To: All Dear Ones
By email:
Date: May 12, 2001
Subject: Bhau’s Dhuni Day "Awakening" - Burn The
Distance in the Fire of Love

From Bhau:

Beloved Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai!

Today [12th May], the morning was very pleasant. As soon as I woke up, I remembered that I had to attend the Dhuni that evening. I went for a walk around Sheela's house, and I forgot all thoughts of the Dhuni.

I walked about 25 minutes today. I felt Baba was speaking in my heart. Though it was in silence, I could understand it.

He said to me, "Do you know why I lighted the Dhuni in 1925? It was not just for the rain. The villagers came. They wanted rain. I asked them to go back, and I will see what God can do. They left. I lighted the Dhuni along with my Mandali members at 11:00 at night. Just after that, it started raining.

"After one year, in order to celebrate the anniversary of the Dhuni, again it rained. I was in Toka. Again villagers came to me for rain. I lighted the Dhuni, and it rained. Afterwards, because I started traveling all over India and the West, the Dhuni was not lighted. Then, in December 1941, when I was in strict Seclusion, working only with the Masts, the preparation for war was going on furiously. On 12th December, 1941, I informed the Mandali that I would light the Dhuni. As I was in Seclusion, I never wanted anyone to see Me. So I was brought down the hill in an enclosure of bedsheets. There was an enclosure all around the Dhuni on the same spot where I lighted the Dhuni in 1925.

"I was there, along with the Mandali. I said to them, 'I have made all preparations for the war. Just like you have put the fuel here, and it now requires only to strike the matchstick and to light the fire. So also My preparation is complete. It requires to only to strike the matchstick.’

"Then I said to the Mandali, 'Pleader, you will get God Realization.'

"The other Mandali members looked at Me, amazed. I said to them, 'All of my Mandali will get God Realization.'

"Dhuni was lighted, and I announced, 'My seat will be here for 1,200 years.'

"Again, just after one month, in memory of Upasni Maharaj, I lighted the Dhuni on 12th January 1942. A grand feast was arranged for the villagers that day, and I announced that the Dhuni is to be lighted every month on 12th. Since then, the Dhuni has been lighted every month on the 12th. I also took part in the Dhuni in 1954, when the Declaration Meeting was there. Also in 1955, during the Sahavas period, and again in 1958.

"But what is the secret of the Dhuni? You don't understand. It is not any ritual or ceremony. It is the medium of My Universal Work.

"Bhau, today you are going to offer the greeting cards, e-mails, letters, and phone voices to the Dhuni, with a prayer that I should light the Fire of Love in the hearts of My dear ones. I am happy you are doing this. I am in everyone, but do you find Me in everyone? Though I am thousands of times closer than the breath of everyone, and am the very life of everyone, but do you find Me?

"You don't find.

"You find distance. Your own self creates this distance, which self contains ego, anger, lust, temptations, wants, jealousy, backbiting and all sorts of low desires. You find distance from Me because of all these desires, wants and temptations created by the self. I am not away from anyone, and I cannot remain away. Even if you try to drive Me out, I cannot go away from anyone, because only I exist. Whatever you find existing is nothing but the creation of the self, and the self must go in order to find Me. There should not be any distance. Therefore, you have to burn the distance in the Fire of Love. That is why this Dhuni is lighted. When you offer this distance out of love, you will find that the distance goes on minimizing gradually and gradually.

"You are taking all these greeting cards, e-mails, letters and phone voices to Me where the Dhuni will be lighted. Know well you are bringing My dear ones near Me, and for a moment they forget the distance, because you are forgetting the distance. I am very, very happy that you are doing so. I feel touched with your action. I am the Doer, and you are offering their love and wish to Me, and you have no idea how happy I will be. All My dear ones will be here with Me, and though you are offering the flowers and the sticks for them, I know their love is doing this for Me. They are indeed blessed."

When the voice stopped, I looked at my watch. I started at 7:55 a.m. and it was 8:20 a.m. It was the longest walk today after my surgery, and I was not feeling tired. I was feeling fresh.

I came to the porch, and I was sitting there. I asked Max to read the LAMPPOST, and he was reading. Then Freeman came. So I asked Max to go for breakfast, and Freeman was reading the LAMPPOST. I thought, that Baba was telling me about the Dhuni fire, and here is the LAMPOST.

May He light the lamp of love in your hearts, O Beloved Baba's dear ones!

With all love and Jai Babas.

In His Love and Service,

Bhau Meherabad May 12, 2001