The Caretakers' Life at Meher Mount
Margaret Magnus
By Margaret Magnus
What is it like to be a Manager/Caretaker at Meher Mount? Past and current Manager/Caretakers describe their impressions, their joys, and their inspiration.
Meher Baba’s Presence
First and foremost, being a Manager/Caretaker is a privilege that stems from taking care of a place blessed with the presence of the Avatar of the Age, Meher Baba. Meher Mount is one of the locations in America that is a Meher Baba place of pilgrimage and one where Meher Baba actually visited.
A PHOTO OF AVATAR MEHER BABA'S visit to Meher Mount on August 2, 1956. This picture is next to a casting of Meher Baba's hand by Jurgis Sapkus. Both are in the Visitor Center at Meher Mount and are decorated here for Amartithi. (Photo: Buzz Glasky, 2016)
“Being a caretaker at Meher Mount is appealing because Meher Mount is one of the few Meher Baba centers actually blessed by Beloved Baba’s living presence. When I first visited Meher Mount, I felt Baba’s spiritual presence. I have dedicated my life to serving and loving Meher Baba, and this is yet another way to live up to my dedication. [1]”
Leslie and Samantha Bridger, who visited Meher Mount during a vacation in Ojai from the United Kingdom, delighted in the oasis that is Meher Mount. After several visits to Meher Mount, they were inspired to become Manager/Caretakers.
SAMANTHA & LESLIE BRIDGER under Baba's Tree in 2010 at the beginning of their time at Meher Mount.
“Here was somewhere that we knew instantly was very special: an oasis rising above the chaotic turmoil of twenty-first century America, a sacred space that spoke in silence those immortal words, ‘welcome home.’ This was Baba’s turf and this familiarity was heaven sent. [2]”
Honoring Each Individual’s Journey at Meher Mount
Each visitor to Meher Mount has a different relationship to the land and to the Divine at Meher Mount. Part of the role of the Manager/Caretaker is to honor that individuality, answer questions when asked, and to step aside so that personal experience finds expression.
LILLY, LAURENT & ASPEN WEICHBERGER at Meher Mount in 2005.
“I truly believe that each individual’s path and relationship to the Divine is a sacred thing, and that there is nothing more important than that relationship. Anything I can do to help support a seeker’s quest toward greater connection with the Divine, I see as a gift from God. [3]”
Some see Meher Mount as a place of transformation – for visitors and caretakers alike. "Baba's essence affects all visitors on some level, including us. Being here for even a short visit is a transformation," said Elizabeth Arnold. [4]
ELIZABETH ARNOLD welcoming guests to the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Avatar Meher Baba's 1956 visit to Meher Mount. (Photo: Sam Ervin, 2006)
“One of the benefits of being at Meher Mount is seeing individuals change as they visit. The stress of their daily life drops away as they glimpse the magnitude of what Meher Mount offers. The panoramic mountain views, the Baba Tree, the shrine at the site of the guest house where Baba visited, all contribute to creating a very special place. [5]”
A Connection to the Land & Nature
“The first time I went to Ojai, I felt a great connection to the land there. One of the things I most enjoy is puttering around in the garden and working on the land,” said Lilly Weichberger. [6]
A BOBCAT or two can occasionally be seen at Meher Mount. (Photo: Ray Johnston)
For Ray Johnston, his fondest memories will always be the wild creatures living on Meher Mount and of his relationship to them.
“Wild creatures will always reflect the essence of Meher Mount for me. Meher Mount is and was for me a place of transformation, safety and order. It also provided a daily opportunity to remember Meher Baba through nature. [7]”
The Legacy OF Serving Meher Baba
BUZZ GLASKY mowing Avatar's Point by Baba's Tree after a rainstorm brought new vegetation. (Photo: Ginger Glasky, 2015)
For Leslie Bridger, the role of a Manager/Caretaker “…is one of guardianship, surrendering to Meher Baba’s will in service, and to spare no effort to hold secure this sacred site in His divine name.” [8]
“The solid foundation laid by Agnes Baron’s legacy of nearly fifty years of devoted work and service are to be built upon by each successive caretaker with great care and respect for all that has gone before. [9]”
Serving at Meher Mount is also a demanding privilege with a tremendous amount of responsibility.
RAY JOHNSTON is building a gate in the mid-2000s to manage Meher Mount access. The new Workshop has not yet been built. (Photo: Elizabeth Arnold)
“I know how the privilege of a deep relationship with Meher Mount often comes with the demand for blood, sweat and tears. [10]”
Meher Baba’s Divine Game
VISITORS Kacy Cook (Meherazad, India), Stephanie Ervin (Long Beach, CA) with Manager/Caretakers Billy and Pamela Goodrum and their daughter Rose. (Photo: Sam Ervin, 2000)
As Manager/Caretakers, Billy and Pamela Goodrum encountered a number of people who happened to visit Meher Mount seemingly for “no reason” at all.
“Maybe they were inexplicably drawn up Sulphur Mountain Road or were just out for a drive in the mountains. Regardless, they were unknowingly led to Meher Mount, and ultimately, Baba’s Tree.
These unintentional visitors came in all shapes and sizes, from students to seekers to tourists to long-time Ojai residents who seemed baffled that they ‘never knew this place was here.’ [11]”
Meher Mount is vibrant with His love and presence, but it is a bit remote, notes Manager/Caretaker Buzz Glasky. “The best thing for us in taking care of Meher Mount is greeting the guests,” he said. 12]
MANAGER/CARETAKER GINGER GLASKY preparing a special treat for Amartithi 2014 - her homemade Indian samosas. (Photo: Buzz Glasky)
“Meher Mount seems to attract more guests that have never heard of Meher Baba than any other center. Some visitors want to know more about Him, but most just seem to fall in love with the ‘feeling’ of His place. In welcoming these visitors, we just make sure to mention Meher Baba’s name and leave the rest to Him.
It is as if Meher Baba is bringing His dearest friends to His home for a visit. We get to witness and feel His divine leela [the divine sport of creation], His game of Love. [13]”
“I Love Meher Mount Very Much”
A HEART STONE and flowers mark the spot under Baba's Tree at Meher Mount where Avatar Meher Baba sat during His visit on August 2, 1956. (Photo: Wayne Myers, Amartithi 2016)
Regardless of the length of their tenure, the hardships endured, the joys and the blessings received, or the projects accomplished, each set of caretakers is forever touched by their experience at Meher Mount. This statement from Leslie Bridger seems to reflect the universal feeling:
“To echo the words of Meher Baba: ‘I love Meher Mount very much and feel happy here.’ [14]”
Foonotes
[1] “An Opportunity to Serve” is reprinted with permission from “What’s Happening at Meher Mount: New Caretakers at Meher Mount," Love Street Lamp Post, July and October 2005, pg. 74. Published by the Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.
[2] “A Calling Answered” by Leslie Bridger is reprinted with permission from the Love Street Breezes, Premier Issue, May 2011, pp. 14-15.
[3] Love Street Lamp Post, July and October 2005, op.cit.
[4] “Meet the New Caretakers at Meher Mount” is reprinted with permission from the Love Street Lamp Post, January 2003. Published by the Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.
[5] Love Street Lamp Post, January 2003, ibid.
[6] Love Street Lamp Post, July and October 2005, op.cit.
[7] “A Day in a Caretaker’s Life – Celebrating the Rhythm of Nature,” by Ray Johnston, June 16, 2011. Meher Mount website, accessed September 3, 2017.
[8] Bridger, op.cit.
[9] Bridger, ibid.
[10] “Cuts, Scrapes & Bruises,” by Ray Johnston, February 2012. Meher Mount website, accessed September 3, 2017.
[11] “That Cathedral Tree,” by Billy Goodrum, October 8, 2011. Meher Mount website, accessed September 3, 2017.
[12] “Meher Baba Invites His Dearest Friends,” by Buzz & Ginger Glasky, November 28, 2015. Meher Mount website, accessed September 3, 2017.
[13] Glasky, ibid.
[14] Bridger, ibid.