Mystical Mountain" - By Sandy Jones
www.woodsongjournals.com
Gospel of Thomas
[5]. Jesus says: "Know what is before your face,
and what is hidden from you will be revealed to you.
For nothing hidden will fail to be revealed!"
The Secret Revealed - June 2013 By Sandy Jones
In his second book "The Awareness of Self-Discovery," printed in 1970, William Samuel tells us this rather curious and inspiring story.
“Some years ago I was honored to be the first American student of a renowned teacher in India. For fourteen days a group of us sat at the feet of this "Master," during which time he spoke not one word—not so much as a grunt—until the final day when he bade us farewell and assured us we had learned much.
And to my surprise, I had. It took months before the seeds of those silent days began to sprout one by one, revealing that there are indeed many things for which the uptight, recondite babble of books and teachers is more hindrance than a help.”
_______
Many years later, I, Sandy Jones, was given the copyrights to all of William Samuel's books and literary material. And since then, I have been asked many times if I knew who this "renowned teacher" was. My answer being that I did not know. William passed away, keeping this secret to himself. There was no one else I could ask about it. Apparently he never told anyone.
Many felt that it was Sri Ramana Maharshi--and I suspected this too. However, I let the whole thing go because after some searching for the answer, I had come up with only a very good guess. William simply did not want it known and I should leave it be in respect to William’s wishes.
That William would not tell others the name of this revered Indian teacher fits precisely into the things we know about William Samuel. He never wanted to be thought of as a leader with followers. He had no use for the idea of lineage. And he avoided, at all costs, being put on a pedestal.
Here are some of William’s words in reference to this:
"To whatever extent I allow Samuel to be the object of praise and veneration (instead of God-self) to that same extent I create the tangible situation which must appear to bring Samuel down in the eyes of the venerator. That is self-flagellation I can do without. It is difficult enough already for the few of us on earth who have been given the task of waging worldwide battle against the power of belief. Most tenacious among those beliefs is the insanity that one must be either a leader or a follower. Allness leads what? Singleness follows whom? The Seminal Idea discloses Identity to be nothing less than the Ineffable's very own Self-awareness!"
William makes many statements along these lines throughout his work.
William preferred not to be labeled, categorized or assigned to any religion, particular study, nor tied to any spiritual teaching. He would say "We are gathering of folks from all walks of life, people of all religions and philosophical outlooks, Eastern and Western. He would go on to say "We are neither a group nor an organization. We are unbeholden and unattached to leaders or an intermediary. The Seminal Idea of Truth is capable of standing on its own. We spend no time worshiping the fountain, rather, we drink the water."
So, it was no wonder he told no one the name of the renown silent "Master" he had visited in India. William's mention of this visit with this teacher was to point out that much Light can be communicated without words.
In William’s own words: "We honor the Light that is Life, that every person is. We may very well appreciate a mirror that speaks to us with clarity and honesty--and we may consider that mirror unique among mirrors--but the authority lies with the awareness that looks into that mirror, and not the mirror."
It was now 17 years after William’s passing. He had given me all copyrights to his literary material. I'd been asked by so many who that silent Master Indian teacher was and by now, it seemed I was meant to know the answer. I was sensing a stirring in me -- I heard an inner voice say “Sandy, it’s time to reveal who this renowned Master was.”
So I asked the Infinite Universe, saying "If you want me to share the name of this Master teacher, you will have to lead me to someone who knows the answer. You will have to help me, show me some evidence, or speak to me from Heaven somehow. And then I will share it with integrity, knowing I have your permission."
Well, it was not but a few weeks from my prayerful request, when I was led to the answer. It was confirmed; William had been the first American, in April 1944, during his time at war in China, he had gone to India, to spend two weeks with Ramana Maharshi.
Here is how I found this confirmation: I was looking up link connections to William Samuel on the internet. Wanting to see how many other links there were to William Samuel. I was delighted to see there a growing number of links connected to his name. As one link led to another, I came across this very unusual and interesting website called "Wanderling" - with a mention of William Samuel. I started to read-then, and totally unexpected, I found the answer we had all wanted to know. Right there, as bright as a neon sign. It was magical.
From there I scrolled down to "Four Special Cases"
On his list of "Enlightened Individuals" Wanderling had met, right there, was the name WILLIAM SAMUEL.
Wanderling tells this story;
In 1944 he (Wanderling) was 10 years old and living at the Ashram of Ramana Maharshi. Wanderling had a friend there, the same age, named Adam Osborne. Adam was the son of Arthur Osborne (1906–1970) who was an English writer on spirituality and mysticism, and an influential disciple and biographer of Ramana Maharshi. Adam and his mother (Arthur Osoborne's wife) were living at the Ashram, along with this boy who now calls himself "Wanderling"-- when, as he tells it, in April of 1944 William Samuel a 21 year old U.S. Infantry Captain came to visit Ramana Maharshi near the hill of Arunachula in India.
The following is in Wanderlings words excerpted from his website:
Even then I did not remember nor know I had met him (William Samuel) until I was told so by a friend. The friend was a person from my early childhood named Adam Osborne, who I had lost contact with over the years but, quite by accident re-made acquaintance with years later as an adult. Osborne was basically raised at the ashram of Sri Ramana from a very young age to a teenager. So said, he was there when I was there. After I left, years and years went by, when one day in northern California we inadvertently crossed paths.
Osborne and I kept in contact with each other on and off a little bit for a few years following that meeting until it just faded away. Interestingly enough during one of those short lived contacts, out of the blue, he brought up Giri Valam, circumambulation of the holy hill Arunachala and how it related to the two of us. Osborne's father had died in 1970 and Osborne told me that sometime prior to his father's death a man by the name of William Samuel had contacted him in the U.S. and expressed an interest in meeting his father. In their conversation Samuel told him that he and Osborne (the younger) had met at Ramana's ashram in India in 1944 and that during his stay, on the full moon of which he thought was April of that year, he, Osborne and another young boy and a few other people including Osborne's mother, circumambulated Arunachala. Osborne emphasized the younger boy aspect with me specifically because Samuel thought, Osborne guessed, that the other boy (me) was Osborne's brother --- a twin brother --- because of our age, size, body build and look-alike curly haired mop tops.
The month before, 1500 miles east across the sub-continent edging up along the Burmese border the Japanese launched a three division invasion into India. Quickly outstretching their supply lines and hoping to replenish their local needs by overtaking British, American and Indian garrisons, etc. while their lifelines caught up, didn't happen. For the most part, three months later, met by stronger than expected Allied response and caught in the monsoons, the Japanese were forced into retreat dying of malaria and starving to death --- in the end losing over 80,000 men.
In the early stages of that invasion the aforementioned William Samuel, then a 21 year old captain in the U.S. Army and a veteran of three years fighting with the Chinese Nationalist army against the Japanese in China was apparently called over to the India side of things and somehow must have finagled some much needed R & R, ending up at the Ramana ashram for a week or so in April. Before the war ended he was long back and fully entrenched in China, again fighting along side Chinese troops retaking Ishan, Liuchow and Kweilin. Interestingly enough, ten years later, after being called back into the army for the Korean War and in the height of battle, Samuel experienced nothing less than the infinite, breaking through to full Attainment.
So, even though you might say I met William Samuel, it was years before his Awakening. It wasn't until well into my adult years that I realized a meeting even occurred (via Osborne) and, although in my travels I had heard of William Samuel, I never put together the timing of the events. Sad to say, after Osborne told me about Samuel I never got around to seeking him out. " -- (The Wanderling-Enlightened Individuals I Have Met)
Well, there was my answer I had asked the Universe to bring me. It was certain.
William, really was the first American visitor to sit with Sri Ramana Maharshi. And clearly, William had walked around Arunachala, with Arthur Osborne's wife, Osborne's son Adam, a small group of guests, during the full moon in April 1944.
So, now let's read William's words again, knowing what we know now:
“Some years ago I was honored to be the first American student of a renowned teacher in India. For fourteen days a group of us sat at the feet of this "Master," during which time he spoke not one word—not so much as a grunt—until the final day when he bade us farewell and assured us we had learned much.
And to my surprise, I had. It took months before the seeds of those silent days began to sprout one by one, revealing that there are indeed many things for which the uptight, recondite babble of books and teachers is more hindrance than a help.”
I felt that this discovery was William telling me it was time to share who this Master teacher was.
I wrote to Wanderling, but I do not get a reply as yet.
Searching for Adam Osborne, I found he had died in 2007.
I want to thank “Wanderling” and Adam Osborne for being a part of this wonderful story that has unfolded for me and for us all. Also the fact that I found Wanderlings story at all, or that he even wrote about this “out of the blue’ discussion he had about William with his friend Adam. And that he posted it. And that I found it. What a gift this is to me.
It all confirms the perfectly wonderful ways the Sweet Mystery of Life continues to show us Its Blessings and Wonders in such kind and magical ways.
And also, I know that without this Heart felt childlike wonder that William told me to find - without this holy Child within that leads me - none of this would have unfolded so magically and perfectly as it did.
Much love to Wanderling for his help and mystical connection to me. I thank him for sharing his stories and for his gracious words that allowed the mystery to be discovered after so very many years. Wanderling was, really, the only one who knew the secret. It's all a genuine miracle that his Light was there for me to find when things were ready to be revealed --
And thank you to William and to Ramana for conspiring to make these connections happen. It is my joy to know you are both somewhere romping like little children in the Meadow of Heaven's delights.
Love to all, Sandy
Some time later - since first writing this story, Wanderling has gotten in touch with me, but he never reveals his real name to me. He has been an angel in this whole magical scenario. I want him to know how much I love him for his beautiful heart that shared exactly what I needed, what we all wanted to know, at exactly the time this long held secret was ready to be revealed.
Since connecting with Wanderling, he has expanded his page about William Samuel. It's a beautiful page with some photos I sent him. If you want to read more, please visit Wanderling's pages: http://the-wanderling.com/soldiers_story.html
