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PART II: CONFESSIONS

CHAPTER 8

EASTERN TRAINING

'Verily the believers are brethren.' !"r'an

IN the East reli#i$n is s$%n in the heart $& the hil( &r$) birth* n$ )atter t$ %hat

reli#i$n he )ay bel$n#. The inv$ati$n $& the na)e $& G$( be$)es a (aily "st$)*

%hih he $nsi$"sly $r "n$nsi$"sly re+eats in s$rr$% as %ell as in ,$y. 'bis)illah'

- In the na)e $& Allah* $r 'alha)("lillah' - Praise be t$ Allah* $r 'Allah" abar' -

G$( is #reat* an( 'ya Allah' - O G$(/ s"h e0+ressi$ns as these are "se( at the

be#innin# an( the en(* as %ell as in the )i(st $& every $r(inary $nversati$n. This

att"nes the believer an( even attrats the "nbeliever t$ the th$"#ht $& G$(* %hih in

the en( lea(s the seeer t$ sel&reali1ati$n an( the +eae $& G$(.

In #$$( h$)es )$rality is ta"#ht t$ every hil( in "nity %ith reli#i$n/ by hein#

all its e#$isti leanin#s it teahes the hil( t$ be$)e h")ble* )$(est an( res+et&"l.

There is a little st$ry t$l( $& the #ran(s$n $& the H$ly Pr$+het. The hil(* $na((ressin# a slave by na)e* %as $rrete( by his #ran(&ather %h$ e0lai)e(* 'Nay*

th$se are n$t #$$( )anners/ alth$"#h he is a slave he is $l(er that y$"* s$ y$" )"st

all hi) '"nle'.'

I& this $"rtesy %ere +ratie( in )$(ern ivili1e( $"ntries s"h as A)eria* %here

a str$n# +re,"(ie a#ainst $l$r e0ists* h$% )"h better it %$"l( be &$r the nati$n2

C$"rtesy t$ stran#ers is ta"#ht as a virt"e in the East* %hile the sel&ishness $&

)$(ern ivili1ati$n +revents stran#ers &r$) enterin# 3estern $"ntries %ith$"t

&ear. This is 4"ite an inh")an ten(eny* an( re)in(s $ne $& ($#s %h$ bar an(

(rive a%ay a stran#er &r$) their $%n habitati$n.

Overl$$in# the &a"lts $& $thers %ith +$liteness* t$lerane* &$r#iveness* an(resi#nati$n is re#ar(e( as a )$ral virt"e in the East. 5an's heart is vis"ali1e( as the

shrine $& G$(* an( even a s)all in,"ry in th$"#ht* %$r(* an( (ee( a#ainst it is

$nsi(ere( as a #reat sin a#ainst G$(* the In(%ellin# One. Gratit"(e is sh$%n by the

l$yalty $& the Orient an( by bein# tr"e t$ the salt/ the h$s+itality $& a (ay is

re)e)bere( thr$"#h$"t all the years $& li&e* %hile the bene&at$r never &$r#ets

h")ility even in the )i(st $& his #$$( (ee(s. There is an Eastern sayin#* 'F$r#et thy

virt"es an( re)e)ber thy sins.'

'Chaine( %ith #$l( hains ab$"t the &eet $& G$(.' Tennys$n

Th"s the heart* (evel$+e( by reli#i$n an( )$rality* be$)es &irst a+able $&

h$$sin# an( then $& retainin# the $b,et $& (ev$ti$n %ith$"t %averin# &$r a

)$)ent. 6et in the absene $& these 4"alities it re)ains ina+able $& either h$ie $r

retenti$n.

There have been inn")erable (ev$tees in the East* 7hata $r Ashi* %h$se

(ev$ti$nal +$%ers are abs$l"tely in(esribable an( ine&&able. T$ the i#n$rant the

st$ry $& their lives )ay a++ear e0a##erate(* b"t the ,$y $& sel&ne#ati$n is #reater

than that $& either s+irit"al $r )aterial ,$y.

ev$ti$n s%eetens the +ers$nality* an( is the li#ht $n the +ath $& the (isi+le. Th$se

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%h$ st"(y )ystiis) an( +hil$s$+hy %hile $)ittin# sel&sari&ie an( resi#nati$n

#r$% e#$isti an( sel&entere(. S"h +ers$ns are a+t t$ all the)selves either G$(

$r a +art $& G$(* an( th"s )ae an e0"se &$r $))ittin# any sins they lie.

Re#ar(less $& sin $r virt"e they )is"se an( )ali#n $thers* bein# "tterly &earless $&

the herea&ter. 6et they &$r#et that 'strait is the #ate* an( narr$% is the %ay* %hih

lea(eth "nt$ li&e'* as the 7ible says.The &ire $& (ev$ti$n +"ri&ies the heart $& the (ev$tee an( lea(s t$ s+irit"al &ree($).

5ystiis) %ith$"t (ev$ti$n is lie "n$$e( &$$( an( an never be assi)ilate(. 'I

a) the heart $& )y (ev$tees*' says 9rishna in the 7ha#ava(Gita. An( Ha&i1 says*

'O ,$y$"s (ay %hen I (e+art &r$) this ab$(e $& (es$lati$n* seein# the re+$se $& )y

s$"l an( settin# $"t in searh $& )y 7el$ve(.'

Phil$s$+hy* %hih is the &$rth sta#e $& (evel$+)ent* has &ive as+ets: +hysial*

intellet"al* )ental* )$ral an( s+irit"al* These ann$t be learne( by the )ere

+er"sal $& b$$s* an( by listenin# t$ the (is"ssi$ns $& +hil$s$+hers. F$r +hil$s$+hy

is n$t a st"(y %hih is ta"#ht in the "niversities al$ne/ it $ntains 4"ite an $++$site

+ath t$ n$%le(#e* an( it an $nly be tr"ly st"(ie( "n(er the #"i(ane $& a

5"rshi(. In hi) the )"ree( has +er&et tr"st an( $n&i(ene* as $)+lete (isi+line

even t$ the sari&ie $& &ree %ill is re4"ire(. At &irst this a++ears t$ be a l$ss $&

in(ivi("ality* %hile the e#$ rebels at bein# th"s r"she( an( s"b)er#e( beneath the

str$n#er la%s $& %ill an( reas$n. 7"t the battle a#ainst sel& #ives a )astery $ver sel&

in the en(* %hih in $ther %$r(s is a )astery $ver the %h$le "niverse.

7"t it is %ell t$ re)e)ber that s"h "tter tr"st sh$"l( never be re+$se( in a

5"rshi( "ntil the sel& has #aine( entire $n&i(ene in hi)* an( every ($"bt has been

s"b("e(. 3hen $ne this $n&i(ene is #iven* there sh$"l( be n$thin# $n earth*

%hih $"l( brea $r ast it ($%n &$r the %h$le #a)"t $& eternity. There are s$)e

%h$ $nsi(er it )$st h")iliatin# t$ be #"i(e( by an$ther* b"t they are #reatly

)istaen* &$r in the li#ht $& tr"th there is b"t One. The inter$"rse bet%een5"rshi( an( )"ree( is +re&erable t$ any $ther &ell$%shi+ in the %$rl(* %hen $ne

$nsi(ers that a &rien(shi+ in G$( is the $nly tr"e &rien(shi+* %hih en("res &$rever.

'S+rinle %ith %ine thy +rayerr"# i& thy Pir$5"rshi( says s$. The #"i(e is n$t

"n)in(&"l $& the "st$)s an( %ays $& the Path*' says Ha&i1.

A 5"rshi( is a #ate%ay "nt$ the "nseen 5aster an( a +$rtal "nt$ G$(* the

nn$%n. 7"t yet in the en( neither G$(* 5aster n$r 5"rshi( a++ears in the )$st

(a11lin# li#ht $& (ivine %is($)* %hih al$ne is 'I A).'

'Everythin# shall +erish e0e+t the &ae $& Allah.' !"r'an

5ystiis) is the last #ra(e $& n$%le(#e* %hih an $nly be ri#ht&"lly ahieve( by

+assin# thr$"#h all these +ree(in# sta#es* an( it is $nly then that it is a )ystery n$)$re. One it is n$%n $ne reali1es by $ne's +ast (el"si$ns h$% &ar an( re)$te has

been the #$al* an( h$% l$n# the ,$"rney "nt$ its (istant sh$res. One beh$l(s &$r the

last ti)e the )$"ntains $& virt"e $ne %as &$re( t$ sale in $r(er t$ see its r$se

r$%ne( hei#hts* an( then they vanish a%ay lie a (rea) in the )$rnin#.

'Every%here Th$" art* nearest $& all Th$" art* an( yet n$%here Th$" art* O

all+erva(in# sel&.' ;ahir

It is (e#ra(in# the na)e $& )ystiis) %hen +e$+le lai) t$ be Christian $r

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)ystis* &$r )ystiis) is +"re &r$) (istinti$ns an( (i&&erenes. 5y Pir$5"rshi(

$ne #ave )e a #$blet $& %ine ("rin# a trane* an( sai(* '7e th$" int$0iate( an(

$)e $"t $& the na)e an( sha)e2 7e th$" the (isi+le $& l$ve an( #ive "+ the

(istinti$ns $& li&e2 7ea"se t$ a S"&i* 'I a) this $r that' )ean n$thin#.'

All )ystial +$%ers s"h as lairv$yane* laira"(iene* th$"#ht rea(in# an(

+r$#n$stiati$n* +syh$)etry* tele+athy* estasy* an( vari$"s $ther s+irit"al)ani&estati$ns &r$) the %$rl( bey$n(* are (isl$se( in $ne #l$ri$"s state $& visi$n.

The li&e $& the )ysti* b$th the inner an( the $"ter* is sh$%n as a %$n(r$"s

+hen$)en$n %ithin itsel&. He be$)es in(e+en(ent $& all earthly s$"res $& li&e an(

lives in the 7ein# $& G$(* reali1in# His +resene by the (enial $& his in(ivi("al sel&/

an( he th"s )er#es int$ that hi#hest bliss %herein he &in(s his salvati$n.