The purpose of the dark night is to show you that everything can be taken away from you and that you own nothing, but rather you are nothing and everything is a gift from God. The only way to know the presence of something is through its absence. Absence is what makes presence perceivable. So when everything is taken away and then given back, it creates a full sweep making you aware of the entirety of presence.
For example, you cannot know what Brazil is, unless you move out of Brazil. Similarly we cannot understand the full beauty of the gifts given to us unless we experience the total loss of them. Presence is known only from absence. If there is only presence and never absence, you would not be aware of that presence too. Like since air is all around us, we are oblivious to air.
So its only when YOU ARE NOTHING, can you perceive the full presence of EVERYTHING.
The beauty of a thing is its full presence, which can be known only when you are colorless, empty and fully open to it.
For example, you cannot know what Brazil is, unless you move out of Brazil. Similarly we cannot understand the full beauty of the gifts given to us unless we experience the total loss of them. Presence is known only from absence. If there is only presence and never absence, you would not be aware of that presence too. Like since air is all around us, we are oblivious to air.
So its only when YOU ARE NOTHING, can you perceive the full presence of EVERYTHING.
The beauty of a thing is its full presence, which can be known only when you are colorless, empty and fully open to it.
Journey to the Abstract 