The Secret of Inspiration
Everyone has an infinite world of beauty and goodness in his mind. The few who have recognised it call it ilaham or inspiration. Shri Dada of Aligarh We tend to think of inspiration in the spiritual sense as something special and beyond the reach of the ordinary person. Followers of the different religions of the…
Read MoreThe True Ideal of Life
Life has a past which is immeasurable. Its origin is shrouded in inscrutable mystery, which has baffled the audacious investigation of science. All that science has to say about the origin of life is: ‘We do not know.’ Another fact is that life has an almost infinite future. It transforms itself, renews itself in nature…
Read MoreAttar—Sufi Teachings on Higher Love
On Attar of Nishapur, the 12th century Persian mystical poet, best known in the West for his ‘Conference of the Birds’ The one great theme of Attar’s poetry is how to purify the heart so that one can see God everywhere. Though he has much to tell us on this theme, both from his own…
Read MoreBuddhism and Vedanta – The Parallels
One of the principles that prepares us for enlightenment is our recognition that great wisdom is to be found in the teachings of all true religions, and each merits our respect. In every scripture you will find statements—they may be plentiful or few—that remind us of the enlightened understanding revealed in the teachings of the…
Read MoreVerses of Bullashah
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Read MoreSources of Inner Strength
How do we gain inner strength? The first answer is that in worldly life we gain inner strength through exercising our will. The will has been described as a sort of inner muscle, and it can be strengthened by regularly using it. It can also be strained by over-use, leading to what is sometimes called…
Read MoreThe Good
‘What is good?’ asks Aristotle. ‘That which is useful to us’ is the answer. There is physical good such as food, shelter, security, a holiday; then there is mental or moral good. This consists of mental discipline, education, order in the emotions, right discernment and the unprejud-iced exercise of reason. Is that all? Our soul…
Read MoreOur Highest Potentiality
Whatever our age or position in life, we are right to believe that there are still great potentialities in us awaiting development. But there is one supreme latent capacity, which, when awakened, will free us from the need for further search. Our highest aim is to discover the eternal life that is our true nature,…
Read MoreOriginal Face
There is a saying, well known in Zen Buddhism, ‘Show me your original face, the face you had before your parents were born.’ Such propositions are called koans, and the seeker is expected to meditate on his or her koan—to live with it, so to say—until its meaning is intuitively grasped. To attempt to ‘explain’…
Read MoreAn Allegory – the Princess and the Lotus
There was a princess who lived in a stately palace and had all that was needed to please. Her youth and beauty shone like a candle flame and she attracted princes from many lands who came to live in her court. She was well educated, wrote poetry, and her charm was enhanced by her life…
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