[Tavern-Talk] HEART TALK: William Donkin's Diaries 15

Fri Feb 29 02:24:19 GMT 2008

HEART TALK - Donkin's Diaries: Fifteenth Installment

21/5/40

Murli, who was called by Baba to Meherabad for a few days, and who
returned here last week told us that Baba has ordered a 7 day festival
(Saptha) in Arangaon temple to celebrate Upasni Maharaj's birthday;
this is the first time such a thing has been ordered by Baba, and he
says that Upasni Maharaj will not see another birthday now; this is of
course taken as a hint that Baba will speak in the ensuing year.

I have had a letter now from Baba, saying I shall stay here with the
Mandali in Bangalore till July end now, so that job Baba spoke of in
July looks like bluff! - we shall see.

Dr Ghani tells the following tale of Manzil-e-Meem in Bombay in 1922.

One day they were all sitting round with Baba giving a discourse in
the courtyard; suddenly a pigeon flies into the courtyard, falls at
Baba's feet, and dies within 5 minutes, though not wounded; Baba
explains it brought a message from Babajan, and the shock of doing so
caused it to die. Baba buried the pigeon with great reverence, and
afterwards wrote a short poem to it in Persian, the original of which
Dr Ghani has, in Baba's own hand.

Dr Ghani's translation is as follows:-
'The royal pigeon has become the guest of the Divine Tavern.
'How great a guest, that it at once became the owner of the soul upon
which it alighted;
'Why and whence it came is a puzzle, but its coming portends our departure.
'It went suddenly into dissolution as if it had never suffered birth or death.
'Before its departure it bore wonderful tidings from the Beloved, and
the importance of that message cost the pigeon its life.
'O Lord, you are playing a wonderful game behind the curtain.
'Though self-manifest, your game is a riddle to those, who, though
they have eyes, are blind.
'From the kingdom of the birds this royal pigeon has become a saint in
their midst, and now lies buried in the precincts of Manzil-e-Meem.
'Merwan kisses its feet in reverence.'

Merwan in the last line refers to Baba himself; he used to call
himself by that name in those days.

In actual fact they all left Manzil-e-Meem three days later to go to
Upasni Maharaj at Toka, on foot.

Though this happened in 1922, I thought it so nice an incident, and
worth reproducing here.

2/6/40

Eruch and the Jessawala women arrived last night from Meherabad to
stay here till October; here is the news he brought.

Apparently about a week before May 27th Baba gave out to everyone that
on May 27th he would die. On that date he was of course O.K., and he
explained that on that day Leopold of Belgium had surrendered; this
was what Baba meant by his death: Leopold had, he said, been a fool;
not only had he lost all honour by giving in, but he had got nothing
out of Germany for himself, in exchange. Baba said that the next 2
months would be very critical for Allies, everyone would be saying
Allies will lose, and then in August the tables will suddenly turn,
and Allies will get the advantage - but it will be a close shave.

In August Baba - this is unofficial - will probably go to Russia via
Persia. Between July 15th and August 1st Baba will call a grand
meeting of all the Mandali at Meherabad.

Baba of course goes into seclusion now for 2 months, and he says that
he will work in the direction of extreme danger for the Allies.

Baba wrote me a letter in 'Chinese poetry' the other day; I replied in
'Chinese poetry', and Baba seemed pleased with the result.

It seems the Masts are being disbanded - so that phase of Baba's work
is over; all save Chatty Baba and Mohammed are to go I hear. Padri has
gone to M'abad for 8 days. Papa Jessawala has gone to Karwar to find a
site for a centre there; we have heard that he finds it unsuitable;
there is so little good water: I think he has now gone to Belgaum.

===================================

Jai Beloved Baba!
Archives Team
Avatar Meher Baba P.P.C. Trust

Other Heart Talk letters can be selected at:
http://www.ambppct.org/archives/collections/written_materials/correspondence/heart_talk.htm

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http://www.ambppct.org/archives