34. Winding the mechanism of thought
Religious Gatheka
by Hazrat Inayat Khan
What does this service mean? The service, a religious service is a drill, a drill before the battle. And what is the battle? Our everyday life. If the service only is the religion, then we can only have once a week the religion and seven days without it. But that is not the thing. This is the winding, it winds the mechanism of thought, the thought of unity of all religions, of all people. It is for the winding every week that we come to the service; the mind is wound just like a clock to continue for the whole week. What we receive from here is the idea that God is in us, truth is one, and the religion is one. There cannot be two religions; that is the confusion, the illusion of the human mind. When people cannot understand each other, they say:”Your religion is different, my religion is different.” But the difference does not belong to God, it belongs to the earth. We are on the earth, but we are not bound to the earth. We are bound to God. And in the realization of God, and in the love of God what are we expected to do? We are expected to unite with one another in the thought of god, in the love of God. And now should we derive the greater benefit by this service we attend? By moving the idea all the time, from the time we leave here that idea must continue in our heart. If we are in the office or in the factory or in the market, the idea must be there; the prayer must continue in our heart.
And not only the prayer of glorifying the name of God but that lesson that we receive in that prayer, that all wisdom is from God; from whatever scripture, whatever religion, whatever form, it all comes from one source.
And again, remember that a person might ask, how can it be that all the scriptures and religions will be placed in the same place? For a Christian might ask: “What I consider of my religion, - how can the Buddhistic or the Hindu religion or the religion of the Hebrews be in the same place?” But he must first know that the Jewish person is thinking the same way, and the Buddhist and the Hindu also is thinking exactly in the same way, perhaps even more. And therefore the object of this Movement is the object of freedom. It is the democracy of religion, and at the same time not interfering with anybody’s faith, ideal, idea or belief. For instance there is a Christian belonging to this Movement, who thinks most of his religion, of his teacher; and there is a Hebrew who is perhaps thinking most of his religion and he is perhaps, belonging to o the Sufi Movement; and there is a Buddhist, and he is also considering his religion most.
Do you think we have any objection about it?
Do we interfere with his ideal, with his devotion to his Teacher?
It would be absurd as for a person to think that a child should think of the mother of another more than of his own. And who has the right to place the great teachers or the scriptures by comparison in such and such a place? No one. It is our hearts’ devotion to the ideal we adore, it is that place where we can place our ideal; and it is our affair, no one can interfere with it. A few girls were playing one day, and each girl said in turn that:”My mother is better.” The other said, “No, my mother is better.” And they were all discussing and arguing. But the girl who was wiser among them said:”Oh, no, it is the mother that is adorable, whether it is your mother or my mother.”
Does the Sufi Movement, therefore interfere with anybody’s devotion to his Teacher? Never. But at the same time it invites the souls to see the Source and Goal of all wisdom to be one, and it is in this truth that all the blessing that the soul is longing for will be bestowed.
Daily reflections on the following points in Religious Gatheka 34
Point One: Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan in this lecture says: We are on the earth, but we are not bound to the earth. We are bound to God. In the realization of God, and in the love of God what are we expected to do? We are expected to unite with one another in the thought of god, in the love of God.
Contemplation: Unite us all in Thy Perfect Being. (From the prayer Khatum)
Point Two: Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan in this lecture says: If we are in the office or in the factory or in the market, the idea must be there; the prayer must continue in our heart.
Contemplation: “Be unceasing in prayer.” [1 Thessalonians 5: 17]
Point Three: Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan in this lecture says: ... the object of this Movement is the object of freedom. It is the democracy of religion, and at the same time not interfering with anybody’s faith, ideal, idea or belief.
Contemplation: Spiritual Liberty!
Point Four: Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan in this lecture says: It is our hearts’ devotion to the ideal we adore, it is that place where we can place our ideal; and it is our affair, no one can interfere with it.
Contemplation: Spiritual Liberty!
Point Five: Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan in this lecture says: Does the Sufi Movement, therefore interfere with anybody’s devotion to his Teacher? Never. But at the same time it invites the souls to see the Source and Goal of all wisdom to be one.
Contemplation: Spiritual Liberty!
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