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THE THEOSOPEY OF ISLAM.

LETTERS
FROM

A SUFI TEACHER
SHAIKH SHARFUDDfN MANERf
OR

MAKHD UM-UL-MULK.

Translated from the Persian

BY

BATJNATH SINGH

Theosophical Publishing Society.

Benares City and London

TiiEOSOPiiisT Office,

Adyar

Madras,

S,

Printed By Thakde Das Manager.

AT THE Tara Printing

All

liiffhts

Works, Bekares.

Reserved.

Registered under Act

XXV

of 1867

BFns
FOBEWOBD.
Shaikh Shar f-u d-d

waa

son

the

of

Shai khYahia. His birthplace is M a n e r, a village near P a t n a in B e h ar (India), A love of knowledge and the religious
greatness, were found in

life,

and signs

him from

of

spiritual

his early childhood.

strange Being was once seen by the cradle of the

The mother, fi-ightened, reported the matter

S h a h a b-u d-d i n, a great saint. The

baby.

to her father,
latter

consoled

saying that the

her,

mysterious Pre-

sence was no less a Being than the Prophet

Khezar

Himself, and that the baby was expected to be a

knowledge under

A s h r a f-u d-d
He

fessor of those days.

had

to yield

physician

to

when, being
take

his disease.

He

travelled

many

near

or

in

He

advancement.

of great spiritual

Deb I!)

acquired secular
a famous pro-

d,

first

refused to marry, but

ill,

he was advised by the

marriage as the

to

left

home

places,

by

after

j i

remedy

the birth

and was at
a

man

b-u d-d

for

a son,

of

last initiated (at,

i

dau

i.

The latter made him his deputy on earth under a deed

drawn twelve years earlier under the direction of the
Prophet of I si am Himself, asked him to leave the
and quitted

place,

his

body shortly

after.

mysterious Peraonaje, according tn some, a Prophet according to others, a IPVi or ' Friend of God'. He is supposed to be
an Immortal Being, an invisible Teacher and Helper of Mankind.

Moses was sent by God to seek Hie instruction. Kheznr literally

means green a metaphorical expression for auspiciousues?,
and fertility
'

'

',

blessedness, wholes omeneis

778

'


ii

On

Sha

his initiation,

d-d

r f-u

Bih

a long year in the woods of

Ra
Bihar

In his later days he adopted

Hills.

subdivisional town) as his residence, at the

some

and

of his friends

the Gth of Shaww&I, 782 Hijra,

of the 15th

{i

request of

opening years

the

in

k,

He was

'

Master of

giri
(now a

died on Thursday,

Century A. D. His titular name

m-u 1-M u

World.'

He

disciples.

many

u lived for

a and the

is

M a k h-

Kingdom

the

the

or

equally proficient in secular learning

and esoteric Knowledge, and possessed superhuman

His tomb at B

powers.

a place of sanctity

homedans.

He

wrote

sed

to

'

resorted

still

to

as

'

which three only

of

These are

Maktiibdi-i-Sadi,

(1.)

a r is

many works,

have yet been published.

Letters

by a large number of devout Ma-

Series

of

Hundred

(or rather essays on definite subjects) addreshis

disciple

Qazi Shams-ud-din

in 747

Hijra.
(2.)

Maktubdt-i-Bisl-o-hasht, a 'Series of 28 Letters',

being replies to the correspondence of hie senior disciple,

Moza

(3.)

f f

r,

the prince of

Fawdcd-i-Iiukni, a

prepared for the use of his disciple

The present booklet

consists

k h.

number

of

Ru

Notes

brief

k n-u d-d

d.

of the translation of

copious extracts from Maktubdt-i-Sadi, the most elaborate and comprehensive

of

the three published works,

with

Notes occasionally added from

with

a view to elucidate

or

the

other

complete the

two

subject

in

Tbese extracts,

baud.

greater

part

of, if

not

all,

iii

it

is

hoped, will

cover

the

the principles inculcated in

these books, and are expected to give the reader a fair

knowledge

of the Teaching of the

Author

Matters relating to mere exoteric

not

The

have been omitted.

traditions

pretend

be

to

always

honest attempt has been

very

made

in all

rites,

its

phases.

legends and

translation does
literal,

but

an

to present a faithful

rendering of the original to the English-knowing public,

that they

ings

of

may

be able to better appreciate the Teach-

Isl&m

may have

and that the Brotherhood of Creeds

one more advocate to plead

the tribunal of the

human

its

cause

before

intellect.

Gaya, (Behab.)

BAIJNATH SINGH.
190S.

CONTENTS,
Page.

Foreword

Page,

The Motive

...

44

...

...

...

...

...

...

47

...

...

48

45

Prayer

Invoking the Divine Help

The Divine Allegiance

The Sacred Formula
^
The Naked Faith
The Inner Polytheiam
The Divioe Knowledge

46

...

...

49

...

...

51

52

...

...

...

...

...

55

...

...

...

58

...

...

...

GO

...

...

...

62

Magnanimity

...

...

...

64

Knowledge

...

...

...

65

...

...

...

67

Love and Devotion

God
The Way to God
Seeking

Speech and Conduct

The Steps

of

a Disciple

Islam

...

...

...

71

The Noble

Qualities

...

...

...

73

Contemplation

...

...

...

76

Renunciation

;_

...

...

78

...

...

...

80

Path

...

...

81

On

the

Same

The Clearing

of the

Self-Control

...

...

...

83

Truth

...

...

...

84

The Descent from Adam

...

...

87

Confidence

...

...

...

91

Pursuit and Renunciation

...

...

92

The Company

...

...

93

...

...

97

Service

...

of the Saints
...

Pack.

The Transmutation

of Evil Qualities

The

Evil of the

Renunciation

The

Final

99
101

Avarice

World

of the

103

...

104

World

Doom

106

108

The Soul
The Heart
The Desire-Nature (N

109
a

ISO

s)

Desire

112

Discipline of the Debire-Nature

lU
115

The same (Continued)

Alienation from the Desire-Nature

.,

118

Self-Toleration

Hidden Differences
Heedlessness

117

118

of Stages
...

120

Sorrow

121

Conduct

122

Seclusion

124

Death

126

Hell

123

Heaven

129

LETTERS FROM A SUFI TEACHER.

On Monotheism

ASTERS

"^^W
fTIt
cSSiB

OF THE PATH have divided mono-

theism into four stages.

"

conviction,

The

There

is

The second

resurrection.

any inner

no God save AllSh."^

This

the day of

hypocrisy, and does not profit on

is

stage con-

first

repeating, vocally, without

in

sists

(TauhId).

stage consists in repeat-

ing the said lotion vocally with an inner conviction

based upon conventional imitation (as

in the case of

ordinary people), or some form of reasoning (as

case of an

the

the visible

intellectual theist).

body of monotheism,

This
frees

is

in

verily

one from

gross polytheism and from hell, and leads to heaven.

This second stage, though safer than the

less

unstable,

women.

is

The

'

for

all

that a low one,

i'Xii(JAa
'

Weak

ilV

Bouls.

fit

and

for old

third stage consists in Light shining

the heart, which reveals the

in

first,

Alldh.
Trans.

One Agent

alone

as the root of
all

all

phenomena, and the non-agency of

This

else.

is

that

or

Such a conviction

theist.

the

conviction

of an

intellectual

unlike

quite

people

of ordinary

is

the soul,

a fetter to

whereas the vision of the Light breaks

fetters.

all

There must be difference between one who believes

a certain gentleman to be in his house, on the testi-

mony

of others (as in the case of ordinary

who

another

infers the residence of tl\at

in the house,

people),

gentleman

because he sees his horses and servants

at the gate (as in the case of the intellectual theist),

and another who actually sees the gentleman

in the

house (as

in

In the

third stage

one sees the creatures and the Creator,

the case of the third stage).

and distinguishes them from Him. This much of

separation
in the

still

persists

hence

not perfect union

it is

eyes of the Masters.

The

fourth stage consists in the pouring forth of

the Divine Light so profusely, that

individual

existences

As

in the case of the

in

the

atmosphere

become

particles
exist, nor

evitably

the sun

it

absorbs

absorption of particles floating

in

the

invisible

of the

light

they

sun,

to

it

in-

sight in the overpowering glare mi

cease to exist.

invisibility

the

do not cease to

do they become the sun, but they are

lost

all

the eyes of the pilgrim.

so, here, a creature does

nor does
thing,

in

is

not become God,

is

one

When

thou

Ceasing to exist

another

through a mirror, thou dost not see the

lookest

mirror, for thou mergest

face,

it

into the reflexion of thy

and yet thou canst not say that the mirror has
has become that reflexion,
become the mirror. Such
of the Divine Energy in all beings with-

ceased to exist, or that

it

or that the reflexion has

is

the vision

This state

out distinction.
absorption

balance here

called

is

Many

monotheism.

in

by the

have

no one can pass through

without the help of

the

SQfis,

lost their

this forest

Divine Grace and the

guidance of a Teacher, perfect, open-eyed, experi-

enced

and depressions of the Path

and sufferings

in the elevations

and inured

Some

to its blessings

pilgrims attain to this lofty state only for an

hour a week, some

for

an hour a day, some

for

two

hours a day, some remain absorbed for the greater

portion of their time

Beyond
tion,

/.

c,

the four

is

the

losing

the stage of complete absorp-

very consciousness of being

absorbed and of seeking after

consciousness

still

and

well.

"

the

loses

Merge

God

such a

for

Here, the

separation.

and the universe into the Divine

soul merges itself

Light,

implies

into

consciousness of merging as

Him,

this is

the sense of merging, this

is

monotheism

unity."

are neither formulae nor ceremonies, neither

nor non-being, neither

description

heaven

It

neither

nor earth.

is

lose

Here there
nor

being

allusion,

this stage alone

the

cnseils

that

Him

save

Face

;" "

trijsleiy

"All are ncn-existent

All things are

am

;" " I

lute unity without

duality

is

save His
Holy One." Abso-

perishable

the Tiue and the

realised

not be deluded, but know': every one

in

God is not God."

The first stage of monotheif m

most

shell of the

the second
the

the

shell

stage

fourth

almond
like

is

from the others

is

All these are

in status, result,

known by

differs

since

ments,
It will

the

it

and

brother

though

God

intelli-

develop-

and supersensuous phenomena.

monotheism and the stages

though an

to be a Solomon.

all

of the saints, and throw light on the

writings

sinner

the

explain the phraseology and the allusions in

verses on

use.

deals with the basis of

activities,

like

immensely

This note should be studied patiently and

gently,

is

like the core

the essence of the core

almond, but each

of the

the outer-

like

is

the second stage

the third stage

of the almond.

oil

name

"Do

heie,

who merges

Do

a gnat,

raises the

ant, thou

thereof.

mayest turn out

not think thou art an impure

thcu mayest beccme a

lion.

monotheist out of the dualist,

the faithful cut of the faithless, and the devotee cut

Letter

of the sinner.

i,

[The following extracts on monotheism from

"

Th

author,

may

e s of 28 Letters,"

be aptly added.

another work of the

Trs.\

According to

tradition

of the Prophet,

all

beings were created out of Darkness, but each took

in

Light according to

Hence

luminous.

all

its

capacity,

Light, and their luminosity

one can
is

and thus became

beings are sparks of the Divine

derived from

is

the Light of heaven and earth."

Now

It.

understand the sacred verse

fully

"God

Letter 17.

Thou-ness and I-ness pertain to our world. They

do not

exist in the region of the

one

the

Reality

existence but His.

futile

the

is

Letter

Beloved.
assertion

He

is

of any

2.

Turning to God or Conversion (Taubah).

Taub

literally

means

B Jt

to turn bick.

the

nature of the turning must be different with different individuals according to the difference in their

conditions
turn

and

stages.

Ordinary people would

from sin with apology in order

punishment

deeds to secure the regard of the Master

would turn from

feel

to

escape

middling ones would turn from their

all

worlds, here

and

the Elect

hereafter,

and

the insignificance and non-existence thereof ia

order to realise the glory of the Maker.

ing of a beginner cannot be permanent.
says of himself:

" I

The

turn-

saint

turned back 70 times and failed

each

time

my

but

steady, and

failed

Taub

turning from

turning proved

seventy-first

no more."

Zoonoon

Khwflja (Master)
that the

Egypt observes

of

h of ordinary people consists

ft

Elect in

that of the

sins,

in

turning

from heedlessness.

many

Khwajft Sobaid and

Taub

others are of opinion

remembering one's past

transgressions and being ever ashamed of them, so

that

that one

On

h consists

ft

may

in

many

not grow proud of one's

virtues.

the other hand, Khwftja Junnaid and

others hold

the view that

past

forgetting

transgressions,

their impressions

come

ft

is

i.e.,

ft

it

many

h consists in

expunging

in

from the heart, so that

as pure as if

au b

Taub

it

may

be-

had never committed them.

obligatory for

pilgrims at

all

al!

always a stage

times, since for each pilgrim there

is

higher than his present one.

he halts at any

If

stage, he stops his pilgrimage

Taub

ft

h consists

in

and commits

a firm

and sincere

lution to abstain from sins, so as to assure

one's unwillingness to
in

commit them

compensating, to one's best

harmed

in

a u b

the ground

any way
ft

is

is for

chief requisite

is

in

ft

of

and

one has

all

developments, as

the foundation of a building.

the basis of

reso-

God

future

ability, those

sin.

(peace,

faith,

The

or moral

sense).

Taubah

and the

latter illumines the heart in

and

n appear together,

ft

proportion to

the former.

The

T a u b h lies in turning
When the disciple turns from

real

nature.

ft

he becomes another
ther

man,

i.c.^

and leads to

unity.

Then he
away many-ness

change.

m a n, which sweeps

Ere the turning,

"

conventional and nominal.

How

mAn

is

but

long will you

worship God with your tongue only

This

is

no

So long as thou
Moslem from within, how canst

better than worshipping

dost not become a

his nature

he does not become ano-

but his qualities

unfolds true

from one's

desires.

thou be a Moslem merely from -without ?" The lame

ass of conventional faith

we have cannot

None ought

to despair under

Here work

whatsoever.

requires no payment.

from the

and the lip-behaviour that

help us to tread the Path,

level of

is

Many

He

wishes.

are instantly raised

image-worship to a stage higher

The Lord does what" why "

find no

than the angels and heaven.

ever

any circumstance

without a motive, and

"

How "

and

room here. May God make thee a seer of His, and

remove thee from thyself Do thou aspire high^
though thou art low at present. O brother, human
!

aspiration should stoop to nothing, either on earth

or in heaven

"

Such men are so constituted

as to

They seek God

care for neither hell nor heaven.

and God only, and spurn what

Theosophy

may
may

(Tasavvuf)
be

corporeally

ceaseless motion,

in

his

closet,

MalakClt' and

run to the

Rapid motion,

is

not He."

becomes stagnant.

standing water

since

is

like the

be seen not grasped.

A man

yet his
the

spirit

Jabrut. -

morning breeze, can neither

Letters 2-4.

On Seeking the Teacher.

The

Saints on

the

unanimously declare that

ft

h), to

it

blessed

is

be they

incumbent upon a

maturity of

neophyte, after the

(T a u b

Path

his

conversion

seek a Teacher, perfect, experienced

and depressions of the Path,

in the elevations

joys and sorrows, possessed of balance, and

in the

internal ailments

remedies

Though

of a

disciple

its

versed

and

their

in the

beginning one does not need

Teacher, and the seed can be sown merely with the

help of Divine
soil

Grace, the seed,

when sown

of the heart, does need a Teacher for

growth,

for

the

following

books of the saints

1

The

The higher mental plane

astral

reasons given

its

and lower mental planes.

in

the

further
in

the

Since one cannot go to the

1.

out a guide, albeit the way

and

pilgrim

the

and

As

is

many

a sensuous way, and one

guide,

the

is

thieves and robbers on

cannot travel without a

on the occult Path

so

robbers in

it

occult

supersensuous.

are

there

feet,

the

tread

120,000 prophets, which has no

Path trodden by
visible track

with-

and sensuous,

and

eyes

possesses

K^b^^

visible

without a guide to

impossible

2.

is

guise

of

the

there
world,

are

many

the desire-

nature and the elementals, and one cannot travel

without the guidance of a Master.

There are many precipices and dangers on

3.

the Path, leading to one or other of the

heretic schools formed

Path

ed the
strength

without

and perished
Others,

intellectual

in the forest

more

Perfect

own

of their

many

by those who, having enter-

fortunate,

Guide, on the
resources,

fell

and deserted the Law,

have safely crossed those

dangers under the protection of Masters, and have

and known where and why they

seen

the

fell.

All pilgrims are liable to

victims,

these

dangers.

If

one secures the help of a mighty Teacher, one can

be saved and progress with the help of His secret
hints

and

instructions,

some heresy and

1

else

one

may

fall

lose the fruit of one's labor.

The Sacred Shrine at Mecca.

into


10

The

4.

may

pilgrim

pass,

on the way, through

and the soul may put

certain spiritual conditions,

off the physical garment, catch the reflection of the

Divine Light, display superhuman powers

as

Divine agent during the continuance of the experiences, taste the relish of "

am

God,

Holy

the

One," and

become proud of having reached the

The

pilgrim cannot understand this intellec-

goal.

tually

but

if

the soul, during the continuance of

these experiences,

he may,

Master,

and

feared, lose faith,

is

mighty

helped by a

not

is
it

fall

victim to a false notion of unity.

The

5.

pilgrim on the

way unfolds supersensu-

ous powers, and sees supersensuous phenomena

and

passional,

devilish,

divine.

sensuous language

medium)

(:'.

e.

revealed

...

cannot

But he

understand them, as they are ,spoken

in

through

super-

an

un-

he

is

not aided by a Teacher, helping him on behalf

of

familiar

God, and versed

suous words
further

When God

If,

at this

stage,

in the interpretation of

supersen-

and symbols, he cannot

progress

opens

tfie

distinguishes good from

eyes of a man, so that he

evil,

and resolves

the one and avoid the other, but does not

to

do

it,

to follow

know how

he must betake himself to a Divine

and make

a firm determination to

Man

change his con-

"

Then

dition.

Divine

the

Man

take him up,

will

help him to subdue the desire-nature, gently induce

him

to abstain from his defects

and blemishes, and

keep him away from bad companions.

can, with

what he would do unaided

It is said

in a

may

a disciple

disciple

Teacher, do in an

the help of a

year

hour
,

reach the goal

with

help of a single Teacher, or of more than one

the

(In the latter case) each Teacher

Teacher.

may be

the means of the revelation of one stage only

yet

more

it is

ness

consistent with decency and

polite-

the disciple to refrain from looking upon

for

such a stage as the limit of development attained

by

Teacher,

his

Ones

are not at

stages and conditions.

Teacher

for

former.

Who

It

They

the

is
!

student.
(the
is

God

But one cannot leave one

another without the permission of the

does so deserts the Path

practice

of the Masters

to

impose a threefold

If

he observes

real

one,

rejected.

I.

inasmuch as the Perfect

concerned with the business of

all

not

The

the

it,

for a year.
5.

3.

on a

he receives the Robe

conventional)

else

he

threefold discipline consists of

Service of the world for a year.

Letter

blessed be

discipline

2.

Watching the heart

Service of
for a year.

12

On the

qualifications of a Teacher.

Broadly speaking there are

One cannot be

Devotion to God.

(i)

one

ted, unless

from servility to

free

is

capacity

writhout

human

{3)

all

One cannot

completely getting

save Him.

and one's

is

God

unfold this
the

of

rid

nature.

Nearness to God.

unless one

thus devo-

Capacity to receive truths direct from

(2)

without any intermediary.

lower

five qualifications

One cannot approach God

equipped with the Divine character,

Spirit reflects the light of the Divine attri-

butes.
(4) Acquisition of

knowledge from God without

any intermediary. For

cleansed of

all

this the

heart should

be

impressions, sensual and intellectual,

Being an Elect of the Heart Doctrine, which

(5)

relates to the

knowledge

of the

Divine Essence, the

Divine Qualities, and the Divine Works.

One

can-

not attain to this stage without a second birth.

"

One

born of the mother's

one born of the Self

{i.e.,

womb

sees

this

quitting the lower

world

human

nature) sees the supersensuous world."

Nevertheless
of a
ble.

is

it

Teacher are
.\

Teacher

is

said

that the

indescribable

not

qualifications

and

the body,

the

innumerahead, or

the

beard,

the

inner

visible

glory

13

man.

by

being

of Truth,

region

to

He

the side

clothed

Here

How

Him?

It

Men

to weigh Divine

and to look

vision.

Nor

is it

meet

Then how

Them

at

with

know

if

Answer

Each seeker

appropriate to his

them,

on

his

is

furnished with

He

mere

materi-

cannot transcend

nor can anything hinder him from

is

lot.

little

limited

such a one

genuine Teacher or a mere pretender

als

beginner

his

to follow another
to

the

know and
a

for

with the balance of his

intellect

assertion.

meet

not

is

in

can a begin-

ner find out such a Teacher and Guide,

follow

reality

God,

Divine mercy and

in

a query

is

in

is

of

using them.

Query

Is there

any sign whereby to

distin-

guish a pretender from a true Teacher, the worthy

from the unworthy

Answer

There are many

possible to describe and

there

is

but

it

For

is

all

imthat,

no sign or mood, the presence or absence

of which alone would mark

tender.

signs,

them.

fix

In

short,

Grace should

Teacher or a pre-

one blessed with the Divine

set his feet

on the Path, turn away

from sensual pleasures and passional gratifications,

and

fix his attention

some

Perfect

on God.

Teacher

will

Then
shine

the glance of
in

the

mirror

14

of the heart

When

a true disciple catches

such a glance, he instantly contracts a love for the

Beauty of His Godly Strength, becomes

restless

and uneasy, and comes to the Path. This uneasiPerfect discipness forbodes fortune and success.
love

for

Strength.

leship consists in perfect

the Teacher's Godly

the

follow the wishes of his Teacher, and

...

wishes

who

protects

of the time

is

living

teacher in each town.

is

that area.

in

but there

only one,

is

The King

an ordinary

and the channels

who

are the props

the transmission

of

of blessing and mercy from heaven to earth

brother,

know

for

been before thee and

that each

No one
thing

new work
to

me

(i.e.,

in

bygone

work has

and

ages),

has already reached a certain stage.

first

time. Every-

according to Divine dispensation.

suppose

man

certain that this

has begun this work for the

is

stirred

man

own

a Teacher

According to tradition there

are always 365 Friends of God,

of the world

not his

In each locality there

men

Beauty of

disciple should

100,024 prophets
into the

world

to

Do you

have ushered

By no means.

any

They

up what lay already in the bosom, and led

what was ordained for him by God

Letter

6.


15

On
Desire

a craving in

the heart

The craving produces

object.
stir

is

Discipleship.

the heart, the

The

arouses a tendency to seek for the object.

nobler the object, the purer the desire.

Desire

is

threefold

absorption of a

Such

objects.

When

it

desire

is^

consists in the

It

seeking of worldly

the

in

a downright

clouds the heart of a neophyte,

him back from

life

man
a

Desire for the world.

(i)

a certain

for

stir in

spent

all virtues,

in

and

him

lures

danger.

keeps

it

to failure.

the gratification of such a desire

deprives one of eternal happiness after resurrection.

(2)

Desire

for

heaven.

The

soul transcends

heavenly state

the previous stage, longs for the

and permanent happiness, and practises

asceticism, so that he

day of

resurrection.

nobler than the desire for the world.

(3)

Desire

for

God.

unfolds the inner sight,

created universe, and

lifelong

may attain his object on the

The desire for heaven is

A man

aspires

considers

(at this stage)

transcend

to
it

the

disgraceful

seize anything contained in that area

so

to

that he

develops a longing for the Creator Himself and

is

When

respected in heaven as well as on earth.

disciple

ceases

to

hanker

after

the

world

and

heaven, and regards everything save his Object as

i6

hindrance to his (onward) march,

he should

God, come manfully to

heartily endeavour to seek

the Path, and resort to a compassionate Teacher, so

may

that the latter

and

tell

him

of

its

help him in treading the Path,

journey without any break or

The Teacher cannot

turn an

...

latent in

lies

by His company and

works in this way.

On
When
to justify

tread

the

unruly candidate
If

a candidate,

service.

the
it

spirit

will

of

unfold

The Divine Law

DiSCIPLESHir. (Continued)

man

the

calls

title

straight

use the collyrium

himself a disciple, he ought

to the fullest extent

Path.

He

of turning

should

self,

and firmly
constantly

back(Taubah^

put on the robe of detachment from

and from

a safe

failure.

into an earnest disciple

the Path

him

dangers, thus securing

connexions

drink the wine of Seeking out of the

cup of Purity, draw the sword of Magnanimity

from the sheath of Religion, dismiss the cravings
of the infidel Desire, practise absorption, and not
care for the higher or the lower worlds.

has become proficient

When

he

in the truths of discipleship

and the subleties of Seeking, has gathered the

fruits

of purification and asceticism, begun to tread the

Path and
journey

passed through

then,

if

stages

several

asked whether he

is

of the

a disciple, he

17

can say

"

may

This

is

way

the

God

be one,

discipleship justified,

endowed with

of those

and divine Wisdom. Not to look

at any stage, nor to depend upon

Many

Thus

helping."

is

and pretension avoided.

insight

personality

to

possessions.

its

saints with a life-long devotion have slipped

down from

... A

dizzy heights

concentrates in himself the purity of

who

disciple

all

the angels

and the piety of all men is self-conceited and sure

fall, if he knows himself to be better than a dog.

to
.

The beginner has

scholar

is

disciple

his rest

commands, he
his

worshipper of his Teacher,

is

and movements are

he

desires,

in

a tongue, the proficient

Letter 5^.

silent

disciple

He

the Teacher,

serpent casts

its

if

he follows his

is

room

desires,

he who loses himself

left

If

he has even the

in his heart,

he

is
,

a worshipper
,

should be a worshipper of the Teacher,

God

has

difficulties

He

the disciples).
2

concealed

God

precious

disciple

disciple

he

Fawded-i- Ruknl.
gifts

has imposed upon these

[so that

One who obeys

a worshipper of God.

the Messenger verily obeys

least

him, and doubts and

in

of himself, not of the Teacher

may become

own

not of

shakes off his desires, as a

slough.

remnant of desire
protests find

If

accordance with His

follower of his

Teacher.

a disciple

is

is

in

should

under the

men

manfully

(;,

e.

dis-

18

charge his duties without

in spite of the hard-

fail,

God does not work

to know which

ships and trials of the Path.

in

one way only, and

way

difficult

lead the disciple to

will

There

gifts or privation.

neath

it is

sufferings

all

is

Him ^joy

long journey

or sorrow,

divine secret under-

and enjoyments

The Series of 28 Letters, Letter

'

in the world.

i.

needed to ripen the raw."

is

As

its

maturity, so a pilgrim requires the dual experi-

ence

fruit requires

and

^joy

both sunshine and shadow

and

union

sorrow,

presence and absence,

for

separation,

perfection.

his

for

Ibid,

Letter 5.

There

is

How

city.

no bar

image?

man

he deserves

it

reception of the Divine

is

due to lack of capamirror

can an unpolished
.

The

as
it

he

is,

Ibid,

Contentment

is

Letter

a sine

and

God knows

unrest.

and sheds

an

reflect

pilgrim needs patience

hurry and

endurance, not

each

to the

If there is any,

Light.

the Light

when

4.

qud non

one without

it

should abandon occultism and go to the market.

The performance
abilities

of duties to the

cannot be dispensed with, as

for the safe

15.

is

is[necessary

While sane,
words and coo-

passage of the pilgrim.

he should follow Truth.

duct

best of one's
it

Truth

in

ever beneficial, never harmful

Ibid, Letter

'9

The Friend of God(The

The

Wa

e e (or the Friend of

VValee).

God)

is

one who

constantly receives the favours of the Deity, which

consist in his

being guarded against

the hardest of which

a Prophet

must be

is

all

troubles,

the commission of sins.

so

sinless,

As

must a Friend be
between the two is

The distinction
The one is beyond the commission of a sin
the other is liable to commit a sin on rare occasions,
The Friend
but does not persist therein
Again,
is endowed with all possible virtues
it is said, the Friend is he who does not fail in his
protected.

this

duties

to

God and

the

universe.

He

does not

serve through hope and fear of agreeable and

agreeable consequences.

He

value on his individuality.

Friend

the people.

or

be either known or

unknown, he
.

is

dis-

not set any

unknown

to

not affected by the

who does not long for the world

Heaven, who forsakes himself for the Divine

Friend

for

If

fame

evils of

may

does

is

he

Friendship and turns his heart to the True One.

,

of

The Friends are the special objects of the Love

Owing to their devotion, they have been

God,

chosen as the Governors of His Kingdom, the channels of His Activities,

are liberated from the

receive special

powers, and

bondage of the desire-nature.


20

They do not

anything save Him, nor

desire

feel

attachment to anything save Him. They have

been before us, are in these days, and will be till
the end of the world

They
to

are to-day the appointed Agents of

serve as channels

for

God

the propagation of the

messages of the ancient Prophets, and to govern

the world

so that the rain may pour from

heaven

by Their blessings, that plants may grow from the

earth by Their purity, and that the faithful may
prevail over the faithless by Their strength.
Superhuman powers are a kind of idols in this
world.

a saint

If

is

content with their possession,

he stops his onward progress.

he turns

If

away

from them he advances the cause of his union with

God. Here

is

a subtle mystery,

and

it is

Friendship consists in the rejection of

But attention

Beloved.
reliance

satisfaction with

HimseU. Letter

True

save the

superhuman powers and

upon them means the

and

loved,

to

this

all

rejection of the Be-

something other than

8.

THE Brotherhood of Friends.

[There
Friends

in

is

a passage on the

the author, which

ment

hierarchy of Divine

Fawaed-i-Rukn!,
is

another work of

translated below as

to the present subject.

Trs.]

a supple-


21

a e e s who are
They do not know one

There are 4,000

the world.

known

not

They

are they conscious of their exalted position.

ever remain

to

another, nor

from

veiled from the world, as well as

themselves.

There are 300 A k h y a

who

Benevolent)

(the Charitable or the

world

solve the difficulties of the

There

and keep the gate of the Divine Sanctuary.

are

AbdAl

forty

(the Liberated)

(the Pegs)

these

Gau

s,

the

'

Abrftr

17

a b A (the Pure);

called

All

Grievances'.

u q a b a (the Watchers)

Pole), also

(the

(the Substitutes)

4
i

AutSd
Ou ub
t

Redresser of

know one another

and

are interdependent for the discharge of their res-

pective duties.(

Total, 370

Trs.)

According to another authority

a e r

there are 356 VV a

When

the world.

one of them

his place, so that there

the

number

world, the

When

are
is

He

(M

retires,

made up
the

Outub

His place

Three, one
Five, one

s -

another takes

of 300

is

+ 40

of

the

due to His

one of the

Five

fills

fall

to

Three

up the gap

pieces.

takes
in

Seven fills up the gap in

For ty fills up the gap in

of the

of the

ma

retired without another to

retires,

one of the

Outub

His place, the world would

the

ever working in

of which

preservation
If

ee

never any diminution in

One

The

holy existence.
take

is

They

356.

+ 5 + 3 + 1-

the

the
the

22

Seven, one of the ThreeHundred fills up the

in the Forty, and a man is posted to the vacancy in the rank of the Three Hundred so that

gap

356 ever continue working

spot

is

outer

life is

blessed

in the world,

united

with

God.

Inwardly,

Love,

Friendship,

Mysteries have to do with the

without.

They (the

Wa

be hindered by earth, water,

Being

in the East,

West.

Their

similar to that of ordinary people, so the

cannot know Them.

latter

and every

by Their auspicious Feet.

They can

They

are

and

the

within, not with

the

e e s) are too strong to

fire, air,

plains

and

They can see and hear men

hills.

in the

instantly go from the East to the

West, come from the West to the East, go to and

come back from

are

Arsh

(the Divine Throne). Theirs

many superhuman powers

of like nature.

Polytheism, and the Friendship of God.

Polytheism
(i)

The

is

twofold

outer,

which consists

in

worshipping a

god other than the One Highest God

(2)

The

inner,

which consists

....

in thinking

of a

being, other than God, as a helper at the time of

need.

Some

say that to see anything save Him,

polytheism for an Occultist.

is


23

Some
any way,

own

say that to refer to any separated self in

do anything with one's

to be inclined to

and to resort

will,

plans in any emergency, are

ism

forms of polythe-

all

The chosen Friend

who

he

is

against

mix with

[the

is

He

both without and within.

thinks

own schemes and

to one's

God

of

neither

He

Divine Will].

alone,

acts

nor

does not

the desire-nature, forgets his services in

the presence of the Master, and cannot do without

Him
pects

sible for

He

both

He

is

so

Him

with

filled

without and within

that

in

it

anything else to enter into him

loses his desire, will,

and

all

all

is

res-

impos-

....

individual qualities,

and exists merely through God's Desire and Will.

He gets what he wills not because he wills

anything other than what

his will

is

one with God's.

Will in him.

Letter

God's

is

will,

Nay God

but because
unfolds His

9.

Lights.

When
impurities,

the mirror of the

it

Heart

becomes capable of

They appear

persetisuous lights.
as flashes, but gain

heart becomes purer

in

is

cleansed of

reflecting the suin

the beginning

power and volume

as the

manifesting [gradually] as the

24

lamp, the flame, the

the moon, and the sun.

stars,

The forms

of flashes arise

prayers

from

the stars, from the partial purity of the heart

of the

moon, from

full

perfect purity

its

the sun, from the Soul reflecting

perfectly purified heart.

inner light]

than the [external] sun.

and moon

its

that

that of

glory in the

time comes when [the

a thousand

is

and

ablutions

those of the lamp, the flame and

times

more luminous

If [the visions of] the

sun

are simultaneous, the latter signifies the

heart reflecting the light of the Soul, the former the

Soul
is

The

itself.

light of the

Soul

is

formless, but

seen behind a veil distorting the idea into the

form of the sun.

Sometimes the Light of the Divine Attributes

may

cast

its

reflection in

the mirror of the heart

according to the purity of the latter

Light distinguishes
heart,

which shows that

from others.
said
is

itself

It is

by a

it

native.
intellect.

This

is

This

bliss.

It is

the Constructive Attributes

;

that of the Dis-

scorching,

but not illumi-

illuminative, but not scorching

Attributes

comes from God and not

hard to describe this

that the Light of

integrating

feeling of bliss in the

beyond

the

comprehension of

Sometimes, when the purity of the heart

if

he looks within, the True

One withiji
One without

if

he looks to the universe.

When

is

complete, the Seer sees the True

the

him,
him,

Divine

Light
gives

is

reflected in the

When

bh'ss.

2S

hght of the

soul, the vision

the Divine Light shines without

the media of the soul

and the heart, the vision

manifests formlessness and infinity, uniqueness and

harmony, the

Here there
nor

is

neither

left,

and support of all existence.

basis

neither rising nor setting, neither right

up nor down, neither space nor time,

neither far nor near, neither night nor day, neither

heaven nor earth.

falters, intellect

Here the pen breaks, the tongue

sinks into nothingness, intelligence

and knowledge miss the way

of

amazement

Letter

in

the wilderness

12,

The Unveiling of the Supersensuous.

The

essence of the Unveiling

The

of the

veils.

ceived

by him

lies in

coming out

seer perceives things not per-

before.

The

'"

veils "

mean

hind-

rances keeping one back from the perfect vision of

the

Divine

worlds

Beauty, and

according

to

according to others, 80,600

titution of

man.

each world, with

Man

consist

some,

and

in

number,

present in the cons-

has an eye correlated to

These worlds are included

under a two-fold division

tual

all

which he observes that world

during the unveiling.

Heaven

of the various

18,000

Light and Darkness,

and Earth, Invisible and Visible, SpirPhysical,

each

pair

expressing

the

26

same sense
sincere

in

words

different

by

impelled

pilgrim,

When

his aspiration, turns

from the lower nature to follow the Law, and begins

to tread the Path under the protection of a Teacher,

he unfolds an eye

for

each of the veils uplifted by

him, to observe the conditions of the world

him.

First,

comprehends the

mysteries to the ex-

intellectual

tent of the uplifting of the

This

veil.

called

is

Intellectual unveiling, and should not be

Most

on.

take

it

the

depended

of the philosophers are at this stage and

as the final

This stage transcended,

goal.

the sincere pilgrim comes to

perceives various lights.

tual unveiling.
this

before

he unfolds the eye of intellect and

the heart, and

unveil

This

is

called the Percep-

Next, he unveils

the

Secrets

the Inspirational unveiling, and the Mys-

is

teries of creation

and existence are revealed to him.

Next, he unveils the Soul

Spiritual un-

this is the

and he can now view Heaven and Hell, and

communicate with the Angels. When the soul is

veiling,

completely cleansed of earthly impurities, and

thoroughly pure, he unveils

and

Infinity

is

is

privi-

leged to gaze at the circle of Eternity, to compre-

hend instantly both

Past and Future, getting rid

of the limitations of Space and Time,

see

both fore and

know

events,

aft

and tread on water,

miracles are not to be relied on

to

fire,
.

...

to

read hearts,

and

air.

Such

Next comes

27

the Innermost unveiling, enabling the pilgrim to

enter the plane

Divine

of the

The Innermost

Attributes

bridge between the Divine

the

is

Attributes and the plane of the Soul, enabling the

Soul to experience the Divine vision, and

This

the Divine character.

is

During

of the Divine Attributes.

reflect

Unveiling

called the

the

this stage,

disciple unfolds esoteric knowledge, revelation from

God, His

His

vision.

or Unity,

existence,

bliss,

absorption, real

real

according

as he unveils the

Divine Attributes of intelligence, audition, sight,

construction, disintegration,

Letter

[The

1.

or
(

last

2.

stability,

other

of

or oneness.
qualities.

li

two extracts
f!

tacitly

the

to

refer

classification of the

human

consti-

The Body (Tan),

intellect,

Nas

think

13.

following
tution

may

one

Similarly

(i

correlated

the brain-consciousness,
to

the

plane

physical

}.

The Heart

i 1

),

the desires and the lower

mind, correlated to the astral and lower mental

planes
3.

(Malakflt).
The Soul

fl

),

the higher mind, the Ego,

correlated to the higher mental plane

4.

The

Spirit

r r

or the

related to the spiritual planes

J aba

Mystery),

(L

fl

t)

t )

cor-

Trs,\

28

On the

Same.

[The following supplementary notes from The

0/28 Letters may prove both instructive and

Series

interesting.

You

Tts.

say you hear certain words, but not from

the organ of speech, or through the organ of sound.

Speech and Sound belong

hear belongs to

Ma

may

pilgrim

ak

to this

Loc.

(it

hear the

world

what you

Letter 10.

cit.

'sound'

in

nay, in the minerals, plants, and animals.

hears from them the same

formula) as

practised

of his practice

an

real

one

whereas,

The

by him,

if

the

It is

Named

foretells

it

as obstacles,

on earth

he

if

the sacred

but an echo

real

is

r
.

phenomena

a rare
.

boon

to pass

The Vision

a k u

a pilgrim.

trials for

and never care

from the

them.

Name

to

Khezar

The

odours,

by you,

pertain

how can you

Ibid, Letter 16.

for

of the Prophet

your success on the Path

Ma

e.,

is

phenomenon

sacred and unearthly, experienced

to the

(/

Ibid, Letter 15.

Regard them
.

he hears from them the

Powers and phenomena are

universe being endless, the

are endless.

body,

But

imaginary phenomenon, not a

peculiar to them, the

.

his

find their likeness

29

Illumination.
There is a difference between Divine Illunainaand Soul-Illumination. When the mirror of

tion

the heart

is

cleansed of all impurities, and has become

thoroughly

clear,

of the Divine

His Attributes.

But

(lit.,

catch

it

ture,

of

its

this

boon

who

some of the

If thoroughly

runs can

clean,

it

qualities

may

of

at times

the qualities. Sometimes the Essence of

all

the Divine Viceroy may display

"

and assert
viceroyalty.

may be

all

not enjoyed by

is

clean heart reflects

the Soul

to focus the rays

the antelope), but only he

the Soul.
reflect

serve

so reflect the Divinity and

Every runner does not catch the

every clean heart.

game

may

it

Sun and

am

the True

One" by

its

na-

virtue

Sometimes the whole universe

seen making obeisance at the viceregal

throne, and the soul

God

may

mistake the Divine Viceroy

Such mistakes are common, and

cannot be avoided without the Divine Grace and the
help of the Teacher. Now to come to the difference:

for

(i) Soul-illumination

temporarily,

continues

i,

e.,

Divine

so

conquers the lower nature

long as

the illumination

illumination conquers

it

per-

manently.
(2) Soul-illumination

is

not inconsistent with

30

foulness

the

of

the

doubts, nor does

Knowledge
of

does not solve

heart,

impart the

it

Divine

all

of

Divine

the

reverse

induce

pride,

bliss

illumination

is

this.

(3)

Soul-illumination

self-conceit,

away with

tion does

may

....

and egoism

and increases the

these,

all

Divine Illumina-

fervour of Seeking,
'

Illumination

generally

used

'

and

'

among

obscuration
the

are

'

two words

The former
latter means the

SQfls.

means the unfolding of God, the

of
God. These expressions

do

not

changeless.

As

infolding

apply to His Essence, since

when one
"

says,

not

finds

the

solved,

the solution

problem
but

tion

from

is

one's

grasp the problem

solution

It

is

of

solved "

mind

problem, and

the

problem

is

as

to

unfolds

so

knowledge being called the

of the problem,

ignorance

its

obscura-

when one sees all from God, and not

self,
when Self does away with the lower

so,

nature and sees the Unknowable,

this is designa-

ted l\\\imiasition.Lei{er 14.

Dreams.
Firsi, a pilgrim
qualities sees in

his

passing through the earthly

dreams heights and depths,


31

and

streets

wells,

and mountains.
watery

qualities,

and sown

Secondly,

fields, rivers

walking or flying
Fourthly,
sees

sites,

waters

passing through

the

he sees greens and pastures, trees

and springs.

through the airy

ing

gloomy and deserted

qualities,

in the air,

Thirdly, pass-

he sees himself

going up the heights.

passing through the fiery qualities, he

lamps and flames.

Fifthly, passing through

the etheric, he finds himself walking or flying over

the heavens, going from one heaven to another, sees
the circling of the sky, and the angels.

Sixthly,

passing through the starry region, he sees the stars,

the sun and the moon.

the

animal

qualities,

Seventhly, passing through

he sees the corresponding

he finds himself prevailing over an

animals.

If

animal,

indicates his conquest over the

it

ponding quality.
an animal,

it

If

denotes the predominance of the cor-

responding quality, and

against

The

corres-

he finds himself overcome by

he should guard himself

it.

pilgrim has to pass

through thousands of

worlds, and in each world he perceives visions and

experiences difficulties peculiar to

brother, the soul

boldly cry

out

reach the Goal."

"

Let

is

it.

for the Goal.

me

Letter i6.

It

should

either cease to live, or

32

On
Many men

Misconceptions.
from doubt and suspicion.

fall

of people

class

"

say,

God does

not need

A
our

worship and services, and has no concern with our

virtues

and

vices

rance,

alone

No.

God.

An

we

should should

restrain

from sheer igno-

arises

and supposes that the

for the sake of

man

why

Such a doubt

ourselves?"

Law

enjoins duties

Duties are for the sake of

man

ignorant

of this sort

compares with a patient who, being prescribed a

certain treatment by his physician, does not follow
fitly

it,

and says that

He

physician.
his

own

his abstinence does

speaks

The

destruction.

no harm to the

truly enough, but

physician

works

did

not

prescribe to please himself, but to cure him.

second class of

men

transgress the

Law and

depend on the Divine Mercy. God is both merciWe find that there are many
ful and a chastiser.
distressed

and poor men in this world in spite of

His mountains of Treasure, that

His Mercy and

not a single grain of wheat grows without laborious

cultivation,

and that no man can be healthy with-

out

water

food,

ordained

which

means

they

and
for

and wealth

cannot be had, such

the moral sphere also.

As

medicine.

health

is

Denial and

poisons to the soul, and idleness

He

has

without

the case

in

ignorance are

its

disease.

The

33

antidotes for the poisons are knowledge and

alone.

and

The remedies

The
who

disease

on

Divine

the

of the

takes poison while

Mercy,

kills

himself

heart consists in desires.

does not restrain

his

desires

risks

He

his life

knows them as sinful.

But if he does
them as harmful he has no life to
For such disregard
since he is already dead.

he

if

regard

not
risk,
is

He who

worship alone.

depending

wisdom

are prayers

the disease

for

denial,

and denial poisons faith.

would understand by

third set

self-discipline,

as imposed by the Law, complete freedom from lust,

anger and other

evils.

When

they

after prac-

fail

tising self-discipline for a length of time, they regard

the task as impossible.

"

Man, as he

is

constituted,

cannot be pure, just as a black blanket cannot turn

into a

white one.

Why

should we undertake an

impossible feat?" (So they think).

and vanity to suppose that the

plete

freedom irom

lust

Law

It

is

ignorance

enjoins

com-

and other impulses inherent

The Prophet has said, " I am a

in human nature.
man, and may be angry," and signs of anger were
God praises one who conat times visible in him.
trols anger, not

one who

is

devoid of anger.

the prophet nad nine wives, and a

man

Again,

destitute of

the sexual desire should be medically treated.

The

Prophet has countenanced the begetting of progeny

and the perpetuation of the

3

race.

But he has

ins-


34

that the

tructed

two

and anger) should be

(lust

subdued so as to be under the control of the Law,

as a horse under the control of the rider, or

should be trained, else they

throw the man.

and the

Game

heavenly

under control,

it

set

is

to break

is

Will, his

companions

refrain

Ye shall

will

be

short,

possible.

What

said, "

We

exert,

shall

depend upon

The Prophet

from exertion."

replied,

and [then] what has been ordained

Thus,

given."

from exertion.

If

man

he has

in

should

not refrain

the beginning been

ordained to a noble destiny, he will attain to

Good and

exertion].

virtue

and

vice,

in

tances,

the earthly

[by

destinies hinge

Letter

The outer and the inner

has been

it

upon
the same way as health and
evil

death upon food and starvation.

Man

is

the use of

is

When the Prophet spoke of the Divine

exertion

"

In

and subdue

proudly declare that everything

according to the Divine Will.

and

dog

But they should be

without them.

else they will destroy us.

these impulses, and this

it

like the

impossible to catch the

is

the object of self-discipline

A fourth

upon and over-

Lust and anger are

and

horse,

will set

dog

The animals

under the control of the hunter.

18.

ailments.

formed of two different subs-

and the

heavenly.

As

his


35

frame

earthly

heavenly

and

liable

is

ailments,

to

and there are doctors

cure

of

The

both.

for

so

the

is

the treatment

doctors of the

bodily

ailments are the physicians, and those of the moral

ailments are the Prophets and [later on] the Saints

who

are their

certainly die

so a soul suffering from

certainly

perfect
to

die,

the

commends him
from another,

disease

with

and

a view

health,

state

tions

and

also

Divine

the

moral ailments of the

different duties based

of

As

this,

disallowing

perplexities

on

harmony

required

moral health

a sick

of his

so

as

gets

against

the

instruc-

worse and worse and

more and more perverse and has

through ignorance.

Letter

to

in the shortest possible

man going

physician

that,

and desires to a
by the Law, and

has to die, so a moral patient disobeying the

gets

re-

physical

restore

to

so

inner

his

bring about
time.

the pulse

patient,

according to his receptivity and capacity,

recommending
reduce

one thing and abstain

to resort to

and prescribes

Law

by a Prophet or a

of

Messenger ascertains the

the

man would

skilled physician,

As a physician examines

ascertain

disciple,

a sick
a

moral diseases would

the

not helped

if

Saint.

equilibrium

As

successors.

not treated by

if

ig.

to

Law
perish


36

The
The

origix of Theosophv
Theosophy (T a s a vv u

institution of

ancient.

As

evil

impulses predominate

world, the Theosophist (S t

The Theosophist

by men.

exists in the

f !) is

is

looked

is

(mutasavvif)

he who
asceti-

ways of the Theosophist

The Prophet had

discourse

who

panions,

Salman
nions

the

in

the

mosque

set

place

in

his

with his elect com-

privately

trod

disciples such as

Path.

There were senior

Abubakar, Omar, Osman, Ali and

and mediocre ones, such as Belal and

The Arab

others.

of

is

cism and purification, and disciplines himself

to

the

lost

beyond the reach

one with Truth.

at

the

in

become a Theosophist through

Theosophical student

apart

is

down upon

one who has

is

True One,

the lower nature, and

seeks to

f)

has been practised by the Prophets and

It

the Saints.

self,

chiefs

and

his

were not admitted there.

panions were about jo

in

ordinary compa-

The

number.

elect

When

comthe

shew his special regard to a

particular companion (Sijfi), he favoured him
with a piece of his garment (N. B. The word
Prophet wished

Sufi may
from SOf,

The

to

be derived either from S a fa, purity, or

dress.

Trs.)

Theosophist was Adam, and the

first

last

Mohammad andTheosophy has continued amongst

;

the followers of

Mohammad.

Letter 22.

;;

17

Seeking the Path.

The
that,

if

with

its

aspiration of the Seeker

offered this world with

heaven, and the Universe with

he should leave the world and

profane, the next world and

sufferings,

its

pleasures for the

its

its

be such

should

pleasures, the next

its

heaven

for the faith-

and choose the sufferings for himself. He turns

from the lawful in order to avoid heaven, in the same

ful,

way
in

common people turn from the unlawful

He seeks the Master and His Vision
same way that worldly men seek ease and

that

to avoid
the

wealth.

hell.

The

he seeks the

latter

ONE

seek increase

alone in

If

all.

in all their

works

given anything, he

it away
if not given, he is content.
The marks of the Seeker are as follows.

gives

is

happy

if

so that he

He

he does not get the desired object,

may

be liberated from

all

bonds

he

opposes the desire-nature so much, that he would

not gratify

its

craving, even

seventy years
that

ease

he

is

from

too

God

if it

cried therefor for

harmonised with

and uneasiness, a boon and

admission and

he

so

is

or

are

rejection

resigned

from

to

beg

the

same

the

to

anything

for

world

keeps him as fully satisfied with

his

God
curse,

him
either

asceticism

his little all

garment or a blanket as others might be with the

whole world
He vigilantly melts his desire.


38

nature in the

furnace of asceticism and does not

think of anything save the True One.
He sees

Him

on the right and on the

Such a Seeker

ing.

is

left,

sitting

and stand-

He

called the Divine Seer.

attaches no importance to the sovereignty of earth

or of heaven.
His body becomes emaciated by

devotional aspirations, while

his

heart

cheered

is

with Divine Blessedness.

Thoughts of wife and

children, of this world and the next, do not occupy
his heart.
Though his body be on earth, his soul
is

Though

with God.

there, reached the Goal,

here, he

has already been

and seen the Beloved with

his inner eye.

This stage can be reached only under the protection of a Perfect Teacher, the Path safely

trod-

den under His supervision only

It

indispensable for a

is

Disciple to put off his desires

and place himself before the Teacher

body before the washer of the dead, so
that He may deal with him as He likes.

and

protests,

as a dead

Virtue and vice have their uses and

Often

evils.

a virtue throws one the farther from God, and a

vice

leads

virtue

that

one the nearer to

begins in

Him

peace and ends in

The
pride

the vice that

throws one the farther from God
in repentance leads one the
;

begins in fear and ends

nearer to Him.

Letter 23.

39

The Pillars of the

words enliven the

Their
liberate

men

do not care

their
for

of

all

turn good

for

Why? For

they are

is

deeds

their

universal

they

and clothing themselves,

they do not look

but

others,

heart

compassion

feeding

but feed and clothe

evil

Path.

to the

stand as their saviours,

and bless them that

evil,

re-

curse.

protected: no gale save the

zephyr of Love can blow over the world from the

Their compassion shines as

horizon of their heart.

the sun over friend and foe alike.

They

humThey

are

ble as the earth, trodden by the feet of

all.

are not hostile to any man, nor do they grasp at

anything of the world.

All

creatures

children, they are not the children

are
for
all

absolute
east

Compassion

and west,

from the

their

They

the whole universe,

they are liberated and see

for

One Root

for

are

of any.

One

void of these

qualities cannot tread the Path.

In the case of a Theosophist, the heart goes

then comes the tongue.

wise man, the tongue goes

Letter

first,

In the case of a worldlyfirst,

and then the

heart.

24.

Religion, the Path, and Truth,

Religion (S h a

r 1

Truth (Haqiqat).

t ),

the Path (T a

qa

t),

and

40

Religion

is

way

down by

laid

his followers, with the help of

God.

equally call the attention of

men

So

and Service.

there

is

but there

is

Prophets

Monotheism

but one Religion, one

difference

is

no difference

Divine inspi-

on

contradictory, as they are based

The

All
to

Their teachings cannot be

appeal, and one God.

ration.

a Prophet for

merely verbal and formal,

in

the

They

essentials.

are the [spiritual] physicians of humanity, and have

prescribed

religions

for their

according to their needs.

series

of injunctions

respective followers

Religion

of a

consists

and prohibitions, and deals

with monotheism, bodily purification, prayers,

fasts,

pilgrimages, the holy war, charity, and so on.

The Path

is

based on

and consists

religion,

seeking the essence of the forms

religion], investigating

and cleansing

with

avarice,

polytheism,

the

such

and so on.

Religion deals with external conduct and

purification

in

by

them, purifying the heart,

the moral nature of impurities

hypocrisy,

as

[dealt

Path deals with the inner

bodily
purifi-

cation.

Religion
tion.

Truth

The one

is

is

the soundness of external

is

the soundness of the inner condition.

liable to alterations,

and can be acquired

same from
world,

and

the time of
is

is

the other

Adam

the work of

is

to

the Divine Grace.

purifica-

man

immutable, the
the end

The one

of the
is

like

41

The
and 26.

matter, or the body.

Letters 25

soul,

[A higher
i-Ruknt,

stage

is

other

is

h'ke spirit, or the

simply mentioned,

MArfat

as

(the

without any detailed explanation.

in

Fau<Acd-

Knowledge),

Divine

Thus, S h a

r !

corresponds to the exoteric religion of any given

nation

Tariqatto

of the

the Lesser Mysteries

ancient Western mystic, or the Probationary Path

of the Eastern mystic;

aq

q a

to the Greater

Mysteries of the ancient Western mystic, or the Path

Proper of the Eastern mystic;

MArfat

stage of the Perfect Man, or the Master

to the

'Irs.]

Accessory to Prayers.
After the morning prayer, the twilight should

be spent

in

muttering the Divine Names, sacred

recitations, repentence

not speak

at

and apology.

this time,

One

should

except to obey an express

injunction or prohibition of the Scriptures,

to bless

or benefit the faithful, and to instruct a student in

need of knowledge.

knower
is

of

The company

God, or one's own Teacher,

of a Saint, a
if

available,

preferable to mutterings and recitations.

Before the sunset prayer, some time should be

spent

in attentively

examining the

desire- nature

/.

e..

42

made and

reviewing the gains

the losses incurred

during the day.

One
tations,

One

should go to sleep pure, and with holy reci-

and should not sleep unless overpowered.

should get up in the latter part of the night

before twilight, and immediatel)- take to the sacred

Letter 28.

duties.

Purification.
It is

purity which

the storehouse of

Islam

makes man

all

respectable.

It is

....

boons and virtues

based on purity, and cannot tolerate the

is

She does not show her

slightest stain.

face to the

impure.

the purity

First:

of the body,

garment,

the

and food.
Second:

the

purity of the senses,

nence from

Third

the purity

sins

of the heart,

ciation of

absti-

e.,

/.

and transgressions.

ail evil

/.

e.,

qualities,

renun-

such as

uncharitableness, envy and malice.

With

the

step on the Path

second step
essence of

purity, the disciple takes the first

first
;

with the second, he takes

with the third, the third.

TaubSh turning

This

is

the
the

from impurity to

43

At

purity.

first

At

becomes a mosque.
he becomes a man.
night

heart,

first

At

now he becomes

that the sun of 1

and

he was a

first

without this purity,

is

he was dark as the

It

is

now

or faith) shines in his

face

and leads him

Any work

to

whatsoever,

but a ceremony or tradition on

the lines of the forefathers, but

Know God

now he
demon now

bright as day.

m a n (peace
m shows her

Divine Knowledge.

the

he was a temple of idols;

is

not

as your constant guardian.

m.
Living

under His ever- watchful Eye, one ought to be

modest and feel ashamed to bring one's transgressions to His notice.

As prayers cannot be duly performed without

outer purity, so the Divine Knowledge is
As fresh
impossible without the inner purity.

the

water

not water

one,

the

so

already

pure

used

necessary
not mixed

for

is

Monotheism

is

necessary for the other.*

The

inner

Prophet's prayer

from

my

See

'

heart."

purification
:

"O

Letters 2g

Monotheism"

is

hinted at

in

the

God, purge out hypocrisy

Irs.

&

jo.

44

The Motive.
The value
The motive is
and
or

of a disciple's act
to

the act as

As

light to the eye.

the eye

not faith

from

by worldly

When

It is said

to

his

is

it

that the motive

of a

knowledge and wisdom.

of the world predominate in

his

all

in

acts

will

If desire

fasts.

his heart,

be worldly

all

heaven, but for

for

men

A
his
this,

will

disciple

not biassed by

man

is

according

If desire

and love

the heart of a man,

even

his prayers

and

heavenly

even

Again there are

others,

acts will be

his

of loftier aspiration,

such

is

and love of heaven predominate

eating and sleeping.

his

sparks

not biassed

called spiritual purity.

is

it

is

called ascetic purity

the motive

heavenly attractions,

life

motive arises

motive

the

attractions,

Sufis.

body

and destruction,

valid

from the sun and

When

from the flame.

by the

salvation.

as rays

purity,

motive.

the

useless, so the acts of

Seers, forms are denial

and

to

motive are mere forms.

a disciple without a pure

With the

is

is

body without

the

without light

lies in his

life

caring neither for earth nor

God

only.

be purely divine
should

All acts

done by

....

always be careful to purify

motive and to get out of mere forms.

For

he should obey the instructions of a Teacher,

His motive, though

hypocrisy
purified

and

45

in

the

beginning mixed with

insincerity,

ultimately

will

by obeying His instructions

disciple should act as the earth, so that the

may

act as the sky

wet him with

His

be

The

Teacher

warm

rains,

him with His sun, shade him under His clouds,

perfume him with the fragrant breeze of His
compassion

and

Letter j/.

thus help his growth.

Prayer.

The
of

his

routine of a disciple, in the absence

daily

Teacher,

should

be

such

as

secure

to

purity of heart, whether by prayer, sacred study,

mutterings, or meditation.

The

of prayer

secret

When

inexpressible.

is

the disciple,

renouncing separateness, stands for

prayer

in

mood

ranks

with

r s

of

shrine,

h (the Divine Throne)

the Vision Divine

his

and

The devotee mostly prajs with

prostration), takes

not stigmatise any

and damnation.

body

his

with

spirit

sees

of

Love

....

without observing external forms

and

his

heart

self-surrender,

Kdba's

all

man

the
{e.

fire

g.

kneeling

devotees as one, and does

with the brand of infidelity


46

In the state of prayer, one

merged

cannot be conscious of anything else

praying, was operated upon, and an

out of his thigh, but he did not

feel

in

the Divine

as

i,

while

arrow drawn

it.

Letter js.

Invoking the Divine Help.

Opinions vary as

to

which

the better course,

is

invocation of the Divine Help, or self-surrender to

the Divine Will.
in

In

condition of each
ces unfolding,
it

some cases

the one

is

preferable,

others the other, according to the tendency and

good.

should be stopped.

nor the other,

equal value.

time of

invocation induinduces infolding, *

individual.

it is

If

If it

If
it

induces neither the one

performance and omission

its

knowledge preponderates

If

invocation,

such an invocation

is

it

is

to

be

a worship in

Wisdom preponderates

are

continued,
\{

itself.

at the time, silence

of

at the
for

Divine
is

pre-

ferable

What

is

the use of invoking the Divine Help,

the Divine Will

is

irrevocable

cation by invocation

is

Answer

also in accordance

The

if

revo-

with the

Divine Will, the invocation being simply an ordained means, as a shield

and watering
See p. 30.

is

is

means

means to repel an arrow,

grow seeds.

to


47

If

one resorts to an invocation,

repeated three, five or seven times.

be

to

is

it

Letter 36.

The Divine Allegiance.

The

Divine

Allegiance

freedom and

gives

....

the sovereignty of the whole world

God

never

made anything

heart of His Servant, because

treasured

up the

wealth

cannot be contained

am

so precious as the

contained in the heart of

My

To

be

What

is

Service

or

who does

to the

Servant

is

he

not think of wages, and has been liberat-

ed from the bonds of

for

I
I

Servant."

resigned

"

but

earth,

faithful

Divine Will without a murmur.

He

that

Wisdom

His

of

heaven

in

there

is

it

wages

is

desire.

the servant

He who

of the

serves

wages,

God

not

of

God.

Khwaja Hasan Basri

Knowledge
the

Service

that

is

that

says

"

Seek the

revealed by Service, and seek

is

by

revealed

Knowledge."

Knowledge and Service are equally necessary, but

Knowledge is superior, being the root and guide.
Hence it is that the Prophet says "Knowledge rules
:

conduct, and conduct follows

that the sleep of the wise

is

it."

Again,

He

says

better than the prayers


48

of the ignorant, and that the ignorant do

than good by their

evil

acts.

more

Letters S7-39-

The Sacred Formula.

The
"

There

should ever practise the formula

disciple

no God except

is

The

fort

for a

made

is

moment

Allah"

entering

pilgrim

the

two highway robbers

When

step out

vocally
of this

no God

phrases

fort.

"

and

and

it

the desire-nature and Satan.

eye

inner

transcends

Unity, he

the

in

affirmation

and

denial, as they are inconsistent with Unity. Affirma-

and denial inhere

tion

in

the

nature of

man,

and a disciple does not attain to Unity unless he

since

need
tion

human

beyond

goes

denial are
a

elements

and the affirmed

the denied.
theist,

When

When

how can
the

be denied

Affirmation

and

and a valid denial each

affirmation

valid

three

nature.

themselves a form of polytheism,

in

the

affirmer,

the

affirma-

the denier, the denial

believer

a believer

in six

non-God has no

When

or

therein against the

the disciple unfolds the

plane of

"

of the negative

the affirmative " except

protects

"

be alone or in company.

inaudibly, whether he

Let him not

Allah

in

tzvo

is

and

a poly-

be a monotheist

existence,

thou thyself art not,

what

how

is

to

canst


49

thou affirm

This

the stage of the Perfect

with

the eye

the zenith of Unity, and

is

Ones

He who

sees

Unity finds the non-God non-

of

....

existent

Whenever Mohammad, transcending

the realm

of His mission, looked with the inner eye into the

He

realm of Unity,

eagerly and yearningly wished

His personality blotted out, the dividing

human

line erased,

away.

But the
Compassion of the Beloved would ever intervene,
and bring Him back to the realm of His mission
and the

limitation

cast

for the delivery of the message.

The Naked
Intellect

The

is

a bondage

disciple should

thing in

the

Faith.
;

the

Faith,

liberator.

be stripped naked of every-

Universe

beauty of Faith.

Letter ^o.

in

order to gaze at

the

But thou lovest thy personality,

and canst not afford

to put off the hat of self-esteem

and exchange reputation

for disgrace

All attachments have dropped from the Masters.

Their garment is pure of all material stain. Their

hands are too short to seize anything tainted with

impermanence.
enabling
Vision

Them

are

Light has shone

to

see

(jod.

in

Their hearts

Absorbed

in

His

They, so that They look not to Their

50

individualities, exist not for Their

individualities,

have forgotten Their individuah'ties

in

of

His Existence, and

They

His.

not hear

There

is

speech

no [individual] being

in

They

care

are

dumb

to

They

Universe

not

to

are deaf.

and think

Worldly men are not

[alone].

Physically with men.

are internally with God.

the

do
sit.

Their being, no

in

hearers,

aware of Their whereabouts.

They

hear, yet

yet do not

sit,

for material conditions,

little

True One

of the

Their speech, no hearing in Their hearing.

Speakers,

They

speak, yet do not speak

move, yet do not move

the ecstasy

have become completely

They

a boon

are

themselves,

They

for

are not themselves

The knowledge
to

God

are

that accentuates

is

alone

confined

true

the

in

personality

The knowledge

a hindrance.

verily

The

Knowledge.

is

leads

that

learned

of the senses, since

prison

they but gather their knowledge through sensuous

objects.

barred

He

that

Knowledge

is

bound by sense-limitations is
Knowledge.
Real

supersensuous

from

wells

up from the Fountain of

and the student thereof need not

and gropings.

The

iron of

human

anvil of asceticism,

to the polishing

that

the latter

Life,

senses

nature must be

put into the melting-pot of discipline,

on the

to

resort

hammered

and then handed over

agency of the Divine Love, so

may

cleanse

it

of

all

material


SI

impurities.

Image.

spiritual

KiNG

used by the
'

then becomes a mirror capable

It

the

reflecting

Letter

for

and may

world,

fitly

the beholding of His

of

be

own

4.1.

The Inner Polytheism.

The Prophet

my

says, " Polytheism in

followers

more imperceptible than the motion of an ant on

a black stone on a dark night."
Such a polytheism,

is

though not affecting the [exoteric]

the essence and fruit of Faith.

alloy of gold are both gold, but the

be as precious as the former.

in

Monotheism, which

ism. Real

it

for

from any save

even

in their

the antithesis of polythe-

Him

polytheism.

most

In order to

Monotheism, every impurity

help or hindrance

at being praised

virtue

cannot
consists

should be cast away.

constitute the inner

God

latter

True Faith

has been destroyed.

secure true Faith or

save

injures

Monotheism appears only when the root

of polytheism

that stains

is

faith,

Pure gold and an

hypocrisy,

Such impurities
Looking to any
hoping or fearing

anger and

subtile forms; pleasure

and blamed by others

pride,

and pain
regarding

and vice as means of union with and separa*

Sepuatenew.


52

God all

from

tion

polytheism.

come under

these

the inner

no one can be established

in Faith unless his character comes up to the standard " He is wholly from God, by God, and for
In short,

God."

Again the Prophet says

for the faithful

death

is

except

in

"

There

no peace

is

the presence of God, and

anything save His Presence."

Letter 44.

The Divine Knowledge.

Divine Knowledge
soul.

One

is

destitute of

Knowledge

the essence of the faithful

it

does not really

exist.

The

knowthe safety and

of the Creator follows from the

ledge of created objects, and leads to

permanence

knower.

of the

One way

to the Divine

Knowledge

is

to see the

whole universe as subject to the Divine Will, to

sever connection from all, and to realize the Unity
of

God and

the Eternity of His Nature and Attri-

butes.

Another
that

God

knows
first

is

his

through one's own nature.

own

nature, verily

shewed His Powers

knows

his

He

it.

placed in

This way being too long

Man

He

in the universe to

enable monotheists to gain Knowledge of

observing

"

God."

Him by

for the Sages,

the essences of the entire

crea

S3

making Human Nature the

tion, thus

the whole universe and the ladder to

ledge.

fac-simile of

His Know-

Know-

Pilgrims tread the Path of Divine

ledge in themselves, look for the pure and the

tn

themselves, and

of that

Knowledge

foul

the indication and proof

find

in themselves.

God engages some men in observation, and

they know Him by pondering over His creation.

He

leads others to His

cism.

He

There

is

illumines at

knowledge through

asceti-

men whose

hearts

another class of

Again, some are debarred

once.

Knowledge, others

firom the essence of the Divine

from the

Path

The Divine Beauty has

each atom presenting some
"

itself

thousands of aspects,
peculiar one."

Noor
He

"

was asked:

What

is

God?"

the proof of

The proof of God is God Himself."

They asked him again "Then what is the use of inreplied

"

tellect ?"

He

said

lead save to what

" Intellect is

is

a failure,

a failure like itself"

it

cannot

Intellect

can only look upon an entity either as body, essence

or accident

or in Space

and Time.

beyond those limitations. If it

limitations on God, it sinks to
dered,

it

exclaims

5till

properties,

dragged down to

is

It

So,

find

cannot go

any of those

infidelity.

"I do not

save with these properties.

any of these

fixes

If,

God being without

perhaps naught,"

infidelity

bewil-

any existence

...

it

is

In short,

54

Divine Knowledge depends upon Divine illumination alone.

Divine Knowledge

He

is

is

Sage should know God

knows
in

God as
The
same way as God

the knowledge of

His Essence, Attributes, and Works.

in

Himself, and as

Q u r S n.

the

perfectioti of this

the

in

He

has described Himself

There are two theories as to the

Knowledge. Some

Intellectualists

same way
knows Himself. If he does not know
Him perfectly, he knows a part of Him. But God is
partless.
So Sages are equal in Divine Knowledge.
hold that the

as

Sage knows God

in the

God

Intellectualists

hold

the Sufis and a

to

other theory

is

perfectly.

exist,

and know

it

for

their

salvation.

They do not hold

is

the extent

necessary
to

the

of perfect Divine Knowledge.

With the Masters

ledge

to

by
viz.,

They know Him

to

possibility

held

few intellectualists as well,

knows God

that no one

the possibility of perfect

The

Divine Knowledge.

of the

the actual and direct

with the Intellectualists,

it is

KnowGod

Path, Divine

perception

of

the sound intellectual

knowledge of God.
It

is

incumbent on a pilgrim not to be

and stand

satis-

he reaches the Goal. The

more he knows, the more he should seek
The

fied

still

until

whole world
(/.

e,

very

is

satisfied

little),

with

smell

or a

word

ard no one has received even


55

"

a drop from the holy cup.

art

Thou

My

own,

with
for

am

this

all

verily

Beloved, and Love

asked Him,

He

Beauty?'
ONE.

am

am

'

Whose
am

said,

'

the Lover, the

the mirror, the image and

Letter ^j.

the beholder'."

Love and Devotion.

This world and the next are intended to be
used

in

such a

of the

prayer and
all

An

seeking God.
use

fast,

objection raised

next world

endures.

but devotion

If

heavenly

life

you go

for

cease as such in the

seeking after God ever

to heaven,

will

open up new

An

endless

Knowledge.
never end

pilgrimage and the holy war, and

the exoteric obligations

next world

against

untenable

is

work

each day of the

vistas
is

of Divine

this,

may

it

When God

loves a man.

He

inflicts

troubles on

him and takes away his wealth, wife and children,

so that he may be bound to naught, and estranged
from

save

all

Him.

If

receives boons without

fully,

he

is

purified of

the defects

becomes

its

of

for a

his

instructor

suffers

If

patiently,

he

he endures cheer-

all evils.

Again, God's love

of

he

toil.

man makes him aware

desire- nature,

and censor.

so

that

he


56

The
God

for

following

of a man's love

the signs

are

1.

Being given to prayer and seclusion.

2.

According

Word

to

human

others, preferring the

to

words,

Divine

the

God

the sight of man, the Service of

world

of the

and not grieving

Divine

Presence to
to the service

any

for

loss save

separation from Him.

Junnaid: Not

being tired

According to a certain Sage:

Avoiding

According to

3.

in

His Service.
4.

sins.
It is

dangerous to assert one's love

The word
from " Hibba"
life,

as

it

seed

is

put

"Mahabbat"
(a seed.)

that

there

is

into

the

for

(love)

God.
derived

is

germ of

The

seed

lies

the real plant.

soil,

lies

is

the

concealed

The

therein,

and receives sun and rain, heat and cold, without

any [apparent) change. When the time comes,
it sprouts, flowers, and fructifies.
So, when Love
takes

root in

absence, joy

the heart,

with equanimity.

Devotion

makes

it

bears

presence

and

and sorrow, union and separation,

is

the perfection of Love.

servant,

Worship

knowledge makes a knower,

abstinence makes an ascetic, sincere seeking makes

an earnest aspirant,

sacrifice

of

all

the

world


(.

makes a Friend,

self-sacrifice

perishable and

the

57

;;

makes

a Lover, losing

imperishable elements of

self

Beloved makes a Devotee.

in the

It has been said

Devotion is born of the
Light of the Presence of the Eternal Beloved. It
:

like

is

his

of lightning, illuminating the eye

flash

Devotee, speaking to his ear, enlivening

of the

movements, and alienating him from

world

so

that

his

not

are

acts

works of impersonal

others, but are

the

all

for self

nor for

Devotion

to

the Beloved.

Devotion

and the next

shine

as

presence for
I

speak

in

is

"

perception.

beyond words,

am

conquer

its

in

am

every

hear

The

is

bow

my

yet

unperceived

every

ear

following extract

verily Myself,

yet,
;

as

My

Letters 46 to 48,

from Faw&ed-i-Rukni

appropriately find place here.

As prayers and

is

in

cannot be found therein".

may

atom,

astral

world

tongueless and earless

every thing in the Universe

like

this

without arrow or

very brightness

every tongue,

strange to say,

all

sun

the

and

intellect,

Devotion, beyond

T'rj,

fasts are the outer duties, so

Love

and Devotion are the inner duties. Their ingredients are pain and sorrow. Devotion leads the devotee to

God.

the Path.

Hence Devotion

Know

Devotion as

is

necessary to tread

Life,

its

absence as

58

The

death.

privilege of Devotion

not granted to

is

man deserve it.

his God he who

He who

every man, nor does every

deserves

deserve

it is

it is

worthy of

unworthy of Him.

Devotee alone

can appreciate the value of Devotion.

titude seek after heaven, while very few

Devotion

for

while Devotion

Get

heaven
is

rid of the

does not

is

vast mul-

seek after

the lot of the desire-nature,

the lot of the Soul.

notion of selfhood, and

thy self to Devotion.

When

thou hast done

up

give

thou

so,

hast reached the Goal.

Dost thou know why so many obstacles have

up on the Path

been

set

may

gradually develope

In order that the

see the Beloved without a

devotee

and be able

strength,

to

veil.

The boat on the sea [of life]

Boatman is the Divine Grace.

Devotion

is

the

Seeking God.
Nothing is more binding upon you than to seek
If you come
If you go to market, seek Him.
home, seek Him. If you enter a tavern, seek Him.
God.

If the

Angel of Death come

neglect the Seeking.

I

do mine." ....

you

to you, take care not to

Tell him,
If

"Do thou thy

you be taken down

shall not neglect the Seeking.

Say

work,

to

to the

hell,

Angel

59

"

of Hell,

Strike

my

useless personality with

the

whip of chastisement I, on my part, tread the Path

If you
of Seeking " so that the Work may go on.
:

are taken up to Heaven, do not look to the hooris

and

but speed on

palaces,

the

Way

of Seeking.

me both the worlds,

have them without Thy Presence."

"

Tho' they

offer

will

not

The first stage on the Path of Seeking is HumiThe Great Ones say 'Humility is the messenger from God to man.' Sown in the heart, it impels
lity.

God.

to

Practised

some

for

time,

it

turns into

Masters unanimously hold that Love

cannot put up save with the Courage of the Disciple.
Coiirage.

Practised for
ing.

some

This Seeking

secrets

Courage turns into Seek-

time,
led

is

by the Divine Will to the

" There is no God

of [the holy formula],

except Allah."

The drum

of Seeking

at the gate of the Divine Sanctuary, "

God

obtains Him."

cry resounds

sky nor earth, heaven nor

My

hell,

proclaims

He who
"

seeks

Let neither

hinder the Path of

Seekers, for they seek Me, and

am their Goal."

These are the steps on the ladder of human progress.

Each pilgrim has his own stage, according to
his aspiration.

The
and

vigilant Seeker should

self-respect

with

kill

out self-conceit

asceticism and purification,

transcend both the worlds, and be ready to lose his

life.

It is

unlawful for him to aspire after anything

60

"One does not

in the universe.

unless one parts with

unite with the All,

all."

It is said

When Adam was

Law commanded him

lodged

away from

while the Path dictated to him to turn

all.

Adam

said unto himself. "This Paradise

is full

my

heart

of wonders, and
longs to
serve

visit

my

am

its

purpose."

Adam,

'

Yes," answered

But

lord.

the abode of sorrow

"

lordship will not

spoke to

voice

his spirit,

thou remove to a foreign country

wilt

Adam,

" for I

The voice said, " Do this work here."

The other is more important." The voice

tofore, Paradise

vants.

home

Now

Adam

Adam:

"I

for

accept

all

Adam

Hereser-

the abode of condemnation,

poverty,

reputation for disgrace."

these,

and

will

my

proclaim

So

freedom throughout the universe."

said that

"

exchange the

have to

shalt

of peace for

the crown

and the angels have been thy

thou

?"

have something to

do."
"

the

Paradise,

in

not to approach the Tree,

it

cannot be

was deprived of Paradise, but

ther that Paradise was deprived of

Adam.

ra-

Letter

50.

The

w.\y to God.

Khwftja BAyazid was

way to God ?" He replied
vanished on the Way,

t/icn

asked
:

''

"

When

hast thou

What
t/iou

come

is

the

hast

to God."

Mark

this

If

one

6i

Way

attached to the

cannot

how can one attached to self see God ?

When the Sun of Divine Knowledge rises, all
modes of knowledge become ignorance
when
Divine aspiration appears, all desires melt away
Whoever is bound to his exterior his turban,
see God,

his robe, the

Thou

thereof.

or the
as

and colour of

size

garment

his

is

attached to the personality and a worshipper

still

Law

you

canst

serve

either

two contraries cannot

hanker

so long as you

after

So long

and

approbation

become angry

personality

unite.

an

at

dignity

insult,

you

are with your old genius and self-conceit, and have

accepted by

been

not

sacrifice yourself in

the

You should
To no purpose do

Law.

the SELF.

you change your dress and

food.

single blade of grass in a lifetime,

If

you eat a

remain clad

in

a single garment for a thousand years, are shut up

in

monastery away from the sight of men,

beware,

lest

you should be deluded.

All these are

but the subtleties of the desire-nature,

and

Many

pious

men

cunning

are as motionless as a serpent

or a scorpion frozen

not due

to

opportunity.

rectitude

with cold.

and

...

Their piety

No

is

purity, but to lack of

When summer comes

surroundings change, one

do

its

craft.

may

in

and the

behold what they

one can safely tread the Path with-


62

out a Guide
not a

....

is

dangerous

Path

come

As

Such a

for his safety.

reflecting the light of the

fit

is

like

travel in utter darkness,

coming from the Masters, who,

that

is

dazzling than the Sun, in order

less

to illumine the

moon

He

bear the light of the Sun.

folly to

he needs a light

is

In the beginning, a disciple

recipient of the Divine Light.

fit

a bat, unable to
it

of

reflectors

the

sun

],

Spiritual

light

like

the

have beLight.

Letter 5/.

Speech and Conduct.

All learned

have gathered

men

base conduct on speech.

The Masters

of hearing and speaking.

They

through the avenues

their learning

of Truth

have received Their Knowledge through divine

inspiration, which depends on following the Law.

With Them, knowledge does not depend upon

words or speech.
tongue.
follow

words.

It

has no connection with the

Knowledge is that which makes a man

Secular learning deals with
the Law.

Knowledge

deals with Truth, and

to be found save in the region

province of the tongue

limited.

is

of the

letters,

Real.

is

not

The

and they are

Knowledge comes from the Heart, and

the Heart does not perish.

God

has not given

63

Knowledge

to

whereas

all,

He

speech from any. Knowledge

desire and leads to God.
to the gratification

of

is

has not

withheld

that which controls

That which contributes

and leads to the

desire

courts of chiefs and oppressors

is

not Knowledge,

Knowledge makes one humble and

from ostentation and disputes
The

but a snare.
frees

....

end of

all

learning

is

the beginning of Disciple-

ship.

The Jirsi robe worn by a Disciple consists

self. The second robe consists

coming out of the

setting

no value on what he heretofore took

divine,

so

all

the

that

things in him.

in

as

flame of Discipleship burns

Then, he begins to see lights and

charming words, leading

utter

in

admiration of others.

This

to self-conceit

is

and the

a snare of the desire-

Here comes in the

him cross this stage
and bring him from stagnation to motion. Thus
Hence is it
ligkf is a thicker veil than darkness.
nature, and

stops his progress.

necessity of a Teacher to help

Wise

that the

are

dumb and

opinion of the people.

difficulties of

blind, unaffected

Hence

is it,

by the

again, that the

a Disciple cannot be solved by a learn-

ed man, as the

latter is

but versed in religion, while

the difficulties of the former are connected with the

Path.

It

learned,
will

is

as

useless for a Disciple to follow the

the

dicta

of the latter are concerned

outer conduct, while he has to deal with the


64

inner

The one

life.

tion of self

the other seeks salvation for the self

The

through knowledge,
is

to gather

store in his

business of the learned

up what has been left by others, and

bosom the knowledge of the past. The
Disciple

of the

business

preparing for the destruc-

is

throw away and

to

is

renounce what he has, and to unlearn what he has

So they

learned.

and cannot

are opposites

be

Letter 2.

reconciled in any way.

Magnanimity.

progress at

One whose

all.

go beyond heaven,

Wise hold
world

is

according

fit

aspiration does not

for

this battle.

own

one's

to

....

and try

not on an

The

wishes,

befits

his

infidel.

In short, a mag-

disciple should first of all tread

nanimous
life,

not

that the desire to have everything in the

woman, not a man

own

magnanimity makes no

disciple lacking in

own

sword on

his

For the

infidel

upon

his

desire-nature,

can only hurt

the body, and plunder earthly possessions

whereas

the desire-nature injures the very root of religion

and destroys

faith

Be on the
due caution,
It

is

for

said

....

alert,

Time

and take no step

is

When

Path, the Chief of the

a penalty to the
a

man

Evil

without
heedless.

wishes to enter the

Ones, Satan, seizes


^s

his

and says

skirt

Monotheism
"

thou

in without

the

and sincere Earnestness,

Robe

of

lop

oflF

"...

Should thy

would

bear the Cross of Curse for

any dare come

If

his feet.

"

no unclean fellow may enter the

this work, that

Path.

tell

atom

each

see

eyes unfold,

inner

thee a hundred secrets.

march goes on

advancing.

ever

absorbed in the march

every atom

Then wouldst

thou art blind

There

in thee as well.

All

are

and

the

is

no

limit

Such has been, there is

no help." From highest heaven to lowest abyss,
all
things are seeking and striving.
It is the

to the progress of

wicked

man

LOVE.

alone

who

enemy, and cut himself

has

off

made peace with

the

from the Beloved.

Letter jj.

Knowledge.
Knowledge
what ablution

,is

is

to purification

to prayer.

No

without knowledge, as no prayer

and asceticism

practice
is

is

possible

possible without

ablution

Knowledge
teachers
soul.

and

is

Again the
(i)

of two kinds

kind

latter

The Knowledge

Divine Sanctuary into

5

that received from

and that unfolded

books,

is

twofold

transmitted

in

the

from

the


66

is

(a)

The Soul

called

Wahi ,*

(6)
is 1

ba

The Soul

of a Prophet.

Such Knowledge

of a Master.

Such Knowledge

(inspiration).

The knowledge transmitted into

The Soul of a Master from a Prophet.
[d) The Soul of a Disciple from a Master.
As a Master sees God in the Soul of a Prophet,
a Disciple sees God in the Soul of a Master.
(2)

(a)

so

as the tablet of thy

So long

"

impression of

letters,

meanings.

heart

thou dost not

When

bears the

know any

of the

the

letters

completely

vaoish from the tablet of thy

heart,

then comes

secret

the knowledge of the secret meanings."

Knowledge
is

ration,
tial

is

the key to

all virtues,

as ignorance

Knowledge ushers in libeignorance brings in destruction. The celes-

the key to

all vices.

ranks and abnormal sacred powers spring from

knowledge
hell result

chastisements in the various grades

So the

from ignorance.

faithful

of

should

shun ignorance and the ignorant in the same way

" A wise man is my friend,
as vice and infidelity.

aud a

fool is

my

foe."

As ignorance and

rant are to be avoided, so

knowledge and the

is it

company

the igno-

obligatory to seek

of

the

wise

not

worldly knowledge, but the moral; not the worldly

*

revelation received from

Gabriel) 7"r*.

God through an Angel

mostly

67

wise but the morally wise.

thoughtlessly,

ledge

you

gaining worldly position.

" If

you acquire know-

it as a means of
True Knowledge is that

use

will

which leads to the Divine Sanctuary, not that which

leads to wealth, rank and passional gratifications.'

The company

of a

Sage

day

for a

cive to progress than purification

is
more conduand asceticism.

Letter 55.
[

The following note may

0/28 Letters." Trs.

Series

be added from

"

The

Real knowledge comes from the Soul, and a

true

knower

final

Knowledge.

and more
Letter

is

he

subtile

whom

in

lies

The purer

comprehensions.

its

Loc.

Git.,

6.

The Steps
The

first

step

is

of a Disciple.

Religion

the disciple has fully paid the

and aspires

to

fully

S hari
demand
(

go beyond, the Path

pears before him.

he has

the original and

the Soul, the deeper

It is

the

way

When

at.)

of Religion,

Tar

q a

t)

ap-

When

to the Heart.

observed the conditions of the

Path,

and aspires to soar higher, the veils of the Heart are

It is
rent, and Truth (H a q i q a t) shines therein.
the way to the Soul, and the Goal of the Seeker.
Broadly speaking, there are four stages

sdt,

Malakdt, Jabarlit

and

Lah

t,

S-

each

68

leading to the next.

flsflt

and functions through the

is

the animal nature,

five senses^

contacting, seeing, hearing and the

disciple

controls

necessity,

e. g.,

eating,

When

like.

the

senses to the limit of bare

the

and transcends the animal nature by

Ma

and asceticism, he reaches

purification

the region

The

of the angels.

are prayers to God.

When

he

is

a k u

duties of this stage

not proud of these,

he transcends this stage and reaches J a b a r fl t

the region of the Soul. No one knows the Soul but
with the divine help

and Truth, which

sion, baffles description

and

cends these by forgetting

h d

The

duties

stage are love, earnestness, joy, seeking,

of this

extasy and insensibility.

La

man-

is its

allusion.

the

t,

When

the pilgrim trans-

self altogether,

unconditioned

he reaches

Here words

state.

fail.

Religion
the heart

is for

Truth

the desire-nature

desire-nature from

NSsflt

the Path, for

Religion leads the

for the Soul.

to

MalakOt,

and

The Path leads the

Heart from Malakflt tojabarfit, and trans-

transmutes

mutes
r

it

it

into

into Soul.

Heart.

Truth leads the Soul from

The

to the Divine Sanctuary.

transmute the desire-nature into

into

Soul,

J a

b a-

work is to
Heart, the Heart
real

and to unify the three into one.

"

The

Lover, the Beloved and Love are essentially ONE."

This

is

absolute monotheism

....


69

"

The motive

of the faithful

is

superior to their

Acts by themselves are of no value

acts."

importance
It

is

the

the heart.

lies in

said that the traveller on the divine Path

has three states

Love.

(3)

Action.*

(i)

These three

enced unless God

wills

it

(2)

are

states

Knowledge.
not

experi-

But one should work

so.

He

and

wait.

He

will

do

verily

He

looks

neither

to

the destruction

what

has

willed.

nor to the

salvation of any one.

One who

wishes to arrive at the Truth must

No

serve a Teacher.

one can transcend the bond-

age and darkness of desires unless he, with the

help of the Divine Grace, comes under the
tion of a perfect

Teacher knows.
ing to
suited

except
ture,

from

his

to

and experienced Teacher.

He

will

capacity,

and

will

There

is

evil spirits

no God

in his na-

be cut off

All the world seeks to tread the

his heart.

Path.

the

prescribe remedies

be firmly established

and the ingress of the

Divine

As

teach the disciple accord-

his ailments, so that "

Allah"

protec-

But each knows according to

his

inner purity, each seeks and aspires according to

his

knowledge, and each treads the Path according

to his seeking

and

aspiration.

Letters 56

<Sr 57.

[The following extracts from " A Series of aS

Letters " may throw further light on the subject.
'^

lit.,

walking or moviDg.


70

The S

a f

ba

if

they

fl

Mu

are

not

astro- mental,

a h

fl

a k u

the

to,

physical,

planes

spiritual

literature.

J a-

t,

correspond

with,

and

causal

Ma

t,)

fi

severally

identical

modern Theosophical
It is

k (or

and

of

Trs.]

not permitted to give out the knowledge

through

gained

supersensuous

much only can be recorded

The objects of the senses

This

vision.

Mu

the plane of

Ma

a k

fl t

constitute

by

those cognised

the

kfit

is

The

all

the

visible,

a-

super-

is

subtlety of this world

Ma

cannot bear comparison with that of

Ma

of

potentialities

Jabarflt

supersensuous, the

is

supersensuous

constitute

ofJabarOt;

beings constitute the plane

In other words, this world

world

this

intellect

a k u

t,

with that of J a b a r u t,
nor the subtlety ofjabarut with that of the Holy

the subtlety of

J a

ba

fl

is

not an

permeated by

is

Ma

atom of

a k

There

Essence Divine.
world but

a k

fl

but

is

Ma

cious of

fi t

but

Him.

permeate

all

is

Ma

(i t

a k

this

not kn

Jab ali

and

permeated by God, and cons-

Being the most

for

atom of
a k

permeated by

not an atom of this world,

r

subtile,

He must

the greater the subtlety,

greater the quality of permeation.

Now

understand the meaning of the verse:

with thee wherever thou

art,

and

in

the

you may

"God

is

thy very beings


71

Him

though thou mayest not see

thee than the nerve of thy neck."

that

is

is it

mirror of

the Divine Essence.

It

further lest exotericism

may

mob

before the

the

all

Loc.

cit.,

Letter

"

censure.

Utter

not

thou art a true devotee

if

Hast thou not seen that

?"

Man

Mysteries of

not permitted to go

is

a n s Q

with devotion, uttered a secret and

death

to

said

and God

True

with thee, and that the

all

the focus and

secrets

is

MaUikut, Jabarflt

world,

this

Himself are

He

nearer

Hence

intoxicated

r,

was

put

to

2.

Islam.

Isl^m

other than

is

the

lower nature.

So

long as the lower impulses do not yield to purity,

The

the heart has no affinity with Islam.

investi-

gators of Truth give to the bundle of the impulses

the

with

name
its

The

of 'the desire-nature'.

limbs and joints

is

outer body

not dangerous, but

is

simply a horse to carry the directions of the Law.

God

says

palace.

So long
vex

it.

'
:

He

sent

us a horse from

Let us ride on
as

it

carries

If it

us punish

it

and come

His mighty
to the

Path

attempts to transgress the Law,

body.

'.

His directions we should not

with the whip of asceticism, so that

may come back

line of the

it

to the path.

But

if

This

man

is

let
it

the discip-

pricks his limb

72

with a pin, saying that he thereby subdues the

desire-nature, he

is

Many ignorant

a sinner.

and

labour under a delusion

fellows

foolishly take self-

By no means
Law and common-sense.

torture as an important discipline.

transgress the limit of the

The body

a valuable horse, and

is

divine charges.

to carry the

fit

the desire-nature, and not the

It is

body, which deserves rooting out and chastisement.

The world is arrayed

God and the party

into

party of

and see

A
God,

to which

threatened

No

said, "

promised the

with

parties,

the

Look

well

you belong

Knower has
unless

two

of Satan.

one comes to worship

bribe of heaven

the torture

of

This

hell."

and
in-

dicates an indifference to Monotheism.

It

is

On

said

an

Id day' Shibll

mourning and clad

is

Id

the

plied

day.

"I see all

in black.

Why

this

day over

hast

"

This

become inured

are

is

aware of God.

their heedlessness."

the gate of Divine

to

The Mabammadan

heedlessness,

of desires.

featiTal

mourn

brother, thou

Knowledge and

with the gratification

fast. rr/.

told

you so clad?" Heremen rejoicing and clad in new suits,

but not one of them

the Saint was seen

He was

hast
art

barred
content

Rest assured,

day at tht end of the BamiaD


73

long as thou

so

dost

put off

oot

thy desires,

thou canst not put on the robe of Faith

thou

as

thy

Faith cannot come to thee as thy

foe,

so

long

look upon the desire-nature as

not

dost

friend

so long as thou dost not cease thy connection

with

thou canst not see the

Satan,

beauty

of

"
so long as thon
no God save A
ft h
dost not turn from the world, thou canst not

*'

There

is

1 1

approach the Path of Purity.

Since the Lord

come
"

go.

since the

There

is

thy Origin, thou hast not

is

Lord

is

thy Goal, thou

no God save

can be separated from the

to

non-God.

Infinite,

Since the Origin

is

h."

ft

wilt

not

Nothing

and attached
from Him, the

End is verily in Him. Separation and union,

coming and going, are thus unreal. This is a long
Discreet silence

story.

is

here absolutely neces-

L etter 8.

sary.

The Noble Qualities

Noble

qualities

were

in the

beginning of crea-

Adam, who left them as a legacy to

Prophets.
Mohammad, the head of the Pro-

tion given to

other

phets, received

them

in

qualities were allotted

down
ent

to his followers
.

His

turn.

to Satan

Similarly,

evil

who handed them

the proud and the

disobedi-

Since the Noble Qualities are the precious

74

Adam

legacy of
coration

Noble

is

Mohammad, no garment

to

better for the faithful

They

Qualities.

or de-

than that of the

upon harmony

are based

with the Divine Will and the Prophet's Life.

One

should curb one's temper,

embitter the

of others.

life

lest

One

One

should

One should

and of controlled tongue.

cheerful,

always salute others.

it

should ever be

should be charitable,

and abstain from slander, abu-ive words and un-

One

truthtulncss.

deeds

One

injunctions.

from

free

should adapt one's words and

eating and sleeping) to the scriptural

(e.g.

the

should ever be magnanimous and

taints

of miserliness, hatred, greed

and suspicion. One should do one's best

at all times the virtues possessed

and

flee

from

to practise

by the Prophet,

vices.

The Prophet has said " Seek him who flees from
thee forgive him who injures thee
give to him
:

who

does not give to thee."

Thir Prophet always

concealed

the

defects

of

the faithful, and bore injuries and reproaches to pro-

pagate Religion.

He

did

not

He w^s

never angry for himself.

tolerate flattery, neglect, or silence in

He helped the friends when

He worked for a servant in the
family, when the latter was
He accepted the
invitations and presents of others.
He never
found fault with any unprohibited food. He used
the service of Truth.

they were disabled.

ill.

75

Law sometimes

any garment allowed by the

sometimes

blanket,
a

worn out

cotton

ass.

Sometimes he walked on

foot,

He

slept

without shoes, wrapper, turban or cap.

mat

on a

without

power

miraculous

bedding.

He had no

His virtues

were

Many an

guarantee of His godliness.

just as he

some-

rode

on a camel, some-

times on a horse, sometimes

times on an

He

garment.

sometimes

wrapper,

silk

sufficient

unbeliever,

saw Him, would exclaim, "This

is

not

the face of a hypocrite," and swear allegiance to

Islam

without asking for miracle or argument.

The Noble
and

He who

insight.

are based on

Qualities
is

by

fettered

selt-conceit

Hence

cannot be expected to purify his nature.

the

should

pilgrim

the

use

Prophet.

insiglit

He

to

knowledge

acquire

the

guard

the

should

virtues

of

virtues

he has been endowed with, and acquire

those he
cism,

lacking in by seii-exertion

is

Most of the

virtues

been ordered

to

trained, perfected,

shows within

him

all

refers

to strive therefor
is

a mirror who,

and cleansed of impurities

tiie

Divine Attributes of

and the purpose of

to this very

Man

construction and disintegration.

his divinity

ascetisaints).

can be acquired, and we have

by the Scriptures

the limit of our powers.

when

{t. e.

and the company of the

service,

Then he
his

life.

fact in these lines

"It

realises

A
is

Sage
thou


7^

who
art

the Divine

art

Scripture

Royal

mirror of the

the

thee there

is

naught

in

the

Beauty.
universe

who
Beyond

thou

is

it

seek

thy

Letter 5p.

object within thyself, for thou art that."

Contemplation.
The Prophet has restricted the use of contemplation to the Works of God, not to His Nature and
Thinking on God may soon end in
Attributes.
In

unbelief.

order

that

thought

may

work,

its

object must be limited, and the Divine Nature and

Attributes are unlimited.

Hence a student should

contemplate on the objects of Creation, noticing

impermanence,
[relative] permanence and
and realising the position and changes of each in
aspect.
He will thus be led to
its phenomenal

their

the knowledge of the Creator.

should

[while

Hence the Seeker

not neglecting outward activities,

holy recitations and other duties] contemplate from

time

to

time on

Creation

of the Creator therein

on

seeing

the

his desires,

and the body; he should enquire

Wisdom

on the heart

into his stages

from the beginning of Creation to its end, and study

His contemplation should be
his own character.
in conformity with Religion, based

upon knowledge

and experience, and irrespective of considerations

of gain and loss, so that he may develop insight.


77

Right contemplation achieves

"

has said,

Contemplation

The Prophet

an hour

for

time the

a short

in

and worship.

results of long practice

is

better

than [formal] worship for sixty years."

As

range of the outer vision

the

men, so

dififerent

Some

inner vision.
as

as

far

perfect

see as far as

with

Heaven, some

Divine Throne.

the

differs

the case with insight, or the

is it

few have the

insight which pierces through

all

Creation

to the Creator.

The end

of contemplation

is

knowledge and the acquisition

the advancement of
of

wisdom.

When

the heart developes knowledge and wisdom, there

is

a change

in

condition.

its

With

that change,

comes a change in conduct as well, and the

man turns. With the turning, he begins to tread
the Path. Treading attracts him to God. Then a
there

may carry him to a

men and genii by exertion

current of Divine attraction

stage inaccessible to

and asceticism.

thou longest and dost not succeed, be not

for, as the Great Lord has said, "Asking
dejected
If

is

for

men, acceptance

for

God."

Letter 60.


78

Renunciation.

The^rsf duty incumbent upon

practice of

Ta

present

quit

rid and

possessions

outer and inner.

the other,

The second duty

care for the morrow.

Seeker

Ta f rid. The

order

that

to cease to

seclusion,

is

Outer seclusion consists

thou mayest give up thy

Divine threshold
the

sing
^

to

is

in flying

from the world and turning thy face to the

in

the

is

one

life

wall,

on the

inner seclusion consists in clean-

heart of

all

thoughts connected with the

non-God, whether the non-God be earth or heaven.

The third duty

is

at-onement

thought, which consists

think

of the

in

non-God.

in

The fourth duty

since this

triad

supports

the

is

and

practice of moderation in speech, food

much speaking is a
much sleep interferes

and

speech

ceasing to speak and

sleep,

Too

the desire-nature.

bar to holy recitations

with meditation

food brings on inertia and checks

too

much

too

the preformance

of duties.
Purity of body as well as of
at all times

mind

purity of body alotie

is

in order that the Divine Attraction

practices of all genii

necessary

may

uplift

thee

and

ascetic

and men put together.

Very

to a stage unattainable

easy to speak of

by

is

not sufficient

this,

all the efforts

but very hard the practice

79

since this practice does not

lie

with the

bodily

or-

gans or elements, but with the Heart and the Soul

which are beyond our control. The gate to the

Path is Knowledge and Wisdom. He who avoids
this gate has to plod on his way throiigh an endless
by demons, and ends by losing

forest infested

and

life

faith.

Eternal Life
It is

the

is

his

life

in Spirit

without a body.

attained by Love, not by obedience.

Servants

wait for an order and seek remedies for their

ail-

Lovers are impelled by Love and invite

ail-

ments

ments without asking

ever cries

"
,

life

lest

The Beloved
thou shouldst

am prepared from
up my life. Death is

answers,

the very beginning to give

better than a

remedy.

Stay at a distance

The Lover

perish."

for a

" I

without Thee.

The

"

life

of the

body has no value on the Path, Whoso cares for

the one has no business with the other.
Love says
to thee

"

Give up a

and I shall
At-onement.

life

which must turn into dust,

instal thee

on the throne of Glorious

Now

Although there

is

thine

"
.

no heart without love yet the

,

Love does not fall to

greedy and mean fellows, who are content

priceless treasure

the lot of

the choice

is

of Divine

with prayers and fasts, and have but given up their

earthly claims for higher honours.

Be

cheerful

passion

is

open

and hopeful,

for the

Door of Com-


80

God

has created doubt interfering with convic-

the lower nature veiling the face of Truth,

tion,

duality warring with monotheism, the alloy

ing the place of the genuine coin, a

claim-

thousand

foes

arrayed against each friend, a temple of idols facing

every mosque, a suffering balancing each blessing.
"

He

does

all this

breathe a sigh
mirror

is

but man, awe-stricken, cannot

for

His Face

On the
Taj rid and Ta f rid
Disciple.

The one

is

of

on

like a mirror,

No

self.

his back,

and a

Letter 6i.

Same.
are indispensable for

the renunciation of the world

and of outer concerns

tion

is

clouded by breathing."

the other

the renuncia-

is

impurity in his heart, no burden

no market

in his

bosom

not reckon-

ed with any class of people, not concerned with

any particular object, his aspirations soaring above

heaven and the Divine Throne, such a Dis-

earth,

The Beloved away,

all

their absence leaves

no

ciple rests in his Beloved.

the worlds cannot please

void
"

No

when He

company

there.

As

company

of

is

grief in the

of the non-God."

at the very centre of sorrow

may
One

hold the key of

all

said

by a noble

soul,

God no joy in the

One away from God is

and

suffering, albeit

he

the treasures of the earth.

attached to God, however poor,

is

king of

81

and

heaven

was wont

to pray

Thy

Will,

This

is

some

one,

O God

Sirrl

punish me,

if

Saqti
such be

way save by veiling Thyself."

.... As observed by

any

the only real hell

"

the heart

a mosque
With Thee,
the heart without Thee

With Thee, the

without Thee,

is

"

KhwajA

earth.

heaven

is

heart

is

but a shrine of idols.

'tis

a hell."
In short,

when

the Disciple realises

the Great-

ness of God, feels the pangs of His seeking,

Who

that

"

Him

loses all,"

Him

gains

gains

knows

who

all,

loses

and finds that he can dispense with

all save Him,

he then overcomes his old habits
and unfolds the vision, " I am from God and for
God." Life and death, acceptance and rejection,
praise and blame, are thenceforth equal in his
eyes.
Heaven and earth find no place in his heart.

He bows

to

Goal being

none
the

naught save God.

for food, clothes or

Divine

money. His

Sanctuary, he longs for

Letter 62.

The Clearing of the Path.

The Path should be
inherent in the lower self

have declared

"

He

all

impurities

Great Ones

that takes a step in obedience

to his desire-nature loves

cannot be a believer

cleared of

.... The

it

better than God.

how can he be

He

a Saint ?"


32

(Taubfth) can

Nothins; but const^vit tutfting-

guard the Path against the onslaughts of the desirenature.

As the ordinary soul should turn from sen-

and

suality, cruelty

soul

turn

The Sages have

virtues,

avarice, so should the

from purity, worship and

said

"

Thou must

acquire

all

When

and worship.

as truth, purity

such

developed

meditation.

thou must scatter them in the air of

Were all Prophets, Saints
supreme Indifference.
and Angels to sing the hymn of His Unity, their
We turn to God from
final chorus would end thus
acquired,

'

all

we have

said.*'

"

Art thou endowed with the purity of

Saints,

plume thyself not over

it

art

sed with a thousand shocks, seek

all

the

thou distres-

not refuge in

flight.

He

that does not burn himself here in the

Taubah

certainly deserves the

So burn thou to-day

whatever thou
or defect.

If

thorns from

in

the

knowest of

to-day thou

Or " We

fire

of

TaubAh

of

thyself,

fire

of hell-fire.

be

it

merit

dost not cast aside the

thy Path, they

arrows and pierce thy heart.

doom

retract with repeatance

will hereafcer turn into

Letter 6j.

what we hive said." 2rs.

Self-control.

The

Self-controlled

from the bondage of

is

one who has freed himself

The seven

self.

eight heavens are too narrow to

the vast expanse of

God

hells

and the

hold him

only

wide enough to receive

is

him.
If the

joy of heaven and the torture of hell

ceased to be, there would be no loss to the spiritual

aspect

were

of God.
not,

It

The kingdom

"

What

If the worlds

by a

hair's breadth.

a Vastness

would not be
of Its Glory

less
is

truly without begin-

ning or end."

Freedom from self leads to freedom from all.

So long as thou art bound to any of the .lower qualities, thou art its slave ....
The Path is a jealous
master and will not put up with any partner. So
long as

thou art a friend

to

self,

thou

art

Be then estranged from self that

The dead wall
thou mayest unite with Him.
of self cannot be pulled down save with the help of
stranger to God.

a perfect Teacher.
Self-control will not allow thee to look

any

creature,

e.

ant in thy way.

g. to tread

Wert thou

down upon

upon even the

lowliest

able to raise the veil

of ignorance from thine eyes, then wouldst thou see

each and every being seeking and adoring God.


84

The Prophet

prayed,

"Show me

things as they

His senior disciple ever praj'ed

are."

show me

truth and untruth, and help

the one and avoid the other." So

God

seeks the welfare of

me

said "When
He shows his
:

may change from

defects to him," that he

God,

to follow

it is

man.

"O

a temple

of idols into a mosque.

Rest assured that thou hast nothing but good

to expect, once self has been stripped off from thee,

So long

as thy self lies before thee, thou canst but

swell in self-respect.

that respects

of man,

Satan

whether

self,

very truth

in

whether on earth,

heaven or

in

Self-respect consists in not transcending

less

as

conceit.

duty."

the veils are,

Know
Letter

its

none

is

as

in

self.

thy

he

hell.

"End-

than

thicker

destruction

is

angel or

in the guise of

self-

foremost

64.,

Truth.

Khwaja Zunnoon
is

the

Sword of God on

of

earth.

Egypt says
It

may

"

Truth

not be laid

on anything without cutting it." Truth consists

in looking to the Actor, and not to His instruments

True Faith
save Truth

consists in ceasing to

desire

anything

8s

Once upon

a time

u n n o o n

while returning

from Jerusalem, saw a figure loom

in the distance,

and desired to question

was found to be an old

Zunnoon

a stick in her hand.

comest thou

Zunnoon

woman

old

"Whence
"From God."

said,

replied,

again enquired,

The

?"

The dame

?''

Zunnoon
go

On drawing near, it
woman clad in wool, with
it.

"

Whither dost thou

rejoined,

then offered her a gold coin.

"

To

God."

She refused

What an illusion has overcome

God and do not receive anything
As I worship Him
save what comes from Him.
and Him alone, I cannot receive what is not Himthe

self

"

saying,

gift,

thee?

work

for

Having

and comes from other than Himself."

Such

spoken thus, she vanished.

is

to be the ideal

of the aspirant.

Working
devotion.

for

God

Some

they work

for

alone

Themselves.

higher world.

consideration
joy,
"

in

The

of

pure

earth

either,

fruits

suffering

or

their

The

all

celestial

carry out the Divine Will.

shall

heaven

not receive the

virtuous often prove

virtue than

the sinners in

is

fruits

even to the measure of a barleycorn."

has been said.

ish in

Him, but

They have conquered

a place of suffering,

We

place of joy.

to

true

of

test

few work irrespective of

internal

love
is

the

but they seek for

the desires of this world,

in

is

they work for

think

a
of
It

more

self-

their

sin.

86

The

gratification of the latter

joy of the former

gain

by

by the

is

but transitory, the

permanent.

is

God does

not

He

lose

men, nor does

self-denial of

their sensual gratifications

an old adage, that the mere description of

It is

a savoury dish only intensifies the misery of hunger.

Take an onward

step

and give up your

As God

is

if

you can

your head

ONE, a true believer must

essentially

be a monotheist.

lose

life.

Look

proof of this in the

holy Logion, one half of which, " There is no God,"

separates

[the

the other half,

One

God].

believer
"

Save

for the

from the non-God], while

Alia

h,"

God

in

unites with

He who

renunciation of the non-God.

have Faith should look at

heart
If

it

unites

his

longs

for

do

A
to
'

is

If his

genuine.

him weep over

it,

is

about

men

claim

or

so.

certain Great

love,

loving

love

let

Either he has already lost

his faith.

claims to

heart.

anything save God, and shrinks

from the means of Divine Union,

to

own

from the non-God, his claim

flies

[him with

proportion to one's

'

but

if

One

turns out to

consists

desires. If

in

has said

the claim

mean

"All

carefully scrutinised,

is
'

being loved.'

"

one looks

6^,

all

for the gratification of a desire,

one plays the part of the beloved, not of the

Letter

True

the complete renunciation of

lover.

87

The Descent from Adam.

The pilgrim justifies his descent from Adam
when he enters tlie Heart. Now he has finished
By the
the Turning, and begins his Pilgrimage.
virtue of his complete Turning, anything coming
in contact with

This

him undergoes a change.

.

is

This explains the

the power of Transmutation.

phenomena of transmutation wrought by many

Darveshes

{e.

g. the

ous beverage).
his

may

pilgrim

lawfully lay

hand on the imperial treasury, and use the

wealth of kings.
circumstances.
that a
if

change of wine into an innocu-

Such

(Religious
It

injunctions

reported

is

young man came

the

in

of

Ramzan.

He

oil in

The companions

confused, and asked,

of God,

that

"

of

How

you allowed

the fast

"No." Next followed

said,

an old man who put the same question.

"Yes."

traditions

Prophet and asked

to the

he could lawfully take a certain

month

vary with

in

is

He

Prophet

the
it,

said,

were

Messenger

one case what

the

you prohibited in the other." He replied " The

one was a young man, and I was afraid of the fire
the other was an old man, and I did
of his youth
:

not apprehend any danger

for him.")

take to the outer conduct without

the inner stage, court their

own

Rut those who

having reached

ruin.

Such a stage

must have the sanction of Divine Authority.

S8

A
all

time comes to the Master of the Heart, when

His limbs become

part

of his body,

cast

aside,

as

e.

a nail or a hair, should be

g.,

partakes of the sanctity of the

it

The broken

Heart.

hairs of the

Prophet were divi-

ded by His companions as a precious

....

themselves
sharing

among

to the

amongst

gift

arose the practice of

The

practice

is

mere sham

if

not a Master.

is

He who
the Heart,

Hence

disciples the pieces of the teacher's

worn-out mantle.
the teacher

No

(as sacred as] the Heart.

has completed the Turning and reached

is

Only such

a Master.

honour of a

leader,

not

a one

entitled

is

one who

below

is

this stage.

Question

How to distinguish the real

from a mere pretender

Answer

The true

Seeker has an inner eye

He

enabling him to recognise a real Master.

not be attracted to a pretender.
hold that

each

different kinds of animals flock together,

if

turn

will

fall

to

on

away from what

The

would

Dost thou not be-

different kinds of food be placed

and

Master

his
is

meant

true Seeker also

them,

before

own appropriate food and

is

for others

known

as such

as

inner eye opens to the vision of the Master

his

and

he receives the nourishment suited to

his aspiration.

The Master

He

begins to work on him.

is

[as one]


89

dead, and the Master gives him a wash

him

of

purifying

This purification

undesirable elements.

all

completes the Turning. Then he begins his journey

on the Divine Path

which

the Pilgri-

called

is

mage.
This
(*.

e.

is

not devotion as ordinarily understood

prayer,

a Master

fast,

almsgiving,

is in itself

is its fruit.

Devotion

progress on the Path

brief prayer, a day's fast, or a simple

performed

charity,

Master's direction,

given

or

in

given in response to the

As

a qualification

call

gifts,

it is

performed or

seek to get

not possible to get rid

of old habits and purify the dross without

vice of a Master, since
ledge, gradually

ments, and
"

There

is

He

drive

out the host of the

and destroys thy

ser-

Know-

evil ele-

realisation

of

Alia h."

Continue thy seeking

Itself,

the

alone can, by His

help one towards the

no God save

long

of the desire-nature.

the Path,

for

of old habits. But

obedience to

beneficial than

more

are

protracted prayers, or splendid

rid

Allegiance to

etc.).
;

till

the Seeking unveils

self in

the Disciple has nothing to do

Thee.
:

Henceforth

the Seeking will

him on.
So long as thou seekest any but the Beloved, no

Itself lead

Seeker art thou.

S

How

then canst thou be wholly

This refers to the practice of washing the dead body before

burial or cremation

Irt.


90

His

By wholly

He
He

turning to Him.

to have thousands of friends, for

The Sun

alike.

all

Hindu and Turk

can afford
can

for His range

Him, All the worlds

Him, yet He does not lose in the

are

thyself to

To

Our

means does not

end

or the final ob-

This

Love

perfection.

with foes

is

a possible misun-

even ought to be loved as connected

foes

with the Lord.

its

is

not a division of love, but

a peculiar state: friendship

is

Abu

possible only here.

peace be on him

said

to a party

against the unbelievers,

"

Would

His sake.

The

"

one

{_i.e.

might

If a

i.

man

e.

war

whom

the

ye would

his attention

Divine Love

loves

Prophets and the Masters

from

) is

by no means

God, he must love the

nay,

if

he ponders

he must love all as connected with Him,

universe

to

lick

The real object of love ought to be only

God ), but loving others as subservient to

the final object

harmful.

Abba s

care of a scholar for pen and

paper cannot be said to divert

learning.

marching

dust of the feet of the unbelievers

kill for

by

benefited

love a thing as a

interfere with the love for the

ject.

the

least.

Here one should guard against

derstanding.

But

feel

wholly expose

thou

rays unless

west,

unlimited.

is

thou art limited in capacity, and canst not

warmth of His

reach

with ail east and

is

is

His work and

is

"Duality does not approach

certainly

Thy

well,

All the

Himself.

Sanctuary: the

whole world
verse

But

91

Thy Energy. The UniThy Presence; all is the

Thyself and

shadow of

the

is

result of

certain

is

Thy mighty Workmanship."

if it

be the Divine Will to put an end to a

work of

His,

using

thou as a devotee must destroy

thee as
it,

instrument,

and none should

accuse thee of lack of respect for His work. This

is a very high stage.
If
and His

Mohammad

blessed companions killed the unbelievers, they did

so

in

obedience to the Divine Will.

not to seek his

own

pleasure.

The

lover has

Letter 66.

Confidence.

The S
observes:

fi

fi

trusts

in

"He who does

Divine Illumination."

God.

KhwSja Yahia

not trust

God cannot receive

God deals

Explanation:

with a man according to his expectations. One

who suspects Him cannot receive any light. Again,
it is a friend who is trusted, and it is "a foe who is
Suspicion invites hostility; confidence,

suspected.
love,

There

is

a distinction, however, between mere

One

groundless hope and reasonable expectation.

obey the Divine Commands

but
reasonably expect the Divine Grace
a vain hope for one guilty of commis-

who endeavours

may
it

is

to


92

sions
hell

and omissions to expect exemption from

and enjoyment of heaven.
So it is
,

wise to check the accounts of the

and prepare

for

death

the desire-nature and

and

it

hope

desire-nature,

foolish to follow

is

the

for

remission

of

Letter 67.

sins.

Pursuit and Renunciation.

5s differ as to

whether

renounce wordly pursuits.

the)'

should follower

Complete renunciation

only permitted at a very high stage,

is

i.

e.

that of

absolute unity and perfect trust in God.

Working

He

for

began with Adam.

livelihood

and taught cultivation to his

The Prophet S h o a b was a merchant

cultivated lands

children.

and possessed
herd.

If

trust in

cattle.

work

Moses

interfered

served as His shep-

with

the

principle

of

God, the Prophets would not have worked

for a livelihood.

against

Mohammad

warned

abuse of the principle of

the

his friends
trust,

and

ever kept in store a year's provision for his children.

Work

another
off

is

a duty for him

who has

to support

but he should work so as not to be cut

from God.

Each should look

to

his

circumstances

and

inner attitude, in order to decide whether he should


93

work or cease from work. If ceasing

him from God, work should be resorted
ceasing leads him to God, work should be
to

resort

separates
to

if

left aside.

Work
to

as

as lawful

is

more you

pray, the

prayer and

more you

look for your salvation therefrom

You
the

but

dualism.

should adore for the glorification of

God and

on

work

is

His Grace

for

than

better

to be looked

up

but you should

love,

your salvation.

renunciation

the work, but rather the Divine

sible,

is

strengthening of your

rely

The

fast.

the better

fast,

it

is

(b) to pull

is

not
is

to as Providence.

dangerous

may beg

however,

it

Grace, which

Dervesh should avoid begging as

as

Similarly,

but

down

in

many

(a) to gratify his

his personality

the world as the Divine steward.

far as pos-

respects.

He,
hunger ....
(c) knowing

It

is

more

in

keeping with the ceremonious glorification of the

Lord to ask of His steward than of Himself.
Letter 6g.

The Company of the

Holy company
the pupil.

It

is

is

Saints.

an important discipline for

very effective in conquering na-

Hence is
binding upon

down by
The

ture and habit.

it

.Saints as

a disciple.

laid

the holy
rationale

":

of

it

The

this.

is

94

desire-nature consists of certain

ingrained tendencies, and

dencies of one's

"Men

is

says

follow the religion of their friends, so they

company"

should always be careful of their

that a man, while going round

It is said

prayed

by the ten-

affected

The Prophet

associates.

"

Lord,

make my

Others asked him,

"Why

brothers

K&b

ft,

virtuous.

dost thou pray for thy

brothers at this sacred spot, and not for thyself?"

He

replied

to them,

"I

are virtuous,

return

elevate

As my

are vicious.
I

have brothers who, when

me by their virtues if they

and degrade me by their vices if they

will

righteousness rests on theirs,

pray for them, that they

may

me

help

in reach-

ing the Goal."

Mali k

(Peace on

Him

!)

says

ciate with a brother or a friend,

"Do not

unless

asso-

you would

thereby advance the cause of Religion.

To

asso-

any other object is absolutely forbidden."

.Explanation: If you associate with a superior, he
ciate with

will

you by

benefit

with an

inferior,

his presence

if

you associate

you should benefit him by teach-

ing him religion and morality, and yourself too

by learning something

Company

is

useful he

may know.

to be sought for the sake of the

Lord, not for selfish gratification.

Nothing
loneliness.

is

more dangerous

for a

story runs thus.

beginner than

There was

a dis-

95

Master J u n n a id who fancied he had made

great progress and could not be harmed by isolaciple of

So he took

tion.

ride,

Nightly, a proces-

to seclusion.

him with a horse

sion appeared before

and he was requested

to ride

delightful place with sweet dishes,

and

company

fair

morn, and

where
On

slept.

up

for

him

to heaven,

to

running brooks

he enjoyed himself

till

awakening, he would find

himself at the door of his hermitage.

On

proud and boastful.

He

turned

hearing the report, the

Master came to him, asked him and was told

what had happened, and advised him to repeat
three times when he went to the pleasure-haunt
"There

and

is

there

nothing to be relied upon

is

no power except His."

save

He

to act up to the advice for a few nights more.

last

he wished to

lesson

At

test the efficiency of the Master's

and repeated the sentence

whole procession

God,

refused

fell

as advised.

into confusion

The

and scattered,

and he found himself in a cemetery with the bones

Then he came to realise
of the dead around him.
his guilt, repented, and returned to the company
of his fellow-disciples.

The

rule of society

is

cording to his position in

elders, to serve

them

to

behave with each ac-

life.

IVu/t reference to

not to speak before them

save when necessary, and then only with their permission, and after they have finished

if

they are

96

speaking

presence.

not to

on an elevated seat

sit

them (not
With reference to
them with love and kindness

to share one's wealth with

as a loan, but as a free

the young, to treat

gift).

General: Elders to be
parents, equals as one's

ones as one's

own

treated as

own

None

children.

to

agreeable to

dered

Not

all.

own

one's

brothers, the

anything, but each to be helped.

younger

be asked

for

Life to be ren-

oppose

to

To

at the call of religious duty.

except

in their

reference to equals, to live in har-

IVii/t

mony, and

others

associate

integrity and modemix with those opposed in religion

To avoid the company of a
and temperament.
youth. (The desire in the young for the com-

with those strong in religion,

Not

ration.

pany

of

their elders aids the

intelligence
for

to

company

The

desire in elders

youths

leads

to

Sdfis, when conversing

with

one

the

folly)

were

of

and

sin

....

never say, "This

it

development of their

and knowledge.

so," "

is

mine," "That

wish

dict of the Masters

it

were not
of

is

another,

thine"; "

so".

Knowledge

It

is

that

wish

the ver-

God

does

not approve of the use of words denoting I-ness.

If thou wouldst

know

the

Unknown,

taste the

nectar of Grace and transcend the seven heavens, then

close the five senses,
to the Imperishable.

and pass from the perishable

They asked Master Shiblt,

"

97

"Who
ed

Kaower, and how

is

He

?"

They

"He

is

he to be distinguish-

deaf,

"

replied,

He

behever."

is

dumb and bh'nd.

These are the marks of an unrejoined
"The unbeliever is deaf

said,

to the voice of truth,

dumb

for the utterance of truth,

and blind to the vision of truth

Knower

deaf,

is

Letter

dumb and

blind to

all

whereas

the

save Truth."

yo.

Service.
Service
Its

is

an essential duty for the disciple.

gains are superior to those of worship.

the desire-nature

manners

it

it

It kills

humility and

breeds

good

destroys pride, impurity and inertia,

quickens the soul and illumines the inner and the

outer man.

They asked
God

are there to

a
?"

Great One,

He

said

"

"How many ways

There are as many

ways as there are atoms in the universe. But the

I have reached
best and the shortest is Service.
the Goal by treading this
it

to

my

disciples."

Rules of Service
sires, to

and

Path, and

To

own

de-

and possessions as

in-

put aside one's

render oneself agreeable to others

to regard one's powers

tended

recommend

....

for the use of others

....

98

the wealthy are to serve with their wealth

As

and the learned with

disciple

is

so

the

....

of others

Great

All

knowledge

their

to use all his activities for the service

gradually

lifted

Ones began with Service, which

them to the rank of Masters.

Letter 71.

(The following Notes gleaned from other works

of the Author are added as bearing on the subject.

Trs.]
The

outer conduct of an occultist should be in

accordance with the mental capacity of the people

He

surrounding him.

should speak

cerns them only, and not of his

God. Master
I

say

My

'

when

Yehia

Lord'

united,

observes:

when

say

'

alone,

I '."

what

con-

own relations with

"When with others,
say

Obey

'

My

Beloved'

the Law,

what-

Such is the approved mode of conduct, as recommended by the

Masters of Wisdom.
The Series 0/28 Letters,

ever your stage

or

position.

Letter 21.

A
He

One was told that the chief of a

town spent the whole night in prayers.

certain Great

certain

replied that the

way and undertaken

poor fellow had missed the

the work of others.

On

being

questioned again, he added that that man's path of


99

duty lay

in feeding the

hungry, clothing the naked,

comforting the distressed, and

of the

needy

prayer

was

the duty

of

ought to work according to

the

fulfilling

and that keeping up

Each man

recluse.

position

his

wants

night in

all

in

life.

Fuwded-i-Rukni.
The Transmutation of Evil
The
tation

of evil

into virtues

qualities

striven for as an

Man

has

all

dominant
earth

i.

he

of

anger,

lust,

to be ever
it

difficulties.

will

be determined by his pre-

by

not

his

will turn into the

ponding animal.

is

If neglected,

the qualities found in the animals.

quality,

e.,

duty.

essential

must breed dangers and

His resurrection

Qualities.

by the transmu-

purification of character

outer

body

on

form of the corres-

For instance, the predominance

pride or

flattery

in

earthly

life,

produces severally the forms of the dog, the hog,

the day

the lion and the fox, on

of resurrection.

Similarly of other qualities

Many men will be seen in bestial form on the

day of resurrection, and many beasts in human form.
The dog of the Cave-Recluses* will rise in the form
*

The reference

is

to the seven sages who, with a dog, retired to

a cave to avoid the persecution of a tyrant, awoke after a sleep

of 300 years,

Tr,.

and

slept again to

awake on the day

of resurreotion

lOO

of

owing

man,

A hud

his

to

human

stand in the rank of the Pure

....

form

eye know that

"Every

less,

in

will

human

the air

is

of the

full

All atoms in the universe

active or potential of Divine Love."

Such a
it

and

beings, even the mineral, pray.

Light of Divine Love.

to

Ones

it,

Those endowed with the inner

all

particle of dust in

are centres

Mount

qualities.

have a rock drawn out of

will

difficult task lies in front,

and none take

So thou shouldst not be heed-

save the Wise.

but slowly and steadily discipline thyself so as

overcome a part of thy animal nature

indeed a mighty achievement to overcome

to

it

it

is

in

its entirety.

He who

see

quality in his

mined by

know

wishes to

surrection should
life

what

his

this quality.

the nature of his rethe predominating

is

resurrection will be deterIt is

not difficult to

know

thus much.
Similarly,
is

if

at his

life.

life

must please God

of His pleasure.

displease

God

pleasure.

is

man

wishes to

know whether God

pleased or displeased with him, he should look

life

wholly devoted to righteousness

:

righteousness

A
vice

life
is

in

it.

the indication

the indication of His dis-

partly righteous and partly vicious

to be valued according

element

is

wholly given to vice must

to

the

predominating


lOI

If

earthly

the

life

to account,

not turned

is

there shall be no progress on the other side.

man who

has not transmuted

qualities in

his

nature,

death, and

all

celestial

is

If

[on earth] the evil

taken to heaven at his

boons are bestowed upon

He

him, those qualities will not change.

have

will

only the houries, the palaces, the roast cocks and

the stream of running water, but will be too weak
to

realise

the

man, and the

real object

How

Master.

where That

is

Frequent

are

insignificant
lost

is

where That

the Goal of the

How

gained

all

inner

and of the

ideal of all the disciples

other

immaterial

gains

any

is

loss,

ablutions

and

remove

baths

sloth

and drowsiness.

The Divine Vision on

resurrection

day

pends on the Divine Grace, not on merit.

eye deserves
intellect

His Vision, no ear

His Knowledge, no

Self-reproach

is

feet

de-

No

His Voice, no

His Path

necessary for a seeker.

....

Letter

'j2.

Avarice.

To work

for

show, and

desire

saint, is

not the mark of piety.

tainted

with desire.

of Service,

Thy

the rank of a

deeds are

Purity consists

not in avarice.

The one

all

in the spirit
is

not com-


102

patible

with the other.

But we want bribes

to

serve the Lord.

God does

brother, cast off avarice.

anything to any one, and His

death are gratuitious.
not

Service,

shunning

not

owe

on earth or

after

Do all your works for His

hope of gaining heaven or

....

hell

He who

the

in

gifts

work

aspires to

be careful of the purity of

An

function of the heart.

in

His Service should

which

his motives,

is

act without pure motive

cannot soar from the region of sham to the sphere

of Service
is

....

name

prayer worth the

one performed with the fervour of the heart,

and not with the

"

theism,

The motto

lips only.

There

is

peated as a talk at moments of sale and

can

not be regarded

Unity
a

....

as

God

monoif re-

purchase,

a declaration of Divine

says

"

and purchase.

place of sale

of

Alia h,"

no God save

My

shrine

Thou

not

is

goest

to

market with the object of gaining something thou

hast not.

But

thou comest to

if

My

Shrine,

come

with the distinct understanding that thou losest

all

KhwdjA Ahmad had

Who told him "Ahmad, all men

and returnest a pauper."

a vision of God,
ask
for

Me

for something, save

Myself alone."

B^yazid

Letter yj.

great

Muhammadan

saint.

who

asks

103

The Evil of the World.

The world and

things therein

all

are to

avoided, save as needed for the Lord's sake.

may

world

be classed under three groups

The

(i)

group

first

cannot serve His Cause.

(a)

or with the

Too much

the root of

of lawful enjoyments.

all failures

be turned to

and

This

sins.
is

selfish use

purely divine,

but

by an impure motive,

meditation, prayer and asceticism,

e. g.,

and

It consists of:

The second group

(2)

may

worldly,

Vices. Their commission in the mind

body does not serve His Cause.

(6)
is

purely

is

be

The

if

practised

with the object of gaining the respect of the people.

The

(3)

Service

e.

shall

repeat

All^h"; making
of

is

apparently worldly but

eating for the sake of the Divine

g.,

marriage with the object of begetting a

who

child

group

third

really divine,

"

There

is

peacefully serving God.

In

short, the

world

is

that which gratifies the

cravings of desire in the present, and

after

side

no God save

a small fortune with the object

death

of death

that
^is

which

may

not worldly

is

of no use

help on the other

....

He who

appropriates the world to the limit of 6are necessity (food,

garment and a dwelling-house) breaks

ic4

bis

bonds

whereas he who seeks luxurious living

exposes himself to endless troubles.

The Great Ones have remarked

stage of purity shows

itself as

that the lowest

an inner craving for

well-being after death and a diminution of worldy

desires,

ending

The work

gradual estrangement

in

and the

this world,

harder than you

is

worldly pleasures

from

realisation of other worlds.

sorrows

are

imagine.

and

All

sufferings.

Letter 7^.

Renunciation of the World.

Service

of

the

Lord

for the

impossible

is

When

renunciation of the world.

world and thy heart longs for

thou serve

Him

The

heart

one

is

it,

how

it

cannot

tend to two things at the same time.

and the Lord are wide apart

The more you approach

recede from the other

Renunciation
(i)

is

Human

as

(fl)

east

canst
at-

The world
and west.

the one, the farther you

....

twofold

renunciation,

i.

e.

which can be achieved by a man.

three stages

without

thy body works

the renunciation
It

consists

of

Ceasing to seek
one has not.

for the

worldly objects

los

(6) Casting off the worldly objects

one has.

Ceasing to entertain worldly desires

(r)

in

the

mind.

Superhuman

(2)

in

complete

which consists

renunciation,

indifference

to

the world.

It

can

be accomplished, with the help of the Divine Grace,

by one who has achieved success

stages of

Human

true renunciation with

is

many

in

all

the three

The second

renunciation.

is

the

Sages.

The expulsion of worldly desires from the mind

You will find many cases

a most difficult task.

of apparent renunciation, with an inner longing for

the world.

you have

But when you cease

not,

Divine Grace
desires

and cast

will

will

heart

still

to seek for

what

what you have, the

enable you to drive out worldly

from your mind.

world

off

Relinquishment of the

not give fea/ renunciation, so long as the

craves for the world.

One

master-ascetics.

of

The Prophets were

Solomon, who

Them was

possessed the sovereignty of

all

the worlds, and was

certainly an ascetic.

Conclusion

The

separation of the heart

from

worldly cravings, in spite of the possession of worldly objects,

is

superior to the separation of the

from worldly

objects, in

body

spite of the worldly cra-

vings that remain in the heart.

Renunciation

is

the basis of

all

virtue

and pro-


io6

gress, and, as such,

is

the

that renunciation

is

condition of disciple-

first

Ahmad Ilambal

ship.

Peace on

threefold

Abstinence from what

(a)

Scriptures. This

Him

says

is

is

forbidden by the

the lower renuncia-

tion.

Abstinence from over-indulgence

{b)

ful pleasures.

This

is

in

law-

the higher renun-

ciation.

Renunciation of that which separates

{c)

from God. This

tion.

is

man

the highest renuncia-

Letter 75.

The Final Doom.

There are two
and the wicked.
path, and doom.

Noble
ble

souls

ones, and the

attain heaven

classes

Each

are

of travellers,

the noble

class has its peculiar speed,

divided

more

into

advanced.

ordinary no-

The former

and the heavenly ranks by following

the ascetic practices prescribed by Religion.

The

more advanced approach Purity by following the

path of Devotion.

The

wicked,

too,

are

divided

wicked ones, and the more degraded.

into

ordinary

The former


107

include

some of

the believers, leading a

sinful

life,

disobeying the divine injunctions, and addicted to

sensual pleasures.

They

gression and go to hell.

tread the path of trans-

The

latter are

unbe-

the

attending to sensual pleasures and

earthly gains, and wholly disbelieving in Religion
solely

lievers,

and the disembodied

life.

They

this

world as well as the next.

in hell temporarily, but finally

of their

faith, albeit

ly suffer in hell

There are
are

owing

diflferent

well

as

blind

thoughtful

suffer

by

virtue

escape

The

it

latter eternal-

to total absence of faith.

believers.

believer

ordinary believer, so
ful

The former

gradations in

followers

amongst

unbeliever

are

ordinary unbeliever.

is

first

infernal

as there

hell,

There are

amongst unbelievers

As

the

superior to

faith

that

of

of an

the sufferings of a thoughtintenser

than

those

Ordinary unbelief

from ancestors and surroundings, and

in the

lose

finally

grades of unbelief or hypocrisy.

thinkers and
as

imperfect.

perma-

the

risk

nent for the sake of the transient, and

region.

is

is

Intellectual

of

an

inherited

punished
unbelief

does not rest upon tradition, but upon researches

carried on for long years, self-denial and discipline

of the lower nature,

all

scepticism and atheism.

intended for and ending in

Letter 68.


io8

The Soul (Ruh).

People

some

call
;

silent

on

its

some an

a body,

some regard
Orthodox Islam

dent

it

essence,

declares

nature and

is

God

'

It is

is

" If

from the Will of

beyond the category of created

enters on a controversy to

show

objects.

to this view,
its

heresy.

and

Trs.]

yg.

[The following notes from

Letters,

says

however, holds that

[The Author does not subscribe

Letter

acci-

existence, but

its

quality.

AbuBakrQahati,

the Soul

Soul-

some an

as eternal, others as created.

questioned on the Soul, say,

God.',"

on the

their opinions

differ in

it

may

The Series of 28

be added as bearing on the subject

Trs.]

In
for

of

search

spiritual

peace,

fragrance,

Soul and said

"

Thou

rious Sun, unfading

One

all

and

fervently

pilgrim

came

art a reflection of

longing
to

the

the Glo-

the attributes of the Abso-

Transcending Reason
and understanding. Thou eludest description and
predication, There is no creature above Thee, there is
no Beloved beyond Thee." These lines from Master
lute

lie

verily in Thee.

Farid Attar, and the hints underlying them,

ought to be carefully pondered over so that one
may realise that there is no existence outside the
Self, and that whatever one seeks is to be sought


I09

within the Self.

a n

"

Adam

He

"

thou mayest not see."

perusal

is

Again, this couplet

towards

ran

first

Way

the

may

within thee, though

of the universe, but he did not find

he found not

an authority be needed, one

If

Qo

read from the

God

is

so long as

himself

within

worth

the atoms

all

Loc.

cit.^

Letter 24,

The connection

of the Soul with the body com-

pares well with that

for the
it,

Soul

neither united with

and body belong

tence

yet for

body but
retains

body

with His universe

to

it.
Soul
two different planes of exis-

that there

all

body nor without

nor separated from

it

is

not an atom in the

pervaded by the Soul

is

....

innate purity, linked though

its

for

God

of

neither within the

is

myriads of years,

it

Letter

Ibid.,

The Soul
be to the
j.

The Heart.
There
knower.

is

It

a treasure buried

LOVE.

is

in

the

heart

of

the

single jewel out of

it is

worth a thousand heavens. The guardian of heaven

is

an angel named

of the

treasure

Know that
seekest ....

of

wS

Love

thy merit
If

is

n,
is

whereas the guardian

GOD

Himself.

measured by what thoa

thou worshippest to obtain heaven


no

or avoid

own

thou worshippest thy

hell,

thou seekest or fearest an object, thou

If

Thy

worshipper of that object.

on what

in

is

God, thou

to

J u n

na

thy heart.

art a divine
d,

when

ill,

Voice answered

real value

If

thy heart

man

....

prayed
"

him,

the

depends
attached

is

recovery.

for his

Dost

desires.
art

come

thou

in

between Myself and Thee ?"

Thou

walkest every

comest back

dusk.

at

morning

Where

to

and

office

the difference

is

between thee and the fire-worshipper and the Jew?

Thy prayers are for increase of wealth, and thy
pilgrimages

for

acts

are

similarly

The

real

end of

popular approbation.
tainted with
life

is

All

name and

yet veiled from

thy

form.

thee.

Letter 80.

Nafs, the Desire-Nature.

Some

say the desire-nature

placed in the

say
all

it is

take

These
e.

it

substance,

grouped into

and

But
acts.

(a) sins, (b) qualities,

The former

to the outer man, the latter

The former

Others

life.

as the source of evil qualities

evils are

by

a quality of the body, similar to

g. pride, envy, anger.

latter

is

body, similar to the Soul.

more

pertain

more

to the inner

man.

are purified by ascetic practices, the

T a u bah

(or

Turning)

"I

It is

said that the desire-nature

both mysterious entities

in

and the Soul are

the body, corresponding

to demons and angels, hell and heaven in the

macrocosm
the one being the centre of evil, the
There is no help
other the centre of Good.

against the desire-nature save in ascetic practices.

Man
is

the epitome of the whole Universe, and

is

composed of the

He

body.

The

worlds.

and the

Soul, the desire-nature

the

bears

characteristics

earth, water,

fire

and

of

the

all

of

air

this

world appear in his body as the four humours

worlds are not

and
marked

melancholy

phlegm,

blood,

vividly

less

Soul leads him to heaven, being

him

desire-nature leads

fl

saw

1 i

He

hog.

its

its

his desire-nature in the

wished to

not trouble thyself

kill
I

it,

but

it

The

image

being

to hell,

Other

bile.

in him.

image.

form of a

said to him,

belong to the

the

Army

"Do

of God,

thou canst not annihilate me."

Mohammad

NQri

speaks

of

his

desire-

nature coming out of his throat in the form of a

miniature fox.
so

put

upon
said,

it.
'

it

"I

It

knew

my

it

was the desire-nature,

and began to trample

grew the larger and the stronger. I

under

feet

and torture destroy

Pain

they simply aid your growth

due

way

what

is

'

It

all

things,

said,

but

'This

is

constitution being the other

pain for others is pleasure for me.' "

to the fact of
:

my


"2

Abul Abbas

it in the form of a yellowbe attempted to turn it out, it

When

ish dog.

saw

came underneath

the skirts of his garment,

and

disappeared.

Abul Q a s m

saw

it

Another Dervesh saw

and asked who

Friends.

If

their purity

These
is

endowed with
ascetic

the death of

the Divine
would turn proud of
of

go to show that the desire-nature

not

qualities.

but

be any fear from

its

a quality

It
it

in its essential

subdued by the
forest

am

salvation

not, they

being

practices,

destroyed

form of a mouse,

and noble deeds."

stories

corporeal

were

form of a serpent.

in the

said, "I

It

and the

heedless

the

was.

it

in the

it

albeit

it

is

should be subdued by

cannot be

existence,

disciple.

completely

There need not

nature.

when
.

it

has been

This

dreary

cannot be crossed save with the help of the

Divine Grace and under the protection of a Master

of Compassion.

Letter Si,

Desire.
'Desire'

Naf

s.

It

is

a term covering

all

the qualities of

prevents union, tortures the disciple, and

stands against the seeker.

It is to

be opposed and

"

"3

"

not to be gratified.

he

who opposes

it

Desires are twofold

The

follows

it is

ruined

;.

attains his object.

the senses and sex

fame.

He who
:

(a)

(d)

those connected with,

ambition of power and

victims of the former resort to brothels

without seriously affecting the well-being of others.

The victims
become the

of the latter resort to holy places,

the

pests of

They

world.

He

themselves from society and mislead others.

who

seeks the allegiance of his desires

from God, be he above the sky

his

desires

is

in

away

far

who renounces

he

is

God, be he

close touch with

and

isolate

in a

heathen temple.

IbrAhim

Master

monk

Jewish
in

in

temple

window and

says:

went

"I

to see

Turkey, who had confined himself

for

seventy

He opened

years.

had not shut himself up there

said he

to secure the position of an ascetic, but to break

the dog within him and restrain

the world at large.

praised

from harming

it

God

for

right path to his misguided devotee.

'Ibrahim, how
the

and watch

self,

divinity,

and

It is said
oiif

it

will

invites

you seek men

when

constantly puts on

nature

cut

long

man

his genital organ, as the

bis eyes

fell

on

it

found.

many

while bathing.

on,

Seek

The

desire-

a semblance of

to his ruin."

of Master Abfl

showing the

He went

....

that he wished to

root of lust,

when

Voice whispered


"4

to

By

his soul, "

My

worse than another

I

honour, no organ

My

in

eyes.

bstter or
it off,

can put in each hair of your body the whole lust

of your genital organ."

organ

it

God

The

desire-nature

guard

the worst foe.

is

foe,

and

it

is

It

since,

it,

is

it is

almost impossible

may

will find it at

that beset

man

telligently

the root of

in the past

or

This being the

the future.

strive

overcome

it

to

overcome

all at once, as

instrument of the Soul

and,

blind to the

Such being the

nor

If
all

may
foe,

you ponder
the troubles

beset

him

in

one should

it.

it is

is it

case, the

man unawares

ere long hurl a

to the lowest depth of degradation.

you

is

is

to

whose shortcomings take on

the appearance of merits.

desire-nature

man

a lovely foe, and a

defects of his beloved,

very

firstly, it

the house against a thief co-tenant

secondly,

well,

quality,

its

the Desire- Nature,

be armed against

an internal

divine

carrying the

Letter 82.

Discipline of

difficult to

no use destroying the

for

But a man can transmute

helping.

The

It is

a vehicle

is

command.

to

is

you lop

If

It

is

in-

improper

a vehicle

proper to

and

let it

go

wholly unbridled, in view of the probable dangers.

So the

disciple needs a

middle course, and

it is

this


"5

You

should strengtheo

bling

ken
of

it

to perform

you

leading

its

rule

this

to the extent of ena-

it

duties

Anything besides

astray.

objectionable.

is

It

sacred tradition that on seeing

s

who had by

d,

ii

ascetic practices

having sunk

tion, his eyes

Thy

is

ciplined

is

his

mo-

of

in their sockets,

M o-

be warned!

desire-nature has claims on thee."

conclusion

in

weakened

incapable

"O Abdullah,

said,

reported

Abdullah Ma-

body, his feet having become

hammad

you should wea-

measure of preventing the chance

to the

it

its

So the

that the desire-nature should be dis-

by

knowledge,

overcome (nor disobey)

so that
thee,

it

may

nor be

neither

itself des-

troyed.

The middle

course consists in restraining the

desire-nature by temperance.

of thus subduing
.

(d)

it:

(a)

imposing religious

invoking the Divine help

If

There are three ways

withholding gratification

you follow

this

for

observances

mastery

over

(c)
it.

threefold method, the desire-

nature will be amenable to discipline.

Letter S3,

Discipline of the Desire-Nature. {Continued.)

The discipline of the desire-nature is recommended by all creeds and nations, and is
known by Siges as a means of developing the

"6

supersensuous
lies

faculties

supersensuous

His

without

fruit

possible
tivities,

labours cannot bear

Avoid

Had

It

thy

is

existence

But the whole of thyself being a

be

fit

opposite
veil,

veils

activity.

thou canst not

should not be forgotten in

It

connection that the discipline of the desire-

nature means the transmutation

not the destruction of
is

that

Divine Vision, unless and until ihou

for the

vanish completely.
this

as
ac-

its

there been the veil of a single activity,

could be uplifted by another

it

much

as

personality and

of

and never follow the promptings of the

desite-ratuie.

Thee.

Grace.

the thought

God's to grant

is

it

Thy

faculties.

But thy business

with the discipline only,

impossible. But

ded as dangerous

its

its

of

existence need not

after

it

qualities,

its

essential nature

for that

be regar-

has been subdued by the

inner Ruler.

Fasting
creeds.

It

is

recommended by

helps

the

all

nations and

receptivity of the heart, the

purity of the intellect, and the health of the body.

Regulation of food

is

an important work.

food that imparts strength and

weakness,

and foulness

to all the organs of the body.

be pure

in

quality

Letter

84.

and

moderate

in

It

is

purity
It

must

quantity,

"7

Alienation from the Desire-Nature.

Alienation from the personality

condition

for the

is

The one

to acquaintance with God.

the
is

step

first

a necessary

All aspirants find fault

other.

and impose tasks on, the desire-nature, so that

wall of separation be pulled down, and a way

with,
this

be found

to the Divine Sanctuary.

So long as thou lookest

soul

as

inferior

and blind

to

down upon

thee, thou art

to the Divine Presence.

single

self-conceited,

"If thou hast

knowledge, put that knowledge into practice

thy

difficulties

bined)."

by knowledge and

(com-

The knowledge
ttie

solve

practice

of

the Sages culminates

do not know.

all

realisation that they

There has been a single Master of

Woe

each

in

On

cycle, protecting others under his charge.

in

the

path of asceticism, a considerable amount of prolonged exercises

tial success,

who

hand, he

is

a necessary preliminary

which, too,
is

is

all

the

Divine

sinners.

dejected

"

ini-

Woe
.

has

cheer, in spite of thy lack of devotion

and the heavy weight of thy

of

Devotion

to

the other

trained on the Path of

for his first stage the Purity of

Be of good

On

doubtful.

Grace

"

Poor as thou

The Lord

it

sins.

"

Never despair

affords protection

art at present,

to

do not be

has created a beautiful

form

and

thee,"

for

"8

made Man

"

His image."-

after

Letter 85.

Self-Toleration.

He who

on good terms with the

is

though apparently living

is

really living,

he whose

though apparently dead.

way

die

is

in

are perishing in

help them to cross the sea of desires and

merge
live

the Divine Unity

in

the

in

since true
to

Death

Their Saviours are the Prophets

the sea of desires.

who

Men

as the outer.

God

in

is

man may

not of the body alone: the inner

the same

self is dead,

life

life

consists in

Divine Life.

the

who have

The ungodly

form only and are dead

human

On

in the spirit,

nature responding

the other hand,

sacrificed themselves

"

Those

on the Path of God

are not to be considered as dead, but as living with

Lord

their
"

"...

The Divine
Put

ready.
can."

treasury

in a

is

grain of

too

full

of prayers

humble devotion

if

al-

you

Letter 86.

Hidden Differences of Stages.

Men

differ,

in

the gradations of their progress,

as heaven from hell, though they are so

similar

in

"9

their

outer forms.

All

Heart

Each body

treasures a Divine Secret

impelled to

feels

radiates a

men had an

his,

disciple

reached

u n-n o o n

sent a disciple

When the
y a zi d
the latter's house at BustAm,
B

about

But he did not know that

replied:

whence?

floor of his cottage.

he was Bftyazid.

asked the disciple what he wanted.

"Which

BSyazid

do you want, and

Now

I
am B a y a z d, yet have been
Bflyazid for several years, and to

The

effect."

disciple took

him

for

and, returning, reported the matter to

u n-n o o n

"

Our brother

with tears in

BSyazid

There was one

his death the

H el S

Mog

eyes

madcap,

u n-n o o n.

exclaimed

has gone forth into

1,

a slave to

Prophet with

to the house of

his

God

....

with the true Devotees"

i r a.

him, alive or dead, as he

Mogira came

Mog

i r

a.

On

companions went
The latter was not even
his

aware of the death cf HelSl,

household.

Biyazld

B^yazid.

wanted to tee

in search of

no

Soul

human and

by

best and holiest

he found him seated on the

Biyazld
He said he

each

life.

a time

to enquire

each

The

obscure

Once upon

Path

the

unfathomable

glory

angelic intelligences

of

men whether
the past,
are the centres of mysin

the present or the future

teries.

for

was

none took care of

tlie

lowliest in the

to receive the party

and


120

kissed

the

blessed

Prophet asked

He

household.

Prophet went on

said
:

"

Prophe:.

The

what had happened

in the

the

of

feet

Mog

that

was

all

household has departed, and you do

Mogira, astonished, remarked

it."

H el

posed

ft

to have been so

The Prophet was

and said with

on

but thy Soul

All the saints and

devotion

to

His eyes

tears in

this enrth,

of

never sup-

advanced

He

stable at the feet of the beasts,

lies

know

not
"

"

then (at His request) taken to the

where the dead body was.

place

The

well.

Mogira, the worthiest of your

found

"

is

in a

it

the head

clasped

HeUl,

thy body

with the Lord."

chiefs then wished

in

earnest

Heidi's feet.
There are seven men in

have been the dust of

The Prophet continued

"

each cycle who support the world by their bless-

and

ings

Letter

the

lead

mugnaniraity.

He

to

faithful
ft 1

victory

was the Head of

by

their

these."

8-j.

Heedlessness.
Heedlessness
It is

is

blamed by

heedlessness that

It

has been said.

lies at

When

all

creeds and sects.

the root of

man

all failures.

heedlessly

proaches the Path, the Devil warns him, saying

was

the Teacher of the celestial Hosts, but

that post.

Now

ap:

"

lost

guard the Gate of the Path.


121

You may

with the pass of Devotion only

enter

else will

you have to share

the Path

"...

Everlasting purity
lifelong transgression

is

my

being unfit for

fate,

the character of the angel

of man.

He

man.
desires

purity

Lifelong

Reason (the curb of

Devil)

of the

desires

cha-

the

is

impossible for

heart by desires.

Turning and

sway.

i.e.,

after the capture

the necessity of

pari-passu with

(or the

from desires and the Devil.

full

Hence

self-discipline,

development of reason,

in

light of the an-

and the

gelic essence) developes later

of the

is

born imperfect, void of reason, with

is

the agents

the character of the devil

is

turning with sorrow from sin to purity

racter

the

recovery of the heart

Letter 8S

Sorrow.

No

reading

sorrows

is

so useful as that of the

The Goal

is

diary

unattainable save

of

through

the destruction of the desire-nature. Either be ready

to

kill it

out and tread the Path, or withdraw your-

so that others

self

from the rank of the seekers

may

pass on (unimpeded by your presence).

A
ant,

Story.

David, when about to

and wished

to

remove

it

pray,

saw an

from the place.

ant appealed to David against his cruelty.

The
David


122

said

God

am

God, how

"

to deal with

"

creatures ?"

Thy

self-restraint, lest

thou

to the outer

body

Behave with
harm any do not look

replied,

shouldst

An

of a creature, but to the Spirit underlying.

if

permitted,

may

from

of Divine Unity

the Light

put to shame

many

Another Story.
till

Once upon a time, Moses praywas

effect

felt

He wondered

succeeding day.

the

bosom, and

its

a monotheist."

ed so warmly that the stimulating

by him

ant,

rend asunder the dark Veil, radiate

whether any one could be so blessed as he was the

night before.

The

angel Gabriel

with this message from

who can

forest,

Moses hastened
king

in

God

cure

the

The

presently

There

"

of

ills

to the spot,

pool.

is

One,

My

came
in this

devotees."

and found a frog croa-

frog

said

"

Moses,

have long been waiting to uproot pride from your

heart.

The Divine

passed

through me.

passed

it

influence
I

you

received

it

felt
first

last

night

and then

on to you. Be warned against the repeti-

tion of the boast

"
!

Letter Sg.

Conduct.

An
less

vain.

act not permitted

by the

a desire not sanctioned

To

OurSn

is

fruit-

by the Prophet

is

wish for any help on the Path save that

123

from the Path

Our4n

The

forbidden.

is

permits

nothing save sincere conduct, and sincerity springs

from the heart that has tasted pain

The Masters
Their word
lises

is life

the world

So long

the purity of Their sorrow

Their character

Path are spiritual beings.

of the

is

spotless

as thou dost not unlearn

vita.

thy pre-

all

vious notions, habits and defects, thou canst not

unfold the

Eye

of

Wisdom

is

destitute

Divine

of

and

Heart,

in the

the relish of the Science of Truth

feel

He who

Wisdom to-day {i.e., on

Wisdom to-morrow

earth) will not have the Divine

{i.e.,

after death).

Acts not based on Knowledge are

futile

ascetic

practices not countenanced by religion are mislead-

ing and devilish.

It is

the gate of good luck.

Knowledge that unfastens

It is Knowledge that can

comprehend the greatness

thereof,

of

the mysteries

the glorious character of the Prophets, the

sublimity of Their mission, the different stages of

the advanced souls, the secret of the

human

tution, the evil in the wicked, the respect

and the

faithful,

of religions.

ledge

till

injunctions

consti-

to Faith

and prohibitions

Tread zealously the Path of Know-

Knowledge is
God and ignorance is the denbetween thee and Him. As Knowledge is
you get

the shortest
sest veil

the

due

way

rid of ignorance.

to

124

productive of Good, so
evil.

It is

productive of

ignorance

is

ignorance which brings in faithlessness,

neglect of religious duties, affinity to the devil, alie-

and

nation from the Prophets and the Pure Souls,

other innumerable evils.

Seek no connexion with

shouldst be

affected

with

the

canst not reach Me, so long as

in thee:

thy

thou shalt reach

self."

asceticism

brother,

'

thyness

Me only when

thou

lest

self,

''

pride

Thou

inheres

'

thou quittest

subdue thy desires with

tempered by knowledge

cut

off

head of the desire-nature with the sword of

discipline, as advised

by the Scriptures

(then) put on the robe of

in earnest, tread

and do not

fear

and through.
life,

I s

upon thy

death
" If

life

m.

so

what follows

If

and

thou art really

dear to thee
is

Life,

through

thou dependest upon (bodily)

thou wilt lag behind.

world of Life alone.

Thou

art

Life in the

Grasp well the subtle

thou art That which thou seekest."

fact

The foremost

duty of the seeker

lies in

only Life, and

eliminating the evil of his

in

the
self-

separated existence.

seeing the Beloved as the

own

Letter go.

Seclusion.

A man

not wanted by the world

for

its

in-

'25

tellectual or theological education,

from

self

others,

and

may

isolate

him-

company save on

avoid

necessary occasions, such as those of the Friday

and the id
other

prayers, a pilgrimage to

Mecca, and

The man who wishes

meetings.

useful

to

company altogether, had better live far

away from human habitation (in a mountain or on
Else (let him not isolate hima desert island).
self altogether] unless he knows for certain that

avoid

his gains

from attendance at the Friday prayer or

other social gatherings are really outweighed by

the losses he incurs from coming into contact with

human

....

Society

But there may be

a different

sort

of man, a

Master of Knowledge, needed by others

for their

religious enlightenment, the exposition

of truths,

the setting aside of heretical arguments, and for

them

stirring
It

is

human

avoid

named
the

to live out the teachings of religion.

hardly lawful for such a

Ab

hills

society.

Bakar

is

that, as

man

in seclusion,

"Abft Bakar, why

to

absolutely

narrated of a Sage

he wandered about

with the object of leading a

and worship
tures

It

life

of prayer

he heard a voice saying,

dost thou desert the crea-

when thou hast attained the

a Divine Light? " So he returned to the

of the Lord

position of

society of men.

Such a man, though

living corporeally

in

the


126

it,

has to work for

Omar

(peace on him!)

world and doing his duties to

his

own

salvation as well.

said of himself, "should

ruin myself, should

my

ruin

sleep at night

sleep during the day,

subjects."

his

be excused

knowledge

when

would

same time

it.

Imam Gaz41i
may

would

exceedingly hard to be

It is

corporeally in the world and to be at the

mentally away from

opines that a learned

for isolating

in

days of trouble and degeneration,

man may

send for a religious teacher, but

declines to learn anything

of

him

when

no

appreciates the importance of religious duties

An extremely weak man

seclusion

The

man

himself and burying

man
,

should not resort to

real object of seclusion is

mental

isolation,

Letter pj.

not bodily separation.

Death.
classes of men: (i) The man
The beginner who is just turning
The advanced Knower of God.

There are three

of desires, (2)

back.

The

(3)

first does

not

ever does so, he does

loss of worldly

it

objects,

recollect

death

in a spirit of

and begins

or

sorrow
to

if

he

for the

murmur

at


127

Recollection

it.

him the further

of death throws

from God.

The second

is

given to the practice of recollec-

may

ting death, so that he

accomplish

The

his

and

live fear-stricken,

Turning the more successfully

third never

forgets

death,

as

the

it

is

is

shewn

guarantee of his union with the Beloved.

But the highest stage of development

in the soul that completely surrenders itself to the

Lord, and foregoes

The

all

choice of

life

or death

frequent recollection of death

mended, as

it

is

is

welcome

tures

it

of waking, and death

(

is

him

its

tor-

life is

an intermediate

to an ordinary mortal

than a cut with the sword

extraction of flesh from his

sets

friend, earth-life

a state of slumber, the after-death

Death

As remarked by an esteemed
is

to the faithful, as

from the prison of earth-life and

free

calculated to disturb physical en-

joyment, and thereby lead to salvation

Death

recom-

is

or

body

) is

more painful

the
.

a state

state.

axe,
.

or

the

calm look, and the repetition of the Holy

Formula, these are becoming on the part of the

dying man.

Letter gj.

128

Hell.
Every man
difficult

According

ments

in

is liable

to the Prophet, there are

hell,

and

to suffer in hell,

be certain of exemption

to

it

is

therefrom.

70,000 apart-

each apartment containing 70,000

doors, each door having 70,000 serpents and 70,000

scorpions

and the unbelievers and the evil-minded

cannot help passing through each of them.

Such

hell,

and of

its

subdivisions which correspond to the

number

of

earthly

description

the

is

The

desires.

of

seven in the sub-

factor

divisions corresponds to the seven

the commission of
If

organs used in

sins.

you wish to know your destiny, you should

look at your character, since your natural inclinations

presage your destiny.

you are not intended for

you are destined therefor.
"

The

they tend to good,

If

hell

As

if

they tend to

Ou

the

evil,

n says,

heaven, the

virtuous are to be blessed in

vicious are to suffer in hell."

Here

is

a secret.

earthly veil

more or

some

less

When

body

death takes away the

the desire-nature

is

yet

tainted with earthly impurities.

In

the

),

cases the mirror of the soul

may

ened to admit of any cleansing.

eternally barred from

other cases,

( i, e.

the

Divine

be too dark-

Such a

soul

Presence.

unrighteous believers

),

the rust

is

In
is


129

capable of being cleansed, and so the desire-nature

is

exposed to

hell-fire to the

The time

tion needed.

No man

to 7,000 years.

extent of the purifica-

varies from a brief

some impurity, however

moment

quits this earth without

slight, in

Letter 99.

him.

Heaven.
Heaven contains apartments made of various
gems, the outside of which

and the inside from the

is

visible

from the inside,

They abound with

outside.

pleasures and comforts not tasted or conceived by

men

.... Heaven

(on earth)

of a single pearl.
ruby.

It

is

a vast palace

made

contains seven apartments of red

Each apartment contains seven rooms of green

Each room is provided with a gorgeous
Each seat
70 trays and 70 maid-servants.

emerald.
seat,

has 70 beddings of different colours, and a Houri

as the bed-maker.

Each

tray

is

furnished with 70

dishes.

Heaven

is

intended

When

who

those

for

feed others, fast and pray.

towards the other.

communimove the one

Thus they meet and

their past relationship

in

and

the dwellers of heaven wish to

cate with their brothers, their seats

tion

salute

heaven

if

so

on

There

earth.

desired

is

talk of

procrea-

conception,

birth,

130

and maturity

The

taking place instantaneously.

all

dwellers

Joseph,

heaven

of

are

The duration

of the lowest heavenly

years.

Such

is

Now

as to the

destiny

the

of

Devotees, and

vision

of the Divine Face, in

the Saints.

Orthodox

Divine Vision as the

fruit

as

to

following

brief

Series of 2S Letters.

human

of

"

a n, says

What

It

works, but

holds a similar
of

human

Note

is

added from the

Trs.^

ImAm Qasheri,
Qu

heaven are

Letter too.

beings upon earth.

the

the

does not regard the

Faith in the Lord

the

is

the supreme relish

as the result of Divine Grace.

The

500

Prophets, thi^

Theirs

the grosser enjoyments^of

forgotten.

life is

the heaven of the ordinary soul.

purest

doctrine

as

'-

of which

beautiful

Mohammad.

and well-behaved as

explaining

the Secrets of

the faithful will manifestly enjoy after

inwardly experienced

death in heaven,

is

Saints on earth."

Loc.

by the

Cit., 28.

The End.

ETURN

Oi

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