Diary 1963 - Murshid Sam's Living Stream

Diaries 1963January 31It is easy to accuse one of manufacturing drama, but it may equally be that drama is aroundus. Anyhow Tuesday night, contrary to my own will, I went to Magana’s class on the Mudras. Theseceremonies, actions, etc. are difficult because when the words are expressed I experienced them andgot into “states” which were not easily sloughed off. But the dualistic prayers attached have littleimpression. One does not want “things” or favors; one sometimes wishes to get above wanting.This negative state disappeared Wednesday morning. All the Mudra-words centered aroundthe Lotus. Here am I writing, The Lotus and the Universe. Just as in previous years Pir-o-Murshidmanifested and said, “Be a Flute” and opened the doors to the cosmic universe, God so to speakmanifested and said: “Be a Lotus. You feel, you can’t both write The Lotus and, the Universe and accuseKoestler and not be a Lotus. Be a Lotus and be blessed.” So here I am, writing now from the“lotus point of view” a against the “robot point of view,” and it is transforming the manuscript andwill require, no doubt, extra revisions, but at least there is inner satisfaction and joy.Then there was yesterday. I knew something would happen when I went to hear Consul-General Menon at the World Affair’s Council. It turned out to be something very different. Comingearly there was only one man present. Ha said, “Us being the only men, let us sit down together.”Actually the late arrivals were as many men as woman. Anyhow we sat down. What is your name:“Garst.” “Any relation to Jonathan Garst?” “I am Jonathan Garst.”There I was, never met the guy, carried his fertilizer plans with me, got into long discussionsin Egypt, turned the whole thing over to the Pakistanis, abandoned it in India, etc. But I guess I can’tbe too chagrined for he has abandoned some of his own ideas, too. He had written he was going toPoland and Iron Curtain countries, but recently he has been to Central America. So after a long timea pen-pal appears, just like that, and I am supposed to be manufacturing my dramas? Why do thesethings happen to me—thank God!Saw Miss E.E. Pence and met Gale Darling, “my fellow traveler.” Will ring up Gale.Norman has now moved in and two women will share the front upstairs. No housewarmingfor the immediate present.Victory? For the first time in my life an “expert” has admitted he made a mistake, On 26 JanuaryDonald N. Wilber of Princeton, N. J. (140 Quaker Road) conceded that there may be Sufis. Hemade an over-all statement in his book on ”Afghanistan” that they were few, unimportant and fastdisappearing. Now he wants to know more because he is writing two books on Pakistan. My pointis simple: you can reason with American “experts” on Asia (except Northrup), you can’t reason withEuropeans, they are adamant, ego-centric and wrong.Wilber also explained something, to me: Why had I so violently and whole-heartedly supportedRichard Frye of Harvard against Northrup of Yale? I have been most uncompromising, and hadthe most wonderful friendships with Frye’s students and animosities with Northrupians and friendshipswith those that despise Northrup—i.e. real Asian Philosophers. Frye is a Sufi! Why do thesethings happen to me, thank God.”