A Vision: An Explanation of Life Founded upon the Writings of Giraldus and upon Certain Doctrines Attributed to Kusta Ben Luka

In Book 4, the repeated cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth—echoing the Hindu and Buddhist concept of “Samsara”—becomes a central motif. This cycle, wherein life retraces its steps from cradle to grave, embodies the sense of inevitability and the search for liberation or transcendence that is foundational to both these Eastern religions. Theosophy, one of the occult movements Yeats was involved in during the time that he was writing A Vision, borrowed these elements from Hinduism and Buddhism to synthesize its own vision of the cosmos.

Yeats’s exploration of the soul’s journey after death in Book 4 reflects these influences. In the realms he sketches, the soul does not simply perish but transitions, intermingling with kindred spirits, undergoing spiritual evolutions, and experiencing various states of consciousness. This is reminiscent of the Tibetan Buddhist concept of “Bardo,” an intermediate, transitional state between death and rebirth. During this period, the soul confronts various visions, some divine and luminous, others wrathful and terrifying. These visions are born from the deceased’s own karmic residues, their deeds, thoughts, and unresolved emotions from their previous life. The concept of “Shiftings,” during which spirits can re-experience and gain new perspectives on their past events, especially in matters of love, has roots in Bardo, in which the soul confronts its past actions and faces the consequences, whether by moving toward enlightenment or another cycle of rebirth. Moreover, the idea that memory affects the soul’s journey also has roots in Bardo, which holds that the soul’s actions in its past life play a crucial role in shaping its encounters and eventual rebirth. Similarly, Yeats emphasizes the indelible mark our actions leave on our soul’s journey after death, intertwining personal memory with broader racial and cultural narratives.

The “Daimon,” in Yeats’s understanding, is an external force that influences human existence, determining our choices and binding us to our destinies. It recalls the intricate web of karma, a central tenet in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Karma, derived from the Sanskrit word for “action,” signifies the accumulated deeds of one’s past lives, which then shape one’s current life circumstances and future lives. Much like the Daimon that influences and orchestrates the fate of individuals in Yeats’s narrative, karma functions as an unseen force directing the course of our lives based on our previous actions.

On the other hand, the “Ghostly Self” is a counterpoint to the Daimon. While the Daimon focuses on external fate and influence, the Ghostly Self delves inward, reflecting the unchanging essence of an individual. This aligns with the concept of the Atman in Hinduism, the true self or soul, which remains constant amid the ever-changing physical world. The Atman is believed to be eternal, untouched by the vagaries of life and death. What Yeats achieves is an intertwining of the Daimon and the Ghostly Self, representing a dance between destiny and self, between the ever-shifting external world and the steadfast internal realm. Here, The Interplay of Duality and Unity draws parallels with numerous spiritual traditions, emphasizing the eternal balance between the individual and the cosmos. Yeats’s portrayal is not merely a regurgitation of existing beliefs, but an idiosyncratic re-presentation from his own socio-cultural standpoint.

Yeats’s immersion in Irish and Celtic mythologies adds another layer to this cosmology. Celtic traditions, rich with tales of heroic quests, underworld journeys, and transformative adventures, often treat death not as a finality but as a transition. Examples include Cú Chulainn, the hero who refuses to accept death easily, and the tales of the Otherworld, a realm coexisting with the mortal world, where time flows differently, and spirits, deities, ancestors, and mythic beings reside. Yeats’s spiritual cosmology, including elements like the “Covens,” seems to echo the Celtic conception of the Otherworld. The boundaries between our world and the Otherworld are permeable, especially during liminal times like Samhain. While it is tempting to draw direct parallels between the “Covens” and specific Druidic or Celtic practices, it might be more accurate to say that the fluidity and intricacy of Yeats’s spiritual realms resonate with the Celtic understanding of reality, where the tangible and the spiritual coexist nearby.

Romanticism’s impact on Yeats is also evident in the emotional and intuitive flavor of his work. The Romantic ethos of emphasizing emotion and intuition over pure reason resonates in his portrayal of the soul’s journey. His focus on the cyclical nature of existence, wherein even profound moments of clarity like the “Beatitude” give way to the urge to return to the physical realm and start the cycle anew, aligns with Romanticism’s emphasis on the beauty of impermanence and the eternal quest for meaning. The way Yeats draws on a poetic tradition also points to The Nature of Art and the Role of the Artist, suggesting that the creation of poetry is crucial to understanding the nature of the universe.

Fittingly, then, A Vision ends with a poem. “All Souls’ Night” incorporates all the themes of Book 4. Its liminal setting reflects Celtic traditions, particularly the festival of Samhain, emphasizing the cyclical nature of life and death. The act of lighting candles and invoking memories of departed friends not only serves as a personal recollection but also mirrors spiritual traditions associated with diverse cultures. In various Eastern philosophies, the deeds and memories of past lives play pivotal roles in the journey of the soul, determining its trajectory after death. Yeats explores the indelible impressions left by these memories, both on the personal psyche and on the soul’s journey. Again, this also evokes Celtic traditions that saw the world as a realm where the physical and the spiritual are closely intertwined. Overall, the poem synthesizes Yeats’s spiritual, philosophical, and emotional explorations, mirroring A Vision’s broader quest to fathom the complexities of existence.