Why there is a Material Realm
A place for our souls to grow and learn, and aim for the Good
The purpose of the material realm is related to a higher spiritual purpose, and the very nature and fulfillment of Being itself.
In this essay we’ll look at how Dante explains the reason for a physical/material realm at all - seen from the Divine perspective. For us as human souls it should be a place to learn, experience, and gradually discover and orient our souls towards the Good, Virtue and the Divine. And from the overall and Divine perspective, Dante suggests, it is so that God’s Glory and Splendor can be reflected in spirits/angels and souls with an independent free will, who then can choose to align with the Heavens. Only in that way can the Glory itself gain a sort of self-awareness and be ably to say “I exist”, and this can also give an infinite amplification of Love, through the voluntary relationships that are created between the Divine, and the souls and angels.
Not to have more Good for Himself acquired
which cannot be, but because His Glory be permitted,
reflected and re-shined, to say “I exist”.
Dante begins his exploration through a simple overall question: “Why is there a creation at all?”, meaning both the spiritual and material realms as creations. And he adds that it cannot be to increase the Good in itself, since God is already the source of infinite Good. The answer he quickly comes to might be somewhat surprising, but gives us a much higher and new clarity as we try to see this not from the human and earthly perspective, but rather from the Divine perspective itself.
The reason as it is explained through Beatrice, is that the Glory will only be able to say “subsisto” (I exist) through the reflection or “re-shining” that comes when something other voluntarily chooses to align itself with the Divine Will and Truth. If this “other” does not have an independent will, it will simply be more of the same, and not the “moreness” that comes from uniting two separate aspects, either human souls or the spiritual intelligences (angels) with the Splendor.
One way to think about this could be through a metaphor for light: we can only see light as reflection, and not light in itself (except straight from the source). The lighting of a beautiful room, or over a beautiful landscape, is only visible when it is reflected from the objects and our surroundings, as we cannot see the light otherwise.
And what this leads to is manyfold: first, that our choice to aim at the Good or at Vices, and the degree to which we orient our souls towards the Heavens and Virtue, is of cosmic significance. The purpose is not only our own happiness and spiritual enrichment and gratitude, but it fulfills a much more important role for Being itself.
Second, this process of discovery and gradual alignment brings us straight to the reason for the material-physical realm as well. Since the realm of pure spirit is timeless, the necessity for a place to learn and to grow will necessitate a material world, where this can play out. There needs to be a realm where our souls can be incarnated and embodied, for experiences and choices to happen, which will lead us to a spiritual growth if we choose the right aims.
So in other words, what Dante is suggesting is that the material world is primarily a place or playground of sorts, for our souls to explore and unfold, and gradually reconnect and align with the heavens, but crucially, by our own volition. If not, the proper reflection of the Divine Glory cannot happen. And this gives us a whole new perspective on meaning and purpose for our earthly lives as well.
The logic then becomes that the creation happened to enable a sense of self-awareness for God’s Glory, which necessitates a spiritual realm for free willed spirits, and furthermore a material realm where growth, change and alignment can happen over time. And as the third aspect and necessity, comes the unity of the material and spiritual, to enable these processes. And this is who we are as humans, a walking unity of matter and spirit, of the material and spiritual realms, and of Heaven and Earth, though only if we choose to discern, discover and gradually unify with this perspective and reality. So we can think of this in two ways, that Being itself depends on our souls to come to the right conclusion and aim for the ascent to the Heavens, and, that we are given the opportunity and “Quest” to discover and accomplish this task, both for ourselves and for a much higher purpose at the same time.
At the beginning of Paradiso Dante recommends us as readers to meditate on the unity of matter and spirit as a starting point for a contemplative practice and spiritual growth. And just five or ten minutes a day with contemplating these mysteries can open surprisingly rich new worlds of insight and experience. Try it a few times a week, and see what might be rewarded you - in grace, blessings and gratitude.
In His eternity outside of time, outside of all
He embeds materially, as it pleases Him
there opens inside of new Loves, the eternal Divine Love