HEROINES OF THE PATH

Elizabeth's love of animals is well known. Her pets take their place in Baba history, especially Kippy, the miniature Boston terrier and Foundy, a Newfoundland dog deserted by his master in India and which Baba gave permission to keep. She brought him back to America in '41 and returned with him to India in '46 (Foundy rode in a carrier specially built by Abercrombie and Fitch).

One day in January, 1948 Elizabeth was crying. Baba queried "Why?" on His board. "Foundy is dying," she replied. Baba answered "He will live longer than Gandhi". Gandhi was shot the next day and Foundy lived two days more. In the ashram, the pet animals were usually in her care. Baba once said, a person who had met the Avatar many many times and skipped many human incarnations may feel very close to the animal world.

Besides her love of animals, Elizabeth had a strong literary side. In India Elizabeth edited the Meher Baba Journal. She said the staff pinned Baba down to "contributing" one article a month; the first discourse was, naturally, on the Avatar. It was from these articles the collected Discourses evolved. She wrote up her "Spiritual Journey with a Modern Guru" in the Journal. In a section called "Follow Love," she writes:

"Love often stirs the heart through a little thing in life, and at the same time has the possibility to end with the greatest thing in life. As much as we all desire love, it is rare to find one soul who dares even the thought of its ultimate completion, rising above all duality and play of opposites to become truly One through God-realization. The personification of Divine Love on earth is the God-Man, who is Love, Lover and the Beloved."

Baba called His way the path of love. No matter what other route one takes to God, in the end it is love alone that brings union. What easier way than to begin with love? What matter if the Beloved puts all His brides "under the veil" so they neither see, hear nor use the delights and powers of the Planes, if at the end they join Him? "If you have love, union with the Beloved is certain," Baba has stated.

Elizabeth Patterson passed away in Myrtle Beach on December 6, 1980 at 84 years of age. Her ashes were placed near Baba's Samadhi — close to His feet. The inscription on her grave, "Elizabeth is with Baba" was chosen by her and approved by Baba many years before.

P.S. Someone once asked Elizabeth how she was able to give so much to each person, to each and everything, every day, and she replied "If one sets a time each morning to listen to God in silence, that day becomes the answer." And as her monument she has left us "the Center" where an ongoing stream of visitors may find Him in silence.