Lahore,
Sunday, February 18, 1962
Dear Sam:
Your letters are delightful, constantly leaving one dangling in mid-air with unfinished thoughts and sentences and all that lovely humor: I gather the spirit of adventure has you in its clutches, as usual. Keep the carbons coming.
Me, I haven’t had a second to write. The struggle to get my Pakistan and the Nations Supplement out was a pitched battle with the forces of evil all the way—the one editor, who never read a line of the copy until a few hours before press time used every possible argument and ruse to postpone or to kill the whole idea. I literally went down to the press and watched the rotary start running the sheets for fear he’d be down to throw a monkey wrench into the works. Why I haven’t got ulcers I’ll never know!
But anyhow, here it is—at last! A humble beginning. We had enough copy for two more pages, but I’m glad to have gotten this much. And what I’ve learned in the process will help elsewhere. I hope we have lifted a little—and will be thinking it a success if only two or three people out of our whole 50,000 circulation are inspired to think a little more deeply about these matters. What do You think?
I am steeling your remarkable kind-of-Sam-Goldwyn remark: “News is more important than optimism.” Thanks. Did you steal it from him?
You still have not been very clear about Rhyana—but will hope to hear more on your return. Don’t know if I’ll be here through March, but could be—I won’t let the boss down now that he had gotten my project through, and there are some projects still hanging fire here. When those are over, the only thing I can think to do is to go up to Swat or someplace cooler—Swat attracts me … (I keep remembering the poem Bertrand Russell sent me when I first came out here:
“Who and What
Is the Wali of Swat?”)
and try to raise dollars to get on to Tokyo in September with my Nations Project, and also to try to finish my book for Doubleday. But I am trying not to make plans, really, in that old American Way and am reverting to my South Indian query: “What does the Divine want me to do?” Obviously he/it or He/It, wanted me to come to Pakistan and do this first step of the Nation’s Project here—it certainly was the last thing I would have thought of. So He/It must know what next. I must say He/It does everything at the last minute. I remember an English journalist friend of mine who was out here having all kinds of strange adventures—like living on 5 cents for two weeks in Bangkok because her publisher’s check was delayed, and so on…. SHE used to say “I know God will take care of me—He always does—but why does he have to be so Dramatic, always waiting for the second before dooms-hour?”
But back to Rhyana—I’m jumping the way you do—so Koot-Humi is her Master. Very Interesting…. I didn’t realize this. My Djwhal Khul, The Tibetan, was Koot Hoomi’s and Morya’s assistant, I’ve been told. I think Morya is supposed to be handling the area of world affairs I’m working in, but he has never so informed me! Another three thousand years, maybe….
I wish somebody would tell me about my future the way they tell you about yours. No word from the Major and I can’t find his address, but probably will. But I sent The Wali a copy of this Pakistan Supplement with no comment, just my name on the envelope.
Nuthin’ else to report.
Best regards,
Julie Medlock
Accra, Ghana
19 March 1965
Dr. Reiser has kindly let me see your letter of February 25th, which must hold some kind of a record for length, but which I of course enjoyed all the way through. How come you haven’t latched on to the Sahara Reclamation Project? That has fascinating possibilities.
You don’t say in your letter what are doing in San Francisco these days. Have you given up your travels? How is your health? Are you going back to Pakistan or back to anywhere or are you going to somewhere new next time?
And just how are your “tentacles” crossing the African continent now, might I ask?
So much for this moment—I just wanted you to know I’m alive and snowed under with work. I have put in to the mail for you a copy of our February mailing which includes a copy of my newspaper project which I started in Lahore—now it is the Nations Project for International Cooperation Year. We’ll soon have 10,000 copies of it in circulation.
Good wishes as always, and salaam aleikhum,
Julie Medlock
Science and Spirituality
A seminar on “Science and Spirituality” sponsored by the Akhil Bharat Sarva Seva Sangh, Raghat, Varanasi, and World Union, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, was held at Patna from 28-12-62 to 2-1-63 under the Presidentship of Dr. Rajendra Prasad and was inaugurated by Dr. Raynor C. Johnson of the University of Melbourne, Australia. The following statement was issued on the conclusion of the Seminar:
Recent decades have witnessed striking advances in scientific knowledge and technological achievements. These advances have brought immense benefits to mankind—quicker communication, better health, easier satisfaction of material needs. More leisure to pursue the higher objectives of life. At the same time, the staggering power unleashed by science and technology has magnified to frightful dimensions the problem of its right or wrong application, and mankind faces today for the first time in history the awesome possibility of its total destruction in a nuclear war. Man’s present predicament is due to his neglect of his inner development which has left him a slave of his passions.
It has been increasingly recognized in recent times that the integration of Science with Spirituality is the means of overcoming the present crisis. This Seminar was jointly convened by the Akhil Bharat Sarva Seva Sangh and World Union to examine the implications of this integration and to find ways and means of mobilizing the resources of Science and Spirituality to meet the present challenge. Although in the popular view Science refers to the knowledge of the outer world and Spirituality to the knowledge of man’s spirit or self, this Seminar is of the considered view that knowledge is one and indivisible. Science has to be understood in its original meaning of “knowledge,” and as such must include both knowledge of the outer world and of man’s own nature. The spectrum of Truth has to be recognized as extending on the one hand into the sensory world, which has been the chief concern of the scientist so far, and on the other hand into the world of Spirit. The unwavering pursuit of Science in this sense, and the cultivation of the scientific spirit or approach, even with regard to the study of the nature of man, provides, in the view of this Seminar, the only antidote to the maladies afflicting mankind today.
Although the scientific method of experiment and observation, systematization and inference has proved highly successful in the exploration of the outer world, it has unfortunately not yet been applied adequately to the exploration of man’s nature. The few scientific investigations so far on the human mind and consciousness seem to confirm such insights of the great saints and mystics as the inter-relatedness and the unity of life. This Seminar believes that the time has come to extend these investigations in a large way. There is every hope that increased knowledge concerning the elements in himself will enable Man to acquire Love and Wisdom to overcome fear and insecurity that stand in the way of true peace, within and without.
This Seminar welcomes the efforts of all individuals and organizations the world over who share in its concern to mobilize the spiritual resources of mankind for meeting the present dangerous situation and paving the way for a brighter future. It calls upon them to join with it in promoting greater understanding by Man of his own nature, and in particular, for a more sympathetic appreciation of the motives and aspirations of other peoples and nations. One of the methods for realising these objectives might be the collection and systematic study of creative work in this field, especially from nations other than one’s own. This Seminar also recommends that immediate steps be taken to advance scientific research in this field and, wherever necessary, to found and support new institutions for the integral study of Man. It finally expresses the hope that the Akhil Bharat Sarva Seva Sangh and World Union will continue to take interest in promoting other Seminars of this kind to consider practical projects in collaboration with others.
43 Hasker Street
London SW3, England, U.K.
August 8, 1966
My dear Sam:
My apologies for never seeming to get your letters answered adequately if at all—I am under such continuous pressure of work and travel. But I feel sure you understand if your telepathy is as good as it used to be.
I left Ghana April 20th, two months after the military coup, merely because our General Secretary had been recalled to head the Ministry of External Affairs and I was left with this international organization on my hands and it seemed slightly schizophrenic to me to try to operate it under a military government, that’s all. Since, I have been in Khartoum, Addis Ababa, Cairo, Rome, Geneva, Wales and in London for the past month. (This address will always reach me, as mail will be forwarded.) Now in ten days I go on to a meeting near Frankfort and will then be with friends near Düsseldorf for awhile and probably a few other places around Europe. I am quietly talking to a lot of people to see if anything realistic can be accomplished in regard to international affairs just at this juncture in history. Some consensus is developing but there are no funds in sight yet, at least in my sight! The matter for consideration also is where to site our future operations either under the name of the Accra Assembly or The World Without the Bomb or my old Public Interest International. Practically every country presents some local political situation which would best be avoided and there are hardly any non-aligned and non-military countries left. Alas. I am trying to remain as desire-less as The Buddha and wait and see what develops, if anything. So writing you a letter at his juncture is quite premature as you can see! More later, if I survive.
Your disconnected tidbits of news are as usual fascinating. Sometimes I can even put them together. What is this about British Columbia “Where they have a completely new social order.” This I must see. Tell me about it.
Racing to catch a train to Tunbridge Wells for a meeting, so do forgive the brevity of this acknowledge note in the surprise of having heard from me at all!
As ever,
Julie Medlock
c/o Dr. Marcus Bierich
Duisburgerstrasse 21A
Wittlaer, bei Dusseldorf, West Germany
October 1, 1966
Dear Sam:
Well, okay. But you surely did a fine job of evading the issue in your interesting letter of September 22nd. Don’t let the point escape you, old dear: please do not throw my name around, in that slap-happy way of yours, in the future. Agreed?
Yes, about Peace. It will only be the result of the establishment of right human relations. We have to work toward it in an infinite number of ways. But nobody seems at the moment to be getting any result. I can hardly imagine that it is the world’s destiny to be gobbled up, chewed and swallowed by the USA. There is very little inviting in the prospect of an imposed Pax Americana while we are in our present low state of evolutionary development: juke boxes, coca cola, status, the military and the Texas point of view, not to mention the teen-age civilization.
Here I listen to the Armed Forces European Network and switch off every broadcast with a shudder. Glorification of the military, top news position always to the Vietnam war, propaganda total and complete. Other programs jazz and the most stupid State-side comedians. I would think the Germans would throw them out. Good reason why India has refused to allow our broadcasts out there and has recently even turned down a proposal that the USA supply radio receivers to villagers. Part of the network of encirclement. We can accept the Russian and Chinese broadcasts as largely propaganda, but the USA ones are dressed up, hypocritically, to try to look like something else the usual Madison Avenue trick of talking down to the masses. They are the ones who are stupid to think they are being believed: A good example of that is this new proposed Asian meeting in Manila. They really play it straight, as though everybody outside the USA doesn’t recognize who is pulling the strings and that only the USA puppets will be there and what they will be talking about will not be peace. By a curious twist of semantics peace talk is really war talk, these days. Come on in, Big Brother; double-think has long been with us!
The Ruth St. Denis photo—Kwan Yin—is lovely. I return it because you may need it and I can’t carry around anymore paper in my traveling. I didn’t know she was still alive.
No other news. I continue to keep the work moving, now awaiting replies to governmental contacts, which may take some time, the bureaucracies being what they are.
You say: “I wish you could see further.” I echo this with, “Me, too, Brother:” Some century, perhaps.
Meanwhile, carry on. Yours, Julie Medlock |
|
P.S. How did the riots in San Francisco look, from where you sit?
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco, Calif.
May 8, 1968
Miss Julie Medlock
Auroville Information,
Pondicherry 2, India
My dear Julie:
One feels you saying, “You have saved my life” and perhaps, add “again.” The arrival of and the content of the brochure on Auroville are going to bring out into the open certain characteristics of what Lord Snow calls “our two cultures” and there is no evidence to me that there is anything else. Scientists do not indulge in a priori rejections and people of “the other” culture” do and over and over again. And I have been preparing a paper on “The Semantics of General Semantics” to show, with data and referents how far this movement has gone from the original purport aid intension and gotten so far from the general trend of Science (or the sciences) that on receives among the literati exactly the same as the leaders in G.S. give—contempt for the other fellow.
A year ago Sam Lewis was flat on his back is a hospital. He had just won in litigation, went out celebrating, had an attack of ptomaine, and bingo. There he had a kind of mystical experience which happens only to mystics and never to bright Englishmen and scholars who write books on experiences they have never had. And it was to the effect that he was to become the “Guru” of the Hippies. No use going into that, the people (i.e., the editors, commentators), and more equals one will not have. And now the young troop to these doors, the meetings are to overflowing.
Coming out of the hospital one was successful in that great American virtue and the income, slightly increased, was doubled, and a slight increase this year and if my brother has his way, another next year. And should one predecease him, only two uses for the money, to get published manuscripts which Sam cawn’t have because because; and to travel. These manuscripts are a host of documentaries of real Zen-Ch’an Buddhists who wrote mostly before we in America discovered those bright and famous Englishmen (one now deceased, no two) who invented something they called Zen because evidently they were not too good at spelling. “Zen” they called it and “Zen” it is, but almost “only in America” and any effort on the part of Americans, to get out the teachings they learned in the Orient from Orientals isn’t, only now there is a split between the scientists who want facts and the non-scientists who wish to retain the privilege of saying “no” to the impertinent.
The young prefer the facts of the little man who was there to the opinions of the grand men who were not. Youth is in revolt and more and more and the oldsters are explaining, each to his ego-satisfaction, the rational for disturbances but the oldsters simply cannot adopt in social affairs the same impersonality and objectivity that we find in the sciences. And Sam Lewis is suspect because he has respect for General Semantics, even though the “generals” have never accepted any paper from him no matter how well documented and only one letter. The reason for this complaint is inextricably connected with your own editorials.
Mere recently—because there is a faculty of Insight, Sam called one of his disciples and said, “You are going to India. There are possible sources of income.” In two weeks she said, “I have all the money.“All right, I assign to you, “great spiritual women of the day” and [?] women are either known to you or identifiable by you and they [?] your good (or not so good) ego-self.
“ETC.” is a magazine called “A Review of General Semantics.” I had the temerity to have studied under Prof. Cassius Keyser of Columbia University, and long, long ago, when some of these leaders were babes or unborn, I read The Manhood of Humanity by Alfred Korzybski. I have never been forgiven. Or either for the fact that I studied Lord Russell’s work on philosophy and much on mathematics and from Russell went to Peano and thence to Cantor. This couldn’t possibly be, bang! Bang! Which is the way of “democracy” in certain quarters. And when I presented a paper on “Three Infinities” to a professor of philosophy recently I received an “A” in the course and my class recital was on the same Cantor which you have quoted. Amen and this is the way of those disappearing.
In “ETC.” Lloyd and Mary Morain conclude the commentary on Cosmic Humanism by Oliver L. Reiser with:
“This book will be a revelation for the individual who feels that surely there must be some pattern in the odyssey of mankind, who wishes to reject religion just because it has become obsolete, who is tired of the limitations of technologies, who believes all cultures and times contribute to mankind, and who somehow find purpose and meaning going from the individual outward and outward into the individual. The intellectual elite of the new youth who we are viewing society anew, who look to both the East and West for significance, who create the underground press, will eventually ‘discover’ Reiser.”
One might add what they omitted: “Sam, you can’t possibly have that knowledge” and this has been going on for years. So I am going to challenge them with a paper on “The General Semantics of General Semantics” and will quote you because Cantor used by Julie Medlock is and Cantor used by Sam Lewis “can’t be” and when I was at their seminar last year all one got was value judgments which the same Lloyd Morain, disciple of Oliver Reiser, permitted, he having known me since his teens and most regrettably he and his colleagues are as rejected in the halls of ivy as they have chosen to reject a priori.
One also received an “A” by presenting a paper on Sri Aurobindo and Plato. Last week a beautiful letter was received from Sri Surendra Mohan Ghose acknowledging that Sam Lewis can have the knowledge of Vijnanavada and exemplified what the Prophet and Mother stood for. At night one had the Diksha of the Mother in Vision, but of course this “cawn’t be” and the young accept actualities and the old keep to value judgments. The elections yesterday and the hard fact that Sri Haridas Chaudhuri of the Cultural Integration Center, Sam Lewis, and our Buddhist colleagues are today speaking to overflow audiences, nearly all young who want knowledge or wisdom and not blind acceptance of Big Names evidences that the predictions of Sri Aurobindo are now coming into actuality.
Today Sam Lewis is a cultural adviser to two other summit meetings in Asia and both dominated by women whom you could easily identify and both in some way connected with your past histories. And the practical use of Integral Logic is a smash on all the dialecticians and analysts who control the media of communications but not the young, God bless them. And all the lies of the world euphonized as “realism” cannot stop the supertide of Reality.
I had already notified the office of the General Semanticists that I intended to come soon and purchase books and introduce G.S. into Asian countries, with or without their approval. But now with your brochure I shall withhold in part asking if you wish some of this literature. Also I am ready to purchase the works of Oliver Reiser and I think these would be a book contribution to Auroville but do not wish to do this without your consent. If money is needed for other purposes, more worthy, why give you a library when you have no place to store or stack the books? Anyhow you can count on Sam to cooperate with you fully here.
Part of my work has been to uncover the parallels between Sri Aurobindo and Oliver Reiser and to integrate the schools with the Integral outlook. And it is curious that during a course of years one always receives response from our good friend, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan who has given has given his approval.
I won’t go further into the world scene here, nor to the local scene.
The first thing my eye hit was the section on George Cantor. I have his book on transfinite and have tried to use it, to no avail, on all kinds of people wishing to lead, or mislead all kinds of movements. And having had the direct experiences of infinitudes, now accepted by the philosophers approached I intend to quote from you and see how far some of our friends are really earnest or how far they trust to personalisms.
Several years ago I said to Miss Ruth St. Denis “Mother, I am going to revolutionize the world.” “How are you going to do it?” “By teaching children how to walk.” Ruth taught me how to draw dances from the Akasha and later I told her of having performed “Dance of Universal Peace” at Fatehpur Sikri. It was the same dance that she and Ted Shawn had performed in the same place 30 years before. It is based on the rituals of the four Major Religions. And I am now training a few young people on it, showing them what our “superior more equal people” a priori reject, God bless them. And when I told this to Sri Surendra Mohan Ghose he said he would open the doors for me. He accepted fully what a whole culture a priori rejected. That is one and we are working on it.
We are moving toward a Universal School where spiritual teachers can cooperate and here they do, and there seems to be money in the offing, which will make the Ahmed-face a priori rejectors blush.
My manuscripts are largely from real Zen and Ch’an Masters, and one needs only secretarial help to get them out. This help is on the way. One’s two goddaughters, one in Lahore and the other here, have struck the jack-pot both spiritually and materially. One also has some Indian material but it is so complex—and also real Yoga, not Asana-vada, but may not be needed. I think—and agree with Sri Aurobindo when he said he was the last of the Rishis, that there is no sense in merely multiplying literature.
Sam became my spiritual name through my Guru, the late Ramdas. It is also the initials of Sufi Ahmed Murad-Chisti which was also given for passing spiritual tests in Sufism. It does not make any difference any more if the whole gamut of metaphysicians disguised as mystics give one the a priori brush-off. Sam is continuing the world of the Moghul Emperor Akbar and his martyred great grandson Prince Dara Shikoh. This has been recognized by the present and former Presidents of India and others.
Auroville is thus a “natural” but the question is, what is the best way in which to cooperate. Unlike most of the professors this person can conscious realization of the five Koshas of Taittiriya Upanishad. My first Sufi teacher, Hazrat Inayat Khan, presented the realities of Vijnana and Ananda. Vijnana as used by Dr. Radhakrishnan and Swami Ramdas is totally different from the “Vijnana” of the dialectician Prof. Daisetz Suzuki. It is not much better, it may even be worse to accept blindly the speculations of a Japanese scholar for those of British and European scholars.
Vijnana is the conscious realization of the ultimate harmonies above all human personalities and factions but it is most certainly not the lecture of pompous intellectuals so verbalizing and rejecting. I got into India quickly last time by shouting Tat Tvam Asi to all the customs and immigration officials; last in line I was the first through. This effort is something prepared for years. But I warn you there is a vast difference between words used by dialecticians and orators from the same words used by a realized mystic.
This is an abode of Love and Wisdom. We teach Lord Buddha’s Yoga consciously and also the Yoga in which he was trained. The fact that no Englishmen and few Japanese are aware means nothing. My god-daughters alluded to, Pakistani and American, have both had samadhic experience and also one young man who will return soon from his travels. One began using the Darshan and in speaking at the Ashram here one pointed out that Sri Aurobindo exemplified Samma Drishthi and almost the whole world of Buddhism did not. One has the authority to say so because one has passed all tests in real Buddhism, the Buddhists of Japan, Korea, China and Vietnam but not the “Buddhism’s” of Germany, England and American Phdeism.
Whereas a year ago one had few associates one has a growing multitude of people who fulfill the predictions of Sri Aurobindo. One is lecturing on the mysticism of the Bible too with great success—all young people. We are awaiting the coming of Lama Govinda but this one awaits for nobody. Auroville is a dream come true. One’s own predilections were destroyed in a fire in 1949—twenty-five years’ research gone in a whiff, and why not?
One wishes all the literature you have and in turn will be glad to give every sort of support, including financial. And one will turn the brochure over to the disciple being prepared to go to India. This is the New Age. What appears in Bulwer Lytton and Marie Corelli is more explicit in Sri Aurobindo. The crowd of young people coming here and getting spiritual realization (not sermons and empty practices) includes several who are making better and better marks in the scholastic world. One is filled with Love and Hope, and to you
All love and blessings,
S.A.M.
Auroville
May 16, 1968
Dear Sam,
Your long and breezy letter of May 8th: Comment: Hold Everything! You can’t quote me on Cantor because I didn’t write that article. It, and other items too, was picked up from the City of the Future, the Auroville issue, of Equals 1 (=1), our magazine here, and was written jointly by the staff, as far as I know. I see you are still jumping to conclusions, but flattered as I may be, you musn’t credit things to me which are not mine. Besides this, like your assumption, in a letter to World Union, that I belong in an investigatable group of spiritual women “like the Mother.” Really Sam! That one gave everybody in World Union hysterics, I’ll bet! Me too!
I have had you various letters and messages and am glad to hear news of you and your multifarious activities. I don’t write merely because I am so bushed with day and night work here that there is no moment for personal letters; at this rate, everybody will soon forget me.
But I am glad you like the Auroville material and you are on the mailing list to receive all that is turned out. I hope for very little publicity for a while; there is much serious planning and work and above all, fund raising to do. People are already writing to find out when they can move in! They do not seem to be aware that when the foundation stone of anything is laid it is only the beginning. We can’t offer view apartments 22 stories up because we are just getting the land organized and are concerned with roads, wells, and all the basic things. But we hope to have an advance colony of workers on the spot by early next year. This is at least a fifteen to twenty year job.
You ask how you can contribute, and mention books … it would be good to have Reisers’ books here and we already have a start on an Auroville library, at the moment housed in my living quarters. What we need most now and for some time is postage funds, since we have a colossal amount of request for information to answer. We are just starting to draw up specifications for the millions of things that will be needed to build Auroville, in the way of machinery. But we also need typewriters—portable ones—for our office, just as an example. Someone has promised to buy us a duplicating machine, which we shall gratefully accepts. Arrangements are being made to get the things we can’t buy here in to us duty free. But money is always welcome, of course; you can tell your disciples this if they ask how to help.
I am glad to know that you are well now, after your illness of sometime back and that you are at least relatively rich and will be able to do some of the projects and some of the travel you have hoped to do. Nobody knows better than I do the difficulties of trying to work without funds. But I also hope you will set aside about 2 percent on which S.A.M. is to have a little fun—caviar and champagne or something, now and then, as a reward for just being S.A.M.
Absolutely no other news about me because at the moment I just exist in the work being done. If I am getting anywhere spiritually, I don’t notice it! I suspect it is going to take a few more centuries….
Carry on! As ever,
Julie Medlock |
|
Auroville
Saturday September 14, 1968
Dear Sam:
I have your letters of September 6th at hand (4 more pages, now bringing the total to 60 pages in 3 months… this must be some kind of a record!), and assume that at the time you wrote it you had not yet received mine of September 1st in which I was trying to give you a little hell about misrepresentation.
Now in this letter, you have done it again, and I object. Six or seven times you have made reference to “the people you seem to admire,” “the people you admire,” “so many of the men approved by yourself,” etc. etc. etc. and go on to speak disparagingly of them. Now I do not have the faintest idea to what people you refer, and anyhow whoever they are they can have nothing to do with me because I do not admire anybody as far as I know, considering the various performances I see around. Moreover, you do not know any of the people I know as far as I can tell, except Reiser and Radhakrishnan…. I suppose there are others, but you have no way of knowing either what people I am in contact with, or anything about the work or Sadhana I am doing, or any of my views. So will you just please stop referring to others about me as though you did. One of these days I just might get good and angry if you keep up this misrepresentation. Just stop it.
As for your position as the Avatar of the New Age or what-ever you imply by all these things you are writing, I just do not know and cannot judge. I am sure you are sincere and that you are very well informed on the Eastern philosophies and religions, but as to spirituality, frankly, I cannot tell. One point that has always been stressed to me is that no true spiritual teacher ever makes any personal claims. Nor do they criticize. They work constructively and lovingly, leaving out nobody, good, bad, or indifferent. This is what Yoga and all the other inner teachings of all the philosophies and religions I have ever heard of, teach. This is just exactly the opposite of what you do, now isnᾀ?t it? Of course there is always the leeway of the Sufi and Zen conundrums which might be your explanation, but again, I do not say, and I do not want to judge anybody, including you. You know I am fond of you, but if and when you do things which seem wrong, to me, I shall, as usual, smack you down, dear!!
Now take this matter of materials for Auroville. Refer to your paragraph b in your letter to Dr. Reiser in which you say you can get no cooperation from us on import permits. This is a total lie, Sam, and you know it.
Because after conferring with the people here about the proper procedure, I wrote you in detail on June 11th, telling you that Auroville does not have a blanket import permit as yet and may not have for some time. Hence every donation to us has to be cleared separately. We have to have the letter from a foreign donor describing exactly what is being sent. This is then processed through the proper government authorities, which takes about three months. There is no other way to do this at present and if you cannot send the letter and allow us to proceed as the Indian Government insists that we do, then you will have to abandon the idea of doing anything for Auroville. The only other way is for people coming here to bring in small things. These too have to be cleared or 50% duty paid on them. There is nothing we can do other than this, nor can your friends in various customs offices, as this is a special case at this point. Now are you clear? Let your conscience be your guide. If you need another copy of the required letter, ask for it and I’ll send it. I don’t see what any of this has to do with your being a Guru or a Murshid or anything else. If you want to work for Auroville, it is your privilege to do so but we are not doing any begging, nor intend to. Auroville is the real thing, as time will tell. Words are not even necessary. It is being done.
Yours, as ever,
Julie Medlock
Saturday, October 5, 1968
Dear Sam:
Two more letters from you—September 17 and 20—11 more paces, bringing the total to 71 pages in three months: Some marathon! Also a package of books has arrived, with notice also of a subscription to ETC., from the General Semantics people, as a gift from you. I am very grateful for these, Sam—am first rereading them myself and then they will go eventually into the Auroville library. If you will sent me half a dozen of that letterhead of yours which carries your three names, I’ll be glad to paste it into the books, labeled “Gift to Auroville, from Samuel Lewis, etc.”
Now as to your preferred efforts, to assist of Auroville in other ways: as you suggest in your letter of September 17, perhaps it would be best if you just forgot all about it. I have written you at least six times that we do not yet have an import license, so how can I give you a number? All the people who thus far have been donating … jeeps, [?] to you, as to the procedure for making donations and getting tax exemption, as I have described repeatedly to you. Not one has questioned the procedure laid down by the Government of India, except you, Sam. You seem to think I or we are putting obstacles in your way. Rather, you are putting obstacles in your way: So before you get ulcers why not just forget it? Those who really want to give and really participate in Auroville will always manage to do so, I’m sure.
As for the World Union matters here, I am not working in it at this time, being too busy, and know nothing of work there except the magazine, which I see whenever it comes out. However in your letter of September 15, to World Union, you say “We certainly know that the effort at Auroville, splendid as it is, is leaning on personalities who are not Sri Aurobindo people.” Now Sam: we are not “leaning on any personalities”; we are not excluding anything or anybody; you are in no position whatsoever to judge or to criticize anything going on here because you do not know what is going on here and any remarks you make are therefore a misrepresentation. I want you to stop this.
Your writings continue to be one long peon of praise for the greatness of Sam. You say “We do not want anything but respect” and that you are not demanding (while you do demand) recognition as the first person in history to be a validated Sufi Murshid, Yogi Guru and Zen Roshi. Why you continue to beat your head against that stone wall I will never know or why I even bother to try to make you make some sense. No teacher of the level you claim would ever make the claims for himself that you do. This is what negates your efforts and makes people refuse to accept you. I was thinking the other night that if Sam really wanted to accomplish this acceptance bit that he seem to be eating his heart out over, he should try withdrawal and a period—a long period-of silence. You could continue your “teaching” by writing instructions and just seeing people without talking. I’11 bet you would soon be hailed as the real thing (whether or not that be true…); I give it to you as a “public relations” suggestion.
I haven’t the slightest idea what you are talking about the perversion of symbols—I know of no symbols we are using other that Sri Aurobindo’s and Mothers. Are you now questioning them also?
If and when your “disciples” show up here, we shall happy to greet them and take them around and hear all the news they bring.
Must dash … mail rolling in, no time, no help. But all goes very well. Again, grateful thanks for the books.
As ever,
Julie Medlock
Auroville
October 14, 1968
Dear Sam:
Well, your “disciples,” Sheyla and Buzz, got on their way from here last night after several days of getting acquainted. They are, as you said, just great—darlings, in fact. I thought Sheyla was about 17, and you can imagine my surprise to hear her age and the fact that she has three children: She also showed me the picture of SAM which she carries around and I must say I did not recall that you were all that handsome! News about you also was reassuring … and now I feel happy that while you have these young people in hand, I think they also have you in hand and will manage to keep you in balance, so that your future may indeed have more recognition in it than in the past. For all this I am happy. The kids fell into life around here as though they had been born to it. Although of course in such a brief period they could only skirt the edges. I think they did meet Nolini, who was one of the sadhaks who came here with Aurobindo in 1910 and who is now the chief Secretary. Others—the real yogis here—are almost inaccessible (my ambition … silence and solitude) and Mother is not receiving people these days. But they did meet the Western community particularly, which is always new, untried, experimental and not very spectacular I am sorry to have to say. But it is a start. We hope they will be able to come back before leaving India, especially as they ought to see the Ramana Maharshi Ashram in Tiruvanamalli, about four hours from here. In all, the visit was a success, I think. I think I convinced them also that despite your plaudits I am not very spiritual. Just don’t overestimate my powers!
No other news from here—they will be reporting anyhow. Problems abound but we keep tackling them. For me, working without funds for bare necessities is the worst … once having lived in a money economy it is hard to get out of it—alas. O yes, there is some news:
The Reserve Bank of Indian has just now—two days ago—given a blanket authorization for transfer of funds for Auroville. How long the Customs is going to take, who can’t predict, especially as this is India and the red tape is four feet thicker here than anywhere else!! In due course—the machinery is rolling—we shall have the import license you are always screaming for. But the time is not yet. Meanwhile our biggest current need is for a fleet of tractors, bulldozers, jeeps, and well-digging equipment. If you know any angles in these fields who would like to adventure with us, give “’m a little nudge. All for today, Sam.
As ever,
Julie Medlock
November 3, 1968
Miss Julie Medlock
Auroville
Pondicherry 2, India
My Dear Julie,
There is a newspaperman here named Art Hoppe to whom one often wrote, “If you can’t lick ‘em, laugh at ‘em.” He wrote back to Sam “If you can’t lick ‘em, laugh at yourself.” I am writing under such circumstances.
After some long efforts for the first time San began getting secretarial help—he thought. It was to find the office neat and clean and unanswered letters? One does not know whether they have been filed or thrown away. We certainly found material from Auroville neatly filed. You have every right to ask for any sort of assistance. The worst thing is to put on a road block: “It can’t be done.” Man has will power and also intuition. The predictions of Sri Aurobindo are certainly coming true. If one were to synthesize all the problems and answers abounding here at the present time one would land right in the middle of your project, excepting for the geography. It is certainly right for you to seek certain types of agricultural and technical machinery.
One of the problems Sam feces is that there are at least four organizations in the Near East collecting funds for equipment such as you wish—that is four Sam knows of, rumors are that there are more. I believe the same is necessary for South Asia and especially India. Four requests are very much in order. If all those people who have been verbally praising Auroville were to contribute $10 each—and I’m sure some of them can—there would be a different picture.
The Ranch with which Sheyla and Dara have been attached has certainly had ample funds, all very carelessly mis-managed. Indeed, there are many communes in this state often with funds and equally mis-managed. Each is trying to bring in its own “the brave new world” without supermental faculties and supermental outlooks.
We have been forced to start our own thing. We are going to have a work party on Sunday, November 17. It is so easy and reasonable to rent equipment such as you badly need for little cost here. It makes one weep. However, there is enough encouragement that one intends to go further and seek funds not for ourselves. (everybody does that) but for Auroville. At least we have the advantage of both disciples, followers and a general public, all young, who lave promised to work for us, at least half of whom have necessary skills. In our case too, money seems to be coming following prayer, meditation, and real yoga practices, not lectures.
At this writing this is my inspiration: The first inspiration of “Dance of Universal Peace” has resulted in a whole flock of dances, pageants, and rituals based in part on the traditional religions of the world, and in part on the principles of the now age. What is more, one already sees in them the same or similar principles found in biological evolution, and electro-magnetic phenomena. One is going to have these analyzed. This would fit in perfectly with Oliver Reiser’s Projects.
It will be a simple matter to get halls and audiences for those dances. It is also going to be very simple to get larger audiences at the universities. Next week my friend Mr. Paul Reps will be here; at the beginning of the next year my spiritual brother Pir Vilayat Khan will be here. Disciples are doing everything possible both in the lecture field and publication field to help toward their version of a brave new world. It is nothing like a Huxlian outlook; it is very much a Sri Aurobindo outlook.
I must criticize Earl Hubbard. His “A Proclamation of the Need for Conscious Evaluation” will occur when writers like he recognize. We have not learned Emerson’s to make a friend, be a friend.” Sam’s disciples have noticed how easily friendships are established, especially with strangers from any and all parts of Asia. The New Age people are here. They wait a guru. They are finding a guru and a real guru.
I shall wait for the next coming of “the Oracle” a new magazine here, also for the opportunity coming my way. Also, may consult Asia Foundation. So far most societies presumably bringing Asia and America are building up their own power structures.
Next week the man who promised Sam to organize his work should be here. He is overdue. He is both a scientist and engineer. I make no promises, but it is within my dharma to extend all help. As we have our own new center I am holding back on dollars until it is permanently established.
This is no doubt an unsatisfactory letter. I am still tremendously overworked, but no doubt you are and many others are. On the other hand Sam feels very strong, vigorous and capable of facing burdens.
All love and blessings, and hope for a real continued cooperation,
S.A.M.
Samuel L. Lewis
cc. Reiser
cc. Breitner
cc. Chaudhuri
Auroville
Pondicherry 2, India
November 12, 1968
Dear Sam:
Yours of October 23rd: your Auroville sounds good. Especially the no speeches!
Sheyla, Buzz and Don have shown up following the Temple of Understanding meeting which had to be held in Calcutta due to the floods in Darjeeling. An expected, I guess the meeting was pretty “square.” The tour these people took to get to India and beyond was strictly Hilton Hotel and I wonder at that uppah clahs level what they actually saw. I doubt if many of them would recognize reality if they saw it, as they live in the Great Illusion. (As who doesn’t? But there are degrees of it.) I don’t know how long your “disciples” are staying, but they seem at home here in the Ashram. The Mother has not been seeing people recently but that may change and I hope she will manage to see them before they go.
This is just to thank you for the copy of The Rejected Avatar. For a moment there, I thought you had written a poem about yourself. But then I remembered it and various others which you showed me in Pakistan. I remember telling you at the time they should all be published. It is excellent. These will do more to get you the recognition you so ardently crave than all those rambling letters, dear Sam. Get them circulated.
Your latest letter has just arrived: Yes. All interesting, what you say. By the way, the Asia Foundation has been kicked out of India because of alleged CIA operations.
I watch developments and wait. There is so much dramatization and unconscious ego in so much of what you choose to call “the way God works.” One tires of hearing about people getting messages direct from God every morning at nine o’clock. I doubt it. They are not even in touch with their own souls. What a lot of it is is over-stimulation of very faulty and underdeveloped vehicles responding to the vibrations and other forces coming in to the world at this time as we draw nearer to the New Age. Let us hope we can all expand our consciousness and be ready for what is coming while realizing our own inadequacies, and trying to overcome them.
Carry on.
As usual,
Julie Medlock
One of your disciples in Novato wrote a nice long letter about your work. Please thank him; there just isn’t time for personal correspondence any more. JM
Auroville
December 3, 1968
Dear Sam:
Yours of November 18th and 19th:
I don’t know where your “disciples” are, either, now. Perhaps they have written you by now.
After the initial visit here of Sheyla and Buzz, they went to the Temple of Understanding meeting (which I gather, as anticipated, was “square,” but the kids put on a candle-lighting ceremony with quotes from the various religions as each candle was lighted which they said had a great deal of impact on the Conference. It was held in Calcutta, by the way; because the Darjeeling area was awash after a flood disaster in which whole villages were swept away.
Then they came back here and Don McCoy was with them this time. They spent a long afternoon with me and then left to see some of the Ashram people. Buzz was quite silent and Sheyla seemed a little high this time. Although The Mother had been ill and was seeing practically no one, they were sure she would make a special case of them she and Sheyla remarked that when Mother saw them she would just breathe a sigh of relief and think: “At last, the new age is here….”—or something to that effect. Frankly I was quite unimpressed with this McCoy character … he spoke little and stared out with glittering eyes from under the hairband he affects … everybody seemed to be acting a role and dramatizing every little thought as a special message from “God.” It looks suspiciously like inflated ego, alas. And spiritual development and ego do not go together. I feel sure these kids are seekers, but there is some question as to whether they have “arrived,” as they seem to think.
After their visit here I heard nothing further directly from them, but heard indirectly, and can’t confirm it, that they had taken LSD and then visited Aurobindo’s Samadhi and had been talking loudly and dancing around and had to be told to shut up. Later there was an episode, I heard, and again cannot confirm, at the beach, with Sheyla running around topless and being chased by some Indians, and Charlotte Wallace lying in the water with her clothes on. Don McCoy supervising, I take it. I was just sending Sheyla a note to come and report to me when I got her note saying they were leaving and sending love and blessing! They didn’t say for where. I was under the impression they had no money by then and Don sermoned: “it is only when you have no money that God takes care of you” or something to that effect! I don’t suppose they will get into any real trouble, as after all they seem fairly intelligent, but I fear my own sympathetic view toward the hippies is not as sympathetic as it once was….
Here, we are inundated with them—everybody looking for a free meal and room, of course—some of the Ashramites have objected to their slovenly dress and so on, but The Mother set up a reception Center for them were they would have proper treatment—she is something of a Hippie herself, as far as ideas go! My criticism is that they are impractical; it would hardly seem that all the ego expression and self-dramatization is going to affect the needed changes in the old.
You can tell Craig Wallace he has a nice and smart daughter. I liked her very much. And doubt if this little fling will hurt her any. But she is naughty to make her family worry—that’s just plain selfishness and nothing spiritual about it. Same with Sheyla and the others not keeping in touch with you. May be they all just have to grow up.
Auroville: the General Assembly of UNESCO, meeting in Paris last week passed a Resolution recommending participation in Auroville to all member Governments, organizations, foundations, peace research institutes, and so on. Rotary and Lions Clubs, like-wise. Orissa Government putting up about $150,000 for its Pavilion in the international zone. To come down to the practical and immediate: we have 400 acres ready to go into production first with a sowing of green manure. It costs 100 rupees or roughly $15 to get each acre going. If you know anyone who would like to help with this, have them send the $15 or whatever amount of acreage they want to have planted, to me—checks made to Auroville Office—and it will be done instantly. However, we are not putting up any name plates for donors so no ego-scratching is involved.
Best regards,
Julie
Monday, December 9, 1968
My dear Julie:
This is a sort of prolegomena, a preface, a preparation. Dara is back and he is very enthusiastic about Auroville. Sam has no time for argument, only for action. It is only that in this crowded schedule it will be necessary not only to meet Dora but to some of my (non-existent) Sufi colleagues. Your so-called associates refuse to recognize our existence and we are now prepared what they, the renown Karma Yogins and Purna Yogins have no time for—action either to cooperate with or actually help a real Word Project.
The metaphysical mind is strange. It conceives others as living in vaccua, and it is most difficult to convince them of one’s past and mostly it is useless to try it. If Dara is willing I shall show him the real ropes of the worlds of reality, beginning at the Indian Consulate. We shall try to find if Auroville qualifies as an educational institution, etc. There are ways of getting things very reasonably or freedom. Your so-called associates who claim to be followers of Sri Aurobindo have a blank wall against any reports or suggestions whatsoever, and it is useless to try to tell them anything.
It is not only Rockefeller Foundation but a number of corporations large end shall, known and not known, who have offered Sam free models or machines for demonstrative and teaching purposes. This is more universal than is known but Sam gave it up because your so-called colleagues do not respect him as a fellow human being If they had they would have listened to how to get things for Auroville or for themselves but they all have in common, and in common with others the Brotherhood of Check-Book contributions. No Sri Krishna, just Mammon and think that if they get enough mammonian help they are going to bring in the Kingdom of something or other.
They welcome VIPS while excluding Sam. I just heard that two veddy-veddy VIPS on Asian Philosophy met each other the other night and are thoroughly worn out. They had the qualifications: European birth and Ph.D. degrees. That is it. Their articles are accepted everywhere. They are "famous" and important ant they are at the receiving end of the check-book contributions. This is typical but it is worn out—the young don’t want that.
It is with no great pride one must point out that the latest accessory to Sam’s to audiences is a nephew of Judith Tyberg. If we get him we shall tell him all we can, not only about Auroville but how to help in practical ways. In fact a good deal of Sam’s life is now showing how to construct and operate a commune of sorts. Of course "mine" is based on the hard, hard fact rejected by your colleagues that Sam is an operative Guru, although the Sufi title is Murshid. There is more and more tendency in this direction. Much behind all the forth and clamor of our universities and colleges is in this direction. As the press do not want this to be published they concentrate on the melodrama. In all the radio-TV and press reports on the San Francisco State College drama you hardly see a student or professor interviewed and never any scenes of what is going on in the classroom. Classroom activities and subject matter would delight you no end and much is coming and it is this movement which involves Judith Tyberg’s nephew and others.
We are practicing Oliver Risers: Project: Krishna. Others talk, we do.
I should prefer to let Dara in and have him tell you. Our greatest achievement is the Sufi and Yoga dancing but to this will soon be added Tantric dancing and patterns. Thus we reach the young, the New Age people, Sri Aurobindo people, as they call themselves.
The first steps have been taken toward organizing my effort. I have never wished to form any separative movement but excluded from all the so-called "Brotherhoods" and "East-West" organizations it is necessary to do it ourselves. The first thing was to change this from a private residence to a Brotherhood House which eased both financial burdens and work accomplishments. Then the instituting dues brought in a surplus. We do not have to make appeals or ask Mammon to accomplish the work of Sri Krishna.
The next is the gathering of so many real leaders of real Asian wisdom, passing this way. This will terminate in the coming here of Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj of the Vedanta Movement whom all the "good" people have refused to admit Sam ever met. It is pitiable because now the young are turning to the Orient and it is necessary for Sam to lead them away from the money-collecting degree-endowing intellectuals who fortunately are at odds with each other, so many groups all out for Bakshish Yoga. Of course I do not know what will come of it.
The Publication called The Oracle is now in the hands of disciples and friends. It also has vastly increased its circulation and financial returns. It means some of my disciples will have part or full time jobs, and there are many signs that with Sri Krishna on one’s side one does not have to worry at all. The question is what shall we do?
I have also been to Humanist House and will try to introduce your efforts there. I have kept away because some Humanists are so much more equal than others. This has not only been my experience but I understand they are squabbling over who is the most equal. It is only that the young are coming and I shall try to get in the work of Oliver Reiser and yourself—not mine, I shall keep these apart. But they are going to have a seminar on "Religious Experience" in January. They have— and I fully agree—separated religious experience from Religion. Religion today excludes experience especially the experience of living people.
As Dara seemed so enthusiastic and as—and here we differ from the Yogis—in Sufism teacher and pupil are one—we shall work out plans of campaign with possible achievements and let the various "East-West" groups look to Mammon while we concentrate on Sri Krishna.
Love and Blessings,
Sam
410 Precita Ave.,
December 9, 1968
Miss Julie Medlock
Auroville, India
Pondicherry 2, India
My dear Julie:
Before we could mail a letter written earlier this morning yours of the 3rd arrived and the mere fact that you have written and also what you have written is of no help. I am sending a copy of this to Oliver Reiser and also to Edward Cornish, President of the World Future Society though at the moment I haven’t the slightest idea of what he thinks he is doing. No man, no small group of individuals constitutes “the world.” Yet if there is global consciousness—which some of us have—the outlook is different and the words have meanings.
I have for years been looking into ways by which our culture and our institutions can help Asia. The persons concerned or who think they are concerned and 50-100% thinkers of 0-1% doers. Sam has gone into the whole field of simple and slightly complex machines. He has already taken up the matter of supplying you with fertilizers—at his own expense. He does not go around “bakshishing”others for the “great cause” –of which there are so many.
I think the Mother knew exactly what she was doing. She is a global person and the rest are people who, especially clothed with something called “semantics,” that words are not the things they represent, adhere to words, words, nothing but words.
I have had several conversations with Craig Wallace and he said he would see when his daughter returns. He lives in the rather opulent city of Ross. I shall ascertain whether he knows Mr. Russell Smith of the same city. Mr. Smith Sr. was the top Vice-President of the Bank of America, long associated with the World Bank, retired President of Asia Foundation and President of its Board of Directors. He was once my employer too and we are on excellent terms. I shall be able both to go to him, to Asia Foundation and to the University of California next year when they present a course on “The Influence of Ancient Asian Religion on Modern Developments. The doors are all open for doers, not writers. We have enough writers and talkers.
In the same mail Sam Received a letter from one of his best friends who also will be approached. This man, like Sam, has been initiated into Sufism, the highest echelons of operative Buddhism and to Spiritual Yoga and Vedanta. He is not recognized by the “experts” but lately has been successful with the universities. Also a report will be made to Dr. Huston Smith of M.I.T.
At this moment I am in debt due to loans made to disciples and the new house at Novato, but I doubt whether this will be long. And if I did contribute it would be anonymous just as you propose. God (or Sri Krishna) knows and never mind ego-man.
Sheyla has disobeyed all instructions and will have to bear some sorrowful consequences when she returns. The Sufi Pir Vilayat Khan is moving to their Center, The Ranch or Camp Olompali, two miles north of the Sufi center at Novato. Anything can happen.
Sam was a drop-out two generations back. He has been a beach-comber on both the Atlantic and Pacific, but he has worked hard. We are working for God, not for fame. But it may be necessary to write to Sri Surendra Mohan Ghose; we have to break through customs, etc. I shall see Buzz shortly and expect to do everything written about and I mean to do.
Nothing seems to be going on at the Ranch, but will know better. Two households busy all the time and surrendered by a growing young of the New Age young.
Love and blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
December 13, 1968
Miss Julie Medlock
Auroville
Pondicherry 2, India
My dear Julie:
This is the season when all the important people expect the less important to contribute to their others’ “causes.” This is supposed to be the spirit of Christmas and I guess it is the spirit of Christmas but it is hardly the spirit of Christ. Sufism differs from many other spiritual philosophies because in it teacher and pupil are one—the same divine spirit flows through each and both, which precluded one-way traffic lectures on the subject. There is something appalling about the one-way traffic lectures and podium exhortations manifesting as spiritual inspirations and the New Ave will have none of it.
There is One Mind and the manifestation of the Higher Mind certainly does not depend on the approval of traditional intellectual lectures. I find that hardly any of them break through to the universal spirit, and there is now also another situation that the young recognize this and will not accept either the persons or traditions which have displaced the Priest with the PhDeists and still leave the doors closed on the realized mystic.
My conclusions had been reached—that despite all the important (?) PhDeists who masquerade as “Purna Yogins” and “Karma Yogins” there was no reason before the Living God not to exert all possible cooperation for this is a New Age and we shall let the elders who are PhDeists and not God-realized souls lecture all they want. You have already recognized that little help would come to Auroville from the exhorters. There are now so many “Centers” and your presumable colleagues here have already had at least one great fiasco in trying to establish a New Age project without the approval of God at the one end or the young humanity at other.
Buzz (Dara) is back and we had little to confer on. For those who function—and I mean function—with the Higher Mind—do not have to talk a lot. And unlike the “Karma Yogins” and “Purna Yogins” we went to work immediately and are participating in actions, the fruits of which should go to Auroville.
While the PhDeists are busy establishing rival schools for what they call “Asian Studies” the young are coming more and more to Sam taking up first the Dervish Dances, then the real Yoga Dances and next we shall have the Symbolic Rituals, the Tantra Yoga dances, etc. The PhDeists, not having the divine wisdom or the faculties of Prajna and Vijnana may not understand. The New Age youth understand all ready.
There is now a thriving new publication called The Oracle and we shall soon place the Auroville material to them. We shall was against rivals and those who substitute dialectical deductions usually from Oliver Reiser, sometimes from Sri Aurobindo and they have the “New Brotherhood” with themselves as the Big Shots. So the young do not turn that way. When Paul Reps was here he was warned he would be thronged and did not believe it and he was. The young are looking for Light, for God, for mystical experience, for inner awaking. And the Universities are giving opportunities which your colleagues have disdained and Sam does not care. For as you have written the success of Auroville depends not on the scions of the past but on the New Age and the New Age also depends on Auroville.
Now I must explain the so-called “East-West Center” here. Sam spoke four times. He brought the audience and they took the money. It was always Sam’s audience—none of the Ashram people showed up except to collect money. Not even when Sam spoke on Auroville.
It was not surprising last night when we discussed the coming of “Papa-Guru” the people who are putting up the money wish to be entirely independent. After all at the “East-West Center” Drs. Schmuck, Gluck and Pluc, so to speak, have been programmed, even on Sri Aurobindo, but devotees excluded. The devotees want the real Yoga and devotion and no more lectures on “advaita” in which the audience is made to appear small and the speaker big. I was outvoted because my very experiences were used against joining in with the “East-West Center” here either for “Papa-Guru” or for promoting Auroville.
But Sam has long given up hope of converting “professors” and “experts” on Asia from ever accepting karma. They cannot, therefore they do not. They are always more equal.
The audience was given every encouragement by Pir Vilayat to real Yoga and Sufi practices, breathing exercises, effective meditations (which were first taught by Lord Buddha but ignored by “Buddhists,” especially American Styles.
The fact that some wealthy people have taken an interest in “Papa-Guru” and that the reports on Auroville are reaching more ears, though sub-rosa, is very encouraging. You may look for support from the young and perhaps from some wealthy parents of some of their young. You are entirely right; we shall let the Academies carry on in their own ways. We shall present Yoga systems—not sermons, and lectures, but the Way-of-Heart, the Way-of-Breath, the Way-of-Eye as presented by Paul Brunton, and basic to all spiritual disciplinary systems.
Sri Krishna said to surmount manas and shankara. We shell let the manas-shankara people carry on.
With all love and blessings,
S. A. M.
c/c Chaudhuri
January 6, 1969
Julie Medlock
Auroville,
Pondicherry 2, India
My dear Julie:
The New Year has started out so auspicious and propitious. It is quite evident that the young want Joy and spiritual realties while their elders give them sermons and lectures. An example can be seen that a European expert on Asia (therefore acceptable) was on pins and needles when asked to give a practice to the audience while Paul Reps who has studied real Asian philosophies with real Asian had no difficulty at all—in fact that is his message, audience participation.
The worst is that the present—but soon to be removed experts on “Asian Philosophy,” especially those advocating something they call Advaita, would never think of having audience participation. Now things move so fast here all one can do is indicate.
The New Years’ Eve Party marked a departure. We had nothing but Dervish and Yoga dances, with Tantric and Mantric ceremonies and dances and this person gave a very high type of Darshan absolutely excluded from all the so-called “academies” of ???Asian Culture???? We had over seventy in attendance; remarkable because there was no advertising or anything, and with one small group excepted, all young people.
We are now teaching these young people the real Yogi practices of real Yoga systems used as excused by the “experts,” who only present Asana-Vada ass “Yoga” which has nothing to do with spiritual fulfillment. The young want and the young are being presented realities.
A sort of race is going on between Paul Reps, the Sufi Pir Vilayat Khan and Sam in demonstrating actualities to the soul-hungry young who are tired of sermons on “Advaita” and that Brahm is only in the elite.
Last night another step forward. For lie first time an industrialist came here, but even he at the behest of his family. The Sufi Pir Vilayat Khan had to arrive and fortunately it was with Sam’s open house. No advertising, no nothing and over 80 people. It is fortunate we have altered this house and opened the basement. There is no use trying to tell seniors either about the real Yoga-systems or the aspirations of the young.
We are not only giving Sufism (which “does not exist”?????) but also Kundalini Yoga through the dance. The absolute refusal, which pretty well, covers this country of the acceptance of the religion of the President of India, indicates pretty well the moral standard of the important people. But the Sufis—who are excluded by the so-called “universal religionists,” have the ways to reach the hearts of the young, and what is now more terrible and terrifying, the pocket-books of some seniors.
We are expecting a disciple of Sri Aurobindo who goes under no name but “Papa Guru.” He has given up his name and everything and become a holy man. I am toll he knows “Life Divine” in and out and can quote Gita both in Sanskrit and English. Unlike his “fellows” here he has already accepted Sam as an equal, something the very “humble” experts have never done. Especially some whose teachers accept Sam as an equal and whose pupils look down on him. This is their “moral and spiritual” outlook. But we give out the real Yoga practices of which Sam has tomes.
The hard lesson of the time is Divine Love. I mean the actuality, not a vain phrase. Recently the German Lama Govinda and the English Alan Watts held a top level “Buddhist” conference. This is typical but “only in America.” On the other side I have the latest material from Her Serene Highness, Princess Poon Diskul of Pismai who is not a PhDeists but is a really great sage and lady, despite and not because of her royal blood. The PhDeists have declared for “Infinite Love” and Sam for Finite love. The PhDeists have written that the Enlightenment Experiences (which apparently none of them have had) is the heart of Buddha’s teaching and Sam says it is pain and suffering, their cause and cure.
The Finite Love is now being given through Darshan. Darshan is as effective in dealing with the young as exhortations are with older people. One hears of stories all around the campuses that the young are seeking mystical and occult experiences while their elders gives them lectures and exhortations. Nevertheless Love is for all, even for PhDeists. And one prays not that they change their natures but that their ears become unfrozen.
Through this letter Sam is offering to put on another Auroville program at the Ashram but if the Ashram people do not show up—and they do not show up when Sam lectures there, he will get off the platform and walk away. It will be a test how much Sri Aurobindo’s teachings really touch the hearts and minds of those who claim to be his followers.
Of course it is not that bad. God is working. The increase of young devotees is far beyond my ability to contact them. They may not have money (the chief requirement for a “Yoga” aspirant in this land) but they have inquiring minds and hungry hearts. And we are going to demonstrate, perhaps, what is the real Christ Consciousness to them on Christmas Eve. Others will lecture, of course, celebrate and all that but the manifestation of the Divine Mind, is something different again.
The immediate days are not only filled with hard work and necessary debt but a whole parade of persons who have the real divine wisdom are coming here. Better known are the Sufi Pir Vilayat Khan and the Vedantic Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj. For them one can quote a Sufi, “Among the Gnostics there is no differentiation of sect.” The young are going to see just that and they are going to be moved. Just as they are moved by the dances which put into objective illustration the teachings found in The Rejected Avatar. We want Sri Krishna and are willing to leave all the world and its possessions to and for the other side.
Dara has not yet had time to report. But everything is going to a schedule of the Heavens. I am not going to try to convince any more elders of the realities of Prajna, Vijnana, Alaya and Akasha. The Young recognize and Sam’s full program have compelled him to withdraw from any sort of “entertainment.” But that is as God would have it. And it is interesting to know that the never of Judith Tyberg is now associating with my disciples. I hope to convince him of the work of Sri Aurobindo and of your good self—by action, not by sermon. You will hear more because we shall do more. And at my next emolument I shall see what can be done.
Love and blessings,
PS. Thanks for the news of Don and Sheila. It is what was expected. And Sam is going to do something. And will watch to see if our PhDeists friends will welcome a “Swami” just because he is called “Swami.” We just had a Maharshi who was so welcomed!
Auroville
Saturday, January 18, 1969
Dear Sam:
Hallelulia! A check from Sam. Guess what I did with it. I split the $30 in two, dumped half of it into the postage fund, which is always running dry due to my Herculean letter-writing efforts, and the rest? Well, the rest I put into planting one green acre of land in Sam Lewis name in Auroville! Can’t you just feel the wheels of the plow, slowly being dragged by white bullocks, saying Sam Lewis, as they turn around and around? I thought it was about time we got at least one of your dancing feet planted here in fact instead of just mentally. I hope you approve. We still have 399 acres ready for planting by anybody who has the inclination to put up $15, bucks as we used to say in America, for each acre. Keep it in mind for your poor followers in case they ever have anything left over after their duties to you done.
As usual I can’t quite keep up with your arguments with Chaudhuri and others either. All this acceptance business seems so petty to me. Why not just let everybody do the best he can, the way he thinks he can do it best … unity in diversity and all that? Only the unity is going to make any difference in a hundred a years, I’ll bet. Me, I’m getting a little bored with all the Guru business—I mean business—we’ve had about four or five here lately; to their followers, they are always God. Well, every man to his own taste, eh?
What has happened back at the ranch? What is Dara-Buzz doing and why doesn’t he write to tell me of his adventures? Did Sheila and Pal and the young American girl they picked up ever show up again or have they taken off into outer space?
Listen, here’s an idea: Why don’t you do a book on these dervish dances, and tantric, and yoga and so on? In color, in costume. Would that be possible? If not, get an artist to do it. I would think that would have great interest just now and be something worth having, with proper explanations, in libraries … a deluxe volume. Maybe a big publishing house would put an editor on it so all you would have to do would be to advise and get credit as co-author. Think about it.
All proceeds here slowly, and we have maddening moments for lack of funds—there’s that dry postage fund of mind again. I want to try to build a revolving fund of about $1000 for postage for worldwide contacts so that we never get in the running dry position again. Maybe this year I can get that accomplished, who knows? Architect Roger Anger arriving from Paris again next week; and as I may have told you, UNESCO interest increases…. General Assembly voted in late November to invite all governments and non-governmental organizations to participate in the building of Auroville. UNESCO’s Deputy Secretary-General Malcolm Adisheshiah, has just been here and is all-out for the project, which will have great repercussions for us in government circles, we expect.
No more news this time, especially personal news as I no longer have any time, to be a person!!
As ever,
Julie Medlock
cc to Haridas Chaudhuri
And again thanks for the $30 check!
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco, Calif.
January 28, 1969
Miss Julie Medlock
Auroville,
Pondicherry 2, India
My dear Julie:
Thank you for your letter of January 18th. To err is human, but to repeat the same kind of mistakes over and over again shows a lack of development of finer faculties. It has not only been the studies in Sri Aurobindo but others which indicate that there is a cosmic evolution. If anybody thinks this cosmic evolution comes of itself, let him think so.
The great game that is going on is the play over the word “integration.” Having studied Mathematics and Mathematical Philosophy the principles of that kind of Integration have affected the psyche. But now there is another kind of “integration” where the word is used with a totally different set of principles or no principles whatsoever. The Philistines, the same old type of people have grasped at vocabulary and are confusing everything. The old game is that “problems are solved by making me leader.” In Integration, the real honest integration, the approach is totally different and if we are going to hang on to the word and keep up the same old games, we are going to go into the same limbo as did Roerich Museum.
The game that is going on is the same game, as the Roerich people went into. It need not have the same results. To claim to be pursuing a life of “supermind” and adhering to the same of old dualistic game of analysis, ego, etc. means to repeat the same mistakes and have the same debacle. Sam wrote a minority report to the Roerich people. The report was rejected but it was rejected for an unusual reason: by the time it arrived and so to be considered the board was at each other’s throats and the striving for power was utterly destructive.
One reads in “The Life Divine”: (pp. 152-3):
“That apprehending consciousness, the Prajnana, places, as we have seen, the working of the undividable All, active and formative, as a process and object of creative knowledge before the consciousness of the same All, originative and cognizant as the possessor and witness of its own working—somewhat as a poet views the creations of his own consciousness placed before him in it as if they were things other than the creator and his creative for me, yet all the time they are really no more than the play of self-formation of his own being in itself and are undividable there from their creator.”
If you wish to establish an “integrative” community on any other basis you are going to be subject to karma. We cannot have it both ways. Either we are going into Supermind and Superman or we are going to steal these words and apply them to the same karmic, mayavic processes and leave the world in samsara.
There is now a big to do in the colleges and universities here. One Prof. Hayakawa is in charge and he became famous by taking over the quasi-science of Semantics. The original book on this subject as written by the late Count Korzybski was based on the same principals of Integration but it is not studied, has not been studied by those who took over the movement. The movement is in charge of that same kind of egocentric, individualistic, analytical people with a new vocabulary but not new processes of thought.
The other day Sam met—he met him twice—Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj. One of the great Vedantists of the day. Sam put all his cards on the table and told people that if this man did not stand above all the so-called “experts,” “gurus’, “maharshis” etc. who have come here Sam’s work needed to be reconditioned. What happened? the young went and Sam’s stock has gone up. Are we going to play with Sri Aurobindo’s Prajnana? Yes, we are and we are going to see the same debacles, the same failures as the Roerichs, the Bahais and others until we begin to function in Integration which is all inclusive and not exclusive and if we continue to work on the cases of exclusions, the New Civilization is going to appear elsewhere where there are not exclusions.
Sam was welcomed by the Indian students as he has never been by any of the multifarious groups dedicated (sic) to “Asian Studies,” the first requirement seeming to be to ignore each other. Sam did not attend their Independence Day celebration but Sam has a paper of Mahatma Gandhi which not one of them (other than the Indians themselves) would dare to permit being read without exposing their own weaknesses.
Now there are movements to have him speak and one of Jam’s topics would be “The Religion of the President of India.” It does not exist, and he does not exist for practical purposes and this cannot be ignored.
Mr. Paul Reps has asked me also to write on Dervish Dances. But now I have a large and growing following, six classes a week on real esotericism and mysticism and no nonsense about it. Two homes, and ready now for some new ventures.
Real Asian philosophies of the Asians.
The conciliation on an Integrative Basis of the cosmic metaphysics of the Sufis, Hindus, real Zen philosophies and modern Psychotherapy. This is in front of one now.
The affairs of the Ranch are in turmoil. Both Dara and Sheila have gone but for quite different reasons. The travesties on the word “Love” which have no connection with the finer aspects of Heart-life show that karma is not obviated by any blatant claims. As Muslims say: La Illaha El Il Allah. There is no Divinity but Allah, and this can be proved through human (and superhuman) experience. The young want that.
I enclose now another fifteen dollars for postage. There are no one-way streets in Integration.
Love and blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
Auroville,
Pondicherry 2, India
March 3, 1969
Dear Sam:
Apologies for my silence and lack of acknowledgement of your last check, which went-kerplunk!—into the postage fund and was immediately used up, thank you very much!
Your last letter is buried someplace in a huge stack of unanswered mail. No time. Work pressures. And then I turned out to be allergic to some homeopathic medicine I was getting here and spent 3 1/2 weeks in bed before I found out I was being poisoned! Fate must be saving me for a more dire end, assume, as I have now recovered.
As usual, you are less than clear about what has been happening “back at the ranch.” Where has Sheila gone? With Don or with her husband and children? Is the ranch still in operation for your people? Did the American girl they picked up here Ever get back home?
Nothing new to report here. Things are proceeding slowly but well behind the scenes—government negotiations and such necessary preliminaries. UNESCO is warning up—I shall send you under separate cover some material about this, by air book post.
March 28, 1969
Well, as you can see, I was interrupted, had some urgent work to do, and then had a relapse … hence your note here didn’t get finished. I have now sent the UNESCO stuff off to you.
In the meantime your latest envelope is in and I am horrified to find you are at it again … what is that line in your enclosed carbon of a letter about “one night you were enclosed carbon of a letter about “one night you were talking on Julie Headlock….?“ Sam, will you shut up about Julie Medlock, about whom you know nothing? If you don’t stop it you are going to alienate me completely. I do not want my name being bandied about and reference to me being sent to all kinds of people at your whim or anybody else’s whim. If there is anything to say to these people I will say it myself and say it authentically. Don’t let me catch you doing this again.
I’m annoyed now, so I will stop.
Sincerely,
Julie Medlock
410 Precita
San Francisco, Calif.
March 21, 1969
My dear Julie,
How are you? The receipt of a letter from A. B. Patel gave the opportunity to send news via a carbon and also to enclose the pour boire for stamps.
A recent event enables one to write from a position of strength. Sam is always turned down by “establishments,” they verbalize “moral and spiritual” and that is all. He found that he is the only Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society in this region excepting a few linguists. Not a single “expert” on ?Asian culture? is among them. I do not know what individualists and egotists think they can accomplish, but they never stop trying.
This is a group age and the group-consciousness is spreading along with so many evidences of manifestation of deeper stages of consciousness. Many older people set themselves (of course) up as leaders, only to fall by the way-side. This includes the man who came from this region with messianic pretensions. There are lots of then and most are far more welcome than Sam on the platforms but I think that day is over.
My colleagues are working incessantly on the group-outlook and they realize there must be spiritual leadership. This is very different from cult-leadership where the leaders do not recognize each other and keep humanity divided.
I am very glad Patel-ji has affirmed Ananda. You never hear that from the “experts” and if you hear the word you never see it demonstrated. We are having a big Spring party Sunday, five birthdays and a lot more and we shall be showing first to the young and then to the world manifestations of this same Ananda. As Mother says, “Deeds, not words.”
Love and blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
Auroville,
Pondicherry 2, India
March 28, 1969
Dear Sam:
Your note of March 21st with the $15 check for postage has just arrived … many thanks, Sam … and please know that these little checks do help; we are deluged with mail from everywhere and of course priority funds have to go to building materials, bore wells, trucks, jeeps electrical equipment and so on. I see you are following Mother’s dictum about acts. Anyhow, thanks.
No comment on your letter to A.S. Patel or World Union except as follows:
I continue to protest your sending carbons of letters mentioning me around to a variety of people. Please stop mentioning me entirely.
What do you mean in paragraph 5 –end– “meetings … which are close in spirit to Sri Aurobindo on one side and to Julie Medlock on another. It is marvelous.” I would find it interesting and no doubt revealing to hear about this spirit of Julie Medlock with whom or which, rather, I myself do not seem to be acquainted. What is your imagination dreaming up, now, Sam? Leave Me Out, please.
Interesting about the Royal Asiatic Society, whatever that is.
When does Sam start to be inclusive himself, rather than sorting everybody into categories of unacceptance? All Is One. Haven’t you heard!
As ever,
Julie Medlock
Novato, Calif. 94947
April 2, 1969
Miss Julie Medlock
Auroville
Sri Aurobindo Ashram
Pondicherry 2
In Re: All India Radio Symposium on Auroville
The great difference between “realists” and Realities is that “realists” accept all the news that pleases them, while Realitists accept everything that happens, pleasant, unpleasant or otherwise.
Personally believing that problems can be solved by methods of integration, I am at the moment at war with those groups that have stolen the word “integration” but remain separatists; at the same time, we are too busy on constructive measures and can easily adopt these measures, also our accomplishments, also our plans, with the general tenor of this All India Radio Symposium.
I am now up to my hilt in almost everything, with no obstacles but bottlenecks, and bottlenecks simply because Sam is an individual, and his immediate households can take on nothing more. We are trying to exemplify, and sometimes successful exemplification produces a totally different kind of leadership than that of self-advertising cults, and movements that have appropriated the word “integration” but continued on the sorry ways of individualism and separatists.
At this Garden in Novato, due to the cooperation of many young people, we are way ahead in our planting and other programs. Recently Sam cooked curry dinners for about 100 people; about 100 showed up. We found ourselves ahead in our timing. Our fruit and vegetable programs are well in hand. Our other programs are well in hand.
On the horticultural side, our very rhythms are now influencing some of the new types of communes. Yesterday we had another interview on this subject. At this writing my secretary Mansur, to whom I am dictating this letter, is planning a trip to cover many of the communes in the Western states. He is doing this on his own, but his very plans, his ideas, his outlooks, seem to be an extension of my own earlier program; and furthermore, to be fully in accord with what you and your colleagues are attempting or doing.
In any event, he is taking this and other material from Aurobindo with him, and no doubt later in the year—we hope before spring is over—we shall be able to send you more details.
At long last, Sheila McKendrick has given us reports and reactions to her visits. She tells us that a guru, a former disciple of Sri Aurobindo, may soon be here. Unfortunately, the impressions are that neither Sheila nor this purported guru appreciate the Mother’s work. If this is so, not only will there be caution here, but active measures against any activities of another pseudo-guru in this country.
Pseudo-gurus are always welcome by cults. The cult leaders seem to have a weakness to accept any persons from India without examination of their backgrounds. What is more complicated is that they usually shun leaders from other than India, no matter what their credentials. This has produced a bizarre and unfortunate result. The great universities are now examining the backgrounds of purported “experts” in Asian Philosophies. It was with some surprise that Sam discovered he is one of the few Fellows of the Royal Asiatic Society in this region. He has never exploited this, but as he has been shunned by so many “professors* in so-called Asian philosophy, direct action is being taken to compel integration—I mean real integration—or else….
The first instance of this will be this coning Sunday when the Indian students will have their picnic. Sam has been invited; a lot of experts have not. It will be our first opportunity to present both the accumulated materials of past experience and knowledge and also to exemplify our work in mantram recitals and spiritual dancing. It is remarkable how the cults have absolutely refused to accept this at all. Step by step we are demonstrating everything discussed with Sri Surendra Mohan Ghose.
Whatever else may be said, the totality of persons in audiences has been slowly but absolutely mounting every week this year. The collections have mounted. My own personal income from any other sources have mounted. On the other hand, I am refusing to contribute anymore to any groups that beg for largesse but will accept nothing intellectual or spiritual. Indeed, I have been discussing with my ailing brother the probabilities of a journey to Asia later on. I shall also discuss this with my Goddaughter when she comes here, which will probably be at the end of next month.
I am also glad to report excellent relations established with various professors in this country who are really working to bring Asia and America together; especially those professors whom I have learned about through Oliver Reiser. I believe we are going to have real integration. I believe this real integration will operate on many levels.
Tonight I expect to perform Darshan. It is very serious and, I believe, very effective. Our next project will be a form of mantric harmonization, integrating East and West in this direction. We expect to do something on this tomorrow night.
I must say, that not only is there growing love and respect to and from teacher and pupil but marvelous, and almost, miraculous, respect between pupil and pupil, and now from audiences to both this teacher and his pupils.
Assuring you with thanks of my deep interest in the Auroville and related projects,
With all love and blessing,
Samuel L. Lewis
San Francisco, Calif.
June 11, 1969
My dear Julie:
This is a very sad letter. There is not a cloud on my own horizon, but it is impossible to share the sunshine with those who will not accept the rest of the personality and being. I have received a very nice and totally analytical letter from Brother A. B. Patel. It tells of all the “good” he and your colleagues are doing. But I cannot accept because “good” is restricted to what certain persons are doing and not to what others are doing. This is in contradiction to the traditional spiritual teachings of India and perhaps of all faiths. It is only when you have a clear picture of “good” and can show also that “good” is universal, that you are working in this domain of universal-good. But if you see only particular “good,” and want others to see in the “good” in you but in turn you do not wish to see the “good” in others, one wonders if there is then anything that can be especially called “good.”
Having partaken both inside and as a partial witness of so many movements with universal claims and seeing them all go down the drain, one notices that they all had in common an absolute refusal to accept even the gentlest and most kindly advice. “God” or “Brahm” has been restricted to the elite and there is some confusion of who exactly are the elite.
You may or may not accept what has been written to Patel-ji. Not so many months ago professors at the University California in Berkeley saw the greeting between Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj and this person; and the other night “Hippies” saw the greeting between Ashoka Faqir and this person. The professors were moved by the demonstration of spiritual brotherhood and the Hippies were moved by the demonstration of spiritual brotherhood. And now the doors are opening at the universities, beginning with my own alma mater at Berkeley.
There I found a number of professors, women as well as men who accept a form of Integration which is all-inclusive. The Integrator was one who recognized qualities elsewhere and did not demand that others seek these qualities in himself. What is more, there was and has been internal and external harmonies on the interpretation of profound doctrine and real Yoga experiences. And because of my constantly increasing income, it as a joy to make contributions to professors and departments who saw in it something more than a material gift for the sake of material giving. Integration is a certain process in Mathematica a certain process in Philosophy, a certain process in Yoga and I do not find any tremendous differences between these forms of Integration. But I do find tremendous differences between all of them and the use of the term “integration” by dualists, dialecticians and propagandists.
The success of my work now outwardly, because of the increase successful communication of Love and Joy as human experience, is reflected in two publications which came out this week. The young are now accepting “Sufi Sam.” And my chief secretary, friend of Prof Huston Smith of M.I.T. has done some successful research in visiting New Ave communes. All of them start with the same general verbal platforms, some with the same principles, and some are actual practicing integration which is integration and not some traditional format verbalized as “integration.”
I do not feel too happy here but it was foreseen. Now we have the mushroom growth of “integrational, New Age communes” all over the place. And there is a story that Sheila McKendrick has gone off to get a million dollars to promote The New Age community somewhere in California. I do not know any details but I have been receiving surprising underground emoluments at a time when my own income has reached a high. And this I am now sharing with disciples because they do accept what their Murshid-Guru knows and does. And they have all have experienced greater areas of Love and Joy, and no nonsense about it. It is so evident to the visitors.
Nor has there been any appreciation of Dances of Universal Peace which are presumably dedicated to Sri Mahendra Mohan Ghose. Not only have these dances been successful, but the other night there was visitation from Srimati Ruth St. Denis who began a series of the restoration of “Mystery Dances” also. And the first effort was crowned with success. The young are learning through doing. One does not have to say “Ananda” or “Love.” The experience is very real to them, and now various professors are beginning to accept this.
It should be natural for those who play with the word integration to recognize the prowess of others. Most do not. They are still analysts using or misusing the word integration. They cannot avoid karma. Hearts are not won that way, and the whole situation has become awkward because a colleague has sent for me to join him legally which would change the basis of operation. After all why should one contribute to those who want to be recognized but who themselves will not recognize?
I do not like this. Long dedicated to the brotherhood of Man in fact and not in empty verbal theory, I foresaw and see even more the growth of mushroom “brotherhoods” who, by their very nature cannot be universal brother because they exclude each other. The other night there was an invocation of Goddess Saraswati. Although a Sufi Master I recognize others. The young who care to come and now stand off and criticize, recognize the validity of one’s words. Their elders stay far and criticize.
The other night I met a newspaper woman who had almost exactly the same experiences you had and sometimes in the same places but years later. She sees the need of universality and not of cultism verbalized as universality and still cultism and not universality. My fist Sufi teacher, Hazrat Inayat Khan predicted that universal brotherhood will form of itself. The way the young are acting it might appeared so. They do not want self-proclaiming “Big Brothers.” They are corning to me without my asking. I do not know my own next steps but universality is universality and my integration is an integration and not disguised words. It would not hurt your colleagues in the least to recognize the historicity of Akbar or that a person whom they are beseeching for aid just might happen to be a spiritual teacher. It is mutual recognition and exchange which is opening pocket-book and heart together.
Love and blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
410 Precita Ave.
San Francisco Calif.
August 26, 1969
Miss Julie Medlock
Auroville
Sri Aurobindo Ashram,
Pondicherry 2, India.
My Dear Julie,
Living with me at the present time is my God-daughter, Miss Khawar Khan of Lahore. I do not recall whether you ever met her or not, but she is the lady who went in my stead to All Asian Philosophical conference. You yourself asked me to go; I do not know whether you remember or not. But she went. She won first prize. She was first prize with a paper written by one Samuel L. Lewis. Samuel L. Lewis or Sam as he is being almost universally called, is still not eligible to speak before any group accepting Sri Aurobindo. For that you have to have a PhD degree. You can have a hundred samadhis and all degrees of enlightenment but still you are not eligible for the Sri Aurobindo Ashrams. Fame is everything, God-Consciousness is nothing.
In the Meanwhile the Dances of Universal Peace go on. They are receiving more and more attention, and not only attention but there has been an increment of money and fame. This money and fame cannot be shared because those with whom one wants to share them refuses to accept the status of the person to whom these Dances have come. They have “humility” and not even for the sake for money can they give up “humility” and accept what somebody else is accomplishing.
It was only after the most pathetic appeals that one organization has consented to accept these Dances of Universal Peace. It came at a good time for now young Americans who are spiritual eskers are coming to Sam and next year he will have his own summer camp. Not the “Sri Aurobindo” camp arranged with one D. Zitko which had so much enthusiasm and ego-hunger and flopped because it could not and would not accept humanity. It wanted humanity to accept them, and when this is called “integration” it becomes a farce and a fraud, before God this is so.
I have just written A.B. Patel of World Union. I refuse to be put on the spot. More and more young Americans who have been to Pondicherry are coming to me. They want their own Shangri la. They have the money, the land, the vitality. And they refuses to take any second place to any Santa Claus (as your colleagues advocate) or U.N officials, as all of your seem to be advocating—that U.N. Officials qua re are the “superman” of Sri Aurobindo!
Why last night two Negroes came here who have also been to Pondicherry and they also, lacking “humility” joined in the spiritual dances. They live quite near here and want some sort of alliance. Why not? Spirituality has never been a one-way street. Money-collecting apparently is, and it is most unfortunate that one foresees what is going to happen. One went through all this with the Bahais, the Roerich Movement and three other groups, none of whom would accept that Atman is Brahman or “Whatsoever ye do the least of these, My creatures, ye do it into me.” They flopped.
There is a change in our Americans cultural system. One man was selected as a Professor of Oriental philosophy because he proved—and he did prove—that he had the spiritual attainment. He did not study under any famous British or European Professor. He only stayed with spiritual teachers until he attained. And now there is a rapid movement in that direction in the Universities but not in the separative cults, especially those (mis) labeling themselves as Integrative.
Your American Critics are planning a world tour to the tombs and shrines of saints of all faiths. They will begin by going to Italy, especially to the pleases hallowed by St. Francis of Assisi. Then to Turkey to the Shrines of the Mevlevi Sufi Saints—who Still remain as non-existent to your colleagues and yourself. Then to other shrines across Asia. They believe by that they can build up a World Union which is a world union and not an adaptation of a term to attract. In fact they believe that their very efforts will attract without any need of campaign brochures. For they have had the real yoga and spiritual training, to recognize all people as the children of God and not especially semi-politicians hallowed by any UN, a decidedly human creation of people hardly fitting the description of Superman.
These people have already accepted Sam’s “Dances of Universal Peace” and both the “white delegations” one has met elsewhere and the blacks who came last night have joined in with them!
I do not believe there are one-way streets in heaven. Jesus Christ seems to have taught, “It is better to give than to receive.” But too many pseudo-New Age groups just believe in receiving for themselves and will not even grant process to others.
Let me tell you a story. I once want to a new years’ eve party given in a most fashionable home in North Hollywood. Three separate groups of so-called spiritualists came asking Sam where they would get money. They all claimed super-sensory faculties but still they had to ask a stranger where they could get money. It was plain as the nose on the face—all these had to do was to ask the host. He was very wealthy, and would have given, but none of the “clairvoyants” dared to approach him. It was very funny. But it is not so funny. For to claim or even dare to claim to have access to super-faculties and then expect those who are regarded of lower evolution to support is ridiculous.
We get our Sufi Khankah by an appeal to Allah, not to man, not to the generality. We did not even have to meet a second time. And even now Sam is faced by a strange situation, that should his brother die in the near future he will have plenty of money which he cannot share with those who will not accept his spiritual process. And they having “humility” seem quite impossible in accepting the prowess of others.
There is a movement here proclaiming Krishna-Consciousness. Talk, words, claims. When Sam sent them his “The Rejected Avatar” they could not say a word. But they could not criticize him either. And it is certain that the Ramakrishna people and the Sivanananda people have also accepted “The Rejected Avatar,” but the Sri Aurobindo People? The U.N. Yes; Santa Clams, Yes; but humankind?
Sufis have a religion of love. This love is demonstrable. It is being demonstrated. It is not based on negativity but it includes mercy, compassion and wisdom. It is communicable. When none of one’s accomplishments are accepted, how can one’s money be accepted? Even a thief will do that! But when the heart is shared, them the purse is open. This is a real morality, not the empty word “morality” which so many acclaim. Love is all open and all communicable; it does not demand and it appreciates. There is still time, but not much, now I believe the Shangri la will come in America, through Americans who recognize all saints and holy prophets and demonstrate it.
God bless you,
Samuel L. Lewis
S.A.M.
Pondicherry, India
September 1, 1969
Dear Sam:
It had been so long since there had been a letter from you that I thought you had finally given up and taken to the silence in Great Guru fashion. But no … your letter, arriving today, is as baffling as ever. With a sigh, I shall once again try to straighten out your twisted facts insofar as I can figure out what you are driving at.
First, I can’t follow your voluminous correspondence with World Union because I do not know what they write to you. I know very little about their work, these days, as I am busy with my own; and in any event would not attempt to judge it or criticize it. However in the 2nd paragraph on page 2 of your letter to A.B. Patel, you say that “Auroville is not an integrative community and that it is not fulfilling the promise “A Movement for Unity and Peace through Spiritual and Scientific Development.” Auroville, whatever it is or is going to be, is not World Union and the phrase you have quoted does not belong to Auroville but to World Union. You knew this on the first page, first paragraph, so how is it you do not know it on the second page, second paragraph, Sam?!
In my letter you talk of “Sri Aurobindo Ashrams”—but there is only one, here. You talk of the “Sri Aurobindo camp,” but there is no such thing. There are of course hundreds, thousands of people who by now have read Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, accepting more or less, understanding more or less, but who have never set foot here. They may make speeches or carry on other activities about which we have never heard, here. You have several times mentioned Dr. Zitko, but you have never explained what it is you object to; I have asked you to be explicit, but instead you just indulge in name-calling. I have heard from Dr. Zitko several times. There has been no mention of any activity in the name of Aurobindo … indeed we have not as yet discovered just how to cooperate with many many groups around the world who wish a contact here. So all these people hardy constitute “Sri Aurobindo camps.” Think of all the University professors who teach Aurobindo’s philosophy from his books but who have never had any direct contact with the Ashram. You wish to hold us responsible for everything all these people do and say? Just as some people try to hold us responsible for the wild and quite untrue statements you make about us out here. It is really silly.
And then … what about Santa Claus, you keep mentioning? And glorification of UN personalities? We know nothing of this. What is going on in your head about it?
I smile at the mention of “your American critics” … and also your strange belief that I “and your colleagues” (I don’t have any…) think the Sufi Saints are nonexistent. As for claim making, we make no claims, and particularly I do not make claims. If you stopped making claims about Sam’s omnipotence all your problems of rejection by all and sundry would soon evaporate, I suspect. Your dangling a carrot before peoples noses about money from Sam, “when he gets it…” is a blackmail tactic which ought to be beneath you Sam. Please remember nobody has asked you for money from here. If and when people are interested and moved enough with the serious work going on here to want to help, they do, and I can’t remember any who have made their help dependent upon somebody “recognizing” them as avatars, or spiritual giants of one sort or another. Rather, they consider it a privilege and the gain 99 percent on their side, in such sharing!
Which reminds me, have you heard what they are calling those so-called spiritual leaders who go hopping all over the world spewing out spiritual “wisdom”? Well, of course … they are Kang-gurus!!!
Blessings to you too, Sam, and may you find Truth yet!
Now, for your information, Sam: and this is accurate: There is a Sri Aurobindo Society in the USA run by Ida Patterson in Minneapolis which has American tax exemption. There is Eleanor Montgomery in New York who for years and years has raised funds and equipment for the Ashram. There is Judith Tyberg, the Sanskrit scholar who has the East-West Cultural Center in Los Angeles and who is a sadhak here. There is Haridas Chaudhuri, who knew Aurobindo and has cooperated in many ways over the years with Ashram activities. Now there are a number of young people from the Ashram and Auroville who have been living here and are now in the USA—Arindam, Bill Lathrop, Larry and Mary Helen Grinnell and some others, and they are beginning to get plans going for an Auroville-in-America group. Mrs. Seyril Schochen Rubin of New York is involved in organizing this. In November, New York University will have a public Symposium on the theme: Aurobindo, Auroville and the Future Evolution of Man. This is also likely to be the theme on a Cruise Ship which is to come out here with students and teachers during the 1972 Aurobindo Birthday Centennial year. There will be a lot of activities during 1972, as previously in the Tagore Centennial year and as now in the Gandhi Centennial year. The Indian Government will be organizing some of this. But much of it will be spontaneous and often done by people who only know Aurobindo through his books and do not know the Ashram or Auroville at all. So please when you see something you don’t like just don’t jump to the conclusion that all these things are being masterminded from here. Our aspiration is set on higher ranges here, as I think any serious and qualified investigator, including you, would find.
Auroville proceeds … “A Consciousness becoming visible in a town.” Work goes on endlessly. What else is there to say?
As ever,
Julie Medlock
P.S. Yes I remember about your God-daughter from Lahore and the Philosophical Conference at which she starred. How nice that she is visiting you.
Auroville
Pondicherry 2, India
December 30, 1969
Dear Sam:
Just a quick note to wish you a lively, interesting and progressive 1970. You seem to have a lot of momentum up, so I don’t doubt that yours will be a fine New Year.
The carbons you have sent on lately seem more organized than usual, as was the article I saw in a copy of the Oracle which someone here had and loaned me. Why don’t you send that around to your friends?
The enclosure today on Sri Aurobindo and Plato, Applied Philosophy in the Twentieth Century, is also good. However, you have some facts wrong which you had better correct: Aurobindo died in December 1950—not 1920—I assume this was a typographical error, but it would be a confusing one to readers. Where, next, did you get the idea that M.P. Ghose, that is, M.M. Ghose, MP, is “second in command of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry.” There is no second in command, whatever you may hear, there is only The Mother. Aside from that, the article has some clear insights. You may be interested to know that one of our Ashram girls is at the Sorbonne in Paris doing her thesis on Sri Aurobindo and Henri Bergson. O yes, and one other thing, what is this about the children of the Ashram having “worked out their own integral speech”?? Perhaps you don’t know yet that practically anything you hear in India will turn out to be rumor, gossip, imagination, and almost wholly untrue. Imprecision is the nature of life here, alas.
Auroville proceeds slowly. Half a dozen centers are now open with young people living in them and developing the land. Groups of students are now coming from abroad to build roads, work in agriculture, erect houses … there are 23 here just now, from France. Christmas day there were about 3000 people—Aurovillians, Ashramites and their friends at the Ashram Christmas tree in the big Ashram Theatre compound at the south end of Pondicherry. All received a big plastic bag full of small gifts from The Mother. She is a miracle!
The supramental light is pouring into the earth’s atmosphere. Catch it San Francisco and be content.
As ever,
Julie Medlock
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco
January 10, 1970
Miss Julie Medlock
Auroville,
Pondicherry 2, India
My dear Julie:
Your very interesting letter of December 30 is here. The other day in class—I am permitted to speak in class, I am not even invited to the “world” groups—attention was called to the great gap between the traditional mystical teachings of Judaism and what is now called “Kabbala” and when someone challenged this person he said what was needed was “humility” and when one asked, “What is humility” Sam replied, “Ability to listen.” This did not go very well in a class which was splintered into inerrable groups with all opinions, but not a single one accepting Sri Aurobindo. Nevertheless this Professor backed Sam up and pointed out the real gap between literary “mysticism” and the experiences of universal consciousness.
Sam believes that there is a Universal Consciousness of “God” and that this Universal Consciousness has been experienced, is being experienced, will be experienced. He even claims to know many living persons who have had experiences in that consciousness and claims to know persons who are devotees of five (at least) of the world’s religions, can name them, point out to their experiences and reports; and in some cases to his meetings with them in the presence of Americans (there were many instances with Asians, but now Americans) and the Americans present were impressed and those not present refuse to assent even to simple facts. So let it be.
Another spiritual leader happened into Sam’s class last week and said, “You have not only started the year right, you have started the decade right.” There are now rumors of the need for spiritual dances, their being taught, etc. and Sam is going ahead, believing he has God with him and behind him. The biography of Ruth St. Denis has been read. Form her Sam learned to draw the dances right out of the Akasha or Alaya and there have been ample example of this in the presence of witnesses, but one does not know when metaphysicians and dialectical subjectivists will accept.
In the same mail a copy of Spectrum has arrived. One has written Oliver Reiser that there is a book review of “The Prometheus Project” by a Professor Feinberg. You must know that Oliver Reiser conceived this long ago but the metaphysical “integrationists” have paid no attention to his work anymore than they have to Sam’s. Besides our projects are based by a synthesis of the sciences and scientifically knowledge (actualities, not projective dialectics) and the experiences of man is diverse states of consciousness (Project Krishna.)
Sam is down to a single secretary with a growing number of disciples, strangers at meetings, classes (both by him and where he is enrolled), etc. Everything is done at high speed. “The Auricle” has been put away for a while due to problems of the editor.
Shamcher, Bryn Beorse, is the only person whom Sam has met who has been there when things happened, all over the external world. In addition he has sat at the actual feet of many Masters (not just written a book on it without sitting at anybody’s feet) and is now publishing some of his facts and findings. He has compared Sam to two of the very topmost man of the age, yet the only thing possible about Sam may be, “the stone which is rejected is become the cornerstone.”
The class on contemporary religions given at San Francisco State has concluded. Krishnamurti and Meher Baba were certainly rejected; the Subud movement was ignored; Zen Buddhism was greeted “naturally”; Tibetan Buddhism with some warmth; Sri Aurobindo not even mentioned; Sri Ramakrishna with considerable warmth—and I ask, “Why not?”—He achieved God-consciousness and passed it to Swami Vivekananda and others and this stream of spiritual consciousness is still functioning.
The class is over but more classes on similar subjects will be started soon and Sam may be there. One is not in the least concerned with rejections. “Unless the Lord buildeth the House they labor in vain who build.” And what is God? God, among other words, is Universal Love and also Light and Awakening and Supremacy. There are many living persons who have experienced such states and achievements and they are not often recognized by enthusiasts. Indeed the University of California will soon have another convocation on “Masters”—Sam is not going because he has nothing to offer which will not be presented better by certain Orientals (not, “Orientalists”).
Sam is well aware of what you are doing. He is also aware of what is going on in the State of New Mexico. There the chief influence is an awakened American, now known as Swami Ram Dass. He is not the only American who has experienced Samadhi but he is one of a growing number of them rejected by the “experts” but being accepted in our culture because their awakening is supported by facts, events, dated experience which are paramount over claims.
I do not ask the “world outlook” people to accept the teaching of the Upanishads, above all the Brihadaranyaka. Some day the advertising “world outlook” people will get out of their “humility” and examine what others are doing. The Vedas and Vedanta both teach Tat Tvam Asi, “thou art That,” the “world” people do not teach anything of the kind. Besides man has the Prajna, the divine wisdom and it is latent in everybody, everybody, everybody.
I tell you, Julie, not only are the young arising, but the younger even more. Sam is not a sociologist but he is presenting “Dances of Universal Peace” based on the spiritual teachings and awakening of each of the actual religions. The heritage of Ruth S. Denis goes on. It will win the young, God willing. So also we wait to see if some people who want others to recognize them will occasionally recognize others. It can be done, you know, Julie. And when the ones expecting to be recognized show a prowess in recognizing others themselves, they will control the world. It is that simple.
God bless you,
Samuel L. Lewis
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
16/2/70
Sam!
Thanks for your letters. Nothing new to report—just working along. Thought you might like to have the enclosures,
Namasté,
Julie Medlock
Letters revealing but quite impossible to answer such torrents of words—and 99% of remarks re Aurobindo, Auroville, Ashram are totally inaccurate, m’deah!! However am delighted to read in today’s effusion: “Sam has been entering a state of consciousness in which the ego is all gone.” Bravo! If that is true, all your troubles will soon be over. Glad to hear of the popularity and successes but don’t forget “Serve the Truth.”
Feb. 3, 1970
Miss Julie Medlock
Auroville Office
Pondicherry 2,
India
My dear Julie:
I have written a letter to Oliver Reiser and had a copy set aside for you. It has either been mailed without my authorization or misplaced. I said to the secretary here to hold it up, because I expected something was coming up. This something has come up—ie., the death of Lord Russell. I knew you had great admiration for him, and I certainly had for his work in mathematics, logic, the literary side of science, and his early social works. But I do not approve, and did not approve of his work on psychology, sex, and that humanity which he never had the privilege of joining.
Tonight I am going to be put on the spot. The former Dr. Richard Alpert is now traveling this land as Baba Ram Dass. I do not know whether he claims to be a Guru or not, nor does it matter, for he is certainly performing the functions of a Guru. He has the deepest respect for sacred literature, for the sage and seers of the past, and also of the Present. While I have mockingly said that I am was a potential pied piper, he is so functioning. The chief difference is that I am very very much older than the young who are coming to me, and before the living God they are. But Ram Dass is my colleague. He is my colleague of the real New Age, which is manifesting all over America.
The other day for the first time, there has to be a first, I received a very cordial and loving letter from a representative of the late Meher Baba. It also happens that Baba Ram Dass closed his meeting with some most beautiful aphorisms from Meher Baba—one which strikes the depths of the heart, and no nonsense. And it is these heart-stirrings that win the young—no more threats, nor more abstruse claims, no more hyperbolic orations. It is also to me most interesting because while at one time I was called upon by Baba to do research on the scripture and religions of the world, his immediate disciples would have none of it. They thwarted me at every point. But now the movements with which Baba Ram Dass and I are associated are in close cooperation, and it well may be, in open alliance, with followers of Meher Baba. I think I told you, they have the land, the money, and the aptitudes, but they certainly have one thing more, very sadly absent from the multitude of rival “world organizations.” There are so many of these today.
I withdrew from the Baba movement because in practice it was a complete repudiation of the moral teachings of Jesus Christ. Whether it be the teachings of Jesus Christ or of any other saint or avatar, or the last words of The International: “The international party, shall be the human race.” It is no longer a question of my own future. I am for and with those who believe the international party shall be the human race. But I am mostly close to those who show prowess in hard faculties.
Above I have said to hold your letter up. This was a manifestation of Prajna. Our other, to me, great philosopher of the century, Dr. Radhakrishnan, has been an intense advocate of Prajna. This might be translated as cosmic insight and foresight, and it never fails.
It has been necessary to write to you, and hare repeated, that a young woman named Rhoda expects to leave soon to go to Pondicherry ultimately. Although she has been here but a few times, she has seen what is being done with our spiritual dances. These spiritual dances are now in demand in that part of the country where a new age is arising, and which also includes the followers of Meher Baba and others, but not the followers of. Sri Aurobindo. My understanding of the New Age seems to be quite different from yours, in that I see the New Age in a multitude of new born infants, and I do not see it in organizers, promoters, and emotionalists of maturity. I have always believed that the divine spirit was in everybody and this would become more evident in the coming cycle. I do not believe it can be limited to any particular group. As Jesus Christ taught, “Ye are gods.”
It has always been my belief that the coming age would again bring to the earth a sub race with higher faculties. I now have a class again on the Gospel of Saint Thomas. There Jesus Christ is very emphatic about his being in the infant. I am a seeing this, I am seeing this constantly. I am not seeing this in the United Nations; I am not seeing this in the great power blocs of diplomats; I recognize it more and more in the eyes and hearts of human beings and most of all in the very young.
This spring or summer inshallah we shall organize both the training of the infant and the training of the adult to recognize spirituality in the infant. Yes, Sri Aurobindo’s higher types are here. But if they are not higher than your colleagues, they are not higher. Just as I teach the Gospel of Saint Thomas on Monday, I am set to open up the Taittiriya Upanishad on Sundays. I am giving out to the world a lot of stuff hush-hushed and mush-mushed by those who set themselves up as leaders. The young believe me. As Paul Brunton taught, there is the way of the heart, the way of the eye, and the way of the breath. Sam Lewis is not philosophizing; he is using these methods to meet and teach an ever-growing number of young people. But this teaching is not dualistic; it is the awakening of heart attunement.
Three different persons have in the last few weeks offered to help expand and publicize “Dances of Universal Peace.” This is an achievement; The United Nations is not an achievement. I am not acquainted with the new Yoga which seems to apply that an official of the United Nations automatically has spiritual prowess.
Now Julie, you may not recognize how much loneliness there is, and yet how simple it is to eradicate it. I am not trying to push this on anybody. The young are coming to me more and more and more, every day and at all times in both of my homes. I have hesitated to proclaim leadership; I have not hesitated to proclaim cooperation with others and that is where I stand awaiting next the proposals of Baba Ram Dass here.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
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February 22, 1970
Julie Medlock
Auroville
Pondicherry 2, India
My dear Julie:
When I received your very nice photos yesterday, it seemed there was nothing more to say than to thank you. But between the contents of other letters, the telephone calls, and the events of afternoon and evening, the whole thing took on another aspect. It is most interesting to find people today working for a world union. But there is a vast difference between the word “world union” and the bringing together of various facets of humanity in such a way as to affect this. In the last few days one has received all kinds of mail from all kinds of people in the Rand-McNally world. This Rand-McNally world is to me most interesting, for it includes everybody. But nearly all these different groups seem to presume that we can have world union by excluding somebody. I do not know how they have come to such conclusions, but they have, and I guess there is nothing one can do about it.
Last week we had the third lecture by one Baba Ram Dass, the former Professor Richard Alpert of Harvard University. He is collecting funds in order to write a book on the spiritual practices which are in vogue today. He is one of several persons engaged in this pursuit. Fortunately they are not on bad terms with each other. Fortunately they are seeking information and knowledge, not leadership. Everyone else seems to want to lead. Thousands of people came to hear this Ram Dass. Thousands of dollars were collected. It was so easy. At the first two meetings I do not believe there were 10 people over 40 years of age. There was lots of mantram singing, lots of it. Everything was devotional, and what is most painful to all the scions of the passing cultures, there was far more money than anybody had dreamed of.
This crusade left Sam in a very awkward situation. He received both personal visitors and invitations to control a summer school in this country in the Southwest. The money, the student body, the program, are all ready. There is only one requirement, all inclusive integration. Just that, all inclusive integration.
Sam is now ready to go abroad to attend the conference of the world’s faiths. One does not know what is coming of it. One will take a very strong stand against resolution passing, and a very strong stand for almost anything else. We have Biafra, we have Palestine, we have Vietnam, we have pollution, we have ecology, and we have lots of resolutions, all kinds of resolutions. But we also have something which World Union had better learn, and learn quickly, and no nonsense—the manifestation in this world of just the type of entity which Sri Aurobindo predicted would come. They are here and now, and no nonsense. And we are going to have an integral yoga that yogas and integrates. It is going to be led, if led at all, by those of higher consciousness, and they are here.
Oliver Reiser has written considerably about the psi-layer. Real Indian cosmic metaphysics presents to begin with, several bodies. I believe they are functional and they are real; that they can be experienced. That they are experienced here and now. But it is not the public lecturers that have such experiences. The lecturers do not know how to shut up, or how to listen. That is a tragedy. Or it is a comedy. This time God is laughing at them. What is, is.
1. The dancing classes are growing. The dancing invitations are growing. One also hears that honorable Sri Mahendra Mohan Ghose is directing people to Sam. Of course, we have an integration here that integrates.
2. Real Indian philosophy teaches we have a subtle body and a causal body. Oliver Reiser posits a psi-layer. East and West are coming together by natural discovery and natural evolution and not by self-proclaimed leaderships. Sam’s oldest disciple by age is a Yoga teacher. We do not agree with what is called Yoga at all. We do not take a small portion of Patanjali, drop the rest, and bombast it. Our Yoga is totally scientific and totally devotional at the same time. We are not very popular with the so-called “occultists.” We have worked out a theme, showing cultural jumps with the discovery of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. These were not included in the so-called “ancient wisdom.” But they are manifesting in the young today, and as soon as the self-proclaimed get out of the picture, we are going to have a wonderful world. The psychic bodies of these new people are different, definitely different. We have been able to test and demonstrate the influences of Uranus, Neptune, and now Pluto, and this last is a wonder, a great wonder. It is fortunate that Oliver Reiser’s projects Prometheus and Krishna leave room for such progressions in portions of knowledge excluded from our curricula.
Last night after such demonstrations we went to a house-warming party. It was the new home of our youngest, by age, disciple, whose given name was Deborah, whose spiritual name is Devi. There Sam met a real Krishnabai, a young girl whose whole life and devotion is in Sri Krishna. Her aura is the brightest this person has ever seen. She remembers her former lives. She is in absolute love with Sri Krishna without this diminishing any of her worldly behavior patterns; she is a real Brahmacharyan, and thinks nothing of it. She thinks this is only natural.
This came shortly after Sam’s last venture with the Bhaktivedanta people here. They were chanting “Hare Krishna,” and grabbing hold of people. When Sam proclaimed himself as Krishna they fled. This young girl thoroughly understood the various levels of consciousness and attainment as proclaimed in the Gita, and still ignored by the vast majority of people over 40 who are proclaiming a new age; or who chant mantras. One of Sam’s messages to the world is the lamb and the lion shall lie down together and the little child shall lead them. I tell you Julie, the New Age is here. It is the young, and no nonsense. It is the Yoga of divine union, and no nonsense. It is not any UN super-mania. What the devil has a political organization to do with the New Age? What the devil has a political organization to do with cosmic evolution? I think we are going to have world union as soon as older people start looking; and sooner or later they are going to have to start looking and step trying to lead everybody else. “Every valley shall be exalted, and every hill laid low.”
The greatest teaching of Lord Jesus Christ was love. One of the great teachings of the Bhaktis is Prema-Yoga. The greatest principle in the Dharma of Lord Buddha is Buddhahridaya. I am not going to explain these things. There are too many “leaders”; let them explain. Although this letter seems to be profound, Sam functions as the “imp of love,” a sort of Puck with a heart. We find this also in “The Rejected Avatar.”
The way to these young people is through heart. It is not by posing intelligence. They, not their elders, incarnate over-mind and super-mind. They often think, and more often have, superior intellects, superior intelligence, and vastly superior vision. The real wise people would encourage this. The real wise would let the little children lead them.
The new communes are going to accept in the first place, a Living God. They will practice Yoga systems which enhance the realization of this Living God. They are going to integrate, including, not some special self-leadership organization which so far excludes the majority of the human race. Sam is all for an integrative movement that integrates; that does not deny and by-pass the Sufis; that does not deny some of the great Saints of India, even Saints down to this generation.
No doubt this letter is written under stress—a realization of the wonderful souls now coming to manifestation on this living earth who, as soon as the elders stop stopping them, will bring about Shangri-las, Aurovilles, Shambalas, and a New Age that is new.
All love and blessing,
Samuel L. Lewis
Auroville
March 5, 1970
Dear Sam:
Yours of February 22nd: Well, I see you’re still overboard for the kids.
In regard to your last paragraph, I wonder if I ever sent you or if you discovered for yourself the enclosed “sun-eyed children of a marvelous dawn” bit.
Maybe it would be an inspiration around your parts.
Under separate covered I have sent you the new issue of =1 (Equals One) on Auroville as a Univer-city.
As ever,
Julie Medlock
March 9, 1970
Miss Julie Medlock
Sri Aurobindo Ashram
Auroville office
Pondicherry 2, India
My dear Julie:
I am very happy to acknowledge your letter of March 5. Today I received my passport prior to leaving for Geneva on March 28. For me this will be a very serious trip and I shall be able to stop only at London and Boston on my way back. All personal resources and all one’s life study and research are being put into this summit endeavor. But at least I shall be granted the floor. You name the group, no matter how self-important it has been, and I have been refused the floor in the past.
I am carrying with me a number of extracts of presumably great persons of the past and also an address of Vice-President Giri which was sent to me personally for comment. After close relations with the two previous presidents, this is indeed a welcome, but I have also been given a private introduction to the Indian delegation.
I have read “Savitri.” For the most part I am in accord with Sri Aurobindo’s theories of poetry. Where I differ is that the same theories were imbibed from a French writer of the Napoleonic era named Fabre D’Olivet. I have even turned over literature (now out of print) to the local Sri Aurobindo people who neither thanked, nor acknowledged, nor permitted, any talk on the same universal truth which came from another source. But I am neither provoked nor concerned any longer. Indeed the one stand I shall take at Geneva is unalterable opposition to worthless resolutions. I should be a fool to be drawn into the same nonsense which terminated the earlier Roerich Museum.
To me, super-mind means expanded, awakened heart. I know the children of the dawn. I am meeting them all the time. Two fathers have been in this house this morning. A theory is only validated by example.
This person lectures on the various scriptures of the world, knowing them both from a literary, a philosophic and an inner-awakening standpoint. One cannot compel the inner awakening on anybody. If I have not sent you my own “The Rejected Avatar” please let me know.
Now, like Emerson’s mousetrap inventor, the world is beating its footsteps to these doors. The idea of having a family, even an enlarged family, is out of the question any longer. The young are coming here in greater numbers, and obvious facts have influenced a local television station enough to have them take pictures of the dancing class. “The Dance of Universal Peace” may not influence those whom I think should be influenced, but what comes from God, from the Living God, from the Universally eternal God, sooner or later is going to reach the hearts of all.
I am also enclosing copy of a semi humorous letter to a local newspaperman. I think you know very well what is inferred.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
Auroville
March 17, 1970
Dear Sam:
So Sam is off to Geneva on March 28th, but cryptic as usual, he does not say what his mission is, only “but at least I shall be granted the floor.” Whose floor? You say it is a summit endeavor, which tells me exactly nothing about what you are up to.
O well, I suppose I shall hear in due course. If the world suddenly gets straightened out overnight I’ll know it was Sam and his Geneva hocus-pocus did it!
Anyhow, bon voyage and happy return.
As ever,
Julie Medlock
Art Hoppe letter very funny. In praise of humor I contribute the following: I have just received an invitation to a conference to be held in Florence, Italy in late October. Its title—believe it or not—is:
Conference on Religion and Science and Statesmanship and Virtue
Honest! It says so right here! JM
Geneva, Switzerland
April 2, 1970
Julie Medlock
Auroville, Pondicherry 2
India
How are you? It had never been my intention to write to you from here, but the number of your friends and acquaintances that I am meeting is truly astounding., for example Mrs. Artess is one of the chief speakers this morning.
In some respects I do not feel too comfortable , but it is very necessary to act. I am on a committee to list, coordinate and investigate the various groups and organizations that legally have been organized for world functions. Several men on the committee are world famous. It seems that for over 40 years I have been pointing out the dilemma of different groups claiming to hold world points of view, generally ignoring each other and generally dominated by small a clique and perhaps none of them having real world functions. No doubt the Bahai’s have in the past become the closest. But they are no in evidence here, nor are they much in evidence in world affairs.
In my recent mail it is very notable that there are so many organizations, some of recent vintage, some of more recent vintage, that claim to be establishing world outlooks, mostly ignoring each other entirely and mostly organized in such a way that a very small group of self-appointees would dominate them. It has been pointed out here that there is not a single black African in attendance at the peace conference, and it there are any Latin Americans they have not made themselves noticeable. The members of my committee feel this must be corrected. We are not sure that we can correct it. We cannot stop a small group of people from considering themselves a world movement or international organization and perhaps do not intend to do so, but we certainly intend to list them—not investigate—but list them.
The mayor of Geneva who opened the conference mentioned certain historical names, reference to which has been decried by nearly all the followers of Sri Aurobindo whom I have met. What they have gained by ignoring history I do not know, but it looks that they have gained exactly the same treatment as they give out to others. And I am certainly not in a position to defend any group that ignores “even the least of my creatures.”
While one set of conclusions has been reached by the prevailing majority, almost the same conclusions have been reached by a startling number of people who know you personally, including some some who have been recently at Auroville. A real world movement would consist of those who open their hearts to others, who listen to others, who heed the suggestions of others. Sam introduced himself as the spiritual teacher of the hippies. While it is not exactly true, it is certainly a thousand times more true than the strange refusal of the followers of Sri Aurobindo to accept even simple facts. My Spring Festival drew 200 participants excluding onlookers and technicians, who hope to televise it. My farewell meeting was overcrowded. There are a lot of cries about the young, and it is now evident that both the Aurobindo movement and others have refused to recognize the New Age with higher outlooks, with more magnificent ideas, and a supreme ability to achieve.
One of my colleagues seeking to raise a few thousand dollars was overwhelmed with audiences and collections. It was just an experiment and it astounded him. Older persons refused to accept the fact and are thus excluding themselves from both money and audiences.
Divine love manifests in attracting those who are awakened to divine love or even human love. It has been simple to gain the good-will of the few young people here. Your friends agree that all that Sri Aurobindo has written on overmind and supermind does not mean that the people of higher evolution necessarily manifested in his immediate following. They manifested all right where God wanted, not where man insisted. This elimination of God means of course you are following in the same direction as Dr. Zitko did in this land, and I am afraid your colleagues here are going to repeat the same mistakes and over and over, for the world will march on.
I never intended to start a movement. A closest colleague shows up suddenly quite unexpectedly here and we do not like separative organizations, but when we are excluded by so-called world groups, what are we to do? I think Sri Aurobindo intended to further the evolution in accord with Indian cosmic philosophy and metaphysics. I certainly see the opposite in the groups centered around San Francisco and Los Angeles. They have closed their doors to human hearts and divine wisdom.
There is a very large delegation of Indians here. I have already made contact with the whole Birla family who are financing a very large group of holy men and spiritual teachers. It is so easy to communicate with and commune with these people of very different outlooks. A World Union should be open to them and not try to dominate them.
At this writing I not only have a large and rapidly growing group in Central California, but the same holds for Northern New Mexico and we intend to stop off at Boston before returning there. There is going to be a World Union. Unless there is a complete change in attitude, it will not be your World Union. It will not be Sri Aurobindo’s World Union. It will be God’s World Union and I mean just that and no nonsense: heart, love, compassion, open-mindedness, human consideration and an ever-increasing operation of intuition and higher faculties and no nonsense.
I do not know how to lead the large number of young people who are coming to me. When doors are shut in my face I have to look elsewhere. The “Dances of Universal Peace” are making tremendous progress and Sri Surendra Mohan Ghose recognizes this. These will not be impelled on others, much less compelled.
Every lonely speaker here, and there are lots of them, makes an appeal for divine love. They make appeals; others manifest it by warm-hearted consideration and never by long speeches.
The New Age has reached America. We are going to have our Shangri-las, even our Shambalas, our ashrams full of love and understanding and forms of functional yoga which will bring man into divine contact if not divine union.
The Jain speaker appealed to more consideration of the animal world. Most people here are more concerned with consideration of the human world. I wish you could understand that, Julie, I really do, and when there is something missing one could hardly succeed in leading the multitudes. The New Age is here, and it is going on unabated, because that is part of cosmic evolution.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco, Calif.
May 2, 1970
Miss Julie Medlock
Auroville,
Sri Aurobindo Ashram,
Pondicherry 2, India
My dear Julie:
My secretary and I are back after a month’s absence, a month in which the events were in strict accordance with the real laws of Karma and morality so ignored by would-be leaders. The Bible may teach that God is no respecter of persons; Karma holds that there is a balance between what we sow and what we reap. Karma taught the principle of compensation, but there are many persons and movements today who ignore both these approaches and also the existence of a Living God, who proclaim personality and disclaim other personalities and believe they are bringing in a New Age.
The lesson of last Christmas that every valley shall be emulated and every hill laid low, and the crocked places made straight is ignored by all the rival leaders of new cults and outlooks and especially those who verbally proclaim universality. At the conference in Geneva it was observed that the people of Africa races and the young were ignored and every step has been made to see that this is not repeated. Elsewhere it may be observed that they have been ignored but no steps are actually taken to correct this. And so it is that the world is now being filled with “Universal Movements” who ignored each other.
Therefore they were excluded, rightly or wrong. Past experiences show that these new movements proclaim the same or similar Philosophies and then get into tangles over personalities. It was marvelous how the real readers of the real religions of the real world either ignored or surrounded this particular kind of equation. And movably absent was all the self-styled “experts” that have dominated so many scenes. Facing real savants it is doubtful whether they could have accomplished anything.
However every effort will be made to contact so-called “world organizations,” for some may be real. But there are so many. Just contacted two more in England, each ignoring the others of course, and all ignoring the World Union but proclaiming the same and seeking funds. We have a lot of them now in the United States too. It was doubted whether they can get together but that is not our job; it may be the job of yourself or your colleagues.
At least Sam was permitted to speak freely. This is not the wont of groups of this area, especially those with obtuse claims. But one made no long speeches. That was left to some marvelous persons and I am hoping you can some to realize that God has created, or permitted marvelous persons to function. Chief among them was Swami Ranganathananda Maharaj of the Ramakrishna Mission. Always proclaiming Vivekananda, he actually fulfilled the role of Vivekananda and was admired by all. He is a man who does, not who seeks aid from others.
There was a large delegation from India financed by the Birla family. One gave the senior Birla copy of “The Rejected Avatar” and the next day he sent his son with a message of appreciation. Unfortunately he became ill and left it to his son and daughter-in-law to carry on, which they did.
Fourteen prayers were offered one afternoon in the Geneva Cathedral, fountainhead of Calvinism of all things. We were the only persons capable of conversing with all fourteen groups on their own levels with their own evaluations. We could and did move from group to group with case. This has been “verboten” here by the passing “experts” on “Asian philosophy,” most of whom could not pass an elementary examination on the real cultures.
The session opened with a tribute to Emperor Akbar by the Mayor of Geneva. This is one of those actually historical figures ignored by your colleagues and yourself, and by others, with what aim and purpose, I do not know. Certainly if Dr. Reiser’s “Project Krishna” is successful it will have to recognize history and humanity. And on my return I have found that the actual Indian Students of the local Universities have accepted what your various colleagues in this region have adamantly refused to acknowledge. How this can bring about any “World Movement” I do not know. But I can secure you, Julie it is not, and will not. Unless humanity and history are recognized there will be no world movement.
There was a panel of women, most of whom you probably know, ending with Mrs. Arthur who was far and away the best. There was just one contribution from the young and next time we shall have the young, there is no doubt about it, the young themselves who have ideas and inspirations and who also were created in the divine image, God bless them.
The whole thing was tape-recorded and we may have the reports later. It is still too early evaluate it. But I did threaten that if they did not build the Temple of Understanding the young will. Of course the “great” will regard this as bombast, but already Sam has his summer school in another part of the country, overflowing with requests and also properly financed, no begging by the “big” from the little. And someday it will be learned that the principle of Prajna, so proclaimed by Dr. Radhakrishnan is operative, but I shall make no endeavor to get “big” people to accept it. It has certainly been operative for me.
On reaching London I was greeted by the Royal Asiatic Society and World Congress of Faiths and also the young at Gandulf’s Gardens. We them came to Boston and had very large meetings of the young presenting Dances of Universal Peace so admired by Sri Surendra Mohan Ghose and ignored by the rest of your colleagues. May it be so.
For on reaching London one learned that one’s brother had died, and this leaves me in a most comfortable position financially. I have no intention of sharing even a cent with movements that have refused to recognize that hard but simple fact I am both an ordained Sufi teacher and Zen master, as well as otherwise. Indeed I most welcome such rejections. The money is going first to the University of California, my alma mater, also to an art school here. I am not ready to travel anywhere and everywhere and there are some excellent peace projects on the horizon. I wish you could get out of “realism” into Reality.
God bless you,
Samuel L. Lewis
June 1970
Box 444,
San Cristobal New Mexico 87564
Miss Julie Medlock
Auroville,
Sri Aurobindo Ashram
Pondicherry, 2, India
My dear Julie:
The last thing I ever dreamed of in life was to be placed in charge of a project which is in a certain sense is in competition with Auroville. There is such a marked contrast between the practice of, and perhaps attainment in the Yoga of spiritual realization and a verbal, quite verbal, Prajna Yoga which has so little to do with God-realization.
The Bible teaches, “Unless the Lord buildeth the house, they labor in vain who build.” Warnings are not accepted by the self-humble and self-meek. One can give them no information, no advice, no anything. And while I have always had respect for Sri Aurobindo and his teachings, I have no respect for the verbal emotionalisms of persons who have never gone far in the spiritual attainment of any real system of Yoga. You can see this because they never invoke Deity in any form and try the advertising-emphasis methods with egocentric stresses, and fail now to attract.
For the race, the New Age, predicted by God-in-Sri Aurobindo (which you emphasize) and immediately refute by refusing to accept the God-in-H.G. Wells, the God-in-Bulwer Lytton and the God in many others and so degrading deity to a sort of thought in the subjective mind, there is a downgrading of Prajna and so of the highest aspects of India wisdom, excepting that the words are retained and uselessly retained.
I have already worked to clear the grounds for a presumed spiritual Center in this country. My labor, my money, my services were accepted. My knowledge of the wisdoms of the world and spiritual attainment were rejected. Nothing came of the place, pompously proclaimed to unite all religions and all peoples and now in commotion a lot of other movements, with their various Sadgurus, Avatars, Maharishies, and without any semblance of human love, consideration and compassion—just emotions and words.
Here we have every sort of devotion. Here we do without seeking financial backing and then spending lots of money on pamphlets advertising. The whole countryside is filled with companionate projects with such obvious love and compassion and human consideration; and with all evidences of a higher, new manifestation of superior consciousness, accompanied as the Upanishads teach, with a greater evidence and also capacity for Joy.
I was drafted, Julie, and face accomplishments and reality.
Love and blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
Auroville,
June 13, 1970
Dear Sam:
Your undated note from San Cristobal has just now arrived. And your vagueness is, as usual, about to drive me to lunacy.
Just like you went to Switzerland without mentioning what it was you were going for, except to some kind of a meeting, who would know what—here it appears you are now in San Cristobal, New Mexico. For what? You say you are placed in charge of a project—but what sort of a project? (As far as it being in competition with Auroville, you can relax. Nothing is in competition with Auroville. We don’t believe in competition, for one thing!) Also you say you were drafted … but not for what.
Really, Sam, dear—what is the point of writing letters at all if you can’t communicate even the simplest facts so that your correspondents can know what you are talking about.
So, precisely what is it you are doing now?
As ever,
Julie Medlock
July 20, 1970
Miss Julie Medlock
Auroville Office
Pondicherry, India
Dear Julie,
It is a matter of extreme regret that persons who believe they are spiritual have reserved a privilege to themselves to reject whomsoever they will. There can never be such a thing as exclusive-integration.
I am not happy. Everything is coming right. Your colleagues posit the word Prajna. Prajna belongs to no man, and least of all to the unholy self-privileged who have arrogated it to themselves as if it were a private possession. I find myself on the verge of being called upon to help establish a spiritual commune in the State of Arizona. I never wished it, but the refusals of the various groups verbally claiming to be universal to accept the existence of Sufis are compelling me to go ahead.
A very wealthy publisher in the State of Arizona has been looking for Sufis. He found them and they found him. Now he wishes the dis-respected Sam Lewis to go down to Arizona during the winter and take the first steps toward establishing a spiritual commune in this area. This commune will differ very much from the efforts of the unbelated Dr. Zitko and his colleagues like Christopher Hills, and all those who have posited their own egos over the processes of Prajna which Sri Aurobindo affirmed, and which are fundamental to Sanatana Dharma, and belong to nobody.
I have never intended to join with separative groups or to enter into competition, but the rejection of the “Dances of Universal Peace” and the existence of the Sufis (including the late President Zukair Hussein) makes such a step necessary. To me the processes of integration must be in accord with the processes of integration as formulated in mathematics, etc., and the misuse of this word does not change the laws of nature, or of God. I am therefore accepting it as a sound, objective test, to enter into competition in a sense, with Auroville and with what Christopher Hills is doing. I do not believe there ever has been or will be a Supreme Being or authority who arrogated the expression of His will only to certain persons or certain races. I have given up hope that any of the elite will even listen to the principals of “Dances of Universal Peace” or the historicity of Emperor Akbar. It will only be after they have to go through the unnecessary karmic operations, as the late Nicolas Roerich did, that they will learn to understand the Divine Light is in all beings. The actual rejection of the actual teachings of the Upanishads by the self-centered persons who are verbalizing their egos as world leaders, may produce some unhappy results, but they are needed. I still agree with the Bible, “The last shall be first, and the first shall be last” and “He who would be greatest, among you should be servant of the rest.”
Faithfully,
Samuel L. Lewis
Aug. 14, 1970
Miss Julie Medlock
Auroville Office
Pondicherry 2, India
My dear Julie:
This is an entirely new age. The Race as predicted by Sri Aurobindo, Bulwer Lytton, H.G. Wells, and others, has come to manifestation and function. The new Race consists of human beings with higher faculties than their predecessors. They are far more astute, intuitive, honest, and practical. It is a pity that those who have felt such types would manifest cannot appreciate the wonder thereof. The result is that these young people will not accept those merely older in age who do not evince superiority in wisdom and even in what we might call occult or siddithic faculties. Many things are planned as if the world were evolving, but planned by people who are not necessarily more evolved and who do not understand, sometimes even will not understand, that the more evolved simply will not accept leadership from the less evolved.
The affairs of my private life are changing so rapidly I am actually dizzy at this moment and do not apologize for mistakes in judgment or communication. Even today representatives of two different activities in the state of New Mexico are calling on me. It would seem that older people do not, and even will not, accept or appreciate the higher potentialities of the New Age, and the manifestations arising out of those potentialities.
Last week it was necessary to take steps toward organizing as a legal entity. This has been compelled by a number of different factors operating at the same time. For instance, we are working in a religious field. Then also the incomes here from many sources are increasing rapidly and income tax regulations require it. Again, we are not recognized by many groups which verbalize themselves as universal. How a universal organization can be efficient in judging others is beyond my comprehension. Excepting the Temple of Understanding in the city of Washington, no group of any consequence has accepted “Dances of Universal Peace.” Now they are spreading at an exceedingly rapid rate. I do not mean that rapidity of advertising vocabulary. I mean that lots of young people are coming here, more and more and more and more and more. They are joining in the “Dances of Universal Peace.” They are accepting the hard but simple fact that this person is the first man in history to be validated as a Murshid, as a Guru, and as a Roshi. The rejection of this by various groups verbalizing themselves as universal, or as integral, etc., disproves their intentions. The geologist accepts all rocks without subjectivities. The botanist, as Emerson taught, sees no weeds. The chemist does not moralize over the behaviors of materials introduced into the laboratories.
We are no longer concerned with the failures and refusals of those who verbalize one way and behave another. It is not only that the young are seeking this person out, it is now also that the universities are. Believing in the brotherhood of man, we hesitated for a long time concerning establishing a legal entity. But we found that the peace organizations, that those verbalized themselves as integrated in international affairs had no room for us. And not only no room, but would not recognize our existence. We fully realize that this is part of the traditional “Judeo-Christian ethic” and we have no intention of trying to change people whose habit and education has fixed them within the confines of that “ethic.”
Our first effort to promote peace in the Near East by bringing Muslim and Jew; Palestinian and Israeli and Arab together with Christians has been entirely successful. It is the kind of effort that those who verbalize themselves as being universal have chosen to shun. The first result is that the young people involved wish to work with The Temple of Understanding in Washington, The Bible teaches, “My house shall be a house of prayer for all people.” The “universal” people, the “world” people, the “cosmic” people all are building separate temples with the same motto—for all people. They are excluding one another and this automatically makes it impossible for their houses to be houses for “all people.” The young people are not seeking funds. Their programs are not based on emphases towards collections. Their programs are based on bringing human beings together. So far they have been quite successful. So far the only people who seem to repudiate them are those who claim to be universal cosmic, etc. Verbalists. At this writing we have every reason to believe that the young are going to bring peace in the Near East without any over-lording by those older in age but quite manifestly inferior in wisdom. This is only one project.
Another project is the filming of holy people and holy places. One team is going to Iran and another to India where they hope to join together. They are basing their efforts on actualities, not on dreams, not on paper themes but on achievements. At this writing it would appear that the easiest undertaking will be that of raising funds. This world is now being inhabited by those who actually believe in brotherhood and who do not and will not accept exclusions, least of all exclusions proclaimed by groups which verbalize themselves as being universal.
The young people are demanding high moral standards. Whereas their elders merely verbalize. The young people are building successful enterprises. At this writing The New Age people have been most successful in establishing a new type of health food store which is preparing far beyond their expectations. So it is not money which we are crying for. It is not even recognition which we are crying for.
Your colleagues and representatives here along with Dr. Zitko tried their own self-selection directorate with Dr. Zitko in the state of Arizona. And it failed. Not much money was attracted. Even less did the young people come. Now the young people have their own financial angel, and Sam is being summoned to visit Arizona later in the year to affect that which your colleagues failed to produce under Dr. Zitko.
At this writing matters stand that the universities and the young want universal religions which are universal. Which do not exclude anybody. There are more living Sufis then members of other mystical groups combined. They are living people; not thoughts; not ideas. The failure to recognize their existence proves how little either karma or human morality touches the minds of older people who want to lead, often want to lead without any abilities.
At this writing every enterprise with which this person has been connected is succeeding, but one, that is in bring recognized by those movements which verbalize, just verbalize, themselves as being universal, integrative, etc. It is too bad, we believe, that a higher moral standard is not being evinced by those who verbalize themselves as leaders for a new age. We are not asking anything. We should like to have been part of the Aurobindo projects; we are excluded.
All right we are excluded. We are especially excluded by groups which verbalize, just verbalize themselves as being advanced in Yoga, without any experiences in Mukti and Samadhi. The result is now that those persons who have had experiences toward and in Mukti and Samadhi are operating. They are not only operating; they are drawing crowds and money. This is compelling us to establish our own legal entity. This is compelling us to get out our own publications.
We differ from the Auroville people on several things. We found more God at Fatehpur Sikri than at the United Nations. We accept all sacred books, but do not regard the document of the United Nations as sacred. This Gunnar, who is the top UN official in the Near East peace negotiations years age told Sam he had the best plan for peace and amity in the Near East that he Gunnar had over encountered. But the leaders of establishments always know better, and the young want no more of that. We are next sending a team to visit sacred places of India, not only those you recognize, but those recognized by history and art, including most of all Fatehpur Sikri.
We are sorry that with all your dreams you have joined in excluding sections of humanity. Arguments and emotions do not always attract money or following.
We are demonstrating all aspects of Oliver Raiser’s Project Krishna. Sam has even choreographed Ras Lila Dances and more and more and more. We are sorry that in verbalizing a universal enterprise you have not gone beyond the universalization to universal acceptance. We believe all God’s children have stomachs, minds, and hearts. And by welcoming we do not demand leadership over them, or restricting them, except in accord with the principles and practices of Sufic and Hinduistic moral and metaphysical teachings.
At this time we see many people of Jewish extraction, once terrorized by a German, acting as if all critics were like that German. We find that you, having gone through many experiences, many wonderful experiences as in Ghana, have failed to see that all human beings may not be alike, but they belong.
The New Age is universally universal. The New Age will be led by those with spiritual awakening. The New Age is upon us, and we wish you could have recognized it. Indeed we hope you will.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
Novato, Calif 94947
August 26, 1970
Miss Julie Medlock
Auroville,
Pondicherry, 2, India
Beloved one of God:
Today there is supposed to be a strike by women for equal rights. Sam was asked what he thought. He went out and bought a copy of “Psalms of the Early Buddhist Nuns and Workers.” He read it to a large audience of understanding young men and women. It is very difficult for you to understand that there are now multitudes of young Americans who are highly advanced spiritually and who probably (as did Sam) occupied Indian bodies in former lives. They understand with an immediacy what is difficult for “Old-Age” dualists to comprehend. And they laugh at all these efforts for older dualistic people to convert them to unity and brotherhood and cooperation.
The poetry of these nuns of another day is beautiful and their expressions of praise to God will upset 90% of the clergy and “experts” who tell us all about “Buddhism.” But Lord Buddha did not teach Buddhism; he taught what he considered a perfect way to union with Brahma.
People who go out and want to propagate and want others to listen to them but who themselves are not very adept at listening are now having a hard time. This country and especially this state is being filled with Ashrams. And the “gurus” are so bad at ignoring each other, so defective in love and good-will and even in knowledge, that the Indian Government is sending over an “official” spiritual teacher to clear up some things.
The refusal on the part of emotional propagandist to accept the history of India and the part that he Sufis have played, including their recent history of Dr. Zukair Hussein, is downright dishonesty and is repeating the karma of dishonesty.
So may groups verbalize perfection and God-consciousness and “union between East and West,” always under their own leadership. They are all over the place, and some, hearing how rudely Sam has been treated by others, are making friendships with him, for it seems characteristic of emotional propagandists to deflate the spirituality and character of others and proclaim some Hero to whom everybody must obey and this is Samadhi and Mukti.
Now Sam began his outer search early in life. His first teacher in Sufism—which is very real, very alive and very strong, had been a teacher in Occultism. So Sam was imitated into Occultism but all the rival emotional dualists who want to save the world deny this and also do not know what that occultism consisted of. It was based on the search for and Realization of God. It was a different approach but the same goal.
During the year Sam found the same principles in the Hebraic, French, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese Occultisms and the world will know this while the emotional dualities will go around proclaiming otherwise. But this is all unimportant when one faces the highest teachings; (a) Nothing Exists But God (b) God is Love.
Now Sam is under terrific external circumstances. No secretaries! And all the emotional dualistics will react and create more Sanskaras because they do not realize God is Love.
The Filming, which began, with “Dance of Universal Peace” has become worldwide effort. Crows are leaving soon for Iran and India to film the non-existing Sufis and then other holy people, which mean those holy people who do not deny the spirituality of others. Secretary #1 is working full time on this with good pay and is also beginning to give public lectures on our work.
Secretary #2 is down in the State of Arizona. A wealthy editor was disgusted with the Gurdjieff teachings and began looking for real Sufism. This is a long story about the Realities, which all the rival emotional people ignore.
He began teaching “God is Love” and the dancing and has been overwhelmed. It is too bad your colleagues and yourself have by-passed “Dances of Universal Peace.’
c). Secretaries 3 and 4. Your emotional dialectical people may be right in your adulation for the United Nations. For years Sam was working on a Peace Plan for the Near East. One man told him it was by far the greatest and sanest plan he had ever encountered. That man was Gunnar Jarring who is now in the headlines. He was not like the emotional dualistic people who cannot listen. Sam’s Koan so to speak has been derived from Handle’s The Messiah; “Every valley shall be exalted and very hill laid low and the crooked places made straight.
Now Sam’s other secretaries are arranging dinners between Jews and Muslim and Arabs and Palestinians and Israelis and Christians. It is unfortunate that dualistic emotional people cannot understand that the spiritual Jews of the day maybe found wearing the cross of Christ. And when we start to investigate true mysticism and Yoga fulfillment … but Sam will write this in his biography. Before the One Only Being we are doing, or better, He Is Doing through us.
It is simple to efface when one has reached a certain state. Sam now has to direct a woman’s dancing class and he has been doing this through Krishna consciousness and today will begin with Saraswati. The best material on the Saraswati consciousness can be found in “Whither Sadhu,” a small pamphlet of a Sufi who is a great professor of physics and an electrical engineer. This can’t be, but it is.
Thousands of young Americans are chanting sacred phrases and the chances are this will soon mount to millions. But they will not accept leadership from persons older in body who have not experienced the cosmos. And Sam tells the people also about equal rights for women that Etna St. Vincent Millay expressed this in her “Renascence.” In the infinite terms like quality and in-equality disappear. Even your old friend, the late Bertrand Russell knew that.
Now as to the rest of Sam’s disciples. We have gone into organic gardening and New Age Foods. Evidently Ram wanted that.
When God (Ram) appeared to Sam in the hospital and said, “I make you spiritual teacher of the Hippies,” he had six followers, all but one poor. Now they are being sent for in these noble expanding businesses. It is remarkable.
Then there is Moineddin (Karl). He was one of the early disciples and he had been with one of the innumerable “World-Saviours” you find all over. He had all the signs of purity and made remarkable progress. Now he is in the hospital and the doctors told him he may have an incurable disease. He says, “Ramdas was six years this way. I have been only two months so;”
Sam reads Ramdas. Sam has read all the scriptures and lives of innumerable Saints and now he is doing the opposite. And he has asked God (Ram). We have a real hot line. And Ram (God) said; “You are doing what I want, not what you want. You always loved the out-of-doors; you either did not want to work or be a gardener or forecaster. But I want you to work with humanity. So you are living exactly the opposite of what you hated and are doing my work. Be satisfied. So here is a man who is a Dervish and Bodhisattva living entirely different, but perhaps, just perhaps accomplishing Divine Work.
Sam has been a gardener and horticulturalist. Christ said “I am the Vine and ye are the branches thereof.” But the behavior of Vines and Bo-trees is not the same. Sam has become like a Bo-tree that his secretaries and some disciples have reached maturity and can stand themselves like trees, and are and are going out preaching and teaching and chanting divine Karma and Divine Attributes but from all religious.
Sam’s Saturday talks begin with; “We have the mind of Christ.” Others can take this as symbolic or not but the audience takes it as real. The place is packed—with young people Sam is explaining the Three-Body Constitution of Man from the Christian Scripture. And also, “In my Father’s house are many abodes (not “mansions” which is a false translation) therefore I go to provide a place for you.” There are not sinners in that world.
Sam laughingly says he has the only school in the world where you can graduate by flunking! It is true but dualists cannot understand it. And the young can and do and come and they are learning to experience Joy and Bliss through chanting Divine Names and they do not indulge in god-less or “scientific” yoga. (?)
Now Julie, you have lived a wonderful life; a dramatic life; a life full of lessons for humanity and you could be writing this up and having it published. Indeed it would be a simple, easy thing. Your geography alone has been so much greater than those of the people with whom you are associating. You should know God created also the Ghanaians and the American Indians as he did the people of India—and the Jews and the Nazis and all of us. There may be purpose and methods in all.
Sept. 4, 1970
Miss Julie Medlock
Auroville Office
Pondicherry 2, India
My dear Julie:
There is one point on which there is sharp difference with the people who are dreaming up Auroville—that is ability to listen. This is generally true of many of the quite competing groups which proclaim there are heralding a world revelation. Apparently it is only people who have defective hearing that make such claims.
I certainly did not wish to compete with many beautiful efforts, but I find those who proclaim themselves the leaders of the New Age have in common the unwillingness to listen to anybody else. I did not notice this particularly until the recent, almost epidemic of television and radio programs on the subject of Yoga. Oh, there are plenty of them, and they are increasing in number, and they are increasing in response, and by Yoga they mean disciplinary exercises by which the lower self of man can be overcome and in some form a union with the Universal Being, a Samadhi, or some such experience is actually undergone—not lectured about but undergone.
We cannot those who have not had Mukti or Samadhi to accept the realities thereof. The scriptures are quite clear; the intellectual lecturers are not so clear. The response today is amazing but the young people simply will not bow before those who seem incapable of bowing themselves.
It is possible that San Francisco itself may become a center for spiritual endeavors. The participants are human beings, often attained human beings, who are by-passed or over-looked by others who have what they call world or cosmic or brotherhood organization. The young will simply not be left out, and they are especially intolerant concerning those who leave them, or leave others out. A union of those who have had spiritual attainment is quite possible, but it will be a union of those who have attained, not a union of those who lecture but who themselves have not attained.
It is with no joy therefore that I must report growing alliances with spiritually realized personalities who come here. I do not know how Auroville will react. I do not care any longer. You cannot have morality by compelling others to listen. You might attain some morality by actually listening. All scriptures emphasize listening. As none of your colleagues in this land have granted an interview, although some are quite adept in lecturing on morality, you should not be surprised therefore that there is a union of actually attained Yogis in this vicinity now forming and now functioning. I don’t think any of us want it this way, but none of us could agree to leadership from those who themselves had not attained.
The New Age is on. I wish it were possible for you do realize that you have had some great experiences, that your own autobiography could attract millions of readers it you told them what you have experienced. Many of us accept your experiences, but we cannot understand is your unwillingness to accept experiences of others, particularly those of the inner planes.
I believe that we shall have peace, truth, and brotherhood when some form of the Golden Rule is actually in evidence.
All love and blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
Sept. 14, 1970
Miss Julie Medlock
Auroville Office
Pondicherry 2, India
My dear Julie:
As a sort of graduate in the philosophy of Sankara Charya, I am quite unable to understand what is being attempted at Auroville, and feel rather uncomfortable because the rejection of humanity by any group leads to a rejection of the group by humanity. It is evident to anybody that has the slightest intelligence that refusal to recognize means one’s become subject to refusals themselves; and even worse, when the habit is indulged in of total unwillingness to look. What is worse, and to me most unfortunate, is that a great man is being buried by his egocentric followers who do not recognize greatness in others, and this refusal to recognize greatness in others means a denial of the moral law and so subject to karma. This person would have liked to have worked with the Aurobindo projects.
Instead, the Aurobindo people did not ask, they demanded, that adherents accept blindly everything a few people did, worsened by the habit of these few to pay allegiance to the word prajna without having any idea of the processes of prajna. And in their blindness, shutting doors both to reality and success. Any group verbalizing itself as integral and excluding any other group, is cheating, because integrational processes are non-exclusive and all-inclusive.
I see a great future for you in writing up your own stories, based on facts, and not in the glorification of vapid dreams which can only be actualized by the successful efforts of others.
As this person was excluded from all the Aurobindo movements who demanded of him, and especially demanded money, he had to, for this own integrity, assist in the promotion of what turned out in the end to be rival efforts. These groups never intended themselves to be rivals. Their interpretation of the word integral, rightly or wrongly, meant “all-inclusive” and not under any special leadership, especially any leadership which selected itself and only itself.
What I write you is going to be history. We cannot help it; we did not want it, but your exclusion of the efforts of others, and especially in the name of integral Yoga, made us stand on our own. Last week the Lama Foundation in New Mexico, of which Sam is the chief Guru, received a two page picture spread in the National Geographic Magazine. We also had at least 10 mentions on the Columbia Broadcasting Company last week.
While this was going on, we have been most successful in joint Israeli-Jewish-Arab-Muslim-Christian dinners using prayers of the different religions and the dances coming from this person, which all the Aurobindo people have rejected. So be it. Not only have we been successful here in San Francisco, but also in Palestine of all places, and we are receiving top cooperation from spiritual leader after spiritual leader.
Not only that, we have full permission and cooperation from all branches of the Indian government to film and record holy undertakings in India, the very existence of which have been denied by Sri Aurobindo representatives.
Sam’s Dances are now spreading like wildfire. There is a new age in which Prajna is an operative faulty, not a dream of only certain privileged per cons. We are leaving next week for the East Coast where quite a number of “unspiritual people” are accepting what we are doing, and many metaphysical and so called [?].
Before leaving Sam has been invited to participate in an actual gathering of real Yogis, God-realized persons, whose very existence seems to be shunned by the followers of Sri Aurobindo. And they in turn have been compelled by such activity on the part of those who verbalize morality, that they are totally ignoring anything coming from Pondicherry. I wish it were not so. But there seems to be no way out. When you place the emotion of self-celebrated Englishman above the Divine scriptures you can expect nothing else. I am very very sorry, but you have left no alternative. Subjecting yourself to karma, not appreciating the efforts of other people, Auroville is bound to fail.
The Krishna-consciousness is now being evidenced in our Ras-Lila dances. We believe there can be God-realization. We believe there can be cosmic-consciousness. We believe real Yoga experience absolutely transcends any words on the subject coming from any source whatsoever. We believe that the New Age is here, and that everything Sri Aurobindo predicated is coming true, will come true, but will come true by those whom God has selected and not by a narrow group of men who have made of themselves untouchables.
It is too bad you cannot accept that we know everything that is going on at your so-called extremely exclusive conferences on Yoga. We do not suggest your return to the acceptance of God, but sometimes accept reality. It would be wonderful for you. With all love and blessings.
Samuel L. Lewis