"What occurs to me around Baba's Tree as far as sound or silence..."

Your Friday photo…

Thank you to volunteer Stephanie Ervin for this delightful photograph of Baba’s Tree.

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“What occurs to me around Baba’s Tree as far as sound or silence is how profoundly calm and quiet it can be.”

— Robert Turnage, Board Member

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Robert Turnage and Kristina Somma shared their thoughts about silence at Baba's Tree while being interviewed for the documentary about Baba’s Tree: — Tree of Fire: A Story of Love and Resilience.

Robert Turnage

“What occurs to me around Baba’s Tree as far as sound or silence is how profoundly calm and quiet it can be.

“And there is a connection for me between that and the silence that Meher Baba observed for the last 44 years of His incarnation. You can definitely sense the silence at Baba’s Tree.”

Kristina Somma

“So if there’s any sound that emanates out from the sky or the tree, you’re listening. It's the silence, the calmness that allows you to be a deeper listener. I find myself listening very deeply at Baba’s Tree.

“My nature self is listening for any sound of an animal or a bird or any movement in the bushes.

“But also metaphorically, you could say that there's an opportunity to listen more deeply to your own inner self and more deeply to whatever Meher Baba might be asking you to hear. So they kind of come together for me.

“I tend to like to go to Baba's Tree on my own the first time I get back to Meher Mount. Because I am trying to allow myself that deeper listening place in that relationship.”

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Meher Baba’s Silence

Avatar Meher Baba began His silence on July 10, 1925. He said that His silence was not undertaken as a spiritual exercise, but solely in connection with His universal work.

After Meher Baba started His silence, He communicated by writing on a slate board.  After that, He pointed to letters on an alphabet board to spell out words. Later, He used a series of hand gestures that were interpreted by His close disciples.

He kept silence for 44 years until He dropped His body on January 31, 1969.

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"I stayed until the fog slowly crept up the hill..."

Your Friday photo…

Visitor Chris Barker captured the serenity of a late spring afternoon at Avatar’s Point when the clouds were rolling in and the sun was setting.

“Most sweet was the thought of Meher Baba striding across this airy hilltop...”

— Chris Barker

I was stunned with the beauty of Meher Mount — the majestic view all the way to the distant Pacific Ocean; the lovely green field leading down to Baba’s Tree; the clean lines of the adobe-inspired reception building.

But most sweet was the thought of Meher Baba striding across this airy hilltop with co-founder Agnes Baron and His other Baba lovers in tow.

It was easy to feel the sanctity of this unique place. I stayed and enjoyed it until the fog slowly crept up and swirled over the top of the hill at Avatar’s Point.

~Chris Barker, Visitor

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"I grabbed my phone just as the last condor rose..."

Your Friday photo…

A rare California Condor in flight off Avatar’s Point at Meher Mount. Photo by Ray Johnston, Caretaker.

On May 26th, four California Condors were lifting off from the field below Baba’s Tree.

I ran and grabbed my phone and took this photo just as the last condor rose from Avatar’s Point into the fog.

Two of the condors then flew to the white-domed Doppler radar tower at the top of Sulphur Mountain and perched there.

It just so happened that a good friend of mine, who is an occasional volunteer at the Sespe Condor Sanctuary was visiting Meher Mount that day. My buddy drove up near the tower and watched the condors for awhile.

These condors were easily distinguishable from the smaller and more common vultures that frequent the area. Their size and flight behaviors are evident when seen close up.

~Ray Johnston, Caretaker

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Why Seeing a California Condor Is So Rare

Seeing a California Condor is rare because there are so few of them.

Thousands of years ago, California condors lived in many parts of North America, from California and other Pacific states to Texas, Florida and New York. By the late 1900s, the remaining condors were limited to the mountains in Southern California.

The California Condor is the largest flying land bird in North America. Its wingspan stretches nearly 10 feet from tip to tip.

The condor:

• Weighs up to 26 pounds.

• Can soar and glide on air currents at speeds up to 50 MPH.

• Can soar as high as 15,000 feet.

• Can travel up to 100 miles in a day.

• Is an opportunistic scavenger that feeds on large, dead mammals.

• Lives up to 60 years old in the wild.

• Is sexually mature at 5 to 7 years old and mates for life.

• Produces one egg every other year.

• Parents share incubation and feeding responsibilities.

California Condors are one of the most endangered species in the world. They were placed on the federal endangered species list in 1967.

In 1987, a controversial decision was made to bring all remaining condors (22 individuals) into captivity. At that time, it was uncertain if the California Condor would ever soar again in the wild. Through the efforts of many organizations and individuals, reintroduction of California Condors began in 1992. In 2022, there were 561 condors in the wild and in captivity.

The Sespe Condor Sanctuary in the Los Padres National Forest — about eight miles from Meher Mount — is a primary condor reintroduction site in California.

With the ability to fly more than 150 miles in a single day, and a penchant for curiosity, the California condor is particularly susceptible to human development.

It depends on large swaths of land for foraging and is exposed to high levels of environmental toxins due to its scavenging behavior.

In addition, its characteristics that do not allow for rapid recovery from depleted populations. Condors mate for life, have long life spans (up to 60 years by some estimates), and take up to six years to reach maturity. Moreover, a mated pair may only lay a single egg, every two years. Thus losses incurred at any stage in a condor’s life, adult or juvenile, can have a major effect on the condor population.

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"Art is one of the sources through which the soul expresses itself and inspires others." - Meher Baba

Your Friday photo…

Artist Barbara Brown used a road at Meher Mount as the focus of her en plein air painting.

She visited with a group of other art students working with instructor Jennifer McChristian who brings a class each spring to paint at Meher Mount.

“Art is one of the sources through which the soul expresses itself and inspires others.”

— Avatar Meher Baba

I am traditionally a studio painter. But with COVID, I moved outside. I find I enjoy watching the light move, feeling the elements and being in the open air.

Painting outside is harder because the light changes as the sun moves across the sky or the wind moves the trees. The view is changing constantly. The shadows at noon are very different from the shadows hours later when you finish a painting.

In this view of a path surrounded by trees, there’s an aura of mystery. The viewer is encouraged to create her own story about where the path leads.

~Barbara Brown, Artist

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