The Circle
A Newsletter for the Athens Area Meher Baba Community
August 2001
“Moments that Touched Our Hearts”
GOING IN CIRCLES
“Complete
remembrance of God,
honesty in action,
making no one
unhappy,
being the cause of
happiness in others,
and no submission to
low, selfish, lustful
desires, while living a
normal worldly life,
can lead one to the
path of Realization.
But complete
obedience to the
God-Man brings one
directly to God.”
- Meher Baba
THE PATH OF LOVE,
pg. 12-13
The Circle
Layout & design:
Lisa Jackson
Editing:
Bob Ahrens
Submit stories, artwork,
ideas, comments,
receive the Circle (free):
[email protected]
Next Issue’s Theme:
“Youth Sahavas”
By Robby Smith
THE OLD CODGER
By Sheila Krynski, Myrtle Beach
I rang several times - my darn muscles were
spasming again. It was a scorching pain. Though
not mysterious, just the groin muscle -- by this
time I knew it by name: the Gracilis -- contracting again. For a while Stewart's exercises
stopped these attacks from flourishing into fullflame episodes. Since being in the hospital this
time they've returned like whips in the night
The 'old codger' on duty wasn't delicate. She
roughly lifted my leg on to the wheel chair rest,
bumped it on the way to the bathroom, and was
barely able to raise my legs back on to the bed.
She was pretty old, out of shape and bound in
her ways. Though with unexpected droll humor
she returned to my room saying she felt she had
to take pain medication herself before coming in.
During one of the evening's episodes, as I
was awkwardly struggling with her to get out of
bed, another nurse came in with pain medication. She quietly helped, without intruding in the
old codgers' territory and offered the pain medication. Her kindness was practically unnoticed.
Except I saw her look at Meher Baba's picture
on the cover of Kitty's book on my table as she
left the room. And thought I saw her receiving a
kindness from Baba -- maybe her first contact . . .
Something happened. It was so small and so
extraordinary. It took my breath away and was
almost missed.
One summer, back in '98, I was driving en
route from Athens to Hard Labor Creek Park to
go to a Society for Creative Anachronisms event.
I was winding through small towns, squinting to
read the directions I had carelessly scrawled the
night before, and simultaneously really questioning the concept of Meher Baba as a Spiritual
Master, and the nature of Masterhood and discipleness.
As anyone who is familiar with my driving
skills can attest, I promptly got thoroughly lost.
The wrong turn clashed nicely with my questions
about the path, and I'm driving down this paved
road, talking out loud to Baba, arguing, yelling,
questioning, pleading. I mean, Baba was putting
me through a lot of stuff, and I was staring at
this going, "Did I sign up for this? Can't I have
this nice gushy Eternal Father/Mother relationship instead of this exacting Master/Disciple relationship you put me through? Constant tests,
stuff to do."
And I'm lost. I'm totally lost. I'm envisioning
myself running out of gas, camping out on the
side of the road, asking some farm lady for
directions. And the Air Conditioning doesn't
work. It's August. It's a hundred degrees in the
shade. I turn down crossroad after crossroad,
no street signs (if they exist) match the names
of the streets on my directions. To top it all off,
this is the second time today I've gone this
route.
I'm beyond lost at this point. I expect to see
a state border at some point. I'm exhausted with
the heat, exhausted with this conversation with
Baba, just plain exhausted. The hundredth
crossroads’ junction is in the distance. I tell
Baba, "Give me a sign! BABA!"
The next crossroad sign matches my directions. Perfectly. All of a sudden, this wondrous
amazement and beautiful realization crashes on
me. Without Baba, I'm lost. Although I think I'm
lost, Baba knows *exactly* where He's leading
me to my benefit.
I've been going in circles! Without Him, I'll
just keep going in circles! In awe of Him, I bow
my hands in prayer, and say, "Yes Baba." No
more questioning. Just acceptance.
On the Heart and Its Attunement
By Rich Panico
In This One
By Annie Fahy
In this one you are standing
Next to the pyramids looking just so
in your wool western clothes. The creamy quality of sky glows
as your skin against the bleached desert
Your eyes glance to mine as I am wondering
How did you become as large as the Pyramid?
In this one you are
In Egypt with the pyramids of the 1930's
Your western wool suit looks hot and binding
Your smile beyond the frame
Your lover, I stare hard into your world tour.
Every morning, about six, I walk my dog. His
name is Bhagavan. He is a Tibetan Mastiff with
golden eyes. My participation in these walks is
not optional. Bhagavan is a natural motivator.
He has a sigh that is compellingly human and he
slobbers. At five thirty I hear a patient sigh and
smell the expensive dog food on his breath.
Bhagavan is the size of a small pony. He stands
over the bed. I know in a few moments that he
will enthusiastically shake his head, signaling a
new day. Even if I dive under the covers, I can
hear the spatter of saliva on the ceiling. This is
all avoidable. I get up and walk him.
We take a mowed path around a seven acre
field and if the smells are good we go down to
the creek. This is a beautiful setting. I chant to
the sun as it rises and open my heart to all that
is happening. This day is Baba's, "neither covet
honor or shun disgrace". My inner reactions to
events, I tell myself, are interesting but not
worth much involvement. I locate the ego, take
measure of its size and insistent energy, and
then do my best to negotiate an amicable
divorce. Some days this practice feels successful.
Some days I can't even participate due to powerful feelings or wandering obstinate thoughts.
For several weeks now I've used this walk to
contemplate a contribution to the Circle, the
theme "something that touched my heart".
The theme bothered me. So many things on
this walk and during my day were "touching" my
heart. I called it opening my heart in the above
paragraph. The event is accompanied by an aching
In this one you are
The obvious tourist
Standing in Egypt beside the pyramids
in the 1930's.
Your western wool suit looks massively hot
and binding after your bath.
Your glance reaches beyond to find
Me your lover staring hard at your aloneness.
I am inserting myself next to you
Wearing Katharine Hepburn trousers
Holding tight to your arm- wool
Your lover before
You gave birth to the universe
with your silence
Our honeymoon of outer sight-seeing
I long for our one night of Egypt.
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in the chest, an oceanic feeling and a sense that
all is right, that all is in God's hands. What a
mess. How was I going to narrow this down?
I have been reading a biography of Sai Baba
of Shirdi. Sai Baba often gave his devotees the
assignment of "doing nothing". He gave this
assignment to Upasni Maharaj according to this
account. Maharaj didn't get it, and sent a message saying so. Sai replied that Maharaja's job
was to create immense love for Sai in his heart
so there was no room for anything else. Then
Sai Baba had a field to work within.
It occurred to me that emptying or purifying
the heart by filling it with remembrance or love
for the master is like the activity of a crystal; a
single perfectly interlinked substance. When like
atoms are perfectly and intimately joined they
can attune to whatever energy source they are
exposed to. Crystals organize chaotic energy into
harmonious energy and when you put "pressure"
on them or "deform" them they generate a uniform charge that influences all that is around
them.
I felt a little better about my heart problem
after this thought. Perhaps in opening my heart
or by letting my heart be touched or filled with
love for my sweet Baba for a brief moment a
field was created. A field where Baba could
operate in this lovely world of his.
Another Night, October 1969
By Bob Ahrens
COME IN WITH US
Photo by Jo Tayor
By Brian Darnell
Once, when I was first interested in Baba
(and holding Him at arm's length), a mental
image came to me. There was a small building
on a raised platform -- later, I found it resembled Baba's room on Meherabad Hill. I knew that
Baba and some of the Mandali were inside,
though the only one I could see was Eruch who
was sitting in the open doorway. He was looking
inside toward Baba. I was lower and to the left,
sitting in the dirt. Eruch turned to me and said,
"Baba wants to know if you are going to come
inside with us." With this question I was overwhelmed with emotion and began to cry. It was
one of those brief moments of surrender we all
have now and then. The tears were very cleansing. It was a path-altering moment, though it
did not come from a real incident. It was an
internal, personal experience.
Another night deepens, despair and loss,
As soul plays captive to noise amid thought;
No hope only darkness, the mind as boss
Who bullies the heart and pulls the ropes taut.
When desperate soul had reached the last strawWhen death and long sleep seemed the only pathChilled spirit lost hope of finding Spring's thaw
And looked at life's face and saw only wrath.
In this divine moment, why did You come?
My doorstep, though stained, yet held your pure feet.
This brittle cold heart which I thought was numb,
Burnt in a moment by your blissful heat.
Now I'm alone once again with your Name,
Waiting, I crouch by the door where you came.
BABA ART
“To be ever present with God,
never be absent from Him.
- Meher Baba, The Path of Love, pg. 12-13
“Al-Haq” The Truth
By Charlie Gard’ner
3
THE
KIDS
m
yS
tee
le
FROM
By
A
Indian Adoption Sahavas
The Silence Day week provided an opportunity to bring together some of Baba's Indian children that have been adopted into Baba families
in North America. This year was the second
anniversary of this event that we hope will continue annually and will hopefully grow as we
become more organized and the word gets out
better. This year's "Sahavas" was attended by
Zoe Witkowski (Myrtle Beach, SC), Saroja Stone
(Washington, DC), Rabia Cons (Berkley, CA) and
Pratima Gard'ner (Athens, GA). Events included,
innumerable trips to the beach, the playground,
Baba's house, the Aquarium in Myrtle Beach etc.
This Sahavas is designed to just get these Baba
kids together to PLAY !! It also provides an
opportunity for the parents to share experiences,
and provide a network for adoptive parents in
the greater Baba community.
Brian Darnell & Lisa Jackson were married on June 16th. Pictured in the above photo are Caleb,
Austin, Gus, Brian, Emile, Lisa & Aaron. To view additional photos of the wedding that were
taken by Bob Ahrens go to: http://www.shutterfly.com/my/os.jsp?i=67b0de21b314e9dee4e5
“God is just as soft
as he is hard,
as compassionate
as he is harsh. Just
remember that when
you call on him or
invoke him, if he is
touched even once,
the impossible then
becomes possible
and you become
free.”
- Meher Baba
November 2, 1952,
Glimpses of the God Man
vol. 3, pg. 133-134
Athens' Jo Taylor with Jane Barry Haynes, taken in the 80's at
the Center. Jo shared from her life with Meher Baba at a
gathering in May. She is the first speaker in this Athens area
program series, “Sharing Our Lives with Meher Baba”.
UPCOMING EVENTS
“Sharing our lives with Meher Baba”
The second in this series features Charlie Gard’ner.
Sunday, August 5th, 4PM, Potluck
at Ahrens’ Abode, 1500 Broadlands Drive, Watkinsville
706-769-6454
By Caleb Darnell
Weekly Baba Meetings
on Wednesdays at Brian Darnell’s from 7PM to 8:30PM
Dessert and coffee are served after the meeting.
Call Brian @ 353-9564 for more info.
Athens Women’s Tea
We will meet at the Grit.
Sunday, August 19th at 10:30AM
182 Prince Avenue, Athens
R.S.V.P. Amy Steele @ 543-8249
Monthly Discourses Meetings
Pratima, Callie, Audrey, May & Charlotte at Brian & Lisa’s
wedding.
Sunday, August 26th, 4PM - 6PM
at Charlie Gard’ner’s, 397 Oglethorpe Avenue, Athens.
Call Charlie @ 546-6492 for more info.
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