ANITA VIEILLARD
BABA'S LOVING CLOWN

Compiled from talks given by Anita Vieillard at Meher Spiritual Center in 1982, 1987, and 1988, and at the L.A. Silence Day Sahavas in 1982.

 
Baba asked Anita to come back to Harmon any time she had a spare moment. So she would come often, and spent a great deal of time in Baba's presence. "I didn't realize I was so fortunate. I didn't take that as something extraordinary. To me, it was very natural. It was natural the joy that I experienced with Him ... He would take my head [and press on it, much to Anita's delight], and I wouldn't be serious, and Norina sometimes would be shocked. She said, 'You know, darling, you have very bad manners. Now you have to control yourself.' But Baba didn't mind at all. He told Norina just to keep still and I should be the way I was." ¹

It was at this time that Anita began her role as Baba's clown. "It was most delightful, because Baba would always wink at me, and He inspired me with such joy that if I saw I Him a little bit sad I would immediately think of something to sort of, you know, make Him happy." ¹

For example, Baba coughed one day and Anita quipped, "Baba, that's what you get for talking too much." On another occasion, Baba asked to be driven around Sing-Sing Prison while He did some inner work of contacting one of the inhabitants there. Afterwards, Baba said to her, "Anita, make me laugh." And she found that whenever Baba made such a request, she would feel inspired to naturally and instantaneously respond with some bit of nonsense, invent some incredible story, that would amuse Baba. ¹

Another time, Anita wasn't feeling very well and Baba came to give her something to drink, and Baba put His finger in the drink and stirred it before giving it to her. "I'm glad it's God's finger," she said, much to Baba's amusement. ¹

Anita used to spend a lot of time with Norina, going to art exhibitions, etc. But later, when Norina became friends with Elizabeth Patterson, through their connection with Baba, these two would spend a lot of time going places and doing things connected with Baba's work, and Anita would be left behind and asked to take care of Norina's cat. So one day Anita told Baba, "You know Baba, I'm jealous of Elizabeth," and Baba said, "Go right now and kiss Elizabeth." ¹

Anita went outside to where Elizabeth was sitting and kissed her on each cheek, and as she did so, she felt that Baba was inwardly communicating to her, "This is my work, and Elizabeth is your sister, and Norina is your sister, and she has work to do. ²

After that Anita's feelings of jealousy towards Elizabeth disappeared.