The Teaching of Hazrat Inayat Khan      

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Volume

Sayings

Social Gathekas

Religious Gathekas

The Message Papers

The Healing Papers

Vol. 1, The Way of Illumination

Vol. 1, The Inner Life

Vol. 1, The Soul, Whence And Whither?

Vol. 1, The Purpose of Life

Vol. 2, The Mysticism of Sound and Music

Vol. 2, The Mysticism of Sound

Vol. 2, Cosmic Language

Vol. 2, The Power of the Word

Vol. 3, Education

Vol. 3, Life's Creative Forces: Rasa Shastra

Vol. 3, Character and Personality

Vol. 4, Healing And The Mind World

Vol. 4, Mental Purification

Vol. 4, The Mind-World

Vol. 5, A Sufi Message Of Spiritual Liberty

Vol. 5, Aqibat, Life After Death

Vol. 5, The Phenomenon of the Soul

Vol. 5, Love, Human and Divine

Vol. 5, Pearls from the Ocean Unseen

Vol. 5, Metaphysics, The Experience of the Soul Through the Different Planes of Existence

Vol. 6, The Alchemy of Happiness

Vol. 7, In an Eastern Rose Garden

Vol. 8, Health and Order of Body and Mind

Vol. 8, The Privilege of Being Human

Vol. 8a, Sufi Teachings

Vol. 9, The Unity of Religious Ideals

Vol. 10, Sufi Mysticism

Vol. 10, The Path of Initiation and Discipleship

Vol. 10, Sufi Poetry

Vol. 10, Art: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Vol. 10, The Problem of the Day

Vol. 11, Philosophy

Vol. 11, Psychology

Vol. 11, Mysticism in Life

Vol. 12, The Vision of God and Man

Vol. 12, Confessions: Autobiographical Essays of Hazat Inayat Khan

Vol. 12, Four Plays

Vol. 13, Gathas

Vol. 14, The Smiling Forehead

By Date

THE SUPPLEMENTARY PAPERS

Heading

1. Background on Sufism

2. Sufism--The Spirit of All Religions

3. Sufism--Beyond Religion

4. Sufism: Wisdom Of All Faiths

5. Different Schools of Sufism

6. The Intoxication of Life

8. The Path of Initiation

9. Reincarnation

9. The Interdependence of Life Within and Without

11. The Truth and the Way

12. Sufi Mysticism, I: The Mystic's Path in Life

13. Self-Realization: Awakening the Inner Senses

14. The Doctrine of Karma

15. The Law of Life: Inner Journey and Outer Action

16. Sufi Mysticism, II: The Use of the Mind to Gain Understanding

17. Sufi Mysticism, III: Preparing the Heart for the Path of Love

18. Sufi Mysticism, IV: Use of Repose to Communicate with the Self

19. Sufi Mysticsim, V: Realizing the Truth of Religion

20. Sufi Mysticism, VI: The Way Reached by Harmonious Action

21. Sufi Mysticism, VII: Human Actions Become Divine

22. The Ideals and Aim of the Sufi Movement

23. Working for the Sufi Message

24. The Need of Humanity in Our Day

25. The Duties of a Mureed

26. The Path of Discipleship

27. Divine Manner, I

28. Divine Manner, II

29. Our Sacred Task: The Message

30. Sufi Initiation

31. What is Wanted in Life?

Sub-Heading

-ALL-

The Lesson of Consideration

1. Lesson of Confidence

2. Lesson of Sacrifice

3. Lesson of Imitation

4. Seeing the Teacher in All Others

5. Respect Given to All

Social Gathekas

26. The Path of Discipleship

1. Lesson of Confidence

The first lesson that a pupil learns in the path of discipleship is called in Sufic terms Yakin; yakin means confidence. First one gives this confidence to one's fellow human being, whom one considers one's teacher and one's spiritual guide.

There are three classes that can be distinguished.

  1. One gives partial confidence and cannot give complete confidence. One is wobbling, thinking, "Yes, I have confidence: perhaps I have, perhaps not." This sort of confidence is a very difficult position. A better position would be not to give it at all. It is lukewarm: not hot, not cold. This person does the same in all things-in business and in profession. This person trusts and doubts, and trusts and fears. This person is not walking in the sky, and is not walking on the earth, but is between the two.

  2. There is a second kind who gives their confidence to the teacher but is not sure about themselves. They say, "Yes, I have given my confidence, but they are not sure if inwardly they have given it. These people have no confidence in themselves and are not sure of themselves: therefore this confidence is of no value.

  3. The third person gives confidence because he or she feels confident. This confidence can alone rightfully be called Yakin.

People of all these categories were with Jesus Christ.

  1. Thousands of people of the first category came, surrounded the Master, and left Him. It took not one moment for them to be attracted, and not one moment for them to leave the Master.

  2. The second category goes on for some time, just as a drunken man goes on. When soberness comes it becomes clear to them. "Where am I going? Not in a good direction." Do not think that those of this category did not follow the prophets! Thousands and thousands followed the masters and prophets.

  3. But those who stayed to the end of the test were those who, before giving their confidence to the teacher, had confidence in their hearts first. It is they who, if the earth turned to water and the water turned to earth, if the sky came down to earth and the earth rose up to the sky, would stay the same, firm in the belief they first had. By discipleship one learns a moral: that whatever position one assumes in life - husband, wife, son, daughter, servant, or friend - a firm and steady confidence is needed.