HEROINES OF THE PATH

Baba once said, "The world is My ashram," and some of His devotees He has kept continuously in the world. Ivy Duce was certainly typical.

Born on the same day as Baba, February 25, but in 1895, Ivy had a conventional childhood which she turned topsy-turvy for her day by studying law. She also had a lovely soprano voice and studied singing. (Baba once asked her what she really wanted to do in life and she answered "To be a singer.") Following her law career, she travelled, often by muleback, in South America as secretary to an oil engineer, and that is how she met Mr. Duce, who later became an executive of the Aramco Oil Company. This worldly position required her to change her domicile frequently, to travel, to entertain high-ranking diplomats, sheiks, and businessmen.

Inwardly, however, she was seeking enlightenment. After experimenting with astrology, Tarot, and an unsuitable "guru," she became the mureed or student of Murshida Rabia Martin (named for the famous Sufi Saint) whom Inyat Khan had chosen to continue his Sufi work. As I mentioned previously, Rabia had come to live with us in New York and learn about Meher Baba. After accepting Him as Avatar, she informed her students; many left, but Ivy was one of those who stayed "in Baba," together with Lud Dimpfl, Don Stevens and Samuel Lewis. (Sam, too, lived with us in New York and was caretaker of the Center in Myrtle Beach for a year.) Rabia never lived to meet Baba, but appointed Ivy as her successor, (a decision which turned Sam Lewis away from Baba, unfortunately).

Ivy asked Baba if she could come to India and meet Him, and Baba acquiesced. This was in January, 1948, just before the New Life and His ashram was still intact; Elizabeth and Norina were still there. Ivy had come to visit us several times in New York, together with her beautiful and charming daughter Charmian, and that is when I first met them both.

She has described her meeting with the Avatar in her autobiography How a Master Works. Baba not only gave her inwardly a taste of His infinite love but clarified her position as Murshida or leader of the Sufi Order. He affirmed it was her destiny, and "reoriented" its whole structure to be one-pointed on Him.

"He said that as long as I didn't claim to be a saint or anything, and if I remained totally honest, He would guide me," she told a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. She describes her experience in Baba's home: "I got up to examine (some photos) and as soon as my mind was off guard and on the photos, I suddenly felt as if a javelin had been hurled at me, and I fell back into my chair while my heart seemed to be turning upside down over and over. I burst into sobs but was aware that the Master had crossed the room and stood behind me. He bent over and kissed the top of my head where the pituitary gland is. The Sufis describe a spiritual experience known as 'overturning the chalice of the heart,' which is to empty the heart of all except God, and I assume this condition was also initiated by Baba."

She returned from India dedicated to fulfilling her new role as Murshida of "Sufism Reoriented." Baba gave generously of His advice in correspondence with her regarding the new charter, the lessons for the mureeds and so forth. Meanwhile she had moved to New York and taken an apartment on West 67th Street. I would visit her frequently and we became good friends. One afternoon I "saw" a very striking man standing at her study door, with brilliant dark eyes, a long beard, and wearing a long caftan. I "heard" him say, "We all serve Baba now." I described him to Ivy and she brought me a picture of Inyat Khan: it was the same man.

On her return from India I invited her to come tell us her experiences in meeting Baba. She said she would come if we accepted her as our teacher. I said Baba was our only teacher (Baba had instructed us to be open and democratic in structure) and she declined. A few months later she changed her mind and we had a delightful evening.

She began to attract a following in New York and several people in our group joined the Sufis; some of her mureeds left and joined our group. Naturally this caused some friction and misunderstanding. Following my Quaker heritage, I tried my best always to reconcile differences, feeling there are as many paths to God as there are individuals. When Baba came in '52, Ivy brought her mureeds to meet Him, including those from the West Coast, Washington, and one from Australia, Francis Brabazon, the poet, who had heard of Baba through Rabia Martin and her mureed, the Baron Von Frankenberg. Baba sent Francis home at once — he caught the last boat out for six months. Later, he left the Sufi order and went to India to live with Baba.