Many readers will by now be familiar with Ibn al 'Arabi.
This generally (in the west) unrecognized Sufi master achieved an understanding of the nature of man and the universe that is, in large part, unerring. Although he interpreted it from a uniquely Muslim point of view, his understandings are absolutely universal.
Of particular interest is his entirely accurate understanding that the entire universe is composed, in its material manifestation, of light.
Al 'Arabi concluded, correctly, that all light, having emerged from the transcendent nature of the divine, materializes with the earnest and inherent desire to return to it. And every octave in the universe—from the lowest subatomic octaves of quantum particles, to the octaves of galaxies—hence works to reconstruct light through an alchemical process of Manifestation, Impulse, Power, Intention, Purification, and Wisdom. We can liken these to the octave once again, and name them:
Re: Manifestation
Mi: Impulse
Fa: Power
Sol: Intention
La: Purification
Si: Wisdom
There is a secret hidden within this formula as to why organic life on earth appeared.
Surrender is consonant with wisdom. Work (a conscious shock) is required between impulse and power, because without work, impulse and power can produce nothing. And work is required between wisdom and the final return to the absolute Do, because wisdom must give itself back to what is the wisest.
Every octave works this way. There aren't any variations, because all cosmic processes must go through this specific progression in order to mature. Everything in the universe, in other words, is engaged in inner work of its own nature. It's not just men that are on the path; every object, event, circumstance, and condition is included on the path. There is nothing that can be separated from the path, because the Dharma is whole.
We color the light that enters us; it's inevitable. Yet the less color we impart to that light, the closer the light is to the original light, which is perfect, contains all of itself within itself, and thus has no single color. Remember, color represents the
absence of certain spectrums: so if an object is blue, it means it is absorbing, or keeping, red and yellow unto itself.
In true radiance, in the most perfect of inner works, a man keeps nothing for himself, returning all of the colors, all of the radiance, to God. This is a very high work and rarely given, but it's an aspiration for us all to turn to.
In this sense, a perfect generosity is needed. A human being's measure can be taken by how generous they are; for the more perfect the man is in the expression of God's will, the more generous he is towards his fellow man. And it is the material manifestation of his Being in this way that becomes a reflection of the perfect generosity of God.
Work itself must have an inherent generosity. Outer considering requires us to give generously of ourselves to others. We must learn to let go of our fear and be radiant; to not choose one color or another color and decide to keep it, but to live within the abundance of light that is given. There is no limit to the amount of light that is available; the only limit lies in the imagination of men and how they work with it.
Ah, you say.
but he's a romantic. The world doesn't work that way.
Yes, you're right. The world doesn't work that way.
But it could.
I respectfully hope you will take good care.