The Diaries of Murshid Samuel L. Lewis

The writings Murshid S.A.M. characterized as "Diary" were those that he felt would best record the significant events of his life during those years. These writings are indeed a rich source of information about Murshid’s life, how he lived it and who he really was as person.

Here you will find details of his travels and the many people he met. For instance in 1956 he travelled to Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Pakistan, India and England. In late 1960 he went to Egypt moving on from there in March 1961 to Pakistan where resided for some months. In 1962 he travelled from Pakistan to India.

The diaries reflect his relationships with friends and his diverse views on a multitude of subjects including peace, religion, spirituality, politics, horticulture, his poetry, his spiritual teachers and the Dances of Universal Peace. His final trip out of the USA was in 1970 when he participated in the Congress of the World’s Religions hosted by Temple of Understanding in Geneva and he also revisited England.

Many of the Diary entries were sent to individuals as letters and so also appear in the correspondence section.

The Poetry of Murshid Samuel L. Lewis

Turn aside, O reader! Turn from everything but your heart.
Get outside, O reader, get out from everything but your love—
A single demonstration of the metaphysical,
A single perturbation of self-gratitude,
And the message of this poetry is lost.
                                                               Rassoul Gita, (An unfinished epic by Murshid SAM)

Although several major epic poems were published during his lifetime and others in the few years following his death in 1971, Murshid’s poetry has not yet been given the attention it deserves. There was always a sense that much of his work especially in the last few years of his life, was written for those who would follow in his footsteps. He wrote many times that he felt would be appreciated more when he was dead than when he was alive. “It is quite evident now that after my death, or before, my poetry will be exalted...” This is the great gift he gave us and after almost fifty years since his passing it remains a lasting legacy to be fully acknowledged, read and enjoyed.

Murshid S.A.M.’s deepest mystical experiences and spiritual realizations were perhaps most completely expressed through his poetry. His major poetic works reflect his inner attunement to and effacement in many of the Divine Messengers and without doubt they are profound esoteric teachings.

A significant turning point in Murshid S.A.M.’s life took place in 1925 when as a result of having had a “complete nervous breakdown” he was sent on a ten-day spiritual retreat by Murshida Rabia Martin. During this retreat he experienced a number of visions and states of consciousness. As he puts it “The Great Visions took place in 1925 when this person went into the wilderness, presumably to die. Instead he was visited three times by the almost mythical Khwaja Khizr. Khizr gave him the choice of poetry or music and he selected poetry and after many years great cosmic poems came but were slow in gaining public attention.” (Cosmic Language)

This experience was a major catalyst for his poetic inspiration and output. In 1962 while in New Delhi he had a further vision of significance. “When I stood before the tomb of the great Urdu Poet, Amir Khusrau, he appeared with a robe exactly the same as I had seen before. ‘I initiate you into the school of Jelal-ud-din Rumi as the successor to the late great poet, Mohammed Iqbal’.” In addition to the further impetus this offered his subsequent poetry it was also an acknowledgement of the nature and quality of his work to that point.

We present here 126 poems of Murshid S.A.M. written between 1925 and 1970. We have drawn special attention to 32 of them as they can be considered his major works though naturally there is also merit in the other poems. Overall the collection contains major epics, other longer poems and shorter ones as well as a number of early poems.

The mystical poetry that flowed to him and through him was an outer demonstration of his experiences of the inner realms; as well as offering the fruits of his own life of spiritual practice; and also represent a testament to his understanding and mastery of all of the major world spiritual traditions.

The Additional Writing of Murshid Samuel L. Lewis

Additional Papers

This section of 144 papers covers a wide selection of writings that reflect the breadtht of Murshid S.A.M.’s interests as expressed in his written work. Here you will find Papers on Esoteric Instruction, Books, Essays, Class Papers, Retreat Papers, Miscellaneous Transmissions, Prophecy, Autobiographical Essays and Papers, Notes, and Book Reviews.

The subjects include Mystical Experience, Art, Music, Poetry, Rumi, Sufism, Buddhism, Zen, Avatars, Science, Occultism, Psychicism, Prophecy, India, Food and many more.

Of some significance and worth specific mention are: Directions for Field Workers, Eight lessons on Breath, Fana fi Sheikh, an Original Sangatheka, Genuine Mystical Experience, Githekas for Mureeds Series I, Githekas for Mureeds Series II, Six Interviews with Hazrat Inayat Khan, The Lotus and the Universe, This is the New Age in Person

Additional Commentary

There are 9 commentaries. Of some significance and worth specific mention are: The Mystery of Breath, Spiritual Architecture

About the Correspondence

 Murshid Samuel Lewis was a prolific correspondent.  He corresponded with a wide variety of individuals, organizations, government agencies, and more.  We are blessed to have much of this correspondence within this archive.  In respect to the privacy of the various correspondents, this portion of the archive is restricted to "mureeds" (initiated students) within the Ruhaniat.  Please log in with the appropriate credentials to access these materials.  After you have done that, you will find these materials on the "More" menu item.  For others, with legitimate research needs, access to these documents can be obtained by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Major Esoteric Papers of Murshid Samuel Lewis

As Murshid S.A.M. was by any standards a very prolific writer it can be a somewhat daunting prospect for anyone new to his work to know how and where best to start. In this section we have selected 70 of what could be considered his Major Esoteric Papers and categorized them by subject - 25 are Original Esoteric Papers by Murshid S.A.M. and 45 are his Esoteric Commentaries on works of Pir-O-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan.

While still a relatively large body of work all of these papers are highly recommended. They are a true source of hidden treasure even if for many people these gems can pass by unnoticed. Ideally they are not to be read in the usual sense using only the intellect. While the words are reflections of the inner being of Murshid S.A.M. it is in the spaces in between and beyond the words that his inner being can be experienced. As the mind is by-passed and the heart sphere becomes enlivened you can enter that space.

Pir-O-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan requested that Murshid S.A.M., then in his twenties, write commentaries on his works. This was a task that Murshid took to heart and he continued to write such commentaries until his death. Even his earliest attempts were encouraged by Pir-O-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan and according to Murshid S.A.M. one of the last letters of Inayat Khan on his deathbed was to thank him for his efforts.

This kind of commentary is not an intellectual pursuit, it comes only with the development of insight or attunement. As Murshid wrote, “At first it looked like analysis and personal views. But as one became more attuned to the subject he found the ether, so to speak, which recorded the state of mind of Hazrat Inayat Khan and he attuned to it. He had already learned to attune to Hazrat Inayat Khan when in the flesh; now he was able to attune to the mental imprints.” As he perfected the art of commentary he wrote, “It has taken some time but now one receives from Hazrat Inayat Khan telepathically perhaps easier than one hears from people in the same room.”

In addition to the Commentaries in his own Original Esoteric Papers Murshid S.A.M. wrote about some of the deeper inner sciences which were not presented by Hazrat Inayat Khan. There papers illustrate the depth of his own spiritual realization and his ability to communicate this to others as signposts along the spiritual path. The realizations he shares come from many sources beyond Sufism most notably the Dharma traditions. The papers contained in this section on breath, heart, sound, meditation, dance and walk are especially significant.

As a recommendation for the journey into Murshid’s writings perhaps you might first explore one of the Commentaries and one of the Original papers from subjects that inspire you. Or as a suggestion you could look at the Original Paper, “Forty Lessons on Breath.” Perhaps also his “Commentary on Cosmic Language” about which in 1969 Murshid S.A.M. wrote to his friend Paul Reps, “At the present time my most important work is the commentary on Hazrat Inayat Khan’s "Cosmic Language."

Give yourself space and time. Focus on the words with awareness of the heart space and not just the head. Reading and absorbing these papers is a deep spiritual practice in itself. As you attune through the rhythm of words you also dance in the rhythm of Murshid S.A.M. himself especially if you read the words out loud. You will find as you persevere that what may at first seem to be hidden is gradually or even suddenly revealed.

The Categories of Major Papers

Breath

Culture, Religion and Symbolism

Dancing and Walking Concentrations

Healing

Inner Life

Mastery of Life

Music and Sound

Prayers and Sayings of Pir-O-Murshid Inayat Khan

Psychology

Spiritual Traditions and Human Evolution

Sufi Practices - Ryazat

For Sufi Initiators

Remembrance and Impressions of Murshid Samuel Lewis

Murshid Samuel Lewis left a deep and lasting impression on many people.  However, what is less known is how different and varying this impression was on different individuals.  This portion of the archive is dedicated to the recollections and impressions others have of Murshid Samuel Lewis.  It contains transcriptions of interviews, video recordings, and more.  In respect to the privacy of the people whose stories these are, some of these materials are restricted to "mureeds" (initiated students) within the Ruhaniat.  Please log in with the appropriate credentials to access these materials.  After you have done that, you will find additional items on the "Remembrance" menu.  For others, with legitimate research needs, access to these documents can be obtained by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The following is a list of the individuals we have "interviews" with in the archive:

Murshid Samuel Lewis' Correspondence

Murshid Samuel Lewis was a prolific correspondent.  He corresponded with a wide variety of individuals, organizations, government agencies, and more.  We are blessed to have much of this correspondence within this archive.  In respect to the privacy of the various correspondents, this portion of the archive is restricted to "mureeds" (initiated students) within the Ruhaniat.  Please log in with the appropriate credentials to access these materials.  After you have done that, you will find these materials on the "More" menu item.  For others, with legitimate research needs, access to these documents can be obtained by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The following is a list of the various individuals and organizations we have correspondence with in the archive:

The Murshid Samuel Lewis Media Archive

Murshid Samuel Lewis died on Janunary 15, 1971, in a period where audio and video recording was just beginning for the average person.  In addition, while many people were shooting "snapshot" photos, higher-quality images of Murshid Samuel Lewis and his work were captured by only a few people around him that had the needed skills and equipment at the time.  Through good fortune, many of Murshid Sam’s talks and teachings were recorded, sometimes by crude means. After digitizing and indexing we continue to work on refining the audio quality. We find these expressions filled with blessings. They contain a great range of teachings, and they offer a direct access to Murshid Sam’s vital energy.

For the audio recordings, the transfer to digital medium and indexing was done by a team of Abraham Sussman, Zahir Roman Orest, and Hallaj Jim Steele. We express our deep thanks and appreciation.

 A Sampling of Photographs of
Murshid Samuel Lewis

 This is a fairly random collection of photos, taken at different points in Murshid Samuel Lewis' life.

For high quality prints of Murshid Samuel Lewis, consider ordering them at www.mansurjohnson.com.

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If you are new to Murshid SAM’s writings this short section is to help you find your way more easily into his writings and life. The archive is primarily a collection of the written works of Murshid Samuel Lewis. Because of the prodigious amount of material he produced we have chosen to give prominence on to what we consider to be Murshid’s major original esoteric papers and his esoteric commentaries on the works of Pir-O-Murshid Inayat Khan; to Murshid’s Poetry; and his Diaries. Almost all of his known writings are however available on this website.

Papers

For anyone new to Murshid’s esoteric writings the place to start is here with Papers. We have arranged this selection of Original Papers and Commentaries into 11 Subject Divisions to allow you to browse through and choose items of interest more easily. Here you will find 70 of what we consider to be his Major Works covering a broad spectrum of topics relevant to the spiritual path of inner unfoldment.

There is a life time of study in these papers. Pace yourself, the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. First Read the section About the Major Papers to find out how get the most benefit from reading the papers. Given the esoteric nature of these papers they are not only to be read in the usual sense with the intellect. When the heart sphere is activated the depth of their meaning is greatly enhanced.

Poetry

Murshid S.A.M.’s deepest mystical experiences and spiritual realizations were perhaps most completely expressed through his poetry. We have chosen what we consider to be Murshid’s Major Poetic Works.  Included here 32 poems which are divided into Epics, Longer Poems and Shorter Poems. We have also included the remaining 94 poems as Additional Poetry which are divided into Earlier Work, Shorter Work, Longer Work and Miscellaneous. Read the section About the Poetry for more.

Diaries

What we have here of Murshid’s Diaries covers 11 years between 1956 and 1970. The Diaries record many of the most significant events of his life during those years. These writings are a unique source of information about Murshid’s life, how he lived it and who he really was as person.

Media

Additionally, the Archive is a way of getting in touch with who Murshid SAM’s direct spoken transmission in its full and naked expression. Start with some of the audio recordings Sixty Four Talks and Lectures, a collections of talks and lectures given between 1966 and 1971 or choose the video Dance to Glory excerpted from the film Sunseed by Amertat Cohn.

Downloads

All of the written material is downloadable in PDF format. When you click on any paper you will notice in the top right corner of the page the PDF symbol. This has three options: Print, Email and PDF. Click PDF and the item will download to your device. You can also email a link to the paper or print it. The audio files are also downloadable as MP3 files.