[Tavern-Talk] Trust Talk - Trust Objects and Purposes Series: Accommodations for Residents

[Tavern-talk]

Trust Objects and Purposes Series: Accommodations for Residents

(This is the eighth article in the Trust Objects and Purposes series.)

This article discusses facilities for persons from the West and the East 
who serve the Trust and live on Trust property. You can view the 
previous articles, which are listed on the bottom of the page, at:
http://www.ambppct.org/trust/development-plan.php


Regarding accommodations for residents, the Trust Deed states:
"(F) In the course of developments according to the availability of 
funds, preference shall be given to objects and works in the following 
order:
. . . .
(iii) Facilities for a few persons from the West and the East,
considered suitable to live there for the rest of their lives like 
Dastoor and Mrs. Kaikobad and their unmarried daughters."

In July 1944 when Baba called Kaikobad to Meherabad to live there as one 
of His resident mandali, he brought with him his entire family, that is, 
his wife, three daughters, and a son. The family resided in the building 
on Meherabad Hill that formerly housed the Maternity Hospital. When 
Kaikobad followed Baba into the New Life, his was the only family to 
continue residing on the Hill. His wife Jerbai and three daughters 
remained there after the New Life came to an end, and further on, 
throughout the 50s and 60s. After their older sister and parents passed 
away, Kaikobad's youngest daughters, Goolu and Jalu, continued to reside 
there. These sisters were two of the blessed souls of this Advent; they 
spent most their childhood and almost their entire adult lives under 
Baba's supervision. Goolu passed away on November 14, 2006, in the home 
He provided for her, a few steps from His Samadhi. Her sister Jalu 
resides on the Hill to this day. During these sisters’ lifetimes, steady 
growth has transformed Meherabad from a quiet, remote oasis into a 
beehive of life and activity.

In the mid-1970s, a trickle of Baba lovers began to flow into Meherabad 
to live there long-term, and, if possible, for the rest of their lives. 
Just as Kaikobad and his family were housed in whatever suitable space 
was available at the time, so, too, were these early residents who came 
to stay.
Heather and Eric Nadel first came to reside at Meherabad in August 1976. 
They were given half of a room in the 1948 Bungalow at Lower Meherabad, 
right next to Old Mandali Hall; they stayed in the same quarters for 
thirty years. Ted Judson, the only other Westerner staying then at 
Meherabad, lived in Rahuri Cabin. At that time the Bungalow was also a 
home for Padri, his homeopathy clinic, his office, the Post Office, 
Mohammed the Mast (in the Hall itself), Nana Kher, Shushila (Vishnu 
Master's cousin), and tiny Radha-bai (Siddhu Kamble’s widow); Minoo 
Bharucha lived part of the year in a small store room near the current 
Post Office before settling elsewhere at Meherabad permanently.

Heather and Erico's room originally was Pendu's room, but it was divided 
in half by a partition; this allowed the western half of the room to 
function as a dispensary. This dispensary shifted to Arangaon when the 
current building replaced the old Family Quarters (FQ). The 
eight-foot-high partition went partway up to the ceiling, just high 
enough to give some privacy. The Nadels moved in, installed their trusty 
"Efar" kerosene stove, and eventually employed "Kali Bhami," a lively 
servant from the Ladies’ Ashram-on-the-Hill to help with food 
(vegetarian), laundry, and household chores.

In 1971 when Rano had returned from her first trip out of India in 
twenty years, she described the accommodations at the Meher Center in 
Myrtle Beach and encouraged the Trust to create a facility for pilgrims 
to stay at Lower Meherabad four days a week; at that time, they stayed 
either in Vishnu/Donkin's small bungalow, which is now Ted’s workshop, 
or in the Interview Cabin or in "Room #4," which was Donkin's Clinic in 
the 1948 Bungalow. They all, including Ted, ate in a new, little, pink 
arched Dining Room that has since become the Meherabad Trust Office. 
Padri built a small "tempo-wary," as he would say, kitchen nearby that 
evolved into the current Meherabad Accounts Office.

By 1977, a few more Westerners came to serve Baba on a long-term basis. 
Alan Wagner arrived in March. After an initial short stay in Donkin's 
Bungalow, he was shifted to Mohammed the Mast’s old room at the northern 
end of the original Mandali Hall, next to the Dharamsalla, where he 
stayed for many years. A few months later, Janet Podmore, now Janet 
Judson, settled in a store room, now the Meherabad Post Office, next 
door to Minoo. Other residents of that time, among them Bob Street, Jack 
Caraco, Denny Moore, David Fenster, Jack Small, Lindsay Wessell, and 
Vesta Clinton resided in the Trust Compound ("Meher Nazar"), or at 
"Russi Pop's House," i.e., Dr. Goher's father's home in Ahmednagar.

Alan, who was planning eventually to run the kitchen at the Meher 
Pilgrim Center, established a small communal kitchen for all Lower 
Meherabad residents after discussions with Padri, Mani, Eruch, Naja, 
Bhau, and Pendu. He could try is hand at and learn more about Meherabad 
methods of cooking. Fortunately an old cowshed was conveniently located 
near his room. Padri had the onions that were stored there shifted 
elsewhere, built several small clay stoves, plastered the floor afresh 
with cow dung, and the five "members," i.e., Heather, Erico, Ted, Janet, 
and Alan, dined there and alternated with each other in cooking the 
meals; initially they ate on the verandah of the Old Mandali Hall, then 
moved into the cowshed as "improvements," like a stone floor and burlap 
bags to sit on, were added. A month or two of food preparation revealed 
that although all co-op members were equal in the Nazar of their 
Beloved, they were unequal as cooks. So they resolved to hire full-time 
cooks, share their personal servants, and let Alan have a free hand and 
total control. One other member took the job of accountant and tracked 
costs. It was a thrilling adventure. As Alan, the heart and soul of the 
original kitchen, later remarked, "The kitchen was part of our home, and 
not a canteen. The food was received as Baba’s prasad to keep us all 
here, caring for us and nourishing us."

Like all the mandali, Mehera took a keen interest in the residents' 
welfare. One day, she visited and observed the residents dining, seated 
on their burlap sacks in the former cowshed. She thoughtfully had 
benches and a table fabricated for them so they could eat more 
comfortably; some of those benches are still in service in the current 
residents' kitchen. An old, broken-down pindra, a large screened-in 
cupboard used to store milk and vegetables that Mehera identified as 
coming from her family’s residence in Poona and that had seen service at 
the Prem Ashram, was repaired by all the kitchen members and raised 
further their standard of living. She also ordered other improvements.

Padri humorously dubbed the new kitchen the "Savages' Kitchen." Mehera 
came to inaugurate it. By that time, the residents ate from the new 
tables. It was simple and charming. On special occasions, for lunch or 
dinner, the residents entertained guests like Kitty Davy, Francis 
Brabazon, members of The Society for Avatar Meher Baba, and most 
especially Mehera and the women mandali, who came every summer to lunch 
with the "Savages" crew. When Janet and Ted married, Mehera and the 
ladies came to have tea and cakes.

"Savages' Kitchen" has been functioning continually since 1977. It is 
not administered by the Trust; it is run by and for the residents who 
wish to avail themselves of its services. Volunteers among the residents 
take care of accounting, food supervision, food ordering, menu/cooking 
supervision, and dispensing of staples, in addition to their other 
duties at Meherabad. The original agreement between the members was to 
make all decisions by consensus.

The steady influx of more and more residents coming to serve at 
Meherabad necessitated more accommodations. In 1978, the Trust 
constructed the first Staff Quarters in Lower Meherabad. By 1979, this 
was populated by Gary Kleiner, Peter Nordeen, Dadi Kerawalla, Banu Masi, 
Bob Street, Meheru Billomoria, and Minoo Bharucha. In April 1981, the 
Trust gave a contract for the construction of still yet more Staff 
Quarters near the Hostels. Two new buildings went up, each consisting of 
three 12 ft. by 16 ft. rooms with an 8 ft. by 36 ft. verandah. The 
construction of additional Staff Quarters near Meher Hospital began in 
1986.

It was dear Mani's wish that every effort be made to ensure that the 
women residents lived in their Staff Quarters Compound in privacy and 
safety, and, as far as possible, to separate their compound from the 
other residential areas where men and married couples stayed. Thus, a 
natural hibiscus screen in a stone planter about a foot high and thirty 
feet long was built for this purpose, and the plants have now grown 
quite high. Inside this living natural wall exists a hint of the 
fragrance of the secluded compounds and enclosed private worlds Baba 
created for His Women Mandali. Similarly, Mani looked after the welfare 
of all the residents, men and women, and also sought to share her years 
of experience with them.

By the year 2000, at Outer Meherabad the residential buildings included 
the following: Doctors' Quarters, Men's Nurses' Quarters, Women's 
Nurses' Quarters, "the New Staff Quarters," and the "Boys' Block;" at 
Lower Meherabad, the small bungalow originally made by the contractor 
for the Meher Pilgrim Center, has housed various residents. Others 
reside at the Meher Nazar Trust Compound in Ahmednagar and at Meherazad 
as well.

The new century has already brought many changes. The completion of the 
Meher Pilgrim Retreat revealed the need for some quarters nearby for 
staff and management. To meet this need, in the future new 
administrative staff quarters will be built near the Retreat. The coming 
years will herald a new phase in residents' accommodation, and many more 
of Baba's lovers will come to stay at Meherabad and join in His work.

In The Spiritual Training Programme, Bhauji wrote: "When Beloved Baba 
was physically present, He would give whatever was necessary for the 
Mandali to live a very simple material life. I am suggesting that the 
Trust also help the Trainees live a simple material life by providing 
them with the basic material necessities . . . As funds become 
available, more staff quarters and more staff kitchens and dining halls 
should be built. Insofar as possible, each Spiritual Trainee should be 
accommodated in his or her own room. If a married couple wants to 
undergo Spiritual Training, then two rooms should be provided with 
kitchen and bathroom. . . . If a married couple wants to have children, 
they should make their own living arrangements outside of the Trust 
Estate. But the opportunity should be provided to them to continue to 
render selfless service with love, honesty and sincerity, so that they 
may please Beloved Baba. Also, as funds permit, staff quarters should be 
separate for men, women, and married couples."

Taking care of material necessities is, of course, only one part of 
creating an environment conducive to living a spiritual life of service. 
Spiritual trainees perform their duties under the aegis of the Trust's 
Mastery in Servitude program which provides, for those who are willing 
to avail themselves, the opportunity to live a life of humility, purity 
and truth in the service of God. Bhauji often reminds those who work 
here, "What is your duty? You just do. Do not say, 'I am doing this' and 
'I am doing that.'"

Bhauji explained further: "It is the duty of the Board to care for the 
Spiritual Trainees. But in trying to administer this care, things should 
not become standardised or institutionalised. If that happens, the charm 
will be lost. The Trust will lovingly provide the essentials to 
Spiritual Trainees, who are Baba's dear lovers; so that they can focus 
on what is real. . . . I am trying to give the feeling that, no matter 
how many Trainees there are in the future, everyone here is in the same 
household. Home means home. Those whose hearts are His are His home, and 
so they are precious to Him."


The contents of this article are drawn from conversations with long-time 
residents.