Introduction

Gatekeeper: In the name of God, welcome to the second program of our new chapter. I hope you are doing well and are ready for us to go to class together and once again find ourselves in the presence of a master, a teacher. Let me offer a brief explanation: once again, our pretext is a discussion about a film; this time, the film "A Piece of Bread." We make it a pretext to seek the teacher's view on subjects linked to this film; it is mostly a pretext, as we want to go to meet the teacher. If you are ready, we will step back and enter his presence.

The Teacher's Discourse

Greetings to all of you, I am glad to see you once again. The previous program was very interesting to me; I hope in this new program I can also be useful and put materials at your disposal. You have chosen a good film. I think "A Piece of Bread" can be a good pretext for our conversation. Like you, while watching this film, I was influenced by its various scenes; but if I want to present a general view, it seems as if in this film we see a summary of our own previous lessons; the journey/wayfaring of a Wayfarer (Sālek) or the usual life of humans. But where should I begin? I want to speak of the presence of teachers in a symbolic form in this film. You know that teachers are "Wayside Sages"; keep this word in mind.

"Wayside Sage"; meaning the very thing you see in this film: teachers sit on the path of the passage and wayfaring of humans. It is true that they have different forms and the level of discussion they raise is different from one another, but in the end, they all pursue one subject: to establish a connection with humans and tell them from which path they should go and what they should target. Therefore, the important point in this film is those very "Wayside Sages"; I too am your "Wayside Sage".

Another point that we can examine as an introduction about this film is the discussion of the journey/wayfaring of the Wayfarer (Sālek). Do you remember that in the previous lessons we also said that a Wayfarer (Sālek) is called a wayfarer because they have wayfaring, they traverse a path. Do you remember that we said we have two kinds of wayfaring: one in the horizontal direction, along with time and the substance of time, and our emphasis was always that the true Wayfarer (Sālek) is one who begins their movement in the axis of time, but gradually ascends and begins to climb up.

In this film too, from time to time, you see a boy who is different from others; you have seen his attention to the mountain and mountainous regions, he looks up. This itself is a sign and a message in the film that wants to say Wayfarers (Sālek) look up. They pay great attention to the nature around them, and to the people around them too, but my emphasis is on the issue of vertical movement. In this film, a spiritual wayfaring is occurring; its demonstration, of course, is a ordinary one. You see that from the plain toward the top everyone moves, but this ascending/upward movement occurs only for one person; it is he who finds a way to the Realm of Meaning (Realm of Content) and has a special goal. The rest only displace physically, they only go to the top of the mountain. Pay attention to what the teachers say to this boy; they continuously remind him to remember where he is going, and he must repeat to himself where he wants to climb.

It is as if here where we are, the weather is also changing; as if we too are in the mountains and like this character, have begun our Spiritual Wayfaring. Now, where am I? I remember I was sitting on a stone, in paths similar to the paths shown in the film. I too am a teacher and was waiting; various people passed by me, but they had told me that they mark some of them in such a way that I can recognize whom I should stop and speak with. Most people when passing by me did not see me at all, did not recognize me, did not know that I was sitting before their feet, beside them; they passed in their usual life and went away. But with some of them, I became acquainted, spoke with them, asked about their past; can you hear their voices? I remember I was permitted to turn myself into the shape of a tree. You know that those who are a bit more receptive always pay attention to trees; to its branches, to its place. This too is a symbol. They came and sat under the shade of this tree, benefited from its fruits, used the water flowing beside it, used the shelter on the other side, in short, they benefited from the facilities of that area and I spoke with them and told them of the path; for now, see me in this form, although in the subsequent stages I can show other shapes of myself too.

Just a few days ago I was sitting when a person passed by me, he was sad. It is interesting, just like in this film, I called him and said, come see me. I asked about the cause of his sadness; he said he is alone, he is sad because of his loneliness, because people less frequently invite him to their gatherings, because even when he is among people, he is not very comfortable. What do you think I told him? I told him that loneliness is among the characteristics of human; all humans are alone, but the understanding of this very loneliness and its cause is one of our lesson topics. I had to tell him that he should not wonder. Do you remember that I have said every human is a bridge between two parts: one part is the Shapeless/Formless Space (Abstract/Content Space), and another part is a shaped, Object-oriented mind that appears in a world in which various bodies exist. Every human, according to the type of presence they have, experiences a unique presence; it is there that they realize they are alone, meaning they should not see a counterpart similar to themselves. They must know that they are unique, one-of-a-kind; and this is the very reason they entered the exemplary/imaginal world to play a role.

Do you remember that in this very film they also continuously told him: go and occupy yourself with the work and job that belongs to yourself. I want to say human must be aware of their loneliness, of their uniqueness, and must know themselves. When you pay attention to the Shapeless Space, you feel loneliness more; because there you no longer see objects, and the further you go and the more you enter the Shapeless Space, this feeling increases. But at the same time, when you are prepared, you find a companion the like of whom you will experience nowhere. When you return to the Shaped Space, you see how crowded it is, how many different colorations it has; you see that everyone is in a race. In this film too, you saw that a race was established in various forms; everyone running in some directions.

This too is another sign that our imaginal/exemplary life is like a race in which people run this way and that, but they forget that in this Shaped Space, there is no goal; the paths of this Shaped Space are return paths. Gradually I saw that he lost his first grief and sorrow. Do you know why? Because he considered this loneliness a defect for himself. I told him this loneliness is of the characteristics of human, and particularly pay attention that this itself is a sign for him: first, that he is observing the teacher, and another point is that if he feels lonely among the gathering of humans, this itself is a sign that his connection with the Shapeless Space is better established than others. I suggested to him to cherish this loneliness and every time he feels it, go toward the Shapeless Space, sit, ponder, engage in thought, and benefit from this opportunity for his upward/ascending movement.

Now let us review some scenes together. When you watch the film, pay attention to the presence of teachers, to the type of connection they establish with the Wayfarer (Sālek), to how they call him to themselves and how they teach him. Take this sheet, what is written on it? Peace be upon you, *Salaam Alaykum* (Hi), *Alaykum-us-Salaam* (Hello); they teach him that God is with you. But did the next person who was present at the same place, beside the river, see anything other than a few rotten tree trunks? Do you know what sentence I am reminded of? The same that that great teacher, the teacher of teachers, said: humans have ears but they do not hear, they have eyes but they do not see, they have hearts but they do not understand. There in that scene, you see that that simple-hearted person, that lonely person, that one whom everyone rejected and paid no importance to, whom they considered so low and debased, was actually how precious; he both heard, saw, and understood. The teacher told him that all the surroundings, everything that exists, they too know; even the river knows what it must do, it must express its being; and they told him to accept his being, accept his loneliness, and bear it.

In the next scene too, this very subject was repeated in another form; when he saw that old mill, when he met the teacher once again in another form and told him, close your eyes, what do you see? He said nothing. He said then you have seen everything. Once again there he repeated that humans do not engage in spiritual wayfaring, because wayfaring from this direction is that humans rotate around themselves and do not elevate; and he invited him to continue on his path and encouraged him. I think these scenes are important. I said in which scene I imagine myself and I said loneliness is a very good opportunity for Wayfarers (Sālek). In the end, I want to say to you, pay attention that if each of you begins your Spiritual Wayfaring, you too must pay attention to a peak, you too must succeed in meeting the teachers; and interestingly, you will see that by your hands too, others will heal. Goodbye.