MAC Picnic on May 4thOn May 4th, we hosted a picnic lunch at the site of the new Meher Archive building. The intention was to have a nice outdoor picnic on the soccer field, but the weather did not cooperate so we set up the auditorium with tables and chairs. Despite the fact that the whole building is under various stages of construction (and deconstruction), we had a lovely time and good food. Some people who had never seen what MAC has been up to left comments about their impressions of the property and endeavor to make a multi-purpose center dedicated to Meher Baba in Asheville, NC. Here are some of the sweet notes we received: “What daring of the Asheville Baba family to take on such a wonderful project as acquiring the Red Oak School. The loving endeavors of you all, combined with the potential of the site will, with Baba’s grace, bloom into a Baba Center that will lack for nothing. “It was a blustery day, punctuated with burst of driving rain and hail. I wasn’t entirely sure I could make it to the Red Oak School, or should even try, given the treacherous conditions—but I knew how much love had been poured into creating a communal and archival space for Baba and his community in the West, and I couldn’t bear to let the opportunity pass by to see how things were progressing. “Baba,” I said, “if you want me to be there to support my community, I need you to make it safe enough for me to drive up there and back. Despite the great swaths of green, yellow, and red on the radar, the hail let up, and a quiet blanket of clouds settled just above the treetops. “You always get your way, Baba,” I thought with a gentle smile. “We were lucky enough to tour the space at end-of-August 2018, and then again last week. We were amazed at the incredible amount of work that had been done in such a short time—in demolition as well as in the various stages of renovation. So much thought and care (and love) have already gone into the planning and purposing of each space, both in and outside of the building. Planning is apparently being projected in centuries, and not merely decades...and that stopped us both in our tracks. May our footsteps all manage to retrace the way back!” “I am so glad I drove up for the picnic at Red Oak School. It was great seeing our new Baba Archival building for the first time, and being with our Australian guests, Bernard and Jo-Anne Bruford, who were there also. It was awesome to see how much has been accomplished. While talking about the future of this Archival site with another “guest," suddenly I saw ephemerally before me lots of people moving about in the auditorium of this wonderful building. From the first time I heard about Red Oak School at the Southeast Gathering in 2018 knew it would serve us all for ages to come. FINDS FROM THE ARCHIVEAs Baba Lovers celebrate the 50th reunion of the 1969 "Last Darshan", here is a recent find from Neala Haze's photo archive. This is Guru Prasad in Poona, India during the second (Myrtle Beach) group. If you look closely you can see Mani on the roof, filming. Do you feel inspired to join us at MAC? Whether you live locally and have a few hours to spare, regularly or ad hoc, or you’re visiting Asheville for a week or two and would like to hang out with us for a couple of hours - there’s bound to be something you can do to help, and you’re always welcome!
If you’re currently without free time or you live far away, perhaps you’re in a position to support us financially? if you would like to find out more please go to the “donations” page on our website here. Otherwise feel free to contact us here. Thank you - your help and support is appreciated! |
MACNews, blogs, and updates on interesting archival finds and events. Archives
September 2024
Categories
All
|