An exploration of Light

[dreamoftheiris]

Before existence, there was only “no-thing”. 

All that ever was or ever will be existed first in infinite potential, waiting to be realized.  In infinite potential, all is possible but is not made manifest.  It is not yet a “thing”.  If something is only in potential it isn’t known.  The potential of something is not the same as the realization obtained from the experience of something.  And experience provides a way to extract the key data necessary to synthesize something new.  If all remains in potential, then nothing new can ever be known. And it is only by turning potential into experience that we can discover something new.

If this is true, then how can infinity experience and thus create anything “new”?

Pondering this, No-thing created “thought” and took a step away from itself to become “some-thing”.  Zero had become One. 

Thus, in the beginning, there was light.

One

Becoming One, the Infinite Creator began to differentiate itself into many which is represented by what we call stars or “suns”.  A sun represents, in the microcosm, the power of the One Infinite.  It is a “sub-logos”, tasked with being the “Father” of a star system.

Each star is granted the freedom to choose how to govern its particular system.  What is true for one system may not be true for another.

A systems star designs the archetypal framework from which all life in that particular system is ordered.  This framework forms the experiment which each sun conducts with the purpose being the uncovering and experiencing of all potential so that new refinements can be made to the archetypal mind. Ra calls this the “refinement of the One Original Thought” and gives us a key insight into this process,

“The One Original Thought is the harvest of all previous if you would use this term, experience of the Creator by the Creator. As It decides to know Itself It generates Itself into that plenum, full of the glory and the power of the One Infinite Creator which is manifested to your perceptions as space or outer space. Each generation of this knowing begets a knowing which has the capacity, through free will, to choose methods of knowing Itself. Therefore, gradually, step by step, the Creator becomes that which may know Itself, and the portions of the Creator partake less purely in the power of the original word or thought. This is for the purpose of refinement of the one original thought. The Creator does not properly create as much as It experiences Itself.”

The One Original Thought is Love.  It is the declaration that the Creator shall know itself.  We are participants in the refinement of the One Original Thought by partaking in greater distortions of this One Thought.  By making Itself into many, and imbuing the many with freewill, greater refinements of this One Thought, or Love, are possible.   

Ra also says,

“At the beginning of this creation or, as you may call it, octave there were those things known which were the harvest of the preceding octave. About the preceding creation we know as little as we do of the octave to come. However, we are aware of those pieces of gathered concept which were the tools which the Creator had in the knowing of the self.

These tools were of two kinds. Firstly, there was an awareness of the efficiency for experience of mind, body, and spirit. Secondly, there was an awareness of the most efficacious nature or, if you will, significator of mind, body, and spirit. Thirdly, there was the awareness of two aspects of mind, of body, and of spirit that the significator could use to balance all catalyst. You may call these two the matrix and the potentiator."

Ra speaks about being aware of “pieces of gathered concepts”.  A concept is defined as “an idea, an abstraction, a plan or intention”.  Its root comes from the Latin word concipere which means "to take in, conceive, receive."  A concept is an idea conceived in the mind. 

Therefore, according to Ra, what carries over from octave to octave are the basic concepts that inform how experience can be had.  Concepts that you are helping to refine.

To understand this a bit further, let’s examine the Sun.

The Sun was always seen as a representation of Deity because without it life couldn’t exist. We observe that life is only possible because of heat and light.  And the Sun is the generator of this heat and light for our system.  This is a fundamental fact of the physical universe.  Without the Sun, life is not possible.

Why is light important for life?  Light informs.  Information is defined as “That which is conveyed or represented by a particular arrangement or sequence of things.”  Information, in this context, does not refer to “facts”, “numbers” and “data”.  It has little to do with those.

The root word of “inform” is Latin for in - into and forma - a form.  Into a form - inform. 

Light turns what is formless into a form.

Ra explains,

“The light comes into that darkness and transfigures it, causing the chaos to organize and become reflective or radiant.”

So the role of the Sun can be seen as a “broadcast station”, radiating information to the surrounding system, organizing it into a pattern.

The purpose can be seen as the refinement of archetypes.

It is interesting to note that the way systems are organized can produce unforeseen results.  Ra mentions that the introduction of the opposable thumb had a tremendous impact on humanity's proclivity toward warfare, which wasn’t part of the original plan of the Logos.

“It is correct that the Logos designed Its experiment to attempt to achieve the greatest possible opportunities for polarization in third density. It is incorrect that warfare of the types specific to your experiences was planned by the Logos. This form of expression of hostility is an interesting result which is apparently concomitant with the tool-making ability. The choice of the Logos to use the life-form with the grasping thumb is the decision to which this type of warfare may be traced.”

The Logos informs a system by way of providing the necessary archetypal structure for life to organize itself around.

The author Walter Russel in the book The Secret of Light says, “Light cannot be seen; it can only be known”. 

Information alone is not knowledge.  You cannot know anything by simply observing it. 

Walter Russel also writes,

“All forms in this creating universe of imagined forms are but electric recordings of God's imaginings. They have no existence. Records of Idea are not the idea they record. They have no substance.”

It is interesting that he terms “matter” as a “Record of Idea”.  Hermes writes that light is trapped in matter and it is the human being who can help free it.  What we call the physical world is actually a metaphor expressed by an idea.  Our reality is full of metaphors.  The seemingly mundane holds within it insights which, when uncovered, lead to the refinement of the One Original Thought.  To understand the secrets of the universe, pay attention to nature.

As greater understanding develops within you, more and more of the archetypal nature of the world begins to become more obvious.  As Manly P. Hall writes, “Every blade of grass, every tree, is the visible extremity of a vast invisible process”.

Everything we create in the physical world first begins as an idea.  An idea is a concept, that is it was conceived - i.e. seeded.  The seed becomes the idea that becomes the form.  Where did the seed of the idea come from? 

Idea, or more importantly, concept is higher than form.  Concept precedes form and form leads back to concept.  If you look at an object, you don’t “see” the object, you see the concept the object is conveying.  Which one is more real then?  The concept or the object?

Concepts are intangible and are thus “incapable of being touched”.  You cannot “own” a concept.  Its intangibility suggests that it cannot be exactly one way or another.  It can be expressed any number of ways.  Whereas a form is concrete.  It is exactly this way or that.

Concepts, since they are intangible, require translation in order to bring them into form.

But if a concept is superior to form then why should it exist in a form in the first place?  Precisely the same reason why you exist in a form.  In order to discover something new, limitation must be experienced. 

Light, or Intelligence, acts as a translator of concepts. 

Manly P. Hall writes that when Heaven and Nature were formed, there was a great void between them.  The One could not comprehend Nature and Nature could not comprehend the Divine. 

The physical was cut off from the real.  Therefore, there came the need for a mediator, which was called Light or Intelligence.

Through Light, mankind learned of the existence of the One and the One could minister to mankind.

He writes, “...Light, or intelligence, partakes of the natures of both God and the earth”.

Thus, Light is the medium between both Heaven and Earth.  Mankind has been entrusted as the keeper of this Light and to act as the stewards of Nature. 

Our ability to use intelligence can uncover great spiritual truths which are hidden in the darkness of matter.  This intelligence is cultivated by our ability to receive knowledge.

Knowledge is direct knowing.  It is the “ministry of the One” that Manly P. Hall talks about.  Knowledge can be seen as analogous to intuition - in that it is an inner acknowledgment of higher Truth. 

Only when one develops “ears to hear” and “eyes to see” can they discern that which is true from false.   

If Light is encoded with information, then it is Light that informs consciousness, thus making one capable of knowing.  To be “illuminated” then means to be one who knows.  It is to be one who receives from beyond the veil. 

Recall that the One Original Thought is that the Creator shall Know Itself. 

Ra mentions that “the Creator does not properly create as much as It experiences Itself.”  In other words, knowing Itself. 

Ra also says, “Each incarnation is intended to be a course in the Creator knowing Itself.” 

A “life” is an opportunity to explore an aspect of the One, to gain experience.  Each moment is an opportunity to know yourself.  To gain deeper insight into your ultimate reality in order to find your true will. 

In the Thelema tradition, there is a saying that goes “do what thou will is the whole of the law”.  Some interpret this as suggesting that one should just do whatever one wants, which is a gross misunderstanding.

“Do what thou will” means to take action on your true Will.  In other words, to realize the will of the One.  To take action on your true will requires that you first know yourself.

Knowing oneself cannot be accomplished simply by exploring the complexities of the lower mind.  The lower mind contains only falsity, metaphor, and if one is not careful, delusion.  Like in nature, there are signposts in the lower mind that hint at Truth, however, it is merely a map, a symbol, a metaphor for Truth.  It is not actual Truth, for the lower mind cannot know it can only process.

Just like there technically is nothing “real” in the material world because what is in the material world cannot be real.  All of what we call “matter” are signposts, descriptions of something, a metaphor for a higher concept and not what truly is. 

Qu’o says, “Each of you desires to know the truth in an illusion which will forever deny knowledge of that truth.” 

Regarding truth, Qu’o also says,

“That which you experience within your own consciousness is seldom truth. Truth is living and truth alters constantly in its appearance as the processes of perception circle the concept of truth, looking for a way to settle upon a complete surety of truth.”   

As Goethe wrote, “Everything transient is but a symbol”. A symbol hinting at something deeper.  Truth lies in the deep and you will never find it on the surface. 

In this reality, all we can do is work towards being able to know, little by little, and slowly illuminate the mystery. 

Qu’o also says, “Each of you is the truth, yet to be born.”

The search for truth ultimately leads back to where it all starts - back to the formless.  Back to No-Thing.

Zero

Our journey through form leads us all eventually back to the primordial home.  That place which lies behind thought - the Formless Self.

The Formless dwells in the silence, in the background, behind the thought.  It makes itself known only to those who can see, yet all exist because of it.  It is infinite in size, yet more subtle than the tiniest of atoms. 

It is what enlivens matter. 

The Formless is an infinite space, what Ra calls “Intelligent Infinity”.  This is undifferentiated potential, where all comes from and all returns.  The self, dwelling in the formless, produces a curious phenomenon for the seeker.  No thought or desire happens when dwelling in this dimension.  It’s not possible to have a thought at all.

Why is desire not possible when dwelling in the formless Self? 

Because of its nature as being “formless”.  “Desire” implies a “wanting” due to a lack of “something”. 

By its nature, ‘form’ is a limitation of infinity.  It is a stopping down of this energy.  Thus, to be in form is to be limited and thus lacking in some capacity.

To be Formless is to be infinite because you have no form from which to experience limitation.  As soon as the Formless becomes form, then limitation is experienced.  Out of limitation however, is the potential to discover something new. 

By our nature, we are dual beings.  We exist in form yet are actually part of the Formless.  Mankind is totally identified with form and has no idea of the Formless.  It has no idea of the freedom that is truly there, behind the form that seemingly keeps them locked away.  It has no idea of this other side that exists parallel with itself. 

This is the ultimate struggle of mankind.  How do we de-identify with form and begin to identify with the formless, our true Nature?   

Ra describes the “formless” as “limitless light” and describes it as the background of creation. 

Ra says,

“This limitless light is the background created by Love before any articulated creation made from Light. This Light Everlasting, shall be as always, infinitely creating in an infinite and eternal present. At this level, light is a thought. That is, it is a perfect creation of a thought. It does not contain error but is a creature of utter Love containing the infinite intelligence without distortion.”

What is behind form is without distortion.  Form, in itself, is distorted in the sense that it is an “imperfect” representation of higher thought.  It is the lower aspect of a higher principle.  Thus, form can hint at Truth, but never be true.

Form is illusionary in so much as it is a distortion of the One.  Form can provide a means of penetrating infinity, however, it is easy to get ensnared by the illusion and think that form is all there is. 

If you create something physical, it exists as a map of the idea you attempted to convey via the creation of that form.  Great art is like this - it conveys meaning that is much grander than the canvas on which it sits.  The physical art itself is just a map that guides the viewer towards a grander concept. 

In order to arrive at the concept, it’s necessary to focus attention on the form.  In this way, one can penetrate form and arrive at the formless.

This type of focus requires meditative practice which gradually pulls one towards their center and away from the constant barrage of thoughts which flood their mind.

Only by shifting one's attention from these thoughts onto a single point of focus can the hidden, infinite space reveal itself.

This is why Buddhist meditation practices stress the importance of one-pointedness of thought.

Developing the ability to focus consciousness is the key to penetrating intelligent infinity.  This single point of focus can be seen as analogous to the mechanics of a black hole.

Ra says, “The blackness of the black hole, metaphysically speaking, is a concentration of white light being systematically absorbed once again into the One Creator.”

Concentrating attention on a single point allows for it to be absorbed back into the One Creator, the Formless that holds form. 

Ra continues with this analogy,

“Finally, this absorption into the One Creator continues until all the infinity of creations have attained sufficient spiritual mass in order that all form once again the great central sun, if you would so imagine it, of the intelligent infinity awaiting potentiation by free will.”

The Formless, once penetrated, pulls the self into it and the self radiates outward the light and love which comes from this dimension.  It is the experience of true freedom.  This is why Ra says that those who exist at the octave level of consciousness can move about the universe with “unfettered thread”. Those who are absorbed back into infinite potential literally exist beyond form and thus have maximum free will.

They are not limited by the constraints of form and are not beholden to the “rules” of the Matrix.  They exist outside the limitations of both time and form. 

Ra describes the dimension of intelligent infinity as containing “limitless light”.  In this case, the light Ra refers to isn’t what we see in physicality.

Recall that form is the metaphor for the idea. For example, as a positive adept progresses, the Infinite One’s light begins to radiate through the positively oriented adept and thus they begin to appear radiant.  However, the light that radiates through the adept isn’t necessarily seen as what we would observe in physicality as “light”.  It appears as a subtle glow around them, a radiance that can be felt more than seen.

Qu’o says,

“The more dense placement, then, of these particles within a vehicle causes that vehicle to be more expressive of the properties of light. In your terms you would see this to becoming more radiant and more able to funnel or channel the intelligent energy of the one Creator in a specific fashion as a result of conscious intention.”

What we observe in the physical universe as “light” is the physical expression of the idea of light which is the One Original Thought:  Love. 

Perhaps it could be said that Light is the container for Love. 

One who radiates light is also radiating love, as light is expansive and love expressive. Together, they expand and express the One Original Thought.