At this evening gathering, Sheikh Bahauddin Adil taught that true spirituality springs from a single divine source and spreads like a river to every heart that turns towards the Creator. He began by inviting everyone to feel Allah’s boundless mercy in the simplest act of all, breathing: the free air that fills our lungs is a daily gift that costs nothing, unlike many worldly services.
From there he turned to practical care for the body entrusted to us: moderation in eating, avoiding harmful substances such as tobacco, and attention to our health as an expression of gratitude for the Creator’s generosity. He contrasted divine mercy, unconditional and limitless, with human systems that attach fines and fees even to essential needs – Allah’s compassion carries no price tag.
At the heart of the talk was the ego, which Sheikh Bahauddin described as the main obstacle on the Sufi path. When we learn to recognise and restrain our self-centred impulses, we open ourselves to the possibility of sainthood – a state more common in earlier generations, when humility was less challenged by modern distractions. Cultivating inner silence therefore becomes a daily practice of aligning ourselves with the divine will.
To illustrate this, the Sheikh told a tale from Rumi’s Masnavi about two cats who stole a piece of cheese and could not agree on how to share it. They turned to a monkey judge, who put the cheese on an old balance and took bites from each side until the weights were equal – and the cheese was gone. The story warns against seeking outside judgment for what belongs to inner justice; true resolution comes from patience, humility and mutual respect.
The evening closed with further anecdotes about Mulla Nasruddin, whose humour and paradoxes still illuminate the path of seekers. Through laughter and reflection we were reminded that spirituality is not an abstract theory but a lived experience – an ocean of mercy that flows through breath, health, humility and compassionate action.
May this Ocean of Mercy inspire each of us to live divine compassion in every part of our lives.
