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Cherie Plumlee:
Lord of Transformation
Happy 121st Baba Birthday (2015)
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Weekly Reflections No. 16
from Meher Baba Books
(Los Angeles, California)
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Greetings from Los Angeles!
Dear Friends and Companions:
Hello! Happy Baba Birthday to All.
Welcome to the world of this mini-circular, which is now 16 weeks old!
May Beloved Baba be pleased with it. This week's circular (like last week's) is again dedicated to
Meher Baba's 121st birthday. In some places Baba's Birthday is celebrated for 7 days.
We are so fortunate to know the Avatar's divinely human side. Meher Baba's main message is nothing but Love and Oneness. He goes through so much sufferings to help us lift the veils of separateness from Him. Meher Baba says, "Lose yourself in Baba and you will find that you eternally are Baba. There can be no compromise in love. It has either to be full or not at all."
So the road to ultimate Reality is clear. It only needs our great efforts to earn His infinite Grace.
We hope you enjoy these small occasions for reflecting on the power and sweetness of Beloved Baba's words. Enjoy His presence. Let us be in the world yet not be of it.
In His Love and Service,
Meher Baba Books
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Detail of a painting by Diane Cobb
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Who is Meher Baba?
(Part 7)
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| .... From time to time, his sayings have been gathered into various books and pamphlets, and books have been written by and about him. But his most profound declaration, Meher Baba's Universal Message, was issued in 1958 as a message to humanity: I have come not to teach but to awaken. Understand therefore that I lay down no precepts. Throughout eternity I have laid down principles and precepts, but mankind has ignored them. Man's inability to live God's words makes the Avatar's teaching a mockery. Instead of practicing the compassion He taught, man has waged crusades in His name. Instead of living the humility, purity, and truth of His words, man has given way to hatred, greed and violence. Because man has been deaf to the principles and precepts laid down by God in the past, in this present Avataric Form I observe Silence. You have asked for and been given enough words - it is now time to live them. To get nearer and nearer to God you have to get further and further away from "I", "my", "me" and "mine". You have not to renounce anything but your own self. It is as simple as that, though found to be almost impossible. It is possible for you to renounce your limited self by my Grace. I have come to release that Grace. I repeat, I lay down no precepts. When I release the tide of Truth which I have come to give, men's daily lives will be the living precept. The words I have not spoken will come to life in them. I veil myself from man by his own curtain of ignorance, and manifest my Glory to a few. My present Avataric Form is the last Incarnation of this cycle of time, hence my Manifestation will be the greatest. When I break my Silence, the impact of my Love will be universal and all life in creation will know, feel and receive of it. It will help every individual to break himself free from his own bondage in his own way. I am the Divine Beloved who loves you more than you can ever love yourself. The breaking of my Silence will help you to help yourself in knowing your real Self. All this world confusion and chaos was inevitable and no one is to blame. What had to happen has happened; and what has to happen will happen. There was and is no way out except through my coming in your midst. I had to come, and I have come. I am the Ancient One.
To Be Continued ...
 The Ancient One photo (Meher Baba in 1925), colorized by Shaheen Khorsandi.
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Celebrating Meher Baba's Birthday
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Meher Baba's Birthday: At five in the morning on
February 25, pilgrims gather at Meher Baba's Samadhi on Meherabad Hill for prayers and songs in celebration of the birth of the Ancient One. Later in the day, an original drama, complete with full cast, sets, and music is staged in the Music and Arts Centre.
"It's 5:00 o'clock in the morning, February 25, 2015 ..." At the Samadhi, with thanks to
Paul Lib for photo.
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Baba arriving back to Bombay in 1932 ,
In this photo, Gaimai is on the right and Shireen is on the left.
In celebration of Meher Baba's 28th birthday on Saturday, 18 February 1922 (according to the Zoroastrian calendar), Sadashiv decorated the top floor of his house and invited all of the Master's followers there. Baba arrived in the evening and after a lavish meal, a renowned musician from Bombay played the sitar and sang beautifully. The music performance lasted late into the night and the celebration ended with all singing the arti that Baba had written and dedicated to Upasni Maharaj. Surprisingly, Baba stayed that night at Sadashiv's instead of returning to the hut.
Baba's mother Shireenmai had come for the celebration, and afterward Baba instructed Gulmai to go home with her and spend the night at his family's house. Memo took Gulmai by the hand, and as they were leaving Baba said, "These two ladies are my mothers - one worldly and the other spiritual."
Gulmai presented him with some clothes and a thin gold chain with Zoroaster's portrait in a locket. The next day Baba went to the railway station to bid farewell to her and to the others who had come from Ahmednagar and elsewhere.
Although Baba had moved out of his parents' house, as mentioned, he still joined them each afternoon for lunch. Out of respect, upon entering their house he would bow and kiss the feet of both Bobo and Memo, as he had done since childhood.
Lord Meher
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revised online edition, page 266
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On Wednesday, 17 February 1932, Baba's 38th birthday was celebrated quietly with a simple program of bhajan, kirtan, bathing Baba, arti, and the distribution of prasad by Baba. While conversing with his lovers, Baba suddenly asked one of them, "What are you thinking?"
"You know, Baba," the man replied.
Baba responded, nodding, "Yes, I do, but tell me anyway." Ghani asked why Baba always asked people to tell him and whether it was better to "speak out" or to keep silent. Baba responded:
Speaking out is better always. I have come down on your level to be among you. I know everything. I know what you are thinking and what hardships you have undergone. But by my asking you to say it out loud, you will get relief and be benefited. For that reason, I ordered you to speak, which is for your good. Even if you don't reply and remain quiet, I know; but by your speaking out, it is always for your own good and to your advantage.
My Universal mind is the central station to which every individual mind is linked. So, wherever a person may be, I know what he is thinking and doing every moment. At every moment I know the thought of every person and the thoughts of the whole world simultaneously. Not only this, but I also know what you will think tomorrow or after 1,000 years, and I also know what you thought thousands of years before. This is Knowledge - infinite and indivisible - and it is beyond your imagination.
Lord Meher, revised online edition,
page 1354
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1965 BIRTHDAY MESSAGE
Meher Baba
Be true to the Trust I repose in you and remember Me wholeheartedly.
All talk about the Path and the Goal is a lantern carried by a blind man. A blind man needs a staff in his hand; the seeker needs his hand in God-Man's.
No sooner you begin to love those whom you cannot love, you begin to love Me as I should be loved.
To love those whom you could not hate is natural, but to love those whom you cannot love is to love Me as I should be loved.
MEHER BABA CALLING
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~~ Poetry Corner ~~
Artwork by Cherie Plumlee
Oh Meher,
On Your Birthday,
I cover Your feet
with flowers of rainbow alley
and wash Your hands
with the rose water
from the heavenly valley
On Your Birthday,
I garnish Your hair with feathery
touch of my kisses
and moisturize Your cheeks
with spring rain drops of my tears
On your Birthday
I bake You a cake
in the shape of my heart
and wait for You to light
the candle of my burning
I call on Your Name
Looking for Your eyes, in longing
For soothing, healing
of my heart's burning.
On your Birthday
I resonate my soul
with Your calling
and let go of my all
on Your feet crossing!
On your Birthday!
Poem by Mehernoush
February 24, 2015
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~~Prayer Corner~~
BABA, ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE HYMNS YOU GAVE TO EARLY WESTERN DISCIPLES TO MEMORIZE: "TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE CONSECRATED, OH LORD, TO THEE"
Take my life and let it be consecrated,
Oh Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice and let me sing
Ever only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be filled
with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold.
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as Thou shall choose.
Take my will and make it Thine.
It shall no longer be mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own.
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord,
I pour at Thy feet its treasure's store.
Take my self and I will be
Ever, only all for Thee
(1874 -- hymn by British poet Francis Ridley Havergal)
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Video Corner
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Morning Gathering at 5 am on Meherabad Hill, Meherabad, India celebrating Avatar Meher Baba's 121st Birthday
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See you all next week. Happy Meher Baba Birthday to All.
Keep Happy in His Love.
Jai Meher Baba!
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Book Event at Meher Baba Books
Saturday Feb 28th
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M
eher Baba Books is delighted to welcome Canadian author Bob Mossman to Meherabode in Los Angeles, for a special book event. Bob will share with us the fruits of his many years' research into the life of Dr. Donkin, one of Meher Baba's close Western disciples.
Come meet the author in person and hear the tale!
The book
Slave of Love
chronicles the life of British-born Dr. William Donkin with Spiritual Master Meher Baba in India.
Many years of fact-gathering, research trips to England and India, and four years of writing produced the 350-page volume which includes 60 photographs. The book covers the early years of William Donkin's life, his move to India in 1939, and his spiritual dedication to Meher Baba.
Come join us this Saturday,
February 28 at our Bookstore. The event starts at 3:00 pm
and ends at 4:00 pm. We are excited to have author Bon Mossman with us this weekend. He will share from his biography about Dr. Donkin, and also tell us about his new project researching the life of Meher Baba's biographer Charles Purdom.
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Meher Baba Books (Los Angeles)
www.meherbababooks.com
Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California
1214 S. Van Ness Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90019
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