Continuing with the teachings on mysticism, (the previous post in the series is found here) Hazrat Inayat Khan now begins a very interesting explanation of the need for repose. This theme will be completed in part VII.

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. It is this idea which shows the mystic the great importance of silence, which is gained by repose. It is so little known to the generality what repose means, because every person who experiences repose feels that he needs it after being tired, but if he were not tired he would never see the necessity of repose.

Repose has many aspects. There is one repose, when a person retires from the action of everyday life and finds himself alone in his room. He breathes a breath of thankfulness, which means, after all interesting or uninteresting experiences, ‘I am just now alone by myself.’  It is not an ordinary feeling, there is a far deeper feeling behind it. The meaning is the certainty that there is nothing to attract his mind and nothing which demands his action; at that moment his soul has a glimpse of relief, the pleasure of which is inexpressible.

But the intoxication of life, from which every man suffers, is such that he cannot very well appreciate that moment of relief, which every person, rich or poor, tired or not, expects in the time of retirement after the actions of his daily life. Does this not teach us there is a great mystery in repose, a mystery of which a person is very often ignorant? Besides this, we always find a thoughtful person reposeful by nature, and a reposeful one, thoughtful by nature. It is repose which makes one more thoughtful, and it is a continual action which takes away even that thoughtfulness of a sensible person. People working in the telephone or telegraph or post office, upon whose mind there is a continual demand, in time develop impertinence, insolence, lack of patience. They do not become less sensible, it only means they lack repose, which weakens their sense of control and makes them give in to such things.

This shows that repose is not only necessary for a person who walks the spiritual path, but for every soul living on the earth, whatever be his grade of evolution, whatever be his standard in life. This is the one thing which must be developed in nature, and not only for grown-up people: this is something which should be taught from childhood. Education nowadays thinks so much about the different intellectual things the child will want in life, and so little about the repose, which is for the child the greatest necessity. Sometimes cats and dogs prove more intuitive than mankind. Are animals capable of more things than man? No, man is more capable. But man does not give himself time to become more intuitive; he does not give enough time to it.

To be continued…