Smell the Jasmine

My Master has planted in my heart
the jasmine of Allah’s Name.…
When the buds of mystery unfolded
Into the blossoms of revelation,
My entire being was filled with God’s fragrance.
May the perfect Master
Who planted this jasmine in my heart
Be ever blessed, O Bahu!
_{Sultan Bahu}

Sultan Bahu lovingly calls the divine energy that pervades the whole creation ”the jasmine of the Name”. Jasmine blossoms open their buds at night and release a sweet, intoxicating fragrance. Night is also the time when a devotee finds it easier to experience the enrapturing, exhilarating presence of the Divine, the power of love that rings within every living being.

Sultan Bahu says in another poem:

If you practise the real Name of God,
All bliss will be yours, O Bahu,
In this world and beyond.

Sultan Bahu clearly states that the practice of the Name will satisfy our longing for bliss and peace. Initiation into the practice of the Name is therefore a turning point in our lives, a rebirth into higher levels of awareness. Just as a caterpillar has to turn into a pupa and enter a dormant stage during which it can grow wings and change into a butterfly, we too have to engage in a process of transformation. We have to withdraw our attention upwards and inwards while we still live in the world. That requires redirecting the time and effort we spend on worldly pursuits and engagements. It is a necessary part of the metamorphosis from a selfish, egocentric individual into a pure drop of the divine ocean of love and light. Sultan Bahu describes this period of growth as “the buds of mystery”. It is a bit mysterious as we have no idea how much our love for God is growing.

No saint ever said it would be easy. The cleansing of the mind is necessary but is hardly a walk in the park. Sultan Bahu tells us:

You will only meet the unrivalled Beloved
If you offer your head on the altar of his love.

There is no compromise. We have to offer our ego on the altar of his love, and that means following the Master’s instructions implicitly. Keeping the vows is essential to our progress, for they help us build the firm foundation we need to meditate. Of course, anyone who has tried to meditate will know that focusing at the eye centre feels a bit like an ant climbing up a wall. The attention slips down over and over again. The mind can seem very uncooperative, every minute coming up with anything that pulls the attention down into the body or into the feelings, hopes, and fears that keep us stuck in this world. So the mind needs to be educated about the advantages it will gain by cooperating. The mind is not happy here, as it is restricted at every step by the pettiness of this level of consciousness. We need the cooperation of the mind in planning this greatest of all endeavours.

We are in training to become lovers of the Lord and therefore requires a rigorous program that supports our efforts. So what will convince the mind that all this hard work is worth it and that it is not missing out on the fun and games of this world? Great Master says:

Mind is an agent of Kal when on the plane of this world it gives itself up to sensual pleasures; it is a friend and helper of the soul, when, after concentration, it goes up to higher regions.
_{With the Three Masters, Vol. I}

Therefore, it is only when we experience the inner peace and bliss through concentration that we can convince the mind. To some extent we have to put in the effort in good faith, just like an athlete who sacrifices many hours building the skills necessary for achieving excellence. Through the practice of meditation we grow spiritual muscle in that we learn to accept his divine will patiently, crave our Master’s presence, and grow in our love for him.

There is no doubt – hard work is necessary. So how are we doing? We can kid ourselves that we are doing our best, but we cannot deceive the Lord. We might find that the difference between the words “try” and “triumph” is a little “umph”. Of course, success is in the hands of the Lord but effort and grace are like two wings of a bird, which we have to grow in order to fly back home. Without the wing of effort matching the wing of grace, flight will be impossible.

Sultan Bahu states:

You will be able to renounce the world
Only when you find the treasure of devotion.
True renunciation will only occur
When you beg for the Lord’s grace
in the begging bowl of your heart.

So that is how we escape from the bondage of the mind: by developing true devotion through meditation done with love and longing from the bottom of our hearts, by begging for the Masters grace. While the grace of the Lord is ever present, we must enter the chamber of our hearts to become aware of the true depths of that grace. Sultan Bahu describes what happens when the Lord grants us his grace:

Then, in an ecstasy of love,
You will repeat the Name of Hu [God]constantly,
Devoting every breath of your life
In contemplation of him.

We have the saints’ examples of the ecstasy of divine love to give us hope and comfort. They merged with their Beloved. In their presence our minds are soothed and the stresses of our busy lives recede. Their compassion and love encourage us to try harder. Sultan Bahu tells us that:

When the buds of mystery unfolded
Into the blossoms of revelation,
My entire being was filled with God’s fragrance.

Sultan Bahu tells us to be patient and that eventually the buds of mystery will unfold and blossom. The saints are living proof that union with the Divine is possible and that the practice of the Name will eventually release the divine fragrance of the “jasmine of Allah’s Name”. He encourages us to have faith not just in the process but in the Master who is guiding and supporting us at every step on the way.

May the perfect Master
Who planted this jasmine in my heart
Be ever blessed, O Bahu!

The Master deserves our gratitude, for without him we would make no progress back to the Divine. The Master is the real doer who pulls us towards him and our true home. He has given us the priceless treasure of Nam, the key to eternal bliss, peace and love. We can rely on him to be there for us. The Master offers us his shoulder to lean on and walks beside us every step of our journey. All we have to do is call him using the five holy names.

This
Sky
Where we live
Is no place to lose your wings
So love, love,
Love.
_{Hafiz, The Gift, rendered by D. Ladinsky}