In this instalment of his lecture about the Day of Judgment, Hazrat Inayat Khan speaks of the three stages of all work or effort: the beginning, the action itself, and the outcome. The first instalment is here.
Everything that one does, all one’s works, have three parts: the beginning, the action, and the end. In the beginning there is hope. In the action there is joy, but in the end comes the realization.
In the morning when one wakes up, one is fresh and ready to plan all the work of the day. A person works all day, and in the evening he sees what result he has got from his work, how much he has gained.
When a child is born, it is fresh and ready to enjoy everything. It is happy with any little thing, any little doll that it is given. It does not know where the world is nor what the cares of life are. Then a person has to go through all experiences, good and bad, in life; and when old age comes, then he sees the results of his actions. At the time of action he does not see them, because action is blinding. Then, if he has worked for riches, he has got riches. If he has worked for fame, he will have that. And if he loves, he receives the affection and sympathy of his surroundings. When he is old, that is the period of his judgment on earth. Then he sees the reward of his action. If he has murdered someone, the judgment is when he is hanged. If he has robbed, he is in jail and he repents. But the time of action comes only once, and after that it is too late to repair one’s fault.
There are many things that we do that seem all right at the moment, but afterwards our self is not satisfied. It is just like a person eating something that at the time has a pleasant taste but afterwards produces a bad odor, so that the smell of his own breath makes his head ache. Whatever was tolerated in him while he had power, magnetism, and activity, together with energy, manner, appearance, and looks, no one will tolerate any longer when the power has left him. He has become cranky. His children want to leave him, because they say that old papa has lost his head. His friends despise him, because they say that he is no use.
There are many habits and weaknesses of the mind which in youth do not seem of much consequence, such as jealousy, greed, envy, anger, and passion. When youth is gone, and the strength and magnetism of youth, then only weakness remains with its gaping mouth. Whilst we are engaged in an activity, we are blind. Our eyes are opened when the result comes.
A Padishah was once riding in the jungle. Crossing a bridge he saw a man who was quite drunk standing in the middle of the bridge. The man called out, ‘Will you sell that horse, O passerby?’ for he was quite drunk and could not recognize the rider. The Padishah thought, ‘He is drunk,’ so he paid no heed. After shooting for some hours in the jungle he returned and saw the man who had been standing in the middle of the road now sitting by the roadside. The Padishah asked the man in fun, ‘Do you want to purchase this horse?’ The man’s drunkenness had now passed. He was astonished to think what he had said to the Padishah in his drunken state, but fortunately he thought of a very witty answer. He said, ‘The purchaser of the horse has gone, the groom of the horse remains.’ This amused the Padishah, who overlooked his fault.
To be continued…