Hazrat Inayat Khan continues to unfold the philosophy which may be discovered in the world of manifestation. The first post in the series is here.

To the view of some people the petals of a flower, even the veins of the leaf show clearly, while to those of weak sight even to distinguish a flower or to discriminate one leaf from the other is difficult, and according to the sight of each individual the object is differently seen and recognized. The normal power of the light gives a balanced view of things, a very dazzling light takes away the beauty of some objects while it enhances that of others. So it is with dimness of light.

Further in its view it manifests each time differently under the influence of light and shade. If a person would stand amidst ten mirrors and his photograph be taken from each mirror, each of them will differ from the other. Again, if a person will pose for a photograph a hundred times in the day in the same pose, a hundred photographs will be produced, and although of the same pose, yet differing the one from the other owing to the difference of light and shade.

Each substance may be called the grouping of the like atoms, for like attracts like. Nature’s power of affinity brings each atom closer to its similar one, however far apart they may be. The sole purpose of each atom is to approach and join its own element. This may be seen in the forest and the desert; in the former, where there is one tree in time many others grow, and in the latter, where there are none, there perhaps never will be. The same is the case with the different minerals: gold is found with gold and coal with coal, all grouped together, attracted by their affinity for ages. The atoms of a substance, in their finer form being a vibration, this law applies to them. The power of affinity groups the vibrations similarly, which is felt and perceived by the mind, which we may call thought or feeling. Although the thought has such vibrations which are on their way to being transformed into atoms, every such formation, either of spirit or of substance, naturally makes a form either fine or gross, even or uneven.

The influence of each element has a tendency to help make a particular form, owing to the peculiar nature of their manifestation and direction they take. The earth element spreads and takes a straight course, while the water has a tendency to flow downwards. Fire rises upwards while air moves in a zigzag direction; ether blurs. All these elements make different forms according to their nature and direction, and all forms of the universe show one or more element in their formation to the eye of the seer. It is this which has guided the ancient discoverers of healing properties in herbs and drugs.

If we look at the sky and see the naturally formed pictures made by the clouds floating about and grouping differently, we can easily understand the nature of form, seeing how an elephant formed in the clouds turns suddenly into a horse, and how from a horse changes into the form of a camel or of some human being, or into the form of a bird or beast. It is nothing but the grouping and the scattering of the atoms of the clouds, and the proportion of light or shade falling on them helps to distinguish forms.

This fact may again be seen by watching the fire, that each group of ashes that surrounds the burning coal produces a shade, and thus the combination of light and shade makes out of it a form or picture of whatever it may be, and at each moment the dropping of the ashes and its increase both produce various forms in the light.

To be continued…