“The artist sees what others only catch a glimpse of”
Leonardo da Vinci

Light in Spiritual Cosmologies

Our understanding of light depends upon our vehicles of perception. Kathy Newburn from World Goodwill shared Leonardo da Vinci’s thought “The artist sees what others only catch a glimpse of”, adding that perhaps this ability to see more deeply is also descriptive of people following a spiritual path – those who by their application to meditation as a way of life have become able to penetrate behind outer appearances and to consequently see that which is not so apparent to others.

Our ability to see and perceive has changed over time to the extent we now see colours that were veiled to people in past centuries. From this, we can take it that our present perceptions are unlikely to be the end of the road, as in time we will unfold more refined vehicles of perception with which to see more deeply into the nature of reality and subtle realms of colour. This will loosen the gripping hold of the materialistic forces. It is said that within the realm of spirit, all things are one, and within the realm of soul there is differentiation. Light is understood as the interplay between spirit and matter, the result of the process of differentiation, as the pureness of spirit begins to take on and become qualified by colour, hue, note and vibration. Helena Blavatsky wrote “Darkness is the one true actuality, the basis and the root of light. Without darkness light could never manifest itself, nor even exist. Light is matter and darkness pure spirit”.

Throughout history, humanity has always had its Light Bearers, those who came forth to reveal the transcendent nature of reality and to lead humanity forward to take its next step. Such individuals taught through their very being the means whereby light could be contacted, known and expressed as a way of dissipating the dogmas and delusions of the material world. One of the greatest teachers was Patanjali who was said to have lived 12,000 years ago and who was the first person to set down the oral teachings of ancient India. Patanjali’s teachings on the Raja Yoga sutras, the “kingly science of the mind”, constitute a scientific technique for bringing in the light.
Another important teacher in world history was Plato. Plato’s allegory of the cave (in The Republic) highlights the deluded condition of darkness in which the bulk of humanity lives. Those who through their own efforts face the light, begin to emerge from the cave and must go through trials as they learn to see and take the light. Socrates insisted the enlightened ones are obliged to return to the cave in order to help free the prisoners.

From the World Goodwill Newsletter
worldgoodwill.org

Building in Light Substance, the final part in this Towards an Age of Light series, to follow soon…