There are two Kinds Among the Souls
There are two kinds among the souls who belong to the spiritual hierarchy, God-man and man-God. The former is the God enveloped in man, and the latter man veiled by God. That is really speaking the difference between the two Biblical terms the ”son of God” and the ”son of man.” For in one there is a descent of God from Heaven to the earth, in the other there is ascent of man, from earth to heaven. In the former God directly comes on the earth in the time of need in the form of man. In this case from infancy the soul shows God-hood, which no doubt develops with years.
In the latter man rises toward divine perfection more strongly drawn by it, and attracts to himself others also to raise them upwards; he is the guide. He may be a guru, a teacher, a master, or even a prophet. But the God-man, who in India is called Ishwara Awatara, the incarnation of God, or the Godhead, begins as a healer of souls and culminates in a savior. May he appear as a king, as a beggar, as a preacher, as a wanderer, as a priest, as a teacher, as a poet, as a warner, he begins his life as a Nabi, even in a small way, which culminates in Rasul, whose influence spreads throughout the world.
The Messenger
The souls who believe in a Messenger in any age because of his miraculous powers or by seeing the belief of his adherents, are the followers; but the souls to whom the presence of the Messenger is the evidence and to whom his words are a proof, and whose own belief is their conviction, they are the foundation of the world’s new Temple.
The disciples of the Teacher are as all objects of heaven and earth are to the sun. Some are respondent to the light of the sun, become hot and cold, some grow and thrive and bring out their color and fragrance. Some close their eyes and become blind in the light of the sun. In the heart of some arises cheerfulness with the rising of the sun. Some begin their life’s activities as the sun rises, some await the rising of the sun during dark depressing night, in pain and suffering. Some look forward to the clearing of the clouds and to see the smiles of the sun.
But the stars and planets in heaven are still more respondent and are connected with the special current of the sun, their greatness is in their nearness to the sun. So are the disciples who are close to the Spirit of the Teacher; they are his special planets. They give out the light of the sun that is reflected in their heart.
The Messenger has five aspects to his being. The first the Divine, the second the Ideal, the third the Prophet, the fourth the Message-Bearer, the fifth the Teacher. Four of these aspects have been terminated so that they may not be distinguished except one, the fifth, which is the Teacher. The absence of the ideal makes it easier for the idealistic devotee to make his ideal greater, but the presence of the ideal most often hinders the devotee in strengthening his ideal, for the ideal that grows and expands in the imagination of the devotee will always excel the ideal personality who is living on earth the life of limitations.
The Message is the answer to the cry of the individual and collective souls.
”THE MESSAGE PAPERS OF HAZRAT INAYAT KHAN”
