Ancient One: Meher Baba

[Guest guest]

Filis Frederick

IVY ONEITA DUCE

After the accident in Oklahoma, Baba wired for Ivy to come and help,

and she and Charmian flew to Prague. Ivy's immense practical

experience was invaluable to the travellers, some of whom, though not

hurt, were in shock at the unexpected violent turn of events. It was

Ivy who sent us the first detailed bulletin on Baba's condition, also

Mehera's and Elizabeth's state, for which we were all grateful. It

fell to Charmy to wash Baba's clothes in a laundromat, and I recall

with a chill her saying "There was so much blood!" Charmy had wanted

to drive Baba across the U.S. — she had the trip all mapped out — I

recall the tender, enigmatic look He gave her, with His "No."

Later, in July, it was in Mrs. Duce's apartment that we saw Baba

again. Actually many people came who had missed Him in Myrtle Beach.

For three days Baba, in double cast, in intense heat, gave His

darshan. By Baba's request all were asked to read the large sign

placed in the anteroom:

"I am equally approachable to one and all, big and small,

To saints who rise, and sinners who fall,

Through all the various Paths that give the Divine Call.

I am approachable alike to saint whom I adore

And to sinner whom I am for,

And equally through Sufism, Vedantism, Christianity,

Or Zororastrianism and Buddhism, and other 'isms'

Of any kind, and also directly through no medium of 'isms' at all."

But most people at that time were unacquainted with Sufism; a few

knowledgeable ones read the great Sufi poets, Hafiz, Rumi and Kabir,

but the popular esoteric groups were the Theosophists, Rosicrucians,

Alice Bailey-ites, Vedanta groups, the "I am," movement, etc. I don't

know whether it was in '52 or '56 but Ivy visited the Alice Bailey

headquarters in New York to invite Miss Bailey, who made a great to-

do about "the Reappearance of the Christ," to meet Baba, and got a

very rude reception. We all went through similar experiences with

other leaders of spiritual groups. But as Baba told one of us

later, "It is the link of love that draws you to Me." If it's not

there, no amount of prestigious books or devotees will help. It was

fascinating to observe those that did come to meet Baba and watch Him

forge or pull on these invisible golden chains. How fortunate we

felt, that His glance had fallen on us!

It was her daughter Charmian and Energy (Marion Florsheim) who drove

Baba, Mehera, and the others to all their many medical appointments,

with Dr. this and Dr. that. As Ivy says, Baba must have given Western

medicos a big push in 1952!

It was at Meher Center, in 1956, that Baba tackled the continuing

friction between the Sufi and non-Sufi Baba lovers, with a rousing

discourse to us all. "What is the use of My left hand slapping My

right hand?" He asked, demonstrating with His graceful hands. He

liked groups, He wanted us to work in groups, but not to switch from

one to the other. At this time Ivy had moved back to Washington and

Baba very graciously visited her home there on His way to California.

Here He teased His hostess by "finding" an enormous fish bone in

the "perfectly boned" filet.

Before Baba came on this trip, Ivy and I had agreed to try to

document it as fully as possible, and we split up the responsibility:

she would try to film and tape the trip and I would write it up. She

also arranged for publicity for Baba at the various big city stops —

New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco. In the beginning, Baba was

agreeable; her press conference in New York came off fairly well, but

the rest of the trip was not always successful. Baba wasn't at all

keen on the public spotlight. This led to a lot of hassles for

Murshida, and one or two amusing incidents. Our trip from Myrtle

Beach to Washington, D.C., for instance, was amazingly shortened (the

pilot was stunned), we arrived so early there was no limo for Baba —

and no T.V. cameramen.

San Francisco, where Ivy had a strong group of mureeds, also proved a

test for her. How well I recall how we all waited breathlessly

downstairs in the hotel waiting to hear if Baba liked the

arrangements! No, He didn't! He was going to cut His visit short and

leave for Australia! Then Adele and I were called and Baba asked if

we would switch rooms with Him — ours was in the very center of the

hotel where He wanted to be. Of course, we were delighted.

Making arrangements for Baba and His "fellow travellers" is never

easy and on this trip Murshida was greatly tested. I know she once

said the real behind-the-scenes stories could never be told. But that

is true of any account of "timeless time" spent with Baba. It would

take a Tolstoy to describe it all, perhaps because imagination can do

a better job of character delineation, showing the inner conflicts

and problems on which the Master is working. It is hard to be

objective or even to guess exactly what Baba is doing to you or why.

It is a test of your surrender to accept that it will ultimately make

you one with Him.

THE AWAKENER, Vol. XX, Nr. 2, pp. 37-38

1983 © Universal Spiritual League in America, Inc.

[Guest guest]

Hello Dear Satish,

 

Thank you so much for posting this. I haven't been reading this

newsgroup much and perhaps it is now time for me to come back to it.

What a delight to find your posting from THE AWAKENER, and reading

about the "link of Love" that draws one to Baba (God). Before

checking this newsgroup, I was also reading a little bit

on "brahmanshakti" newsgroup, and posted the search site for people

who might be interested in reading particular things they have a

question about from the Lord Meher Volumes that recently was put on

the web, search site is:

 

http://www.lordmeher.org/index.jsp

 

Purchased a delightful little booklet from the bookstore in

California run by Dina entitled, "AVATAR MEHER BABA, The Awakener of

Hearts"..she told me that I had purchased the last copy, but maybe it

might be reprinted in the future?

 

Here is an excerpt from it, which kind of correlates to what you

posted below:

 

"I love and adore all religions; but I am of no religion. Nor do I

seek to establish another religion or add to the numberless illusions

that divide man against man. No religion was ever intended to be

anything more than the Gateway to God as Truth; but every religion

has, in the course of time, got converted into a veil, obstructing

the undimmed perception of that One Truth." p. l2

(footnote here shows it is taken from Bal Natu's book: GLIMPSES OF

THE GOD-MAN, MEHER BABA, Vol. III. p22l)

 

In reading your post below, Satish, I was not aware that Murshida

Duce was given a rude reception by Alice Bailey. Years ago I had

read a number of Bailey's books and I think I even remember having

that titled one on my shelf "The Reappearance of The Christ".

Interesting(if not shocking) that Bailey wrote about this, but

received Ivy Duce rudely.

 

Here is one more Baba quote, from the same little booklet mentioned

above, from p. l2-l3:

 

"Though religion has come into existence to liberate man from all

narrowness, it can itself become a cage when not understood

properly. All the world religions proclaim the same eternal and

universal Truth; yet human weakness has a tendency to carve out some

limiting, narrow loyalty which closes its gates upon the shoreless

and unbounded ocean of love or divinity. It is not the essentials of

religions, but addiction merely to their outer forms, which has

tended to divide man from man, thus thwarting the very purpose of the

great founders of the world religions." (footnote here saying this

quote is from Meher Baba: LIFE AT ITS BEST, p.6l)

 

Peace,

Kathy

 

 

, safar_x <no_reply> wrote:

> Filis Frederick

> IVY ONEITA DUCE

> After the accident in Oklahoma, Baba wired for Ivy to come and

help,

> and she and Charmian flew to Prague. Ivy's immense practical

> experience was invaluable to the travellers, some of whom, though

not

> hurt, were in shock at the unexpected violent turn of events. It

was

> Ivy who sent us the first detailed bulletin on Baba's condition,

also

> Mehera's and Elizabeth's state, for which we were all grateful. It

> fell to Charmy to wash Baba's clothes in a laundromat, and I recall

> with a chill her saying "There was so much blood!" Charmy had

wanted

> to drive Baba across the U.S. — she had the trip all mapped out — I

> recall the tender, enigmatic look He gave her, with His "No."

> Later, in July, it was in Mrs. Duce's apartment that we saw Baba

> again. Actually many people came who had missed Him in Myrtle

Beach.

> For three days Baba, in double cast, in intense heat, gave His

> darshan. By Baba's request all were asked to read the large sign

> placed in the anteroom:

> "I am equally approachable to one and all, big and small,

> To saints who rise, and sinners who fall,

> Through all the various Paths that give the Divine Call.

> I am approachable alike to saint whom I adore

> And to sinner whom I am for,

> And equally through Sufism, Vedantism, Christianity,

> Or Zororastrianism and Buddhism, and other 'isms'

> Of any kind, and also directly through no medium of 'isms' at all."

> But most people at that time were unacquainted with Sufism; a few

> knowledgeable ones read the great Sufi poets, Hafiz, Rumi and

Kabir,

> but the popular esoteric groups were the Theosophists,

Rosicrucians,

> Alice Bailey-ites, Vedanta groups, the "I am," movement, etc. I

don't

> know whether it was in '52 or '56 but Ivy visited the Alice Bailey

> headquarters in New York to invite Miss Bailey, who made a great to-

> do about "the Reappearance of the Christ," to meet Baba, and got a

> very rude reception. We all went through similar experiences with

> other leaders of spiritual groups. But as Baba told one of us

> later, "It is the link of love that draws you to Me." If it's not

> there, no amount of prestigious books or devotees will help. It was

> fascinating to observe those that did come to meet Baba and watch

Him

> forge or pull on these invisible golden chains. How fortunate we

> felt, that His glance had fallen on us!

> It was her daughter Charmian and Energy (Marion Florsheim) who

drove

> Baba, Mehera, and the others to all their many medical

appointments,

> with Dr. this and Dr. that. As Ivy says, Baba must have given

Western

> medicos a big push in 1952!

> It was at Meher Center, in 1956, that Baba tackled the continuing

> friction between the Sufi and non-Sufi Baba lovers, with a rousing

> discourse to us all. "What is the use of My left hand slapping My

> right hand?" He asked, demonstrating with His graceful hands. He

> liked groups, He wanted us to work in groups, but not to switch

from

> one to the other. At this time Ivy had moved back to Washington and

> Baba very graciously visited her home there on His way to

California.

> Here He teased His hostess by "finding" an enormous fish bone in

> the "perfectly boned" filet.

> Before Baba came on this trip, Ivy and I had agreed to try to

> document it as fully as possible, and we split up the

responsibility:

> she would try to film and tape the trip and I would write it up.

She

> also arranged for publicity for Baba at the various big city stops —

 

> New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco. In the beginning, Baba was

> agreeable; her press conference in New York came off fairly well,

but

> the rest of the trip was not always successful. Baba wasn't at all

> keen on the public spotlight. This led to a lot of hassles for

> Murshida, and one or two amusing incidents. Our trip from Myrtle

> Beach to Washington, D.C., for instance, was amazingly shortened

(the

> pilot was stunned), we arrived so early there was no limo for Baba —

 

> and no T.V. cameramen.

> San Francisco, where Ivy had a strong group of mureeds, also proved

a

> test for her. How well I recall how we all waited breathlessly

> downstairs in the hotel waiting to hear if Baba liked the

> arrangements! No, He didn't! He was going to cut His visit short

and

> leave for Australia! Then Adele and I were called and Baba asked if

> we would switch rooms with Him — ours was in the very center of the

> hotel where He wanted to be. Of course, we were delighted.

> Making arrangements for Baba and His "fellow travellers" is never

> easy and on this trip Murshida was greatly tested. I know she once

> said the real behind-the-scenes stories could never be told. But

that

> is true of any account of "timeless time" spent with Baba. It would

> take a Tolstoy to describe it all, perhaps because imagination can

do

> a better job of character delineation, showing the inner conflicts

> and problems on which the Master is working. It is hard to be

> objective or even to guess exactly what Baba is doing to you or

why.

> It is a test of your surrender to accept that it will ultimately

make

> you one with Him.

> THE AWAKENER, Vol. XX, Nr. 2, pp. 37-38

> 1983 © Universal Spiritual League in America, Inc.