The Baba world is witnessing once again what has become a powerful theme in Avatar Meher Baba’s Advent.
The first Chairman of the Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust, Kutumb Shastri, proved to be an embezzler, and in league with other Baba lovers sought to wrest control of the Trust from the mandali. He died of a heart attack in the midst of litigation with the Trust.
Ivy Duce of Sufism (re)Reoriented betrayed the trust reposed in her by Baba through an uncontrollable dabbling in psychics, astrologers and mediums resulting, in the end, in her handing her sufi order over to the occultist Jim Mackie. The fate of this sufi order is uncertain.
Harry Kenmore’s Baba group, The Society for Avatar Meher Baba, was taken over by Anna Rosa upon his death; she proved herself a spectacularly insane leader of this group and eventually destroyed it.
This theme of the abuse of Baba’s trust has even extended itself to the embarrassing charades of the last surviving mandali, the past Chairman of the AMBPPCT, Bhau Kalchuri, who blatantly flirted with a pretentious self concept which dragged many into the Pit of Absurdity.
Now, to round the picture out, Bill LePage of Australia is making a power grab for Avatar’s Abode: he is alleging that Baba gave him a mandate to create a new Trust that would include Avatar’s Abode and Meher House in Sydney, and which would effectively give him complete control of both properties. This is a brazen lie. No other Australian player, or mandali, living or dead, has any memory of Baba giving him such a mandate. And why should Bill LePage wait until now, 46 years after Meher Baba passed away, to allege such nonsense? This is all so very pathetic and sad.
There is a common theme of brazen lies and absurd rationalizations to these instances of desperate power grabbing by individuals all of whom had a close relationship to Meher Baba. To my mind, the problem of jealousy is paramount: jealousy of those who enjoyed a more intimate trust and confidence of the Eternal Beloved.
One hopes that Meher Center, where Bill LePage has been hosted as a special guest for several months annually for the past some years, and where he has freely spread his lies, will reconsider its patronage of his contemptible behavior.
The following is an excerpt from Bill LePage’s new Trust proposal:
Please note carefully #3 and #11 as they summarize the seditious intention of this brazen lie and power-grab.
The Avatar Meher Baba Trust Australia
As declared by Avatar Meher Baba: The Avatar is always One and the Same, because God is always One and the Same, the Eternal, Indivisible Infinite One who manifests Himself in the Form of Man as the Avatar, as the Messiah, as the Prophet, as the Ancient One-the Highest of the High. This Eternally One and the Same Avatar repeats His manifestation from time to time, in different cycles, adopting different human forms and different names, in different places, to reveal Truth in different garbs and different languages, in order to raise humanity from the pit of ignorance and help free it from the bondage of delusions.
1. To establish within Australia a non-sectarian and non-profit religious Trust devoted and dedicated to the name and spiritual purposes of Avatar Meher Baba, and to the dissemination of his teachings, without supplanting professed religious convictions or beliefs, but for the enhancement and strengthening of the spiritual life.
2. To hold in perpetuity the property known as Meher House Sydney to be held solely as a Place of Pilgrimage for all who love and follow Avatar Meher Baba and for all who know of him and wish to know more.
3. To support fully the purpose of the Avatar’s Abode Trust as stated in its Trust Deed, with the understanding, in accordance with the expressed wish of Avatar Meher Baba, that the property known as Avatar’s Abode be incorporated in the Avatar Meher Baba Trust Australia when the time is judged right by the Avatar Meher Baba Trust Australia’s board.
4. To acquire by purchase, lease, devise, bequest, gift or otherwise such property real or personal whether improved or unimproved in any state of Australia and to improve, develop, sell, mortgage, lease or sublet such property as may be necessary or advisable to carry on the purposes and activities of this Trust.
5. To establish a reserve fund from which up to 5% can be used annually in the functions of the Trust.
6. Additional funds can be raised as necessary for particular purposes.
7. As deemed advisable, support the initiation and continuation of Avatar Meher Baba Centers in various parts of Australia.
8. Initiate, support and encourage as deemed advisable, educational, literary and cultural activities conducted in the name of Avatar Meher Baba.
9. Make gifts of real and personal property for religious, charitable and conservation purposes.
10. As deemed practical, initiate, support and encourage activities and programs based on Avatar Meher Baba’s example of love and service to those in need.
11. The Trust is to have a Board of five Trustees, who will be appointed or approved by the settler during his lifetime, and who will be permanent until death or resignation. After the settler’s death, the Board will decide on the term limits of the Trustees.
