Practical Spirituality With Meher Baba
De Simple Silence.
| Languages/langues: |
English |
[modifier] Decision To Visit Australia
Ena Lemmon arrived back in Australia on Meher Baba’s birthday, 25th February 1956, while group members were preparing for a celebration at Beacon Hill. She told Francis Brabazon of her wish to invite Meher Baba to Australia, on his return journey to India from America. She was deeply shocked when she found that Francis did not want to ask Baba to visit Australia. His philosophy was never to ask the Master to do anything. The Master knows all, when Australia is ready for the Masters visit and when the Master is ready, the Master will decide, it will happen.
Even although he dearly wanted Meher Baba to come to Australia and indeed was hewing rock with his own hands to build a house for Baba’s longed-for visit, yet he would not ask Meher Baba to come to Australia, because Baba would know the best time to come. He believed that the Master knows what is needed and indeed gives what is needed when the time is ready, if one asks for something and the Master gives it because it is asked for, it does not have the same effect as when the Master decides for himself. Francis was very sincere in this belief, and he had great faith in Meher Baba.
Ena was very disappointed with Francis’ attitude, thinking that it would be a great opportunity missed. She returned to her home in Melbourne and when she told some of the Melbourne people about the possibility of Meher Baba’s visit, there was a tremendous response. One person, May Lundquist, even went so far as to say that she would pay the fares of Baba and the mandali accompanying him. She was not a person of means, she had worked hard for the money, but she had met Meher Baba previously in London in 1952, and she knew the enormous value to any spiritual seeker of meeting Meher Baba personally.
In Sufism it was taught that a moment’s meditation is worth a hundred years of prayers, and a moment in the presence of the Master is worth a hundred years of meditation. Other people also, offered to give money towards the fares if necessary. So, after much soul searching, because even Meher Baba’s own mandali had encouraged her to invite him, Ena decided to invite Meher Baba to Australia herself, and this she subsequently did.
Meher Baba was in seclusion, and when his sister Mani conveyed to him Ena’s deep felt wish for him to come to Australia in July, he agreed to come. However, he emphasized that Francis must first be considered and it should all be arranged in complete co-operation and love between all Baba groups and lovers in Australia.
This made it impossible for Francis to remain silent on this issue, so he wrote to Baba advising of his position, and he also sent a letter to all his fellow-aspirants-in-Baba in Australia, asking them to fully consider the matter and to ask themselves and discuss, ‘Am I (are we) satisfied with Ena’s request to Baba along the lines of, « We recognize and are grateful for your kindness Baba in agreeing to come to Australia in July, but we wish you to put aside that request and leave it entirely to you to come when you yourself wish to come, » or something similar.’
After this had stirred up a lot of discussion, and everyone had thought about the matter seriously, Francis received a letter from Mani, containing the following information :
‘Baba knows that whatever was suggested by you was done in your deep understanding and love for him. Your attitude of reluctance of Baba’s accepting to come to Australia on being asked to do so was quite correct. On the other hand you must also understand that it had been done in LOVE and enthusiasm only. So everything that happened was right and for the best — as Baba wanted it to be. And now it is entirely of his own wish that Baba visits Australia.’
Here is part of a letter sent by Mani to both Francis and Ena and for all in Australia :
Satara 18th April 1956
‘This letter I feel clarifies everything. The slate must be wiped clean. The Melbourne groups must work willingly and lovingly with Francis and Francis must work willingly and lovingly with the Melbourne groups. Loving Baba is easy, but following him is not always that, and these little tests and obstacles are Baba’s way of measuring our love for him. Whenever there has been a disagreement over something amongst us in the ashram, and while hurt feelings have been at their highest pitch Baba (with a flick of His beautiful fingers) asks us to « forget » it all and embrace — a terribly difficult thing to do at the time, but possible when we love him, and oh so easy once it’s done. Let us all then, all groups and individuals, in His Dear Name and Love, embrace and forget all except that BABA IS COMING.’
From this time on, all the groups and Francis worked together harmoniously, because in spite of their differences, they all wanted to obey Baba. Now that it was known that Meher Baba was definitely coming to Australia, work on the house was stepped-up with a stonemason and other tradesmen being employed as required. Also with people from the group helping wherever possible with any jobs that they were able to do.
Francis had written a play called « The Quest »[1] It seemed to me that it was Francis’ autobiography. It had not yet been published, but it was the story of a seeker, searching for and finding, the Reality of Life, which was Meher Baba. The main speaking part was the part of the seeker, then another long part was performed by the chorus and there were about seven additional small speaking parts. Francis played the part of the seeker. The chorus consisted of Joan Le page, Loma Rouse and Frances Lee. The minor parts were rehearsed by any one of a number of us who happened to be available on the night. Everyone had their own allotted part, but during rehearsals we took any minor part required, with the result that we knew all the minor parts.
Outside there were working bee’s to get the place finished in time. Even loads of filling were bought to fill the wheel tracks and pot holes in the dirt road that was Kalianna Crescent.
Frances Lee had painted a large mural depicting the story of creation and this was installed in the big room. There was a large sign, also painted by Frances Lee, erected high up on the front of the house reading : WELCOME MEHER BABA.
Earlier, in February 1956, I had received a circular from Clarice Adams mentioning her recent meeting with Meher Baba in India and giving me the message that he had given for the people of Australia, which included the following :
‘Repeat Baba’s name aloud for a fixed time daily i.e., half an hour to one hour — now there is no love in that, no value at all in repetition. But in this case it will bring love, because I tell you to do it.’
I decided to carry out this instruction, but so that it wouldn’t interfere with other family members, I decided that whenever possible, I would do it in my car while travelling to or from work. The quickest time that I could get to work was in thirty-five minutes, but it frequently took longer. I decided that the time for the repetition should be thirty-three minutes. So from then on I repeated Baba’s name for thirty-three minutes every day — usually in my car.
A few days before Meher Baba’s arrival in Australia, I was driving home from work, when I was stopped by a policeman on a motor cycle in Redfern, and told that my car number plates were stone damaged and to change them. I called in at the Motor Registry Office at Manly, on my way home, surrendered my old plates, and was issued with a new set of plates. Imagine my surprise when I looked at the number — it was BAB-421.
In those days the number plates were only issued with 3 letters and 3 figures and I couldn’t have had anything closer to a ‘BABA’ number plate if I had tried. The addition of the numbers on the number plate came to seven. I was asked by other people, how did you obtain your ‘BABA’ number plate ? They thought that I had gone to some special effort to get that particular number plate. And maybe unconsciously I had — I had repeated his name in my car for thirty-three minutes every day, for months. I thought that I was the only one who knew about this, but apparently not. He was to show by his response in so many different ways, that he really did know what was going on at great distances from him.
The book God Speaks, The Theme of Creation and Its Purpose by Meher Baba, was published by Dodd, Mead and Company, New York, in 1955. After Meher Baba decided to visit Australia we were set the goal of selling 100 copies before his arrival. We reached the goal. We actually sold 107 copies before he arrived.
[modifier] Now Has Come The Moment Of Joy
To those who attended his Saturday night talks, Francis Brabazon had always stressed the importance to a country of having the living Avatar set foot on the soil of that country. There is no record in history of this previously ever having happened in Australia. Shortly before Meher Baba was due to arrive in Australia Francis read to us a poem that he had composed to commemorate this much longed-for event in our lives and this important event in the history of the nation. He also had copies of this poem printed ‘in commemoration of the visit of Shri Meher Baba to Australia in August 1956’. A copy of this poem is included here :
NOW HAS COME THE MOMENT OF JOY
Now has come the moment of joy in this land, The moment it has waited in woman-waiting through the ages, The moment of BABA and the touch of His feet on her earth, And the rivers of His silent Word to her thirsty lips and the cry of her soul.
Now has come the moment of joy in our hearts, And the leaping in dance of our souls in the steps of His feet, And the breaking of bonds of our hearts, and our heart’s breaking Into laughter of flowers of love and greatfullness, And our soul’s surge no less than the ocean in the direction of His glory and human-ness.
Now will begin our history : Of the withholding of the axeman’s hand from the axe And the mad career of our senses after a vanishing wish And the rivers of their waters to the sea : A converting of the blow to the opening of areas and districts in the heart, A reducing of the senses to the sense and the scent of the soul, A channelling of the waters for the wheat-fields and orchards of God.
The books of this history will tell the stories Of obscure men and women lost of all else but love, and in love well lost. Of heroes of pastures and crops, and farmers on wide seas storm tossed, Of adventurers who work at a bench And housewives who go forth with shopping baskets to find God.
But now is not the history, but the moment... The moment of God and His advent in this Land of Australia : The touch of His feet on this earth, and the breath of His Word on the breeze and in the breath of our lives ; The moment long waited, the moment of joy and apprehension... When each one... when each leaf and piece of earth and stone On whom and on which falls His glance, Must decide the issue of surrendrance, and lay down that much of his life as he will.
- Francis Brabazon
[modifier] Instruction To Obey
After Meher Baba returned to India in June 1958, He sent each one who had been to His Sahavas at Avatar’s Abode an instruction to obey. The instructions were more individual this time, not everyone received the same one. They were not in the least harmful to others. Francis Brabazon seemed to get the most difficult one which required him to fast on milk for forty days. During this time his movements were restricted to the property of Avatar’s Abode. A lot of other people had to say a repetition a certain number of times daily. Other people were given different specific instructions. The thing that really mattered was not what the instruction was, but one’s determination to carry it out at all costs no matter what it was.
The hardest thing was always the initial decision to be obedient. Once a person was determined to be obedient come what may, it became much easier to carry out the instruction. It was also just as important not to be fooled by a seemingly trivial order. It was important to carry out each and every one. Somehow Baba seemed to be able to couple up instructions with the events in your life and if you carried them out the results were satisfactory, but if you didn’t the events of life just seemed to go against you and everything went wrong. Being obedient to Meher Baba was an extremely serious matter. It was far better not to receive an instruction from Him than to receive one and not carry it out.
[modifier] Avatar's Abode
June 3, 1958
Baba said that He would give the discourse on obedience that He gave in America. He said a circular had been sent out before the Sahavas letting people know that one of the conditions of attending the Sahavas was to obey Baba implicitly during the Sahavas. Francis then started to read the discourse, and Baba interrupted every now and then to explain it more fully.
Baba then asked who would obey Him 100% for the Sahavas and particularly for a month, from 10th June to 10th July. All who agree to obey Him to raise their hand. He asked all to consider well what obedience meant, did we understand ? Baba explained that some people at the American Sahavas were not able to obey Him and they had to leave.
When asked if we would obey Baba, all except three people raised their hand. Baba asked those who could not obey Him to come forward. Two boys aged 13 and 17 and a man came forward. Baba asked had they understood the conditions of coming to the Sahavas. The younger boy said he had not understood, the other two said that they were not sure whether they could obey Baba or not. Baba asked the mother of the boys if she had explained to her two sons the conditions of coming to the Sahavas. She said that she had explained, but evidently she had not explained adequately. Baba then said that He hoped that those people who had raised their hands had been as honest as the three who had not.
The atmosphere was now very tense, all emotions were charged as we considered the true meaning of obedience as meant by Baba. The impact of the significance of our promise had caused a tremendous upheaval in most people’s consciousness. Here Baba was asking for the obedience that God had asked of Abraham. Baba had said that He was God within that human form, the Avatar, the Christ. Here was a test of our faith in Him. A person would really have to believe that He was a Divine Being, before he would normally put that much trust in Him.
Baba then asked one man, could he obey Him if He asked him to cut his wife’s throat. That man slowly and reluctantly said that he could. A girl was asked, could she obey — did she really understand all that obedience to Baba implied ? Deeply stirred, she said she would try. Baba asked a teen-aged boy did he understand completely what obedience meant ; would he, if Baba asked, walk to school naked and sock the head in the eye. The lad said that it would be very difficult and he did not think that he would be able to carry out the order. Baba emphasized that He would not ask people to do these things, but the thing that He would ask them to do, would be just as difficult. At this point Baba adjourned the meeting for ten minutes for everyone to consider their position.
The boy’s mother was leaving the hall thinking, ‘How will I explain it to my son ?’ Then she caught Baba’s eye and had the deep mental conviction right through her, that took the mental form of ‘I believe He knows everything.’ Seconds later her son came up to her and said, ‘Well, mum, how could you promise, He might ask you to hurt somebody.’ She said, ‘I believe Baba knows everything.’ And meant to explain, and therefore He wouldn’t ask one to do anything that was wrong for that person — but she didn’t have to. The sun shone on his face and he said, ‘Oh, that’s alright, if He knows everything, that’s alright.’ All his problems had gone and he was happy again. Her gift of the conviction that Baba knew everything, had been strong enough to carry on to her son.
The man who had stood up was an artist, he was ready to go home. Baba sent for him and kindly said to him, ‘I am not asking you to obey Me now, I am asking you to stay as a favour to Me.’ The man left Baba’s presence thinking, ‘Ah, I’ve had a victory.’ And then he stopped, and he thought — I’ve run away from things all my life — and he ran back to Baba and begged Him to be allowed to obey. Baba allowed him to obey. When we returned to the meeting hall Baba continued the discourse on obedience :
There are four types of obedience.
1. The obedience of the soldier, who obeys out of a sense of duty.
2. The obedience of the servant, paid obedience, the higher the pay the louder the ‘Yes Sir !’
3. The obedience of the slave, obedience through fear of punishment.
4. The obedience of the lover, obedience through love.
Obedience through love was the highest type and this was the obedience that Baba wanted. The obedience of the lover has further divisions.
The types of obedience through love are :
(a) Intellect and discrimination temper the obedience. The mind just obeys technically. If told to cut-off a finger, would give a small cut with a blunt knife — just enough to draw blood. (Thinks he doesn’t mean to cut-off finger, he means to cut the finger).
(b) Unwilling literal obedience — the person does the job against his wishes — like taking castor oil.
(c) Willing literal obedience — the person is happy to obey literally the most difficult command.
Baba said that it is a progression. At first one’s intellect prevents one from literal obedience but it is a step. The last type of obedience is very rare, where the person is happy to literally obey the most difficult command with love. Baba said that He did not think that any of us could be obedient like that. Baba instructed that a list be taken of the names of the people who were willing to obey Him 100%. He said that they would receive their instructions from Him later. He finally said that if all tried 100%, then He would help them.
[modifier] Serve Me In Others
Clarice [Adams], when she described this first meeting much later, said I am not sure of the sequence or even on which of the two days the various questions were asked but otherwise I believe my recollections are correct. When Ena [Lemmon] and I were ushered into Baba’s presence, momentarily I nearly panicked — — but this was my only moment of awe in Baba’s presence. Baba was smiling and he patted the seat indicating ‘sit down,’ which we did.
Eventually came the question, ‘Will you obey me ?’
‘Yes.’
‘Will you go back to Melbourne and kill your three children ?’
The question I had not even thought of !
I cried.
I had no handkerchief and wiped my streaming eyes and nose with my sleeve... a few moments of agony... and then the comforting warmth sustained me. I felt rocked like a baby.
Baba said, ‘I would not ask you to do that, but I had to show you that you couldn’t obey me.’ Then Baba explained, ‘First of all there is no value in trying to follow Baba, unless it is what you want to do, and you are willing to obey him. It does not matter at all if you do not want to. Far better to live an ordinary life, forget about following Baba and see God in others and in everyday life. But if it is your real desire to love Baba and serve him, how would you do it ? It is very difficult to do, and difficult to explain. I cannot ask, how will I love my wife ? I do, or I do not.
Can you hear that noise ?’
(There was a loud banging noise outside — — replied, Yes.)
‘Well if you loved me you would not hear it, while you were with me.’
Then some Indian followers were called in, and Baba asked them to explain ; How to love Baba ?
One said by perfect devotion.
Baba said, ‘Can you do that ?’
Another said by thinking of Baba continually.
Baba smiled, made the sign of perfection, and then leaned forward a little and asked, ‘Do you ?’ of the one who had given that answer.
After each one had explained that they do their best, Baba said : ‘Well now, I will try to explain. Divine Love is the Real Love, but you don’t have that.
So thinking of me continually is the next best, but you can’t do that.
So if you naturally say my name, just while you are working or are quiet, as often as you can spontaneously, that is good, but perhaps you can’t do that — — so do this :
Repeat Baba’s name aloud for a fixed time daily, i.e., half an hour to one hour — — now there is no love in that, no value at all in repetition. But in this case it will bring love, because I tell you to do it. But if you don’t even want to do that — — don’t do it — — it doesn’t matter. Do what you want to do, but try to remember that I am in everyone — — every man, woman and child. Be happy, live naturally.
But serve me in others as much as you can.’
Eruch made clear that this is not just rushing around serving others. He again quoted Baba, ‘It is serving ME in others — not their ego.’
[modifier] My First Taste Of Sisterhood With Baba
Joanna Bruford, much later, described her experience of this little intimate session with Baba. She said, « The sexes were separated and this meant quite a bit to me because it was something that was new. The women were with Baba as women together. I personally felt that it was important, for me it was anyway. We were called together as a group of women and it was my first taste of sisterhood with Baba.
« It was the first time that I had felt that there was something special about womanhood and being together with other women in Baba. And it was really a lovely thing. We all sat on the carpet ; Baba was sitting on the edge of His bed with His legs over the front and He was just so relaxed. He was always so relaxed, it was just like being at home with your family. It was a really lovely thing.
« He sat there on the bed and beside Him He had a lot of things that the women mandali had sent out. He leaned over — there was a little game going on — He was picking out what He would give to whom and it was really lovely to see Baba taking so much time in such a little thing. Being there where there wasn’t anything happening, in the sense that there was no programme. I can’t remember very many of the things that He said. Just the memory of Him sitting there.
« His eyes would sparkle as He was telling us about the women in India. He told us about the roles of Mehera and Mani, and the purity of Mehera, which to me was a completely new idea. I had no idea of who Mehera was, or what the concept of Mehera was. He made us, the women here before Him in such a relaxed and intimate way, feel that we were also sisters with those women in India. It opened a book on the sisterhood of women to me.
« He gave us each some of His hair, which He explained was very, very precious, it was part of His Avataric person. He told us that there were several different kinds of gifts. There were four large photographs, some little leather sandals and some bangles. Everyone received something. »
[modifier] Think Of Me. Love Me.
Everything emanates from me, but is not real. If you were dreaming and I appeared in your dream and told you, « You are dreaming, it is not real, » you would say, « Baba, I am enjoying these things, I know they are real. » It is hard to understand. In your awake dream I tell you now, nothing is real, so don’t worry. How to stop ? -- THINK OF ME. LOVE ME.
Christ said with Divine Authority, « Your sins are forgiven. »
I say with Divine Authority, « Love me and your worries will vanish. »
[modifier] Don't Expect An Answer
All the time pray to Me — it is good to pray. But the prayer that reaches Me is not a long list of your wants. That will never reach Me. Just My Name — even if it be just My Name it will reach Me. But then man's heart is such that when it pours out — it pours out with many words, those words help you to glorify Me. And even if there is a long, long list of all the glories that you attribute to Me, that will reach Me. But when you crave for something, want something, and you ask Me as your prayer — that prayer does not reach Me. But if you ask Me and don't expect an answer, then that prayer reaches Me.
[modifier] Bowing To Meher Baba
There are certain cultural differences between different peoples and we do not always understand why certain things are done in certain countries. It is very useful to have the opportunity to ask why certain things are done and to have the reasons explained to us. One person once asked Eruch about bowing down to Baba.
Eruch explained:
It was of course a privilege that sometimes Meher Baba permitted humanity to bow down to Him. It was a great dispensation — a rare type of dispensation — when He permitted humanity to bow down to His feet. What we mean by bowing down to His feet is that He being the Highest of the High and we being the lowest of the low — the most weak — we cannot offer Him anything, except offer our weaknesses to Him.
And people, although they don't realize what they do, yet it is innate in every human being to express his weakness before the Highest of the High. It behoves one to express one's weaknesses, one's shortcomings, before the Highest of the High. It is a mark of great humbleness in the presence of the Highest of the High.
The physical manifestation of this is nothing but bowing down to Him in great reverence and homage, because He being the Highest of the High, condescended to descend onto the lowest of the low platform of this earth. Reality descending into illusion, mingling with man in illusion. He comes down to our level, descends to the lowest level, so that we who are on this level may have the benefit of Reality manifesting in human form and knowing fully well, inadvertently not advertently, inadvertently — something happens within us, in our heart, because He touches our heart. Reality touches the heart. Heart testifies to His being in our midst and our automatic reaction to this is that we just humble ourselves before the Highest of the High, the Greatest of the Great, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. We being His slaves. We being His puppets. So bowing down is nothing but a manifestation of our homage to the Highest of the High.
His feet are considered to be most sacred to us, we cannot dare to approach His head or the other parts of His anatomy. His body is something very sacred, very holy. We are just a particle, a dust particle in comparison to His body and it is but natural for the dust to settle on His feet. This is where the dust can approach the Highest of the High. That is how inwardly, innately man bows down when he comes to know of it. Not in the literal sense of knowing, but it is inborn in every man who is coming closer and closer towards Reality to express his feelings thus by bowing down to His personality when He is in our midst.
'Now that He is not in the body, how can we continue to do this?' he was asked.
Eruch replied:
Well then what we must do is to take recourse to the things that were associated with His body: just like His seat; just like the tomb where His physical remains are resting. So we go there and bow down to that. Even that is very helpful. Even that is a blessing that He allows His physical remains to stay on the earth.
We approach His cloak and kiss it. We approach these very sandals that He wore, that His physical form had association with. We fondle the hair of His, that we have collected from the combings. We get thrilled to have the touch of the coat that He wore, the robe, the sadra as we call it. These are sacred relics. This very thing gives us an idea as to how very sacred and how most sublime to have Him in His physical frame. If these relics are so sacred to us, how much more sacred is His being amongst us.
But this can only enter into the heads and hearts of that section of humanity which has come closer to Reality. Not all the world will ever realize this all at once, but it is a gradual progression as cross-section after cross-section of humanity progresses towards Reality, incarnation after incarnation, one begins to learn this, one has a little clue to this, an inkling to this.
[modifier] The Story Of The Air-Conditioner
Eruch said:
In the beginning a few of the mandali used to go out with Meher Baba on mast tours. We had to bear a lot of hardships and although we were used to this hot summer heat, we did feel the heat a lot when we were in the open. We had to go out with Baba, journeying in trains under very trying conditions, burdened with a lot of luggage. Especially during the days of the war, journeying in a third class train compartment was an ordeal. We were jam-packed in the compartment, there was no space between any two passengers tightly packed together. It was very difficult, but then Baba would prefer to go by third class when journeying in trains.
There were some well-to-do lovers of Baba who thought that during the hot summer they should give some comfort to Baba. At first the thought was only for Baba's comfort, but then they started to think that they also would be more comfortable in first class because of the fans. Only recently do we find that in the Indian railway trains there are some fans in the third class compartments. Formerly there were no fans in third class compartments.
So after a lot of hesitation the mandali who could afford to pay for the tickets for Baba and those travelling with Him, approached Baba with a plea that He should take the Mandali and travel in a first class compartment instead of the third class. When they first approached Baba for permission to travel first class Baba agreed. He was very pleased and happy with their expression of love and they were also very happy.
However it did not work out as expected. When Baba travelled first class, because He didn't like wind or even a breeze blowing on Him, the doors, windows and ventilators were all shut. Also, we must not put on the fan. But at least we had the luxury of sitting comfortably and peacefully, without being abused by other co-passengers for overcrowding.
After this experience our brother mandali realized that Baba would not allow them to open the windows or use fans, so they thought of a better plan. They thought of having an air conditioned coach for Baba while travelling by train — there is no fan, but there is a cool temperature. So again they approached Baba to permit them to pay extra so that they could all travel comfortably by booking an air conditioned compartment for Him. They had to pay an extra fare for this and naturally they had to travel first class.
Baba said, alright, very good. Baba was very pleased and happy with their expression of love and we all were again very happy. These were summer days mind you and we were very very happy that for the first time we were going to travel like this. We were travelling home from Madras and at that time of the year the temperature sometimes reaches 115 or 120 degrees. We were very happy after the tiresome journey to now be returning home. So an air conditioned compartment was reserved for Meher Baba and party.
When we entered the compartment, it was heavenly — cool and fine. The two mandali who had paid for the compartment were there and we were very grateful to them, inwardly of course, we couldn't express it to them, because they didn't like such expression. So we kept quiet about this subject, but we were grateful as we chatted away. Baba would be so close to us and we would be very free with Him — very, very free.
Now He wouldn't permit us to sit quietly and just gaze at him, He wouldn't like people gazing at Him like that, He would like people to be bouyant, all the time saying something, doing something, making Baba laugh; and He also would make others laugh. It was a merry company around Baba. And that's why when in Australia He would always catch hold of John Bruford to say something humourous. We were just having a good chat, when all of a sudden before the train started, Baba said, 'Don't you all feel the temperature is too low in this compartment?' We looked at each other... we had to agree, naturally. It was a very pleasant temperature, it was cool enough to be very pleasant. So we said, 'Yes, Baba'.
Baba said, 'Can you not regulate this?'
We said, 'How, do you want it?'
Baba replied, 'Just raise the temperature a wee bit more, it is too cold. We might all catch cold and fall ill.'
We looked at each other — Baba's concern would be for us — we would catch cold. Then if we caught cold we might give it to Him. Anyone having a cold could not approach Baba. We had to have a mask on our face and sit in a corner. But first of all we had to inform Baba through somebody that we had a cold. Then Baba may permit that one to stay or require him to leave the room. We had to be very mindful not to catch a cold.
So He sent us out to approach the guard to see if something could be done to raise the temperature. The time was near for the train to start and we must act quickly.
We explained the problem to the guard. He said, 'Well this is properly regulated you can't change it; it is according to the regulations. It should be such-and-such and you can't change it.' So we came back to Baba and told Him. In the mean time the engine whistled, indicating that the train was about to start.
We told Baba that it can't be regulated, but Baba was not happy about the whole thing. All of a sudden there was a delay, even although the engine had whistled. Baba said, 'Can you not approach the guard to switch off this air conditioner.'
You know, we knew what the result would be, and we just looked at each other helplessly.
He said, 'Hurry up, the train will start and it will be too cold for us here.'
Some of us rushed out, approached the guard and stopped him.
He said, 'What's the matter?'
'We want the air conditioner to be shut off, can you do that?'
He said, 'Yes! That can be done.'
Baba said, 'Hurry up, tell him to do it before the train starts.'
The guard switched off the air conditioner as requested and the train started. You can imagine the oven that we were in. In an air conditioned coach, you can't open the windows and there are no ventilators or fans. We were perspiring profusely and looking miserably at each other. But Baba was very happy — He was beaming. He said, 'It's perfect — it's such a very good climate in here.' He added, 'You know, I don't like breeze, and this is perfect.'
'But Baba there is no question of breeze here, you are getting suffocated here — there is no question of breeze.'
'No, No,' said Baba, This is good, this is how we should travel — it's perfect.'
Eruch commented, whenever we had completed the work and were returning home and thought perhaps now that the work was finished we could have a little comfort, He always thought of some way of preventing this. Of course it was all part of our training.
I couldn't help thinking how Baba appeared to be training them to be selfless. The mind of man is such that when he wants something for himself, he makes the excuse that he is doing it for someone else. If they did this He would always be a jump ahead, and change the result so that it was not to their liking. This must have been very difficult for them to endure when it was happening, but it is incredible to see the result of His training on these people today. They are such uniquely selfless people in this world of selfishness.
Eruch then commented about Baba not liking a breeze and His liking for being very warm. He said, when travelling by car He would like it all sealed up, and then He would look at us, we would all look sullen, then He would permit us to open the window just a wee bit so that there was a little cross ventilation, that was all. Somehow or other He didn't like a breeze or direct sun, normally. But then when He would go out for mast hunting He would be free, just wearing a sadra, and having an umbrella sometimes — nothing more.
John Bruford said that sometimes it would be the opposite in Australia when he was driving Baba. Once Baba looked around and saw the expression on John's face and He made John put down the driver's window and John was sure it was too cold for Baba.
Eruch said, but it was because of you. You had thought of His comfort and had put on the heater — now He was thinking of your comfort.
John — Yes.
Eruch —
He was very mindful about the comfort of others, He wouldn't mind saying, 'Yes,' to please others, He wouldn't say, 'No'. He would please all, make them feel comfortable, happy. You were perspiring at that time.
John — Yes, I had the windows wound up.
Eruch —
Even with us sometimes He would see long faces, and he would say, alright open the window slightly. He would permit us to open them, now in recent years; formerly He was very strict with us when we were young. Not that we are too old now, but we were very energetic when young, we had stamina then and now of course we are half of what we were formerly.
I remember once travelling in first class compartment in the night and even Baba remembered that night. I was alone with Baba while we were travelling... some people had arranged a coupe for Baba, a first class coupe. Only two are permitted in a first class coupe. In this one, Baba and myself. Baba was sleeping there on a berth and I was keeping watch and it was so hot. Baba didn't like any windows to be opened or anything. Here in India we have wire netting over the ventilators; automatic ventilation so that if someone shuts all the doors and windows there is still some ventilation. He looked up at them and said stop-up that also.
I was drenched with perspiration, I had changed my clothes completely, I needed fresh air desperately. I still remember that night when I went very softly to the lavatory and opened the door — opened the pot, and breathed through it for some fresh air, because there is a hole at the bottom opening directly to the outside and then I came back. But Baba was not only lying on the couch, He was covered with blankets. It's a fact I don't know how He felt comfortable in such conditions. He didn't mind sweating. He perspired. Here even during last year... full of perspiration, the sadra would just stick on His body and become transparent.
We would have to change His bedding in winter also, and to such a degree that His pillow had a plastic cover over it, under the pillow case. The watchman would remove the pillow cases in the night. Towels were sometimes used and the towels would become drenched with perspitation.
So that was the story of the air conditioner.
[modifier] Pilgrimage
Eruch was also asked by a young Baba Lover, 'Why make a pilgrimage to Baba's tomb? Isn't Baba everywhere? Can't we bow down to Him in our hearts?'
Eruch replied:
Yes that's very good, why can't you bow down to Him in your hearts, where it's His real abode? He resides in our hearts. But have you permitted Him to reside in your hearts? He says that He feels very shy of strangers that are in your hearts, and we don't find Him there as tangible as we would want to. We are barren so to say. We don't have Him — we don't feel Him in our hearts, and therefore we look hither and thither for His physical presence.
Not having His physical presence then we go to the places that His physical presence was associated with. That's at Meherabad... Meherazad... at the tomb... at Myrtle Beach Centre in America... or at Avatar's Abode in Australia, where His physical presence was — where He trod upon the earth.
You know what happens when a person presumes that he knows how to swim across the ocean. He knows swimming, he is an expert at swimming. But the ocean is so vast that even the expert swimmer who dares to cross a channel gets tired sometimes, and when he is totally exhausted it is said that he even looks for a straw that floats on the ocean to cling to it. That is how we cling to the relics and remnants of the Great One, who time and again descends on earth.
He in His great compassion came to us, it behoves us to go to Him even though He has dropped His body. And where can we go to Him except to the places that are associated with His physical presence. That is why it is very important to pay visits to places where He has been or He made His abode, or He stayed, or where there was a certain universal or spiritual work done by Him.
It is good to say that He resides in our hearts for those who have the actual experience of it, then there is no need for that one to go anywhere. But when you are weak and when one knows that one cannot find Him in his heart, then he looks elsewhere... he has to go somewhere... he goes on wandering... he goes on kissing the very dust where He trod.
These are the little steps, towards His abode in one's heart where He actually resides. But without doing these pilgrimages you won't reach the heart where He is. These are the essential beginnings, these are the steps that will lead you to His abode in your heart. Later on there is no need, but to begin with it is essential. Without them, it won't be possible for you. The journeying towards Him is necessary, whether it be inward or outward.
'Would you say particularly journeying to Meher Baba's tomb?' he was asked.
Eruch replied:
Of course, that is the most dynamic spot of His Advent, His tomb, definitely. Why I say that it is essential for every person who is in search of Truth to pay a visit to the tomb of the God-Man is because the God-Man in His recent Advent, Avatar Meher Baba Himself, has given us a guide line, when in His physical presence He led His close ones right up the hill to where His tomb is situated. It was built thirty years before He dropped His physical body and He had selected that spot. He said that after He dropped His body His remains would remain and rest there. He led His close ones right to the threshold of the tomb and made each one bow down to it saying, let it be the place of pilgrimage for the whole world. What greater assurance can we have than this — His own words? He wanted us to pay a visit to His place — His resting place. In 1954 He said that after seventy years this place will become the place of world pilgrimage where people from all over the world will congregate to pay their homage to His body which rests there.
[modifier] Now Has Come The Moment Of Joy
To those who attended his Saturday night talks, Francis Brabazon had always stressed the importance to a country of having the living Avatar set foot on the soil of that country. There is no record in history of this previously ever having happened in Australia. Shortly before Meher Baba was due to arrive in Australia Francis read to us a poem that he had composed to commemorate this much longed-for event in our lives and this important event in the history of the nation. He also had copies of this poem printed 'in commemoration of the visit of Shri Meher Baba to Australia in August 1956'.
NOW HAS COME THE MOMENT OF JOY
Francis Brabazon
Now has come the moment of joy in this land, The moment it has waited in woman-waiting through the ages, The moment of BABA and the touch of His feet on her earth, And the rivers of His silent Word to her thirsty lips and the cry of her soul.
Now has come the moment of joy in our hearts, And the leaping in dance of our souls in the steps of His feet, And the breaking of bonds of our hearts, and our heart's breaking Into laughter of flowers of love and greatfullness, And our soul's surge no less than the ocean in the direction of His glory and human-ness.
Now will begin our history: Of the withholding of the axeman's hand from the axe And the mad career of our senses after a vanishing wish And the rivers of their waters to the sea: A converting of the blow to the opening of areas and districts in the heart, A reducing of the senses to the sense and the scent of the soul, A channelling of the waters for the wheat-fields and orchards of God.
The books of this history will tell the stories Of obscure men and women lost of all else but love, and in love well lost. Of heroes of pastures and crops, and farmers on wide seas storm tossed, Of adventurers who work at a bench And housewives who go forth with shopping baskets to find God.
But now is not the history, but the moment... The moment of God and His advent in this Land of Australia: The touch of His feet on this earth, and the breath of His Word on the breeze and in the breath of our lives; The moment long waited, the moment of joy and apprehension... When each one... when each leaf and piece of earth and stone On whom and on which falls His glance, Must decide the issue of surrendrance, and lay down that much of his life as he will.
[modifier] In Order To Fall In Love With Me
“In order to fall in love with me, an ABC kindergarten course of remembrance has to be taken. If you cannot remember me in a positive way, remember me in a negative way. If you can’t remember me with love, then remember me with sheer hatred, and I will be pleased with your remembrance and bestow upon you the gift of my love. Remembrance through love, remembrance through hate; what counts is remembering me. Remember me always as much as possible, and you are assured of my love.”
—Meher Baba
John A. Grant. © 1985 John A. Grant
- ↑ « The Quest » was published in Singing Threshold by Francis Brabazon, Beacon Hill Press, Beacon Hill, N.S.W. in 1958
