October 4, 1964
My Dear Corinne:
I wish to thank you for the clipping which you have sent me. On account of the location when I next visit Hollywood, it will be very easy to call on them. But the great disappointment of my life has been the failure to get any exact news from and about Major Sadiq. We were together a great deal and both he alone, and I alone, and both together, went through phenomena which we consider to be on a higher plane than most of the corresponding things in this country. But though higher, there is the problem of reliability.
I have, of course, a great many first person experiences and some continuing even now, and I gave up trying to reach the psychics with one tremendous exception, because of the same element of reliability or because of private personal reactions, mostly a refusal to accept anything from the Orient. But even there, the one exception involves some leading scientists and is connected with one of the several new and growing movements with which I was involved. So in any event, I shall both copy of name for Pakistan and also for my colleagues at home and abroad.
Briefly here, there are two or three movements for the integration of all human knowledge, and, with the exception of the Aurobindo movement of India, they are trying to coalesce, because rival world movements would be farces. And these integrative accumulative movements involve all the projects with which I have been connected.
I shall, therefore, try once more and for the final time to find out about Major Sadiq coming, for it is hard enough when one has no time and works every day and night without exception; but it is utterly foolish where there are growing successful breakthroughs and complete reversal of the social behavior patterns of other years.
Since the meeting with my fairy god-mother, Ruth St. Denis last May, everything in every direction has succeeded, and excepting for their road-blocking each other, they would be prospering. Or, if I may be successful in getting funds to have a secretary, they could all prosper. I have still left unexposed no time the possibility of getting money from Pakistan.
The Man from Nepal. Everybody has vague ideas of the Dalai Lama. There is a man here who hierarchically is connected with Mr. Alexander David-Neel, the ancient lady who was once the world expert in this field and has been forgotten. Despite all our metaphysical and theosophical people, he was rejected, and rejected for exactly the same reasons I have been rejected: not having accumulations of social graces or failing to observe social niceties of which he had no knowledge whatsoever. We began forming an alliance, and due to a great change, as above, this is already bearing fruit. The succession of my bête-noire, the European professor of Ascetics, by Americans, was followed immediately by such a rush of acceptances and alliances that I have neither caught my break nor am I able to function clearly.
But he gave me a scolding for not asserting myself and when I tried to see if I had “third-eye” vision, the results surprised me and are now causing me to move in a new direction. For having studied all the accumulations of the Orient, but not using them, I found it simple and easy to ascertain the spiritual status of anybody. And I am just now beginning to use it.
Although I am basically, absolutely and relatively a teacher, the top echelons of the whole Buddhist world are in my hands; and like Whitman’s “Song of the Answerer,” I am regarded by them as one of their leaders. This appears from a totally different [?] and in my poetry and when the West listens, even a little, to a mystic, instead of a metaphysician, on mysticism, it will become clear. In any event I must revise my memories.
The Universities. Partly because of the change, Americans, instead of Europeans, and partly as the result of successful battling, and partly because Prof. Von Grünebaum of UCLA came out for Sufism, today I have both a growing number of universities on most cordial terms, and a growing number of top professors wishing to see me. Before, I could not get appointments, now I cannot fill them.
Oriental Studies. I shall confine myself, for the moment, to yesterday when I had a curry dinner and present were the professors of Urdu and Hindi of the university at Berkeley. Both are highly spiritual men with connections, one with the great Maharshi of Arunachala, teacher of Paul Brunton; the other with the Dargah Nizam-ud-din Auliya in New Delhi, subjects too long to complete. Anyhow, for the first time socially, I have been able to open up and open up fully, and we met on the social, intellectual and spiritual levels all at once.
From there I went to my god son’s home which was not far away and into the room walked a young girl who has the requirements I have been seeking; an American majoring in Urdu (and related languages). We are to meet next week for spiritual as well as other reasons. She is also connected with some of the top allies I have on other campuses.
Agriculturalists. This series of adventures has been totally successful in every direction. The smallest venture, going into poison-less sprays, has just started. I am now studying agricultural mechanics so that when I venture forth I can meet the requirements of farmers at any level. Or, if the promises in Pakistan turn out, I may have to teach the Nursery Science. But I am now working it so that if the Pakistan ventures fail, I can go into two parts of India and proceed.
Writing. I am completing a paper on the aftermath of the floods in India. Dr. William Vogt wants it and if he does not I think he does, it would go to the Christian Science Monitor. I have, today, been meeting an ever growing number of teachers in agriculture who have lived in Asia and like myself been snubbed by press, radio, and the State Department; as well as by their colleagues in the so-called social sciences. But my battle with these professors has been successful on both the Los Angeles and Berkeley campuses, and I have been assured by the heads of the universities that if social scientists refuse interviews and make mistakes in their writings they will be called to account. I had to do this first at the Trisection Graduate School, and they revised their book on Pakistan before publication. The refusal to accept the existence even of Sufis is a bit of utterly foolish nonsense. But one must remember that the top “expert” in this field or even the several top experts are neither Americans nor Asians. The whole picture is not clear yet.
There is still another picture. There is now a cosmic alliance between all the valid schools which have proven the experience of union with God, and these people have made some very derogatory remarks about the leaders whom I call, at home, “Pseudo Spiritualis Californicum.” The names are well known, the process is great, and there is not a single evidence of the God experience. The derogation is further directed at men like Gurdjieff who, having met a few mystics, have thrown the whole scene into disarray in order to build followers for themselves. So there is a big backing today all over the world.
This has brought with it, first, some young men, disgusted with Gurdjieffian promises who are now looking into Sufism and so far been satisfied; and also, some young people on the campuses of universities, who are very serious in their studies and wish to learn further. It means, therefore, that I can and should work either for these people, or for “myself,” with assurance of success if I keep the reins in hand.
Outside the ever-diminishing number of universities where Asian studies are still directed by Europeans, I have an ever growing number of allies. There are now two new groups studying the world religions, both serious. One is composed of scientists, but I have not yet their material. The other is composed of historians. In 1963 my check was returned; I was not eligible to attend a conference on Asia in Asilomar. Neither were Asians, apparently. Of 50 persons on panels, one single Asian! On the first three panels, British diplomats! But as of 1965, my credentials have already been accepted in total. This is slated to be held at Claremont next September and gives every promise of being a real conference, on real religious and not a smoked filled room of newspaper men, diplomats and European metaphysicians who have only too long controlled the field.
You will bear in mind, as the British philosopher Snow says, we have two cultures, the scientific and the literary humanist. I have still to get a rejection in from the former, no matter what science, nor how far I stray. And I can assure you that all the complex conditions in all parts of Asia, no exception, are due to our accepting the reports of representatives of the “other culture,” as so many scientists have had the exact same negative opportunities. You knew me when things were all wrong; now, it is exactly the opposite. Every principle I stood for has been vindicated; leading troops who have run into the same opposition.
But if the work of the young men is successful, I may have something very important to communicate. The West does not know the science of breath, or with it, the esoteric science of walking, and related matters of posture and stance. When I saw Miss Ruth I said, “I am going to save the world.” “How?” “By teaching little children how to walk.” “You have it.” But you must remember, Miss Ruth St. Denis has had a whole long life of esoteric training and experience. Anyhow, if successful, you will get full details. I will give one instance; a young man, Matachine, was having sinus trouble. “What is the obstacle in your right nostril? “How did you know I have a growth there?” (If you want details, I’ll give them. What we don’t know. This was intuitive deduction and it proved true. If it were not true the whole body of Sufic learning would have fallen. It does not fail.)
Love and blessing,
October 22, 1968
Dear Fred and Corinne:
This is a new age for Samuel and he hopes you are well. All the predictions of Hugo concerning his presence are coming true and while a copy is being sent to one person who has consistent]y rejected—at least he was consistent. There are too many in America and “only in America” who call “free speech” their demands to be heard by others or even compel others to listen to them but who themselves do not and often will not listen. These peoples pride themselves on the words “democracy,” “liberty,” “humanity,” etc. and some of them are known as semanticists who verbalize that words are not things, which their lives belie. It is pitiable.
Sam’s efforts to became a Pied Piper failed miserably: only the young showed up! There were 30 people at his birthday party at a Greek Restaurant here and about a hundred at his open house party at Novato, a town I think 30 miles to the north. All of these hundred were young excepting Gavin Arthur and his escort. And we did some real Dervish dancing choreographed by a man who has lived with “nonexistent” dervishes who do not fit in with the “world of realism.” To this was added the revolutions of the planets and it made Gavin very pleased because several of his ideas were used. Of course the hard, hard fact of a large number of really real young people do dervish dances does not belong to “realism.” What ain’t important to US ain’t. This is “realism.”
The whole change in circumstances reminds one of Samuel Morse but although revenge is sweet humor is sweeter. And although Morse went to the law courts and won every case (which anybody not a “realist” can accept) one’s career is to concentrate on the positive side and this is winning, all over Rand-McNally’s world—and again any resemblance to “realism” is either coincidental or ‘aint at all.
The main project going on with real leaders of the real worlds ignored by the “realists” and candidate Nixon will not the mentioned here. These people accepted Sam at once after testing his factual knowledge and finding all acts to be true. And one has no doubt that the historians of the future will accept history and not essays.
The next project is more dramatic. Now that Oliver Reiser has trotted out the teachings of Integration, all the analysts and dialectician and narrow-narrow “realists” have seized the word and are misusing it in ways no mathematician could ever dream of. The most pronounced has been the case of Julie Medlock, the biographer of Reiser. Julie has been involved in a lot of Asian pacts between real Asian countries not recognized by Nixon and “realists” and has been turned down even more consistently than Sam has been turned down—of course by the “democracy,” “liberty,” “humanity” groups, all over the American scene, pretty consistently.
Now she has come up with a dream derived from the Integrational teachings of Sri Aurobindo and Oliver Reiser. Every mathematician knows that a derivative of an integral is not an integral but the liberty-democracy-humanity dialecticians do not and they are seizing and misusing words all over and doing—nothing. The dream of Julie Medlock (hurray for dreams as long as we don’t have to work) is striking exactly the same snags as did the Roerich Museum years ago—victory by getting prominent people on the band wagon and letting the “peasants” contribute. It does not work that way and the commisar-minded advisers are slowly finding that cut.
Facts of history, processes of mathematical logic and operations of the human heart were being sacrificed in schemes—hurrah for the schemes!—so Sam has taken the first steps to action. Interest in Glory Roads has suddenly come to life and intensified but anybody not a semanticist will recognize that the author did not become a corpse after the book was written.
After intensive efforts to have two way communication Sam received a very cordial letter from Julie Medlock. His friends have visited Auroville and been able to put over the hard truth that a blue-print is not a building.
The Law of Compensation is also effective for the absolute refusal of “liberty-democracy-humanity” elders even to permit remarks or papers from Sam is making him intensely popular. He is becoming more and more welcome and professors are following their students in being willing to listen to factual accounts over editorial or dialectical opinions of the quondam “more equal” people. This is coming out in lectures and particularly in dances which manifest Sam’s inheritance from Ruth St. Denis. There is so much here too.
Unable to get help and on the verge of exhaustion Sam received a long-distance call from a scientist who is in love with one of Sam’s disciples. He wants Sam to hold everything, to organize him and to help with our common researches to help humankind solve problems without dialectics, editorials and opinions of the “more equal.” This may be soon.
It is certain Sam has around him some of the most beautiful young men and women as if they had stopped out of H. G. Wells. A few who have dared to inquire, (like Gavin) have been astonished. But the “more equal” and “realists” will continue their “liberty,” “humanity,” “democracy” stuff which has disgusted the young. That day is gone. Sam is not going to try to convince semanticists that words are not things; they have the empty formula which obviously they do not and cannot accept. But some day Sam will get out loads of materials to show this is an “ancient” teaching, not discovered by us, “anything you can do we can do better” culture.
I don’t know when I can get away from here. Nothing wrong, but too much “right” as before too much “a priori rejection.” It is a new world. The predictions of Hugo are coming true. The young are going to laugh off the map the follies of their elders. Don’t be surprised if there is a large write-in vote for P. Paulsen.
Love,
Sam
March 28, 1970
Dear Fred and Corinne:
In my last rather hurried visit to the Los Angeles region we found your telephone had been disconnected and made no further effort to contact. In fact the pace of life has become so rapid, one is fortunate to keep balance, at least a dynamic balance which enables one to function, and perhaps accomplish a few things. At this writing my secretary Mansur and myself are all packed ready to go to Geneva, Switzerland, to a conference not of the birds, but of the great religions of the world. At this moment we have had to become indifferent both putting our whole hearts and endeavors into the undertaking and yet realizing that if something is impossible we should not demand it, at least not from others. Anyhow one manages to keep one’s health and equilibrium.
After we leave Geneva, where we shall be meeting the important people, we expect to go to London to meet what we consider the humanity of the future. We have been in contact with young people in London, who seem to act and think far more like the young in your own vicinity than in accord with the traditional British elite; perhaps it is so. And I think it would shock the late Aldous Huxley to find that in so short a time after his demise Great Britain should be producing more Aldous Huxley’s than Beatles. Yes, there may be a God in evolution, and he has his own methods of demonstrating it.
We did see Vocha at that time and she has been here since. Now chiefly to see it she can dispose of her rather commodious art collection.
It is noteworthy at this time one has received a direct letter of apology from Paul Reps and an indirect apology by Lloyd Morain, visiting my Novato home, but in my absence. I have long warred against these two men who should have been friends on the subject of reality not “realism.” One can take abuse and criticism, but one cannot accept the denials of existence of a huge portion of the human race in order to prove, if one wants to call it that, a subjective thesis. As I am going to meet a number of people of all creeds, nationalities, and races, I cannot in any honesty deny the existence of any one of them because they do not fulfill my subjective promises. I do not know what will be accomplished, but there will be no harm in it.
The next theme after that of “peace through religion” and meeting the New Age types, will be connected with organic gardening. Many of the problems of the day are enshrouded in the miasma of subjectivisms, especially as freedom of speech gives sociologists and newsman, subjectivists in general, full accord to express themselves fully on many subjects whether they have any knowledge or not.
Johnny Weismuller’s health food store on Hollywood Boulevard is prospering, limited only to the degree that they are able to get organically grown crops. The movements toward organic foods and especially away from all those diabolical advertising devices which so concerned Corinne, is tremendous. The young simply are not taken in. The huge department stores which spend sums in trying to perpetuate Brooks Brother’s clothing etc., are now compelled to amalgamate with each other or go out of business.
Last week, after a program dedicated to the dangers from alcoholism, the station owner immediately editorialized the dangers of drugs. I am not defending drugs. I am concerned with the terrible harm done by subjectivisms of all sorts parading as knowledge, and parading as science.
The next day after a program showing how London had cleaned up its smog, the head of the station gave another scare editorial on the dangers of pollution. I have felt, and many scientists, indeed most scientists, agreed that there is one danger greater than that of the use of chemical poisons on plants and that is the widespread interjection of comparatively ignorant people into what should be dispassionate discussion. Here again one finds oneself in entire accord with the editorials and articles in Science, the organ of the top scientists of the country. Although I am scheduled to be in the state of New Mexico during the month of June, if I am in this vicinity I should be attending a conference of the top scientists, knowing that the discussions will be intelligent and intelligible, and also a person of my background will not be a priori pooh-poohed from the floor which will be occupied by every editor, TV manager, newspaperman, doctor, lawyer, Indian chief, who will be discussing subjects far beyond their ken with no one permitted to stop them. In other words while I am optimistic enough to believe we can solve great problems, I am pessimistic enough to believe the Philistines, so to speak, will not permit it. On the other hand, if I am successful in discussing religion I shall be permitted to speak on smog; and if I am successful in introducing a peace plan, I shall be permitted to speak on pollution.
If there is anything more ridiculous than this I would like to be informed. Anyhow, the heart is young and gay.
We put on our joint Spring Festival cum Gavin Arthur’s birthday on March 21. About 200 people participated in my dances. This number does not include the people who watched nor the technicians who have made a television recording of it. Gavin was enchanted.
My work hers is growing apace. So much so that my relatives men have become quite dispassionate concerning my ability to attend properly to present family problems. And any solution of these problems may mean a greatly enhanced income. That is not necessarily the most direct way to achievement, but it counterbalances deprivations of the earlier part of my life.
Love and blessings,
Samuel