SHERIAR FOUNDATION REPORT/ WINTER 2011

Donkin’s Diaries: Travels in India with Meher Baba, 1939–1945 Sheriar Foundation is pleased to announce started in Europe soon after Donkin arrived in India and from the publication of Donkin’s Diaries: Travels in then on spread across oceans and continents to engulf the world, India with Meher Baba, 1939–1945. provides the framework and context of these diaries. . . . “As a diarist Donkin is selective. His diary is not confessional The book is generously interspersed with over 100 nor is it an arena for wrestling personal torments. Each entry is photographs, maps of Poona and India in the 1940s, and extensive one in a sequence of endnotes detailing the events and references Donkin makes in his DONKIN’S DIARIES VOLUME ONE 21 snapshots which piece 16/9/39 diaries. Baba has been getting together to form a very strict since the war As stated in the Preface: “In 1939 the newly qualified Dr. started. Most of the furni- vast mosaic. And while ture from both bungalows has been taken away, and William Donkin embarked on a seemingly bizarre journey, string beds, which are William Donkin is much more comfortable turning his back on his family in England and on any have taken their place. always there in person, Baba says he is going Elizabeth Patterson with furniture movers at work. hopes they might have held for him, to be so strict now that only those who love him will stay with him. the happenings he Yesterday Eratch, Chanji and I went round to Baba, and and in so doing, completely changed Eratch was ordered to get there at 3.45. We were two minutes describes at any particu- late; Baba was very angry, and gave Eratch and Chanji a the whole course of his life. The collosal59 hit over the face — though not me. lar moment are for him He says his mood is like a volcano these days — I suppose it’s due to the war, and his working. diaries he kept of the first five years of his A few days back Nilu got a collosal dressing down for more important than suggesting another latrine for the mad who are coming from travels present a detailed though irregular Meherabad; and Nilu was asked by Baba, if he, Baba, didn’t any personal feelings.” know his own business; Baba had anyhow already given orders for one to be built. log of events which include conversations, Jehangir has been told to go back to Bombay to his wife, Donkin’s Diaries, a and then to go to the jungle alone, or with her, as a sannyasin; personal impressions, stories, poetry Baba thinks he’ll stay in Bombay: he wants God Realization,50 358-page paperback, is and an occasional diagram. available from Sheriar “The vast scale of the destruction Books for $35. and mayhem of the war, which 14 0 WILLIAM DONKIN

male mandali will go on tour perhaps to Persia or Northern India near Afghan and Russian frontier; but we’ll see!

27/6/40 Meherabad On Monday 24th June I got a short letter from Baba ordering me to come at once with bag and baggage to Meherabad: my heart leapt right up, and I went round Bangalore saying goodbye to the hospital people and got here yesterday morning. I took a tonga from Ahmednagar station to Meherabad. It is real good to be back in this ramshackle old hole48 after being so bored in Bangalore. The place on the hill is relatively grand compared to this place for we male mandali; but I love this place — crooked as the roof is, and though this same roof harbours scorpions and snakes, wind-blown and crude as all is, it is a lovely

Ramshackle charm of the mens’s accommodation place — although it is no at Lower Meherabad in the 1940s. home really, I feel at home here — I suppose its deep link with Baba makes it so wonder- ful to be here. When I saw Baba he asked me of course about the war; he says England will be broken and sore, but she will not give in

SHERIAR FOUNDATION / 807 34TH AVE S., NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC 29582 • PHONE: (843) 272-1339 • FAX: (843) 361-1747 • EMAIL: [email protected] • WEBSITE: www.sheriarbooks.org Publications NEW Music & A New Year Donkin’s Diaries: Travels in India with The Real Treasure IV Videos Meher Baba, 1939–1945 Rustom B. Falahati Is Coming William Donkin Another volume of Real Treasures! Over 70 new stories. The following Donkin first joined Baba in India in In His Love is what the author has to say about 1939 as a young doctor from Various Artists the present volume: “The Real England—and remained with Him A Year with Hafiz Treasure is not only the story of my Digitally remastered from the for 30 years, until his death in 1969. Choices Daily Contemplations life, it is the story of every drop in original 1973 vinyl recording “Donkin’s Diaries give us an inkling creation on its journey to the In His Love is one of the first Daniel Ladinsky of how Beloved Baba was working ocean. It is the story of every Baba albums that captured the behind the scenes in the conduct of Daniel Ladinsky presents 365 reader’s journey, only the FOR THE HOLIDAYS exuberance of young, blossoming the war, often giving hints in advance poignant Hafiz poems— situations may be different. . . . musicians discovering the joy of of events that would occur.”— including a section based on the It is everyone’s story.” making music for Him. Includes an from the Epilogue by Meherwan translations of Hafiz by Ralph incredible collection of musicians: Jessawala. Paperback, 323 pp. $10.00 Waldo Emerson—that capture Jim Meyer, Bob Brown, Buz Paperback, 358 pp., illustrated a spirit of infinite tenderness Connor, Cathy Riley, Jeff Mylett and the Original Kitchen Choir. and compassion, of great with photographs. $35 CD. $15 The Empty Chair: exuberance, joy and laughter, of ecstatic love and fervent longing, and a wonder of delight at Avatar Meher Baba and the Trail of Meher Baba’s 1969 Darshan Meher Baba the divine splendor of the universe. Most of the poems in this Tears: A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Journey Barbara Bamberger Scott Billy Nicholls book have not been published before. Julia Ross The 1969 Darshan was the last Absolutely delightful collection of Paperback, 417 pp. $18 gathering that Baba Himself Julia Ross explores in depth Meher songs produced and sung by Billy organized down to the last detail Baba’s journey along the Cherokee Nicholls, whose voice is magical, and the first gathering without His Trail of Tears, which culminated soothing and full of love. He and his physical presence. The Empty 2012 Meher Baba Calendar in His foretold car accident in Amer- friends, including Pete Townshend, Chair is the first book to come out Another exquisite and ica. She documents in meticulous join him in the sweet instrumentals on the 1969 Darshan, including informative calendar to detail what is known of Meher throughout this incredibly clear, crisp over 65 contributors who attended relish month by month! Baba’s route and the accident, which production. Includes the song the darshan. Each contributor’s Containing finely repro- she began researching in the early ‘Without Your Love’ which is one of story is beautifully interwoven duced photographs of 1970s. In the tradition of pilgrims’ the most beautiful songs ever written for Meher Baba. Gentle and throughout. Meher Baba accompanied guides, she also traces the history soft, heartful and genuine music for God is really what this CD is all by thoughtfully chosen and associations of the places 364 pp. Paperback $19.95, about. With a touch of the English rock beat, one could listen to it over messages and indication Meher Baba visited. Hardcover $27.95 and over. This CD was produced as a fundraiser for the London Meher of events from Baba’s life, Paperback, 442 pp. $30 Baba Centre to preserve their precious Baba artifacts. (Imported) A Jewel in the Dust CD. $20 it serves as a steady Brian Darnell reminder of the Beloved all year long. Divine Theme (with Charts) 11" x 9" folded, 11" x 18" open. $12.50 Brian’s second book of poetry Evolution, Reincarnation, Realisation. Because of Love Dreaming of The Beloved Infinite Intelligence Finding Your Abode in Him following his first and very popular My Life and Art with Meher Baba Meher Baba’s 1969 Darshan Meher Baba book, Garden of Surrender. An Mani S. Irani Meher Baba Originally published in 1943, this excellent companion for the Rano Gayley The story of the 1969 Darshan told Within these pages is a glorious and fanciful world: dreams of As stated in the Foreword by Meherwan classic and important booklet is aching heart. through historic film, photographs Illuminated Rumi Calendar 2012 now back in print—faithfully repro- Paperback 196 pp. $12 The intriguing and enigmatic Ten Meher Baba dreamt by His sister Mani S. Irani. Soaring on Mani’s Jessawala: This book plumbs the depths and audio recordings. Including Versions by pictures of the mandali, Guruprasad duced as closely to the original Circles Chart is the focal point of this imaginative command of language, and given further wings by the of esoteric truths never before revealed Michael Green and Baba’s Tomb, as well as record- printing as possible. Includes two Stunning modern collages memoir by one of Meher Baba’s early equally expressive imagination flowing through Wodin’s twenty- to humankind. The book’s theme is an ings of the Darshan itself. Stunning beautiful hand-drawn color charts with a touch of the east Western disciples. This book is fully four full-color illustrations, these dreams tell an inner story of the ageless one, ever old and ever new: God footage of Meher Baba from earlier by Rano Gayley, 18"x12" fold-outs. bring these renderings of darshans layers this exploration into Paperback 26 pp. $7 illustrated with a color fold-out of the love, yearning, struggle and joy that filled the life of the sister of as Infinite Intelligence. --The material Rumi by Michael Green to ‘darshan’ with additional meaning life. A feast for the heart as Ten Circles Chart and close-up details the Avatar of the Age. for this book comes from previously and beauty. The impact of this well as the eyes from start of part of it, as well unpublished manuscripts dating back to unprecedented event — planned by to finish. Baba before He dropped His physical Not We But One: A Collection of Stories as the full-length 1926 and was first discovered shortly 12" x 12" closed and 12" x 24" opened. $13.99 Awakenings form — is poignantly discussed by those who attended. and Messages from the Life of Meher Baba portrait that now after Meher Baba dropped His physical DVD 52-minutes. $20 Bhau Kalchuri Bill Le Page hangs in the museum form in 1969. It was released in 2005 In 2001, Bhau underwent a triple A great collection of stories and quotes at Meherabad, and after a long and meticulous editing Names of Love coronary bypass operation. After an from Baba, Eruch and others. Well written Rumi: Heart of the Beloved many of her black and white sketches process detailed in an academically Jim Meyer & Robert Fredericks initial upbeat recovery, his spirits with practical topics. Includes some photos. Calendar 2012 plummeted into the deepest abyss. From the Preface by Ross Keating, of Baba. rigorous supplemental essay. Names of Love is a 35-minute But one night, Meher Baba came to visual & musical meditation Translated by “The central part of this book . . . contains Coleman Barks him in an experience Bhau later edited transcripts of some of the recorded inspired by Meher Baba’s Beautiful 12 month calen- termed an “Awakening.” talks given by Eruch in Mandali Hall in the Parvardigar Prayer & Seven Names dar for 2012. Each month Eighty-five of these Awakenings seventies. . . . Interspersed with these print- of God. Created by Robert . . . have been collected in a Fredericks & Jim Meyer, Names of features a Rumi stanza ed talks are statements made by Meher WAS $20 WAS $22 WAS $75 translated by Coleman beautiful volume, with several Baba relevant to the topic under discussion. $10 $10 $50 Love pays homage to The Divine Barks paired with exquis- Awakenings lovingly illustrated by Some comments made by others of Meher Source from which all forms of ite Persian miniatures. An the art of dear ones. Baba’s disciples, including Meher Baba’s worship emanate. inviting call to mystical reflection all year round. Hardcover, illustrated, sister Mani Irani, have also been added.” DVD 35-minutes. $19.95 429 pp. $35 Paperback, 164 pp. $12 12" x 12" closed and 12" x 24" opened. $13.99 A Little Help Goes a Long Way.

As we come to the end of 2011, we possible. Sales of “Baba books” are new content to the sheriarbooks.org from countries as varied as Ethiopia, are especially pleased to have brought remarkably limited in number and it website. We track with great interest the Kazakhstan and Uruguay. to completion the publication of frequently takes many, many years number of visits to our website from We know there are many Donkin’s Diaries, a book that we have (sometimes more than a decade, countries from all over the world. As worthwhile causes connected to Meher been working on for some time. Much sometimes never) before publication that trend has continued to grow over Baba. We hope you will consider credit goes to the painstaking dedica- costs are recouped. This is why the years, we like to imagine Baba Sheriar Foundation to be one of them tion that Sarah McNeill brought to donations are so essential to our working at the grassroots level through and that you will help provide the bringing this material to life with ability to continue with our publishing which He can provide access to all financial support that we need to extensively researched endnotes. We activities so, we ask you to please kinds of information to anyone continue our work. Meanwhile, if you are always thankful to have really help us in any way that you can. anywhere in the world. We have have not already checked out and substantive projects like this to work on. As always, donations of all sizes are shipped orders to thirty-four different “liked” us on our Facebook page, please And fortunately for all of us, there are welcome and appreciated. All donations countries including Vietnam, South take a moment to do that as Facebook quite a few more coming in the next few are tax deductible. Africa and Croatia. Over the last is where we are able to share more years. Pragmatically speaking, though, Sheriar Foundation is also year, China and Brazil have moved into spontaneous quick hits of what is Sheriar Foundation depends on annual committed to the operation of the the top ten list of the countries that visit going on in our little corner of the donations to make all of this work Sheriar Books bookstore and to bringing our site the most. New visits have come Baba world.

A Full Calendar of Bookstore Events in 2011

An engaging range of booksignings, concerts of Meher Baba, a 3-volume series. events will conclude with a talk on December 17th and talks have been hosted by Sheriar Books In August Ward Parks gave a talk on by Daniel Ladinsky, widely read author of books this year. Our first event was on May 7th Meher Baba’s “Divine Theme” which was just of renderings of Hafiz poems. His latest book, with Barbara Scott Bamberger who read from re-issued in the same style of its original 1943 A Year With Hafiz, is a unique collection of her new book The Empty Chair: Meher Baba’s publication. It was an animated talk that pro- 365 poignant Hafiz poems, most of which have 1969 Darshan— a poignant view of the 1969 voked stimulating discussion that continued not been published before. Darshan artfully woven together from many even during the refreshment phase of the Many of these personal accounts. afternoon event. events can be viewed When Billy Goodrum was in town in July In November Brian Darnell read on sheriarbooks.org visiting the Meher Center, he graciously gave several poems from his new book, A Jewel in the under BOOKSTORE a concert at the bookstore. It was a wonder- Dust, and signed copies for the appreciative NEWS. fully lively and intimate event. Billy shared audience. He also brought along his guitar and many songs from his latest album sang songs. It was a particularly sweet time. “Weightless.” Julia Ross was at the bookstore on One month later Bill Le Page, also November 26th, discussing (and signing) her visiting the Meher Center, shared new book, Avatar Meher Baba and a Saturday afternoon with a group The Trail of Tears: A Pilgrim’s Guide gathered in the bookstore. Bill to the Journey. The book explores in shared stories of his life with Baba depth Meher Baba’s journey along and signed books he’s written the Cherokee Trail of Tears, inter - about Baba. These include: The woven with stories from Native Turning of the Key, Over the Years American history. with Meher Baba, and The Divine Humanity The schedule of this year’s bookstore

was formed in 1989 as an independent, non-profit, tax-exempt corporation. People discussing one of the Bookstore Events. The purpose of the Foundation is to broaden awareness (L-R)Walter Witkowski and deepen the appreciation of the spiritual values exemplified talking to Ann Ross, and Adele Wolkin with in the life and writings of Meher Baba. Beverly Smith.

© 2011 Sheriar Foundation