Concentration and contemplation are great things; but no contemplation is greater than the life we have about us every day.
Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan
Related Material by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan
Compiled by Wahiduddin Richard Shelquist – wahiduddin.net
As one goes further in the soul’s unfoldment one finally arrives at the stage of revelation. Life begins to reveal itself, the whole of life, each soul becomes communicative — not only living beings but each thing. They say that the twelve apostles knew all languages. It does not mean that they knew English, French and Italian, but that they knew every soul’s language, as every soul has its own separate language. They began to perceive vibrations and so every evolved soul will feel the vibrations of every other soul, and every condition, every soul, every object in the world will reveal its nature and character. Sa’adi, the Persian poet, has said, ‘Once a soul has begun to read, every leaf of the tree becomes as a page of the sacred book of life’.
A keen observation of life in time awakens us to the fact that when once the light is thrown upon life, life begins to reveal itself. As Sa’adi has said, ‘Even the leaves of the tree become as pages of the sacred book once the eyes of the heart are open.’
( from the Sufi Message Series, Volume VI – The Alchemy of Happiness: The Development of Personality )
Anyone who has some knowledge of mysticism and of the lives of the mystics knows that what always attracts mystics most is nature. Nature is the mystics’ bread and wine. Nature is their souls’ nourishment. Nature inspires them, uplifts them and gives them the solitude for which their souls continually long. Every soul born with a mystical tendency is constantly drawn towards nature. In nature that soul finds its life’s demand, as it is said in the Vadan, ‘Art is dear to my heart, but nature is near to my soul.’…
From the moment one’s eyes open and one begins to read the book of nature one begins to live; and one continues to live forever.
Commentary by Murshid S.A.M. (Sufi Ahmed Murad)
Samuel L. Lewis
It is very easy to build dreams of ideals. It is very easy to imagine happiness in Heaven but that brings no strength, it never brings that great satisfaction when one feels one has accomplished something. This satisfaction is greatest in the physical sphere where there is so much to overcome, yet this is the greatest battle it is possible to wage and its victory is the finest victory, the victory over great obstacles.
It is easy to imagine Nirvana far away from turmoil; it is marvelous to imagine and attain Nirvana in the midst of trouble. Therefore if the sage once finds the Universal Peace in the midst of strife, it will be natural to find it anywhere and everywhere. The descent of Jesus into Hell is nothing but the willingness of the awakened soul to face all and fear nothing for the sake of God.