I would like to share one story that speaks to the enormous purpose or connectivity, not only of Meher Mount, but also of Baba’s Tree.
During my tenure as caretaker (2002-2010), I had to travel to Santa Fe, NM, as part of my work. On my travels there, I liked to go to the Santa Fe flea market. When I was at the market, I noticed a gentleman that was selling honey and bee pollen.
The bee pollen was extraordinary. It was almost psychedelic in color. It was so colorful, and it felt alive. I was really drawn to this guy, his honey, and his bee pollen.
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One day, a group from out of town visited. They had heard about Meher Mount in downtown Ojai, but they were not familiar with Avatar Meher Baba. The group was visiting because they were interested in sacred places and teachers and that sort of thing.
After hearing a description of the property, one of the men said, “So, all you have is this fountain, this visitor center that's closed [due to COVID], and that path that goes out to a tree?”
I said, “Yes.”
“Well, I have to tell you, I’m a little disappointed that you don't have a gift shop or something we can buy, some Meher Mount souvenir or at least a statue of this Meher Baba,” the visitor responded.
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When Meher Mount asked for memories and stories of Baba’s Tree, Leslie Callarman shared the following:
I gratefully sat under Baba’s Tree one day, thankful for the blessing of being able to physically be in a place where I knew Baba had been.
I imagined that the area would be eternally supercharged with the Divinity that He channeled through His physical form.
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It was our first family trip after COVID, and our primary objective was to go to a Meher Baba place. We wanted to document that experience and capture candid family moments and the breathtaking view.
Kids don't generally appreciate nature or seeing God in nature anymore since they are distracted with TV and mobile devices these days. But our daughters were particularly enamored with Baba's Tree. They sat and looked out at the views. They just wanted to take it in.
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Wildfires are an inevitability in Southern California where Meher Mount is located.
“…there is nothing unusual about fires in Los Angeles [Southern California], which is, after all, a desert city [region] with only two distinct seasons: one beginning in January and lasting three or four months, during which storms come from the northern Pacific and it rains… and one lasting eight or nine months, during which it burns or gets ready to burn.” (Joan Didion, “Fire Season in Los Angeles,” September 4, 1989, The New Yorker)
That’s why, even in the December pouring rain, Caretaker Eric Carlson was tending to fire prevention. He sent this email describing the day’s activities.
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As I arrive at the gate at Meher Mount, I see a covey of chubby quail having their Thanksgiving dinner in the parking lot. Typical. I’m always greeted by some form of wildlife when I arrive here.
Sure enough, as I pull up to the front of the Visitor Center, there is a three-point buck and two yearling deer feasting on one of Ellen’s potted plants near the fountain. Don’t tell her. I didn’t chase them away because, well, it is Thanksgiving.
Meher Mount is closed for the holiday. I have the place entirely to myself.
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Meher Baba touches the heart in the most unexpected ways.
It was late on Saturday, and I was walking down the driveway to the parking area with two first-time guests.
Unexpectedly on our left, a small group of deer came bounding out of the trees and ran in front of us, headed toward the open gate.
Suddenly, to our dismay, a fawn tried to go through a small space between two steel bars in the fence. The young deer got stuck halfway. The deer was simply too big to fit through the opening.
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A young couple from nearby Santa Barbara was attending a meditation class in Ojai when someone mentioned Meher Baba and Meher Mount to them. They felt an instant urge to visit.
From the moment they arrived, they started asking questions about Meher Baba and Meher Mount. They went out to Baba’s Tree and stayed there for about an hour.
When they returned, the young man said he had felt profound silence while he was at the tree.
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Often, Meher Baba would send visitors just at closing time. One such case happened on a Sunday in September – the last open day of our stay at Meher Mount.
A couple showed up 15 minutes before closing time looking for a spiritual place for their marriage proposal. They wanted a private and intimate setting. It was their first time at Meher Mount, and they knew little to nothing about the place.
“So how did you choose this place?” we asked.
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Visitors to Meher Mount seem to be Meher Baba’s specially invited guests. It appears that He is prompting each person at a particular moment in time to visit and strengthen their inner link to Him.
As temporary caretakers at Meher Mount in August-September 2020, we had the special opportunity to greet these visitors and share in their experiences.
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I had barely arrived when already the familiar sights and sounds pulled me into a feeling of being taken in, embraced, welcomed. A stillness settled in around me as I breathed in the sense of loving care that emanated all around me.
As I meandered over to Baba’s Walkway, running my hand along the golden cord that protects it in its repose, I suddenly felt a loving presence. A wisp of blue cloth, an imagined hand lifted to point the way. The proud tour guide leading me around back to see the recently planted flowers.
If Meher Mount has taught me anything, it is this: Avatar Meher Baba is ever-present to those who seek Him, and sooner or later, we all find that special place where He always awaits.
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In this time of sheltering, when so many places are understandably closed to visitors, Meher Mount being open feels like a huge blessing, affording an intimacy in this time of seclusion. It continues to radiate His Love and His Call from the top of Sulphur Mountain.
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My own travels have taken me to places Avatar Meher Baba visited in Europe, Australia, South Carolina, and India. Now for the first time, I visit Meher Mount in Ojai, CA. I adore it.
Always loaded with spiritual expectations, we get stripped there. All what one might envisage of a spiritual center was not there: no discourses, no meditation sessions, no designated prayer spots, no singing.
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Meher Mount, this sacred place that Meher Baba visited on August 2, 1956, is vibrant with His love and presence, but it is a bit remote.
Yet, it seems to attract more guests that have never heard of Meher Baba than any other center. Some visitors want to know more about Him, but most just seem to fall in love with the "feeling" of His place.
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The following is excerpted with permission from “Musings on the Young Adult Sahavas,” by Ryan Brown, Love Steet Lamp Post, October-January, 2001 (1st Quarter 2001), pp.4-5. ©Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California.
The Young Adult Sahavas at Meher Mount from June 23-27, 2000, was a time of fellowship, service, and remembrance of Avatar Meher Baba.
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The first Young Adult Sahavas (for ages 18-35) was held August 7-9, 1998 at Meher Mount.
Organizers pulled the Sahavas together in three weeks after close-Meher-Baba-disciple Bhau Kalchuri told them, “Enough talk, talk, talk – it is time to do, do, do!”
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People often ask, "When is a good time to visit Meher Mount?" I always say the wintertime. It is is my favorite time of year.
The weather is crisp, but generally not too cold. The air is clear - the fog of summer is gone. The skies are bright blue. And there is a special "winter" light on the land.
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Meher Mount is important to me because of its long association with Avatar Meher Baba. That Meher Baba blessed Meher Mount with His visit in 1956 has profound significance for me.
What makes Meher Mount extra special are its natural qualities and beautiful setting – something increasingly rare and precious in Southern California.
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That a small, yet steady, percentage of first-time visitors arrive at Meher Mount by sheer happenstance, rather than intention, seems to exceed the rational probabilities of this occurring as often as it does.
Some do say they felt drawn up the mountain for inexplicable reasons. Some are on a country drive hoping for spectacular views. Others are simply passing by and are curious. Whatever the reason, they found their way to Meher Mount.
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It was our last day at Meher Mount in May 2006 after a year of caretaking. We were packing up the house along with our things on the porch at the side of the barn.
I spoke to Lilly saying that we should find a motel room nearby in Santa Paula, sleep there that night, and drive the rest of the distance to Flagstaff, Arizona, in the morning.
I reached for the phone to dial 411 for "information" to ask for motels nearby. Because I was so tired, instead I dialed 911 for "emergency!"
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