Souls Never Fear Death |
sufism of hazrat inayat khan
What is death after all? There is the saying of the Prophet that the illuminated souls never fear death. Death is the last thing they fear. And yet, one does not fear for anything more than for one’s life. One could sacrifice anything in the world, wealth, rank, power or position, if one could live. If living is an innate desire, then it is most necessary to find the process, the way how to get in touch with that real part of ourselves, which may be called our being, our self, and thus to become free from what is called mortality.
It is the ignorant one who knows only the ground floor of his house. By going to the first floor of his house, he thinks that he is dead. He does not know that he has only left the ground floor and is going to the first floor. Why does this ignorance exist? Because he never tried to go to the first floor. The ground floor is quite enough for him. The first floor does not exist for him, though it is a floor in his house.
Is immortality to be gained, to be acquired? No, it is to be discovered. One has only to make one’s vision keener, in other words, to explore one’s self. But that is the last thing one does. People are most pleased to explore the tomb of Tut-ank-Amen in Egypt, in order to find mysteries, regardless of the mystery hidden in their own heart. Tell them about any mystery existing outside themselves: they are delighted to explore it. But when you tell them to see in themselves, they think it is too simple. They think: ‘I know myself, I am a mortal being. I don’t want to die, but death awaits me.’ Difficulties they make, complexities they raise by their own complex intelligence. They do not like the straight way, they like the zig-zag way. They enjoy puzzles. Even if there is a door before them, they say, ‘No, I do not look for it.’ If a door opens before them, they do not wish to go out by that door. They prefer to be in a puzzle. It is a greater joy not to be able to find the door for a long time. One who is thus enjoying the puzzle, is horrified when he sees the way out.
The saying of the Prophet is, ‘Die before death.’ What does it mean? It does not mean commit suicide. It only means: study the condition of death. One need not die, play it; one should play death and find out what it is. The whole mystical cult is that play, playing death. That play becomes the means by which to understand the mystery hidden in life
hazrat inayat khan
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