What are other names for “uncreated light” across traditions and history? This list helps illustrate the idea of a light that goes beyond human thought and all created things. Found in all holy scriptures, and referred to in the Fourth Way as “the Absolute” or “World 1”, uncreated light is the focus of our issue. We explore the idea in this issue from various angles.

Various Names for Uncreated Light

Ra Self-sprung (Egypt)

Self-reliant One (Sumerian)

Spontaneous Reality (China)

Ultimate Unity (China)

Primordial Energy (China)

Eternal Open Awareness (China)

Seedless Consciousness (India)

Birthless Self (India)

Spontaneous and Mandatory Reality (Jewish)

Uncreated Light (Zoroastrianism, Christian)

Self-sprung Divine Creativity (Greece, Euripides)

Universal Cause (Marcus Aurelius)

Eternal Present (Boethius, Roman, 5th century)

Self-sprung Awareness (Tibet)

Primordial Spontaneity (Tibet)

Primordial Uncreated Mind (Tibet)

Luminous Mind (Buddhist – Tibet)

Pristine Awareness (Buddhist – Tibet)

Primal Wisdom (Tibet)

Eternal Light (Dante, 13th-14th century)

Uncreatable Light (Meister Eckhart, 13th-14th century)

Uncreated Love (Dame Julian of Norwich, 14th century)

Central Peace (Wordsworth)

Amazing Grace (Christian, 18th century)

Perfect Attendance (Jewish, 18^th century)

Serene Core (Rilke)

Eternal Torrent (Rilke)

Perpetual Sabbath (Christian)

Wordless Light (Robert Burton)

Perfect Presence (Robert Burton)

World 1 (Gurdjieff)

The Absolute (Gurdjieff)

Robert Burton is a teacher of the Fellowship of Friends, Inc., and has recently focused on gaining and understanding of uncreated light in his meetings.

Ruth Atkins is one of the editors of https://fourthwaytoday.org, and a former educator. For an introduction to the issue’s topic by the editors, see: https://fourthwaytoday.org/created-and-uncreated/.

For a related article, see: A Light to Enlighten the Darkness.