"A lot of the magic I got from the project was from the animals."
Meher Mount
Your Friday photo is in honor of the Darshan Courtyard…
The photo from caretaker Ray Johnston is of a deer visiting the Darshan Courtyard worksite.
The image appearing in the Darshan Courtyard sign is of Avatar Meher Baba and co-founder and lifetime caretaker Agnes Baron kneeling beside Him. They are in the Baba Room which burned in 1985. The Darshan Courtyard is the same space where Meher Baba gave darshan (the grace of seeing or being with the Divine) to His followers in 1956.
“A lot of the magic that I got from the project was from the animals. They came up to the work site, and they were part of the crew here. The deer were not scared. They would be right by us.”
After the construction of the Darshan Courtyard was completed, Meher Mount sat down with the contractor, Alonzo Banuelos owner of Hybrid Construction, to talk about his impressions regarding this project.
Q: Were there any synchronicities or magic that you experienced as part of the whole building process?
A lot of the magic that I got from the project was from the animals. They came up to the work site, and they were part of the crew here. The deer were not scared. They would be right by us.
We encountered venomous snakes, and we let them go. There were squirrels and birds galore. So, this being with the animals. That’s magic in itself, you know.
And this project had an effect, too, when I came to Meher Mount. I came here to work. Yet, I had a really good feeling when I came here. I thought, “I am coming to some place that’s really peaceful.”
Q: How do you feel now that it’s completed?
Oh, I love it. With the colors and textures and the stone that we picked out. The stone is similar to the shale stone they have on the whole mountain. It’s complemented very well. it’s very spacious. It’s got a beautiful view, and it’s very dreamy.
Q: If you were telling friends about this space and bringing them to see your work on the Darshan Courtyard, what would you say to them?
I would say, “I want to bring you to see the Darshan Courtyard because I want you to see a magnificent place.” I want people who come to the courtyard to feel like they can be free here, and that they can breathe and smell the air and live.
It’s a beautiful area. And it’s a beautiful piece of work. It’s art – not just a structure.