A MARGINAL COMMENT ON THE PROBLEM OF MEDIUM IN BICULTURES

 Todd Katz writes: "Presented to the Association of Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies, University of Malta, April, 1978. This and other presentations were subsequently collected in Individual and Community in Commonwealth Literature, Daniel Massa, Old University Press, Malta, 1979." The piece is hosted here. Desani writes about the creative process in his Hatterr and Hali and about his personal life as an artist while quoting other literary works. He shares touching confidences about his life and times and how and why these personal experiences influence and form his literature. He gives a sweeping view of human cultures and how they affect one another.

Mr. Katz, as usual, typed up the .pdf version from a printed copy of the piece. I proof read this and submitted back to him. He tells me this is the last piece in his possession, that they are all now available at Desani.org. This body of work would have more or less constituted the book(s) Desani wanted but was unable to publish, he tells me.

I've ventured to make some personal observations about this essay here.

Very High and Very Low

 In 1966 and 1967 Desani published anonymously a regular feature in the Illustrated Weekly of India called Very High and Very Low. In his best eclectic style the series was published fifty three times. Desani discusses in depth world history, comparative religious and philosophical topics, world politics, social commentary, a great many world figures past and present. He runs the gamut from travelogues, personal spiritual quests, everything from why does his laundry person ruin clothes by beating them on rocks to 'siddhis' (powers) allowing for the ability to survive the dissolution of the Universe. He deals intensely with the Nadi texts, writings of which I have written here. I am given to understand by Todd Katz that this collection of the Illustrated Weekly articles is complete. Todd has made these available in pdf form linked here. I have written about the Nadi texts mainly here and in the immediate post preceding this one.

These came to Mr. Katz, as I understand, in the form of copies probably printed from a microfiche. (He didn't tell me and I didn't ask.) He did say somewhere that they were only available in that form. I suspect that someone, perhaps a devotee of Desani, supplied them - besides the point, of course. Anyhow Todd typed them into a 281 page pdf and asked me to proof read them. I did. Readers, should they find any errors, should fix the blame for those on this writer, not Mr. Katz. Desani's writing is esoteric in the extreme when about religion, philosophy, yoga, the Nadi shastras themselves. His use of Sanskrit, and other languages used in India requires a mastery I do not possess. Todd Katz is a master, however and readers should understand that. Desani's writing is unique, his own. It is full of digressions, parenthetical remarks, asides, and such. It is lively, absorbing, actually 'fun' to read him. He never disappoints and always, always keeps his reader in mind. (One could compile a dictionary out of the arcane words and concepts he troubles himself to translate, render in a way that the general public can absorb, understand.)

Finally, as I've mentioned several times there is a 'lost' manuscript of Desani's called "Rissala". I am reliably informed that the "Very High and Very Low" columns are a major part of that manuscript.

Every truth seeker, will find something of interest here, will come away replete with new knowledge, understanding - more importantly. I hope this will serve to renew an interest in his contributions to world literature. I doubt there is anyone in India, the world, who is a greater treasure of the practice of true Yoga, Love of the Lord, of the Divine Father, the Divine Mother. I've also made some comments about "Very High and Very Low" here at Tackingintothewind.net.

Nadi Texts - A Note

 I've written here about Desani's Nadi Texts which contain certain prophecies. These he elected not to emphasize saying it was vulgar to pursue such. The texts were more in the way of instilling love of the Lord, of Bhakti, in the form of letters from divine beings interested in Desani's life particularly. But they did contain predictions about future events, some profound in their implications. I take it that these were issued as acts of benevolence to in some way help the Bhaktas. They were extremely vague, carefully avoiding easily interpreted time frames.

 

Not every prediction made it into my notes. I am writing this about one that did not. Its been many years now but I distinctly recall the Nadi writers saying that there would be a world transformation away from wars involving military conflict. We have witnessed this in our time. Great battles are still being waged but the conflicts now are dominated by weaponized economic sanctions. Whether this will continue is questionable but for the last few years it has definitely been the case. I certainly don't pretend to know being just an observer like everyone else. As stated elsewhere neither do I know that the Nadi Texts were what they were said to be by those responsible for transmitting them to Professor. I do affirm, again, that he took them faithfully trusting in the veracity of the providers, real people with whom he corresponded regularly. They were said to be his property. I recall it was also said he would know what to do with them.

The texts were beautiful to hear. One had the sense of divine presence, of being in grace. Here was a true Jagatguru sharing with his intimate friends correspondence from great beings. The benevolence was palpable, undeniable, real. There were no exhortations, dire warnings of consequences of wrong acts, yet, taken together you couldn't help but notice they were life enhancing, uplifting.

 

It is also worth noting at this point that the texts said that government will do anything they want and that the people would get very angry.

Fear of the unknown is very powerful. One can possibly be taken over, owned, by such. Many treat prophecy as an escape mechanism using it to relieve themselves of the necessity to take full responsibility for their lives. We should treat what we live as discovery rather than fate. I think Professor would agree with this.