Sunsets Into Sunrises
Bishop Martin - The Progress of a Soul in the Beyond
- Chapter 47 -
THE SECRET OF THE TENTH CABINET: THE SUN WITH ITS SPLENDOR. - ABOUT THE NATURE OF LIGHT. - THE WONDERS OF THE SOLAR WORLD. - BEAUTY AS THE EXPRESSION OF PERFECTION.
1
(The Lord): "We are standing before the tenth door. Speak now about everything you see here."
2
(Bishop Martin): "Lord, what can I say? My eyes are dazzled by an immense brightness and my ears perceive the most wonderful harmony. That is all I can say so far. I see only the strong light and hear the heavenly harmony, which seems to come from the light.
3
The light appears to fill a boundless space, for wherever I turn my eyes, I see nothing but light. However, it is peculiar that this enormous mass of light doesn't give out more warmth through the open door.
4
What could it be, Lord? Is it, maybe, the light for this house? Or perhaps it is even the sun, a miniature replica of the real sun which gives light to the earth."
5
(Say I): "Yes, that is right! It is the correspondence within you of the real sun. As your eyes adapt themselves to the light, you will discern also other things in this light. Just keep looking for a while, and you will soon start praising the abundance of this light."
6
Bishop Martin tries to penetrate the light with his eyes, in order to see something else besides the light, but after a while, when he can still see nothing, he says: "Lord Jesus, it seems hopeless! I have strained my eyes to their limit, but still see only that light! Although it is a beautiful sight, it does become monotonous. Not that it really matters, for if I see You, I do not need to see any wonders floating around in this sea of light. But it is peculiar to see only this light - and what a light!
7
My beloved Jesus, what is actually light? In the world, the scientists are still arguing about the nature of light - one has this theory, another one that. But in the end, it becomes clear that none of them knows anything about it. I have read and heard quite a lot about this, but have come to the conclusion that the scientists on earth are on no subject quite as ignorant as they are on the nature of light. Therefore, if it is Your will, could You give me some hints on the subject, please?"
8
(Say I): "Behold, I am the Light everywhere! Because untiring activity is My primary essence, light permeates and envelopes Me. Where the activity is great, there is also much light, for light is actually nothing else but pure manifestation of activity on the part of angels and the better human spirits. The higher their level of activity, the brighter is their light.
9
That is also the reason why the suns shine brighter than the planets, for on them the activity is a millionfold greater than on the latter. Thus, also, the light of an archangel is brighter than that one of some minor, though wise, angel-spirit; for an archangel has to care for whole solar systems, whilst the small wise spirit is only in charge of a small area on earth, or even only on the moon.
10
For the same reason, a diamond shines much brighter than an ordinary sandstone, for in the diamond there is an incomparably greater activity which also renders it so hard. It is obvious that there is more involved in keeping up the cohesion in a diamond than in a sandstone.
11
Anyhow, wherever you notice something to be very bright and shining, you may assume a greater activity in it; for activity is the light and brilliance of all beings and things. The vision of the eye consists in perceiving this activity. If the vision is still imperfect, it will notice only light and brilliance. However, a perfected vision will see the actual activity in its essence. As your vision becomes perfect, you, too, will soon notice activity in this light.
12
Therefore, watch closely, for you will be seeing amazing things since we now have before us a sun and not a planet! Look at it and then speak!"
13
After gazing into the light for quite a while, our Martin is showing signs of astonishment.
14
When I ask him what it is that he finds so astonishing, he says:
15
(Bishop Martin): "O Lord, o Lord, for the sake of Your most holy name, could this be possible? How is it possible that You can supervise, arrange and guide all these wonders upon wonders? This is above all human, and even angelic, understanding! Oh my God, my God, how inconceivably great You are, and there is no end to your glory and majesty!"
16
(Say I): "But what is it that you are seeing that has caused in you such an ecstasy of devotion? Speak up and tell Me what you see."
17
(Bishop Martin): "O Lord, what shall I say when all this splendor and heavenly beauty and majesty have taken my breath away?
18
It is simply indescribable! The boundless beauty of the human beings is just about the only thing that I know for what it is; everything else is inexpressible! I have never seen anything as sublime; and the most vivid imagination of the wisest men ever, could not have envisaged this! All that I have seen so far has been of great beauty, but compared with what I am seeing now, it becomes quite insignificant!
19
First of all, the great variety here makes it impossible to perceive it all and, besides, new wonders keep developing all the time - every one of them more glorious than the previous one!
20
Only the humans remain unchanged, but their beauty is so breathtaking that I feel like hiding myself in the dust. Everything else keeps changing like in a kaleidoscope.
21
Even the scenery changes. Where the land was first flat, suddenly a high mountain grows out of it, carrying with it big streams which turn the meadows into seas. Then the mountains burst and a number of worlds on fire are hurled from the craters and flee or tumble into endless space, as if driven by a great force. Many again fall back from space and dissolve like snowflakes on a warm ground.
22
Ah, what formidable phenomena! But the beautiful human beings do not seem to take any notice of what is happening around them! They walk in their gardens in an apparently blissful state, admiring the most beautiful flowers which, too, seem to be changing under the gaze of their admirers to more and more glorious shapes. O Lord, let me watch this for half an eternity! I am sure, even an archangel could not ever take his eyes off this sublime sight!
23
Ah, the unsurpassed beauty of these humans! It is overwhelming! The softness of their perfectly shaped figures, the whiteness, and then the absolutely superb sweetness of their faces! It is too heavenly - I can't bear it!
24
And, oh, some are coming quite close so that I can see their indescribably beautiful features and admire the perfect harmony of their bodies. Now they are close enough for me to talk to them, but I just could not bear it if these heavenly beautiful beings were to speak to me.
25
O Lord, make them go back, for to look at them makes me dizzy. I feel as if I did not exist at all, as if I were in an ecstasy! It is indescribable!
26
O God, You great almighty Creator, how was it possible for You to put such an endless variety and beauty into the human form, which is so simple and basically always much the same? I could picture in my imagination one perfect form, but then all the others would not come up to it. But here, they are innumerable - each one, in its own way, of a supreme beauty. Oh, Lord, this is inconceivable, totally inconceivable!
27
In the world, I had the extremely silly notion that in the celestial realm of spirits all the blessed spirits would resemble each other, like the sparrows on earth. But I can see now that real multiplicity is to be found here, whereas in the world it was too much hidden by the mortal flesh.
28
Ah, ah, more and more splendor! Another couple is approaching! Oh Lord, this paralyzes my brain!
29
Hold me, Lord, that I do not collapse like an empty stocking! Ah, what a female! Oh, my Jesus, what splendor, what unspeakable beauty!
30
Those tender feet, that well-developed figure, the radiance around her, and this unspeakably gentle and friendly expression in a pair of eyes which to describe appropriately, even the archangel Michael would find difficult!
31
I have already gone quite silly - yes, I am a complete fool! I wanted to ask something, but... ! Oh, blow the question! I am an ass - yes, a stupid animal! Here I am, staring like an ox at a new gate, almost forgetting that You, Lord, are here with me, compared with Whom, all these beauties are nothing! You could evoke much greater splendors in a moment, if you wished!
32
Lord, I have now sufficiently enjoyed the sight of these supreme celestial beauties! They are too pure, and too fair for me. Let me see something very ordinary so that I may find myself again and view myself without being shocked at my uglinesss, in comparison with these fair celestial beings.
33
Really, if I look at myself, I appear like an ape compared with these angels! I could spit at my image! Why am I so terribly ugly, although I am a spirit and should look a bit better than a mortal on earth? Why are these humans so beautiful and we, as Your children, look like apes compared with them - especially I?"
34
(Say I): "Because you are My heart, but they are My skin! However, My children, too, are infinitely beautiful when they are perfected. It is only while they are still as imperfect as you, that they do not look too attractive. Therefore, work at perfecting yourself, and you will soon acquire a more celestial appearance.
35
It is My wish that you see these great, pure beauties, so that in their light you may come to know yourself all the sooner and all the easier. Therefore, keep looking into the light a while longer and realize the ugliness of your own soul. This will help to make it pliable and more mature so that your spirit can arise in it and change you into a new being.
36
For, behold, you will not be born again of the spirit for a long time yet. That is why I transferred you to this garden, like into a vast hothouse, to speed up your rebirth. But you must let Me care for you like a precious plant, for conceive this: Thistles and thorns are not grown in the celestial gardens and hothouses! Now, go on looking and tell Me what you see, but do not ask too many questions. So be it!"