The Message of the Sufi Movement is a call to humanity in general, to unite in a World Brotherhood/Sisterhood beyond the boundaries of caste, creed, race, nation or religion. The Sufi Movement has no particular creed, dogma or doctrine. Its philosophy teaches tolerance to all. Above all things, it teaches understanding of one another, thereby awakening sympathy for one another, along with the realization that the well-being of each depends upon the well-being of all.
The voice of God has always warned and guided humanity through the divine Message given by the prophets and reformers of all ages, who came in answer to the need of people. Every religion, in whatever period it was given and accepted by the people, has been an answer to the cry of humanity. As the rain falls from the clouds, drawn by the need of the plants and trees, so the divine Message has ever responded to the longing of souls seeking guidance.
The battles that have been fought throughout the ages are chiefly caused by religious differences. The true religious ideal has as its principal aim the harmonizing of humanity in the unity of God. However, it has always happened that religious authorities have used religion for selfish purposes and thereby destroyed its true purpose, turning the form of religion, which was a living spring of immortal life to souls, into a stagnant dead form.
The increasing materialism and overpowering commercial influence, which has veiled the heart of humanity from Truth, has caused the greatest distress during the last few years. In spite of the great advancement of modern civilization people are beginning to doubt today whether humanity is really progressing. In fact, there is no doubt that humanity is progressing. The proof of progress is to be found in all the wonderful phenomena that have been created in the form of marvellous scientific inventions. However, all these inventions have only helped to carry out the greatest disaster in the history of the world: a war that has swallowed up numberless lives, among them youths who had inherited the culture of many generations.[1] In spite of the prosperity and flourishing conditions that we see, there is a total absence of the ideal. The minds of the generality seem to be centered on one thing only, and that is the struggle of life.
Millions are busily occupied, physically and mentally, every moment of the day and night, in collecting wealth and treasure, the nature of which is to pass it from hand to hand. As long as they have it in their possession, there is a kind of intoxication; when it is lost there is nothing to hold on to. This has made people more avaricious in the strife of material life.
Today the person considered to be the most practical is the person who is most capable of guarding their own interest to the best advantage. The same is true of nations, each working for its own interest. In any nation, the person who is called “the man of the day” is not the person who feels for the welfare of humanity, but rather the person who exclusively stands by the interest of their own party, community or nation. Patriotism can only be a virtue when used as a stepping-stone toward a Universal Brotherhood/Sisterhood. It can be justifiable only when it is made a means to conserve forces in order to work for the benefit of all. But today patriotism has become a lock upon the house so that no alien may be admitted into a country, unless the person is of their own kind.
What is missing in modern education, in art and science, in the social, political and commercial life, is the ideal: the ideal that is the secret of heaven and earth, the mystery hidden behind both humanity and God. Humanity, with all they possess in the objective world, is poor in the absence of the Ideal. It is this poverty that creates irritation, conflicts and disagreements, causing wars and disasters of all kinds. Humanity’s greatest necessity today is the exploration of the human personality, to find there the latent inspiration and power upon which we can build the whole structure of life. For life is not only to live, but also to ennoble our selves and reach the perfection that is the innate yearning of the soul. The solution to the problem of the day is to awaken the consciousness of humanity to the divinity of human life. The undertone of all religions is the realization of the One Life that culminates in the thought of Unity. It is to raise humanity to this consciousness that the efforts of the Sufi Message are directed.
Autumn 1923
CW 1923, Vol. II, pp. 803-804.
[1] Referring to World War I.
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