July 26th 1954
78 Anna Paulownastraat
The Hague
Dear Mr. Lewis
On this 13th of august 1956 I received a letter from you, dated June 30, 1956 from Hong Kong when you were on your pilgrimage to India. In that letter you write “There were also many other papers, either not found or not looked for in Mrs. Martin’s house, when she died. I knew about them but her daughter would not let me look for them, and some of them were very precious.”
Since that letter of your I have been trying to find the name and address of Mrs. Martin’s daughter. Mr. Reps whom we met last summer did not know her married name nor address, Shamcher Beorse whom we saw about two months ago did not even know that Mrs. Martin ever had a daughter. My brother sister-in-law Mr. and Mrs. Willebeek LeMain (Bahadur and Sohagan) who went years ago as mureeds to California were often in Mrs. Martin’s home and they have a faint recollection that her name as a married woman was Cohen. Is that true? I intended to inquire most carefully about those papers you speak about, but what can I do without knowing her name or address? We found an old address of Mrs. Martin (dated 1923), Kearney Street room 308 San Francisco (Cal) but one would hardly think that this address could be of any help to find the whereabouts of Mrs. Martin’s daughter.
We did not speak about those lost papers to anyone but we feel it as a duty to do every effort possible to collect what precious papers there may still exist before it is too late.
As we now know that you are back in California we kindly come to ask you if you can help us with the name and address we need so badly for further research. We are glad to know you had such an interesting time in India.
With all best wishes and kind regards also from my husband.
Sincerely yours,
Saida H. van Tuyll van Serooskerken
PS. As we can only find two addresses of yours I am sending this letter to both addresses and hope that at least one of them will reach you.
78 Anna Paulownastreet
The Hague
August 22, 1954
Dear Mr. Lewis,
Many thanks for your kind reply and for the address of Mrs. Mehdi. I have at once written her and hope for the best. It seems a shame to think that important papers and manuscripts of Murshid should be lost or remain neglected in forgotten corners. the research work is often tedious and disappointing but has sometime met with unexpected results.
The research of Murshid’s 22 lost gramophone records in India is even a far greater difficulty as in India there were three famous musicians with the name of Inayat Khan living at the same time as our Murshid and of each of them gramophone records were made. Yet we have now been able to retrace one of Murshid’s records and we know about the existence of a second one in a private collection in that country.
We are glad to know you had an interesting time in India and that you are being helped by Chistia leaders. it is of great interest to learn Urdu so that one gets an insight into their old scriptures which have never been translated till now.
With many thanks and kind regards from both of us
Yours sincerely,
Saida H. van Tuyll van Serooskerken
April 16th 1960
78 Anna Paulownastreet
The Hague
Dear Mr. Lewis
Many thanks for your letter receive two days ago from which I gather that you are going to travel once more to the East.
To my great regret I have to tell you that my husband Sirdar has passed away about two years ago. His center is still here and is being continued.
As far as I understand, the “Sufi-Headquarters” in Geneva is republishing all Murshid’s books and in them are included many papers as yet kept unpublished. I add a cutting from the catalogue of the publisher. I have seen Volume I of this series two weeks ago.
From the contests of your letter I understand that you are unaware that Fazal Inayat Khan lives in America. He is the grandson of Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan and was a friend of Sirdar and mine.
Though he is only 17, he is grown up and is already married and father of a one year old son. Fazal is a son of Hidayat Khan, Murshid’s second son and he does not belong to any of the divisions of Sufi-groups, yet a Sufi by nature.
His address is: Fazal Inayat-Khan
450 Cossacks place
Glendora, California
I wish you all the best on the journey you are understanding
With kind regards,
Sincerely yours,
Saida van Tuyll van Serooskerken
Sufi Movement
International Headquarters
11 rue John Rehfous
Geneva,
2 Oct. 1961
Mr. Ahmed Murad Chisti c/o Mr. S. Agrawal
45 South Ave
New Delhi, India
Dear Brother,
Thanking you for your kind letter. I have forwarded your very interesting letter to Pir-o-Murshid Musheraff Khan, the youngest brother of Hazrat Inayat Khan, and the present head of the Sufi Movement, 27 Fred. Hendriklaan, the Hague, Holland.
Under separate cover I am sending information about the Sufi books. With kindest regards,
Yours sincerely
Munira Meyer
24 Banstraat
The Hague, Holland
20 Oct. 1961
Dear Mr. Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Assalam Alaikum.
I have received your kind letter, dated 29 August 1961, sent to the Secretary General of the Sufi International Head Quarters, Geneva, who has forwarded your letter to me as the present head of the Sufi Movement, founded by my revered brother Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan. Our work in the Western world has been carried on from 1910 according to the instructions of the Founder; all this is administrated by the International Headquarters of the Sufi Movement in Geneva. The whole teaching of Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan is purely based on the awakening of the individuals for the inner culture, by the value for the spiritual higher evolution. It is not based on any sensational outer propaganda.
Our experience about the American public is that they are for advertisement and anything—even the inner cult—they like to expose in a commercial manner. We believe that the true spirit of Sufism would be abused by adopting such a way of exposing this noble teaching in the outer world, which is not ripen enough to digest it. Such a kind of activity remains on the surface, it is just like a firework. This is our own experience in the Western world. Therefore, according to the instructions and regulations given by Hazrat Inayat Khan we have reserved this spiritual divine knowledge, which is meant only for the ripen ones, from being ridiculed by the playful children. We have to live up to that ideal in order to spread the Sufi Message of Love, Harmony and Beauty in the wide world. Our Master has inspired us for the spiritual work to go quietly, unassumingly and modestly on this deep philosophy. The Western nature is often for the outer fancies, but Sufism is not based on the fancies.
I was pleased to hear that you take interest in the now published complete
works of Hazrat
Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan. Underneath this letter you will find the address in
India where those books are available.
Wishing you every success,
with Allah’s blessings
from
Musheraff Khan
Banstraat 24
The Hague
9 Jan. 1962
Dear Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Herewith I acknowledge your kind letter dated 16 Nov. 1961. Also your former letter I received and I answered you c/o Mr. Agrawal, New Delhi. By now this letter must have been forwarded to you.
I am very glad to know you are American and seeker after Truth, and you are
already Sufi. A;; this I know has given me very great joy. In answer to your
last letter I would like to let you know that your points of view are very much
alike to the Sufi Ideal. Sufism is divine wisdom, it is the essence of all
religion; it is considered the most highest attainment in Islam, whereupon the
Holy Prophet has given a key to the inner divine knowledge as well as to the
mysticism and that key is this: as it is said: none exist save He. Whoever will
respond to this key, the inner mystery of
at-onement will unfold to him! Among the Sufis the music is considered:
Giza-i-ruh (means: food of the soul); it is most favorite as a means for the
higher spiritual development. Of course, the world nowadays needs very much
this divine message. And God certainly is preparing mankind to open their heart
to listen to the voice and the message. The Sufi therefore puts himself in
absolute reliance in Him, serving Him, and by that trying to be a useful
instrument for the cause. he is the knower, he is then one who decides where
our place will be, and when He will call us for the duty He needs us for.
Therefor, have patience and [perseverance, both are needed on this path and put yourself under His Divine Guidance and surely in doing this will you find inner satisfaction and your duty towards mankind will be shown to you.
With Allah’s blessings
from
Musheraff Khan
Sufi Movement
International Headquarters
11 rue John Rehfous
Geneva
30 April 1962
Mr. Ahmed Murad Chisti
c/o Embassy USA
New Delhi, India
Dear Brother,
In your last letter of Jan. 23rd you were mentioning that an Ambassador from Holland has stirred up many people to an interest in Sufism and Hazrat Inayat Khan.
This former Ambassador is our General Secretary, who is living partly in Geneva, partly traveling. He is really a very devoted mureed of Hazrat Inayat Khan, and the last years he has devoted himself to the new edition of the works of our Master. Vol. V has now appeared and Vol. VI will appear soon.
Hazrat Inayat Khan has said: “There will be no peace in the world before East and West will understand each other.”
It is wonderful that you like to cooperate with the followers of Hazrat Inayat Khan. We, his Western mureeds, are trying to spread his words of wisdom in the Western world. This is not so easy in this time of general disharmony, but we have very devoted disciples, and fortunately also a large group of young Sufis, our Young Sufi League. There are Sufi families of which the third generation is now coming up.
Our experience is that the Sufi training by assimilating the words of Hazrat Inayat Khan, by spiritual exercises and meditation has a very beneficent influence on our lives. Not only it is deepening, peace giving, harmonizing, but it gives vitality, good health. His words are living words, gradually by reading and rereading them you discover more and more the wonder of it. We are very thankful that we have come in contact with his Message.
Hazrat Inayat Khan was a great healer, also his cousin Ali Khan and the present Head of the Sufi Movement Pir-o-Murshid Musheraff Khan. His Prayers are a great help in healing, in changing difficult circumstances. I have been witness of many wonderful cases.
I hope that God may bless your work in India and in America for the spiritual enlightenment of the world.
Yours faithfully,
Munira Meyer
March 30, 1963
78 Anna Paulownastreet
The Hague
Dear Mr. Lewis
Thank you so much for your kind letter of Feb. 24th. I am glad to know you visited India again. It is worthwhile for every mureed to have been there.
My husband and I were in India end 1949 until median April 1950 and visited Murshid Inayat Khan’s tomb several times. I regret to have to disappoint you concerning what you write about our Murshid’s passing away in the arms of Hasan Nizami; it is not correct. Here are the actual words of Miss Kismet Stam who was with Murshid during the whole trip as his secretary and who stayed with Murshid in Delhi in the same house when Murshid passed away. These are her words:
“Murshid has passed away in the South room of Tilak Lodge, Daya lane, the 5th of February at 8:20 o’clock in the morning. Mrs. Shastri (an American lady married to an Indian Doctor who often came to the lectures) has been asked to come, and she has later brought Ahsan ul Huq and Hasan Nizami. Neither of them knew that Murshid had returned to Delhi since he had left for Lucknow on Dec 20th, nor of the illness, sa Murshid had not wished it to be told. In the afternoon late they have come back with the Imam of the mosque, and have accompanied him to Nizamuddin.”
In handwriting of Miss Stam I also find these words: Only once Murshid has visited Hasan Nizami.” But what she reports is that Murshid was not very favorably inclined towards Hasan Nizami. I have here a little book written by Hasan Nizami for the education of his son (when he was about 10). It is in Urdu but I can read it well. It shows clearly why Murshid held that opinion. My husband and I have met him (Hasan Nizami) at Murshid’s tomb before we left India.
Have you been in Ajmir (Rajasthan) at the tomb of Moin-ud-din Chisti? It is the most important place of all and Murshid stayed at that tomb for 10 days, all day long, before returning to Delhi. We stayed there twice for several weeks and if you were never there you will no doubt have to go there one day. Murshid put it as a duty to me to go there on the first day I met Murshid in Rotterdam February 1921. o we went especially to India to accomplish our duty. It was beyond all expectation.
As to receiving initiation from several Murshids I do not know what to say or think about it. Murshid himself gives the answer about it p165 Volume VI of the “Sufi Message.”
I agree with you that someday the whole world will become one brotherhood and will be benefitted by the Sufi message.
All best wishes to you and kind regards
sincere salaams from
Saida van Tuyll van Serooskereken.
Sufi Movement
International Headquarters
11 rue John Rehfous
Geneva,
2 April 1963
Mr. Ahmed Murad Chisti 1088 Fulton St.
San Francisco 17,
California
Dear Brother,
Hearty thanks for your interesting letter of 17th March.
We follow under the guidance of Pir-o-Murshid Musheraff Khan, the Sufi Movement founded by Hazrat Inayat Khan, our beloved Master. And all the instructions and papers as Gathekas, Gathas, Githas etc. have been preserved and are followed in accordance to his wishes.
We don’t bother about others following their own way, but of course for the outer world it is rather confusing. Hazrat Inayat Khan said that out of respect and devotion to his Murshid, he had called his Message the Sufi Message and his movement the Sufi Movement. But it is a new message for this time. And he always asked us helping in spreading his Message.
His brothers and cousin are the nearest mureeds since the beginning and trained from early youth in an esoteric way, who followed our Master without any hesitation to America and Europe. We are very happy that his youngest and beloved brother is still among us to help and guide us.
The more unity there should be the better for the spreading of the message. This has also been felt by several old mureeds who followed their own way after the passing away of Hazrat Inayat Khan, but joined us later on.
The Message will continue and follow his own way even if people don’t understand, work against and criticize, said Hazrat Inayat Khan, that is our consolation.
Of the new edition Vol. VII has appeared. Many unpublished lectures of Hazrat Inayat Khan have been taken up in the new edition. Vol. VIII will appear soon.
Wishing you inner happiness and blessings of God,
Yours faithfully,
Munira Meyer
Sufi Secr. Hilversum
Hermelijnlaan 49
Hilversum,
20 August 1963
Sufi Ahmed Murad
1088 Fulton St.
San Francisco 17, Cal.
Beloved One of God,
It is a long time since you heard from me! But now I am able to send you some good news. Pir Zade Vilayat Inayat Khan has given his permission to send you some Gathas. I tried to get them for you, but they do not exist in Holland in the English version and I could not get them at Suresnes. Now we started to make stencils and from the stencils copies, but this takes a lot of work and therefore a lot of time. When the first number of the first Series is finished we will send them to you.
Enclosed you come upon three papers, called Undertaking. On behalf of Pir Zade Vilayat I have to ask you to sign them, after reading them carefully and to return one of them to the Secretariat Universel, 23 Rue de la Tuilerie, Suresnes, Seine, France and another to the Sufi Secr. Hermelijnlaan 49, Hilversum, Holland. The last one you can keep for yourself and put it with the papers, so that they can be returned to Suresnes or Hilversum after your passing away from the earth.
Also I enclose two papers concerning Brotherhood, which you can perhaps use in your work. Personally I do not see the necessity to systematize Sufism, then the rhythm and the poetry of the living Words of the Masters may get lost.
God bless you.
With kind regards,
Madelon Andre De La Porte
58 Harriet St.,
San Francisco 3, Calif.
November 19, 1963
Madelon Andre de la Port
Hermelijnlaan 49
Hilversum, Holland
Beloved One of God:
You will please pardon me for not writing sooner and signing the paper enclosed. One copy was sent to Pir Vilayat. But it seems that Allah has His ways of doing things. For one has been partly successful in getting former initiates of the Sufi Order to release papers they have held and not used. There are many such people yet both in Europe and America.
First the entire three series of Gathas were received. There is no sense spending time and money to mail papers from your end. But for the sake of harmony and not just using the word “harmony” some actions have been taken.
Then a whole collection was released including all kinds of subjects. These included a fair portion of the teachings given to the late Murshida Rabia Ada Martin and never used either by her or anybody else. They are in no particular order, quite incomplete, need to be annotated, indexed and available for those in the higher stages of spiritual unfoldment.
Next came news of a spiritual brother that he will soon be in California on both spiritual and scientific missions. He is my brother in certain orders but under the Pir-o-Murshid of the Chisti-Kadri-Sabri order I am his superior and directed to give him Hazrat Inayat Khan’s teachings.
Also more recently still news has come that my Khalifa, Miss Saadia Khawar Khan may be in the United States next year and will establish a Sufi Centre. This will probably be in Washington or Los Angeles. She was given Bayat first under the rules of Hazrat Inayat Khan, but was given recognition by Pirs and disciples in many schools.
In the meantime long correspondence has been opened up that Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan also had a Khalif in India and also had some disciples who had no connection with Europe. These people now look to me. They used to have meetings when Kismet Stam was in Purdah so she knew nothing about them.
Originally Pir-o-Murshid sent me to bring the Message to the intellectual people. But this was recognized by nobody within any of the offshoots of Sufi movements. Today, both in the East and West I am recognized by the intellectual people and there are some possibilities here which may be made public next March.
Then there was another path of disciplines, which may be called “Buzurg,” although it is not exactly Buzurg either. Still there was never any effort to set oneself up as a Murshid and even after being publicly acclaimed as “Sufi” there has been hesitancy. Groups of rival organizations using the term “Sufi” can be confusing.
The world is suffering from the tyranny of words and this presents obstacles. The original Bayat was given under the Four-School Sufism before there was any headquarters at Geneva. As a disciple in this Four-School Sufism there has been general recognition. But the primary signs for recognition do not of themselves compel any acceptance of Four-School Sufism. Besides God has led me to discipleship of acceptance by many Schools of Sufis in all parts of the world.
One cannot compel others to accept what appears in “A Sufi Message of Spiritual Liberty” under the caption Concentration:
“Perfection is reached by the regular practice of these concentrations, passing through three grades of development:
Fana-fi-Sheikh—annihilation in the astral plane.
Fana-fi-Rassoul—annihilation in the spiritual plane.
Fana-f i-Allah—annihilation in the abstract.
“After passing through these three grades, the highest stage of Baqa-i-Allah (annihilation in the eternal consciousness), which is the destination of all who travel by this path, is attained.”
These are among the early teachings of Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan, printed and published for the world to read, if not understand. They are fundamental to that Sufism of which it is said, “God alone was the Founder of Sufism.”
God bless you,
Samuel L. Lewis
70 Boldmer Road,
Bastcote, Pinner, Middlesex.
16th April, 1967
Dear Mr. Lewis,
I am writing to thank you for your letter of 11th April which I have duly forwarded to my father who lives in Southampton. He will be interested to learn of your proposed travels and activities in which I am sure he will join me in wishing you all success.
You are quite right in assuming he must be well on in years. He will be 84 this year and is beginning to feel his age. Both he and my mother (who has a bad heart) hardly leave their own home now and they were forced for health reasons to give up entertaining some two years ago. So unless you yourself propose going to Southampton on other business, there will, I fear, be little likelihood of your meeting them again. My Father may, however, write to you direct. You probably know from Mrs. Ivy Duce that he is a keen follower of Meher Baba.
I don’t think there are very many Sufis in England at the present time. I myself am not a active member of any Sufi group, chiefly because I had a sickness of the various factions and controversies and preferred not to become involved any more.
As a busy working woman, I have to limit myself to reading books and hope Erica (who speaks very kindly about you) has not given you a misleading impression about me!
I note your English address. Banstead is at least 1 1/2 hours train and tube travel from Eastcote, which makes me hesitate to suggest your coming over to tea one Sunday. (I have no motorcar, so always have to refer my guests to train traveling and walking.) However, if you would like to come along, please do not hesitate to let me know: apart from the last fortnight in May, I shall be here.
If you are proposing to lecture one evening in London, perhaps I might be able to attend such an occasion, and thus have the opportunity of meeting you.
Sincerely yours,
Joyce Sita Best
Samuel L. Lewis
410 Precita Avenue
San Francisco, Calif. 94110
April 17, 1968
University of Islamabad
The Secretary General, Sufi Movement,
11 rue John Rehfous,
Geneva, Switzerland
Beloved one of God:
There are now two books before me, that is Volume XII of “The Sufi Message” and the original version of “A Sufi Message of Spiritual Liberty.” In the latter one read:
When I arrived in San Francisco I found much to interest me there and my desire for the revelation of truth had its outlet.” Did it? I wonder. Before God, I wonder. What outlet?
One page 153 of Volume XI there are five purposes set forth and in view of these five purposes I personally became a disciple in the Sufi Order in America. I do not know and did not know that the Sufi Order could be dismantled or that a person given Bayat, did not have to be recognized.
Although it is said that a Sufi is one who sees from the standpoint of another as well as of himself and I have met many such people, it does not see that this holds in the West. I am not so much concerned with its being abrogated as for the need of a school or organization of entity where the five objects, set forth in “Confessions” may become operative in life. And, indeed, there are still alive one or two persons whose names are on file, who became responsible for the establishment of this Sufi Order. As for the five purposes, they seem to have become moribund.
I am not concerned with this. I have signed papers of affiliation and nothing has ever been received. We act as if God-Allah did not exist.
This year there will be a conference of the top religious and spiritual leaders of the world and they are going to do many things which Hazrat Inayat Khan called for but which the disciples of his disciples have ignored. This, to me, is not a very good way of demonstrating, “to Thee we give willing surrender.” To whom and what do we surrender?
But now one has received word that there will be a seminar under the auspices of the University of California here on “The Living Religions of Asia.” We shall surely attend, Inshallah, and we shall surely be admitted, inshallah, and we shall surely be heard, Inshallah.
We shall also introduce the five objects of the Sufi Order as appear in the “Confessions” and we shall surely, Inshallah be able to teach or demonstrate each and all of them. Only this is not a very good way to promote the first objective:
(1) To establish a human brotherhood with no consideration of caste, creed, race, nation or religion; for differences only create a lack of harmony and are the source of all miseries.
With the repudiation of this first purpose, the abrogation of the rest become matters of form. Only God-Allah is not keeping quiet. He selects whom he will select as He will select and if one organized group does not give the Message to the world then another group, organized or unorganized will surely do so. One regrets that after all the efforts of Hazrat Inayat Khan his relatives have taken the lead, not in spreading his Message, but in abrogating it. Or perhaps they will come to the first door of tasawwuf, which is tauba, and lay down the ego (nufs) and listen, and listening learn.
God bless you,
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
Sufi Movement
Southern California Branch
May 8, 1968
Dear Samuel Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Lewis,
It was with interest and enjoyment that we have received and read your letters to me and copies of your letters to several other people.
Probably, due to my lack of understanding, I have not really comprehended any one of the letters you wrote. They seem to be without a clear thesis and also grammatically follow higher, probably spiritual, laws which I cannot decipher.
You will excuse my return to you of all these letters for lack of comprehension. Please do not hesitate, if you wish for me to know something, to write to me in the language us simpletons can understand. By the way, Negroes are not barred from initiation and there are Negro mureeds. It is also important to remind you that although I probably should, I do not know you, nor who you are or what you are or how you are, except from hearsay, which one should never trust. Thus, please explain to me about yourself, your connection with Sufism, your plans and goals and of course, whatever it is you may wish for me to know or do.
Respectfully,
Fazal Inayat-Khan
Hoping to hear from you!
Fazal Inayat Khan
1450 Cossacks Place,
Glendora, Calif. 91740
May 14, 1968
Beloved One of Allah:
It is very hand to write a letter when there is no common agreement. We do not even meet on terms. To resume a position in a movement without any comprehension of the terminology is a delicate operation. One has to accede that words do not necessarily all have the same meaning and no one should be bound by words.
The term “Sufi” was not invented by Hazrat Inayat Khan and you, my young friend, though a scion of this Pir-o-Murshid were not his Mureed. In Sufism, until it was introduced into the Western world, nobody ever assumed this term until he underwent not only processes of initiation but also evidence from his own awakening that he had reached certain stages of attainment. We have now displaced this with the world “humility” used so often by people who have lost the faculty of accession to others. So the whole world is disturbed.
There are only two definitions of “Sufi” in the writings of Hazrat Inayat Khan: (a) one who sees from the standpoint of others; (b) one who is God-conscious. If there are any other definitions I should like to hear them, but you, my friend, in taking a title or position in a “Sufi Movement” are responsible for the understanding and I, whose positions and titles have been abrogated by man—not by God—am not so responsible.
This person began this early training in tasawwuf some time before the establishment of any International Headquarters anywhere. He received the Bayat but not only that he evinced the inner experiences which placed his feet firmly on the path to God, with God. One cannot hold you or anybody in particular guilty in a culture and age where everybody is permitted to speak on mysticism but the mystic, the one who has had glimpses or more of the stages and states of consciousness.
One had to go at the same time from persecution to persecution and at the same time, experience the lifting of veils. And it was with great astonishment, on going to the Orient one had exactly the opposite reception as in this part of the world. The two are irreconcilable.
Having had two illuminatory experiences before meeting Hazrat Inayat Khan again in 1926 at the Beverly Hills Hotel he granted one interview, than demands from this person six more, which made him the object of anathema, jealousy, envy and God knows what, so it became natural for the corporation officials both in America and Europe to disdain the communications and instructions; and what been gained?
We are now about to establish a School for universal spiritual instruction. It will not have the title of “Sufi” unless those who take the helm demand it. So far it has been the other way. Letters from Shamcher Beorse and Paul Reps, two of the still living disciples of Inayat Khan, agree in detail with the spiritual instructions of high living Sufis whose very existence is by-passed in the Western world, it is bases on the experiences in God-consciousness and not on the worlds which effect those experiences.
Inayat Khan told Rabia Martin: “Do not teach what you do not know.” But beyond that is unfolding and enfold love—which is the actuality. The three methods presented by Paul Brunton—the eye, the heart, the breath, are used here.
Your sainted grandfather gave me very detailed instructions on how he wanted his temple built. The reports were discarded both here and in Europe. He gave detailed instructions on the use of the Gathas. The reports were never accepted. He placed confidences in this person and the result was, on submitting them, that even the wording of the esoteric constitution was changed. You do not know these things; you were probably not even born when they happened. But Mohamed said: “Act as if in the presence of Allah and know that if you do not see Him, verily He sees you.”
Pir-o-Murshid said, “The message is in the sphere” and corporations say that the Message belongs to them. Very good. No argument.
But Sufism has always been based on the attainment and experiences of states and stages of consciousness. Now the term is used otherwise. So there comes a division between the God-seekers and God-realizes and those who are bound by legalities. This has been the downfall of every faith.
Everything but one of all the instructions of Hazrat Inayat Khan have come into objectivity elsewhere by other people—many of these other people are representatives of what used to be called Sufism. The Western world has inherited the title but not the content. One must remember, “there is no compulsion in Sufism” and all souls are the beloved ones of God. This is being demonstrated here and by being demonstrated one means that and nothing more and nothing less.
Volume XII has a story of the son of a Sufi who wanted to be the disciple and even successor of his sainted father. This is written; lots of things are written. These are not the bases for mental or emotional sermons; these are the bases for the awakening of the soul. Fortunately not being bound by books and organization God releases me, but you, my young friend, become responsible before God unless you are willing. And God helping you, I hope you will be willing to walk on the real Pathway to the real God, with the real God who is in and out and about you.
God Bless you,
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
Dr. E. E. Van Tricht-Keesing
Ellecom (Gld.)
Laan Van Avegoor 18
Netherlands
April 20, 1970
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Samuel Lewis
410 Precita Ave, S. Francisco Cal. 94110
Or 910 Railroad Ave, Novato, Cal. 947473
Dear Mr. Lewis, Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Your name and two addresses were given to me by Mr. Bryn Beorse, so I am sending the same letter to S. Francisco and to Novato, hoping that at least one will reach you.
I had asked Mr. Beorse for people who have met and known Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan since his first years in the West. Being a mureed, author and historian, I am asked to write a historical biography on Murshid’s life and work. Apart from published biographies and memories, and several collections of unpublished memories, I have to make things as complete as possible by interviewing people who have met Hazrat Inayat Khan; also non-Sufi’s, like the son of Dr. Maria Montessori, the Dutch poet Adriaan Roland Holst, Salvador de Madariaga and others.
Therefore I am enclosing some questions, just as I did in my letter to Mr. Beorse. Of course anything you remember, and want to tell about is most welcome, these questions are just to give you a start and a hold. Anything about the first years is worth much, as little is known about it.
Looking forward to an answer yours truly,
Kamila van Tricht-Keesing
April 26, 1970
Dr. E. E. Van Tricht-Keesing
Ellecom (Gld.)
Laan Van Avegoor 18
Netherlands
Beloved One of God:
I have before me your request of April 20. I have just returned from a very successful visit abroad. Briefly, all those things which Hazrat Inayat Khan requested of me as outer undertakings, are coming into objective manifestation. I shall not write here about inner matters.
But I have to start this letter off with a warning. Three times in the past I have received such requests. And three times in the past I went to great lengths. And three times in the past my reports were utterly ignored; not even acknowledged. These requests came at times when there was some leisure, before two tragedies, tragedies only in the sense of fulfilling your requests, occurred:
At the request of Hazrat Inayat Khan I took severe pains to collect everything I could to help perpetuate his organization. The reports were totally ignored. The original papers and most copies were seized by Mrs. Ivy O. Duce, who is regarded as a Murshida by the so-called Sufism Reoriented. Almost immediately after that the sacred house in Fairfax, California, burnt down with many of the original records and all my research. So I am compelled often to rely on memory.
1. I have the original writings of the late Nyogen Senzaki which include first his version of his meeting with Hazrat Inayat Khan. I was also personally there, being the one who introduced these two worthies. My personal reports may not be so important, but as time goes on one loses zest in recalling past events, and asks for no forgiveness.
2. I can assure you that Hazrat Inayat Khan would not have wished anything that came from Mr. Bjerregaard. This man, seeking name and fame, used Hazrat Inayat Khan to boost himself with very questionable results.
3. I met Hazrat Inayat Khan physically on June 21, 1923. My first interview with him was exactly at noon on that day. I remember this very distinctly because when I entered the room I saw nothing but a tremendous great light. This report was rejected by the various persons who surrounded him, and personality judgments have resulted in the refusal to accept either my own mystical experiences or the details of our various interviews.
I know mostly about the late Rabia Martin who was his first Murshida and whose name has been obliterated from most of the records. I tell you very plainly and frankly before the living God that Rabia Martin was selected to be his successor, but she refused to accept any of the conditions laid down for her either as message from Hazrat Inayat Khan himself or in the teaching especially for the Murshid, producing an almost impossible situation.
Yes, I can fulfill details, but I must be assured that will be considered seriously and not subject to reviews and value-judgments as has been in the past. I am today a very busy man, fulfilling the functions and prophecies as laid down by Hazrat Inayat Khan himself, and moving from the local scene to both the national and world scenes. As I am not paid for these efforts, I must exact from you an oath that you will accept what I write or I will not write further.
There is one difference today between making any reports which will be thrown out at the recipients choice, and those of the past:
During the course of years I have met some of Hazrat Inayat Khan’s schoolmates, his close associates in India, and persons who were present during his last days. Oriental customs and the separation of sexes meant that during those last days neither female nor European was with him most of the time. Indeed I still have as a disciple one of the men who was present just before he died, and I have met many persons present during his last days.
Sternness is not part of my nature, but the past experiences have shown the futility of efforts where these efforts are not appreciated. I would far prefer love and consideration than funds, and if I am assured of love and consideration I can assure you of my heartfelt cooperation.
Most faithfully,
Samuel L. Lewis
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
Dr. E. E. van Tricht-Keesing
May 12, 1970
Dear and revered Mr. Lewis, Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti,
Many thanks for your letter opening with Murshid’s beloved way of addressing his audience. I don’t know whether I, being younger, may address you with these words. I remember Murshida Salima van Braam—you may have met her—beginning her sermons with the same “Beloved ones of God.”
As for some of your remarks: Murshida Rabi’a Martin is not forgotten in Europe; all the older mureeds remember her. Murshid mentions her in his memories (called “Confessions”) Only yesterday I discovered that “Rabia” was the name of the first woman Sufi in the East.
It gave me a shock to learn that all you had collected got burnt, but on rereading your letter I saw that copies are saved, but in the possession of a split movement. These saddening splits, and strife about succession we had in Europe too. From your letter I guess that the split is rather severe and that you are no longer in touch with Mrs. Ivy Duce. So I’ll try to get the data of the first years by searching for press references and maybe the archives of Universities where Murshid lectured and performed.
What you tell about Mr. Bjerregaard is just what I guessed when I saw a list of his works and the note on his life. It is certainly interesting that the Omar Khayyam book is not in the Library of Congress catalogue, and that even Pir Vilayat has no copy.
Next winter I hope to go to India. There is a booklet by Ronald Armstrong about Murshid’s last journey to India and a Dutch Mureed, Kismet Stam, was there at the time. I feel I ought not to say too much about intimate moments of great Soul’s life, and although dying is partly a mystical experience, it is also one of the most intimate things in personal life. So I leave it to what comes to me; I don’t ask for it, but if it comes my way, I take it to be Murshid’s wish.
As for your own experiences—I always keep in mind what Murshid said in many instants: all people are different and at a different stage of evolution, so what is true for one is not (yet) true for another. What you write about the first meeting is, often in a lesser but always in a similar degree, told by other mureeds. I am very interested in what Murshid requested of you as outer undertakings. Of course nobody can ask somebody else about his inner evolution; there is another word Murshid kept repeating: as soon as Truth is put into words, it is losing its essence, as the infinite cannot be put into words. His schooling with his own Murshid was almost without words.
Now I leave it to your inspiration whether I am to be trusted with your memories and whether a copy (or photocopy) of the late Nyogen Senzaki’s tale about meeting Murshid (I think Murshid mentions him in a place where he says (I am citing by heart and not literally, as I am writing this letter away from home and library) that in California he talked with a Buddhist who has read many books. I have found the name of Ruth St Denis’ autobiography. But if you will honor me and answer some of the questions of my former letter, it will be a great help. If you resolve not to do that, I’ll respect your conclusion.
But hoping to hear from you
Most faithfully,
Kamila van Tricht-Keesing
May 17, 1970
Van Tricht,
Laan van Avegoor 18
Ellecom, Netherlands
Beloved One of God:
You have made a number of requested which I think are noble requests. Personally, I think it is more important to build up the Sufi message, a message of the day, to be interpreted (my interpretation) as to give full support to the present living Pir, to work for truth insofar as it is reflected in love, harmony, and beauty, but not to work for seemingly objective exactitude when it can cause pain or open up old sores. No doubt many of us suffered when personalisms and personalities were given priorities over exactitude. There is a saying that a Sufi is one who sees from the standpoint of another, as well as of himself. But when A meets B, and tells B something which C does not like, and therefore seeks to hide, we pass from the realm of honesty and communications and act as if the world operated for the benefit of privileged personalities. I think in Nirtan, Hazrat Inayat Khan says, “Truth in the end will win.” Of course it will. Persons seeking power and prestige may sit as if in a master’s seat for a while, but never permanently.
I do not known Mr. Armstrong’s book on the last days of Hazrat Inayat Khan. I do know that secretary Kismet Stam was not usually with him because of Asian customs and behavior patterns. We may not like those patterns but they did exist.
There is another aspect to the last days of Hazrat Inayat Khan. If he gave me confidences, and he did give me confidences, it was because of spiritual initiations. These initiations were not accepted in the West. These initiations were accepted in the East, so to speak, almost university. It was because of them that Hazrat Inayat Khan gave me long interviews in 1926. These interviews were not sought by me; they were sought by the late Pir-o-Murshid. Even Kismet Stam, who was outside the door, did not always accept them. But Paul Reps, who was even inside, and who should from direct evidence have accepted them, has now at long last, after many many years, had to confess that the statements of Hazrat Inayat Khan operate objectively whether personalities accept them or not. This brings up many complications.
You get a certain picture of Hazrat Inayat Khan in the writings of Herbert Rosenthal and others on Indian music. You get another picture on reading Havelock Ellis. And I think Edith Ellis also wrote about Hazrat Inayat Khan, though I do not know her work. She was a disciple at one time.
We shall be glad to send you Nyogen Senzaki’s reports.
We can dismiss Mr. Bjerregaard. I do not know Ruth St. Dennis’ written reports. I did know Swami Pramananda. Swami Trigunatita perhaps met Hazrat Inayat Khan prior to his coming her in 1923, but later he was the victim of an assassin’s bullet.
I do not know, nor do I remember too much of what happened before 1920. The division of India into Pakistan and India also plays havoc with research. Persons who were living at that time have often for some reason or other altered their attitude in life because of selfish or unselfish motive.
As to intellectuals, Hazrat Inayat Khan wanted me personally to carry the message of mysticism to the intellectuals. This commission was not recognized in either Europe or America. It is functional today. It is become most awkward that people, who verbally refer to love, and harmony, and beauty, are not always among those who stand in the first ranks of objective practitioners. Nevertheless, at this writing everything is going very smoothly in the direction of his wishes.
I have some of the 1926 press talks at the Khankah in Novato and am taking note to send them to you. There may also be some miscellany there.
I do not know if Mrs. Ivy Duce preserved the original records. I was authorized to keep the original records and give her copies or give her the original records and give her copies. She demanded everything. This is a very sad tragedy, but perhaps not the only sad tragedy, for in the end it brings deleterious karma. Hazrat Inayat Khan thought that human consideration was the highest and finest of all morals. I cannot compel others to practice it. But when it is practiced it brings the most wonderful fruits, and so a seeming old age is being crowned with many beneficent fruits of love, devotion, and integrity.
You will excuse us that we cannot write further now, for I have a summer school due to start in the state of New Mexico and most of the disciples here are concerned with Pir Vilayat’s forthcoming visit and summer camp.
God bless you,
Samuel L. Lewis
Dr. E. E. van Tricht-Keesing
July 16, 1970
Mr. Samuel L. Lewis,
Sufi Murad Ahmed Chisti,
410 Precita Ave,
San Francisco, Cal. 94110 USA
Dear and revered Mr. Lewis, Sufi Murad, Ahmed Chisti,
The copies of 1926 talks with Pir-o-Murshid your secretary sent me are most interesting and will be a great help for the later chapters. I’ll write separately to Mr. Meyer to thank him too.
May I ask a few more questions? What did Murshid tell you about Ruth St. Denis? He describes his tour with her in his autobiography and gives an amusing account of the last conversation with her, when her interest had shifted from Indian art to Japanese. But she does not mention him in her book, although some remarks might be referring to things he said. What could be the reason of her silence? She gives the impression of being rather self-centered and more in love with mysticism than realizing it; and she saw herself more or less destined to world-saving. Our Murshid appreciated her strong personality, but was critical of her imitation Indian dances. Besides: he spoke English with a strong accent and, like many other self-centered Westerners, she adored assimilated Indians with an impeccable English accent. These are some things which might be the cause of her silence. A more kind guess: She heard of his fame in 1925/26 and wanted to spare him the role of a musician in her trail. Anyhow, her book was most useful to me, as she gives short pictures of people Murshid met in 1911.
The other name mentioned by you was Herbert Rosenthal. I could not find any book by him, neither in the great American nor the British catalogues. I found many Rosenthals and several writing about music, but no “Herbert.” In which newspapers did he publish?
Pir Vilayat had a short Summer school in The Hague. It was good as in old days in Suresnes. I had the privilege of reading the very clear and impressive description of Murshid’s singing in Paris in 1913 by ‘Anunzio. As soon as I have a good English translation I’ll send copy to you and Mr. Beorse. It might take some time, as the work and research are growing daily. Two of the Debussy-biographers got interested. Did Murshid ever speak about Debussy with you and about Mr. Bailly?
In November I hope to go to India. If you feel like giving me any advice about what to do, hear, see and what not to, you are welcome.
Wits love and reverence,
Kamila van Tricht-Keesing
July 20, 1970
Kamila van Tricht
Laan Van Avegoor 18
Ellecom (Gld.)
Netherlands
Beloved One of God:
Your letter of the 16th reached me at a time when one has to face the actualization of “May the Message of God Reach Far and Wide.” I am exceedingly busy, but praise to God, not a negative note on a vast horizon.
In regard to India, I feel that we must co-operate with Vilayat entirely and I do not like to make any suggestions that would interfere with his work. However, there is the family of Faiseddin Nizami, town-planner, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad Andhra, which was very close to Hazrat Inayat Khan.
The Rosenthal that wrote about Pir-o-Murshid was a Gertrude not a Herbert. She was very emphatic in his favor.
Yes, Hazrat Inayat Khan told us he had originally gone to Europe at the request of the composer Debussy. And later he went to Russia at the request of the composer Scriabin. He certainly did speak several times about Debussy.
Ruth St. Denis was closely watched by a number of very jealous press agents. She said many things in private about Hazrat Inayat Khan. Indeed she constantly referred to him. But you are right in that she was more in love with mysticism than in realizing it—absolutely right, although I do not think this is important.
We are in a New Age, and while some of the older Mureeds may not like it, and some will, I am so enthused about Pir Vilayat and his fearlessness and daring that I gladly stand aside for him, and see no reason not to.
As I had met many Indians before Hazrat Inayat Khan came here in 1923, there was no difficulty in my understanding him. But there was one difficulty: I found my notes were more extensive and complete than those of the official stenographer, besides which, I knew the Sanskrit and Urdu words he used. But ego was triumphant; my notes were thrown out, and incomplete copies became official.
He corrected this somewhat in 1926 by making me his public stenographer. He would glance at my arm to regulate his speech, and I never missed a single word including the foreign ones.
As I have said before, I am sorry all my notes were destroyed in 1949 excepting those seized by Mrs. Duce and either secreted away or destroyed also.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
August 1, 1970
The Secretary General Sufi Movement
11 rue John Rehfous
Geneva, Switzerland
Beloved Ones of God:
One realizes that there are not today many persons occupying physical bodies who were given Bayat by the late Hazrat Inayat Khan. One has had to watch since his withdrawal from earthly activities a number of very strange developments, developments not only strange in themselves but apparently quite contrary to the teachings. Here one is not setting himself up as a judge, but wonders what advantage there has been in establishing behavior patterns not in accord either with his esoteric or exoteric teachings and also not in accord with the methods of traditional schools.
We have no intention of indicating any right or wrong, although one historical fact stands out and not all documentary suppression can change that: that Rabia Martin was his first disciple and also the senior Murshida of the Sufi Order.
We are not going to defend the late Rabia A. Martin, but only point out one very simple but hard material fact: that she had a lot of teachings given her directly by the late Hazrat Inayat Khan, many of them dictated in or around 1911, and others dictated during his visits to that country in 1923 and 1926.
We do not know the reason why in the republishing of “A Sufi Message of Spiritual Liberty” this sentence-paragraph was omitted: “The Sufi method of realization—the study of Shariat, Tarikat, Hakikat and Marefat, also the practice of Zikr, Fikr, Kasab, Shagal, and Amal is claimed to be the easiest, shortest, an most interesting for spiritual development.”
During his lifetime the late Hazrat Inayat Khan asked the writer to collect all of his miscellany. It is remarkable that practically no disciples either in Europe or America accepted the hard fact that Hazrat Inayat Khan sent for this person 6 times. There were only two eye-witnesses: the late Kismet Stam and the still-living Paul Reps. Paul Reps has confirmed these interviews and also what he knew of the transpirations.
At the death of Rabia Martin the so-called Murshida Ivy O. Duce seized everything she could lay her hands on, and was for the most part successful. Valuable historical and spiritual records may be entirely lost. But by the grace of Allah, to Whom be all praise, a mass of esoteric materials is in this person’s hands. And they cover a considerable portion of the items in the deleted paragraph referred to above.
As there is now in existence one publication which has accepted the facts of the interview, (without knowing the contents) and another which it is expected will be in operation before long, there can be no complaint if this person turns over to either of them records which apparently you have not been willing to accept as existing. This is not my personal conclusion, but I have no right to leave this world and suppress any material or document from the late Hazrat Inayat Khan, who after all was my initiator, and not only my initiator in the first grade, but also in the grade of Sufi.
One must also call to your attention that immediately under the paragraph now deleted one may read “Sufism contains all branches of mysticism, such as psychology, occultism, spiritualism, clairvoyance, clairaudience, intuition, inspiration, etc., but that which a Sufi particularly wishes to acquire is not necessarily any of the above-named powers; because the object of all these powers is toward greater individuality, and individuality itself is only a hindrance on the Sufi’s path towards the accomplishment of his highest perfection.” Therefore it is very strange to this person, Bayated by Inayat Khan, that there should be today in existence several legal corporations bearing the name Sufi in title, but teaching to the contrary.
We, of course, cannot stop that or them. But the writer was given higher initiations both privately and publicly by known Pirs of the great Sufi Schools. And they asked him to include in his work just those items and elements which Hazrat Inayat Khan verbalized in a “Sufi message of Spiritual Liberty.” One feels therefore that he is pursuing the spiritual path in doing just those things, and he is also in a position to offer friendship, fraternity, and brotherhood to and with many of the Sufi Orders, still functioning and functioning quite successfully in this world.
Most of the Material which has been in the possession of the late Murshida Martin was in her possession even before the first Sufi organization in London. And in going into details one finds the practices: Zikr, Fikr, Kasab, Shagal, and Amal, detailed. We of course do not know whether there was ever Sangithas Series III written for the Pir-o-Murshid. But we have the essential details concerning these esoteric practices, far deeper than anything in the Gathas or Series I and II Sangithas.
We are certainly not going to suppress this divine wisdom. Our idea always was to coordinate it with the Gathas and Sangithas. The late Hazrat Inayat Khan told this person in 1926 that the possession of the papers and the practices made it more possible than anything else to spread the message of God in the world.
We cannot of course compel any legal entity to accept, much less enforce, love, harmony, and beauty, or any aspects of divine wisdom. This is in no way a threat; it is just a bit of information. We do not know how you feel, but we do know the Message of God and the teachings of love, harmony, and beauty are now spreading in this region at such a rapid rate we are now unable to handle it. But we feel that what belongs to God belongs to God (Allah). We certainly can share the divine teachings with others such as the Sufis of Ajmir, New Delhi, Lahore, etc. We are not going to permit if we can help it, any of the divine teachings of the saintly Hazrat Inayat Khan to be suppressed, to be hidden from mankind.
This is not a threat, we repeat; but we are open to suggestion. We are open to anything that will help promote the message of God and the establishment of One Single Brotherhood in the Fatherhood of God.
Faithfully,
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
Mashaik Fazal Inayat-Khan
Representative General Sufi Movement
Temple Hill, Dockenfield, nr. Farnham
Surrey, England
September 25, 1970
My dear Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti Samuel Lewis
Your letter of August 1, 1970, to the Secretary-General of the Sufi Movement has come to my attention. Undue delay in replay was caused by the fact that the Secretary-General Murshid Hazurnaras van Pallandt is ill. I will try to reply for him.
1. There are today in the Sufi Movement active and following its present leadership over 21 people who received Bayat from our master Inayat Khan.
2. There are several sentences, words, phrases and even paragraphs added and deleted out or in all the works of Pir-o-Murshid published by Barrie and Rockcliff. Although I do not personally agree with all of these changes, I know personally why they were made, who made them, and we have a record of the changes. Actually most of the changes of deletion were made following the wishes of the master himself. Certainly the sentence you describe also was deleted by his own wish. In fact he did not even desire this book to be reprinted but since we cannot prove this in a way the world thinks of proof, and since we wanted to bring to the world his entire message, unadulterated, we did republish all his message including for instance Vol. VIII which was never published before. It is difficult to criticize what was done. The deeper you get into it, the subtler it becomes and since I have been elected to lead the Movement I did investigate most of the changes which were all committed between 1958 and 68. So far, none of them are actually changes of a definitive nature or alter the words of the master except there where we have a record of his wish to alter this words. The changes were primarily one of editorial policy of publishing what the master wanted brought to the world and what he wanted hidden. I would estimate that for every word hidden over 1000 were brought out. But from the deepest of my heart I can honestly say that the Sufi message series as published today represent the most correct, complete and harmonious printing of the words of the master. If you ever quote this letter, please do not quote it partially or out of contact: My reverence and respect for the words of the master prevent me from making many more changes which would for instance render a better quality of language. Really this what is published is as pure as pure can be.
3. About the direct teachings of Rabia Martin given to her by our master. We have in Headquarters a collection of the teachings given by Murshid to his mureeds. If you can provide us with the once given to Rabia it would be welcomed (If we do not already have them) and you would fulfill your duty as a mureed of Murshid since he asked all his disciples to send into Headquarters all private teachings he had given. Many are finding themselves presently in publications.
4. Kismet Stam is still alive; she is not “late” as you mention. Nevertheless I gladly accept that Murshid called for you 6 times. After all you obviously had a great task to fulfill.
5. You must know that no one except the Headquarters of the Sufi Movement has the right of publishing any part of the Sufi Message. Murshid personally wrote a contract giving all his copyright to Headquarters; this is legally watertight. Also all his mureeds know that many of his teaching were not to be published. Those who violate this go directly against the expressed orders of the master. No one can afford to do this. If you have the grade of Sufi that is the eighth degree in Sufi Orders. This is a lot of trust and responsibility. So far you have done good work and I certainly encourage your work among the new generation. But as a Sufi of Inayat Khan I for one and many others except you to live up to that rank and not violate the orders of the master. If you have things, teachings, papers, whatever, let us have a copy and if it should be published we will publish it. We do not suppress any part of the Sufi message.
6. This legal entity you are talking about was founded by the master, formed by the master and given its role in the Message by the master. Try to realize that and work with it, not rebel to it. I am probably more of a rebel than you are and completely against organization. But I do not overrule Murshid Inayat Khan because I am not so presumptuous. Let us work together Sam in harmony and in the framework of the Order and the legal forms and the rules made by Pir-o-Murshid. I am and have always been ready to work with all on that basis. Are you?
7. You have no authority to distribute Sangithas. If you are doing it you are violating Inayat Khan’s rules not mine. You will have to account for it to him someday, not to me. Are you ready to face the master?
8. If you have any complaint against any of the corporation (made by the Sufi Movement in compliance with the wishes of Hazrat Inayat Khan) you should express them to me. The organization is in my hands. I am open for criticism (if it is constructive), suggestions, advice, (if it is inspired), and all other forms of expressions to my task. The organization should be only a tool to serve the Message. It should be subservient to the workers, totally flexible to the work and the need and responsive while responsible.
9. I have no doubt that you are doing good work although it might be mixed. It was a pity that in our contact in Frisco you were so tough, anxious and showed off this Ishk Allah group song which was not understood by all the square people present. But as I told you then my heart is open, my mind is receptive, my soul is dedicated by Allah to this work. There is no reason why we cannot spread the message, each in his own way and style, yet in harmony and peace. I appeal to your higher nature to understand the neoclimate (?) reasonableness of this letter.
10 My reverent Sam. Watch out what you do with the inner teachings of Murshid. One cannot jest with the word of God.
My loving and respectful greetings to you
Fazal Inayat Khan
Please write to me directly in the future. Although I travel a lot, I shall always endeavor to reply to you as soon as possible. Let us have contact.
October 4, 1970
Mashaik Fazal Inayat-Khan
Khankah Abadan Abed
Temple Hill
Dockenfield, nr. Farnham, Surrey, England
Beloved One of God:
As one is away from home traveling, there is a sort of excuse for not answering you in full. One was given Bayat into Sufism long before the establishment of the International Headquarters in Geneva. Indeed, the matter of Geneva was not mentioned by Hazrat Inayat Khan to me until his 1926 visit. One has written many times about the instructions of Hazrat Inayat Khan to me personally, and one has not even had the courtesy of a personal response until your letters came. Indeed, one had given up all thought or idea of being connected with any Western school calling itself Sufi when one went to the Orient in 1956. The extreme difference in the reception one received from holy men of lands afar and the dualistic behavior of Westerners so great that one began devoting himself to practice. It seems also that Allah approved this, and to these practices were added many of other practices of many Sufi schools. These collectively might all be called Ryazat.
In the course of one’s wanderings, one met a man who was present at the deathbed of Hazrat Inayat Khan, and he was so amazed by this person, he asked him to become his Murshid, his own teacher having died; his own teacher had been a Khalifa of Hazrat Inayat Khan. Conversations with this man and also with Pir-o-Murshid Hassan Sani Nizami confirmed what Hazrat Inayat Khan had said to me.
Our first instructions were that Allah alone was the founder of Sufism. According to Imam Al-Ghazzali, Sufism is based on experiences and not on premises. According to the Sohrawardi School, knowledge of Sufism depends on hal and makam. These studies had already been absorbed before the meetings with Hazrat Inayat Khan in Los Angeles in 1926. These meetings were based upon my own interior development—rejected alike by all sorts of Americans and Europeans; later confirmed by every Sufi teacher of every school I have ever contacted, and I have contacted plenty of them. The original Bayat proposed one became a brother of all members of all Sufi orders. Amin and Amin. The Sufi teaching is: ᾀ?There is no existence save Allah.” I am not yet ready to accept a change in this teaching.
There is a teaching, if you would read some of your grandfather’s works where he relates that Mohammed berated his grandchildren for calling a slave by his first name. He said: “Call him uncle.” This is what the blessed Mohammed taught. I see you do not agree. I personally believe that Mohammed was the effective founder of Sufism, and that all Sufi orders, and perhaps all Sufi experiences can be traced back to him. Yes, there are other divine ways, and if you will read the heading, this person has been accepted by Zen Masters as a Zen Master, and one has a Zen stick.
I personally introduced the Zen monk Nyogen Senzaki to your sacred grandfather. This actual occurrence was rejected by members of Sufi orders in Europe, God bless them. My spiritual reports were rejected by European and most Americans, God bless them. I certainly am not going to take any more trouble of writing them out.
At San Francisco, I was told to get out of your meeting as soon as I entered the door; God is my witness, and perhaps your sacred grandfather also. How many times have you actually seen him? You are asking a validated Sufi teacher, whom you call by a nickname, to crawl at your feet. All right. I think it is funny—I am not angry at all.
I went to a meeting of the religions of the world this year at Geneva and when the sessions were completed, every leader of every religion of the world accepted this personality as a real mystic. Do you want their names? I am now working for the Temple of Understanding. Your sainted grandfather spent hours with me on his ideas of a universal temple. Almost unanimous rejection of the report. So I have gone elsewhere. This was partly at the suggestion of Mr. Paul Reps, who was a witness—mostly outside the door, but sometimes inside the door—at the Beverly Hills Hotel in 1926.
I cannot demand of you that you accept the mystical experience of a mystic. I certainly will send you nothing unless I am assured that what is sent is respected. The Sangatha teaching, of which I do not have copy, says in the end, there is one moral, and that is human consideration. I cannot demand Sangatha instructions from you. If you can prove to me, in the name of Allah—and I mean in the name of Allah— that I have no right to share Sangathas you will get an apology, but it has to be in the name of Allah. This person was not called a Sufi until after the experience of God-realization and by Pirs and Murshids of at least five orders. No legal entity had any part of it. The cause of God is the cause of God, period.
You have been kind enough to write to me, which is something new for any representative of any European Sufi movement. You are not the only European Sufi leader, so called. At least I have avoided or escaped the barbs of Idries Shah and others. Now, we are working for human brotherhood. We are in contact with all the Sufi orders that we have to be in contact with.
The prayer ends, “One single Brotherhood in the Fatherhood of God.” That may be your belief; it is my life.
Your sainted grandfather wanted me to be an exoteric leader. The various so-called esoteric leaders have all rejected this, God bless them. Now I am speaking at, or am engaged to speak at, one University after another exactly as Hazrat Inayat Khan told me would be the case. It is happening. Maybe it is happing because of Hierarchal blessing and approval.
Although in your letter you have concluded that this person may have reached the eighth degree, if we had to attest to realizations s laid down in Volume X of the Sufi Message, it would be a pretty story. But I am not seeking recognition; I am seeking fulfillment of the spreading of the message. I led a thousand young people in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco in Dervish dances before leaving that city. Even the newspapers have to accept our accomplishments today. More is coming, much more.
I do not know a single mystical religion which does not emphasize Grace. Do you know what the work Inayat means? Last year I celebrated my fiftieth anniversary of induction into the Sufi teachings. At long last my writings are being published. At long last my work is being accepted, but I have never set myself up to be esoteric leader in the West. A little later, perhaps, I may write again on the six meetings with Hazrat Inayat Khan, but I am almost sure you will not accept them because they are based on profound mystical experiences, and I shall equally apologize if you do accept—not the person, but the experiences, because Sufism is based on experience.
My mission now is to fulfill other mystical experiences, the nature of which had, until this year, been rejected by practically every so-called spiritual teacher of the Western world and accepted by practically every spiritual teacher of the non-Western world, Amen. But accepted or not, everything is coming true today, everything, Alhamdulillah! And when the obvious is not accepted, how can one request that “occult” experience be accepted?
The teaching of the Sangathas is: the teacher see the merits of the pupil. It does not demand that the pupil see the merits of the teacher. How can I send these papers to you under such circumstances? Besides that, I got them from Rabia Martin and not from any organization.
I am going further. I am teaching disciples esoteric practices not found in the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan without abandoning these sacred teachings.
I am working on word peace plans, or at least plans for Palestine, inshallah. These include concessions on the part of the various groups involved. Now you have written to me, a comparative stranger, in the name of Allah, in the name of Love, Harmony and Beauty, and made demands on a subject of which I know nothing at all. I have never seen any letter asking me to give up any of Hazrat Inayat Khan’s materials. Most of the originals were seized from me, also in the name of Love, Harmony, and Beauty, by Mrs. Ivy Duce. Fortunately, she could not tell which manuscripts were your sainted grandfather’s and which were mine and kept a number of my manuscripts, which she felt came from Pir-o-Murshid, and returned a number of Pir-o-Murshid’s writings which she thought came from me.
I cannot demand, and I’m not even going to ask you, to accept any of the contents of the six interviews with Hazrat Inayat Khan. No doubt, if you could follow Salat and address Allah with all “humility” this might be done. All the Pirs I have met received their titles from inner experiences and God-realizations. We cannot demand of you or any organization that it base itself on God-realization but in Allah is our strength, our devotion, our hopes, our aims, and our aids.
Praise be to him.
Love and Blessings,
Samuel L. Lewis
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti
P.S. This letter will be followed up with a more complete answer when there is more time available, either when I return home or before.
Samuel L. Lewis c/o L. Less
27 W. 71 Street
New York, New York 10023
October 5, 1970
Mashaik Fazal Inayat-Khan
Khankah Abadan Abad
Temple Hill
Dockenfield, nr. Farnham Surrey, England
Beloved One of God:
After long and serious mediation, an answer more fully to your letter of September 25 is being written. It is not too easy, because a Sufi is one who sees life from the standpoint of another, and you have asked that I see life from your standpoint without any consideration of my own. This is complicated, for Hazrat Inayat Khan, whom you certainly never met in the flesh, sent for me six times—he sent for me, I did not ask to see him. This made Kismet Stam very angry, and she poured her wrath out on me—a beautiful manifestation of love, harmony, and beauty; and your sainted grandfather made her apologize. For the basic reason for his sending for me was because of deep mystical experiences which the good people of Europe and America have chosen to ignore and all the holy people met from Japan to U.A.R. inclusive—a lot of them—concluded otherwise. These curious Asians seem to believe that knowledge of mysticism is based on personal experience, a point on which a very large number of Europeans and Americans differ—God bless them.
It is certain that so many actual saints, whom I can name, meaning I can name them, accepted these mystical experiences and backgrounds and the interpretations. Nor do I choose to write now again, “Six Interviews with Hazrat Inayat Khan,” because they have been written again and again and again, and never once were they even acknowledged by the Europeans who demanded them, God bless them.
I am not quite ready yet to repudiate the lessons on “Moral Culture,” which have been published. But I can hardly expect personalities who do not accept the Ten Sufi Thoughts and the Three Purpose of the Sufi Movement to be bound by Moral Culture. One of the grand sheikhs, a founder of one great Sufi Silsila said: “Consideration consists in showing consideration to others and never expecting consideration from others.” And Rabia Martin used to say: “It is not what others do to you, but what you do to others.” By these standards, therefore, you have highly honored me, honored me more than I expected, because you are asking, even demanding, consideration from me and not showing consideration yourself. I do not know if I am that worthy, but the whole tenor of your letter indicates you expect this person to be that worthy. The standard of behavior you asked is that innately you expect saintly consideration and action from this person, while showing no signs of it yourself.
As this letter will be published, for the benefit of the readers, I am adding some hard facts based on actual experience. In 1923, I took notes from the lectures of Hazrat Inayat Khan. A public stenographer was hired, who missed all the Asian words your sainted grandfather used. My notes were thrown out, and the others became official. On his return in 1926, Hazrat Inayat Khan asked me to be his public stenographer—contrary to the wishes of the then existing corporation, which controlled the Sufi Movement. He was very determinate that his words be kept intact; that is the statement of Hazrat Inayat Khan. He would concentrate on my arm, and I never missed a word, especially the foreign words which were occasionally and necessarily used. You have asked me to accept the decisions of a private corporation, indeed of several private corporations, which have chosen to go contrary to the will and wishes of Hazrat Inayat Khan. These are your statements. I have no such agreement with any corporation whatsoever.
You have stated without any evidence whatsoever, that changes were made by the wishes of a man whom you never met in the flash. You have given no evidence. I am not going to quote from your letter; I am going to publish the whole thing. Who are you to make such a statement to a man to whom you have given no consideration whatsoever.
3. This is in answer to statements regarding Rabia Martin. Your sainted grandfather dictated at least two books to Rabia Martin, which she kept as personal property. This was done in 1911. He also wrote out a number of notes which I accidentally happened on in her office after she died. These cover many items, of which the International Headquarters was either never aware or refused to accept. Amen. I do not see how I am fulfilling any duty of a mureed by sending things to a group which has not accepted this person. By initiatory processes, and not by elections; by initiatory processes followed by ceremonies in public view, I have been instituted as Sufi, as Murshid, and also as Khalifa in some other orders, based on mystical and spiritual experiences, validated by well-known Sufi Pirs and Murshids, upon whom be blessing.
I have never been at and Sufi meeting at any order where I was not placed above the Khalifs. This is a long story, and you do not have to accept it, so I am not going to tell it. If you would vouchsafe you would accept it, I would write.
5. I do not know that no one excepting the headquarters of the Sufi Movement, has the right to publish anything of Hazrat Inayat Khan. I have already seen things published, and you’re not going to do anything about them, you haven’t. I don’t think you know anything about copyright laws. Certainly I do know that many of the teachings were not to be published, but this has already been done. Apparently corporations of non-mureeds can publish things of Hazrat Inayat Khan which he wanted kept as, let us say, Githas, but mureeds mustn’t. So I guess I’ll be a non-mureed and go ahead and publish, and you won’t do anything. For we have a prayer, “May the Message of God reach far and wide.”
You have said that being in the eighth degree there is trust and responsibility, but I have already been publicity ordained as being in the tenth and eleventh degrees, and in the name of Allah, the Merciful, the compassionate; I repeat, in the name of Allah, the merciful, the compassionate, and in the name of all the holy ones who form the embodiment of the Master the Spirit of Guidance, this can be confirmed also by experiences, and I mean experiences published in volume X of the Sufi Message. And if you think you can fool with things, you had better learn something. Your behavior to a validated Sufi Murshid, to a much older man, who had acquaintance with Hazrat Inayat Khan shows how little you know about him and his mission.
As grandson of a very great man, I have the vanity to hope to direct you on the path which leads to self-fulfillment and God-realization. You have asked harmony form me without asking for a single fact so far. If you knew anything about Sufism, if you know anything at all, you would know there are grades of self-effacement. The first grand group of self-effacement practices is fana-fi-Sheikh, to become effaced in the living teacher. On February 7, 1930, when this person was in Khilvat, the spirit of Hazrat Inayat Khan appeared before him and opened what is called the thousand petal lotus. From then on for fifteen years, we were in direct contact with each other. And then fana-fi-Sheikh was completed, and one entered fana-fi-Rassoul. I say this in the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate; in the name of all the Holy Ones who form the Embodiment of the Master, the Spirit of Guidance; and in the name of a multitude of Sheikhs and Murshids whom I can place and name, who I have met in the flesh; may Allah bless them all.
The basic experiences in fana-fi-Rassoul are in my poetry. I presented one of the lesser poems at a peace conference in Geneva to the head of the Birla family of India and he accepted at once. He did not have humility. People with humility don’t accept; I do not know why. Changes in the private life may make it possible to publish these poems written in fana-fi-Rassoul.
My experiences in Delhi in a company with Pir-o-Murshid Hasan Sani Nizami, more than confirmed the state of this person, the makam.
7. Who says I have no right to distribute Sangithas? Before Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate, I demand to know by what right, and I am not fooling. You had better learn the very first things in morality and honesty. You had better learn about hierarchal law. Did you write out commentaries on the Githas before you accepted your title? You are not dealing with a schoolboy. You are dealing with a person who was appointed by your sainted grandfather as “protector of the Message.”
All my records and papers except a few were destroyed in 1949, but I do know, and you dare not challenge me—you dare not challenge me—that your sainted grandfather said: “Whatever is done to the Murshids and Khalifs in my order, must be considered as done to me.” And this statement is going to be published along with this whole letter.
9. Of course my standard is not that of the non-initiate. You have said, and I quote: “There is no reason why we cannot spread the message, each in his own way and style.” In the suppressed Sangathas, it is said that there is no Message, only a call to praise Allah. Yes, anyone can praise Allah in his own style, but La Illaha El Il Allah. You had better read and consider the many passages in Gayan, Vadan, and Nirtan.
Now, for your benefit, for your personal benefit, and I dare you to show it to your father, I dare you—you are too frightened; while your uncle Vilayat was still calling himself Pir Zade, I asked a number of holy men, Sufis and saints whom I can name, what they thought of the relatives of Hazrat Inayat Khan. Every single one of them without exception repudiated all your relatives but one. Every one of them said they would accept Vilayat Inayat Khan. He did not know this, but he is going to find it out, for he has met some of them himself since. Without exception, the living holy ones who constitute the chain of masters and Sufis all said they would accept Vilayat Inayat Khan, and this before he went to Ajmer. I say this in the name of Allah, the Merciful and Compassionate, in the name of all the Sufism chain, and all who form the embodiment of the Master, the Spirit of Guidance. Tell this to your father.
I became a disciple in Sufism when there was no literature from your sainted grandfather, but magazines which have since been suppressed; and a Sufi Message of Spiritual liberty. I personally took the Bayat under the terms of a Sufi Message of Spiritual liberty before there was any corporation interfering with spiritual experiences. Legally even, therefor, I am not bound by any changes that were made. Not only that, but I have some of the original writings of Hazrat Inayat Khan on the subjects of Nimaz, Kalama, Zikr, Fikr, Shagal, and Amal. Under Laic law, under common morality, there is no way to prevent a person entering into a valid agreement and paying monies to have that agreement nullified without notice, especially by parties who were not originally involved in that agreement. I say, therefore, in the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate, in the name of the Prophet Mohammed, in the name of all the prophets and all the Sufis in chain, that no man-made corporation has any right to interfere with spiritual contracts, and you had better learn this.
In the teachings on Moral Culture, there is the “Law of Reciprocity, the Law of Beneficence, and the Law of Renunciation.” I must reject your defiance of the Law of Renunciation. So, in the name of Allah, the Merciful and Compassionate, I big you to consider Tauba, the first state in official Sufism, by which the personality gives up his ego and surrenders. One hopes this is possible for a grandson of Hazrat Inayat Khan; one hopes it is possible that he learn spiritual morality and spiritual awakening, which will come ultimately, but not by superficial niceties.
It seems that Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate, to accept the full terms of Khatum. If you could ever get to accept Khatum, you would know that Allah speaks through, in, and with man. And I can assure you, when you face those tragedies, which by your impudence with the moral law you will ultimately have to face, if this person is still on earth, he will give you every consideration.
It seems your letter came at an excellent time for your uncle Vilayat arrives in New York in a few hours. Now I am going to show him your letter and this answer. But your uncle already accepted; he is accepted by the heads of Sufi orders; he is accepted by the universities, and he is accepted by a multitude of young people, may Allah bless them all.
The day before I left San Francisco, I led a thousand people in Dervish dances, not those of the Mevlevi. I was instructed in spiritual dancing by the late Ruth St. Dennis who originally accompanied your sainted grandfather in his first tour of the United States. But why go on? I cannot make you accept facts, nor have I intention to do so. When your heart is awakened, you will accept Khatum and Salat and Saum. May Allah bless you and bring this about soon.
Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti