[May 1963]
My dear Sam,
Thank you for letter. Salt water conversion in desert interiors nave not yet
been solved satisfactorily—meaning not cheap enough. Even at the Sea Coast
feasibility depends on certain natural conditions—temperature difference
between surface and deep water—and slope of bottom.
It is a sad reflection on the human race that, rather than undertaking these
simple measurements to determine whether in each case cheap water can be had
from the sea we go into expensive and temporary projects.
I have written to Vilayat about your great spiritual knowledge and
achievements and commented upon your built-in defense against over-popularity,
thus against waste of time receiving delegations and fans. You appear
egotistical or superficial—and a worthy percentage stays away. You don’t
care. Those who go by the book will then not bother you. Very nice.
How sad about Aramdarya,
Shamcher
15 May [1963?]
My dear S.A.M.
You are absolutely right, or, in other words, you are right in the absolute.
Your superb divinatory perception will know what I mean and more.
Therefore, I shall become your disciple on the one and only condition on
which I may learn anything from you and you anything from me: That you become,
at the same time, my disciple. So, if you agree, you are my Murshid now and I
am your disciple and you are my disciple and I am your Murshid.
And so perfect and correct shall this relationship be that I shall never ask
you to teach me specific things but you shall choose and teach me what you
think I should be taught by you, and you may do this by any method you choose,
through the air, through the ether and through that lowly medium, typing ink.
And so I shall work on you and teach you all and nothing more than what I feel
you should be taught by me—just as with Jelladine Rumi and Shamstabriz, who
was visited by the other’s son who said “my father says to come and learn
at your feet since you are the greatest, compared to whom my father is the dust
under your feet.”
“That I am” replied, Shamstabriz, “The Greatest!” and your father
Jelladine? To him I am as the dust under his feet.”
What you say is true but it cannot be said for when said it is not true.
And as to the men to whom you gave my lowly name, that is not in vain, and
someday they may react as they should, knowing that if a man has no offer he
will accept that which is still no offer, but when he has a son, and a daughter
who needs to be raised in the ways of the world and he has an offer, then he
must first accept and fulfill that offer until he can and should accept a
no-offer. In the East and in the West too there is much loose talk and little
substantiation.
Evelyn is at Stockton State Hospital. I knew before I wanted to know. It is
better to know only and just when you want to know, I am trying to get her back
to De Sablo by remote control.
Love,
Shamcher
[undated]
My dear Ahmed Murad Chisti
Yes, I know Reiser, talked with him in his sky-scraper university, rising to
the Heavens like his mind.
Salt water conversion: Many nice but only one practical method for cheap
water conversion—and this one not universally applicable. Depends on 1)
temperature difference between surface and 1500 feet deep waters and 2)
distance at which 1500 feet can be reached (Less than our miles from shore).
Consumer economics Yes: See Jerry. For general economics, including consumer
ecs, no better book ever written than Future Is Ours (Chester or you or
Peter must have at least four of them between you. If not, write to publisher,
Meador, 325 Newberry street, Boston, send me bill, be sure to tear off cover
(Jacket), an awful publisher-idea.
Every bit of so-called Western philosophy is based on philosophies developed
first in the East. So where, what, whoy “integration?”
Give me five-line definition of Subud (a very bad-sounding word) or let
someone else do it.
Sub is sub and ud is a bird so Subud means a sub-bird not quite up to bird
scratch, not up to any scratch in fact.
Love,
Shamcher
August 1, 1958
Dear Sam
(But I ought to have noted your Sufi name including Mullah, the enlightened
one.)
It was delightful to read you again as the French say) and hear of your
continued interest in water. Yes, you are so right, while the foreigner’s
interest in the Middle East (most Europeans and to some extent Americans) is
oil, their own interest is water and also simple plain friendship as a
former school teacher in Iraq said here. But we often act as the raw recruit
who asked an oncoming person three times quickly “Friend or Foe” and then
shot, not waiting even for an answer.
Of course, a wise man never asks are you friend or foe but he makes
friends, even of the foes, and in the waiting time, before they know they are
friends, he forgives and sees the future must, “for they Know not what they
do.”
The specific approach to sea water conversion I am concerned with (and which
is the only cheap way so far) is only applicable under certain natural
conditions including: Tropical enough to have 15-20 centigrade temp. diff.
between surface and 500-1000 meter depth and steep enough bottom slope
to reach depth required not more than five miles from shore. Pakistan would
most probably meet these requirements. But though after our meetings with Pak.
Officials in SF. I made the whole Pakistan embassy in Paris meet my French
friends in Paris last year, and though the commercial attaché at the embassy
was both enthused and insistent on alerting his government—no measurements to
make this point sure has as yet been made.
As to Egypt, most coast lines have very faint slope so I am suspicious the
method may not apply there but again, no measurement has been made to make sure
but for this reason the Aswan dam may be right for Egypt and I believe we
should have helped finance it in spite of all. We are running around
guessing who are our friends instead of making them so—making not
meaning simply giving or financing dams of course, but above all feeling and
knowing that they are friends, actual or potential.
When you wrote I had been thinking about you for a long time, thinking
whether to write you and ask whether you would come here help establish or
rather expand the Sufi cause which has gone slowly, but I thought that perhaps
SF was more important and your natural hunting ground. Have you caused Peter to
establish and run a center yet? He has all the necessary qualities including
stamina, silence and punctuality. SF is a natural center, national, nationally
unique. Seattle is a much tougher spot, with loads of unsound spiritualism,
racial bigotry—therefore Sufism much needed but also in difficulty finding
suitable people and getting a hearing and a setting. Please marry the Karachi
fiancé and get things going.
Apropos Peter: We have sent him letters and things, no reply, so I thought
he had gone to Paris or perhaps we know not right address? Please contact for
us.
All here greets you warmly
Shamcher
Bryn Beorse
4205 Beach Drive
Seattle 16, Washington
November 21, 1958
My Dear Sam:
Yes, indeed, it’s about time Nasser had some expert advice on water.
However, it may be the only place in the Middle East where specifically the
thermal difference will be a cinch is at the Dead Sea. This is bordered jointly
by Israel and—is it Jordan? Is any of the Dead Sea on Nasser’s property? If
so we can do business. But anyway, there should be a grand survey of his whole
area in regard to water. So let’s get in touch with Dr. Schawarbi or whoever
may be the best link. Though as the world’s leading expert on certain types
of Sea Water conversion I could command the highest fees, I would have no such
thought with Nasser but would go just on expenses paid and so that the family
can live in their modest way—either going along (best) or staying here. But
it shouldn’t wait much longer.
Whoever he now has as advisers, of whatever nation, there is none who can
advise him so accurately on these matters, except professor Howe, Mr. Beau of
France or myself.
You should perhaps write Nasser directly, in addition to whatever his envoys
may accomplish with us.
Israel has not, as you think, a good method for sea water conversion but a
certain Zarkin, a sincere but impractical fanatic, has inveigled them to try a
freezing process. On the other hand, Mr. Beau has talked to them about a Dead
Sea plant on thermal difference principle which would be excellent if they
accept.
Very interesting to hear about your writings and experiences. Prevail upon
Peter to go start build the temple.
Family greets you fondly,
Shamcher
January 26, [1963 or 1964]
My dear Murshid Sam,
I have waited, after your last letter, for word from you or your Pakistani
spiritual brother, the major, since I am ready to go to Pakistan or wherever
useful work appear a-coming on conditions I, with my family, can meet.
When you go a-travelling next you might see Vilayat about your writing for
his mag and Andre de la Porte about Sufi papers. She writes me you said you did
not need any.
Best of all,
Your humble mureed and Murshid,
Shamcher
January 29, [1963 or 1964]
My dear Sam,
From a friend of Gavin in New York I received a letter about “The late
Chester Arthur III” and when, promptly, I wrote Gavin asking how late he was
I had no answer.
Would you please explain?
On the other hand, on your trips through the world did you find any place
suitable where such as you and I, with modest incomes (you through Family, I
through social security) could live rather well? I found too many, that is the
trouble and can hardly decide. The Himalayas where we have an invitation,
Majorca, Portugal, Taiwan—my biggest consideration is the children’s school
condition. Daphne can learn and enjoy any foreign language but Bryn hates
foreign languages.
Let me hear
Shamcher
BB Box 142 Keyport Wash
February 7, [1963 or 1964]
My dear Sam,
Thank you. Abbottabad sounds good, looks good on map, North-East corner of
West Pakistan, must be somewhat like Mysore in India, not as wild as Joshimath.
Did not find Kalul on map. Which direction? Further North-East?
Were you ever in Abbottabad or Kalul? How is nature and weather and
availability of housing, food and schools, including what corresponds to
American High Schools and or even university? It is fairly close to Rawalpindi
which, I assume, has a university. Lahore certainly has one, with which I have
been in touch. If you know some there I’d be grateful for contact—Sufis.
One does not need a visa, I believe?
Gavin—so he is still alive and rocking, despite the friend in NY? Of
course in the course of human advance many vain paths have to be elegantly
investigated and if people with Gavin’s intelligence and honesty are willing
to take that chance and prolong their time in earth forms, why complain? But as
you so rightly state, for those who know, it is a cul-de-sac. I was just
discussing it in Washington DC, also in Cleveland of course. To me Gavin said,
“It took me one a half years of meditation to reach a stage I now reach in an
hour by certain chemical products.” My reply: “You, Gavin, and folks like
you have all the right in the world to try.” But I am less tranquil about
idiots who persuade Harvard young students to embark upon this short-cut to
what may for many of them be disaster.
I also consider the alternative of living in the US if a place can be found
where about $200 is all one pays for self and two kids , setting aside perhaps
$50 for paying a relative to keep Evelyn. In other words $150 for self and
kids. It should be possible and one might even live well. In some outskirts of
a town on beach or in desert. I am entitled to my last years entirely devoted
to study and spirituality and will not have job much longer, cannot. Other
services, consulting etc will be accepted if offered but I shall not put two
sticks together to get it. It does not even help. What comes is fate, what one
toils for with incredible and often vain efforts is not worthwhile.
I greatly admire your efforts with universities and people in power or
position. As for me, they can come to me if they like, and in that case I shall
waste the necessary time on them but God in me does not go begging.
Best of all,
Shamcher
I have become a bit entangled in correspondence with Musheraff Khan who
wrote me a letter about “so-called Pir Zade Vilayat Khan” and other
snootiness. Without replying to that, I went into my time with Pir-o-Murshid
and his words about East and West and his son Vilayat and the future of the
movement. Maybe it will shake him a bit I arranged many concerts for him and
Maheboob and Ali you know, so he cannot very well ignore me.
April 6, 1963
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Sam,
So long have I waited writing to thank you for gorgeous dinner and inspiring
session, in hopes that Vilayat would answer my letter about your plans for Sufi
center and to receive Gathas (and not Githas). But we have an answered
agreement, Vilayat and I, that when he does not answer it is because he is in
perfect agreement, and so he has really said that: Yes, by all means, and I am
grateful that you, Sam, go ahead with a Sufi group, under that name and I shall
do my darndest to see you get the Gathas and Gathekas. And to be quite sure, I
would also, in your case, write the Dutch center for distribution, Duchess
Madame Andre de la Porte, 49 Hermelijn Laan, Hilversum, Holland. Tell her to
send the bill (if any) to me.
Now let me moderate and speculate on Vilayat’s lack of answering letters.
It isn’t total. Last fall he wrote me a long and hearty one. And I have no
criticism whatever of his lack of writing, but try to explain it. 1) He is
always busy with direct contact with mureeds and other people. 2) He often must
go into retirement for reasons of health. 3) He is sole custodian, repairman
etc. of his father’s house. 4) He is somewhat advanced in distant
communication and can often, perhaps always, feel what his communicator is
saying, feeling and so often tending to conclude that a letter is either not
required, or, in any case, would be insufficient, or he waits until a solution
has developed.
Vilayat, like yourself, is very well versed in historic as well as presently
existing Sufi activities, personalities and processes. No doubt you two are the
best informed on this in the West, perhaps in the world. I trace in your
exuberance over your spiritual and intellectual successes, a slight wonder, if
not irritator, over the lack of response to your teachings and advice among the
general public. One reason is the very name Sufi, or Islam, which, both, are
identified in our encyclopedias as rather narrow religious idiocy (as if idiocy
wasn’t always narrow!) Then there are the more enlightened who say, all that
with Sam is very well, but what do I need other than God? And so they go into
bull sessions of meditation and hear ticklings in the ears which they interpret
as the eternal Oom, Aumm, the creative sound, the voice of God. And, they say,
what can be higher than God? The Sufis scramble somewhere near it, but I,
Sophistambulus the Great, already have it! So you see, there are diversions on
low and on rather high. But you will still have your pupils, who will teach you
more that you teach them (as Hazrat Inayat put it).
Love and all the Heavens
Shamcher
May 8 [1963]
My dear Sam:
Thank you for letter, but why do you indicate writing to Sacramento?
I just asked if you have seen Evelyn in San Francisco. I have all
information I want from Sacramento. My friend there has done all he can. He is
88 years old. So please don’t upset him with a letter, or with a visit from
Veronica (the Sufi lady you knew in Sacramento). But of course if you want to
write her I can have no objection, though I don’t see even what purpose that
would have. Whatever you do, be sure she does not visit the doctors home.
Evelyn is not there. She hasn’t been seen since April 26. You don’t tell me
whether you have seen her.
As to Pakistan and me: I was expecting news about the school there. I cannot
go to a place where I have not before been and just look around. I have offer
of a free house in Naina Tal, a half-way offer of an UN assignment in Tunisia,
a half offer of a US assignment in Egypt. If before or after I go to those
assignments I receive words that I am welcome to that university in Pakistan
(for which my Tunisian and Egyptian assignments would increase my
qualifications) then, instead of coming back to USA I could go on to Pakistan.
If I have no definite information I shall come back here or go somewhere
else.
If I had lots of money I could of course go to Pakistan and just look. I
have not lots of money. I will go where I am welcome in advance, by
letter stating what I will have for my labors and what I must add of my own
fortune (Social security). What you have told me so far from Pakistan indicates
I could get stuck with higher living expenses that I could manage. In India,
for example, that is not the case. I have already offer of completely free
housing, by friends whom I know.
Best of all, your holiness, (and this I mean very seriously and
complimentary)
Shamcher
Please ask Gavin and Lloyd also if they have seen Evelyn.
772 Clementina St.,
San Francisco 3, Calif.
March 30, 1964
My dear Bryn:
I am moving back this week to an apartment which I once occupied before and
which Gavin Arthur had occupied before I did. The circumstances are very
story-like but as other more important things are going on I shall not relate
them here.
Shams-ud-din Ahmed is a civil service in Lahore, Pakistan. His
brother-in-law is a Sufi Murshid in the Naqshibandi school, and a very good
friend of mine. Shams-ud-din studied a little Sufism under a man whom he says
was Khalif to both our own Pir-o-Murshid and also Rabia Martin. This man and
all his mureeds are dead but Shams-ud-din who has not regarded himself
specially as a Mureed.
I sent a long letter (among others) to prepare him for Bayat and imagine my
surprise today to receive word from him that he is making plans to see if he
can get the government of Pakistan to hire you. We have discussed many
technical problems and he feels that between your engineering background and
your place in Sufism you are the right man to be given a position of important
in his government. One does not wish to conclude that his proposals are going
to be taken too seriously.
Pakistan has been cursed with an awful civil service. After they ridded
themselves of bribe-mongers they got into another fix with having
over-religious zealots take over who had the idea that they could easily hire
persons to do the dirty work. But there are not enough Muslims for skilled
jobs, or also they find bettor words and will not work under bigoted
ignoramuses. However I pass the word along is you, and will also keep my eyes
and ears open.
When you were here, the Consul-General Shafi had an assistant, Abdal Sattar.
This man and I have remained good friends and now he is in Karachi, secretary
to the Minister of External Affairs.
My own position is rapidly changing. I was in an office recently and a
stranger walked in, looked at me and said, “Ah, a dervish. I can see by your
face and expression you are a dervish.” I then gave him my Sufi name. “Of
course. You look just like the Sufis in my home town, Teheran and they look
just-like you.”
His name is Malik and he fits in perfectly with my “How California Can
Help Asia.” He has been doing research for Standard Oil and its subsidiary,
the Americas Bitumen Co. This research has been turned over the University of
Cal. He has perfected a new type of clay-mud-adobe hut using petroleum wastage
for binder instead of dung. This has resulted in a structure which will not
collapse from rain or earthquake. He sold the idea to the Shah of Iran and has
left for that country. But he told me where to get the information and in turn
I have gives him introduction to the National Research Center in Cairo.
Hugo Seelig is very pessimistic. He is troubled by cataracts and is afraid
of an operation because of his leukemia. But our friend, Ed Hunt, is taking
over. My colleague, Major Sadiq, the spiritual healer, may not arrived until
June but is very anxious to have a number of cases to treat free, so I am
hoping Hugo can hold on.
The chances are 50-50, and maybe better than the Major will succeed in
business operations for a large American corporation but the final details have
not yet been worked out. Soon after that he will be coming here. But it seems
now that more and more people need help.
Gavin walks with a cane. While he is getting more attention for his work in
Astrology and in other directions, he seems almost failing apart. Did you ever
meet Mischa? Mischa is a sort of Hugo #2 with a positive accent—that is a
“Jew” who does not believer in Judaism but a combination so to speak of
mysticism and Vedanta and has really gotten there.
Our art studies reveal that one of the contemporary best artists, Graves,
attributes his success to Mischa.
Heard now from Vocha who lives in Lancaster, very slowly recovering. I
can’t go South or anywhere until word is received from the Major above and
while I hear about him, it is certain he is constantly travelling. He is also
in close touch with all the big-wigs in Pakistan.
For the first time there is interest in Sufism here. Both Pir-o-Murshid’s
works and The Sufis by Sheikh Idries Shah are selling well. Robert
Graves the poet-scientist wrote the forward. The Sheikh has had the same
difficulty I had, meeting opposition from all the Oxford and Cambridge
“experts.”
Vilayat has written his sister that he is coming here this year so we shall
probably cross-trail. I think this is enough now.
Cordially,
Samuel L. Lewis
Bryn Beorse
Box 142
Keyport, WA
April 15, 1964
My dear SAM
Thank you for March 30 letter. I should be delighted to go to Pakistan and
of course I am fit to fill almost any kind of job after a career of
ditch-digging, sheep herding, economic adviser, bank manager and even engineer
and water desalination expert (in this I am tops, not able to do everything in
the field, nobody is, but knowing who can do what where). I am beginning to get
bids from Norway, New York, Tunisia and the time for realization may be near. I
would not be surprised if the Pakistan thing materializes, as facts collect on
my mind’s horizon. So please write the man and say fine, I am ready and
grateful.
What you say about the Dervish and the Duce and the Bechtel and the Buddhist
and the pent is very true and amusing.
Best of all to you all a time,
Shamcher
PS. My stethoscope says you may put a ray of your mind on groceries and
shelter and get it easier, and a better type. Now, I am not as good as I should
be in this matter myself, but still I have to tell you a thing or two. You may
be specific or just spasmodic, whatever your style and preference, but go out
there and do.
July 30, 1964
My dear S.A.M.
Thank you very much for copy of letter to Vilayat, also for an earlier
letter from the East.
Was the letter to Vilayat in response to one of his? What, in that case, was
the general contents of that letter, latest news from over there?
I enclose an invitation to a Sufi summer camp in the Swiss Alps, not
remembering whether I already sent you one.
Best of all, Inshallah
Shamcher
PS. Peter van de Linde at 1337 Mission Ave, Carmichael (near Sacramento
Calif.) lets out strange puffs. How is with him?
August 25, 1964
My dear Sam,
Your experiences with newsmen versus real scientists etc, reminds me of old
Hugo Selig, the dune poet, who said about your pen pal (Peace be on his soul)
Luther Whitemen, “His great achievement was that he was the only man I ever
knew who always remained stagnant and made no progress whatever, of any kind.
He lived with his mind on the stage of the raging teenager with adolescent love
affairs and worries over them, while his body, getting old, was groaningly
protesting. His great misfortune was he did not become a newspaper man. As
such, he would have had his place—the typical truth-avoiding; and never
growing-up American newspaper man!”
Thank you for answering Peter Van De Linde for me. His question is
encouraging in all its adolescence for it shows he has still some interest in
Sufism. He tried to “give” me some wooden candle holders (we have already
glass ones). I said his duty was to keep them until he had collected enough
equipment for his own services, and not trying to appear generous to his own
delusive mind by giving them away and thus have one more excuse for not
building up a service function. He is now studying vedantism with the
Ramakrishna people which I lauded but I told him a time will come upon having
guzzled the ancient wisdom that he would like to act and talk in behalf of the
great trust once given him, the new message of the old truth, and the
more so the more impossible were we others such as Vilayat, you, and I. Next,
he switched some sendings from Sufi headquarters to my address, and even placed
on me the burden of signing for them. This made me wonder if he had forsaken
the Sufis altogether. His question to you indicates he hasn’t. He has always
thrived by meddling in other people’s business, mercilessly criticizing
Vilayat, Mary, you, me—thereby trying to hide his self-criticism to
himself.
I am looking forward to the fruition of your actions,
best of all (How is Gavin?)
Shamcher
October 12, [1963 or 1964]
My dear Sam,
Your welcome letter came just as I was trying to find where Evelyn had
hidden your former letter with your address. I was going to write you that your
great success and following will be with other intellectuals than those with
whom you now have battle, though the battle serves the purpose of attracting
attention. I see from your letter that you received my message through the air
as Sufis should. Apart from that you have other messages for me which you have
not written.
In some respects you are the greatest living Sufi (and in other respects I
am) but just for that reason it seems, as you say, unwise to a dorm yourself
with a title such as Murshid, here in America, for it will repel more than it
attracts. A few will see in you more than that and the more the less
ostentatious you are—yet, in a society such as ours a certain ostentation is
required to have working chance.
While I had lengthy correspondence with Indian government, now Portugal
seems to become the first to try out some of my special sea water conversion
methods—and what irony, India will come to learn at the feet of Portuguese!
Not directly and knowingly perhaps, but actually, technically.
But is just a small part of my life as Horticulture is with you.
Back to titles again: I agree with Vilayat when he does not call himself nor
wishes anyone else to call himself even Murshid, far less Pir-o-Murshid—in
reverence to great Inayat Khan. When Ali Khan called himself Pir-o-Murshid that
was between God and himself, and not my concern but I deeply prefer Vilayat’s
words, although in some respects Vilayat is greater that his father or, should
I say, more appropriate for delivering the message in the Western World—all
of which was according to Inayat’s wishes.
Do not worry about how the established Sufis will receive you or us. They
have no duty to receive anybody nor do we have any duty or wish to be received.
We live among us and act and take what reaction comes and often I have felt new
and hitherto unheard of souls will carry the burden onwards. Even at an early
stage many old Sufis who had considered Inayat their personal pet, left in
disgust when there was talk of a world message and a world teaching. Others
left when Maheboob and Ali took over—for Vilayat (which was even better, the
free and large side of the Sufi movement) or for private practice as Van Tuyll,
or for no more Sufis at all.
I am going to Cleveland 25th, then on to New York. Tell me all about these
centers. In New York I do not know a single remaining Sufi anymore. Are there
any?
Shamcher
June 15, 1965
My dear Sam,
In 1963 my wife Evelyn spent three months in the Stockton State hospital and
came out better than at any time during past 15 years and stayed well for 15-16
months. Now she is pretty bad again and the same hospital would be the ideal
place but she has to live in California, near Stockton (SF would be all right}
for that, and I plan someday soon to come down and locate her in SF and hope
you and Gavin and/or Loyd etc. would provide her some company until, naturally,
someone, authority or friend, will find it propitious to have her committed. If
by your great healing power as a Murshid you can do it yourself, without the
hospital, so much the better of course. In order to earn money for her stay I
have go me back very soon. And all expenses plus time spent will of course be
paid. (I pay her room and board direct of course, but some of you may take her
to dinner or show or something.)
As to our latest correspondence, my sharing the invitation to Sureness
pilgrimage does not main I want you to go there, nor that I go there and, apart
from that one goes not to another place to “find God” but to bring God.
Hope to hear from you on above.
Blessings,
Shamcher
August 29, 1965
My dear S.A.M
It was good seeing you again San Francisco and you looked well. I thought we
were to meet downstairs in the Federal building again at 2.30 or was it 3.30? I
did not recall the time now but I had a clear concept of it then. When you did
not arrive downstairs I thought you might upstairs in your friend’s office. I
briefly saw him, just saw, end he looked very busy and said we would wait for
you to come. I went downstairs again, but after some more wait had to go to
reach my other appointments.
Well, all this does not matter, better luck next time and hoping for you
success both with you private matters and in your spiritual career,
Yours devoted,
Shamcher
[1965?]
My dear Sam,
Your idea of dancing is excellent. Remember, though it must be done without
any notion (to her) that she needs any therapy. She yet does not understand
that she needs it. Just art exercise or fun, or reducing.
Do you know of a room, decent, cheap, she could have in San Fran? On the
order of—well, you know, taking care of the kids and keeping her there, no
unnecessary expense sought. In the hospital, on the other hand, my insurance
takes care of it, if it be considered a cure, three months or so, not a
detention.
Thanks again, best of all,
Shamcher
Of course no binding room hire, just tentative, since I can never know when
or if I can get her to go.
April 21, [1966?]
My dear SAM,
Thank you for letters. It is always interesting to read you and your
worries. You know more about Sufi history and status than most, and a lot of
other movements. The consequence of such knowledge has often been, apart from
the blessings—a great dependence on these scripts and persons. Even Rumi was
liable. He also went into complains, about the lack of people’s attention to
his cries in the wilderness and such. All the prophets have had such
weaknesses, though of different shades. Hazrat Inayat was one of the greatest,
freest, to whom the title of Pir-o-Murshid was a deep understatement, simply
funny.
You know that, however funny or entertaining criticism of others may be
meant, and may seem it always detracts from your spiritual affluence. Hazrat
Inayat was often listening to complaints about his disciples—Fatha Engle and
others. He smiled, distantly, patiently explained to the complainer that Fatha
and the others were children of God, they “acted according to their
nature,” what more could one expect? The same, of course, is true of Allan
Watts and all your other detractors. Your up and fight-em is against Jesus
advice “rests not evil.” It is that simple. But Jesus did not always live
according to it.
An enlightened man is not really enlightened. The world is a funny,
sometimes cruel play. Do you expect anything from or of the world? Don’t. Do
you look up to special people? Look up to all, but not so that you blind
yourself to the challenge that you (and I) must do better than
all of them. “Master” is a disciple’s word. To us it does not exist.
You ask what is the connection between Vilayat and Musheraff. Do you want to
know? You are asking the right person. I alone wrote to Ali Khan one year
before Vilayat made his claim and broke—that it was up to him, Ali, to
embrace Vilayat before this happened. Ali answered arrogantly, ignorantly that
“It is not for the mureeds to talk about Hazrat Inayat’s family.” I then
went to Geneva and faced Ali directly, told him a few things that impressed
him, but the schisms continued—as it must. But to really tell you the
“connection” requires at least face-to-face talk with you. Not for writing.
By all means continue your elegant acquisition of knowledge about religious and
mystical men—but be not too impressed with any of them. Know that you (and I)
can do better. Must do better. Be glad for what the world offers, but expect
nothing.
Salam aleikhum,
Shamcher
July 10, 1966
My dear Sam,
Your letter to Pir Zade Vilayat about Hazrat Inayat and the Buddhist going
into meditation was very good even though I know the story and of course the
rest of your correspondence was interesting from many paints of view.
As you know from my various admonitions, Vilayat meditates upon the sender
of a letter and delivers his thanks, and answer, but some of the letter
writers, poor souls, do not accept the message through the air and blames him
for no-communication, but of course you receive his massages all right, and so
you know his communication to you about Wilfred Rosenberg. Your criticism of
Musheraff Khan has earned you the right and duty to educate (since he is still
educable) Mr. Wilfred, who talks glibly abut Sufism, first quite well, then
gradually revealing his ignorance by placing Sufism apart and in a corner,
separate from all the other bad countries and religions such as India and Yoga,
the latter a cult that makes its adherents crazy, India described in four
points obviously invented by some Christian missionaries. Now, I invited Mr.
and Mrs. Rosenberg to the most expensive restaurant in this area just to have a
chance to explain to him under pleasant circumstances that he better lay off
subjects he did not master. But he simply said in his sweeping way that he had
deep and profound intentions with all his sayings (as a madzub might claim
though he is no madzub). So now we leave him to you. His address is PO Box 6404
San Antonio, Texas. Whether you prefer correspondence or telepathy or the
absolute presence is up to you. You understand he represents the Musheraff
group. He has not even seen Vilayat and they may not even aware of each other.
But Wilfred does a lot a travelling on behalf of Sufis and, according to his
own words, encouraged to do so by Musheraff. Some of the Sufis in this area say
they heard him claim to be the Sufi in charge of all America. This I have not
heard from him.
Of course, instead of spending a fortune at the Hearthstone restaurant, I
should perhaps have sent that money to you. But I understand you are doing well
now, better than I am, with young children and all, and, by the way, what about
Gavin? I know where he lives but not his address. And whenever I concentrate
upon your mind to read his address I don’t find it there, amid all the junk.
So write it, please.
Love,
Shamcher the Great
What happened to Gavin? What happened to Gavin!
August 8, 1966
My dear Sam S.A.M.
Yes, in my present financial condition I could finance three of the books
you mention and I was planning to send a check alone with this letter but more
fair would be to just wait for your bill which may be slightly higher due to
taxes and postage etc. At first I had imagined you wished to sell me
superfluous used Sufi books which I would have welcomed, but now we may achieve
the same by you loaning me the books you buy with my assistance when you have
finished with them temporarily. At such time I could have them for two-three
months, but we should agree first which books would be so disposed, since I
already have a few.
Musheraff Khan, while here, laid open many movement points by statements to
my wife or myself which have provided welcome opportunities for me to exchange
letters with him about the Hazrat Inayat message in relation to the more
ancient traditions of the East, Ali Khan and some of his idiosyncrasies, and
Vilayat and his special mission, all of which must have caused considerable
headache for good Musheraff but he had it coming and his answers have been
rather desperate. Truth is, the senseless quarrels initiated by Ali Khan have
kept highly important parts of Hazrat Inayat’s message frozen and unknown and
now Musheraff, who is rather an innocent in these matters, has the beautiful
but urgent chance of repairing Ali’s mistakes by embracing
Vilayat—the best of their crew but not enough in himself. Well, we’ll
see.
A new Mureed here is Mr. Taylor recently of Alberta who confirmed my
impression that Eberhart and Manning, Alberta social Creditors, good, honest
and astute men who had carried to great success, against tremendous odds, the
weak but basically true ideas of social credit. Douglas, its “investor” and
champion was not very clear or wise, and his “equations” were never
accepted in Alberta, luckily, nor was he ever willing to go to Alberta and see
the only practical application of his theories, though he was invited while I
was in London with him.
Best of all, blessings granted and accepted
Shamcher
August 12, 1966
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad,
It now develops that Mrs. Arthur Raney of Bremerton has 40% deduction in
book prices from that Nashville bookstore (Hazrat Inayat’s books) because she
has promised Rosenberg, of all people, to start a center here (which she
believes she can because I am here) and so, if you do not have 40%, you could
tell us which three books you prefer, and be could get them though Mrs. Ramey
who would grant us the entire 40% of course.
One of the urgent aspects of Hazrat Inayat’s message that he wishes
realized at this point is education of babies and children at the earliest age,
0-8 years. In the second book is his illustrious book on education. The reason
for the shortcomings of so many university graduates and the reason why so few
reach any decree of maturity at that age is just the lacks at the early stages.
Practically nothing is done in this direction by the present Sufi movement. But
it must come. If you haven’t got this book, I recommend it.
I will be forced to write even more letters to Musheraff Khan, prompted and
challenged by remarks he has made to Sufis around here, more of which come to
life every day. It is painful, but it will do him good in the end.
Love and blessings, dispensed and accepted.
Shamcher
Tell Gavin my letter etc, was just a probing to find if the address was
right. No more until I hear.
August 21, 1966
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad,
What was a good letter you wrote Wilfred and from your letter it somehow
appears you know him already or at least have heard of him. Now, of course,
your letter will open his mind to you and yours so you may go on putting things
into it or if you prefer, just explore and suggest.
You are right that the college youth is ripe and receptive and not the
least, strange to say, students at typically religiously sponsored schools of
either Catholic or Protestant background. They are desperately watching their
old faith first punctured then dissolving, trying to stop the process for
reasons imposed by a dying older generation and will grab, with entrustment,
the way of the mystic. Many scientists too, not the least physicists, for
example Sir Arthur Eddington, who frankly discusses the mystic path, so
comparable to the modem physics, in The Nature of the Physical world. He
sees that the mystic, just like the scientist, perceives only illusions, at
least at the first stages. But then, he goes on, the modern scientists’
illusion, expressed in mathematical symbols, is so symbolic only symbols can
live in it, while in the mystic’s illusion real live men can live—and who
knows, he goes in, if illusion is not necessary to bring about a reality? The
first stages of a mystic could not be better expressed. I believe he met Hazrat
Inayat. He at first makes clear that he is only discussing that part of
religion that can be defined as mysticism. The orthodox religion, feeling on
beliefs, confessions cannot, he says, be discussed or even conceived by a mind
bent on science.
Blessings dispatched and accepted, love
Shamcher
Yes I’ll buy Sufi books. Which ones? How much?
September 14, 1966
Dear Sufi Ahmed Murad,
Referring to my last letter, it looks now more like I am coming south in the
not too distant future—than you coming north. A few things appear to mature,
after many long years of preparation. And also Sitara Dolphin does not quite
feel up to playing hostess any more. She has done so much, in addition to her
Sufi work and her demeaning business and now she feel she has to slow down a
little bit.
You, being so highly cognizant of Zen, may have stumbled onto the very close
symbology and method—so close that many feel Zen is the Sufi intrusion into
Buddhism, or, rather than saying intrusion, say fusion. Sufis had already
penetrated India and China at the time of Gautama Buddha and may have been some
of his finest disciples. Contrary to the debased concept that Sufism originated
with the Moslems, an independent observer such as Clarke, the British Diplomat
of a hundred years ago, who became a Sufi, thus described its history “Seeded
with Adam, sprouted with Abraham, grew with Moses, matured with Jesus and gave
refreshing wine with Muhammad….”
Now, with Hazrat Inayat it breaks out of its boundaries to embrace humanity,
while before it has just nearly burst out of its secret frontiers. And yet, we
around Inayat Khan proposed or suggested we should skip the Sufi name, any
name, to be and express simply The Message.
Blessings come and go
Shamcher
October 4, 1966
Thank you for that beautiful test! Every or almost so—teacher tests their
man by saying or writing what should rightly upset him. Now as for me, I have
lost the upset-met, but let me try to respond: All titles that can be expressed
in words are shams, but by shams we learn and shams we shall have. I often had
to laugh seeing how Hazrat Inayat, a great soul, shammed his Pir-o title and
those of his four angels who had received the glorious title of Murshidas. I
visited the Grand Murshid of the Mevlevis in Aleppo and saw a humble fellow in
the court yard who of course had no title for he was a teacher. These call
themselves by all names or no names.
The fana-fi-lillah or fana-fi-Allah state is often held by people who have
no claim to even interest in learning or teaching. George Washington, Ben
Franklin, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and Abe Lincoln were all
fana-fi-Allahs though they may never have heard that word.
In the Sufi communities there have been many teachers titled up to
Pir-o-Murshid who were just for the local stage, and in that religious
community (Qutubs) then others had a wider range, could accept anybody on this
earth, at least, and others again, accepted and held pupils far beyond their
own passing into the next world, and from there, accepted new pupils living
here and led them successfully toward their goal. Now as for you, glory be that
you are taking upon yourself the almost impossible yoke of teaching,
constantly, accepted mureeds. Bravo. We need you desperately. As for me, no
such path at all. I am the man in the desert. Whomever I meet he will receive
my shelter and food for so long as he stays and when he returns, and my answers
to his questions, differing as he develops. But essentially he and I walk
alone, our different paths. Most people today can only act this way and it is a
safe and quite good way.
Many happy years with great triumphs
Shamcher
Thursday October 6, 1966
Dear Sam,
This will be just a brief note to say that you would have been most welcome
to visit us here recently when you had a few days’ vacation but
“housing,” as you call it, was the problem. In order to always maintain
residence adjacent to the sea or a tributary thereof we sometimes find it
necessary to take a very modest dwelling and my son, Bryn, has been sleeping on
the davenport ever since we moved here. We have two bedrooms but the cost of a
larger place would be prohibitive and since you say you are poor right now we
meditated to suggest a motel in Bremerton. However, we hope to have a bigger
place when you find time available next time.
Shamcher is most distressed that you insist upon addressing him
Pir-o-Murshid as he feels Pir-Zade Vilayat Khan should be the only inheritor of
this title.
Pir-o-Murshid Ali Khan was the only one I ever came in contact with who was
able to really heal almost at once. He healed me upon two occasions. However,
my sympathy goes out to the friends you have who are ill and especially the one
who is in constant pain. Of course I know that the Sufi Principles forbid one
mentioning the name but it only attracts the vibrations of that disease closer,
but a famous nutritionist by the name of Adelle Davis, who spent as long a time
studying nutrition as most doctors spend studying to be a doctor, has written a
book entitled Let’s Get Well in which she gives some sure-fire methods
of curing not only arthritis but mentions one case where cancer was cured in a
few months by large administrations of vitamin A, Vitamin C and Supplementing
the diet with brewer’s yeast, other vitamins, Wheat germ and getting large
quantities of yeast. Would suggest that you have your friends either purchase
the book (it was published by Harcourt, Bruce and World, N.Y.) or obtain it
from the library. Miracles are being accomplished by way of nutrition. Most
people who treat diseases of the kidneys are from twenty to forty years behind
on their knowledge of the nutritional research which has been done on the
disease. As a matter of fact, many people who have been blind have suddenly
found themselves again able to see after large quantities of well-balanced
vitamins and minerals and a diet containing much yeast and wheat germ. Adelle
Davis also wrote Lets eat right to keep fit which is a very commendable
book but in Let’s Get well” you find references to the doctors who
carried on the research and you can by this means send for the entire
information and results of the research.
I also recommend the book entitled The Sufis by Idries Shah. Mrs.
Dolphin said he couldn’t understand it but I am sure you would!
Please give my best to Gavin when you see him. By the way, whom is his
“Chelah”?
I am most anxious to change my Sufi name form “Dawlatt” (Pronounced
“Dohlat” to something else. Do you know the Arabic word for servant of God
which is of course what I wish to be more than anything.
Cordially,
Evelyn
Abu Baker Cheleby, Descendant from Rumi and head of the Mevlevis, Whirling
dervishes, is head and organizer but certainly not the most enlightened men of
his order. Vilayat is far more than for his order, but not, either, necessarily
the most enlightened. The great thing with Vilayat is that he does not claim to
be, in fact claims nothing.
October 19, 1966
My dear, dear Sufi Ahmed Murad
Evelyn always reads your letters and mostly enjoy them very much except your
last two letters to me and one letter directly to her which seemed to be in
answer to some letter I guess she must have written to you. You know her.
Now, Why were these three letters enjoyable to her? Because, like Moses and
Jesus and most Pirs and Rumi and others, once in a while you forget God and are
yourself. And I was the reason this last time. My slip of word that Vilayat
“alone” represented his father’s group was not meant in regard to
the mass of pupils and specially not in regard to you. It was simply that as
titular head he was chosen and anointed by his father (not as channel to us
others. He is great by never claiming such channel ship). Simply in the humble
manner of organizer. In the same vein, Ali Khan and later rather innocent:
Musheraff Khan usurped this position.
Maheboob khan was indirectly appointed by Hazrat Inayat to “reign for
Vilayat” until Vilayat would be of age. Nobody accepted Rabia Martin.
This does not mean that you may not be further advanced, at least in certain
respects, but nobody in the whole world is going to know that except God and
all wise men will leave this knowledge to God and not speak it, but to whoever
it be revealed, it is revealed and that is more than sufficient.
The other thing that irked you was that, in order to counter your demand
that anyone being taught by you must have the traditional Sufi attitude of a
pupil to a master ala fana-fi-Sheikh or at least fana-fi-Rassoul, I had to
humbly (no really I am not humble at all, see later) tell you it was
physiologically impossible for me (as for so many others) to take any other
stand than fana-fi-Allah or fana-fi-lillah, which is not (all Sufi lore
to the contrary notwithstanding) a gradual and natural development entitling
you to titles, but simply a matter of temperament. And one of the things
I always say is that the scientist type, who can never adopt a fana-fi-Sheikh
or even a fana-fi-Rassoul attitude, is not therefore excluded from Sufism or
any other line of training, and the fana-fi-Allah or Fana-fi-lillah stage is
not at all a sign of Pir-o-Murshid-ship as you say, though of course a
Pir-o-Murshid also is on that stage, but for a Murshid his teaching urge
in the special Sufi lore is the first condition, the a lot more…. Also, dear
Sam, never say a person is “not a Sufi.” Every person really is, and Hal
and Makam are terms that, as you know, changes not merely with different Sufis
schools, but for the same person as grows or diminishes, and they are
unsuitable for public use. But for me Sufism is not so central as for you. You
are a great specialist. I am an absolutely nothing, disappearing behind the
mask of God, know nothing at all, and as such have a great demand on me that
should not be disturbed. I have no respect whatever for the world etc. I was
with Temple of Understanding for so many years. Vilayat and I are both ashamed
of not having achieved what it has.
Love
Shamcher
We two can’t afford to be at loggerheads. Rumi sent his stubborn son to
Shamstabriz, saying “S is 1000 times greater Sufi than I. Learn from him.”
“Just one thousand exactly” asked mocking son. “No, sorry I should have
said 1008.” Son lived in wild desert with S, who just nodded when told what
Rumi had said, but when son’s desert time was up Shamstabriz said “Go home
to your father Rumi who is 1016 times greater Sufi that I.” Such is the
mathematics of the Sufi. My concern are mainly with people who are nothing. Not
Sufi, not Christian nor anything.
October 31, 1966
My dear Sam,
What is this!! You say some Sufis have rejected you? Naughty and stupid.
Send those rejecters to me. I will teach them never to reject anybody,
certainly not a Sufi, and certainly double not such a great Sufi as you are!
But Who who, Who have rejected you? Come to think of it I never heard of any
do so. Your great energy and ability in acquiring untold Sufi and other
accomplishments are pretty generally recognized. But not all have eyes to see.
Why bother about them?
You are sitting with Hazrat Inayat and others, along with many of us, and
must know that you are accepted. That is enough.
But here in one of your letters you said a lot of things about pupils of
Hazrat Inayat (of whom you happen to be one) and you said the same thing 6
times down one page. You said they had rejected Inayat Khan’s teachings. If
this is so one would expect of such a Sufi as you some details, helpful
details, that would illustrate what you meant. This would fill the space better
than repeating six times what was vague and nevertheless insulting and
inflammatory. I have pointed out to Vilayat and Musheraff Khan the most
urgent of the things Inayat gave us and which we have not taken up,
namely children and youth education, for that is the age at which foundations
really may be laid—and the dynamic masonry as against the present static
masonry, which, by the way was also originated with the Sufis. Is this what you
are referring to? God bless you them.
Allah never flings out accusations, never judges, so be Allah, rather
than claim in him. See Allah in others, in all others, not merely in yourself
and a few cronies. And before Allah there are no titles, no degrees—but you
know that.
Understand well that there is no slightest wish or effort on my part to
subtract an iota but rather add to your stature and worth. And as my 16 year
old is free to make me aware of obvious mistakes so I must be so free with you
and you with me so that when an accomplished Sufi like you waste your time, my
time and the pupils’ time and even sanity by repeating six times vague
accusations. I must remind you that the most useless of all human efforts is to
nail down other peoples present status by mentioning it, and even generally.
Another awful thing is to try to “evaluate” a man, which also nails him
down, not just to what he is now (and won’t be in two minutes) but
even nails him down to what another human thinks he is now.
Musheraff is along with you on titles and many Sufis, but the surfacing of
Inayat’s mission, which for the first time brings Sufism to the
masses, as a religion but better than any, titles in this typical
section, represented by such a Vilayat and others, will be out. But that does
not matter much.
Inayat Khan never evaluated, never nailed any one down. Of his
mureeds, Vilayat, Baron Van Tuyll, you and I were among the few who could go
East. None of us tried to “exclusivise” Inayat’s movement, on the very
very contrary. Vilayat even embraced the yogis and others also. Baron Van Tuyll
looked all over for connecting links. All said to him “We never heard of
Hazrat Inayat” not so for Vilayat, you or me. Cheer up.
Shamcher
(Judith Hollister’s a “housewife?” Ha, she is the most sophisticated
Madison Avenue expert and more than any of them! The Sufis weren’t so
trained. You, the oldest Cherag (you are older than 1922, when another was
init?) are the first to be blamed for not doing, then I. And Hollister temple
does not even begin to look like Inayat’s plan, but it is much much better
than nothing. All mureeds worked as hard as they could for the temple. When
they did not succeed it was, first, your fault, next my fault.)
(You, Sam, are one of the most honest persons I know. Honesty is Sufism.
Whatever we seem to disagree on does not matter. Our discussions sharpen our
wits.)
November 5, 1966
My dear Pir-o-Murshid Sam,
Your recent letters indicate a blessed wish to serve the Hazrat Inayat’s
movement and mureeds and I would very much like you to become—and will do
what little I can to that effect—the National Representative for the
Musheraff Khan group. I then could work with you, send all who wanted a
personal living teacher to you, and together we could wed the two groups into
one, as it should be.
If you wish I will write to Musheraff about this, except that he would
probably act against any advice of mine. When he came here this spring he had
great hopes from me, that I would join him and thus move Vilayat to join him. I
said I had never left, neither had Vilayat but Vilayat’s views and position
were due the same respect as his. This silenced him. I probably have no good
with him anymore. But if you would look up Munira Nawn in New York and her
blessing (she is presently Musheraff’s National representative and dying)
that may help. Nobody seems to know where Munira stays now—an institution of
some kind. Please ask Sitara, at 318 SW 102 Str. Seattle. Or go to Musheraff in
person or write him. I will write too if you wish. You might thus prevent those
idiots from appointing Rosenberg, who may be ripe for it after 30 years of
training. You may of course try Vilayat’s group. I have written Vilayat six
months ago proposing that I be retired to give room for a younger soul (I was
70 then). He does not seem to wish to change, I was named Nat Rep without my
knowledge, answered that I was not well suited but would stay until he found
some better. You know I knew Vilayat since he was 10 , in 1925 and wrote Ali
Khan in 1955 about Vilayat’s right to succession. Ali answered insolently so
I went right to Geneva and told him to his face what he should have known. “I
must be firm as a rock” answered Ali. “A rock does not spit” replied I.
With such effort Vilayat’s wish to see me represent him in the USA was
natural.
But we have different, though similar views on hierarchy. He has not written
me for years. We correspond more directly. I am angry with him for assuming
that also others so correspond. He should write to others. He
doesn’t.
Blessed are you that you are willing to take the yoke. I need your
teaching too, but cannot see my way to go until something turns up.
Shamcher
November 22, 1966
My dear Pir-o-Murshid Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
Your question whether we had a copy of your letter to Pir-o-Murshid Sufi
Barkat Ali of Salarwala was given immediate attention. We have your copy of
letter to him of November 17th but none earlier, none of October. We have
copies of letters to Shamsuddin (very interesting) Reiser(fine) Art Hoppe,
Vocha Fiske and others but none other than the last one for Sufi Barkat Ali. I
probably did not receive that. I give my letters from you to Dawlat (Evelyn)
and of course there is no absolute certainty of finding everything. Papers and
books have began to float in our dizzie home.
Yes, as you say, it is not only permissible but important that experiences
be reported, registered and understood. The idea that experiences should never
be related is pure mischievous and envious nonsense. Of course a person is free
to with-hold his experiences at his own discretion. But he who volunteers his
experiences does a great service to struggling and bubbling humanity.
We have the same story of lone struggle in life. To me it has been so
evident from my 8th year or so that I have only pity on men (and some women)
for their lack of insight and am enthusiastically surprised when I find
exceptions (such as Hazrat Inayat and others) and I really find no foundation
for scolding the poor blokes but perhaps I should, to wake them up. The world,
today, is quite a miserable concoction of concepts and confusion. The thing is
to find the best or at least not the worst key to sound development for the
future. That’s why I want the children and the young, before they have
rotted,
Love
Shamcher
November 26, 1966
My Dear Pir-Murshid Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti El Lewis
You have more than one reason to refer so often to Al Ghazali. First he was
a Sufi as a child, an orphan brought up by Sufis, a proof of my contention that
let the small children come to us, for such belong in the Kingdom of God.
Al Ghazali combined the hostile world of Sufis, Moslems and Christians into
one by his heart and intellect and was a Professor and loved authority at a
very early age, so you cannot refer to a better authority.
But then, the sharp man may ask: What you quote of Ghazali, was it while he
was an intuitive child, or a learned Professor, or was it after he had torn
himself loose to walk in the desert in contempt of all his own writings as a
Professor? Or was it after he went to that church and heard himself be praised
in awe (by a Hodja who didn’t know what a celebrity he had in his audience)
or was it after he returned to a quiet life, deprived of all, as when Murshid
told me “Now Murshid has no more interest.”
But at that time he did not write.
So, you see, what is the “authority” of the great Al Ghazali, the
greatest authority of all? Or what of Jesus? Or Moses?
When you speak, you speak at Sufi Ahmed Cheleby Murad and not as Ghazali,
nor even as Allah. When Allah talks to you, You have not really the right, as
Moses and Jesus reportedly did, to transfer these words to man as coming from
Allah—not today. You may say that you feel you did speak to Allah, and you
may say that, as far you are able to sense and feel, you hope that you convey
his message as it deserves to be conveyed.
Now all this is for your fine assignments. The assignment is not great or
exciting but the fulfillment of it, then may so become if you keep a strict
hold on your mind and heart in the performing.
Tell me more,
Blessings to and from
Shamcher
December 28, 1966
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Cheleby Baker Sam Lewis,
Thank you very much for letter. Yes, I know Cecil Gibbings, he must be 84 by
now and still going strong. He is first to be highly commended for being a
rector, a priest, a vicar in the English Church and a Sufi much appreciated and
initiated in Murshid’s rank by Hazrat Inayat.
What I am now going to say must not be repeated: As with so many, these
initiations and his strenuous life and fine intentions have gone to his head so
he has found time to denounce and damn a lot of innocents such as both
Maheboob, Ali Khan, Musheraff and Vilayat, who all, whatever they have done or
not done, benefit nobody by becoming victims of damnations. Many apparent
prophets have indulged in damnations. The best that can be said about it is
that it is superfluous, a waste of sound, a waste of thought forms, a waste of
breath. Also, he concocted on his own a sort of agenda for a “Sufi order”
in which Mrs. Duce’s Meher Baba outfit was the only USA Sufi group worth
mentioning in his view. I wrote him nicely and bleakly telling him about US
Sufis without even mentioning Mrs. Duce or Meher Baba. We both know these two
persons well, the dragon, and the dragon’s innocent victim. You should have
seen me with Meher Baba! His four mighty bodyguards were ready to devour me.
But Meher retained his composure. That is one thing at which he is good.
Yes, I am writing the White House regularly about Vietnam and Red China.
Those who have the solution mostly say nothing. I talk for them, always
beginning by praising the President and his utterings for they deserve praise.
But here in the US we have the most exquisite men to do the job that needs be
done—except that these men are not used. But I write again and again, more
patient, more sweet each time, now pretending that some of these men may have
been sent already (since they have disappeared from their homes) etc. etc.
These are men who personally know the great figures—Mao Tze Tung. Lin Piao,
Liu Shao Chi, Ho Chih Minh. There is no communication, none whatever, except
through already trusted friends—at this point. Officialdom is nonsense.
Social Credit--not a good name now. John F. Kennedy was rising from
ignorance to a good grasp of the main principles, until he uttered “The myth
of the Federal Budget.” So true, but I asked Seymour Harris, his tutor and
senior advisor to the Treasury if it wasn’t too blunt. “No no, just right!
It had to be said.” US economists now are social creditors in the right sense
as those Canadians (simple) in Alberta were years ago, but you do not now have
to go to Canada to learn about what is now more developed here at home.
Douglas, the creator of Social Credit was much of a Babbitt, too, fond of
simple mathematical formulae which did not at all fit the complex economic
structure (more advanced math may be used discernedly) and refused to go to
Canada to see what was really then better than him, afraid he would be
embarrassed. I still have a better overall view of economics of any country but
less knowledge of details, than most. But if I am appointed anywhere I can
collect, digest and use the details toward solution. It is a complicated
instrument, not to be played with.
Shamcher
January 11, 1967
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Zanetti, whom you mention in your last letter, was an altogether exciting,
commendable person whose mind and heart were known to me, every nook and cranny
there-of, and I will be pleased to communicate further on him: should you so
wish.
Meanwhile, I would be grateful if you will write to Cecil Gibbings
(Petersborough, England) and ask whether he met Musheraff Khan just before the
latter passed away, according to his, Gibbings’, plans and meditations and
what came of the meeting—or if he came after the passing away, and then met
whom, and which came to what, or if he did not go at all, and whatever happened
through correspondence.
It is not possible for myself to correspond meaningfully with Cecil on these
things but it is possible for you, at the present time. Please let him feel an
urgency to tell you.
As you know, you need not worry about the various Sufis and movements
springing from the life of Hazrat Inayat. You have your course mapped out for
you independent of them. So have I, nevertheless, I have to worry just a little
bit about these things, trying to save what can be saved, and Cecil knows this
and is slightly afraid that I may persuade him to do what is right but against
his wish. With you it is different, he will talk more “freely” (though
Heaven knows he could talk freely to me, too, if he dared to) but he remembers
as a youth with burning eyes at Inayat’s summer schools, eyes that frightened
him less they should call him to account. And they may! And he is a key point
in the Hazrat equipment for restoring some sense.
Bless and so be,
Shamcher
January 14, 1967
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad,
Thank you very much for card and for copies of letters to Erica and
Gibbings. I see from these you plan to help Bill and me and for that I will be
grateful if it means help pay my travel to wherever you cause me to go, as you
mention the Middle East—travels that later should be repaid by other agencies
if all goes well and such, in general that we establish a mutual aid society to
achieve the goals, for I may drop into royalty money someday—we will see.
When you go to see old Gibbings I hope you both will go into the virtue or
non-virtue of taking your fellowmen to task. Even such powerful (physically
powerful) people as presidents or chairmen of nations need not be considered
spittoons by spiritual people. You will find that the three masters who came to
you did not condemn, they leave that to others. But even religious scriptures
are spoiled by stupid condemnations upon which generations of religious idiots
feed and fester.
Gibbings and you have too great a task to perform, to spoil it by vain
repitions. He has spat on Vilayat, as-Ali Khan did and to whose face I told him
he did, and then he wept, realizing he had been idiotic. You wrote to
Shamseddin of Pakistan that “all Inayat sufis had…,” oh, I don’t even
remember any more but all, you know, includes you and me and”
why were you bearing false witness against yourself and me? And what
enlightenment was that to bring poor Shamseddin? and if Shamseddin was not his
name, it is now, for I have so pronounced, and it conveys a meaning.
You have such a great task to perform that—stop gibbering
and thanks for your greatness—when it shows!
Blessings and love
Shamcher, the enormous
January 22, 1967
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad
Thank you for note 19 January. The poetry I know nothing about. Sure, I
produce poetry, the best, the finest, but it does not go on typewriter. Evelyn
probably.
You mention desalting. Quite true, larger than now scale could be produced
but the US Government is already doing very much in this sense, as much as
taxpayers will allow, among which plant in Saudi Arabia, in Israel, in Tunisia
(my and UN proposal).
Nevertheless, anyone may propose anything but in this matter, give no names,
such as Bryn Beorse or Lyndon Johnson, for it matters only who gives the money
and if it is USA, then the Office of Saline Waters arranges everything. They
are a good office with lots of science, continuous supply of new and fine
engineers. I am working with & fighting certain things in that office and
not now interested in competing with the fine young engineers doing the bidding
but rather improving from within, recommending new research, new approaches.
Any practical plant now cannot utilize our latest scientific advances with
which I am concerned. Only after years of testing here will they be good.
Finances, economy: Somewhat the same: who gives the money? If the US, then
all advice and recommendations must come from US sent advisors, not from a
genius nut like myself. Only if some country should have the guts, courage and
wisdom to want to streamline their economy all on their own, without money help
from uncle Sam of step-monster Russia or Confucius China—then yes, then only
could I be advisor.
The trip to LA will be for meeting certain scientists on certain type
desalting, to give advice, and I hope, also outside those certain types, and
pour them full of God and gods and Allah’s at the same time.
Best of all,
Shamcher
January 25, 1967
My Dear Sufi Ahmed Murad
Between now and February 4th (I don’t yet know exact date) I will be
touching SF on way to or from LA and if you are then still at 772 we may meet I
hope and if you are at that time with Gibbings, Godspeed and God Bless and will
see you some other time.
Yes, granted that Vilayat does not answer letters—neither mine nor yours
except that every three years or so he sends a long charming one,
apologizing—but that is not my business what he or any other soul does. I am
not really interested in defending anyone against attack, just in telling my
very closest friends that attack is waste of breath except in very, very rare
cases when you are prepared to put a world of force behind your words and it is
worth it. I tell this, not for the sake of the person being attacked but for
the sake of the attacker, his growth, his time, wasted or used.
Gibbings might have been a leviathan but for his gibbering criticism and
attacks without sense, which weakens his whole mind and heart, as it did many
great prophets of old.
Blessed be from
Shamcher
You’re quite right that some scientists today are the closest to mystics
and that esoterics are mainly far off. But Sufis talk to whoever want to
listen. That is their/our duty. You would have talked to the Es also if they
had listened. There are few who even do listen. Many scientists are so far on
the path of mysticism they hardly need assistance. But they enjoy talking.
February 2, [1967?]
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
You have a prominent place in a book that will catapult this civilization;
you are compared with Dag Hammarskjöld, a mystic who kept so secret about his
mysticism out of a modesty that was pride-colored while you make mysticism
common heritage by crying from the housetops, out of a selflessness that needs
neither pride nor humility. And when that book appears you will become
desperate because you will be flooded with pupils, newsmen, requests, some
proper, some dumb, but that’s the way the ball bounces.
Nothing is mentioned about your nagging jeremiads when the talk is about
you, but in another chapter the wailing, the infirmities of so many mystics is
mentioned and put in its place and the extremely few who have freed themselves
of this hampering widdledebiddle are mentioned. Perhaps, some day, you will be
of those. You know, don’t you, that it is extremely untrue to talk of
yourself as not recognized. You are recognized by all who matter—but many of
these are also concerned about this very shortcoming with you; why bother?
There is in this physical world no justice. There couldn’t be. Sooner or
later all masters know. That they do not bother you with it doesn’t mean they
don’t know. Also when you speak of the many brotherhoods as a fake—the
opposite is true. The many show that many care. Only, you need not and should
not join, but you should and must be gracious, encouraging, for these, like the
sects, is all some have and if you take that away from them before they are
ready they will go to worse hell—and, for a while, so will you. As to the
“family,” leave me worry about that. You have detached yourself and any
mention of them reflects only on you, as unreliable. And why should you pretend
to be unreliable? For you aren’t—and yes, that incident with Inayat
visiting: He also said “He (Sam) needs it (his visits) and deserves
it” and while he said in words should not write you, he winked his eyes that
I should.
Your statement that Reps can teach and not be taught I take as a sign that
you can be both teaching and taught and thank god for that.
Blessing from the unfathomable, all-pervading
Shamcher
February 27, 1967
My dear Sufi Ahmed Chisti Murad Cheleby Samuel Lewis,
Typing? No, any reasonable office has a copy machine through which your
Githas may be copied, one second each. Your lawyer’s office—that’s the
least he can do for you, after bilging you for so much. My office? No, that
Navy and some super duper watch us all the time.
Breakdown? Try these vitamins, all of them to be taken on one morning. If
you like them, I will order a supply from my LA friends. If you don’t like
them and want some different ones, order them at my expense (within a
reasonable amount) and when tables are turned, you rich, I poor, we reverse.
God in you peeping out,
Shamcher
March 5, 1967
My Dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Cheleby Samuel Lewis
Thank you very much for school papers on Shamseddin of Tabriz and primitive
religion. The first seems to be your soul connection with the Shams-Tabriz
telling the real story for in the books Shatabriz leaves this world by order of
the emperor whose son he has healed from a deadly disease, however, by applying
what the greedy courts men call blasphemy: He first called out: In the name of
the Prophet: Rise! No rise. Then: In the name of Allah Rise! No no, no rise.
Then in utter exaltation: “IIII command you, rise!!! Then the son rose and
was well, to the chagrin of the priesthood who implored the little stupid
emperor to have him killed because he had been blasphemous—and he was killed
in manner so apparently cruel I will not dwell on it.
That is how people reward Truth and Achievement.
Now, if you don’t take on your physical deterioration and reverse it and
cure yourself immediately, you will have an accident, shocking you into healing
yourself.
Shamcher, the immeasurable.
March 10, 1967
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
We go well together and fill out each other in that you have more knowledge
of the Sufi lore, the adepts, the practices, for which I thank you very much
and I am a funk of humanity only visiting the mystics and regions but destined
to educate and warn—warn even of mistakes made by the prophets and not one of
them is unblamable though Hazrat Inayat is perhaps the least blameable of
all.
You have as your great examples, Hazrat Inayat and not the least
Radhakrishnan, possible one of the very greatest men now living.
Thus, in your great power and majesty you are requested to remember what you
don’t know. For example, you do not in the least the fate, disposition and
role of Vilayat. It is not that you could not know. You could if you
really wished. But you prefer, in this case, to wallow in ignorance. You hear
flapping rumor he called you an egotist. If he did, it was silly. That is all
you need consider, then stop and don’t get entangled in trivia. Instead you
write letters about it—about a flap by a rumor monger. Neither is it true
that Hazrat Inayat in any way predicted defeats or difficulties in the life of
Vilayat, neither has he in any way acted against his father’s wishes. All
this you could have known had you put your heart to the matter. Or, you could
have ignored it and kept your mind out of the matter, which would have
been all right too. Instead, you fiddled with it. Sam! I am surprised at
you!
You don’t know a person at all except when you feel like completely
covering his faults even to your own vision and bringing him forward by
encouraging thoughts.
It is my hope when you and worthy Rev. Gibbings come together you will
discover your common crime of mixing in things you do not know and
evidently do not care to know, and keep to essentials.
That some boys prefer you to Vilayat should foster your humility rather than
pride. Taste and preference is individual, proof of nothing.
All this is said for my love for you not for the sake of Vilayat or anybody
else. Go deeply into Hazrat Inayat and you will find out. Vilayat as you say is
not his father and he knows that better than you do. Vilayat is Vilayat. Even
his home life you talk about though you know absolutely nothing about it.
Again, this all emanates from my love for you, my knowledge of your great
potentiality, which still awaits development further.
Love,
Shamcher
March 15, 1967
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Cheleby Samuel Lewis & Brother
Among many other things, your communication of March 13 indicate you are
willing to sacrifice yourself into serving the Sufi movement in collaboration
with Vilayat and the most humble and brutally proud undersigned and in this
line any and all posts of confidence are open to you at your choice. The head
of the Brotherhood? It is yours. The head of any other activity? It is yours.
It is I who determine those things. Have I ever given the impression of not
fully acknowledging and appreciating you? If so tell me when and where so that
I may repent and strew ashes over my dinner jacket. (I have no dinner packet
but my suit may do.)
I was catapulted into my incongruous position without my knowledge and now
has this enormous power which, also, I shall surrender to you if Vilayat so
chooseth. Actually I was appointed by Allah, God, the Unfathomable at the age
of 8 to revolutionize the religious temper of the world and I hoped to do it on
my own terms, that is, God’s terms. I have temporarily lent a hand to the
Sufis because they are less errant than many other groups. They are not
perfect, not one of them, not the greatest or smallest of their masters and I
proposed to Hazrat Inayat we might drop the Sufi name. And one day, if no
accident interferes, I shall again cut loose and set the world aflame.
Posterity will dig up my past and all influences and say I was this and that.
Actually only God exists. The man in a black bag who attended the student
meetings in Corvallis, Oregon had the right idea. The black robes of the
Universal Worship is basically the same idea. We are all black bags if we only
knew. Therefore I am not as moved as I should be by all your negative
experiences. What do you expect? What did friend Jesus expect? To be tortured
to death. Well, he actually survived and was brought to India by yogis. He took
in the entire yoga lore in addition to, previously, the Sufi lore. Now he is a
good teacher to those who tune in.
Love
Shamcher
March 27, 1967
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Cheleby Samuel Lewis & Brother
Your six interviews were very interesting. Have you sent copy to Vilayat? If
so, you need not read further. If you have not, I would like to make a copy and
send him. I would like to send from No II on now, and said the introduction and
I later. The latter is more personal. From II one it hits every Sufi and
particularly Vilayat.
If you should by any chance be willing to do the following revisions, I may
send it all without comment. If you wish to make no revisions, I would have to
disentangle myself from certain parts of your story. These parts are:
Fourth Paragraph on Page 5, the first four lines. These are not the
facts.
Page 6, second paragraph: Every Murshid and also Vilayat have constantly
given such commentaries. Murshida Goodenough, “The Silsillan Sufi,” the
Sufi link, did excellently and so, often did Vilayat. I suggest you strike this
out, or I will have to dissociate myself from it when I submit the documents.
Also the last part of this paragraph is poorly edited. Vilayat is on the very
best with some of the men you specifically mention. You might strike this whole
paragraph. But don’t rewrite the rest, for I have already copied it
and I am much too lazy to copy anything twice.
Page 7, fourth paragraph: The first “successor” was Hazrat Inayat’s
brother Maheboob. He was not “selected” exactly but the council expressed
the belief that Hazrat had wished him to function until Vilayat would be of
age. Before his death Maheboob “appointed” Ali, the cousin, to act
temporarily until Vilayat would be more of age. Vilayat reluctantly
agreed, under pressure, to this arrangement. Later assumed leadership and I
intervened as you know and scared everybody except Vilayat. It was Maheboob who
was “Sheikh-ul-Masheik.” Ali became Khalif-Murshid-Pir-o-Murshid by some
mysterious action of I don’t quite know who. You might substitute you own
version of my above words for the first four lines of said paragraph, and
retain the rest.
Murshida Goodenough, the advanced one among the Murshids and Murshidas, made
it known repeatedly that Hazrat Inayat’s wish was for Vilayat to lead the
order as soon as he would be of age. It was not stipulated whether he himself
or others should determine when he would be of age. Even Murshida Martin’s
succession was to go on only until such time. I met Murshida Martin in 1939. If
you care, I shall write you what she was then.
Allah and I are watching you and quite often embodying you, throwing out
Samuel, so only Allah is there.
Shamcher
March 31, 1967
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Baker Cheleby Samuel Brother Lewis
Yes, yes, make one order, that will be just what we are after and yes, yes,
you are entitled to all the Sangathas and Gathas and Githas and Sangithas and
Githekas. I do not have them but if you wish, shall write for them. If you are
in Southern California see if you can wrest all these papers from Bhakti Engle
of Mission Drive, Camarillo, who amassed papers in brutally from Cleveland
mureeds before she left. I asked her as kindly as I could if she would please
return to them at least a copy, I paying for the copying and transportation.
She answered insolently that the Cleveland people weren’t “ripe” for
these papers. Then Vilayat was in the South and I asked him to look her up. She
finally promised him to send the papers to him in Suresnes. She never did. If
you see her, no use referring to me, just try to take these papers away from
her since she makes no use of them and has no basis for sitting on them.
Someday I may tell you about the strange manner in which I came into
possession of the Githas I sent you and which I had neither seen before.
Personally I liked the Gathas very much when I first and them. Then came a
time when I felt no need or wish for papers, but if you tell me I shall try
obtain. More.
The Irfan was basically correct. A few places were dictated by submission to
local and timely superstition. Most mystic works are and must be, particularly
when they reach some degree of publicity.
Thank you and Allah alone exists, not
Shamcher
Yes you are so right contacting police and FBI, both to protect you against
the biased ones who want your skin because you help the hippies, and to be
clear with the police and FBI in advance. I called on the FBI in Los Angeles
for other though similar reasons anti the Chief agent in LA became extremely
interested in Sufism, may be a secret member. He indicated we were the only
religious group not falling for the phony pacifists. This of course would get
him in bad with many groups so it is not public matter. I had a University
Professor from the Midwest write my wife that she should ask the FBI about a
murder of Countess Estergehazi in Flatbush, in Brooklyn in 1937—I was singled
out as the murderer As you know I arrived first time in USA 1939. By reporting
to his U. could have caused the gentleman regret. I did not.
April 9, [1967]
My Dear Sam,
Thanks for letters. Sitara enjoyed having you and told me you even helped
her label her eye drops bottles: And we were all enthused to have you and I
enjoyed your Murshid embrace and had wanted it when you left too, but that will
be for next time.
You know that the present leader in Cleveland is Ann Nichols, a beautifully
colored lady, so why write to her or them about exclusion from Sufi? What is
this? Rumors? Well, if anything of that has happened anywhere, let’s have the
persons who have instigated them, and we shall take them to task and throw them
out to where there is weeping and the gnashing of teeth. But No word about this
loose rumor to dear Ann, yet, one of the persons I deeply love, which I confess
to her in all of my letters!
The same with the racial question you mentioned in another connection:
Attack the sinners, remain mute to others!
Love and blessing,
Shamcher
April 26, [1967]
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Ho Akbar,
I just had a most splendid letter from Vilayat, one of those he writes every
three years.
You know that one of my present tasks is to bring some organizational
efficiency in the Sufi groups emanating from Hazrat Inayat—and with present
personnel already in, viz: Vilayat working with Fazal which Fazal now want but
no longer Vilayat, although they were bosom friend two years ago but Fazal’s
later acts do not appeal to Vilayat, and morally he is right, organizationally,
worldly, he is not right at all, so your tale about the disciple who had
to bow to the horses hoofs of the peasant may be what he should hear so send
him than—from you, not me, for I have written him to the limit of what
he can bear already, so just give that hint however you want.
When those two work together then some of us others can come in too,
Blessings, love,
Shamcher
May 8, 1967
My dear Sam, Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti, brother,
You too? Like me? In Hospital? Hydrogen poisoning? But over now? Out again?
All well?
Please, isn’t there anything I could do? Vitamins? Money?
You know, accidents„ like poisoning, is not always in destiny, comes by
unfortunate chance, someone in your environment made a mistake.
I use your practices with great interest. You have a message, must see to it
that you keep well, for another 200 years at least, but of course you are not
obliged to tarry as long as Methuselah, 969 years, or even as Noah, 565
years.
They probably needed that long, for their development.
I have persuaded Latif to give the church talk next time. They will soon do
excellently without me.
Now, please remember to tell me what we can do for you,
Love and Bliss,
Shamcher
PS. Are you well enough to tell me in two lines about your Vietnam plan? How
to solve?
May 25, [1967?]
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Maybe you or others (and others) might go to the alps in Switzerland and
show Vilayat and his crowd that a 100 year old can climb mountains a bit better
than an 18 year-old. So I send you these two sheets for your distribution. I
will be in Los Angeles over the memorial weekend but without chance for seeing
any one or stopping over anywhere from some of your letters I have the
impression you may temporary need some money but I know not how much. Any time
five or ten dollars might help, write. More than that I am not able to spare
just now.
Best,
Shamcher
June 20, 1967
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti SAM,
Thank you for good letter that touched me. It just appeared to me you might
become a revered teacher at the free universities springing up in San
Francisco. Here in Seattle a recent sample teaches “oriental philosophy”
(sic!) Buddhism, the Essences and revised Christendom etc, etc.—right up your
alley. Here in Seattle only native Seattles are eligible but San Francisco
where the trend is older and better rooted you are the natural.
Shamcher
July 20, 1967
Dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Samuel L. Lewis,
This just to congratulate you with your new palace of Allah. It was amazing
how even the old one had acquired patina and spiritual worth. Your new one, my
vision tells me, is more subtle, sweet fragranced and towering than the Queen
of Sheba’s hanging gardens and Solomon’s best. The omitted third letter is
true to your own script. On your card it was also missing, for some deep mystic
reason I am told.
Full of flailing curiosity I shall be there someday to see, and
meanwhile—blessed be thou among men and Gods for it is said….
Shamcher
September 11, 1967
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
There, between the desert and the town, between the slums and the snobs,
between poor and the rich, you established yourself, with a park outside,
though a humble one where the humble
frolick or at least draw a breath.
You and your pupils (soon to be teachers) were the destiny and purpose of my
coming and in addition there was the great destiny of my meeting Hunt that
great saint who hunt the sick and the feeble, not to do good but because he
desperately loves them.
Your two pupils have radiant eyes and for different reasons, one full of
love and enlightenment and curiosity and surprise-ecstasy, the other burning
with a sense of justice and scientific discovery and you calmly in the middle
claiming nothing (now).
And thank you for a good salad and meal
Shamcher
September 11, 1967
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Samuel L. Lewis,
One point in your recent letters I want particularly to congratulate you on:
Perfection is God’s point of view, criticism is the point of the
yet-imperfect. Therefore you are quite right in ignoring the criticism of
certain English Sufis—criticism of other Sufis. They know no better so,
Father, forgive them but that is all one can say about that.
And in the same letter: The silent listeners are closer to God than the
sputtering, talkaton on the rostrum. I used this as a dramatic finishing touch
last Sunday. Everybody looked up gleaming fun in their eyes, thus remembering
the other things said too.
Yes, Blessings to and fro
Shamcher
September 26, [1967?]
My Dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Here is Cecil Gibbings’ reply to us and it shows him up and down as I know
him. He is writing from the view he had in the beginning (reading) your letter,
hiding from himself (and us he thinks) what he knew at the end. Well, each to
his comfort.
Whatever your publisher thinks, I am very eager to have the backers you talk
of reading the book I have the script Ancient Tales and this Cybernetic
Age in which, among other things, he would, they would know even more about
your part and what the world and the subtler worlds are all about. And
will it sell! For this the sort of stuff no regular publisher dares touch.
Love,
Shamcher
PS Vilayat: I haven’t heard from him either, not a word, and will not, for
three years. That the way with him, hard to understand. But this time he has at
least written Sitara. Us, he thinks, we can communicate without words. But why
not words also? He wants but he cannot.
October 9, [1967?]
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Sam,
As you well know, while you do rightly take upon yourself a title, my whole
being and fate is the opposite; No title, no “degree” of any kind and your
little jokes writing to people I have advanced claims were lust such things as
playful, Sufis play upon one another to make inroads in pride and things—but
now we have to stop that, among other things because now after 70 I am to go
forth into the world, one of my great strengths being having absolutely no
title or rank (something Hazrat Inayat respected and fostered) so I have to
write to all to whom you have so written and laughingly call the joke. I know
of Gavin and Vilayat. There also seems to be some friend of yours in Pakistan.
Please give his name and address—or, if you prefer to write him yourself, you
may better and more correctly explain—that it was a joke to tease me for my
great reluctance against all sort of titles which and of which I have none.
Send me copies, please. Also you can write to Gavin and Vilayat if you
please.
As you well know, all titles are fakes, in civil world as in religion, but
even we who know sometimes play with them for a purpose or for fun. It has
however been my fate to see and associate with titled persons in Sufism and
similar groups who were so grotesque that any such title to me looks like a
soiled robe. I know that Hazrat Inayat so regarded his Pir-o-Murshid title but
nevertheless stuck with it with tremendous self-sacrifice, and that Vilayat has
consistently refused to bear any title is one of many proofs that he and he
alone represents his father’s movement. He is also the only one who in
dexterity and sensitivity of heart and mind reminds you of Hazrat Inayat. His
so-called failures at certain meetings or lectures you talk about means of
course nothing at all, nothing, nothing. Earthly success is nothing at all.
Jesus was jailed and tortured.
So, amid you many great and busy duties, attend to my defrocking as soon as
convenient so my fate may be played.
Thank you,
Shamcher
October 14, 1967
My dear He Kwang
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Thank you for letter of October 12. When we last met you suggested I would
hear you quoting the factual Vietnam Buddhist peace proposal and general
status. Indeed I would very much like to, and leave out no detail. Indeed, it
is almost imminently important since I am in this field, a great though mainly
unknown spirit.
Also your comment on it.
He Kwang, in my book, means a spirit having soared through so many useful
stages to above stages where the sky is pure and wide and God has become
completely formless in his all-forms and the whole thing forms a neat
complement to the Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti, whose meaning I shall convey to you
at another occasion. And the two blend in modesty and Samuel L. Lewis.
Blessings to and fro
Shamcher
PS Did Hunt write the Conreys at 532 Rustic Rd. Santa Monica California
about vitamins and eye trouble, and have a reply? I have written the Conrey and
no reply so I conclude they must now be traveling.
October 25, 1967
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Quite true that Vietnam war like all wars should be resolved in the heart.
This general remark standing alone is true, though not in the plane that will
achieve results among policy makers for they may and will reply that they too,
are meditating all night but, they will ask, what practical step did you come
up with in your deep contemplation?
Therefore, to couple this general advice with criticism of steps so far
taken is doubly inefficient for then the policy makers will just shrug, get
slightly angry because there is an innuendo that they have not so meditated
(which to their ability they have) and even less good comes from the advice
than if it had stood alone.
So, dig up the resulting physical steps and don’t forget we are in the
war, not by order of Johnson but by past commitments.
Kindly write so, also give names. Nobody has per se a duty to be specific,
but when you criticize, you have burdened yourself with such duty.
Shamcher
November 6, [1967]
Dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
Congratulations for having located Ryazat by the KICK of God. We are
operating parallelly, except that you have your own forum, I appear on command
in someone else’s—very elegant now, by the way, and you may devote your
entire time while I slave for the Navy—well, I attend to the Navy flock too,
though they don’t know it.
What Inayat Khan had in advance of Rumi, Jesus and most of them was his
command of mind. He knew a mind was not made to criticize or complain, not even
to appreciate or pose, just to smooth as soul commands. So, for example,
mureeds complained to him bitterly about Fatha Engle. First Inayat just lowered
his head and mumbled to them “Fatha acts as nature and God directs.” Not
hearing, they continued their criticism unabashed (except I of course) then
Inayat gracefully closed the communication, went on to another word and was
incommunicado until the stupidity of criticism had stopped. In this he was
greater.
Incidentally, Vilayat has not rejected you or anybody else. This is one
thing he learned from his father. He cannot reject, or accept. He never writes
to me or anyone else. If you want to call this a fault, go ahead, what is that
word anyway? Thousands come to me and says “Vilayat does not care. He does
not write.”
Do I write? Yes. I am not Vilayat. He is not I. How can I expect or even
hope another to be me? But that is what you do when you “criticize.” It is
simply ignorance of mind function. “A Sufi is one who holds two points of
view: his own and that of the other.”
Blessings
Shamcher
But please, be sure to retain one copy of the Ryazats for Vilayat or, if you
prefer, for third person for transmittance to Vilayat. Hazrat Inayat saw to it
that Vilayat had one copy of all papers. This was his wish. Musheraff
will not give it to him, resents Inayat’s wish.
My dear Pir-o-Murshid Sufi Ahmed Murad,
Thank you for your letter. Now the least I could do was write a letter for
you to Musheraff myself, and I still will if you ask me to and tell me what to
write, but as things stand it would seem the right things come to me I didn’t
ask for and never things coming to me I did ask for, I must be a supreme
advisor, so here is my proposal in outline for your letter to Mush. I have know
him intimately since 1924, when we stayed in the same places, slept in same
room, I managing and introducing them for concert, parties. You will of course
have to scare him stiff in one line, charm and flatter him in the next:
“My dear Pir-o-Murshid Musheraff Khan (24 Banstraat, The Hague,
Holland)
“When we met in San Francisco in April this year, in the sacred Sufi
Embrace, I felt your soul, in our common at-one-ness with your blessed brother
Hazrat Inayat. I have long wondered what to do with the dictations of his
Ryazats which he gave me the last months of his life and then again under
circumstances I must tell you of in person one day. I know what I have to do. I
have to give these papers to you. But in view of the sacredness of these things
I must first have your word that you personally will receive them and submit
them to the care they deserve.
“Forgive me for being anxious. So much has happened in the Sufi
movement. For example, recently a gentleman from Texas visited centers all over
the Western United States. He purported to come on your orders and on your
behalf. He summarily condemned India; from where blessed Hazrat Inayat hails,
and Muinuddin Chisti and Radhakrishnan the great saint of Sufism and other holy
traditions and president of India, and the great Murshid of Ayub Khan,
President of Pakistan. (Yes, Pakistan was included in his ugly words.) (You
understand: He condemned India from where these persons hailed. He
didn’t particularly condemn these persons.)
He brazenly condemned yoga, the blessed half-brother of the Sufis. You will
understand what uncertainty, what desperation in regard to our blessed
movement, such goings-on evoke. While I cannot believe you are responsible for
this, I feel nevertheless that I cannot mail these Ryazats without some sort of
guarantee about who is going to lead our movement here. I tried to see blessed
Munira Nawn when I last was in New York, knowing her usual address, but was now
unable to reach her: Just mentioning one example! In Bremerton, Washington
State, where you all were treated to a delightful trip by Mr. And Mrs. Raney,
this person from Texas came and gave such a talk to 8 persons carefully
selected by Mrs. Raney that not one of the 8 has been heard from since and
won’t have anything to do with Sufism. The entire talk was a bull-headed
propaganda for the person himself. Mrs. Raney repeatedly asked him to come to
the Message. No result.
“I know of course all the old Mureeds here, of whom, but for Munira
Nawn, I am the oldest, and I believe you can write to any of them to have more
information about my person; in fact, it is one of these old Mureeds who
suggested I write you. I have been asked to go back to Pakistan where so many
of my close Sufi associates are. But if I could be of service here in America,
the country of my birth, and my first responsibility, I would stay. And I would
follow the call I felt when we met and embraced in San Francisco in April this
year.” Love and Devotion….”
Love,
Shamcher
November 10, 1967
Dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
Yes, a) Reps need a letter such as yours, if he is not to burst open at the
seams.
b. Yes, thank you, Fikar Practice for leaving even though I may one day tell
you a secret.
c. Yes, thank you, Sangithas II
d. Yes, thank you, Ryazat.
You are to be blessed for taking care of this. As to the five centers:
Inayat’s methods play around a theme with artistic abandon, leaving the
individual to divine the story as it applies to him—rather than the more
rigid yoga instruction in so many disciplines of this latter.
Inayat also suffered tremendously by submitting to some degree of rigidity
in hierarchical and Bayat matters. He realized that many or indeed most of the
people he were to meet here already were initiates of hundreds of years ago and
for whom any Bayat of any degree was just a rather funny repetition.
Nevertheless, many of these accepted with a straight face the play, the game of
Bayat as a welcome repetition. Others were repulsed. It is wise not to talk of
the hierarchy. It is unacceptable to the American and any otherworldly
constitution. It is also limited in its scope. The great universal creating
spirit does not need it, though he smilingly accept its contribution like you
do a student council or fraternity of alumni. From the Absolute’s point of
view the hierarchical titles mean nothing. Worldly acceptance or rejection
mean, of course, even less. And isn’t even worth a word or a thought or a
feeling.
Bless you-all!
Shamcher
November 12, 1967
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad,
You being one of the glowing lights in Dharma, the study and realization of
God, also called religion, it is my privilege to make you aware of the
few specks of dross still somewhat (but not too much) delaying and hampering
you.
Nobody speaks about angels. Inayat Khan was as typical a Bodhisattva as has
ever walked earth and it was his example I held before you. Hardly any
of the “great masters” of the past realized the uselessness of criticism,
the fakery of criticism. When you speak of Rabia you are so right I can hardly
blame you. When you speak of Vilayat you are simply up in nonsense. I happen to
know him by remote control and know he has tremendous “faults” in human
parlance—none of which you have even touched and all you say about him is
ignorance. By the way, he is as far from “angelic” as possible. But he has
surprisingly and ably taken up what he, particularly can do in the Sufi path
and he has the humility of the perfect wise. About others—well, I simply
haven’t time—and you, above all people, should not have time either, to
bother with even one single word about those so called critical remarks which
so often are not merely “critical” but entirely off. You don’t
have to be an angel to be able not to burden your mind and other minds with
what is not your business, what you don’t know, what is God’s business and
nobody else!
What I repeat is: Inayat Khan, the Bodhisattva of all time, knew the economy
of mind, of thought, of feelings evoked, and taught all his pupils (and
how few of us have even begun to learn) to use our minds for the spreading of
the message, not for the spreading of dross, uncalled for jabber, also called
criticism. Of course, I haven’t learned it completely myself yet. If I had, I
couldn’t teach any longer. I would be gone to next world.
Bless
Shamcher
November 17, 1967
My dear Reverend He Kwang,
Your message, received after my previous letter to you—in which you say
you are ready to initiate Vilayat a Pir any time he asks for it, is to your
credit, contrasts your talk about his pitiable fate on the “Day of
Judgment” (watch your language! As you well know there is no “Day of
Judgment” but quite a number of seconds of judgment, namely all of your
life’s. And even they are often circumvented by the Grace.)
However, Vilayat has one deep principle: Nobody is Pir after his father.
That is, for him, a holy title and he has a certain feeling toward anybody who
so proclaims himself in this order. He has vowed he will never covet it. And
that brings us to his often remarks when his cousins and uncles say he has
violated his father’s wishes “Do those people ever think of the possibility
that my father (also) talks direct to his son?”
And in this he is darn right for his father talks much more directly to and
with Vilayat than with any of his brothers and cousins and there is more to
that story yet.
So, while it would in a sense be elegant of Vilayat to come to you and ask
your blessing and initiation, there is less chance of that now that you have
indicated you have a Pir-title in store for him. And it is not his god-inspired
duty, to come to you as I have come to you, but God would not mind, would in
fact like if he did. But do not expect that.
Now, as to me, any and all titles in and out of hierarchy is a joke of the
kind I rather stay away from. Nevertheless, you are welcome to bestow upon me
anything you want. But remember, what you so often say “The Sufi has two
points of view, his own and that of the other.” That even applies to
Vilayat.
Bless
Shamcher
No, the Cleveland mureeds did not evade Vilayat. They had not been told
about him coming there, were most surprised and desperate hearing him over the
TV, asked him a thousand questions by phone in order to identify him. Perhaps
there was a mix-up. He might have thought they knew.
December 6, 1967
My Dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Samuel L. Lewis,
This just to thank you so much for sending me Sangatha and other documents.
Some of the Sangithas confirmed what I already wrote to Headquarters after
Musheraff Khan’s passing, which opens up new vistas for either good or worse
Haag administration and liaison with Sufis (Inayat’s disciples).
You are so absolutely right in pointing to God, Allah, Brahma, Ishwara,
Dieu, Gott—rather than persons. Of course, not all are yet at that stage, but
even so, it should be kept in mind, and heart, even at the initial states and
besides, all are really on all stages all the time though with a different
emphasis. It is also quite true that “families” are unfortunately made to
intrude between God and man but some, within these families, show so much
promise that you hide their faults even to your own sight because you see their
great potentialities, and you foster them by stressing them instead of the
temporary faults. Others, within same families, are so far astray that you
don’t care to foster anything, you rather try to keep them off your mind.
Rumi, that great poet and mystic, quite often fell to unnecessary criticism
and wailing over the state of the world and most prophets did. We, at this
unique age, could rise above that and thus come even closer to God and ze Allah
and sauce around in this splendid atmosphere until we, also, become outlived as
useful and give room for others. The young, as you say, which of course does
not mean young in earthly years but in spirit, outlook. I am the youngest,
almost too young. You come next.
Bless and blessings
Shamcher
What you say about Idries Shah is interesting and true. I am greatly
freshened by his keen outlook. He borders on the mystic but still has enough
fire of the mind to be most interesting and slightly less mystical. Like all
men he is true and a bit false, great and a bit small. Even most Sufis are,
except perhaps Al Ghazali and, to some extent, Inayat Khan. They seem close to
perfection. But even in the Sangithas traces of imperfection speak in.
December 8, 1967
My dear Sufi….
Somebody gave me $5 as s Sufi so I give it to you and you do whatever you
want with it.
My regular salary, as long as it lasts, keep me and family in groceries. I
feel it ought to do more but we don’t seem able to, but when outside sources
like this come in we can send it on to a real Sufi, and please forgive the
modesty of the sum, but may be it will be like a spark that light a fire,
Love,
Shamcher
December 27, [1967?]
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Yes, the avatar business rums so parallel in our minds as so many other
things. At the camp of the Dalai Lama in Muscogee in the Himalayas there was a
picture of Meher Baba, and the Indian police man in charge of the Dalai Lama
explained to me that a lady representing Meher Baba had put it up (the lady was
not received by the Dalai Lama) and asked me if “felt” anything because, he
said, “one is supposed to feel it when one is near an Avatar,” so, by a
succession of short statements and answers we came very close and at last to
the fact that “This age is not the age of Avatars.”
And so, dear Sam, with most things, we think and feel along kindred lines,
so please do not ever jump into an antagonism for it is always due to either
lack of clarity on my part or on yours. You wrote me under title
“Murshid,” for the second time and I have to wiggle out of any such
accusation. You have all the right to use any title on yourself and I
acknowledge them all with pleasure. But just as you usually call yourself Sufi
Ahmed Murad Chisti, which is your proper name, inscribed in heaven—so I am
called Shamcher and nothing else, and just as you usually do not call yourself
Murshid so you must give me that same right not to called that or any other
title.
No no, I did not say you were shaking the world, neither that I was
“trying” or not trying. I am not trying anything. I am just shaking it for
that is so written, and by shaking it, ripe plums, among other things, drop
into your lap, and there are many other consequences. The one who shakes the
world does not try or do anything of his own purpose. It was told me long ago
and I forgot it—until it happens, but how does it happen? Of course I do not
know. But don’t worry about that, just respectful and never, never give me
any title, just as I am respectful of you and give you only the titles you put
in my mouth to use.
Incidentally, in your later letters there has been some indications that you
know what a Murshid is—most people under this title do not know. This, again,
does not matter. But remember that everything and everything that you do and
think is dearly recorded and can be read, so do not write or talk about not
being recognized. You are, by any and all who can read. The others matter no
more than the silent rocks. Never try to disappoint me, for I know before you
write—know truth, and all the spirits know you, whether in Asia or in Europe
or America, in fact there is no Asia, Europe or America.
There is also something else about this age: It needs no howling and wailing
as Mohammed and Rumi and many others did at another age. It does not become
this age.
Shamcher
January 26, 1968
My dear Shamcher:
This letter is, in some ways, perhaps unfair because it is being written
before my God-daughter and her husband come. They have been successful not only
materially but on that plane of self-realization which would entitle Nancy at
least, to be accepted by the elect. When one presented one’s Pakistani
Goddaughter to the Sufis they said, “No women” and when they met her they
all fell in love with her and relented.
The idea of some sort of spiritual brotherhood among the Initiates was first
broached by Pir-o-Murshid himself. Whether in his instructions or in his
inspirations. The rejection of the “Six Interviews with Hazrat Inayat Khan”
places unwanted authority in these hands. For it is also true that one was sent
from the Arab world to the Pakistani on the same errand and from the Pakistani
to the Indian Sufis. And this was also accepted by the previous Indian Consul
General here, beyond national boundaries and political differences.
This subject may be presented on February 10 when one tells the reasons for
one’s long vitality. The fist paper and succeeding papers were sent to
Geneva, Sureness and at least twice to Holland. One wonders what these people
will say before God! Last night one went into it a little in presenting “Six
Letters of a Sufi Teacher,” an old theosophical publication. The same
teachings are there. And one will next present the story of Prince Dara
Shikoh.
One wonders now with all the various “universal botherhoods” springing
up what the next step is.
The initiatory service says, “God alone was the Founder of Sufism” and
the Sufi Abu Said ibn Abi’l-Khayr question the use of the term “Sufi”
because a “Sufism” might well be other than a “God-ism.” And indeed
that seems to be the case now. What are the God-realized souls going to do when
they cannot enter “Sufi” Movements?
One declares that there are three main streams of spiritual awakening, the
same as in Pir-o-Murshid’s writings because one has met such persons, and
perhaps, because one has been initiated into all three. One does not give out
mere book leaning. But in meeting Indians who come here—and this place is
being constantly invaded by “gurus,” “Maharshi” and what not, we get
along fine until Samuel asked them to go to Dr. Chaudhuri’s with him and that
always ends the session. The Indians will accept Samuel, they will not accept
Dr. Chaudhuri, Sri Aurobindo’s disciple. This shows that the Indians are
unable to establish the universal brotherhood.
It is even more evident among the Zen Buddhists. The Soto School is
established there. They denounce the Rinzai people and in turn the Rinzai
people have denounced them, and perhaps with excellent cause.
A very interesting climax took place in the university the other day when
the teacher asked a most simple question and not a student could answer it. We
have had two “world famous English Zen Buddhists” (who always got into
public fights with each other), we have a multitude of churches, temples and
Sanghas here and not a student in a large class could answer a very simple
question! Only my colleagues present any of the teachings of Lord Buddha, and
for that part, any of the scriptures, etc., etc. Churchianity reigns supreme,
even more so outside the Christian ranks.
Now I await my “young ones” because there is a need both to organize and
to present the Message of God on a proper foundation. Sufis, who are called
Sufis, follow the words of Khatum. It is not a game, and certainly even
less a far distant petition. It is a reality before our very being. When Samuel
was ill, God spoke to him (‘Sufi” movements don’t stop God from talking
to Whomsoever He pleases) and said it was necessary for him to remain here to
lead the Hippy movement. It seemed ridiculous the Hippy leaders had a very
select committee who were to call the spiritual Leaders of the Orient together,
with a nice censoring bureau to do the selecting. There have been several
Masters here since and they all ignored this committee!
When the Vietnamese Master was here Samuel could not get into his own living
room, and since then he has an invitation to join another Vietnamese
representative to present various forms of living Buddhism to students and
perhaps even to the “Peace Corps.” This is old hat—the Asians accept and
the non-Asians it is always a question.
Last night there was even a larger gathering, quite different
people—mureeds, candidates and young who want to be candidates. I have
stopped trying to count them. They are won by the presentation of Lord
Buddha’s Yoga, which is practiced by no one here although it is in Holy
Scriptures—which are studied in just one place! It is very effective.
Paul Reps has been urging the Mauna Yoga which he published. We have
long been working on that which is also effective. And we give three meetings
to the Sufi esotericism, mostly of Inayat Khan but also of other Pirs. And the
young people are finding these methods of effective. Many have given up LSD and
grass and those who find the spiritual practices far more excellent than any
chemical or vegetable are bringing their friends and acquaintances.
The original idea of Hazrat Inayat Khan was that Samuel would lead in the
exoteric work contacting the intellectuals. Those who most unfortunately (God
save their souls) pray: To Thee do we give willing surrender—and never
surrender, are in a dangerous spiritual position. One sees, and one can say
“yes” or “no” in argument but the Soul sees, and the Sufi sees and what
he sees is real and what he or others think is not so real.
On Wednesday and Sunday nights we have the Love-breath, the Joy-breath and
the Peace-breath from Lord Buddha, and on Mondays, Saturdays and Thursday
nights we have the corresponding practices from Hazrat Inayat Khan. Nargis I
think, in Between the Desert and the Sown gave the initiations of earth,
water, fire and air and said the Etheric initiation was “secret.” This only
meant she did not have it. In presenting now “The Mysticism of Sound” and
later “Metaphysics,” published books, it is necessary to know the nature of
Ether to understand the contents. Therefore one began training mureeds at an
earlier time; besides, as one has not been given the Githas one does not feel
bound and will give out the basis Science upon which the Githas were based And
the world will know in the future now different people took each their own
liberties with the sacred papers.
In a short while my God-daughter and then mureeds who see the need of a
secretariat. And then one will be released to write the commentaries. This was
a provision of the esoteric constitution; ergo let’s change the Esoteric
Constitution but Pir-o-Murshid also spent some time with me in 1923. There is
no use writing it from memory or from record because it will only be another
mark for those who verbalize “willing surrender” and surrender not at
all.
This period is not only characterized by an increase in disciples and
audience but also by a rapid inner development. This is especially true of the
man who has the Sufi Symbol in his forehead. The next generation will see that
and then what are others going to say? He has just had another inner initiation
and soon I may have to put him in charge for the requests are now coning to
spread activities—on a full program. I think God has something to say of His
Message.
As Mrs. Hagood in Hollywood said, if one presented the Love and Joy the
young would come. One does and they do. As Jesus said, “O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, I would gather you as a mother-hen does her chicks.” This is an
excellent path to follow.
Having met so many Sufi Sheikhs and Pirs and Saints one knows even outwardly
the path toward actual brotherhood—but then one has many many other saints,
too. Paul Reps is urging me to buy more books with more Ryazat. If I do
Pir-o-Murshid’s things will never get out. They mean nothing to those who
have not had the inner development.
I remain the representative of Eastern Sufis and have said nothing about
leadership over Western organizations. But no organization can stop God and
God-realization and the manifestation of faculties and insight that some from
this realization.
God bless you,
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
Sam
January 26, 1968
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
True, the Sufis have all the “ancient mysteries” and a few newer ones,
and not only deeply hidden in its initiates but right in the open, in the
morning prayer, for example) “beloved Lord”—ah, this is no ordinary
prayer but a recognition of the beloved coursing through your every atom from
the toes up, you every mind atom, your every heart atom, your
Being—and then comes the switch “Almightily Cod”—so, it is he
again is it? Yes sir, the very same, you are it, it alone is “in the rays of
the sun” the solar system heh? But also the lowly earth “The waves of the
air” yeah, but also the bigger whole “through the all-pervading life in
space” well well, not merely the old man of Israel in Nazareth, huh! but all
of it, the Whole!
One guy, who is far advanced in these matters, gained such insight through
it he foreswore to be ever upset about families, about Mushmusharaffaraff,
about Vilayat, said he was not going to harbor a spite or utter a word anymore
and right after that came a letter stating to a far-off friend that Vilayat had
no initiations. Then a being from space entered my heart and said “Shamcher,
do you think I could have anything to do about Vilayat’s
initiations?” and I flushed on behalf of us all and said “IK Dear, why
don’t you go tell the party involved? You visit him more frequently than you
do me?”
“I tell you Shamcher, I do ‘cause he needs it. But in this matter he
dinna give me no audience! Couldn’t get in! He was busy assuring he would no
more talk about Vilayat then turning around and talk loud—not only about him,
but even about initiations about which you never talk, ‘cause they,
initiations, change and take place in moments and what isn’t now is after
1/100 seconds, so how come people who should know better talk more?”
“Should I write to the party involved IK?”
“Not on your life Shamcher! He’ll be insulted, flapperty-gasted, ornery;
besides, he’ll catch on all by hiss little self, I’ll get through to him,
you see if I don’t!!!!”
So of course I disobeyed as usual.
The only Shamcher
Shamcher
February 20, [1968?]
My Dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
Your letter to Dickinson was a dilly-dally, just what they need, whatever
later may transpire. The letter to Sitara was good too. Yes, you are right, the
things that have happened was in the Heavens long ago, indeed from eternity and
Hazrat Inayat and I discussed it while he was still on this plane and I was
charged with watching and amending, which requires carefulness, never to give
general condemnation, above all to distinguish between the better and the best,
the worser and the worst, and now, for instance a group is forming in Holland
(first) around the people who want to admit all and any, and Vilayat is now as
he always was among them, thus rising far above his uncles—who are now
regretting in heaven, where they are finally in remote touch with Hazrat
Inayat.
Fazal, Hidayat’s son, has been appointed head of the general (Musheraff)
movement, as distinguished from Mahmoud, son of Maheboob, whom Ali Khan had
appointed, so there is already quarrel between the dead uncles, out Fazal used
to be close to Vilayat so something nicer may now develop. You are permitted to
be free and outside it all but you are not permitted (under danger of
unpleasant penalties) to criticize any of them, except when asked to, and least
of all you are not permitted to mowl them all in one bowl and talk of “Lookit
the family gamblers.” The family, for one thing, is still better than
Witteveen, the former Dutch vice president.
A center here in your image with all religions included would be excellent
and I shall lend my free hand as consultant and behind the scenes
available-jones.
Wait a bit until eventually both here answer you. Sitara will invite you to
stay here, she told me. The Dickinson I have not asked, will not until they may
or may not consult me. I am sure they will be tickled to see you. I don’t
know whether they dare request it lest it might be against their leaders (whom
they don’t even know). They are afraid.
All the people talked about above have good intentions. Their trouble is
just limitations.
The supreme creator-sustainer sends you his special and appreciative
blessing, he informs me,
Shamcher
PS. Vilayat never answers letters, even to me whom he calls his best friend.
This is bad enough but must not be confused with “rejection” or such.
Yes, Vilayat has written to “small ones” whom he thinks cannot catch his
meditations, though even that so rarely that he has admitted to me his
reluctance to write is a terrible mistake, his worst handicap. Your view of the
various family members is correct as far as it goes but insufficient and
irrelevant. Your tremendous power and light in your relation to your pupils is
shadowed, somewhat, by your digressions into judgments. This earthly life, for
teachers and saints, is not for judgments. But the “greatest” prophets have
sinned here.
March 2, 1968
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Sitara Dolphin seemed to deduct from your letter that you did not want to
stay with her at all but in a hotel in Town.
I did not read your letter to her that way, but that you very much did want
to stay with her over the weekend at least, and that, out of modesty, you would
then go to a hotel. Please confirm, Sitara wants you to know, she will be very
happy to have you over the weekend—and longer. It will be good for her in her
present stage. It will be even better for you. You walk from her house half a
mile to a bus that takes you to town (25 cents) in half an hour, or you take a
taxi to town for 2.90.
Being a red-blooded American boy you know how to help and boost a 73 year
old grand woman—do work for her, relieve her of her constant housekeeping a
little bit, wash up after a meal, wash dishes with her or alone. This is
exactly what Maheboob-Ali-Musheraff never did. They came to Vilayat’s
overtired mother, sat by in arm chairs while she ran up and down to the
basement lugging heavy coal boxes. This was young impressive Vilayat’s first
impression of his conceited “Uncles.” They did not even have decent living
habits, far less spirituality.
One of these science of mind groups has asked Sitara if you’d give them a
talk. Why not? I do not know them. Get in touch with Sitara and find out and
give her or them directly your answer. We will meet at Sitara and for the rest,
phone me at Myrtle-2-2997. If you come out here I shall meet you with car at
Bremerton where the ferry lands. Sitara has no car, does not drive.
Blessings from all
Shamcher
April 26, [1968?]
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad,
Thank you for letter. If we are to “make” Pakistan it is necessary that
we both write. Do you want to come along later, if I go? Anyway, since you
kindly has been toting this case, see what you can write to Shams in support of
my letter and the information it supplies. I like better to be supported in
style by government provided housing and transportation than having a
“salary” that would only create the envy of all under it, contempt from all
above it. It is the damned “civil service” system, the most idiotic
invention, praised by all the idiots, fostering unemployment and waste.
In 1956 I worked, as the first with two others at UCLA on the osmosis system
that Glenn Haver seems to claim as his “Inventions.” If there are any
inventors in the scheme it is Dr. Gelarl Hassler of UCLA, Professor McCutchan
and Loeb of UCLA and that Indian engineer. The spotty additions of Havers may
or may not prove of value. The figures he quotes were already realized by UCLA.
Aerojet has branched off into another version of it and is building a 1000
gallon per day plant. But nothing is yet set for large scale production of this
type of plant. It is not ready even for practical discussion. A more premising
method is Capillary Electro-Osmosis.
Your letter to Kuchel is very good and interesting, notwithstanding above
orientation.
Thanks and blessings,
Shamcher
PS. Tunisia, Norway, Burns and Roe in New York, Philip E. Day in Los Angeles
are crowding me and some of these took a year to finally come up with at least
a suggestion. How long will Pakistan take? Can it possibly come before I have
to make up my mind about any of the other offers? Pakistan is the only place
where one could have free sailing with a Sufi philosophy and contribute to the
explosive contribution—cultural, spiritual contribution, of a great
nation.
May 8, 1968
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti El Ghazali Samuel Lewis,
You are quite right, as you surmise in one of your letter copies, that the
immediate sending of Asia-minded people came to naught, temporarily, with the
peace negotiations, and when we replied that now it was more necessary than
ever, in order to make these talks real peace talks—well who’d expect the
desired reaction to that? Only pumpkins.
But now another matter: You know there is an old guard. You are commandeered
to join, not because we need you but because you need us and the privilege. The
old guard, you know, is a select group of Hazrat Inayat Initiates who never
debase themselves to any position (and although you have some position, you are
selected anyway) and who have tried to educate all the pretenders, telling them
they are less than dust but together they may achieve a little bit—well now
we have thoroughly shaken up Vilayat and Fazal and brought to the surface their
boiling. (Incidentally I talked to Fazal for many years on Sunday and initiated
him, though I never do that with anybody and initiated him, though I never do
that with anybody and, for that matter he does not know it.) (Ah, and yes:
Fazal is a wonderful youngster, his gramp Hazrat Inayat overshadowed him before
& during birth—what the ignorant peasants term stupidly
“reincarnation.”) But they are not going to see each other so now the old
guard may finally come forward and take a hand and leave all the others holding
hand and holding on to our pants:
We are (and I don’t yet know how many) forming a loosely knit group with
no president, no hierarchy, no order-giving persons, naming it “A twentieth
century message” or “The Message” or something like that and all and
every person who wants to is ours and is in and can never be let out. Vilayat
with his flock, Fazal with his flock, Idries Shah with his bold warriors, The
Emperor of Japan and Radnan Krishna, all are in our fold whether they know it
or want it or not, and the great past saints. The only “official” will be a
mail dispenser and typist Madame Madlon Andre De La Porte in Hilversum,
Holland, who recently was asked a question by Vilayat and answered this
question—according to the above. We will make no claim to be Sufis or any
other determination (for Sufi has now become a denomination as you say also) we
are Buddhists, Zens, Hindus, Christians and we are non-Buddhists, non-Zens,
non-Christians, non-Muslims. We are all and we are none. And Fazal and Vilayat
made this last fine move possible and necessary by their wonderful, stubborn
little minds, bless them all. (And your brother Reps, if he is there. Of
course, he’ll have no say. An old guard can say all he wants but he
never expects to be heard, paid attention to, or that his advice will be
followed. Words are junk. He is above them.) And remember that, as Sufi you may
blaze the Sufi hierarchy but as an old guard pro you may not, not not.
Hallelujah, and love.
Shamcher
PS. When writing me letters use Shamcher, not “beloved one of
God” for I already do love myself, and besides, then I have to go back
searching your mind (and there is such a mess in there) finding whom you
mean.
PS 2. Don’t give away your money you blooming hypocrite, save it for
publication of papers in your keep.
May 13, 1968
My dear Shamcher:
Your letter of 8th arrived and has me roaring all over the place. I am not
giving money away. There are disciples, growing in number and prowess. Two are
establishing a print shop. They want to do just what you say without it costing
this person a cent.
Paul Reps wants to establish a “School.” I don’t know what he means
because “schools” are being a established and they seek Sam, not he them.
And this morning the chief disciple of Lama Govinda who is also a Sufi in the
Mevlevi School asked Sam to take the leadership. Last night a very wealthy man
was here some of whose followers are disciples and some applicants. I don’t
know that to do and certainly can accept, even follow advise.
Now cultural adviser of three distinct Asian summit gatherings one also has
to prepare a disciple to go to Asia. One does not exclude anybody here. On the
26th Wesak Day is to be celebrated and Sam will not be on the platform. Sam was
initiated in the top rank by the Grand Master of Korea and may on this occasion
wear a robe but one prefers usually the anonymity of the late Nyogen
Senzaki.
We are teaching mystical and occult sciences here as fast as possible—the
way of the Eye, the way of Breath, the Way of Heart. We use both Silence and
the mysticism of sound. Love is an all-enveloping enclosure.
Reps is a master of non-words. Sam uses words or non-words, either, neither
or both according to the impressions on the audience. There seems to be a way
to solve all the problems of the young. The techniques of Inayat Khan are
marvelous. Of course one does not know who else has them but they work; before
God they work and if we don’t want God they work.
What I had hoped for was the teaching as Hazrat Inayat Khan gave, but now
that I have his Ryazat one doesn’t need the papers. They will go into to
Universal School and also to my God-daughter. I may write a letter to Fazal.
One hopes someday “humility” will go and curiosity will come. This will be
a great day for humanity.
Faithfully,
Sam
May 20, [1968?]
My dear S.A. Murshid Chisti
Thank you for your letter. Any day now I may fly, so please give me the
address of the sheik in Tunisia and, if possible, write and tell him I will be
with the UN in Tunisia (they have an address in the capital Tunis), probably in
June, certainly in July.
I am going to Egypt after that.
And provide any other instruction you may fancy,
Alaiekum Salaam, oh Great One,
Yes, I know Reiser, saw him in Pittsburg, enormously interesting. Glad to
hear about Oppenheimer.
Shamcher
PS. It may not be possible for me, a UN neutral, to contact any religious or
worldly leader, but they can contact me.
27 May 1968
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Sitara may come to SF to meet a doctor Sanders from Mississippi, our
greatest herbal expert, who may wish to produce her eye drops. She would like
very much to stay with you during the 2-3 days she is there. This would, apart
from renewed acquaintance with Sitara, also acquaint you with this exquisite
Southern Doctor and him with you. Who knows, he may take spiritual values to
our Deep South from that or those meetings. Also for Sitara it would be a great
thing to witness your disciples and meetings. You have a bedroom haven’t you?
Perhaps even one for Dr. Sanders? Or , if not, perhaps one of your disciples or
friends could take it on? In that case, Sitara is ready to pay for room and
board. In any case, a private arrangement like that is a thousand times more
profitable, in resulting friendships, business and spiritual values.
It is not quite settled yet whether the meeting between Sanders and Sitara
will be in San Francisco or Seattle.
But let us hear from you at your early convenience,
Love and blessings,
Shamcher
11 June 1968
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Samuel GhaZaliCabala,
The arrival of the huckleberry tea lady appears to have been somewhat
delayed by Dr. Sanders claiming his busiest time of the year is just now so he
pleads for a bit of postponement. Vilayat schedule is: Arrive here 5 July,
talks that same evening and wouldn’t be surprised if he plans to visit you
just before that (after my many urgent appeals, saying it would be good for you
as well as he, and it would!) for he suddenly postponed arrival here from 29
June to 5 July.
Yes, the young are fine. In L.A. I had the whole 11000 students at the UCLA
as disciples, they filled the largest halls when I spoke and Indian students,
particularly, came up and said they had never, even in India, heard such
exquisite representations of Sufism as by me and more: Not a “forcing” word
or term but I managed, they said, to describe all the finesses in the simplest
English terms. Here in Silverdale I have gone a step younger and concentrated
on the High School kids, and soon a group of them will direct an appeal to the
Ford Foundation for an experimental school with all the services of spiritual
awakening and the curriculum being largely chosen by the young
themselves—each one for his own line. My name is as deeply hidden as it
should be.
But my dear Sufi Ghazali: Don’t knock the old in years, you blimpering
idiot: I know of a 72 year old man in San Francisco who is no failure, almost
as good as yourself: Yes, come to think of it, is yourself, not to speak
of the great geniuses in the Seattle areas … so, be ready to see Vilayat any
time between June 17 (his last lecture in the South) and July 3.
Blessings and Love
Shamcher
PS. You write about self-realization—old man Yogananda. Have you ever
heard his mantras You should! I played them for high school kids here and Bryn
and Daphne. They listened hushed then said: He; Yogananda, had it straight what
the Beatles and Rolling Stones and iron butterfly have mixed up with
non-essentials. Yes, Yogananda in his words (who cares for words!) has
superstitions like all of us, but his mantras shows that no has something end
that’s all you should care about.
June 17, 1968
My dear Ahmed Murad Chisti’O Cheleby
Yes, the idea was that you might stay on in SF through 5th, and after that
come or go wherever spirit moves, for if Vilayat comes it would be between now
and then.
As to Seattle, Vilayat has been invited to stay at Sitara’s 5-7 and if you
come within that time Sitara won’t have room but any time after. However if
Vilayat does not stop in SF and you wish to see him you could do so by coming
to Seattle 5th. I don’t know yet if he’ll stay until 7th or go to Cleveland
the 6th.
Welcome,
Shamcher
July 3, 1968
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Samuel,
Your letters about Vilayat visits and your oven reaction please me no end.
The success of Vilayat with your crowd, you own superior removing yourself into
the background, as do all the great when the time comes for the shows.
Actually, of course, as a man grows he has fewer who can keep pace until he is
virtually alone and he looks with mild smiles at his strivings and great
“successes” of the past, and hurries to provide successes for others ready
in line. So Murshid (Pir Inayat) said to me when he left for India and the
passing over in 1926: “Shamcher, now Murshid has no more interest.” And I
see more and more and more in those few strange words. But the earth might
still benefit if you stay on till you are 119.
Blessings,
Shamcher
July 30, 1968
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
Your position is unique and expanding and most important. In the school you
are the king pin. Beyond the area assigned to you for initial convenience your
influence spread through the nation and the world. And as far as the Seattle
area is concerned, start anything you want, at any time, just write and tell
me. Vilayat talked to me about positions, sublime initiations, which he said I
had anyway and that is right enough but my particular mission and life patterns
make is necessary for me at this time to accept no position. I am just a
consultant and a performer and trainer in any Sufi activity except initiations,
which I do not perform. Vilayat seemed a bit taken aback at that but I think I
managed to convey to him my great respect for him and his mission, which is,
like yours, to perform initiations and accept titles.
You two, Vilayat and you, are destined to work together, without ever
speculating who is highest or wisest but realize that each one is wisest in his
ways.
When we meet we may talk about hierarchies—in different organizations and
traditions. It is a subtle matter.
My deep and humble aleikhum salaams to a great soul and God’s worker in
the vineyard, and my apologies that I am just what I am, and not even that for
tomorrow I am not that but something else, and so on for moments but no more
Shamcher
August 12, 1968
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Ah yes, it is good and natural that Sam should love with all the love that
dormes in the beloved and more—did not Krishna love and even seduce the 16000
milkmaids? (This is suggestive of more: during his million yes years of a
reincarnating soul (but beware now) he drew these souls to him through love and
seduction) and did not Buddha respond to the street girl who shouted that she
loved him so and would he not come to her embrace—he responded that yes, in
good time. And his disciples were horrified, but later when this girl was sick
and repulsive and about to die Buddha came and embraced her, unafraid of her
diseases, and so Jesus entered into loving conservation with a girl shouting
after him, when his disciples warned him to get rid of her.
Yes, I also fall in love, many times a day, and this love is greater now, in
maturity when free of the young’s urge and feel of duty to go farther than
one should. The love lives in the heart and grows without physical
deterioration.
Love,
Shamcher
Thank you for Vilayat’s Ryazat. Good.
September 11, 1968
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
That letter to Cecil Gibbings was a lulu. Have you sent a copy to Vilayat?
If not I’ll send him mine. Also, I am going to coax old Cecil to take your
letter into his magazine, tell him that is the style now, it is wonderful for
reader-identification, he’ll have a big leap up in circulation and we all
would love to see him do such a generous thing and he can always come back with
the last word and I’ll send him a little contribution with the request which
should get him over the last hurdle,
Love
Shamcher
September 19, 1968
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
A slight impatience on your part was noticed over our so much attention to
your letter to
Gibbings, but it is inspirational and most important for the possible freeing
of some of the captives in the movement and as you know, there is more joy in
Heaven over one sinner turned upward than a hundred who don’t need it.
So, please, if you have another copy of that letter let me have it to show
it to Dickinson and Steve Hall, two pillars of the Fazal society—on Sitar’s
recommendation, she too was enthused about your letter.
I have sent my copy to Vilayat with comments. Also I have written a
villainous letter to Gibbings, first half lauding him for his great work (and
including a contribution) last half telling him of the great publicity your
letter will have here in the US (not telling him this will be due to my
efforts) so if he wishes to remain ahead he better immediately take the letter
in his own magazine, with whatever comments he wishes, otherwise it will come
to him from the outside, and hart. Also mentioning this is now the style in the
US and, very successful.
Love
The only and magnificent
Shamcher
September 25, 1968
Bryn Beorse
Box 142
Keyport Washington 98345
My dear brother:
Ancient Tales and This Cybernetic Age
It is Wednesday afternoon. Within 2 hours we shall be in Marin County. Sam
will show your letter and a carbon of this to 2 different disciples.
One has had a small print shop in Bolinas in Marin County; he is now moving
along with others to Novato, in another part of Marin County. I understand he
has been successful in obtaining a loan from relatives to establish a suitable
print shop. I do not know its capacity, but will show him your letter, The name
of this disciple is Hassan Herz.
Another disciple is Philip Davenport. He is now on the Board of Directors of
a much expanded Oracle Publishing Co. I do not know its capacity, but I do know
Philip and am very certain he would be most interested in knowing about you,
your dramatic history, and your various spiritual, economic, historical and
other exploits. The very situations of the moment impel taking up your inquiry
immediately. I shall report again as soon as possible.
Two mureeds have left for India to attend the conference of the real
spiritual and religious leaders of the real world. This will take place in
Darjeeling in India in a few weeks.
The disciples were delighted to meet Sheikha Bhakti and also, she was
delighted with them.
With all love and blessings,
Sam
410 Precita
San Francisco, Calif. 94110
September 28, 1968
My Dear Shamcher:
Evidentially God wishes me to give full cooperation in your efforts to get
manuscripts published. I have just received a very beautiful letter from Prof.
K.T. Merchant. His guru, so to speak, has been the nonagenarian, A.P. Wadia,
whom I have long considered to be India’s greatest economist. Besides his
work in this field, Wadia has been one of the greatest philosophers of his
day—he is somewhat older than the famous Dr. Radhakrishnan.
If we go into details, there are many similarities between the outlooks and
experiences of Professors Merchant and Wadia on the one hand, and yourself on
the other. So taking this as a sign, I have written to my disciple, Ruth
Wintheil c/o Auger, 71 Washington Place, N.Y., N.Y. and enclose carbon
herewith.
You will also find enclosed carbon to a longtime friend here in San
Francisco. I think these materials will give you the gist of the news.
Love and Blessings,
Sam
September 29, 1968
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Samuel L. Lewis,
Thank you so very much for your prompt contact with your two publishers. The
printer, Hassan, obviously could print for the publisher, Phillip. Under
present circumstances Phillip would be the one to contact first from my part,
for although he has “programs” so has every publisher and, like every
publishers, such programs adapt, or even change, adapt to a great work
appearing, even sometimes changes because of it.
Great work? How could I be capable of that who have only produced 8 books so
far, published, and only two of them sold well….
Yes, great because this one was not of me, just by me. Yogis, Sufis and
nondescriptives entered my little mind, small as it is and gave advice for the
centuries, and lucky the publisher who gets it, for translating and publishing
in 69 languages(first, later more) and “two copies in every home” as
Roosevelt so pungently put it.
And of course, your Phillip must see the whole thing, not a sample chapter,
that is flip-flap nonsense that some publishers ascend to.
So now only one thing remains: Phillip’s full name and address. This is
important. The publishing house’s address, perhaps rather (Oracle?) with
“Attention: Phillip “ There is too much to risk by not sending the MS
registered, insured, to the deciding publisher. I once sent an MG to
“Determined Productions” a publisher in San Francisco, who simply wrote he
never receive it. 10 months later he found it in his heap. It isn’t
I’ll will, just that so many people are involved in a publishing reading.
That story I sent “Kumbha Mela” is now with an enthusiastic New York Agent
and may some may also become a piece of Oracle if we find each other, though
the agent tells me of keen interest in various places. Incidentally, if you
have any information on Oracle’s past volumes and history, please tell, but
don’t ask Phillip now for any publisher resents an author’s questions about
his House. Just please send me the full address (with zip code) of both Oracle,
Phillip and Hassan.
Your fine letter of Gibbings I’d like to comment on later.
Blessings, love
Shamcher
October 1, 1968
My dear Shamcher Bryn Beorse:
I am answering your letter of the 29th became it is in the stream. Sam is
fortunate enough to find time to sleep—nothing wrong but too, too much going
on. Two weddings in the next two weeks on top of a very fully program—these
are the least.
The disciples are moving from Bolinas to
910 Railroad Ave., Novato, Calif.
which will be the Khankah. This does not give the area code. Hassan is one
of those getting married, too.
Phillip Davenport has no particularly mailing address. His registered
address!
Regal Ark, Boardwalk, Larkspur, Calif.
I do not have the zip code either.
He comes to this house at least twice a week and I go to Larkspur at least
once a week so we see a great deal of each other. He also works on projects at
San Francisco State College. And without notification he has arranged a big
meeting for me for Thursday night, the subject being “Sufi Philosophy.”
It is interesting that it should be on this campus which is the home-office
for Dr. Hayakawa who has rejected every paper I have ever written for him,
including those he requested. He has made a multitude of enemies including all
the principals and associates of Phillip and they are anxious also to present a
much purer “Semantics,” one allied to life and science and not to private
cultism.
In addition Phillip has already arranged that the next issue of “The
Oracle” will be devoted more fully to Sufism. Last issue had the Invocation
and “The Purity of Life.” The reactions must have been good to warrant such
a procedure. Or as Hazrat Inayat Khan said, “The Message is in the sphere. If
I had not brought it somebody else would have.” This is becoming objectively
true.
My disciples are also off now for the big session at Darjeeling where they
have been instructed to work with Vilayat and Prof. Nasr.
Hassan has published Sam’s “The Rejected Avatar.” I hope to meet his
parents at the wedding and they may be convinced to joining in his efforts to
expand his facilities. Everything going on resulting in a too rapidly written
letter.
Love and blessings,
Sam
October 1, 1968
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Samuel,
Thank you very much for your introduction to Ruth who is publisher-
connected. Now that I am introduced please give me her address so I can search
my mind and find what to write her. She will expect that if I know her
right.
Also thank you for telling me Phillip or Hassan are not ready, so I may not
write them or later might write a note that might introduce some of my
sensational gists for later contact.
Ruth sounds very good, at this point.
Here is another letter from Gibbings. Why, that man is getting nervous now,
feeling no doubt that after all, it is Sam who has the goods, and maybe is
reachable through Sam’s Aaron, Shamcher.
And this brings me to another matter: As a consultant on the lowly matter on
public relations of which I know nothing, really, your six interviews were not
great because they were six (for some had 150) but because they were a
mystic’s talk to another mystic, after the first mystic had spent almost a
life time becoming frustrated by his own organization: But how can you explain
that to the bums? Don’t even try!
Love and all
Shamcher
October 14, 1968
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Samuel,
You may be the most important link both in the message transmitted by Hazrat
Inayat and in the general spiritual state on this globe and that is hinted
delicately in my Ancient Tales and this Cybernetic Age that now has gone
to Phillip Davenport. Also, this book is intended to help those many who
cannot, for various reasons, have a teacher close at hand at all times. These
will increase tremendously in the years to come when “Millions” (in the
words of Hazrat Ina Inayat to me when he left me in 1926, in September) will be
joined.
Since I have also other books, some of which told you about, already with my
agent in NY I would like to have the address of your friend Ruth whom you
mentioned was associated with or acquainted with many publishers, and possibly
a list of her vitae etc.
Love
Shamcher
And please tell when you change address to Novato and what it will be there
(street No, Zip) and when that new address will be in effect.
By the way, the title may be discussed. If you have any proposal, shoot.
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco, Calif.
November 3, 1968
Mr. Shamcher B. Beorse
Box 142
Keyport, Wash. 98345
My dear Shamcher:
This looks very simple but it is most difficult to write. Among the papers
seized by Mrs. Duce were the papers on “Zavaliat” which she thought Hazrat
Inayat Khan wrote (while she returned to me the highest Ryazat assuming the
opposite!) It is based on the teaching that sooner or later we receive the
rewards or punishments for our deeds, in the “autumn of our lives” so to
speak.
It is very difficult to get some people to understand what is happening when
one enters mystical states of consciousness (hal singular; ahwal, plural) and
yesterday a letter was received from Mrs. Suzanne D’Mitrieff, the general
secretary for the United States, while one was teaching the class on spiritual
dancing.
The work yesterday consisted of The Fire Walk; the receipt of blessings from
the Murshid in the Dervish dance; the Whirl; the Dance of Love and Brotherhood,
very mystical though it may appear otherwise; and certain miscellany. We ended
by programming the pageant of The Sufi Symbol, the second lesson, with
four men as wings, three women as hearts and a man and woman—who happen to be
husband and wife, as star and crescent. It became clear that the men, as wings
would make up-and-down therefore Jelal movements; while the women, as Heart,
would probably walk in a circle or curvilinear, therefore Jemal movements.
At night it was revealed why God-Allah wishes Sam both in the capacity of
Guru and Murshid to dance sometimes exclusively with the men, and sometimes
exclusively with the women in Jelal and Jamal movements; and when they join in
Kemal, Murshid-Guru dances alone. This incidentally produces a higher
ecstasy.
“The Rejected Avatar” is now out on sale for $1.25. It is a commercial
enterprise, the profits going to the Khankah. It gives the teachings of the
Three Bodies (vide “The Soul Whence and Whither.”) All of these are used in
the dances and must be effective because of the extreme gratitude shown by men
and women mureeds alike. They are now experiencing “Joy without Drugs” and
many positively and emphatically refuse to go back on drugs at any level.
One met this gratitude with a certain amount of shame. Pir-o-Murshid would
have done anything to have this wonderful group of young people. The only way
to repay debts and for his sufferings is to “offer” them to Pir Vilayat. As
he is planning a camp for young people, and as even the majority of disciples
here are between 22 and 28 it will be very easy to cooperate on any and all
levels.
In the first interview in 1923 it became evident that Samuel would probably
outlive any and all the then living mureeds. That is why he was kept at least
three times as long as anybody else. The result was jealousy and envy and an
inability to report excepting to the than living Khalifa. This interview was
almost entirely on the need to present mysticism to the intellectuals. It was
rejected all over.
Vilayat spoke on “Dance of the Spheres” in the Mevlevi School. We did a
preliminary at the Khankah for Gavin Arthur. But now it is clear we must go
ahead and even accept some contributions from Gavin for Neptune and Uranus have
been added to the “whirls” which belong to the pageant thereof. I have no
time to argue about personalities and no time even to intellectualize on what
they say. Inspirations are adopted and the worlds of heart are above all
intellection.
Vilayat is expected early in the year and what is before me is not to get an
audience, but does he want a mob! Paul Reps comes next week and we are going to
overwhelm him. We had 200 people on his last appearance and there will be
nothing do it, as he is speaking in Sausalito and therefore just between the
San Francisco and Marin County groups. I do not know how far we shall present
anything for Sam is in no position to take analytical criticisms. And there
will undoubtedly be public lectures and appearances soon, too.
Sheyla and Dara from the Ranch at Novato are now with Vilayat. Sam has been
very firm that they are to take suggestions from nobody else excepting to go to
Anandashram in South India which was first recommended by Reps and which I
think Vilayat also approves. There is so much seriousness behind the facade of
love, joy and bliss now manifested.
But I am telling you all this because it brings together all the items of
the 1923 long interview (rejected by the “good” people). It is quite
obvious that the New Age will have the group manifesting as an individual
entity. This is seen in Biology and I have suggested that Phil do saw
biological studies with me. This also came out in the 1926 lectures by Hazrat
Inayat Khan, now published where Sam was as amanuensis.
Also there is the need to go over the Dervish and Yoga dances with regarding
the sciences of Electricity and Magnetism both in the Static and Dynamic forms.
We establish poles and then whirl them. What are we doing? Therefore if you
wish we shall send you drawing outlines.
Jack, the man who has planned to organize my effort and who is also a
saltwater conversion engineer should be here by Wednesday. We may go over that.
This semanticizes the whole subject of “Music of the Spheres.” One dare not
look. This brings the transformatory experiences.
There is now a potential staff, needed so badly. Melvin is working on the
poetry, absolutely prophetic and one can say with assurance that in the future
generations Sam will rank far beyond any Nostradamus or Edgar Cayce, etc. I may
have copies of the poetry sent to you, especially after “Saladin” is
copied. Everybody proceeds wonderfully but much for a single person. This is
much better than having the load and things not coming right.
Two meetings today.
Love and blessings,
Sam
The Garden of Inayat
910 Railroad Avenue
Novato, Calif. 94947
November 6, 1968
Mr. Shamcher B. Beorse
Box 142
Keyport, Washington 98345
Beloved One of God:
This is the first letter being dictated at the new Khankah. For some time
Sam will have 2 homes and offices, both flanked by 2 wonderful male
secretaries. It is, however, possible that the finance of one of my very
beautiful women mureeds will arrive shortly; one of the purposes of this visit
will be to systematize Sam’s efforts. It is only now after many years that
some of the young people quite willingly examine Sam’s dharma, so to speak,
which consists of considerably more items than older people can, or would,
accept. “Let the dead bury the dead.”
The most important factor is the Invocation, “United with all the
illuminated Souls, who form the embodiment of the Master, the spirit of
Guidance.” There are 2 important items in the news from Vilayat: A. what he
is doing; B. his immediate future plans.
It is quite evident that the spirit of his Blessed Father—and beyond that
the Divine Spirit Itself is inspiring this much abused and underrated man.
Among the leaders he is proving to be a leader. He has been successful in
presenting the universal worship at top levels before top audiences—and I
definitely mean top- not a simile or metaphor, but actuality.
We have not asked Vilayat his plans, but he intends to be in Novato at the
turn of the year. There are 2 places here which can offer him asylum. We assume
he knows what he is doing. Reports from all the seers seem to cooperate this.
In any event we are furnishing the room reserved for worship or meditation
until he gets here. This means we are very open to anything he might suggest.
If I hear anything more, I shall try to keep you informed.
Sam is now receiving multitudes of dances, dance-forms, rituals, and
pageants, faster than they can be recorded. However, the difference between a
divine and ego-inspiration is that the divine inspiration or vision acts as if
it were crystallized in the akasha. It does not change; it remains as if solid
in vision.
We may perform a few of these items next Sunday night when we meet Mr. Paul
Raps. But we do not intend either to interfere or impinge on his program. I
find it very easy now to convince the young that there is a Living God (Ya
Hayy). Indeed it is astonishingly easy—dissociate from religion and many can
be won to the God Ideal without any effort whatsoever. I think this is one of
the fundamental teachings of The Message.
There is a new issue of “Oracle.” There is a fine review of “The
Rejected Avatar.” This publication also continues to use “Toward the One”
etc. It is also probable that Sam will be given new opportunities in the near
future, Inshallah.
The magnetic and other outcomes of these dances is to invigorate first
Murshid (Sam), then the participants, and then the onlookers. At last one sees
Hazrat Inayat Khan’s efforts of 1911 in objective form.
This letter will be mailed from Novato, and if there is more news will write
later from San Francisco. Please keep your blessed family informed.
Love and Blessings,
Sam
Beorse
November 8, 1968
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Samuel the Magnificent,
Yes, you are right, it is in your style and majesty not to accept or
even know about collections, but your pupils and associates may collect to
their hearts desire except that in their request (if any) for collections they
must consent to your directions and not spout out about money as does Billy
Graham.
Behind your back, the association may flourish with millions, but you
personally must be so far away and above it that, should you choose to take
steps that may not be approved by the association, you jauntily sail your own
way and starve as did that great saint in India Inayat Khan told us about, who
decided to worship Kali and all his pupils except one left him.
Have written to Davenport that first days of December I’d be pleased to
have a decision for a third publisher would like to see book then. But I
believe he will find an outlet. When you pass away there will be many
well-suited teachers among your pupils but it must be realized none of them has
the right to claim leadership of the association or you will have the same
nonsense as with Inayat Khan’s movement. That is why in my book I prepare
your crowd and any crowd to permit everyone to go his own way, teach himself,
if he so wishes, and God has, at this age, made that possible, and in many
instances preferable. Therefore warn against those who make claims to
leadership and insight, as you do. You don’t make claims. You show reality. I
encourage self-teaching in view of what will happen in the future. Inayat
books, your books, my books, will be the guidance and Paul Rep’s books.
And I am bowing to a great saint and teacher, Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Shamcher
November 13, 1968
My dear Shamcher:
S.A.M. greatly appreciates your letter of the 8th. Such letters have been
received on rare occasions: two from women who were partly in love and rejected
Sam spiritually and now have changed; the others from the very top Masters of
the living world, whose very existence knocks the props out of all those
metaphysical lecturers who talk in glib generalities about masters and saints
and seers without naming them.
The other day before meeting Paul Reps Sam had two very delightful
experiences. One was the manifestation of the love and affection between the
mureeds for each other. It is not only that Murshid has now such love and
affection (others have had that) but there has been success in promoting and
manifesting “Love ye one another.” This bond is tremendous.
There are still some terrible clouds. The increase in the number of
disciples and applicants, the need to give them more time, the slowness in
getting work done, etc. has been vastly complicated. There was one disciple who
took everything in her hands and constantly proclaimed. “All the problems
have been solved. All is cared for.” This reduced the voluntary workers and
while time went by the increase in duties with nothing looked after almost led
to a breaking point.
The same has been repeated in Sam having received a series of long distance
calls from a man this time who said he was prepared to become a disciple (he
may marry a mureed shortly) and organize the work, etc. There have been plenty
of long distance calls, plenty of flurry and the Murshid drawn deeply into
unnecessary material affairs and the work-load increasing.
It is now a matter of health that one may have to withdraw; fortunately
there are good mureeds. Take Phil Davenport, for example, with whom you have
corresponded. Nothing wrong with him. But he is about to become a father and he
has been caught pell-mell in all the dramas on the San Francisco State Campus,
caught in the middle and unable to do anything amid warring factions. This is
the real life which metaphysicians and Pollyannas refuse to look at. And
Phil’s predicaments have necessarily involved others and we cannot help it.
This is the scene of many upheavals and dramas.
The second delightful event was meeting Swami Swahananda. It is like two
lovers. The nearest before was in going to Japan in meeting Roshi Furukawa, a
tartar if there ever was one and yet our reunion, which simply could not be
because all the Bigs said it could not, was of this nature. The people who
lecture on Samadhi and never had had it simply confuse themselves and others.
There are not “two” in the divine experience, and when this is translated
down, there are not two either.
I am sending Paul Reps a copy of this for on top of everything we have to
greet three very real “kings” of Orient, each coming here and expecting
much from Sam and rightly. The first is the Grand Master of Korea. He regards
Sam as a sort of Khalifa, and perhaps rightly.
The second is Vilayat and we simply cannot let Vilayat down. There is
something here on the human level. Paul Reps has found neither love nor peace
for one series of facts and reasons; Vilayat has not for quite a different
series, he being in a sense a sainted martyr although he might object to this
terminology, and Vilayat sees the Universe and Paul Reps writes, “Ask a
Potato?”
The third is the President of the Ramakrishna Mission, Swami Ranganathananda
Maharaj. I shall not relate stories here. I thrilled his disciple, the
aforesaid Swami with living stories of a tremendous living human being. He must
receive a treatment in my city as I received from him in New Delhi many times.
“When two strong men are face to face though they come from the ends of the
earth.”
It is this Love which Paul Reps has not found and which oozes verom
everything Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan gave. We have taken up the first
few steps on The Ryazat of Hazrat Inayat Khan. But I am amazed at what is going
on inside and to be able to put the Gathas into ritual, dance and present form,
only Series I, what is going to happen when we come to series II and III? and
some of the items in the literature?
By putting the Gathas into the dance it is possible to reach both teen-agers
and children. The real Joy (Ananda) is generated and this more and more.
Murshid Sam shows more vitality than even the strongest physical disciples when
he gets into the hal, the mystical state.
Another big thing left to Vilayat is the official appointment of teachers
here. I wish him to have as full leeway as he wants so it may be possible to
travel, but this travelling will only be on projects with which he is
acquainted unless my engineering friend comes to and does what he said over the
phone. In that case you will be fully informed. There are too many editorials,
too little acting.
Lord Snow has a very pessimistic report today. He does not mingle with the
young. One disciples is now typing the cosmic poetry and himself is drawn into
the mystical state. The one who would help with the scientific research is
caught in his own complexities.
The great thing coming to actuality is that Love of which Sufis speak. We
are having a party at Khyber Pass Restaurant Saturday. This is owned, and I
think I have told you, by a man son of a Sufi and we meet brethren there
occasionally. Even this party is a joint birthday, celebration of two of the
finest disciples. It will be followed by a work party at the Khankah on Sunday.
Now we have caught on with the young, more and more. And they know that it is
necessary to have a Teacher or Guru or Murshid for advancement. Others offer
words, words, words, plenty of them. These do not awaken the Heart which
encloses the throne of God.
Love and blessings to everybody,
Sam
November 18, 1968
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
Sitara is in the West Seattle Hospital (phone West 7 3200 ext. 104) for
heart trouble, asked me to tell you all she can now remember are the prayers
you gave her for passing over, and a prayer Vilayat gave her. She is very happy
you phoned her (actually I think this idea came to her because I phoned, giving
name Shamcher which nurse translated into Sam!)
Love
Shamcher
November 22, [1968?]
My dear SAM Murshid,
As you know, when I came through San Francisco June 17 and sought you, you
were away but had Sufi-like anticipated my coming, and the hour of it, and had
told your landlady to tell me to use your room for the night, in which I slept
in the net of the Sufis and read your books and told Vilayat about your
writings upon which he asked me to have some for his magazine. Absentmindedly
perhaps, he asked me to ask you to send me some material which I would then
forward, but why should you not send it directly?
I met several Sufis in Tunisia. They have a pretty bad time since
anti-religious movement plus anti-mystic religion combine to attack them. But
they survive. Al Alawi was a great memory. He is long or the subtler planes.
Greetings and devotions
Shamcher
November 26, [1968]
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
Thank you for practice for Sitara. I have sent it her, seems clear enough,
but asked her to write you if in doubt. Also sent her your splendid Saladin
which I read with great pleasure and since it is not printed I think she should
send it back to you so it may be printed, in oracle for example. From an
ancient epic you wind into our modern world in a beautiful prophetic manner.
I have also sent $1.40 to Phillip Davenport for sending me your Rejected
Avatar and have subscribed to Oracle which I found exciting and with splendid
artwork.
Love
Shamcher
November 29, 1968
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Promise to accept this news not as an added burden to your time and worry
but as a relief; reprieve, holy gift, what have you: Shamcher, with most of his
family is driving south, will be in SF 17th or 18th, evenings and Evelyn may
type for you a day or two while Daphne and I go to Novato and see the place and
then we are proceeding further south and coming back again to another 2 days in
SF before moving North. (Dec 24-31)
We are not demanding guests for whom an akacia and an audience must be
arranged. If the audience is there we may open our mouths to its tremendous
advantage and if the audience is not there we shall talk to the birds who
always listen, and the straying dogs who then stray no more, and the little
children, and the oldsters who none more heed.
As you were prepared, when Sitara was expected, to house her, can your
highly developed associates house us for a while, so we could pay with checks
on our Silverdale state bank where so much of our loot is stashed? We like to
pay for a profit to the hosts, as the hotels do, but feel so much better paying
it to friends in spirit who accept our checks without murmur:
Hoping hear, love
Shamcher
910, Railroad live
Novato, Calif. 94947
November 30, 1968
My dear Shamcher:
This is a sort of, progress report. The basic there is “Neither can I be
broken nor God, but the one who would break me, he is broken.”
There is no need to argue over this. It is coming true. The truth of God is
Truth. The words of man may or may not be true, and these do not matter here.
We gave special thanks to God (Saum) on Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be
thankful for. The message of God is spreading far and wide. Man cannot stop it,
nor have we any time for the foolish.
Several disciples are now working on your material. They regard you as
“uncle.” But besides that, they are in intrinsic agreement with what you
have written. It actually thrills those who have seen your manuscript. Sam is
not going into either the business or intellectual facets of it, only to say
that each and all are interested end went to help.
With the apparent rapid growth of “The Oracle,” backed by the slow but
steady growth of the spreading of the message in all directions, we certainly
have much to thankful for.
The continued growing interest in the dervish dances has been followed by a
constant stream of new inspirations in the yoga dances. The heritages of Hazrat
Inayat Khan and Ruth St. Dennis are now evident.
There is of course a deeper side to this. This comes out in the practices of
Tasawwuri. These in term manifest in walks. While the Dance affects the group,
the walk affects the individual, but the two go together.
I am pleased to report that Paul Reps is now cooperating and coalescing. Our
next step is to integrate all these and other efforts for the return of Pir
Vilayat Khan. Praise to Allah I can assure you progress is being made in every
direction.
Love and Blessings
Sam
December 12, 1968
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Thank you very much for your letter of 9th December with phone numbers and
dance material promises for Daphne. We hope very much to see a dance too. Will
there be any Monday? We may be reaching SF Sunday evening or possibly not
before Monday forenoon and shall report when we arrive.
Yes, Evelyn is a Mureed and thus may be trusted with any material. In her
present state she may later (not in the typing, which is always good) in her
talk integrate a warbled version of whatever she has written. This is
never understandable to the minds of the innocent so it does not matter.
Looking forward to seeing you-all
Shamcher
[December 1968]
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
You know, man comes around, he is a professor of Hypertension, a PhD of
sniffles, or a Murshid. The latter of course may be much wiser and less limited
but nevertheless, to the unwary citizen, it is a limitation upwards, downwards
and at both sides. He (The citizen, not the Murshid) feels uncomfortable, or
hilariously comfortable (thinking he’s made it) is out of his kilter and
uninterruptable.
You yourself call yourself Sufi Ahmed Murad. Even so, I know it is meant as
a compliment from your side (calling me M) and thank you for that, but please
never repeat, for my air, especially to the unwary, shall always be that of the
limitless. I am nothing, absolutely nothing except of course, Allah, God which
is all there is but even that name is suspect to some, so: Nothing. Haven’t I
suffered for 50 years being an engineer? Shamcher is all right for the time
being, for the few, for it signifies a function, not a “rank,” not an
accomplishment. I have never and will never have any rank, any accomplishment.
I am shaking the world. You cannot shake the world if you have a title.
It is a privilege to watch your progress with the young of the great City.
Now that you also have Sheikha Bhakti under your wing you may obtain a copy of
all her many papers—not for me but for your collection at your place, which
is a very, very important collection point and which I hope you will fill to
the assigned limit. Thereby dear Sheikha Bhakti will make amends for her sins
in Cleveland and after. And I know you have the skill and cunning to get it
from her, by appealing to her compassion for the young of San Fran—and that
your own high discrimination will see to it nothing unfrozen reaches whomever
shall not have it (this what she has been so afraid of and of course where she
is so wrong. Secrecy takes care of itself. “Those who are not supposed to
know will not know even if they stare at that “secret paper” all forenoon
and the rest of the night)
And a happy Christmas to you, like all other happy days and you are one,
thank God, who does not need a Christmas card!!
Bless bless, son and father of God
Shamcher
December 24, 1968
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Samuel L. Lewis
My visit with you-all confirmed and illuminated further your wonderful work
and the unique relationship between you-all, all being teachers and pupils and
friends at the same time, the age-old pattern of true mystics. I would so much
have liked to stop over on my way North and watch more of your dancing, the
dervish variety, but this time it was not granted, since a father lives for his
children and Bryn had to get right up for some paid work he had promised to do.
We arrived safely after a hazardous snow fighting, being just a step ahead of a
storm that would have delayed us long and perhaps torn us apart if we had
dallied.
I suggested to the people of the Kanaka to gun for the ranch in a general
mystic way, gradually endearing and introducing and in living themselves, and
if some of the present ranch residents may resent such intrusion and the way of
life following it, and quit, no bother, for they may not deserve such a fine
physical house, a peach, lasting, of substantial materials, rather fire-proof
and with beautiful surroundings.
Love to all,
Shamcher
Garden of Inayat
910 Railroad Ave.
Novato, Cal. 94947
January 9, 1969
My Dear Shamcher,
I feel so encouraged today, a report is in order. On the purely personal
side, I was ready to put my foot down, and hard. Apparently this was not
necessary. A sort of climax was reached when at the Vilayat meeting—totally
unadvertised—over eighty people showed up. There was not only no collection,
but not a single disciple tried to stop total strangers from invading private
potions of the house and eating my food. Last night the first serious attempt
at collecting was more than amply rewarded. I am not demanding from disciples
but when they can spend money elsewhere (a.) and do not defend their
Murshid’s possessions something has to be changed. The mere attempt to be
firm has been successful.
Vilayat’s whirlwind visit has been followed by what I should call most
interesting reactions. there is a flurry here in Novato at the place he hopes
to make his headquarters. I have no details and perhaps it does not matter.
The poll in the audience of who wanted to join Vilayat in his mountain
climbing plans for next June showed that the majority of those in attendance
wished that. Our first step will be to get one of our station wagons ready for
six or more people. The fact that several of the disciples are already engaged
in mountain climbing, that several of these have shown prowess in both the
Dance and Walks makes it very easy to cooperate in this as well as in other
plans of Vilayat.
Mansur, the esoteric secretary, tape recorded the remarks of the other
night. These remarks are already being shared and I have requested a copy for
you at such a time as it may be available. But Mansur has already left for Los
Angeles with his tape recorder and intends to stay long enough to use it at
several of Vilayat’s gatherings. He will be joined by several of my Mureeds.
This means of course that you would also be furnished with a copy when it is
available.
But Samuel is most delighted in the way Vilayat is putting his cards on the
table. Last night’s lesson was arranged so we can coordinate our efforts.
Steps were also taken to welcome Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj. The Indian
students of Indian philosophy have been far more cordial than the various
German, English and American “experts” on this subject. I think much more
will happen and favorably happen in this year, God willing.
Evidently Vilayat may not be going your way. I am sorry for Sitara’s sake.
Dickinson is making a flurry all over the world with his money. It is the same
old Kurukshetra, but thank God we have Sri Krishna.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel
Thank you for your good letter of 17 January and the query which please find
enclosed, filled in. The questions are wisely formulated and well composed.
I’m sure you see the difference between registering already experienced
phenomena and working out a program in a laboratory, as you hint at the end. It
will probably be done and can’t be avoided, but entails such side-effects as
nervous and distorted efforts by people who feel obliged to produce, therefore
produce less genuine and less “normal” patterns. Also all kinds of physical
and mental defects may follow, even deadly ones. Personally I would not be
liable to all this, I would just be hamstrung by a feeling that you don’t go
out of your body just for the sake of going out, showing “that it can be
done.” You go out when you have a valid purpose. Isn’t scientific
research a valid purpose? To some it would probably seem so and by all means
let them try! To others it would seem that the general mood is not yet right.
Too much vain curiosity, too little serious intent.
In a sense, when a person thinks about a distant scene, he is there. He is
out of his body, or part of him is. In the scene I describes a much more
essential part is going out. There are all kinds of degree in this game. To me
it seems a serious game, even more serious than present day lab research (and
of that I have done say bit at the UC). Somehow I would like to be part of
running such a show, to help avoid mistakes. I would not like to be one of the
guinea pigs this is too easy—for me and at the same time to difficult. I
wouldn’t play.
Greetings,
Bryn Beorse
February 9, [1969?]
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
This is the day after Hazrat Inayat’s passing anniversary. Thank you for
letters about your activity, most interesting. A research foundation is
secretly delving into “going out of your body” phenomena and I told them
about a long-ago experience when my life was saved that way. They responded
with a fifteen page long questionnaire, which I filled in accompanied by
the enclosed warning letter. I am sure you agree.
Love
Shamcher
Bryn Jr. is angry with McCoy’s people for having carelessly caused a fire
that became the cause of the Novato fire chief’s death. Daphne takes the
opposite stand that it is not the fault of the McCoy hippies. Channels
McCoy’s energy and cabbage to useful purposes anyway?
February 14, 1969
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
When I read about Playboy interviewing you, I sent Daphne to buy a copy
(with an request to the drug store to let her buy it, though a miner, because
her father wanted it). The man or woman who writes is confused even about his
(her) on stand, quotes you rather correctly at times so valuable things come
out in spite of all and the writer, as well as most readers, while trying to
laugh derisively, do this with a nervous twitch “Hum, maybe this is the thing
anyhow, maybe I am just a hell-bound idiot, maybe I should go there, become
part if it.”
So, if this article had been about you only, with a picture of you, it might
have been quite a good thing. Now it is in an awful mix or devil worshipers and
witches, but even so, well, you never can tell. But wait until my book sweeps
the world—it has been much changed thanks to silent communications from many
of your chelas and yourself during my Christmas visit. Now it is ten times
better.
Love
Shamcher
910 Railroad Ave.
Novato, Calif. 94947
February 14, 1969
My dear Shamcher:
Playboy March 1969 is now on the stands. There is an article in it called
“Cultsville U.S.A. Sam is mentioned and how! Indeed there is some question
whether we should praise them, sue them or ask for publication of a partial
corrective?
Although some of the remarks about Sam and his audience are definitely
slanderous, this is not true of the general report or of all the tenor of the
article. What is missed and missed entirely is that Sufism is neither a cult
nor a California movement. Its connections in other lands are for the reader
and for this particular writer non-existent. It ignores international
connections or international importance.
I am much more concerned with the implications. If a copy of this should get
into Iraq, there might not only be more outbreaks against Jews but oven against
the American embassy. I have been through all this before. I do not know, with
the new administration, where there will be any change in the psychological
policy of ignoring reports and information from citizens. This attitude is
well- known almost everywhere else in the world.
This article comes at a time when our work is expanding. We are about ready
to leave for the Haight-Ashbury district. The first meeting went over very
well. It is the young who form the audience, not Sam, who desire more meetings.
They feel that Sam is honest and direct, not necessarily right, but honest and
direct. That is what they want.
Today I shall introduce some techniques. The basic techniques are found in
scriptures—and ignored. However, in presenting them, I shall modify them with
some Sufic changes. The young want participation. The young want to be shown,
not told. This is a new age.
Love and Blessings,
Sam
February 17, 1969, night
My dear Shamcher:
Thank you for yours of the 14th. I am not taking any action yet, depending
on advice from my colleague, Rev. Dr. Neville Warwick who is an old hand here.
But you are right about confusion.
I am not going to laugh the thing off but take every advantage that Sufism
is mentioned and I am slowly but definitely putting it into two men who are
allies of each other, each a sort of intellectual Fuehrer.
One is Dr. Hayakawa involved in the San Francisco State controversy. He has
turned down every paper Sam has ever sent him including those requested by
himself and by his close associates. Now I find chiefly in Buddhist but also in
Sufi sources plenty on the subject that “words are not things.” I am
equally certain if I get such materials together they will now be accepted by
the University of California.
There is no objection to Dr. Kaplan being a Jew (being of similar ancestry).
But he has taken advantage of his position in Hawaii to have the East-West
conference almost entirely dominated by Jews, regardless of the constitution of
mankind. And with the delicate situations on all over this solves nothing.
Of course there is silent communication. We are now in touch with Phillip
Kapleau. When his teacher, Roshi Yasutani was here, conversation was not needed
at all.
As you can see in the letter to Finley Dunne I am busy all the time and no
way out. But is this necessary? Rapid progress on my commentary on “The Inner
Life” and I am also sending Dunne copies of two of my poems which were
rejected. Tomorrow complete reading of one of them. I know what is going to
happen. He is concerned with the “generation gap”; I am concerned with the
between “realism” and Reality.
Yes, we shall wait for your book and also have a store in which to see
it.
Love and blessings,
Sam
February 18, 1969
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Brilliant! Phenomenal! Your idea of suing Playboy. You’d have 8-% of the
American people behind you—this million-dollasr magazine erected on the ruins
of women’s busts and now trying to appear literate! It is high time it is
“busted” and its millions used for good purpose, so sue for “in view of
the great international and domestic misunderstandings, even violence, killing
that might well occur, as a humble dedication to this—the sum of ten million
in damage—to be paid to Sufis and Hebrews and Christians around the world and
to Sam….
There is first the total insult to Sufis, from whom stem the Hebrews,
Christians and Moslem religion—actually all of these have been mortally
insulted. And damaged. Then there is the term “Sam, an old Jew.” Now, the
only sense in which Jew may scientifically be used is in regard to the Hebrew
religion, a beautiful tolerant religion, father of the Christian religion that
in its present expressions happens to be less tolerant, less wise than the
Jewish one. But you were not at the time practicing the Hebrew tradition
but the still older one, the Sufi tradition, the father of the Jewish, the
grandfather of the Christian. So, the unlucky author must have used “Jew”
in another sense, the Hitler and Nazi sense of a race in which sense it
is an insult not only to the few individuals but to the millions who died in
World War II for the cause of freeing man for outrageous idiocy. This, alone,
is worth the five million of the suit.
Get some checks from people abroad, small ones, token ones, in addition to
my initial one, then write Huston Smith at MIT, quote my letter if you wish,
then with letter in hand from Huston Smith you approach the head of the legal
department of the University of California and also get together with any
scientist there of the same trend and subject as Huston Smith and consult from
there. First of all discuss this in your group. You may have ten million to
work out your plans with! Philip and Mansur should be in on this and not the
least Marsha and her energetic and practical boyfriend.
Love
Shamcher
Before Dawn,
February 21, 1969
Mr. Shamcher Bryn Beorse
Box 142
Keyport, Washington 98345
My dear Shamcher:
The Spiritual Hierarchy, War and Sufi Ahmed Murad
I have again been aroused from sleep and “commanded” to write this to
you and copies will be sent to Pir Vilayat, Vocha Fiske, Saladin Reps, Dr.
Huston Smith and perhaps others. My esoteric secretary, Mansur Otis Johnson
will be here sometime today and will make also suitable copies.
One must thank you for your contribution, and this long letter may be an
“excuse” for not going into certain details. The possibilities of a
dualistic approach to Playboy are still here but on talks with colleagues, for
the moment the empty fact that Sufism is recognized at all is marvelous. One
has been snubbed by the various British and German “experts” ???? on Sufism
and prevented by them from even attending conferences and the pattern by an
American who unfortunately is of Jewish ancestry becomes, in a sense, more
important than any personality squabble. There is a great issue at stake about
Divine Love, all- encompassing love.
There is no nonsense about Paulian “I die daily.” Every day brings
adventure, often great adventure. I just had my first free day since
Thanksgiving and do not know when I shall have one again. And again the strange
elevation taking one beyond sleep. Besides there is going to be a seminar on
mystical experience in April at the University of California. I am having
Mansur Otis bring and also copy, “Real Mysticism vs. Pseudo-Mysticism.”
There are among the unknown professors of the University of California at least
two who accept the possibilities of valid mystical experience and not just
book-wallahs or linguists who because they know a certain Asian language become
ipso facto the ᾀ?experts” on all things connected with that culture. Bill
Hathaway translates Russian scientific articles into English; this has made him
neither an expert on Russian or any science. Prof. “Von Plotz” knows a
little Sanskrit and Hindi; he becomes an “expert” on all things Asian! And
he (an archetype not a man) prevents the true mystics from attending
conferences. This is our “moral and spiritual” outlook??
The other day for the first time Sam heard an American of worth, Dr.
Nottingham of Long Island U. speak on Vietnam from the Vietnamese point of
view. When Sam said that Americans were unable to listen to Vietnamese
several in the class said Americans have become unable to listen. This
is certainly true of the local campus outbreaks—everything, everything but
facts.
Ordinarily one might have let this go, but in a few hours a phone call from
Prof. An The of the government school of languages asking Sam to come to
Monterey to speak on “Zen” and the finding of a picture of General Edward
Lansdale. One must explain.
In 1931 I was in Cleveland reading Efleki in French and was amazed that
one’s own mystical experiences, practically rejected by this culture, were
all in line with the Mevlevis. This did no good at the time but the reverse,
the almost absolute acceptance by Asians of all kinds has placed one in a
strange position. On arriving in Japan we took a taxi and stopped at Tsurumi
monastery between Yokohama and Tokyo (Sojiji). My friend Okudo-san asked me how
I felt. “Very strange.” “That is not strange. You are in a strange
country.” “Oh, that is not the reason I feel strange. I feel strange
because I do not feel strange. I feel strange because nothing is strange. I
know everything that is going on. I know these trees, the ceremonies, the
teachings, everything, everything but the language.”
About six weeks later we called at the monastery and had an interview with
the Roshi. There were a number of notables, several translating. It was not
necessary. As one stayed a while, one became aware of all seven planes of
existence at once, the only time I have ever been so multiple-conscious.
The longer together the easier the communication, and then he took me to a
secret shrine (not the only secret or sacred shrine Sam has been brought to)
and tried to explain the Universal Buddhism which I already knew and
accepted. Let us call it the Supreme Dharma. I could not in previous
years dare give it out but will refer to it shortly.
When Phillip Kapleau’s Pillars of Zen came out I got up and danced
in utter joyous ecstasy. Mansur Otis is now corresponding with Kapleau. This
strange “only in America” expertism which makes a personality
important and experience unacceptable is going to come to an end. And I am also
preparing today to “invade” Haight-Ashbury with further talks on “Real
Mysticism versus Pseudo- Mysticism.”
Universal Buddhism. I am hopelessly bogged. When Grand Master Seo
Kyung Bo came to the Soto Temple here (which has rejected absolutely and in
toto my depth-experiences), I was the only one to greet him correctly. When he
gave a number of us examinations in Mahayana, Sam came out #1 and has never
been forgiven by the important people. I am now going to try to get the Grand
Master some kind of affiliation with the University of California,
Inshallah.
Later Dr. Thich Thien An came here and also Sam was the only one who knew
the Universal Buddhism. And it was his associate, An The, who wants Sam to
speak. Incidentally my colleague Eugene Wagner and I went out and saluted Lord
Buddha in celebration of Parinirvana Day and having the writings of Nyogen
Senzaki, we may have reason to do this again. But one cannot do everything, be
everything.
In this city one has had almost the same kind of greeting from Master Seo,
Dr. An, Princess Poon Diskul, Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj, Sidi El-Alawi and
Rabbi Schlomo! All the same story, over and over and over.
General Edward Lansdale. During the War I did some pseudo-research
for Colonel Harris of GII. He tested me and I passed and he, with his
subaltern, Edward Lansdale had a laugh on me. But two years later when I wanted
a release I had to go to Col. Harris and showed him my esoteric notebook with
the precise predictions. Most of these notebooks were destroyed in a fire but a
few poems, and some of the most important, are here. All predictions
came through with a precision not found in any Edgar Cayce or Eileen Garrett or
Nostradamus or Blake! And permission to read them has been refused and every
attempt to have them published rejected. (Moral and spiritual!) But now I have
just completed reading “What Christ! What Peace!” to about thirty young
people, most not disciples.
When Col. Harris saw my notes and my explanations of the Sufi Hierarchy he
accepted my position. The only other person was the then Captain Edward
Lansdale. This man is now Lieutenant General of the U.S. Army and has been one
of the tops in Vietnam. My letters to him were returned. But Allah is great, no
doubt about it. I saw a “Lieutenant Edward Lansdale” living in Novato,
where the Khankah is, and mentioned this to Mansur Otis. Then we found the
picture which Lansdale gave me … he was my one war hero. So I am again going
to find him and see whether an American who can get along with Vietnamese, etc.
may help bring understanding.
One’s aeonic experiences were accepted by Pir-o-Murshid Hasan Sani Nizami,
Swami Satchidananda in South India, Yusuf Wali in Cairo and by a number of Pirs
of Sufi Orders in Pakistan.
I am nearly through writing the commentary on “The Inner Life” and will
direct my secretaries to send them on. My secretaries for the most part get no
pay so your small contribution helps. All office expenses are mine, but one
secretary gets collections. The next job is
Shagaliat. There are a number of the greater Sufi sciences about
which we do not have much material. The papers on Amaliat are written in
such a way that the unworthy getting hold of them would not see their
connection with the Amal practices. But I have a lot of Shagal material
and they were to be incorporated into “The Complete Ryazat of Hazrat Inayat
Khan.”
However before I could take the first step two disciples have had the Great
Awakening. One of them is referred to in the article in Playboy. He happens to
be the prizefighter whom I taught to walk up a steep hill full speed and he is
an adept at it. But he has had the Awakening again and again and copy of this
goes to Vilayat because I have at least two disciples worthy now to be
Khalifs—one you have met, Moineddin.
When I was saying goodbye to Hasan Sani Nizami in 1956, he showed me where
the Khankah of Nizam-ed-din Auliya was and where the Saint had practiced
Shagal. I went and did likewise and my whole future opened up, especially about
my trips to the Orient. As on my return, without practicing Shagal, I had even
more awakenings in his presence (once a brother was with us too); I shall not
go into details here excepting at the moment I am wearing the Robe, so
often foreseen and later bestowed on Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti. Hard facts are
the last thing the “experts” and metaphysical dabblers want to hear about.
But even if I wished, long details of mystical experiences would be utterly
time consuming. Only now the strange coincidents of Shagal and events; the
strange coincidents of Vietnam complexes coming together make it physically
impossible to carry on any controversy. I have hardly begun the work laid out
by Hazrat Inayat Khan.
Walk and Dance. Here again it has been impossible to get a secretary.
All the proposals of Vilayat are now objective fact. A disciple of Gavin came
here this week—we had met several times—and wished instructions. I saw at
once he is fit to learn the Astrological walks and Dervish twirls. The Meher
Baba people were criticizing Sam for this work, then their “Master” died
and they are all in an emotional tether. Everything their local leader did was
in opposition to the teachings in “The Inner Life.” (Moral and
Spiritual.)
I do not wish to come to a conclusion about Playboy. My brother is again
threatening the Estate. The value of the principal has gone way out and we do
not benefit much. If I join him the chances are of getting a further emolument,
and with the above, I simply cannot do everything. There are now several fine
applicants and it is also necessary to give Darshan, something nobody else
seems capable of doing.
I am also disengaging from all claim-organizations who verbalize
“Universal Religion,” etc. and exclude Sam. It is enough to work with
Clive-Ross, the editor of “Studies in Comparative Religion.” He is my
British counterpart and no nonsense. The work of his principals, Burckhardt,
Schuon, Pallis, etc. is marvelous. They cross the boundaries between faith and
faith in the cosmic experience.
Another time-consuming thing is that one is becoming a sort of
“meta-psychiatrist.” More time in consultations and I find people simply do
not know how to breathe.
Next I am having multigraphed a quotation from “The Awakening of Faith in
Mahayana.” This proclaims that words are not the things they represent and is
one of the many papers rejected by Dr. Hayakawa who is in the public eye now.
He is a marvelous pretender. He rejected all my stuff on Zen too—he with a
Japanese father—and accepted Huxley and Watts. Then he rejected them because
they took psychedelics, on which he is a self-established “expert.”
I was placed on this study, “The Awakening of Faith” by the joint
efforts of Dr. Kirby and Murshida Martin who were good friends (vide Senzaki
and I.K.) That was the last thing Kirby did before he went away, later to
become famous through Dr. Malalasekera. This is almost my favorite scripture
and even now every re-reading produces more profound impressions.
I am also now giving Lord Buddha’s Jhanas in public with some Sufi
additions. Vilayat has done that and I thoroughly approve. Besides, these work,
and how, just as Lord Buddha taught. But not “Buddhists,” goodness no! We
have bunches of them and they have nothing in common but the title, nothing.
And they don’t recognize each other.
Sunday night, finding it impossible to give a Buddha Walk (only the
meditative pose), out of it in deep meditation came the Avalokita walk
and then the Kwan Yin walk—part of this already done with the Chinese.
And yesterday the first elements of the Fudo walk. Although Fudo is said
to be a Japanese rendition of Lord Shiva, so far my Shiva efforts to walk all
end in dancing. The cosmic dance. I have enough followers now to bring out the
shallowness of movements and cults that simply exclude me. And being unable to
be with them as an equal, I shall have to do what I did with Dilip Koomar Roy,
meet him as his superior! We have since been wonderful friends.
The folks here are reading Marie Corelli’s Romance of Two Worlds
and see before them a man working on these two levels simultaneously. But at
the Khankah one must work on all three places at once, actually. I shall see
you get a copy of this material for it is down your line.
You can understand that Sam is always, always busy and it is now just about
six o’clock, when the day begins.
Love and blessings,
Sufi Ahmed Murad-Chisti
February 28, 1969
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
Thank you for comments on Inner Life. They are true, genuine, showing that
you have the Inner Life. I shall show it to Sitars end perhaps others, perhaps
Dickinson?
Love
Shamcher
March 3, 1969
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Two things: 1) You remember Sitara was to meet a doc in SF for taking over
her business. Didn’t work out, nor someone else, though a few years ago (when
she didn’t want to sell) everybody wanted to take over, buy in. Usual.
Anyway, here is a unique product that has saved eyes and skin from the most
serious diseases (and this you are not permitted by the Food and Drug
administration to say) and I was wondering if you have among your acquaintances
someone appropriate. He should preferably be a doc or medic student or druggist
or chemist with faith and some business acumen.
2) I showed Sitara article in Playboy. She said she would never have become
a Sufi had she read that article first. She was greatly upset, agreed
thoroughly with me you should sue. Now Sam, the current idea is: News media,
the third estate, is sacrosanct! Never touch them! And that is why this third
or this fourth estate has developed into an intolerable dictatorship and
needs to be cut down to size. But it requires a tough guy to do it. And you
are a tough guy! And you were presented with a good case on a silver platter.
It is more than that: Deep religion, the deepest and most valuable man
has—has been soiled and crushed and swung around in a nauseating dance
offending, not merely California, not merely Americans—but Indians, Arabs,
Jews, Chinese—are you going to stand for that, you who are now the
gate through which these things were permitted to happen?
How long are we going to let mischievous, ignorant bastards play havoc with
our greatest values? Forget your own feeling, irritation, shyness and think of
the billions insulted, thrown out in the dark, deceived, confused and
tortured!
And the Playboy? Just the sheet to hit! The worst of them all, and a
prototype so many others now try to copy. Hit it, and hit it hard before it
becomes a powerful prototype!
Such is the word from the incomparable, eternal, phenomenal
Shamcher
March 10, 1969
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
It seems Sitara has dug out an old Sufi in Seattle who might do the eye
drops if meanwhile you haven’t found someone better there.
In Belgium during World War II I was charged with some work and a
messy-looking group of hungry nose-dripping civilians, growing from 200 to 1000
volunteered to serve, noses dripping, worn frizzled clothing hanging.
We established thought transference, as you know so much better. I hardly
needed talking. A gesture with an arm put the mind reading to work. Soon I was
free and without any work. The volunteers had taken over—everything!
When you write reps that “someone has urged suit but how we would I have
time?”
My great friend, you don’t need a second, nor a worry. The only condition
is that you feel there should be. Then, lackadaisically, you bring up the
matter every time you meet with anyone. No one responds? Well, try again an and
again and if still no response, forget. It wasn’t God’s will. But if one
responds give the whole works to him! Delegate! That’s all. Wipe it out of
your brain, your heart, your care. You know! Use my two letters to introduce it
all to him. Nothing else required.
Love
Shamcher
March 14, 1969
My dear Shamcher:
I think a letter was received from you before left San Francisco. One has
not been too well complicated, or caused by constant attention to many little
details which prevent one from getting into the grand rhythms of
accomplishment. The paper on the new spiritual-social outlook was not correctly
mailed and now the few people who have seen it want it published.
I have not been too enthusiastic about “apocalyptic visions” because in
part they come true and in part they produce enemies, even among friends. It is
remarkable how metaphysical people are emotionalized and they will accept the
dire predictions of strangers even if these do not come true and if they do not
they merely change from one stranger to another.
Next to constant attention to details, there have been numerous battles. If
one ascribes them to envy, jealousy, rivalry but at the same time many critics
have a certain logic on their side, too. The hardest people to reach are those
that verbalize “moral and spiritual” reform and who sermonize endlessly on
karma. This week has seen the practical demise of a folk-hero from this region
who, being outlandish, received much publicity. Sooner or later there has bound
to be a private or public hassle between him and Vilayat. But the important
people never take Allah into account; they do not even take karma into
account.
Very gradually this man’s former followers are coming to Sam, a fact not
necessarily gratifying but there is not room any more at my meetings. In Marin
county one gets 70-80 persons without trying. And I understand in going back to
San Francisco today there will be some effort to get the important “Straight
Theater” for my meetings, especially dance teachings. The Dervish dances have
gone ahead and I am assimilating items from Dervishes whom I could not possibly
have met because the “experts” say so. But these “experts” are fast
disappearing from the scene.
I expect to meet some of them next week when we celebrate five birthdates in
four days, including Gavin. We are planning a big affair in Novato. Sam will
cook and then M.C. the dance programs. Having now the position of strength I
may even “madzub” some of these veddy important persons who are gradually
receding.
I the midst of this the white flag went up from the associate of the very
controversial Dr. S. I. Hayakawa. There is no use going into the past, but a
good shove is all that is needed. As he has rejected Asian cultures in toto
(despite his ancestry) he is learning the hard way, that “the enemy of my
enemy is my friend.” I can assure you the enmity has all been on one side.
And I am holding up for a few weeks the materiel which I have intended should
go all around the Rand-McNally world which would not be confused with the
social-newspaper “world.”
One of my young girl disciples has friends and relatives in the publishing
business and I am taking up with her the possibility of marketing the writings
both of Vocha Fiske and yourself. For the moment I cannot fulfill requests. And
besides the once famous publication The Oracle is now entirely in the hands of
disciples and friends. They want to publish several of my minor things which to
them seem “exciting” enough. Sam’s predictions have come true with a much
greater regularity than those of the emotional psychics or Edgar Cayce, etc.
Another thing that will interest you is the use of the Sufi symbol as an art
form by my immediate disciples. Many of them are artists in some way or
another.
There will be no problem of getting an entourage to join Vilayat this summer
in Colorado. The money has been assured.
It is now Spring after a very, very wet “winter.” We expect to do a lot
of planting next week and there are visions on the horizon of much more. Much
more, Inshallah.
Love and blessings.
Sam
Novato
March 20, 1969
My dear Shamcher:
I know you have been a very good friend and that everything you say, do and
plan is for the general good and also for my personal good. But I have to make
some reports here so you can know what is going on. No matter how much is
written the greater part is unwritten.
I do not know what is in a name. But I do know my name and character
resemble, for better or worse that of Samuel Morse, the investor of the
electrical telegraph. Derided, sneered at, impugned, etc. in the latter part of
his life he brought law-suits against his detractors and won every one of them.
I do not wish to bring law-suits, but if so, there are many others besides
Playboy, and a bird in the hand is sometimes worth a flock in the bush.
Family Estate. While everything that I have written has been going
on, the litigation about my father’s estate has continued, all the time
without surcease. Of coulee Sam is a goat. Sam has always been a goat; it is
not only a family institution it became a San Francisco institution and one
should not be surprised that the same pattern find in the family took place in
society at large. I am therefore writing a letter to you and copy is going to
Lloyd Morain, about which more later.
My sticking to my last, more difficult in any case, but with all the dramas
going on my income from the estate has doubled from $4500 to $9000 a year,
without so far a single legal expense; and evidently I am not through. There is
still a question, whether when my brother leaves, if he predeceases me, that I
am either fairly well off, or from my point of view actually rich. I lost every
single time from early manhood, everry single time by leaving things to
“Allah,” or “fate,” or “goodness.” My batting average was zero. And
when I went out and fought my batting average has been very high indeed. But
this takes time and energy and it has not been convincing to those, friends and
otherwise, who see the importance, or non-importance of missions.
My God-Children. This has been one of the most rewarding aspects of
life. Of course the riders and sneezers will not even accept their existence,
but my godson may come to Gavin Authur’s party tomorrow night. He will be
around. He will meet his local “god-sister.” Nothing but blessings from
this source.
But it is my Pakistani god-daughter who is most important. She won an
international philosophical contact, first prize and became famous. The paper
was written by this very ineligible person; I cannot even submit papers (until
very recently), no-credentials! Now she has invited me to Harvard and Cornell,
expenses to be paid, if there is time. Oh yes, same game only this time Sam is
to be on the podium. In Asia on the podium, here, no credentials! (“only in
America” style).
Hayakawa. If it were not for some telephone calls from Russell
Joyner, an associate of Don Hayakawa and Lloyd Morain I would now be in a
position to do some international blasting. Asians are simply not equals and
this is one of the reasons—hidden by the press—of a certain group of
student’s revolting.
The extreme unforgivable sin of having studied with Cassius Keyser and
having been introduced by him to Count Korzybski still hangs over my head.
Absolutely unforgivable. Unless now, under pressure Lloyd and Don I see a way
out by jumping from “realism” to Reality! Every paper submitted has
been rejected, over a long period of years. Every effort to speak has been met
by value judgments and taunts. Never a solid, serious debate on any subject. It
is long and horrible. And even the hard, hard fact that the University of
Islamabad with which I am connected has put aside a sum for a chair on
Semantics—I may have on file the copy of letter to Hayakawa, but hard, hard
facts like this are no good. Privates simply cannot approach “Generals.”
The latest is that I began to uncover materials, on what AK calls the
“unspeakable” in Buddhist literature. Nothing doing, the General says so.
Than I have an excellent article on Buddhist logic from the Journal of the
Royal Asiatic Society. And in going over their publication I found that not a
single local “expert” on Asian culture, any kind is an FRS. Only
this miserable peasant. And I have seen in Buddhist and other forms of Non-A
Logics ways by which some problems may be solved.
As I told you before but the “Generals” refused absolutely and adamantly
to consider, I had no trouble studying Einstein. Much more has come of this and
I won’t repeat excepting that since a certain event on the Berkeley campus
the doors are wide, wide open. And this is now true at New Mexico and Oregon.
These people are amazed at the a priori rejections given in regard to the
unknown values in certain kinds of Oriental culture.
This is Hayakawa’s Premise:
Everything value out of Asia is associated with religion.
Everything associated with religion is useless or passé.
Buddhist logic comes from Asia, it is associated with religion. Therefore it
is useless.
He dared not contradict this. He cannot But on the other hand, looking at
the multitude of his foes, I find little empathy. Nevertheless I must say that
some of his foes and critics at least let one speak, he does not, has not and
red not deny this.
I have now “ins” at both Temple and Penn in Philadelphia and have been
considering visiting them and also Columbia. My visits at Columbia have been
excellent, marred only by change of tenure and personnel. But my later contacts
through Dr. Oliver Reiser show we are going to have real East-West cultural
relations. I was placed in this field in 1923 and have been working
incessantly.
Now the young come, every week more in my total audiences. I am planning a
curry dinner for at least a hundred. We have five joint birthdays, including
Gavin Arthur’s. This morning Mansur and others of my “family” are at the
meeting of “The Oracle,” a local publication now in my hands. They should
accept anything I write and especially on what used to be called
“semantics” before it became, as it is now, a personality cult.
Besides this I have articles coming for two publications, one in this
country for my meeting real Sufis; and another in England for my meetings with
real Zen teachers, etc. I am no longer going to try to impress those who
determine everything by personalism and personality. Hard facts will avail in
the non-sciences as well as in the sciences. This is also one of the factors in
the so- called “campus revolts.”
The use of the dance has expanded. As the “good” people deny any
relations with the late Ruth St. Denis—”goodness” is a matter of prestige
and nothing else—sooner or later other things than derogatory Playboy
articles will come out. At least Playboy has accepted my existence which is
something. Others so not. This is “realism.”
I now have to write an article (or more) on Pakistan. The hard, hard fact
that I have lived in that land and associated with those close to those now in
public limelight means nothing to the “important” people. I know what to do
and to do next. If you want copies of such letters, please let me know. The
local universities are now accepting what the “generals” will not even look
at. I am hoping this can be changed. We need something like semantics,
“general” or not, based on impersonality predictabilities, etc., etc. There
is lots more going on.
This may not be good defense or explanation but it must do for the
moment.
Love and Blessings,
Sam
March 20, 1969
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Mansur sent me a precious and very well typed script of your making and
wrote he hoped it would be published. I immediately saw many ways in which this
could be done in many publications for instance Oracle, by picking separate
items and mentioning them separately, one or a few in each issue. And then we
come to the rule that words of a mystic must never be changed—yes, true in
the sense that somewhere the original must be, un-tampered with, but there
should be full permission to make any use in any connection.
Love
Shamcher
San Francisco, Calif.
410 Precita Ave.,
March 25, 1969
My dear Shamcher:
We had a glorious Sunday, celebrations of five joint birthdays and a work
party in Novato. The weather was wonderful and an enormous amount of work
accomplished. Sam cooked dinner for a hundred people and about a hundred showed
up. We kept well within the time limits.
Gavin was King and a girl named Gypsy was Queen. We had some dedications and
a number of my dances. Twice small delegations came from Sonoma State College
and both said they have never witnessed such joy and beauty. Maybe so, and some
day I hope to convince a “realist” but it is like Shaw saying that he
doubted if he could convince a banker’s clerk about the value of
socialism.
It was not only the success of the day but the implications. We are not only
introducing Asian philosophies from real Asia we are next going to have
“mystery” rituals and dances and I am going to let all the “realists”
pooh-pooh. The young are coming, slowly but surely more every week and slowly
but surely a slighter longer distance do people come (excepting
“realists”).
The Oracle comes out the first of April. The way things stand although none
of us had anything to do with it, it is like the joint mouthpiece of Gavin
Arthur, Paul Reps, Bryn Shamcher Beorse and Sam Lewis. It will gradually
publish both poetry and prose rejected in the past, and also no doubt some
articles.
Legally I had to let Playboy go while there was consideration and some
success in the family “affair.” I now have enough money to stand on my feet
and the next thing is to see I am properly protected in case my bother
predeceases me. I have been fooled and hood-winked too-many times in the past.
And now with the great American-virtue ($$$$) I may go on one or more
missions.
All of these missions will effect most unfavorably Lloyd Morain and S.I.
Hayakawa, the “generals” of semantics. Lloyd, who should have been at least
open-minded, has for years followed a Sadist-masochist policy toward me and
while I overlooked his last totally untoward bawling out in public, the
involvement of Don Hayakawa in the present educational controversies shows the
immediate danger of setting up vocabulary-snatchers as “leaders,” and I
doubt very seriously whether either Lloyd or Don could pass an examination in
“Science and Sanity” (the whole book) given by an impartial group.
It is only that one of their associates has sent for me and just before an
invitation to Harvard—which I may or may not accept. But if I do not I shall
certainly visit Columbia and Penn later on and put cards on the table and I
mean just that for neither of these worthies has the manhood to face me as a
Man on equal footing anywhere.
My background in American-American philosophy came through Cassius Keyser,
the friend and mental of Alfred Korzybski and practically denied by them. If
was the Keyser background which helped so much in establishing a real
friendship with Vocha Fiske, and these two “generals” have denied it,
rejected all my papers on the subject, etc. etc., and a whole lot of
Etc’s.
But the operation of the moral laws—which they pooh-pooh, will came. The
Oracle is taking the first steps in its efforts to restore American-American
philosophies (I had nothing to do with that idea). I am hoping to see a
Humanism which will be humanistic and not based on the practice that
some men are more equal than others. It is unfortunate for there are so many
common backgrounds I presumably share with Lloyd and Don and this is treated as
presumption by them, in practice.
One of my secretaries, going over my diaries to get real Asian stories about
real Asians found copies of letters to Don Hayakawa, none ever answered by him.
Thus “Humanism”?????
My secretary, Mansur, will arrive after this is mailed. I’ll show him your
letter. I should like peace with Don Hayakawa but unless he changes very much
end admits such things as that Zen Buddhism is not a modern invention of
Englishmen whom he once admired (but no longer does) I see no hope. This has
been turned into a personality-controversy by Lloyd, most unfortunately. Even
now I am preparing to welcome back a Korean Zen Master (who does exist and
teaches in one of our leading universities, despite the “realists.”
My “thing” should come on April 12 when there will be a special seminar
at the University of California and this time I shall not be excluded from the
floor, or permitted only to speak because the personality is involved.
Now one of my applicants has told me he wishes to become a teacher of
Semantics. He has the background. When I explained the local scene that all my
papers have been rejected and that I may have to visit Columbia again to pick
up the pieces he told me of an anti-Hayakawa Semantic movement which he has
already jointed. This was news to me.
I see no problems which cannot be solved by the devices of Keyser, Korzybski
and Oliver Reiser. I may send Mansur on a trip to one of O.R.’s colleagues,
and this can have important results. This idiotic pattern of deciding problems
by the personalities involved instead of by standards or knowledge or standards
of knowledge, is going to be changed.
Everything looks fine excepting little chance for rest.
Faithfully,
Sam
April 21, 1969
Dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
On the proud Bothell hills just North-East of Seattle stands the proudest
palace, hewn in rock, nestling around a tower that is unifying without
commanding. The master of this other-world dream palace is Mrs. Charlotte
Brautlacht, of Sufi name Hamidan, a fountain of energy, courage, wisdom and
independence, financially completely independent. At her side, Jerry Weigh, who
has healed her son. I met them May 8 last year at the Dickinson, who have I
known for twenty years.
I never talked to them until, a few days ago, she phoned me, told me about
the closing minds and hearts in the Dickinson group said that all her power
were for the message but was there no way expect through
Fazal-Rosenberg-Dickinson? She had long realized, she said ,that I was the only
Sufi she had ever met. (And Sitara.)
I have dedicated the place, made her the center and inspiration of the free
and true Sufis in
this entire area, and implored her to talk well of even such faltering Sufis
and Sufi efforts as the
Dickinson-Rosenbergs, for it is a great thing to recognize the message even if
you don’t recognize all of it (and who does?) and I have given her your
address and vita, and I have told her that until she may otherwise choose she
is of the surveillance and inspiration of Vilayat Khan selected by his father.
Such is the way of the spirit and meditation: Without physical digging
everything falls into your lap. Sitara, of course, is beautiful in on it. She
has also been out to the place. Hamidan will be submitted to attack and is
prepared for it, and for such emergency I have supplied her with a letter of
acceptance that will blow way like dust any “solid” claims ever presented
by the Fazal-Rosenberg-Dickinson clique. Fazal had his chance there but miffed
it, and it is better so for truth shall prevail.
By the way, Sitara has asked in her will that you have a memorial service
for her when she passes over. And so will Hamidan.
Love
Shamcher
Mr. S. B. Beorse
Box 142, Keyport, Wash.
April 22, 1969
My dear Shamcher:
This is one of my early morning letters. I am not making a carbon for my
files but am sending carbons to Paul Reps and The Temple of Understanding.
It is notable that Dr. Radhakrishnan places Prajna at the core of
divine wisdom and Dr. Daisetz Suzuki said, “Zen is Prajna and nothing but
Prajna.” We have in Sufism the same called “Kashf.” I am not going to
argue the point and all the negations by all persons at any and all levels do
not the least impede it.
I think it was two years ago, flat on my back in the hospital it came to me
“I make you spiritual leader of the Hippies,” an incident which nearly all
elders reject. Or as written to Art Hoppe here, my campaign to become a Pied
Piper has failed miserably—only the young show up. This is absolutely true
and now there is a break through. This breakthrough is exactly what is called
in Sufism Shahud, which is something like Divine Vision and there is a
science and art called Mushahida which has been preserved by Sufis and
which is now being imparted to a single disciple here as a beginning. All
rejections by all egocentrics at any and all levels mean absolutely nothing.
Hazrat Inayat Khan gave me detailed instructions about the Temple and these
were not received, Then one became interested in The Temple of Understanding
although one has not been entirely successful in making it clear that this was
the Dream of Akbar. Flora Annie Steel and Tennyson knew that but our egocentric
culture called “realism” does not accept what it does not understand. And
working in this field came first Dance of Universal Peace during the
lifetime of Ruth St. Denis and I have no intention of trying to convince
metaphysical people and cultists and self-messiahs about this. It is
unnecessary.
Now this Dance of Universal Peace has blossomed and bloomed and
fruited. This once overcrowded now is again overcrowded. The group was split
between the Marin County people to the North and the others and last week the
Marin home was overcrowded and last night this house. But now two big places
have been offered by churches and just in time for it is getting on. And not
only the young but a few older people too.
The seminar on mystical experience brought some high notes. The instructor,
a Dr. Needleman, accepted that one knows a multitude of real mystics in the
real world who do not always resemble the “sages” and “saints” of
metaphysical audiences. I can name them and recently another letter was written
to President Hussein. This letter has been also necessary because a disciple is
planning to go to India for a career of spiritual dancing.
Yesterday one visited the Berkeley campus and three departments accepted
“The Rejected Avatar” and at least one library the works of Swami Ramdas.
And there I saw already accomplished the literary basis of “How California
Can Help Asia” a subject which practically all scientists accepted (exactly
one did not) and very few nonscientists accepted. That professor is
accomplishing a dream, covering literature on all subjects.
The need for the integral approach is becoming clearer and not the bastard
use of the word “integration” and “integral” but every sort of
promoter, for his own achievements, each ignoring the others.
One has despaired of ever convincing that metaphysicians and private
“world organizations” can ever understand karma. Now it has struck. There
have been several bastard attempts here to have institutions giving out
“Asian Studies” and degrees and making MScs and PhDs. The authorities have
caught up with them and they are reading them out.
Not only did these people persecute this person but when some attempts were
made to get a few points clear on a few subjects one was called to task. Phony
Zen, Phony Advaita and Sufism does not exist and they got degrees on “Asian
Philosophy.” There is no use going over what real Asians say, they do not
have votes. But the whole tribe of them has been wiped out.
I shall mention only one name, Alan Watts. I am terrified that the Temple of
Understanding has called him in, a man of no faith, who does not believe in
anything but his ego and who has publicly and privately flaunted four of the
five moral principles of Pancha Sila. Not only that Her Serene Highness,
Princess Poon Diskul, President of the World Buddhist Federation was downgraded
by San Francisco society because of this “expert” in Asian (??)
philosophies and I know what real Buddhists think of his. It is terrible and a
letter has been written but I am afraid that karma and the moral law will catch
up and there may be no Temple of Understanding. It is following, alas, in the
footsteps of the Roerich Museum although there is a chance they will go from
“realism” to Reality.
The Indian diplomats here are not in good standard because they hold that
Sam Lewis knows more about India than any other American around. And I was
appalled to find that not a single “Only in America” expert on Asia
(???) in this region is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society (this one
excepted).
I am now preparing also to send emissaries to other lands so we can have the
real spiritual brotherhood. In Science Margaret Meads complains of the
generation gap. I have never encountered it. I first learned, not from an
“expert” on Asia but from the American Mark Twain how to attune to people
of all ages and do. Besides we know so little of Indian cosmic metaphysics and
being “humble” (of course) do not know how to learn.
Pir-o-Murshid wanted Sam to go to the universities and appeal to the
intellectuals. Now this seams coming. What is being accomplished in the
“halls of ivy” is marvelous and what is not being accomplished by Me and I,
and Me-Me and I-I, forming cults, separative organizations, personal
leadership, etc. is nothing but confusion and confusing.
Our Khankah is moving ahead and the May celebration will, in effect, be the
reopening of the Mysteries to the public. In fact the dance class will now be
sectioned into lesser mystery dances and greater mystery dances and no
nonsense. I am now expecting 200 people. At least one must be ready. This is a
far cry from the past. The doors are all opening, God be praised, after a long,
long time.
Faithfully,
Sam
April 26, 1969
My dear Shamcher:
Your letter of the 21st struck deep. My immediate impression is to take
everything to heart. I have been working hard in the Garden of Inayat, using
both time—necessary for health—and money, which is now coming in some
abundance from the first time in my life. And I am concluded that there will be
a plaque both for Sitara and Hamidan and a small garden of some particular
plant, either a shrub or flower be dedicated to each and also to do this as a
policy.
Yesterday my chief secretary and Sam went to a Chinese restaurant and the
fortune cookie said: “You will be invited on a long distance business
trip.” When I reached this house there was an emergency letter from New
Mexico asking Murshid to visit the place and give lectures on Asian Wisdom.
Apparently the founders were disciples of Lama Govinda.
Now on May 4 we are planning a huge “picnic” at the Garden of Inayat. A
Maypole is being put up this week and we shall have not only Dervish and
Mantric dances but the introduction of rather ancient folk mystery dances and
rituals. Today and next week we shall go over the latter. It means the
restoration of the Ancient Mysteries. Lesser and Greater.
One is not concerned here with the reactions of anybody, which is ego. This
person has been fully ordained and sanctified by many hold men and enough veils
have been lifted. We opened the San Francisco Technological Seminary Wednesday
night and there were twenty strangers. It is hard to impress what this means
because there is now a waiting list for Bayat and I should not be surprised if
200 persons showed up. For there will be complete and complex Buddhist rituals
for Wesak day under Rev. Warwick who had been a chela of Lama Govinda before he
came to this country. The Govinda visit has been commercialized but there are
enough of devotees to go on “the straight path.”
We ended our seminar on mystical experience and I have a number of people to
write papers for and also to visit. Sam’s now on good terms with more
professors than he might have dreamed of and all his real dreams are coming
into manifestation, often through others it is true, but they are coming. And
one after another the things that Hazrat Inayat Khan took up with me in 1926
are coming to objective realization.
The land which Vilayat dedicated is going through much turmoil and I know
intuitively that I had to live proximate without knowing why. I should prefer
that Vilayat do what he said than go further into it, but sometimes God speaks
to man—in Khatum always but among western disciples seldom if ever!
I did succeed in having a second day off this year—do not know when there
can be another one, and took the Khalif-designate to a number of places in
Marin County which he had never seen and he was charmed. We are also building a
children’s playground at the Garden of Inayat.
The Garden of Allah will be formally dedicated Tuesday night. And doors are
opening here more and more.
Mansur, the secretary, has to visit New Mexico on a new mission, return and
then join Vilayat. The car holds six people comfortably and we have five signed
up. The New Age is integrative without using that world and brotherly without
using that word. I have recently written to President Hussein of India to give
an introduction to a disciple who wishes to take up Indian dancing
professionally but I am being approached by more and more people who wish to be
my representatives to different parts of the world, and why not?
One has now the nickname, “Sufi Sam.”
As to Hamidan and Karma. That is right. Truth will win in the end. We have
started reading the Bowl of Saki each day at the Khankah. This with morning
grace. Disciples copy Murshid’s words both for their own good and to have
materials for applicants who cannot afford to pay for books.
If Fazal will ever come this way I can show him an original edition of one
of his grandfather’s books—all the others I have are gone, destroyed or
taken—but this will be enough to show how changes have been made deliberately
or un-deliberately in the name of propaganda.
Persons are suppose to know the Ten Thoughts before becoming mureeds and
those who have taken charge do not know them or if they know them, they ignore
them. “Neither can I be broken nor God but the one who would break me, he is
broken.”
Love and blessings,
Sam
PS. Vocha Fiske arrives shortly and we are preparing for her to come to
Khankah. I shall take your letter to the Khankah, too, so that we shall be
prepared at both ends for Sitara, and as said, we shall dedicate small plots
for her and Hamidan and gradually for others.
April 27, 1969
My dear Shamcher;
There is something in the universe which compels one to write in an
abbreviated form “Confessions.” At is quite evident that something is going
on in the cosmos and there seems, on the surface, to be a little “reason”
for upturns in events as there was in form time for being turned down and
rejected at every point.
I had been teaching the Gospel of St. Thomas and when the recent seminar
took place on “mystical experience” this was the first subject on the
agenda and I am now writing a paper on it. It is going to the Philosophy
Department of San Francisco State right under the nose of Dr. Hayakawa, the
professional sadist who has a delight in turning others down. For a long time I
thought I stood alone ad there is a strange negative popularity because this
now well known person had used one, among a whole flock of others, as a one
time scapegoat.
It is notable, too, that when polls took place he came out a very bad #8 as
a potentially forthcoming political leader. And I now have many good friends
right under his nose.
It has been necessary to turn against his close associate, Mr. Lloyd Morain,
who is now appealing for funds to help his crusade to help the young. He has
never mingled with the young, he knows little about them but he has the money
and power to do whatever he wants. All one has to do to stop him is to let the
young know he is an associate of Dr. Hayakawa and they will boycott him.
The increment of attendance had at my meetings has been overmatched for the
moment by the increment of income. As written the first thing I doing is to
enable my really a self-sacrificing disciples to join Vilayat this summer. I
“see” more but have no time to relax into meditation.
I had already written to New Mexico about the possibilities of an early trip
and hold off any journey north until the June climaxes came. It will be easy to
hold off Fazal and Co. because I shall simply stress the God-reality. During
the week there was anger; no sooner has Meher Baba gone than a campaign for
another Avatar. And the complication here of the coming of Sai Baba who may, or
may not be a really great sage.
It has been necessary to have disciples go over “Moral Culture” which
was published to bring them into some realization. A society which has accepted
as spokesmen for “Buddhism” famous people who have derided Buddha’s moral
teaching, broken the Pancha Sila and then publicly sniffed and scoffed at
“Hinayana” means peace is impossible. And I myself shall have to make it
clear that the continent which has Arab and Israeli, Pakistani and Hindu, North
& South Vietnamese, etc. can hardly be more peaceful, let us say, to Europe
or America.
Everything can be summed up: truth in the end shall win.
Love and Blessings,
Sam
April 29, 1969
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Grape wine has it the Dickinson-Rosenberg Fazal summer school will be in San
Francisco this year, last part of June, in order to get at You. Whether
they aim to buy you with sweet grapes or threaten you with hell’s thunder and
lawyers I do not know, but laugh seeing their torn tatters when they have done
with you!
And since Fazal will be here about June 20 I have here mureeds who would
like to see Vilayat come before that time and announce his schedule to
us now, so we may prepare. This if you get in touch with him.
Hamidan is anxious for charter. Have you any? In connection with Vilayat’s
Sufi Order? Such a charter, feels Hamidan, may protect her when Dickinson
starts his legal harassing. If he does.
Also Harridan is anxious to get Gathas from series II and up. I have
supplied her with some very advanced ones. I happened to have Githas, and your
comments, and Saladin. But she misses the middle part II and up. She can copy
all and send originals back. What you can do will be appreciated.
Love
Shamcher
410 Precita Avenue
San Francisco, Cal. 94110
May 2, 1969
My Dear Shamcher,
Today I am in a perfect mood to handle your inquiry of the 29th. Early this
morning I wrote the Temple of Understanding in Washington, copy enclosed.
I am making two carbons of this letter, one for our files here and one for
Mansur, the esoteric secretary. Next week Jemila, Mansur’s wife, has to
attend a special session on ancient Japanese pottery. As soon as she returns he
will go to New Mexico and perhaps parts of Colorado. Vocha Fiske is here now,
and both she and I are giving him introductions to Robert Heinlein. Robert has
been living in Colorado Springs which is near both some of the places Mansur
may visit, and also near the starting off point for Vilayat’s summer camp.
I myself have also been asked to visit New Mexico—spiritual commune—but
have not yet had the dates confirmed. But because of Vilayat’s summer camp I
had wished to be in San Francisco just about the time you say Vilayat will be
visiting here.
This legal trouble had been foreseen by Pir Decal Shereef of Islamabad (Ayub
Khan’s Pir-o-Murshid). He has authorized me to establish either Islamiyya
Ruhuniyat Society or Khidri…. This would make it possible to have
a Sufi Movement which would not use the word Sufi in order to be an American
legal entity. But because of the actual growing attendance, the actual
increment of my own income, and at this writing, the very bright prospects for
a much larger income to the Garden of Inayat, it has become necessary to
organize legally in order to protect us against income tax obligations.
I am very pleased to report that Daniel, my financial secretary, has so far
been very helpful here. I had already contacted my attorney twice but he was
away on court trials. It is possible that he may be present at our May
Day-Wesak celebration Sunday, and if so I shall take some matters up with him,
or at least make a suitable appointment.
You are quite right that if there were any public hearing Fazal and
Dickenson could be easily worsted. They would have to prove that they really
believe that “God is the only Being.” I have only one of Inayat Khan’s
early books, perhaps his very first, called “A Sufi Message of Spiritual
Liberty.” It is so evident that this has been tampered with and altered that
it would make shambles with any persons trying to enforce unsubstantiated legal
claims.
On my side unfortunately would be all the writings of Sheikh Idries Shah,
who is recognized in some quarters as poor Fazal is not. Then there is the
presumable authority of “The Encyclopedia of Islam.” This besides any
direct or indirect evidence coming from this person.
I shall turn the Gatha inquiry over to Daniel or Mansur who can more
properly handle it. If possible please have Hamidan let us know what Gathas she
actually misses. We have plenty on hand.
As to Githas it is the opposite. Can you let us know exactly what Githas you
have? I have been unable to get these papers either from Vilayat or Bhakti.
Hamidan will not have to do any copying.
In some respects this letter is incomplete and therefore not fully
satisfactory. However, if our schedule is fulfilled my god-daughter, Miss
Saadia Khawar Khan, will be here about the time Fazal and company arrives. She
is in close touch with many of the real living authorities on Sufism, and also
with those connected with the revision of “The Encyclopedia of Islam.”
We are very busy preparing for our Sunday festival and expect a large crowd,
inshallah. Vocha joins as in sending love and blessings. She is very happy over
both the quantity and the quality of the mureeds and general audience and also
of the application of Walk and Dance to spiritual development. She had long
been a friend of Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn.
Faithfully,
Sam
May 7, 1969
My dear Sufi Ahmed Muted Chisti Samuel
Thank you so much for letter. Reply to what Hamidan needs: All Gathas from
series II on.
Reply to what I have: All Githas series II 1 through 10. These I can send
you any time you may want to. It will be my last copies but Hamidan has one
copy so I do not mind. I have also given Hamidan a lot of Githekas. Of these I
have no copies. You may always ask Hamidan if you want a copy.
I have also Sangithas series II numbers 11 through 20. These I have not sent
to anyone. I can send you numbers 14 through 20 if you be sure to make copies
and send me a copy of all, or if you can make two copies I may send one to
Hamidan. The numbers 11 through 13 I do not wish to send through the mail for
various reasons. I could read them with you and tell why I do not want to send
them through the mail.
Then I have a treatise on Ecstasy numbered “6” and I do not know what
kind of document
this is.
Love
Shamcher
May 10, 1969
My dear Shamcher:
You will please excuse me for I am on my last legs, with more and more to do
and less and less help. It may be that some of the assistants will have paying
outside jobs and can then contribute to a Movement organized or unorganized
whish will make possible a paid secretary.
Yes I should like Series II Githas on Spirit Phenomena and Sadhana but not
on other subjects now. No Sangithas; au contraire I shall be glad to send
others to you when there is time and assistants. We shall copy these Githas and
see you get copies back.
I shall see if one of the Esoteric Secretaries can send Gathas II to Hamidan
or you.
Just received two letters from S. Ahmed, who was a disciple of Inayat
Khan’s Indian Khalif and who later turned his allegiance to Sufi Ahmed Murad
Chisti. As you will surmise from the copy enclosed he has been approached by
both Holland and Geneva. Daniel, who is here, said Vilayat was waiting for any
legal emergency and is ready.
We are presuming and assuming Vilayat will come here after the Summer Camp
but I am showing this to Mansur, the Esoteric Secretary who will be go
between.
One of the time-consuming situations are the wonderful reports from so many
disciples and the need to get out the proper material. Series I, Walk was just
completed. Series II Walk will not be written for some time and is a
combination of Esotericism and Walking, a very profound and complex subject.
Next I have the order for the papers on Spiritual Dancing. Although we have
many Dervish Dancing I shall begin with Bismillah which will be
officially taught in a few moments, Inshallah. The Heavens are entirely open
while one is under tremendous pressure.
Received a beautiful letter from General Edward Lansdale, who has been chief
of armed forces in Vietnam and who is a real pal. His son lives near us in
Novato. And now Daniel Lomax has received both letter and materiel from
Vietnam. I knew this was coming but was not believed, and no efforts at
preparation and foresight helped.
Monday morning I must visit San Francisco State College, their invitation
and then Asia Foundation. Vocha is around too but may not see her again
immediately.
Not only Vocha but several other friends are in this vicinity and I am
expected to squeeze in time, and there is no time, not even for sleep, but that
is the trial of a Murshid. Fortunately whenever I do not sleep vision
increases.
Last night an hour interview on the subject of how to divert the young from
“drugs.”
Next Wednesday another editor wants an interview. This is now the day of
open function.
I hope Vilayat will come soon after Colorado for I have two excellent
Khalifa designates.
Love and blessings,
Sam
May 16, 1969
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Thank you for your letter. And for your writings in Oracle, it was excellent
and many others have said so too.
As you requested I am sending my Githas, these are all the Githas I have. I
find them excellent and should not have kept them so long, though I have long
ago given tem also to Sitara and
Hamidan.
As you do not request, I am nevertheless sending you my Sangithas, and
instead of boring you with my reasons for not sending these to anyone,
but you, I should like you to tell me what my reasons were and see if we think
in unison upon these points. The later numbers, from 13 or 14 and on are all
right, but 11 and 12 and specially 11 should, I think, not go anywhere outside
you and myself. Why? You tell me now, and I shall reply and comment.
There is
an interesting sidelight about these Githas and Sangithas. A year ago L did not
have either. Then one day suddenly the Githas were there, in a pile. I sent
them to Sitara who was delighted and made me copies. Then you wrote about some
Githas or things. Then I had a new heap: The Sangithas. Never had them before.
So therefore it is right to send them to you. And hear your opinion.
In 1923, in the Australian desert I was lunching with Charlie, my boss. We
were digging wells. During the hard work I was meditating. I had a question in
my mind. I thought, where can I find the answer here in the desert? Then my
eyes were jerked upward and I saw, out on the sand plain, a leaf or something
bopping along in the light breeze. It came closer. It jumped right up into my
lap. It was a page out of book. It had been rounded and filed against the sand.
There was just enough print left to explain exactly what I had been asking. And
I thought: My poor invisible teacher, having to deal with such a thick-skulled
pupil he had to bounce printed matter into his lap rather than sneaking it in
though my mind. But the Githas and some of the Sangithas came into my mind
before the heap materialized.
Love
Shamcher
May 20, 1969
My dear Shamcher:
With the receipt of a long letter from Vilayat it would seem a cycle is at
an end. It comes while The Oracle is on sale, and indicates a movement into a
wider dimension outwardly. This wider dimension has always functioned inwardly
and it has taken some years, etc. to bring it out. And as everything followed
exactly as Insight showed I do not wish even to question this trend.
The difficulty is no longer with opposition but with suggestions. One gets
plenty of suggestions but not help. My two chief secretaries are now working
outside which gives them more money. And we are organizing the Khankah also
with a printing and ceramics establishment and if the Insight is correct, these
will lead to better financial arrangements.
We had some trouble with regard to a kiln, built by one of my most beautiful
and loyal mureeds. I asked the others to stand by her and they did it so
wonderfully that not only was this matter straightened out but Murshid received
a sudden wedding invitation from Olompali Ranch which he could not accept. One
has no time off, excepting on rare occasions—plenty of suggestions but not
help, and I guess that is what must be faced.
Tonight we are have a joint-family birthday party. It is the birthday of
Fatima who is the household Begun. She has been doing the fine art-work for The
Oracle. This will be held at Khyber Pass in Oakland, the owner of which is
related to important Sufis of Afghanistan (not the imaginary Idries Shah ones
but real people). After that we are going to see what must occur—two
disciples to New Mexico, one to Ecuador, one being prepared for India and
others to go away.
But the attendance last night jumped again and it is evident that Allah
wishes the expansion of Sufism. The same happened in the welcome at San
Francisco State, and this will go on at Berkeley on the U.C. Campus with
Sacramento and Santa Barbara in the offing.
There are now a large compendium of dances and the choral responses, though
few, have been very effective. I notice that the Supreme Court has released
Leary on certain charges—he is guilty, guilty of being Timothy Leary. But the
young are not taking nonsense, trouble on all campuses and now I am asked to
speak on nufs which will be done. Everybody wants “excitement” few
want peace and they do not know how to bestow it. Peace comes from listening,
not proclaiming.
I enclose carbon of letter to Vilayat who will be here soon. I’ll take up
other matters when I can.
Love and blessings,
Sam
P.S. Last night mystical music was introduced and already part of the poem
“Saladin” has been accepted in high quarters. Next month the seminar on
poetry. “Saladin” will live. God is helping us.
June 3, 1969
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
Ann Nicholas, my Cleveland Love, hankers for a visit by one of us, but now
it seems Vilayat will see her soon so there seems no strong reason for either
of us to go, but I would like to transfer her wish to see you which she wrote
me, along with a wish to see me, for she somehow feels you and have what she
wants. Thus, she is breaking Vilayat’s wish to (as it appears) concentrate
your great soul on the San Francisco front—as was also Harridan when, with a
stroke of the electric bug she made a telephone connection with your busy soul
and with that one stroke broke the bodderlines! Why, isn’t it wonderful?
Hamidan is in the bouncing, up-rip-roaring joy of getting out of
Dickinson’s straitlace and feeling the freedom of the free Sufis and she will
gradually telephone everybody, Sam, Vilayat and God himself and Allah in his
heaven and Ishwara and Brahma and all the nine billion names of God, because
she has now freedom, she has exuberance. But she needn’t have bothered with
the Githas and Sangithas I sent you. I had the answers eons ago, directly from
your thought factory end I respect your discretion, that you did not want to
commit your thoughts on this matter to paper. It is better so.
We have the copy of the Sufi Order’s incorporation in California and
suppose you have them too, or I can send you a copy.
Rise and shine in Love
Shamcher
Ann is a close friend of the Mayor of Cleveland and a remarkable soul.
410 Precita Ave.
San Francisco Calif.
June 10, 1969
My dear Shamcher,
One is aware of the prayers called “Dowa,” a certain aspect of which
appear in English in “Gayan.” Actually Dowa (doa) is an old form of prayer
for protection and guidance and in his earlier writings Pir-o-Murshid had much
to say, but these records are now gone.
One cannot help feeling that one may be called upon to be used in games only
now one is strong—which does not mean that one is not also tender and wise.
Now Sam is working seven days a week and about six nights but having the
strength from Allah he is able to carry on. This week one reads about himself
in the new issues of the Oracle and Planet News and earlier in the week one was
surprised to find that one’s letter to Playboy was published. Evidently
Playboy can show respect. And today one has nothing but respects from the three
professors on the Berkeley campus of the University of California and more is
in sight.
Corporations are no doubt necessary for the cause of God but to join a
corporation for the sake of joining a corporations is hardly in my line. Our
first, and for a long while only work was “A Sufi Message of Spiritual
Liberty” but spiritual liberty was hardly gained during the lifetime of
Hazrat Inayat Khan or for a long time thereafter. It was Paul Brunton who made
for me the first big breakthrough and, of course, when one went to Asia and met
so many Masters the whole attitude everywhere was totally different from what
one has received heretofore in this land.
My Bayat was taken (and given) before there was any corporation in Geneva. I
do not wish to go over that history here but in 1926 Hazrat Inayat Khan told me
of the tragedy of organization and also others. One hopes this tragedy will not
be repeated.
There are three things which stand out for the Sufi:
a. God alone exists.
b. He sees from the view point of another as well as of himself.
c. His first moral is human consideration.
It is easy enough, and it has been done, for a group to call themselves
“Sufis” and ignore all three. But on top of that, unlike other persons
involved I was publicly ordained and initiated as a Sufi by Sufis. This is now
recognized.
You will find enclosed copy of a letter to Ajmir. Vilayat has verbalized a
connection with Ajmir. This Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti was initiated and named at
Ajmir. One now has very good connections there, and elsewhere. After writing
this letter one saw the Oracle with another article and the name “Sufi Sam”
is now going about in this region. It has nothing to do with corporations. It
has to do with Divine Realization and the ability to confer the Baraka
to and on others. When the successor of Sidi Alawa (mentioned in A Saint of
the Twentieth Century) was here he declared that this person had the
Baraka. This offended the audience and their offense was welcome became there
was hardly a person present who had any inkling of spiritual experience, let
alone attainment.
It is really necessary to have some legal form or connection because of
increased income and a larger and growing following. The Sidi Alawi experience
has led me also to write to some colleagues in England. We have to face some
peculiar situations especially because there are several Sufi movements
not based on the premise that God alone exists; not based on the principle that
a Sufi sees from the standpoint of another as well as of himself, and rejecting
human consideration as the first moral.
The commentary on “Cosmic Language” is ready for you. The next big
undertaking is on the Dance and there are innumerable small undertakings going
on. Also much progress on the Vietnam situation. Saturday was at “The
Frontiers of Science” conference and met a young woman who had lived in
Vietnam and Laos. Her story was the same as that of my close friends. But now I
have more and more contact with people who know from the inside, and who have
spiritual outlooks. It is really wonderful.
Ekbal may be interested that on Saturday I was at three different meetings
in three different places and at each one a person carrying Magic and
Mystery in Tibet by Alexandrea Davida-Neel. And on Friday I did attend a
Varayana ceremony.
Evidently I am to go to New Mexico in August and after that I should like to
come north, inshallah, on several errands. We are in close touch with Prof.
Conze.
I shall not attend the meeting here on Thursday night taught—some mureeds
may go.
The Dancing is making so much progress and the interior visions continue
unabated.
We hope to see Bhakti and her family soon.
Love and blessings
Sam
June 16, 1969
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Your comments, Gathekas and Tasawwufs were safely received and have been
read and submitted to Sitara for her submittal to Hamidan and Jerry who will
read it in class. It is all well in style with the best Sufi punches and round
out and goes a little further in some respects:
We are getting our teeth into the American soil; Sufi teeth, you and all
yours, Mansur, Phil, Fatima, and as well all of your others, and Ann Nicholas
and confreres in Cleveland, Sitara; Hamidan, Jerry and all the attendants here,
and I am happy and glad to have you in SF. The two of us are in the kind of
bind beyond mind. We agree, but even if we didn’t, it wouldn’t matter, our
spirits would still agree or rather, in the spirit world thought forms cannot
interfere and create disagreements.
The Sangithas I sent were not copied so if you are not going to have them
copied please send them back and we shall have them copied here and if you wish
we can send you a copy. The two first Sangithas are not according to Hazrat
Inayat’s behavior and status. He saw immediately all aspects, past, present,
and future of a pupil and did not have to go to the “tests” or
“investigations” there described. If you have to go to those things, and
lack an immediate awareness, you better not initiate at all. I wonder how that
Sangitha happened into that series, the first I have ever seen that was
incongruous. Well, send it all back please.
As to your charter talk: Of course, of course, I have even less interest in
that than you have. The matter came up because Hamidan (Charlotte Brautlacht)
knows Dickerson better than all of us and suspects he will cause trouble if she
does not have fool-proof association papers. We have got the charter now
directly from Vilayat.
Love my dear brother
Shamcher
410 Precita Ave.
San Francisco, Calif. 94110
June 18, 1969
My dear Shamcher:
We came in last might from a very pregnant and hopefully profitable trip
South. The previous meeting with Vilayat in this house was short and
profitable. We did some short phases of our dancing and chanting and Samuel
performed the rhythms of the seven planets.
We visited Sheikha Bhakti twice. The relations are very loving and cordial
and we expect to send disciples south regularly unless they also come north. I
learned a good deal especially of the places of Fazal & Co. which have no
basis in truth. At the business meeting Vilayat hinted that this new
corporation alone will have the right to use the word “Sufi.” It this is
actually so it will be most fortunate for Sam anon both Fazal and the
Meherbarbarians.
We then called on Ramdas’ grandson and one beautiful meeting led to
another right along the line too much to do all here. But we did get late at
the business meeting. Nevertheless one had nothing to propose and much to
support what has been proposed. And I welcome with utmost enthusiasm your
selection and apparent acceptance of a place on the Board. I feel this is a new
day with all New Day outlooks.
Financially there has been some improvement and after the Colorado Summer
Camp we should be able to have an able and stable Sufi Movement in this land,
Inshallah. But no sooner do we get to Novato when the car, now being repaired,
will take several people in a caravan and in this is much hope.
The reports on the San Jacinto retreat—coming from different people
–were all favorable. I myself like Vilayat’s independence from authority
and orthodoxy and his complete and marvelous universal outlook. The
possibilities here are stupendous. I myself as in a negative mood toward all
pretense and ritualisms which have not produced the divine experience. Indeed a
group of Burmese monks have gone into retreat to “eat” scientifically Lord
Buddha’s methodology. We hear of all kinds of things but now a mystic can
actually speak on his mystical experience.
With the acceptance of Kapleau’s articles here and with my how pleasant
correspondence with both Harvard and M.I.T.I am going into a new phase. The
professors out here are accepting my real Oriental real experiences, and
pretended or real friends who are afraid of realities may have to change their
attitudes.
I understand that Fazal and Dickinson come next month. One does not know
whether to overwhelm them with love or a big stick, with a possible
compromise of acting as a Madzub.
Love and blessings to everybody.
Sam
910 Railroad Ave.
Novato, Calif. 94947
July 3, 1969
Shamcher B. Beorse
Box 142
Keyport, Washington 98456
My dear brother in Allah:
It is with a mixture of humility and joy that this is being written. When
Wm. Penn, the Younger, appeared in the House of Commons almost 2 centuries
back, someone said, “He is a chip of the old block.” “No, he is not a
chip of the old block. He is the old block itself.” This really tells you
everything.
It may be impossible to explain to those people who were not disciples of
Hazrat Inayat Khan but who claim to be “Sufis” what is written:
The Spirit Prophecy in the “Way of Illumination,” They have never
studied it; they cannot have studied it. Before God Almighty, I say they cannot
have studied it. They have rejected it. Before God Almighty I say they have
rejected it.
The very first interpretation of The Spirit of Prophecy is that the son of
the prophet returns and is rejected, excepting by the young and a very few. I
quote: “The older ones, who are hardened in their ways, paid no heed, and the
little ones were too young to understand; but the middle ones who harken to his
word follow him quietly, won by his magnetism and charmed by his loving
personality.” (The Way of Illumination.)
A little later on it says, “A bearer of the message of their father
appeared again after a few years. He did not insist upon being the son of their
father, but tried to guide then and help them toward the ideals set for them by
their Father.”
I have not been successful in contacting an Indian disciple of Hazrat Inayat
Khan, who is in San Francisco, but I am enclosing copy of a letter to another
disciple now living in Pakistan who was also present during the last days of
our Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan. His eye-witness testimonials, which would
naturally refute many false claimants would be ignored by pretenders, but
before Allah they are not ignored.
I do not know whether there was a tape-recording of Vilayat’s speech last
night or not. If I had been a secretary, I should have been too exalted to copy
his words. Today I told him I felt like getting up and shouting and dancing,
but did not wish to break up the meeting. Before God and in behalf of the
illuminated souls who form the embodiment of the master, this man has been
chosen by God and hierarchy to be a representative of the Divine Message, and
not all the corporations on earth or otherwise are going to interfere with the
divine Will.
We have here a spiritual brotherhood of love, harmony and beauty. The dream
of The Garden of Inayat was given to me from the other side by
Hazrat Inayat Khan himself. It is now in objective manifestation. “Neither
can I be broken nor God, but the one who would break me, he is broken.”
(Gayan)
It is not my intention to try and enlighten self-established personalities
who call themselves Sufis, but if they ever dare to lay their hands on me
again, or accuse me again without evidence, they will get it on both planes
inner and outer and they shall have to face both the courts of law and
spiritual judgment. The ignorant defiance of teachings in a “Sufi Message of
Spiritual Liberty” was followed by a total bypassing of the teachings in
“Moral Culture.” If anyone claiming to be a Sufi publically acts contrary
to Hazrat Inayat Khan’s teachings I may not hold my peace next time; besides
I have behind me both the spiritual teachers on earth whom I can name and the
whole chain of the Sufi hierarchy and the Zen hierarchy—and perhaps more.
I have laid these all before Vilayat’s feet—in real humility—and not
in a bastard term egotistically used. I am therefore sending a copy of this to
Fazal.
I had the instructions from Hazrat Inayat Khan in the flesh to begin with.
Also from both the Zen and Shingon Buddhists—and later the Tibetans. But the
way Vilayat teaches shows he has absorbed all the magnificent mysteries of all
faiths and all times.
The meeting Wednesday night had over 100 present when we last stopped
counting. There were a number of older people there—many or all of whom came
because of the efforts of Peter Vander Linden. I shall be very glad if he
functions with all the senior citizens, or anybody, for that matter. I have now
over 70 active disciples and am unable to keep up with my roster. Those who
went to Colorado came back imbued with such spirit it cannot be measured.
One thing I am doing without Vilayat’s permission is to concentrate on his
next summer’s simmer school which may be in the state of Arizona. I see no
reason to delay this concentration, but mentioned it with the hope that Daphne
may be able to attend. Even as I write I am still so high and have been for
many days—practically no sleep, many inspirations, many ecstasies; nothing
like this before. As the Hadiths of Prophet Mohammed say, “In that day will
the sunrise in the West and all men seeing will believe.”
We are going to make a few changes here. The meditation room had been left
unadorned until Vilayat’s coming, and we are now going to see that his
suggestions are followed. There is nothing but enthusiasm and love. When one of
my disciples asked, “Isn’t Sufism the religion of love?” Fazal said,
“That question is better than both our speeches,” the disciple who said
this was only in the first grade until she went to Colorado. Fazal should meet
some or my more advanced disciples. If he could not face the least of them,
what is going to happen with the others?
My house keeper, Zeynab, has gone to Los Angeles. She expects to meet
Sheikha Engle and the Frayleys, Bibijon D’Mitrieff and Pir Vilayat. She also
hopes to introduce my God-daughter Saadia Khawar Khan then to Vilayat. Saadia
has been approved by many of the living Sufis of several countries. She has
heard Fazal; she will meet Vilayat. Her friend Seyyed Hussein Nasr is now at
Harvard and may come here. He also attended the world congress of faiths at
Calcutta where Vilayat spoke. They know about each other, but I do not know if
they have met. But within a short time, we can expect to see real Sufism in the
universities and very gradually spurious spiritual movements will be ignored if
not derided by scholars and the educational systems.
Still all these points are small when we face the “grandiverse” of love.
It is so real—not only the love between the disciples and the teachers, but
between each and all. Spiritual brotherhood is no longer a pious phrase, it is
an actuality, and I think we are going to see more of it.
With all love and blessings.
Sam
July 26, 1969
My dear Shamcher:
I am on the last pages of the Commentary on “The Path of Initiation and
Discipleship.” While this is labeled a “Commentary,” at the same time it
puts on paper the synthesis of various initiations I have had in different
mystical schools without in the least making it an auto-biographical
undertaking. It is first foremost and last a commentary as Hazrat Inayat Khan
would have it.
The work itself was an initiation. Much of the time there were struggles
going on—all kinds of them. But the last week has been characterized both by
more and more disciples coming to Murshid offering help, and more and more
having mystical experiences of a considerably higher order than those that have
occurred in previous years to anybody. One thing is certain about these
experiences, that they belong to a cosmic harmony. One feels much more a guide
than a teacher.
Classes have been started both in cosmic drama and in choral singing. I am
not in the former at all. I am in the latter as a performer and not as a
leader, and that more to encourage others. For at this writing I am not at all
sure of my geography, at least till the end of September. What I am sure of is
the general and particular advancement of an ever growing number of young
people.
I have taken rather arbitrarily certain policies, and they being arbitrary
are subject to change.
1. I wish to perform the meditations in the future to coordinate as nearly
as possible those given by Pir Vilayat. He has established, at least verbally,
The International School of Meditation. I believe this fulfills exactly
the requirements of The Message.
2. We are coalescing with all the young people given bayat by Pir Vilayat.
Here I have arbitrarily chosen to concentrate on his next summer school plans,
although by age and qualification, I should not be there, and I also am
absolutely in accord with all his procedures and qualifications so far as I
know them.
Present prospects reveal an excellent prognosis. It is possible, Inshallah,
that this really will become an international undertaking, held in this country
under his present or future plan. At this writing the possibilities for radio
television or cinema attention is considerable. I feel we should support Pir
Vilayat, neither overriding nor suggesting but rather implementing. The way the
Movement is growing time will be passing quite rapidly .
3. There are now in San Francisco at least 4 “cultural integration
groups,” all mutually exclusive. Two rival ones, totally intellectual, have
not only excluded this person and his efforts, but have had the audacity to
give pseudo-lectures on Sufism—whatever that means. It is all the more
ridiculous, because they are now both barred by our important universities and
so called credentials will not be honored.
There are at least 3 other Indian movements not connected with these
“cultural integration groups.” I am fortunately on good terms with the
Vedanta Society, but they seek to appeal only to the elite. I am also on good
terms with the Bhaktivedanta people who appeal to the non-elite. Thus these
groups are practically mutually exclusive and not connected with the so-called
“cultural integration groups.” Both of these have received attention from
the daily press.
More attention has been given to the disciples of the late Swami Shivananda.
From all appearance, this is a true yoga establishment. Their yoga consists in
practicing the presence of God. My visit to their chief Swami was one of
absolute harmony cordiality and unity. But I do not know how they stand with
regard to the universities.
4. The Universities. On the one hand, two universities are holding
conferences on “Asian philosophy,” credentials consisting mostly in having
graduated from some European university. Asians in general are excluded. Sufis
are absolutely excluded.
At the other extreme is the rapid acceptance of much of what we have tried
to do in the past, at a rate so rapid I cannot now coordinate, but must praise
God and witness the fruits of earlier efforts.
It was all right for an Asian, a Reps, or a Mrs. McAnnlis to go before the
public as “collaborators” with the late Nyogen Senzaki, when all they did
was to put up the money. Each became famous (!) by such means, and each has
been horrified that Samuel Lewis who has possession of many of the ate
Senzaki’s writings should even try to get them published.
This is actually amusing, because the actual Zen masters are all for it.
They want Senzaki’s work to get better known. This person wanted to turn over
any financial benefits therefrom to Senzaki’s successor, Roshi Soen Nakagawa,
while the Roshi wanted to turn any financial benefits over to us! In any event,
the University of California is now anxious to scholasticize all the various
work done in this general field, both by Nyogen Senzaki and us. Shades of Alan
Watts and Paul Reps—what is the world coming to?
5. As soon as the commentary on “The Path of Initiation and
Discipleship”—and copy will be sent to you—attention must be paid to a
paper on “The Organic Gardening of a Sufi Khankah,” and a long letter to
the still living but ailing Dr. Radhakrishnan, giving a full report of many of
our activities.
I should like to know when Atiya is coming as from now to the end of
September my geography is rather uncertain. What is not so uncertain is the
opening of many universities to our work, Allah Be Praised!
Love and Blessing,
Sam
August 14, 1969
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Samuel
Received with thanks your fine story about the garden of Inayat which was
read with much pleasure then submitted to Atiya who distributes and touches the
multitude as a matter of course.
Since you put to me your question of going North instead of East, I would
say that East seems most important from a Sufi point of view. You would give
support and blessing to Ann Nicholas in addition to supplying us—me—with
the latest news from Cleveland, which is a mystery planet.
I read your good story (written by yourself I mean) in Playboy, through
which you have forever divested yourself of the right to sue. Along with your
story I had to vomit with all the other muck. This sheet in which now writes
Chief Justice Douglas and Sam L. Lewis)—has deteriorated from the simple
exposure of human forms to suggestive, hoary pictures of the most passionate
embraces which are all right in the privacy of a home, nauseating in the
street, parks and playboy mucks. So I wished you had rather sued into which we
could have put a lot.
I suddenly hear that the sisters Voute whom I knew from Sureness in Inayat
Khans days, are coming to Seattle, arriving Saturday 16 at 12.23 at airport,
going over to Hilton Inn from where I shall escort them to see mureeds. They
are now neutral, adhere to none but respect (to some extent) all. They were
recently Vilayat’s close friends. They are leaving again Sunday or Monday.
Love
Shamcher
410 Precita
August 25, 1969
My dear Shamcher:
I have returned from New Mexico—It was not a vacation. You will read the
enclosures to Atiya and Vocha which will give you some small idea of what is
going on. I am in the strange position today of sufficient funds but very
insufficient assistance. The people at Lama and the visitors to the Khankah
realize this, and when the disciples here at hand realize this, no doubt they
will desist from their long hours of oversleeping. When this occurs the
immediate problems will be solved.
Last night we had the most unusual “family meeting.” For the first time
there was no financial problem. But one woman has left the Khankah with or
without reason; her replacement left only to discover she had no real cause for
that; her replacement in turn has not been well; the housemother will soon
become a real mother; and we had to consider very seriously inviting
non-disciples who are applicants and need homes to replace the unfortunate
disciples too concerned with their problems, or oversleeping. Even at Lama they
concluded this person has for more energy than people 30 or 40 years younger
who want to learn.
At the same time my god-daughter and Khalifa is here and we are imparting
very practical inner exercises which are most beneficial. These exercise and
practices will be given to the world, but one would prefer, through the Sufi
Order.
I now have most important letters to write to Pondicherry in India and to
the Muslims students and to others. There is practically no time and every now
and then I guess I get rather high or dictatorial because of the lack of energy
among several who could be of great help. Add to this the need for more and
more consolations on many levels. But this is far preferable to being left
alone and ignored. It shows the vitality in Sufism, the vitality which comes
from man’s ability to absorb the all-pervading power in space as is mentioned
in our prayers.
In any event I hope to prepare to leave soon. The reason for this delay is
that there are going to be two different celebrations in this immediate
vicinity: a. one in the charge of Gavin Arthur; b. one in the charge of Ralph
Silver, my local god-daughter’s husband. Fortunately too, Ralph, and Gavin
are good friends. If it were not for these events I should be leaving almost
immediately.
Love and blessing,
Sam
October 13, 1969
My dear Shamcher:
It is early morning and the death of Sonja Heine in the press reminded me of
you. Since my return here I now not only do not have days off, I have a single-
night off, and have practically no assistance. This is not, however, a
“sad” story. Mansur works a good deal; Moineddin, house manager and Khalif,
also has a part-time job and the main problem has been the uncertainty in
homes.
When I left in 1956 I had ten sets of enemies. God, Who does answer and
commune said, “Let your enemies fight your enemies.” This is exactly what
happened. When I returned these were reduced to three: (a) my brother, who is
new my friend; (b) Alan Watts, who has lost his eminence and is even going
around saying “Allah,” and Mrs. Ivy Duce.
I have seen Vilayat’s schedule and the question is whether he can adjust
to it himself, for things are happening all over the place. I expect shortly to
visit The Family Dog, a huge Dance Hall out at the Ocean Beach. They have just
had a conference of all the real and putative “holy men” and spiritual
teachers of the region. Sufi Sam did not fare badly at all. At least he
demonstrated both dances and chants and when you have hundreds, even well over
a thousand young people chanting “Allah!” this is something no so-called
“Muslim” has ever succeeded in doing in the West.
The dancing was limited by space and space only. And my campaign to become a
local Pied Piper has been marred by the “Fact (!) that only the young
show up. Indeed I am going to The Family Dog shortly to consider the teaching
of Dervish Dances to the school children. They have the space, I shall also
ascertain the reaction to my public effort, which turned out much better than
most.
Sufism seemed to have escaped unscathed but Buddhism did not fare so well.
Some person had the audacity to say that he alone presented and represented
Tibetan Buddhism, that he was the only such person in this country. This
interfered with my friend, Dr. Warwick, who otherwise did impress. But if you
see Dr. Ekbal, please tell him, for there are opportunities for Vajrayana here.
But socially the situation is al complicated as that of Sufism and there are no
souls more adamant that the “willing surrender-wallahs” of all faiths.
Perhaps even more important is what is going on at what I call “Hayakawa
State College.” There “Sufi Sam” has been invited to sit in as The
Expert on both Asian cultures and mystic. This is quite a change from our
previous sending for Englishmen and Europeans.
But the meeting comes this week when one Alan Cohen will speak on Baba. I
understand he is quite an emotional person. “Only there are three distinct
directives from Baba. (a) Sufism Reoriented; (b) Believing that believing in
Baba wipes out all sins and sanskaras; (c) the universal religionists who
believe he came to unite mankind. I do not know Cohen does not represent the
last.
The situation is peculiar because people, and especially young men of
“Jewish” antecedents have taken over many movements. Thus the Hari-Krishna
people both locally and especially in New York. Also the Rinzai Zen
representative in San Francisco who is a very fine fellow whom I pun as Ko-an
Cohen.
The open work in Novato ends with a joint birthday celebration and more
attention will then be paid to San Francisco. We will have a dancing class free
next Saturday and a party here in Novato on Sunday. In general there is more
love both to the Teacher and to can other than I have ever seen in this land.
There is more insight; more beauty, and more wisdom.
I think I told you of a flock of apologies and retractions from various
persons and groups always seeking financial disbursements and never answering
letters or accepting suggestions and knowledge. I had to tell Lloyd that I am
ready with “General Semantics versus Generals’ Semantics.” The great
“sin” of having studied with Cassius Keyser, Korzybski’s teachers has
never been forgiven and will become a matter of public record when Hayakawa is
nominated, if indeed he is. But privately there are such black marks I will not
mention them here. I think it shocked Lloyd.
So Mansur and “Sufi Sam” were invited to Humanist House to discuss
communes last week It was an excellent meeting from every aspect. But it is
Mansur Johnson who carries the “Whiteman-Lewis” torch. I think I told you
Vocha was here and will be back in November.
One finds it easier to see from the point of view of others and my disciple
Melvin (Wali Ali) who goes with me says I do give non-dualistic answers and
this very method has become impressive. It is quite a thing to be an
“expert” in a top educational institution after one was excluded so much by
the European “experts” on Asia culture, so dominant in the past. Between
the divine knowledge and knowledges of history and philosophy, not to say
mystical experience, it is possible, Inshallah, that the coming period will be
very different from the past. I shall write after the Baba incidents.
Love and blessings,
Sam
October 16, 1969
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
Thank you for interesting letters which I am forwarding to Atiya. You
mention Sonja Henie. Yes, I saw her once, in Hollywood, was impressed with her
simplicity, no pride, no pomp, wrote big art to Norse papers. Then of course,
forgot about her for 30 years. Suddenly a few weeks ago her name appeared
during my morning meditation. I wondered why? So young(?) so healthy? But her
name insisted. A week later I read in the paper she had suffered secretly and
suddenly had a betterment, no pain, from the time I had picked her up in my
meditation, then wandered happily to the next world.
Aleikhum Salaam
Shamcher
October 20, 1969
My dear Shamcher,
It is interesting to know that you also had a premonition about Sonya Heine.
From my vantage point I am finding more and more persons responding to the
divine voice which comes constantly from within. As Qur’an teaches this world
always has guidance.
Yesterday there was a big party at The Garden of Inayat in celebration of my
birthday. About 100 people showed up, all young, excepting Bill Hathaway, his
lady friend, and one personal friend whose fathers name was also Samuel L.
Lewis! I have never witnessed such love, such general good will, such profound
and yet high feeling.
The high marks were without question the marvelous chorales base on Sufi
sacred phrases. One impetus for this came from the work of Pir Vilayat at the
summer camp. Another came from the dances which are increasing in number.
Although I am changing the time of the danced class from afternoon until
evening because of absentees due to employment, the attendance is quite large
and growing. Our young Americans are responding to spiritual development thru
music in all its facets.
Last week we listened to a representative of Meher Baba at the San Francisco
state college. This week I have been called to comment. I shall take the
opportunity to present some very very simple simple facts about which the
American public has been kept in abject ignorance by the European professors of
“Asian Culture” on the one hand and the pseudo-Sufis on the other. For
instance I shall name Suleiman the Magnificent, Padisha Akbar, and the late Dr.
Zukair Hussein.
One does not know whether the repression of history or the repression of
mysticism has done most harm.
The very glib mannerism of Dr. Cohen, the putative representative Meher Baba
and presumably Murshida Duce has done much to expose the cult methodologies of
charlatans. The class at San Francisco State College is studying modern
mystical and cult movements. Zen Buddhism has been given three sessions. Subud
and Gurdjieff are to follow. No one is interested in the actualities of the
mystical experience and it is wonderful that a mystic may be permitted to speak
on mysticism.
While this is going on there have been more and more public meetings to
which real or putative “Gurus” are invited. Some make farces; some are
quite effective and why not.
Another high note came from the marvelous picture housekeeper Begum
Jablonski drew. It is as yet unfinished for we expect no later than tomorrow
Fatima will be in a delivery room. On
Saturday we had the Quan Yin dance of five mothers (accompanied by the fathers
who were present) within a year there will be a much larger number in the
processional.
I am sending a copy of this to Pir Vilayat; I have to leave the door open
whether he wishes interviews or not, but all signs now point to large meetings,
even if we do not advertise. I have felt that the end of the “family” days
are over. I am sure it was God’s wish that Hazrat Inayat Khan wished me to
carry on his exoteric work, to present mysticism to the intellectuals. This is
now going on apace.
Love and blessings,
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
26 November, [1969?]
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Samuel L. Lewis,
I am very grateful for your Sangithas. It is well that they are not too
open. To talk about the human, angelic, animal and devil man is volatile,
explosive, to those who are not familiar with the weight and unweight of words.
Also, a fool may draw entirely wrong conclusions; he might go around
classifying his friends, making a fool of both them and himself. It is good
only to the sophists.
The same, incidentally, with hierarchy. And that is the point. We both know
Pirs and Qutubs and Walis in the East and West. We know some of them are hardly
children yet. We know others among them are pillars. We know some beyond and
blessedly without any title ever bestowed on them are God’s very close
associates. So, to speak about hierarchy to the crowd is inviting disaster.
They accept it! Yes, only too willingly, and it confused their minds ad
infinitude. I was in a council with Vilayat and his council. Some said a leader
must be at least of such a such a rank. I said: The higher rank he has, the
more foolish and ignorant he is—look at (so-and-so). They were of course
shocked, and that was my purpose—all were shocked except Vilayat who kept a
straight non-committal face to the others, winked at me. At least he knew this.
There are other things he does not know. There are things even you don’t
know. Yes, my friend, yes, yes, there are things even I, the imperturbable, do
not yet know, but the knowledge is available when I stretch out my feeler. And
so with you, except, sometimes, when you hurry too much. And you hurry because
you have Humanity’s well on your heart. And that is good, though the hurrying
is not always so.
Bless you, great soul,
Shamcher
November 28, 1969
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Thank you for your letter with interesting news of Universities accepting
the presentations of those who have experienced. Also, all you can do to make
known the Buddhist cause in Vietnam and that this must be the concern of the
Pentagon as well as the State Department—is important.
Thank you also for return of Githas—thank Wali Ali for that. What I mostly
had in mind were some Sangithas that I sent you without having copies here; as
you indicated you would have them copied at your place since at that time I had
no copying equipment available. I think you must have these in your private
files as I was engaged in a discussion with you about them. If you find them,
please send them and we shall have them copied and send you a copy.
The print shop at your place is good news. Atiya as you know has a stencil
machine, which is most useful thought it is not printing.
Love
Shamcher
December 1, 1969
B. Beorse
P. O. 142
Keyport, Wash. 98345
My dear Shamcher:
This will acknowledge your letter November 28. I think the Sangithas are in
Novato and I shall try to get them in your hands so Vilayat also will know
about them.
I also wrote that there is a sort of entente between Vilayat and myself that
he should have full charge of legal complications. This enables me to be in
reserve. It is notable at the same time one should be facing Fizzel on one hand
and Madam Duce on the other, who seem to contend that a private ersatz
corporation properly established legally has control over spiritual matters.
The situation is becoming more ridiculous because these things are coming out
into the open on college and university campuses. I am glad Pir Vilayat shall
have access to the university of Washington. He will have automatic access to
San Francisco State college, but if he wishes otherwise, e.g.—appearing at
the University of California we can also arrange that. At the same time the
spiritual dance are expanding, and he may wish to watch them—all within a
limited space of time, but I am leaving that up to him. The state department
has never recognized my work. They do not answer my letters. They balled me out
for even attempting a sort of reconciliation between Pakistan and India. They
have never accepted my work in Islamic countries, or for that matter anywhere,
and I don’t care any longer. My congressmen the Hon. Philip Burton knows all
about this. It may be thrown into the election campaign next year. It will also
be thrown into the proceedings of The Temple of Understanding. I need somebody
to speak for me, just as my best work will come in speaking for others. I
remained outside the moratorium because I was hosting a real Vietnamese. I have
two more Vietnamese dates on my agenda and now have the best possible private
contacts in Washington, D.C. When God (Allah) is with you, there is nothing and
nobody to fear.
Love and Blessings,
Sam
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco, Calif.
December 6, 1969
My dear Shamcher:
I am glad to send you the complete series of Sangithas II here in so far as
they came into these hands. Although you made a request, the ensuing events,
and the potentialities of a legal suit, now or later, makes it imperative that
you have these papers.
No doubt there have been many changes in the ways Bayat are given. There was
both a Four-School and a Four-Religion system at Hyderabad, and Hazrat Inayat
Khan tried to introduce that. But I believe, although one cannot prove it, that
he went though some profound mystical revelations after he left India,
toward a more universal outlook. The establishment of “The Church of All”
was but one small brick in their temple, a brick which has been emphasized all
out of proportion to the intention, but a true brick just the same.
We then had a formal Bayat service, and this involved a number of items
which appear in “A Sufi Message” and better in “The Way of
Illumination.” What is written is both public and at the same time there is
an esoteric intent, but the intent is closely bound up with the written words.
Furthermore, many originally esoteric teachings have already been published and
the practices are sometimes give, more hinted.
I am having disciples copy things from Dabistand, the first authentic
book on comparative religion, coming from the work of Sufis at the Moghul
courts. And again the deletion from “The Sufi Message of Spiritual Liberty”
that Sufism is based on Kalama, Nimaz, Wazifa, Zikr, Fikr, Kasab, Shagal and
Amal still stands. The fact that these words were not explained in the text
only indicates that they belong to traditional Sufis and no corporation has any
claim here.
But legally since Pir Vilayat has the authorized papers from Ajmir, the
rest, to me, is nothing but fraud, and this and even harder words may have to
be used to Dickinson & Co. But of course there are others. We are studying
the modern esotericisms in the college and it is remarkable how many of them
come to legalisms instead of real esotericisms. But there are a lot of lodges
that do the same.
I am restricting forensics here. I have pledged to Vilayat acceptance of his
legal leadership. I am also under a pledge from his wonderful father to defend
the Sufi Movement and Sufi Order as they were originally planned and drafted at
all costs, and this includes the Gita process of “doing nothing.”
Tandy, one of Vilayat’s disciples, has been here with the Indonesian dance
troupe which we saw in a body, last night.
Love and Blessings,
Sam
410 Precita Ave.
San Francisco
December 8, 1969
Dear Shamcher,
I am having a copy of this letter sent both to Bibijan in North Hollywood
and to Sureness. I am no longer concerned with the by-passing of the
instructions given to me my Hazrat Inayat Khan, but intend to function in and
with them fully, so far as they do not impede progress or cause needless
confusion.
I suppose sometimes my stand here is in the opposite direction from that of
Vilayat’s critics. I sincerely and seriously believe that some of his
instructions and particularly those in the realms of esotericisms should be
properly incorporated into the Sufis compendium. I believe they will persist as
aspects of the manifestation of divine wisdom whether any legal entity accepts
them or not. To me they utterly transcend legalisms and legalities, and it is
puerile nonsense to challenge them.
Today while working on the commentaries on the Gathas, I came upon
Pir-o-Murshid’s mentioning Jagadish Bose. During the ensuing years many of
the contributions of this Indian scientist have been accepted, and most of all
that of metallic fatigue. Science is mobile, dynamic, progressive, and I see no
reason why the same cannot be applied to mystical and occult teachings. I once
wrote an article on “Ceaseless Revelations,” and see no reason today to
change the attitude. But I am not going to propose that Vilayat’s
contributions be incorporated into esotericism without his permission. And if
he persists in lecturing as he has, it will utterly destroy the nonsense
statements about him from any and all members of the legal profession, anywhere
and everywhere.
This fracas has stimulated me to have copied large sections of
Dabistan, the first real book on comparative religions, collected or
written by Sufis during the Moghul time. Anyone using this material would make
a laughing stock of Dickinson, Iblis, and company if they introduced anything
into the law courts. If you wish copies of this material we shall be glad to
send it. Also, if you wish, I shall be glad to have my diaries perused to see
if I preserved records of Jagadish Bose’s work.
I have before me a copy of the original of “Sufi Message of Spiritual
Liberty.” This work was published in 1914, and we used it in classrooms
before the issuance of any Gathas, along with lectures, public and private,
given in England in 1916-7. I wish to call attention to two items in this work
which do not appear in later editions. One page 16: ”He attracted many
disciples and founded an order of Sufism for America, the headquarters being at
San Francisco” … page 39: “The Sufic method of realization, the study of
Shariat, Tarikat, Hakikat, and Marifat, also the practice of Zikr,
Fikr, Kasab Shagal, and Amal is claimed to be to be the easiest,
shortest, and most interesting for spiritual accomplishment.”
The subjects of Zikr, Fikr and Kasab are discussed in the Githas. Shagal, is
also discussed in Githas and Sangithas—I do not have Series I Sangithas. But
I do have a compendium of Hazrat Inayat Khan’s Original notes on Zikr, Fikr,
and Shagal. As for Amal, I know about that from having read Inayat Khan’s
letters to Rabia Martin, both originals and copies being in the hands of Mrs.
Ivy Duce.
Besides this the contents of “A Sufi Message of Spiritual Liberty” and
“The Way of Illumination” will, I believe, support in full the position of
Vilayat, and also I believe he has a trump card which I shall only infer here,
not to impede his own use of it to his own benefit if the time should come. I
think that is enough now.
Faithfully,
Sam
December 16, 1969
My dear Shamcher:
One appreciates your enjoyment of the paper sent but of course, the amazing
thing to me is the chapter largely devoted to this person. I have not been able
to go over the manuscript carefully. The secretarial help is way down and the
attendance is slowly but steadily increasing at all meetings; and I presume,
the collections also. But I do not benefit from them, they go for help and
refreshments and office supplies.
Perhaps what holds me back from reacting or analyzing is not only being
busy, but the whole parade of new facts and factors which constantly goes
on—never news, of course. The appearance here of the Indian dancing teacher
had been held up due to the absence of the lead, a young woman who has taken
over the lead in much of the work. But the constant inspirations of new dances,
and the synthesis of the Western square and quadrille with the Dervish and
mantric dances is going to open up a new door in history. It is always a
question whether Hazrat Inayat Khan or Ruth St. Denis influences me most but of
course they were originally partners.
The next thing on the horizon is the possibly coming here of a Sufi teacher
who is a citizen of Israel: This of course—”c’est impossible main c’est
vrai.” And while I am not yet sure I have been told he is on the way, all
these diplomats, all these stupid noise-makers—”signifying nothing” and
we Sufis celebrate Hanukah and Christmas and what not, and this! Not a single
Rabbi has ever answered a single letter since the last Six Day war! And the
Muslims are little better.
I had to digress, even attacking “Christian” U.S. for leaving any scope
for Christ and the Christian holy places in Palestine. My original plan was
accepted in 1928, but the people who accepted it are all dead and their
successors will have none of it. It was the denationalizations of all holy
cities excepting possibly Mecca and Lhasa for geographical, not political
reasons. It would have helped prevent the holocaust in India-Pakistan, etc.
After all one reason the opposition in San Francisco hates and hated me is for
getting first prize in the Gandhi content by Vincent Sheehan—they could never
forgive me for that! We prefer massacres.
Again my brother has approached me for any change of heart on his part, or
his departure from this world would leave me in an enviable financial position.
But my heir is still a chair!—the chair in which Robert Clifton sat—we
prefer Vietnam, we prefer Palestine, we prefer Biafra, etc. but never
prevention by knowledge or wisdom, not that—no votes and no money! But as the
possibility of going to Istanbul increases, and the uncovering of lots of
forgotten material in my diaries, I feel very, very strong.
Of course I am with you all the way, on everything. I wish to go over the
notes carefully because a Christmas greeting came from General Lansdale—his
family lives at Novato and he came originally from Marin County. We are also
going to test some of the Vietnamese groups—but facts are unimportant without
pressure groups. We are doing everything in Vietnam excepting finding out what
Buddhism there really is.
The class at “Hayakawa State College” ended in a high note so far as Sam
is concerned. I was amazed to find the professor coming to almost the same
conclusions, and it was a little awkward to find Sam highly evaluated and
“Ivy” not so. Hayakawa, of course, is away, starting riots against himself
all over, some getting into the papers and some not.
I am hoping to visit the Berkeley Campus soon; things are coming “right”
there and also may arrange for Vilayat—the thing is not getting the
arrangement at either college, the thing is Vilayat’s short state here. We
are also planning for a proper visit to Los Angeles then.
Yesterday got into a long discussion on water problems with complete
agreement. I remain an optimist, and notice the scientists are now paying some
attention to rain-making. If they put in a modicum of what has been spent for
the moon on rain-making of salt-water conversion we might be finding
Shangri-las on earth. Incidentally all news from Assouan supports my earlier
conclusions based on keen surveys. I wish I had any kind of secretary for this
work. There are no problems, only compounded ignorance’s, with selfish
motives.
Love and blessings,
Sam
December 29, 1969
Dear Shamcher,
This morning I telephoned Washington in regard to the forthcoming meeting of
the world religions and am very happy to find that the convocation has been
transferred to Geneva. I am glad it has been transferred from Istanbul for our
recent experiences show that the present Turkish regime is extremely narrow and
reactionary. We need not go into details. I am even more happy because the
movement to Geneva will play directly, no doubt, into Vilayat’s hands. And
will show him to be a beloved one of God, and not just merely a man who can go
around talking about his physical father. I don’t know anything that can be
more wonderful than that.
We are purposely running a program of no-program so as to facilitate his
visit here.
We are also enclosing some material recently received from Ceylon which may
be significant.
All love and blessings,
Sam
January 1, 1970
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Cheleby Al Ghazali Samuel Salamon
Thank you for your good letters and enclosures most of which have been
forwarded to Atiya- Shafayat with greetings from you, where a great many
treasures are kept with loving and discriminating care.
Since you sent me two of the enclosed I send one copy back for your mailing
to others.
A coming years is previsioned for you with even more fruits harvested and
seeds sown than ever before, so be thou blessed.
Incidentally my old friend Dr. John Philip Wernette of Ann Arbor, previously
economics professor at Harvard, then New Mexico University (president there)
his written me about the economic areas of the book I sent you. “I agree with
almost everything you say. Particularly I liked what you said about training:
Still good for training the mind and acquiring good working habits, less and
less for learning methods” (because methods are now changing faster than
school courses….). The “almost” in above sentence was qualified and I
have accordingly changed three pages: 42,44, 159, completely agreeing with
Wernette. I you should wish the revised pages, just scream. Generally they are
not very noticeable. For sharp economists and diplomats like Wernette and
myself (in my good moments) they are important enough to be revised.
Bless and be thou blessed
Shamcher
January 3, 1970
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Cheleby Samuel Gazahly
Please what is Dr. Oliver Reiser’s correct name and address. He is with
the University of Pennsylvania in Pittsburg, isn’t he? That’s where I met
him so many years ago. Or is it the Pennsylvania State University? And what
department?
He is one I wish to send my stenciled script to. I have quite enthusiastic
comments from economists. I need other branches and first thought of Huston
Smith who, however, is on a world travel until July 1970. Please tell me if you
can of somebody else, scholars, politicians, in this country or in England or
France. We three are a sort of literary ensemble with mutual influences (we
three countries).
Indira Gandhi is surfacing into some great events in India. It seems that,
deservedly or not, she will be the center in a stage of tremendous promise. One
of my of old friends, Dr. Raghar Frisch of Oslo, Nobel prize winner for his
original economics works, who took over my proposal in London for handling the
Norse economy after world war II—when we arrived in Oslo and I returned to
USA—was called to India by Nehru, fell sick, but Nehru came to his bedside
every evening, discussed economies until the early morning hours—but
specially I need philosophers, sociologists, mystics, clerics to read and tell
me.
Incidentally if you have matters you want printed by Jerry he has time. I
paid him 160 for 40 copies of my book of which 80 was for material, the rest
for work. He first refused to take anything but that he cannot afford so I
insisted on paying and what he needs is paid work. It’s still much cheaper
than having it printed or stenciled with other firms.
Love
Shamcher
January 5, 1970
Bryn Beorse
Box 142
Keyport, Wash. 98345
My dear Shamcher,
Things have started off this year with more than a bang. Vilayat advises he
will be here only one night. This gives me little time for preparation, and I
do not know at the moment whether the meeting will be in my basement, in the
seminary at San Anselmo, or at San Francisco State College.
To add to the “excitement” I enclose a copy of a letter written to my
oldest disciple so to speak. I am looking for a policy, and I think Vilayat has
laid out this policy in his proposed public talk here.
I do not know when he will arrive and what other time we shall have other
than for his lecture but expect to telephone to North Hollywood this
evening.
I am very satisfied with your work, the niceties and also their
correction.
Another thing I must talk over with Vilayat is our program, whether the same
or mutual or distinct, for the forthcoming convocation of the world’s
religions, now scheduled for Geneva at an uncertain data in the Spring.
I was rather pleased to receive a letter from the head of “Great Books”
in West Hollywood with a complete inquiry into my spiritual dancing. Of course
at this writing I do not know how far Vilayat wants to go ahead with this
program. In any event I am discontinuing my university studies. they are going
to be restricted to an attendance at a class on Vietnam on Saturday morning,
for which I shall enroll but not seek credit, due to questionable
attendance.
May it be, inshallah, as you have predicted. Sometime ago one of my somewhat
errant disciples became a professional numerologist. He predicted his own
future, and that of several disciples all wrong; but his predictions for this
Murshid were remarkably correct down to small details. He has returned to this
region, and now seems to have opened a professional office.
Still there is something in foresight. I called practically all the plays in
the football game between Penn State and the University of Missouri on New
Years. This may not happen often, but the room was full of disciples who can
testify. You will probably hear from me later also.
Love and blessing,
Sam
January 19, 1970
My dear Shamcher,
I think I have written that Pir Vilayat said, “You have not only started
the new year right, you have started the decade right.” On his return, we had
at least 150 people at a meeting in San Anselmo in Marin Country. All of them
were young except perhaps five or six persons, and these were either old
friends of mine or these who attended previous meeting. It was not only the
size at an unadvertised affair, but the whole program was of a New Age
typology. The chief difference perhaps to me was that here was no occasion to
weep.
I don’t know what struck the Pir most—our singing of Mahbood Khan’s
compositions, my own Azan, the general program, and his having complete liberty
both for singing and talking. While it was a long affair, it was not drawn-out.
And I believe it was perhaps the best Sufi Meeting ever to be held in this
country.
We shall have occasion to send a few papers on healing to Atiya and ask if
she can mimeograph them. The status of those papers may be in abeyance. They
were dictated to me by a Pir-o-Murshid who was a member of at least two of the
great Sufi orders.
Mr. Russell Smith to whom I have addressed the letter (carbon enclosed), was
a one-time employer. He had been vice-president of the Bank of America, in
charge of international affairs, and also served on the international monetary
commission. Actually by intent, design, or similar outlooks, I am a member of a
number of organizations in which either he or Mrs. Smith have been playing
leading roles.
This will be mailed before we breakfast with Azam, the Arab from Israel, who
is also a Sufi. I am assuming you will want to keep informed concerning our
meetings and common projects.
I must say that all my audiences are slowly, quite slowly but even more
steadily, increasing quantitatively. The quality of the people is also higher,
and perhaps the age also. I have twice told Pir Vilayat he will have the people
in the twenties, and I those in the thirties. He seems adamant about the age
qualifications for his camp; this actually works to my benefit in every
direction.
Our next visitor will be Baba Ram Dass who was Professor Richard Alpert of
Harvard. I hardly have a free hour. My brother is in the hospital undergoing a
capital operation, but we are thoroughly reconciled. I dare not think ahead,
for his demise would leave me in most comfortable circumstances.
I can assure you, by the time there is any clearance either in my relation
with Azam (the Arab) or with Baba Ram Dass a lot more new and exciting
projects will be over the horizon, without taking into consideration the Temple
of Understanding affair.
With love to everybody,
Sam
January 10, 1970
My dear Shamcher:
As-Salaam aleikhum. As Vilayat said, we are not starting a New Year, we are
starting a fresh Decade and everything seems suspicious and propitious.
Dr. Oliver Reiser,
Department of Philosophy,
University of Pittsburgh,
Pittsburgh 15213
I absolutely and unconditionally recommend this man and this works and you
can use my name or not as you will.
Thanks for Jerry. Have the Healing materials from Pir Dewwal Shereef of
Pakistan enclosed which I would like copied and distributed with discretion.
There is one bit of unfinished business with Vilayat and perhaps it may require
a Jamiat. I have proposed the integration of his own creative work, and now
this Healing, in our Ryazat. He seems to favor that but it is better that
somebody else proposes it. We are in entire accord as to general future
politics and policies.
I shall look up Professor Merchant’s address in Bombay. He came out with a
form of the “New Economics.” He was a student and then collaborator with
old A.P. Wadia, the famous Vedantist. I shall ask secretary Wali Ali to add his
address to this. I am anxious that you both get together with each other.
I also have an unfinished mater with Darshan, an Indian publication
with which Reiser is also connected. They not only did not acknowledge my
letter and contribution, but even the cheque disappeared, it was never cashed
and so lost evident.
As to future work by Jerry I may have some disciples contact him or vice
versa, especially Mr. Hassan Herz at 910 Railroad Ave., Novato (the Khankah)
Also Prof. Jacob Needleman
887 Union St.,
San Francisco, Calif. 94133
He teaches at San Francisco State college
Also Prof. Archie J. Bahm
Department of philosophy,
University of New Mexico,
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106
This may do for a starter. Love and blessings,
Sam
January 19, 1970
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
I send care of you an urgent letter to Vilayat of which I shall send
you copy in 14 days if he does not protest this. I have heard he will touch
your place in a few days. If this is not so please send on the letter to
whatever secure address you may have. It is immediately urgent because of
certain action taken by certain people here in Seattle.
Thanks a lot and love,
Shamcher
March 11, 1970
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Thank you for letters. I had to make a journey into the far reaches and
didn’t know there was anything wrong. Admittedly, though, I may have
neglected the body a bit in my deplorable ignorance, during those trips and
great souls around me are so cognizant and so lovingly concerned. But I was
really a bit amazed at hearing from you that I was not well, and also deeply
touched that any one should care. But actually, I am weller than most, so well
I am afraid I have to tarry here beyond my wish to operate in that other world
soon.
Your giving me Oliver Reiser’s address was a great service for he wrote me
the most appreciative wonderful letter about President’s Vision and so did MD
Professor of Psychiatry Jule Eisenbud, and I needed a professional
psychiatrist’s commendations and economist John Philip Wermette, our
greatest, and Karl Brandt, Stanford, former Presidential science advisor,
“The way you develop your book I believe it will have greater impact on the
readers than all my years as head of the Stanford University’s Food Research
Institute.” So with these and other commendations the book will spread some
time, and I do not care whether it be before or after my departure for other
shores. As you know it broaches truths beyond what our universities teach in
their different disciplines, often seemingly opposite, but several university
men now realize this, or, as they said in England, “Where ten economist are
gathered there will be eleven contrasting and bitterly fighting opinions, and
all twelve of them are Mr. Keynes’s.”
And good luck to you on your far trip
Love
Shamcher
PS. Professor Merchant asked me to airmail my book to him. I did. Did he
tell you he
had received it? Did he comment on it? Tell me, whatever it is. Anything
will be interesting.
March 27, 1970
My dear Shamcher,
This is like a closing departure letter. The tides, so to speak, praise be
to God, are very favorable. A surprised letter of apology came from Paul Reps.
This is most wonderful. Another apology of sorts came from Lloyd Morain. One
does not mind criticisms; one does not mind hostilities; but one has a certain
right to resent personality criticisms when one has never been permitted to
express oneself either in one’s own field of endeavor, or otherwise. But I am
not going to sermonize here; I think it is marvelous that tides are
changing.
Vocha Fiske is here, and she has her own direct experiences of evaluating
the present type of disciples. Far superior to those of our day.
Evidently Vilayat must have an open heart and vision. He asked for a drama
class. Samuel had nothing to do with the drama class. Its first work is
absolutely astounding, and with a growing number of disciples, applicants and
whatnot, it is possible, Inshallah, that the spiritual efflux of this region
will spread far and wide. We have dedicated our kiln which was part of the
methodology of attempting to spread the message. Everything looks beautiful and
wonderful this eve of departure, praise to God.
Samuel
May 15, 1970
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti SAM
Atiya shared with me your letter to her about sharing different kinds of
printing between you and her (Jerry’s) outfit. It is clear. Jerry’s is a
stenciling outfit that can do all stenciling but no printing, your group
should build not only a printing press but a whole independent publishing
company, Praeger started with $700 and sold his outfit for 4 million the
other year. You would build on the tremendous increase in public interest for
mystical lore—which the houses existing hasn’t even begun to tap. Your
poetry. My President’s vision, that now has 6 top experts (John H.G. Pierson,
economist US and UN for thirty years researching Full Employment, writes me
about this book Marvelous Karl Brandt, Presidential advisor “Will mean
more than all my years of public work on Food resources….” It may seem
vainglorious but I have eight manuscripts of which 4 could be million sellers.
I see on the inner sphere my way of writing and the public’s way of reading
are now coming together just as your mystic power, at first so alone, is now or
has already clicked with the public. Your Hassan and Phil Davenport and many
others are rare experts. Atiya some years ago had an offer to buy a used but
usable printing press for $1000. In San Francisco many such opportunities are
offered, Jerry paid over $2,000 just for his stenciling machine, which seems to
me too much.
We need beautiful printing, and your group can do it. We may also
need paperback printing. But to buy a printing outfit may not yet be the
solution, but perhaps to make liaison with an existing plant and people.
Your people in the publishing office should have rights to change titles,
pages, approaches.
Love,
Shamcher
May 14, 1970
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Baker Cheleby Ghazali Sam,
Thank you for keeping me informed throw your travels. It has all gone on to
Atiya and
Shafayat. As to my report booklet on the Kennedy effort etc. it has been
revised, particularly pages 1-4, 21, 39-42, 159-161. If the book or these pages
are now circulating or of interest they should be replaced and you could either
mail me the script and I could mail you the revised on, or, if you or someone
has time and patience I could just mail the new pages and they could be
substituted and the old ones thrown away.
Or, if the booklet is not now active, let it just rest in peace in its
drawer and we do not exert ourselves.
What is a bit new is the discovery through students and others that every
economist who has gone deeply into, devoted much time to the Full Employment
issue seems to have become convinced this is not only feasible but highly
desirable and may be completed without any increased inflation but, on the
contrary, may be so instituted that whatever inflation is present at the
inception of such policy may be reduced, restrained, abolished. This in spite
of the overwhelming scream in press and on TV about full employment equates
inflation.
Love
Shamcher
June 20, 1970
My dear Shamcher:
We are preparing for a solstice festival end tonight there will be a drama
presented at Lama, I believe on the subject of the guru. It means that
outsiders will be coming, some staying overnight and tomorrow there should be
an unusual number of visitors here. The program also has been changed because
there are scattered groups along the Rio Grande with New Age outlooks.
Last Sunday there was a Holy Man’s Jamboree—no, two Sunday’s back
now—at which a number of speakers were there including Pir Vilayat and it
attracted a lot of young people. The spiritual dances also went over as they
are doing here. One of the Gurus then came this way for another Holy Menlo
Jamboree in which he was to have been joined but it is not a Holy Men’s
Jamboree, it is his thing. It has not attracted the number he advertised
or expected. But he has been successful in drawing money. It seems that in
general the contemporary “Holy Men” are improving their financial lot and
also going in for communes of one sort of other.
The Board Meeting has not been reported to me and this may affect the ways
of working. There has to be some method. Nor have I the details of the present
status around the San Francisco Bay area excepting to say there is every sign
of the Message of God reaching far and wide.
The Camp in Arizona is now on and there is little doubt but that the Pir
could easily get a camp in this State. There are a lot of so-called
“spiritual communes” around, some have a universal outlook, some are
uncertain and some are tied up with particular movements. But there is more
success in them in general than either the “New Left” or the status quo
would like to see. Even Lloyd Morain has been convinced by Vocha Fiske that I
am not entirely a fraud and pretender.
While we are running around next week the film crew will arrive. There has
been some misunderstanding or mistake. Outsiders have pressured the crew into
taking films of groups which do not represent any “Message of God reach far
and wide” and some even inimical to Murshid. Now, of course, there are
explanations, but I have never countenanced being placed alongside of people
who would never place me alongside of them when they held the reins and now
they want Samuel’s bandwagon. Last night Pir-o-Murshid appeared and said,
distinctly No! We have ideals and goals, but one of them is not to
present the causes of our competitors or narrow sectarians of any line.
It would appear that Samuel (or a representative) will be invited here
annually. It is so pleasant being with people who are cooperative, of spiritual
outlooks and willing to do things rather than to suggest to others what to
do.
There will be plenty to do when I return a specially in cooperation with
Atiya.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel
PS. We are not only expecting to be filmed, Inshallah, but also Dane Rudyar
is expected shortly. The choral master, Allaudin, Wm Matthieu has caught the
whole spirit of Hazrat Inayat Khan, the new age, and the Message in general. We
feel confident there will be some understanding with Dane Rudyar.
July 7, 1970
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Sam,
Your representative Daniel Lomax did very well at the meetings in North
Hollywood and we had some interesting talks.
I am writing specially to greet you from K.T. Merchant of Bombay. He wrote
me a beautiful three-page letter, beginning with “I am simply amazed at your
wide sweep. I not only enjoyed reading your book, I profited a lot.” He is a
sort of dean of India’s economists now, isn’t he?
I hear from India that 5 February Vilayat and Fazal both performed during
the ritual. But a venerable saint and Murshid warned Vilayat about certain
persons. They have a new bigger apartment for the Sufi center in New Delhi,
with two and half beds, Mureeds are invited. The head, Hathay Bouman, is a
beautiful innocent who delightedly receives all colors.
Love
Shamcher
July 10, 1970
My dear Shamcher:
I am most happy about your contact with Prof. Merchant. I have always felt
you are kindred souls.
Things are happening so rapidly here that I am dizzy. First, there was the
adjustment from having lived at the 9,000 foot level to that of the seashore.
Then, there was the piling up of work in my absence. Then, there was the
revolution:
Evidentially the Arizona camp was a success. In any event it brought a lot
of people here and some wish to study in this area. Whatever were their
motives, Pir Vilayat Khan and Baba Ram Dass are both leaving the United States
as if Sam were to become the guardian angel of this land, and he is accepting
this. With so many causes to fight, especially of the shams that pretend to
represent Divine Wisdom and of the intellectuals that try to obscure mysticism,
Sam has gone to the other extreme with regard to Pir Vilayat and Baba Ram Dass
and simply accepted everything they are doing.
The return here was complicated by emergency notes from the Zen Korean
Master Seo Kyung-Bo and the Jewish mystic, Rabbi Schlomo. In fact, we had to
visit both of them the same night. And as there is a movement on to have some
business meeting without Murshid Sam one is seizing the rare opportunity to
cooperate as fully as possible with these two holy men.
Last night we held our first Jamiat meeting, the first ever called for this
country. Pir Vilayat has left a number of papers with me (copies will be sent
to you as soon as available). Then there is the whole question of meditation,
and I should prefer to accept the methods of Pir Vilayat and cooperate fully
without any mental intervention. I guess he must feel that because there is
intense harmony which is a great wonder.
Pir Vilayat intends to go to Ajmir later on and I have been writing to
facilitate mutual bonds. But I am glad to get your note about New Delhi and
will so advise the disciple from this region who will be accompanying Pir
Vilayat. In any case I am glad to have the note about Ajmir.
In fact there are now several books being published by wealthy adherents of
Fazal adding to confusion. But I expect to be writing another letter at the
conclusion of this and will enclose carbon.
I am extremely busy but in marvelous mental and physical health considering
age. Love and blessings,
Sam
August 4, 1970
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Samuel L. Lewis,
You writing about lack of secretarial help I wonder if you would like to
borrow Evelyn for a while. She is still an excellent typist and now I have some
time she does not need to type for me. She is also in more and more excellent
physical health, up with the crack of dawn, and who knows, it may be good for
her too. No money to her of course, or rather shall pay you back whatever you
find it propitious to pay her from time to time, but from childhood she is
accustomed to Salvation Army store and a fiver now and then would all she would
need and it would make her jump with joy.
If this appeals to you, send her, under same address as mine, an invitation.
She is an excellent cook and scrubber and washer too, you know. Most of your
people know her and it would be good for them, too, to learn to get along with
such a one as Evelyn. It was certainly good for the children and myself.
Love,
Shamcher
What exactly is this with Finley Dunne and his “dajals”?
August 4, 1970
Mr. Shamcher Bryn Beorse
P.O. Box 142
Keyport, Wash. 98345
Dear Shamcher:
One of the most regrettable undertakings of my life is now before me. When
the so-called American Academy of Asian Studies was established the founder
declared that I was nothing but a pretender, not even a San Franciscan, but was
trying to get by by promoting my ego, and there was nothing behind it at all.
This unsubstantiated conclusion was accepted, and until the Universities
because interested, I was never permitted to present any of my backgrounds. It
therefore come as a shocker that a professor at San Francisco State
(Hayakawa’s university) told me I was famous. And yesterday also when reading
over a book on the history of California I found Luther Whiteman and I
mentioned.
But what Whitey and I did which did not become so public was to investigate
all the religions and cults here in California. This has now been discovered by
new research writers who are of the same type as Whitey and I were; and also by
University professors. It is become a question whether I should do the writing
or support these personalities.
While this has been going on, I have been receiving more telephone calls and
letters urging me to be present at “New age spiritual gatherings.” My real
past has been uncovered. Those persons who believed in the gossips of the
self-esteemed promoter of “Asian Studies,” and the various British and
European “experts” on Oriental? Philosophies, will have to face their own
laws of compensation.
Now both editors and publishers on the one hand and writers on the other are
seeking to distinguish the real from the fanciful. They would delight in
exposing frauds. They more than delight in exposing what they call cults. And
the refusal of the now “universal,” “world,” “galaxy,” and
“international,” groups even to admit the existence of Sufism is going to
rebound on them and may have to rebound own on them. I never wanted it this
way. I wanted to join in efforts toward world brotherhood. But now our prestige
is increasing, our attendance is increasing, our actual wealth is increasing
even more, and our honesty and sincerity is being accepted. I see no future in
pretence. My last efforts in the field of Christian musician were so successful
that the story is leaking out. The work or colleagues and friends in Jewish
mysticism almost parallels this. As for this the rest, you can guess.
I don’t know and I no longer care whether “world,” “universal,”
“integral,” “humanistic” groups will admit of our existence. I think we
are going ahead full stem, Alhamdulillah!
Sam
August 6, 1970
My Dear Shamcher,
I have your very kind letter of the 4th of August. It would be an easy
matter if I could answer this. It is not a tragedy, but a road-block. For
example, secretary Daniel Lomax has moved to Tucson, Arizona to help establish
a Sufi Center there and to work with Walter Bowart. Walter is a man of some
means and a rather successful publisher. We have to get things for him, and
much of this would have to be done here. In the meanwhile my other typewriter
is for the moment in the hospital!
Our public lectures have been totally successful, praise to God, but the
rough drafts here have to be edited and at this writing no one to do it.
Secretaries Wall All and Mansur have to arrange complicated appointments in
both San Francisco and Marin. They also both have to conduct classes. There is
not a complete inventory and I dare not send out anything that would denude the
files.
We are also getting more and more inquiries to spread the Message. Mansur
has been invited to San Jose. Samuel has two independent invitations to Los
Angeles. One is for the young, the rock-groups and holy men’s jamborees
(please tell Daphne). The other is for the University of Southern California.
And this came through San Francisco State College, etc. There are also several
incomplete projects in connections with the Univ. of California at Berkeley.
This morning we had to visit my lawyer to incorporate the San Francisco
Chapter of the Sufi Order. This was on Vilayat’s advice, but it is also quite
in accord with the requests of the Sufi Orders in Asia. Our total attendance is
increasing. We have been expecting to absorb all those to whom Vilayat has
given Bayat. I have preferred to regard Vilayat in some way as a messenger of
God, to keep my mind free from all dualisms, not to analyze anything he is
doing, but just to accept it because he is a doer. The higher papers suggest
that the doer is the best of all people.
Then we have the whole complex of filming and Vilayat’s future plans.
These are inestimable, but they do involve disciples here and contacts in parts
of Asia.
Commentaries on Gospel to the Corinthians. The lectures have been
exceedingly well-attended and tape-recorded, but we have to do local editing.
We also have to discuss this both with Walter as above, and with Atiya—I
understand she may be coming here. This is a very complicated situation. All
problems are quantitative, none, thanks to God, qualitative.
I understand Atiya may be coming and wish her to have all the non-esoteric
materials we have from Hazrat Inayat Khan. This is another project. We are
enclosing “Prayers before Lectures.” This is one of the papers I was able
to copy from one of the two esoteric notebooks, material of personal dictations
from Hazrat Inayat Khan to Rabia Martin. One of these notebooks disappeared
entirely, but this does not matter anymore.
Sometimes I feel we must go ahead as Vilayat wishes. I have so much creative
work to do that administration and organization are almost boring; they are
time-consuming.
Then I continue to get dance visions, and have no dance secretary here. Once
the dances are written out they could be sent elsewhere for re-copying. I have
six sessions a week in which there are dances, three being entirely dance
classes. But next week I must attend another, and hope to find a secretary.
Problem here is: motherhood! Even now visions continue while I dictate.
I feel the blessings of God pouring to me and through me. Last night one
combined the use of glance and interview. Also the performance of those dances
which require at least forty persons. I could keep on dictating. But after we
can have clear inventory we’ll accept any offer. Note this is different from
before. It would seem, praise to God, we have risen above financial
problems.
Love and blessings to you all,
Samuel
August 12, 1970
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti El Al Ghazali Samuel L.
Still with you from our memorable talk Monday, I am now answering your
earlier question about publication of A President’s Vision, which, as
you say, would show your prophetic glory to the world.
Yes, apart from the stenciled version of Jerry, Kristopher James C.
Ingebretsen and others are contacting regular publishers some of whom have
considered for ages and flim-flammed up and down and meanwhile I am wondering
whether your new publisher-friend (in Arizona with Lomax) should not rather
take this job with the substantial profit involved, for whereas Jerry Rubin
earned about 200,000 (and his publishers five times that amount), his,
Rubin’s book was in some respects good, in presenting his views but mixed up
with extracurricular idiocies that irritates rather than amusing—while mine
gives the whole entire picture with some asides though not so many and so
rotten, but it is the first book in history to start the reader out on
everything, from where he will know how to proceed, how to further read and
think and do.
Between us, but not for publication, my book will net thirty millions just
for the author on a regular contract and 150 million for the publisher (if he
knows how to distribute) and why should not your man take that instead of
Random House? If he needs help financially to publish and sell it, such is
available. Of course I must know of his work so far and he must know of mine,
first of all my experts who have commented already: Economists John Philip
Wernette, Harvard’s finest “I agree with almost everything your write,”
John H.G. Pierson Yale’s brightest, for thirty years working on full
employment “Marvelous!” Leon Keyserling, Truman’s chairman of Economic
Council “Thank you for your very interesting book” K.T. Merchant, dean of
India’s economist “I am simply amazed at your wide sweep. Not only did I
enjoy reading you, I profited a lot!”
Food Resources specialist, Presidential science advisor Karl Brandt “Your
book, the way you develop it, will mean more than all my years with the Food
Resources Institute….” Psychiatrist Jule Eisenbud of Colorado U, formerly
Columbia “Too bad there aren’t more people like you in Washington DC” and
Oliver Leslie Reiser “I read with a sense of nostalgia. Is this a renewal of
a sense of mission, a call to action? I have no criticism, no disagreement.”
Above all: young students. They phone me in the middle of the night. I have
talked at their classes. One is basing his thesis on the book. (He is yet in
his second year, thus not final, yet.)
Your publisher might do what others wouldn’t: Illustrate my book with
appropriate shots, not non-sensical shots like Jerry Rubin’s. It would be
book above all other books. That would catapult its publisher to forever fame.
But don’t send him your present copy I sent you. Return that to me for
inserting new and more exciting and poignant text. The chapter on mystics is
much the same. Most other chapters are totally changed. Send it in for
corrections in any case.
Love
Shamcher
August 16, 1970
Mr. Shamcher Bryn Beorse
P. O. Box 142
Keyport, Wash. 98345
My dear Shamcher:
I shall not answer all your letter of the 12th of August at this time. There
will be another letter, perhaps today, after the new financial secretary
arrives, concerning he matters with Jerry.
I am very much interested in your remarks about Jerry Rubin. I called on him
when he was a math teacher on the Berkeley campus and was amazed not only of
his total lack of knowledge of Vietnamese and Asians in general, but he knew
nothing about Spangler and so little about Bertrand Russell that I was
flabbergasted. I did not know that his writings would be so well received. It
does not add to the luster of our culture.
I am sending a copy of this letter to Daniel Lomax who is now in Tucson.
Walter Bowart, the publisher, will not return until early in September. I can
more than recommend your work to him. I can recommend it even without the
wonderful reactions of important persons. From what little I know, he would be
more than cordial.
Regarding illustrations, I do not know whether you mean photographs or
artistic drawings. Please explain.
We are returning your manuscript, assuming this is what you want. What we
want most is to help you.
This has been a very trying period. Nothing bad, but so many things
happening it is most difficult. I have had to get a new secretary as Mansur is
leaving the Khankah and is working full time on some of our projects. I do not
know how clear the letter to Senator Cooper is but action is today needed more
than anything else. I am very happy over what the disciples are doing in
everything. I am also going to make a couple of copies of this letter,
specially to send to Daniel in Arizona. If my writings are not clear please
advise.
Love and Blessing,
Samuel
August 31, 1970
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Samuel Ghazali
I just sent my President’s Vision to Huston Smith and it would be
appreciated if you sent him a note telling him about the chapter (the pages
seventies-eighties) where you and the mystics are treated. In his excellent
book on religions of the world Huston Smith does not touch mysticism, perhaps
because he wants first to know a bit more about it.
And speaking of this book; I haven’t yet had the one returned from you;
which does not really matter if it does not suddenly turn up as the valid one,
while it should now be exchanged for the much better version. I will send you
the whole new book version anyway as soon as Walter Bowart would want to see
it, just make sure he does not see the old version and please, tell him the
quotes from the various US and India experts. Tell me, please, to which address
I shall send this new version.
Atiya tells me she just had a dear visit from one of your
pupil-associates.
Allah Ho Akbar, aleikhum Salaam and love
Shamcher
PS. Should I copyright the script now? Atiya says I must. I thought I could
wait until printing, let the publisher do.
September 8, 1970
Mr. Shamcher Bryn Beorse
P.O. Box 142
Keyport, Wash. 98345
Dear Shamcher:
This is a fill-in-time letter. I have roughly two hours, which is miracle,
until the coming of the mail. No sign whatever of any day off. On the other
hand if anyone wishes to make conclusions they come out of his own age. Indeed
the history of the last two months may itself become a drama.
I expect to be going east by the end of the month and announced in my
absence there may be a drama class here, because Vilayat wants it. Those who do
not wish to partake in it can have the time off. I told them I did not care
whether they put on Hazrat Inayat Khan’s plays or Vilayat’s. One is too
busy to consider anything. Not only have there been no days off, but the nights
are filled with visions and dreams of new dances. More and more and more and
more.
The dancing classes are growing. The attendance here increases very slowly
so that the newcomers can be assimilated, but more and more disciples wish to
become dance teachers and will be given every opportunity. At least two other
spiritual teachers wish to help with them. Whatever else can be said of them,
their major premise is “God is Love.” It is really wonderful.
The local chapter of the representatives of the United Nations has asked for
my program for the Near East. It is very notable that this has been turned down
by practically every group that claims world outlook and human brotherhood. The
only church which has ever permitted me to speak is the Roman Catholic. They
once had a seminar on water-problems of the near East. After Sam Lewis spoke
the chairman said there was no need for further discussions as “the problems
had been solved.” That is what a Roman Catholic said; all the engineers I
have met agree. Period.
Not a single “good” or “tolerant” or “peace” group has even let
me speak. Now there is an unfortunate laugh. The contacts given to the group
with Pir Vilayat have proven real and valuable. It is only local “tolerant”
people who shut the door in my face, but I guess this is characteristics of the
passing world. Our own real peace efforts have grown and progressed
marvelously, really marvelously.
We now have the Sufi movement operating in every part of Marin County. There
are signs we are going to other places nearby as well. I had a visit from Dr.
Anderson from Los Angeles, who is also a friend of Vocha Fiske. When I
mentioned the “good people” he named them. It is all the universal ones
that show nothing intolerance and bigotry.
I am waiting the return of a disciple from New York who not only was
successful with the Dervish Dances, but even has the Fazal people curious. I
have met Fazal’s representative who is about as tolerant as the President of
the United States. But I am sure God will tell me what to do should we meet
again.
This has been a most trying period. Chief Khalif Moineddin Jablonski has
long been ill, although at last he seems to be getting better. The old
secretary Mansur has an outside job and has been separating financially. His
first replacement has also been ill. The housekeeper here is in the hospital
although we expect her home soon. We have not had time to arrange for our
incorporation.
The gardens are doing marvelously. Our single fig tree and our single grape
vine amaze us. Not only the garden of Allah and the Garden of Inayat are
producing far more than we estimated, but this is also true of Lama Foundation.
There is a 2-page picture of Lama in the National Geographic Magazine—this is
our answer to all the “good people” who close the doors in one’s face,
and who are sure that communes will always fail. Imagine: the National
Geographic Magazine.
Our musical group is advancing so rapidly that I believe also their work
will become renewed despite the “good” and “universal” people. The
great defeat of the Americans is that they have no ears. If you can reach their
ears you can easily reach their hearts.
My lectures on “The Three Body Constitution of Man according to the
Christian religion” are being received with Joy and Love. It is being taped
and typed and will go both to Washington and to editor Walter Bowart in
Arizona. Sometimes I feel like Shaw, who said, “I think I can convince a
banker of the truth of socialism, but a banker’s clerk, never.” I feel
sooner or later that many doors will open, but not those of the
“meta-physicians” and the “tolerant.” They are impossible. I shall have
a very difficult time fulfilling the University invitations. I will close at
this point, but add if there is something important in today’s mail.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel L Lewis
P.S. Plenty of important mail. The day is over when self-important
“experts” on Asia can offer excuses why they would not let Sam speak at
their meetings. It is going to be a beautiful story. Establishments name
self-appointed authorities on Asia, and these ersatz wonders become authorities
on character-analysis, and they can tell you more about your faults then they
can about countries which it is assumed they know something about. It is an
unbeautiful picture, but a true one, and a most unfortunate one.
The election in Chile proves that each country has a right to go mad in its
own manner.
October 2, 1970
Shamcher Bryn Beorse
P.O. Box 142
Keyport, Washington 98345
My dear Shamcher:
It is probable that today real work beings. We are going to Columbia
University this morning to see one of the deans who is an in-law to one of my
hosts. Ten years ago I had a long conference with Professor Blau on the subject
of what the professors of Columbia University could contribute toward world
peace and understanding. It was the application of such a philosophy and
approach backed by some scientific and technical research, backed by knowledge
of history and religion that formed the basis of the program then presented to
Gunnar Jarring. I am very happy to find now that Columbia University has opened
its doors and it is probably, inshallah, that other institutions may do so. But
I find that not many professors, or let alone students, of the day, know of
their predecessors.
Am speaking Tuesday night. There is a rather full program interspaced by
other affairs. There is a complex rather than a problem of getting involved in
personalities and noble emotions rather than accomplishments. Today’s program
involves contact with some high Roman Catholics and also with a new center
which received a full page in a recent Time Magazine article studying
consciousness. It was far more serious than anything ever en-countered.
One lives in a world where the immediate personality is always regarded as
inferior to some absent one, especially book writers. The greatest of these
book writers, such as Chardin and Merton and certainly Aldous Huxley have not
accomplished, though they have given us wonderful literature. We are not going
to have peace until we first have the transformation first into understanding,
which in Sanskrit is called Vijnanavada and then beyond that to Anandavada and
then beyond that to Cosmic awakening. I mean actuality—I’m not shoving
personality names about. Or as Sufis say, “La Ilaha El Il Allah—There Is
No God But God. Invariably you end up by stressing or having stressed the
prowess of personalities.
I am not opposed to that, and the reason for writing is that I have found
some people who laud Vilayat to the extreme. I am not sure they are wrong, and
I certainly have had more satisfaction by hearing him praised, than in being
involved, as I am now, with certain Indian spiritual leaders. These Indian
spiritual leaders are, no doubt, much higher than the generality but they have
been hopelessly divided and divided by themselves. Advertising does not produce
cosmic oneness. I had already decided to wait until Vilayat’s coming before
laying out my travel program. But today’s visit with the Roman Catholics and
the foundation for the Study of Consciousness may fixate my approach.
I have felt that my immediate followers were far greater than those
personalities who surrounded Hazrat Inayat Khan. Now I find that the audience
awaiting Vilayat is far far superior to any large group I have ever
encountered. I have one doubt, and that is, if any of the halls Vilayat has
engaged will be sufficient. He is certainly far ahead of me in attracting older
people, and I am quite willing to let it go at that. Besides, I am here mostly
to promote peace and understanding.
The telephonic call to Mar. Hollister’s housekeeper shows I am held in
high regard by many potential or actual leaders, which is most leaders, which
is most encouraging. I have written a strong letter to Lloyd Morain and intend
to go further and publicly expose those personalities and movements that
justified character assassination as an excuse, not only for not programming
one, but not even letting one have the floor when he knows something. The
awkward thing is that the young love that; if they hear that some big shot or
organization has absolutely turned you down a priori without any interview or
anything, they think you are a hero, and that proves something. Maybe it does,
but it is awkward.
Tomorrow will be spent in counseling. It will also be a test of one’s own
attainment and abilities. There is a great deal of difference between a mystic
and an analyst, no matter what you call him. I feel next week we shall be
exceedingly busy. The young people in general are anti-war and when you get
down to actual humanity, not to be confused with the verbal “grassroots” of
the press, you find the desire for peace very very great, and willingness to
make concessions very very strong. And as the New Age advances there will be
more of this.
I hear there are many groups now wanting to see me, but I will not visit
them unless they put up the funds. I am far more interested in accomplishing
what Pir-o-Murshid wanted me to and today proves absolutely his appointment of
me, almost unanimously rejected by all the “good people,” for being the
intermediary between the intellectual and mystical world. And, as written
before, I understand Walter Bowart will want articles and memoirs from me.
We shall probably telephone the West Coast tomorrow night or Sunday. I shall
probably let you know more about Vilayat’s visit. So many hundreds of people
actually waiting for him, etc.
Love and Blessings,
Sam
November 24, 1970
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisty Samuel Baker Cheleby
Thank you for precious letters from the great out-spaces (London-NY) all of
which have gone to editor and publisher Shafayat who has already used much of
it in Sufis Speak, his fertile original idea. Thank you particularly for
exuberant words about my booklet President’s Vision and it’s
prophesies, which have also had some hearting new comments from Senator Henry
M. Jackson (and that is generous for senators are mostly very cagey, especially
in associating themselves with such unorthodox ideas) and from Dr. John H.G.
Pierson, without a doubt our greatest economist, leader on the national as well
as well as international field, now retire, who wrote lengthily, first about
the very great merit and need for what I wrote about the economics, then “But
apart from all that, its wonder is the effect this wide ranging essay had on me
as a general reader.” A great friend, a widow, black (black widow?)
wrote me “This one is unique. All the Bibles, Vedas and Qur’ans rolled into
one and dipped and baptized in our modern cybernetics so thus making it
palatable to the most modern. I will sell 150 million at least—if it gets
past the editors and publishers who have the worst superstition and narrowness
of all, demand ‘unity’—meaning an narrow track of a limited subject (what
subject has limits anyway?) and here is where we black have a greater vision
for we have
suffered so and we are close to nature and to rhythm—I simply love it, every
facet of life weaving in and out as you read….”
And as a funny aside: What happened to Omen (Walter Bowart’s firm):
I sent a copy to Walter Boward and the day after (long before he could have
received it) got a letter and return of an old copy that Daniel Lomax must have
gotten hold of before. Lomax advises me to rewrite and make three books at
least and “achieve unity, which now there is not, not even within each
chapter,” and you can hear his repeating the writer’s schools and editors
manual and of course there is nothing else he can do and one must appreciate
his quick assimilation of editors’ manual which does not even know about the
“stream of consciousness” style and method which, when well done, attracts
by far the most buyers for the public, not satiated with oodles of boring
manuscripts, want that
freedom, at least 70 percent of them. But there is nothing one can say or reply
to lovable Daniel Lomax. I just hope Walter Bowart does not happen to mention
this to him, but, not knowing Daniel’s action, reads it and makes up his own
opinion—which of course may not be different. But after this I have
considered myself entitled to send the MS to commercial publishers and the
income from the 150 million sales will have to be spread more widely.
Incidentally, most publishers know that
nobody is an authority on writing or what will sell, so they dip into the pile
their editors rejected, from time to time, and quite often reverses the
rejection and comes up with a best-seller.
Aleikum Salaam Murshid Saam and in love
Shamcher
November 28, 1970
Mr. Shamcher Bryn Beorse
P.O. Box 142
Keyport, Wash, 98345
Beloved One of God:
This is in reply to your letter of the 24th. Part of life is very
beautiful and part of life is most difficult, so difficult it is very hard to
communicate at all. To put it briefly, I simply do not have time or assistance,
and I have failed to communicate. Instead of helping me, I get a lot of
enquiries about what others are doing. It is rude socially; it is wrong
spiritually; and it is impossible in the short time open to me. There are five
projects going on, every one having some success, none of them running into
obstacles excepting the simple situation that there is less secretarial help
available than ever. One secretary in Marin Country feels he should come only
when he thinks I have money to pay him. His financial circumstances have
improved. The appointment secretary never shows up excepting to telephone
appointments, hit or miss. And in San Francisco the quantity of work is so
great.
Then there are people using the word “Sufi” for all kinds of
enterprises, even evil selfish ones, and raising funds for themselves. I am
very careful but also adamant about it, for what I can read in the book of
life, we are going to have inshallah, very large meetings for Pir Vilayat. The
last news was that he will have five meetings here instead of three. It is not
a question of my welcoming him; it is a question of what is happening, and
believe me, things are happening.
I have two meetings on the Berkeley campus the coming two Tuesdays. There is
a disciple there already presenting Sufism and Dervish Dancing for University
credit. All efforts toward peace in the Near East show progress but one:
I have warned, and I have failed in the warning, that the only thing standing
in the way was goodness. This goodness is 90 percent vanity, when it is
not 100 percent ego. Disciples who have no time to go to Gatha classes seem to
be able to get around anywhere and everywhere and do anything and everything.
True, there is a Bazaar scheduled for December 20, both for the peace efforts
and for my own self. But the way things are going, certain disciples are
becoming very enthusiastic about it, then just plain enthusiastic, and then
have no time for Gatha classes, or spiritual practices. This is extremely
dangerous.
There is one great value in giving Bayat to many people. We have to read the
10 Sufi Thoughts, and the three purposes of the Movement. Sometimes I think it
might be well to have all the enthusiastic persons memorize these and then
meditate on them. The worst is that emotional goodness adds neither to
spirituality nor dollars, and ends in all kinds of self-justifications and
sometimes squabbles.
I have had a very good long distance telephone conversation with Walter
Bowart. As the Unseen seems to direct all efforts toward the Christmas season,
the spiritual dances and the coming of Pir Vilayat, we have agreed it would be
unwise and perhaps costly for Samuel to visit Arizona until the above matters
are cleared.
In the meanwhile we are working on “Six Interviews with Hazrat Inayat
Khan.” These are going to Walter. They require considerable attention because
items are omitted, and then come back to me. Apart from this, I have been asked
to report on the work of Murshida Martin. Her daughter became exceedingly
antagonistic to me because I did not approve of the Sufi Movement purchasing
properties belonging to her husband and his brother. I was never forgiven for
this, nor was I ever forgiven for reporting that Pir-o-Murshid did not wish
Rabia to be entangled with finances nor business. This is contrary to Sufi
practice. It only resulted in my being demoted, and in the end to being
despaired. Amen.
I have no objection to either Mrs. Mehdi (Rabia’s daughter) or Mrs. Duce
writing about Rabia, but I am inclined to believe that any reports will be
mingled with attacks on my person, about which I don’t care. Such attacks
only increase the value of Hazrat Inayat Khan’s interviews with me. The total
of these reports will undoubtedly support the contention of Vilayat, even
though Inayat Khan told me and later told others that Rabia was his successor,
but she broke the rules. She neither accepted my reports nor the teachings on
the principles guiding the work of a Pir-o-Murshid as laid down in the
Sangithas. More will be said in the reports. The two worst things without
question were the failure of the collectors of funds for the Temple to account
for it, and the selection of a Healer as a Murshid, absolutely contrary to
everything else.
When I was in New York city I met Mr. Samuel Weiser and told him that if one
wanted to learn Zen Buddhism all his books were useless. But I was not
interested in having people learn Zen Buddhism, I was more interested in him
having a good living. It was then I saw on the next shelf Sufi books which are
not on sale elsewhere. A Jew selling Sufi books, which ought to put end to all
this religious war nonsense. We now have the most excellent Sufi books.
You will remember that I told you that in economies and polities you were my
Murshid. I have not seen at any time any reason to change this position. Your
letter confirms it. Perhaps life confirms it. The reports about Mr. Merchant,
Dr. Pierson and Sen. Jackson are most edifying. So is everything else. Please
excuse me for not writing further.
Love and Blessings.
Samuel
