This student of the Fourth Way in India describes experiences of reaching the light of presence.

“Light rare untellable, lighting the very light,
Beyond all signs, description, languages.” – Walt Whitman

The Divine Mirror of Consciousness

Higher states, belonging to worlds 12 or 6, when they circulate within a person, are often likened to a luminous, wordless state. Esoteric traditions and holy texts reveal to us that this light is divine and eternal, and human efforts alone cannot ignite them. A living school teaches us how to earn this gift.  

“Desire to be changed, with the flame be enraptured,
And from within you a splendidly transformed being shall escape.”
– Rainer Maria Rilke

The Flame of the Astral Body

The light of the astral body begins to appear in us through long and consistent efforts. Often, in my experience, this light is a timid flicker. I was once standing before the Taj Mahal while fog shrouded most of its splendor. I waited before the monument until the fog lifted so that I could savour it in clear light. The wait lasted half an hour, and I continued to look at the fog-covered sight patiently and attentively.

When the fog finally unveiled the Taj, I realised, to my astonishment, that my inner state remained the same. It had already been shining steadily even as the Taj came into view. That day, I understood that when the flame is small, it is harder to perceive. And yet, only through recognising and nurturing it can we strengthen this tender and fragile flame. 

“When you master meditation, the mind is unwavering, like the flame of a lamp in a windless place.” – Bhagvad Gita

The Light of Presence among Others

We sustain the divine light of higher worlds best when with others who also carry this light within themselves. Our horizontal existence, that dwells on the affairs of this world and the lower functions, diminishes it. On one occasion, I went to meet a friend and arrived in a rather agitated state, as a dog had tried to jump on me. My friend’s greeting to me was a silent, focused eye contact. It was an invitation to cast aside the distractions that had gripped me, steady myself, and share the present moment together. The friend offered no comforting words, which would only have reached out to my lower self and permitted it to perpetuate the shock.

There was a profoundness to that moment. In that quietude, our bond of friendship was linked only by a burning presence, admitting nothing else.  We need to desire the light enough and pay dearly for it, to endure its pure, loving, wordless nature.