Meher Center Archive Collection

Dear Meher Center Family and Friends,

Greetings from Meher Center. The Gateway did the holiday drawing last Saturday and those who had submitted a reservation request have heard back by now. If you missed the drawing deadline or are still interested in coming to the Center during the holidays, please follow the regular reservation protocol. You can call the Gateway exactly two months ahead of the date that you would like to arrive on.

Meher Baba said, "You are more fortunate to have the Avatar. My lovers are fortunate to have God in human form in their presence. Just a glance from Me can give you all you need— can turn your vision inward. You will be sitting here with out any outward change, but you will become 'what you really are'— You have to wait for that moment. That moment is near and for that you have to love Me wholeheartedly, otherwise you will miss it. If I knock at your door and you are asleep, I will go away. In Avataric periods, one does not necessarily have to make the inward journeys by stages. If you have the Grace of

the Avatar, He just takes you from where you are to where you should be, where God wants you to be."

In His Love and Service,

Buz Connor

For Meher Center board and staff

*Meher Baba Calling, by Meher Baba, p.8

In September, 1954, twenty Western men had the unique opportunity to spend three weeks in the company of Avatar Meher Baba. It was a chance to participate in the Master’s daily life of service and to be in His intimate companionship on a day-to-day basis.

In this exquisite video, Darwin Shaw shares his experiences of being at this Sahavas. Recorded by Bill Cliff and put together by Jamie Newell, this talk was given at Beloved Baba's Tin Shed at Meherabad ( right around the corner from the Meher Retreat Building where the men stayed in 1954) in 1982, which was Darwin's last trip to India. In his memories, Darwin brings Baba live to us as we feel His love just as strongly, seventy years from that gathering.

Video, 41:57

Courtesy of Jamie Newell

Walter Witkowski (left) with Jeff Wolverton and Barbara Plews

Many of you may remember Walter Witkowski from the evening programs at Meher Center. Every Friday, without fail, Walter would go up to the small podium, right under the Meeting Place stage and introduce the program for the night. He was tall, lively, whole-hearted and very enthusiastic. When he read a Baba quote at the end of a meeting, he read it with ultimate feeling, wearing his heart on his sleeve, as he always did. In these small, dedicated acts, it was clear that there was no other place he would rather be. And any member of the audience, old or new, could not miss this dear man’s love and faith for Meher Baba in action. 

Walter passed away on September 1st, 2024 with his wife and daughter by his side and his granddaughter in his heart.

In the 1980s, Walter took on the volunteer role to be the master of ceremonies for the Friday night programs for over thirty years. He had an innocently humorous way of introducing the program; he would get his words mixed up sometimes, much to the amusement of the audience. This made for great memories. “One time he announced a Baba film called ‘Baba washing the feet of the lepers’ as ‘Baba washing the feet of the leopards.’ The audience just roared into a laughter, so much so that Wodin (a local artist) later did a painting called ‘Baba washing the feet of the leopards,’” shares Dennis McCabe, the Program Coordinator at the Center and a very close friend of Walter’s.

Dennis also remembers that over the twenty-five years that Bhau Kalchuri, one of Baba’s close mandali, visited the Center, Walter introduced almost each one of his talks. With Bhau’s prolificacy, it goes to show that Walter was present at hundreds of talks with utmost commitment.

Walter’s love could not be contained or limited to one role or function. Like a flower, he bloomed, and his love spread through other volunteer roles. He is remembered fondly for his loving community work with the Racepath community and Happy Club. He was also a loving greeter during his evening and overnight shifts where he touched the hearts of guests with his welcoming spirit and being fully present to serve. 

Barbara Plews who was one of the original crew members that Walter worked with from the staff and later as a volunteer, remembers, “Walter joined the Center work force in those early years and covered many duties. His love for Meher Baba was like cement. His personality was that of a young seeker. He was always, and I mean always, generous and loving in his work and relationships. He had a purity about him, an innocence, an automatic trust in others. His spirit of fun, an acceptance of others – their idiosyncrasies, their foibles, their gifts, their bad attitudes, their mistakes, their joys, and a total acceptance of his own of all those things. I loved him very much.” 

What Barbara calls innocence, I remember as exquisite simplicity. A virtue that many seekers ultimately strive for. I recall Walter running through the neighborhood, in his older years. A simple man of perseverance, faith and complete naturalness. If he saw you, he waved or paused, always acknowledging others with kindness. 

Malcolm Clay, his close friend and co-worker who ran marathons with Walter in his younger days remembers, “He ran hard, he lived hard and he could really push himself. He always finished a race. Always. I will remember Walter as earnest, sincere, committed, warm, loving, loving and loving.”

Recently, at a memorial for Walter, Jeff Wolverton quoted Eruch Jessawala. Eruch said, “Live your life in a stage of this world to such an extent, that when you depart, Baba gives you a standing ovation.”

I can only imagine – Walter stepping off the stage as he often did with Baba’s name on his breath. Perhaps it is a Friday night, the audience gives him an ovation before they leave the program into the darkness of the night. But this time, there is more, his Beloved awaits him in the corner, with not just a standing ovation but with open arms.  

For the last two weeks, guests and visitors to the Center have witnessed the much anticipated and big project of the Long Lake being dredged. A boat was brought in to pump out a lot of dead, decaying algae which was then transferred elsewhere on Center. We have also been treating the lake with probiotics to accelerate the natural decay and breakdown of the algae. It is a slow progress, but we are moving along!

It is remarkable that since 1969, no priestly or political hierarchy has usurped leadership of the ever-growing (let’s call it) global Meher Baba Movement; but maybe it is still early days. Of course, there are Trusts, organizations, and groups assembled under His name but there is no over-arching body that demands allegiance. This, of course, would be a very difficult thing to create in the light of what Baba has said: “I have not come to establish any cult, society, or organization, nor even to establish a new religion. The religion I will give teaches the knowledge of the One behind the many. The book which I shall make people read is the book of the heart, which holds the key to the mystery of life … Societies and organizations have never succeeded in bringing Truth nearer. Realization of the Truth is solely the concern of the individual.” [1]

And even the argument that some sort of organization is needed to reach out to people to let them know of Baba’s advent doesn’t hold much weight when Baba says: “My work for you does not consist in your going around beating a big drum for me. Love needs no propaganda. You need love yourself in order to propagate love among others. To spread my love among the people, you have to make them understand me as you understand me. For that you have to bring them to love me as you love me, and that means you have to cause them to feel my love as you feel it.” [2] Here again, it seems, “Truth is solely the concern of the individual.” This also gives the sense that Baba’s words only come alive when lived in individuals otherwise they remain dormant on the page. Then to emphasis His point even further Baba finishes this message with the blunt statement: “The world is too full of preachers and teachers. Never forget that I have not come to teach, and I need no preachers.” I think it will take some time before the full implication of these kinds of messages seep into our spiritual bones. 

Then there is the question of leadership in the “global Meher Baba Movement.” Shouldn’t we have at least some leaders who can give wise guidance? I remember once in Mandali Hall when someone referred to Eruch as having special importance, as a kind of natural elder. Eruch was quick to respond: “Don’t put the mandali on pedestals. When we each love the Lord, we are all equally close to Him.” And there was a clear implication in these words, as I heard them at the time, that all the guidance a person needs will come from their love for Baba. 

However, Baba did give messages that highlight certain attitudes and values that people should strive for while working in the world. For instance, His very inclusive message “To Students, Artists, Social Workers and Public Institution Servants”. In the opening paragraphs of this message Baba delivers one of His many clarion calls: “Literacy is not education and education is not culture … Illiteracy and ignorance invite exploitation, but literacy can also become a willing tool in the hands of those who exploit. Education devoid of culture is inherently destructive, although on the surface it seems to represent progress. Since all types of people have claimed that their greatness constitutes “culture,” the word has become indefinite in the minds of the public. True culture is the result of spiritual values assimilated into life.” 

Then Baba states: “Therefore you must keep before you the ideal of that spiritual culture which, once developed, imparts life and beauty to all undertaking – educational, technical, industrial, social, moral and political – and pierces through their differences to produce unity. This results in the development of the highest character in the life of a nation or individual.” [3] It is interesting to see “political” listed as one of the “undertakings.” 

From my observations, there are lots of awakened people who are laying the groundwork for this type of spiritually centered culture. Sometimes I say to myself, “that person must have read the Discourses!” for what they are saying sounds just like Baba’s words. Even some movies seem to be conveying Baba’s message. This could be seen as evidence that Baba is changing the consciousness of people as part of His universal work and arousing certain people to carry out this work. And while all of us have a part to play in contributing toward building this kind of spiritual culture as active members of society, is there such a thing as a distinct Meher Baba culture? 

Any culture is the expression of a particular community. But I’ve never heard Baba or the mandali speak of a Baba community as such. Of course, we are a community when defined as any group of people with shared aims and beliefs, but I would like to put this definition on hold to make a couple of points. 

Baba did speak of His family rather than use the word community when talking of His followers. This automatically expresses the truth that Baba’s love for each of us is like that of a father and that we are to be like brothers and sisters with each other. The trouble with using the term, Baba community, – and I’ve seen this happen – is that it can too easily draw us away from Baba and onto the rights and needs of a community of individuals. In this case, it is the latter word in the term “Baba community” that becomes dominant. A family looks out for each other as brothers and sisters acting naturally in His love with no trace of community obligation or duty. 

Equally, I think the idea of a Baba culture as a concept needing to be defined misses the point that a culture is just a name for what is lived. The key issue is what values do we actually live out. Baba Himself said, “All talk is idle talk. Lectures, messages, statements, discourses of any kind, spiritual or otherwise, spoken or written are just idle talk when not acted upon or lived up to” [4]. This reminds me of a circular that Francis Brabazon wrote for visitors to Avatar’s Abode in which he stated: “Gossip sessions, whether personal, mystical or philosophical, do nothing but draw the mind away from the Beloved” [5]. Businesses and organizations who want their employees to feel part of their community and culture make this a central concern, but from my experience, in various workplaces, this invariably turns out to be a cosmetic exercise. But we have Baba in our hearts, we already have what is of ultimate value ready to be nurtured and lived. 

Besides using the term, “His family,” Baba also referred to His followers even more intimately as “His lovers.” Sometimes I wonder why Baba chose this term for it is something we can never attain. Baba said in 1955, “One single person who really loves me can move the world. There is no one here [men gathered at the 1955 Sahavas at Meherabad], including Myself, who can so love Me” [6]. The greatness of the term, however, lies in the fact that it implies the reality of a Beloved: Meher Baba as the one same Beloved of us all. 

Eruch once said: “Baba came to give us His company now it is time for us to give Him our company.” We can do this easily enough individually by remembering Him, but how do we do this when we gather as a group of Baba lovers? Eruch also said that there is only one real question that Baba lovers need to ask each other: “How do you keep the Beloved present in your life?” Here Baba’s company means Baba’s presence. This is our great unifying question for it not only honors the fact that Baba works individually in each of us, but the endless answers it provides give us all needed delight and inner nourishment as we learn about His living ways through each other. 

[1] Lord Meher, by Bhau Kalchuri, vol. 5, p. 1616

[2] Listen Humanity, edited by Don Stevens, p. 71

[3] Ibid, pp. 180-181

[4] Why Meher Baba is Silent, compiled by K. K. Ramakrishnan p. 11

[5] "For Visitors of Avatar’s Abode," by Francis Brabazon, Circular 12^th November 1970 

[6] Listen Humanity, edited by Don Stevens, p. 71.