Hazrat Inayat Khan continues with his consideration of the physical aspect of the problem of the day, urging us above all to lead a natural life and let life experience life. The previous post in the series is here.
Another thing is that life must have its full expression; in eating, in drinking, we must have a choice, one must have the taste developed, it is one of the five senses; if this sense is not satisfied, the principal thing in life is not satisfied. The little infant, as soon as he comes, the first thing he wants is food. And do not think that food is in the material world alone, but also in the spiritual world what you need is food. From the beginning to the end there is appetite and there is food.
Besides this, the life today forces upon man appointed hours, fixed hours even for food; that thing which is allowable at every moment of the day has been so regulated nowadays that mothers teach their children also to be timely in asking for their food, and they deprive of freedom, from the beginning, the natural appetite which has its moments just like a wave. It is a wave which comes as an appetite asking for food. But the child must know that it is not dinner time. In childhood, when he is a king of life, he comes with that natural appetite and thirst, when he wishes to eat and drink, but we with our conventionalities in the world, and rules and regulations, we say, ”No, this is not the time; at the proper time you will be given food.”
It is all these things that limit life. Why do people have short lives? In the ancient times people lived longer because they lived a natural life. Now they live for a short time because their lives are divided by man-made laws. The birds and animals in the forests do not know physicians and doctors and do not know prescriptions. Why? They eat when they are hungry, sleep when they desire to sleep, and they drink when they feel thirsty. They do not eat when they do not like to eat. When a person is not eating when the hour has come, then everybody in the family will ask, “Why do you not eat, what is the matter with you, what has gone wrong?” From all sides they will come and ask you, “Do you not want to eat? It is not good for you not to eat.” And then there is grandmother coaxing that you must eat when you are not feeling like it. Or you must eat this or that; and the doctor tells you that you must not eat much of this, and you must eat much of that. The only thing to consider is that what you like, that is the best thing for you to eat, your love for it, your liking for it makes it a medicine for you.
Now they talk about analysis, that certain elements are in you, and to harmonize with those elements you must eat certain other elements. It is very good for science, one must read it with interest. But do you think that such analysis will give us satisfaction in living? No! Nature is perfect, and that perfection is reflected in your own heart. At every moment you are inspired by that nature; your every inclination in life is inspired by that nature, and if those outside laws tell you you must not have it, what does that mean? It means that man is standing as an obstacle in the path of God. God inspires from within, and man says, “No, that must not be.”
What we want in life today is simplicity; less complexity in life, less conventionality. And what is most desirable just now is to keep close to the laws of nature and to allow life to experience life.
To be continued …