Courage
Courage! victory is thine,
The lord is thy friend and aid.
He hath held thee by His hand,
His grace lights on thee,
He is thy prop—trust Him
And thou art saved.
So faint not—fear not.
—Swami
Ramdas
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Universal Prayer
O Lord of the universe, O Creator,
Protector and Destroyer of the worlds,
I come in all humility to Thy holy feet
And surrender myself entirely to Thee.
Deign to bless me ever with Thy remembrance.
O merciful divine Master, give me strength, purity and
peace.
Thou art seated in the hearts of all;
Thou art all purity, all goodness and all love;
Thou art a veritable ocean of peace and bliss;
Thou art the lover of Thy devotees, refuge of the helpless,
Redeemer and Saviour of those who resign themselves to Thee
Make me dedicate my life to Thee and to Thy service,
By Thy grace, may peace and joy always dwell in my heart,
Thou art mother, master, friend and all to me.
Accept me as Thy child and servant
Grant me power to love Thee with all my heart,
Let whatever I do be a fitting offering at Thy holy feet.
Make me pure in thought, word and deed
I lay my mind at Thy feet; fill it always purity with Thy remembrance
Let Thy glorious light illumine my heart.
O sustainer of the worlds, O kind and compassionate Lord, God of Gods,
Give me the divine vision so that I may behold Thee in all, as all
Make me ever feel Thy constant fellowship.
May my life be guided and controlled by Thee.
Thy presence be ever with me, in me and everywhere around me.
I beg of Thee, I prostrate before Thee,
Hearken to this heartfelt prayer of mine,
And make me Thine and Thine only forever and ever!
—Swami Ramdas
Anandashram
P.O. Anandashram
Via Kanhangad, S. Rly.
India
15th July, 1955
Beloved Friend,
It is joy to read your loving letter [?] inst. You have told in it a lot of
news and other [?] do not matter, even Pronoun. What is needed is a complete
elimination of the individual sense. All the forces of our being shall merge in
the universal Spirit or Consciousness. God is all in all. Call Him any way you
like.
Ramdas is very happy to know that the younger students liked Ramdas when he
was in their midst. They are so earnest, good and loving. Really Ramdas spent
a delightful time in San Francisco.
Don’t you know that you are He? If you do not know then know it here and
now. If you know, ever revel in the bliss of the Immortal.
Yours is a fine poem. You have the talent for writing poetry. You are
steeped in Indian lore. Year thoughts are high and your heart is aglow with
faith and love.
Ramdas remembers you. You saw him at the Academy of Asian Studies. Americans
are so refreshingly frank, enthusiastic, active and kindly in nature. May God
bless them.
Hearty love and blessings to you all.
Ever your Self,
Ramdas
Anandashram
Anandashram Post,
Via Kanhangad, S. India.
1st September 1955
Beloved Friend,
Ramdas had duly received your loving letter of the 24th July. You are a
great student of Hindu scriptures and you are having contacts with persons of
spiritual experience. As such you are flowing along the current of Divine
peace, love and joy. You are a great force for disseminating a message of
Divine peace and harmony by your illuminating writings and compositions.
Smile is a reality. Cat is a myth. The eternal smile is revealed itself
through the cat. While the former is real and permanent the latter is unreal
and transitory. Truth alone is.
All Love and Grace to you.
Ever your Self,
Ramdas
Anandashram
Anandashram P.O.
Kanhangad,
South India,
Oct. 7, 1957
Beloved Sam,
It was with great pleasure that I received your loving letter of the 20th
September. We had also duly received your poem a few months ago. Papa also went
through your letter and was happy to note what you write.
It is interesting to read what you write about your family affair. God
brings about things at the right time. He knows what we need and at what time.
If we leave things to Him we always remain happy and cheerful. Your next visit
to India will also materialize if he wills that you should come here.
It is very encouraging to note that there is a growing demand for and
response to lectures on Oriental philosophy. Of course, there is no wonder in
it as people cannot find peace unless and until they turn back from the
enjoyment of the pleasures of the senses, and seek the Real. Any amount of
material prosperity is not going to give us real peace and happiness. Those who
have known this truth by experience turn towards God.
We expect the Hamiltons here shortly. I am sure both of them will enjoy
their stay in India and will gather good experience.
All goes well here as usual. We are deeply grateful to you for your love
offering of Rs. 100/- sent by draft.
Papa sends his hearty love to you. Also love and regards from
Satchidananda.
Anandashram
Anandashram P.O.
Kanhangad,
South India,
April 12, 1958
Beloved Ram,
Your letter of March 20 came to us some days ago with your cheque for Rs.
100/- in time for Swami Ramdas’ birthday. I could not reply you earlier as we
were all busy with the birthday functions which were attended by a large number
of friends from various places.
The books required by you (complete set) are sent to you by separate parcel
and your love offering is accepted with great joy.
It is interesting to note what you write about the things Indian that are
confused with spirituality and how people are after such things. People have
perhaps to knock here and there and get a good lot of hits and injuries before
they can really turn to God the absolute existence, consciousness and bliss.
We have heard about Dr. Bose who has lived with Mahatma Gandhi for a long
time.
Our friends Mr. and Mrs. Hamiltons are here. Perhaps you too are getting
communications from them in regard to their experiences of stay with us in the
ashram.
Swami Ramdas is not keeping very good health though he looks all right. He
has weakness and gets exhausted by any little exertion. All care is being taken
to see that he gets complete rest and regains his normal health.
Love and regards.
Ever your Self,
Satchidananda
Anandashram
Anandashram P.O.
Kanhangad,
South India,
16th October, 1958
Beloved Ram,
We have your loving letter of the 16th September. Kindly excuse the delay in
replying the same. We had duly received your previous communications also. It
is very interesting to read about your experiences regarding the appearance of
Jesus Christ before you.
Swami Ramdas accepts with joy your love offering of Rs. 50/- sent along with
your letter. Here the ashram activities are going on as usual. Many friends are
coming and going.
Swami Ramdas is all right in his health now and is fully engaged in looking
after the spiritual need of the many devotees who come here and who are spread
all over. That love he possesses is the type of love we have to crave for and
attain. That comes only after we realize our oneness with everything, i.e.
after we realize that “I” and “we” do not exist and that God alone is.
After this experience, love simply flows without any restraint whatsoever.
Deepest love and pranams to you and all our friends there.
Ever your Self,
Satchidananda
Anandashram
Anandashram P.O.
Kanhangad,
South India,
18th January, 1962
Beloved Ram,
We got your long and loving letter of the 9th instant only yesterday. We are
glad to know that you are planning to come to Anandashram.
Swami Ramdas’ health has not been very good in these days. He is having
some liver trouble and is advised to take complete rest.
You may plan your visit as to be here by the 3rd week of February as there
are a large number of visitors at present and we have an acute shortage of
accommodation. Kindly write to again when you are coming here.
Swami Ramdas sends you his hearty love and blessings.
Ever your Self,
Satchidananda
Anandashram
Anandashram P.O.
Kanhangad,
South India,
17th December, 1962
Beloved Ram,
We got your loving letters of the 2nd November and 5th December. Papa has
also seen them. I was away from the Ashram for a few days and returned only on
the 15th instant.
I therefore could not reply you earlier.
Your work there must be very interesting, more so as it is prompted by God
Himself. We note what you write about your new books. They must also be very
interesting. You may by all means use the introduction written by Ramabai C.T.
about Mataji. We read your article on Mataji.
All goes well here. Papa and Mataji are in fairly good health. They both
send their hearty love and blessings to you.
Ever your Self,
Satchidananda
Anandashram
Anandashram P.O.
Kanhangad,
South India
11th September, 1963
Beloved Ram,
We have been receiving all your letters all full of news about your
activities.
We thought you had come to know about the passing of our beloved Papa away
from this manifested world into the Eternal. This happened on the 25th July
after a sudden heart attack in the evening at about 7 o’clock.
Glad that your work is going or well. God’s work God makes us do. Love and
regards.
Satchidananda
Anandashram
Anandashram P.O.
Kanhangad,
South India
27th September, 1963
Beloved Ram,
We got your loving letter of the 17th, 19th and 21st September the last one
enclosing a draft for 25 dollars. We are sending you by separate cover a few
Photographs which you may make use of for your new book.
All is going on well here and we are glad to know that your work is going on
fine.
Mataji’s health is not very good. She prays that Pujya Papa’s blessings
may ever be upon you.
772 Clementina St.
San Francisco 94103
USA
May 7th, 1964
Dear Ram:
In peace, love and reverence. Papa has written so many amusing stories about
Ram that one asks for pardon if one also writes an amusing outline. The whole
life has been dedicated to hoping to bring spiritual wisdom to the United Sates
from Asia and to bring social amelioration to your country and your continent
through the application of modern knowledge to crop production that people
might have more food, and water. And a few days ago a climax was reached that
Sam has now been recognized by the scientists who want him to add his knowledge
to the store of scientific accumulation and the people of Asia have been
recognizing him more and more as a spiritual teacher. This strange document of
a long life illustrates on one level that to man does belong action and to God,
the fruits of action. And there could be a conclusion of irony that this is so,
but it is not entirely so and irony actually is a stage curtain over something
much more important.
The philosophy of the West today is that there are two classes of
people–those who know because of experience and those who have opinions. But
this has been so since the time of the Greeks. And the History of the world,
written by the Scribes and Pharisees is the story of those rejected by Jesus
Christ carrying his banner-and they still do.
A couple of months ago Sam attended a Church service, which turned out to be
amusing. Christians were listening to a Korean minister and his troubles. The
struggle between the Christians and Buddhists has given rise to a growing sect
of people who have had mystical experience and they accept Jesus Christ because
they have sand experienced him. Thus the Christians missionaries, attacking
Buddhism and folk-religion found that they were losing ground to masses of
common people who claim that Jesus has manifested to them. They have no defense
and, of course, the American people and the world are kept in ignorance of
those who have the Divine Grace and Divine experience.
The Subject was “Evangelism versus Mysticism” and in a spirit of humor
Sam told the speaker, “That was wonderful. I am a mystic.” But this was no
victory. The minister-who had lectured for evangelism against mysticism told
Sam, “So am I.” So it will seem that in this new age Ram is going to be
victorious against the Scribes and Pharisees, the pretenders and intellectuals
who have been misguiding humanity until the age of education permits man to
become free. A freedom, a mysticism at an early time would not avail. This a
new age.
The scientists reach certain conclusion because of their valid knowledge
through experience, individual and general. There is no doubt that the next
stages in science must depend on the growth of the Vijnana and Prajna outlooks.
These are unknown to the American people. With one notable acceptation, the
Vedanta teacher in general sticks to mamas and ahankara and do not enlighten
their followers. They give a broad, Universal Outlook, but it is not on the
plane of Vedanta. In some places, however, elements of compassion and wisdom
are added but not the experience of enlightenment. So one gets the Aldous
Huxleyian outlook, very broad, very tolerant, but quite devoid of heart-wisdom;
in other words, no Bhakti.
The essential difference between Sufism and Hindu mysticism is that the
Hindus who been divided into rather exclusive Bhakti, Jnana and Karma methods;
while the Sufis, also divided, have varying degrees of each. But in practice
all Sufis are expected to have considerable karma-Yoga and today one meets them
in all sorts of places, from humble peasants right up to the Vice-President of
India. This last is kept from the American public by all the people who talk on
India—the newspapermen, the metaphysical people and the wandering holy men.
Each would lose, in a sense, some effectiveness, if it becomes common knowledge
that a mystic of one type is President, and of another type is Vice-President
of India, and the only difference Sam knows is that the Vice-President has more
Karma-Yoga and the President more Jnana-Yoga. But it is real Yoga, not the
misuse of this term by Scribes and Pharisees.
Sam’s return from the Orient has on neither occasion awakened any
acceptance. It is only that he has been warned and guided spiritually not to
retreat. And as one develops in the areas of Prajna and Ananda one cannot
retreat. Even Sam’s most severe critics recognize more Ananda in him than in
themselves.
There have been series of appearances of Zen Masters in this city and it is
very amusing that Sam has been excluded from every symposium on Zen by others
and been most welcome at every gathering of real Zen monks and Zen Masters. But
there appeared in this city a Zen monk who had neither a title nor any college
degree. He spoke on his experiences and the need to communicate and commune his
joy. His lecture and discussion failed, there was no understanding. Then Sam
rose and said, “This persons teaching from real Zen Masters and this
person’s experiences have been exactly the same, down to every detail. The
only difference between us is that his Masters are ascribed to the Rinzai
School and the speaker to the Soto school, otherwise absolute agreement.” The
Chair immediately declared the discussion at an end, that the speaker had
proven his point.
This does not mean that there will not be a continuance of the substitution
of intellectual derivatives fen Zen experience or Yoga experience or Sufi
experience, or practical recognition of Ram in, through, with and around
everybody. Only the day of keeping the public and the schools in ignorance is
really a night and that night is going.
From this point on it is impossible to tell the story. Sam’s goddaughter
has won contest after contest, prize after prize in many parts of Asia and she
ascribed it to him. He is now being accepted slowly but definitely as a
spiritual guide in more and more places—excepting at home, of course. And
this is a difficulty because he has to do everything himself.
But while this has been going on his closest associate has been successful
in every commercial venture; this is growing and growing, promising Sam the
complete release from all financial burdens, and though this is an
anticipation, one must accept it. To recently he has had to be all kinds of
what the world (not he) would call difficulties.
On top of that there is a long story of a man evidently closely connected in
the aeonic Karma who was a disciple of a disciple of Sam’s first teacher and
now accepts him. This man is acting as the agent for the facing of the real
problem of real Asia, such as salinity, acidity, improvements in agriculture
and soil reforms. While the governments of the world and the United Nations
advertise their successes there are more and more pleas for the amelioration of
starvation but nothing to build up self-reliance. The results is that off the
record Sam and a Sufi brother of the West have been called on and are being
called on more and more in their private lives. Because the Sufi (like the
Sadhu) must be in a content state of surrender and the operation of Prajna is
most necessary at all times.
Sam has found out that there is no such thing as teaching. Jesus has said,
“When two are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst.” These people
do not know the Name and Sam has been initiated into the Name (not a very good
term). In this, the self is automatically affected, there is union of teacher
and pupil in Ram, with Ram, through Ram, and the wisdom comes out of the mouth
without going through the mind at all. It is all heart, but includes more mind
than the depths of mind. Suzuki has given a most warped picture of Zen, and a
still more confused picture of Indian Metaphysics, setting up Vijnana (which he
does not know) against Prajna (which he does not know). Even in Kamakura Sam
was told he was two grades beyond the professor in Zen attainment, which, of
course, the Scribes and Pharisees will not accept. (Sam has some pictures,
which caused the Japanese to Accept.)
Suddenly things began to changes here also all over. For the first time a
professor at the University of California in Berkeley Sam’s travels, personal
contacts and experiences-all of which have heretofore been rejected. He was a
complete report. Before this could be given, Prof. Von Grünebaum of the
University of California in Los Angeles came and spoke on “The relations
between Greek and Arabic culture” and to one’s amazement he came out fully
for mysticism. He was against mysticism and mystics before but as there are
many mystics now all over the world hiding behind other functions he could not
refuse facts-he might even have met Vice-President Hussein. This changed
everything.
But it also increased the subjects to be discussed with one Dr. Farber of
the University of California in San Francisco. Only Dr. Farber could not see
Sam; he was busy organizing a great food conference. To this conference came
the leading scientists from all over America. And it seems by divine grace that
they spoke almost entirely on subjects with which Sam was acquainted and not
with others.
One day Dr. Farber came to Sam, tapped him on the shoulder and said,
“There’s your problem.” Sam looked him in the eye and said, “No,
there’s your problem. Here’s your answer” (pointing to himself). The
things that happened after that were “exciting” and even more pleasurable.
Sam has to cross this country continually until the money due him comes and
then revaluate his whole life. But those who know understated that Ram is the
Being, both the Guide and guided, and that there is vast universe between the
devotee who prays to be guided; the professor who lectures on these things, and
the realized soul. Things now happen too fast, and the wheel-of-life turns.
Love and blessings,
S. A. M.
Samuel L Lewis
Sufi Ahmed Murad-Chisti
Anandashram
10th March 1967
Beloved Ram,
After a long time we got your long and loving letter of 23rd February. It
definitely contains a lot of news. Ram is keeping you very busy and He gets so
many things done for Him through you. Blessed are those who are the chosen
instruments of God. As you rightly say, it is always difficult for people to
understand a real instrument of God, because everyone sees his own reflection
in him; but it does not matter. We have to go our own way as prompted by God
within.
Here our humble work is going on as usual. Mother was not well for some
time, but she is all right now. She accepts with joy your love offering of
$20/- sent by cheque. We are arranging to send you a set of our books which you
will get perhaps after a couple of months.
With deepest love and regards,
Ever your Self,
Satchidananda
Anandashram
10th August 1967
Beloved Ram,
We have received with joy your three letters full of interesting news about
your activities over there. You are indeed a wonderful Ram, rather, a blessed
Ram. The supreme lord whom we call Ram is making you do so many things to
fulfill, of course, His will.
Very glad to know that you are reading Papa’s books and also giving them
to friends for reading. Papa’s way of teaching is very simple. He doesn’t
go into complicated philosophical discussions using very long and difficult
words. He has tried to make the most difficult subject easily understandable to
all.
The experience of Jim you have mentioned is really inspiring. Jim must have
been deeply meditating on Beloved Papa.
We are having our usual activities here. Though Papa has disappeared from
our physical midst, He is still with us so intensely that the devotees who come
here feel His presence and happily spend some days with us. Papa taught us
never to cling on to his personal form. He was all for the Impersonal—the One
who is seated in our hearts, who is everywhere, who has became everything and
who transcends everything—the Purushothama.
When we are fully immersed in the Name, our true being is awakened from
within and we realise we are the birthless and deathless Eternal Existence. We
only live in this body, use it as a vehicle and instrument to carry out the
supreme will. Therefore there is no wonder you felt you are ageless.
The very fact that the inexhaustible source of love and joy has opened up in
your heart is itself sufficient. You don’t have to put any effort to make
others know what you have or to make them taste it. You blossom like the
fragrant rose and those who come near you are intoxicated with that fragrance.
The rose does not strive to infuse the fragrance into others. Its very
existence is sufficient. So also the very existence of a God-realised person is
sufficient to radiate peace and joy in that area.
Deepest love to you and all others there.
Ever your Self,
Satchidananda
Anandashram
26th January 1968
Beloved Friend,
We got your loving letter of the 18th instant. We were very glad to know
that you have been very busy with God’s work. He is bringing to you earnest
aspirants who like Pujya Papa’s books also. It is interesting to hear about
two ladies who have fallen in love with mother Krishnabai.
Kindly let us know what all books you require. Because you have not sent any
list we are unable decide what you require. Please write to us soon.
Talks of those persons who live, move and have their beings in God, alone
can inspire the hearers. Many talk but few are benefited. God realisation is
not a joke. It is the rarest thing in the world. Blessed indeed are those who
realise God and enjoy His eternal bliss.
With love.
Ever your Self,
Satchidananda
410 Precita Ave
San Francisco, Calif.
2nd February, 1968
Satchidananda
c/o Anandashram
Cannanore District,
South India
Beloved Ram,
Your letter of the 26th has been received in love and joy. One must begin by
saying there are more than two ladies now who are in love with Mother
Krishnabai. One was here today and has asked for our book list so she can
purchase them. But it is possible we shall get together and have a big Ramdas
library.
It is very curious that one should be trained as a Sufi and when one
practices certain Sufi disciplines, especially the one known as Tasawwuri, it
is Ramdas who manifests as Teacher. Not only that Sam is becoming more and more
like Ramdas, becoming also Papa and Lover and it is all Grace, nothing but
Grace. It is utterly beyond him. Sam feels like a playwright who has to
participate in his own dramas playing roles which seem foreign to his
nature.
It is very hard to get older people to accept honesty and it is very hard to
be other than honest with the young. Sam was initiated into the Esoteric
Buddhism in Japan and all the older people refused to accept it. His task was
to purify the Dharma. We have a class in “Buddhism” at the university and
not a single student in the class knew what the Triratna was. This comes from
attending services at so-called “Buddhist” establishments. And Sam is going
to tell the class his story of his initiation which was to reserve the Dharma
in all forms.
Next Sam offers Lord Buddha’s Yoga, and we have practices in Love, Joy,
and Peace. The other night Sam showed his disciples the Peace and two had
samadhic experiences. Two others have had these last week. And we have stories
of mergence in Jesus Christ., Sri Ramakrishna and papa Ramdas. This will
horrify some people who have strange intellectual views of a Sufism of which
they know nothing. Mohammed taught, “We make no distinctions or differences
between the” but religions and cultists make these distinctions and
differences.
Sam has colleagues, men like himself, who have been to Asia and undergone
disciplines with Asian masters and come back and been rejected by society. We
have joined together and also both together and apart are drawing so many young
people. These young people want Truth and God and not personalities or lectures
and especially sermons. We give them yoga and others give lectures on Yoga. We
give many kinds of Yoga, some from Sufis, some from other sources.
It also seems that the universities accept reports from Sam which the narrow
cults and study groups would not look at. All, of them want money for research
and nothing else and the research is based on personality. So Sam got out what
may be called his Zen stick and began getting a number of apologies. All these
people had to do to get money was to be honest but so many seek fame and power.
And this day is going, going fast.
Next there is the matter of Sri Aurobindo. Sam is ready to write for one
class “Sri Aurobindo and Plato.” The universities encourage what the cults
and private groups ignore.
Anyhow, next Sunday, God willing, Sam will be speaking on “Sri Aurobindo
and His Predecessors.” This will be in two parts. One will have to do with
Darshan, an actual method of Yoga which Sri Aurobindo used. Sam never had it
from him but had it from Dilip Koomar Roy. Sam also had the Darshan of many
Buddhist masters and also in a varied form from Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat
Khan. It was this glance which is keeping Sam going, in his seventies and
younger and younger all the time. And it becomes so funny that the people who
will not listen to Sam and call him a liar have to fact this strange vitality.
And the young regard it as a sign of Grace of God.
Sam’s family of beautiful men and women is growing. His place is filled to
capacity and although he now lectures five times a week, he will have to
prepare to lecture in nearby places. The ability to give the Love, Joy, and
Peace from Lord Buddha wins hearts. The young want Heart, the want Love, the
want Peace and they do not want lectures.
But there are some Sufis gradually coming here and each time it happens it
is like a whole army coming to one’s aid. And what does Sufism teach: Nothing
Exists but God, and God Is Love. Now we also teach through walking and
breathing and meditation and concentration.
Finally the RamNam. These young people take it like honey. Sam thinks they
are reincarnation Indians and they act like it. We chant in Sanskrit on Sundays
and Arabic on Thursdays. And you may be getting more letters from the beloved
young people who are part of a new kind of family—and they all love one
another and not a word has been said about this!
Love and Blessings,
Anandashram
26th March 1968
Beloved Ram,
According to your letter of 19th February we have dispatched the following
books in three packets:
World Is God................................. 1
Gita Sandesh.................................. 4
The Divine Life Vol.II ................... 4
Guru’s Grace................................ 10
Silver Jubilee Souvenir of
Mother Krishnabai’s Renunciation. 2
Homage To Mother Krishnabai.... 25
Thus Speaks Ramdas ................... 20
The Pathless Path ........................ 10
A Devotee’s Diary Vol. I to V. …… 1
We trust you will receive the books in good condition and your friends and
devotees will enjoy reading the books. We have made our own selection of the
books. If you like to have any more or any other books, please write to us. We
had also received your cheque for $25 sent along with your letter.
All well here. Mother Krishnabai is well and the ashram activities are going
on as usual. Mother prays for Beloved Papa’s blessings on you and all the
other friends there for eternal happiness.
Ever your Self,
Satchidananda
Anandashram
April 23, 1968
Beloved Ram,
We got your loving letter of April 6 enclosing a cheque for $25. The books
for Mrs. Sitara Dolphin have been dispatched. We are glad that many young men
and women are coming to you to hear more and more of what you say about God,
Divine Love and Papa and Mataji. You are doing God’s work and as such He will
see to it that fit instruments are brought to you and that is His business.
Recently Mr. Paul Reps came in contact with the Ashram. Since then he has
been writing to us and asking for more and more books which we have sent him.
It is very good to hear that he is also doing great work.
All well here. With deepest love and best wishes,
Ever your Self,
Satchidananda
.
Anandashram
6th May, 1968
Beloved Ram,
We got your loving letter of April 26 with your cheque for $10.
Yogacharya Mildred Hamilton is in India now. She visited us last December
for a week and is now touring different places in North India. She has met many
saints and yogis during her tours in India during the last two months. Her
address in India is c/o Dr. Pravinder Singh, 15A Aurangzeb Road, New Delhi. She
expects to be in India for a few months more.
We are glad Mr. Paul Reps will be with you shortly. It is good that many
young men and women are anxious to hear about God and lead a divine life. May
those who have seen the Light show it to others who are groping in darkness!
All goes well here. With deepest love to you all. Please convey our best
love to Mr. Paul Reps when you meet him.
Ever your Self,
Anandashram
14th June 1968
Beloved Ram,
We have your loving letter of the 7th of June with a cheque for $10 which we
gratefully accept.
We hope you have received all the books sent from here. It takes a long time
for the books to reach here.
It is interesting to read your description about your meeting the Swami.
What is inside is not always seen outside. One may appear to be very grave and
reserved, but at the same time he may be very humble and loving. In this case,
by your love and RamNam you brought out the real nature of the Swamiji. God’s
game is really wonderful.
After all, the world itself is a big tamasha. In it so many tamashas as you
have mentioned are going on. May the newly wedded couple be blessed with a
long, harmonious wedded life, peace and prosperity, and may they walk on the
spiritual path hand in hand. Both of them are really blessed that they are
guided by you and Dr. Chaudhuri.
With Love and Best Wishes,
Ever your Self,
Satchidananda
P.S. We got also your loving letter with a copy of your addresses to
Pondicherry.
Anandashram
12 July 1968
Dear Brother,
It is nearly a month since the receipt of your long, loving, descriptive and
interesting letters of the 12th and 19th June, which we have been unable to
acknowledge so far, owing to various unavoidable reasons. You will pardon us
for the same. Your letter of the 19th June contains a cheque for $10.00 being
your love-offering which we accept with great joy. We have also received your
last letter of the 1st instant.
We here in Anandashram are mostly engaged in the constant repetition of
RamNam (Lord’s Name), meditation, service of the poor and to the extent
possible, following the tenets of our most revered Papa (Swami Ramdas), viz
Universal Love and Service.
Love & Pranams to you, Ram!
Ever yours in Him
For Anandashram
Mr. Sadanand S.Nagarkatti
Anandashram
24th July 1968
Dear Brother,
Your loving letter of the 17th instant together with your contribution of
$10/- has been received here yesterday with grateful thanks.
The mahasamadhi Day of Beloved Papa is on the 25th inst., the fifth
anniversary. The usual programme of meditation twice a day in the Homa Mandir
of Beloved, Papa’s mahasamadhi, besides the usual RamNam repetition in
the Ashram Bhajan Mandir, goes on fine.
Glad you are all keeping fine, in His remembrance and in the blissful spiritual
atmosphere all around !
Loving Pranams.
Ever yours in Him.
For Anandashram
Mr. Sadanand S.Nagarkatti
San Francisco, Calif.
18th August 18, 1968
Anandashram
Kanhangad
South India
Dear Ram: Om! Shri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai, Jai Ram!
One always enjoys “The Vision” but this letter will be more in reports
of the inspirations and impetus that comes from and with it. So there will be a
long report and a small enclosure. It began with a meeting with a clairvoyant
and ended with a meeting with a clairvoyant.
Two weeks back on Monday morning a convocation was called by a very, very
wealthy and powerful man of this region. He is known as a politician, a
successful business man and a “high liver.” Underneath he is an advanced
initiate and hides this. He goes around to spiritual and metaphysical places
and they treat him in their usual manner practically of them and churches too
full of self-respect disregard St. Paul’s “Show kindness to strangers for
many have thereby entertained angels unawares.” This has been his career.
He called a spiritual meeting and in the end gave very determined
instructions to Sam’s disciple Sheyla, to get ready to go to India. He was
very adamant and first Sheyla and now another disciple, Dara, is being
prepared. They will aim first at The Temple of Understanding which will hold
sessions at Darjeeling. The leaders of this movement have shown Sam utmost
respect both for his learning and spiritual center. But the churches, the
“Universal people,” the metaphysical people have not. Even those which
pretend to accept the Temple have not. And it became a source of unfortunate
amusement to find all these people crying for funds, money, dollars and turning
away the very people that can bring them money by their bastard “humility,”
which means they have no ears and having no ears, evidence they have no hearts.
The country is full of them.
Besides everybody cries for money and few for action. This man has demanded
action and Sam’s job is to see he cooperated with The Universal Meditation
Center which is a Universal Meditation Center and not some self-organized group
of people who use names. The idea came from Paul Reps and was immediately
supported by a Sufi and a number of Buddhists from a number of Asian countries.
It has nothing to do with the intellectual or ecclesiastical movements which
adopt high names and cannot fulfill them.
It is only that Sufis are not dualistic and do not play around with words
like Advaita and remain dualistic. It is Sam’s job to invite any and all and
build up a universal which is universal in the sight of Ram and not in public
estimation or bank accounts. It must be all-inclusive. And there is a cartoon
in this land, “And then the fun began.”
Sheyla and Dara are getting ready for India. They are both deeply in love
with Mother Krishnabai. Sam has assigned to Sheyla the working title,
“Spritual women in the World of Today.” They are first stop at Madras where
Indian Air Lines enters your country with a letter of introduction to Br.
Radhakrishnan who always answers Sam’s letters, with whom there is deep
understanding.
The visit to Pondicherry will depend on timing but they should visit there
and even the
Radhe-Soamis before returning home. For they are connected with a growing
movement in this land for communal living based on spiritual, not on political
premises. This movement is growing very, very rapidly and is, on the whole
un-lead.
This world is filled with people who claim to believe either in the moral
order or karma and don’t. It is unfortunate. They have often cut themselves
off from the very funds they seek. And the same came true in the visit of Dr.
Huston Smith. This man is regarded as America’s greatest authority on Asian
faiths and philosophies. Twice when self-important people turned down papers
from Sam he accepted them. He is connected with the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, one of the most advanced groups in the whole world. But Ram is full
of humor, as Papa Ramdas used to say. Sam’s esoteric secretary was the star
pupil of Dr. Huston Smith! And we are planning a luncheon to which we are
inviting Dr. Haridas Chaudhuri if this can be arranged. It is time to stop a
lot of promotional nonsense about bringing East and West together, including
the wealthy and intellectual and excluding the wise and awakened!
Huston Smith is regarded as the supreme authority both by all those who are
taking psychedelic drugs or involved in forms of psychiatry which lean toward
the Orient. In the class he told Sam that Sam would be given an “A.” and
Sam also brought him poetry rejected by the very “nice” East-West people
whom I shall not name. They all believe in “moral order” and Karma and do
that. But all of them fit in Ram’s Scheme, only not as leaders.
During that time something funny happened. One of Sam’s disciples wrote
about his return from the East Coast. He is preparing to go to India and
Pakistan if it can be arranged. After Sam reported this to the heads of the
department he wanted to visit some Indian instructors who are friends of either
disciples he found them in the office of one Prof. C. Naim. Naim said, “Who
is this man?” “Don’t you know the Sufi?” Naim scratched his head, “of
course I know the Sufi!”
When the “great” professors of Oriental studies were here and some very
technical questions were asked about Indian literature and philosophy and
nobody could answer they did something that never occurs in “East-West”
circles, they opened the floor to anybody. A little man got up and answered the
top experts in this land. His answers were accepted and that is now he met
Prof. C. Naim who was then stationed at Chicago, So Sam is planning a real
“East-West” gathering and will also invite Dr. Chaudhuri.
In the meanwhile Sam is presenting spiritual, not intellectual, methods we
had used the Sufi Tawajjeh but only for disciples. Now he does the Darshan,
following a real, real universal method, not intellectual. In one of the
prayers of Hazrat Inayat Ham Khan, Sam’s first Sufi teacher it says:
”Allow us to recognize Thee in all thy holy names and forms; Let us know
Thee as Rama, as Krishna, as Shiva, as Buddha As Moses, as Jesus,
as Mohammed.”
Now Allah(Ram) speaks to Sam and told him to perform first what is called
tasawwuri, a Sufi expression meaning outward attunement and effacement. But Sam
must have satisfied Allah(Ram) for the next told him to perform Darshan. And
one reports in a spirit equally scientific and devotional:
Ram brings courage, fortitude, nobility, faith, honesty, one-pointedness and
is very effective for and with men.
Sri Krishna is the most difficult for Sam. It make him fall in love with all
the women and they with him. And Sam has around him some of the most beautiful
young women he has ever seen. And when he did this he felt ashamed but
Allah(Ram) said to him: “For others it may be wrong but for you it is not
wrong for in you there is no lust.” And then Sam could realize that Sri
Krishna could appear and dance with man Gopis.
Sam’s best balance was the Darshan or Jesus which brings all love and
tenderness for everybody and is something like the Buddhas Avalokita. Actually
this would be his favorite but one serves Ram, not himself.
The Darshan of Shiva is like the Sufic Akhlak Allah, that God is in, around,
through everybody and everything. That of Moses is fitness, concentration, much
of what the Indians include in Artha Sastra. And that of Mohammed is the total
integration of all before him, and to Sam is that of Maitreya Buddha. But the
“”highest” is he Darshan of Buddha. This is “active peace.” No
movement here and Sam has had his picture so taken and it may be published
soon.
During this same period Sam has had no less than six interviews–not even
time or sleep! And eating! His stories and articles may soon be published. A
complete turn of the wheel-of-life, in everything. For “The stone that was
rejected his made the cornerstone” was revealed to Sam when he was very
young. And now all the people that have been rejected by the self-proud are
coming to him in greater numbers all the time.
The period ending Friday night was marked by the first attempt to bring
Buddhists together. This was tried over thirty years ago by Dwight Goddard,
compiler of the “Bible of Buddhism.” It resulted in all the very
ego-centric people who call themselves “Buddhists” rejecting Goddard! And,
of course, each other. But although Sam is a close friend of Her Serene
Highness Princess Poon Diskul, President of the World Buddhist Federation, each
of the Buddhist “leaders” of whom there are many reject this and most of
them reject each other.
Sam has tried the Jhanas of Lord Buddha and they work. As was stated
things are done in an equally scientific and devotional spirit. The Jhanas
work, the young increase their capacity for and their conscious realization of
joy, love, peace, devotion. Of course this is done with Guru. It is not
accomplished without Guru. The empty words remain. With Guru it is done.
With all love and blessing and apologies for the egocentricity of these
reports (Sam has never asked for forgiveness for his sins: he only prays for
and relies on a just punishment).
Om Sri Ram Jai Ram, Jai, Jai Ram,
SAM
Anandashram
28 August 1968
Mr. Samuel L. Lewis,
San Francisco.
Dear Brother,
We acknowledge with grateful thanks your love-offering of $10/- (cheque)
sent
along with your letter of the 18th instant. We read the contents of your
above letter with great interest. May all be well with everybody and may love
and peace reign supreme in the universe, is the prayer of:
Yours in Him,
Yours in Him,
Sadanand B. Nagarkatti
(for Managing Trustee)
October 1968
Anandashram
Cannanore District
Travancore-Cochin
South India
Dear Ram:
It was with great delight that one received the list of books now on their
way. With the establishment of the Sufi Khankah to the north of here, and with
the slowly but steady growing number of adherents and followers, this matter
can only be fully pursued after disciples Sheyla and Dara visit you.
There is much satisfaction today to find the growing acceptance of the heart
outlook. While Sam accepts the teachings of Sri Aurobindo, he also accepts the
general Indian cosmic psychology such as is found in the Brihadarankya Upanisad
and Gita in particular. He also founds (Brahm) in all people. There is some
confusion between the mere verbal acceptance of this and applying it in
life.
Sam finds it easy to demonstrate that there is great joy in the contact of
human bodies; this pales into insignificance before the contact of the subtle
bodies. This subtle body, non-physical contact is being demonstrated in the
Dervish dances here. In turn this is paled when there is the living contact
between the hearts as is now being performed by Sam in Darshan, and in another
form in the Krishna dances. In performing these Sri Krishna dances Sam seems to
disappear entirely in the personality of the Lord-this is one aspect. The other
aspect is as the Sufi’s teach: The lover is a vain thing, the beloved is all
in all. These transformatory experiences are being accepted by those that dance
with Sam and even more so by those that are attending Darshan.
In the Darshan we move from the subtle to the higher realms-this is one
aspect. In the spiritual dances the blessings of the higher realms manifest in
part through the guru and in part through the dances, rituals, and pageants.
These are all based on the actual scriptures or ceremonies of the great
religions. They are certainly not dependent on personality and even less so on
intellectual prowess which has been wrongly substituted for true Yoga.
While this is going on more and more disciples have seen the mergence of Sam
in and with Papa. This in turn has made it possible to present much more
mystical and esoteric teachings, i.e., methods, to the young both disciples and
non- disciples. We have obliterated nearly all dualistic sermons, oratory,
verbal emotionalism., which have certainly not transmuted human egos. Love is
Love. Light does not depend on its casting powerful shadows.
It may be necessary soon to send more money so as to have literature at
least both in San Francisco and Novato. However, some of Sam’s disciples are
about ready to go into the book business and the matters may be turned over to
them.
Sam is most fortunate in having around him a group of vigorous and active
and beautiful devotees who are his associates and helpers. They all join in
sending their greetings especially Srimati Krishnabai.
Love and Blessings,
Sam
P.S. Mr. Paul Reps will be here shortly. We hope to have good audiences
here.
Anandashram
12 October 1968
Beloved Brother,
Your loving letter of the 28th September has been received here on the 7th
instant. With it, the list of Books of Beloved Papa, sent, has been received as
under:
Price of each copy
The Divine Life Vol.2
- 4
copies Rs. 2-50
Guru’s
Grace
1 copy Rs. 2-50
Gita
Sandesh
4 copies Rs. 2-50
A Devotee’s
Diary 6
“
Thus Speaks
Ramdas 5
“ Rs. 0-75
Krishna Bai (out of stock)
Glimpses of Divine Vision 1
“
Ramdas Speaks Vols. I, II, III (2), IV(2), V(2), IX(2) X
The Pathless
Path 4
copies Rs. 1-00
Letters of Swami Ramdas Vol l - 4 copies & Vol. II 3 copies,
In Quest of God (out of stock)
Homage to Mother Krishna Bai 2 copies
Rs. 0-25
The Sayings of Ramdas 1
copy Rs. 1-00
Call of the
Devotee 1
“ Rs 1-50
God-Experience (out of stock)
The
Vision***
2 copies
The available Books will be sent to you, as required, by Sea Mail at the
earliest possible date.
We have received in the past your love-offerings which we have promptly
acknowledged. The “small contribution” mentioned in the opening para of
your letter, is not received here which is just for your kind information,
along with your letter under reply.
When Mrs. Sheyla McKendrick and Mr. Robert Rowell come to India, they are
quite welcome to the Ashram which belongs to all.
Pujya Mataji sends to you all loving devotees there Pujya Papa’s blessings
for eternal happiness.
Love & Pranams.
Yours in His service,
Sadanand
Mr. Sadanand B. Nagarkatti
*** Do you require the book “In the Vision of God” or “The Vision”
monthly magazine?
Please enlighten. Thanks.
18th October, 1968
The Manager, Anandashram
Anandashram, P. O.
Cannanore District,
Kerala, South India
Dear Ram,
The July issue of “The Vision” has arrived and Sam reads with
some sadness of Shri Swami Satchidananda ill-health. Sam does not regard
himself as different from Swamiji; we share “secrets” which belong to the
world above duality. As long as man dwells in the duality and is deceived by
the verbal expressions against duality the destiny of man will remain
unfulfilled.
Sam is delighted that you have used the quotation from Sri Aurobindo. This
great Sage has left a compendium of divine wisdom and already he is being
substituted for God and people worship him and quote him but shunt their own
higher selves in his name. The result is that the young people here admire Sri
Aurobindo but are rejecting the projects in his name, especially in India.
These are all being built on emotional dualism and the rejection of real holy
men who were achievers and the substitutions of prominence for deviate
inspiration.
Unlike the followers of Sri Aurobindo—and of course these people reject
it, most unfortunately, Sam has been often “Merged in Sri Krishna.” So he
is sending either here or in a separate envelope copy of The Rejected
Avatar. This is the day of its release. It is to be reviewed and then put
on the stands. The idea of a Sufi writing about Sri Krishna will cause much
abhorrence but the truth is that the Sufi can respect Lords Buddha, Christ and
Shiva and Rama, but the followers of Shiva and Rama and Sri Krishna and Christ
and Buddha either do not or cannot show the same respect to Lord Mohammed and
restrict Ram to certain names and forms. Therefore Sam prefers to be known as a
Sufi without any diminution of spiritual effacement, or devotion. For a Sufi
sees God-Ram and worships God-Ram in all names and forms while others mostly
just say it, say it and do not demonstrate it.
Sunday night Sam gave Darshan to about 50 people, only two or three
over 30 years of age. This is a communication of unity in the Supreme and not
any dualistic ceremony of “I am different from you.” It is difficult for
San to report on it. Sam had with him Fatima and Mansur and they do not choose
to report. There are forms of love, spontaneous especially which come from the
depths of the heart. It is this Heart-Vision and Heart-Unity which will draw
the peoples of the world together, is drawing the peoples of the world together
now. Older people want to lead; younger people want to join each other.
Sam is continuing the joint heritage from Hazrat Inayat Khan and Ruth St.
Denis. Disciple Fatima has drawn a marvelous picture of Sri Krishna and the
Gopis. She has Sam’s spirit through and through. Her concentration is on
Mataji Krishnabai; this is real spiritual practice. Sunday we open our
“The Garden of Inayat” in the town of Novato some 30 miles to the
north. Hazrat Inayat Khan told Sam how to raise the funds; when we operate in
the name of Ram, Ram comes to us. We had no campaign, no anything. We have the
place. There is a vast difference between verbal adherence and actuality.
Today is Sam’s birthday, and tonight and Sunday celebrations and in
between the dancing class. Sam continues with the Dervish dancing and Ram has
given him the Hari Krishna dance and the RamNam dance. There is
no need to tall the young people, “God is Love.” It is being demonstrated
and as Moineddin Chisti gave the love-religion through the Music, now Sam is
giving the love-religion through the dance, It is most effective.
This week Ram gave Sam the Lord’s Prayer with movements; a Buddhist
mandala ceremony in the swastika-eight fold path formation using Sanskrit and
Pali formulas. Also the Rama dance to bring strength, courage and manhood by a
real Yoga effort, not mere physical exercises and postures, but a real
energizing of the subtle and causal bodies and no nonsense, and no
philosophy.
Then the Krishna-Gopi dance. This was for a disciple of Sam named Krishna
Das who is compelled to be away. Both the Krishna and Rama dances require
Darshan also. The first effort to put on the dance produced a phenomenon
totally unexpected—the manifestation of love from so many young and beautiful
women. Sam never had anything like it. Krishna dances with all the Gopis until
he meets Radha and then pays no more attention; so then a number of men equal
to the number of Gopis join and we end in what might be called a follow the
leader dance, a combination of Indian and European movements. We may give this
tonight; we shall on Sunday when the Khankah (Sufi Ashram) is opened.
All of these dances require the incessant repetition either of the Divine
Names (mostly) or the Divine Attributes, nothing else. These Names are repeated
over and over during the dancing. The same is true of the “Opening of the
House” and “Birthday Dance” that we repeat over and over the Divine Name
while dancing.
These are dedicated to Mrs. Judith Hollister who is now heading the
convocation of the real leaders of the real religions of the real world in
Darjeeling. It may be necessary to present than in the city of Washington later
when these people return.
Actually Sam has had a break-down—all work, work, work and no help. Some
people have the idea if they only pray help will come so Sam got a lot of
prayers, a lot of letters, a lot of people coming for spiritual help and a
number of requests for his manuscripts, all spiritual, from himself and others.
Two secretaries were engaged in moving and another in marriage and the choices
of prayers, good-wishes went on and on and on but no help. Finally a notice was
given that Sam was closing his place. Then Ram stepped in:
Yesterday a long-distance call and a man wants to have Sam work with him on
both the scientific and spiritual problems which this man also sees as One. No
more dualisms passing as Advaita (we have a lot of them). But the Union
of Sufism, Kegon Buddhism and Sankara with Love. Sam does not know what it
means. He refuses to look beyond Sunday. It will be a new world with great
venture and adventure. The young want Love, their elders give them words, words
of encouragement no doubt but still words!
Om Sri Ram! Jai Ram! Jai, Jai Ram!
Samuel L. Lewis
Sufi Ahmed Murad-Chisti Sam
Anandashram
24 October 1968
Beloved Brother Sam,
Your long, very long and loving letters are wonderful indeed! Your
experiences too are equally wonderful. The book, “The Rejected Avatar” has
been received with joy.
Your love-offering of $10/- has also been received here.
We have arranged to send you the Ashram publications by Sea Mail, as
desired. Trust you will receive them in order. Please do acknowledge.
All goes blissfully well here in His remembrance.
Pujya Mataji sends one and all of you Pujya Papa’s blessings for eternal
happiness.
Love & Pranams.
Yours in His Service,
Mr. Sadanand B. Nagarkatti
The Garden of Inayat
910 Railroad Avenue Novato,
Calif. 94947
November 7, 1968
Anandashram,
Kanhangad,
Cannanore,
South India
Dear Ram:
The practice of the presence of God is so different from the dualistic,
emotional and intellectual aspects of life that it has caused a vast generation
gap here. Older people are satisfied with words or with the emotions and
favorable samskaras suggested by them. Sufis say, “heart speaks to heart and
soul to soul.” This is entirely different from the dualism called
Advaita. Dualistic advaita is on one hand a source of confusion, and, on the
other hand, such utter nonsense, it cannot affect the New Age culture arising
here.
Sam’s vision includes an ever-increasing number of dances and rituals.
These are utterly unreal to older people who will not participate, and just as
utterly real to the young who participate or observe. The young people
differing from their elders accept that when Sri Krishna is on their side
victory is theirs. Their elders still hanker after money power, fame etc, but
mostly without being aware of it. There is far more ignorance than evil;
perhaps there is only ignorance and no evil at all.
Within two weeks Sam hopes to choreograph these new dances and rituals. Last
night Sam instituted the Sun dance and the Moon dance. The forces and factors
involved make one feel that there is something like the restoration of Vedic
and Mystery dances. So far the high point comes when Sam is merged into Sri
Krishna. The difficulty is not in the merging but in the control of the
ecstatic state.
Prema may be delightful. It does not always help one’s fellow man. The
mergence of Sufism and Indian culture, which is Sam’s dharma, is now taking
effect here. It has the virtue of being all inclusive, without using the term
“all-inclusive.”
In discussing these new developments with the housemother here, Fatima, Sam
said, “I do not like to talk to you. I am your senior by many years in age. I
am your spiritual teacher. But when I look into your eyes, I see nothing but
“Mother Krishnabai. Then I feel terrifically small.” Fatima replied, “but
I am Mother Krishnabai!”
Sam may have to ask you a favor. His disciples Sheyla and Dara are traveling
in India. They report they have not too much money. Sam wishes them to visit
Anandashram. While we believe they can cover their expenses there, if not,
please let us know and we shall send the proper funds for their sojourn.
Some of the items in “The Rejected Avatar” come out of Sam’s life.
Older people accept the words karma and golden rule, but they do not
behave other than has the generality. Now the young people are very different:
to them the word love means love, compassion means compassion, generosity means
generosity, words of themselves have no meaning.
Dare and Sheyla report the resemblance between the hippy communities,
American and non-American, with Indian customs and traditions. This confirms
Sam’s belief. It is almost impossible to convince seniors that the soul has
no age, and that those of young bodies may be far more advanced than they are.
They seem unable to accept this even when willing.
The repetitions of the names of God, mostly Arabic or Sanskrit are the basis
of all the new dances coming through Sam. In fact, you cannot do them without
remitting the divine names. The result on the emotions is revolutionary. It is
almost awkward for a person formerly rejected almost everywhere to today being
accepted in almost exact counter-balance to the former relocations. It is said
love will find a way. The Divine Love is all ways. It is manifesting here and
now. Sam’s Darshans have been so successful, it is possible that they will in
time revolutionize culture itself, inshallah as Muslims say.
The Garden of Inayat must become a model to the new age. There are
now 6 permanent and 3 part-time sojourners. In a sense we are more than a happy
family, because we are becoming a family in the sight of Ram, in the repetition
of Ram (or Allah) and in the knowledge of Ram (or Allah). Of the last 15 people
Sam has interviewed, every single one of them has expressed willingness to
accept the reality of God, apart from religions, cults, philosophies,
institutions, dogmas and all persons whomsoever who wish to divide, or to
divide, humanity. We do not have “universal-religion.” We are having a
universalism which includes everything-Vijnanavada
We must thank God for the airmail which brings us so close in time. Love and
Blessings,
Anandashram
17th November, 1968
Beloved Brother,
Your loving letters of the 19th September, of the 28th September enclosing a
cheque for $10/-, of the 19th and 31st of October and the last of the 7th
instant have all been received. We offer our heartfelt thanks for your love
offering of $10/-. In the midst of our daily activities which cover up a pretty
long time of the day, I am sorry, I have not been able to write to you touching
all the elaborate points you have mentioned in your long loving letters. You
will pardon me for the same.
RamNam keeps us blissfully engaged. With our united Love and Pranams.
Yours in His Service,
Mr. Sadanand B. Nagarkatti
Anandashram
19th Nov. 1968
Sir:
As per your kind instructions in your letter of 28th Sept: last, we have the
pleasure to advise having completed the dispatch of the following books under
two separate Regd. packets, by Surface Mail. Trust they will reach you intact
at an early date.
Out of the books ordered for by you, the following are out of stock: i.e.
“Glimpses of Divine Vision”; “Index of Contents of Ramdas Speaks”;
“In quest of God” & “God Experience.”
For packing adjustment, we have added one more copy of “Thus speaks
Ramdas.”
Name of book No. of copies in Pkt: I Pkt II
Total Price
copies
Guru’s
Grace
1
Rs 2-50
In the Vision of God)
Part I & II two copies each)
4
10-00
Letters of Swami Ramdas
Vol: I
4
10-00
“ Vol: II
3
7-50
Gita
Sandesh
4
10-00
The Pathless
Path
4
4-00
Sayings of
Ramdas
1
1-00
Call of the
Devotee
1
1-50
A Devotee’s Diary: Vol: 1 to V 2(sets) 4
sets 6 sets 30-00
The Divine Life: Vol: II
4
10-00
Ramdas Speaks (Vol: 1 & 2 together)
1
2-50
“ Other
volumes 9
copies 11-25
Thus speaks
Ramdas
6 “ 4-50
Homage to Mother
Krishnabai
2 “ 0-50
Add: Packing, postage & Regn. on two
packets
41-75
Total…
Rs 147-00
All’s well here by Divine Grace. With hearty love and greetings and
prayers for Divine blessings of peace and plenty to you all there.
Ever yours in the Divine:
Balaji
Manager
P.S. Trust you have duly received by now our Air Mail letter dated 17th
inst: acknowledging your previous letters and the remittance of Dol: 10/-
November 19, 1968
Anandashram
Kanhangad
Cannanore
South India
Dear Ram;
Sam is here sending you his monthly contribution. He does not know how far
this goes at Anandashram. He is concerned over the whereabouts and financial
status of two of his disciples now in India, Mrs. Sheyla McKendrick and Mr.
Robert Dara Rowell. He has written that it they are in difficulties, they may
proceed to Anandashram and would receive help in an emergency from him through
you.
The great obvious thing is that God is love, but this love includes
intelligence, wisdom, mercy, compassion and joy to say the least. There is a
vast difference, a tremendously vast difference, between verbal “God is
love” “God is intelligence” and the pursuit or attainment of these
verbalisms in the objective daily life. Sam has been writing and also receiving
very cordial letters from Auroville, Sri Aurobindo Ashram. In this land
there are persons and organizations full of praise for Sri Aurobindo, his
efforts, his successes and the work of his disciples and followers. Words,
plenty! Sam has no intention of trying to convince anybody that God alone
exists. After writing yesterday to Auroville, Sam returned to San Francisco and
was given hints of actual methods by which tractors and other equipment can be
sent to ashrams in India. There is a vast difference between verbal praise and
actual accomplishments; between platform orations and the devout pursuit of
real karma yoga, where yoga means life in God and not mere physiological or
mental gyrations, so popular among certain peoples.
The difference between verbal karma yoga or purna yoga and the
actualities could have been witnessed at the work party put on at the Sufi
Khankah “The Garden of Inayat,” now officially opened in the city of
Novato, some 30 miles to the north of here. Disciples and friends came, worked
in joy without supervision, without homilies or sermons and in living
brotherhood, such as Sam has not seen in his already long life in this land.
Long work hours were followed by dervish and yoga dances, which awakened and
strengthened joy and love among the participants. We are putting the
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad into practice and actualization among living devotees,
nearly all quite young, but many far more spiritually advanced than more or
less famous sermonizers and intellectuals much better known.
It may be amusing, but it is certainly important, that Sam’s closest
Christian colleague now calls his institution “Church of the Children.” He
has reported more samadhic and illuminatory experiences than all of the groups
in this vicinity proclaiming God-realization, samadhi, satori, etc, combined.
Sam does not believe that there is any change in the teachings of the Bible in
general and Jesus Christ in particular that wisdom may come from and through
the young. He has no time to try and convince that the subjectivities of older
people do not fulfill the actual teachings of the real scriptures of the
world.
The Coming Race predicted by Bulwar Lytton, H.G. Wells and Sri Aurobindo is
here. These advanced soils are manifesting intelligence, love, and brotherhood.
No doubt they need a guru or many gurus. Sam is now instructing through the
sciences of Breath, Dance (nirtya yoga), Art (yantra yoga etc.), and other
means which the living God is manifesting to and through him. The lessons of
“The Rejected Avatar” are being fulfilled in objectivity. Holy Qur’an
teaches that Allah is closer than the neck vein. So are Rama, Krishna, Shiva,
Buddha and all the actual Avatars of India (Bharata) and non-India. These
methods are completed by Darshans and these Darshans have become very effective
in awakening the hearts of devotees young in body, but not so young
otherwise.
As the American philosopher Everson predicted, the world would beat a path
to the household of any great inventor, though he lived in the midst of the
woods. This week Sam is preparing to greet the Vietnamese, Dr. Thich Thien An,
an advanced real Buddhist, with a knowledge of profound Buddhism hardly known
in the western world. And then, our good friend Mr. Paul Reps.
Arrangements are also being made for a party to greet Lama Anagarika
Govinda, who may be somewhere in this vicinity. Sam does not know how far this
is a heart-man. If the meeting is delayed, Sam will demonstrate some real
Vajrayana pageants. These are to demonstrate the realities of Prajna,
Alaya-Vijnana, and Akasha. No doubt, it is very fine to have intellectuals and
podium lecturers talk on these things. But they belong to the inner
beings of all humanity, they are manifestable. The Kingdom of God Is
Within.
Sam has then to prepare to meet the Sufi Vilayat Khan. Despite the very
large number of actual devotees, real practicing Sufism has been almost
entirely excluded from American culture. By the very laws of karma and moral
rectitude, this is bringing about a great reaction among the young, who eagerly
greet whatsoever has been rejected by their elders (vide: “The Rejected
Avatar”).
This series of hosting visitors will without question come to a climax next
year. Sam has already met Swami Swahananda who will be in charge of the
Ramakrishna Vedanta Temple here. That is, if you want to call it a meeting. As
the Sufi Hazrat Inayat Khan said, “Heart speaks to heart and soul to soul.”
We are therefore copying some of Sam’s more profound poetry and also sections
of his diary (rejected by Vedantists, so-called, in other parts of the
country).
These are all preliminary to the coming here of Swami Ranganathananda,
Maharaj whose very name and personality make it difficult for Sam to continue
without entering an ecstasy. The meeting of East and West will become more than
delightful maxim, sweet sermons or substances less delight. Sam hopes to bring
large audiences to hear Swamiji.
There is also going on, underground at present, efforts to bring the
teachings and poetry of the great Sufi Jelal-ud-din Rumi to the public. All
these things and more are going on. There is no time for boredom. There is time
to praise God, and there is a growing realization of His Reality among the
young. Papa and Mataji are with us, very much with us.
All Love and Blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
Anandashram
5 December 1968
Beloved Ram,
Your long and loving letters are a delight to read. The latest ones are of
the 19th Nov. and 24th Nov. With the former, you have been kind enough to send
us $10/- as your love-offering which we expect with great joy.
Everything goes on blissfully well in His remembrance.
Looking forward with interest, to receiving your letters and with all of our
united Love & “Pranams” to you and all all all all all there,
Yours in His Service,
Mr. Sadanand B. Nagarkatti
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco, Calif.
December 18, 1968
Sadanand S. Nagarkatti
Anandashram
P. O. Anandashram,
Cannanore District
South India
Dear Ram:
We are always trying to be one in love and Pranams, and we are not
restricted by these words. We seek rather to work in the realities behind these
words.
Some people guessed that “The Rejected Avatar” was the blessing Sri
Krishna gave to Sam because he, Sam, was not permitted to present his mystical
and spiritual philosophy and knowledge to others. All these wanted was money.
All say that Sri Krishna was selected by Arjuna over all else and thus
Kurukshetra was one. But all over this land, all they want is the money and
they do not want anything else. And every time Sam is rejected by man, Ram
manifests, to so speak, sand the young who have not the demerit of frozen ears,
some and find the experience of Joy.
Since the manifestation of the RamNam in dance form has come the
Ram-Sita-Ram. It is very much alive, it is very real, it brings joy to the
young and we no longer care whether the older ahankara-manas people accept or
not. For there are signs that through the Dance Sam may become an instrument of
Ram in bringing the young to repeat mantrams in joy—which is exactly what is
happening more and more.
Mr. Paul Reps was skeptical and now he is the most enthusiastic. Unlike
others he did not ask Sam for money, he asked to see the dances and was
immediately converted. Others just want the money and do not accept the dances.
But this is a New Age; the young accept the spiritual realities and have a love
also for Sri Krishna which is very great.
The disciples in India did not follow their projected paths but one has
returned and wishes to go back. There is more and more communion between the
young of your country and this. And now also the Indian students are organizing
and they will accept from Sam the spiritual contributions and are not just
seeking the money. It is funny and unfortunate.
Isn’t it wonderful to have been permitted to live a long time end find
oneself in the midst of a multitude who evaluate Love and Bliss and Sri Krishna
and do not care about the money at all?
Love and Blessings,
Sam
Anandashram
24th December, 1968
Beloved Brother,
Your loving letter of the 18th instant enclosing cheque for $25/- has been
placed before Mataji. She accepts your love offering with joy. 27th being the
Sanyas Day of Beloved Papa, we are expecting to have a good Satsang here, as
many devotees are expected to come here during this week. Pray to the Lord for
all the best and eternal happiness to you.
Love and Pranams.
Yours in His Service,
Mr. Sadanand B. Nagarkatti
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco, Calif.
February 12, 1969
Anandashram,
Kanhangad Post Office,
Cannanore,
South India
Dear Ram:
This is really a funny letter and it is written very early in the morning,
long before daylight. Many copies are being made and some of the recipients are
going to be shocked because it looks as if Sam has to go to law to bring a law-
suit. And people will be shocked, but they will not help Sam in the way he
wants it. It is fortunate that in Sam’s private Kurukshetra with Sri Krishna
on his side battles are won. And there are many people who glub-glub Prajna but
most reject it. Only to practice what is into guidance is always a pause of
shock to good people who are still attacked to their egos.
Sam has not had a day off this year and he does not know when he will have
one. There are so many problems of so many people and the Mystical Experience
when God said to Sam! “I make you spiritual teacher of the Hippies” is fast
manifesting, and it is as Sam has been telling everybody, “Sam’s campaign
to be a Pied Piper has failed miserably, only the young show up.” And they do
every week more. Only Sam has practically no help and the more he succeeds the
more suggestions he gets, not help but suggestions. So this is a very funny
letter.
Playboy, a very well known off color magazine has written about Sam
and they say some things which are entirely untrue. They have written about him
without his consent and they call him a “Sufi, which is all right. But the
article has to do with the cults of California and the Sufis are not a
California “cult.” The American people are ignorant of Sufism although the
poetry of Rumi and Hafiz is getting more popular. The Persian (Iranian)
Consulate accepts Sam but if he tried to lecture on Sufi Poetry it would be
rejected. It is all very very funny.
Sam is now reading his Christ poetry—to the young, of course. Their
elders always rejected it but mostly the churches and poets rejected it. Also
those who presumably are interested in predictions. This poetry was written
from a high state of consciousness and every single prediction in it came true.
Some came true almost immediately and some it took a few years, but everything
in it came true. And the class on Christian-mysticism which is private is
growing in attendance every week. And now Sam is giving practices in Breathing
and Meditation which are effective; under the Guru they are effective but the
important people deny Sam is a Guru and as he does not want to be their Guru be
does not care.
Sam holds classes every single day and now in many places. The most
important one is in the Height-Ashbury District. Sam appeared before the
Hippies and found not a few had spiritual experiences. They have been turned
down. Sam knows this for this is a long career with many associates who foresaw
this day and now all but Gavin Arthur and one or two others are dead. But what
we saw is now come to pass which provokes all the people who claim to be
interested in predictions and prophecies. They cannot accept that the
part-of-God can permeate the mind of man and they will not accept Prajna and
Vijnana—but the young do and more and more all the time.
The only good thing in Sam’s life is that three out of four people who
make appointments don’t show up. If they did the whole of life would be taken
with consultations and classes. But this is a sign.
Sam’s work with the dances is progressing, more and mere dances, more and
more interest. And now we shall have a whole group based on Om Sri Ram! Jai
Ram! Jai Jai Ram! Sam sees this with the Inner Vision. Last week for the
first time he presented the Dervish dances and then Hari Krishna! One of
the disciples suggested a few changes and Sam said, “Yes, we need the
symbols.” So two went out and got cymbals! But this was a good suggestion.
Then Sam had a surprise visit from a Jewish Sunday school class. He felt he
could explain Sufism to him (unlike their elders they listened) but he did not
know whether he could explain Judaism so he told them he lived some of the
Chassids who are Jewish mystics. They are so concerned with politics, so little
with God. And now a Christian seminary is sending for Sam. It is wonderful that
there is an awakening toward the reality of the God-Experience.
So many go around claiming God-experience and when they ask fine, he always
says: “Never mind their claims. Show me their disciples.” And we hear
stories of the rise and fall of this great personality and that but never a
sign of any great disciple. So many churches and so many cults but only the
young experience God, so we shall have a new age in which the God-people may be
separate, in a certain sense from the Church people. This is coming,
inshallah.
So Sam is ready for the Kurukshetra in the law-courts and this will
shock the good people. They avoid Kurukshetra. Out twice in the last year Sam
was flooded with bills he could not pay and in each case in exactly ten days
money came. Only now Sam feels his has Sri Krishna with him. He is going to
compel the Americans by strange ways to accept the possibility of the
God-experience and even more of the Love-experience—not thoughts, not
emotions and not even Prema but the All- Embracing Love of Christ am
Krishna, of Mohammed and Buddha as an actuality.
Well all this looks like bombast, but in the midst a disciple of Sam,
twenty- five hundred miles away long distance in the middle of the days;
“SAM ! Om Sri Ram! Jai Ram! Jai Jai Ram! I have had ‘IT’
the illumination!”
This is worth all the criticisms and suggestions and comments and enables
Sam to again resume his program of seven, days, 12 hours a day. His of
assistant is away, ill, but the Inspiration is here, praise to
Allah-God-Ram.
Love and Pranams,
Sam
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco, Calif.
11th March, 1969
Anandashram,
Kanhangad P.O.
Cannanore District,
South India
Dear Ram:
It is with great joy that one has received another packet of books. But it
is also in greatly changed circumstances. These books are definitely in demand.
The whole world is outwardly changing. One does not expect others to adhere to
any moral standard, one expects oneself but now there is a whole generation of
young people here in America, totally different from those of the past. Sam has
“reasons” to believe many are re- innovated personalities who have lived
before in Indian bodies. There is too much evidence of it.
Ever since the visit of Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj hare, witnessed by
university professors, there has been great change of attitude. The professors,
seeing the communications of speech and silence now open their doors to Sam. He
is no longer pushed away and we can and do discuss the realities of Indian
history and Indian philosophy and the related subjects. There is a growing
acceptance of spiritual realities and of the unimportance of
“self-important” persons who previously occupied the platforms, the roster,
the pulpits.
Last week Sam spoke in the now famous Haight-Ashbury District and the
audience was very attentive. There were no self-important people there but
there was a division between those who had theories and those who practiced the
mantrams. This is leading toward two immediate goals; the sacred dancing and
the Darshan. But for both of these some acceptance of Mantrams is needed first.
And the young who have practiced Mantra- Yoga are so much more full of life.
Only they need to learn there are many kinds of mantrams and the best ones are
those given with the Grace of Guru.
It is on this point the intellectuals tall short. They are giving teachings
without Grace of Guru. They become popular, they attract attention and after a
while they become less popular and do not attract attention. But now one sees
all over notices of Gurus and their mantras and this is becoming more and more
a popular institution. It is only among the intellectuals who used to do all
the speaking, all the talking, all the explanations that this is not so.
Paul Reps will be here shortly and he is attracting far more persons—not
more public attention—but actual persons. It is not necessary to name the
popular lecturers of the past. Many were not even referred to in an article in
Playboy magazine (March 1969) in which Sam was mentioned. The writer did
find that Sam was attracting the young. And like Paul Reps he is being called
on to visit more and more educational institutions where the real spiritual
philosophies are opened to the world, almost universally with techniques,
techniques of meditation, techniques of breathing, techniques of silence. And
now they are seeking Love, not some philosophy but manifestation so Sam has
been saying that his efforts to become a Pied Piper have failed, only the young
show up and every single week of this year more than the previous weeds. One
does not know what to say.
Sam now has a whole compendium of Dervish dances and they are being
accepted everywhere but in the circles verbally devoted to “East-West”
culture, everywhere else welcomed. And now we have added both the Ram-Sita
dance and the RamNam dances. The Ram dance itself was part of the dances
derived from the prayer, Salaat of the late Hazrat Inayat Khan, the Sufi. There
are now walks for Rama, Krishna, the Bodhisattva, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed.
And dances for Rama, Krishna and Mohammed, and ceremonials for Buddha and
Jesus. These are all the heritage of the late Miss Ruth St. Denis.
But we are also resurrecting the whole mystery and original folk dances and
have in mind the combination of RamNam dances and Maypole dances and hope to
have a Maypole. But we are also planning to combine this with Wesak, in honor
of Lord Buddha and even more so because Sam’s real-Zen real-Roshi will be
here in May. We have a big place thirty miles north of here with much room.
We are planning a spring party soon and Sam is planning to cook curry for
perhaps a hundred or more people. The attendance is growing and growing. And
now the professors instead of turning Sam away accept first his physical
history—which all the “important” people of a few years back refused to
listen to, and more. This is a new age, an age of honesty, objectivity and
devotion.
We are also having several women disciples preparing to be mothers and we
have given them the Kwan Yin and Saint Mary walks. We are not talking about
Bodhisattva, we are demonstrating that everyone is Bodhisattva. And now the
heads of the Rinzai Zen School and the Korean Zen and the Vietnamese Chan are
accepting this. It is very true and it is only the old school intellectuals
that do not.
This means that sooner or later we shall have a real Universal School of
real Universal Meditation and more, which will be all-inclusive and not
particularly selective. Besides now both Sam’s dervish stories and Zen
stories, stories of real life, meeting real persons in this age are being
prepared for publication.
The career of Sam as Guru (also Murshid and Roshi) is peculiar in that it
will be the first of such in history. And yet the principle is that Nothing
Exists but God. This God-reality is becoming the Reality of the young. We
are leaving to others to give the lectures, the intellectual things, the hard
philosophies…. We are leading the young, in a sense. Bat the young are also
leading Sam. Even in the dance field, Sam has some Yoga disciples and what they
are accomplishing is amazing, they draw from the Akasha which is something the
manas-ahankara people cannot do.
Even at this writing it seems there will be an improvement in Sam’s
financial affairs and in the next communication there should be an enclosure,
inshallah.
With all Love and Blessings,
410 Precita Ave.
San Francisco, Ca. 914110
April 14, 1969
Anandashram
Kanhangad,
South India
Dear Ram;
Love and Blessings to everybody. It is something like a story to find that
outwardly affairs are changing very rapidly. You may have heard about the
so-called war between science and religion. So today it is very amusing that in
the universities one can discuss God and his existence, in the churches this is
seldom done, and in the so- called cults which are so prevalent here, it is
never done.
There are so many new movements in this land; all kinds of them; they are
nearly all based on ego-leadership and dividing mankind even when verbally
proclaiming brotherhood. It has become very funny. The young people and more
and more and more of them want to be together. There is every sign that they
will be together.
Sam’s main work now tends more and more to music and dancing. The young
find a joy in repeating the names of God than the older people ever dreamed
of.
Both in the university and the class in Christian Mysticism we are studying
the Gospel of Saint Thomas. This proclaims the majesty of male over female. One
of my young lady students questioned this so last night we presented materiel
on Mataji. You can tell Mataji that Sam considers her the greatest of saints
but will not be her bhakta both because she does not want any bhaktas and
because she is Papa’s bhakta. We went over this point last night in both
extreme reverence and extreme humor, the way I am sure Papa would have liked
it.
We are always chanting the names of God here—in our public meeting on
Sunday in Sanskrit, in our public meeting on Monday in Arabic, and in either or
both during the week by ourselves. It has been easy enough to allure, charm,
and awaken young people but to our surprise we are now attracting men in their
30’s and find some of them are also allured, charmed, and awakened.
We are planning a May festival here and Sam has worked out a number of
dances based on RamNam (we also have a very large number now of Dervish
Dances). It has been suggested that the RamNam chanting both that which
accompanies the dances and that which we do in connection with our studies and
meditations be tape recorded. It also brings up the question of sending these
tape records to Anandashram. The big problem involved is that of writing up the
dance prescriptions and formulae. There is simply not enough secretarial
help.
We have received another consignment of books and we are also enclosing a
check for $25 at this time.
This brings up another subject. Two of Sam’s disciples went to India but
did not fulfill his requests. Now another young disciple has been won over to
the idea of going to India to study spiritual dancing. We understand that this
would involve a visit to the general Travancore-Cochin area but do not know
yet. It is our hope that than she can visit Anandashram. This matter may take
several months to settle but you wish you to be informed ahead of time.
Sam has now both more followers and more money. He does not like to be
involved in financial matters and is constantly involved in financial matters.
Still he realizes that God has released him from poverty and that others are in
great need. He therefore considers it a duty, even a privilege to make
contributions as if nothing belonged to him anyhow. There is one thing we must
absolutely agree with you on and that is the effectiveness of the RamNam. The
life proves this and so does the love prove it, and so gradually our Americans
being attracted because as a great Sufi has said, “Heart speaks to heart and
soul to soul.”
Our love and blessings and always.
Faithfully,
Garden of Inayat
23rd April, 1969
Dear Ram,
With all the verbalizations about God very few seem to make Him a reality,
and yet all the great saints and sages say that God is the Only Reality. One
sometimes despairs of convincing certain types of intellectual people that this
is true but now there is another kind of humanity manifesting here which may
well be the types that Sir Aurobindo predicted, but when followers of Sri
Aurobindo do not accept, sometimes cannot accept, so great is the desire for
leadership among some types and they cannot see that “leader is he who is
leader of himself.”
Last week ended a mystical experience and this was different from former
seminars. In former seminars only intellectuals and professors were permitted
to speak and their ideas and opinions were given serious consideration. This
time the leader who is also a professor of philosophy, began with insistence on
the reality of mystical experience and he stuck to it.
The reason is that in the end he not only accepted Sam’s history but wants
more. And this was followed almost immediately by Sam meeting a new type of
professor of Indian culture, Americans who have studied in India under Indians
and not Europeans and Englishmen and their pupils. These last do not know the
mystical experience and have had the audacity to make themselves the
authorities on it.
Then follows a negative and a positive achievement. The negative achievement
is that more and more universities are refusing to accept mere intellectuality
as a sign of any knowledge of Asian cultures especially those dealing with
mysticism and spiritual achievement. It is something one has longed for for
years and now it is being attained, praise to God. No more dialecticians and
self-important professors.
The other is that tow universities will accept the writings of Papa Ramdas.
Sam is very glad that we have kept on asking for and getting the literature and
now we can give some of the extra copies.
It is noteworthy that 150 students of the University of California went to
India because of Meher Baba. Now this man is gone and whatever his claims were
and are, it looks like a ship without helmsman and rudder. But what is
important is that this as a sign of hunger on the part of youth for spiritual
attainment and no more lectures and monologues. It is a wonderful sign.
Sam does not know how many weeks have passed this year but the total
attendance at his lectures and meetings have increased every single week. The
house in Marin County has been filled to overflowing and also his house, but in
both districts, San Francisco and Marin a seminary, that is a religious school,
has offered the facilities free. Even the orthodox realize that religion cannot
be maintained without the God-reality.
Sam’s work is with the dance and now a new sort of chant derived from Sufi
sources. One no longer cares that the intellectuals have turned their backs on
the existence of Sufis; Sufis could equally turn their backs on the existence
of intellectuals but they realize that God is in everything and everyone, is
everything and everyone, actually, not in theory.
We have been doing RamNam dances and on May 4 we are giving a form of
folk-dance based on RamNam around the May pole. It will be a combination of May
pole dancing and Wesak celebration and we are also making arrangements for the
proper Pujas. We expect more people than we have ever had for it is not only
the young but now professors and older serious people who want realities and
not mere lectures.
Paul Reps has published a brochure on “back-breathing.” Sam has been
using a sort of “Kundalini” approach but with reverence. And Sunday night
he said, “People say Sat Chit Ananda with serious faces. If you are going to
say ‘Ananda,’ let your face light up with joy.” Why, Ram, it is not only
the young who constituted nearly the entire audience but now there were older
people who attend light up, and the recitation and dancing and walks of RamNam
have brought such joy and light to people, one is sure that this is making Papa
happy. It has become so real and is in contrast to the sombre letters of a few
years back.
For there is no question that the world seeks God or Ram and the young
lovingly say “Ram” and more people are repeating RamNam all over than could
be anticipated.
This week we accept to join the Hindu students in their activities. The
doors are opening, all over are they opening, and the Joy is manifesting.
Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram!
Sam
410 Precita Ave.
San Francisco, Calif.
6th May, 1969
Anandashram,
Kanhangad,
Cannanore District, South India
Dear Ram:
It is almost seven years since Sam returned to this country and while he had
two visits to Asia and was received with utmost cordiality by sovereign and
holy man alike the “leaders” in this land refused to take him seriously.
The wheel-of-the-law turns and karma has no special respect for those who
lecture on it. They are no different, to karma, than anybody else.
Yesterday we had a short commemoration of your late President Dr. Zukar
Hussain. This man and Sam were really like “two peas in a pod” but the now
passing “leaders” refused to accept this at all. And now we are seeing a
New Age in which no man can retain leadership unless he fulfills the Sufi
dictum, “leader is he who is leader of himself; ruler is he who is ruler of
himself.” And one has the fantastic situation that “leaders” refused to
accept Sam’s visits to holy men and holy places and now equally they cannot
realize that young Americans wish to learn more about holy men and holy places
and so they are coming to Sam more and more and more.
And now the universities, seeing that the young are coming to Sam and
finding what the local Indian cultural attach says: “Mr. Lewis knows more
about India than any other Americans,” this is a New age, a reel New Age in
all respects.
The Oracle has now been published, one hopes to see that copies get
into your hands. The articles are written by Sam’s friends and disciples and
at least one by himself, and more is coming. And now young editors are
approaching Sam and young people, so he will have to make some journeys as soon
as the programs are cleared. In the meanwhile his chief secretary is carrying
on and successfully carrying on.
This secretary, Mansur Johnson, was a star pupil and friend of Dr. Huston
Smith of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is regarded as the
leading American authority on Asia and its cultures and wisdom. He is
not a product of English and European universities and he has sat at the feet
of Indian gurus and Japanese Roshis and not at the feet of important university
professors. He himself is an important university professor of the very highest
intellectual institution, perhaps, in the whole world.
Sunday we constructed a Maypole. May Day used to be of importance in Western
culture. It was for the young. The communists made it their day and to fight
the communists the politicians made it their day, for their tiny offspring. But
we are trying of restore folk-lore and its cognitives, and we were
successful.
We combined May Day and Wesak and we began with a special dance of Sam to
RamNam using the Maypole. It was the very effective beginning of a very
effective day. We had 150 people, practically all young, the oldest being those
in charge of Buddhist puja.
It is almost impossible to convince the intellectuals of Prajna, Vijnana and
Ananda. They stick to ahankara and manes. But the Prajna is very operative. The
Buddhists asked if he could do a
Nembutsu which is a Japanese mantra. “You are just in time” for Ram
has just Sam a folk-dance to the salutation of the Buddha of Infinite Light and
they joined in and now it will be shown all around. We did one after another,
although on this occasion we only did one Dervish dance.
At the commemoration Sea met a Swami, friend and disciple of the great Swami
Maharaj Ranganathananda. “What are you doing?” “I am teaching Dervish and
Mantric and Bhakti and Yoga dances.” “I wish I had the time to see you.”
But both Swamiji and Sam are very busy. And now within one year as Ram had
shown Sam his close following has jumped from 60 to a hundred—it was foreseen
and it comes. And this is the limit that Sam can do until he organizes.
Sam did not wish to organize, but all the people who proclaim cultural
integration and world outlooks have refused to accept him seriously; and now in
turn the universities do not accept them seriously. In the last communication
Sam mentioned about placing the Ramdas literature in two local
universities, but doors are open more and more. And not only people but
money—which is the great virtue here. Besides, after Sam gave some very
serious admonitions to his closest disciples they have advanced not only
spiritually but even financially, and when there is financial betterment then
others wait to share. And Sam would like to share but he cannot share money
with those who will not accept either his intellectual or spiritual
achievements and people would rather deny them even if they lose money for
manas and ahankara are mamas and ahankara and Prajna, Vijnana and Ananda are
different and that is what the young want.
So many doors, new doors opening and so many young coming, and no intention
on Sam’s part. But it is time for Indian leaders to accept Tam Tvat
Asi and that Brahm is in human beings as well as in wild elephants and cows
and monkeys.
Efforts will be made now to organize a Music and Dance department with
emphasis also on Walks. The Buddhists were amazed at our Avalokitesvara and
Kwan Yin walks. They are full of love and devotion, Bhakti walks. This is a New
Age, beloved ones.
Faithfully,
Samuel L. Lewis
18th May, 1969
410 Precita Ave.
San Francisco, Calif.
Anandashram
Kanhangad
Cannanore
South India
Dear Ram:
Sam sends his greetings and wishes to say that today all is very well. The
whole of life turns and whereas in previous years there was pessimism, at least
from the outer standpoint everything has changed.
For “reasons” known to Ram—logic does not explain it, every single
week this year so far has shown a total audience-increase. Recently Sam has
been asked to join a class at a local college which is studying “Mystical
Experience,” not the traditional “American” view of comments on it, but
the experience itself. And this week the talk before the “Hippie” audience
was not only very well attended, but received with all seriousness.
Next week one will begin reading some Sufi poetry because these young people
like poetry, only one will go into the depths. This is based on
“Let my heart become Thy lute, Beloved,
And my body Thy flute-of-reed.”
The young people are so different—they are objective and heart-seekers. Their
elders are subjective and power-seekers. And whatever else be said, there are
always young and more coming.
There is another fact and factor that they are all seeking a “Loving
Father.” Whatever Christianity has done, it has emphasized “Loving
father” but there are not many “Loving Fathers” and apparently from the
present scene even less loving mothers. Sam has three God-children because they
did not have loving mothers and loving fathers. And now he has what he calls
“ersatz grandchildren.”
One is preparing to come to South India to study the spiritual dancing and I
shall keep you informed on this. Sam has only one secretary now when he needs
many but Ram is seeing to it that these men have paying positions, to support
their families and also the spiritual needs of the time. These needs are
growing but most fortunately also the response is growing.
Sam has two happy homes and two families, outside the growing number of
disciples and general audiences. We have mourned the death of President
Hussain. As Sam told the Consul here, “That man was My Self in another
body.”
Love and Blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
Anandashram
23rd May, 1969
Beloved Ram,
We have duly received your loving letter of April 14 enclosing a cheque for
$25 as your love offering which we accept with joy. Glad you have received the
books.
When you are talking about singing God’s name and dancing, I thought of
writing to you that Beloved papa’s grandson Premanand is now in Hollywood. He
is with his wife there and has taken on a job. His address is: Sri P.
Trikkanand, 1850 N. Cherokee Ave Apt. 11, Hollywood, Calif. 28.
He will be very happy to meet you and you and your friends can hear him sing
devotional Indian songs. We are glad that you are always chanting God’s Name
in public meetings. It should be like Krishna’s flute attracting the Gopis.
People should become mad of God by hearing His Name sung. The ecstasy they feel
on hearing the name will prompt them to take the name themselves and enjoy
divine bliss. Good that you are getting younger men taking part in these
programmes. Let us make every heart a church or temple.
Noted that one of your disciples will be visiting India and may come here
also. We are very happy to meet him here.
With deepest love and best wishes,
Ever your Self,
Satchidananda
Anandashram
15th June, 1969
Beloved Ram,
We got your loving letters of the 18th and 27th May. We are glad to know
that Beloved Papa’s books are more in demand. When you are sending cheques
with your letters please also write what books you exactly require from here.
If the names are mentioned and also the number of copies required we won’t
have to churn our mind which to send and which not to send.
We note that your youngest disciple, Deborah Devia Cherney will be visiting
us some time that is whenever she visits New Delhi. She is welcome.
We had a letter from Shri Premanand yesterday in which he writes that he had
heard from you and that you would be meeting him soon.
All well here.
Deepest Love and Best Wishes.
Ever your Self,
Satchidananda
The Garden of Inayat
910 Railroad Ave.
Novato, Calif. 94947
End of June, 1969
Anandashram
Kanhangad, Cannanore
South India
Dear Ram: Om Sri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram!
Sam had planned to write on his return to San Francisco about the wonderful
visits we had with Premanand. After our first visit Premanand asked Sam if he
had had a good time and Sam replied, “No, an astounding time.” It was not
the first occasion and when man lives for God and not for himself this often
happens.
Sam’s associate Moineddin stayed also at Premanand’s in Hollywood and
Moineddin was so moved he asked if we could chant the RamNam here in
Novato. We started it this morning and the singing came out so beautifully that
Sam felt he should write at once. The quality and characteristics of the voices
was inspiring and compelling. And Sam believes we are moving in the direction
of brotherhood through universal love and not through any doctrines even the
seemingly all compelling ones.
There were four of us, two young women disciples, Moineddin and Sam. The
girls slept in a different part of Los Angeles but it seems that each of them
had marvelous contacts. Halley has been studying with Alla Raka, the percussion
player for Ravi Shankar. We spent one evening there both listening and doing
our own chanting. It seems everywhere outside of the cultural circles we are
admitted and permitted both to listen and to illustrate, and everywhere there
is mutual cordiality.
The household at Hollywood suggested we visit the Ashram at La Crescenta
which is now called Ananda Ashram (or Anandashram). Sam has not found
such a place of love, joy and please in this country. The whole atmosphere is
holy and marvelous. But the Mother is away so we have decided to send
representatives south more often to Hollywood, to La Crescenta and to wherever
else it may be proper to do so. And we stand in pretty substantial agreement
that music is going to bring the peoples of the world together and doctrines
will divide them, continue to divide them as they have always been.
Of course the highest form of music comes in the Mantra Yoga. We are using
all kinds of mantrams today and from all religions, too. We are not the
“universal religion” of various individuals who think they have something
to give to the world and who ignore Kabir and Akbar. This characteristic of the
old day is departing. The young people know better and will not follow
emotional appeals without substance. Love ignores nobody; doctrines divide.
Professional “universal religionists” omit Mohammed and the whole course
of Sufism. They ignore the existence of the All-Pervading Deity and think they
are beyond moral laws. And the young are turning to truth while their elders
adhere to the empty noise-word “Truth.” And it is this change of the young,
all over, which is so marvelous.
Sam is now admitting children into the RamNam but not into Sufism. Our last
performance was entirely successful. Perhaps it is God telling Sam, not Sam
trying to “teach” about God. But one thing is certain—this method is
raising the capacity for real Joy and once there is an experience in Ananda,
there is a turning away from psychedelics and artificial stimulants.
There are various representatives of Sufis coming here now. Sooner or later
the obscurantists will have to admit the existence of Sufis and their part in
the world’s history, including the career of the late President Hussein.
There is now a strong movement toward the establishment of communes. Without
the “guru” they seldom succeed. Even important people have tried to
establish communes without a guru, even wealth has poured into them, but unless
the Lord buildeth the house, they labor in vain who build.
The whole world is coming closer together through love and music.
All Love and Blessings,
Sam
11th August 1969
Dear Ram,
Sam is high in the Rocky Mountains and had no intention to write but a
miracle occurred here. Sam brought no reading material but some Hadith of
Mohammed and a little “Thus Speaks Ramdas.” He thought it was one he read
before but he was mistaken.
A lady here was ill so Sam thought he would read to her. Her name is Joy.
Sam opened the book and began reading “All is thyself” by Mother
Krishnabai. It had to do with Joy and in a few hours the lady was healed and is
now very happy.
This place is called Lama, and the original name of this place was given by
Native Americans. The Lama Foundation is made of young Americans who want to
lead a spiritual life. There are now lots of young Americans who wish to lead a
spiritual life. They wanted a Guru but all the Indian Gurus in this land have
been mutually exclusive. Even when they say they are integrative this is not
so. They just want to “integrate” other people’s money and in this way
they have lots both money and following.
The Americans wish to be universal. The only other “Guru” who has been
here is also an American. He is a very famous, highly intellectual former
professor of Harvard University but now is called … Ram Dass. He is coming
back in October.
They meditate and chant. Sam taught them first dervish dances, then the
RamNam dances and next real Yoga dances. These dances have been offered to many
but they have refused them. Many famous groups have refused these dances. They
all call themselves “universal” and all they want is other people’s
money. Many of these young Americans are far better devotees than some
Hindus.
Yesterday we held Darshan and gave vegetables grown here as Prasad. Some
people were given the RamNam, but each wants to follow his own religion and
many are ignorant even of their faith. But that is all right, they are looking
God-ward.
Last night a delegation of rich Americans passed this way. They had been to
India. They thought they were followers of Meher Baba. Meher Baba said you had
to have a living teacher in the flesh; this was his teaching. Then he left the
world and they became confused.
They then went to Pondicherry and were very disappointed. They say these
people are not universal at all. They are strongly for the United Nations and
Believe in Santa Claus. The young Americans want God. So they have returned
here and gotten a lot of money together and purchased land. They think they can
do better than the Sri Aurobindo people. They want real God and real Yoga and
they include the Chinese and Sufis which the Sri Aurobindo people do not.
As they have the land and money and intelligence, the idea is to establish
ashrams and send for Gurus. They are very sincere. They may call again next
Sunday when there are many visitors. The Sri Aurobindo people in this land
tried to establish an Ashram and they all made themselves Gurus but they did
not get enough money and still less disciples.
These Americans chant beautifully, mostly of Buddhist sources but there are
no real Buddhists among them. Sam has taught them the First Jhana of Lord
Buddha and the walks of Avalokitesvara and Quan Yin. They are very eager.
This whole state of New Mexico once held high spiritual civilizations. The
atmosphere is very pure. The population is divided between American natives,
Spanish speaking people and “Anglos,” none in the majority.
Really they practice Hatha Yoga here, but with heartfelt devotion which is
wonderful. Now Sam has to reconsider the whole scene for with the dreams of the
Sri Aurobindo movements and the passing of Meher Baba there is a need for the
awakening of man and Sam finds the Mantrams most effective and most enjoyed.
Love and Blessings,
410 Precita Ave.
San Francisco, Calif.
August 26, 1969
Anandashram
Kanhangad
Cannanore District
South India
Dear Ram:
One hopes things are well. Sam is in a state of bewilderment. He is longing
to take a vacation of some sort. He seldom gets any time off. More people come
to him and more send to him to come. And he has just returned from the State of
New Mexico. He therefore encloses a check for twenty Five ($25.00) Dollars.
This is not an offering; it is to ask you to send some literature, any
literature to
Lama Foundation, Box 444,
San Cristobal,
New Mexico, 87564
This is high up in the Rocky Mountains, the properties ranging from 7,000 to
10,000 feet above sea level. Sam at first was dizzy but after awhile he showed
the people a mountain-climbing breathing practice. This will be taught
officially next year. Sam will soon be 73 but his body and mind are usually
full of vigor, and between sleeping times also he is very active.
There are two types of communes arising, one of those who seek spiritual
teachers and are very Sattvic in all respects but with a degree of Rajas needed
for Karma Yoga. The other type is definitely Tamasic and need not concern
us.
Sam has been asked to come as a spiritual teacher next year and will need
your literature then, but if it gets here in three months or more that will be
quite satisfactory. Both Dervish and Yoga dances were taught with total
satisfaction. There is a RamNam dance for children, too, very
attractive. It will be very funny for Americans to be coming to Asia and
offering spiritual dances, but that is very probable, Inshallah.
Later on Sam will take up the California matters which are also proceeding
with vigor. It is only the great claimant groups (who ignore each other, of
course) who disdain barn but not his money! It really very drole, to say the
least.
Love and Blessings,
Sam
Sept. 9, 1969
Anandashram
Kanhangad,
India
Dear Ram:
The copy of “The Vision” for this last month has just been received. Sam
has been working all the time every day and badly needing a vacation had
decided to stop all writing. But on receiving this copy of Vision he
immediately became fully resuscitated. Nevertheless he expects to leave this
region tomorrow.
There are some valid reasons for writing. In the first place it can be
substantiated and it is going to be substantiated more and more that reciting
the name of God is a most effective pragmatic way of healing human and
superhuman ills. One cannot help commending both The Vision and the
quotation from Mahatma Gandhi that you have put on your back cover. There is of
course a vast difference between slogans and actions. As you enter San
Francisco there is a quotation from one of the putative holy men of your land,
“Happiness consists in making other people happy.” This has never prevented
the slogan-people from attacking and deriding the works and characters of
others. Even stooping to very low acts. This behavior itself is a sign of
stupidity and ignorance. It has led to rivals coming to this land with the same
claims, claims not substantiated by manifestations of love and compassion. The
young people, tired of slogans and verbalisms, are seeking the God of direct
experience more and more and more and more. They are chanting God’s name
publicly and privately and reaping the reward from such chanting.
Although Sam functions as a Sufi teacher and also has passed all tests in
Zen Buddhism given by Japanese, Koreans, and Vietnamese, it is only recently
that Western educated, or shall we say mis-educated, intellectuals, have even
granted a possibility of this being so. But in the last months so many Indian
teachers representing different schools of Indian wisdom have come to Sam
asking for a real integrative culture of East and West and as there has been so
much embracing in public, the young people of this day and age are satisfied
and more than satisfied that there is an “Allahabad” where Ganges and
Yamuna join. That the time has come for superaction. So Sam is making the first
steps to go to other lands to present the realities of Divine vision and the
operation of love-culture, in a way adopted to the hearts of the day.
Spurned by the “elite” Sam has now successfully presented his spiritual
dances to the public and will be given an opportunity again on a much larger
scale within the next few hours. This is partly in protest to the recent
horrible demonstrations of the “elite” combining Oriental Philosophy with
cocktail imbibitions. I don’t think you can stop that but it is not very
pleasant to see the name of Ramdas dragged into the filth by well known
intellectuals seeking public favor along with the drinking of cocktails, etc.
But it also means that the young will turn their backs on every such incidence
of vile behavior on the part of those who ought to know better. So Sam will on
his return make every effort to join will all the leaders of the various
schools of Asian wisdom in this vicinity to establish a real school of
integrated culture based on the real efforts of real men of the real past who
have been called saints in various places. And Sam thinks with the growing
demonstrations of devotion and serious search on the part of young Americans
that we shall soon be seeing real Asian cultures presented to the Americans
based on love, devotion, morality, and honesty.
Sam is very interested in an editorial “To seek a better India” coming
from the students of the University of California. The two problems of India
that Sam is most interested in are those of spirituality and food
production.
These may even be phases of the same problem. Sam has just sent some money
to Darshana International, a publication of your land. He is
particularly delighted in the article on Dr. Radhakrishnan who has posited
Prajna, that insight which belongs to all of us but is not always
applied to problems, personal and impersonal. But it is very interesting that
more and more Americans are contributing to this publication; more and more
Americans have been affected by the wisdom of your land, wisdoms coming perhaps
more often from Saints than from philosophers. So it may be we are going to see
the real integration of the real Asia and the real America, within a short
time.
But Sam’s plans may take him next to the conference of the religions of
the world, and he is going to present the standpoint of universal love and
universal joy along with Prajna, with or without the intermediation of
dialectic cultures which are not necessary inherent of divine wisdom. The young
people of America are looking more and more to super-human experiences, whether
it be manifested directly to them or through some Saint of your country of
other lands. But Sam’s music, dancing, and chanting are all applications of
the spiritual awakenings which follow repetition of the divine name, and are
neither necessarily or not necessarily associated with any intellectual
efforts. We thought you would be glad to know this, because this summarized
some of the events of the day which do not get into the newspapers or any
channels of publication. Chanting the names of God stands on its own merit. The
fulfillment of divine wisdom stands on its own merit. Experiences of Love and
joy stand on their own merit. And I believe sooner or later the world will not
only believe it, but accept and practice it.
This is a sort of greeting coming from one who should be a tired old man
working as he is continually seven days a week, but who is constantly being
resuscitated repeating the divine name.
OM SRI RAM JAI RAM JAI JAI RAM!
Love and blessings,
Samuel Lewis SAM
October 3, 1969
Dear Ram;
Sometimes Sam thinks it is important to make a report. He is sending also a
copy of this to one of the leading movements in India which is very well known
but has made, Sam thinks, a grievous mistake in placing Santa Claus high on the
list of saints. We have just celebrated a Mahatma Gandhi centennial. Sam has
studied and reveres the same scriptures. One might conclude that others also
would study and revere these scriptures but the tendency has been to go more
and more into personalism and personalities and not see Ram in everybody.
Sam was recently in the State of New Mexico where spiritual revolutions are
taking place. Meher Baba has left the world and when Sam returned he found that
two other men were claiming to be “Avatars,” and in all these cases they
expect the rest of the world to accept them but they do not accept. And while
Sam would like to join and help he is slow to accept those who are not at least
his equal in accepting others. They want to lead, not accept others.
Sam remembers a meeting with a Khalandar. He claimed to be superior in
everything. Sam said, “Yes in all but one thing.” The Khalandar repeated
his claims and Sam had the same answer. The Khalandar asked what it was in
which Sam claims to be superior and Sam said, I am a better pupil than you
are.” The Khalandar apologized, but one finds that the claimants will not
even admit that.
Now something is going on. Next week all the holy men of the region have
been asked to come together. It never happened before. When such a convocation
was called Sam would ask, “Who is on the committee who will not let me
speak?” He never had any answer but now Sam has been consulted. There are a
lot of young spiritual seekers. Besides there are a lot of Indians of various
out-looks, mostly compounded Bhaktis. Sam himself will speak on “Bhakti.”
But this is taking place.
And this afternoon Sam is acting as consultant at a local university which
has invited all the real and presumable holy men to speak. It is open. There is
no rejection of anybody and this is most marvelous because the various
claimants also are adepts in rejecting, often each other. But the young will
have nothing of it. The young are open in heart and zealous.
One of Sam’s old friends has returned to this region and gone to the
various meetings. He is not a young man and has been all over the world and
said he never saw such glows on the faces as he has found here. Sam gives full
independence to the inner spirit of everybody and encourages them in their
relations to and response to Ram, actually—no manas, no ahankara.
There is one young man who is still on probation and he is a wonderful
choral director. We shall do the Sufi Zikrs and the RamNam but he has put
together a most ecstatic Ram-Sita which was chanted while we did the dances Sam
has offered. It was very difficult; one wanted to go into ecstasy so Sam had to
stop listening. You can understand why so many young people say: “They
are not Sri Aurobindo’s people; we are Sri Aurobindo’s people.” No
discursive minds, greater and greater love and tolerance and ecstasy and wonder
and joy, especially joy. Older people cannot appreciate this; it is, my
friends, a New Age.
In addition to that Sam is going to be given the opportunity to present
“Dances of Universal Peace” at a world gathering. They come right out of
the ethers. They are based on the spiritual teachings and rituals of the great
faiths. They are reaching more and more young people so we do not care if their
elders by age do not accept them. They come from the heart of God, so to speak,
and from the akasha.
Sam has in his life, worshipped with man, and it is always a puzzle why
those who have not so worshipped expect others to come to them. We worship and
pray with all faiths and actually accept the scriptures. Sam is giving lessons
on all scriptures and on all levels, because that is so.
There is an amusing story going around that Sam went to the Orient, sat at
the feet of the teachers of all faiths and then deserted them, and while the
story was going around Sam received a cable from his Sufi Pir and an air-mail
letter from his Zen Roshi. And of course, correspondence has continued.
Soon it will be Sam’s birthday again and a great tamasha. The discovery
that the young both want love above all else and respond in love is most
wonderful. There is a singer named Donovan and he is very famous. He is
regarded as the leader of the New Age. And he has astounded all the authorities
by coming out against drugs and for Jesus Christ. And the response was
marvelous because the young really accept that God is Love; their elders talk
and talk and talk and it is obvious they do not really believe. But the young
believe. You can see it in their faces and hear it in their voices.
Also in addition to inviting Sam to speak the universities are looking over
his poetry beginning with “The Rejected Avatar” concerning Sri Krishna, and
the cosmic poetry inspired by Mohammed. The older people talk and then reject,
but in this New Age there is heart-acceptance and heart-manifestation. It is
most wonderful.
Love and blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
October 20, 1969
Anandashram
Kanhangad Post Office
Travancore-Cochin
South India
Dear Ram:
Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram!
Sam has just had a birthday signifying he has been now 73 years in jagat. It
was certainly the most marvelous of occasions. After 50 years enmity one
received a greeting from one’s brother; this proved to be an excellent
augury. Yesterday a party was given for Sam and about 100 young people came.
One ham never seen such manifestation of love and along with it glorification
of God Who was praised mostly as Allah but also as Rama and Krishna.
The chorals, all in praise of Allah, were of such a nature that everybody
was deeply moved. Don’t let anybody say that there is anything sweeter than
singing the name of God in praise. The way these young people resounded! The
way the other young people are responding in this vicinity led by personalities
who are in many senses my colleagues! The day of abstruse dialectical
metaphysics parading as Asian wisdom is over. Asian wisdom is in the Name
(Nam).
It is no longer necessary even to lecture that love, joy and peace manifest
through the recital of divine Name. Early in the celebration some friends gave
Sam a memento of Sri Krishna and immediately he went into a Sri Krishna chant.
People tell me it was very beautiful and moving. But the time is past when
intellectual sermons will be taken for Asian wisdom. This week one of the
leading universities is having Sam speak on Sufic mysticism. This will kill
forever the pretenses of those who try to introduce mysticism and spirituality
by by-passing actualities.
The way matters stand there will soon be institutions for the valid study of
various forms of spiritual development, In fact this is going on in colleges
and universities on the one hand and in public places on the other. It was not
news when a few years ago my friend Allen Ginsberg led 3000 university students
in Sanskrit chants. It was world news when a much smaller number took part in
riots. But I assure you, beloved ones, that the souls who have been Indians,
now incarnating as Americana, may well became the leaders of the future
world.
The gift enclosed was previously a sacrifice; it is now an easy matter. The
refusal on the part of those trying to convince the public that they are
working for peace and understanding and accomplishing nothing, simply means
that monies they would like to have had go to actual purposes. You may accept
this as a gift, sending literature or not as you please. After a while we shall
establish both a Sufi repository and a Papa Ramdas repository; and whatever
else Ram directs.
Love and blessing,
Nov. 24, 1969
Anandashram
Kanhangad Post Office
Travancore-Cochin
South India
Dear Ram:
Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram!
Sam did not return to the United States with any grandiose schemes, but if
we are to take visions and dreams seriously, he may have to play an important
or dramatic role in the world. It is certain that everything is pointing to his
attendance at a parliament of the world’s religions under the auspices of
The Temple Of Understanding. It is equally certain that all his efforts
at accumulating outer knowledge or inner wisdom will be coming to the surface
soon, Ram willing.
In 1956 Sam discussed with Swami Maharaj Sachitanand at least one of his
former lives and the significance of the cosmic memories for the missions at
this age. Whether it was fanciful, objective or subjective, all indications
point to its significance.
There is a small check ($25) enclosed. We say “small” because the needs
are very great. We are simply unable to retain the literature from
Anandashram. It is given away, bestowed or otherwise, and we wish to
have as many copies of everything available. Therefore one is going to ask you
send us a putative bill, so we can gauge how much more money to send you for
various usages.
There is a saying in the Bible which appeared before Sam all his life,
“The stone which is rejected has become the cornerstone.” It is certain
that although the total number of followers, friends, and adherents is still
small, it is slowly, surely and steadily increasing. Not only that, but within
a period of a few days Sam met or was greeted by a Hebrew mystical teacher, a
Vietnamese “Zen” Master, a teacher of Indian sacred dances, and a new Zen
Buddhist Roshi who has just come to San Francisco. Once when a brilliant writer
of the last century, E. G. Browne, went to a tomb in Iran the custodian said to
him, “Among the Gnostics, there is no differentiations of sects.” But Sam
has found, when he meets these spiritual representatives of any faith
whatsoever, there is no differentiation of personality. It is tat twam
asi. There is no sense of meeting “somebody else,” and this is true
regardless of the person or faith involved.
Now Sam’s whole life has been centered upon either the restoration of
Fatehpur Sikri or the establishment of a similar institution in some land other
than India. The nearest to this comes in the undertaking of The Temple of
Understanding. It is surprising that even such a person as the late Meher
Baba whose disciples seem to condemn everybody else as if God the Creator were
wicked, went on record in this particular instance. Nor should it be surprising
to you that all Sam’s recent efforts in the direction of spiritual awakening
through music, dance, and related spiritual sciences have been meeting with
success internally and externally. So much has this been so that out of the
blue, so to speak, Srimati Ishvani has promised to come to this house to
instruct us in mudras.
A few years ago the Hebraic Rabbi Schlomo from Jerusalem came to this house
and a so-called Sufi teacher (Sam) and he embraced in warm love and mutual
reverence. Sam went to many of his meetings. He was trying to teach young
people love and reverence thru the dance, but they did not join very much in
either love or reverence. Sam said to Schlomo “You know I have plagiarized
your work.” Schlomo said to Sam, “That is all right, I myself plagiarized
it from Baal Sham Tov (a great Jewish mystic of the 17th century).”
In any event, Sam seems to have become somewhat successful in inculcating
the spirit of love and reverence in a growing number of young people. The
difference between us and others is that we use sacred phrases from various
religions; that we use arm and other movements of psychic and metaphysical
import as if from various religions. So there is before us tremendous areas of
dancing, with all kinds of movements, symbols and meanings that we hope to give
to the world as Ram wills.
It is therefore not surprising that an Indian dancing teacher wishes to join
in the efforts to revive the memories, the institutions, and the aftermaths of
the work of the great emperor Akbar and his associate Abu Fazl and Tanzen.
In a previous report Sam told about the resonance which takes place in
singing the RamNam using the head as a dome. Now the resonance has become more
complete, using and vibrating the whole body, demonstrating what is taught, is
taught but not studied, in the Christian Bible, “The human body is the temple
of the Holy Spirit.”
Now the theory of Sufi Zikr is that this should happen when we recite the
Name of Allah in certain fashion. It is happening exactly the same. The
difference at this moment is that while it happens to Sam with the RamNam or
Zikr it also happens to certain disciples in one or the other, and sometimes
more significantly in them than in Sam. This must be taken as evidence of the
spiritual progress or the innate spiritual aptitude in young Americans who are
now in revolt against their traditional institutions endways of life.
It is also very significant that in the University classes which Sam
attends, the contents, the subject-matters, and the open consideration is at a
much higher level than one found anywhere in previous generations in churches,
temples, cults, or educational institutions anywhere in the United States or
Europe. No doubt it is a pity that people who claim to represent Hinduism
simply will not accept that Atman is Brahman or the Buddha’s teaching “I
see now all sentient beings have perfect wisdom and enlightenment, but do not
know it; I must go and instruct them.”
Attached hereto is a copy of an article about the Bodhisattva written by my
secretary and disciple. To Sam it is most significant, and speaks for the new
age.
With Love and Blessings,
(SAM) Samuel L. Lewis
14th December, 1969
Dear Ram:
Om! Sri Ram, Jai Ram! Jai Ram!
It is over forty year ago since Sam met a noted Baha’i in debate and asked
what difference would it be to have 400 contending religions and 400 contending
universal brotherhoods! Now it is coming, largely more and more “universal
brotherhoods” of all kinds obtain followers, and also dividing mankind as did
the sectarian religions. Everybody wants to lead and the leaders will not
listen!
Now one sees so many “Internal” and “World movements” and they do
not call upon man to universality, to God, to Mukti, to Moksha! Each calls for
its own leadership. But it is a different world and the young Americans do not
want any more the manas-ahankara “Yoga” which has all kinds of names. And
it is funny that one gets appeals from all these people for money and gets
letters from leading Americans philosophers called one Ram, or saying “Hare
Krishna! And these misguiding Indians cannot see that the world is going to
universality and without their leadership!
We had a discussion about buying more and more of Papa’s books and
marketing them. One of the disciples is very serious about it. And also found
two of Papa’s books on the market which we have bought. In fact Sam wishes to
pay more attention to swami Ramdas for he finds exactly the same leadership and
teaching in his lessons that one finds in the highest esotericism which is kept
from the people.
The Philosophy classes are recognizing this and more and more for the heart
and soul of man want Truth and not ego leadership and complexities called
“Yoga” which lead nowhere; and the hiding of sacred scriptures and writing
more and more and more books which are only confusing. So what is going on at
the college campuses of this country is wonderful, really wonderful.
Last night Sam presented the RamNam Square dance (or quadrilled). It is very
difficult, for one enters a state of ecstasy or ananda while trying to teach it
and the young people took to it “like mad.” You could hardly believe it,
singing and chanting RamNam! And full of delight and bliss.
Sam hears that his dances are now spreading like wild-fire. He has no
monopoly, no copyright and if Ram wishes this it will come and not all men’s
organizations, not all the closed “Yoga” groups in the world can stop it,
for heart calls to heart and soul to soul and we are celebrating December 25
without Santa Claus but for with Jesus Christ. And the whole of life is being
affected in it. And the young are realizing this; the capacity for pain and joy
are the same capacity and they will not settle for less, for the atman cannot
settle for less.
And this is the reporting from a very busy person who sends all love and joy
and greetings.
Samuel L Lewis
January 4, 1970
Anandashram
Kanhangad,
Travancore-Cochin
Dear Ram:
Sam wishes to send you all heart-felt greetings for this coming New Year. A
year which has started out full of promise.
Sam had 80 guests in this hose for Christmas, all young people. Their ideas,
their inspirations, their talents were used. Especially interesting were the
new type of chants where they have integrated the musics and sacred phrases of
different religions, blending them together in a most inspiring manner. I think
there were two people about 40 years of age, all the rest young. And no one is
standing in the way of these young people who praise God and nowhere more than
in chants and in songs.
Our New Years evening party had a somewhat larger attendance owing to the
cooperation from some Vajrayana Buddhists. There ceremonies were so inspiring.
These are based on the cosmic Hinduism, which the various representatives of
Indian dharma do not present to the American public, either because they
do not know it, or do not care to present it. We had true integration and no
nonsense.
Sam had Christmas cards from Vietnamese, Koreans, Indians, Ceylonese, and
Islamic lands. Perhaps best of all was the retraction from Mr. Patel, one of
the leaders in the Sri Aurobindo movement. These people have rejected
everything coming from Sam but his money. In turn they have had to face that
karma which they cannot ignore. This group was excluded from the convocations
of holy men, and from considerations in the class studies of our colleges and
universities. It may be unfortunate, or it may be just, but young America wants
real Love and real Yoga. And you see signs of this all over, excepting around
those exclusivists who verbalize themselves as “internationalists.”
The young people here also sang from Handel’s “Messiah,” and Sam’s
theme for Christmas was “Every valley shall be exalted and every hill laid
low.” One has no intention to try to convince anybody of the truth of this,
but one feels sorrowful about very efficient persons who do not accept real
cosmic truth, and consciously or unconsciously demand leadership.
Everything points to a more dramatic year. One sees so many signs of real
love and real brotherhood and more and more and more and more. These people,
who have often been called “hippies,” are now becoming serious
self-sufficient and even successful. But they will not accept anymore the
egotism and exploitations of the past. They have the human, human, and
humanitarian outlooks, and demonstrate—one repeats demonstrate—the totality
that Atman is Brahm.
One is also receiving visitors who have become chelas of an American who is
now known as Swami Ramdas. We think this is wonderful. This Swami was a very
well known American professor who surrendered all his university credentials,
his teaching, his mad desire to lead, and has become a beloved American Guru.
His very back-ground has produced serious consideration of his methods, and
without abolishing arty educational or scholastic merits, demonstrate that
these are little or nothing in the life of the spirit, which is the true life
of man.
At the moment the chief undertaking before Sam is to present his program at
the conference of the world’s religions which is being summoned this spring.
Sam has had a program for over 40 years. It has been rejected by all and
sundry; it sometimes makes one repeat the words of the Bibles “The stone
which is rejected is become the cornerstone.” Too many people presume and
dare to presume that in the elevation of their own egos lays the solution to
world problems. Sam is also aware of that, but the chief difference is that he
is constantly practicing mantra yoga devotions. Our work in mantra yoga, our
work in cosmic dancing, is being built up, and we are succeeding with our song
and dance where the verbalists, the intellectuals, the mere exhortators fail.
In this sense our praise is towards God, or Ram.
On New Year’s evening end since, more and more RamNam dances have come
through Sam’s outer consciousness like a flood. That together with the Sufi
Zikr is the contribution we are offering the world in the name of Truth, Peace,
and Humanity.
With all love and blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
Jan. 5, 1970
Swami Satchidananda
The Vision
Anandashram
Kanhangad P. O.
Travancore-Cochin
South India
Beloved Ram;
Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram!
Through Papa’s Grace we feel His presence with us here in San Francisco so
much. Every Sunday our Murshid Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti (Sam Lewis) reads from
Papa’s works or tells stories about him, and the holy Ram Mantra is always
being sung. Life is truly a Blessing when God reveals His Ananda, his laughter,
to the devotee.
I am enclosing for your enjoyment two prayers given by the Sufi
Pir-O-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan. If you should wish to publish these in the
vision please feel free to do so.
Victory, always victory to Ram.
Love,
Wali Ali
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco, Calif.
18th January, 1970
Anandashram,
Kanhangad Post Office,
Travancore-Cochin,
South India
Dear Ram:
Om! Sri Ram! Jai Ram! Jai Jai Ram! A Sufi passing this way some days ago
said to Sam: “You have not only started the year right, you have started the
decade right.” This Sufi, returning, found himself in an auditorium with the
largest group of people, nearly all young and all adept at chanting mantrams
and eager to learn the spiritual dances Sam is now teaching. It is very simple
but it is almost impossible to impress older people that the longing of the
soul is for God (Ram) and nothing else. The young people, like Arjuna, want Sri
Krishna and not all the wealth and prestige of the world touches them at all.
Sam is now trapped, not by anything negative, but the calls and demands of
those who want to learn the spiritual teachings by their own experiences and
not from books or transmissions via lectures.
Sam had just been reading of the Sufi saint, Shah Latif of Sind and the
short talk was: “God is not your jailer, He is your Lover.” The young
appreciate that, and the visiting Sufi talked on the New Age and what it means.
It is curious that following Huxley and Sri Aurobindo a lot of older people are
trying to organize without any of the deep understanding of Vijnanavada which
comes through the awaking of consciousness and the transcendence of
ego-self.
We are having more and more Dervish dances, Mantric dances, Yoga dances and
increase in joy with balance—not blind ecstasy, but the joy which opens and
expands the inner consciousness. And also there was another Sufi who comes from
Palestine and wants to work to bring about world peace, or at least Near East
Peace through real spiritual understanding.
Also today a man came representing Dr. Alpert who is called Swami Ram Dass
in the United States. There is already a sort of legend that this Ram Dass and
Sam are the leaders of the New Age. It is the young who want us and more and
more. But there is a difference that Sam is also on demand at the universities
where this Swami Ram Dass is a retired professor from Harvard University and
has had his fill of mere intellectuals.
One aspect of this is coming next week in the Indian Independence Day
celebration. Not only has Sam been invited but the principal speakers are his
friends. And he will be permitted to tell the audience about his interviews
with great Indians, stories which have been barred by the private institutions
but are now being welcomed at the universities.
No doubt another change may take place when the religious leaders of the
world meet under the auspices of the Temple of Understanding. The young do not
want any more separatism and their elders are all crying not for spiritual
freedom but for leadership. In fact Sam has burst out roaring at some of
Papa’s sayings which are read every morning. They are so true, they may not
appear to be funny but again they are filled with joy. Sam does not believe
there is any truth without complete joy—call it “Ananda” or anything
else.
Anyhow this is written in Joy and Love and to let you know that real Love,
real Joy and real Truth are now coming more and more into the objective
consciousness of mankind in many parts of the world.
Samuel L. Lewis
910 Railroad Ave.
Novato, Calif. 94947
January 28, 1970
Dear Ram:
Om Sri Ram Jai Jai Ram!
This is a strange and one hopes pleasant interlude. Imagine going into an
old church and hearing hundreds upon hundreds of young people chanting RamNam.
This happened last night in San Francisco. While the churches are complaining
of non-attendance and there are many disputes about the existence of God, the
young people are doing their thing—chanting together, singing
together, even dancing to other, more and more and more.
All the people, older institutions, are complaining. They are going to
complain themselves out of existence. The older people want institutions and
power; the younger people want to commune with each other and with the Spirit
of the universe.
The speaker for the evening was the former doctor Richard Alpert, now known
as Baba Ram Das. He has known wealth. He has reached the highest grades of
intellectual prowess in our most complex culture. He has tried psychedelics. He
has drunk from the cups of sin to their upmost, but he has done more; a famous
actress once wrote a book, “Why not “Try God?”
Dr. Albert has tried God. He is known as Baba Ram Das. He has gone through
many stages and stations of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita and has totally rejected
the manas-ahankara interpretations of philosophers well known and not so well
known to delve into cosmic experience and empty himself to be a Voice of
Ram.
Sam has believed that America just might produce some of the spiritual
leaders of the future. He is wondering whether his former future is now not the
present. Before the evening was over the old church was literally crowded to
the rafters. As we were chanting RamNam Sam has no idea how many were turned
away. He has attended so many gatherings of thousands of yours
Americans. They are heart hungry and soul starved, but they are finding the
cosmic substance and sustenance which rids them from hunger and starvation.
In this talk Baba Ram Dass spoke from an apparently light vein of humor and
criticism, but he indicated that he intended to speak next constructively, to
offer remedies that were being offered to the world. San feels rather strange,
because Baba Ram Dass seems to have criticized almost everything and everybody,
but when he offered at least six ways out, he mentioned Sam. One must
face the great possibilities as is said in the Hebrew bible, “The stone which
is rejected has become the corner stone.”
Sam thinks this is most interesting coming so soon after the Indian
Independence Day celebration. There is much more, lots more. With already one
book to print mentioning Sam at the highest level and Baba Ram Dass planning
another with the same outlook, one realizes the thin line between self-
proclamation and self-effacement, and the indifference one can have to either
and both.
Love and Blessings,
SAM
910 Railroad Ave.
Novato, Calif. 9494
February 4, 1970
Anandashram
Kanhangad P.O.
Travancore-Cochin
Dear Ram:
The month of February started here with the most beautiful weather—like
springtime. We have had an unusually wet winter, but practically no frost. This
seems to reflect the general condition of and on all planes. A constantly
growing audience of young people comes to Sam’s various meetings, while the
total number is small; it is always increasing week to week.
Not only that, there is a new type of teacher of oriental philosophy here.
With the exception of an occasional Indian, all of them are Americans; usually
Americans who have lived in the Orient and every single one of them has either
been under spiritual guidance or lived with the common people and not in
tourist hotels. This means today a slow but over increasing interchange on all
planes. This means today the gradual subsidence of dualistic intellectuals who
offered opinions, their own private opinions, as “oriental philosophy.
Last night, in order to get proper seats to hear Baba Ram Dass we arrived
nearly an hour ahead of time, but not too soon. We listened to and joined in
the repetition of sacred mantrams. Where before one might meet even a hundred
or two hundred old people listening to lectures, today not only hundreds but
even thousands of young people are gathering for holy chants. This was
particularly true of the RamNam although there were many other sacred
chants.
Papa was right; the mantram, especially one from a spiritual guru, offers
the most satisfaction, especially for beginners. There is no doubt that the
“coming race people” are more spiritual advanced than their predecessors.
No doubt Sri Aurobindo as well as H.G. Wells, Aldous Huxley and others
predicted the coming race, but these young people simply will not follow the
leadership of the manas-ahankara oldsters who want to be their leaders.
There is one humorous, not to say ridiculous, aspect to it. There are so
many churches, legal groups etc. crying for financial assistance. There are
also so many detractors of the young. They do not see that by their very
attitudes they are repelling the young. And the simple fact is that many of
these young come from wealthy families or themselves are now obtaining
substantial livelihoods. In his last report Sam said he never saw so many
greenbacks, that is American paper money. This time he did not even look. There
was not only an overflow audience, but all the annex rooms in the huge church
structure where the meeting was held had microphones in them. Nobody knows how
many thousands of people there were, and we are not particularly interested how
great the collection was.
One of the greatest failures of Sam has been the impossibility of
communicating to the manas-ahankara people of the reality of prajna. They
simply will not have it. They will not have it despite Dr. Radhakrishnan, Dr.
Daisetz Suzuki, and others. This becomes all the more evident when a man like
Baba Ram Dass relying on prajna has total success. So I guess it is time to
close a book and turn the pages away from the many manas-ahankara people who
have so little respect for each other anyhow.
The talk of Baba Ram Dass was a sort of compilation of Patanjali yoga, and
Sana Tana dharma. Both Baba Ram Dass and an organization is the eastern part of
the United States are seeking to compile various spiritual practices in use
today. It is very very funny indeed. Sam wrote you before that he returned to
this country with the later lesser Upanishads. He tried in vain to give them
away, but the manas-ahankara people considered their loss of face more
important than their obtaining sacred literature. Now there is a new age, a new
generation, and Sam is able to proffer this literature and other sacred
writings to the new age reader.
The same thing is going on in Zen Buddhism. Sam has a great compilation of
very original teachings which the publishers have refuted, which the academics
have refused, but which the universities are now welcoming. In this connection
Sam remembers the greatest lecture ever given by the late Zen monk Nyogen
Senzaki. It consisted of sweetly two words: “Buddha Hridaya.” Sam is
now going to present this to those who are willing to accept it, because in one
of the mantrams Baba Ram Dass gave last night from Indian sacred literature is
emphasized Hridaya.
Next Sunday Sam will start the study of the Taittiriya Upanishad. It
is time to make people aware of the five sheaths—not to give lectures on the
subject but to promote a conscious awakening. The audiences are now ready.
Inayat Khan said, “It is the mureeds who make the murshid.” There is no
such thing in this sense as a guru or spiritual teacher. When the innate
propensities of an audience grow and grow, it impels and compels a person to
awaken to the highest in himself, which is to say God speaking through him.
Without the audience he may not have it. Satsang is not a one way street, it is
a communal endeavor.
One can go on and on, and Baba Ram Dass will again speak next week. The
youth of America are calling for spiritual methods and spiritual teachers and
not homilies, sermons, aphorisms, jumbles of words. It may be, inshallah, that
in a short time we shall have multitudes of awakened Americans. And one can see
this particularly in the infants who really demonstrate the predictions of the
late Sri Aurobindo and refute the efforts of his followers or all those who
substitute manas-ahankara for moksha.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
910 Railroad Ave.
Novato, Calif. 94947
March 11, 1970
Anandashram
Dear Ram:
Sam was influenced to maintain a diary after reading the works of Thomas
Jefferson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Papa Ramdas. But in retrospect it must be
said that the more one considers it, there is no diary; there is only the
fulfillment of the divine life in and through what would appear to be an
ego-personality which is nothing but a mode of God Himself expressing Himself
outwardly. And daily Sam seams to find that there is really nothing else but
this divine life, and this in turn, so far as he is concerned, gives much
greater value to Papa’s works, especially the earlier ones.
No doubt there is a time for all things. And now, instead of lapsing into
the presumable securities of old age, Sam’s life is becoming more and more
public. It has even become public enough to warrant an apology from one of the
leading divines of the region. No doubt it requires considerable patience when
one’s theme is, so to speak, “The stone that is rejected is become the
cornerstone.” One cannot understand why persons who preach morality and love
and brotherhood are among the forefront of those who purposely neglect.
One of the great folk stories of Europe is called “The Goose Girl.”
Everybody is awaiting a deliverer who is supposed to be a princess. On the day
of liberation, when the gates of the Great City are opened, nobody enters but a
country Goose Girl who brought her flock every day at dawn anyhow. After much
drama, too late of course, it was discovered that the Goose Girl was really the
princess who had been kidnapped when an infant.
Sam’s theme which may now be presented to a conference of great spiritual
teachers and ecclesiasts is not going to be “Love Ye one another.” Sam is
amused by the number of people in audiences who interrupt saying, “Why
don’t you preach and teach more love?” not aware that rude interruptions
are self-evident demonstrations of the lack of love and the dominance of
dualistic outlook. So Sam will present instead “Respect Ye one another.”
This is very difficult, for Sam has as his ko-an, so to speak, the first
words of Mandel’s Messiah “Every valley shall be exalted and every hill
laid low; the crooked places made straight.” But how is a little valley going
to express itself amid a throng of mountains who because of their very nature
are unable to bow before each other. Nevertheless, this will be the theme. And
as the time approaches, the presence of Divine Grace becomes more and more
evident, both in the daily consciousness and during sleep at night.
The Krishna Theme. This is long and elaborate. The first step is to
distribute or sell more copies of Sam’s “The Rejected Avatar.” But it is
becoming evident to more and more persons that although Sri Krishna is the
theme, he himself has been rejected. Now it is very easy to convince anybody
who is not an “Orientalist” that there is such a thing as counter karma,
and the great danger of the moment is the overwhelming willingness by the young
to accept everything Sam says; and when it is true or they believe it is true,
to go all the way. And it is chiefly among people who claim a “moral
outlook” that the rejections prevail—all other doors are open. But even
this is coming to an end for Sam has just received a beautiful letter of
apology from one of the leading divines in San Francisco.
Sam has also received from Dr. Milton Singer an autographed copy of his
latest book on Sri Krishna, and this man is perhaps the top Sanskrit scholar in
the United States. But yesterday, one of Sam’s secretaries discovered a
sacred Sanskrit book on Sri Krishna in a second hand book store. It had been
placed on the market by the now presumably defunct American Academy of Asian
Studies who had hosted Papa when he was in this region. But this institution
was adamantly dedicated to one theme: personality leadership. The resulting
karma was melodramatic and awkward. Only today the universities themselves are
open and, as reported before, Sam has already put some of Papa’s works in the
University of California and certainly doors are open all over.
Tonight we shall give the last rehearsals of one of Sam’s ras lila dances.
The technique is simple. The steps are easy. But without extreme devotion it is
utterly impossible to perform. The same perhaps pertains to the Hare Krishna
etc. dance which has already been photographed.
This brings one to the most dramatic element of the present life. Three
years ago when Sam was flat on his back in the hospital there was a divine
visitation with words and visions. All the words, all the visions have now
manifested. But the door did not close, and the next steps in life are
evident.
Last Thursday in this house and Monday night at the San Francisco home, Sam
gave his farewell addresses to privacy and tranquility. There is no time now
when interviews are not sought, when office work is not done, and when there
are other aspects of both spiritual and material business. For the next 5 days
in a row at least, there will be cameras and sound equipment recording the
spiritual dances, the sacred lessons, and the daily life of a man who was
marked for spiritual leadership by so many holy men and egotistically rejected
in previous years with a single exception-these all being a priori
rejections.
Actually the whole thing is funny. The whole thing is ridiculous. For
instance, the Sri Aurobindo people have been pushing the poem “Savitri” on
Sam. But they were the foremost to reject his poetry and not only reject it,
sharply criticize Sam’s efforts. Sam has asked one of his own disciples to
compare Savitri with one of his epics. The man said: “They are the same kind
of poems, but yours is clearer and more profound.”
It is certain that in Sam’s cosmic realizations, as verbalized in his
poetry, we come to the fulfillment and perfection of “Every valley shall be
exalted and every hill laid low.” To find galaxies in an atom; and all the
super-galaxies and constellations and universes together forming a small
portion of divine reality seems to be beyond the conscious scope of most of the
people today who toy with the word Yoga.
Sam is taking with him, as probably was written before, a brochure of
Vice-President Geary. It is not only as Walt Whitman said, “In all men I see
myself,” but it is all a teaching of the Real Religion which is behind
all of the particular religions that everything is reflected in everything. The
Gita, the Upanishads, the Prajnana Paramita Sutra, the Johanni books of the
Bible, and the actual sacred traditions of the Jews support this same theme,
this universal theme.
In “The Rejected Avatar”:
“The strong say yes to God The weak say no to man.”
This habit is so ridiculous that the young are laughing today at all the
pretenders and dualists who offer their private formulae as solutions to
problems of the day. They do not understand that their individual separations
are the basis not only of these problems but of the existence of problems in
any form.
One cannot go much beyond this because Sam’s theme is going to be “Keep
a soft tongue and loud, very loud ears” (e.g. as the Tibetan Saint
Milarepa).
No doubt efforts will be made to report further from either Switzerland or
England late this month or early next.
With all love and blessings,
Samuel Lewis
March 22, 1970
Anandashram
Kanhangad P.O.
Travancore-Cochin
South India
Dear Ram;
Package of books has been received from Anandashram, Gita Sandesh. It is
particularly welcome at this hour. Sam is now already to go to the conference
of the real religious leaders of this plane; he does not know what be is going
to say or do other than keeping the mind clear and clean so that, God-willing,
the Divine Voice may be speaking to and through him.
There are certainly two lessons in life impressed upon Sam this week; one is
the vibratory activity of all the cells of the physical body and along with
them of the finer bodice when the RamNam is sung or chanted. The day has gone
when audiences are impressed by lofty emotions apart from direct experience.
The young want direct experience; they are getting the direct experience; they
love the direct experience. They mount the ladder of Ananda, which in a certain
sense is the same as Jacob’s ladder in the Hebrew Bible. There is no time for
talking; there is time for realization. There is always time for realization.
Yesterday Sam presented a Spring Festival for the young. It was also the
birthday of Gavin Arthur, who was always a warm admirer of Papa. It was very
different; there were 200 to 250 people there, practically all young. They
joined in the dances and chants. They love to recite RamNam and Hare Krishna
and Sufi sacred phrases. It is a totally different world; it is a totally new
world.
Some of the young women surprised Sam with a Sita dance. When they
completed, Sam put on a Ram ceremonial; then they all joined together in a
Ram-Sita performance. This was not India. This is the America of today, a very
different America. This will also go down on record, because there were
television cameras and sound equipment and all technical paraphernalia.
The height of the amillah came when Sam performed Ras-Lila. One cannot
describe this because in it there is no sense of being. There is sense of
emergence. One becomes the instrument of God, so to speak. This is what the
young people want. This is what they expect. This is what they respect. My
friends, it is a New Age. It is an age of warm delight in the Divine Presence.
Now Sam is getting ready to attending the conference of the great religions of
the world, but he has already abandoned the fruits of action; he has not
abandoned action, be has abandoned fruits of action. There is some hope for the
world when it accepts the evidence of spirituality, not only as presented by
let us say a Guru, but when it is reflected in the awakening of hearts, in the
brilliancy of faces, in the manifest joy and delight.
Although this was a long day, we had the dancing class at night. Everybody
came. We introduced some new Shiva dances. And in the next few days everything
will be done to get these dances in order that they may be used in the
future.
The second lesson Sam has learned is that of and from pain. To him, this
means the wiping out of samskaras. It is in no sense an evil. The wiping out of
samskaras helps free the spirit, helps one to appreciate joy.
This may be the last letter before our departure for abroad. If we have been
over bearing we shall soon learn this. But if we are life-bearers, we may also
soon learn this.
Sam is now getting apologies from those who would never let him present his
points of view, or perhaps his knowledge. Too many efforts are being made to
promote verbal “world outlooks” by the suppression of knowledge, by the
suppression of facts, by the suppression of history. This will no longer do.
The young are intelligent and alert and innately so honest that it is very
difficult for older persons to conceive their attitude.
A series of speakers on television have shown that the harm done by alcohol
is 40 times as great as all problems, moral, legal and otherwise, due to
partaking of psychedelics. San never used psychedelics because he felt the
superiority of the mantras to begin with—not the philosophy of the mantram,
but its recitation. That is what young America wants; that is what young
America is getting. It is a New Age my friends, it is a period of hope and joy
and love.
All love and blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
May 3, 1970
The Vision
Anandashram
Kanhangad
South India
Dear Ram;
Volume 38, no. 3 copy of the Vision is here. This is a new day. This is a
day when it is become extremely easy to communicate its content to an ever
growing number of young people. One does not convince the elders that God made
mankind in His image. One does not try to convince the young people; they
accept it already. The young people who accept cosmic truth are no longer
interested in the empty words of their seniors by age but not otherwise.
Sam returned to his native city, met by a large crowd of loving young
people. They made such tamasha that it disturbed or surprised the airport. It
would seem that there will be more of such disturbances and surprises. These
will have to be accepted as facts of a life which seniors have declined to
examine. Or as the Sufi Inayat Khan taught: “Heart speaks to heart, and soul
to soul.”
The homecoming was followed by a very large public greeting, and this in
turn yesterday by a combination of a May Festival and marriage ceremony.
We also have another RamNam Dance. The young people are full of love and
joy. This reflects in their faces, in their auras, in their glow. There is more
joy in the voices of Sam’s friends and followers, chanting the Names of God,
then in all the sermons in the world. It is God speaking to God through God to
meet God, or as you say Ram, it does not matter. Actually we say Ram a good
deal, a great deal, with joy, with love, with grandeur, with devotion.
Sam already has a Summer School awaiting him of young people in another part
of the country. And a much larger convocation in the Eastern states because
Baba Ram Dass (the young American to whom others were looking for leadership is
leaving the country). He is going to South America to study with a Sufi. All
this has helped Sam. All this and very much more about which one does not wish
to write, excepting to say in a few words that with the help of Ram we hope to
accomplish what others are talks about. We do not have to go out and beg and
cry. And someday better known people who proclaim the beliefs in karma will
discover it is very true. This is a long story also, but it has shadows.
This is a long story also, and one does not feel happy about it. But the
news has come in today’s paper that the efforts of Auroville have produced no
fruit, quite the contrary. It is very sad no doubt. It is very unfortunate that
some people cannot accept that God-Ram alone is great, and no
self-proclamations really mean anything. There is an argument in an English
publication on the relative merits of Shankara and Ramanaja. Sam believes Atma
and Brahm are the same, and this goes for everybody. It is those who have
failed to be convinced of this who are failing, while those who accept and are
aware of it succeed more and more. And why not. Sam believes this is a day for
the whole of humanity and not just for privileged ones. And today the world is
beating a pathway to his doors, as he forefelt. Now it is coming true.
Everything is coming true.
Love and Blessings,
SAM
May 14, 1970
Dear Ram:
A little event this morning prompts this letter. While we were singing
RamNam it seemed that the depth and vitality not only impregnated the cells and
tubes of the body, but even the hairs. Sam not only has a full beard
today—many little children now call him Santa Claus—but it seems that the
hairs of the beard stood on end and danced while we were chanting RamNam. While
we perform a ritual so to speak it would seem that we rush to our chanting not
because it is a duty or discipline, but because it is a source of great
delight, a delight which becomes actual experience.
Sam attended another Wesak celebration Sunday. It seems here that Wesak has
become a compounding of ritual and ceremony that have little or nothing to do
with Lord Buddha. It has been made into a hyperbolic ritual with very vague
meanings in to a presumable super-magic for which and from which there is no
evidence. Many non-Buddhists have seized this word to proclaim all sorts of
things which have no evidence in facts and are empty in fancy.
Now the various Buddhists who are extremely badly split have moved in the
same direction. Sam sees only one dharma, one dharma, call it sanatana dharma,
call it arya dharma or otherwise, or not at all. His holding to this point is
also illustrated in his poetry. All his poems were rejected by presumable world
leaders. Then his own friends had “The Rejected Avatar” published. Now this
is in demand.
Returning from a conference of the real leaders of the real religions, Sam
has learned that his efforts have been appreciated. He stood in competition
with no one, and he showed his appreciation of all. This stands in mark
contrast to the leaders of all the rival schools of so-called dharma who are
treating each other with contempt. The almost total absence of ananda is so
evident. To Sam the dharma without ananda is noise, nothing but noise, but that
is what the young people hold and proclaim.
Sam has a summer school all waiting for him: enrollment, funds, freedom to
teach real systems of real yoga, and real Sufi esoterics along with spiritual
dancing. The young wish this; the young grab. The young know intuitively what
Ramdas has been saying. It requires no effort at all; it is simple and easy.
While people of mature ages seem to spurn us, that very situation is an
additional factor in the continued drawing and increase of audiences of and
from the young people. Love is love and there is no substitute for it. Joy is
joy and there is no substitute for it. Peace is peace and there is no
substitute.
This letter is being written before Sam received official news about an
increase in his monthly allotment, coming at a time: when the world, that is
the world of young people, is beginning to recognize him. But it is not
personality recognition, it is dharma recognition, it is the presentation of
Sufism which declares God Alone Exists—when the gods arrive the half
gods go.
Love and Blessings,
SAM
910 Railroad Ave.
Novato, Calif. 94947
May 27, 1970
Anandashram
Kanhangad
Dear Ram;
There is something remarkable that goes on in life. It is like a story; it
is like a super-story. Sam has been saying, you can convince almost anybody
about what is going on unless he calls himself a realist, then it becomes
hopeless. Sam is about to leave here to conduct a summer school in the State of
New Mexico. It was not particularly his idea. Sam has written previously about
the Professor now known as Baba Ram Das. He is a man from a very wealthy
family. He is also a man who has a degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Harvard
University. But he is also a man who has only spiritual values: wealth, fame,
acclaim, all those things which Christ condemned he shuns, and all those things
which Christ evaluated he loves. So there is nothing else to do but go into
other parts of this country and teach what scriptures acclaim and religion has
shunned and is just awakening to the simple but hard reality of karma.
Everything is so different today, everything. There is soon to be another,
what is called, Holy Men’s Jamboree in this region. Sam will be far away, but
it is his disciples who are taking the lead in and for this project. It is his
disciples who are doing things. It is his disciples who are gradually finding
their maturity and finding also the avenues for full expression of inner
potentialities and faculties—you will please pardon not sending details; they
would take too long.
What the leaders in this country and one suspects the leaders in other
countries and one further suspects that all those who are concerned with
leadership and not with humanity fear most is a real moral and spiritual
revolution. And what they are totally unable to stop is such a real moral and
spiritual revolution. For it is not only Sam’s disciples, but their friends
and schoolmates and others of the same age that have the universal and
spiritual outlooks. The sociologists and politicians fail to grasp what we may
call the soul of man, and there is no question but that the spirit of Walt
Whitman which manifested in this land is now coming into prominence along with
that of Emerson and Thoreau. This is the America which you do not read about in
the press, which you do not hear about on radio and television and which is
beginning to manifest itself in the real non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi and not
in the dramatic nonviolence which has brought so much attention and
accomplished very little.
All of Sam’s meetings have shown a slow but steady increase. The same is
true of the meetings of his colleagues and disciples. We have not reached the
news point, but what can you expect of the channels of communication which fail
to mention the gatherings of all the world’s faiths at Geneva which Sam
recently attended? There seems to be a great fear of real religion.
There was a story by Hans Christian Anderson in the last century called
“the Emperor’s New Clothes.” With pretense some conniving tailors made it
appear that the cloth was so refined as to make it invisible. When the day came
to display it, everybody remarked on its wonders. Only a little child said,
“Why he has nothing on at all.” The young of today are like that little
child. And now also the stock market which reflects the real economy of this
country is demonstrating that, when all money is used for weapons of war, there
is no wealth behind it.
There was an amusing incident recently in San Francisco. There is a female
cat in this house there. It was advertised that he had kittens to give away.
When the young people heard than Sam had kittens to give away, they flocked to
his house, they telephoned his house. It was dramatically humorous to find that
many young people have learned about Sam and have admiration for him, but you
never see his name in the paper and it is most difficult to get an interview
with people of importance.
Nevertheless, for the first time a Jewish rabbi gave him an interview. If
you read the papers you will read that Muslims and Israelis alike are howling
they would be willing to sit down at the table and discuss peacefully with the
other party. But such events never take place, only the challenges. But after
what happened in Geneva, it is becoming evident that religions that do not have
a living God are hopeless. They mean nothing. The young simply will not attend
their services. The young simply will not take them seriously, so the young are
attacked and accused or sometimes defended but never permitted to speak for
themselves.
Shortly-after Sam leaves there will be another Holy Man’s Jamboree. It is
being called by the young. Before any newspaper men will show up—realists
never pay any attention—the police may show up, And If the police show up
there may be some news, otherwise, no; things are not done that way. Someday we
hope to convince some disciple of Sri Aurobindo that the cosmic evolution about
which he wrote so much is really going on, is really going on with evolved
race. Of course Bulwer Lytton and H.G. Wells also predicted that, and someday
we hope to convince some people who see only extreme good or only extreme evil
in and from India that God is everywhere and truth is everywhere.
There was another interesting episode: One of Sam’s disciples who is a
very adventurous type travels all over. He goes out into the deserts and
wildernesses and mingles with every kind of person. He fears nobody. Once he
was robbed and he told San, “I was out on the desert and my tent was robbed
and what do you think they stole? My whole collection of Swami Ramdas’ books;
I had a whole collection and they were all stolen. Wasn’t that wonderful?
“We had a hardy laugh and hope you can join in it.
When Sam returns it will be necessary to organize very carefully. This is
something new. At Geneva he was approached by a stranger, “You have a
wonderful message and I admire your personality, are you properly organized?
Well, I hope to come to San Francisco as soon as possible. The world needs
universal teachings and the divine spirit above all else. That was a
stranger’s conclusion. It shows God is in everybody and someday we hope to
convince some of the people who think they are devotees of Indian wisdom that
this is actually so. We are not troubled about others.
The key-note of life is found in the sayings of Papa Ramdas, that the ananda
of the jnanana and of the Bhakti are the same. We are demonstrating it here on
a great scale. But life is demonstrating it on a greater scale, much greater,
among the evolved youth of this day and place. They really evaluate love and
joy and peace about which their elders talk so much and do so little. So we are
going to emphasize more and more love and joy and peace and also present the
techniques given to the world so many times by great spiritual teachers,
ignored so much by institutions utilizing the names of the same spiritual
teachers. In this we do not have to blame anybody. We shall simply demonstrate,
and more and more and more. So on return we shall take up what might be called
the business aspects of this letter and try to build up a library consummate
with its contents knowing full well that it is not a library but the growth of
human hearts that will produce a better world. With all love and blessing,
Samuel L. Lewis
[Ed—Included is a note from Moineddin Jablonski on August 14,1971:
I just found this letter sealed in an envelope ready to send to India, but
apparently misplaced by Murshid or someone at the time, as it was under some
papers in the back of the desk drawer.]
June 11, 1970
Anandashram,
Kanhangad,
South India
Dear Ram:
There is on episode in the life of Jesus Christ that he was taken to an
exceedingly high mountain. Lama Foundation is near the summit of the tallest
mountain in the United States outside the State of Colorado. The peaks of those
States are well known but this one seems to have been a holy mountain since
most ancient times.
It seems that Sam must follow the career of Paul Brunton—he did in India
and Egypt and now instead of the Himalayas the Rockies. And Sam sees now he
must speak in behalf of a Universal God Who is not jailed in any system of
mountains. A great Sufi saint said: “Allah is your Lover, not your Jailer”
and Sam says that man, too must not jail his God, which so many want to do. It
is useless but people want to try. Sam does not know why, how can the Creator
be confined to places? much less single places.
In fact Sam has some doubt whether he even wants to visit Arunachala. He was
himself a chela of Paul Brunton when the latter was a chela of Maharshi. But
Sam’s work is in Karma Yoga, and also so as Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj
said, in Bhakti and Jhanas. It is not in the “tyranny of words” which so
limits and confines mankind. Now we have God-else “Yoga” which is certainly
not egoless “Yoga.” The churches are being pulled down to set up narrow
organizations all claiming to lead the world, and they are based on egotism not
on any Supreme Being. Just words.
“The Vision” was sent here but, dear ones, you cannot send “The
Vision” to Sam without Sam having a Vision, so to speak, and this Vision is
to write a commentary on St. Paul’s “First Epistle of the Corinthians”
which may be done, Ram willing, when he returns to the lowlands.
There is a vast spreading of Yoga in the land. First there is Godless Yoga.
It has various names and methods and is very prominent in publications. The
prevailing culture wants that. It is innocuous. It does not bring God or Mukti.
Sometimes it brings wealth, fame, and it certainly does not harm. But it tends
to accent egotism and is so limited.
Sam has been writing for years: “When the Gods arrive the half-gods go.”
Now there are some real systems of Yoga being introduced. They are making all
kinds of claims. They are often exotic and complicated. They are always
presented in an obtuse fashion, so that nothing is clear. But Sam welcomes them
as they do posit God and Mukti and human experience and do not limit salvation
to some private legal organization which proclaims it will save the
world—there are so many of these! They deny each other and they deny
historicity and they shun the Sufis!
Well last Sunday there was a Holy Men’s Jamboree in San Francisco and
crowds of young people came. Sam has not the news yet but has been told it was
most successful. As it was organized by Sufis and at least one Sufi spoke it
has to be by-passed by all who claim to have world brotherhood and world
leadership and world this and world that—and will take anybody to help in
their Kurukshetra but Sri Krishna! But this way is gone. The youth who
represent the new age will not have that. They want realities, not words or
claims.
On the same Sunday, 7th June, Sam was honored by a pilgrimage to this
place—nearly all young people. The only other time a pilgrimage was made to
Sam was by Sufis who are ignored by all the “world” groups. The theme of
the Sufis is God Is Love. So Ram has directed Sam to write a commentary
on the First Epistle of the Corinthians beginning with the Love-theme and then
going on to the three bodies mentioned in that holy book but ignored by cult
and religion alike. It is time to restore the Sanatana Dharma.
This was a mission given also to Sam on another holy mountain, in Japan. Sam
may still have some pictures. The world legal groups refused to accept his
reports and of course, ignore his pictures. They always lecture on the need for
moral and spiritual reform, a point on which they are joined by politicians and
gangsters as well as saints. They all verbalize “moral and spiritual
reform.” But Sam is directed to emphasize Love.
Well Tuesday Sam visited two cities in this State of New Mexico and was
greeted by delegations of young people. They want God, they want Love, they
want experience and they do not want to become figureheads in some milking
operation known as “world brotherhood” or “world union” or
“world-anything.” The soul longs for Salvation and the mind offers billions
of alternatives—which are not wrong in themselves but useless.
So Sam realizes his time is coming and maybe soon. The whole universe speaks
to him and sometimes through him. The young are coming to him and he to them.
The three-body psychology is being introduced, but based on Love and Love and
Love and Compassion and Mercy, which are so much more powerful than legal love
or political love and sentimental love. And it would appear that with Sri
Krishna with him Kurukshetra will be won. Anyhow the young believe Sri Krishna
is with Sam and they accept his dances while the claimants to world
brotherhood” and “world undon” and “world this” and “world
that”…. I leave it to you. As Mohammed said: “Say Allah and leave
them to their devices.
We now have many songs and cues on RamNam, many and more coming. Love
and blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco, Calif. 94110
21st June, 1970
Anandashram,
Kanhangad P.O.
Travancore-Cochin
South India
Dear Ram:
Om! Sri Ram! Jai Ram! Jai, Jai Ram!
There is something strange going on in life and although Sam has seen it all
in the spirit before, when it happens it is just as strange as if there were no
forebodings.
Sam is becoming wealthy by a very strange process. He has never tried to
accumulate money and does not believe that wealth is significant. Before his
brother died we discussed what would happen and it is happening. So many people
want money for Yoga research and mystical research and occult research. And
when Sam writes he has some materials they always reject the materials but want
his money anyhow and they keep on asking for the money, but never, never accept
his spiritual reports, no matter what the evidence.
Sam has discovered there are two kinds of movements today, the one kind in
which the spiritual teacher or Guru acts like the sun and gives and gives and
gives, and asks nothing. The other kind is like the Superman of
Nietzsche—they want money, obeisance, servitude, even slavery and they always
treat other peoples as lesser beings. And we find both of these in the world
and especially in California and India.
While the true Guru blesses and gives and heals and soothes, the other type
advertises their virtues, only their virtues and never accepts the virtues of
others, only their money! And they name certain persons whom they consider
vastly superior and expect the world to bow before those people and if anything
goes wrong they say that it is because the world has not accepted their special
Holy Man. There are so many; they come and go and stress emotionalism. If you
mention “God” or “Ram” to them, they wince. They talk about the divine
life, the spiritual life, the holy life, and it is very, very restricted—just
to them and their colleagues and some they select at random.
Now the Upanishads has the way to determine spirituality and this was also
taught to Sam by some very real Masters. And now Sam is communicating it to the
young, more and more. The whole upper portion of the Rio Grande Valley in the
Southwestern part of the United States is filled with new types of communes and
mostly they have a spiritual basis, all over. Multitudes. To San they are the
New Age, they are the traces predicted by Sri Aurobindo and Bulwer Lytton and
H.G. Wells. They have real Yoga, real devotion and not endless philosophy
about and about. They are worshippers, they are devotees they are real
Karma-Yogins with touches of real Bhakti.
Last night there was a dramatic group visiting Lama where this is written
and they presented a play, “The False Guru.” For one hour beforehand Sam
put on Sufi (dervish) dances. Then after the play some of the devotees began
the RamNam dances. And somebody called out, “What have we to do with a false
Guru when we have a true Guru in our midst.” And all the people, mostly young
called on Sam and he presented a series of RamNam dances in which hundreds
participated. And when it was all over the dramatic leader who played the part
of the false guru came to Sam, knelt at his feet and invited him to visit them.
This may have been coming, it was seen and foreseen.
The letter will be written before the day’s program where and when
hundreds of young people from all over the upper parts of the Rio Grande will
be coming to Sam. And then Tuesday and Wednesday Sam will be visiting them and
presenting the spiritual dances. The older people do not want them and besides
they belong to a passing evolution. The world is advancing, humanity is
advancing and with all the bad news, “I come. I go. When Dharma decays I
come.”
Today there is also another Holy Men’s Jamboree, as they are called, in
another part of the Rio Grande Valley. It is so different now. And before Sam
leaves this State (New Mexico) he will be given a special send off. And the
same will be true about his return to California.
Now also Sam is receiving the most wonderful letters from so many distant
places. They realize sincerity if not wisdom. Sam is still a believer in
“La Illaha El Il Allah”, there is no deity but Allah,
although this is interpreted in the Bhal manner:
“Allah, Shiva, and God-nam, Ram-Sita, Ram-Sita-Ram”
And those who are substituted men’s names (and sometimes women’s names,
and only arousing emotions and thinking they have reached the Goal, would pass
away as they always have. Love alone is eternal and emotions are passing.
This coming week Sam will teach the Maha Mudra, to help people attain
peacefulness and spread that peacefulness with wisdom through the world. Sam
knew this was coming. He has to give up the “lonely” life which was forced
on him for a life of some social consideration, also in a sense forced on him.
But we surrender to God. We do not say or pray, “Thy will be done on earth as
it is in heaven” we seek that this be the way of life for all.
Om! Sri Ram! Jai Ram! Jai Jai Ram!
Love and Blessings,
Samuel L. Levis S. A. M.
July 4, 1970
Anandashram
Editor of The Vision
Anandashram
Dear Ram:
Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram! This is the most difficult letter Sam has
ever tried to write. Every word, every thought, even every feeling, is a
shadow, but it is a shadow of Divine Light.
Sam has just returned from his almost private ashram in the Rocky Mountains.
Although he was there chiefly as a Sufi and mantric teacher and devotee, he
also imparted the whole gamut of Buddhist meditations from the first Jhana to
the highest Maha Mudra. This may have been almost the first such effort since
the days of the ancient Taxila and Nalanda. Sam is not the least concerned with
the personality-rejections of these efforts. The fact is that more and more
young people are accepting what he is offering and the days of the a priori
rejections by the intellectuals, sophists, and metaphysicians, is over.
Years ago Her Serene Highness Princess Poon Diskul, now president of the
World Buddhist Federation, told Sam he was piling up a mountain of good merit.
Sam said he was not interested in merit. Her Serene Highness said this would
increase the merit. But today seems to be the beginning of a harvest of long
efforts and perhaps in all sincerity.
The last days in New Mexico were so dramatic that one can only outline them.
A. The demand for more copies of “The Vision” and works of Papa Ramdas.
This came spontaneously to Sam from others. B. The extreme unsolicited
cooperation from the American known as Baba Ram Das, unqualified cooperation,
leaving Sam partly stunned and astounded and partly joyously compelled to enter
the doors opened by and from this man’s efforts. C. The increase in the new
spiritual dances coming through Sam so to speak and also in the growth of
audiences and participants far beyond his present capacities, but manifesting
in front of him all the time, showing the New Age in all its hopeful
expectations. D. The unexpected surprise meeting by Sam of a dramatic group
living in the center of the Stat of New Mexico, planning to dramatize the
Ramayana and Mahabharata in ways comparable to the Christian efforts related to
the Passion Play of Lord Jesus Christ. I think it was already reported that
when they presented a drama called “The False Guru” someone in the audience
yelled, “Why should we be concerned with a false guru when we have a true
Guru in our midst?” The reaction was sudden and astounding and soon Sam was
leading hundreds in Ramnam dances as he has led other hundreds in other parts
of the State of New Mexico in both Ramnam and Dervish dances.
The local news from other sources and the distant news from other sources is
in the same expansive vein. It would appear that there may be harvest autumns
in one’s private life, but as the Bible teaches, one is reserving the fruits
of these actions to God, and as the Gita teaches one is reserving and
dedicating the fruits of actions to Sri Krishna.
The last dramatic episode in New Mexico was a spontaneous call for a Hare
Krishna Dance which was immediately done; Sam leading about 200 young people in
this and they want more. This is a New Age and one thinks this is enough to
report in a single letter.
Love and Blessing,
Samuel L. Lewis
10th July
Dear Ram: Om Sri Ram! Jai Ram! Jai Ram Ram!
Sam is now visiting the Garden of Inayat which was intended to be the Sufi
spiritual headquarters. But now the movement is spreading very rapidly. There
are so many who claim to be leaders, to be representing world movements, to be
Sadgurus, Avatars, Maharshis and when they have finished the young people find
there is no change in the world, in themselves or in the suffering of humanity.
Added to this is the hard but simple fact that most older people simply will
not interview Sam, and this is making him a hero. Perhaps they are right, but
to claim to be moral and act this way only impresses the young that their
seniors by age are hypocrites.
When Sam was high in the Rocky Mountains, in the woods, many came long
distances to see him. Now that he is back among his fellows people come but not
so long distances only more of them. There is no substitute for Love and the
use of these sacred phrases in devotion is now becoming more and more a
habit—among the young. Meetings continue to grow in size and Sam is now being
approached by serious older people who are convinced that he really believes in
the Divine Presence, and they want to learn more.
The world is now filled with groups that verbally claim to be universal and
do not recognize each other at all. They all verbally cover the earth and make
tremendous claims. The other day Sam telephoned a new group (there are so many
of them) that claimed to represent the whole of humanity, “What is your
particular faith?” Sam asked, “What!” They repeated it and Sam repeated
it. He said, “I thought I was telephoning the “Whole of Earth” society
and they ask me for my particular faith. I guess I have the wrong
number.”
They apologized. But it is not often so. Those who claim to represent
everybody do not usually apologize. In fact all they do is seek money for some
particular project. Indeed one group is seeking funds for scientific
research in Yoga. You can be sure that this is not a group of scientists.
They know better. When scientists assert or affirm they are honest and
impersonal. But when others seek funds for Yoga—-what is that? Everybody
wants everybody on their side but Sri Krishna at Kurukshetra.
Sam has demonstrated the Sri Krishna dances and the so-called Krishna
devotees keep away. So Sam is now going into serious writing to demonstrate the
difference between high emotionalism and spirituality. Besides, the Ananda of
the emotionalists is limited.
Sam is constantly amazed by new people coming to him. He is overworked but
accepts that as part of his dharma. The real New Age people are devotees, not
emotionalists and even infants are chanting the names of God—it is like a
miracle. It is only the fund-seekers who each have some private “world
organization” that do not change the praise of God, only the praise of
themselves. And each apart from all the others.
Sam returned with plenty of work to do and two emergencies; a Korean Zen
Master was coming to San Francisco and had to see Sam; also a Jewish Chassid
mystic was coming to San Francisco and had to see Sam. Fortunately Sam had a
free night—a very rare occurrence. He went first to the Buddhist meeting and
was treated as a Bodhisattva. He had just returned from Lama Foundation where
he taught all kinds of Buddhistic-Buddhist meditations from the original Jhana
to the highest Maha Mudra. But Buddhist groups accepted that and we all came to
agreement (it is only the “universal” people who do not accept).
Then he went to the Jewish mystics and was also received by them as a great
spiritual man. It is very sad because one of them has had the prophet-Christ
experience in the unseen and then in the seen—the same drama which goes on
forever. But both Sam and the Rabbi know what to do. While the politicians are
spending billions of dollars to kill innocent people, the holy men suffer as
they always have. Only some of us really want to do something, not just collect
money and power for ourselves, under the guise of a “New Age.”
So in meetings we spend more time singing and chanting the Divine Names and
do not enter into other matters. This not only consumes all the time but is
winning more and more hearts, covering more territory and spreading and
spreading until Sam is dizzy.
Hazrat Inayat Khan said: “Heart speaks to heart and soul to soul.” Sri
Krishna condemned ahankara-manas and all the ahankara-manas people are spending
much money—seeking more money—and losing all over. But the young are
rising, rising in love, in faith, in sincerity, in wisdom and toward real
peace.
Love and Blessings,
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco, Calif.
20th July, 1970
Anandashram,
Kanhangad Post Office
Cannanore District,
Travancore-Cochin,
South India
Dear Ram:
Om! Sri Ram! Jai Ram! Jai, Jai Ram!
Sam is enclosing his monthly contribution but is in an utter state of
bewilderment. There is nothing wrong, nothing wrong at all. For instance by
series of circumstances Sam’s income has gone up until it has reached a
maximum from family sources. Sam’s father did little for him and apologized
on his deathbed. Then his brother fought him and when Sam fought back they
become friends and the brother died which benefited Sam financially.
Sam has been wondering about his “enemies” and reading the commentary of
Swami Ranganathananda on this subject, on the ISA UP. He realized that all
people are his benefactors, those who help him possibility and those who help
him by putting the obstacle in the way which help awake on the faculties needed
for perfection. This is not philosophy; this is to Sam, the reality.
Of course people who place obstacles have to face their karmas and do.
A few years ago some rather emotional young people said they were summoning
the spiritual leaders from all the world. When Sam asked who was on the Board
of Directors that would bar his attendance they became very confused. But when
Sam returned from New Mexico he received two urgent letters from a Korean Zen
Master and from a Jewish mystic from Jerusalem, and five different summonses to
go to Colorado to a so-called “Holy Men’s Jamboree (tamasha).” It seems
that leaders of all kinds leave it to Sam.
On top of that the Sufi Vilayat Khan, the well known Paul Reps, the man who
calls himself “Baba Ram Das” and others notified Sam they considered him
the spiritual leader in the whole of the United States. And while this has been
going on the audiences increase and more and more young people are coming to
the dance classes where they must repeat the sacred phrases and do. And when
one tells you that this is all additional to the former programs, you might
understand the bewilderment.
There is a massive “Hare Krishna” campaign also going on in the United
States among the young while Billy Graham is trying to build up emotional
Christianity among others. Both campaigns are emotional but both have to do
with Deity. Only when Sam does the “Hare Krishna” dance he has no sense of
self at all. It seems that God is dancing through and with his body and
sometimes he can do steps that are impossible in his conscious moods.
Sam has been reading in “The Vision.” While he himself is repeating the
Divine Name constantly he is not so sure that this is “the only way.” He
does not condemn the Tantric and occult and other means, nor the Swamis and
self-styled “holy men” because some of them may really be holy men.
He does notice so many proclaimed men coming and going and leaving not
realized disciples in their place; and there are others who do not so self-
proclaim, who leaving self-realized souls to carry on their work. But the
important thing of the moment is the very definite chances in the mass-
consciousness, not only among the young but now more and more among the elder
Sam is meeting.
Sam has been shown by vision and warning that he would rise in the social
strata. Saturday night he went to a Jewish mystical gathering. The place was
packed, maybe ten older people among the mass of young and perhaps only half of
them of Jewish ancestry. The rabbi spoke only on the Divine Name and spiritual
realization.
Then Saturday morning Sam gave the first of his new talks on mystical
Christianity, teaching about the three bodies from the Christian point or view,
using only the Christian scriptures but pointing out that very few religionists
teach all of their Scriptures. This is being recorded and may be published. But
so many things are happening in the expansive field, even in the financial
field because more audiences, larger ones and more opportunities placed by God
there is only bewilderment, the repetition of the Divine Name and praise to
God.
Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram!
Love and Blessings,
July 27, 1970
Anandashram
Kanhangad P.O.
Travancore-Cochin
South India
Dear Ram:
Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram!
Sam is very tired, gloriously tired. He has had to increase the number of
his classes. He has to face slowly but definitely growing attendance at all
meetings. He is gaining more disciples. As was last reported, famous people
like Paul Reps and Baba Ram Dass are boosting him. And then their friends are
boosting him. The “Dances of Universal Peace” are spreading like wild fire.
The gatherings presided over by real or fanciful holy men are spreading. Real
Yoga practices are being given to an increasing number of young Americans. Even
Jean Dixon, the purported national seeress, has predicted there would be much
of this, and there is. And the first that young Americans are chanting Holy
Names is bound to have some effect, though the last places this will be
reported will be in and by the press and radio-television.
But Sam has been impelled to write now because his alumnus, the University
of California, has become aware of the trend. In previous letters Sam wrote
that 300 people giving a radical demonstration or damaging property was world
news, not only local news, but world news. But 5000 chanting mantras wasn’t
news at all. Now the University authorities have become aware that the seal for
change may be spiritual and psychological rather than political and
sociological.
The only people not involved are those who claim to have world-outlooks, to
be of integrative approaches, and to be all-inclusive. They actually are so
exclusive that they are not recognized by the University, and certainly are not
by the international assembly of religious leaders. While Sam is not happy
about it, it seems you can do nothing with people whose desire to lead is so
great they have no room for the Divine or for Moksha.
Sam has been collecting funds for peace, and was about to give a scholarship
to the Dept. of Near East Languages at this University of California. His
original intention was to do this to help bring Israeli and Arabs to become
reconciled to each other as human beings. At the human level, these endeavors
have been quite successful, but apparently the political leaders recognize it
and they may bring about further understanding.
As the Dept. of Near East Languages include all of Asia from Suez to the Bay
of Bengal, he may obtain the good will of this department also to and for
better understanding among the peoples of India, that is Hindus and Muslims. It
is noteworthy that the so-called world groups are doing nothing of this kind,
nor are the great “peace” organizations. But there are a great many most
intelligent young people in the world today, and with divine help we believe we
can do something about this.
One of the main reasons for writing this is that Sam is constantly reading
Papa’s writings. He cannot help seeing in actuality the beneficial results
that come from repetitions of the Divine Name. This is so evident, and to an
ever growing number of young people, that it may become part of the history of
Western culture. One is sorry of course that a great many enthusiastic Indians
and also Western people under Indian influence have refused to recognize the
historicity of Emperor Akbar. They do not seem to understand Karma and moral
laws. Their emotional pressures avail them nought.
On the other hand, if you tell older Americans that the repetition of the
Divine Name will bring salvation, they will applaud, while the younger
Americans will do. It is become very easy to get more and more young Americans
to chant Holy Mantras. It is not only very easy it is very effective, and
perhaps one can also say, very glorious. To Sam it is the New Age, a marvelous
New Age, an Age of marvels, and Age of wonders, an Age of beauty, and an Age of
effectiveness. No wonder Sam is very tired, but the rest of life is become
exceedingly beautiful and exceedingly effective.
Love and Blessings.
Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram.
Samuel L. Lewis
P.S. The material and financial outlooks here are exceedingly propitious. We
may have to organize. We would have been willing to join others on the
condition that they accept our historical and spiritual background. We have
failed in this but otherwise not a failure in sight. The repetition of the
Divine Name is the most glorious of all human undertakings.
7th August, 1970
Anandashram,
Kanhangad P.O.
South India
Dear Ram;
Om! Sri Ram! Jai Ram! Jai Jai Ram!
Papa never told Sam he had once been a professor of nineteenth century
English literature but he seemed to know all about it. And now Sam is
discovering that those who stand in the way are nothing but a pack of cards as
Alice discovered at the end of “The Wonderland.” Sam wishes it were not
that way. He is an intense believer in human brotherhood. Today he finds the
greatest obstacle to human brother from among those who verbally proclaim it,
do not recognize each other and least of all recognize “Sams” and
unimportant people. They will accept money and praise but never ideas nor
facts.
Sam has noticed that the repetition of the divine names produces exactly the
effects that Papa taught. We are repeating Divine Names, more and more. Only we
use many of them, at least in public. And while others are advocating
“Yogas,” especially new kinds of Yoga (?) Sam has found that the
repetitions of the Divine Names not only effect great “changes” in
character and personality, but also increases in joy, beauty, love and
material benefits! We are not seeking the latter; They Are Seeking
Us!
Yesterday we had to visit a legal friend to organize. We have never wished
to organize. But we are most unwelcome to those groups who verbalize themselves
as “integral,” “universal,” “world,” etc. They do not recognize
each other, they are mutual competitors; they proclaim personalities or
political institutions and anyone who claims satori or samadhi is immediately
downgraded by them as a pretender and braggard.
But such is the effect of repeating the Divine Name and the now almost
immediate increase in Ananda, that it is drawing more and more people
and demands. We cannot fill them. Two secretaries have been withdrawn to good
paid jobs, both indirectly in connection with our work. ALL the
“universal,” “world,” “integral” groups rejected our Dances of
Universal Peace, excepting The Temple of Understanding in
Washington, District of Columbia. And while they, the so-called “world” and
“universal” and “integral groups were rejecting, the calls were so great
our technicians have been overworked, travelling all over the United States,
and even abroad! It is the little people, the young, the “Hippies” who
recite the Divine Name and the “integral,” “world” and “universal”
people who function otherwise. Yoga without God is dead; indeed it never
was.
Now the universities are beginning to discover Sam. They want to find out
about real mysticism. They have not found out much about cults and they are not
pleased with the rival “universal,” “integral” and “world”
movements proclaiming themselves or some great personality, and
disregarding or ignoring history and hard facts. This means that Sam alone
represent Emperor Akbar and Prince Dara Shiko—who are either ignored or
derided by the world,” “integral” and “universal” movements. The
universities are discovering that, and they are seeking Sam, and more and more.
So we have to organize legally. We cannot join any one of the them because they
will accept our money but not our knowledge and never our wisdom nor
that of others nor actual Mukti, just words.
In the meanwhile the Garden of Inayat and the Garden of Allah are blooming
and attracting the attention of gardeners and markets but not of the above
groups. The knowledge of science sad soils, coupled with loving plants
has the most marvelous result. And the young of America are eating less and
less meat and more and more vegetables and milk products. This is part of the
New Age pattern, but the New Race is not recognize by the “big” people who
want to lead, only lead and never recognize anybody else.!
Last Saturday Sam gave his first talk on The Three Bodies found in
the Christian scriptures. Sam was in trouble before with the “great
experts” on Oriental (???) Philosophies by pointing out that the pronoun
“I” is not found in the Hebrew Scriptures excepting when referring to God.
The “important” people all resented that. Now not only are the young coming
but some clergymen who wanted to test Sam became excited and exalted. We are
tape recording but have not enough clerical help at the moment. There Is
Only One Truth and it is found in all Scriptures.
The “new” universal, “integral” and “world” groups are also
calling the young Hippies and deriding them. For the young have far more
love and insight. Psychedelics awaken their consciousness to the subtle world.
It is a real awakening; they rise above the material. The “universal,”
“integral” and “world” people all reject the Gita’s teaching to
transcend manas and ahankara. They proclaim manas and
ahankara. But the atman knows otherwise. So the trend is toward The
Rejected Avatar, so to speak. And more and more and more.
Fortunately the repeaters of the Divine Names are also prospering. We have a
printing establishment here. Our colleagues are growing in this direction. And
one of our disciples is very wealthy and in the publishing business. This is
going to be very hard on those who reject: “When the gods arrive, the
half-gods go.” But this is as it is.
The “universals, “integral” and “world” groups all agree in
by-passing Akbar, Dara Shikoh, and naturally, Mohammed. The latter said, in
times of distress and confusion: “Say Allah and leave them to their
devices.” But you can’t convince “Muslims” either any more than the
“universal,” “integral” and “world” people. So we are repeating the
Divine Names.
And when we do new dances manifest, new blessings manifest. When Sam lived
in the midst of the woods, like Emerson’s hero people came there. Now he is
in “civilization” and they come more and more.
We are getting Jews to repeat the Islamic Kalama; we are getting
Muslims to repeat the Shema; we are getting both to chant the RamNam
with joy. This is enough to upset everybody, and thus the world goes on. The
teachings of the Upanishads of the ever increasing of Ananda manifest. Sam is
becoming a folk hero. He did not want it that way.
As he wrote one editor; “One’s greatest process was his being invited a
guest of honor to the Imperial Palace Grounds in Tokyo and getting a free
dinner from Americans. But to that must be added the thirty-three rejections of
his paper on Vietnamese Buddhism.” Now this is making him more and more of a
hero and the same time being asked to write more and more for purification and
preparing to take long instant grips in the United States.
The soul wants more than manas and ahankara. Om! Sri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai
Ram!
Love and Blessings,
August 10, 1970
Anandashram
Kanhangad P.O.
Travancore-Cochin
South India
Dear Ram:
Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram! If you want to know what is going on in
Sam’s life just get out “The Sayings of Ramdas” and apply them to the
physical world. Things are happening so rapidly that we cannot have a proper
diary. We are very short in secretarial help at a time when there is expansive
development in all aspects of life.
Sam has been telling people that hearing is often the key to spirituality.
It may be something more than this, for one thing is certain, that our constant
repetitions of sacred phrases, either the RamNam or the Sufi Zikr, is resulting
in constant new manifestations of dances, too rapidly to be recorded. We are
also in the midst of legal organization, made necessary by our growth. It would
seem that everybody is accepting our work excepting those groups which have the
words “world” or “universal” or “integral” etc. in their titles. As
written recently too, the universities are calling on us.
In addition to the dance work, we are expanding very rapidly in our musical
undertakings and in the filming of spiritual activities here in America. We are
sure you are not misled by the one-sided reports of those called “hippies.”
Many young people are finding much higher emotional and psychic experiences in
saying or chanting Divine Names than in partaking either questionable or not
questionable psychedelics.
Sam knows he would be asked soon about disciples visiting Anandashram. Two
very good disciples are now planning to attend a Sufi Urs at Ajmir, and they
have asked Sam about visiting Anandashram. They may be coming as devotees, or
they may be coming as technicians to film your activities. But it is wrong to
impose or suggest unless you feel it is absolutely right to have the
undertakings of Anandashram recorded on tape or film. It would also be very
wrong to have a letter written to you with short notice.
It is neither Sam’s wish nor to the contrary. And the disciples would also
accept any decision you may have on this matter. It is very certain that the
spiritual teachings are now finding resting places in this land. This is
particularly true of the young and in much larger numbers than you may be
reading about from any sources.
Two of Sam’s closest associates just visited this place and our
complaints, if you want to call on that, are that blessings and opportunities
are coming as fast as we can assimilate them at a time when blessings and
inspirations are coming at a pace faster than we can assimilate them.
Love and Blessings,
14th August, 1970
Anandashram,
Kanhangad P.O.
Travancore-Cochin
Dear Ram:
Om! Sri Ram! Jay Ram! Jay Jay Ram!
There is no spare time in Sam’s life and the affairs have become so
dramatic that one does not wish to read anything but sacred tests. It is not
devotion, it is the way life is. Thus last Monday afternoon five hours were
spent with appointments, usually sudden ones, for people are coming longer
distances to see Sam and in their opinion, to seek God. Older people will not
accept this and when some come-which is seldom, they are amazed.
At the same time Sam lat lost two sectaries. Our work is prospering now,
praise to God. There is a new diet and natural food stores are prospering and
many of Sam’s disciples are getting goodly paid jobs. And in turn these
stores are advertising what Sam is doing.
Then our efforts in the field of mystical explanations of religions,
beginning with Christianity, have been successful. Our Wednesday night
meetings, held in a seminary-auditorium and now packed. and God, so to speak,
is giving Sam new dances all the time, especially Sufi and RamNam dances and
the young not only love them but are having the effects in greater joy, even
ecstasy, and psychic and moral education.
The only people who will not accept this are the various “world” and
“integral” and “federal” groups who are also in competition and trying
to introduce God-less Yoga. And when the real Yogins come, and they are coming,
they attract far more. So what is called the “underground press” has been
giving Sam plenty of publicity.
This in turn has led a group of disciples to become professionals in taking
films of spiritual movements. They have already traveled far and wide and their
next project is to film Sufis whose very existence our cultures have denied; or
else they have been downgraded by many who clam “universality.” But the
efforts to raise money have been successful. All the pretended “universal”
people cannot efface the history of Akbar.
Sam had to take harsh measures with his local god-daughter’s husband and
now he is Sam’s best help. He has come to realize that God-experience is
either real or effective and more and more people are drawn to it and that the
only universality there is an all-inclusive one. So it is very ready to read
Papa Ram Das’s works and also to get people to repeat the RamNam. Thus
between Sufism and RamNam Sam is busy all the time.
The other day Sam again met the famous Alan Watts who has now become a
seeker. Sam supposes the main difference is that Sam who is older had much more
vitality. This is a grace. It is very difficult to convince intellectuals about
Grace but the young see it and are satisfied.
But now the universities are sending for Sam to speak on those aspects or
Oriental wisdom which are excluded or barred by those who pretend to be
universal.
The disciples of Sam are young, handsome, intellectual and depend on Prajna.
They are working to bring Jew and Muslim, Israeli and Arab together. While
everybody else emphasis war and differences, they are going ahead and so far
been surprisingly successful. They wish to work with and for the Temple of
Understanding.
Another group is preparing to come to Asia. Sam has written about this
before. They wish first to photo and record the “non-existing” Sufis and
Dervishes. Then come to India and Sam has suggested the Shivananda Ashram and
also Saint Rehenad Tyabji in New Delhi. But some want to come south and
especially visit Anandashram. They may be writing to you in person, but their
schedule is not clear. This is partly because they do not know which holy
places will welcome them.
After Sam visits the universities in California he will have to go to the
eastern seaboard. There is a growing interest in things spiritual, cosmic and
divine and unlike many of the “Yoga” movements in this country, Sam has the
mystical or cosmic outlook.
But Sam also emphasizes that all great prophets taught almost the same thing
and the emphasis on the three-body constitution of man and the utilization
first of Love and then Joy and Peace as comic attributes and functions are
succeeding. It is a new age with the evolved souls so predicted. Only they will
not accept the leadership of the older dualistic manas-ahankara people.
Love and blessings,
August 19, 1970
Anandashram
Kanhangad Port Office
Travancore-Cochin,
South India
Dear Ram;
Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram. Sam is at this time bewildered. He is
bewildered with wonder. He is reading all about Papa and the life as a
Sannyyasin. All the time he is reading he is getting more good news. More
disciples, more applicants, and even more money. Indeed it seems as if a divine
Ram is helping in all plans for his traveling again.
The first reason for writing now is that Ralph Silver, the husband of
Sam’s goddaughter, whom Sam also calls god-son, obtained his visa today for
India. Sam has been writing many letters, especially to Bombay. The young
people around Sam have all become, what Papa would say, incarnations of Ram.
They are full of life, of light, of luster, of inspiration, and of success on
many planes. Every day brings new external blessing at least, and Sam is in a
very funny position that, with so many disciples and aspirants working and with
his own mission expanding in so many directions, he has not enough help. Only
it makes him laugh rather than cry.
Sam has also been visiting the Department of Asian Studies at the University
of California. He is now being received almost as if he were a great holy
man—this from the universities, not from the churches, and not always from
the “spiritual movements.” Yet it is also evident that many Indian
movements, which call themselves “spiritual,” and do not recognize each
other, recognize Sam. It is almost complicated, glorious, and funny.
We have also been to the Indian consulate here because the disciples have
many plans to promote real cultural exchange. There are a number of Indian
movements here which claim universality and spirituality and each has chosen to
exclude certain aspects of Indian culture! The consulate new understands that
Sam’s India is absolutely all-inclusive, inclusive in history, inclusive in
geography, inclusive in anthropology, inclusive in accepting all cults, all
acharyas, all darshans, and not merely using words but meaning. This in turn is
reacting to Sam’s benefit. His schedule is overcrowded, and especially where
young people are concerned-more and more and more.
A lot of time is spent with disciple Phillip Davenport. He especially wishes
to visit Kanhangad later on. We hope that you can make accommodations for
him.
There is another matter. Sam was given three hundred rupees by the Princess
in Hyderabad to make certain purchases, and he found it was impossible. Nor was
he able to return the money. He is now able to do so, or rather to send fifty
dollars to you for which check is enclosed. Sam has lost the Princess’
address. He is very sorry because of carelessness on his part, on the one hand,
and rulings from the Indian government on the other. Besides that, Sam is back
on his old schedule of about ten hours work a day, seven in the week. Only now
he feels Ram is with him in everything. This becomes also evident the more Sam
reads of Papa’s life-that we are unable to determine what is right or wrong;
that Ram is always doing it for us, and, if nothing else, it brings much
elation and happiness and wonder.
At this writing we are arranging for teams of technicians to go to the
Orient for various purposes. At this writing we are arranging dinners for Jews,
Christians, and Moslems, Arabs, Palestinians, and Israelis-to sit down
together. We have already gotten Jews to repeat the Kalama and Muslims to
repeat the Shema. Without divine help this might be impossible, but it is going
on. We ourselves cannot understand why it is going on or why we are succeeding
where those regarded as great have not succeeded, but we have utter faith in
the Divine Being.
You would be amazed and delighted the way many young people are acting today
in this land. You would be delighted with the aspects of our new dances, taking
into consideration the Divine Names, always the Divine Names. It is marvelous
how one young person after another has come to San and said, “I do not need
to take acid or marijuana anymore. I get more joy and exhalation from your
spiritual dances.” It only means, however, that we have to present these
spiritual dances ourselves, because Indian groups, even those verbalizing
themselves as universal, reject each other, I guess this does not matter. It is
most wonderful that the hundreds are passing into thousands of young Americans
constantly chanting divine terms. Only those saying Hare Krishna get public
attention, but even this is something. The early hippies used pornographic and
scatological terms. The present hippies at least say, “Here Krishna.”
Isn’t that wonderful? No wonder the life is so full of constructive
excitement.
Love and blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
Sept. 1, 1970
Anandashram
Kanhangad P.O.
Travancore-Cochin
South India
Dear Ram:
On Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram!
This may be the last of reports made by a seemingly loquacious Sam. Last
week Sam went to a woman’s dancing class and began with a concentration on
Divine Saraswati and also ended with the same concentration. Only in the second
effort both the effacement and the Vision were more complete. But the visions
did not stop. In a week, full of events, such as described in the letter to Mr.
F. Clive-Ross, the visions kept on coming. There were three classes of them,
RamNam Dances, Ram-Sita Dances, and Dervish Dances. They have been coming so
fast there is neither time nor persons to record them. Speeches can be recorded
on tape and they are being so done.
It would seem there is a real revolution going on. Sam seems to think he has
a RamNam dance or a Sufi dance which can cure many of the ills and complaints
of mankind. These absolutely follow the traditions already given us about the
value of Divine Names. You should therefore not be surprised that Sam is
attracting more and more young people who want to be students. They are finding
more and more joy in chanting the Divine Names and attributes, whether in
Arabic or in the languages of India. In fact today the only people who do not
recognize or accede to what is going on are those who verbalize
themselves as leaders in world movements. There are so many of these,
and it is pitiable because they do not recognize each other.
But the “coming race” of Bulwer Lytton is exactly the same as the “new
humanity” of Sri Aurobindo. They are such much more advanced, lovable, and
intelligent than their elders who want to be leaders not lovers. There is no
use philosophizing about love being the leader, because it is so, it is being
demonstrated.
With this latter Sam is not going into a new dimension, new vision, new
activities. His visions show many incarnations, so to speak, of Ram in his very
midst. He is completing the reading of Volume I “In the Vision of God.” We
need and want further copies of this and also other parts. When he is not
reading this he is reading writings about Sri Krishna. He has had full
cooperation of the University of Chicago. This also helps in the efforts in the
Dance work. It is stupendous and astounding. It is also elevating and keeps the
consciousness at very high levels.
But Sam is finding many young people now reading the writings of Papa
Ramdas, and about Sri Krishna, and Sufi poetry on a very large scale. And with
the other events, as described in the letter to F. Clive-Ross, you may be able
to learn the trends of the day.
It is probable that disciple Phillip Davenport will be contacting you soon.
Everything is moving graciously, gratefully, and beautifully-moving toward what
might be the manifestation of Divine Will without compulsion and without
pretension under those who have not yet had the Divine Vision. There is no
substitute for that which belongs to God. One believes this will soon be
manifesting, with or without the leadership of yours with love and blessing.
Sam
410 Precita Ave.
San Francisco, Calif.
8th September, 1970
Anandashram,
Kanhangad Post Offices,
Travancore-Cochin
South India
Dear Ram:
Om! Sri Ram! Jai Ram! Jai, Jai Ram!
Sam has been so busy he thought he would not have to write any more but Ram
has ruled otherwise. Another sleepless night after Sam spoke on the dangers of
accepting Sanskaras. And it as not that kind of night at all—the whole night
nothing but visions and pictures of new dances, all based on the Sufi Zikr and
RamNam, and this after so many others have come, and Sam does not even have a
dance secretary. Indeed the task was to show the danger of reacting until one
had the complete picture.
Sam’s chief associate is slowly recovering. His former secretary is
earning so much he is contributing largely to the work here. The replacement
has been ill but there is a new secretary because the replacement may become a
teacher. Our work so growing, young people coming and others spreading the
divine message all over the country. Sam means the divine message, not their
leadership. The karma of those who proclaim self-leadership is evident.
They all proclaim universality and limit leadership to Englishmen, Hindus
and Americans! They reject the great Akbar, the Sufi Emperor who did so much
for the dance. Sam has read the
Ain-i-Akbari and Akbar Nam and Dabistan as well as the whole of the Mahabharata
and Ramayana and self-leadership people all reject this. Once, no three times
Sam tried to get the self-leadership people to accept a paper on the relation
of the Jewish to the Hindu mysticism. He had discussed this with Paul
Brunton. The self-leadership people all derided it and the University of
California offered him a PhD degree for the same thing and the time has come.
The self-leadership people have
conveyed a congress for scientific yoga. This ?congress? is meeting now in
three different parts of India that Sam knows of, maybe more, and each
ignores the others.
In the meanwhile there is an underground effort to promote God is Love among
the young people of this country with Yoga and also Sam’s dances. They do not
praise you for your money and ignore your heart and mind-just the opposite. And
so the New Age race is rising and will not accept the leadership of the
self-proclaimers with their God-less, love-less “Yoga.”
So some real Yogins, self-realized men have come to San Francisco and are
going to have a celebration. They are so different from the self-leadership
people. They do not want Sam’s money, only his love and cooperation and
dances, and this will win for Sam’s disciples are now moving and some may be
in India. It is a real new age with God-leadership, met self-proclaiming
pseudo-leadership.
Why even the local representation of the United Nations have shown interest
in the place for the Near East-which none of the self-proclaimers would even
look at and our joint Jewish-Christian-Muslim dinners have been surprisingly
successful. The soul recognized the soul and as the Love in man begins to
express itself we rise above differentiation.
Sam is now beginning also to give out the RamNam in addition to the Sufi
teachings. It has become most effective. We were called on to dance at a public
festival yesterday, just the Sufi and RamNam dances and were surprised at the
public response. A strange women approached and without permission took over
the microphone and chanted—loudly—the RamNam! You don’t hear about
these things in the press.
Slowly but steadily our audiences increase and now some slightly older
people also. But in the dances mostly the young and even the younger. Many of
the children of the district are reciting the Divine Names—it is like a
miracle.
The RamNam and Sufi dances follow particular principles but not patterns.
They also involve what would be called “occult” principles, and the new
dances for women are all in circles excepting those dedicated to the divine
Shiva which are in a Swastika formation. Then there is another type of Krishna
dance. Sam has now completed volume I of “In the Vision of God.” He does
not have other volumes of this. We give these books away and are happy to do
so, for we want more and more people to know about Papa.
But Sam has now completed reading all the Sri Krishna literature available.
We have an intense Ras Lila and a lighter one but Sam has seen “Sri
Krishna introduces Rukmini to the Gopis, and another “Sri Krishna and his
wives.” He has been holding back but Ram wants it so Sam will do as Ram
wants. All the young people now leave Sam but the men and women; it is so
different from previous times.
The importance of the Om Nama Shivaya and Ram Sita dances have
not been lost but there is only so much time. Sam is nearly through his
lectures on “The Three Body Teaching of St Paul.” This also the
“important” people would not consider but it is a New Age and the truth
common to all religious is offered not as the empty noise-ward “Truth” but
with actualities and this we hope may be published. This is to entirely
different young peoples of this area. Then Sam will no doubt go to the East
Coast of the United States.
Then there is another thing. Sam reading Papa how he lived such a stringent,
self-sacrificing life and now Sam has some comforts. But Ram says that he wants
Sam whose body is in the mid seventies, to live that way. He lives in the midst
of society, the cities, mankind and noises and “pollution.” He lives in a
country where sex, semi-nude women and especially heavy drinking is prominent.
And where everything is blamed but heavy alcohol for the ills of the times.
But Ram is great and wise and patient.
P.S. All one’s visions, all one’s forebodings are coming into
manifestation. It is a wonderful world.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
Anandashram
9th September, 1970
Beloved Ram,
We have received your letters dated August 10, 14, 16, 26 and 27. We have
also received two cheques for 25 dollars and 50 dollars respectively sent by
you.
You say that you had borrowed Rs. 300 from the Princess of Hyderabad. We
cannot understand whom you refer to. Do you, by any chance, mean Rani Lalita
Devi of Hyderabad who had accompanied Beloved Papa on his world tour? If so,
please let us know. We do not know of any other princess of Hyderabad.
You seem to be having a very interesting time with a large number of
following, all interested in the holy Ram Mantram. We hear from other sources
how you are making people take RamNam more and more. God’s ways are
mysterious. You had mentioned about the visit of some friends who are
interested in shooting films. Just today, we have a letter from Mr. Philip R.
Davenport. We are writing to him that he and his party are welcome here and may
shoot any number of films they like.
The only thing is, Mataji doesn’t like herself to be photographed. So,
they may not be able to take her pictures at all. This takes away all the
interest in any film on the Ashram activities and so we wonder if the friends
will care to visit us at all.
All goes well here. RamNam Japa is going on almost nonstop in the Bhajan
Hall and the Samadhi Mandir. Mataji’s health is fairly good.
With Love and Best Wishes,
Ever your Self,
Satchidananda
September 15, 1970
Anandashram
Kanhangad P.O.
Travancore-Cochin
South India
Dear Ram;
Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram! Please excuse Sam, who is going through many
inner and outer transformations at the same time. He has resigned himself to
the abandonment of sleep. Every night is like a continuous stage performance of
spiritual dances. Nearly all of them are based on the RamNam or Sufi Zikr. An
attempt will be made to have some of them copied or recorded in some form. It
is almost like looking into the worlds of the apsaras and gandharvas. Only
sacred phrases are sung, nearly always the RamNam or Sufi Zikr.
We had a ceremony last night in which 16 more young people became disciples
of Sam, and also put on the first spiritual dance based on the Jewish religion.
It was most effective.
Yes, it was Rani Lalita Devi of Hyderabad who gave Sam rupees. He found it
impossible to make any arrangement for purchase of a watch or anything of the
kind for India, and it is impossible now for him to travel—that is for
Sam’s body to travel. One is in the state of consciousness with no particular
identity with the ego-self, and yet certainly not in the folds of Divine
consciousness. It is very active and conscious Lila. It is easy so to speak to
get into a Krishna- consciousness, with two remarkably different aspects of
activity consciously operating at the same times:
More and more beautiful young women taking part in dances; but always and
only, sacred dances.
Success in two world undertakings toward establishing peace in the Near
East, and also real cultural exchange between Asia and America.
Any of these activities by themselves should be all-absorbing. But they are
only a small part of Sam’s life. There is a Sufi teaching called Zavaliat, in
which, if a devotee lives long on earth he will reap the rewards or receive the
punishment for earlier endeavors. It seems now the harvest is going in every
direction. Besides this, Sam is being invited to join several spiritually
realized Yogis who happen to be in the United States—not those who are being
advertised, but those who have reached Divine awareness.
Phillip Davenport is a very faithful disciple. At this moment however, Sam
must confess he is also receiving more faithful disciples. It is overwhelming.
Contrasted with the past it is astounding. In a sense Sam has no more home or
family and seems like a man possessed of everything and nothing, nothing except
the continual repetition of the sacred phrases of and from God-Allah-Brahm.
All love, reverence and blessings to Satchidananda and everybody else,
Sam
September 24, 1970
Anandashram
Travancore-Cochin
South India
Dear Ram:
Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram! This is the most difficult letter Sam has
ever been called on to write. Philosophy may be noble, words may be beautiful,
but when series of events prove the teachings, one hardly knows what to say or
write.
It is most difficult to convince manas-ahankara people of anything. They
want leadership. And at this writing nobody is rejecting Sam but those groups
which claim to be world organizations or adherents of universal religion.
Outside of that and them, the whole world, the whole objective world is
beginning to recognize the Divine reality, and to operate this reality in the
everyday life in ordinary and extra-ordinary ventures.
Sam does not know where to begin. When he was ill a few years back the Voice
of God came to him and said, “I make you spiritual leader of the Hippies.”
More recently the Divine Voice appeared and declared Sam was a nataraj. It is
only the intellectual, self-centered persons and groups who declare themselves
to be world organizations and leaders, who are not accepting this. It is a pity
because some of them are very fine persons and some of the movements have very
high ideals, but they have rejected that Atman is Brahm, and they have put
politicians and politics above Yoga and spiritual attainment. The natural
karmic result follows. They themselves are being rejected.
Since the Divine diksha, Sam has had hardly any sleep. He closes his eyes
and there is a Divine Dance. So many Divine Dances all the time. Yesterday we
joined in a celebration of the Autumnal Equinox, and Sam taught 1000 young
people his new RamNam for five persons. It just spread like wild fire, even
more than the other dances. This is a New Age, and the manifestation of souls
in American bodies who in previous lives were Indians is making a mark on the
culture. Even the Universities are accepting Sam, and more and more and more.
He is leaving shortly to be a guest of two of the most prominent Universities
in the United States.
Dear ones, the youth of America accepts God is Love, and does not accept
verbalisms on this subject. Sam was cooperating with Yogi Bhajan, who offered
techniques and practices, but all variations of Love Yoga—techniques,
operations, manifestations, experiences—not lectures, not emotional
harangues, not verbalisms. And today 1000s of young Americans are accepting
Yoga Systems which are Yoga, and not emotional harangues without human or
divine experience. It is a whole New Age, just as Sri Aurobindo predicted. But
it is not an age of leadership by the disciples of Sri Aurobindo or any
putative “Avatar,” when the disciples have not had the Divine Awakening.
While the press and the important people are discussing World War, Sam’s
disciples have been most successful in putting on joint Arab-Israeli-Christian
dinners, all based on love, all exceedingly successful, all drawing more and
more attention. Even the hardened newspapers are accepting. It is only those
groups who verbalize themselves as being universal that have refused. And that
day is over.
Everything is coming out wonderfully. It is not only our joint Israeli-Arab
dinners. It is the reports of our cultural exchange missions to Asia. These
have been successful far beyond their dreams. They have had the most wonderful
welcomes. We do not know if disciple Phillip Davenport has this news either.
Sam has long said, “Unless the Lord buildeth a house, they labor in vain who
build.” Both Rabbis and Arabs are accepting Sufi Love, Love in operation not
in theory. The attendance at all our meetings is increasing. The young are
hungry for love and peace. Really they are hungry for God. All our Dances are
based on repetitions of the Divine Name. The young, first by 10s, then by 100s,
now by 1000s, are accepting this. It is becoming a reality and part of the
American culture. Even the University of California has established a course in
which RamNam or Zikr are parts of the requirements. All this within a very
short period.
There is no question but that Americans will be ordering Papa Ramdas’
literature on a much larger scale soon. Sam is leaving in a few hours for the
East Coast, and when he returns there will probably be a new organization and
method. It is no longer in his hands.
Sam has been entering a stage of consciousness in which the ego is all gone.
When he dances as Sri Krishna his body is capable of movements transcendental
to those of its age and what would be called normal behavior. So long as the
Krishna-consciousness is dominant, this is happening, and more and more and
more, and more people are being attracted and the Divine Love through the
personality is becoming more evident. So many new dances based on RamNam or the
Sufi sacred phrases, and a few around Sri Krishna. The ego has nothing to
say.
There has also been a miraculous healing. It cannot be explained, but it has
happened, and others like it. Even the animals, especially the dogs, have been
clustering around Sam lately. He used to say, “The Divine approval will be in
evidence when animals and infants show their approval. This is what is
happening. One does not know why, but there it its.
While this is going on, Sam’s choral director has produced so many hymns
based on RamNam, which have utterly enchanted the young. Real ecstasy as such
has never been evidenced in America before, and on a large scale too.
Our harvest crops have been most wonderful and every evidence of the
expansion of “The Garden of Inayat” and “The Garden of Allah.” Even Mr.
Alan Watts, who once tried to debate with Papa, has come to recognize the
reality of events over the importance of opinions base on ego-reactions to
these events.
There is no doubt much more with the same tendency, and so with utmost love,
and thanks to God-Allah-Ram, Sam is leaving for the East Coast with all love
and blessings,
Sam
Samuel L. Lewis
c/o L. Less 27 W. 71 Street
New York, New York
10.9.70
Anandashram
Dear Ram:
Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram. It is wonderful how Ram works. Sam brought a
secretary to New York City and found also several of his disciples here. Our
main concern was to promote peace through mutual love and respect in the Near
East. It is a remarkable story. Sam once had as traveling companion Mr. Gunnar
Jarring of the United Nations, who said he thought Sam’s plan was the best he
had ever heard. The time had come to act.
The first actions were taken by Sam’s disciples who have put on joint
Israel-Arab-Christian dinners. They eat together. They worship together. They
dance together. Even the newspapers and some radio and television people have
had to admit this has been effective.
The day before Sam left San Francisco, he led a thousand young people first
in Dervish dances and then in RamNam dances. It was a joint affair with an
Indian Spiritual teacher name Yogi Bhajan. At first Sam came to N.Y. to do
this, but also went ahead with his peace program. In the meanwhile, he met an
Indian named Mr. Karmakar, who had almost the same program. The Indian invited
Sam and his associates to attend a Durga festival. Thus he has met many Indians
and may be called upon to lecture to them.
Now there are a number of so-called international yoga congresses going on
in India. They quite ignore each other, but each presumes to be leading all the
spiritual people of the world! In the meanwhile, the yogi teachers and swamis
in this country have decided to establish their own international spiritual
movement, certainly not manas-ahankara. Certainly not emotional campaigns with
stress on ego-personality. Certainly mutual recognition of spiritual
attainment. This is the only basis for establishing love and brotherhood. We
are going to have two convocations, one in California and the other in NY. Sam
has been invited to each, but hopes to attend the one in N.Y.
We have already been quite successful in introducing the RamNam dances here
and in other matters. We have been invited to New England also and hope to go
soon. This place is right across the street from the Vedanta Center, and Sam
has received also a cordial welcome from them. Everything indicates an
international alliance between the real spiritual leaders and teachers apart
from emotionalism and modern pressure advertising. These means do not delude
the young; they do not even reach the young anymore. It is so obvious that many
of our young people are advanced souls who lived in India in previous lives.
The universities are also opening their doors. It is a new age. Even a
considerable number of older people in the region are aware. We do not know if
we can reach those persons and groups who have been trying to establish their
own personality leadership instead of Divine leadership. They have many graces
and virtues, but one of them is not that they lack in recognizing the graces
and virtues of others, and this destroys all claim to universality. Atman is
Brahman. Jesus said: “Ye are gods.” A sermon is not necessary. Truth is now
coming to the surface. Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
Anandashram
15-11-1970
Beloved Ram,
Your loving letters of 19th October and 9th November have been received.
The conflict between the two opposite forces has been going on from time
immemorial. In olden days we called such fights as the fights between Devas and
Asuras. Later periods they have been given different names. Whatever may be the
names they are the two opposite forces, one working towards peace, harmony and
the highest attainment, and the other for discord and confusion. Blessed indeed
are those who are instruments of the Lord to help those striving for the
attainment of the Supreme goal and eternal happiness. Blessed are also those
who are striving to establish peace and harmony in the world. Whatever work the
Lord gives us, or for whatever mission He makes us His instruments, let us only
be conscious always that we are only such humble instruments in His hands to do
His work, to fulfill His plans.
We have received your love offering of $ 25. We are indeed grateful to you
for the same.
We are glad that Mr. Samuel Weiser of New York is interested in selling
Ashram publications. You might be able to advise him what books he should order
more. On hearing from him we shall send him the books and let him know the
terms etc.
Our friend Sri Davenport, who came to visit us alone stayed with us only for
a short time. We hope he has returned to the States and has met you. He has
taken with, him a few books. We trust you will guide us as to what books we
should send you in large numbers. Mother Krishnabai’s autobiography entitled
“Gurus Grace” is just out. This is indeed an ever inspiring book. If the
American mothers would appreciate the way of approach of Mother Krishnabai, you
may introduce this book there. However kindly write to us what books we should
send you.
It is very interesting to hear of the great success of your meeting with
young and old men in different parts of the States. May the Lord inspire more
and more of His forms to aspire more and more intensely to realise their true
Being, Himself.
We are writing your secretary Sitara Kessler with a copy of our book
list.
Love and best wishes.
Ever your Self.
Satchidananda
Nov. 24, 1970
Anandashram
Travancore-Cochin
South India
Dear Satchidananda Beloved Ram,
One has received with love and delight your letter of 15th November. We
recognize the warfare between the devas and asuras. Hazrat Inayat Khan, my
first spiritual teacher, said, “Good aids good, while evil fights evil,” So
it is in this world, that people working for peace, and good, and harmony, help
each other, while the forces against peace, and good, and harmony are most
belligerent toward each other.
But this is a new day and age. Samuel believes that a great many of the
young people have lived before in Indian bodies. Many of them will not eat
meat. Hardly any of them will touch beef at all. And there is something very
deep that causes this, and we do not waste time in explanations.
We are turning your letter over to disciple Mark Watson who will be both in
charge of our library and the ordering of books. It is almost a mistake to
assume that Samuel is doing anything to spread the reading, with or without the
sale, of Papa Ramdas’ works. It is the age itself. Yesterday Samuel was
surprised to hear that his direction of 1000 young people in Dervish Dances
before he went to the East has been filmed and televised. It is ridiculously
easy to get very many American young men and women to repeat Divine Names. They
want that; they do that. Samuel may read the books of Papa Ramdas, or the
lectures, but it is like reading to multiplicities of himself. There is almost
unanimity in accepting that repeating the Divine Name helps to raise one above
difficulties. And there are so many at RamNam Dances coming through him! The
other night we had a party, and a RamNam for three was inspired through him. We
of course have dances with partners and dances in groups, no partners. The
RamNam for five people is the most popular of all dances. We have a very good
one for seven or more; another for nine or twelve, and very soon there will be
a small class of six people. We have two RamNam Dances for six people and they
have become very popular, although one has to be careful about leftovers. But
it was shown Sam the other night when he put on a RamNam for six what to do
with the extra people; it was all very clear.
Square dancing is popular in America and quadrilles in other Western lands.
We now have a Dervish Dance for 8; a RamNam for 8; and Om Namo Shivaya for 8.
It is very funny. The young Americans take to them like we say a baby takes to
candy, while older people in various organizations derived from Indian sources
ignore them entirely. But the young are full of joy and the elders only have
self- satisfaction. So Sam sometimes lectures on the increase of Ananda
according to the Upanishads. And the deva-souls take to these teachings
quickly, while the manas-ahankara people are often stunned or stupefied.
We shall certainly want copies of Mother Krishnabai’s “Guru’s
Grace.” As soon as we find how much it costs we will buy copies accordingly.
We will also take up the matter of distribution. They will be wanted in many
places and we may contact Mr. Samuel Weiser, because we have neither time nor
inclination to go into commercial enterprises. Then there is another door
opening, and that is to the Universities. Sam has no spare time whatsoever, and
even less dull time. There is something very wonderful happening every minute.
Sri Davenport is in Paris, and will rest before coming home. He is very tired.
But we shall await him with joy and gratitude.
In a certain sense one has had forevision. The reality of Prajna may not be
proved by argument, but life itself demonstrates it. Yes, my dear brother, the
lord inspires one more and more and more. Secretary Sitara in New York and
secretary Wall Ali here are not only feeling it by sharing in the blessing.
We are going to have a joyful Thanksgiving. Chief associate Moineddin is at
last being released from the hospital. It has been a trying time to work
without one’s two chief associates. We have been quite successful in our
efforts to promote peace in Palestine, and now we are faced with the tragedies
of East Pakistan. But according to all spiritual teachings, composure and
peacefulness of heart are the best aids, and during this period we have been
most fortunate in our material and financial undertakings, praise to Ram!
Love and Blessings,
Dec. 6, 1970
Anandashram
Dear Ram;
Om Sri Sam Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram!
This is like a report. This is science and this is devotion. This is Bhakti
Yoga and this may be Puma Yoga. We are not trying any experiments, but we are
finding out in fact that Joy is increased among the young whether they chant
the Sufi Zikr or the RamNam. Each is working, and not working despite or
because. They work because they work. And more and more young people are
appreciating, and even experiencing what they do not gain by listening to the
most pleasurable, kindly, or informed lecturers.
The most delicate element in teaching Dance classes is that although Sam
comes as teacher, as Guru, as Murshid, whenever he takes those roles the ears
become opened and very loud, and sometimes the Inner Voice becomes so loud that
the conducting becomes difficult or even has to stop entirely.
We now have RamNam for 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or more, 9 or 12, and for all kinds of
groups. The RamNam for 6 came very suddenly and proved to be the most
successful in raising the Ananda appreciation both internally and externally at
the same time. Now in America the sexes dance together. Sam is taking all the
elements he knows of in Western dancing and amalgamating them with the Names of
God and praise of God. It is both devotion and science, because although the
motif is toward Holiness, it seems to bring out at the same time Joy, elation,
beautiful art forms, and wonderful responses. These responses do not come from
the folk dances of the West or rather of Southeast Europe and the Near East.
Something always happens when one performs the same movements with the praise
of God or the Names of God. Sam cannot explain this but Papa said this over and
over again, and this is exactly what works.
On 20th December we are going to have a Bazaar. It is hoped money will be
raised to promote our peace program (which is ping on very well), to help Sam,
and also to raise funds and clothing for the unfortunate people of East
Pakistan. This is attracting sudden attention which we have never had
before.
Now there are in India five different competing groups Sam knows of, and
maybe many more, all claiming universal brotherhood and world leadership. All
ignoring the others. But they also ignore many groups which may be spiritual
and are certainly left out. Most of the groups which have been left out seem to
Sam to be more spiritual than the over-organized ones. One of these groups is
interested in modern versions of Kundalini Yoga. They offer discipline,
practices, and methods. They do not inflate personalities.
Apparently the largest one of these at the moment is that led by one Yogi
Bhajan. It is attracting many Americans. It does not have the publicity given
to the Hare Krishna movement. It does not have the dramatics and exotic
behaviors (for which there seem to be no scriptural background). It is at the
same time sober and Bhakti. We have been working in more or less close
accord.
They have invited Sam to a new ashram, which is not far from his spiritual
home. They invited San to bring his Dances, his Dervish Dances. When he said he
would like to bring some disciples to do the dancing, they invited them also
for dinner next Friday night 11th December. This will give us a great
opportunity to present the RamNam for 6, as well as the Dervish Dances. We see
here the union of spiritual forces.
On the other side, we hear nothing but dissensions arising from the ranks of
all kinds of pretenders. Yes, it is the old dove vs. asura warfare; only Sam
understands now how to act toward the asuras. One does not fight them; they
fight each other. Then one can help with their wounds brought by one group on
another.
Another thing Sam has learnt is what Papa says about the Guru. One loses all
self-consciousness. One loses all sense of individual being. If one feels
anything it is like being a foghorn or a Tibetan trumpet or a device from Sound
coming from the unseen to the seen. One cannot explain one’s states, but one
knows the Divine Wisdom is going through one. Perhaps this is why the term
“logos” is used in the Christian religion, which means alike, “word,”
“reason,” and “discourse.” One becomes like a sound machine through
which the universe is speaking, and it also has marvelous effects on the
audience.
Last week also Sam spoke at the University of California. Sam was long kept
out of the universities by a strange institution found hardly anywhere else,
that is the European professor of Asian culture. Papa met lot of these men in
this land. They are gradually disappearing, either because of age or
replacements. The new American professors of Asian philosophies seem to realize
that many young people today are advanced souls in young bodies, and even that
many have lived before in Indian bodies. It is almost funny that when Sam gets
up before groups of young Americans in certain planes he acts as if he were
addressing young Hindus! And it works, it works marvelously.
Love and Blessings,
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
P.S. Have just learned that Sri Davenport will return in just a few
hours.
Written at Novato, Calif.
12th December, 1970
Anandashram,
Kanhangad P.O.
Travancore-Cochin
Dear Ram;
Om! Sri Ram! Jai Ram! Jai, Jai Ram!
Sri Davenport has returned. He is so much like another “Sam” that
one’s acceptance of his reports look almost egocentrical. He has confirmed
everything that Sam has said publicly and privately. Most important, perhaps,
has been his splendid admiration of Krishnabai.
Years ago when Sam was living in New York City there was a great institution
headed by one Nicholas Roerich, an artist and archaeologist who later
proclaimed himself a Buddhist and prospered, and a Master whereupon he lost
everything. Greatest among his creations was a drawing of “The Mother of
Irfan” based on what he saw in Central Asia-probably Mongolia. It was very
effective, but disappeared. Now after many years some of his drawings have been
recovered and copied. Sam purchased a few of them and the young people
everywhere went wild. They all seem to confirm Sam’s feeling that this is one
of the most outstanding spiritual paintings of all times. It also helps in
concentration and devotion when the subject is “World Mother.”
There are now some radical and even outstanding changes going on. The best
are in the directions of integration, actual integration, not the verbal
integration of people who are repeating the same mistakes as Roerich above.
Very selective persons are proclaiming themselves “world leaders,” so many
of them that none can possibly succeed. And at the same time there are new
types of movements originating from India which are attracting the young and
money. So we see more and more ashrams, and some of them are splendid.
Sam has not only no days off but no nights off. Last night he was invited to
a new Ashram not far from his Novato home, in the city of San Rafael. In the
midst of a day when people are talking about communities and communes and when
the spiritual ones are succeeding and the egocentric ones failing, the
establishment of a fine spiritual commune in his vicinity is itself a
wonder.
The leader is one Yoga Bhajan and he teaches real Yoga, not the gymnastic
physical
“Asanavada” which passes for “Yoga” in America. The young are drawn to
him and while they also exercise physically they have methods which certainly
control the Pranamayakosh and they are great devotees in mantras. Yogi and Sam
had cooperated before and the Yogi is going back to India so Sam was invited to
teach spiritual dancing.
It began very slowly but after an hour there was so much enthusiasms. One
cannot convince the manas-ahankara people that there is something beyond their
egocentric thoughts. Now it is being demonstrated. The manas-ahankara people in
competition with each other, are losing the young. The young, deep in
Vijnanavada and deeper in Anandavada, are increasing in numbers, effectiveness
and wealth and this last is ultimately going to disturb the Asuras who
want to organize, and lead, especially lead. So they fail. They
all proclaim verbal humility and hardly refer to a Supreme Deity. But it
is the “God” who is sound, as both Bible and Upanishads proclaim and who is
nearer than the neck-vein as Mohammed declared. The young are responding to
this rapidly and at a rate which is like a favorable whirlwind. Sam has had
several interviews at the University of California lately, all better and
better and some day the young— who are not “humble” will accept the hard
but simple fact that Sam has actually met so many saints and holy man whom he
can name and place and the young accept that; their elders disdain. It is
actually humorous today. The Asuras compete with each other; the Devas mutually
cooperate.
On Sunday, 20th December, there will be a bazaar in the town of Sausalito
just north of San Francisco. It is primarily to promote our real peace efforts
among real people. We are seeking to draw Israelis, Arabs and Christians
together. Now the newspapers gave us publicity, something which never occurred
before. And at this writing Sam is so dizzy because of opportunities and
invitations.
Everything is happening almost exactly as Sam saw in vision some years ago
when he was in the hospital. In these days when almost anybody (?) can write on
mysticism excepting the mystic himself, it is especially wonderful to find that
one’s supposed dreams, visions and hearings should come out almost exactly,
the difference being between symbology and material manifestation; that is all.
The publicity says Sam has over a hundred disciples today. The total audience
each week is at least double that and growing. And this at a time when the real
spiritual leaders coming from India (and perhaps from elsewhere) are also
drawing more and more followers. The young are were advanced souls anyhow and
they do not like pretense.
It seems almost redundant to report that the soul behaves exactly as Papa
says and that so many have joys of different kinds innervating sacred phrases.
This is very real, very true and so simple it is not always easy to
appreciate.
As soon as the bazaar is over we start our Christmas celebration. We have a
wonderful choral group who chant sacred phrases but often in modern styles and
although they invariably begin with RamNam or the Islamic Kalama and Zikr they
have become universal, not in the advertised sense, but in the Gandhian
sense—no pretense, the actual acceptance of traditions and heaving them into
integrated harmonies.
Much the same is going on with dances. Sam has three dancing glasses and
three specialized ones. Two of the latter are for women only and one for men
only. The men’s dancing class is based on real universal religion and we
learn from Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Buddha, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed and
practice. We draw the “virtues” and “blessings” from the
universe. You can see the changes in the light manifestation and in be
character and behavior. It keeps Sam busy all the time and now a few are
beginning to appreciate that.
The prediction that the Dharma would be established in America and the
teachings of Mohammed that the Divine Light is neither of the East nor West is
coming to manifestation. There is a growing acceptance of actual Upanishadic
teaching of the relation of spiritual development to Ananda-capacity. This is
spreading. The old days of lecturing and self-leaderships are over. We have no
mutual competitive or ego-proclamations. Ram is in everybody, and even in a
sense, is everybody and we learn to treat each other that way.
We shall ask Sri Davenport to write about his trip. His verbal reports are
so in conformance with Sam’s views there can hardly be mentioned. But that
seems to be the tendency of the age. And we are going to celebrate a Christmas
based on Christ’s “Sermon on the Mount” and not on theologies, ceremonies
or rituals.
Om! Sri Ram! Jai Ram! Jai!, Jai Ram!
Love and Blessings,
Dec. 21, 1970
Anandashram
Kanhangad P.O.
Travancore-Cochin
South India
Dear Ram;
Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram!
When Sam was in Kanhangad in 1956 he had a private session with
Satchidananda the nature of which was not conveyed to Papa or anybody. Now we
have had the manifestation of the truth behind that meeting. There are many
people in this world and there seem to be more coming who proclaims universal
brotherhood, the acceptance of all faiths, and a basic spirituality as the
fundamental upon which these and other dreams and ideals are based.
When we go to the real depths behind any and every religion we come to the
same truths. So it is that when Sam reads in Papa’s works, or in the writings
of Hazrat Inayat Khan, his first spiritual teacher, or in those of Abdul Kadir
Jilani, one of the greatest of all Sufis and Saints, one comes to exactly the
same teaching, and if you wish the same Truth or Truths.
There is now the rise of a number of groups all claiming spirituality and
universality. They may roughly be divided into three types: a. the Universal
groups, which claim their own leadership, their own personality and ignore
rival organizations. b. A number of entirely efforts which claim to be claiming
an effort to unite the rivals of type a. c. The actual spiritual groups which
are founded on the spiritual awakening of a great personality or streams of
consciousness. The last type seen to be continuing along the lines posited in
the Upanishads, of streams of teachers and pupils.
It is noteworthy and perhaps very important that the last types, though
connected with various religions, all affirm in some way the teachings of Jesus
Christ and disregard the theologies about Jesus Christ. It is near the
Christmas season. The real Christmas, to Sam, is the awakening of the
Christ-consciousness in mankind. To him, this comes unconsciously as Love and
consciously as God-Ram. To affect this in practical operations one should
consciously be functioning, even according to the Sufi Hazrat Inayat Khan, on
or above the levels of Vijnanavada and Anandavada.
It must now be reported objectively that the day of asuras and obscurantists
claiming and dominating is over. Practicing that God is Love and that all
peoples are His people„ the disciples of Sam proposed a Bazaar to bring
together the followers of the apparently opposing sects, religions, and
factions, all claiming the Near East or the Holy Land in some way. The real
integrative outlook justifies them all. The real Ananda outlook brings them all
together in Love, Wisdom and Devotion. The passing asuras have been using the
words. They have not demonstrated leadership and they depend on others to help
them out. The real devotees depend upon Ram Who is all that devotees claim. We
have just had the demonstration. And now for the first time, praise to God-Ram,
the press and radio and television are recognizing the realities and
accomplishments of the truly wise above those of the well-meaning but excluding
groups who seek to have removed Ram in favor of some special persons or boards
of directors.
Outwardly Sam’s work is through “Dances of Universal Peace.” Those
were rejected by a number of the rival groups claiming world leadership. They
have not been rejected by young, and they are attracting more and more
attention. But along with that has been the choral group singing hymns and
themes drawn from the real religions of the past, but integrated according to
the contemporary types of music, which are becoming universal and
international.
Yesterday a folk bazaar was put on by Sam’s disciples. He had very little
to do with it personally. It was nearly all done by the disciples, who are
devotees. As one came into the door where admissions were paid, one would have
heard the chanting of RamNam, which went on incessantly day and night. The
Bazaar itself had been called partly to raise funds to promote peace in the
Near East based on a blending of spiritual affirmations and desert reclamation.
Both of these are based on Sam’s researches in the inner and outer world and
life. The overall was rather Persian, perhaps most fitting because it was
called a Dervish Bazaar. We had hoped and are still hoping there will be
profits which can be used to help the people of East Pakistan.
One of the great teachings of Jesus Christ has been, “Feed my lambs.”
Sam is hoping to have five days celebration of Christmas in different towns in
this vicinity blending together the outer and inner interpretations of this
phrase.
From two quite different points of view the Bazaar was a success. Despite
inclement weather everything happened exactly as was shown to a disciple who
has proven to be a remarkable and blessed Seeress. There were tremendous crowds
of young people (despite the bad weather). Financially the undertaking was more
than a success. But the greatest success was the love and brotherhood evinced
and demonstrated at every level, telling the world we can have a spiritual
brotherhood of man operative now in a world which is becoming more and more
aware of its fullness and unity. And that this world is because of God and not
because of some recent claimant to a private special revelation which makes him
or her the particular recipient and channel for Divine Wisdom.
We were amazed to receive full cooperation from Jewish mystics, one school
of Zen Buddhists, two schools of esoteric Mahayana Buddhists, the most
successful real Yoga school practicing the Yoga of the union with God, and
others, as well as the directly concerned Christian, Jewish, and Islamic
peoples. It seems that what God had revealed to Sam in previous years was
coming into full manifestation, not because or despite anything but Dharma
itself. This brings out into the open the conversation between Sam and Swami
Satchidananda of 1956.
Sam is now writing “Six interviews with Hazrat Inayat Khan.” The reason
behind these interviews was the manifestation to him of Khwaja Khizr, the
putative guardian Saint of the whole of humanity, according to Sufi traditions.
Khwaja Khizr offered Sam the choice of poetry or music. Both of these have now
come into manifestation though hitherto rejected, and especially rejected by
rival schools and personalities all claiming to represent the Universe through
their egos or organizations. There is a side issue hare. Khwaja Khizr is also
reputed to convey and confer longevity and vitality. Even those persons who
reject—and they have every right to reject—Sam’s spiritual claims, cannot
deny that his body and mind are both quite persistent and vigorous.
This is not put forth as any ego claim other than as an outer manifestation
of what is written in the akasha and Alaya. Ram-God may choose anything and
even everything as vehicles. The school of Sufis to which Sam now belongs
insists on patience and sobriety, and at the same time he is teaching Joy,
Love, and Veneration, and apparently successfully. On this point it is a
practice of the Gita that man’s duty into work, and the fruits of these
efforts belong to Sri Krishna.
The refusal of practically all the rival so-called Universal and new age
groups to recognize the career of the great Mogul Emperor Akbar, who was a
Sufi, places in Sam’s hands a tremendous heritage, and the blessings of this
heritage, ignored by all the rival, proclaiming or self-proclaiming persons,
groups, and organizations makes Sam feel as his first teacher Hazrat Inayat
Khan taught, “The Universal brotherhood will form of itself.”
When Sam was asked recently about a crusading American who uses psychedelic
drugs Sam said, “I love him.” The inquirer then pointed out all that
person’s shortcomings. Sam repeated, “I love him, I love him, I love
him.” It just happened that the hall was filled with the disciples of this
man which Sam had not known. The point here, and it is in Sam’s paper on St.
Paul, that without love all faculties, abilities, and efforts are in vain.
It is curious and wonderful to find newspaper representatives forced to
admit that there is another kind of love far above and beyond biological
expressions, which not only can be demonstrated, but can be demonstrated
artistically, socially, and financially, to the benefit and enjoyment of
everybody. The Divine Spirit dose not manifest as any thought-form still less
as an orthodoxy. We have done it, or it has been done through us, by Ram
Himself.
The multitudes have asked for further Bazaars. It is the turning point of
life. By Prajna it has been seen and known. Fortunately there are enough groups
based on Prajna. Fortunately, Prajna always wins, and egos rise and fall—this
being the history of the world.
Love and Blessings, and Christmas greetings. Om Sri Ram Jai Jai Ram!
Samuel L. Lewis
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti