Light – The Invisible Essence of Our Existence

"God's first command to His creation brought the only atomic reality into being: light. On the rays of this immaterial medium all divine manifestations take place." Yogananda

Light – The Invisible Essence of Our Existence

I was once stung by a bee in my throat, which caused a cyst in my eye to weep. This connection only became clear to me much later. At the time, I had the impression that this was no accident.

If you approach life with a modicum of awareness, you sometimes gain the feeling that there are encounters and events that are not entirely coincidental. So, what stands behind such ‘miraculous’ incidents that we can observe in our lives? Is it karma? Is it divine providence? Is it related to the omnipresence of God, Who is in everything and everything is in Him?

In 1946, Paramhansa Yogananda (1893-1952), wrote in his autobiography, in the Chapter entitled ‘The Law of Miracles’:

‘God’s first commandment to His creation brought into being the only atomic reality – light. It is on the rays of this immaterial medium that all divine manifestations take place. During a vision of light, Yogananda heard a voice explain to him: ‘What you see is the mechanics of the cosmic projector. […]. It casts its rays upon the white screen (…) and thereby calls forth the image of your body. Behold, your body is nothing but light!’’

Man is able to free himself from his earthly shackles. Yogananda speaks of the possibility of freeing the material body from the law of gravity with the help of the creative rays of light. Here he refers to a Master; an accomplished yogi whose consciousness can identify with the whole universe. His atomic energy is released through the ‘annihilation’ of the particles of matter as light, as the essence of biophotons, which enables him to travel at the speed of light and to materialise or dematerialise at will.

He who has recognised himself as an omnipresent spirit is no longer subject to the limitations of a body in the confines of time and space. He has freed himself from their bonds and can then say ‘I am He’.

In the Old Testament we read in Genesis 1:3: ‘Let there be light. And there was light’. God’s omnipresence in the world is His light. It shines over good and evil. According to recent physics, light can be represented as a particle or wave. Quantum physics further states that the observer influences the way the light manifests itself by the quality of the obseration.

If I observe a beetle crawling, moving, it may also suddenly stop. He has noticed me. Could the light that a physicist focuses on in his experiment also be alive?

Spiritual Light

Wise teachers tell us that behind the material sun there is a spiritual sun. From this we can conclude that there is a spiritual light behind the physical light. It casts no shadows because objects of matter cannot catch it. It brings forth everything, carries everything, shines in everything and through everything. Light, both physical and spiritual, makes things recognisable – it creates consciousness. In the material it has a polarising effect, it casts manifold shadows and creates opposites. This gives rise to maya, the world of appearances.

After the harrowing experiences of World War I, Yogananda writes about hearing a compassionate divine voice reveal itself to his mind. 

‘Creation consists of both light and shadow, for otherwise no images would come into being. In the world of maya, good and evil must carry the sceptre in turn. How could man ever long for another world if there were nothing but joy in this one? If he does not suffer, he will hardly spare a thought for his lost eternal home.’

Some people will despair over this question of theodicy and ask, ‘How can God allow such a thing?’ However, the law of changing polarities ensures that in our lack of understanding we cannot manifest anything forever, neither good nor evil. Everything must reveal itself in the light; it must show its true ‘face’.  It is given to us to see through things and ourselves more and more. Where are we? What is actually taking place?

In the dramatic world situation of pandemics and natural disasters that we experience today, it is good to remember that we are not being ‘punished’ for being bad. We ourselves are responsible for what is taking place. We are all co-responsible for what is revealed in the world. These dramatic world events show us something of ourselves.

We are called upon to steer a change of course on the basis of a deeper self-awareness, towards the lost eternal home. On such a path we call up forces of light through which countless numbers are inspired, so that the unity and connectedness of all things becomes apparent. A new consciousness is the result. On this basis, life changes permanently.

 

Literature:

The quotes are taken from:

Paramahamsa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi, Self-Realization Fellowship

 

 

 

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Date: September 1, 2021
Author: Anita Vieten (Germany)
Photo: jplenio auf Pixabay CCO

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