Hazrat Inayat Khan here finishes his teaching on revelation. The previous post in the series is here.

The best way for the genius is to make himself an empty cup, free from pride of learning or conceit of knowledge, to become as innocent as a child who is ready to learn whatever may be taught to him. It is the one who becomes as a child before God, at the same time longing and yearning to express music through his soul, who becomes a fountain of God. From that fountain divine inspiration rises and brings beauty before all those who see the fountain.

There is one step further, and that is when the person no longer remains a poet or a musician or a philosopher but becomes God’s instrument, only. Then God begins to speak to him through everything, not only in music or verse, in color or line, but he begins to communicate with God in all forms. Everything he sees, above or below, before or behind, right or left, either heavenly or earthly, is communicative. He then begins to speak with God, and it is this step that is called revelation.

There is a story of Moses, relating that when he was looking for fire to bake bread, he happened to see a light on the top of a mountain. So, in order to take this fire, he climbed to the top of the mountain, but there the fire became lightning. Moses could no longer withstand that great flashing and he fell to the ground. When he awoke, he began to communicate with God.

This story is allegorical. The idea is that Moses was looking for light to make it his life’s sustenance, but he had to climb onto the higher planes. It was not possible to get it on earth where he stood; it was necessary that he should climb to the top. And then there was not only a light, but it was lightning. It was a light that was beyond the power of Moses to withstand, and he fell down. What is this falling down? To become nothing, to become empty. When he reached that state of emptiness, then his heart became sonorous and he found communication with God through everything in the world – in the rock, tree or plant; in the star, sun or moon – in whatever he saw he found communication with his soul. So, everything revealed its nature and secret to Moses. It is in connection with this revelation that Sadi says that every leaf of the tree becomes a page of the sacred scripture once the soul has learned to read.

To be continued…