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KIT c1126 - CURRICULUM OF THE SUFI ORDER

[ Apparently originally released as KIT 126 ]

The teaching of Hazrat Inayat Khan
Presented and paraphrased by Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan
Including parallels with the ancient Sufis.

So far a few installments have already been issued as a preview,conveying a sense of the foundations of Hazrat Inayat Khan'steaching.

Now, we proceed systematically in an in-depth study of theteaching to be given as a Curriculum in the classes of the centersof the Sufi Order. It is also available to those organizationsdedicated to giving the teaching of Hazrat Inayat Khan.

These lessons will be sent in priority to active Representativesholding classes, then to mureeds wishing to receive it, then tothe public.

Since these lessons are programmed to correspond to theprogressive developmental stages in a consistent training, we mayhave to reiterate some of the thoughts already sent out whileelaborating them further experientially. Besides for theCurriculum to grow, as all living things it will have to evolve,to keep being improved as we go along.

Earmark each saying of Pir o Murshid Inayat Khan and meditate uponit for some time asking yourself how it affects your thinking,your realization, your motivation, your insight, your attunement.

The condition of doing this lies in acquiescing that the progressin our understanding does consist in grasping ways of thinkingthat are novel, more sophisticated than the familiar one. AlthoughIt would seem reasonable to abandon the earlier vistas to cleaveto the more advanced ones, actually, as one develops furtherinsight, one realizes that all these perspectives have theirvalidity (albeit relative). It is just like shifting ones'perspective while looking at a hologram; all those perspectivesare valid. In the case of our lives, there are circumstances whenone of these perspectives calls our attention particularly. But ifwe familiarize ourselves with these different perspectives, wecould learn to extrapolate between at least those better known tous, which will give us a richer understanding of the issues thatwe are encountering in our lives.

But let us bear in mind that our minds can not only extrapolatebetween these perspectives, but grasp the way they actually crosspollinate in what one might call a mirroring effect. Furthermorewe need to account for the effect of doing upon understanding, notjust understanding upon doing.

But there is more: one needs to account for the antipodal point ofview to one's own, which esoteric traditions call the divine pointof view, but in our modern way of thinking one may ascribe to thethinking of the universe.

As a preliminary to starting any meditation there are some basicrealizations that are of the utmost importance to spark yourmotivation and your orientation.

True exaltation comes from the fact that it has come to earth andhas realized there its spiritual being.

The soul manifests in the world in order that it may experiencethe different phases of manifestation, yet not lose its way, butregain its original freedom in addition to the experience andknowledge it has gained in the world.

Perfect realization can only be gained by passing through all thestages of life between man: the manifestation of God and God, theonly Being, knowing and realizing ourselves from the lowest to thehighest point of existence, and so accomplishing the heavenlyjourney.

There is a time in life when a passion is awakened in the soulwhich gives the soul a longing for the unattainable, and if thesoul does not take that direction, then it certainly missessomething in life for which is its innate longing and in whichlies its ultimate satisfaction.

This craving for the attainment of what is unattainable, gives thesoul a longing to reach life's utmost heights. It is the nature ofthe soul to try and discover what is behind the veil; it is thesoul's constant longing to climb heights which are beyond hispower; it is the desire of the soul to see something that it hasnever seen; it is the constant longing of the soul to knowsomething it has never known. But the most wonderful thing aboutit is that the soul already knows there is something behind thisveil, the veil of perplexity; that there is something to be soughtfor in the highest spheres of life; that there is some beauty tobe seen; that there is Someone to be known who is knowable. Thisdesire, this longing, is not acquired; this desire is a dimknowledge of the soul which it has in itself.

The love for the unattainable object has every possibility ofdeveloping, whereas when the object of love is within reach thisis often a check upon love.

There is a stage where, by touching a particular phase ofexistence, one feels raised above the limitations of life andgiven that power and peace and freedom, that light and life whichbelongs to the source of all beings, but dissolved in it; for thesource is oneself.

One can lift oneself beyond worldly conditions at the command ofone's will.

So our first lesson is our preparation for the journey:

We are all on the journey; life itself is a journey. No one issettled here; we are all passing onward, and therefore it is nottrue to say, that if we are taking a spiritual journey we have tobreak our settled life; there is no one living a settled lifehere; all are unsettled, all are on their way. Only, by taking thespiritual journey you are taking another way, one which is easier,better and more pleasant. Those who do not take way, they alsowill come in the end: the difference is in the way. One way iseasier, smoother, better; the other way is full of difficulties;and as life has no end of difficulties from the time one hasopened one's eyes on this earth, so one may just as well choosethe smoother way to arrive at the destination at which all soulswill sometimes arrive.

By inner life' is meant a life directed towards perfection, Theinner life is not necessarily in an opposite direction to theworldly life, but the inner life is a fuller life. The worldlylife means the limitation of life; the inner life means a completelife. The ascetics who have taken a direction quite opposite tothe worldly life, have done so in order to have the facility tosearch into the depth of life; but going in one direction alonedoes not make a complete life. Therefore the inner life means thefullness of life.

The inner life is a journey, and before starting to take it thereis a certain preparation necessary. If one is not prepared, thereis always the risk of having to return before one has arrived atone's destination. When a person goes on a journey, and when hehas to accomplish something, he must know what is necessary on thepath and what he must take with him, in order that his journey maybecome easy and that he may accomplish what he has started toaccomplish. One must have everything prepared, so that afterreaching a certain distance one may not have to turn back.

The first thing that is necessary is to see that there is no debtto be paid. Every soul has a certain debt to pay in life; it mayto be to his mother or father, his brother or sister, to hishusband or wife or friend, or to his children, his race, or tohumanity; and if he has not paid what is due, then there are cordswith which he is inwardly tied, and they pull him back. Life inthe world is fair trade, if one could only understand it, if oneknew how many souls there are in this world with whom one isconnected or related in some way, or whom we meet freshly everyday. To everyone there is something due; and if one has not paidone's obligations, the result is that afterwards one has to paywith interest.

There is the inner justice which is working beyond the worldlyjustice, and when man does not observe that inner law of justice,it is because at that time he is intoxicated, his eyes are closed,and he does not really know the law of life. But that intoxicationwill not last; there will come a day when the eyes of every soulwill be opened; and it is a pity if the eyes open when it is toolate. To some consideration is due, to some respect, to someservice, to some tolerance, to some forgiveness, to some help. Insome way or other, in every relationship, in every connectionthere is something to pay; and one must know before starting thejourney that one has paid it, and be sure that one has paid it infull, so there is nothing more to be paid. Besides this it isnecessary that man, before starting his journey, realizes that hehas fulfilled his duties, his duty to those around him and duty toGod. But the one who considers his duty to those around himsacredly does his duty to God .

 Man must also consider, before starting on his journey, whetherhe has learned all he desired to learn from this world. If thereis anything he has not learned, he must finish it before startingthe journey. For if he thinks, 'I will start the journey althoughI had the desire to learn something before starting', in that casehe will not be able to reach his goal; that desire to learnsomething will draw him back. Every desire, every ambition, everyaspiration that he has in life must be gratified. Not only this,man must have no remorse of any kind when starting on his journey,and no repentance afterwards. If there is any repentance orremorse, it must be finished before starting.

There must be no grudge against anybody, and no complaining ofanyone having done him harm, for all these things which belong tothis world, if man took them along, would become a burden on thespiritual path. The journey is difficult enough, and it becomesmore difficult if there is a burden to be carried. If a person islifting a burden of displeasure, dissatisfaction, discomfort, itis difficult to bear it on that path. It is a path to freedom, andto start on this path to freedom man must free himself, noattachment should pull him back, no pleasure should lure him back.

Besides this preparation one needs a vehicle, a vehicle in whichone journeys. That vehicle has two wheels, and they are balance inall things. A man who is one-sided, however great his power ofclairvoyance or clairaudience, whatever be his knowledge, yet islimited; he cannot go very far, for it requires two wheels for thevehicle to run. There must be a balance, the balance of the headand the heart, the balance of power and wisdom, the balance ofactivity and repose. It is the balance which enables man to standthe strain of this journey and permits him to go forward, makinghis path easy. Never imagine for one moment that those who showlack of balance can ever proceed further on the spiritual journey,however greatly in appearance they may seem to be spirituallyinclined. It is only the balanced ones who are capable ofexperiencing the external life as fully as the inner life; toenjoy thought as much as feeling; to rest as well as to act. Thecentre of life is rhythm, and rhythm causes balance.

On this journey certain coins are necessary also, to spend on theway. And what are these coins? They are thoughtful expressions inword and in action. On this journey man must take provision to eatand drink, and that provision is life and light. And on thisjourney man has to take something in which to clothe himselfagainst wind, and storm, and heat, and cold; and that garment isthe vow of secrecy, the tendency to silence. On this journey manhas to bid farewell to others when starting, and that farewell isloving detachment; before starting on this journey he has to leavesomething behind with his friends, and that is happy memories ofthe past.                                      

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