The 23rd of May 1966
Mrs. Elsie G. SANDERS
Altadena, California, USA
Beloved ONE,
Sister and Disciple
N A M A S K A R
This moment I have just read your last letter, so I called back the mail as I had written you a letter this morning. Yesterday I sent a letter to the UN, copy enclosed so you may see my turn of mind. I am burned up with those monkeys, as I can see that the delay to solve my problem is to extend for some time yet. It‘s discouraging, but it doesn’t discourage me, it feels me with disgust, simply and wholly thoroughly if that means absolutely.
This matter of religion is a pain in the neck all through. – Just think of it, in 1933 I represented Buddhism Officially, about twenty Buddhist countries including the Dalai Lama in person, at the Chicago World Parliament of Faiths, but a few months later the Emigration authorities told me that Buddhism being no religion in the strict sense of the word, I was not a Religious Minister. – Years later, at Havana, I presented my documents as Bishop of the Liberal Church of America, Overseers of the World Gnostic Church (France) and Head of the Essene Community (Jerusalem), and was told that I was merely a partisan of some sort of sects (Sickening, isn’t it!), then the Consul, who was not at all really himself, insulted me saying that I could never enter the U.S.A., as I was an asiatic, barred by the 1924 Law, as far as he was concerned I might be only a “cosmic parasite”. I simply loved that conclusion, and now I truly wonder if I am not a wonder cosmic parasite about to explode some tremendous myths. But for God ‘sake, I do not want to go through this business again, of proving if am or not a Religious Minister. I have headed Churches all my life, practically, and I have studied and taken active part in all the known Religions, qualifying to a great degree in all of them. So, when I saw myself treated as NON RELIGIOUS, I just had to laugh off my stupid inquisitors. Now, if by being a Religious Minister is meant to be only a theological degree holder of some Christian religious body, I would reject this definition. I never knew that the Lord Christ, or Budha or Shree Krishna and Mohammed for that matter had any College Degree and Certificate in their pockets when they landed down on this blasted planet. Nor that they were even proficient scholars or even simple literate people. Why do people have to become so ridiculous with their claims and whims or silly daydreaming? Maybe, like they did with Rabindranath Tagore who had no college Degree, they want to keep me out of some decent countries? Or what? What a laugh.
If these people ask about my faith, respond in my name: FAITH IN GOD DESPITE THE MOST VAUNTING RELIGIOUS PEOPLE OF THIS PLANET TODAY. I would not claim now any religious standing. My Faith is ESSENIAN. Otherwise, I prefer to be a friend and Servant of all the Religions (insofar as they are humanitarian and really Godly).
You will see that I am blowing high and mighty at the UN. Well, it is about time that they stopped playing with the theme of refugees. I am a human being who needs and wants pretty much to solve his problem. If America is no place for a decent person like me, then I don’t want to get there at all. I am not going to return to Cuba just to try to swim my way to Miami and see if I reach America. This stunt is not for me, and if I went to Cuba, after all my ordeals since my leaving there, I might even beg pardon to the Communists and tell them the plain truth about the way democratic countries treat a Number One Anti-Communist like myself.
As for my going to any other country to see my way later in America, I don’t mind doing that. But, I already feel shame of the stratagem, as I have an innate repulsion for beating around the bush or for getting around legalities and schemes. The devil with this sort of thing. I am a decent person, always have been, and hope to remain so until I get out of the world, with my mischiefs. I believe, sincerely, that is a poor thing that refugees or exiles and apatrides must find themselves in one country or another in order to rate a legal right. The fact is that they are human beings and victims of idiotic nations (no va un punto aquí?) who love warfare does not seem to amount to some nations’ destiny makers. Gosh, they claim to believe in God, but I wonder if God knows it. It He only believed in people half as much, this planet would not be run by fanatics and what not.
As my for obtaining a legal residence in just any country, I object to my being treated like a simple beast of burden. I will not accept any residence, which is forced on me. I want to make my own choice. When I was born my parents gave me a nationality (the British), but then as India was abandoned the British and the Hindus disclaimed me. Now I want to make my own choice. I have chosen America, for sure, but if America doesn’t want me, I’ll make a better hid. That is why I wrote to the UN yesterday, and then I did not have the letters you sent me, so I had a haunch, or maybe a Divine Illumination. Call it as you want, but I want to reside legally in a country where there is neither censorship nor limitation to Human Rights as so loudly vaunted by the UN. I want real FREEDOM, or I’ll go to live with the beasts of central Africa, where I am pretty sure to be better understood. The UN has delayed four whole years to solve my simple problem of legal residence. What the devil is this UN good for, anyway if it cannot or will not solve such a simple problem as mine? I don’t ask anything out of this world, or something that can be found only in the moon. I want to be recognized vital human rights, or let us bust the UN show and prove to the whole wide world that the UN Human Rights Charter is a mere farce and a signalled ultramodern falsehood. I think that even in my grave I shall stand up and scream aloud the truth about all this nasty business.
The World Church Service folks might be wonderful this I don’t doubt in the least, and I am the first one really interested in seeing them succeed. Not that I am being selfish, but I want to let the whole world know that some Christians are really deservant of the name. - Now if this tragedy is prolonged too much, I shall have to see if they admit me again in Cuba. I’ll have to tell them how sorry I am to have thought so bad about them, and repent hard, and also tell them how inhumanly I have been treated ever since they let me lose there in 1962. Had I know all the ordeals I have been through since, I would have remained there. After all, they did not murder me. The world today is MURDERING ME by denying me an instant solution to my problem as a refugee. Maybe refugees have to be pretty lucky to rate asylum and ample help. Anyway, I ask for no privileges, and I don’t care about any sort of charity.
Please let them know well, word-by-word, how I think and feel and live.
Thanks all the way, and do accept my purest thoughts and Blessings,
Pr. OM Lind
./..
P.D. – I intend getting of here, anyhow, and see if I can find a better treatment among Moslems and savages in other latitude.
Post Data. --- Re-Religious Minister. If the world knew that I am not accepted as RELIGIOUS MINISTER, and one of the highest dignity and decency at that, the laugh would be on those who make such preposterous denials. Yet my admission to America was already denied on this assumption. I simply refuse to meet such challenge again. One experience in stupidity was enough for me. It is still, and ever shall be.
Nowadays, the Ecumenic Council of the Romans claims that Buddhism is a religion so why not accept Buddhism as a religion in Washington? Or is the State Department more fit to judge?
Then, YOGA is religion at best. I am one of the highest dignitaries in this field, recognized the world over. Even the Pope or Roman Catholicism acclaim Yoga as a religious way. But the Washington masterminds will just laugh very sillily at such claim. I cannot claim to be a Roman prelate, or a Methodist Minister, or what, as I do not proclaim myself such, and in the face of my conscience, I simply would not. Yet I must be something of a religious man when I am such a leader of wide acclaim. Even the Moslems respect me as a great Spiritual Guide. But, of course, in America they equate Spirituality with the stuff of some churches and Spiritist groups, so that is not rated as a religion. Some Official functionaries should return to school and learn what is a religion.
In Switzerland today, an Atheist group had challenged Billy Graham to a public appearance to prove that God exists. They would contest the claim, of course. I wrote to them requesting to be given the alternative should Mr. Graham ignore the challenge. I WOULD PROVE TO THEM THAT GOD EXISTS that is the real one, not anyone with whiskers riding the clouds, which no communist can meet on his way to the moon. I am pretty sure that no Christian can prove the existence of God on the assumptions presented by current religious systems. However, scientifically, I can offer absolute evidence, and I will if I have the opportunity. One thing we must admit about the atheists and agnostics; they are game and tremendously sincere, and no fools in the least. They don’t just believe anything they are told. No wonder they are becoming so admired by the newer generations nowadays, while the Churches are losing elements.
As a matter of fact, I would have obviously to issue myself some Minister or Hierophant of Master Healer certificate, considering my position in the world today. What a joke this would be. Isn’t it utterly ridiculous? Yet this is the predicament. In America any astrologist, spiritualist, Occultist, Christian Scientist is a Religious Minister, simply because his organization is legally registered as a Church. Nevertheless, if some people from genuine ancient Spiritual or Religious Bodies come around with no “Certificate” in his pocket, as it happened to me in 1933, he is denied all religious standing whatever. Well, if such is the case, why bother to quarrel with narrow-minded folks? It is far better to have no religious status than to being maltreated by people who play with religion (as Kierkegaard once said marvelously).
At the United Nations, on the other hand, I was attended to in 1959, when my problem with communist Castro rose up, in a rather nice way, because I was heading the Cultural and Spiritual Mission in Cuba. You may know that hundreds of religious and non-religious organizations protested for my arrest and martyrdom. How many Religious Ministers today can lay claim to such a qualification?
But the Church World Service will prove its worth in my case. We’ll see what they can do. They have my files at the UN. Now, if politics and bigotry prove more powerful, somehow, I shall be very sorry for this religious body, for they seem so wonderful and sincere. But it has been said long before by many others BY THEIR FRUITS SHALL YEE KNOW THEM. - I would “If my Religion proves incapable of solving a single problem, I don’t want it, and I must change it forthwith. No religion is worthy of its calling if it fails in solving a single human problem. How can it, indeed, claim Divine powers or assistance?”.
Well let us see what comes next. If they don’t want me as a Religious Minister, they might accept me as a Spiritual Guide, the which is of a higher category. If not, I simply do not want to go to America. I’d prefer to find another country where human beings are more respected when they are worth something.
Pr. OM Lind
