Bhau’s Health update

Dear friends,

On Tuesday night, 19th July 2011, Bhauji had to be admitted in hospital.

He had a severe chest infection and the constant coughing had strained his heart.

He is in ICU, responding to the treatment, resting, alert but very tired.His usual team of helpers are with him day and night.

Visitors are not allowed at this point.

We will keep you informed of his progress.

Jai Meher Baba!
Dr Anne

Meher Nazar
Trust Compound
Sunday, 23rd January 2011

Beloved Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai!

Dear Baba family and friends worldwide,

We apologize for the long delay in communication. Bhauji is resting a great deal, and as a result, he is still slowly and steadily making progress in recovery from his partial stroke of 5 January, 2011. Some health details are given below, but this important announcement about Amartithi comes first.

It is with resignation to Baba’s wish that we inform all that Bhauji will not be coming to Meherabad during Amartithi, nor will he be meeting pilgrims in the Trust Compound. Doctors, family and team all agree that because of the over-stimulation, stress, and physical discomfort of Amartithi, any attendance at the Hill programme, at Samadhi, or at his “Cheap Organizer’s” Office in Lower Meherabad would be too much for him. He has had a heart attack and stroke this year and such a strenuous effort could cause a relapse. For the same reasons, he will not be able to meet visitors at the Trust Compound during the Amartithi programme.

At the moment, Bhauji seems to be contented to hear the short reports of Amartithi activity which have come his way. We sense his confidence and faith in the magnificent work and selfless service of the Meherabad resident and volunteer teams, who have had such long experience in the preparation and running of the gathering under his over-all guidance as Chairman, and with Beloved Baba always in charge.

Regarding Bhauji’s health: Dr. Gus and Dr. Anne have been impressed by his rate of recovery. For some days he has been able to walk 7 or 8 steps from his wheelchair to his bed, with support on both sides as usual. His right leg is stronger, and he can stand without apparent difficulty for several minutes. He is also able to walk a few steps, with help, from his wheelchair to his bath chair, and do some arm and foot exercises while seated. He uses both hands and arms very well and can eat by himself, hold and read the many loving cards with photos that have been sent, and sign his name beautifully! as he did on the copies of the 2011 Amartithi Message (compiled from his messages from 2002 to 2010) to be read out by a Trustee on 31 January before the silence.

He is taking long naps in the day but is spending many hours also sitting in his wheelchair, getting massage, listening to letters and readings from Mehera Meher or Growing Up with God or “Bhau-less” internet chat transcripts, reading cards and looking at accompanying photos, hearing Rama’s bhajans and ghazals which she comes to sing most evenings, having short talks in Hindi with Mehernath, Sheela, Raj, Zubin or office staff, and happily communing with Baba’s photos on the walls of his room, or Baba in his heart, in silence. The office staff still comes each day at quarter to six p.m. to recite prayers from all different religions and to lightheartedly report the day’s number in the “5-7-11” mantra rotation! He has yet to show any inclination to go outside, though we have rehearsed the wheelchair-carry (too narrow for a ramp) for the time he is ready to see the sun.

Bhau’s words and speech are very clear, by His Grace, though Hindi words often spring up first. However, he is keeping much silence and seems very contented and happy with Baba, even blissful at times. When he does talk, it is usually in response to questions and very brief. But occasionally he volunteers very economical and distilled sentences which resonate with awareness, significance or his unique wit.

Looking at someone’s T-shirt which said “Live Simply,” he read it out loud, and added, repeating three times, “Don’t expect anything from the Beloved.”

Studying a funny photo-birthday card from Jeff and Cindy Lowe, showing their faces PhotoShopped onto Vietnamese costumes (with Cindy in Cossack-like hat), he said, “They look really….Russian!”

As several of the team members sat with him quietly, one remarked, “Like the scorpion in your night-watchman story: we are looking at you, and you are looking at us.”

Bhauji smiled very sweetly and said, “We might bite each other,” as we dissolved in laughter.

When asked, “Are you happy about this?” his reply was, “Nowadays I am happy all the time.”

And when someone queried, “Will this be good?” his answer was, “Between good and bad, there is no difference.”

Wonderful care has been given from the Meherabad medical team and other residents who have stepped up with love and dedication. Dr. Anne and Dr. Gus see him regularly, Shelley has come several times from Meherazad for physical therapy sessions and team training, and nurses Douglas Hare, Martin Herda, Laura Darnell, and Malinda McCullough have provided 24-hour nursing support to Bhauji and his grateful usual team.

By Baba’s unfathomable design, Khanbahadur Munsiff aka Shaheen Khorsandi, Bhau’s usual number one attendant, was forced to shift to Meherabad only a day or so after Bhauji’s stroke, because he had contracted hepatitis, was very run down and was feared contagious! He has been diagnosed with hepatitis A, has been resting at the Meherabad Hospital and is much better now. Naturally he is anxious to return to duty, but Dr. Anne wants him to be fully strong and recovered before he comes back to the Trust Compound. In the meantime, wonderful night-time paired teams of Martin Herda (Divine Hitler) with Abbas Ki Ani, and Amir Hussein Bahreman with Bob Fredericks have done night-duty in his stead. Iraj Namiranian (from Seattle) has been attending every day, with one day relief from Jessie Massa. Mothers T (Toktam Abouzary), C (Janice Rieman) Joy (Chiana Cloudtree), P Squared (Joanna Tompkin) and temporary Trust Compound resident pilgrims Queen of Australia Katie Pye and “Maharani” Mitra Namiraninan round out the fortunate care team.

Thank you all for the loving birthday and get-well cards with photos which have been sent by hand or snail mail, thank you for forgiving our big delays in acknowledgements, thank you for not sending emails unless an emergency, thank you for your loving prayers and well-wishes through the inner net. Baba is shining like the sun through Bhauji! Don’t worry, be happy.

In Beloved Baba’s Love,

Mother C (Creator [Janice]) / Bhauji’s team

Wednesday, 12th January 2011 (Bhau’s Brithday Eve)

REST IS BEST, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BHAUJI FROM YOUR HEARTS!

Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai!

Dear friends of Beloved Baba’s Bhauji,

Because of Bhauji’s recent stroke, he will be having a very, very quiet and restful birthday tomorrow, Thursday, 13 January. He is improving slowly, but his doctors, family and teams agree that he still should not meet or greet any visitors and that full rest is best. There is no event, celebration or party planned at the Trust Compound or Meherabad.

We know this is sad and disappointing for some, but please let real love prevail so he can heal.

It makes the team’s work more difficult and distracts from our care of Bhauji to have to turn people away.

Please help us by not coming to the Trust Compound at all, and know that he feels your love and receives your beautiful wishes and prayers.

Please celebrate amongst yourselves at Meherabad or anywhere if you wish to and send the happy song from your hearts to his. You could honor his birthday with a card sent by post (please not in person or by email – see previous email for suggestions), or a donation to Avatar Meher Baba Trust! or with your loving service for Baba’s Amartithi and His Birthday.

In Beloved Baba’s Love and Service,

Bhauji’s Team

Beloved Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai!

10 January 2011

Dear Beloved Baba?s Meherabad, Meherazad, Meher Nazar Trust Compound and worldwide family, Our apologies to those who did not receive the first message about Bhauji?s health sent on 7 January.? A severed phone/ internet cable prevented us from sending the announcement to you as usual on Tavern Talk.

Last week, dear Bhauji suffered a stroke. His doctors and family decided it was better to keep him at home instead of in a hospital. He is cared for by his usual team, and the Meherabad and Meherazad medical staff. He has been making small progress everyday. ?He can now feed himself. He is able to take a few steps, with the help of his trusted assistants, and he surprises his attendants by saying more words and phrases. ?But the fact remains that he has had a stroke, and he is very weak. ?He needs to be allowed to go to sleep whenever he feels like it; ?and his team needs to be focused on his care and maintaining a calm atmosphere around him.

Please understand that visits are not possible at the moment, even on Bhauji?s coming birthday.? The best gift we can offer is to give him undisturbed time and quiet so he can recover better.

Please note that the caretakers cannot take phone calls. ?Remember the ?inner net? is always working to transmit our love and prayers.? We will keep you informed.

In Beloved Baba?s Service,

Dr Anne

Subject: Bhau Health Update Date: Friday, 7th January 2011

Beloved Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai!

Dear Beloved Meher Baba’s worldwide family,

Bhauji, Beloved Baba’s Mandali, our brother and dear friend, suffered a stroke early on Wednesday 4th January 2011. His right side was partially paralyzed and he had difficulty speaking. By Beloved Baba’s grace, he is already somewhat better. He is now able to speak a few words and is moving with assistance. There is hope of further recovery but he needs a great deal of rest. He also has much weakness in his legs at the moment. He is fully conscious and alert, occasionally smiling. Generally speaking, he looks good. His famous and endearing self still shines through!

Dr. Anne and Dr. Gus, in consultation with other doctors and family, felt that he would get the best possible care and would be most comfortable at home, so he was not hospitalized. He is resting and recuperating in his room/office at the Trust Compound. He is being attended to by the medical team from Meherabad and Meherazad, his family and his team.

We regret that for the time being, Bhauji’s Meher Pilgrim Center talks and Sunday Internet Chats are canceled.

Please help in his recovery by sending your loving wishes and prayers via the “INNER-NET,” rather than by email or snail mail.

Also, he will not be able to have visitors for some time.

With much love in Beloved Baba,

Bhauji’s team

Date: Tuesday, 26th October 2010

From Bhau’s Team:

Beloved Avatar Meher Baba

Dear ones of Beloved Meher Babas worldwide family,

By His Grace, Bhauji was discharged from Noble Hospital in Ahmednagar on Saturday afternoon, 23rd October. He returned home to the Trust Compound, Meher Nazar, and is now under the care of Dr. Gus (as Dr. Anne is out of town). Rest is necessary, some adjustments in medication, and renewed dietary restrictions are in effect, and walking and exercise are still advised.

If he feels well and has rested enough, it is anticipated that he will come to Meherabad for his talk at the Pilgrim Center on Friday, 29th October. He was delighted that his son, Mehernath, and daughter, Sheela, gave talks in his place on Friday, 22nd and Monday, 25th October, and appreciates all who attended.

On Saturday morning, Bhau went in his wheelchair to the fourth floor of Noble Hospital to visit the lovely shrine of Sai Baba and pay his respects. Many of the staff were very taken with Bhauji, of course, feeling Baba’s love and presence. There were many rich conversations about Sai Baba and Meher Baba during his stay.

On Sunday, 24th October, in his amazing rebound fashion (and against doctor’s advice to take complete rest!), Bhau held his weekly internet chat from the Trust Office for almost two hours. Dr. Satish Sonawane, the young oncologist/surgeon who gave him excellent treatment and care in the hospital, accepted Bhau’s invitation to the chat, in spite of his very busy schedule. He came in person, stayed for almost an hour, and received much praise from Bhauji, as did all the other staff of Noble Hospital who cared lovingly for him – Dr. Marcia Warren, cardiologist Dr. Kandekar, general surgeon Dr. Gadekar, Dr. Nagpure, Dr. Sarunke and all the sisters and brothers (nurses) and the other staff members of the Intensive Care Unit.

(We poignantly recalled that Heather-Erico were cared for in the same ICU last year.)

Naturally, Bhau was quite exhausted on Monday and slept for much of the day. Today he is still very tired and weak, but has done his correspondence (which he dutifully and joyfully continued every day in hospital), visited with Trustees and a few leaving pilgrims, family and close friends, had a nice phone conversation with dear Meherwan at Meherazad, and cautiously resumed other Trust work.

Bhau, his family and his team send loving thanks to all for their prayers and silent outpouring of love. Please note that he should continue to rest this week, so please communicate via the Inner-net of the heart, and keep emails and visits to a minimum. Thank you!

Jai Ho! Jai Ho!! Jai Ho!!!

With all love and Jai Babas to you

In His Love and Service

Bhau’s Team

Beloved Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai!

22nd October, 2010

Dear Baba Community,

Bhau continues to be in the hospital in Ahmednagar, but his condition has substantially improved. The intestinal obstruction has resolved, and he is drinking clear fluids and eating small amounts of soft food. If all continues to go well, his doctor plans to discharge him Saturday afternoon. He is still in the intensive care unit because he can be monitored there more closely. His heart condition, blood pressure, diabetes, etc. are quite stable, and Baba willing, he will go home as planned. He remains weak and will need some time to continue to recover.

Thank you for your loving prayers and wishes. Please send them via the INNERnet and from your hearts – not by letter or email. He is too weak and cannot receive phone calls. This will be the best help to Bhauji and his team.

Please remember that NO VISITORS should come to the hospital, since Bhauji is still in the Intensive Care Unit.

In Beloved Baba’s service,

Dr. Gus

20 October 2010

Dear Baba community,

This is Bhau’s fourth hospital day, and he continues to make slow and steady progress. He is at a very good hospital in Ahmednagar and is under the care of the senior cardiologist, a very good surgeon and internist. They are pleased with his progress and there are no dangerous symptoms or complications at present. No surgery is planned nor thought necessary. The intestinal obstruction has begun to resolve, and Bhauji is more comfortable. His abdominal swelling has considerably reduced. He is also assisted with great care by a group of dedicated and loving volunteers.

He is able to get out of bed and take only a few steps but occasionally sits up to hear and respond to essential e-mails. However, he remains quite weak and still can not take any food but takes small sips of fluid by mouth. He is recovering, and Baba willing, it should not be long before he returns home.

Thank you for your loving prayers and wishes – please send them via the INNER-net and from your hearts – and not by letter or email. Bhau is too weak and cannot receive phone calls. This will be the best help to Bhauji and his team.

Please remember that NO VISITORS should come to the hospital since Bhauji is still in Intensive Care Unit.

In Beloved Baba’s service,

Dr. Gus

18 October 2010, Monday morning.

Jai Baba!

Dear ones of Beloved Baba’s worldwide family,

Many of you have heard that Bhauji has not been well and that his Sunday internet chat had to be cancelled.

We are happy to report that he is now improving in hospital and hopefully will be home soon.

Early Saturday morning, 16 October, he felt unwell and Saturday spent the day and night in bed with Dr. Anne and team trying to help him recover at home from his intestinal obstruction. This is a similar type of illness (because of his prior colon cancer and colostomy) which he has suffered recurrently over the past 15 years. On Sunday morning it was decided by Dr. Anne (in consultation with Dr. Gus at Meherabad, his Pune doctor and his family) to take him to the good new local hospital, Noble Hospital, in Ahmednagar. This was in order to stabilize him and be able to monitor him so that the obstruction could safely resolve.

He had a fairly restful night, and is in good spirits as only Warrior Class Bhauji can be! There will be more tests today.

Thank you for your loving prayers and wishes – please send them by inner net and from your heart – and not by letter, email or phone. This will be the best help to Bhauji and his team.

In Beloved Baba’s All-Compassionate Love,
Mother C/Janice for Bhau and team.

Please note NO VISITORS at the hospital as Bhauji is in Intensive Care Unit. Thank you and Jai Baba!

Date: Wednesday, 13 October 2010

Beloved Avatar Meher Baba

Dear ones of Beloved Meher Baba’s worldwide family,

Thank you for your loving wishes and prayers for Bhauji. We are happy to let you know that Bhau is like himself again.

On Monday he slept and rested a lot. On Tuesday, he was regretting that he could not go to Dhuni. Today, he resumed his busy routine of correspondence, Trust work, and meeting pilgrims and other Baba lovers in his office-room. Dr. Anne, with the help of nurse Laura Darnell, has been attending to him each day. By Baba’s Grace, there are no apparent after-effects of the transient mini-stroke he suffered during his Internet chat on Sunday night.

As Bhau wrote in emails to dear ones today:

******

Now my age is old, so such things may come. It happens, but I don’t worry. I request you – please, don’t worry for me. I am all right.

Thank you very much for your prayer to Beloved Baba. It is good that you did it for me. This prayer touches my heart, because it comes from your heart.

With all love and Jai Baba to you,

In His Love and Service,

Bhau

******

Bhau will go to Meherabad on Friday, 15th October for his talk. Because of the large groups coming from around India for Baba’s New Life celebration the following day, his talk will be given in the Theatre (Hostel A) in Lower Meherabad and not at the Meher Pilgrim Centre.

A special message for Meher Baba’s New Life Day will be sent out soon.

Jai Baba!

With all Love and Jai Baba to you,

Bhau’s Team

Date: Monday, 11th October 2010

Subject: Report from Dr. Anne Moreigne about Bhauji’s illness on Sunday, 10 October evening

Around 6 p.m. yesterday evening, while he was doing his Internet chat, Bhauji experienced difficulties finding his words. The chat had to be stopped abruptly. Bhauji was checked by his team and by Dr Anne. His condition improved rapidly, to the point that he wanted to resume his chat and was clearly unhappy when Dr Anne, supported by all present, refused to allow him to do so.

Bhauji has had such mini-strokes in the past. Once more, we are lucky that this one was minor and transient. The fact that dear Bhauji is still with us, able to tell us the stories of his life with Baba, despite the long list of his ailments, is in itself a minor medical miracle.

Let us remember to be grateful for this and not worry about the rest!

In Baba’s Love and Training,

Bhau’s Team and Dr. Anne

International Arts Festival Meherabad 3rd to 6th Dec 2010

AVATAR MEHER BABAINTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL

“Celebrating the Beloved through the Arts”

Presented by the Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust.

The Avatar Meher Baba International Arts Festival will incorporate various performing and visual artistic forms and media to express Love for God and celebrate the Life of the Spirit as a path to God, as explained and lived by the Ancient One, Avatar Meher Baba. The festival will honor Rano Gayley, Meher Baba’s resident artist and disciple, and our dates coincide with the anniversary of the day she was reunited with Meher Baba, 5th December 1986.

The Avatar Meher Baba International Arts Festival is a four-day multicultural event to be held in Meherabad, MS, India under the auspices of the Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust. Artists from every nation and artistic medium, of any age, who wish to celebrate the Divine Life of the Spirit and express their Love for God are invited to participate. ( How to Participate) Artists will show their art work and films; perform music, dance and plays and read and perform poetry. Spiritual seekers from all over the world are invited to attend this four-day multicultural international event.

For more information : http://www.ambartsfestival.com/

Meher Youth Sahavas 2010 from 23rd June until 28th June at Meherabad.

[Baba Piza - Youth Sahavas 2009 by Michael Files and Matt Shepard.]

The Avatar Meher Baba PPC Trust is pleased to announce that the Meherabad. Young Adult Sahavas will be held this year 2010 from 23rd June until 28th June at Meherabad.

Further Sahavas details and information about how to apply are available on the Trust website at :-

http://www.ambppct.org/events/sahavas.php

All young adult Baba-lovers between the ages of 19 and 35 are most welcome to attend the Sahavas

AVATAR MEHER BABA KI JAI!!!

in His Love and Service,

Meherabad Young Adult Sahavas Committee

Jal Dastoor, Shridhar Kelkar, Ramesh Jungle, Heather Nadel

Meher Youth Sahavas 2010 -Young Adults Sahavas at Meherabad – Meher Baba Youth

AMARTITHI WEBCAST

Amartithi 2010

Dear Friends,

This coming 31st January marks the forty-first anniversary of that Day in 1969 when Beloved Avatar Meher Baba dropped His physical form. Over the years since then Amartithi has emerged as the chief event in the Trust’s annual calendar, attracting to Meherabad tens of thousands of Meher Baba’s lovers from throughout India and around the world.

The Amartithi commemoration proper runs from early afternoon on 30th January through about 1 p.m. 1st February; but really speaking it has begun already, as volunteers pour into Meherabad and begin to take up their duties. On the afternoon of 28th January, a small army of nearly one thousand volunteers will gather in the back veranda of Hostel D for the annual orientation meeting presided over by Trustees Jal Dastur and Shridhar Kelkar. And then we are off! As it has done over the last few years, again this year the Avatar Meher Baba Trust will be broadcasting presentations from the Amartithi Gathering at Meherabad, 30th January through 1st February 2010, through its web site (whose home page url is http//www.ambppct.org). Over 18 hours of live audio-video webcasts, hosted by Bob Fredericks, will feature highlight events, most of them on Meherabad Hill. In case you miss the live broadcast, you will also find on the web site highlight video clips available for download, as well as the audio files of Bhau Kalchuri’s talk in the late morning on the 31st and the arties that follow the silence at noon. Through the entire forty-eight hour period our web master Frank Bloise will be posting photographs.

If you want to drop in on the Meherabad Amartithi celebrations via cyberspace, go to the Trust web site, and from the home page, click on “AMARTITHI LIVE.” If you want to proceed directly, the url for the internet broadcast and schedule is:

http://www.ambppct.org/events/amartithi-live-2010.php.
The video and audio highlight clips can be found at:
http://www.ambppct.org/events/amartithi2010.php.

The culmination of Amartithi, of course, is the fifteen-minute silence starting at twelve noon on 31st January; the two-hour period running from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. is the climax of the Gathering. Noon in Ahmednagar corresponds to:4:30 p.m. in Sydney; 2:30 pm in Shanghai; 10:00 a.m. in Teheran; 9:30 a.m. in Moscow; 7:30 a.m. in Paris; 6:30a.m. in London; 4:30 a.m. in Buenos Aires; 1:30 a.m. in New York; and 10:30 p.m. (30th January) in
Los Angeles.

The schedule for the live internet webcasts is as below:

January 30th 2010

3:00 p.m.-6 p.m.: Music Program
8:30 p.m.-10 p.m.: Stage Performances

January 31st 2010

8:30 a.m.-12 noon: Singing by bhajan mandali of different Meher Centers
and “Welcome Address” by Bhau Kalchuri, Chairman
12-12:15 p.m.: Silence
12:15-1:00 p.m. Arties
3 p.m. until 7 p.m.: Music Program
8:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.: Music and Stage Performances

February 1st 2010

9 a.m.-1 p.m.: Music and Conclusion

Over the next few days, from time to time we will be sending announcements and updates as the program unfolds. To all Meher Baba’s lovers throughout the world, from your family here in Ahmednagar, salutations to Him, the Eternal One, the Highest of the High, Who descended into our night of ignorance so that we could come to know Him, and Who returned again to His Beyond State to awaken within us the longing to seek Him there.

- Ward Parks, for Trust Talk
26th January 2010

AMARTITHI OF MEHER BABA 31st JANUARY 2010

From 30 January to 1 February of each year a large number of visitors come to Meherabad to commemorate the day when Avatar Meher Baba’s dropped his physical form on 31st January 1969. The climax of the event takes place on Amartithi day itself when, for fifteen minutes, the assembled crowd keeps silence for fifteen minutes in honor of the physical passing of the Avatar of the Age at 12:15 p.m. During other parts of the day Songs and other Cultural activities follow, while the pilgrims take the Darshan of the Samadhi. For more information on how to stay at Meherabad during Amartithi, and request for Accommodation please view the Amartithi Circular issued by the Avatar Meher Baba PPC Trust.

TAGS: MEHER BABA AMARTITHI | AMARTITHI CIRCULAR | HOW TO STAY IN MEHERABAD DURING AMARTITHI |

[More recent videos from Sunday Chat as following:]

Silence Day is the name the followers of Meher Baba give to their practice of commemorating July 10th of each year by maintaining verbal silence for twenty-four hours.

While Meher Baba did not establish any special ongoing requirement of his followers to keep silence on this day, the majority make it a practice to keep silent, on an informal and voluntary basis. Some stay in seclusion for the duration, while others attempt to engage in their typical activities; there are therefore many humorous anecdotes associated with keeping silent on Silence Day.

[Source Wikepedia]