weeping, and the various kinds of movement.
This belongs to the constitution insofar as it is natural, not insofar as it is spiritual. Movement in the natural constitution and natural listening are accompanied by no knowledge at all. Their possessor merely finds delight or sadness within himself upon hearing these melodies from these instruments and the voices of singers. He finds no knowledge accompanying them at all, for that is not the share of natural listening, even with the sound state and sound ecstasy that nature seeks. This is people’s listening today.
Spiritual listening is accompanied by knowledge and gnosis entirely apart from material forms. Divine listening is accompanied by knowledge and gnosis both in material forms and apart from them, encompassing all objects. One finds it in natural and spiritual listening, but through divine hearing, which pertains specifically to nature and intellect. Some know this, while others do not, although they find it and cannot deny what they find. The Real’s listening is unrestricted, just as His existence is unrestricted, and distinguishing it is difficult.
Melodies have an origin in divine speech and utterance upon which they rest, and it is the strongest of origins. Hence their power and their effect upon natural dispositions. When a melody arrives and hearing attaches to it, if it encounters its proper receptacle, no one can repel from himself the delight or effect that the listener finds within himself. Its sovereignty is powerful, because of the strength of the origin upon which it rests.
(Speech, Melody, and the Balance of Listening)
Although the divine names belong to a single entity, it is known
