At 8:30 A.M., all went to the Barn for the dedication ceremonies. While the TV cameramen and others filmed him, Baba spread his hands in blessing and planted a small pine tree to the west of the Barn. Adi shoveled earth over it and Don Stevens read a message.1 Little Julie Katz placed a fresh garland around Baba's neck, as did some of the other children. Baba was photographed by Joseph Harb and Darwin Shaw as he rested under a tree. Peter Thibodeau also garlanded him.
Kitty, Margaret and Elizabeth sat with Baba after his lunch in the Guest House, and at 2:30 P.M., everyone went to Brookgreen Gardens, a 300-acre sculpture garden and wildlife preserve 20 miles south of the Center. Baba and the mandali went with Kitty in a car driven by Fred, and the others went in two buses. (On the way, Kitty pointed out the newly-opened Ocean View Memorial Hospital, Myrtle Beach's first hospital, which Baba had wanted to see.) When they arrived at the gardens, the entire group followed behind Baba, who walked through the exquisite gardens at a rapid pace. He visited the main office and then walked around the sculpture hall with its reflecting pool. Then he came out onto the lawn where two sedate, black-clad ministers gazed at the odd procession.
Filis laughed to herself: "Yes, here he is again, being followed by the same crowd of nobodies who love him!"
Baba sat down under a small fruit tree in a secluded corner of the garden, and his lovers sat about him on the grass. An elderly woman named Ruth White, 86, had first heard of Baba through Malcolm Schloss in July 1945, after having been associated with the Bahai movement in America. She subsequently wrote to Baba and became very involved in his activities. Noting that she was not among them, Baba sent Kitty to find her. She had felt too
tired to follow.
Baba played games with his fingers and invited Peter Thibodeau to do the same. Peter tried to imitate Baba's dexterity, but not very successfully. Then he called one of Margaret's dancers, who also tried.
Baba gazed at his lovers scattered around him on the thick verdant lawn, then commented, "This reminds me of the past when Buddha sat under the tree. After Buddha had been fasting for so many weeks, an old woman helped him by giving him a [bowl of] rice pudding. Following his eating of that pudding, Buddha sat under the tree, where he attained the Goal. As Babajan was to me, so that old woman was to Buddha; for just as that old woman helped Buddha to attain superconsciousness, so did Babajan give superconsciousness to me."
Footnotes
- 1.The tree did not survive.