A Downpour of Love: from West to East

Exactly sixty years ago, in November of 1962, Meher Baba hosted a historic event at Guruprasad Palace in Poona, India. He invited thousands of followers for an intimate four-day Sahavas. What set this darshan program apart from any other that had taken place before was its unique intent, as described by Baba: “Coming together of children of East and West in the house of their Father.”[i]

The immaculate planning for this event went on for months as the Mandali made the best arrangements for His lovers to come. In a Family Letter dated August 16, 1962, Mani wrote, “In Meherazad too we seem to be living two months ahead of time, and thus in the midst of August we are in November … we women are especially looking forward to it for Baba has said He will permit us to see our Western sisters who are coming to India.”[ii] Mani recalled that the Eastern women had “a backstage view” of the Darshan. From behind the window and door they watched Baba’s loving face reflected in the eyes of His lovers.

In the pleasant weather of November in India, it was expected that the mornings would be assigned as a time for Westerners to be with Baba. The afternoons were a time when the two groups of the East and West, comprising an estimated five thousand people, would come together under the beautiful shamiana tents set up outside the palace. All went as planned, except for an extraordinary happening on the first day of the gathering.

On the afternoon of November 1, in a land where rains are restricted solely to the monsoon season, the skies opened suddenly and poured out a sumptuous, warm rain upon the love-hungry Easterners and Westerners seated under the colorful tents. Alas, the tents were created to protect the lovers from the sun, but not the rain. “Soon the accumulation of rain became too much for the pandal cloth to retain, and rain dumped on the people as if from buckets. At this point nearly everyone got drenched.”[iii]

In Indian spirituality, there is no greater blessing than rain. It is considered a gift from God that purifies, renews and cleanses. It also brings about good luck. An unseasonal rain perhaps heightens these blessings and elevates them even further. How then can one deny that this rain was showered by the Lord incarnate, who sat upon the dais running the affairs of the universe with the swift movement of His fingers?

Except for Darwin Shaw, no one had brought a raincoat. Luckily for the Western women, this lack of appropriate clothing turned out to be another blessing. Baba directed the Western women to rush into the women’s side of the bungalow to get changed into dry clothing. This created a beautiful exchange between the women. Mani remembered that it was hard to find clothing of so many sizes, but Baba miraculously provided. Thanks to the versatile use of saris, almost all the women were able to find something to change into, except Elizabeth. “We didn’t know what to give to Elizabeth to change into. Then Rano suddenly remembered that she had Elizabeth’s old silk dressing gown,”[iv] said Mani. Interestingly, Rano said she didn’t know what prompted her to pack that gown. It was indeed Baba’s perfect planning.

On the dais with Baba sat Yogi Shuddhananda Bharati, who wore the traditional yellow ochre robe. He had been keen to meet Elizabeth, the head of Baba’s Myrtle Beach Center. And Baba found a humorous way for it to unfold. After getting changed, when Elizabeth joined Baba on the dais, Baba introduced her to the yogi. She bowed slightly in the dressing gown—looking quite regal. “She later remarked that the yogi probably thought these were her ceremonial robes!”[v] At that moment, someone rightfully said, “That rain caused the mixing of the East and the West.”[vi] According to Darwin Shaw, Baba also remarked that the rain was very significant as it brought about the unique meeting of the East and the West.

We will never know how the Beloved, who came for all, used and still continues to use people and events to bring about the confluence of the East and the West—like it has never been done before. About the seemingly ordinary dress change, Mani had a very telling observation. She wrote, “It was like they’d [the western women] come in to change from West to East, because when they went back to be seated again before Baba, they were not in the same clothes.”[vii]

 

[i] 82 Family Letters, by Mani Irani, p. 147
[ii] Ibid., p. 137
[iii] As Only God Can Love, by Darwin Shaw, p. 505
[iv] The Joyous Path, by Heather Nadel, p. 765
[v] Ibid., p. 766
[vi] Ibid.
[vii] The Joyous Path, by Heather Nadel, p. 765