Hazrat Inayat Khan unveils the mystery of the apparent contradiction in the existence of divine will and human will.
The question of the will, human and divine, may be seen from two points of view: from the point of view of wisdom and from the point of view of the ultimate truth. If words can explain anything, it is from the former point of view; the latter point of view allows no word to be spoken, for in the absolute truth two do not exist; there is no such thing as two; there is One alone.
From the wisdom point of view it can be seen that one is weaker and the other stronger, and that one has to give in to the power of the other. This is observed in all aspects of creation. The little fish is eaten by the larger fish, but the little fish lives upon still smaller fish. So there is no one in this world so strong that there is not another stronger still, and there is no one in this world so weak that there is not another who is weaker.
The next subject to think about is the opposing conditions and situations which appear to a willing mind and a striving person like a stone wall, so that with every wish to do and to accomplish something he does not find his way. It is this experience which has made one say that man proposes, and God disposes. The Hindu philosophers have called these two great powers, one of which is like an intention and the other the power of destruction, by the names Brahma the Creator, and Shiva the Destroyer. The most wonderful thing about this creation and destruction is that what Brahma creates in a thousand years, Shiva destroys in one moment. Since God is almighty, the wise see the hand of God in the greater power, manifesting either through an individual or through a certain condition or situation; and instead of struggling too much against the difficulties in life, and instead of moaning over losses which cannot be helped, they are resigned to the will of God.
In short, every plan that a person makes, and his desire to accomplish that plan is mostly an outcome of his personal will; and when his will is helped by every other will he comes in contact with, then he is helped by God. As every will goes in the direction of his will, so his will becomes strengthened, and then a person often accomplishes something which a thousand people might not have been able to accomplish. Then there is another person who has a thought, a desire, and meets with opposition from every side; everything seems to go wrong, and yet he has the inner urge to continue on the path of attainment. There also the hand of God is at his back, helping him on; even though there might seem opposition at the beginning of his strife, yet as the saying is: all’s well that ends well.
The saintly souls, who consider it their religion to seek the pleasure of God and to be resigned to His will, are indeed blessed, for their manner is pleasing to everyone, because they are most careful lest they hurt anybody’s feelings. And if by some mistake they happen to hurt someone’s feelings, they feel they have hurt God whose pleasure they must constantly seek, for the happiness of their life lies only in seeking the pleasure of God. They watch every person and every situation and condition, and by constantly observing life keenly their heart becomes trained, like the ear of a lover of music who in time learns to distinguish between the true and the false notes. So they observe every desire that springs up in their heart, to see if it is in accordance with the will of God. Sometimes they know it the moment the desire has sprung up; sometimes they know it when they have gone half-way in its pursuit; and sometimes they only know it at the end of their striving. But even then their willingness to resign themselves to the will of God becomes their consolation, even in the face of disappointment. The secret of seeking the will of God lies in cultivating the faculty for sensing harmony; for harmony is beauty and beauty is harmony. The lover of beauty in his further progress becomes the seeker of harmony, and by trying always to maintain harmony man will tune his heart to the will of God