In the first part of this teaching on discipleship, Hazrat Inayat explains the necessary development of consideration.

If we enquire of our self within, for what purpose we have come to earth, why we have become human beings – perhaps it would have been better to remain angels, why this human body?  – the answer will certainly come to the wise from his own heart, that we are here to experience a fuller life, to become fully human. That fullness in becoming human is in consideration. Every consideration is precious. The whole teaching of Christ, “Blessed are the meek, the poor in spirit,” teaches one thing: consideration. Although it seems simple, yet it is a hard lesson to learn. The more we wish to act according to this ideal, the more we realize we fail. The further we go on the path of consideration the more delicate do the eyes of our perception become; the slightest mistake we feel and become sorry.

It is not every soul that takes the trouble to tread the path. It is not that everyone is a plant,  there are many rocks; they do not want to be considerate, they think it is too much trouble. Of course the stone has no pain, it is the one who feels who has pain.

Still, even with pain one would like to be a living being rather than a rock, because there is a joy in living, in feeling, not expressible in words. After many thousands of years the life buried in stones and rocks has risen to the human being! Even then, if a person wishes to stay a rock, he had better stay. But the natural inclination in every person must be to develop fully human qualities.

Now the first lesson on the path of discipleship that a pupil learns is what is called in Sufi terms yakin, and yakin means self-confidence. This confidence he first gives to his brother human being whom he considers his teacher, his spiritual guide.

There are three kinds of people, three classes in this that can be distinguished. One gives a part of confidence and cannot give complete confidence; he is wobbling, thinking, “Yes, I have confidence – but perhaps I have, perhaps I have not.” And this sort of confidence is a very difficult situation. A better position would be not to give it at all. It is lukewarm, not hot water, not cold. In all things this person does the same, in business, in his profession. He trusts and doubts, he trusts and fears. He is not walking in the sky, he is not walking on the earth, he is walking between the two. There is another kind. A person of this kind gives his confidence to the teacher, but he is not sure about himself. He says, “Yes, I have given my confidence,” but he is not sure if inwardly he has given it. This person has no confidence in himself, he is not sure of himself, so his confidence is of no value. The third person is he who gives confidence because he feels confident. This confidence can alone rightfully be called yakin.

And the people of all these categories were with Jesus Christ. Thousands of the people of the first category surrounded the master and left him. It took not one moment for them to be attracted and not one moment for them to leave the master. The second category are those who for some time go on, just as a drunken man goes; and when soberness comes it becomes clear to the: “Where am I going? Not in a good direction.” Do not think that those of this category did not follow the prophets. Thousands and thousands followed the masters and prophets. But those who stayed to the end of the test were those who, before giving their confidence to the Teacher, had confidence in their heart first. It is they who, if the earth turned to water and the water turned to earth, if the sky came down to earth and if the earth rose up to the sky, would stay the same, firm in the belief they once had. And by discipleship one has learned a moral that whatever position he will follow, as husband or wife, son, daughter, servant, friend, he is firm and steady wherever he goes, with confidence.

After yakin, which means confidence, there comes a test; that is sacrifice. That is the ideal on the path of God. The most precious possession there is, is not too valuable, nothing is too great to sacrifice. No one among the disciples of the Prophet, the real disciples, was such that he thought life too great a sacrifice, if it was needed. The story of Ali is very well known. A plot became known, that one night the enemies wanted to kill the Prophet and Ali knew about it. He did not tell the Prophet, but tried to get him to leave home. But he himself stayed, for he knew that if he went also, the assassins would follow and find out where the Prophet was. He slept in the same bed, in the place of the Prophet, so that the assassins might find him, but at the same time not ready to lose his life if he could fight them. The consequence was that the plot failed and the enemies could touch neither the Prophet nor Ali. And it is not one instance, there are a thousand instances, that the friendship formed in God and truth is for always between the Teacher and the disciple, nothing in the world can break it. For if the spiritual link cannot hold, how can the material link keep, which will wear out, as it is a worldly link? If the spiritual thought cannot form a link between two souls, what else can be such a strong tie that can last here and in the hereafter?

To be continued…