14901 Lorain Ave.
Cleveland, Ohio
Nov. 7, 1953
Dear Samuel,
It’s been a long time since I have written to you. As you know Paul has been out of work since July. Today we just heard that the Supreme Court has upheld the Taft Hartley law. That means that Paul will come back from Pa. and start work next week I hope. We both have spent the summer at the farm and I believe I will make a good “hick.” I really enjoyed the peace and quiet. It is so easy to understand the Devotees not wanting to live in the world.
I suppose heard about Vilayat. Our small group here is very loyal. They now feel that we should have some sort of a nucleus here in the U. S. A. We are not trying to establish anything or be the head of anything. We just feel it is time to try to get together with others who feel the same way.
This is what we have been discussing. We feel that you perhaps feel as we do. Here is our proposition. We have $200 dollars in our treasury. We will send you that for your fare. For several days you could stay ay Ruth Lavender’s and her husband Fred’s house. They are colored people but are very fine people and have a beautiful 8 room apt. Then perhaps we can find a room somewhere handy for you. Our group doesn’t have to much money so it would be necessary for you to contribute to your expenses. However I hope this will be OK with you for I think it would be a good move for the Sufi Movement. You could be such a big help to all here.
If you can come after the Holidays would be an ideal time. From now until the 1st of the year everyone is always so busy. Well Samuel we will be awaiting your reply most anxiously. We are all well and hope you are too. Want to mail this now. Will say good bye for now.
Sincerely,
Viola Harris
Cleveland, Ohio
April 19, 1958
Dear Samuel:
Yes I am still the among the living. How alive sometimes I’m not so sure. I’ve enjoyed your letter so much and reread it quite often.
You asked about our study group. We are lucky enough to have quite a few of the Gathas and Gathekas. We also read from the different books. On Sunday Mrs. Peck sometimes reads and sometimes talks extemporaneously. She is a very devoted person and sincere and earnest. Of course Bachti so far hasn’t given us any of her papers and I don’t suppose she will for she still blames us for starting our own center.
So much has been happening that I haven’t been very faithful this last month. I hope things will clear up a bit for there is nothing that I would like better than devoting all my time to the work of the movement. Last month Jack went to Florida and I was the baby sitter and at my age that isn’t so easy. This week Baron (my dog) has been quite sick, and going on 15 yrs. It isn’t so easy for him to make a comeback.
The weather this week is really something to crow about. Of course it won’t last but I am enjoying it and so is everyone else. Last week no flowers no leaves on the trees, today almost everything is in bloom.
Remember me telling you about Claire being here? Well she expected to hear from Vilayat while in Cleveland and didn’t. Up until several days ago she hadn’t heard a word she has written to other people in Europe and no one seems to know or will say anything. She still thinks Murshid is alive. Tell me can anyone see the body in the tomb?
Did you know that the part of the property in France that the Temple was to be built on has been claimed by Ali Khan? And I understand that apartments are to be built on the property.
Samuel, do you know anything about the procedure of the Healing service? Did you during Murshida’s lifetime have the Sunday Service and the Healing? We are doing it and following the directions that Murshid left in his book. Well I’m leaving Jack’s office for the day and want to mail this so will say bye for now and hope you can read this.
This is a small world and all the interested Sufi’s seem to be forming a nucleus. We heard about Peter from Bachti and Vilayat. By the way Bachti has herself listed in the telephone directory as Rev. Fatha Engle. Is that proper procedure according to Sufi Law?
I am mailing this now or will forget about it. Sometimes Samuel it seems as if there are as many laws as there are people.
Have a happy time.
Devotedly,
V. Harris
Cleveland, Ohio
May 3, 1958
Dear Samuel:
On Monday I received a most unusual letter from you. It was addressed to “My dear Vilayat.” I was wondering whether you sent me the wrong letter or whether you meant for me to have this particular letter. If it had been a carbon copy I wouldn’t be asking about it.
The odd thing about your writing some of the statements is that I was discussing some of the same things with our group. Especially about the papers. You see when Vilayat was here, he said he would send us papers. Apparently he doesn’t have the earlier papers of his father but I understood that he had a lot that All Khan did not have. We have received 2 papers since. He doesn’t answer letters of any one not even Claire. I feel as you do that if these papers can’t be published or mimeographed in Europe they could be sent here and taken care of, not even for us but for the future. I feel Samuel that there are not too many people left who have the good of the message at heart.
There are only five really interested people here. Yet with the years of study they had with Fatha they still do not know what we are talking about. When I said that if Vilayat has no one there to do the necessary things in European he could delegate some things to be done here, this is the reaction of several mureeds. I quote, “We must have faith.” If we believe and have faith everything will be all right. “We have more material now than we can ever use.” I feel Samuel that the time for passivity is past and the time for action is now. Now this feeling that I have is not one of rushing into things for I have been passive for many years and never felt the urge as I do now. Unfortunately I know so little.
In several of your letters you mentioned the Temple that Murshid specified. Would it be violating a confidence if you explained it to me? I am so much interested. Also in your Beloved. Is there any possibility of her coming to the United States? It would be so wonderful for you.
This is quite long for me and my back is beginning to ache so will say bye for now and hope to hear from you soon.
Faithfully yours,
P. S. Paul and I are feeling very low because our dog Baron who has been with us for over 14 years passed on this week Wednesday. I feel as part of me is gone. God bless him and may he rest in peace.
Cleveland, Ohio
June 28, 1958
Dear Samuel,
I missed your letters very much. You remember I said I was not a very good correspondent. Also, I am not a very interesting person. Things go on pretty much the same here. The weather has been cool and wet. Very unusual for June. The flowers must like this kind of weather though, for the roses are beautiful.
It seems so long since I heard from you I forgot what I wrote to you. No difference for nothing much has happened. Jack and his family took a short vacation and I baby sat with the baby. It is fun and yet my limbs don’t like the stairs to well. However I believe I would get my girlish figure back if I did much of that.
Mow for news of the Center. Bachti has closed her Center. She had her last Universal Worship on Easter Sunday. Since then she hasn’t had any activity at her Center. The rooms she rented were rented to someone else and it was necessary for her to vacate. She went to New York first to visit her sister and from there was going to Los Angeles to visit or rather stay with Jalela & Bob. I rather think she hated doing that for she wants to freelance and not feel that she is being tied down. Although I understand she is coming back to Cleveland Again. I don’t believe she will ever locate here permanently again. If you go to L. A. it would be very interesting for you to meet her and see what you think or her as a Leader in the Sufi Movement. Personally she is charming as a Leader, Heaven forbid.
We are not having our regular activity during the Summer months. About twice a month we will have the Universal Worship in the informal manner. The Healing service will be held perhaps twice a month. Then in September we will resume the regular schedule.
We are looking forward to your coming this fall or winter. I do so hope you can. I am looking forward to meeting an exchange student from India who is here studying Engineering and who is staying with a friend of a friend of mine. Will let you know the outcome.
We have had so much rain that I am having some difficulty with my joints again. However my general outlook on life is not affected. Spiritually, Mentally, Morally I never seemed to be more attuned than I am now. My understanding of so many fazes of life seem more acute and I am called in more and more to help with problems. Really Samuel all one does is listen and pray for Guidance for the problem and know that the individual will work it out to the best of their ability. Inshallah.
Will say Bye for now and hope to hear from you soon.
With Love from
Viola Harris
Cleveland, Ohio
Sept. 25, 1958
Dear Samuel,
Well I am still among the living. Such a summer. Heat, cold, rain and then more of the same. As far as activity is concerned I am “Blah.” Every year I think this summer is going to be different. Well Samuel it is different but not the way I planned.
Paul bought off the rest of his brothers and sisters share in the family property in Pennsylvania (about 10 acres) and we have spent a lot of our time there this summer. No one has lived on the place for over 50 years so nature has reclaimed her own. The buildings were born down a number of years ago. We are planning to dig out the side of the hill (it is the foot hills of the Allegheny Range) and build a garage of some kind. It will give us a place to live as we go down for our vacations during the next 3 years. If we like it we will move our trailer and add on a room when Paul retires. It will be economical living.
What have you been doing this summer? I expected to hear from you even if I am a poor correspondent. (Ha Ha) . Did your Light of Love come, to the U.S. or is it this fall you are expecting her? Have you met Bachti? We hear she is house mother at some university.
I met a young man (23 yrs. old)—from India. He is attending school at Fort Wayne, Ind. His folks are paying his tuition. He is very interesting. I also met a Bishop of the Methodist Denomination (a Hindu) at Lakeside Ohio this spring. Neither one seemed to know much about the Sufi’s. Somehow I was under the impression that the greater part of the Hindu population or Muslin was very familiar with the Sufi Doctrine. What was your impression? Of course your mission was to contact Sufi’s.
This summer we have not had our regular activity. The group is having informal Sunday Service at Mrs. Peck’s home. It is so lovely and cool at her home. The Healing Service on Thurs. is being held at the Center. I have not been to faithful for there has been so much other activity. In the winter conditions get back to normal.
Am at Jack’s office today to help out they are so busy. Have to get back to work now so will say Bye for now and hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Viola Harris
Dec. 6, 1958
Dear Samuel,
Today is blowing and snowing and blistering cold. Winter has been with us for a week now. I hope you enjoy living in S. F. again. It seems so long since I heard from you and I know it is a long time since I wrote you. We are all well and getting along nicely. Paul has been working five days since Oct. and that has helped a great deal.
I haven’t been going to the Center very much this fall. The outside attendance has been nil so after this month we are giving up the Center. We have been paying $75.00 a month for rent plus gas and light. Also we have been meeting on Sunday’s and Thursday’s. That was too many meetings for only five people. I think the meetings lose their zest when the same people meet so often. I believe we will meet in our homes again and will only meet two or three times a month.
Have you heard anything about the overseas situation? We heard through the grape vine that Ali Khan passed on. Is that true? Also have you heard how it will affect Vilayat’s status? We haven’t heard one thing here. Claire left for France in Sept. Promised that she would send Gathas and also a list of books available and an idea of the general situation in Europe. Again we have heard nothing. It seems se futile to try to carry on for it is hard to know if one is doing right or not. Have you seen Bachti or heard anything about her?
How are you progressing with your writing? I know you are meeting interesting people. What is the general progress of Sufism? Today I feel like a pessimist. Of course the Xmas rush may have something to do with it. I always feel sad at this time of year.
Well, Samuel it is time to close this letter for I am going home in a few minutes and I want mail this today so you will receive it on Monday or Tuesday. So with best wishes for this holiday season and every Happy New Year, I remain faithfully,
Viola Harris
14901 Lorain Ave.
Cleveland Ohio
Feb. 7, 1959
Dear Samuel,
The letter I received from you before Xmas was so full of information. I so enjoyed your interpretation of the meaning of the birth of Christ. Now that the Holidays are over and the hustle and bustle is over I am hoping that life will resume tranquility again. So far the New Year has been just as busy.
The first week of January I was sick with some new kind of virus that we are being plagued with. The second week Paul had it and lost four days work. The third week Paul’s brother passed on and we went to Franklin Pa. and were in the middle of the flood that you must have read about. Since then everything seems to be going along quite smoothly.
How is your health these days? We are feeling a lot better and the weather is some better. Not quite as cold as it has been. The forecasters are predicting an early spring and believe me it can’t come any too soon for me. This is the worst winter on record for this part of the country and I hope it is the last.
I am unusually dull. I’m afraid that I haven’t been doing too much for my soul these days although I have been trying to help other people. In doing so I really have been helping me for I am feeling much stronger and far more alive. The Sufi work here has been sort of slowed up on account of the weather and almost everywhere has been affected by this horrid virus that has plagued us this winter.
Have any of you heard from Europe? We heard that Ali Khan has passed on. Have you had any information about him? Have you been to L. A. lately? I am happy to hear that you were favorably impressed with Bachti. I hope you will be able to work with her to the mutual advantage of you both.
Paul and I are not planning any trips in the near future. We are going to spend all our time and money developing our place in Pa. It will be suite different and we feel healthy. For working in the soil and fresh air will be a new adventure. And we hope profitable.
Will say bye now and hoping to hear from you soon. As always
Viola Harris
Cleveland, O.
14901 Lorain Ave.
Nov. 21, 1959
Dear Samuel,
Was so happy to hear from you and so glad it will be convenient for you to stop here for a while. All the others are happy about it too. I know you will hear from them too. Mrs. Peck will write you. She is a nice person to get things done. She also has a lot of contacts. She is a very great admirer of Allan Watts. He was here last week for three lectures and was very much liked. Mrs. Peck has read all of his books and has been impressed with his thoughts for years before she met him. I know she will mention him to you so please say something complimentary about him. Thank You.
Now for some information. The most convenient and inexpensive place to stay is the YMCA. You would have complete freedom and be close to all downtown activity. Also I think it would be as reasonable as any place. However if you would prefer a private home I know that could be arranged also.
If you want to ship your radio and typewriter I have one of each that you can use while you are here. The typewriter belongs to a friend of mine. It is a portable and not a real new one however I know it would be satisfactory.
I should have congratulated you at the beginning of this letter on the coming marriage. I wish you every happiness and comfort. Paul and I are in good health and busy as usual doing nothing.
Today is sunny and warm. I hope when you come that the weather will be as pleasant as today. I also hope Steel settles their contract so that Paul will continue working. Well Samuel I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving and don’t eat too much.
Sincerely,
Viola Harris
November 14, 1968
My dear Sharab and Paul:
Thank you for your letter of the 12th. There are items in Sufi practices which assure one of contact with the unlimited and these are given to mureeds almost at Bayat in Nayaz and Nayar. We don’t always think much of them. The health, the vitality, the blessings are in the Space itself and can be obtained through the breathing; also by attunement with a real Teacher. And you may not be surprised that the ravages of time are not upsetting this person. Rather the other way around. That it almost seems Eternity is expressing through the human vehicle, praise to God.
There are some few healing practices in my possession. Most were seized by Mrs. Duce and never used. Now you can some to Samuel and get a Darshan for a small contribution or you can spend $1500 and go to Meher Baba, but the effects of Samuel’s Darshan are quite evident. For he is surrounded by the most wonderful young men and girls, who all people regard as exceedingly handsome and beautiful. No doubt some were pretty to being with. But the ability to communicate at all levels, and especially with the heart-body is manifesting both to mureeds and non-mureeds.
I begin with the least things. The Dance have a folk-story. “Money can buy anything.” Poor Jacqueline will find that out. People who are born with silver or golden spoons in their mouths are quite unprepared for the real life and when her time allotment is over she will be most unfortunate. She had many opportunities which she threw away.
The election was a matter of total indifference. A spiritual man is interested in issues, not persons. I am now awaiting another Vietnamese leader who may be here next week. We ignore these people and invade their country. We pay no attention to Asian cultures and there is nothing for the weak but to await who is going to destroy them and their culture. This will come out later in other matters.
Great things are being accomplished by Americans abroad: you do not hear about them. Vilayat is involved and he may have played his cards already. He has rivals. A Mr. Dikkinson of Seattle is fighting for the opposition—all personalisms and no God. You have that with Mrs. Duce, too. They have social prestige, money and profound ignorance. You cannot stop them but the young will no longer fall for that guff.
The New Age is being mish-meshed by the press. Somebody said that the Black Panthers consisted of 500 Negroes and 10,000 newsmen. Even the old leaders of the Berkeley Free Speech Movement are against what is going on now. We start with Non Violence and end with extreme emotionalism, bodily harm and all else. The conservatives want that so they can stop real free speech and the gangsters want it because this gives them free play. All events are preceded by the papers and police being informed, they rush to the campuses and then the students think they are being molested and object. It has nothing to do with liberalism, humanitarianism. etc.
We are caught in the middle. My disciples and colleagues have drawn much larger audiences than the Black Panthers but you never hear about them. The New Age demands collectivism but the rioting Negroes are extreme individualists with no social consciousness whatever. Nor any morals. And that is what the press wants and certain power-structures want. They use the situations as excuses to lower the booms and do.
You are right in “Winter is the Time of the Soul.” Samuel wrote on “Zavaliat” and Mrs. Duce kept the papers under the assumption that Inayat Khan wrote them while she returned the highest Ryazat or spiritual practices under the assumption that they came from Samuel! This is the Insight of the unwise. Now one is drawing larger audiences. The Living God said that the visit of Vilayat would mean Samuel would have 60 disciples. There are about that number of the books excluding three elsewhere but including a few dormant. It comes out even.
Paul Reps was here. He is advertising his “Ten Ways to Meditate.” One doubts whether he has done them. Today we had our second meeting on “The Ryazat of Inayat Khan.” This is a long slow labor. My poetry alone has a full time secretary and no time yet for Oriental papers. And now four secretaries and hardly a scratch in what one has to do.
The introduction of Dervish Dances had been followed by Yoga Dances and Dances of types belonging to the ancient mysteries. They are being most effective. We use the Names and Epithets of God only mostly Arabic but some Sanskrit. The increase in obvious joy and love is something not witnessed in the Western world, and the girls are becoming noteworthily beautiful.
Samuel as Murshid now lives part of the time with three loving couples at a Khankah in the city of Novato thirty miles to the north. It is only two miles from the place dedicated by Vilayat as Center of International Meditation. All is in accord with the fore-visions called “The Garden of Inayat,” destroyed in the fire of 1949 or else lost in moving.
It is raining now and it would appear we may have a wet winter, which is preferable to a cold one. But that will interfere with outdoor dancing. We do have a big barn at Novato which we may use for this purpose.
Bhakti and Samuel keep up a warm friendship. She has seen the core of the mureeds, that is those who are now the central circle, but the number has increased considerably. We shall have to write up our work on Walk, Dance, etc. and later send to them, but it may be climaxed by Vilayat’s return.
It is Friday morning and so much has happened in the last few hours. On the home front the furnace is out of order and the landlord is delaying fixing it, fuses went out, etc. Then another long-distance call from Jack Schulte, the man who has promised to organize the work here. This is at least his fourth call to Samuel, and this excludes a number of other calls and it has been, “Grant me Heaven or Hell oh Lord, but not Purgatory” and we have been plunged into the midst of Purgatory.
This home is shared with one person, not a disciple. Now several disciples wish to establish a commune. It would cut down on overhead, meetings, office work, everything. We had decided to go ahead anyhow. The Khankah has not only started out fine but is gradually becoming an example to others, especially the New Age types. Besides Sam is not working with the kind of people Pir-o-Murshid had and still less than Rabia Martin had. They are alive and having had some kind of “high” experience with Psychedelics they welcome rather than shudder when one has the real mystical insight.
The Thursday night meetings had become small as there are Gatha classes going on but last night we had a lot of “strangers.” One group because of the poem, ”The Rejected Avatar” which is reaching the young. Another is the dissident movement from Big Sur. Some of my fellow students started the Esalen Institute and they are as afraid of real mystics and real mystical experiences as many whites now are of the coloreds. But the dissident movement has grown and grown and has no leadership. So some things have leaked out.
Next they brought children and this has produced a “nice” point. The Dervish Dances are gradually being adaptable to children and the sign is to go south as soon as possible and give them to Bhakti. With a very full program it is impossible to say just when. But now we have firms of the spiritual Message in the Dance and especially Gathas I ”Symbology” and some allied subjects. We have hardly looked into this. Mansur is my esoteric secretary and his wife, Jemila is the selected dancer (selected in vision only to find she is a frustrated ballerina) . Mansur’s birthday comes shortly and other things follow. It is shown by inward vision an overfull program. This has had the effect of making the immediate workers see how much Samuel (Murshid) has to do.
On the other hand one must keep referring to Beloved Lord, almighty God, through the rays of the sun, through the waves of the air, through the all-pervading power in space, purify are revivify me and I pray, heal my body, heart and soul. Stick with it, it is majestic and marvelous.
Love and blessings.
Samuel
cc-Shamcher
cc-Bhakti
The Garden of Inayat
910 Railroad Ave.,
Novato, Calif.
April 11, 1969
Paul and Sharab Harris,
Star Route 2,
Guy Mills, Pa.
Beloved Ones of God:
Now that spring has come, at least, here, I am hopping you may be well established. With some people few things happen; with this one there is never a dull moment. Almost every day brings some event of excitement. Yesterday we visited a great ceramicist potter, a German lady who was at Bauhaus. But her classes are full. Jamila, my chief secretary’s wife, is both interested in pottery and in returning to her career of school-teacher. But she is also training in esoteric dancing.
In one of our classes we put on the pageant of the Sufi Symbol. Jamila takes the part of Heart and Mansur her husband as Star. But last night we added all of Saum to the Pageant. We want to have this ready when Vilayat comes. We expect to have at least one station wagon with young people to attend his Colorado Seminar.
We do walks for Salaat. It is complicated. Each of these walks also has developed into something more, and there is now a whole panorama of Dervish (Sufi) dances and Mantric dances. The last blend into Yoga dances. We have also begun a form of choral singing based on sacred phrases. And it would appear now that my youngest disciple may go to India to take up dancing professionally. My last team failed God and me. Although Debby does not know it I shall contribute to her trip if she will visit Pir-o-Murshid’s tomb first. Besides with Gandhi’s centennial this can become very important.
It has been a period of revolution. One fights and studies all one’s life and sees the glory snatched. The first problem came here and I had to put my foot down and demand Toward the One. It proved to be most effective. It is not only this group but a number of communes are beginning to look to us for advice and leadership. I had to fight for the simple fact that one had done research into this field earlier. Now Mansur has the whole spirit of myself and earlier partner, Luther Whiteman, now deceased. He should be going to New Mexico in May and Colorado in June, Inshallah.
The Temple of Understanding is an attempt to have a house of prayer for all religions. They have accepted my reports and when they met in Calcutta followed Pir Vilayat’s advice. But now they have fallen under the influence of one of our supreme non-American, non-Asian “experts,” a man neither of moral integrity nor of any standing with Asian peoples. (I omit his name; it would ring a bell.) It is this sort of thing which has destroyed every move toward world peace and brotherhood; the “important” person is always important! And the largest and more ideal movements always go smash.
This same sort of firm fighting has to go on in several fronts. I shall not mention them now. As Pir-o-Murshid said, “These two things cannot exist together, self and God.” They don’t. There has been too much “self.”
Not a single ”expert” on Oriental philosophy showed up at the Indian’s students picnic. My representative, Daniel, did some mantric singing for them. He will now record my themes. His life and that of several others close to me have changed since this period of firmness and they are beginning to earn honest livelihoods. It is very awkward that while in addition to a now good stipend, Murshid has now a larger income from outside sources than many mureeds. But it means working every day, although there is a change of pace and even the two homes, San Francisco and here.
The total attendance at meetings has increased every week. I think I had 80 people at the last Southern Marin meeting. This group has been constantly on the increase with some very faithful disciples giving full cooperation. As to Northern Martin. The place which Vilayat dedicated has had so many changes I cannot tell you, but the leadership is gradually going to Shirin, a most beautiful and dedicated young woman. She, and some of the rest of us are wonderful whether Vilayat wished to acquire the property. The difference is that now he would have some faithful devotees to work with which was not the case when he was here before; it was just ”excitement” and interest.
There has been a delay in the publication of The Oracle. But it will have articles, I understand, by Paul Reps, Shamcher Bryn Beorse and Samuel L. Lewis. But one item in the delay has resulted in the appearance of financial backing and other things point in that direction.
The hardest handicaps has been the lack of the higher papers of Pir-o-Murshid. There were two sources I had turned to and each seems to have expected the other to cooperate. The result is that one goes along with commentary work and also the opening of the deeper Inner Sciences which were not written up by Hazrat Inayat Khan. This is also necessary because of the advancement of some of the most faithful mureeds. In this respect Samuel believes he has been much more fortunate than Hazrat Inayat Khan. Pir-o-Murshid had important people and money but little spirituality and mysticism.
Today one must return to San Francisco, presumably to meet an associate of late Thomas Merton, the Jesuit priest. This holy man was on route to San Francisco to meet this person when he left this world. The idea is to learn the esoteric sciences, etc. There is more here than meets the eye, much, much more.
Tomorrow the seminar on mystical experience will take place in San Francisco. I must not permit the previous age method of reading from books by some famous man and letting that pass. When Kaplau’s Three Pillars of Zen came out I danced. Mansur is very close to Dr. Huston Smith of MIT, the best known savant on real Asian culture.
I shall be wearing both a Sufi robe and Zen robe, and thus look like the Hierophant of the Tarot. Also carry a real Zen stick. But one has no idea of behavior.
There is a large and growing number of beautiful young girls in my entourage and others are attracted because they find these girls so beautiful. And they surmise, and rightly, this comes from devotional practices. These awaken the inner bodies and produce a glow.
Even more interesting has been the slow accumulation of slightly older men, all university graduates and generally teachers, ex-teachers or engineers—the kind of people Pir-o-Murshid wanted to draw into the Sufi Movement. But the frustrations from others sources, especially from the now “famous” Dr. Hayakawa and his associates, has made me invade universities in self-defense and there is no question that God has come to my aid so I shall not detail.
One manages to keep one’s health. Besides there is not only a large garden, The Garden of Inayat here, but the Ranch above and others call on one. And I expect to dedicate soon The Garden of Allah in Southern Marin. At least we are going to visit the pace today. We have planted vegetables, flowers and a few fruit trees. It is too early for the summer planting but yesterday one cooked a special dish from the vegetables here for breakfast and once in a while Murshid also cooks another meal from the crops here. The peas will soon be coming too. The strawberries are all in bloom.
You have heard of direct predictions. Samuel has laughed and said that Allah will not destroy California by earthquake but he may wish to wash it into the ocean. The rainfall has been tremendous and it is not the end of the season either. But intermittent warm weather produces run-off.
The silliness of it is found in that these predictors, who are called “occultists” (my eye) ignore the astrological factors. There is nothing like it in the horoscopes. The Oracle may have some of my own predictions and they came invariably true. But it resulted in extreme unpopularity even among so-called “Sufis.” The “popular” predictors do not have to be right; they remain popular. I won’t name them; they can be wrong every time and remain popular. But I do have some seers among my followers and am taking every precaution to stimulate and protect them.
Perhaps because of Divine Grace, perhaps through the realization of the spiritual practices one feels no sign of age or wear, and one cannot understand it, nor is it necessary. The largest project is the commentary work on Pir-o-Murshid’s writings. This was one thing he took up in detail with me; the other was the building of the Temple. There has been failure and frustration in communication but not in effort, and now one of the transmitted articles is being published. As he said, very often the non mureeds are better than the mureeds in helping the Message, but in any event that which comes from God comes from God. “Neither can I be broken nor God but the one who would break me, he is broken.” One has never seen this fail, and yet lessons are learned very slowly indeed.
One teaches more and more by movement and this has been most successful.
Love and blessings,
Samuel
May 3, 1969
Dear Sharab and Paul:
Peace unto you. This is probably my last letter before a certain fame or notoriety or even infamy descends. In a short while I shall be leaving for the Khankah, called “The Garden of Inayat.” We are celebrating the Buddhist Wesak and the traditional May Day Together. The Maypole is up and there will be dances around it.
The first lectures of Hazrat Inayat Khan in the West were on ”Yoga Dances.” He had to leave off and hardly anyone has even in inkling. But today we are performing spiritual dances, and more and more with ever greater response.
The difference between the traditional Sufis and those of today is that traditional Sufis held that God was the only Being; also there is one Master and Teacher which is God. The previous generation could accept this as philosophy or belief but hardly as reality. The young people who are looked upon with askance are so different. A few hundred young, many not students, causing a disturbance on the Berkeley campus made world headlines; a much larger group, turned away from an Indian drama and concert did not reach the paper at all and this without considering the throng that did attend. We are in a New Age, but hardly the press, the TV, all news media from the so-called communists to the so-called Birch followers, all subjective, all living outside of reality in their own private “realisms.”
The Oracle is out. This started as a Hippy paper dominated by Allen Ginsberg and Timothy Leary. Leary is still in the background but he is over concerned with Sex—not in the emotional manner in which it is treated in the press but still in a very egocentric manner. Every year while maintaining his ”messiah-ship” he has a different cause. So his following dwindles but more young take Marijuana, at least.
When Vilayat was here I saw the jump from 20 mureeds to 80 and then a following of about a hundred though I expect more people today. One is fighting a whole culture. One wishes to restore the innate spirituality of Nature wherein people respected the Sun and Moon and seasons and saints. We are far from that. But one has choreographed a large number of dances and every time there is any inhibition, any time there is opposition or insomnia, one receives a new Dance or dances and the same will be true today. These Dances ooze out of one as aphorisms and poetry do from others.
When we were children there were Mayday celebration for those between 8 and 14, at least and no politics. Then the Marxists took over, so the anti-Marxists took over and no more children’s festivals, just babies, the offspring of leading politicians.
The Oracle not only has material from Paul Reps, Shamcher Bryn Beorse and Samuel L. Lewis, it also has pictures and articles about Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti and also larger literary contributions from my chief secretary Mansur Johnson and the chief art work by my Begum, Fatima Jablonski. Mansur was a star pupil of Prof. Huston Smith of M.I.T., the most accepted American authority on Asian faiths.
The day of the English and European ”Experts” on Asia is receding. Gradually Asian Studies are under Asians and Americans who studied under Asians. I am now as welcome on the Berkeley Campus in the Asian Studies as I have been in the scientific studies. And right under Prof. Hayakawa I have projects with the two chief philosophers of San Francisco State.
Income and attendance have gone up but this money is being used to help Vilayat at the Summer School. I am glad we received several applications. It is exceedingly difficult to impress older people that the Voice of God comes constantly from within. Previous letters were that one was unsure whether there would be a station wagon or a caravan and it certainly is not going to be just a station wagon.
Meanwhile everything is coming right, praise to God. Mansur will soon be off to New Mexico on his own and may (or may not) call on Bhakti and Mrs. D’Mitrieff, the chief secretary of Vilayat. But I shall later have to go to New Mexico myself. There are now spiritual communes just as one has seen and foreseen. What one has seen and foreseen is being published in The Oracle, not with my consent but it is appearing. One may moan the loss of my diaries in the fire of 1949 but what has been saved is so ”auguric”—we misuse the word ”prophetic.” All sorts of emotional psychics from Edgar Cayce up and down get great overage but the predictions of sages and mystics, not a word.
There is a book on Chinese Buddhism out and I remain an associate of the two chief characters in it. This has to be rejected because it hurts somebody, but why? And it is barely possible that facts will be accepted, sooner or later. The hugest joke of our culture has been the Moral Re-armament Movement with its Absolute Honesty as a motto and you can stop right there. Mottoes yes, realities?????
Now I hear that Fazal, misled by wealthy backers, may try to get at either Vilayat or myself or at Vilayat through Samuel. The hard fact and truth is that the actual Sufis—and I can name some of them—long ago expressed willingness to accept Vilayat and absolute refusal to accept the rest of the family. One had to make a quick decision and one did and has and no regrets before the Living God—a huge farce, Sufism without God!
But no sooner did one hear of the possibilities of Fazal plus $$$ descending one, that one received a tender of friendship from one of the followers of Sheikh Idries Shah who wants to unite the Sufis in this land. Add to that the ”Sufism Reoriented” movement. Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti wrote a letter excoriating a follower of Moin-ed-din Chisti for jumping on, then off the Meher Baba bandwagon with a long essay on La Illaha El Il Allah. It had just the opposite effect of our egocentric logic! It brought him to realize he is far from accepting God as the Only Being and a beautiful response came. This is the true Repentance.
Older Americans love band-wagons and younger Americans love Brotherhood. My dances have been based on those principally or entirely for men, those principally or entirely for women (excepting the Guru), those with partners and those for everybody, sex not mattering. But when I took up this matter of the women commingling with the women I received on answer of the New Age, for it is obvious that there are not the usual sects and factions and cliques.
Mrs. Vocha Fiske, my oldest and best friend, is home now dividing for time between here and Novato and she has been amazed to find the objectification of everything held for years and not only that but there is Peace and Brotherhood and cooperation among the disciples. One day I saw about 20 coming down the lawn with arms around each other, sex not mattering and I saw the New Age, and they are like that. I have a much larger following today.
There is even the question of junior disciples which has to be faced. I do not wish to go into this but while the late Sri Aurobindo predicted a higher evolution as did H. C. Wells and Bulwer Lytton, it is very difficult to convince other people.
Sam challenged The Oracle asking why it was not an oracle. Then things began to happen. This American is a thorough pragmatist. He has an Oracle based on Gayan and Vadan and uses it an gets disciples to us it. This has in turn awakened those disciples who are natural Oracles. And the other night the chief one said: “I saw everybody in light and you in the greatest light with Inayat Khan standing beside you and really directing everything.” Of course this is so and the work of 1911 is coming to fruition now.
Excepting for New Mexico and Seattle, I do not wish to travel, may not even travel until Vilayat comes. One never really gets a day off; the last one was used to purchase plants for the Khankah.
Then there is the possibility of ”real estate” expansion. We got the Khankah by following Pir-o-Murshid’s directions which have been almost universally rejected. When one of my chief disciples was rejected the above Oracle saw nothing but good and the result was the obtaining of a much finer place at less rent in the same district.
So w dedicated The Garden of Allah Tuesday night and my friend, Vocha Fiske, as above, said she never saw anything like it. There was not only love for Murshid but for each other and light and enthusiasm all around. Sometimes I feel ashamed because I do not think Pir-o-Murshid ever experienced that.
I am waiting for Vilayat to ordain two Khalifs the (he may ordain more and Sheikhs as he will)
As one draws—The Message is in the Space or Sphere—so do others. The Journey is one which Murshid and Mureed take together.
Of course much more is going on but one cannot write research papers and direct a festival by staying at the typewriter. So I close.
With all love and blessings,
Samuel
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco, Calif.
June 2, 1969
Viola Sharab Harris,
R.D. 2,
Guy Mills, Pa. 16327
Dearest Sharab:
Peace. One supposes the only reason why one did not join fully in the pains and tribulations to Paul and thus to you has been because today one has a large and growing family. “The old order dieth giving place to new and God fulfills himself in many ways.”
It is barely possible that you may get this letter in time to telephone to Cleveland,
Mrs. May Larson
5861 Wilton Mills Road,
442-0711
Vilayat will be there on the 3rd and 4th. On the 5th and 6th with Miss Margaret Leach,
330 East Liberty Drive. Apr. 2,
Wheaten Ill. 60186
3 12-668-3780
I as sending copy of this letter to Vilayat c/o this last address. There has already been occasion to write to Miss Leach. She is acting as secretary-treasurer for the Colorado Summer camp which holds forth later in the month.
We shall hold a silence today and tonight when the Dervish Dance group meets. The attendance has been very good. But we have stopped our Sunday meetings here and will hold forth at the Garden of Inayat in Novato until further notice. At the end of next week it will be necessary for either Murshid or Khalif Moineddin or both to go to Hollywood to join Vilayat and I shall take this letter along then, in case he does not get copy of this. I shall also write to Bhakti. There is plenty of traffic back and forth these days and Bhakti and her family (the Fraleys) have been invited to meet us at the Khankah at Novato and to stay there for a while.
It does not bring comfort when one’s own body is in fine shape and “stoop labor” is not only a need but an accomplishment. One can look upon your place and also see its spiritual possibilities because of the atmosphere built up. But I do not know Vilayat’s plans and do not wish to make too many suggestions, involved in creative spiritual dancing. This is going on at a bewildering rate, often taking one into realms of spiritual ecstasy. While this is not a compensation it does balance the terrific labor one is compelled to face at all times.
I think I told you we have a marvelous birthday party for Begum Fatima Jablonski on May 20th but this person inwardly cried. Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan, with all his magnificence never gathered around him the souls who could establish spiritual brotherhood. And this person, though appointed by God and confirmed by Pir-o-Murshid as leader in a real World Brotherhood effort is only now after many many years going ahead. But today the proceedings are almost as easy as they were difficult before. Then one had road-blocks and obstacles, today too many calls. But one must expect this.
The young people want Spiritual Brotherhood and not some exclusive leadership called “spiritual brotherhood.” The young accept love, harmony, and beauty as realities, their elders only as words. The first efforts to read Sufi poetry among the Hippies have been entirely successful; the first efforts among seniors is still to come. But this month a course starts in “Creative Poetry as influenced by Oriental Philosophy” and I not only expect to enroll but also to have my secretary Mansur.
Mansur is away in New Mexico whither I must go later. He then goes to Colorado for the camp with Vilayat. We have anywhere from 5 to 10 signed up. Then Vilayat will come here, and he is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday evening July 2, we may have a large meeting. While the average attendance at such meetings is about 50 people, it has run up to 80 and when you have to give attention to so many, it is hard, for one treats all as “Beloved Ones of God.”
I feel sorry for Tiger. We had a cat here named Nassim A young female joined him. We soon had more and “good” mureeds also deposited kittens and I had to clear the place of them with just the one male. We have many at the Khankah but there is room and also gophers and mice which I abhor.
Have had hardly a poor day of weather this year and in the changing back and forth always on the lucky side, praise to Allah.
I shall not impinge on Vilayat’s time before he comes on July 2nd but may see him at least occasionally beforehand. I shall always keep you in heart.
All love and blessings,
Samuel
June 18, 1969
Dear Sharab:
There was a work, “Between the Desert and the Sown” and one feels a little like that at the moment waiting for the station wagon to go to Novato with just a few hours before the caravan departs for Colorado, with several reports and a number of instructions and dashing off this letter because all the secretaries will either be gone or working at specialty jobs in this general area.
I can understand how you feel. I have an aged uncle who has been in despair since my aunt died and living alone, and to me, in the wrong city. But if I had had any wish it would be to go to Cleveland where I hear Anne is also lonely although there is now a New Age.
As one teaches that God is in everybody, that everyone is the beloved of God there is not empathy for those who look down on the Hippies. Sometimes one takes refuge in the ”Armenian”: The money of all men was created free and equal and it is stupid and unholy to refuse to trade with people. The result is in a few years we shall see a evolution—not the communist revolution which people claim to be afraid of, but one in the direction of honesty, brotherhood and a humane outlook.
Bhakti’s liking my beard out-vetoes a lot of criticisms from other older women who have not the spiritual élan anyhow. The young who have non-traditional outlooks are growing in number. It is a mistake to regard them as communists for their communes are based on some form of love and brotherhood. I shall know more later when I see my secretary (Mansur’s) reports. Then in August I may go to New Mexico.
I have returned from a flier south. We had two visits with Sheikha, Robert, and Jelila and it is important to keep in close touch. Please excuse me for not reporting details—there are a lot on many subjects and all most friendly and cordial. We then visited Ramdas’s grandson and his wife and friends and ”then the fun began.” It was fun, but more adventure than fun and took us in several directions the next two days. Then we are with Vilayat again in North Hollywood.
He had spent an hour here before we left—he stayed here a little longer. There was not anything but cordiality but of course he had details to discuss with some people as he did at the meeting in North Hollywood. I am totally satisfied with what is being attempted. It has been necessary to have a legal organization and if I can get rid of a certain amount of irresponsibility here we should become a tower of strength to Suzanne D’Mitrieff, his American secretary. I am not bothering with appointments and officials he selects having too much to do with teachings, writings and such. Only I can say so far I see much more hope in the workers than his father had. In fact I am almost as fanatical as Bhakti in some of these matters, the difference between only that perhaps I am slightly more sober!
From several quarters come reports of attempts of Fazal to take over. Vilayat assures me he has taken all the necessary legal steps and certainly in case of legal suit my testimony would put a shame to all enemies, within or without.
There is a big sign as you enter or leave San Francisco. ”Happiness consists of making other people happy—Meher Baba.” I think I could sue the pants off of them. For they certainly grabbed all my Sufi papers and a lot more and attacked me publicly and privately and were almost successful. But they made other attempts to rub me out afterwards, too—in the name of ”Divine Love.” But they use the title, “Sufism Re-Oriented” Which is a joke.
If you ever come to The Garden of Inayat you will find a lot of hustle and bustle. True, this is our first year. The tomatoes may be ready when I return and lettuces, cabbage and carrots have been most successful. Shall know later about other things. We also have many kinds of flowers and flowering shrubs, but God has preserved my strength which is better than when we were last together. This is true of mental vigor also.
There are times when I feel the necessity to write commentaries of parts of Volumes X and XII. That on “Cosmic language” has been completed but there is a lot of Gatha and Githa work to be done. The so-called ”headquarters” has done everything possible to withdraw the papers, and I doubt if they have anybody who can really teach the deeper phases. Oh, Vilayat is all right there and shows the acumen into hierarchal initiations. But few, even in the whole world, not many, know this.
Out work in music and dancing goes on and as soon as there is a secretary it will be written up. But one has to work day in and day out 12 hours, and often more with only internal warnings to take part days off. Others preach at one but do nothing. There is no help in verbal advice and it is often confusing.
At the other extreme are more and more expressions of deep love and reverences which is marvelous and increasing.
I realize that we would be ”outlawed” in other parts of the world. But we purchased our house, have had no trouble with neighbors, obey all laws and no psychedelics, lewd language or behavior of politics. Indeed the dancing calling on God in many ways is most effective.
Had a short but more enjoyable visit at the studio of Ruth S. Denis. So it goes and mostly everything well.
Love and blessings,
Samuel
July 28, 1969
My dear Sharab:
I have your letter of the 21st . One is going back and forth constantly between two homes. We, as a group, are busier than ever with a Mime group, a choral group and an cumbersome dancing class. Every sign is that Vilayat will succeed if God wills.
No effort has been made to go to Colorado. The idea seems to have been that Vilayat wanted younger people. Even now I wish to start in for his the boost the next year’s camp. It looks very, very propitious and auspicious.
We are also going to use his methods of meditation so far as he wishes. We have had too many kinds of medication and too few fruits of meditation.
I am now about to write to Dr. Radhakrishnan. Yesterday there was a big Krishna celebration here, all young people. The very rival Sri Aurobindo and Ramakrishna movements appeal to the elite. They have some membership and of course, money, but they are not getting the young blood.
Then there is the Sivanananda movement which is both highly intellectual and highly spiritual. All of these groups and others are apart. But gradually we are getting ”in” with the universities and I mean ”in.”
My God-daughter, Miss Khawar Khan who will return this week, wanted me to go to Ithaca. I think I wrote asking whether you would be in Guy Mills or Cleveland early in September. Now the thing is getting more complex. “Organic Gardening” has asked me to write an article on the Khankah. It seems we are having unusually good fortune with our vegetables. Why we sent just two days’ squashes to the market to barter and you should see what we got in return!
We have surpluses of Broccoli, Tomatoes, Squash, and have so many figs and fruits which we keep for ourselves. The first Beams came out so wonderfully I have put in more. This is just the side show.
I understand that Vilayat is also using the dances. We have so many, but still short of secretarial help. The men at the Khankah all have part-time jobs; one woman is away and another becoming a mother. So we are short-handed. But some of the new mureeds are beginning to help in the office.
Now you should breathe in often. Concentrating on Ya Shafee with the inhalation. Ya Kafee with the exhalation. If the pain stays in a particular place, concentrate on it and breathe in and out with Allah, and also feel the sound Allah in the place of pain. This should be most helpful.
I am waiting next either for a call or visit from a lady mureed in Washington State, or from New Mexico. August is already over-crowded, but that is life.
Yes, that is my picture with a beard. I wear a heard now, and it is very popular, in fact almost too popular, keeping me extraverted.
I do not know Vilayat’s intensions. His secretary has written we shall get
full details. But the attendance at this meetings has been excellent and there
is much more vitality and exaltation and it brims over for we are getting more
and more visits from his disciples and we all integrated
excellently.
Copy of this to Shamcher.
Love and blessings
Samuel
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco, Calif.
December 20, 1969
My dear Sharab:
Your beautiful but sad letter of the 15th is here. This person is far from being in retirement and his life is full of blessings and aches, but it is possible, inshallah, that these aches are in preparation for something big. This is supposed to be my “day off” and it is only a little after 8 in the morning and the house is crowded with loving mureeds. But as we are preparing for Christmas, they will go to work and one hopes joyously.
We are planning a Cross and a Manger, but no tree. Zeynab, my local ward who goes to art school will have charge of building and decorating the Cross first and then the other things. Baby Samuel Vilayat will be the Child. We have a lot of infants and they all seem to love each other in a remarkable way. We shall have dancing and chanting and then carol singing.
The news is that the spiritual dances are wanted more and more and Vilayat maybe here in January to consult me and he wants the choreographies, but I am short of secretarial help.
At least we do not have extremes in weather although lately it has been raining very hard.
We shall be with you in spirit on your Sufi Service. We have a lot to do here for robes, altar clothes, etc., Also gradually going in for robes and costumes. There are a lot of fine young men ready for Bayat, too.
I am not planning for Pakistan. There will be a congregation of all the world’s religions in Istanbul, Turkey, in next March. Both Vilayat and Samuel are preparing and he wants the dances and there is no reason why he should not have them.
Your re-reading the Sufi Message books is the same as mine. There are so many and when you leave them for a few years they are like new. This is wonderful as it brings “rebirth.”
Personally I should like to see you with others but equally I loved your scenery, it was to me marvelous and I can keep it in memory.
Plans are many and all progressing—garden kiln for ceramics, printing (in cooperation with the disciples around Seattle), etc. More classes will be starting soon, and I do not want to get ahead of Vilayat. He has so much to do.
Bhakti seems more or less confined but she is loved and admired by the young. The young in the different centers get along wonderfully with each other. It is a New Age.
Love and blessings,
Samuel
Jan. 24, 1970
Mrs. V.A. Harris
R.D. 2
Guy Mills, Pa. 16327
My dear Sharab:
I was very happy to get your letter of the 20th. It sounds so much more cheerful. The weather out here has been close to my ideal, warm and wet; so wet that we have had floods and landslides, so warm that the houses are comfortable by themselves, hardly ever getting down to 50 degrees. Besides, with the growing population, we certainly need more water.
I tell everybody that there is too much drama in the life to crave for excitement, whatever excitement be. Not a dull moment. Vilayat came both on and off schedule. At his unscheduled meeting he said, “You have not only started the year right, you have started the decade right.” At our regular meeting we had some 150 people, to say the least. We were all too busy to count.
You will pardon me; at this moment my goddaughter’s husband phoned; he is in severe difficulty, perhaps for the first time, and wants help, but read on.
Vilayat returned and, I understand, he addressed a San Francisco audience. The San Francisco esotericists are roughly divided into two camps, and whether by accident or design, he addressed one of the groups with whom we are on excellent terms, and the reports have been very favorable. Our own meeting was so huge, we had to use three circles in the dances, and we did almost everything Vilayat had asked for. We not only did the whirls of the seven planets, but also Uranus.
He wanted to sing, rather than talk, so we had a sort of sing-fest. Our choral group performed two of Maheboob Khan’s creations. Vilayat was entranced. Then he sang, sang like a man just released from terrible tension. Then I told a story about the donkey and the camel; that the donkey wanted to sing. He gawked. Then I had everybody get up and join me and we sang very loud:
“Pir Vilayat zindabad, Pir Vilayat zindabad,
Pir Vilayat zindabad, Vilayat Inayat Khan.”
Tears came to his eyes—all these young people expressing appreciation.
We are pretty much in agreement on so many subjects. I said he could have all the people under 28 and I would take those in their thirties. The next day I received an invitation to give spiritual teachings indefinitely at Lama Foundation in New Mexico, most of whose members are in their thirties. There is every sign of the next summer camp being a huge success. There is every sign of him now embarking on a career far greater than that which his father had. There may not be so much money or prestige, but there are living hearts with all the zest of life. There is a different kind of disciple today. I have just initiated six young men and one young woman, but I have had to ask one of my Sheikhs to join also in this work. These are no longer just ex-psychedelics, but a very fine type of spiritual seeker.
This morning we attended Indian Independence Day celebration, and again had excellent contact which will open doors. The dancing classes are now filled to satiation. Vilayat wanted the choreography. This has kept me so busy. Perhaps rightfully busy, but busy to the point of exhaustion. He believes there is a tremendous future in them. I think he realizes his father left a treasure with me.
We have agreed on the schedule and policy to be adopted before the next congress of the world’s religions, scheduled now for Geneva at some near date, not settled. But in the meanwhile, I have been invited to so many places in the Eastern States, you would do me a great favor to let me know where you are and when, even if you did not write otherwise.
While this and a lot more is going on, I have my brother in the hospital, capital operation and under sedation; with the slightest turn of events, perhaps greatly affecting my future. All past animosities are gone, inshallah forever. And he is in a position to make me a wealthy man. I am certainly not going to force him or anything, but the time may come inshallah, when I will be relieved from all duress. At the moment, the pressures are so great it is difficult for me to think and write as clearly as I might. You may not notice this, but it is so.
With all love and blessing,
Faithfully,
Samuel
Feb. 20, 1970
Mrs. V.A. Harris
R.D. 2 Guy Mills,
Pa. 16327
My dear Sharab:
I feel queasy in writing this letter. To begin with, so far as weather is concerned, it has without question been the best one of my whole life. If there has been any frost, I have missed it. There was a flash flood in Novato, and I was in San Francisco at the time. One has to be humble here because we read in “The Unity of Religious Ideals” that holiness has an effect on the weather. In fact, the weather was so beneficial I have already planted potatoes on a large scale and lettuce, chard, and garlic on a small scale.
But this is almost the only exercise I get apart from dancing. Nothing like a day off; nothing like a half a day off so far this year. Excepting for a rare radio or television program, no other relaxation. The fact that Allah has preserved my health means that one gets importuned. My brother has been in the hospital for some time and no sign either way. My close spiritual brother Shamcher Beorse has been quite unwell, etc., etc.
The spiritual dances are taking on, taking on at a very rapid rate. I am therefore taking a flash visit to southern California to see Bibijan, the secretary, two teachers interested in spiritual dancing, and then, inshallah, Bhakti and the Fraleys on the way back. These dances and the accompanying and related forms of music consume all one’s time, but of course, to good purpose. My two classes here in San Francisco are full. By the Fall, I shall either have representative teachers or devote more and more time to the classes.
Every time Pir Vilayat comes here and makes even a half-suggestion, soon we are doing it. The dancing of the spheres, and last night the walks of the spheres, took on stupendous proportions. These, of course, belong to “the music of the Spheres.” The next thing Vilayat suggested was the possibility of our work being televised. Among my newer mureeds, I have Bill, who is very advanced in Musicology, and Fred, who is all equipped now for pictures and sound equipment. Fred has been to one, at least, of Pir Vilayat’s camps, and his wife, Julie, to at least two. It is remarkable how these things are picked right out of the ethers. You can understand why I am queasy when you are close to being “stir crazy.” With me it is the opposite—guests at practically every meal. Yesterday I cooked breakfast for 14 disciples at Novato. You may have real grandchildren—I have ersatz-grandchildren and some of them marvelous. Their offspring still more marvelous.
Plans are to go to Geneva late in March; no plans after that. This will be a conference of the world’s religions, and Vilayat said he may not be there so I was to carry on. Well, I am ready. After all these year’s preparation, I am ready. But I have invitations to at least 5 places in Eastern States, and I do not know at this writing how I can handle it. It is certain that I shall be having my own summer school, perhaps in the state of New Mexico and more and more and more—no dullness, no tranquility, and a day of the spreading of the Message, “May the Message of God reach far and wide” has come. At least 15 disciples were given Bayat this year. And more coming—the most beautiful young men and women you ever saw.
Well, the phone has been ringing, etc., so please excuse me for stopping abruptly at this point.
Love,
Samuel
May 1, 1970
My dear Sharab:
Love and blessings. The world looks very bright. It is a wonderful Spring here now, and was even more wonderful at the Khankah in Novato. Tomorrow two disciples are being married and we follow that with a Spring dance festival in Fairfax, in the Deer Park section not far from the old Kaaba Allah. Disciples are constantly pilgrimaging there and getting great inspirations.
Well we are kinfolk. I have been to London and Boston and also left my address book home! The daffodils were in bloom all over in England, in great masses. Some in Switzerland and some in Boston and also other Spring blossoms. The Forsythia in particular was out and the Magnolias beginning in Boston. We visited both Kew Gardens and Arnold Arboretum but it was cool and gloomy most of the time. But outside the weather nothing negative.
Our going to Switzerland certainly justified all previous endeavors. We received profound apologies from the rabbis and protestant ministers who ignore our mail. My big thing was a program for Palestine and this has opened up still bigger. We were the only ones who could discourse with every group—and did. We knew the leaders of the Hindus and Buddhist.
On the third day we were having a confab and I saw Pir Vilayat going out the door. He was surprised and delighted. He was the only one to receive two recognitions. Most of the rest, great and small received one, even this person. Next Friday night I shall be speaking in public but I have no more concern with older people and organizations that would not take me seriously, even turned me off, And what is on now? Wars and confusions and turmoils.
We were welcomed in London by the top Orientalists and the young. And in Boston in particular by the young. We hope to return in the Fall. Present uncertain plans would be to fly to some point and rent a car and travel from Washington to Boston to Cleveland all points between. It is uncertain, but!
When I arrived in London there was a cable announcing the death of my brother. This leaves me in a much better financial position—it was not so bad, now it looks wonderful. Wonderful also the response of the young, and the Dances of Universal Peace may be taking over, because that may be God’s will. It is certain I have a Summer School awaiting me in New Mexico, enrollment all filled.
I am trying to limit the number of my students and have them attend Vilayat’s Summer Camp. That looks very, very assuring at this writing. It is a new age, Sharab. A mob greeted my farewell and almost as large a one my return and the first public meeting was crowded! Feeling fine physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Love,
Samuel
May 23, 1970
Mrs. Viola Harris
R.D. 2
Guy Mills, Pa. 16327
My dear Sharab:
I am very glad to have your letter of the 18th and to know that you are feeling much better. It is not always pleasant to write and tell others how beautiful the weather has been. You know in California we have a much longer Springtime than in many other parts. In addition to that we have very ambitions garden plans, and some of these are even fulfilled because of the growing number of loyal mureeds. At times I want to sit and cry. Pir-o-Murshid never had such followers.
There is not a dull moment. Not a dull moment. Secretary Mansur and I will leave in a few days for Lama, a spiritual commune in the northern part of the state of new Mexico. They want me there as a functioning Guru, or rather Murshid. This had been partly due to the fact that I have already been there, rather successfully, and even more to a sort of heritage of legacy from Prof. Richard Alpert. This man has been a professor at Harvard. He engaged in psychedelic research. He took to what erroneously and mistakenly is called “drugs.” He went to India and had a spiritual conversion. Although he feels that he gained much in India it has not satisfied him and the last news is that he is preparing to leave the country to study Sufism.
While the Lama exploit will include 30 to 40 people and last a month, the summer camp of Pir Vilayat, which will be held in the state of Arizona, while lasting just a week, will include many more people. I have two views on this subject: A. I wish to help Pir Vilayat; B. I wish to see a large flourishing spiritual endeavor which will put to shame pretenders and phonies and velly-exclusive universal cults, which often are more restrictive than the organizations from the past. The result is that we are almost fever-pitched trying to promote this camp, or camps. I cannot exaggerate this either.
The main enigma before me at the moment is my geography. It is an enigma because there is a log-jam on invitations, and there is considerable uncertainty about fitness. Don’t get any idea that there is a tragedy; it is not that. The directors of my father’s estate have not come to an absolute final conclusion. That is one thing. On the horizon are signs of a new increment for myself, and also increased individual and total incomes of disciple close to me.
This letter has been interrupted, and properly interrupted, by the young. Telephone, visits etc. We are having joint birthday parties and farewell Sunday. I cannot tell at this writing whether we shall try to reach you, but I can assure you that our plans at the moment include car rental to cover the area between Washington, Boston, and Cleveland.
There are a few problems, or matters of policy, I am hoping Pir Vilayat will straighten out. These include mostly the relative values of his writings and those of his father, and how far he wishes to use each in exoteric and esoteric classes. I am not particularly dogmatic here, but I feel there should be something like order in our work. All I can see is that the Message of God is going to reach far and wide, illuminating and making the whole humanity one single brotherhood in the Fatherhood of God. There are too many signs for it, too many in all directions.
I am hoping that ultimately you could move to Cleveland or elsewhere and bear up with whatever now conditions may arise.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel
Aug. 22, 1970
Mrs. V. A. Harris
R. D. 2
Guys Mills, Pa. 16327
My dear Sharab:
I am most happy to have heard from you. You are certainly correct in presuming things are different today. They are totally different.
To begin with, the problems are very different. I have lost two of the three chief secretaries because of the expansion of the movement. The third secretary is now being paid a little, and if vision is correct, this will with increase, inshallah. I am again working seven days a week, with no break, with no desire for a break. As Pir-o-Murshid said, “Sleep is resting, but awakening is interesting.” That is the way things are. Also, unfortunately, while working very hard, the chief Khalif, Moineddin Jablonski, has been very ill, spending much time in the hospital. I have found some of Hazrat Inayat Khan’s more advanced healing methods. These had been entrusted to Rabia, who never gave them out. This is fortunate and unfortunate. They certainly have to be applied, are being applied, at a time I am absolutely surrounded by dramas. Most of them are most glorious dramas, but they are going on.
Financially, I am much better off than ever. The income from my father’s estate is now entirely mine.
The income from the dancing classes has gone up. The income from dues and Bayat have gone up. I am now even on schedule for public paid lectures. The departments of philosophy of the University of California at Berkeley and Southern California have sent for me, etc., etc., etc.
I think I wrote you that Vilayat was the only person called upon twice to stand up in Geneva. While I am sometimes a little disturbed by his constant occupations and presumed reports about his health, he not only seems totally devoted and dedicated to the Message, there are many signs that he is being accepted more and more and more and more. He is going to visit many holy places of the world and will be accompanied or joined by some of my mureeds. The undertakings are stupendous and tremendous, and evidently Allah favors them for there has been some success in the raising of funds therefore.
While this is going on, other disciples are making every effort to bring about real world peace. There were a few people who took me seriously. With one exception they were connected with the University of California in some way or another. The name of the exception was Gunnar Jarring, a man whose name appears in the paper very much these days. He told me I had presented the most sensible plan for the Near East he had ever heard of.
One of my disciple, Phillip Davenport, had already published my Toward Spiritual Brotherhood. He is personally involved in both of the above undertakings. I failed utterly here in earlier efforts to get the public to accept my reports on “Real Saints, Real Sages, Real Shrines.” Now Vilayat is visiting many of these persons and places, inshallah.
Sunday morning. I am still rather “high.” The lecture yesterday on the 12th Chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians was one of the finest of my inspirations, from my point of view. There was an excellent audience, practically all young people, showing more spiritual intelligence than one usually finds, or at least found in the past. It is a New Age, with a new type of soul manifesting in bodies, and showing deep interest in real spirituality.
I wish to emphasize this because one of fizzle-Fazal’s disciples has published a book about Inayat Khan, the same emotions, the same hyperboles, the same ultra-claims as you find among the followers of Meher Baba and his many competitors—no devotions, no consideration of God, no recognition of humanity and history, or for that matter spiritual development. The advanced dancing class last night was fully attended—replacements taking the place of absentees. I as yet do not know how to get out of states of intoxication easily, and this keeps one more in tune with the young people who have the same behavior. But already the phone has rung, that we might be excepting another class, the intermediary dancing class today.
If the problem works out right we should be leaving these parts as soon as possible after Hejirat Day, the presumable first destination is New York City where my new secretary has a car which we shall use for traveling. Further than that I cannot tell you at this writing exactly what our program may be. The first problem in time is to go to Ithaca where my God-daughter is, but she has failed to give me a definite date or even a definite program and she may come out here. We have very heavy programs for both the Washington and Boston areas. There are also roving disciples who may return and give us some news about New York.
While the programs are increasing, while the lectures are increasing, while the Gatha classes are prospering, while the advanced disciples are progressing in all directions, two of my best secretaries have outside jobs, and my chief Khalif has been ill for weeks. My second Khalif now realizes this, and he shall do everything possible to promote the classes in San Francisco and the East Bay. There is also one very good Sheikh, and representative teachers in Marin County. In other words, I am faced with a problem I knew was coming—of becoming an executive.
I don’t want to tell you more, because that will take time away from accomplishments. The trees are in blossoms; the flowers are sending out their perfume and are most beautiful as well as fragrant. I am surrounded by an ever-growing number of young people, beautiful physically and spiritually. A few months ago I gave a short talk on “May the Message of God Reach Far and Wide” and said it was about to happen. It is happening. We are working, very closely I believe, with Vilayat, and it is almost as if “God is in His Heaven, all is right with the world.”
Love and Blessings,
Samuel
Nov. 16, 1970
My dear Sharab,
I think I have written to you while on my recent Eastern trip, but found your letter of October 6 not filed, so one is writing again.
The trip to the East Coast had to be terminated because successes began piling in one after another. It is strange that at this time in life one has five different careers, all successful, praise to Allah. True, they somewhat overlaps and they do involve some of the same disciples in more than one project. It seems that if the Message itself had a purpose, that this purpose resembles a tree with several branches, and each giving rise to foliage, fruit, and flower.
I returned home in excellent physical and mental shape. New York was difficult as you might surmise because of the over-heated, shut-in, apartments. I had to leave two places well worthy of visiting because of this artificial heat and cramped quarters, so I am delighted with your news of non-pollution. Actually, the great thing in this country, and it makes me exceedingly angry that President Roosevelt said once, “We have nothing to fear but fear,” and it seems as if the press and the advertisers are so over-stressing to fear that in New York City people are afraid to approach each other.
We never ever ran into bad weather; we were living near Central Parks and with excellent Fall weather the park was almost as empty as the one in Richmond, Virginia, which I visited during cherry blossom season. One can almost judge a city, its spirituality, and future, by the groups one meets in public places. Indeed, I never saw such a quiet political campaign, and such sham excuses for non-interest. But the prevalence of fear was evident in Manhattan, but not fortunately in the Boston area.
Some time has elapsed. This house is a veritable beehive, and perhaps this is as God wishes. So many things are happening, so many wonderful things, that they over-shadow any bad or unfortunate news. The next enterprise is to write up again the six interviews with Hazrat Inayat Khan in 1925. Or rather to write up all the interviews, for the first interview was repressed. It simply was not accepted. All the gush gush and mish mosh of love, harmony, and beauty has never led to the acceptance of the first interview with Hazrat Inayat Khan in 1925. Or rather its acceptance only by Paul Reps who was inside on at least one interview and outside the door on the rest. Not even Kismet Stam accepted these interviews. Certainly not Rabia Martin, and even less Maheboob Khan. And to counter-balance this absolute acceptance by Sufis in other lands. One wonders what people mean when they verbalize “One single brotherhood in the fatherhood of God.” I certainly do not understand what many people mean when they use the term “brotherhood.”
Of course there is no ill will now.
One of the interruptions between the commencement of this letter and its resumption has been concerning a program to be given at the University of California on Sufism. This program will certainly make it much easier when Pir Vilayat comes.
I won’t tell you much more because then you will not get the full idea of how great and grand the Divine Message is since the tree has begun to put out leaves. It is stupendous; it is magnificent. I have often said, Inayat Khan would have given his right arm or his tooth for such disciples. He did not have them. What have they done in this world? This is no longer true.
The hardest thing in the life is to keep from breaking down and crying when I have to watch the magnificent work done by the mureeds of the day. Vilayat’s agent was here yesterday. When he presented plans he received nothing but yeses from this person, and the plans seem so easy that one can be sure the Message of God is reaching far and wide and that the spiritual teachings of the day are taking a firm hold amid the young humanity.
I do not know Vilayat’s exact program. I do know it will be very easy to put it into operation.
I now have the tremendous job ahead of getting my creative writings ready for the market. So many doors opened in the East, so many are opening here and now. All we can do is praise God and go to work.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel
Dec. 4, 1970
Dear Sharab,
Thank you for your letter of November 27. We had a very successful Thanksgiving at the Khankah. We have a new type of stove, self-cleaning, with two ovens, one very large, and it easily accommodated the 30 lb. turkey. Members of both houses joined together, and this will be done, perhaps, at Christmas, and certainly at New Year’s. That is the birthday also of Khalif Moineddin Jablonski, who is house-manager. He had been in the hospital two months and was released the day before Thanksgiving.
I am giving you a copy of letter written to Sufis Speak. Everything is moving rapidly in all directions excepting secretarial help. The work mounts and mounts, and at the Khankah there is now no secretarial help at all—just parades of ironies, not tragedies, but they make it very hard for me. I have a lot of loving and lovely disciples, but have extremely ironical situations that despite constant pleas not to bother me about where they should live or how they should live, I am getting more and more problems in this field, to the point that I may lose my temper publicly. For there are disciples who have rooms to let, some “easy” and some slightly expensive, and there are others who constantly come to Murshid despite appeals and admonitions and ask him where they should live, and they pay no attention to the other disciples who have places.
We have had the wettest early winter in California history, excepting in 1926, but that year I was living down in Los Angeles. The rain does shut out the frost, and it is possible that the vegetables will be growing.
My closest friend, Mrs. Vocha Fiske, was our guest at Thanksgiving and has seen the Dances. She was very close to Ruth St. Denis, and so more than anybody else realizes what is happening.
Now as to my family. I don’t know how many times I was kicked out of my parental home. Every time my brother did anything wrong I was punished. For all this, he died a broken-hearted man, discovering that the people whom he had trusted were like himself very questionable. I find now, as I had suspected, that he gave them nearly all the family heirlooms. A few years ago I had my cousin Mildred visit me at a open public Sufi party. She returned, saying we were absolutely wrong about Samuel, to the family; we were absolutely wrong.
Last Sunday I was invited by her daughter Mary Lou to a big party at the old home on 9th Avenue. To me it was wonderful in every respect. Then Mildred came to the Sunday afternoon dancing class and said, “I never saw so many beautiful young men and women in my life.” This was also the conclusion of my friend Vocha and others. And I think this may be why Vilayat wants to spend more time here. I don’t believe he will be disappointed.
We will let Vilayat know about you. One of his secretaries is expected any time now, and I may be able to find about his program. We are a little divided. Some of us feeling he is traveling too much and not resting enough. The same conclusion has been reached by non-Sufis, who are his friends, but this does not mean it is the right conclusion. He may be strong enough to carry on.
I think I have given the rest of the news in the letter to Atiya, (copy enclosed). Yes Shamcher is very busy there and also continues his grand careers.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel