December 2007-12-24

He who clings to the light from heaven has a light to warn and guard him at every step, according to his desire for guidance. 

Aphorisms, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Dear sisters and brothers,

In the days before Christmas when we feel the desire for light more strongly, it is an appropriate time to reflect on what this means exactly. The longing for the light of the sun reflects our longing for the Inner Light. It is this longing that tunes us to the Spirit of Guidance. The Spirit of Guidance is like a light which guides us on our inner path, just like the star of Bethlehem showed the right path to the three wise men when they were looking for the new born child.  The new born child that radiates purity and Light.

You may recognise that we send you a part of this text in the November message. Sometimes it can be inspiring to read the same text again, but this time from a different point of view.

We wish that the Spirit of Guidance may always light your path, a merry Christmas, and a happy New Year full of blessings.

Your sisters,
Maharani and Johara

                                                                          

In the Sufi emblem, the heart with wings signifies the longing for freedom from the self,
when attuned to higher Ideals. The crescent moon, which receives the light of the sun
 and increases thereby into fullness, symbolizes receptivity of the human heart
 to the light of the Divine Presence. The five-pointed star represents the ever-radiant light
 of the Spirit of Guidance offered to the human heart as it liberates itself
 from the limitations of the self, in response to the Divine Light within.

Reflections II, nr. 59, Hidayat Inayat-Khan

The Spirit Guidance (Volume IX: Unity of religious ideals)

There are some who receive the knowledge from the Divine Mind indirectly, and some receive it directly. Souls who happen to receive the central current of the Spirit of Guidance, in such souls the spirit of prophecy is conceived. The Messengers of all times, of whom we hear in the histories and traditions of the world, have been souls in whom the central current of the Divine Light has functioned. In other words, the Prophets of all ages have been the reflections of the Divine Mind on earth. No one has ever seen God, and if the evidence of God has ever been manifested, it was in man who reflected God. Besides all the Prophets have taught, it was the personality of the Prophets which proved their prophecy. In their thought, speech, and word they reflected God, which was more than morals, doctrines, and teachings could do.

Every inspired person reflects in his own way some divine spark hidden in his soul, which wins the world. A musician may show his inspiration in music; a poet may show it in his poetry; an artist may show his inspiration in his art; but the central ray of light which the Prophets reflect, falling upon every plane and every aspect of life, makes all things clear to their sight. Therefore their presence clears away perplexity from the minds of the confused ones. A person in the presence of the Prophet can feel and think more clearly, even without having spoken to the Prophet. Many forget their questions when before a Prophet, for the light, falling upon their hearts, brings them the answer, and they find out that the answer was in themselves, something that they had already known. No doubt it is true that the question and answer both are in the soul. The first step of the soul's progress raises questions, and the second step is the answer. It is, therefore, that a prophetic soul is a physician at the same time; a prophetic soul is a scientist, an artist, is capable of commerce, industry, and business, is qualified in warfare and competent in peacemaking. The Spirit of Guidance is as the yeast which is used to make bread, to prepare humanity for the purpose for which it was created. The Spirit of Guidance is a plant that grows and blossoms when it receives response and care; and when it is watered by the rainfall of divine inspiration it blooms in the light of the Divine Sun. The Spirit of Guidance is the Light of God, which may be likened to a lantern that the farmer carries when walking on the farm in the darkness of night. The Spirit of Guidance is like a searchlight. Any object on which the searchlight is thrown, it shows clearly; so the Spirit of Guidance thrown upon any aspect of life gives one a keen insight into it. In the Spirit of Guidance one finds a living God active in the heart of every person.

One who depends upon the Spirit of Guidance to guide his life is guided aright. We always have a counsel within, but the one who ignores the existence of such a thing as the Spirit of Guidance is left alone for some time by the Spirit of Guidance to look out for himself. It is like the mother and the dependent child, who tries to hold the hand of the mother at every step it takes; so the mother's whole attention is drawn to every step of her child. But when the child tries to move about by his own will, and tries to keep away, then the attention of the mother, to some extent, becomes released. This does not mean that the mother gives up entirely the care of the child; it only means that the mother allows the child to have its own way to some extent, and feels sorry when the child falls and hurts itself. In point of fact, all souls are children of God, but such souls as are conscious of their relation to God, as between a child and his parents, certainly deserve to be called the children of God. They are especially cared for; they are always guided, because they ask for guidance.

The soul of the Prophet, therefore, shows the innocence of the child. Of what is known about Jesus Christ and His life to the world, the most lovable attribute of the Master was His innocence in spite of His perfect wisdom. Certainly He deserves to be called the Only Begotten Son Who has all His life depended for everything He said or did upon the guidance from God.

November 2007

Those who live in the presence of God look to Him for guidance at every move they make.

Gayan, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Dear brothers and sisters,

The seventh aspect of the brother-and-sisterhood is:  “From a spiritual point of view: attuning oneself and others to the divine Spirit of Guidance”.  The human, the social, the religious, the moral, the wisdom, and the mystical aspects are all included in the spiritual point of view. They are all steps on the path towards the ultimate goal, attuning oneself to the Spirit of Guidance.

Isn’t it amazing that we can find the Spirit of Guidance in the depths of our own hearts?! That’s why we always have to go to our inner self to find the answers we need.

Until next month,
Your sisters on the path to the Spirit of Guidance,
Maharani and Johara

                                                                                  
A human acts like a brother or sister to all, showing understanding for the opinion of others, speaking to each person in their own style, promoting the unity of religious ideals, offering all that is expected while expecting nothing in return, and silently attuning both self and others to the Spirit of Guidance.
Reflections II, nr. 39, Hidayat Inayat-Khan

The Spirit Guidance Volume IX

The Spirit of Guidance is as the yeast which is used to make bread, to prepare humanity for the purpose for which it was created. The Spirit of Guidance is a plant that grows and blossoms when it receives response and care; and when it is watered by the rainfall of divine inspiration it blooms in the light of the Divine Sun. The Spirit of Guidance is the Light of God, which may be likened to a lantern that the farmer carries when walking on the farm in the darkness of night. The Spirit of Guidance is like a searchlight. Any object on which the searchlight is thrown, it shows clearly; so the Spirit of Guidance thrown upon any aspect of life gives one a keen insight into it. In the Spirit of Guidance one finds a living God active in the heart of every person.

One who depends upon the Spirit of Guidance to guide his life is guided aright. We always have a counsel within, but the one who ignores the existence of such a thing as the Spirit of Guidance is left alone for some time by the Spirit of Guidance to look out for himself. It is like the mother and the dependent child, who tries to hold the hand of the mother at every step it takes; so the mother's whole attention is drawn to every step of her child. But when the child tries to move about by his own will, and tries to keep away, then the attention of the mother, to some extent, becomes released. This does not mean that the mother gives up entirely the care of the child; it only means that the mother allows the child to have its own way to some extent, and feels sorry when the child falls and hurts itself. In point of fact, all souls are children of God, but such souls as are conscious of their relation to God, as between a child and his parents, certainly deserve to be called the children of God. They are especially cared for; they are always guided, because they ask for guidance.

October 2007
Freeing Oneself from the Illusion of Self

Dear sisters and brothers,

Hazrat Inayat Khan tells us in his teachings that mysticism is the essence of all religion. It is the path by which we can reach the divine truth. Each human being longs to be united with the divine source. This longing is the drive to walk the inner path, even if this means that we have to give up on earthly desires.

The sixth aspect of brother- and sisterhood From a mystical point of view: freeing oneself from the illusion of the self, is talking about giving up these earthly desires.  Hazrat Inayat Khan teaches us how we can work towards a mystical attitude in life.

In mysticism you can experience the blessing of God.

Your loving sisters,
Maharani and Johara

Mysticism is neither faith nor belief nor dogma nor principle. 
Mysticism is a divine impulse shining from within, and can only be understood
 by discovering that the more one is conscious of its secret guidance,
the more does mysticism become a reality.

Reflections II, nr. 169, Hidayat Inayat-Khan

Sufi Mysticism I: The Mystic's Path in Life (Gatheka 12)

There is one God and one Truth, one religion and one mysticism, call it Sufism, Christianity, Hinduism, or Buddhism. As God cannot be divided, so mysticism cannot be divided. It is an error for a person to say, "My religion is different from yours". One does not know what religion means. There cannot be many mysticisms, just as there cannot be many Wisdoms. There is one Wisdom. It is an error of mankind to say, "This is Eastern and that is Western". This only shows lack of wisdom. Everyone has the divine truth, no matter what part of the world they belong to. It is also an error to distinguish between occultism and mysticism. It is an error to say, "This is my eye and that is yours". The two eyes belong to one soul. When a person pictures mysticism as a branch of a tree which is truth, he or she is wrong, for mysticism is the stem which unites all branches.

What is mysticism really? Mysticism is the way by which to realize the truth. Jesus Christ said, "I am the Truth, I am the Way." He did not say, "I am the Truths and I am the Ways", for there is only one way. There is another way - the wrong way. Many religions there are, but not many wisdoms. Many houses of the Lord for worship, but one God. Many scriptures, but one Truth. So there are many methods, but one way. Thus it is either the right way or the wrong way.

The methods of gaining that way of realization are many, but there are mainly four: by the heart, by the head, by action, and by repose. A person must choose among these four different methods of developing him or herself and preparing to journey on the way, the only way, which is called mysticism. No religion can call it its own, but it is the way of all religions. No church can say that it belongs to it for it belongs to all churches. No person can say that the way which he or she has chosen is "the way". All others are getting there by the same way.

Often people have imagined that a mystic means an ascetic, and that a mystic is someone who dreams, dwells in the air, does not live here on earth, is not practical, and that a person who is an ascetic must be a hermit. Now this is not the case in reality. Very often people want to see the mystic as a peculiar sort of person, and if there is someone peculiar, then they say that is the mystic. Now this is a wrong conception and a one-sided exaggeration. A real mystic must show equilibrium and balance. Real mystics will have their head in the heavens and their feet on the earth.

The real mystic is as wide-awake in this world as in the other. A mystic is not someone who does not possess intellect; a mystic is not someone who dreams. A mystic is wide-awake, yet capable of dreaming when others are not and capable of keeping awake when the rest cannot keep awake. A mystic strikes the balance between two things, power and beauty. A mystic does not sacrifice power for beauty, nor beauty for power. A mystic possesses power and enjoys beauty.

As to the life of the mystic, there is no restriction: there is balance, reason, love, and harmony. The religion of the mystic is every religion and all religions, yet the mystic is above what people call their religion. In point of fact the mystic is religion, for it is not any religion, it is all religions. The moral of all religion is reciprocity: to reciprocate all the kindness we receive from others, to do an act of kindness to others without intending to have appreciation or a return for it, and to make every sacrifice, however great, for love, harmony and beauty.

The God of the mystic is to be found in one's own heart; the truth of the mystic is beyond words. People argue and debate about things of little importance, but mysticism is not to be discussed. People want to talk in order to know, and then they forget all. Very often it is not the one who knows who talks much, but the one who wants to know. The one who knows, but does not discuss, is the mystic. The mystic knows that happiness is in his or her own heart. Besides, to put it into words is to put the ocean into a drop of water.

September 2007

The bare truth alone is not sufficient; truth must be made into wisdom.
And what is wisdom? Wisdom is the robe of truth.

Gayan, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Dear brothers and sisters,

We are glad to contact you again after the Summer school retreat in Murad Hassil in Katwijk. It was a very inspiring and stimulating period and it was heart-warming to be together with our brothers and sisters from all over the world. It was heart-warming because we all can feel the attunement to the universal message of Love, Harmony and Beauty. If you want to know more about participating in the next Summer school, we are more than glad to inform you.

Coming back to the seven aspects of brother- and sisterhood, we continue this month with a text about the fifth aspect::
From the point of view of Wisdom: being a living example of love, harmony and beauty.

You can’t learn wisdom from a book, you can only obtain it by living and reflecting it.  If you are receptive, each day offers new opportunities to obtain wisdom.

May God bless you on your path to wisdom,

Your loving sisters,
Maharani and Johara

The intensity of thought, speech and action are related to the power of the feeling heart,
and even will power is subject to that same source within, but wisdom is the holding of all impulses in perfect balance.

Reflections II, nr. 23, Hidayat Inayat-Khan

The Curl of the Beloved (Gatha II, chapter 6, Symbology)

In the Sufi literature, which is known to the world as the Persian literature, there is much talk about the "curls of the Beloved," and many have often wondered what it means.  The curl is a symbol of something which is curved and round.  The curve denotes the twist in the thought of wisdom.  Very often a straight word of truth hits upon the head harder than a hammer.  That shows that truth alone is not sufficient, the truth must be made into wisdom.  And what is wisdom?  Wisdom is the twisted truth.  As raw food cannot be digested, and therefore it is cooked, although raw food is more natural than cooked food, so the straight truth is more natural, but is not digestible, it needs to be made into wisdom.

And why is it called the Beloved's curl?  Because truth is of God, the Divine Beloved, and truth is God, and that twist given to His Own Being, which is truth, amplifies the divine beauty, as the curl is considered to be the sign of beauty.  Then what is not straight is a puzzle.  So wisdom is a puzzle to the ordinary mind.  Besides, the curl hangs low down; so the heavenly beauty which is wisdom is manifested on earth.  In other words, if someone wishes to see the beauty of the heavenly Beloved he may see it in wisdom. 

Wisdom is traced not only in the human being, but even in the beasts and birds, in their affection, in their instinct.  Very often it is most difficult for man to imitate fully the work which birds do in weaving their nests.  Even the insects do wonderful work in preparing a little abode for themselves which is beyond man's art and skill.  Besides this, if one studies nature, after keen observation and some contemplation upon it one will find that there is perfect wisdom behind it.  Once man has thought on the subject, he can never, however materialistic he may be, deny the existence of God.  Man's individuality is proved by his wisdom and distinguished by comparison.  The wisdom of God, being perfect, is unintelligible to man.  The glass of water cannot imagine how much water there is in the sea.  If man would realize his limitation he would never dare question the existence of God.

The symbol of the curl also signifies something which is there, attractive, and yet a puzzle, a riddle.  One loves it, admires it, and yet one cannot fathom its length and breadth.  It is that which is wisdom.  Its surface is human, but its depth is divine.  It could be hell or heaven, and the knowledge of it can enable man always to keep in touch with his heaven, instead of waiting for it till the hereafter.

July 2007

Ideals are made by the diverse imaginations of men, and therefore ideals differ;
but to hold the ideal is the work of the heart, that unchanging heart which contains reason and is greater than reason,
even as a hand is greater than one of its fingers.

The art of personality, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Dear brothers and sisters,

Before the silence of the summer we have a special message for you.
Our Pir-o-Murshid Hidayat was willing to write a text about the great ideal of sister-and-brotherhood. We are very happy that we can share this with each other.

Because there is an international summer school in July and August in Murad Hassil in Katwijk we will not be able to send you any texts in these months. Maybe we will meet some of you in the summer school and we are looking forward to that.

We wish you a nice summer full of love and light and spiritual guidance,

Your loving sisters,

Maharani and Johara
                                                                                  

The heart of man is a temple; when its door is closed to man, it is also closed to God.

Gayan, Hazrat Inayat Khan

The great Ideal of Brotherhood and Sisterhood

It is so easy to talk about brotherhood and sisterhood, and we are not the only ones who have ever talked about this great Ideal. Through the ages there have been numerous calls for that same ideal, and in fact all religions are based on that very principle.  Obviously, we are not making a new appeal for brotherhood and sisterhood; we are one of the thousands.  Nevertheless, putting this ideal into practice is quite another matter, and perhaps the following suggestions might be of some guidance until the day that this ideal becomes our nature.

Our Master Hazrat Inayat Khan has mentioned so often in different ways that the secret resides in our manner toward others.  The art of personality is experienced when others are approached at their own religious level, their own spiritual level, their own cultural level, and in every way in harmony with their own characteristics.

Let us imagine that a Maharaja, in all his glory, were invited to share a dry loaf of bread and a little bit of water in the hut of a beggar.  If at that moment the Maharaja were to make the effort to place himself at the level of the penniless beggar so that the beggar would feel neither envy nor shame, then the Maharaja would truly show greatness of soul.  Similarly, if the beggar was invited to the palace of the Maharaja, he would not deserve that privilege if he did not do everything possible to behave as expected, avoiding disharmonious words and actions and attuning himself to the beauty, glory and majesty of the palace. These are extreme examples but in subtler forms such situations do come about in our daily lives.

Truth need not be proven.  It is untruth that tries to prove itself.  Truth is above all arguments.  Truth is the silent language of the soul.  Even if we do not agree with the opinion of another, we might remember that they have the right not to agree with our opinion.  It is our duty to respect that another has a different opinion, especially if we expect others to respect our own opinion.  It doesn't mean that, when respecting it, we adopt another's opinion, but in reality, in so doing we also strengthen our own opinion.

There are so many wonderful souls who want to help others, which is one of the great ideals of brotherhood and sisterhood, but how can we possibly help solve the problems of others if we don't first solve our own problems?  In doing so we might discover the wisdom which could then help us to solve the problems of others.

Another sacred task is to hold high the principle of the unity of religious ideals, but not by going round claiming righteousness.  It is only through the example of love and respect for other religions that one communicates the ideal of brotherhood and sisterhood to believers of all faiths.  It is that attunement which offers inspiration and divine guidance on the path of service to others.

We have come together for a purpose.  We have answered the call from within which inspires us to become loving brothers and sisters to one another.  Let us discover the beauty in each other as a response to the Message of Love, Harmony and Beauty, and in so doing, attune ourselves to the beauty of the Divine Presence within our own hearts.

Hidayat Inayat-Khan  

June 2007

Consideration is born in the heart and developed in the head

Gayan, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Dear brothers and sisters,

The subject this month is the fourth aspect of the brother-and-sisterhood “From a moral point of view: offering all that which is expected while expecting nothing in return”.
The deeper aspect of any expectation is desire. One could say that expectation is the ego translation of desire. If we become conscious of our desire, we understand the origin of our expectations better. If we understand that expectations belong to the ego, maybe it becomes easier to understand that expectations are often associated with disappointments.

So, maybe we can understand that the expectations of others are also an expression of a deeper desire. If we are able to not only listen to the words, but also feel the underlying emotion, our heart will respond and show us the way to consideration.
Remember, life is full of expectations, and consideration is the sign of the wise.

Your affectionate sisters,
Maharani and Johara

In consideration for others is one’s real self expressed,
for love’s expression is consideration, and love without consideration has no fragrance.

Reflections III, nr 19, Hidayat Inayat-Khan

Consideration (Gatha III, nr. 5)

Khatir means consideration for someone, which is shown in the form of respect, help or service.  Very often it wants a sacrifice, it may even need self-denial.  However, consideration is the highest quality that can be found in human nature.  Consideration of age, of experience, of knowledge, of position, consideration of some good done by a person, also consideration of somebody's feebleness, weakness, it is all included in the word Khatir.  This spirit of consideration, when developed, extends not only to the person for whom one has consideration, but also, for that person's sake, to another who is related or connected with that person in some way or other.  When a king is respected and not his ambassador, that means lack of consideration to the king.

For a Sufi this quality becomes his moral.  The Sufi learns consideration beginning with his Murshid, but this culminates in consideration for God.  When one arrives at that tenderness of feeling one considers every person in the world.  To the Sufi the missing of an opportunity of considering another is a great disappointment, for he does not consider it to be a fault toward a human being but to God.  Verily, he is pious, who considers human feeling.  No doubt it needs no end of endurance to consider everybody and to be considerate always; it wants no end of patience.  However, by being considerate nothing is lost, if seemingly nothing is gained.  The reward of this virtue is always in store.  Consideration is the sign of the wise.

May 2007 The Unity of Religious Ideals

Love is the essence of all religion, mysticism, and philosophy.

Bowl of Saki, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Dear sisters and brothers,

This month our subject is the third aspect of the brother-and-sisterhood “From a religious point of view: promoting the unity of religious ideals”.

Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan tells us in the text below that Sufis allow everyone to join with them in the brother-and-sisterhood. This text is so clear by itself that we don’t feel the need to add anything to Murshid’s words.

But before we reach this ideal we all have our work cut out for us. We can only say that we feel united as sisters with you all.  

With sisterly affection,
Maharani and Johara
                    

One cannot excuse negative behaviour by saying, "I was only born as a thorn and not as a rose", for unlike a plant we have all been granted the gift of free will to develop as a rose rather than just persisting as a thorn.  All disagreements and misunderstandings fall away
the moment that one's spirit has become noble.  What use is religion, philosophy and mysticism if these do not awaken that spirit which is divine?

 Reflections 1, nr 102, Hidayat Inayat-Khan

Sufism – The spirit of all religions (Gatheka 2)

The word Sufi, or Saf, implies purity, which contains two qualities. That is pure which is unmixed with any element other than its own, or in other words, that is pure which existed in its own element unalloyed and unstained. And secondly, that is pure which is most adaptable. Pure water, for instance, is water without the mixture of anything else, and the test of its purity is that it can adapt itself to whatever is mixed with it. If it is mixed with a red powder it becomes red, if with a green powder, green.

Such is the nature of the Sufi. In the first place the Sufis purify themselves by keeping the vision of God always before them, not allowing the stains of earthly differences and distinctions to be mirrored upon their heart. Neither good nor bad society, nor intercourse with people of high or low class, nor faith or belief can ever interfere with one's purity.

The Sufi shows universal kinship in one's adaptability. Among Christians one is a Christian, among Jews one is a Jew, among Muslims, a Muslim, among Hindus, a Hindu, for a Sufi is with all and thus all are with the Sufi. Sufis allow everyone to join with them in the brother/sisterhood, and in the same way allow themselves to join in with any other. The Sufi never questions, "What is your creed, nation, or religion?" Neither does a Sufi ask, "What are your teachings or principles?" If you call a Sufi brother or sister, one answers as brother or sister.

The Sufi has no fixed principles, because what is sweet may be beneficial to one and harmful to another, and it is thus with all principles, good or bad, kind or cruel. If you require of soldiers that they should be merciful during a battle they will at once be defeated. This shows that each person has one's own principles for each action and situation.

The Sufi is a true Christian in life, in charity, in kinship and in that one heals one's own soul as well as that of another. The Sufi may not be bigoted in adherence to a particular church or in forsaking the other masters who came before and after Christ, but the Sufi's attunement with Christ and appreciation and practice of truth are as keen as those of what a true Christian should be. In the lives of the dervishes one sees the real picture of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, especially in that they share their food and abode with others whether they be friend or foe. Even to the present day, they continue in their pure ways. The Sufi is a Catholic in producing the picture of the ideal of devotion in one's soul, and the Sufi is a Protestant in giving up the ceremonies of the cult.

The Sufi is a Brahmin, for the word Brahmin means knower of Brahma, of God, the Only Being. The Sufi's religion lies in believing in no other existence than that of God, which the Brahmin calls Advaita. The Sufi has as many grades of spiritual evolution to go through as the Yogi. There is even very little difference to be found in their practices, the difference being chiefly in the names. Of course, the Sufi chooses a normal life in preference to that of an ascetic, yet does not restrict him/herself either to the former or to the latter. The Sufi considers the teachings of the avatars as true manifestations of the divine wisdom and is in perfect sympathy with the subtle knowledge of the Vedanta.

The Sufi appreciates the Jain conception of harmlessness and considers that kindness is the only true path of purity and perfection. Shams Tabriz, the Shiva of Persia, was flayed alive by the people because he had been accused of declaring that the Godhead existed in his mortal body. From his decayed flesh small vermin grew and waxed larger and larger as they devoured it and when he, while walking, saw any of them fall from him, he would pick them up and place them again upon his body saying, "Your food has been created in this." From past times until the present Sufis have shown great renunciation in their lives. Now most of them are as Jains or Brahmins, leading a most harmless life.

The Sufi is Muslim without any doubt, not only because many Muslims turn out to be Sufis or because of the use of Muslim phraseology, but because one proves in one's life what a true Muslim is and what the heart of the true Muslim ought to be. Muslims as a race have so much devotion that no matter how great a sinner or how cruel a person may be, the name of Allah or Mohammed at once reduces them to tears. Islam prepares one to become a Sufi. The practices of Sufism first develop the heart qualities which are often overlooked by other mystics. It is the purification of the heart which makes it fitted for the illumination from the soul. The Prophet Mohammed prophesied, "There will be seventy-two diverse classes of people among those who will walk in my light, but among them there will be only one kind who will surely find their way aright." This is applied to the Sufis because it is they who read the Koran from every experience in life, and see and recognize Mohammed's face in each atom of the manifestation.

The Sufi is a Buddhist for one reasons at every step one takes as one proceeds in one's spiritual journey. The teachings of the Sufis are much akin to those of the Buddhists. In fact it is the Sufi who unites the believers and the unbelievers in the idea of God, in the knowledge of unity.

The Sufi, as a Zoroastrian or a Parsi, looks toward the sun, and bows before the air, fire, water, and earth, recognizing the immanence of God in God's manifestation, taking the sun, moon, and stars as the signs of God. The Sufi interprets fire as the symbol of wisdom and the sun as the celestial light. The Sufi not only bows before them but also absorbs their quality. As a rule, in the presence of dervishes, a wood fire and incense bum continually.

The Sufi is an Israelite especially in the study of the different names of God and the mastery of them. At the same time the miraculous powers of Moses can be seen in the lives of Sufis past and present. The Sufi, in fact, is the master of Hebrew mysticism. The divine voice heard on Mount Sinai is audible to a Sufi today.

March 2007

Friendship 

We often suffer because we do not understand.
Understanding is a great thing; once we understand, we can tolerate.
                                                                                                                          
Aphorisms, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Dear brothers and sisters,

The topic this month is about the second aspect of brother-and-sisterhood “From a social point of view – showing understanding for the opinion of others”. Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan tells us that we are always dependent upon each other.  There are a lot of aspects of dependency, as for example the relation between mother and child, master and pupil, and of course, between sisters and brothers.

Two people can have a relationship, but to be real friends is a great happiness. In this text Murshid explains how to understand the depth of true friendship and how to obtain it. If you understand that part of friendship, you can get into contact with the real understanding between friends.

The Sufi path may contribute to the understanding that everybody is vulnerable, and that we all depend on true friendship.

With friendly love,
Maharani and Johara
                    

When having a momentary dispute with those whom we love, we seldom realize the extent of the damage caused, even when making up harmoniously. We have missed an opportunity to master our irritation, and by the same token, we have disturbed the golden thread, which links both hearts at a higher level of understanding. 

Reflections IV, nr 34, Hidayat Inayat-Khan

  
Friendship (Volume VII, chapter 2)

In this world every individual is helpless in some way or another, and every individual is of use in some way or another. It can happen that a person depends unconsciously upon his friend for his own interest, and even then it will turn out to be a wrong attitude. It cannot bring about fruitful results, for friendship must be built upon a solid foundation, a foundation where there is always a desire to give, to be helpful and serviceable to the friend: no thought of taking, always a thought of giving and keeping back nothing. A real friend holds his life cheap for his friend. The one who considers anything more important, more precious than friendship, has not yet learnt the first lesson of friendship. There is no sacrifice too great, if it is made for a friend. If a sacrifice is not made for a friend, then for whom should one make it? A person would never learn how to make any sacrifice if it were not for a friend.

In our daily life we take the word friendship too lightly, and we confuse the words 'friend' and 'acquaintance'. An acquaintance is someone whom we have met, and he has seen us, and we recognize one another. We may have been introduced at a dinner party. We use the word 'friend' so freely in everyday language that we have forgotten the meaning of it. Generally we call anyone whom we have seen at a reception or party a friend; or anyone that belongs to our club. But even to have one friend in one's life is the greatest good fortune.

An important thing in friendship is overlooking. No man in the world is faultless, no soul in the world is perfect. If on our part there is no desire to overlook our friends' shortcomings, there can be no more friendship. Friendship is maintained by recognizing that a human being is imperfect, that he has his faults and shortcomings. There is always something in him to overlook, and if we go on doing so, there is always the possibility that he may develop those very qualities which are lacking, for we may add to our friend qualities that are wanting in him. Sometimes people meet once, and they feel they are friends. Sometimes people know each other for months and years, and so they grow to be friends; their knowing one another and coming together in the end brings about the fulfilment of friendship. In such cases it develops as a result of their knowing one another. 

Another odd thing sometimes happens, and that is when two persons are at daggers drawn for many months or years, and then suddenly throw their daggers away and become friends forever; but this is unusual. I myself have seen people who have been enemies working against one another for years, and from the day they became friends they have been the closest friends. Those who say, 'I was his friend and he was my friend but now we are not friends any more', should realize that they have never been friends. It was a presumption on their part, a false impression. Can friendship be such a false thing, can gold be gold at one time and not at another? Gold is gold, it never changes, it remains the same. Constancy in friendship is the soul of friendship. And that custom whereby a friend writes to another 'Yours as always' is wrong. If a plant remains as it has always been, it does not grow, and that which does not grow is not living, and that which is not living is dead.

When a person thinks, 'I am too good or too kind to you, I have been too devoted to you', that person forgets that kindness, goodness and devotion are larger than the horizon. No one can be too good, no one can be too kind, and no one can be too devoted. And when there is a discussion between friends, and one says, 'I have done so much for you, I have suffered so much for you, I have had so much pain on your account, I have had such a difficult life for your sake,' then he is entering into business. He wants to keep a diary of what he has given in the form of love and kindness and goodness and sacrifice. A true friend makes every sacrifice he can and never thinks about it; he does not even allow his mind to ponder upon the subject. Real friendship means regard, a deep regard for the pleasure and displeasure of the friend. Is there anything in life which is more delicate than friendship - taking care that no words should hurt the friend, that no action should harm him, that not the slightest shade of coldness may fall on his heart? It is most difficult. If a person has learnt the manner of friendship he need not learn anything more; he knows everything. He has learnt the greatest religion, for it is in this same way that one will make a way to God. The one who has never learnt the manner of friendship will never know the way to God. He may be God's worshipper, but he cannot be the friend of God…

The knowledge of what will please your friend, if it comes to you at all, will only come if you really know what friendship is. Otherwise you may presume you are a friend, and all your life you may try to please your friend, but you will never really be able to do so.

It is the same with God. You may do all possible good actions and offer a thousand prayers, and yet if you do not know what pleases God, you cannot please Him. But it does not come from knowledge; it only comes from friendship. Friendship is an automatic action, it is an innocent devotion, an unconscious outgoing, a pure feeling with depth, with life. Automatically that feeling brings about grace. Therefore no one can say why a person is another's friend. We cannot be the judge of it; we cannot understand it. And so no one can say why God is pleased with this person or that person. Sometimes we see that people who do not deserve it have great wealth; and then here are others who, if they had money, would really make the best use of it. Some do not seem to deserve the position or rank they hold; others perhaps in our eyes deserve more; and yet in the eyes of God it is different. It is because they deserve it, though we do not see why and how. And it is the same with friendship. When someone said to Majnun, 'Majnun, Leila is not beautiful, why are you so devoted to Leila?' Majnun said, 'To see Leila you must borrow my eyes.'

When we judge people do we see with the eyes of God, do we see what feeling God has towards them? And when we cannot see in this way we have no right to question why others are in this or that position in life, why some people are rich, why they are in a big position; it is all a kind of battle with God. And those who learn this one principle: that with a friend one should do one's very best to the end, in order to prove worthy of his friendship; and those who try to do their utmost to regard the pleasure and displeasure of God without any thought of reward or of any answer from Him, it is those who really know the meaning of friendship.

February 2007 Harmony

It is harmony, established with everyone one meets in life, which tunes one's soul with the Infinite.
                                                                                                                          
Aphorisms, Hazrat Inayat Khan

Dear sisters and brothers,

Thinking about the first of the seven aspects of brother- and sisterhood “From a Human point of view - talking to each other in his or her own tone”, we came across a text of Hazrat Inayat Khan that teaches the essence of this sentence.

To be an instrument in the world orchestra of life, a lot of practice and tuning has to be done, in order to develop together a piece of harmony. But what is it that makes music fascinating? Sometimes music needs a dissonant, just as in our life humour is necessary to spice things up.

With sisterly love,
Maharani and Johara
                    

It is an art to see in each person a different attunement to life's puzzling ways,
just like the many instruments in an orchestra, which create a variety of sounds although together they produce one music.

Reflections 1, nr 68, Hidayat Inayat-Khan

Purification of the mind (Gatha II, nr 5)

Harmony is brought about by attuning oneself to all beings, to all things, to all conditions, to all situations.  And he who cannot tune himself tries to tune others, and while trying to tune others he breaks the string.  It is like a person who has a violin in his hands wishing to tune the cello.  If he wishes to be in tune with the cellist, he must tune his violin to the cellist's pitch.  Every soul, as its nature, seeks constantly for harmony, but rarely there is to be found a soul who really knows how to create it.  If one says, "This noise which goes on always next to my ears makes me mad," he cannot stop the noise.  He must know how to close himself from that noise; if he cannot, to accustom himself to that noise so as to be able to bear it and eventually to rise above it, that it may no more create inharmony. 

Very often, at the sight of inharmony, one tries to escape it.  But inharmony has such a wonderful magic that if one avoids it in the East one meets it in the West.  It never leaves a person; whom it loves, it follows.  And the best way to meet with inharmony is to try and harmonize with it.  Knowing that the source and goal of all things is the perfection of harmony, and bearing that idea in mind, if one met with inharmony, which has no existence in reality, which is like a shadow, it must certainly disappear as the shadow disappears at the sight of the sun.

It is very difficult to evolve oneself and at the same time to keep in tune with the unevolved ones through life.  It is like being drawn from above and at the same time being pulled from below.  And if there is anything that can save man from being torn to pieces in life, there is only one way, and that is to resound, to respond to all that is asked of man.  It is this principle which is taught by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount.  The Sermon on the Mount may seem to teach a willing surrender to all, but that is not the way to look at it.  The real lesson that one can learn from it is to harmonize oneself with all notes instead of with one note. 

Every note is fixed in its place, so is every man fixed in his ideas and ways.  But the one who treads the spiritual path, he is all notes and he is no note in particular.  Therefore he may rightfully be called the key note, the note which makes a consonant chord with every note that is played with it.  There is no beauty where there is no harmony; harmony is the fruit of love.  Therefore by attaining harmony in life one reaches the perfection of all three:  Love, harmony, and beauty.

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