Becoming More Human, Part II: To Gain in Ignorance

Photo: Local color, as seen on 39th street in the Garment District.

New York City May 2023

On the note about "evolution,” regarding our possibilities and whether we "evolve" to some better, higher creatures then we actually are, I have always felt that this particular passage from Ibn Arabi’s “Journey to the Lord of Power” sums it up quite neatly:

“In our situation we only need an explanation of the Realm of this world, which is the place of responsibilty, trial, and works.

Know that since God created human beings and brought them out of nothingness into existence, they have not stopped being travelers. They have no resting place from their journey except in the Garden or the Fire, and each Garden and Fire is in accordance with the measure of its people.

Every rational person must know that the journey is based upon toil and the hardships of life, on afflictions and tests and the acceptance of dangers and very great terrors. It is not possible for the traveler to find in this journey unimpaired comfort, security, or bliss. For waters are variously flavored and weather changes, and the character of the people at every place where one stops differs from their character at the next.