Gary's Rap Song

Gary's Rap Song

 

Today is January 22nd, and I am celebrating my 20th anniversary of coming to live in India. I had a really great day, which included some sadness, but that is one of the things that makes something really great.

I went to Meherazad in the afternoon and brought a bottle of wine there which I shared with Eruch, Aloba and about 15 people who were hanging around there. Everybody was very good spirited and wished for me many more years of love and service in His Cause. It was a great feeling, especially the love that I felt from Eruch.

When I was getting ready to leave Meherazad, I told Eruch that I had to go into Mandali Hall, to talk to Baba, because I was not just coming around to entertain the troops, but I also needed to make contact with the Main Man. So, I went into the Hall and bowed down and thanked the Lord, in my own way, for all the help that He has given me over the years, and the Grace that was dispensed upon me... the Grace that was the key to me being here for these 20 years.

Well, I walked out of Mandali Hall and I came up to Eruch to say good-by one more time. As I was hugging him, he asked me, "So what did he tell you?" I was taken by surprise, since I did not really catch the reference. And then I thought, maybe he is asking me what Baba said to me. So, I put my outstretched arms on Eruch's shoulders, and said to him, "He said that He is happy that I am learning how to play my part and not become my part. He is happy that I am offering Him my imperfections. He is happy that I am being helpful to His close ones. And He is very happy that I am happy to be a part of the Separation, so that He can live in and enjoy His state of Oneness.

Eruch put his hands on my cheeks and then brought his lips to my face and kissed me. Then he said, "I am happy to hear you say this. I'm proud of you. Happy Anniversary." Well, that's about as good as it gets.

20 years! I could never have imagined that my journey would have brought me to this space. Here is my tale. This is my Truth! I am not what I appear to be. Although I fool myself and others by pretending to be "Otherness", I am nothing but "Oneness". Real Birth is Point A, and Real Death is Point Z. All of us in Otherness have the same A and Z. The only difference between any of us is the "B to V". B to V is our song and our dance. B to V is the only offering that we can make.

My main man Eruch, keeps telling the story about Meher Baba saying to His Lovers, during a Darshan program, "Why do you offer me flowers and garlands and fruits and other gifts which already belong to me? Why don't you give me something that is not mine?"

"But Baba, since the whole Universe is yours, what can we offer you that is not yours?" someone yelled out.

"All want from all of you is that you offer me your imperfections. Because that is the only thing that I do not have." Baba told them.

A. We are born perfect. Z. We die perfect. From B to Y we transform from burning with desire to yearning for the fire!

But here is the irony and here is my point. The game is rigged. Every loser gets to win. Every idiot becomes a hero. "Whether you want it or not you will get it!" So what is the big deal of being a leaf that floats down-river and eventually gets deposited in the Ocean. I'll tell you what's so cool about that. The ride is cool!

But the coolest thing of all, is that it is all a joke. There is no-one offering, there is no-one receiving. There is no-thing to offer, there is no-thing to receive.

My man Eruch tells another story about the time that Baba was in a car, and Eruch was driving, and all of a sudden Baba started laughing uncontrolably. Baba turns to Eruch, and says, "Let me tell you why I am laughing so hard. You see that man over there, who is bowing down to that Saints tomb? He is bowing down to himself. That was him in his past life." Good joke, but you have to be omnicient to make a wise crack like that. But that's not my point.

That evening after I heard this story, I went up on my usual sojourn to the graveyard on top of Meherabad hill. I went into the dome shaped Tomb and was ready to go through my normal laundry list of requests and my usual bickerings with my Insurance Agent. But instead I just cracked up. Audible, loud laughter. Tears pouring down. Why? Because something or some-one inside me said, "It's the same joke. You are just bowing down to your-Self!"

It's time for the bottom lines.

There is only Oneness. Separateness is an illusion that Oneness creates and sustains.

Why?

Because as any-one who has experienced an eternity of Oneness knows, "One is lonliest when One is all alone!"

So lonely, that even the most unimaginable horrors in the Holocaust of Separation, become the soothing balm that make Infinite and Eternal Oneness bearable. Without Separation, Oneness could not exist!

So, here is another joke. I thought that my offerings and devotions were all~ geared to get me to Oneness. Hell No!

My only real offering is to play my part in separation. Not become my part. Play my part. Not worrying about when I will reach Point Z. But how long I can surf the B to Y.

Every idiot who has seen A will see Z. God-damn it, let's put some style into the B to Y.

I have nothing to tell you. I have nothing to sell you. There is nothing to do. We're just passing through.

Oneness would die if there were no volunteers to play the part of Separateness.

I'm there for you baby! How much do I love you? I'm in Heaven when you smile. Go ahead, bring every-one to the other shore. I'm here baby, playing my part.

Separation started out as a mission, but it has become a Love Affair. I don't want to go back. I'm happy with this life sentence.

If you want me, you'll have to hunt me down. But I am not easy to catch. I have spread my-self into every nook and cranny of Separateness.

Hey, baby... Hope you like the show so far.

So, are you looking for me, or am I looking for you?

The only entertainment that we have is temptation. You tempt me to Oneness, and I tempt you to Separateness.

You exist because I exist, and I exist because you exist. We are completely inter-dependant, yet we appear like rivals and enemies.

I love you my dear Soul-Mate, I am there for you, as I know that you are there for me. I am playing my part, as you are playing yours.

I love you my dear Soul-Mate, and may our love be forever unfulfilled, So that our existence is never threatened.

Guard your fort brother! I will guard mine!

EPILOGUE!

I just read this article to Eruch. Since I mention him in it, I wanted him to hear what I had written. He listened, and asked a few questions while I was reading...like: did you use a capital "S" in that Self?

After I was finished he said to me, "Your article is very good. You did a good job with it. But people will have a hard time accepting this. If you were Hafiz, and if you were dead, people would applaud you for this. Even if you told people that these are renderings of Hafiz they would love it. But they will not be able accept that you are saying these things. They will call you a Heretic. "

So, my 20th Anniversary of living here is also the Birthday of the Religion of Meher Baba! Why? Because just as Oneness can not exist without Separation, Heresy can not exist without Religion.

671 bottled years on the wall, 671 bottled years. If one of those bottles should happen to fall, we'd have 670 bottled years on the wall.

I will keep chanting this ditty till the next Advent. It will remind me that with each passing year, we are coming closer to the New Advent..."The Fresh Quaker Oats, II when once again we have a chance to live and love in a "Heresy Free State!"

671 bottled years on the wall'

There is nothing but waiting. How you wait, reveals who you are! The wait is our song and dance!

 

Gary Kleiner