Inayat in Childhood

Frequently Inayat would play at circus. Assembling as many children as he could, he made each represent some animal, which was to jump high or low, walk, trot, run or stand still, as occasion required. Whip in hand he would stand in the midst and direct the movement of each child most accurately by the dexterous use of his whip.

He was always pleased to buckle on a boy-sword and to drill a group of boys. When once someone asked: “Whose head are you going to cut off with this sword ?” “No one’s,” he said, “rather than cutting off another person’s head, I would cut off my own.”

Inayat often took the part of a doctor. He would get a few glasses and any kind of white powder and mix a dose and then invite the sick of the household to come and be cured. And often it happened that some of the simple maids and servants in the house were cured instantly.

On one occasion Inayat visited the house of an old man, a Hindu. Here he saw a picture representing a most beautiful man and woman. This attracted him greatly, for the two seemed to be playing a game he had often seen children play, in which two stand facing each other, their toes meeting, their hands tightly clasped and then leaning back as far as possible, spin round and round, their heads describing a circle. Inayat, being curious, asked about the picture. “That is Krishna,” said the old man. “Krishna, Krishna, who is he?” inquired the child. “Krishna is our God,” replied the Brahman. “Your God? Has your God a playmate?” “Yes.” “And does your God dance?” continued Inayat. “Oh, yes,” came the reply. Inayat gazed at the picture, thought for a moment and then said: “I like your God.”

Inayat and some companions were one day playing on an open space, where there was a pond round which were placed many Hindu idols. The boys who were Muslims, felt little regard for these objects, sacred to the Hindus. They began to jump on them and to play about them. “Do not do that!” called out Inayat. “What does it matter?” cried they, “they are not our Gods.” “No,” replied he, “but they are somebody’s Gods.”

from The Biography of Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan

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