Happy March 1st, 2025
... From a beautiful Soul...
Nature speaks louder than the call from the minaret.
Bowl of Saki, March 1, by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:
One may ask, what should one study? There are two kinds of studies. One kind is by reading the teachings of the great thinkers and keeping them in mind, the study of metaphysics, psychology, and mysticism. And the other kind of study is the study of life. Every day one has an opportunity for studying; but it should be a correct study. When a person travels in a tramcar, in the train, with a newspaper in his hand, he wants to read the sensational news which is worth nothing. He should read human nature which is before him, people coming and going. If he would continue to do this, he would begin to read human beings as though they were letters written by the divine pen, which speak of their past and future. He should look deeply at the heavens and at nature and at all the things to be seen in everyday life, and reflect upon them with the desire to understand. This kind of study is much superior, incomparably superior, to the study of books.
from https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/VI/VI_15.htm
The deeper we look into life the more it unfolds itself, allowing us to see more keenly. Life is revealing. It is not only human beings who speak; if only the ears can hear even plants and trees and all nature speak, in the sense that nature reveals itself, reveals its secret. In this way we communicate with the whole of life. Then we are never alone, then life becomes worth living.
from https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/VI/VI_15.htm
Just as there is a communication between persons who love each other very much, so the sympathy of a person whose soul has unfolded itself is so awakened that not only every person but even every object begins to reveal its nature, its character and secret. To him every man is a written letter.
We hear stories of saints and sages who talked with rocks and plants and trees. They are not only stories; it is reality. It is also told of the apostles that at the moment when the Spirit descended upon them they began to speak many languages. When they understood so many languages, they understood the language of every soul. It means that the illuminated soul understands the language of every soul. And every soul has its own language. It is that which is called revelation.
All the teachings that the great prophets and teachers have given are only interpretations of what they have seen. They have interpreted in their own language what they have read from the manuscript of nature: that trees and plants and rocks spoke to them. Did nature only speak to those in the past? No, the soul of man is always capable of that bliss if he only realized it. Once the eyes of the heart are open, man begins to read every leaf of the tree as a page of the sacred Book.
from https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/XIV/XIV_2_19.htm
In the swinging of the branches, in the flying of the birds, and in the running of the water,
Beloved, I see Thy waving hand, bidding me good-bye.
In the cooing of the wind, in the roaring of the sea, and in the crashing of the thunder,
Beloved, I see Thee weep and I hear Thy cry.
In the promise of the dawn, in the breaking of the morn, in the smiles of the rose,
Beloved, I see Thy joy at my homecoming.
from https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/say/vadan_ragas.htm
Love for God is the expansion of the heart, and all actions that come from the lover of God are virtues; they cannot be otherwise.
Bowl of Saki, May 17, by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:
The Sufi establishes his relationship with God as the relationship between him and the Beloved. His worship of God is the expansion of the heart. His love for all beings and for every being is his love for God. He cannot find anyone to love except God, because he sees God in all. If his love is shown in devotion to parents, to wife, to children if it is shown to neighbors, to a friend or in tolerating enemies, the Sufi considers this as an action of his love towards God. In this way he fulfills in his life the teaching of the Bible, ' We live and move and have our being in God.'
from https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/IX/IX_36.htm
Jesus Christ not only told us to love our friends, but also, he went as far as to say we should love our enemies; and the Sufi treads the same path. He considers his charity of heart towards his fellow man to be love for God; and in showing love to everyone, he feels he is giving his love to God.
from https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/X/X_6.htm
Love for God is the expansion of the heart, and all actions that come from the lover of God are virtues; they cannot be otherwise. There is a different outlook on life when the love of God has filled a man's heart. The lover of God will not hate anyone; for he knows that by doing so he will hate the Creator by hating His creation. He cannot be insincere, he cannot be unfaithful; for he will think that to be faithful and sincere to mankind is to be faithful and sincere to God. You can always trust the lover of God, however impractical or however lacking in cleverness he may appear to be, for simply to hold strongly in mind the thought of God purifies the soul of all bitterness, and gives man a virtue that he could obtain nowhere else and by no other means.
from https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/III/III_IV_2.htm
~~~ Love for God is the expansion of the heart, and all actions that come from the lover of God are virtues; they cannot be otherwise.
Wonderful - thanks for sharing these profound truths as expressed so beautifully by the Sufi's.
The Universe may be summarised by a single word - LOVE.
"Love means to reach for the sky
and with every breath to tear a
hundred veils. Love means to step
away from the ego, to open the eyes
of inner vision and not to take this
world so seriously" ~ Rumi
And so much more, of the Heart.
Adrian, I love that poem by Rumi.
And I love the additional quote in your signature. I took a screen shot of your reply, it means a lot to me. Thank you.
The Rumi poem you shared in the post above... Is exactly the subject I was touching up on yesterday with a sweet and lovely friend.
What is God? I believe God is Love. A profound intelligence.
But what else? In this conversation yesterday we got to talk about a few things...
One of the most beautiful and contradictory/complicated things about human experience is the crystallization of beliefs.
We come in to this world free form preconceived notions. An infants expression is so pure and simple whether they are smiling, crying or laughing. And as we get older, we overwhelm ourselves with how we think we should be- with what is correct, what is the best way to be, how we think others should behave- how we should pray, how we should meditate, how we should eat, when we should do this, when we should do that- why we need to think in this manner, what it means when we talk to this person but not that person.
And the list goes on, and on, and on. And we've become quite accustomed to the weight of these impressions- not always aware of the noise happening in the background.
We think we will be happy if we achieve this perfect idea, and press a great anxiety on our minds when we deviate from these contrived thoughts.
But I realize-
The crystallization of beliefs is a part of the human saga. Not a negative. It's our holding on to the closest expression we have of God- of Truth. On a long enough timeline we see what certain tribes, societies and cultures have defined as beautiful. We can see what is considered worthy of praise. And not one thing is always the same. But we as individuals cling to what resonates most, and maybe explore baby steps here or there.
And this journey shows us we are not only meant to be infants. Perhaps it is better to strive for the ease in simple expression coupled with the wisdom attained through experience.
That is no easy task. As we get older, we find ourselves saying just how hard it is to Love our fellow man.
I think a key to liberation is in the poem from Rumi you decided to share above... So I thank you once again.
Love is simple. It is we who make it complicated. We have all experienced a love that transcends- that heals wounds, that forgives, that humbles the ignorant... and that is our driving force.
It's a beautiful thing, despite the mess we make of things... We don't need to condemn our fellows who hold on to that which brings them closest to PRESENCE... But often, we do(despite likewise holding on to some cherished ideas). We think we are so different from them- we have a different belief than they, so what they share repels or repulses us(sometimes unconsciously).
Yes I believe Love is simple... Strive, but allow yourself to be vulnerable. To be wrong, to be guided. Not always take things so seriously... Realize the blessings in simplicity, in spontaneity and have courage to live from the Heart.
May our compass point ever-Godward, to experience and Know Love.
Ultimately... I pray we always remember the relationship with God as ALIVE/LIVING. Everything else is as a shadow, and we try to bottle it time and time again.
Wonderful post Tides, and topic, and beautifully stated. The wisdom and message of the Sufi's is most profound, and worthy of further discussion. It is also very apparent how other religions and Spiritual traditions, such as Jesus are in complete alignment.
Ultimately all Spiritual traditions and messengers such as Jesus have one core, and most important message, that of Divine, Unconditional Love and our relationship with Source, God through the Heart, our fellow humans, and with life as a whole..
The meaning and purpose of lives - "incarnations" - on Earth is very simple - transcend the influence of the ego, to become One with the Heart, Divine Love. Then, and only then, can the path to Source, God, truly begin.
Plain and simple - to hate or dislike anyone, for any reason, is to hate or dislike God and self in the same degree.
Jesus taught this:
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:
this is the first commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
There is none other commandment greater than these. ~ Mark 12:30-31
Which is completely in alignment with the message of the Sufi's.
We have already discussed in this topic, the Sufi "expansiveness of the Heart", but Rumi states the meaning of life here on Earth very succinctly in the context of the need to first completely overcome the influence of the ego:
"Till man destroys "self" he is no true friend of God." ~ Rumi
By this he means, that until the ego, which identifies with self, is completely vanquished, there can be no true Spiritual progress on the Divine Path leading to One-ness with Source, God, in absolute terms.
Jesus said:
Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. ~ Matthew 18:3
From birth to age 7 or so children generally have no ego and retain a close connection with Spirit, the Kingdom of Heaven. After that they become progressively indoctrinated by parents, schools and society into the "ways of the world", and the higher connection is lost as the ego progressively takes control
So, by "converted", he meant converted away from the ego back to the natural and original Unconditional Love, as a small child, and connection with Source, before the gateway to the true to path of full Source realisation can be realised .
So, although the Sufi's and Jesus where of different eras and circumstances, the message of the Heart is always the same.
If anyone has ever wondered how "prophets", messengers, avatars etc. such as Rumi and Jesus have the knowledge to teach as they do, the entire knowledge of the Universe is within everyone - but only through the Heart.
"A pure heart, open to the Light, will be filled with the elixir of Truth." ~ Rumi
Thanks Adrian,
It's as if the Living Spirit is affirming this very discussion, by having the "random" message from todays bowl of saki perfectly aligned with our discussion and thoughts... See for your self:
https://wahiduddin.net/saki/saki_date.php?m=5&d=18
But also interesting to note is... I am reminded of Moses who followed Al Khadir(an immortal mystic) in his travels... Al khadir was said to be executing the will of God, which included killing a person.
As a personality incarnate, I would not wish to humor such an act. However, the reasons for it are supposed in alignment with Gods Will.
It tells me that we do not understand the totality of God, Gods Will, and can not assume to know.
Likewise is the human expression a dazzling array of light, even if only of a particular bandwidth, full of contradictory forces. Separate but not.
I recognize our expression as mortal beings as one that evolves over time. And I acknowledge the Living Intelligence as not bound by linear reality. Interesting, puzzling. Collectively we are growing closer towards God Realization.
I believe it. And the Saki message I shared with you in the link above explains how we might rise with Love rather than Fall.
The eternal career- a journey of the ages... No matter the teachings, no matter what gets written- it is more important to feel the partnership with that Presence. Between creation and Creator. And our expression/of and with Infinite expression is clearly refined through time.
How beautiful to have been gifted free will to explore our desires and be granted experiential wisdom. Even in the face of contradictory forces, anything is possible.
Eternal career is a daunting and overwhelming thought... And still, I believe this is not the end- and there is an even greater realization of Love than what current civilizations and personal understanding display.
_____Peace friend <3
Todays beverage ... Wine for the Soul. = )
'God is love'; when love is awakened in the heart, God is awakened there.
Bowl of Saki, May 29, by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:
Life's light is love; and when the heart is empty of love, a man is living and yet not living; from a spiritual point of view he is dead. When the heart is asleep, he is as though dead in this life, for one can only love through the heart. But love does not mean give and take. That is only a trade; it's selfishness. To give sixpence and receive a shilling is not love. Love is when one loves for the sake of love, when one cannot help but love, cannot do anything but love. Then one is not forced to love; there is no virtue in that. One does not love because another does. It is simply there. It cannot be helped. It is the only thing that makes a person alive. If a person loves one and hates another, what can he know of love? Can you love one person fully if at the same time you cannot bestow a kind glance on some other person? Can you say you love one person fully when you cannot bear him to be loved by someone else as well? Can you hate a person when love is sprinkled like water in your heart? Love is like the water of the Ganges. It is itself a purification. As the Bible says, 'God is love'. When love is awakened in the heart, God is awakened there. When a man has journeyed, he reaches the goal as soon as his heart has reached love.
The Sufi says, 'The Kaba, the divine place, paradise, is the heart of the human being'. That is why he has respect for every heart. Every heart is his Kaba, his shrine. The human heart is the place toward which he bows, for in this heart is God.
from https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/VII/VII_30.htm
What an absolutely wonderful passage on the subject of Love. Thanks for sharing.
Much is written the meaning of True Love of the Heart, but ultimately they all agree.
Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy,
It does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonour others,
It is not self-seeking,
It is not easily angered,
It keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
~ 1Corinthians 1, 3.4-7.
"Love means to reach for the sky
and with every breath to tear a
hundred veils. Love means to step
away from the ego, to open the eyes
of inner vision and not to take this
world so seriously" ~ Rumi
And for those seeking Love, a partner to be with, in harmony, for life, Rumi has this most wise advice:
"Take someone who doesn't keep score, who's not looking to be richer, or afraid of losing, who has not the slightest interest even in his own personality: he's free." ~ Rumi
really, letting go of my worries and my desires- though i find nothing wrong with having desires or ambition- but just taking a break from my need to construe an assured path to victory and instead simply being... i see the living god all around me. i've tasted a love deeper than what i've been able to give, and i feel that love guiding me every day. it's the biggest blessing, to actualize gods love for you. i am watching a great series and they say their morning prayer like this...
"I gratefully thank You, O living and eternal King, for You have returned my soul within me with compassion - abundant is Your faithfulness!"
it made me realize... every day, the grandeur and majesty that is eternal god faithfully loves each and every one of you.
the most love i feel is in recognizing an unseen but intelligent force as communicating and guiding me. it is real, and the word faithful has been speaking to me in ways that continually humble me. god, faithfully loves you. there is no more profound realization than this...
Todays Sake
Through motion and change, life becomes intelligible; we live a life of change, but it is constancy we seek. It is this innate desire of the soul that leads man to God.
Bowl of Saki, June 25, by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:
Man placed in the midst of this ever-changing world yet appreciates and seeks for constancy somewhere. He does not know that he must develop the nature of constancy in himself; it is the nature of the soul to value that which is dependable. But is there anything in the world on which one can depend, which is above change and destruction? All that is born, all that is made, must one day face destruction. All that has a beginning has also an end; but if there is anything one can depend upon it is hidden in the heart of man, it is the divine spark, the true philosopher's stone, the real gold, which is the innermost being of man.
from https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/VI/VI_1.htm
What is this mortal world? What is this physical existence? What is this life of changes? If it were not for belief, what use is it all? Something which is changing, something which is not reliable, something which is liable to destruction. Therefore it is not only for the sake of truth, but for life itself that one must find belief in oneself, develop it, nurture it, allow it to grow every moment of one's life, that it may culminate in faith. It is that faith which is the mystery of life, the secret of salvation.
from https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/IV/IV_12.htm
The whole of the external life is nothing but a succession of experiences, one after the other, night and day. That is why it is called a journey. Yet there is a part of life from which this life of changes has sprung; the life which is everlasting, which is eternal, the life to which all things return; and that life is the goal. Therefore, life is not only a journey; it is a goal. The goal is the stable part of life, the source of life; the manifested life called creation is the journey.
In this way we see that there are really two journeys. There is the journey from the goal to the life in the world, and there is the journey from the life in the world to the goal. And both journeys are natural. As it is natural to go forth from the eternal goal, so it is natural to go from the changing life to the life which is unchangeable.
from https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/VII/VII_30.htm
Among millions of believers in God, there is hardly one who makes God a reality. To so many He is an imagination, to many He is in a mosque, a church, or a temple. Many wonder if God is really. Many others think God is goodness, He is a personality separate from us, He is most high, most pure, most beautiful, but He is separate and difficult to reach. Many think that as it takes so long to reach this planet or that, God must be further away still. The purpose of one's whole life is to make God a reality. ... if you will seek for good in everything, you will always find it, for God is in all things, and still more He is in all beings. Seek Him in all souls, good and bad, wise and foolish, attractive or unattractive, for in the depth of each there is God. ... He is all around and about us at every moment, we are living His life, we are breathing His breath, and yet we are ignorant of the perfection of beauty which unites and inspires every soul.
from https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/archives/cupid.htm
When I say Divine- I mean, more than the physical fleshy material we ascribe as our brain or our heart.
Inayat Khan explains it as follows:
"People pursue spirituality with their brain: that is where they are mistaken. Spirituality is attained through the heart. What do I mean by the heart? Is it the nervous center in the midst of the breast, the small piece of flesh that doctors call the heart? No, the definition of the heart is that it is the depth of the mind, the mind being the surface of the heart. That in us which feels is the heart, that which thinks is the mind. It is the same thing which thinks and feels, but the direction is different: feeling comes from the depth, thought from the surface. ... "
"The Sufis have therefore considered the development of the heart quality as a spiritual culture, and have called it the culture of the heart. It consists of the tuning of the heart.
Tuning means changing the pitch of the vibrations. Tuning the heart means changing the vibrations, bringing them to a certain pitch which is the natural one where you feel the joy and ecstasy of life, which enables you to give pleasure to others even by your presence because you are tuned. When an instrument is properly tuned you need not play music on it; just by striking it you will feel a great magnetism coming from it. If an instrument well-tuned can have that magnetism, how much greater should be the magnetism of hearts that are tuned. Rumi says, 'Whether you have loved a human being or whether you have loved God, if you have loved enough you will be brought in the end into the presence of the supreme Love itself'."
Taken from,
https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/XIV/XIV_2_8.htm
And a happy winter season to those in the Southern hemisphere!
1st of August, Bowl of Saki
Lets have a drink! :-)
*pours the hot rice wine into a cup and shares with you, the reader*
cheers :-D
Understanding makes the trouble of life lighter to bear.
Bowl of Saki, August 1, by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:
We often suffer because we do not understand. Many conditions and many people are difficult to tolerate because we do not understand them, but once we understand we can tolerate almost anything.
from https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/IX/IX_7.htm
All tragedy of life, all misery and inharmony are caused by one thing and that is lack of understanding. Lack of understanding comes from lack of penetration. The one who does not see from the point of view from which he ought to see becomes disappointed because he cannot understand. It is not for the outer world to help us to understand life better; it is we ourselves who should help ourselves to understand it better.
from https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/XIV/XIV_19.htm
What a great thing is understanding! It is priceless. No man can give greater pleasure to his fellow man than by understanding him. The closest friend in life is the one who understands most. It is not your wife, brother or sister, it is the one who understands you most who is your greatest friend in the world. You can be the greatest friend of God if you can understand God. Imagine how man lives in the world -- with closed eyes and closed ears! Every name and every form speaks constantly, constantly makes signs for you to hear, for you to respond to, for you to interpret, that you may become a friend of God. The whole purpose of your life is to make yourself ready to understand what God is, what your fellow man is, what the nature of man is, what life is.
Now coming to a still greater secret of life I want to answer the question: how can we grow to read and understand the message that life speaks through all its names and forms? The answer is that, as by the opening of the eyes you can see things, so by the opening of the heart you can understand things. As long as the heart is closed you cannot understand things. The secret is that when the ears and eyes of the heart are open, all planes of the world are open, all names are open, all secrets, all mysteries are unfolded.
from https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/VIII/VIII_2_1.htm
I agree a lot with todays bowl of saki. But I also ask... Why must the lower self be a vilified concept? Why must we be at war with the ego? Is there no consolidation between human existence and divine love? We are proof of the marriage between matter and spirit, and I suppose self interest can at times create a wall between selfless love and self. We've tasted both expressions, but is it possible to see our own expression as something to be equally loved and cherished? I wonder if we can have sex, enjoy a beverage, do something that is often condemned as pulling us away from divine expression- and still be nestled in the divine reality?
We are so quick to throw ourselves onto whatever is happening around us, to paint ourselves in the picture... Can we move through all of the ego/matter and simply Love free from conflict, aggression, fear? from thinking life is a formula that can only be satisfied through "defined" and "known" methods? I suppose I've shrunk down to the very basic unit that sprouts duality... And I wonder, can I be free from self imposed limitations? From thinking I Must be this way or that way in order to be this way, or that way... ???
Todays Saki... Anyone else feel like getting drunk off this wisdom? :-)
Love is the current coin of all peoples in all periods.
Bowl of Saki, August 17, by Hazrat Inayat Khan
Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:
Love has its time at every stage of life. As a child, as a youth, as an adult, whatever stage of life one has reached, love is always asked for and love always has its part to perform. Whatever situation we are placed in, amongst friends or foes, amongst those who understand us or amongst those who do not, in ease or in difficulty, in all places at all times, it has its part to perform. The one who thinks, 'I must not let the principle of love have its way, I must harden myself against it', imprisons his soul. There is only one thing in the world that shows the sign of heaven, that gives the proof of God, and that is pure, unselfish love. For all the noble qualities which are hidden in the soul will spring forth and blossom when love helps them and nurtures them. Man may have a great deal of good in him and he may be very intelligent; but as long as his heart is closed, he cannot show that nobleness, that goodness which is hidden in his heart. The psychology of the heart is such that once one begins to know it, one realizes that life is a continual phenomenon. Then every moment of life becomes a miracle; a searchlight is thrown upon human nature and all things become so clear that one does not ask for any greater phenomenon or miracle; it is a miracle in and of itself. What one calls telepathy, thought reading, or clairvoyance, and all such things, come by themselves when the heart is open.
If a person is cold and rigid, he feels within himself as if he were in a grave. He is not living, he cannot enjoy this life for he cannot express himself and he cannot see the light and life outside. What keeps man from developing the heart quality? His exacting attitude. He wants to make a business of love. He says, 'If you will love me, I will love you.' As soon as a man measures and weighs his favors and his services and all that he does for one whom he loves, he ceases to know what love is. Love sees the beloved and nothing else.
from https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/X/X_3_4.htm
The great teachers and prophets, and the inspirers of humanity of all times have not become what they were by their miracles or wonder-workings; these belong to other people. The main thing that could be seen in them was their loving manner. Read the lives of the prophets. First of all see the way Jesus Christ had with all those who came to him. When sinners who were condemned and expelled by society were brought to the master, he received them with compassion. ... One may ask: How to cultivate the heart quality? There is only one way: to become selfless at each step one takes forward on this path, for what prevents one from cultivating the loving quality is the thought of self. The more we think of our self the less we think of others, and as we go further the self grows to become worse and worse. In the end the self meets us as a giant which we had always fought; and now at the end of the journey the giant is the stronger. But if from the first step we take on the path of perfection we struggled and fought and conquered this giant which is the self, it could be done only by the increasing power of love.
from https://wahiduddin.net/mv2/XIV/XIV_2.htm