
It's good to get your letter of Nov 2nd forwarded to me here. Too bad my not acknowledging your books—they arrived all right sometime in Septr and I forwarded one copy to the Fords. I like the edition—it has a good monumental character about it. Your writing (in this last letter) looks as if you were well as ever, but I expect you vary—and sometimes pretty bad I fear, though never quite beaten. It is strange what a long time of suffering you have had in later life—you who were so healthy when young.

I have come out here, dear Walt, to spend the winter, partly or chiefly in order to
get at first hand the results of the Eastern thought & tradition in matters
relating to religion—and the result is very interesting. I am staying just now
with my friend Arunáchalam whose name you may remember. He
has been very much pulled in this direction lately—and his Guru or Teacher is
also here. This people has an extraordinary genius for religion and the force with
which they abstract themselves from the world in their endeavor towards union with
the universal consciousness is something remarkable—& such as we have
little idea of in the West. That a certain few attain this union, and with it
unusual powers, is quite evident—and in attaining it they cast off all the bonds of
caste & ceremonial & become free; so that one finds here behind the outer
religion of the people a hidden few who are perfectly democratic and whose
watchwords are Freedom Equality & Joy—and this has been the esoteric
teaching of the Vedas & Upanishads for now thousands of years.
The main method of attaining this union or emancipation is the suppression of Thought [which of course is abundantly indicated in yr L. of G.—tho' I don't know that it is actually formulated there]. When Thought is gone you are one piece with the universe, & by suppression you attain mastery and so can use thought or not use it, as you like.
In the systematising and realising of these ideas these fellows here seem to have far
outstripped us. On the other hand I think they are wanting in the part of Love.
The word does not attract them—they do not care for
others. They are gentle & kind, but glad after all to forget the world &
everybody in contemplation of the divine being. Here I feel I cannot quite go with
them—there is something cold & abstract in the business!
However it is possible that in the union of the East & West both sides will be more perfectly represented & balanced in the future than they have ever been before. Wonderful isn't it? how these things have been known & worked out for ages.
Give my love to Dr Bucke if you write or see him—not forgetting H. Stafford, and with much love to yourself dear Walt & many remembrances & good hopes of rendezvous sometime or other
yrs ever Edw. Carpenter
