Spring Renewal

Spring Renewal

Finally, at mid-afternoon, the weak spring sun finally broke through the thin, wispy veils, warming and brightening the landscape. So I grabbed the mountain bike and took the dog for a run along the Tukituki river stopbank.

In the distance I saw what could have been a man in dark clothing, beside a brightly lit poplar tree still unawakened in these first days of spring, but as I approached nearer it proved to be the ‘negative’ shadow area on the side opposite the sunlight. This set me to thinking how what can seem to be a real object or force is actually just a lack of a positive presence. For instance, dark is the absence of light, and cold the absence of heat, both of which had earlier been rectified when the sun won the battle against the aerial water vapours. In the same way, we perceive evil as a definite reality, yet it is actually the absence of good. Walking out into a big frost early on a morning, one would want to assert that cold was a definite force as that is how we perceive it, but the sun’s first rays can quickly neutralise the challenge at this time of year. However I decided that one has to carefully pick one’s metaphors when I considered that the peace and quiet I was enjoying was due to the absence of sound!

“If there was no wrong how would you recognize the right? If it were not for sin how would you appreciate virtue? If evil deeds were unknown how could you commend good actions? If sickness did not exist how would you understand health? Evil is non-existent; it is the absence of good; sickness is the loss of health; poverty the lack of riches. When wealth disappears you are poor; you look within the treasure box but find nothing there. Without knowledge there is ignorance; therefore ignorance is simply the lack of knowledge. Death is the absence of life. Therefore on the one hand we have existence; on the other, nonexistence, negation or absence of existence.”

            (Abdu'l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity, p. 78)

Indeed, this world provides us with many metaphors, intended, I believe, to instruct us should we open our minds, about a greater existence than this physical world. In part our reason for existence is to penetrate these hidden meanings.

"Divine things are too deep to be expressed by common words. The heavenly teachings are expressed in parable in order to be understood and preserved for ages to come. When the spiritually minded dive deeply into the ocean of their meaning they bring to the surface the pearls of their inner significance. There is no greater pleasure than to study God's Word with a spiritual mind."

            (Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 79)

“O wayfarer in the path of God! Take thou thy portion of the ocean of His grace, and deprive not thyself of the things that lie hidden in its depths. Be thou of them that have partaken of its treasures. A dewdrop out of this ocean would, if shed upon all that are in the heavens and on the earth, suffice to enrich them with the bounty of God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. With the hands of renunciation draw forth from its life-giving waters, and sprinkle therewith all created things, that they may be cleansed from all man-made limitations and may approach the mighty seat of God, this hallowed and resplendent Spot.”

            (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 279)

At the furthest point of my ride, where the track met the river, I sat down on the river bank observing the flush of bright green as the willows newly clothe themselves in these first few days of spring, and the wattles glow in yellow, intending to ponder further. But gradually the dog distracted me, wanting me to throw stones into the river for him to try to catch in his mouth. The peace and quiet further deteriorated when a helicopter flew past, turned sharply, and passed near to me to see what I and the dog were doing.  Shortly I left for home, but after a short distance nearly rode over three  power lines downed by the helicopter shortly before my arrival, and so I returned home in a great degree of excitement, instead of a mood of reverie.