In His Service - Avatar Meher Baba Trust

A N E W S L E T T E R F R O M M E H E R A B A DOn 14th - 15th October2000 - the weekend commemoratingthe 51stanniversary of MeherBaba’s inauguration of theNew Life on 16thOctober 1949 - the Trustheld its first DramaFestival in the theaterfacility at the Music andArts Centre (“Hostel A”)in Outer Meherabad.The creation andproduction of drama wasindicated by Meher Babain the Trust Deed as thefourth item under thethird of the Trust’s“Objects and Purposes”;that item calls for “thewriting and productionof ‘Plays’ based on themessages, discourses, andsayings of Avatar MeherBaba, for the benefit ofthe public.” Over theyears, of course, manyplays have been writtenand staged both atMeherabad and Meherazad.This year’s dramafestival, however, marks anew departure, not onlyin its scale but in itsinclusion of plays createdand brought toMeherabad by Babalovers from groups inother parts of India.Plays from differentgroups in differentlanguagesThe “MeherabadDrama Festival 2000,” asit was entitled, featuredfour original plays in fourlanguages over a two-dayperiod. Two of them -English language plays -were created and producedat Meherabad overthe preceding weeks withpilgrim recruits as theprincipal actors. A thirdplay, in Hindi andMarathi, was authoredand acted by members ofthe Baba group fromMumbai. The last play,in English and Telugu,was the creation of Babalovers from Hyderabad.The theme commonto all the plays was“attraction” - from themost material to thedivine. The openingEnglish-language dramaon Saturday afternoon,“Chilla Nashini,” relatedI N H ISS ERVICEin a humorous style thetale of a seeker who pursuesGod’s love byremaining in a circle forforty days and nights andin the process incurs thejealousy of Indra, whotries to tempt himthrough various means.There followed anotherlargely comic play,“Attraction,” whichfeatured an eccentricprofessor lecturing thetheater audience onattraction of various types- atomic, physical, human,and divine. Incorporatingexcerpts from Baba’sDiscourses, his lecturewas illustrated throughdramatic vignettes.These culminate whenthe principal charactersdiscover Meher Baba asthe ultimate Source andObject of all attraction.On Sunday 15thOctober members of theBombay Centre performed“Love Alone,”a drama in Hindi andMarathi that chroniclesthe spiritual journey of ayoung man, Dyaneshwar,JANUARY / 2001First Meherabad DramaFestival Spans FourLanguagesfrom a youthful infatuationthrough varioushigher forms of searchuntil he finds MeherBaba as the source oftrue and unconditionallove. The drama wasaccompanied by manysongs; and much of thedialogue was renderedthrough exchanges ofpoetic couplets. Aftersupper on Sunday night,Baba lovers fromHyderabad staged thestory of a Naveen, ayoung Indian man whomarries an American wifeand loses himself in thepursuit of money andmaterial pleasure in theUnited States. Disillusionedat last, he is guidedby his wife to MeherBaba; and the play concludeswith Naveenrecounting his storybefore Eruch atMeherazad. The play wasexceptional in its use ofan accompanying computer-generatedslide slow:a “first” at Meherabad!Letter from the ChairmanOur dear ones of the universal family of the Beloved,With the Meherabad Drama Festival 2000 onNew Life weekend just completed, a Trust web sitescheduled for opening in the next months, and aYoung Adults Sahavas planned for the beginning ofnext pilgrim season, life at Meherabad continuesto flourish, sending out new branches and newblossoms. The seeds which Beloved Baba implantedat Meherabad and Meherazad have been sowndeep. They will continue to bear fruit for centuriesto come, until the time when Beloved Baba returnsto grace us once again with His physical presencein 700 years.Amid these other activities, work progressesin the Trust’s Development Plan, with a groundbreakingfor the new Pilgrim Centre having takenplace on November 15, 2000. As you will recall, thelast issue of In His Service contained as an enclosurethe Trust’s first annual “Financial Report” that gavedetailed information not only about the Five-YearPlan but about the Trust’s finances as a whole. As theReport indicated, over 70% of the funds needed forTrust activities during the fiscal year 1999-2000 wereprovided through donations.Recent increases in the Trust’s need foradditional funds are a result largely of the Trust’splans to develop new facilities for the increasingnumber of pilgrims; to enhance community servicesin education and medical care; to archive preciousmaterials associated with Meher Baba; and todevelop the infra-structure necessary to support allthe diverse activities at Meherabad.It is indeed a task beyond words to express appreciationfor the cooperation of you all dear ones inserving the cause of the Beloved Baba through HisTrust. We simply feel touched by what the Belovedis doing through you. How precious is your lovewhich is making it possible for His dear ones to visitHis home and enjoy His glorification. You all areblessed indeed.V.S. Kalchuri (Bhau), ChairmanAVATAR MEHER BABA TRUSTModel for the Meher Pilgrim Retreat, a new pilgrim accommodation facility to be constructed in a pastoral area to the west of Avatar Meher Baba's Samadhi. Ground-breaking for thebuilding took place on 15th November 2000. The Meher Pilgrim Retreat will accommodate 200 visitors; the new Dharamshala, currently under planning and scheduled for constructionafter the Meher Pilgrim Retreat, will lodge 300 more. These two buildings comprise the heart of current efforts for pilgrim accommodation under the Trust's Development Plan.

Construction On Schedulefor New Archive BuildingFront entrance viewCompletion of the Archive BuildingDuring the final months of year 2000, the basicconstruction work for the new Archives, Museum, andResearch Building will be brought to completion.When ground was broken on 1st May 1997 –a midsummer day blessed by a most unseasonable, torrentialrainfall and (a few hours later) by an unprecedentedhailstorm – a three-year term of constructionwas anticipated. The finishing of the constructionwork this year marks the end of the first phase in thecreation of a facility for the safe-keeping of documents,films, photos, and personal articles associated withAvatar Meher Baba and His Advent.The building will be known as Manzil-e-Meher, or“House of Meher,” in memory of Manzil-e-Meem(“House of the Master”) that Meher Baba establishedin Mumbai in 1922-23. A 15,000-square-foot, twofloorbrick-and-stone edifice nestling in the northeasternslope of Meherabad Hill amid new plantings ofrosewood, acacia, and neem trees, Manzil-e-Meher hasbeen designed as a “box within a box.” That is, anouter wall encloses an inner wall and an upper roofcovers a lower roof, with air buffers in between.This design will provide the collection with naturalinsulation from temperature and humidityextremes, and will thus reduce dependency on air conditioning,dehumidification, and other technologiesof environmental control.Before the building becomes fully operational,several more years will be required for its equippingand furnishing. In the immediate future, built-in workcounters need to be installed and electrical preparationsfor computers put in place before the inside ofthe building can be painted. After this, cupboards,computers, desks, and other furniture and equipmentneed to be procured. Once this phase is completed,the collection materials can be transferredand rehoused into their new environment, and Manzile-Mehercan begin to function in real earnest as themain facility for managing the preservation and sharingof this precious legacy with the world.Sharing the CollectionThe sharing of these documents, films, photos, andpersonal articles entails, first, that they be housed andorganized in a way that protects and preserves them,allowing them to then be safely made available to theBaba world on an on-going basis. In the course of time,when humanity at large turns to the Avatar, every facetof His life and personality will be of interest, and nopaper or object associated with Him will be deemedinsignificant.In the meantime, while this preparation of thearchive facility moves ahead, the Trust has embarkedon a programme of sharing selected documentarymaterials from its collection through display on itsforthcoming web site and other media. The firstof these sharings was the recent publication of the39 pages in Meher Baba’s handwriting under thetitle In God’s Hand.As the second of these presentations, this newsletterbrings before you a facsimile reproduction of a letterthat Meher Baba wrote to Ramjoo Abdulla, one ofHis intimate mandali, on 11th December 1925. Fivemonths before He wrote this letter, on10th July 1925, Meher Baba began the silence that Hemaintained throughout the rest of His life. For thefirst eighteen months, Baba communicated largely bywriting with chalk on slates. On 1st January 1927,however, He adopted the use of the alphabet board,and after this He wrote with His own hand only onrare ocassions. The letter reproduced here, therefore, isa prize selection from a very limited body ofpersonal correspondence surviving in Meher Baba’sown handwriting.Reproduction of Baba’s Letter to Ramjoo AbdullaNgr [Nagar] 11-12-25Dear RamjuReceived your letter, read your dream before all. I am still fasting. Nowadays the rush of peoplefrom Nagar is tremendous. Barsoap has come here for a few days. Sadashiv is here today and willreturn this evening. Hope you, Doctor, and the family of you both are well. Be sure my love for youboth is akhand [“without a break”]. I love you as my own Self. Not a second are you out of mymental sphere. Nowadays the explanations bewilder the mandali here. Yes, one day you 2 chapswill see actual[ly], so don’t fret. Remember me.with love,Yours MerwanI N B RIEF .... . . F R O M M E H E R A B A DGOOD MONSOON RAINS With about 26 inchesof rainfall through the end of October, Meherabad’swells have been replenished by the monsoon andshould provide good water supply for Amartithi andthe rest of the 2000-2001 pilgrim season.1200 SILENCE DAY PILGRIMS For the SilenceDay celebration on 10th July, approximately1200 pilgrims, mostly from Maharashtra andAndhra Pradesh, were accommodated at Meherabadovernight for periods ranging from one to five days.Nine hundred ninety-eight visitors were put up(on mattresses) in Hostels C and D alone, facilitieswhich ordinarily accommodate a combined totalof 140. Because of overcrowding at Amartithi, SilenceDay, and other times of gathering, the Trust’s Five-YearPlan includes provision for the creation of sahavas-timeaccommodation for 4000 additional pilgrims.VOLUNTEER DENTISTRY During August of2000, a Baba lover dentist from Hyderabad gave onemonth of voluntary service at Meherabad. During hisstay 1000 school children were screened and 300received treatment at the Meher Hospital DentalClinic.GROUND BREAKING FOR MEHER PILGRIM RETREATOn November 15th ground was broken for theMeher Pilgrim Retreat, the new pilgrim centre to beconstructed under the Trust’s Five-Year Plan. The siteof the Meher Pilgrim Retreat is located on a plateauabout a kilometer west of Meher Baba’s Samadhi.(see photo on front page)

Ongoing ContributionsNeeded to Support TrustActivitiesWe are happy to share that last year so many gavegenerously to the Trust, that work is progressingwell. All are invited to share in the effort offurthering the Objects given to the Trust by MeherBaba in the Trust Deed, and in this way the base ofsupport can be broadened. Remember that inBaba’s cause, contributions large and small arewelcome; contribute only what is appropriate foryour individual situation.In the United States and United Kingdom,contributions can be made tax-deductibly throughtax-exempt organizations. In the United States,contributions to the Trust are tax-deductible whenthe donation is sent to one of the eligible tax-exemptorganizations (listed below) that has a grant in placewith the Trust. When making your contribution,please indicate that you wish your gift to be usedto support that organization’s grant to the Trust’sFive-Year Development Plan.Persons in the US who wish to leave bequestsin their wills or who would like to designate theTrust as the beneficiary of insurance policies, IR As,or charitable trusts should contact Emory andSusan Ayers of the Avatar Meher Baba Foundation(at the address below). Emory and Susan can guidethem in the best language for assuring favorable taxtreatment.In the UK, tax-deductible contributions canbe made to the Meher Baba Association; pleasecontact Sue Biddu, Flat 2, 202 Falcon House, OldBrompton Road, London SW5 0BU, England(171-370-0909). In the US, the following tax-exemptorganizations have a grant programmes in placewith the Trust: Avatar Meher Baba FoundationInc., Attn. Emory and Susan Ayers, P. O. Box 398,Mystic, CT 06355-0398 (tel. 860-536-0303, emailEAyers88@aol.com); Avatar Meher Baba Centerof Southern California, Attn. Kanji Miyao,Treasurer, 1214 S. Van Ness Avenue, Los Angeles,CA 90019-3520 (tel. 213-731-3737); Meher BabaHouse, Attn. Keith Sheridan, 116 West 29th St.,New York, NY 10001 (tel. 212-563-5959); TheMeher Baba Washington Gathering, Attn. PamButler-Stone, 11227 Dewey Court, Kensington,MD 20895 (tel. 301-946-0236); Meher Prasad Inc.,Attn. Steve Edelman, 4364 Glengary Drive,Atlanta, GA 30342 (tel. 404-261-3563); Meherana,Attn. Christine Pearson, 5311 Italian Creek Road,Mariposa, CA 95338 (tel. 209-966-5078); MeherBaba Center of the Twin Cities, Attn. Pat Cook,4724 Zenith Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN55410 (tel. 612-920-2056); Meher Fund, Inc., Attn.Rick Flinn, 760 Cumberland Circle, Atlanta, GA30306 (tel. 404-892-3377); and Sheriar Foundation,Attn. Andy Lesnik, 3005 Highway 17 NorthBypass, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 (tel. 843-272-7282,email Lesnika@aol.com).Baba lovers from countries other than theUnited States or United Kingdom should senddonations to the Trust directly.Drama Has Long Colorful HistoryFrom Baba’s TimeWhile dramatic expressionmay have embarkedon its own “New Life”through the MeherabadDrama Festival 2000, theroots of this activity inconnection with MeherBaba’s Advent trace backto His paternal uncleRustom, who directed afilm company and laterwas part-owner of a theatricalcompany in theearly part of the century.Meher Baba Himselfalways had a dramaticflair; and a number of Hisclose circle members hadtalents in acting, mimicry,story-telling, and othernarrative and dramaticarts. Baba’s younger sisterMani was a living fountainof skits, plays, puppetshows, and storiesthrough the years; NorinaMatchabelli, QuentinTodd, and Delia DeLeonhad extensive professionalbackgrounds in the theaterin Europe; and othersamong Baba’s mandaliwere often called upon byHim to provide entertainment,both prepared andimpromptu, and thus tolend fun and sparkle toashram life.A particularly memorablemoment in the historyof drama in Baba’stime was the renderingof the tale of RajaGopichand, the legendaryHindu king who, afterCreated in 1959 under Meher Baba’sdirection and bearing His signature onits Deed, the Avatar Meher Baba Trusthad, at its founding, two purposes. Itsfirst purpose was the provision ofmeans of support to certain nameddisciples of Avatar Meher Baba whohad dedicated their lives to Him andbecome His dependents in the materialsense. Its second, long-term objectivewas to maintain and develop AvatarMeher Baba’s Tomb and associatedproperties, which would one daybecome the centre of world pilgrimage,and to serve a range of charitableobjects.leading an opulent life,renounced the world andhis throne and became agreat sage. What was particularlyremarkable aboutthis performance, whichtook place at Meherabadon 25th September 1938,was that all the majorroles were played byinmates of the madashram! As WilliamDonkin describes it, thesemen had to be “coaxedand cudgeled” by Pleader(one of the mandali) intolearning “their parts, theircues, their gestures, theirpositions on the stage.”Attended by Baba loverswho came from Bombayand other places, the performancemarked a turningpoint in the history ofBaba’s “Mad Ashram.”After Meher Babadropped His body in1969, plays quicklybecame featured highpoints in the Meherabadand Meherazad pilgrimcalendar. Apart fromskits and short plays inthe Meherazad Sundayprogrammes and assortedperformances atAmartithi, the past threedecades have witnessedmore than fifty majorTrust-sponsored originaldramatic productions thatA scene from “Baba’s 100th Birthday Spectacle” at Meherabadhave entailed play-writingand the mastery of parts,scenes, costumes, andoften songs and dance.These were much encouragedby Mehera, anduntil 1988 a play was performedon her birthdayeach December 22nd.While in the past, playswere staged in the gardenTHE AVATAR MEHER BABA TRUSTIn 1975 these two functions weredivided: “Avatar Meher Baba TrustFirstly,” a temporary trust, took chargeof the support of the “beneficiaries,”and the “Avatar Meher Baba PerpetualPublic Charitable Trust,” registeredunder the Bombay Public Trusts Act1950, assumed responsibility forpilgrimage facilities and charitableworks. Over the past three decades it isthe Avatar Meher Baba P.P.C. Trust thathas become the primary site and focusof activities at Meherabad and otherparts of the Trust Estate.The Trust Deed calls for maintenanceof Avatar Meher Baba’s Tombat Meherazad and in theamphitheater, “tin shed,”and study hall onMeherabad Hill, in recentyears the Music and ArtsCentre, with its professionaltheater, hasbecome the principal sitefor dramatic performance,particularly on the occasionof Meher Baba’sbirthday on 25thFebruary. Recent noteworthybirthday playshave included “This ManDavid” and “How It AllHappened,” both basedon film scenarios createdby Meher Baba Himself,and “The Ancient One”and “The Time HasCome,” both based on aplay by Bhau Kalchuri.and the creation of pilgrim facilities; foreducational, medical, veterinary, andother charitable services; for estatedevelopment and procurement ofsources of water; for the propagation ofAvatar Meher Baba’s message of loveand truth through melas, lectures, publication,and the arts; and for spiritualtraining. The Avatar Meher Baba Trustis dedicated to the cause of AvatarMeher Baba in all its aspects and tothat awakening of His love that will bethe transformation of the heart and thedawning of a New Humanity.Donations and inquiries should be sent to: The Avatar Meher Baba Trust,Post Bag No. 31, King’s Road, Ahmednagar 414 001, Maharashtra State, India