Darkening of the Light

"...in the West there was a spiritual renaissance that had not been seen for many centuries. The signs of spiritual transformation were more and more visible like buds in springtime. And the spark of light speeded up this transformation, helped life's magic to return, its real spiritual nature to become more visible.

But the darkness of human desire fought back, together with the power structures that did not want any change. The darkness of possessiveness and the evil of greed now walked with heavy boots over the face of the whole world. Globalization meant more exploitation rather than unity.

Even the bright lights of spiritual awakening were obscured by the buying and selling of the marketplace—what should be given freely was commercialized and exploited. And slowly the light started to go out. And no one seemed to notice. Everyone was so busy, their attention was lost, caught in the many distractions and demands of daily life. No one seemed to notice that the joy was retreating, that the hope was disappearing. The trees noticed, the birds noticed, the rivers knew of the light being lost. But for so many centuries we had forgotten how to listen to the trees, how to hear the birds or the rivers. We no longer knew how to read the signs. And so we did not notice what was happening: how the light that was given was being swallowed up, how a spark was becoming lost. And many voices tried to speak to humanity, voices within nature, voices of indigenous peoples and others. But these voices were not heard, or if they were heard they were ignored. And so the light receded until its spark was finally lost. And without this spark, this light, there could be no real change: nothing new could be born. And this is the great unspoken tragedy of today. This is what has happened to the soul of humanity and the soul of the world.

But people behave as if nothing has happened. This for me is a great mystery, this complete denial of what was given and what was lost. People continue with their daily affairs, their buying and selling, their dreams and desires. And they seem to notice nothing, and yet in their souls something is missing. A note is no longer present, a color in the spectrum of the soul is missing, a joy has fled. And now the future is very different—because that note, that color, would have allowed something to happen that cannot now take place. Instead humanity must continue without a certain dream being born, without a certain wonder being made present, without a quality of life's oneness coming alive. Humanity must continue in this way because it did not take responsibility for what was given—it did not remember..."

~ Darkening of the Light:  Witnessing the End of an Era
by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee

TEA WITH LLEWELLYN ~ WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A TEACHER
As another year draws to a close we cast a reflective eye on what we've experienced so far. This repose has i...ts purpose, it invites retrospection and acknowledgement which gives as a new platform of understanding from where we can continue to grow. This platform allows us to be fully present to what unfolds at each moment. Moreover, without digesting our past experiences we could be denied insights into a future. Our vision is based on these insights, and we've been asked to have a greater vision for ourselves and the world, now perhaps more than ever. Beyond the prevalent New Age notions of 'Now' - without the ability to envision our future we cannot be fully present to this very moment.

This moment is a result of billions Light Years of evolution as well as the breaking point into the next, and on it goes ad infinitum. From point to point, Pure Awareness collapses and expands back to Infinity. With as many portals of entrance as heartbeats needed to measure the time itself. For all of us now stand at the entrance of yet another Rite so that we can pass through collectively, and as with all Passages greater vision is required.
So is here, and though we look back at many events and encounters of the dying year with an equal vision, some stand out in all its poignancy. One such encounter was with a Sufi Master and a dear friend, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, during the two and a half months stay in the Bay area of sunny California. We had a tea at Llewellyn's beautiful residence sheltered by redwood trees and hidden on the hills of Inverness Park. Those who know the custom of that house, which serves no purpose for casual socializing, would know the rarity of the occasion. The teacher's candidness is only equaled by his heart, and before I had the chance to sip my tea, he spoke of matters which matter most.
Since this was at the beginning of our first series of events (in California), Llewellyn posed a rhetorical question: ''What is it all for?''… A question which everyone who undertakes a task of guiding others comes up against sooner or later. Merging silently with his big, childlike eyes was my then reply. As an elder brother, Llewellyn lovingly shared his own experiences of working with others, along with his deep sense of reservation about the way the teaching is being received in the West. Before saying goodbye, the sufi teacher gave us two of his books and our exchanges continued through the letters.
I am compelled to share here a fragment of my letter in response to a chapter of Llewellyn's book as well as what was addressed whilst having a tea with the master.
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''… I finally had a chance to read some excerpts from the books you gave us. I've really enjoyed the chapter on 'What it means to be a Teacher' from the 'Fragments of a Love Story', and agree with everything you so candidly shared, for despite the difference in years between us, I've already had the privilege to experience the ups and downs, along with adoration and betrayal of that most sacred, albeit least understood of all relationships. With only difference perhaps as to the final tones of your concluding remarks on being burnt out by it all... Yet, I can see how that too is possible or perhaps even inevitable. After all we live in time when the field of Dharma is violated to a degree when Consciousness sacrifices everything it could on that manifested plane to make sure the Light is carried to its darkest corners.
I often thought, during these new encounters, of what you felt compelled to share in that part on Teaching and the Teacher, and how that instrumentality is carried forth with all its power despite apparent limitations of the current day and age... It was very kind and loving of you to share that with me at that precise moment in time.
Appropriately, as the darkest night of the Winter Solstice is behind us, I have your latest book, 'Darkening of the Light' with us here and looking forward reading it in those quieter moments at the Lake where we found ourselves for the next three months.
''What is it all for?'', the question you've asked me when we had a tea at your place, cannot be really answered with all certainty without running into obviousness of it all. The unifying perspective that 'everything as it should be' does not exclude that this work is also as it should be. We may have greater or lesser idea of what is our task or our ability to complete it, and it completes itself regardless of our intentions, providing we've been sacrificed on the altar and hollow enough to deliver the Offering... After all, and if we are to take into account of what some Ancient Epics here to convey, even Avatars often new little of the role they were incarnated to play here in order to restore and to uphold the Dharma…''
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What is the purpose of my sharing this? It is twofold. As we stand on the threshold of making or breaking it as far as human consciousness, and perhaps conscious life on the Planet is concerned, what it means to be a teacher is also to see beyond… This is no longer about realization of my existential quest for fulfillment, but a recognized necessity for a shared vision. And unless my heart beats in unison with yours, unless my brainwaves fire in synchronized velocity with your own, all this teaching is of little value at this moment in time.

It is to conceive and recognize the shapes of things to come, before they manifest into existence, and to make sure they formed to contain harmony and grace at the heart of it all… To see, is to behold all creation as this moment in all its incomprehensible simplicity, so as to bathe newborn reality in waters of invincibility before it gains strength in flowing wakefulness and bliss.

– Igor Kufayev – Lake Arenal, Costa Rica. Dec 2013

PHOTO: Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee's latest book 'Darkening of the Light' and a cup of Sencha.