Holistic      Musician

Imagination - Music & Healing

Invocation

Man is the picture of the reflection of his imagination; he is as large or as small as he thinks himself.

               Bowl of Saki, April 14, by Hazrat Inayat Khan

Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:

All works of art and music and poetry come from imagination, for imagination is the free flow of mind, when the mind is allowed to work by itself and bring out the beauty and harmony it contains. But when it is restricted by a certain principle or rule, then it does not work freely... No one has believed in God, no one has loved God, and no one has reached the presence of God who has not been helped by his imagination.

Then there is [the] person who has imagination which is strengthened by faith. He not only prays to God, but he prays before God, in the presence of God. Once imagination has helped a man to bring the presence of God before him, God is awakened in his own heart. Then before he utters a word, it is heard by God. When he is praying in a room, he is not alone. He is there with God. Then to him God is not in the highest heaven but close to him, before him, in him. Then to him heaven is on earth and earth is heaven. No one is then so living, so intelligible as God; and all names and forms disappear before Him. Then every word of prayer he utters is a living word. It not only brings blessing to him, but to all those around him.

When one invokes the names of God, one forgets his limitations and impresses his soul with the thought of the Unlimited, which brings him to the ideal of limitlessness. This is the secret of life's attainment.

Man is the picture or reflection of his imagination. He is as large as he thinks himself, as great as he thinks himself, as small as he thinks himself to be. If he thinks he is incapable, he remains incapable; if he thinks himself foolish, he will be foolish and will remain foolish; if he thinks himself wise, he will be wise and become wiser every moment; if he thinks himself mighty, he will be mighty. Those who have proved themselves to be the greatest warriors, where did their might come from? It was from their thought, their feeling; 'I am mighty.' The idea of might was impressed on their soul, and the soul became might. The poet had poetry impressed on his soul, and so the soul became a poet. Whatever is impressed on man's soul, with that the soul becomes endowed, and that the soul will become.

Practice

Co-creating as a healing activity

Working with Wazaif

Through the use of wazaif, spiritual sounds, align oneself with the Universal Truth which we can only sense and never fully encompass in our limited being.  Never think for a moment that we know it all.  Invoke the wish and the ability to become true co-creators of a more comprehensive, healing consciousness and a more wondrous universe.  Do these aloud as many times as you like; flash on them during the day as well.  After the recitation of each pair or triad, follow the directions for the Fikr (on the breath) as long as you like. Sit in the atmosphere you have created at the end of this entire third section:

           Ya Quduus (Holy Spirit), Ya Haqq (Truth):  We invoke the Truth of the Divine in our very being; may we be authentic.  Inhale Quduus, hold Haqq, exhale with nothing on the breath.

           Ya Batin (inner), Ya Hadi (Guide), Ya Mawjud (existentiating, actualizing):  May we actualize divine guidance within life!  Inhale Batin, hold Hadi, exhale Mawjud.

           Ya Khaliq (creator), Ya Munnawir (lamp) Ya Mussawir (fashioner):  May we co-create, be instruments of the Divine shining in life, and help manifest in our dense world that which is healing.  Inhale Khaliq, hold Munnawir, exhale Mussawir.

Sit in the atmosphere you have created.

Finally, close your practice with a gift from Murshid Samuel Lewis.  With feeling and commitment, recite aloud as many times as you like:

“In unison with the will of God, I will to have peace”