aphorisms, sufism islam

8/11/2019 Aphorisms, sufism islam

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APHORISMS

Illusion is the cover of things; reality is the depth of things. The body is the illusion;

the soul is the reality. The

floer is the illusion; the fragrance is the reality. The fragrance is the spirit of the

floer; it persists.

Man is not !ade by "od as the ood is cut by the carpenter; for the carpenter and the

ood are different#

hile "od and !an are the sa!e. Man is !ade of the substance of "od; !an is in"od# and all that is in "od is

in !an.

$elief cannot be taught; it cannot be learned; it is the grace of "od. To affir! a belief

is one thing; to reali%e

belief is another.

The ai! of the !ystic is to stretch his range of consciousness as idely as possible# so

that he !ay touch the

highest pride and the deepest hu!ility. The only fall for a !ystic is to fall beneath the

level of his ideal.

A !an ho has no i!agination stands on the earth# he has no ings; he cannot fly.

&hen e are face to face ith truth# the point of vie of 'rishna# $uddha# (hrist# or

any other Prophet# is the

sa!e. &hen e loo) at life fro! the top of the !ountain# there is no li!itation; thereis the sa!e i!!ensity.

To every *uestion that arises in the heart of the !ystic# he finds the anser in the life

before hi!.

The false shos itself; all that is true proves itself.

That hich is not beautiful in its effect cannot be real beauty.


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It is those ho have touched the inner beauty ho are able to appreciate beauty in all

its for!s.

The beauty hich the )noer )nos and the lover appreciates# the !ystic orships.

The difference beteen spirit and soul is li)e that of the sun and the ray. The ray is the

ray of the sun# but at the

sa!e ti!e the sun is the sun# and the ray is the ray.

"od is the essence of beauty; it is His love of beauty hich has caused Hi! to e+press

His on beauty in

!anifestation.

$eauty is "od,s desire fulfilled in the ob-ective orld.

$eauty is the depth of the soul; its e+pression in hatever for! is the sign of the

soul,s unfold!ent# hen an

individual beco!es a person# the beauty hidden in the individual# hich is divine#

develops; and that

develop!ent of beauty is personality.

$eauty is hidden in every soul# hoever ic)ed; and our trust and confidence in the

beauty of the soul helps to

dra out that hidden beauty hich !ust shine out one day.

Most unbelievers have a very near hori%on# li)e birds in a covered cage hich do not

)no that there is anything

beyond.

The onderful thing is that the soul already )nos to so!e e+tent that there is

so!ething behind the veil# the veil

of perple+ity# that there is so!ething to be sought for in the highest spheres of life#

that there is so!e beauty to

be seen# that there is So!eone to be )non ho is )noable.

This desire# this longing is not ac*uired; it is a di! )noledge of the soul hich it has

in itself. Therefore#

disbelief in "od is nothing but a condition brought about by the vapors arising fro!

this !aterial life and coveringli)e clouds the light of the soul hich is its life.


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If this orld offers to a person all it possesses# even then the soul is not satisfied# for

its satisfaction lies in its

higher aspiration# and it is this higher aspiration hich leads to "od.

If the !ind did not stand as a hindrance to the intuition# every person ould be

intuitive# for intuition is !ore

natural and !ore easy than the reasoning of the !ind.

&hat co!es fro! ithout is not intuition; intuition is so!ething hich rises fro!

one,s on heart and brings a

sense of satisfaction# of ease# and of happiness.

The life of !an# hoever great and spiritual# has its li!itations. $efore the conditions

of life the greatest !an on

earth# the !ost poerful soul# ill for a !o!ent see! helpless; but it is not the

beginning that counts; it is the end.

It is the last note that a great soul stri)es# hich proves that soul to be real and true.

There can be no better sign of spiritual develop!ent than control over passion and

anger. If one can control

these# one can control life.

The secret of see)ing the ill of "od lies in cultivating the faculty of sensing

har!ony; for har!ony is beauty and

beauty is har!ony# and the lover of beauty in his further progress beco!es the see)er

of har!ony; and by trying

alays to !aintain har!ony# !an ill tune his heart to the ill of "od.

If it ere not for pain# one ould not en-oy the e+perience of -oy. It is pain hich

helps one to e+perience -oy#

for everything is distinguished by its opposite.

If it ere not for pain# life ould be !ost uninteresting# for it is by pain that the heart

is penetrated.

Since the nature of life is action and reaction# every outer e+perience has a reaction

ithin# and every innere+perience has its reaction in the outer life.


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In the spheres of conscience the soul of !an and the Spirit of "od !eet and beco!e

one.

To a soul hich is ide aa)e# the udg!ent /ay does not co!e after death. 0or that

soul every day is a

udg!ent /ay.

1very step forard gives a certain a!ount of freedo! of action# and as one goes

further and further on the path

of truth the freedo! beco!es greater at every step.

The !ore one regards the feelings of others# the !ore har!ony one can create.

The heart in its depth is lin)ed up ith the divine Mind# so in the depths of the heart

there is greater -ustice than

on the surface.

Inspiration co!es hen )noledge and the inner light# falling on one,s on

conception of things# co!e together

in the conscience# hich is the court of "od# here He Hi!self sits on the throne of

-ustice.

Happiness is our birthright; in our happiness is the happiness of "od.

Thought has its birth and death li)e a living being# and the life of a thought is

inco!parably longer than that of a

living being in the physical body.

The !ind is a orld# a orld that !an !a)es and in hich he ill !a)e his life in thehereafter# as a spider lives

in the eb it has oven.

To hat does the love of "od lead2 It leads to that peace and stillness hich can be

seen in the life of the tree; it

floers and bears fruit for others and e+pects no return.

3erily# he ho pursues the orld ill inherit the orld; but the soul ho pursues "od

ill attain in the end to thepresence of "od.


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A !aterial person has a silent craving in his heart to probe the depths of the spiritual

ideal hich he disons.

There is nothing in this orld hich does not spea). 1very thing and every being is

continually calling out its

nature# its character# and its secret; and the !ore the inner sense is open# the !ore

capable it beco!es of

hearing the voice of all things.

&hen once the inner sense has bro)en the alls around it# it breathes the freedo! and

happiness hich is the

soul,s on property# and hich the soul then attains.

The sign of the enlightened soul is readiness to understand.

The soul co!es to a stage of reali%ation here the hole of life beco!es to hi! one

subli!e vision of the

i!!anence of "od.

The brain !ay be said to be the seat of the intelligence# and the heart to be the throne

of isdo!.

&isdo! !ay be called spiritual )noledge.

The real place here the heavens are !ade is ithin !an. The soul is the ray of that

sun hich is the infinite

Spirit.

The soul is the action of the heavenly Sun. It !anifests and returns# as !an e+hales

and inhales.

"od is love; so "od is beyond the la# for love is above the la.

If e co!e to any solution of our ever4rising *uestions# it is never by studying the la

that e find satisfaction#

but by diving deep into love and letting love inspire us.


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If one has learned hile on earth ho to create -oy and happiness for oneself and

others# in the other orld that

-oy and happiness ill surround one; and if one has son the seeds of poison# one

!ust reap those fruits there.

Thus one sees that -ustice is the nature of life.

The udg!ent /ay is every day# and one reali%es this as one,s sight beco!es !ore

)een. 1very hour# every

!o!ent in life has its -udg!ent.

&hat connection has the soul hich has passed fro! the earth ith those still on this

plane2 The connection of

the heart still )eeps intact# and it re!ains unbro)en as long as the lin) of sy!pathy is

there.

To create happiness for oneself and others is the hole philosophy of religion.

&hat is Sufis!2 It is isdo!. To learn isdo! at every step on the path of life is the

only or) of the Sufi.

The one ho is the slave of conventionality is a captive; the one ho is the !aster of

conventionality is the

possessor of that )ingdo! hich is !entioned in the $ible5 6$lessed are the !ee)# for

they shall inherit the

)ingdo! of the earth.6

As soon as a person begins to regard the pleasure and displeasure of "od in the

feelings of every person he

!eets# he can only be refined# hatever his position in life.

The hu!an soul is by nature perfect# but the life of li!itation on earth bringsi!perfection to it.

The sense of sha!e is a channel hich leads to that goal hich is called Perfection.

$eauty# in all its aspects# is beyond price.

Often the sense of sha!e or)s li)e a sharp )nife upon a feeling heart# but it only

!a)es it li)e a cut dia!ond5for by it e co!e to the reali%ation that hat is !ost precious in life is feeling.


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The heights of every civili%ation sho the fineness of hu!an feeling# hich is the

highest of all aspects of culture.

&hat the !oon see!s to give as light# is not its on; it is the light of the sun. So it is

ith the divine !essengers

of all ti!es.

&hen a soul arrives at its full bloo!# it begins to sho the color and spread the

fragrance of the divine Spirit of

"od.

The one ho does not see) "od# at the end of the -ourney of illusion has a greatdisappoint!ent; for throughout

his hole -ourney he has not found the perfection of love# beauty# and goodness on

the earth# and he does not

believe in# or e+pect to find# such an ideal in heaven.

1very soul see)s for happiness# and after running after all the ob-ects hich for the

!o!ent see! to give

happiness# it finds out that nohere is there perfect happiness e+cept in "od.

All souls in the orld are receptacles of the !essage of "od; not only hu!an beings#

but even the loer creation

convey the !essage of the One and Only $eing.

7o sooner has the heart beco!e living than the la of -ustice !anifests.

"od is both udge and 0orgiver. He forgives even !ore than He -udges; for -ustice

co!es fro! His intelligence#but forgiveness co!es fro! His divine love.

&hen "od,s divine love rises as a ave# it ashes aay the sins of the hole life in a

!o!ent# for la has no

poer to stand before love; the strea! of love seeps it aay.

The very thought of the love of "od fills the heart ith -oy and relieves it of its

burden.


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The )ingship of "od !anifests in the blosso!ing of every soul.

The finest things are to be felt; ords cannot e+press the!. 7oise only spoils their

beauty and robs the! of

preciousness.

The attitude of loo)ing at everything ith a s!ile is the sign of the saintly soul.

As the sunshine fro! ithout lightens the hole orld# so the sunshine fro! ithin#

if it ere raised up# ould

illu!inate the hole life# in spite of all see!ing rongs and all li!itations.

0ear is a shado cast upon the light of the soul; the shado of so!ething the souldoes not )no# hich is

strange to the soul.

0ear co!es fro! ignorance. 0or instance# the soul is frightened on entering the body

of !atter; also# the soul

does not )no death# and so it is afraid.

The illu!inated soul finds its ay through dar)ness both ithin and ithout.

In spite of all his li!itation# a onderful poer is hidden in !an,s soul. &hat !a)es

!an helpless is ignorance of

his free ill. 0ree ill is the basis of the hole life.

0ree ill is the !ighty poer# the "od4poer hidden in !an# and it is ignorance

hich )eeps !an fro! his

divine heritage.

Many see! ide aa)e to the life ithout# but asleep to the life ithin; and although

the cha!ber of the heart is

continually visited by the hosts of heaven# they do not )no their heart# for they are

not there.

Man can only be really happy hen he connects his soul ith the spheres of heaven.

The !ore closely a person is dran to heaven# the !ore the things of earth lose theircolor and taste.


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The religions have alays taught self4denial# but the soul hich naturally rises to

heaven does not need to

practice renunciation.

The !o!ent the soul co!pares its on li!itation ith the perfection of "od it has

begun to progress.

At the cost of happiness of heaven# the soul co!es to the great fulfill!ent of life#

hich even angels are not

blessed ith; for !anifestation in hu!an for! is the ut!ost boundary of

!anifestation# the furthest that any soul

can go.

1very difficulty in life is oing to !an,s li!itation hich covers the divine spar) in

hi! until in ti!e it beco!es

obscured fro! his vie# and this cul!inates in the tragedy of life.

7ot only hu!an beings# but ani!als# birds# insects# trees# and plants all have a

spiritual attain!ent. 7o creature

that has ever been on earth ill be deprived entirely of spiritual bliss.

There is nothing in this orld ithout purpose# and# though the place of one in the

sche!e of life !ay see!

different fro! that of another# yet in the su! total of things e and the loer creation#

together ith the -inns and

angels# have our purpose; that purpose is the reali%ation of truth# and it co!es to all in

the for! of bliss.

&isdo! is love# and love is true isdo!. The cold4hearted !an is never ise# and the

truly ar!4heartedperson is never foolish# for love co!es fro! isdo! and isdo! fro! love.

One !ust not !a)e even principles so set that one cannot alter the!.

1very soul inclined to serve has a scope for service on every plane# and the one ho is

able to serve here is able

to serve even !ore on the higher planes.


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Self4pity is the orst poverty. &hen a person says# 6I a! to be pitied#6 before he says

anything !ore he has

di!inished hi!self by half; and hat is said further di!inishes hi! totally.

Out of the heart that is happy springs a fountain that pours ater fro! above and inti!e brings floers and fruit.

A person need not be unorldly in order to beco!e spiritual. &e !ay live in the

orld and yet not be of the

orld.

Spirituality is in no ay a hindrance to orldly progress. A orldly success hen

gained through the poer of

spirituality has a stronger foundation.

3irtue forced upon oneself or upon another is not a virtue; it loses its beauty. There

!ust be illingness; virtue

should not be forced.

The true ego does not )no sorro; its true being is happiness# for the real ego is "od

and "od is happiness.

Once a soul has aa)ened to the continual !usic of life# that soul ill consider it to

be its responsibility# its duty#

to play its part in the outer life# even if it be contrary to its inner condition at the

!o!ent.

The )noers of truth close their lips# for they can neither say one thing nor another

fro! the point of vie of

absolute truth.

The seas and rivers and strea!s have !any na!es# but they all contain ater; and

religions have various na!es#

but they all contain the sa!e truth e+pressed in different for!s at different ti!es.

It is the love ele!ent developing in the ani!als hich brings the! together in floc)s

and herds.

&e !ust not observe only a principle# but e !ust consult our on ideals ineverything e do.


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I thin) the )noer of the truth ill find truth in the sy!bols of the Ro!an (atholic

(hurch# and ill find the sa!e

truth in the absence of sy!bols in the Protestant (hurch.

If the soul ere aa)ened to feel hat the birds feel hen singing in the forest at

dan# !an ould )no that

their prayer is even !ore e+alting than his on# for it is !ore natural.

Trees are !ore holy and spiritual than so!e !en. Their purpose is to give so!e

contribution to life and they are

continually busy fulfilling their purpose. They feel that -oy and satisfaction hich

!an cannot feel until he attains

to their stage of stillness and peace.

&here there is for! there is shado; so here there is hu!an love there is -ealousy.

Tolerance is the sign of an evolved soul. A soul gives the proof of its evolution in the

degree of tolerance it

shos.

/eath does not belong to the soul# so it does not belong to the person. /eath co!es to

hat the person )nos#

not to the person hi!self.

There is no scripture in hich contradiction does not e+ist. It is the contradiction

hich !a)es the !usic of the

!essage.

7one of the great ones have called the!selves Masters# nor have they ever consideredthe!selves to be such.

&hat they have )non in their lives is their privilege in opening their heart ider and

ider to reflect the 8ight of

the Master# ho is "od Hi!self.

All faces are His faces# and fro! all lips it is His ord that co!es. $ut those ho can

respond to Hi! beco!e

as His appointed servants.

"od has chosen all# for all souls are near and dear to the (reator.


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The greater a person is in spiritual advance!ent# the !ore unassu!ing he beco!es.

The "reat Ones are initiated by "od Hi!self# and they prove their initiations not bytheir clai!s# but in their

or)s.

1verything has its purpose# but )noledge of the purpose !a)es us able to use it to

the best advantage.

$eauty is created out of variety.

Truth is the heritage of !an; the hu!an soul# hether in the 1ast or &est# possesses

the truth.

All souls in the orld are receptacles of the !essage of "od; and not only hu!an

beings but even the loer

creation# all ob-ects and all conditions# convey to us the !essage of the one and only

$eing.

There is nothing in the orld hich is not the instru!ent of "od.

1vil and ugliness e+ist in !an,s li!ited conception. In "od,s great $eing they have no

e+istence.

1vil is only the shado of goodness; as the shado is non4e+istent# so is evil.

It is the )noledge of the purpose of life hich gives !an the strength ith hich tostand in the !idst of the

opposing forces of life.

"od )nos Hi!self by His !anifestation. Manifestation is the self of "od# but a self

hich is li!ited# a self

hich !a)es Hi! )no that He is perfect hen He co!pares His on $eing ith

this li!ited self hich e call

nature. Therefore# the purpose of the hole of creation is the reali%ation that "od

Hi!self gains by discovering

His on perfection through His !anifestation.


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Merit is not creative; !erit is so!ething hich is possessed. Therefore# attributes are

not i!portant; the

i!portance is in the possessor of the attribute.

&e are too li!ited to see the -ustice of the Perfect One.

&e often suffer because e do not understand. 9nderstanding is a great thing; once

e understand# e can

tolerate.

The soul of every individual is "od# but !an has a !ind and a body hich contain

"od according to the

acco!!odation.

The ater of the ocean is ever pure in spite of all that !ay be thron into it# so the

Pure One consu!es all

i!purities and turns the! into purity.

The soul is the divine breath. It purifies# revivifies# and heals the instru!ent through

hich it functions.

The soul is on a continual -ourney5 on hatever plane# it -ourneys all the ti!e# and on

this -ourney it has a

purpose to acco!plish.

7othing that the hu!an heart has once desired re!ains unfulfilled; if it is not fulfilled

here# it is acco!plished in

the hereafter.

The desire of the soul is the ish of "od.

The source of the soul is perfect# and so is the goal.

7o soul perishes; the soul as not born to perish.

The one ho loves fairness blos the spar) of -ustice into a fla!e# in the light of

hich life beco!es clear to hi!.


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The one ho -udges hi!self learns -ustice# not he ho is occupied in -udging others.

There co!es a stage in life# the stage of life,s cul!ination# hen !an has nothing to

say against anyone unless itbe against hi!self; and it is fro! this point that he begins to see the divine -ustice

hidden behind !anifestation.

The ise see in every for! the divine for!; in every heart they see the divine light

shining.

&hen e -udge others# e are certainly -udging the Artist ho has created the!. If

e reali%ed this# it ould not

be difficult to feel the presence of "od everyhere.

&hen e go !ore deeply into the pheno!ena of life# e shall co!e to a place here

the hole nature of $eing

ill unveil itself# and e shall be able to say# 6There is nothing but "od.6

7oisiness co!es fro! restlessness# and restlessness is the destructive rhyth!.

Those ho have !ade any success in life# in hatever direction# have done so by their

*uiet or)ing.

1nthusias! is a great thing in life. It is creative# but too !uch of it so!eti!es spoils

things.

&hen one devotes one,s ti!e and thought to trying to )no hat one need not )no#

one loses the opportunity

hich life offers of discovering the nature and secret of the soul# in hich lies thefulfill!ent of the purpose of life.

8ife,s !ysteries apart# the feer ords used in the little things of everyday life# the

!ore profitable it is.

People thin) that !any ords e+press things better. They do not )no that !ost often

all the ords spo)en are

so !any veils rapped around the idea.


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He ho holds hi!self close to heaven is guided fro! heaven.

He ho disconnects hi!self fro! the heavenly spheres is li)e the da!aged fruit fallen

fro! the tree.

He ho clings to the light fro! heaven has a light to arn and guard hi! at everystep# according to his desire

for guidance.

The angelic souls ho are in direct touch ith the spirit of "od# and ho have no

)noledge of the false orld

hich is full of illusion# ho live and )no not death# hose lives are happiness#

hose food is divine light#

!a)e around the divine Spirit an aura hich is called the highest heaven.

/eath is the re!oval of a cover# after hich !any things ill be )non to the soul in

regard to its on life and in

regard to the hole orld hich have hitherto been hidden.

Innocence is the natural condition of the soul and the lac) of innocence is a foreign

ele!ent hich the soul

ac*uires after co!ing on earth.

/eath for the spiritual souls is only a gate through hich they enter into that sphere

hich every soul )nos to

be its ho!e.

Souls hich have beco!e conscious of the angelic spheres# even in the s!allest

degree# hear the calling of that

sphere; and the disco!fort they have in this orld is that of ho!esic)ness caused by

the call of the angelic

spheres.

Intelligence is the light of life# the life of life# and the essence of the hole $eing.

Rhyth! cannot e+ist ithout tone# nor tone ithout rhyth!. They are interdependent

for their e+istence# and it is

the sa!e ith ti!e and space.

The !ystic conte!plates the $eing of "od# and so raises his consciousness above the

li!itations of ti!e andspace and liberates his soul by lifting it to the divine spheres.


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The blessing of life is in the consciousness of the blessing.

Man ill find in the end of his search along the spiritual line# that all beings includingtrees and plants# roc)s and

!ountains# oceans and rivers# are prayerful; and that all attain to that spiritual su!!it

hich is the real longing of

every soul.

Only hen !an learns to serve and do his duty ithout the thought of appreciation#

only then ill he attain.

Self4denial hich co!es as a result of helplessness and cul!inates in dissatisfactioncannot be a virtue.

The soul,s happiness is in itself; nothing can !a)e the soul fully happy but self4

reali%ation. The life hich

everyone )nos is this !o!entary period of the soul,s captivity.

Spirit is !atter# and !atter is spirit. The denseness of spirit is !atter# and the fineness

of !atter is spirit.

According to the idth of his !otive !an,s vision is ide# and according to the poer

of his !otive !an,s

strength is great.

Such souls as are conscious of their relation to "od as being that of a child and his

parents# are especially cared

for. They are alays guided# because they as) for guidance.

There is nothing in this orld hich is devoid of for! e+cept "od# ho is for!less.

The li!itless "od cannot be !ade intelligible to the li!ited self unless He is first

!ade li!ited. This li!ited ideal

beco!es li)e an instru!ent# a !ediu! of "od ho is perfect and ho is li!itless.

&hat is religion2 In the outer sense of the ord# a for! given for the orship of "od#

a la given to the


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co!!unity that it !ay live har!oniously. And hat does religion !ean in the inner

sense of the ord2 It !eans

a staircase !ade for the soul to cli!b to that plane here truth is reali%ed.

Many do good# but ho fe do it isely: To do good isely is the or) of the sage.

The one ho lives in his !ind is conscious of the !ind; the one ho lives in his soul

is conscious of the soul.

Truth is unli!ited and inco!parable; therefore# truth alone )nos# en-oys# and

reali%es its on e+istence.

The soul is light# the !ind is light# and the body is light4light of different grades; andit is this relation hich

connects !an ith the planets and stars.

The infinite "od is the self of "od# and all that has !anifested under na!e and for!

is the outer aspect of "od.

All !en ho -oin in prayers !ay not be as sincere as the birds in the forest# for not

one a!ong these says its

prayers ithout sincerity.

Spirituality is attained by all beings; not only by !an but by beasts and birds# for they

each have their religion#

their principles# their la# and their !orals.

The pride that says# 6I a! so spiritual#6 is not spiritual pride; it is earthly pride. 0or

here there is spirituality

there is no proud clai!.

Spiritual reali%ation can be attained in one !o!ent in rare cases# but generally a

considerable ti!e of preparation

is needed.

0ineness of nature is the sign of the intelligent. 0ineness can be ac*uired by love of

refine!ent.


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19/34

Peace is not a )noledge# peace is not a poer# peace is not a happiness; yet peace is

all these. $esides# peace

is productive of happiness# peace inspires one ith )noledge of the seen and unseen#

and in peace is to be

found the /ivine Presence.

"od is happiness# the soul is happiness# and spirituality is happiness. So there is no

place for sadness in the

)ingdo! of "od.

That hich deprives !an of happiness deprives hi! of "od.

The light hich co!es fro! the soul# rises through the heart# and !anifests outardly

in !an,s s!ile# is indeedthe light fro! heaven. In that light !any floers gro and !any fruits ripen.

&e help "od to forgive us by forgiving ourselves.

He ho reali%es the relation of friendship beteen one soul and another 4 the

tenderness# delicacy# and

sacredness of this relationship 4 he is living# and in this ay he ill one day

co!!unicate ith "od.

The sa!e bridge hich connects to souls in the orld# hen stretched beco!es the

path to "od.

7irvana is as a star in our hearts hich e develop; and as e develop it# it beco!es

brilliant. Its brilliance

consu!es all the rong of life until nothing is left but that purity hich is the divine

light.

It !ust be re!e!bered as the first principle of life# that !anifestation as destined

for )eener observation of life

ithin and ithout.

The soul is happy by nature; the soul is happiness itself. It beco!es unhappy hen

so!ething is the !atter ith

its vehicle# its instru!ent# its tool through hich it e+periences life. (are of the body#

therefore# is the first and the

!ost i!portant principle of religion.


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The purpose of the hole of creation is fulfilled in the attain!ent of that perfection

hich is for a hu!an being to

attain. The saints# seers# sages# prophets# and !asters of hu!anity have all been

hu!an beings# and they have

shon divine perfection in fulfilling the purpose of being hu!an.

The teaching of esus (hrist has as its central the!e unfold!ent toards a reali%ation

of i!!ortality.

3anity in its proper place is a great virtue; hen not in its proper place it is a great sin.

1very person has his life designed beforehand; and the light of the purpose that he is

born to acco!plish in lifehas already been )indled in his soul.

Is not !an the creator of sin2 If he creates it# he can also destroy it; and if he cannot

destroy it# his eider brother

can.

In !etaphysical ter!s the i!pression of sin !ay be called an illness 4 a !ental# not a

physical illness. And as the

doctor is able to cure physical illness# so the doctor of the soul is able to heal

spiritually.

In reality no sin# no virtue can be engraved upon the soul; it can only cover the soul.

The soul in its essence is

divine intelligence# and ho can divine intelligence be i!pressed ith either virtue or

sin2

&hen the ob-ect# the purpose for hich a soul as born upon earth is fulfilled# thenthere is nothing to hold it#

and the soul is naturally dran bac) to its source and goal.

"od Hi!self sees through the eye of !an# thus the eye is a road beteen !an and

"od.

Man has neither been created to be as spiritual as an angel# nor has he been !ade to

be as !aterial as an

ani!al; and hen he stri)es the happy !ediu! he ill certainly tread the path hichleads straight to the goal.


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Man is good by nature. "oodness is his real self; badness is only a cloud. $ut clouds

are ever floating; they are

so!eti!es here and so!eti!es there# and if e trust in the goodness of !an# the

clouds ill disappear. Our verytrust ill disperse the!.

The sun shines on all the trees; it does not !a)e distinctions beteen this tree and

that# but in accordance ith

their absorption of the light falling upon the! and their response to the sun they

receive its light.

Re!e!ber that very often a disciple is an inspiration for the !aster# because it is not

the !aster ho teaches# itis "od Hi!self.

The !aster is only the !ediu!; and as great as is the response of the disciple# so

strongly does it attract the

!essage of "od.

The further e go# the !ore our disputes and argu!ents cease. They fade aay until

there is no color left in

the!; and hen all the color has gone# the hite light co!es hich is the light of

"od.

The one ho serves# hoever hu!bly# has the privilege of serving "od.

(heerfulness is life# sadness is death. 8ife attracts# death repulses.

/o not let your on !ind be i!pressed by the depression of your friend. If you do#you ill have ta)en the

ger! of his disease.

It is har!ony# established ith everyone one !eets in life# hich tunes one,s soul ith

the Infinite.

The !an conscious of his duties and obligations to his friends is !ore righteous than

he ho sits alone in the

solitude.


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The condition of "od and His true lover is that either the $eloved lives or the lover#

not both.

&hether a person feels attracted to "od no or not# there ill co!e a day hen heill be attracted; for every

soul has to return to "od.

Ignorance of the self gives the fear of death. The !ore one learns of the true self# the

less one fears death; for it

is only a door through hich one passes fro! one phase of life to another# and the

other phase is !uch better.

Hu!or is the sign of light fro! above. &hen that light touches the !ind# it tic)les it#

and it is the tic)ling of the

!ind that produces hu!or.

Renunciation is not so!ething hich e !ust torture ourselves to learn. It is in us#

but it is buried and it can only

be dug up by our love.

&hen the sun is clouded# the light does not reach the earth; and so it is ith the soul#

hich is divine and full of

light. If it is thic)ly covered ith clouds# then !an does not receive the light hich is

in the soul itself.

&hat is rooted out in the *uest of truth is ignorance. &hen it is entirely re!oved fro!

one,s heart# !an,s outloo)

beco!es ide# as ide as the eye of "od.

Man !eets ith hardships in life; so!eti!es they see! too hard for hi! to stand. $ut

often such e+periences

beco!e li)e higher initiations in the life of the traveller on the path.

Sadness co!es fro! li!itation in different for!s# fro! lac) of perception# fro! lac)

of poer over oneself and

over conditions# and fro! lac) of that substance hich is happiness itself and hich is

love.


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The nature of love is as the nature of ater in the depth of the earth. If e do not dig

deep enough# e find !ud#

not ater; but hen e dig deep# e find pure ater.

If there is any death# it is stillness and inactivity; and then the i!pulse of life co!es#hich brea)s through the

cloud of !ortality and !a)es the soul see the daylight after the dar)ness of the night.

And hat does the soul

see in this bright daylight2 It sees itself living as before# having the sa!e na!e and

for!# and yet progressing.

1very soul is striving to attain "od; "od not as a udge nor as a 'ing# but as a

$eloved. And every soul see)s

"od# the "od of love# in the for! hich it is capable of i!agining.

The soul !anifests in the orld in order that it !ay e+perience the different phases of

!anifestation# and yet not

lose its ay but regain its original freedo!# in addition to the e+perience and

)noledge it has gained in this

orld.

In order to be# one !ust pass through a stage of being nothing.

&hen illu!ination co!es# it see!s to bring annihilation; but it is not annihilation# in

reality it is e+altation.

Happiness cannot co!e by !erely believing in "od. $elieving is a process. $y this

process the "od ithin is

aa)ened and !ade living; it is the living in "od hich gives happiness.

It is not only the lin) of love and sy!pathy# but also the belief in the hereafter to thee+tent of conviction# that lifts

those on earth to )no about their beloved ones ho have passed over to the other

side.

The soul,s sustenance is the )noledge of "od; it is by this )noledge that the soul

lives the eternal life.

Man has the )ey of life in his on hands# if he only )ne it.


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Man is alays -ourneying toards the truth. He is see)ing# see)ing; for in his heart is

the love of that hich is

real.

There is no such thing as !ortality e+cept the illusion# and the i!pression of thatillusion hich !an )eeps before

his eyes as fear during his lifeti!e# and still as an i!pression after he has passed fro!

this earth.

The soul is life# it never touches death; death is its illusion.

To the one ho reali%es ulti!ate truth# ti!e and space are of little i!portance; he rises

above the!.

The further one goes on the spiritual path# the !ore ill one have to learn to play a

part.

The spiritual !an learns to anser the *uestion of every soul on its on plane of

evolution.

It is the ignorant soul# ignorant of its source and goal# that dreads leaving the sphere to

hich it has beco!e

attached. It is the soul that )nos not hat is beyond# that is afraid of being lifted up

above the ground its feet

are touching.

One,s duty is to do no hat can be done no. 7othing that one really values should

one put off till to!orro.

Souls hen they start fro! the angelic heavens are vibrations. They have no earthlyharps; they are the harps

the!selves.

There cannot be perfection here there is duality. "od alone is perfect.

The hole interest in life is in -ourneying toards perfection. If !an ere born

perfect# there ould be no -oy in

life.


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In order to attain to "od4consciousness# the first condition is to !a)e "od a reality so

that He is no longer only

an i!agination.

The soul hich develops its personality is li)e the fine floer ith its color#fragrance# and delicacy.

The essence of spirituality and !ysticis! is readiness to serve the person ne+t to us.

The *uestion# 6&hat is the purpose of !anifestation26# !ay be ansered in one ord5

satisfaction# the

satisfaction of "od.

7othing in the orld could give !an the strength that is needed to live a life on the

earth# if there ere no

blessing fro! heaven reaching hi! fro! ti!e to ti!e# and of hich he is so little

aare.

The or) of the spiritual !an is to forget his false self and to reali%e the true self#

hich is "od; and to reali%e

that this true self is in his brother also.

It is not true that Ada! as put out of the "arden of 1den. He only turned his bac)

upon it; and so he beca!e

an e+ile fro! heaven.

1very soul is born ith the capacity by hich it can dra all the spiritual bliss and

ecstasy hich is needed for its

evolution.

1very thing and being is placed in its on place# and each is busy carrying out the

or) hich has to be done in

the hole sche!e of nature.

7irvana is not an intellectual reali%ation; it is life.

There are blessed souls living on the earth today to ho! sacrifice gives no pain but

only pleasure. In seeing

another eat# their hunger is satisfied; renunciation is to the! a -oy# for they have gonethrough the cross and risen


26/34

above it.

The better the instru!ent# the greater the satisfaction of the soul.

Truth cannot be put into ords. It !ust be seen in the light of our on intuition.

That hich is ac*uired cannot be truth. Truth is that hich is discovered.

The art of personality is not a *ualification; it is the purpose for hich !an as

created. Through this art !an not

only satisfies hi!self but also pleases "od.

&hen the soul has once fought its battle ith the things that !a)e it fear and tre!ble

and shrin)# it has

con*uered life and beco!e the !aster of life. It has inherited the )ingdo! hich is its

on.

The !an ho has proved in his life to be the friend of every person he !eets# in the

end ill prove to be the

friend of "od.

The perfection of friendship# in hich lies all spiritual perfection# co!es hen the

soul is so developed that there

is no one ho! it cannot bear. &hen it has reached this state# it has certainly passed

into the ran)s of those

initiates hose na!es are ritten in the spiritual records.

7ature in its different aspects is the !ateriali%ation of that light hich is called the

divine Spirit.

In prayer the repetition of than)sgiving brings to our soul our on voice# and that

voice echoes before the "od

ho is ithin.

The angels ere !ade to sing the praises of the 8ord; the -inns to i!agine# to drea!#

to !editate; but !an is

created to sho hu!anity in his character.


27/34


28/34

ou !ay go to the !ost e+alted place# a place blessed ith peace and rest; but if you

ta)e sadness and unrest

ith you# you ill find the! there.

"od,s !essage does not co!e only in ords. &hat co!es in ords is s!all co!pared

ith the radiance the

!essage brings to all things and all beings. It co!es in the for! of a sacra!ent# as

bread and ine; and bread

and ine sy!boli%e life and love.

Renounce the good of the orld; renounce the good of heaven; renounce your highest

ideal. Then renounce

your renunciation.

The ay to perfection is not li!ited. 7o one can !a)e a rule that you can only pass

by this ay and none other.

$eauty is the atchord of the see)er.

Patience is a process through hich a soul goes in order to beco!e precious.

$y self4reali%ation a !an beco!es larger than the universe. The orld in hich he

lives beco!es as a drop in the

ocean of his heart.

In our sorro is "od,s sorro# for if "od cannot sy!pathi%e# !an is greater than "od.

Part of our sorro and our -oy co!es fro! life; part e !a)e for ourselves. 8ife

cannot give us -oy if e illnot earn it.

The "od4ideal is the floer of the hu!an race# and this floer bloo!s in the

reali%ation of "od.

The !ind is a orld# a orld that !an !a)es; and in it he ill live in the hereafter# as

a spider lives in the eb it

has oven.


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The further on the path of life,s !ystery a person travels# the finer he ill have to

beco!e in order to perceive

and to e+press the !ystery of life.

The prophetic soul is li)e a fruit that is on the ground but still connected ith thebranch. The branch has bent

and the fruit has touched the earth# but it has not lost connection ith the ste!.

The further e advance# the !ore difficult and !ore i!portant our part in the

sy!phony of life beco!es; and the

!ore conscious e beco!e of this responsibility# the !ore efficient e beco!e in

acco!plishing our tas).

&ith all the argu!ents for and against the divinity of (hrist# no sincere believer in"od can deny that "od

reflected Hi!self through the personality of the Master.

The prophetic soul !ust# of necessity# rise so high that it can hear the voice of "od#

and at the sa!e ti!e it !ust

bend so lo that it can hear the softest hisper of the beings on earth.

1ven the presence of the prophet is the anser to every *uestion. &ithout spea)ing

one ord# the prophet

gives the anser. The prophet is only the !ediu! beteen "od and !an; therefore#

the anser is fro! "od. It

is not that the prophet ansers the *uestion because he reads the !ind; it is the !ind

of the one ho as)s the

*uestion hich stri)es# on the inner plane# the divine bell hich is the heart of the

prophet.

The !o!ent a person rises above his !ind and aa)ens in the light of the soul# he

beco!es spiritual.

There are !any facts# but only one truth. 0acts can be put into ords# but not the

truth.

The !ystic see)s "od both ithin and ithout; he recogni%es "od both in unity and

in variety.

As one evolves spiritually one rises above the tendency to intolerance# for the reasonthat one begins to see "od


30/34

besides seeing oneself and another person# and so one unites oneself ith the other

person in "od.

The souls of all are fro! one and the sa!e source# but a soul hich is unveiled shines

out. 8ove and light co!econtinually fro! such souls. &e need no proof of it# for it is living; all else is dead in

co!parison.

It is death that dies# not life.

The soul covers its on truth ith a thousand veils fro! its on eyes.

The ideal !ust not be turned into the idol.

The soul has not co!e on earth to die the death of helplessness# nor continually to

suffer pain and !isery. The

purpose of the soul is that for hich the hole of creation has been striving# and it is

the fulfill!ent of that

purpose hich is called "od4consciousness.

1vil is an ever4floating thing 4 so!eti!es here# so!eti!es there. So evil in !an is -ust

a cloud; it co!es and

goes; and if e trust in his goodness# the clouds ill disappear.

Man,s sacred duty is to strive to attain to that perfect consciousness hich is his true

religion.

$y !a)ing !any sacrifices and practicing renunciation# by going through !any tests

and trials# !an ill attain to

that consciousness hich is "od4consciousness# in hich resides all perfection.

$alance is the )ey4note of spiritual attain!ent.

7o sooner is the "od4ideal brought to life# than the orshipper of "od turns into

truth.

The depth of every soul is good. It is only belief in this doctrine that gives us a reason

for our belief in thegoodness of "od.


31/34

The !an ho shuts hi!self aay fro! all !en# hoever highly evolved he !ay be

spiritually# ill not be free in

the higher spheres.

In order to fulfill the practical duties of life# it is not necessary to forget our ideal. &e

can hold the ideal in the

tenderest spot of our heart# and yet fulfill our practical duties. The ideal is to

illu!inate our lives# not to paraly%e

our actions.

The disciple can be inspired# and the disciple can shut off his inspiration. If there is no

response on the part of

the disciple# then the inspiration of the !aster is shut off. ust li)e the clouds hichcannot give rain hen passing

over the desert# but hen they co!e to the forest they are attracted by the trees and

the rain falls. The soul in its

!anifestation on earth is not at all disconnected ith the higher spheres. It lives in all

spheres# though it is

generally conscious on only one plane. Thus it beco!es deprived of the heavenly

bliss# and conscious of the

troubles and li!itations of life on the earth.

There are rays and there is light. If the rays are the source of the souls of living

beings# then the light of the divine

Sun is the spirit of the hole of $eing.

&hen e develop our sense of beauty# then e are naturally critical of that hich

does not co!e up to our

standard. $ut hen e have passed this stage# in the ne+t cycle divine co!passion is

developed in our nature

and e beco!e able to add all that is lac)ing# and so to co!pensate for that perfect

beauty.

In the !a)ing of personality# "od finishes His divine art.

As the source and goal of all creation are one# so the source and goal of all religion

are one.

The la of "od is endless and li!itless as "od Hi!self# and once the eye of the

see)er penetrates through the


32/34


33/34

(an a co!poser give a -ustification for every note ritten in his co!position2 He

cannot; he can only say# 6it is

the strea! hich has risen out of !y heart. I a! not concerned ith every single note.

&hat I a! concernedith is the effect hich is produced by !y co!position.6

Is la predo!inant# or love2 8a is the habit; love is the being. 8a is !ade; love

as# is# and alays ill be.

$elief in the hu!an soul is the bridge to belief in "od.

$y our trust in the divine beauty in every person e develop that beauty in ourselves.

&orry co!es fro! self4pity. &hen the self is forgotten# there is no orry. &orry

co!es also fro! fear# and fear

co!es fro! the clouds of ignorance. 8ight brea)s the clouds.

The soul ta)es ith itself into the hereafter all that it has collected in the ay of

i!pressions.

The teaching of the prophets is the anser to the de!ands of individual and collective

souls.

To eigh# to !easure# to e+a!ine# to e+press an opinion on a great personality# one

!ust first rise to the sa!e

develop!ent.

If there is any solution to our ever4rising *uestions# it is never by studying the la thate shall be satisfied. If

anything ill give us satisfaction# it is diving deep into love and letting love inspire

us# and that ill enable us to

see the la.

3erily a deep4felt need is a prayer in itself.

There is no liberation unless one has an ideal before one. The ideal is a stepping4stone

toards that attain!enthich is called liberation.


34/34

8ove is the shoer by hich sin is purified; no stain re!ains. &hat is "od2 "od is

love. &hen His !ercy# His

co!passion# His )indness are e+pressed through a "odreali%ed personality# then the

stains of sins# faults# and!ista)es are ashed aay and the soul beco!es clear.

1arthly pleasures are the shados of happiness# because of their transitoriness. True

happiness is in love# hich

is the strea! that springs fro! one,s soul; and he ho ill allo this strea! to run

continually in all conditions of

life# in all situations# hoever difficult# ill have a happiness hich truly belongs to

hi!# hose source is not

ithout# but ithin.

0ailure does not !atter in life. To a progressive person even a thousand failures do not

!atter. He )eeps

success before his vie# and success is his even after a thousand failures. The greatest

pity is hen life co!es to

a standstill and does not !ove any farther; a sensible person prefers death to such a

life.

3erily# truth is all the religion there is# and it is truth hich ill save. At every step

toards the final goal !an ill

be as)ed for a sacrifice# and that sacrifice ill be a greater and greater one as he

continues on the path. &hen

there is nothing# hether !ind# body# thought# feeling# or action# that he )eeps bac)

fro! sacrificing for others#

then !an proves his reali%ation of divine truth.

aphorisms, sufism islam

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