Murshid Samuel L. Lewis
Samuel L. Lewis also known as Murshid Samuel Lewis, Murshid S.A.M. and Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti (October 18, 1896 – January 15, 1971) was an American mystic and horticultural scientist who founded what became the Sufi Ruhaniat International, a branch of the Chishtiyya Sufi lineage that follows the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan.
After a lifetime of spiritual study with teachers East and West, primarily Inayat Khan and Nyogen Senzaki, Lewis was recognized simultaneously as a Zen master and Sufi murshid (senior teacher) by Eastern representatives of the two traditions. He also co-founded the Christian mystical order called the Holy Order of Mans.
His early interest in international seed exchange and organic agriculture also established him as one of the pioneers of green spirituality.
His most enduring legacy may be the creation of the Dances of Universal Peace, an early interspiritual practice that has spread around the world in the 50 years since his death.
A few quotations from Murshid S.A.M.
"I feel like a gardener who planted a bunch of seeds and nothing came up; and again the next year he planted a bunch more seeds and nothing camer up; and again the next year more seeds with the same result; and so on and so on. And then this year, he planted a bunch of seeds: not only did they all come up, but all the seeds from the previous year came up and all the seeds from the year before, and so on. So I've been frantically running around trying to harvest the plants until Allah came to me and said: 'Don't worry. Harvest what you can and leave the rest to me.' "
"Words are not peace. Thoughts are not peace. Plans are not peace. Programs are not peace. Peace is fundamental to all faiths. Peace is fullness, all inclusive ...and must be experienced."
"One of the reasons I am teaching this music and dancing is to increase Joy, not awe towards another person, but bliss in our own self. This is finding God within, through Experience."
"The watcher is the prayerful devotee, but the dancer becomes divine."
"Now, with all the fun we’re having, I’m trying to teach spirituality. I can forgive you if you don’t agree with me on anything, but if when we do the dancing you don’t take it as spiritual, the whole thing falls down. We’re making no attempt to make dancers out of you, but as you elevate in your own personality you begin to find it’s easier for you to dance and to do things you couldn’t do before - even when you tried. Something happens inside the person."
"So the first thing I ask you to do is don’t believe me. Believe your own being when you get up and walk and chant and dance."
"All the books in the world are not worth five minutes of meditation."
"The only two things I don't allow in my house are empty stomachs and cold feet."
"My main theme has always been that of Imam Al-Ghazzali, that Sufism is based on experience and not on premises."
"The Sufi not only prays to God. By this I mean that he not only asks for Love and Wisdom and Joy and Peace, he does everything possible to awaken Love and Light and Wisdom and Joy and Peace in others."
"Concepts about spirituality have nothing to do with spirituality."
Teachings from Murshid S.A.M.
- Teachings on Breath (from the book In The Garden)
- The Book of Peace
- Suras on Breath