Five Aspects of the Spiritual Path

In the spiritual work, do you imagine that a belief system is necessary? The great sage of the 20th century, Hazrat Inayat Khan, whose lineage we continue, taught that each belief should be carefully examined to see if it is necessary. One belief he felt was essential. We find in our work of helping people be in their hearts, that this is the only belief required. What do you imagine this simple belief is?

This teaching is found in a ceremony of the heart mystics, the worshippers of Love. The teacher asks, "Do you have a belief that helps you on your way?" And the student answers, "Yes, I believe that I can change." That's it; that's all.

But how to change? Toward what goal and by what method? It seems that on every corner there is an advocate of this-or-that. As Bob Dylan sings, "Everybody wants you to be just like them." What do we advocate? Follow your heart; it holds the Truth. You are unique and the purpose of your life is unique, so only your heart can guide you to the goal of self-fulfillment.

And how do you follow your heart, or even listen to it? There are five aspects of the spiritual path of the living heart. The integration of all five of these aspects is a preparation for illumination, but even one of the aspects will help you become heart-centered.

  1. We need to learn how to live in a way that is healthy for our physical heart. We can use scientific and medical instruments to verify that our nutrition, life style and stress management methods are physically healthy. Some meditations are not good for the body; they are designed to escape the body. Heart Rhythm Meditation creates a powerful and beneficial breath and rhythm in the heart that is circulated throughout the body to increase the energy available to the organs, muscles and tissues, and prevent disease. We'll measure CO2 levels in your breath and relate that to the blood chemistry needed for health.

  2. The emotional heart is sensitive and has been wounded many times. Turning to our hearts doesn't provide an escape from emotional problems, but rather gives us the insight and courage to face what we have been avoiding. The effectiveness of Heart Rhythm Meditation in healing our wounded hearts is seen in restored optimism, increased emotional stability, thankfulness and profound happiness. When a wound in the heart is healed, we are better able to feel the condition of the hearts of others and extend the healing stream of love to them.

  3. We need to know how to call upon the power of our hearts in the practical concerns of our lives, to enhance our creativity, cooperation and courage, to be able to speak from our hearts and to increase our scope of influence. Making a living is not something outside of the spiritual path; healthy finances are a part of a healthy life. We need to know how to benefit from both the rising and falling cycles of life and pursue our purpose throughout.

  4. Worship is vital; it is the experience that while our hearts are within us, we are also within a Heart that holds us all. People of the heart worship with worshippers of every kind. This goes beyond interfaith gestures that accept each other's differences; in worshipping from the heart we are actually worshipping as each tradition worships, celebrating the beauty of each way of touching the heart.

  5. Maintaining a close, loving, deeply meaningful relationship is one of the most challenging aspects of life today and a major part of our heart practice. Every relationship contributes to and expresses our relationship to the divine. The path of the heart does not give us an excuse to reject or exclude people, but rather helps us to embrace a wider circle that includes our parents and old friends, and extends beyond to new relationships of great depth. In our school we track the seven stages that relationships go through as they deepen and mature, and we use a five-step Relationship Process to advance.

Puran and Susanna Bair