News of the horrific events of 11th September in America reached Meherabad in what is evening time here in India. Shock, horror and many repetitions of Beloved Baba’s Name filled the Pilgrim Centre as people gathered around radios to follow the news.
As Baba would have it, the next day, Wednesday 12th September, was the day scheduled for Katie, one of the women mandali from Meherazad, to come to Baba’s Samadhi and offer her new cookbook at His feet. We had planned to follow with a little tea party down the Hill for Katie and her book helpers. Needless to say, Wednesday morning no one was in the mood for a party. But nonetheless we all gathered up the Hill to meet Katie at the appointed time.
She arrived from Meherazad about 10:30 a.m., distressed and pale. We learned that the mandali had all spent the evening before watching the news on TV, and afterwards dear Goher went into Baba’s room and prayed, “Baba, save America” over and over. Katie said no one slept much; they were all too sad. As she had left for Meherabad that morning, the women had given her a rose “to offer for America” at Baba’s feet.
We walked with her into the Samadhi and immediately Katie, with tears in her eyes and in the simplest, most touching words, began to pray to Him for those who had died in the attacks. Then she offered a huge rose flower garland on the Samadhi, not for the book as planned, but for the victims. (The cookbook did eventually get placed at His feet, almost as an afterthought!) Then she sat down inside, and we sat. After a few silent minutes with Baba, Katie suddenly asked, “May I sing?” “Oh yes, Katie!” we said. Then she said, “I want to sing the Seven Names of God for those who passed away.”
And so she started to sing: “Hari, Paramatma, Allah, Ahuramazd, God, Yezdan, Hu”, the song composed by Baba which she had sung every morning on the Hill over 60 years ago with Mehera, Mani and all the other ashram women. Sung in her strong, rich voice, the beautiful ancient Names rose and filled the Samadhi, reverberating on and on, lifting darkness, reaffirming Reality, there at the feet of God, the all-Merciful, all-Compassionate, all-Knowing.
It was with lighter spirits that Katie and the group trooped down the Hill afterwards for tea.
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= Heather Nadel
for Tavern Talk, 13 Sept. 01
