We continue with the talk presented onboard the SS Volendam in December, 1925, while sailing to New York. The lecture begins in this post and continues here. When Hazrat Inayat completed his lecture, he took a number of rather thoughtful questions from the audience, and his answers are characteristically insightful.

Q.: There are some who consider the lighter side of life more important, others the deeper side of life. Would there be a possibility for those who consider the lighter side of life to develop so that they may realize the deeper side of life more and more? By practical thought, not by words or dogmas, which are not well understood by people, but by practical thought which leads to a proper understanding of the deeper side of life?

A.: As it is necessary to have repose after action, so it is necessary to have a glimpse of the deeper side of life after having done one’s everyday duties. Religions, therefore, have taught prayers. Also there were churches where people used to go every day to be in a right atmosphere and to be silent. And now religion has become a secondary thing and the life of man has developed more struggles; naturally, man has hardly time to go in a solitary place or in a church and take a silence. Those few who have some time and who care to continue with religion, once a week they go to a service.

Therefore, if there is a way which I would suggest at the present time, it is the way of esotericism, the esoteric way, which means studying on one hand, practising on the other hand, and meditating besides, doing these three things. You will ask, “What to study?” There are two kinds of studies. One kind is to read the teachings of the great thinkers, and to keep them in mind, to study metaphysics, psychology, mysticism. And the other study is to study life. Every day we have an opportunity of studying, but it should be correct study. When a person travels in a tramcar, in the train, with a paper in his hand, he wants to read the news of sensation which is worth nothing. But to read human nature which is before him, people coming and going — if he would continue to read this, he would begin to read human beings as letters written by the divine pen, which speak of their past and future. To look at the heavens and nature and all things we see in everyday life deeply and to reflect upon it and want to understand, this is a kind of study much greater, incomparably greater than the study of books.

And then there is practice, a practice which the Yogis and Sufis in the East have experienced for many, many years. And it is their thousands of years experience which they have given as a tradition from teacher to pupil. Manners of sitting, manners of standing, of breathing properly, being in silence, manner of relaxing, concentrating, of feeling inspirational, joyful, more peaceful. Of course, for such a practice the help of a teacher is necessary.

And the third thing is the practice in everyday life, to practise the principle one has esteemed in life, to uphold the ideal one has always held in one’s heart. These things and many other things, such as one’s attitude to others, one’s manner to others, everything one does from morning till evening, all these things help one’s development till one arrives at a stage when naturally one can see the deeper side of life. In my experience I have seen numberless people unhappy, depressed, in great despair, wanting to make suicide, and after having done this way, in three, four, six months time I heard them say, “After all, life is worth living.”

Q.: What do you think is the ideal life for the average person?

A.: I think the ideal life is at least to try to live up to one’s ideal. But in order to have an ideal one must waken to the ideal. Not everyone possesses an ideal; many people do not know of it. It is no exaggeration to say that the wars and disasters we have gone through and all this unrest that all feel, and the disagreement among people which is sometimes seen and sometimes not seen, it all is caused by one thing, and that is the lack of ideal. We are progressing commercially, industrially. But the progress in all walks of life will be one day or the other hindered if ideal is destroyed. If there is anything which can be said as the means of saving the world, it is the wakening of the ideal, which is the first task that is worth considering.

Besides, for the average man to consider one thing, that, “I must live a life of balance,” would be of a great importance. At the same time, it is not very difficult. When a person is busy with work, he must know that recreation is necessary. When a person tires himself, it is necessary to take repose. When a person thinks too much, it is necessary to rest the mind at a certain time, that he must not think. But life is an intoxication, it is like a drink, whatever be man’s motive, whether he is compelled and forced into it or not, it is all intoxication, all drinking, going at it with all one’s might and thought and feeling till either man has accomplished, or he is destroyed. If we use balance in everything we do, we shall get the key to live a life of greater happiness.

To be continued…