Love is the current coin of all peoples in all periods.

Bowl of Saki, August 17, by Hazrat Inayat Khan

Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:

Love has its time at every stage of life. As a child, as a youth,
as an adult, whatever stage of life one has reached, love is always
asked for and love always has its part to perform. Whatever situation we
are placed in, amongst friends or foes, amongst those who understand us
or amongst those who do not, in ease or in difficulty, in all places at
all times, it has its part to perform. The one who thinks, 'I must not
let the principle of love have its way, I must harden myself against
it', imprisons his soul. There is only one thing in the world that shows
the sign of heaven, that gives the proof of God, and that is pure,
unselfish love. For all the noble qualities which are hidden in the soul
will spring forth and blossom when love helps them and nurtures them.
Man may have a great deal of good in him and he may be very intelligent;
but as long as his heart is closed, he cannot show that nobleness, that
goodness which is hidden in his heart. The psychology of the heart is
such that once one begins to know it, one realizes that life is a
continual phenomenon. Then every moment of life becomes a miracle; a
searchlight is thrown upon human nature and all things become so clear
that one does not ask for any greater phenomenon or miracle; it is a
miracle in and of itself. What one calls telepathy, thought reading, or
clairvoyance, and all such things, come by themselves when the heart is
open.

If a person is cold and rigid, he feels within himself as if he were in a
grave. He is not living, he cannot enjoy this life for he cannot
express himself and he cannot see the light and life outside. What keeps
man from developing the heart quality? His exacting attitude. He wants
to make a business of love. He says, 'If you will love me, I will love
you.' As soon as a man measures and weighs his favors and his services
and all that he does for one whom he loves, he ceases to know what love
is. Love sees the beloved and nothing else.

from http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/X/X_3_4.htm

The great teachers and prophets, and the inspirers of humanity of all
times have not become what they were by their miracles or
wonder-workings; these belong to other people. The main thing that could
be seen in them was their loving manner. Read the lives of the
prophets. First of all see the way Jesus Christ had with all those who
came to him. When sinners who were condemned and expelled by society
were brought to the master, he received them with compassion. ... One
may ask: How to cultivate the heart quality? There is only one way: to
become selfless at each step one takes forward on this path, for what
prevents one from cultivating the loving quality is the thought of self.
The more we think of our self the less we think of others, and as we go
further the self grows to become worse and worse. In the end the self
meets us as a giant which we had always fought; and now at the end of
the journey the giant is the stronger. But if from the first step we
take on the path of perfection we struggled and fought and conquered
this giant which is the self, it could be done only by the increasing
power of love.

from http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/XIV/XIV_2.htm

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