a link that exists."
Come explore ways we can establish that link in
our lives. Meeting to be held at the home of Harold
and Sue Jamison, 6934 Fairview, El Cerrito. Call
236-7993 for directions or to arrange for a ride from
El Cerrito BART.
FRIDAY, NOV 1- INTRODUCING TO MEHER BABA
An opportunity for friends and the
general public to make the
acquaintance of the Beloved.
SATURDAY, NOV 9 - SANSKARA, THE BOARD GAME
An exploration of the concept of sanskaras through
Baba's words and group participation in a board
game based on those words.
SATURDAY, NOV 16 - FILMS OF MEHER BABA
A program of silent movies of the Silent One ,
served with popcorn and a musical accompaniment
by David Miotke.
SATURDAY, NOV 23- CONCERT BY SINGER-
SONGWRITER CINDY LOWE
Cindy will perform songs from her Keep
Me Near album and other new material ,
offering a powerful mu sical tribute to
Meher Baba and His Beloved Mehera.
SATURDAY, NOV 30- THANKSGIVING POT LUCK
Paul Williams and John Nye invite all who wish to
come to a potluck dinn er at their home in San
Francisco. Call Paul or John at 668-2131 for
directions.
SPECIAL EVENTS AND NOTICES
Meetings in Nearby Cities
FRESNO: Meetings on Wednesday evenings from 7:30-
8:30 PM. Call Sharon or Phil Scott: (209) 449-0877.
SACRAMENTO: Call Marilyn Buehler at (916) 925-4451 .
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, INC.
President,Darrell Rupe Vice President, Alexandra Cons
Secretary, Roman Babiak Treasurer, J ack Mormon Office
Manager, Fred White.
Board of Directors: Soussan Adham Roman Babiak
Alexandra Cons Harold J amison Raj Mehta Darrell Rupe
Paul Willi ams
Newsletter published by Alexand ra Cons, Keith Gunn and Lisa
Greenstein
 Arti
All are welcome to gather for Arti at the home of Ron and
Lisa Greenstein each Sunday at 10 AM . Phone : (415)
525-3364. Arti is also performed every Sunday at Her-
mann Loew's home in Petaluma. For information, call
Hermann at (707) 778-1195.
Board Meetings
Meher Baba Center of Northern California Board meetings
are open to all members. Call Darrell Rupe for the dates
and times of meetings at 527-7713.

Meher Baba Information

Interested in helping with the Baba-work at "The Box"?
Call Sheryl I Rick Chapman for details (415) 562-1101.

Discourse Meetings "

Join us each Thursday for an evening of reading and
discussing Baba's Discourses. Tea and cookies after-
ward. Location: home of Louise Barrie and Dick Anthony
(524-1440) .
Reminder
There are sometimes last minute changes in the meeting
schedule. Please check the answering machine at the
office , (415) 845-4339 for up-to-date information.
Trustwalla
Our trustwalla is Jack Mormon. All who wish to share in
fulfilling the commitments laid down by Baba through the
instrument of the Trust should contact Jack at P.O. Box
1250, Berkeley, CA 94701 .

MEHER BABA CENTER NON PROHT ORG.

of Northern California, Inc. U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO, CA.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
PERMIT NO. 186
Berkeley, C~llfornla 94704

~ ' \ .
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
N E w s L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 22
THE "EAT & RUN"
BY HEATHER NADEL
I think mnny of us who follow Baba but did not
know of Him when we were young, have
stories of His touching our lives in childhood.
Here;s one of mine:
I was born in San Francisco and spent my L.J~~~~~~~--J people only eat at Woodlands Restaurant,
early childhood in Menlo Park. One weekend, my grand-
mother, who lived in San Francisco, took my sister and
me to her apartment for a visit. I was five and my sister
was three. After a day there, I think our rambunctiousness
got to her, because the next day, Grandmother announced
that we were going for a drive in the country. She was a
real nature fanatic, and as we drove over the Golden Gate
Bridge into Marin County, she kept pointing out things
like the bay, the cliffs, the gulls. "Oh look, girls, there's kids would hang on the fence trying to get our fill of
a redwood!" My sister and I would look for a minute
and then go back to playing in the back seat. The gor-
geous woods and meadows of Marin were lost on us. I
don't remember a bit of it. But as we drove down the
main street of a small Marin town, suddenly I spotted
something fantastic. It was a huge neon sign in the shape
of a hamburger with 15 written on the burger. Very
realistic. Tremendously exciting. Extremely BIG! I
shrieked and pulled my sister over to the window. "Look
at that! It's a big hamburger!" We got so excited. We
just couldn't get over it-a huge, garish neon hamburger
hanging in the sky. We stared until it was out of sight
and then talked about it all the rest of the weekend. Poor
Grandmother.
Some time later, our family moved to Kentfield. We
kids were nervous and anxious about the change. You
can imagine our delight when, driving down the main
street of our new town for the first time, we saw- you
guessed it-the BIG HAMBURGER. Wow, what a cool
place! We were suddenly thrilled about the whole thing.
However, things were not as rosy as they seemed. Our
parents immediately caught on to our obsession with the
Big Hamburger and the drive-in it advertised, and we
were told that we were never, never to set foot there.
0
1992
T T E
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
R
WINTER 1992
Hamburger or no hamburger, the "Eat and
Run" drive-in was a BAD place. Forbid-
den. It was the only place in town we
couldn't go. It was rumored that they even
served horsemeat! If you ever so much
as looked at it, horrible things would hap-
pen to you. BAD people go there. GOOD
across the street near the grocery store
(boring, believe me!).
The school board obviously felt the same way about the
"Eat & Run" as our parents did. The drive-in was right
next to the school, separated only by a chain-link fence,
but was strictly off-limits to all the children. But how
could they expect a chain-link fence to shield us from
the fascination of the "Eat & Run?" At lunchtime we
"badness." Bikers with beards and Harleys would roar
in and we would stare at them and the blondes with their
beehive hairdos and tight red pants. If the bikers left, we
could always gawk at the teenagers in their souped-up
hot rods. They would race around the parking lot and
then get out and lounge against their cars smoking ciga-
rettes. It was heaven-! mean, you just couldn't find
anything anywhere that was badder! I knew my brother
was truly out of my parents' control the day I saw him
having a milkshake with his gang at the "Eat & Run."
Oh how I envied him, daring to enter the Underworld,
while I resisted, terrified of being metamorphosed into
BAD. To my parents, it was Babylon. For me, it was the
most interesting place in our little town. People actually
wore black there (I was dying to wear black, just once!).
And they rode around on fast, sleek shiny machines (I
could only ride my blue Schwinn). And they drank
milkshakes out of generous, oversized paper cups (Wood-
land Restaurant served their milkshakes in puny little
glasses). It had such a grip on my psyche that even years
later when I came back to Kentfield from college, I felt
the pull of the "Eat & Run". I couldn't resist-1 went for
a milkshake. But I was so nervous I could hardly drink
it. The "Forbidden Zone" was still off-limits to me.
Continued on back page
 /
/

IN SILENCE AMIDST DIVISION

Oh, Meher Tell us how to be one heart with Your mind.
We all know we want to grow into this some day, some lifetime, but, tell us how to do it now,. today!!!

Now is when we need this gift.

Now we are trying to make a new home for You.
Now we are trying to arrive at Your will.
Now we are worrying about spiritual guidelines, members of each center and money.
Now we are divided over words and ideas and visions.

Oh, Meher Tell us how to be one heart with Your mind and tell us quickJ!!
We all know we are part of You, but why is it tha~ the part we are expressing is Your leela?
- - - .... ~-- ..... ...... . .... --- -~ . Why: nat.show.us.how to express YourJuumony1-- _ ---- .. -~ -- -- - . ..:- .. - ~-
We promise You; Once You have Your new hol'lle you may play in Your mischievous way.
But now, couldn't You give us the gift of Your clear-sightedness?

Oh, workers at the Project Mariposa Don't Worry.

Just call My name and I am there.
Just call My name and I become the leader.
But I like a little leela.
Much of My creation does not make Me smile.
So just remember, it is Me being mischievous in you and your dissenting neighbor.
If you remember this, then your gift ofmaking Me smile is priceless.
Don't worry, you are speaking with one heart and with My mind.
Only I'm the ultimate ventriloquist and I speak from many sides of the circle.
Be reassured, you called My name and I became the leader.

Oh, future members of the Project Mariposa My name was called and I became the leader.
-- - ~ ~--- .. - -
Be in My new home and give me the gift of a smile.
2991 ,71 rebotcO ainorfilaC ,asopiraM-XOBRAT

A NOTE FROM DARRELL RUPE CHILDREN'S GATHERING

As I was looking over our winter schedule, I realized SUN. FEB. 28- MEHER BABA'S BIRTHDAY -1-4 PM
that many of our meetings have become individual per- Come celebrate Baba's birthday. Bring equipment
formances, although we have no stage. The talents of for games of all sorts. Bring food to share.
our group's performers seem to pull us together for Coordinators: Lisa Greenstein 510-525-3364
Baba by our heartstrings. Every Baba lover is invited Louise Banie 510-524-1440
to join in the sharing by reading passages that have Location: Harding Park
brought inspiration, to express ideas or concerns or to Corner of Ashbury & 'C' St.
contribute refreshments. I also invite all interested Baba El Cenito IJ
Lovers to come to the January 1st meeting so we may
gather a broad spectrum of ideas for future programs
which, do not forget, will include the 1OOth birthday
celebration of our Beloved Meher Baba. -Jai Baba!
MEETINGS - Meher Baba events are held on Saturday nights
except for meetings held on the FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY
MONTH unless otherwise indicated below. TIMES- Events start
at 8:00PM and normally end by 9:30PM unless otherwise noted.
LOCATIONS- Events are held at the Albany Methodist Church
unless otherwise noted. The church is at the corner of Marin
and Stannage, two blocks east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany
(North of Berkeley) Take the Albany exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore
FRI. DEC 4 - REMEMBERING INDIA
An informal evening of sharing impressions, stories,
and precious remembrances of our pilgrimages to
Baba's Meharabad and Meherazad. Children are
encouraged to participate.
SAT. DEC. 5 - SUN. DEC. 6 - MARIPOSA
PLANNING WEEKEND
All are welcome. RSVP to Pearsons (209) 966-5078.
SAT. DEC.12- DAVID MIOTKE PERFORMS
Baba's Musician's Musician gives us an evening of
music inspired by the Beloved.
SAT. DEC 19- CHRISTMAS PARTY
Please bring appetizers or desserts to contribute to a
festive evening. Raine Eastman-Gannett will lead us
in Christmas Carols.
FRI. JAN 1-POT LUCK AND COMMUNITY
PROGRAM PLANNING MEETING 7:00 PM
Diner and discussion about Baba Programs for the
year to come. Everyone is welcome! Held at the
home of Darrell Rupe and Soussan Adham, 3118
California St. Berkeley (510) 549-3118.
SAT. JAN 9- IRWIN LUCK'S FILM AVATAR
OF THE AGE WILL BE SHOWN.
SAT. JAN 16- CIRCLE DANCING FOR BABA
Baba loved to have people dance for Him. Come
prepared to create dances together.
SAT. JAN 23- GENERAL MEETING
Though not the Annual General Meeting, this will be
of interest for all members. We will get an update on
the Mariposa project and discuss other issues .
SAT. JAN. 30- AMARTITID
On this special evening, we will gather in remem-
brance of Baba's dropping His body and join in the
worldwide keeping of silence from 9:30 to 9:45PM.
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President, Hermann Loew Vice President, Roman Babiak Secretary, Debby Tyler Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Soussan Adham, Roman Babiak, Noreen Graham, Laura Hogan, Hermann Loew, Dee Mehta, Darrell Rupe,
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Keith Gunn, Lisa Greenstein, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701)
FRI. FEB. 5 - QUESTIONS FOR BABA
Everyone gets a turn to randomly select a question
that was asked ofBaba, and to hear Baba's responses.
SAT. FEB.14- CIDLDREN'S TALENT NIGHT
A reprise of last year's successful, entertaining per-
formances put on by the children for the adults.
SAT. FEB. 20- FUND RAISING CONCERT FOR
MEHER MINORS
Margaret Bernstein in concert, playing music from her
album "Full Circle," inspired by her journeys to India.
1HURS. FEB. 25 - MEHER BABA 'S 99TH BIRTHDAY
SAT. FEB. 27- MEHER BABA'S BIRTHDAY
PARTY 7:00PM.
Arlington Community Church, 52 Arlington Ave. in
Kensington. A special public gathering in memory of
the Beloved's 99th birthday, complete with cake, films
and entertainment.
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito- Sunday Mornings- 10:00 AM
Arti and singing.
Contact the Greensteins at 510-525-3364
El Cerrito- Thursday Evenings-7:15PM
~ reading and discussion.
Contact Louise Barrie or Dick Anthony at
510-524-1440.
Fresno- Wednesday Evenings - 7:30 to 8:30PM
Arti, and a varied program.
Contact Sharon or Phil Scott at 209-449-0877
Los Gatos- Friday Evenings - 8:00 PM
Arti, singing, and readings.
Contact Cherri Nelson at 415-325-2231
(The Palo Alto meeting has temporarily moved to
Los Gatos because Hugh and Jeannie MacDonald
are in India!)
Petaluma - Sunday Mornings - 11:00 AM
Arti, readings, and fellowship.
Contact Hermann Loew at 707-778-1195.
Sacramento - Sunday Mornings - 11 :00 AM
Singing, readings from Lord Meher and food.
Contact the Busfields at 916-448-4264.
Walnut Creek- Wednesday Evenings 8 to 9:30PM
Please call Helen Riehl 510-935-0167 or Gil
Shepard at 510-930-8670 for directions
If your regularly scheduled local meeting is not listed
please call510-273-9426 to get it into the neXI newsletter.
Years went by. I moved to India, and one day I was in
the trust office compound hanging around with Adi (Adi
K. Irani) in his room. Adi was telling jokes and stories,
and we were having fun, when suddenly I remembered
that he was with Baba in 1958 when Baba went to Lud
Dirnpfl's horne in Kentfield. Baba was on His way from
Myrtle Beach to Australia with the rnandali. They had
a one-day stopover in San Francisco, and Baba decided
to spend the night at Lud's house. Joanie Dirnpfl-Harland
can tell you all about it. Anyway, Adi and I started
talking about that vtsit, and I told Adi that I grew up in
Kentfield, in fact, right down the street from Lud.
"Oh," said Adi. "I'll never forget that place. You see,
poor Lud wasn't prepared for Baba's visit, as all the farn:
ily had gone to be with Him in Myrtle Beach. And now
Baba was corning to his house and nothing was ready
for Him. But Baba wanted to go there, so we went. Of
course, there wasn't any food in the house, so Lud and I
got in the car and went out to buy some food for Baba.
But it was some holiday and all the stores were closed.
Nothing was open in town, so finally we ended up at
this fast-service food place. I think we got a milkshake
for Baba and some finger chips (french fries) for the
mandali. That place had the funniest name. Let me see,
what was it? 'Run & Pay?' 'Eat & Go?' 'Go & Take?"'
"Adi," I said, gasping, I couldn't believe what was hap-
pening. I could hardly speak. "Adi, do you mean the
'Eat & Run?"
"That's it!" Adi beamed, "It was the 'Eat & Run!"'
It was so fantastic I could hardly grasp it. Then I started
laughing. There was my psyche's Den of Darkness, and
in the middle of it sat Beloved Baba smiling at me, light-
ening it all, redeeming it all e o g His rnilkshake
from the "Eat & Run." Jai Baba!
ONE MORE ANECDOTE ABOUT MARIN
Maybe some of you remember those calendars that
Richard Deane had printed up in the late 70's or early
80's. Above each month was a big color picture of Baba,
different shots from His 1956 visit to the West. When I
moved to Meherabad I put one of those calendars on the
wall in our room, by the side of my desk.
One day I was sitting at my desk and feeling very low.
It was an old, familiar kind of "lowness" and I started
examining it, trying to figure out where it carne from
and what it was about. After some time, I had a memory
of feeling just that way when I was six years old. This
made me sad, and I began to feel sorry for that little six-
year-old, so confused and lost. And all of a sudden, I
felt upset with Baba, and in my mind started asking Him,
"Where were you when I was so helpless and confused?
You say you love me-where were you when I was six
years old?"
Just as I had this thought, I was startled by some sound
at my side and I looked up. It was just a bird outside,
but my glance fell on that calendar. There was Baba,
standing near Coit Tower, smiling. And there was the
San Francisco Bay. And what was that land mass be-
yond the bay, behind Baba? Oh my goodness, it's Marin
County! Where I lived! Yes, where I lived. In 1956.
When I was six years old.
It was one of those transcendent moments, beyond time.
Baba reached right out of that calendar to tell me: "See,
I was there, I was right there loving you all along."
MEHER BABA CENTER NON-PROFIT ORG.
of Northern California, Inc. U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO, CA.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
PERMIT NO. 186
Berkeley, California 94704
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
KITIY DAVY IS UNITED WITH BABA
In remembrance of Kiu:y's passing cu 4:50am, December
3rd 1991 , we are reprinting excerpts from "Come and
See", an article she wrote far the Meher Balxl]oumal in
1938. In her introduction to Love Alone Prevails, Kitty
Davy reminisces arout writing tlUs article:
"Baba had asked each of us to contribute an article to a
new magazine on impressions of our first experiences of
ashram life .... when the final day came for handing my ar-
ticle w Balxl, alas, I did not have it finished- my excuse
or rruxx1 being that I was not a writer but a music reacher!
1was still at the typewriter when Balxz. appeared at the
door
to cake my attempt, which I had enrided "Come and See."
Baba watched over my shoulder until the article was com-
pleted, then wirh a beaming smile He gathered the papers
together and left. ,Later the thought occurred that perhaps
Baba was indicating a rime would come when I would feel
the responsibility to share my writings with others - not
to emphasize my own personal experiences but for the un-
folding of one more aspect of Beloved Balxz., one more
saying of His, one more example from Meher Baba' s ac-
tions for us all. "
Come And See
"Come and see the Acropolis at Athens," writes one enthusi-
ast to his friend at home. "Come and see the Ellora Caves,"
writes another; "to see these alone is worth a trip to India."
"Come and sec the famous masterpieces in Florence; their
beauty will leave a lasting impression,' writes a third.
Many there arc ever ready to spend their savings, their
earnings, the ir fortunes on these different quests; but how
few are ever prepared to spend time or money on the Quest
of the spirit which seeks for the perfection of beauty that is
manifested in the human-divine form- the vision of
Divine Love ....
Said One long ago, "Come and see," in answer to His dis-
ciples' question, "where dwell est Thou?" They came, they
followed, they forsook all and found the "pearl of great price."
Today, nearly 2,000 years later, this same Voice spoke to a
little group in answer to the same question, saying: "Come
and see." They obeyed and are here- a small group gath-
ered from all parts of the world; not in Nazareth, but in a spot
not very different- Meherabad- situated on a hill looking
down upon the village of Arangaon to the south and to the
north Ahmednagar, the famous military fort of past days. A
SPRING 1992
VOL.22
group not unlike that early group Some like wavering Peter,
some like doubting Thomas, some with the intuition ofJohn,
some with the weakness but the supreme love and faith of
Mary Magdalene; some filled with the cares of the household
like Martha, some like Mary- calm and never ruffled, look-
ing up at her Master with eyes that tell how she understands,
ever ready to respond to His mood, ever thoughtful of His hu-
man needs and not worrying Him with her litrle cares and
troubles after a weary day's work. How Jesus must have loved
that tli.oughtfulness for His human side, for we know that He
was indeed tired at times.
Today can be observed a little scene not unlike that of
2,000 years ago. Mehtr Baba, our beloved Master, coming
up the hill in the midday tropical sun and, before He has had
time to enter his room, being besieged by one wanting a
letter to be signed, another with some petty grievance, an-
other with some domestic matter of no importance, and
Meher Baba patiently listening, not turning away, weary and
tired though He be after bathing and feeding the god-mad
down below....
Up on the hill live the women from the West, sharing now
in closest detail the life of the Eastern group, who have been
here since its foundation. The youngest member of the group
is Meher Baba's own sister, Mani. All live an active and busy
life, secluded only in the sense that- except for the Mas-
ter- no men enter the precincts. Outside the boundary wall
is the women's hospital, a few steps only from the sacred spot
where Meher Baba has gone into seclusion for months at a
time, and which previously was the site of the Prem Ashram.
Such are the surroundings of Meher Baba's earthy spiritual
home, the atmosphere of which is beyond comparison. One
speaks from experience, having only recently returned from a
six-months tour of India, visiting during that period the rec-
ognized spiritual places, and returning to this place- set on a
holy hill- to breathe again with joy inexpressible the pure-
ness of its air, the freshness of its breezes and the beauty of Di-
vine Love and Peace woven into every grain of its soul. This
is Mcherabad, the radiating center of all Meher Baba's activi-
ties; the place of pilgrimage for the future.
What have we seen? One, like Jesus, who draws followers
to Him through love. One who says, "I have only love to
give and alii want is love." One who docs not promise his
followers earthly happiness, but who says nevertheless, "Be
happy, be cheerful. Do not worry, do not brood." Thus
teaching from the very beginning that self-mastery holds the
golden key to Divine Perfection. (oontirued on the bid cxmr)
 MEHER BABA NETWORK
Many Baba Lovers in the Bay Area have expressed interest in
finding ways to increase the sense of community. During the
past year, several efforts have been made to find ways to over-
come feelings of distance among us.
Two fellowship meetings were scheduled last year to discuss
ways to improve the sense of community. The success of
these meetings led to a succession of fellowship meetings.
Participants favored engaging in goal directed activities (such
as last year's "Being Is Dying By Loving" musical} and more
intimate gatherings in people's homes (such as the Discourse
meetings). Participants also wanted an "Information Ce!'-
tral'' for activities and gatherings.
ln response the Board established the Meher Baba Network.
Ron Greenstein (51 0-525-3364) and Dick Anderson (51 0-930-
8319) volunteered to direct people to activities and to gather
names of people interested in participating in new activities.
Here are the results to dare of these efforts and a summary of
activities already in progress in northern California. If you
want to participate, call the contact person listed below. If
you want to start a new activity, or add your name and inter-
ests to the data bank, call Ron Greenstein or Dick Anderson.
NEW ACTIVITIES
BAY TO BREAKERS CENTIPEDE
Be a pair of legs in a "Blue Bus" entry in the May race or help
with the construction. Leave a message at 415-845-4339.
CALENDAR PROJECT
Help create a calendar of important events in Baba's life, with
quotes, photos, etc. Proceeds will support the Avatar Mehcr
Baba Center of Northern California. Contact Roman Babiak
at 510-273-9426.
COMMUNITY BUILDING WORKSHOP
This will be a facilitated workshop for Baba Lovers to en-
hance our capacity as a community to share and experience
contact, trust, and love .. Our goal is to become less defen-
sive and isolated from each other. The workshop will rake
place on a weekend in June (dates to be announced.). More
information will be available at a later date.
SAlLING ON THE BAY
Renting a sailboat for weekend cruising with a group of Baba-
Lubbers. Contact Brad Mandell at 510-223-4002.
THEATER GROUP
Participate in creating aBaba play and being part of the pro-
ducti<;>n. Call Debbie Tyler at 707-554-8535
AVA TAR MEHER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, INC.
President, Darrell Rupe- Vice President, Alexandra Cons - Secretary, Roman Babiak- Treasurer, Jack Mormon Board of
Directors: Soussan Adham, Roman Babiak, Alexandra Cons, Harold Jamison, Raj Mehta, Darrell Rupe, Paul Williams .
Newsletter: Roman Babiak, Alexandra Cons, Keith Gunn, Lisa Greenstein, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson,
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701)
NEW CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES
As a result of the fellowship meetings a group of parents mer
and set in motion a schedule of children's activities on the
4th Sunday of each month. Families with children will par-
ticipate in activities coordinated by the parent(s) in charge
that month. A committee was formed to work with children
on skits. Also, meetings are being planned for older children.
February 23, 1992 ~ 2:00 ~ 4:00 PM
CHD.DREN'S BABA BIRTIIDAY PAR1Y
Harding Park Club House
C Street, El Cerrito
This will be a pot luck. Birthday cake and activities pro-
vided. Coordinator: Sue Jamison 510-236-7993.
March 29, 1992 ~ all day (fifth Sunday of the month)
TRIP TO MONTEREY AQUARIUM
If enough parents express interest, plans will also be made to
spend Saturday night at a Monterey motel. Coordinator:
Lisa Greenstein 510-525-3364.
April 26, 1992
Call for details and directions.
Coordinator: Ursula Van Buskirk 510-947-0495
May 24, 1992
Call for details and directions.
Coordinators: Sue Jamison 510-236-7993 and Emiko Larson
510-526-2309.
A children's phone tree is being farmed. To be included call Raine
Eastman-Gannett at (510) 649-0433
ACTIVITIES IN PROGRESS:
LOVESTREETSINGERS~PLAYERS
This group puts on at least two performances a year - one in
June and one in December for the Holidays, Contact Raine
Eastman-Gannett at 510-649-0433.
MEHER BABA INFORMATION
If you want to help disseminate information about Baba to
people worldwide, then you can volunteer time at "The Box".
Contact Rick or Sheryl Chapman at 510-562-1101.
MEN'S MEETING
A men's support group has been in progress for almost two
years in the Berkeley area. Contact Joe Elia at 510-236-4479.
SMALL GROUP GATHERINGS
An outgrowth of the fellowship meetings are semi-monthly
gatherings held at homes. Flexible formats involve informal
sharing of experiences in Baba's Love. Contact Greensteins
at 510-525-3364. Next meeting is February 28th at 7:15 PM
at the Harland's in El Cerriw. CallS I 0-234-9647 far directions.
eccpyrig/Jt 1992, AvatarMeherBabaCentero/NonhemCalfomia
 EVENTS FOR SPRING 1992
Meher Baba events crte held on Saturday nights except far meetings
held on the FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH unless other
wise indicated below. 0 Bookstore C!) Childcare
TIMES- Events start at 8:00PM and narmally end by 9:30PM
unless orherwise noted.
LOCATIONS - Events crte held at the AIOO.ny Methodist Church
unless orherwise noted. The church is at the comer of Marin and
Stannage, two blocks east of San Pablo Avenue in Allxmy (North
of Berkeley) Take the A/OO.ny exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes callSI0-845-4339.
fRl. MARcH 6
SHIREEN BONNER
ee
The daughter of Baba's brother Adi tells stories about her
Uncle Baba and growing up in a Baba family in England.
SAT. MARCH 7-7:00 PM
POT LUCK DINNER WITH SHIREEN AND
JAY BONNER
The Bonners requested this chance to visit informally. The
dinner will be held in Fremont at the Mehta's home. Call
Raj or Damyanti to RSVP and for directions - 510-790-7188
SAT. MARCH 14-7:00 PM 8 Learn about the games and sports Baba played and what he
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
(WITH HORS D'OEUVRES)
Exercise your right to vote in the new board and approve
this year's budget. Enjoy hors d' oeuvres hosted by the
outgoing board while hearing a recap oflast year's
accomplishments.
SAT. MARCH 21 8 grills. Games like 7 Tiles, Ati Pati, Gili Danda, Cricket, etc.
KITIY DAVY MEMORIAL
Join us in a tribute to her life of love and service, and the
spontaneous goodness that enriched, by example, the hearts
of many Baba Lovers. Possible film or tape of Kitty.
SAT. MARCH 28
NIGHT AT THE MOVIES
The pleasure of the Beloved's presence in "The Ancient
One" and "Stay With Meher Baba" - plus popcorn.
FRI. APRIL 3 - 7:00 PM
CHILDREN'S NIGHT
An evening free from parenting. Entertainment for all of
Beloved Baba's children. Young and old will enjoy this spe-
cial program- sweets and refreshments served.
SAT. APRIL 11 -FUND RAISER 0 Arti, singing, and readings.
JAMIE NEWELL CONCERT
Ar/ingtori Community Church
52 Arlington Avenue in Kensington
Love for the Beloved expressed in the country blues of this
Nashville singer-songwriter. Suggested donation $10.00
SAT. APRIL 18
A TRUST UPDATE
A look at the inner workings of the Avatar Meher Baba
Perpetual Trust- its accomplishments over the years.
SAT. APRIL 25
HOW I CAME TO BABA
Hear the "Baba Stories" of some fellow Bay Area Baba
Lovers and marvel at the intricate workings of Divine Love.
FRI. MAY 1
Fll.M NIGHT
Recover from the work week by gazing at the Divine Be-
loved in Irwin Luck's film "Avatar OfThe Age.
SAT.MAY9 0
RON AND DARRELL CONCERT
Two distinct vocal and guitar styles blend and balance in
love for Beloved Baba. Darrell Rupe and Ron Greenstein
give a concert of original songs and Baba favorites.
SAT. MAY 16-8:00 AM to 3:00PM
flEA MARKET FUNDRAISER
Friends Meeting Hall
Vine and WainuJ in Berkeley
HELP WANTED - to collect, price and sell. Experience the
joy of drudgery and raise funds for the Avatar Meher Baba
Center of Northern California .. To contribute items or time
call Roman Babiak at 510-273-9426.
SAT. MAY 23
BABA, SPORTS AND SPIRITUALITY
said about the spiritual significance of some of them.
SAT. MAY 30- Noon to Exhaustion
PICNIC WITH GAMES BABA PLAYEO
Cordonices Park
1301 Euclid Ave. at Eunice in Berkeley
Pot Luck food and drinks - bring your own meat for the
Also a children's playground and the Berkeley Rose Garden.
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito~ Sunday Mornings- 10:00 AM
Arti and singing.
Contact the Greensteins at 510-525-3364
El Cerrito- Thursday Evenings-7:15PM
"Discourses" reading and discussion.
Contact Louise Barrie or Dick Anthony at 510-524-1440.
Fresno ~ Wednesday Evenings - 7:30 to 8:30 PM
Arti, and a varied program.
Contact Sharon or Phil Scott at 209-449-0877
Palo Alto~ Friday Evenings-8:00PM
Contact the MacDonalds at 415-322-0886
Petaluma ~ Sunday Mornings - 11 :00 AM
Arti, readings, and fellowship.
Contact Hermann Loew at 707-778-1195.
Sacramento - Sunday Mornings - 11 :00 AM
Singing, readings from "Lord Meher", and food.
Contact the Busfields at 916-448-4264
If your regularly scheduled local meeting is not listed please
callS I0-273-94 26 to get it into the next newsletter.
{ConUI'AJ9d from front OOVfH)
Picture Meher Baba wilh His group of men and women
disciples and wilhout even lhe spoken word noting lheir ev-
ery frown, every an)(iety, every lhought and feeling, and per-
haps in front of all or taking one aside, spelling out on his
board (His self-chosen means of communication): "What is
wrong? What has upset you? Are you worrying about
anything?" There stands lhe Silent One alongside you wilh
His infinite love and knowledge, helping to bring to lhe sur-
face and to have spoken out alllhe pent-up feelings, any of
which arc sanskaras from lhe pa'it ac; well ac; lhe present,
some of which you arc not even conscious of. And saying at
lhe end: "Will you promise Me one thing? You say you
love me. You say you want to please Me and to see Me
happy. Then remember, be happy and do not worry. I
will help you. I know all, I know how deep is your ~ove.
Just do as I say. Love Me, and leave the rest to me."
From Troasuos hm lho lololw Babo .kunlls. Shetiat PrOM. Cqlrrlg/111980 by AMI> Sptillll Center
Sent February 14, 1958
To
Baba My Valentine
of the
Unending P.cl.St the Unending Present the Unending Future
BA~A
with the Universal Heart
of
Ageless Limitless Timeless
LOVE
to
BABA on His Birthday, February 25
a message of Love
That springs from His Heart
That dwells within His Heart
From: Love Ala. PrtNilils. Sherfi!T Press. CopyrliJI 1981 by Meh6t spri~ Clltllllf
LEITER FROM THE TRUSTWALLA
Greetings and JAI BABA- Followers of Avatar Mehcr Baba:
For lhe past two and half years I have been lhe "Trustwalla".
That is lhe person designated by lhe community and lhen
agreed upon by Mani Irani to collect money to be forwarded
to India. The money lhat you donate to The Avatar Meher
Baba Trust helps, and is used for, lhe necessary ongoing
work in India. These donations go to two distinct areas:
I. Money goes to support lhe resident persons and
Mandali lhat Baba designated in His Trust Deed.
2. Ongoing work on projects lhat Baba named in His
Trust Deed:
Arnartithi (and associated costs for Indian and for-
eign Pilgrims),
Upkeep ofMeherabad and The Samadhi (Baba's
Tomb),
Purchase of property bordering on Meherabad
Schools for village children,
Scholarships for village children,
Heallh clinics for local villagers,
A rural heallh clinic,
Animal veterinary services for local farmers,
Etc.
All lhe donations lhat you give, go directly to lhe Trust. The
Trust is upholding Baba 's orders for the work He set out in
His Trust Deed.
You can help The Trust wilh this work by regularly (or when
K the feeling strikes) sending checks to lhe "Trustwalla".
When you give a donation, I will send you a receipt and also
a pre-addressed envelope for your next donation.
To be involved in the vital Baba Work, please forward your
checks to lhe address below, or phone 510-601-0569 for
more details. Make checks payable to "Jack Mormon."
Jack Mormon
PO nox 1250
Berkeley, California 94701
MEHER BABA CENTER NON-PROFIT ORG.
of Northern California, Inc. U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO, CA.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
PERMIT NO. 166
Berkeley, California 94704
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC
N E w s L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 22
A CHILD'S EXPERIENCE OF
MEETING MEHER BABA , Part 2
by Wendy Haynes Connor
The fall 1991 newsletter cont'ains
Wendy's account of her first meeting with
the Avatar in 1958, when He came to
Myrtle Beach. This second chapter is taken
from the 1962 East, West Gathering.
In 1962 the news came that we had been waiting
for since 1958- that we could go to India to see Baba.
This was to be the first East,West gathering. We were
so thrilled, because Baba sa id that we wou ld be able
to spend four days with Him. I was 11 by this time.
One of the most exciting things about the trip was
that I wou ld get to miss three weeks of school. I re,
member my friends and teachers thought I was very
strange to go to India. Young girls didn't have mas,
ters in those days. By this time, I realized that I was
going to see God in human form.
I was feeling very in awe of see ing Baba and very
shy. The first day we got to meet the women mandali.
I couldn't believe how natural and loving they were.
They treated us like famil y. I was very lucky to be a
child, because I got to spend time with the Girls in,
side Guruprasad. Thousands of people would be out
back in the pandal, and Baba would be on the stage. I
would often be behind Baba peep ing out a little win,
dow that was inside the palace. I found out it was
Mehera's little hiding place too. Mehera always liked
to watch Baba as much as possible . She couldn't come
out, of course, since she was in seclusion from men
under Baba's order.
One day when I was looking out that li ttle win,
dow at the back ofBaba's head, Baba suddenly turned
around and twinkled at me, as if to say, "Wh at are
you doing? I know you're there! " I was so happy Baba
noticed I was there. A few minutes later, Mani came
rushing up to me with a garland that somebody had
brought. It was very beautifu l, made o ut of jasmine
flowers, and she asked me, "Would you like to take
this to Baba, out on the platform?" At first I felt very
1992
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
SUMMER 1992
shy, because there were so many people,
and then I realized that I would get to
see Baba, to put it on Baba. So I came
out from behind Baba and went around
to the front. Baba looked surprised and
happy to see me. He leaned His head
over so I could garland Him. And then
He enfolded me in a wonderful embrace
that seemed to last forever. Everybody disappeared,
all those thousands of people.
One morning, when Baba was seeing people in
small groups, the Girls dressed me up in a sari. This
was my first sari, I'd never seen one up close. They
wrapped it all around me and put makeup on my face,
which was very exciting, and a little red dot on my
forehead. They sa id , "go show Baba!" I went out, and
Baba was in the middle of something, but He stopped.
He was so apprec iative ! He looked very pleased and
sa id, "Wendy looks so beautiful, doesn't she?" And
everybody had to agree, of course . I felt very happy.
Another morning, Baba had arranged for a quawali
singer, one of the best in India, to sing for the West,
erners. I tried every morning to get as close to Baba
as possible. This morning I got the place of honor
right next to Baba's chair o n the floor. I settled in
very comfortably, and then this woman began to sing.
It was very hot in the room . As you can imagine, I
began to get very drowsy. At 11 years old, I didn't
appreciate this kind of music yet. It was rather "sing,
songy" and a little monotonous to my untrained ear,
and as she went on I began to get more and more
sleepy. I leaned next to Baba's chair, got comfortable,
and suddenly I was out. I know I was asleep be,
cause suddenly I felt a nudge in my e lbow. I sat up
and looked at Baba and He gestured, "Don't you like
the music?" with a twinkle in His eye. "Oh yes, Baba,"
I said , sitting up stra ight. It was so funny, when I
think of Baba poki ng me. Of course, I didn't go back
to sleep aga in that day.
While we were there, at one point, an image came
to my mind that has stayed with me. I felt as though
we were inside a bubble, all of us, the whole East,
 WIN A TRIP TO INDIA!
Enclosed in this newsletter are t ickets for our Fly,to,
India Sweepstakes. Please return your ticket stubs
and checks to participate in this exciting event. Your
donation to the Meher Baba Center of Northern
California is greatly appreciated and helps to support
our working together in His love. The Drawing will
be held July 19 at the Garden Party for Bhau Kalchuri
at the home of Keith and Jan Gunn. For further in,
formation, call (510) 845,4339. Additional tickets
can be purchased at meetings.
COMMUNITY BUILDING WORKSHOP
Saturday, June 13, 8 AM .. 6 PM and
Sunlay, June 14, 9 AM .. 1 PM
Berkeley Conference Center
Parlor Room, 2105 Bancroft Way
Facilitator's fee and room rental cost to be divided
among the participants.
An Ad Hoc committee of people interested in doing
a facilitated Community Building Workshop emerged
from recent fellowship meetings. The purpose, briefly,
is to expand our trust and understanding of one
another's hearts, become more loving and apprecia,
tive of our diversity, as well as experience the truth
that Baba is the basis for our unity-yes, we want to
warm up!
If you would like to reserve a space in the workshop
(deposit required), phone Joe Elia at 236,44 79. Space
is limited to 50 people (room capacity). Reserve early!
INSPIRATION PAGE
We want to offer space in upcoming newsletters for
drawings, poetry or other writing inspired by Meher
Baba. You are encouraged to submit material for the
feature to:
Lisa G reenstein
600 Albemarle
El Cerrito, CA 94530
We cannot guarantee inclusion in the "most next"
newsletter and publishing is at the art director's and
editor' discretion.
CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES
A group of parents have set in motion a schedule of
activities for children and families, generally on the
4th Sunday of each month. Meetings are also being
planned for older children.
June 28, Origami Workshop 1:00, 3:00PM
Annie & Vern Stovall's home
Call (51 0) 938-2126 for directions
Come create paper critters with Emiko Larson
July 12 .. Pool Party and Potluck Lunch
10:00- 12:00 PM meet at Livoma Pool in Walnut Creek
12:00- 2:00PM Potluck lunch at Home of co-ordinator
Annie Stovall (510) 93S-2126
August 24 :-Fun at Lafayette Reservoir -1:00PM
Pedal boats Rowboats Children's Playground
Meet at the pedal-boats and bring food to share.
Co-ordinator: Karen Talbot (510) 376-4325
SMALL GROUP GATHERINGS
Informal gatherings are held semi,monthly, in north
Bay Area homes, for fellowship, sharing, singing.
Flexible formats. Contact Greensteins for next time
and location (510) 525,3364.
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito .. Sunday Mornings, 10:00 AM
Arti and singing.
Contact the Greensteins at 510-525-3364
El Cerrito, Thursday Evenings, 7:15PM
God Speaks reading and discussion.
Contact Louise Barrie or Dick Anthony at 510-524-1440.
Fresno .. Wednesday Evenings, 7:30 to 8:30PM
- Arti, and a varied program.
Contact Sharon or Phil Scott at 209-449-0877
Palo Alto .. Friday Evenings , 8:00 PM
Arti, singing, and readings.
Contact the MacDonalds at 415-322-0886
Petaluma .. Sunday Mornings , 11:00 AM
Arti, readings, and fellowship.
Contact Hermann Loew at 707-778-1 195.
Sacramento , Sunday Mornings , 11:00 AM
Singing, readings from "Lord Meher'', and food.
Contact the Busfields at 916-448-4264
Walnut Creek, Wednesday Even ings 8 to 9:30
Please call Helen Riehl (510) 935-0167 or Gil Shepard at
(510) 930-8670 for directions
If your reguLarLy scheduled locaL meeting is not
listed pLease callS J0.-273.-9426 to get it into the next
newsLetter.
 11
MEETINGS- Meher Baba events are held on Saturday nights
except for meetings held on the FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY
MONTH unless other wise indicated below. TIMES- Events
start at 8:00 PM and normally end by 9:30 PM unless other-
wise noted. LOCATIONS - Events are held at the Albany
Methodist Church unless otherwise noted. The church is at
the corner of Marin and Stannage, two blocks east of San
Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of Berkeley) Take the Al-
bany exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
FRIDAY JUNE 5, GUTTA MEETING.
The board of directors invites the community to a gutta
meeting. We want to provide an opportunity fOr every-
bcxiy to actively participate in the meeting and to express
their views about programs, meetings in general and
anything else concerning the group. , The name comes
from the Manzi! E Meem period, in January 1923, when
Me her Eeba propa;ed to the mandali living at the Man-
zi! that a nightly meeting should be held at which every
one could freely express himself, regarding "domestic"
matter, fOllowed by some entertainment.
The Gutta meeting will be a time when there is no
'regular program'. Everyone is encouraged to attend
and to bring instruments, ideas and enthusiasm. It is
an experiment and an opportunity to improve com-
munications and also to promote a warm and friendly
atmosphere. The Gutta meeting is not a general
business meeting, nor is it just a discussion group.
Gutta means WINESHOP. Ideally, what will hap-
pen at such a meeting is that people will come
together and explore things that can bring us closer
to Baba and to sip the wine of His love while we arc
togeth er as a group.
SAT. JUNE 13- FILM NIGHT.
Come and jo in in on Meher Baba's 1956
United States tour.
SAT. JUNE 20, INDIAN COOKING CLASS
AND FUNDRAISER - 6:00 PM SHARP
Dee Mehta will teach us her authentic recipes for:
Thor Ke Dal, Onion Pulao, Gobi (cauliflower), Puris
and C hai. Only those attending the class ($15 do-
nation) will share in the meal that follows.
Reservations must be made by Tuesday, June 16th
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President, Hermann Loew Vice President, Rom an Babiak Secretary, Debby Tyler Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Soussan Adham, Roman Babiak, Noreen Graham, Laura Hogan, Hermann Loew, Dee Mehta, Darrell Rupe,
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Keith Gunn, Lisa Greenstein, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
.
Trustwal/a: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701)
in order to allow for food purchasing.
SAT. JUNE 27, BRING YOUR OWN BRABAZON
NIGHT
Come and bring your favorite Francis Brabazon
poem, ghazal, play, song or story to share as we sample
the diversity of art forms of Baba's poet.
FRIDAY JULY 3
No meeting scheduled, as many will be at the L.A.
Sahavas Program.
FRIDAY JULY 10 (NOT SATURDAY!) SILENCE
DAY REMEMBRANCE.
For those who wish to gather in observance of the
67th anniversary of Baba's silence, Baba's sadhra
will be on display from 4 PM to 9:30PM for gar-
landing, meditation, and contemplation. Silent films
will be shown beginning at 8 PM.
SAT. JULY 18- BHAU SPEAKS
Bhau Kalchuri has been one ofMeher Baba's mandali
since 1952. He was Baba's night watchman for
many years, and has written numerous books on
Baba, including the multi-volume epic Lord Meher.
Bhau has spent much of his life in the Lord 's
wineshop, so don't miss this opportunity to share
the wine of the Beloved.
SUN. JULY 19- POT LUCK
Garden Party with Bhau at the home of Keith and
Jan Gunn 52 Charles Hill Rd., Orinda (Take Hwy.
24 to exit St. Stephens, go North side of Hwy., take
access road toward Walnut C reek. Turn left at
Charles Hill Rd. Watch the signs carefully.
SATURDAY JULY 25
No meeting scheduled as many of us will be at
Bhaustock III in Mariposa (July 24- July 26).
AUGUST
There will be no meetings during the month of
August. For other meetings, see "Local Meetings".
Special Note: Ben Leer is organizing weekend hikes
during the month of A ugust. Dust off your hiking
boots and call him at (510) 834-2321 to join.
(Continued from page I)
West Gathering, a huge bubble floating in space
and suspended in time. It came from that feeling
of timelessness with Baba. Everything had stopped
and it was just Baba.
The last official day, we were offered a final embrace
from Baba. When it came my tum, I got about arm's
length from Baba, when, for some reason I stopped and
looked into Baba's eyes. At that moment, everything in
the room disappeared. I disappeared, and there was just
this experience of love flowing between us in a circle of
love, but I wasn't there. Just Baba was there. It was so
powerfu l that I felt myself starting to fall. Then sud,
denly that sensation was gone. At that moment, I looked
up and found that I was still standing in the same spot.
Baba was lookingat me with a little twinkle in His eye,
as if to say 'What did you think of that?" I went forward
to embrace Baba. Later that morning when Baba said
good,bye, He picked up the hem of his garment in His
hands and said, "Hold fast to my damaan with both
hands. Don't let go." The last thing I saw was the hem
of His garment flitting around the comer. It stays in my
mind, just a little flicker of white.
The next two days were taken up with going to
Meherazad and Meherabad. When we came back to
Pune, to our amazement Baba sent word that we could
go see Him one more time. We couldn't believe it! Baba
said we could meet Him at Bund Gardens at 7:30 the
next morning. We were so thrilled to have one more
glimpse. The next morning, we all assembled under the
Neem tree at Bund Gardens, and Baba sat there looking
so beautiful. They had brought a chair for Baba to sit in.
I don't remember Baba saying anything. We simply sat
together in silence. It was as if all the noise in Pune
stopped. There was not a sound. We sat for I don't know
how long. Then Baba stood up to go, and began to make
His way slowly to the car. I wanted very much to get up
close to Baba one last time, because I felt in my heart
that we wouldn't see Baba this way again. Somehow, I
found myself pushed to the back of the crowd, and I
couldn't get close to Baba. The harder I tried, the more
I got pushed back. I remember feeling so panicked. Sud,
denly the crowd parted and I found myself by the car, on
the side opposite Baba by the driver. Baba wasn't look,
ing at me. and the car was moving. I was crying by this
time. Suddenly Baba turned and looked at me. I heard
Him say with the inner voice, "Don't be sad, Wendy, I
will always be with you," and the car pulled away.
I feel that Baba has always been with me. It is I who
absent myself fr<mrt=ttrcr.thad ro learn and am still learn,
ing what it means lO love"Baba and to live a life for Him.
I feel it's a daily process, an unfolding within, and that
with every effort I make to please Baba, no matter how
small, that with that effort,. Baba's voice becomes clearer
and clearer. I often think of Baba's work in the New
Life, and what a miracle it is that He created through
His own example this path of love. Baba has made it
possible for each of us to find Him within, and if we can
be alert to His voice within, we can please Him more
and more. In essence this means putting ourselves aside
more and more and putting Him first more and more,
until He becomes the only focus in our lives. I've often
heard people ask, "How do we love Baba now that He's
gone?" Of course the answer is obvious- Baba isn't gone,
but I think that part of the struggle we have is going
though the pain of trying to find Him within. And learn,
ing to live for Him alone, just for Him.
MEHER BABA CENTER NON PROFIT ORG.
of Northern California, Inc. U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO. CA.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
Berkeley, California 94704 PERMIT NO. 186
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
N E w s L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 22
LOVE, SURRENDER AND
OBEDIENCE
\ of the meetings and all of the talks are all
This is transcribed from Andy Muir talking at the , . .
LA Sahavas in 1992 . Andy came to Baba in the ..
1940s, first meeting Baba in the body on May 17,
1952 . In response to the question, "When did you
first realize that Baba was who He said He was?"
Andy gave a somewhat unexpected answer, as follows :
I didn't realize He was who He said He was until I actu~
ally met Him. I accepted intellectually the concept of
His being God, and the basis of that was that I felt that
this man would never lie to me. That was the only proof
that I had or needed, but I didn't realize that my accep~
ranee of that fact had been purely intellectual until I found
myself embracing Him in the Barn at Myrtle Beach, look~
ing into His eyes. Then the fact that He was God was
completely unimportant to me. It is a strange paradox
that at the very moment I was totally convinced beyond
all doubt that He was God, it didn't matter anymore. My
level of acceptance of Him was His humanity and I was
totally satisfied with His humanness. That was as far as I
could go, because I am human and I can only respond to
humans as human beings. I couldn't possibly understand
what a sa int is, let alone who God is. But I said after I
met Him that I didn't care if He was the garbage man,
that I loved Him and that was all that mattered to me.
Baba taught me the lesson of unconditional love, the
kind of love a parent will give to a child. I had never
known that in my life. It was so remarkable that when I
fi rst saw this man whom I had never seen before, I just
ran into His arms and grabbed Him in an embrace. He
didn't allow me to think about meeting God or meeting
an important person. He took that all out of my mi nd
before I went into the Barn. It's quite amazing to me that
even then, He was taking care of my thinking. My great~
est moments with Baba have always been when my mind
was not involved. Consciousness, yes, but no thinking
process. The feeling and remembrance of that meeting
when Baba said of me, "He loves Baba very much," and
T T E
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
R
FALL 1992
then said, "Baba loves him very much" was
all I ever needed to hear. All of the book
reading and all of the discussions and all
icing on the cake. Knowing and accept~
~. \ ing His love was the key. I could never
,'\\
love someone in the abstract. I had to
meet Him, it was necessary to have His
physical presence and to see him with my physical eyes.
My love for Him would otherwise never have gone be~
yond a concept, an idea. But now, over the years, He has
shown me His infinite compassion and care in so many
ways. I know from the pattern of my life that I couldn't
possibly have been worthy of that unconditional love.
He told us one time in the Barn, "The idea of anyone
being worthy of My love is an insult to God" because
the person who could say that could not be aware of that
unconditional love. At one time, prio r to meeting
Him, I had written a letter to Baba in which I said that I
hoped to become worthy of His love. I put it that way
because I knew I would be doing really we\1 to be
worthy of any person's love, let alone God's. In the Bam,
I felt Baba was speaking directly to me.
Now you see how wonderful it was to hear Him in at our
first meeting saying that I loved Him and He loved me.
It solved everything. All of the doubts and worries and
intellectual concerns that came to me later were mean~
ingless in the light of that. He also told other people other
things that were just exactly what they needed to hear.
As a child, obed ience always meant something that I
would avoid if I possibly could, because it meant I had to
do something that I wouldn't want to do. But obedience
with Baba is doing something out of love that brings us
joy and happiness. It's also a gift from Him. There is no
way we can obey Him except by His grace. If we could
only see all our trials and tribulations as a manifestation
of His love. It sounds crazy, but it's true. Many times, the
things we work for and strive for in life are actually poi~
son, the toxic waste of the spiritual path. His love is the
Continued on back page
1992
 IL
GROUP CAMPING IN YOSEMITE FAMILY GATHERINGS
SEPTEMBER 25 , 2 7 (ALL ARE WELCOME)
All are invited for a weekend of tent camping, barbecu- SEPTEMBER 2 0 , A DAY AT STINSON
ing, and/or hiking. We have reservations for 30 in the BEACH , 1:00 PM , SUNSET
Yosemite Valley for two nights (Friday and Saturday). Meet at the Albany Methodist Church on Stannage
Space is limited, so please reserve early. Cost: $6 per and Marin, then caravan to the beach. Bring food
adult, $3 per child. Call Greg or Joan Harland for for Pot-Luck dinner. Coordinator, Alisa Dreyfuss
details (510) 234-9647. (510) 526-6078
OCTOBER 25 - AN AFTERNOON IN THE
MEHER BABA INFORMATION PARK 1:00 PM , 4:00 PM
Meet at the Harding School Park on C Street in El
Meher Baba Information is an information center which
Cerrito, one block south of Fairmount and Ashbury.
distributes materials about Avatar Meher Baba world-
Bring softball equipment, or whatever games you like.
wide. If you would like to help, call Rick or She ryl
Coordinator, Louise Barrie (510) 524-1440.
Chapman at (510) 562-1101.
NOVEMBER 2.2 , ACTIVITY TO BE
ANNOUNCED
AUCTION TIME! WE NEED YOU!!! Call Carol S inger (510) 234-7230
November 14 is the date of the Auction/Fundraiser to
benefit the Meher Baba Center of Northern California.
W e will be auctioning art, goods and services provided
by our very talented and capable Baba community. In
order to make this event a success, your donations arc
essential. You can donate art or goods for the auction, or
be creative with your professional skills, talents, or hob-
bies. Dinners, picnics, musical skills, lessons, classes,
entertainment, health care, or whatever special skills or
talents you have can help make our auction a success!
Please contact Noreen Graham at (510) 601-7388 or
write to 3817 Clarke St., Oakland CA 94609 with your
donation idea, or if you can help coordinate and orga-
nize this event. This has been one of our most successful
fundraisers..-in d~e -past, so please help out to "Make It
So" once again.

Eruch]essawalla's mother Gaimai went home to Beloved

''When the 'Woreofmy Love 6r~ out of Baba on June 22, 1992 at Meherazad. She had been
itsSilence andspeak in your lieart, teing Baba 's devoted servant since 1938 , when He called her
entire family to leave all and follow Him.
you wfw I reaffy am you wiJ[ k:tww that
that is the 2(eaf 'Wore{ you haVe aways
been fonging to hear. " - Meher 'Baha

Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.

President, Hermann Loew Vice President, Roman Babiak Secretary, Debby Tyler Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Soussan Adham, Roman Babiak, Noreen Graham, Laura Hogan, Herm ann Loew, Dee Mehta, Darrell Rupe,
N ewsletter: Alexandra Cons, Keith Gunn, Lisa Greenstein, !3etty Lo\:'o'man, Cherri Nelson
Trustwalla: J ack Mormon (P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley; CA 94701)
MEETINGS- Me her Baba events are held on Saturday nights
except for meetings held on the FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY
MONTH unless other wise indicated below. TIMES- Events start
at 8:00PM and normally end by 9:30PM unless otherwise noted.
LOCATIONS - Events are held at the Albany Methodist Church
unless otherwise noted. The church is at the corner of Marin
and Stannage, two blocks east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany
(North of Berkeley) Take the Albany exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore
Friday, March 5. Meher Baba in Our Lives.
On the first Friday of each month Harold Jamison will
coordinate a free and frank discussion of how Meher Baba
guides us and how we follow Him.
Saturday, March 13. Annual General Meeting
Come and vote .. exercise your right to choose the
new board and approve this year's budget. We'll
also hear a recap of last year's accomplishments by
the outgoing board.
Saturday, March 20. Songs by Artists Baba Liked.
AI )olson sings "Swannee," Chic Henderson sings "Begin
the Beguine," and we'll also hear Paul Robeson, Jim Reeves
and Cole Porter, among others. Come and see why these
were the Beloved's favorites
Saturday, March 27. Margaret Bernstein in Concert.
Last month's concert was cancelled because of a sched,
uling conflict at the church. This is the rescheduled
performance of music from her album "Full Circle." A
$6 donation, requested at the door, will go to the Youth
Sahavas Committee.
Friday, April 2. First Friday discussion of Meher
Baba in our Lives.
(see March 5)
Saturday, April10. PhyUis Ott Talks and Exhibits
Recent Work
Phyllis, a graduate of Harvard who studied with Hans
Hoffman, worked with her husband and fellow artist Lyn
to create the 17 beautiful murals at Meherabad, as well
as many other portrayals of the Beloved. During her
darshan with Baba in 1965 Baba gestured, "Phyllis sees
my face perfectly."
Saturday, April 17. The Love Street Singers
Perform.
Come for an evening of music including the premiere of
The Chorale and Arti in F Majar, a lovely piece written
especially for The Love Street Singers by L.A. Baba
Lover Pris Haffenden.
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President, Hermann Loew Vice President, Roman Babiak Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Soussan Adham, Roman Babiak, Noreen Graham, Laura Hogan, Hermann Loew, Dee Mehta, Darrell Rupe,
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Keith Gunn, Lisa Greenstein, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701)
Saturday, April24. StoryteUing and Films.
Bring your favorite Baba story to share and enjoy two
short Baba films.
Saturday, May 1, 12 PM. A May Day Picnic!
A potluck picnic on Angel Island. Together, once again,
we will try to learn the games that our Beloved loved to
play. Be sure to call the office, 510 ..845 .. 4339, for a re,
cording of the final details.
Friday, May 7. First Friday discussion ofMeher Baba
in our Lives.
(see March 5)
Saturday, May 15. Meher Baba in the Media
Kevin Mossburger will co,ordinate a meeting which will
review themany, many ways Baba useo the media.
Saturday, May 22. Remembrance of Mehera's
joining the Beloved.
An evening of songs, poetry, teading 'and rejoicing co..
ordinated by Raine Eastman,Gannett.
Saturday, May 29.
No meeting tonight, in anticipation of another visit by
Baba's mandali member Bhau Khalchuri in Mariposa.
Call the office, 510,845 .. 4339, for details.
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito- Sunday Mornings, 10:00 AM
Arti and singing at the Greensteins at 510,525,3364
El Cerrito - Thursday Evenings .. 7: 15 PM
Discourse reading and discussion.
Contact Louise Barrie or Dick Anthony at 51 Q, 524,1440
Fresno- Wednesday Evenings, 7:30 to 8:30PM
Arti, and a varied program.
Contact Sharon or Phil Scott at 209,449..0877
Palo Alto - Friday Evenings .. 8:00 PM
Arti, singing, and readings.
Contact Cherri Nelson at 415,325,2231
Petaluma - Sunday Mornings .. 11 :00 AM
Arti, readings, and fellowship.
Contact Hermann Loew at 707,778,1195
Sacramento .. Sunday Mornings , 11 :00 AM
Discourse meeting second Tuesday of each month.
For times and locations of these and Sunday morning
gatherings, call Marilyn Buehler at 916,925 ..4451
Walnut Creek , Wednesday Evenings 8 to 9:30 PM
Please call Helen Riehl51Q,935,Q167 or Gil Shepard at
51Q,9JQ,8670 for directions
If your regularly scheduled local meeting is not listed
please call510.-273.-9426 to get it into the next newsletter.
 DELIA
Baba's beloved Delia de Leon passed away on Thursday
January 21, 1993. She was His 'Leyla,' along with 'Saroja'
(Kitty Davy) and 'Zuleka' (Maragaret Craske)-His
Frivolous Three. Delia met Baba in 1931 in England
on His first trip to the west, and was thereafter His de-
voted follower, going with Him on His early travels in
Europe and India. Delia was an actress by profession,
and spent most of her life in London. Her home near
Kew Gardens became a center for those wanting to learn
more about the Divine Beloved.
Below is a poem that Delia sent to Baba. He loved this
poem and had it translated and read aloud twice.
A POEM FOR BABA FROM HIS
BELOVED LEYLA
"If H e offers thee His embrace
Run His caress to meet
If not His withholding is sweet.
If thou hast served Him well
Given Him all that was thine
Loved only the Divine
H e never will part from thee,
Wholly in Him shalt thou dwell."
Meher Baba Information
"The Box" sends information about Meher Baba to
interested people worldwide. To volunteer, call Rick
or Sheryl Chapman at (510) 562-1101.
SHERIAR FOUNDATION
The Sheriar Foundation is a non-profit, tax-exempt cor-
poration formed in 1989 to "broaden awareness and
deepen the appreciation of the spiritual values exempli-
fied in the life and writings of Meher Baba."
Contributions from those wishing to support the Foun-
dation make possible specific publication and video
productions. One book in the works, God-Brother, Sto-
ries of my life with Meher Baba, is an illustrated collection of
cham1ing stories written by Mani. Conversations with The
Awakener, by Bal Natu, was the Foundations' first book
publication. The Foundation serves as an umbrella for
the Baba-publications activities of Sheriar Press, and has
also produced, to date, six video productions. The Foun-
dation has accumulated hundreds of hours of video tape
of Meher Ba ba 's discipies and of places most deep! y con-
nected to His life and work, and is currently producing
darshan, a multi-faceted exploration of being in the pre-
sence of God. An extensive list of additional video
projects is under consideratio n.
Those interested in helping move this plan of action for-
ward, or in receiving a brochure, may write or call Sheila
Krynski, Andy Lesnik or Ann Conlon at Sheriar Founda-
tion, 3005 Highway 17 N. Bypass, Myrtle Beach, SC
29577, (803) 448-1106.
The Trust
All w ho wish to share in the commitment laid down
by Baba through the instrument of the trust contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, Ca. 94701
.
MEHER BABA CENTER NON PROFIT
OF NORTHERN C ALIFORNIA INC. U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO, CA.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
Berkeley, California 94704 PERMIT NO. 186
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
N E w s L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 23
This is an excerpt from Professor A. K.
Harra's book The Memoirs ofa Zetetic. Pro~
fessor Hazra met Meher Baba in the 1950s
and had many remarkable experiences with the
Beloved. (A zetetic, by the way, is an inteL~
Lectual who resists acknowledging God's
e:xistence.) Professor Hazra says "In their ig~
norance, zetetics resist His knowledge; in their helplessness
they defy his power; in their blindness they defy His light. If
they could only be free of the inhibiting and corroding influ~
ence of their intellectual wisdom, their hearts would open up
to the flow of His grace ."
BABA'S COMPASSION
In the previous chapter, I have related two incidents of
physical healing done by Baba. In this chapter, I am go~
ing to describe how Baba could assuage mental suffering
as well. After my father's death and the death of my grand~
mother and uncle, mother was in such agony of mind
that it was a pity that we could do nothing to cheer her
up. From time to time, thinking of her lost relatives, she
used to break down and we all felt invariably gloomy. As
she was a widow, she, according to Bengali Brahministic
tradition, was supposed to wear a plain white sari and
wipe away the vermilion mark on her forehead that was
the symbol of a woman whose husband was alive. A ll
this and many other rules she imposed upon herself as
directed by custom and it all only succeeded in remind~
ing her of having lost her husband thus perpetuating the
mood of unhappiness that time, the great healer, might
have cured her of sooner or later. Then came the darshan
days at Poona and I insisted on her going for Baba's
darshan with the hope that it would act as a healing balm
on her deeply wounded heart. When we finally entered
the darshan hall and sat down in front ofBaba, He looked
at us with great understanding and compassion. Baba's
eyes rested on me: (The following story makes more sense
if one understands that Baba and Amiya's mother had
no languages in common. Amiya therefore translated for
his mother from English into Bengali.)
l 993
T T E
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
R
SPRING 1993
"Where are you all staying, Amiya?"
He asked.
"At Ganeshkhind, Baba."
"Why are you living so far from here?
Could you not stay in a hotel near this
place?"
"Baba..." I hesitatingly replied, "it's firstly
because my cousin resides at Ganeshkhind."
"Is that all?" He asked. I knew that I had to give the
complete explanation from the way He looked at me.
"Baba, it is also because my mother doesn't want to eat
food cooked at a hotel."
"Why does she not want to eat food at a hotel?"
"Baba, because she has become a widow and a widow in
our caste takes food either cooked by herself or by some
relative who should be a Brahmin."
Baba's eyes peered into mine at the statement. After a
moment's pause He said, "Amiya, am I not your Father?"
With tears coming to my eyes, I replied, "Yes, Baba, you
are~ you are indeed my Father." "Well, how can your
mother be a widow, then?" and Baba pointed His finger
at mother. "You are right Baba, she can't be a widow," I
replied. Baba's face suddenly assumed tremendous bright~
ness and austerity. With calm but divine seriousness He
further gestured with His hand making a circle in the air.
"Amiya, I am the husband and father of the entire uni~
verse. Know that for sure."
I bowed my head in assent. Baba continued, "There is no
need for your mother to shun food prepared at hotels and
feel that she is a widow." I told mother what Baba con~
veyed . I told her not to feel like a widow bereft of a
husband because she had Baba's grace ~ the symbol of
help and protection. Mother perhaps did not understand
all that was meant. But after leaving Guruprasad Hall, I
noticed a change coming over her, slowly but steadily,
she began to come out of her mental gloom, the sudden
outbreaks of weeping ceased and although she still main~
rained some of the rules imposed on her by custom, she
continued on next page
 was no longer in the throes of agony as she often used to
be in the past. Baba had started healing her wounded
mind, her tortured heart in His imperceptible manner
from that moment and now I never find mother lament..
ing over the loss of her dear relatives.
Another episode comes to my mind connected with that
darshan. I have already mentioned that a poor youth,
the servant of a [lawyer] was with us. His wages were not
adequate, though, to save money for the expenses in..
volved in the trip to Poona for Baba 's darshan. But such
was his love for Baba that he decided that he would save
a few rupees every month by curtailing some of his needs
to have enough money to pay the railway fare. I do not
know how much sacrifice he had to make to do that but
by the time we were ready to leave Jabalpur for Poona,
this youth, 'M', was also ready. At last he had his desires
fulfilled. Whenhe sat in front of Baba with us, Baba cast
a loving glance at him.
"Who is he, Amiya?"
"Baba, he is 'M' from Jabalpur. He is a servant of a lawyer's
family. He loves you and, being poor, he saved a few
rupees every month for aoout six months to come to you
for your blessings."
Baba looked at 'M' with infinite compassion. Then He
said, "'M' is it true that you have saved rupee after rupee
every month to have my darshan?"
"Yes, Baba" replied 'M'.
"Do you love Me so much?"
"Yes, Baba, I love You."
Baba again~~ked at 'M'. "How much money do you get
every mon
"I get thirty rupees every month, Baba." Baba wore a
-qufzzicarlook- iii-mseyes~'Yc>u-get iliirty rupees every~---- -station.- I looked at my mother.-Sheiooked-proudlyback
month? Well, 'M', you are richer than I am! I do not
even have a penny, just see!" Baba put His hand in his
coat pockets and showed their utter emptiness to 'M'.
We all looked at Him. "'M', I am very poor. I am the
poorest of the poor. Yet, being God, I am also the rich..
est of the rich. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Baba."
"Never consider yourself to be poor, 'M'. You love me
and I love you. I am very pleased with your love for me.
Come and embrace me." 'M' rose and went up to Baba.
Baba gave him such a tender embrace that we felt as if
the ocean was being poured into the cup. 'M' came back
to his seat with tears streaming down his cheeks. He no
longer appeared oppressed with the sense of poverty
which he had in his mind and aoout which he often
used to talk to me at Jabalpur.
During the darshan period which was for aoout a fort ..
night for me and mother, at last the day of parting arrived.
It was morning time. Mother and I were getting ready to
leave. Suddenly, I thought of first paying a short visit to
Baba for a farewell glimpse and then go to the station.
We sat in a three ..wheeler. Mother said in Bengali, with
a sigh of longing, "I wanted to have a ride in Baba 's own
car!" I was surprised beyond measure.
"What are you dreaming of, Mamma? This is a child..
like expectation on your part. Who can travel by Baba's
car? It is meant for Him and a few of His Mandali. So,
give up the idea." Perhaps my tone was gruff and I saw a
shade of humiliation come over mother's face. But she
said nothing. Truly, Baba's car was meant for Baba .. the
Godman and not for such ordinary beings as us. So she
l<:ept qutet and- we reached Guruprasad~y--the
three .. wheeler. Inside the gate, with its nose toward the
road, stood Baba's car. It meant that Baba was in the
hall and we could have a parting glimpse of Him. As we
went ahead to the porch, a man from the Mandali came
up to us. "Amiya, where are you going?"
"Why, for Baba 's darshan, before we leave Poona. Is it
not possible? Will He not give His darshan?" The gentle..
man nodded his head and said, ''Well, Amiya, Baba left
for a house visit a few minutes ago. So you can't see Him."
Mother and I looked very much disappointed. Then I
looked at the car and could not help asking . . "But Baba's
car is here!"
"Yes. He has gone by another car. And He instructed
me to tell you that He has left His car for your mother
and yourself to go to the Poona railway station. So please
go in it or you would be missing your train." As we got
into the Godman's car, a sweet fragrance greeted us. The
driver started the car and we were off for the railway
and said, "You talked as if you were not my child, but my
father. But see how Baba, the omniscient One has ful ..
filled my desire to travel by His car. So, remain the child
thatyouare,OK?"Well,shewasright,andiwaswrong.
As the car sped toward the station, I could not help
wondering again aoout Baba's omniscience and love for
us. How fortunate we were indeed to be loved and taken
care of by One who knew the slightest wish and thought
that sparked in any mind in the world.
MARIPOSA PLANNING MEETINGS
By. . laws for the proposed Mariposa Center are being ere..
ated in monthly meetings held at the Pearsons' house in
Mariposa. If you are interested in being part of this pro..
cess, call Chris Pearson at ( 209 )966 ..507 8, or call Bryan
Drygas, (408) 356..3512.
 IL
MEETINGS - Meher Baba events are held on Saturday nights
except for meetings held on the FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY
MONTH unless otherwise indicated below. TIMES- Events
start at 8:00PM and normally end by 9:30 PM unless other-
wise noted. LOCA T/ONS - Events are held at the Albany
Methodist Church unless otherwise noted. The church is at
the corner of Marin and Stannage, two blocks east of San
Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of Berkeley) Take the Al-
bany exit from Interstate 80. " Bookstors
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
'I FRIDAY SEPT. 4 -FILMS OF MEHE'R BABA
A blessing of this technological age is having moving
images of the God-Man o n film. Come and delight in His
grace and beauty.
SATURDAY SEPT. 12- DHUN1 AT MUIR BEACH
Gathering a nd potluck will begin at 4 PM and the
dhuni will be lit at sunset. Bring a blanket and musical
instruments.
SATURDAY SEPT. 19 - A TASTE OF INDIA - 7:00 PM
Once again , Raj and Dee Mehta bring us India in Fremont!
This festive feasting is available only to the first 50 adults (only)
who RSVP. Call (510) 790-7188 before September 12.
SATURDAY SEPT. 26 - OPEN MIKE N IGHT -
A talent night for the Beloved. This gig has a direct line to
the Beloved through highest quality heart-cord. Singers,
dancers, jugglers, poets and artists who wish to show their
paintings, please contact coordinators Raine Eastman Gannett
(510) 649-0433 or Sue Jamison (510) 236-7993.
FRIDAY OCT. 2 - COMING TO BABA
Jack Mormon hosts a panel of Baba lovers who share their
tales of stepping into the Beloved's divine net.
SATURDAY OCT. 10 - GUTTA MEETING
7:00 TO 10:00 PM
The original Gutta at Manzi I e Meem was Baba's idea. It was
an opportunity for everyone to express himself fron
matters to do with the Manzi!. For us, it is an opportunity to
exchange views, ideas, suggestions, criticisms, etc. regard ing
our meetings a nd the group as a whole. T he goal is to clear
the air and to come a little closer to each other, thereby
recognizing Baba in each oth er and com ing closer to Him.
G utta means wineshop, and Baba, the eternal Saki, invites
all of us to sip the wine of His divine love (bring pillows if
you like). Moderated by Hermann Locw
'I SATURDAY OCT. 17 - ERUCH ON LARGE
SCREEN VIDEO
Eruch Jessawalla, o ne of Baba's long-time intimate compan-
ions, tells the New Life story of the Imampur Mosque and
other tales of life with the Avatar. This high -quality tape has
never been shown in the Bay Area
SATURDAY OCT. 24 - JEWISH MYSTICISM AND
FOLLOWING MEHER BABA
Mehe r Baba said He would bring the world's re ligions together
like pearls on a string. ln this spirit, Susan Chemilo will share
her explorations into New Age and ancient jewish mysticism.
You can leave your prayer shawls and yarmulkas at.home, but
come with open hearts, prepared to share.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 31- HALWWEEN PARTY AT
SOUSSAN ADHAM & DARRELL RUPE'S HOUSE
Come en;turned as a mandali, mast, s~. Baba pet, or what-
ever moves you. 3118 California St., Berkeley. (510) 549-3118.
'I FRIDAY NOV. 6- TODDY SHOP 7 - 9:30PM
Patterned after the toddy shop at the L.A. Sahavas, this is an
informal evening of music, stories, and socializing. The chai
shop will be open and refreshments will be availabe. Bring
your instru ments and your joy. This should be a fun evening
for young and old.
SATURDAY NOV. 14- AUCTION TIME
Who knows what fascinating and unexpected items will be
found? From the most sublime a rtwork to the most mundane,
but necessary, services. Come and share in the fun and fund-
raising this evenin g.
SATURDAY NOV. 21 - MOVIES IN BERKELEY
In an effort to present Meher Baba to the greater public, we
wiII show movies, present music, and host a discussion. Please
come to share Baba with someone new to us, although cer-
tainly n ot to Baba. Trini ty United Methodist C hurch,
Bancroft Way and Dana St. Berkeley, 7:00 to 9:30 PM.
SATURDAY NOV. 28 -THANKSGIVING ON THE
FARM
Hermann Loew will host a potluck at his home in Petaluma (a
large turkey will be provided). Everyone is invited. Starts at 2
PM, dinner at 4:30. RSVP by November26. (707) 778- 1195.
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito , Sunday Mornings - 10:00 AM
Arti and singing.
Contact the Greensteins at 5 10-525-3364
El Cerrito -Thursday Evenings- 7:1 5 PM
God Speaks reading and discussion.
Contact Louise Barrie or Dick Anthony at 510-524-1440.
Fresno- Wednesday Evenings- 7:30 to 8:30PM
Arti, and a varied program.
Contact Sharo n or Phil Scott at 209-449-0877
Palo Alto - Friday Evenings - 8:00 PM
Arti, singing, and readings.
Contact the MacDonalds at 415-322-0886
Petaluma - Sunday Mornings- 11:00 AM
Arti, readings, and fellowship.
Contact Hermann Loew at 707-778-1 195 .
Sacramento - Sunday Mornings - 11 :00 AM
Singing, readings from "Lord Meher", and food.
Contact the Busfields at 9 16-448-4264
Walnut Creek- Wednesday Evenings 8 to 9:30
Please call Helen Riehl (510) 935-0 167 or Gil Shepard at
(510) 930-8670 for directions
If your regularly scheduled local meeting is not
listed please call 510-273-9426 to get it into the next
newsletter.
sweet wine that makes everything else wonderful. He is
the catalyst that makes all nature beautiful to us. There
is no life other than th at which He gives us. Not only
did he give us life in the manifestation of the love of our
parents, but He formed every cell in our bodies. There is
nothing that He is not. He does not demand anything
of us. H e never points His finger at us and says, "You've
been bad," or "You've been sinful." He calls these mis-
takes, and that's what they are. The concept of hell is
totally foreign, because we know that He can do noth-
ing but love us, and love all of mankind. Even if there
were such a thing, and we had to go there to sec Him
and be with Him, it would be Heaven .
l 've 1earne recently about the concept of surrender. I
always thought that surrender was to be avoided at all
costs. S urrender always meant to me that you had to
give in, to beg for mercy or something like that. But
that's not it, not what H e means. S urrender to Baba is
victory, not defeat. It's a paradox that we would lie at
His feet in submission, that it wou ld be a lessening of
what we are, but it's not. It's the only way we can be-
come what we are, to realize what we are. S urrendering
tota lly, completely to Him, His guidance and His care is
exactly what we have looked for all of our lives. The
love that we have looked for all of our lives in other
people is that love H e gives us. That's why we 're so of-
ten disappointed in our relationships, because we
anticipate that the other person, through love, can give
us what He can give us. But He is th e only one, the only
source oflove. There isn't any other. Love on any level,
from the most physical to the most cerebral, is from Him.
A ll of the attributes that the spiritual path can demand
of us are only obtainable by His grace, through love. Baba
said to the mandali that they should never demean or
discount anyone's love for anything, unless it is moti-
vated by selfishness. We should always be careful not to
crit icize others for their direction or the scope of their
love, because love is a sacred thing even when it is being
misdirected and m isused. We should always respect it in
others. We all must be very careful not to be critical of
other people's concepts and ideas, or love of God. I saw
a man on telev ision one day who remarked that he had
been talking to God that morning. I sat there alone in
the room and thought to myself, "Oh come on, what are
you trying to I\1Q on us?" And then I thought if I went
and told that man that I had physically embraced God
A lmighty and kissed Him he would say exactly the same
about me. So, how do I know he didn't talk to God this
morning? That's between him and Baba, so don't ever
judge other people's relationships to Baba. It's exactly
what it needs to be, whether we agree with it or not. He
never makes mistakes, we have nothing to worry about.
How could we worry when our captain is Baba who could
never fail us, who has promised us that at the end of that
long long trail awinding, all of our dreams and all of our
wishes and desires wi ll be fulfilled ? Jai Baba!
MEHER BABA CENTER NON PROFIT ORG.
of Northern California, Inc. U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO, CA.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
PERMIT NO. 186
Berkeley, California 94704
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
N E s L
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 23
Delia: A Personal
Remembrance
by Paul Birchard
It is difficu lt to convey in print the wonderfully lov~
ing, spontaneous, though tful and humorous qualities
of our dear friend De lia de Leon, who passed away
January 21st around 6:30 P.M. GMT. She was not an
intellectua l-she freely admitted incomprehension of
God Speaks, and bafflement at the enormity of the
concept of GOD actua ll y taking on a human form.
She didn't appear to be engaged in great good works;
she never discussed such things. What she did possess,
as Meher Baba Himself affirmed to her in more than
one letter, was love; unconditional, completely surren ~
dering, constantly attentive love which was awakened
the moment they met in a box at London's Coliseum
Theatre in 1931, during an evening's performance of
the operetta White Horse Inn.
Delia kept in touch all the time- sometimes several
times every day-with a large circle of friends and
family. After her funera l, there was a party at Barbara
and Fred Freiji's home, and after a champagne roast a
voice asked: "Who was Delia closest ro?" In the frac~
tion of a second Malcolm Harrison dryly qui pped:
"British T elecom!" (the phone company!) It was, for
me, a wonderful privilege, to have Delia as a friend,
one with whom I felt very close over the past four or
five years. I came to feel that sh e was a tremendously
powerful undercover agent for Baba, as it were, work~
ing silently as a channel for His work of awakening
hearts to His presence, attuning those who came in her
orbit in some way to Baba's rhythm and demands.
Such an idea cannot be proved, I suppose, but there
1993
E T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
SUMMER 1993
have been many wh o have rema rked
how Del ia came mo re and more to
embody Baba's mannerisms ove r these
recent yea rs, some characteristic phys~
ical gesture of His popping out un~
expectedly and completely without guile
or artifice. I feel that her "cover" was her worrying and
fretting, which have become legendary. Some of that
was due to t he disciple's d rive for everything to be
exactly right fo r the Master, and for an y possible s lip~
up to be recognized in advance and considered in
planning. the fact that, in practice, this seemed to
mean frett ing over "little" things ought to point us
toward Baba's own statement that "it all depends upon
the particular yardstick used. " To me it seemed that
Delia was the kind of lover whose lips were sealed by
God, so that not even smoke would escape to draw
attention to th e fire with in.
Deli a was an actress. T h is o ught not to be forgotten.
She co~founded th e very first "fringe" theatre in
Britai n, "The Q," located in Kew, near R ichmond, in
1924. Though Delia wasn' t particularly active in it
from 1931 onwards, it flourished until 1956 and Baba
attended performances there twice . It was, I believe,
the blueprint for th e wonderful flowering of British
theatre which occurred in the 1960s, when new w rit~
ing was born in and for small theatres all over the
country, and whose fruit is seen today in the British
winners of our own Oscars.
Severa l months ago, Delia was particularly incensed at
some aspect of her treatment at the Abbeyfield home
where sh e lived. She rang down testily to the person
on duty who came up immediately and began to bustle
about. I didn't think this particulc:r :~ i cu ation was really
the fault of the person being berated, and I tried to say
something to mollify things. While the person's back
 IL
was turned, Delia turned to me and gave the faintest
gesture, her eyes twinkling, and I could see h er acting
up a storm for the ben efit of the person thus bust-
ling! I had to ask myself if I was rea lly seeing what
I thought I was seeing, and I concl uded that I was.
Delia was acting, extremely convi ncingly, the frail,
testy Grande Dame ro le she often assumed. It was
almost as if sh e was doing it to keep in practice.
I do not mean to suggest by the foregoing that her
complaints were unfounded or trivia l, or her conduct
always premeditated. She was unhappy, and it was a
blow to spend her final years in a h ome, h owever nice.
As Matthew Price wrote of her:
"Nor that Delia suffered in silence. She contrasted
her plight longingly with that of Kitty and Margaret,
spending the ir last years 'in the lap of lu xury.' Bur
sh e would n ever contemplate leaving England. This
was where Baba had put her and this was where she
would stay. And though she would complain bitterly
about the imperfections of people in the home, she
n ever allowed her fri ends to do anything about it , or
remonstrate in any way. The result was, we could do
little in concrete ways. She loved flowers, fruit, the
telephone, bur she wasn't really interested in chang-
ing her situation .... .! rea lize now. that h er gift to us
was to le t us share in h er frustrations and worries. "
In her recent translation of RUM!, entitled Look! This
is Love! Professor Anne Maria Sch imme l quotes one
of Rumi's poems about Zulaykha. Even though Baba
reserved the name "Leyla" for Delia, I feel it exactl y
catches her essence.
And when she said: "The wax is melting softly!"
That was ro say: My friend was kind rome!
And when she said: "Look how the moon is rising!"
And when she said: "The willow is now green!"
And when she said: "The leaves are all a-trembling!" . . . ..
And when she said: "Beat firmly all the rugs"
And when she said: "The bread is all unsalced!"
And when she said: "The spheres are going wrong .. ."
She praised something - that meant, "His sweet embracing."
She blamed something - that meant, "He's far away."
One of the first people Delia befriended when sh e
went to live at the Abbeyfield h ome was a Mrs.
Harris. She was fine, down-to-earth lady and they
got on we ll. Mrs. H arris passed away a couple of
days before Christmas last year, and when I talked to
Delia a few days later she seemed very upset and
forlorn. Knowing that Del ia took Baba's words about
death completely to heart, I felt that deep down
underneath she must be unpe rturbed. When I sa id to
h er afte r a few minutes, "Well, it's sad for Mrs. Harris
but it's a tragedy for you," she came o ut with a bit
of a chuckle!
The song "Begin the Beguine" was the bedrock of my
friendship with De lia. I h appened to sing it after one
of he r talks in Los Angeles in 1978, and it became a
sha red anthem. O n e spring d ay, a couple of years
ago, I was in Londo n, and De lia wanted me to take her
in h e r wheelchair to n earby Kew Gardens, the serene
and beautiful botanica l ga rdens visited by Baba. I was
pushing her, th e sun pouring down, all was per-
fect ..... except for on e thing. "Now, sing 'Begin the
Beguine'!" commanded Delia! This was the fi rst time
I full y rea lized her sparking self-deprecating sense of
humor. She was poking fun a t h e rself!
Delia was h e lpful and intuitive, but not always gentle
with it. O n e man rold me that back in the late sixties
o r earl y seventies h e was going through a ve ry h ard
time in his marriage and was in turmoil as ro what he
ought to do-sh o uld h e leave ? But what abo ut the
children? What was best? Ought he to go? Delia con-
sidered some moments a nd then assured him: "Well,
I'd think she'd be ve ry much relieved! " Eventually he
did leave and sh e was!
The re have been so many wonde rful, eloquent
h eartfelt things written about Delia late ly, but I hope
this gives some flavo r of what it was like ro spend time
with h er. Sh e was n atural, which made it much easier
for those with h e r to relax and be themselves. And this
is what Baba wanted. He put people at their ease.
Some time ago Delia dictated to me a sh ort piece ro
comme morate Kitty Davy. It began: "Kitty was unique."
The same is true of o ur dear Delia. There never was
anyone like h er. Th ank yo u, dea r Baba, for giving us
her loving companionship for so many wonderful years.
MEHERAZAD NEEDS YOUR HELP
Jal Dastur writes that the chemical plant o n the road
ro Meherazad has had two chemical spi lls recently,
releasing pollutants into the soil and water around
Meh e razad and causing sickness among the people
living nearby. This condition is serious. Please help to
protect Baba's h ome, its precious surroundings and his
dear resident mandali by writing le tters to the Indian
officials li sted in the enclosed flyer. Even if you have
written befo re on this subject, there is an expanded list
of officials who may be able to h e lp. The situation is
increasingly urgent. Make your voice heard today!
 IL
MEETINGS- Meher Baba events are held on Saturday nights
except for meetings held on the FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY
MONTH unless other wise indicated below. TIMES- Events start
at 8:00PM and normally end by 9:30PM unless otherwise noted.
LOCATIONS - Events are held at the Albany Methodist Church
unless otherwise noted. The church is at the corner of Marin
and Stannage, two blocks east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany
(North of Berkeley) Take the Albany exit from Interstate 80.
To c heck for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Boo ks tore
Friday, June 4 Menwries of Adi K . Irani
Robert Dreyfus will host an evening of stories
which reflect Adi's humor, wisdom and love fo r his
master Me her Baba.
Saturday, June 12 The Alphabet Board
You westerners," said Eruch, "you're always pester,
ing us about sex!" T onight you'll have a chance to
pester Baba with questions about what He had to
say about sex, dreams, diet, America, God, Love,
suffering, gossip- yo u name it.
Saturday, June 19 Me her Baba and
Healing
Baba lovers who practice physical or psychological
therapy wi ll discuss how Baba influences their
work. Scott Maloney will lead with thoughts on
what a C hinese healer told him, "Never put in a
needle without first offering a prayer."
Saturday June 26 Ron and Darrell
Their third annual concert, featuring old and new
songs to and about Meher Baba.
Friday, July 2 No Meeting
N o meeting beca use of the L.A. Sahavas.
Saturday, July 10 Silence Day
7:30-9 PM. Si lent movies featuring the Silent
One, "East, West Gathering" and the "Love Comes
West" slide show.
Wednesday, July 14 ~ Sunday July 18
Marulali Visits
We once again will be honored by the visits of two of
Beloved Baba's Mandali. Meheru Irani will be with us
from July 14-16. Meheru, who is Mehera's niece, was
also her close companion for many years. This will be
her first visit to o ur group. Welcome, Mehcru! Bhau
Kalchuri, another ofBaba's dear ones, hardly needs an
introduction, as he has so often been o ur guest.
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President, Mary Weiss Vice President, Kevin Mossbarger Secretary, Tom Hart Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Ron Greenstein, Tom Hart, Christopher Maier, Scott Maloney, Kevin Mossbarger, Mary Weiss
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Keith Gunn, Lisa Greenstein, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Trustwal/a: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701)
Wednesday, July 14 Pot Luck Dinner
with Meheru
7 PM at Jeff and Cindy Lowe's, 1000 Woodhaven
Way, Oakland. T ake Route 13 (Wa rren Freeway)
to Thornhill Exit. Take Tho rnhill less than one
mile to first stop sign. T urn right on Woodhaven.
The first inte rsection is Indian Way, park there.
For food coordination, call (5 10) 339-9094.
Thursday, July 15 Sightsee ing With
Meheru
Meet at Muir Woods, 10:30 AM. ( Food is available
there, but those on specia l diets sh ould consider
packing lunch.) Ca ravan itinerary (places Baba
visited) ava ilable at Muir W oods and at Silence
Day meeting. {Kevi n. Mossberger is map-wallah)
Friday, July 16 Meheru's Talk
7-9:30 PM. First Unita ria n Ch urch at Berkeley,
Lawson Rd., Kensington. Map available at Silence
Day meeting.
Saturday, July 17 Bhau's Talk
At 7:30 PM. Chapel of A lbany Meth odist Church.
Sunday, July 18 Pot Luck Garden Party
With Bhau
2:00 PM. Laurie Brook's address is 1213 Clover
Ln., Walnut C reek. Call 933-5846. For directions,
refer to th e back page of this newsletter.
Saturday, July 24 Divine Hunwr
Sharing stories from Meher Baba's life which reflect
H is sense of humor. If you'd like to participate,
please call C hristoph er Maier at (415) 331-3120.
Saturday, July 31 Meher Baba and
Business
"God is a businessman," said Baba. "Sinners are His
liabilities, saints are His assets. His eternal business is
turning liabilities into assets." Raj Mehta will lead a
discussion among Baba,lover business people on how
Meher Baba shapes the ir business practice.
August
No meetings in August. See you in September.
]ai Baba!

LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito Sunday Mornings - 10:00 AM
Arci and singing at the G reensteins at 510-525-3364
El Cerrito Thursday Evenings - 7: 15 PM
Discourse reading and discussion.
Contact Louise Barrie or Dick Anthony at 510-524-1440
Fresno Wednesday Evenings - 7:30 tO 8:30 PM
Arti, and a varied program.
Contact Sharon or Phil Scott at 209-449-0877
Palo Alto - Friday Evenings - 8:00 PM
Arti, singing, and readings.
Contact the MacDonalds at 415-3 22-0886
Petaluma Sunday Mornings - 11 :00 AM
Arci, readings, and fellowship.
Contact Hermann Loew ar 707-778- 1195
Sacramento - Sunday Mornings - 11 :00 AM
Discourse meeting second'' Tuesday of each month.
For rimes and locations of these and Sunday morning
gatherings, call Marilyn Buehler at 9 16-925-4451
San Rafael - Sunday Afternoons - 4:00 PM
Films, potluck and company.
Contact Bob Mckinney at 4 15-258-8106
Walnut Creek -Wednesday Evenings 8 tO 9:30PM
Please call Helen Riehl 510-935-0167 or Gil Shepard ar
510-930-8670 for directions
If your regularly scheduled local meeting is not listed
please callSl0-273-9426 to get it into the next newsletter.
Photo below: "Krishna Feast" at Meherabad, 1937. L-R, Baba,
Mehera, Norina and Delia (holding the pot).
SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES FOR BABA
The Board of Directors is currently seeking one addi-
tional member to fill a vacan cy. Also, volunteers are
needed for Service, Fundraising and Baba's lOOth Birth-
day Committees. If you are interested in any of these
opportunities to serve in Baba's Love, please contact
Kevin Mossberger at (41 5) 721-0851.
July 18 Pot Luck Directions
From Berkeley: A pproach the 680/24 Interchange in
the third lane from the left. After taking the right
hand split to 680 South, immediately take the first left-
hand exit labeled Walnut Creek. Take the first right
onto Boulevard Way, then rake the first left to Nichol-
son and second right to C lover Lane. Second house on
the right.
From Concord: T ake th e North Main exit and tum
right on North Main Street. G o 3/ 4 of a mile; tum right
on Ygnacio Va lley, then left on Oakland Avenue
(across from the West Bart Station). T ake Oakland to
the end. Turn right on Mr. Diablo Blvd., then imme-
diately left on Boul evard Way. T ake first left onto
Nicholson and second right to Clover Lane. Second
house on the right.
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down
by Saba through the Trust should contact Jack
Mormon, P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701
MEHER BABA CENTER NON-PROFIT
OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INC. U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO, CA.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
Berkeley, California 94704 PERMIT NO. 186
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CALIF INC.
N E w s L E
21 31 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 23
Mandali Memories:
Carmen Masi
This article, about one of Meher Baba' s
close ones who is little-kno<Wn in the West,
is from a conversation with Arnavaz
Dadachangi.
About Carmen Masi, I'll just tell you in sh ort, beca use
to tell a whole life is impossible. S h e w8s a very sweet
and gentle lady. I'll first tell you h ow sh e became a
Baba lover. When sh e was 15 years o ld sh e was mar-
ried, in Bombay, to a man who was then 45 years old.
Carmen Masi fe lt real repulsion toward thm man, and
not because of h is age, but in those days the girls h ad
no S8y in the m m riage. After she w8s m8rried, her
husb8nd knew that sh e was very unwilling. All told, h e
made h er bea r him three children , sons, and he used to
starve her and her eldest son as a way of reta liating for
he r attitude toward him. S h e was very, ve ry unhappy.
In the same building lived h er cousin, whose husband
was a Baba lover. His n ame was Rustomji. He sa id,
"Come, Ca rmen. I wi ll take you to a man who will give
you peace." So , on the q uiet, she went and met Baba.
As soon as she met Baba, she was attracted to Him.
She told Him the whole sad tale of h er life. Baba, for
some reason, told h er to cook dal an d rice for seven
days, and to feed it to any fema le dog. Carmen Masi
followed the order, but naturally she cou ldn't leave the
house, so Rustomji coll aborated by taking the food out
in search of a suita ble dog.
After abo ut 20 years of marriage, when her third son
was about a year old, her husband died. Her cousin,
who was living in t he same building, also died . Rus-
tomji, the Baba lover who h ad first take n h er to Baba,
was very fond of Carmen Masi, and he wanted to
marry her. Marriage was th e last t hing in Ca rmen
1993
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
FALL 1993
Masi's mind but Rustomji went to Baba
and pleaded with Him to allow him
and C8 rme n to marry, because he was
getting o ld and frail and needed some-
\ one to look after him. Baba consented
and the upsh ot was that Carmen had a
second marri age. Baba used to go and
visit her house after sh e married Rustomji. Even at this
time sh e was very poor. The second ma rriage lasted
only about 10 years, after which Rustomji
died . Rustomj i didn't leave anything for he r. The
oldest son got married, and h e had a son, but the
burden on the oldest son to provide for his family was
such that they could h a rdly make ends meet and he
couldn't h elp Ca rmen. Now h er sons were older, 8nd
they were ea rning money for the family, but th ey were
not educated. As a conseq uence, the f8mily was very,
very poo r.
Around that time, Baba ca lled Carmen Masi to join
th e women 's ashram on Meh erabad Hill, where He
kept h e r fo r quite a number of years st arting in the late
1930s. At that time, for purposes of Baba's work,
Mehera was n ever left alon e. Day and night there was
a lways some woman in h e r presen ce. Baba made C8r-
men Masi Mehera's roommate for this period and sh e
and and Man i faithfully carried out Baba's o rder that
Mehera sh o uld neve r be a lon e.
After quite a number of years spent in this manne r, in
1941 Baba sent Carmen Masi back to Bombay. After
sh e returned to Bombay, on e of her sons took ill, and
so she had th e responsibility of caring for him and hCJd
only on e son to h elp h er. He r love for Baba was so
deep thm sh e never compla ined and never asked for
money. I used to ask h e r h ow sh e managed in the midst
of this deep poverty. S h e told me, "I don't kn ow how
I manCJge it. The re is a box in which I keep the money.
I use it, and by th e end of the month it just suffices."
( conLintled)
Even from that, she used to save and give to Baba.
]al Dastur remembers being with Baba one time at a
gathering when a man came up to him <md offered
Him tho usands of rupees. Baba turned the man's gift
down, using the special way He had of doing it without
hurting the giver's feelings. This co nsisted of saying,
"You keep it for now. I don't need it at present, but if
I need it I will call you later." Later in the same day,
Carmen Masi came into the room to bow down to
Baba, carrying with her a five rupee note that she had
wrapped in a silk scarf. Baba took it and pressed it to
His forehead just above and between His eyes. At that
time, five rupees was more than it is today, and for a
poor woman in Bombay it must have taken weeks of
scrimping and saving, a few annas at a time. O ne day
Baba said, "Why don't you keep your money. You
don't have enough ." From the n on she had the o rder
not to give Baba any money and, on the contrary, Baba
used to help her.
Before the N ew Life, Baba gave us silence fo r one
month in July. Then Baba wanted to go for a change
of scene to Panchgani. Baba called my sister Nargish
and Dina T alati and C armen Masi. When Baba wo uld
come through Bombay on some t ri p, He used tO let us
know that H e was coming. He wou ld drive past my
sister's house , along that road. So our little group used
to be me, N argish, Dina T alati, Ca rmen Masi, Or.
Al oo Khambatta, Mehru Billimo ria, in total perhaps
seven tO ten women. We would gather and we would
take his hand through the car window, but only for a
moment and then He would be gone. Sometimes He
wo uld come for a small gathering to our apartment or
Nargish's, and we wo uld have a small gathering for the
close ones.
There's a wonderful incident that happened once.
Baba was in my apartment in Bombay. Baba rold me
not ro tell anyone, n ot eve n my family, that He was
there in Bombay. O ne day Baba and I were at the
dining table. Baba was h aving His lunch when the
doorbell rang. I went tO see who it was. It was Ca rmen
Masi. I didn't know what to do, so I went to Baba. I
sa id, "What shall! do ?" Baba sa id, "Don't let her come
in here." But Carmen Masi was an elderl y person, like
a mother to me. I just looked at Baba. How to tell her
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President, Mary Weiss Vice President, Kevin Mossbarger Secretary, Tom Hart Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Ron Greenstein, Tom Hart, Christopher Maier, Scott Maloney, Kevin Mossbarger, Mary Weiss
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Keith Gunn, Lisa Greenstein, Betty Lowman, Ch erri Nelson
Trustwal/a: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701)
to go away? Baba just smiled, "O K, tell h er that I am
here, but that I see no on e and sh e sho uld go away."
When I opened the door, I said, "Ca rmen Masi, Baba
is here but He doesn't want to see anyone." Can you
imagine the expression on her face? "All right," she
sa id, and just left. N o sooner had she gone down than
Baba had me call h er, not for an embrace, not to say
anything, but just so that she could fold her hands and
see Him from a distance. She came up, she stood there
looking at Baba, and Baba smi led. That was it. She
said nothing. She just looked at Baba, took her dar-
shan, so happy, and then she left.
In the end, she suffer~d a strpke. I knew that there was
no one t o look after h er, and stroke was a very
expensive disease to treat, so I immediately informed
Ba ba. Baba sent me a messa~e to take a bowl of water,
to take His name, and to sponge her whole body. So I
took the help of one Ba ba lover, and we went there
and sponged h er whole body, taking Baba's name. It
rea lly helped, very much. After we followed Baba's
instructions, she could sit up, she could ear, she could
ease herself, the only thing she couldn't do was walk.
All her movements except wa lking were restOred.
After a co uple of years Baba dropped His body.
Carmen Masi was heartbroken, and she d ied after
three or four years.
Carmen Masi was a quiet, sweet, jovial person. W e
lived with Baba and there were many, many stOries,
but now it's difficult fo r me tO say any more. Her life
was coming and going all the time to be with Baba,
just like us. Baba said that Ca rmen Masi would be His
father in His next advent.
ATTENTION BABA'S VISUAL
ARTISTS!
A slide show and slide registry of visual art
reflecting Meher Baba's life, message o r relation-
ships with His lovers is being developed for Baba's
100th birthday. Send slides o r videos ro: Images
of Love, 1538 Elm St., El Cerrito, C A. 94530.
(5 10) 23 7-925 7. Deadline: N ovember 1, 1993.
Include up to five identi fied slides o r a video.
MEETINGS- Me her Baba events are held on Saturday nights
except for meetings held on the FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY
MONTH unless other wise indicated below. TIMES- Events start
at 8:00PM and normally end by 9:30PM unless otherwise noted.
LOCATIONS - Events are held at the Albany Methodist Church
unless otherwise noted. The church is at the corner of Marin
and Stannage, two blocks east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany
(North of Berkeley) Take the Albany exit from Interstate SO.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore * Chlldcare
Friday, September 3 East is East and
West is West, but Tonight the Twain
Shall Meet
Raine Eastman-Gannett and party will sing a
selection of Mirabai bhajans, ghazals and qawaals.
Saturday, September .11. We Need YOU!!
Be in on Baba's Biggest Birthday!
Meher Baba's 1OOth binhday will be celebrated in
February, 1994. The Trust has directed that each
Baba community plan for and celebrate His binh-
day locally. As it is a centenary celebration, ideas
include a significant public presence and multiple
events and gatherings, in various venues and me-
dia, over the period of time around His birthday.
Does designing publicity inspire you? How about
creating anistic or informational materials? Come
and join a communal discussion and brainstorm-
ing, as the time is upon us now to plan for this
exciting event. We need your ideas!
Friday, September 17 Rummage Sale
Preparation
6 . .8 PM: Set up and price items for Saturday's
rummage sale, Friend's Meeting Hall, corner of
Walnut and Vine Streets, Berkeley.
s. . t 0 PM: work and preview sale for workers.
Saturday, September 18 Rummage Sale
s. . t 0 PM:More work and preparation
lQAM. .JPM: Public sale. Who knows what trea-
sures have lurked in the closets and attics of Baba's
lovers? Come to the comer of Walnut and Vine, in
Berkeley, to find Marvelous Maya's special items.
Saturday, Sept 25 Mandali Memories
Ursula Van Buskirk will host a meeting remember-
ing Filis Frederick and show a lovely videotape of
her. Bring your favorite Filis stories.
Friday, October 1 Tea and Poetry
Come for chai and bring your favorite poems about
the Beloved. Original poetry especially welc01ne.
Saturday, October 9 Bunt)' Kelly
Margaret Bernstein's mother Bunty Kelly was one
of the ballet dancers introduced to Meher Baba by
Margaret Craske. She met Baba in 1956, '58 and
'62. Tonight she will share with us her love for the
Divine Beloved.
Saturday, October 16 Me her Baba and
Psychotherapy
A panel of psychotherapists led by Michael LePage
will discuss their work and how it is influenced by
their relationship with Meher Baba.
Saturday, October 23 Bill and Peggy
Stevens ~
Join us as these visitors from Tennessee, represent-
ing a family of three generations of Baba's Lovers,
tell us " How to Love Him More."
Saturday, October 30 That Old Time
Religion
That old-time Alan Talbot, and others from vari-
ous religious backgrounds, will talk about what
became of their old time religions after they heard
about Meher Baba and discuss how they teach
their children about God.
Friday, November 5 The East. .West
Gathering
David Miotke will recreate this glorious event in
music and song.
Saturday, Nov 13 2020 Visions
In 1950 Baba led a group up Seclusion Hill and
remarked that in 70 years people would have to
wait days to get up that hill. Is this because He will
have broken His silence? Come share apocalyptic
and utopian visions of the future.
Saturday, November 20 Begin the
Beguine~
Baba's favorite song, which He said had great
significance, will be heard in classic recordings
and glimpses of the Divine Beloved will grace the
silver screen.
Saturday, November 27 Meher Baba and
the Feminine Face of God
It is clear that Meher Baba's avataric advent has
been a time of great change for women. This
evening we will consider this unique advent in
which, Baba said, for the first time, that God the
Mother also plays Her part.
 LOCAL MEETINGS
The Falcon
by Nancy Furgal
El Cerrito Sunday Mornings 10:00 AM
Arri and singing at the G reensteins at 510-525-3364
You are the Falcon
El Cerrito Thursday Evenings - 7: 15 PM
Discourse reading and discussion. Who sweeps down to lift me
Contact Louise Barrie or Dick Anthony at 510-524- 1440
Fresno Wednesday Evenings - 7:30 to 8:30 PM
You are my wings of safety
Arti, and a varied program.
Contact Sharon or Phil Scott at 209-449-0877
Arriving in time - to take me
Palo Alto Friday Evenings - 8 :00 PM Through rocking waters
Arri, singing, and read ings.
Contact the MacDonalds at 415-322-0886 Endless drops of thunder
Petaluma Sunday Mornings 11 :00 AM Into your comfort zone
Arri, readings, and fe llowsh ip.
Contact Hermann Loew at 707-778- 11 95
. .
You are the Falcon Captain
Sacramento - Sunday Mornmgs - 11 :00 AM
Discourse meeting second Tuesday of each month.
For times and locations of these and Sunday morning
Looking out for .one . all
. . and
gatherings, call Marilyn Buehler at 9 16-925 -4451 This drowning sailor - drying her feathers
San Rafael - Sunday Afternoons - 4:00 PM To embrace your ocean of love
Films, potluck and company.
Contact Bob Mckinney at 415-258-8106 You are my way, you are my home
Walnut Creek - Wednesday Evenings- 8 to 9:30 PM
Please call Helen Rieh l 510-935-0167 or G il S hepard ar
Under your wings, I sing in safety
5 10-930-8670 for directions
Come take me.
If your regularly scheduled local meeting is not listed
please cal1510-273-9426 to get it into the next newsletter. This poem was insp ired by Phyllis Ott's painting of
Baba <JS the F<Jicon.

The Trust

' - r

artwork by BiUy Ward.

- ' - -
til
, ~ .. -
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down
by Baba through the instrument of the trust contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, Ca. 94701

'V r ,.......:.:''"'-'----~
MEHER BABA CENTER 0 .. NON-PRoFIT
OF
NORTHERN cALIFORNI~ ING'.I '93 )~-
U.S.IPOSTAGE
- PAID

2131 Univers ity Avenue, Room 235 P~ ~{f~RRF<j>..CIC'

Berkeley, California 94704 I) " PERMIT NO. 186

11111 11.1 11 11 11 1.1.11 J

MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CALIF INC.
N
0 UAJPi
w s
1fJEE
Iri1LY L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 24
Thoughts
on Loving God
by Bill Stephens
Bill Stephens, recently a guest speaker at our
group meeting, has given us pennission to pub-
lish his thoughts on this ever-timely subject.
"How do we love an ocean of peace that stretches
endlessly with no boundaries, no shore, no bottom
and no surface?"
Meher Baba tells us that the aim of life is to love God ,
and the goal of life is to become One with God. (So
what does that say about the ambitions and pursuits
of 99% of us, 99% of the time?) If we can accept Baba's
words as truth, and really believe them, our life may
well be transformed. For if loving God is the only
worthwhile endeavor, then all oth er plans and schemes,
regardless of th eir importance in the worldly sense, are
by comparison superficial and of no consequence.
But loving God is "no game for the weak and fa int-
hearted," as Meher Baba also makes clear. T o love God
is to lose one's self in th e Divine ... to dance in blissful
agony at the t ip of a candle's flame ... to penetrate into
the essence of God's being while still performing our
duties in the world.
Of course, all religions tell us to love God. But how do
we go about it? How do we love the Infinite, which is
beyond al l attributes and concepts of the mind ? How
do we love an ocean of peace that stretches endlessly,
with no boundaries, no shore, no bottom and no surface?
It seems obvious that to love God in the abstract is be-
yond us. It is like loving deep sleep. We need it, we crave
it, and at times we would rather have it than anything
else on earth. But what is it, exactly? We cannot know,
for we are unconscious when we experience it.
So loving the infinite aspect of God is impossible
for us. But to love God in the form of the Christ, or
1993
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94 704
WINTER 1993-1994
God-man, is not only possible, it is
extremely practical. For the Christ is
all we can kn ow of God, and all we
can aspire to be. In the perfect form of
the Christ, God is simultaneously both
man and God. He is the bridge be-
tween the fin ite world and all eternity.
Adi K. Irani, a close disciple of Avatar Meher Baba for
fifty years, often said that the God-man is greate r even
than G od, "For God as God is not man," he would say.
"And God as man is not God. But God in the form of
the God-man is both God and man."
Why does Almighty God descend into the world of
forms? Why does the Highest of the High rake on rhc
limitations of the human form and come down to our
level? According to Meher Baba, God does it to give
the world a spiritua l push. And this is accomplished by
awakening the Divine in us. In us, God is bound. So,
from time to t ime (about every 700 to 1400 years,
Meher Baba says) God descends as a human being so
that we can learn to love God by loving the Christ.
, This is the divine drama God has played for eons of
time. By freeing each of us (eventua lly) from the
endless round of births and deaths , God experiences in
eve ry person th e cu lmination of the d ivine jou rney
from unconsciousness to God-rea lization.
The Divine Beloved is always there in the heart.
And how can we help God do this work? By loving
God. And how do we learn to love God? We starr by
thinking of G od, praying to God, read ing about God,
and spending time with persons who love God. Even-
tually, we find ourselves literally falling in love. And
when that happens, God reciprocates by falling in love
with us. This is the divine romance that the great
poets, mystics, dramatists, and composers have at-
tempted to illuminate since the beginning of rime. Bur
true illumination comes on ly from God, the object of
our search.
(cominr1ed)
 When in the course of our growth, we become aware that
God is with us always, and is closer than our own breath,
we search for ways to keep the current flowing, to trap
and fim the flame that lights our soul from time to time.
We seek ways to produce that occasional surge of joy
that no drug and no human pleasure can duplicate.
The flame <;omes and goes. The sense of God's pres_..
ence may fade as pressures of life and work crowd God
out of our consciousness. But the Diving Belove_d is
always there in the heart, and in our subconscious, and
we must seek to make this Love our constant compan..
ion. One way is to constantly repeat God's holy name.
For many centuries, mqnks and mystics have taught
that the repetition of certain holy words is a powerful
meditation th~t can -be carried on in the midst of all.
activities. The word Om has been chanted in Budclli.ist
and Hindu mantras for untold centuries. In the Middle
Ages, the Greek Orthodox monks developed the fa ..
mous Jesus Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living
God, have mercy on me, a sinner, which was repeated
constantly in ~e same way as a mantra. In Persia, the
early Sufis chanted AUahim, IUaha. A popular mantra
in India for .Perhaps thousands of years is ]ai Ram, Sri
Ram, ]ai ]ai Ram; and in re~ent years, millions of
Americans have heard the mantra of the followers of
the Hindu teacher Bhaktivedanta: Hari Krishna, Hari
Rama, Krishna Krishna, Hari Hari.
Mantr~s that include a name of God, as most do, are
especially effective because the repetition of the name
imprints the subconscious mind. Remembering God is
a way to awaken God in the heart. God is always there,
of course, but is, as Meher Baba says, fast asleep in
most individuals. If \Ve constant!y call out, God will
slowly awaken, and once fully awake, will never sleep
again. So we must continue to cal~ out t~e holy name,
and God will not have time to even doze, much less
fall asleep.
In 1921, when Meher Baba and a group of disciples
set out to walk from Bombay to Calcutta, Baba told his
followers to silently repeat, as they walked, a name of
God associated with their own religion. Zoroastrians
were to repeat Ahuramalda; Hindus, Partibrahma~
Paramatma; Moslems, Allah .Illaha, and Christians,
God Almighty.
Meher Baba is not the first spiritual master to have
told us that all religions are basically the same. because
'God is always the same. In th~ nineteenth century, the
Hindu master Paramahansa Ramakrishna likened God
to the water in the River Ganges. "There are different-
places along the river where people draw water," he
said. "At one place, the Hindus fill their pots and call
it jal. At another spot, the ChriStians fill their vessels
and call it water. But it is all the same, of course, no
matter w~at you call it.''
Ramakrishna was another advocate of the repetition of
a name of God. He told a devotee:
"Japa means silently repeating God's name. When
- you chant thi.s name with single.. minded devo ..
tion, you can see God's form and realize the
Divine Presence. Suppose there is a piece of tim..
her sunk in the water of the Ganges and fastened
with a chain to the bank. You proceed link by
link, holding to the chain. Finally you are able to
reach the timber.. In-the-same way, by repeating
God's name, you become a_!Jsorbed in God and
finally realize God."
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito .. Sunday Mornings .. 10:00 AM
Arti and singing at the Greensteins at 510,525,3364
El Cerrito .. Thursday Evenings .. 7: 15 PM
DiscoUTse reading and discussion.
Contact Louise Barrie or Dick Anthony at 510,524,1440
Fresoo .. Wednesday Evenings .. 7:30 to 8:30PM
Arti, and a varied program..
Contact Sharon or Phil Scott at 209,449,0877
Los Gatos/Palo Alto .. Friday Evenings .. 8:00 PM
Arti, singing, and readings. Please call Cherri Nelson for
location, 415,325,2231
Petaluma .. Sunday Mornings .. 11 :00 AM
Arti, readings, and fellowship.
Contact Hermann Loew ar-707,778,1195
Sacramento . . Sunday Mornings .. 11 :00 AM
Discourse meeting second Tuesday of each month.
For times and locations of these and Sunday morning
gatherings, call Marilyn Buehler at 916,925,4451
San Fransisco .. Wednesday Evenings .. 7 w 8:30PM
Discourse reading and discussion.
Contact Liam Mullan at 415 474,5442
-san Rafael ... Sunday Afternoons .. 4:00 PM
Films, poduck and company.
Contact Bob Mckinney at 415 258-8106
Walnut Creek . . Wednesday Evenings 8 to 9:30PM
Please call Helen Riehl 510,935,0167 or Gil Shepard at
510,930,8670 for directions
If y~r regularly schedule;ll local meeting is not listed
please roll 415..221 ..8724 to. get it into the next newsletter.
MEETINGS- Me her Baba events are held on Saturday nights
except for meetings held on the FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY
MONTH unless other wise indicated below. TIMES- Events start
at 8:00PM and normally end by 9:30PM unless otherwise noted.
LOCATIONS- Events are held at the Albany Methodist Church
unless otherwise noted. The church is at the corner of Marin
and Stannage, two blocks east of San PabJo Avenue in Albany
(North of Berkeley) Take the Albany exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes ca/1510-845-4339.
Bookstore fl Ch/ldcare
Friday, December 3 David Miotke Sings
David Miotke will be in the spotlight, singing about
the eight types of lovers. Meher Baba said, "1 am the
song, its words and its melody, and I am the singer.
I am the musical instruments and the players and the
listeners, and on your level I explain to you the .
meaning of what I, the singer, sing."
Sunday, December 5 General Meeting 2 PM
Oops, at the last Annual General Meeting, we didn't
approve a budget for this fiscal year, so we will do it
at this special General Meeting. An important topic
will b~ the -budget for our celebration of Baba's 1OOth
birthday. Come and give your two cents.
Saturday, December 11 Meher Baba's Name
Meher Baba:, the Spiritual Dust Buster, said, "the
most fortunate of all fortunates ... are those who die
taking My Name." The Reverend Larry Pesta will
come will come out of hiding and lead a discussion of
the importance of japa in our daily lives.
Saturday, December 18 Mehera
A celebration of the Beloved's beloved's birthday.
Raine Eastman..Gannett and Soosan Adham will
host an evening of images, stories and songs about
the purest soul in the universe.
Saturday, December 25 Christmas
No meeting, as people celebrate the fifth Avatar's
birthday elsewhere.
Saturday, January 1 New Year's Day
No meeting. Resolution: Determine to be His
Saturday, January 8 Mandali Memories f?
Bob Street, who knew him well, will tell us of the
incomparable Padri.
Saturday, January 15 Meher Baba and
Psychotherapy
Last time, the doctors called in sick. But now they're
fit, and ready to discuss their work and its connection
to their spiritual path.
Meher Baba Center of Northern Californla, Inc.
President, Mary Weiss Vice President, Kevin Mossbarger Secretary, Tom Hart Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Ron Greenstein, Tom Hart, Christopher Maier, Scott Maloney, Kevin Mossbarger, Mary Weiss
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Keith Gunn, Lisa Greenstein, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701)
Saturday, January 22 The Se~ond Coming
Many of the world's religions await the return of
the Avatar, Christ or Messiah. Irwin Luck will lead
a discussion of how this event is viewed in various
religious traditions.
January 29- February 28
A special month of programs is in preparation to
honor Meher Baba's lOOth birthday. Several groups
and individuals are planning events around the bay
area. The following schedule is the beginning, but
expect to hear more as the time approaches.
Saturday & Sunday, January 29 & 30 The 25th
Amartithi Celebration.
Sat~rday evening meeting: singing, reading and
slide show.
Sunday evening meeting: doors open at 8 PM and
program begins at 9 PM. We will observe 15 minutes
of silence from 10:30 to 10:45 PM to coordinate with
Baba's lovers observing silence on Meherabad Hill.
Saturday, February 5 Musical Concert f?
Your favorite Baba musicians perform songs for
the Beloved.
Saturday, February 12 Images of Love <?
Wonderful works by Baba's artists worldwide dis,
played in a slide and sound collage.
Saturday, February 19 1894-1994: The Life of
Avatar Meher Baba-A Song Cycle cS?
7:30 PM, First Unitarian Church, 1 Lawson
Road, Kensington. The Love Street Singers and
Players perform an artistic musical and dramatic pro,
duction based on the events of Baba's life.
-
Sunday, February 20 Children's Birth4ay Party
for Baba, 1-4 PM
Games Baba played, talent show, birthday cake and
more. Location: Vern & Annie Stovall's home in
Walnut Creek, (510) 9)8 .. 2126.
Friday, February 25 "eher Baba's tOOth Birthday
Celebration, f)
An extended party and open house with music, dancing,
cake and fun. Location to be announced
Sunday, February 27 Jim Meyer. in Concert,
7 PM c. .
Jim, a well..known Baba singer..songwriter, joins us frpm
~yrde Beach for a special performance and fundraiser.
 You Sing
by Ben Leet
You Sing, you sing,
in tranquility of being you sing
Unmoored
abandoned and lost
your song reaches all spheres-
Twirling in wisps of starpoints,
prancing artfully as dancers' points
lancing as light~flares into sunpoints
. beckons all to follow .
piercing a dark millennia of stillness
your voice splashes on universal heart
shores crying:
Awake!!
And as the soul's own soul force, lifts
hearts joyously together in day song.
From beneath earth's own shadow, from
the deeps
of cavernous selfmade graves,
from beneath eternity's unmovable
mantle-your voice arises
and sings undaunted.
OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INC.
Neither distance's emptiness
nor time's obtuseness
nor spirit's aloofness
diminishes the warm embrace of your
sound,
your loving call.
The unmingled beauty of your
acceptance
Your musical overture of soul~piercing
unity
unites us in th~ bonds
that never fail, that ever last.
You sing, beloved God, you sing.
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down
by Saba through the Trust should contact Jack
Mormon, P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94?01
MEHER BABA CENTER
 N E w s L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 24
Kumar and ~~Mister God"
Amrit Irani is married to Meher Baba' s nephew
Dara and they live in India near Meherazad.
Amrit spoke to our group in August of I 986,
telling this wonderful story:
"Everybody knows about my father Kumar and his
coming to Baba and how he brought us all to Baba.
He was a revolutionary or, you could say, freedom
fighter. It was a time when the British were in India
and India wanted its freedom. My father got in,
valved in all that and he was taken to prison. He
spent quite a lot of time there-almost five years,
then he came home and his mother convinced him
to get married. He did, but he still wouldn't give up
his activities, so he was taken again, for almost
another five years. This story starts when he was in
prison the second time.
My Hither wasn't an atheist, but he was an agnostic.
He was angry at God because he saw how much the
Indian people were suffering. So now, while he was
in prison for so long, he started missing home. He
could think of no way to get out, so one evening all
of a sudden he said to himself, "OK, Let's try God."
There was a window in his room, so he looked' out
and said to the sky "Mister God, if you exist, help
me to be out of this place by 7:00 tomorrow morn,
ing. If I'm out of here by 7:00 tomorrow morning,
I'll believe there is a God. And if you do get me
out, I'll serve out the rest of my sentence in any
other way that you want."
He had a feeling that it might happen, so he started
packing his things that night. So what happened?
In the early morning, way before 7:00, there was a
knock on the door and a guard said, "Please, hurry
and .leave. I got the orders for you to go last night,
but I forgot to bring them to you, so please leave
now, and hurry so I won't get in trouble!"
1994
T T E R
BERKELEY, CAUFORNIA 94704
WINTER 1994
So my father was pushed out of that
place before 7:00 in the morning.
He came home to his wife, his moth,
er and his son, now almost five years
old. They were very poor, but they
bought a small piece of cheap land
near Dehra Dun and farmed it.
One day in 1950, he saw a tonga pull up the road,
with an odd,looking group of people-Indians,
Westerners, and a few Parsis. They were looking for
land. Our neighbor's land was for sale, so my father
helped them to make the deal. The people were
friendly and my father liked them very much. He
would work with them to fix the place up . He
noticed they kept talking about "Baba"-how He
wouldn't like this or that.
Now I'll go back a bit and tell you the story behind
their buying this land. Baba had ordered his follow,
ers in northern India to look for a small piece of
land so that He could stay there at the time of
Kumba Mela. They took a long time finding the
right piece of land, and Baba was very annoyed with
them, so He sent them a telegram saying "I want
this land as soon as possible-within a few days. It
should be exactly four and a half miles from a
certain road. After four and a half miles, turn right
for another half,mile." Tl:tat was my father's place.
The time came for Baba to come. He decided not to
come to the land, but to stop at the railway station.
My father asked if he could come too, and they said
"Of course. We've been writing to Baba telling Him
how you've been helping us." So he went. He saw
this beautiful person and knew right away that it
was Baba, yet he didn't believe in Him as God.
Baba went into the waiting room and asked "Where
is that Kumar who has been helping you all this
time?" One of the men called my father in and
brought him to Baba.
 B~ba said" I'm very happy with you. You've helped nurse me. Her milk would not come, probably be..
my people to choose this land and to work on it. cause she. was so nervous. So, she put a little warm
My father said "Thank you," and ~e just kind of water o~ the biscuits and I sucked all night long on
stood in the comer and enjoyed looking at Baba. those biscuits. That was my first time with Baba.
Baba asked one of his helpt:rs from Dehra Dun if Later, in 1953, Baba came back to D'ehra Dun and
anyone had arranged for food. No one had, so gave Darshan. I was three years old and I remember
Kumar offered to go to his home-a 2Q..minute Him very clearly. I stood in the queue to see Him,
motorcycle ride- and bring food .. He said he would took the prasad (it was delicious!) and then I went
bring it. within an hour .. Baba was happy. My father right back in line again. Baba chuckled when I
and mother quickly prepared a rice pilau, and my came back a second ~ime, but the third time, he
father brought it back. gestured "Enought" But it wasn't enough for me!
When he arrived b~ck at the train station, Kumar ll'te founh time, He took hold of my face and shook
noticed that the scene had not changed. Baba was it merrily in front of ~verybody-I was embarrassed!
still talking to the same person He had been talking Several years later,, in 1958, Baba wrote to my
to -When-Kumar left..--lt-was as- if-time--had- st-opped.
---famer and astced-hhn rflie-wanted, to stafwith Him
He did notice that there were more people there for one year. Qf cou~e he said yes, but Baba had
than before, and he kn.ew his pilau wouldn't feed him stay only for a week or two. Then, a few
everybody. Baba encouraged everybody t~ eat well, months later, Baba asked him to come for one week.
and my father was thinking "There won't be enough!" He stayed for a week, but Baba ~ever told him to
He couldn't understand it, but there was plenty for leave, so the week's stay turned into several months.
everyone, and leftover food too! His beard grew and his clothes were becoming tat..
He brought the leftovers home, and from that time tered (he had only packed for one week). Then one
on, his crops grew in abundance. It was as if Baba day-Baba called him and asked "Would you obey me.
had sent abundance to our home. if I ask you? He said "Yes, Baba." "Will you stop
Baba traveled nonh that day, 'and then~ couple of writing to your family if I asJc you?" "Will you stay
months later, He came back. On November 12, with me for longer?" "Yes, Baba.' It became a year
1950,. I was hom, and Baba came at that time. My and a half. There were very few books to read and
mother would cook for Baba and bring the food to he never went outside the gates of the ashram. One
Hl.m. I was almost a month old, and she hadn't day, _he looked around his room, and he remem..
named me yet-she wanted to_ wait until Baha came bered his promise to "Mister God,'-that he would
to give me a name. He ~et Mani. and Mehera name serve out his sentence in any way other than prison.
me Amrit. Perhaps this was his way of serving out his sentence.
By now my father loved Baba,-not-as God,- but as-- Kumar began _to feel th_a~_Baba might_be his "Mister
somebody wonderful. Baba asked him "would. you_ God"-the other men believed that He was God.
like to come to the Kumba Mela with us? He said But Kumar had been having dreams, of a beautiful
"Oh, yes!" Baba said he could bring his family, so I ma.st.. like young man (not Baba) holding his hand
got to be in the New Life with Baba-a shon trip, and saying "I am your Mister God." Who was the
just two hours go~g and two hours .coming~ person in his dreams?
. When we reached there, my mother was worried One day, Baba asked .Kumar to go along on a trip.
because the patty was to stay in a very small house- Baba had Kumar sit next to Him, then grabbed his
three rooms. Baba stayed in one ropm, the men in hand and said "Kumar, you never told me how you
another, and the women in the third. She was got out of prison." Kumar told Him the whole story.
worried tha_t I would cry -and bother the others. Just Baba said "I am your Mister God. Didn't you know~~~
as she was thinking this, Baba came in and gave her Baba was holding his hand exactly as the man did
two biscuits for ~e. My mother thought ~'A month.. in his dreams, but He didn't l<?ok like Him. Baba
old baby, eating biscuits.? But she put them aside smiled and had Eruch get out a photograph of Him
and didn't say any$ing. Of course, I staned crying in the early days. Baba was the man in his dreams.
that night, and my mother found that she couldn't Kumar had found his Mister God.
 0 I
MEETINGS- Meher Saba events are held on Saturday nights
except_ for meetings held on the FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY
MONTH unless other wise Indicated below. TIMES- Events
start at 8:00 PM and normally end by 9:30 PM unless other-
wise noted. LOCATIONS - Events are held at the Albany
Methodist Church unless otherwise noted. The church is at
the corner of Marin and Stannage, two blocks east of San
Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of Berkeley) Take the Albany
exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes ca/1510-845-4339.
Bookstore fJ Chl/dcare
Friday, December 2 "' Being Cose to Baba
Meher Baba said "I am nearer to you than you own
breath. Remember Me and I am with you and my
love will guide you." ~orne share an evening on the
theme of being close to Baba. Ther~ will be singing,
some structured sharing anQ some hanging out at the
Greenstein's home in El Cerrito. (510) 525 .. 3364.
Saturday, Decmber IO"' Three Incredible Weeks
This evening's film was made in 1954 when the
Western men were invited to be with Meher saba
for Three Incredible Weeks!
r&Saturday, Decemberi7 "' Mehera's Birthday
Obset11ed
An evening of reinembrance of Baba's Beloved
Mehera, coordinated by. Louise Barrie ..Anthony.
Saturdays, December 24 & December 3I
No meeting on these two nights. Joyous Holidays!
Friday, January 6"' Film Night
Two films tonight! Meher Baba starring in The East..
West Gathering, filmed in 1962 and Sta'Y With Meher
Baba, filmed ,by Don Stevens in 1959.
~aturday, January I4 "' The Feminine Side of God
The return .of a popular discussion meeting. If you are
interested in presenting material and/or helping to
plan this meeting, call Laura Hogan, (510) 237 ..9257.
Saturday, January 2I - Music for the Beloved
An evening of entertainment for fun and fund ..
raising by our talented Bay Area musicians.
* Saturday, January 28 "' Amartithi Meeting
In remembrance -of Meher Baba's Amartithi, we will
present the highly acclaimed slide show Images of
Love by Meher Baba's artists worldwide.
Monday, January 30 "' Amartithi
Join us beginning at 8:30 PM to share in the silence
at Meher Baba's tomb, which happens at 10:30 ..
10:45 PM our time. Coordinated by Ron Greenstein.
Meber Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President, Karen Talbot Vice President, Janet White Secretary, Leslie Baer Treasurer, Jack Mormon
.Board of Directors: Soussan Adham-Rupe Leslie Baer Mehera Halliwell Laura Hogan Emlko Larson Karen Talbot Janet White
- Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Lisa Greenstein, Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P'.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701)
February 2 "' 4 "' Lyn Ott Vuits
Renowned Baba artist Lyn Ott will be our guest. Lyn
met Meher Baba in 1965, and has graced !JS with
wonderful paintings, books and stories about Baba.
Thursday, February 2 "' Discourse Meeting
Lynn Ott will join the weekly discourse meeting at
the Barrie..Anthony home (510) 524.. 1440.
. Friday, February 3 "' The Purpose
Lyn will present a very special paper-his encapsu..
lated interpretation of Meher Baba's life, His work
and His manifestation. Lyn will be joined by George
Gerdes, an L.A. Baba.. lover and actor/singer who
will read and sing his songs for us.
Saturday, February 4 "' Pot Luck Dinner
A pot luck dinner and gathering for our guest Lyn
Ott, at the home of the Talbot's. (510) 376.. 4325.
Saturday, February II "' Gutta Night
An informal gathering at the Barrie..Anthony home,
focused on the Divine Beloved. (510) 524.. 1440
. ' '
Saturday, February 18"' Meeting the God-Man
Ursula Van Buskirk will recount the exciting odyssey
that brought her to the feet of her master, Meher Baba.
Wednesday, .February 22 "' Friday, February 24
Japa to Conclude the Beloved's Centen:nial Year
From 2 PM Wednsday to 3:30 PM Friday, we will
repeat Baba's name or a favorite name of God con..
tinuously in 101 half.. hour sections (passed by phone).
To sign up,' call Emiko Larson at (510) 526 .. 2309.
Chanting sessions will end the Japa on Friday the
24th, which, in India, is the 2? th, Ba~a's birthday.
Saturday, February 25 "' Meher Baba's
10Ist Birthday
The Centennial Plus One for the One and Only.
Join a fun .. filled 101st celebration at the Arlington
Community Church, 52 Arlington Avenue at Rin ..
con in Kensington. The program will begin at 2:30
PM with an informal gathering, talk and singing.
Irwin Luck's movie Avatar will be shown at 4 PM.
At 7 PM, the Love Street Singers will premiere a
new musical play, Because of Love, by Bill and Raine
Gannett. A wonderful selection of Baba bookS and
art will be on sale. For transportation assistance, call
Fred White at (510) 843 .. 4417.
Sunday, February 26"' Children's Birthday Party
, Children, come and celebrate Baba's Birthday from
2PM .. 5PM at the home of Robert and Alisa
Dreyfus, 27 Jessen Ct., Kensington. (510) 526.. 6078.

LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito , Sunday Mornings, 10:00 AM
Ani and singing at the Greensteins at (510) 525-3364
El Cerrito , Thursday Evenings , 7:15 PM
Discourse reading and discussion. Contact Louise Barrie
or Dick. Anthony at (510) 524-1440
Fresno, Wednesday Evenings- 7:30 w 8:30PM
Arti and a varied program.
Contact Sharon or Phil Scott at (209) 449-0877
Menlo Park , Friday Evenings, 8:00PM
Arti, singing, and readings at the home of Hugh and
Jean MacDonald. Call 415-322-0886 or 415-328-6783
Petaluma , Sunday Mornings , 11 :00 AM
Arti, readings, and fellowship.
Contact Hermann Loew at (707) 778-1195
Sacramento , Sunday Mornings , 11 :00 AM
Discourse meeting on the second Monday of each month,
7:30 P.M. Also, occasional Sunday morning gatherings.
Call Marilyn Buehler at (916) 925-4451
San Francisco, Wednesday Evenings- 7 w 8:30PM
Discourse reading and discussion.
Contact Liam Mullan at (415) 474-5442
San Rafael, Sunday Afterr{oons, 4:00PM
Films, potluck. and company.
Contact Bob McKinney at (415) 258-8106
Walnut Creek, Monday Evenings, 8 w 9:30PM
Videos will be shown the first Monday of every month.
Subsequent Mondays will be devoted to study of
Discourses. Please call Helen Riehl (510) 935-0167 or
Gil Shepard (510) 930-8670 for meeting locations.
If your regularLy scheduled local meeting is not listed
please call (415) 22 I -8724 w get it inw the next newsletter.
~11
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down by
Maher Baba through the Trust should contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701.
CALLING ALL COOKS!
Annie Stovall is compiling a coolc book of recipes
from the Mandali and other members of the Baba
community world,wide. This will be a delectable
fund,raiser for our group. If you have a favorite
recipe, send it (typed, please) to Annie at 869
Appaloosa Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94596. If you'd
like to help, call her at (510) 938,2126.
MEHERANA NEWS
If you a~e not already receiving the Meherana Messen,
ger and would like to be on the mailing list, please
send your name and address to: Marilyn Buehler,
P.O. Box 191606 Sacramento, CA 95818,7606.
Dates for Meherana work parties this winter are as
follows: November 5:6, November 19,20, Decem,
ber 3,4, December 10,11, December )!,January 1
(Happy New Year!). If you plan to come up, please
call site manager Chris Pearson at (209) 966,5078
so that he can update you on weather and tools
needed, and so he can plan the work accordingly.
THE AWAKENER IS HERE!
Meher Baba the Awakener, a 56,minute documentary
video on the life and work of Meher Baba, is finally
here! It contains interviews with Bhau Kalchuri, the
twins, Marguerite Poley and Don Stevens. For infor,
m~tion, call Tim Thelen (313) 393 3715.
~1:
DON'T FORGET TO BUY
. YOUR SWEEPSTAKES TICKET!
MEHER BABA CENTER NONPROFIT
OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INC. U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO, CA.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
Berkeley, California 94704 PERMIT NO: 186
-
-
'
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CALIF INC.
N
OUAJR1riEJR1LY
w s E L
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 24
Stories from Sam
Kerawalla' s Life
With Baba (Part 1)
Sam Kerawalla, who grew up in aBaba famiiy
in Poona, recounts pivotal events from his ear-
ly adulthood, and tells how Baba guided him.
In India. you put in two years of college, after which
you can go on for five years of further education in
medicine. Baba told me to go in for medicine but,
unfortunately, during those two years, I became friend-
ly with a group of Indian youngsters who came from
very rich families. These people didn't study, so I
didn't study either and I failed in the deciding year.
Baba, at that time, was at Ahmednagar at a place
called "Ice Factory Bungalow." He called me there and
He said, "Well, what has happened? You have failed."
Baba said, ''Well, business is not in your destiny,
otherwise I myself would have financed you to open up
a toy sh op." Whether H e was joking, I don't know, but
He appeared very serio us. He said to me, "Look, elec-
tronics is the up and coming line, so you study that."
There was a college in Bombay where they had recent-
ly started courses in electronics. He said, "Go to Born-
bay immediately and bring the prospectus of that
college back to me." So, in two or three days time I
came back to Beloved Baba. He was sitting the same as
three days back. He said to me, "I normally don't touch
a fountain pen except to put my signature on some
important documents, but this once I'm taking this
pen," and He marked -out three subjects-radio engi-
neering, radio physics and wireless telegraphy. "Now,
you go to that college; enroll yourself and study," He
said. "Don't waste your time, pay attention to your studies,
get through your exams, and leave the rest to Me."
This was somewhere in 1947. In 1948 through 1950 I
completed my courses. At that time wireless telegraphy
was the primary means for marine or aircraft commu-
1994
E T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
SPRING 1994
nication. This institute was run by
Catholic. fathers. There was one father
from Scandinavia, and I remember him
asking the class who thought they would
get through the exams on the first try.
The exams were conducted by the Gov-
ernment of India, and were competi-
tive. Over 300 students from all over
India appeared for them at Bombay, Calcutta and
Madras. The first day was receiving Morse code. The
next day would be sending coded and plain messages.
After that the examiner would simulate a plane, a ship
or a base station, and your job would be to keep up a
communications stream with him. After that, there
were tests using voice, on radio physics, on commu-
nication regulations, actual handling of transmitters, re-
ceivers~ direction finding antennas and diagnosing and
correcting equipment problems. After every test your score
was posted, and if you failed that test you were out.
Out of 300 students, only four or five would pass, and
each of them would have taken the test five or six
times before passing. So, when the Father asked who
thought they would get through this ordeal on the first
try, I stood up. Why? Because, just about a month
before my exams, my father was crushed to death under
an Indian Navy truck. My family came from a lower
middle class background and we were not ~ell off. I
had studied, no denying it, but I had that faith that if
God had snatched away one bread earner in the family,
now it was His duty to provH:le the next one. That was
the thought in my mind when I stood up and, by His
grace, I got through on the first shot. A big fanfare
took place, with the fathers shaking my hand and all
that, because it was a bit of prestige for the college.
1 started looking for a job in 1950, barely three years
after India's independence. There were only two ship-
ping companies. One was owned by Indians, and the
other was British. The story was, "You get six months
of sea experience and we'll give you a job." I wrote to
(continued)
Dr. Hodiwala, a Baoa lover from Aden who went out
of his way to help people, that this is my problem and
I don't. want pay but just experience, then it would be
possible for me to have a job. Dr. Hodiwala wrote back
to me that Andre Besse, a friend of his has a company
wi~h shipping lines. Besse called up Captain Dwyer, an
Irishman who managed the shipping lines, and Dwyer
said that there was a British radio operator going home
on leave for six months, so immediately arrangements
were made, the passport was prepared, and in no tit:ne
I was on a ship to Aden, with pay! The appointment
letter said that I would begin my sea job on 35 pounds
sterling a month. In those days, the average salary in
England was 10 to 11 po,unds and people making 12 to
14 P.Ol1!lds we__r~ co~ide~clt:ichJ _so, alreagy_ ]3_aba h~d_
seen to the material welfare of the family. When: I
reached Aden 'they said that the British ~aritime
union had fought for a raise, and now the rate was 40
pounds. So, even before starting to work, I got a raise.
About tw.o months later the company asked if I would
like to work on a permanent basis. I needed the job
and was quite happy with it. We had all British officers
and Arab crew, and during the entire thirteen years I
spent in that company I never came across any British..
er who had caste or color prejudices. I was accepted as
one of them. We would go o~t to shore and party
together. I eventu.ally learned Arabic, but English :was
the language among the officers.
In june of 1954 I completed my first three year con..
tract and came back to India. Baba was at Satara at
that time and I was called there. A small incident
happened, as I saw Him. I said to myself, "Normally, I
have always stood for a Captain of a ship. I should
stand-before the--herd--of the--Universe." So,-Baba-went~
to the dining room, sat on a chair and said, "Sit down.".
I said, "No, I'll stand." Baba looked annoyed, but
Eruch was positively angry. Eruch said, "Sit down
when He tells you to sit down!" I sat down. He asked
me about my sea life. He asked me about getting
married and said, "What about Roshan?" Now, Roshan
happens to be my first cousin. Roshan's father and my
mother are brother and- sister. I told ~aha that I had
never thought about marrying Roshan. _Moreover, in
Roshan's family two brothers and one sister had pro..
gressive dystrophy, a very dangerous disease. I said,
"This is what I've heard,-that marriages of first cousins
are dangerous." At this, Baba became positively angry,
and turned to Eruch, "Every time your cousin comes, I
start having .a headache. He is crazy." Eruch interced..
ed, saying th~t I merely expressed my side of the view.
Then Baba asked me, "What do you take Me to be?"
So, I said "I've accepted you as God," but it was like
a parrot saying "You are God." It had made no impres..
sion on me. My whole family said He was God, so I
_would say He was God. But the infinite significance
never penetrated. That came much later. So I said to
Him, "I am born into a Zoroastrian family, but when I
think of God I think of only You." Baba said, "Zoroast..
er and I are one and the same. I'm telling you as God
Himself that you'll have children and there'll be no
problem with them." Baba said, "Go back to Pune
immediately and get your family to make arrangements
for the marriage." just like that, I'm in India for one
day and I'm to be betrothed .. That was one time l saw
_ E_nfcb~_become angry __with Bab~_.___Eruc;h_ _s~ys, "He's
hardly 24 and Roshan is 17. Why do you want to put
responsibility on such' young 'shoulders?" So Baba says,
"OK, I wanted to get you married as soon as possible,
but Eruch has come in the way. So, go back to your sea
. job and when you come again we'll de~ide on the
marriage."-
Later h1 that visit, we were all sitting at Baba's feet.
Normally I would sit at His feet with my head down
because I was both ashamed and frightened to look at
Him because in my heart I knew I was unworthy. I
knew He knew. He snapped His fingers, "Do you know
Me?" I said, "Of course I know you."_ "There you are,"
Baba said, turning to his mandali, "spending 30 or 40
years at my feet and you still do not know Me and here
is Sam who comes just yesterday from Pune and he
k~ows Me." 'They all had a good laugh.
.. ed note: Sam went back to sea after this meeting with Baba, then
returned in 1957. To fmd oUt what happened then, read Part 2 of
~-- this~St!JT] _in the _next ~ticm cff_this -~s~~~~ ~ _
UPDATE ON :MEHER BABA THE AWAKENER
Tim Thelen is nearing completion of his television
documentary Meher Baba the Awakener, to be shown
locally on PBS Channel 54 in the spring of 1994. Over
$13,000 has been raised for this project, but an addi..
tional $5,000 is needed for a final on.. line edit. "Bay
Area .Baba lovers have been very generous in support..
ing this project, says Tim, "and I want to, express my
thanks." Dina Franklin will be the narrator, and orig..
inal music will be provided by Karl Moeller. Anyone
contributing $50 or more will receive a one..hour VHS
copy of the film. Donations can be sent to:
The Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California
10808 Santa Monica _Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025,
ATIN: Meher Baba Film Project.
MEETINGS- Meher Baba events are held on Saturday nights
except for meetings held on the FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY
MONTH unless other wise indicated below. TIMES- Events start
.at 8:00PM and normally end by 9:30PM unless otherwise noted.
LOCATIONS - Events are held at the Albany Methodist Church
unless otherwise noted The church is at the corner of Marin
and Stannage, two blocks east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany
{North of Berkeley) Take the Albany exit from Interstate 80.
To check for. program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore * Chlldcare
FrUJay, March 4 Meher Baba in Japan
Emiko Larson and Mary Weiss host an evening de...
voted to discovering what happened when The
One who moves ip myst~rious ways- visited the
Mysterious Orient.
Saturday, March 12 The Star of Stars
Toriight the writer'. . producer ..director of the uni ..
verse appears, on film. Baba said that in the future
people will become God.. realized through seeing
His image on film. This is the future. Could this be
your lucky night? ,
Saturday, March 19 Meher Baba Infomw.tiort:
A personal Perspective on Baba Work ., ~
Rick Chapman, who met Meher Baba in the '60s,
will share stories and observations of his quarter. .
century of life in His service.
Saturday, March 26 Begin the Beguine,
Again, Already
Music, music, music-songs in praise of the Avatar
and songs He loved~ with musicians David Miotke,
Ron Greenstein & Darrell R.upe.
Friday, Aprill Son of Divine Humor
Christopher Maier hosts an evening's entertain. .
ment, recounting more stories reflecting Baba's
sublime sense of humor. A deli~htful pastime for all
of us, His April fools.
MEHI;R BABA INFORMATION
People who wish to know more about Meher Baba
can obtain introductory material and a catalogue of
available publications by writing or phoning Meher
Saba Information, P.O. Box 1101, Berkeley, Calif.
94701. (510) 562-1101.
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
Preside~t, Mary Weiss Vice President, Kevin Mossbarger Secretary, Tom Hart Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Ron Greenstein, Tom Hart, Christopher Maier, Scott Maloney, Kevin Mossbarger, Mary Weiss
Newsletter: Ale?Candra Cons, Editor Keith Gunn, Lisa Greenstein, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (~.0. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701)
Saturday, April9 Mandali Memories:
Elitabeth Patterson
Elizabeth, one of the most charming of Baba's
western mandali, will be remembered by people
who knew and loved he(.
Saturday, April16 More of That-Old Time
Religion
Still wondering after all these years: what happens
to the religion inwhich you were raised when you
know that Meher Baba is Ood? What do you teach
your children? A panel of local Baba lovers will dis..
cuss these questions.
Saturday, April23 Baba by the Bay
In 1952, Meher Baba visited San Francisco. His stay
will be recalled by one who was with Him then.
Saturday, April30 Muir Beach Dhuni
Last time, Baba provided a full moon at just the right
moment. God. . willing, His magic will again prevail.
Friday, May 6 What is Baba's Family?
A forum on a subject of wide. . ranging implications,
led by Ron Greenstein.
Saturday, May 14 Meher Baba and Money
Christopher Maier, author of the yet..to. .be ...published
sizzler, Hcxu to Get Poor Quick~ \\ill lead a discussion
of the relationship between you, God and money.
SaturdayJ May.21 Bhau Kalchuri'sTalk ~
Bhau, Babas globe...trotting night ..watchinan and an
inspired extemporaneous speaker, will share love for,
and stories about his Master, the God. .Man.
Saturday, May 28 Memorial Day Weekend
with Bhau in Mariposa
Roll up the sleeping bags and gas up the car. It's
that time of year again: "Bhaustock V., This will be
t~e first big event at Meherana, which should bring
Baba's lovers from far and wide.
THETRUST.
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down
by Baba through the Trust should contact Jack
Mormon, P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701
.
Toward the end of her life, Filis Frederick wrote a
collection of poems about her relationship with
Meher Baba called "Light on Running Water. " LOCAL 'lvfEETINGS
Previously unpublished, selections from this work El Cerrito Sunday Mornings 10:00 AM
Ani and singing at the Greensteins at 510-525-3364
are being shared with different Baba groups around
the world. These two were sent to us. El Cerrito Thursday Evenings ~ 7: 15 PM
Discourse reading and discussion. .
P,ntact Louise Barrie or Dick Anthony at 510-524-1440
The original Fresno~ Wednesday Evenings~ 7:30 to 8:30PM
Ani, and a varied program.
Most.-whimsical. Contact Sharon or Phil Scott at 209-449-0877
Comical Los Gatos/Palo Alto~ Friday Evenings~ 8:00PM
All..points ..gane Ani, singing, and readings. Please call Cherri Nelson for loca-
tion, 415-325-2231
..ical
Petaluma Sunday Mornings- 11 :00 AM
lUimitable Arti , readings, and fellowship.
First-1110st f:ree ..form Contact Hermann Loew at 707-778-1195
Sacramento - Sunday Mornings - 11 :00 AM
Flim..flam man Discourse meeting second Tuesday of each month.
Iam- For times and locations of these and Sunday morning gather-
ings, call Marilyn Buehler at 916-925-445 1
(Jod..Man.
San Fransisco ~Wednesday Ev~nings- 7 to 8:30PM
Discourse reading and discussion.
Contact Liam Mullan at 415 474-5442
The San Rafael~ Sunday Afternoons~ 4:00PM
fi.refall Films, potluck and company.
Contact Bob Mckinney at 415 258-8106
Of bliss
'Walnut Creek~ Monday Evenings 8 to 9:30PM
Comes down to Video firSt Monday each month. Discourse reading and
This- discussion subsequent Mondays. Please call Helen Riehl
510-935-0167 or Gil Shepard at 510-930-8670 for directions
Everyman If your regu}t,rrly scheduled local meeting is not listed
Is every other man. please call415~221-8724 to get it into the next newsletter.

e Avatar.Meher Baba Public Per~mal Charicable Tmsr.

MEHER BABA CENTER NON PROFIT

OF N O RTHERN C ALIFORNIA INC. U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO, CA.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
Berkeley, California 94704 ,PERMIT NO. 186

.
I/; j1! J/ ,,, j/ 1 1 rr /J 1 ; 1 J, J,,J ,/1 IJr1 ,/ /, 1 r; / 1 ; / , 1 //11/;1, /1;/,/
'
 N E w s
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 24
Stories from Sam
Kerawalla's ..Life.
With Baba (Part 2)
Sam Kerawa lla grew up in a Baba family in
Pune. Our last edition featured t'rte story of
his career as a young sailor. Now he cells how
Baba arranged his marriage to Roshan Sacha, carefully attend-
ing w even the smallest derails in their life of service wHim.
In 1957 I came to Pune t o see Baba at Gu ruprasad.
Roshan was tl!ere. Next morning, the family got
together before Baba. Eruch, his mother and his
brother Meherwan were there, I was th ere with my
mothe r Ban umama and my brother Dadi. Roshan's
papa wasn't there, but Naosherwan, an uncle of hers
and mine was there. Baba said, "It is My wish that
Sam and Roshan should marry, but the marriage
should not take place because I say so." Then He
asked Rosh an and me, "Are you h appy with the idea
of getting married to each other?" We both said yes.
After asking us a second time, to be sure that it was
n ot because H e wanted it, Baba said, "Good." He
turned to Roshan's uncle and says, "Roshan's fathe r
is not here, so you are his proxy. Are you happy?"
He said h e was. Baba turned to Dad i, my brother,
and He said, "The son has lost his father , so you
take the place of his Dad. Are. you happy?" Dadi
sa id, "Yes, Baba." Then He called us together, joined
our hands in his h ands, he ld us for, I don't know,
ten or fifteen seconds, and then He said, "Before
God, the marriage is over. Now if you want to have
a typical Zoroastrian wedding, I wa nt it done very,
very quickly."
This all happened in November of 195 7. March 21,
1958 was decided. as the wedding date , the vernal
equinox being an important date fo r Zoroastrians. It
didn't please Baba that so much time elapsed, but .
because the old people wanted it He gave in.
L E T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
SUMMER 1994
Between Baba's wedding and the Zo-
roastrian ceremony, we stayed sepa-
rate. Our whole courtship was letters
between '54 and '57 plus a few months
to talk and cou rt between November
and March. Rosh an's wedding trous-
seau was ready, a little jewelry was
done, as I h ad brought some gold
from Aden . In Februa ry, Baba called us to Meher-
azad because Mehera wanted to see Roshan.
While we were sitting down in Mandali Hall two
very important things h appen ed that illustrate the
infi nite care that God h ad for us. The rest of the
manda li h ad gone for lunch, but Baba, Eruch , Banu-
mama and I were present. Baba was sitting in His
chair and Eruch and I were sitting at his fe et on the
matting. In those days there was only matting on
' a chair for
the floor. Yet Baba ordered me t o bring
Banumama, so she shou ldn't sit on the floor. Sud-
denly, Baba started to gesture . He said "Don't look
at this broken down body of mine. I am the Lord of
the Universe. There is no shadow-of a doubt in this.
H old onto my damaan ." After th at was over, H e
asked me, "Have you though t of going on a h oney-
moon ?" Now, I had neve r been to No rth India and
I had h eard abo ut the T aj Mahal and Qutub M~nar.
So I sa id, "I'm going to Delhi to see the T aj
Mahal." I was so ign orant, I did n ot know t hat the
T aj Mahal was in Agra, a day's journey from Delhi.
Baba smiled and told Eruch, "What a fellow - he
travels all aro und the world and he doesn't even
know th at the T aj Mahal is in Agra. He wants to
see T aj Mahal in Delhi. " "Since you're going so far
n orth, go t o Kashmir also," He said to me.
March is n ot a good time for tourism in Kashmir.
It's too cold. We reached Srinagar, and I elected to
stay in a h ote l rather than on a houseboat, because
it didn't seem. too exciting for me to go back to sea.
The n ext day it was bright sunshine and a guide
1994 (continued on back page)
 THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid
down by Meher Baba through the Trust should
contact Jack Mo.rmon, p .0. Box 1250,
Berkeley, CA 94701.
MEHER BABA INFORMATION
People who wish to know more about Meher
Baba can obtain introductory material and a
catalogue of available publications by writing or
phoning Meher Baba Information, P.O. Box 1101,
Berkeley~ CA 94701. Or call (51 0) 562-1101. _
. (
LOCAL MEETINGS" ~
El Cerrito .. Sunday Mornings- 10:00 AM
Arti and singing at the Greensteins at (510) 525-3364
El Cerrito .. Thursday Evenings .. 7: 15 PM
Discourse reading and. di_scussion. Contact Louise Barrie
or Dick Anthony at (510) 524-1440
Fresno .. Wednesday Evenings .. 7:30 w 8:30PM
Arti, and a varied program.
Contact Sharon or Phil Scott at (209) 449~0877
Menlo Park ..-Friday Evenings .. 8:00 PM
Arti, singing, and readings at the home of Hugh and
)ean MacDonald. Call 415-322-0886 or 415-328-6783
Petaluma .. Sunday. Mornings .. 11 :00 AM
Arti, readings, and fellowship.
_Contact_ Hermann Loew at (}07) 778..J.195
--thrs- crucial effort. If you have- any-qustions please
Sacramento .. Sunday Mornings .. 11 :00 AM
. Discourse meeting second Tuesday of each month.
For times and locations of these and Sunday morning .
gatherings, call Marilyn Buehler at (916) 925-4451
San Fransisco- Wednesday Evenings .. 7 to 8:30PM
Discourse reading and discussion.
Contact Liam Mullan at (415) 474~5442
San Rafael .. Sunday Afternoons-4:00PM.
Films, potluck and company.
Contact Bob Mckinney at (415) 258-8106
Walnut Creek .. Monday Evenings, 8 to 9:30 PM
Videos will be shown the first Monday of every month.
Subsequent Mondays will be devoted to study of Dis-
courses.
If your regularly scheduled local meeting is not listed
please caU (415) 221-8724 to get it inw the next newsletter.
financial aspects.
CHEMICAL FACTORY UPDATE
By now you may have heard the good news that on
April 7th, India's Supreme Court decided to hear
the case being put forward against Praveen Organics.
A date for the ~u!!r~me... Court hearing has not yet
been scheduled. We'll let you know as soon as we
hear any news. In the mean .time,_.we urge you to
continue your leter writing campaigns and visits to
embassies. '
In addition, we have ben requested by the coordina-
tors in India to remind everyone that all letters
should be c.ourteous and to the point. The coordina-
tors at Meherazad/Meherabad have learned from
Indian officials that some of the leters have been
uncourteous and aggressive. Needless to say, this
tactic will do more harm than good.
Also, we want to remind you that the efforts in the
~ourts, as well as those to gain "Non-Industrial
Zone" status, are not connected to the Trust. These
efforts are being initiated by certain Mandali mem-
bers and residents of Meherabad and Meherazad.
Therefore, please don't make any reference to the
Trust in your letters to Indian officials.
Again, we'll keep you infQtmed as events unfold.
Please spread the word. Thank you for helping in
call Buz and Wendy Connor at (804) 723 . . 6259
or Charles Haynes and Christopher Wilson at (803)
257-1652.
In Meher Baba's Love and Service,
The Friends of the Avatar Meher Baba Trust
8470 Brunger Street, Manassas, VA 2211, USA
A NOTE FROM MA~H TO BABA-LOVERS
For the benefit of Baba-Lovers/Pilgrims. who ask our
advice whether to invest in land offered for sale in
the vicinity of Meherabad for a housing project, I
must make it clear that this is an independent
project and- neither the Avatar Me her Baba Trust
nor the Mandali are involved in any way in its
~
MEETINGS- Maher Baba events are held on Saturday nights
except for meetings held on the FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY
MONTH unless other wise indicated below. TIMES- Events
start at 8:00 PM and normally end by 9:30 PM unless other-
wise noted. LOCATIONS - Events are held at the Albany
Methodist Church unless otherwise noted. The church is at
the corner of Marin and Stannage, two blocks east of San
Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of Berkeley) Tak~ the Albany
exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore cct? Chi/dcare
Please note that Bhau's talk, originally scheduled
for May 21, will be on Friday, June 3.
Saturday, May 21 .. Memories of Mehera
Once again, honoring the anniversary of her passing,
we remember our Beloved;s beloved. Raine Eastman ..
Gannett hosts an evening of reminiscence and cele ..
bration of Mehera.
Friday, May 27 . _ cit This
No meeting tonight, as n'fany o( us will be heading
up to the Meherana Spring Saha~as in Mariposa.
June 2-7- Bhau visits the Bay Area
During this week we once again have the honor of
hosting Bhau Kalchuri, one of Meher Baba's manda ..
li, as our guest. The following list of activities with
Bhau enriches our summer calendar:
Thursday, June 2, 4:00PM .. Tea with Bhau
Come and meet Bhau at his first Bay Area Tea. Bring
teatime treats to share to the Greenstein's home,
600 Albemarle Rd., El Cerrito (510) 525 .. 3364.
Thursday, June 2, 7:30PM -Evening talk
Bhau will speak at the Jamison's home, 6934 Fair..
view Dr., El Cerrito. (510) 236 .. 7993. Bring after ..
dinner snacks and desserts.
Friday, June 3, 7:30 PM "' Bhau speaks at
Albany Methodist Church 9rl
Bhau is an inspired and tireless-speaker. This will be
his principal address in the Bay Area.
Sunday, June 5, 10 AM to Noon .. Children's
Party with Bhau
Bhau will entertain the children with stories and the
children will entertain Bhau at the Talbot's, 721
Crossbrook Dr., Moraga, Ca. (510) 376.. 4325.
Sunday, June 5, 2:30-7 PM .. A Garden Party
for Bhau and Silent Auction
An afternoon pot.. luck party in the Van Buskirk's
garden that will also be a fundraiser for the Meher
Baba Center of Northern California. The address is
304 Castle Crest, Walnut Creek, (510) 947 .. 0495.
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President, Mary Weiss Vice President, Kevin Mossbarger Secretary, Tom Hart "Treasurer, Jack Mormon.
Board of Directors: Ron Greenstein, Tom Hart, Christopher Maier, Scott Maloney, Kevin Mossbarger, Mary We1ss
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Ke~h Gunn, Lisa Greenstein, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701}
If you have goods .or services to donate for the
auction, please call Karen Talbot at (510) 376 .. 4325.
Tuesday, June 7, 4 PM .. Tea with Bhau
An almost .. farewell tea at the Cons residence in
Berkeley. (510) 841 .. 1777.
Tuesday, June 7, 7:30PM .. Bhau's Farewell
Bring dessert to a tea, talk and- farewell greeting at
the home of the Lowes, 1800 Woodhaven Way,
Oakland. (510) 339.. 9094. -.
Saturday, June 11 .. Meher Baba on Film
The Star of Stars once again graces the silver screen.
Saturday, June 18 .. Raine in Concert
A fundraiser/performance of ghazals by local vocalist
Raine Eastman .. Gannett. If you wish to read your
favorite ghazal, call Raine. (510) 649.. 0433.
Saturday, June 25 .. Annual General Meeting
is an important event, as it is our oppqrtunity
to be in valved in the democratic workings of the
Meher Baba Center of Northern California. Next
year'~ new board members will be elected.
Friday, July 1
No meeting tonight, as many ofour group will be at
the Sahavas in southern California
Saturday, July 9 .. Concert by Raphael Rudd
The Berkeley Unitarian Fellowship, 1924 Cedar at
Bonita in Berkeley, will be the site for a fundraiser/
concert by visiting pianist Raphael Rudd.
Saturday, July 16 .. Meherana Update
Bryan Drygas, who is on the board of Meherana, will
talk about current and proposed developments.
Saturday, July 23 .. A Reminiscence of 1969
From one who was there. Darshan Through Death's
Door-a talk by Kathy Wiederhold.
Saturday, July 30 .. Meher Baba in Japan
Emiko Larsen and Mary Weiss tell us about this stop
in the travels of the One who is always everywhere.
There will be no meetings in the month of
August~ but two special events are planned:
Saturday, August 6 .. Canoe Trip!
Fun for the whole family on the Russian River! Only
$11 per person. For information and reservations,
call Karen Dewald at (510) 549 .. 1487.
Wednesday, August 24, 7:30PM .. Jane Brown
in Concert at the Alban"' Methodist Church
J
~ Fresh from Myrtle Beach, Jane will treat us to a
special fundraiser/concert.
(continued from page I)
came and rook us around the town. Ev ery night, we
would go to the hotel dining room, and the same
chap would wait on us. Every night he would say,
"Oh sir, you're so very lucky." By that time we'd
been in Kashmir for over a week. He said to me,
"We h ave never seen such weather at this time of
the year for so long a period. It's unheard of that
the weather should be so perfect." Then it dawned
on me that orders had come from the Supreme
Master that I should visit Kashmir.
After a five~week honeymoon we came back. Baba
was very urgently interested in a child and was
disappointed to learn that Rosh an was not preg-
nant. Again Eruch interceded with Baba to ask why
we should begin a family so soon, "placing such a
burden on young sh oulders." Baba said, "Look at
your cousin. What worry h as he got? It is I who am
carrying the worry of the whole universe, the cn!-
arion. He has no worries, so quiet down."
On the 15th of May Baba went to the West. We all
went to the airport to see Him off. By that time, I
think, Mehera had been conceived, because the
moment Baba saw Roshan He burst out sm iling. He
put His hafl,d on h er head, and I felt in my heart of
MEHERANA EVENTS
May 28,30
Meherana Spring Sahavas in Mariposa
Bhau Kalchuri will be the special guest at this inaugu-
ral gathering at Meher Baba's newest center. If you
have not received a registration flyer for the Meherana
Spring Sahavas, call Christie Pearson (209) 966-5078.
Q.earts that it h ad happened. He gave me His hand,
I kissed it and He left for the West.
When I first went to sea as a young man, I never
wrote to Baba. One day a letter arrived saying,
"What has happened to Sam? Has he forgotten
Beloved Baba?" I immediately wrote a letter to Baba
and thereafter made a point of sending birthday
greetings to Baba every year.
In 1969, I was working for an Indian shipping
company. When we docked in Norway on February
22, I sent my pirthday greetings to Baba. Receiving
my cab le, the mandali rea lized that I didn't know
that Baba h ad pr<:'Jfped His body. The shipping
office had received their telegram, but sent it as
mail to me. When I landed I got a cable announc-
ing Baba's passing. I was absolutely broken up. I
spoke to the Capta in, ap Indian, who said, "You say
your master has dropped His body. Nobody will
understand in the shipping hierarchy. Let us inform
the company that your mother is seriously ill."
They made arrangements for a replacement for me
after that last run, which rook 15 days. I arrived
back in India in early March, to help the mandali
prepa re for the Last Darshan.
Saturday, June 4
Bhau Roast/Meherana Fundraiser
Get out the black tie and tails-this will be a gala
even ing extravaganza to raise funds for Meherana
development. A flier will be mailed soon with all
details, or call Mary H amilton (510) 837-9650.
MEHER BABA CENTER NONPROFrT
OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INC. U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO, CA.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
Berkeley, California 94704 PERMIT NO. 186
'
 N E w s
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 24
Agnes Baron and
MeherMou~t
by Bing, Jenny and Meira Heckman
Agnes Baron, Meher Baba's watchdog,
has gone to the feet of her beloved master.
Baba's dear Agni died on July 5, 1994.
Agnes preserved the property known as Meher Mount
in Ojai California, which Baba placed in her trust,
since the early 1950s. She was a very
faithful and
loving servant who asked nothing for herself and
was amply sustained with very limited provisions.
Service to her Beloved was most important to her.
Agnes left San Francisco California after an early
graduation from high school to attend Antioch
College in Ohio, a school especially concerned with
fresh views and making the world a better place.
While there, she developed a relationship with Pro,
fessor Mohini M. Chatterjee, an Indian man who
later referred to Agnes as his spiritual daughter.
(Agnes brough t Professor Chatterjee to meet Baba
in 1956, during His San Francisco visit.)
After college, Agnes became a correspondent for
the World Press and the Vienna Herald, prominent
news agencies. in Europe. As she was fluent in nine
languages, she was able to cover a wide range of
subjects. One, involving the eco11;omic conditions
of the Balkan nations, brought her into contact
with many top government officials of the 1930s.
Another project took her among the people in the
hills of Albania, known to . many as bandits. She
travelled along across the open countryside to seek
out these people and become acquainted with their
customs. A woman travelling alone was greatly per,
plexing to officials of the region, who could think of
her only as a missionary, a prostitute or a spy.
While much of what Agnes did during these years
was fascinating, many aspects were also distressing
1994
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
FALL 1994
in this pre, World War II era. For
instance, she observed open abuse of
Jews. Once, while shopping in a in
Viennese store owned .by a Jewish
proprietor, she was assailed verbally
by Brown Shirt Hitler Youth who
asked her what she was doing buying
shoes from a Jew. She told them ''None
of your damn business!"
Ultimately, Agnes went to Portugal to help refugees.
She was one of a few trying to help in this monu,
mental, heartbreaking ~ask. Several of the high,
ranking officials she had met in the Balkans in 30s
were among the refugees. As the war came closer,
-she finally had to return to the United States.
Deeply depressed over the appalling treatment of
people and lack of compassion she had witnessed,
she returned to her native San Francisco. There she
met and worked with Josephi~e Duveneck, a phi,
lanthropist who was helping Japanese Americans
avoid internment.
Mrs. Duveneck and Agnes's old mentor Professor
Chatterjee suggested that Agnes look into Vedanta.
Agnes was moved by the new ideas she discovered.
She had a ~ery good rapport with the swami in San
Francisco, who directed her to an ashram in south,
em California where facilities for women were avail,
abie. Agnes found the swami in Santa Barbara to be
hypocritical and told him he was a "fallen yogi."
She then moved to an ashram in Los Angeles,
where she tried to continue her writing, but her
typing made noise that upset the quiet of the ashram.
She was told of another place in La Crescenta
where she could possibly live and write without
disturbing anyone. The people at the La Crescenta
center were disciples of Meher Baba, an Indian
master that she did not know, but she decided to
stay. A book called Avatar needed editing and the
author, Jean Adriel, asked Agnes to help with the
task. While Agnes felt that many parts of the book
were too sentimental for her taste, she was quite
impressed by the central subject, Meher Baba.
At Baba's suggestion, a group of women from the
center decided to find a location further away from
the city, so Agnes went .along to look for other
properties. Back in the hills of Ojai, Agnes asked
about a property-seemingly on a whim. No one
else was interested at first, and it was not listed for
sale. They got through a fence and found buildings
and features that were very appealing. On inquir,
ing, they found that it was for sale. They purchased
the property and Agnes, still uncertain about
Meher Baba, moved in with the group.
Margaret Craske was the final link for Agnes. She
had great respect for Margaret, and it was their
discussions about Baba that really touched her.
Agnes finaily met Baba in 1952 in Myrtle Beach.
Meeting Baba in the Lagoon Cabin was a wonderful
moment for Agnes. The two were alone together.
Baba put her head on His shoulder, and "everything
dissolved," as she put it. In a flash, she felt absolute
conviction of His divinity. Baba was to have gone
to Meher Mount that year, but the auto accident in
Prague, Oklahoma prevented His visit.
In 1956, Baba did visit Meher Mount. Filis Frederick
recounted in the Awakener, "He loved Meher Mount
and felt happy there. Baba . .. said the land was very
old and He had been there before." Baba had a
Agnes and Meher Baba at Meher Mount, 1956
relaxed and playful day at Meher Mount, which was
a welcome respite during His whirlwind tour.
Baba observed that Agnes's nickname "Agni" was
the Hindi wo_rd for fire, and used that name for her .
endearingly. He also called her his "watchdog,"
perhaps for her tenacity in guarding His- Meher
Mount. Agnes held the property with very limited
outside support for over forty years. Her living con,
ditions were spartan and she lived without hot
water or good heat for many years.
When Meher Mount became involved in webs of
legal and title issues, Baba ordered that the title be
placed in Agnes's name and told her that whatever
she thought should be done with the land was alright
with Him. Agnes was very active in social programs.
During the 1960s and 1970s, she was involved in the
War on Poverty and her ow~ drug abuse program.
She was on the suicide hotline for many years and
founded the Headstart program in her county.
Agnes went to India for the first time in 1983. She
particularly enjoyed visiting Baba's dear ones there.
Rumor has it that she almost talked Mansari into
corning back with her, but orders are orders. (Baba
ordered Mansari never to leave the Samadhi hill.)
On October 16, 1985 the "New Life" began for
Agnes. A fire swept over Meher Mount and de,
strayed all of the buildings. Agnes escaped with her
beloved pets, but nothing else. She was assisted by
the local community and Red Cross and returned to
the mountain about a year later.
While she had a tendency to bark a bit and be frank
in her discussions, Agni enjoyed visitors very much.
Her qnly concern WC!_S servif1g h~er~ ~~lpve9. and she
wanted all to share in such service. Baba said:
"The only reason why I call upon every individual
to work for Me is to make each one share in the
Divine Cause."
We will miss her deeply.
The property has been deeded to Meher Mount
Corporation, an established nonprofit corpora,
tion which will sincerely strive to serve her
wishes for Meher Mount.
I
You can have an active voice in this effort. For
information on how you can become involved
with the direction and support of Meher Mount,
please call Bing Heckman at (415) 494,6443 or
write to:
Meher Mount Corporation, MEHER MOUNT
9902 Sulphur Mountain Road, Ojai, CA 93023
(See Mani'i telegram on back page).
MEETINGS - Me her Baba events are held on Saturday nights
except for meetings held on the FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY
MONTH unless other wise indicated below. TIMES- Events
start at 8:00 PM and normally end by. 9:30 PM unless other-
wise noted. LOCATIONS - Events are held at the Albany
Methodist Church unless otherwise noted. The church is at
the corner of Marin and Stannage, two blocks east of San
Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of Berkeley) Take the Albany
exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes caii510B45-4339.
Bookstore \it. Chl/dcare
e Note: We are experimenting this quarter with
having more meetings in homes in the community.
Unless otherwise stated, meetings will be at the
Albany Methodist Church.
Friday, September 2 The Original Star
Meher Baba is truly divine on the screen. Come and
view Him in Myrtle Beach, 1958 and in Meher
Babils Call
)
Saturday, September 3 Labor Day Picnic, 2-5 PM
Come for an afternoon of shared food and fun at
Live Oak Park in north Berkeley. We'll play Seven
Tiles, Gilly D~nda or whatever you bring. Live Oak
Park is on Shattuck Ave. between Rose and Eunice.
Saturday, September 10, 7:30PM Meher Baba
and Communii,
Come to the El Cerrito home of Harold and Sue
Jamison for a discussion about where our group is
going. Call (510) 236 .. 7993 if you need directions.
Friday, September 16 Rummage Sale Preparation
6.. 8 PM: Your help is needed to set up and price
items for Saturday's rummage sale,. Friend's Meeting
Hall, corner of Walnut and Vine Streets, Berkeley.
8.. 10 PM: work and_ preview sale for workers.
Saturday September 17 Rummage Sale
s. lQ AM: More. work and pr_eparation
10 AM . . 3 PM: Public sale. Come to help sell, to
find that one..of.. a.. kind treasure and to raise funds
for our group's ac~tivities.
Saturday, Sept. 17 No meeting tonight because
of the Lord Meher Benefit "' see back page.
Saturday, September 24, 7:30PM Group Sing-
Along
Bring instruments and Baba music for a singing to the
Beloved, at the home of Mary Weiss in San Fran ..
cisco. Call Mary for directions at (415) 221 .. 8724.
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President. Karen Talbot VIce President. Janet White Secretary, Leslie Baer Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Soussan Adham-Rupe Leslie Baer Mehera Halliwell Laura Hogan Emlko Larson Karen Talbot Janet White
Trustwalla: Jack Monnon (P.O. Box 1250,Berkeley, CA 94701)
Saturday, October 1 How I Came to Meher Baba
An always..popular meeting: Come to hear stories of
the Divine Romance. To be held at the Jamison's in
El Cerrito, (510) 236.. 7993.
Friday, October 7 Adele Wolkin Reminisces
Adele, one of the fortunate ones to have met Meher
Baba, joins us from LA. for an interesting evening
of her memories. She will be bringing a film we have
not seen before of Baba's mandali at amartithi.
Saturday, October 8, 7 PM Quest Pot-Luck
An informal get.. together wfth Adele and fellow
Southern Californian Fred Stankus. Fred will show
two programs that he produced for LA. Cable TV.
At the Talbot's in Moraga, (510) 376..4325.
S~rday, October 15, 7:30PM Meher Baba's
New Life
Join in a discussion of the New Life, with musical
accompaniment by David Miotke.
Saturday, October 22, 7 PM Video Night
At the home of Emiko and Roger Larson
(510) 526 .. 2309.
Saturday, October 29, 7 PM Children's
Halloween Pan,
The church social hall will become a fun .. house and
a venue for a children's party and show by our very
talented children's group. Come in costume!
Friday, November 4 The Avatar on Film
Come along as we re.. visit Baba's Andra Tour of
1954 and delight in the beauty and grace of the
Beloved in 0 Parvardigar.
Saturday, Nov 12 Remembering Baba
These are fast .. moving and stressful times. Come and
share_ ideas and experiences of ways we can remem ..
her Him and hold on to His damaan. At the home
of Dick Anthony and Louise Barrie, (510) 524.. 6405.
*Saturday, November 19 The One Dream Awa:v
Concert, with Cindy Lowe and Friends
Song..dreamer Cindy Lowe will /entertain us in a
fund .. raising concert featuring songs from her new
album. Befitting the occasion, the church hall will
be transformed into a cabaret setting (Black berets
optional.)
Saturday, November 26 Spend time in
thanksgiving, but no meeting tonight.

WCAL MEETINGS
EL Cerrito ~Sunday Mornings, 10:00 AM
Arti and singing at the Greensteins at (510) 525-3364
EL Cerrito , Thursday Evenings , 7:15 PM
Disccurse reading and discussion. Contact Louise Barrie
or Dick Anthony at (510) 524-1440
Fresno~ Wednesday Evenings, 7:30 to 8:30PM
a
Arti, and varied program.
Contact Sharon or Phil Scott at (209) 449-0877
Menlo Park , Friday Evenings , 8:00PM
Arti, singing, and readings at the home of Hugh and
Jean MacDonald. Call 415-322-0886 or 415-328-6783
Petaluma ~ Sunday Mornings , 11 :00 AM
Arti, readings, and fellowship.
Contact Hermann Loew at (707) 778-1195
Sacramento, Sunday Mornings, 11:00 AM
Discourse meeting second Tuesday of each month.
For times and locations of these and Sunday morning
gatherings, call Marilyn Buchler at (916) 925-4451
San Francisco, Wednesday Evenings, 7 to 8:30PM
Discourse reading and discussion.
Contact Liam Mullan at (415) 4745442
San Rafael, Sunday Afternoons, 4:00PM
Films, potluck and company.
Contact Bob McKinney at (415) 258-8106
Walnut Creek, Monday Evenings, 8 to 9:30PM
Videos wi ll be shown the fust Monday of every month.
Subsequent Mondays will be devoted to study of
Discourses. Please call Helen Riehl (510) 935-0167 or
Gil Shepard (510) 930-8670 for meeting locations.
If your regularly scheduled local meeting is not listed
please call (4 I 5) 22 I ,8724 to get it into the next newsletter.
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down by
Maher Saba through "the Trust should contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701.
DON'T MISS THE LORD MEHER
"*BENEFIT! SATURDAY SEPT. 17
-*-MOLTO BENE! '*
This will be an evening of fun to benefit the
publication of Lord Meher. A multiple,course, fam,
ily,style Italian dinner, raffle and mystery musical
entertainment. Come to the party and bring .your
friends to the Colombo Club, 5321 Claremont Av,
enue, Oakland. Donation is $30 per person. The
reservation deadline has been extended to Sept. 7.
Call Peter Ravazza at (510) 769,1839.
INDIAN SUPREME COURT UPDATE
At the Indian SupreJ?e Court Hearing on July 11,
the Central Pollution Board (a federal body) rec,
ommended that Praveen Organics be relocated im,
mediately. Jai Baba! . Howe.ver, the lesser body of
the Maharashtra Pollution Board requested two more
weeks to review the case. That hearing took place
on July 26. Stay tuned for further developments.
MANI SAYS GOQD .. BYE TO AGNI
Our Baroness Agni now resides in the court of
her King enjoying His glory and reward of her
long faithful service to Beloved Meher Baba as
"Watchdog" on His Mount. Most blessed is Agnes
Baron to thus serve the Ancient One and most
blessed is each one who helped her do so. May
Meher Mount ever remain Meher's Mount, re,
fleeting Agnes's love for Beloved Baba and His
Love for His Mount hallowed forever with His
physical presence.
Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jail!!
from All Meherazad family.
MEHER BABA CENTER NON-PROFIT
OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INC. U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO, CA.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
PERMIT NO. 186
Berkeley, California 94704
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CALIF INC.
N
0 UAIPl1rJE
w s
IPiiLY
E L
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 25
Sheela's Memories of
Meher Baba, Part 2
Last quarter we printed some of Sheela Fenster's
reminiscences of her intimate contact and
guidance from Baba. Here are some inore
gems from her childhood.
Really, my family is n or my dad's. We are Baba's famil y.
I never played with my dad as a kid growing up. I
played with Baba. Baba, for example, taught me about
raising kids.
Every year I used to write to Baba to ask if I could go
on the annual sch ool tri p, and every year He used to
refuse. I n ever gave up. W h e n I was in eighth standard
I wrote as usual, "I h ope this rime You might let me
go," bur this time even a sweete r letter, thinking maybe
I co uld make Him melt. Baba wrote back, "I want yo u
ro go , Sheela. You come h ere and I will talk with you,
and then you can go." I was so h appy, I thought, "Oh
Baba, You're so good to me, so mercifu l." So, I went
to Meherazad. "I want you to go on the trip," Baba said,
"but how are you going?" I said, "By bus, Baba." H e said
"OK, but as you enter the bus, you must rake My n ame
three times in the mind. Don't forget. If you forget, I
have w give yo u suffering. Will you remember?" I sa id
I could do it. He reminded me w take His name with
all my heart,, not just like simple repetit io n.
O n the morning of the trip, when the bus left, it was
about 4 AM. All the kids were queued up, but I was
a t the head of the que ue , because I wanted to choose
the bes t seat. Befo re getting on the bus, I h ad to close
my eyes and say His n ame. Right away, all the kids
behind me started pushing and teasing me, "What's th e
matter with yo u ? Why are you closing yo ur eyes? Are
you scared of the bus?" As a result of my going first,
everybody h ad to wa it in line behind me while I d id
rake His name properly.
It was so dark, it starred raining and the electrica l
power was out over part of the route and lights were
fli ckering. A ll of a sudden , o ur bus rook a lurch, and
the fron t side went down . The back sid e went up and
1995
E T T E R
. .. - BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
SUMMER 1995
the bus was standing on its nose! I
tho ught, "Now you h ave to be ready ro
die." I closed my eyes, and took Baba's
n ame over and over. When I opened my
eyes, the bus was sta nding again on irs
wheels. Bu t n o w the bus driver screamed
"God, electric wire!" and h e jumped out
the driver's door. There was a live wire
down o n the ground and the driver began running away
because h e thought h e would get electrocuted. The
kids kept yelling at him to come back and help us. T hey
were in tears and very frightened, but the driver re-
fused, "Tha t wire is a live wire, and I don't want to die.
I've got my children at h ome. Who will look after
them?" Even the reach er called to him, bur he wouldn't
come back. He was thinking more abo ut his children
than the 50 ch ildren on the bus.
O n e of the reachers got courage, got down from the bus
and helped each child ge t off. She told one or two of
us to go ro the local power station and ro tell them to
turn off the electricity. It was early morning, pitch dark
and ra ining. It turned out that nobody got hurt, but we
a ll h ad a good fright o ut of it. By 10 AM, some other
person came and moved the bus back from the wire,
and our driver rook over.
I wrote w Baba and rold Him everything . He wrote
back and sa id, "I sent you on that trip b eca use I wanted
to save the fifty chi ldren . I was there with you." I sa id,
"Bur Baba , I didn't see You ." H e said, "How did it
h appen th at th e bus didn't turn over, but instead fell
back on its wheels? I did that. I was there. I did it
because you were calling ' Baba , Baba , Baba."' I hadn' t
rold Him that I was ca ll ing our His n a me, because I
didn't think to te ll Him. He used to tell me, "You make
.it d ifficu lt fo r M e with a ll t h e questions you ask. I see
rhe future, and I see everywhere. You just see the present.
I did no t want yo u to fall in the ditch. That's why I
said 'No' all these years." Som etimes H e used to say,
"No," and sometimes H e even used ro say, "No , and
don't ask Me agai n."
One time Baba asked my mother, "Do you go for movies?"
"Yes, Baba" she said, because my mo ther loved m~>V ies.
MEETINGS - Me her Baba events are held on Saturday nights
except for meetings held on the FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY
MONTH unless other wise indicated below. TIMES- Events
start at 8:00 PM and normally end by 9:30 PM unless other-
wise noted. LOCATIONS - Events' are held at the Albany
Methodist Church unless otherwise noted. The church is at
the corner of Marin and Stannage, two blocks east of San
Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of Berkeley) Take the Albany
exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore 'i' Chi/dcare
Saturday, )une 3, 6:30PM ... Annual General _
Meeting
Come to participate in the democratic process of
the Meher Baba Center of Northern California,
including approving the budget and the officers for
next year's board of directors. It is essential that
--56%--of- the-members hi p--auend--or-send-a--proxy,
either to the office or with a member who will
attend the AGM. Doors will open at 6 and the
meeting will commence promptly at 6:30.
Saturday, June 10 .. Film Night - perform for our Beloved, and for us as well.
_ The films Avatar and. Stay with God will be shown,
treating us to Meher Baba's beautiful image and
His words.
Saturday, June 17 .. How I came to Meher
Baba
Another series of episodes 'in the always inspiring
Divine- Romance, this one hosted by Fred' White.
June 23-2 7 & July 21-24 .. Bhau's visit
We will once again be honored by the presence of
Bhau Khalchuri, one ofMeher' B_aba's mandali. Events
with Bhau are listed below, but please call the office
phone, (510) 845 .. 4339, to ascertain his schedule
or changes to it. All the events at people's homes
are pot .. luck.
Friday, June 23, 4 PM- Tea and talk with Bhau
A welcome to Bhau at the Hamilton's, 100 Winestone
Court, Danville. (510) 837 .. 9650~
Saturday, June 24 .. Bhau speaks at Albany
Methodist Church ~
Bhau, our well.. loved and tireless speaker, will address
the group.
Sunday, June 25, 4 PM .. Tea with Bhau
Bhau will speak at the home of the Talbots, 721
Crossbrook Drive, Moraga. (510) 376 .. 4325.
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President, Karen Talbot Vice President, Janet White Secretary, Leslie Baer Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Soussan Adham Leslie Baer Mehera Halliwell Laura Hogan Emiko Larson Karen Talbot Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Lisa Greenstein, Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Trustwal/a: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701)
Monday, June 26, 7:30 PM-An evening with Bhau
Bhau will talk at the jamison's, 6934 Fairview Drive,
El Cerrito. (510) 236 .. 7993.
Tuesday, June 27, 7:30PM-A farewell to Bhau
A talk at the Lowes' home, 1800 Woodhaven Way,
Oakland. (510) 339 .. 9094.
Saturday, July 1 .. No meeting tonight
The L.A. Sahavas beckons. See you there.
Friday, July 7 .. The Avatar on Film
The popular film 0. Parvardigar and lovely footage
of Meher Baba in Myrtle Beach, 1958 are our
program tonight.
\
Monday, July 10 .. Silence Day
The Greensteins are <>pening their home, at 600
Albermarle, Ef Cerrito, from 11 AM until 5 PM for
-- rsro
---aaavorviaeos:-can r.5z5:JJ64- meaav
&Tore
for directions.'"" '
Saturday, July 15 .. Raine in Concert
Local songstress Raine Eastman .. Gannett will
Friday, July 21, 7:30PM,. Bhau Returns
An evening talk at the home of the Dunns, 3112
Cranwood Court, Pleasanton. (510) 484 ..5483.
Saturday, July 22 .. Bhau Speaks Again
At the Albany Methodist Church.
*
Tuesday, July 24, 7:30PM .. A Final Evening
with Bhatt'
Goodbye again, Bhauji! Come for a farewell talk at
Dick and Louise's, 6812 Tahoe Place, El Cerrito.
(510) 527 .. 1712. .
Saturday, July 29 .. Dreams of Meher Baba
Have you had dreams of Baba? What have these
dream:s meant to you? A meeting coordinated by
Laura Hogan.
PHONE AND MAILING LIST UPDATE
If you are not on the list or wish to change your list ..
ing, please phone the information to (510) 596 .. 8750
and leave a message on extension 1n. Please call on
weekends or before 9 AM or after 7 PM. Please indi ..
care what information you want published on the phone
list (phone number only, address and phone, etc.),
which is available to MBCNC members or whether
you just want to be on the mailing-~tit.
"How many times do you go in a month?" He asked.
She said, "I don't count, Baba, I can not tell you." So
Baba said, "You. must be going a lot." "Yes, Baba.
Whenever the kids have a holiday, whenever Sunday
comes and we don't go to Meherazad, maybe 7, 8, 10
times." "That many times?" Baba said. "From today you
can go to only two movies a month." She said, "What?
Only two movies?'' I got involved and said, "What if
some months we don't see any movies? Can that go in
next month?" You can see my mind, I'm looking for
something extra. Baba said, "It might be possible to
move some from one month to the next. But you must
ask Adi. He will keep track." So Adi used to write the
number of times we went in a month. He had a medical
chart for himself, and a movie chart for our family.
One time Adi went to Bombay. That time, there was
a really good movie. Next,day, the film was going to
go to some other city. I said to mother, "That movie
is really, really good, and Adi isn't here- what to do?"
She said, "We can't go to that movie. You study." "No,
mother, we have to see that movie," I said. "I've got
an idea. I'll write a chit to Adi ( a note), and I'll put
it on his desk." She was against it, but in the end she
agreed. I wrote a letter to Adi_ and put it on the desk.
We called a tonga. Two or three minutes away from
our house, the horse had a fit, the tonga fell over and
we fell out of the cart onto the ground. All three of
us jumped to safety. None of us got hurt, but we were
very frightened, and the horse wouldn't get up. I knew
it was I who had caused us to break Baba's order. I ran
all the way home, upset at myself. Mother also accused
me of being responsible and was really yelling at me.
Then she wrote to Baba. The next day, Adi came back
from Bombay and he told us that Baba had called us
to Meherazad.
My mother was very clear that it was my fault. Baba
said, "This time you would have died. I gave this order
to save you. If you had fully disobeyed My order, you
would have died." My mother got very scared and began
crying. "Baba, I won't do it again- please forgive me."
"This time I saved you," He said, "but next time don't
do it." It was a bad idea to disobey His orders. Some ..
times we kept His orders for 10 years, but you didn't
know what would happen if you disobeyed them.
I used to walk to my school. I said to my mother,
"Mother, my school is so far away, I have to walk twice
a day, couldn't I have a cycle? Let's ask Baba." She said
"OK" and she said, "Baba, please could we have one
cycle for Sheela?" Baba said, "I cannot give you per ..
mission, Rama." "Why not, Baba?" "just what I said,
I can not give you permission." "But Baba, she gets so
'tired, and all the other kids can do it." Baba said, "I
understand that, but if while cycling they lose their
lives in an accident, don't come to me. If you're ready
for that, then I'll let you buy one." "No, no, no Baba,
I'll let them walk three times a day rather than that,"
she said. Baba said, "Don't argue with Me. That's why
I told you. You tell Me which one you can bear to part
with." She got so frightened that she was quite strict
with us about no cycling, no matter what.
On 30th 1anuary 1969 three letters came. The letter
that came early in the morning said, "You can buy a
cycle, you are free from My orders, there;s no danger
now and nothing will happen to you." I got so excited,
I wanted to get the first cycle, before my brother. My
mother had no money, but she said she would write to
my uncle and see if he could give us some. Now, the
order had been given 7 qr 8 years before, and we had
obeyed. Baba remembers everything. We thought we
would never be able to ride a cycle, but here comes the
r~moval of the order. That day, 30th January, He took
back all the orders, but He said, about all those orders
He had given, "Remember those orders, and think of
the spirit of them iri the future."
The next day was a very, very bad day. I went to school,
I came home walking on the main road, but how I went
just in the middle of the road I don't know. Trucks were
coming and going, one truck swerved and almost hit
me. He came so close that part of th~ truck hit the
school books I was carrying and knocked them out of
my arms. My mind was blank, and I had no ~dea where
I was going. The truck driver was shouting at me, "You
want to commit suicide, why not with someone else's
truck- why my truck?" A big crowd gathered around
me, maybe 100 people, but how it happened I don't
really know. I was ordinarily most careful walking on
the road.
When I came home, my mother was having trouble.
Someone h~d short .. changed her and she was running
back and forth about that. I saw a servant crying, a
little boy who used to work for Adi. I asked the boy
what happened. He said, "Baba dropped His body." I
said, "Are you crazy, to say something like that? That's
why we have given you work?" I got up'Set with him.
"Mother, look, he's so bad, he would say anything." My
mother came out and we went to see Adi, so the boy
would get a reprimand for lying. Adi was just sitting
there, holding his head in his hands. My mother said,
"What happened, Adi, do you have a headache?" He
looked at my mother and didn't say a word, but his eyes
were really red, so my mother said, "This child said
Baba dropped His body. You should call him and sco~d
him." Adi got up, put his head on my mother's shoulder
and started crying. My mother started crying. After five
m inures, Adi managed to say, through his tears, "It is
true." My mother said, "I don't believe it." I said, "No,
(continued on page 4)
you guys are crazy. You just cry and say things. I have
to go there and see." So, I went o ut, and there was one
truck that was going to Meherazad, so I, my mother and
my brother jumped in the truck. Adi was so sad , he
didn't appear even to notice.
William Donkin came to the compound just then, and
h e said, "Don't go to Meherazad. I will take you to
Meherabad after I go and get the coffin." "Coffin," I
said, "what are you talking abo ut ?" He said, "Don't
worry about that, just come with me, and h e lp me with
the wo rk." He didn't want to talk so much, to make
me sad. I was very close to William , so h e didn't want
to make me cry. I went there, and he gave an order for
the coffin. By the time we finished our work and came
ro Meherabad, it was around 7 PM. Mehera was crying,
Mani was crying. Baba's body was on the stretcher, just
looking as though He was asleep. I couldn't believe it.
Then I understood why Adi was crying.
Every day after thad used to go with William Donkin
to see if the coffin was ready. W illiam rejected three
coffins because they were not made well enough. The
fourth one was almost good enough. The fifth one the
coffin maker d id a good job on - very smooth and
nice, no nails.
Life was quite different afte r that. I was really sad. I
felt like an orphan. Nobody was perfect, and nobody
could be trusted to guide my life. Fo r exa mple, I was
in co llege. There was a big strike. Should I take part ?
I asked my dad and Adi whether I should join the
str ike. W hen Adi asked me h ow I felt about it, I said
I felt sympathetic. Then I re membered that Baba had
said to me, "If you go to college there will be strife. You
should not take part in the strife." So I didn't, in the
face of pressure from other students. It was new, the
difficulty with taking decisions. Life was quite different.
MEHER BABA CENTER
OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INC.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
Berkeley, California 94704
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito Sunday Mornings 10:00 AM
Arti and singing at the Greensteins (510) 525 -3364.
El Cerrito Thursday Evenings 7:15 PM
Discourse reading and discussion. Contact Louise
Barrie or Dick Anthony at (510) 524-1440.
Fresno Wednesday Evenings - 7:30 w 8:30PM
Arti and a vari ed program. Contact Sharon or Phil
Scott at ( 209) 449-0877.
Menlo Park Friday Evenings-8:00PM
Ani, si nging and readings at the home of Hugh and
Jeannie MacDonald. Call them at (415) 322-0886 or
Betty Lowman at (415 ) 323-1900.
Petaluma Sunday Mornings 11 :00 AM
An i, read ings, and fe llowship. Contact Hermann
Loew at (707) 7-78-1195.
Sacramento Sunday Mornings; 11:00 AM -
Discourse meeting on the second Monday of each
month, 7:30 PM. A lso, occasional Sunday morning
gatherings. Call Marilyn Buehler at (916) 925-4451.
San Francisco- Wednesday Evenings- 7 w 8:30PM
Readings and d iscussion. Call Peter Ravazza at
(510) 769-1839 or .Mary Weiss at (415) 221-8724.
San Rafael Sunday Afternoons -4:00PM
Films, potluck and company.
Contact Bob McKinn ey at (415) 258-8106.
Walnut Creek -Monday Evenings 8 w 9:30PM
Videos wi ll be shown the first Monday of every
month. Subsequent Mondays will be devoted to
study of Discourses. Please call Helen Riehl
(510) 935-0167 or Gi l Shepard (510) 930-8670 for
meeting locations.
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down by
Meher Saba through the Trust should co ntact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Bo"x 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701.
NON PROFIT
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO, CA.
PERMIT NO. 186
'
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CALIF INC.
N
0 UAJR
w s
1rJEJRJLY
E L
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 25
Sheela's Memories of
Meher Baba, Part 2
Last quarter we printed some of Skela I!'enster's
reminiscences of her intimate contact and
guidance from Baba. Here are some more
gems from her childhood.
Really, my family is not my dad's. We are Baba's family.
I never played with my dad as a kid growing up. I
played with Baba. Baba, for example, taught me about
raising kids.
Every year I used to write to Baba to ask if I could go
on the annual school trip, and every year He used to
refuse. I never gave up. When I was in eighth standard
I wrote as usual, "I hope this time You might let me
go," but this time even a sweeter letter, thinking maybe
I could make Him melt. Baba wrote back, "I want you
to go, Sheela. You come here and I will talk with you,
and then you can go." I was so happy, I t.hought, "Oh
Baba, You're so good to me, so merciful." So, I went
to Meherazad. "I want you to go on the trip," Baba said,
"but how are you going?" I said, "By bus, Baba." He said
"OK, but as you enter the bus, you must take My name
three times in the mi~d. Don't forget. If you forget, I
have to give you suffering. Will you remember?" I said
I could do it. He reminded me to take His name with
all my heart, not just like simple repetition.
On the morning of the trip, when the bus left, it was
about 4 AM. All the kids were queued up, but I was
at the head of the queue, because I wanted to choose
the best seat. Before getting on the bus, I had to close
my eyes and say His name. Right away, all the .kids
behind me starred pushing and teasing me, "What's the
matter with you? Why are you closing Y.OI.,It ~y~s? Are
you scared of the bus?" As a result of my .go (ng first ,
everybody had to wait in line behind me while I did
take His name prope rly.
It was so dark, it started raining and the electrical
power was out over part of the route. and lights were
flickering. All of a sudden, our bus took a lurch, and
the front side went down. The back side went up and
1995
---.
E T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
SUMMER 1995
the bus was standing on its nose! I
thought, "Now you have to be ready to
die." I closed my eyes, and took Baba's
name over and over. When I opened my
eyes, the bus was standing again on its
wheels. But now the bus driver screamed
"God, electric wire!" and he jumped out
the driver's door. There was a live wire
down on the ground and the driver began running away
because he thought he would get electrocuted. The
kids kept yelling at him to come back and help us. They
were in tears and very frightened, but the driver re-
fused, "That wire is a live wire, and I don't want to die.
I've got my children at home. Who will look after
them?" Even the teacher called to him, but he wouldn't
come back. He was thinking more about his children
than the 50 children on the bus.
One of the teachers got courage, got down from the bus
and he lped each child get off: She told one or two of
us to go to the local power station and to tell them to
turn off the electricity. It was early morning, pitch dark
and raining. It turned out that nobody got hurt, but we
all h ad a good fright o ut of it. By 10 AM, some other
person came and moved the bus back from the wire,
and our driver took over.
I wrote to Baba and told Him everything. He wrote
back and said, "I sent you on that trip because I wanted
to save the fifty children. I was there with you." I said,
"But Baba, I didn't see You. " He said, "How did it
happen that the bus didn't turn over, but instead fell
back on its wheels ? I did that. I was there. I did it
because you were calling 'Baba, Baba, Baba."' I hadn't
told Him that I was calling out His name, because I
didn't think to tell Him. He used to tell me, "You make
. it difficult for Me with all the questions you ask. I see
the future, and I see everywhere. You just see the present.
I did not want you to fall in the ditch. That's why I
said 'No' all these years." Sometimes He used to say,
"No," and sometim es He even used to say, "No, and
don't ask Me again."
One time Baba asked my mother, "Do you go for movies?"
"Yes, Baba" she said, because my mother loved movies.
MEETINGS- Meher Baba events are held on Saturday nights Monday, June 26, 7:30PM-An evening with Bhau
except for meetings held on the FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY Bhau will talk at the Jamison's, 6934 Fairview Drive,
MONTH unless other wise indicated below. TIMES- Events
start at 8:00 PM and normally end by 9:30 PM unless other-
El Cerrito. (51 0) 236 .. 7993.
wise noted. LOCATIONS - Events are held at the Albany Tuesday, June 27, 7:30PM-A farewell to Bhau
Methodist Church unless otherwise noted. The church is at
the corner of Marin and Stannage, two blocks east of San A talk at the Lowes' home, 1800 Woodhaven Way,
Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of Berkeley) Take the Albany Oakland. (510) 339 .. 9094.
exit from Interstate SO.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Saturday, July I , No.meeting tonight
Bookstore * Childcare - The L.A. Sahavas beckons. See you there.
Friday, July 7, The Avatar on Film
The popular film 0 Parvar4igar and lovely footage
Saturday, June. 3, 6:30 PM ., Annual General of Meher Baba in Myrtle Beach, 1958 are our
Meeting program tonight.
Come to participate in the democratic process of
the Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Monday, July I 0 , Silence Day
including approving the budget and the officers for The Greenstei~s are jpening their home, at 600'
next year's board of directors. It is .essential that Albermarle, El Cerrrto, from 11 AM until 5 PM for
- - 50A>- of-rhe~membershlp -attend or send a-proxy, -- --a-aay arv1deos:
lcau c~rorsz-s::J364 oerore the-aav
either to the office or with a member who will for directions.
attend the AGM. Doors will open at 6 and the .
meeting. will commence promptly at 6:30. Saturday, July 15 , Raine in Concert
Local songstress Raine Eastman.. Gannett wiiJ
Saturday, June 10 , Film Night perform for our Beloved, and for us as well.
The films Avatar and Stay with God will be shown,
treating us to Meher Baba's beautiful image and Friday, July 21, 7:30'PM, Bhau Returns
His words. An evening talk at the home of the Dunns, 3112
Cranwood Court, Pleasanton. (510) 484 .. 5483.
Saturday, June I7 , How I came to Meher
Baba Saturday, July 22 , Bhau Speaks Again 'li1
Another series of episodes in the always inspiring . At the Albany Methodist Church.
\

Divine Romance, this one hosted by Fred White.
June 23-27 & July 21-24 , Bhau's visit . with Bhau
We will once again be honored by the presence of
Bhau Khalchuri, one ofMeher Baba's mandali. Events
with Bhau are listed below, but please call the office
phone, (510) ~45 .. 4339, to ascertain his schedule
or changes to it. All the events at people's homes
are pot .. luck.
Friday, June 23, 4 PM- Tea and talk with Bhau
A welcome to Bhau at the Hamilton's, 100 Winestone
Court, Danville. (510) 837 .. 9650.
Saturday, June 24, Bhau speaks at Albany
Methodist Church 'li1
Bhau, our well .. loved and tireless speaker, will address
the group.
Sunday, June 25, 4 PM , Tea with Bhau
Bhau will speak at the home of the Talbots, 721
Crossbrook Drive, Moraga. (510) 376 .. 4325.
Tuesday, July 24, 7:30PM, A Final Evening
Goodbye again, Bhauji! Come for a farewell talk at
Dick and Louise's, 6812 Tahoe Place, El Cerrito.
(510) 527 .. 1712. .
Saturday, July 29 , Dreams of Meher Baba
Have you had dreams of Baba? What have these
dreams meant to you? A meeting. coordinated by
Lau.ra Hogan.
PHONE AND MAILING LIST UPDATE
If you are not on the list or wish to change your list ..
ing, please phone the information to (510) 596 .. 8750
and leave a message on extension 777. Please call on
weekends or before 9 AM or after'7 PM. Please indi ..
cate what information you want published on the phone
list (phone number only, address and phone, etc.),
which is available -to MBCNC members or whether
you just want to be on the mailing list.

Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.

President. Karen Talbot Vice President, Janet White Secretary, Leslie B~er Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Soussan Adham Leslie Baer Mehera Halliwell Laura Hogan Emiko Larson Karen Talbot Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Lisa Greenstein. Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley. CA 94701)
 "How many times do you go in a month?" .He asked.
She said, "I don't count, Baba, I can not tell you." So
Baba said, "You must be going a lot!' "Yes, Baba.
Whenever the kids have a holiday, whenever Sunday
comes and we don't go to Meherazad, maybe 7, 8, 10
times." "That many times?" Baba said. "From today you
can go to only two rr:tovies a month." She said, "What?
Only two movies?" I got involved and said, "What if
some months we don't see any movies? Can that go in
next month?" You can see my mind, I'm looking for
something extra. Baba said, "It might be possible to
move some from one month to the next. But you must
ask Adi. He will keep track." So Adi used to write the
number of times we went in a month. He had a medical
chart for himself, and a 1novk. chart for our family.
One time Adi went t~bay. That time, there was
a really good movie. N ex.t...day., -the film was going to
go to some other city. I said to mother, "That movie
is really, really good, and Adi isn't here- what to do?"
She said, "We can't go to that movie. You study., "No,
mother, we have to see that movie," I said. 'Tve got
an idea. I'll write a chit to Adi ( a note), and I'll put
it on his desk., She was against it, but in the end she
agreed. I wrote a letter to Adi and put it on the desk.
We called a tonga. Two or three minutes away from
our house, the horse had a fit, the tonga fell over and
we fell out of the cart onto the ground. All three of
.us jumped to safety. None of us got hurt, but we w~re
very frightened, and the horse wouldn't get up. I knew
it was I who had caused us to break Baba's order. I ran
all the way home, upset at myself. Mother also accused
me of being responsible and was really yelling at me.
Then she wrote to Baba. The next day, Adi came back
from Bombay and he told us that Baba had called us
to Meherazad.
My mother was very clear that it was my fault. Baba
said, "This time you would have died. I gave this order
to save you. If you had fully disob~yed My ,order, you
would have died., My mother got very scared and began
crying. "Baba, I won't do it again- please forgive me."
"This time I saved you," He said, "but next time don't
do it., It was a bad idea to disobey His orde.;s. Some~
times we kept His orders for 10 years,' but you didn't
know what would happen if you disobeyed them.
I used to walk to my school. I said to my mother,
"Mother, my school is so far away, I have to walk twice
a day, ~ouldn't I have a cycle? Let's ask Baba." She said
"OK" and she said, "Baba, please could we have one
cycle for Sheela?" Baba said, "I cannot give you per.-
mission, Raffia., "Why not, Babar' "Just what I said,
I can not give you permiss,ion." "But Baba, she gets so
tired, and all the other kids can do it." Baba said, "I
understand that, but if while cycling they lose their
lives in an accident, don't come to me. If you're ready
for that, then I'll let you buy one." "No, no, no Baba,
I'll let them walk three dmes a day rather than that,"
she said. Baba said, "Don't argue with Me. That's why
I told you. You tell Me which one you can bear to part
with." She got so frightened that she was quite strict
with us about no cycling, no matter what.
On 30th January 1969 three letters came. The letter
that came ~arly in the morning said, "You can buy a
cycle, you are free from My orders, there's no danger
now and nothing will happen to you." I got so excited,
I wanted to get the first cycle, before my brother. My
mother had no money, but she said she would write to
my uncle and see if he could give us some. Now, the
order had been given 7 or 8 years before, and we had
obeyed. Baba remembers everything. We thought we
would never be able to ride a cycle, but here comes the
removal of the order. That day, 30th January, He took
. back all the orders, but He said, about all'those orders
He had given, "Remember those orders, and think of
the spirit of them in the future.~
The next day was a very, very bad day. I went to school,
I came home walking on the main road, bl,lt how I went
just in the middle of the road I don't know. Trucks were
coming and going, one truck swerved and almost hit
me. He came so close that part of the truck hit the
school books I was carrying and knocked them out of
my arms. My mind was blank, and I had no idea where
I was going. The truck driver was shouting at me, "You
want to commit suicide, why not with someone else's
truck- why my truck?" A big crowd gathered around
me, maybe 100 people, but how it happened I don't
really know. I was ordinarily most careful walking on
the road.
When I came home, my mother was having trouble.
Someone had short .. changed her and she was running
back and forth about that. I saw a serv'ant crying, a
little boy who used to work for. Adi. I a~ked the boy
what happened. He said, "Baba dropped His body." I
said, "Are you crazy, to say something like that? That's
why we have given you work?" I got upset with him.
"Mother, look, he's so bad, he would say anything." My
mother came out and we went to see Adi, so the boy
would get a reprimand for lying. Adi was just sitting
. there, holding his head in his hands. My mother said,
"What happened, Adi, do you have a headache?" He
looked at my mother and didn't say a word, but his eyes
were really red, so my mother said, "This child said
Baba dropped His body. You should call him and scold
him." Adi got up, put his head on my mother's shoulder
and started crying. My mother started crying. After five
minutes, Adi managed to say, through his tears, "It is
true." My mother said, "I don't believe it." I said, "No,
(continued on page 4)
you guys are crazy. You just cry and say things. I have
to go there and see." So, I went out, and there was one
truck that was going to Meherazad, so I, my mother and
my brother jumped in the truck. Adi was so sad, he
didn't appear even to notice.
William Donkin came to the compound just then, and
he said, "Don't go to Meherazad. I will take you to
Meherabad after I go and get the coffin." "Coffin," I
said, "what are you talking about?" He said, "Don' t
worry about that, just come with me, and help me with
the work." He didn't want to talk so much, to make
me sad. I was very close to William, so he didn't want
to make me cry. I went there, and h e gave an o rder for
the coffin. By the time we finished our work and came
to Meherabad, it was around 7 PM. Mehera was crying,
Mani was crying. Baba's body was on the stretcher, just
looking as though He was asleep. I couldn't believe it.
Then I understood why Adi was crying.
Every day after that-1 used to go with William Donkin
to see if the coffin was ready. William rejected three
coffins because they were not made well enough. The
fourth one was almost good enough. The fifth one the
e0ffin maker did a good job on - very smoo th and
nice, no nails.
Life was quite different after that. I was really sad. I
felt like an orphan. Nobody was perfect, and nobody
could be trusted to guide my life. For example, I was
in college. There was a big strike. Should I take part?
I asked my dad and Adi whether I should join the
strike. When Adi asked me how I felt about it, I said
I felt sympathetic. Then I remembered that Baba had
said to me, "If you go to college there will be strife. You
should not take part in the strife." So I didn't, in the
face of pressure from other students. It was new, the
difficulty with taking decisions. Life was quite different.
II ,I,,, I,,IJ,I,,,,JI,,,,I III ,,,,,JJ,I,d,,I,,J\,,I,,I,,J\,,,\1
'"'
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito Sunday Mornings 10:00 AM
Arti and singing at the Greensteins (510) 525-3364.
El Cerrito Thursday Evenings 7:15 PM
Discourse reading and discussion. Contact Louise
Barrie or Dick Anthony at (510) 524-1440.
Fresno Wednesday Evenings 7:30 to 8:30PM
Arti and a varied program. Contact Sharon or Phil
Scott at (209) 449-0877.
Menlo Park Friday Evenings 8:00 PM
Arti, singing and readings at the home of Hugh and
Jeannie MacDonald. Call them at (415) 322-0886 or
Betty Lowman at (415) 323-1900.
Petaluma Sunday Mornings. 11 :00 AM
- Arti, readings, and fellowship. Contacf Hermann
Loew at (707) 770-1195."
Sacramento Sunday lvturnings 11 :00 AM
Discourse meeting on d~P. second Monday of eac h
month, 7:30 PM. Also, occasional Sunday morning
gatherings. Call Marilyn Buehler at (916) 925-4451.
San Francisco Wednesday Evenings 7 to 8:30PM
Readings and discussion. Call Peter Ravazza at
(510) 769-1839 or Mary Weiss at (415) 221-8724.
San Rafael Sunday Afternoons -4:00PM
Films, potluck and company.
Contact Bob McKinney at (415) 258-8106.
Walnut Creek Monday Evenings 8 to 9:30PM
Videos will . be shown the first Monday of every
month. Subsequent Mondays will be devoted to
study of Discourses. Please call Helen Riehl
(510) 935-0167 or Gil Shepard (510) 930-8670 for
meeting locations.
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down by
Meher Baba through the Trust should contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701.
3i
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CALIF INC.
N E s L
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 25
The Story of Amrit
and Dara's Wedding
Shortly before He dropped His body in
January, 1969, Me her Baba arranged the
marriage of his nephew Dara Irani to
Amrit, the daughter of the revolutionary
Kumar of "Mister God" fame. She was given her name
by Mehera and Mani, and grew up in a family devoted to
Baba. She told this delightful story to our group when she
visited in 1986.
I was 17 and one day I tame back from school, and
saw on my table a beautiful big envelope. It was so
beau tiful and shiny there, and I thought, "No wonder,
it's from Meher Baba." I quickly opened it a nd several
photographs fell on the ground. I looked down-they
weren't Baba's photographs, and I thought to myself,
"Hmm ... quire good-looking." Then I looked at the
lener from Baba. He said, "Read this letter carefully.
Don't take this as my order. I am just asking you.
Would you like to marry my nephew? Remember, I
am just asking you, this isn't an order."
Our tricky Baba - He asked so sweetly. Then He told
me everything about Dara ... Where he was born and
grew up, his education, about his eyesight-he had an
eye disease and would probably become blind . . .
everything. He didn't leave out anything. And so, I
said to myself, "Yes, Baba."
Now, Baba also said that my whole family should agree
to the marriage. Wht:;n he read the letter, My father
was so scared that I wouldn' t agree-that I'd say, "Of
course not, I'm not going to marry him. He lives in
England. And he's not Hindu." My father looked at my
face with a big question mark. Then I said, "Yes, I'll
marry him!" He gave me a big hug. He was so happy!
Of course, my mother was in tears-her little baby only
17, getting married!
We sent a telegram ~o Baba and H e wrote back imme-
diately, saying He would like to see us just two days
E T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
FALL 1995
later! We had to take the train that very
night. We reached Ahmednagar in the
\
evening, about 6:30. At the gate to Me-
herazad, my father went toward the men's
( ' side and I went to the ladies' side. There
I saw Mehera and the ladies all dressed up
to greet me the way the Hindus and Parsis
do with a beautiful platter of sweets and
flowers and a little present. It was really quite touching
that they gave me this beautiful welcome.
But then Mehera said, ''I'm so sorry you came late-
Baba won't be able to see you until tomorrow morn-
ing." I was so disappo inted. I really wanted to see Baba,
my beautiful companion. I hadn't seen Him since I was
3, and I so wanted to see Him right away. I was very
disappointed, but then all o f a sudden we heard a clap.
And all six of them ran to see what He wanted, leaving
me there all by myself holding the platter. A couple of
minutes later, Mehera came out with a big smile, say-
ing, ."You can see Baba just for a few minutes." I was
so happy-! hadn't seen Him for 14 years! .
I went into His room, and He was on His bed with His
back to me. He tried to turn around to see me, but He
couldn't. I thought to myself, "This isn't my Meher
Baba, it's somebody else-an old man sitting on the
bed; a sick old man who can't even turn around." I was
so disappointed I started weeping . I didn't even say] ai
Baba. I just stood there. I didn't know what else to do.
I was missing my .childhood friend, my beautiful Baba
with the long hair and the flowing sadra. I wanted to
leave the room .
He was smiling but the glow wasn't there. He looked only
like a sick old man. Then He raised His arms up, and I
went to Him for an embrace, and that embrace wasn't
from a sick old man. It was a healthy, strong person giving
me an embrace. He put my head on His shoulder for a
long time. I don't know how to say how beautiful it was.
Of course, H e knew what I'd been thinking, and He said,
"Are you happy now?" I said "Yes Baba, very much Baba."
He said "You must be very tired. You go and rest now.
I'll see you tomorrow morning.'
1995
MEETINGS - Maher Baba events are held on Saturday nights
except for meetings held on the FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY
MONTH unless other wise indicated below. TIMES- Events
start at 8:00 PM and normally end by 9:30 PM unless other-
wise noted. L OCATIONS - Events are held at the Albany
Methodist Church unless otherwise noted. The church is at
the corner of Marin and Stannage, two blocks east of San
Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of Berkeley) Take the Albany
exit from Interstate 80.
To c heck for p rogram changes ca ll 51 0-845-4339.
Boo kstore ~ Chi/dcar e
Friday, Sept. 1 - Film Night
Meher Baba's Call and The Ancient One.
Monday, Sept. 4 - Labor Day Picnic - 12- 6 PM
An afternoon of fun at Arlington Park. From Hwy
80, take the Albany Exit and go up the hill on
Marin to the circle. Take Arlington Avenue north
about 2-1/4 miles. The park is on the righ t. Pot
luck. Brin g meat or veggies to barbecue. Also bring
Frisbees, Whiffle balls . . . Seven Tiles anyone?
Saturday, September 9- FuU Moon Dhuni at
Muir Beach
W e' ll start at 3 PM with a hike-m eet at the en-
trance to Muir Woods. Then we proceed to Muir
Beach for a potluck supper, then dhuni on the beach.
Jo in the group at any time. Take the Hwy. 1 Exit
off 101 North, chen follow signs to Muir W oods.
Saturday, September 16- Indian Dinner at the
Mehta's -Fund-Raising Festivities - 7:30PM
Raj and Dee will host an evening of feast ing, games
and quawwa lis to replenish our coffers. Baba Trivia
and raffle for prizes $ 15 per person. 3 44 71 Sh enan-
doah P lace, Fremont. RSVP no later than Septem-
ber 8 (510) 790- 71 88. Adults only, please, and
bring your own beverages. (See flier for derai ls) .
<> Saturday, September 23 - Circle Dancing
with Herman Loew and Tui
The Albany Methodist Church Social Hall will be
awh irl with dancers and music tonight. Dance to
The Seven Names of God and The Beloved God Prayer.
Tui Wilchinsky, a fr iend of Herman and Betty
Lowman, joyous! y leads Dances of Universal Peace
and Herman is always up for a good time! Come!
Saturday, September 30- Rummage Sale
Fr iends Meeting House, W a lnu t and Vine Streets,
Berkeley. This annual event is the single most suc-
cessful fund-raiser we do . Donate your goods and
volunteer fo r a 3-hour shift, either pricing on Friday
n ight or selling on Satu rday. Call Emiko Larson,
(510) 526-2309 or Cliff Mauzey (510) 372-6169.
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President, Betty Lowman Vice President, Janet White Secretary, Steve Jacobs Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Alisa Dreyfuss Steve Jacobs Emiko Larson Betty Lowman Cliff Mauzey Dee Mehta Janet Wh ite
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Lisa Greenstein, Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701)
Friday, October 6- Film Night.
Baba's 195 4 Andhra to ur and His 1958 U.S. visit.
Saturday October 14- Meherana Fall Sahavas
Weekend with Katie Irani - no meeting
Saturday October 21 - Poetry Night at Dreyfuss's
27 Jessen Court, Kensington . (5 10 ) 526-60 78. Bring
favorites to share. Original poetry most welcome.
Saturday, October 28 - Halloween Party
Come in costum e for an evening of masqu erade and
spooks. T o h elp with refreshments or decorations,
call Janet White (510) 843-4417 .
<> Friday, November 3 - Comedy Night
The Best of Bobby Manonash and Ed McMaya.
T wo hours of chose wacky guys distilled from hours
of prime L.A. Sahavas video. A fund-raiser. $5 gets
you a seat an d a ll the popcorn you can eat.
<> Saturday, November 11 - The Wine of Meher
An intoxicating evening of song for the Beloved
with our own Ron, Darrell and Dave.
Saturday, November 18- Welcome to My World
Br ing your ideas for helping new people feel at ease
at ou r gatherings. Roger and Emiko Larson's home,
510 Eve lyn Sr. Albany. (5 10) 526-2309.
Saturday, November 25 - Thanksgiving at
Herman and Jeanette Loew's- 3 PM
An afternoon in the Petaluma countryside. Come ,
give thanks to the One who b lesses us with bounty.
Pot luck supper. Come at 3 PM, eat at 4 PM. Loews
will provide the turkey. Call Herman o r Jeanette
to RSVP and get directions. (707) 778-1195 . Space
is limited, so call early. Bring musical instruments!
Friday, December 1 -Film Night
East-West Gathering and Avatar, the Australian film.
<> Saturday December 9- Yule Toddy & Bazaar
An evening of music, poetry, chai and h andm ade
wonderments for sale. 0 Come All Ye A rtisans,
Writers and Musicians, a nd participa te in. the tom-
foo lery. Santa will come to visit the young and
young-at -heart, so come early (7 PM). C all Em iko
Larson if you have items to sell. (510) 526-2309.
'It Saturday, December 16- Remembering Mehera
Take time from the holiday rush to remember the
Beloved's Beloved. We'll see a video, listen to music,
read poetry and share favorite Mehera stories. Co-
ordinated by Berry Lowman. (415) 323-1900.
Saturdays December 23 and 30 - no meetings.
l didn't want to leave the room. I felt that leaving His
threshold would be like going out into rhe world. But
of course I did. When I went ou t, the ladies were full
of questions about my family: "How's your mother?
Your grandmothe r? Are the roses we planted still there?
How about the o ld servant? . . . "
Next morning, I saw Baba. with a b ib around His n eck,
eating H is porridge, looking like a beautifu l baby. Mehera
was behind Him combing His hair into a tiny little
pony ta il, coaxing Him to ear just a li ttle more. It was
such a sight to enjoy.
Then at 10:30 there was a meeting at Mandali Hall
with Sarosh and Villoo and Adi and others to talk
about rhe wedding. Now Baba looked like a business
man, sitting in His chair: "How many guests? What
can we spend? Sarosh, you always spend too much,
Villoo is right . . ." and on and on. Nobody asked me
anything. I was just happy to sir in a corner and look
at Baba's fee t. Dara was nowhere on rhe scene. He was
still in London. He had been told that he was go ing
marry Amrir. At least I was asked. He was on ly cold .
Sitting there in front of Baba, the thought came to me
to say the three prayers. What be tter time than right
in front of Baba? So, in my mind , I sa id a ll the prayers.
I cou ldn't fold my hands or look at Him, but the moment
I was fin ished, Baba made the perfect ion sign just for
an instant. I cou ldn't believe my eyes. I was so h appy!
I wasn't quite sure of myself, so later I asked Goher,
"Did you see Baba do rhar?" She said, "Oh yes, just
for a second." I was so glad I had taken the opportunity.
I was so lucky. I got to stay ar Meherazad for six weeks
that rime. We had beautiful days. I'd sit quietly in
Baba's room. I was so spoiled, I'd sneak and watch Him
sleep because I loved to hear His snoring. It was soft,
Hke a car, very musical, very soft . I'll always remember
how sweet it was.
Baba would always tease me, He'd say, "Wh at are you
going to say to Dara when you first see him ?" One day
when A rnavaz and I were going into Bombay to do my
wedding shopping, Baba said, "Are you going to buy
yourself a wedding sari? What color will you buy?"
I had thought maybe red with go ld brocade, since that's
the Hindu custom. Bur then, I re membered that Parsis
wear wpite. I said, "1 don't know, Baba." He said "Hmm.
Buy pink.'
"And one more thing," Baba said. "You're a little fat.''
(at that time, I was pretty big) so for these three months
before the wedding, try to reduce a little. "Not that
you're rea lly far, but Dara is very thin , and you don't
want ro look too big next to him ." I said, "OK, Baba,"
but 1 didn't rake it too serio usly. When I went h ome,
my mother wanted to feed me! Sh e'd say, "Oh, you
won't get this or that in England." And her friends
would feed me too. They a ll wanted to celebrate the
marriage.
On December lOth, two weeks before the wedding, we
were called to Meherabad. We went to Baba, and He
said, "Hmm, have you put on a little more weight?"
What could I say? Funny thing, immediately after I
arrived, I came down with a flu . I was so sick! I ate
a lmost nothing for two weeks. I couldn't see anyone,
n ot even Dara, wh o was told to stay away from his sick,
go ing-to-be-wife. O ur engagement was anno unced on
Mehera's b irthd ay, December 22. I still h ad a 103-
degree temperature! I went ipto Mehera's room and she
helped me dress, then I went to see Baba in my new
sari, looking pale and thin. He smiled and said, "How
beautiful you look! Very nice sari!"
Then, I went to Mehera's porch for our en gagement
party. Baba came out first, thenDara. That was my first
glimpse of Dara. All I remember was a huge nose! Baba
h ad us exchange rings, then we garlanded Baba and had
Mehera's birthday cake with the guests and then I went
straight back to my room and went to bed!
The 23 rd was our wedding day. My temperature was
still high. V illoo wanted to postpone the wedding, but
Baba sa id no. H e would often say, "There's very little
time" and we used to wonder what He meant. No one
wanted to be lieve tha t He would drop His body so
soon.
Eruch officiated at the wedding, telling the story of
how Baba arranged our marriage. We exchanged rings,
we both had champagne, then Baba called me to His
r ight and Dara to His left, and the three of us held the
knife to cut the wedding cake. And so we were married.
Then, o f course, I had to move with Dara to Villo Villa.
The next morning, I created such a fuss. I wanted to
go back to Meherabad to see Baba. A message was sent
to Him and He said I could come. December 24 was
Dara's birthday, so Sarosh suggested that we both go,
and maybe Dara cou ld get Baba's darshan.
When we got there, the watchman said only I could
come inside, since the message only mentioned me. I
went in and said, "Baba, I don't want to go back with
Dara, I want to stay with you.'' H e said, "It's all right,
you can stay here if you want to . But where is Dara?
Why don't you call him?" So Dara was called, and Baba
had a little birthday gift for him . Then Baba h ad all
the lad ies came, my mother too, and He said, "Do you
love each oth er?" What to say? Of course we said yes.
Baba said , "Then, kiss each o ther. I want you to be
h appy, live a normal married life. You'll be going to
England ... " "But Baba, when am I co':lling back?" I
said. He said , "Come back after on e son . No, after two
(continued on page 4)
sons. I'll give you two beautiful sons." He gave me their
names. "Call your first son Meherwan," Then Mehera
said, "Baba should we call the second one Jamshed after
yourbrother?" He said, "Yes, all right." So, married two
days, we were already told that we would have two sons
and given their n ames.
Then, Dara was sent back to Villoo Villa, and I stayed
with Baba for a few d ays. For those few days, Baba kind
of prepared me to be married . Before th en, I loved
doing everything for Baba. Now, I would live with
Dara. That was what Baba wanted me to do.
I feel very strongly, and so do the mandali, that it is
very significant that o ur marriage was one of Baba's last
ceremonies. Think of all the other things He did: writing
books, feed ing the poor, discourses, mast work, washing
lepers, and all of that. Why, just before drop1
body, when He was so sick, y.rou ld Bab a rake twL
people and have them go_through this ma rriage, pc.,
so much attent ion to all the dera ils, bless i~g them with
children and having them live a normal life . . . It is
as important as any o ther part of His work. We should '
take marriage serio usly. It is very important. Jai Baba.
., CHILDCARE UPDATE.,
To assure good babysitting coverage and provide for
fun projects on childcare evenings, we're asking that
fami lies give a $3.00 do na tion per family when drop-
ping children off for childcare. We hope to make this
year's childcare fun for all of Baba's children. Thanks !
CALENDAR CHANGE
We are experim enting with 4-month calendar in our
newsletter. instead of a 3-month calendar. We we l-
come your comments.
MEHER BABA
OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INC.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
Berkeley, California 94704
;/
-s.. ' .r' .
}
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito Sunday Mornings 10:00 AM
Arti and singing at the Greensteins (510) 525-3364.
El Cerrito - Thursday Evenings - 7: 15 PM ,
Discourse reading and discussion. Contact Louise
Barrie or Dick A nthony at ( 510) 524-1440.
Fresno- Wednesday Evenings- 7:30 to 8:30PM
A rti and a vari ed program. Contact Sharon or Phil
Scott at (209) 449-0877.
Menlo Park Friday Evenings -8:00 PM
Arti, singing and readings at the ho me of Hugh and
Jeannie MacDonald. Call them at (415) 322-0886 or
Betty Lowman at (415) 323-1900.
Petaluma - Sunday Mornings -:. 11 :00 AM
Art i, r~adings, and fellowsh ip. Contact Hermann
Loew at (707) 778-1195.
Sacramento - Occasional Meetings
Discourse readings and occasional gathering. Con-
. tact Mike and Jean Ross (9 16) 486-2924.
San Francisco- Wednesday Evenings- 7 to 8:30PM
Read ings and discussion. Call Peter Ravazza at
(51 0) 769-1839 or Mary Weiss at ( 415) 221-8724.
San Rafael - Sunday Afternoons -4:00PM
Films, potluck and company.
Contact Bob McKinney at (415) 258-8106 .
Walnut Creek- Monday Evenings- 8 to 9:30PM
Videos will be shown the first Monday of every
month. S ubsequent Mondays will be devoted to
study of Discourses. Please call Helen Riehl
(510) 935-0167 or Gil Shepard (510) 930-8670 for
meeting locations.
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down by
Maher Saba through the Trust should contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 1250, Berkeley, CA 94701 .
C~NTER NON-PROFIT
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO, CA.
PERMIT NO. 186
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CALIF INC.
N
OUAJR1rJEJR1LY
w s E L
2131 UN IVERS ITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 26
Tex Hightower Meets
Meher Baba
Tex Hightower, a dancer who met Meher Baba
throltgh Margaret Craske, spoke to our group in
the spring of 1990 ... This excerpt from his talk,
edited considerably w fit in this newsletter, begins
just as he was to meet Baba, in 1952 .
l had th is tension of gu ilt o r anx iety ... l just wasn't sure.
l didn't think l loved H im at all, I didn' t think l had an y
feeling fo r Hi m at all, and l fe lt, "What th e hell am l doing
here? What's going to happen ?" I d id h ave a fee ling that
it was very important, that you shou ldn 't be fli ppant o r
insincere a bout it. The tension built up.
Then we h ad gone through all the busin ess of nor getting
there o n time (our plane h ad been de layed in a severe
storm) , but Baba left a message th at said H e'd see us at 7:30
the next morn ing. I watched three women go in to see
Baba, people tha t I knew very well, and they came out in
absolute shambles after see ing Baba. So when Delia came
to get me, to take me to Baba, I tripped over the pebbles
in the path . When we turned up that little path to go to
th e Lagoon Cabin, I saw som ething white behind the screen
door, which was like a scrim, a theatrical scrim. I d ropped
my eyes. It was almost a phys ical imposs ibility for me to lift
my head, and I sort of stumbled up th e steps. l kn ew that
Baba was standing there. I could h ave seen H is feet, but I
made sure that I did n' t. Eventually I did lift my eyes to
Baba, and wh en I did, H e opened H is arms. A strange thing
happened. It was not a psychic experi ence, do no t misun-
derstand. It was like a phys ical sen-sation, as if I were in
some kind of case, like a m umm y case, and it cracked. It
started cracking right up th e middle and down the back,
and it fe ll away, and when it fe ll away, I could step forward
and I looked into Baba's eyes. I never h ad and never will
see anyth ing that beaut iful. Indescribably beautiful. H is
eyes were ... I h ave some perception of infinity, very small,
but it's o nly because of Baba's eyes. B~ba's. eyes went on
'forever. 'They were a beautiful brown. I stepped inro His
arms, and He e mbraced me. That's the only thing of im-
portance that ever happened in my life, or ever will.
1 was overwhe lmed with th e love that He gave. l didn't
1996
E T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
WINTER 1996
know a nything about that kind of love. l
don ' t kn ow that there is preparation for
tha t kind of love, but I certainly d idn't
have it, and I can't tell you what kind of
love that is, because it is such an entity
unto itse lf, that there's noth ing you can say
to describe it. Words just don't touch that.
Twenty-five years later, I und erstood some-
thing that I real ized at that mo m ent, that had gone in to
my subcon scious for 25 years, when I was looking in to
Baba's eyes. I had th e fu ll realization that absolutely ev-
erything in th e world is exactly the way it ought to be.
It is exactly what it sh ou ld be. I mean , I don't reta in that
feeling, but I had it, and it was in m y subconscious fo r 25
years, and then it came ou t as clear as a be ll. I'll n ever
forget it. He absolute ly bowled me over, and then H e said,
" I'm h appy. " He was h appy. Tha t knocked me over.
Whe n I met Baba, as Miss C raske put it, He knocked me
right off my perch. I h ad to get back, I was deep in reh ears-
al, but I was just absolu tely overwhelmed by Baba and I
couldn't think of anything but Baba. I was making a bum
job of reh earsa ls. I would write His name all day lo ng. So
I said to Miss Craske, "What am l going to do?" S h e said,
"Why don't you make Hi m something?" So I thought,
"What sh all I make Him? What great gift of th e world am
I going to make Him ?" I mean, I'm n ot Faberge. So I
dec i~ ed, well, I'll make Him a coat. I made Him a very
beautifu l whi te wool flannel coat. I tho ught abo ut Baba
all the time I was making that coat. I'd com e fro m rehears-
a l at ni gh t, and I'd make that silly coat. I h ad n o idea if
I'd ever be ab le to give it to H im. Then He had the
accident, and we were given ano ther c han ce ro see Him,
in Ivy Duce's apartment, o n a terrib le ho t day. And that's
the second t ime I saw H im. I was all piped up. l had been
on cloud nine for those two mo nths, which isn't en tire ly
p leasan t, by t he way, except it's good enough that you
don't wan t to get off. So I was prepared to go up higher.
I walked in to the room, and there was this man in a cast.
His complexion was gray, He was obvio usly in pain, and
He looked ill. I won't say He looked just like a man, but
H e did look li ke God th e first time' I saw Him. I wen t
crashing to the basemen t when I saw Him like that and
He was rath er impe rsonal to m e that time. He rook my
hand, pressed it very, very h ard aga inst ~i s ch est, but H e
 J1
did n ' t pay a ny attention to me at a ll. Saba's strength was
amazing. He pressed my hand very h a rd and gave me
a grape. l just sort of sat there, and H e didn't say or do
anyth ing. The n l b it the grape. The minute I bit th e
grape H e said "Go." So l left. l went in, and I just
dropped the coat at the foot of the bed. l n ever knew
wh at happen ed to that co at, but Meh era told me that
He wo re it man y times.
It wasn't over. I was still in this turmo il. I knew Baba was
going to be in America, so then I decided I'd make Him
some sandals. When the time came for Baba to leave
A merica we were forbidden to go to the airpo rt in N ew
York to see Him off. So I called Miss Craske and said,
"Could l give you these sandals to give to Baba?" Sh e
called me back, and said, "If you do not expect to see H im,
you may bring the sandals to the airport." I just accepted
that. In those days it was called Idyllwild, no t Kennedy,
and it was a series of quonset huts. Well, I walked in to
one end of this quon s-et hut, and I walked the full length
of that thing, and there was nobody. Then l noticed a
stairway a t the end, so I went charging over there, and
out came Kitty, charging h ead on, because the women in
seclusion were the re. I said, "Oh, Kitty . .. "and I blabbed
it out, and she said, "Why don't you give them to Him
yourself?" I looked at her blankly, and sh e sa id, "Well,
He's calling you." I turned around, and h alfway down the
wa y was Baba, smiling. I had passed Him three times. So
He called me over, and l gave Him the sandals, and H e
embraced me. I wasn't terribly pleased with those sandals
either. So that was the end of one episode, on e coat and
one pair of sandals.
O h, befo re H e left, when I was making the sandals early
one morning, the phone rang. T h is was after l had give n
Him the coat. The phone rang, and it was Miss Craske.
She said, "I h ave a message for you. Baba says, 'Tell that
boy h e h as put his head into a noose. When Baba n eeds
a new coat, h e is to make it, but h e's not to work on it
until l tell him to."'
So 1956 came, and I said, "I'm going to make Him a good
pair of sandals." The time came, and l didn't h ave them
finished, so l h ad to take them down to Myrtle Beach with
me. I took my accoutrements, my awl, and my little hammer,
and this, that, and the other. When you are with Ba ba,
there is n ever any time to do an ything. l was working on
th e sandals, a nd l h adn't finished the m because I was
ma king them very elabora te. There was embroidery, there
were two kinds o f leather, there was black suede with red
suede und erneath it, and embro idered gold around the
cutout design; just what Baba would wear, right? Very
early in the mo rning there was a knock on the door, and
somebody said, "Baba wants to see you." I went das hing
out, and Baba was sitting in front of the Lagoon Cabin
and He lighte ned up, as He was n ever very serious with
fR2
me. It was suc h a beaut ifu l mo rn ing; the b irds were singing
and the sun had just come up, aqd the d ew was just strung
like jewels thro ugh those trees, and it wasn't h o t yet, and
that brilliant di amond golde n ligh t tha t you h ave in the
morning was everywhere, a nd Baba was so beaut iful. H e
looked at me and said, "Isn't it beautiful h ere?" And l said,
"Oh, boy! It is sensational." H e said, "Look at that view."
It was framed like a pic ture, with the trees and th e wa ter
and th e hill, and everything like that, and I'm looking
there, thinking "Boy, S aba's got good tas te." A ll of a
sudden H e turn ed to me, and it's like H is vo ice c hanged.
He said , "Make the coa t." W ell, I jumped about 20 feet,
because tha t was four y.ears later and Miss Craske didn't
eve n reme mber giving me that message. l said, "Oh . I'm
no t to finish the sandals?" H e said, "Wha t san dals?" By
then, l knew I'd said the wrong thing, but it was too late.
l said, "Well, l was makin g . .." and H e said , "Alright,
finish the sandals." That was a comple te disaster. I alien-
ated everybody on the Center. He said, "Have them ready
by Thursday," but H e n ever gave me time to work on
them. So ,I would stay up all night, and l went to the
original kitchen when everybody was asleep. l would have
to tap-tap-tap, and you know sound carries over wa ter, arid
you'd see somebody in the morning: "I h eard the fairy
cobbler last night . . . Oh well, as lo ng as you're do ing it
for Baba." Somebody said, " I hope you' re performing Japa."
Everybody had something to say. Anyway, I made th ese
sandals. I had them ready when H e said, but He d idn't ask
for them. I tucked them in my back pocket in a brown
paper bag. Fo r days I walked around with those stupid
sandals hanging out my pocke t, and H e ac ted like He
didn't know me. We went to the Brookgreen Gardens with
Baba and suddenly it was like the parting of the Red Sea,
this crowd of people sort of spread out and turned and
looked, and Baba was sitting under a tree at the end of
it, and H e said, "Co me h ere. Give me the sandals." And
then I gave them to H im, and th ey fell off when He tried
to wear the m.
So then l had to start the coat. l didn't have any fabric,
and we were forbidden to leave the C enter. Baba said,
"You have to have the coat ready by the time I leave." By
then it was a short time. l had to ask permission to leave
the Center to buy the fabric. When you ask Baba some-
thing like tha t, it's a mistake. H e gave me pe rmission, and
I did go, and l bought thread a nd scissors, but Myrtle
Beach in those days was like A rangaon, there was no thing
there. I bought a hunk o f very good Indian H ead co tton,
but cotton was no t my idea of a jacket. I started it, and
then we went to W ashington , Los Angeles, an d H.na\\'f to
San Franc isco. The first day Baba said, "Yo u h a ve the
afternoon off. You can do anything you want to do." So
I went and bought beaut iful sky blue woolen flannel, English,
soft as a feather. Then I really set to work. I didn't sleep
from then on. l bought silk thread, which knots in every
(continued on page 4)

MEETINGS - Meher Baba events are held on Saturday
nights. TIMES- Events start at 8:00 PM and normally end
by 9:30 PM unless otherwise noted. LOCATIONS - Events
are held at the Albany Methodist Church unless otherwise
noted. The church is at the corner of Marin and Stannage,
two blocks east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of
Berkeley) Take the Albany exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Boo,kstore 'ii1 Childcare
* Please not-e that Film Nights are now the first
Saturdays of the month, not the first Fridays.
Saturday, January 6 .. Film Night
Meher Baba's 1956 U.S.A. tour.
Sa.tuTday, January 13 .. Fresh Stories from India
Mary Weiss and Rene O'Connor, recent visitors to
Meherabad, will share stories of their adventures.
Saturday, January 20 .. Western Night
Dust off your spurs and boots. Joy Mauzey will teach us
western line dancing tonight.
Saturday, January 27 .. Video for Amartithi
In the spirit of remembrance of Baba's Amartithi, we
will show a video from the L.A. video library.
Tuesday, January 30 .. Amartithi,.8:30 PM
Join us beginning at 8:30 PM to see the film of Meher
Baba's entombment and share in the silence at His tomb,
which happens at 10:30 ~ 10:45 PM our time.
Saturday, February 3 .. Video Night
The Eternal Beloved will be shown at Steve Jacobs' home,
1535 Elm St., El Cerrito. (510) 237.-9257.
Saturday, February 10 .. Some Enchanted Evening
An evening of David Miotke's music at the Talbot home.
721Crossbrook Dr. Moraga. (510) 376~4325.
li)Saturday, Feburary 17 .. Town Meeting
One of those meetings about meetings .. and more. How
best to. evoke the atmosphere of the Beloved? Where
is our group headed? Come and give your input.
Saturday, February 24, 2 .. B PM .. We Celebrate
the Beloved's Birthday With His Followers in India
February 24 here is February 25 in India. Come to the
Unitarian Church at 1606 Bonita (corner of Bonita and
Cedar streets) in Berkeley for merriment, pot luck din~
ner and the Wine of Meher. We' will see two short
plays--one directed by Raine Eastman~Gannet, the other
by Ron Greenstein. Bring dancing shoes, musical in~
struments, a dish to share, and your heart on your sleeve.
If you have program ideas or can help with set.-up, clean~
up or serving, please call Steve Jacobs (510) 237.-9257.
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President, Betty Lowman VIce President, Janet White Secretary, Steve Jacobs Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Kirk Allen Alisa Dreyfuss Steve Jacobs Emiko Larson Betty Lowman Cliff Mauzey Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Lisa Greenstein, Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
TrustwS:_IIa: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)
-~
Sunday, February 25 ..Meher Baba's Birthday
This is your chance for apersonal and intimate celebra~
tion of the birth of The Ancient One.
Saturday, March 2 .. Video Night at the Stovall's
Katie Irani's talk at last fall's Meherana Sahavas will be
shown at Vern and Annie Stovall's home. 869 Apaloosa
Drive, Walnut Creek. (510) 938.-2126.
Saturday, March 9 .. Cindy Lowe in Concert
Join Cindy and friends for a lively, exciting evening in the
special- ambiance she creates. Cindy will sing selections
from her latest recording After All This Time (now avail
able at our bookstore). A fund~raiser- $5 admission.
Saturday, March 16 .. Kitty Daey Memories
Bring your favorite 'Kittyisms' to share as we remember our
beloved Kitty. Louise Barrie and Molly Irani will host.
'It Saturday, March 23 .. Meher Baba Forever Young
For the young and young at heart- an event for Baba
put on by Peter Ravazza.
Saturday, March 30, 7 PM .. Italian Dinner
and Images of Love .. a Fund.. Raising Evening
Buon Gusto! Bring a hearty appetite to this fun~filled
evening. After a scrumptious Italian dinner and raffle for .
prizes, we present the amazing slide show Images of Love
by Baba,s artists world.-wide. $10.-$15 per person donation.
If you can help with set.-up, cooking or clean~up, please call
Emiko Larson (510) 526.-2309.
Saturday, April6 .. Film Night
Avatar of the Age will be shown.
Saturday, April 13 .. Scott and Prem Sing
On tour from San Diego, Scott and Prem Makeig will
sing to our hearts' content tonight. Don,t miss this one!
Saturday, April20 .. Poetry Night at Scott Maloney's
Spend an evening at Scott Maloney's reading poetry for
the Beloved. 831 Sea View Dr. El Cerrito. (510) 524.-84~1.
Saturday, April27 .. Robert Dreyfuss's Story
Robert Dreyfuss met Meher Baba thirty years ago. He
tells us this timeless, amazing story once again.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
BABA WOMENS' LUNCH .. Ladies are invited to lunch at
noon on the third Thursday of every month at Fat Apple's in
El Cerrito. Call Alisa Dreyfuss for details (510) 526.-6078.
BOOKSTOREWALLA NEDED , Laura Hogan is looking
for an energetic new person to take over her job as book.-
storewalla. Is that you? Please call Laura at (51,0) 237 .. 9257-.
CHILDCARE REMINDER: Please pay the babysitter $3
per family on childcare nights.
-
stitch. l did the whole th ing by h and , French seams, back-
stitching th e whole damn thing. One funny thing was that
l didn't know h o w lo ng to make th e sleeves. Jean S haw
was walking by as l was talking about not knowing how
long to make the sleeves and she said, "Oh, l know how
long." l .said, "So, h ow do you know?" and sh e sa id, "Well ,
I do H is laL!ndry." l though t, "Is that a good en ough reason
to listen?" a nd I said, "We ll, so how long is it?" and sh e
rook it by the underarm seam, and she went, "There."
W e ll, l wasn't very impressed with that kind of measure-
ment, but I did pu t a pin there. And I tell you, it was
exact, it was exactly where it ought to be. Baba started
making jokes about "Wh ere's the coat ?" I h ad n't been out
of H is sight, and. H e would ask me in the morning, "Have
you finish ed the coat?" and I said, "You know, Baba, nnaah."
Then l would be with H im, and we wo uld have lunch and
then later He'd say, "Have you finished the coat ?" in front
of everybody. Th at happen ed al l day lo ng. The night
before H e \eft, l said, "l'm a lmost finished." W e were
fo rbidden to go near Baba 's room after H e retired, not
even near it, we couldn't pass it, we had to go down the
stairs. I asked, "May I just drop it outside Baba's door?"
"OK." I did fin ish it about four in the morning, but l didn't
have time to put poc kets on it. I wrapped it up in tissue
paper, and l just laid it by Baba's door, and ran bac k to
my room. I swear my h ead had just hi t the p illow when
(bang bang bang) "Baba wan ts to see you." l threw on
some clothes, and l ran, and l ran around the corn er into
Baba's room, arid Baba was standing there with this huge
smile. H e was standing in tha t coat, and H e looked ...
it was th e perfect color, sky blue, and H e said to me,
"Don't l look handsome?"
He wore d1at coat when H e left America. l never kn ew really
what happened, and then once, when l was at Myrtle Beach,
at least 20 years later, l saw the fi lm of Baba in Australia.
Baba gets out of the plane in that coat. Of course, H e left
San Francisco in it, and H e arrived in Australia in it. So.
that's the story of the sandals and th e coat.
Thanks to Clint and Sharon Snyder, who transcribed this article.
Permission to reprint this arricle anywhere in any form is withheld.
MEHER BABA CENTER
OF N ORTH ERN CALIFORNIA INC.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
Berkeley, California 94704
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito - Sunday Mornings - 10:00 AM
Arci and singing ac the Greensteins (510) 525-3364.
El Cerrito - Thursday Evenings - 7: 15 PM
Discourse reading and d iscussion. C ontact Louise
Barrie or Dick Anthony at (510) 524-1440.
Fresno - Wednesday Evenings- 7:30 to 8:30PM
Arti and a varied program. Con tact Sh aron or Phil
Scott at ( 209) 449-0877.
Las Gatos - Friday Evenings - 8:00 PM
Arc i, singing and readings at the home of C li nt and
Sharon Snyder. Call them at ( 408) 395-6865 or
Betty Low man at (415) 323- 1900.
Petaluma - First Sunday of the Month - 11 :00 AM
Arti, readings, and fellowshi p. Contact Hermann or
Jeanette Loew at (707) 778- 11 95.
Sacramento - Occasiona[ Meetings
Dis~ourse readings a nd occasional gathe rings.
Contact Mike an d Jean R;:>ss (916) 486-2924.
San Francisco - W ednesday Evenings - 7 to 8: 30 PM
Readings and discuss ion. Call Peter Ravazza at
(510) 769- 1839 or Mary .We iss at (415) 221 -8724.
Walnut Creek - Monday Evenings- 8 to 9: 30 PM
Videos will be shown the fi rst Monday of every
month. Subsequent Mondays will be devoted to study
of Discourses. Please call Helen Riehl (510) 935-0167
or Gil Shepard (510) 930-8670 for meeting locations.
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down
by Meher Baba through the Trust should contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288.
*Please note that this is Jack's New Address.
MEHER BABA INFORMATION
People who wish to know more about Meher Baba
can obtain introductory material and a catalogue of available
publications by writing or phoning Meher Baba Information,
P.O. Box 1101 , Berkeley, CA 94701 . Or call (51 0) 562-1101 .
NON-PROF IT
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
EL CERRITO. CA.
PERMIT NO. 186
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CAJ.,JF INC.
QUAJR1rJEJRILY
N E w s L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 26
Surrender
to Meher Baba
This is part one ofa two-part, edited transcription
of a calk Charles Haynes gave at the home of Ron
and Lisa Greenstein in El Cerrito , California in
August 1988
I wanted to say ~ few things about the topic of surrender
to Meher Baba, something you've all done long ago. It has
always been a puzzle to me, the topic of surrender, so I
keep coming back to it. Baba says that greater than love
is obedience and greater than obedie nce is surrender. That
is what always puzzled me because it seemed to be His
notion of the highest form of love. It's stran ge to think
about surrender because it's h ard to know whether one h as
surrendered or not, or what it means. I used to put it off
somewhere in the distance thinking that some day I'd be
able ro deal with it. In fact, I asked Eruch about it once.
We were sitt ing in Mandali H all on the floor in front of
Baba's chair. The gnats were bad that day because it was
really still. Eruch was just pooped; he h ad nothing left to
give. He was just sitting there and it was not anywhere
near the end of the time fo r him, so poor Eruch h ad to
keep going. Finally, Eruch looked at me and said, "Wha t
should I talk about?" It popped out. I sa id,"Surrender,"
wav ing the gn ats away. H e said, "Yeh, alright. Do it!" I
said, "Well, Eruch, that's fine fo r you to say, but I don't
know what it means." H e said, "You people think I just
say these things, I'm n ot just saying 'Do it.' Do it.'' I said,
"Isn 't it something you wo rk toward, isn't it a goal of life?"
H e said, "No, do it now, right now. Then do it tomorrow
again and then do it the n ext day again. Why do you wait?
What is it ?" In othe r words, surrender is something you
do continuously. Each time you do it, it's a li ttle bit more,
you let go a little bit more.
My image for it comes from 1962. Baba gave an image that
has stuck with me a ll these years about surrender. It came
out of the blue, it probably came to.me because I wasn't
listening to what else was being s~~d)The nice part about
being thirteen at that time was that 1 didn't h ave to listen
to what was being said; I go~I-wav'*frh- i t. If adul ts didn't
listen, Baba would catch them. He was wonderful at th at-
"Do you know what it means?"... "Wh at, Baba?" ... If
you we re thirteen, Baba would not do that. I was sitting
next to Baba on the floor and He was on the couch; I was
trying to inch my chin close to His knee; those were my
priorities then, I wasn't paying any attention to t h e topic.
1996
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
SUMMER 1996
Of course, it was wonderful because I could
just sit there and stare the whole five
days. I didn't have anything else to do,
I didn't have to pay attention to any-
thing. That's why the things I remember
that Baba said were like epiphanies be-
cause it was like waking up to pick up the
conversation.
Baba starting talking about what was going to happen when
He broke His silence ... something that nobody ever brought
up because then it would be all over for us. Manifestation
always meant to me that the intimacy was going to end; I
just wanted it to be as far away in the future as possible. So
whenever Baba started speaking about it I paid attention,
because I thought that when He broke His silence it would
be too late for me. He used to tell us, "Love me now while
I am in your midst, because after I break My silence it will
be too late." We are, I think, still in that era of people who
are not with Him because He's the Avatar of the Age but
because H e's our Beloved, who let us see enough of Him that
we want to be with Him, now and forever. New humanity,
no new humanity, breaking His silence, not breaking His
silence; it doesn't make much difference to the lover. But the
day will come when He will show Himself and then the world
will have its portion of Him. Always, as a child, I was rushing
to love Baba more and more. I wish I sti 11 had some of the
same urgency that I h ad then, because wha t I gathered from
Baba was that the day will come when the opportunity to
love Him in this way will not be there. It is only for a short
time that the Avatar draws the lovers in that intimate way.
I used to just pray to Baba, "Don't break Your silence too
soon, please. I'll work h arder, I'll try harder.'' Baba motivated
us that way too. I'm sure our understanding was severely
limited, but I still feel something like that. The heart of the
matter for me is that this is the time to take advantage of
being with Him. W h atever else comes, 1 h ave no idea, but
this is the best of times.
Baba was talking about breaking His sile nce and He said
that fo r a time it wou ld seem natural to leave Him. "I'm
telling you now that you h ave to ho ld on, the most im-
portant thing for you to do is to hold on to Me.'' I was
alert a t this point because this is a topic that I was very
interested in as a child. I felt so unworthy to be with Baba
that I though t if I don't hurry up and begin to love Baba
as H e should be loved it's going to be too late. Baba then
p icked up H is sadh ra, h eld it in His h and in front of us,
and said, "Remember to hold on to my daaman, because
what will happen will make it easy for your grasp on me
 IL
to slip away. You have to practice holding on to My
daaman." T hen He took His other hand and H e clenched
His daaman with both hands and said, "Don't hold on just
with one hand but with both hands so that if, by any
chance, on e hand should slip away, you are still holding
on. Can you remember that, to h old on with both hands?"
That's the image for surrende r that I've a lways kept from
that time on. Why surrender? Because, as a child, it oc-
curred to me that if you are holding on with both hands
then you have no free h ands to hold on to anything else.
So, to hold on with both hands means you have to let go
of a lot to even begin to hold on to Baba. You can't hold
on ro anything e lse. How can we hold on to anything e lse
if we are ho lding on to Him with both h ands - we can't,
really. How can we take too seriously what's going on in
our lives if we are holding on with both hands? We can
take it somewhat seriously, but it's very difficult to take
it too seriously. We have to let go. We just can't cling to
things and have Baba still in our grasp in this crazy world.
And Baba's prediction is correct, it is much more d ifficult
every day to really hold on to Baba in this world.
I add to that image another image that Mehera gave when
she showed me around Baba's bedroom and paused in
front of Baba's window. It's a window that looks out on
the countryside, a beautiful scene. She turned to us, tears
in her eyes and she said , "Baba would point at this window
and He would say 'This is my TV, this window is Baba's
TV."' I would look out there and people were planting and
there were cows. Later I thought about tha t and I thought
that to Beloved Baba, our lives must be like watching the
TV, a soap opera, exactly. But to tune in the soap operas
and look at them for a few minutes makes me feel how
Baba sometimes must see our lives.
Here are these people striving so hard to take everything
so seriously and there is a crisis every moment. S itting in
you r home watching this, you are saying, "Come on now,
really, how can you make such a deal out of this and how
come you have a crisis every moment, this isn't real!" But
the people in the soap opera are getting paid to make it
look very real and we make it look very real too. Unfor-
tunate! y, we don't know that we are actors. We are acting
out the script too, probably with less improvisation than
they are in the soap opera. The difference is that when
I watch the soap opera I mock the people in my mind, I
laugh at the m, I fee l superio r that my life isn't so stupid
as that. Baba doesn't do that. He watches His TV and He
feels compassion, He feels involved in it. His love is such
that, in spite of how silly it may ultimately be, Baba helps
us with it; that's why He's so sweet, that's why H e 's the
Beloved, after all.
The notion tha t Baba conveys is that if we ho ld on with
two hands, that's the beginning and the end of surrender.
His task is to get us to do that. Baba, the Meher Baba that
lives in us, our real Self, spends all of irs rime, once it's
awakened a little bit, getting us ro let go of everything e lse
except what is real. That is the job of the Beloved, to get
us to let go of everything e lse. The ego has no intention
of letting go. What has habituated for millenia to cling
is not going to let go, no matter what we say to it, and
how much we think we a re so smart that we can outsmart
our own egos. So I looked for something Baba said that
encapsu lated how I feel about this and I found a quote
which l will share with you . Baba said, "To stick to me
means to keep me pleased at the cost of your own comforts
and pleasures." The first sentence seems again like we
have to do something and it's up to us, but then Baba goes
on to say, "It means to be resigned to My will, whether
you keep good health or bad, whether you make money
or lose it, and whether you gain name and fame or become
the laugh ing stock of others." So that's what Baba defines
as st icking to Him. Holding on to Him means being re-
signed to whatever His will is. That's a'n amazing thing.
The first time it occurred to me that this is what Baba was
working for in my life was when my dog got very ill when
I was a little boy. (Actually, not so little-! was a teen-
ager.) These are things that may seem very unimportant
to everybody else but to a young boy, they were. The thing
was that the dog was my very best friend. I was very
introverted and shy as a child and had very few fri ends,
but Buff was my compan ion, my constant companion. She
was a colli e. Baba had sent love to this dog many times.
Never was there a message from India send ing love to us
where the dog and the cat were not also listed-not on e
message. Buff came to live with me just aft er Baba left in
1958. I look back now and I feel it was Baba's comfort to
me. I was bereft when Baba left physically, and I got this
collie dog. She was very wise and wonderful as so many
dogs are. She got sick suddenly at the vet's when we were
away, and she was dying.
Elizabeth Patterson, who loved dogs more than people by
a long shot (she loved people a lot , but dogs held a special
place), was there tending to my dog while I was away and
when I came back she went to get me at the airport and
drove me straight to the veterinarian. On the way she said,
"Baba tells us that everything is His will and we should
be happy in His will." I knew something was coming. "Buff
is very sick." Of course, it was like being told my world
was coming to an end, I couldn't believe it. She added on
to a cable that she had sent to Mani (she had just received
the family letter and in those days, the mid 60s, you could
not commun icate for any th ing except work ). Elizabeth
never disobeyed Baba, never, but she very cleverly added
onto the end of the cable "Dog Buff very sick".
Buff died and I was devastated; those of you who have
children or pets can probably empath ize. Baba cabled me.
I had never received a cable from Baba, I had gorten
messages through someone else, through Elizabeth o r my
mother but this was the first direct message I had ever
rece ived from Baba- it was a cable to me . Baba said, "Your
love for Me will help Buff who is a lso M ine. Be resigned
(continued on page 4)
MEETINGS - Maher Baba events are held on Saturday
nights. TIMES- Events start at 8:00 PM and normally end
by 9:30 PM unless otherwise noted. LOCATIONS - Events
are held at the Albany Methodist Church unless otherwise
noted. The church is at the corner of Marin and Stannage,
two blocks east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of
Berkeley) Take the Albany exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore ~ Childcare
Saturday: May 4 Film Night
We will see Meher Baba's Call and The Ancient One.
<>Saturday May 11 -Margaret Bernstein in Concert
We'll hear flute and piano pieces from Margaret's album Full
Circle and her upcoming release On the Threshold of Change.
<> Saturday, lyfay 18 A Reading and Book
Signing With Meher "Nazar Resident Craig Ruff
Craig is a westerne r who has li ved and worked at Meher
Baba's Trust Office Compound in Ahmednagar, India since
1978. He is speaking at several Baba Centers in the U.S.,
and will read excerpts from his books Travelling Music and
The Moment Within and his new book Oneness in the World.
Saturday, May 25, 3 PM Mehera's Tea at Talbots
A gathering in the garden in remembrance of the Beloved's
beloved. Bring pot luck and Mehera memories, for an after-
noon of group singing and stories. 721 Crossbrook Drive,
Moraga. Call (510) 376-4325 for directions
<> Friday, May 31, 7:30PM An Evening With
A.K. and Leela Kasthuri
Currently residents of Lafayette, California, and formerly
from Madras, India, the Kasthuris will share stories from
their many years of following Meher Baba. A.K. Kasthuri
remembers playing marbles with Baba as a little boy. He is
the grandson of Sampath A iyangar, a devoted disciple of
Meher Baba in the 30s and 40s. A.K. would like to "meet
and greet" us. Come early to socialize. Talk starts at 8 PM.
Sunday June 9, 6 PM Raphael Rudd in Concert
at the Plymouth United Church, Oakland
A benefit for MBCNC to raise funds for an August visit with
Bili Eaton and T ex Hightower. See the enclosed flyer.
<>Saturday, June 15- Annual General Meeting
Outreach is the theme for tonight's meeting - we will hear
about a potential Web Site for the MBCNC, and about
opportunities for service work through the Berkeley Boost-
ers. Your vote counts. Come and help plan our future course.
Saturday June 22 Summer Dhuni at Muir Beach
Meet at Muir Woods entrance at 3 PM for a hike, then pot-
luck dinner at the beach, then dhuni. Take Hwy 101 north
to the Hwy. 1 Exit, then follow signs to Muir Woods.
Friday June 28 Teen Overnight Campout at
Samuel P. Taylor Park in Marin
A special get-together for Baba's youth. Call Margaret Bernstein
for registration forms and information. (415) 488-4791.
<> Saturday June 29 KnOUJ Your Artis!
Spend a musical evening getting to know the Indian Artis
with the mandali on tape and Raine Eastman-Gannet.
Saturday, July 6- L.A. Sahavas Weekend
Many of us will be in L.A., so there will be no meeting tonight.
Saturday, July 13 Film Night
Meher Baba's 1956 U.S.A. tour - a 40-year anniversary !
<>Saturday, July 20 Francis Brabazon Remembered
Raine Eastman-Gannet and Sue Jamison will lead an
evening of reminiscences of this stalwart man who was
Baba's bard. Bring your favorite poem or Francis story.
<> Saturday, July 27 Baba's Musical Musketeers
Once more with feeling- Ron, Darrell & Dave in concert.
August is traditionally a "month off'' for our group. Our first
event next season will be the annual Labor Day Picnic.
Details in the next newsletter.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
AVATAR'S NET: Interested in working on a Web Site
for the MBCNC? Call Bryan Drygas (408) 356-3512.
STRAY PHONE MESSAGES: Our phone tree has not been
reaching everyone on the list. Please be conscientious about
calling your designated people. If you want to get on the phone
tree or need information, call Annie Stovall (5 10) 938-2126.
NEWSLETTER MAILING LIST: To get your name on it,
leave a message on Scott Maloney's phone (510) 524-8451, or
the office phone (510) 845-4339, or speak to any board member
FILMWALLA NEEDED: We need a projectionist to share
responsibility for film nights, starting in September. Any takers?
Please call Steve Jacobs (510) 237-9257
MEHERANA: For info. about Meherana summer events
and work weekends, call Hermann Loew (707) 778-1195.
MEHER MOUNT: Celebrate 50 years of preservation, 40
years of sanctification. Bring a picnic lunch Saturday Aug.
3, 9:30 AM to 5 PM. Guests: Bili Eaton, Tex Hightower,
Marguerite Poley and Adele Wolkin. Call (415) 494-6443.
THE LORD WEAVES HIS TAPESTRY . . .
Philli p Kearse, the pastor of Albany Methodist Church, lived
in Myrtle Beach in 1973 and knew Elizabeth Patterson. They
were members of the same Methodist Church. He was delighted
at the 'connection' and has invited our group to give a presen-
tation on Meher Baba to the church's Tuesday night group.

Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.

President, Betty Lowman Vice President, Janet White Secretary, Steve Jacobs Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Kirk Allen Alisa Dreyfuss Steve Jacobs Emiko Larson Betty Lowman Cliff Mauzey Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Lisa Greenstein, Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson, Clint Snyder, Sharon Snyder
Trustwal/a: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)
and happy to My will. Meher Baba." Of course, when
I got the cable everything lifted; I felt genuinely happy
because I felt it was Baba's will. It was the first time in
my life that I actually felt that God's will is in everything.
At that moment, when I heard the cable over the phone,
I just felt this was God's will and I was actually happy
about it. I cabled Baba back that I was resigned to His will
and then, because we were all so concerned about Baba's
health, I added a line that I hoped his suffering was better.
Later, I wondered if the Mandali reading this cable thought
I meant that because the dog was dead that Baba's suffer-
ing should be eased- what was the connection there? (I
knew that Baba knew what I meant.) Anyway, it was my
great opportunity to say something directly to Baba.
The point of that little vignette from a child's life is very
simple and that is that being resigned to God's will is not
easy. It's a gift that Baba gives us gradually in our lives
with Him and everything He does conspires to get us to
do that. I'm sure you have picked up by now that H e has
to work, it's loving of Baba to work for us to be resigned
to His will. I don't know what I thought surrender was but,
the more I am with Baba, the more I realize that my
notions of surrender are really misplaced unless I'm really
focussed on being resigned to His will. That is the only
way to let go, if you are really deeply convinced that that's
the case, that all of life is the will of God, not 90%, not
95% but 100% of everything is God's will. There is no
other will but, of course, tha t is a lesson tha t Baba cannot
teach us except through experience . We have to h ave
that through the daily experiences of having our clinging
ripped away from us. That's His love for us. And the more
we remember Him the more H e does it. Remembrance of
God brings down the sword of G od on on e's neck because
it has to, that's what love from God is-to cut off our false
self from its habit of clinging to what's unreal. That was
my first lesson in the truth that everything is God's will.
MEHER BABA CENTER
of Northern California, Inc.
21 31 University Avenue, Room 235
Berkeley, California 94704
Address Correction Requested
WCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito Sunday Mornings, 10:00 AM
Arti and singing at the Greensteins (510) 525-3364.
El Cerrito Thursday Evenings , 7: IS PM
Discourse reading and discussion. Contact Louise Bar-
rie or Dick Anthony at (510) 524-1440.
Fresno Wednesday Evenings, 7:30 to 8:30PM
Arti and a varied program. Contact Sharon or Phil
Scott at (209) 449-0877.
Menlo Park Friday Evenings, 8:00PM
Ani, singing and readings at the home of Hugh and
Jean MacDonald. Call them at (415) 322-0886 or
Betty Lowman at (415) 323-1900.
Petaluma First Sunday of the Month - II :00 AM
Arti, readings, and fellowship: Call H~rmann or
Jeanette Loew at (707) 778-1195. Please call ahead.
Sacramento , Occasional Meetings
Discourse readings and occasional gatherings.
Contact Mike and Jean Ross \9 16) 4!36-2924.
San Francisco- Wednesday Evenings- 7 to 8:30 PM
Readings and discussion. Call Peter Ravazza at (510)
769-1 839 or Mary Weiss at (415 ) 221-8724.
Walnut Creek Monday Evenings - 8 to 9:30 PM
Videos will be shown the first Monday of every
month. Subsequent Mondays will be devoted to study
of Discourses. Please call Helen Riehl (510) 935-0167
or Gil Shepard (51 0) 930-8670 for meeting locations.
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down
by Meher Saba through the Trust should contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288.
*Please note that this is Jack's New Address.
MEHER SABA INFORMATION
People who wish to know more about Meher Saba
can obtain introductory material and a catalogue of available
publications by writing or phoning Meher Saba Information,
P.O. Box 1101 , Berkeley, CA 94701. Or call (510) 562-1101.
Non-Profit U.S.
Postage Paid
El Cerrito, CA
Permit No. 186
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CALIF INC.
QUA~1r JE~JLY
N E w s L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 26
Surrender to
Meher Baba
This is part two of a two-part , edired transcription
of a talk Charles Haynes gave at the home "of Ron
and Lisa Greenstein in El Cerrito, California in
August 1988
I can't resist giving on e oth er lesson from my life.
It's no t that these are very big deals, but they are illus-
trative what I'm trying to say. Many of us in this room
tried to keep from going to Vietnam. It was not something
that we believed in or wan ted to do. I outright told Baba
that I just wasn't going to fight this war. I just said, "Baba
there's a limi t here and this is it for me." This is a con-
fess ion now. I hope I would be smarter than this today but
there are some things in our lives that we have to be
honest with Baba about- "I can't do it." It's better to tell
Him, because then we a re dealing with it; that eases some
of the pain. So I told Baba, "I just can' t deal with this,
I don' t want to go to Vietnam."
I tried to get exempt because I was going to seminary.
Actually, I was going to seminary anyway but I wasn't
going to become a minister. I really didn't want to be a
minister in an organized church, so they turned me down.
Those of you who have been through draft board situa-
tions know how terribly ha rd-nosed they can be and this
is Ha rry County, South Carolina, the end of the earth as
far as draft boards are concerned. They turned me flat
down saying "you do n't represent a real religion." In Horry
County you're either a Baptist, a Method ist or maybe a
Presbyterian.
They turned me down when I was in India. I'd gone to
India that summe r and I got this cable that I had been
classified lA. I couldn 't believe it. "Baba, I thought I told
You, this is something I cannot do. You say You take us
only to the edge and then you pull us back. This is the
time for a little pulling back." I was really upset about the
idea of being lA. Mother and Elizabeth were in Moscow,
I was in India and the draft board was in South Carolina
so the cables fl~w between Moscow, A h mednagar and
Horry County lik~~~'1'riang le. T o this day I am convinced
Baba had some other' dHrrg'- R~'-was doing that we know
nothing about that h ad greater significance than my pun y
life story. Elizabe th thought I had to go back and face this
and cut my trip to India short. I was thinking maybe of
permanent residence in India. M y mother sent a cable
saying, "Aunt Boo says, 'Get haircut'."
1996
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
FALL 1996
So I went back and, sure enough, I couldn't
talk them out of it. The secretary of the
draft board sa id, "I'm sorry, you're just
classified lA, report to Columbia next
week for your physical." I said, "this can't
be happening to me." I arrived in Colum-
bia, you know how humiliating that is,
you're stripped naked and he rded through
room after room.
Of course, there was nothing in the world wrong with me,
which was too bad. I was physically fit and had no history
of health problems. I got into the last room and I was
saying Baba's name, in desperation. The doctor came in
and went down the line like they did in those days, look-
ing at you, stark naked, clinging to this piece of paper with
your life on it. He goes down and doesn't even look at you.
Everybody is hop ing that he' ll find something and he
doesn't.
I'm standing there and I'm beginning to shift on my feet.
When I stand a long t ime my feet hurt, because my feet
are sort of flat. But, the truth is, this doctor didn't care
what your feet looked like. I'd always heard of flat feet
being some kind of out but in those days you had to go
to some kind of specialist and wear some shoes that were
like your grandmother's and you had to prove that you
were crippled. I h adn't done any of that. I was uncomfort-
able, so unconsciously I was beginning to shift on my feet.
This doctor goes out of the room, having finished his job
and the door opens. A guy comes in, with white hai r and
glasses, who I'll never forget. He walks up to me, not to
anybody else in this line of naked people, and says, "Do
your feet bother you?" I said, "If I stand for a long period
of time, I have kind of flat feet." He said, "What about
when you walk?" I said, "Well, I can walk for a while, but
I can't walk for long distances without feeling uncomfort-
able." He said, "I see." He grabbed this paper from me,
looked at it, made a note on it, gave it back to me and
went out of the room.
Then I went to the fina l room, got d ressed and stood in
long lines. I got near the front and they were stamping like
this, they were not even looking at these things. Some-
body asked me something and I lost my place in line
because we got engrossed in a conversation about religion.
Baba came up because the guy asked me what my beliefs
were. I realized that I had lost my place, so I got back in
line, now back further. I realized later if I had not had that
conversation about Baba and religion at that point, I would
have been stamped and out of there.
 IL
So, I was still waiting in line, having lost my place, and
a side door in this room opens, the same guy walks out
(white hair, glasses), comes over to me, and says, "Come
with me." I go into this tiny little cubicle, he sits behind
this desk, takes my sheet and starts asking me my whole
medical history. Of course, it was fine, I have nothing
wrong with me. Finally, he looks at me and he says ver..
batim, "I think we can get you out on your feet alone."
I didn't say anything: I couldn't believe this guy. He took
my sheet and started writirig. Then he says, "Don't get
back in line. Go to the door and show them this. Don't
go back through the line." I went to the door, I showed
the guy this, he read it, he looked at it, he looked around
and found this stamp and stamped it 1Y. "Out, finished."
What it was, was thiS. On the way back from India, rsaf - -
there and I said to Baba, "Baba, if you want me for Your
work, if it's Your will that I go to Vietnam, then I will.
I know, Baba, whatever You want I'm going to do it anyway.
What I'm saying to You, Baba, is that I'll accept that, I'll
be happy about that and I'll try my best to be happy about
whatever happens, whether I go to Vietnam or whether
I stay home. I'll try Baba, I'll promise that I'll try, that's
all I can do." Baba had wrung me dry, I had nothing left,
no fight left in me. I realized that after that it was finished.
After that, whether I went to Vietnam or not was totally
irrelevant to Baba. He's going to have me where He wants
me. That's what Baba was interested in.
The truth is that that's all Baba is ever interested in, is
getting us to that point. Whatever it is in our lives that
is most difficult to let go of, He will bring us to that point
where we say to Him, "Baba, I will be happy with whatever
happens." Because, you see, at that point, He has won.
That's His victory. His whole job as the Beloved, once He
has awakened in our hearts, is for that victory. What is
going to happen to us is already there, that's not going to
change; but what Baba is interested in js using the even~
in our lives, the moments in our lives, the challenges in
our lives, to get us to that point of surrendering to Him,
being resigned to Him, and to whatever happens. That
doesn't change what is going to happen. I could have just
as easily gone to Vietnam, but I would have been accept ..
ing of it. Baba broke something in me that got me to that
point. As it happens He didn't want me to go to Vietnam
but that's not the point. That was planned long long ago,
whether I was going to Vietnam or not. I can't sit there
and manipulate that no matter what I do. It's not my will,
there is only my false idea that I have a will, that's all
there is except for Baba. As long as that false idea persists,
I'm going to try to manipulate what is happening but that
doesn't help, it doesn't make any difference.
Baba's work is not to get us to make the right choices ..
it doesn't matter what choices we make, the same thing
is going to happen anyway. No, His work is not to get us
to make better choices, His work is to get us to be happy
with whatever happens. A big, big difference. He works
overtime on that particular point as you well know. "Be
resigned to My will, whatever happens." Rich, poor, if you
suffer think Baba wants you to suffer, if you're happy think
Baba want you to be happy because it is all His will, the
will of God. There is no two wills or three, there is only
one. That's why Baba can say with 100% confidence and
enthusiasm, "Don't worry, be happy," because, really speaking,
there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Worry is such
a waste of energy because it doesn't make any difference,
except that it makes us unhappy, which is a big difference
personally but in the scheme of things, in terms of what
is going to happen to us, there is no difference. So, Baba's
constant "Don't worry," is because there is nothing, zero,
to worry about. He doesn't mean it in a glib way, He tells
the truth. Youcan worry -about--what "is going to happen
tomorrow all you want, but it is not going to change what
is going to happen tomorrow. The only thing that matters
is to let go and accept what is going to happen tomorrow
as His will and be happy about it. If He gives us the sweet
say, "Thank You, Baba;" if He gives us the bitter pill say,
"Yes, thank You, Baba," and be equally happy. If you see
a theme running through many stories about Baba, when
He is most touched and most pleased is when the person
is happy with the tough things as with the lovely things.
It touches Baba because that is His victory. It is the vic ..
tory of His love, when the person is a little bit freer of the
bondage that isn't real. "Be happy" is not sort of an off..
hand thing that Baba threw off, it is the very heart of His
truth, there is absolutely nothing to worry about at all.
So, what is left for us is to play our part well. I know that
this is hard for us as W estemers, because we -want to change
the script. We hate the idea that there is a script to begin
with. We want to rewrite and rewrite, and we think there
is something wrong if we do not have a choice to make.
But Baba will train that out of us and make us aware that
all this is zero. We think, "Oh, the future, if I could change
it, it would be this. If I could get this-job, if I could marry
this person, then this would happen." The truth is that it's
there already. The only thing wrong in the picture-is that
somehow we think we can still manipulate it all, we cling
to that idea. So Baba works and works to pry our fingers
loose and tell us the truth that, "not a leaf falls but it's My
will. Be resigned and happy to My will." Whatever hap ..
pens say "Thank You, Baba, for this, thank You, Baba, for
that," and play our part well. That we can do, because the
gift that the lover of God has is not to manipulate life but
to play the part with enthusiasm, with gusto, with joy.
That we can do. He gives us that to do. He doesn't rewrite
our script, but He gives us the scope to play our part well.
It touches Him so much when we do that. Remember all
the time, "I'm playing a part and I'm put on the stage now
because Baba wants me to be on the stage. This is no
longer just my little ego spinning its wheels, I am here now
to play my part, for Him," and even the thought of that
begins to make us feel resigned to His will.
 IL
MEETINGS - Meher Baba events are held on Saturday
nights. TIMES- Events start at 8:00 PM and normally end
by 9:30PM unless otherwise noted. LOCATIONS- Events
are held at the Albany Methodist Church unless otherwise
noted. The church is at the corner of Marin and Stannage,
two blocks east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of
Berkeley) Take the Albany exit from Interstate 80.
To check tor program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore <> Childcare
Wednesday, Aug. 28- Beverley Smith's in Town!
Cherie Longo is hosting an open house/pot luck dinner
from 6 - 11 PM for old-time musician Beverley Smith , who
leads square dancing for Youth Sahavas. This is just a taste
of her music - she'll be back to do a fund-raiser this March.
403 Santa Fe St., Pt. Richmond. (510) 232-4107.
Monday: Sept. 2, 12 - 6 PM - Labor Day Picnic!
Same day, same place as last year - Arlington Park. From
Hwy 80, take the A lbany Exit and go up the hill on Marin
to the circle. Take Arlington Avenue north about 2-1/4
miles. The park is on the right. Bring pot-luck salad or
dessert, drinks, and meat or veggie-burgers for the barbie.
Tableware will be provided. Bring Frisbees, footballs, etc.
Saturday Sept. 7- Film Night
Irwin Luck's film Avatar of the Age
Sept. 11-12- Meherana/Yosemite with Ann Conlon
Ann Conlon, who met Baba in 1961 and runs the Sheriar
Bookstore, will be our guest this week. She'll be visiting
Yosemite and Meherana on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept.
ll -12. If you'd like to go along, please call Laura Hogan
(510) 237-9257 BY SEPT. 3. Christie Pearson says there's
room for about 20 campers at Meherana. There will be a
dhuni at Meherana on Thursday Sept. 12th at 7:30 PM.
Friday, Sept. 13 - 7:30 PM, Dinner Out With Ann
We'll gather at Le Cheval, 1007 Clay St. (at l Oth) in
Oakland for a festive Vietnamese dinner with Ann. Call
Catherine Riedel (510) 526-5562 NO LATER THAN
SEPT. 7 to RSVP. Leave your name, number in your party,
and specify vegetarian/non-vegetarian. Cost: about $ 15 per
person . Bring a song, poem, or anecdote to share. T ake 12th
St. off Hwy 980, Parking on lOth St. behind the Marriott.
For further directions, call the restaurant (510) 763-8957.
<? Saturday, Sept. 14 -Ann's Birthday!
Ann tells wonderful stories of her times with Meher Baba.
Come for an evening of Baba stories and birthday cake!
Sunday, Sept. 15, 2- 5 PM- Tea With Ann
More of Ann's Baba stories. Bring potluck dessert to the
home of Kirk and Marlene Allen, 3459 Monroe Ave., Lafayette.
From Hwy 24, take the Centra l Lafayette exit. Turn right
at the stop sign to Mt. Diablo Blvd. Go left to Second St. ,
Turn right on Second, it becomes Monroe. (51 0) 283-94 73.
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
Board of Directors: Alisa Dreyfuss Noreen Graham Cheryl LaRosa Longo Betty Lowman Catherine Riedel Karen Sterkin Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Lisa Greenstein, Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Trustwal/a: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)
Saturday, Sept. 21- Muir Beach Dhuni
We'll meet at the picnic tables at Muir Beach at 3 PM, then
we proceed to Muir Woods for a short hike then back to
the beach for pot luck supper and dhuni.
Saturday Sept. 28- Video Night at the Stovall's
Tex Hightower & Bili Eaton at Meher Mount. 869 Appa-
loosa Dr. W alnut C reek, call (510) 938-2126 for directions.
Friday, Oct. 4- Rummage Pricing Night
"What IS this? It's my color! I've always wanted a vintage
aviator's jacket ... " You never know what treasure you'll
come across at the rummage sale pricing night. Don't miss
first pickings! Bring dona table items to the Friends Meeting
Social Hall, corner of Walnut and Vine, Berkeley, Friday
evening between 5 PM and 9 PM. For earlier drop-off
locations, call Janet White (510) 843-4417.
Saturday, Oct. 5 , 9 AM - 6 PM - Rummage Sale!
This rummage sale is the biggest fund-raising event we do!
Please sign up for a 2-hour shift to help! Call Bill Mold-
enschardt before 9 PM (510) 601-129 1. Shifts start at 8 AM,
<? Saturday Oct. 12 - 6: 30 PM - East Meets
West- Raine in Concert- A Pot Luck Fund-raiser
Founder and director of The Love Street Singers, Raine
Eastman-Gannet has a musical resume that would knock
your socks off. This memorable Indian evening will be a
fund-raiser - $5 per person. Wear Indian clothes, bring
Indian food (optional), and bask in the ambiance! Chelo!
Saturday Oct. 19 - Home Meeting at the Larsons'
Bring Your Own Baba (story, poem, song, memory, dream)
to the Larsons'- 510 Evelyn Ave. El Cerrito (510) 526-2309.
<? Saturday, Oct. 26 - The Haffendens in Concert
A real treat- visiting from L.A., Chris and Pris Haffenden, will
serenade us with classical guitar, oboe and clarinet pieces.
Saturday, November 2- Film Night
Meher Baba's Call and Meher Baba in Nasik
<? Saturday Nov. 9- Baba Lover-Lovers' Night
These wonderful souls have their place in Baba's commu-
nity. Spouses/Significant others who are not Baba Lovers
have agreed to share their perspectives. An informative and
probably humorous evening chaired by Karen DeWald.
<? Saturday, November 16- 7 PM -Improv Night
with L.A.'s Scott Craig ]ones- a Fun Fund-raiser
Scott led a hilarious improvisational comedy session at this
summer's L.A. Sahavas. Adults and kids alike discover their
inner comedian playing these games. Bring your funny bone
and $5 per person . Wear comfortable clothes!
Saturday Nov. 23 - Singalong with Ron and Laura
Come and sing with Ron Greenstein and Laura Hogan.
Saturday Nov. 29 - No Meeting Tonight
 MEHER'S ARTISTS, TAKE NOTE!
Our annual Meh ermas Bazaar is just around the corner -
Saturday December 14. Start now to create the wonderful
wares you'll h ave for sa le ! If last year's Bazaar was any in-
dication, this will be a successful fund-raiser for our group
and participating artists, and a fun night fo r a ll who come!
Children and teenage artists are en couraged to sell too !
PROGRAMS FOR BABA'S YOUTH
The teen campo ut a t Samuel P. T aylo r Park last June was
a great success! Fo urteen k ids a nd adults waded in the
creek, told Baba sto ries by the campfire, hiked, played get-
to-know-you games and generally 'bo nded' as th ey say a t
Youth Sahavas. W e n eed energetic young volun tee rs to
help with more monthly activities for teenagers. Call Margaret
Berns te in o r Steve Jaco bs at ( 41 5 ) 488-4503 to sign up.
INDIA TRAVEL NEWS
There is now a seven-sea t air condi tioned bus available
from the Bombay (Sahar) Internatio n a l Airport to Pune
an d from Pune to Sahar A irport. Trave llers can book seats
at the A rrival T ermina l II A at Mumbai Sahar Airport to
Pune counter. The cost is Rs. 325/- per seat (about $9.50).
The new Holiday Inn in Pune is offering a 5% discount to
those booking advance reservations who mention their affil-
iation with the Meher Baba Trust in the ir communications.
The room rate, with discount, runs $70- 100. The Leela in
Bombay a lso offers a d iscount corporate rate to Baba lovers.
HOSTS/HOMES SOUGHT
If you would like to h ost a visiting guest speake r, o r if yo u
would like to h ave a home meeting a t your h o me, call
Betty Lowman (415) 323-1900. Leave a message, please.
NUMBERS TO CALL:
Mailing List: Scott Maloney (510) 596-8755 x 777
Phone Tree: Annie S tovall (510) 93 8 -2 126
MEHER BABA CENTER
of Northern California, Inc.
213 1 University Avenue, Room 235
Berkeley, California 94?04
Address Correction Requested
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito - Sunday Mornings - 10:00 AM
Arti and singing at the Greensteins (510) 525-3364.
El Cerrito - Thursday Evenings - 7: 15 PM
Discourse reading and discussion. Contact Louise Bar-
rie or Dick Anthony at (51 0) 524-1440.
Fresno - Wednesday Evenings - 7:30 to 8 :30 PM
Arti and a varied program. Contact Sharon or Phil
Scott at (209) 449-0877.
Menlo Park - Friday Evenings - 8:00 PM
Arti, singing and readings at the home of Hugh and
Jean MacDonald. Call them at (415) 322-0886 or
Betty Lowman at (415) 323-1900.
Petaluma - First Sundpy of the Month - 11 :00 AM
Arti, readings, and fellowship. Call Hermann or
Jeanette Loew at (707) 778-1195. Please call ahead.
Sacramento - Occasional Meetings
Discourse readings and occasional gatherings.
Contact Mike and Jean Ross (916) 486-2924.
San Francisco ; Wednesday Evenings - 7 to 8:30 PM
Readings and discussion. Call Peter Ravazza at (5 10)
769- 1839 or Mary We iss at (415 ) 22 1-8724.
Walnut Creek - Monday Evenings - 8 to 9:30 PM
Videos will be shown the first Monday of every
month. Subsequent Mondays will be devoted to study
of Discourses . Please call Helen Riehl (5 10) 935-0167
or Gil Shepard (5 10) 930-8670 for meeting locations.
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down
by Meher Baba through the Trust should contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288.
MEHER SABA INFORMATION
People who wish to know more about Meher Baba
can obtain introductory material and a catalogue of available
publications by writing or phoning Meher Baba Information,
P.O. Box 1101, Berkeley, CA 94701 . Or call (510) 562-1 101.
Non-Profit U.S.
Postage Paid
El Cerrito, C A
Perm it No. l86
 w s L E
2 131 UNIVERSITY AYE ., RM . 235
VOL. 29
The Mighty Beloved
by Francis Brabazon
Just as January 31, 1999 marks the 30th Amartithi,
the 30th anniversary of Meher Baba 's dropping His
body, April1 0- June 10, 1999 is the 30th anniversary
of what has been called The Great Darshan, when
thousands of Maher Baba's lovers honored His
invitation to be in His presence at Gurup rasad,
Poona. One of the highlights of the darshan program
was the opportunity to meet and to be greeted by
Baba's mandali. This address, by Francis Brabazon,
is especially remembered by those pre sent ,with
great delight.
]AI BABA!
I a m a mazed a nd filled with joy to d is-
cover that the Be loved I h ave been se rv ing for many
yea rs is truly a very migh ty Beloved .
O f course, I h ave known all alo ng t h a t He was God. But
there arc so man y Gods. The re is the God whic h people
sec in a shape o f illusio n suc h as a sunset o r a moun ta in
view o r a sym p ho ny, o r wh ose h a nd is seen in o n e' n o t
getting caugh t in a ra in -storm o r in obta in in g a good
job: no do ub t a ve ry comfo rta ble a n d profitable God to
h ave- we ll worth a C hristia n ca nd le o r some Hindu
in cense-but no t a God to wh o m o n e would offe r o n e's
life. T h e re is the God wh o rul es the sh in ing p la n es of
consc io usn ess: but s igh t of Him wo uld blind on e. /\ nd
the God wh o is beyon d the pla n es is un k nowab le except
by His own G race. A nd H e is ex tre mely carefu l to
whom H e g ives tha t G race.
So wh e n beloved Baba used to te ll us th a t H e was God,
I used to think, "Yes, Baba, You are God all righ t- t h e
O n e God and all th e Gods- but what good is th at to me?"
In fac t, I used to get so fed- up with Him be ing God tha t
I wished He wasn't o r I wish ed H e was a sort-of an O ld
T estament God fo r Who m I co uld sla ugh te r some fa t
la mbs o r a spo tless young bull in return for some added
acreage . I go t so tired o f His be ing so much God tha t
I wro te a song about it a nd sa ng it to h im . It goes
something like, "i f o n ly Yo u we re a bit less God , a b it
-~\
\~''''
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
SPRING 1999
'
mo re Ma n , I wo uld n ' t fee l so much like
someon e upside dow n in a garbage can."
Bur Baba was n 't go ing to become more
Man just for m y sake, so I h ad to se ttle
fo r Him as the D iv ine Beloved -on e wh om
I could serve sometimes, instead of th inking
a bo ut myself all t h e ti me. A fter all , a l-
tho ugh H e is God, a nd sometimes is a
Man, be ing o n e's ow n a n d the world's
Be loved is His ma in jo b . O thers can
become as muc h God o r as muc h Man
as He, bur o nl y Baba is mo re Be loved tha n a n y o ther
beloved. And is infi nitely wo rth serv ing.
But n ow a great proble m a rises. H ow to serve that One
who is A ll-beloved, fo r wha te ve r o n e does with love is
do n e by Him. A ll tha t is d on e for th e Beloved is done
by th e Be loved . A nd so o n e a rr ives a t the pain ful
con clusio n tha t th e Be loved a lo n e ex ists- wh ich mea ns
thar o n eself does n 't A nd th a t 's a terribi~:: pred icamenr
to fin d o n ese lf in-fo r o n e is still there.
The o n ly so lu t io n I fo und was to accept the pos it ion :
"You a lo n e a re a nd I a m n o t , b ut we are both h e re ." And
h avi n g arri ved at t his acce p tan ce Ba ba now taught me
a poetical fo rm capable o f express ing all th e sh ades of
the im possib le re latio nsh ips o f lover a nd Beloved . S uch
a fo rm h as not ex isted in English up till n ow, because
the lover-Beloved d ile m ma was not part o f the British -
A me rica n conscio usn ess. A nd , of course, beloved Baba
be ing t h e a uth o r o f thi s n e w fo rm was (o r see med to be)
d eligh ted with my exe rc ises in it.
A nd h e re is a d e lic io us p iece o f humo r in connec tio n
with thi s. T h e re was a pe riod wh e n Baba h ad me read
a n ew poe m to him three ti mes eve ry mo rnin g. Do you
know wh y t hree t im es? Ba ba was m emo rizing the m.
W h y memo ri zing th em ? So tha t H e could quo te th e m
1999
next time H e comes back, in 700 years! That is really
God-Man humo r, isn't it. Then there were His extraor-
dinary o rders or commiss io ns. His las t was fo r 30 ghazals-
ghazal is the n ame of the new poetical fo rm He taught
me. It h appened this way. O ne morning after the usua l
morning business was finish ed , Baba said H e wanted me
to write 30 ghazals. Could I do that ? I repli ed promptly
and brightly, "No, Baba." This rep ly seemed to rather
as tonish H im. H e turned to the other mandali and
said , "Well, what do you think of that? I ask this fellow
to write 30 gh aza ls and h e says, N o , Baba." T-hen
Baba turned questioningly back to me. I sa id, o r rather
I groaned , "I d o n't know whe the r I can wri te o n e
ghazal-a nd you ask fo r 30. I do n't think there are any
more in my h ead." Then He says sympathetically and
persuasively, "Try, a nd I will h elp you." So it was b,ack
to the sto ne-qua rry agai n to cut a nd build 30 mo re little
poe m-houses, each one a bit different; fo r the Beloved
likes variety.
But still I did no t kn ow wh at a might Beloved o ur
Beloved is. This knowledge h as co me to me o nl y recent-
ly-since Baba laid as ide His body.
Now, the Beloved would not be the Be loved if H e d idn't
h ave a thousand whims a nd moods, if H e didn't play His
eternal game of divine pretense; if H e was not a ll ears
for th e lover's praise and ston e deaf to his compla ints;
if He was n ot A ll-know ledge
and All-ignorance at the same
t ime. He would no t be the
Beloved if H e did not deco-
rate the wa lls of His wine -
shop with pretty pictures such
as "A ll the religio n s be ing
drawn togeth er as beads o n
one string" and "700 years of
peace, " and then invite the
lover to cross deserts of h eart-dryness and oceans of
rea rs to rece ive the wine of His kiss ; but when the lover
at las t staggers in at the door, the Be loved spe nds the
whole time show ing him the pic tures and expecting his
interest and admiratio n .
What a Be loved o ur Beloved is! W hat a Beloved we
h ave chosen to serve! Wha t is it to th e thi rst-crazed
lover if a lot of glass beads are strung o n o ne string?
Wi ll that make the m turn into dia mo nds? What if
there is 700 years of peace? Will not war again fo llow?
He would n ot be the Belo ved if He d id no t tel l th e
lover to stand up and sit d own a t th e same mo ment; to
become foo tless, a nd walk; to become headless , and
think; to exert himself t o the utmost, and leave every-
thing to Him.
Though it its no t the time yet for us to know the wine
of His kiss o n o ur lips, we h ave received the kiss of
Hi s W ord in o ur h earts. If it were n o t so, ho w could all
yo u dear o nes who h ave never seen His Ma n-fo rm be
here now?
Who but the Beloved of Beloveds could speak His
. W ord sil ently in your h earts and make you come fro m
across the wo rld to take His darshan, to bow down to
Him in your hearts? Such a thing has never happened
before. 1 have been at Mass-darsh an s where te.~s of
tho usands came a nd bo wed down to His Man-form .
But to come tho usands of miles to bo w do wn to
Him in o ne's o wn h eart , that is of a n entirely d ifferent
o rder of devotion.
W h y has beloved Baba given you people this extrao r-
dinary pri vilege? Because H e required a few to do what
th e man y, wha t everyone, must eventually do: jo urney
across the wo rld of illus io n to take darshan of Him in
the ir hearts. What a Beloved is o ur Beloved; what a
migh ty Beloved. This Word which He h as spoken in
your hearts , which will be spoken in every heart in the
world, wi ll lead you by th e hand, and dri ve you with
whips to the doo r of your Beloved, to the wineshop of
yo ur Master-where it will
become yo ur own pure song
of pra ise a nd will cause the
Beloved winemaster to open
the door and bring you in
and pour for you a glass of
th e wi ne of self-forgetfu l-
ness and Beloved-alo ne-re-
membrance. The very Word
with which He knocked o n the doors of your h earts and
aroused yo u to set your feet o n the path to Him , the
sa me Word will knock o n His door and make Him open
it ro you- Himself. I bow down to thi s mighty O ne in
each of you.
But you a lso h ave yo ur parts to play o n this grand
journey you have begun -you must no t leave it a ll to
yo ur Beloved. Fo r eve ry step the lover takes to the
Be loved, t he Beloved takes t en steps to the lo ver. But
t he love r must con t inually take that o ne st ep. We must
practice taking beloved Baba's darsh an, b ow ing down
to Him in o ur h earts, every day, th en every moment
un t il we h ave continuous sight of Him .
(continued on back page)
MEETINGS - Meher Baba events are held on Saturday nights.
TIMES- Events start at 8:00PM and normally end by 9:30PM
unless otherwise noted. LOCATIONS - Events are held at the
Albany Methodist Church unles~ O!lie'rwise noted. The church
is at the corner of Marin and Stannage, two blocks east
of San Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of Berkeley). Take
the Buchanan Street exit from Interstate 80. To check for
program changes .:all 510-845-4339.
Bookstore f1 Chlldcare
Saturday, March 6: Working with the Body
Louise Barrie will host a panel (Odile Atthalin, Robert
Dreyfuss, Scott Maloney, Doug Ross and Ed Van Buskirk)
to discuss and explore ways in which working through
the medium of the body (bodywork, body~oriented
psychotherapy, chiropractic, acupuncture) expresses and reaches
for our relationship with Meher Baba. Join us for a lively
conversation.
---.
Saturday, March 13: Quarterly Salon and Toddy Shop
The first in a new series of meetings for the expressions of
our hearts with writings, story~telling, song, performance,
visual art and chai. Presenters will include Steven Barrie
Anthony, Sarah Dwyer, Mehera Halliwell, Ben Leet, Jeanne
Moje and Kathy Weiderhold. Want to be in the next pro~
gram? Call Lisa Greenstein (510) 525~3364
Saturday, March 20: Fundraiser Concert by David
Miotke tl
7:30pm Plymouth United Church of Christ, Monte Vista at
Oakland Ave., Oakland. Our very own, very talented singer/
pianist and consummate entertainer will present a lively
evening of his own Baba songs and ghazal settings. Tickets
are $15 in advance, $18 at the door. They will be available
at Baba meetings or by mail at C/0 P]R, P.O. Box 11275,
Oakland, CA., 94611 or phone (510) 466~9587. Checks
payable to MBCNC. All proceeds will benefit the Meher
Baba Center of Northern California.
Saturday, March 27: Margaret Bernstein and Friends
This longtime Baba lover will play original compositions on
both flute and piano, classical selections on flure and may
even sing an original song. Please come support and celebrate
the release of her new album, "On the Threshold of Change/'
dedicated to her son, ]ulian Song.
Saturday, April 3: Uppers, Downers, All Arounders
In the 1960s Meher Baba issued several wan-lings about the
dangers of using drugs. Deborah .Tyler, iexperienced in
substance abuse counseling, will talk abot!t the effects of
drug use and review the latest research into the
biochemical impact of drugs. She will also remind us what
Baba and Bhau Kalchuri have said about their spiritual
impact. Families and kids, bring your questions.
Saturday, April 10: An Evening of Persian Sufi
Poetry
Bill Gannett leads a group reading and discussion of Persian
Sufi poetry.
Saturday, April 17: Are You Really aBaba Lover?
Dick Anthony discusses the Question.
Do you ever doubt that Baba is who He says He is. or
question whether you are really a Baba Lover? Eruch told
Dick that faith in Baba is more authentic if you don't
repress your doubts. Dick will discuss what he makes of
this advice and the role that doubt plays for him, and
maybe others, in following Baba. Come share your own
doubts, if any, and let's try to make sense of this ques-
tion.
Saturday, April 24: Masts, War, Spiritual Centers and
Seclusion: Meher Baba in the 1940s
Ben Leer and Peter Ravazza will host this evening's program,
promising "everything you ever wanted to know" about this
eventful decade in the avatar's advent.
Saturday, May 1: Raine Eastman-Gannett sings
songs of Mehera
An evening of songs of Beloved Baba's Mehera, with passages
from her biography read by Bill Gannett.
Saturday, May 8: Meher Baba-Father, Friend,
Firm Master, Constant Companion until the
Very End
What is it like to follow Meher Baba? What do we gain and
lose? Is He involved in my day~to~day life? What
if Baba came and went without my knowing of Him? Should
I appreciate the change His influence makes? Why is per~
fection so far away? Kathy Wiederhold will make it fun to
consider these questions.
May 15: Darshan Revisited
Come reminisce and celebrate the 30th anniversary of
the 1969 darshan. Bring pictures and other memorabil-
ia, if you were among those fortunate enough to have
attended.
May 22: Practical Mysticism
Let's come together to discuss ways to use the tools
Mehcr Baba has given us for becoming practical mystics.
Peter Ravazza invites all to join an open discussion and an
evening of good snacks, fun and a relaxing departure from
the stresses of the Kali Yuga!

Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.

President, Joan Harland Vice President, Harold Jamison Secretary, Ron Greenstein Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Odile Atthalin Laurie Brook Ron Greenstein Greg Harland Joan Harland Harold Jamison Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Keith Gunn Betty Lowman Cherri Nelson
Bookstore: Kate Mink Library: Alexandra Cons Officewalla: Fred White Program: Greg Harland
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)
-----~
Happen ings will happen- even G ra nd H appenings. But
they will not be that H appe ning which h as to happe n
in our h eartS. So do no t look to these oth e r happe nings
to nourish yo ur faith ; depend o nly upon His W o rd a n d
its Song in your hearts.
Be prepared for a lon g, lon g journey to ha ve the Be-
loved's rea l darsh a n. But it may o n ly take a me re 700
years tO reach His door and bow down to Him for the
las t time and merge in Him forev e r.
]AI BABA! The V ictory is His.
Farewell Tea for Laura Hogan and Kacy Cook
We wish o ur dedicated Bookstore walla Laura H ogan
happy t ra ils as sh e h eads off to h e r ne w h o me in ./
co ld n o rthern climes (M innesota)-well suited to her
Finnish h e ritage ! Ar the same. th..-.c , !::.dare sh e leaves -
for more southern climes, Kacy Cook, western reside nt
of Ind ia fo r the past 20 years, will sh a re stories fro111 he~ .
rich experience of life a t Meherazad.
All are invited to a good-bye tea Sunday Ma rc h 7
fro m 2 to 5 PM a t t he h ome of Alan and Karen T a lbo t,
72 1 Crossbrook Drive , Moraga. Please bring tea treats
to share . Please RSVP, (925) 376-4325.
Announcement from the Trustwalla
MBCNC (M eher Baba Center of N orthern Cali fornia)
is in the p rocess of bei n g certi fi ed to rece ive tax
deductible donation s to AMBPPT (Avatar Me her Ba ba
Pe rpetual Publ ic Trust.) If you have any qu est ion s
regarding h ow t o donate to the Trust in th is way,
call e it h e r: Jack Mormon, (510) 232- 1894 o r Pe te r
Ravazza, (510) 769-1 839
MEHER BABA CENTER
of Northern California, Inc.
11! 1!!11 !!~-~ !rtil i~ til, !t1,1, 1! 1
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito - Sunday M ornings - 10:00 A M
A rri a nd singing at Greenstei ns' (5 10) 525-3364.
El Cerrito - Thursday Evenings - 7: 15 PM
Reading and discussion of Stay With God by Francis
Brabazon. Contact Louise Barrie or Dick Antho ny
a t (510) 524-6405 .
Menlo Pa,k - Friday Evenings - 8:00 PM
Arti , singing a nd readings at the ho me of Hugh and
Jean ni e MacDonald. Call them at (650) 322-0886 or
Betty Lowman at (650) 323 -1900.
Petaluma - Sunday Mornings - 11 :00 AM
Arti, readings and fel lowship. Contact Hermann or
Jeanette Loe w at (707) 778-1195. Please call ahead.
Sacramento -Sunday M ornings - II :00 AM
Discourse readi ngs and occasiona l gath eri ngs. C o ntact1
Mike and Jea n Ross, (9 16) 486-2924. A11 ttLI
Santa Cmz - Alternate Thursdays- 7: 15 PM
- Bisamrst:rC'ddiugs <lllc: occasional videos. Contact
Deborah Muth (813) 479-7089.
Walnut Creek - Second and f1ourth Sunday
Evenings Every Month - 7:30 to 9:30 PM
Meetings are hel d at He len Riehl's home.
Call Helen at (925) 935-0167 or Gi l S h epard,
(925) 930-86 70 fo r direct ions.
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down
by Meher Baba through the Trust should contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 2288 , Richmond, CA 94802-1288.
MEHER BABA INFORMATION
People who wish to know more' about Me her Saba can
obtain introductory material and'.:a catalogue of available
publicaitons by writing orphonihg.Meher Baba Information.
P.O. Box 1101 , Berkeley, CA 9476~.:: Or
call (51 0)562-11 01
..:.
NONPROFI T ORG.
ADELE WOLKIN
714 A SO. PACIFIC COAST HWY
REDONDO BEACH CA 90277
.Jlt ttutttltllt lttltlt tlt lt
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC .
N E
2131 UNIVERS ITY AVE. , RM. 235
w s L E
VOL. 27
MEHER BABA'S WARNINGS ABOUT THE OCCULT
This interview with Amavaz N . Dadachanji
by Nancy Wall was originally published in che
Love Street Lamp Post. It is reprimed here at che
request of Am avaz and Doctor Goher.
N W: In Gift of God, Arnavaz, you
wro te about the dan gers of becoming
. involved in an y way with the occul t.
You've also told me that an increas ing
number of Baba lovers are as king yo u
quest ions abo ut th is subj ect.
A rnavaz: It is true that mo re and more
Baba love rs h ave been coming to me to
ask what they can do to d isentangle them-
selves fro m va rio us k inds of occult practices, such as
seek ing h elp fro m the spirit wo rld o r trying to
develop psychic powers. Many h ave a lso consulted o ther
people who are involved in the occu lt. For instance , a
common prac tice today is to consult "h ealers," people
who use psychic po wer to e limina te disease or pain. At
first th e h elp given through occu lt means may make a
person fee l better o r h app ie r. But the re are great
da ngers invo lved.
T his is no t to say th a t dwse who explo re th e occult do
so simply o ut of th e des ire fo r power. Some people
have the best of inten t ion s and t hey wan t onl y to he lp
themselves o r o thers. Fo r example, I men t io n ed in Gift
of God a wo man who loved Baba very much , but used
occult practices to save th e life of h er husba nd . Some-
one gu ided this wo man , gave h er mantras to repeat and
instructio ns to fo llow. H er husband 's life was spared,
but his wh ole persona lity ch an ged . W h ereas they had
once bee n a ve ry lov ing coup le, now he stopped talk ing
to h er and lived like a stra nger in t he house. A nd she
could not stop herself fro m becomi ng furthe r involved
with her pract ices. W h en my mo the r was gravely ill
with cancer, th is woma n ca me to our fami ly, want ing
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
FALL 1997
to h e lp extend my mo th er's life. I told
he r emphatically that whether my mother
lived o r d ied was co mpletely in Baba's
hands. As Baba h as said, "N eve r beg me
to save you r life or the lives of your
dear ones. Only beg me to accept yo u
and permit you to lay down your life
for me."
So me fifteen years late r th is woman came
to my ho me for Baba's darsh an. She looked
so frail a nd bro ken t hat I didn't even
recognize h er. Sh e implo red Baba to save
h er. Baba very lov ingly embraced h er,
but H e to ld h er sh e h ad ta ken upo n h erself more than
she cou ld hand le and therefo re H e couldn' t help h er.
She would h ave to suffer the consequences of h er ac-
t io ns. This wo man was suffe ring at least in part because
of the h eavy san skaric load sh e was carrying. So al-
tho ugh it is n at ural that we sho uld want to elim inate
our own s ufferi~g o r the suffering of those we love, the
e limination of pa in thro ugh psych ic h ea ling may actu-
ally serve as a block o n the spi ri tua l path o f the asp irant.
N W : This brings up ano th er q ues t io n fo r me . To what
exten t sho uld we, as Baba love rs, try to eli minate our
pain an d suffe ring?
Arnavaz: W e ll, certa in ly when we are in pa in , it is
reasonable to pursue wh a tever re li ef may be ava ilable
through natural and practical means. Docto rs, psych i-
atrists, chiropractors, massage therapists, those who practice
C hinese med ic ine, acup uncture , ho meopathy, allopa-
thy, A yu rved ic med ic ine-all these I would call natural
and practical. But h eali ng thro ugh psychic powers is
ano th er ma tte r altogeth er. In consul ting those involved
in occul t practices fo r re lief fro m suffering, we may
actually add to our sanskaras and la ter bring about mo re
suffering and pain. Baba wants to free us fro m suffering,
 IL
but when we seek occult help, we are interfering with
His work and creating further bindings for ourselves.
And if we ourselves use occult means to help others, we
take on the sanskaras of those we seek to help.
N W: Amavaz, you mentioned that the woman who
used the occult to save her husband continued to use
it even after he had been saved. Once a person starts
using occult powers, is it difficult to stop?
Arnavaz: Let me tell you two stories about that. Once
when Baba was giving darshan in different parts of
India, a guru who had practiced occult powers came to
Him. Baba gave this man darshan several times, and
he became Baba's disciple. Baba told him that he must
give- ~up-hrs-practice-asa guru and-rio longer use tne~~--glven~ln Julyof 1968,- coiitahis specific orders for His
occult or allow people to bow down to him. He obeyed
Baba for some time, but after a few years he returned . It i~... important at this critical period of the Av..
to his old ways. He knew Baba was not pleased, and he
ceased all contact, never showing his face to Baba again.
The second story involves an only child who died.
Naturally, the parents were devastated, and a Baba lover
who was present put the dead child in his lap and sat
all night, repeating Baba's name aloud. After several
hours the child was revived. When Baba heard about
this incident, He sent a telegram to the man saying
that He was very displeased. The man felt terrible and
he came to Baba and begged for forgiveness. Baba kept
the man with Him for a while in the ashram, but be,
cause he had been able to revive the dead child, the
man believed that he must have special powers and
after some time he had the urge to use his powers
again. One day, without even informing Baba, he
simply disappeared from the ashram. His ego had over,
powered him, and he r_e_tum~ed_to__hisJwme_and_estab.. -----and dupe others in the name of Sadgurus and the
lished his own following. His connection with Baba was
broken. So you see, once a person has experienced this
ki d of power he becomes entangled in it and does not
n t . '.t
want o gtve 1 up.
N W: Your family at one time had frequent contact
with a man who had certain powers. Can you tell me
about him?
Arnavaz: Our contact with this man, Savak, came
about in the early 30's, when we were quite new to
Baba. Later, of course, we would have had nothing to
do with this man, but at the time we knew very little
about spiritual matters. Although we loved Baba very
much, my mother and others in the family thought that
Savak must be a highly spiritual man. He could make
coins or flowers appear in his hands, or a certain scent
would suddenly fill the room. He would give orders, and
sometimes they would tum out to be the same orders
that Baba later gave us, so it is easy to see why Savak
impressed my family. I have to say, though, that I myself
was never attracted to him. Even though I thought he
might be on a higher plane, I found him somehow
repulsive. I understand now that Baba was keeping me
away from this man, keeping me from getting involved
with him in any way. And even though throughout my
life I have seen numerous examples of people who were
possessed by spirits and many kinds of black magic,
I have always known that Baba would protect me
from' all of this, that I had nothing to fear as long as
I held tightly to His damaan._J~ab~~_l.ast War!ling,
lovers concerning involvement with such masters:
ataric Age to beware at all times of persons who lead
others into believing that they are saintly and pious
and profess to possess supernatural powers. How..
ever pious such persons appear to be, a Baba..lover
must never mix such piety with the Divinity of the
Avatar!
A true Baba..Iover must remember the repeated
warning given to all Baba ..Iovers time and again to
stay away from persons who feel and assert that
they are masters and saints and possess powers to
help human beings. His lovers and workers should
never get involved with such persons and affairs,
much less with perverted "helpers of humanity"
who have no reverence or regard for the Perfect
Masters and the Avatar of the Age. Beware of them
who exploit spirituality to gain their selfish ends
Avatar.
At the end of this warning Baba added the following
note, originally given in February of 1966:
Shun those masters who are like multi..coloured electric
signs that flash on and off, brightening the dark sky
of your world and leaving you in darkness again.
N W: Aren't there some people who have actually found
Baba through occult means and come to follow Him?
Arnavaz: It is true that Baba Himself has used such
means as automatic writing, ouija boards, etc. to bring
people to Him, but the fact that Baba has done some,
thing in no way gives us permission to do it. "Don't do
what I do," He has told us. "Do what I tell you to do."
When God comes as man, He works thorough every,
2
thing in His .creation, what we would call good and
what we would call bad. Baba said these were two sides
of the same coin. In the play of Maya, God keeps a
balance between them. Why? We cannot know. Given
our limited understanding, we cannot fathom the ways
of God. We can only do what Baba asks of us and not
worry about trying to understand His work.
Baba has been very clear about what He asks of us. For
instance, the rules regarding appropriate behavior at
His Center in Myrtle Beach contain this statement:
"By Meher Baba's directive, divining cards, ouija
board, and the I Ching are not to be used a't the
Center." And anyone tempted to interpret that direc-
. tive to mean that outside the Center it is all right to
use such devices should think carefully about Baba's
statement given in Andhra on 1 March, 1954: "I want
my lovers and workers to know that there is no
greater 'Baba's Centre' than the heart of my lover.
Those who truly love me are my centres in the
world. Let each 'Baba..lover,' wherever he or she
may be, be the 'Baba's Centre' personified, radiating
the eternal message of Love Divine, living a life of
love, sacrifice and honesty."
N W: I think it's sometimes difficult for us to distin-
guish between what is occult and what is not. There are
so many "New Age" practices from which sincere peo-
ple seem to derive the same kinds of experience that we
have had in our lives as Baba lovers that the whole issue
can become very confusing. How can we protect our-
selves from getting involved in something best left alone?
Arnavaz: Irene Coneybeare, in the introduction to her
book In Quest of Truth or How I came to Meher Baba,
gives a good and easy guideline to follow when she
discusses the vast difference between mysticism and
occultism. The mystic, she says, is simply searching for
God and does not seek power, whereas the person who
practices the occult is actually attempting to control
the forces of nature. Occult power, she stresses, is safe
only in the hands of a Master who will not misuse it-
that even an advanced spiritual aspirant may incur great
harm through practice of the occult, and she quotes the
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President. Janet White Vice President. Brian Drygas Secretary. Bryan Drygas Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Leslie Baer Laurie Brook Brian Drygas Mehera Halliwell Greg Harland Clint Snyder Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)
' 3
following from Baba's Discourses: "The introduction of
an uncertain and uncalculable factor which the free
exercise of occult power would inv.olve, is bound to
create much confusion and disturbance in the ordi ..
nary pursuits of man, who must be left to his own
limitations, resources and possibilities for the equal
and uninterrupted working out of the Law of Karma."
She also talks about the undue importance that people
often attribute to miracles, which have nothing to do
with the spiritual path, and again she quotes Baba: "All
miracles belong to the phenomenal world, which is
the world of shadows. As phenomena, they are sub ..
ject to change; and nothing that changes can have
lasting value. Realisation of the eternal Truth is an
initiation into unchangeable Being which alone is the
supreme Reality; and no acquaintance with the occult
world or capacity to manipulate its forces can really
amount to the realisation of the Truth."
On His birthday in 1965, Baba told those gathered in
His love the following, also taken from His Discourses:
There is nothing particularly spiritual about occult
power as such. Like any other mundane power
or scientific invention, it is capable of being used
for good ends or bad. It gives immense scope for
co .. operative work on the higher planes, but this
necessarily implies a spiritual preparedness to shoulder
a special responsibility.
The novice may seek some occult powers and, within
certain limits, even succeed in having them, but this
new attainment will prove to be a curse rather than
a blessing if he is not spiritually prepared for the
adequate fulfillment of the new responsibility implied
in the acquisition of the new powers. Even the slight..
est misuse of occult power has a severe reaction and
creates a binding for the soul. Sometimes it may
retard the progress of the aspirant and may even lead
to a considerable set..back. Apart from the spiritual
ruin which the novice may invite upon himself through
indiscrete use of occult power, he is bound to be a
source of incalculable harm to others over whom he
has succeeded in wielding a formidable advantage.
(continued on page 4)
So when Saba lovers ask me abo ut th e occult, I tell
them that wh oever Saba has taken in to His fo ld must
do whatever Saba wants. Those who h ave not come
to know and love Baba will act according to th eir
sanskaras an d destiny. But Baba h as to ld His lovers
spec ifically no t to get involved in the occult. It is
extreme ly foo lish for Saba lovers to dabble in matters
that Saba has told us to keep away from. He has warned
us of the harm we may do n ot only to ourselves, but to
others who seek our help. And H e has shown us how
to please Him. That means obeying Baba wholeh eart-
edly, leaving His work entirely in His h ands, and stay-
ing away fro m any attempt to work in realms we are no t
spiritually prepared to enter.
"I do not want anything else but the gift of your
obedience."
Meh er Baba
Results of the 1997 Annual General Meeting
The slate of candida tes and the proposed budget were
approved. The Mission S tatement was approved and
added to our by-laws. The guest speaker policy, limi ting
the subj ect of the speeches and d iscuss ion to Avata r
Mehe r Saba and no o ther spiritual master or guide, was
rej ected . T h e co-sponsorship policy, permitting cooper-
ation with o ther groups on projects focused solely on
Avatar Meher Saba, was approved. The directive to
suspend weekly Sa turday meetings, in favo r of occasion-
al events and progra ms, was rejected. Forty people iden-
tified themselves as active/vo ting membe rs.
MEHER BABA CENTER
of No rth ern Ca lifornia, Inc.
213 1 University Avenue, Room 235
Berke ley, California 94704
Address Correction Requested
LOCAL MEET INGS
El Cerrito - Sunday Mornings - 10:00 AM
Arti and singing at the Greensteins (510) 525-3364.
E l Cerrito - Thursday Evenings- 7:15 PM
Discourse reading and d iscussio n . Contact Louise
Barrie or Dick Anthony at (510) 524-1440.
Fresn o - Wednesday Even ings - 7:30 to 8:30 PM
Arti and a varied program. Conract Sharon or Phil
Scott at (209) 449-0877.
M enlo Park - Friday Evenings - 8 :00 PM
Arti, sing ing and read ings a t th e home of Hugh and
Jeannie MacDonald. Call th em at (4 15 ) 322-0886 or
Betty Lowman at (41 5) 323-1900.
Petaluma - Sunday M ornings - 11 :00 AM
Arti, read ings, and fe llowshi p. Contact He rmann or
Jeanet te Locw a t (707) 778- 1195. Please call ahead.
Sacramento - S unday Mornings - 11:00 AM
, Discourse readings and occasional gatherings.
Con tact Mike and Jean Ross (916) 486-2924.
W alnut Creek -Monday Evenings - 8 to 9:30PM
Videos will be shown th e first Monday of every
month. Subsequen t Mondays will be devot ed to
study of Discourses. Please call Helen Ri ehl (510)
935-0 167 or Gil Shepard (5 10) 930-8670 for meet-
ing locations.
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down
by Meher Saba through the Trust should contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288.
MEHER BABA INFORMATION
People who wish to know more about Meher Baba can
obtain introductory material and a catalogue of available
publications by writing or phoning Meher Baba Information.
P.O. Box 1101, Berkeley, CA 94701. Or call (51 0) 562-1101
Non-Profit
U.S. Postage Paid
El Cerrito, CA
PERMIT NO. 186
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CAI,IF INC.
QUAJR1LJEJR1LY
N E w s L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 26
Surrender
to Meher Baba
This is part one of a two-part, edited transcription
of a talk Charles Haynes gave at the home of Ron
and Lisa Greenstein in El Cerrito , California in
August 1988
I wanted to say a few things about the topic of surrender
to Meher Baba, something you've all done long ago. It has
always been a puzzle to me, the topic of surrende r, so I
keep coming back to it. Baba says tha t greater than love
is obedience and greater than obedience is surrender. That
is what always puzzled me because it seemed to be His
notion of the highest form of love. It's strange to think
about surrender because it's hard to know wh eth er one has
surrendered or not, or what it means. I used to put it off
somewhere in the distance thinking that some day I'd be
able to deal with it. In fact, I asked Eruch about it once.
We were sitting in Mandali Hall on the floor in front of
Baba's chair. The gn ats were bad that day because it was
really still. Eruch was just pooped ; h e had nothing left to
give. He was just sitting there and it was not anywhere
n ear the end of the time for him, so poor Eruch had to
keep go ing. Finally, Eruc h looked at me and said, "What
shou ld I talk about?" It popped out. I said,"Surrender,"
waving the gn a ts away. He said , "Yeh, alright. Do it!" I
said, "Well, Eruch, that's fine for you to say, but I don't
know wh at it means." He said, "You people th ink I just
say these things, I'm not just saying 'Do it.' Do it." I said,
"Isn't it something you work toward, isn't it a goal of life?"
He sa id, "No , do it now, right now. Then do it tomorrow
again and then do it the next day aga in. Why do you wait?
What is it?" In other words, surrender is something you
do continuously. Eac h time you do it, it's a little bit more,
you let go a little bit more.
My image for it comes from 1962. Baba gave an image that
has stuck with me all these years about surrender. It came
out of the blue, it probably came to me because I wasn't
listening to what else was being said. The nice part about
being thirteen at tha t time was that I didn't have to listen
to what was being said; I got away with it. If adu lts didn't
listen, Baba would catch them. He was wonderful at that-
"Do you know what it means?" . . . "What, Baba?"... If
you were thirteen, Baba wo uld not do tha t. I was sitting
next to Baba on the floor and H e was on the couch; I was
trying to inch my chin close to His knee; those were my
priori ties then, I wasn't paying any atte ntion to the topic.
1996
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
SUMMER 1996
Of course, it was wonderful because I could
just sit there and stare the whole five
days. I didn't have anything else to do,
I didn't have to pay attention to any-
th ing. That's why the things I remember
that Baba said were like epiphanies be-
cause it was like waking up to pick up the
conversation.
Baba starting talking about what was going to happen when
He broke His silence . . . something that nobody ever brought
up because then it would be all over for us. Manifestation
always meant to me that the intimacy was going to end; I
just wanted it to be as far away in the future as possible. So
whenever Baba started speaking about it I paid attention,
because I thought that when He broke His silence it would
be too late for me. He used to tell us, "Love me now while
I am in your midst, because after I break My silence it will
be too late." We are, I think, still in that era of people who
are not with Him because He's the Avatar of the Age but
because He's our Beloved, who let us see enough of Him that
we want to be with Him, now and forever. N ew humanity,
no new humanity, breaking His silence, not breaking His
silence; it doesn 't make much difference to the lover. But the
day will come when H e will show Himself and then the world
will have its portion of Him. A lways, as a ch ild, I was rushing
to love Baba more and more. 1 wish 1 still had some of the
same urgency that 1 h ad then, because what I gathered from
Baba was that the day will come when the opportunity to
love H im in this way will not be there. It is only for a short
time that the Avatar draws the lovers in th at intimate way.
I used to just pray to Baba, "Don't break Your silence too
soon, please. I'll work harder, I'll try harder." Baba motivated
us that way too. I'm sure our understanding was severely
limited, but I still feel something like that. The h eart of the
matter for me is that this is the time to take advantage of
being with Him. Whatever else comes, I h ave no idea, but
this is the best of times.
Baba was talking about breaking His s ilence and H e said
that for a time it would seem natural to leave Him. "I'm
telling you n ow that you have to hold on , the most im-
portant thing for you to do is to hold on to Me." I was
alert at this point because this is a topic that I was very
interested in as a child. 1 felt so unworthy to be with Baba
that 1 though t if I don't hurry up and begin to love Baba
as He should be loved it's going to be too late. Baba then
picked up His sadhra, held it in His h and in front of us,
and said, "Remember to hold on to my daaman, because
what will happen will make it easy for your grasp on me
to slip away. You have to practice holding on to My
daaman." T hen He took His othe r hand and H e clench ed
His daaman with both hands and said, "Don't h old on just
with one hand bur with both hands so that if, by any
chance, one hand sh ould slip away, you are still ho lding
on. Can you remember that, to hold on with bo th hands?"
That's the image for surrender that I've always kept from
that rime on . Why surrender? Because, as a c hild, it oc-
curred to me that if you are holding on with both hands
then you have no free h ands to h old on to anything else.
So, to hold on with both hands means you have to let go
of a lot to even begin to hold on to Baba. You can't h o ld
on to anything else. H ow can we hold on to anything e lse
if we are holding o n to Him with bo th h ands - we can't,
really. How can we rake too seriously what's going on in
our lives if we are h olding on with both h ands? We can
take it somewhat seriously, bur it's very difficult to take
it too seriously. We have to let go. We just can't cling to
things and have Baba still in our grasp in this c razy world.
And Baba's pred iction is correct, it is much mo re difficult
every day co really h o ld o n co Baba in this world.
I add co that image another image that Meh era gave when
she showed me around Baba's bedroom and paused in
front of Baba's window. It's a window that looks out on
the coun tryside, a beautiful scene. She turned to us, tears
in her eyes and she said, "Baba would po int at this window
and He would say 'This is my TV, this window is Baba's
TV."' I would look out there and people were p lanting and
there were cows. Lacer I thought about that and I though t
char to Belo ved Baba, our lives must be like watching the
TV, a soap opera, exactly. Bur to tune in the soap operas
and look at the m fo r a few minutes makes me feel how
Baba someti mes must see our li ves.
Here are these people str iving so hard to take every thin g
so seriously and there is a crisis every moment. S itting in
your home watching this, you are saying, "Come on no w,
really, how can you make such a dea l out of this and how
come you have a crisis every moment, this isn't real!" But
the peop le in the soap opera are getti ng p aid to make it
look very rea l a nd we make it look very re al roo. Un fo r-
tunately, we don't know that we are actors. W e are ac ting
our th e script too, probably with less improvisation than
they are in the soap opera. The difference is th at when
I wa tch the soap opera I mock the people in my mind, 1
laugh at the m, I feel superio r tha t my life isn 't so stupid
as tha t. Baba doesn't do that. H e wa tc h es His T V and H e
feels compassio n, H e fee ls invo lved in it. His love is such
that, in spite of how silly it may ultimat ely be, Baba h e lps
us with it; tha t 's why He's so sweet, that's wh y He's th e
Beloved, after a ll.
Th e notion that Ba ba con veys is th at if we hold on with
two hands, that's the beginning and the end of surrender.
His cas k is to get us to do that. Baba, ch e Meher Babr1 tha t
lives in us, our rea l Self, spends a ll of its ri me, once it's
awakened a little bit, getting us to le t goof evcryrh ingelse
except what is real. T hat is the job of the Beloved, to get
us to let go of everything else. The ego has no intention
of letting go. Wh at has habituated fo r millenia to cling
is not going to let go , n o matter what we say to it, and
how much we thin k we a re so smart tha t we can o utsmart
our own egos. So I looked fo r some thi ng Baba said that
en capsula ted h ow l fee l about this and 1 found a quote
which l wi ll sha re with you. Baba said , "To stick to me
means to keep me pleased at the cost of your own comforts
and pleasures." The first sentence seems aga in like we
have to do some thing and it's up to us, but then Baba goes
on to say, "It mean s to be resigned to My will, whether
you keep good hea lth or bad, whether you make money
or lose it, and whe ther you gain n ame and fame o r become
the laughing stock of o thers." So that's what Ba ba defines
as sticking to Him. H o lding on to Him mean s being re-
sign ed to whatever His will is. That's an a maz ing thing.
The first time it occurred to me that this is wha t Baba was
wo rking for in my life was when my dog got very ill when
I was a little boy. (Ac tua lly, no t so little-1 was a teen-
ager.) These are things that ma y seem very unimportant
to everybody else but to a young bo y, they we re. The thing
was that the dog was my ve ry best friend. l was very
introverted and shy as a child and had very few fri ends,
but Buff was my compan ion, my constant co mpan ion . She
was a collie. Baba h ad sent love to rh is dog many ti mes.
N ever was there a message fro m India sending love to us
wh ere the dog a nd the c at were n ot also listed- n ot one
message. Buff came to live with me just after Baba left in
1958. I look back now and I feel it was Baba 's comfort to
me. I was bereft wh en Baba left p hysically, and I got th is
collie dog. She was ver y wise and wonderful as so many
dogs are. S h e got sick suddenly at the ve t's when we were
away, and she was d ying.
Elizabeth Patte rson, who loved dogs more than people by
a long sh ot ( sh e loved p eople a lot, but dogs h eld a special
place ), was th ere tending to my dog while I was away and
wh en I came back she went to get me at the airport and
drove me stra ight to the ve terinarian. O n the way sh e sa id ,
"Baba tells us th at ever ything is His will a nd we should
be h appy in H is wil l." I knew some thing was coming. "Buff
is very sick. " Of course, it was like being to ld my world
was coming to an end, I couldn't believe it. Sh e added on
to a cable ch ar sh e h ad sen t to Ma n i (sh e h ad just rece ived
the family letter a nd in those days, th e mid 60s, you could
not communicate for a n yth ing except work). Eliza beth
never disobeyed Baba, never, but she very cleverly added
onto the end of the ca ble "Dog Buff very sick".
Buff died and I was devas tated; those of you who have
child ren or p ets can pro bably empa thize. Baba cabled me.
I h ad n ever rece ived a cable from Ba ba, I h ad gotten
messages through someon e else , through Elizabeth or my
mother but ch is was the fi rst d irect message I h ad ever
rece ived from Baba- it was a cab le to me. Baba said, "Your
love for Me will he lp Buff who is also M ine. Be resigned
( COJ:~t inued on page 4)
MEETINGS - Meher Baba events are held on Saturday
nights. TIMES- Events start at 8:00 PM and normally end
by 9:30 PM unless otherwise noted. LOCATIONS - Events
are held at the Albany Methodist Church unless otherwise
noted. The church is at the corner of Marin and Stannage,
two blocks east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of
Berkeley) Take the Albany exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore <> Childcare
Saturday: May 4 - Film Night
We will see Meher Baba's Call and The Ancient One.
~Saturday May 11 -Margaret Bernstein in Concert
We'll hear flute and piano pieces from Margaret's album Full
Circle and her upcoming release On the Threshold of Change.
~ Saturday, May 18.- A Reading and Book
Signing With Meher Nazar Resident Craig Ruff
Craig is a westerner who has lived and worked at Meher
Baba's Trust Office Compound in Ahmednagar, India since
1978. He is speaking at several Baba Centers in the U.S.,
and will read excerpts from his books TraveUing Music and
The Moment Within and his new book Oneness in the World.
Saturday, May 25, 3 PM- Mehera's Tea at Talbots
A gathering in the garden in remembrance of the Beloved's
beloved. Bring pot luck and Mehera memories, for an after-
noon of group singing and stories. 721 Crossbrook Drive,
Moraga. Call (510) 376-4325 for directions
~Friday, May 31, 7:30PM- An Evening With
A.K. and Leela Kasthuri
Currently residents of Lafayette, California, and formerly
from Madras, India, the Kasthuris will share stories from
their many years of following Meher Baba. A.K. Kasthuri
remembers playing marbles with Baba as a li ttle boy. He is
the grandson of Sampath Aiyangar, a devoted disciple of
Meher Baba in the 30s and 40s. A.K. would like to "meet
and greet" us. Come early to socialize. Talk starts at 8 PM.
Sunday June 9, 6 PM Raphael Rudd in Concert
at the Plymouth United Church, Oakland
A benefit for MBCNC to raise funds for an August visit with
Bili Eaton and Tex Hightower. See the enclosed flyer.
~Saturday, June 15- Annual General Meeting
Outreach is the theme for tonight's meeting - we will hear
about a potential Web Site for the MBCNC. and about
opportunities for service work through the Berkeley Boost
ers. Your vote counts. Come and help plan our future course.
Saturday June 22 -Summer Dhuni at Muir Beach
Meet at Muir Woods entrance at 3 PM for a hike, then pot-
luck dinner at the beach, then dhuni. Take Hwy 10 1 north
to the Hwy. 1 Exit, then follow signs to Muir Woods.
- Meller Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President, Betty Lowman Vice President, Janet White Secretary, Steve Jacobs Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Kirk Allen Alisa Dreyfuss Steve Jacobs Emiko Larson Betty Lowman Cliff Mauzey Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Lisa Greenstein, Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson, Clint Snyder, Sharon Snyder
Trustwal/a: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)
Friday June 28 Teen Overnight Campout at
Samuel P. Taylor Park in Marin
A special get-together for Baba's youth. Call Margaret Bernstein
for registration forms and information. (415) 488-4791.
~Saturday June 29- Know Your Artis!
Spend a musical evening getting to know the Indian Artis
with the mandali on tape and Raine Eastman-Gannet.
Saturday, July 6- L.A. Sahavas Weekend
Many of us will be in L.A., so there will be no meeting tonight.
Saturday, July 13 - Film Night
Meher Baba's 1956 U.S.A. tour - a 40-year anniversary!
~Saturday, July 20, Francis Brabazon Remembered
Raine Eastman-Gannet an d Sue Jamison will lead an
evening of rem iniscences of th is stalwart man who was
Baba's bard. Bring your favorite poem or Francis story.
~ Saturday, July 27 - Baba's Musical Musketeers
Once more with feeling Ron, Darrell & Dave in concert.
August is traditionally a "month off' for our group. Our first
event next season will be the annual Labor Day Picnic.
Detai ls in the next newsletter.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
AVATAR'S NET: Interested in working on a Web Site
for the MBCNC? Call Bryan Drygas (408) 356-3512.
STRAY PHONE MESSAGES: Our phone tree has not been
reaching everyone on the list. Please be conscientious about
calling your designated people. If you want to get on the phone
tree or need information, call Annie Stovall (510) 938-2126.
NEWSLETTER MAILING LIST: To get your name on it,
leave a message on Scott Maloney's phone (510) 524-8451, or
the office phone (510) 845-4339 , or speak to any board member
FILMWALLA NEEDED: We need a projectionist to share
responsibility for film nights, starting in September. Any takers?
Please call Steve Jacobs (510) 237-9257
MEHERANA: For info. about Meherana summer events
and work weekends, call Hermann Loew (707) 778-1195.
MEHER MOUNT: Celebrate 50 years of preservation, 40
years of sanctification. Bring a picnic lunch Saturday A ug.
3, 9:30 AM to 5 PM. Guests: Bili Eaton, Tex Hightower,
Marguerite Poley and Adele Welkin. Call (415) 494-6443.
THE LORD WEAVES HIS TAPESTRY . . .
Phillip Kearse, the pastor of A lbany Methodist C hurch, lived
in Myrtle Beach in 1973 and knew Elizabeth Patterson. They
were members of the same Methodist Church. He was delighted
at the 'connection' and has invited our group to give a presen-
cation on Meher Baba to the church's Tuesday night group.
and happy to My will. Meher Baba." Of course, when
I got the cable everything lifted; I felt genuinely happy
because I felt it was Baba's will. It was the first time in
my life that I actually felt that God's will is in everything.
At that moment, when I heard the cable over the phone,
I just felt this was God's will and I was actually h appy
about it. I cabled Baba back that I was resigned to His will
and then, because we were all so concerned about Baba's
health, I added a line that I hoped his suffering was better.
Later, I wondered if the Mandali reading this cable thought
I meant that because the dog was dead that Baba's suffer-
ing should be eased- what was the connection there? (I
knew that Baba knew what I meant.) Anyway, it was my
great opportunity to say something directly to Baba.
The point of that little vignette from a child's life is very
simple and that is that being resigned to G od's will is not
easy. It's a gift that Baba gives us gradually in our lives
with Him and everything He does conspires to get us to
do that . I'm sure you have picked up by now that H e h as
to work, it's loving of Baba to work for us to be resigned
to His will. I don't know what I thought surrender was but,
the more I am with Baba, the more I realize that my
notions of surrende r are really misplaced unless I'm really
focussed on being resigned to His will. That is th e only
way to let go, if you are really deeply con vinced tha t that's
the case, that all of life is the will of God, n ot 90% , not
95% but 100% of everything is God's will. There is no
other will but, of course, that is a lesson that Baba cannot
teach us except through experience. We h ave to have
that through the daily experiences of h aving our clinging
ripped away from us. Tha t's His love for us. And the more
we remember Him the more H e does it. Remembrance of
God brings down the sword of G od on one's neck because
it has to, that 's wha t love fro m G od is- to cut off our false
self from its habit of clinging to what's unreal. That was
my first lesson in the truth tha t everything is God's will.
~~ flettL !.
MEHER BABA CENTER
of Northern California, Inc.
2131 University Avenue, Room 23 5
Berkeley, California 94704
Address Correction Requested
WCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito Sunday Mornings 10:00 AM
Arti and singing at the Greensteins (510) 525-3364.
El Cerrito Thursday Evenings 7: IS PM
Discourse reading and discussion. Contact Louise Bar-
rie or Dick Anthony at (510) 524-1440.
Fresno Wednesday Evenings 7:30 to 8:30 PM
Arti and a varied program. Contact Sharon or Phil
Scott at (209) 449-0877.
Menlo Park Friday Evenings 8:00 PM
Arti, singing and readings at the home of Hugh and
Jean MacDonald. Call them at (415) 322-0886 or
Betty Lowman at (415) 323-1900.
Petaluma First Sunday of the Month II :00 AM
Arti, readings, and fellowship. Call Hermann or
Jeanette Loew at (707) 778-11 95. Please call ahead.
Sacramento Occasional Meetings
Discourse readings and occasional gatherings.
Contact Mike and Jean Ross (916) 486-2924.
San Francisco Wednesday Evenings 7 to 8:30PM
Readings and discussion. Call Peter Ravazza at (5 10)
769- 1839 or Mary Weiss at (41 5) 221-8724.
Walnut Creek Monday Evenings 8 to 9:30 PM
Videos will be shown the first Monday of every
month. Subsequent Mondays will be devoted to study
of Discourses. Please call Helen Riehl (510) 935-0167
or Gil Shepard (510) 930-8670 for meeting locations.
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down
by Meher Baba through the Trust should contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288.
*Please note that this is Jack's New Address.
MEHER BABA INFORMATION
People who wish to know more about Meher Baba
can obtain introductory material and a catalogue of available
publications by writing or phoning Meher Baba Information,
P.O. Box 1101 , Berkeley, CA 94701 . Or call (51 0) 562-1101 .
Non-Profit U.S.
Postage Paid
El Cerrito, CA
Permit No.l 86
---
ME HER BABA .CENTER OF NO. CALIF INC.
N
0 UAJK1rJE
w s
1FlE
ILY L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 26
Tex Hightower Meets
Meher B~ba
Tex Hightower, a dancer who met Meher Baba
through Margaret Ciaske, spoke co our group in
the spring of 1990 . . . This excerpt from his talk,
edited considerably co fit in this newsletter, begins
jrm as he was to meet Baba, in 1952.
I h ad this tens io n o f gu ilt o r anxiety . .. I just wasn ' t sure.
I didn't think I loved Him at a ll, I didn't think l had any
fee ling fo r Him at al l, a nd I felt, "What the h e ll am I doing
here? What's goin g to happe n ?" I d id have a feeling that
it was very important, th at you sh o uldn't be flip pant or
insincere about it. The tensio n bu ilt up.
Then we had gone through a ll th e business o f n ot getting
th ere o n time (our plane had been d elayed in a severe
storm ), bur Baba left a message that said H e'd see us at 7:30
the next mo rn ing. I wate::hed th ree women go In to see
Baba, people that I kn ew very we ll, an d th ey came o ut in
abso lute sh ambles after seeing Baba. So when Delia came
to get me, to take me to Baba, I tr ipped over the pebbles
in the path . When we turn ed up that li t tle path to go to
the Lagoon Cab in, I saw someth ing white behind ~he screen
door, which was like a scrim, a theatrical scrim. I dropped
my eyes. It was almost a physical impossibility for me to lift
my head, and I. sor t of stumbled up t he steps. I knew th at
Bab<t was standing there. I could have seen His fee t, but 1
made sure that 1 didn't. Eventually 1 did lift m y eyes to
Baba, and when 1 did, H e open ed His arms. A strange th ing
happened . It was not a psychic experience, do not misun-
derstand. It was like a physical sensation, as if I were in
some kind of case, like a mummy case, and it cracked . It
started cracking right up th e middle and down the back,
and it fe ll away, and when it fe ll away, I could step forward
and I looked into Baba's eyes. I never h ad an d never will
see anything that beautiful. Indescribabl y beautiful. His
eyes were .. . 1 have som~l1_f!EjeJAtJf?.!!-_.-Bf infinity, very small,
but it's only becaus~.~f.J~ab~ 's ~es. "Baba's eyes went on
fo rever. They ~~tJ"~~;a,:,b}~~~F!-l.'pr~~~ 1 stepped into His
arms, an d H e embracea me. T~a\ s the only thing of im-
portance th at ever h appen ed in my life, o r ever wi ll.
I was overwhelmed with the love th at H e gave. l didn't
1996
T T E R
BERKELEY CALIFORNIA 94704
I
WINTER 1996
know anything abqut that kind of love. I
don't know that there is preparation for
that kind of love, but I certainly didn't
have it, and I can't tell you what kind of
love that is, because it is such an entity
unto itself, tha t th ere's nothing you can say
to describe it. Words just don't to uch that.
Twenty-five years later, 1 understood some-
thing that I realized at that mo ment, that had gone inro
my subconscious for 25 years, when I was looking into
Baba's eyes. I had the full realization that absolu te ly ev-
erything in the world is exactly the way it ought to be.
It is exactly what it sho uld be. I mean, I don 't retain that
feeling, but I had it, and it was in my subconscio us for 25
years, and th en it came o ut as clear as a be ll. I'll never
fo rget it. H e absolutely bowled me over, and then H e said,
"I'm happ y." H e was happy. That kn ocked m e over.
W hen 1 met Baba, as Miss Craske put it, He knocked me
right off m y perch. I h ad to get back, I was deep in rehears-
al, but I was just abso lutely overwh e lmed by Baba and I
cou ldn't thi nk of an ything but Baba. I was making a bum
job of rehearsals. I wo uld write His name a ll day lo ng. So
I sa id to Miss Craske, "What am I going to do?" She said,
"Why don't you m ake Him something?" So l thought,
"W ha t sha ll I make Him? What great gift of th e world am .
I going to make Him ?" I mean, I'm n o t Faberge. So I
decided, well , I'll make Him a coat. I made Hi m a very
beautiful white wool flanne l coat. I thought abo ut Baba
a ll the t ime I was making that coat. I'd come from rehears-
al at night, and I'd make that silly coat. I h ad no idea if
I'd ever be ab le to give it to Him. Then H e had the
accid ent, and we we re give n anot her chance to see Hi m,
in Ivy Duce's apartment, on a terr ible ho t day. And that's
the second time I saw Him. I was all piped up. I had been
on clo ud nine for those two mont hs, which isn't entirely
pleasant, by the way, except it's good en ough that you
don't wan t to get o ff. So I was prepared to go up higher.
I walked in to t he room, and there was this man in cast.a
His comp lexion was gray, H e was obv io usly in pain, and
H e loo ked ill. I won' t say H e looked just like a man, bur
He did look li ke God the first time I saw Him. I went
c rashing to t he basement when I saw Him like t hat and
He was rath er impe rson a l to me that time . He took my
hand , pressed it very, very hard aga inst His chest, bur He
 IL
didn't pay any attention to me at all. Baba's strength was
amazing. He pressed my hand very hard and gave me
a grape. I just sort of sat there, and He didn't say or do
anything. Then I bit the grape. The minute I bit the
grape He sai4 "Go." So I left. I went in, and I just
dropped the coat at the foot of the bed. I never knew
what happened to that coat, but Mehera told me that
He wore it ~any times.
It wasn't over. I was still iJ1 this turmoil. I knew Baba was
going to be in America, so then I decided I'd make Him
some sandals:When the time came for Baba to leave
America we were forbidden to go to the airport in New
York to see Him off. So I called Miss Craske and said,
_ eve~ ~em~II_\b~r g!_"(ing me th_at message. I said, "Oh. l'm
-"Could-! give you-these-sandals-to -give to-Baba?" She-
called me back, and said, '~If you do not expect t~ see Him,
you may bring the sandals to the airport." I just accepted
that. In those days it was called Idyllwild, not Kennedy,
and it was a series of quonset huts. Well, I walked. in to
one end of this quonset hut, and I walked the full length
of that thing, and there was nobody. Then I noticed a
stairway at the end, so I went charging over there, and
out came Kitty, charging head op, because the women in
seclusion were there. I said, "Oh, Kitty ..."and I blabbed
it ot6, and she said, "Why don't you give them to Him ,
yourself?" I looked at her blankly, and she said, "Well,
He's calling you." I turned around, and halfway down the
way was Baba, smiling. I had passed Him three times. So
He called me over, and I gave Him the sandals, and He
embraced me. I wasn't terribly pleased with those sandals
either. So that was the. end of one episOde, one coat and
one pair of sandals.
Oh, before He left, when I was making the sandals early
one morning, the phone rang. This was after I had given
Him the coat. The phone rang, and it was Miss Craske.
She said, "I have a message for you. Baba says, 'Tell that
boy he has put his head into a noose. When Baba needs
a new coat, he is to make it, but he's not to work on it
until I tell him to."'
So 1956 came, and I said, "I'm going to make Him a good
pai~ of sandals." The time came, and I didn't have them
finished, so I had to take them down to Myrtle Beach with
me. I took my accoutrements, my awl, and my little hammer,
and this, that, and the other. When you are with Baba,
there is never any time to do anything. I was working on
the sandals, and I hadn't finished them because I was
making them very elaborate. There was embroidery, there
were two kinds of leather, there was black suede with red
. suede underneath it, and ~mbroidered gold around the
cutout design; just what Baba would wear, right? Very
early in the morning there was a knock on the door, and
somebody said, "Baba wants to see you." I went dashing
out, and Baba was sitting in front of the Lagoon Cabin
and He lightened up, as He was never very serious with
me. It was such a beautiful morning; the birds were singing
and the sun had just come up, and the dew was just strung
like jewels through those trees, and it wasn't hot yet, and
that brilliant diainond golden light that you .have in the
morning was everywhere, and Baba was so beautiful. He
looked at me and said, "Isn't it beautiful here?" And I said,
"Oh, boy! It is sensational." H~ said, "Look at that view."
It was framed like a picture, with the trees and the water
and the hill, and everything like that, and I'm looking
there, thinking "Boy, Baba's got good taste." All of a
sudden He turned to me, and it's like His voice changed.
He said, "Make the coat." Well, I jumped ahout 20 feet,
because that was four years later and Miss Craske didn't
not to finish the sandals?" He said, ''What sandals?" By
then, I knew I'd said the wrong' thing, but it was too late.
I said, "Well, I was,making ..." and He said, "Alright,
finish the sandals." That was a complete disaster. I alien-
ated everybody on the Center. He said, "Have them ready
by Thursday," but He never gave me time to work on
them. So I would stay up all night, and I went to the
original kitchen when ev~rybody was asleep. I would have
to tap-tap-tap, and you know sound carries over water, and
you'd see- somebody in the morning: "I heard the fairy
cobbler last night ... Oh well, as long as you're doing it
for Baba." Somebody said, "I hope you're perfor111ing }apa."
Everybody had something to say. Anyway, I tnade these
sandals. I had them ready when He said, but He didn't ask
for them. I tucked them in my_ back pocket in a brown
paper bag. For days I walked around with those stupid
sandals hanging out my pocket, and He acted like He
didn't know me. We went to the Brookgreen Gardens with
Baba and suddenly it was like the parting of the Red Sea,
this crowd of people sort of spread out and turned and
looked, and Baba was sitting under a tree at the end of
it, and He said, "Come here. Give me the sandals." And
then I gave them to Him, and they fell off when He tried
to wear them.
So then I had to start the coat. I didn't have any fabric,
and we were forbidden to leave the Center. Baba said,
"You have to have the coat ready by the time I leave." By
then it was a short time. I had to ask permission to leave
the Center to buy the fabric. When you as\< Baba some-
thing like that, it's a mistake. He gave me permission, and
I did go, and I bought thread and scissors, but Myrtle
Beach in those days was like Arangaon, there was nothing
there. I bought a hunk of very good Indian Head cotton,
but cotton was not my idea of a jacket. I started it, and
then we went to Washington, Los Angeles, and finally to
San Francisco. The first day Baba said, "You have the
afternoon off. You can do anything'you want to do:' So
I went and bought beautiful sky blue woolen flannel, English,
soft as a feather. Then I really set to work. I didn't sleep
from then on. I bought silk thread, which knots in every
(continued on page 4)
 MEETINGS - Meher Baba events are held on Saturday
nights. TIMES- Events start at 8:00 PM and normally end
by 9:30PM unless otherwise noted. LOCATIONS- Events
are held at the Albany Methodist Church unless otherwise
noted. The church is at the corner of Marin and Stannage,
two blocks east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of
Berkeley) Take the Albany exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore <> Ch i/dcare
* Please note that Film Nights are now the first
Saturdays of the month, not the first Fridays.
Saturday, January 6 - Film Night
Meher Baba's 1956 U.S.A. tour.
Saturday, January 13 - Fresh Stories from India
Mary Weiss and Rene O'Connor, recent vi sitors to
Meherabad, wil l share stories of their adventures.
Saturday, January 20- Western Night
Dust off your spurs and boots. Joy Mauzey will teach us
western line dancing tonight.
Saturday, January 27- Video for Amartithi
In the spirit of remembrance of Baba's Amartithi, we
will show a video fro m the L.A. video library.
Tuesday, January 30- Amartithi, 8:30PM
Join us beginning at 8:30 PM to see the film of Meher
Baba's ento mbment and share in th e sile nce at His tomb,
which happens at 10:30 - 10:45 PM our time.
Saturday, February 3 -Video Night
The Eternal Beloved will be shown at Steve Jacobs' home,
1535 Elm St., El Cerrito. (510) 237-9257.
Saturday, February 10- Some Enchanted Evening
An evening of David M iotke's music a t th e Talbot home.
721 Crossbrook Or. Moraga. (510) 376-4325.
~Saturday, Feburary 17- Town Meeting
O ne of those meetings about meetings- and more . How
best to evoke the atmosphere of the Beloved? Where
is our group headed ? Come and give your input.
Saturday, February 24, 2 - 8 PM- We Celebrate
the Beloved's Birthday With His Followers in India
February 24 he re is February 25 in India. Come to th e
Un itarian Church at 1606 Bo nita (corne r of Bonita and
Cedar streets) in Berkeley fo r merriment, pot luck din-
ner and the Wine of Meher. W e will see two short
plays-o ne di rected by Raine Eas tman-Gannet, the o ther
by Ro n Greenstein. Bring danc ing shoes, musical in-
struments, a dish to share, and your heart o n you r sleeve.
If you have program ideas or can help with set-up, clean-
up o r serving, please call Steve Jacobs (510) 237-9257.
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President, Betty Lowman Vice President, Janet White Secretary, Steve Jacobs Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Kirk Allen Alisa Dreyfuss Steve Jacobs Emiko Larson Betty Lowman Cliff Mauzey Janet White
Newsletter: , Alexandra Cons, Editor Lisa Greenstein, Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Trustwal/a: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA-94802-1288)
Sunday, February 25 -Meher Baba's Birthday
This is yo ur chance fo r a personal and intimate celebra-
tion of the birth of The Ancient One.
Saturday, March 2 - Video_Night at the Stovall's
Katie Irani's talk at last fall's Meherana Sahavas will be
shown at Vern and Annie Stovall's home. 869 Apaloosa
Drive, Walnut Creek. (510) 938-2126.
~Saturday, Ma~ch 9- Cindy Lowe in Concert
Join Cindy and friends fo r a lively, exciting evening in the
special ambiance she creates. Cindy will sing selections
from her latest recording After All This Time (now avail-
able at o ur bookstore). A fund-raiser - $5 admission.
Saturday, March 16 - Kitty Davy Memories
Bring your favori te 'Kittyisms' to share as we remember our
beloved Kitty. Louise Barrie and Molly Irani will host.
<> Saturday, March 23- Meher Baba Forever Young
For the young and you ng at hea rt - an event for Baba
put o n by Peter Ravazza. '
~Saturday, March 30, 7 PM- Italian Dinner
and Images of Love- a Fund-Raising Evening
Buon Gusto! Bring a hearty appetite to this fun-filled
evening. After a scrump tious Italian dinner and raffle for
prizes, we present the amazing slide show lTTUlges of Love
by Baba's artists world-wide. $10-$15 per person donation.
If you can help with set-up, cooking or clean-up, please call
Emiko Larson (510) 526-2309.
Saturday, April6- Film Night
Avatar of the Age will be shown.
~ Saturday, Aprill3 -Scott and Prem Sing
O n to ur from San Diego , Scott and Prem Makeig will
sing to o ur hearts' content to night. Don't miss this one!
Saturday, April20 -Poetry Night at Scott Maloney's
Spend an evening at Scott Maloney's reading poetry fo r
the Beloved. 831 Sea View Dr. El <;:e rrito. (510) 524-8451.
~ Saturday, April27- Robert Dreyfuss's Story
Robert Dreyfuss met Meher Baba thirty years ago. He
tells us this timeless, amazing story once again.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
BABA WOMENS' LUNCH - Ladies are invited to lunch at
noon on the third Thursday of every month at Fat Apple's in
El Cerrito. C all Alisa Dreyfuss fo r details (510) 526-6078.
BOOKSTOREWALLA NEDED - Lau ra Hogan is looking
for an energetic new person to take over her job as book-
storewalla. Is tha t you? Please call Laura a t (5 10) 237-9257.
CHILDCARE REMINDER: Please pay the babysitter $3
per family o n childcare nights .
stitch. I d id t he whole th ing by hand, French seams, back-
st itch ing the whole damn thing. One funny thing was that
I didn't know how long to make th e sleeves. Jean Shaw
was walking by as I was ta lking about not knowing how
long to make th e sleeves and she said, "Oh, I know how
long." I said, "So, how do you know?" and she said, "Well,
I do His laundry." I thought, "Is t h at a good enough reason
co listen?" and I sa id, "Well, so h ow lo ng is it?" and she
took it by the underarm seam, and she went, "There."
Wei r, I wasn't ver y impressed with tha t k ind of measure-
ment, but l did put a p in there. And I tell you, it was
exact, it was exactly where it ought to be. Baba started
making jokes about "Where's th e coat?" l hadn't been o ut
of His sight, and He would ask me in the morn ing, "Have
you fin ished the coat?" and l said, "You know, Baba, nnaah."
Then I would be with Him, and we would have lunch and
then later He'd say, "Have you finished the coat?" in front
of everybody . That h appen ed a ll day long. The n.ight
before He left, l sa id , "I'm a lmost finish ed." We were
fo rbidden to go near Baba's room after He retired, not
even near it, we couldn't pass it, we had to go down the
stairs. I asked, "May I just drop it outside Baba's door?"
"OK." I did finish it about four in t he morn ing, but I didn 't
have time to put pockets on it. I wrapped it up in tissue
paper, and I just la id it by Baba's door, and ran back to
my room. I swear my head had just hit the pillow when
(bang bang bang) "Baba wants to see you." I threw o n
some clothes, and I r an, and I ran around the corner into
Baba's room, and Baba was stand ing there with th is huge
smile. He was stand ing in that coat, and He looked ...
it was the perfect co lor, sky blue, and He said to me,
"Don't I look handsome?"
He wore that coat when He left America. I never knew really
what happened, and then once, when I was at Myrtle Beach,
at least 20 years later, I saw the film of Baba in Australia.
Baba gets o ut of the plane in that coat. Of course, He left
San Francisco in it, and H e arri ved in Australia in it. So
that's the story of the sandals and the coat.
Thanks w Clint and Sharon Snyder, who transcribed this article .
Permission to reprint this article anywhere in any form i.1 witllluld.
'
LOCAL MEETINGS
EL Cerrito - Sunday Mornings- 10:00 AM
Arti and singing at the Greensteins (510) 525-3364.
El Cerrito - Thursday Evenings ~ 7: 15 PM
Discourse read ing and discussion. Contact Louise
Barrie or Dick Anthony at (5 10) 524-1440.
Fresno- Wednesday Evenings- 7:30 to 8:30PM
Arti and a varied program. Contact Sharon or Phil
Scott at (209) 449-0877. ,
Los Gatos Friday Evenings - 8:00 PM
Arti, si nging and readings at the home of Clint and
Sharon Snyder. Call them at (408) 395 -6865 or
Betty Lowman at (415) 323-1900.
Petaluma - First Sunday of the Month - 11 :00 AM
A rti, readings, and fellowship. Contact Hermann or
Jeanette Loew at (707) 773- 11 95.
Sacramento - Occasional Meetings
Discourse readings and occasional gatherings.
Contact Mike and Jean Ross (9 1 6~ 486-2924.
San Francisc(J - Wednesday Evenings - 7 w 8:30 PM
Readings and discussion. Call Peter Ravazza at
(510) 769-1839 or Mary Weiss at (415) 22 1-8724.
Walnut Creek- Monday Evenings- 8 to 9:30PM
Videos will be shown the first Monday of every
month. Subsequent Mondays will be devoted to study
of Discourses . Please call Helen Riehl (510) 935-0167
or G il Shepard (510) 930-8670 for meeting locations.
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down
by Meher Baba through ,the Trust should contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288.
*Please note t hat this is Jack's New Address.
MEH ER BABA INFORMATION
People who wish to know more about Meher Baba
can obtain introductory material and a catalogue of available
publications by writing or phoning Meher Baba Information,
P.O. Box 1101, Berkeley, CA 94701. Or call (51 0) 562-1101.
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CALIF. INC.
N E w s L E
213 1 UN IVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 26
Mansari of Meherbad Hill
This is part 2 of a conversation with Mansari recorded in the 1970s.
By the 1930s I had come to
feel that my life was not mine,
that it belonged to Baba if He
would accept it. When I had
a chance to say this He sa id to
me, "For a long time I have
been waiting for you, but you
have to wait. I will call you,
definitely, but you have to wait
until I call. Be sure that I will
call you." Over and over I wrote
letters to Him saying, "When will You call me?" And
Saba's letters would say, "Wait, wait." Finally, in 1938,
He called me. I rece ived a letter saying, "Come with bag
and baggage." So I came. I didn't come tO Mehe rabad
d irectly, because the upper story ofMcherabad was under
constructio n. The whole party had moved to a bunga-
low in 'Nagar, called "Irrigatio n Bungalow." I took the
night train, and Baba sent J al, His brother, with a car
to fetch me at the train station. When I came to the
bungalow, Baba was waiting. After embracing me, He
said , "Sit down. I h ave waited for you for so long, but
roday is the appointed day. I a m happy. A re you ?" I said ,
"I was counting the days, Baba." Then He said , "Now
you are with me. Whatever I say you have to obey." I
said, "Everything Baba, whateve r You say I a m ready
for, excep t separation." So Baba sa id, "Yes, but love is
uncond itional and yo u are binding Me." These words
are painted in my heart. They are good for everyone to
remember. I withdrew my conditio n and sa id, "What-
ever You say, Baba, I am ready."
I will tell you now h ow H e nailed me down tO Meher-
abad Hil l. We moved h~re afie r the upper story was
ready. Every day Baba ASe~ .~~:l~o_frl~,1J1ere at 6:30 while
we were hav ing breakffls.t-, ~e-t:qrg 'R-e went to serve
Mohammed the masL 1 He- woul~ ask how we s lept,
how was our health, what kind of dreams we had .had,
somet imes cracking jokes and somet imes pruning some-
1997
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
SUMMER 1997
one's ego. One day, He came
directly to me at the table
and sa id, "Finish your break-
fas t and come to see Me . I
will be waiting." So I went
and He sa id, "Let's go for a
stroll." I was elated a nd d id
not realize what was go ing to
happen. From the beginning
of our stroll, Baba held my
hand, and from the very first
step He began repeating, "It's a ll Mine," gesturing that
the whole world was His. "Do you like it?" I said, "Yes,
Baba, it is Yours and I like it." Every step He repeated
this. Then, after som e time, "The who le uni verse is
Mine, but this hill is especially Mine. Do you like it?"
And I cont inued to rep ly, "It is Yours, Baba, and that
is why I like it." Our stro ll stayed within the compound
wall on the very top of Me hera bad Hill. Eventually we
stopped, facing the room that I have lived in all these
years, and He sa id, "This is Mine too. Do you like it?"
I sa id "Yes Baba." Baba then said, "Suppose o ne day I
take everyone with Me, leaving you here for 12 months.
Of course I will g ive you prov isions. Will you stay?"
H earing this, the tears ro lled down from my eyes. I said,
"I have not come for that, Baba." And He said, "Are
you crying? You don't like My joke? I won't joke with
you about this any more." I said, "I like your jokes, Baba,
but this is not a joke. This is the atom bomb fo r me."
He said, "No, I know now that you don't like My joke
so, from now on, fo rget what I said." I did no t forget it.
After that there were the bus tours, the hospitals,
and various things. In March of 1944 H e left for
Meherazad, leaving a few of us here in Meherabad. He
used to come often to see us a nd whenever He came,
I would ask Him , "Baba , when will You come tO stay
here as before?" At that time I was not ready and He
used to gesture, as if to say, "wait, wait." That meant
 IL
to me that He would come back some day. Every time
He came I would ask the same question, and He would
repeat the same gesture in response. Then, in 1946, He
came as usual and 1 asked my question, as usual. Baba
said, "It would please Me if instead of that, you would
say to Me, 'Baba, go anywhere You like; 1 will stay in
Meherabad."' Again I said, "I did not come for that,.
Baba." He shrugged His shoulders, as if to say "who
knows?" So again, it was dropped. Then in '47, He sent
a note that He was coming. "Be ready at 9:30, I have
to talk to you all." When He came the next day He
looked very stem and He said, "Whoever has the hope
that-Baba-w-tl-1-eeme-here-t-e-stay -aS-before, rub it-out. ___ . am God, and God never does wrong to His children. He
When I like I will call you or I will come here. But,
whoever has the hope that Baba will come here to stay
as before, rub it out. It will never happen. Under this
condition, whoever wants to stay in Meherabad, they
can. If not, then by 2:30 today, let Me know. Decide ~all agreed. "Don't show me a weepy face when I leave
where you want to go. 1 will give you a ticket, 1 will
garland you, and I will send you by train." All this by
gestures, as perfect as He is. In a stern way He said,
"Now you go and decide, and by 2:30 come here and
tell Me what you have decided.
I began to talk to some Baba lovers from Poona and
Baba came out from the meeting right behind me, but
I didn't see Him. Baba came to me, put His hand on
my shoulder and said, "What are you doing here?" I
said, "I am talking to this lady." Baba said, "No, go
bring Me the Times of India." So I left, to go fetch the
paper. He followed me, and as soon as we had left the
people He put His hand on my shoulder, saying, "What
is the decision?" It was only 10 minutes and I had
fotgottencomprerety--abour-the-decision.--1 said,-!!.Baba,-- thaLWe did_not dare to f~e Him. The night of 1Oth
what kind of decision do You want?" And He said,
"Forgot? "I said, "I don't remember, Baba." And then
He said, "Were you here when I called?". I said, "Yes,
Baba." "You might have been here, but perhaps you
were having a nap. Just try to think." Try as I might,
I could not remember. Then He was very mild and He
said, "I sent a note to be here at 9:30, and I came and
I told you to decide." Then I remembered everything
and said, "Yes, Baba, what is there to decide?" I was
ready. Baba said, "Is it so?" I said, "Yes, Baba. For years,
I have decided." Then He said, "I'm so glad." He die ..
tated the first line of a old song on the board that says,
"Oh Beloved, whether I am to die or to live, I will live
at your threshold, in your lane." "Are you ready for
that?" He asked me. "Baba, I am ready for that, it is not
a new thing for me." Very jovially, very poetically He . made Me very pleased that you want to stay here. It
said, "Desai has decided in das minute." Desai is my
family name, and "das," in our language, means 10. So,
He drew me near and He embraced me and said, "You
have made Me very happy today. Now you go."
This was not the end of that decision - it is Baba's way
that it has to be confirmed and reconfirmed. Years went
by. He called all of us one day. He looked much, much
more stem, and He said, "For my work, I am starting
a new phase called the New Life, and when I start my
._New ~ife, you won't ever see My face again until the
end of your life. This time I will choose where you all
will go. Now, who am I?" We all said, "You are God."
"Yes," He said, "nothing but God. Bear in mind that I
exists just for -their- gooc[ I will cnoose wnere you ~re -~
to be sent and, for the rest of your lives, wherever you
go, even if you hear that I am in your place, don't try
to see Me. And whatever I say, you have to obey." We
for the New Life, and no correspondence." By that time
we all were weeping because that idea, that we would
never see Baba again in our lifetime was horrible for us.
So He said, "Now you go and .I will decide." At this
time, He took our promise to abide by His decision, and
one New Life condition was that "whatever Baba says,
you have to say 'Yes' and your 'yes' is your promise. You
can't rub it out. You have to stick to it."
In the month prior to the New Life, He came to Meherabad
almost every day. His first decision was that no one
could stay in Meherabad, either Upper or Lower. Then
it was that Mohammed would stay and, to take care of
Mohammed, Sidhu would stay. Even Padri couldn't stay
in Meherabad. During that time He looked so stem
October, 1948, I was in my room, going to b~d.All of
a sudden it struck me that perhaps I could ask Baba, if
it didn't violate my New Life promise, if He would
permit me to stay in Meherabad? Next day, 11th of
October, Baba came, and I was struggling to get the
chance to ask, because He looked so stern and there
wasn't much time. I was waiting in the garden, and
He came past me, and asked, "Is there anything to say?
Say it now." So I said, "Go anywhere you like. If my
promise is intact and if You love me, shall I stay in
Meherabad?" Now, without my intention, the exact
words He had said to me in 1946 that would please Him
just came out. Still very stem, He said, "Don't think
that I am changing things because I love you. It was
My plan all along that you should stay here. You have
was my plan and I want you to be here." He became
very mild, and He asked me, "What happened two
(continued on page 4)
MEETINGS - Meher Baba events are held on Saturday
nights. TIMES- Events start at 8:00 PM and normally end
by 9:30PM unless otherwise noted. LOCATIONS- Events
are held at the Albany Methodist Church unless otherwise
noted. The church is at the corner of Marin and Stannage,
two blocks east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of
Berkeley) Take the Albany exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore f1 Chlldcare
Saturday, June 7 .. Videos at the Whites' .. 8 PM.
Janet and Fred White will host a video evening at
their home, 1811 Francisco St. #5, Berkeley. They'll
show Eternal Beloved, 0 Parvardigar and Meher Baba's
statement to America, given in 1932 in Greenwich
Village. Call (510) 843 .. 4417 for directions.
Saturday, July 26 .. Ghatal Night
Bring your favorite ghazals or other poetry to share
and join us in a sip of the wine of the Beloved.
Greet Bhau at the Airport!
We have three opportunities to greet Bhau with gusto!
Below are dates and flight times. Please double .. check :
times with the airlines. Also call our message machine
(510) 845 .. 4339, to make sure his plans haven't changed.:
June 10 SFO 7 PM U.S. Air flight #317
July 11 Oakland 12:51 PM United flight #2206 !
July 18 SFO
.
3:30 PM British Air flight #284
.

June 13, 14, 15 .. Meherana Sahavas with Bhau ..

no meeting this Saturday
Saturday, June 21 .. Annual General Meeting-WPM -
Tonight, the members of the Meher Baba Center of
Northern California will elect a new board, ap-
prove a 1997 .. 98 budget and vote on four initiatives.
Three are additions to our bylaws, one concerns our
future meeting schedule. If you have not received
copies of these in the mail, send a self.. addressed
stamped enveloped to our office and we will mail
them to yo~.
Saturday, June 28 .. Share Stories with Mr. A.K.
Kasthuri at the home of Kirk and Marlene Allen
This promises to be a delightful evening with "A.K.,"
as he likes to be called. He wants to hear our stories,
as well as share his own unique experiences growing
up in a Baba family in Madras, India. The Aliens
live at 3459 Monroe Avenue, Lafayette. Call (510)
283-94 73 for directions.
July 4, 5, 6 Sahavas with Bhau at Pilgrim Pines ..
no meeting this Saturday.
July 11 -16 .. Bhau Kalchuri's '97 Bay Area Tour!
Not to be missed! A detailed itinerary and direc ..
tions to all events will be mailed to all those on our
mailing list. If you have not received an itinerary
by the end of june, call Betty Lowman (415) 323-
1900. We will also update our office message machine
with changes, so call (510) 845-4339 to check on
events.
Saturday July 19 .. No meeting tonight
e
VACATION
In August, MBCNC traditionally takes a vacation. Enjoy
your summer, and we'll see you in September!
LABOR DAY PICNIC
We will have our traditional Labor Day Picnic at Ar..
lington Park on Monday, Sept. 1 from 2-5 PM.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Our spirit of vounteerism needs reviving! We have several
opportunities for service. Do any of them speak to you?
Board Member .. there are a few vacancies!
OfficeWalla .. handle mail, etc. at our office
Bookstore Walla .. sell books at occasional meetings
Newsletter Mailing Coordinator .. four times a year
MANY THANKS!
To Jim Quartieri and his rummage sale crew, who made
over $1 ,000 for our group at the sale on April 19!
Editor's Note: In our last newsletter, we credited Laura Hogan
and Lisa Greenstein for creating the slide show Images of Love.
Deborah Muth and Nancy Furgal were also co..creators.
NUMBERS TO CALL:
Mailing List: Scott Maloney (510) 596-8755 x 777
Phone Tree: Annie Stovall (510) 938-2126

Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.

President, Janet White, Vice President, Betty Lowman, Secretary, Catherine Riedel, Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: AJisa Dreyfuss Noreen Graham Cheryl LaRosa Longo Betty Lowman Catherine Riedel Karen Sterkln Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)
years before? Do you remember?" I said, "No Baba." H e
said, "Then what is there to remember ? Life goes on and
on. The only thing to remember is to think of Me all
the time." His first and fo remost order to me at this time
was not to cry, because I was the biggest crier (and
giggler). So He said not to cry, because it would spoil
my health, and His work would be affected if my
h ealth turned bad. He said, "Don't h ope that Baba will
come h ere." Then He said something that I reflected
on for years , "Though I say that I am not coming, who
knows? One day I may come. But don't cry and n o
correspondence. Always keep on thinking of Me and
be h appy. W he rever you are, I am there, remember that
l am with yo u." Then H e embraced me. He gave me His
hand to k iss and then He left fo r the d ay.
H e left for the New Life on the 16th of October. The
idea that we would not see Baba for the rest of our lives
was h orrible, but after two months or so Sarosh came
to deliver a message personally fro m Baba. It said "If you
have the hope that Baba will co me one day to stay at
Meherabad as before , rub it out. It won 't h appen." Just
for a fraction of a second, I hurt very deeply. Then I to ld
Sarosh, "It is very h orri ble. But still , though my hopes
had been dashed , n ow He starts correspondence all
by Himself." Then, after another two months, anoth er
Baba lover brought the same message, "Go personally
to Mansari and give he r the message th a t it will n ever
happen." Then my ho pe was growing. Then, after a few
months aga in, a long New Life circular came, and in
it, there was one special line for me, "If Mansari h as
the hope that l will come again to Meherabad Hill , she
should rub it out." Then , because it was the third time ,
I just screamed , "H e is sure to come !" And H e d id come
after the New Life was don e, o n the 13th of February,
1952. And that is th e story of my life with Baba.
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito Sunday Mornings 10:00 AM
Arti and singing at the Greenste ins (510) 525-3364.
El Cerrito Thursday Evenings 7: IS PM
Discourse reading and discussion . Contact Louise
Ba rri e or Dick Anthony at (510) 524-1440.
Fresno Wednesday Evenings 7:30 to 8:30PM
Arti and a varied program. Contact Sharon or Ph il
Scott a t ( 209) 449-0877.
Menlo Park Friday Evenings 8:00 PM
Arti, singing and readings a t the home of Hugh and
jeannie MacDonald. Call them at (415) 322-0886 or
Betty Lowman at (415) 3 23-1900.
Petaluma Sunday Mornings II :00 AM
Arti, readings, and fellowship. Contact Hermann or
Jeanette Loew at (707 ) 778-1195. Please call ahead.
Sacramento Sunday Mornings 11 :00-AM- - r---
Discourse readings and occasional gath erings.
Con tact Mike and Jean Ross (9 16) 486-2924.
Walnut Creek Monday Evenings 8 co 9:30 PM
.Videos will be shown the first Monday of every
month. Subsequent Mondays wi ll be devoted to study of
Discourses. Please call Helen Riehl (510) 935-0167 or
Gil Shepa rd (5 10) 930-8670 for meeting locations.
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down
by Meher Baba through the Trust should contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288.
MEHER BABA INFORMATION
People who wish to know more about Meher Baba can
obtain introductory material and a catalogue of available
publicaitons by writing or phoning Meher Baba Information.
P.O. Box 1101 , Berkeley, CA 94701. Or call (510)562-1101

MEHER BABA CENTER Non-Profit U.S.

of Northern California, Inc. Postage Paid
2131 University Avenue. Room 235 El Cerrito, CA
Berkeley, Cali fornia 94704 Permit No.l86

Address Correction Requested

MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CALIF INC.
N E w s L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 26
Mansari's Special Disease
The following cable came on january 12 from the Meherazad
mandali: "Beloved Baba has taken unto Himself His dear
Mansari, who served as a beacon of His
light on Meherabad Hill for many years
and now is merged into the Sun . Avatar
Meher Baba ki ]ai! II
This story, the first of two /Jarts, is from a
conversation in the early 1970s, which began
when she was asked, "How did you come
to Baba? Mansari , who was known for her
11
dogs and her humor, as in," I have two
friends D-0-G and G-0-0, began ...
11
Sometimes I say that I sat in the train
and I came to 'Nagar, and I came to
Baba! But no w, the real thing-how
I came to Baba. I was born in Bombay
and lived there fo r 15 years. My a unt
raised me because she loved me and
she had n o chi ldren. My parents used
to stay in Navsari.
Until the age of 5 years, I was very
healthy-skinny, but still very healthy. 1994 Robert Dreyfuss
Then I got an awful skin disease, on the feet and on the
hands. It spread from my fee t up to my knees, and from
my hands up to the elbows. The rest of the body and
face was completely intact, but where the disease was
I was sca rred, I thought for life. My d ear aunt took
utmost care to c ure me , and every medic ine was tried
but failed. Whe n I was 12 years o ld, somebody suggest-
ed a sk in specia list, so I was take n there by Ka ikobad
Dastur, a close family friend and the one I Lik~d and
trusted most. When that doctQr, saw me; he 'sa id, "Re-
ally, l don't know why the . btber ddctol's ' cW:fn't'. cure
he r. It's a ve ry simple case." Well , the poor doctor tried
his best, for months, but h e could not cure me. H e tried
everything. H e gave me 75 injections in o ne day! But
it did not work at all , and at last h e h ad to say, "I'm
very sorry to say that this child has to suffer for the
rest of her life, because l have never seen such an
obstinate disease." I hea rd t hat, and since by nature I'm
. 1997
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
SPRING 1997
'o bstinate, this just added to my obstinacy. I decided not
to go to any more docto rs and concluded that all
doctors were hypocrites . From then
on , whenever my aunt would suggest
a doctor, I wou ld refuse.
In 1925 my aunt died so, naturally, I
h ad to go to my parents. My father
had been fo llowing Baba for two years
at that time, so my parents tried to
persuade me to go to Baba. They said,
"Baba wi ll c ure yo u." I was so dis-
gusted, I sa id, "When all doctors fa il,
what will your Baba do?" I refused to
go . So they wrote to Kaikobad to
take me to Baba because he followed
Meher Baba too. At that time, if I
wo uld listen to an yo n e, I wou ld
listen to Kaikobad. He was very kind
to us, ve ry kind. H e wrote to me to
com e to Bombay and go on a picnic
to 'Nagar, saying that I would be
pleased to see Baba. Kaikobad wrote,
"I promise that l wo n't say anything about your dis-
ease to Ba ba." If it pleased Kaiko bad I felt I could do
it, as long as he was no t go ing to say an ything to Baba.
T hen I came h e re , to A hmednagar. A t 8 o'clock I saw
Baba for the first tim e. H e was in the rickshaw (the
one now in the Meherabad museum), and was being
drawn, probably by t h e prem ash ram boys, from
Meherabad Hill to Lower Meherabad. I was standing
in a queue when I saw Him. At that time there were
n o restrictions o n vis iting Mehe ra bad, and man y
lovers used to come for Darshan, for an interv iew or for
advice. l saw Baba coming o u t o f the rickshaw. From
the beginning l took Baba as a great personality, but
not more. I did not cons ide r Him even a sa int or a
perfect master, so the idea of His being God was very
far away. l saw Baba as I saw any ord inary perso n but,
for Kaikobad 's sake , I folded my h ands .
 IL
MEETINGS - Meher Baba events are held on Saturday
nights. TIMES- Events start at 8:00 PM and normally end
by 9:30 PM unless otherwise noted. LOCATIONS- Events
are held at the Albany Methodist Church unless otherwise
noted. The church is at th e corner of Marin and Stannage,
two blocks east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of
Berkeley) Take the Albany exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore ~ Childcare
Saturday, March 1, 7 PM Two Videos
We'll see Mitchell Rose's video of Mani's interment,
and a talk by Jeff Maguire and friends about their.
experiences in India at the time of Mani's passing.
~Saturday, March 8, 711 PM Square Dance
with Beverley Smith and her Old Time Musicians
A lively fund-raiser for our group! Beverley wrote the
song Holding on with Two Haruls and leads square dancing
for Youth Sahavas at Myrtle Beach. Admission is $10,
$5 for students. Live band, raffle, food and drink at the
Unitarian Universalist Church, 1606 Bonita Street at
Cedar in Berkeley. Square dance experience n ot nec-
essary! Call Cherie Longo for info. (510) 232-4107.
Saturday, March 15 Mission Statement Meeting
Come and discuss our proposed mission statement and
policy on relations with Sufism Reoriented. Both these
items will be on the agenda at our n ext Annual Gen-
eral Meeting. This is your ch ance for input before the
AGM. For copies of the proposals, send a self-ad-
dressed stamped envelope to the MBCNC office. T o
get background information, call Ron Greenstein (510)
525-3364, or Earl Turner (510) 937-4502.
Saturday, March 22 Know Your Artis
Raine Eastman -Gannett will lead us in learning the
Eastern A rtis. Remember standing outside the Tomb,
wishing you could sing along? This is your chance!
Saturday, March 29, 7:30PM Easter Eve Party
It's a pot luck in Darrell Rupe's warehouse loft, 2200
Adeline St. O akland, Suite 360. Bring appetizers. Darrell
says there may even be some music! (510) 763-3393.
Saturday, AprilS Images of Love Slide Show
Laura Hogan and Lisa Greenstein created this lovely
show of artists' renditions of the Avatar and His world.
Saturday, April 12 Video Recollections of the 70s
A home meeting hosted by Raine Eastman -Gannett
and Sue Jamison. See the early 70s at Meherazad and
Meherabad-the mandali and pilgrims in their youth!
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President, Janet White, Vice President, Betty Lowman, Secretary, Catherine Riedel, Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Alisa Dreyfuss Noreen Graham Cheryl LaRosa Longo Betty Lowman Catherine Riedel Karen Sterkin Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Lisa Greenstein, Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P .0. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)
8 PM at the Jamisons. Call (510) 236-7993 for direc-
tions. Bring your own 70s photos and reminiscences.
Saturday April19 9 to 4- Rummage Sale! Friends
Meeting House, Walnut and Vine Streets, Berkeley
We made such a good profit from September's rum-
mage sale, that we've decided to do it again. T o donate
goods or volunteer for a two-hour shift pricing or selling,
call j im Quartieri (510) 849-43 18. We need your help!
Saturday, April26 Poetry & Pot Luck
Feed your body, feed your soul ! Bring your favorite
. poems and prose, yours or oth ers, honoring the divine,
and a snack or dessert to share. We'll join together at
Scott Maloney's home in El Gerrito. -RSVP by W ed-
nesday April 23 to Catherine Riedel (510) 526-5562 .
Saturday, May 3, 7:30PM Videos at Stovalls
Come at 7:30 for videos of Henry Kashouty and Charles
Haynes. 869 Appaloosa Dr. Walnut Creek (510) 938-2126
~ Saturday, May 10 Mother's Day Social
This will be a dessert potluck. Bring a sweet to share.
Ron Greenstein will seren ade mums and friends.
~ Saturday, May 17 Margaret Bernstein Concert
We'll hear original compositions for flute and piano
from Margaret's wonderful new album On The Thresh-
old of Change. A fund raiser, $5 suggested donation.
Saturday, May 24, No m eeting Memorial Day
~ Saturday, May 31, 7:30PM Jamie Newell in
Concert! Fund raiser at Albany Methodist Church
Last one to heaven is a rotten egg! ]amie p lays a mean
blues guitar and puts o n a wonderful concert of his
original songs for Baba. If you h aven't experienced his
singing, you' ve got a treat in store. This is a fund raiser,
$ 15 suggested donation, $25 for rwo. Y'all come!
OfficeWalla Needed. We need someone to go by our
Berkeley office periodically to pick up mail and check the
answering machine. Call Janet White (510) 843-4417.
Host a Meeting for Baba. Call Janet White if you'd like
to lead a meeting, or if you have a good topic for a meeting.
We're looking for a Video Projector, used or inexpen-
sive. Call Janet or Fred White if you have a lead.
NUMBERS TO CALL:
Mailing List: Scott Maloney (510) 7058750 x 777
Phone Tree: Annie Stovall (510) 938-2126
 IL
Baba went in the room and started giving Darshan and
interviews. I was just standing there, and then my turn
came. Baba was in the old bungalow, with a small window,
and He peeked through and beckoned me to come. I was
undoing the lace of my shoe and, just for half a second,
I stared at Baba. To this day I don't know how or why,
but I cried. I almost sobbed. I cried like a child, and I
went to Baba with tears. Baba asked me why I was
crying. I said "I don't know." I had Baba's Darshan and
I stood, sobbing. Then Kaikobad told Him everything
about me and my disease. Baba said, "For that you are
crying?" I said, "No, I don't know." Then He asked me
again, ""Tell Me your complaint. Tell Me what you
suffered with your disease, in your own words." Bu~ I
could not. Then He dictated on the board, "Don't worry,
it will go permanently." He signed the message to emphasize
it ., Baba. I read the board, I heard Him, but I had been
told the same by so many doctors. When the interview
was finished, Baba gave me a little dhuni ash in a bottle
and told me to take a pinch in the mouth before tea
in the morning while saying "Baba." I said, "Yes, Baba."
All my obstinacy was washed out. I went back to Navsari
and I started taking the ashes. For one month, without
any hope, I just took them. Then, to my amazement,
I was completely cured. Even my scars vanished. I was
so happy to be out of the clutches of the disease that
immediately ~y view of Baba jumped from "great
personality" to "God," because only God could have
done that. I began to love Baba, and I had much, much
respect for Him. I wrote a letter to Baba thanking Him
and He got Chanji to write to me, "Baba is glad to
receive your letter, but He says He hasn't done any ..
thing. Your 6iithand love has done the work." At "that
time He might have been aware of my faith and love,
but I felt that I had not, at that time, had such faith.
Then, for a few months, I was very happy, very, very
happy. Kaikobad used to come to Baba often, and he
wrote to me, telling me about Baba's moods, how He
cracked a joke and everything. After months, he wrote
a letter to me about how happy he was to be with Baba
and how happy Baba appeared, but the last line in the
letter was "this time I saw on Baba the disease that you
had." That line made me completely upset, so upset
that I could not put my mind in anything, and the
very second I read that line I hated myself. I said to
myself, "If I had not gone to Baba, and if I had stuck
to my obstinacy this wouldn't have happened, but
now it is too late." Now I began to pray in my mind,
every second, "Baba, give it back to me." I wanted to
see Baba personally so I could make the matter clear,
because I was shy to write and I didn't want anyone
else to read the letter.
For months I had to wait, but after some months my
disease came back in a small form, and I was happy. I
could not hide it. My Baba lover relatives saw it, un.,
derstood the story, and said that they would tell Baba.
I didn't want that, so I said that I would tell Baba. and
no one should interfere. Then, again, I was waiting and
waiting to see Baba, and one day Kaikobad's letter came,
saying that Baba was coming to Bombay on His way to
Iran. I immediately dropped eve~ything and went to
Bombay. Kaikobad saw me and said, "A relapse? We
will tell Baba." Again, I said that I would tell Baba
and he should not.
The next day we went to Baba for Darshan, and Kaiko.,
bad told Baba that the disease had relapsed. Baba ap.,
peared very indifferent, and said "try some sulphur." My
whole mind was on how to speak to Baba directly about
it, but there were too many people and I was too shy.
After Darshan, we left. That same day, at four o'clock,
feeling inspired, I went the few blocks from Kaikobad's
house to where Baba was staying. Baba was sitting with
25 or 30 boys, playing carom. He gestured, "Why did
you come? You were already here in the morning." So
I said, "Yes, Baba, I came." He said "OK, sit down. Do
you know how to play carom?" I said, "No, Baba." Then
He said, "why did you come, then? Is there anything to
say?" I said, "Yes, Baba." "Then say it now," He said.
"No, Baba," I said, "I want to talk to You privately." He
beckoned Chanj i to come to the )nner room with the
alphabet board. I then said, forcefully, "I have nothing
to hear from you Baba, I have things to say. And I don't
want Chanj i, either!"
Baba took the alphabet board and called me. He was
sitting on a couch, spinning His board. He asked me,
"Say what you want to say." I said everything, and
stopped. He said, "Are you mad? You are mad. Who
could do that? Who could take anybody's disease on
their person?" I said, "Baba, any ordinary human being
could not, but God can and You are God." He said,
"You are stark mad." I didn't say anything. He said, "Let
it be as it is now." I said, "Baba, You know my plight.
I cannot be happy at all until You just give it back to
me." He didn't say anything right away. "Then what to
do?" He asked. "That is up to You, " I said. Then He
said, "I have one result. Would you like it?" I said, "how
(continued on page 4)
do I know Baba ? W ha t is it?" He said, "Ne ithe r you nor
I would suffer. W ould you like it?" I said, "Yes, Baba,
I would like it very much." I liked it, but I felt that Baba
was getting rid of me, like getting rid of an obstinate
child by promising it a piece of chocola te . So I said,
"Baba I like it but it doesn't appeal to me h ere," and
I po inted to my heart. H e said, "Give yo ur hand to me,"
and slapped my hand in the gesture fo r a promise.
He looked at me and said, "Is it a ll right now?" I fe lt
that it would be O K. I knew that H e would keep
the promise, but still I said, "Now Baba, stick to that
please, OK?" Baba said, "Didn't I promise you ?" Then
H e cl apped, called all the boys into the room and Baba
asked them, "H ave you ever seen a mad wo man ?" They
sa id, "No," and Baba pointed to me and said, "See, sh e.
is stark mad. " I laughed over that for months. I was
completely c ured, and have remained cured up till now.
1 came to live with Baba permanently in 1938. O ne,
day He asked me, "H ow long did you suffer with that
disease?" I said, " 14 years." Baba said, "14 years? That
is the time-honored pe riod for a penance. A nd suffering
is very good. It brought you to me." Then He asked me
all sorts of questions about the medical procedures and
asked, "Why d idn't th e doctors cure you ?" "I don't know,
Baba," I said . Then H e said , "Science is advancing by
leaps and bounds , bur what did they accomplish ? It
was my key to draw you to me. That's why they didn't
cure you. Now you are with Me, so be happy." He d id
this because this mulish person would not have come,
perhaps , but h ere I a m.
Our apologies- the copyright symbol was left off of Mani's
drawings in our last issue. The Avatar Meher Baba Per-
petual Public Trust holds the copyright for her drawings.
MEHER BABA CENTER
of Northern California , Inc.
2 13 1 Uni vers ity Aven ue, Room235
Berkeley, California 94704
Address Correction Requested
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito - Sunday Mornings- 10:00 AM
A rti and singi ng at the G reensteins (510) 525-3364.
El Cerrito - Thursday Evenings - 7: 15 PM
Discourse read ing and discussion. Contact Louise
Barrie or Dick Anthony at (510) 524- 1440.
Fresno - Wednesday Evenings- 7:30 to 8:30PM
A rti a nd a varied progra m. Contact Sharon or Phil
Scott at (209) 449-0877.
Menlo Park - Friday Evenings -8:00PM
Arti, singing and readings at the home of Hugh and
Jeannie MacDonald . Call t hem at (415 ) 322-0886 or
Betty Lowma n at (415) 323-1900.
Petaluma- Sunday Mornings - II :00 AM
Arti, readings, a nd fellowship. Contact Hermann or
Jean ette Loew at (707) 778-1195. Please call ahead.
Sacramento , Sunday Mornings - 11 :00 AM
Discourse readings and occasi<;mal gatherings.
.-Contact Mike and Jean Ross (9 16) 486 .. 2924.
San Francisco - Wednesday Evenings - 7 to 8:30 PM
Read ings and discussion. Call Peter Ravazza at
(5 10) 769- 1839 or Mary Weiss at (415) 221-8724.
Walnut Creek - Monday Evenings - 8 to 9:30 PM
Videos will be shown the first Monday of every
month. Subsequent Mondays will be devoted to study of
Discourses. Please call He le n Ri ehl (510) 935-0167 or
Gi l Shepard (510) 930-8670 for meeting locations.
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down
by Meher Baba thro ugh the Trust should c on tact
Jack Mormon, P.O . Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288.
MEHER BABA INFORMATION
People who wish to know more about Meher Saba can
obtain introductory material and a catalogue of available
publicaitons by writing or phoning Meher Saba Information.
P.O. Box 11 01, Berkeley, CA 94701. Or call (510)562-1101
Non-Profit U.S.
Postage Pa id
El Cerrito, CA
Pe rmi t No.l 86
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CALIF INC.

N E w s L E T T E R
2 13 1 UNIVERSITY AVE. , RM. 235 BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
VOL. 26 WINTER 1996-97

JAI BABA~
I a I

F\VRT~R MEl-lER ~A~PI ki J"PII ~~~

~
JAI BABA!/

~
 .. . ... .
AMBPPT, India

ABOUT T HE COVER:
Many of you will recogni ze t he c h armi ng st ick fi gures th at were
such a de lightful aspect of Man i's correspondence. As we ho nor
the uniq ueness of Saba's beloved sister, struggle with o ur loss
and rejoice in her re uni o n with Him, we are presenting these
figures and a poem of Mani's t hat convey glimpses of he r wi t
a nd sense of fun . The photo was take n in 1992 by Kirk A llen.

A GREAT MANGO DESSERT:

Peel and cut up two ma ngoes. Freeze the pieces. Put the frozen
pieces in a food processor with a 1/4 c up ho ney. Process tho r-
o ugh ly and add lemon or vanilla to ta te. The blend ing makes
the mango a nd ho ney fluffy and mi lky looking if you freeze the
fr ui t in who le pieces. Th is wo rks with pinea pple too. Th is
dessert has become the favo rite treat of the Pa lo A lto Meher
Baba Gro up . Recipe and mango artwork by Babs G ilde rsleeve.
 MEETINGS - Meher Baba events are held on Saturday
nights. TIMES- Events start at 8:00 PM and normally end
by 9:30PM unless otherwise noted. LOCATIONS- Events
are held at the Albany Methodist Church unless otherwise
noted. The church is at the corner of Marin and Stannage,
two blocks east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of
Berkeley) Take the Albany exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore * Chlldcare
Saturday, December 7 .. Video Night
Jeff Maguire and friends give a videotaped talk of their
experiences in India at the time of Mani's passing.
__ ~-Saturda:Y, December 14, 4PM .. 8PM, Mehennas
Ba:(.aar .. 0 Come AU Ye Yuletide Shoppers!
The same holiday festivities and foolishness as last
year, with new, extended hours. Snacks will be for
sale, and a line..dancing Hawaiian Santa will make an
appearance at 4:30PM. The public will be invited to
attend. The artisans in our community have created
wonderments galore: jewelry, ceramics, plants, hand ..
sewn things, and of course, our bookstore. Come and
buy: truly unique presents for your loved ones. A per..
centage of the profits will go to our group. Bring your
friends! Shop here before you shop anywhere!
We will also collect packaged food and toys and cloth..
ing in good condition to distribute to the needy.
Saturday, December 21 .. Remembering Mehera
We will celebrate the birthday of the Beloved's Be ..
loved with videos, singing, poetry, and reminiscences.
Bring a Mehera story or photos to share! Again, we'll
collect toys, food and clothing for the needy.
Saturday, December 28 .. No meeting tonight
Saturday, January 4 .. Ring In The New Year!
A New Year's Party Baba..style! We'll boogie with D.J.
Dave Miotke. Shake your shoes and rattle your bones!
Saturday, January 11 -Film Night
Irwin Luck's film Avatar of the Age wHl be shown.
Saturday, January 18 .. Home Meeting at Laura
Hogan's, 1835 Elm St. El Cenito.
Call Laura at (510) 237 .. 9257 for directions. Bring a
favorite poem or song, or idea to share.
f1Saturday, Jan. 25- Pre-Amartithi Gathering
Amartithi commemorates the date that Meher Baba
dropped His body, January 31, 1969. Tonight, Cindy
Lowe will sing, we'll see movies and do circle dancing.
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President, Janet White, Vice President, Betty Lowman, Secretary, Catherine Riedel, Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Alisa Dreyfuss Noreen Graham Cheryl LaRosa Longo Betty Lowman Catherine Riedel Karen Sterkin Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Usa Greenstein, Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)
Thursday January 30 .. 8:30 PM .. Amartithi Night
Simultaneously with thousands ofBaba Lovers in India,
we will celebrate with singing and movies. We will
also observe 15 minutes of silence from 10:30 to 10:45
PM to coincide with silence at the tomb in India. Call
Ron Greenstein for possible additional Amartithi
activities. (510) 525 .. 3364.
Saturday, Feb. 1 .. No Meeting Tonight
Saturday February 8 .. Video Night
We will see the video Meher Baba The Awakener.
Saturday, February 15 .. Meher Baba's Treasures
A special treat! Come to Jack Mormon's- home fora
showing of jack's collection of Baba memorabilia. Space
is limited to the first 20 people who RSVP. Call Noreen
Graham (510) 235 .. 2742.
c>Saturday, February 22 .. 12 PM .. 6 PM ..
Happy 103rd Birthday, Baba! Join Us At The
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship HaU, Cedar &
Bonita Streets, Berkeley
Meher Baba's birthday is really February 25, but we'll
celebrate this Saturday. Same time, same place as last
year, The afternoon will begin with a pot luck lunch,
then we'll have entertainment fraFQ.. our talented mu..
sical and theatrical community, as well as group sing..
ing and dancing. and, of course, birthday cake and the
Fly.. to .. India Sweepstakes! (Mail .. in entry blanks en
closed in this newsletter). Bring your dancing shoes!
12 .. 2 PM .. Welcome, pot luck lunch
2.. 5 PM .. Entertainment and Baba's birthday cake
5.. 6 PM .. Sweepstakes Drawing, Prayers and Arti
We need plenty of help with this event. If you's like
to perform, or can help with serving food, decorating,
or clean.. up, call Noreen Graham (510) 235 .. 2742.
DID You MISS IT?
Were you just waiting to clean out your attic or garage,
but somehow missed the rummage sa-le? No need to wait
until next September. A second sale is planned for April.
Call Jim Quartieri at (510) 849 .. 4318 if you have items to
donate or if you would like to help with the sale. Donated
items must be in working order, clean and not too big!
NUMBERS TO CALL:
Mailing List: Scott Maloney (510) 596 ..8755 x 777
Phone Tree: Annie Stovall (510) 938-2126
 LOVE LETTERS TO US
Throughout last year, the Board of Directors received
these thoughtful thank-yous to our group from our guests:
From AK and Leela Ka~.dfllri: (now on an extended visit
in India) " ... Leela and 1 are very grateful to you for per-
mitting us to share Baba love-stori es with you a ll last May.
Please convey our enquiries to all our friends ... "
From Scott Makeig: "Prem, Bryan and I very much en-
joyed the chance to share our inusic (and poetry} with so
many old friends at the Berkeley Baba meetings. Please
thank the board for us. It was particularly touching for me
to return to Berkeley-still trying to sing for Baba."
From Hoshang and Havovi Dadachangi: "To a ll the
wonderful San Francisco Group: Thank you folks for all
the love and care you so sweetly showered on us ana for
sitting through o ur talks! Ha h a! Luve in Baba to you
wo nderful folks and a lways Beloved Baba's preciousJove
blessings! Amen!"
From Ann Conlon: " ... What can I say ? It was an incred-
ible week and I enjoyed every minute of it ... The whole
group was so warm and loving and I've carried that back
here with me. Many thanks and much love in Him."
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito- Sunday Mornings- 10:00 AM
Arti and singing at the Greensteins (510) 525-3364.
El Cerrito - Thursday Evenings - 7: 15 PM
Discourse reading and discussion. Contact Louise
Barrie or Dick Anthony at (510) 524-1440.
Fresno - Wednesday Evenings - 7:30 to 8:30 PM
Arti and a varied program. Contact Sharon or Phil
Scott at (209) 449-0877.
Los Gatos - Friday Evenings - 8:00 PM
Arti, singing and readings at the home of Clint and
Sharon Snyder. Call them at (408) 395-6865 or Betty
Lowman at (415) 323- 1900.
Petaluma - First Sunday of the Month- 11:00 AM
Arti, readings, and fellowship. Call Hermann or
Jea nette Loew at (707) 778-1195. Pleas~ cal\ <~head.
Sacramento - Occasional Meetings
Discourse readings and occasional gatherings.
Contact Mike and Jean Ross (916) 486-2924.
San Francisco - Wednesday Evenings - 7 to 8:30 PM
Readings and discussion. Call Peter Ravazza at (5 10)
769-1839 or Mary Weiss at (415) 22 1-8724.
Walnut Creek - Monday Evenings - 8 to 9:30PM
Videos will be shown the first Monday of every

' k::r
month. Subsequent Mondays will be devoted to study
/"1VATAR MEHSR of Discourses. Please call Helen Riehl (510) 935-0 167
or Gil Shepard (510) 930-8670 for meeting locations.
i A\ (j '\J '\J ;l
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down
by Meher Baba through the Trust should contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288.

MEHER BABA INFORMATION

People who wish to know more about Meher Saba
can obtain introductory material and a catalogue of available
publications by writing or phoning Meher Saba Information,
P.O. Box 1101, Berkeley, CA 94701. Or call (510) 562-1101.

MEHER BABA CENTER

of Northern California, Inc. Non-Profit U.S.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235 Postage Paid
Berkeley, California 94704 El Cerrito, CA
Permit No.186
Address Correction Requested
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
N E w s
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 27
MEHER BABNS WARNINGS ABOUT THE OCCULT
This . interview with Arnavaz N. Dadachanji
by Nancy Wall was originally published in the
Love Street Lamp Pose. Jc is reprinted here at the
request of Arnavaz and Doctor Goher.
N W: In Gift of God, Arnavaz, you
wrote about the dangers of becoming
involved in a ny way with the occult.
You've a lso to ld me that an increasing
number of Baba lovers are ask ing you
questions about this subject.
Arnavaz: It is true that more and mo re
Baba lovers h ave been coming to me to
ask what they can do to disentangle them-
selves from various kinds of occult practices, such as
seeking help from the spirit world or trying to
develop psych ic powers. Many h ave also consulted other
people who are involved in the occult. Fo r instance, a
common practice today is to consult "healers," people
who use psychic power to e liminate disease o r pain. At
first the help given through occult means may make a
person feel better or happi er. But there are great
dangers involved.
This is not to say that those who explore the occult do
so simply out of the desire for power. So me people
have the best of intentions and they want only to he lp
themselves or others. For example, I mentioned in Gift
of God a woman who loved Baba very much, but used
occult practices to save the life of h er husband. Some-
one guided this woman , gave h er mantras to repeat and
instructions to follow. Her husband's life was spared,
but his whole personality changed. Whereas t~tY. had
once been a very loving couple , n ow he s,~ppedl ~f!lking
to he r and lived like a strange r in the house. And she
could not stop h erse lf from becoming further involved
with her practices. When my moth er was gravely ill
with cancer, this woman came to our famil y, wanting
L E T T E
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
R
FALL 1997
to help extend my mother's life. I told
her emphatically that whether my mother
lived or died was completely in Baba's
h ands. As Baba has said, "Never beg me
to save your life or t he lives of your
dear ones. Only beg me to accept you
and permit you to lay down your life
for me."
Some fifteen years later this woman came
to my home for Baba's darshan. She looked
so frail and broken that I didn't even
recognize he r. She implored Baba to save
her. Baba very lovingly e mbraced her,
but He told her sh e had taken upon herself more than
she could handle and therefore He couldn' t help her.
She would have to suffer the consequences of her ac-
tions. This woman was suffering at least in part because
of the heavy sanskaric load she was carrying. So a l-
though it is natural that we should want to eliminate
our own suffer i ~g or the suffering of th ose we love, the
elimination of pain through psychic h ea ling may actu-
ally serve as a b lock o n the spiritual path of the aspirant.
N W: This brings up anot h er question fo r me. To what
extent should we, as Baba lovers, try to e liminate our
pain and suffe ring?
Arnavaz: Well, certainly when we are in pain, it is
reasonable to pursue whatever re lief may be ava ilable
through natural and practical mean s. Doctors, psychi-
atrists, chiropractors, massage therapists, those who practice
Chinese medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy, a llopa-
thy, Ayurvedic med ic ine-all these I would call natural
and practical. But healing through psychic powers is
another matter altoge the r. In consul ting those invo lved
in occult practices for relief from suffering, we may
actually add to our sanskaras and later bring abou t mo re
suffering and pa in. Baba wants to free us from suffering,
1997
 IL
but when we seek occult help, we are interfering with
His work and creating further bindings for ourselves.
And if we ourselves use occult means to help others, we
take on the sanskaras of those we seek to help.
N W: Arnavaz, you mentioned that the woman who
used the occult to save her husband continued to use
it even after he had been saved. Once a person starts
using occult powers, is it difficult to stop?
Arnavaz: Let me tell you two stories about that. Once
when Baba was giving darshan in different parts of
India, a guru who had practiced occult powers came to
Him. Baba gave this man darshan several times, and
he became Baba's disciple. Baba told him that he mu'st
-~s-practtce as a gum-met-no- tongeru-use-the
occult or allow people to bow down to him. He obeyed
Baba for some time, but after a few years he returned
to his old ways. He knew Baba was not pleased, and he
ceased all contact, never showing his face to Baba again.
The second story involves an only child who died.
Naturally, the parents were devastated, and aBaba lover
who was present put the dead child in his lap and sat
all night, repeating Baba's name aloud. After several
hours the child was revived. When Baba heard about
this incident, He sent a telegram to the man saying
that He was very displeased. The man felt terrible and
he came to Baba and begged for forgiveness. Baba kept
the man with Him for a while in the ashram, but be ..
cause he had been able to revive the dead child, the
man believed that he must have special powers and
after some time he had the urge to use his powers
again. One day, without even informing Baba, he
simply disappeared from the ashram. His ego had over..
powered him,Jlnd he. r~tutne_d to his__ home and e_stab ..
lished his own following. His connection with Baba was
broken. So you see, once a person has experienced this
kind of power, he becomes entangled in it and does not
want to give it up.
N W: Your family at one time had frequent contact
with a man who had certain powers. Can you tell me
about him?
Arnavaz: Our contact with this man, Savak, came
about in the early 30's, when we were quite new to
Baba. Later, of course, we would have had nothing to
do with this man, but at the time we knew very little
about spiritual matters. Although we loved Baba very
much, my mother and others in the family thought that
Savak must be a highly spiritual man. He could make
coins or flowers appear in his hands, or a certain scent
2
would suddenly fill the room. He would give orders, and
sometimes they would turn out to be the same orders
that Baba later gave us, so it is easy to see why Savak
impressed my family. I have to say, though, that I myself
was never attracted to him. Even though I thought he
might be on a higher plane, I found him somehow
repulsive. I understand now that Baba was keeping me
away from this man, keeping me from getting involved
with him in any way. And even though throughout my
life I have seen numerous examples of people who were
possessed by spirits and many kinds of black magic,
I have always known that Baba would protect me
from all of this, that I had nothing to fear as long as
I held tightly to His damaan. Baba's Last Warning,
given- in Julyof 1968, contains specific orders forHis
lovers concerning involvement with such masters:
It is... important at this critical period of the Av.-
ataric Age to beware at all times of persons who lead
others into believing that they are saintly and pious
and profess to possess supernatural powers. How..
ever pious such persons appear to be, a Baba..lover
must never mix such piety with the Divinity of the
Avatar!
A true Baba..lover must remember the repeated
warning given to all Baba.. lovers time and again to
stay away from persons who feel and assert that
they are masters and saints and possess powers to
help human beings. His lovers and workers should
never get involved with such persons and affairs,
much less with perverted "helpers of humanity"
who have no reverence or regard for the Perfect
Masters and the Avatar of the Age. Beware of them
who exploit spirituality to gain their selfish ends
and dupe others in the name of Sadgurus and the
Avatar.
At the end of this warning Baba added the following
note, originally given in February of 1966:
Shun those masters who are like multi..coloured electric
signs that flash on and off, brightening the dark sky
of your world and leaving you in darkness again.
N W: Aren't there some people who have actually found
Baba through occult means and come to follow Him?
Arnavaz: It is true that Baba Himself has used such
means as automatic writing, ouija boards, etc. to bring
people to Him, but the fact that Baba has done some ..
thing in no way gives us permission to do it. "Don't do
what I do," He has told us. "Do what I tell you to do."
When God comes as man, He works thorough every ..
 IL
thing in His .creation, what we would call good and
what we would call bad. Baba said these were two sides
of the same coin. In the play of Maya, God keeps a
balance between them. Why? We cannot know. Given
our limited understanding, we cannot fathom the ways
of God. We can only do what Baba asks of us and not
worry about trying to understand His work.
Baba has been very clear about what He asks of us. For
instance, the rules regarding appropriate behavior at
His Center in Myrtle Beach contain this statement:
"By Meher Baba's directive, divining cards, ouija
board, and the I Ching are not to be used at the
Center." And anyone tempted to interpret that direc"..
tive to mean that outside the Center it is all right to
use such devices should think carefully about Baba's
statement given in Andhra on 1 March, 1954: "I want
my lovers and workers to know that there is no
greater 'Baba's Centre' than the heart of my lover.
Those who truly love me are my centres in the
world. Let each 'Baba .. lover,' wherever he or she
may be, be the 'Baba's Centre' personified, radiating
the eternal message of Love Divine, living a life of
love, sacrifice and honesty."
N W: I think it's sometimes difficult for us to distin ..
guish between what is occult and what is not. There are
so many "New Age" practices from which sincere peo ..
ple seem to derive the same kinds of experience that we
have had in our lives as Baba lovers that the whole issue
can become very confusing. How can we protect our..
selves from getting involved in something best left alone? .
Amavaz: Irene Coneybeare, in the introduction to her
book In Quest of Truth or How I came to Meher Baba,
gives a good and easy guideline to follow when she
discusses the vast difference between mysticism and
occultism. The mystic, she says, is simply searching for
God and does not seek power, whereas the person who
practices the occult is actually attempting to control
the forces of nature. Occult power, she stresses, is safe
only in the hands of a Master who will not misuse it-
that even an advanced spiritual aspirant may incur great
harm through practice of the occult, and she quotes the
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President, Janet White Vice President, Brian Drygas Secretary, Bryan Drygas Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Leslie Baer Laurie Brook Brian Drygas Mehera Halliwell Greg Harland Clint Snyder Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)
3
following from Baba's Discourses: "The introduction of
an uncertain and uncalculable factor which the free
exercise of occult power would inv.olve, is bound to
create much confusion and disturbance in the ordi..
nary pursuits of man, who must be left to his own
limitations, resources and possibilities for the equal
and uninterrupted working out of the Law of Kanna."
She also talks about the undue importance that people
often attribute to miracles, which have nothing to do
with the spiritual path, and again she quotes Baba: "All
miracles belong to the phenomenal world, which is
the world of shadows. As phenomena, they are sub..
ject to change; and nothing that changes can have
lasting value. Realisation of the eternal Truth is an
iQitiation into unchangeable Being which alone is the
supreme Reality; and no acquaintance with the occult
world or capacity to manipulate its forces can really
amount to the realisation of the Truth."
On His birthday in 1965, Baba told those gathered in
His love the following, also taken from His Discourses:
There is nothing particularly spiritual about occult
power as such. Like any other mundane power
or scientific invention, it is capable of being used
for good ends or bad. It gives immense scope for
co.. operative work on the higher planes, but this
necessarily implies a spiritual preparedness to shoulder
a special responsibility.
The novice may seek some occult powers and, within
certain limits, even succeed in having them, but this
new attainment will prove to be a curse rather than
a blessing if he is not spiritually prepared for the
adequate fulfillment of the new responsibility implied
in the acquisition of the new powers. Even the slight..
est misuse of occult power has a severe reaction and
creates a binding for the soul. Sometimes it may
retard the progress of the aspirant and may even lead
to a considerable set..back. Apart from the spiritual
ruin which the novice may invite upon himself through
indiscrete use of occult power, he is bound to be a
source of incalculable harm to others over whom he
has succeeded in wielding a formidable advantage.
(continued on page 4)
So when Baba lovers ask me about the occult, I tell
them that wh oever Baba h as taken into His fold must
do whatever Baba wants. Those who have not come
to know and love Baba will act according to their
sanskaras and destiny. But Baba has told His lovers
spec ifically not to get involved in the occult. It is
extremely foolish fo r Baba lovers to dabble in matters
that Baba has told us to keep away from. H e has warned
us of the harm we may do not only to ourse lves, but to
others who seek our help. And H e has shown us how
to please Him. That means obeying Baba wholeheart-
edly, leaving His work entirely in His hands, and stay-
ing away from any attempt to work in realms we are not
spiritually prepared to enter.
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito Sunday Mornings 10:00 AM
Arti and singin g a t the Greensteins (5 10) 525-3364.
El Cerrito Thursday Even ings - 7:1 5 PM
Discourse reading and discussio n . Contact Lo uise
Barri e or Dick A ntho ny at (5 10) 52 4-1440.
Fresno - Wednesday Evenings - 7:30 to 8:30 PM
A rti and a vari ed program. Con tact Sha ro n or Ph il
Scott a t (209) 449-0877.
Menlo Park Friday Evenings - 8:00 PM
A ni , singing and readings a t the hom e of Hugh and
Jeanni e MacDo nald. C a ll them at (415) 322-0886 or
Betty Lowman a t (415) 323- 1900.

"I do not want anything else but the gift of your
obedience."
Meher Baba
Sacramento Sunday Mornings - 11:00 AM
Results of the 1997 Annual General Meeting
The slate of candidates and the proposed budget were
approved. The Mission Statement was approved and
added to our by-laws. The guest speaker policy, limiting
the subject of the speeches and discuss ion to Avatar
Meher Baba and no other spiritual master or guide, was
rej ected. The co-sponsorship policy, permitting cooper-
ation with other groups on projects focused solely on
Avatar Meher Baba, was approved. The directive to
suspend weekly Saturday meetings, in favor of occasion-
al events and programs, was rejected. Forty people iden-
tified themselves as active/voting members.
Petaluma Sunday Mornings 11 :00 AM
Arti, readings, and fe llowship. C o ntact Hermann or
Jeanette Loew a t ( 707) 778- 11 95. Please call ah ead.
Discourse readings and occasio na l gatherings.
Contact Mike and Jean Ross (9 16) 486-2924 .
Walnut Creek Monday Ev enings - 8 to 9:30 PM
Videos will be shown the first Monday of every
month. Subseq uent Mo ndays will be devoted to
study of Discourses. Please call H elen Riehl (51 0)
935-0167 or Gi l Shepard (510) 930-8670 fo r meet-
ing locations.
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down
by Meher Saba through the Trust should contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288.
MEHER SABA INFORMATION
People who wish to know more about Meher Saba can
obtain introductory material and a catalogue of available
publications by writing or phoning Me her Saba Information.
P.O. Box 1101, Berkeley, CA 94701 . Or call (510) 562-1101

MEHER BABA CENTER

of N o rthe rn C a lifo rni a , Inc. No n- Profit
U.S. Postage Paid
2131 University Avenue, Room 235 El Cerrito, CA
Berkeley, Cal ifornia 94704 PERM IT NO. 186

A ddress Correctio n Requested

MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CALIF INC.
N E w s L E
2 13 \ UN IVERS ITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 28
Baba's Birthday Messages
February 25, / 998 will be Meher
Baba' s 104th birthday. T o help us
prepare for the remembrance of this
occasion, we are reprinting a
selection of birthday messages that
Baba dictated over the )'ears .
1954
Statements and messages can
lead us nowhere on the spiritu-
al path. The more you try to
understand God, the less you understand Him. H ow can
He who is beyond explanation, be expressed in words? Its
being infinitely easy has rendered it infinitely difficult.
The secret is, you h ave to become what you already are.
You can know me as I am, as one of you and on e in you,
only when the ve ils of separateness are lifted. T his can
be done if you love me honestl y a nd wholeheartedly.
Lose you rse lf in Baba and you will find that you eter-
nally are Baba. There can be no compromise in love.
It has e ither to be fu ll or not at a ll. I say today with
Divine Authority that 1 am the Ancient One and I am
the slave of those who really love me.
1954 Special Message
I am never born, I never die. Yet every moment I take birth
and undergo death. The countless illusory births and deaths
are necessary landmarks in the progression of Man's con-
sciousness toT ruth-a prelude to the Real Death and Real
Birth. The Real Death is when one dies to self; and the
Real Birth is when dying to self one is born in God, to
live forever His Eternal Life consciously.
Although I am present everywhere eternally in my formless
Infinite State, from time to time I take form, and the
taking of the form and leaving it is termed my physical
birth and death. In this sense I was born sixty years ago
and will die wh en my universal work is finish ed.
1998
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
WINTER 1997 - 1998
1959
Every second in Eternity, every
one of us is the same One In-
div isible God who has no sec-
ond ever not even on the 25th.
For ages l have been giving in
S ilence my silent message of Love.
You ask me for a message from
my Silence-but silent are the
words of my S ilence. Silent is
Love, and th e lover loves my S ilence, and silently adores
me in my Silence.
1960
The true lover is born at that moment when he dies for God.
When one remains fully and completely resigned to the
Divine W ill of God, all serv ice, sacrifice, solitude, seeking
and surrender merely symbolize one's love for God.
1961
I am the O ne who is a lways lost and found among
mankind . It is your love for yourse lf that loses me , and
it is your love for me that finds me.
Love me above everything. For now whi le I am in your
midst am I most eas ily found as l really am .
1964
The aim of life is to love God.
The goal of life is to become one with God.
The surest and quickest way to achieve this goal is to hold
onto my daaman by loving me more and more.
A ll paths are mine, and all lead to me eventually.
But the shortest way to me is the no-path of self-annihi-
lative Love.
I h ave suffered much and wi ll have to suffer much more
till I break my silence.
I give my Love to my lovers.
(continued on page 2)
 1965
Be t rue to the Trust I repose in you and remember me
wholeh earted ly.
All talk abou t th e Pat h and G oal is as a lan tern carried
by a blind man. A blind man n eeds a staff in h is h and;
the seeker needs h is h and in God-Man 's.
T he sooner you begin to love th ose who you cannot
love , you begin to love me as I sh ould be loved.
T o love those who you could not h a te is natural, but
to love those who yo u can n ot love is to love me as l
sh ould be loved.
1966
Be composed in the reality of my love fo r all confusion
and despair is your own shadow which will vanish when
I speak the word.
1967
Births and deaths are illusory ph eno men a.
One really dies wh en on e is born to live as God, The
eterna l who is beyond both birth and d eath.
It is easy to love me, because I am Love. But it is difficult
to love me with that love by wh ich I am attained.
1968
Fro m my seclusion I send my b less ings to a ll gathered
in my Love to cele bra te my seven ty-fourth birthday.
Love makes the Fo rm less and Infin ite become enformed
and fi ni te as th e God -Man amongst men.
Love me more and more, because fo r th e sake of love
I have come amon g yo u.
O n this my appa rent physical birthday I send my ho m-
age and obe isa nce to my lovers who live fo r me an d
would , if o rdered , d ie for me.
1969
To love me fo r wh at I may give you is no t loving me
at a ll. T o sacrifice a nything in my cause to gain some-
th ing for yo urse lf is li ke a blind ma n sacrificing his eyes
for sigh t. I a m th e Div in e Beloved worthy of being loved
because I am love. H e wh o loves me because of this will
be blessed with unlimi ted sight and will see me as I am .
A letter , dated Ist October 1997, was received from the Avatar
Meher Baba Perpetual Public C haritable Trus t. Because of its
importance to those who wish to help with various aspects of Baba's
work in India, we are printing the letter here .
IMPORTAN T IN FORMATION
FOR DON ORS
Dear .Baba-family, )AI BABA!
The gen erous respon se of Be loved Baba's lovers around
the world to th e T rust's Archive, Museum and Research
Project is much apprecia ted by th e Trustees of the Avatar
Meh er Baba T rust. Because of your care and concern for
Baba's precious and irrep laceab le a rticles, th e build ing
construction is now under way.
However, in consequence of this loving response for this
project, the amount of donat ions received this year for th e
Ben eficiaries of the Avatar Meher Baba Trust "Firstly" is
very low. Therefore we request that for the next 6 months-
that is, up until 31st March 1998- ALL donations to the
Trust (except for Arch ive pledges already made ) be sent
to the Avatar Meh er Baba Trust "Firstly."
A t present, 75% of wh at is don a ted to Avatar Meher
Baba Trust "Firstly" is utilized for public charitable purposes.
Th is 75% , which represents t h e share of th e Ben efic ia-
ries who have passed away, is autOmatica lly ut ilized as
Corpus Fund fo r A vatar Meh er Baba Perpet ual Public
charitable Trust, accord ing to th e T rust Ma nda te. O nly
the remain ing 25 % of donation s to Avatar Meher Baba
T rust "Firstly" can be distributed to th e surv ivin g Ben -
eficiaries according to the percentages dictated by Beloved
Baba in the Trust Deed. Hence, by don ating to A vatar
Meh er Baba Trust "Firstl y" for the n ext 6 months, you
will be serv ing th e n eeds of bo th th e public charitable
objects and those of the Be nefic iaries at the same t ime.
FROM 1ST A PRIL 1988 THE DO N AT IO N G UIDE-
LIN ES PREVIOUSLY G IVEN BY THE TRUST ARE
TO BE C ONTINUED. T hey a re:
APRIL T HROUGH N OVEMBER: A ll donat ion s to
A VATAR MEHER BABA TRUST "FIRST LY" sh ould
be rece ived during th ese month s.
DECEMBER T H ROUGH MARC H: All donations to A V-
ATAR MEH ER BABA PERPET UAL PUBLIC C H AR-
IT A BLE T RUST should be received during these mon ths.
If the amount of a donation exceeds $50.00, then the
donation must be accompanied by a letter of instruction
stating that the donation is for th e "Corpus Fund of A vatar
Meher Baba Perpetual Public Ch aritable T rust."
(continued on page 4)
 IL
MEETIN GS - Meh er Baba events are held on Sa turday
nights. TIMES- Events start at 8:00 PM and normally end
by 9:30PM unless otherwise noted. LOCATIONS- Events
are held at the Albany Methodis t Church unless otherwise
noted. The church is at the corn er of Marin and Stannage,
two blocks east of San Pablo A venue in Albany (North of
Berkeley) . Take the Albany exit from Inters tate 80.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore <SJ Childcare
Saturday, December 6 ~ Videos at the White's
Fred and Jane t W hite, recently back from a sojurn
to Meherabad , will h ost a vid eo even ing at the ir
home, 18 11 Francisco S treet, # 5, Berke ley. Call
(51 0) 843 -4417 for d irection s. '"'
- ...
Saturday, December 13 ~ Letters af Lwe for Baba
Tonight we will sh are read ings from the recently
publish ed book Letters of Love for Meher Baba T he
Ancient One by th e late Jan e Barry H aynes . Hosted
by Brian D rygas , (408) 927 -65 00.
Sunday, December 21, 1 ~ 5 PM ~ Me hera's
Birthday Tea at Alan and Karen T albot's Hom e
Come and sh are sto ries, music a nd tea fo r th e birth-
day of Baba's Beloved Mehe ra. Kacy C ook, resident
at Meh erabad , is visiting th e Bay A rea and will
sh are some of h er stories of times with Mehera.
Bring your own stories too ! A lso please bring good-
ies to sh a re. The T albots live at 72 1 Crossbrook
Drive , Moraga. Call (5 10 ) 3 76-4325 for di rection s.
Saturday, December 27 ~No Meeting T onight
Saturday, January 3 ~Videos at th e Stovall's
Come and see v ideos of the Beloved at the ho me
of Vern and Annie Sto vall , 869 Appaloosa Dri ve,
Wa lnut Creek. Call (510) 938- 212 6 for directions.
Saturday, January 10- Haw I Came to Meher Baba
This is the best story of them a ll - come and h ear
h ow your friends found th e ir way through the world
and into Baba's fold . Share your story too! Hosted
by Harold Jamison, (510) 236-7993 .
Saturday, January 17 ~ Margaret Bernstein
Come h ear Margaret's beautiful flute and piano com-
pos it ions. Sh e will play excerpts from h er COs Full
Circle and On T he T hreshold of Change. Margaret is
a longt ime Baba- lover whose parents me t Baba.
Saturday, January 24 ~ Amartithi Songs and Music
Come join a heart-filled even ing of singing for the
Lord. Hosted by Janet White (5 10 ) 843-4417.
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President, Janet White, Vice President, Brian Drygas, Secretary, Brian Drygas, Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Leslie Baer Laurie Brook Brian Drygas Mehera Halliwell Greg Harland Clint Snyder Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Trustwal/a: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)
Friday, January 30 ~ 8:30PM ~ Amartithi Night
S imultaneously wi th th ousands of Baba Lovers in
Ind ia , we will observe Amartith i with music, t he
en to mbment film , silence and art i. W e will h ave 15
minutes of silen ce from 10:30 to 10:45 PM to co-
incide with silence a t th e tomb in Ind ia. Coordinat-
ed by Jane t W hite, (51 0 ) 843 -441 7.
Saturday, Feb. 7, 7:30PM- An Evening with
Herman Alvarado at Laurie Brook's Home
Herman will tell wonderful stories of h is ma ny visits
with Meh er Baba in the 1950s and 60s. H e was a
merchant marin e, an d when h is ships docked in
Bombay, h e would get h imself overland for a visit
with Baba. Laurie lives at 1213 Clover Lan e, Wal-
nut C reek. C all (510) 933-5846 for d irection s.
Saturday, February 14 ~Sam Ervin and Margaret
Magnus " Haw the L.A. Center Came About"
Sam and Margaret will lead a discuss ion on the steps
the L.A. Group took in developing a long-range
plan and own ing a Center. They've graciously agreed
to share th e ir experie n ces. H osted by Brian Drygas.
<> Saturday, February 21 ~ 12 PM~ 6 PM ~
Happy 104th Birthday, Baba! Join Us At The
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall, Cedar &
Bonita Streets, Berkeley
Meher Baba's birth day is rea lly February 25, but
we'll celebrate this Sat urday. Same t ime, same place
as last year. W e 'll begin with a pot luck lunch, the n
we'll h ave e ntertainment from our talented musical
and theatrical community, group sin ging, and, of
course, b irthday cake a nd the Fly-to-India Sweep-
stakes. Spec ial activ ities for ch ildren !
12-2 PM - Welcom e , po t luck lunch
2-5 PM - En tertain m ent and Ba ba's b irthday cake
5-6 PM - Sweepstak es Drawin g, Prayers and Arti
We need plenty of h e lp with this event. If you'd like
to perform, or ca n help with serving food, decorat-
ing or clean-up , call Brian Drygas , (408) 9 27-6500.
Saturday, February 28 - Film Night
T onigh t we'll see rare footage of Meh er Baba. T h is
fil m is unavailable on video. Hosted by Peter Ravazza.
N U MBERS TO CALL:
Mailing List: Scott Maloney (510) 705~8750 x 777
Phon e T ree: Annie Stovall (51 0) 938~21 26
(Letter Regarding Trust Donations , continued from page 2)
Please inform all in your area who would want to know
that, because the amount received for Avatar Meher
Baba Trust "Firstly" has been so very low, the Trust is
now requesting that all d o nation s up to 3 1st March
1998 sh ould be made to Avatar Meher Baba Trust "Firstly."
In Baba's Love and Service ,
V.S. Ka lchuri, ch a irman
Please Note: An exceptio n to the above guidelines is:
Individuals who wish to dona te a la rge amount to the
Corpus fund of Avata r Meher Baba Perpetual Public
Charitable Trust may send the ir do nations at any time
of the year.
BE SURE TO BUY YOUR 1998 MEHER BABA
CALENDAR , PROFITS GO TO THE TRUST
O ur bookstore h as plenty of beautiful large-format 1998
Meher Baba calendars for sa le. A ll calendar profits go
to the Trust. Be sure to think of o ur bookstore when you
plan holiday g iving. It will be ava ilable at the meeting
o n December 13. You can a lso call bookstore-walla Laura
Hogan a t (510) 237-9257 to arrange a mai l o rder.
THANKS FROM THE T ALBOTS
A very spec ial thank you to our No rthern Califo rnia
Avatar Meher Baba family for remembering our family
at th is time. We a ppreciate you sending so many Baba
wishes for my recovery, t~e ma n y phone calls, the cards ,
the visits, tran sportation when needed and t he many
lo vingly prepared dinners. Yo ur though tfulness and
overflowing Baba-ful concern will a lways be remem-
bered wi th sincere appreciatio n and gratitude.
ln Meher Saba's Love,
A lan, Karen, Matt, Andrew and Kate Talbot
Address Correction
I ~ ..
/' ~ '
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito , Sunday Mornings - I 0:00 AM
Arti and singing at the G reensteins, (510) 525-3364.
El Cerrito , Thursday Evenings , 7: I 5 PM
Discourse reading and d iscussion. Contac t Louise
Ba rri e or Dick. A nthony at (510) 524- 1440.
Fresno - Wednesday Evenings , 7:30 to 8:30PM
Arti a nd a varied program. Contact Sharon or Phil
Scot t at (209 ) 449-0877.
Los Gatos , Friday Evenings, 8:00PM
Arti, singing and readings a t the h ome of C lint and
Sha ron Snyder. Call the m at (408) 395-6865 or
Berry Low man at (650) 323-1900.
Petaluma , Sunday Mornings - I I :00 AM
Arti, read ings, and fellowsh ip. Contact H erma nn or
Jeanette Loew at (707) 778-1195. Please call ahead.
Sacramento - Sunday Mornings , II :00 A M
Discourse readings and occasional gatherings.
Contact Mike and Jean Ross, (916) 486-2924.
Walnut Creek -Second and Fourth Sunday
Evenings Every Month - 7:30 to 9:30 PM
Meetings are h eld a t Helen Riehl's h ome. Call
Helen at (510) 935-0 167 or G il Shepard, (5 10 ) 930-
8670 for directions.
THE TRUST
All who wi sh to sh ~ in the commi tment laiEI ~own
by Meher Baba th tQygh the Trust should :-contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Bo~ 288 , Richmond, CA 94802-1"288.
~
MEHER -6-~BAiNFORMATION -
People who wish to ~w more about Metier Baoa can
obtain introductory material and a catalogue of availaol e
publicaitons by writing or phoning Me her Baba Information.
P.O. Box 1101 , Berkeley, CA 94701. Or call (510) 562-1101
--
 MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CA. INC.
N E w s L E
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 17
LETTI NG
MEHER BABA
EMBRACE US IN
OUR DAILY LIVES
That was the theme of this year's Sahavas at Pilgrim
Pines. Guest speakers were Bhau Kalchuri, Menvan
Dubash, Bob and Jane Brown and Henry Kashouty. The following tran-
script is from the final talk given by 1/enry on Monday morning, July 4th.
While the wrillen word does not seem to capture his strength of conviction
or his wonderful sense of humor, it does capture the essence of this year's
theme. Thanks to the Melzer Baba Cenler ofSouthern California and Henry
Kaslw uty for permission to share a part of the SaJzavas with you.
Stop postponing becoming the finest human being.
You have the greatest help in creation, PERSONAL
GOD- the only help in creation. Our journey, now that
we believe in the real God, is direct. It is no more a
circuitous thing. What is circuitous is when we don't
put Baba first. When we don't put Baba first, Baba is
still Baba putting us direct, but we're not enjoying the
trip. That's terrible. We are in a nightmare of thinking
instead of putting Baba first. One says, "Ah, I'm here
to see Him with increasing clearness so that what I do
not see with my eyes becomes more visible than that
which I do see with my eyes".
What conviction makes you know is that what you
cannot see with your eyes is more real than what you do
see with your eyes? We know that the most advanced
physicists say that if you break matter down to its fi nest
point, it disappears, it becomes consciousness. So thi s
is nothing, but it sure is a heavy nothing. Fifty
thousand Frenchmen may be wrong, but they're also
very heavy. So we really do need to be propped up,
first externally by God, and our conviction makes it
possible to build that bridge. The bridge is ,.simply
thinking about Him as much as possible.
When that does happen, Baba is always wanting to
pour His love on us. His love resu lts in increased
awareness, which is incompatible with fast feverish
thinking. Remember that statement: "Mind racing is
mad, mind slowed down is saint, mind working normal
is man and mind stopped is God." Increased awareness
1988
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
FALL 1988
is incompatible with a racing mind. You
can be doing nothing and if your mind is
quiet, you feel a richness inside. A quiet
mind is a powerful tool. Baba is the key
to a quiet mind. You only get that
through that which can hold your
attention with increasing tenacity- God-
Man. You only get a semblance of
quietness of mind when any other key is used. As soon
as a little pressure is applied, your mind will become
feverish again. Worry will be there again. With Baba.
increasing work makes you look big problems righ t in
the face and they gradually regain their normal size and
dimension. A fast, feverish mind makes any probl em
loom up to gigantic proportions.
It is useful to have some techniques. Something I
learned from Baba: if you are upset or something is
bothering you, do so methin g physica l, that' s
constructive . Use your will to get up. Use your will to
do something you don't want to do that's physical,
doesn't require too much thinking - that is therapeutic.
The effect of it is it simply causes the froth of the mind
to come settling down a bit and the dimensions of the
problem goes back to its normal size. Then the chances
of you putting Baba first becomes more reasonable,
more likely. It's within your capacity to do that.
Remember Baba at all times and remember to obey
Baba and remember to surrender to Baba's will. Babu
will do the rest. Our journey is only as far as we
imagine it. Everything in creation is illusion. Illusion
is unconscious divine imagination. Baba is conscious
divinity. Baba has brought conscious divinity into
unconscious divine imagination. Therein duality exists,
i.e., the struggle between the reality and illu sion. So,
holding onto Baba's damaan means we have recognized
the reality within illusion, and we know we must hang
on or be lost. Baba tells us with divine authority, that if
we hold fast to Baba, we will never be lost, but saved
from our own unconscious divine imagination.
Baba is in all because Baba is all. When a tragedy
occurs, all say it is God's will. When a child has a
temper tantrum, all say the child is being willful. When
continued on the nell page
 IL
continued from tho first pa!16 . . ,
a good deed IS done, all say, "isn't It wonderful?
When someone murders another, all say it is evil. But
Baba says it is all Baba's will. And what Baba means is
that all in creation are at the same time in illusion. The
experience in illusion is to awaken each from illusion
into reality. The only way this can be done is for each
individual to experience every possible frusnation until
that individual wants to experience something else. That
something else is the reality that God and only God
exists. This reality can only be experienced a little at a
time, lifetime after lifetime until that tiny spark becomes
a raging fire that can never be extinguished and becomes
one with the infinite fire of God.
(On feeling closer to Baba without his physical
presence.)
It's very important because certainly I didn't haveHis
physical presence as much as I wanted, nor did those
people living in India. I mean, Baba was off
somewhere and they were there. The first thing you
start off with is this: Baba Himself said, "Isn't it
wonderful? I never leave you. I am closer to you than
your own breath. I am not thi s body. You all have
been children in my love. You must go home and find
me where I really exist, in the heart of my lover." He
said over and over and over again those things way back
there in time. These things gradually become
increasingly meaningful to each one of us and we find
out that Baba is present. We have little experiences.
We want to find a way to make that happen.
Now, in terms of my own experience, I will give
you this example of something that happened to me. I
wrote quite a bit to Baba and I was always trying to find
the words worthy to say to God. So it was my effort at
praise. And the difficulty was that I really did need to
be an exquisite, eloquent poet. Because that is what
should be said to God. But I was not a poet, so I had to
do the best I could.
In 1958 when we went down to the Center at Mytrle
Beach, Baba was the most important fact of my
existence. However, it seemed as though Baba sent for
everyone except me. I sat there eating my heart out as
this one and that one would go to Baba. That was an
absolutely severe and painful conflict for me to be
experiencing. The One who was more important to me
than anything or anyone wasn't paying any atten tion to
me, as though I didn't exist. So that kind of a conflict I
just couldn't resolve. My nature is not to find a false
answer or a false escape. That's never been satisfying
to me. I had to face it and so consequently the difficulty
was felt very intensely. I had to resolve it truthfully. I
had to go from this point of intense pain because of the
severity of this conflict that was right in front of my
eyes. I had to feel that intensity. Over here I had had
these nice things from Baba. I had this conviction from
the very beginning before I saw him that he was God in
human form. All of a sudden life had sprung into focus.
Life had the highest possible meaning which is
accessable to me. I was on the "Royal Road". And the
source of all of this was not paying any attention to me!
So the severity of that conflict kept up and the only way
I could resolve it was the true way. I said, "Baba is
God in human form. He doesn't want to see me.
God's will should be my will. If God doesn't wane to
see me, I don't want to see Him." I got to His will. I
really did get to surrender to His will and I can assure
you people, I have never in my life experienced until
that one time at the Tomb anything so magnificient. And
then Baba called me in fifteen minutes. And He said all
kinds of things at that particular time. And it didn 't
make any difference what He said about me. It had no
value. All that had value was I had surrendered to His
will and I was on the highest state of bliss. That was
when I was massaging His leg over and over and over
again. We were in there a long time.
Of course afterwards all these nice things He said 1
wrote down when my ego came back! But then I lost
it, I lost the paper. So I knew what it was like to
surrender to His will. It was beautiful! Why was it
beautiful? Because of that enormous need to resol ve
this horrible conflict, I had to accept the truth which
was whatever God's will is, is exactly what I ought to
have. I can't do that every moment, but we will get to
that point. And when you surrender to Baba's will it
was such a magnificent feeling for me. It just burned
itself in my mind. So that was in His presence, yes.
But you see, surrendering to His will, I was in His
presence and He was saying all these things and I was
on cloud nine because I surrendered to His will and at a
time when He didn't want to see me. I didn't care
whether He ever wanted to see me again . That's what I
experience from surrendering to His will. It did n't
make any difference so long as I was surrendering to
His will whether He saw me or not whether He sa id
this was my first human incarnation, or my last, it
didn't make any difference. None of those thin gs
(make any difference), tha t's in rhe imagination. If
Baba said something nice to you, what do you do? You
say, "God, I hope He's right!". You certainly don 't
feel it. He says that you are a strong follower of His, a
strong lover, and you feel weak. The work is still there
to do. T he work is to be put in first. Every one of us is
divine.
 IL
FRIDAY-SATURDAY MEETINGS Meher Saba meetings are held at the Albany Methodist
Church, Stannage Avenue and Marin in Albany. The first meeting of each month is on Saturday, with SEPTEMBER 24th (Saturday) SPECIAL GUEST
the remainder on Friday. All programs begin at 8:00 PM sharp and normally end at 9:30 PM with time SPEAKERS: GULNAR AND JEHANGIR
for vis~ing before and after the meeting. To check for program changes call (415) 845-4339. SUKHADWALLA
Saba's niece and the sister of twins Rustam and
Sorab, Gulnar and her husband will give a talk this
AUGUST 28th (Sunday) - POT LUCK DINNER WITH evening. Coordinator: Louise Barrie
BHAU KALCHURI
Bhau will draw the winning ticket for the Myrtle OCTOBER 1st (Saturday) - SPECIAL VIDEO
Beach Rattle. Gather at the home of Michael Le Irene Bille, who spent the WW II years with Saba in
Page, 846 Sea View, El Cerrito from 2- 6 PM. India is featured. Coordinator: Bing Heckman.
AUGUST 29th (Monday) - POT LUCK DINNER WITH
BHAU KALCHURI OCTOBER 7th SPECIAL FILM NIGHT
A Cold Dish Supper at the home of the Talbot's Irwin Luck's film of Meher Saba's work with the
from 6- 9:30PM, 721 Crossbrook Drive, Moraga. musts, His God-intoxicated souls. Coordinators:
RSVP to Karen Talbot at (415) 376-4325. David Graber and Louise Barrie.

AUGUST 30th (Tuesday) - SPECIAL GUEST SPEAK- OCTOBER 14th - THE NEW LIFE
ER: BHAU KALCHURI October 16th is the thirty-ninth anniversary of
The weekly meeting of Open Arms for Meher Saba Meher Saba's New Life. Tonight's meeting will
is very pleased to welcome Bhau tonight. NOTE focus on this unique period with readings, music
LOCATION: DOLORES STREET CHURCH, and poetry. Led by Jenny Califf. Coordinators:
208 DOLORES STREET (AT 15TH Janice Quartieri and Fred White.
STREET), SAN FRANCISCO.
OCTOBER 21st BEFORE THE SILENCE
SEPTEMBER 1st (Thursday) - POT LUCK DINNER "The Early Years of Meher Baba and His Disciples,
WITH BHAU KALCHURI
Part I": a multi-media evening presented by Harold
At the home of the VanBuskirk's from 6-9:30 PM, Jamison. Coordinator: Irene Meyers.
304 Castle Crest Road, Walnut Creek. RSVP by
August 30th to Ursula VanBuskirk at (415) 947- OCTOBER 28th - THE EAST-WEST GATHERING
0495. (No children, please.) David Miotke's musical setting and selected read-
ings from Francis Brabazon's masterful "Song-Story
SEPTEMBER 2nd - SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER: of an Event Unique in History". Coordinators: Ja-
BHAU KALCHURI nice Quartieri and Gary Cook.
One of Meher Saba's mandali, Bhau will speak with
us tonight and share some of his life with Saba. Co- NOVEMBER 5th (Saturday) - SPECIAL GUEST
ordinator: Irene Meyers. SPEAKER: NAOSHERWAN ANZAR
Welcome back to this old friend, author of ''The Be-
SEPTEMBER 9th - FILMS OF AVATAR MEHER loved" and publisher of "The Glow". Naosherwan
BABA was born into a Saba family and his conviction be-
Coordinator: Janice Ouartieri. speaks his lifelong connection with the God-Man.
Coordinators: Lisa Greenstein and Ed VanBuskirk.
SEPTEMBER 16th - DISCOURSE DISCUSSION
NIGHT NOVEMBER 11th - SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER:
Come share your thoughts or personal experienc- RICK CHAPMAN
es connected with any of Saba's discourses. Coor- Tonight's Question and Answer format will be of in-
dinator: Gary Cook. terest to all. Coordinator: Bing Heckman.

SEPTEMBER 23rd - WORK PARTY/MOONLIGHT NOVEMBER 18th - FILMS OF AVATAR MEHER

SALE
Bring your donations to sell and yourself to work,
preparing for tomorrow's sale. Early in the evening,
a short devotional meeting, later a special preview
buying opportunity. Coordinator: Lisa Greenstein.
NOTE LOCATION: FRIENDS MEETING
HALL AT WALNUT & VINE.
BABA
Coordinator: Janice Quartieri. continued on the next page
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, INC.
President, Bing Heckman Vice President, Malinda McCulloch Secretary, Gary Cook Treasurer.
Alan Tabot Office Manager, Fred White.
Board of DirectotS: Louise Barrie Gary Cook linda Delgado Lisa Greenstein Bing Heckman
MafUlcla McCulloch Janice Quartieri.
Coordinators: Program, Louise Barrie Anance, Usa Greenstein Membership, Janice Ouartieri Pub-
lichy, Bing Heckman Service, Linda Delgado Archives, Michael LePage Bookstore, Ben Leet.
cominued from !he previous page
NOVEMBER 25th - MANDALI VIDEO
Tonight we will feature a video of Padre, one of
Saba's early mandali . Padre shares of his life with
the Master. Coordinators: Ursula VanBuskirk and
Louise Barrie.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25th
Baba's children (and their families) gather at Arlington
Park from 1 to 4 PM. All are welcome....... Bring
snacks to share.
SACRAMENTO BABA GROUP MEETINGS
The Sacramento Baba Group meets the fust Friday of
every month from 7:30 to 9:30 PM at the Religious
Science Creative Living Center, 6035 Main Avenue,
Orangevale (between Greenback and Madison). For
more information contact Marilyn Buehler at (916) 966-
4740 or Marie Rhodes at (916) 723-6631.
WEEKLY ARTI & DISCOURSES
IN SAN FRANCISCO
Tuesdays at 8 PM, Larry Pesta will host a weekly per-
formance of Arti and discussion of Meher Baba's Dis-
courses. The meetings are held at the Dolores Street
Church, 208 Dolores Street (at 15th Street) as part of
Open Arms for Meher Baba outreach. Everyone is in-
vited! Call (415) 441-7008 for more inform ation.
BOARD MEETINGS
Meher Baba Center of Northern California Board
meetings are open to all members. Call Janice Quartieri
at (415) 527-6739 for the date and time of upcoming
meetings.
MEHER BABA INFORMATION - "THE BOX"
Worknights at Meher Baba Information are Thursdays,
7:30PM to 9:30PM. Work ranges from responding to
requests for information to processing orders for books
and other literature, and many new projects. If you
would like to help, call Rick Chapman or Gary Freeman
at (415) 562-1101.
TRUSTWALLA
Our trustwalla is Jenny Califf. All who wish to share
in fulfilling the commitments laid down by Baba through
the instrument of the Trust should contact Jenny c/o
Safeguard, 74 14th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103.
Phone: (415) 864-3377.
POT LUCK SUPPERS
There will be a Pot Luck supper the first Wednesday
of each month at 6:30 PM. Bring "carry-our" or "home
cooking" for an evening of fellowship.
Suggested themes for this quarter:
September 7th - Italian- RSVP to Janice Quar-
tieri at (415) 527-6739.
October 9th - Oriental - RSVP to Karen Lunde-
gaard at (415) 549-1736.
November 2nd - Harvest Season - RSVP to
Janice Quartieri at (415) 527-6739.
SPECIAL NOTICE:
Interview times with Bhau Kalchuri are
available. Call Sue Jamison at
(415) 236-7993 to schedule.
- -
MEHER BABA CENTER
of Northern California, Inc.
2131 University Avenue, Room 235
Berkeley, CA 94704
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CALIF INC.

N
0 UA~
s
1LJE~JLY
E L E T T E R
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE. , RM . 235 BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
VOL. 28 FALL, 1998

Welcome Home, N ana Kher

The following are cwo e~mails sene which he used to tell in the
from Meherabad, one from ]ames library on top of the Hill just
Cox, one from Gary Kleiner, no~ before Arti.
tifying us of Nana Kher' s passing He is another wicket gone
on Augusc 5th. in a field that now contains only
On Wednesday afternoon, a few left.
about 6:30pm, Nana Kher, Me- ln His Love, Jaibaba, James
herabad resident, longtime pras-
adi at Meher Baba's Samadhi,
Dear Friends ...
long time Baba lover, and for~
merly a long time hugger, went Hi! Jai Meher Baba! Nana
to Baba. 1 suppose there will be Kher passed away tonight. His
someone up there to tell him funeral pyre will be lit tomor-
"Welcome Home," as he told row, Thur~day the 6th of Au~
so many of us over the years as gust at 9:45 AM.
we wou ld once aga in return to He was the Prasad Give r at
Baba's Tomb. Baba's T omb since 1969. When
Nana, as we all called him, one would come up for Baba's
had come to Baba before Ba ba's Darshan, he would say to them
New Life phase, and when Baba "WELCOME HOME!" and
dropped the body, he was one when the Arti was over, he would
Nana Kher
of the immed iate crowd that gath- say "TIME T O DEPART WITH
ered in early February, of 1969. At BABA!"
that time, it was decided that there He passed out Prasad until he
shou ld be someone at the Samadhi passed out in his room about two
continously whi le it was open, and weeks ago . He was taken to a hos-
Nana was selected to perform that pital, where he ultimately died.
role. In the early years it was on ly When it came to be known that
Nana, Mansari and Jangl i Master who Nana collapsed during the night a
used to sit at the Samadhi, handing few weeks ago, our doctor went to
out prasad, with the largest share of see him and asked h im how he was.
time, by far, going to Nana. Nana said, "I am not th is body, lam
Nana had been in failing health not this mind ."
for the last few years, his illness and I just came back a coup le of min~
old age gradually consuming more and utes ago from Mandali Hall at Me-
more of his ene rgy, but he still herabad whe re Nana is lying in state.
regularlyatten. J Even ing Arti, hand- He is definite ly not that BODY 1
ing out prasad, until the end. He will Hope that all is well wi th all of
beremembered by all of us for his loving you.
greetings and wonuerful Baba stories, With love and care, Gary.

1998
 J1
Wake Up Portland, Wake Up!
~ by Betty Lowman
Nestled in the green hills of Oregon 's Willamette
Valley, is "Baba House," a 5-acre farm that is home to
the W ilson family and, occasionally, the site of the
Portland community's annual summer sahavas. This year
Bhau Kalchuri was their featured guest.
On Thursday July 16, there was a morning tea at
Joanna Tompkins' home, and then, in the evening,
Bhau spoke to a crowd of about 165 peopie at the
University of Portland. H e v.~very pleased at the number
of new faces he saw- plenty of "public" at his public
talk. His new ghazal "Wake Up Portland, Wake Up!"*
was performed there by "Creator" Janice Reiman. An
invitation was extended for any newcomer to come free
to the weekend sahavas at Baba House.
T he next day, after a morning talk and pot luck at
the home of David and Malini Raffo, sah avasees drove
for about an hour out of Portland t~ the little town of
Scotts Mills, and the festivities began. At most, there
were about 150 attendees, mainly from Oregon, Wash-
ington, California and Canada, some from farther away.
The Wilson farm had been transformed for the oc-
casion. Jim Wilson's workshop/bam housed the child-
rens' arts and crafts area and the bookstore. Outside, a
lean-to was festooned with Christmas lights and color-
ful cloths. Voila! a Toddy Shop. Proprietor Rick Scheu
dispensed spicy chai and never seemed to be without
customers.
A kind neighbor (an "Old Believer" in the Russian
Orthodox t radition -similar to the Amish ), allowed
fo lks to park on h is adjacent back lot, and tent campers
spread out on the grassy hills. Great meals were served
by a crew of volunteers headed up by Jean Wilson and
her sisters, Marie and Joan. Huge bowlfulls of sweet
Oregon blackberries, blueberries and raspberries were
an unforgettable offering a t several meals.
Bhau stayed in Baba House (he had given it the
name a couple of years ago) , and those who weren't tent
camping stayed at local bed and breakfasts. Bhau was
in great spirits, giving four talks and visiting with the
children and teens. We a ll learned at least the chorus
to "Wake Up, Portla nd, Wake Up, " and sang it often.
Arti was held Saturday and Sunday mornings on a
permanent stage built on a h ill/ampitheatre in the Wilsons'
backyard. The mus ic was d ivine, with John Connor on
the harmonium and Ward Parks, Jim W ilson, Rick Scheu
~~
~~ -, . . t
and Ron Greenste in on guitars. After Jim read one of
his humorous ghazals to uproarious laughter, Ron G reen-
stein said, "Jim, you're the only person I know who's
built a stage in his backyard, and now I know why!"
The highlight of Saturday evening was a hillarious
re-do of "The Wizard of Oz" called "The Master is
God," written and directed by by Randel Williams of
Seattle. The Seattle group h ad their finest h our that
evening. Costumes and props, created by co-director
Theresa Padvorac, were stunning, everyone remembered
the ir lines, and producer Pete Pitcher and special props
man Bob Johnsson created just the right setting. Cyn-
thia Barrientos was a radiant good witch Olinda and
"hunchkins" John and Barbara Connor and JeffTingel-
stad and Caitlin Hurkett danced and sang silly routines.
Lance Bennington, a mixed-up spiritual seeker, Dun-
can Hurkett, a scientist who wanted a heart, and Catherin
Alpert, a yogini in search of powers, accompanied Dor-
othy (Dalia Taylor), who was in search of her real self,
down the Path to His Door, s inging "Yogis and Sadhus
and Masts, Oh My, Yogis and Sadhus and Masts, Oh
My." ... O n the way, they encountered the formidable
obstacle Maya, played by Judy Robertson, but their
purity of h eart and focus on their goal got them to His
Door. The great "Shariat" (Randel Williams), was, of
course found to be an impostor, and Dorothy learned
that her real self was as close as her own heart. Bravo
to the Seattle Group!
After the play, dhuni under the starry O regon sky
was a quiet way to wind down from the festivities. The
next morning, after Bhau's last talk, happy and tired
campers rolled up their bedrolls and headed home, content
after a heart-full weekend.
* The ghazal was orginally written for Chicago, but was
later expanded to include all cities.
A Letter From the Editor
Over th e past 10 years or so , since I've been edit ing this
newsletter, we have tried to h ave, for our cover stories,
articles focused on Meher Baba and His mandali, mostly
by the people who have met them. We are always in
search of more of these articles and also for volunteers
who can h elp us transcribe them from tapes. If you can
help in either capacity, please call Alexandra Cons a t
(510) 849-2464.
MEETINGS - Meher Baba events are held on Saturday nights
unless other wise indicated below. TIMES - Events normally
start at 8:00 PM and end by 9:30PM. LOCATIONS- Events
are held at the Albany Methodist Church unless otherwise noted.
The church is at the corner of Marin and Stannage, two blocks
east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of Berkeley) Take
the Albany exit from Interstate 80.
To c heck for p rogram changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore 'it Childcare
Saturday, September 5: Sufi Poetry: Bill
Gannett Presents the First .of a Two-part Series
Hafiz and Rumi were among Baba's favorite poets.
Bill will read from their works and others. Bring your
favorite Sufi poems and come for an evening at the
Lord's Wineshop.
Saturday, September 12: Sufi Poetry with Bill
Gannett, Part II
Still Yet More revelry at the Tavern.
Saturday, September 19: Rummage Sale at the
Friends' Meeting House, 2151 Vine St., Berkeley
This is the best fund-raiser our group does all year.
Donate your goods, serve a two-hour pricing or selling
shift, and of course, come to buy. Great stuff from
good folks for a good cause. How can you go wrong?
Call Janet White to sign up for Friday night pricing
or Saturday selling. (510) 843-4417 . We prefer that
donations be brought to the Friends' Meeting House
on Friday evening, Sept. 18 from 6- 9 pm. If you need
to bring donations sooner than that, call the Harlands
(510) 237-5348 to make special arrangements. Post
the enclosed flyer in a strategic place!
Saturday, September 26: An Evening with
Bill and Peggy Stephens
Bill Stephens is a lively and entertaing speaker, and
author of rwo books: Footsteps in the Sand and Souls on
Fire. The first tells about how he came to Baba in 1969
and how his whole family's life changed after that. The
second tells stories of the lives of saints who lived after
Muhammad and before Baba, including Rabia of Basra,
Mirabai, Milarepa, St. Francis, George Fox and Babajan.
Saturday, October 3: Cindy Lowe in Concert
Cindy's concerts are memorable events. She transforms
our social hall into a cabaret and performs with great
style, singing many original compositions for the Be-
loved. This is a fund-raiser, suggested donation $7.
Saturday, October 10: Baba and Biological
Evolution: An Evening with Joan Harland
Joan has a Ph.D. in molecular biology, and she grew
up in a Baba family, meeting Baba when she was four
years old. She's had plenty of time to ponder this
topic. Come for an enlightening evening.
Saturday, October 17: Australia Night: Report
from Avatar's Abode
In June of this year, Avatar's Abode in Queensland,
Australia celebrated the 40th anniversary of Baba's
visit there. Sue Jamison will host an evening of slides
and reminiscensces of The Abode.
Saturday, October ~ovie Night
The .film T~e God Man will be shown tonight.
Saturday, October 31: Music Night with Ron
Ron Greenstein is a perenn ial favorite here in the Bay
Area. Come for a guaranteed great musical evening.
Saturday, November 7: Different Styles of Follow-
ing Baba: Dick Anthony's Research, Week I
In his work as a research psychologist and consultant
on new religious movements and cults, Dick uses con-
temporary psychoanalytic theory to evaluate different
strategies of spiritual development. In this talk and
the one next week, he will transfer the insights devel-
oped in that context to an evaluation of different
trends among Baba Lovers, e.g. different ways of fol-
lowing Baba and different types of Meher Baba groups.
Saturday, Noo. 14: Recent Omtrooersies Among
Baba Lovers: Dick Anthony's Research, Week II
In the second week of this two-part series, Dick will
continue his presentation from last week, and will also
apply his research framework to an analysis of contro-
versies that have recently developed among Baba Lovers.
Saturday, November 21: Jam & Chanting
Evening (Singing Baba's Name)
Organized by Odille Atthalin, this will be a partici-
patory event, not a performance. Come and sing! Raine
Eastman-Gannett will accompany us on her harmoni-
um, and some percussion instruments will be avail-
able. Bring your own, if you have them.
Saturday, November 28: Thanksgiving
Weekend: No meeting this Saturday

Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.

President, 'oan Harland, Vice President, Harold Jamison, Secretary, Ron Greenstein, Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Odile Atthalin Laurie Brook Ron Greenstein Greg Harland Joan Harland Harold Jamison Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Phone Tree Captain: Irene Meyers Program: Greg Harland
Bookstore: Katie Mink Library: Alexandra Cons Officewalla: Fred White
Trustwal/a: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)
 HOW BERKELELY CAN BABA BE?
Las t year fo r the first time, Ro n Greenstein, Laura
Hogan, Ben Leet and Greg, Gay, Leela and Aminta
Dunn marched in th e H ow Berkeley Can Yo u Be
Parade with two large photos of Baba, made with
the help of R oger Larsen and Lo rraine King. They
passed o ut Baba informatio n a t the fair afterwa rd.
It was a good-humored , low-key way to spend a
Su nday and sh are Baba's message . This year, you too
can participate. The parade will be S unday, Sep-
te mber 27 at 11 PM and the fair will follo w. A lmost
5,000 people attended last year! Call Ben Leer (510)
35 1-8259 to brainstorm parade ideas and jo in up!
HELP WITH THE RUMMAGE SALE
If yo u can help wi th the rummage sale Friday night
Septembe r 18 and Satu ruay uc!) tt. .. ,ber 19, please
sign up for a shift with Janet White (51Q) 843-~417.
Help with coordinating 't he vo lun teers will be very
n1uch appreciated a lso.
NEWSLETTER MAILING WALLA,
WHERE ARE YOU?
Four times a year, thi s newsletter is mailed o ut to
our Baba community. We need a vol unteer to co-
ord inate the ma iling party, get the news letters fro m
the printer, and get mailing labels from Scott Maloney.
Call Joan Harland (510) 237-5348 if you can help.
To get on the Newsletter Mailing List,
call Scott Maloney (510) 705 8755 x777
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down
by Meher Baba through the Trust should contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288.
of Norlhcrn California, Inc.
21 3 1 Universily Avenue, R om 235
Berkeley. California 9-l704
IJ
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito - Sunday Mornings - 10:00 AM
Arti and singi ng at Greensteins' (5 10) 525-3364.
El Cerrito - Thursday Evenings - 7: 15 PM
Disco~me reading and d iscussion. Contact Louise
Barrie or Dick Anthony at (510) 524-6405.
Fresno - Occasional Meetings
Call Sharon or Phil Scott at (209) 449-1883.
Menlo Park - Friday Evenings - 8:00 PM
Arti, singing and readi ngs at the home of Hugh
and j eannie MacDonald. Call them at (650)
322-0886 or Betty Lowman at (650) 323-1900.
Petaluma- Sunday Mornings - 11:00 AM
Arti, readings a nd fellowship. Contact Hermann
9r j eanette Loew at (707) 778-1195. Please call
ahead.
Sacramento - Sunday Mornings - 11 :00 AM
Disco1trse read ings and occasional gatherings.
Contact Mike and jean Ross, (916) 486-2924.
Santa Cmz - Alternate Tuesdays - 7: 15 PM
Discourse readings and occasional videos.
Contact Deborah Muth (408) 479-7089.
Walnut Creek - Second and Fourth Sunday
Evenings Every Month- 7:30 to 9:30PM
Meetings a re held at Hele n Riehl's home. Call
Helen at (510) 935-0167 o r G il Shepard , ( 510 )
930-8670 for directions.
MEHER BABA INFORMATION
People who wish to know more about Meher Baba can
obtain introductory material and a catalogue of available
publicaitons by wri ting or phoning Meher Baba Information.
P.O. Box 1101, Berkeley, CA 94701. Or call (510) 562-1101
TER
..
.....
1 \ 111 I J.II.,.,.II IJ.II ... Jl II.JI 11 lull
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CALIF INC.

N E w s L E T T E R
2131 UNIVERSITY AVE. , RM. 235 BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
VOL. 28 SUMMER, 1998

Lyn Ott Remembered

LynOtt, a painter whose palette existed only to J>aint the A s I sat close to Baba , H e treat ed me with great pe r-
beautiful fonn of his Beloved, died of a scrol<e in mid-Atyril. s~:ma l affecti on and intim acy so tha t I fe lt His love.
A long-time resident of the Meller Spiritual Center in South Instantly H e was fo r me n o t the teache r o r g uru, but the
Carolina, Lyn was host and lively J>artner in discussion to many loving fa the r a nd fri e nd. Ba ba touc h ed me ofte n with
Baba lovers visiting the Center. The following words are Lyn's, His caresses, pa tting my back, stro king my face.
ral<en from his book In Quest O n ce mo re Ba ba gently
of the Face of G od:
stroked my c hin a nd the n
My ex pe ri ence o f meeting asked me , " Did you sh ave
Meher Baba cannot be sep- tod ay?"
a rated fro m my experie nce It was abo ut mid -mo rning
of a rt. The ex perie n ce o f a nd l said , "Yes , Ba ba. I
meeting Him took place in sh aved this mo rnin g."
o n e beauti ful mo rnin g,
Baba repli ed , "You d id n 't
while my experie n ce of art
do a very good . Feel Sa-
h as lasted for more th an
ba 's c hin. "
thirty years. Eve n so, that
meeting fo rms t h e ce n tra l Baha's face was ve ry soft ,
ax is around which my li fe and H e had a sp le n did
in art revolves. sh ave. Then I said, "While
I was sh av ing I was th ink-
I cannot really say that I know
in g, "Does Baba sh ave?"
anyth ing about Me her Baba.
Even the h ighest reaches of Then Baba rep lied with
the a rtist's imaginat ion can surp rise, "Wh y sh o uldn 't
bare ly touch the hem of the I sh ave?"
garment of a Divine pe rson - I could onl y thin k to say,
ality. But I do know some- "W e ll, Baba , be fo re thi s
thing about a rt, and I fee l I mo rning I h ad n ever as-
can express something abou t socia ted sha v in g with
Meher Baba through what I God ."
know in a nd about a rt. A rt
The H e looked me in the
is not simply a n expression;
eye quite seriously, a nd His
it is express ion itself. W he r-
res po nse was sim p ly this:
ever expression is, there is
" I am mo re h uma n tha n you a re ."
art. Therefore , Meher Baba, being in Himself the most
perfect expressio n, is necessarily the perfection of A rt. It is t h at huma nness th at is th e basis o f t his book a nd
th e majo r part of my life's wo rk.
I saw Me he r Ba ba just once , a nd H e a ll owed me to si t
with Him fo r a n h our an d a h a lf. T hat once-seei ng i Meh er Baba is th e na me given in t his age to the High est
what is called a glimpse . That is wh at Baba wanted me o f th e High , but fo r me it is th e n a me of th e man wh o
to have. A nd a ll o f the pa intings that I h ave made o f has become th e pe rsona l Friend a nd S usta ine r.
Him h ave come from th e fire of tha t o n e glimpse. Painting: Undoubtedly, I Am LoVt' 1980 b)' Lyn Ott
1998
 IL
Memorials
During the past few months, Baba has continued to call
some of His lovers home to Him. This issue of the News-
letter is dedicated to honoring them and their love for the
Eternal Beloved .
Anita Vieillard
Anita Vieillard h ad the great good fortune of meeting
Mehe ra Ba ba when sh e was a young vvoman . A close
associate o f Norina Match abe lli, Anita was part of t h e
gro up who stayed with Baba during His visit.s to the
West, beginning in the 1930s . She was married to th"e
a rtist Roger-V ieil-lard, a frieRd o f Pablo Picasso and
Ernest H emmingway, and was, h erse lf, a pain.ter. Th.e
Vie illards had Baba meetings at the ir home in Paris and
Anita loved to tell people about her time with Baba.
She left this world to join Him last March.

Janet Luck
Ja net Luck was ca lled back to Baba on April 5 . She had
lived with cancer for almost ten years, wanting to stay
a live as long as possible so as n o t to leave her son when
he was young. Ja n et was a singe r whose beautifu l sopra- Roman Babiak
no voice was well-known in the Baba world. She not
On Satu rd ay , May 16 at 8 :02 in the mo rning, three
on ly sang, but a lso composed for her Beloved, sing ing
months after be ing d iagnosed with cance r of the esoph-
abou t Baba's life a nd even putting God St)eal<s to music.
agus, and just a month after his 50t h birthday, Roma n
Mehera, who was very fond of Janet, gave he r the name
Babiak went home to Baba H e had been constan tl y in
Meheree, and Bhau, after seeing he r p lay the part of
the company of lov ing friends and fam ily fo r weeks. As
Mi ra in Meh era's b irthday play in 1987, used to call her
the news of his illness spread, mo re and more people
Mira. If there is, as some beli eve, a heavenly choir,
ca lled, came to visit, or just came to stay with him as
Janet is ce rta in ly in it, entertain ing Be loved Baba in
long as they could . His latest week-long stay in the
glo ri o us song. (Photo : Janet with Dunn Satha m the
hos pital saw a n amazing and continuous procession of
Pilgrim Center, Meherabad, in 1987 .)
v isitors from as fa r away as Australia, Chicago , Wash-
ington D.C., Minnesota a nd , of course, Los Angeles,
Roman's ' rea l horne.' He was never a lone. Roman was
a dear friend to many from the Baba c ommunity and
from his workplace, a nd was a much -loved uncle to his
niece and nephew Ch rist ina a nd Stephan Ciepley .
Roman had been living in Pa lo Alto with his good
friends Denise and Dan Pliskin and their boys, who
dedicated themse lves totally to his care in hi s last weeks.
Denise logged onto the listse rv when she learned that
many of Roman 's friends were inqu ir ing about him there.
(Roman Babiak was a h o t listserv top ic in the weeks
before he died . Some great Roman Stori e were shared
the re). She posted Roma n updates and also coo rdinated
the constant co m ings and go ings of his friends far and
near, (includ ing Bhau Kalc huri , who visi ted Ro man at
(continHed on /)age 3)
 IL
MEETINGS- Meher Baba events are held on Saturday nights
unless other wise indicated below. TIMES - Events normally
start at 8:00 PM and end by 9:30 PM. LOCATIONS - Events
are held at the Albany Methodist Church unless otherwise noted.
The church is at the corner of Marin and Stannage, two blocks
east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of Berkeley) Take
the Albany exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore <? Childcare
Saturday, June 6 - No Meeting Tonight
Saturday, June 13 - Discussion of God Speaks
and/or Lord Meher at Fred and Janet White's
Readings and discussion from one or both of these
books. The Whites live at 1811 Francisco St., #5,
Berkeley, Call (510) 843,4417 for directions.
Saturday, June 20 .. Annual General Meeting,
7 p.m. Come Early So We Can Start Promptly!
Come and support your Center! There are several
important issues to vote on: use of the Bhau fund, next
year's budget, and a new Nominating Committee and
Board of Directors. Updated phone and address
directories will also be available!
Sunday, June 28, 1-4 p.m. - LynOtt Memorial
Tea at Alan and Karen Talbot's Home.
Come and share LynOtt stories. We will celebrate
Lyn's colorful life for Baba. Bring tea treats to share.
David Miotke will sing. Address: 721 Crossbrook
Drive, Moraga. Call (925) 3 76,4325 for directions.
Saturday, July 4- No meeting tonight.
Saturday, July 11 - Discussion Night
Ron Greenstein will moderate a discussion of Baba's
directive to take ourselves more lightly and God
more seriously.
Saturday, July 18 - Film Night
We will show films from our collection.
Saturday, July 25 - Norina Matchabelli
Laurie Brook will lead readings and discussion from
the latest book to be published about Norina called
Norina's Gift: Messages from Meher Baba Received
through N orina Matchabelli.
home about a week before he died). Denise put folks up
on her living room floor and arranged rides to and from
the hospital and the airport. "What blows my mind,"
Denise said, "is how Roman was a magnet for love."
Roman came home from the hospital on Friday after,
noon, May 15. His last words were "Jai Baba," spoken
to his good friends Jeff Maguire and Fred Stankus, who
came to visit him that afternoon. He then slipped into
a coma and passed on the next morning.
A memorial service, Roman,style, will be held at Ash,
kenaz, 1317 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, on Sunday,
June 14 from 12:30 , 5 P.M. Pot luck flowers (in con,
tainers) are welcome. If you would like to bring food or
~everages, please call Betty Lowman (650) 323,1900.
Bring your dancing shoes. Roman loved a good party!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
BOOKW ALLA, BOOKWALLA, WHERE IS OUR
NEW BOOKWALLA?
This is really it. Laura Hogan will be moving from the
Bay Area next fall. We need a new bookwalla. Anyone
out there interested? Call Janet White, (510) 843,4417.
BHAU VIDEO TO BE ON TCI CHANNEL 3
IN THE CONTRA COSTA AREA
If you're a night owl, and get TCI Contra Costa Cable
TV Channel 3, tune in to Jeff Maguire interviewing
Bhau Kalchuri Wednesday, June 10 at 11 PM.
SITE COMMITTEE CONTINUES TO SEARCH
Late breaking news from our Site Committee: Our po,
tential new site at 2300 Roosevelt Street, Berkeley is
now for sale, so we have decided to discontinue nego,
tiations on that site and will continue our site search.
August is traditionally a vacation month for our
group. Meetings will resume in September.

Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.

President, Janet White, Vice President, Brian Drygas, Secretary, Brian Drygas, Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Leslie Baer Laurie Brook Brian Drygas Mehera Halliwell Greg Harland Clint Snyder Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Finance: Greg Harland, Leslie Baer, Laurie Brook, Clint Snyder
Program: Laurie Brook, Brian Drygas
Bookstore: Laura Hogan Library: Alexandra Cons Officewalla: Fred White
Trustwal/a: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)

J
 You May Be A Baba-lover if. ..
You 've been to India 12 times , but you 've
never seen the Taj Mahal.
You see an old friend (who is not a Saba-
lover) , they give you a big hug , and you ac-
cidentally say "Jai Baba!"
You've spent over $6,000 dollars to take your
fami ly to India, but you still drive a 1975 AMC
Gremlin.
You get a warm fuzzy feeling whenever you
smell cow dung, burning garbage or diesel ex-
haust.
Your child is named Eruch, Mani, Mehe~a or
Babu Cyclewalla.
You are never involved with your local Baba
group except to complain about how it's q.m .
You think that Baba must have wanted you to
eat that candy bar, that's why He put it so
close to the check-out line.
Your walls are plastered with pictures of Baba,
but you still go through an entire day without re-
membering Him.
You're watching a football game with friends,
and every time your team scores, you shout
"Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai! !"
You think Baba's orders are "recommendations."
- 930-8670 for directions.
- Thanks to Jamie Newell fo r this great checklist
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitmen~ laid down
by Meher Baba through the Trust should contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288.
MEHER BABA CENTER
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito - Sunday Mornings- 10:00 AM
Arti and singing at Greenste ins' (5 10) 525-3364.
El Cerrito - T hursday Evenings - 7: 15 PM
Discourse reading and di scussio n. Contact Louise
Barrie or Dick Anthony at (510) 524- 1440.
Fresno - Wednesday Evenings - 7:30 co 8:30PM
A rti and a var ied prog ram. Contact S haron or
Phil Scott at (209) 449-0877.
Menlo Park- Friday Evenings- 8:00 PM
Arti, singing and readi ngs at the home of Hugh
a nd Jeannie MacDonald. Call t hem a t (650)
322-0886 or Betty Lowman at (65 0) 323- 1900.
Petaluma - Sunday Mornings - II :00 AM
Art i, readi ngs and fe llowshi p. Con mct He rman n
or Jeanette Loew at (707) 778- 11 95. Please call
ahead.
Sacramento - Sunday Mornings - 11 :00 AM
Discourse read ings and occasiona l gath erings.
Contact Mike a nd Jean Ross, (916) 486-2924.
Santa Cruz - A lternate Tuesdays - 7: 15 PM
Discourse read ings and occasional videos.
Contac t Deborah Mut h (408) 479-7089.
Walnut Creek - Second and Fourth Sunday
Evenings Every Month - 7:30 co 9:30 PM
l\leetings a re held al Helen Ri ehl's home. Call
Helen at (5 10 ) 935-0 167 or G il Shepard, (510)
MEHER BABA INFORMATION
People who wish to know more about Meher Baba can
obtain introductory material and a catalogue of available
publicaitons by writing or phoning Meher Baba Information.
P.O. Box 1101 , Berkeley, CA 94701 . Or call (510) 562-1101
---
=:=:~~~~::::
~---
........---
--
----
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CALIF INC.

N E w s L E T T E R
2 13 1 UNIVERSITY AVE ., RM . 23 5 BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
VOL. 28 SPRING - 1998

Roshan's Reminiscences
Roshan Kerawala, who now lives at Meherabad, has a wealth
of memories of her years of close contact with Meher Baba.
She shared these stor ies in conversation in December, 1997.
I was born in H ormusji ("Ho mi ") ......------ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - , in Pune , in Shi vajinaga r, in the
Se th's ho use , in Bombay, just
across the street fro m N ao roji
Oadach anji's h ouse, wh ere A r-
navaz grew up. My first meet -
ing with Baba was in their ho use.
Baba h ad come to the ir ho use
("Sohrab Bharucha H ouse") and
my who le family, my moth er,
my brothers and my sisters wh o
we re cri ppled all wen t to see
Baba at t he Oadachanji's ho use.
Every t ime Baba came , we used
to go an d 5e.e. Him th ere. Later,
when A rnavaz got ma rried to
Nariman and they stayed at Ash -
iana on Malabar Hill , we used
to go for Baba's da rshan in the ir
house. But before tha t, Baba
mostly used to come and stay
a t Naoroji 's ho use , which was
in Oad ar, in Bom bay.
Baba a lways used to take lit tle
bab ies and hold th em. When a drawing by
baby was there , H e put His h and J_isa Greenstein
out and you would put the baby
in His h and. H e would somet imes take the ch ild close
to H is chest a nd bless the child . When my mo ther put
me in Baba's hand, Baba took me cloif-, ~o ~.if!\ and ,
instead of g iving me back to my mo tl1e~ 'i-lfe 1 ~ave me
to Banumas i, my husband Sam's moth &~CW!Wwas also
present. Tha t , of course , I do f:irt~~~i\\iHrb'r.ClteA.>.las" .fold
to me by Banumasi. N obody ever tho ugh t then tha t I
would later be married to Banumas i's son Sam.
I learned music fro m Pa pa N aoroj i, A rnavaz's father H e
taught me to sing and to play the ha rmo nium. He was
1998
a perfectio n ist and did no t like an y mistakes. H e would
just make you sing and sing, a nd s ing mo re, until yo u
were perfect . He a lso to ld a lot of sto ries about be ing
with Baba. Baba had h ad a small number of Baba lovers
early days. At that time, Papa,
a building gen eral contractor,
h ad h ad a con t ract in Pune.
Whi le there , Papa stayed in a
sma ll jopri , a hut not unlike
Baba's jop ri. Papa to ld me that
Baba used to come to that place
of his in Pune with Padri, Vishnu
and Doctor G h ani in th e ve ry
early times.
M y fa th er used to tell me that
h e met Baba in 1922, but th ey
t ell me that Baba did n 't come
to A hmednagar un t il 1923 . I
actually do not know which year
it was, but my fath er and my
uncle Naosherwan, who just died
at age 100 this year, o ne of my
uncles , Pilumama, and one of
my a unts, G ulamas i, met Him
t he n . In the A hmednaga r re-
gio n of those times there were
on ly vast, unplanted fields. O ne
could walk fro m Sta tion Road,
where the ST bus sta nd is to day, across country to
Meh erabad. M y father and uncles used to go fo r an early
mo rning walk fro m the ir h ome at Akbar Press . It was
th e ir habit. So whe n they came to k now that a Parsi
saint had come to A rangaon, they walked across the
fi elds and met Baba underneath a tree .
They me t Baba prior to 1925 when H e was st ill speak-
ing. Baba asked them who they were, cheir fam il y name,
how many brothers and sisters the re were and so fo rth.
My fa ther sa id , "we are five bro thers and I h ave fo ur
( contin ued on page 2)
sisters, Baba." But then Baba said, "No. From today
onwards, you all have s ix brothers, a nd I am o ne of
them." H e really was a broth er to them. When Baba
came to us, H e was so natura l that H e used to make us
fo rge t thac H e was Avatar o r God o r an yth ing. H e
would play with us, H e would sit and eat with us - H e
was so much like on e of the fami ly membe rs. Till Baba
dropped His body, we used to a lmost fo rget, most times,
that He was the G reat O ne. But in o ur h eart of hearts
we knew, because we had such great respect fo r Him .
When my mo ther died, in 1942, we were all bro ught
here co sec Baba. Baba was sitting in the Rahuri cab in.
We all h ad come in the ton ga from A kbar Press, and
we a ll greeted Baba. I sat o n His lap. Baba told my
father, "You h ave three crippled child re n , but I will
take care of this child. I instruct yo u not to take h er
to any shrines, any saints o r any physicians. Sh e will be
under my care."
W h en I was li ttle, my uncle Naosh erwan, who was a
homeopathic doctor, used to treat me if I fell ill. Even
Baba used to take med ication from my uncle Naosh er-
wan. Baba always used to tell G o her, "write a note to
Naoshe rwan about my symptoms and he wi ll send the
medicatio n." A nd H e used to really fe el very good with
these med icat io ns.
After Baba told my fa ther h ow to care for me it was
lunch ti me. Baba said to the men of our ho use, "you a ll
stay at Lo wer M eh erabad and have lunch. I a m ta king
her (me) up th e hill." At that time, Eruch 's mother
Ga ima i, Eruch 's s iste r Mcheru, Manpur and my aunt
G ula mas i were a ll s tay ing a t Upper Meherabad. Baba
said , "you come with me, and I'll take you up," so I went
with Baba. Baba used to wa lk so fas t and, be ing a child,
I just cou ld no t keep up with Him . By the t ime we
reached the ra ilway cross ing I was panting, and when
I saw the big top o f the hill, I said to Baba, "I can no t
cl imb that mo unta in , Baba- it's too high for me." So
He h eld my h and to cross the railway trac ks a nd then
He made me sit o n His sh o ulde rs. W ith Hi s signs He
made me understand that if I should see someon e of the
Upper Mche rabad women, I must get down . I said, "all
right Baba." So I h eld Him , two legs dangling o n His
sho uld ers. H e carried me fo r some dista nce. Meanwhi le,
my tireJncss went and I saw Kh arman masi sitting under
the rank ncar the ga te. I sa id to Baba, "Baba, there is
a big fat lady sitting there, " so H e put me down, h eld
my hand, and wa lked me up th e hi ll. The n He took me
into Mehera and Mani's room. A s soon as Kharmanmas i
saw Baba com ing she to ld Mehera and Ma ni , so that
Baba's food cou ld be brough t to the room. Mehe ra and
Mani greeted me and insisted, "Baba do n't let th is ch ild
have the disease th at h er broth ers a nd sisters h ave." So
Baba gave a pro mise to Meh cra. Afterward Baba said ,
"I wi ll not o n ly keep he r h ealthy , I will see to her life
throughout."
Baba a rranged my ma rriage with Sam and He used ro
come and play with my daughters, Mehera and Dolly.
We'd spread a towel o n the din ing roo m table, put the
baby o n that and Baba would feed them water o r milk
and play with the m. H e would come with two o r th ree
carloads of people. Nearly 15 o r 20 people would come
every t ime. I sti ll remember Fra ncis Brabazon had just
come from Australia at that t ime and he would say
(mimics exaggerated Australia n accent), "Oh , lucky Baby,
lucky Baby. Baba, I fee l like dy ing right now , to come
again so you can play with me like th at. I'm very jealous
of that baby."
We prick girl babies' ears a t a n early age so t ha t they
h eal fas t and we can put earrings o n them. In my daugh-
ter Mehera's case, Baba said to Goher, "we must do the
pricking o f her ears." We were stay ing in Bindra house
at the time. So on e day Goh er came and bo iled the
needle and the thread, and after we h ad sterilized them
we pricked h er ear. After the first ear was pricked, it
hurt and the baby cried quite a lot, so Baba sa id, "Go-
h er, do n't prick t h e second car. We'll do it ne xt time.
The baby is in pa in. " G oh c r s:.~ i d, "What, Baba? Have
the baby be in pa in tw ice? In o ne sh o t we can prick the
o ther ear a lso." So Baba h eld h er wh ile Gober pricked
the oth er ear. Then sh e was crying a lot, a nd Baba gave
her to me to calm her dow n.
My second daughter, Dolly, was born three years afte r
Mehcra , a nd she got the same treatmen t fro m Baba.
Baba would dip His little finger in His sherbet and let
t he babies suck it. W h en th ey were old er, my child ren
loved ma rro w bones. On the days that H e called us to
G uruprasad , we used to put ex tra marrow in Ba ba 's food,
so that H e wou ld give it to the chi ldren. He wo uld have
some, and then pass it to the children.
O ne example of the way tha t Baba saw to my li fe was that
if I had even to leave Pune a nd come to Ahmed nagar,
first I h ad to write a postcard to Baba. O nly whe n the OK
was given, then we would leave fro m o ne place to the
o ther. W e were unde r His instruct io ns all the t im e,
wherever He would be. A ll these memo ries are great.
MEETINGS - Meher Baba events are held on Saturday
nights. TIMES- Events start at 8:00 PM and normally end
by 9:30PM unless otherwise noted. LOCATIONS- Events
are held at the Albany Methodist Church unless otherwise
noted. The church is at the corner of Marin and Stannage,
two blocks east of San Pablo A venue in Albany (North of
Berkeley). Take th e Albany exit from Interstate 80.
To check tor program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore <83 Childcare
Saturday, March 7- Beyond Words with Ursula
O n h er 32nd anniversary of meeting Meh er Baba,
U rsula Van Buskirk will introd uce a nd provide so me
of the background fo r the newly released film Beyond
Words, tak en by Lou is van G aste ren in 1967. H e was
a profess io nal filmmaker and the qua li ty of this film
is extrao rdinarily clear and detailed. Ursula says that
this film shows best how she remembers Baba.
Saturday, March 14- Site Committee Discussion
T o night we'll h ear from our intrepid S ite Committee
of o ne (Haro ld Ja mison) about a possible new center
for o ur group. It is located at 2300 Roosevelt (at
Bancroft) . Ori ve by and have look before this meet-
ing, then come and g ive your feedback. Perhaps eve n
consider jo ining the Site Committee . Community input
will be important in this ventu re.
Saturday, March 21 -Arts and Crafts Night
This evening will prov ide some hands-on experience
in the wo rld of art. Laurie Brook, wh o teach es art, will
co nduct th is meeting. Wear clothing that can get
messy and prepare for a creative good time!
Saturday, March 28 - A Musical Evening with
Ron Greenstein
Ro n always de lights us with his musical talents. Come
and enioy an evening of tuneful reve lry.
Saturday, April4, 7:30PM -Videos at the Stovall's
Hilla and Nadjoo Kotwal gave a couple of delightful,
talks at the L.A. Sahavas in 1994. They shared their
childhood impress ions of life at Meher Baba's ashram
when their father Savak Kotwal was His night watch-
man. Come see the videos at the ho me of Vern and
Annie Stovall, 869 Appaloosa Drive, W alnut C reek.
Call (510) 938-2 126 for directions.
Saturday, April11 - No meeting on Easter
Weekend
Saturday, April18- Joan Harland and Gay Dunn
This evening, Joan will sh are he r experiences of
meeting Meher Baba in 1956, 1958 and 1962.
(Yes , she was pre tty young at the t ime!) Gay Dunn
wi ll provide a musica l addit ion to the evening
with her beautiful, melodic cello play ing. Hosted
by Noreen G rah am .
Saturday, April25- Persian Poetry
Come sh are the Pers ian poetry of H afiz, Rumi and
others. Bill Gannett wi ll host an evening of this
beautiful and powerful poetry dedicated to God.
Saturday, May 2- Sunday May 10- Bhau's Visit!
H ealth permitting, Meher Baba's longtime disci-
ple Bhau Kalchuri will be v is iting the San Fran-
cisco Bay Area from May 2 to May 10. A detailed
itinerary for his ta lks will be mailed to all North-
ern California addresses o n our ma iling list. If you
have not received an itinerary by April 20 , please
call Betty Lowman (650) 323-1900. If you would
like to h e lp with preparations for Bhau's visit,
please call Janet White (510) 843-4417.
Saturday, May 16- The Music and Poetry of
Mira, Kabir and Tulsidas
T onight, Ra ine East man-Gannett witl transport
us to the East with a n evening of music and
poetry by Mira, Ka bir and Tulsidas.
Saturday, May 23 - Memorial Day Weekend, no
meeting
Saturday, May 30 - How I Came to Meher Baba
This is the best story of them all, so we're repeat-
ing this mee ting again this quarter! Come and
h ear h ow yo ur fri ends discovered they were part
ofMeher Baba's family. Share your story too! Hosted
by H arold Jam ison, (510) 236-7993.
NUMBERS TO CALL:
Mailing List: Scott Maloney (5 10) 705-8750 x 777
Phone Tree: Annie Stovall (510) 938-2126

Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.

President, Janet White, Vice President, Brian Drygas, Secretary, Brian Drygas, Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Leslie Baer Laurie Brook Brian Drygas Mehera Halliwell Greg Harland Clint Snyder Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Finance Committee: Greg Harland, Leslie Baer, Laurie Brook, Clint Snyder
Program Committee: Laurie Brook, Brian Drygas
Bookstore: Laura Hogan Library: Alexandra Cons Officewalla: Fred White
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)
 A Treasure from M eher Baba
"I love you. Do not worry abo ut your weaknesses . Even-
tually they will go; even if th ey linger, love will one day
consume them. Everyth ing d isappears in the Ocean of
Love. Because I love you, you h ave a pool of love within
you. When you fee l wret ch ed, wh en yo u fall in your
wea kness, h ave a dip in that pool of My love. Refresh
yourse lf in th at pool of My love. Refresh yourself in that
pool of My love within yo u. It is always t here. Even if
you wash your weaknesses every day in t ha t pool, it will
remain clear. Don 't worry. Baba loves you, that is wh at
real ly matte rs. Don' t Worry, Be H appy. I will help you. "
from The Turning of the Key : Meher Baba in AuStralia by Bill Le Page
Rummage Sale Treasure
O ur October, 1997 rummage sale garne red over $ 1,000
for our gro up, th anks to coordinato r Ji m Q ua rt ieri and
h is crew of h elpers . Jim has moved to th e Sacramento
footh ills , but made a specia l trip to h elp us out.
We also received a surprise gift a t the sale. Jon Platania,
a psycho logist and yoga teacher affil iated with Berkeley
Friends Meeting, presen ted us with a lovely a irbrush ed
pa inting of Meh er Baba. It was don e by a friend of his,
Stanley W illia ms, in 1970. Jo n had kep t it in the years
since, wantin g to fi nd the right ho me for it.
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito - Sunday Mornings - 10:00 AM
A rt i and singing at Greensteins' (51 0) 525-3364.
El Cerrito - T hursday Evenings - 7: 15 PM
D iscourse reading a n d discussion. Contact Lou ise
Barrie or D ick A n thony a t (510) 524- 1440.
Fresno - Wednesday Evenings- 7:30 to 8 :30 PM
Arti and a var ied program . Con tact Sharon or
Phil Scott a t (209) 449-0877.
Menlo Park - Friday Evenings -8:00 PM
Arti, si nging and readings a t the home of Hugh
a nd Jeann ie MacDona ld. Call them at (650)
322 -0886 o r Betty Lowman at (650) 323-1900.
Petaluma - Sunday Mornings - I I :00 AM
Arti, read ings a nd fellowship . Con tact Hermann
or J eane tte Loew at ( 707) 778-1195. P lease ca ll
ah ead.
Sacram en to - Sunday Mornings - I I :00 AM
Discourse readings and occasiona l gath erings.
Contact Mike and Jea n Ross, (916) 486-2924.
Santa Cruz -Alternate Tuesdays - 7:15 PM
Discourse readings and occasion a l videos.
Contact Deborah Muth (408) 479-7089.

Stanley Wi ll iams now li ves in Egypt. We sent him a
thank-you note , and h e responded saying "I was very
surprised and h appy to rece ive you r card regard ing the
pa inting of Meh er Baba. It was painted at a very specia l
sp iritua l t ime in my life. I am de lighted that it has found
a ho me with the Meher Baba Center."
THE TRUST
All w ho wish to s hare in the commitment laid down
by Mehe r Baba throug h th e T rus t shou ld contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288.
Walnut Creek - Second and Fourth Sunday
Evenings Every Month - 7:30 to 9:30 PM
Meetings are h eld at Helen Rieh l's home. Ca ll
Helen a t (51 0) 935-0167 or Gil Shepard, (510)
930-8670 for directions.
MEH ER SABA INFORMATION
People w ho wish to know more about Meher Baba can
obtain int roductory material a nd a catalogue of available
publicaitons by writi ng o r phoning Meher Baba Infor ma tion.
P.O. Box 1101, Berkeley, CA 94701. Or call (51 0) 562-1101

MEHER SABA CENTER Non-Profit U.S .

of Northern Californ ia, Inc. Postage Paid
2131 Un iversity Avenue, Room 235 El Cerrito, CA
Berkeley, Ca lifornia 94704 Permi t No. J86

Address Correction Req uested

MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CALIF INC.
N E w s L E
213 1 UN IVERS ITY AYE. , RM. 235
VOL. 28
The "Post Office Days" with Meher Baba
On December 22, we celebrate the birthday of Mehera ]ehangir
Irani, Meher Baba' s most beloved disciple. She has recorded her.
reminiscenses of life with Him in her book Mehe ra. This is an
excerfJt from a chapter in that book titled "Post Office Days ."
Near the end o f 1924 Baba re turn ed to -----~
Me he rabad, a nd H e called us, the first women,
to jo in Him permanently the re. W e-my
moth er, myself, Naja, big Khorsh ed, a nd
small Kh orshed and from time to tim e
Dowl a Masi-stayed in the Post Office
building near the ra il way line. This build-
ing was a post office during the First
W o rld war when, as I h ave said, what
is now Meherabad had been a military
tra ining ca mp built by the British.
Most of rhe military buildings there
were not built to last, bu r rhe Post
Office had been. It was such a strong,
well -made bui ld ing, with th ick walls of
big, black stones. 1t had one good-sized
room, a nd there were verandahs o n th e
south a nd east sides. There we re windows
on ly in the south a nd n orth wa lls, a nd they
had bars on them. The British ha d built it
close to the railway line so t h a t th e ma ilbags
cou lei easil y be taken o n and off rra ins as they passed
by. La ter, as it was no longer be ing used as a post o ffice,
the railway author ities ord e red it ro be pulled down, a nd we
felt ve ry sad a bou t tha t, but I a m told that t h e stones from
the Post Office walls were used to bu ild Baba's Samadhi.*
How we loved the Post Office. It was th ere th at so many
things h appene d for the first ti me with Baba : I had Baba's
darsh an there for the first time; l first heard Ba ba sing there
in His lovely voice; Baba h ad His bath the re ; and H e h ad
His tea and His food the re. Baba h as sle pt there , and the
villagers of Arangaon first came to kno w of Baba a nd have
His da rshan th e re, too. So that place was sacred to us.
These ve ry first days were so special to us. O nly th ree of th e
men ma ndali we re with Baba: Gus tadji, Padri, a nd Masaj i.
And Ba ba slept wit h them o n the Post Offi ce verandah o n
the windowless East S ide fac ing the road .
It was now the beginning of winter, and t he vera ndah was ope n
to the chilly east breeze. Baba had n o bed , just a t hink mattress
on a mat on the fl oor, and H e would feel so cold at nigh t that
He could not sleep. Baba a lso had n o mosqui to net, and a snake
1998
T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
WINTER, 1998-99
or scorp io n could have easily c raw led into H is bedding for
warmth. As Baba could not sleep, H e would be sitting up by
3 :J0 a.m. with His blanket wrapped around Him, and at abo ut
5 a.m. Baba would wa ke the ma nda li, however deep ly t hey
were sno ring. Baba would take His sandal and throw
it at one of the m; He especially lo ved to a im for
Masaji, who would wake up, see Baba's sandal,
and fee l very h appy. Masaji would get up,
kiss Baba's sandal, and give it back to Him.
W e girls were sleeping very comfortab ly
o n o ur bedding rolls inside the Post Of-
fice room, a nd here was Baba, the King
of Kings, sleeping in the o pen with no
proper bedding. Now in the night at
Meherazad lthink ofBabaandremember
all these deta ils; h ow Baba used to give
others co mfort and go without it Him-
self. How de nse we were! Here were we
girls feeling so cozy inside, while Baba
was so uncomfortable outside. Bunve could
no t te ll Baba to use the room. W e girls
cou ld nor h ave slept on the verandah, so
Baba had to be outside with t he mandal i. H e
went thro ugh all that discomfort.
O ur food was very si mp le. In the morning we,
including Baba, o f course, h ad only weak tea , and we
girls got up very earl y to get it ready. I have neve r liked
getting up early, and when I came to stay with Baba, th at was
on e thing that was diffic ul t for me. We wou ld be up by 5 a.m.
or earlier to prepa re Ba ba 's tea, a nd by 5:30 we could hear H im
coming to us, singing in H is beautiful voice.
W e had a little wood fire outside o n the verandah for coo king
our food, but we made the tea on a kerosene stove inside our
room, as Baba did not like t he taste of wood smoke in His tea.
The tea was very weak, made wi t h a li ttle fresh mint, le mon
grass, and only a pinch of d ried tea leaves. We h ad suga r in
it, but no milk; as well as no ch apatis, no butter, and no bread .
This weak tea was o ur only breakfast.
I would give Baba His tea on the east vera ndah whe re H e
wou ld be sitting on a packing case and c ha tting with the
mandali and Naja o r my mothe r would give the mandali theirs.
Baba's tea was served in a b ig a luminum mug, a nd this same
mug Baba used for washing H is face, h av ing His ba th, and for
drin king wate r. When we se rved t he tea it was fres hly made
and stea ming hot, so Baba's a luminum mug wou ld be too hot
 IL
for Him to put to His lips. My mother noticed this, and she
taught us to put Baba's mug of tea in half a pail of cold water
to cool it to the right temperature before serving it to Baba.
We had just the dire necessities, and all our utensils were
wither brass, aluminum, or enamel. Baba had told us that
everything was to be unbreakable, for we would not be able
to replace anyth ing.
For lunch we had rice a nd spiced dal, and in the evening we
had rice and plain dal. A little later on Baba let us make curry
and rice, too. As a child I was very fond of meat and fish. I
did not like vegetarian food at all, but Baba made me forget
all about meat. I was very young, and with just weak tea
without milk as our breakfast, I would be so hungry that I
eagerly looked forward to our rice and da l.
Naja-cooked the rice and dal on<:he wood fire on the verandah,
and I helped her by washing pots and pans and grinding the
spices. It is not so easy to grind spices on a stone. Dry coconut
and coriande r seeds a re particularly hard, but I would try to
make them very, very fine, especially when Baba allowed us
to make curry, for finely-ground spices make the curry very
smooth.
Baba, Who was young then , would get very hungry afte r hav-
ing only weak tea at dawn, and then working hard with the
manda li. He came fo r His lunch as early as 9:30, and for His
evening da l and rice at 4 or 5 p.m.
Naja made the fire and put the dal on early so that it would
be ready for Baba, and when H e came in H e would call not
"Naja", but "Najari," so sweetly to her.
"Najari, what's the time? Is the food ready?"
And Naja would say, "Baba, the dal is just ready, but the rice
isn't quite."
Baba wou ld reply, "Never mind, I don't want rice, just dal."
For meals Baba sat o n His little rug on the floo r near the
fireplace on the verandah, a nd I would serve Him His food in
His brass plate. We were so new and unaccustomed to staying
with a Master that we did not have the sense to take our
sandals off. We served Baba still wearing them. N ow l remem -
ber these little things. Baba must have thought that we were
very ignorant, but Mani says Baba wanted us to be like that;
that very clever people might have a rgued too much and made
His work more difficult.
W ith his food Baba would sometimes ask for bread. Gu lmai
would bring it for Baba from Ahmednagar when she visited
Him; just a small loaf that we would try to keep fresh by
wrapping in a cloth and keeping in a saucepan. The bread
would become a little stale, but Baba would break it into small
pieces and put it in the da\. Baba always broke bread. He never
cut it. And seeing Baba eat, we would feel hungry, too.
We girls were still a little shy with Baba . We peeped at Baba
from a distance, but we were not bold enough to ta lk to Him
unless He spoke to us. And Baba was strict with us.
Baba had told me not to read or write, so I could no t even take
down the things that He told us. I had brought some of my
favorite books with me in a trunk-David Copperfield and others
-to share with the girls, but I quickly sent them back to my
sister in Ahmednagar, and I never saw those books aga in !
I was also n ot to touch o r speak to any men, and the food that
I prepared was given only to Baba, or late r to the school
children, but not to men. Gustadj i was the excep tion to these
rules. His store room was on one of the Post Office verandahs,
and Baba sent him to us for messages. Even Baba Himself
seldom entered our room. He would take His meals an d tea on
the Post Office verandah.
And there were many other li ttle o rders even in the beginning.
For example, we were to wear warm jackets in the even ing and,
as I have said, keep our heads covered with white scarves. We
could come onto the verandah to cook and, in these very early
days, go to the well to wash our clo thes; otherwise, I was mostly
inside our room. We did no t roam about outside, and Meher-
. abad Hill in those days was completely out-of-bounds to all.
Baba was very fond of music, and as I have said, H is was a ve ry
beautiful and sweet vo ice. Sometimes Baba would sing in the
early mornings, and so lovely was His vo ice that H e could sing
beautifully even before brushing His teeth and having tea.
Early one morning, after we had quickly ro lled up ou r bedding
and put it aside, splashed our faces with cold water, and brushed
our teeth, we were rushing to make tea for Baba. I was pumping
the kerosene stove, which is very noisy, when my mother said,
"Listen! You can't hear because of the stove, bu t Ba ba is sing-
ing. How beautifully He is singing!'
As we listened we could hear Baba's voice coming nearer and
nearer. H e was singing a new song, not a qawali, but an o r-
dinary song with a pretty tune. At first we stayed in the middle
of the room, as we knew Baba would not like us to stare at H im
from the windows, but we could still see out. Baba's voice came
still nearer, and then a round the corner of the Post O ffice He
came; and we saw Him. It was just at the crack of dawn, and
the dawn light was on His lovely face. So beautiful He looked
in His white sadra with His hair loose. And as H e sang He
danced so gracefully. It was just a glimpse for a few seconds,
but the sight of Baba dancing and singing in the dawn light
is something I shall never forget .
As Baba turned towards the corner of the verandah we rushed
to the window to see more, but H e had gone from o ur sight.
But we did see H im for those few seconds, so slim and beautiful
in a white sadra, dancing and singing spon taneously because
He was happy.
(Story from Mehera, Mehera ]. Irani, Beloved Books, 1989,
pages 63-68. Pho tos 1982 Manifestation, Inc. )
*In the early '30s, the government ordered the post office to
be torn dow n, as it was infringing o n property lega lly held by
the railroad's right of way . In 1938 the structure e nclos ing the
cryupt was demolished, and the more substantial structure that
we see today was erected. The stones for th is new building were
taken from the dismantled post office. Thus, Baba's first stay
in the post office at Lower Meherabad was linked to the sa-
madhi; it is as t hough the Samadhi has become the divine post
office of the Ava ta r.
(The Samadhi, Star of Infinity, Bal Natu, Sheriar Foundation, 1997,
page 7.)
 IL
MEETINGS- ~e~er ~aba events are held on Saturday nights K Thursday, January 14: Don Stevens Speaks
unless other w1se md1cated below. TIMES - Events normal/~ D S f h . .
sta rt at 8:00PM and end by 9:30PM. LOCATIONS- Events on te~ens l.rst met Me er Bab~ m 1952 and saw Hu~
are held at the Albany Methodist Church unless otherwise noted. several times s mc~. H e h elped edit God Speak~ at Baba s
The church is at the corner of Marin and Stannage, two blocks request and has wmten many books o n the subJeCt of fol-
east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of Berkeley) Take
the Albany exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore 'i' Childcare
A lowing Meher Baba. This promises to be a special evening.
Sat ur day J anuary 23 : B a ba and W'ld
th A b ' C .t:
e r or a,e
t T'tmes at

A lan T albot will moderate as he, Fred White, Ed Van

Saturday, December 5: Film Night
We will see 0 Parvardigar and The Ancient O ne.
Saturday, December 12: GrO<Wing Up With Baba
Many of us came to Baba in the 1960s and now our
children are approach ing th e age we were when we found
Him. S teven Barrie -Anthony will moderate a panel of.
young Baba Love rs who will discuss how they've found
a way to make Baba the ir own and th e adventures they've
had in t rying to please him while connecting to a youth
culture where the va lues, e.g. with respect to sex, drugs,
and competitive materialistic p ressures, may be different.
!)/' Sunday, December 20, 2 ~ 5 PM: Mehera's
~ Birthday Tea at the Talbots'
An afternoon of tea, music and reminiscences of the one
who loved Meher Baba most perfectly. We will see the
new v ideo Mehera, Meher Baba's Beloved. A M ini-book-
store will also be available for last-minute holiday shop-
ping. {Get your 1999 Baba calendar!) Bring tea treats
and stories to share. The T albots live at 72 1 Crossbrook
Dr. Moraga, Call (925 ) 376-4325 for directio ns.
Thursday, December 31, 7:00 ~9:30PM.
New Year's Eve Potluck at the Greensteins'
It's a pre-party party! Ring in the New Year at Ron and
Lisa's early evening potluck. They live at 600 A lbemarle
S t., El C errito. Call (51 0 ) 525-3364 fo r d irections.
Saturday, January 9: Which Path are You On?
Dick Anthony Discusses Baba Religion versus
Baba Mysticism
Baba said he did not come to establish a new re ligion ,
but history has shown that a religion always deve lops
around the person and teachings o f t he Avatar. O n the
other hand, an inner mystic1l relatio nship to the Avatar
has always been available , a~d this is especially so during
the 100-200 years after H e ~as d ropped His body. Ho w
can we tell the difference between the external "Shariat"
and the inner mystical path, e.g. what is the role of
rituals and ce remo nies in t he development of the Baba
religion ? Dick will d iscuss th e several ways ava ilable to
Baba lovers for answering such questions.
Buskirk, Doug Ross and Haro ld Jamison reminisce about
how working at the Arbor Cafe, a Berkeley vegetarian
restaurant owned by Baba Lovers, played a part in their and
others' ea rly Baba experiences in t he 1960s and early 1970s.
Saturday, January 30 ~ 8:30PM: Amartithi
This is the 30th anniversary o f Meh er Baba's 'dropping
His body.' We wi ll h ave an evening o f music and a film ,
and we'll o bserve 15 minutes of silence fro m 10:30 to
10:45 PM to coincide with silence at the to mb in India.
Saturday, February 6, Is Baba a Liberal or a
Conservative?
Libera ls tend to endorse governm ental correctio n of in-
equality of opportunity whereas conservativ es believe
that limited government rewards self-reliance and the
deve lopment of good character. Come with your best
rhetoric and defend the spir itual va lue of the liberal or
the conservative agenda. Harold Jamison moderates. Yelling
or name-calling will result in getting the gong.
Saturday, February 13: Coming to Baba Stories
H aro ld Jamison will mod erate a pan el of people telling
the intriguing stories of how t hey came to Meher Baba.
Feb. 20th: Dick Anthony on Materialism, The
New Humanity, and our Baba Community.
Baba has said that wars are mere ly a more explicit form
of the war of all aga inst a ll that do minates our modern
econo mic and cultural life. D ick Antho n y uses his syn-
thesis of socio logy and psychoanalysis to aid in interpret-
ing Baba's teachings and to suggest how we can begin to
achieve the New Humanity right now in our ow n Baba
community. If not now, when ?
Saturday, February 27: We Celebrate
Beloved Baba's Birthday, 4:30 PM to 8 PM
Jo in us at the Berkeley Fellowship Un itarian-Universal-
ist C hurch , 1924 Cedar Street at Bonita, Berkeley for an
evening of merriment in honor of Baba's birthday. Po t-
luck dinner begins at 5 PM, follo wed by performances
and fi lms, th en Arti, and cake. If you can perfo rm , dec-
orate, help with set- up or clean-up, o r help with public-
ity, we need you! Con tact j oan H arland, (510) 23 7-5348.

Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.

President, Joan Ha rland, Vice President, Harold Jamison, Secretary, Ron Gree ns tein, Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Odile Atthalin Lau rie Brook Ron Greenstein Greg Harland Joan Harland Harold Jamison Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Ke ith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Bookstore: Katie Mink Library: Alexandra Cons Officewalla: Fred White Program: G reg Harla nd
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)
 Divine Humor from the Internet
Thanks to Barbara Roberts of Do lores, Colorado for shar ing
t hese jokes fro m he r inspired collectio n.
What is greater than God, worse t h an th e devi l, the dead
eat it, and if we ea t it, we die ? a nswer: no thing.
What breaks when you say its n a me? a n swer: S ile n ce
A dog sees that his master feeds him, pets him , thro ws
a stick o nce in a wh ile, and t hinks, " H e must be G od ."
A cat sees that h e r owner feeds h e r, pets h e r, ro lls a ba ll
o n ce in a whi le, a nd thinks, "I must be God!"
The M a n Who Inte rv iewed God:
Ma n: "What is a b illio n years to yo u?"
God: "A S PLIT S ECOND! "
Man : "We ll , h ow much is a BILLION do lla rs to you?"
God : "A MERE PENNY!"
Man: " In that case, Lord, h ow a bo ut giving me 0I:'IE
penny?"
God: "SURE. J U ST A S ECON D."
"Family C irc us" co mic strip by B. Keane, 5- 17-98
O n e puppet to a nother, " I d o n ' t kno w ... sometimes I
q ues ti o n whe t h er th e re real ly is a HAND."
"H AGAR THE H ORR IBLE" by Dik Browne, 5-3-95
H ave you h ea rd a bo ut the dys lex ic, agn ost ic, inso mniac?
He would stay up a ll nigh t wondering if the re was a Dog .
Do yo u kn ow that God's name is And y?
"A nd H e wa lks with me, a n d H e talks with me, and H e
te lls me 1 a m His o wn ... "
1999 MEHER BABA CALENDARS ARE HERE!
They will be availab le at the bookstore. Katie Mink wi ll also
take pho ne orde rs. You can pick the m u p at her home, or
h ave t he m mailed to you. Ca ll Kati e a t (510) 849- 1809.
To get on our Newsletter Mailing List,
call Scott Maloney (510) 705 8755 x777
MEHER BABA CENTER
Mehera and Meher Baba in Benares, 1939
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito - Sunday Mornings- 10:00 AM
Arti and singi ng at G reensteins' (5 I 0) "525-3364.
El Cerrito - Thursday Evenings - 7: 15 PM
Read ing a nd d iscussion of Sw.y Wich God by
Fra ncis Brabazon. Co ntact Louise Barrie o r Dick
Anthony ar (5 I 0) 524-6405.
Los Gatos - Friday Evenings - 8:00 PM
Arti, si nging and read ings at the home of C lint
and Sharon S nyde r. Call th em at (408) 395-
6865 or Betty Lowma n at (650) 323-1900.
Petaluma - Sunday Mornings - 11:00 AM
A rti, readings a nd fellowshi p. Contact Hermann
or Jeanette Loew at (707) 778-1195. Please call
ahead.
Sacramento - Sunday Mornings - 11 :00 AM
Discourse readings and occasional gatherings.
Contact Mike a nd Jean Ross, (916) 486-2924.
Santa Cruz - Alternate Tuesdays - 7: 15 PM
Discourse readings and occasional videos.
Contact Deborah Muth (408) 479-7089.
Walnut Creek - Second and Fourth Sunday
Evenings Every Month - 7:30 to 9:30 PM
Meetings a re held at Hele n Riehl's home. Call
Helen at (5 10) 935-01 67 or G il She pard, (5 10)
930-8670 for directions.
THE TRUST
All who wish to s ha re in the commitment la id down
by Meher Baba through the Trust should contact
Jack Mormon , P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288.
MEHER BABA INFORMATION
People who wish to know more about Meher Baba can
obtain introductory material and a catalogue of available
publicaitons by writing or phoning Me her Baba Information.
P.O. Box 11 01, Berkeley, CA 94701. O r call (510) ~62-1 101
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 w s L E
213 1 UNIVERS ITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 29
The Mighty Beloved
by Francis Brabazon
Just as January 31 , 1999 marks the 30th Amartithi,
the 30th anniversary of Meher Baba 's dropping His
body, April1 0 June 10, 1999 is the 30th anniversary
of what has been called The Great Darshan, when
thousands of Meher Baba's lovers honored His
invitation to be in His presence at Guruprasad,
Poona. One of the highlights of the darshan program
was the opportunity to meet and to be greeted by
Baba's mandali. This address, by Francis Brabazon,
is especially remembered by those present , with
great delight.
)AI BABA!
I am a mazed a nd filled with jo y to d is-
cover tha t the Be loved I have bee n se rving for ma n y
years is truly a very mighty Beloved .
O f course , I have known all alo n g th a t H e was God. But
the re a re so ma n y Gods. There is the God whic h peop le
sec in a sh ape of illusio n such as a sunse t o r a mounta in
view or a symph o n y, o r wh ose h a nd is seen in o n e's n o t
getting caught in a ra in - torm o r in ob taining a good
job: n o doubt a ve ry comfo rtable a nd pro fitable God to
h ave- well wo rth a C hrist ia n can d le o r so me Hindu
incense-but n o t a God to wh o m o n e wo uld o ffe r o n e's
life . The re is the G od wh o rules th e shining p lan es of
consciousness: but sigh t o f Him wo uld blind o ne. 1\ nd
the God wh o is b eyond th e p la n es is unknowable except
by His o wn G race . And H e is extre mely careful to
wh o m He gives that G race.
So wh en be loved Baba used to te ll u that H e was God,
!used to think , "Yes, Baba , Yo u a re God a ll right- the
O ne God a nd all the G ods- but wha t good is th at to me?"
In fact, I used to get so fed -up with Him be ing God th at
I wish ed H e wasn't o r I wish ed H e wa s a sort-of an O ld
Testamen t God for Who m I ~o.uld slaugh te r some fat
la mbs or a spotless young bull in return fo r some adJ cd
acreage. I got so ti red o f His be ing so much God that
1 wro te a song about it and san g it to him. It goes
some thing like , " if o nl y You we re a b it less God, a bit
1999
T T E R
BERKELEY, CA LIFO RNIA 94 704
SPRING 1999
more Man, I would n ' t fee l so much like
someon e upside d own in a garbage can ."
But Baba was n 't going to become more
Man just fo r my sake, so I h ad to e ttle
fo r Him as the Divine Beloved-on e whom
I could serve some t imes, instead of thinking
a bo ut myse lf all the t ime . After all , al-
t h o ugh He is God, a nd so metimes is a
Man, being o ne 's ow n and the world's
Be loved is H is m a in jo b. Others can
become as much God o r as much Man
as He, bu t o nl y Ba ba is mo re Beloved tha n a n y o ther
beloved. A nd is infinitely worth serv ing.
But n o w a great prob le m arises . H ow to serve tha t O ne
wh o is A ll-beloved, for wh ateve r o ne does with love is
do n e by Him . All tha t is d o ne for th e Beloved is done
by the Beloved . And so o n e a rri ves at the painful
conclus io n that the Beloved a lon e ex ists- wh ich means
that o neself does n't And that's a te rrible pred icament
ro find oneself in-for o n e is still there.
The o nl y solu t io n I fo und was to accept th e posit io n:
"You a lo ne a re a n d I a m n o t , but we a re both here." A nd
h av ing a rri ved a t th is accep ta n ce Baba n ow taught me
a poetica l fo rm capable of express ing a ll th e sh ades of
th e impossib le rela tio nships of love r and Beloved. Such
a fo rm h as n o t ex isted in English up t ill now , beca use
the love r-Beloved dilemma was n o t part of the British -
A meri can conscio usness. And, o f course, beloved Baba
being t h e aut h or of th is new for m was (o r seemed to be)
del ighted wi t h my exerc ises in it.
A nd h e re is a d elic io us p iece o f humo r in connect io n
with thi s. T h e re was a period wh e n Baba h ad me read
H n ew poe m tO h im three times every mo rning. Do yo u
kn o w why th ree t imes? Baba was me mo rizing the m.
Wh y me mo ri zing them ? So tha t He could quote them
next time H e comes back, in 700 years! That is really
God-Man humor, isn't it. Th en there were His extrao r-
dinary o rders or commissio ns. His last was fo r 30 ghazals-
ghazal is the name of the new poetical fo rm H e taught
me . It h appened this way. One morning after the usual
morning business was fin ished , Baba sa id He wanted me
ro write 30 ghazals. Cou ld I d o that? I replied promptly
and brightly, "No, Baba." This reply seemed to rather
as to nish Him. He turned to the oth e r mandal i a nd
said , "We ll, wha t do you think of tha t? I ask this fe llow
ro write 30 gh azais and h e says, No, Baba." The n
Baba turned questioningly back to me. I sa id, o r ra th er
I groan ed, "I do n't kno w whether I can wri tc o n e
ghazal-and you ask for 30. I d o n't think there are a ny
more in my h ead." Then He says sympathetically and
persuasively, "Try, a nd I will h elp you." So it was back
ro the ston e-quarry again to cut and bui ld 30 mo re little
poe m-houses, each one a bit different; for the Beloved
likes varie ty.
But still I did not kno w wh at a might Be loved o ur
Be loved is. Th is knowledge has com e to me o nl y rece nt-
ly-s ince Baba la id as ide His body.
Now, the Beloved would no t be the Belo ved if He didn 't
have a thousand whims a nd moods, if He d idn't p lay His
eternal game of divine prete nse; if He was not all cars
for the lover's praise and stone deaf to his compla ints;
if He was no t A ll -knowledge
and All-ignorance at the same
time. He wo u ld not be the
Beloved if He d id not deco-
rate the wa lls o f His wine-
hop with pre tty pictures such
as "All the religio ns be ing
drawn toge ther as beads on
o ne string" a nd "700 years o f
peace," a nd then invite the
lover to c ross deserts o f heart-dryn ess a nd oceans of
tears to rece ive the wine of His kiss; but wh en th e lover
at las t stagge rs in at t h e door, the Beloved spends th e
who le time sh owing him the p ic tures and expecting hi s
inte rest a nd ad miratio n.
What a Beloved o ur Be loved is! Wha t a Beloved we
h ave chose n to serve ! What is it to the th irst- c ra zed
love r if a lo t o f glass be ad s are strung o n o n e string ?
Wi ll tha t ma ke them turn in to diamond s? What if
there is 700 yea rs of peace? Will n o t war again fo llow?
He wou ld n o r be the Beloved if H e did n or tell th e
lover to stand up and sir down a t the same moment; ro
become footless , and walk; to become head less, and
think; to exert h imself to the utmost, a nd leave e ver y-
thing to Him.
Though it its not the time yet fo r us to know the wine
o f His kiss o n our lips , we have received the kiss of
His W o rd in our hearts. If it we re no t so, h ow cou ld all
you dea r o n es wh o h ave never seen His Man-form be
h ere n ow ?
Who but the Beloved of Beloveds could speak His
W o rd s ile ntl y in yo ur hea rts and make you co me fro m
across the world to ta ke H is da rshan, to bow dow n ro
!-lim in your hearts? Such a thing has n ever h ap pened
befo re. I ha ve been at Mass-darshans where te ns of
thousands came a nd bowed down to His Man-form.
But to co me thousands of miles to bo w d o wn ro
Him in o ne's own heart, that is of a n enti rely different
o rder of devo tio n.
Wh y h as beloved Baba give n you people this extrao r-
dina ry pri vilege? Because He required a few to do what
the ma ny , what everyone, must eventua lly do: journey
across the wo rld of illusio n to take d ars h a n of Him in
the ir h earts. What a Be loved is o ur Be loved; what a
mighty Beloved . This W o rd whic h H e h as spo ke n in
your h earts , wh ich will be spoken in every heart in the
wo rld , will lead you by the hand , a nd dri ve you wirh
whips to the d oor o f your Beloved, to the winesh op of
yo ur Master-where it will
beco me your o wn pure song
of praise and will cause the
Beloved winemaster to open
t h e door and bring yo u in
a nd pour for you a glass of
the wine of self-fo rge tful -
ness and Belo ved-a lone-re-
me mbra n ce. The ve ry Word
with which H e knocked o n the doors of your h earts and
aroused you to se t your feet o n the path to Him, the
same W ord will knock o n H is door and make Him ope n
it to you- Himself. I bow do wn to th is might y O n e in
each of yo u.
Bur you a lso h ave your parts to p lay on th is grand
journey you h ave begun-you must not leave it a ll to
yo ur Beloved. Fo r e ve ry step th e love r takes to the
Be loved , the Beloved takes te n steps to the lover. Bur
th e love r must con ti nua ll y take that o n e step. We must
pract ice ta king be loved Saba's darsh an , bowing down
to Him in o ur h earts, every day, then every mo ment
unti l we have continuo us sight of H im .
(continued on hack page)
MEETINGS -. Meher Baba events are held on Saturday nights.
TIMES- Events start at 8:00PM and normally end by 9:30PM
unless otherwise noted. LOCATIONS - Events are held at the
Albany Methodist Chu;ch unless otherwise noted. The church
is at the corner of Marin and Stannage, two blocks east
of San Pablo Avenue in Albany (North of Berkeley). Take
the Buchanan Street exit from Interstate 80. To check for
program changes ;;sit 5 t 0-845-4339.
Bookstore f1 Chlldcare
Saturday, March 6: Working with the Body
Louise Barrie will host a panel (Odile Auhalin, Robert
Dreyfuss, Scott Maloney, Doug Ross and Ed Van Buskirk)
to discuss and explore ways in which working through
the medium of the body (bodywork, body~oriented
psychotherapy, chiropractic, acupuncture) expresses and reaches
for our relationship with Meher Baba. Join us for a lively
conversation.
Saturday, March 13: Quarterly Salon and Toddy Shop
The first in a new series of meetings for the expressions of
our hearts with writings, story~telling, song, performance,
visual art and chai. Presenters will include Steven Barrie
Anthony, Sarah Dwyer, Mehera Halliwell, Ben Leet, jeanne
Moje and Kathy Weiderhold. Want to be in the next pro~
gram? Call Lisa Greenstein (510) 525~3364
Saturday, March 20: Fundraiser Concert by David
Miotke *
7:30pm Plymouth United Church of Christ, Monte Vista at
Oakland Ave., Oakland. Our very own, very talented singer/
pianist and consummate entertainer will present a lively
evening of his own Baba songs and ghazal settings. Tickets
are $15 in advance, $18 at the door. They will be available
at Baba meetings or by mail at C/0 PJR, P.O. Box 11275,
Oakland, CA., 94611 or phone (510) 466~9587. Checks
payable to MBCNC. All proceeds will benefit the Meher
Baba Center of Northern California.
Saturday, March 27: Margaret Bernstein and Friends
This longtime Baba lover will play original compositions on
both flute and piano, classical selections on flute and may
even sing an original song. Please come support and celebrate
the release of her new album, "On the Threshold of Change,"
dedicated to her son, Julian Song.
Saturday, April 3: Uppers, Downers, All Arounders
In the 1960s Meher Baba issued several warnings about the
dangers of using drugs. Deborah TyleJ, experienced in
substance abuse counseling. will talk ab'-mt the effects of
drug use and review the latest research into the
biochemical impact of drugs. She will also remind us what
Baba and Bhau Kalchuri have said about their spiritual
impact. Families and kids, bring your questions.
Saturday, April 10: An Evening of Persian Sufi
Poetry
Bill Gannett leads a group reading and discussion of Persian
Sufi poetry.
Saturday, April 17: Are You Really a Baba Lover?
Dick Anthony discusses the Question.
Do you ever doubt that Baba is who He says He is, nr
question whether you are really aBaba Lover? Eruch told
Dick that faith in Baba is more authentic if you don't
repress your doubts. Dick will discuss what he make:; of
this advice and the role that doubt plays for him, and
maybe others, in following Bab<l. Come share your own
doubts, if any, and let's try to make sense of this ques-
tion.
Saturday, April 24: Masts, War, Spiritual Centers and
Seclusion: Meher Baba in the 1940s
Ben Leet and Peter Ravazza will host this evening's program,
ptomising "everything you ever wanted to know" about this
eventful decade in the avatar's advent.
Saturday, May 1: Raine Eastman .. Gannett sings
songs of Mehera
An evening of songs of Beloved Baba's Mehera, with passages
from her biography read by Bill Gannett.
Saturday, May 8: Meher Baba-Father, Friend,
Firm Master, Constant Companion until the
Very End
What is it like to follow Meher Baba? What do we gain and
lose? Is He involved in my day~to~day life? What
if Baba came and went without my knowing of Him? Should
I appreciate the change His influence makes? Why is per-
fection so far away? Kathy Wiederhold will make it fun to
consider these questions.
May 15: Darshan Revisited
Come reminisce and celebrate the 30th anniversary of
the 1969 darshan. Bring pictures and other memorabil~
ia, if you were among those fortunate enough to have
attended.
May 22: Practical Mysticism
Let's come together to discuss ways to use the tools
Meher Baba has given us for becoming practical mystics.
Peter Ravazza invites all to join an open discussion and an
evening of good snacks, fun and a relaxing departure from
the stresses of the Kali Yuga!

Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.

President, Joan Harland Vice President. Harold Jamison Secretary. Ron Greenstein Treasurer. Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Odile Atthalin Laurie Brook Ron Greenstein Greg Harland Joan Harland Harold Jamison Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Keith Gunn Betty Lowman Cherri Nelson
Bookstore: Kate Mink Library: Alexandra Cons Officewalla: Fred White Program: Greg Harland
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)
-----------

-------------------------------
 IL
So she le ft this book with me, the "DIS COU RS ES O N
LOVE", an d I'm grum b ling a nd say, "Love! S h e n eeds
to get ma rried a nd h ave some c hild re n! " O ka y, so, sh e
left me the book a nd wh e n sh e was go ing ou t o f th e door
sh e said , "This is for you." I roo k it a nd we sa id good bye.
Whe n I closed th e door a nd locked it, I wo ndered wh at
it was. Instead o f look ing a t it , I just h e ld it. Whe n I
looked at what sh e h ad given me, it was th is pic ture of
Baba. A n d as I did, inside me, my h ea rt inside me was
"perrum padump"! I go t so scared, I ra n into my husband
Harry's room , a nd I ra n to p ut it in his dresser dra we r.
My sakes ! I d idn ' t kn ow wh a t h ad happe n ed to me !
W h at is this ? Okay, I go t a ll invo lved in t he t hings 1
h ad to do and sh e didn't come back fo r a wh ile. In the
mean t ime, l took this D ISCOU RS E that sh e'd give n
me. I was getting into bed an d o pe ned the book a nd I
tried to read it a nd my h ead sta rted sp in nin '. I got suc h
a headach e . I said , "Wh a t in t he world?" I sa id, "Yo u
we nt to high sch oo l. Yo u can 't read it?"I go t so mad ,
I sla mmed the book sh ut. I said, "We ll, if thi s man Baba
is a ll sh e sa id , H e ' ll sho w me," a nd I p ut the book in
th e d rawer.
O n e d ay I said to myse lf, "I o ugh t to take th a t p ic ture
out o f the d ra we r because sh e may think I do n 't want
it. " Instantly, Baba says, "Don ' t take it o ut until you're
ready." Just like t ha t , "Do n 't take it o ut be fo re yo u're
ready."A mo nth or so afte r, I tho ugh t a bou t t he p ic ture .
So I went to o pen my H a rry's dresser drawer and I eased
it out an d I looked a t it an d n o thi ng h appe n ed, yo u
kn ow. So l pu t it up o n his d resser. I was st ill making
loo ks at it, wh en eve r I was in th e roo m, I wo uld look
to see if a n ything wo uld hap pen , a nd nothing h appe n ed
aga in. So, even tua lly, l e ased the p ic ture ove r, d usted
it a n d pu t it on my nigh t table .
Well, It was Septembe r. I h ad played t h e N um be rs. Yo u
go in an d you buy three numbers a nd you p ut a qua rter
on t he game an d co me o u t. I bo ugh t th is n umbe r. l said ,
"Oh , H arry, l kn ow wh at the nu mber's goin g to be ." H e
says, "Yeah ?" " l'm going to run o ve r to Doris's"- t h at's
my frie n d . H e r h usba n d wo rks in the h osp ital a nd he
can get it in for me. A n d so I run ove r to h er h o use and
l put it in . "No w, don 't lock t h e d oor, H a rry. I' m coming
right back 'cause I've put th e ch ild re n to bed . Do n 't
loc k th e doo r. I'm coming right bac k." H e sa id, "O kay."
I went ove r to Doris's a nd I re me mbered th a t Johnny
was n' t going to wo rk t h e n ext da y. S o n ow , we sat a nd
ta lked. I put o n t h e co ffee po t a n d we talked. l sa id , "I
h ave to go h o me, yo u kn ow. The d oor is open a nd Ha rry
wants to go o n to bed" a n d " bla h , bla h , b lah " a nd "I
h a ve to go h o me . Yes,we ll, an d "bla h , b la h , b la h ."
Four A.M.! l jumped up . I sa id, "D oris, look at the ti me !
Four! I can't be lieve it ! W h a t h appe ne d ? W h a t we re we
do ing?" Four o 'clock! I fle w ac ro ss the corrido r an d up
the stairs, open ed the door re a l qu ie tl y, you kno w, a n d
we n t in. Eve ryth in g's qu ie t. Everybod y's sleep ing , so
now I sa id, "We ll , I wo n't put the li ght on in my bed-
room because I m ight wa ke Ha rry and h e ' ll kno w wha t
t ime I came in !" So l put t h e ligh t o n in the h all. I we n t
a nd go t my n igh tgo>vn a nd washed up a nd was just
ge tting ready to co me o ut o f the bedroo m to turn off
the ha ll light a nd Baba sa id ,"Why do n't yo u medita te?"
"Medita te? M ed ita te on what?" But tha t 's wha t Baba
sa id , "Why do n 't you med ita te ?"
The c hild ren h ad a lit t le c h ai r, but a sma ll o ne, fo r
th e irs. S o I took the cha ir and sa t d own in front of th e
nigh t table , in front of Baba's picture . My bottom didn 't
hit the cha ir good be fo re t he p ic t ure started glowin g.
The p ic ture sta rted with t hi s light. l was sitting there
a nd now t h e ligh t is getti ng SO beau t iful, SO rad ian t,
an d it's just e bb ing a nd fl owin g, and ebb ing a n d flo w-
ing, and ebbing and flowing, and just da nc ing, but o utl ining
Baba, just Baba , and H e looks so, so sere n e, so beaut iful.
A ll of a sudde n , t he ligh t li ft ed up, lift ed fro m the
picture like this, a nd it ca me up , boom, a nd it struc k
me he re, and it h it me a nd with suc h fo rce , I a lmos t
fe ll o ff th e c h a ir. 0, yes, l belie ve ! Yes , I believe! l was
o n fire! I d idn't know wh ere to go. I d idn' t kn ow wh a t
to do with myself. I was o n fire from h ead to toe. l ra n
to t h e window. l th rew o pen t h e window. I wanted to
scream to t h e wo rld . I wan ted to tell everybod y. N o th-
ing wo uld come o ut. I ca me back . I went to my husband.
(I fo rgo t h e was sleep in g .) I ra n in to the child ren 's
room . I wen t to th e ph o ne to call Bery l, th e n l rea lized
wh at time it was a nd I hu ng up . I sa id, uo h , Lo rd , wh a t
is this?" O h. 1 was on fi re . T h e n I c a lmed do wn . I sa id,
"I wo nde r if tha t' ll h appe n again ?" Back I we nt a nd sat
in fro nt of Baba's p icture. As soon as I s its d own , th e
pi cture started to g low aga in . N ow , t h is is a go lde n light
and per meating the whole pic ture, so beaut ifu l. It came
a round Ba ba's face , you kn ow, and it outl ined Hi s who le
face, His who le face, H is wh o le face . T h e n it came
ac ross H is fo re h ead an d t h e n it crossed each eye, H is
nose, His mouth , th en it ca me across His n eck and o n to
the ta ble, slo wly, you know, beaut iful golden light, ac ross
the tab le.
O n th e table, 1 h ad pe n c il a nd a lot of little thi ngs you
wo uld h ave o n a night tab le, a nd everything th at t he
light touch ed dissolved in to t h e light across the table,
spread o n to it, a nd everyth ing became O n e. The n it
started to recede back to the p icture, with a ll t h e things
(continued on page 4)
 IL
MEETINGS - Meher Baba events are held on Saturday nights.
TIMES- Events sta rt at 8:00PM and normally end by 9:30PM
unless otherwise noted. LOCATIONS - Events are held at the
Albany Methodist Church unless otherwise noted. The church
is at the corner of Marin and Stannage Streets, two blocks
east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany (north of Berkeley) Take
the Buchanan Street exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore <> Childcare
Saturday, May 29: An evening with Jal and
Dolly Dastur
Those o f you who have made t h e jo urney to M eh e r
Baba's to m b a nd the P ilgrim Ce ntre h ave probaqly
met ) a \ a nd Do lly, lon gtime lovers of the Avatar
who li ve in the s h ado\\' of Baba's samadh i. The ir
decades of contact with Be loved Ba ba prov ide for
man y a n evening's wonderful sto ries. Come to hear
some o f the ir ge ms.
Thursday, June 3, 7,9 PM: Sweets and Treats
with Jal and Dolly at the Talbot's
Come to t he T a lbot's with desse rts to sh are. 72 1
C rossbrook D ri ve, Mo raga . I f you n eed direct ions
ca ll ( 925) 3 76-4325.
Saturday, June 5, 2 PM: Potluck Picnic with
Jal and Dolly at Anil and Vijay Nori's home
Bring picnic fare, b lanke ts a nd sun h ats to the No ris'
in South San Jose. Paper goods a nd ute nsils provid-
ed . For d irectio ns, e-mail Ani l at a no r i@asera .com
o r call (w) 650-480-60 77 or (h) 408-223-0 153.
Saturday, June 12, 7PM: AGM
Come early so we can start o ur A nnua l Ge n e ra l
Meeting pro mptl y! This is your c hance to voice
yo ur o pinio ns, vote o n n ext yea r's budget, elect a
new board o f directors a nd volunteer fo r o ne of t h e
sa nskara-burning positio ns c ur re ntly empty. W e 'd
like to see a ll Bay Area Baba lovers t h e re !
Saturday, June 19: Are You R eally aBaba
Lover? Dick Anthony Discusses the Question.
Do you ever doubt that Baba is wh o H e says H e is, or
question wh ether you a re really a Baba Lo"tr? Eruch
told Dick that faith in Baba is mo re authentic if you
don't repress your doubts. D ic k will discuss what h e
makes of this advice a nd the ro le that doubt plays for
him, a nd maybe oth ers, in fo llowing Baba. Come sh are
your own doubts, and let's make sense of this question .
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President, Joan Harland, Vice President, Harold Jamison, Secretary, Ron Greenstein, Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Odille Atthalin Laurie Brook Ron Greenstein Greg Harland Joan Harland Harold Jamison Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Bookstore: Katie Mink Library: Alexandra Cons Officewal/a: Fred White Program: Greg Harland
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)
Saturday, June 26: Meher Baba's Silence
As the 74th annive rsary of the beginnin g of Ba ba's
sil en ce approaches, Jan et Wh ite w ill lead a d iscus-
sio n abo ut His sile n ce, begun on July 10, 1925.
Saturday, July 3: No meeting, as many will be
attending the L.A. Sahavas
Saturday, July 10, 2 PM: Silence Day Walk
Meet a t Inspiratio n Po int in Ti lden Park for a walk
in silence. Ca ll Joan Ha rla n d, (5 10) 23 7-53 48 fo r
direct ions (befo re Jul y lOth , p lease !)
Saturday, July 17: Quarterly Salon and Toddy Shop
The second in a series o f meetings fo r the express io n
o f our hearts through writ ing, srory-telling, son g,
performa n ce , vis ua l art a nd ch a i. We plan o n h av-
ing six o r seven presente rs in different media; p lease
ca ll Lisa Green ste in (5 LO) 525,3364 if you 'd like to
be pa rt o f t h e program.
Saturday, July 31 : Sufism Reoriented and
Me her Baba Lovers of Northern California:
History and Future Prospects
O ur group orig inally had a close relat io nship wit h
S ufism but, at a ce rtai n point in t he late 70s, it
seemed appropriate for us to establish a clearer boundary
between the two groups. C urren tly some of our members
prefer a closer re latio nship with Su fi sm and some
prefer that we ma inta in a firm boundary. G reg H arland
wil l faci litate discussion of this topic . A panel o r
o the r p resentation may p recede t h e d iscuss io n.
Saturday, August 21: Souls on Fire with Bill
and Peggy Stephens .
Bill and Peggy, lo n g-tim e Baba lovers a nd open-
h earted h osts to ma n y, wi ll be in town to visit . Bill,
a n autho r, poet , la wye r, ma r ine bio logist a nd Baba
e nthusiast will spea k o n th e the me o f his latest
book, Souls on Fire.
----------------
We arc p leased to announce that Bhau Khalchuri, member
of Me h er Baba's ma nda li a nd the Trust, wi ll be v isitig
th e Bay Area from T hu rsday, Septe mber 9 - T uesday,
September 14. Many programs a re being p la nned and
a fu ll schedu le o f these even ts w ill a ppear in the next
newsle tte r. A ll are in vited to joi n in prepara tio n for this
specia l visit. Please n ote t h e e n c losed info rmation about
fundraise rs. For more info rma tio n and to volunteer call
Karen Ta lbot at (925) 376-432 5.
 11
even eat it." He went back the n ext day, an d oh , He
was so happy to see him and the apple was still si tting
there. He was told to come back a fourth time. That
night, h e could no t go to sleep. H e thought, "What is
it? He accepted the apple. He was so h appy to h ave it.
He's so h appy to see me. H e's gree ted me so warmly and
so lov ingly. W h y doesn't H e eat the apple?" So this
fourth day, the disciple's running to meet Him, and all
of a sudden, o ut of nowhere, the Master gets a knife,
and the apple falls open and there are wo rm ho les!
W orm h oles, a ll inside this de lic ious apple. And just as
the h orrified lover wanted to dash his h ead on th.e
ground in front of the Master, H e sm il ed ._took th e knife
and H e started fli cking out all the worm h oles , mak ing
the apple n ow fi t fo r the Master to eat.
You get it ? That is the indiv idual. We have come to
Him with all these worm ho les, and tha t was me. I
thought I was a won derfu l pe rson ! I really d id. I used
to meditate and I t hought I was sp iritual W h en I went
to meet Baba, I really thought I was a wonderful person.
In te lling me this sto ry, He was showing me th e invert-
ed ego that thinks that it's wonderful, it does good, it's
leading a sp iritua l life, and all the time, it's pushing the
garbage under an d before the Master can use that d is-
c iple, He h as to clean him out! H e has to get rid of all
these sanskaras and make him fit to rece ive th is love.
To rece ive. T h e eating of the apple is receiv ing you.
See? To be fit to ea t, you know, fo r Him! It's not what
you think , wh a t I th ough t I was, but wh at I really was.
Baba sh owed me this, and I te ll you, we laugh ed. Both
of us laugh ed ! He said it was fro m the begin n ingless
begin ning, fro m th e time of evolution. There was al-
ways tliintes ire to- sh owt:h e- go-od fro nt~ and-wh at was
available to hide th e dirt unde r but an other piece of
dirt. So I took this p iece of dust an d put th e first piece
of dirt under the dust, hiding. So th is is my hab it,
push ing the d irt. So h ere He comes to me, and here's
this big mounta in of d irt , and a little piece of d irt on
top, from a ll the lifetimes! Do you understand ?! You
see, this little p iece th at I thi n k is hid ing t his pyram id!
A pyramid, on top of that! A moun ta in ! This little bi t
on top of th at ! W h en I saw t h e po int, we started laugh -
ing, both of us. We just laugh ed and laugh ed . Baba says,
"I t would be a simple thing for Me to just stick it away,
but the fun is in the sh aring it! See? This is the interplay
of th e lover and t he Beloved."
These are the kind of stories that Baba would te ll me,
and we would have fun togeth er. It wasn't always funny .
He would h ave to box my ears a couple of times when
I d idn't listen to H im, but oh , what a wond erful time !
2
"Thank You, Baba"
I saw Baba in 1956 wh en He came. I h ad a chance,
remember, in '52 , as I said , but I wasn't going then, and
Baba came again in 1956. Baba would h ave us meditate.
I would med ita te in the morning wh en I would awaken ,
and at 12:00 and th en 5:00 and so on.
So at 12:00, I was meditating on e day. I used to sub-
scribe to magazines and the man used to come once a
month to get paid for the magazines. I h ad don e my
budget and decided I wasn 't going to pay him this month,
I ~ll pay h im n ext month. I didn't like him an yway. H e
was so big and fat an d sloppy. He used to co me wi th
all his stomach out, and h e'd be dripping persp ira tion ,
and anyway I said, "I 'm no t going to pay him this month ,
I'll pay him n ext mon th."
So I'm med itating on Baba, and oh , wow! Such b liss,
such beauty, oh , so wonde rful, Ba ba, so wonde rfu l being
with You. Baba says, "Somebody's gonna knock at the
door. " It was so blissful , and wh en Baba said, "Some-
body's going to knock a t the door," He brought me
down , more aware of what was going on , and sure enough,
"Knock, knock, knock." W ith the first knock, pin s and
need les just sh ot through me because I h adn ' t full y
become settled, and so I wen t to the door, and looked
th rough th e peepho le. T h ere's this magzinc man ! I fel t
I wanted to get inside th e man. I could feel this pull !
Ooo! I want to-I ran in the roo m , an d went in the
drawer, got the re nt mon ey, an d got the payment out
of it. Then Baba says, "Will yo u stay be ind th e .door ?"
I d id all my business behind the door with my h ead
sticki ng out. I wanted to unite , I could see wh at was
behind him, a nd wha t was behind- me wanted to unite
with That. I loved him. Baba sh owed me. It was just
wonderful ! But see, that's the way Baba sh owed me
things, not by talk, and n o reading. He made me ex-
perience it, you kn ow. It actually h appen ed, so I know
what it is to feel that Love , th at pull. It was delight ,
you know , to become O ne. The outer h as noth ing to
do with it, no thing a t all. It's beaut iful-and can you
imagine wh en a ll others fee l a little of it?
I'll tell you an other little th ing tha t Baba said when He
was h ere in Myrtle Beach in 1958. W e were in the
Lagoon Cabin. Three sisters went to see Baba. Baba h ad
us three sisters come into th e Cabin. H e was sitting in
His chair and we were sitt ing in front of Him. Beryl was
in th e middle. I was on h er left and Ben ita was on h er
right . Baba asked us how were we enjoy ing th e Center,
if eve ryth ing was all right? And we a ll said, "Yes, Baba,
everyth ing was a ll righ t. " And Be ryl said , "Baba we 're
 IL
back to school and too k courses in bookkeeping and
sw itchboard operating and all. I was gett ing ready, honey!
I was gettin g restless at home. So Baba said-Baba was
very h elpful, "Wh y don 't you go for volunteer work?
So I went to the hospital and they put me up in the
preem ie nursery, and I found it too distressing to see the
little tiny babies and their struggle and t he incubators.
So, I left chat. Then I heard about a rescue h ospita l for
children. In the earlier days, if you couldn't ra ise you r
baby, you would put the baby in a basket and leave it
there, at front of the door and they would take the baby
and take care of it.
So, I went to the New York Foundling H ospital and . it
was a Catholic hosp ita l. In those days if you were not
a Catho lic, they wou ldn't accept you. I we n t and fill ed
out the application. I put down "Protestant" and the re
I am, a voluntee r. When we used to sit down for lunch,
some of the other voluntee rs asked me about this and
that, and wh en they found out I was Protestant, they
sa id, "H ow did you become a volunteer? They don' t , as
a rule, take non-Catholics." But I was there! So , up on
the ward that I worked o n with the ch ildren, th e S ister
said to me, "Bernice, why don't you cons ider foster care?
There are so many child ren who need homes and you
would be more help to them in the home." That sound-
ed nice, and I'd forgotten that I couldn't wait to get rid
of these children of my own. I'd forgotten all about that.
1 put in the application for interim care, taking care of
the child until its mother's able to take care of it, two
weeks, three weeks at the most.
I got this call , "Oh, Mrs. Ivory, we h ave an emergency.
We have this little girl in Long Island, and she's been
very badly abused." A young couple h ad had h er rn
foster care. The mother was 15 and sh e h ad the baby
at the Foundling H o me and she left it there. The child
hated the nursery. She used to SCREAM, SCREAM,
SCREAM. So they had put h er in foster care with th is
young couple. When the husband left the foster mother
she was using the money that sh e was getting for the
care of the child to pay her mo rtgage, an d she used to
give h er nothing but milk. When sh e came to me, she
was just covered with diaper rash , sh e was a mess. They
called me and asked would 1 take this baby? 17 months
old, right?
Now, we had four roo ms. I h ad three children, a hus-
band, and myself. That's five people in four rooms. The
rule for foster care is that it should h ave at least a room
fo r the child. Where a m I gonna put this ch ild? In my
bedroom? With my husband and I? No! 1 had no crib,
nothing. I got everything, the crib-all the barriers just
4
fell down and away. You understand what I'm saying?
Okay. The minute the ch ild saw me, she was so h appy.
They said, "It looks like she's taken to you." I said,
"Yeah ." I still hadn't remembered that I wasn 't supposed
to be h avi ng any more childre n! So, an yway, the child
grew nicely. We got her at 17 months, and sh e went
home to her mother when she was 7 years old, but in
th e meantime, she was a round 4 years o ld. Now 1 h ave
to go back to my childhood to bring this up to date with
what I'm going to tell you now.
I was about 7 -8-9-some thing like that. My mother used
to se nd us to Sunday School. I h ad a younger brother
and sister, and the fami ly upstairs had two sons. One
was an older boy, and the younger boy was around our
ages. So we used to go to S unday School together, and
where we h ad to go, it was dangerous, but the older
brother was old enough to take care of a ll of us. But he
was fu ll of foolishness, and he would chase his brother
Ralph up the stoop. H e chased Ralph up the stoop.
Ralph ran down, o ut into the street and Bam! A taxi
cab h it him, killed him instantly.
I fe lt so bad! This was my first e ncounter with death ,
and to see th e chi ld just running, a nd n ow there he is,
all smas hed up there. Ooooh .. ! Well, anyway, the fam-
ily eventually moved away, and we moved away, and I
grew up, and h ere I a m, a grown woman. I've h ad my
children . Now, I come in to foster care. O ne day , I'd say
Tish awn was about 4 years old. I do n't know what I was
doing , but a ll of a sudden, the entire scene of this
acc ident th at h appe ned when I was 7 o r 8 years old, just
like a screen ope ned, and the re was the whole thing,
and I said, "What am I thinking about this for at this
late date? Why is this coming into.my..head now?" l said,
"Oh Baba, I'm not thinking any more abo ut it," an other
pushing behind me , under the little piece of dirt. That's
h ow I used to put things out. I didn't want to be both-
ered with it. So, anyway, here I hadn't thought about
it anymo re. Now, this chi ld was a very poor eater, and
I used to have to coax her to eat, singing and almost
stand on my h ead to get h er to eat, and this day, sh e
was at the table w ith me in the afternoon. She was
h aving h er lunch, and I'm feed ing h er and talking to
her. A ll of a sudden, she leans over to me, and she says
to me, "Mommy, do you remember the time when I ran
out into the street, and t hat tax i cab hit me and I died?"
I sa id, "Yes, Tish awn, I remember." ... sh e never said
another word about that incident. ~
Ed. Note: Bernice's family was from Trinidad, not jamaica, as
we had said in Part 1 of her story (last newsletter).
Our thanks to Harry Ivory for the photo on page 3, and to
Barbara Roberts for transcribing this article.
 1L
so fortuna te to be h ere wi th Yo u, the three of us at thi s
t ime ." And Baba sa id, "It is no small matter to look on
th e face of the Ancient One." A nd H e said, "Ages ago,
I o rdained this." The n H e sa id, "Any problems? Any
problems with t he prejud ice ?" 'Cause we stayed at th e
C o lo red mote l, off t he Center. Beryl got to sleep o n
the Center. Oth e r peop le stayed
at othe r mo te ls 'cause eve ryo ne
couldn't stay on the Cente r. W e
happened to be at the Black motel.
So we said , "N o, Baba . W e 're no t
hav ing an y diffic ul ty, an y prob-
lems." So then , Baba looked at
me <~nd H e sa id , "Yo u are ve ry
o ld ." He says, "Yo u h ave been
th is. You h ave been t hat. Very
o ld ... Yo u don ' t reme mber. The
Soul never changes." He said, "But,
Bernice and Harry on tlteir 50t!t anniversay
perhaps, at o ne time, let's say yo u
we re very beautiful , perhaps a blo nd, very beautiful, and
let's say you ign ored a C o lo red pe rso n. " H e sa id, "So,
yo u had to take on a C o lored bod y so that yo u can feel
what it's like to be C o lored ."
I sat there like a dum my, looking at Baba. I d idn' t know
wh at H e's talking abo ut, but don' t thin k I didn't find
out! I had bad karma. Very bad karma. I d readed t he
South. My paren ts we re bo rn in t he West Ind ies-
T rin idad. W e d idn' t know an yt h ing abo ut the So ut h.
Mot her had a fri end who used to tell my mo ther a ll t he
thi ngs t ha t went on do wn t he re, and I wo uld sit ncar
t he door and listen. I wo uld be trem bling and shaking
and I d id n ' t know why I was do in g that. I had an inbo rn
dread of the South. l had bad karma. O ne nigh t, Baba
let me expe rience a lynching. I was lync hed. I know
wha t t he rope feels like. I kno w what it is to be lynched.
Baba got rid of that fo r me. I had some thing co ming fo r
me in the South, and when Baba bro ught t ha t busin ess
of color up, it wasn't for no thing. So, Thank You, Beloved.
Thank You. Tha t's a ll l can say .
In fac t, in 1956, when we were a t Lo ngchamps, Baba
stood up afte r d iffere nt o nes h ad come to the tab le and
had greeted H im, H e stood up and started com ing a round
to t he d iffe rent tables to greet His guests and H is love rs.
W he n Baba stood up, I sa id , "Oh, Baba, I do n 't kno w
what to say to you. What ca n 1 tell yo u ? 1 do n 't kno w .. ."
I had n ot hi ng to as k. So Baba sa id, "Yo u just give
thanks. J ust give than ks." So when H e carn e to o ur
table, He took my sister's hand a nd my ha nd and He
looked from one to t he ot he r and H e smiled . 1 sa id ,
"Thank Yo u, Baba ." A nd t hat's what I a lways do . I don 't
3
know rea lly how to g ive thanks o r t he meani ng of the
th anks, but 1 tha nked Hi m.
Quest ion er: H ow was yo ur husband taking all of th is?
Bernice: O h, that's a good questio n! O n t he who le ,
Harry was ve ry good. Let's see. l had the ch ildre n in
1953 . l h ad caesarean section . It
was a d ifficult birth. So in 1953,
1954, I wasn't well, A fte r the
ch ild ren, we d idn't have much
sex . So here comes the order fro m
Baba: W e have to be celibate fo r
six month s. Six mo nths! I said,
"Oh Baba, h ow am I going to
te ll H arry? !" l mean, Harry would
say "yes yes" to th ings, but I did n't
kno w if H e was gon na "yes yes"
th is o ne! But Baba told me ex-
actly how to talk to him, what
to say, and it was diffic ult. l give H arry a great dea l of
cred it because it was all new to h im. He had respect for
Baba, but h e hadn ' t met H im yet. H e met Him in 1956,
but this was before he met Baba, and fo r h im to go a long
with me was real ly some thi ng. I give h im a great dea l
of c red it. Baba he lped . Baba h elped a great dea l. H arry
never opposed me. In fact, he was a lways suppo rti ve
with th ings l wanted to do .
Q uestioner: W hen d id you sta rt n otic ing the ch ange in
him though , because he's [now] a Baba-lover?
Bernice: W e ll, he was n ever o utside of Baba, you kno w
wh at I mean ? T here was no c hange in him when he met
Baba, you see . Baha loved him. In fact, when hi s young-
er sister El izabe th d ied in ch ildbi rth, h e was really bro-
ken up . W e sen t a cab le to Baba, and Baba sent a cable
to Harry . H e said, "El izabet h is blessed in M y lo ve for
yo u. " So, yo u see, Baba loves H arry. H e's a good person,
a ve ry, ve ry good pe rson. He does n't ta lk abo ut Baba
o r read Baba's books, but he lives a good life . W hy, he
took his vaca tio n so l could be h ere . H e's wi th the
child ren, fo ur ch ild re n . When I wen t to Ind ia , it was
the same thing.
O ur ch ild ren range in age from 33 to 7. W e ha ve three
ch ild ren natu ra lly of our o wn. T he o ldest is 33 and the
twins a re 30, and t he n we have three adop ted ch ild re n:
12, 10 and 7, and we 're ra ising o ur grandda ughter, who
is ll. A nd in between, we 've had at least four teen ch il-
dren because we've had foster c h ildren .
A s I exp lained, we had o ur three ch ildre n and I was
anxious fo r t hem to grow up so I cou ld be free. [ we nt
 IL
even eat it." He went back the next day, and oh, He
was so happy to see him and the apple was still sitting
there. He was told to come back a fourth time. That
night, he could not go to sleep. He thought, "What is
it? He accepted the apple. He was so happy to have it.
He's so happy to see me. He's greeted me so warmly and
so lovingly. Why doesn't He eat the apple?" So this
fourth day, the disciple's running to meet Him, and all
of a sudden, out of nowhere, the Master gets a knife,
and the apple falls open and there are worm holes!
Worm holes, all inside this delicious apple. And just as
the horrified lover wanted to dash his head on the
ground in froncoLthe_Master, He smiled .__took the knife
and He started flicking out all the worm holes, making
the apple now fit for the Master to eat.
You get it? That is the individual. We have come to
Him with all these worm holes, and that was me. I
thought I was a wonderful person! I really did. I used
to meditate and I thought I was spiritual When I went
to meet Baba, I really thought I was a wonderful person.
In telling me this story, He was showing me the invert ..
ed ego that thinks that it's wonderful, it does good, it's
leading a spiritual life, and all the time, it's pushing the
garbage under and before the Master can use that dis ..
ciple, He has to clean him out! He has to get rid of all
these sanskaras and make him fit to receive this love.
To receive. The eating of the apple is receiving you.
See? To be fit to eat, you know, for Him! It's not what
you think, what I thought I was, but what I really was.
Baba showed me this, and I tell you, we laughed. Both
of us laughed! He said it was from the beginningless
beginning, from the time of evolution. There was at ..
wa),-st:hts-cres1re nrstmw-rlle-grrod- fronl,(md-whar-was-
available to hide the dirt under but another piece of
dirt. So I took this piece of dust and put the first piece
of dirt under the dust, hiding. So this is my habit,
pushing the dirt. So here He comes to me, and here's
this big mountain of dirt, and a little piece of dirt on
top, from all the lifetimes! Do you understand?! You
see, this little piece that I think is hiding this pyramid!
A pyramid, on top of that! A mountain! This little bit
on top of that! When I saw the point, we started laugh ..
ing, both of us. We just laughed and laughed. Baba says,
"It would be a simple thing for Me to just stick it away,
but the fun is in the sharing it! See? This is the interplay
of the lover and the Beloved." .
These are the kind of stories that Baba would tell me,
and we would have fun together. It wasn't always funny.
He would have to box my ears a couple of times when
I didn't listen to Him, but oh, what a wonderful time!
2
"Thank You, Baha"
I saw Baba in 1956 when He came. I had a chance,
remember, in '52, as I said, but I wasn't going then, and
Baba came again in 1956. Baba would have us meditate.
I would meditate in the morning when I would awaken,
and at 12:00 and then 5:00 and so on.
So at 12:00, I was meditating one day. I used to sub ..
scribe to magazines and the man used to come once a
month to get paid for the magazines. I had done my
budget and decided I wasn't going to pay him this month,
Pll pay him next month. I didn't like him anyway. He
was-so big-ami fat and sloppy. He used to come with
all his stomach out, and he'd be dripping perspiration,
and anyway I said, "I'm not going to pay him this month,
I'll pay him next month."
So I'm meditating on Baba, and oh, wow! Such bliss,
such beauty, oh, so wonderful, Baba, so wonderful being
with You. Baba says, "Somebody's gonna knock at the
door." It was so blissful, and when Baba said, "Some ..
body's going to knock at the door," He brought me
down, more aware of what was going on, and sure enough,
"Knock, knock, knock." With the first knock, pins and
needles just shot through me because I hadn't fully
become settled, and so I went to the door, and looked
through the peephole. There's this magzine man! I felt
I wanted to get inside the man. I could feel this pull!
Ooo! I want to-I ran in the room, and went in the
drawer, got the rent money, and got the payment out
of it. Then Baba says, "Will you stay beind the .door?"
I did all my business behind the door with my head
sticking out. I wanted to unite, I could see what was
behind him, and what was behind-me-wanted to unite
with That. I loved him. Baba showed me. It was just
wonderful! But see, that's the way Baba showed me
things, not by talk, and no reading. He made me ex ..
perience it, you know. It actually happened, so I know
what it is to feel that Love, that pull. It was delight,
you know, to become One. The outer has nothing to
do with it, nothing at all. It's beautiful-and can you
imagine when all others feel a little of it?
I'll tell you another little thing that Baba said when He
was here in Myrtle Beach in 1958. We were in the
Lagoon Cabin. Three sisters went to see Baba. Baba had
us three sisters come into the Cabin. He was sitting in
His chair and we were sitting in front of Him. Beryl was
in the middle. I was on her left and Benita was on her
right. Baba asked us how were we enjoying the Center,
if everything was all right? And we all said, "Yes, Baba,
everything was all right." And Beryl said, "Baba we're
MEETINGS - Meher Baba events are held on Saturday nights.
TIMES- Events start at 8:00PM and normally end by 9:30PM
unless otherwise noted. LOCA TIONS - Events are held at the
Albany Methodist Church unless otherwise noted. The church
is at the corner of Marin and Stannage Streets, two blocks
east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany (north of Berkeley) Take
the Buchanan Street exit from Interstate 80.
To c h eck fo r progr am changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore '31 Ch ildcare
Saturday, May 29: An evening with Jal and
Dolly Dastur
Those of yo u who have made the journey to Me her
Baba's tomb and the Pilgrim Centre h ave probahly
met )a\ and Dolly, lon gtime lovers of the Avatar
who live in the s h adow o f Baba's samadhi. The ir
decades o f contact with Belo ved Baba provide for
many an even ing's wonde rfu l stori es. Come to h ear
some of their ge ms.
T hursday, June 3, 7-9 PM: Sweets and Treats
with Jal and Dolly at the Talbot's
Come to the T a lbot's with desserts to share. 721
C rossbrook Drive , Moraga. If you need d irections
call (925) 376-4325.
Saturday, June 5, 2 PM: Potluck Picnic with
Jal and Dolly at Anil and Vijay Nori's home
Bring pic nic fare , blanke ts and sun hats to the Noris'
in South S an Jose. Paper goods and utensils prov id-
ed. Fo r d irec tio ns, e-mail An il at a no ri@asera.com
o r ca ll (w) 650-480-6077 o r (h) 408-223-0153.
Saturday, June 26: Me her Baba's Silence
As t he 74th a nni ve rsary of the beginning o f Baba's
sile nce approac h es, Ja n et White will lead a discus-
sio n about His silence, begun o n July 10, 1925.
Saturday, July 3: No meeting, as many will be
attending the L.A. Sahavas
Saturday, July 10, 2 PM: Silence Day Walk
Meet at Inspiration Po int in Tilden Park fo r a walk
in sile nce . Call Joa n Harl and, (510) 23 7-5348 fo r
direction s (before Jul y lOth , please!)
Saturday, July 17: Quarterly Salon and Toddy Shop
The secon d in a ser ies of mee tings for the expression
o f our hearts thro ugh writing, story- telling, song,
pe rfo rma nce, visua l art and cha i. W e plan o n hav-
ing six o r seven p resente rs in different media; please
call Lisa G reen stein (510) 525-3364 if you'd like to
be part o f th e program .
Saturday, July 31: Sufism Reoriented and
Meher Baba Lovers of Northern Californ ia:
History and Future Prospects
O ur gro up o rigina ll y h ad a close re lationshi p with
S ufis m but, a t a certa in po int in the late 70s, it
seemed appropriate for us to establish a clearer boundary
between the two groups. C urrently some of our members
prefer a close r rela tio nship with S ufi sm and some
prefer that we maintain a firm boundary. G reg Harland
wil l fac ilitate discussio n of this topic. A pane l o r
o ther p resentatio n may precede the discuss io n.

Saturday, June 12, 7PM: AGM
Come ea rl y so we can start o ur Annua l Ge n e ra l
Meeting promptly! This is yo ur c h an ce to vo ice
your opini on s, vote o n next year's budget, e lect a
n ew b oard of directors a nd volunteer for o ne of the
sans kara- burning positio ns c urre ntly empty. W e 'd
like to see a ll Bay Area Baba lovers the re!
Saturday, June 19: Are You Really aBaba
Lover? Dick Anthony Discusses the Question.
Do you ever doubt that Baba is who H e says H e is, or
question whether you a re really a Baba Lotr? En1c h
to ld Dick that faith in Baba is more authentic if you
don't repress your doubts. Dick will discuss what he
makes of th is advice a nd the ro le that doubt plays fo r
him, a nd maybe oth ers, in following Baba. Come share
your own doubts, and let's make sen se of this question.
Sa.turday, August 21: Souls on Fire with Bill
and Peggy Stephens .
Bi ll a nd Peggy, lo ng-time Baba lovers a nd open-
h earted h osts to many, will be in town to v isit. Bill,
a n author, poet, lawye r, marine biologist and Baba
enthusiast will speak o n the the me of his lates t
book, Souls on Fire.
----------------
We arc pleased to a nnounce tha t Bhau Khalchuri, member
of Me her Ba ba 's manda li a nd the Trust, will be v isi ri g
the Bay A rea from Thursday , S eptember 9 - T uesday,
Septe m ber 14. Ma n y progra ms a re being pla nned and
a full schedule of th ese events will appear in t h e next
newsletter. A ll a re inv ited to jo in in preparation for this
specia l visit . Please no te the enclosed info rmation abom
fur;1dra isers. For more info rmatio n and to volunteer call
Karen Ta lbot at (925) 376-4325.

Me her Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.

President, Joan Harland, Vice President, Harold Jamison, Secretary, Ron Greenstein, Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Odille Atthalin Laurie Brook Ron Greenstein Greg Harland Joan Harland Harold Jamison Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Bookstore: Katie Mink Library: Alexandra Cons Officewal/a: Fred White Program: Greg Harland
Trustwalla: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CALIF INC.
N E w s L E
21 3 1 UNIVERSITY AV E., RM. 235
VOL. 29
Bernice Ivory
Many Baba lovers have heard of Beryl Williams, a jamai-
can-American woman who heard about Meher Baba from
Norina Matchabelli and spent time with Him when He
visited the U.S in the 1950s. Bernice Ivory,
her sister, who passed away last Febru-
ary, gave the tall< from which this article
was excerpted at the Los A ngeles Sahavas
in j uly, 1983 :
The Nothingness of All
Things, The Oneness of
Everything
Now, Norina told them about Baba,
this Master in the East and how H e was
expected to make a return v isit to the
West and , oh , was sh e (Beryl) ready!
Was sh e ready! In the mean t ime, I am
perfectly happy. Baba h ad me get preg-
nant. I had not one baby, but two babies.
So, when l would think about it, l would
do my chanting and I was happy with
where l was.
Well , when Beryl heard Baba was com-
ing in l 95 2, sh e came and told me an d
asked me if I wanted to go d own to
Myrtle Beach to meet Baba. I' m grum-
bling to myself, "How does sh e know ?"
O h , she told me, "He's a Master" and
I'm grum bling, "How can she know He's
Bernice and Harry Ivory
a Master?" You k now, "I'm not go in' as the)'d like !0 be remembered.
dovvn there in the South. Sh e ca n go
down there if she wa n ts to. I'm not going there."
So Beryl went and she met Baba. She came back. Now,
in the mea ntime I'm pregnant agai n . It was my early
pregn ancy. Well , you know Baba h ad th e acc ident and
all and she was taken up, going back and forth with
Baba, and wh en sh e d id come to see me , the min ute l
saw Beryl, the minute I saw he r, I fe lt t here was so me -
thing d ifferent about her. You know, I fe lt that some-
1999
T T E R
B ERKELEY , CALIFORNIA 94704
SUMMER - 1999
thing but I did n 't pay an y attentio n a nd as t ime went
o n , I h ad t he childre n and there was no thing for Beryl
tu do but co me and te ll me abo ut Baba. I'm ho me from
t h e h ospita l, three chi ld ren.
Beryl would co me, "boom, boom,
boo m" o n the door. I'd look
through t he peeph o le. "O h , God ,
no t again !"
She'd come in and sit o n the stool
in the k itche n a nd she 'd read.
S h e'd read abo ut the "DIS-
COURS E O N LO VE" and Baba.
I did n 't k now it was Baba then.
I'd say, "Maybe she's hungry." "You
want to eat, Beryl?" "O h , yes. I
did n't have any breakfast." I'd h ave
to stop wh at I'm doing-diapers,
bottles, you kno w- and give h er
some breakfast. W ell, to make a
long story sho rt, Beryl would come
and she k new, she kn ew th at I
d idn ' t like h er com in g, an d she
told me after, sh e said sh e would
get up in the mo rning and Baba
told her to go up to Bernice and
she wou ld come up to Bernice,
a nd I began to no tice this! I said,
"Now, this isn ' t Beryl." Beryl had
a fuse t his, this lo ng, you see, and
if you did n 't say something t he
way she li ked , she was fini shed .
S he 'd snap yo u up and th at's it.
I didn't h ide th e fact th at she an noyed me, you know,
to the point where I told h er, "You te lling me all these
things, it's li ke you' re tell ing me, 'You n eed a Master.
You need a Master. Yo u cannot do th is by yourself."'One
day I got so exasperated, I sa id, "I can't underst1md what
you're tell ing me, Be ryl. It's like a person with a broken
leg a nd yo u ta ke t he c ru tch an d yo u give the m n othing
to wa lk with , you kno w. I can't und erstand th is."
(continued on page 2)
 IL
So she left this book with me, the "DISCOURSES ON
LOVE", a nd I' m grumbling and say, "Love! S he needs
to get ma rri ed and have some c hi ldren!" Okay, so, sh e
left me the book and whe n she was going out o f the door
she sa id, "Th is is for you." I took it a nd we sa id good bye.
When I closed the door and locked it, I wonde red what
it was. Instead o f look ing at it, I just held it. Whe n I
looked a t what she had given me, it was t h is picture o f
Baba. A nd as l d id, inside me, my hea rt inside me was
"pe rrumpadump"! I got so scared , I ra n into my husband
Ha rry's room , a nd I ran to put it in his dresser drawe r.
My sakes! I didn't know what h ad h appened to me!
W hat is this? Okay , I got a ll invo lved in the th in gs 1
h ad to do and she did n't come back fo r a wh ile. In the
meantime, I took this DISCOURSE that sh e'd given
me. I was ge tcing into bed and opened the book and I
tri ed to read it and my head started spinni n'. I got such
a headache. I sa id, "Wh at in the world ?" I sa id, "You
went to high schoo l. Yo u can 't read it?"I got so mad,
I slammed the book shut. I said, "Well, if thi s man Ba ba
is a ll she said, H e' ll sh ow me ," and I put the book in
t he drawe r.
O ne day I said to myse lf, "I o ught to take that pictu re
out of the drawer because sh e may think I do n't want
it. " Instantly, Ba ba says, "Do n't take it o ut until you' re
ready." just li ke that, "Don' t take it o ut befo re you' re
ready."A mo nth o r so after, I though t abou t the picture.
So I went to open my H a rry's dresser d rawer a nd I eased
it out a nd I looked at it and no thing h appened, you
kno w. So I put it up o n his dresser. I was sti ll making
looks at it , whe never I was in the room, I would look
to see if an ything wo uld happen, and nothing happe ned
aga in. So, eventually, I eased the picture ove r, dus ted
it and put it o n my n ight table .
Well, It was Septe mber. I h ad played the Numbe rs. You
go in and yo u buy th ree num bers and you put a quarter
on the game a nd come o ut. I bough t this num ber. I sa id ,
"Oh , H arry, I know what the numbe r's going to be." He
says, "Yeah ?" " I'm go ing to run over to Dori s's"-that's
my fr ie nd. Her husband works in the hospital a nd he
ca n get it in fo r me. And so I run over to he r h ouse and
I put it in. "N ow, don 't lock the doo r, Ha rry. I'm coming
righ t back 'cause I've put the children to bed. Do n 't
lock th e door. I'm coming righ t back." H e sa id, "Okay."
I went over to Do ris's and I re membe red that Jo hnn y
wasn 't going to wo rk the nex t da y. So now, we sat and
talked. I pu t o n th e co ffee po t and we ta lked . I said, "I
have to go home, you kno w. The doo r is open a nd Ha rry
wa nts to go on to bed" an d "blah, blah , blah" and "I
have to go ho me. Yes,we ll, and "blah , bl ah, blah."
Fo ur A .M.! I jumped up. I said, "Doris, look at the time !
Fo ur ! I can't believe it! What h appe ned ? What were we
do ing ?" Four o 'clock! I flew across t he corridor a nd up
the sta irs, opened the d oor rea l q uie tl y, you know, a nd
went in. Everything's quiet. Eve rybody's sleeping, so
no w l said, "Well, l wo n't put the light on in my bed -
room because I m igh t wake Ha rry and he' ll kno w wha t
time I came in !" So l put th e ligh t o n in the ha ll. I went
and go t my nightgown and was hed up and was just
getcing ready to come ou t o f th e bedroom to turn off
the ha ll light and Ba ba said ,"Why do n't yo u meditate ?"
"Meditate? Meditate on what?" But that's what Ba ba
said, "Wh y don ' t yo u meditate?"
The chi ldren had a little cha ir, but a small on e, fo r
the irs. So I took the c ha ir and sat down in fro nt o f the
night table, in front o f Baba's pict ure. My bo ttom did n 't
hi t the chair good before the picture sta rted glowing.
The picture started with this light. l was sitcing the re
and no w the ligh t is ge tcing SO bea utiful, SO radia nt,
and it's just ebb ing and nowing, and ebbin g and flow-
ing, and ebbing and flowing, and just danc ing, but outlining
Baba, just Baba, and H e looks so , so serene , so beautiful.
A ll o f a sudde n , th e light li fted up, lifted fro m the
picture like this, and it came up, boom, and it struck
me he re, and it hit me and wit h such fo rce, l a lmost
fell off the ch a ir. 0 , yes, l beli eve! Yes, I beli eve! I was
on fire! I didn't know where to go . I didn't kno w wha t
to do with myse lf. l was o n fire fro m head to toe . I ran
to the window. I threw open th e window. I wanted to
scream to the world. I wa n ted to te ll everybody. Noth-
ing wou ld come o ut. I came back. I went to my husband.
(I fo rgot he was sleep ing.) I ra n into the chi ld ren's
roo m. I went to the phone to call Beryl, then l realized
what time it was a nd I hung up. I sa id, "Oh , Lord , what
is th is?" O h. I was o n fire. The n I ca lmed dow n. I said,
"I wo nde r if tha t ' ll happe n again ?" Back I we nt a nd sat
in front of Baba's p icture . As soo n as I sits d own, th e
picture started to g low aga in. N ow, t hi s is a golde n light
and permeating the whole picture, so beautiful. It came
around Baba's face, you know, and it o utlined His who le
face, His whole face, H is who le face. Then it came
across His fo re head a nd th en it crossed each eye, His
nose, His mouth, then it came across His neck and on to
the table, slowly, yo u know, beautiful golden light, across
the table .
On the ta ble, I had pencil and a lo t o f li ttle things you
wou ld have o n a night t able, a nd eve ryt hing t hat the
ligh t touched d isso lved in to the light across t he tab le,
spread o n to it, and everything beca me O n e. The n it
sta rted to recede back to the picture, with al l the things
(continued on /Jage 4)
MEETINGS- Meher Baba events are held on Saturday nights.
TIMES- Events start at 8:00PM and normally end by 9:30PM
unless otherwise noted. LOCATIONS - Events are held at the
Albany Methodist Church unless otherwise noted. The church
is at the corner of Marin and Stannage Streets, two blocks
east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany (north of Berkeley) Take
the Buchanan Street exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore f1 Chlldcare
Saturday, May 29: An evening with Jal and
Dolly Dastur
Those of you who have made the journey to Meher
Baba's tomb and the Pilgrim Centre have probai1ly
met Jal and Dolly, longtime lovers of the Avatar
who live in the shadow of Baba's sarnadhi. Their
decades of contact with Beloved Baba provide for
many an evening's wonderful stories. Corne to hear
some of their gems.
Thursday, June 3, 7.. 9 PM: Sweets and Treats
with Jal and Dolly at the Talbot's
Corne to the Talbot's with desserts to share. 721
Crossbrook Drive, Moraga. If you need directions
call (925) 376,4325.
Saturday, June 5, 2 PM: Potluck Picnic with
Jal and Dolly at Anil and Vijay Nori's home
Bring picnic fare, blankets and sun hats to the Noris'
in South San Jose. Paper goods and utensils provid ..
ed. For directions, e,rnail Anil at anori@asera.corn
or call (w) 650,480,6077 or (h) 408,223,0153.
Saturday, June 26: Meher Baba's Silence
As the 74th anniversary of the beginning of Baba's
silence approaches, Janet White will lead a discus,
sian about His silence, begun on July 10, 1925.
Saturday, July 3: No meeting, as many will be
attending the L.A. Sahavas
Saturday, July 10, 2 PM: Silence Day Walk
Meet at Inspiration Point in Tilden Park for a walk
in silence. Call Joan Harland, (510) 237,5348 for
directions (before July lOth, please!)
Saturday, July 17: Quarterly Salon and Toddy Shop
The second in a series of meetings for the expression
of our hearts through writing, story,telling, song,
performance, visual art and chai. We plan on hav,
ing six or seven presenters in different media; please
call Lisa Greenstein (510) 525,3364 if you'd like to
be part of the program.
Saturday, July 31: Sufism Reoriented and
Me her Baba Lovers of Northern California:
History and Future Prospects
Our group originally had a close relationship with
Sufism but, at a certain point in the late 70s, it
seemed appropriate for us to establish a clearer boundary
between the two groups. Currently some of our members
prefer a closer relationship with Sufism and some
prefer that we maintain a firm boundary. Greg Harland
will facilitate discussion of this topic. A panel or
oth~r presentation may precede the discussion.

Saturday, June 12, 7PM: AGM
Corne early so we can start our Annual General
Meeting promptly! This is your chance to voice
your opinions, vote on next year's budget, elect a
new board of directors and volunteer for one of the
sanskara,burning positions currently empty. We'd
like to see all Bay Area Baba lovers there!
Saturday, June 19: Are You Really a Baba
Lover? Dick Anthony Discusses the Question.
Do you ever doubt that Baba is who He say.i _He is, or .
question whether you are really aBaba Lo.r? Eruch
told Dick that faith in Baba is more authentic if you
don't repress your doubts. Dick will discuss what he
makes of this advice and the role that doubt plays for
him, and maybe others, in following Baba. Corne share
your own doubts, and let's make sense of this question.
Saturday, August 21: Souls on Fire with Bill
and Peggy Stephens.
Bill and Peggy, long,tirne Baba lovers and open,
hearted hosts to many, will be in town to visit. Bill,
an author, poet, lawyer, marine biologist and Baba
enthusiast will speak on the theme of his latest
book, Souls on Fire.
--------
we are pleased to announce that Bhau Khalchuri, member
of Meher Baba's rnandali and the Trust, will be visitig
the Bay Area from Thursday, September 9 , Tuesday,
September 14. Many programs are being planned and
a full schedule of these events will appear in the next
newsletter. All are invited to join in preparation for this
special visit. Please note the enclosed information about
fundraisers. For more information and to volunteer call
Karen Talbot at (925) 376,4325.

Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.

President, Joan Harland, Vice President, Harold Jamison, Secretary, Ron Greenstein, Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Odille Atthalin Laurie Brook Ron Greenstein Greg Harland Joan Harland Harold Jamison Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Bookstore: Katie Mink Ubrary: Alexandra Cons Officewalla: Fred White Program: Greg Harland
Trustwal/a: Jack Mormon (P .0. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)

~ --
-
removed from the dresser, in the ligh t. The n , as it went
back to Saba's picture, it became like the funne l, and
all these things poured into Baba, into Baba, and when
the last part of t he light went into the ph oto, went into
the picture, Baba said, "Oppos ite t he Nothingn ess of a ll
things, the Oneness of everything." With that they
came out. The light came o ut of the pic ture agai n,
ac ross Baba, down onto th e dresser, and each thing too k
its form aga in.
Well ! I wasn 't t he same for mo nths. I tell you, l was
suspended like, I was between. Baba d id everything for
me. As I said , I had the childre n, yo u know, little
babies, a nd they had different formulas and all, and on e
day, I was making the fo rmulas and I re me mbered get-
ting a ll t hese bo ttles, and this was the time yo u made
rhe fo rmula with the bottles-you know, eight bottles,
and yo u put them in the ste rilizer and you had to scour
the brushes and put them in the bo ttle, so I was sitting
there, making the fo rmula, and the n ext thing I knew,
I h eard Ba ba-I started ou t with the was hing of the
bottl es a nd I heard Baba sayi ng,"Wha t time is it ?"in my
head. "What ti me is it?" What time is it ? What ? So with
that, I moved over to the refrigerato r, 'cause the clock
is ove r the refrigerato r, to see wh at time it was, and in
movi ng over to the refr igerator and foc using o n time,
l became aware of my surro ud ings. I became awa re I was
in the ki tch en and what I was do ing, and the formula
was all made and waiting the re fo r me, and that's the
way l functio ned for severa l months, with Baba te lling
me what to cook and what to fix a nd what. I used to
. say, "Oh , Baba, do n't le t anybody come near.m e." l Just
wanted to be with Him. ]ust\vanted to st~~{h tflat stat~ , .
but grad ually H e brought me d own, you knaw,. to where
1 could function. (T o be coruinued.) .~ .
Ed. Note: Our thanks ro Harry Ivory for lending us the {Jhoro
on page I , and w Barbara Robercs for transcribing this article.
AMBPPPCT
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito - Sunday Mornings - 10:00 AM
A rt i and singing at Greensteins' (5 I 0) 525-3364.
El Cerrito - Thursday Evenings - 7: 15 PM
Reading and discussion of Sray With God by Fra nc is
Brabazon . Contact Lou ise Barrie or Dick Anrhon y
at (51 0) 524- 1440.
Menlo Park - Friday Evenings-8 :00 PM
Arri, singing a nd read ings at t he ho me of Hugh
and Jean nie MacDonald. Call them at (650) 322-
0886 or Betty Lowman at (650) 323- 1900.
Petaluma - Sunday Mornings- 11:00 AM
Art i, read ings and fe llows hip. Contact Herman n or
Jeanette Loew at (707) 778-1195. Please call ahead.
Sacramento- Sunday Mornings - II :00 AM
Discourse readi ngs and occasiona l gatherings.
Con tact Mike and Jea n Ross, (9 16 ) 486-2924.
Santa Cruz - Alternate Thursdays - 7: 15 PM
OiscoHrse read ings and occasional videos.
Contact Deborah Muth (831) 479-7089.
Walnut Cree k - Second and Fourth Sunday
Evenings Every Month - 7:30 to 9 :30PM
Meeti ngs are held at Helen Ri eh l's home. Call
He len at (9 25 ) 935-0167 or G il Shepard, (925)
930-8670 for directions.
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down
by Meher Baba through the Tru st should contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288 .
I;
MEHER BABA INFORMATION
People -who wish to know more about Meh~/Baba can
obtain introductory material and a catalogue of available
publicaitons by writing or phoning Meher Baba Information.
P.O. Box 1101 , Berkeley, CA 94701. Or call (510) 562-1101
MEHER BABA CENTER
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MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CALIF INC.
N
0 UwAJR
s
TJEJRJLY
E L
2131 UN IVERS ITY AVE., RM. 235
VOL. 29
The Interplay of the Lover and the Beloved ... Bernice Ivory, Part 2
Bernice Ivory, a longtime disciple of Meher Baba , passed
away last February. She gave the calk from which this article
was excerpted at the Los Angeles Sahavas in july, 1983.
In 1954 t he me n went over to Indi a to
the "Three Incred ible Weeks." Beryl had
to ld me that while they were there, Baba
wanted us to med itate four different times:
on arising, at 12 in the afternoon , at 5 in
the even in g, a nd before retiring, so I said,
"Good!" a nd I started doing that. It was
at this time that Baba drew me to India.
I saw Baba for the first t ime in Indi a,
when the me n were the re. I saw Him
going up the h ill in His white sad ra. I'd
n ever seen Baba in His sadra. I didn't
know what Baba wore. He h ad on His white sadra, and
the men were following Him. Then H e'd stop, a nd I
didn 't know what H e was pickin g up, and He'd t hro w
it, you know, and I to ld Beryl. S h e sa id t h a t the men
had sa id that Baba picked up and held a stone. I de-
scri bed Him and she sa id , "You saw Baba!"
lt was a period o f learning, a period of Baba o pening
my h ea rt, of cleaning it ou t as H e wanted to. It was suc h
a beautifu l time, and it was t h e n tha t Baba showed me
that I was His child and H e was m y father. T h e re were
times that I wo uld fee l li ke I was a lirtle puppy whim -
pering. I'd want to ge t inside Baba's pocket and just
disappear, a nd stay close to Him a nd be with Him all
the time. It was a time of such joy, suc h se re nity, such
a peace, suc h peace. At tha t t ime, I could ask Baba
anyt hing, but I didn't have sense enough to J o it!
We used to go to the Monday night meeting, and afte r
the meeting we'd stop in a restaurant. We'd h ave a good
talk abo ut Baba a nd Beryl wou ld te ll us Baba stor ies.
At this t ime Baba h ad asked us to wri te Him, but not
to expect a n a nswe r. So we were si tt in g at the tab le and
I h appened to look up. I saw Beryl mo uthing to some-
body , "I got an answer from Baba. Got a cable from
Baba. " I read h e r I ips.
1999
E T T E R
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94704
FALL 1999
Ah, such jea lousy! I got so mad! O h! Oh! Oh! O h!
was trying to control myself. Well! "Baba said not to
expect a nything and it's up to Baba if He wants to send
somebody a cable. What's the matter?"
So I came h o me seething. I got ready for
bed, a nd I sa t o n the bed and I cried. I
c ried a nd I c r ied to Baba. Baba sa id, very
patiently, "Yo u don't know how lucky
you a re ."
When H e said th at I shuddered. I jumped
in t h e bed, covered up my head- I 'm fa-
mo us fo r jumping in the bed! And I don 't
know h ow muc h la ter Baba brought back
th e memory a nd made me face what had
h appe n ed. He sa id , "That was God shud-
dering a t the depths o f His ow n ignorance." Did you get
tha t ? Even God h a to shudder a t the depth s of His own
ign orance . We're so b lind, so fa r away, a nd it's God's
own ignorance. H e h ad to shudder Himse lf!
Baba would te ll me stori es. Instead o f my read ing the
DISCOU RSES H e wou ld te ll me stor ies, like a father
would te ll a c hild stor ies. Thi s is o n e He to ld me about
the inve rted ego . H e was always te lling me about me,
about what was keeping me fro m brin ging it up and
clearing it o ut. So, H e to ld me this story. H e said th at
o nce a love r h eard tha t his Master was coming to visit
his town and his joy knew no bounds. So, what d id he
do ? He sa id h e would go to the market place and he
wo uld ge t a fruit, you know, to present to Him . So h e
went to the ma rket place and h e fo und the most beau -
tiful apple, the mos t del ic ious red app le, and h e went
to see the Master. The Master saw him coming, a nd H e
stood up and welcomed him with open a rms and the
lover gave the Maste r the apple. The Master took the
apple, put t h e app le o n the tab le and to ld h im to go
h o me and come bac k th e n ext day. The nex t day the
Master was sirting in the same spot a nd agai n H e reached
out and welco med him with open arms. But the love r
thought," [ gave Him the app le yeste rda y, a nd H e didn't
(contin ued on page 2)
even eat it." He went back the next day, and oh, He
was so happy to see him and the apple was still sitting
there. He was told to come back a fourth time. That
night, he could not go to sleep. He thought, "What is
it? He accepted the apple. He was so happy to have it.
He's so happy to see me. He's greeted me so warmly and
so lovingly. Why doesn't He eat the apple?" So this
fourth day, the disciple's running to meet Him, and all
of a sudden, out of nowhere, the Master gets a knife,
and the apple falls open and there are worm holes!
Worm holes, all inside this delicious apple. And just as
the horrified lover wanted to dash his head on th~
ground_in_fron_t_.oLthe Mas_ter~ H~ smile_d_,_took the knife___
and He started flicking out all the worm holes, making
the apple now fit for the Master to eat.
You get it? That is the individual. We have come to
Him with all these worm holes, and that was me. I
thought I was a wonderful person! I really did. 1 used
to meditate and I thought I was spiritual When I went
to meet Baba, I really thought I was a wonderful person.
In telling me this story, He was showing me the invert ..
ed ego that thinks that it's wonderful, it does good, it's
leading a spiritual life, and all the time, it's pushing the
garbage under and before the Master can use that dis..
ciple, He has to clean him out! He has to get rid of all
these sanskaras and make him fit to receive this love.
To receive. The eating of the apple is receiving you.
See? To be fit to eat, you know, for Him! It's not what
you think, what I thought I was, but what I really was.
Baba showed me this, and I tell you, we laughed. Both
of us laughed! He said it was from the beginningless
beginning, from the time of evolution. There was al..
wayschls-de-s1re- to showme-good-frorrr;-and-wha-r-was---- behind-him, and what was-behind-me-wanted to unite.
available to hide the dirt under but another piece of
dirt. So I took this piece of dust and put the first piece
of dirt under the dust, hiding. So this is my habit,
pushing the dirt. So here He comes to me, and here's
this big mountain of dirt, and a little piece of dirt on
top, from all the lifetimes! Do you understand?! You
see, this little piece that I think is hiding this pyramid! do with it, nothing at all. It's beautiful-and can you
A pyramid, on top of that! A mountain! This little bit
on top of that! When I saw the point, we started laugh ..
ing, both of us. We just laughed and laughed. Baba says,
"It would be a simple thing for Me to just stick it away,
but the fun is in the sharing it! See? This is the interplay Lagoon
of the lover and the Beloved."
These are the kind of stories that Baba would tell me,
and we would have fun together. It wasn't always funny.
He would have to box my ears a couple of times when
I didn't listen to Him, but oh, what a wonderful time!
"Thank You, Baba"
I saw Baba in 1956 when He came. I had a chance,
remember, in '52, as I said, but I wasn't going then, and
Baba came again in 1956. Baba would have us meditate.
I would meditate in the morning when I would awaken,
and at 12:00 and then 5:00 and so on.
So at 12:00, I was meditating one day. I used to sub ..
scribe to magazines and the man used to come once a
month to get paid for the magazines. I had done my
budget and decided I wasn't going to pay him this month,
Pll pay him next month. I didn't like him anyway. He
was-so--big-and fat and sloppy. He used to come with
all his stomach out, and he'd be dripping perspiration,
and anyway I said, "I'm not going to pay him this month,
I'll pay him next month."
So I'm meditating on Baba, and oh, wow! Such bliss,
such beauty, oh, so wonderful, Baba, so wonderful being
with You. Baba says, "Somebody's gonna knock at the
door." It was so blissful, and when Baba said, "Some ..
body's going to knock at the door," He brought me
down, more aware of what was going on, and sure enough,
"Knock, knock, knock." With the first knock, pins and
needles just shot through me because I hadn't fully
become settled, and so I went to the door, and looked
through the peephole. There's this magzine man! I felt
I wanted to get inside the man. I could feel this pull!
Ooo! I want to-1 ran in the room, and went in the
drawer, got the rent money, and got the payment out
of it. Then Baba says, "Will you stay beind the .door?"
I did all my business behind the door with my head
sticking out. I wanted to unite, I could see what was
with That. I loved him. Baba showed me. It was just
wonderful! But see, that's the way Baba showed me
things, not by talk, and no reading. He made me ex ..
perience it, you know. It actually happened, so I know
what it is to feel that Love, that pull. It was delight,
you know, to become One. The outer has nothing to
imagine when all others feel a little of it?
I'll tell you another little thing that Baba said when He
was here in Myrtle Beach in 1958. We were in the
Cabin. Three sisters went to see Baba. Baba had
us three sisters come into the Cabin. He was sitting in
His chair and we were sitting in front of Him. Beryl was
in the middle. I was on her left and Benita was on her
right. Baba asked us how were we enjoying the Center,
if everything was all right? And we all said, "Yes, Baba,
everything was all right." And Beryl said, "Baba we're
2
 J1
so fortu n ate to be here with You , the three of us nt this
time." And Baba sa id, " It is no small matte r to look on
the face of th e A n c ie nt One." And H e sa id, "Ages ago,
I o rdained this ." Then H e said, "Any problems? Any
proble ms with th e prejud ice?" 'Ca use we stayed at th e
Colored motel, off the Center. Beryl got ro sleep on
the Center. Other people stayed
ac ocher morels 'cause everyon e
could n 't stay o n the Center. We
happened to bear rhe Black morel.
So we said, "No, Baba. We' re no t
having any d ifficu lty, any prob-
lems." So then, Baba looked at
me and H e sa id, "You a rc ve ry
o ld. " H e says, "Yo u h ave been
th is. You h ave been tha t. Ve ry
o ld ... You don't remember. The
Soul never changes." He said, "But,
Bernice and Harr)' on rheir 50rh anniversay
perhaps, at o ne time, let's say you
were very beautiful, perhaps a blond, very beautiful, and
let 's say you ignored a Colo red person. " H e sa id , "So,
yo u h ad to take on a Co lo red bod y so th at you can feel
wh a t it's like to be Colored ."
I sat there like a dummy, look ing at Baba. I d idn't know
what H e's talking about, but don't th ink I d idn 't find
ou r! I h ad bad karma. Ve ry bad karma. I d readed the
South. My pa re nts we re bo rn in the Wes t Indies-
Trinidad. We didn't know an yth ing about th e South.
Mo ther h ad a fri end who used to te ll my moth er a ll th e
things that we nt on down the re, and I wou ld sit near
rhe doo r a nd listen. I wo uld be trembling a nd sh aking
and I d idn't kn ow why I wa do ing that. I had a n inborn
dread of the South. l h ad bad karma . O n e nigh t, Baba
let me experience a lynching. I was lynched. I know
wha t the rope feels like. I k n ow what it is to be lyn c h ed.
Baba got riel of that for me. I had someth ing coming fo r
me in the South , and when Baba brought th at business
of colo r up, it wasn't fo r nothing. So, Thank You, Beloved.
Thank Yo u. That's a ll I ca n say .
In fact, in 1956, wh en we were a t Longchamps, Baba
stood up afte r d ifferent on es h ad come to the table and
had greeted Him, H e stood up a nd started com ing a round
to the diffe rent tab les to gree r His guests a nd Hi s lovers.
W he n Baba stood up, I sa id, "Oh, Baba, I don't know
wha t to say to you. What ca n I tell you ? I don' t know ... "
I had n othing to ask. So Baba said, "You just give
tha nks. Just give thanks." So when H e came to our
table, H e rook my sister's h a nd a nd my hand and He
looked fro m one to th e oth e r a nd He smil ed . I sa id,
"Th an k You, Baba." A nd that's wh at I a lways do. l don't
3
know rea lly h ow to give tha nks o r th e meaning of the
th anks, bur I th a nked Him.
Questioner: H ow was your husband raking a ll of this?
Bernice : Oh, that's a good question! O n the whole,
Harry was very good . Let's see. I had the c hildre n in
1953 . I had caesarea n section. It
was a di fficu lt birth. So in 1953,
1954 , I wasn't we ll, After the
c hildren, we d idn 't have much
sex . So h ere comes the order from
Baba: We have to be ce libate for
six mo nths. S ix mo nths! 1 sa id,
"Oh Baba, h ow a m I going to
tell H arry?!" I mean , H arry would
say "yes yes" to th ings, bur I didn't
kn ow if H e was go nna "yes yes"
this one! But Baba told me ex-
acrly how to talk to him , what
to say, and it was difficult. I give H a rry a great d eal of
c red it because it was a ll n e w to him. H e h ad respect for
Baba, but h e h ad n't mer Him ye t. H e met Him in 1956,
bur this was before h e met Baba, a nd fo r him to go a lo ng
with me was rea lly something. I give hi m a great deal
of c red it. Baba he lped . Baba h e lped a great d ea l. H a rry
never opposed me. In fact, h e was a lways supporti ve
wi th thi ngs I wa nted tO do.
Questioner: W h e n d id you start no tic ing th e c h a nge in
him th ough , because h e 's [no w] a Baba- lover?
Bernice: Well , he was n ever o utside o f Baba, yo u know
what I mean? T h ere was n o change in him when h e met
Baba, you sec. Baha loved him. In fact, wh e n his youn g-
er sister Elizabeth died in c hildbirth, h e was really bro-
ken up. We sent a cab le to Baba, a nd Baba sent a cable
to H arry. H e sa id, "E lizabeth is blessed in My love for
you ." So, you see, Baba loves Harry . H e's a good person,
a ve ry, very good person . H e d oesn't talk about Baba
o r read Baba's books, but he li ves a good life. Why, h e
took his vacat ion so I could be h e re. H e's with the
c hildre n, four ch ildren . W h e n I went tO Indi a, it was
th e same thi ng.
O ur ch ildre n ra nge in age fro m 33 to 7. We h ave three
c hildre n natu ra lly of o ur own. The o ldest is 33 and t h e
twins a rc 30, and the n we have three adopted childre n:
12, 10 a nd 7, and we're ra ising our gra nddaughre r, who
is II. And in between, we've h ad a t least fourteen chi l-
dre n because we've h ad foster c hildre n.
As I exp la ined, we had o ur three c hildre n and I was
an xious for th e m to grow up so I cou ld be free . I we nt
 IL
back to sch oo l and took courses in bookkeeping and
switchboard operating and all. I was getting ready, honey!
I was getting restless at h ome. So Baba sa id-Baba was
very helpful, "Why do n't you go for volunteer work?
So I went to the h ospital and they put me up in the
preemie nursery, and I found it too distressing to see the
little tiny babies and the ir struggle and the incuba tors.
So, I left tha t. Then I h eard about a rescue hospital for
ch ildren. In the earlier days , if you couldn't ra ise your
baby, you wou ld put the baby in a basket and leave it
there, at front of the door and they would take the baby
and take care of it.
So, I went to the New Yo rk Foundling Hospital and. it
was a Catho lic hospital. In those days if you were not
a Catholic, they wouldn 't accept you. I went and filled
out the application. I put down "Protestant" and there
I am, a volunteer. When we used to s it down for lunch,
some of the other vo lun teers asked me about this and
that, and when they found o ut I was Protestant, they
said , "H ow did you beco me a volunteer? They don't, as
a rule, take non-Cath o li cs." But I was there! So, up on
the ward that I worked on with the children , the S ister
said to me, "Bernice, why don't you consider foster care?
There are so many children who need h omes and you
would be more help to the m in the ho me." That sound-
ed nice , and I'd forgotten that I couldn't wait to get rid
of these children of my own. I'd forgotten all about that.
1 put in the application for interim care, taking care of
the child until its mother's able to take care of it, two
weeks, three weeks at the most.
1 got this call, "Oh, Mrs. Ivory, we h ave an emergency.
We h ave this little girl in Long Island, and sh e's been
very badly abusea." A young couple h ad had her rn
foster care. The mothe r was 15 and sh e h ad the baby
at the Foundling Home and she left it there. The child
hated the nursery. She used to SCREAM, SCREAM,
SCREAM. So they had put h er in foster care with this
young couple. When the husband left the foster mother
she was using the money that she was getting for the
care of the child to pay her mortgage , and she used to
give her nothing but milk. When she came to me , she
was just covered with diaper rash, sh e was a mess. They
called me and asked would I take this baby? 17 months
old, right?
Now, we h ad four rooms. 1 h ad three children, a hus-
band, and myself. That's fi ve people in four rooms. The
rule for foster care is that it should h ave at least a room
for the child. Where am I gonn a put this child ? In my
bedroom? With my husband and I? No! I had no crib ,
nothing. 1 got everything, the c rib-all the barriers just
4
fell down and away. You understand what I'm saying?
Okay. The minute the ch ild saw me, sh e was so happy.
They said, "It looks like sh e's taken to you. " I said ,
"Yeah. " I still h adn't re membered that l wasn't supposed
to be h av ing an y more chi ldren! So, anyway , the child
grew nice ly. We go t her at 17 months, and she wenc
home to her mothe r when she was 7 years old, but in
the meantime , she was around 4 years o ld . Now I have
to go back to my childhood to bring th is up to date with
what I'm going to te ll you now .
I was about 7-8-9 -something like that. My mother used
to se nd us to Sunday School. I had a younger brother
and sister, and the fam il y upsta irs had two sons. One
was an older boy, and the younger boy was around our
ages. So we used to go to Sunday Schoo l together, and
where we h ad to go, it was dangerous, but the older
brother was o ld enough to take care of all of us. But he
was full of foolishness, and he would chase his brother
Ralph up the stoop. He chased Ralph up the stoop.
Ralph ran down, out into the street and Bam! A taxi
cab hit him , killed him instantly.
I fe lt so bad! This was my first encounter with death,
and to see the child just running, and now there he is,
a ll smash ed up there. Ooooh .. ! Well, anyway, the fam-
ily eventually moved away, and we moved away, and I
grew up, and here I am, a grown wo man. I've had my
children. Now, I come into foster care. One day, I'd say
Tish awn was about 4 years o ld . I don't know what I was
doing, but all of a sudden, the entire scen e of this
accident that happened when I was 7 o r 8 years old, just
like a screen ope ned, and the re was the whole thing,
and l said, "What am I thinking about this for at this
late date? Why is th is coming into.my_head.now?" l said ,
"Oh Baba, I'm not thinking any more a bout it," an other
pushing behind me, under the little piece of dirt. That's
how l used to put things out. I didn't want to be both-
ered with it. So, anyway, here I hadn't thought about
it anymore. Now, this child was a very poor eater, and
I used to have to coax her to eat, singing and a lmost
stand on my head to get her to eat, and this day, sh e
was at the table with me in the afternoon. She was
ha ving her lunch, and I'm feeding h er and talking to
her. All of a sudden, sh e lean s over to me, and sh e says
to me, "Mommy, do yo u remember the time when I ran
out into the street, and that tax i cab hit me and I died?"
I said, "Yes, Tishawn, I remember." ... she never said
another word about that incident. ~
Ed. Note: Bernice's family was from Trinidad , not Jamaica , as
we had said in Part 1 of her story (last newsletter).
Our thanks to Harry Ivory for the photo on page 3, and to
Barbara Roberts for transcribing this article.
 IL
MEETINGS- Meher Baba events are held on Saturday nights.
TIMES- Events start at 8:00 PM and normally end by 9:30 PM
unless otherwise noted. LOCATIONS - Events are held at the
Albany Methodist Church unless otherwise noted. The church
is at the corner of Marin and Stannage Streets, two blocks
east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany (north of Berkeley) Take
the Buchanan Street exit from Interstate 80.
Bookstore *
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Chlldcare
Saturday, September 18, 7 PM: Jane Braum
and Raphael Rudd in Concert
This dynamic duo is not to be missed! Their heartfelt
music for the Beloved is as powerful as it is melodic:
-1'hey'\\ ra1se therooftonight- be sure to come! This
is a fundraiser. Suggested donation is $15. Note the
7 PM starting time.
September 19, 20 and 25: Large . .Screen Vuleo
Shmvings in San Jose and Albany.
Five years in the making, Tim Thelen's video Meher
Baba The Awakener is an hour .. long documentary about
Meher Baba. It chronologically explores all the major
phases of Saba's work, highlighting Saba's explana ..
tion of the Divine Theme. This would make a good
introduction for interested friends!
There will be two showings of this video on large
screen at San Jose State College, Department of En ..
gineering, Room 189. From Hwy. 280 North, take the
7th Street Exit and turn right. If you are entering the
campus as a visitor, park in the 7th Street Garage on
the comer of 7th and San Salvador. Park on the 3rd
floor and deposit $2 exact change, bills or coins. Leav ..
ing the garage, go north along 7th, across the campus
to the comer of San Fernando. The Engineering Building
is on the right. On Monday, the 7th Street Garage
might be full. Pay $1 in exact change to park in the
South Campus lot at 7th and Humboldt and take the
free shuttle. For information call (510) 965 .. 1969.
Sunday, September 19, 2..3 PM
Monday, September 20, 11 AM .. 12 PM
Saturday September 25: Final Vufeo Showing
The finallarge..screen showing ofMeher Baba the Awakener
will be at 8 PM at the Albany Methodist Church.
Saturday, October 2: Saint Theresa of Avila
Janet White will discuss the life and writings of St.
Theresa of Avila, one of Baba's "Four Real Saints."
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President, Janet White, Vice President, Fred White, Secreta/)', Joan Harland, Treasurer, Jack Mormon
Board of Directors: Odilia Atthalin Joan Harland Howard Jee Molly Jones Eruch Morton Fred White Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson
Bookstore: Katie Mink Libra/}': Alexandra Cons Officewalla: Howard Jee
Trustwal/a: Jack Mormon (P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)
5
Saturday, October 9, 9AM: Rummage Sale at the
Friends' Meeting House, 2151 Vine St., Berkeley
This is the best fund .. raiser our group does all year.
Donate your goods, serve a two .. hour pricing or selling
shift, and of course, come to buy. Great stuff from
good folks for a good cause. How can you go wrong?
Call Janet White to sign up for Friday night pricing,
Saturday selling, or to help with hauling or cleanup
(510) 843 .. 4417. Bring donations to the Friends' Meeting
House on Friday evening, Oct. 8 between 5 .. 9 pm.
October 16: No Meeting . . Meherana Sahavas
Sunday, October 24, 2 . .5 PM Bob Brown in Song,
A Commemorative Concert at the Talbot's
. Bob Brown was a dear friend and contemporary of
many of us, and he has left us the treasure of his
music. Ron Greenstein and Dave Miotke will organize
this musical afternoon of his songs.
Saturday, October 30: Vuleo of Irene BiJlo
Irene Billo was a Swiss woman who met Meher Baba
in 1937 and lived in the women's ashram in India for
eight years. To be shown at Fred and Janet White's,
1811 Francisco Street, #5, Berkeley. (510) 843 .. 4417.
Saturday, November 6: Quarterly Toddy Shop
A meeting to express our hearts through writing, story
telling, song, performance, visual art and chai. Please
call Lisa Greenstein (510) 525 .. 3364 to participate.
Saturday, November 13: Baba's '52 visit to America
Greg Harland will give us an in.. depth look at the
Avatar's visit to America in 1952.
Saturday, November 20: Movie Night
Peter Ravazza will show films of Meher Baba, several
of which are not on video.
November 27: No Meeting . . Thanksgiving
To arrange other bookstore times, call Katie
Mink, (510) 849. . 1809
-------
Please note that the contact people for the Santa
Cruz meeting are now Buzz and Ginger Glasky
(831) 457 .. 0444. Meetings are held every other
Wednesday or Thursday. Call for meeting days.
To get on our Newsletter Mailing List,
call Scott Maloney (510) 705 8755 x777
 Khorshed Goes Home to Baba
At 7:10AM on 4th August 1999, dea rest Khorsh ed, o ld
mandali a nd close companio n of ea rl y years went to
Baba her Be loved Lord a nd Master whom sh e served and
adored throughout h e r life .
Avatar Meher Baba Ki Ja i! - Meherazad Fam ily
An Internet N ote About Khorshed
A littl e afte r 7 AM th is mo rn ing, Ind ia t ime, Kho rsh ed
Iran i went to Baba. S h e had been ill over the weekend,
but seemed to improve o n Monday, when sh e suffered
what was appare ntl y a h eart a ttack. Even though sh e
was in a great deal of pain, at o ne point she laugh ed ,
and h er doctor and those tha t were a round h e r sai,J it
was as th o ugh she h ad been tipped off to some spec ial
info rmatio n.
After th at, sh e lapsed into a coma fo r a bit over a day,
and finally breathed her last this mo rning. Khorshed
had first met Baba a round 1920 in Sakori, when sh e was
a little girl , a nd is the las t person of whom I know that
had ac tu ally hea rd Baba speak. Khorsh ed lived in the
Trust compound for the last part of h e r life, and many
Baba lovers wou ld go to visit he r the re, h earing won -
derful tories o f Baba and learning son gs from h e r. S h e
was a lso unique, l be lieve a mon g the Manda li in want-
ing to li ve a long life, wh ich sh e did. S h e will be greatly
missed. - Ja mes Cox
MAYKADE: THE WINESHOP
"There is a wineslwp of which few know, where a vintner
debonair sells for a good song, act or story, a vintage most
rare."- Francis Brabazon. S ufi- inspired poetry a nd song
a t Raine a nd Bill Ga nne t's 7 - 9 PM , fo urth Friday of
each month: August 27, Septe mbe r 24, October 22,
Nove m ber 26. No Decem ber meeting. (510) 649-0433.
AMBPPPCT
II. 1 I. .1.11 llllll.l ll
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito - Sunday Mornings - 10:00 AM
Arti and singing at Greenste ins' (510) 525-3364.
El Cerrito - Thursday Evenings - 7: 15 PM
Reading and discussion of Stay With God by Francis
Brabazon. Contact Lou ise Barrie o r Dick Anthony
at (5 10) 524-1440.
Menlo Park - Friday Evenings-8:00PM
A rti, singing and read ings at the home of Hugh
and Jean nie MacDonald. Call them at (650) 322-
0886 or Betty Lowma n at ( 650) 323- 1900.
Petaluma - Sunday Mornings - 1 I :00 AM
Arti, readings and fellowship. Contact Hermann or
Jeanette Loew at (707 ) 778-1195. Please call a head.
Sacramento - Sunday Mornings - I I :00 AM
Discourse readings and occasiona l gatherings.
Contact Mike and Jea n Ross, (916) 486-2924.
Santa Cruz - Alternate Thursdays - 7: 15 PM
Discourse read ings and occasiona l videos.
Contact Debo rah Muth (831) 479-7089.
Walnut Creek - Second and Fourth Sunday
Evenings Every Month - 7:30 to 9:30 PM
Meetings are held at He len Ri eh l's home. Call
He len at (925) 935-0 167 or G il Shepard, {925)
930-8670 for directions.
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitmen t laid down
by Meher Saba through the T rust shou ld contact
Jack Mormon, P.O. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802- 1288.
MEHER SA BA INFORMATION
People who wish to know more about Meher Saba can
obtain introductory material and a catalogue of available
publicaitons by writing or phoning Meher Saba Information.
P.O. Box 1101, Berkeley , CA 94701. Or call (51 0) 562-1101
-
Ill
MEHER BABA CENTER OF NO. CALIF INC.
N E w s L E
2 13 1 UNIVERSITY AVE ., RM. 235
VOL. 29
Shaligram Sharma's Story
T his lovely story is a lightly edited version of the piece found
on the web page of the Me her Bhopal Centre. Our 'thanks
to them for sharing this with us.
Born in the village of Magarpu r (District
Jhansi Ind ia ), on 14 Ja nuary 1928, S h ali-
gram had a disturbed child hood. He lost his
moth er when he 4 years old. His fa the r, a
landlord , d id not pay loving a ttention to
Shaligram. He remained love starved and
deve loped a n aversion to th e world. H e
aspired to become a mon k an d seek God.
Shaligram reflects that by plan ting this desire
to seek God, Meh e r Baba was silently draw-
ing him closer.
A t the age of 11 S haligram secretly left h is
home fo r p ilgrimage to Badrinath T emple situated high up
in the H imalayas. Accompanied by a friend, he carried a
rosary and a copy of Bhagwad Gita. After being spotted
by an acquain tan ce, his fr iend left Shaligram, who con-
t inued his journey. In the train, a blind sadhu or monk
took special in terest in Shaligram. On learning that the
youngster had secre tly left h is home on a pilgrimage to
Badri nath, the sadhu persuaded S haligram to return, say-
ing th at p ilgrim places are full of immoral practices and
are no longer abodes of God. The sadh u pointed out that
God H imself seeks His lovers a nd on e-day Sh aligram wo uld
succeed finding Him. Con vinced, S h aligram returned and
resumed his normal life.
l-Ie resumed his studies and, after grad uating, trained for
the job of a public prosecuto r in the police departmen t.
He was posted a t A llahabad, a h oly city infused with
spiritual env iron me nt. T o rmented by the thought that he
was drift ing away from his main objective, the search fo r
God, Sh aligram took a vow of a totally frugal diet and
abs tained from eating a n y th ing else. H e resolved that he
would not resume a normal diet until he found God! A fte r
about a year h e was transfe rred to Ham irpur - a poorly
developed small town surrounded fro m three sides by riv-
ers. T hough reluctant ini tially, Sh aligram accepted the
1999
T T E R
B ERKELEY, C ALIFORNIA 94704
WINTER, 1999 - 2000
new posting. Because of his mo n k like habits and honesty,
he im pressed H ari Sh ankar S h a rma, his senior. It was
th rough Hari Sh ankar that Sh a ligram h eard th e name of
Meh er Baba for the first t ime.
Hari Sh an kar talked about a police officer V ishnu S h rivas-
tava and me ntioned that Shri vastava's wife was a devotee
of somebody known as M eh e r Baba. T he
moment Hari S h a nkar mentio ned Meh er
Baba, S ha ligram h ad a vision of Baba in a
pin k coat a nd sadra. H e saw Baba smilingly
poised on a sofa ch air. A t that time, Shali-
gram could n ot make out wh o m h e actually
saw in tha t vision . But later o ne of his
acqua intan ces, wh o was wo rking whe re the
Hindi magazine "Meh er Pukar" was pub-
lish ed, took S haligra m to the place of his
wo rk. Sh aligram, whi le grazing th rough
"Meh er Pukar," saw a ph otograph of Me-
her Baba exactly like the v ision h e had seen earlier. S hali-
gram's acquaintance was a Baba lover who firmly bel ieved
in the Godhood of Baba. He gave Baba's declarations
"Highest of the High" and "Meher Baba's Call" to Shali-
gram for read ing. Shaligram was deeply impressed by the
d ivine authority o f Meher Baba and was moved by His
declarations.
At Narayan Press (now n a med as Meh e r Pukar Press)
S h aligra m met Para mesh wari Dayal N igam, " Pukar,"
who to ld him man y Baba stories. In o n e such story,
Pukar talked a bo ut a sah avas progra m a t M eh erabad,
wh e re Baba lovers expressed t h e ir d es ire to wash Baba's
feet. Baba sa id tha t everybody was hing His feet would
be time consuming a nd tro ublesome . H e sa id tha t H e
wou ld wash His own feet o n every body's beh alf. Pukar
na rrated h ow Baba wash ed th e feet of le pers and th e
poor. Puka r a lso gave th e book God Speaks to Sh a ligram
for reading. God Speaks, with its crys tal clear presenta-
tion of h igh ly comp lex spiritual themes supported by
beaut iful ch a rts, con v inced S h a rma , as h e realized tha t
on ly God could create a book like that. Sh aligram accepted
Meh er Baba as the Avata r of th e Age. This was th e year
1960. Hamirpur was a lread y ch arged an d activated by
Beloved Baba a nd th e tradition of h o ld ing annual Meh er
Prem Mela and Sahavas had just been started. Shali,
gram came in the contact of many Baba lovers. His
heart was now aflame with Meher Baba's Love and
craved whole,heartedly to have His darshan. jal, Baba's
brother, later informed Shaligram that he would be
meeting Baba and intended to show Shaligram's pho,
tograph to Baba. Shaligram promptly sent his photo,
graph and a letter for Baba.
On 31st of December, Jal wrote to Shaligram," I have
been to Baba for a few hours and in spite of restrictions
during Baba's. seclusion, I could place your photograph
Baba explained its meaning, "Since the time I have
and the letter before Him. Baba looked at your photo,
graph very lovingly and said," I know everything~about
him and I will surely call him one day." jaPs letter filled
Shaligram with immense happiness. All this made him
much more restless to have a darshan of his Beloved
Meher Baba.
The Bhopal center was celebrating Baba's birthday from
24th of February 1961 and invited Keshav Narayan
Nigam as a special guest. Keshav brought Shaligram
with him. From Bhopal, Shaligram sent a birthday telegram
to Beloved Baba stating: "By your mercy I surrender
myself to you as birthday greeting." Overflowing with
Baba's love, Shaligram started giving discourses on Baba's
life and teachings at various places.
In April Pukar gave the happy news about a darshan
program at Poona. Shaligram started for Poona on 12th
of May. reaching there on 14th. At Poona Bhau in,
formed them that a special Baba darshan program was
to happen on that very day at 4 p.m. Shaligram vividly
recollects: As he entered the room, he saw Baba seated
on a chair wearing a sadra. His divinely radiant face was
full of peace and love. Light similar to moonlight was
radiating from Him. When Pukar introduced Shaligram
to Baba, Baba asked "Has he started taking regular diet
or he is still on frugal food?" Pukar said, "He has started
taking regular diet. He was reluctant but after receiving
a telegram from Adi Sr., he relented." In the hall Baba
came wearing a pink coat and sat on a sofa, exactly how
Shaligram had seen Baba in his vision.
In the hall, Shaligram was introduced again as the public
prosecutor from Hamirpur. Baba asked Shaligram, "What
do you want?" Shaligram said, "I want to be true to my
surrender to Baba." Baba was pleased and said, "Nobody
has said that before. Now the conditions are such that
it is I who has to surrender before the world." Somehow
Shaligram took this as his rejection and felt terribly
upset and dejected. Eruch, who was interpreting Baba,
then explained:" Baba is saying that surrender demands
2
total emptiness within. If you beat a solid block of
wood, no musical sound can be produced. But if the
same block is made empty within by giving it the shape
of a drum, it becomes a wonderful musical instrument.
A rock has no desire. In the same way in surrender one
has to free himself from his own desires. Dust, trampled
or reverently smeared on the head, remains unaffected.
In the same way surrender means becoming the dust.
Why is Shaligram seeking total surrender to me? This
will make him useless for the world." Then Baba asked
Ramjoo to recite a couplet in Persian. That he did and
surrendered myself to my Beloved, I have become to,
tal.ly _useless for the world."
On this Shaligram said, "Baba please, make me useless
for the world and give me the strength to surrender to
your will." Baba then enquired about Shaligram's family
members, kids and wife and asked, "Do they have faith
in Me? What will happen to them? Have you thought
about that?" Shaligram said," I leave everything to you
Baba". Baba then said," After surrender to the will of
God, nothing remains to be achieved." Then Baba
instructed Pukar to ask Shaligram to sing a song of his
choice. Shaligram poured out his heart saying,"Baba
give me the strength to surrender totally to your will
and take refuge in You." Suddenly Baba became su,
premely radiant and raising his hand said, "God has
heard you and has granted your wish." At that time the
entire hall was filled with brilliant light and a deafening
explosion was heard by Shaligram. Shaligram was in
profound ecstasy and Baba too was extremely happy.
Baba gave Shaligram five chocolates as prasad. But soon
Shaligram discovered that one of the chocolates was
missing. Later he found that missing chocolate in his
bed. He ate all five.
Next day, on the 15th, Baba hugged Shaligram lovingly
and rubbed His cheek on Shaligram's cheek. Shaligram
felt as if high voltage electric current had passed through
his entire body. His joy of ecstasy was increased man,
ifold. Baba instructed Shaligram, "Be truthful in your
worldly duties, see Baba in all beings and work without
any worry." Shaligram asked, "Baba, how to see you in
all beings?" Baba said, "Do not worry about that. I will
take care of that at the appropriate time."
Shaligram Sharma currently lives in Hamirpur and publishes
aBaba Magazine in Hindi called 'Meher Pukar'. He can
be contacted at the following address:
Shaligram Sharma, 9/88 Meher Nazar, Meherpuri, Hamir,
pur 210301 U.P., India Phone +91,5282,22217
MEETINGS - Meher Baba events are held on Saturday nights.
TIMES- Events start at 8:00PM and normally end by 9:30PM
unless otherwise noted. LOCATIONS- Events are held at the
Albany Methodist Church unless otherwise noted. The church
is at the corner of Marin and Stannage Streets, two blocks
east of San Pablo Avenue in Albany (north of Berkeley) Take
the Buchanan Street exit from Interstate 80.
To check for program changes call 510-845-4339.
Bookstore caJ Childcare
Saturday, December 4th: Cindy Lowe in Concert
Come for a heartfelt evening of great musical
entertainment from one of our local treasures. Cindy
writes some of the best Baba songs around. You'll
hear some old and new favorites, with beautiful music
and exceptional lyrics.
Saturday, December 11: Chris andPris Haffenden in Concert
Still yet another musical evening, this time from a
dynamic duo from southern California, who compose
and play for the Beloved, Pris on guitar and Chris
on the clarinet and oboe.
Saturday, December 18: Bowling with Baba at Albany
Bowl, 7:30PM.
It's Youth Night Out! Bring your friends, all ages
welcome. Contact Eruch Morton (510) 985,1432.
December 25 and January 1: No Meetings
Saturday, January 8: Chanting Baba's Name
Raine Eastman,Gannett will bring her harmonium
to Odile's cozy home to lead our chanting. Last year
pleased Baba so much we were asked to do it again.
Odile Atthalin lives at 1212 Spruce Street at Eunice
in North Berkeley. Call (510) 525-.J805 for directions.
Saturday, January 15: The Master's Prayer
Fred White will lead a study of this prayer dictated
by Meher Baba and recited for many years with His
participatory Presence.
Saturday, January 22, 1 PM: Walk in Sibley Park
Fred White will meet interested walkers in the parking
area. Sibley Park is on Skyline Boulevard, just south
of the intersection of Skyline and Grizzly Peak.
Keep Current! To Update Your Address
or Phone Number During the Year, Call:
Newsletter: Scott Maloney (510) 705 8755 x777
Phone Tree: Ron Greenstein (510) 525 ..3364
Meher Baba Center of Northern California, Inc.
President, Janet White, Vice President, Fred White, Secretary, Joan Harland, Treasurer, Jack Monnon
Board of DirectotS: Odille Atthalin Joan Harland Howard Jee Molly Jones Eruch Morton Fred White Janet White
Newsletter: Alexandra Cons, Editor Keith Gunn, Betty Lowman, Cherri Nelson Library: Alexandra Cons
Bookstore: Katie Mink Officewalla: Howard Jee Trustwalla: Jack Mormon {P .0. Box 2288, Richmond, CA 94802-1288)
Sunday, January 30, 9 PM: Amartithi Meeting
We meet later on this Sunday evening, so that we
can conclude the meeting with a 15,minute silence
at the same time that this silence is observed at Baba's
Samadhi on Meherabad Hill. Amartithi is the
anniversary of Meher Baba's 1969 dropping
of His physical form "to live forever in the hearts
of His lovers."
Saturday, February 5: Video Journey with God at the
Barrie .. Anthony's.
This is a video of Meher Baba's travels in Hamirpur
and Andra in 1954, the time when Baba declared
himself to be Avatar. It also includes contemporary
footage of Baba's mandali talking about what those
times and journeys were like. Call (510) 524,1440
if you need directions to 809 Evelyn Street, Albany.
Saturday, February 12,7 PM: RaphaelRuddinConcert
at the Talbot's
Raphael, a second,generation Baba lover who was
blessed by Baba as an infant, is an inspired, passionate
pianist who pours out his love for Baba in his music.
The Talbots live at 721 Crossbrook Drive in Moraga.
Call (925) 3 76,4325 for directions.
Saturday, February 19: Know Your Artis
Arti is devotional singing to the Beloved. If you're
unsure of the words or melodies when we sing arti,
this is your chance to learn. Raine Eastman,
Gannett will lead us in practicing Baba's artis.
Saturday, February 26, 4:30 to 8 PM. Baba's Birthday Party
Meher Baba was born on February 25, 1894. Come
celebrate His birthday at the Berkeley Fellowship
Unitarian,Universalist Church, 1924 Cedar Street
at Bonita in Berkeley. A potluck dinner begins at
5 PM, to be followed by performances, film, arti
and birthday cake. Your assistance is needed. If
you can perform, decorate, or help with clean up
or publicity contact Odile Atthalin (510) 525,3805.
<>
DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE
TO RECEIVE THE NEWSLETTER?
We are updating our list to ensure that we mail only
to those who want to receive our Newsletter. To con,
tinue receiving it, please fill out the enclosed card and
return it to us. We are also asking anyone who would
like to donate to help us cover the quarterly expenses
of printing and mailing to contribute accordingly. Thanks!
 A SWEET FAREWELL
TO KHORSHED AND MANSARI
The re was a special sweetness in the a ir on Meherabad
H ill on the mo rning of N ove mber 9, 1999, as two of
Meh er Ba ba's close wo men Ma ndali were interred n ea r
His Samadhi. The urns containing the ash es of Kho r-
sh ed Irani and Mansari Desai h ad been brought to Meher
Baba's Samadhi before Arti tha t mo rning. Kho rshed,
who h ad been one of Meher Baba's earliest disciples,
had spent many yea rs living a very cloiste red life a t
Upper Mehera bad with Mehera, Mani, a nd a few other
of Beloved Baba's first women Mandali. Mansari had
lived continuously on Meherabad Hill from the time
Baba left on the New Life until h er pass ing.
After all the Meherazad men a nd wo men Mandali a r-
rived, the urns were brought from Meher Baba's Sama-
dh i a nd Meheru Irani placed them in the c rypts. The
inside of Khorshed's crypt h ad been lov ingly painted
with flowers, a nd the painting of Mansari's reflected h er
love for dogs and birds. Afte r Mehe ru sprinkled a little
earth from Beloved Baba's Samadhi on each of the urns,
they were covered with ma rble and garlanded.
The n Meheru spoke about the lo ve and strength of both
Khorshed and Mansari, whom sh e said h ad been pol-
ished smooth like marble by Baba's h and . Followi ng a
brief tribute, th e "Bujawwe N aar Arti," th e "Seven
Names of God," a n d severa l o ther songs were sung.
Then the Mandali a nd others gathered for this me mo-
rable occasion pa id their fina l respects to these strong,
independent women who h ad surre ndered their li ves
and the ir h earts in loving service to their Beloved Lo rd,
Meher Ba ba.
- Jud y Robe rtson, in correspo ndence fo r Avatar Mch cr
Baba Trust, 15th November 1999
AM BPPPCT
~ '2.1!l f:. ~ 'K'::. f:. 4 l!l 0 l!l
LOCAL MEETINGS
El Cerrito - Sunday Mornings - I 0:00 AM
Arti and singing at G re ensteins' (51 0) 5 25 -3364.
El Cerrito - Thursday Evenings - 7: I 5 PM
Reading and discuss ion o f Sta y With God by Franc is
Brabazon. Contact Louise Barri e or Dick Antho ny
at (5 10 ) 524- 1440.
Los Gatos - Friday Evenings - 8:00 PM
Arti, singing and readings at the home of C lint
and S haron S nyder. Ca ll them a t ( 408 ) 395-6865
or Betty Lowman at (650) 323- 1900.
Petaluma - Sunday Mornings - I 1:00 AM
A rri , readings and fellowshi p. Contact H ermann o r
Jeanette Loew at (707) 778-1 195. Please ca ll ahead.
Sacramento- Sunday Mornings - 11 :00 AM
Discourse read ings and occasio na l gath erings.
Contact Mike and Jean Ross, (916) 486-2924.
Santa Cruz- W ednesdays or Thursdays 7:1 5 PM
Discourse readings and occasional videos.
Call Buzz or Ginger G lasky (831) 457-0444.
Walnut Creek - Second and Fourth Sunday
Evenings Every Month - 7:30 to 9:30 PM
Meetings are he ld at Helen Riehl's home. Call
Helen at (925) 935-0 167 or G il S h epard, (925 )
930-86 70 fo r d irections.
THE TRUST
All who wish to share in the commitment laid down
by Meher Baba through the Trust shoul d-ontact
A Jack Mormon, P.0. Box 2288, Richmond, G-A 948&2-1288.
~
., MEHER SABA INFORM.ATION -
People -who wish to know more about Me her mrba can
obtain introductory material and a cafalog-UE of"'aa:tailable
publicaitons by writing or phoning Meher Baba Information.
P.O . Box 1101, Berkeley, CA 94701 . Or call (510) 562-1 101
MEHER BABA CENTER
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