Discovering the Everlasting Beloved: A Journey into the Heart of Existence
Unearth profound spiritual insights into the Everlasting Beloved.
Table of Contents
1. The Source of Love in All Creation
2. The Declaration to All Conscious Beings
3. The Everlasting Beloved: A Healer of Separation Wounds
4. The Reflection of Everlasting Beauty
5. The Metaphor of Mirrors: Refreshing and Beautifying Existence
6. The Essence of Existence: If He Exists, Everything Exists
1. The Source of Love in All Creation
In the vast expanse of the universe, a symphony of beauty, perfection, and benevolence resonates. All around us, this symphony presents itself through the heart of creation — the trees, the oceans, the stars, even in the delicate web of relationships we weave. This beauty and perfection, this source of love, doesn’t merely exist in isolation. It is, indeed, a reflection of a higher, more profound source. We see the work of an eternal Creator and Beloved, who is not just part of the melody but the composer of the symphony itself.
This Beloved, the foundation of all love and longing, exists at a level that transcends our human understanding of beauty and perfection. He possesses an eternal and everlasting life that is free from any taint of death or decay, a life that is immune to imperfections and faults. To comprehend this, we must accept that our own understanding of beauty and perfection is inherently limited, influenced by our transient and finite existence.
Our Beloved’s existence isn’t just about being the pinnacle of beauty and perfection. His existence provides a soothing balm to the most profound wounds we bear — the painful separation from those we hold dear. He is the unending love that endures when all other loves have faded. His eternity offers solace in the transience of the world, healing the wounds of separation.
The profound realization that emerges is that everything in existence is a reflection of this Everlasting Beloved. All beauty, all perfection that stirs love in our hearts, is a mere reflection of His eternal beauty. The joy, the love, the admiration we feel for the things and beings around us are ultimately directed towards Him, even if we don’t consciously realize it. They are like mirrors reflecting His eternal beauty and perfection.
2. The Declaration to All Conscious Beings
Herein, a declaration is made, echoing through the cosmos to all conscious beings — humans, jinn, and all creatures with a capacity for love and longing. It resonates with the profound revelation of an Everlasting Beloved, a reassuring truth that remains despite the ebb and flow of worldly emotions and attachments.
This declaration calls out, ‘Good news for you!’ It heralds the existence of a love that is undying, a Mahbub-u Baki, an Everlasting Beloved. It affirms that in the midst of the pain of separation, in the gnawing void left by the departure of beloved beings and things, there is a salve, a healing balm.
The Everlasting Beloved is not just a fleeting emotion or a temporary refuge. He is the ultimate source of healing for the wounds of separation. The Beloved is there, always. He exists beyond the confines of time and space, untouched by the transience and frailty that characterizes our worldly connections.
So, in the face of the fleeting nature of worldly love, do not despair. The departure of beloveds from your life is not an end, but a transition. For their beauty, their kindness, their generosity, and their perfection, all qualities that made them beloved to you, are but reflections of the everlasting beauty of the Everlasting Beloved.
3. The Everlasting Beloved: A Healer of Separation Wounds
The sense of loss, the void left by those we loved and lost, these are universal human experiences. These separation wounds can be immense, tearing at the fabric of our existence. But the reality that we’re introduced to, of an Everlasting Beloved, offers a profound salve for these wounds.
Understand that the world we live in is transient. Everything is in a state of flux, even our most cherished relationships. The separation from those we love is an inherent part of this worldly life, but the Everlasting Beloved remains constant amidst these changes.
When our beloveds depart from this world, it doesn’t mean their absence. The beauty, the kindness, and the perfection that made them dear to us were in essence reflections of the Everlasting Beloved. They were mirrors, capturing and reflecting a glimpse of the Divine Beauty.
Therefore, when a mirror departs, do not grieve for the image has not vanished. It’s merely transitioned into another form. Rejoice in the knowledge that the original source of that beauty is eternal, unchanging, and ever-present. This understanding can be a healing balm for your wounds of separation, mending your heart with Divine Love.
4. The Reflection of Everlasting Beauty
Have you ever wondered why a particular thing or person appears beautiful to you? Why does their existence seem to cast a radiant glow in the canvas of your life? Because they are the reflection of the Everlasting Beauty, the manifestation of the Divine in this world.
We humans are mirrors, reflecting the Divine attributes. Each of us carries a unique facet of the Divine beauty. Your mother’s kindness, your friend’s loyalty, your beloved’s compassion — all are reflections of the attributes of the Everlasting Beloved.
The more we recognize and cherish this Divine reflection in others, the more we become aware of the Everlasting Beloved within our own selves. We too carry a facet of the Divine, and it shines brightest when we acknowledge and manifest it in our actions.
Thus, the beauty we perceive in the world around us is not separate from the Everlasting Beauty. It is a portion of the Divine Love manifesting in countless forms, helping us see and understand a glimpse of the Divine. Recognizing this connection deepens our love and admiration for the creation, making us more compassionate and loving beings.
5. The Metaphor of Mirrors: Refreshing and Beautifying Existence
The world is a grand hall of mirrors. Each being, each existence, is a mirror reflecting the Divine. What does this mean, and how does this realization shape our perception of ourselves and the world around us? Let’s explore.
Imagine yourself walking in a hall of mirrors. In each mirror, you see a different reflection of yourself. One mirror may highlight your physical attributes, another may reflect your intellectual prowess, and yet another may capture your spiritual essence. Each mirror provides a different perspective, a different aspect of your ‘self’.
Similarly, each being in this world is a unique mirror reflecting a facet of the Divine. This mirror could be a person, a landscape, a moment in time, or even a feeling. By interacting with these mirrors, we experience the Divine in various forms and manifestations. Just as you appreciate the diverse reflections of yourself in the hall of mirrors, learn to value and respect the diverse reflections of the Divine in the world around you.
The mirrors also play a crucial role in our spiritual development. When we understand that we too are mirrors reflecting the Divine, we strive to cleanse and polish our mirrors, to make our reflections of the Divine as clear and beautiful as possible. This process of self-reflection and self-improvement is, in essence, our spiritual journey towards discovering the Everlasting Beloved.
6. The Essence of Existence: If He Exists, Everything Exists
What is existence? What does it mean to exist? And who, or what, truly exists? In our quest to discover the Everlasting Beloved, we must first grapple with these philosophical questions.
From an Islamic perspective, the ultimate Existence is the Divine, the Everlasting Beloved. He is the Absolute Existence, and everything else exists because He exists. This may be a difficult concept to grasp, but let us ponder over it.
Imagine if the sun did not exist. What would become of the light and warmth we receive every day? They would cease to exist. Similarly, if God, the Everlasting Beloved, did not exist, nothing else would exist either. He is the sun that gives life and light to the entire universe.
So, when we say, ‘If He exists, everything exists,’ we’re acknowledging the fact that all existence stems from the Divine. Every creature, every star, every moment is a testament to His existence. Thus, by recognizing His Existence, we recognize the essence of our own existence and everything around us.
Source: Risale-i Nur Collection
