[first page missing—Ed]
Around 1954 I wrote “ The integration of the Ancient and Modern in the Solution of India’s Problems,” while studying with one Satya Agrawal who was then teaching at the American Academy of Asian Studies in San Francisco, and the University of California in Berkeley. Through him I met Prof. R.S. Parks whom I believe is doing excellent work at the latter institution.
Among Americans I consider Prof. Kingsley Davis as one of the best. But our hampered philosophic and psychological outlooks seem to prevent us, as a nations to grasp over-all views.
I met Vallabhai Patel years ago and one thing impressed me: his assertion that the problems of India should and could be “solved” because in that many of the world’s problems could be “solved.” I believe your “Our Economic Problem” goes a long way toward fulfilling Patel’s cream and perhaps the wishes of many of us.
Sincerely, Samuel L. Lewis
President, Divine Knowledge Society
Block No. 7, 137, Netaji Subhas Road
Bombay 1, India
Dear Friend:
You may be interested to know that some technicians will seen be leaving this area to visit shrines and holy places, and then come together at New Delhi, whence they will tour India.
There is some difference of opinion as to policy. I am favoring that group which feels that more is to be gained by filming and recording the efforts of what may be called the New Age types, and this would automatically include your good self. I am therefore giving your name and address to m disciple Phillip Davenport and my godson Ralph Silver, who may be leaving this area shortly. They have been very much involved in taking pictures and tape recordings of the efforts of your people in this land, and else of presumable holy men from your country, although this word is not exactly defined.
They were originally involved in filming my own spiritual dances, but felt this was not enough, so they have done much more. They have been quite successful in getting financial aid for their enterprises. Indeed, the outlook is now very good for spiritual movements, particularly of Indian origin. For what I know, you would be interested no doubt in having your work filmed and then presented to the world. I am not sure of details.
In any case I am giving your address to my young associated and you should be hearing from them way ahead of time should they visit Bombay.
Faithfully,
Samuel L. Lewis
Raja Mahendra Pratap
Founder of World Federation, Master of Religion of Love.
27th August, 1956
Dear Mr. Samuel Lewis,
I received your card, the name card, from my friend at Rajpur. You called at my Himalayan residence. I thank you.
I shall be at Delhi on the 30th evening and visiting some towns on the way. I hope to be at Rajpur on the 3rd September. I shall try to contact you by phone; if we can meet it will be a pleasure.
I enclose our August Eorld Federation, maybe you did not get it at Rajpur. If you got it please pass it on to some other friend.
Yours sincerely,
M. Pratap
Vincent Isaacs,
Consulting Architect, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh
9 November 1956
My dear Mr. Lewis,
It was real swell of you to think of dropping me a line and giving me all the news in which I am indeed interested. I too hope I will be able to do all I can for the great cause you are working for. Yes, being a Catholic myself and an architect with a knowledge of also church art, music and dancing I am confident we can do something with our combined efforts if you make it possible for me to do my best.
After we met at Ajenta I had travelled a good deal more over the central parts and the South of India, seeing some of the finest temples and real specimens of Indian art. Several photos have been taken by me, some of them are a success some not, because as you saw I have only a box camera to work with—my Rollei having been destroyed and I just can’t get another these days.
Here are some of the ones at Ajenta I took when we were there—I know you like them. I hope it gets you safe. I was also at Hyderabad the other day and by chance met Mrs. Morris. I gave her your best wishes and she was glad to hear that I asked to be remembered also.
I hope to be in Hyderabad again at the last week of this month as we are having a lot of work there these days. Owing to so much of duty I could not write earlier. I’m now writing to your Karachi address: I hope it gets you in time.
Drop me a line when you have some more news for me as I told you. Both my wife and myself were pleased to hear from you and wish you every success in all your doings.
Sincerely,
Vincent Isaacs
April 25, 1957
Dear Friend,
I do not know the address of Janab Almamoon. I [?] here. You believe, you do [?] that, go on doing as you believe. Thoughts make us move. Our blood determines our course. I believe God gave me birth, He keeps me alive; my wisdom was also created in this body. We are tiny wheels in the great Universal machine, with only one difference that we agree to choose between good and evil. This develops unpleasant situations at times. Our evil is washed and we again become true. Religion teaches us the right path, all religions according to time and place gave man instructions. Now Religion of Love has appeared to unite religions, to fight evil, top help goodness. World Federation establishes perfect peace on earth. I am elected to the Parliament, defeating Congress candidate, I shall have my office at Delhi.
Yours sincerely,
M. Pratap
106 Ethel Ave.,
Mill Valley, Calif.
November 30, 1957
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad,
Deputy Prime Minister of India,
New Delhi, India
Your Excellency:
You will pardon me if I start this letter with an apology. It may be an unusual beginning and an unusual apology. For though there is a saying, “Do not bring coals to Newscastle,” it had been the way of life, and to misquote from page 19 or your biography by Mahadev Desai, let me, plunge into the water and say:
Long and wary was Khizar’s way
To the spring of Live:
Despite my being born in the West,
I have slaked my thirst form that spring.
When I arrived at Lahore I went to the Chief of Police and showed him my passport. He looked at me and said: “I do not believe your age.” I said: “Did you ever hear of Khizar?” “Come to lunch.”
For my Sixtieth birthday was celebrated in a manner very strange for one born in the West. I arrived at Ajmir and the station was crowded with people— waiting for me. I knew nobody there, had written to nobody and my schedule had been suddenly changed. But there they were waiting for me. I asked, “What do you want.” “You.” Why?” “Come to Dirgah Shereef.”
So this letter, dear Maulana, is written in love and tears.
I was born in San Francisco and need only tell you two things: I was initiated into tasawwuf many, many years ago. I was the first American permitted to speak officially on Mahatma Gandhi at a public meeting organized by natives of India.
The streams seem different. The connections do not appear causal. I began reading at an early age and already was acquainted with the personality of Gandhi while he was in Africa. Outwardly I did not and do not know why. The connection with Sufism is different. Seeking for a “true religion” I began to accept synthesis.
Let me tell you two more incidents In India. I was out with Khwaja Hussein Nizami, my very good friend. He took me to the Tomb of Humayun. He showed me the grave of Dara Shikoh. I walked around it seven times calling out “Ya Allah!” as I stepped. Then I said, “Let us go” and I did not visit the tomb. He understood. And I went where Dara Shikoh went, Agra and Ajmir and Lahore.
When I went to Fatehpur Sikri I told my guide I was a mad man, and begged him off from taking a crazy person around. I walked solemnly to the tomb of Selim Chisti (how many Americans know about Selim Chisti). Meditated until I received the guidance (which always comes). Then four times in turn I asked my guide where certain places were and four times he said: “You are standing on the sport.” The last place was the house of Tansen. There, although I am a disciple of tasawwuf in a certain sense, I became the Flute of Rumi and the Flute of Krishna which flutes are one, which music pours from my being whenever Allah wishes it.
But this should not be about me. This is an introduction. Yet when your Ambassador Mehta was in San Francisco years ago, Mrs. Henry Grady, the wife (now widow) of the ambassador selected me from a large audience and introduced only me to his Excellency.
I did call on Syed Mahmud the disciple of the late Khwaja Hasan Nizami who was the very close friend of my own Murshid, Hazrat Inayat Khan whose remains are in the compound of the Dirgah Nizam-ud-din Auliya. I did call on Vice-President S. Radhakrishnan whom I regard as one of the world’s great philosophers. Today I am buying all his writings, as well as those of Ambassador Bowles prior to my own writing.
I have read your short biography, not with regret that I did not call upon you, but with a little knowledge of you background.
Recently we had a grand session of UNESCO with the hopes of bringing Americans and Asians closer together. Some things accomplished were wonderful. Unfortunately the speaker on Islam was a non-American, non-Muslim. And some of the leading “authorities” on Islam in this country are non-American, non-Muslims. They teach in common that there are no great Sufis today, and the decline of Islam had been largely due to the reluctance of Sufis to indulge in politics. And then I spoke to the leading “authority” on “Indian Religion” in this country: “This is just like Fatehpur Sikri.” He looked at men with dismay and said: “What are you talking about?”
Yes, dear Maulana, what am I talking about? In the ultimate no doubt there is a dream or fantasy, “In that day will the sun rise in the West and all men seeing believe.” Or an obsession of Abdul Fazl and Dara Shikoh from which I do not wish to be released. And a love for my Murshid and for the Mahatma and for my present Murshid and present Guru, and the Eternal (Ya Hayy! Ya Hakk!), written by a slowly Feringhi.
Dear Sir, may we come to understand each other, with the blessings of Allah.
Faithfully,
Samuel L. Lewis
Ahmed Murad Chisti
106 Ethel Ave.,
Mill Valley, Calif.
2nd September, 1958
P.A Wadia,
K.T. Merchant,
c/o Elphinstone College, Bombay, India
In re: “Our Economic Problem”
Dear Professors Wadia and Merchant:
A number of weeks back the writer suggested an interview with either the local Consul-General of India or one of his staff in order to submit what he considered fundamental answers to the problems besetting your country. This interview is now not necessary for your book includes about everything that I might have thought of. The material is arranged in an excellent manner, the book was very readable (to me) and there is little that could be added.
Unless I have misinterpreted, you have offered an “open” rather than a “closed” systems and dynamic, rather than static approaches. Many economists no doubt use the terms “open” and “dynamic” but an examination of their points of view proves otherwise.
You may wonder why an American should be concerned with such matters. I suppose I am one of the few persons who has devoted himself to many facets of Oriental, and especially Indian culture and history. This covers many fields: history, archaeology, art, philosophy, religion, economics, agriculture, etc., but not languages. In these respects I am not a tyro.
I did stay in your country about three months in 1956 and was welcomed by all kinds of people from Cabinet ministers to peasants, from professors to harijans, from the highest ranking holy men and Sufis to business men and felt quite at home. The one thing received universally was hospitality. I neither know not care whether this was unique but it did happen.
The name of Professor Wadia has been known to me a long, longtime. I was more interested in economics and politics early in life. But always having a world rather than a local outlook, I read the books written by him in collaboration with Professor Joshi. My objection to the narrow study of economics, as well as anything else, is that it tends to narrow out appreciation of nature, man and the universe.
Long years of study and discipline in both Oriental methods and almost contemporary scientific and mathematic teachings lead me to conclude:
All bodies, forms and beings in the universe tend toward a state of stable equilibrium.
This sentence seems to harmonize alike with the teachings of Buddha and Newton and with the general outline of social history. It finally brought me to the acceptance of the “New Economics” which flared for a moment like a brilliant Nova and then disappeared—or did it? Anyhow I must go along entirely with the last chapters of young book which contain prescriptions which I believe will cure the world of its dangerous and/or adherence to communism or Keynesianism which seem threatening to engulf us all.
Around 1954 I wrote “The Integration of the Ancient and Modern in the Solution of India’s Problems” while studying with one Satya Agrawal who was then teaching at the American Academy of Asian Studies in San Francisco, and the University of California in Berkeley. Through him I met Prof. R.L. Parks whom I believe is doing excellent work at the latter institution.
Among Americans I consider Prof. Kingsley Davis as one of the best. But our hampered philosophic and psychological outlooks seem to prevent us, as a nation, to grasp over-all views.
I met Vallabhai Patel years ago and one thing impressed me: his assertion that the problems of India should and could be “solved.” I believe your “Our Economic Problem” goes a long way toward fulfilling Patel’s dream and perhaps the wishes of many of us.
Sincerely,
Samuel L. Lewis
Thakur Nivas,
173, J. Tata Road, Bombay, 1.
22nd September, 1958
Dear Mr. Lewis,
Your letter is a pleasant surprise to both of us. We are glad to find that our Book is being appreciated abroad. It is an indication that our universe is shrinking in dimensions.
As for Kingsley Davis, we, too, consider him one of the outstanding students of Indian conditions in your country.
Thanking you again for this compliment that you have paid to us,
We remain,
Yours sincerely,
Prof. P.A. Wadia
Prof. K.T. Merchant
40 Atlantic St.
Gloucester, Hass.
July 16, 1960
My dear Mrs. Coomaraswamy:
Twice in social conversations with Mr. & Mrs. (Sam and Esther) Goldberg, they have mentioned your name and suggested I get in touch with you. I understand that at the present time you are engaged in research and writing and there would have to be some important reasons for such a meeting.
I have long been a student of Oriental Art, read all the later Professor’s works, met him once in Boston, and pursued studies and disciplines that were not far from his pet projects and career.
For example I began studying Buddhism in 1920 with one M. T. Kirby who, in later life, became the teacher of the well-known Dr. Malalasekera. Kirby introduced me to Beatrice Lane and Kenneth Saunders. I studied directly under the latter when he gave a course on Oriental Art at the Pacific School of Religions years ago, and his impetus, more than any other one person, has kept me going.
In a purely personal way, two of my early art teachers, Katherine Ball and Perham Nall, became involved in the Orient and gave me further encouragement and for many years I have been studying with my good friend Chingwah Lee, of San Francisco.
At the present moment I am preparing for my second trip to the Orient. I am scheduled to leave New York for Alexandria on August 12th. I have direct introductions to the Art Department at the University of Cairo and also may do some studying there.
For many years there have been two related projects foremost in my efforts: one has been called “World Peace through the Arts” and the other is the building up of the East-West Art Gallery connected with the Rudolph Schaeffer school of Design in San Francisco. The moneys that have been contributed to this Gallery have been devoted almost entirely to the care, maintenance, exhibition and class work on actual objects art and not on buildings, overhead, etc, which characterize some institutions.
In 1956 I visited Japan, Thailand, India, and both wings of Pakistan. Fortunately the Buddha Jayanti Exhibits were on and I guess I have personally seen as much Buddhist Art as anybody on earth. My present trip has in prospectus the visiting of the Gandhara country (e.g. Swat) and perhaps to Bamian in Afghanistan. I also hope to go Ceylon, Malaya, and Indonesia, not visited before.
I suppose I was interested in Dr. Coomaraswamy also from the spiritual and philosophical viewpoints. I have had long training in actual Yoga and studies in Vedanta. Indeed I am already booked to speak at several universities on “The Relationship between Oriental Philosophy and Modern Science.”
I am particularly interested in seeing that any copies of the late Prof. Ananda Coomaraswamy’s works, or any book about him, be in the library of the Rudolph Scheaffer School. There are continual courses covering the arts of the Far East and South Asia. It is probably that both Mr. Schaeffer and several members of the staff knew your late husband personally. They certain refer to him works in their classes and public lectures.
I am therefore wondering if I may call on you at your convenience within the next two weeks.
Sincerely,
Samuel L. Lewis
Note: There have been several factors delaying my sailing. I am now scheduled to depart on August 12th, going direct to Beirut and Alexandria. I am picking up my Lebanon Visa in New York.
If there are any forthcoming works I am sure you will be interested in them and if I buy them for “me,” they shall nonetheless be put on your shelves.
P.P.S. Within a few moments after writing I met a young man from Ceylon who has offered to become my host when I reach that country.
Please do not answer, as I am constantly traveling. SLL
Poona, January 29, 1962
Swami Akhilananda,
Ramakrishna Mission
8 Edgefield Road,
Brookline, Mass
Swami-ji:
“Taxi Taxi!” I told the driver to stop the car. “Pardon me, will you do me a favor?” “What?” “Take me to the Ramakrishna Mission.” “Yes, if you will do me a favor?” “What?” Take me to the Ramakrishna Mission.” This happened yesterday on Vivekananda’s birthday. Let me go back.
My trip and visits to the Near East and Pakistan were totally and thoroughly successful but I had trouble with the Indian authorities in getting a visa. During that period they held my passport for a whole month and only through the intervention of the American Embassy did I get it returned—stuck in a foreign land without mail, money or passport. This was a trying period. But outside of that everybody was fine and everything succeeded in so many ways.
I came to India with added spiritual missions and began visiting holy places. Perhaps it was dramatic, but more perhaps it was real that going to the tomb of the martyred Surmad I whispered into the attendant’s ear: “Dara Shikoh.” He almost fainted and then warmly embraced me and gave me the covering over the tomb. For it is certain that in this life I continue the work of the Moghul Prince, and right it and there is no nonsense about it.
Meanwhile my immediate host, one Mithal, also took me to Rehana, a Muslim born lady who seems to favor the Indians. They say that the top people, the President, Vice-President and Prime Minister all favor here. One a re-visit I also met a great Pundit. Unlike the Europeans and Americans who “teach” Indian Philosophy he asked me for my discourse on Gita. I became naught. All I remember was saying:
The Gita Is the Flute of Krishna Turned Into Poetry.
Who took over, I do not know, but the wisdom poured out from the lips. Much of the Sanatana Dharma is to be restored, but by what means I do not always know.
I was fortunate, despite Independence Day, to have half an hour with Dr. Radhakrishnan, terminated by me, not him. Steps have been taken to bring the philosophers of integral outlook of East and West together—and not the apologists for integration or praise of Vijnana, Prajna and Ananda who cannot and do not function.
Sunday evening my host and I parted, he to go to Krishnamurti and I to the Vedanta Temple.
I was In Lyallpur. The erstwhile host was too busy to care for me and almost locked me in a room which happened to contact his Indian Library. There were the works of all the recent “liberators” and there was a chance to compare them. There was no comparison. One had empty words. One had empty claims. One was so full of intellectualisms that even the gods would get tired of readying him. Another was full of self and nothing else. Another was empty of self and nothing else.
Then I picked up a book of swami Vivekananda. The words became living flames and danced all around me. They were flames of pink-love. I could not read, only meditate and adore. Half a page proved to be too much but the experience did not prove to be too much.
Of course claims like these mean nothing to many people but this is exactly what happened. I type it here also because your Brother, Swami Maharaj Ranganathananda receives a copy and I did not relate this to him.
On Sunday night last visited the Ramakrishna Mission. The buildings, not started when I was there before, are completed. The lecture hall was filled by a large audience of high caliber. The talk was to the point—words and symbols can confuse and mislead; spiritual experience does not. The whole stress was on experience. It was the proof-of-proofs.
My own discourses always include: “I am a scientist. What I know of nature comes from study, investigation, research and hard work—all experience. There are no speculations and no emotional adoration of great scientists; only the knowledge that comes as knowledge comes, out of life itself. Spiritual knowledge is not different in this excepting that the knowledge is of a different order.”
This Sunday night the meeting was in open air and all talks but one in English with a loudspeaker. There was also a very large audience. In the morning I had gone to the Dilip Kumar Roy Ashram, an audience of about 200, clean-clothes, intellectual appearances, etc. But this was a much larger audience and I should say 2,000. But the same about clothes and appearances. There is no question that Vedanta is growing. Someone said to me, “It has been predicted that someday the whole world will be following Sri Ramakrishna.” “Who is going to stop it?”
These are strange words form a “Dara Shikoh” or maybe they are normal words from a “Dara Shikoh.”
I gave one poem direct to Swamiji in New Delhi and left another in his absence. I expect to edit a third and give it to him on my return there. My external researches into Vedanta are restricted now but I expect to return here in 1965. The “internals” go on.
Faithfully,
Samuel L. Lewis
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco, Calif.
4th November, 1968
Miss Rehana Tyabji,
“Sanidhi,”
Raj Gat,
New Delhi I, India
My dear Sister:
It is with great joy that new one can send you copy of “The Rejected Avatar,” a short epic drawn from the universe to this person. While in a sense no one person is involved in the inspiration, it was greatly stimulated by your spiritual reports to our mutual friend, Mrs. Gale Darling.
I hope this finds you well and in good spirits. At any time now you may be visited by disciples Sheyla McKendrick and Dara Rowell. They have gone to India on several missions, including attendance at the conference of The Temple of Understanding, the Aurobindo Ashram and new communes in your land.
They hope also to visit Ajmir and Anandashram in South India and also to visit various holy places and saints.
“The Rejected Avatar” is but one of an innumerable number of epics coming to this person and rejected by the age now passed. It is a new age here with multitudes of “reincarnated Indians” living in California, and looking to the Orient for inspiration.
Here one teaches both “Dharma” and “Din” and although basically trained in tasawwuf, it is absolutely all-inclusive following the pathways of Emperor Akbar and Prince Dara Shikoh. We are helping the young to realize “God” through poetry and dance and the repetition of sacred phrases. In many respects this is outside of conventional religions. It is as easy to convince the young of the existence of a Supreme Being as it is difficult to draw them to “religion.” They want brotherhood and co-mingling on every level.
All love and blessings.
Samuel L. Lewis
cc-Indian Consulate
410 Precita Ave.
San Francisco, Ca.
April 13, 1969
Dr. Z. Hussein, President,
The Republic of India,
Rashtrapati Bhavan
New Delhi 4, India
Honored Sir:
I greet you both in the name of Allah the merciful and compassionate and also for the profound ideals which represent the whole purport of your life and in a sense mine too. I am known here even among your colleagues as a sort of tanasukh of Prince Dara Shikoh. Indeed in this respect I have had some very strange experiences with regard to one Punjabi sahib who has been in your foreign service and may still be. In any event it seems that my life is to continue the missions of this great Mogul prince; acceptance or rejection on the part of society in no way impels or impedes this mission.
Apart from this or perhaps not apart from this something very strange had me become interested in the late Mahatma Gandhi. I followed his African career very closely and knew much about him when be returned to India.
At a later time when Mr. Vincent Shean asked for comments on his reports of the great Mahatma’s interpretation of the Gita he was very much surprised to find I had been given exactly the same instructions. Not only was there no difference in interpretation but I am pleased to say that this interpretation is now being presented in our local universities. This became clear yesterday in a seminar on Mystical Experience wherein mystical experience was discussed more than the opinions of great men about it.
I had long considered the possibilities of going to India for the Gandhi centennial but there are events in life which impose upon one the need of surrender to the Living Allah more than going on missions in and by one’s ego self. One of my disciples has been urged to come to India and pursue the career of spiritual and Indian dancing, and if God wills this will follow. For it is not lack of funds that stands in the way but other problems.
The name of this disciple is Miss Deborah Churney. She is a beautiful young girl, a fine disciple, and especially adept in devotional dances. She is now studying with a somewhat famous teacher here named Janaki.
Two years ago this person was flat on his back in a hospital suffering from a sudden attack of ptomaine poisoning. At that moment a “revelation” from Allah so to speak—“I make you spiritual leader of the hippies.” One had then 6 followers. Suddenly things began to happen. One saw it all in vision and everything has happened exactly as in vision.
One began teaching Dervish dances. One had already presented to the American public the theme of “Joy Without Drugs.” The message was rejected but there must have been a divine impetus for more and more young people are constantly being attracted and week by week one gains adherents. The rather successful presentation of Dervish dances was followed almost immediately by mantric dances and yoga dances. Whatever others may think the theme of “Joy Without Drugs” has been successfully established.
I am no sloppy sentimentalist about the great Gandhiji. I am actively engaged in teaching the four great Scriptures which he venerated. This is being called more and more to public attention. Beginning working alone there has been a slow but steady increment of money and followers, enough so it can be arranged to send at least one person to India (inshallah) whether it be the aforesaid Miss Churney or more. I have been very active in promoting the Temple of Understanding of Mrs. Judith Hollister with the theme of uniting peoples of all religions in prayer in a single edifice. I have been engaged in this sort of thing all my life with constant failure due to the imposition of important persons, so called, thwarting successful accomplishments constantly. It is only now that the possibility of there being a Living God, a God who can be experienced, which is making any impression on any segment of the public. But even now there are strange refusals to accept the existence of the great Mogul Emperor Akbar or his exact work and accomplishments. I find myself today too old to be thwarted any longer by such ego-interpositions but because there is a Loving God (Allah to whom be all praise) and there is growing acceptation of the divine experience that a new world is beginning to manifest.
My meetings here with my very dear friend the renowned Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj broke through the hard and fast egotism of manas ahankara which has been so dominant in cultural circles. The people of the new age accept the divine experience and that it really can happen to real people with or without artificial or social “credentials.” I shall have sent to you a copy of “The Rejected Avatar.” This is a direct evidence of a purported tanasukh of Prince Dara Shikoh. I can assure you honored sir, I have a large number of epics, all based on the cosmic experience and in time as God wills they will become public.
I intend to give Miss Churney an introduction to my spiritual brother and colleague Pir-o-Murshid Hasan Sani Nizami in your city. A lifelong student of the great epics and the great spiritual heritage of India I feel it is most necessary to draw on these wisdoms to help make this a better world in actuality and not merely in oratory or verbalization. The cultural representatives (or mis-representatives) of India seem to bypass the teachings of rupa nama arupa and much else. Spirituality is much more than intellectuality; there is no change in the teachings concerning manas and ahankara. As American people have begun already to appreciate the Gita and Upanishads so also many are beginning to appreciate the message of Mohammad and the Holy Koran and the actual teachings of the actual Lord Buddha.
Again appreciating my great respect for your person and your philosophy, I remain most faithfully,
Samuel L. Lewis
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
410 Precita
September 7, 1969
Darshana International
Moradabad, India
Dear Ram:
I have before me copy of your issue of April 1968 (Volume VIII, No. 2), and am enclosing ten dollars for two years subscription, beginning 1968 and through this year (with the exception of the April issue), and would like also if you can send any condensed table to contents of earlier issues.
I have seen copies of earlier issues which were not always to my liking but either because of changes in the articles and contributors or changes in my own outlook I am more than delighted. And especially with the article on “Attainment of Moksha” by Abhedanand.
I am also delighted that you have listed among the American members Archie Bahm, Oliver Reiser and Gardner Murphy, three men whom I hold in highest esteem and with whom I have been and may cooperate, more or less.
It may be unethical to say that I happen to be perhaps the first American, the first Westerner and even the first human being (I do not know) that has passed all has examinations in Sufism before Sufi Murshids; and all his examinations in Zen before real living Roshis—not before “experts” and “credentialed”-professors or otherwise.
It has been awkward to find a number of groups assuming the term “integrational” but remained as narrow and compartmented as their predecessors. I shall be sending under the same or separate cover “Purna Vedanta Yoga Gita” which I am ashamed to report was first dedicated and inspired by one of the so-called leaders of the “New Age” but which was nastily and summarily rejected by the representatives of this so-called “New Age Prophet” now samadhied. It requited a slight revision but no change in outlook of Samma Drishthi, a term which has been dualistically interpreted by those not having comic experience.
There are now two independent movements going on in this country; (a) Americans, generally deep versed in American-American Philosophy; (b) Indians, who find no place in “cultural integration” centers which place this one above that one, and another below, and so on. Perhaps part of my work will be to bring these Indians and other Asians and Americans closer together, without any of this ego- personality “pseudo-leadership” which is impossible in real integrational movements.
On the one hand there are more and more groups and certainly vastly increasing numbers of Americans who want exactly what you have been advocating. I personally believe many of them are “reincarnated Indians.” I certainly remember some of my lives in your land—which is regarded by the “experts” as the worst form of claim and evidence. And they, ruling out cosmic memory, have commingled Asian wisdom with all sorts of dialectics, personality prowess, “Jungianism”, etc.
Sooner or later Prof. Oliver Reiser’s “Cosmic Humanism” and “Project: Krishna” will prevail.
December 20, 1969
Perfect Peace Lodge
P.O. Box 11
Veyangoda, Ceylon
Dr. K.M.P. Mohamed Cassim
Dear Friend,
We acknowledge with grateful thanks the receipt of your interesting letter dated 9th November, 1969.
We feel that spiritual freedom is the common aim of all people and hence, we spread the message of philosophy to all who are sincerely interested because we are of opinion that mutual exchange of philosophical ideas and aspirations will create spiritual understanding and co-operation. We feel nothing in the world can give us happiness except our Self-Knowledge through which we liberate ourselves. The urgent necessity and the spiritual importance of realizing our true “Self” should be stressed and explained beautifully so that we can manifest the Light of Unity. We must always remember that liberation is a state of ultimate perfection when the ego becomes merged into the oversoul.
We feel that to unfold our divine nature rightly, we must have the capacity to meditate correctly and this meditation will purify our hearts. Then we will be able to uplift our hearts to that realm of divinity which provides bliss and liberation. By concentrating our whole attention in self-contemplation, we spontaneously train our minds to have a glimpse of the Infinite. We must fully realize the fact that we are not the physical bodies or minds, but in essence we are divine and this divinity can be experienced directly when the mind is still. To live always in a state of stillness is the right method of meditation and then life will be full of joy with inner freedom.
We feel that an aspirant must develop his physical body and mind side by side along with his spiritual progress. The body and the nervous system should be kept strong and healthy. The mind can be trained efficiently by regular meditation. Life without meditation is dull and to enjoy life fully one must purify the body and the mind. We all seek happiness, but we can have real happiness only in meditation because through meditation alone we are able to contact higher spiritual vibrations which purify and vitalize the whole body, nervous system and mind. Life is so sweet and sacred that we must purify ourselves from moment to moment by constant meditation. There is great pleasure in leading a pure life. Perfect peace can be experienced in profound meditation. The best way to be happy is to purify our minds. Our physical bodies and minds are instruments to be developed and used carefully for self-realization.
We are now reaching a stage when there is the possibility of a new life as unseen divine forces are working at a tremendous speed for the spiritual benefit of all. We can feel now the inside power inspiring us and guiding us to realize Supreme Consciousness. We need not suppose that this age is ill-fitted for the discovery of to a higher spiritual development. May the divine light shine upon us at every step and illumine our meditative path.
With best wishes and fraternal greetings,
Yours in Universal Service,
Dr. K.M.P. Mohamed Cassim
December 29, 1969
Prof. K. T. Merchant
11, Dariya Mahal
80, Nepean Sea Road
Bombay 6, India
My Dear Friend:
I must thank you for your Christmas greeting. We celebrated Christmas here without a tree, but with a cross; without presents excepting lighted candles and also scented candles which were blessed and offered to a growing number of young people who now regard this person as a “Guru.”
All the outlooks are changing. One is in considerably better financial condition with a growing entourage of young people who seek spiritual development in ways more adoptable to the age. Verbally one might call this “Fatehpur Sikri” outlook. It is certain that young America wished to adopt a more universal outlook in all things. It is almost amusing to find some rather important persons in this country signing their letters “Hare Krishna.” It is a sign of the times.
I am watching affairs in India in a manner not easily verbalized. I was taught at an early age that politics would become useless without set economic programs. I therefore have adopted a rather dis-enchanted view and will continue so until your own works are better studied, if not understood. I am therefore again asking, earlier letters having been filed or misplaced, for a list of all your works outside the field of sports, which I now intend to order, and not only order, but place in the hands of persons and institutions.
A very close colleague of mine, Mr. Bryn Shamcher Beorse, is now busy with his own literary efforts. Mr. Beorse has a world outlook, based on travel, adventures, careers, professions, and outlooks. He is far ahead in his study and adaptations of economics. I believe your two outlooks are rather similar and also both profound, and also both contain seeds of solutions of present-day problems.
I cannot of course impel your people to accept you, but the present trends in this land indicate that many will be accepting or following Mr. Beorse as above. I am of course placing a copy of this letter in the hands of the local Consul General. I do not of course, of hand, expect the government of India to accept you and your work anymore then I can expect the government of the United States to accept the careers and findings of Mr. Beorse and myself.
I am now preparing to attend a convocation under the auspices of The Temple of Understanding to be held this coming here, now scheduled for Geneva, Switzerland. The mere fact that spiritual and ecclesiastical leaders of all faiths will be meeting together is of itself important.
I can also call your attention to the reports of the leading scientists of this country who are now having their own convention and also reaching rather universal conclusions. Other than the plans to go to Geneva, one can only say we are working on “Dances of Universal Peace” originally offered to some leaders in your country, but then snubbed by them for personal reasons, but at least snubs have been followed by apologies leaving a degree of uncertainty. But there is no uncertitude in my mind about your economic and social outlooks, and I am hoping that these along with the findings of Mr. Beorse, as above, and others of this, land, will receive a favorable response in the future.
Wishing you a most happy new year, and with all cordiality,
Samuel L. Lewis
December 30, 1969
Mr. Adi K. Irani
King’s Road
Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India
Beloved One of God:
There is a Chinese custom that at the end of a year all debts should be paid. One is not asking for debts to be paid. One is not asking for the full acceptance of the Lord’s Prayer of Jesus. One does not know if one may even request that devotees of actual faiths put this into practice. There is a Sufi tradition of the Sufis who are actual Sufis and not verbalized Sufis that what one cannot obtain from man in the way of justice and honesty one should record to the account of Allah and accept His judgment as final. This is a real surrender to a real living God, beyond verbalized devotion.
I have before a copy of “Divya Vani” 25 January 1968, in which there are some prayers. I have asked three presumable followers of Meher Baba about the use of them and gotten three answers. This was a test. It was a test to demonstrate to the world that those who claim to be the closest followers of the late Meher Baba are concerned with their egos and not with any supreme being.
Of course I want to use “The Prayer of Repentance.” Of course I want to use “My Work” by Meher Baba. I wanted to use these without any comment whatsoever, unless it be a comment that there are certain very much-favored persons, and when there are certain very much-favored persons the claim to Divinity flops, and I mean flops.
I was once a Baba devotee. I performed all the disciplines, etc., required by him, and found myself in compulsory servitude under those who did not, did not even have to practice these disciplines. What is more I became victimized, and I mean before God victimized, by persons still presumable representatives of Meher Baba, who acted contrariwise of every item on page 5 of the January 1968 issue. What is more, I was told emphatically that every enterprise in which I was engaged was contrary to the wishes of Meher Baba, and so contrary to God. This included enterprises revealed in mystical experiences from and by Divine Messengers of the past. I have had to continue on these enterprises despite a myriad of obstacles placed in my path by the presumably chosen devotees of Meher Baba.
What do you think my feeling has been when I have read that Baba himself condemned such actions, and condemned them seriatim. And what do you think my feeling has been when I found that Baba himself was in favor of the major enterprises which I have been engaged, and am engaged. And before God I shall continue to be so engaged.
Therefore I am not asking position to utilize any prayers. There is, there can be, no copyright Fateha, or the Sermon on the Mount. Inasmuch as there seems to be a copyright on the prayers of Meher Baba etc., this itself is the best negative evidence, and it can only become positive evidence when justice and rectitude are practiced toward human beings.
When personality interference prevented each and every enterprise deep in the personal consciousness, the real universal God showered his Grace through the personalities of earlier and historical Divine Messengers. One of my Sufi teachers said, “I will accept no rejection from the heavens,” but that it is all I previously received from certain apparently favored personalities.
We are here now faced with the advent of not a few real or fanciful “Messiahs” and “Avatars.” The social world is already accepting some of them. None of them have put out to me prayers comparable to those voiced by Meher Baba, but they just might have followers who are taught and who practice love and consideration for and with humanity.
As the present situation stands it should appear that I will be called on practically to fulfill those endeavors inspired from and by the Living God. I am asking nothing.
Religious people sin against men and go to God for repentance; in the South Sea Islands devotees sin against God and go to man for repentance. I think that is the superior way, so I ask for nothing. It has taken a long time to reach the plateau of inner peacefulness, of inner joy, of inner potentialities, and of cosmic wonder, but it has been reached.
We sang in the recent Advent “Joy to the world, the Lord is come.” We find there is a way of reaching, experiencing, and sharing this Divine Joy.
With love and blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
March 1, 1970
His Excellency V. V. Giri
Vice President of India
c/o The Indian Institute of World Culture
6, B.P. Wadia Road,
Basavangudi, Bangalore 4
India
Dear Ram:
Copy of Civilization at the Cross-Roads of Destiny has been placed in my hands by my good friend Mr. Russell Joyner who is associated with International Society for General Semantics and other institutions.
I am not going to review this book; I am going to put it into action. The trouble with India, if one assumes the right to criticize any nation which no same man can logically do, is that India has been so afraid of rajas it falls into tamas constantly. But we have a new breed of American here, a type of young American who take as readily to the Dharma as many Asians Indians, and non-Indians, begin to disdain it. While I am going to review your booklet because this is asked for, I intend rather to apply it, and am therefore carrying it with me to Geneva, where followers of many religions will be meeting soon. They will be meeting soon, great persons, great intellectuals, great ecclesiasts, and perhaps a man of wisdom or a woman of wisdom also. If they are going to repeat the same old programs of oratory, motion, and harangue, we night as well close shop. I have seen in America, including Europe, these grand gatherings over a period of years, peace conferences followed by wars. I have had to listen to the terrible bombast of the highest and powerful politicians receiving tumultuous applause, followed by mass murder under the very type of politics they, the leader, could have controlled and have not. Why, I have even been sent on a subtle peace feeler mission between Pakistan and India, and been berated by the foreign office of this land where-upon the Tashkent Convention followed.
I suppose, despite all logic, or perhaps because of the application of a super-logic, one can easily enter into harmony with you both on the personal level and on the cosmic level. I do not know whether I am appealing to your prejudice or to your wisdom, finding myself in almost total agreement with you on all major points.
The great problem today is not between hypothetical good and evil, but between oratory and achievement. At one point you mentioned the humanists and the scientists; one could equally say the asuras and the devas. Jesus Christ assailed the Scribes and Pharisees, that is to say the dualists. But it is these very persons who have gained control and can hold control over the media of exchange, and as long as they sit in the driver’s seat, we will have trouble; we shall be divided; we will even do as the Christians do, say “Galilean thou hast conquered” and keep up the same patterns; we shall even do as the contemporary Indian people do, utilize words like “advaita,” “Vijnanavada,” “world outlook,” etc., etc., and exclude.
Here I must interject data which give one the right to make remarks. I am one of the few Americans who long ago, and I mean long ago, read all Max Muller’s Sacred Books of the East. It is almost 50 years since the first studies in the Gita. In 1931 I read the entire Tipitaka—and I have never been forgiven by those now disappearing. The Greeks used to say, “When the Gods arrive, the half-Gods go.” Indian literature often refers to the wars between the devas and asuras.
I have had in my life private interviews with the late Villabhai Patel, your magnificent retired President Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, your congressional leader Sri Surendra Mohan Ghose, and most of all, with your noted demographer Dr. Chandra Sekhar whom I have met many times in many separate parts of this world. I am at odds with those so-called “world movements” which ignore the historicity of Emperor Akbar. I am devoting my time to Dances of Universal Peace, which I hope to bring to your land in the not distant future.
First I must commend you for quoting the Dhammapada. We have a lot of drivel in this world today called “Buddhism.” Perhaps it is fortunate self-centered misleaders do not use the word “Dharma.” There is no question that not only can anger be overcome, it can be transmuted.
Gandhiji did accomplish, and this is more important than any rhetoric about him. The above criticism that India has been afraid of rajas, so afraid of rajas that it has fallen into tamas, partly applies to him. I am only hoping that some devotee will arise to proclaim Satyagraha, even if on more occasions. Personally I hold that the Satyagraha of Gandhiji and the prajna of Dr. Radhakrishnan are ultimately one. The question is how are we going to put it into practice.
I should be equally enthusiastic about Swami Vivekananda. He was assisted in this land on his first visit by my own distant relatives. Personally, I consider Sri Ramakrishna as close to being a true Avatar as anybody. I hope you will agree that if India continues to be overrun by “Avatars” and not by humanism and humanitarianism, the same dis-enchantment will continue.
At this point I am so much in agreement with your concluding words, “Let the words from Ishopanishad ring in our ears: “He who sees all creatures in himself and himself in all creatures—such a one does not dislike or hate anybody,” that it is difficult to write. I must tell you that nothing is more difficult then to convince this is true to the leaders of the so-called “World Union” and rival organizations with headquarters in America, Europe and Australia. They all proclaim, and all ignore each other. And nothing is so easy than to present this to young America today.
Recently a young American, originally Dr. Richard Alpert of Harvard University, touring as Baba Ram Dass, presented this idea to thousands of young Americans. He spoke to many thousands throughout this land, to many many thousands, and collected untold sums of money. Not a word in the press. When the rakshasas or asuras start even a small incident it receives world coverage. When the devas go out and chant mantrams, and appeal to Divinity, in which they are very successful in this land today, not a word in the press, nothing on television, little on the radio.
It is therefore not a question of anything but pitting into practice. Alas, many of your leaders, many persons proclaiming themselves to be important Hindus adhere to manas-shankara. They want to lead. They take nothing but their own leadership. You find them everywhere. But again, asuras do not cooperate with other asuras, and devas do cooperate with other devas, and this is a marvel; in the end truth will win, call it Sat, call it Vrat, call it by a Western word.
Let me tell you, your Excellency, that the youth of America are arising spiritually. At the very first meeting which took place in this city, a protest meeting, exactly 7 persons accepted a social revolution; at that time 100s and soon thousands accepted a spiritual revolution, and joined Allan Ginsberg in reciting mantrams. The only difference between my work and that of the persons mentioned herein is that I also chant the Sufi sacred phrases. I lost the “good will” of the so-called World Union when I told them I was not a graduate of any great university, but of Ajmir, New Delhi, and Kanhangad. For years and years I was disclaimed by everybody. Then our good friend Swami Maharaj Ranganathananda came to the University of California. When the professors (and students) witnessed the greeting they began opening their doors and they have been open ever since. We have a splendid department of South Asian studies at the University of California in Berkeley. The same trend is appearing elsewhere. When I wrote a letter to the well known Dr. Milton Singer of Chicago University about his book on Sri Krishna, he immediately made arrangements to send me free copies. And no doubt it is egotism, but this person who is by training a Sufi Murshid, is putting on various forms of ras-lila and has the fall cooperation of at least one Indian dancing teacher here.
Besides that, contrary to all logic and logistics, I am also representative of the Grand-Master of Korean Buddhism, who encouraged study in meditation in Avatamsaka School, which is nothing but a Buddhist variant of the Ishopanishad. Or as the American Walt Whitman said, “In all men I see myself.” Therefore there is nothing to say, just to do, and I am proud enough of the American pragmatic tradition to wish to do what you are saying; to wish to apply, and that is exactly what the present program holds for me. I hope that the next few I will present these very principles, these very ideas and ideals to young men and women in and around London and in and around Boston. With a period of no program to follow. And then in the month of June to direct a summer school where these very teachings have already been applied, and may be applied further to the rising new America, an America of Vijnanavadins and Anandavadins and not the old manas-ahankara crowd controlling institutions and vocabularies.
With all feelings of good will, this Sufi greets you as the Jumna and Ganges greet each other at Allahabad.
Samuel L. Lewis
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
II, Dariya Mahal,
80 Nepean Sea Road,
Bombay 6, India
2nd March, 1970
Many thanks for your kind letter of Dec. 29.
It was very good of you to speak to Mr. Bryn Beorse who wrote me asking if he could send a copy of his report to me for my remarks. I have received it—President’s Vision and the That Ancient Bugle-directly from the Merit Press a few days back. I will go through it carefully and send my comments on the Economics section as per his desire as early as I can. For I very much regret to say that Prof. Wadia expired on Friday 6th February at 6:30 p.m. I had met him a few days before and he was not so bad. Lately, he was confined to bed and about a month or so back, he had told me that the call from above was now coming and that he had his day. He was 91 and we had tea together with two other friends on his last birthday on 16th December,’69. He was a great soul and my guide, friend and philosopher—almost my father. One great thing about him was that he never bore ill-will to any one—even to those who harmed him. He was a true Christian believing in Love. We are holding a meeting to mourn his death on the 12th inst. I feel a big void in my life which can never be filled up.
I shall send you the list of our works soon. I am making a list of all the writings of Prof. Wadia. His first work—Philosophers and the French Revolution—was published in 1904 in London under Social Science Series. I could get a copy of the second edition published in Bombay by the Times Press in 1905 or so from the Library but the first edition could not be traced.
I have noted with great interest what you say in your letter. The clash between personalities—not on principles but for Poweris going on India. I do not know how it will end. Violence is growing, linguistic chauvinism rules the day and the Shiva Sena—a definitely Fascist body whose leader Bal Thakre swears by Hitler and Mein Kampf is his Bible. The Govt. seems to be in sympathy with it. Last year in February, it reigned terror for three days and today it has paralyzed the City by a call for bandh—strike. In Bengal and Kerala the United Front Govts with the Communists dominating are misruling because of the factions-fighting among the communists. There is the rising strength of the Naxalites-extremist communists following the Mao line and philosophy. And the Congress divided into “Indicate” and “Syndicate” is busy with faction fight, not caring as to what is happening to the community at large and the Economy. All are out for personal power and aggrandizement.
I am glad to learn that you are to attend the Temple of Understanding Convocation at Geneva to be held in March and Munishri Chitrabhanu, a Jain Saint, with whom I am in much contact is also going to attend it. He has been invited to attend along with three others from India. I have told him about you and you will be able to meet him. I do not know if you have seen some of his books which have been translated in English and have had a good reception abroad—Fountain of Inspiration, Lotus Bloom, The Beacon, Inspiring Anecdotes, etc. I had contributed a foreword to his biography—Half an Hour with a Saint written by Bakza some years back. I am sure will find in him a great soul whose teachings and preachings are very effective in Bombay, during the last 9 years. He has a very fine and charming personality and his command over Indian languages is wonderful. His command over English is not so good though he can converse in it. He has a number of foreign followers also. After you meet him at Geneva, please let me know your reactions of him. He is very well versed in Sanskrit and Indian Philosophy.
Looking at what is happening all around I have come to the conclusion that affluence and poverty have the same social consequences and that the main social problems cannot be solved by mere material prosperity. In the last analysis, Man does not live by bread alone and so unless Humanist and Humane values are accepted and practiced, there can be no progress is the real sense of the word. The whole Economics Science will have to undergo a transformation. It is a healthy sign that Economists like Mishan and others are now concerned with the Costs of Economic Growth about which we have been talking all along to our students. But I am rather pessimistic about the future.
I do wish I have a chance to go to U.S.A. on a lecture tour or a sort of visiting Professorship, now that I have retired. It also would be a good thing for me to have a firsthand experience of a work of yours and the like people. The USA mission here told me that I was over age for a visiting Professorship. So, this would remain now a pious desire.
My son Deepak is at the Cornell University in Ithaca in the Operations Research Dept since Sept, 1969. He completed his B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering from the I.I.T. Bombay last June winning the Presidents Gold Medal for standing first. The Cornell University has awarded him a Fellowship.
More next time.
With warmest regards,
Cordially yours,
K.T. Merchant
P. S. I am sorry I could not write to you earlier.
March 7, 1970
Prof. K. T. Merchant
11, Dariya Mahal,
80 Nepean Sea Road, Bombay 6,
India
My dear friend:
I am answering your letter of March 2 because there may be little time later on this month. My secretary and I are now preparing to go to Geneva, me representing an effort to bring about an integrational standpoint rather than any of the various sectarianisms which, one can be sure, will be presented; he representing youth. At least he was one of the best scholars who studied under Prof. Huston Smith of M.I.T., who is regarded as one of this country’s leading authorities on Asian cultures, a point on which I heartily agree. I must thank you for your introduction to the Jain Saint, and may keep your letter with me when I go abroad. I am also carrying with me an address by your esteemed vice-president V.V. Giri, although there is a question in my mind as to how far he may actually believe in what he said, and how far he intends to implement this. Words are so easy. And this country is full of dualists who call themselves Advaitins, and few of them even recognize the existence of each other.
I can understand your grief from the passing of the late Prof. Wadia, but I also realize you know very well that all of us are marked for transition, sooner or later. What I am concerned with is the preservation of his philosophies, both his philosophy itself and his applications thereof to problems of this world. There is now so much emotional pratter about poverty etc. which when one comes down to it remains as words, never as thoughts, or practical applications. I will therefore welcome either any books or booklets you send me. I hope to be able to places these in the department of South Asian studies at the University of California in Berkeley, and perhaps elsewhere. But I am also copying your letter for them, as it contains many items of interest to them, as well as to myself.
I am totally at war with our present methods of news reporting. It is a long and terrible story. It is equally a long and terrible history. If an American citizen happens upon those whom he considers the enemies of his country he immediately becomes suspect. It is horrible. I have been through this many times. But this is nothing compared to the history of Miss Julie Medlock, who is now residing at Auroville, Pondicherry, believing that the late Sri Aurobindo had the answers to many of the problems of the day. For example, this morning we were discussing in class some of the events of Laos; she once lived in Laos and uncovered a horrible conspiracy. Instead of her reports being considered she was blacklisted. That is only the beginning, and I do not wish to go into it further, but if she ever writes her memoirs it can shake this land and many other lands to their roots. For facts to be accepted they usually have to come from a person who also is accepted.
So many of the things you write seem to be repeating the history of Germany before the rise of Hitler. On the one hand, I have never fully accepted nonviolence without Satyagraha. On the other hand, there is the ever-present tyranny of words coupled with the almost equal tyranny of being everything on personalisms and personality. The wrong application of Gandhian philosophy has led to strife and assassinations in this land.
My own observations in Travancore Cochin brought me to the conclusion that there is horrible land wasted and a complete, almost a deliberate, misunderstanding of scientific agriculture. This is all the more the pity because the students I met at Bangalore seemed equally well-versed in the application of the modern sciences to food problems as any I have met anywhere. Although I am going to a conference purportedly trying to bring about world peace by the application of religion—whatever that means—in practice Christianity is God the Father; Islam is God the Grandfather; Hinduism is God the Grand-uncle. And my point of view is that not only the lamb and the lion must lie down together, but also a child, that is youth, must lead, and on this point all elders suddenly seem to close ranks. So in the stead of calm or not so calm application of scientific knowledge and human skills, each part of the world strives to preserve some ideology, beautiful on paper, but valueless for solutions (we have this right here in this region in the discussions on pollution and ecology).
My goddaughter, who is a Pakistani, is also at Cornell University. I have been invited there, but my financial situation is complicated, so complicated I cannot call it precarious or prosperous or anything, awaiting for future events including several legal matters which have to be thrashed out. On my return from Geneva and London, I must first go to Boston, Massachusetts, and then return here. But the ides are excellent. The young people are now turning toward me, as their elders turned against me. A period of almost a priori rejections has now been followed by a counter-period of a priori acceptings. It is still personality rather than objective honesty, and there is a vast difference between the verbalisms about democracy and not a few aspects of human behavior. I should like to be accepted because of achievement, not of personality, just as previous rejections came via personality and not because of knowledge or achievement.
Your vice-president has declared for humanism. On paper this is wonderful; on paper. But most humanists in this region confine themselves to Aryan outlooks, generally the Aryans of Europe somewhat expanded to include Jewish and Biblical outlooks and traditions, but very little toward actual world outlooks.
However, I am not going to complain. On the contrary, this means my opportunity to bring about better understanding where better understanding is needed.
In the current issue of “California Monthly” published by the University of California, the chief article is entitled “The Convergence of Science and Religion.” I find the writer, Dr. Charles H. Towne who has been a Nobel winner in Physics, has expressed in most excellent language the universal, integral outlook which is also connoted by the Sanskrit term Vijnanavada. Coming so near to home, so to speak, I am very delighted. But I am also delighted by the turn of events on the campuses of the great University of California. I can assure you that this huge university, this huge institution is full of marvelous wonders which are never brought to public attention. Therefore the possibility of placing your good self and of your guru the late Dr. Wadia, may ultimately bring a turn in events and outlooks which can only be pleasing.
I have been working for years on the thesis, “Dance of Universal Peace.” It is my inheritance from my late fairy god-mother Miss Ruth St.-Denis. I have now a large number of dances based on the theme of the Dervishes and sometimes Dervish Dancing; on Indian mantrams; and on ceremonies of both ancient and not so ancient cultures (my work on traditional but forgotten Christian religious dances will be resumed this coming autumn). I also have the full co-operation of a local Indian teacher of dance. Last week an educational television station took the first pictures of a presumable series of these dancing efforts. I am by nature a pragmatist. And perhaps at times become impatient with philosophies like dialectics and existentialism which seem to me totally egocentric and even superficial although this may be disputed. Nevertheless, I am attracting more and more young people in this region at a time when interest in the cultures of your country is mounting at a tremendous rate. Therefore my long-standing pessimism is being modified by the events of the day, and if I am able to hold my own as I expect before the world’s leaders, this may be followed by a much more optimistic report. For the above and other reasons, I will try to keep in touch with you as events go on.
Sincerely and cordially,
Samuel L. Lewis
March 24, 1970
Surendra Mohan Ghose
21, Janpath
New Delhi, 2, India
A most belated new year’s greeting has reached here at a most auspicious time. We have also been receiving literature from the Anandashram of Kanhangad in which the late Swami Ramdas predicted that India had a spiritual message for all the world, but I do not see it necessarily coming to the world through the agency of your countrymen. It is with considerable sorrow that I face an awkward fact that many of your countrymen and their friends simply do not accept Indian history. But I do not believe their failure to accept Indian history necessarily prevents the achievement of a most important goal. I am about to leave here to attend a conference of all the religions of the world to convene shortly at Geneva, Switzerland. Their putative goal is peace. And while I am not representing India, but rather claiming to have an actual worldview, my immediate program is a compilation of ideas and efforts of Emperor Akbar, Prince Dara Shikoh, and Presidents Radhakrishnan and Giri. I have been unable to convince some of your colleagues that the integration of these several efforts might lead to a better world, nor have I any intention any longer to try and convince them that the actual, not just the verbal, integration of their historical efforts and accomplishments might do much to bring about a really better world—not just verbally but in actuality.
At the same time I have already been given suitable introductions to the delegations from India, which may make it possible to coordinate my own efforts, personal and impersonal, with those of the representatives of various facets of both contemporary and traditional Indian cultures. Success on my part is going to make it awkward for persons and groups who have turned their backs on historical realities. I certainly do not understand why. I cannot see where anything or anybody is harmed by recognizing the actual contributions of the Sufi Moguls in the efforts to promote better understanding and perhaps peace.
There are of course very human elements involved. That is to say, whatever I, Samuel Lewis, comparative unknown, present, it might be rejected because I am unknown, but if the same program were presented by the well known Presidents Giri or Radhakrishnan, it would be accepted. This, my friend is the very attitude which prevents the achievements of peace and understanding. According to the cosmic teachings of the religions of the world, it is not the personality that counts, but the attainment. While according to the practices of human kind, it is the personality that matters not the achievement, and if this attitude continues we are not going to have any world peace, with all the emotional hypocrisy which keeps man blinded as to the truth. However, as I see it, we are now in a New Age; in an age in which the young at least are not concerned with the traditional hypocrisies and duplicities, an age in which truth is no longer bound to and by the personalities presenting it. Furthermore, I think for the first time in the world’s history youth will be given an ample opportunity to express itself. The youth that is manifesting today, manifest exactly as Sri Aurobindo predicted. But it is also almost exactly as Bulwer Lytton, H.G. Wells and others predicted, and the failure to recognize these predictions from other sources is a great stumbling block preventing any achievement of any world union.
It also becomes a little awkward, when in the same mail one is notified of the efforts of a so-called “World Union” operating locally, and another “World Union” so to speak with headquarters in New Zealand. Each ignoring the efforts of the other group, and not only ignoring the efforts of the other groups—there are several more—but reacting against all efforts advising that there are other and for the moment rival groups, where there could be common integrational efforts.
I am in no position to try to offer advice to those who will not accept not advice, but simple human information. This compels me to operate as if alone, feeling that there is a Universal God who will favor those actually engaged in universal efforts, however organized or unorganized these efforts be.
But I am not going to Geneva alone. I have been summoned to several distant places by the young. They would gladly join in a World Union or world union, but they can hardly be attracted to any organized movement of their elders in which they are compelled and I mean compelled, to play inferior roles.
The Dances of Universal Peace have just been prescribed publicly. They have been recorded by television equipment. Although quite unadvertised, over 200 young people responded and joined. This is hard facts. It still remains unsettled to whom these dances will be dedicated, but God willing, they are going to be dedicated. They are presenting cosmic outlooks, not verbal but actual. Not only that, the young who participate in them feel the rise of ananda-consciousness. One cannot compel anybody to accept such efforts or achievements, but their exclusion by your colleagues places them not me in an awkward position. I would not have it this way; they will not have it any other way.
We do not only teach we try to manifest Tam Tvat Asi. We see the Divine in all people—actually. And the young, not only the young of America, are responding to these efforts.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
May 5, 1970
H. H. Muni Shri Chitrabhanu
President, Divine Knowledge Society
Block No. 7, 137, Netaji Subhas Road
Bombay 1, India
My dear friend:
Perhaps I owe you an apology. We did not get together at the conference. There is an aspect of my life which is not necessarily noble. You must understand that I may be a great many years older than most of the persons at the conference. My religion, if you want to call it that, does not uphold the principle that age necessarily betokens wisdom, and I do not necessarily demand respect therefore. But age has certainly tired certain aspects of the personality, producing habits which are not always easily changed. For instance, I have lost all respect for people who plead for humility. Counter-balancing this, I have considerable respect for those who evince curiosity. There have been so many movements in this world proclaiming the nobility of humility, followed by a marked disrespect for each other. I am still curious. I am still among the curious, but did not evince this for curiosity should have been demonstrated by asking you more about your work, about your divine society, etc.
There is no question that the present circumstances on the surface of the earth have made me concerned or over-concerned with certain particular dramas which are now arousing men’s emotions and producing something quite different from the often proclaimed “nonviolence.”
I first became aware of Mahatma Gandhi not later than 1911, maybe before. He was already what we call “old hat” to me when he returned to India. My interpretation of Gandhi is somewhat different from that usually discussed. And to make it worse, I was one of the few people whom Vincent Sheehan answered during his international discussions on the philosophy of the late Mahatma.
I do not know how you feel about this. To me Gandhiji was complete with his satyagraha, and the nonviolent movement is incomplete without this. If I had been one of the principle speakers I would, however, have proclaimed my good friend Dr. Radhakrishnan, with his Prajna. I find that even among the great there are persons who will accept an affirmation if it comes from an important person, and not accept the same when it comes from an unimportant. My disciples here sang from Handel’s “Messiah” last Christmas. This begins with the proclamation, “Every valley shall be exalted and every hill laid low.” This is very nice—on paper. It is not always operative. I am ready to proclaim it next year no doubt, when as a sort of veteran, I may be more readily accepted. But this does not tell me anything about your point of view.
I have assumed that there is the existence of divine knowledge. It may be called by various names.
No doubt you were right in your appeal for more love and tolerance, but to me an appeal is not enough. Perhaps because I am an American I am constantly demanding action rather than emotions and also I am finding here in America that the young readily respond to action, and very little to emotion.
I would be glad to receive any literature from you. I might even work it into my programs in this country. My programs are now being accepted more and more in this land, accepted by all persons and groups including the University, but not accepted by a strange sort of ego proclaims whom I shall not name, but me until recently dominated the public presentation of what passed for Oriental Philosophy. This is no more. The young are seeking spirituality, and the majority also believe in non-violence. But the violent who control affairs are constantly compelling them to exhibit any latent violence, whether they like it or not. And the press proclaims every sort of violence, and disdains any sort of success by non-violence, especially since the assassination of the late Martin Luther King.
If you see his please give my respects to my friend Dr. Merchant. I am hoping the world can use more of his ideas. I believe the acceptance of his ideas and principles would terminate the depressions and poverty that now so confuse us.
Sincerely and Faithfully,
Samuel L. Lewis
May 19, 1970
Institute of Marketing & Management
New Delhi-3, India
Mr. Samuel L. Lewis
410 Precita Avenue
San Francisco, California 94110.
Dear Mr. Lewis:
I was very happy to note from the address list sent by The Temple of Understanding, Washington, D.C. that you were able to attend the Second Spiritual Summit Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. I was unfortunately unable to go to the Second Conference although I attended the first one in Calcutta in 1968.
I am going to be in your City arriving there on August 2, 1970. I hope it will be possible for us to have a chat so as to bring myself up-to-date on the overall progress made with regard to ideas, plans and programmes initiated, both in Calcutta in 1968 and in Geneva this year.
My address:
From June 2 to 11:
c/o Mr. Roman L. Hruska, Jr.
133 Springside Road, Walnut Creek California 94596 (U.S.A.)
From June 14 to August 2:
Visiting Professor
College of Business Administration
Marquette University, 606 North Thirteenth Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233. (U.S.A.)
With best wishes and looking forward to meet you.
Very sincerely yours,
Dr. Jagjit Singh
Secretary General & Editor, Management Digest
6th June 1970
Chitrabhanu (His Holiness Muni Shri Chandraprabh Sagar)
Bombay
Dear Mr. Lewis
I too had noticed you at the conference and had a desire to exchange views and ideas with you but I somehow did not find the time and the opportunity to do so. To me, you seemed to represent youth and your letter confirms my impression. You are refreshingly youthful in your curiosity. I was happy to learn of your interest in the activities of the Divine Knowledge Society. The Society tries to promote understanding among people and to create an awareness of the present situation through talks and literature. We publish a magazine. We have been assisting students in various ways and have tried to help several needy causes.
I was glad to learn that you were presenting Oriental philosophy to people there in the light of your own understanding. I was sorry to learn that certain groups have been presenting Eastern ideas in a distorted fashion.
I do share your concern over the growth of violence all over the world. I feel that we must approach our problems without sentimentality and with understanding and love. You write that appeals for love and tolerance are not enough; I agree and I understand your impatience in this regard. I may add that there is a danger that we may become prisoners of platitudes.
But it has also been my experience to see ideas concretely realized through action and we often reap results if we earnestly believe in them. Even good intuitions are not enough; we need a positive will to act.
I would be glad to learn about your programmes and activities.
Love and blessings,
Chitrabhanu
Written at Lama Foundation;
return address: 410 Precita
San Francisco 911110 USA
[To: Chitrabhanu]
Beloved One of God:
I have before me your most interesting letter of 6 June. In this life a person is often placed in a quandary. If he knows and speaks he is accused of bombast and conceit. If he does not speak it often happens that darkness enters where there should be light.
In 1915 there was an international exhibition in my city of San Francisco; I decided that inasmuch as God, so to speak, had created many people, with many points of view and cultures, that my own might not be the favorite. After a few inquiries I came to a conclusion that all religions were correct, that mankind is subject to karma and reincarnation, and that there were states of consciousness beyond the here/now within the possibility of direct experience.
My first ventures beyond the Bible were into the Upanishads. At that time I was a student of mathematics, philosophy, and above all, mathematical philosophy. There seemed to be an unseen harmony between the assumedly Western teachings here and the Indian traditional culture. But within a few years I met both a Sufi and Buddhist spiritual teacher and became involved in not only intellectual but disciplinary training.
From 1920 to 1956 I should say my life was one of extreme hard-ship, problems, hazards and also great internal adventures which were seldom accepted seriously excepting by A. Hazrat Inayat Khan, a Sufi teacher; B. Nyogen Senzaki and C. Sokei-an Sasaki, Buddhist monks; and D. the itinerant Paul Brunton. In 1956 I left San Francisco under many clouds and my welcome to Asia was so astonishing, and so much in contrast to my life in America it did not reach any equilibrium until a few years ago. At that time our good friend Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj addressed a very special audience at the University of California in Berkeley and the professors and scholars seeing a warm mutual welcome did what we call in popular idiom “a double take,” and I became as welcome first on that campus and then on other campuses as I had not been theretofore.
In the meanwhile I had visited parts of Asia, India and Pakistan twice, and Bombay many times. There never was any difficulty from Dr. Radhakrishnan down to peasantry, excepting of and from certain groups that claimed to be world organizations. Today there are many of them, each ignoring the others, and all for the most part ignoring history and the spiritual awakening of actual persons, especially of persons they cannot control.
Among my worst enemies were my own family. I had been a Gandhian and finally decided to take what on the surface was an un-Gandhian move; I sued my brother. The case never came to court. My brother was so shocked at my attitude, he began to respect me and then joined me with the result that today I am in quite comfortable circumstances. But we did have strange difficulties—we could not find heirs. There were a lot of people who were quite willing to take money, but none of them, I repeat none of them—despite their legal constitutions and bylaws would assent to one’s proclaimed intellectual or mystical prowess. That was a price they would not pay even to get money!
In 1967 after a perhaps unwise binge as we call it, I was flat on my back in a Chinese hospital. Then the divine voice so to speak said to me, “I make you spiritual teacher of the hippies.” I then had six disciples, three very questionable, who left me. There was a whole string of visions, many accompanied by voices and every one of them came into manifestation before I left for Geneva some months back.
Since that time I have been winning more and more young people and a very funny problem again—just as I could not get many groups to accept my intellectual prowess, so I have been finding myself a sort of leader of a sort of spiritual brotherhood unable to affiliate with the various groups, calling themselves “World Union,” “World Brotherhood,” “World Federation,” etc., etc., etc.—all ignoring each other and all totally by-passing to historicity of Emperor Akbar and the existence of Fatehpur Sikri.
In the meanwhile my own mystical experiences so to speak have been written up in poetical form and all rejected by all groups claiming to stand for spiritual research etc. Despite this—and it may be incidental or coincidental—this personality is perhaps one of the first to have had a multitude of experiences in and-toward awakening and is officially perhaps the first person in history to be a valid Sufi teacher and Buddhist teacher. But with a world view one does not look at things that way. World brotherhood is not achieved by personal acclaim.
In practice we not only proclaim we, endeavor to make actualities of Love, Joy, and Peace; not lectures, not dialectics, not oratory, not evangelism, but actual experiences.
When a number of years ago an Indian diplomat declared in public that I was the reincarnation of the Moghul prince Dara Shikoh, instead of that being accepted the last of the few doors open to me were closed. It is remarkable that all the organizations and groups who have shut the doors in my face agree in verbalizing—just verbalizing nothing more, “that what the world needs is a moral and spiritual regeneration.”
A century or so back there was a character with the same first name, Samuel Morse, who invented the electrical telegraph; when he finally succeeded, he sued every one of his detractors and won every single case. I have no such intention. In the first place my sense of humor is far too great even to consider the subject; in the next place, though at times I tend to despise those who verbalize themselves as Advaitians but remain even greater dualistically inclined than others, the time is to emphasize the positive. You do not remove sanskaras by creating them. Besides there are enough young people who want a love that is something more than mere physical activity or parental affection. They feel consciously or unconsciously that this universe is based on love and out of the love, wisdom. It has been so easy to commune and communicate with the aged Dr. Radhakrishnan; it has been so easy to meet many quite unadvertised sages from your country; it has been so easy to make pilgrimages to various shines of various religions. It has been so easy.
There seem to be very few who understand the nature of akasha. One of the greatest influences of my life was that of the late Miss Ruth St. Dennis who could draw spiritual dances out of the akasha, in a sense I have received her dharma transmission. During her lifetime and with her blessing I began teaching spiritual walks, but when she died (although her spirit remained with me), I suddenly began to teach spiritual dancing under the working title Dances of Universal Peace. But I could not find anybody to dedicate them to; I was almost successful with Sri Surendra Mohan Ghose of the Congress Party and Sri Aurobindo Movement. But his colleagues, of course in the name of God, love, humanity and brotherhood, absolutely speared my work. (I have just received a beautiful letter from him, but I do not think the trend can be reversed.)
So I have dedicated them instead to The Temple of Understanding. The dances are going ahead; the participants are going ahead; the joy is going ahead. There is a Greek maxim, when the gods arrive, the half gods go. The Upanishads have very definite structures for measurements of joy and spiritual awakening. This is what we are doing, this is what we are accomplishing. We are making a God of joy, love, truth, and peace in the conscious awakening, in actuality.
I think I am now free from the half gods, from the manas-ahankara verbalists, and above all from the powers of the asuras however they manifest. Maybe I have said too much, maybe I have not said enough.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
410 Precita, San Francisco 94110,
June 18, 1970
Pir-o-Murshid Hasan Sani Nizami
Durgah Nizam-ed-din Auliya
New Delhi, India
Beloved One of Allah: Asalaam Aleikhum:
It is now eight years since we were last together in the flesh and at this writing there is no sign yet of traveling in your direction. However there are many signs of the fulfillment of Allah’s wishes in this world. I did tell you that the robe which was bestowed upon me in the unseen by Amir Khusrau has long been an actuality in the material world and it has been functioning in some very strange ways.
For five years one lived a Cave existence with few friends and followers, excepting around the Universities where one has been taken seriously. In 1967 there was a strange illness and -while this person was flat on his back in the hospital his whole future was revealed to him by kashf and shahud. One came out of the hospital with a few followers and then everything happened as in the vision: a stage from 6 to 30 disciples; from 30 to 60; from 60 to 100 and this is a month of transition with many doors opening, Alhamdu Lillah: Sometimes I think we may see, “in those days will the sun rise in the West and all men seeing will believe.”
I seem to be working very closely with Pir Vilayat Khan on one hand and with what might be called the “Voice of Allah” on the other. It was the voice that said, “I make you spiritual leader of the hippies.” While on one hand this may seem fantastic and on the other hand audacious it is coming true, Inshallah!
One now has a very good following of young Americans of both sexes, strong, sturdy, noble, honest, advanced in kashf and many having received the divine blessings (Baraka). Secretary Mansur accompanied me to a meeting of the leaders of all the world’s faiths which was held at Geneva, Switzerland earlier in the year; the two outstanding characters were Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj and Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr of Tehran, Iran, who presented the Sufi attitude toward prayer, worship and peace. Pir Vilayat was only there a short time, Secretary Mansur and I were the only ones able and perhaps capable of communing and communicating with all the representatives of sundry outlooks from many lands and many faiths.
One is now conducting a sort of seminar summer school high in the Rocky Mountains—actually higher than either Simla or Murree; the group here consists entirely of young Americans of spiritual looks.
One reason for writing at this time is that there is with me one, Joseph Daniel Bonner, who may be going to India soon, Inshallah. He is now studying some form of Indian yoga, a spiritual not a gymnastic type; he may stop in India and especially New Delhi, or may not. I should like if it were possible for him to visit some of the sacred tombs and especially that of Hazrat Inayat Khan.
It is rather curious that a new type of inquirer has been coming to my doors lately: those who have been to see Rehana Taiobji. Although I understand Rehana has become entirely or nearly entirely a Krishna devotee, it may interest you to find than these various young people find a better outlook in Sufism, which is so all-embracing. This person has nothing to do with trying to make them take such an outlook but that is one of the trends of the days Alhamdu Lillah!
Another extremely interesting trend is the interest in Jelal-ud-din Rumi and the Masnavi. This seems to be spontaneous and is not the outcome of any sort of propaganda or pressure. But this very trend also involves the possibility of dervish dancing.
It is a long story, but now this person is teaching dervish and spiritual dancing to more and more young people; the idea is catching on in many places. There has been at least one television recording and the possibility of others, but the dates of showing are uncertain. Although I am high up in the mountains and far from any town or even village, I have three groups now in the Rio Grande Valley of the State of New Mexico and then Sundays hundreds of young people are pilgrimaging to meet this person and join in with him.
We have danced based on Zikr, Kalama, Wazifas, etc.; there are proper movements in them based on psychic laws so little known in the West.
There are also signs of much interest in Indian forma of spirituality, yoga and otherwise. This person does not compete with them; but he does emphasize Ishk Allah Mahbood Lillah.
Out of this in turn has come a new form of Qawwal combining traditional sacred phrases with contemporary musical modes and also what we call “rounds” and “counter-puntal themes” in which English is also used alongside the Arabic sacred phrases.
One meets quite a few young Americans who seem to think that their spiritual future is benefited by their going to India. Some time ago I bad a conference with one Swami Swahananda, a disciple of Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj; I told him I welcomed all spiritual movements, because my danger seemed to be not competition, not opposition, not frustration, but more and more people coming which is already taxing me to capacity. Otherwise, for a man in his seventies the physical health has been good, the mental health even better.
With all love and blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
July 15, 1970
Sri Surendra Mohan Ghose
21, Janpath
New Delhi-I, India
Dear Ram:
I have been meditating over the wisdom of replying to your very fine letter of July 8. I will not permit myself to fall into the trap of verbal advaita. This word, advaita, is used by many dualists who have thereby deceived themselves and other. Of course I have no right to insist on the Shankara interpretation of Holy Scriptures. It is unfortunate that your so-called colleagues here have never left any scope for this person, but that does not mean one must answer in kind.
I broke my meditation by reading in ISA Upanishad in the book The Message of the Upanishads by Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj of the Vedanta Order. I think it is unfortunate there should be a hiatus in practice between different Indian spiritual movements. In any case, I quote from Swamiji’s translations: “The wise man, who realizes all beings as not distinct from his own Self, and his own Self as the Self of all beings, does not, by virtue of that perception, hate anyone. What delusion, what sorrow can there be for that wise man who realizes the unity of all existence by perceiving all beings as his own Self?”
While we were at Geneva, Swamiji broke out in an encomium concerning this person, placing him in the very highest ranks of the spiritually developed persons who occupy Western bodies and live in the Western world. But in the last week, one received three more evaluations of the same kind from persons of totally different outlooks than that of Swamiji, all highly developed in quite different schools of spiritual advancement. One need not be attached to lavish praise; one need not be depressed by lavish criticism; but when a person’s only recognition comes when he sends a piece of paper with a monetary value, this is a very sorry condition.
This becomes even more sorry because in the future when I write letters as I have in the past which are ignored by your colleagues, they may be published, and I mean just that. It has seemed to please God-Ram-Brahm-Allah to have brought me not only considerably more money and followers in a personal sense, but at this writing two publishing houses are at my disposal, and they are in alliance with each other. They are devoted to promoting East-West cultural relations and not a facade using titles. I mean actualities.
In the first place, practically all the Sufi spiritual traditions and transmissions are in my hands. The very fact that so many East-West movements so-called ignore Sufism only increases my potentialities. And the simple but solid fact that your colleagues rejected the background and foreground of the life of the late Dr. Zukair Hussein emphasizes this only more.
I am today in the strange position because a whole host of money-grabbing rival organizations proclaiming world outlooks and ignoring each other have refused to accept either my cultural or spiritual back grounds and we may have to organize legally separately, because we have been ejected or rejected by all but one of the many rival groups proclaiming “world outlooks.” I don’t know what they mean.
Your own colleagues are calling for a world “scientific Yoga” convention. We believe that to describe God is to dethrone God. We do not believe that their there can be any controlled experiments in real Yoga.
We believe there is nothing but vanity to refer to the Supreme Being as “Sat-Chit-Ananda” unless the person verbalizing shows evidence of prowess in Sat-Chit-Ananda. Our work in the field of spiritual dancing is going on apace. The Temple of Understanding in Washington has accepted these dances. Your colleagues have adamantly refused to even look at them. Sooner or later it means, most unfortunately, that not only your World Union will fail, but all its competitors will fail. And believe me you have lots of competitors today. It seems that every time 5 people get together they start another “world movement,” and this is not sarcasm, this is a most unfortunate to situation. And yet there is only one single world movement that even recognizes my existence! What am I to do?
Here I am, a man recognized as a spiritual teacher, as a Sufi, excepting in the world movements. This week I have been meeting with a Korean Buddhist Master in love, and I mean love. This week I have been meeting with a Hassid Hebrew Rabbi in love, and I mean in love. We are bringing the young people of the world together in love, and I mean in love.
By Divine Grace I have been successful as a spiritual teacher in a successful Commune in the State of New Mexico. Indirectly this has brought me into close contact with a number of other successful communes in that State. They are all looking for a Guru. I think they are right, but I am compelled to accept this honorific because others do not recognize the manifestation of just that type of humanity that Sri Aurobindo properly predicted. They are here and here now. And these communes are succeeding where your colleagues in alliances with one Dr. Zitko, failed. What do you think Sri Aurobindo would say? His so-called followers do not accept Prajna and fail, others accept Prajna and succeed.
Even at this writing I am being called upon to establish another spiritual commune in the very State of Arizona, where people claiming to be your associates, failed. We have the land, we have the money, we have the personal, we have the aptitudes. But the so-called “world union” people and their many competitors all refuse to recognize our very existence. What are we to do?
I tell you my friend the New Age is here, love is here, Prajna is here. And with Divine help and Divine Grace we are moving toward and with world peace, brotherhood, and understanding.
Love and Blessing,
Samuel L. Lewis
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
410 Precita Ave.
San Francisco, Calif. 94110
August 14, 1970
Mrs. B.K. Birla
Chairman, International Committee
The Temple of Understanding
18 Gurusaday Road
Calcutta 19, India.
My dear Mrs. Birla:
You may remember me as the little old American with the beard who attended the conference of The Temple of Understanding at Geneva, and who wrote “The Rejected Avatar.”
That affair marked a change in my life, not necessarily causal, but quite possibly super-karmic. In the first place death in the family increased my basic income and since my return to this country the attendances at my “Dances of Universal Peace” have increased considerably. I used to consider myself a sort of Dara Shikoh, having undergone the disciplines of both Sufism and the Dharma and having reached a majority in them according to the spiritual leaders, although this was rejected by most popular organizers (despite their preaching about morality and causality). But besides this everything also has been bursting like a flower coming into bloom, and I will not waste time telling you about wonderful things.
Within a few days disciples are leaving here on the same mission, but with different geographical routes. The purpose is to film holy places and also record spiritual music, especially in India. They will join in an Urs pilgrimage to Ajmer, and then split—one traveling in the North and the other in the South. I am giving a copy of this letter to my disciple Phillip Davenport who may be reached c/o American Express at Delhi, but I am going to ask him to write more particulars later. On this trip also will be Mr. Ralph Silver, who is my god-son but not yet an initiated spiritual devotee.
They intend to cover as much of India as possible, splitting into groups therefore. I am wondering if you will have any suggestions. You may be interested to know that the very first place where I worshipped on my first coming to your country was the Birla dharmashala in Delhi.
You may also be interested to know that my “Dances of Universal Peace” are expending. Last week my woman disciples invited me to attend their dance class, and I presented my second “Ras Lila” and my first “Introduction of Bukmini to the Gopis.”
I have every reason to believe we are going to be successful in promoting real cultural exchange between the East and the West, between the spiritual and material worlds.
Faithfully,
Samuel L. Lewis
Aug. 19, 1970
P.M. Kabali
15 Bastion Rd. Fort Bombay, India
Dear Ram:
This letter is in a way apologetic but perhaps also karmic. There is no doubt a time for all things and in the last few years my affairs have changed rapidly and from the world standpoint, better.
A number of years ago I was suddenly stricken and then Divine Visitation said I would become a spiritual teacher and many Visions came, all of which have come true. Along with that, a change of interpretation of the Gita’s “Therefore Fight O Arjuna.” I had to sue my brother, and not only won the case, but obtained his friendship after 50 years enmity. Then earlier in the year he passed away, leaving me in excellent external circumstances.
I went to a gathering of the world’s religions at Geneva, Switzerland. As soon as I arrived I met the Papal Delegate, and then after that a number of Indians, mostly from your city. They had introductions to me and I to them through a Dr. Merchant, a friend of years good will and a high customs official. These Indians were all being supported by the Birla family. I gave the senior Birla a copy of my epic poem “The Rejected Avatar” and he sent me his blessing and approval. Everything went well, and from there on very well.
I now teach both Sufism and Mantra Yoga, a especially the RamNam of the late Swami Ramdas. I teach spiritual dancing. It is spreading like wildfire throughout the United States.
Now we are engaged in a number of great projects, a complete reversal from the days when intellectual and Europeans what passed for “Asian philosophy” in the U.S. At Geneva I was given a tremendous commendation by Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj, etc.
I have just received a telephone call from my godson Ralph Silver that he had obtained a Visa for India. He is going with a number of disciples and spiritual colleagues, and they hope to take pictures of spiritual gatherings in your country. I have already written a number of letters to important spiritual leaders in Bombay. Today there is a complete reversal from these earlier days, and the disappearance from the scene of the European and intellectual experts with their Manas-Ahankara outlooks. We are demonstrating the Santana Dharma by the increased conscious awareness of Ananda. No nonsense; reality. It is interacting to observe that while there are many so-called Indian spiritual leaders in this land, they have often even contempt for one another. But I think all of them are on good terms with me, excepting the representatives of Meher Baba and Aurobindo. We practice Mantric chanting and dancing. And it gives delight.
Evidently God-Allah-Brahm approves of it, for my disciples are now prospering in what are called the New Age Food Industries and in organic gardening.
I hope you are well and prospering, and I hope it is possible for you to meet my young friends. This is a new day, a new age; One of infinite possibilities.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
Aug. 24, 1970
Fayazzudin Nizami and sons (Town Planners)
Jubilee Hills
Hyderabad Andhra, India
Beloved Ones of Allah: As-Salaam-Aleikhum:
You may be surprised to hear from this person after many years. I hope this finds you well, and at least be assured that what is written here is encouraging. After many years of trial and rejection, and a sudden illness, one arose from the sickbed to become a spiritual leader among the discredited “Hippies” of this region. There is very little difference in my inner life from the tales of Efleki’s Lives of the Adepts concerning the spiritual leaders of the Mevlevi School, founded by Jelal-ud-din Rumi. I personally have long since had Bayat in many schools, and became a full Murshid under Sufi Barkat Ali of Salarwala, Lyallpur District, West Pakistan, and a Khalif in many other schools, it is not necessary to go into that now.
Although from the usual, one would be considered well on in years, from the standpoint of Din, one is still full of vigor, physical, mental and spiritual. One’s central Bayats and one’s inner and outer life are closely attuned to those of Chistis in particular. At the moment we are sending a team to URS at Ajmer. This team is under the direction Pir Vilayat Khan, son of the late Hazrat Inayat Khan, and operating as his successor.
I personally began teaching Dervish Dances, and attracted some filmmakers, they went on to make a survey of the spiritual conditions in America, and later at the request of Pir Vilayat, they are extending their operations to some part of Asia, in particular where there are Sufi organizations. You may here from one or others of those persons according to their arrangements, and also following what permits are given to them by the Indian government.
It seems during the course of years and especially during the last three years, this person has risen from an unknown, or better yet a rejected one, to becoming a more or less recognized spiritual teacher with a rapidly growing following. During this same period family reconciliations and other events resulted in considerable increases in his monthly allotments. We are in the midst of expansions following, in finance, and in university and public recognition. As evidence of this I am enclosing a sheet of a new stamp issued, and am now in a position to co-operate further in this line as you may wish. It would seem as if Allah, to Whom be all praise! is expressing the approval outwardly in the great growth of our spiritual endeavors, in the rapidly growing respect one has from young Americans, in a much better financial position, in marvelous health considering age, and all aspects of life. First and foremast of which are Love, human and divine.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis.
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
August 25, 1970
Dear Mr. Samuel Lewis,
Rev. Gurudev (Munishi Chitrabhanu) is in receipt of your letter dated 14th August 1970.
Munishi is in Thana giving discourses every morning. On Sundays and holidays the audience is that over 3,000.
As Munishi is in Thana I would be very much pleased if you could drop in a line at the following address letting us know the approximate date of their arrival in Bombay.
I am also giving you two or three telephone numbers from where the party arriving in Bombay will be able to reach Munishi.
Our address is as follows:
Munishi Chitrabhanu
c/o Divine Knowledge Society
Queen’s View 5th floor
28/30 Walkeshwar,
Bombay-6
Tel. nos: 360887 (Office no)
452277 (Miss Amin)
58263 (Miss Parikh)
Indeed it would also below pleasure to meet technician coming to India.
Munishi sends his love and blessing to you.
(Miss) Vatsala Amin
Secretary, Divine Knowledge Society
Bombay
5th September 1970
The Temple of Understanding
Dear Friend Samuel Lewis,
I am in receipt of your letter dated 15th August 1970, and I am overjoyed to read the contents of the letter.
I really appreciate your great work that you are doing and wish you all the best in your venture.
A few days back I have received a letter from your friend Phillip R. Davenport, but I can’t reply to them as I feel they have already left on their tour. I had changed my residence from A/63 595 Gandhi Nagar, Sandra (East), Bombay-51., to The Navjivan Co-operative Housing Society Ltd., Lamington Road, Building No. 12. 1st Floor, Block No. 4; Bombay-8. These friends have got the old address. If possible please inform them about my new address, so that they may contact me when they are in Bombay.
I shall be writing to you in detail in my next letter, and in the meantime, I once again pray to God for your great success.
I shall appreciate if you will send me your autographed photo as a taken of your kind remembrance.
With love and Understanding,
Yours sincerely,
Asha Mirchandani
Member International Committee, Temple of Understanding
|
|
September 20, 1970
Mr. Asha Mirchandani
Member International Committee Temple of Understanding
The Navjivan Co-operator Housing Society Ltd.
Limington Road, Building No. 12, First floor,
Block No. 4, Bombay 8, India
Dear Ram:
We must thank you for your letter of the 5th of September. Will you please excuse any shortcomings. This person not only works seven days a week, but is fortunate enough to get two nights sleep. I hope you understand something about samskaras. When we hear unusual news we react, which is stupidity and nonsense. At night, nothing but Divine Visions and spiritual dances, constantly.
There has been an increment in both public and private income; we have been totally successful in promoting joint Israeli-Christian-Arab dinners. Not news of course. Our teams report nothing but excellent welcomes in every land. We are getting top cooperation from those most active in The Temple of Understanding.
My lectures on “The Three Body Constitution of Man According to St. Paul” have been completed and will be presented to Dr. Lowell Ditzen in Washington, and also to my friend and publisher Mr. Walter Bowart of Tucson, Arizona. There is not a dull moment. Larger audiences, better attendance at dancing classes, higher inspirations, and dances from all the great religions of the world and also from the mysteries beyond those religions.
Acceptance by youth, and more and more by Universities.
Leaving soon for the East Coast of the United States for almost two months’ absence. Almost a holocaust of blessings praise to God-Allah-Brahm.
Faithfully,
Samuel L. Lewis
October 21, 1970
C. N. Sreekantan Nair.
World Parliament of Religions
Dear Mr. Lewis
I am happy to invite you to the World Parliament of Religions for Unitive Understanding proposed to be held at Sasthankottah, Kerala State, India between December 7 and December 15, 1970. A brochure is sent separately in which the objectives of the Parliament and its programmes are given.
It is our desire that the discussions in the Parliament will pave way for unitive understanding which may bring out greater things in the future history of mankind. Many have agreed to participate in the Parliament and some have sent papers on the various objects adumbrated in the programme.
We regret to note the fact that we were not able to get into touch with you. Your address reached us only now. Could we now aspire to have you in our midst for this World Meet and could you present a paper on any one of the subjects you choose from the programme?
We know that we are late in submitting this request and it would cause some inconvenience to you. But in view of the great significance of the conference and our ardent desire that the Parliament should have your presence to its credit, we request you to kindly bear with us and accede to our request.
We remain in the name of unitive understanding.
Yours Sincerely,
C. N. Sreekantan Nair
November 3, 1970
Swami Ranganathananda
Member, Governing Body The Ramakrishna Mission
Belur Math, West Bengal, India
Swamiji:
This world is full of wonders. While Americans seem to be craving for “excitement” more than anything else we are finding ourselves in a universe of wonders, real wonders. It can best be put in a sort of myth which is now becoming very powerful—that the dharma will be established in the United States and will flourish among Americans. It seems that there are many groups of Americans who understand cosmic psychology and evolution, and there are many self-styled Indian leaders who, while they may verbalize it, otherwise avoid it.
The first thing that happened before Mansur and I left Geneva was to learn that my brother had died. This means now a quite comfortable income. I did not know what to do with the income. There are multitudes of so-called peace and spiritual organizations that simply will not accept anything from this person except his money; we went to London and were welcomed by the Royal Asiatic Society, Dr. Marco Pallis, and others of worth. Then we came to Boston, and I found there are multitudes of young Americans seeking spiritual instruction. We were then not prepared, but I visited Boston and Cambridge recently.
The return to San Francisco was marked by such a busy season that one seldom has a day off, sometimes hardly time to eat. Unlike the theoreticians, who will have nothing to do with this person, one functions up and down the four basic states of consciousness. Both the dream life and the deep sleep life are now more or less open. The immediate result has been a multitude of dances belonging to Dances of Universal Peace. My principal, the late Ruth St.-Denis showed me how to draw these dances from the akasha. But too many so-called “peace” and “spiritual” organizations refuse to accept another’s prowess, so we have had to operate independently and successfully. It is very awkward to have to do this when one is dedicated not to those empty words “Brotherhood of Man”—nothing but empty words—but the actual operations thereof. Therefore we are working as closely as possible with The Temple of Understanding, and there is every possibility of our having a large attendance to the next gathering.
Recently I completed a series of lectures on “The Three-Body Constitution of Man According to Saint Paul.” It is so nice to say that all religions are based in the same truth or truths; it is so inconvenient to the lecturers and verbalists to have it demonstrated by somebody else. In fact, I have been put in an awkward position. This country is being invaded by a large number of so-called gurus, swamis, and whatnot. They generally are on bad terms with each other, but many respect me. I wish I could get this respect from your colleagues, with few exceptions they are either “too busy” or “sick” or “away.” Sometimes this is true, sometimes.
Now thousands and thousands of Americans are being drawn to the true teachings, and even though they get only a smattering of them it is a true smattering and it is coming from many sources. On the day before leaving San Francisco I joined one Yogi Bhajan and gave Sufi and Ramnam dances to a thousand young Americans. We do not lecture on ananda; we bring this to outer consciousness. The subject of joy without drugs was laughed at when presented at the Psychedelic Conference in San Francisco in 1965. The statement that there was not a single experience of a single person for which there was not a word in Sanskrit was laughed at—in 1965. But not in 1970, you may be sure. So here I am, deeply devoted to Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda and compelled—or maybe it is God’s will—to work with representatives of nearly all other schools, ignored by the followers of Sri Ramakrishna and actively opposed, as we all are, by the followers of the late Sri Aurobindo.
In the tête-à-tête with your disciple, Swami Swahananda, I told him I was fearful of the time coming when I should have over one-hundred disciples; I would then welcome teachers, true or false, because the burden would be too great. This stage has now been reached and over-reached. My work is being presented for credit at the University of California in Berkeley, and I have established my own peace scholarship at that University because the “good” people simply would not accept either external or internal knowledge. But the young do, and how! The young recognize or crowd after any true or false presenter of the dharma.
I am not going to try to convince your colleagues that if they try to reach the young, they will be attracting not only more persons but more money. A great many of your countrymen have been successful. A great many of your countrymen are giving teachings to non-Indians, which in other ages would have been kept for the twice-born or holy men. True, these men do not go into the depths that your predecessors have. And there is little being done in this land along many lines along those activities so emphasized by your grand predecessor, Swami Vivekananda. His birthday is being celebrated, but his methods—?
Nevertheless, it means to be part of cosmic evolution that the dharma is presented here; that exercises and disciplines are given to the multitudes, especially to the young. They are awakening. They seem to be a lot of gandharvas functioning today. Indeed, the so-called generation gap almost repeats the wars between the asuras and devas. And you can be assured that it is the asuras who set themselves up as being self-righteous; partaking of psychedelics is a crime while bodily harm, extortion, and felonies are almost overlooked. No wonder this person is being called upon more and more and more.
But the basic reason for writing is something different. Our good friend, Dr. Huston Smith, told me about a Dr. Backster in this city. He is a professional technician operating the polygraph, which is called “lie-detector.” He is moving over into those fields wherein the prowess of the late Jagadis Bose was established. From my point of view, he has already reached Vijnanavada. He showed a complete comprehension, from a supernal, integrative point of view, of all the sciences. He is aware of more states of consciousness than I have yet heard from anybody else in this country other than yourself and two Mahayana Buddhists. It was impossible to state whether his lecture was further in the field of science or of the new age or of the cosmic psychology referred to above. But I think it is here. I think the dharma is being established in America and by Americans, just as we Americans have The Temple of Understanding, which mythologically might have been in the Near East.
As I see it, it is quite possible that a large number of young people will attend the next sessions of The Temple of Understanding. They have been very successful in putting on joint Israeli-Christian-Arab dinners. They have been very successful in putting on both Dervish and mantric dances (rejected by the Aurobindo people). They have new outlooks. They are succeeding. They are bringing people together, and they feel that they can financially help both themselves and our good friend, Mrs. Judith Hollister and “Peter” Dunne.
Faithfully,
Samuel L. Lewis
Nov. 10, 1970
The General Convener
World Parliament of Religions Parliament Secretariat
Sangham House, Quilon-12
Kerala State, India
Beloved Ones of God:
We wish to thank you for the material you have sent us. You have used the title “World Parliament of Religions.” We don’t understand it, at all. We don’t know what a “world parliament” means and are not even sure what “parliament” means. We have been further confused because we have received so many invitations to join in organizations or movements with world claims, although we do not know what the word “world” means. For example, San Francisco and Rishikesh, and in particular, India and the United States, are today filled with “world saviours.” We don’t understand what these words mean. In fact we confess to begin with, we lack both “understanding” and “humility” and without these stirring qualities we have no idea where we could fit into your organization.
But we do know that if we establish good relationship with you we are immediately on very bad terms with others of God’s creatures—I believe they are God’s creatures—who are already convening or have convened what appears to be similar efforts. It becomes a matter of some confusion therefore to find that in efforts to establish verbal world brotherhoods one is automatically excluded from other movements and efforts with, on the whole, similar claims. So in addition to lacking “humility” and “understanding,” we are trapped in confusion.
Yes, there was once a world parliament of religions. It was a parliament of religions. The religions met together. What they accomplished may be subject to controversy. But I do know my own relatives helped establish a Vedanta Temple in the area of Boston, Massachusetts, and I myself became involved in a San Francisco institution which is still functioning. It was called Mentorgarten. It still functions. It purports to bring people of the Orient and the Occident closer together. It presumes that understanding is within human ken. This of course is just a working hypothesis, but somehow or other, it is operative.
Thus, early this spring, I attended a convention of “The Temple of Understanding.” This is based on the supposition that understanding is possible. It also drew leaders of the actual religions of the actual world to its doors, and I was privileged to be among those who were welcomed. This is not usually the case. For example, there is another group verbally making efforts in the same general direction which seems to be based that by becoming an official of the United Nations you are in some way a superman. This may be so, but I must confess, I don’t understand it.
I notice that both the conference of the world’s religions in Chicago and the conference of The Temple of Understanding, gave considerable consideration to those faiths which have been historically effective. They may have failed in other lines, but they were historically effective.
At another time, my good friend Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj called a conference of what I consider the real religions of the real world. I do not know if this was actually so, or not, but I do know that much time was turned over to those groups which have been historically and culturally effective.
I am unable to understand how in the short time allotted the programmed subjects could be given proper consideration. I do know that at Chicago they were allotted considerably more time. Every effort was there made to bring subjects out into the open not to rush anything through until there was proper consideration and understanding. This was even more true of the conference which was called by my good friend Swami Maharaj Ranganathananda (I do not know whether this is true or not with the parallel convocations with more or less the same claims, convocations which met in India).
Now, here in San Francisco, we have all kinds of “world” groups. All kinds of them. They legally proclaim “world,” and the races, religions, cultures, and outlooks that they exclude from a far longer list than those that they do include. I am under the curious outlook that God and Rand-McNally, however much they agree or differ, do no excluding whatever. I cannot assent it is proper to give so much time to Guru Nanak, who certainly has not affected the world outside of India, and to omit all reference to all sorts of personalities, e.g. Gandhi, who have affected so much of the world outside of India. I don’t understand it at all.
The Temple of Understanding permitted Jews and Buddhists to attend. But they were severely criticized for omitting all aspects of spiritual culture arising from the continent of Africa and perhaps also from the continents of the Americas. There was no claim to humility. There was not even claim to consideration, but the consideration was evident.
I do not know what you mean by “man is a thinking animal.” I do not know on what basis it is presented and do not know what relation it has to any “world parliament of religions.” I find that I have deluded myself apparently in assuming that religions most of all have been concerned with devotion. I have always assumed that conferences of religions spend some time in considerations of devotion. I cannot of course openly proclaim this. I have no right to insist on it. But this does not relieve me from my failure to understand why conferences, called in the name of religion, called in the name of world outlook, should overemphasize in their proceedings certain outlooks and omit others entirely. In this respect I am thoroughly confused. I do not know what you have to suggest. I do not know what you may reply. I do not know whether you can rescue me from my confusion at this hour.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
Feb. 27, 1972
J.P. Atreya
Moradabad-19
Mr. Samuel L. Lewis
410 Precita Avenue, San Francisco
Calif. 94110 (U.S.A.)
Dear Sir,
I am enclosing herewith a cheque so kindly sent by you as subscription of Darshana International No. 1524 Dated September 9, 1969. For $10.00 Unfortunately this cheque could not be presented to Bankers in time. Please issue another cheque to replace it.
The annual subscription of Darshana International has been enhanced since January 1970 to $7.50. If you wish to continue its subscription you may send $10.00 + $22.50 (Subscription up to 1972).
On account of certain reasons the publication of Darshana had to be stopped during 1971. After a year we have been able to restart it and you will be glad to know that we have been able to publish Vol. XI Nos. 42 so far. To make it up to date we have to bring out 3 numbers which we are confident we shall be able to do by the end of April 1972. No. 43 has already been printed; No. 44 (the last No. of XI) is under print. Jan. 1972 will also be ready by the 15th April 22.
Please let me know the numbers which you have not received so that they may be sent to you.
We shall also appreciate receiving articles for publication from your pen. Hoping to be excused for the trouble and closing with compliments.
Yours sincerely,
J.P. Atreya