Jean Schloss / Adriel ( Jean Robinson )

Born : September 21, 1892, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Died : May 17, 1984 California, USA ( convalescent hospital )

Married :  Malcolm Schloss ( later divorced )

Jean's father :  Gilbert Lawrie Robinson
Jean's mother : Elizabeth Wilson

AMERICAN

She later took the name Adriel through numerology.

She changed her name to Jeanne, Adriel ( from Jean ) when in France they thought the name Jean to be that of a man. 

 "Jean is not the body, Jean is soul." The reward of many deep inner experiences of the Master perhaps made up for her physical weakness.

Courtesy of The Awakener Magazine - 1983 Volume 20 Number 2

http://mandalihall.org/talk/mpeg/1854/

http://www.mehermount.org/history/

1840 Camino Pamero, Hollywood, LA.

The address of the house in this photo that Malcom and Jean Schloss rented is 1840 Camino Palmero, Los Angeles, California 90046, December 18, 1934 through January 7, 1935.

See Malcolm Schloss's page for more details of these houses.

When I first heard Jean's name I thought at once of Ariel, the spirit of Shakespeare Tempest. There was an otherworldly, light and sparkling atmosphere around her probably because she spent so much time in meditation and seclusion, especially in later years.

Jean Robinson was born on September 21, 1892:* She later took the name Adriel through numerology. She grew up to be a tall, regal blonde with a pleasing voice.

As a career, she took up social work in New York City. Later, she married the poet Malcolm Schloss whom she met in his bookstore, “The North Node" in New York. Both were widely read in metaphysical subjects and earnestly seeking enlightenment. Through the bookstore they made many contacts with spiritual seekers in the late Twenties and early Thirties. These proved invaluable to Baba's first visit to America. In 1931, very suddenly, through a young poet, Milo, a contact was established between the Schloss’s and Meredith Starr, who told them a Perfect Master, Shri Meher Baba was expected shortly in England. Jean and Malcolm were set to go, when a cable came in which Baba asked them, instead, to make arrangements for His arrival in America. Through a friend, they obtained a lovely home on the Hudson at Harmon. This was Baba's headquarters for a month in November, 1931.

Jean writes in her book Avatar of her first meeting with Him:

"My most outstanding impression of that first meeting is one of peering into bottomless pools of Infinite Love and tenderness, as my eyes met His, My heart pounded with tremendous excitement and for a while I could not speak. I felt that in an inexplicable way He was the reason for my very existence; that I have never really lived until this moment; that He was deeply familiar and precious to me, even as I was no stranger and very dear to Him."

Baba stayed a month at Harmon, meeting many individuals, contacts of the Schloss’s including Princess Matchabelli and Elizabeth Patterson. It was a time of intense unfoldment for both Malcolm and Jean. It took Malcolm, skeptical of the need for any outer Masters, longer to surrender** — 11 days, he reports. Baba named the American group "Jeanco"; it included the Schlosses, Elizabeth Patterson, Norina Matchabelli Nadine Tolstoy and Anita de Caro; He intimated they were all in His Circle.

Of course, Baba put Jean and Malcolm to the test — His usual test in those days: the swiftly changed plans, the so-called "broken promise". On His second visit to the West in 1932, many contacts had been made with the Hollywood film world. It was Jean who stood beside Baba at the Hotel Knickerbocker and introduced the screen luminaries to Him, among many others.

Baba left for China, promising to return and break His silence in the Hollywood Bowl introduced over the radio by Mary Pickford ! It’s easy to smile now, but all took it seriously then. Expecting instant God-Realization, some even had elaborate dresses made! ( At least Norina got some use out of hers — all white —she used to lecture in it ) Suddenly, Baba's plans to return to California were cancelled, leaving the Schlosses to face the music. Almost all the new contacts left, disillusioned, including two astrologers, Dane Rudhyar and Marc Edmund Jones, in whose home Baba had stayed. Dane had cast Baba's horoscope and seen Him as the great World Teacher of the Age.

But the Schlosses were made of sterner stuff, as the cliché goes. They were called to Europe and took part in Baba's visits there, notably at Cannes. Jean, in poor health, was in seclusion and missed many of the outings with Baba. I recall one meditation Baba

 *Jean was born September 21, 1892 in Pennsylvania to parents Gilbert Lawrie Robinson and mother Elizabeth Wilson, according to her Social Security card. She changed her name to Jeanne (from Jean) Adriel

-webmaster JK

** See Awakener Volume 19 Number 1 p.53

A Letter From Mehera on Jean's Passing May 16, 1984

Dearest Adele:

Dear Jean had been much in my thoughts recently; when we heard of her going to Baba it was received with gladness, for Jean was more than ready to come Home. In her journey through life Jean was very fortunate to be holding on to Baba's daaman. Baba was holding her hand and guiding her footsteps. This last phase of her life in her illness and suffering she had come very close to Beloved Baba. We know that she is in bliss now —free from suffering — come Home at last — happy to be where she has longed to be with Beloved Baba always.

You and Marguerite, Marge and many others of the L.A. Baba Family helped and cheered dear Jean with your visits to her, enabling her to talk of Baba and hear His Name.

On 23rd May when we visit Meherabad, we will offer a garland at Beloved Baba's Samadhi* in salutation of Jean's love and service. Through her and her writings so many had heard of Baba and come to Him.

Hope dear Filis's health is improving and she is getting stronger day by day by Baba's grace.

Much love to dear Fills and to you dear Adele, from your Meherazad family, in Beloved's all-encompassing love

A Note On Jean by Maryse Ulrich

"Let these words be inscribed on your heart: Nothing is real but God Nothing matters but love for God."

On May 16, 1984, Jean Adriel, one of Meher Baba's close woman disciples in the West, passed away at a convalescent hospital in southern California. She was the author of Avatar, a book describing her early life with Meher Baba.

On June 30,1982, I had the pleasure to share some precious moments with Jean. In reaction to a poem I had sent her through a mutual friend earlier that year, Jean commented: "What further joy can I express except the love of Him who blesses and holds you ever in His heart." I needed to hear no more. I had to pay her a visit. She was then residing at the Canoga Terrace Convalescent Hospital. As I entered her room, she lit up like a Christmas tree. She warmly greeted me, and we immediately proceeded to talk about Baba. She was very alert and eager to narrate some of her dear memories to me. After giving Jean a picture of Baba, she instantly responded in a rapt manner, describing Him in a most beautiful way. She expressed her joy by saying: "I am so high dearest, I don't know whether I'm coming or going ...I want you to know that this is, apart from Baba, the greatest day of my earth . . . "

In 1931, Jean and her husband Malcolm met Meher Baba for the first time, in New York.

Blazing The Way

On Christmas morning [1936], early, Baba came to our rooms to greet us with a special emanation of love and radiance. Not always does he mete out the same degree of love. He seems at times deliberately to withhold it, as Kabir says:

"My Lord hides himself,
And my Lord wonderfully reveals himself."

But on this blessed morning Baba poured himself out in Christmas benediction upon us all.

Shortly after daybreak, devotees began to arrive to pay homage to the Master, and by ten o'clock the grounds were covered with groups of men, women and children, some of whom had travelled many miles on foot, others by car or train, intent upon seeing the Beloved One. Meeting these ardent followers of the Master, and seeing the deep love and reverence which they lavished upon him, made us marvel anew at our unparalleled good fortune in being the recipients of his intimate care and guidance.

Just before noon, two cars drove up before the community house. A few moments later happy voices and excited greetings told us the English group had arrived. The child-like spontaneity of 'Kimco' — as Baba calls them — especially endears these English disciples to the Master, and his face gleamed with loving welcome. In the evening about twenty of us sat down to a beautifully decorated table, with Baba at the head. Piled high before him were the gifts which we had unearthed from our trunks in the afternoon and made into un-labeled packages for Baba to distribute. Some, of course, were marked especially for him. He would hold a package in his hand for a moment, as if determining the contents and its suitability for a particular person. Then, with a twinkle in his eye, he would designate the recipient. I recall that a bottle of Chanel No. 5 came my way!

The crowning touch to the dinner was a speech by Kaka, whose droll English was just then in the formative stage. Every moment of the meal was crowned with gaiety and high good-humor, but at Kaka's speech the house resounded with our laughter. Baba prefaced it by telling us that he had heard it read several times but could make nothing out of it except that apparently Kaka didn't think much of marriage! One would have to know Kaka, or 'hear' him in action to appreciate fully the scene. He smiled good-naturedly at Baba's raillery, but very solemnly, very earnestly and with terrific force — as though he were addressing an audience in a huge colosseum — he delivered his speech while Baba and the rest of us rocked with laughter. We agreed with Baba that it was difficult to know what it was all about. Only occasionally would we hear the word marriage and judging from the violent emphasis he placed upon it, we gathered that he was somewhat dubious of the institution!

Later, after having had our fun at good Kaka's expense, Baba pointed out that we Westerners would be brave indeed if after a few months of Urdu ( an East-Indian dialect ) we would attempt to deliver a speech to native Indians! We heartily agreed.

In this account of our Christmas day in India may be seen how simple and natural is life with Baba; too 'simple' perhaps for those who have not yet learned how to re-capture the lost joys of childhood. Yet, in the words of the Master, Jesus, we are told that it is just this child-like capacity for acceptance of the simple, unsophisticated joys of life that qualify one for the spiritual Kingdom.

Baba and his party arrived back at Cannes in the evening and the next morning he came to our room. When he entered I saw at once that he was almost wholly in a superconscious state, so I ran to take his arm and lead him to the couch. I sat down beside him while Malcolm stood before us. Baba looked first at one, then at the other with the expression of a little child who is dazed by some unearthly beauty which no words can describe.

"What is it, Baba dear?" I asked.

Looking at me as if I should know, he spelled out: Hadn't you heard about the "meeting"?

His eyes were so eloquent with anguished joy, that I could inwardly hear the plaintive tone in his unspoken words. This was one of his beautiful childlike moments.

"No, dear," I answered, "I hadn't heard."

Then he told us that a most important "meeting" had been held in the Eiffel Tower, and that ever since it had been difficult to hold himself in his physical body. He rested his head on my shoulder for a few moments, as he gathered his forces together to go on with the next phase of his daily work which never ceases. Finally, at his signal, we helped him to the door, where a couple of his devoted Indian men were waiting to assist him. When I saw him an hour later the painful transition had been accomplished. He was his usual dynamic self, playing again his cosmic game with the forces of the universe.

THE REAL SADGURU

"Perhaps it is because our own human nature is still so unredeemed that some of us deny a God who dares to be human. Yet, logically, a Perfect One, whose work is the redemption of mankind, must be perfect in his hu­manity. He should function with all the powers of the human being raised to the nth degree. Whatever the human mind may conceive as comprising the fulfilled personality, he should have: that inner beauty which expresses itself as grace, charm and compassion; that inner poise which gives detachment and a sense of humor; that inner joy which expresses itself in work and in play. He should be human as well as God-like; and he should at all times express the ecstasy and peace of God. Otherwise, the `Word made flesh' is a contradiction in terms. God, to be God, the incarnate Avatar, should be Master of all masters and masteries. Such a Master, Baba is.

“His purpose for his disciples is so to train them that they too shall make the whole of life an unbroken meditation, such as Kabir describes:

"He is the real Sadguru, who can reveal the form of the Formless to the vision of these eyes;

Who teaches the simple way of attaining to Him that is other than rites and ceremonies;

Who does not make you dose the doors, and hold the breath, and renounce the world;

Who makes you perceive the Supreme Spirit wherever the mind attaches itself;

Who teaches you to be still in the midst of all your activities.

Ever immersed in bliss, having no fear in his mind, he keeps the spirit of Union in the midst of all enjoyments.

The infinite dwelling of the Infinite Being is everywhere: in earth, water, sky, and air;

Firm as the thunderbolt, the seat of the seeker is established above the void;

He who is within is without: I see Him and none else.”

1984

The following letter was sent to Marguerite Poley from Mehera Irani on the occassion of Jean's passing.

Presented by John Page at the Avatar Meher Baba Center of Southern California.
Please note the correct date of the presentation is March 13, 2011.

NORTH NODE BOOKSTORE

30 E 60th St New York, NY 10022, USA

BOOKS JEAN AUTHORED

SHIPS THAT JEAN SAILED ON

S.S.  ILE DE FRANCE

Departed  29th October 1936 from Plymouth, England and arrived in New York on 4th November 1936.

She was travelling with 6 other Americans who had also been to India.

S.S. ELYSIA

Departed 25th November 1936 in Europe and arrived in Bombay, India 8th December 1936

The other Westerners she sailed with were ; Norina, Elizabeth, Malcolm, Rano &  Nonny.

RMS  STRATHNAVAR

Departed 31st July 1937 from Bombay and arrived at Marseilles, France 13th August 1937.

The other Westerners she sailed with were ; Margaret Craske, Elizabeth, Audrey Williams, Norina Matchabelli, Nonny & Rano Gayley, Malcolm Schloss and Tom Sharpley.

RMS  QUEEN MARY

Departed 10th November, 1937 from Cherbourg, France and arrived at New York, USA.

At the time, Jean and Malcolm were both living at 1764 Prospect Drive, Hollywood, CA.

LETTERS

Letter to Meredith Starr in England in early 1931, before Meher Baba arrived there.

Courtesy of : HEART TALK – Adi K. Irani Secretary Collection – Forty Ninth Letter
Avatar Meher Baba PPC Trust, Archives, Meherabad

Jean Adriel wrote this week's Heart Talk letter to Baba. It is undated but it was most likely written after Baba's first trip to the US and before the second trip.