Note on Desani’s Nadi Texts

There are things which can only be told to those who already have the knowledge because otherwise, they will not be believed. S.M Stirling, The Peshawar Lancers

The Gods can only contemplate as that is their whole nature. It is for man to do what he can to be like the Gods. Aristotle

I last mentioned the Nadis in a post titled In Retrospect in 2023. This is prompted by those considerations. In 2011 I posted notes I took from Desani’s readings of the Nadi texts in Austin, Texas in the 1980s.

In the far distant and dim past these Nadi (pronounced Nari) writers walked the earth one must surmise, and through their spiritual practice came to be very gifted, extraordinary people having extraordinary gifts or abilities. These included beneficence, fellow feeling, an inclination to help those less gifted. Assisted no doubt by superior beings, they learned to see things others could not. Presumably thousands of years later their beneficiaries on repeated exposure to them through their recorded writings, a familiarity rooted and grew. These great benefactors include Nundi Deva, Shiva Yogi, Markandeya, and Rudra. These names are from the texts themselves which always began by listing those present.

I don’t recall the exact frequency but periodically we would be telephoned by Professor Desani to visit for the purpose of hearing his readings of these Nadi texts. Over time, this went on for years, a kind of familiarity grew around these episodes. My particular participation dated from 1979 through 1980 according to my notes. Grace. We got to sit again with Nundi Deva, Shiva Yogi, Markandeya, Rudra – their presence was palpable – and enjoy the outpouring of their work, their writings, and partake at the same time of Desani’s sweet tea and fellowship of the attendees; the sweetness of the tea, the goodness of the repast pale in comparison to the words of the teacher, his reading of those benefactors from the ancient past.

Reading of Nadi texts would begin with recitation of the names of those present at the time of the convocation. This list, I recall, varied somewhat. As noted, I am a poor note taker and would point out that the names listed are merely the ones recalled. One reading, according to my notes, the names included “Devi”, divine mother.

My surmise is that while these entities at one point in their evolution appeared in bodily form they were, or evolved into, I guess one might say, spiritual beings; one might refer to them as centers of pure consciousness having the ability to take on bodily form at will. One can only speculate. I necessarily fall back on knowledge and understanding imparted by Professor Desani over the several years I was fortunate enough to have been a student. To put this in perhaps more familiar terms to a person of the western tradition, these might be similar to what some might call angelic beings, or a kind of guardian angel. Celestial beings would also perhaps be appropriate. Anyhow, they were not mere flesh and blood people.

Obviously, my presumption is that the world includes highly developed entities far superior to mere human beings, that a process of evolutionary development is underway which properly understood means that sentient life forms, such as humans, eventually evolve into higher forms of being where ‘bodies’ become increasingly subtle giving way to something beyond the ken of most of mankind.

Strike that. This is not easy. I want to not stray from that which is centrally important. This phenomenon is not easily explained or understood; but it did happen. I was a mere witness to these proceedings and truly, that is the essence of this offering. I do not presume to any kind of special knowledge or understanding or favor of the teacher. In short, I can point to the matter but the reader must, perforce, do their own seeing. So, how then does one account for it? Is that even an acceptable approach to the subject? Anyhow, whether incarnated or illusionary I know not. Desani – anyone who studies his work will see this – shared this information widely through his essays and lectures and one on one with followers and there are indications in his writing and teaching  that these texts were dictated to a writer – a human being – who had the ability to contact these entities, or perhaps, was susceptible to being contacted by them. Desani does say in this regard that the ‘stenographer’ would make marks – strike outs, corrections – on the split bamboo or palm ‘leaves’ on which the recording was made, which, to me at least, adds a layer of authenticity. Meaning that the person making the record made mistakes and corrections. So, like this one, a perhaps imperfect note taker with which I can certainly identify. In that connection it should be noted that the speakers equivocated on some points allowing for different outcomes depending at times on the efforts or should one say, the merit of those being spoken of.

Professor showed me one of these original palm leaf Nadis once.

See here where Desani’s own words give some light to this. The quote there is lifted from his paper on Indian affairs hosted by friend Todd Katz at Desani.org.

Now. University of Texas Dean John Silber, formerly of the Philosophy department, was instrumental in bringing Desani to the university. This would be before my time there. Later, Silber was president of Boston University and Desani’s bequeath provided for the gift of these Nadi texts to Boston University where no doubt they yet remain. Silber and Desani were close friends to the point that Desani who avoided touching anyone would on meeting Silber embrace him. This was reported to me, as I recall, by Blossom Burns who knew him very well indeed as he lived in a garage apartment at her Pemberton Parkway house there in Austin for many years. It was during his time there that I had the most contact with him. My point is there was mutual trust between John Silber and Professor Desani.

Permit, please, an aside about Mrs. Burns. Divorced she had one off spring that I knew of. She had a quite large white sedan, a Cadillac, which she used to drive Professor to his classes at the University. After his retirement they still went there frequently to check the mail, and the like. I expect the Nadi texts were mailed to the University of Texas (Austin) Philosophy department instead of the Pemberton Parkway address which was just a mile or so from the campus. Blossom Burns was what you might call a protege of Desani’s and was before that a student in one or more of his classes. She was also a member of the Carl Jung society of Austin, and in fact, when she passed away willed the Pemberton Parkway property to them.

Of course, as mentioned here in previous posts, the Nadi texts came to Desani  translated, typed up on regular paper for ease of reference but, behind all these – we all saw these for he read from them to us – were the split bamboo – also referred to as palm leaf – versions, the originals. I do not know if Desani had all of these originals or whether these palm leaf originals are at Boston University’s archives. I understand at least some are.

I recall the texts state Desani has more Nadis than any other yogi.

Likely scenario. The transcriber would invoke these great beings who had the ability to see all. All. The future included, and would make a record of these proceedings which eventually came into the possession of Desani himself via his proteges in India – Misters Murthi and Pele – these translated and typed the texts. One would assume that at least one of these was responsible for actually finding the texts too. That is to say the texts were not, again, I assume, theirs, but they knew where to find them; perhaps Desani himself identified the sources, the holders, and directed his people accordingly. I don’t know. I rather think Desani was chosen, likely at his own request, as the best instrument, gifted with the ability to advance the agenda of those superior beings, mankind’s spiritual guides, benefactors.

Of course, I find myself out on the perhaps tail end of this and, also, of course, yield to that which gives impetus to the program, a simple tool, that is, in the hands of the master. Be humble! Unworthy? Yes, of course, but the teacher works the clay at hand as best as possible. As stated, he made do with what was available. A favorite statement repeated often was “leave it to the Lord.”

To be sure every word I write here is tinged with doubt and trepidation. I feel, however, that some record of these events faulty as they might be, aside from Desani’s own writings, are better than none at all. Note. There are others from this circle that would be better at this but they do not come forth. I’m sure they have their reasons, authentic reasons. Note also. While Desani.org (Todd Katz) is, in my view, for the most part a repository of his writings there are entries there that provide insights as to Professor’s private life, day to day activities; his affinity for gold paint, his culinary skills, his activities, travels. There is also a section dedicated to images which is a great addition. It would be an error to think that I am detracting from Katz’s efforts. It seems to me he has more or less dedicated his life to Desani.org. There is nothing lacking there at all. Maybe our approaches differ somewhat. One might construe that I call attention to myself whereas he is better at avoiding that. So, I’m trying to fill in the blanks as to what it was like to be a follower of Desani. Admittedly I am not up the task, thus the doubt and fear and reluctance.

Not wanting to offend anyone at all I would note that others from that circle maybe do their duty to the teacher by pursuing the spiritual practice exclusively. He always emphasized the necessity of practice. I don’t doubt they have outdone me in this. I allow for this and would add that it is a prodigiously difficult pursuit. It is a profoundly challenging craft – can’t be overemphasized – imagine working with a matter measured in angstroms and smaller. Perhaps that is why the teacher says that one can be over scrupulous, for, my friend, you can’t get there from here without the grace of God. So, in pursuit of the craft it is no surprise that there is no time for reflecting the way I do and writing as one sees here. And, perhaps, there is simply a division of labor. The path we walk is our own. Alone.

Desani was a very, very gifted individual and remains unappreciated, as near as I can tell, by a world, or a community of seekers, that could greatly benefit from knowledge and understanding of his life, his untiring efforts, his very strong intention indeed, to benefit the people of his time and thereafter. He was a collector of precious stones, jewels. He also was something of a collector, organizer, collator of methods and procedures  for spiritual attainments, for full self realization of what might be called the ultimate reality. This one believes faithfully he was successful in this quest. I do not see how anyone who studies his writings could come to any other conclusion than he was one of a very few such people in the history of the world who achieved all that anyone anywhere anytime could possibly realize in this regard. Professor was a contemplative. He wanted to be like the gods, you see.

Desani proclaimed himself – in the Rangoon lecture – to be a man of the world. He lived as others, had friends, romantic encounters, was for awhile ambitious. He eventually denounced this saying he did not seek fame. Success and failure were familiar to him. He did not suffer fools. He demonstrated great compassion and scholarship. His love of knowledge and understanding was surpassed only by his abiding, professed love of the Divine. He was approachable, kind, generous, courteous, supremely self confident, yet humble, self effacing, of delightful good humor.

It is to my teacher that I owe all. I learned through him that reason is the father of knowledge and that contemplation produces understanding, a province of spiritual growth; knowledge is thus for our material selves and understanding for our spirit. Most of all I learned to yield, to say, with the Christians, “not my will but thine be done.”

On the validity of the Nadi texts. Desani was a man of the world, of his time and place – he said so. This means, in part, he was well practiced in identifying and avoiding false people, scammers, if you will. He was expert at this, no doubt. One recalls that his Hatterr might be said to be the tale of a poor seeker’s path through a series of tricksters whose livelihood came from preying on gullible spiritual seekers. You decide. As for this writer, my trust is in the teacher, faith. Being a man among men he necessarily was not flawless – a man among men, recall? Yet we seek not perfection but that nearby. One can be overly scrupulous, take note, he says – reference is at this link, a truly wonderful recent addition to the Katz’s site. Anyhow, this is true beneficence, for perfection being unreachable teaches us that the striving is itself the real path to actualization.