Having begun his description in the previous post of the experience in the angelic realm for the soul returning to the source, Hazrat Inayat Khan now expands upon the theme, giving some insight into how the returning souls help to tune the souls beginning their outward journey.
What body has the soul in the heaven of the angels? Though the soul continues in the sphere of the jinn with a body resembling the one it had while on earth, it has undergone an enormous change in its body and form while in the sphere of the jinn; and when the soul reaches the angelic heavens there is still a greater change, for there it is turned into a luminous being. Its body then consists of radiance; it is light itself. The difference is that light as we understand it on the physical plane is of another character. For here it is visible, but there it is both light and life in one, so the light is audible as well as visible, besides being intelligent.
One might say that the physical body is intelligent also; it is. It is its intelligence which we call sensitiveness; but the body in the sphere of the jinn is even more intelligent, and the body that remains in the angelic heavens is more intelligent still. It may be called Intelligence itself.
The life of the souls in the angelic heavens is incomparably longer than the life of those in the sphere of the jinns. They have no more desires, no more ambitions, no more strivings; only aspiration to reach farther, to experience greater happiness, and to get closer to that light which is now within their sight. They fly around this light like the moth around the lantern; the ‘magic lantern’, which is the seeking of all souls, is now within their horizon. Nothing has a greater attraction for them than this light which is continually burning before them. They live and move and have their being in this divine light. Have they anything to offer to the souls going towards manifestation? Yes, their feelings. In what way do they offer them? Souls coming from the source and going towards the earth are tuned by them and set to a certain rhythm. It is this offering which determines the path they tread in the future. The Sufis call that day of tuning azal, the day when the plan was first designed of the life of that particular soul.
It is not necessarily one soul only which impresses the soul newly coming towards earth with its tune and rhythm, with its feelings and sentiments; many souls may impress; but there is one impression which is dominant. Is there any link or connection established between the souls which give and take one from the other? There is a link of sympathy, a feeling of love and friendliness, an impression of joy, which a soul carries with it even to its destination on the earth.
To be continued…