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