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

1,1: Magnetism

1,4: Insight

1,5: Spirit

1,6: Purity

2,1: Breath

2,2: the Spirit In the Flesh

Sub-Heading

-ALL-

1

2

3. Channels of the Breath

4. Inner Ablutions

5. Channels of Breath

6. Vegetarian Diet

7. Ablution with Water and Earth

8. Hygiene

9. Sobriety

10. Continence

11. Emotional Health

12. Purifying the Memory

13. Clearing Impressions

14. The Love-Stream

15. Harmony

16. The Power of the Mind

17. What Gives the Heart Comfort

18. Impression on the Mind

19. Foreign element in the mind

20. Infectious disagreeableness

21. Strength of the eyelids

22. Pure from rust and sourness

23. Glow of the countenance

24. Innocence

25. The error of unworthiness

26. Doubt, deceit, fear and malice

27. Exaltation

28. Purity from fear

29. Impressions from others

30. Purity from one's identity

The Healing Papers

1,6: Purity

7. Ablution with Water and Earth

The body is made of five elements, according to the mystical view - earth, water, fire, air and ether. Yet these terms must not be compared with the scientific terms: these are mystical conceptions and they should be understood in a mystical sense. These five elements form the sustenance of the body; at the same time these elements purify the body.

For instance, no ablution with water only is sufficient, earth is required also. In the East the Brahmins used pure earth, some used ashes; in the East graham flour is still used in place of soap. The scientist can never deny the fact that there is no better disinfectant than earth itself.

The use of water for every kind of ablution has been taught by all religions in some form or other. That shows that it is not only of use for cleanliness, but it helps in spiritual development. The scientist today admits that there is no better tonic than pure water; this has always been held to be so by the mystic, who called the rivers sacred rivers and gave water in healing.

As the use of earth and water cleanses and purifies the body externally, so it has a purifying influence on the internal part of the body. By eating wholesome food and drinking pure water not only does one receive nourishment, but this cleanses and purifies every particle of the body. It is therefore that an adept must avoid eating and drinking anything unwholesome. This does not mean an absolute restriction to certain food and drink, but just that care in eating and drinking is necessary.

Once a person has advanced in spirituality nothing matters to him, neither what he eats and drinks; for he lives in the spirit the most part of his life. For him the body is a coat and he does not care if it is full of holes or if it is patched. But for a person who has yet to develop spiritually and who follows a process, consideration is necessary; it is most necessary that the body should be kept pure, outwardly and inwardly, that it may become a suitable vehicle for the manifestation of the spirit.