Weakness-weakness taken to its utmost extreme. It was as though he had never in his life experienced such utter exhaustion. Every last part of his body and spirit had already "dried up," unable to sustain itself any longer.
Yet completely at odds with this perceived "weakness" was his rational judgment: he was well, incredibly well. He had never been better!
These two incompatible "impressions" emerged simultaneously. In an ordinary person, they might have felt like madness. Yet some strange, indescribable intuition quietly reminded him that both were right!
A "madman" who had burned away almost everything, finding life through approaching death-his spirituality had finally boiled over under that relentless tempering. Following some predetermined trace, or perhaps foundation, it transformed into a subtler "state," like a larva breaking out of its shell or a seedling sprouting.
Outwardly, there might not have been much change to see, but that single step made a world of difference. The distinction was truly beyond words.
Even in his present state of extreme weakness, certain "changes" that ran through him inside and out continued to manifest in this seemingly decrepit being.
With nothing more than a flicker of thought, more numinous sparks descended from the seemingly empty space around him. They were even drawn in from every direction, from deep beneath the soil, pouring into his body as though it were a bottomless pit.
Within this newly formed oasis, the area occupied by that "black spot" faintly showed signs of expanding outward.
The nearby vegetation visibly wilted along with it.
Previously, he had been unable to discern their true nature. He had merely known that "absorbing" them was useful, knowing what happened without understanding why.
Now, however, with his spiritual transformation, old Basim could perceive some of the subtler truths.
These numinous sparks immediately followed his