Early Days, Seeing, and Identity
Welcome to the May 7, 2021 issue of The Shamcher Bulletin, excerpts from the archives of Shamcher Bryn Beorse. Warm greetings to new subscribers! If this was forwarded to you and you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do it here.
This issue features some Norwegian archives, including a photo of a very young Shamcher. We end with two excerpts from Shamcher’s correspondence in the late 1970s discussing the leap into intuitive seeing, and going beyond identity.
Sufi Memories from Norway
Since the last issue, we’ve been in touch with people in Norway who have been gathering Sufi archives on all those who were involved in the early days of the Message. They sent over this photo of a younger Shamcher, from Strida historielag wiki. You can read that entry in Norwegian HERE. A quick google-translate:
Brynjolf Gleditsch Bjørset (26.4.1896 in Kristiania- 1980) was the son of the director of the Norwegian Mapping Authority Eyvind Soelberg Bjørseth and Helga Gleditsch.
Brynjolf Gleditsch Bjørset graduated in art at Vestheim School in Oslo in 1914. He graduated as a Civil Engineer at NTH in 1919. Employed at Ingeniær Large in Oslo until 1927. Worked with ports and irrigation projects in Turkey 1927-30, since 1938 in the USA, director of Gyrobalance Corp., New York, balancing machines, electronic vulcanization. Participated in World War II 1940-45. 1949- 56 at the University of California, experiment with the thermal difference method for transferring seawater to fresh water, later research for aircraft North American Aviation, later at missile division Boeing Aircraft, Seattle.
Brynjolf Gleditsch Bjørset was a member of the Money Commission, appointed in London in 1944 by the Government for planning Norway's economy after the war.
Brynjolf Gleditsch Bjørset has published several books; After Us Comes The Abundance, From Crisis To Credit Control, The Future Is Ours, Man And This Mysterious Universe.
Brynjolf Gleditsch Bjørset was chairman of the board of the Student Society in Trondheim in the spring of 1932. Editor of Under Dusken 1931.And here’s his official Sufi “Initiation Card” from 1924.
Also in this bundle of Norwegian goodies, is a copy of a handwritten talk (undated). Shamcher translated many texts into Norwegian from their various languages, especially for Universal Worship. Was this his own writing or a translation? This is the first page of four:
Excerpts from correspondence:
Move into the Seeing Stage
The way you handle your food and social work seems in style with your great spirit and good. I note that more patience and humility is shown than most could and that may be just why you will succeed. Very few do succeed in such work for any length of time. Least of all, so often, governments.
Don't worry about good and not so good teachers and leaders you meet but, as you say, be wary of public criticism, but be frank to friends and we shall meet you with frankness. I have definite feelings on most of the stars of the firmament - some excellent, others not so excellent. But people go see, hang on for a while, then quit, wiser.
Your "____al" I assume is what we call JELAL. It is the male aspect, as compared to JEMAL, the female aspect. But what are male and female as to dance, music, economics, religion, mystics? Often you just make your own choice. In that sense, as SAM said, there are different sides, aspects - certainly different in the sense that such concepts apply to such different areas as human systems, human society, nerves, feelings, thoughts, universes, and in Chinese acupuncture they call it Yin and Yang and direct their needles according to their evaluations and feelings in these things. Then again, there are acupuncturists who use no rules, for they see, and for the seer there are no rules, but they often make rules, and not always good rules. Even if they see somewhat.
Breathing for your own and others health is similar. Gradually you see and then breathing changes altogether and becomes a tool about which you need no rule. Teaching from books or prescriptions cease. But you may still be taught by suggestions, or, says Inayat Khan who told me on September 13 in 1926 when I said "I look forward to seeing you next year," he replied, "From now on, Shamcher, we shall meet in your intuition."
Do wish to move into the seeing stage and don't clutter it up too much with words and concepts and rules that sometimes may delay rather than promote. It is amazing how nature works, so apparently independent of your planning, "learning", good intentions, expectations. At one unexpected moment comes a flash that makes you laugh at all your noble efforts and accept a new robe.
(from correspondence, April 1976)
Identity?
A beautiful thick and heavy card with pearls of wisdom came through my door, with wishes for Christmas and the new year. It was most necessary to keep me going, to keep a lazy body perking up.
Time is running away from me, no cohesion in my life or lifestyle any longer and I really do not care. Who needs a lifestyle? All styles are good.
Good wishes and thoughts come to me from old and new friends anyway. What could be better? A sufi recently told me he and his school were seeking their identities. In so seeking, they rejected an applicant. He would have jeopardized their seeking their identity they said. Now, would he? and if so, so what? What is identity? an illusion. Good to get rid of. But no, at a certain stage, for some, this seeking and finding an identity seems so important. Maybe I should reread, re-estimate, but anyway, for me there is no such thing as identity, nor seeking it. Seems it is like limiting yourself, turning yourself into a pat ego. There is a stream of which I am gently and increasingly conscious. It is beyond identity. I try to be in it, part of it. Whatever it is.
Forgive my many words. So useless, aren't they? but then, what is useful?
( from correspondence, January, 1977)
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I love the idea of identity and agree. Keep going.
The photo. So wise, so intuitive, so serious.