To speak metaphorically, God is in the center of a circle, the circumference of which is the universe. The various radii from the circumference to the center are the various religions. The points on the radii near the circumference are distinctly and widely apart from each other; but as they approach the center, they come increasingly close to each other. 

In the same way, the more a person becomes spiritually minded or advances towards God, the more tolerant he becomes and the less differentiation he sees.

~ Avatar Meher Baba

From Sparks of the Truth. by Dr. C. D. Deshmukh (The Universal Spiritual League in America, 1971),  p. 91.

"If you have the quality of selfless service unaffected by results, similar to that of the sun which serves the world by shining on all creation, on the grass in the field, on the birds in the air, on the beasts in the forest, on all mankind with its sinner and its saint, its rich and its poor, unconscious of their attitude towards it, then you will win Me."
~ Avatar Meher Baba

Meenakshi tagged me, so I guess I am it...

1) What are you thankful for today?
My health and the health of my wife and children...

2) What do you appreciate about the Earth?
The way the air smells in Flagstaff, clear and bright and foresty...

3) Who is the last person you said “thank you” to?
God-Baba.

4) When was the last time someone thanked you?
My daughter, for picking her up early at school today, as she doesn't feel well...

5) What is your favorite way to say thank you?
With a smile.

Peace and Om.

Laurent

I celebrate the Presence of the Avatar in my life.
What is Avatar? I have heard so many ask...
There is still dust on the Path, from His blessed feet, making His way home.

I lay my head at His Feet, now if I could only keep it there.
There is still dust on the path from His journey home.

He showed the whole Creation that separation is an illusion
When He walked that path alone and made His way home.

He was the first soul to return to the Presence of God with full and complete consciousness.
He earned that Experience when he made his way home.

Oh Laurent, Baba knows, your heart cannot express the love you feel from the Avatar, but try.
He is walking with you now as you make your way home.

I have been working (and playing) with Jane Chin, Ph.D. here on Gaia and through other electronic media for over a month...  what fun! And she goes wayyyyy deep...

In any case, we just did our first collaborative writing piece (soon to appear in OmPoint International Circular, Issue No. 3. In that piece she wrote with Baba. I asked her does she "hear" Baba or what exactly is her process in such a case, and she responded via email to me (Wednesday, June 04, 2008 6:55 PM) as follows,

Jane Chin, Ph.D. wrote:

I was thinking about your question on if I "hear" - i.e. -
when I write from what I believe to be Baba's perspective. Today I
thought, "well of course I don't 'hear' - Baba has been silent for
decades as part of his spiritual work!"

I also think a benefit to Baba's silence, which I alluded to as a
comment to one of your manuscripts, is that we don't become attached
to his voice, and instead, we get in touch with the formless "voice"
that must be heard through the heart.

So, why am I posting this from Jane on my blog? Because, I think she is on to something extremely important. I am listening.

In Oneness
Laurent

Meher Baba discoursing at Meherabad, India in 1935.

Spirituality & Psychotropics: Ayahuasca this Way Comes

by Laurent Weichberger (June 2008)

Ayawhat?

A Google search for Ayahuasca (pronounced “ayah-wha-scah”) brings up over one million results. Ayahuasca is a vine (Banisteriopsis Caapi) native to the Amazon jungle, and is now widely known as the main ingredient in a psychoactive “tea” which is then swallowed by people seeking spiritual enlightenment.

A couple months ago, I was flying from Flagstaff to Kansas City for business when I looked in the overhead bin and saw a magazine to read – yay! It was the May 2008 issue of Men’s Journal, with a cover blurb of “Do Drugs, Save Your Marriage,” which looked puzzling. Upon reading the associated article within, about the writer’s visit to Peru for the specific purpose of eating Ayahuasca, I found myself in shock from his vivid descriptions of joining what he called a “drug camp” led by Peter Gorman, the former editor-in-chief of High Times.

Upon return home a few days later, rather perturbed, I wrote my first-ever letter to the editor. I couldn’t decide which was more troublesome, the idiotic cover wording “Do drugs, save your marriage…” or the article itself which showed that Ayahuasca had managed to seduce all types of people, including a 35-year old female yoga teacher, and a 19-year old petite female college student who “bled from one nostril” after using the substance. [1]

What disturbed me the most was that it confirmed my fear that we as an American culture (whatever that might be) seem to have learned nothing from the false promises and failures of LSD to deliver anything of real or lasting value. Our drive-through (immediate results) mentality is at least one reason that Ayahuasca seems appealing. Here we are again, only now the leaders are not hippies, or drug gurus promising “better living through chemistry,” but Peruvian “shamans” who will lead the curious to a near-death state (sometimes called “little-death”), and through a potential series of psychedelic hallucinations, to give you an experience.

Now Ayahuasca has come to the Southwestern states, including Arizona. Night parties or weekend retreats are being led here and in Sedona by people who are obviously not indigenous shamans.

Is this supposed to be the new spirituality imported from Peru?

Flashback to the 60s

In the 1960s, LSD was undoubtedly all the rage, a new drug with fantastic promises: a new path to enlightenment, a shortcut to the Truth.

Rick Chapman, who lived through that time both experimenting with psychedelic drugs as well as making a journey to India to meet his spiritual master Meher Baba in person, concluded from his own experience that the allure of consciousness-expansion through drugs was “hollow.” Mr. Chapman has worked since the 1960s to educate people about the true nature of the spiritual path and the dangers of even well-meaning experimentation with drugs for the purpose of “expanding” one’s consciousness, so I naturally contacted him as one who had first-hand experience of that amazing time period many have only heard of as the “Summer of Love.”

Concerning the new wave of interest in substances like Ayahuasca and Salvia, Mr. Chapman comments: “It’s not that the ‘sacred plant’ path has not had a role, but the Avatar of the Age has, for this time, stated that it is not helpful, but rather, very dangerous.

“While there may certainly be authentic shamans, healers and spirit guides in every culture, there is a continental divide between the ritual practices in such shamanistic cultures and the great majority of civilization, East and West, as it stands today. The assumption that one can pick esoteric practices out of the context and history of such cultures and use them positively in 21^st century America is painfully wrong-headed, as much so as trying to impose ‘modern life’ on traditional Indian cultures. Want spiritual insight and real progress? Follow the direction of the greatest Masters of spiritual history.”

Those who use Ayahuasca will swear it is not a drug, but rather a “spirit plant medicine,” which immediately creates a false dichotomy. Another major problem is confusion between experiences obtained through substances as opposed to spiritual experience. There is no difference between these substances and plant medicines from the point of view of toxicology. It is the active ingredient in the substance itself that is so physically dangerous, which is why they are intended to be used under the direct medical supervision of a qualified physician.

Honoring the Experience

Ayahuasca has been used by Peruvian shamans as a “medicine,” the taking of which should never be confused with spiritual progress. To explain how a shaman relates to medicine, one would have to delve deeply into anthropological discussion of these issues, but suffice it to say, a shaman intends to bring “healing” to an individual. Allan Cohen, Ph.D. is the Vice President and Founder of the Center for Advanced Planning and Evaluation, which delivers substance abuse prevention training. He wrote eloquently regarding these issues when we collaborated on a substance abuse awareness book: “(1) The drug experience is always temporary; (2) Even with the best of drug experiences, individuals gain only a distorted perception of the lower levels of the inner life; that is entirely different in nature from the experience of true spiritual advancement; and (3) Long-term non-medical drug involvement, leading inevitably to psychological imbalance or chemical dependency, is an unnecessary waste of vast human potential.” [2]

Kelly McCabe, head of the Temple of the Divine Mother, and a former monk of 15 years in the Ramakrishna Order, offered this perspective: “When the mind becomes still to some degree it is not unusual to have profound experiences such as visions or deep insights. My teachers say that to the extent these experiences have a lasting positive effect on our life they are real and useful. Sometimes, however, they are just interesting fluctuations of the mind that are of no real importance.

“The goal of spirituality has nothing to do with having exciting, far-out ‘experiences,’ but coming into close, intimate contact with our own true, infinitely beautiful self in the silence of our heart. The goal of spirituality is expanding our heart, expanding our conception of our ‘self’ to include the whole universe. My teachers emphasized that this is best accomplished in a gentle, natural way through regular practice of stilling the mind.

“In a genuine and sincere desire for real spiritual growth, it may be tempting to think that psychedelic drugs or extreme breathing exercises may provide a shortcut to spiritual experience. In this matter, as in most matters relating to spiritual life, I personally think that it is wise to look to the lives of genuine holy men and women who clearly are manifesting the sacred joy and love in their lives that we all seek. These are the people who really know and understand the ins and outs of the inner spiritual journey.

“In the opinion of all the great Hindu and Buddhist teachers I know of, drugs are totally unnecessary and can cause genuine harm. They can open up or break down doorways of perception that really should be kept closed until they open in the natural order of things. It is much, much healthier to let these experiences come in a natural organic way. Trust your higher self. You will know what you need to know when you need to know it ... What’s the big hurry? There is no hurry. Controlling the mind is a process that requires practice, moderation, gentleness with oneself and patience. There really is nothing but the present moment anyway!” [3]

Hearing his perspective helped me feel that the natural ways of achieving transformative inner experience will not be lost.

Warning the Community

There are now Ayahuasca groups forming all over, not just in South America. One rather unusual community actually created a new religion by mixing Ayahuasca with a type of South American Catholicism in the 1920s.

Adam, a friend of mine who is an acupuncturist and healer, was involved with this community in California, as he explained: “I was part of a Brazilian Church community called the Santo Daime [4], for roughly a two-year period. We would drink ‘Daime’ — which means ‘give me’ in Portuguese — in a ceremonial setting within a sacred context approximately every two weeks. This period of my spiritual life opened me up in ways that transformed my perception of the universe, the Earth, and myself. I received deep insights into the world of possibilities. But, I came to a point where I realized that I no longer needed the brew to experience deeper spiritual teachings, I found the tea inside me, and at that point I let it go.

“If I was to give someone advice about drinking this very powerful medicine I would say to them:  ‘Search your soul, ask yourself what are you looking for? Are you being called to drink this tea on a deep level?’

“… In my experience it is your relationship to the tea that is the most vital. It is my belief that spiritual life and growth as well as healing is completely personal, don’t let anyone tell you what the truth is or where to go to find it, find it for yourself.

“One word of caution, if you do decide to drink the tea, and I can’t stress this enough, make sure you find a shaman or healer who has integrity and experience. Do the research. Ask around. Above all, listen to your heart, and then be ready to die and accept whatever the tea has to offer.”

This is a powerful statement, and after hearing Adam share so passionately his experience, I asked myself: Are people so empty that this is the best way they know how to approach deeper experience?

Then last week I was introduced to a young woman named Deana Tatro who shared that she plans to open an Ayahuasca center in Peru. She self-identifies as an “Eternal Student of the Earth School” and she spent four months in 2007 in South America. She thinks of Ayahuasca as the “umbilical cord to the universe,” with a few stars in her eyes as she shares that borrowed phrase.

The "Tierra Vida" center she envisions will be “a healing, trauma release center. This is going to be a 40-minute boat ride from a tiny village called named Neuva de Luz where native Shapibo and people of Spanish descent currently live. This has the blessing of the people of Nueva de Luz as well as myself and my dear friend Jill.” Jill Levers has just returned from Peru last week, and I discussed this project with her at my downtown office the morning after she landed. She explained that construction on this center has begun, and Deana added, "we will have it ready for the fall 2008, both Jill and I will be down there."

I asked Deana, “How will your healing center use Ayahuasca?”

And her response was spontaneous: “We are going to let the Ayahuasca use us … [it] is going to do the work, and all you can do is go there with an open mind. In terms of logistics, only indigenous people who have been blessed by the plant herself will be performing these ceremonies. This is very important to us. As humans we have two choices: to heal or not. My preference is to heal.

“I was offered a wonderful invitation to work with Ayahuasca, and felt it was right for me. Under the conditions of a positive intent, open mind and where the plant lives and thrives under the direction of an indigenous healer, I feel Ayahuasca offered a new contour to my heart, and for that I am eternally grateful and at peace.”

While we were speaking at a coffee shop, a friend of hers walked by and told her he wants to try Ayahuasca. Deana says she is now moving on to Hawaii. When I hear of someone like sweet Deana (and her friend Jill) inspired to head to Peru to create a center of this nature, I wonder: Wow, where is all this heading, and what can I do to help raise awareness of this new phenomenon when there seems to be little in the way of qualifications at work in this practice?

Harmful Effects

As of this writing, Ayahuasca tea is classified as a Schedule I illegal substance by the Drug Enforcement Agency because it contains the drug Dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Ingesting this tea can be fatal. Some lose control of all their bodily functions, rolling in their own excrement, oblivious to their state for hours at a time, with possibly days of memory loss, and worse.

My research found a case of death linked to DMT (in Ayahuasca), this one in particular involving a 25-year old white male found dead the morning after consuming herbal extracts containing DMT. [5]

Many report feeling as if they are “about to die” while under the influence of this purgative substance, and almost always its toxic nature causes violent and prolonged vomiting. DMT causes intense psychotropic experience (including vivid hallucinations) for most people, although some have no change to their mental state at all. Further, “the drug also exerts marked autonomic effects elevating blood pressure, heart rate, and rectal temperature, and causes mydriasis.” [6] (extreme pupil dilation).

Shamans became trendy

To try to put this in perspective, let me say I believe we have on this planet a fresh tidal wave of spiritually-minded, yet misguided, brilliant youth (much like the 1960s), who are longing for real, deeper experience. In the absence of guidance, it is only natural that most have no gauge against which to judge the quick-fix provided by such seductive drugs as Ayahuasca and Salvia Divinorum.

Somewhere along the line, shamans became trendy. Tom Cowan is a well known self-proclaimed “shamanic practitioner specializing in Celtic visionary and healing techniques,” who writes, “The full shamanic experience occurs in a trancelike, non-ordinary state of consciousness ... and it appears to be a unique mode of awareness similar to, but significantly different from, other visionary states such as dreaming, hypnotism, uncontrollable hallucinations, out-of-body experiences, and near-death experiences.” [7]

My wife, Lilly, who works in the shamanic area as well, contributes, “There are true shamans of every culture. The use of plant spirit medicines, while part of some shamanic traditions, were generally used by a very few individuals, usually the shaman and or his apprentice who was dedicated to years of study, which included spiritual preparation for the experience and plenty of guidance and processing afterward.

“The first problem with the widespread use of Ayahuasca as a way of accessing altered states is that it seems for a large majority, it’s being handed out to people with little or no spiritual preparation.  The second and perhaps more concerning issue is that these substances open doorways to other realms that are not always easily closed again, allowing all sorts of energies, some of which might be quite unsettling, into the individual’s life, which can lead to mental disturbances and worse.

“A true shaman has the ability to shift states of consciousness at will. The states which they reach are accessible by very natural, non-hallucinogenic means, via use of drumming and trance work, etc. A shaman is someone whose calling is to keep the balance between the earth and human and spirit realms. It is a path of service, hard work, and dedication. There are no quick fixes, and the use of Ayahuasca as a short cut, over the long term, has the potential to become either a crutch or be psychically, spiritually and physically damaging.”

We recently met Madrone, leader of Goddesses of the Cinder Moon, when visiting her first monthly public Goddess circle in Flagstaff. She says about Ayahuasca: “This is the lazy approach to tapping into both the sensual and sentient relationship with the natural world around us. It is important to learn how to listen to nature and take that seriously, and when I say ‘nature,’ I am talking about both the physical and meta-physical.

“This is not a simple endeavor. It takes time and practice, hence the term — Wiccan practice. That’s why the word ‘practice’ is there. And by taking a drug, I think you cheat yourself from that remembering, that experiential knowledge. I have never been a part of any Neo-Pagan ritual that involves drugs of any kind. I have never been involved with anything like that and I have had some of the most transformative experiences during those rituals, and there were no drugs involved.”

What is desperately needed is real guidance that brings one closer to the truth of who-you-really-are. Ayahuasca can’t do that for you. As Meher Baba said, “One who knows the way, who is the way, cannot approve of the continued pursuance of a method that not only must prove fruitless but leads away from the path that leads to reality. No drug, whatever its great promise, can help one to attain the spiritual goal. There is no short-cut to the goal except through the grace of the Perfect Master, and drugs, LSD more than others, give only a semblance of ‘spiritual experience,’ a glimpse of a false reality. [8]

“… The experiences which drugs induce are as far removed from Reality as is a mirage from water. No matter how much you pursue the mirage you will never quench your thirst, and the search for Truth through drugs must end in disillusionment.” [9]

My goal in writing this article is to help the community to be aware of this new fad as it spreads across America, and to educate the reader to help make sure that no one dies (or is irreparably harmed) through the use of Ayahuasca. In the fourth round of a sweat lodge I attended last weekend, I was guided in relation to this writing. I honor the existence of genuine shamans, the Wildcats of the Way, wherever they may be found. I feel there is wisdom in learning from the suffering of others and their mistakes, such as the thousands who lost their minds or died from drug abuse in the 1960s. So many souls have come before us also seeking spiritual short-cuts and dazzling experiences in a genuine longing for the truth of Oneness. I give this guidance freely for the avoidance of unnecessary suffering, knowing that spiritual revelation comes in the right time to those who walk their path with persistence, and joy. Let us celebrate this wondrous natural world together, with love.

Laurent is the author of A Mirage Will Never Quench Your Thirst and can be reached here at Gaia.

For more information

Ayahuasca:

. The self proclaimed Ayahuasca home page

. Ayahuasca-Wasi Transpersonal Shamanism Research Project at http://www.ayahuasca-wasi.com/

. Wikipedia article on Ayahuasca at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayahuasca

Spiritual:

. Meher Spiritual Center at http://www.mehercenter.org/

. Sacred Rites, Temple of the Divine Mother, 4 N. San Francisco Street, 2nd Floor, Flagstaff (Sunday morning public worship).

. Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale, AZ at http://www.thecasa.org/

. Goddesses of the Cinder Moon (meeting monthly) at email: goddess_madrone <at> yahoo <dot> com

References:
1. From Men's Journal (May 2008), "Down the Monkey Hole" by  B. McMahon, p.p.229-235, 267.
2. From the foreword, A Mirage Will Never Quench Your Thirst, by L. Weichberger (Myrtle Beach: Sheriar Foundation, 2003) [Mirage].
3. Email from Kelly to Laurent on May 8, 2008.
4. For more on Santo Daime see Shamanic Wisdomkeepers, by T. Freke p.p. 92-103 (New York: Sterling Publishing Co., 1999) as well as http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Daime
5. See the article "A fatal intoxication following the ingestion of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine in an ayahuasca preparation" at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16356341
6. From the article "Human Pharmacology of Ayahuasca: Subjective and Cardiovascular Effects, Monoamine Metabolite Excretion, and Pharmacokinetics" at http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/cgi/reprint/306/1/73.pdf (accessed May 2008)
7. From Fire in the Head, Shamanism and the Celtic Spirit, by Tom Cowan p.13 (Harper San Francisco, 1993). See also: http://www.riverdrum.com/
8. From Mirage, p. 31.
9. Ibid.

I am not separate from God.

The situations that happen to me, and the situations I create, are not separate from God.

I was not separate from God in all the times I thought I was the one who made this decision or that decision.

I will not be separate from God when I become the person who will live this life or that life.

All the people who have healed me, in the form of friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, artists in books or movies, are not separate from God. All the people who have hurt me, in the form of friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, artists in books or movies, are not separate from God.

God is the unity in duality. God is the duality in the unity.

God is the breath, and the pauses in between the breaths. God is my words, and the silence in between the words. God is my thoughts, my highest and lowest thoughts.

God is the no-thing, and the every-thing. God is even the me who says, “All I have to do is ride along, be a responsible gardener, and enjoy the show.” God is the one who makes me think there is an “I” and a “you.”

God is laughing, and writing this. God will post this soon.

X O X O

“Theresa”

These are the lyrics of a song by Connie Dover and Brian Keane called Who Will Comfort Me? which speaks my heart:

The darkness now is lifting
Dawn blushes in the sky
It lays a spread of gold and red
And breathes a lullaby
To a thousand quiet creatures
Of earth and sky and stream
Who cannot know that paradise
Will one day be a dream
When the last wagon rolls along
And fades into the West
And cuts a trail of progress
Through a singing skylark's nest
When the last woodland creature
Lifts her head to flee
And is snared by her protector
Lord, who will set her free?

Chorus:
When the boundless spirit
Has no place to roam
The heart will sadly whisper
This world is not my home
When the sweep of wind along the grass
Bows down to destiny
When the last bright star has fallen
Lord, who will comfort me?

When the last prairie flower
Gives up her yellow bloom
When the high cathedral skies
Give way to crowded rooms
When we parcel heaven
And fence eternity
When the wildness is all tamed and torn
Don't let me live to see

When the last campfire flickers
And is laid to righteous rest
When the Ones who wandered without fear
Are cursed who once were blessed
When all our deeds of glory
Are laid in front of Thee
When you ask what man hath wrought
Don't rest Your gaze on me

Words: Connie Dover
Music adapted from "The Way West" by Brian Keane (Brian Keane Music, ASCAP) From the CD, If Ever I Return, by Connie Dover © Copyright 2008 Taylor Park Music/Connie Dover

Forum On Leadership

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Newman Center, NAU ~ Flagstaff Arizona

Notes By Laurent Weichberger

This is essentially what I shared as a panelist at this event.

I have met and/or spoken with the following people who have shaped (some more deeply than others) my feelings about "leadership" and what it means to be a healthy leader:

• Pope John Paul II (received communion from him at St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC when I was young).
• Jimmy Page and his lovely wife Jimena (Led Zeplin guitarist, had coffee with them at the school our kids went to in Forest Row, England).
• Robert Redford (He came to my boss, Mrs. Irene Diamond, at our office and she said, "Come in here Bobby..." which helped me realize we are all just people).
• Senator John H. Glenn, Jr. (Went to the Democratic National Convention as an Editor with my "Children's Express" news reporters, and we interviewed him on the floor of the convention. He spoke more honestly to the pre-teen reporters than he did to the adults in the room, I noticed.
• Mr. (Fred) McFeely Rodgers (We also interviewed Mr. Rodgers at his Manhattan apartment. During the interview his character actor, the postman "Mr. McFeely," came home with his own set of keys and I had the feeling they might be lovers. This helped me realize that homosexuality is not as bad I thought it once was (I was in high school at this point). Also, I learned a valuable less when Mr. Rodgers stopped us during questioning to say he felt we were more interested in asking questions than in his answers. That was an honest and humbling experience.
• Vincent McGee, Jr. (Vinny was my boss for a number of years in Manhattan, at the Hunt Alternatives Fund and later the Aaron Diamond Foundation. I consider him to be one of my first mentors, a brilliant man with a giant sized heart.)
• Coleman Barks (His translations of Rumi have altered the landscape of American literature, and made Sufism a household word).
• Ralph Nader (We interviewed him before his ambition to become President. I felt he was honestly trying to expose corporate wrongdoing and bring awareness to important issues.)
• Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) (I was driving across America with my sister, and we stopped in New Mexico for lunch at what looked like a nice place, a bed & breakfast or something set back off the road in the middle of nowhere. There was only one other table having lunch, and that was New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and his aides. This was before his ambition to lead this country. He introduced himself and was warm and human.
• Gov. Janet Nepolitano (AZ) (My daughter wanted to meet the Governor in 2003, when she visited Flagstaff and held a reception at the Zane Grey Room downtown. We got permission to do so. Aspen, at age 8 said she had a question, and Ms. Nepolitano listened carefully: "Why do we have to be at war in Afghanistan and Iraq?" The Governor's answer is one of my all time favorites, as it showed to me that she is a real leader in the most honest sense of the word. She replied, "I don't know." Thank you.)

Sacred Places:

I have been on pilgrimage to various sacred sites around the world, including:

• Meher Baba's Samadhi at Meherabad, India

• St. Francis' Tomb at Assisi and Mount La Verna where he received stigmata

• St. Catherine's room at Siena, Italy

• Sacred spots throughout India for Buddhists, Jains, Hindus and Sufis.

Leadership issues:

 

What is not leadership?

• Fame/Media attention : Brittany Spears is famous, that doesn’t make her a leader. Is Oprah a leader? Is Angelina Jolie a leader because she is high profile at the United Nations as a "Goodwill ambassador"?
• Being persuasive/influential: Picasso was tremendously influential on many artists, does that mean he was a “leader”?
• Military/Organizational leaders : just because that is your title, or role, doesn’t mean you are a leader. Is every General in the Army really a leader?

Vital Qualities of leadership:

• Living according to right values (problem of subjective values).
• Honesty/Integrity : lives according to a strict code of conduct, doesn’t lie. Knows how to deal honestly with all. (Parking ticket story?)
• Accountability : Actions are accountable to the community (and world). (NYC corrupt cops story?)
• Leaders are concerned with the best interests of the community (or group) that they lead. Self-involved people are rarely leaders in the true sense of the word.
• Leaders want to achieve what is best for all concerned. What is best may not be popular. What is popular might not be best.
• Leaders think differently. Einstein said, "You cannot solve a problem with the same thinking that caused the problem.”
• Leaders are leaders whether they are “elected” or not. Most leaders were leaders regardless of how they were understood at that time by the masses, and whether they became “elected” is somewhat meaningless in retrospect. Being elected doesn’t make someone a leader, it is because they are a leader (we hope) that they were elected. Otherwise, it was most likely an act (resulting in nomination and election) and we feel disappointed when we come to know who they really are.
• Compassionate – Wise
• Healthy leaders have tolerance for societal differences (faith, race, sexuality).
• Knowledgeable – Experienced (“Good judgment comes from experience, experience comes from bad judgment”)
• Communicative – Knows how to speak plainly to be clearly understood, and to listen to supporters (cabinet), and The People.
• Willing to admit mistakes (Knows how to listen to detractors, and change).
• My daughter Aspen (age 12) said, "Leaders are loyal to their people." They don't betray trust.
• Surrounds themselves (core circle) with quality strong, clear people (not yes-people or blind-followers) rather those who can keep them on track.
• Intuitive – Perceptive : Not relying solely on data and information feeds.
• Loving – Kind : Non-aggressive (Preemptive Strike example?)
• Brave – Willing to take risks.
• Flexible/Open to feedback and can change course rapidly if needed. Can re-evaluate in the light of new information. Innovative.
• Contemplative - Not impulsive. Careful about making promises, sure to fulfill them.
• Not slow to act when urgency needed.
• Able to punish, meet out Justice: Big Corporate pollution from companies that pay multimillion $ fines and penalties, rather than change their behavior, because it is cheaper for them (and easier) to do so.
• Willing to Forgive.
• Willing to Defend – Protect (protect the group, and those weaker).
• Able to maintain vital partnerships – alliances. (Foreign Policy)
• Unity vs. Oneness : Unity underlies duality (us united against them), Oneness overcomes duality (God is in all beings)
• Able to have both short term vision and long term vision
• Personal Character: Is the character we see and hear really core to their being or is it essentially a careful act, scripted by their advisors? Elected leaders seem to pretend a lot, as if this is all a game.

A few historical examples of high quality leaders:

 

• Joseph the son of Jacob (circa 1500 B.C.E.) : Firstborn son of Rachel, and 11^th son of Jacob the patriarch, sold as a slave into Egypt by his brothers only to emerge as an Egyptian Leader who later gives a home to the Jews during the great  famine, which generations later leads to their bondage at the hands of a mean Pharaoh. The power of Dreams.

 

• Moses (circa 1300 B.C.E) : Paradoxically Moses, born a Jew, was raised by the Pharaoh's family and becomes a prince. Renouncing his title, he flees to the countryside and lives as a shepherd until called by God to free the Jews from Egyptian bondage. Received the 10 commandments from God on Mt. Sinai. The Power of God.

 

• Lord Rama – Prince in Exile who becomes King through deep humility and victorious war against “demons.” The power of Action.

 

• Mahatma Ghandi – Lawyer who leads India to independence through non-violent resistance. The power of Non-violence.

 

• Lady Mirabai (1498 – 1547 C.E.) – Hindu Princess of Rajastan, she abdicates the royal throne to live as a poet and lover of God, singing original bhajans to Lord Krishna. The power of Love.

 

• Lord Buddha – Prince who abandons the royal life and his wife and child to find Truth. The power of Surrender.

 

• The 14^th Dalai (“Ocean”) Lama (“Guru” or teacher) : “Yeshe Norbu” or Wishfulfilling Jewel. Ordinary child chosen in 1935 by Tibetan Buddhist monks as reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama. Exiled since 1959 and living in Dharmsala in Himachal Pradesh, India. Now world leader, inspiring millions by living and expressing his values. The power of Karma.

 

• Archangel Michael (timeless) : Leader of the Archangels, known by many titles including “Prince of the Presence” he is looked upon by many faiths as head of the angels. The power of Hierarchy.

 

• Lord Jesus – Jew who leads non-violent resistance to Roman Empire. Now headquarters of Catholics is in Rome. The power of Humility.

 

• St. Francis of Assisi – Wealthy son of merchant family abandons wealth for Lady Poverty. Becomes leader of thriving monastic order, and Spiritual Master, first to receive stigmata. The power of poverty.

 

• St. Catherine of Siena – 24^th child of religious family in Italy, has early mystical experiences of Jesus, and through obedience to Him becomes “Doctor of the Church” and exerts her influence on the pope through letter writing. The power of obedience.

 

• Queen Elizabeth I of England, unites England by creating the Church of England in the face of incredible odds, and ushers in decades of peace and prosperity, the Golden Age, for England. The power of innovation.

 

• Prophet Mohammed – Arab from ordinary family has early mystical experiences of Archangel Gabriel in cave and successfully communicates the messages he receives to a steadily growing group of disciples, in the face of incredible opposition, and repeated attempts to kill him. Unites Arabian Peninsula during his lifetime by means of war. The power of revelation.

 

• Jelaluddin Rumi (1207 – 1273 C.E.) – Muslim Poet and Spiritual Master, founds mystical order of “dervishes” in Turkey, and his poetry travels hundreds of years from East to West to make him the most loved poet in America in 2007. The power of poetry.

 

• Sir William Wallace (1272? – 1305) – Scottish hero lead the violent resistance against King Edward I of England. The power of revolution.

 

• Amelia Earhart (1897 – 1937) : First woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean (1928) and the first woman to make a solo flight across the Atlantic (1932). Attempted around the world flight but was lost in 1937 in that attempt. The power of courage.

 

• Rosa Parks (1913 – 2005) : In December 1955, in Alabama, she refused to give up her seat to a white passenger and move to the back of the bus. Started the bus boycott and helped launch Martin Luther King, Jr. The power of dignity.

 

• Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 – 1968) : Leader of the “Southern Christian Leadership Conference.” A Baptist Preacher inspired by Ghandi’s non-violent resistance overcomes fierce hatred and prejudice to bring civil rights to African Americans. Won Nobel Peace prize in 1964. Assassinated at age 38. The power of communication.

 

• Nelson Mandela (b. 1918 – still alive) : Anti-apartheid activist, imprisoned for 27 years. Freed in 1990 by then State President F.W. deKlerk. Mandela won Nobel Peace prize in 1993. Became President of South Africa (1994-1999). The power of freedom.

 

• Marian Wright Edelman (b. 1939 – still alive): President and Founder of the Children's Defense Fund a child advocacy group and "the nation's strongest voice for children and families." Worked with Dr. King to form the "Poor People's Campaign" in 1968 with direct support from Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (D-NY). Won the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2000). See www.childrensdefense.org. The Power of Children.
  

 

 

 

 

This is a continuation of the earlier blog post Pilgrimage to India :: Part I (see below on this page)

Meherabad

I had few goals for myself on this journey, as follows:

1. Get my mother and sister to the threshold of Meher Baba's tomb (Samadhi) at Meherabad.

2. Acquire some things for my beloved wife Lilly, which I knew she wanted.

3. In so far as possible, with Baba in the Samadhi, forgive my father for his suicide.

4. Visit the "Pumpkin House Orphanage" which friends and family in Georgia have been instrumental in founding.

5. See about building a house on Meherabad land, where I wish to retire one day Baba willing.

 The third point was something that had been brewing in me for a long time, and was brought home to me more recently during a weekend seminar with Don Stevens, a longtime close disciple (Mandali) of Baba's, during which we focused on the topic of Forgiveness. I had brought up my dilemma about not having my father present in my forgiveness process, and the hurdles this presented me with. In the end, I decided that I would simply do my best with Baba, and leave the results to Him. Thank you Don for insisting on the importance of forgiveness on so many levels, this has helped me greatly.

 On the way to Meherabad, I spotted a number of road-side flower-wallas, and suggested to mom and sister that we could get a nice garland to place on Baba's Samadhi, to which they agreed. I told our new driver, Kailash, that we wanted to stop at the next garland-walla, to which he also agreed. We found our garland and paid for it, and I noticed a little hungry puppy, which I fed with some of our butter-biscuits (a biscuit in India, and England, is a sort of cookie for us in America).

 Before long we were singing in at the old Meher Pilgrim Centre (which is now the Trust Pilgrim office), and then up to Meher Baba's blessed Samadhi with our garland, still fresh. This being Anne and Sarah's very first time visiting Baba in India, I wanted it to be as special as possible, so we entered the Samadhi together, three-as-one, holding a giant rose and jasmine garland. I stepped up on the left side and with one opposite me, and one at Baba's feet, we three laid the garland down lovingly with a soft, "Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai."

I prostrated myself at Baba's blessed feet and said a few words to Him, I don't remember what, before leaving them to have their own experience with Baba. Emerging from the tomb, I got my Prasad, and sat down on the wooden bench where I have been sitting for almost twenty years now. As soon as they came out and there was no one else wanting to enter the tomb, I rose and entered the tomb again, this time alone. I believe it was on this second entry that I consciously formed the intention and gave my forgiveness to my father, Philipp, departed now since his suicide in 1985. I told Philipp, "I forgive you," and some other things, and asked Baba to help me, and him, in this process, as without Baba I feel that I am helpless to reach across the chasm of death. I was surprised that this forgiving was not difficult, it was not emotional, and totally undramatic. It just felt right, and timely, and good. I believe I shared more with Baba, and then when it was time, I got up again, and departed. Knowing me, I probably got on the line at the Samadhi a third time, but honestly, weeks after returning from India, I cannot remember that, so I will just say that time at Meherabad slowly slips away as the fragrance of the Master's sweet love overpowers the senses, and one realized that what is truly important is loving the Lord of Love, and most of what busies our minds in the West of truly meaningless.

 After the flight down from Delhi, then Baba's family home, Hazrat Babajan's tomb and now our arrival at Meherabad, you can bet we were totally spent. So, upon finding our rooms at the new Meher Pilgrim Retreat, I think mother and sister realized, "There is a God, and She is Horizontal."

 I told them, as lovingly as possible, that they are safe now, and that as I am also tired, I may or may not see them at breakfast in the morning (I have long felt that missing a meal in order to sleep a little is worth it)... And that tomorrow, Sunday, is a "Meherazad-day" and so I would be riding the special bus that takes Baba-lovers to Baba's home. In trying to explain all this to Sarah on the way to India, I said the easy way to remember the difference between Meherabad (where we slept at the centre) and Meherazad is this:

Meherabad = Baba's Tomb, as he is buried here with his close disciples (Mandali).
Meherazad = Baba's Room, as he lived the last years of his life there with his Mandali.

 In Persian Meherazad means Meher is Free (meaning unbound), whereas Meherabad means Meher is Flourishing. I wrote a whole paper about what the name Meher means, so I will not get into that here, except to say of course it is Baba's first name. To be honest, his given name was Merwan S. Irani, and the Meher Baba name was given to him by his early circle of disciples. Okay.

 A little food and much needed sleep for them, while I went to party that I had just been invited to, and danced on the rooftops, literally.

 Sunday
We rode the bus to Meherazad, which takes about 45 minutes, as the route passes through Ahmednagar, what was a small town which is growing steadily year by year. Also, it seems that with each passing year, the amount of time we have to visit there is cut down a bit. In the old days (1980s) we could go in the morning, then they would serve lunch there at Meherazad, some would lay down and nap here and there, and then we would have an afternoon session (in Mandali Hall with Eruch, or Mani, or on a special day with them both together)... no more.

 In the short time we did I have I had to work fast to get them a hug from dear Meherwan Jessawala (Eruch's saintly brother), then to Baba's Room, then to visit the remaining women Mandali, especially Arnavaz, whom I love dearly. Then I wanted them to see "Seclusion Hill" as Baba himself called it, to get a stone from there, and finally into Mandali Hall, so they could see where Baba sat. Wow! By the time we did all that the bus was loading up and ready to roll! Sarah and Arnavaz seemed to hit it off instantly, which was great.

I think it was Sunday night at dinner, back at Meherabad, that I met the group of Persian students that were studying in Pune, but had all come from Iran. In any case, they were delightful, and as I sat with them we shared about Persian poets, and culture, and I believe it was "Rose" that recited a few lines of Rumi, in Farsi (the Persian language), and I asked her to tell me the meaning in English. She said the lines were from a famous poem by Rumi which he spoke to his son, while he lay dying on his deathbed, and it was his last poem for his son (maybe his last poem period, I don't know).

 The title is literally, On the Deathbed, and I was deeply moved by it. I guess Rose was sufficiently aware of my sincere interest in Rumi and this poem, as the next day, Monday, she appeared standing before me, at the outdoor seating area of the centre dining area, holding out a piece of paper printed with a poem towards my receiving hands...

 Monday

As I read the poem in English I was deeply touched by Rose's care for me, that she would go through the trouble to find a computer, search on-line for this poem, and print it out for me. Then I saw that below the English text, in the lower right was the Farsi original from which the translation was made. This also made me happy, as I could refer to it later, if I had any questions on the meaning of the translation. I could easily tell that the translation was made by someone fluent in Farsi, but perhaps not an English poet themselves. I decided to work on it a little, to bring it into good English shape so that I could better appreciate what Rumi was sharing with his beloved son. Rose sat with me outside on a bench as we went over the English line by line, and when I questioned a word, she could refer to the Farsi herself and tell me the word Rumi used. I know a tiny bit of Farsi, and so I knew what Rumi meant in one case, as soon as I heard the word.

 Upon return the states, I decided I would re-write the poem, where needed, when I write my Journey to India story, so as to keep the majestic poetic nature of Rumi as intact as possible, while adhering to the meaning of the translation I was given. This poem follows now. If I have strayed from the Master's intended meaning, it is due to my ignorance, while if it is aligned with his intent, it is due to the Grace of my beloved Master, Meher Baba, and our Master Rumi:

On the Deathbed

Go, rest your head on a pillow now, and leave me alone.

Leave me in ruins, exhausted from this night journey,

in undulating waves of passion until the dawn.

Either stay with me, and be forgiving, or if you like be cruel and leave.

Run away from me, away from danger, find the path of safety far from my peril.

We have crawled into this corner of grief,

turning the water wheel with a waterfall of tears.

There is a murderous tyrant with a heart like black quartz, yet no one says, "Prepare to pay him the blood-money."

Faith in the King comes easily in lovely times,

but try to be faithful now and endure all this, pale lover.

There exits no cure for this anguish except to die.

Why should I say, "Cure this pain" knowing this?

In a dream last night, I saw an Ancient One in the Garden of Love,¹

Beckoning to me, saying softly, "Come here."

On this Path, Love is the precious emerald, the gorgeous green that banishes dragons...

Enough! I am losing myself.

If you are a cultured pearl, study something classical,

a history of the human condition, and never settle for

mediocre

poetry.

~ Rumi

 1. the phrase "ancient one" is a translation of the word "Pir"
which is a term rich with spiritual meaning, connoting a Saint, Sufi, or real Dervish.

 

It was not until I was on my return home from India, that I contemplated more deeply the way this poem came to me from Rose. I had not told her, or any of her Persian companions at the Baba centre, that I was in process of forgiving my father for his suicide more than twenty years previous. I never shared with anyone during the trip that this was going on, or that one of the most difficult aspects of my process was not being able to achieve any type of real closure as my father was so totally out of reach. And yet, here was a poem from Rumi to his own son, on his deathbed, and so many lines of this wondrous poetry remind me of my own father's poems and style. So, it was somewhere between India and home that it dawned upon me that Baba himself had found a way to let me know that he heard my prayer and was present as I forgave my father, and this was His Way of letting me know that He is with me in my process. Now, re-writing it in late December for this piece, I notice for the first time the line: "Either stay with me, and be forgiving, or if you like be cruel and leave." As I re-read this, I feel Baba's confirmation, His ways are vital and alive, and He is most present.

 Thank you Baba.

 After that, we three had a date to visit the Pumpkin House Orphange, run by Stella Manuel Pillai, an incredible Indian Catholic who was inspired my Mother Theresa. I had met Stella on a previous trip to India, before there were any children in the Orphanage, and it was still in the planning stages.

 I could write a-whole-nother-paper on the orphanage visit, so instead I will just put a photo here that I feel speaks more eloquently of the tremendous work that is being done there for the love of God, for these thirty two delightful little ones. 

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Tuesday

There are three "Meherazad days" for the pilgrims, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday... there may be others, but this much is certain. Since we had to fly on Thursday back to New Delhi, this was my last opportunity to visit Meherazad on this trip. I went without mom and sister, who managed to find their own way back to the Ahmednagar bazaar. On the bus I realized that I can't go to Meherazad, as I had made a date to meet with the builder at Meherabad, about a house that my friend Julie is trying to build there, with me as a potential future roommate. That is a long story, but what happened is that I decided to "strike a match" to that plan, and just try to call him and tell him that I will be back after Meherazad, which is more important to me. I hate to stand anyone up ever, yet I somehow manage to do this about once a year, totally unintentionally of course. I saw Gary Kleiner (the Meherabad Meister Supreme) on the bus, and asked him if I could make an emergency cell phone call to Sharad, about my spaced out plan to go to Meherazad at the same time as our appointment. We tried, multiple times, no service, or when we did connect, we had about three static-filled seconds to convey a complex message. Hopeless, as my friend Don Stevens would say.

 When I arrived at Mandali Hall, there were film cameras, and a seat set up for a speaker, which I guessed would be Tex Hightower, a close student of the famous ballet teacher Margaret Craske, who was a close Western disciple of Meher Baba's. Of course, Tex had a story of meeting Baba in Myrtle Beach in 1952, and the details are quite dramatic, to say the least. If you haven't heard his story, find him and ask him, you won't be disappointed!

 In any case, I sat there, next to sweet Devana Brown and we laughed a lot listening to Tex's amazing stories, his early life at Jacob's Pillow (See www.jacobspillow.org where he met Ms. Craske, as he refers to her)...  and on to the life ahead with Baba. I had my notebook with me, and took some notes. One of my favorite things Tex said was that he realized during this period of meeting Baba that, "Silence is not just the absence of sound, it is the presence of silence."  He also related that Kitty Davy said to him in Myrtle Beach in 1952, on Saturday (presumably just before he met Baba personally) "It doesn't matter how you take Baba, just take Him!"

 When he got to the part of the story where he ascended the steps to the "Lagoon Cabin" at the Meher Spiritual Center, with Baba awaiting him inside, and his divine experience within that small sacred place with the Divine Beloved, something inside me melted, like a fuse that blows, and I just started to weep, and weep. Devana reached a tissue back to me, and somehow that helped ground me, and bring me back from wherever I was with Baba. Wow.

 I stumbled out of Mandali Hall and on to the bus... the trip went fast for some reason, and as I made my way towards the pilgrim retreat, there was a worker holding a sign that there was a phone call for me. I knew it was my missed date. I called him and we agreed to meet immediately. He showed me the land Julie had purchased, and the construction site for the JessicaFlint home, and the other lots and who we could expect to move there, etc. I asked a lot of practical questions, took a lot of notes, and all in all, I accomplished what I needed to for this building project... and then was happy to move on to another part of the day.

 We had a date to have tea with Amrit and Dara, a most special couple, and kin to Baba and so we delighted to share some time with them at their new home at Meherabad.

 We went from there directly to see Christine and Martin, to whom I had been introduced by Don on a previous visit. They also had moved to Meherabad, and we were happy to wind down the evening with a glass of actual wine. Thank you dear friends.

 I believe this was the night that one of Rose's friends, a stunningly graceful and vibrant fellow named Neema played for us on his Daff, a sort of drum with a metal beaded thing that resonates at another level, giving it a sound of terrific depth. While playing he would sing in Farsi, different lines from the poets, or Masters, and the whole effect was actually quite intoxicating. I loved listening to him.

Wednesday

This was our last day at Meherabad. I know at least two things happened, because I wrote them down (and dated them)!  I had gone to the morning arti, when Baba's lovers not only bow down to Baba, and surrender themselves to Him, but they delight in singing their hearts out to Baba on the porch in front of his grave. That morning, my old friend Elaine sang a ghazal that Meher Baba had composed himself, and so I was tremendously happy at hearing my Divine Master's words, and when I saw her again at breakfast, I asked if I could please copy down the translation which she had read out before singing it to Baba... She agreed, and here is a version of Baba's ghazal, based on what Elaine allowed me to copy from her sacred notebook.

 The ghazal has no title:

 

When in my heart I saw the form of my Beloved,

Wherever my glance fell I only saw God Almighty.

He is that matchless one that appears in matchless forms.

I myself saw that unknown one manifested in thousands of forms.

Not only this entire material world,

but my honor and my religion I sacrifice to Thee.

My heart and the richest blood in my body, my very soul and the life of my soul,

And everything else within me I scatter at Your Feet.

I believe it was early this afternoon when I bumped into dear Eric Solibakke, an American poet who lives in Oslo, Norway, and now also Meherabad. I love this man! He makes my wearing purple pants look like a pin striped suit. His colorful attire, and soulful countenance makes my day brighter whenever I come into his gentle contact. We spoke about many things that afternoon, including the Perfect Master of Greece, the role of intuition, and many other uplifting subjects. Later, he also handed me a printed paper, this one contained Baba's holy words from a discourse that reminded Eric of our conversation regarding intuition. I record here below what Eric printed for me, as it is a pivotal part of that discourse, The Place of Occultism in the Spiritual Life: Part II (6^th edition) p.97-98. Compare this to what Baba's ghazal says above, it is fascinating how everything is interlinked:

 

"Once the aspirant has the bliss of the darshana of a Master, that sight gets carved on his mind, and even when he is unable to establish frequent personal contact, his mind turns to the Master again and again in an effort to understand His significance.

"This process of establishing mental contact with the Master is essentially different from merely imaginative revival of past incidents. In the ordinary play of imagination, the recall of past incidents is not necessarily animated by a definite purpose, whereas in establishing mental contact there is a definite purpose. Owing to the directive power of purpose, imagination ceases to be a mere revolving of ideas and reaches out to the Master through the inner planes and establishes contact with him.

"Such mental contact with the Master is often as fruitful and effective as his physical darshana. The inward repetition of such mental contacts is like constructing a channel between Master and aspirant, who becomes thereby the recipient of the grace, love and light which are constantly flowing from the Master in spite of the apparent distance between them. Thus, the help of the Master goes out not only to those who happen to be in his physical presence but also to others who establish mental contact with him."

After such a full and rich day, I had to end it with a visit to Baba's blessed Samadhi, our last chance before an early morning departure. What can be said about the love that flows between the lover and the Beloved?

"Things that are real are given and received in silence."