9902 Sulphur Mountain Road
Ojai, CA 93023-9375
Phone: 805-640-0000
Email: info@mehermount.org
Wednesday-Sunday: Noon to 5:00 p.m.
Monday & Tuesday: Closed
Buzz & Ginger Glasky
Sam Ervin, Preident
Ron Holsey, Vice President
Ursula Reinhart, Treasurer
Jim Whitson, Director
Richard Mannis, Director
Margaret Magnus, Secretary
Anecdotes, activities and stories about Meher Mount - past, present and future.
There are three kinds of certainties — Yakin — regarding the existence of God. They are:
(a) Intellectual certainty = ilmul Yakin
(b) Sighted certainty = ainol Yakin
(c) Realized certainty = haque Yakin
Water, by being in love with death, gives life to all things;
Desiring absorption in the ocean it flows, and sings.
Water is a life-giving force. And it’s frequently used as a spiritual symbol or metaphor — often in music.
The “Songs of Water & Spirituality” playlist is a selection of songs in which water has a connection to the Divine.
Read MoreIn the Avesta, the sacred book of Zoroastrianism, the 101 Names of God are given as a prayer.
"If you repeat this prayer with love, no other prayer remains to be said,” Meher Baba said. “Anyone can repeat these names with love, irrespective of the religion he belongs to.”
Read More"Let your love flow on ceaselessly,
like a stream down the mountain on its way to the Ocean.
Obstructions there will be, of pleasures, of pains.
Read MoreThe fact that one cannot live without water means water is life. In the Sanskrit language this is literally so. Another word for water is ‘life’. Jivanum.
Read MoreMeher Baba spelled out, “Within you is dirty water too, and I have also to take it out, to make room for the fresh water of my love. Thus, in different ways, I am taking out the dirty water from everyone. I am training you, so that you may one day dive deep into my Ocean and obtain the treasure.”
Read MoreWith gestures… you know when Baba would look into your eyes and do the gestures. Though I was a very little child, I used to understand Baba because his eyes used to speak to our hearts.
He tells me, “Do you know how much trouble I have to take to make this water?”
I said, “No Baba, I don’t know.”
And then he tells me…”
Read More“The spiritual meaning of water lies in its reflection of the human spirit and the interconnection of all creation.
“We are all aware of the necessity of water. From keeping us alive to quenching our thirst, to washing the dirt from our bodies and our food, not to mention its role in producing that food, our survival depends on water.
“But what does such a valuable life force mean spiritually? Is there any spiritual essence or spiritual meaning of water?”
Read MoreIt was foolish of me to believe that the intense yellow, orange, and red hues of Friday’s glorious sunrise anticipated a serene day at Meher Mount.
It was a perfect day to enjoy the fresh air on this sunny, crisp 47-degree morning.
The day stayed beautiful, but it was not serene.
Read MoreAgnes Baron’s only trip to India was in September 1982 to talk to Meher Baba’s mandali (close disciples) about the future of Meher Mount.
“What I didn’t realize at the time,” Bill Le Page said, “there was no resolution in her mind regarding the future ownership of Meher Mount.”
Read MoreAll through Agnes Baron’s time at Meher Mount, various groups wanted to use Meher Mount for their own purposes.
Read MoreSixty years ago, from November 1 - 4, 1962, Avatar Meher Baba’s momentous East-West Gathering was held at Guru Prasad in Pune (formerly Poona) India.
At Meher Baba’s invitation, several thousand Easterners and about 160 Westerners answered the call to receive Meher Baba’s darshan and be in His company.
On September 20, 1962, “a circular was sent to all in India, Pakistan, Europe, America and Australia who would be attending the November East-West Gathering, informing them of certain last-minute instructions for their visit.
“The lovers were told that: ...they should come with the sole idea of enjoying Baba's presence collectively, and NOT hope or want to ask for any individual personal attention or guidance from him regarding any matter concerning themselves, or their families and friends, or in connection with Baba work or group and center activities. No question should be asked, spiritual or otherwise.
“Baba says that this November gathering will be uniquely different from any of the past sahavases or darshans, and he therefore stresses that any expectations other than just being in his presence would be an intrusion into the atmosphere that Baba desires, and would cause the person thus intruding to lose the real benefit of being in Baba's presence.”
Read MoreWhen Agnes Baron, co-founder, lifetime caretaker, and one-time owner of Meher Mount, first met Avatar Meher Baba in 1952, He said,
“’First of all, I want Agni to know that only Agni, God and Baba know what she has gone through in these six years to hold Meher Mount for me.’”
Agnes looked at Him in surprise and said, “’It was no trouble, Baba, no trouble at all.’” She had completely forgotten all her problems in His presence.
Read MoreMeher Baba’s nickname for Agnes Baron was Agni – a name meaning fire in Sanskrit and a fire-god in Hinduism. With its capacity to destroy and cleanse, fire is a thread running through Agnes’ life.
“Fire proves a disaster for Upper Ojai homes” read the headline in the Ojai Valley News.
On October 14, 1985, the Ferndale Fire, whipped by Santa Ana winds, came up the southwest ridge of Sulphur Mountain. By 9 p.m. on that Monday night Meher Mount, an Avatar Meher Baba Center and the home of co-founder and lifetime caretaker Agnes Baron, was ablaze.
Read MoreWhen Jon and Deborah Meyer visited Meher Mount, it was one of those times when the clouds were so thick on the mountaintop that you could barely see 10 feet ahead of you. It was Deborah’s first visit, and Jon wanted her to see the spectacular 360-degree views as well as visit this Meher Baba place of pilgrimage. The clouds never cleared the entire weekend they were in Ojai.
As sometimes happens, the unexpected can inspire. The following photographs were taken during that visit and are used to illustrate some of his cloud-inspired poetry.
Read More“Hell, fire and damnation” is how co-founder and lifetime caretaker Agnes Baron (1907-1994) described her life keeping Meher Mount for Avatar Meher Baba.
Agnes, a fearless and fiery woman, dedicated 48 years of her life to making sure that Meher Mount would be here for Meher Baba, today and in the future.
Sam L. Ervin, board president and long-time friend of Agnes Baron, shares some specific incidents in Agnes’ life where she fought to keep Meher Mount. Sam spoke at the 2022 Anniversary Sahavas commemorating Meher Baba’s visit on August 2, 1956.
Take a moment now to watch this video that portrays Agnes Baron’s fierce determination, her unvarnished view of events, and her dedication.
Sam L. Ervin at Meher Mount, 2022 Anniversary Sahavas
By Margaret Magnus
One of Sam’s first visits to Meher Mount was on May 19, 1968, to pull weeds on a special day of silence called for by Meher Baba. He continued to visit to pull more weeds, re-roof Baba’s House, cleanup after two fires, chop wood, carry water, clean the pool, and serve Meher Mount. His teen years of hard physical labor on a cattle ranch in Porterville have come in handy.
Then, inspired and encouraged by Agnes to go into social services, he got a Master’s in Social Work in administration and planning in 1975. Sam went on to be the founder and CEO of the non-profit SCAN Health Plan.
There he pioneered an innovative senior program, which required securing six acts of Congress. A key achievement was keeping more than 20,000 frail seniors living safely at home instead of nursing homes. By the time he retired in 2002, the company had grown from 1 employee to 640 employees and served 55,000 seniors in four counties.
After his retirement, Sam returned to Meher Mount to once again pull weeds. By then there was a non-profit board, and he has served as president for the past 20 years, relying on his planning, managing, and CEO skills working in non-profit organizations.
Sam’s focus is continuing Agnes’ promise to hold Meher Mount for Meher Baba, even if it’s through “hell, fire and damnation.”
Former caretaker Elizabeth Arnold shares her stories of keeping Meher Mount for Avatar Meher Baba through “hell, fire and damnation.” She spoke at the 2022 Anniversary Sahavas commemorating Meher Baba’s visit on August 2, 1956.
"It takes dedication, hard work, luck and Meher Baba being at your side." - Elizabeth Arnold
Read More“Meher Mount is an incredibly difficult, as well as rewarding, place to be involved with. The experience one has here is not just fleeting. It leaves something behind, footprints deep in our soul.” - Ray Johnston
Former caretaker Ray Johnston shares his stories of keeping Meher Mount for Avatar Meher Baba through “hell, fire and damnation.” He spoke at the 2022 Anniversary Sahavas commemorating Meher Baba’s visit on August 2, 1956.
Read MoreAgnes Baron drove Meher Baba and the mandali from the hotel in her "Woody" station wagon to Meher Mount.
Along the way, Meher Baba admired the rich agricultural land and asked many questions. "What is being grown, how was the land irrigated, are there orchards?"
"Baba was talking as if He were a real estate agent," Agnes cracked.
Read More