Eight Lines Towards Enlightenment: Discovering the Source

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There are plenty of eight-line verses in Commentaries on the Book of Wisdom, each resolving to impart unto readers a truth of the world and to guide us into discovering the source. 

Russell Marlett’s Commentaries on the Book of Wisdom is not a sacred text. It is, as its title says, commentaries and interpretations of eight-line verses that fill the Book of Wisdom. Several religious philosophies are presented in Russell Marlett’s writings and synthesized to establish a single fundamental truth that underpins the major religious disciplines of the world. Discovering the source of everything and making communion with it has been the objective of all religions—and from this common thread, we can learn a lot about ourselves and the whole of reality around us.

Eight Lines Towards Enlightenment

While there are plenty of eight-line verses scattered throughout the Commentaries, we can discuss in this article one that is quite foundational in its offerings.

Before there was time, there was nothing

Then there was movement, and from movement came all things

All that is is of the source

The source has no name

That which has a name is not the source

The source is the way to God; it exists only to serve

One who knows the source is a prophet

One who knows nothing is God

In all frameworks of creation, from the religious to the scientific, it is generally agreed upon that there was a vast expanse of nothingness before the dawn of time and the conception of existence. There was nothing then: no form, sound, or concept of being. It was a void devoid of perception and experience, absolute stillness and silence.

Then, a ripple of movement stirred the stillness, a whisper of energy that began all that we know. From this first movement, the universe emerged, creation unfolding in a grand cosmic dance.

From the depths of this primordial movement, all things sprang forth—the stars, the planets, the elements, and life. Everything from atom to galaxy traces its origins to this first movement.

Discovering the Source

At the center of this great upheaval that led to everything is the origin and essence of all things: the source. It is the wellspring from which all creation flows, the invisible force that animates the universe and keeps it whole. The source is beyond the limited comprehension of humanity, transcending the boundaries of language and definition. Elusive and paradoxical, it defies an easy shape to fully grasp. It is both unchanging and constantly changing, both infinite and finite. It is the source of everything, yet it is nameless and formless.

The source is nameless, for a name would confine it to limitations; it is indescribable, the essence of existence itself.

Thus, those that are named cannot be the source. They are merely manifestations of the source, reflecting a mere fraction of its infinite potential. The source is the underlying reality of everything.

How the Source Bridges Toward Enlightenment

Discovering the source is to discover the way to God, the path to enlightenment and spiritual awakening. The source is the connection to the divine. It is the bridge between our limited human consciousness and the boundless consciousness of the universe.

In this sense, the source exists only to serve, to provide the spark of life that ignites creation, and to nurture and sustain the universe in its ceaseless dance of being and becoming. 

One who knows the source is a prophet, a conduit of divine wisdom and guidance. They are the ones who have gotten a glimpse of the true nature of things, becoming saints and bodhisattvas and walis and tzadiks and gurus.

One who knows nothing is what can only be called God, for they have relinquished the ego, the illusion of separation, and merged with the source. They have become one with all that is, transcending the limitations of individuality and embracing the boundless expanse of existence.

The Source in Practice

As we journey through life, let us go on discovering the source, the nameless, the indescribable. Let us open our hearts to its boundless love and compassion and allow its wisdom to guide our steps. In doing so, we move closer to the divine. We awaken to our true nature as limitless beings, one with all that is.

Discovering the source provides a framework for understanding our place in the universe and living in harmony with nature and ourselves.

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Russell Marlett

Russell Marlett grew up in a South Texas town, raised by well-meaning but inexperienced parents. His curiosity about religious teachings led to skepticism at a young age. After leaving college, he worked for the U.S. Forest Service, then in the Army in Berlin. Post-service, he pursued education in Houston and a career in replacement parts. He also became a prominent figure in the sport of skydiving. Marrying and starting a family prompted a return to church, sparking his interest in religious studies beyond Christianity. He became a lay speaker and found a common truth in diverse religious beliefs, which he shares in "Commentaries."

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