Astrology, OTEC & more
The Shamcher Bulletin brings you snippets from Shamcher’s writings that might help frame and context our experience of the world we live in today. If this was forwarded to you and you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do it here.
This week’s issue includes excerpts from two articles that had perhaps been published in Sufis Speak. Also a note from later correspondence about his health, along with Part 1 of an article from an OTEC colleague.
But we begin with a serial he wrote: Ask, And It Shall Be Given To You.
Ask
ASK, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN TO YOU said a prophet of long ago, whom some of us feel still lives and influences us. However, it is rumoured that some have asked, and what they asked were not always given to them. How could that be? Was that prophet wrong? Or is there a limit to what may be asked? If so, why did he not say? Or did he say and were his words lost in the mists of time? And what about the condition and state of mind of the one who asks? Has that any bearing on the result?
A conceited climber like the undersigned may think he has the answers to these questions, not the least because he is nearing the end of Earth life, so if he ever shall know, this would be the time. But the answers shall be held over till the next installment, as the writers of serials do when they are at a high point - not merely for the sake of reader suspense, but for my own sake. I wish to contemplate readers' projections, as they hurtle through space, in general, and at the Sufi Service where so many things happen. I am as excited as any reader (or are any readers excited?) about what the outcome and the answers will be...
Shamcher
(to be continued next week…)
Illustration by Henriette Willebeek le Mair (Saida), in The Flower Garden of Hazrat Inayat Khan
Prayers
...Inayat, the Scenario writer, gathered his mureeds and said, "We shall have prayers."
Into the ring sprang Sirdar then, the most eager and alert among us, forged us into a team including his beautiful wife Saida, one of Holland's greatest artists and authors, and all the English and American-born ones in whose veins the English language lived and breathed, and after any and every suggestion Inayat either nodded or gave his gentle suggestion until, voila, there were the prayers. In this game, even Inayat was just a channel. Back of this was his own teacher Seyed Madani, along with a heavenly host and in addition, how many birds? How many elephants? How many flies?
Sirdar was not the bad guy planner. I was not. Inayat was not, I think. There was a superplanner, there were shrewd intermediaries, through whom a planning team and game was forged and, so forged, meekly and sometimes proudly obeyed...
(from “The Planner”)
Astrology
At the beginning of this century the Indian yogi Sri Yukteswar wrote in HOLY SCIENCE that the Hindu astrology as then practiced were many thousands of years wrong in its calculations due to a "mistake that crept into the almanacs about 700 B.C.” As a consequence, he writes, the concept of the astrologers that we are now in a down point in the spiritual cycle is wrong. We are up and rising. Some have accepted this correction. Others have not.
There is no doubt about the close relationship of everything living, including man, woman, trees, animals, planets, sun and stars, all linked in a grand enjoyable rhythm that we should try to feel and know by all means at our disposal. Though a well known American astrologer Dane Rudhyar writes “Astrology, as I understand it, has no concern whatsoever with whether a conjunction of planets causes something to happen to a person or nation.” Paracelsus wrote in the fifteenth century, "Constellations are subordinate to the wise man. They have to follow him, not vice versa. Only a man still on the animalistic level is ruled by the planets.”
Inayat Khan was once asked if we ought not to consult astrologers, have our horoscopes read. From above presentation his answer may be appreciated, “Where are the astrologers?"
(From “Mind - The In-Between”)
Shamcher’s copy of Swami Sri Yuketeswar’s book, The Holy Science
Response to a Dream
Your dream: so true, and yet not quite. I was not sick but not quite alive either. Most seconds I do not know whether I will be alive in the next second. Strokes, tumors, heart attacks - all these things people talk about and seem worried about - thousands of them, all at a time, come humbly knocking at my door, and I smile and welcome them but have nothing to say about whether they shall be welcome messenger carrying me off to other areas or be sent home again with mission uncompleted. No pain, just un-assembly, no order or togetherness until a thousand mostly unknown agents have taken charge. A simply wonderful arrangement. Every evening I go to bed wondering pleasantly what the morn will bring or see.
(from correspondence)
From The Solar Ocean Energy Liason, September, 1980
Bryn Beorse Passes Away at 84 After Three Decades of Pioneering OTEC Work
By Richard A. Meyer
Bryn Beorse passed away on April 29th, 1980 at the age of 84, following a stroke. His last 30 years were persistently dedicated to OTEC, with his daily behind-the-scenes efforts consistently bearing fruit. As he was never a glory-seeker, his efforts over many decades toward seeing OTEC implemented are generally unknown and unheralded.
I was notified of Bryn’s death while on vacation, and I felt it strongly. Since I became involved in OTEC over four years ago, I had come to know Bryn quite well. We met on several occasions and spoke on the telephone at least twice a month, sharing the many ups and downs of OTEC during that time.
Knowing of Bryn’s commitment and long-term involvement in OTEC, I suggested the Bryn Beorse Annual Achievement Award, and hoped it could be initiated at the June Ocean Energy Conference, only to find that there was not enough time to prepare for its selection and proper presentation. However DOE’s Dr. Bennett Miller announced at the Conference banquet that the Award would be presented the following year.
The details of Bryn’s story appear elsewhere in this issue, where you will see that he led an exciting, adventurous, creative and rewarding life.
But I can add to the review of his contributions that he devoted the bulk of the last 30 years of his life to OTEC.
Nowhere do I have a greater collection of papers than in Bryn’s correspondence, for he left no stone unturned in his efforts to see OTEC implemented. He wrote everyone who could possibly help, sending me copies of his letters. He wrote Senators, Congressmen, James Schlesinger, magazine editors, Exxon’s Chairman, television commentators, current and past Presidents and Presidential candidates, Cabinet members, bank presidents, heads of foreign governments …the list would fill the pages of an international “Who’s Who”.
And not only did he get answers, but Bryn held dialogues with these men: meaningful dialogues that often culminated in personal meetings, television appearances, and feature newspaper and magazine articles. It makes exciting reading.
More important, Bryn did more to “get the word out” on OTEC than anyone else I know of. For example his initial appearance on Arlene Francis’s talk show resulted in more letters than they had received following anyone else’s appearance, and Bryn was asked back for two more visits.
The last time I spoke with Bryn we discussed the rapid movement of OTEC legislation through Congress. It was a few weeks before he died, and I asked him if he was working hard. “No, not really,” he told me, “I believe OTEC is really, finally on its way now.”
Bryn had incredible energy and stamina, even though he was in his mid-eighties. After so many years of fighting for OTEC, I believe he felt his job was done. OTEC was certainly well on its way: The word was out, the momentum was there. Now he could rest.
(More from this article next issue)
ADEE early photocopy flyer, 1979
A few notes on last week’s email:
Shamcher’s correct birthdate is April 26, 1896, not April 24th.
The photos of Shamcher at Universal Worship and with Shahabuddin, were taken by Saadi Rothenberg.
The Shamcher Bulletin features weekly selections from the Archives of Shamcher Bryn Beorse, and memories of those who knew him. Find previous issues HERE. Thanks for responding, sharing, and subscribing. If you have Shamcher stories, photos or correspondence to share, just reply to this email. Comments and corrections welcome.
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Vakil Forest Shomer was instrumental in gathering and digitizing Shamcher’s papers for the archive.
The Shamcher Bulletin is edited by Carol Sill, whose newsletter, Personal Papers, is HERE.
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