The Sunlight and the Breaking Mirrors
Why the fading of transient beauty is not destruction, but the departure of mirrors leaving the eternal Source radiant.
— Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, The Words (Sözler), The Thirty-Second Word — Third StationThe sparkles of sunlight gleam upon the bubbles of a flowing river and shine across polished surfaces, only to disappear as the water moves on. The vanishing bubbles say through their departure: 'The Sun is one and everlasting; we are transient, but the Sun remains.' Just as the fresh bubbles that follow gleam with the very same radiance before moving along, all creatures in this universe are mirrors reflecting the radiant manifestations of Divine Beauty, arriving and departing in succession. Thus, passing away and physical departure is merely the changing of the mirrors; it is the constant renewal and eternal permanence of the true Light.
Key Philosophical Insight
Do not attach your heart to the fragile glass mirror; love the eternal Sun whose light never sets.
Q&A Analysis & Recap
Q Why does the heart feel sorrow when beautiful things fade?
A Because the heart was created with an innate instinct for eternity. When it mistakenly loves the transient vessel rather than the permanent Source, the breaking of the vessel brings grief. Recognizing the Source turns sorrow into gratitude.