There are times when a word of wisdom strikes us with its beauty, but when we reflect upon it, it becomes difficult to say just what it means or how we might apply it in our lives. The more we seek to understand it, the more elusive it becomes.
The sentence with which Hazrat Inayat Khan begins his teaching about repose is an example. He says: When the lips are closed, then the heart begins to speak; when the heart is silent, then the soul blazes up, raising its flame, which illuminates the whole life. The sentence traces a line from the closed lips through the heart, and ends in our soul, blazing with light–in just a few well-chosen words a most inspiring journey! But what about the steps along the way? What does it mean, that the heart begins to speak? And if it has begun to speak, how is it brought to silence?
When the lips are open, it means we are involved in the external world, expressing our thoughts, our opinions, our desires – and of course our identity, because most often our words are sweet in our mouth simply because they are ours. To close the lips, therefore, means to turn away from such expression, or to learn to master it. What is more, to be merely speechless is not sufficient; we must learn to master the noise of the mind.
When speech and thought are under control, it becomes possible to recognise the subtle sound of the heart. It is our impression that the heart then begins to speak, but in truth it had always been vibrating, even while we did not perceive it. Now, recognising its beauty, we seek to empty the heart of all its burdens so that the sound will resound more clearly.
When we listen closely to that inner voice, it gives new life and meaning to all that we say and think and do. But as we listen still more profoundly, seeking the depth of that sound, we may begin to recognise a silence from which it arises–as a musician might say, the silence that calls forth each note. That silence is even more intoxicating than the beguiling voice of the heart, and when we immerse ourselves in that stillness, forgetting the activity of the mind and the vibration of the heart, we discover a light shining everywhere. By that light, the puzzles of life become clear to us
As it is said in the prayer Khatum,
Open our hearts that we may hear Thy voice, which constantly cometh from within;
Disclose to us Thy divine light, which is hidden in our souls, that we may know and understand life better.