"The sky is a tree, and the stars its branches ever reaching for us, like God."
Daniel Ladinsky
When Meher Mount asked for stories or memories of being at Baba’s Tree, Daniel Ladinsky sent the following. Ladinsky has published a number of books, one of which is referenced here, based on the poetry of the 14th century Persian lyric poet Hafiz (or Hafez).
A BURNED LIMB of Baba’s Tree at Meher Mount adorned with flowers for Avatar Meher Baba’s birthday. (Photo: Juan Mendez, 2022)
By Daniel Ladinsky
I remember this Hafiz poem-rendering coming to mind being at Baba's Tree at Meher Mount, and that poem then, and still does, take on special meaning for me now.
This Hafiz poem appears in my book The Gift, on page 174, reformatted now below:
That Tree We Planted
Beloved master. That tree we planted near the spot
that has become your tomb has grown so well, it is
now several times my height.
When the season comes to make its leaves bow
and whirl,
Hafiz will then sleep upon the ground, hoping in
at least a dream — you will touch my face again.
And I remember once reciting this poem to Eruch Jessawala* who said: "The sky is a tree and the stars its branches ever reaching for us, like God."
And then on that same morning walk with Eruch, after he said what I just wrote above, it seemed he spoke out of context some. Out of the blue, the way he would with me, he said: “Sit more the way the mountain does, and as perfectly content you will become.”
And then heading back to Meherazad that morning, Eruch said one more thing about the poem: “Every tree we have all helped to plant and help to grow. For all is rooted in each soul."
*Eruch B. Jessawala (1916-2001) was a close disciple of Avatar Meher Baba, often acting as the interpreter of Meher Baba’s hand gestures and use of the alphabet board. Meher Baba was silent for 44 years. The conversation referenced above took place in India with Eruch during a morning walk near Meher Baba’s last home at Meherazad, where Eruch also lived the last years of his life.
Baba's Tree
Avatar Meher Baba blessed Meher Mount with His presence in 1956, spending time under the Coast Live Oak now called Baba's Tree. Since then, it has become a touchpoint for visitors — a sacred spot to spend time in quiet contemplation to find inspiration, solace, and joy. And for others, it’s a place to connect with nature.
Source
Renderings by Daniel Ladinksy, The Gift: Poems by Hafiz, pg. 174. (Penguin Compass, August 1, 1999).