[ca] October 1, 1964
All Praise is to Allah, Lord of all the Worlds, who makes it possible for a few persons or even a single one to carry His Message to people who are ignorant in spiritual matters and being learned otherwise, do not realize their ignorance in the sciences of heart.
Last week some of your material was read at the local Yoga center—this on request, to, not by the writer. Present also was a real Buddhist Master from Korea who greatly appreciates the article on Zen published by your good selves. This “Zen” also is so different from the travesty articles appearing on our bookshelves which have so little to do with spiritual liberation.
That the nature of this very universe is Rahm was pronounced by another Buddhist Master from Nepal in his presence and this master automatically accepted the Bismillah. This shows the Unity of Masters and the Unity of Spiritual realization.
In the outer world some most important scientific material has come into these hands, also opening up for a huge cooperative scheme involved the Integrationalists of East (Like the Sri Aurobindo movement) and the West, and also quite a few Sufis—many lands—all coming together on a potentially gigantic project based on Rahman but applicable to the surface of the world in accord with the latest scientific principles.
Last week this plan was accepted here by the Arab leaders and also the Sufi poem, Saladin, written through these hands, to be shown soon, inshallah, to a Prof. Sukkary visiting from Cairo University.
The next day was the complete acceptance of this person by the leading Orientalists after years of rejection from sundry persons, mostly Englishmen and Europeans, who have dominated Asian and particularly Islamic culture in this country. Now this person’s thesis on Tauba has already been accepted, and also he may serve on the committee for the centennial of the late Mahatma Gandhi. For the Americans and Asians have come together without any diplomats or newsmen from anywhere, and have come to total agreement.
In the final session the subject of Indian poetry was the theme. One man asked what was the resemblance and differences between the mysticism of the Vaishnavis and Sufis that produced the resemblances and differences between their various poetries. When no one could answer (and the audience included some of the top Orientalists of the whole Western world), this person gave his explanations from experiences and these explanations have been accepted. There is a scholar in Tasawwuf at the Chicago University and he wishes the writer to correspond with him. This will involve several types of spiritual poetry all based on actual experience and to some slight extent on knowledges of basic mystical literature, Indian and Islamic.
Thus after years of effort, the doors open. But my first spiritual teacher, Hazrat Inayat khan, says it generally takes about forty years in Zikr and Fikr to see the objectification. Now it has come.
Whatever has been the dream of Akbar or prince Dara Shikoh or Kabir or Nanak Guru, it comes out when the sincere scholars wish realities and not speculations.
Also we are preparing for the advent of a new Ambassador from Sudan who is expected here in June, inshallah. In that country nearly everybody has some tarik discipline.
Love and Blessings,
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
20 November 1964
My dear Brother;
I have just read in “Anjuman” about publishing books or articles on Tasawwuf. No details are given but I should appreciate any information therein, and also if these books are in English, and if available, and how could they be sent to the United States.
For your information, though born here, this person has been accepted into a number of orders of Dervishes, two in the near East and about six in South Asia, is a full-fledged Murshid in at least one, and Khalif in at least one more and has been sent to the United States as did Moin-ed-din Chisti to plant the seeds of the divine Wisdom in strange peoples, that is, those strange to this wisdom.
It is only now after many years and hard effort that there is some response. One has been helped by the appearance of Seyyed Nasr in this country. He is now head of the Department of Islamic Studies in the American University of Beirut. And next year, inshallah, we shall collaborate on “The Revitalization of Islamic Philosophy” to be presented at a conference of all religions to be held in California next year.
This week also I met Prof. Badeau, former Ambassador to UAR and now head of the School of Near and Middle East Studies, California University and he shows many signs of acquaintance with Tasawwuf.
Faithfully,
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
9 February 1965
Dear Sufi Sahib,
As-salaam-Aleikhum.
Thank you for your nice letter addressed to us asking for information regarding books and pamphlets on “Tasawwuf.” We regret very much for the delay in acknowledging your letter of the 20th November 1964, in response to which we now enclose pamphlets on Sufism and a copy of the Kalvath Shan containing writings on Philosophy.
The spreading of Sufism in the West, particularly in the States is a long felt need. Already Vedanta and Buddhism are fast spreading in the West and are doing yeoman service through their various missionaries situated abroad. We feel that the State is yet to taste and relish the depth of Sufi Mysticism and its spirit expressed and revealed through writings and poetry of Sufi mystics. The task you have undertaken in trying to plant the seed of Sufi Mysticism in the States requires every support from the Muslim World. Our best wishes and prayers go with you and may His blessings be showered upon you in abundance.
Please acknowledge receipt of this letter, book and pamphlets. A reply from you will be much appreciated.
Yours sincerely,
Fuard Uduman.
772 Clementina St.,
San Francisco 3, Calif.
February 18, 1965
Fuard Uduman,
Kalvath Shan Publications,
Range Estate,
Wattala, Hunupitiya, Ceylon
My Dear Brother in Allah:
Praise be to Allah for your letter and the enclosures which came at a time when things were complex and climaxing in the private life. Indeed on that day a letter had been written to my Pir-o-Murshid in Pakistan and the sign came definitely not to mail it when your booklets arrived, and also some other matters which shall be detailed. You may extract from this in any way you wish.
You will understand that it was necessary for some “free” souls to be born in this Western world to pioneer the awakening of mankind to spiritual realities, not in sermons, not in exhortations, not in books but in the opening of the heart-consciousness as actuality. And you must also understand that there have been but two courses for such persons so far—death from broken hearts, or life as a social recluse. But this person, set to function as a Jelali, on the surface seems to be operating contrary to many precepts and protocols laid down for spiritual people, the precepts coming from the scriptures or their teachers; the protocols coming from the metaphysical and fraudulent people who always draw more crowds.
One shall not here commiserate on anything. A few weeks ago a psychologist came to the writer: “You need therapy. I know you are a realized soul, but you think people won’t listen to you. You are mistaken, I shall show you.” This week this psychologist approached the writer: “I owe you an apology. I have now met some real Masters from the real Asia and I have witnessed what all of you must experience.” For there has of recent days been the beginning of a flow of wise men from other lands of Asia and in each instance there was mutual immediate recognition and in each instance these Masters have found it most difficult to reach the American public and hardest of all those who have been hypnotized into believing they are studying or practicing spiritual methods which lead to emancipation.
Toward the end of last year this person went on an important tour which incidentally brought him into contact with several Americans of the same type, all compulsory recluses because of the behavior of our fellows. And the Vietnam situation is nothing but an objectification of this. For all the problems of Vietnam were made known to this person, not by anything mystical or occult, but by his close American friends who were simply not believed. They had all gone to Asia, put on yellow robes, circulated among all the schools of Buddhist, and unanimously were rejected in this land. These are things on record and during a long life I do not know of a single tragedy that has befallen mankind that was not introduced either by one’s own fellows or by the lifting of the inner veils—this covers a long life, a long history, but never once that Allah did not warn and the warnings went unheeded. This is the life of nufsaniat-samsara.
This person returned to San Francisco to attend a public meeting given in honor of an important Indian political leader. To the dismay and even disgust of the audience this leader said: “Why, you are the man I came to San Francisco to meet. I travelled five thousand miles just to meet you:” It was true but the majority of people there did not, would not believe it, and this is true especially of those who pretend to believe in the law-of-karma.
The writer said boldly: Me Heng Dara Shikoh. This is a long and complicated history and it is remarkable how those people who delude themselves into believing they believe in reincarnation are the first to reject evidences of it. The long history of relations with Pir-o-Murshid Hasan Sani Nizami at Dargah Nizam-ud-din Auliya in Delhi are evidences of it.
You will find enclosed picture of self in the robe given first as Khalifa and then as full Murshid in the Sabri-Kadiri-Chisti Order, head-quarters Salarwala near Lyallpur, Pakistan. When I returned to India in 1962 the first place visited was the Dargah Nizam-ud-din Auliya. No letters, no communication, it was about 10: 30 at night and there was the Pir-o-Murshid, his brother and mureeds waiting.
A few days later I returned (the intervening history has to do with my most excellent friends Hon. President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Swami Maharaj Ranganathananda) . We went to the tombs of saints and in each case, there was an open communion and communication. This always happens but not always with living witnesses.
In front of the tomb of Amir Khusrau the saint appeared, gave me this robe and said: “You are the Successor of the late Mohammed Iqbal, in the succession from Maulana Roum.” And this robe which was in open vision, was being made at that time in Pakistan while the body was in India.
This is also mentioned because the writer is copying his poem “Saladin” which is a vast epic and which, inshallah, will be famous after my death. Part II has to do with the living experience of Miraj in which Khatimal Nabi played a dual role, acting as Vergil in Dante’s poetry and also in full capacity as Insaan-i-Kemal. So the confirmation of the poetry of Maulana Roum.
Khizr. This person went away to die in the wilderness mar r years ago. By Grace Khwaja Khizr appeared and offered him poetry (as above) or music. The music since came, first as the embodiment of the Flute of Masnavi and then as the Flute-of-Krishna which has been demonstrated many times. But the evidence is that as time has gone out, excepting the eyes, the body has not aged at all, and from the ordinary point of view appears miraculous, while in truth it is Divine Grace and nothing else.
Mohammed manifested at the end of the period in the wilderness after all the Messengers of God appeared before these eyes in broad daylight, but Mohammed in double and the same robe as above conferred, but not believed—as, of course, there is no way to communicate with people who have not had the veils lifted. It only resulted that when my first Pir-o-Murshid died, his wishes were ignored, though both the then living Pir-o-Murshid Hasan Nizami in Delhi and this person were given exactly the same instructions.
Papa Ramdas. This is very difficult to write as only laughter or tears can convey. Once three different persons within two weeks said that this person should meet Swami Ramdas. They did not know each other and could give no details. But they could not accept this person because of his Jelali covering. Then Ramdas appeared suddenly also in the middle of the day and said he would come in one year. And in exactly fifty two weeks he arrived in San Francisco. The three persons did not accept him and this person had no choice.
This history will not be recorded but in 1962 while at the Ashram in Kanhangad in the north part of Travancore-Cochin State, three mornings in succession this person awoke not as his known self but as Ramdas. So he went to Papa and said, “It is time to go.” Papa said, “Yes it is time to go.” But this person knew then mystically it was time for papa Ramdas to go.
Nyogen Senzaki was a Zen Master in California whom the writer met just six weeks after he met his first Sufi teacher (Murshida Rabia Martin), and these few days chartered a strange course of unity and division in the spiritual disciplines. But in America, excepting a few old disciples, the people who take up “Zen” reject this person. The Masters who have come here have accepted him and those who are not masters reject him, but they do not reject the Triratna; so it is clear.
As soon as he came to Japan not only were all the Zendos open to him but he had the “Satori” in both the Rinzai and Soto Schools. When he returned to California he said: “When Sogen Asahina and Sam Lewis met were there two, one or no people in the room.” “Let us have some tea.” Then this person knew that Nyogen Senzaki would soon leave the earth.
Sometime later he met the secretary of Senzaki-san and said: “One word in your ears and the enlightenment.” The lady came up and put her ears near his lips. He repeated the words of Nyogen Senzaki and she had the Satori. Only now as many years have been spent for the sake of the records this is mentioned,
When this person came to Dargah Data Ganj Baksh (Al-Hujwiri) in Lahore in 1960 it was very noisy, there were all kinds of celebrations by all kinds of Sufis ignoring each other. This person went into an alcove, practiced Murakkabah, and to his amazement he was enfolded in the consciousness of the saint and this also happened always there and also elsewhere. Whenever this person went to the Dargah or Mazar, there was always open communication.
Later he began going regularly to the tomb of Saint Mian Mir who gave him the instructions: Allaho Akbar = Peace is Power, and gave him the secret of the two conditions which also appear in the Udana of Lord Buddha and in the “Secret Sayings of Jesus” which you have published.
So recently with all the trouble in Southeast Asia and with the rejection of each other by all Buddhist groups here—they reject everything including each other—this person sent out a challenge. It was that if Buddhists would practice the teachings of Lord Buddha by any of the basic methods a small Sangha could bring peace in Southeast Asia.
Now this person wrote that he knew four methods of Buddhism that could be used to bring Peace:
a. The Jhanas
b. The Cosmic Monism (Avatamsaka)
c. The Ko-an method
d. The Mahamudra Meditation
This person has now, despite or because of his Sufism, been initiated in all these methods, and part you will find in the pages of “Saladin” and part can be substantiated by human beings.
Most of the popular groups that are deceived into believing they are studying Dharma of course reject and do not practice any of the above, nor study the Buddhist scriptures but are concerned with the person who is their teacher and with other egocentricities. But the top lay Buddhist is Princess Poon Diskul of the Royal Family of Thailand and she also has the cosmic outlook and accepts all faiths and we are very close.
So this person sent the challenge and the World Buddhist Federation, instead of rejecting it, asked permission to publish it, for it means that the Buddhists must practice or accept responsibility. This person knew that Mahatma Gandhi would die one year before it happened because in the Mushahida it was shown that Gandhi had been two courses—he could either follow Lord Buddha and walk through the streets of Kashmir with followers, or accept martyrdom. Lord Buddha always stopped wars, his followers do not follow.
But also the communication was in the Gatha form, for the theoretical Buddhists say that when one has Enlightenment or Wisdom he can compose sutras, and this person whose Gatha was first accepted years ago by a visiting Zen Master has been refused permission by all who pretend to be “Zen Buddhists” here in America, to read and tell of the vision of Tathagata which prompted it.
Only this is a long, complex and fruitless history of meeting dualists who call themselves Monists and non-dualists and who have not only never experienced identity with others or with the Universe but even deny the possibilities.
So your Zen affirmations and your Vedantic quotations and most of all the lines from Maulana Roum.
All over Asia wherever this person has gone either he has already been accepted or will be, and he has no mission other than that laid down distinctly and exactly in your brochures. In the Ocean the waters that came from various rivers commingle and are one. Jesus said: “I am the Vine and ye are the branches thereof.” Abdul Baha said: “People of the world you are as branches of the tree and leaves of the branch.” In my profession I am gardener and horticulturalist. In science there is no room for self and dualism.
The Mahamudra Meditation is nothing but Mushahida excepting for language difference, but Mujahida, ah, Mujahida!
With all love and felicitations and good-will and blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
772 Clementina St.,
San Francisco 3, Calif.
March 2, 1965
Arthur Osborne,
Editor, “The Mountain Path,”
Sri Ramanasrmana, Tiruvanamalai, Madras, India
My dear Brother:
It is always with joy and a fascinating contentment that “The Mountain Path” is received and the January 1965 issue arrived yesterday. The term “fascinating contentment” means that there is principally and primarily heart agreement, but there are also those disagreement which permit the head as well as the heart to function. And there is either a remarkable harmony or a total hiatus between those who write articles on “One Mind” and the observer who finds this “One Mind” functioning. The differences come that here there will be objective illustrations. Unfortunately objective illustrations are objectionable to dialecticians and non-mystics who are trying to prove what they have not experienced, and one who has facts to support his subtle or cosmic philosophy is branded as an “egotist” while the dialecticians with innate self-praise continue to differ from each other, as they must.
In the private (?) life I am a scientist. No scientist would receive any attention if he claimed that Physic was greater than Biology or that Geology was greater than Anatomy. The actual operations of the mind have for analyzing and qualifying purposes worked out there several sciences. But at the same time there is now a world movement which is looking for total Integration knowing that Nature (Prakit) is one.
This world outlook is in two parts for its original basis assuming that the physical methods of the “West” are superior but also that India has a cosmic psychology which may lend to the benefit of mankind. But the confusion among and between manasic, mana-vijnanic, vijnanic, alaya-vijnanic, ananda and prajna processes make discrete philosophies rather complex on the verbal level.
When one arises above ego-mind he will express himself better in some form of poetry. The Vedas, the Gathas of many peoples, the hymns of the Early Buddhists, of the Hebrews, the Song of Hakuin, the Gatha of the Sixth Patriarch and the great Epics attest.
But now that you have recognized “Kalvath Shan” and their stress on Maulana Roum (Jelal-ud-din Rumi), mere statements by anybody carry no weight except with those already satisfied, which is very good, but not otherwise.
I am a scientist and called upon to attend two world congresses soon in the Southern part of California. The first will be of scientists and anybody not having had experiences, will be cautioned to maintain silence. The second will be of the leaders of the world’s faiths and here again those without experience are going to be cautioned to be silent and listen to those who have had the experiences. So long as more opinion, complex dialectics, ignorant-faith, learned-faith, awakening-faith, prajna and complete awakening are received as equal there is going to be trouble. We will not solve any problems but we shall be very pleased with ourselves.
It is peculiar that while the world has retained much of caste-distinctions, despite all laws and assumptions and even among the mystics it is only long after death that a Hui Neng or Kabir is honored, among those who are regarded socially or intellectually as equals, you have complicated collections of sudra-thoughts, Kshetrya-thoughts, outcaste thoughts and sannyassi thoughts combined. I mean I call those people outcastes who have has no vision of Oneness or Divinity, or at best sudras; or rather they are sudras who can perform the worship as ritual without any insight as to its meaning.
Buddhism. The difference between a Karma-Yogin and those who write on Karma-Yoga will now be illustrated. The charge made that the Buddhism world was not producing Anagamins, Srotapannas, Sakrodagamins, etc. was taken up. There is a complex war in Vietnam. Why isn’t it stopped? If there were Anagamins and Srotapannas what is all this nonsense about “peace?”
The next step was to express this in Gatha form. From Mohammed with his charge to produce another Qur’an to Hui Neng who could give a Gatha without attending any meditation practices, the derivative people vaunt the personality but cannot use the method. The Vijnana-Gandharva stage of evolution is almost entirely missing among Buddhists who jump from man to deva and then devaluate the deva.
The heads of the World Buddhist Federation, not being dualists, not being essayists about “One Mind” have accepted and will publish my Gatha, taking up your charge about the “absence” of Anagamins, Srotapannas, etc. But the “Diamond Sutra” definitely lays down that Bodhisattvas do not operate from the worlds of self-consciousness. Stream-consciousness is different from crystalline-egoconsciousness, and still is not necessarily ocean-consciousness.
Francis Allen. This article would never pass at all in a scientific class. It is based on nothing but the writer’s opinions, not backed up by even cursory observations. There are in San Francisco headquarters of “Buddhist Churches in America,” “Buddhist Congregations in America”—the former is essentially “Pure Land,” the latter “Lotus,” but both are much broader. Francis Allen seems quite unaware of either Pure Land (several schools) or Lotus (several schools). The four main categories are purely subjective.
Now a copy of the Gatha-peace plan was sent to Dr. Malalasekera, founder of the World Buddhist Federation, and shortly after receiving it he came to San Francisco. The writer’s first teacher in the Dharma was Rev. M. T. Kirby, disciple of the Great Shaku Soyen. He taught “Moksha,” he illustrated Moksha, he had experienced Moksha. So when one hard Dr. Malalasekera who came to San Francisco immediately after receiving the Gatha, speak on “Moksha” it was a joy and blessing.
It is forgotten that Lord Buddha was a Hindu; the Indians were—and from your articles are—concerned with Dharma-Artha-Kama-Moksha but they had no evidence of Moksha any more than Theravadins seem to evince Anagamins and Srotapannas today. It was to return to the Sanatana or Arya Dharma with Moksha that Buddha offered his Dharma. In other words we have today too much “Buddhism” and too little “Mokshaism.”
It was M.T. Kirby who first started classes in Zen, although he was functioning for the Pure Land and other schools as a Universal Buddhists. He also taught the scriptures. When he left San Francisco he turned affairs over to the late Nyogen Senzaki.
Now there is a lot of material called “Zen” and the majority of it has nothing to do with Lord Buddha or the Buddhist scriptures and what is called “awakening” by them establishes neither vine-consciousness or stream-consciousness or ocean-consciousness. Most of so-called “Zen” in America has nothing to do with any scriptures, but begins with the successors of Hui Neng and goes on to Japan, being very selective and omitting all references to India. There is no Pancha-Sila and no Vijnana, and there is such a split among those who think they are following “Zen” that you can say anything. Anybody who has had the satori experience is out—he has no place among most of these people. They will accept only conformations of their positions.
Some time ago a man attacked this person in the same of “The Masters of the Far Fast” and a psychiatrist being present said, “You feel rejected, you need psychiatry, I shall help you.” This person noticed that when real Masters came from the real Orient, contact was established immediately with this person and others, like the critic, took a far turn, they either kept quiet or did not show up at all. Then the psychiatrist said: “I apologize, it is not you, it is the public that needs the psychiatry.” For there are certainly Masters coming and the writer had the pleasure of studying real Zen (Linchi, Chan) under Master Tai Hsu who was the teacher of at least one of these Masters directly and of the other two at least indirectly—they met him.
Despite Dr. Malalasekera speaking on Moksha, there is today very very Theravadin teachings. In fact it is held to ignominy especially by what Francis Allen calls “Neo-Buddhists who are chiefly motley lots of people who reject Christianity and often morality and seek some over.”
As to Tibetan Buddhism. It is morally wrong to throw barbs out blindly without explaining. Christian Scriptures (but not our Christian friends) posit the psychikos and pneumatikos and Hindus the subtle and causal bodies. No doubt some Tibetans or even most have been more concerned with the subtle phenomena than with enlightenment. But does Francis Allen know about Mahamudra? You have already published the viewpoint of the Dalai Lama so no further consideration is needed.
Karma Marga. Since this is an editorial and you have quoted Jacob Boehme, I wish to refer to Mohammed. People who practice the way of life of Rassoul Mohammed have no time to write Articles on “Karma-Yoga.” Buddhists claim, in some schools, that Nirvana and Samsara are identical—words, words, words, backed by nothing but continuous affirmation.
The Revelation came to Mohammed and after that in his private and public life he was outcaste, sudra, vaisaya, Kshetrya, Brahmin and sannyasin all in one person. He fulfilled all the functions and did not make distinctions and did not talk about a oneness that was not oneness. He found God in everything and everyone and performed Akhlak Allah.
The conclusion about the Ramakrishna Mission, “Since this is a new departure in Hindu Spiritual discipline” is not accepted. This was the early discipline of Indian society which fell into decay after decay. Originally there was division of labor and no outcaste, and there was a difference between the ritual priest and the spiritual attainer. The sastras have obliterated that and the smirti has overcome the sruti. Lord Krishna was a cowherd and this, not being too respectable, it had to be minimized. The cowherd ought to be the most respectable of professions. The world is suffering from lack of proper foods because not enough people know how to produce sufficient food by methods long since, discovered and practiced but not applied since being a herdsman or tiller is not too “respectable.” Tolstoy knew better than that.
Most Articles illustrate the outcome of actual spiritual experiences of actual people. It is only when ananda, moksha, prajna are placed “democratically” alongside speculations and dialectics that trouble follows. And if we are going to criticize the Theravadins for not producing Anagamins, Srotapannas, etc., the same Occam’s razor should be used on all.
I therefore cannot see where there is room for the slightest criticism of the late Joel Goldsmith whom I have never met, when there is evidence of his “having reached the other shore.” I therefore cannot see the slightest excuse for “The Spiritual Tradition of Presbyterianism” because the term “spiritual” as here used and used by the generality has nothing to do with actual rebirth or attainment or the inner values of the Bible, either the Hebraic or Grecian portions. Such a person could find no place among those who are presumably spreading principles of universal consciousness.
Islam. This criticism is made because it leads to “Esoteric Aspects of Islam.” Like the scientists, practically all the Indian writers have given illustrative material. Whether one accepts Ananda Mayi or not, the review is based on illustrative material, not more ego-assertions backed by nothing.
Aspects of Islam. So I come to this most harmful article by Abdullah Qutbuddin with his “A World-Sanctifying Religion” based, not as so many illustrative articles on spiritual attainment, but on more egocentric dialectics which have nothing to do either with history or spiritual awakening.
Qutbuddin Sahib has shown the superiority of Holy Qur’an over the daily lives of Christians and Buddhists. And I can prove the superiority of Dhammapada over the private lives of Hindus and Christians; and I can prove the superiority of the Bible over the private lives of Muslims and pagans.
We have a totally different “Islam,” surrender to Allah Who is closer than our neck-vein, in Whose presence we always are and Who is in all, through all and with all. And I proclaim without stint the vast superiority of politician Mahatma Gandhi over politicians, King Sauds and other “Islamic” rulers, who exploit their people, seize their women and perform unspeakable acts, excused because they are “Muslims.” It is time to return to Allah and forget “Islam”; it is time to return to God and dispense with much “religion.” Your illustrative articles are too far about comment other than to wish all love and blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
March 3, 1965
772 Clementina St.,
San Francisco 3, Calif. 94103, USA
Kalvath Shah Publications,
Range Estate,
Wattala, Hunupitiya,
Ceylon
Beloved Ones Of Allah:
My first Pir-o-Murshid, Hazrat Inayat Khan, used to tell us: “A Sufi is one who sees life from two points of view, himself and that of another.” Now this person has been quite a long time under spiritual disciplines starting his pursuit in Tasawwuf about 1920 and his practice of Zen in 1921, and he has reached no conclusions other than those that appear in your publications. At the same time because we are facing two situations today—problems of world peace, and of cultural exchange, he thinks it is only fair to enclose copy of letter to the editors of “The Mountain Path,” and also to enclose copy of this to them.
This person came under the influence of Paul Brunton many years ago and also had the diksha from this man, without any words, without verbal communication an in six weeks had the samadhi under the methods of Sri Ramana Maharshi. But he at no time has had any vision of the Maharshi, and he did have the diksha—without words, at long distance, from the late Swami Ramdas. Indeed when he was last with Ramdas in 1962 three mornings he awakened to find himself as “Papa” and said: “It is time to go” and Papa said, “It is time to go,” and he left knowing also that Papa Ramdas would not long remain in this world.
He had the same experience with the Zen Master Nyogen Senzaki in California, before that.
Now, my beloved brethren, there is a difference between the real attainment and the lectures about it. And especially a Western man does not get recognition and does not care either. For there is a clear path wrought by Hui Neng and Hakuin in Zen and Chan-Buddhism, by Kabir in India and by multitudes of dervishes that they get no acceptance, they even get rejections in their life time and then they are acclaimed by the future generations who go on rejecting the wise of their time and this has been the history of the world.
Last night some words were read from my epic poem, “Saladin” about Ram-Sita. In the pursuit of fana-fi-Rassoul, when this person was under the direct Guidance of Mecca Shereef he was shown (Mushahida) the eminence of all the so-called “Avatars” of India and made to accept them from and on their level and not from his tradition, personal views or the opinions of the community. The poem read was the stanza about Ram-Sita and the audience was of Yogi-chelas to whom this person never speaks of tasawwuf. And they were very much moved, but at no time could he tell them: “My Sadguru is Mohammed, Mecca Shereef, Khatimal-i-Nabiin,” for they are not ready and would be unsettled. Likewise the so-called “Muslims” have their private affirmation which they call “Islam,” each his own and thus the world is divided.
There is in “The Mountain Path” a title of “Paths to Self-Realization” and there is no criticism of it at any point. But this is a scientific age, this is an objective age and this person has met self-realized people of many schools, many paths, and also has had the Moksha be many methods, which advocates of certain schools do not always recognize.
I have before me “Tazkiratul-Auliya,” Memories of Saints of Farid-ud-din Attar. These are to me, half-saints. They fulfill La Illhaha, or fana, or the negative Nirvana. They do not fulfill the Baqa.
Now the Baqa is usually the attainment on the Seventh or Highest Plane, and when one has that Baqa he is Mukta, liberated, and these are the wisest and best. But Allah made the Heavens and Faith and Allah is the Light of Heavens and Faith. And the Divine fight is in the smallest thing of earth as well as the biggest thing of heaven.
Here science differs from Advaita philosophy. For science demonstrated by the ultramicroscope and the infrared spectrum analysis that Allah is the Light of the smallest of earth, while Advaita advocated, in practice that Allah is the light of the illumined. Thus, while Ramana Maharshi was undoubtedly an Insaan-i-Kemal, he has not yet brought, like Buddha, a string of illuminated souls, and he might yet have a string of illuminated souls (silsila).
The great Avatars of India and the great Prophets of the West who were illuminated yet had to withdraw from earthly functions sometimes for a spell, sometimes for a life, and thus the advocated of Advaita do not see “The Light of God” in the midst of the creation. This point is brought out by the Sufi Sage Abu Said Ibn Abi’l Khayr who said the he true Muslim would eat and drink, marry and beget children, do business in the market the same as everybody else and not forget Allah for one moment.
It was Mohammed who could, without resorting to Khilvat, function as harijan, sudra, vaisya, Kshetrya, Brahman and sannyasin all at the same time, in the ordinary daily life, who thus to me becomes the exemplary human being. This person makes it a point of honor to get dirty hands by doing dirty work and still maintaining Zikr. He is adding to his skills to help improve, inshallah, the agricultural standards of the world and when he goes forth it will be both as devotee and as a practical, with dirty hands and no tongue at all the Karma Yoga.
This is a challenge and a blessing, a communication and a prayer.
When Isa and Peter were on the seashore Isa said: “Peter, you saw the pebbles and pearls here which would you pick up.” “The pearls, of course.” “You are far from the kingdom of heaven.”
The ultramicroscope, the infrared spectroscope make no distinctions between pebbles and pearls measuring the Divine Light in all. It is here where I differ from our Hindu brethren. Science is today ahead of so-called Advaita. As you have published the heart is the Arsh throne.
Love and blessings from
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
P.S. I have written about you to my Pir—o-Murshid and others. Will give you names if you so desire.
March 9, 1965
Syed Mazhar Ahmed
Haji Nisar Manzil
Dargah Sharif
Ajmir, India
My dear Brother,
As-salaam aleikhum. Any letter from you brings joy and inner glow. The package also will be used. The last one of dry roses was used in healing and purification for a young mureed here, and very successful too. One feels the baraka in these gifts, and they become effective.
There is no zakat to pay here and it is only proper and normal either to send funds either to your Shrine or to that of Nizam-ud-din Auliya in Delhi, for these are the repositories of the heart on earth. The other is that of data Ganj Baksh (Grand Sheikh Al-Hujwiri) at Lahore who also preceded our Nhawja Sharbi Nawaz.
But it is one thing to worship a Saint, another to worship at his shrine and still a third to draw upon him for inspiration and guidance.
The very next project is a paper on “Purification and Repentance in Islam.” This will be drawn largely from “Kashf-al Mahjub” of Al-Hujwiri (Data Sahib) and is to be presented at a conference of all faiths to be held here in the State of California this coming September. I shall have as colleague at that conference Seyyed Hossein Nasr who is professor of Islamics and Near East studies at the American University at Beirut, Lebanon.
Already Allah has given the inspiration, for the difference between the tasawwuf and ordinary religion is that one gets perpetual guidance and inspiration even though he lives geographically, so to speak, at the end of the earth. Al-Ghazzali said that tasawwuf consist of experiences and not logic, and if one has not lived through the ahwal and makamat, he cannot justify himself toward the world and before Allah. before his nufs he can justify himself and this is condemnation, not justification.
Also from Al-Hujwiri will be drawn material on Mushahida and Mujahida, but one has lived through these also. Today there is a witness here fo a man from Sudan whose father was a great teacher at Kano, on Nigeria. He hopes we can build up connections between the spiritual brethren all over the earth and with Allah’s help this will be done. At Kano he says there is a school where tasawwuf is taught in English and where and American believer would be most welcome.
Now there has arisen in Ceylon, Kalvath Shan, or Abode of Meditation. They are on range Estate, Wattal, Hunupitaya, Ceylon. Already their publication has received nothing but praise from many parts of the world. They are giving out teachings of perfection and wonder, in English, which has not been done much. All these things are very encouraging and point ultimately to the establishment of spiritual brotherhood on earth.
The great contribution of Islam is not something different but something final. This comes in baqa, and in Ismi Azam, and by these words and what they mean inwardly and outwardly man can be reborn, revivified and stand firth and strong under all condition. In the praise of Allah it is not necessary to condemn or exclude, and with the widening of the heart there is room for all for Allah is Rab Al-Alimin.
One can understand with many pilgrims you are very busy. It may surprise you to learn that the peace program for Southeast Asia coming from these hands and heart has been accepted and published. The whole Western world may have despised the approach but the leaders in that region appreciate the universe of heart [?].
The practice of Akhlak Allah and Zikr and Fikr rescues one of the loneliness of “The Cave” and enables one to be firm, strong and alert though in the midst of “spiritual strangers.” The conferences which are coming this year in California, inshallah, shall give scope for spiritual expression which has not previously be permitted. It requires patience, steadfastness and insight.
My love and blessings to yourself and all the brethren,
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
31 March 1965
My dear Brother;
All Praise is to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, and Rab Alamin, meaning not only all “worlds” but all “worlds” of knowledge and wisdom. The receipt of the book of poetry came at an excellent time. For tomorrow a new restaurant is being opened and special dinner by my newly found friend, Hassan Hashim, from Sudan. As you may know, practically all the people of this land are disciples in Tarikat. Therefore readings of these poems would be quite in order on this occasion.
What is remarkable is not the spirituality of the poetry so much as the success in using English as the vehicle. There are many spiritual poems in this world and some day this person may tell of his visit to the tomb of Amir Khusrau in New Delhi and what happened there. This great Diwan changed the center of gravity from Persian to Urdu, and now this may be the first step, inshallah, to change it to English.
True, the writer has used English but in epic poetry only and it is very difficult to find any publisher for epics especially from an unknown person, though now after many years efforts slowly there are changes and signs of greater change.
Why should a person be born in this part of the world where the ideals, ideas and ways of life have been so different? It has required more than patience. It is only recently that it is very noticeable here that the real spiritual people from Asia are not welcomed, and the pretenders are. But there are more and more real spiritual people coming here among whom the above mentioned Hassan Hashim is but one.
If the reading is at all successful the poems will be brought to the annual Arabic cultural conference which takes place here all day, Saturday, April 3. There will be at least one man from the University of Cairo, of which institution this person was long an honored guest.
One is interested in finding listed, “The World University Development Program,” no address given. For this month also attention was called to the formation of a World University in New Delhi, two of whose trusties are Pakistani Sufis. It seems that the dream of Akbar will ultimately come true, what the world may surmise. I do not have ain-I-Akbari, but do have Dabistan, a later product of the Mogul Court.
There is at present a fierce struggle going on between European “Orientalists” and those who have lived with and studied with living saints. The former place all the Sufis in centuries long passed. This is nonsense. This week also the writer received a letter of approval from a college in this State, that his paper on “Tauba” had been accepted, was not only being published but also translated. This matter will come to public attention in the month of September, inshallah, when cultured leaders of all faiths will be meeting in this State for a conference on all religious. This person doubts that he will have any difficulty, for he has not only studied all the scriptures, but by grace, had inner realizations thereof.
It has taken over forty years for this to happen, but today this person is Murshid of the Christi-Kadri-Sabri order, the last meaning that one must be patient in all things, above all things.
Attention to this world will be brought to one’s book dealers also. There are few people who know Islam here at any level, but if there were the inner Islam, they would be attracted. It is only by extreme patience for the public believes that other faiths lead to spiritual realization but not Islam. Yet in some universities it is now taught the opposite, so we need have no fear, only more patience.
Love, blessings and thanks,
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
Dr. K. M. P. Mohamed Cassim, PhD
P.O. Box 11
Veyangoda, Ceylon
December 20, 1969
Mr. Samuel L. Lewis
USA
Dear Friend,
We acknowledge with grateful thanks the receipt of your (interesting letter dated 9th November, 1969).
We feel that spiritual freedom is the common aim of all people and hence, we spread the message of philosophy to all who are sincerely interested because we are of opinion that mutual exchange of philosophical ideas and aspirations will create spiritual understanding and Co-operation. We feel nothing in the world can give us happiness except our Self-knowledge through which we liberate ourselves. The urgent necessity and the spiritual importance of realizing our true “Self” should ha stressed and explained beautifully so that we can manifest the Light of Unity. We must always remember that liberations is a state of ultimate perfection when the ego becomes merged into the over soul.
We feel that to unfold our divine nature rightly, we must have the capacity to meditate correctly and this meditation will purify our hearts. Then we will be able to uplift our hearts to that realm of divinity which provides bliss and liberation. By concentrating our whole attention in self-contemplation, we spontaneously train our minds to have a glimpse of the Infinite. We must fully realize the fact that we are not the physical bodies or minds but in essence we are divine and this divinity can be experienced directly when the mind is still. To live always in a state of stillness is the right a method of mediation and then life a will be fall, of joy with inner freedom.
We feel that, an aspirant must develop his physical body and mind side by side along with his spiritual progress. The body and nervous system should be kept strong and healthy. The mind can be trained efficiently by regular meditation. Life without meditation is full and to enjoy life fully one must purify the body and the mind. We all seek happiness, but we can have real happiness only in mediation because through meditation alone we are able to contact highest spiritual vibrations which purify and vitalize the whole body, nervous system and mind. Life is so sweet and sacred that we must purify ourselves from moment to moment by constant meditation. There is great pleasure in leading a pure life. Perfect peace can be experienced in profound meditation. The best way to be happy is to purify our mind. Our physical our minds. Our physical bodies and minds are instruments to be developed and used carefully for self-realization.
We are now reaching a stage when there is the possibility of a new life as unseen dives forces are working at a tremendous speed for the virtual benefit of all. We can feel now the inside power inspiring us and guiding us to realize Supreme Consciousness. We need not suppose that this age is ill-fitted for the discovery or great truth. Let us have a firm and an ever-increasing faith that mankind is on the road to a higher spiritual development. May the divine light shine upon us at every step and illumine our meditative path,
With best wishes and fraternal greetings,
Your in Universal Service,
Perfect Peace Lodge
(Signed) KWP Cassim
Founder-President
Dec. 28, 1969
Dr. K. M. P. Mohammed Cassim
Founder-President Perfect Peace Lodge
P.O. Box 11
Veyangoda, Ceylon
Beloved One of Allah: As-salaam-aleikhum:
Of all the presents received this season, your own stands easily in first place. There is such an agreement one hopes you will accept the program that this material will be used far and wide. When this person left Egypt some years ago he carried a potential message from the Sahib-i-Dil of Egypt to those of South Asia. This mission was only partly successful. The religious world as a whole seems to be bound in outer forms and conventions. The followers of each faith point to the superiority of the sayings of their Teacher over the behaviorism of the followers Teachers. In the end, outer religion takes on only two forms:
a. I am as good as you;
b. I am better than you.
There is a certain amount of freedom in this land, and especially around the universities which are subject of so much contention. There—but practically never elsewhere—one has been able to prove logically, extra-logically, and super-logically that all this presumes without any substantiation that the ego (nufs) exists and that God (Allah) has to be proved. This means in fact that religious people in general cannot prove to others the validity of their own scriptures. Whereas if we accepted for example, the first words of the Hebrew Bible (just for example) the assumption is that the Deity exists, but there is no substantial support for any declaration that the ego-individual exists, or if it exists, persist.
This strange ego-assumption has even extended into the areas of verbal Sufism. Verbal Sufism has became popular because it has accepted the Western materialistic anti-Christ methods of the Scribes. And when one faces something called “Sufism” which does not stress Allah, which often stresses something very different, it is not always easy to present one’s own theme. But when I look to your documents, I find very solid ground on which to stand and from which to operate. Or, as Al-Ghazzali has proclaimed, “Tasawwuf is based on experiences, not on premises.” It therefore becomes almost annoying to have to present any statement or view verbally connected with something called “Sufism,” based on premises, any premises.
I find myself in total agreement and accord with what you have written and can only hope and pray that something of this kind will receive some attention, if not appreciation, from the world. This happens to have arrived at a time I had begun resuming my efforts on what, inshallah, will be a masterpiece, viz. “Rassoul Gita,” of which the first lines are enclosed. This is being written, one feels, in what you call fana-fi-Tauhid, which I have known as fana-fi-Lillah. It is most refreshing to find you using the real Sufi terminology, which is the basis of my own efforts here. One also accepts your, to me, deep interpretations of the Pillars. These have become so institutionalized as to be vapid. What I have been doing here would be called innovations. I believe that the Light of Allah is neither of the East nor of the West. Neither of the Present nor Past. Neither of any time nor space nor condition nor conditionality. We repeat the Bismillah incessantly here; we repeat the sacred phrases and make then the basis of our lives. And we have been rather successful in convincing many young Americans not only that Alah Is, buth that he is Rahm (and perhaps Ram), but mostly that he actually is All Mercy and Compassion.
The direct experiences of Americans no doubt contradict some of the dogmas of orthodoxy. However, with your fine statements I see no need to look elsewhere for words. I am therefore sending copies to certain persons of esteem and importance in the world of Islam and Tasawwuf. I shall also use them to combat some very strange presentations, verbally and legally called “Sufism” not based on these principles, not even based on Holy Qur’an, and based on assumptions and experiences far different from what we find in Hadith and in the life and example of Mohammed, the historically best known of all Prophets and Messengers.
Love and blessings from,
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
July 12, 1970
Dr. K.M.P. Mohammed Cassim
Veyangoda, Ceylon
Beloved One of Allah:
We have before us your splendid materials on the significance of meditation, and also your letter of 18 April, 1970. We have not been able to handle all our correspondence due to increased need to travel, growing number of disciples, and constantly adding opportunities, due to Divine Grace and Blessing.
We are going to make use of your “Significance of Meditation.” Indeed our speaker tonight is Master Seo Kyung-Bo from Korea. As we have had many forms of meditation placed before us, and as some of those do not seem to be as pragmatically sound as the theories proclaimed, we intent to use the meditative methods of Pir Vilayat Khan. These are pragmatically sound, and seem to fit the needs of the day without in the least detracting from any successful systems inherited from the past.
At my summer school in the state of New Mexico I presented elements of all the Buddhist systems of meditation from the early Jhanas to the theoretically highest Maha Mudra. I think this was almost the first time this has been done for centuries. All the more significant because they were offered by a Sufi, not by a so-called Buddhist. The Buddhists are very very much divided and this causes them endless confusion. On the other hand, the work of Pir Vilayat Khan is integrative and practical.
No matter what you read in the press, we can assure you there is a spiritual revolution going on in these United States, and going on at a very rapid pace indeed.
Thanking you for your material, and with all Love and Blessing,
Samuel L. Lewis
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti