Silence Day 2024

It's that time of the year again. This day marks the 99th anniversary of the beginning of Baba's silence. I was awake just before midnight and the moment I awoke I remembered that it was Silence Day. A few minutes later I checked my phone and it was 00:04. It's now 00:36 and I've had breakfast and am ready to start the working day so to speak. 

AVATAR MEHER BABA using the alphabet board to communicate with His followers.

Even though I don't work, there are chores to be completed. Apart from those however, I want to spend the day being more mindful of Baba and appreciative of my great good fortune in having come to know of Him. In 1967, I first saw the name Meher Baba in a book titled "A Search in Secret India" by Paul Brunton. It had been lent to me by my now long lost friend Steve Ross. I first heard the name Meher Baba in 1968, during a talk given at the University of Queensland by Bill Le Page (now deceased).

AVATAR MEHER BABA (left) with Frank Simon Hendrick, Francis Brabazon and Bill Le Page in 1954.

During these two years, Meher Baba was still alive and it was the talk by Bill Le Page that embedded Baba's name in my memory. I was unimpressed by Bill's presentation and quickly forgot all about it. I can still see myself sitting in that largely empty lecture hall, unaware of the profundity of the occasion. I came away with nothing but His name and, thanks to His grace, that proved to be enough. It was not until 1993, at the age of 44, that I finally came to Baba but the seed had been planted that evening in the lecture hall.

If His name hadn't been buried in my subconscious mind, then the book "God Speaks" that I stumbled upon in about 1981 would have meant nothing to me. Seeing the author's name triggered an urge to acquire the book and give it a place on my bookshelf where it remained, largely ignored, for the next twelve years. However, I did very occasionally open it up and start reading it only to quickly abandon the attempt as the words made no sense to me. That all changed in 1993, again through His grace, and in the next seven years I came to know the details of Baba's advent.

So here I am at age 75 observing silence on Silence Day. I'm thinking I'd best not go for my usual morning walk as I may be lured into verbal communication. As usual I'll stay at home and avoid even going out the front door to sweep the fallen leaves away because I always, if I encounter him, say good morning to the guy next door whose task it is to clean the bird and cat cages. In the past, I've even slipped up by saying something to my dog but now that she's gone that won't happen. It's only my wife and granddaughter that I am at risk of talking to but they are quite familiar with this annual event and are understanding of its significance.

On this day I'll play some of what I consider Baba music. For more about these songs, the following links are available:

• https://sean-reeves.blogspot.com/2021/08/its-been-long-long-long-time.html
• https://sean-reeves.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-one.html
• https://sean-reeves.blogspot.com/2021/12/across-bridge.html
• https://sean-reeves.blogspot.com/2024/01/im-on-your-side.html

Special prominence must be given to "Begin the Beguine" by Pete Townshend because this was Baba's favourite song and Pete of course is a long time Baba Lover.

Having had only about five hours slept, I fell asleep again between 03:00 and 06:00. For the first time ever, I had several dreams in which I knew I was observing silence but slipped up in various interactions with dream characters. Interesting. 

Listening to Van the Man, I was captivated by the lyrics to his song "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You". Let's not forget that Jim Reeves wrote a song with the same name (but different melody and lyrics) but here are the lyrics to Van's song:

Have I Told You Lately That I Love You

Have I told you lately that I love you?

Have I told you there's no one above you

Fill my heart with gladness

Take away my sadness

Ease my troubles, that's what you do

Now the mornin' sun in all it's glory

Greets the day with hope and comfort, too

You fill my life with laughter

You can make it better

Ease my troubles that's what you do

There's a love that's divine

And it's yours and mine, like the sun

At the end of the day

We should give thanks and pray to the One

And to say, 'Have I told you lately that I love you?'

Have I told ya there's no one above you?

Fill my heart with gladness

Take away my sadness

Ease my troubles, that's what you do

There's a love that's divine

And it's yours and mine

And it shines like the sun

At the end of the day

We should give thanks

And pray to the One

And so

Have I told you lately that I love you?

Have I told you there's no one above you?

Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill, fill my heart with gladness

Take away my sadness

(Take away my sadness)

Ease my troubles, that's what you do

Fill my life with gladness

Take away my sadness

(Take away my sadness)

Ease my troubles that's what you do

Fill my life with gladness

And take away my sadness

(Take away my sadness)

Ease my troubles that's what you

This is another excellent devotional song and I'm reminded how the use of the term "The One" is preferable to the use of the term "God" which means so many different things to so many different people. Using this terminology helps overcome the associations, good and bad, that adhere to the latter term. We can thus say that Meher Baba and the Sadgurus are one with The One and from The One arise The Many. 

I'm On Your Side

With AMARTITHI coming up tomorrow, I felt I should post something and I've come up with the lyrics of a song by Paul Kelly that I came across for the first time only a few days ago. The song is "I'm On Your Side" and the first time I heard it, I thought of Baba and the fact that he is always supporting us. However, we tend to forget that and often feel that we alone and unloved. 

Link to video clip of Paul Kelly singing this song

Here are the lyrics and a link to the guitar chords:

I'm on Your Side 

You've been crying a long long spell

You've been drinking from the Devil's own well

You're just hanging on to your pride

Hold on to me now

 

I'm on your side

I'm on your side when you think there's no one

I'm on your side when darkness falls

I'm on your side

All you gotta do is call

 

The trees on the shoreline are all fresh from the rain

The ship on the water is heading for the main

Open your window, let the good air inside

You don't always know when

There's a change in the tide

 

I'm on your side when others turn on you

I'm on your side when your back's to the wall

I'm on your side

All you gotta do is call

 

I'm on your side though you might not believe it

I'm on your side when the shit rains down

I'm on your side

I'm gonna stand your ground, stand your ground

Ooh, call on me, all you gotta do is call

For other posts connecting Meher Baba with music, see:

• https://sean-reeves.blogspot.com/2021/08/its-been-long-long-long-time.html

• https://sean-reeves.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-one.html

• https://sean-reeves.blogspot.com/2021/12/across-bridge.html

In My Life

I was listening to Johnny Cash's version of The Beatles classic "In My Life" and I was struck by the lyrics that I guess I only really listened to closely for the first time. They run like this:

In My Life
The Beatles

There are places I'll remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone, and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends, I still can recall
Some are dead, and some are living
In my life, I've loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life, I love you more

Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
In my life I love you more

It's a perfect devotional song to sing for Meher Baba or Muhammed, Jesus Christ, Siddharta Gautama or any other transcendent being that has graced our planet and who has inspired that degree of love in us. In the official lyrics, the words are "In my life, I'll love you more" but I prefer Johnny Cash's "In my life, I love you more" because it centres the feeling in the present rather than the future.

Of course I'll be singing to Baba. The lyrics are befitting for a 70 year old such as myself to sing because by then one may have realised that love for a divine being trumps love for mere mortals:

But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new

This is just one of several songs that a suitable for devotional purposes. A long time favourite of mine has been "How Can I Tell You" by Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam). In that song, once the words "honey" and "girl" have been taken out, it is entirely suitable. I also alter the phrase "I need to know you, Need to feel my arms around you, Feel my arms around you" to "I need to know you, Need to feel your arms around me, Feel your arms around me" which seems more appropriate. It should be up to the master to initiate the embrace.

How Can I Tell You
Cat Stevens

How can I tell you
That I love you
I love you
But I can't think of right words to say
I long to tell you
That I'm always thinking of you
I'm always thinking of you
But my words just blow away
Just blow away
It always ends up to one thing
And I can't think of right words to say

Wherever I am
I'm always walking with you
I'm always walking with you
But I look and you're not there
Whoever I'm with
I'm always, always talking to you
I'm always talking to you
And I'm sad that you can't hear
Sad that you can't hear
It always ends up to one thing
When I look and you're not there

I need to know you
Need to feel your arms around me
Feel your arms around me
Like a sea around a shore
Each night and day I pray
In hope that I might find you
In hope that I might find you
Because hearts can do no more
Can do no more
It always ends up to one thing
Still I kneel upon the floor

How can I tell you
That I love you
I love you
But I can't think of right words to say
I long to tell you
That I'm always thinking of you
I'm always thinking of you
It always ends up to one thing
And I can't think of right words to say

Van Morrison's "Hymns to the Silence" is also very devotional, as are many of his songs:

Here are the lyrics:

Hymns to the Silence
Van Morrison 

 

Oh my dear, oh my dear sweet love
Oh my dear, oh my dear sweet love
When I'm away from you, when I'm away from you
Well I feel, yeah, well I feel so sad and blue
Well I feel, well I feel so sad and blue
Oh my dear, oh my dear, oh my dear sweet love
When I'm away from you, I just have to sing, my hymns
Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence
Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence 

Oh my dear, oh my dear sweet love it's a long, long journey
Long, long journey, journey back home
Back home to you, feel you by my side
Long journey, journey, journey
Yeah in the midnight, in the midnight, I burn the candle
Burn the candle at both ends, burn the candle at both ends
Burn the candle at both ends, burn the candle at both ends
And I keep on, 'cause I can't sleep at night
Until the daylight comes through
And I just, and I just, have to sing
Sing my hymns to the silence
Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence
My hymns to the silence 

I want to go out in the countryside
Oh sit by the clear, cool, crystal water
Get my spirit, way back to the feeling
Deep in my soul, I want to feel
Oh so close to the One, close to the One
Close to the One, close to the One
And that's why, I keep on singing
My hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence 

Oh my hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence
Oh hymns to the silence, oh hymns to the silence
Oh hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence
Oh my dear, my dear sweet love 

Can you feel the silence? can you feel the silence?
Can you feel the silence? can you feel the silence? 

Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence
Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence
Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence
Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence
Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence.

Tim Buckley's Morning Glory

There's a few songs that for me at least have a spiritual significance and one of them is Morning Glory by Tim Buckley. Here's a video of his singing the song:

Here are the lyrics (there are some slight differences to what he actually sings):

I lit my purest candle close to my

Window, hoping it would catch the eye

Of any vagabond who passed it by,

And I waited in my fleeting house

Before he came I felt him drawing near;

As he neared I felt the ancient fear

That he had come to wound my door and jeer,

And I waited in my fleeting house

"Tell me stories, " I called to the Hobo;

"Stories of cold, " I smiled at the Hobo;

"Stories of old, " I knelt to the Hobo;

And he stood before my fleeting house

"No, " said the Hobo, "No more tales of time;

Don't ask me now to wash away the grime;

I can't come in 'cause it's too high a climb, "

And he walked away from my fleeting house

"Then you be damned!" I screamed to the Hobo;

"Leave me alone, " I wept to the Hobo;

"Turn into stone, " I knelt to the Hobo;

And he walked away from my fleeting house

At first sight, the lyrics may not seem to have any spiritual significance so let's look more closely. The fleeting house is a symbol of our transient physical form. As the saying goes, the eyes are windows of the soul so putting my purest candle close to my Window, hoping to catch the eye of any vagabond who passed it by means putting oneself in a very still and receptive state in the hope of making eye contact with a vagabond. A vagabond is a person who wanders from place to place without a home or job and is free of worldly ties. It serves here as a metaphor for a perfect master, a God-realised being, who has transcended duality and become one with God.

He waits and feels the vagabond drawing near but feels the ancient fear which is the threat of ego annihilation that is a necessary prelude on the path to becoming a spiritually perfect. The fear that he had come to wound my door and jeer is of course the way in which a perfect master methodically demolishes the disciple's ego. On arrival, the vagabond is referred to seven times as the Hobo and seven of course has deep mystical significance as a number of perfection. However, it is the prospective disciple that unwisely decides to set the agenda: tell me stories ... stories of cold ... stories of old.

The Hobo is not about to do this: no ... no more tales of time. Those who have attained union with God have transcended time and exist in eternity. The world of duality in which we are enmeshed however, is a world of time. Any reference to it is pointless from the spiritual point of view. Don't ask me now to wash away the grime: the grime is a reference to the karma (sanskaras) that we have accumulated over the course of our evolution and which bind us to the physical plane. Perfect masters can erase these sanskaras in an instant if they have the whim and if we are deserving of their grace.

I can't come in 'cause it's too high a climb, says the Hobo because the spiritual aspirant has put himself above the master by attempting to set the agenda. He has not shown proper humility, an essential prerequisite to spiritual progress. The perfect master, being one with God, is above everything and thus there is nowhere to climb. The master walks away from the aspirant much to the latter's annoyance, his anger demonstrating further his egotism and unsuitability for spiritual uplifting.

That's my take on it anyway.