Lectures of Nekounam, (Lecture 424)
The book *Maqamat al-Sa'irin* (Stages of the Seekers), a precious work by Khawaja Abdullah Ansari, shines as a radiant light that illuminates the mystical path for those embarking upon the journey of spiritual knowledge. This work, by elaborating the stages of the spiritual journey, guides the seeker from the initial steps to the lofty peaks of spiritual wisdom. In Lecture 424, which is the focus of this discourse, the *Third Station* is discussed a station where the seeker attains the witnessing of the Divine, annihilation, and non-determination. This station, like a high peak on the spiritual journey, frees the seeker from the confines of the created world and leads them to unity with the presence of the One.
The Third Station, as one of the highest stages of the mystical path, leads the seeker to a transcendent experience of witnessing the Divine, annihilation, and non-determination. This station, akin to a window into the unseen world, illuminates the heart of the seeker with the light of divine knowledge. In contrast to the previous stages, the Third Station transcends the realm of reason and is dependent on intuitive and spiritual experiences. Reason, which serves as a tool for expression and explanation, becomes incapable of fully describing the visionary experience of the seeker at this stage. This limitation does not stem from the deficiency of reason, but rather from the intrinsic intuitive and spiritual nature of the Third Station.
Reason, due to its dependence on words and determinations, is unable to fully explain the intuitive and spiritual experience of the Third Station. This station is defined by the passion and mystical love of the seeker.
This limitation of reason is akin to the incapacity of a pen to depict the fragrance of a flower that can only be perceived directly. In this station, the seeker is guided towards the Divine by mystical passion and attraction, rather than relying on rational expressions.
Intuitive and spiritual experiences constitute the essence of the Third Station. These experiences, like a sweet wine, become pleasing only when directly tasted by the soul of the seeker. Just as the sweetness of honey or the sweetness of dates cannot be fully described to someone who has never tasted them, the Third Station can only be understood through direct mystical experience. This characteristic distinguishes the Third Station from the earlier stages and elevates it to a pinnacle of mystical progress.
In the first station, the seeker becomes acquainted with the Divine, and divine hints descend upon their heart. These hints, like a gentle breeze, caress the seeker's heart and guide them toward divine knowledge. This station is akin to a gate that leads the seeker to deeper stages of spiritual progress.
In the second station, the seeker enters a state of mystical confusion and bewilderment. This confusion is like a storm that propels the ship of the seeker's being across the sea of divine love. In this stage, the seeker becomes selfless and is drawn irresistibly towards the Divine.
The Third Station represents the pinnacle of spiritual progress, where the seeker attains the witnessing of the Divine and unity with the presence of the One. This witnessing is like a clear mirror that reveals the divine beauty to the seeker, liberating them from the determinations of the created world. In this station, the seeker experiences annihilation (fana) and non-determination (la-ta'ayin); a state in which the self and worldly determinations dissolve in the presence of the One.
Annihilation in the Third Station does not imply the destruction of existence, but rather the dissolution of the created and egoic determinations in the presence of the One. This annihilation is akin to sugar dissolving in water: the sugar loses its apparent form, but its essence (sweetness) remains in the water. Similarly, the seeker loses their worldly determinations but remains existent in the Divine.
Non-determination refers to the absence of any specific determination. In this state, the seeker is freed from the apparent divisions and reaches unity with the Divine. This non-determination is like a drawing erased from the water, leaving no trace of its form, but its essence remains within the realm of existence.
To elucidate non-determination, the lecture draws upon the metaphor of sugar dissolving in water. When sugar dissolves in water, it loses its apparent form, but its sweetness remains within the water. Similarly, the seeker in the state of annihilation loses their worldly determinations, but their essence remains preserved in the presence of the Divine. This metaphor serves as a mirror that reflects the truth of annihilation and non-determination for the seeker.
The nullification of the form refers to the dissolution of the apparent determinations of the seeker in the witnessing of the One. This nullification does not signify destruction, but the fading of the limits and worldly forms. In this state, the seeker is like a light that fades within the greater light of the Divine, yet their essence remains within that light.
The seeker in the state of annihilation is endowed with attributes such as humility, wisdom, knowledge, and generosity. These attributes are like fruits that have ripened from the tree of faith and divine witnessing. In this stage, the seeker, like a shining gem, is purified from the impurities of the ego, and their heart becomes adorned with the light of divine knowledge.
The humility of the seeker is like fertile soil that becomes deeper and more grounded as it bears fruit. Their knowledge and generosity flow like streams that emanate from the spring of divine knowledge, quenching the thirst of others.
Annihilation in the Third Station occurs within the realm of the witnessing of the One. In this state, the seeker is freed from the worldly determinations and merges into the Divine. This annihilation is like the vanishing of a shadow in the presence of the sunlight, not the destruction of the shadow, but its absorption within the greater light of the sun.
Annihilation is the dissolution of the worldly determinations within the witnessing of the Divine. In this state, the seeker is like a shadow that disappears within the light of the sun of the Divine.
Reason, due to its dependence on words and determinations, is incapable of fully expressing the Third Station. This limitation is akin to the inability of language to describe the sweetness of a taste for someone who has never tasted it. The lecture emphasizes that while reason is a tool of expression, without the experience of sensory perception, it is powerless in transmitting the visionary experience.
The lecture, citing the principle "He who lacks a sense, lacks knowledge," stresses the necessity of sensory perception in understanding intuitive matters. Without direct experience, like tasting sweetness or seeing a colour, reason is unable to convey knowledge. For example, just as a blind person cannot perceive colour, someone without mystical perception remains unaware of the Third Station.
Sensory perception is the key to understanding the Third Station. Without the mystical experience, reason is incapable of elucidating mystical taste, much like the inability to describe colour to a blind person.
In order to elucidate the role of sensory experience, the discourse draws upon metaphors such as honey and syrup. The understanding of the difference between syrup and honey requires sensory experience, just as the comprehension of oppression is only possible for one who has experienced it. These metaphors serve as mirrors that reveal to the seeker the necessity of sensory knowledge in the epistemology of taste.
The Superiority of Direct Knowledge
The discourse considers direct knowledge to be the essence of mystical knowledge, regarding acquired knowledge as insufficient and misleading due to its lack of direct experience. Direct knowledge is akin to light that shines directly upon the heart of the seeker, while acquired knowledge is like a shadow that merely reflects the truth.
This superiority can be compared to the difference between tasting a date and hearing its description. In the third state of mysticism, the seeker attains direct knowledge through witnessing the divine, liberating themselves from the limitations of acquired knowledge.
Direct knowledge is, like tasting a date, the essence of mystical knowledge. Acquired knowledge, due to the absence of direct experience, is incapable of explaining the third state of mysticism.
The discourse criticizes generalizations in mysticism and emphasizes the necessity of specific experience and direct witnessing. Generalities are like an abstract map of an unknown land that, without actual experience, leads nowhere. The seeker must experience the truth in their own heart through direct witnessing.
The Inability of Rational Allusion
Rational allusion requires a limited and distinct subject. The third state, due to its indeterminate nature and lack of boundaries, lies beyond the scope of rational allusion. This inability is like trying to point to the scent of a flower, which can only be understood through olfactory experience.
However, for those who have tasted the mystical experience, allusion becomes possible. This possibility is akin to understanding colour for one who has sight and has seen colour.
In higher stages of spiritual progression, a seeker who has experienced sensory knowledge is capable of understanding allusions. This possibility is like comprehending billions for someone who has had financial experience and understands the concept of large numbers. The discourse stresses that sensory experience is the key to understanding allusions in the third state.
Allusion to the third state is not possible for the untasted; however, for those who have experienced mystical sensory knowledge, allusions become comprehensible and transferable.
The Possibility of Transmitting Mystical Vision
The discourse asserts that mystical vision can be transmitted to others who share a similar sensory experience. This transmission is like offering syrup to someone, reviving the sweetness in their mouth. The accomplished mystic, even without the need for intellect or speech, can transmit their mystical vision to others by infusing them with the same sensory experience.
This ability is akin to an impact that forces oppression upon the audience. The mystic, by transmitting their sensory experience, guides the heart of the listener toward mystical vision, as though offering them a delicious drink.
The accomplished mystic is like a gardener who not only cultivates their own garden but also plants the seed of knowledge in the hearts of others. Without needing rational expressions, they guide others towards the divine by injecting them with sensory knowledge. This ability is the essence of practical mysticism, liberating the seeker from the constraints of intellect and language.
The accomplished mystic is like a gardener who, by transmitting sensory knowledge, leads others toward the divine without the need for rational expressions or speech.
The Fishs and Worms Gaze
The discourse introduces two types of gaze in mystical vision: the fishs gaze (from above to below) and the worms gaze (from below to above). The fishs gaze is akin to satellite vision, observing the truth completely and clearly from above. The worms gaze, however, is that of a creature looking upward from below, unable to grasp the full truth.
In the third state, the seeker attains the fishs gaze, in which they observe the truth of the Divine within the vessel of mystical witnessing. This gaze is akin to that of an eagle soaring in the sky, viewing the entire earth.
The worms gaze, due to its limited existential position, is incapable of comprehending the entire truth. This gaze is like seeing only a shadow of the truthfragmentary and incomplete. The fishs gaze, however, is like a light that illuminates all aspects of the truth. The discourse emphasizes that the seeker must progress from the worms gaze to the fishs gaze in order to attain complete mystical vision.
The fishs gaze is the complete mystical vision of the Divine from above to below, while the worms gaze is a limited and incomplete view from below to above.
Critique of the Emphasis on the Limitations of Reason
The discourse, while emphasizing the limitations of reason in explaining the third state, critiques the view that reason should be seen as deficient or powerless. Reason, when sensory experience is present, is capable of articulating and transmitting knowledge. This critique is like the correction of a map that has shown an incorrect path; when corrected, it illuminates the true way.
Mystical expression, for those without sensory experience, increases ambiguity, but this ambiguity arises from the lack of sensory perception, not from any deficiency in the expression itself. The discourse emphasizes that the accomplished mystic, by transmitting sensory experience, can remove this ambiguity and transfer mystical vision to the listener. This transmission is like offering syrup to someone who understands and enjoys its sweetness.
Ambiguity in mystical expression arises from the absence of sensory knowledge in the listener. The accomplished mystic, by injecting sensory experience, dispels this ambiguity.
Narration from Amir al-Muminin (A.S.)
The discourse, citing the words of Amir al-Muminin (A.S.), stresses the indeterminate nature of the Divine and the impossibility of referring to it: Kashf subhat al-jalal without reference, for it has no limit. This statement is like a light that illuminates the indeterminate essence of the Divine. The Divine, due to its lack of boundaries, lies beyond rational or sensory allusion, and is only manifested in the mystical vision of the saints.
To explain the indeterminacy of the Divine, the verse There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing (Quran, 42:11) can be cited. This verse is like a mirror that reflects the indeterminate essence of the Divine, emphasizing the absence of any limit or likeness to Him.
The Divine, due to its lack of limits, lies beyond rational and sensory allusion. The verse There is nothing like Him emphasizes this indeterminacy.
The Three Pillars of Mystical Progress
The discourse introduces the three fundamental pillars of mystical progression: Attainment (witnessing the Divine), Expression (rational explanation), and Transmission (communicating sensory knowledge to others). Attainment is like reaching the summit of knowledge; Expression is like drawing a map to that summit; and Transmission is like guiding others to that summit.
Transmission requires sensory experience in the listener or the infusion of sensory knowledge by the accomplished mystic. This process is like offering syrup to someone, allowing them to experience its sweetness and enjoy it.
The accomplished mystic, by infusing sensory knowledge, guides others toward attainment. This ability is like lighting a lamp in the darkness, illuminating the path for others. The discourse emphasizes that Transmission, even without the need for intellect or speech, is possible within the context of mystical progress.
The mystical journey consists of Attainment to witnessing, Expression through rational explanation, and Transmission of sensory knowledge to others. The accomplished mystic, by infusing sensory knowledge, guides others toward attainment.
The third state in *Maqamat al-Sairin* represents the pinnacle of mystical progression, leading the seeker to divine witnessing, annihilation, and indeterminacy. This state is defined by mystical passion and taste, transcending the realm of intellect. However, intellect, when accompanied by sensory experience, is capable of articulation and explanation. The metaphor of sugar dissolving in water explains indeterminacy as the dissolution of created limitations without annihilating existence. The fishs gaze, as opposed to the worms, reveals the complete truth. The accomplished mystic, by infusing sensory knowledge, guides others toward the divine, even without the need for intellect or speech.
