“I’m ready,” she said, reaching for the door handle.
“Remember!” her friend called out at the last moment, “Our task is not to pass judgment on others. Concentrate on taking a lesson for yourself.”
The world she saw when she opened the door was chaotic enough to induce a headache.
Colors, lights, sounds; everything was spinning rapidly, moving in a chaotic manner. She closed her eyes. Held her breath. She had to pay attention to things one by one, otherwise her limited senses would not be able to perceive this mysterious world.
Relaxing her body, she chose a single color for the backs of her eyelids and focused on it. Once she was certain of her concentration, she gently exhaled and opened her eyes.
She was on the street now. The road which she stood on was covered with grass in certain places and cracked in others. Shiny golden stones were gleaming in the cracks. When she looked up, she saw a house standing just ahead of her. It was a five-story marble mansion. There were no fences or gates around, so she stepped inside the garden.
In front of the house was a man whose magnificent clothes hinted that he was the owner of the house. The man was running, laughing, and rolling in the grass with a large dog as the dog jumped on him. In another part of the garden, a group of adults were playing catch and ball games with children.
A man in security uniform was standing over both the master of the house and the others, telling them what to do.
The house was surrounded by colorful flashing lights, and the garden was covered with flowers. She approached the house easily as no one in this realm could see her. The front door stood slightly ajar. Peering through the narrow crack, she saw a dimly lit interior. With a push, she swung the door wide open. To her surprise, the house was utterly vacant—devoid of any signs of the bustling activity she had witnessed outside. Not a sound nor an object broke the silence within.
The emptiness felt constricting. She stepped away, first from the door, and then from the ostentatious garden.
It was such a pleasant and attractive house on the outside, but how incomplete and uninhabitable it was on the inside. The order in the house was in disarray, rendering everything a facade, devoid of meaning. “What a pity!” she thought as she looked around.
Just across the road stood another house. Only then she realized that rows of diverse-looking houses were lined on both sides of the street. Intrigued, she made her way towards the house situated directly across from her.
The house was surrounded by a towering wall, adorned with a black iron entrance door. As she pushed it open, she found herself stepping into another garden. Within this space stood a guardhouse, where a stoic watchman stood alongside an alert and obedient dog. Further ahead, she noticed people engrossed in conversation within a gazebo. She walked past them, making her way towards the house.
She reached a door adorned with intricate wooden patterns, opened it and stepped inside, taking jn the vibrant atmosphere. The ground floor bustled with activity as the housekeepers carried out their tasks with unity and efficiency. She decided to follow one of them and climbed the staircase to the upper floor.
This floor was also full of life. A group of adults were actively engaged in teaching children, then as she observed, they paused their lessons and transitioned into activities and relaxation. Laughter and cheerful conversations filled the air as they interacted with one another, radiant smiles on their faces as they enjoyed each other’s company.
Ascending further up the stairs, she reached the next floor where she found another group of adults. These individuals were talented and inquisitive, deeply engrossed in various forms of fine arts. With an appreciation for their passion, she quietly made her way towards the staircase leading to the final floor.
The topmost floor belonged to the owner of the house, evident from the security measures and the elegant furnishings adorning the space. The lady of the house occupied a desk, engrossed in sorting through files and documents. During her work, an urgent call interrupted her concentration, signaling its significance. Without delay, the homeowner answered the phone and engaged in important negotiations, diligently ensuring the happiness and tranquility of the household. It was clear that she fulfilled her responsibilities with a strong sense of commitment.
In the corner of the room, a door appeared, catching her attention. Curiosity piqued, she approached it and turned the knob, revealing her very own room on the other side.
Her friend was waiting inside just as she had left her. She stood up and approached her. Casting a look at her face, she touched her shoulder and spoke with a serious tone, “The realm of the heart differs greatly from what we perceive in this world. To comprehend it, one must engage in deep contemplation.”
“The city is our social life and the terrain of human civilization. Each palace is a human being, and the inhabitants are human senses and faculties (e.g., eyes, ears, intellect, heart and spirit, and powers of anger and lust). Each sense and faculty has a particular duty of worship, as well as particular pleasures and pains. The carnal soul and fancies, as well as the powers of anger and lust, correspond to the dog and the doorman. Thus, subjugating the sublime senses and faculties to carnal desires and fancies so that they forget their essential duties is decline and corruption. It certainly is not progress. You may interpret the other details for yourself.”[1]
[1] Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, The Words, New Jersey: The Light, 2013, p. 337.
