April 8, 1962

Lahore, Pakistan,

Fred J. Mass

1245 Fifteenth Ave.,

San Francisco 22, Calif.

Dear Fred:

You have perhaps never heard of me and if you have it does not matter whether you believe or not. I am a born San Francisco whose ancestors had the audacity to come to California during the Gold Rush and I can even remember a little of the city 56 years ago when it got a series of shocks. May be this is what made me mad.

As I told the political attaché here, “Of course I am mad. But I am mad the same way this year, last year and next year. Of course you are sane, but you were sane one way yesterday, a different way today, another way tomorrow and I predict you will be sane still a different say next week.” He capitulated. This confirms your contention that Americans are “mad and silly.” I think you and I are mad without being silly.

I have learned about you from one Julie Medlock who is a friend of John Spiers. Julie was accused of being mad and I was accused of having the same form of “insanity” which has become a grand compliment. She says I look and act like John. But I have you fellows beaten all over the lot for I have a guru (Swami Ramdas), and a Roshi (Sogen Asahina) and have passed the state in Sufism of having a Pir and now have a leading saint (Barkat Ali) for Preceptor. This makes me exceedingly mad. No self respecting school in California would listen to a man speak on Zen or Yoga or Sufism who has such backgrounds and experiences.

Having been rejected all over the lot I have an exceedingly stiff neck. In Japan I went to the Tourist Bureau—though I must confess a great sin—it was their invitation. I told them that America was full of people who wanted to see Japan and they were not interested in Luxury hotels, night-clubs, Christian churches and over-priced geisha girls. I even shocked them by proving that the richest Americans who came to Japan wanted to learn about Japan and left without spending any money. This was a loss of face. We have one zillion soldiers, civil servants, advisers and technicians who go to Japan and whose national anthem is:

God bless our protocol, that’s what we love,

Stand beside her and guide her,

Till we get the job next above.

They don’t care a hoop or a whoop about Buddhism, art, sleeping on the floor or chopstickology, etc. The Japanese Tourist Bureau woke up and complied. My complaints have not been in vain.

But this is South Asia where Jackie made on error: she forget to bring a rocking chair such as her husband (Top Banana) used and present it to officials in this part of the world.

Now my stiff neck has caused me to yell and help, “When I want to Agra I was domiciled in the home of some people who say they are part of a huge hospitality system which provides free room and board to Americans. This system is known to the Embassy but to the Tourist Bureaus, hush-hush. You know the protocol—foreigners have to travel in uncomfortable “first class carriages” and it is unthinkable, inconceivable and impossible that they could possible like the rapid, efficient and cheap busses which permit one to see scenery and mingle with the natives. You see if we mingle the press can no longer yell at us for not mingling.

As I am planning to promote Tourism, in my second trip to India I lived in one luxury hotel, two second class hotels, some third class hotels, some off-class hotels; ashrams; private homes first, second and third class. Did not go to railway stations but confess to sleeping overnight in the office of the Indian air-lines. Verboten, of course, but dood it.

I stayed over time at Agra private homes, two of them). Visited Taj day, dusk and moonlight (saw it previously at dawn). Met exactly three tourists. Oh yes, I met innumerable Canadians, Englishmen and Americans. I have changed the song, “Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noon-day sun” to “Dogs and Mad Englishmen go out in the noon-day sun.” The “bums”—not only Englishman, Canadians and Americans, but the gals of all ages of each country were there in profusion. The number of foreigners were ten times the number of “tourists.” Boy, did I pour it on the Tourist Bureau when I got back to Jan Path in Delhi.

We want cultural exchange. We want intermingling but he Tourism is interested only in the intermingling of dollars and rupees. They never heard of Woolworth and they don’t knew anything about chain stores. They can’t conceive that a thousand dimes is ten times $10. They can see only the dollars. So I am slowly planning to have lots and oodles of “bums” come to the Orient and they will have to swear never to go into luxury hotels where they pay high prices for European meals and can with difficulty got either American or Indian fare.

The best meal I had in Bombay at a luxury restaurant cost 2 Rupees. The restaurant is connected with a huge swimming pool and has the atmosphere where you could not get the same service for $2 in America. But is it mentioned in the tourist guides? No, in Bombay you have to pay for awful non-vegetarian world, the prices of which run from 4 to 10 times the meatless meals which were had and enjoyed. This is Bombay where natch the prices are higher.

Well I may caravan and go to Dharamsala and bring peace between India and the US.

The chief difference between us, of course, is that my neck has stiffened during the years. The executioner’s axe can only fall off blunted and I am willing to face anybody. And don’t bother, I know Brother Sjer Siph on Market St. very well and also the Indian officials. Alas, I am also a friend of the Chief of Protocol in New Delhi but I also know from whom to takes orders and I also know from whom that guy takes orders. Yes, J. Nehru is a Yogi, and a much better one than some others I might name. But I know whom he consults—strictly off the record, it can’t be. If you want an introduction to the “Master” you get, but I must warm you this is inconceivable, impossible, unthinkable, absolute nonsense and she owns a house near Delhi Gate and no respectable Americans visit her; and of course no USIA underling, nevaire.

Anyhow I came home to bring the spirituality without any spirituality and for free. The real Masters (if you want to call them that) are willing to share and went demand largesse, although no doubt you can’t keep rich widows from their pleasures.

As to Universal Religion. Well I do represent the World Congress of Faiths and have lectured on every religion and most scriptures and am bringing some scriptures back which are utterly unknown (not secret but unknown). I walked again through Fatehpur Sikri where Akbar made the first attempt at Universal Religion—then I went “mad” and danced at the tomb of his Pir, St. Selim Chisti—which made me a saint, which is also unthinkable, impossible, inconceivable and absolute nonsense. But think of the fun.

Sincerely,

S. A. M.

Samuel L. Lewis

Sufi Ahmed Murad-Chisti

772 Clementina St.,

San Francisco 3 Calif.