The Inner Self
by Mir Hadian
A simple analogy might liken this to obtaining a
degree. You begin with GCSEs then you move on to A-levels. When you
pass your A-levels, your GCSEs have little meaning. Similarly, when
get your degree your A-levels have little meaning (though you could
not have got your degree without first getting them).
So until you know your inner self, you cannot
reach to your higher self. And when you do reach your higher self, your
inner self has little meaning. And because you are now united with something
that you have always been a part of, you come to realise that you yourself
have no meaning. All that you have gone through in understanding your
body and psychology has been relevant (at the time), but now it is not.
You might be worried that you will lose
your personality as you come through this. You will not – the
personality is not lost. Though you will have no need of your inner
self, your personality and the experiences that you have had are important
to your understanding.
Another analogy … if you put a drop
of vinegar into a jar of honey and taste it, you will only taste honey
– the taste of the vinegar has no meaning in comparison to that
of the honey. But that single drop of vinegar hasn’t lost its
uniqueness and individuality. Though it may be in union with the honey,
there’s still a drop of vinegar there. It is difficult to intellectualise
spiritual matters without them becoming much more complicated.
The key point is that from a Sufi point
of view (as with many other spiritual paths) working on the inner self
is the first step towards ascending. It’s a hard and sometimes
lengthy process – it could take five, ten or twenty years and
some might never achieve self-realisation. It depends upon the individual.
Others might come to realise who they are in an instant, raising their
conscious and becoming balanced; happy with their shadows, their good
side and their bad side.
When you reach this stage, you know your
good side and bad side. You’re comfortable with both of them and
resenting neither. After all, good and bad are attributes of the Universe
that have been given to you by the very same Creator. That said, it
does not mean that you may consistently act by your bad side ‘since
that’s how the Creator made me!’ It means recognising and
understanding your bad side: being happy with it. Do not waste energy
worrying or resenting your shadows, perhaps trying extra hard to be
good. Accept your shadows – yes, they are weaknesses and they
belong to you – be happy with them.
