Pour upon us Thy love and Thy light.
Give sustenance to our bodies, hearts and souls.
Use us for the purpose that Thy wisdom chooseth,
and guide us on the path of Thy own goodness.
Draw us closer to Thee every moment of our life,
until in us be reflected Thy grace, Thy Glory, Thy wisdom, Thy joy, and Thy Peace. Amen
– Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan
In all the mystic thinks and does is a perfume which becomes a healing and a blessing. How does a mystic who becomes kind and helpful get on amidst the crowd in everyday life? The rough edges of everyday life rubbing against the mystic must necessarily make him or her heart sore. Certainly they do. The heart of the mystic is more sore than that of anyone else. Where there is only kindness and patience, then it takes all the thorns. Like the diamond being cut, so the heart being cut becomes brilliant. The heart, being sufficiently cut, becomes a flame which illuminates the life of the mystic and also that of others.
What is the secret of healing power? The secret is to make oneself strong enough to pull oneself together. And that is the secret of the life of the mystic.
When one reads something like this there is a tendency to wonder, ‘do I need to have more suffering in my life in order to become a realized being?’ No, suffering is built in to life. There is no need to look for more. How one allows oneself to go/grow through the experience of suffering will tell the tale. Can you reach out for help? Can you reach inside your heart to question if there is something you need to do in this situation to heal it? Can you ask yourself what is your right attitude at this time? Can you put yourself in the hands of the Divine when it is time? Can you remember that this too will pass, and hold on, be steady, be patient, look ahead to the end of the tunnel? Sometimes the challenge is not in doing spiritual practice, but in applying it – opening oneself to the difficult questions or providing some boundaries where there are none (saying no), or just admitting that something is happening, and letting it be.
Again, from Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:
The eye of the seer becomes a sword which cuts open, so to speak, all things, including the hearts of people, and sees clearly through all they contain; but it is a cutting open which is at the same time healing.
A meditative practice:
Move your head in a circle, beginning with the head facing the left shoulder, then circling down and around, sweeping past the left knee, the right knee, the right shoulder and
ending with the face upward: As the head swings around think/feel that you are in an ocean of love/light/life.
Pause, opening yourself to the Divine love/light/life.
Let the head drop, your attention going to your center, and open yourself to be touched by that Divine love/light/life – if you have a question that has been plaguing you, place it in your hands before you.
Let your head rise and feel your heart – you might feel it as a crystal, or a purifying fire, or radiance, or love or something else. And you could remember that your heart has taken one step as it evolves in love, light and life.
Some tools to maneuver in the world:
When in doubt, let love be the bridge. Remember that most people are doing their best.
Give yourself time to be in nature – notice the birds, the breeze, the quality of light, sound
Keep in mind, ‘this too shall pass’ Patience
May your life be blessed.