Gaia Community: little bear's Blog

Tolerance

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:29:24 GMT

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.

Tags: Avatar Meher Baba, Spirituality, Tolerance

Selfless Service

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:59:22 GMT

"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

Tags: Meher Baba, Selfless Service

Friday Five

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:30:09 GMT

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

Tags: Thank you, God, Baba, Friday Five

There is Still Dust

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:48:36 GMT

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.

Tags: Avatar, Meher Baba, Spiritual Path

When Jane and Baba write together...

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 18:01:09 GMT

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

Tags: Jane Chin Ph.D., Meher Baba, Silence, Listening

Ayahuasca this Way Comes

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Sat, 17 May 2008 05:50:18 GMT

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.

Tags: Ayahuasca, Meher Baba, Rick Chapman, Allan Cohen Ph.D., Salvia Divinorum, Kelly McCabe, Madrone, A Mirage Will Never Quench Your Thirst

I am not separate from God (by Theresa/God)

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:58:54 GMT

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”

Tags: God

Who Will Comfort Me?

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:56:53 GMT

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

Tags: Who Will Comfort Me?, Connnie Dover, Brian Keane, My Heart

Forum on Leadership

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:43:28 GMT

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.

Tags: Qualities of Leadership

Pilgrimage to India :: Part II

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 15:09:19 GMT

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.

DSCN0998

Pumpkin House Orphanage

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:

Baba Big AncientOne

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.

~ Meher Baba

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."

~ Meher Baba

Tags: Avatar Meher Baba, Pilgrimage, India, Pumpkin House, On the Deathbed, Rumi

Pilgrimage to India :: Part I

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 03:21:30 GMT

Pilgrimage to India

November 2007

by Laurent Weichberger

Before

In November I planned to visit India with my dear mother, Anne, and sister, Sarah. It would be their first trip to India, while I started going there in 1988, and "know the ropes" already to some extent. I was set to fly on Monday, November 19 from Flagstaff.

In preparation for this visit, I wrote a new version of a chapter for our new book project, Celebrating Divine Presence (London: Companion Books, 2008), so that I could lay the printed chapter at my Beloved Master's feet in his tomb at Meherabad, India, a small village he founded near Pune, in Maharashtra state. Shortly after finishing the draft chapter I had a dream which inspired me to write another chapter, so I brought both with me.

Also, on November 3, I had a gathering of the contributing authors of Beads on One String, and it was an extremely powerful meeting, during which I felt God's presence quite strongly. One of the group, a delightful Christian, wrote a card to me which I got just before heading off to Los Angeles for my flight to Germany, where I would continue to New Delhi. The card said, in part, "I really enjoyed the gathering of us on Saturday – lots of holy people." She had joked that if some of her friends could see her participation at the gathering, they may think less of her, but here in this beautiful card (titled by her "Conversion" and with her original art work on the front of St. Francis holding out his hand to a leper), she was recognizing people of other faiths as "holy" which to me was a partial fulfillment of the work we had started as a multi-faith group. This to me was a perfect send off to India. Thank you.

Monday

So, finally, Monday November 19 came, and I had not one or two, but four flights to make to reach India: Flagstaff > Phoenix > Los Angeles > Frankfurt, Germany > New Delhi, India.

Everything was fine until I reached Frankfurt, where there was a few hour layover, at which point I was quite tired from the three flights of traveling. So, I laid down a blanket (my friend Asher in Flagstaff had given me) on the airport floor at the gate for my next flight, and promptly fell asleep. I was awakened by a Sikh woman holding a baby girl, maybe 2 years old, and she said it was time to wake up, and pointed to the Lufthansa gate agent who was taking tickets, etc. Then she told me it was not her, but the baby girl who pointed to me saying, "we should wake him up." I took this as a sign that Baba (and perhaps the Archangel Raphael which Jody spoke to) was helping me in my travels J

Tuesday

So, I made my Frankfurt connection and arrived in Delhi alone. I had intended to reach India a day before my mother and sister, so that I could arrange everything at the hotel and find a car, and pick them up at the airport, having had a chance to relax first myself. I had a reservation at a "Bed & Breakfast" which appeared on a list my mother had sent me, as she was interested in such a B& B in India. I decided to check out a "gold standard" B&B before subjecting them to this experience, knowing that a good 5 Star hotel was the only safe bet in India. Even the idea of a B&B in India made me laugh. In any case, I found a taxi and headed for the B&B. Unfortunately I had a young driver who stopped about 15 times to ask directions from various people along the way as to how to find the B&B. Eventually, we did find it, when bleary eyed I saw a glimpse of the address on a tiny sign on a road we slowly traversed in the dim Delhi lighting of a distant suburb called "Civil Lines" (very Indian). I told the driver to stop, and jumped out of the taxi and said, "Flag Staff Rd." I found it. I had chosen the B&B because it was a gold one on Flag Staff Rd. and felt the coincidence was too good to pass up.

Wednesday

I slept there from about 3 am until 1:40 pm the next day (Wednesday). I had heard a strange phone ringing tone, twice, while sleeping, and thought half-presently, "What is that sound?" But ignored it and went back to sleep. Finally I got up and went out of my room, and found the owner sitting outside at a table, with a cell phone. He had been calling my room, which was the sound I had heard. He said he was calling to wake me up for breakfast, and that he had to leave soon for town, and wanted to make sure I was okay. I liked him. They had wanted to charge me for breakfast, but I explained that a B&B means that breakfast is included, so they dropped that charge (also very Indian).

The atmosphere was not gold, it was weird. There was a large clown doll hanging up on the wall in the courtyard outside my room, wrapped in clear plastic (to keep it nice) kind of looking down on me as I ate breakfast, a little horror-movie-ish, and some other plastic kids riding toys (think big-wheel) also wrapped in plastic. Then the owner's dog came into my room courtyard and tried to pee on the patio, but I scared him off in mid-pee. Weird. Definitely silver, or bronze, not gold. Anyway, no B&B for mom and sister.

The owner told me, "There is a park where you can walk nearby..." and gave me directions to the Nehru Park where I did have a great walk and saw a troop of monkeys which obviously lives there. The park is quite large, as when you are inside, you cannot see out to the surrounding city, which is the capital of India. It made me happy to see many generations of monkeys in the troop, including babies. From previous experiences I knew that they could be dangerous, and so I kept my distance and did not try to feed them.

After the walk I went to the five star hotel we had chosen for my mom and sister's first night in India, The Oberoi Hotel, ultra posh. More like seven star, and seven star pricing too. I was obviously underdressed, but so what. I got there at a perfect time, and took a self-guided tour of the place. Let's just say it is one of the nicest hotels I have ever been in, period, East or West. If you didn't know you were in New Delhi, you could have been anywhere. I even found a bakery which sold brie cheese, croissants and served a real latte, yum. I boxed the croissants and brie for later, in case we wanted to eat them at strange hours (jet lag has its ways).

After stashing the food and my knapsack in the room, I went out to the International Airport with a driver in a hotel car (for which they waived the expensive fee, probably upon seeing my poor attire). The flight from Chicago bearing my kin was delayed, so I had some time to kill. I decided to buy them each a fake flower garland, after all how many times do you make your first trip to India? And then as I continued to wait, I got hungry and tired, so I found a stall that sold "Nescafe" and a veggie-roll-thing (think Knish with spiced vegetables).

In the back of my mind, since arriving in India, I couldn't help but feel, "Oh Baba, all I want to do is come down from Delhi to you, but here I am waiting for them to come and then we plan to see the Taj Mahal, and other things, and I have to wait until Saturday..." My ongoing feeling of wanting to be just with Meher Baba at Meherabad, but agreeing to show them some great sights first...

As I ordered and waited on the line to pay, a man directly in front of me had his shoulder partially blocking my vision of a sign on the back wall of the stall which I was drawn to read.

In its partial state I read,

"Management is not

responsible for your

longings."

When he paid and moved away, I saw the "be" and laughed. Baba was teasing me, and I felt his presence and love with me, guiding me.

Mom and sister arrived, and I garlanded them as they emerged from the immigration section. We soon were off in the hotel car to the many starred hotel and relatively early to sleep.

Thursday

Now, I knew that they wanted to see the Taj Mahal, in Agra, many hours of driving south... and that we had from Thursday until our flight Saturday down to Pune to accomplish that. So, when I woke up (jet lag) at some ungodly hour, and knew they needed to sleep, I went down to the Business Center and started to research ways to get to the Taj Mahal. I found a tour company that had a bus trip there, and called them. I made a reservation to join their trip which left at 7am that morning. The alternative meant we would get dangerously tight in our travel back and forth, if they wanted to see lots of things... in any case, I booked us three for that bus. Then I asked the hotel front desk how much it would cost to have a hotel car take us there, and it was about four times more expensive. Okay, definitely the bus.

So, they slept on, and as 7am neared I decided to wake them and tell them that we are leaving for the Taj Mahal now. It was madness getting them up and down to the lobby by 7am, but we managed to get everyone down there, with all our bags, and one of them showered, and sister grabbing some buffet breakfast goodies, but about 7:20am, and the "bus" was basically a van, with a couple from Wales patiently waiting for the tardy Americans. Now we were off to Agra.

The trip from Delhi to Agra was a bit of a culture shock for mom and sister, as they saw for the first time India in daylight. They can share about that, I just enjoyed the ride, and prepared to show them the Taj. We stopped for lunch at about the half-way point at a fine hotel, and continued on, arriving at Agra around 2 pm. Gasoline vehicles are not permitted near the Taj, to keep it clean, so we took a camel cart the final distance to the front entrance. We all liked the camel cart, and then we were given a guided tour (part of the price we paid) and a good time was had by all. Amazingly, afterward, we made the entire journey back to Delhi, arriving quite late. Not wanting to spend the money on the Oberoi again, we took a room at a fewer star hotel, but a nice one, called Icon Towers. This was arranged by a Delhi Baba-lover, Priti, who had found out I was coming to Delhi and emailed me that I should contact her. When she found out we had no place to stay upon returning to Delhi she made this arrangement for us. What an angel.

We found out that the Taj is actually closed Friday, so that was the only day we could've gone, as we had to fly on Sat. from Delhi, so... perfect. We slept well at the new hotel.

Friday

Friday was set aside to see Delhi, and the one attraction I really wanted to get them to was the Qutub Minar, a giant Muslim tower built in a special park. It was also my sister, Sarah's birthday, and we decided to celebrate by going out to a nice breakfast at the Hyatt, before seeing the Minar... We got a driver from the hotel, named Hardeep, and he had a sort of mini-van for us to ride in... we had our gourmet five star breakfast (along with candle-in-a-pastry and singing) and set off for the Qutub Minar. Mom and sister wanted to visit a tailor as well, so we told Hardeep about this. He said the tailor is on the way to the Minar, so we went to the tailor first. After much shopping for clothes, we finally found the Minar, and enjoyed the ancient park and ruins there. I purchased a book about that place, and read parts of it as we walked around the special points of interest there. The Minar itself is the highest point in Delhi, and built in different stages, a true Muslim monument. Meher Baba himself took people to visit the Qutub Minar, and even climbed its inner stairs to the top. The stairs are now closed.

After that, the ladies wanted to get some food and drink so we told Hardeep this and having a decent command of English, he took us to a sort of three-star restaurant back at that Nehru Park, where I had walked with monkeys. I hadn't seen the restaurant, but the park was recognizable. I told the restaurant owner that it was my sister's birthday, and when we ordered chai for everyone after the lunch, he arranged for an entire cake to be brought to our table (very Indian), with candles. When we saw the cake, Sarah blew out her candles and we told them to tell our driver, Hardeep, to please come inside and join us. Then we cut the cake, for Sarah, and us, and pieces for Hardeep, and the owner and staff of the restaurant, and still there was more cake leftover. After eating his piece of cake, and while sipping chai, Hardeep went into convulsions, like a seizure, and he fell first forward and then sideways onto me, who sat next to him on his left side. He lost total control of his body, and being a large young man, I had to help him to the floor. The owner brought a pillow and put it under his head, and we could only watch as his body contorted due to the convulsive seizure. His mouth started to froth, so I turned his head to one side, to allow it to drain, as he was basically on his back, and then being strong I turned his whole body sideways, so that he could be more comfortable, laying entirely sideways, and I started to repeat Meher Baba's name in a whisper.

After some minutes, he slowly came back to himself, and was tremendously disoriented. At first he wanted to stand, so we helped him to stand up, but then he didn't want to move, and just leaned against the table, and didn't want to move at all, just half-leaning half-standing, looking distant and he started to cry and moan, a deep hoarse grieving moan. I tried to lead him out of the restaurant, but he refused to move. So I left him there, and went outside with mom and sister. We knew he couldn't drive, in fact, if this seizure had occurred while driving us around Delhi we could all be dead. Our belongings were locked in his van, and he was leaving the restaurant. I told them to get back to the hotel and that I would make sure Hardeep was okay, and pay him for his driving us that day, and meet them back at the hotel. They didn't like the idea but agreed. Before long, though, Hardeep was coming down the stairs, out of the restaurant. The owner spoke to him in Hindi, and assured us all would be well. He arranged for his own son to drive us back to the hotel, and then decided we should all go back together. Hardeep came to slowly, and responded to the owner, and was in somewhat of disbelief about the seizure episode, saying it had never happened before. That it happened in the restaurant, I felt, was Baba's Grace. The owner was also clearly a man of God, and made this know to me. Wow.

I paid Hardeep more than we agreed upon, and hugged him, and we said goodbye with tears in our eyes. We drove with the owner to our hotel, and finally rest before heading down to Pune.

Saturday

This day had been set aside to fly from Delhi to Pune, where Baba was born, and then on to Meherabad, where his Universal Spiritual Centre at Meherabad was established by him in the 1920s. My mother, Anne, has a spiritual connection with Qutub Hazrat Babajan, Meher Baba's first Spiritual Master, and her tomb is in Pune under the Neem tree which she lived (she was homeless). I knew that I must bring her to Babajan's tomb before we proceeded to see Him at Meherabad. Baba's family home is also in Pune, so we went there first (they have visiting hours). My sister particularly liked the case in Baba's room that had his personal items including, "Baba's favorite marble."

Then we went on to Babajan. Since I first visited her tomb in 1988, there has been a dramatic shift in that the tomb keepers are Muslim, and while they used to keep Baba's photo there, they no longer seem to do that. Also, they opened a sort of Muslim library next door to her tomb. We purchased a cheap garland and some incense and mother and sister garlanded her tomb, gave the incense to the tomb keeper, we all bowed to her and we left.

This post is continued in Part II :: see above on this page.

Tags: Pilgrimage to India, Forgiveness, Qutub Minar, Hazrat Babajan, Meher Baba

Listening (version 1.5)

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 20:15:30 GMT

For my new book: Beads on One String

When I had just finished a draft of my chapter Ancient Mysticism I had a dream. In the dream there was a saintly man, and he had just read the draft chapter. I asked him his feelings about it, and he said he liked it very much but there was something missing, that I should add to it. I eagerly asked him, "What should I add?" And instead of responding in words, he turned to the front page of the chapter, and wrote in ink the word "Listening." I woke up, and knew exactly what he meant by that. This chapter is what I am adding to that original writing.

There are many levels of listening, and for some reason, in this present modern age where there is so-incredibly-much information, we as a global culture have lost touch with what it means to simply listen to another person, or what it means for one group of souls to listen to another group, or for one faith to listen to another faith. I see an image of most communication being literally pushed outward from an individual, or from a group, or from a faith towards another, when this new stage of listening development reveals a circular (and reciprocal) flow of energy, where the listening encourages more sharing, and one grows through the receiving of what is being share, and grows through the act of communication.

I am reminded of visits I made to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, in Georgia, where Father Anthony used to tell us about the lives of the monks there who lived by the Rule of Benedict (and he told us some funny monk jokes, and a great story of when the Dalai Lama visited them). What I remember is that the monks there have their time divided each day into preset parts, such as the reading scriptures, devotions and praying, meditation and contemplation as well as other spiritual practices, and then lastly and quite importantly another aspect, vital to the monk, was not doing anything but simply to be and listen for the Lord. This last part struck me as extraordinary. Shortly after writing this above, and unbeknownst to her, my dear spiritual sister Alison reminded me of this practice of "listening" within the Benedictine Order, and so I feel it is confirmed that I should share it here.

How much time do we set aside to just be with and listen to the Divine, to our loved ones, our children, our spouse, our sisters and brothers, our parents, and our friends? If we belong to a certain faith, or spiritual path, do we "tune people out" when we have decided they are "other" and therefore not worthy of being listened to? Do we pre-judge people as unworthy of being listened to?

One of the criticisms I have had of my own spiritual community over many years is that they tend to put up on a stage, with a microphone, only those who have met the Spiritual Master in his human form. Those who have met him purely spiritually (within) tend not to be invited to speak. Even if the same truths be told, the messenger is often deemed unworthy if they lack the stamp of a physical meeting with the Master. This is misguided. My feeling is that it should probably be the opposite, as those whose faith and experience is so strong that they follow the Master year after year without having met him physically are most worthy of being listened to carefully and having our full attention. The difficulty which arises then is that we must use our inner sense, our intuition, to determine the truth as it is shared. This is no doubt a vital process that many are now being called to engage in fully.

Another way of saying the same thing is that if a child were to speak the same truth into a microphone as let us say, St. Francis, or a disciple of Buddha, would the audience be able to hear and receive this truth as told by the child? If not, there is something wrong with the picture. So listening, at least in part, means embracing the Truth of the situation, not simply accepting it based on the package or wrapping on the container of the message. If a drug addict speaks the truth it is Truth and should be honored as such, and that means listening for Truth in and through all forms. How well do we listen as individuals to others? Do we need to remember how to listen, or work at learning how to listen? What are the tools of listening? How well do we listen as a group, or a nation, or a faith, to other groups?

My wife Lilly reminds me, "there have been examples throughout history of leaders and prophets listening to the Divine within them, and within the people surrounding them, which have led to great changes in the world. Martin Luther King listened to the state of his people and their suffering when he put his neck on the line to lead the civil rights movement in a non-violent manner. This led to the adoption of equal rights for minorities in this country."¹

The Prophet Zarathustra listened to the state of those around him when he gave humanity extremely simple precepts, "Think truly. Speak truly. Act truly." And gave them an image of living fire to represent the purity and reality of Beloved God. These seemingly simple commands are even today found to be so difficult to live up to by most people, showing that the path to Truth does not need to be complicated.

Abraham listened to his Lord YHWH ("HaShem") when the Lord asked him to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering, and he listened again when the angel of the Lord commanded him to stop before slaying him. Who can have such obedience, so total and complete?²This story continues to inspire both Jews and Muslims alike.

Prince Rama listened to his step mother, Kaikeyi, when she exercised her "wish" and exiled Rama for 14 years solely so that her son could be made King instead of Rama. Afterwards, when he became King, millions of Hindus were given the example of Rama's divine life of perfect humility, and called him Lord Rama. Over five thousand years later, Rama's story proves to be a constant example to millions of Hindus of how best to behave in a variety of challenging circumstances.

Krishna listened to his disciples, Arjuna and his brothers, especially Yudhisthira, when they decided it was time for war, and Krishna became Arjuna's chariot driver, showing that the divine life can be perfectly at peace in any role. That Krishna could be an integral part of a violent war between ruling royal families gave many a new view about what it means to be attached to the ways of the world.

Prince Buddha listened to his inner voice when it told him he must renounce his royal surroundings, including his wife and child, and live penniless as a wandering mystic until he reached enlightenment. Not that anyone should take this as an example and leave their family, but that a Prince would renounce not only his family, but all the princely trappings for a life of come what may and spiritual austerities was a dramatic example of living from one's gut.

Jesus listened to God, His Father, in the Garden of Gesthemane when they made the divine decision to go forward with Christ's crucifixion to benefit all humanity. The result, as we know, is the perfect story of the man of love despised by those to whom he reached out with perfect tenderness.

Saint Catherine listened to Jesus when he came to her in her bedroom and gently but firmly ordered to her to leave her room, to re-enter the world, and work for him as he guides her. She did, going first into the kitchen to help her mother, then she became a nurse, and finally she corresponded with the Pope in France boldly begging him to return the papacy to Italy. She was made a "Doctor of the Church" although she was barely able to read and write.

Mohammed listened to his own human nature when he decided to flee from Mecca to Medina, when the Arabian tribes sent representatives to his house to assassinate him in his sleep. He was saved by his own disciple Ali who waited for them so that Mohammed could be safe. Such is love. Mohammed humanness was exalted by God, and he became the perfect man to millions.

And Meher Baba listened to the state of the 20^th century world, when he decided that since God's principles and precepts had been ignored by humanity at large, and so in this present Avataric form he would observe total silence. What happens when the one who should be speaking keeps silent so that those who are saying nothing can have the floor? There is an spiritual unbalance which must be balanced, and when Meher Baba speaks, you will hear something real.

I have been asked to give examples of how we can listen more effectively. What I know is that most people seem to listen for what it means to them, meaning, they hear something that resonates with their own experience and then turn the conversation into something they can relate to, usually turning the conversation away from the speaker, so that they have something to say. I am sure we have all been in this situation. To me, truly effective listening means keeping the focus on the speaker, and when drawn to comment (or feedback) to go deeper into what the speaker is trying to get across. In this way, the focus remains on the issue at hand, and does not go back and forth from one person's sense of self to the other. When practicing this, I have found, the intuition may elucidate something fundamental and important in what the speaker is conveying, and sharing that intuition helps both the listener and the speaker to go deeper to the heart of the matter. In other words, the ego must let go of its desire to be the center of attention and to focus fully on the other for effective listening to take place.

In a group setting, I believe, one group may listen effectively to another when instead of making demands to be heard, the group sincerely tries to put itself into the mind-set of the other group, and listen for the meaning or issues that are being wrestled with. For example, a group of Christians may desire to listen to a group of Muslims, and in order to accomplish this effectively, the Christians must try to put themselves into the Islamic view, and not push a Christian view into that process. By Islamic view, I mean, imagine that you met a prophet who shared with you what the Archangel Gabriel said to him last night, and what you experienced from this man was divinity in action. Try to forget the senseless acts of violence committed in anyone's name, whether Mohammed or Jesus, or for any cause, and just imagine what the early Muslims experienced. It is difficult but certainly not impossible, and the fruits of this type of listening are astounding.

To give another example, I will tell you what Father Anthony said about the visit from the Dalai Lama to the Monastery in Georgia. He told us that when he came to Georgia the Dalai Lama asked, are there monks living here? And someone said, yes, but in Conyers at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit. So, he said, "Let's go there." And he went with his own monks who accompanied him on his tour, and a translator. When he arrived, according to Father Anthony, he wanted to have the Abbot and some of the Roman Catholic monks meet with him and his Tibetan Buddhist monks, to share their "experiences." What astounded Father Anthony was that as the sharing went on over some hours, something became crystal clear to all the monks, regardless of their faith: they all shared the same experience, but the terminology and culture surrounding that experience was different. In other words, at an essential level, each monk had progressed according to common experiential truths regardless of the ideology or religious background. As a Meher Baba follower who had been given numerous examples by Baba of the unity of all religious ideals, this made perfect sense to me, and it was a dramatic confirmation that there is essentially one Divine Truth, and according to Baba one Infinite God for all humanity, no matter how many ways humans have come to regard this Beloved Divine Being, or which names they use to address it in their tender moments.

As a result, there are so many faiths all over the world all striving to move closer to the Truth of Oneness, to please God in one form or another. The question that must be asked is how can we learn to listen to one another? What can each faith learn from the other faiths to help bring a state of Oneness amongst all mankind? I believe if we beseech the Divine for the answers to such questions, that one will surely guide us.

I am now certain that listening is an aspect of love, and love is an aspect of forgiveness, and to me forgiveness is a divine attribute. Let us move closer to the truth of Oneness through practicing that love that God has done his best to exemplify throughout the ages by sending into the world matchless prophets, avatars, masters, saints and sincere lovers of God, who continue to inspire humanity to embrace the Divine Presence in any and all forms.

Notes:

In a discussion of this chapter over dinner November 11, 2007.
For the story of Abraham and the sacrifice of his son, see Genesis 22:1-14. This is also mentioned in the Quaran.

Tags: Listening, Abraham, Zarathustra, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, St. Catherine, Meher Baba, Jesus, Mohammed, HaShem

For Jody :: Desire <> Love <> Holy Desire

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 21:34:31 GMT

My Divine Beloved Meher Baba, in my recent communication and work with Jody, I have come to realize that there are important words that need to be explored and defined so that we can continue to be of service in this work for Truth. There are three forces, that I have come to feel are central to the spiritual process, as follows: desire, love, and holy-desire.

Desire means the wants, desires, cravings of the ego, or limited self, such as "I want a boyfriend, I want ice-cream, I want that new BMW Roadster sports car, etc." These are not needs, but simply desires. Desires, by my definition, do not usually bring one closer to the Truth, but rather get one more entangled with the world, and illusions of happiness. Usually desire seeks to answer the question, "What will make me happy?" Since I have written about the differences between desires and needs elsewhere, I am trusting that we can clearly differentiate those two without more here. Suffice it to say that fulfillment of this type of desire most often leads to further binding, further craving, more wanting and more desire, because the object of the desire fails to give the expected happiness. To me, this is a state of falsity and separation in illusion.

Then we have love. There are many definitions, and poems, about the meaning of love. In the West in particular, there are some perceived confusions about what love is. We have a tendency in the West to cast love into the role of being a noun, a cherished feeling that one has with special people at special times. That is not the type of love I am speaking about. I once read, "Love is a verb." This is where I want to go with love, towards active loving that is transformative. This active love may be experienced by others as a passive "love" feeling, as being loved, but to me it is important that love is activated. Based on over twenty years with Meher Baba, I have come to see love as trying to make others happy, to uplift them in some way, and that type of active love is usually operational when one is not thinking of oneself, but putting another (or others) first, focusing on their happiness. This active love also has greater and higher manifestations. That we can discuss later, but to foreshadow its presence we can think about Divine Love, and aspects of human love such as obedience to our Spiritual Master, and surrender to God or the Master as an extraordinarily potent forms of love.

Then there are holy desires. A holy desire is a desire that brings one closer to Truth, God, Reality, Oneness and leads away from illusion, separateness, and falsity. Good examples of holy desires are: I want to see God, I want to please God, I want to be an instrument of God's Grace in the world, I want to work for God, I want to become One with God, etc. These holy desires are still in the phase of the human that feels separate from God, and therefore the ego, I, is present, but the fulfillment of the holy desire leads to self-effacement in the reality of the Holy One.

To come to terms with desires, love and holy desires on the spiritual path is no small feat. I am confident that we can work together to bring more clarity to all of these forces that are so present within the human psyche, to regard them as vital forces that all have their proper place.

Om.

In Oneness,

Laurent

Tags: Desire, Love, Holy desire, Oneness

Be as you appear

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 18:59:18 GMT

Be like the Sun for Grace and Mercy.

Be like the Night to cover other's faults.

Be like running water for generosity.

Be like death for rage and anger.

Be like earth for modesty.

Appear as you are, be as you appear.

~ Rumi

Tags: Rumi, Being

Forgiveness

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 23:00:16 GMT

Forgiveness frees the guilty from the bindings of justice.

Forgiveness is a gift of love from the more-wise to those less- kind.

Forgiveness is a sacrifice on the altar of consciousness,

whereby the ego can leave behind a piece of itself,

surrendered to the Highest.

Forgiveness is expansive and touches the "wronged," the "guilty,"

and those who bear witness.

Individual-forgiveness takes one stone off the old wall of separation,

while group-forgiveness works to remove the whole wall.

Forgiveness speaks the language of Oneness,

while justice speaks of separation.

Forgiveness is unexpected while justice is Divine Law.

Forgiveness is above the law, and is a Divine attribute.

Tags: Forgiveness, Divine attribute

September Flagstaff Sweatlodge

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:12:13 GMT

The lodge was super hot, the rocks came in but never left.
"Holy cow, that's a lot of fucking rocks!"

Wisdom came with the steam, the juniper berries, the glow, the splitting rock
splits me open with it and spirit flows out from me...

"The shadow must be brought to the altar"

"Why did God order Abraham to sacrifice Ismael at the altar? So that they could be completely free."

Did you know? When you are in a dark steamy burning sweatlodge
if the wall is raised a little from the earth, there is much light and surrounding the light
there is a perfect circular rainbow, hazy from mist everywhere.

I emerged from the lodge, half in and half out,
not ready to stand, barely ready to crawl, I laid there
head on the earth, sky above, lots of air, joy to be here

I moved to knees to crawl to water, I know there is water,
crawling inspired by my son, Cyprus, now one,
everything bigger, everything either a path or an obstacle on the path,
some places hurt, some are smooth going, sharp stones, more work,

Eventually I tire of crawling and stand and stagger toward the pool,
An Aspen down in the water, I enter the pool and rest my tired hot head on the tree
The cool water covers my body, and my wrists are chilled, cooling my boiled blood
I hear the beating of my heart in my ears, thunderation with each beat, clouds move fast

I hear the beating loudly, a heart attack? No a transition, from hot to cold, from inner to outer
I hear the beating and see the drum of my heart, big enough to sit around
Set in the middle of a circle where sit Zarathustra, Abraham, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed and my Divine Beloved Meher Baba...

Each Avatar, Prophet, Master sitting side by side in Peace and Oneness,
Beating the drum of my heart in time with each other, each beats a drum stick from a blessed hand on me...

And standing behind the Masters, my lovers from every past life, every wife and every husband, every child I ever gave birth to as a woman, or raised as a man... all encircling my sacred heart... made sacred only by their presence.

All moments in one moment, all perfection.

Then I reach down and grab handfuls of silty mud, and wash myself clean from the past. Mud cleaner than soap, body purified for this now.

Laurent

Tags: Sweatlodge, Flagstaff, Avatar

Thoughts on Oneness

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:18:02 GMT

Oneness.

Unity.

These two words were put forth to me by my dear new friend, and spiritual companion, Tracey Schmidt, after an experience with a letter I sent her where I signed of, "In Oneness..." I promised to write my feelings and thoughts on Oneness to her, and have been contemplating this ever since. Today, coincidentally on the anniversary of the chaos and destruction which was September 11 in New York and elsewhere, I finally have something to share.

To me unity means individuals, or individual entities coming together for a singular purpose, for which they become a united whole. They remain individuals, but from the outside, the unification becomes so strong that the individuals are seen as one solid whole entity. Examples of this are the "united states," where individual states bond and form a country called America. Or a couple that becomes united in marriage, becomes in many ways "one" while retaining healthy individuality. The problem I have with unity, if this can be a problem, is that it is not synonymous with Oneness. Unity implies separateness, as the unified whole is put into relation with other beings, or other entities. In the civil war in America the "South" was united against the "North." So, unity has something to offer the unified individuals, but it has duality as the backdrop against which it is invariably cast.

Oneness, however, is to me the spiritual aspect of unity, in that the experience of Oneness promises to the individual that duality is overcome totally and completely and the resulting experience is that duality is in fact an illusion of separateness which when realized bespeaks of only One Divine Being experiencing through those caught in the illusion of separateness. Oneness, to me, is the goal of mature human consciousness, which when awakened by the Spiritual Master, realizes that unity and duality, I and Thou, "manyness" and Oneness are words used by those caught in the grip of ignorance about the Truth. Truth is experienced as Oneness, apparently, by those who transcend all limitation to know by direct experience "I alone am the Reality. I am God. All that appears otherwise is an illusion created by false thinking."

This is what I have gathered from my years with my Beloved Master, Avatar Meher Baba. I long to experience that Oneness which brings me into divine unification of my consciousness with His. May all beings know the Peace of Oneness soon.

In Oneness,

Laurent

Tags: Oneness, Unity, Meher Baba

Holy ones

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Fri, 18 May 2007 16:21:17 GMT

My dear spiritual sister, Ani-Tsultim, sent me this...

"The scent of jasmine travels only with the wind,
but the fragrance of holiness travels even against the wind.
The influence of the holy ones extends everywhere."

~ Lord Buddha
Dhammapada

Tags: Buddha, Holy Ones

Krishna

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 04:26:03 GMT

Krishna is a sanskrit word meaning black or dark, as in color. (perhaps his skin was dark?) The life of Krishna (ca. 3000 B.C.E.) is hard to determine, for like Jesus, the most reliable source material preserved historically covers only about 20 years of his life. Most of what is available about Krishna comes down from the great Hindu epic entitled the Mahabharata (literally Great-Bharata, as the ancient name of India is Bharat). The heart of the Mahabharata is the dialogue between Krishna and one of his closest disciples Arjuna, entitled the Bhagavad-Gita (literally: Song of the Glorious One).

The Mahabharata and Bhagavad-Gita together are the main written material by which we know Krishna today, and is an epic struggle between the forces of ignorance, and the forces of knowledge. There is a great version of the Gita, called "Jnyaneshwari" written by the poet Sadguru Jnyaneshwar, with whom Meher Baba said He had a strong link. Besides what Baba has revealed about the true life of Krishna, that book Jnyaneshwari may be the most accurate rendering available of what Krishna shared with Arjuna, since a Perfect Master (or Sadguru) can speak with Infiinite Knowledge about the events of the past. Meher Baba totally confirmed Krishna's spiritual status as the Avatar (Christ) of ancient India. Today, Krishna is arguably the most popular of the Hindu gods, and is considered to be an Incarnation of Vishnu the Preserver. Krishna’s beloved was named Radha, and we also know very little about her historically.

~ Laurent

Meher Baba on Krishna:

"Krishna, as the Avatar, was not only spiritually perfect but Perfection personified. He was also perfect in everything. If he had wanted to, He could have shown himself as a perfect drunkard, a perfect sinner, a perfect rogue, or a perfect murderer; but that would have shocked the world. Though possessed of perfection in every respect, it was not necessary for Him to exhibit it in fulfilling His mission."
Meher Baba, Discourses, Perfection pp. 80-81 (Myrtle Beach: Sheriar Press, 1987)

* * *

"…Krishna proved to Arjuna, who was his devotee, that his apparent bringing about of the physical and mental annihilation of the vicious Kauravas was for their spiritual salvation. Perfection might manifest itself through killing or saving according to the spiritual demands of the situation."
Meher Baba, Discourses, The Place of Occultism in the Spiritual Life, pp. 197 (Myrtle Beach: Sheriar Press, 1987)

Tags: Krishna, Arjuna, Kauravas

Stories of the Buddha

http://meherbabason.gaia.com — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 05:27:40 GMT

There are two stories of the Buddha that I remember very well. They made a deep impression on me...

      It was in the beginning of His ministry. He was sitting in one of the parks, doing nothing, sitting quietly, and while he was doing so, a group of people clustered around Him, drawn by the news that He was the Enlightened One. As is natural amongst people, there had already been criticism, rejection, derision of Him. They considered Him, in short, an impostor. Now as they gathered around the Buddha in the park, they began to voice their criticism, saying:
      "He is simply a person seeking fame and name with the masses,"
      "He sits silently there trying to impress others,"
      "One who is enlightened should give enlightenment and he is doing nothing," and so on.

      At first they spoke in whispers and then as Buddha continued to take no notice, they spoke more loudly and their criticism and rejection became stronger. The volume of their voices increased and they began to openly abuse him. They abused and abused and abused until they grew tired, and finally having exhausted themselves, they turned to depart. Just then the Buddha spoke for the first time:
      "Stop a while, and pay heed. When a friend - a long lost friend, returns to your midst, you wish to give him presents. But suppose your friend does not accept your gifts, to whom do they belong? What happens to them?"
      The crowd laughed and said: "The presents are still ours and we keep them accordingly."
      "What you have said is correct," agreed the Buddha. "And so it is with your presents. The words you have used and the expressions you have displayed, I do not accept and I return them to you. You have wasted your breath and energy and you will now carry them back with you."

      That story made a strong impression. When the abuse, or the filth you could say, that can gush forth from a person is not accepted by the other, then that filth is reflected back to the abuser. So Buddha's first teaching was, "Beware of what you say."

      ** ** **

      During the Buddha's wanderings with His band of disciples, He would beg for food from householders, and it is related what happened on one occasion when He approached a very wealthy farmer. The farmer came from His house in response to the Buddha's call for food and looked at the sturdy figures of Buddha and His disciples. He studied them for a time and then said: "You have come to beg food at my door, and it is true that I am a very wealthy farmer. My barns are full with grain and my fields are fertile. But do you suppose that the grain just falls from the heavens? I have to labor, to toil for long hours with great difficulty in order to fill my barns, and you come here just spreading your hands and asking that they be filled. Is the fruit of such labor to be thrown away like that? Why don't you labor in the same way and so earn your livelihood?"
      The Buddha quietly answered: "Sir, what you say is so true. No man can amass grain or wealth of any form without use of hands and brains. You are perfectly justified in what you say. But know now my story and how hard I labor. Yes, you labor hard. You plow your fields, sow your seeds, nurture your seedlings, and then harvest your crops, and the cycle is completed within the period of one year or less. Then you store your crops and you become a rich farmer. I, on the other hand, work even more than yourself, yet I am poor, because the fruits of my sowing are gathered after many, many incarnations. My toiling is far more difficult and laborious than yours. I sow the seed, and I have to wait; I nurture the seed and it takes many incarnations for the seed to grow into a seedling and then to bear fruit. Then, with great difficulty, I take the fruit and store it in my barns. Your cycle of labor is completed within the year, whereas mine takes many generations and many incarnations."

      So the Buddha gave an inkling of how He looks after His children and how He gives enlightenment to them. His words penetrated the heart of that farmer, and he and his whole family became the Buddha's followers. As Meher Baba said: "Words that proceed from the source of Truth have real meaning, but when men speak these words as their own, the words become meaningless."

From the book, It So Happened..., stories from days with Meher Baba, compiled and edited by Bill LePage (Australia: Meher Baba Foundation Australia), pp. 85-87, The Buddha, narrated by Eruch Jessawala from a tape recording.

Tags: Buddha Stories, Eruch