Recollections of Dr. MacDonald-Bayne
(Extracts from letters by L. Bekker, S. Africa, 1980.)
Note from Lora: Mrs. B. was in her mid-80s when I met her in 1977, in Pretoria, S. Africa. She writes:
I was leaving Pretoria to take up a post at Sishen, an iron ore mine, near the Kalahari Desert. I went that morning of 13/2/53 to say goodbye to Dr. MacDonald-Bayne. You know, moments like that are always 'now', not 27 years ago, but NOW.
When I told him that I was leaving Pretoria he seemed to be looking at 'somebody' higher than me, and he nodded his head and it was as if he agreed with what that, to me, unseen somebody said.
Then he told me that they had just received the first copies of Divine Healing of Mind and Body. He signed my copy with such a flourish. I have my copy, my dearest possession. That picture of our Lord in the front of that wonderful book seems not to have been included in later issues. You know, like He appeared in that "A Picture of a Materialisation," so He appeared to me.
I one day asked Doctor whether he had seen Our Lord when he was in Tibet and he answered, "Yes, dear, and you too will see him." Well, when I saw him overshadowing Doctor in Escom Auditorium and the Satan of the senses started arguing, "That surely is hypnotism - it couldn't be," Our Lord turned to me after my anguished inner call for help from God our Father, and He pointed His first two fingers of His right hand to me and said, "Now, be at peace."
I know of no word in the languages that I know that can describe that peace that came like a shower over me and has been ever since. . . .
During the Second World War, I was working for Defence and one day my commanding officer came to me and said I must go and buy myself a copy of the Aquarian Gospel of the Christ. I immediately went and bought a copy and on the dust cover was a description of a book written by Dr. M. MacDonald-Bayne, called I Am the Life. You know, I did not then want to buy the book but my soul cried out for its author.
A couple of weeks later a news item appeared in the Rand Daily Mail that Dr. M. was giving illustrated lectures in Johannesburg about his travels in Tibet. I immediately wrote to Doctor in care of the Rand Daily Mail and asked him whether he will be coming to Pretoria too, and he wrote back, yes, and he will be holding weekly lectures.
The time came for these lectures, stating that it will be in the City Hall and admission was four guineas (four pounds, four shillings). I had a daughter just starting her first year in university; I was not earning a lot. I was a widow and had rented a house and had to travel by bus into the city, then by security to my place of work.
In any case, I had just received this notice from Doctor, and there I was standing in my bedroom with UK $16 of notes in my hand, just enough for my daughter's fare to university, midday meal, and also my own. If I was very careful I could manage, but I did not have a penny for the lectures or the extra bus fares to the City Hall, and the lectures started that very night.
I closed my eyes and could just give everything to God. When I opened my eyes my whole bed was covered in banknotes, and I still had my sixteen notes in my hand. I know that I wanted to do 'something,' perhaps cry out, I don't know, but all of a sudden I was back with only my sixteen pound notes. But, I KNEW.
It was early morning and I left for work. When I came back that afternoon there was a letter for me from my son, who was in the Air Force, with enough money to pay for the lectures and the extra bus fare!
As far as I can remember it was only for the first set of lectures that we paid for like that. After several years I one day related this to Doctor and asked him why the first lecture was four guineas and the rest only one guinea. His reply was that "it was to keep the people away." Then he explained to me that if he didn't do that the City Hall would not have been big enough to hold the curious crowds and they would have left the hall saying, "The damn old man is mad." Those who were ready to receive came, and stayed till the end.
About the talks given by the Master, I doubt whether it was meant for distribution on tapes. I've been thinking a lot about it. If the Voice was wiped off the wire recordings, Doctor himself may have done it after his secretary had transcribed it, or some higher spiritual force than human may have caused it to happen.
Talk 13, page 191, verse 6 of Divine Healing of Mind and Body, we find this answer of the Master to a question: "Yes, in answer to your question, when these talks with you are complete they will be printed, so that the world can have them also." No mention of the recordings.
(from another letter)
I cannot really find words to tell you how much I treasure these photos and the tapes. His voice is so very natural on some tapes. The little disturbances do not matter at all; it is as if he is with me and his old students - most of whom already beyond the veil. Thank you for what you are doing. Dr. Mac has surely not lived this last earth life in vain.
I have just read in The Yoga of the Christ, page 212, where the master Rimpoche has said that they all know that Dr. Mac had been with them in the ages past and had returned with the soul-experience necessary for his work in this time. How true! You know, it becomes more clear to me every day that no human soul can attain the highest in a few lifetimes. I myself am sure that I am possibly not even on the first rung of Jacob's ladder, but I know once this slight piercing of Life has been perceived, there is no, yes NO going back.
After the series of lessons by the Christ's overshadowing, a series was given called The Cosmic Lectures. It was tremendous! I wonder if that was on the wire recorder too. I gave a set to my daughter to give to Paul Troxler some long time ago, as I believe he is compiling a book on Doctor's lectures.
Yes, it was, and is, a privilege to have been a student of Doctor and to just have shared a few thoughts with him. I feel I would like to tell you the following.
The day of the funeral of King George VI, I had an appointment with Doctor. When I arrived at Brooklyn, in Ida Bagot-Smith's cottage, Doctor was about and the radio was on, and the funeral service of the king was broadcasted.
Doctor invited me to sit next to him and together we listened to this broadcast when the bishop, who conducted the funeral service, very solemnly declared that at some very future date the king would be resurrected. I had to keep a solemn face when Dr. Mac literally snorted and said aloud, "He has been resurrected!" How I wished the bishop could have heard Dr. Mac declaring that eternal truth - and the churches so blind!
___________________________________
