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gorgeousdays's avatar

What a wonderful, heartfelt and exploring essay! Continue on, dear one.

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Nanda Kishor's avatar

Beatiful Jack, thanks for sharing. The initial intimate details are actually quite relevant to me also, so I appreciate your openness and courage.

I believe what you and Saint John are pointing at is that God may not be seen by us unless He chooses to reveal Himself. We cannot see God, but may pray that He will shed His loving glance upon us. It's a descending process. If we strive to ascend on our own strength, we'll just deceive ourselves and end up chasing fantasies and projections, as many do - those who are not patient or brave enough to just sit in darkness and let it sink in completely.

Stillness (nishta in Sanskrit) is an early stage of progress, but already advanced enough to give us our first glimpses - abhas, shadows or reflections - of divinity. Then, we can remember the perspective that this vision will one day be full and complete:

"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."

So may that stillness come into our hearts, Haribol!

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