People mistake when they begin to cultivate the heart by wanting to sow the seed themselves, instead of leaving the sowing to God.
Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan
Related Material by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan
Compiled by Wahiduddin Richard Shelquist – wahiduddin.net
The Sufis have learned the lesson of love, of devotion, of sympathy, and have called it the cultivation of the heart. It is known by the word suluk, which means the loving manner. What we [ ie society — Muiz ] call refined manner is only a manner behind which there is no life. When manner is directed by the heart quality then it becomes loving manner, the manner that comes from love, and all such attributes as kindness, gentleness, tolerance, forgiveness, mercy and compassion — they all spring from this loving manner. … One may ask: How to cultivate the heart quality? There is only one way: to become selfless at each step one takes forward on this path, for what prevents one from cultivating the loving quality is the thought of self.
The question may be asked: Is any effort required for realizing the Truth? The answer is yes. There is a work that one can do, which is as the work of a farmer, it is to cultivate the heart. But where people make a mistake is that when they cultivate the heart they wish to sow the seed themselves instead of leaving the sowing of the seed to God. As to the way to cultivate the heart, the first condition is explained in a story. A young man went to a great seer in Persia and asked the seer for guidance on the spiritual path. The seer asked him, ‘Have you loved in your life?’ ‘No’ he said, ‘not yet.’ The seer answered, ‘Go and love, and know what love is. Then come to me.’
Commentary by Murshid S.A.M. (Sufi Ahmed Murad)
Samuel L. Lewis
Every form of attachment to self tends to keep the heart closed no matter how great the desire. Even attachment to heart cannot open heart. No desire, no ambition, no hope can do it. It comes from surrender of self and then heart opens almost automatically. Either we are at the helm, or the Spirit of Guidance leads us on.