Film and Screen

Our mind is a screen on which the movie of life is being displayed. The screen consists of two layers. On one of its layers the movie of physical senses is displayed. Any wishes and needs that enter the mind in the form of thought fall on the outer layer of the conscious mind, and through those needs, the different systems of the physical body work. The second layer of the screen exists in the depths of the mind. It can also be called the inner layer. At this layer, the photograph­ic reflection of the information is displayed in the form of light. Under normal condition, this screen does not come in front of our eyes.

Example

In the movie theater, the movie projector is placed on the opposite side, facing the screen. Once the film is loaded inside the projector, it is turned on with the light switch. As the film rolls, the images in the film fall on the screen with the help of the light in which they travel. Those images on the screen become 'alive'right where they strike it. However, when we look at the space between the projector and the screen all we see is a stream of light coming out of the area where projector is work­ing. Those rays of light carry all the images visible on the screen. Hence, this process could be divided into three parts. First, the images of the film; second, the light on which those images travel and eventu­ally fall on the screen; and third, the screen itself on which those images are displayed. When physical senses move inside us then we see the film on our physical screen.

When we are under the influence of physical senses then we see the film on our physical screen. At that moment, the reflection of the film falls on the outer surface (layer) of consciousness. Innately our memory makes us dependent on gravity. We, under the restrictions of time and space, can only observe the 'present moment'.

Our mind also carries a screen of light in which the cosmic film is displayed. On that screen, we can even see those objects that are other­wise hidden from our physical eye. Under this method of observation, the restriction of time and space plays no part. In the present moment, we can see any moment, whether it is past or future, near or far.

Whatever that we see is traveling on those factors that are apparentIy invisible to our eyes. Nevertheless, without their presence, no action can manifest. Every action of the existing being is inter-linked with one another and creation of every moment depends on the previous one. The first moment leads to the second one and the second one leads to the third. We simply cannot but recognize the existence of the activities in life, which we refer as 'past' and those which are called 'future' in the 'present moment.

All the attributes and information of life are attached to the physical being. Our eyes could not normally see them. However, whenever we need them they come forward. Physical (outward) senses are unable to see them, but we simply cannot deny their existence. The level of this attribute exists in its proper form in the realm of lights (Non-physical world). This system acts through waves or through the chemical proper­ties of the cell.

When we see someone, for example John Doe, our eyes could only see the body made out of flesh and bones. The personal attributes of John Doe remain hidden from our sight. For example, whether John Doe is kind hearted, well-behaved, is or is not sensitive and so on. His brain contains unlimited information of scientific knowledge. his mem­ory has registered millions of images. There are numerous activities going on inside John's body and mind which remain hidden.

His life is a collection of various activities from the time of his birth to the present. Every mental and physical activity is a motion. John's whole life is like a movie in which every action (motion) is an image. However, even a single image can never be removed from the life of John Doe. The man that exists before our very eyes only as a statue of bones and flesh but his past, his future, and all of his abilities and attrib­utes are hidden from the eyes. That means that real John Doe is the name of the attributes and the body is merely an outward display of those attributes.

The hidden life of John Doe and all of his qualities exist in the form of a film or record. The material manifestation of this film is his physi­cal being itself, which could also be called consciousness. Our eyes could only see the John Doe of limited qualities. However, the unlimited qual­ities and attributes remain hidden from our sight. Nevertheless, no one can deny the existence of those qualities.

The hidden record or the film always coexists with the mind. For example, when we see someone whom we had not seen in twenty five years then we do not have to memorize the events of the past twenty five years nor do we physically enter the time zone of twenty five years ago, instead we instantly recognize that person. This means that the subcon­scious has the record of those twenty five years. When the record came into motion then the interim period simply is deleted in order to bring back the twenty-five-year-old personality. And our mind was able to see that 'moment' which exists in the record in which the twenty-five-year-old personality is stored.

The seed of any tree is considered to be the earliest form of its exis­tence. This same seed, when conjoined with soil and water and under a specific temperature, comes into motion. It seems illogical to believe that tiny seed holds all the information regarding the whole life of that tree, its branches, leaves, fruits and its future generation. Nevertheless, it is an undeniable truth. As this seeds grows, it completes various stages of growth. In other words, the physical being of the tree (i.e. seed) holds the entire record of its life. The same record through stages and fixed term manifests as a whole tree.

According to Sufism all the records of attributes exist at a level that is called the world of lights (luminous world). This record could be accessed in the form of watching a film. The basic element of watching the 'inner movie' is to move the sight (or vision) away from the physical screen. In this practice all those methods are used upon which the sight shifts its interest from watching the outer screen to the inner screen. During this attempt, the consciousness become subdued and the sight rejects that screen that usually comes in front of the vision during the conscious state of mind. Through consistent practice, the focus of the sight shifts to the screen which exists in the inner layer of the mind and on which the film or movie of the hidden reality of the universe is dis­played.

To focus our sight on the inner film is definitely not a part of our daily routine. Hence our lower-self tries to end that quest. Different thoughts cross our mind and we tend to get bored with it. In order to keep our focus on the inner screen we have to repeat the process often to get used to it.

The 'Point of Essence' (nuqta dhat) that lies inside the Man, can observe the wonders of the Universe on both screens. The reason why we are unaware of the inner screen is that all of our interests lie with the outer screen. We simply do not get interested in watching the inner screen.