Attainment

Character

Dimensions

Dreams

Ego

Elements

Guidance

Healing

Heart

Immortality

Initiation

Mastery

Meditation

Physical Body

Power

Prayers

Purpose

Relationships

Religions

School

Speaking

Stages

Sufism

World

The only Being has manifested Himself through seven different planes of existence, to accomplish His desire of being recognized:

The Descending Planes of Involution

There are, again, seven aspects of manifestation:

1. Sitara--planetary

2. Mahtab--lunar

3. Aftab--solar

4. Madeniat--mineral kingdom

5. Nabitat--vegetable kingdom

6. Haywanat--animal kingdom

7. Insan--human kingdom

The Ascending Planes of Evolution

Insan, being the ideal manifestation, recognizes God by the knowledge of his own self. Man reaches this perfection by development through five grades of evolution:

1. Insan

2. Nasut--material plane

3. Malakut--mental plane

4. Jabarut--astral plane

5. Lahut--spiritual plane

6. Hahut--plane of consciousness

7. Zat

The Grades of Humanity

There are three degrees of existence, namely, essence, activity and expression. The vibrations of the ether (the essence) cause activity, which produces air, and the activity of the air, through clashings, produces fire; the melting and condensing tendency of fire produces vapors and water; and the solidifying process of water creates the earth; and a reverse process consumes these elements, converting the grosser into the finer.

The first aspect of earth is the rock, which in time breaks into fertile soil, and during this change various substances are produced -- metals, precious stones, and so on. The soil manifests as the vegetable kingdom, and the things of this plane (trees, fruits, flowers,) derive one from the other, or, according to the laws of time and space, produce variations under the influences of the five elements.

From the vegetable the germ arises, either from fruit, leaf, or flower; the vegetable appears decayed when the germ is born, but this apparent decay is a further step in evolution. The form of the germ signifies its origins, whether it be of leaf, fruit, flower, branch or seed. By qualities such as its stillness, its immobility, and the deadness of its skin, the germ shows its kingship to its antecedent plane, the mineral, while it also exhibits qualities that show its relationship to nut, or fruit, or flower, or leaf, and thus to the vegetable world.

The germ may produce its like; and thus the development of germ-life brings it into the insect world, and the further development of insect-life leads to bird-life. Birds show that they inherit from the plant world by their branching wings, leaf-like feathers, nut-like beaks, fruit-like bodies; whilst qualities such as lightness, nimbleness, and diversity of hue, and color, show their inheritance from the insect-world, as do such tendencies as keeping in flocks.

The birds in their turn evolve to the eagle, then becoming heavier and coarser, their wings change, to become finally the two forelegs of the animal; the beak, passing through forms such as the duck's bill, widens into the animal mouth; and the crested tuft of the bird becomes the horn of the animal world.

Among the animals there arose first the herbivorous animals, but the animals becoming in time the prey of their own evolution, there arose also carnivorous animals, who possess in their teeth the strength of horns. And the animals retain marks of their inheritance from the birds. The bird-mark may be seen for instance on the leg of the horse. As the beasts approach human evolution, they show a tendency to stand upright on their hind legs, evolving to the monkey, the ancestor of primitive man.

The very diversity of Nature's forms witnesses to her freedom; and therefore no given order such as that given above need necessarily be her course -- that is to say not every animal derives from a vegetable, nor every human being from an animal, nor every vegetable from the mineral; but animals derive also from animals, as do vegetables from vegetables, and human beings from human beings, varying under varying influence of the elements and according to the laws of time and space.

Every step in evolution marks an increase of consciousness, until in man consciousness is perfect. This consciousness shows itself as self-interest or selfishness, which increases until selfishness is perfected in the evolution of the creature as man. Man, who kills even his own brother out of self-interest, creates cruelty and destruction on earth such as no one of the lower creatures creates. Thus man is found most material of all; and for the same reason, because consciousness is most fully awakened in him, he is capable of becoming the most spiritual of all.

Man may be called the seed of the whole existence. As the seed comes last, after the life of trunk, branch, fruit and flower, and as the seed is sufficient in itself and capable of producing another plant, such as that of which it was but a small product, so man is the product of all the planes, spiritual and material, a being small in comparison with the mountains and rivers and seas, or even in comparison with many beasts and birds, and yet in him alone that shines forth which caused the whole -- that primal intelligence, the seed of existence -- God. Therefore is man termed Ashraf-ul-Makhluqat, the Ideal of the Universe.

In Sufi terms there are five stages of consciousness: Nasut, Malakut, Jabarut, Lahut and Hahut.

1. Nasut is the consciousness which depends upon our senses. Whatever we see by means of the eyes, or hear by means of the ears, whatever we smell and taste, all these experiences which we gain by the help of the material body, prove to us that this is a particular plane of consciousness, or a particular kind of experience of the consciousness.

2. Malakut is a further stage of consciousness working through our mental plane. By means of this higher consciousness we experience thought and imagination - which are beyond our senses. Very often it happens that a person does not notice a passer-by, so deeply is he thinking upon some subject. You may speak to him, but he will not listen, so deeply is he absorbed in his subject. Though his ears are open he cannot hear, though his eyes are open he cannot see. What does this mean? It means that at that moment his consciousness is experiencing life on a different plane. Though he is sitting before you with open eyes and ears, his consciousness is on another plane, working through a different body.

   The plane of Malakut is experienced by every person not only when absorbed in thought, but also in dreams. While the different sense-organs are resting, the mind is free to work, and it works with the aid of the same mechanism which it has collected during the experience of the Nasut condition. In other words, all the experiences which a man gathers during the day are assembled during the night, and the mind works with that mechanism; whatever has been collected during the day is at work during the night. Therefore, if a person has acquired an impression of fear, fear will manifest itself in the dream in different forms; if a person has acquired an impression of love, love will appear in the dream in various forms; if of success the dream will show success in different forms. So the mind prepares a cover for every impression it receives, it prepares an outward appearance for it: that is what accounts for the meaning of dreams.

   Suppose that a person goes to a wise man saying, "I have seen flowers in my dream. What will be the result of it?" The wise man will answer, "Love, happiness, success." Why? Because the wise one knows that the mind disguises itself and the impression it receives into something beautiful, when something beautiful is going to happen, and into something ugly, when something bad is going to happen.

   It is, however, not only so that the mind adorns itself with a certain form in order to tell you that you are going to have a good or a bad experience. There also is the natural outcome of things, there is action and reaction: what we take from the outer world is prepared in the mind, and it reacts again in another form. This gives us a sort of key by which we can understand what the next step will be. In that form the dream is a warning.

   There is no need to take it as a warning in a spiritualistic form, and claim that a spirit, a ghost or an angel came to tell you the future. It is your own mind which disguises itself as a spirit, a ghost or an angel, in whatever form you wish it to come to you, or in whatever form you are accustomed to. It will never come in a form strange to you, such as you have never known; it will only come in a form to which you are accustomed. For instance, if you were to see a dog with wings, it would still be the form of a dog with which you are familiar; only the mixture or combination of forms is curious. Although wings are attached to the dog, the form is not actually new; you are seeing something which you recognize.

   In the dream the state of the mind has two different aspects. When the mind is not expressive but responsive and is not acting in a positive but in a negative rhythm, then it becomes visionary. That mind is visionary which is apt to catch the reflection of whatever other mind falls upon it. Thus it may catch the reflection of a living person's mind, or of a deceased person's mind, of a spiritually advanced person, or of a very ordinary person. That mind lies open like a piece of uncultivated ground which a person may turn into a farm or into a garden; in that soil he may sow seeds of flowers or only seeds of thorns.

   This accounts for people having different experiences in their dreams from those they had in their waking life. When people say, "I learn something from my dreams, I am inspired by them, have received new ideas, new lessons in my dreams", it is because their mind was exposed to the given impressions. However, a mind open to impressions in this way may reflect a satanic as well as an angelic impression, a wrong one as easily as a right one: it is open to whatever comes into it. Such a person is as likely to be led astray as to be helped. The result, therefore, is only good as long as the impressions to which the mind responds are good ones.

   What then is the way in which one can be sure to have the mind focused upon good things, and so to receive only good impressions? There are three considerations.

   First, one must be able to keep all the ever-moving thoughts away which come into one's mind. One must develop that mental strength, that will-power which will keep all thoughts away which come into one's mind during concentration and take one's mind away from the object on which one focuses it.

   Secondly, the mind will always focus itself upon the object which it loves. If one does not have love for the divine Being, for God, if one does not have that ideal, then it will certainly be difficult, for it cannot be done by the intellect. The person who only uses his intellect keeps asking, "Where shall I direct my mind, on what object shall I focus it? Please, picture it for me, and point out where it is." It is the lover of God whose mind cannot wander anywhither, save always directly to God.

   Then, purity of mind is necessary. The mind must be pure from all fear, worry and anxiety, and from every kind of falsehood, for all this covers the mind from the vision of God. When the mind, full of faith, love, purity and strength, is focused upon the ideal of God, man will receive teaching, inspiration and advice directly and for every case he meets with in life.

   The simple teaching of all the religions during every age, the essence of all religion and philosophy, is contained in these words: Go and stand before God in simple faith, being as a little child before God. At that moment you will say, "I know nothing, I have not learned anything, I am only an empty cup waiting to be filled. I have only love to offer You, and because my love is too insufficient, I ask to be given more. I have only faith, and yet that is insufficient; so I ask that it be strengthened and developed so that it will be strong enough to hold me before You. Purity I need, but I do not have it, or at least, if I have it, it is only Your own essence which is within my being, and I wish to keep it as clean as possible. With these three things I come, as a simple child, with no knowledge of my own, leaving aside all doubts and questions or whatever can come between us." Here is the essence of religion.

   It is so simple that even a child could do it, should he wish so. He does not need much learning to be able to do it; once it is explained to him he will understand it. We need not have learning or great intellectual knowledge to be able to do it.

3. The next stage, beyond the plane of Malakut, brings us to Jabarut, the plane of consciousness where the experience is like that of a person in deep, dreamless sleep - who is said to be sound asleep. The blessing here is greater still. In this higher experience there is God's own Being through whom we experience the life, peace and purity which are within us. Moreover, whilst anyone may experience this blessing during sleep, the person who follows the path of spiritual development will experience it while awake. Yogis call this state Sushupti. This joy of life, peace and purity the mystic experiences with wide open eyes, wide awake; others can only touch it during deep sleep.

4. A still further experience of consciousness is Lahut. This raises a person from the material to the immaterial plane. In this plane the state of being fast asleep is not necessary. There is greater peace and joy, and nearness to the essence which is called divine. In Christian terms this stage is called communion. In Vedantic terms it is called Turiyavastha, and the further step to this is called Samadhi which may no doubt be described as merging in God. In other words, in this stage we dive into our deepest selfhood; God is in our deepest self. In this state we have the ability to dive so deep as to touch our deepest being, which is the home of all intelligence, life, peace and joy, and where worry, fear, disease or death do not enter.

5. Hahut is the experience which is the object of every mystic who follows the inner cult. In Vedantic terms this stage is called Manan; the equivalent in Christian terminology is atonement.

From these considerations it may be seen that the work of the Sufi is to aim at ennobling the soul. When initiated into the Order we take the path of ennobling the soul - there is no wonder-working, no communication with spirits, no performing of miracles, no developing of magnetic or psychic powers, no clairvoyance or clairaudience, nor anything of the kind. The one single aim is to become humane, to live a healthy life, to try and better the moral conditions of our life, to ennoble our character, and to meet not only our own needs, but also those of our neighbors and friends. Our work is to try and develop that spark which is in every soul, whose only satisfaction lies in the love of God and in approaching towards God, with the intention of one day having a glimpse of that truth that cannot be spoken of in words.

There are five spheres of which the soul can be conscious. What are these spheres? They are the different shells, each shell having its own work.

1. The first sphere of which man becomes conscious after his birth on earth is Nasut, a sphere which is commonly known as the physical plane. How are the comforts and discomforts of this sphere experienced? By the medium of the physical body; and when there is something wrong with an organ of the senses the soul is deprived of that particular experience that it would like to have on this physical plane. The physical body is susceptible to all changes of climate and becomes dependent in its experience and expression, thus making the soul dependent and limited. Therefore, with all the riches that the world can give, man, who is only conscious of this sphere, is limited. "God is free from all wants, it is ye that are needy," says the Qur'an.

2. Malakut is the next sphere, the sphere of thought and imagination, where there is a greater freedom and less limitation than is experienced on the physical plane. A man with thought and imagination can add to life that comfort and beauty which is lasting on the physical plane. And the more real his imagination becomes the more conscious of that sphere of mind he proves to be. This sphere of mind is his world, not smaller than this world, but much larger; a world which can accommodate all that the universe holds, and still there would be a place in it to be filled.

3. The third sphere, Jabarut, is a sphere in which the soul is at home. In the waking state the soul of the average man only touches this sphere for a moment at a time. Man does not know where he is at that moment. He calls it abstraction. Do they not say when a person is not listening that he is not here? Every soul is lifted up to that sphere, even if it be for only a moment, and the life and light with which the soul is charged in that sphere enable it to live on this earth the life full of struggles and difficulties.

   Nothing in the world could give man the strength that is needed to live a life on the earth if there were not blessings from heaven reaching him from time to time, of which he is so little aware.

4. The other two spheres are experienced in sleep; but they are not different spheres; they are only different because they are experienced in sleep. They are Malakut, which is experienced in dreams, the world of mind, of thought and imagination; and Jabarut, the state of deep sleep when even the mind is still. This sleep frees the suffering patient from pain, and gives to the prisoner freedom from his prison; it takes away from the mind its load of worry and anxiety, and removes from the body every exhaustion and tiredness, bringing to mind and body repose, rest and peace; so that after man has wakened from his deep sleep he feels comfortable, rested, invigorated, as if a new life had come to him. One would give anything in the world to have a deep sleep, though so few know its value. That state of Malakut is reached while in the waking state by the great thinkers, the great inventive minds and the gifted artists; and it is experienced by the seers and sages. It is to experience this that all the concentrations are given by spiritual teachers to their disciples. This fuller experience is also called Lahut.

5. Still another experience is Hahut, a further stage, which is experienced by souls who have reached the most high spiritual attainment, which is called Samadhi in Vedantic terms. In this experience a person is conscious of Jabarut while awake; and this state he brings about at will. Though for the sake of convenience these spheres are explained as five spheres, yet chiefly they are three: Nasut, the plane of the world of man, Malakut, the sphere of the jinn and Jabarut, the angelic world.

Now there is the question if a soul by rising to all these spheres becomes conscious of the sphere of the jinn and of the angelic heavens, or if it only sees within itself its self-made world of mind, and the spheres of joy and peace within itself. The answer is, first it sees its own world by rising to the sphere called Malakut. It experiences the joy and peace which belong to its own heart, and which are of its own being. But that is only one part of spiritual attainment. This part of the attainment is the way of the Yogi. The way in which the Sufi differs from the Yogi is in his expansion; and it is these two sides of the journey which are pictured by the two lines of the cross, the perpendicular and the horizontal.

The perpendicular line shows a progress straight within from Nasut to Jabarut, experiencing one's own world within oneself; but that which the horizontal line denotes is expansion. The Sufi therefore tries to expand as he progresses; for it is the largeness of the soul which will accommodate all experiences and in the end will become God-conscious and all embracing. The man who shuts himself up from all men, however high spiritually he may be, will not be free in Malakut, in the higher sphere. He will have a wall around him, keeping away the jinns and even the angels of the angelic heavens; and so his journey will be exclusive. It is therefore that Sufism does not only teach concentration and meditation, which help one to make one-sided progress, but the love of God which is expansion; the opening of the heart of all beings, which is the way of Christ and the sign of the cross.

The sphere of the jinn has as many worlds as there are planets in the universe. As many and as different from one another as the planets in the universe; yet not so far apart, not so much out of communication with each other. The heaven of the angels is created on the same model. But is it on the model of the heaven of the angels that our universe has been molded, and also that of the jinns? What is the life there? What is it like? It is difficult to explain, and difficult to put into words, but for example one might see the difference in the life of the birds which can fly over seas and forests, over hills and dales, and feel in tune with nature, and express their joy in song. Then the deer in the woods, dwelling in the caves of the mountains, drinking water at the natural springs, moving about in the open spaces, looking at the horizon from morning till evening, the sun their timekeeper, and the moon serving as their torch. And then imagine our lives, the lives of human beings in crowded cities, days in the factories and nights indoors, away from God, away from nature, even away from self; a life fully absorbed in the struggle for existence, an ever-increasing struggle to which there is no end. There is the picture which helps us to imagine what life the angels live in the highest heavens, what life the jinns live in the middle heaven, and to compare our life as human beings in the universe with their lives.

Every person either consciously or unconsciously has a magnetism. But when a person is conscious of it its work is more powerful. And when a person is not conscious, the work of magnetism is slower, because it is the consciousness which allows the magnetism to work. Magnetism can be considered as of five different kinds.

1. Physical magnetism, which people call animal magnetism; it depends upon the good circulation of the blood, of the better condition of the skin, of the working of the pulsation, of the muscular development; also it depends upon the cleanliness. This magnetism depends upon form and feature and on movement.

2. And then there is intellectual magnetism, mental magnetism, which is connected with intellectuality. If one has a brilliant mind with wit, if one's perception and conception is keen, them intellectual magnetism works, and it manifests into wonderful illustrations. The intellectual person will always attract because the magnet in him is his mind.

3. And then there comes the magnetism of the heart, which depends upon the heart-quality. If we have a sympathetic nature, if we have deep feeling, naturally there is a kind of force which draws people near to you.

4. Then there is the magnetism of the soul, and that magnetism is of innocence. There are people with innocent qualities, and that attract very much, and that attraction lasts longer. They may not be clever, and may not have all the other means of drawing, and at the same time they can draw.

5. And the next is the spiritual magnetism, when the soul has reached a spiritual realization. That magnetism is such that if that person will sit in the midst of the wilderness, that wilderness will become a town. The Prophet Mohammed began in the desert which had no attraction whatever. There was no possibility of industry or business; there was no culture, there were no universities. There was nothing that could attract the heart. And if there was anything it was the Prophet who attracted the whole world there. People went from Arabia, Persia, and from Egypt and China. That is the spiritual magnetism. It has a great drawing power and it lasts longer.

What takes away the magnetism?

1. The first magnetism is taken away by illness, disorder of the physical body.
2. And the second magnetism is taken away by worry and anxiety. It eats the magnetism; however intellectual a person, however much an intellectual he may be, once he begins to worry then the mind becomes eaten up, all the brilliant nature of the mind is ruined.
3. And the magnetism of the heart goes away when once a heartbreaking comes, a disappointment comes, indifferentness comes.
4. The magnetism of the soul is taken away no sooner a person has become a little more clever than he is. As soon as he becomes worldly-wise, then that magnetism is going away. You will very often see those whom you know, whose innocence attracts you, no sooner they become more worldly, they have lost it.
5. And then there is the magnetism which is called spiritual magnetism. That increases and decreases according to the expansion and contraction of consciousness. But that is the magnetism that you can depend upon, and that is the magnetism that lasts.

Each magnetism which I have said before is less lasting compared to the next, and so increasingly they develop. And the last magnetism which I have said is the everlasting magnetism.

Consciousness passes through seven heavenly planes before manifesting as matter; and then through seven other planes to arrive at the plane of the human being. This evolution does not take place through the individual, but the Whole evolves as a whole.

1. In the first plane there is no other but the only existing One, free of form and matter. This Heaven the Sufis name Ahadiyat.

2. Then the innate quality of consciousness shines forth, conscious of its own existence and conscious of being; this is the second Heaven, Wahdat.

3. In the third Heaven, consciousness manifests to its own view. This is the plane of the Abstract; in which consciousness evolves into waves of activity, into vibrations that are first audible and then become visible. The first activity of consciousness produces Sound, and the clashings and groupings of vibrations produce Light. This third Heaven is called Wahdaniyat.

4. The Light which is the Eternal Spirit spreads forth its rays, each ray containing attributes differing in quality and quantity under the influence of time and space. Each ray is equally the potential soul of a thing, or living being. Each ray is detached; and each distinguishes itself as an individual soul, separate from the Universal Spirit, upon which, nevertheless, its existence as an individual depends. This world of rays has been called the world of Farishta, or angels. In this Heaven are souls that will proceed further, and also souls who have not sufficient desire to manifest farther.

   In ancient tradition the beings of this Heaven are described as spending their lives in listening to the Sound of the Abstract, which is Divine Music; and in rejoicing in the Divine Light, the Nur; and therefore these are depicted as holding harps, and trumpets, or flaming torches, the symbols of sound and light. Moreover, they assist in furthering manifestation, since their lives are incomparably longer than the lives of earthly beings. This heaven has been called the spiritual plane, of Arwah, which means Light.

5. In the next grade of manifestation, the soul, with its collected attributes, waits to turn into matter. Into this Heaven each ray has projected itself from the spiritual plane in diverse forms, under the influence of the five elements already produced by activity, `Ishq. This state of being may be described as a negative state. This plane corresponds to the realm of the soul of each being on earth, it is the realm of ideas. In it reside the experiences of earth. It has been called the astral plane, or Ajsam; and those beings who inhabit it, but who do not proceed further, have been called Djinn, or Peri, in tradition.

6. The next plane is the mental plane, in this the mind is formed, and even a form is designed, in matter as yet invisible in comparison with the matter of the physical world. Those who are capable of perceiving this heavenly plane, which is called Mithal by the Sufis, speak of spirit-phantoms.

7. The seventh is that physical existence called Insan by the Sufis, in which manifestation works out through matter until man, the ideal of creation, is evolved. The first three manifestations in the physical existence form the Heaven of the sun, moon, and stars; the light of the sun shines in the moon, and the same light illuminates the whole planetary system. The last four manifestations are the mineral, vegetable, animal, and human kingdoms.

The distinct vibrations, coming from the plane of the Abstract, grow perceptible with every step towards manifestation. For example, the vibrations of thought are more material than the vibrations of feeling; and as the vibrations pass through each plane they develop as atoms, in order to proceed forth; and therefore with every step in development they become objectively more visible and concrete. They materialize through gas and liquid; they become atoms that pass through the mineral, and then through the vegetable and animal kingdoms, and appear on the surface as life.

Every step towards manifestation is through the activity of the Spirit in matter and by means of matter. Therefore every successive plane is more radiant than the plane that precedes it, since the spirit has penetrated further. This is also the very reason and cause of delusion; for with each step towards fuller manifestation the vision has become more concrete, and correspondingly, those inner planes, which are long-lasting and yet dim in comparison with the picture of the objective world, become lost to view.

For the sake of convenience the mystics have divided the experiences of the consciousness into five different phases.

1. The particular phase the consciousness is most familiar with is the wakeful state in which the soul experiences through mind and body. This state in Sufi terms is called Nasut, and in Vedantic terms it is called Jagrat. As the soul only considers what it experiences through the senses with the help of the mind, the reason that many are not yet ready to believe in the soul or in the hereafter or in God is that the soul is acquainted with one sphere only, and that is the sphere which it experiences with the help of the body and mind.

2. An intellectual person also develops consciousness of another sphere which is called Malakut in Sufi terminology and Swapna in terms of the Vedanta. This state is experienced in two ways. When a person is absorbed in thought and is not aware of his surroundings, all he knows at that moment is the thought or imagination in which he is absorbed. This state is not dependent upon the body for its joy or its experiences of sorrow.

   A person who can experience joy and sorrow by raising his consciousness to that plane can make his heaven in himself. The great poets, thinkers, writers, who have lived through difficulties, through poverty, through circumstances in which people did not understand them, opposed them, and even despised them, have lived a most happy life for the reason that they have been able to raise themselves to that plane where they could enjoy all the beauty, comfort, and joy that the ordinary man can only enjoy if it is given to him on the physical plane. And when the key of this plane comes into the hands of a man, then he is the master of his future Life.

   When a man's consciousness reflects heaven, that man is in heaven; and when a man is conscious of torture, pain, and suffering, he is in the place of suffering. Man makes his heaven or his hell for himself. How many in this world you will find who keep their illness by thinking about it all the time, by being conscious of it; and one sees many who might become well after having suffered pain for some years were it not for the consciousness of the pain being held by them, not as something new but as something which has always been there.

   Nothing belongs to a man unless he is willing to hold it. But when he becomes accustomed to holding a certain reflection without knowing the nature of it, in time that reflection becomes his master and he becomes a slave of that reflection. And so it is with the worries and anxieties and sorrows which people have on their minds. Many say, "I cannot forget", because they imagine it. It does not mean that that person cannot forget, but that he is holding on to something which he does not wish to throw away. If a man would only realize that it is not that someone else is holding something before him; it is he himself who holds it. Some memory, something disagreeable, something sorrowful, some severe pain, anxiety, worry, all these things a man holds in his own hands and they are reflected in his consciousness. His soul by nature is above all this. It is an illusion whose place is beneath the soul, not above, unless a man, with his own hands, raises it and looks at it.

   When one considers the psychology of failure and success, failure follows failure. And why is it? Because the consciousness reflecting success is full of success, and the activity which goes out from that consciousness is creating productive activity; so if the consciousness has success before its view, then the same reflection will work and bring success; whereas if the consciousness is impressed with failure, then failure will work constantly, bringing failure after failure.

   Very often pessimistic people speak against their own desire. They want to undertake some work, and they say, "I will do this, but I don't think I shall succeed in it." Thus they hinder themselves in their path. Man does not know that every thought makes an impression on the consciousness and on the rhythm with which the consciousness is working. According to that rhythm that reflection will come true and happen; and a man proves to be his own enemy by his ignorance of these things. The mistake of one moment's impulse creates a kind of hindrance in the path of that person all through his life.

   This state of consciousness is also experienced in the dream; for the dream is the reaction of man's experiences in his wakeful state. The most wonderful thing which man can study in the dream is that the dream has a language, and a true knowledge of dream experiences teaches one that every individual has a separate language of his dream peculiar to his own nature. The dream of the poet, the dream of the man who works with his hands, the dream of the king, the dream of the poor man, all are different. There are many differences and one cannot give the same interpretation of his dream to every person; one must first know who has dreamed it. It is not the dream which can be interpreted by itself, it is the person to whom the dream came that one must know; and the interpretation is according to his state of evolution, to his occupation, to his ambitions and desires, to his present, his past, and his future, and to his spiritual aspirations.

   Thus the language of dreams differs; but there is one hint which may be given, and that is that in the wakeful state man is open to outward impressions. For instance, there are moments when the mind is receptive, and there are moments when the mind is expressive. And during the moments when the mind is receptive, every impression from any person is reflected in the consciousness. Very often one finds oneself depressed and cannot find a reason, and then one finds oneself full of mirth and again cannot find the reason. As soon as a person has a certain feeling he at once looks for a reason, and reason is ready to answer him, rightly or wrongly. As soon as a person thinks, "What makes me laugh?" there is something which his reason offers as the reason why he laughed. In reality that impression came from someone else; but he thinks the reason is something different, and so very often in the dream it happens that the reasoning faculty answers the demands of the enquiring mind, and frames and shapes the thoughts and imaginations which are going on so freely when the will-power is not controlling the mind in sleep.

   The mind behaves at that time just like an actor on the stage, free, without control of the will, and when that happens there may be a moment when the mind is in a receptive condition, when it receives an impression from other persons, from those who are friends or from those who are enemies, from anyone who may think of the dreamer or with whom he is connected in any way.

   Those who are spiritually inclined or who are connected with souls who have passed away also feel the impressions reflected upon their souls, sometimes as guiding influences, sometimes as warnings, sometimes as instructions. They also experience what are known as initiations, and sometimes have deluding, confusing, experiences; but all takes place on that particular plane where the consciousness is experiencing life independently of the physical body and of the senses.

3. The third experience which the consciousness has is called in Sufi terms Jabarut, and in Sanskrit or Vedantic terms Sushupti. In this state, in which the consciousness is not very well connected with the world, it does not bring its experiences to the world except for a feeling of joy, of renewed strength or health; and all one can say after this experience is, "I have had a very good sleep, and feel much better for it." In point of fact, the cause is that the consciousness was freed from pain and worry and any activity or limitation of life, and even prisoners can enjoy the blessing of this state when they are fast asleep; they do not know whether they are in a palace or in a prison. They reach the experiences of that plane which is better than a palace.

   Man does not realize the value of this state until the time comes when for some reason or other he is unable to receive this blessing. He cannot sleep; then he begins to think there is nothing he would not give to be able to sleep soundly. This shows that it is not only sleep he needs, but a blessing behind it. It is something which the soul has touched which is much higher and deeper, for this experience is greater than one can imagine. In this experience the consciousness touches a sphere from whence it cannot get an impression of any name or form. The impression it gets is a feeling, a feeling of illumination, of life, of joy. What message does it give? It gives a message of God which comes directly to every soul. And what is this message? God says to the soul, "I am with you, I am your own being, and I am above all limitations, and I am life, and you are more safe, more living, more happy and more peaceful in this knowledge than in anything else in the world.'

4. Besides these three experiences there comes a fourth experience to those who search after it. Why does it not come to everybody? It is not that it does not come to everybody, but everybody cannot catch it. It comes and slips away from a person, and he does not know when it came and when it went. In the life of every man there is a moment during the wakeful state, a moment when he rises above all limitations of life, but so swiftly does it come and go, in the twinkling of an eye, that he cannot catch it, that he does not realize it.

   It is just like a bird which came and flew away, and you only heard the flutter of its wings. But those who wish to catch this bird, who wish to see where this bird goes, and when it comes and when it goes, look out for it and sit waiting and watching for the moment when it comes; and that watching is called meditation. Meditation does not mean closing the eyes and sitting; anyone can close his eyes and sit, but he may sit for hours, or he may sit all his life, and still not know what came and what went. It is looking out for what comes, and not only looking out for it, but preparing oneself by making one's senses keen, by making one's body and mind a receptacle for the vibrations, so that when the bird makes a vibration one feels that it has come.

   It is this which is expressed in the Christian symbolism of the dove. In other words, it is the moment which approaches one's consciousness rapidly of such bliss that one, so to speak, touches the depths of the whole of life and reaches above the sphere of action, even above the sphere of feeling. "But," one will say, "what does one's consciousness receive from it?" It receives a kind of illumination which is like a torch lighting another light; this inner life, touching the consciousness, produces a sort of illumination which makes man's life clear. Every moment after this experience is unveiled because .of this moment. It charges man's life with new life and new light. That is "why in the East Yogis sit in Samadhi, in a certain posture for so many hours, or go into the forest and sit in the solitude; and they have always done so in order to catch this light which is symbolized by a dove.

5. There is one step even higher than this, which in the terms of the Sufis is Hahut, or Satnaclhi in Vedantic terms, the fifth sphere which consciousness experiences. In this the consciousness touches the innermost depth of its own being; it is like touching the feet of God. That is the communion which is spoken of in the Christian symbolism. It is just like touching the Presence of God, when one's consciousness has become so light and so liberated and free that it can raise itself and dive and touch the depths of one's being.

   This is the secret of all mysticism and religion and philosophy. The process of this experience is like the process of alchemy, which is not given freely except to those who are ready and who feel there is some truth in it. It takes time for a person to become familiar with things of this nature or even to think there is some truth in them and that it is not only talk and imagination. Even one who has felt the truth of the mystical state may question if it is worth while to go on with this quest; but if he does so he must accept the guidance of someone who has knowledge of this matter, in whom he can put his trust and confidence. But it must be understood that the path of discipleship, or the path of initiation, is not such that the teacher gives some knowledge to his pupil, tells him something new which he has not heard before, or shows him some miracle; if he does he is not a true teacher.

   Man is really his own teacher; in himself is the secret of his being. The teacher's word is only to help him to find himself. Nothing that can be learned from books, nothing that can be explained in language, nothing that can be pointed out with a finger, is truth. If a man is sure of himself he can go further, but when he is confused in himself he cannot go further, and no teacher can help him. Therefore, although in this path the teacher is necessary and his help is valuable, self-help is the principal thing; and the one who is ready to realize his own nature and to learn from himself, is he who is the true initiate. And it is from that initiation that he will go forward, step by step, finding the realization and conviction that he seeks; and all that comes to him throughout his life will but deepen that realization of truth.

"The world was created out of darkness," says the Qur'an.

1. This darkness may be explained as the Unknown, the Unseen, as that which is beyond human perception and imagination and explanation, as that state of existence which language fails to describe. The Knowers have spoken of One Only Being; the absolute, omnipotent and omnipresent, nameless, formless, birthless and deathless, while the mystics speak of a perfect restful and peaceful state; it is this background of the universe that is meant by the word darkness, the beginning and end of all.

2. Within it there awakened, of its own innate nature, the Consciousness of its existence, unlimited by knowledge of form and space -- as a mirror in which as yet nothing is reflected. This state the Sufi calls `Ilm; that is, the Pure Intelligence.

3. It is the tendency of the intelligence to seek an object; even as the eyes seek something to look at, and the ears desire to hear. This first activity of the intelligence may be called love, or will, or desire; the Sufis name it `Ishq.

4. It is this Love, or Will, inherent in Intelligence, that spread forth its power and caused the manifestation of itself; and passing through various grades of names and forms, arrived at that physical plane called Insan by the Sufis, where it experiences life upon earth, under many shapes and forms, and finally as the human being. This state of the experience of Intelligence is called Wujud.

And when the human being in his turn arrives at the knowledge of the original state of existence, he becomes the ideal of creation; that is to say, man becomes the ideal being when he becomes conscious of that original existence in which the spirit that is within him was not conscious of anything in the absence of any object to view. Out of Himself, God produced His manifestation, His means of becoming conscious; and now each manifestation of Himself calls out, "I," not knowing its True Self. But when the individual intelligence frees itself from this delusion, and recognizes its immortal existence, then it becomes master of all states of being; it becomes that ideal being whose bliss cannot be equaled on earth nor surpassed in Heaven.

This state in the experience of Intelligence, when the knower becomes known to Himself is called Shuhud; and in this the aim of life is accomplished.