The Law of Love
The law of equivalence of form determines that to be close to the Creator in the spiritual world, we need only be similar to Him in our qualities.
What an interesting world we live in! You and I may be one yard apart, speaking to each other, seeing, hearing, and perhaps even smelling each other. Yet, I have no idea what you are thinking about and what you really want. I don’t know where you “really” are. Perhaps in this very minute you are thinking about someone living in a different place, or even in a different time. Perhaps you’re thinking about someone who lived and died ages ago in Australia?
It is known that lovers take their loved one wherever they go. Quite honestly, people in love are the most boring people to talk to: they may be with you physically, but their mind will constantly be on their charming/lovely/wonderful/smart (pick or add your own) loved one.
If, however, you would ask who was sitting next to me this morning during my half-hour train-ride to work, or who was standing next to me last night, as I was lining up to buy tickets to the movies, I will almost certainly not remember. This is because while waiting in line, or riding the train, my mind drifted to other places, times, and topics.
Conclusion: Physical distance or proximity are not our internal distance or proximity. We lead an internal life, think, feel, and imagine what we feel close to, what we really want.
Natural Equivalence
If we look at the law of equivalence of form as it operates in nature, we will see that what we have just said is nothing new. We are capable of detecting only what our perception instruments can perceive.
The human eye, for example, can receive only through equivalence of form. It is built to receive the specific wavelength between the colors purple and red, and this is why we cannot perceive a shorter wavelength than purple with a naked eye, such as ultraviolet. A bee, on the other hand, can see ultraviolet, which enables it to detect various kinds of flowers. Mosquitoes, too, can perceive the wavelength their senses are adapted to, hence they can “home in” directly on our veins. In this case, the law of equivalence of form is very tangible indeed.
We all know that reality consists of many frequencies, most of which we cannot receive, although they do affect our lives. Take x-rays, for example, or radio waves. If we only take the right instrument, which translates these waves to a length suitable for our natural tools of perception—eyes, ears, nose etc.—we will be able to detect those waves in the air around us.
What would you do if I asked you what’s being broadcast right now on your favorite radio station? Assuming you are a person of sound mind, you would say that you do not know (unless you’re listening to this station right this minute). But if you turn on the radio and switched to the frequency of your favorite station, you will immediately know the answer.
How did the radio “know” what’s on the air in your favorite station? There isn’t a little guy in there, singing and talking to make our time more pleasant. Instead, the radio only fixes itself to work on a wavelength, a frequency that exists in the air before we turned it on. It helps us “translate” the message that was created in the radio station from an intangible message to a wavelength our ears can receive.
Near and Far
When we use the term “near,” we often refer to nearness in opinions. We wish to emphasize the similarity of our views. If we both believe that a certain social change is required, then our views are near. We sometimes use this term to express the measure of love between us. We think about each other and want each other to be happy and feel good. In other words, we feel close.
But what is “spiritual closeness”?
Spiritual Equivalence of Form
The law of equivalence of form applies in the spiritual world, too. But in spirituality, it is not about equivalence of frequencies, but about similarity and dissimilarity of intentions.
All that is measured in the spiritual world is intentions, thoughts. By nature, man thinks only of himself and of his own benefit. But the intention of the Upper Force, which governs the whole of reality, including our lives is only to bestow, to give. It acts out of love. Hence, in the spiritual realm there is oppositeness of form between us and the Force that governs our lives.
It turns out that if we want to know and understand the leadership of the world, we, too, must acquire the quality of bestowal. As long as we keep thinking only of ourselves and of our personal benefit, we will not know the reasons for everything that happens around us and within us, since we will remain opposite from the Upper Force. Only if we find the way to rise to the measure of equivalence of form that we must reach, will we find happiness and peace, as our sages said, “As He is merciful, so you are merciful, as He is gracious, so you are gracious.”