Gulshan Raz
Question 3  & 4
On meaning of "I" and Voyage within "I"




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See Also:
http://untiredwithloving.org/singularity_i.html 
http://www.untiredwithloving.org/contrast.html






Shabistari
287. Who am I, tell me about "I" 
What does Voyage within "I" mean?

Lahiji
This was a question in a letter from Khorasan to Shabistari's town asking about the nature of "I" and what does it mean to travel within "I".


Shabistari
289. Once Absolute Being betokened
Verbiage of "I" used for that

Betokened: Something that could be shown or pointed at by signs or tokens or ideas and so on.

Lahiji
Know the Absolute Being is Hu/IT (i.e. Allah), and because of Tauhid (Divine Oneness) nothing could be annexed to IT, any additions of any form. But once there appears a Ta'yyun (Contrast) then this contrasting allows for becoming betokened i.e. IT could be pointed at apart from all others (whether they exist or not). That addressable form of Divine Presence is coined, is addressed as "I". This appearance of contrast (Ta'ayyun) is consequently applied to anything in existence which is contrasted (from all else). 

Shabistari
290. Haqiqat once contrasted by Ta'ayyun (Contrast)
You call that in your speech as "I"

Dara: Shabistari uses the word Haqiqat, this refers to the reality or nature of Absolute Being that which once contrasted from all else, then as a consequence of this contrast the construct of "I" appears for everything.

Lahiji
Know all that which is betokened as "I", "You" and "He/IT", are the realities associate with the Absolute Reality (Allah) yet of different wordings. Sometimes to emphasize the modality of two-ness then "You" is used (as in You & I) while all else as the ambiance. Yet sometimes there is no room for anything else and wording "I" is used indicative of an extreme form of Tauhid (Divine Oneness). Other times beyond all that which has contrasted and beyond multitudes, at the very end of comprehension and grasp called "He/IT".

But these constructs are lingual or conceptual not a reality in and of themselves as Shabistari continues:

Shabistari
291. You and I are presentations of Dhat (Divine Essence)
Plaitworks of Mishkat (Alcove) of Existence

Lahiji
Mishkat is the place or holder for the Lantern/lamp and it used to have designs e.g. plaitworks like braided grid or grill which the light could go through. These constructs of "You" and "I" are the patterns of light through those plaitworks, each indicates a peculiar contrasting yet by same singleton Light. Therefore all the multitudes (Takath-thur) of different beings are these contrasts via the plaitworks of the lamp-holder not different lights! In conclusion the only true reality is that Singleton Light and the rest of the multitudes are not real (Haqiqi). (Dara: The multitudes of all else that Allah are mere simulations, just as you and I)

Lahiji goes to interpret the few stanzas of Shabistari much the same as the Tafsir (Exegesis) for Nur:
http://www.untiredwithloving.org/haqqi_light.html


On Voyage Within The "I"

298. Rise above this world on a better path
Leave cosmos and become a universe within your own

Dara: As was explained earlier the construct of I was appeared in this world for all things in existence and in particular within us as humans as well, therefore this entity I as if covers the entire landscape of existence like unto a space one could travel through as if traveling through all that exists!

Lahiji
Rise above this world and see that the entire universe is just "You" and therefore become a universe by means of this You-ness and see all that is in existence as a part of "You". Everything else is there to contrast "I" (or "You") and therefore there is nothing else real other than "I". All things in cosmos, in part or as copy exist within the human being (e.g. molecules and matter and waves and so on), therefore the human being is the last frontier of Zuhur (Appearance) of Wujud (Being-ness) and encompasses all else.

Dara: Clearly we could imagine ourselves being an electron and traveling through detectors in a lab and ask ourselves how would we motion as an electron, or imagine ourselves as creatures living millions of years ago and ask questions about their behaviour and habitat, this Anthropomorphism is the cornerstone of our cognition and indeed as Shabistari versed we could be astronauts voyaging through all in existence by means of it.

Shabistari then mentions the Qab Qasain:

http://www.untiredwithloving.org/two_arcs.html 

Much similar to Ibn Arabi's Kitab Al-Nun:

http://www.untiredwithloving.org/kitab_nun.html#ktiab_nun 



 
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