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: Our Physical Constitution

2: The Mystical Significance of the Body

3: The Nature of the Sense and their Organs

4: The Source of Bodily Desires

5: The Source of Emotions

6: The Constitution of the Mind

7: The Influence of the Mind upon the Body, and of the Body upon the Mind

8: The Soul in Itself Alone

9: The Soul with Mind

10: The Soul with Mind and Body

11: The Experience of the Soul through the Body

12: The Experience of the Soul through Other Beings

13: The Experience of the Soul through Other Things

14: The Experience of the Soul through the Mind

15: The Experience of the Soul through Other Beings

16: The Experience of the Soul through the Heart

17: The Experience of the Soul through the Heart of Another

18: The Experience of the Soul through the Spirit

19: The Experience of the Soul through the Experience of Another

20: The Experience of the Soul through the Abstract

21: The Journey to the Goal

22: The Journey to the Goal (continued)

23: The Purpose of Life

24: Self-Realization

25: The Divine Light

26: The Soul

27: The Destiny of the Soul

28: The Connection of the Soul and the Body

29: The Radiance of the Soul

30: The Radiance of the Soul (continued)

The Healing Papers

2,2: the Spirit In the Flesh

21: The Journey to the Goal

People have different motives for attaining knowledge. Some attain it to gain power, occult or psychic, some for inspiration, and some out of curiosity, to see if there is really something behind the wall that stands between human perception and the life unseen. In reality, none of these motives are true ones to have for spiritual attainment.

Life in the world may be likened to a journey, and the real desire of the soul is to reach the goal. The soul is the point whence life starts and where it ends; and all religions at different times have taught man the way that seemed most desirable, the way to make his journey easy and joyful. One person goes to Mecca on horseback, the other riding on a camel, another traveling on foot. The experience and joy of each is different, though all journey to the same goal. So it is with us.

All the virtuous and wicked and wise and foolish among us tread the same path and reach the same goal in the end; the difference being that some go with closed eyes and some with open, some on the back of an elephant, and some, weary and worn, journey on foot. The mystics, therefore, try by the study and practice of the deeper side of life to make this path of life's journey smooth.

Amir says, "Beware, O travelers, the path has many charms; men and robbers and thieves are all along this path."

The real robbers and thieves are our attachments and temptations that rob us of our life, every moment of which is an invaluable privilege, thus bring to us all disappointments and sorrows, which are not natural and do not belong to us. The path of this journey is within ourselves; just like the wide space beheld by the eyes, which do not seem more than an inch wide, yet miles of horizon can be reflected in them.

So is the true nature of the soul. It is so wide, and there is a path that runs from the body to the soul, from man to God. A person sitting at the gate will perhaps sit there for a thousand years, and never get to the goal, but he who leaves the gate behind and proceeds further will arrive at the goal by contemplation and meditation.

The Sufi's aim is not power or inspiration, though both come as he proceeds. His only aim is to tread the path until he can arrive at the end. He does not fear how long it may take, he does not worry about what sacrifice he will have to make. He desires one thing alone, be it God or goal, the attainment of which is his perfection.