52. Sufi Thoughts, Part 2
Religious Gatheka
By Hazrat Inayat Khan
2. ‘There is One Master, the Guiding Spirit of all souls, Who constantly leads his followers towards the light.’
The Sufi understands that although God is the source of all knowledge, inspiration and guidance, yet man is the medium through whom God chooses to impart His knowledge to the world, - through such a man who is man in the eyes of the world, but God in his consciousness. It is the mature soul that draws blessings from the Heavens and God speaks through that soul. Although the tongue of God is busy speaking through all things, yet in order to speak to the deaf ears of many of us, it is necessary for Him to speak through the lips of man. This is seen in all periods of history in all ages. Shiva, Buddha, Rama and Krishna, on the one side and Abraham, Moses, Christ and Mohammed, on the other; and many more, known and unknown, have been examples of the Master who lives the life of God in human guise.
In other words, their human guises are the various coats worn by the same person, who appeared different in each, yet was one and the same person. Those who saw did not see the person, but recognized the coat, went astray. As people separated themselves from one another, clinging to the personality of the Teacher, claiming for him superiority over other teachers, and degrading the teacher held in esteem by others, so all the religious wars and splits among the children of God have been caused.
The Sufi recognized the person and not the guise and saw one Teacher only in all the different names and forms, coming constantly to awaken humanity from the slumber of this life of illusion and to guide man onward towards divine perfection.
As the Sufi progresses in this view, he recognizes his Master, not only in the Holy Ones, but in the wise, in the foolish, in the saint and in the sinner and has never allowed to disappear from his sight the Master who is one alone and the only one who can be and who ever will be.
Daily reflections on the following points in Religious Gatheka 51, Part 2
Point One: ‘There is One Master, the Guiding Spirit of all souls, Who constantly leads his followers towards the light.’
Contemplation: In the Prayer Salat it is said, “Thy Light is in All forms, Thy Love in all beings”. This is beautifully expressed in this Sufi Thought. Let us make an effort throughout this month in all that arises to use this remembrance as our fortress and touchstone.
