Bowl of Saki for January 18

Misbelief alone misleads; single-mindedness always leads to the goal.

Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan


Related Material by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan

Compiled by Wahiduddin Richard Shelquist – wahiduddin.net

Those who sincerely seek their real purpose in life are themselves sought by that purpose. As they concentrate on that search, a light begins to clear their confusion, call it revelation, call it inspiration, call it what you will. It is mistrust that misleads. Sincerity leads straight to the goal.

Many are the paths that lead to success. The difficulty lies in keeping strictly to the chosen path, or in other words in retaining singleness of mind. There is one means only by which we can attain to a realization of the religious ideal of the Godhead, and that is through sincerity and single-mindedness in the conduct of everyday life.

A person with the tendency to respond will succeed in all walks of life; a person who is not responsive will become disappointed in all affairs of life. Responsiveness comes by interest, also by concentration, also by power of one’s mind. … Responsiveness may be explained as faith, trust, concentration, single-mindedness, a living interest, contemplation, and love. To respond means to give full attention and not divided attention but single attention. Responsiveness is focusing one’s whole being to something of interest. When we, even in our interest in worldly affairs, have so developed our faculty of responsiveness, then it becomes easy for us to respond to the call of the Spirit.

The mystery of responsiveness is that the responsive ones must forget themselves in order to respond; and the same mystery may be called the path to perfection. Those who are not capable of forgetting self, however good, pious, or spiritual, will always prove imperfect in their life. All misery comes from the consciousness of the self. Those who do not forget are constantly called by their own limited life, which enslaves them constantly. Those who forget self receive the call of God.


Commentary by Murshid S.A.M. (Sufi Ahmed Murad)
Samuel L. Lewis

By misbelief is not meant wrong belief. Any belief of humanity can be called right and any belief can be called wrong. Misbelief therefore does not mean wrong belief, but belief which does not carry itself through clearly to the subject of belief. That is because even when thoroughly believing, mind entertains an unconscious doubt or insufficient knowledge.

A strong concentration throws ample light on the belief and rights it. That is to say, it permits the Light of God’s Intelligence to fall upon it. This enables one to hold or express beliefs or opinions which are in harmony with Cosmic Truth, that is to say, with the Will of God.