Reflection On Duality
What is duality? Is it not a natural law governing the whole of creation and life as we know it? Should we not assume that life itself is as an ethereal substance in search of a vehicle of some kind so as to express its intangible and immaterial nature? And is it not also true that life as an invisible and unmanifested energy impregnates and forms what seems to the naked eye to be solid matter?
Moreover, we know that matter in itself is condensed and compressed universal energy and generally in spiritual alchemy this energy is given the name of Primordial Matter. In science it is called "Chaos" which is considered to be a formless substance that permeates creation in its entirety.
That is the reason why Primordial Matter incessantly waits to be energized and transformed by its uncreated and intangible partner ... the uncreated Light of BEING. Matter expects and anticipates to be transmuted by it, into a multidimensional and infinite variety of forms.
So we see here that by this ingenious method the incomprehensible and uncreated Source of Life manifests itself in the comprehensible and tangible substance called Primordial Matter giving it an infinite and unimaginable variety of attributes and characteristics. Thus, from this uncreated and unmanifested state of Being, also called in mystical terms Spirit or Nous, Primordial Matter takes shape and impregnates all animate and inanimate objects alike with its ethereal characteristic.
Primordial Matter or Virgin Matter fills the whole of creation, and yet, as we have already mentioned, under the influence of Spirit or Nous, it incessantly transforms itself into new shapes and forms. Hence, through these two completely opposite and contrary poles that governs the whole of creation, the law of DUALITY comes into play controlling the whole process of life and creation.
We, as individuals, personally experience the effects of the law of duality on a daily basis, since it is part of creation itself. However, in simpler terms we could say that duality is based on the law of attraction and repulsion ... and therefore creation itself is founded on the law of DUALITY the law of love and hate. Why is that so? We will explore the reason together here.
First let us clarify that the invisible complement of Primordial Matter is the unfathomable nature of uncreated Being. Here is the inconceivable and extraordinary paradox which demonstrates that an uncreated essence, an essence that does not belong to creation itself, and therefore does not exist as such for us, incomprehensible to scientific and rational minds alike, can somehow and in a mysterious way be the cause of all creation.
In a similar manner this same inconceivable essence is the source and cause of consciousness. Why is this so? Simply because without consciousness we would not be able to understand the goal of creation, and the reason and cause for experiencing duality. We must insist and emphasize that without the law of duality, consciousness and creation alike would have remained formless, and, completely unconscious.
- Hence, we as conscious beings we would not have had the possibility of grasping our own mystery. -
Why does this law of duality exist at all? This is a good question. The answer is simply that if we didn't have duality, we would not yearn and strive for wholeness and unity. In other words, we would not have this impelling energy and incredible power and desire to return back to the uncreated Source of Being.
Is it not obvious therefore, that it is duality that makes us become conscious being, tying and binding the concrete and abstract part of our thought processes and intuition? Is it not apparent also that through duality we can learn to harmonize our uncreated essence with our incarnated body?
Therefore, is it not clear that both need each other to manifest LIGHT here on earth? And is it not also true to say that this LIGHT is the light of CONSCIOUSNESS? (Genesis: "and then there was light). Thus we can conclude that on an individual level of consciousness, our physical body is the cup that receives and manifests the uncreated SPIRIT ... and through their blending and harmonization, duality dissolves into UNITY and WHOLENESS. We can further this idea by saying that duality governs creation and nature, since it is only through its action and workings that one is lead to the UNCREATED SOURCE OF BEING ... the unknowable, the void.
In Conclusion, we could compare the physical body to a sacred tool box in which all sorts of sophisticated functional and unknown psychic processes are kept in waiting. They are hidden within the duality of the body and psyche of all humanity waiting to be awakened by cosmic consciousness.
Cosmic consciousness should be regarded as the consciousness of the unity and wholeness of creation itself. Therefore, does this not imply that when consciousness is awakened in being it has the possibility and impelling desire to ascend to higher levels of consciousness? And do we realize that these higher levels of consciousness are in themselves pathways taking incarnated beings back to their uncreated Source? And if this is so, is it not logical then to add that consciousness can be awakened only in a slow and gradual manner?
Is it not true to say that the law of duality comes into play here, since consciousness is linked to eternity and infinity? Consequently we see that, as human beings, we all belong to distinct and varied levels of consciousness, there exits a parallel plane of reality, since, as we said previously:
"Creation is governed by the law of duality - and duality itself is based on the natural power of attraction between the uncreated and the created."
We could add that there are numerous planes and levels of consciousness. This explains why the physical body of an illuminated mystic for example and that of an athletic body builder might not look exactly the same ... one being more muscular than the other, but still needing a physical vehicle for Spirit and Soul to inhabit.
But, what can we say about their levels of consciousness? Of course, both will have the same spiritual Soul and Spirit, but what about their level of awareness? Will they both be on the same level? In other words, will they both be conscious of the same things and understand them in the same way? Definitely not, unless our athlete happens to be a mystic at heart, meaning that he has also opened his consciousness to the realm of the abstract and spiritual.
Lastly, we would like to clarify that by using the word mystic here, we mean any human being that knows how he/she can be affected by the law of duality and choose to pass through its heavy portals learning from one's numerous trials and errors, thus enabling the harmonization process of the poles of duality within human nature.
Consciousness is this harmonizing factor that blends the two extremes together. Since it has, within its immaterial substance, the essential component that unfolds the element of what is called mystical love.
Hence, a mystic is a human being that unites the two extremes within himself, transforming them into a rod of illumination, that draws self consciousness back to the Source of the uncreated Light of Being, what we would call God, thereby completing the cycle.
Just a thought ...
~Justin Taylor, ORDM., OCP., DM.
My thanks to Plotinus.com
