When shall the mocking world withhold its blame,
When shall men cease to darken thus my name,
Calling the love, which is my pride, my shame?

The joy of love no heart can feel alone,
The fire of love at first unseen, unknown,
In flames of love from either side is blown.

O, Asif, tread thy pathway carefully
Across this difficult world; for canst thou see,
A further journey is awaiting thee.

                Asif (H.E.H. Mir Mahbub 'Ali Khan, Late Nizam of Hyderabad)

 

Sex is a direction. Two is a part of one, growing out of one. As the conductor guides the music, each movement of his baton demands a second movement; a single motion is not possible. A single stroke has no meaning; but as soon as there is a second motion, then the rhythm of the music begins and wins even the hearts of children. In the same way every single expression of activity reveals two aspects or directions of the same action. And these may be distinguished from each other as its positive and negative aspects.

The Supreme Intelligence, which is the source of this world of variety, works through numberless paths and channels. Every channel it takes must necessarily be but a limited expression of itself; but it is humanity that has been considered by the wise of all ages to be its clearest and final expression. As it is written in the Semitic tradition, man was created last and 'in His own image.'

Think of human intelligence. The tendency of human intelligence is to limit. From the hosts of ideas that come to him, man must select; he can only follow one path at a time. As man advances along his chosen path, he finds that it branches right and left; and ever and again he must make a fresh choice. His life may be called an unending choice; and his limitations make him what he is. He must choose his house and a room in his house; he attaches himself to a certain community and to a certain faith. He says, 'I am a Christian, an Englishman, a Londoner, an inventor,' and so on, as he names qualities and details, which in his own opinion constitute his individual self. By his habit of mind he is inclined to begin by looking first at the smallest and most limited aspects of himself.

How does man create his life? Firstly, he sees an object and then, inspired by that object he moves on to further creation. He plans a picture, and as he works at it the picture itself suggests further developments to him. He paints and looks and is pleased and then he begins anew. Thus his intelligence works its way out. And every act of his life, as he thus works his way, shows these same two aspects or directions, one expressive, the other responsive. It is through the reciprocal action of these two factors that each of his activities advances towards perfection.

In this same way the Supreme Intelligence seems to create its design, inspired by its own activity as is the artist by his picture; and this shows that its very nature is such that it must forever be advancing, breaking a way and hewing out a means by which to express itself. And its every activity shows two aspects, two directions, which balance and complete each other, giving light and shade to the picture, giving rhythm to the music, developing the vision of perfection.
 

checked 18-Oct-2005