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Remaining open; the winds
of change cannot dislodge one.
Holding no position; one
cannot be attacked.
Emptying one's heart of
desire; intuition becomes clear[1].
Calming one's mind; understanding
deepens.[2]
Too many thoughts bring
confusion.
Embracing the Universal Harmony,
the mastercraftsman becomes a model that others emulate.
Abandoning self-interest,
his work becomes inspired.
Without explaining himself,
his work is accepted.
Because he is not concerned
with his reputation, his reputation increases.
Not wasting time to advance
his cause, thus others follow his lead.
Because he does not contend
with others, no one can contend with him.
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footnotes
1]
Intuition rises from the depth of the human heart. It has two aspects:
one is dependent upon an outer impression, the other is independent of
any outer impression. The former is called impression, the latter intuition.
Intuition is a fine faculty. As it comes by responsiveness it is a feminine
faculty... Intuition has nothing to do with learning. An unlettered person
can be much more intuitive than one who is most qualified, for intuition
lies in another domain of knowledge; it comes from quite another direction.
Hazrat Inayat
Khan
2] Mental purification can be
done in three different ways. The first way is the stilling of the mind,
because it is very often the activity of the mind which produces impurities.
The stilling of the mind removes impurities from it; it is like tuning
the mind to its natural pitch. The mind can be likened to a pool of water:
when the water in the pool is undisturbed, the reflection is clear; and
so it is with the mind. If the mind is disturbed, one does not receive
intuition, inspiration, clearly in it. Once the mind is still it takes
a clear reflection, as the pool of water does when the water in the pool
is still. This condition is brought about by the practice of physical repose.
By sitting in a certain posture a certain effect is created. Mystics in
their science know of different ways of sitting in silence, and each way
has a certain significance. And it is not only an imaginary significance;
it produces a definite result. I have had, both personally and through
other persons, many experiences of how a certain way of sitting changes
the attitude of mind. And the ancient people knew this, and they found
different ways for different persons to sit. There was the warrior's way,
the student's way, the way of the meditative person, the way of the business
man, of the laborer, of the lawyer, of the judge, of the inventor. Imagine,
how wonderful that the mystic should have found this out and have had the
experience of it for thousands of years--the great effect that sitting
in a certain posture has on a person and especially on his mind.
Hazrat Inayat
Khan, Mental Purification
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