Sufi Vision and Initiation

A moving personal history of how Sufism and Zen came to America.... The story of meetings with remarkable beings like Swami Papa Ramdas, Nyogen Senzaki, Sokeian Sasaki, Mother Krishnabai, Pir-O-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan, the Rev. M.T. Kirby and others who sought to bring East and West together through the universality of genuine mystical experience... A sweeping and prophetic view of the last half-century of international relations with the East.... Political and religious turmoil in faraway Iands, organic agriculture and seed exchange for peace, the great mystics and sages of the 20th century--all play a part in this story of an American scholar and scientist's search for truth. "I have no fonder memory of the 60's than the appearance of this strange-looking man, who said things which made me first laugh, then smile, then later pause in appreciation of a spiritual original, a pioneer." - Dr. Jacob Needleman, author of The New Religions "Everytime I remember Sam, I end up laughing at myself. That's pretty good work for a dead-rascal-saint." - Ram Dass, author of Be Here Now "By being spiritual, Samuel Lewis expanded the range of being human; and by being human he deepened the meaning of being spiritual." -Moineddin Jablonski, spiritual successor of Murshid Samuel Lewis