The Sprouting Of a Seed: Byramangala
‘‘I have come to sow the seeds of Love….’’—— Meher Baba
The seeds sown at the present time are meant for a tree or
plant for the future. In other words, the seeds of a present huge tree must
have been sown in the past. The seed and the tree are two different forms of
the same ‘existence’. Likewise, also the ‘Time‘ too is eternal and a continual
phenomenon of a single element; we perceive it and use terms
Past-Present-Future in relative reference. Another inherent human nature is to
examine, discriminate and analyse the things and situations not subjectively
but objectively, not absolutely but relatively. The behavioral character of
human mind is to look at the things and incidents in relative context and to
take the law of cause and effect as for granted law of nature.
But an Avatar (Advent of the Divine in human form) is not
bound by behavioral pattern of human beings. His actions, sayings that may be
sometimes cryptic, are bound to be for the ultimate welfare of human beings and
according to the Divine ordained plan of evolution of the consciousness. Ages
after ages when He comes down to earth in human form, whatever, whenever and
wherever He acts or says, it carries more meaning than whatever is apparent.
That is why after dropping His body commentaries on His sayings and
interpretation of His actions emerge which are tainted by the emotions and
conviction of the interpreter or commentator. That is why Meher Baba had told
us that an Avatar remains unrecognised by His contemporary masses (leaving a
few chosen ones), His past is glorified and His advent is awaited in future
with much furry and expectations.
The prophetic saying is gradually proving true in the case of
Meher Baba, the Avatar of the age. Meher Baba had told us that He came to ‘sow
the seeds of Love in the hearts‘, and He did sown it as is evident from large
deep rooted shadowy trees grown out and manifested as self-denying, all-loving
and denunciative lives led by many of His Mandali and many unknown men and
women from all walks of life all over the globe. Many known and unknown
Baba-Lovers are living examples of unbounded love and highest human values,
which was termed by Meher Baba as ‘New Life‘. When He had said that, ‘this New
Life would live for ever whether anyone is alive or not to live it‘, then it
was not a mere poetic exclamation but very close to Sri Aurobindonian concept
of the descend of ‘Supramental‘. He definitely meant the evolution of a new
human consciousness in which, as per His approval of Dr. Gani Munsif‘s lines in
the song of the New Life: -
Nai
zingi ka ye anjam hoga,
Kisi
KO Kisi se Na kuch kaam hoga.
Na
khana Na soona Na aaraam hoga,
Kasam hogi ham hooge ya ram hoga.
(The resultant of the New Life would be that
there would be no need for anyone of anyone; there would be no need of either
food or sleep or rest; there would be only either the resolve (for New Life) or
the ‘I-ness‘ or God.)
This state of terrestrial human life confirms with the future
evolutionary pattern of human consciousness as professed by Sri Aurobindo, the
great Yogi of our times.
Thus, when Meher Baba says to ‘Sow‘ the ‘Seed‘ of ‘Love‘ two
probable substrates or sowing sites come to mind: first the ‘soil‘ of the
hearts which are abstract and implant site, the area of individual emotion or
impulse, and second in the physical fertile soil of the earth, which is
objective in nature and attributes. If the seeds of abstract and subtle Divine
Love are ever can be sown in the second substratum i.e. the earthly soil, it
must mean the ‘Spirituality‘. The cultivation of Spirituality appears a vague
statement yet it signifies the establishment of such Centre of spirituality
that may propagate high morale and disseminate universal brotherhood. Avatar
Meher Baba performed this very ‘sowing of the seed’ in the year 1939 at Byramangala,
a secluded spot in the state of Karnataka (India ),
and 37 kilometers east of the metropolis of Bangalore . He purchased total 574-Acre land,
through a power of attorney given to Pappa Jassawala (406-Acre land from
Maharaja of Mysore and 168 Acres from other villagers). The land was registered
in His name as appeared in government gazette on 14th August‘1939.
It is remarkable that although Meher Baba lived or camped at
several places in the world and used the properties, vehicles and other assets,
yet their proprietary rights vested not in Him but in the name of others.
Property at Byramangala was the only one and singular asset in His name
throughout His life.
Germination of the Seeds of Love Divine sown in the hearts
cannot be visible to physical eyes, however, it can only be realized by the
individuals who must tend and irrigate it with the blood and tears ensuing from
the alter of self-sacrifice with keen aspiration with no precondition of
reward; and then only the subtle plant grows into shady soothing foliaged tree,
but the germination and the sprouting process of the seeds of spirituality sown
at Byramangala can be physically seen. Although not without the Grace of the
Divine (Baba) from above and the aspiration from within that are compulsory conditions,
the subtle Seed sown in the earthly soil can be seen, felt and beholden. The
writer of these lines cannot claim to be a Baba-Lover or boast that he had
beholden or understood the esoteric significance and the purpose of the Divine
Will underlying the foundation of Meher Baba Universal Spiritual Centre (MBUSC)
at Byramangala, yet bestowed with the fortune resulting from some unknown good
deed of his past karma, fated to visit the place just after its golden
jubilee celebrations (16th to 19th Dec-2004).
Sometimes apparent bad luck proves to be good luck in
disguise. I felt same way when I finally reached Byramangala. I reached there
in the vacuum atmosphere of the golden jubilee celebrations festivities. This
Baba-Coincident1 (as
Bal Natu would have termed it) is significant. During celebrations and
festivities human sensory perception are channalised through a definite course
of emotions, while after the sounds of crowd fade away and the vibrations of
mass consciousness are diluted after the congregation is over, the matrix
between the objects and their subjective projections are pronounced, may be
because of the Silence which is so mysterious and esoteric like the Silence of
the Avatar of the age, Meher Baba; and the REAL2 things spontaneously permeates to impregnate
the individual consciousness of the perceiver.
Before I reached there, I had only casual information that
Meher Baba started to establish some sort of worship spot for five Masters and
past advents of the Ancient One, but due to reasons known to Him, He later
abandoned the project. I was careless in reading all about it in detail in Lord
Meher or even some of MBUSC literature. In retrospect, I think that had I read
the details before, the impact of MBUSC would have not been so deep as it is
now. Thus, I now take it as Baba’s ordained plan and His Marzi to
overwhelm me. Now it has dawned upon me that the purchase of land, start of
construction, abrupt outbreak of world war, apparent abandoning and then
revival of MBUSC was all in the master plan of the Master, Meher Baba or His Leela.
If God Himself descends from heaven in human form and purchases the
piece of land, then it must have a Divine purpose and carry more meaning
that what may be apparent. Same Divine purpose and its destined goal were
initiated by hammering an iron rod into the earth as Central Point of MBUSC on
1st September’1939 by Avatar Meher Baba Himself.3 This was the second substratum, the physical
and material Earth, where the Avatar of the age had ‘sown’ the ‘Seed’ of ‘Love’.
As said above, the second substratum (the first being into
the individual‘s hearts), the physical fertile soil of the earth is objective
in nature and attributes. If the seeds of abstract and subtle Divine Love are
ever can be sown in the second substratum i.e. the earthly soil, it must mean
the ‘Spirituality’. And so is the MBUSC Byramangala, Karnataka.
Let us now try to understand the germination and sprouting
phenomenon of the SEED. Whenever some seed is sown in soil, many conditions for
its germination are required. The germination depends on the character of the
seed. Seeds of leguminous plants like Gram, Peas start germinating within 24
hours, while those of wheat, barley etc have to be hibernated for a few months
to an year. Seeds of Apples and some others need weeks of chilling before they
can germinate. In the present case the ‘seed’ is not at all even a material
entity; it is esoterically mysterious seed of Love Divine, which after
germination, sprouting, becoming a sapling and subsequently growing into a
matured tree bears the fruits of Spirituality. Thus, it can’t be predicted as
to how, when and under what conditions it shall germinate. Yet one prediction
is sure and certain that it will grow into a full-fledged tree and also bear
the fruits.
When the seed is that of a huge tree, then there are three
main features which are interesting to note; first— the germination can only be
seen by one or two persons who may be aware of its sowing and observe the
progress (in this case it were Princess Norina Matchabelli4 and Elizabeth Patterson5 );
second – as the germination progresses and sapling comes out as plant, it is
visible to the neighboring keen onlookers (in case of MBUSC, K.K. Ramakrishnan6 and Kalyan Rao Joshi7 ); and
third — with the growth of the plant its visibility circumference go on
increasing in diameter and its fragrance and fruit become within the reach of
each and everyone. Above all, there has to be a whole-time gardener to look
after the developments and to arrange for timely nursing of the seed and the
plant. In case of MBUSC, one Venkoba Rao and his family8 was the appointed watchman-cum-gardener. The
inception and growth of Meher Baba Universal Spiritual Centre, Byramangala is
undergoing similar sprouting process, akin to above.
In September 1939, Meher Baba purchased the land in His name
and hammered an Iron Rod as central point and on 17th Decenber‘1939 laid the foundation in the
presence of about 4000 people‘s gathering9 .
Nearly after 15 years, in October‘1954, He came to live in
one of the nine rooms constructed here.
After another 29 years, in June‘1983 the same spot (though
lesser land area) was re-purchased in the name of an independent (MBUSC) trust.
Within 10 years out of the previous 574 Acre, 55 Acres including the property
which consisted the Central Point, nine fully constructed and three half
constructed rooms were bought back.
Thus, the SEED sown by Meher Baba took 44 long years for
sprouting. Amazing is the fact that this time period of 44 years corresponds
exactly with the Silence observed by Avatar Meher Baba.
In 1983 when the symbolic Seed sprouted into a seedling only
a few, the 11 persons elected as trustees, were aware of the MBUSC, its
existence remained unknown to the rest of the world.
It is interesting to note that as preparatory arrangements
for seed sowing e.g. the arrangement for fertilizers, irrigation, watch and
ward are made, likewise God ordained arrangements seem to have been made. With
the preparation for sowing the seed of ‘spirituality’ at Byramangala, a seed of
Love was sown in the emotional soil of the heart of a simple local young
cowherd boy named Venkoba Rao. At that time pamphlets publicizing the
foundation laying ceremony of Universal Spiritual Centre on 17th December‘1939 were printed and Venkoba Rao was
selected to distribute it widely in Bangalore
city. He laboriously distributed it but could not read the pamphlet, as he was
not properly literate. The same young boy was fated to be the ‘gardener’ and
watchman of the spiritual seedling.10 One Robert Reser11 (born in October‘1939) of USA was fated to be
the construction consultant of Universal Spiritual Centre in 1993 and destined
to provide a material form to the seeding of spirituality sprouted out from the
SEED sown by the Avatar in the earthly soil. Looking at this Divine Plan it can
be admitted with pretty surety that Baba‘s Marzi is always destined for
a definite purpose or goal that is for the good sake of humanity.
Subsequent history after spiritual seed sowing amidst
574-Acre land, after it was sold out as per instructions of Meher Baba, too is
an amazing tale. The said land was ‘sold’ from worldly angle but its spiritual
authority, sanctity and status remained unchanged. The Central Point, where
Meher Baba had hammered an iron rod, and the surrounding circular area
containing nine fully and three half constructed rooms, were first purchased by
the family of the same Venkoba Rao who distributed the pamphlets, and he took
every care to maintain the sanctity of the area. But he subsequently sold the
property in 1964 to one Muniyappa Gouda, then Chairman of local Panchayat.
Muniyappa Gouda did not have any apparent connection with Meher Baba, yet had
mystical experiences around the Central Point. He formed a firm conviction
regarding the Divinity of the spot and called the area as ‘Devasthanam’. Later
he lost the Panchayat elections, began to head towards poverty. Consumption of
country wine affected his health and living. He suffered illness. He sold out
his various properties but not his ‘Devasthanam.’ though he was offered a huge
sum of money from a sugar factory management, yet Muniyappa was adamant for not
selling out it. Venkba Rao and K. K. Ramakrishnan too persuaded him but of no
avail. He told that he planed to built an orphanage and home for destitute
there. On 19th June‘1983
Muniyappa Gouda undergone a change of heart (yet another Baba‘s Marzi
phenomenon), and he agreed to sell the land to Venkba Rao and K. K.
Ramakrishnan. K. K. Ramakrishnan has described the chronological happenings,
which are full of amazing accounts12 (they are not narrated here for fear of
space). At last on 18th December‘1993 Bhau Kalchuri, Chairman AMBPPC
Trust Meherabad, Ahmadnagar formally inaugurated the MBUSC. Now it is open to
all— rich and poor, believers and non-believers, Loving hearts, Devotees and
mental gymnasts like me.
Amazing indeed13 !
On 21st March‘ 1993 —
Architectural plan of the present day structure was finalized by M.R.Achyta of
India and Robert Raser of USA quiet independently, which was later (in the
year1996) found to be exactly similar to the plan approved by Meher Baba in
1939-40.
Lastly, let us try to assimilate the truth contained in the
lines of K.K.Ramakrishnan14 while giving an account of the revival of
Centre at Byramangala: -
‘‘Man needs a new vision of the ancient truth, the Ancient
One gave to the world. Meher Baba planned it fifty-three years ago, when he
laid the foundation of the centre at Byramangala; and he has timed its
accomplishment at a time when man years for a right conception of God, and His
function in the affairs of all men and creatures. This is what Baba wants us to
depict on that sacred spot. Recall the words of Meher Baba at the time of
laying the foundation;
‘‘The world is at war today. It has engulfed all
departments of life – political, economic, social and religious. The
instinct of self-preservation enhanced by fear and uncertainty of the future is
aggressively active in the guise of various pseudonyms and catch words.
Exclusiveness is parading as Nationalism; Self-Interest is known as economics;
Fanaticism is synonymous with Religion; Libertinism is looked upon as social
and moral freedom and exploitation is termed Politics. This instinct of
self-preservation is legitimate and natural with the lower order of life, in
the scale of evolution. But when it expresses itself through man it makes of
him nothing more that a talking animal and as such, he is yet a long way off
from deserving the title, ‘The Best of Creation’. Is it anybody‘s fault if one
finds himself on the right side of things or the wrong side? No! Every human
being has come to serve and achieve a definite purpose and by playing his part
to perfection he automatically works out his own salvation. There is this
difference however. In the Divine scheme of things individuals or peoples when
instead of progressing higher and onward, are about to lapse into bestiality it
is suffering that rehabilitates them. Spiritual Masters achieve for humanity
the same resurrection much more easily and less painfully by not only preaching
but also translating into fulfillment the too familiar words self-denial and
brotherhood of man, whose very beginning and whose ultimate end is LOVE. The
time for such universal awakening looming large in the near future, to meet
which the scheme of a Universal Spiritual Centre is founded today. Mysore Universal
Spiritual Center
symbolizes the character of My Divine Mission
Let us Hail His Glory for providing our generations and to
the generations to come with such a unique LOVE seed sown in the land soil at
Byramangala.
-------
Safarchand, Lucknow
Footnotes
1 See www.avatarmeherbaba.org — about Bal Natu
2 ‘The things which are Real are
always given and received in Silence’ – Meher Baba
3 ‘Glory of Meher Baba’, Bal
Krishna Meher, MBUSC publication 1997, page 53
4 Ibid page 52
Appendix to “Sprouting Of a Seed: Byramangala”
Concise chronological events of the Sprouting Of a Seed:
Byramangala
· 13th August‘1939 — Meher Baba‘s first visit to
Byramangala
· 1st September‘1939 —— Meher Baba hammered an Iron
rod at a point, later to be known as Central Point
· 7th December‘1939 —— Meher Baba inspects the site
for foundation laying ceremony. Young Venkoba Rao is recruited as servant;
later to serve at Byramangala
· 17th December‘1939 — Foundation laying ceremony.
· 18th December‘1939 —— Construction begins.
· 16th February‘ 1940 —— Contract for Construction
terminated.
· —————————————— Army takes over the entire area.
· August‘1949 ———
Venkoba Rao Purchases 55 Acres out of total 574 Acre for Rs 6500 from Baba.
· October‘ 1954 —— Meher Baba comes to stay in one of the
nine rooms for three days.
· 1959 —— Venkoba Rao goes to Bangalore to earn the livelihood. Byramangala
spot given in care of a local ‘Peer Sahib’ and subsequently in the charge of a
cousin of Venkoba Rao.
· 1964 —— Aggrieved by the mismanagement at Byramangala
Venkoba Rao first informs Baba, and then on His orders sells the property to
Muniyappa Gouda for Rs 3500.
· 26th March‘1982 — MBUSC trust was formed and a
Centre was opened at Marenahalli, Vijayanagar (Bangalore ). Kalyan Rao Joshi joins for the
revival of MBUSC
· 10th to 14th December‘1982— K.K. Ramakrishnan gets mystic
experiences and vision at Byramangala and he associates himself with the
revival drive of MBUSC.
· 18th January‘ 1983 —— Muniyappa Gouda sends a
telegram to K.K. Ramakrishnan informing that he was inaugurating an orphanage
at Byramangala.
· 19th January‘ 1983 ——— Inauguration of the
orphanage at Byramangala is cancelled and Muniyappa Gouda agrees to sell
Byramangala land & property.
· 26th June‘1983— The deal was finally negotiated at
a price of Rs 50100.
· 27th June‘1983 — Sale deed was signed
· 8th August‘1983 — Meeting of the trustees.
· 9th August‘1983 — 11-member trust elected and a
large photo of Avatar Meher Baba is placed in the room in which Baba stayed and
slept for three nights in 1954.
· 11th August‘1983 — MBUSC trust registered.
· January‘ 1992 — Construction re-begins.
· 21st March‘ 1993 — Architectural plan finalized by
M.R.Achyta and Robert Raser which was later (in 1996) found to be exactly
similar to the plan approved by Meher Baba in 1939.
· 26th April‘1993 — Bhoomi Pojanam and Construction
resumes
· 17th to 18th December‘1994 —— The Inaugural
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