Masjid Jami in Delhi built by Shah Jehan and still used as a mosque.It had rained a bit and when I removed my shoes and stepped on the wet stones, the cold penetrated my feet.I am doing my reading which I promised my spiritual teacher I was going to do.
Am sharing with you this part of the lesson:
The inner life is a journey, and before starting to take it there is a certain preparation necessary. If one is not prepared, there is always the risk of having to return before one has arrived at one's destination. When a person goes on a journey, and when he has to accomplish something, he must know what is necessary on the path and what he must take with him, in order that his journey may become easy and that he may accomplish what he has started to accomplish. One must have everything prepared, so that after reaching a certain distance one may not have to turn back.
The first thing that is necessary is to see that there is no debt to be paid. Every soul has a certain debt to pay in life; it may to be to his mother or father, his brother or sister, to his husband or wife or friend, or to his children, his race, or to humanity; and if he has not paid what is due, then there are cords with which he is inwardly tied, and they pull him back. Life in the world is fair trade, if one could only understand it, if one knew how many souls there are in this world with whom one is connected or related in some way, or whom we meet freshly every day. To everyone there is something due; and if one has not paid one's obligations, the result is that afterwards one has to pay with interest.
There is the inner justice which is working beyond the worldly justice, and when man does not observe that inner law of justice, it is because at that time he is intoxicated, his eyes are closed, and he does not really know the law of life. But that intoxication will not last; there will come a day when the eyes of every soul will be opened; and it is a pity if the eyes open when it is too late. To some consideration is due, to some respect, to some service, to some tolerance, to some forgiveness, to some help. In some way or other, in every relationship, in every connection there is something to pay; and one must know before starting the journey that one has paid it, and be sure that one has paid it in full, so there is nothing more to be paid. Besides this it is necessary that man, before starting his journey, realizes that he has fulfilled his duties, his duty to those around him and duty to God. But the one who considers his duty to those around him sacredly does his duty to God .
Hazrat Inayat Khan
2 comments:
How true!! Just wonder though, can I ever embark on that journey?
Too many debts to settle...hmm.
It means we have to make sure we are doing all that we can to fulfill all our responsibilities to make the people we are responsible for comfortable. But it does not mean going out of the way like for example if we have people who are too demanding , we do not have to fulfill that. In Islam the people we are responsible over are well marked out and when we do not meet the obligations , we will find ourselves impeded when we try to go on our spiritual quest.
Also if we have done wrong to people or we have a debt to pay , it has to be paid unless it is not due yet , then it is ok.
If we have done something to harm people, we have to compensate for it. if not directly then indirectly by doing good deeds .As far as possible directly rather than indirectly.
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