January 11, 1968
My dear Gavin:
This is in pursuit of the conversation of the other day. While as an individual I do not favor disciples casting horoscopes, there is a higher law, and inasmuch as the pseudo-occultists, metaphysicians, poseurs, pretenders and “experts” refuse to accept this higher law, I am compelled in order to help the humanity around me, to enforce it.
Inasmuch as the “experts, the metaphysicians, the pseudo- occultists and all the game-players refuse to accept the existence of the Sufi Orders, it is time to make our presence known in the world not by doing anything drastic, but by doing something which will make our presence felt. And it is noteworthy that my most determined enemy—who made all my other enemies look puny, had her associate phone me in fear that I might publish documentaries which she has been telling everybody I don’t have. She got lots of people to believe that I do not have these documentaries and yet is fearful that I just might publish them. I am not going to publish them for reasons or unreasons which have to do with the exposure of the “experts,” the pseudo-occultists, the metaphysicians, the poseurs and pretenders who have befogged Americans, but whom the young wisely disdain. “When the gods arrive the half-gods go.”
In meditation, not the phony “Zen” meditation wherein one goes out the same door one goes in, but in the Prajna-meditation as detailed by Dr. Daisetz Suzuki, one enters the universal mind and gets answers. The answer came clear. It is time to give my disciples the Sciences of the Elements. Who can protest? Not the poseurs, the pseudo-occultists and “experts” who deny I have such knowledge. Sufis have tremendous knowledges and gradually they are restoring the real Occult Sciences which they have and others only pretend to have.
So I am going to gradually give disciples the sciences of the elements and what they do with them is their concern, not mine. I have been excluded by the fund-raisers known as “Society for the Union of Scientists and Occultists. Real scientists are not concerned. And it is noteworthy that today I am fully recognized by the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. But not by “occultists,” no sir.
Actually I began what used to be called “occult studies” in 1920. I can name a lot of people such as Fabre D’Olivet, Dr. d’Encausse, Martin de Pasqualles, Gregoire de Saint Martin, Stanislaus de Guiata, St. Yves Alvedre, whom our “experts” know little of, God bless them.
Now while Society and “experts” refuse to recognize, one presents the Sufism of the Sufis which is based on the Union of Love and Knowledge. “To him, very attached to Me, worshipping Me in Love, I give that union to knowledge by which he comes to Me” said Sri Krishna. Quoted of course, realized? That is different.
As I am a horticulturalist I know something of the nature of vines: “I am the vine and ye are the branches thereof” etc. This is not only quoted, it is realized and realizable. And I am not permitted, according to inner law, to repress full expression on the parts of disciples. I am of course going to talk to them, but in as much as there is no acceptance of Sufism there can be no objection to presenting to Sufi disciples the knowledge of the Elements, etc., etc. And they will thus be able to go deeper into aspects of Astrology and all Occult Sciences, especially at a time when many educated men who are Sufis (not recognized in this land) are restoring one by one the real occult sciences.
One of the reasons I am not publishing occult materials is because of the voluminous collection of unpublished works of real Zen and Chan Masters. Let the “experts” howl. I have these documents and it is only a question now of a secretariat before they will be published.
I notice that one of the “experts” selected by the “Oracle” to see that we who represent the real spiritual teachers of the real Orient was himself taken to task by Mrs. Sasaki on her last visit. This man would never recognize me—it is not in the cards, it is not done—but I received an honorarium from his teacher’s teacher, which is old hat. And Dr. Chaudhuri whose pupils never regard me as an equal has finally succumbed to evidence for his two teachers. D. Chatterji and the better known Dr, Radhakrishnan, always treat me as an equal. So I am going to speak at the Ashram on February 10 and will give out the secretary for my vitality and seeming longevity which irks all the “experts,” pretenders and pseudo-occultists, God bless them. “When the gods arrive, the half-gods go.”
Now you see there is the Law of Compensation and because a friend of mine is now in charge of Buddhist studies at the University of California, my documentaries will be accepted. You do to the “experts,” the pseudo-occultists and the “lovers of truth” and get the a priori rejection—this being our “moral law”; and now without doing anything but having a friend take over, the mass of documentaries will be accepted by the universities and later by publishers.
I have been twice to the “Oracle” and asked who was the Board of Experts who would reject us from being present at the meetings of the Spiritual Masters of Asia.
It has been most curious while the boards of review refuse to accept that we are in any way connected with the Masters of the Orient, the real Masters and Saints come here, see us and depart. The last was a Jewish Saint who did not wish to be introduced around anymore than did the Vietnamese Master or the Sufi saint. They know better. The world of Heart is not open to the “judgment-wallahs.”
This whole farce began about 1924 when a friend of mine introduced Baird Spaulding who talked about the “Masters of the Far East.“ Everybody came, la-di-da-die. He was found to be a fraud. And when I met the actual Masters of the Far East, what chance? Although the case of Phra Sumangalo was worse. Frauds succeed, honesty is not yet wanted, but maybe now it is.
We decided to work as a team. I think we have covered most of Asia, most of the schools of mystery and mysticism and we have been given the go-bye. Of course it was very awkward the time Mrs. Grady greeted us and nobody else, and when the foreign Consults greeted us and nobody else. But the climax was reached when we went as a team to the Mongolian Master and instead he arose and greeted us. Of course the audience would not accept but this is America. Now we work together.
What happened? A large number of young men whom we have never met are coming to our lectures on Buddha’s “Buddhism.” With 5,000 Pali Texts and innumerable Sanskrit texts we have a big field to fall on but we begin with Lord Buddha. And the young are getting real teachings from real texts, real literature, backed up by experiences of Us (there are four of Us) validated by so many real masters of wisdom of real Asia, and the future generations are going to laugh at our easy dismissal by the powers of this age. (We are all personal friends of Princess Poon who got even worse from American society.)
Dr. Chaudhuri’s teachers accepted me as an equal and his pupils regard me as an inferior. This is America. But I am scheduled to speak at the Ashram on February 10 and will give out the “secret” of my vitality and seeming longevity. One must begin with the practices of Sri Aurobindo, the practices. Having been all over real Asia I am able to support any statements with facts and evidence. The young like that and do not believe that “father knows best.”
Last night, after meeting so many more young people one man asked if I intended to invite seniors to my lectures. I asked him why. “If you go, a lot of us young people will disappear.” But he need have no fear. The young accept facts, their elders personalisms and personalities.
Wisdom is not apart from Love. One practices Union with disciples and does everything to share Joy with them, and to share their pains. More is coming. The New Age was predicted by Bulwer Lytton, H. G. Wills, Marie Corelli and even the theosophists. Down in the Dunes we discussed the coming generations and they we exactly as we predicted.
Knowing my former lives—since which time dear Gina has not bothered to ask any questions one large University wants my backgrounds and is getting them. As my first astrologer, Mary Bell, used to say, “if you want occultism go to the universities, the pretenders to occult knowledge will never accept you, or it.” She used to let me lecture on the Science of the Elements, but when she died, out! So I’ll give to the young what their elders say I do not have and there is no choice. If I do not have it, why should anybody care?
True now universities accept my knowledge of Oriental cultures and of occult knowledge and more. And my brother and I have agreed in our mutual wills that we had better let the universities have the estate because the “occultists” will not believe me anyhow, nor the “experts” on Asian culture.
Finally there is the serious matter of moneys to real institutions for the studying of Asian wisdom. Here I am in full cooperation with you. Since I read Ramdas’s stand on Astrology I dared not differ. I have not read the Sufi stand, nor do I know how official it is or is not. But in the book Dabistan written by Sufis it was accepted. But Astrologers dare not accept Dabistan because it would compel them to accept Sufism. When we have a scientific age, this nonsense will disappear.
A copy of this to “The Oracle,” as more and more young people come to us—and they are coming in constantly increasing numbers, one hopes to awaken them. Alan Ginsberg was introduced to my cousins as “Meet your cousin from California.”
Cordially,
Samuel L. Lewis
January 14, 1968
My dear Gavin:
A spiritual teacher has to practice Patience.
Yesterday I opened up the Science of the Elements, earth, air, fire and water, as well as ether. I am not going to stop and argue with any pseudo-occultists. The young come and want knowledge and they get it and all the pseudo-occultists and metaphysical people can vaporize and obscure all they want. The young ask and receive.
But in the course of events one disciple presented two horoscopes cast by two different disciples. They not only disagreed, one had some obvious errors. I the end he said, “I think I will go to Gavin Arthur.” “Yes, that is what I really want but I cannot prevent anybody from doing what they would like to do.”
I find I have three disciples who work in Astrology. One was not present yesterday. The subject was Earth and they learned more about the earth-element in an afternoon that your pseudo-occultists learn in a year.
My own training in real Occultism precluded its use in forecasting. We did not use the divination either. And I like to teach the true Occultism but with Insight and Foresight, not with mathematics.
My own God-daughter has not been able to find her birth data. She is not sure of the day, complicated by the loss of the records and the use of three different calendars in her part of the world.
Your use of colors helps my intuition enormously for it is not necessary to stop to unite inner and outer knowledge
Faithfully,
January 17, 1968
My dear Sheikha,
Thank you for your letter of the 15th. There seems to be a strange movement of mothers out here recently. My American God-daughter went to New York to consider the possibility of bringing her own mother here and she had the cosmic experience. It is a sign from the living God that now twice I have accepted women as God-daughters (I also have a legal God-daughter who is a relative) and both have had the divine experience.
There is always a question about bringing mystics together. It is posited in the writings but so long as people are attached to organization and form, and place a stress on the organization and form, instead of bringing the mystics together they keep them apart or they will have to watch and see the mystics unite and separately and that is the last thing mystics want—separateness. So long we often permit non-mystics to hold on to forms and they continue their divine work.
For instance today my friend Gavin Arthur, the astrologer, went to visit a new cult-colony which is proposing to re-establish the ancient mysteries. It is in part funny and in part sad. The Sufis retain the ancient mysteries. It is all right for certain people stemming from Inayat Khan to suppress his writings but the fact is that ne stated in them very succinctly that the Sufis continue the ancient mysteries. And when I was in Egypt I was initiated—both outwardly and inwardly—into one of these mysteries which the Sufis inherited from the ancients. But so long as “Sufi” movements are in the hands of the metaphysical people, there is no room for mystical resorts. Some of these people are afraid of mystical happenings.
After attending the first class in Buddhist studies yesterday I felt it important to write a paper on “The Union of Hearts.” This is an expression I have both seen and witnessed. The first was my blending with Inayat Khan on the night before he arrived in San Francisco in 1923. The next came a little after on the day when I introduced Nyogen Senzaki to him in the home of Rabia Martin. Years later I had the same with Senzaki, and then with others which Senzaki approved but which our various metaphysical people who lecture on oriental wisdom deride. Society follows the metaphysical people but now the universities accept the living experiences.
When Philip Kapleau published his Three Faces of Zen Samuel danced. There is no experience in this book which one has not had and nobody foretold him to keep anything quiet. The strange result was his approval by the late Mrs. Ruth Fuller Sasaki who rejected everybody else and would not accept any metaphysician, no matter how renown, as a representative of mysticism. Her granddaughter married Gavin Arthur’s nephew. I hope to see them soon.
These people are interested in The Mysticism of Sound and Joel has demonstrated it many times with his harp, but does not know the cosmic theory. I am still handicapped by the lack of a secretariat, complicated by the uncovering of more of Pir-o-Murshid’s materials from sources other than Geneva or Mrs. Duce. I intend to share these materials.
Wee studying The Soul, Whence and Whither and will follow it by The Mysticism of Sound. I now have a very good following of active mureeds who will accept the Science of the Elements and other aspects of Mysticism. I never wanted to teach them apart from the organization but as neither Mrs. Duce nor Vilayat will have me, will give it to the world and let them go out and lecture all they want. In the end, after he goes through the real Initiation which he has not had, Vilayat will change. But he is not yet a true initiate.
(Each member of the family of Pir-o-Murshid was met by one Dr. Ala-ed-din Siddiqui, a Sufi who teaches Islamics at the Punjab University. He did not want me to talk at first and then apologized profusely and became first a good friend and then a spiritual brother. He is now the teacher in philosophy of my God-daughter in Pakistan.)
After the class in Buddhism yesterday it came to write on “The Blending of Hearts” based on my own and other’s mystical experiences. And then a sign came of the visiting of a Vietnamese Buddhist Master shortly. We don’t want that kind of man and that kind of culture. We wish to compel our culture on Asians and will not listen to them. But I have presented Lord Buddha’s Yoga system (which he gave to others); also the one he went under himself, which I got from Paul Reps. There is no question about the value of these Yoga system and there is no value in metaphysical people commenting on them. But society likes the lectures and their pleasant words. And the young want the contents.
The other night I had a strange visitation. A beautiful young girl who has been sending people to me but has not become a mureed wanted to see me and I saw she is a Jinn-soul, exactly like in the teachings. And she has recognized what neither Mrs. Duce nor Vilayat want to recognize that this person has gone through all the stages of The Inner Life including the part when one behaves like a Jinn. True, my friend the Khalandar wanted me to exhibit this line but I refused then and at the same time if one goes through all the stages of The Inner Life one goes through all the stages of the inner life and one can understand people of all sorts of evolution. It was very funny because Samuel has learned to behave at any and every age level. This was also true of the late Swami Ramdas. One of my two Yoga teachers (the other was Paul Brunton who was also a Sufi).
It is not easy to deal with a Jinn who has few faults and can study 10 times as fast as one on human evolution. Murshid gave some instructions, most of which I do not have, but here is the living experience. The Jinn learns so fast and absorbs everything and then melts or flies so fast you cannot keep up. This is regarded as “insanity” in our culture.
The New Age is different because all the young people see if one is practicing or verbalizing. Too many see auras and nearly all see if one is bathed in Light. You cannot fool them. And in turn one practices Murshid and mureed are one. This is not symbology; it is actuality.
So now one restores the Ancient Wisdom which others say Sufis have not and some operating as “Sufis” do not have. But there are other Sufis who are helping restoring the Ancient Wisdom and all wisdom. They are outside the “universal brotherhoods.”
It is not only the “universal brotherhood” to whom Gavin has been called, but there is another being established just a few miles from it. Everybody has the “universal brotherhood.”
Tonight we may have the Buddhism class lead by a Sangha not by some egocentric personality who does not recognize others. We are four, all rejected by society and all accepted by Grand Masters from Japan and Turkey and North Africa inclusive. We work together, and gradually introduce Enlightenment-by-experience. In time this will control the world.
The next thing is the visit of my colleague from Vietnam. Samuel, excluded from “universal brotherhoods” has colleagues all over. That is why I am preparing a paper on “The Melting of Hearts” and as “Sufis” do not want it it will be given to the universities. They accept what which is true and happened and they are not so keen on the speculations of even the brightest. This “Union of Hearts” is now practiced openly. Having and the experiences, and then more and more, and then beginning with the time I was apparently initiating you as a Sheikha this was also one of my own initiations into and in fana-fi-lillah which alone gives a person the right to be called “Murshid.” Now with my God-daughter in America having had the realization this would be confirmed by actual Sufis, but not by metaphysical people operating under the name. It is very different.
Now all the time I am either writing or tending my sheep or they look after me. Only these are far higher than the people Hazrat Inayat Khan worked with. And on February 10 I shall reveal the part of the interviews I had with him which were not reduced to writing and many people will know and they can react about the people who wish to control “universal brotherhoods” with the right to eject and reject. While in general Sufis do not reveal, although in some schools they are compelled to, the continued control of so-called “mystical teachings” by metaphysical people is to end.
Last week I got up and said, “World peace will come when the people on the platform will listen to those in the audience.” I am telling this around to the young and they like it.
The day will come when Sufism is presented as the result of experiences in states (hal) and stations (makam) or when Buddhists respect what are called Bhumis and Paramitas which mean the same thing—or what the Bible calls Urim and Thummim. These are the experiences of mankind and do not belong to any lecturer, organizer, metaphysician, priest, prelate or authority. They all come under Grace.
I now have five classes a week besides interviews and sooner or later the Truth will out. The Murshid operates as a Cupid between the mureed and God and not as authoritative Boss-man-Guru. I am avoiding all the mistakes of Murshida Rabia Martin (there are, of course, other mistakes).
The Jinn-lady said, “I want a Hebrew grandfather.” To some I am as father, to others grandfather, but only “Murshid” in so far as “Murshid and mureed are one.” “I am the vine and they are the branches thereof.”
God Bless,
410 Precita Ave.
San Francisco, Calif.
January 20, 1968
Miss Saadia Khawar Khan,
Shalla House,
Multan Road
Lahore West Pakistan
Beloved One of Allah:
This morning one was aroused from sleep to write to you and to send a copy to Prof. Nasr at Tehran and also to keep a copy for one’s memoirs. As this is done it will give you some encouragement in your paper on Khatimal Mursaleen. For this person is absolutely uncompromising on the statement of Imam Al-Ghazzali that “tasawwuf is based on experiences if not on praises.” But the majority of writers today—in very opposing camps—still operates as if it were speculation and dialectics.
This person finds that a good deal that goes under the name of “Islam” has become a sort of ceremonial magic in which the body must move and words, often in a foreign language, are used and by doing that one is supposed to attain all happiness and solve all problems. Any effort to clarify these things is looked upon as heresy and to do the same intelligently is not regarded as a particular virtue.
At the other extreme is a movement going on today, and most welcome to your Murshid, of writings by friends and associates of Prof. Nasr: Titus Burckhardt, Gene Guenon, Frithjof Schuon and others who go to the opposite extreme and give us the most profound literature of the times. This is particularly welcome to me personally because people who are in spiritual darkness are not being converted by ignorant mullahs who come to this country, correct small details in the actions of worshippers, and fail to touch young Americans who are seeking Allah as if their lives depended on it. They want Allah no doubt but they also want Ilm, Shuhud and Ishk.
These writers are marvelous as to Ilm and Shuhud but Ishk is lacking. And while one buys their books and many of the disciples read them—the majority of disciples are university graduates—they feel the lack of Ishk to make this complete. One has already talked on Ishk at Multan and then before Prof. Siddiqui in Lahore, and here Ishk is supreme, even to the degree of us having a “dangerous” Ishk-Islam as against Sunni-Islam.
Even this has two sides. Your Murshid has some of the materials of Prince Dar Shikoh and this point of view was confirmed by Sidi Abusalem Al-Alawi from the Maghrab. And one just received a message that the Sidi’s agent may be visiting this city soon again. The first subject he presented here was on Khatimal Mursaleen. But his talk was identical with the material in “Saladin,” that the Seal was a Seal on a full bottle. And ignorant people cannot be convinced even though it distinctly states in Holy Write “We make no distinctions or differences between them.” Too many Muslims (so called) do make differences.
And this brings up the problem of beliefs versus experience and it is very strange for the experiences conform with Grand Sheikh Sohrawardi while the beliefs look like those of Akbar. Still, as a scientist, the experiences should be paramount.
And this brings up another problem. Divines dogmatize and are not interested in experiences. Imam Al-Ghazzali called for experiences. And on February 10th your Murshid is going to tell some of his experiences and “secrets” which are really not secrets but ignorant people, to control others, insist they be kept secret. For the two factors in your Murshid’s continued vigor despite age are the Grace of Allah through (a) The visitation of Khwaja Khizr; (b) the Tawajjeh of Hazrat Inayat Khan. This last does not particularly affect your paper.
Early in 1925 your Murshid went into the wilderness to die—he thought. One need not pain you by details. He was finishing reading of Hafiz-i-Shirazi and had nothing to do when Khwaja Khizr appeared: he appeared three times and granted a wish. But besides that the “legend” is that if he appears he also grants longevity and as things stand this is becoming so, alhamdu lillah. This took place around March 12-15, 1925.
As one’s Shuhud was great after that, one prepared a ceremony on 21st March, 1925, at the equinox, exactly at noon. There appeared in turn in broad daylight Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Zarathustra, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed. Each of the other Messengers appeared in the Center alone, but Mohammed appeared on both the right and left sides, mirror opposites. He was sitting on a white horse which had its forelegs up, and was pointing the index finger of his right hand in the gesture of Unity.
This cleaned up all your Murshid’s infirmities and he knows how to do this but seldom has, for the ease of Allah and humanity one does not seek the “escape-perfection” nor the monasticism.
This all was confirmed by Hazrat Inayat Khan who also gave Tawajjeh but this was rejected by nearly all the disciples. Hazrat Inayat Khan told Samuel L. Lewis that he did not have even five faithful disciples but his family goes on using consanguinity for “Murshidship” and has brought a questionable name to his efforts—which are largely in published books. However this one has his complete Ryazat and is frightening the power-structure people who want to be known as leaders in “Sufism” without hal or makam.
On February 5th, 1930, when one was in Khilvat after the death of Hazrat Inayat Khan, in commemoration of it, the Pir manifested and one’s career in fana-fi-Sheikh began. This continued until about 1946 when one day he appeared and told your Murshid that his last test was coming. The next day a tooth fell out without anything being done. Hazrat Inayat Khan laughed and while one was in a quandary Mecca Shereef appeared and one began his career in fana-fi-Rassoul.
Thus while in theory one may have Experience through other Names, in this case it was Mohammed (on whom be peace) who became one’s Grand Initiator and has remained so. And it is this experience and power and wisdom and glory that remain at the base of one’s life despite any criticism from any people, who, being ignorant, are more concerned with tearing others down than building themselves up.
The next matter is quite different. We have just had a seminar on “Is God Dead?” and another one soon that “God Is Alive.” Your Murshid presented the work of one William English Walling, “The Meaning of God in Human Experience.” He says: “The Prophet is the mystic in control of the forces of history.” Now even the most violent opponent of Mohammed cannot refute that he was most important in history (and maybe still is).
Sidi Al-Alawai contended (just as in “Saladin”) that to make Mohammed Khatimal Mursaleen you would have to recognize the other Messengers not by empty gestures but by open recognition of their personalities, their histories, their writings and everything else. This does not mean to compare their work with Qur’an or anything. “We make no differences or distinctions between them” remains although the religionists will interpret this one way and the scientific people another way.
As for dajjals. We are plagued with them today. Nothing of their claims means anything. True the Mahdi in Sudan did make a limited impression and then suddenly died. Then Baha-u-llah made some noise and has been followed by all sorts of people making claims and these always include universality—the word, never the content. Not one of them has been or become universal. It is all confusion and confusing.
At the same time it serves a purpose. The Islam of the ignorant remains in the ignorance. This is an age of growing intellectuality and while religion remains under the control of the ignorant the learned turn away. The intellectual side and the moral side are overgrown and everybody looks to someone else and this looking to someone else is what gives the dajjal his power. If we looked each to himself for purification and perfection there would be no room for the dajjal. But this finding fault outside also means finding perfection outside.
One is confused here and has to accept the confusion. For the Zikr class grows and the applicants grow and one has had to close the group on walking Fikr. One learns by experiences, not premises, that Allah is closer than the neck vein. And along with this Love and Joy. It is a phenomena because now one is reaching about 30 people, only one of his own efforts, and is considering closing the doors. One has not meditated or looked.
When the leaders of the World Religions met here the Chief Imam of Washington came out boldly, strongly and uncompromisingly for The Brotherhood of Man. The seats reserved for Muslims were empty. Not a single person who regards himself as a prominent Muslim was there although one man sent his son. My friends sat alone in empty rows and we are regarded with suspicion. But no worry, The Brotherhood of Man was not accepted. Only now one does work with the Muslim Students Association—not with the Mosques—for the young are trying to make some order and get rid of the egocentricism which dominates religion. For the movement in America is against all religion today; the young want God (Allah); they do not want prelates and priests and self-important exhorters. They want divine experience.
The associates of Prof. Nasr are also restoring some of the Spiritual Sciences, one by one. This is also welcome because the Western world is filled with pretenders and frauds who set up different cultures, so many cults, all separate, none recognizing the others and all attracting small numbers causing nothing but confusion.
The local head of the “Society for the Scientific Study of Religion” has now accepted in full what your Murshid is doing. The next step is to get him and the organization to recognize what these associates of Prof. Nasr are doing.
One also purchased yesterday a copy of “Studies in Islamic Mysticism” by R. A. Nicholson (one’s original copy burned in a fire in 1949); also a new version of Omar Khayyam by the poet Robert Graves. And during the week a disciple found “Letters of a Sufi Teacher” written and translated years ago which contains pregnant material.
Now it is by your own Ilm and Shuhud that you will get the final strength. One has sent the Shagal material but it is only now that some secretarial help has come which will make it possible to go ahead. Fortunately today the basic work of Sufi Sheikhs is again becoming known to mankind, but still on the side of philosophy, not yet experience. The Ryazat must be uncovered and given to mankind.
One has not yet come to Kashf Al-Mahjub for one deals gently and delicately with everybody. One will go over one’s material as soon as possible inshallah, to see that Ilm and Shuhud are strengthened.
All love and blessings,
February 11, 1968
My dear Gavin:
I do not know when this letter will reach you. There has been almost an epidemic of friends landing in hospitals and I don’t know whether this is an aspect or coincidence. In any event the number of potential clients increases.
I do not know when people will accept karma, or that for whatever they sow, thus they will reap. Today one is in what would be called the enviable position of being accepted all around where one would like to be accepted. The university classes have changed to the extent that it becomes dangerous to criticize for one is armed with objective answers.
The paper on “How California Can Help Solve Asia’s Food Problems” was accepted by a scientific group in an equal and opposite fashion as its rejection by non-scientific groups. And one has been in the awkward position of defending General Semantics but can do so no more for not only is one’s reputation at stake but the classes invite one to speak on knowledge one has on subject after subject rejected, mostly a priori, by our semantic friends.
My reports on “Reincarnation” were accepted by an important university and a good scolding to Hugh Lynn Cayce was followed by an apology. I am glad he did that. But the general tenor is “Give us your money and we shall solve the problems”—and they do not.
Since having the Vietnamese here—although there was no advertising and only grape-vine—the young people believe that the little man who was there may know more about a situation than the big men who were not. Our whole culture is for the opinions of the big men who were not there until after the fighting took place.
Dr. Chaudhuri finally succumbed after seeing so many letters from Dr. Radhakrishnan and had me speak at the Ashram. It was mostly young people and I am thankful. They want facts and their seniors want entertainment labeled “knowledge” and “information.” It is entertainment just the same.
Now I am writing abroad and sending copies to Senator Kuchel and the two of his colleagues that accept my reports, i.e. John Sherman Cooper and Charles Percy. It may take some time but so long as we are stuck with “A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur’s Court”—which is protocol—we are stuck with war. And soon I may be speaking for the Vietnamese at their request. As I told my audience, it just may be sometime, somehow that some Vietnamese may know just a little of Oriental culture contradicting the opinions of famous men, mostly English, who are so delightful in amusing us. It is our fault; we want amusement, not knowledge and I don’t blame the Englishmen.
The ease with which I made communication with the Vietnamese and Iranians who have crossed my path lately would put to shame all those people who write articles and earn their living on something they call “communication.” Now the young laugh. I give them objective referents and examples and they laugh and sooner or later the cults and subjectivists are going to be ridiculed out of existence.
In fact I may have to close these doors because the young are coming in greater numbers every week. They have had enough of dogma and opinions from their elders.
Now there are rainbows and there may be pots of gold. And it is certain that one’s fellow-”Sarkhanians” have not only joined forces, we are receiving every kind of encouragement from Asian-Asians who would like to see their cultures presented to the American-people. We are all of us getting more followers every week, all under 35!
The President is calling for a war against “crime” but if he adopts in Jurisprudence what he adopts in Diplomacy things will get worse and worse and worse. In Science and in Law eye-witnesses are required; in other matters “truth” is based on whom or who you are. You should have seen what happened to the woman who challenged me last week in class exactly the opposite of a generation back. And it will get worse. This is a new age.
Get well and get clients.
cc- Morain
February 12, 1968
My dear Shamcher:
The Healing Service has a phrase: “In Unison With the Will of God We Will to Have Peace.” This Service is also based on Hierarchy.
Now I believe I sent you copy of letter to Dr. Malalasekera and it seems to be right. For Prof. Reischauer will be here soon with a colleague from Harvard to speak on our failure to take Asian cultures into account. This has been my cry for years, And evidently God wishes this so.
You will find enclosed copy of letter to one Prof. Arasteh, a Persian who, if not a Sufi at least writes on Sufi philosophy. The remarks are my own. They are sharp and pungent. As my own Kashf is constantly self-proving it is useless to argue with mind over Understanding. I am, of course, concerned with the large and growing number of “universal brotherhoods,” all acting as if it were the one in the field. This also was foreseen forty years ago.
Just as in a previous generation one could not get a word in edgewise at the university; now it is the opposite and great caution is needed because everything is accepted. In the philosophy class a man was criticizing the Mathematical Infinity from what he called a “Zen standpoint.” It did not agree with Zen books he had read. I told the teacher that having had the direct experiences of Infinity in Zen, in Cantor’s Transfinite and in Edna St. Vincent’s Millay’s “Renascence” I failed to find any differences between these various ”infinities.” Not only was the point taken but I demonstrated how to produce harmonies out of seemingly conflicting views.
While surprisingly, over half of my mureeds were absent Sunday (open meeting); the place was over-run and just as well. It will now be necessary to establish Centers. I can no longer teach the mureeds and applicants. It will be necessary to go over whatever papers I have and also “Gatheka-ise” the literature for applicants. I never wanted it that may and neither did Inayat Khan. I shall keep on saying he wished me to do the Esoteric work and it is most unfortunate that others—each claiming to be top Pir, refuse to accept this. And I can foresee (Kashf) their ultimate reciprocity, and their refusal to accept the teachings published in books.
Did I tell you of “our” plans for me to visit Seattle next month? It is quite a story and “our” means several of us who are operating to have a universal spiritual school, bringing all the esotericisms together.
God bless you,
February 20, 1968
My dear Shamcher:
One does not know what purpose is to be gained by coming north but a mystic must venture, and also we ventured here to great success, a success which will not in the least impress people who claim “humility” and as I see it now in the West humility is a worse gateway to Hell than sin, for it imposes, and no nonsense about it, divisions and differences which divide men and keep them apart as not even the present war does.
This week I am to be a guest of honor at both the Buddha Universal Church and the Cultural integration” Ashram. While personalities are destroying devotion by praying, ”Raise us above the differences and divisions with divide men” and keeping apart, definitely and absolutely keeping apart, the ultimate work of the man selected by Hazrat Inayat Khan to lead toward World Brotherhood succeeds due to the Grace of the Universe, all corporations to the contrary.
The immediate impetus is completing the work on Rumi by a Sufi Professor, Arasteh, to whom I have written. His conclusions concerning the various “Profs. Suez Canals” who have self-selected themselves as the ones who are going to bring East and West together—flunkies keep out—are identical with my own. The world does not, cannot accept or select or elect spiritual leaders which is a province of God and Grace, has always been, will always be. But I am awaiting either a letter from him or his latest book—which will take a while to arrive, before going into this in full. And meanwhile no doubt the ten “Universal Brotherhoods,” all neatly packaged and exclusive of each other will go on unabated, or maybe not.
The reason for the invitation to the Buddha Universal Church has been my services as a flunky with them, and in the midst of this work I went away and met those two grandest of grand flunkies,. Swami Maharaj Ranganathananda and mother Krishnabai who far surpass Sam Lewis in flunky-ism and I am not talking poetry, gestures or symbolism. They do, have done, will do flunky work while helping multitudes, multitudes beyond the conception of those who restore to election, selection and choosing leaders, spiritual or not. The Last Shall Be First! And the only person I know who has done this of equal value was Pir-o-Murshid Hassan Sani Nizami, whose corporations have to dismiss while multitudes revere.
We have here restored Lord Buddha’s Methods and raised people to the direct experiences of Love, Joy and Peace. It one would read PIR in “Vadan” one will find, and even Sam Lewis found, that he was fulfilling these functions although he has never said he was a Pir. One can and does affect by breath, by heart, by atmosphere and will continue to do so, but this of itself is not so important as what follows and may, by Grace, follow.
Challenged as to one’s knowledge and position, one answered that on Sunday night we would perform the First Jhana of Lord Buddha. So we performed the First Jhana of Lord Buddha! Of course one “softened” the audience by the practicing of the presence of Love, Peace and Joy and these young people are experiencing “upstairs” where professors, newsman and especially Learies and LSD-“experts” dare not go. Then we entered the first Jhana and when we came out the same universal consciousness pervaded the whole audience. One man could not take it and left; the first person ever threatened with the Zen-stick which all people who do not have “humility” respect. It is only the “humility” people who do not—there are quite a few of them.
In this way these people become aware of a Reality which they had heard about, longed for and want; want with their whole hearts. Despite the absence of half the mureeds there are 40 people here, crowding every foot of space. So I took this up with my fellows in the real form of Sangha as taught by Lord Buddha and we are considering halls. This is a joke; everything is done by telepathy, super telepathy, heart, direct cognition and we work as a team, three men and a D’Artagnan, like the Musketeers, four men with One Mind and some day the people who think they are in some corporation called “Universal Brotherhood” will realize as these young people are realizing “One Single Brotherhood in the Fatherhood of God.” Realization, not emotion, not mentality, not metaphysical, direct experience.
Such efforts would bring us to the verge of “Diamond Sutra” and realization of Nirmanakaya. It is also working in behalf of a real Chan Master, Too Lum, who also uses atmosphere and not dummy, idiocy, blankness called “Zen” which has nothing to do with Lord Buddha’s life and experience.
One began there, went through “Rasa Shastra” and Paul Reps’ work. One must distinguish between Paul Reps and his work. I warn everybody, that it is not what he draws, says, does, but the equal balance of the blanks, the spaces, the inferences, the silences. Westerners are so stuck with ego-consciousness that they do not get the point, that anti-ego-consciousness is also ego-consciousness.
If I wished to carry this into Mathematical Philosophy one points out that (f) = (f) non-A, a point missed by all the semanticists. Also that (d) A ≠ A ≠ (S) A, and this confusion between derivatives, description, and integrations make it most difficult to verbalize philosophies, and compel man to resort to Art. I have fortunately been able to do in the class in Philosophy here what the whole gamut of contemporary pseudo-intellectuals have refused to examine, a priori refused, from the semanticists to the Orientalists to and through the “Universal Brotherhoods.” (At this moment certain Baha’i’s are coming to the doors of initiation, realizing that departmentalized, separative, corporation, Universal Brotherhoods are very close to being downright frauds.
There is no difference between One as used by Roshi Shaku Soyen and Inayat Khan, which lead to the mutual assimilation of Pir-o-Murshid and Nyogen Senzaki. There is all the difference between this and the nonsense-term used by corporation remembers, mutually separate.
In the State of Jhana there is one all-pervading consciousness and all felt it. But 40 of 400 (which one has already had) or 4000 (which one has also had) or 4,000,000 is not going to convince corporation-”initiates.” Sooner or later the young here will laugh off the Silent-Parsi-Me-Supergod. And also the other claimants. The show must go on and the stage is occupied by a “Maharshi,” the champion of the humilities who charges more even than Alan Watts, and rather successfully.
The Jhana imposes neither words nor silence nor either nor neither nor both. The Jhana is the Jhana and in some way it is identical with the Sufi Hal but in some ways no. But speculative and “humility” people cannot understand this.
Sam Lewis saw his own future at the Dargah Nizam-ud-din Auliya in New Delhi and it is happening that way even though he has been very slow to recognize it. He has also seen the future of Pir Zade and no amount of warnings, suggestions, anything will affect him or any other “humility”—wallah, who cannot see God in anything and anybody as suggested in Salat.
You would hardly believe it but today I am accepting with caution everything that comes from my own Brother Elliott and from Paul Reps, an easy thing when one devoids oneself of “humility.” This is the negative purgation. And the positive comes in the effective practices we have here which have a marvelous “electrical” phenomenon; or if one wishes to use Pir-o-Murshid’s terms, “magnetism,” or to use the Sufi terms, Baraka.
The Sufi Bayat ceremony processed “God,” the forgotten, not “the Only Being”—nonsense! It may be true that God alone was Founder of Sufism but he is the retired ex-president of the Board. Or maybe not so. God can be demonstrated through His Attributes and is here—not through sermons, homilies or words. And if I come north or when it will be to “I Have Come to Bring You the Message of the Living God!”
40,000,000 Sufis and Western people are satisfied with mutually exclusive corporations. Having dispensed with “humility,” one can seek and seeking, find.
God bless you.
February 20, 1968
Dear Ram:
One of the greatest contributions of Papa Ramdas was that he kept a diary. There are now so many articles on the word “Mysticism and most have nothing to do with God. Some have to do with the effect of drugs or fortune telling, or with abstruse doctrines or with explanations of the inner lives of people of long ago. To get the writers to face the facts and the immediacy is almost impossible. But this will come to a heading, no doubt, on March 16 and 17 when there will be a conference here on “The Living God,” a counter-movement to a former one on “God is dead.” But one must report that at the university a person is permitted so speak and no one labeled an “expert” is forced on anybody. Besides the young today will not have it. It is a different age.
When was in Dacca he told a Vedantist: “You look and act exactly as if you were Sri Ramakrishna.” “That is interesting for Sri Ramakrishna said that when he died his soul would split into fifty thousand pieces and each one would reincarnate as a Ramakrishna.”
Now the flesh-function of Papa is over and Sam feels himself absorbing all the qualities. In fact Sam has a God-daughter. A young man was in love and brought the lady to Sam and when she came in the room Ram said, “This is your new God-daughter.” And you will find enclosed a Photostat of a letter she has written.
Yesterday was the answer to a multitude of what should be prayers, all in a few hours. Sam was about readying to withdrawn. Everything has been totally successful, but no help. He has to do everything—keep house—which people who make suggestions do not have to do; answer letters from all over the world; copy innumerable manuscripts and now he not only has a flock of disciples but more and more young people coming every day, and no help, only suggestions.
But from early in the morning to late at night on one day came one answer after another. Even now—not yet 8 o” clock in the morning, a disciple is coming to help. And this went on until he opened a letter late at night. Sam has lost the address of Devi Teddi Schleicher and received a letter from a young man living in the same vicinity so he will become Sam’s messenger.
One does not know where to begin. Sunday Sam was in the “state” called hal by Sufis and said, “Paul Reps and Sam Lewis are the spiritual leaders of America,” A man named Karl” got up and lead an ovation. While there has been a lot of dispute about leadership in corporations called “Sufi” in the West—they have thing to do with traditional Sufism, they are just corporations in the fields of religion, this man has the Sufi Symbol on his forehead and is not aware of it. He is destined. Ram willing, for a great future.
It looked like a show. Ram has his disciples on Monday night, goes with a group of students of real Buddhism on Tuesday night and last night spoke at a modernized Christian church where you have to have mystical experiences to earn you way. Without Christ you do not get full ordination. They want and have reality.
When Papa was here and afterwards society was divided as to who was the greatest of Zen Buddhists, opinions being divided between two Englishmen, both famous and neither having studied under any great spiritual teacher. They have great social influence. The young do not like them. The young like Paul Reps and it needed only a little the encouragement from some older person. The ovation Sunday night has been followed each night by an oval demonstration and yesterday one found that Paul Reps has been at Anandashram and also that he is coming here.
Sam wrote Paul that before he could not have gotten an audience to fill a small hall and now he could not get a hall to fill the audience. But Sam also received a phone call from a man who is professional hall-provider and a warm enthusiast for Paul Reps, and that and other things followed, all within a short time.
Then Sam found the warmest enthusiasm about some university students. The Sufi Hazrat Inayat Khan wanted Sam to present the spiritual teachings to the universities and none of Hazrat Inayat Khan’s successors and followers would accept that—they all use words like “humility” and “surrender” and do exactly as they please, all striving for leadership and public favor. But now Sam is gradually worming his way, exactly as his Murshid wanted.
Then last night to an audience, every week larger, Sam lead the discussion at the Christian “The Church of Man.” We are trying to introduce Sangha-Buddhism and Brotherhood-Christianity and not empty rituals or personalisms or dogmas or anything outside the heart of man. The audience was all of young people and the same thing happened and tonight Sam foresees it here and more and more.
The Gavin mentioned in Nancy’s letter was a warm admirer of Papa when he was here.
Last night Sam was in a different stage corresponding to the Fudo-Function of Japanese Buddhism and he demanded, “I am the vine and ye are the branches thereof.” In that state one is tired of self-made phrases which are in contradiction to the worlds of Lord Jesus Christ; or for that matter Lord Buddha or anybody. The methods of Lord Buddha, Buddha’s Yoga of Love-Peace-Joy are demonstrable, and the young find it out. The manifestation of Ram when Sam was ill, “You are ill to prevent you from traveling. You are destined to be the spiritual leader of the Hippies.” Apparently this is coming true.
But Sam is still barred from conferences on Religion in this country and has been invited to an international conference in Darjeeling. He hopes he can send a delegate. The young here are love-hungry, joy-hungry and want peace and brotherhood.
410 Precita Ave..
San Francisco, Calif. 94110
February 25, 1968
Mrs. Paula Hughes
4424 Thatcher
Ojai, Calif. 93023
My dear Paula:
While reading last night I found I had used your Christmas greeting card as a book-mark. Times and circumstances keep people apart and especially now when the circumstances are so contrary in almost everything from what my good friends of theosophical and metaphysical movements and of various cults say and believe, that there is no relation between opinion and event. And this great gap between opinion and event is compelling one to change geographical plans often.
One’s own saying, “East is East and West is West and never shall the Oriental meet the Orientalist” is taking on grim but actual aspects. One realizes that actualities do not influence certain people at all and this would not be bad of itself, but that and nothing but that has been the cause of the long impasse in Vietnam, a situation in which anybody can say anything but eye-witnesses and participants.
A situation which can happen but “only in America” is going to produce some very bizarre situations. One is refused admittance to an “East-West” Conference to be held in Hawaii in 1969. But one has received an invitation to stand a conference of holy men in Darjeeling, India—for that one is eligible, but for any such meeting in this country—unthinkable. But don’t presume any “martyr” complex. Four of us, Russ Miller, Warwick, Wagner and myself are regarded as “Three Musketeers + D’Artagnan” only now the fifth of our number has gone to India to meet some Masters and Sam Lewis has been urged to go to Seattle for the same reason, only these Buddhist Masters are Tibetan in this case. This goes on all the time, by which I mean all the time and now the young accept it and us more and more and more. Our combined meetings—seeing that we started alone, are filled to overflowing and the “silly” young people believe that Americans (and Rev. Warwick) may just know a little more of Asian philosophies, all of us having lived in Asia and studied with accredited Masters.
Down in Ojai this not necessary and the most welcome people there have not studied in Asia or with Masters or if so, they can not name them openly, they are always by-passed or kept “secret.” That is delightful entertainment, nobody is hurt but neither does anybody learn anything, but what is going on in the minds of popular lecturers and what is going on in their minds, though very entertaining, has nothing to do with the universe.
The visit of Dr. An, the Vietnamese, found this house filled to overflowing, though there was no advertising and now it is filled to overflowing all the time, and six days (and nights) are given the young who listen, and learn.
Here we impart Love, Joy and Peace, actualities, experiences, not claims. We have the audacity to given teaching from Lord Buddha—these have nothing whatsoever to do with popular “Buddhism.” We use in addition to Lord Buddha Paul Reps and occasionally Phillip Kapleau. This is very unfair to Englishmen and society because both of them have had the real Zen experience validated by real Zen and Chan Masters, the worst of credentials in our society. But the young love it, and finding that here Love means Love and Joy means Joy and Peace means Peace they are coming to overflowing. And one dares not invite Paul Reps until we get places large enough to accommodate the young who would rather listen to an American who knows than to an Englishman or European who are very entertaining but don’t know.
One takes the young with him to show how Asians act toward Sam Lewis, the flesh-and-blood human beings showing no resemblance to the thought-form “Asian” which is so popular in this country. One is on excellent terms with Vietnamese but not with politicians or “experts” who draw crowds and affect history not at all. And this week one received honorifics from Chinese and Indians, and is establishing more and more friendships with Iranians, etc.
To make matters worse, Paula, or maybe better, one’s complaint that Europeans are human beings and Asians are thought-forms plus that above received a full page in a leading Pakistani magazine—this could not happen in America, yet, but it will. We may someday invite Asians to have their own peace-table without any assistance from Russians, Chinese or Us, or Europeans. Even the most rabid “Internationalist” in this country seems unable to concede full humanity to Asians. Only now instead of complaining we are laughing, laughing more and more and more. The “misguided” young prefer Americans who have learned Asiatica from Asian masters to Englishmen and Europeans who received their “credentials” from universities, or Americans (like Northrup) who received credentials—from themselves!
Here we teach only Yoga systems which others do not teach, with central emphasis on the system in the last part of “Zen, Flesh, Zen Bones.” And this is no silly Englishman-Buddhism (for 25 a throw) or “Transcendental Yoga (for 35.) We leave those things to people who put up money values.
It is only now one stands between Mr. Reps who makes suggestions and people whom he has never contacted doing what he suggests, and this is the “Brave New World” without any Huxley, and the “Coming Race” without any supervisions from “experts.”
If you ever come this way we know lots of good restaurants, lots, and two now with Sufi waiters (totally different from popular “Sufism”).
Love and Blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
Saturday Evening,
April 13, 1968
Beloved One of God:
It has been a long time since there was a diary entry, and there have been so many things changing. The books have arrived and a copy of this letter goes to Vilayat. The shame of acting as if God does not see our acts will go down in history, and the changes made in "Confessions of Inayat Khan" are all based on the bald-faced lie, that what we do not know does not hurt us. But it is not my place to do anything, only if Mrs. Duce has a different copy and were to attack the Inayatis legally they would have a hard time to prove by lying, chicanery and false witness the early life of Hazrat Inayat Khan. Nor will I do anything, but having met so many people who were present at his death and also saw him in his last days when Kismet Stan was not with him, one just looks at amazement, and wonders what will happen in eternity to those who have had the gall to change records. You can understand from this the attacks made on the Inayatis by competitors and rivals.
The two definitions of "Sufi" had to be laid aside, either that a Sufi is one who sees from the standpoint of another; or that a Sufi, is a God-conscious man. One is compelled today to act each role of "Pir" in Vadan, not to pray, not to beseech a God who is far away, but to manifest the Divine Qualities which are in every soul.
Now there are mushrooms all around, the worst being claims to have had Tibetan Initiations. The validated disciples of Anagarika Govinda and the Tibetan Lamas have their friends and representatives and I should not be surprised if there were some law-suits soon. It is a shame how under "freedom of religion" anything can be presented to the public. Now also there are persons going around claiming to be Sufis—why not? Inasmuch as you do not have to pass thought the initiatory states nor see life from the standpoint of another as well as of yourself, or even have a validated Murshid, why not anybody being a Sufi? calling himself a Sufi?
While there is a ritual of "Universal Worship"—anybody can become an officiate without any background whatsoever, there is now the preliminary arrangement for the meeting of the real religious leaders of the real world. And if my affairs do not change I shall be able to put on a "Universal worship" in Washington some day, inshallah, while people, some of whom were not born when I was ordained as Cherag, will wish to protect. This is "to Thee we give willing surrender," my hat! And when and as the real religious leaders of the living faiths get together and they may witness this Universal Worship they will free Inayat Khan and his teachings from all the nonsense of corporations and flesh-and-blood inheriting anything but flesh-and-blood.
I have a deep respect for Vilayat and the contrary is not true at all. I have refrained from assuming the title of "Pir" although I function with this role ad have the approval of living Murshids and Pirs. The original Bayat called for brotherhood with all living Sufis of all schools but corporations have changed that, you can bet. But now it is becoming known, and the audiences every week are greater.
One of the greatest boons is to have two God-realized God-daughters, and this gives zest enough to live on. The local one is now organizing our work and there will be a regularly program here. We are also hoping to have a Khankah. The corporationists, Inayatis or Baba-rians will objects but the great Sufi Orders will not. Four hundred people outshine forty million disciples of Sufi Brotherhoods!
Meanwhile the initiates, the real initiates out here are getting together and while the Temple of Understanding is drawing people together in the religious field, these initiates or "we" are drawing together in the mystical and occult fields. Buddhists, Hindus and Sufis working together cooperatively, something that has not occurred in the western world before.
Next Saturday I am to speak on "Sri Aurobindo and Plato" and will explain the operations of Ashrams where I have lived. The whole thing will be objective and actual and everything points to a large attendance. This will also prepare for a potential Khankah, for although I have also lived in Khankahs—much that the "universal brotherhood," poor souls, care, there is an emotional aura around the word "Ashram" which is great indeed. We are also planning a Sri Aurobindo wedding where I shall be giving the bridge away, this in June and you will probably meet these people.
Today we took another step toward spiritual leadership among the Hippies. We walked through the district in serious garments, and find considerable respect. But every week a larger attendance and without doing anything at all.
Tomorrow night will be Paul Reps night. Actually it will be the beginning of a campaign for Paul Reps. Although Hazrat Inayat Khan gave his early lectures on "unlearning" this is no part of the various "Sufi" corporations. Paul Reps has not only adhered to his "unlearning," he has carried it on another dimension. This has entranced an ever growing number of young people, they understand "unlearning" and their elders, and especially metaphysical people do not, even cannot.
No doubt I shall steal some thunder from Reps for "Dance of Universal Peace." As one has taken part in the ceremonies of most faiths and been a devotee of each at some time, this will not be difficult. Actually a great deal of Zen is being taught here under the arts and a great deal of nonsense is being presented under the name of "Zen." But Master Too Lun has now come into his own and my being out of the schema certain nights means the young go and hear him, more and more.
My pod-daughter, God bless her, has organized a weekly program and help seems near and forthcoming. I not only have a larger assortment of people than Rabia, God rest her soul, was ever able to gather here, but they are all, with one exception, under 35 and more men than women. And excepting at Anandashram, I have never seen the love and cohesion, the warm feeling of good-will and the ability of each and all to get along with each other. It is stupendous and I hope you may see it soon.
The receiving of the books has been a great been and we shall see that all applicants study The Sufi Message. Printed words can ignore living facts. The success in presenting the methods of speech and silence both and especially atmosphere have been most effective. This confirms the predictions of the Sufi Saint who was here a few years back. Actually this is found in Rumi too, and is of supreme importance.
It is Easter morning and the same old aphorisms appear in press and church. But there will be a resurrection in this one's life that now a large number of young people are willing to accept life instead of words. They have seen the manifestation of Peace, Love, Joy and Serenity and the expansion of Atmosphere. No doubt there will be more verbal "Sufism" and this ultimately will lead to more realization of Divinity. The move through the Hippie District was a success in several respects.
What has been gained by repudiating the words and institutions of Hazrat Inayat Khan I do not know. Vilayat, God bless him, at least recognized the colored people. But he does not yet recognize atmosphere and the possibility of more holy people coming to the West. The move has been started and will no doubt continue, God willing. And we shall have that Message of God which Hazrat Inayat Khan instituted which consists of just two things:
a. Expanded praise of the Living God (and realization).
b. More human consideration.
God bless you,
Sam
April 21, 1968
My dear Shamcher:
Yesterday was so right I am writing this with an Ephemeris in front of me. Mercury was exactly 180o opposite my natal Sun. Jupiter stays around a 60o exact sextile with the same Sun. Neptune is close to a conjunction with natal Uranus. Pluto is exactly opposite to my natal Moon.
The day brought financial help by the government giving me back a large sum, tax anticipation. I did not know that the Estate pays more of my taxes. At least this confirms the Jupiter.
Paul Reps has been sending me books; his own and those of Pir-o-Murshid and has offered help for hiring a hall for his own coming. I now have an average of 40 people at meetings and it is fortunate that mureeds stay away from the public gatherings. There are now several applicants and I have to have a Marin meeting place.
Sheila, who may arrange this, has been most fortunate in here financial affairs and we are hoping she can go to Asia. There are a number of events and they are going to smash through our subjective “realisms” and our penchant for regarding non Asians as “experts” on Asia.
The Temple of Understanding has accepted all my proposals and nearly all my introductions. Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr about whom I have written before, will be second in command at the forthcoming conference. There Americans and Asians and others will sit down as equals and none of this utterly inane “expertism” backed up by proper press relationships. These things “excite” and solve nothing. And this will mean as I have written, that the Universal Worship will not be dominated by any “cherags” appointed for ritualistic purposes and having no real knowledge of the living, or past faiths of Asia.
At night my God-daughter, Nancy Fish, appeared on TV and she has won a trip to Cannes. There was a supposed contest over her escort but as soon as one of the men said he had walked from Damascus to Istanbul and had studied Indian Astrology, it was all over, for me. No doubt there were Freudian elements in it but this is coming.
Gavin: Nancy wants to see you as soon as possible, and in view of her being-selected to go to Cannes, I think this is important. Sam
April 21, 1968
My dear Art:
I think you and I ought to come to an agreement. You can have the United States or even all the Western hemisphere, and I the Eastern hemisphere. Please do not look for logic, cherchez les femmes! Boy, that is the best logique.
Last night my God-daughter, Miss Nancy Fish was on the air, and she has won a trip to Cannes and will meet all the VIPs in the theatrical field, many of whom she already knows but this time it will be her nose in the air.
Then we had a conflab with Sheila. Sheila has just won the great American classic, or to give her an Asian name, she would be Moola Shah. She is planning to go to Asia. There is a real Peace Conference going on where all the rules are broken and Americans and Asians will sit together as equals. Boy ain’t that something?
This peace conference has gone out of bounds. They have accented all my suggestions and all my intros which every newsman and State Department official knows can’t be, and they will meet, perhaps with no diplomats and very few newsmen and they may be able to establish concord and even human brotherhood. Needless to say the chairman is an American lady, and the chief in command one of my close colleagues. This can’t be and is.
Then Sheila will visit Pondicherry and tell what two women are accomplishing what Aldous Huxley could only give in ironies. I am not one of those Americans who have ever believed that Asian philosophies could only emanate from Englishmen (or occasional Germans). I believed they could emanate from Asian men and American women. This is such heresy it cannot even be considered exempting one of the ladies involved is French. That being so utterly impossible I won’t even finish this….
The man selected by the peace conference is the close friend of my other God-daughter who is an Asian and won prizes at the greatest … in all Asia, but this being impossible there is no sense reporting.
Sheila will also be instructed to visit the Oracle of India, another lady. Why can’t India have an Oracle who is a woman? India has a Prime Minister who wears Saris! If all these ladies get together….
I think I’ll let you solve our American problems. What are they?
April 26, 1968
My dear Vocha:
Finding a letter of yours unfiled I am taking this opportunity to report. It is with no ego-satisfaction to say that everything is going “right.” They are mostly things which should never have gone “wrong” and all items fit in tightly to Lord Snow’s The Two Cultures.
It is noteworthy that in trying to report my findings in actual Asia, every single scientist accepted everything, and it was years before a single non-scientist accepted anything. But this is characteristic. The economists and social scientists do not accept the in situ experiences of their colleagues and they do accept the official reports of nations and the UN as if these were sound facts. The resignation of Arthur Goldberg based on his experiences will not change the policies and attitudes of politicos and social “scientists.”
Recently “Asia Survey” of the University of California gave a whole issue to “Food Problems of Asia.” I have had exactly one interview with one of the editors. I am fortunate. None of the horticulturalist or engineers on the various UC campuses have been so granted. Money is used from the coffers of a vast institution but is not used to promote the very successful researches of the staffs. It is all The Two Cultures.
As G.S. is based on personalisms and not any system of logic (unless a change can be made) it is impossible to convince editors that when PhDs use the term “Asia” and mean Thailand, Pakistan and India as did the conference on “Food Problems of Asia,” there is nothing one can do. “Asia” means whatever experts say it means. But it happens that Thailand, Pakistan and India are the Asians countries where I have not only lived, but studied agriculture in situ and have piles of field notes. It is these notes which will be willed with a bequest when I am gone.
Fortunately Prof. Malebaum of Pennsylvania did accept my in situ reports. One place where it was so obvious was the existence of Mangla Dam in Pakistan, an operative institution built by a local corporation (Guy Atkinson) and hardly mentioned in the press. Indeed the report of the chief surveyor of its operation, another former UC big-wig (Milton Fireman), has equally been ignored. ETC., etc., etc. So I can’t complain about Sam Lewis. It is our existence in two cultures, that of science and that of the “literary-humanist” people. But this is not a single instance, it will not be a single instance and it will require a great deal more objectivity than we have today.
I have taken this opportunity to criticize the resorts from Pakistan, taken without a whimper, and am pointing out to the Pakistanis that they need G.S. I shall take it upon myself to introduce G.S. or rather A.K. into Pakistan because all the doors are open.
I shall present to them exactly what Bartlett presented to me, very comprehensible because of my studies of Russell and Keyser.
It is not necessary to whimper. My instructor in “Linguistics” has accepted everything which has been previously rejected by so many in so many ways. I feel almost ashamed. I know he will accept “The Creation of a New Language” which I tried in vain to get over to the G.S. people. It is real, it is operative, and it is indirectly connected with the career of Julie Medlock.
I am now top adviser to two independent international conferences going on respectively in Pakistan and India, covering somewhat different subject matters. But the man whom I suggested to report on subjects which I am acquainted with has already been made Vice-Chairman of each. And I am now preparing a disciple to go to India in my stead. He is well known in this world but he belongs to a culture we simply will not recognize.
Speaking of cultures we do not recognize, I am planning to be in Vancouver, B.C. before the national election. My uncle wants me and I would stay with him. This will give full opportunity to call on the S.C. people who control the provincial government—American paper “‘smusn’t” copy. “Right” and “left” equally ignore the existence of realities which do not fit into their sub-Euclidean scheme, and I regret the G.S. people have accepted this.
Indeed in the last issue of ETC. there is a question to be answered “right” or “wrong”: “The sum of the three angles of a triangle is 180°.” If that is not murdering A.K. I don’t know what is. The norm would be to recognize nonsense and sensible questions. The name “Carnap” would be honored, but the same egocentric rejection of his logistics.
I am also concerned with the odd situation at the University of California where the editor refused to grant an interview to two other mature persons and myself (the ladies were friends of Whitey too) who had lived in Indian villages. He was giving courses on Indian village life. Now in the reports on Asian agriculture he has published that the dearth of mineral resources is one of the reasons for the non-development of these lands. Well us poor nobodies who have lived in villages and climbed mountains and seen mines and minerals, we can do nothing, especially in a democracy. And Julie Medlock will be honored by those that do not know her because she is a friend of Oliver Reiser and her friends honor me and not her and the right, ha democracy for editors and “big people” to a priori reject is a constitutional “right” and we are stuck.
At this moment I am stuck too for there has been a procession of persons which continued far into the night, hard facts which simply cannot be, because…. Most of the visitors were Hippies, and they do not respect the opinions of their elders any more than the elders. And they respect one who is rejected by their elders just because….
I am not going into the psychotherapies of the young. The methods are so much simpler and so much, much more effective than those of Carl Rogers or Fritz Perls—enough to discredit one off hand. But it is based on my real knowledge of real Oriental psychotherapy coming from real Asians. And it is now being used also in one (at least) large Eastern university.
During this period a telephone call was received from a representative of another large Eastern university which is making a study of the actual as against the social and metaphysical study of Orientalia. All reports of this person who has had the temerity to study Asian philosophies with Asians and not so much with “popular brands” have been accepted. Every question was answered by hard, solid facts and will be so reported.
During this period also one had another university representative who has been confused between the Te Ching of Asian philosophies by Asians and be VIPs. The two don’t agree and he is thoroughly confused. In any event, as peasants must obey traffic laws, I did not give him one statement excepting backed up by facts, data, etc. This hard “rigorous thinking” will someday, “we shall overcome” and the culture of the future will be based on thinking and not personalities and value-judgments.
I am half considering a paper, “The General Semantics of General Semantics” to be sent to Denver where I shall not be able to attend. I shall not be able because Prof. Huston Smith is coming who accepts sound-data-reports of a nobody, backed by referents and references. I do not know yet what Don’s friend, Abraham Kaplan, will do about my going to his veddy private “East-West” conference at Hawaii. It has already been downgraded by two real East-West conferences in real Asia, each of which has accepted Samuel L. Lewis as cultural adviser, and there are some pretty big names involved. Also a long history of battling for knowledge versus “names” and the knowledge is winning out. Ultimately it must always.
The success of either—where Americans and Asians are sitting down as equals, will have a repercussion on the Vietnamese proceedings. Get rid of the diplomat’s and newsmen and you can accomplish anything. (I someday would like to submit, and of course get rejected) a paper to ETC, on “communication among newsmen and diplomats” and “communication among scientists, etc.”) “No time for sergeants.”
In any event I shall submit to Prof. Huston Smith either copies of manuscripts or reports which value-judgment big-wigs have refused to admit one could possibly have. Everything illustrates the “two cultures,” everything.
I am stopping at this point because I thought I would open a letter from one of Yasutani’s disciples.
The letter is exactly the opposite of what I have had in the past from so many people—it accepts the sincerity and integrity of the writer and no value-judgments. I shall enclose a copy. I am sending carbon of this to Lloyd. The world cannot remain half free, half dialectic. Vietnam is the example of the privilege of the proud to reject the eye-witnessing of a humble person who was there. Little people have had to be regarded as the boy in the “Wolf-wolf!” story of ancient Greece. No wonder I find satisfaction in the young who accept facts as against personalities. Value-judging is a luxury for which we are paying a tremendous price and must pay more.
Love,
P.S. It is wonderful here and Pat Hunt has been in the garden drawing, and his painting sends me and how!
May 6, 1968
Beloved One of Allah:
A -salaam aleikhum. At this distance it is very hard to be sure what to do for you. As the Messenger has said, “Surrender to Allah in times of adversity and praise Him in times of prosperity.” Although one is in good economic position, the question of time is not only intolerable, it is getting worse. And as it gets worse one has a tendency toward uncontrolled laughter, which makes work impossible.
Hazrat Inayat Khan has said: of Allah: “He has given you by His grace, the attributes of Humanity—kindness, gratitude, faithfulness, justices modesty, piety, sympathy, reverence, bravery, patience, love knowledge and wisdom.” Every religious person thinks that these qualities are a monopoly of his religion. They deny these standards to other religions and so religion is disappearance because of narrow-mindedness and narrow-heartedness.
At the moment your Murshid is preparing to greet three famous men here. Each is famous. Each has sold many books, speaks before many people, regards himself as a leader of mankind and will have nothing to do with the others. After many years one wrote an apology respecting that this person has a compendium of books by wise men of many lands which have never been published. The second was forced to retract after a very famous person accepted the simple fact that this person had these volumes—unpublished. The third is a wonderful man but he gives advice in exact opposite to one’s need—when one is in trouble he gives no advice, and the more one gets out of difficulty the more advice he offers.
Now of the attributes Love is offered and we are here very much influenced by Maulana Rumi. This influence is so great that now your Murshid has two God-realized souls among his growing following, through Divine Love. One is a man who had to return to his parental home due to deaths and family litigation. He will return in somewhat better—we do not know how much better—financial circumstances but he has justified that this person, i.e. Sufi Ahmed Murad, has been the instrument of Allah to bring people to enlightenment. The three famous men and others cannot concede that nor does one care. Only it leads to laughter not to anger. True the Hadith is full of statements, “Be not angry” but one can be a “good-Muslim” and have all the anger he wishes, Hadith or no Hadith.
The other instance is that of Nancy, my American god-daughter whose career is beginning to parallel your own so much. One may see her twice before she goes to France on a mission which may well make her famous, inshallah. She is full of love and devotion but no wisdom. She has gotten many mureeds to come here and help but afforded no schedule and sometimes nobody comes and other times as many as five and then your Murshid can do no work, merely direct the others, and one never knows who is coming which day. Besides the number of mureeds and applicants is increasing, and twice last week one received warnings from total strangers that they were going to bring more people to this place—now outgrown and one has no time whatever to seek a larger meeting place. And the two persons, Nancy and one other lady, who promised to help have problems, the solutions of which will make either or both famous and wealthy. So in a sort of despair, one is also in the universe of mirth making work still more difficult.
Now there is a peculiar thing that every time Khawar does something which increases Love, that love is manifested to and from Nancy; and every time Nancy gives or seeks love, that love in manifested to and from Khawar. And the theme that Allah is constantly placing is that “tasawwuf is based on experiences and not on premises.”
You have rightly placed before your Murshid a splendid thesis; all the words are correct, the ideals care correct, but the method is of no use any more. We are living in a scientific age, we are living in a universal age and all the verbal arrangements we make of words and thoughts come out of nufs, not from Allah. The time has past when we could self-praise Allah in words, without cognition of Allah and there is no difference between man’s respect or disrespect to and from Mohammed as to and from Al-Ghazzali excepting degree. Respect and disrespect of persons is a selfish and useless tool of men. It is Allah whom we should praise and stop dividing men whom we should respect and disrespect.
Sir Isaac Newton is almost the founder of the science of Physics. This science has progressed because nobody bothered to look into the life of Newton, only his contributions to knowledge. We are only beginning to find out about him now. And two men’s names will the mentioned, that if one were to copy their statements they would be accepted with respect and honor. But as soon as their names be mentioned, the whole contribution would be thrown away. This is nothing but nufs and for that reason we are not having peace on earth and we are not going to have real peace until we stop this nonsense, and we are not going to stop this nonsense readily.
There are two ways in which respect for your thesis comes: One is in the inspiration which either comes out of common Love, or out of the feeling one receives from Allah Himself. The other comes from direct experience in fana-fi-lillah. Sufis say that Allah is the only Being; also the only Teacher and we all learn from Him. But as soon as man acts that way he brings down on him storms of abuse. And the Islamic world has been divided for centuries concerning Mansur Hallaj. Your Murshid has no desire to become a Mansur because he does not seem to be on the lists of martyrs. But as soon as he is accused of using the first personal pronoun Allah has said, he (Sufi Ahmed Murad) must use it more and the more man objects, the more egocentric he must behave.
One of the most egocentric men your Murshid has ever met is now a saint and he became a saint after he stopped the nonsense called “humility” and listened to your Murshid. “Humble” people have no time to listen to anybody (else). Surrender to God is not an act, it has become a form of innate self-praise.
Now the whole of the night was spent in Allah’s bosom and He showed two ways of doing everything you have asked for. The easiest would be to copy from the small amount of material on hand, from Hazrat Inayat Khan, from Muqadimmah of Ibn Khaldun and from X. Allah does not wish this person to draw your theme-material from Rumi because it is too great quantitatively. But if you were to use X, you would be immediately the object of calumny, you would be rejected, and so before mentioning X, one will give the alternative:
The perfect method would be to enter into Hal or Wujud and then one would need a secretary. Your Murshid has three secretaries, one of whom is very proficient in copying but not otherwise. The others it has been impossible so far to get them to come here in the mornings. They live far off and do not get up early.
Then there is intellectual acceptance of the fades of nufs, and psychological rejection of Al-Ghazzali that tasawwuf is based on experience, not on premises. So long as “Islam” rejects the latter in practice it cannot gain the world in this scientific age. Dialectical exactitude is nothing, but self-praise in disguise. Words and logic are not truth. The majority, and the Ijma-ites are in error for they verbally accept Al-Ghazzali’s refutation of traditional logic and set up their own, drawing deductions from Holy Write or famous people. And so there is a closed system, in which the Divine Light has no place.
To enter into fana so as to evince nufs-i-alima or nufs-i-salima is most difficult. If one were to do the latter he would become another Hallaj or Sohrawardi Maktul. And one has already had too many experiences in nufs-i-alima to be rejected by your countrymen, because the divine wisdom from this source is not in accord with ijma. Dualistic hypocrites point out that the Christian church rejected Darwin and other scientists, but this is no different from the rejections of the Divine Wisdom coming through the Beloved Ones of God in directness, without any intervention of Ulema or anybody else.
Hazrat Inayat Khan prefaced one of his works with a quotation from Abul Fazl: “Orthodoxy for the orthodox, and heresy to the heretics, but the dust of the rose petal belongs to the heart of the perfume-seller. Abul Fazl. As soon as the name “Abul Fazl” is mentioned to many this is worse than saying “Iblis.” But Abul Fazl represents an effort to present Islam as universal, and as soon as one presents the Universal Islam of Allah, of Allah, beloved, not of dialecticians, there are strange reactions. Therefore I shall not mention X or qualify X at this time, and only if you give full permission to quote from X can the theme be fully and properly completed.
But to return to effacement in Allah. The Love of the Bhakti-Yogins of India is full of Love for God, but no particular respect for mankind. Sufis have warned that Sobriety is superior to Ecstasy and Orthodox have made it a principle, and condemn great Love and Joy in practice; the words they respect, the actualities, no. And thus in scientific age they turn their backs on Al-Ghazzali and try to make Tasawwuf a series of premises apart from human experience.
In the state of nufs-selima there are no persons and there are all persons. There is nothing and there is everything. There is Allah and only Allah but this Allah is all-inclusive, all-embracing and nothing and nobody is excluded. One who touches this state realizes as did a Europe disciple of Tasawwuf; “All and everything.” In the State one rejects the Bhakti Yoga of all without everything or the Orthodox Islam that All means the exclusion of both everything and nothing. To quote Holy Qur’an is so easy; to become Holy Qur’an is not so difficult as unwanted.
The Messenger of Allah said he was not different from anybody and the Ijma-Muslims say he was different and as the majority will follow the Ijma-Muslims who are not the same everywhere and as they will continue to praise the empty-sound “Mohammed” without accepting his words, we are in eternal conflict due to Nufs.
Nuri Mohammed is the light of the Universe. Yes, there is a Light beyond this Light; the created Light is none other than the Light that manifested in the body of Mohammed and through his body. But he said, and Ijma-Muslims do not accept or agree, that this belonged to everybody. So it is safer to live away from the Islamic countries so that one can accept what Mohammed said and does not have to agree with Ijma-Muslims.
The Universal Light includes all, and thus this Love includes all. And whereas Mohammed said—and nearly all Ijma-Muslims dissent—that Allah loves His creation more than a mother loves her offspring, when one enters into fana-fi-lillah this is so. In the lesser state now Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti finds that with his God-daughters in two different bodies this is so and they both are increasing his potentiality. And then this potentiality manifests in and with and through others, so that nobody appears outside of Allah, the Only Being.
But there is also what Isa has said, “All sins shall be forgiven expecting sins against the Holy Spirit. Your Murshid knows what this means and when he acts this way he brings down on him criticisms from the unrealized, all of whom have “humility” but few Divine Wisdom. In the Divine Wisdom, or rather one shall quote from Hadith!
When Isa and Peter were walking along the seashore Isa asked “Peter, you see the pearls and pebbles are at our feet. Which would you pick up?” “Why the pearls, of course.” “You are very far from the kingdom of heaven.” Now no religion accepts that and if anybody says so he is both a hypocrite and ignorant man. In the world of Unity there is Unity. In the world of diversity one may, if Allah decrees, condemn those who break His Laws. Therefore it is not wrong to condemn others if known why. And therefore it is not wrong to criticize the Ahmadiyyas if you do this universally. There is no principle by which you condemn on Dajjal. Your Murshid is criticizing other Dajjals and is being criticized by man or course for this. “Allah has not said not to criticize. We have the right, even sometimes the duty to do so.
But one thing is certain: Your Murshid has never found any Dajjal who accepted “He has given you, by His grace, the attributes of Humanity—kindness, gratitude, faithfulness, justice, modesty, piety, sympathy, reverence, bravery, patience, love, knowledge and wisdom.”
Love and blessings,
May 13, 1968
My dear Fred and Corinne:
It gives no joy to find you are being put to be test. This is, of course, the career of all marked for the real initiations. I have had such tests here but the most dangerous took place in Pakistan where Sam came within an inch of being a real John Birch; and there is no doubt if we keep on our ways there will be some real John Birches. We have learned so little from life or from the fictions of Eugene Burdick.
When one came out of these tests it was to become an agent for the real spiritual teachers of the real world. It is impossible to communicate this in a land which has taken Europeans of high intellectual caliber as mentors for “Oriental” culture. The only Europeans that have had proper backgrounds to explain anything Oriental or Asian are those who have submitted to spiritual teachers. But those who have so submitted are in open warfare with the intellectuals who are so greeted in America as “masters” of Oriental culture; often as not they have not been pupils even at the lowest levels.
When one pierces the veils between the planes; when one actually experiences whet Dr. Bucke wrote about, he must stop trying to communicate with people over 40, often with younger ones. Mature-by-age citizens have their private messiahs, quite different persons of course. Some of these messiahs, like Krishnamurti, are morally impeccable, but have no connection with the real Masters.
This is mentioned because before a Matter, living or dead one receives blessings and teachings. The highest of these has been Peace Is Power. Or power-mad people, authorities and revolutionaries alike refuse to example this. People rave over the Gita or Tao Teh King and then do the opposite.
By this time the crazy Asians, whenever heard of our “experts” have three top level conferences going on where in Sam Lewis is a cultural adviser, if not the cultural adviser. Asians, unlike Americus, can and do learn from the deep wisdom of the ages, totally unlike the derivatives of it by our popular messiahs.
Here we present the Yoga of Lord Buddha and along with the direct journeys into Love, Joy, Peace and Serenity. These are not sermons, these are experiences. No use arguing with older people and no use holding back the young. They drink this wisdom. They drop LSD and “grass” when something finer (to them) is offered—joy, serenity and actual expansion of consciousness, not lectures on it by speculative famous people.
To me “God” looks upon all people with balanced compassion. My program is to feed the stomachs of the Orient and the hearts of the Occident.
Thursday night I am meeting a Negro who was with the Peace Corps in West Africa. Sheila McKendrick is bringing him and he may well be my guest of honor at the second House Warming party. The first will be for Hindus and Buddhists.
Faithfully,
May 13, 1968
Deer Art:
Revolting Is Revolting.
Thanks for the news about the Peoples Poor March on Washington. This, after the Physical Fitness program.
Peace in Asia. It has always been a perplexity to me why with all our English and German experts on Asia we have not come to an understanding with these people. Try to submit a paper on the solution of Asia’s problems and sooner or later you will contradict some Englishman who has taken drugs and you are in the dog-house. You can get away with criticizing Johnson but try it on Huxley!
Us Sarkhanians. We are joining to put on a Buddhist celebration at the First Congregational Church on Sunday night May 26. We are now being followed by a lot of these misled young who don’t think that Oriental Philosophy was invented in Leiden or Zurich or Heidelberg or Oxford or Cambridge. All of us complain we have not large enough meeting quarters. These poor unguided, misguided young are coming to each and all of us in ever greater quantities.
There is a problem that long beards are not too popular. Dirty beards are only anathema on Haight St.; Asian “sages” may wear them. It is a sign of … not knowing of what can’t say.
Lady Sarkhanians. Sam Lewis is now cultural adviser to three distinct real summit conferences in real Asia. (Not-news, of course.) Two of them are dominated by American ladies and the third by my god-daughter. In all of them Asians and Americans will sit down as equal and no European professors and no “experts.” Of course the diplomats won’t follow, can’t follow.
Now I am in another quandary. Another American lady who was even more in the doghouse than us males, has gone to the Orient and has been acclaimed all over. This can’t be, it ain’t “realism.”
Les Femmes De Lafcadio. Lafcadio Hearn got is in America. Everybody shunned him. The only reason he did not get more rejection slips was because he himself belonged to the Fourth Estate. He went to Japan and became famous and wrote on the Orient from firsthand experience. He did not go to Leiden or Oxford or even Yale. C’est impossible. The idea of a simple American to go to Asia and make friends with Asians. There are a lot of them, or shall I say, us.
I am thinking of calling myself the Laugh-Can.
Faithfully,
Laugh-Cad
What I do not like is the inability to come South. No doubt after Nancy returns from France, we shall discuss a trip, maybe several of us. The understanding of the mysticism of sound and the ability to communicate now to the young who will listen and haven’t any messiahs chosen by ego-elections, enables one to bring them into realities and realities to them. There are many practices in Paul Reps’ “Zen Fresh, Zen Bones” which are of infinite value. We do these practices and a lot more very real Yoga and Sufi techniques not known to our universities and “experts.”
The building of the atmosphere of calmness and drawing strength from it have produced a sobering effect on the young. No doubt there are young hoodlums just as when philosophical anarchism spread, it encouraged or rather stimulated murder in France. Here we begin with atmosphere and strengthening atmosphere; this strengthens personality. One has had a Jewish saint and a Vietnamese Master here both entirely approving the atmosphere. The metaphysical people do not and do not return.
I do not know of the OSL work. The Cayce people were here and very fine people surrounded on all sides by messiahanism. But they want to go to the Orient. This will awaken them to the realities of the world.
I am glad you have re-touched Astrology. In the next Age Astrology will become a science—not now. Sciences are not based on the speculations of famous persons. I am teaching forms of dance based on astrology, yoga and mysticism. It is for the few. They will have direct experiences and learn through their bodies, hearts and emotions. One has the heritage of the Sufis and also Ruth St. Denis who worked with them. I have no time for arguments. Demonstrating with one of my disciples who is a master of Astrology, it did not take any time at all.
The breath sciences are unknown. There are no materialists. Freud makes the gonads greater than the stomach and Marx reverses it. The existentialists elevate their own fancies and fantasies. I have met few scientists who objected to mysticism but many who did not accept the “occult arts.” These are taught apart from the existence of God. Mysticism is based on God-experience. As Paul Brunton presented it this comes through the Breath, the Eye and the Hearth. It is passed down from teacher to pupil and has been so through the ages.
Utilizing breath-techniques, there has not been the slightest trouble with these young people. It has caused a revolution in Sam. He is their father and/or grandfather and almost in a literal sense. It has caused one to change habits. Some of the ideas are found in Hall Caine’s The White Christ but we are not going to accepts this; we only know how to demand, not to accept.
My position is not that materialism is against spiritualism but that egotism is against materialism. The war of matter and spirit is nonsense. The war of self against God is eternal. Paul Reps got a fortune on the investment market. I thank Fred is doing very right; one prays he also does very well.
It is easy to throw out proverbs. After struggles one seems to be protected against poverty and next year my brother hopes to take a stand which will push Sam further up on the financial scale—that is the only way he can benefit anyhow.
I am disturbed with the whole world of drama, acting, radio and TV. It is destroying calmness. Excitement is the enemy of peace. But as a Sufi teacher I am now giving out so much in this field—for the young only. At the moment I am in a most unusual quandary—the number of disciples and followers has far outstripped hopes, dreams and imaginations. The young accept and American who has studied under Asian sages as against Europeans who have not. To be cultural adviser of three distinct summit gatherings is beyond their ken.
We are preparing one or more disciples to go to India as soon as possible. The question of money is almost a crisis—it is there, all right; it is a question of when it becomes available. I want others to go, I want others to see for themselves.
If you cannot come here it will be necessary to go to Los Angeles. This depends now on Nancy. I have two things for you—dinner and strengthening of the atmosphere in your home. I shall, however, put on the agenda the material for protecting your hope. This will depend on help from secretaries. I shall keep you in mind.
All love and blessings,
May 25, 1968
My dear Gavin:
My program is now tight, not a day or hour off excepting by cancellations. It was necessary to make an appeal and the appeal was answered, and the young are coming to one’s rescue.
The Reps advent did change things. He has appealed for a Universal School which would permit any type of Meditation, Yoga, Occultism, etc. but as the basis for research. No more autocratic dogmatism which has characterized the past generations. Everybody would have to submit to the students exactly as in scientific research.
The Sausalito meeting went on smooth with no disciples of any known “expert” being around. The pan Francisco meeting was unexpected. We put up a single notice, prepared for 100, with a possibility of 200, got 200 and cannot tell how many had to be turned away. The young want honesty, integrity, sincerity and communication. The seniors have not that, and therefore cannot give it. Or as Art Hoppe says, Sam Lewis has crossed the generation gap both ways. Actually this comes from something in Mark Twain. As occultists are so filled with “humility” it is impossible to tell them. And one will keep on demonstrating what they are talking about. This is very annoying.
Only Sam Lewis was initiated into real Occultism by a Master many years ago. He dropped it but finding so much nonsense being paraded as “Occultism” one is now using it to build up his “Dance of Universal Peace.” This “Dance of Universal Peace” came out of the ethers. It was done once at Fatehpur Sikri in India and one learned later it was placed there in the ethers by Ruth S. Denis and Ted Shawn. Of course Sam has no access to the Akasha records, every damn fool masquerading as an “occultist” knows that.
But last night was another scene of frustration. There was a reception and the Indians again ran into a stone wall trying to tell Americans that Sam Lewis knows more about Indian culture that anybody in this land. The Indians are pretty unanimous and the “experts” also are pretty near unanimous—the other way.
Friday one is preparing for “Dance of Universal Peace” first by giving instructions in Occult Dancing. This class is small and select, but will increase on the return of several students who are away at the moment. After the Occult Dancing we shall go into Mystical Dancing and then into Ceremonial Dancing, and then “Dance of Universal Peace. It is demonstrable.
Negatively it reminds one of the Cayce gatherings. Both Hugh Lynn and Elsie Seegrist talks about the value of jogging to cure ills. All the old ladies shook their heads: “Isn’t it wonderful Jugging will cure ills! That is the old ladies. Here we jog. The Occult sciences are demonstrable but hardly by most of the self-elected and self-selected “occultists” of the day.
Occult Dancing will throw considerable light on Astrology as a Science and branch of Occultism. The young will learn through experience and the old will not learn so much through lectures.
One has already used these principles to begin work on the restoration of ancient Egyptian Dancing. One has sense enough not to present this to Occultists. With Egyptologists it is another matter and a preliminary taught—for Egyptologists only—was accepted. The nearest clew is found in Schure who did some work on the Initiates—book was on sale at Fields. Schure was closely associated with my very real Master in occultism and one had the realization in Egypt but not where the gossip-mongering-occultists say. Nothing at all. They were close geographically and missed the boat entirely occultly.
There are some strong facts which stand out and that is the unusual number of excellent aspects in the charts of disciples and myself. It is astounding and when you, or anybody else, want this data to prove something you will get it. I am not going so far as to demand horoscopes but they cut down 80% of the time for interviews. In fact one has discovered “transcendental meta-psychiatry” without charging money. One or two questions are all that is necessary generally with Uranus or Neptune aspects.
Taking one young disciple as a model, one used this knowledge for the problems of another disciple without betraying confidences and the whole class saw how it works. We are thus able to face first problems of fatigue, uncertainty and fear. Sex-problems have to be solved by taking the position that “the human body is the temple of God,” that the body of the wife is the temple for the husband and the body of the husband is the temple for the wife. This may or may not be in accord with present positions; it is found in some esoteric literature. Having had to copy the entire Sepher Ha-Zohar I am automatically an un-expert. There was no selection; one had to copy it all.
There is a complex of personalities and I am waiting until Don McCoy sees you before making certain steps. As said above, a chart saves 80% time in interviews. Don liked Paul Reps and it is a question how far he may go to make Reps’ suggestions workable.
The amount of material and news coming from India will require an Indian secretary here; also one or more Zen secretaries. Also I have two Sufi secretaries. And soon will have assistant teachers. One is not the least concerned any more by snubs from the passing generations. They will pass away, God bless them. After the first phase of “Dance of Universal Peace” is completed I would like it demonstrated—this would show the values in Astrology not yet recognized. But it would have to be in a larger room, which neither of us have.
Faithfully,
May 26, 1968
My dear Norman:
It is a long time since I have heard from you and hope your affairs are in order. Disturbances are the order of the day: excitement is what we have wished and excitement is what we are getting. When we want something else we shall get something else.
Last week you would have observed a wonder—not that seeing is believing. If more mature citizens had been there they would have said it was a put up show. There was nothing put up about it. The occasion was a public appearance of Paul Reps. To the old this man is impossible: he is not a bright-eyed Englishman, he is not a graduate of any German or other famous foreign university: he studied Oriental philosophies under Orientals, some here and some in Asia, and being one of us he cawn’t possibly have anything to offer. This is the view of the passing generation which is going to pass and leave its ear-marks of selfhood and consequent selfishness.
We had planned for 100 people, put floor mats for 50 more. We did no advertising whatever. Just one public notice. And there were 200 people packed into the place and I do not know how many turned away. The idea of Americans giving real Yoga practices to people without shaming prices (or for that matter charging) is inconceivable, impossible and adjust ain’t. But the young are heart-hungry, tired of streams of words (some verbalized as non-words but words just the same); of blind acceptance of persons because it is momentarily delightful. This is over.
At the end you would have seen crowds of young cluster around both Paul Reps and Sam Lewis and he hugging men and kissing beautiful girls, to come to an abrupt stop when he saw somebody in the background, not so young anymore and yelled; Claude! and Mr. Dahlenberg came forward and we embraced with love and joy, a love and joy which our dear sisters and some brothers of mature age cannot understand at all. It is totally outside their psyches. And if you say anything at all they accuse you of braggadocio, and you know, Norman, they may be right. But if the goods are delivered—that is what the oldsters cannot understand. They are not afraid of God, of love, of joy, of mutual understanding. Of the devil they are not so afraid.
Friday night there was a reception at Dr. Chaudhuri’s, the same old thing. Indians going around telling Americans that Sam Lewis knew more about Indian Philosophy than any other American and a pretty solid line of those over 40 thinking it is a put up job but now more and more young people are invading the Ashram too.
The cultural attaché says. “I teach one form of Yoga. Sam said, “I teach 15,” but no person over 40 is doing to believe that and I am grateful to them for that. For every week more and more young are appear. And from being flat on my back in May 1967, May 1968 ends with one full of vigor, a large following all young but two, a far better financial situation and only prospects of expanding more and more.
The world situation is worse: Far from accepting Englishmen and Germans as “experts” on Asia, Sam is now cultural adviser to three distinct Summit Meetings in real Asia. And all of them dominated by women! One by one’s own goddaughter there, and two by American ladies who inhabit the same dog-house as Sam Lewis.
While the diplomats at Paris are giving private performances of the Jooss ballet, The Green Table” an American lady is sitting down with Asian Asians of no consequence or of all consequence. She has the Pope for her, but the top representatives of Hinduism, Sufism and Buddhism are close friends of Sam Lewis. The top Buddhist is Princess Poon Diskul and evidently the Asian-Asians don’t put mush trust in Englishman.
Another one is dominated by an American lady, the only person on earth worse than Samuel L. Lewis. She has had the impertinence to be present in almost every land fading a crisis. What right had she? Not only Southeast Asia, but “Tunis, Ghana and Congo anyhow. All the press from “The Daily Worker” to the “Oakland Trib,” unite against real eye-witness reports, especially from the “wrong person” and she is more the “wrong person” than anybody I know. But now she is introducing the real New Age and I am hoping to send a delegation to her.
You see Norman, the difference between the age gap is that the oldsters love words. My, how they love words! They are charmed by words, they are deluded by words, they are sweetened by words; they are beguiled by words, words ! words! Now we are seeing action and a new society rising. It is bad enough that Daily worker and Oakland Trib and every other paper won’t tell us about Canada. They don’t dare—and I mean they don’t care. So naturally anything new coming from India has no chance at all. And to have a great social revolution dominated by a woman is bad enough, but an American to boot!
There is money on the horizon and one hopes to send a delegation to India to report on the new social transformations. They are real. They are prospering and they are not socialists, communistic, capitalistic, but work in a Fourth Dimension Sooner or later they are going to be known. But we cannot afford honesty, straightforwardness and truth in politics or reporting and on this the Daily Worker, Oakland Trib, the Birchers and the Trotskyites agree. Sometimes the Wall St. Journal dissents for they have to know the “truth” to protect stock margins.
I am not going to write about these three real summits meetings, for carbons are going to people who may not accept. So I am hoping to send a delegation. Could not get 30 people to listen to my real reports on real Asia, but neither could Robert Clifton who lived long in Vietnam.
The greatest “solution” for Vietnam here is the Ostrich one—hide your head in the sand. And while the Soto Zen Buddhists and Christian Scientists lead in this, there are others. At the opposite extreme is that love and empathy which feels the pain and sorrow of everyone. This was taught by Buddha and avoided by Buddhists just as Love was taught by Jesus Christ and avoided be Christians. This is “religion.”
A very characteristic “only in America” affair took place here recently. Elsie Secrist and Hugh Lynn Cayce of the Association for Research and Enlightenment were here. They talked and said that Jogging cures many ills; that Prayer was man talking to God and Meditation was God talking to man. The audience was delighted: Jogging could cure many ills and Meditation was God talking to man! But did any of the dear-old-ladies jog! did they permit God to talk to them! Words! words! words!
This gadfly jogs and listens to God-Allah and the young believe and they ask how they can learn. The first thing was to teach them how to walk. Sam said to Ruth St. Denis: “Mother, I am going to revolutionize the world.” “How are you going to do it?” “I am going to teach children how to walk.” And while the old ladies snicker one taught them how to walk, and to breathe and pretty soon miracles began to happen and the young know it and love Sam and the old ladies know better and stay away.
Actually there are the ways of the Heart, the Breath and the Eye. When Paul Brunton was here the old ladies arranged he speak only to the rich and movie actors. He had the impertinence to apply telepathy without asking any of our metaphysical “experts” and summoned six men, all unknown socially, taught them by silence and results followed. As this could not possibly be, skip it. But as the Asian-Asians accept it and Sam and the young find he does not always brag or lie, they are learning, and they are learning more than empty words.
The metaphysical people come and turn away. We demonstrate the Yoga-of-Love, the Yoga-of-Joy, the Yoga-of-Peace, impossible! Wrong guy and who cares! The young do, they come and more and more. What is worse, this all comes from that most damnable of all heresies, Hinayana! It comes from the guy who never said nuthin’, Lord Buddha, whose words we must avoid because they are fictions because the “experts” say so. So we share Love and Joy and Peace and Serenity.
We go further and try to heal ills. Last week we took up fatigue and this week uncertainty and next week it should be fear. The nice metaphysicians have all the words and they only charge a small amount; this person charges nothing. He happens to be in “easy circumstances” now with every prospect of improvement. And the same is true of his colleagues. We work with a Chinese Master, Too Lun and we are all gaining the young, the hopeful, the seekers of joy and honesty and integrity. This is a new age, Norman, no nonsense and no personalisms.
My American God-daughter may return soon from New York. From the traditional viewpoint she is a bastard sinner. Well, well! I tell people I am not a follower of the Judeo-Christian Ethic. Seeing no win, there is nothing to be concerned about but what Hindus call sanskaras and we work on them. This is done through Heart, Breath and the Eye, by techniques, not sermons.
Today we are going to the Rudolph Schaeffer School, then having a picnic on the park in front of this house and then going to join in the Wesak Day celebration. There is one thing sure, and that is that “Buddhists” do not believe in any Brotherhood of Man. To be a “Buddhist” you have to become veddy exclusive, more than self-satisfied, reject God, turn your back on human suffering and sit and sit and sit and praise yourself. The praise may be negative, you may become totally dissatisfied with yourself, but you are still concerned with yourself, not with pain, illness, poverty and death. Oh no, that is Hinayana and nothing can be worse than Hinayana.
We are doing strange things with Christians, adopting Sufi techniques which our superior culture does not know. And we hope soon to learn the Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic and chant it. Shades of Satan, what are we coming to! Anyhow we shall know what the words mean. “Buddhists” chant something called Prajna Paramita Hridaya and they don’t know what these words mean. This is called “liberation” and maybe it is.
As to Muslims, I keep to those abroad. We lie about them and they lie about us and this is called American-Asian Amity. Anyhow we do not permit Muslims to interfere with our “only in America” East-West Conferences.
Had to give up plans for Vietnam. Wanted a seminar wherein Vietnamese could speak. They have their own ideas for their own country; what impertinence! Anyhow who cares! We have so many “experts.”
But three summit gatherings! Anyhow those misled young believe and they are coming and coming and more and more as fast as I can assimilate them. Indeed there is somebody here nearly every day, helping or learning. Have to get manuscripts out, especially Buddhist ones, real Buddhist manuscripts by real Buddhists. That is the first thing. And then gradually to non-existent Sufism (it is “only in America” where this is so.)
Yes, Norman, I have two God-daughters, one in Pakistan and one here. Everything is different. It is a near life, a new age, and we can produce the Yogas of transformation and they work, and before God they will continue to work.
As to politics, I guess I am still in the Burton camp and voting for Kuchel against Rafferty—that is the only thing that interests me now. No decision as to the Presidency. I think I voted once in the last four campaigns, and that was against, not for.
Have some other things to take up, especially concerning Cleveland, but not now. Regards to your father. And if you ever go to Africa, beware of the brainwashing.
Cordially,
Sam
May 28, 1968
Dear Art:
The Hour of Indecision
I am glad to report I registered Republican, so I can properly vote against. I do not believe illiterates should control education, although there is some difference of opinion on it.
Friday night I went to another East-West meeting where the confounded Hindus went around, as usual, telling les Dames that Sam Lewis knows more about Asian Philosophy than any other American. Les Dames and los Hindus never seem to agree on that. But this time, instead of being squired, I was properly (or improperly) companied by four young and beautiful and this upset Les Dames even more. Like the Queen of Hearts they are unable to stop the young from growing, or even multiplying.
In fact Sunday evening we had a lawn party of about 40 and only one femme anywhere near being a dame, and she would no more be seen in the company of les dames than in an asylum. In fact methinks she would prefer the asylum.
I am giving a great deal of thought to the Presidency. Having been where Vice-Presidents, of either party, have not access; and having taken the first step with an introduction to a professor, I am getting ready for more introductions to more young Americans to go to Asia and meet people whom Vice-Presidents dare not approach. Both Vice-Presidents have Kultur and Oratory which I have not.
Now I have the quintessence of achievement which annoys the Kultur’d. And there are a lot of rainbows and they may even have silver-linings. I know some people who would like to go to Asia and meet Asians whom Vice-Presidents (and others) dare not approach.
Last night also I understand a scion of one of the most important families of European-Europe wishes to see me. He wants to go to Asian-Asia and meet and as he is a scion this will be easy. And while the re-production of The Green Table goes on in ungaie Paree we may be able to do something without benefit of clergy, “experts,” Vice-Presidents and editorial writers. What do you think of that? And when my interview with this European-European gets made public—as it probably will in Pakistan and India and elsewhere in Rand-McNally’s “Asia” it may even drive us closer to the peace far beneath understanding. If you can’t lick ‘em laugh at ‘em, also laugh at yourself, also laugh with them, and just laugh.
May 28, 1968
My dear Gavin:
Paul Reps has been here and made it clear he would have nothing to do with Sausalito-Zen. He has lived in Japan and other parts of Asia, has sat at the feet of what should be called “Masters of the Far East” and although he otherwise avoided negatives, he put his foot down and hard on Sausalito-Zen.
He has called for a School where the occult and mystical arts and sciences could be taught, but where the teachers would have to submit to independent thinking and research as in the sciences. Methods could and would be subjected to scrutiny and none of this “free speech” autocracy which has been so prevalent and now is causing confusion all over the world.
In fact we have begun an esoteric form of dancing here. No appeal is being made to money or age or “sagacity.” The students are young, open-minded and have to put every item to the t. Fortunately real occultism and real mysticism were. They are not based on speculations of the people of Kultur which dominated previous generations.
The surprising response of the young make one take one’s future to steps seriously. One does not care about criticisms; one has had plenty. One keeps open house here and this is open house. Soon this will be extended to the day-times. One may be spurned here but one is a consultant of three distinct Asian summit gatherings. Two of them are headed by Americans accepted elsewhere but rejected and “only in America.” We have “experts” and Kultur.
The Green Table continues at Paris and Americans and Asians sit down together as equals elsewhere. The young accept facts, their elders love personal titles. There is nothing to complain about in one’s private life.
June 3, 1968
My dear Vocha:
This is really a diary entry. So much happens and more now. I had written Lloyd I would not submit a paper on “The Hippy Problem.” The very principle that an article is accepted or rejected on the personality of the writer and not on its intrinsic value is against all Science. I have hopes that in another generation G. S. will become a science and the news that “Glory Roads” is now being accepted in universities is not only personal but brings out a principle that honesty and integrity in the end will win over prestige-symbols.
Some time has been spent with a very wealthy man who considers himself the “Hippy” leader. He certainly has the money. He made it very clear that he would not accept anything based on prestige-symbols and he is so right. I am hoping he will either send an emissary or go himself to Julie Medlock (a prestige symbol song our G. S. friends,) But Julie’s efforts depend on the destruction of prestige-symbols and her heart is in her efforts, an application of the Integrational view of life in which human beings qua re determine nothing.
I have no copy of “Glory Roads” but when my God-son returns will retrieve the last, or maybe Ed has one. The kind of research in that book was continued in the Orient. But as the USIS head agreed, any scientific research would be acceptable; any in situ social research rejected. And it has been so. The two cultures stand out.
Yesterday I had here the eaten of a very important French family and more may come here. These men seem to have the “queer” notion that American who lived in Asia with Asians might know as much as a prestige-symbol. In fact their minds work diametrically opposite to the non-scientific portion of our culture. They laughed when I told them that contemporary French philosophers were studied in our universities and great American philosophers were not. To them the opposite holds. Anyhow this is opening up another possibility of sending a delegation to Asia.
I have received a very long and important letter from my God-daughter in Pakistan. Most of the problems could be solved by G. S. With them the “word” is the thing. With us, we got rid of the “word” and substituted “thought” or what Paul Reps calls “concepts” and we are just as stuck on “concepts” as some Asians are on “words” and we dare not do anything because of prestige-symbols. Misunderstanding marches on.
The thing is that some Pakistanis confess an inability to solve problems under their a priori matrices. Their matrices are not necessary wrong but their adherence to “words are things” is so obvious. Besides there is no logic. We have a choice of Aristotle and Sophistry (including Hegel) and we lean toward the latter under the assumption it is “anti-Aristotelian.”
The continued adherence to the young would be a mystery to all who will not accept “karma” seriously. It looks as if Sam Lewis will soon have forty devoted followers. There are always strangers here.
One told me the story of the campus revolt at San Francisco State. It was nothing like the radio or press said. They had one major grievance; they won their point and disbanded. My own eye-witness account was entirely contrary to the press and radio but easily assimilable to what the participants told me. News has little to do with facts, and so we see the division everywhere between the two cultures of Lord Snow.
If this continued “Green Table” situation continues, and one is able to send private emissaries to Asia, it will open the door either to contact with Commander Lederer and an open “J’Accuse” against our whole culture. And with the growing adherences of quasi-”Hippies,” especially of prestige and wealth, it may bring out something into the open.
The same thing is here. I help clean the litter in the adjacent park. The residents blame the “Hippies.” A study shows that beer-drinkers are the most flagrant violators and then the young, younger than the hippies. “Hippies” are the same as Gypsies, Jews and other scapegoats. We cannot have honest objectivity in the Sciences and questionable subjectivity elsewhere. So many of these young people are university graduates and they nearly all have the same story. What will happen if one gets financial support and then has to expand!
The coming of Huston Smith from M.I.T. in August will bring many things out into the open but we may even send a delegation to him before that.
Love,
410 Precita Ave,
San Francisco, Calif.
June 6, 1968
My dear Gina:
It is with great delight that one reads your letter of the 4th. Sunday is open house and I also stay home in the afternoon to anticipate visitors, often have them for dinner—or we go out. And in your case Mr. Hunt is very anxious to meet you. He was the chum of Hugo Seelig, on and off for many years.
Sunday night meetings begin at 7:30 and have no particular stopping point, excepting that one considers those who have come long distances; also those who have to work on Mondays. We teach or present a number of Yoga systems and meditations, none of which are offered elsewhere. If somebody comes and offers any one we shift our ground for there is knowledge of a very great number of Yogas, not taught here—by which I mean ways to Union-with-God, not with some muscular or even mental off-setting which makes the persons involved a little healthier, a little saner, and a great deal more egocentric.
Thursday night we meet 7:30 with a break and then on till 9 or 9:15 after which non-members are dismissed—not at the break. Then we have Zikr and other Sufi practices.
1. Baraka is of the same root as the Hebrew b’rocha which is translated blessing but also involves certain energy-movements which Hazrat Inayat Khan called “magnetism.” These are not subjects of lecturing or metaphysics but the transforming or awakening of actual energies which are in all of us. But they are best awakening by attunement or osmosis, for which a teacher is needed.
Darshan means “views” and this might be either physical or mental. The glance of the teacher is called “darshan” but in Sufism “tawajjeh.” This is a supreme light-electricity-magnetism penetration by the teacher. As this person has had both of these experiences and had the results therefrom one knows. Knowing one can impart this to others, but with caution and circumspection.
Samma-Drishti which is mistranslated as “right views” by the unattained means “Highest Darshan.” It is, for practical purposes identical with the Mahamudra of the Vajrayana School and the Mushahida of the Sufis. Mushahida means attainment in Shahud. This was one of the fundamental teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan. But such is the nature of humanity that one has never been permitted to present it to so-called “Sufis” in the West, and has had great joy in presenting it, as a test to Saints and Madzubs.
2. Mohammed treated all sentient beings with kindness. Present day “Buddhists” are hung on the phrase “sentient beings” which seems to include everybody but “me” and “thee.” But Muslims as a whole are not that may. They are like the Christians, worshipping the personality and ignoring the teachings.
3) There are basically two collections of Buddhist writings. The Pali is supposed to be based on “historical Buddhism.” It roughly resembles the Hebrew Bible, having collections of the actual words of the Master but also a number of versions of tradition stemming down with extreme niceties in very small things, far, far away from the doctrines of the Eight-fold Path.
Mahayana means working toward the cosmic instead of egocentrically. It becomes “finite and unbounded.” The Tibetans collected all of both as they could but in the mass of literature there were selections. This selectivity led to the formation of sects and schools and the establishment of doctrines instead of the basic experience of Enlightenment.
4) Nyogen Senzaki taught me seven forms of humor—I think I have the documentary. This was all abolished by the “only in America” experts, along with most of Lord Buddha’s teachings. Then Saburo Hasegawa presented me with an eighth form of Humor, which none of the experts have, and therefore cannot use. This eighth form is close to that of the Sufis especially Shams-i-Tabriz. It is also used by Dervishes and sometimes b the “crazy” people called Madzubs. One must say here that experts who do not have to meet Madzubs have very different outlooks from the madzubs themselves who seem to have favored this person above all other outsiders, and in this all other you can include or exclude anything and anybody.
When the term “Zen training” is used as a dualistic term it has no meaning. The establishment of a “Zen School” is contrary to the Dharma. Those real Zen Masters—and we have some right here in California now—do not accept this division into schools and sects. The purpose of Zen is meditation, not doctrine. And Al-Ghazali said, “Sufism is based on experiences, not premises.”
Now Sufism is in the West in two forms, the premise-type and the experience-type. The premise-type is presented by the followers of Inayat Khan, Meher Baba and Idries Shah who curse the world by announcing “one single brotherhood in the fatherhood of God” and who keep away from each other and all deny that Sufism is based on experiences rather than premises.
We have in the West two cultures, according to Lord Snow, the scientific and the literary-humanist. In the first faculties determine the person and in the second the personality determines or pre-determines the faculties. Jean Dixon did not say anything about Robert Kennedy nor do the “elite” among the occultists have to do anything of the kind. They are of the “elite” and names make fame, not knowledge.
It is not so difficult to peer into the future but it will bring you enemies. We weeks ago, being a priori rejected at the University of California on some factual reports on Pakistan, Sam went to the San Francisco State College where a professor who has lived in Asia accepted the facts at once—in fact he knew about them himself. He is not an “expert.” He has never appeared on public panels, like the people who a priori reject.
The professor asked if I were the Sam Lewis who worked with Luther Whitman on “The Psychological State of California.” He had thought so because of the resemblance of` behavior and literary pattern. (He was not an “expert” and so did not have the prerogative of “a priori” rejections.) The book is now being used for research material. It was based on honesty, integrity and sincerity. In the course of years practically every prediction made came true. The present rage of predictabilities far, far above that of famous and not famous psychics and seers.
You should not be surprised, therefore, that reports from this person have been invariably rejected by occultists and seers. During the way, at the suggestion of G-II I destroyed most of my predictions because they were coming true—G-II yes, “occultists,” nix! Therefore one stopped “looking” call it darshan; call it shahud or anything else. And especially after coming to full agreement with Dr. Radhakrishnan on the affairs of the world and their “cures.”
We passed a “law” against the word War calling it the “Briand-Kellogg” pact. Since then there has been no surcease of fighting. We are now campaigning against the word “violence.” But the older people, now withdrawing from incarnations are unable to accept: “Whatsoever ye do to the least of these, My creatures, ye do it unto Me.” And the young cannot and will not think otherwise. It is the sign of cosmic evolution.
This evolution, applied personally was discussed at great length with Swami Satchidananda, the successor to Swami Ramdas. It was not ever discussed with the top Sufis, it was applied. And now one is also working with the followers of Sri Aurobindo although they are unable accept that anybody else could have had the save vision. Only now the young accept impersonally and their elders can only accept personally. But they are going. The New Age is at hand. The new Age will accept faculties and the older people stick to persons.
After bunches of self-proclaimed leaders of various and varying doctrines all called “Buddhism,” most having nothing to do with Lord Buddha, the Dharma is going to be taught openly here very soon at 123 Waverly Place (mostly). This will answer objectively elements of your inquiry.
We are going to have a wedding tomorrow where Sri Haridas Chaudhuri will perform the ceremony and Murshid Samuel will give away the bride. Then we shall have a great curry feast here. The followers of the Sufi Teachings and of Sri Aurobindo will join. Previously we joined with the Christians of “The Church of Man” and Saturday some will go to the Mosque. Others taught-talk; they are famous; we demonstrate and are making no more appeals to society. The young come, every week more and this is the way of Enlightenment, to Enlightenment.
June 7, 1968
My dear Shamcher:
The need of the Soul for union with God is great and the young are tired of being hung-up with brand-names and “experts” and remaining in the same state. The use of psychedelics has awakened to the realities beyond the senses, and they seek either the “opiate” state or the realities beyond. Aldous Huxley who was anything but a mystic, took more “drugs” than is commonly known. He could not stand the realities of higher stages of consciousness, but neither was he satisfied with “realism.”
I do not know whether you know Gina Cerminara, the occultist, and in a sense the last chela of Hugo Seelig. The fact that she has made an inquiry and come here is something. She is satisfied, those who will not come, indeed who dared not come, are, of course, dissatisfied.
It is strange that wishing to go to Seattle first one hears that Sitara is coming. Now a delegation of University of Washington students are coming here to learn the real Dharma, either in the form of Buddhism or otherwise. Sam Lewis has been asked to help teach them, and having had the Dharma transmission from real Masters, one can and will do this. Let those who would reject, reject.
We are destroying no war by Kellogg-Briand pacts and no violence by sermons and exhortations. We will not accept, “Whatsoever ye do to the least, my creatures, ye do it unto Me.” But being able to present Samma-Drishti, Mahamudra and Mushahida, one can bring the young to the real pathways of real people. It took a few minutes to complete agreement with Dr. Radhakrishnan. One has given up hopes o trying to convince the “unconvincables.” Leaders want to lead, teachers want to teach, orators want to speak.
At the introduction to “The Bowl of Saki” only part of the exordium of Abul Fazl is published. We ought to have the whole thing. I have three or four most important meetings the next 48 hours. As God wills, so it will be; as egos will so it may or may not be. Leader is he who leads himself, rulers is he who rules himself. With the coming of Sitara and the students of U. of W. I do not know my plans even beyond Saturday.
God bless you,
June 12, 1968
Dear Ram:
The arrival of another copy of The Vision was accompanied by the arrival of a packet of material from Pondicherry and also of a magazine published by Sufis who do not tell the world they are Sufis. They are God-conscious men who never stoop to the word “humility,” so characteristic of the ignorant who pose in gowns and robes and titles. One would not even know this excepting from the tone of the articles and the vast amount of real erudition supporting and supported by a strong spiritual background.
Sam has come to a certain cross-road knowing that whatever way he takes he will draw upon him the criticism of the cupidious who always need external help for their efforts; or perhaps, they can give up their “humility” for the divine repentance which is so badly needed by those who would lead the world.
Sam has been planning to send some people to India both for spiritual and practical purposes. He wishes to remain here, but there is a point which enthusiasts fail to understand, and that is that God is in everyone, if God is not Everyone. But enthusiasts see only themselves and do not even comprehend Tat Twam Asi.
There are three wealthy men here who have become friends. They have plenty of land and money and they all believe they are spiritual. They do not proclaim humility and when a Swami visited them he said that their future would depend on their following a spiritual guide. They (lacking humility) accepted this. And there is now some effort to bring them and Sam together, But if so there is a possibility of them accepting Sam in some way as spiritual guide.
It is a little awkward. Sam has seen—he himself has seen it—the very project which is now going up in Auroville. It is very easy to discuss life from the point of view of Prajna with Dr. Radhakrishnan, but with others, they will not accept. They proclaim the Brotherhood of Man and the Divine Vision and they do not accept the same from another, as if God had only one outlet. Sam had the Samadhi performing the disciplines of the late Ramana Maharshi, but has followers will not accept that. They restrict Ram to certain places, rituals only and everything else is rejected. The same with so many followers of others, all of whom have their special group dividing humanity in the name of “universal brotherhood.” And they never accept suggestions.
Sam has seen the tremendous financial undertaking of the Baha’is who built a temple for everybody—they said. A magnificent structure—never used. It is forgotten. It is like the gold Buddhas in Burma, all the gold goes into the statues and after awhile the statues are neglected or thrown away.
Then Sam was drawn into the Roerich Museum and they proclaimed Brotherhood and Peace. They got all the famous people, the diplomats, the prime ministers, the famous people, the artists, even the great gangsters joined them. They proclaimed Brotherhood and Peace. Sam wrote them that this was not the way, that there was a simple and more honest way. They did not have time to read his report; they were busy tearing each other apart for the sake of leadership and then the great World War II followed. God never appears in the “simple” only in the important.
The Divine Vision comes from Ram, is Ram. It is not exclusive or excluding. Guru Nanak saw God everywhere. Now people quote Nanak but they do not see God everywhere. The whole Vision of Sri Aurobindo was disclosed to Sam. Than his house burned down with all the records. That was Ram’s will; it destroyed the papers, it did not destroy the vision. And as Sam lacks “humility” he accepts from others, always. But now while he wants some people to go to India, these rich men have already started a City of the Young. They have the young, the young are doing it. They are not asking for outside help, they are doing it. It is part of the New Age.
Saints come to San Francisco just to see Sam. Then they go away. They have given the picture. Mohammed said, “In that day will the sun rise in the West.” The Saint said that that meant the spiritual depository was in America. Some Hippies, as they call them, went to Sikkim seeking for a spiritual teacher. They were told to go to California. The guru of the Maharani of Sikkim lives here and is Sam’s best friend. But the “humble” people won’t accept it. Only now the young are. Sam and his close associates are being followed by an ever greater number of the young.
While others are exhorting, Sam is using the Sufi teachings, the Indian cosmic metaphysics. He has all the scriptures in his grasp and uses them. He is not afraid nor ignorant. We solve problems here by the Sufi teachings, the Indian cosmic metaphysics, the Yoga of Lord Buddha and teachings neglected and unknown or neglected and known. But most of all we use Love, Joy and Peace, and the people learn by example, not by precept, more and more every week. So while Sam would send people to India, if these wealthy people wish to establish a Center here they cannot be stopped; and if they decide to have Sam as a spiritual teacher, that cannot be stopped.
The great dream of Sri Aurobindo is now in the hands of man, not of God. It is not based on the people of the Supermind, it is based on the people of the day. The Center is God, Ram, and nothing and nobody else. Sam went to the Mosque to celebrate Mohammed’s birthday. All they did was to advertise each other and have a prayer, not for Mohammed, but for the late Senator Kennedy. Sam and his disciples left for a poetry meeting and the Poet rang out loud, La Illaha El Il Allah; there is no God but God; Allaho Akbar, there is no power nor might save in Allah. The devotees do not repeat Allah and the poets do, and you will find more poets repeating Mantrams here than devotees. It is a fact, it is a sound fact that is not advertised. The young and the poets chant the divine name; the ministers, the berobed clerics of all faiths are too busy seeking members and money. They do not chant.
We use the Divine Name, we use the Zikr and Ramnam, all the time. They work They take us from mortality to immortality. People Say Sam is younger. He does not see, but he feels it. Anyhow the sacred phrases are always repeated and they work, one feels it in all the bodies and in the Body of Light, too.
Sunday Sam read his “The Rejected Avatar.” It is about Sri Krishna. Sam is tired of rejection slips. He sends nothing out but is preparing real sacred manuscripts which “humble” people say he does not possess. Sam has not only the manuscripts, he has the spiritual practices.
He read the Krishna-poetry and it was followed by the chant of which Inayat Khan said:
Let my heart become Thy lute, Beloved,
And my body Thy Flute-of-Reed.
There was a life-long friend of Sam there and he asked, “Why didn’t you show me that before?” The audience was nearly all young. The young want Truth, Evidence, Experience. They have the communion of Breath and Heart and Darshan. They come. The “humble” older people do not come. But once one came and was ashamed she had not been coming. Also there was a Frenchman from an important family. He saw there was no exhortation, sermon, nothing. He saw that everybody not only loved Sam and he them, but they all love each other. There has been nothing like this in America. It is the New Age.
Once the theosophists predicted the New Race would come in California; then when Krishnamurti said he was not Christ, the whole thing collapsed. But this does not stop Ram. Ram is not dependent on man, man is dependent on Ram and until this lesson is learned, there will be no successful project. And if this lesson is learned the projects will be successful, inshallah.
Now Sam was told to subscribe to the Sufi magazine for you. It does not look like a Sufi magazine. These God-conscious Western men do not go around confusing and trying to mislead in the name of leadership. They’re bringing out profound teachings without using the word “profound.”
There is an appeal from India to apply Cosmic Metaphysics. Sam has been doing it. Now the young and the poets here call for Global Consciousness. The first place for Global Consciousness was Fatehpur Sikri which Sam has visited. He has not only visited it, he has been a guest of the Wali on both occasions. There are seeds in the atmosphere there. They were picked up by Sam’s “fairy Godmother, “Ruth St. Denis. They are there in the ethers (Akash).
So Sam reports. He is indifferent now whether people go to India or concentrate here. He is indifferent whether he will be moved from this place and have wealth behind him, or serve Ram as he is doing now. We have a song in America, “Spring is bursting out all over.” The people who want Brotherhood or say so, do not realize that Brotherhood is bursting out all over and that Ram is all over. Those who depend on financial help are not all-sufficient. In Sufism we call Allah the All-Sufficient and depend on nobody. Love is not dependent, it is mutual. Joy is not dependent, it is mutual. Peace is not dependent. It is.
Om Shri Ram! Jai Ram! Jai Jai Ram!
June 24, 1968
Beloved one of God:
Praise be to Allah who has brought the Jumna and Ganges together and the waters flow in harmony to the ineffable sea.
The place was packed—all down the hall and stairs though there was no advertising from this end. We greeted the Pir with Saum and when he had completed his talk with the Ramnam. His “apologies” only harmonize the whole picture.
In one sense it was like the meeting of the Sage and Mystic. “All he knows I see,“ “All he sees I know.” And this event may go far to producing as God wills a much better world out of the turmoil, the chance and confusion that exists.
He plans to return in January and as the signs are there will be wealth and crowds. He had made Samuel his local representative and God says that now one must increase to sixty mureeds by the time he returns, but a request was that one’s territory would roughly cover an area of a hundred miles or so from this point. There will be enough to do.
During the question period Sam asked Vilayat; “Which do you wish: more questions or interviews?” Thank god he gave a few interviews including these I wished most, and if the Kashf is correct there will be a great Sufi movement is Marin County within a year, inshallah.
Goddaughter Nancy said. “I fell in love with him at first sight.” “What do you want me to do? Spank you?” There are now at least five men and two women who could form an esoteric council here. They are learning the lesson: “Murshid and mureed are one.” And as Vilayat plans on the world scene were so identical, positive and negative, it was marvelous.
No doubt he will take the brunt for the negative but this is necessary. We shall each release to the other the papers needed and he will have a full compact of the Pir’s papers whenever this can be done—there will be more editing than anything, and Samuel will get the Githas and perhaps Sangathas.
There was nothing to argue about, nothing. Love is and Joy is Joy. We performed the first section of Lord Buddha’s Yoga, stopped because there were strangers and thus beginners; and because one did not wish to take too much time. He evidently found Youth, Joy, Love and Peace entirely to his liking.
Sam called his Salik, a double entendre of traveler and great moral attainer. And as he grasped that, there was nothing more to add.
The fact that a cousin is visiting my uncle and that Vilayat is going north delays any great trip now. My feeling is that I shall go either late in July or sometime in August to suit convenience.
All love and blessings,
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
June 25, 1968
My dear Shamcher:
One is now writing in more detail on the Sunday meeting and sending copies to Paul Reps and the local Dr. Chaudhuri. There are things entirely out of my hands, and I’ll begin rather backwards.
A home and money have been offered to Vilayat and when some thought that Sam might be jealous he laughed out loud. Vilayat, God bless him, has gone through the great tests foreshadowed by his father and rejected, of course, by the “love, harmony and beauty” people who expect trust but do not give it. In one sense it is, “Often your enemies are those near and dear to you.” There are the marks, very definite and picked up by the sensitive New Age people. He is the one who needs the Love, this person dispenses it.
I can only accept him as a Murshid, or even a Pir-o-Murshid and am setting about doing just what is in his mind. We had already taken the first steps to restore the ancient mysteries of the Dance. We are in agreement in accepting Miss Ruth St. Denis and it was a joy to hear somebody show the relation between Pythagoreanism and the Mevlevis and explain what is behind the Astrological mysteries. Gavin Arthur was present but hadn’t the slightest idea of what it was all about. And absorbing from him we are starting to do the very things he proposed.
We had already also begun opening up the Upanishads, not the dialogical lectures by long-winded Swamis, but the actual wisdom-by-experiences. He has proposed Mundaka Up. and he did ask me what Up. I was given, which is Brihadaranyaka, which is taught by methodologies and Upayas and not by oratory.
There were two Buddhist teachers present of quite different schools and they fell in with teaching via esoterics rather than “hysterics.” And Paul Reps’ idea of a School has fallen on rather fertile ground, but I am unable to tell much here, waiting for reports. And the idea that Americans who have one through spiritual processes without benefit of PhD-ism or any kind of dialectics is winning both people and largesse.
I am to begin officially on The Ryazat of Hazrat Inayat Khan and instead of giving the originals to Pakistan, they will so to Vilayat. Nothing will be held back. And suggestions will not be treated “dualistically.”
There was nothing to bring greater joy than the love expressed, even the enthusiasm and this went so far as to touch a follower of Meher Baba. Of courses, we are gaining people who have gained nothing but the loss of their money by going to the “experts” who charge plenty.
There is entire agreement on territory. I shall proceed to enlarge the body of disciples but will remain, one hopes, within a 100-mile circle, or extend down to Monterey Co. and north. There is much to do with these Hippies.
While others are talking about “Universal Religion” we are teaching the mysticisms of five faiths here and no nonsense and no intellect. There was entire agreement on Samkara and Ibn’1 Arabi, and so on, nothing but agreements all the way. And the audience, whom one felt might be bored, took it in. These are not 50 year old society ladies. These are the New Age people.
The fact appears assured that some people will go to India. They have accepted Ramdas and The Temple of Understanding. They have not accepted Auroville and my fears, that they might start their own Auroville, so to speak, appear to be intuitions, not fears. They not only have the land and money, they have already begun their first, and quite successful project. And if they accept Vilayat as Pir and Samuel as his representative, it will be a great shock to more who have great plans, depending on others.
My own intuitions which work, indicate that I shall prepare materials for Auroville, via these representatives, putting out my own money while the local Karma-Yogins and Purna-Yogins will appeal to others. The materials will be marked, “For the resurrection of Fatehpur Sikri at Auroville” and this will compel the on enthusiasts to accept solid history, solid facts. Nor do I see the Name of God or Brahm or Ram or anything of the kind, “Unless the Lord buildeth the house, they labor in vain….”
There is still the same family situation that my brother is prepared, in case of his death, that moneys coming to me will go into a travel fund to take people to Asia. It will be shared with nobody that does not recognize my spiritual position.
If there was any of these with Vilayat it was that Knowledge is born of Love and the fact that this impressed all these young people is most important. He has a good knowledge of cosmic philosophy growing out of his assimilation of all faiths on a much higher plane than the local “universal religion” people who have not worshipped in churches, temples, pagodas, mosques, all over the world. The universal man was so evident.
One of our next jobs will be to remove some of his pain. This seems to be innately and intuitively a common project. People who receive enthusiasms and applause do not reach depths. Here the depths were reached. These are not the old Age emotionalists who seize vocabularies. These are the New Age people, generally with Indian “souls” back to earth to continue their aenonic mission, and growth.
I shall withhold writing to his nephew or anybody until you (or he) suggest it. We have now the solid foundation of a firm world-brotherhood. Personally I accept all his “innovations.” They come from God, form the Sphere and no nonsense.
The Buddhists who were here were very satisfied. They represent two schools of Real Buddhism. The Oneness of Shaku Soyen and the Toward the One of Inayat Khan are the same, very different from lectures on the subject. Vilayat pointed out that real Knowledge was born of Love, not Love from Knowledge. And he kept on running into Swami Ramdas’ teaching.
We are not only in the New Age, Shamcher. We are the New Age. Older people will not accept it and younger people will not reject it.
Before the lecture it came clear that Sam would live on to 119 years unless Vilayat accepted him. During the talk he spoke on the Dervishes and said there were very few and “I have never met anybody like them outside the Orient excepting the man sitting on my right.”
This was not personality agreement. We live and move and have our being in God. I have written and even phoned Sheikha Engle at Camarillo. Hearts may be at ease, you may be at ease. My work is intensive in time and space and Vilayat’s extensive. The soul of Hazrat Inayat Khan may now rest in peace.
God bless you,
Sam
June 25, 1968
My dear Vocha:
It is all over. Copies of this are being sent to on and Lloyd with utmost indifference. As I have written to Don particularly. I should like some form of friendship and understanding. But the day of the a priori rejection tolerance boys is over. The right to reject and eject is not objected to, but this a priori, personalisms, personality stuff not only has no place in culture, but those who adhere to such behavior patterns must face the result.
We had a Sufi speak Sunday. There are 40,000,000 followers of this outlook, but not according to our culture; they don’t even exist. This is our liberty and tolerance, and we can make anything we wish of it. There were no advertisements and the place was jammed so much after this week open house will have to be discontinued.
A special chair was assigned to Rev. James Eugene Wagner who knows about forms of “Zen” and “Buddhism” the a priori rejecting tolerant boys would never admit. He was the secretary of my friend, Robert Clifton who died of a broken heart trying to inform us of Vietnam. He only lived there and a spoke the language, and had all the requirements of the a.p.r.t.b as above and he visited this land twice, with the results that are apparent. And when the young are informed of the a priori rejection tolerance boys we may even see an outbreak here.
The place was packed to the gills, as one might say and Gavin came in late, and this champion of a priori rejection tolerance certainly got his fill. Be had to step from “realism” into reality, which the whole nation and world must do sooner or later and we are going to have a culture in which this nonsense of some people being more equal than others will be replaced by honest equalities or honest differentiations.
Yesterday money, halls and an assignment were proffered—a little early but quite definite. I wish to write on the assignment first. It came from leading professor of philosophy in this religion who does not refuse the floor “because,” and he has already accepted some papers from Sam Lewis. So when I write on “the General Semantics of G. S.” you can be sure he will get a paper and it will not land in any more waste-baskets. In fact the reason I did not write this paper yesterday was because of these proffers of lecture halls (2 different places), money and assignment.
The colleagues of this professor of philosophy have very dim views of G. S. and well they might. Some are disciples of Max Black end it takes more than a priori rejection tolerance to offset them.
The paper on the G. S. of G.S. will contain some references to predictability. A lot of Generals of the G.S. movement who have hardly ever seen the inside of laboratories have denied predictability. I am net go long into that. I am not a General. But I have found so many passages in Science and Sanity which have become verified facts and if Don and Lloyd wish to deny predictability or give the floor or accept printed articles, they may well do it.
That there is predictability or foresight will be accepted by the future generations; it is already being accepted by the young, and by people who are moved by evidence rather than by weight of personalities. I find off hand that the predictions of A. K. are rather like those of Whiteman and Lewis, but W. & L. had no disciples who rejected the teachings of their “master.” And I intend to quote several such passages, not with the idea of convincing any mature people (because they rely on personalities and not on reason) but to get this before the world, and today I mean just that.
It is remarkable how today so many speak of “global consciousness” and how it can be used as a gimmick phrase to support narrow dialectical views. The Sufi and Sam discussed actual global (in the Rand-McNally sense) problems and what we are doing, actually doing about it. It is possible that a team may be sent abroad soon, to meet real people in real places and discuss real problems and sic transit Gloria “realism.”
I have thrown caution to the winds and notified another editor that a disciple of Cassius Keyser has had no chance with the a priori tolerance rejection General Semanticist but I am hoping this will be changed; it has not changed. It has to change soon. This has been further corroborated that Psychism from Alan Watts is nix and Psychism from Oliver Reiser must. Of course as already “Zen” from A. W. was a “must” and Zen from Sam vas a “nix” it is not very comfortable. But I knew I had to continue the career of Samuel Morse who got the same, only he paid back and I don’t want that. I want no privileges but human consideration, even if it is demonstrated “humanists.”
(At the moment the “humanists” are certainly shown “human considerations” to each other!)
Why, Vocha, I have even indicated that if the School proposed by Paul Reps goes through I shall place your credentials to the full, both in Dramatics, etc. and in G.S. etc. with the hope we can have some study of Science and Sanity:
As Bible: Roman Catholicism
S & S: “General Semantics”
Not that I wish revelation but the continued flow of rejections based on A.K. principles and acceptance of articles based on totally different or non-principles is going to be counter-balanced. If not by SAM by others, for the new culture does not “think differently,” It Thinks. The Cortex people are going to take over and the Medulla-people who say, say, say, that words are not things use nothing else most of the time.
One will have to teach tolerance to the “a priori rejection tolerance people.” One will not give them their own medicines. Problems are not being solved and will not be solved until we have real open forums. This means change in the habit of chairmen to restrict people in the audiences. “Only question” … “freedom of speech.”
I am not going to let history overlook the baling out from the AAAS people. I kept quiet and got hell. “Why you had the answers! You had the answers we wanted!” This couldn’t, oughtn’t happen but it did. And it has given no comfort to find what scientist and philosophers think of G.S.
No wonder there is confusions: no logic, no psycho-logics and just a continuance of Aristotelian confusion and “conclusion without premises.”
Now I cannot tell from day to day or oven hour to hour. I am neither angry nor filled with S.Rs. (a privilege for Generals only in G.S.).
Actually the same thing is going on in the whole Buddhist world and I guess elsewhere. “Who are you?” is important; what you know is not so important. The young, living in their Cortices, do not want the leadership of their elders, living in their Medullae.
Safe that “The Generals Semantics of G.S.” will be accepted, I shall send it to Don or Lloyd, but sand it out I shall certainly and I hope that there will be no more value-judgments from those quarters.
The really good news and there is plenty of that—I withhold here. Some day we might make psychiatry a science too, and not an elective system of anybodies.
Love,
July 3, 1968
My dear Magana:
It is early in the morning on what appears to be five days of outer climaxes or dramas in a continually busy life. For now is coming into manifestation the results of a joint tour of Hazrat Inayat Khan and Miss Ruth St. Denise in 1911, a long time ago, no doubt. Each in a way presented aspects of “reading the akasha,” one giving a profound Message and the other the Dances but still in essence it was the same.
The hardest thing to convey is that karma strike those who talk and teach even more than others and the strange type of denials of prowess to others is one of the ‘hang-ups” behind the present revolt of Youth. But it is not so much a revolt of youth as a protest of “old souls” against continual egocentricities and dogma of those who see immaterial gain and power the aims of life. And the soul of men is now breaking out toward freedom, causing, no doubt, considerable concern among the self-satisfied.
Lord Snow has already pointed out that we have two cultures which he calls scientific and literary-humanist. The sane is found in Korzybski but not in the General Semanticists who claim to be his followers. The Scientific people are in the main honest, objective and fair-minded and the other people, excepting a few artists are not, and do not know they are not.
Finding so many young ready this person began to teach openly what might be called “Occult Dancing.” It is not a very good word. This person did not wish to do this teaching but not finding receptacles is giving it out himself. The first phases are “The Dances of the Stars”; the second, “The Dances of the Elements”; The third, “Cosmic Dancing.” No doubt the first two were derived from Hazrat Inayat Khan and the later from Ruth St. Denis. But the time has come, the receptacles are ready and this is a new age…. I shall say more on this below.
This afternoon Sam is supposed to meet a Seeress. “The reports are that she is a great seeress. She has been particularly recommended by Nancy, Sam’s local God-daughter. Many of the disciples have seen her and one will at least listen. But already it is so obvious she knows more about me than many people who have had some acquaintance and think they know but they are utterly in error: The one person who knows something is a man who is not guilty of “humility” and all the trash nonsense; the man, whom you know, simply has the capacity to listen to others in the same manner as he expects them to listen to him. I shall say no more than that he is Indian, but not necessarily a prominent one.
On the surface are the forth coming meetings with several wealthy men. They are coming closer together, perhaps to build a School. This School was proposed directly by my spiritual brother, Mr. Paul Reps. That was before these wealthy people joined forces. It was later independently proposed by another spiritual brother, Shamcher Bryn Beorse (who has many friends here); and then Pir Vilayat Khan, son of our first teacher, Hazrat Inayat Khan as above, was invited to the Ranch, the proposed site of the School.
These wealthy men, disgusted with our kiss-kiss, bang-bang society wish to see spiritual changes. They have all the where-with. A visiting Swami convinced them they must have a Guru. So they have sent for Sam, who is of course, a “Guru” elsewhere where they have standards, but not “only in America” where there are none.
There are today two kinds of revolt: (a) the young who are so dissatisfied with present and traditional moral codes; (b) elders who are also dissatisfied but are seizing upon the situations to set themselves up, and while pretending to be broad-minded, are often worse. For these so-called “broad-minded” disregard each other and all disregard, let us say, Asian cultures.
There is no question that an over growing number of the young are sold, over over-sold on Asian cultures. This is partly due to the fact—which our dear “occultists” ignore—that they are reincarnated Indians. It is very simple, it is very clear, obvious and so easy to handle. An example was the recent Bhakti-Vedana parade, good attendance but no real depth, just emotionality. Nothing wrong in it, but it is not Bhakti.
After this parade Sam read his Chaitanya poetry, real Bhakti. The young are wondering why older people always reject Sam’s offer to read, especially the so called “broad” but now Sam is preparing to go to Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Unless the wealthy, whom he is to meet, are willing at least to look at his real cosmic poetry (can’t be, of course of course).
Gradually Sam’s financial situation is improving and if anything is effected, this real Cosmic Poetry will get out. It comes from the highest sources—Jeremiah, Christ, Mohammed, Sri Krishna and the Akasha. It will live on after his death and the world will look back at an age which accepted all sorts of phony occultism, but the -real thing was spurned.
For example the element of prediction—which we wrongly call “prophecy”—but which has little to do with real Prophesy which comes from God. This person is no Jeanne Dixon, much less Nostradamus but the percentage of his auguries is much, much higher. The book written by Luther Whitman and Samuel L. Lewis is now used in the universities. I believe every one of our predictions came true—this is something “occultists” can’t stand! So during the war where by agreement with Intelligence a lot of papers were destroyed; and the rest in a fire in 1949.
Sam felt the coming of World War I, of the Depression, of World War II and the post-War confusion. Much appears in his poetry. So even scraps are being saved. And the audiences grow and grow, so a poetry reading will soon start in the Hippie community and perhaps the Krishnan-poetry and others will be exemplified in the Dance. But if the wealth people assent, it will be on a grand scale.
(The reason for writing is that we have discussed the possibility of your teaching a class, to be paid by the hour for the whole thing. The class will be limited for the most part to initiates and by that I mean, initiates and not some Alice Baily hang-up) I shall let you know later.
Sam had already begun the astrologica1 dancing when Vilayat Khan spoke on the Cosmic Dances of the Sufis and their relation to the ancient Pythagorean School. So the next lesson Sam came out putting into practice one by one what Vilayat has spoken about. And he will be here shortly to meet Sam’s disciples, although Sam will not be there—it will take place in Novato, in Martin Country.
It is several years Sam Said to Ruth St. Denis: “Mother, I am going to revolutionize the world.” “What are you going to do?” “I am going to teach little children haw to walk.” She jumped up, “You have it! You have it!
Actually Sufis have a lot of knowledge, far more than anybody else, but not in the lands of “freedom, democracy and humanity.” It is most unfortunate. There are more Sufis than all other mystics, esotericists and occultists combined. They are now invading the Western world and going to overthrow sons of our “gods’ such as Jung. Complex nonsense is not wisdom and never was. Paul Reps has reached more young per square yard than Jung per square mile.
Sam has already made full alliance with these intellectual Sufis, and they are restoring the occult sciences and no nonsense either; no pretense, no “secret societies,” none of the hang-ups.
Yesterday Sam got a letter from his closest associate in England, an initiated Buddhist priest. This priest has established friendship with Sam’s associates in London. Also he remarked about the disciple Sam sent to him, that he was se unusual, so loving, even beautiful. But this is the characteristic of the whole group here. When Sam had ten disciples Mr. Rudolph Shaeffer asked, Sam, where did you get all these beautiful young people?” Sam now has a following of about 60 and will soon be in the Height-Asbury district, too.
The essential of all knowledge, wisdom and morality is God (whom I prefer to call either Allah or Ram). Inayat Khan said, “God is the only Teacher, we all learn from Him.” And with the keys to the Akasha from Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan and Srimati Ruth St. Denis one is now going ahead full blast.
In the end we shall perform Dance of Universal Peace. It comes out of the Akasha. It requires deep knowledge of the religions and of meditation and a faculty called Shahud which only Sufis seem to have although I have now met a Christian teacher who has. So far no Hindus, excepting Papa Ramdas.
A great effort is being made to establish a new civilization at Pondicherry in India. It is headed by an American lady (who got the same bounce from Americans only more so, far more so). It is attracting attention, everybody on the band-wagon nobody doing anything. We shall see. For we hope to send a committee there and then see if we shall do the same or better in California. We are one up—we have God-Allah-Ram.
Next month Dr. Huston Smith will be here with “Religions and Philosophies of Contemporary Asia.” Unlike our “experts” he has accepted reports from Sam and my esoteric secretary was “teacher’s pet.” It is much more to the point to be with him than the “fair-minded shut up” semanticists and “Yogis.” You, see, Magana, the cards, or some of them are in these hands. They have been given by the very people that talk one way and act another.
Sam is scheduled to speak at the Aurobindo Center (Cultural Integration Center). Sam brings his audiences—not a single one of those fair-minded, humble, devout persons has ever shown up. And none of them have been to Pondicherry either. And Sam has slyly informed Haridas of his s$p$i$r$i$t$u$a$l$ attainment which is very convincing. But so far the rich have not been impressed there. So we shall see.
You see, Magana, Love is the pries motive for bringing these young people to Sam and through Love he teaches and impresses. It is remarkable how people who make long speeches are always telling Sam to cut down his remarks. When Vilayat was there Sam introduced him with a prayer and commented with a mantram. Vilayat spoke a long, long time. Sam does not mind listening and gained. Only here we do.
There are a few teachings which Occultists ignore. For instances the saying of Jesus Christ. ”I am the Vine and you are the branches thereof.” Sam takes on the pain of every person who comes here and often has been most successful in clearing up obstacles. His “Joy without Drugs” was ignored by the psychedelics and of course, by the clergy. It has been very, very successful although in a few cases the parties involved were far gone. But Sam is not opposed to psychedelics which have been used in the mysteries (anybody not an “occultist” may know that). Sam has even attended Indian ceremonies where they used nasal psychedelics. This interests Anthropologists but not “occultists.” So we by-pass the “occultists” and Vilayat and Sam are restoring to the world a lot of “Ancient wisdom” which was always there.
It is a new age; it may even be a new age for the dance. I don’t know. I have five dramatic, almost Uranian days coming up, and have not mentioned some of the “crises.”
Love and. blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
July 6, 1968
Beloved One of God:
It is all over. The New Heavens and New Earth are coming and not from the proud, the erudite, the self-centered “humble” who are so full of arrogance there is no room for anything else. Parsifal has at last met Gurnemanz and Gurnemanz is staying at home so that Parsifal may have full sway in further opening in the Western Monsalvat. And we have met and are fully determined to work for Auroville and put to shame the sham people who are already all over the band-wagon and polling the same arrogant-humility emotional stuff that has gone on for ages. A Center in the East and a Center in the West, and in the East the Wise Women and in the West the Wise Men. But the Wise Men have also that greatest of virtues, the $$$$$ which the arrogant-”Humble” seek above all else.
Last Wednesday (and it is only Saturday) Sam met the Voluspa and she beginning lambasting him only to retreat it and retract and become truly humble (not in the way the stuffed-ears who parade “humility”) and recognized him on all planes and said, “I have restored to you healing power.” And she said that Sam was the first person she ever met with a triple Halo, although after forty years you might think the arrogant (who call themselves “humble”) might occasionally get a little curiosity.
We began restoring the Tawajjeh which is the Sufi equivalent to Darshan and evidently it is effective. At least Parsifal-Vilayat (who makes no pretense at “humility”—i.e. Arrogance) accepted the Tawajjeh of Inayat Khan, which is the source of all Sam’s strength and arrogance and humility. It is quite effective and as the arrogant-self-humble disappear from the earth and as the New Race gradually takes over you will see some new things going on.
The arrogant (who call themselves humble, they call themselves humble) can never understand that ever since Sam met the great Zen teacher Sokei-an Sasaki, he could explain all the scriptures of the world but could not explain why he could explain them. This was demonstrated over and over again and early in India by Dr. Radhakrishnan and St. Tyabji Rehana and St. Dilip Koomar Roy but hardly, hardly, and this is over.
The Tawajjeh is embedded in Love and every week steadily more and more young people seek out Sam. Yesterday his God-son suddenly showed up and today Dr. Chaudhuri, the Aurobindo representative here. The signification is not clear, but the facts are. And the telephone rings and the mail for Vilayat who comes out of nothing and nowhere to everything and everywhere. And some day, when the arrogant (who call themselves “humble”) are out of the way we shall realize what Lord Buddha taught: “I see now that all sentient beings have perfect enlightenment but they do not know it; I must go and instruct them.” Or that Jesus Christ came to help us all realize we are sons and daughters of God and no putrid nonsense of manas-ahankara, against which Lord Krishna declaimed, but which has been used so much against Him and is even now.
Just as the meeting between Vilayat-Parsifal and Gurnemanz-Sam was a duplication of the meeting between Ibn Senna and Sufi Abi’l-Khayr, so the same Vision foreshadowed everything. Until the pretending arrogant (who call themselves “humble”) learn to function the Vijnana and Prajna which are called Mushahida and Kashf by Sufis, we are going to repeat fiascoes. Ever since Prof. Oliver Reiser came out, a lot of promoters began their own Utopias and self-selected “supermen” and in this State all the so-called Sri Aurobindo people jumped on the band-wagon of a certain Prof. Zitko (although they may have jumped on other band-wagons) and practically went into competition with Auroville, the new Eden of India. They are doing the same thing now and they will keep it up.
Sam received a brochure showing about 40 organizations which verbally claim to be behind Auroville and include some of the most outstanding anti-God groups imaginable, and cliques and seats which arrogate to themselves verbal but not actual “universality.” I doubt if there is a single Asian group in the whole shebang.
Sam has seen in the Spirit (and to hell with the arrogant who call themselves “humble”) the work of the Three Wise Men of the East who are very wealthy. Sam saw #l and spent some time with him explaining the Horoscope cast by Gavin Arthur. It was an extreme reversal of the way the “unable” (i.e. arrogant) act. He accepted everything. It is obvious. The story of One-Eye, Two-Eye and Three-Eye is propaganda and the Three-Eye people will stand no more nonsense from the Two-Eyed manas-ahankara “humble.”
We then had a blessing of the bakery, which took place of the blessing of the grounds; and a blessing of the Retreat. The other blessings are up to Vilayat-Parsifal.
The only time Sam spoke out was on his insistence of sending a team to Auroville. If this can be done—and they have plenty of money—they will bring Miss Julie Medlock—who is in some sense my counterpart but does not know my spirit—whatever she wants, perhaps including money too. While all the arrogant-humble people are band-wagging we are working and with Divine Help will continue to work. The Voluspa saw Sam through and through and there is no sense of keeping up a silence.
A letter From Wise Man #3 (also very rich) proves that when he meets Sam he will stand or fall on his own words. He predicted actually and accurately Sam’s visit to the Ranch. Everything is there and when the arrogant-humble get rid of their “humility” and begin to look they will recognize that Vijnana and Prajna are the Truths of the Universe. But India must stop fearing Rajas and start fearing egocentricity. It is the Americans who can and will act.
The meeting with Wise Man #2 was an application of what Paul Reps calls Zen Uppercut. This man has been keeping away from Sam for years. He got a warm embrace and Sam took him immediately into confidence, gave him the “secret” of Wise Man #1, and he said: “That explains everything; that explains everything exactly. All falls into place.” And when we get rid of that confounded arrogance-humility and become like Little Children and listen, by God, with God, from God we are going to have the New Age.
I have given one instruction: Give Vilayat all the love, tenderness and response of which you are capable, and remember, God is watching. And you should have heard Vilayat! This is the second time Sam has heard that Voice via long distance. It came before from Mrs. Dickermann (Judith) Hollister, Founder of the Temple of Understanding. And By God, my Brother, we are going to have God-Wisdom by any name and all names, but the lamb and lion are going to lie down together and a lot of children, not the proud-arrogant, are going to lead. (If evidence is not strong, money certainly is, yet.)
Every suggestion of Sam was taken, but mostly preceded. We want a new age, we want the grand noise “T R U T H” but we do not want to accept the Omniscience and Omnipresence of God. We did a lot of talking, i.e. the #1 Wise and Sam—about the Polity of Moses and the folkways of the Pathans (with whom Sam has lived; rejected, of course by the Big Shots).
Paul Reps has been involved in the Buddha-succession and is entirely right although he does not have all the facts. This person has the facts. The Voluspa rightly saw we are coming into the age of One Religion, One Truth, One God before Whom all men will bow and pray. And I only hope that Auroville will recognize Fatehpur Sikri. Otherwise Parsifal-Vilayat is going to exert and exercise an influence which he may not recognize yet but which you have long recognized, God bless you.
It is necessary to get the team—with money and the necessary equipment to Auroville and I shall work on it and let the band-wagon people noise, the same ones who got into the Zitko and other fiascoes: There must be Havens in the East and West. I am nearly through the explanation of the Noah Saga, and have emphasized the re-establishment of Arks (Thebas = Ashrams). The young are crowding my meetings now, and new doors. Next week preparation for a class on the Spiritual Drama. My class on Cosmic + Esoteric Dancing growing. And with my God-son returning, I have begged him to open up big his Astrological work and said it could keep him busy to the end of his life.
As I have written before, the Sufis are invading Western culture and getting rid of that nonsense that nonsense that hyperbolic complexities are evidences of divine wisdom. I have before me the whole complex of Hippieland and then Big Sur (with Esalen). All the king’s horses and all the king’s men can’t put over Manes + Ahankara. Vijnana and Prajna and Ananda do everything. And if anybody thinks that Hazrat Inayat Khan was playing a personal game when he gave me six interviews in 1926, they are going to have some shocks, either in this word, or in the world to come.
But actually there is a kind of Self-less love which is supremely operative. To me the best thing about Ramdas’ little brochure are the fact that he was so recognized by-the late Swami Shivananda of Rishikesh and by Dilip Koomar Roy (who is a very good friend, i.e. befriender).
Vilayat leaves Monday morning and Shams-i-Tabriz may be down to see Jelal-ed-din Rumi off. It will be the beginner of that new and grand life for him which you and a few others have foreseen. He is meeting the three W$i$s$e M$e$n and I leave it to God. We have foreseen his return in January and it may be most important. I am hoping by then the Team will have gone to India, at least.
We are going to have Peace and Understanding despite all the politicians and noise-makers and arrogant (self-humble) people. Peace is there beyond Understanding (i.e. Vijnana). My next step is to declare War-Peace on all of Pakistan, and you may see it. They have to choose between real Islam and a bunch of semantic-nonsense which they call “Islam,” only the name like the original.
Also the new School which Paul Reps envisioned, already the application is in for a legal permit. And I have asked them to consider hiring our old friend, Ed (Pat) Hunt to teach a blending of Science and Art. No opposition at all. In Prajna there is never opposition—that belongs to the humble (arrogant) people.
We also touched on teaching real Semantics, not the priest-craft of some of our friends who know nothing about deep science or deep mathematics or rigorous thinking. I have even approached Vocha and Vocha and Ed are the closest of friends. Everything seems moving ahead absolutely and exactly. Yet Sam is a sort of stage-manager exactly as Paul Reps has seen (Vijnana and Prajna, Mushahida (Shahud) and Kashf, are not personal possessions). We are going to practice universality and banish that bastard-word “universality” used by a few people to attract followers. This is a New Age.
One looks into the hearts and depths. Yesterday this house was overrun, just as foreseen—five different activities at the same time, but more than five persons, and only to clear them out for more. With God everything is right.
Next stage the restoration of the Dharani, which is the same as the Sufi Darood. This begins Sunday while most are away and to see Vilayat. There will be recognition of the value and force of Dharani and no more hyperbolic, Metaphysical verbal claptrap. It took one letter to have complete agreement with Dr. Radhakrishnan on how to end wars; there is no use arguing with dualists. The New Age understands Love, Understanding and Peace.
All love and blessings,
Sufi Ahmed Murad Christi
July 15, 1968
Mr. Paul Reps
Passuello, Hawaii
My dear Brother:
This is something like a page of a “Confessions of Samuel Lewis.” (Incidentally “Confessions of Inayat Khan” has been suppressed, has to be suppressed in order to promote corporations calling themselves “Sufi.”
Recently some young men came into my office and seeing the amount of incomplete work, they wept. They are also doing what no amount of appeal of any kind has ever effected, i.e. they are pitching in and helping. No more dastardly advice and pompous ivory-tower counsel—hard work and they we doing it and doing it with joy.
Vilayat, coming this way, gave at least one Bayat. I am not arguing with Vilayat, but sometimes feel like a Concert Master, completing rehearsals, turns everything over to the Conductor. You may or may not understand this. I am supposed to get the typed copy of his instructions this week and intend to put them into force.
For besides the rejected by the “love, harmony and beauty” people of “Six Interviews with Hazrat Inayat Khan” there are the refusals to accept the mystical experiences of the mystic. That day is dead and gone. And the most important manifestation of Hazrat Inayat Khan from “the other side” is rapidly coming into objectivity.
Saturday, for the first time in my life, the spiritual and literary materials of this person were properly catalogued and filed. This has never happened before. Instead of a Sufi being one who could see life from the stand point of another as well as of himself, the term has been used so loosely to apply to anybody me-I admired. But now the invasion of European culture by real Sufis is gradually going to clear the whole world atmosphere of metaphorical metaphysics passing as “spiritual philosophy, etc.
My preliminary work in the Dancing Class fitted perfectly with Valetta’s presentations. And now that he opened the door to alchemy, the real alchemy and not any Jungian para complications. I am studying Titus Burkhart’s Alchemy, this being a book by a modern Sufi. I intend to work it into the dance an also into the transcendental psychology used to place people into harmony with their own selves.
I have received the last rejection from the Generals in charge of Semantics. Pir-o-Murshid wanted me to work with the intellectuals. I had studied both Mathematics and Philosophy with Cassius Keyser of Columbia, who was the friend and mentor of Korzybski. Vocha accepts this; the generals” (who happen to include your own critics) have never accepted that, and some who should have been my close friends have used San as a whipping post for years. They have accepted nothing. And my attempt to introduce semantic methods to scientists was accepted gladly and broadly, which made matters worse. And when I kept quiet at the conferences of the AAAS, The top scientists, I was given the worst bawling out of my life—for keeping quiet.
The two top “Generals” are actually very unpopular, and the only thing to do now is to open up an American Philosophy which would include Korzybski but not any of the “Generals.” My welcome by some of our top philosophers was totally cordial. I have, unfortunately, not aligned myself with Pitirim Sorokin because he attacked both the semanticists (with which I must now agree) and Semantics (with which I do not yet agree.) Worse, I defeated in debate one of the worst critics of Semantics and the “generals” have never forgiven me.
Some of the disciples of this critic, Max Black, now control the Philosophy Department at Berkeley. Now I have had two independent initiations to join them in seminars and colloquies and I am though with nonsense and personality-evaluations masquerading as philosophy or “psycho logics.” In fact one of the main disciples of Korzybski, Oliver Reiser, is my closest colleague on the world scene in all directions, including almost every project I am involved in. So the doors are now open to present real; metaphysics and cosmic psychology to the real intellectuals.
The next thing—and I have been holding off—is the moral training. This is not based on sermonizing. I got real tough last night with ZFZB, and also real tender. I demanded concentration but I also used all the love and patience possible. As there is so much fear and uncertainty, I work more with men—I have about twice as many men anyhow. Somehow or other I consider “fear” and “uncertainty” as slightly more “normal” for women than for men. And I consider “love” and “tenderness” as slightly more normal for them also.
To this Tawajjeh, The Sufi variant of Darshan is given, but the Sufi Tawajjeh is much closer to Lord Buddha’s Darshan, i.e. Samma Drishti, than to Indian methods. This has converted Dr. Warwick, whom I call the “two-legged” because he has been trained both in tasawwuf and Vajrayana. And he in turn is trying to convince my life-long friends that they should become my disciples. It is possible, and it will be equally strange and wonderful to have mature-by-age people here. I have only one single mature lady here, named Renee and if I can get her to breathe right (no other corrections needed) I think she will become superwoman.
It is very difficult to convey, that when on top of an exceedingly full program one has in very rapid order the marriage of the god-daughter, the sudden appearance of the god-son (who may return), and the visits of Vilayat, Seo, Taison and Soen. Not a cough in a carload. But this is the convocation of the “gods” and the supermen and I have one to go, just one.
His name is Gottlieb. An excellent name for a superman. I have not met him but his writings are going to compel him, not me, to face them. When we practice “willing surrender” I can come out openly with the key words with Hazrat Inayat Khan in 1926, keywords which were rejected and had to be rejected by anybody assaying to leadership at any level. “Leader is he who is leader of himself. Ruler is he who ruler of himself.”
Yesterday was my first talk in Hippieland and I throw the Book at them. That is I read a Buddhist scriptures, which just ain’t done. I let them realize that Buddha taught what Buddha taught and not what Englishman and “experts” say. And being brash I told them that their auras were much brighter than any I had seen at the Zendo and elsewhere—which is true and if you looked closely as I think you did. You would know this is so.
As Vilayat has taken the first step there is nothing to do but in increase the disciples to 60. And then there are complications. Nobody comes for the sake of material gain, but one of my close (geographically) disciples, out of work, landed two jobs. Others have landed jobs or on relief and the monetary pressure is off. I know the collection went up last night from the amount left afterwards. This goes to secretaries, not to Sam.
I may soon read the whole World Buddhist Federation off. If Sam practiced the Jhanas a little, Vilayat has practiced them much. And there is a call for a Sangha meeting. At the moment I doubt very much whether Buddhist experts will accept the Vijnana. I don’t think all the Vijnana is needed but the confounded self importance of ego-me-Sanghas, rejecting the Vijnana in the name of some hook-up each calls “Buddhism” while opposing each other, only adds to Samsara.
We not only want further with the Jhanas and ZFZB. We went into “Prajna-Paramita” and will not recite it in Gypsy lingo as do the Japanese and “Zennists,” but in English and gradually in Sanskrit. I also gave the Dharani of Nyogen Senzaki. These things are effective and we are going ahead with the Psychic sciences.
The class on Drama, opening Saturday, was small and effective. Unfortunately the one book I did not wish borrowed, the Gayan-Vadan-Nirtan which contains the plays was taken away. The dramatists want these plays. I had to go into dramatics but as they lack “humility” everybody listened; it was wonderful.
It has been necessary to tell the Aurobindo people I shall not attend. At the conference on the Berkeley campus Sam will be welcomed as an equal; at the Aurobindo conferences as an inferior, with a different bunch of rostrum-“experts” very year. Now as we have the keys not only to the Divine Wisdoms but even, perhaps, to the un-divine bank-book, there is no use wasting time. But we shall work for Auroville and perhaps for an Auroville of our own.
My work on reform-collectives, scholastic in California, off the record in India, will come out. My colleague, Daniel Hoffman, of Burlingame, who got even a worse treatment than Sam (which is the norm in liberty-democracy, words are not-things culture), will be resurrected.
Then there is the School. That is why I am going into Moral Culture. The persons involved do not know how to deal with each other. They see freedom rightly, but they do not see that self-control that can expand their consciousness, their outlooks and their futures. The third series on Moral Culture, published in book too, has all the keys. But you cannot have the third series without the other two.
This life of getting up every day at 6—yesterday at 5, to do what has to be done, is sometimes a little wearing. Now there are efforts to have me move into Berkeley to, which will be near the University. I had one disciple who entered the University. He did not know what to do. I told him to do it. He asked, “What?” I said, “What you do will succeed, what you do not will fail.” He passed four examinations in a row, entered Harvard with honors and money and recently sent a loving telegram.
We have not accepted that we love and move and have our being in God. We used the sound Allah to great effect in the drama class. We are going ahead. Exotism cannot stop the instructions of Hazrat Inayat Khan given in the Beverly Hill’s Hotel in 1926.
Vilayat gave the key on Pir Idries Shah. He said the Pir’s father was a competition of Inayat Khan. When the name was given it was the final that this man is a phony. My own disciple visited and found this “Sufi” movement is a fraud. It was rejected by the top Sufis of Pakistan and Iran anyhow. It was only the prestige of Robert Graves which give it the impetus. There are disciples near here, utterly ignorant of tasawwuf.
Taison may be taking over. Be thinks PR (Reps to you) is #1. But how about promotions? All news is good news.
Faithfully,
August 6, 1968
Mr. S. B. Beorse
Box 142
Keyport, WA
My dear Shamcher:
When the Gods arrive, the half-gods go.
I do not know whether this point can be put ever with the half-gods. However I am sending copy to Paul Reps (who will accept) and Dr. Haridas (who is the leader of the half-gods). I have sat at the feet of Dr. Chaudhuri. His teachers regard me as an equal; his pupils and disciples, excepting the Aurobindo devotees, do not regard me at all. This is very interesting and very unfortunate, for them.
I have long despaired of trying to convince a half-god that karma applies to them; that they are not exempt from moral laws. It is not necessary to try any further and the fact that not only is the horizon filled with rainbows, bit some of these rainbows have pots of gold, potentially many and I cannot share it with them, although I should like to. It is impossible: the world is full of “Universal Religionists” who do not accept the existence of Sufism or Sufis. This is the hang-over “moral and spiritual revolution.” The more “moral and spiritual,” the less attention to inferior mankind.
Lama Govinda is coming and it is remarkable how the “anatta-Buddhists” who proclaim (and re-defile) the teachings of Lord Buddha are all waiting for him. Messiahs are born every minute and when one fails another is proclaimed. “Work out thy salvation with diligence” and you do not belong to the elect—but now the Gods have arrived.
There are at least three, probably more, that claim they have the business arrangements with and for the Lama. “Cosmic Consciousness for those with comfortable incomes” and to hell with what Jesus Christ said. Thus the half-gods.
But a deva-soul spoke at the Theosophical Society Sunday and raked the audience, especially the “anatta-Buddhists” that work out their salvation with the diligence of finding the right messiah. I went through all that with the Roerich Museum but the “humble” half-gods won’t accept that, or anything else. So I have invited the deva-soul to attend the forthcoming convocation of a Sangha. Me, Sam, when the half-gods spurn, me, Fudo0San, inviting deva-souls to be present at a Buddhist Sangha. True, Her Serene Highness, Princess Poon Diskul, President of the World Buddhist Federation regards Sam as an equal, but she ain’t got no “humility.”
The first order of business (perhaps tomorrow) will be an interview. A lot of “ignorant” young believe that a man who has lived in Asia, and sat at the feet of Masters must know as much (if not more) than a “famous” who has written “At the Feet of the Master.” The book, that’s the thing!
Now I believe we almost control the world. The half-gods can’t and won’t accept Hierarchy. Did Vilayat and Sam have to talk? Discuss? He is doing and planning down to detail exactly what Sam has seen or wished. I wrote you, Gurnemanz was awaiting Parsifal. Anybody not a half-god can accept that.
Yesterday Sam received two very beautiful letters. One from a dear friend of Vilayat at Ajmir, India (which exists despite the half-gods). It is mostly concerning my disciple, Sheila McKendrick who is planning to go to India. While the “Karma-Yogins” and “Purna-Yogins” give sermons and have conferences, (Sam may go if he pays), we are planning and doing and don’t think the people at Pondicherry don’t know. Only they will have to accept the existence of Sufis. It is remarkable, the half-gods don’t respect Sufis and there is a President to India, you know, a real live man. Suppose he comes here!
(Anyhow Sam is soon going to write to the Ambassador from India. Or East-West groups, Los Angeles, Honolulu and to some extent here, all half-gods.)
But now a multi-millionaire is on the horizon. He is, as it happens to be, an initiate. I am not going into details. Sunday Sam gave out the Ramnam and there was a Jewish boy in the audience and he challenged Sam and Sam said: “Which do you want, race, or human brotherhood.” He disputed and lost face. Then he asked Sam for initiation. Sam had already given the Ramnam! Sam is doing almost exactly as Paul Reps and Vilayat Khan want to have done, he does. So the young come.
Then we went out and Sam gave the first open lesson in Dervish dancing. This is exoteric. The one on Friday is esoteric, but very close to Vilayat! Not all the half-gods can’t stop the Sufis.
Not only that but there is another publication in the offing. There is a New Age here, and a new outlook and it is very close to what is in India, Pondicherry, the Radha-Soamis, Anandashram (the half-gods permit lectures on Anandashram by non-devotees, especially one of themselves. Now the karma!) And these people have the necessary requirements—$$$ and how! They are not in competition but supplement the group who may be interviewing Sam shortly.
Next Sam will write to prominent persons he knows, especially a very good friend of the late (non-existent to the half-gods) Hasan Nizami. The chief one, a lady, caused a lot of murmuring socially when she greeted my fellow-Sarkhanians Eugene Wagner, and myself at an Asian-Asian function (A-asians sometime meet without permission of the half-gods).
It began when Sam met Jagarnath and Krishna. He entered immediately into a Shiva-Shakti discussion of the functions of the human body. We are going to have East meet West without intervention of any more half-gods. This is what a Shaku Soyen wanted and will get. One has waited for years.
Sam was visiting the Arboretum at Dehra Dun in North India. No half-gods there, just scientists. “Show me Shiva and Shakti in that tree!” “I do not understand you.” “You are a Krishna devotee?” “Yes.” “Well, I do not understand you!”
This man, not being a half-god, but a scientist and therefore devoid of “humility” asked and when Sam explained in scientific terms, he kissed the dust at Sam’s feet. So Sam will be meeting Krishna and Jagarnath soon and we shall cut out all this nonsense about “science and occultism” and won’t need any long-winded speeches by professors. Even Pondicherry is crying about the need of psychologists who have knowledge of Indian cosmic metaphysics! I ain’t no half-god, no PhD. And rejected by sundry groups who wish to bring “science and occultism” together, with themselves as leaders, even while Dr. Huston Smith is here we shall take the real measures of bringing Indian Cosmic Metaphysics and Science closer together.
Besides it is working. I saw when Vilayat was here I should have to increase my following from 30 to 60 and now a hundred on the horizons—not contributing memberships, but real devotees. I have heard from at least two men such wonderful mystical reports, it is hard to believe. And I should have kissed the dust at their feet excepting for what has happened, is happening.
Against those bastards—and they are bastards who proclaim their private universal religion and collect funds for it. Sam is practicing self-effacement in fana-fi-Rassoul. We say: “as Rama, as Krishna, as Shiva, as Buddha … as Moses, as Jesus, as Mohammed and in many other names and forms known and unknown to the world.” Prayer, yes, but spiritual enfoldment much more.
Sam has already performed Tawajjeh which he received from Hazrat Inayat Khan (the young are going to accept “Six Interviews with Hazrat Inayat Khan” and also the eye-witness to the meeting between Inayat Khan and Nyogen Senzaki.) But then came the next stage and while the American deva was telling the public that one should judge a spiritual teacher by his Darshan; at that very hour Sam was giving the Darshan of Rama, Krishna and Shiva. It was so effective that every person there excepting the friends of Paul Reps who just dropped in, asked to become his disciple! Some day we are going to accept: Let thy light shine before men!
Vilayat put an end to that nonsense prayer: “Lead us from darkness into Light.” Stupid ignoramuses have been praying for centuries and nothing happens. Vilayat comes and shows everybody how to increase that Light, and no nonsense. It is time for men to listen to God and shut their mouths and all this self-praise about totally ineffective prayer. Sam had to repeat Tevigga Sutta Sunday but this time it went over and how! Universal religionists (self-styled) beware! We don’t care about “Universal Religion,” we do care about Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Buddha, Moses, Jesus, Mohammed.
Although Sam has been very adventurous (madventurous) he has refrained from Darshan but he listens and the sign came. It is awkward, a former celibate having “love affairs a la Krishna” and no nonsense either. Sam asked God and God said, “For you it is necessary to balance over-sobriety in sex.”
But the sex is transmuted and Sam’s body has become like that of the great Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj. Only there must be a coalition or integration of that with Tantra, and besides the Coming Race is here exactly as Sri Aurobindo said but which the “experts” can’t realize—this is a warning to them, for they meet soon. The Coming Race is different. Even Gavin Arthur has done an entire flip flap and just in time. For soon he is to meet one of the great half-gods, Dane Rudyard. He and the others were involved in a total fiasco under a self-proclaimed Me-Big-Shot named Zitko. We had the same here and they all flopped. ”Unless the Lord Buildeth the House, they labor in vain.” We are going to return to the wisdom of the Scriptures without being bound by it.
Sheila is busy all the time and I feel and pray that her joint efforts with Vilayat will be exceedingly effective. The Temple of Understanding is in the spheres and it is remarkable that Vilayat has picked up exactly what his sainted father wanted. True, his aunt is very active but she is not Heart, she is not Hierarchy, and all people who think that power is important will have to face tests.
This is a rush-letter. Always busy but taking time off especially for spiritual walks this week. It is a New Age, it is exactly what was foreseen and foretold. I am amazed about the beauty, wisdom and spiritual potentiality of the disciples. It is hard to realize even when one is in their midst. The gods have arrived, one only hopes the half-gods will not have to go but can listen—and besides, that is where the money is!
Love and blessings.
S.A.M.
P.S. You can see I cannot travel at the moment but never know what the next moment will bring.
August 7, 1968
My dear Gavin:
I have today written to my first “boss.” I might have been successful in a totally different field if I had stayed with him—it is my own “fault” that I did not.
It was he that encouraged, almost supervised a lot of study which most unfortunately Lloyd and his Vatican colleagues have absolutely—and I mean absolutely—refused to recognize as factually true.
There is no ill-will but today I am having two conferences with people, many of whom have been given the Vatican brush-off by the same persons and they feel that there is so much in Korzybski held back by a Vatican hierarchy from which there is no appeal.
This not only means being present at conferences, it means much of my life story may be published and it also means my being welcome into certain facets of society, including Mill Valley, which have “included me out” because of my beliefs in “semantics.”
This is only the beginning of new stages in life. I do not know whether you have been called to a meeting at Sheyla’s house this week-end. But it seems that rich and powerful persons are more interested in knowledge than in value-judgments which pass off as “knowledge” if the statements come from the “right people.” But as life is, those who are “right” in one portion of society are “wrong” elsewhere.
The semanticists are discussing “confusion in politics” this week. Why limit the confusion to politics? It is everywhere where value-judgments hold forth.
The success of Sheyla’s trip (and she may have travel companions) will add coffin-nails to personality-judgments in the name of culture. You have seen a little; I think you’ll see lots more.
Faithfully,
cc- Morain
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco, Calif.
August 7, 1968
Louis R. Lurie
The Lurie Co.
333 Montgomery St.,
San Francisco, Calif. 94104
Dear Sirs:
I am writing to you in the hopes that this reaches the hands of my very first boss and employer, Mr. Louis R. Lurie. It is almost a testimonial for him before his eightieth birthday.
Although I have traveled in a totally different route in life, my forthcoming successes are in part at least due to encouragement he personally gave me in a rather impractical field (from our point of view), philosophy. It is most bizarre rather than unfortunate that many people who regard themselves as leaders in philosophy and allied branches of culture have spurned absolutely that a person could learn anything without specializing in a university. It has taken years to overcome this totally unnecessary obstacle, except that obstacles test manhood.
I can only say, that my personal career in the Orient, indeed all over Asia, was totally different from that usually expected, especially by those who lay down principles which neither they nor anybody has successfully put into practice.
My subsequent ventures into philosophy led me to become a guest of honor at the Imperial Palace Grounds in Tokyo; from meeting many of the highest people in Asia, many lands; and having my god-daughter win first prize in an All-Asian Philosophic Conference with a paper written by this person.
It is only after years of endeavor that one is being received seriously and chiefly by those who are out of sympathy with traditions. But a Nation that “knows” all about questionable successes in communist engineering and nothing at all about successes of American enterprises abroad is not exactly sane. And a life that seems more in accord with the novels of the late Prof. Burdick and Commander Lederer does not cease to be real.
One can only say that while I am younger than Louis, being in my seventies, both body and mind are in splendid condition. And in turn I hope he can continue with vigor and success as he has been.
Sincerely,
August 14, 1968
Mr. Shamcher S. Beorse
Box 142,
Keyport, Wash.
Beloved One of God:
The new cycle is here. One can almost say:
“God’s in His earth,
All’s right in the heavens.”
Or cynically we may have a parade soon with a banner:
“O Lord! May our will be done in heaven
As it is on earth.”
This is a new cycle. “Neither can I be broken nor God but the one who would break me, he is broken.” Everything the last year “seen” is coming to objectivity and I don’t care if all the man-made corporations in the world object—and they will object, they have be learn the simplest of teachings, “Truth in the end will win” and when the family of Hazrat Inayat Khan tries to perpetrate as they now are, a promotion “Flesh and bleed shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.” It is God Himself whom they must deal with.
The time has come when a mystic may speak on mysticism. Not only that and audiences listen. I am preparing for Paul Reps in December and Vilayat in November, only not preparing. God is preparing and it is a sad tragedy that this may cause public scandals. For there are no persons harder to reach than those who proclaim, “To Thee do we give willing surrender” and who surrender neither to a loving mother, kind father, innocent child or anybody else. Adamant egocentricity parades as “humility” and corporations proclaim themselves to be the mouth-pieces of the universe and desecrate: “Open Thou our hearts that we may hear Thy Voice Which cometh constantly from within” and without any need of may board of directors, amen!
I know sooner or later doors would open on the campus of the University of California. Dr. Huston Smith is here from the Massachusetts School of Technology, and many believe he is America’s greatest authority both on Asian religion and mysticism. All the psychedelic peoples learned on him. He—and he has none of this nonsense about “humility,” had previously accepted every single report which those “who greet … in “humility” disdain. And in the class yesterday this person put out a challenge and it was accepted. His personality was not attacked and there was a demand for cards.
God, Whom it seems does not counsel with corporation officials, had arranged so that the star pupil of Dr. Huston Smith is now Sam’s esoteric secretary. It was easy and the reports are getting in his hands and we also gave him copy of Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. This sort of man accepts objective reports; corporations and “willing-surrender” people do not. Their day is over, before the Living and Loving God. Over, though they do not know it.
I am going back to Berkeley today and sooner or later these efforts will get into the hands of the Department of Philosophy and ultimately into the Departments concerned with international affairs. We are already on good terms with the Department of Near East Languages. Dr. Brinner, who accepts the existence of the Sufi-Sufis who never heard of corporations, had arranged for Frank Tedesco, a mureed, to go to Harvard University on a scholarship (God does wonderful things that corporations, cannot conceive) and he has prepared the way. The rest will be easy.
In the meanwhile there have been a number of interviews and conferences and one is incessantly busy, hardly time for meals and sleep—always getting advice, of course, but also getting innumerable appeals for Bayat. It is a new age. Monday morning this was climaxed by a series of meetings beginning at 6 in the morning. The dominant figure was a very important and wealthy man of this region who has had mystical experience and gotten kicked around, of course. Now he is coming out of it. He knows more of Sam’s aeonic existence than anybody excepting our old long gone Pir-o-Murshid and the top Sufis of Pakistan and perhaps Hassan Sani Nizami (but “willing surrender” people never accept facts, or maybe, they will someday, inshallah.)
We are preparing Sheyla McKendrick to go to Asia. She will join Vilayat and one must say it was not necessary to have any consultation. There is total agreement between loving hearts and as the “loving surrender” people never, never accept the mystical experience of others (or maybe they will?) the roll of Vilayat, long, long foreseen is coming out and as God is with him not all the corporations on earth can stop that. Imagine Jesus Christ defending Himself by saying He represented a corporation Rather it was the other way!
It is sad but it must come out that Brother Cecil has accepted Fazal as “Pir-o-Murshid.” Ay—ay-men; Let him prove it!
Sam has had six public interviews. His picture will soon be out. His life-story will soon be out. And his last pictures a include one in Darshan. One first began the Tawajjeh which one received from Hazrat Inayat Khan without any corporations being consulted, nor Sheikha-Masheikh nor Murshida! This is restored and following Salat one is demonstrating state by state, stage by stage every item of Salat. The time has come.
Real Sufism, not the fictitious “family” and Mrs. Duce corroborative types, is based on fana-fi-Sheikh, fana-fi-Rassoul, fana-fi-lillah, “Only God was the Founder of Sufism,” and not in 1910 and not in England as the Holland corporation declares. Hazrat Inayat Khan was not even in England in 1910. He arrived in 1911 in this land and began the Sufi Order—not the Sufi Movement with Mrs. Ada Martin, then a leading occultist—which was true almost to her death. And there are a few of us still alive who were disciples prior to any Geneva, but we don’t count, only corporations count!
In the fana-fi-”Salat” one takes on the characteristics of each of the Messengers of God as one becomes effaced in them and this is demonstrable. And this ends in the Darshan of Lord Buddha, demonstrable. And it is both amusing and serious that one begins to manifest the glorious characteristics of Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Buddha … Mohammed, This was foreseen by a Khalandar but he does not count. Madzubs do not count. Only corporations count and their hey-day is gone.
As one is effaced one cannot explain but there is no question of a terrific increase in Light. This Light which is very real appears not only in Murshid but mureed. It is very intense, apparently. And on the night one first attempted this is another part of town a Tibetan initiate was telling that you can only know a Master by his Darshan! This was the best thing that could happen. And it has had to be demonstrated and in front of audiences of disciples, applicants and friends. And so let thy light shine before men and this is the challenge to Holland and San Francisco and all fictitious corporations that use the term “Sufi” and defy each other and everybody else. They will answer to God.
As a Sufi said (and there were Sufis before we had corporations); “Show fearlessness toward enemies and powerlessness toward friends.” Everything is happening.
If the Holland corporation takes a single step against Vilayat, we shall come out. I am neither so poor as in 1927-30 nor so timid. To the contrary. There is now gathering wealth here. I do not know how much. And people who disdained Sam before are now flippety-flopping and we accept that. We can wipe out the past. One’s own brother was transformed from a despicable enemy to a dependent friend. With God all things are possible, with corporations, we shall see.
It is a sorry thing to send this to Longthorpe and one wonders how Cecil can reconcile the Divine Love of Jesus Christ with the dictatorial ukase of a corporation ! Problems are not being solved by editorials sermons, and lectures. But they are being solved, praise to God.
Written hurriedly early in the morning.
Love and blessings
S.A.M.
cc- Gibbings
cc- Reps Sufi Ahmed Murad-Chisti
August 27, 1968
My dear Magana,
I have started several times to write to you and the letter has been interrupted by a chain of events which people who knew me earlier in life will spurn and one will let them. Each of us wants to live in his island of dreams and not be disturbed. And it is especially true that people who dabble in Orientalia and metaphysics are the last ones in the world to apply karma to themselves. They are utterly unable to face realities, to tragedies that come to themselves or to face what comes to others.
It is impossible to know where to begin. Years ago, with Luther Whiteman we wrote a book, Glory Roads about reform movements in the State of California. We made a number of predictions and all these predictions produced enemies and practically all of these predictions came true. You can trust Eileen Garrett and Rhina and the Cayce people not to accept that! But it is coming out and believe me it is coming out.
One the social science side there are requests to republish Glory Roads. But on the practical side there is now a large publishing house going further into the subject and it is very likely that Sam will have an interview soon. Human beings are neither marionettes nor thoughts inside some metaphysician’s cranium. But you can’t convince older people otherwise and there is no intention to do so.
Only now Sam is able to bring together the actual reform movements in California and India and despite a lot of rejections from the “experts” and Swamis and big-shots this is going ahead and as Sankara said, but as all the Swamis and Gurus and Mahahahahas deny, Brahm is in the least of us and no fooling. And so Sam is giving up “ideals” for dollars, but there is nothing else to do. The “experts” and self-important people will pray. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” but they mean “our will be done in heaven as it is on earth” and the karma is striking them; not is going to, but is.
Sam, rejected by all the “experts” around here is one of the chief advisers for a real meeting between real holy men and ecclesiastics and real religions of the real world to convene in Darjeeling in October. He has to plan to send several people., beginning with most loving disciples and perhaps including several $p$r$o$p$e$r$ people, if you understand that. Even Dr. Chaudhuri is beginning to understand that and Gavin Arthur has long seen the “light”—I don’t mean he has just joint the band-wagon, he has actually seen the actual light and none of this mumbo-jumbo of “lead us from darkness into the light.” He has seen and boy, has he been transformed!
Sam has just had a log interview with Prof. Huston Smith of that grand “kindergarten” M.I.T. this professor has had the audacity to accept a number of papers from Sam which “experts” and the “right people” have rejected. The interview has been taped and will be submitted to an editor for publication and also to a radio and TV station. It just might be that some people will become as interested in the direct experience of the little man who has been there as against the sermons of the nice big-shots who have not!
Of course I shall be there Friday night, i.e. if my schedule holds out. Sam is on better terms with the Ali Akbar Khan people than with the former “experts,” Swamis, Gurus and Mahahahahas. There is a long, long factual history but who cares for it?
When the Sufi (a real man) Vilayat Khan came here Sam saw it was necessary to increase the number of disciples from 30 to 60 and the number of followers to one hundred. Of course it has happened and more may happen soon. When Sam returned from sitting before a real Zen Master, Sokei-an Sasaki, in 1931, he found he was able to explain any scriptures, which the “experts,” Gurus, Swamis and Mahahahahas reject (they being humble and impersonal). But a silly, tittering housewife named Mrs. Judith Dickermann decided otherwise. This foolish creature had the audacity to think up The Temple of Understanding so that peoples of all races, religions and outlooks could join in worship. This crazy idea was accepted by all the leaders of all the world’s faiths and it is being constructed in Washington, D.C. despite lack of notices in the press.
She has called for a convocation in Darjeeling, and Sam is priming a number of people to go. This silly convocation has friends of Sam acting as Vice-President. Did you ever hear of anything more foolish? Anyhow it is worth sharing in and the past experiences of this silly-ass about meeting real saints, real sages and real masters will now be submitted for publication, giving names, places and events. And these upstart young people, hippies and not believe Sam! Why even PhD professors and not only Huston Smith are beginning to believe Sam.
Actually Sam is a sort of cultural adviser to several summit gatherings in real Asia which never get to the press, and all these silly convocations started from inspirations of women! Why should they butt-in when we have so many “experts,” Swamis, Gurus and Mahahahahas?
The Dance of Universal Peace is making great progress. That is the class thinks so. The nice old ladies who would not dare attend think otherwise. God bless them. And Sam has begun—and this is the greatest sacrilege no doubt about it—Darshan! And it seems to hypnotize the young people who have light shining faces and glowing consonances, not only that, darshan is free! No $35, no $200, free! And apparently effective; at least the young think so. Of course the older people who can’t be fooled keep away. They know better, that is without saying.
Some of Sam’s people expect to be in the audience Friday night. I don’t know how many. If they all came you could have to get a bigger hall. Wait and see.
Love and Blessings,
September 12, 1968
My Dear Shamcher,
Toward the One, the Perfection of Love, Harmony and Beauty, the Only Being, United with All the Illuminated Souls, who form the Embodiment of the Master, the Spirit of Guidance.
What does it matter if Vilayat is a Pir or a Messenger or one of the
Illuminated Souls or a Bodhisattva—that is to say an Illuminated Soul in the
Making. Sam has no time for dualistic trash. You may do as you please regarding
Cecil Gibbings. In fact I have around a carbon I could send Vilayat, but do not
choose to disturb him. We are getting ready for some great events at the
“roof of the world.” I am preparing two disciples and perhaps others
(inshallah) to join Vilayat at Darjeeling next month.
We already have a Khankah, praise to Allah, right near where Vilayat dedicated International Center of Meditation. We are going to show people what a spiritual commune is. Today Samuel is far more fortunate than Hazrat Inayat Khan in the type of new mureeds.
In Zikr, dervish dancing, etc., we are doing exactly what Vilayat said. Let Vilayat say—Sam will do. We practice the invocation rather than preach it—no nonsense. We have not had a single important setback since this became obviously necessary; on the contrary, things have never prospered so well in this life. The auguries and omens forbade even better things to come, inshallah.
Tomorrow night Sam sups with Gavin and shall discuss both the forthcoming moving and later trips. Gavin’s debate with Dane Rudhyar was by far his best effort. He has necessitated while Sam is in a state of perpetual rejuvenation.
The dervish dance last night had so many beautiful mureeds we had to divide it into two sections because of limited space. The events of the evening were beautiful in every direction. For instance, a secretary of the renowned psychiatrist, Fritz Perls, literally wept in this Murshid’s arms. As the Bible teaches: when brethren work together they control the whole world.
All love and blessing,
SAM
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco, Calif. 94110
September 16, 1968
Beloved one of Allah;
As-salaam aleikhum. Your letter of the 9th has just arrived and is being answered immediately because Dara and Sheyla are at present in the house. They shall be leaving next week going to India by slow stages, and will have to get a permit for Darjeeling. I am hoping especially they will meet Pir Vilayat Khan and Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, but undoubtedly they will meet other people.
Your letter is full of hope but his person does not think of himself either as leader or not as leader. The robe from Pir Sahib Salarwala is a token and more than a token. It is now being used in a new manner—everything new, of course is “un-Islamic.” All kinds of folklore got into religion and became identified with religion.
Dervish Dancing has been started by this person and one hopes in time that people will say, as Ghaus-i-Azam said to Moin-ed-din Chisti, “for you music is permitted.” We do the Dervish dancing to the serbas or portions of Zikr and with them also we add certain sacred phrases, the phrases being drawn from the Rifa’i Dervishes and the movements from the different orders met while in UAR: Rifa’is, Shadhilis and Badawis, especially the latter—which ignorant people would call “un-Islamic.” We use nothing bat Zikr and sacred names. We also practice, practice, practice that Allah is closer than the neck-vein. From being aware of the neck-vein we become aware of Allah to whom be all praise.
This person has been successful, praise Allah, to get many to give up the use of artificial drugs and find greater joy in the spiritual activities. It will soon be more, so, alhamdu lillah. Unlike the Muslims who are crying, crying, crying for a Mosque and want more money, we had one small meeting in regards to purchasing a Khankah and then had to hold another meeting because the money came! When Allah wills, things happen. We do not depend upon others. We depend on Allah, Allah, Allah. And I am stressing this.
The other day a letter was sent to Allama Ala-ud-din Siddiqui at Punjab University because it is possible that another disciple, Tedesco Sahib, may be transferred to that institution. He has been conferring with some of the best professors in this land. It would be of great mutual help if this could happen, inshallah. It may also be wise to establish Islamiyya Ruhaniat Society because to the loose use made of the term “Sufi” to apply to all kinds of things but practicing the presence of Allah.
This person now has about 60 followers and it may soon be more, inshallah. One has two very faithful secretaries who have been given the names of Moineddin and Mansur. Their respective wises, Fatima and Jemila. Jemila was a very plain ordinary lady married to a handsome husband (Mansur). We applied the Wazifa method and this name, Jemila. She has turned out be beautiful within and without and a radiance glows from her. This is a manifestation of the value of the true Islam, as practiced by Sufis.
Yesterday Murshid took Moineddin and Mansur and gave them the first practice in tasawwuri Mohammed, which is the most difficult of all the ryazat I know, but in the end the most valuable. It requires one to become erect, straight forward, honest, efficient and powerful. It is not a philosophy; it is a way of life. The idea may have come from Jili, but it is most practicable. Nevertheless it requires long preparation. Mansur had little trouble because he has long been on tasawwuri Mian Mir.
This wonderful practice was followed by Akhlak Allah which gives all joy, freedom and release. Anybody can do these if there is a Murshid, otherwise it is just anarchy. The Murshid does the practices with each disciple.
The same is true with dancing. We may give this at the Pakistani Consulate next March. I think it will be perfected by then. But I am sure it can be arranged to give it to the Arabs when they want it.
We are also introducing some Arab clothing and may have the lungees such as are worn in East Pakistan. There is a revolt against our traditional clothing here, and it may take on one of a number of forms. As a person I am totally against the short skirts women wear, not only on account of bare limbs (which means nothing to me) but because Beauty has ceased to be a value in this super-materialistic society.
No doubt my friends will do into this later especially when they come to Pakistan.
Another thing which comes from pursuing the practices of one’s Pir, and that is continued vitality and a strange sort of health based on inner power.
If you ever find out where Major Mohammed Sadiq is please let me know. I feel I have become strong where I wish he should be. When I next come to your country I shall teach, inshallah, the great values in the Wazifas, open and hidden and perhaps by that time more. When we move into the Khankah, I shall be able to pursue the commentaries on Hazrat Inayat Khan’s work and also his complete Ryazat.
With all love and blessing of your family, our beloved Pirs and your good self,
Faithfully,
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
410 Precita Ave.
San Francisco, Calif.
September 28, 1968
Rudolph Olsen
166 Geary St.
San Francisco, Calif. 94108
My dear Rudy:
I am taking advantage of your telephone call to write you somewhat in detail and thus avail to make a diary entry in which one is far behind. One must say that there is a new age coming in which the God-reality will be accepted because of human experience.
The French philosopher, Auguste Comte said that culture had to pass from theological through metaphysical to a scientific stage. That is to say, we do not arrive at knowledge until it is man’s experience. No doubt, and especially here in California, we have passed largely from the theological to the metaphysical stage. But this is not enough. In the end men will only accept what they experience.
The metaphysical people have given us plenty of literature and they have broadened the scope of potentiality. But they are not impersonal and objective like the scientists. Religionists believe that they believe and expect others to agree and they will not accept what others do. It is practically impossible to accept religion and the Golden Rule: they do not fit. Science has progressed because there men accept what other men do and without any pretense at ethics they accept one another. This is a real first step toward “Love ye one another.” To talk about “love” is the surest sign of its absence.
People who talk and write about Occultism are among the last who accept the occult prowess of others. On the 15th Sam will go to the Sheraton Palace to hear a lecture on “Reincarnation” given by a representative of the Cayce Foundation. These like all others in the field love to attract money: they do not care to hear about real evidences of real memories of former lives; such objective honesty would hurt the cause which is collecting funds. The country is full of such cults. And my own experiences, rejected by all the cults and so-called psychic research groups, were accepted at once by a leading University. This is the way the cultists work; they remind me of an old folk-lore saying which comes down from an early run on a bank here in San Francisco: “If you no got heem I want heem; if you got heem I no want heem.”
My own background with the Sufis—of whom there are millions of disciples in the actual world—shows quite a different story from that of “experts” who were never there and whose very prowess excludes the necessity of their having been there. But soon Sam will be seeing some real seeresses who are adepts in that field and it will be a mighty important set of meetings.
(Anything written here may be shared or not as you please.)
To cut short what could be a volume I shall write only about my work in or around Astrology. To be a cultist you have to paralyze your ears. An open ear and an open heart is all right for a scientist, but not for a cultist. The more narrow the clique the more ego-self assured that one is near the truth. In God’s world it is the opposite; this is man’s world. It can be very exclusive especially if you prate but do not practice the brotherhood of man.
Once Sam was permitted to address an audience by the late Mrs. Ahlstrand on “Music and Astrology.” It was never repeated. The cultists who know everything never have to listen to anybody. But Sufis having the real occult knowledge can give such to the world. They are now doing this in England disproving almost everything that came from Jung who was not an initiate at all and who has spread tremendous confusion.
The visit of Vilayat Khan caused Sam to reach a decision without any time for meditation. To him it was like “join or die” and he joined. Vilayat Khan was the elder son of Hazrat Inayat Khan. Generally one holds that “flesh and blood do not inherit the kingdom of heaven,” but it is also true that the son of Jelal-ed-din Rumi ultimately became his successor; this, however, only by initiatory processes. And besides the world has crucified Vilayat and he carries an albatross around his neck, a terrible burden.
Vilayat found what he calls his home in Novato in Marin County. Inayat Khan gave Sam his directions on how to build his temple. The rejections were refused by all the “loving” and “humble” disciples and today, no temple. But Sam and some of his disciples put these directions into practice to obtain a home and they found one in the very Novato that Vilayat had sanctified and without any needs to go around and baksheesh-beg everybody else for their “great work” which is the usual custom. “Unless the Lord buildeth the house they labor in vain who build.” We have the house and we did not have to beg-baksheesh from anybody else.
And Vilayat spoke on the application of the rhythm of the spheres in Dervish dancing. Despite all the good cultists and all cultists are necessarily “good,” Sam has been welcomed into many circles of Dervishes and is now teaching Dervish dancing. The older people who know everything know how to sneer, but the young who lack “humility” are curious and they are coming in ever greater number.
To the Dervish dancing we have added the Astrological movements and they work; they are operative. The cults will come and go and the old will disappear and a New Age will have younger people who will learn by experience, as they are learning by experience.
It reminds one of the visit of the Cayce people. They told the audience that many ills could be cured by jogging. The audience applauded and cheered—and did nothing. That is the way of the elders. They are disappearing. The young will jog, God bless them. Their elders will applaud.
Sufis have a tremendous amount of occult knowledge. I mean the real Sufis, not modern corporations, which have adopted the term without any connection to the traditional brotherhoods. They have the glamour and perhaps the social prestige and money, but hardly the wisdom of the ages.
To limit it to Astrology here (and this is a tremendous limitation), the disciples are taught to walk, move and dance according to the rhythms of Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. This will be basic.
As the new Psychology will become more and more closely related to Astrology (and thus restore the “Ancient Wisdom,” not the empty phrase of our Annie Besants but the actual contacts), we shall see applied “Esoteric” Astrology and already it is being used to improve and correct character and defects. Each one finds his own, but whether this can be done without a valid Teacher is a question. Of course the cultists will say it can, but saying is nothing but noise-making.
The term Dharmapada means learning wisdom through the feet, by walking. Cultists will keep the phrase but not walk. Master Too Lun here has the meditative walk. We are going to apply it more and more and the young will no doubt come more and more and their seniors by age will not know how to react. This is a new world.
Among Sufis also there are those who use the breath and the feet and need few other practices other than those of devotion—which is absent among cultists and pseudo-esotericists. They lack the deep devotion. This can be so easily proved; it is not worth arguing about.
Anyhow “The Bamboo Basket,” a local Buddhist publication, published Sam’s words given at a meeting and taped without his knowledge. Sam has for years advocated, with little success, that Buddhists should make pilgrimages to the big Buddha in Golden Gate Park. He is now going to teach the Dharmapada by this means and the cultists will sneer and disappear.
But Dancing gives more than Walking and especially when accompanied by the proper instruments. Several young people have learned the tabla and they are well qualified to work with dancers. The class is on Saturday afternoons but there are now sub-classes for just as real Sufis of other ages have found benefits from singing and dancing so Sam who is recognized by the real historical Sufi Orders, is doing the same—all the cults and cultists to the contrary. For Sufis teach that only God exist and this is something which our so-called “esotericists” can hardly swallow. As Al-Ghazali taught, “Sufism is based on experiences and not on premises.”
Sufis know how to draw life, energy and all virtues from the Sphere, and do. This is demonstrable and demonstrated. Sam has a following now of about a hundred young people, and on1y two nature disciples by age. The young come, they learn, they experience Joy and Love and manifest Beauty and when Vilayat Khan returns he may see a phenomenon, praise to God.
Vilayat is going to Darjeeling where the real religious and spiritual leaders of the real world are meeting. Sam has sent two disciples. This is the first time in history that this has happened. Of course no cultists dare join: they have words and class but to face realities? You have to know God or had spiritual experience and to face some of the wisest people of the day. And we are going to see, no doubt, the mutual recognition of each religion by each other and soon.
Ignorant people never control the world. The wise act as their wisdom dictates. The young want Truth, the old want words. The old love terms, the young want the experiences; they are getting them.
I have open house on Thursday and Sunday nights and restricted classes in dancing by invitation only. What is written can be demonstrated; the cults do not demonstrate, that is the difference.
Love and blessings.
S. A. M.
October 2, l968
My dear Norman:
I have not heard from you since your coming here and some dramatic if not emergency situations warrant this letter.
For example my god-daughter Miss Saadia Khawar Khan, has suddenly shown up at Cornell University in Ithaca. She phoned me and I begged her to write and she is no doubt disappointed because Murshid (Sam) has not written. I have had exactly three days off this year and now my only solace, sleep, has been broken but it is not misfortunate, it is part of mystical unfoldment. So one is busy day and night and despite pleas, the problems brought to one far outstrip the help.
For instance now there are two weddings in the offing. They do not take much time or energy but they take time and energy when Sam does not have them at all. The sudden jump from about 30 to 60 disciples means attention to all of them, and while I do not have the full quota of 60 I do have when one consider the number of candidates.
Sufism is different from other forms of mysticism and spiritual development in that it actually recognizes all other schools and methods and none of this verbal humbug which seniors love, which is substituted for realties.
I am enclosing copy of a letter to The Temple of Understanding in Washington. They are having a real conference of the real representatives of the religions of the real world—something “academicians” avoid at all costs. Imagine devotees meeting without “experts,” the CIA, the press and all the parasites and leaches of the now passing parade!
If you remain in Cleveland—and I certainly do not request it—I may come early next year if situations warrant it but have to wait until this Conference at Darjeeling is over.
The Dance of Universal Peace mentioned in the enclosure is based on mystical astrological-occult and devotional elements. We have gone ahead with real Dervish dancing and this part should be ready by spring. But other items are being made clear to me by God at night in experiences your quondam teachers would never accept coming from any Westerner other than their own ego-selves!
I. Astrology. There is a real Esoteric Astrology. This is a kind of Yoga coming from a Guru-Murshid and it is as easy to present to the young today as it was impossible to present to “experts” a few years back. You showed me a book once on the planets, their mutual relations etc. and tested it on me and it worked. Now a disciple has this book and it has so far agreed every time with the Astrological Yoga presented in connection with the dance.
This dancing has caught on tremendously. The astrological aspects were presented by the Sufi Pir Vilayat Khan when here and told about the dervishes whirling to the different planets. That is just what Sam is presenting. I have asked Gavin to tell me about the colors of the seven planets so that the head-gear of be performers should conform. You may have some ideas here.
II. Real Oriental Philosophies. The young are calling for Sam exactly opposite to their elders rejecting him. In fact I have to face new people all the time. All young excepting for a few strange old men, of the type always rejected by “old ladies wearing tennis shoes.”
III. Communes. This is a big subject. Too many communes are started by egoists all proclaiming themselves Avatars or Messiahs or world revolutionaries and considering themselves superior to everybody else. Communes are for those who do not consider themselves superior. The awkward thing is that Sam may have to demonstrate by example, and the un-awkward thing is that things are happening just that way. The new Sufi Khankah may be opened soon at 910 Railroad Ave., Novato, Calif. We are going to have real universal brotherhood and no hypocritical nonsense.
IV. Politics. It is awkward to being given a chance as to who you wish to destroy present day culture. All the candidates seem to have the common platform, “No more emotions, we must think our ways out” and that is all you get. All I see is hatred, ignorance and confusion such as never witnessed before. And with the larger and larger percentage of university graduates it seems that politics is the refuge of the ignorant. I am fortunate to be in a “rotten borough” with the Burtons. But like most others here one has to vote against, not for; or one does not vote.
I’ll have some surprise information for you if you come here the next two months. Regards to your dad.
Cordially,
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco, Calif.
October 15
Shamsuddin Ahmed,
48-J
Model Town, Lahore
Beloved One of Allah:
As-salaam aleikhum. Praise be to Allah Who guides His followers on the right path. There is not an event of recent times that by Kashf and Shahud and Ilm this one has not seen and seen correctly and at the same time it is impossible to convince “Muslims,” filled with self and self-praise. And even now I am challenging the jealousy of their “leaders” here because while they are bragging about bringing Islam (whatever that means) to Americans my Zikr class is overflowing and my Fikr-Walking group is also growing.
I am writing papers on Walking Fikr and when completed will send you a copy. I am not wasting time with Muslims that Allah is closer than the neck-vein; or “act as if in the presence of Allah and remember, that if you do not see Him, verily He sees you.” I have long given it up, it is useless and the drinking diplomats are never going to bring about the release of the holy places in Palestine. It is horrible.
While Muslims, contrary to the Prophet, are losing their tempers, this one is cracking jokes, such as, “Ben Gurion will be late to synagogue on high holidays; he is too busy with his yoga practices.” If there were a little wit—and there is none, the whole nonsense would be exposed. But as “Muslims” are almost as much attached to nonsense and egotism as the Zionists, they are stuck. And before Allah, this person is not stuck.
Tomorrow, inshallah, I am going to the Iranian consulate for we are introducing Persian ladies clothes here and they will be worn on my birthday which comes this week.
I have also found a shop which sells Arabic records and purchased Azan. My young followers, not being “Muslims” wanting it and I refused, and not being “Muslims” they wanted the Qur’anic recitations at once and got them. So I took the Walking Fikr group to the Arab record company. And this week I hope to play also one on Saadi, but think one of them will want it. My Americans want Allah and Qur’an but the “Muslims” have no time for such things, only for self-praise and international politics and don’t succeed. If they would accept that Allah is closer than the neck-vein they would succeed, but they won’t—yet.
There is a delegation of Pakistanis here that I hope to see shortly. They know you slightly. But I received a most beautiful letter from a young man, attached to their UN staff that attended my chanting Zikr and walking Fikr and is very happy and says he has learned much. If there were the slightest humility or curiosity people could learn. I thank Allah for the young Americans who are receiving the Divine Wisdom from this person. These Pakistanis and I discussed at length Data Sahib and Mian Mir and there was complete and mutual recognition on all planes, praise to Allah.
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
October 19, 1968
Sadanand B. Nagarkatti,
Anandashram,
Dist. Cannonere,
South India
Dear Ram:
It is very difficult for San to answer your very loving letter of the 12th. There is no doubt much written in the Alaya and Akasha but it is exceedingly difficult to communicate with intellectual people on this score. Indeed this letter will be followed by one to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram where they are trying to intellectualize the experiences of a great Rishi-Seer and make him into a subjective philosopher. And the very evident fact that Love is Supermind is Heart is something that they are going to learn when the “teachers” abandon “humility” and become curious.
The last but one “love-offering” was overlooked and then sent and another since then. No doubt Sam is able to give more but we are now opening a Sufi Khankah which is something like an Ashram. Sam will have with him seven devoted disciples. Unlike most Bhakti-Yogins we not only have love for Ram (where they may have, more) but love for each other, much love for each other, real love for each other and we are going to show the world with Ram’s help, that Lord Christ’s “Love ye one another” is a Truth not a philosophical maxim.
This dawned on Sam the other night. Every day without surcease Sam works for man and every night Ram manifests and gives him a new dance. It began with Dervish dances then the Hare Krishna then the Ramnam and so many dances. Some of them look very physical using touch but all are based on repeating the Names of God. When Sam was in Simla he had this experience. He was buying a ticket. A devotee came and said, “Many travel all over the world but he does not travel to God.” “How do you know I am not travelling to God?” “The lover of God is constantly repeating His Name.” “How about the lover whom God uses to repeat His Name through?” The devotee apologized. (The pseudo-devotees do not life that kind of story.)
Well now Sam has reached a state where he no longer repeats the Name (or Names of God). They are being repeated through him incessantly day and night. And at night the Vision lifts and new dances. And now Sam is going to give them. First came the Ram dance only for men. Then the Sri Krishna dance mostly for women until the end when Sri Krishna falls in love with Radha and then the women choose partners and we have a “follow of the leader dance” on Indian customs. But Sam has learned how to transmit the baraka or blessings in many forms, all based on the constant repetition of Divine Names and the new generations will look askance at their preceders who not accept that Sam received the blessings from the Sufis and from Ruth St. Denis. You can understand why the young here will not accept their elders at all. And they are accepting the God-Realty and they are also accepting the God-Reality through music and dancing and not through sermons and lecturers and philosophy.
Tell Pujya Mataji that her blessing is accepted as a Reality, and not mere devotion. It is so evident. It was so evident last night at Sam’s birthday party, where a crowd of young and loving joined. And it would appear even more real at the opening of our House tomorrow, inshallah, as the Muslims say.
The list of books is most satisfactory. Everything is most satisfactory. We shall have two homes for a while and then it would appear something big is coming. No more words—the evidences of Ram-God.
It is strange that a though Sam regards himself as a Sufi he seems to becoming transformed more like Papa. He cannot understand this. The Darshan is becoming really-real, not ceremonial. This is in accord with Sam’s aeonic mission. He never discussed this with anybody but Sri Swami Satchidananda—not even with Papa, until it was uncovered by Sufis and it will be accepted by the young, God bless them, and is being accepted more and more and more.
One receives “The Vision” regularly. Any copies of “In the Vision of God” would be most welcome and as soon as the new house is occupied and there is a clear picture one hopes to send appropriate funds. But if Mrs. McKendrick and Mr. Rowell come, this matter can be discussed with them.
In the last mail The Rejected Avatar was sent. This is supposed to have been released yesterday. Sam has much, much more inside him, and when Ram permits these things will come out. In Sam’s “war” to have Sri Krishna on his side is enough; all others seem to want, money, fame, publicity and all the worldly things which have always failed. But today there is the meeting of the spiritual leaders of the world in Darjeeling that all might join in peace, love and brotherhood and no more individuals proclaiming their private “universality” and “brotherhood.” All belong to all.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel Lewis
November 6
Dear Chester:
I don’t know whether the morning is wiser than the evening but at the moment it is more wise-cracking. I always feel cruel, but things are happening so far. In fact I wrote a letter and left it open for a post-script, feeling that something would happen. Then things happened fast.
Now you have been very kind in sending young people to me and these “kids” are not like their elders. They actually believe that an American who has studied Asian philosophies and wisdoms with Asians just might know more than the PhDeists of whom their elders are so proud. In fact they don’t want any PhDeists. And they keep on coming more and more and recommending each other. So I have to throw up “camarade” and am even sending a copy of this to Alan. For it looks now that before the end of the year I shall be having at least two centers in Marin County, of disciples. And this without the assistance of my God-daughter and her “husband” whom you sent to me originally. They are plotting and planning to do something for me.
My birthday party, given by 20 young people in Marin and the one I gave here with 30 people, mostly young, have been followed by requests to become disciples. And I have to give more time and attention to them. So much so that I am limited to one free evening a week and even that is reserved for pleasure with one or more of these young people.
Yesterday I phoned Betty to indicate that Aditha Blesh should not be particularly welcome here. This was a challenge, for if she does come, I shall be compelled to sermonize, which I do not do. It will be on the well-known three monkeys. Anyhow I have been telling that the real wisdom of the Orient—and sometimes of the Occident—is found in animal stories. These are beneath the dignity of PhDeists anyhow. But then the whole library of real scriptures of the real Orient has been given me, by default.
The other night a young man asked me what I thought of certain writers and I said, “Despite the general opinion Lord Buddha did live and some of his bones are right here in San Francisco. When you want to visit the place I shall be glad to take you, any time.” This was a sockeroo. I haven’t anything against popular lecturers; in fact indirectly they are helping because this leaves to me the whole compilation of real Buddhist scriptures. In fact I am ready to present Buddhistic-Buddhism soon at public lecturers and will be flanked by a Sangha of ordained priests, three of whom have studied in the Orient with real masters and the other with the late Dr. Evans-Wentz. These credentials, of course, conflict with PhDeism. Amen.
Well for the first time the Mosque here sent a delegation. Of course I have been in many parts of Islamic, as well as non-Islamic Asia, but won’t go into that. I ain’t no “expert.” But they want me, fortunately on Saturday evening.
The week started out symbolic. I gave a report to a group of scientists who have no fol-de-rol on free speech, humanity, democracy and what I call “filth”—to me this is the only filth there is, hypocrisy. When the professor in charge got through you would have thought I was superman. But these were dumb scientists. The democracy, free-speech, humanity people could never stand for that—nor for each other, if you match KQED. Every man a self-superman, but nobody else. Some are so much more equal.
Speaking of “filth” I seem to have a habit of running into ex-associates of Allen Ginsberg. And I stick to my position, “You and I will never agree because you are a four-letter word advocate and I am a three-letter word advocate” are therefor more simple and Sly.
This reminds me of a difficulty. I was all ready to watch a circus between Walt Baptiste and Mr. Patrick when the Pearson-Reagan shows interrupted. Of course the guy is guilty; he is guilty because he is guilty and we must not let facts becloud the issues. In fact everyone is guilty excepting thee and me but I confess I know I am more guilty than thee (Quakes not-withstanding).
The Muslims disappeared and my secretary walks in with the completed manuscripts: (a) Korean Buddhism. Of course Sam could not possibly have that but a copy will go to the Korean Consulate. Those queers prefer evidence to “expertism.” And then the one on Vietnamese Buddhism. That takes the cake and I understand the Vietnamese are going to have a consulate here.
A couple of beautiful young people came: “Will you vote for Proposition P?” I can’t.” “Why not?” “I don’t exist.” “But we do, we see you.” “That is an illusion. I don’t exist. When I saw how the poor peasants of Vietnam were being treated I joined the Vietnamese Buddhist Church. Now, prove I exist and I shall vote for Proposition P. They could not!
In fact, being a sneaky, scurvy conspirator I am planning to bring my Vietnamese colleague here and may run down around Thanksgiving to Ojai and Santa Barbara and maybe even to L.A. I think we may have a place for him here and by that time the Hawks and Doves will have some other excuses to get at each others’ throats, and, of course, ignore the humanity involved. Democracy means our self-determination for other people.
Now this is all fringe. The same night I uncovered my paper on Vietnamese Buddhism I found the complete esoteric practices of Sufi Inayat Khan and the translations of Nyogen Senzaki. I have been so busy on Korean Buddhism and Master Tai-Hsu, no time for anything else. And I have five Buddhist manuscripts alone, not counting anything from Nyogen Senzaki.
November 11, 1968
My dear Shamcher,
This is really diary entry. I have not written anything for it for a long time, yet this period has been replete with incidents. I am hoping that your affairs are all right. It is a little difficult to be concerned with each individual separately, as the circle of acquaintances, friends, and loved ones increases.
The central theme of life at the moment is the strange and very wonderful amalgamation of what Paul Reps called The School, what Vilayat called International Meditation Center and what was shown to Sam interiorly as The Garden of Inayat. Whether these are one, two, or three undertakings, they all appear to be manifesting in this growing city of Novato, in the Northern part of Marin County, which is north of San Francisco. The harmony, uniformity, and concordance of the visions of the three persons mentioned, plus the sight and insight of several clairvoyants, plus the individual reports of disciples all point to one and the same.
Paul Reps has been here. It is noteworthy that while on the one hand his appearances would seem to be sudden and totally unrelated to various schedules, they all harmonize so beautifully in the time and space activities that the internal and external harmonies are totally blended. I am not so concerned with Reps’ programs and activities, as to whether he could harmonize with Vilayat. At times I feel like a great composer with Vilayat director of the orchestra; at times I feel the reciprocal; that Vilayat is the composer and Samuel is the director.
One thing I certainly shall not do: that is interfere with the direct vision of anybody. Pure vision (Kashf or Mushahida) is a manifestation of the Divine Grace to or through persons. When I was summarily thrown out of the Khankah at Fairfax, I was assured by Hazrat Inayat Khan from the other side that there would be a great spiritual center in Marin County with considerable flat land, which we did not have there, and is not available in Fairfax at all.
To trust God in the unseen is comparatively easy. To trust God in the seen causes many people to balk. Now we trust God in the seen. In a loving mother, in a kind father, in an innocent child, in faithful mureeds, and in the inspiring teachers one meets. The simplest and most important lesson at the moment is the complete unity between a true murshid and his disciples. Sam saw this Saturday when the mureeds manifested great love and trust for each other. This is the true spiritual brotherhood.
Commentaries. The most evident harvest at the moment comes out of the interviews with Hazrat Inayat Khan in 1923. At that time he spoke of the Esoteric Constitution, the Science of Commentaries and the specific commentaries on his works, in particular, the Gathas. For purposes of clarity, and I am not even sure of the clarity, the subject will now be divided into Commentary and Esotericism.
As there are various planes in the universe, the first commentaries were necessarily discursive and intellectual. The intuition is that today Sam has enough intellectual accumulations, but he will send one or more disciples to the university to continue researches on the Mysteries.
The first commentaries were necessarily intellectual. They immediately merged into fana-fi-Sheikh. The original basis of commentary, once the ego-accumulations had been fulfilled, was the opening of the mind of Hazrat Inayat Khan. A long time after, this was further expanded with the initiations into fana-fi-Rassoul. These in turn merged with what began as “Meditations on Salat.”
The commentaries thus merged intellection, self-effacement, and Divine Expression or Inspiration through one or more individuals. Thus the drawing by a very responsive disciple which appears in The Rejected Avatar.
Presuming here that Naqshibandi or symbology is the core of the Gathas, we have gone through phases of simple art and concentration practices (Murakkabah) which begin the Gatha studies. Art thus finds it outlet. But a higher dimension has intervened in the form of dance, ritual, and pageant. One could hardly imagine the effects of three and four dimensional applications of the Gatha studies. This is what is taking place today.
We thus come into the arena of “Joy without Drugs,” or joy (ananda) playing a greater part in the lives of human beings. This also will reach a climax this coming Sunday when we have a combination work party and birthday party here. This will mean also the reproduction of the eternal (not ancient) Mysteries to the human race. These dances first come in visions at night with no explanations. It generally takes three nights before they are clear mentally. The Vision comes with no explanation. It proves later to be totally rational. I hesitate here at the enormity of these possibilities.
With them also is a most obvious increase in a manifestation of Love, not only between murshid and mureed, mureed and murshid, mureed and mureed, but all with an ever-growing circle and cycle of humanity, first in this environment and, inshallah, elsewhere.
Before going on to the next subject let us mention the meeting between Sam and the Vedanta Swami Swahananda, disciple of the great Swami Ranganathananda, who also will soon be here. It was nothing but the blending of hearts in purity and at all levels.
Ryazat. After this letter is written, at some time this morning the first serious efforts will be made to go over “the Ryazat of Inayat Khan.” Some of this work has already been completed, but neither indexed nor put in order. Besides, with a single exception, it has not been applied, nor can it be until it is properly blended with the earlier commentaries on Ryazat (esotericism) of Githas series I, II, and III. This is the very core of the inner side of the Message.
We hope to have this in some order when Vilayat returns. It consists of more than two parts. All the literature, commentary, and even artistic programs pall before the actual practices of the individual, and the cosmic results which follow such practices. Here we can distinguish between the true Sufi and the word “sufi” taken literally, figuratively, intellectually, and otherwise. No one is a Sufi through whom God does not manifest consciously. All else is vanity.
There is a scheduled forum for at least four of us, including Swami Kriyananda, a disciple of the late yogi, Yogananda, who prates endlessly about Christ-consciousness, which he limits in his teacher. In fana-fi-Rassoul one can also be in Christ-consciousness, totally contrary and contradictory to the Yogananda-Kriyananda outlook. This is the Christ-consciousness of Salat.
It is part of Sam’s ryazat to try to manifest this between now and the end of the year. The first episode took place in the home of Amin, around Christmas last year. I am awaiting the return of Vilayat to see that Amin and others be given proper recognition and titles. If Vilayat does this, it will promote world harmony.
To manifest Christ it is necessary to manifest love with tenderness and strength and strength means the Christ consciousness. It is at the same time local and universal. I am sending a copy of this to Paul Reps. I am certainly not going to negativize what he is trying to do or what he is doing. If he could kneel and kiss Vilayat’s feet, he would exhibit greatness. That is neither Sam’s test nor job.
From the last news Vilayat is fulfilling his dharma and true purpose in life. I don’t think we can ask for anything more.
With all love and blessings,
November 12, 1968
Miss Deborah Churney
266 Zoe St.
San Francisco 94114
My dear Debbie:
You may be surprised to get a letter from Murshid. Last century there was not much material on Sufism but there was a book, Letters of a Sufi Teacher. The advantage of this was that a teacher was instructing disciples and not writing a book. It only became a book by accident.
Now Murshid is concerned with all his disciples but not necessarily in the ways of tradition. Murshid has been concerned because you have not had a settled home and yet Murshid is not telling you to stay here or there. The advantage of settling is that you can build your own atmosphere and be comfortable in it and go to it for refuge. What you do otherwise may be your own concern, perhaps must be your own concern. And if Murshid had any advice or instructions it would be to do your payers and practices there, perhaps burn a little incense, especially at the beginner. You are not too far from The Candle Shop on 17th St. where they have all kinds of incense and a lot of lovely things.
You are now with loving mureeds. It is hard to say how happy Murshid was on Saturday where all the mureeds in the dancing class showed so much love and affection and consideration each of everybody else. Earlier in life Murshid met Hazrat Inayat Khan and a strange almost prophetic like man of Jewish ancestry named Hugo Seelig. They talked about the coming age but they never lived to see it really. Hugo lived a long time and everybody loved him but also he did not have a settled home which was most unfortunate for him. I could tell you a lot of stories about him. I feel I am getting all the rewards for what he sowed, but life is like that.
Other than being settled Murshid has not much to say. Murshid has to be your father and mother and grandfather and spiritual guide but not the sheriff or boss-man. He has learned to worry and be concerned with his mureeds who are like a great big loving family. He has never seen anything like it. Everybody talks and you can find all kinds of books and hear all kinds of sermons but the manifestation of love you seldom see.
After the dancing class some of us went to Chinatown to see my longtime friend Chingwah Lee. He is a collector of Chinese art goods, a wonderful collection of a wonderful man. I hope you have time during your Christmas vacation to visit him and also William Clary who has spiritual art, fine and wonderful. We used to go there when we had the walks before the dancing class.
After that Murshid want to visit a Swami, the new Swami for San Francisco whose name is Swahananda which means “the bliss of heaven” or something like that. It was like two lovers meeting. It did not matter what we talked about. Murshid told him tales of his guru, Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj, who will be here soon. Those stories make fairy tales seem blah. They are all true but older people don’t like to hear them so Murshid stopped talking. He has had a lot of experiences with saints and sages and holy man. They are in the diaries and also in the notes, lots of them. Soon Murshid will get on the Vedanta notes and send it to Swami Swahananda.
The next “love-experience” came on Sunday. We went out to do some Dervish dancing in Golden Gate Park. We had some children. We have a prayer; “Open thou our hearts that we may hear Thy voice which cometh constantly from within.” Hazrat Inayat Khan had a lot of disciples, and they liked to pray and they encouraged others to pray. But they did not believe in their own prayers, they were not very convincing. Most of them—and some still function—do not believe that God is constantly talking from within and from within everybody. If we could listen we should be happy and the whole world could be happier.
So we did the Dervish dancing with more elements and items for the young and they and everybody loved it.
Then we went to hear Paul Reps. He says he will be back on Saturday, November 24. This is most convenient for we had already arranged to have the dancing class at Amin’s in Corte Madera and it will only take a few minutes, for the dancing class ends at 3:30 and Reps’ session begins at 4 o’clock. This is very easy and shows that the Sufi “Love, Harmony and Beauty” is real, not just noise-words.
After the evening at Sausalito most of us went to Corte Madera and we did the “Hare Krishna” dance and Murshid put on the “Ramnam” dance and added the new features to the Dervish dancing. Everybody seems to love these dances. We dance in the Name of God and yet have more joy, more love, more consideration and no speeches other than the dance explanations.
We are going to go over these Saturday here and then begin “The Wheel Ceremony” which is the outcome of the ritual “Sun Dance” and “Moon Dance.” Murshid learned from his friend, Leonard Austin, that he is restoring the ancient mystery dances. Of course. Both Ruth St. Denis and Hazrat Inayat Khan taught Murshid how to draw right out of the ethers and so Murshid will do that and some day the world will accept it all. As these come from “the heart of God” so to speak, it does not matter how much older people reject—mostly by refusing to examine at all. That is all right. They are not ready for such things. They like to discuss mysteries but are very much afraid of them.
Now, Debbie, you have two very great virtues and perhaps are not even aware of them and this is most wonderful. And if you gain in the self-expression that also will be fine. Do you know Murshid must have 50, maybe more disciples, and he hardly knows the faults. He watches the way they walk, they breathe, they dance. Of course sometimes they give Murshid their charts and then he knows about their weaknesses but this is only to correct them, not to analyze them. There is no fun finding people’s faults and there is a lot of fun in showing them how to breathe correctly.
But in the new forms of Dervish-Zikr-dancing not even that is necessary. They become attuned to Murshid and mostly in love and it is very, very easy.
I can’t promise letters. Murshid never knows what he must do next but be always listens to the Voice from within. After the class this Saturday there will be a party for Shirin and Mansur in Oakland. Many may want to come, but they will have to pay for themselves. Murshid is paying just for the “family.” Then Sunday we are going to have a great big work partly and all these dances and maybe more. Hope you can come.
Love,
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco, Calif.
November 24,1968
Sadanand B. Nagarkatti,
P.O. Anandashram,
Dis. Cannonere
South India
Dear Ram:
It is in great joy that one acknowledges your letter of the 17th. It is not necessary to reply in detail, but Sam feels he must report in detail, though sometimes as now, it is for his diary records.
Almost everybody can speak on mysticism but the mystic, but there is now a New Age when not only are the young having more real mystical experiences than their elders but they are far, far more open to speakers who have manifest light, with or without university formal education (the chief requirement to become an “expert” though in the sight of Heaven it is nothing but egotism).
It is exactly eleven months since Sam had his first transcendent experience in public in a house at Corte Madera, California some 15 miles north of here. It began a period wherein Sam became more and more a “Papa” for the young and an enigma for the not so young. No doubt it is necessary to have the shem mysticism of the intellectuals but as Sam has always written:
“When the gods arrive, the half-gods go.”
The wonderful visit with Swami Swahananda has been followed by a visit of Dr. Thish Thien An form Vietnam. Thien is Vietnamese for Zen-shi in Japanese, that is one has had real Zen experiences, samadhi rather than “satori.” When Dr. Thien An came into this room it was like the Self entering and the all-pervading atmosphere was marvelous. Sam gave the Lord Buddha’s Yoga ending with the attainment by breath of Love, Joy and Peace. It is very real for the young, as real for the young as it is impossible for the professional lecturers. This made it easy for the speaker who is the very incarnation of what Sam has been teaching.
Sam has not met many Vietnamese but it is most disturbing to those who called themselves “Advaitins” because in those meetings there was no sense of “self” and “other” but only of the real all-pervading consciousness. This made it so easy for the speaker, and equally easy to the young receptive audience many of whom have been or are still Hippies, but most of whom have risen above the use of Psychedelics to areas of Joy far beyond the experience of popular lecturers and writers.
We had to prepare for the coming of Mr. Paul Reps. But it seems that Ram Himself had something to say. Sam has received many visions of cosmic dances at night but yesterday at the house in Corte Madera he was suddenly taken into the mystical stage and state of mystics and gave the Ram-Sita dance, first version. It was as obvious to the young in the class as it is adamantly rejected by the “experts.” (see below). We then went in Joy to meet Mr. Reps.
Now Paul Reps has been Sam’s spiritual brother for a very long time and we both have also been accepted by the real Zen masters and the Vedanta leaders. We both see the One Truth beyond but Mr. Reps thinks “secrets” have been lost and nothing has been lost at all. It is merely the refusal of authorities and experts to grant interviews.
Sam came back from the Orient with piles of mystical and esoteric material. In the case of Yoga and Vedanta Sam tried in vain even for interviews. A single professor, named Pande from Nagpur gave him an interview. He turned some of the literature over to this man and copied it. And it is a “secret” but it is only a secret because scholars and “experts” refuse to look it. So this means—according to Buddha’s teachings—that the esotericism belongs to Sam. Only it will be given to the ward and is as fast as it can be assimilated.
The same is even more true of Buddhist and Sufi teachings. The Buddhist or rather Buddha-Yoga was demonstrated for Thien An. The Sufi matter is being given out in Dervish Dances. And now also we have the Yoga dances. These are in the sphere, the Alaya, the Akasha, they are real and they communicate Joy and Love and little need for lectures and emotional appeals.
Mr. Raps was surprised by the rather large audience as there was no advertising (so was Sam). Sam differs from Mr. Reps that there are lost practices. As the first person in history to become a Zen-shi, Guru and Murshid all in one Sam gives out, or has all the practices and methods alluded to by others and many, many more. But the first thing is to make the Love and Joy and sometimes the Peace conscious overtones in the lives of devotees. This is exactly what is being accomplished.
When Sam arranged the first dervish dances he was as amazed as Paul Reps in the number who joined and it was so evident that the repetitions of the Names of God do bring Love and Joy consciousness and no seminars, lectures, sermons or bashing is needed. But on account of the occasion we also put on the Ramnam dance by those who have practiced it. It adds to Love and Joy the unity consciousness, demonstrable in dancing and totally effective. For the Yoga of repeating the Names of God is a real Yoga and not any theory or lecture. It is totally real, exactly as Papa taught, real realizable and effective.
The result is that we now have a growing number of young people repeating Names of God in Joy, both Arabia and Sanskrit. Only last night in Dervish dance we were joined by both Yoga and Buddhist devotees, and by some who have no religious inclinations at all.
Sam has not heard of his disciples in India. The Love-offerings are easy and we are now making some efforts at organization. Sam wishes collections to promote the spirit of self-sacrifice and not for the purpose of building up any treasury. He will be spending most of the next few days, including Thanksgiving at the Khankah, The Garden of Inayat. There is being demonstrated Love, Joy and Brotherhood, also the Karma Yoga of people who work with hands and not just tongues.
The spirits of Papa and Mama are certainly with us. Even the Muslims whom Sam has met recently accept the primary of a God of Love, Joy and Tranquility and the essential “truth” of all religions.
Love and Pranam,
Samuel L. Lewis
Monday, December 9
My dear Julie:
This is a sort of prologue, a preface, a preparation. Dara is back and he is very enthusiastic about Auroville. Sam has no time for argument only for action. It is only in this crowed schedule it will be necessary not only to meet Dara but to some of my (non-existent) Sufi colleagues. Your so-called associates refuse to recognize our existence and we are now prepared what they, the renowned Karma Yogins and Purna Yogins have no time for—action either to cooperate with or actually help a real World Project.
The metaphysical mind is strange. It conceives others as living in vacuum, and it is most difficult to convince them of one’s past and mostly it is useless to try it. If Dara is willing I shall show him the real ropes of the worlds of reality, beginning at the Indian Consulate. He shall try to find if Auroville qualifies as an educational institution, etc. There are ways of getting things very reasonably or freely. Your so-called associates who claim to be followers of Sri Aurobindo have a blank wall against my reports or suggestions whatsoever, and it is useless to try to tell them anything.
It is not only Rockefeller Foundation but a number of corporations large and small, known and not so known, who have offered Sam free models or machines for demonstrative and teaching purpose. This is more universal then is known but Sam gave it up because your so-called colleagues do not respect him as a fellow-human being. If they had they would have listened to how to get things for Auroville or for themselves but they all have in common, and in common with others the Brotherhood of Check-Book contributions. No Sri Krishna, just Mammon and think that if they get enough mammonian help they are going to bring in the Kingdom of something or other.
They welcome VIPs while excluding Sam. I just heard that two veddy-veddy VIPs on Asian Philosophy met each other the other night and are thoroughly worn out. They had the qualifications: European birth and PhD degrees. That is it. Their articles are accepted everywhere. They are “famous” and important and they are at the receiving and of the check-book contributions. This is typical but it is worn out—the young don’t want that.
It is with no great pride one must point out that the latest accessory to Sam’s audience is a nephew of Judith Tyberg. If we get him we shall tell him all we can, not only about Auroville but how to help in practical ways. In fact a good deal of Sam’s life is now showing how to construct and operate a commune of sorts. Of course “mine” is based on the hard, hard fact rejected your colleagues that Sam is an operative Guru, although the Sufi title is Murshid. There is more and more tendency in this direction. Much behind all the forth and clamor of our universities and colleagues in this direction. As the press do not want this to be published they concentrate on the melodrama. In all the radio-TV and press reports on the San Francisco State College drama you hardly see a student or professor interviewed and never any scenes of what is going on in the classroom. Classroom activities and subject matter would delight you no end and much is coming and it is this movement which involves Judith Tyberg’s nephew and others.
We are practicing Oliver Reiser’s: Project Krishna. Others take, we do. I should prefer to let Dara in and have him tell you. Our greatest achievement is the Sufi and Yoga dancing but to this will soon be added Tantric dancing and patterns. Thus we reach the young, the New Age people, Sri Aurobindo’s people, as they call themselves.
The first steps have been taken toward organizing efforts. I have never wished to form any separative movement but excluded from all the so-called “Brotherhoods” and “East-West” organizations it is necessary to do it ourselves. The first thing was to change this from a private residence to a Brotherhood house which eased both financial burdens and work accomplishments. Then the instituting dues brought in a surplus. We do not have to make appeals or ask mammon to accomplish the work of Sri Krishna.
The next is the gathering of so many real leaders of real Asian wisdom, passing this way. This will terminate in the coming here of Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj of the Vedanta Movement whom all the “good” people have refused to admit Sam ever met. It is pitiable because now the young are turning to the Orient and it is necessary for Sam to lead them away from the money-collecting degree-endowing intellectuals who fortunately are at odds with each other, so many groups call out for Baksheesh yoga. Of course I do not know what will come of it.
The publication called The Oracle is now in the hands of disciples and friends. It also has vastly increased its circulation and financial returns. It means some of my disciples will have part or full time jobs, and there are many signs that with Sri Krishna on one’s side one does not have to worry at all.
I have also been to Humanist House and will try to introduce your efforts there. I have kept away because some humanists are so much more equal than others. This has not only been my experience but I understand they are squabbling over who is the most equal. It is only that the young are coming and I shall try to get in the work of Oliver Reiser and yourself—not mine, I shall keep these apart. But they are going to have a seminar on “Religious Experience” in January. They have—and I fully agree—separated religious experience from Religion. Religion today excludes experience especially the experiences of living people.
As Dara seemed so enthusiastic and as—and here we differ from the Yogis—in Sufism teacher and pupil are one—we shall work out plans of campaign with possible achievements and let the various “East-West” groups look to Mammon while we concentrate on Krishna.
Love and Blessings,
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco Calif.
December 21, 1968
Dear Reps San:
Today marks the solstice and another climax. The last one came unexpectedly with a step forward in a mystical-spiritual direction and has brought the love and devotion of young people. This mystical-spiritual direction looks as if the application of the words of Academicians who are popular in certain cycles and so concerned with monetary charges and intellectual credentials. It is easy to convince the American public that God-consciousness is in some way connected with the bizarre, the complex, and certain terminology. This has gone on for years. But now the young want the realities of Love, Tenderness, Sincerity, Compassion, Power, Generosity, Fearless, etc. Their elders give them words, words.
Lama Govinda is here. He is, of course, among the elite. He has been welcomed by Esalen and no doubt will be by the rival academies of “Asian” studies. The stock of Reps went way up. The Lama was asked to give a simple practice and it knocked him for a loop. He had to stop and ordered silence, the only decent thing on a whole program which undoubtedly delighted some of the seniors, but not all; and which failed miserably to touch the young who actualize and not verbalize. It was this that prompted this letter.
This expectation of non-violence from a Sufi (who is never of the elite) to be used as a doormat received a stern reaction. The reaction was entirely successful. And I am sending a copy of this to Dr. Chaudhuri. I was the first man to meet him when he came to San Francisco. I have sat at his feet but the opposite is almost impossible although this did happen with Dilip Koomar Roy, once an associate of this. And with Swami Maharaj Ranganathananda coming we are going to see a new day, with real culture exchange, with real Hindus, without any more interposition of “Suez-Canal experts.” I am sorry. We could use their educated people but they have assumed the sole of spiritual interventionists between man and God.
The reaction resulted in my receiving some money due and some of this will go to Pondicherry. The elite are too busy to help Pondicherry where the disciples of Sri Aurobindo are doing things. Here it was not accepted that Sam had been there and when he spoke not a single disciple of the Ashram excepting the chairman showed up. This is our “moral and spiritual” outlook. Pondicherry needs help, and humanity needs help and these are not two causes.
The conference for The Temple Understanding was a farce. The same old sermons of the same old people and them asking the young for ideas and not accepting them. And the idea of religion without God-consciousness nearly fell. Princess Poon did her part but it was Vilayat who saved the day. And us non-existing Sufis who occasionally listen to God and don’t yap at Him all the time will undoubtedly affect the young.
With the Swami and Pir coming here within a few days of each other, this means that the School will advance. I should like some of the academicians but they have “humility” which means frozen ears. The Supermental consciousness is not just a phrase, it is an activity, it is a stage in cosmic development but apparently those who do the lecturing don’t have to recognize anybody (else). This irony is that the nephew of Judith Tyberg has attended at least two of my meeting and may be in the class on Spiritual Drama. This depends on the experience of transformation and transmutation and not on the use of these words from platforms without any corresponding exemplification.
The basis of my present program in Chanting to Singing; Singing to Dancing; Dancing to Darshan; intermingled by Walk. The rejection of my relations to Hazrat Inayat Khan and Ruth St. Denis with become in time the basis of scandal. And when my diaries are published, the world will look at dismay at the attempts of nonparticipants of monopolize the universe of spiritual attainment.
Shamcher Beorse has been here and will return. He has already conferred with the disciples who are in virtual control of The Oracle. When a revolution took place and The Oracle was acquired by the New Age people they has no direction and the directions are now in the hands of the disciple of man known as a Sufi teacher in Asia, but not yet here among the elite.
One no longer cares. Most of the staff of The Oracle, originally followers of Timothy Leary, has been affected by the spiritual dancing. This will climax on Christmas Eve when, with God’s help I hope to put on a fine Darshan about which there is no nonsense and these Darshans are very effective.
Hazrat Inayat Khan says that the signs of spirituality are Love, Tranquility, Compassion, Joy, Power and Equimindedness. These words belong to the prelates. The actualities are feared because they require ego-transformation. That is why I shall introduce next, inshallah, Spiritual Drama. It is noticeable that all religions teach this basically but deny it to other religions. What is worse, those who pretend to believe in “universal religion” are champion excluders. None of them appeared at the conference in Calcutta. They had better not.
The Lama was fatigued and it is evidently the privilege of the superman to become fatigued. The superman, the privileged may do anything including sermonizing the rest of us for out imperfections. So next night Sam called on all his disciples who suffered from fatigue and gave them one after another spiritual practices. The rejection of this by the elite and academicians will become, as I said, a scandal to the New Age.
Today Sam goes to a wedding. Matthew is the groom. When Sam met him he asked, “What is your name? “Matthew.” “Why aren’t you?” “What?” “Matthew.” Today he is which will undoubtedly annoy all the sermonizers and lecturers on Zen and transformation, etc. He has a teacher and this teacher has had more disciples having illumination that will the rest of us, spiritual and intellectual together. Which the rich and powerful and elderly sit charmed at sermons on spiritual transformation this teacher is effecting it. The New Age is here.
There is going to a New Age Coffee shop in the Haight-Ashbury District and shades of the Beatniks, they will serve bagels, too. There is going to be a New Age “thing” on Fillmore St. in the heart of the so-called Negro ghetto. This sort of undertaking is going to hit deeply into the efforts of all the dualists whose solutions are simple; “put us in charge.” The young are taking over.
Both these will be avenues to reach the young and misled, but I do not know if there is time.
The non-existing Sufis are now contacting each other and we shall have another kind of brotherhood, inclusive without having to accept this or that Ph.D. as the spokesman for the Heavens. The University of California is opening doors closed by the academicians and PH-Deists. It is the New Age.
A fire took place at The Garden of Inayat. It was soon put out. But the cause for the fire was exactly the same as that which destroyed Kaaba Allah and caused a forest conflagration where Meher Baba was supposed to come and did not. Superman does not have to obey any moral laws; they are just for us ordinary people. But this is giving us the opportunity to do some real spiritual art work and no nonsense. Shamcher has had the opportunity to meet so many of the young directly and he may be back any hour.
The house here is being changed and we have cleaned the garage for dancing. One after another of the Beautiful Names of God are being put into dance-form. And also we have more real Yoga dancing and no nonsense. I shall write this up also for Washington and Pondicherry. I have given up trying to reach people here. As Murshid tells of the story of the man who chased the horse and did not catch him and then awaiting his coming, I shall now await. You only saw a fore-shadow of what will happen to Pir Vilayat Khan and Swami Maharaj Ranganathananda. Besides the Hindu students have their own Indian Cultural movement, totally different from the academicians and Esalen. Nothing can stop truth.
Love and Blessings,
cc- Dr. Chaudhuri
December 28, Night
O Reps-san:
This is really a diary entry. This is not a complimentary letter at all, but objective. Lama Govinda has been here and being the advocate of “Infinite Compassion” apparently there is no time for finite compassion. I refused absolutely and irretrievably to attend a meeting being held for him out of town. This person who has been asked to sit by the side of great Saints, masters and holy men from Japan to Egypt inclusively is not going to sit any more beneath any European born person whomsoever, whatsoever just because he is a stranger here.
What a Zen uppercut he received! Too holy to be approached he was sectioned off with a great space to keep the yokels from contaminating his aura and the door was shut tight, even the worthy Buddhist teachers either being shut out or having a hard time getting in. The was sub-erb, that is I don’t, see how a person can get any lower than placing I Ching far above the words of Lord Buddha. Just as now one European or Englishman is lecturing on Chinese Yoga because Jung or Wilhelm wrote them up and passing them off as Taoism-which none of them have practiced.
Somebody got up and asked if he could give a simple practice. They might have asked to embrace his wife in public. Talk about Samskaras! He jumped back as if shot—the privilege of Superman, of course. He did not show a single sign of divine wisdom. And the noticeable contrast with Reps was so evident for Reps gives the audience something to do; the young love that. And they could not help contrasting Govinda (who is supermen because because) with Reps who does not depend on adulation.
Your, latest book has been received and was turned over to Srimati Fatima who is going ahead fast both in drawing and dancing.
After refusing absolutely to leave to go to Govinda, God Called! That is to say Vilayat phoned and caught me at a perfect time because the receptive heart is always ready and he will be here soon, Allah be praised. We are going to have three holy men, coming at the same time, and all from Calcutta, so to speak where Vilayat outshined all the supermen and important persons! He, Swami Ranganathananda and a Guru come the same week. The Guru is now nameless and was a disciple of Sri Aurobindo and my friends have him in tow and this is going to end the nonsense non-recognition by the so-called devotees of Sri Aurobindo who invite almost any world-famous person, or rather wordily famous person as a scion of spirituality. And this is known in Calcutta and Pondicherry—no room for the Sufis.
So the year will be a New Year. Our work in the Darshan and Dance expands. We have now two Christian rituals and I hope to start the Tantric or Mudra work soon
You will excuse me if I had to turn your book over to somebody else. The criticism is important for the New Age people are here and they are tired of the old ones. Samuel would not even look at his old friends at the Govinda meeting. Christ came that we might have life and life more abundant.
We took the young from the first to the second Jhana. This works and never mind all the “Buddhists” who bypass Lord Buddha, misquote him and have their “rump parliaments,” as if that produced enlightenment. No time for Esalen and commercialism and all that rot. Good entertainment though, cleaner than TV, etc.
Christmas eve high watermark so far. Spiritual training for New Year’s Eve. Also for the birthday of Moineddin who has the Sufi symbol on his forehead. Have not answered mail, oodles of work, and busy as can be on Inayat Khan’s material, which is so vast.
Love and blessings,
[undated, first pages missing]
In 1923, which is a long time ago, this person introduced Pir-o-Murshid to Nyogen Senzaki. They became great friends and afterwards Nyogen Senzaki wrote about it. And after long years this one has become a sort of heir-at- law of both these men. The social people of course reject this but the social people have nothing to do with holy transmissions. These are settled by God and not by man.
Each of these threads of tradition come to this person and apparently more of what is called for in Saum: Grace, Glory, Wisdom, Joy and Peace. Others speak of them, they do not transmit them.
At the Psychedelic Conference this person mentioned a famous man and everybody laughed at him. They thought it was so funny. A couple of days later the famous man suddenly showed up and ignoring everybody else rushed up to this one calling his name and we embraced. God works His way and man speaks his narrow piece without understanding. Within a week people are chanting sacred songs of the Orient, of all parts. This is the first time this has happened in America. It worked so much faster than the Universal Worship and in much larger numbers.
The Grace of God the world can neither give nor take. Now this one operates as a full Spiritual Teacher. He reaches mureeds and people through the breath, through the heart, through the light exactly as Paul Brunton wrote. The social people, the older people do not accept but the younger people, who are more educated whether rich or poor, socially acceptable or unacceptable act differently. They want the Grace, the Glory, the Wisdom, the Joy and the Peace, especially the Joy. So if one manifests the Joy they are more apt to look to him than those who pronounce words and give sermons and admonitions but not Life.
It is said of Jesus He came to give life and life more abundant. Everybody has words, they do not have the Life. So it is funny that critics find this person can reflect life. One says no change in 35 years and another says more. This is Grace. It is something the world can neither give nor take. But it can be shared; it is being shared.
You may think it funny that on one’s next trip to Hollywood one may prepare Bhakti for Sheikha. This is not the human view, it is not even the view of this person. She is full of short-comings. But she has zest, vitality and devotion. These things can be used to change and transmute. It is a question of her capacity for growth.
Following the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan it has not been necessary to correct anybody. There are prescriptions for each shortcoming—prayers and sacred phrases, concentrations and meditations and other practices. These are the medicines, not calling any attention to short-comings. To the world one may be very angry.
When one was abroad and got into arguments people said, “Why are you so angry?” This one said, “Feel the pulse.” The pulse did not show the anger, the vengeance was not animosity.
At the Psychedelic Conference this person submitted to tests and the scientists found that when the pulse should have gone up it went down, when the breath should have become course and rapid it became fine and slow. The mystic acts as he acts to help to awaken, not to correct. The demonstration showed the scientists that there is something in mysticism. The social people, the metaphysical people, the cult leaders give words, give ceremonies, give teachings but they do not always give Life.
It is very difficult to administer to each and every one. Even when these have been healing miracles, it is due to Grace not to some faculty possessed by one.
The Buddha came to take away pain and sorrow and maybe this can be done even scientifically. It is notable that all the psychiatrists one has been meeting come to see something in the spiritual teachings and the social people come to see nothing in the outer personality. This is a saving Grace. One wishes to bring Guidance not build up a political machine calling it a church or sect or religion. If the Grace or Joy is not communicated and if the personality is communicated this is nothing. St. Paul said, “Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light.”
When one started out he had one mureed and the mureed began seeing more and more light. He saw the light on all the planes and he became convinced there is something in the Sufi Message. Now many books have been published and besides the books there is a multitude of esoteric material for mankind. It only needs the moon-light heart, nothing else. “Speakest the word that is put into thy mouth as the light filleth the crescent moon.”
So one sends you and all your friends the best wishes, the best hopes and the blessings.
With all love and blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
[undated, first pages missing]
My brother has promised settlement with two months and I must keep in touch with you as to arrangements. But as my Prajna was that I must visit you and the promise of the Library and other factors came after the original determinations and also there are other signs. For instance there are two ladies in this city, the one does not know the other is here, well on in years and both followers of the late Nyogen Senzaki and I am receiving in some way or other heritages and I regard these as Sangha and not personal heritages. And someday I hope to convert a few “Buddhists” to what is written in the Tipitaka which is not read, and is even being denounced today by people calling themselves “Buddhists.”
Of course these “Buddhists” do not study Surangama Sutra and make a hodge-podge out of Wei Lang. Diamond Sutra, etc. etc.
Dr. Hewitt is in this city on a commission, “The Effect of Buddhist Culture on America.” He is-not visiting the best people, but he rather surprised me the other night. “Can you describe ‘Zen’ in a single sentence without any ko-ans, Chinese metonymies or complex metaphysics?” I did not have to finish a single sentence—just started to-quote the Bodhisattvic Oath. We are friends. Besides he sees that Eugene, Iru, Dr. Warwick and I work as a team, and you don’t find this elsewhere in the U.S. Quite the contrary. “Buddhists” don’t recognize each other and are very selective in their studies.
Ojai Valley. I went down there originally to break the stasis caused by Krishnamurti and the Theosophists. I was not very successful but a bunch of rivals came with the effect that Krishnamurti’s hold has been broken—which was the original purpose.
But it is has the strange effect. The younger generation, already in revolt against K. were looking for a “father” image and I am it. I taught them four methods of meditation as above, and others are learning this and learning that meditation is not to become empty and idiots or “stone Buddhas” but to find their way in life.
At the moment I am unable to return to Ojai and don’t want to over-evaluate people who over-evaluate themselves.
Douglas Burns is a “Buddhist.” Everything he writes is published especially by the WBF. What I write is never published. Now Doug has returned and says there are no living Arhats. That is it. He is an “expert.” His words are accepted. He denounces his own fellow-religionists. This is protocol.
Sam has found Arhats. Sam does not count. Sam has found Bodhisattvas. He has even met Enlightened Men. That is where Science and “Buddhism” part. Some “Buddhists” are so more equal than others and when they denounce each other—I don’t call that “Buddhism,” I call it “Masochism.” You may make your choice.
I have also purchased The Heart of Buddhist Meditation. I do not use this as philosophy, I use it for Upaya. This is bad “Buddhism” no doubt. But it is good Science and I shall stick to it. The writer is very broad minded and includes passages from Mahayana. There is even a blurb for Lama Anagarika Govinda. I like that.
My whole outlook is and has been toward Integration. My efforts to work toward solving food problems are based on Integration. I oppose analysis and dialectics of whomsoever. I don’t feel old.
Now more young are coming to me than I can handle for the while. I shall let you know when I can make arrangements with my brother for a departure date—we will either compel early proceedings or delay then if compelled. I should prefer coming to England first. All my “visions” to come to England this year, all my plans are based on it. Please be of good cheer.
Faithfully,
Sam
[undated, first pages missing]
The Psychological Conference met with attendance from 300-600 people excepting a couple of sessions which were overjammed. My first talk was “Joy without Drugs” and I was tremendously applauded to find that throughout the audience were many who had either been studying Sri Aurobindo or who had been to Pondicherry. But all of them were unanimous against the making of Sri Aurobindo into a guru. They see him as a prophet and in many respects he was a prophet.
The Aurobindo people here have no use for me and they regard him with awe and not with Understanding and Vijnanavada means understanding and has never meant anything but Understand. Exit the prophet, enter the priests. As usual.
Immediately after that the followers of Meher Baba tried to take over. I don’t know why they did it but they only spread confusion, made worse when the top LSD people evinced that they had gone deeper into “cosmic consciousness” then the verbal Meher-Baba-ites. The whole conference resulted in a complete change in my social outlook, establishing all kinds of contacts, etc. This leads to the denouement.
Timothy O’Leary is a cosmic explorer. He has had religious training, he has Oriental disciplines. Many of his closest associates have been to the Orient. They have broken through the lower realms of “maya,” and they have seen far more of the cosmos. We have a “truth serum” which causes one to speak the truth but now the psychedelic “drugs” firm people so they can recognize at once when others are lying. Bang, the social order.
True we can have capitalism and industrialism without the salesman and advertiser, as in Sweden. And as soon as my uncle sends for me I am going to British Columbia where they have a completely new social order which is given as much consideration and attention as the Vietnamese Buddhists. And this at our doorstep.
A copy of this is going to my congressman, Phillip Burton who is always being accused of establishing a political machine and the more he is accused the more my tendency is to go along with his blindly for in a sense he represents a “break-through” into universal dimensions and that is the world thing alike for dialecticians of Birch, Wall St., Moscow, Peiping and all else. A man who wants to stick by truth is “the enemy.”
I was laughed at at my second speech when I said Allen Ginsberg wrote he had found more Joy without drugs than with them. The chain denied this. The next day Allen suddenly showed up and it was Princess Poon Diskul all over again. “Sam!” and he rushed forward and embraced this numbskull. And when people asked him if he had found more Joy without drugs than with them he said in every case, “Yes.” The chair apologized and most warmly shook my hands at the end.
It our final session Allen led a huge crowd in chanting Hindu mantras! No wonder he is feared.
The young will leave the churches. If they can have some glimpse of the real universe by “drugs” they will get it. They are tired of words, words, words.
I am writing all this because beyond Joy there is Peace. Peace is the highest state. You know a little of my Lahore (mad) ventures. I think you feel more. You must know I am a full spiritual brother of A.A. Brohi and we both serve, if you want to call it that, the same Holy Teacher. Beyond him is the Brotherhood of Love and Peace and out of Peace all things are possible.
I met a man at the Convention who is going to get a PhD in Chinese philosophies. These are born of Peace. No matter how they express the selves they are born of Peace. I have one or two deep Chinese friends and beyond them is the Teaching which is obvious and an-verbal. But this sort of “Peace” is not wanted.
We are going to have another word-conference on Peace, words, words, words. We do not know what Peace is.
Last month Lady Ravensdale left this world. She was president of the world Congress of Faiths. How did we meet? We met exactly as you and I met, and she greeted me exactly as Princess Poon and Allen Ginsberg did. But do you think our society would accept that a top English nobleman would embrace a non-descript little American on sight? This has been my life and it will more and more and more.
The best remedy for Peace I see now is the Temple of Understanding, the inspiration of Judith Hollister who knows about you and is close to many of your friends. We shall not have Peace until we have understanding and we have to have a Temple for repose, calmness, gratitude, self-assurance and awakening of heart—not with doctrines, dogmas, priests, yelling in the name of the Divine Silence.
Today science is so far ahead. The worst bawling out in my life came from the scientists—for keeping quiet. And when I spoke on “The Saint in Everyday Modern Life” I was tremendously applauded—by the scientists. By the clergy? Metaphysicians? Cultists? Now the young will not accept these rejecters. The young want Peace or at least they reject stupid wars.
Mohammed said, “Act as if you were in the presence of Allah and remember if you cannot see Him, verily he can see you. One despairs of converting Presidents and Vice-Presidents to this. As to Secretaries State and War, one knows better. Mary Pickford once wrote “Why not try God?” I said, “Egad, why doesn’t she?” This won’t go. You just have to write the book. Peace is beyond Understanding which is beyond discursiveness. We all have it. What to do?
Your move, darling.
Samuel L. Lewis
S.A.M.
Sufi Ahmed Murad-Chisti
He-Kwang, Zen-chi
[undated, first pages missing]
When this letter is completed I shall be writing to a U.S. senator on the solution of food problems. This letter will be the results of meditation and the use of the faculty of Prajna which is a universal, all-round, direct faculty. All sentient beings have this faculty which is associated with that Universal Light about which so many talk and so few experience. And along with prajna there is the use of the One Mind.
I have no intention to try prove to anybody about the existence of One Mind or the personal attainment thereto. David Kapleau has dared to do what so many have been holding back—the real experiences and the real results of real Zen accomplishments. But Zen as it generally is, although a million times beyond the books on Zen which are not Zen at all, does not always bring the complete consciousness of Samyak-Sambodhi. Indeed the vocabulary of enlightenment which is real, complete, full and semantic is seldom used. Those who have had Satori or Samadhi are told to shut up and this is one reason for the increasing ill-karma in the world. In the scientific field those who have knowledge from and experience of are encouraged to write. It is now Saturday morning and I have been encouraged to write a paper on the selection of food problems. I am no longer optimistic but desperate. We love problems so much there is neither entertainment nor satisfaction in solution.
I saw 600,000 destitute people in one place. Today an army is occupying my experimental farm. For this and other reasons one is driven to last resorts, but one also meets friends and encouragers, 90% of the time one would think least. The other day I met suddenly a lady who has been on some real peace missions—not in the papers, of course. When one has world consciousness on does not have to depend on the papers, and one knows what is going on.
I am enrolled in two classes in Anthropology. One teacher has not only come out for reincarnation but has asked for those who have had experiences to report thereon and thereto. The Bhumis are unknown in most Buddhist circles—one definite exception there. Churches are all the same—accept our technology and you will be saved. One no longer knows what this means. The WBF has come out for Prajna and Braddha, neither of which are taught or used much. American Buddhists change their religion and remain egocentric. If you want to see people really pursuing the path of awakening go into the universities. This is too long, too hard and too encouraging. The new age wants facts, experiences, knowledge—not opinions, not personalities, not dualistic divisions.
Love is not being nice to people. Love means seeing into the essence of others and finding the same essence in them and in oneself, and working in, with and through this essence. Working for peace means hard work, suffering, sacrifice internally and externally. I had to suffer every pain that Phra Sumangalo had, and for years, and still bear up and was not permitted to “heal” him. That would have interfered with the cosmic dream in which we both play parts. I have until now been ignored by the world; he was not ignored but even vilified. We only admire the unknown, or unreachable. Yet all of us are made of the Same Light and all things too, and my interpretation of Buddha’s teaching or Christ’s teaching from the standpoint of either universality or realization will be rejected now, but it will not always be rejected. The scientists meet here soon and they will accept the knowledge or persons rather than the persons. We accept the persons first and then their knowledge, maybe. Thus we shall have wars.
Nobody has written or spoken on the Buddhism of Vietnam or their contributions to culture. Now I am too concerned and have received encouragement to face the world problems from the standpoint of seeing that people have food. This has been my Ko-an anyhow. It is very curious that the Zen Masters understand that and we have to stop because devotees, as a whole, are too wrapped up in personality.
In two directions, and maybe three now the scientists are accepting realities and the non-scientists select and what they carefully select they call “realism.” The Indians are fighting the Pakistanis and one thing they cannot do is to sit down and meditate or pray together. This is worse because they call themselves “Advaitins.”
Real Buddhism has inherited and continued vast elements of Indian culture. It is almost impossible to lecture on Buddhist literature in a scientific manner, i.e. explaining all terms. If a few Buddhists could and would, they would bring peace. As much of the Buddhist world has rejected—98% of the time a priori without a hearing, the very peace proposals of this persons accepted immediately by the Big Three, this person is moving his efforts toward the solution of food problems. This is still the work of the Bodhisattva. Students in the university are open to the wisdom and knowledge of experiences. And now, after years, I have received an invitation from the society of General Semantics. As they have sought this person and whatever accreditations of knowledge he has, and as this can accord and concord with efforts to help solve food problems, this person is changing his active interests.
One cannot impose the Mahamudra or alternatives on anybody. But one can impel and compel himself to work in and with it. With the last Bulletin from Bangkok, there are enough signs and inference to support the practical and let the theoretical go.
At the last Vajrayana ceremonies this person entered in and with the Vajrayana through Mahamudra and not only was in the Ananda-state but recognized others in the same common experience which obliterates the false anatta-consciousness into that state of Being where we are attuned one to another and each to the all. This I believe is one essence of the Dharma.
Now you will be facing a Sufi invader soon. The Deva-worshippers who no longer being so filled by their Archetype passing as a human (or human passing as an Archetype) will turn to him. I do not know what this means or what will happen but I have chosen to alert you.
Faithfully,
Samuel L. Lewis
He Kwang
[undated, first pages missing]
Sufism as science means knowledge of and ahwal and makamat; Buddhism as science means knowledge of bhumi and paramita; the spiritual Science of the Bible is based on Urim and Thummim. All of these are basically the same based on an ever increased capacity for absorbing the Universal Light either in states of sobriety or drunkenness. I cannot go into it here. In other worlds Spiritual Realization is experience and has no part of human speculation, dialectics and personality flag-waving. And none of the various persons who wish to leader parades is willing to accept the responsibilities for the sorrows of the world, or the pains of those in one’s midst.
The first requests of Hazrat Inayat Khan were for Grace, Glory, Wisdom, Joy and Peace. There is no nonsense about them and they don’t. On Thursday nights we chant: La Illaha El Il Allah, which means, among other things, “There is nothing to be worshipped but God.” And when I mention these things, I must say that Grace cannot be given from man to man yet appears in the name Murad. Glory is something I have seen in others, and perhaps they in me (I don’t know and don’t care.) This week I saw this in several pictures of a real Asian Art Exhibit being put out by The Asian Foundation.
Wisdom appears as both Vijnana and Prajna in Sanskrit, the one being particular and is represented by Sri Aurobindo; the other Universal and represented by Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. Joy is Joy and is communicated and shared and recognized. And while their metaphysical elders see only the personality, the young accept the direct communion. And after all in the last two years there has been a parade of saints and masters to this city, and always the same story. They recognize SAM even when they do not recognize each other; and of course he either recognizes them or surrenders to them, something which your lecture-wallahs are quite incapable of doing. They have the word “surrender,” they have now such faculty.
As for Peace, my program has been presented to Dr. Radhakrishnan and to Her Serene Highness, Princess Poon Diskul and to my local “fellow-Sarkhanians” who are never recognized by the metaphysical self-esteemed leaders, and the closest is also the spiritual teacher of the Maharani of Sikkim which metaphysical people find even harder to swallow than to recognize S.A.M. (I am not the worse one off, by any means).
It is part of the peace program to present Mauna Yoga, the system under which Lord Buddha was trained. No doubt he turned up better programs later—I don’t argue about that, but he did have a disciplinary system to which he submitted and this is one facet of that. It is a slow process but it works and I am glad you find this so.
Tonight I am initiating one of my faithful disciples as Akbar, the same name as the greatest of the Great Moghuls, who was a top Sufi (so were some of the others, but “we” do not dare teach that!) I was reading the qualities of Akbar and found they fitted this man so exactly it was amazing. There is even some physical resemblance.
In 1925 Sam has the open realization of Rama, Krishna, Siva, Buddha, Abraham, Zoroaster, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed. This was accepted Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan. It had to be rejected by all those who assayed to the leadership, properties, papers and éclat of this great man. Under similar circumstances, I saw that the real Sufis did and do, but not his followers. They grabbed; each grabbed and God had no part in the proceedings.
But I do not care about disputing because on the Day of Judgment these things will be clear and already having a fair consciousness of the continuum of life one can be patient. I do not see what is gained by proposing claims beyond one’s spiritual stature and I see no reason to dispute for there are a lot of people who will follow anybody anyhow, and I wish only those who seek spiritual fulfillment.
Of course I am interested in seeing that Dr. An has a place, whether in Ojai or elsewhere. The new president of Vietnam is a Buddhist and I am satisfied. I think Vietnam should be controlled by Buddhists who are in the majority. I also know Dr. An has a deep insight into the True Dharma into which I do not propose to go here.
The New Age is beyond sects and cults; even the cult—and it is a cult—which proposes to be “beyond sects and cults” and rejects others. I firmly believe that Mrs. Hollister has inherited the Universal Religion structures and we may see in Washington, God willing, that which should have been built in the Holy Land and was not.
The practice of the Presence of God is the greatest help in all our troubles.
I am closing now, awaiting the arrival of pupils and non-public who will listen and join in chanting and receiving in Joy whatever God puts into my mouth to tell them.
Love and blessings.
Samuel L. Lewis,
Sufi Ahmed Murad-Chisti
S.A.M.
[undated, first pages missing] [letter to Art Hoppe]
Just as in the case of the man who questioned me about Zen, I can explain many of the scriptures of the world at all levels, and the young who seek knowledge, and not personality, are either finding this out or my lack of charm is exactly what they want. Indeed I was amazed that a young lady, who has been under the influence of Swami Bhaktivedanta showed up. I have written him and know that he cannot listen to me and I can listen to him. Swamis and Gurus, like clergymen and “experts” are very slow to listen. This is the tragedy and it is not a question any more of philosophy or so-called “morality” but the young are disgusted. They want knowledge and not superflage.
Paul Brunton who lived may times in India pointed out three ways to “liberation”—through the heart, the breath and the eye. Now I teach all kinds of breathing exercises from many sources and I find hardly anybody believes it. But I took yesterday as disciple a former prize-fighter and demonstrated the “spiritual sciences” by showing him how to walk up hill full speed. This is a far cry from complicated metaphysics which delight the elderly and gullible and pass as “Oriental Wisdom.”
Ford Foundation dared to apply real Indian philosophy to problems of agriculture. The press and Washington do not recognize this. Not have the Indians excepting on paper. But Dr. Radhakrishnan knows this.
Still in teaching the ways of Breath, I find these people want the ways-of-heart, which is much purer Yoga than our superficial journeys into Asana-Vada, which means simply physical gymnastics derived from Patanjali Yoga. Ninety percent of Patanjali Yoga remains unknown, besides it is not “exciting.”
Fortunately I am not alone in the programs for the “hippies.” In Pakistan I spoke once to 20,000 people on “Big Brother” and I had to act as Big Brother. This is “impossible” here. No American attended that lecture but you can be sure a number of communists did. But they were frustrated in trying to heckle me. (I think I wrote that the mob turned on them in India when it was tried. But no “self-respecting” America can learn from this. We have to out-argue them with dialectics.)
My next project will be to write to Pakistan also on an overall Food Program plus Desert Reclamation. I have written you on that already. And the young, unlike the old, will listen to the little man who has been there over and against all those delightful forensic “experts” who have not.
Between the reports on the Kennedy assassination, the investigations in Laos and the blank refusal to permit any talks on Vietnamese Buddhism, I am shamed to predict success in England. I have to spend a thousand dollars to “expose” dialectical America, but at the same time I can defend scientific-technical America which is interested in facts, facts and more facts.
It was interesting that my new contact from Colgate last night spoke in awe of His Excellency, Sir Zafrullah Khan. At least I can talk with and to this man as a “democratic equal.” He respected my credentials, my contracts, my experiences. Just as Mrs. Grady did the other night, just as the Asian diplomats did the other night.
Art, I am proposing we can help the world by proper over-all food programs drawn from “How California Can Help Asia.” The old, the self-respecting, the self-satisfied, are not concerned; the young want it. The young want facts, the young want information, the young want love and they get it from the person who as able to speak as “Big Brother” to twenty thousand Pakistanis but until recently not to twenty Americans.
What I am afraid of, Art, is not war, not bloodshed but the gradual increase of laughter from the young toward those whom we select, totally artificially as the “experts.” No man in the scientific world could possible assay to leadership the way we have selected members of the Cain etc., or ivory-towered pundits. The scientists demand facts; the young demand facts and the world cannot remain half-tree, half-dialectic.
Faithfully,
Samuel L. Lewis
[undated, first page missing]
Samuel called on the top Sufi: “I have a God-daughter to whom I wish you would give Bayat. The disciples were adamant: No Women. The Sufi Sahib, who does not verbalize “love, harmony and beauty” and make a shamble out of them by doing something else, said, “You bring her some Thursday, which is the day for women here.” So Samuel brought Saadia. Sufi Sahib was ill and Samuel, who does not ordinarily do anything, gave a spiritual treatment. Sufi Sahib was healed and then said that Samuel could bring Saadia in and Sufi Sahib took one look, “She is different. She is all right.” She was given Bayat, and when we came to the assemblage next week (Samuel was not there) all the men fell in love with her and asked forgiveness of God. (This could not happen in the East where metaphysical people are called “mystics” without God-consciousness, but now it can happen.)
It was only after Saadia had the Divine Illumination that Samuel accepted the full responsibility of being known as a Sufi and as a Murshid, even as a Pir-o-Murshid. “Claims do not make the teacher; it is his teachings that make the teacher.” Or “It is the mureeds that make the Murshid.” One does not impose the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan on Western “Sufis” but some day Allah-God will have something to say of this. In fact He is already acting.
Samuel had a God-daughter in this country. She was once married to Paul Reps who thinks he is the elect of God. Although he was outside the door while Hazrat Inayat Khan was sending for Samuel, six times—of Pir-o-Murshid’s will, not Samuel’s, it has made everybody angry with Samuel and so in the West mostly they reject, and in the East they accept absolutely. They do not use the word “surrender” like we love to use it; they surrender and no nonsense. I the West we use the word “surrender” as a substitute for surrendering.
The God-daughter rejected Samuel and that week another lady walked in and Allah said, “This is your new God-daughter.” (Mystics have divine experience and metaphysicians call them egocentricities.) Now this week this God-daughter also has the Divine Experience and she long-distance Samuel. This is what the Murshid lives for, to have disciples with the Divine Experience.
Pir-o-Murshid said, “Pleasure blocks and pain opens the doors to inspiration. And Paul Reps who was outside the door during the Six Interviews with Inayat Khan, now rejects them and what Pir-o-Murshid said (this is the Western substitute for “surrender”). Reps has plenty of money for Reps and for Osawa but he had none for Vilayat. He dare not live in Los Angeles, he has to hide out and write praises of himself and Osawa but he had none for Vilayat. He dare not live in Los Angeles; he has to hide out and write praises of himself and Osawa but never of Inayat Khan and Nyogen Senzaki. Besides he got from Nyogen Senzaki something this person never achieved—public excoriation! Till now one has kept silent about it. Reps is able to teach anybody anything but he cannot learn.
This is very fortunate because the young do not want older people around at all unless they can clear themselves. Every time Samuel gets a block from an older person they consider it a great virtue!
Now there are two young women here and one was the God-daughter who has had the Moksha experience. The other is Sheila who spent a long time here yesterday. One of his will refused to recognize her as Sheikha until you, Bhakti, were assured of yourself so that there would be no seniority on the young. Otherwise they would not learn humility. But Nancy, the God-daughter and Sheila loved each other at night and believe they were sisters in former 1ives. Anyhow God-Allah has pointed them out to me as great people for the New Age. Sheila has a large number of young children whom she is preparing to train as Pir-o-Murshid wanted.
Then this morning is coming Karl who has not yet received his spiritual name. He has the Sufi symbol on his forehead and not all the metaphysical people and claimant can change that. The future people will laugh at claimants when they see a God-realized soul with the Sufi Symbol on his forehead Murshid appears and says, “Check his birth, he was born after I died, and may have inherited from me.” (Murshid’s horoscope was once published and then withdrawn.)
All yesterday to the young. Last night late came a Jinn-soul, a beautiful young woman who is a Jinn and who knows she belongs to another evolution. She knows this. But she also has a different sight and knows all of Samuel’s outer personalities so easily and has them always right. Older people judge, she sees. (There is nothing perfect in what she sees, but it is very plain what she sees and correct.) And she is afraid of older people. What she needs is a mother. But because a Sufi can do what metaphysicians cannot or do not do, Samuel asked God and there is another Sheikha who now wishes to come back to Samuel and she is going to be entrusted with this soul as Mother. For we are going to restore, inshallah, the Divine Mother and no nonsense about it and no rejection from the various “universal brotherhoods” mean anything. Let them reject, God bless them. The Divine Light is in all forms, the Divine Love in all beings.
There was a man who came for a while and said, “God has sent me to be your spiritual teacher.” Samuel replied: “Yes, and I will accept you as my spiritual teacher if you can point out which people in this audience God did not send to be Samuel’s spiritual teachers.” He never shows up any more but as the Divine Light is in all people, all people, all people, now the young come and come and come.
Today also is a day of retribution. The same thing happened in Buddhism where we have a lot of popular lecturers who are afraid of Divine Light. They are not afraid of lust, greed, anger and all vices; they are popular and their books sell. On the Holy Mountain of Japan Samuel was initiated to purify the dharma and the metaphysical people don’t like that. They call it “egotism.” Samuel has his records and the metaphysical people call it “egotism.”
Now a friend has taken over the Buddhist studies at the university and Samuel can now present years and years of research and the dharma-transmissions he received from real Masters of the real Far East—he can name place, time and all else, but the metaphysical people posing as “mystics” reject that. Let them. God will have something to say. And already the top Ph.D. of the University of California has accepted the divine experiences from Samuel which the metaphysical people call “egocentricities” and the Sufis and Roshis call “realization.”
So despite a lot of rejection of “Six Interviews with Hazrat Inayat Khan” by good people, Samuel is now sending his reports to universities, just as Pir-o-Murshid told him and the universities are accepting what people who call themselves “Sufis” will not even look at. And there is no question that as death approaches Mrs. Duce up here is getting nervous. Baba has not spoken and God never ceases speak through all forms, all people, all everything. Time is on the side of the Sufi, also eternity; and neither on the side of the metaphysician who always calls the real mystic an “egocentric.”
One thing Samuel agrees with Reps is not having a closed school—it is open, only the Sufi part is closed; all the rest is open and Yoga system after Yoga system, breathing practice after breathing practice is imported, and all day and night are dedicated to God-Allah without surcease. And the young accept the history of the Robe and the metaphysical people posing as “mystics” refuse even to look, God bless them.
This city saw in turn Shaku Soyen, Inayat Khan, Tai Hsu and other masters come and go and leave their etheric and akashic prints and any clairvoyant can pick them up. They are all here in San Francisco. Even bones of Lord Buddha are here, and I spit in the face of the so-called “experts” on Buddhism who deny his historicity. Anybody that says “Buddha never lived” gets applause and money and fame, yet some of his bones are right here in San Francisco
Maybe this is all a defense mechanism. Last night Virginia saw the true “Samuel” and was right on every point. But one is very careful in public, not, most certainly not for traditional reasons, but because of the growing number of people with awakened Third Eyes.
One only prays for secretarial help, and inshallah it will come. The future generations will ask why, if Samuel has “The Complete Ryazat” of Inayat Khan and has been recognized by all the leading Sufis of many schools, how come the West rejects! There is more. The next step has already been taken in Asia, and more and more Sufis will appear, excluded as they are from the “universal brotherhoods.”
God bless you,
[undated, first pages missing]
My last great outer initiation came when Major Sadiq and I were hounded and persecuted by communists. It is a long and bizarre story and when people get out of their egocentricities they will find that Sam Lewis had to free far more than the hypothetical John Birch.... We then met Sufi Barkat Ali and instant recognition.
The robe given was a testimonial to Sufi beliefs and practices totally different from what one reads in books. And unlike the “Perennial Philosophy” of a brilliant semi-fictionalist, there are some who live this perennial philosophy and have the realizations of it. And so—and there is a moral law and there is karma—while the “good” people and the metaphysicians refuse to listen, one by one the universities are accepting and doors are open wide all over. So we shall go into them.
Pir-o-Murshid wanted me to have charge of the work of bringing mysticism to
the universities. The “good” people both in Europe and America rejected
that. But is has come and all one has to do is do.
My only prayer is that one get money for secretaries. We have to consider this
carefully. The young are not going to accept separated and separative
“universal brotherhoods.” And regardless of all the rejections by the
“good” people this one has I believe, been the first person in history to
be recognized and had communion with spirituality realized souls not only of
the Six Faiths of the Universal Worship but also with Taoists and
Confucianists. So the “good” people will go one way and the New Agee will
go the other.
As Princess Poon Diskul said to me, “Books, books, books!” all Americans know is books! If you think I am an unprepossessing person, you should see the Princess! The smallest, most insignificant person I have ever met (smallest, other than being a dwarf), and the most powerful woman both spiritually and politically on the face of the earth. She would not have a chance in Ojai, she was rejected up here. This is our may. But the New Agee does not think in such terms. They want the realization themselves, not brilliant talks, and by God and before God, they are going to have it.
One is in total bewilderment but I am always aware that Pir-o-Murshid said, that at the end of forty years there would be the fruits of one’s efforts and before God these are coming within, without, above, below and it is only necessary to keep on even keel.
God bless you.
Copies of Shamcher,
Sheikha Bhakti, Marian.
[undated, first page missing]
Very gradually one finds oneself the mentor of a growing number of young people who are sick of the empty words their elders give them. Many want to learn the real cultures of real Asia and are now accepting my colleagues and myself who are recognized allover Asia, but not here, no, my friends, not here. Yes.
The big break comes that in the offing of these young people are some wealthy men who are more at odds with the moral and psychological aspects of our society than even the most rabid youth. They want universality and are sick of a “society” which will not permit it. I personally received no less than six requests from “Universal Brotherhoods” operating in different parts of the world, all seeking funds and ignoring each other, If you add to them the cults of California you have a pretty confusing picture.
But now some men with money want real Asian cultures and at least we are going to explore these possibilities. The practice of radio, press, publication and churches to accept self-constituting “authorities” as spokesmen for Asian cultures is no doubt a high form of entertainment. But the young and some not so young want something more than entertainment. The number of “Peace Corps” veterans who have been wrongly briefed is increasing. Not the idea of the “Peace Corps” but the inexcusable practice of accepting non-American, non-nationals as “experts” for many parts of the world.
The idea of having an institution where Americans can learn real Asian cultures is old, but the idea is implemented here not by select social choosing of “experts” who are generally loathed in real Asia. “Asia Foundation” has demonstrated we can have a better world by sitting down together with Asians.
Recently a Rabbi came here from Jerusalem. It is against all premises that he should call on a man with my “credentials” or pretensions. Yet we met and embraced. Only the death of his father has prevented our coming together and we may be able to work out a program of amicability for the Near East. We have our contacts, our knowledge and our programs and we both believe man can meet with man despite all bureaucrats, diplomats and “modest” accepters of peace awards who run to cover every time battling starts.
As this world seems to be operating under a law of “compensation” rather than under any subjective “justice,“ you may not be surprised to learn that a friend of mine is taking over Buddhist studies for the University of California and I am now able to present many, many years of research, and all the material rejected, and mostly a priori by our “peace” groups and good people will be on record. I shall certainly keep “Asia Foundation” informed, and shall continue the search for “angels” so that money may be available for honest meetings of peoples of different lands without any of the superflage which has been so prevalent.
Everything looks fine from this end.
With all respects and greetings,
Samuel L. Lewis
[undated, first pages missing]
The Church of Man. There is a woman in this city who is quite wealthy and joins spiritual movements, tries to control them, leaves them and joins another movement and on and one. She has, among others, deliberately made herself my enemy.
She met the Rev. Blighton, fell in love with him, and suddenly on a whim proceeded to get an annulment. In his misery I was sent to Rev. Blighton (Earl) and he wants me for the instructor in World Religions. I have been watching him take disreputable young men off the streets, usually ex-deviates or former LSD users, and bring complete spiritual regeneration. I have seen nothing like this in America in all my life.
I have been in many parts of the earth, seen many religions in action but never so much rapidity in spiritual rebirths. Tomorrow morning, before this can go to post, I hope to give my first Bible lesson there.
Elsewhere. I have not been particularly successful with the young but there is a man who keeps on sending people to me. He came in despair and claims I saved his life by prescriptions of meditation and breathing and wishes me to teach his theatrical troupe. This will come next month.
You have been very loyal to the Cause of God and I can only hope and pray that God will give you that recompense which will surely be yours in the next world, if not in this. I can only keep reminding you that Toward the One, the perfection of love, harmony and beauty—united with all the illuminated souls who form the embodiment of the Master the Spirit of Guidance is a reality and not a belief. I am sure future generations will accept this.
With all love and blessings to you both,