An Answer to Meher Baba's Question

FORMER MANAGER/CARETAKER Ray Johnston (center) points out the corner boundary to Margaret Magnus (left) and Elizabeth Arnold (right) that Meher Baba had asked about. (Sam Ervin photo.)

When Avatar Meher Baba visited Meher Mount on August 2, 1956,  Agnes Baron, the then owner and caretaker, drove Meher Baba and the mandali (close disciples) in her station wagon from Los Angeles. 

Along the way, Meher Baba admired the rich agricultural land. 

MEHER BABA ACTS LIKE A REAL ESTATE AGENT

And He asked many questions, such as “What was being grown, how was the land irrigated, are there orchards?”   “Meher Baba was talking as if He were a real estate agent,” Agnes cracked.

Later on that visit, Agnes took Meher Baba on a tour of the land.  He was very particular to be shown all the boundary lines and fence posts, asking where the north-south and east-west lines were.  Agnes herself was not sure, and Meher Baba looked playfully put out with her.

Agnes Baron told that story many times and wondered about it.  As part of long-range planning, a boundary survey and aerial topographical map of Meher Mount was completed in 2008.

On March 31, 2008, Ventura County formally recorded Meher Mount’s boundary survey.  The surveyors then returned to Meher Mount to place markers at all the corners of the property.

MINOR LANDSLIDE MARKS THE SPOT

The area where Meher Baba pointed when He asked about the boundaries proved to be more challenging.  In trying to put the new marker in the rock, one of the surveyors started a small landslide.  The surveyor below him took shelter as boulders the size of soccer balls and several tons of debris flew over his head.

Manager/Caretaker Ray Johnston, who joined the surveyors on this project, said he was amazed to see the landslide funneling exactly to the point where they were trying to put in the marker.  He marveled at the amount of energy that was focused on that one point that Meher Baba had asked about. 

In the end, the surveying party succeeded and placed a monument pin exactly at the boundary corner and answered Meher Baba’s 52-year-old question.