AMBCSC LANDSCAPE NEWSLETTER

AMBCSC LANDSCAPE NEWSLETTER

A Meherabode Publication

nCARNATION ISSUE ONE

Mehera’s Garden From Mehera/Meher

One day, Baba was admiring the flowers in the garden. Colorful

varieties had been planted. Baba loved bright flowers and

remarked, “I like these very much. They look so pretty.” Mehera

complained to him, “It’s not easy to grow these kind of flowers

here at Meherazad, where the soil is so poor. We have to bring

soil from far away, near the lake. Then, when heavy rains come,

the topsoil is washed away, because the ground at Meherazad

slopes. It takes so much time to grow these flowers. It’s a lot of

work!” Baba said “Yes, that is why I appreciate it. Because the

soil is poor, you have to work hard, with so much care and love;

then the flowers and plants that come up are special. What’s the

use if it is good soil, if you plant seeds, water them a little, and

they grow easily by themselves? I wouldn’t have appreciated that

as much. This is how I like it. I appreciate the garden because of

your efforts.”

Mehera said, “I look out on the garden and picture Baba

coming round in the garden from far. I imagine I am running

to embrace him. ”These are some of the beautiful flowers in my

garden,” Baba remarked, as he gestured towards the Meherazad

flowerbed. Just then, as Mehera walked across the veranda,

Baba glanced in her direction and added, “And that is the most

beautiful flower.”

History of the Meherabode Gardens

Meher Baba’s Manifestation took another upward push with the purchase of the Meherabode property in 1977. One the of first areas of development was Mehera’s Rose Garden with morethan 20 special rose plants carefully chosen. The diversity of rose plants are located at the entrance corner of the main building. An inventory of the trees was made, and several that were cracking walls and foundations had to be removed. More than 18 new flowering trees planted, including dogwood, pink trumpet flower, gold medallion, crape myrtle, jacaranda, Western redbud, and lilac. One specimen, in particular, a very attractive fully mature Himalayan pine, cedrus deodara, was lost due to over watering. The culprit hidden, below the surface, a broken pipeline soaking the area during a heavy rainy season did accelerate the decay and death of the Himalayan pine. The sprinkler systems have been upgraded, and repaired. Included in the irrigational operations is an extensive drip system to keep down water expenses. The Landscape Committee is very keen on practical management of the hardscape and softscape environments. This will greatly reduce the amount of water needed to sustain the Meherabode garden.The Greenhouse floor was excavated, a professional metal grid, compacted earth, and new paver stones applied. This transformation will be presented in future nCarnation issues as a Greenhouse slideshow. The Dome’s stone pathways were completely restored, and complementary perennial gardens established at the parking lot edges.

The Monsoon Gardens, known as Upper Monsoon and Lower Monsoon over the last few years were completely excavated. This entailed the removal of discarded concrete, refuse, and a hodgepodge of materials that had been buried in these sections the last couple decades. These areas were revitalized with mulch, compost, amendments. The Monsoon Gardens are gradually evolving as flower gardens. The diversity of trees that populate the grounds have received professional trimming to maintain their health and appearance. The fruit trees -persimmon, avocado, fig, and citrus are showing new health after applications of managed fertilization. Vines were planted on neighbor fences for privacy and their appearance is pleasingly attractive. The bamboo grove required special attention. After a thorough trimming, shaving, and rake cleaning of the bamboo grove appropriate nutrients were then administered, and their appearance is full with a strong leaf growth. Hopefully in the future we can add additional ornamental bamboo to special areas to enhance the visual appearance of the Center. An new area incorporated into the expanding garden montage is the vegetable garden. The vegetable garden is located in the northern areas adjacent to the Dome’s exterior landscape. The distinct advantage of this area is the complement of full sun. Here we have thriving a harvest of pumpkins, tomatoes, onions, lemongrass, tomato, beets, parley, squash. This area is affectionately known as the Victory Garden. A complete Jai. In future nCarnation issues we will delve fully into our extensive exterior ambitions. To

complete this brief survey it is by intensive mulching and soil improvements that we have enhanced all planted areas. These deliberate acts will assist in implementing aggressive community, conservation efforts. These improvements have mostly been accomplished with special donations. These generous contributions, especially during these austere financial times, softens the impact on the Center’s ongoing operational needs.

GARDEN SOAPBOX

THE VOLUNTEER AND THE WORKER

The Garden Soapbox is where we sprout an abundance of opinion, insight, and an occasional philosophical statement.

It’s this impression: that as devotees we incarnate to serve this Ancient One, His Advents. For ages sitting in plain view is the sign up sheet for volunteers. The volunteer leaf with a few smudges, in its various incarnations, exists, unsigned. Public announcement sent through the Internet soliciting help failed to arouse interest. The regular crew can only accomplish in their work flow just enough to keep the grounds attractive. The apathy of community support and it general resistance is informative and revealing. This is an aspect of His Manifestation, this Meher Baba Center, His Los Angles residence. For those who enter His one acre property they may be a simple visitor, and for the remainder dedicated to His Manifestation, devoted slaves. Hopefully the Call will exit the wilderness and find support close to home.

As explained by Meher Baba at Rajahmundry, Andhra State

March, 1954

A few excerpts from this magnificent article: “To chant my Arti, to perform my Puja, to garland me, to offer me fruits and sweets, and to bow down to me mean absolutely nothing. From ages eternal, Gods have been performing my real Puja. It is wastage of money on garlands,

fruits and sweets as offerings to me for the conventional Puja, and a sheer wastage of breath and energy merely to chant my Arti. What I want from all my lovers is real, unadulterated love, and from my genuine workers I expect real work done. Now with this introduction, let us switch to the main points of ‘My Work and Baba’s Workers.’ Those who have assembled here have been called workers of ‘Baba’; therefore, you must necessarily understand first what my work is. But somehow I feel that something is very wrong deep down. It is natural that amongst workers of any cause, political, social or spiritual, there are bound to be differences of opinion. But these very differences of opinion and competitions and jealousies lead to absolute breakdown of the very basis of work.

Now it is time you realize that you have been called upon to do ‘Baba’s’ work, and you have been called ‘Baba’s’ workers.

Therefore to call yourselves as my workers and yet not to obey me would be hypocritical.When the Powerhouse is switched on, wherever there are electric bulbs, and if they have connection with the powerhouse, there will be light. If some of the bulbs are of small candle-power, the light will be little. If some of the bulbs are of high candle-power, the light will be bright. If the bulb is fused, there will be no light at all. I perform no miracles, but when I break my silence, the first and the last miracle will be performed. Love me whole-heartedly. That is the only thing. Love me, love me, love me and love me, and then you will find me.”

Kind Hearts are the Garden, Kind Thoughts are the Root

Kind Words are the Blossoms, Kind Deeds are the Fruit

At Least SometimesMeher Baba

O Meher, Your lover is restless — at least sometimes hear him,At least sometimes ask him what he wants,at least sometimes ask him what he is pleading for.

O Beloved, You are a flower; You are also its fragrance and color.You are the garden and its Gardener; at least sometimes manifest.

You are not the garden where there are thorns.I am searching for that garden of only one flower,at least sometimes shower Your grace so I can find it.

You are not that flower whose fragrance ever diminishes.O Beloved, open the bud of my heart, at least sometimes fill itwith the fragrance which always remains fresh.

You are not that flower which withers —You are that flower which eternally blooms.

What a wonderful smile You have;At least sometimes fill the flower of my heart with that smile.

You are not that flower whose color will fade.I am searching for that flower, at least sometimes give it to me.

O Meher, I have dedicated myself at Your feet;You are my life and everything for me.Let your color and fragrance at least sometimes fill my heart.

How is it possible for tears to utter anything? The ocean has been filled with their drops. O Beloved, listen to the language of my tears and at least sometimes have mercy on me.

I am the branch of the garden’s tree which has been chopped down.What should I do now? I am infinitely restless;O Beloved, at least sometimes come and be with me.

This love is now causing my ruin — O Beloved, have mercy on Bhau;Murder him this very moment — O Beloved, this will be his cure.

Scattered over the world there are billions of tiny postage stamp properties. All these billions of stamps inhabited by humanity. Along the pacific continental shelf smack dab in the middle of Los Angeles is a one acre postage stamp parcel. This is a special Advent stamp. It is a marvelous gift. Certified and postmarked by the Ancient One. This limited edition stamp is priceless. Located within this His living, breathing Advent parcel stamp is the Victory Garden. Herbs, fruits, and vegetables.

From the epic Maya Journals:

Victory gardens were planted in backyards, front yards, playgrounds, and on apartment-building rooftops, with the occasional vacant lot “commandeered for the maya war effort!” During the Manifestation shop-ping centers were torn down, and the land reclaimed for the victory garden. The government turned to its citizens and encouraged them to plant a Victory Garden. They wanted individuals to provide their own fruits and vegetables. The government began to pass out seed packets from the Latent Seed Company. Nearly 220 million Americans answered the call. They planted their Victory Gardens in neighborhoods, parks, and vacant lots. Neighbors pooled their resources, planted different kinds of foods and formed Meher Baba cooperatives, all in the name of Truth.

On this God’s one acre are many victory gardens. Between the south end, lower Monsoon Garden and the north end, upper Monsoon Garden are patches of gardens making up the whole quilt. The rose garden, the pumpkin patch, the fruit tree orchards, and the various flower gardens.

Vegetable Garden

The crops in our average harvest are beets, tomatoes, acorn squash, carrots, zucchini, broccoli, pumpkins, mint, parsley. Occasionally a bird may fly over and drop into the loam a fresh seed.

The greatest challenge besides the unending weeding, tilling, composting is water management. To keep water expenses down we have water timers, drips systems, and most urgent a willing water walla to keep saturated and soak our one acre.

GODS WILL BE HU THIS PROJECT

Every grain of wood cellulose in these benches screams out for treatment, protection, tenderness, and care. Hu~ will handle this task knowing that careful attention will require a very professional sanding. A good job may take long hours. After the bench is prepared it will require vigorous coatings of sealant; this will take tenacity and attention to every detail. With several applications, brush by brush caress, the bench will be almost finished. Approaching this thresh hold, the ultimate volunteer, will apply the final layers of varnish - the bench is now redeemed.

Green House Gutter Rust One Volunteer

Wire Brush Paint

Prayers and Grit and Grind And Sweating Sweet White

Green House Gutter Rust

Behind the Scenes there is the meticulous daily ritual

To prepare the Center for the New Humanity

On wings of Broken Silence

Works ~ Past ~ Present ~ Future ~ nCarnations

nCarnation’s the Season’d Word

Latent

Part One, the Latent Series from Meher Baba’s God Speaks

The first urge was latent in Paramatma.This most finite point of manifestation of the latent first urge is called the “Om” Point or Creation Point and this point is unlimited.This Nothing is latent in the Everything. But Nothing, being literally nothing, the very being of being nothing is nothing at all.

As this Nothing is latent in the Everything, the Nothingness of the Nothing is embedded in the Everything as the Latency.Thus, in the infinitude of the God-Is state all that is latent in the nature of Infinity, which is Everything, is the Nothing.

Therefore anything that is latent in Everything is of the Nothing. In short, except for the infinity of the infinitude, all things are latent in the God-Is state of Everything; and all that is latent is of the Nothing with all its aspects as Nothingness.

In the God-Is state where the Nothing is latent, automatically by the nature of nothingness, consciousness also exists as Nothing.

Accordingly consciousness in the Beyond the Beyond state of God is ever and ever latent in God Who is by nature the Everything — infinite and unlimited and unbounded. Thus automatically, by His very nature of being the Everything, God in the God-Is state has in Him ever and ever infinite power, infinite knowledge, infinite bliss and all that is infinitely glorious or beautiful.

Because God is the Everything and the Infinite, the opposite of the Everything, which is the Nothing, must be most finite. Therefore the Nothing is latent in the God-Is state as the most finite; or, in the infinite state of God which is the Everything there is latent the most finite state of the Nothing.

It is only natural that when this latent and most finite Nothing manifests, it ought to manifest as most finite. But it is a most paradoxical fact that when this most finite Nothing manifests, its manifestation gradually expands ad infinitum .

The thing that gives infinity to this most finite Nothing is G o d ’s own latent trio-n a t u re of infinite power, infinite knowledge and infinite bliss which, by virtue of being the nature of God, obviously pervades the infinitude of the God-Is state latently. Naturally, this infinite trio-nature also envelops this most finite Nothing when latent in the infinity of the Everything.

Jesus in telling this parable:

“A farmer went out to sow his seed....

The seed is the word of God.”

Garden Gazette

The web gallery is a photo library, a footprint, that reveals the gruelling work, quietly done, behind the scenes, over the years on this land of grace, God's One Acre, Meherabode. Every reader is encouraged to take that first twist, untie another sanskaric knot, and visit our Internet Meherabode Photo Library.

Slideshows Promotions Press Releases News Release & Sundry

The AMBCSC interior and exterior views -grounds & buildings Price of Admission : One SanskaraEnter here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuxTCXHsWewEnter here :http:www.youtube.com/meherbabaarchivesThe AMBCSC landscape journals notes and history Price of Admission : One SanskaraEnter here: http://ambcscgardencollective.blogspot.com/The AMBCSC landscape historyPrice of Admission : One Sanskara Enter here: http://www.meherbabalibrary.com/Garden/

For thoughts, provocations, cool article, soapbox admissions, photo submissions, and all sundry of latent materials that should be considered for nCarnation publication please contact: [email protected]

"Nature's beauty has thousands of facets for which there are thousands of ways and means of acceptance; in the Path of Gnosis, who can determine which particular mode or mood is earmarked for a given individual?"

Frugal Living

The Greenhouse An Historical Sampling

Copyright SoupPhotos Quotes Impressions

© Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust, Ahmednagar, India Lord Meher ©Bhau Kalchuri; ©Mani S. Irani Collection ©Sheriar Foundation; ©Dodd Mead; ©Google Images

Rights reservations belong to the copyright holders