Harry Kenmore

Figure 1: source

I'm currently reading "Harry: The Story of Dr. Harry L. Kenmore and His Life with His Beloved Pop, Meher Baba" by Larry Karrasch and Rita Karrasch, published in July of 2017. Figure 1 shows the cover of the book. I was familiar with Harry Kenmore and his chiropractic treatment of Baba through my reading (and rereading) of Bhau Kalcuri's "Lord Meher". 

However, there is not much detail provided in that source and so this book gives welcome insights into how Harry came to Baba (or how Baba "snared" Harry) and how the two of them interacted on a daily basis when they were together. It serves a similar purpose to David Fenster's "Mehera-Meher: A Divine Romance" in providing rich details of how Mehera and Meher Baba interacted on a daily basis and about the lives of the women mandali.

The book contains many wonderful photographs. Figures 2, 3 and 4 are examples. The following is the description of the book as it appears on the Google Play store:

Harry Kenmore's blindness at the age of sixteen changed his life. After meeting Meher Baba in 1956, the path of his life was again altered because now he found God, Meher Baba. His love and devotion led him to serve Baba as his chiropractor after Baba's second automobile accident on December 2nd 1956, in Satara India. We learn about Harry's journey to become Baba's doctor, entertainer, friend and intimate mandali throughout the next thirteen years. Through the intimate taped conversations, cables and letters between Harry, Baba and the mandali and also talks by Harry to various Baba groups, we gain insight into Harry's life as his relationship evolves with his Pop, Meher Baba. 

"You don't know how much I love you Harry. You have become one of the intimate mandali. So I want you, for the remaining period that is, in between now and My Manifestation, which has not much time now, to just be as the mandali. Like My mandali, remain during this period between now and My Manifestation as mandali. So that when I break My Silence, when I Manifest, the few handful of the mandali can realize Me as I am. You too will realize Me as I am, not the world." Meher Baba November 2nd 1968

Figure 2: Harry with Baba

Figure 3: Baba standing with Francis, Eruch and Harry

Figure 4: Harry with Eruch (behind him), Aloba
and Bhau (standing), Francis and Pendu.

We learn in the book that Harry was born on February 10th 1910 between 2:00pm and 2:30pm in Brooklyn, New York. Figure 5 shows his chart and it is a most interesting one. I'd add commentary to this chart in the near future, as it definitely deserves comment.

Figure 5: chart drawn up using Astrolog

Here is an interesting excerpt from the book:

Harry had his first meeting with Baba in July, 1956 at the Delmonico Hotel in Manhattan and attended the dinner held for Baba at the Longchamp’s restaurant, then again at The Meher Spiritual Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He immediately recognized Meher Baba as his true Beloved and as Almighty God in human form. When Harry had his interview with Baba, in the Lagoon Cabin in 1956, he asked Baba why was he blind in this life? He told Baba that he was able to look back into his past four lifetimes and could not find any karmic reason for this blindness. Baba said, “That if you had not become blind in this life you would have become a great, world renowned surgeon, and then you would have had no reason to search for me. I gave you these vidnyani sanskaras so you would have to meet me in this Advent.” After this meeting with Baba, Harry became resigned to his blindness. Baba also told Harry that he had been one of His Generals when He was Shivaji – a minor Avataric incarnation, in India. And Harry had been a very fierce warrior.

While on the topic of Baba books, I'd very much like to read "Slave of Love: The Life of William Donkin with Meher Baba" by Bob Mossman but it's only available in hard copy format, not as an e-book. While not rivalling a full-blown book, let's not forget that there is invaluable biographical material to found on the MeherBabaTravels.com website. For example, here are links to the Indian mandali mentioned in this post:

• Aloba (Ali Akbar Shapurzaman)
• Pendu (Aspandiar Rustom Irani) 
• Eruch (Eruch Bhyramshaw Jessawala)
• Bhau (Vir Singh Kalchuri)
  
  

I remember meeting Eruch and Bhau when I visited Meherazad in the late 90's. Aloba was still alive then and was probably present as well. Of course, I met Bhau again in hospital when leaving Poona and later again in Singapore. I wrote about this in my post Baba's Gardener.

Personality and Perfection

I once entertained the notion that those who are spiritually advanced must display a calm and pleasant personality. My early interest in Buddhism sustained this because Siddhartha Gautama, once He attained enlightenment, was in my understanding imperturbably calm in the face of all adversities and frustrations.

It was thanks to Meher Baba that I was disabused of this notion. As Baba explained:

In the evening some of the other mandali asked Baba whether the nature of a person changes after the divine experience of Realization. A long discussion ensued, and in the end the Master clarified the matter in relation to the personality of Hafiz:

Even after Realization, a man's nature is the same but in a different way. In the normal human state, his anger, his curses, his strong language and his mannerisms express themselves because of his ego. Where there is ego, there is no God; and where there is God, there is no ego. For this reason, the words and deeds of a Perfect One are egoless.

But his special nature and personality remain the same, even after Realization, and when expressed due to some mood, they are of the greatest benefit to others.

This is the meaning of Hafiz's couplet:

At one time I craved to see various things; 

But since I saw you, I no longer desire to see anything else!

This means that the nature to see is still there. Before, Hafiz craved to see a variety of different subjects; after the divine sight, he longed only to see God. It means: The desire of seeing remains the same but undergoes a change after becoming egoless.

Suppose a man is in the habit of getting angry and beating other people. His nature will remain the same even if he turns into a saint, but the change is beyond imagination. Behind his anger there is now no self-interest. It is simply an impulse with divinity behind it. It comes from the divine flow, and anyone who comes in contact with it is greatly benefited.

For us mere mortals however, it doesn't mean that we shouldn't strive to bring the more ugly features of our personality under control. When we act out our anger, we disturb those around us and create more sanskaras for ourselves. At the same time, Baba is quick to point out that we shouldn't suppress or repress our anger but instead be quick to catch it before we act on it. If we can do this, we will see that the anger or other negative emotion is purely ego-driven and it will quickly dissipate.

If we try to repress our negative emotions and push them into our subconscious mind, they only gain more influence over us and strengthen what Jung called "The Shadow". Baba regarded hypocrisy as the worst of failings and emphasised that we must not pretend to be what we are not. This prohibition extends to the way we see ourselves. If we are troubled by anger, lust or jealousy, then we must acknowledge this and not pretend to be free of these negative emotions. The psychological tendency to suppression is encouraged if we have an idealised notion of what a spiritual person should be feeling. Suppression can lead to repression in which an individual genuinely believes that he or she is free of troubling emotions. This is no longer hypocrisy but delusion and this brings disaster in one form or another.

So neither suppression or repression is to be encouraged. Instead we should strive as far as possible not to act on our feelings of anger, lust, jealousy etc. Firstly the thought arises and then almost instantly an accompanying desire to give it expression arises. If we are quick enough, we can catch the thought, observe it and allow its energy to dissipate. Often we will not be quick enough and in that case the impulse to act can be suppressed while still holding the thought and its accompanying emotion in our consciousness. 

Baba would constantly goad his mandali into feeling angry or jealous by praising those who were undeserving of praise and criticising those who thought themselves deserving of praise. This served to grind down their egos. Situations in our own lives that arouse similar emotions can serve the same purpose. If someone insults us, our ego is quick to rise to our defence because that is its nature. When this happens, we simply need to observe this and recognise that the ego is simply doing its job. Human consciousness is capable of this objectivity whereas animal consciousness is not.

The following explanation by Baba in January of 1939 is instructive concerning the difference between a Perfect Master and a person of normal consciousness:

Dr. Deshmukh arrived from Nagpur to see Baba in Jabalpur. His mind was quite troubled and he told Baba that people were asking him why Baba was calling himself “God.” They were saying, “Isn’t this the expression of his ego? Isn’t he a supreme egotist?” Deshmukh did not know how to answer them. To pacify Deshmukh, Baba gave this explanation:

In all that a God-Realized soul or an ordinary man says or does, the “I” in him asserts itself. The difference between the two is that the “I” in the ordinary man is limited, whereas in the God-Realized being it is unlimited. If Deshmukh says, “I have written the book,” it is the limited “I” in Deshmukh asserting a certain job he has done. But when I say, “I am God,” it is the unlimited “I” asserting its universal aspect.

The limited “I” must go for the unlimited “I” to take its place. The limited “I” is like a seven-headed demon. The seven heads of lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride, jealousy and hatred must be killed so thoroughly that not even the slightest trace remains. When the false “I” is completely destroyed, another “I,” which is Real and Unlimited, takes its place.

Walking Far From Home

I was listening to Iron and Wine's "Walking Far From Home" from the album of the same name and was intrigued by the lyrics that contain a myriad of images. Here are the lyrics:

Walking Far From Home

Iron & Wine

I was walking far from home

Where the names were not burned along the wall

Saw a building high as heaven

But the door was so small, door was so small

I saw rainclouds, little babies

And a bridge that had tumbled to the ground

I saw sinners making music

And I dreamt of that sound, dreamt of that sound

I was walking far from home

But I carried your letters all the while

I saw lovers in a window

Whisper, "Warn me like time, warn me like time"

I saw sickness blooming fruit trees

I saw blood and a bit of it was mine

I saw children in a river

But their lips were still dry, lips were still dry

I was walking far from home

And I found your face mingled in the crowd

Saw a boat full of believers

Sail off talking too loud, talking too loud

I saw sunlight on the water

Saw a bird fall like a hammer from the sky

And a woman on a speed train

She was closing her eyes, closing her eyes

I saw flowers on a hillside

And a millionaire pissing on the lawn

Saw a prisoner take a pistol

And say, "Join me in song, join me in song"

Saw a car crash in the country

Where the prayers are like weeds along the road

I saw strangers stealing kisses

Giving only their clothes, only their clothes

Saw a white dog chase its tail

And a pair of hearts carved into a stone

I saw kindness and an angel

Crying, "Take me back home, take me back home"

Saw a highway, saw an ocean

I saw widows in the temple to the Lord

Naked dancers in the city

How they spoke for us all, spoke for us all

I saw loaded linen tables

And a motherless colt and it was gone

I saw hungry brothers waiting

With a radio on, radio on

I was walking far from home

Where the names are not burned along the wall

Saw a wet road form a circle

And it came like a call, came like a call

From the Lord

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Samuel Ervin Beam

Walking Far From Home lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

 

Figure 1: source

The song has obvious religious overtones but the third and fourth lines especially caught my attention:

Saw a building high as heaven

But the door was so small, door was so small 

This seems to be a reference to a passage in the Gospel of St. Luke (see Figure 1) and the Gospel of St. Matthew, that is translated as:

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. 

(Matthew 7:13-14 – English Standard Version)

OR 

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

(Matthew 7:13-14 – New International Version)

 

Figure 2: source

It's an easy song to play on guitar. I've worked out the melody and here are the chords, courtesy of Ultimate Guitar:

STANDARD TUNING

CAPO on I

ALL CHORDS RELATIVE TO CAPO

       G                D

I was walking far from home

            Em                       C

Where the names were not burned along the wall

       G                 D

Saw a building high as heaven

        Em                  C

But the door was so small, door was so small

This the best reference that I found to an interpretation of all the lyrics (source):

"I was walking far from home

Where the names were not burned along the walls"

The Revelation uses imagery of the New Jerusalem having 12 foundations with the names of the 12 Apostles written on them, and 12 gates with the names of the 12 tribes of Israel written on them. Seems like an image of Sam's own personal spiritual journey of metaphorically leaving the Holy City.

"Saw a building, high as Heaven

But the door was so small, door was so small"

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." -Jesus, Matthew 7:13. This could be Sam expressing what the church, or at least church culture, looks like from the outside--a big city with tiny gates. Jesus criticised the religious leaders of His day because they "taught as doctrine the commandments of men" and because of that they "neither entered into the Kingdom of God nor allow(ed) those who would do so to enter."

"I saw sinners making music

And I dreamt of that sound, dreamt of that sound"

If we go with the idea of this narrative of someone leaving this "Holy City" that represents restrictive church culture, Sam's hearing the music of the world and being enthralled by it. It could be that these 'sinners' are people who were classified as sinners by those in the Holy City and refused entry, yet their music is so beautiful.

"I was walking far from home

But I carried your letters all along"

Many Evangelicals like to refer to the Bible as a letter from God to man. Most of the New Testament is a collection of letters written to early churches by the Apostles. Sam was walking far from home, but he was still holding onto God in his heart, even though he was out in the world that those in the Holy City separated themselves from.

"I saw lovers in a window

Whisper want me like time, want me like time"

Sam sees people searching for one of our most fundamental desires and needs, love, and finding it in each other, in whatever flawed form it takes.

"I saw sickness bloom in fruit trees

I saw blood and a bit of it was mine"

Jesus often compares believers to trees who bear fruit, good or bad. "Bad fruit does not come from good trees, nor good fruit from bad trees." Sam could be for the first time seeing flaws in the people of the Holy City who would personify themselves as good trees. As for the blood, it's pretty simple that nobody makes it out of life without some wounds, and Sam at this point has left the sterile environment he was used to.

"I saw children in the river

But their lips were still dry, lips were still dry"

"Children"---Jesus loved children, and He said to His disciples, "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore anyone who humbles himself like a child will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." "River"---Jesus said "Whoever believes in me, as the Scriptures say, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

I define those terms to explain my interpretation. These children are in the river, which perhaps means they're under the influence of their own Christian families and role models, yet their lips are still dry. Jesus was speaking to a woman at a well outside her city in Samaria--He was, in a way, 'walking far from home' Himself--and He told her, "Whoever drinks of this water will soon be thirsty, but whoever drinks of the water I give them will never be thirsty again." If these kids were drinking of the living water that Jesus gave, they'd never be thirsty again, but their lips are dry. This means Sam sees these kids who are suffering because of the emptiness of their parents.

"I was walking far from home

And I found your face mingled in the crowd"

Walking through the world and being acquainted with all these people, though they're all flawed and imperfect, he still finds God in their midst. Jesus said "The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'Look over there!'; for, behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst." He's everywhere if we want to find Him. Jesus didn't spend hardly any time with religious people or in temples or synagogues, He ate with publicans, prostitutes, drunks, and sinners, which got Him criticized by the religious leaders of His time, and it likely got Sam criticized as well.

"Saw a boat-full of believers

Sail off talking too loud, talking too loud"

Out there in the world, Sam finds believers who aren't perfect, they're too loud, but they're in boats talking loudly together. They're loving each other, which Jesus said the whole world would recognise His followers for.

"I saw sunlight on the water

Saw a bird fall like a hammer from the sky "

Jesus said He saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven. After this, the lyrics take a darker turn to show greed, chaos, disaster, despair, but there are still glimmers of light. Seeing as all this happens when the bird falls from the sky, we can assume these things are directly related, and Sam's trying to make a point that evil isn't from God's hand. Things look up when the angel cries out "Take me back home, take me back home," and we come to this imagery:

"Saw a highway, saw an ocean

I saw widows in the temple of the Lord"

Once Jesus was in a temple and He saw the rich people and the Pharisees making extravagant offerings and gifts on the altar, but He saw one poor widow place a single copper coin in the offering plate. He observed, "This woman has truly given more than any of the others." Sam could be making the point that Jesus was making, it's not about extravagance or making a show, it's about the sincerity of the gift.

"Naked dancers in the city

How they spoke for us all, spoke for us all"

In the Old Testament, King David was bringing the Ark of the Covenant which represented the presence of God on earth back to Jerusalem. He lead the whole city in worship in the form of dancing; he himself wore an ephod which wasn't very modest at all and danced his heart out. When he got home, his wife jumped onto him and said basically, "You've made a fool of yourself and showed yourself to all the women in town." His reply was, to sum it up, "I'm just getting started making a fool of myself. You're gonna think I'm a pure heathen by the time it's over with." A whole lot of churches are critical about the way we choose to worship. More pointless man-made laws. Again, it's not about extravagance or looking good, it's about sincerity.

"I saw loaded linen tables

And a motherless colt then it was gone"

Jesus' last stretch of work was a week in Jerusalem. He fulfilled an ancient prophecy by entering the Eastern Gate on a donkey, or a colt. He'd sent His disciples to get it from a house on the road, and He said that if anyone asked what they wanted with it, to tell them, "The Lord has need of it." The loaded linen tables refer to traditional artistic imagery of the Last Supper which happened in Jerusalem. Sam's purpose could be another way of illustrating willing surrender in contrast to that Holy City mentality.

"I saw hungry brothers waiting

With the radio on, radio on"

The disciples arrived to their private Passover feast, and they didn't start until He arrived, as was traditional not to begin without their master/teacher. They likely sang songs or cut up to pass the time. Sam could be trying to paint a picture evocative of the humanity of Jesus and the Apostles, rather than the sterile imagery we see too often from the "Holy City."

"I was walking far from home

Where the names were not burned along the wall

Saw a wet road form a circle

And it came like a call, came like a call from the Lord"

After taking this dirty road from the Holy City all the way through the world, Sam comes back home when the Lord calls him. Maybe he left because of disillusion with the people, maybe he ran from God Himself, but it's clear that Sam found Him in the end, and He doesn't look like what he was used to picturing when he thought of Him.

Blood Testimony on September 12, 2014

A Centenary Month

I was reminded yesterday that it was in January of 1922 that Meher Baba left Upasni Maharaj's ashram to embark of His Universal Work. Here is a description of what happened during that momentous month:

As the six-month period drew to a close and it was becoming evident that Meher Baba was soon to depart from Sakori, Upasni Maharaj would tell those who came for his darshan, “Go to Merwan! I have given over my charge and authority to him. Meher now holds my key.” (Upasni always referred to Meher Baba as Merwan.)

On another occasion among a group of his disciples Upasni told them, “Whatever I had gotten from Sai Baba, I have handed over to Merwan. If you want what Sai Baba gave me, go to Merwan.”

Later, when a large gathering of disciples, including Durgabai, were present, Upasni looked at Durgabai and pointed to Merwan, saying, “This lad will shake the whole world!”

Another time when Upasni’s disciples from Kharagpur and Nagpur had come, Upasni interrupted his discourse and pointed to Meher Baba, remarking, “Up to now, no Guru has opened a college of dnyan (spiritual or divine knowledge), but he will soon do so.”

Late in 1921, Gustadji was called to Sakori. Upasni Maharaj and Meher Baba were seated together, and Upasni solemnly told Gustadji, “I have made Merwan perfect. From now on, hold on to him.”

Sadashiv was also called to Sakori in 1921. On one occasion he was sitting with Upasni, who suddenly started shedding tears and uttered, “Merwan now has all that Sai Baba gave me. Everything has been transferred to him now… . The whole burden is on his shoulders now!”

Finally, Behramji was called to Sakori in late 1921 to see Meher Baba. Upasni took Behramji aside and told him, “Your friend is now perfect. Always do as Merwan says and obey him implicitly.”

Although Meher Baba’s early disciples had a strong conviction and faith in him, hearing these words directly from one as great as Upasni Maharaj impressed these young men profoundly. Each man returned to Poona and repeated Upasni’s words that Meher Baba was perfect – a Sadguru – to several others, and this information gradually spread throughout Poona.

The day finally came that our Age had long awaited – the Avatar’s divine mission was to begin. In January 1922, Meher Baba was destined to leave Upasni Maharaj and Sakori and begin his Universal work. A few minutes before his departure, Upasni Maharaj called him into his hut and with folded hands proclaimed, “Merwan, you are Adi Shakti – the Primal Force! You are the Avatar – the direct descent of God!”

Meher Baba wept tears of bliss and bowed down at the feet of the Perfect Master. Upasni Maharaj held him in his arms for a long time and also wept, “Ah, Merwan! My dear Merwan!” There were no words left to express his love. Tears flowed as he let him leave the hut.

Meher Baba said goodbye to all those gathered outside the hut and swiftly climbed into a waiting tonga. However, his departure was delayed when Upasni Maharaj’s women disciples rushed forward to kiss his feet and have his darshan. Within seconds, the tonga galloped away to the train station. Meher Baba then took a train to Bombay. *

* It is not certain whether Meher Baba was alone when he left Sakori for Bombay, or if he was accompanied by one of his disciples from Kasba Peth, such as Gustadji, Baily or Beheramji, who may have been called to Sakori during this period in January 1922.

So this month marks the centenary of the real beginning of Baba's Universal Work. Baba dropped his body on January 31st of 1969 so he was active for 47 years in his physical form and it has now been 53 years that he has remained active in a non-corporeal form. A reference to "100 years" is made in Lord Meher. To quote:

The Westerners were called to Guruprasad for a final meeting on Monday morning, 5 November 1962, ... He informed them, "Tomorrow is the day for your trip to Ahmednagar to visit my final resting place at Meherabad, and my residence at Meherazad. I want you all to go, health permitting. Meherabad, where I will rest after dropping my body, is now like a desert. After 100 years it will flourish into a place of pilgrimage. People from all over the world will want to visit it in their lifetime. It has a definite atmosphere. Meherazad is now my residence. Mehera looks after the garden."

So in 2062, Meherabad will be a place of worldwide pilgrimage. Baba also made reference to "100 years" in the context of his remaining active for that period of time following his physical death. During that period He said, the five Perfect Masters will remain obscure and only afterwards will they become active. That would take us up to 2069.