The post of wise counsel from Hazrat Inayat Khan that our practice should touch every moment of our life might make us think of the story of the two monks, a teacher and his student, who one day were bathing in a lake. The student, feeling gloomy over what he considered to be his lack of spiritual progress, said, “When will I ever reach enlightenment?”

Without a word, the teacher seized the student, and thrust his head under water. At first the student submitted, but then he started to feel the need for air, and finally began to struggle. At last he broke free and surfaced, gasping.

“You will find it when you want enlightenment as much as that,” said the teacher.

Like many good stories, this one makes a useful point while ignoring other things. The monk struggled because of an overpowering need–in this case, the need of the body. This is an example of instinct, the spirit of guidance working on the physical level. But to find spiritual fulfilment, we must hear the call of guidance in another way: we must hear it in our hearts as the ‘Voice that constantly cometh from within.’

There is a tendency to compartmentalise life. Physical fitness? A visit to the gym every week. Dental care? Regular visits to the dentist. Spiritual health? Breathing exercises every morning, and a class every Thursday (when possible). But to arrive at the ultimate goal, we need to become perpetually aware of the spirit; it has to become our constant consciousness.

This requires a change in attitude. If our practice is no more than mechanical, then it is really impossible to think of maintaining our concentration with every word, or bite of food, or breath. But if we have begun to discover the life inherent in a practice, then it becomes possible to love it, for we love what is alive. And as that love increases, the practice – or the meditation, as Hazrat Inayat says – begins to travel with us through the day.

In other words, the longing of the monk for air is a metaphor, representing the longing of the heart for what it loves. When the love becomes that strong, then the Beloved will walk with us through the day and night, in all circumstances.