From Hazrat Inayat Khan’s teachings (Gathas), there is a quote towards the end of 1.1:

When the mind takes the body in order to experience life it limits its experience, for the body is not sufficient; but if the mind were free, it would see further. But, as from childhood man has the habit of using the body as the instrument of the mind, hardly anyone knows how to make use of the mind without the body. And as the soul has always taken the mind as its instrument, it also limits its sight and experience. If the soul could see independently of mind and body, it would see infinitely more.

As it is difficult for the mind to see independently of the body, it is more difficult for the soul to see independently of the mind. Therefore the Sufi tries to make his mind independent of the body, and his soul independent of mind and body. In order to accomplish this different concentrations and practices are given. It is like effacing the external form from the mind, and erasing from the soul the form of the mind. It is this experience which is called Saf .

From hazard-inayat-khan.org

Contemplation

The quote, “Therefore the Sufi tries to make his mind independent of the body, and his soul independent of the mind and body,” gave me pause to ponder. If instead of being whole, these aspects of self (Body, Mind, Soul) are made independent (separate), how is the shift in consciousness, that one can identify as the Soul?

In other words, the body identification is very limited so if one wishes to shift to the Mind, or further yet to the Soul, how is this accomplished? If they are one unity, it seems it is a graduation of contemplation and meditation, but as separate, independent elements I’m not sure I can understand the approach.