Hazrat Inayat Khan here gives further insight into the experience of soul on its return journey. The previous post in the series is here.
The joy of life is the joy of the journey. If one could close one’s eyes and be put immediately on top of the Himalayas, one would not enjoy it as much as the one who climbs and goes from one peak to another, and sees the different scenery and meets the different people on the way. The whole joy is in the journey.
There are many souls who, after having passed away, try to communicate with the people on earth, but generally these do not receive their communications clearly. However, unconsciously they do receive them, and very often they do errands for those who have passed away, thinking they are doing it because they themselves wish to. In order that a person should be convinced of the reality of the spirit world, why should the spirits strive? Why should not man develop his faith? And if man is so obstinate as to avoid developing himself here, he will avoid development even in the spirit world. For in man is the possibility of faith; the jinn world is not necessary as an intermediary.
Children and infants who die also come to spiritual maturity, often on the jinn plane and sometimes on the plane of angels. It depends on the qualities of the soul and upon the object it is meant to accomplish.
Souls that are not in tune will enter the angelic heavens all the same; even in heaven there is no peace. The inharmonious people follow the harmonious ones even there. One soul is more harmonious than another, but in the music of the heavens they all fit in, just as in our music we would not want everything to be alike. And the souls who are still out of rhythm will continue to have the choice of becoming harmonious; for there is a choice at every step in the heavens too. Life is progressive, and that is why there is always hope of improvement.
If a link of sympathy exists, then the light of those who are our well-wishers, either in the sphere of the jinns or in the angelic heavens, will certainly be thrown upon those on earth. Their love, tenderness, and goodness shine upon those on earth just like the love, tenderness, and goodness of parents toward their children. In short, illuminated souls, in whatever sphere they are, will be showing their light.
The soul is continually on the way towards improvement; therefore even in the angelic world the soul is not quite perfect. The perfection is in the goal, not in the soul.
In a way there is a difference in the degree and experience of happiness of the soul going towards manifestation, and of a soul returning; but the difference is like that of notes in music. This applies particularly to the souls returning to the goal, who have acquired something from the earth or from the sphere of the jinns which has influenced the tone and rhythm of their being; and therefore they, so to speak, tell the legend of their past in the music they make in the heaven of the angels.
To be continued…