At Meher Mount, it pays to look up at the skies from time to time for you never know what you might see there.
The latest delight has been the first appearance of California Condors — four of them on one occasion — soaring over Meher Mount’s open fields and swooping down toward the area around the Visitor Center.
The condors first appeared on a windy day, November 7, 2020, “hiding” among a wake of smaller Turkey Vultures (as a flock is called) catching the coveted air currents that rise from the west.
Of course, it would be difficult for condors to hide anywhere since they are such giants of the skies. With wing spans as large as 10 feet, the shadow of a condor flying overhead will take anyone’s breath away.
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A young couple from nearby Santa Barbara was attending a meditation class in Ojai when someone mentioned Meher Baba and Meher Mount to them. They felt an instant urge to visit.
From the moment they arrived, they started asking questions about Meher Baba and Meher Mount. They went out to Baba’s Tree and stayed there for about an hour.
When they returned, the young man said he had felt profound silence while he was at the tree.
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Often, Meher Baba would send visitors just at closing time. One such case happened on a Sunday in September – the last open day of our stay at Meher Mount.
A couple showed up 15 minutes before closing time looking for a spiritual place for their marriage proposal. They wanted a private and intimate setting. It was their first time at Meher Mount, and they knew little to nothing about the place.
“So how did you choose this place?” we asked.
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Visitors to Meher Mount seem to be Meher Baba’s specially invited guests. It appears that He is prompting each person at a particular moment in time to visit and strengthen their inner link to Him.
As temporary caretakers at Meher Mount in August-September 2020, we had the special opportunity to greet these visitors and share in their experiences.
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In October 2020, treasurer Robert Turnage and his wife Kristina Somma were in Ojai, visiting from their home in Sacramento, CA, to spend some time at Meher Mount.
They stopped in downtown Ojai (population 7,496) for lunch. When they finished eating, they wandered into the nearby Porch Gallery Ojai to browse. In the very back of the gallery was a rack of postcards. They were drawn to look closer.
One particular postcard stood out.
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One of the ways in which Agnes supported herself and Meher Mount was by being a substitute teacher. Some of her former students and a co-teacher posted their memories on Facebook in September 2020.
“She was a substitute teacher for me and other teachers at Isbell [Middle School]. I remember talking with her many times and receiving some of her home canned goods, herbs, or produce. The kids called her Bacon Lady but mostly in a loving way since she told such great stories. Never needed to leave sub plans for her!" – Linda Pittman Spink
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We left Meher Mount with heavy hearts, but also rejoiced with the wonderful gift Meher Baba gave us of being able to stay and work in this blessed place where His fragrance is so palpable. It is His gift.
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“...life is made up of many such small things. If these small things were ignored life would be not only unbeautiful but unspiritual.” - Avatar Meher Baba
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A group of talented and creative artists have come together to offer two heartfelt and inspiring music videos — “Open Up the Door” and “Dhun” — in celebration of the 2020 anniversary of Avatar Meher Baba’s 1956 visit to Meher Mount.
If the early, rave reviews are any indication, you might just feel like singing along or grabbing a box of tissues.
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Meher Baba gave up the use of the alphabet board completely on October 7, 1954 and continued to communicate using only gestures.
As Francis Brabazon (a disciple from Australia) explains, Meher Baba “communicated by signs, gestures and expression… this was the most eloquent way of all — for he was the master of expression and the perfection of mime.
The mandali and many others who have shared their stories of meeting and being with Meher Baba say they never felt He was silent. “Such flowing gestures that while you were listening [sic] to His gestures, you really never felt that Baba was silent,” said Mani S. Irani, Meher Baba’s sister and interpreter of His gestures.
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I had barely arrived when already the familiar sights and sounds pulled me into a feeling of being taken in, embraced, welcomed. A stillness settled in around me as I breathed in the sense of loving care that emanated all around me.
As I meandered over to Baba’s Walkway, running my hand along the golden cord that protects it in its repose, I suddenly felt a loving presence. A wisp of blue cloth, an imagined hand lifted to point the way. The proud tour guide leading me around back to see the recently planted flowers.
If Meher Mount has taught me anything, it is this: Avatar Meher Baba is ever-present to those who seek Him, and sooner or later, we all find that special place where He always awaits.
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In the time of a world pandemic, protests against ongoing racism and social injustice, economic disruption, and human rights violations, the divisions in our society are all the more evident.
During another tumultuous time in world history, World War II (1939-1945), Avatar Meher Baba gave a series of talks or discourses to political leaders in India and to His followers all over the world. The following is an excerpt from those discourses:.
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In this time of sheltering, when so many places are understandably closed to visitors, Meher Mount being open feels like a huge blessing, affording an intimacy in this time of seclusion. It continues to radiate His Love and His Call from the top of Sulphur Mountain.
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It was a unique experience — with Baba so near in this tranquility, the silence — so far away from everyday life.
Sometimes Meher Mount was surrounded by fog and you found yourself on an island. Cold nights. Drizzle. Clear, sharp days when the Channel Islands stood out of the Pacific [Ocean] like sentinels; once, wet snow, lasting only overnight. Some moonlit nights, magic!
And always Baba, Baba, Baba….
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Agnes Baron recounts her first moments with Meher Baba:
“There are no words to describe it. It was so fantastic. All my doubts just flew out the window. The first thing Baba did was to open his arms and put my head on his shoulders. Something out of this world happens to you when Baba puts his arms around you. It's indescribable. What I saw sitting on the couch and what I felt was sitting on the couch were two different things. Without any more rationalizing, I accepted him one hundred percent.
“The love just poured out of him. His vibrations were like a hummingbird…you couldn't see the vibrations, but you knew the vibrating. You felt that in Baba...his eyes were so full of compassion, just utterly irresistible…. I was hooked…that was it. I didn't care about obedience. I didn't give a damn about anything like that. He was utterly irresistible.”
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As we learn to navigate the uncharted territory of the current global pandemic, how very fortunate we are to have Meher Baba watching over us.
Throughout His lifetime, so often Meher Baba would go into seclusion, leaving His lovers all over the world to discover the power of their inner connection with Him. Even for those of us who never met Him physically in this lifetime, He continues to make His presence felt by us in ways that seem so personal.
This connection could be a timely reminder in an unexpected email from a close friend or perhaps a post on Facebook or Instagram. Suddenly, we are re-awakened to His presence in our lives – no matter how caught up in thoughts of toilet paper and hand sanitizer we may become.
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What follows is the story of how one of Lyn Ott’s paintings came to Meher Mount. The story is told by Jim Whitson, a member of Meher Mount’s Board of Directors since 2005 and a long-time visitor and supporter of Meher Mount. The year was 2007.
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Dear Meher Mount Friends,
In response to your recent email, Charles and I have a special treasure that we'd like to give to Meher Mount: a photograph of Meher Baba that He touched and blessed. Elizabeth [Patterson] and Norina [Matchabelli] kept it in in their belongings, and now it hangs in our house. The photo shows Baba in Portofino, and it was taken by Elizabeth. May this artifact, blessed with His touch, bring Baba ever closer to everyone there.
Love in Baba,
Christopher and Charles
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After the first ascent, there was a small clearing and a downed tree trunk that made a perfect place to pause and take in the beauty of the Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) woodland.
As we sat there having a thoughtful discussion about life, life decisions and whatever else was on our minds, a beautiful burned tree trunk stood in front of us. We began to fantasize about what the burned tree trunk represented. It felt as if the right side looked like angel’s wings with the left side representing a hand reaching toward the heavens with the support and encouragement of an angel.
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“’In 1968, while doing his strenuous seclusion work in Guruprasad [in Pune, India], Baba said that listening to the music of Jim Reeves was his relaxation,” noted Mani S. Irani, Meher Baba’s sister and close disciple. “While Baba was having breakfast, we always began with ‘There’s a Heartache Following Me.’’”
“’It [‘Heartache’] was always the first record played, then others [such as ‘Take My Hand Precious Lord’] were played, then ending again with ‘Heartache’,” Mani explained.
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