Esence and Attributes - Peter Terry [1]

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ESSENCE AND ATTRIBUTESPeter Terry, 2003

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

DEFINITIONS

100. Essence, reality, identity, self and individuality are in one class; virtues,qualities, attributes, perfections, signs, characteristics are in anotherclass:

Shoghi Effendi

101. The Bahs believe in the return of the attributes and qualities, but maintain that

the essence or the reality of things cannot be made to return. Every beingkeeps its own individuality, but some of his qualitiescan be transmitted.(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, dated 27 March 1938, Dawn of a NewDay, p. 201)

102. Regarding the questions you asked: Self has really two meanings, or is used in twosenses, in the Bah writings; one is self, the identity of the individual created byGod. This is the self mentioned in such passages as he hath known God who hathknown himself etc.. The other self is the ego, the dark, animalistic heritage each one ofus has, the lower nature that can develop into a monster of selfishness, brutality, lustand so on. It is this self we must struggle against, or this side of our natures, in order to

strengthen and free the spirit within us and help it to attain perfection.Self-sacrifice means to subordinate this lower nature and its desires to the more

godly and noble side of ourselves. Ultimately, in its highest sense, self-sacrifice meansto give our will and our all to God to do with as He pleases. 114 Then He purifies andglorifies our true self until it becomes a shining and wonderful reality.(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, December10, 1947; in Lights of Guidance, p. 113)

103. When studying at present, in English, the available Bah writings on the subject ofbody, soul and spirit, one is handicapped by a certain lack of clarity because not all were

translated by the same person, and also there are, as you know, still many Bahwritings untranslated. But there is no doubt that spirit and soul seem to have beeninterchanged in meaning sometimes; soul and mind have, likewise, been interchangedin meaning, no doubt due to difficulties arising from different translations. What theBahs do believe though is that we have three aspects of our humanness, so to speak,a body, a mind and an immortal identitysoul or spirit. We believe the mind formsa link between the soul and the body, and the two interact on each other.

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(Extract, letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, June 7th, 1946; in Arohanui - Lettersto New Zealand, p. 89)

104. According to Bahullh the soul retains its individuality and consciousnessafter death, and is able to commune with other souls.

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly ofIndia, March 10, 1936; in Dawn of a New Day, p. 58; in Lights of Guidance, p. 207; inMessages to the Indian Subcontinent, p. 139)

105. The Passage on p. 156 of Gleanings regarding the evolution of soul after deathclearly proves that the soul after its separation from the body keeps its individualityand its consciousness both in relation to other souls and to the human beings in theworld.(From a letter from the Guardian to an individual believer, November 26, 1939, fromSpiritualism, Reincarnation and Related Subjects. p.5; in Lights of Guidance, p. 482)

106. The Bahs believe in the attributes and qualities, but maintain that the essenceor the reality of things cannot be made to return. Every being keeps its ownindividuality, but some of his qualitiescan be transmitted. The doctrine ofmetempsychosis upheld by the Hindus is fallacious.(To an individual believer, March 27, 1938; in Dawn of a New Day, p. 201; in Lights ofGuidance, p. 536)

107. Mans identity or rather his individuality is never lost. His reality as a personremains intact throughout the various states of his development. He does not pre-existin any form before coming into this world.

(To an individual believer, November 26, 1939; Lights of Guidance, p. 536)'Abdu'l-Baha

108. In the same way that the essence of man is the soul, the soul of this world isthe subtle growth of spirituality, heavenly morals, divine favors and sacred powers.Were the physical world not accompanied by this spirit, it could not exist. A beautifulcreature without a soul signifies nothing. A most sumptuous habitation set in darkness isnon-existent. The most wonderfully wrought lamp, if it give no light, is useless. Europe,the most adorned of the continents, has progressed to the apex of refined materialcivilization. It is a beautifully formed body, - alas, that is has no soul! It is one of the

most polished mirrors, - alas, that the sun of truth is not reflected in it! It is an orchardwithout fruit, - alas, it has no spiritual fragrance.(Abdu'l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 128)

109. When, however, thou dost contemplate the innermost essence of all things,and the individuality of each, thou wilt behold the signsof thy Lords mercy inevery created thing, and see the spreading rays of His Names and Attributes

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throughout all the realm of being, with evidences which none will deny save the frowardand the unaware.(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 41)

110. Some one has asked a question on personality. From what source does it come?

What are its attributes? What are its characteristic features or aspects?Personality is of two kinds. One is the natural or God-given personality which thewestern thinkers call individuality, the inner aspect of man which is not subject tochange; and the other personality is the result of acquired arts, sciences and virtueswith which man is decorated. When the God-given virtuesare thus adorned, we havecharacter. When the infinite effulgencesof 131 God are revealed in theindividuality of man, then divine attributes, invisible in the rest of creation, becomemanifest through him and one man becomes the manifestor of knowledge, that is,divine knowledge is revealed to him; another is the dawning place of power; a third istrustworthy; again, one is faithful, and another is merciful. All these attributesare thecharacteristics of the unchangeable individuality and are divine in origin. These

qualifications are loved by all, for they are emanations of the father [Father]. They arethe significance of his [His] nameand attributes, the direct ray of which illuminate thevery essence of these qualifications.

As regards the personality which is the result of acquired virtues, let us take thismirror as an example: In the beginning it was a piece of black stone; now, through theprocess of purification, it has become a mirror and has reflecting power and displays itsinnate perfections so that they are clearly visible to all. The rock was endowed with adistinct individuality which acquired a personality through the process of education.

The individuality of each created thing is based upon divine wisdom, for in thecreation of God there is no defect. However, personality has no element of permanence.

It is a slightly changeable quality in man which can be turned in either direction. For ifhe acquire praiseworthy virtues, these strengthen the individuality of man and call forthhis hidden forces; but if he acquire defects, the beauty and simplicity of theindividuality 132 will be lost to him and its God-given qualities will be stifled in thefoul atmosphere of self.

It is evident that every human being is primarily pure, for God-created qualitiesare deposited in him. If man extend his individuality by acquiring sciences, he willbecome a wise man; if he be engaged in praiseworthy deeds and strive for realknowledge, he will become godlike. If, on the other hand, when God has created him tobe just and he practices injustice, he denies his God-given attribute. Man was created tobe merciful, he becomes a tyrant; he was created to be kind to all the children of men

and given the capacity to confer life, but he becomes the destroyer of life.Personality is obtained through the conscious effort of man by training andeducation. A fruitless tree under the influence of a wise gardener becomes fruitful; aslab of marble under the hand of a sculptor becomes a beautiful statue. The ruinedplaces are built up by captains of industry; the ignorant children learn the secrets ofphenomena under the tutelage of a wise teacher. The crooked branch becomes straightthrough cultivation.

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It is evident that we have two modes for the expression of life, - individualityand personality, - the former becomes as the son of God and the latter the son of man.

As we have shown, the personality of some is illumined, that of others is dark; thepersonality of some is seen in the manifestation of divine justice, while that of 133others is the embodiment of tyranny. The personality of some is divine guidance made

visible, while that of others is choked in the veils of self and desire. That which washidden in the capability of these souls has been made manifest; just as, for instance,when you sow a seed, that which is hidden in the reality of that seed becomes revealedand unfolded - the trunk, the branches, the leaves, the blossoms and the fruits, whichare in the seeds as potentialities. A teacher brings out the potentialities of the pupils.The clouds pour down rain, the sun shines, and that which was hidden in the bosom ofthe earth springs forth.

The personality of man is developed through education, while his individualitywhich is divine and heavenly should be his guide.

Poison is harmful to man. It is the nature of man to find enjoyment in that whichis gratifying to his senses; if he pursue this path he subverts his individuality to such adegree that the poison of darkness which was the means of death becomes the meansof his existence and his nature becomes so degraded and his individuality so deflectedthat his one purpose in life will be to obtain the death-dealing drug.

What causes the change in the individuality? It comes through the acquirementof evil habits. God originally endowed man with an individuality which enjoyed thatwhich was beneficial and shunned the drug; but man through his evil habits changesthis creation and transforms the divine illumination into satanic darkness. 134

As long as man is a captive of habit, pursuing the dictates of self and desire, he isvanquished and defeated. This passionate personal ego takes the reins from his hands,crowds out the qualities of the divine ego and changes him into an animal, a creature

unable to judge good from evil, or to distinguish light from darkness. He becomes blindto divine attributes, for this acquired individuality, the result of an evil routine of thoughtbecomes the dominant note of his life.

May all of you be freed from these dangers and delivered from the world ofdesires that you may enter into the realm of light and become divine, radiant, merciful,Godlike.

All that has been created is for man who is at the apex of creation and who mustbe thankful for the divine bestowals, so that through his gratitude he may learn tounderstand life as a divine benefit. If we hold enmity with life, we are ingrates, for ourmaterial and spiritual existence is the outward evidences of the divine mercy. Thereforewe must be happy and pass our time in praises, appreciating all things. But there is

something else: detachment. We can appreciate without attaching ourselves to thethings of this world. It sometimes happens that if a man loses his fortune he is sodisheartened that he dies or becomes insane. While enjoying the things of this world135 we must remember that one day we shall have to do without them.

Attach not thyself to anything unless in it thou seest the reality of God - this isthe first step into the court of eternity. The earth life lasts but a short time, even its

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benefits are transitory; that which is temporary does not deserve our heartsattachment.

Material favors sometimes deprive us of spiritual favors and material rest ofspiritual rest. A rich man said to Christ, I would fain be thy disciple. Go and put intopractice the ten commandments, replied the Christ. But I know them by heart and

have always practiced them. Then sell what thou hast and take up thy cross andfollow me. The man returned to his home. But the rich who are attracted through theirhearts have the spark and are like unto brilliant torches. BAHAOLLAH has spoken of theimportance of their station. Certain rich ones have sacrificed their possessions and eventheir lives for this cause. Riches did not prove an obstacle for them and they are likeunto stars in the heaven of both worlds - flames of reality.

Detachment does not consist in setting fire to ones house, or becoming bankruptor throwing ones fortune out of the window, or even giving away all of onespossessions. Detachment consists in refraining from letting our possessions possess us.

A prosperous merchant who is not absorbed in his business knows severance. A bankerwhose 136 occupation does not prevent him from serving humanity is severed. A poorman can be attached to a small thing.

A rich man and a poor man lived in the same town. One day the poor man saidto the rich man, I want to go to the Holy Land. The rich man replied, Very good, Iwill go also, and they started from the town and began their pilgrimage. But night felland the poor man said, Let us return to our houses to pass the night. The rich manreplied, We have started for the Holy Land and must not now return. The poor mansaid, The Holy Land is a long distance to travel on foot. I have a donkey, I will go andfetch it. What? replied the rich man, are you not ashamed? I leave all mypossessions to go on this pilgrimage and you wish to return to get your donkey! I haveabandoned with joy my whole fortune. Your whole wealth consists of a donkey and you

cannot leave it! You see that fortune is not necessarily an impediment. The rich manwho is thus detached is near to reality. There are many rich people who are severedand many poor who are not.

May our spirit be at rest!God has given man a heart and the heart must have some attachment. We have

proved that nothing is completely worthy of our hearts devotion save reality, for all elseis destined to perish. Therefore the heart is never at rest and never 137 finds real joyand happiness until it attaches itself to the eternal. How foolish the bird that builds itsnest in a tree that may perish when it could build its nest in an ever-verdant garden ofparadise.

Man must attach himself to an infinite reality, so that his glory, his joy, and his

progress may be infinite. Only the spirit is real; everything else is as shadow. All bodiesare disintegrated in the end; only reality subsists. All physical perfections come to anend; but the divine virtues are infinite. How many kings have flourished in luxury and ina brief moment all has disappeared! Their glory and their honor are forgotten. Whereare all these sovereigns now? But those who have been servants of the divine beautyare never forgotten. The result of their works is everywhere visible. What king is thereof two thousand years ago whose kingdom has lived in the hearts? But those disciples

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who were devoted to God - poor people who had neither fortune nor position - are to-day trees bearing fruit. Their banner is raised higher every day.

When they imprisoned Peter, in the time of Nero, the Roman empire was verypowerful, extending from Europe to Asia. Few empires can be compared to what Romewas. Peter and another disciple arrived in Rome a chain around their necks and reduced

to the last extremity. But they have triumphed over Nero. His banner is now in the dustwhereas theirs is on the summit. 138These two beings were severed from all else save God, and Nero was attached to

temporal power. Nothing has remained of him save the mention of his iniquities, but theworks of the disciples eternally prevail!

Therefore let us yearn for the kingdom of God, so that our works may beareternal fruit. Otherwise the flower will be lost. Attach your hearts to BAHAOLLAH. He isthe eternal glory. Then from day to day you will become more enlightened; day by dayyour efforts will increase; day by day your work will become universal, and day by dayyour horizons will broaden until the end they will embrace the universe.

Glory be upon the people of glory.My fatigue does not matter - as long as I find loving souls like yourselves, my

heart is happy. My hope is that this city may become illumined and pulsate with thehealth of the Holy Spirit.

The sea of materialism is at flood time and all the nations of the world areimmersed in it. It is my hope that the fish will rise to the surface, so that they maybehold other wondrous aspects of creation; for the people are like unto the fishswimming in the deep - ignorant of the rest of the universe. May they be transformedinto birds of the air and soar in the nether atmosphere! May they break all bonds oflimitation, so that they can observe from the height the lordly 139 processions ofinfinite creatures; they will see the blue heavens studded with luminous stars, rivers

flowing with salubrious water, gardens bedecked with fragrant flowers, trees adornedwith blossoms and fruits, birds singing songs of light, humanity ever striving forward,every atom of existence breathing life and force - the universe of God a wonderfultheatre upon the stage of which every created thing plays its part.

If you strive unceasingly, if you make a great effort, if you put forwardextraordinary exertion, then these people will be awakened, their eyes will be openedand their ears unstopped, so that they can hear the melodious music which streamsdown from the supreme concourse, the notes and strains of which have been playedfrom all eternity ever enrapturing with the thousand harmonious accompaniments thepure in the heart.

It is my hope that you may be the means of changing this wild jungle of

materialism into a fruitful orchard, this thorny thicket into a rose garden. May Europebecome the divine university wherein heavenly sciences and divine arts are taught andlearned!

By heavenly sciences I mean divine philosophy and spiritual teachings; by thesongs and fragrances of the rose garden I mean the mysteries of the kingdom ofkingdoms, the secrets of the degrees of existence and the knowledge of the results ofhuman life. 140

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This universe is not created through the fortuitous concurrences of atoms; it iscreated by a great law which decrees that the tree bring forth certain definite fruit.

Verily, this universe contains many worlds of which we know nothing.Is the materialistic philosophy of this Europe, so much praised by contemporary

agnostics and atheists, a philosophy to be admired? Are these people wooers of the

spirit? Nay, they have drowned that capacity and are out of touch with the kingdom ofreality. Is this an enviable goal to which humanity may aspire? Is this a system ofphilosophy through which people may become glorified? No, by God, the philosophy ofglory needs no scholastic curriculum.

Strive so that these people may be released from their nature worship andbecome like sons of wisdom from the city of light. 141 We speak one word and by itwe intend one and seventy meanings. - (BAHAOLLAH IN THE IGHAN)(Abdu'l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, pp. 130-141)

[Peter: In this talk, 'Abdu'l-Baha seems to be using the term "individuality" to denotewhat the Guardian called the first kind of "self", the higher divine "self"; and 'Abdu'l-

Baha seems to use the term "personality" here to indicate what the Guardian called thesecond kind of "self", the lower animal "self".]

111. Furthermore, the forms and organisms of phenomenal being and existence in eachof the kingdoms of the universe are myriad and numberless. The vegetable plane orkingdom for instance has its infinite variety of types and material structures of plant life,each distinct and different within itself, no two exactly alike in composition and detail,for there are no repetitions in nature, and the virtue augmentative cannot be confinedto any given image or shape.Each leaf has its own particular identity, so to speak, its own individuality as

a leaf.Therefore each atom of the innumerable elemental atoms, during itsceaseless motion through the kingdoms of existence as a constituent of organiccomposition, not only becomes imbued with the powers and virtuesof the kingdomsit traverses but also reflects the attributes and qualitiesof the forms and organismsof those kingdoms.As each of these forms has its individual and particularvirtue, therefore each elemental atom 58 of the universe has theopportunity of expressing an infinite variety of those individual virtues. Noatom is bereft or deprived of this opportunity or right of expression. Nor can itbe said of any given atom that it is denied equal opportunities with other atoms; nay, allare privileged to possess the virtuesexistent in these kingdoms and to reflect theattributesof their organisms.

(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 285; Foundations of World Unity,p. 57)

112. Thus, it is apparent that the soul, even as the body, has its own individuality.(Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 65)

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113. A large body of scholars is of the opinion that variations among minds and differingdegrees of perception are due to differences in education, training and culture. That is,they believe that minds are equal to begin with, but that training and education willresult in mental variations and differing levels of intelligence, and that such variationsare not an inherent component of the individuality but are the result of education:

that no one hath any inborn superiority over another....The Manifestations of God are likewise in agreement with the view that educationexerteth the strongest possible influence on humankind. They affirm, however, thatdifferences in the level of intelligence are innate; and this fact is obvious, and not worthdebating. For we see that children of the same age, the same country, the same race,indeed of the same family, and trained by the same individual, still are different as tothe degree of their comprehension and intelligence. One will make rapid progress, onewill receive instruction only gradually, one will remain at the lowest stage of all. For nomatter how much you may polish a shell, it will not turn into a gleaming pearl, nor canyou change a dull pebble into a gem whose pure rays will light 132 the world. Never,through training and cultivation, will the colocynth and the bitter tree [1] change intothe Tree of Blessedness.[2] That is to say, education cannot alter the inner essence of aman, but it doth exert tremendous influence, and with this power it can bring forth fromthe individual whatever perfections and capacities are deposited within him. A grain ofwheat, when cultivated by the farmer, will yield a whole harvest, and a seed, throughthe gardeners care, will grow into a great tree. Thanks to a teachers loving efforts, thechildren of the primary school may reach the highest levels of achievement; indeed, hisbenefactions may lift some child of small account to an exalted throne. Thus is it clearlydemonstrated that by their essential nature, minds vary as to their capacity, whileeducation also playeth a great role and exerteth a powerful effect on their development.[1.cf. Qurn 37:60 (The Tree of Zaqqum)]

[2 cf. Qurn 24:35](Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 131)

114. In the Gospel of John, in speaking of the Promised One Who was to come afterChrist, it is said in chapter 16, verses 12, 13: I have yet many things to say unto you,but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He willguide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear,that shall He speak.

Now consider carefully that from these words, for He shall not speak of Himself;but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak, it is clear that the Spirit of truth isembodied in a Man Who has individuality, Who has ears to hear and a tongue to

speak. In the same way the name Spirit of God is used in relation to Christ, as youspeak of a light, meaning both the light and the lamp. 110(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 109)

115. Therefore, John the Baptist was the promised Elias. In this case not the essence[dhAt], but the qualities [s.afAt], are regarded. For example, there was a flower lastyear, and this year there is also a flower; I say the flower of last year has returned.

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Now, I do not mean that same flower in its exact individuality has come back; but asthis flower has the same qualitiesas that of last yearas it has the same perfume,delicacy, color and formI say the flower of last year has returned, and this flower isthe former flower.(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 133; lines 19-20 in Persian)

116. Therefore, when Christ said, This is Elias, He meant: this person is amanifestation ofthe bounty, the perfect ons, the character, the qualities andthe virtuesof Elias. John the Baptist said, I am not Elias. Christ considered thequalities, the perfections, the character and the virtuesof both, and Johnregarded his substance and individuality.

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(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 134)

117. Briefly, in the Holy Manifestations the Preexistent Bountyis like the light, theindividuality is represented by the glass globe, and the human body is like the niche:if the niche is destroyed, the lamp continues to burn. The Divine Manifestations are somany different mirrors because They have a special individuality, but that which isreflected in the mirrors is one sun. It is clear that the reality of Christ is different fromthat of Moses.(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 155)

119. Though the fact of Return is mentioned in the Divine Books, by this is intendedthe return of the qualities, characters, perfections, truths and lights, which re-appear in every age, and not of certain persons and souls. For example: If we saythis lamp is the return of that of last night, or that the last years flower hath returnedin the garden, in this sense the return of the individual, or identity, or personality is

not meant; nay, rather, it is intended that the same qualities and statesexisting inthat lamp or flower, which are now seen in this lamp or flower, have returned. That is,the same perfections and virtues and properties which existed in the past springtimehave returned during this present springtime. For instance: When one says, these fruitsare the same as those of last year; in this sense, he hath reference to the freshness anddelicacy of the fruit, which hath returned, although there is no doubt that the identicalfruit of last year hath not returned.(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 392)

120. It may be said, for instance, that this lamplight is last nights come back again, orthat last years rose hath returned to the garden this year. Here the reference is not

to the individual reality, the fixed identity, the specialized being of that otherrose, rather doth it mean that the qualities, the distinctive characteristicsof thatother light, that other flower, are present now, in these. Thoseperfections, that is,those graces and giftsof a former springtime are back again this year. We say, forexample, that this fruit is the same as last years; but we are thinking only of thedelicacy, bloom and freshness, and the sweet taste of it; for it is obvious that thatimpregnable centre of reality, that specific identity, can never return.

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(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 183)

121. Look at the sun and its rays and the heat which results from its rays; the rays andthe heat are but two effects of the sun, but inseparable from it; yet the sun is one in itsessence, unique in its real identity, single in its attributes, neither is it possible that

anything should 118 resemble it. Such is the essence of the Truth concerning theUnity, the real doctrine of Singularity, the undiluted reality as to the (Divine) Sanctity.(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v1, p. 117)

122. My name is Abdul-Baha, my identity is Abdul-Baha, my qualification is Abdul-Baha, my reality is Abdul-Baha, my praise is Abdul-Baha, Thraldom to the BlessedPerfection is my glorious refulgent diadem; and servitude to all the human race is myperpetual religion.(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 429)

123. The subject of reincarnation has two aspects. One is that which the Hindustanipeople believe, and even that is subdivided into two: reincarnation andmetempsychosis. According to one belief the soul goes and then returns in certainreincarnations; therefore, they say that a sick person is sick because of actions in aprevious incarnation and that this is retribution. The other school of Hinduism believesthat man sometimes appears as an animala donkey, for instanceand that this isretribution for past acts. I am referring to the beliefs in that country, the beliefs of theschools. There is a reincarnation of the prophetic mission. Jesus Christ, speaking of Johnthe Baptist, declared he was Elias. When John the 168 Baptist was questioned, Artthou Elias? he said, I am not. These two statements are apparently contradictory, butin reality they do not contradict. The light is one light. The light which illumined this

lamp last night is illuminating it tonight. This does not mean that the identical raysof light have reappeared but the virtuesof illumination. The light which revealeditself through the glass reveals itself again so that we can say the light of this evening isthe light of last evening relighted. This is as regards its virtuesand not as regards itsformer identity. This is our view of reincarnation. We believe in that which Jesus Christand all the Prophets have believed. For example, the Bb states, I am the return of allthe Prophets. This is significant of the oneness of the prophetic virtues, the oneness ofpower, the oneness of bestowal, the oneness of radiation, the oneness of expression,the oneness of revelation.(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 167)

Baha'u'llah

124. The other station is the station of distinction, and pertaineth to the world ofcreation, and to the limitations thereof. In this respect, each Manifestation of God hatha distinct individuality, a definitely prescribed mission, a predestined revelation, andspecially designated limitations. Each one of them is known by a different name, is

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characterized by a special attribute, fulfils a definite mission, and is entrusted with aparticular Revelation.(Baha'u'llah, Kitab-I-Iqan, p. 176; Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 52;BWF, p. 23)

125. Thou hast asked Me whether man, as apart from the Prophets of God and Hischosen ones, will retain, after his physical death, the self-same individuality,personality, consciousness, and understanding that characterize his life in thisworld. If this should be the case, how is it, thou hast observed, that whereas such slightinjuries to his mental faculties as fainting and severe illness deprive him of hisunderstanding and consciousness, his death, which must involve the decomposition ofhis body and the dissolution of its elements, is powerless to destroy that understandingand extinguish that consciousness? How can any one imagine that mans consciousnessand personality will be maintained, when the very instruments necessary to theirexistence and function will have completely disintegrated?

Know thou that the soul of man is exalted above, 154 and is independent of allinfirmities of body or mind. That a sick person showeth signs of weakness is due to thehindrances that interpose themselves between his soul and his body, for the soul itselfremaineth unaffected by any bodily ailments. Consider the light of the lamp. Though anexternal object may interfere with its radiance, the light itself continueth to shine withundiminished power. In like manner, every malady afflicting the body of man is animpediment that preventeth the soul from manifesting its inherent might and power.When it leaveth the body, however, it will evince such ascendancy, and reveal suchinfluence as no force on earth can equal. Every pure, every refined and sanctified soulwill be endowed with tremendous power, and shall rejoice with exceeding gladness.(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, pp. 153-154; BWF, p. 120)

127. O Pen of the Most High! Recount unto him who hath turned unto Thy Lord, the All-Glorious, that which shall enable him to dispense with the sayings of men. Say: Spirit,mind, soul, and the powers ofsight and hearing are but one single reality whichhath manifold expressions owing to the diversity of its instruments. As thou dostobserve, man's power to comprehend, move, speak, hear, and see all derive from thissign of his Lord within him. It is single in its essence, yet manifold through thediversity of its instruments.(Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 154)

128. Consider the rational faculty with which God hath endowed the essence of man.

Examine thine own self, and behold how thy motion and stillness, thy will and purpose,thy sight and hearing, thy sense of smell and power of speech, and whatever else isrelated to, or transcendeth, thy physical senses or spiritual perceptions, all proceedfrom, and owe their existence to, this same faculty. So closely are they related unto it,that if in less than the twinkling of an eye its relationship to the human body besevered, each and every one of these senses will cease immediately to exercise itsfunction, and will be deprived of the power to manifest the evidences of its activity. It is

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indubitably clear and evident that each of these afore-mentioned instruments hasdepended, and will ever continue to depend, for its proper functioning on this rationalfaculty, which should be regarded as a sign of the revelation of Him Who is thesovereign Lord of all. Through its manifestation all these names and attributes havebeen revealed, and by the suspension of its action they are all destroyed and perish.

It would be wholly untrue to maintain that this faculty is the same as the powerof vision, inasmuch as the power of vision is derived from it and acteth in dependenceupon it. It would, likewise, be idle to contend that this faculty can be identified with thesense of hearing, as the sense of hearing receiveth 165 from the rational faculty therequisite energy for performing its functions.

This same relationship bindeth this faculty with whatsoever hath been therecipient of these names and attributes within the human temple. These diverse namesand revealed attributes have been generated through the agency of this sign of God.Immeasurably exalted is this sign, in its essence and reality, above all such names andattributes. Nay, all else besides it will, when compared with its glory, fade into utternothingness and become a thing forgotten.

Wert thou to ponder in thine heart, from now until the end that hath no end, andwith all the concentrated intelligence and understanding which the greatest minds haveattained in the past or will attain in the future, this divinely ordained and subtle Reality,this sign of the revelation of the All-Abiding, All-Glorious God, thou wilt fail tocomprehend its mystery or to appraise its virtue. Having recognized thy powerlessnessto attain to an adequate understanding of that Reality which abideth within thee, thouwilt readily admit the futility of such efforts as may be attempted by thee, or by any ofthe created things, to fathom the mystery of the Living God, the Day Star of unfadingglory, the Ancient of everlasting days. This confession of helplessness which maturecontemplation must eventually impel every mind to make is in itself the acme 166 of

human understanding, and marketh the culmination of mans development.(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, LXXXIII, p. 163)

DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN ESSENCES AND ATTRIBUTES

200. Names and Attributes of God may come into heart of man; the Essenceof God cannot:

'Abdu'l-Baha

201. Therefore must no stranger find his way into the city of the heart, so that theIncomparable Friend may come unto His own place - that is, the effulgence of His

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Names and Attributes, not His Essence (exalted is He), for that Peerless King hathbeen and will be holy for everlasting above ascent or descent.(Abdu'l-Baha, A Traveller's Narrative, pp. 63-64)

300. Names and attributes can return; essences cannot return:Shoghi Effendi301. The Bahs believe in the return of the attributes and qualities, but maintainthat the essence or the reality of things cannot be made to return. Every beingkeeps its own individuality, but some of his qualitiescan be transmitted.(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, dated 27 March 1938, Dawn of a NewDay, p. 201)

'Abdu'l-Baha

302. Question: What is your belief about reincarnation?Answer: The subject of reincarnation has two aspects. One is that which the Hindustanipeople believe, and even that is subdivided into two: reincarnation andmetempsychosis. According to one belief the soul goes and then returns in certainreincarnations; therefore, they say that a sick person is sick because of actions in aprevious incarnation and that this is retribution. The other school of Hinduism believesthat man sometimes appears as an animala donkey, for instanceand that this isretribution for past acts. I am referring to the beliefs in that country, the beliefs of theschools. There is a reincarnation of the prophetic mission. Jesus Christ, speaking of John

the Baptist, declared he was Elias. When John the 168 Baptist was questioned, Artthou Elias? he said, I am not. These two statements are apparently contradictory, butin reality they do not contradict. The light is one light. The light which illumined thislamp last night is illuminating it tonight. This does not mean that the identical raysof light have reappeared but the virtuesof illumination. The light which revealeditself through the glass reveals itself again so that we can say the light of this evening isthe light of last evening relighted. This is as regards its virtuesand not as regards itsformer identity. This is our view of reincarnation. We believe in that which Jesus Christand all the Prophets have believed. For example, the Bb states, I am the return of allthe Prophets. This is significant of the oneness of the prophetic virtues, the oneness of

power, the oneness of bestowal, the oneness of radiation, the oneness of expression,the oneness of revelation.(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 167)

303. Question.Will you explain the subject of Return?Answer.Bahullh has explained this question fully and clearly in the qn.[1] Read it,and the truth of this subject will become apparent. But since you have asked about it, Iwill explain it briefly. We will begin to elucidate it from the Gospel, for there it is plainly

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said that when John, the son of Zacharias, appeared and gave to men the glad tidingsof the Kingdom of God, they asked him, Who art thou? Art thou the promisedMessiah? He replied, I am not the Messiah. Then they asked him, Art thou Elijah?He said, I am not.[2] These words prove and show that John, the son of Zacharias,was not the promised Elias. But on the day of the transfiguration on Mount Tabor Christ

said plainly that John, the son of Zacharias, was the promised Elias. [1 Cf. p. 110, n. 2.][2 Cf. John 1:19-21.]In chapter 9, verses 11-13, of the Gospel of Mark, it is said: And they asked

Him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? And He answered and toldthem, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Sonof man, that He must suffer many things, and be set at nought. But I say unto you,That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it iswritten of him.

In chapter 17, verse 13, of Matthew, it is said: Then 133 the disciplesunderstood that He spake unto them of John the Baptist.

They asked John the Baptist, Are you Elias? He answered, No, I am not,although it is said in the Gospel that John was the promised Elias, and Christ also saidso clearly.[1] Then if John was Elias, why did he say, I am not? And if he was notElias, why did Christ say that he was? [1 Cf. John 1:21.]

The explanation is this: not the personality, but the reality of theperfections,is meantthat is to say, the same perfections that were in Elias existed in John theBaptist and were exactly realized in him. Therefore, John the Baptist was the promisedElias. In this case not the essence (dhAt), but the qualities [s.afAt], are regarded.For example, there was a flower last year, and this year there is also a flower; I say theflower of last year has returned. Now, I do not mean that same flower in its exactindividuality has come back; but as this flower has the same qualitiesas that of last

yearas it has the same perfume, delicacy, color and formI say the flower of last yearhas returned, and this flower is the former flower. When spring comes, we say lastyears spring has come back because all that was found in last years spring exists in thisspring. That is why Christ said, You will see all that happened in the days of the formerProphets. [1 I.e., the individuality.]

We will give another illustration. The seed of last year is sown, branches andleaves grow forth, blossoms and fruits appear, and all has again returned to seed. Whenthis second seed is planted, a tree will grow from it, and once more those branches,leaves, blossoms and fruits will return, and that tree will appear in perfection. As thebeginning was a seed and the end is a seed, we say that the seed has returned. Whenwe look at the substance of the tree, it 134 is another substance, but when we look at

the blossoms, leaves and fruits, the same fragrance, delicacy and taste are produced.Therefore, the perfection of the tree has returned a second time.

In the same way, if we regard the return ofthe individual, it is anotherindividual; but if we regard the qualitiesandperfections, the same have returned.Therefore, when Christ said, This is Elias, He meant: this person is a manifestation ofthe bounty, the perfections, the character, the qualities and the virtuesofElias. John the Baptist said, I am not Elias. Christ considered the qualities, the

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perfections, the character and the virtuesof both, and John regarded hissubstance and individuality. It is like this lamp: it was here last night, and tonight itis also lighted, and tomorrow night it will also shine. We say that the lamp of this nightis the same light as that of last night, and that it has returned. It refers to the light, andnot to the oil, the wick or the holder.

This subject is fully and clearly explained in the Kitb-i-qn.(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, Chapter 33, pp. 132-134)

304. But let us return to our subject. In the Divine Scriptures and Holy Books return isspoken of, but the ignorant have not understood the meaning, and those who believedin reincarnation have made conjectures on the subject. For what the divine Prophetsmeant by return is not the return of the essence[ dhAt], but that of the qualities[s.afAt]; it is not the return of the Manifestation, but that of theperfections. In theGospel it says that John, the son of Zacharias, is Elias. These words do not mean thereturn of the rational soul and personality of Elias in the body of John, but ratherthat theperfections and qualitiesof Elias were manifested and appeared in John.

A lamp shone in this room last night, and when tonight another lamp shines, wesay the light of last night is again shining. Water flows from a fountain; then it ceases;and when it begins to flow a second time, we say this water is the same water flowingagain; or we say this light is identical with the former light. It is the same with thespring of last year, when blossoms, flowers and sweet-scented herbs bloomed, anddelicious fruits were brought forth; next year we say that those delicious fruits havecome back, and those blossoms, flowers and blooms have returned and come again.This does not mean that exactly the same particles composing the flowers of last yearhave, after decomposition, been again combined and have then come back andreturned. On the contrary, the meaning is that the delicacy, freshness, delicious

perfume and wonderful 289 color of the flowers of last year are visible and apparent inexactly the same manner in the flowers of this year. Briefly, this expression refers onlyto the resemblance and likeness which exist between the former and latter flowers. The

return which is mentioned in the Divine Scriptures is this: it is fully explained by theSupreme Pen [1] in the Kitb-i-qn. Refer to it, so that you may be informed of thetruth of the divine mysteries.[1 Bahullh.](Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, Chapter 81, pp. 288-289; words in Persianfrom paragraph 10)

305. Though the fact of Return is mentioned in the Divine Books, by this is intended

the return of the qualities, characters, perfections, truths and lights, which re-appear in every age, and not of certain persons and souls. For example: If we saythis lamp is the return of that of last night, or that the last years flower hath returned inthe garden, in this sense the return of the individual, or identity, or personality isnot meant; nay, rather, it is intended that the same qualities and statesexisting inthat lamp or flower, which are now seen in this lamp or flower, have returned. That is,the same perfections and virtues and propertieswhich existed in the past

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springtime have returned during this present springtime. For instance: When one says,these fruits are the same as those of last year; in this sense, he hath reference to thefreshness and delicacy of the fruit, which hath returned, although there is no doubt thatthe identical fruit of last year hath not returned.(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 392)

306. It may be said, for instance, that this lamplight is last nights come back again, orthat last years rose hath returned to the garden this year. Here the reference is not tothe individual reality, the fixed identity, the specialized being of that other rose,rather doth it mean that the qualities, the distinctive characteristicsof that otherlight, that other flower, are present now, in these. Thoseperfections, that is, thosegraces and giftsof a former springtime are back again this year. We say, for example,that this fruit is the same as last years; but we are thinking only of the delicacy, bloomand freshness, and the sweet taste of it; for it is obvious that that impregnable centre ofreality, that specific identity, can never return.('Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 183)

400. The Manifestations reflect the light(names and attributes) of God, butare not the Essence of God:

'Abdu'l-Baha

401. Is the Divine Manifestation, God?Yes, and yet not in Essence. A Divine Manifestation is as a mirror reflecting the lightofthe Sun. The light is the same and yet the mirror is not the Sun.

('Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 66)402. The knowledge of the Reality of the Divinity is impossible and unattainable, butthe knowledge of the Manifestationsof God is the knowledge of God, for thebounties, splendors and divine attributesare apparent in Them.('Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 221)

403. Thou hast written concerning the Impersonality of the Divinity. Personality isin the Manifestation of the Divinity, not in the Essence of the Divinity. The realityof the divine world is purified and sanctified from limits and restriction. But the pureMirror, which is the Manifestor of the Sun of Truth and in which the Sun of Truth is

manifest in full appearancethat mirror is restricted, not the lights. The soul pervadeththroughout the whole body, and its commands are effective in all the parts and limbs ofman. Notwithstanding its utmost sanctification (or abstraction) this soul is manifest andevident in all its grades, in this material form. By seeing God is meant beholding theManifestation of Himself; for witnessing the sun in its entire splendor, in a clear glassysurface, is identical with witnessing the essence of the sun itself.(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v1, p. 203)

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404. The perfect soul of manthat is to say, the perfect individualis like a mirrorwherein the Sun of Reality is reflected. The perfections, the image and light of that Sunhave been revealed in the mirror; its heat and illumination are manifest therein, for thatpure soul is a perfect expression of the Sun.

These mirrors are the Messengers of God Who tell the story of Divinity, just asthe material mirror reflects the light and disc of the outer sun in the skies. In this waythe image and effulgenceof the Sun of Reality appear in the mirrors of theManifestations of God. This is what Jesus Christ meant when He declared, the father isin the son, the purpose being that the reality of that eternal Sun had become reflectedin its glory in Christ Himself. It does not signify that the Sun of Reality had descendedfrom its place in heaven or that its essential being had effected an entrance into themirror, for there is neither entrance nor exit for the reality of Divinity; there is no ingressor egress; it is sanctified above all things and ever occupies 174 its own holy station.Changes and transformations are not applicable to that eternal reality. Transformationfrom condition to condition is the attribute of contingent realities.(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 173)

500. There is no way for any human being to God except through HisManifestation:

'Abdu'l-Baha

501. No one hath any way to the Reality of Deity except through the instrumentality ofthe Manifestation. To suppose so is a theory and not a fact.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v1, p. 214)502. No; all the praises, the descriptions and exaltations refer to the HolyManifestationsthat is to say, all the descriptions, the qualities, the names andthe attributeswhich we mention return to the Divine Manifestations; but as no onehas attained to the reality of the Essence of Divinity, so no one is able to describe,explain, praise or glorify it. Therefore, all that the human reality knows, discovers andunderstands of the names, the attributes and the perfectionsof God refer to theseHoly Manifestations. There is no access to anything else: the way is closed, andseeking is forbidden.('Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 148)

503. Accordingly all these attributes, names, praises and eulogiesapply to thePlaces of Manifestation; and all that we imagine and suppose beside them is mereimagination, for we have no means of comprehending that which is invisible andinaccessible. This is why it is said: All that you have distinguished through the illusionof your imagination in your subtle mental images is but a creation like unto yourself,and returns to you.[1] It is clear that if we wish to imagine the Reality of Divinity,

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this imagination is the surrounded, and we are the surrounding one; and it is sure thatthe one who surrounds is greater than the surrounded. From this it is certain andevident that if we imagine a Divine Reality outside of the Holy Manifestations, it is pureimagination, for there is no way to approach the Reality of Divinity which is not cutoff to us, and all that we imagine is mere supposition. [1 From a Hadith.]

('Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 149)

Baha'u'llah

504. The essence of belief in Divine unity consisteth in regarding Him Who is theManifestationof God and Him Who is the invisible, the inaccessible, the unknowableEssence as one and the same. By this is meant that whatever pertaineth to the former,all His acts and doings, whatever He ordaineth or forbiddeth, should be considered, inall their aspects, and under all circumstances, and without any reservation, as identicalwith the Will of God Himself. This is the loftiest station to which a true believer in theunity of God can ever hope to attain. Blessed is the man that reacheth this station, andis of them that are steadfast in their belief.(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 166)

505. The source of all learning is the knowledge of God, exalted be His Glory, and thiscannot be attained save through the knowledge of His Divine Manifestation.(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 156)

506. For whatever wondrous references and powerful descriptions have appeared fromthe tongue and pen refer to the sublime Word [of God], the most exalted Pen, theprimal Summit, the true Homeland, and the Dawning-place of the manifestation of

mercy. This is [109] the source of Divine Unity (tawhd) and the Manifestation ofsingleness and abstraction. In this station, all of the most beautiful Names [of God] andthe most lofty [Divine] Attributes refer to Him (i.e. the manifestation of God), and donot refer to anything beyond Him, for, as has been stated, the Unseen Reality issanctified from all reference.(Baha'u'llah, Lawh-I-Basitu'l-Haqiqah, provisional translation by Moojan Momen,corresponding to pp. 108-109 of the published Persian in Iqtidarat, and circa pp. 140-147 in Ma'idiy-I-Asmani, volume VII)

507. Know thou that God - exalted and glorified be He - doth in no wise manifest Hisinmost Essence and Reality. From time immemorial He hath been veiled in the

eternity of His Essence and concealed in the infinitude of His own Being. And when Hepurposed to manifest His beauty in the kingdom of namesand to reveal His glory inthe realm of attributes, He brought forth His Prophets from the invisible plane to thevisible, that His name the Manifest might be distinguished from the Hidden and Hisname the Last might be discerned from the First, and that there may be fulfilled thewords: He is the First and the Last; the Seen and the Hidden; and He knoweth all

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things! Thus hath He revealed these most excellent names and most exalted wordsin the Manifestationsof His Selfand the Mirrorsof His Being.

It is therefore established that all names and attributesreturn unto thesesublime and sanctified Luminaries. Indeed, all names are to be found in theirnames, and all attributes can be seen in their attributes. Viewed in this light, if thou

wert to call them by all the names of God, this would be true, as all these names areone and the same as their own Being.(Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, pp. 34-35)

508. By the revelation of these Gems of Divine virtue [the Manifestations] all thenames and attributesof God, such as knowledge and power, sovereignty anddominion, mercy and wisdom, glory, bounty, and grace, are made manifest. (Gleanings,XIX, 48.)

509. However, let none construe these utterances to be anthropomorphism, nor see inthem the descent of the worlds of God into the grades of the creatures; nor should theylead thine Eminence to such assumptions. For God is, in 23 His Essence, holy aboveascent and descent, entrance and exit; He hath through all eternity been free of theattributes of human creatures, and ever will remain so. No man hath ever known Him;no soul hath ever found the pathway to His Being. Every mystic knower hath wanderedfar astray in the valley of the knowledge of Him; every saint hath lost his way in seekingto comprehend His Essence. Sanctified is He above the understanding of the wise;exalted is He above the knowledge of the knowing! The way is barred and to seek it isimpiety; His proof is His signs; His being is His evidence. [Sermon by Ali.]

Wherefore, the lovers of the face of the Beloved have said: O Thou, the OneWhose Essence alone showeth the way to His Essence, and Who is sanctified above any

likeness to His creatures.[1] How can utter nothingness gallop its steed in the field ofpreexistence, or a fleeting shadow reach to the everlasting sun? The Friend [2] hathsaid, But for Thee, we had not known Thee, and the Beloved [2] hath said, norattained Thy presence.[1 Hadith, i.e. action or utterance traditionally attributed to the Prophet Muhammad orto one of the holy Imams.] [2 The Prophet Muhammad.]

Yea, these mentionings that have been made of the grades of knowledge relateto the knowledge of the Manifestations of that Sun of Reality, which casteth Its lightupon the Mirrors.(Baha'u'llah, The Seven Valleys, pp. 22-24)

510. In all the Divine Books the promise of the Divine Presence hath been explicitlyrecorded.By this Presence is meant the Presence of Him Who is the Dayspringof the signs, and the Dawning-Place of the clear tokens, and theManifestation of the Excellent Names, and the Source of the attributes, of thetrue God, exalted be His glory. God in His Essence and in His own Self hath everbeen unseen, inaccessible, and unknowable. By Presence, therefore, is meant thePresence of the One Who is His Vicegerent amongst men.

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(Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 118)

HUMAN KNOWLEDGE OF ESSENCE

600. Man cannot comprehend the essence of anything:'Abdu'l-Baha

601. Know that there are two kinds of knowledge [bedAnkeh 'irfAn bar do chasm ast]:the knowledge of theessence of a thing [ma'rifat dhAt shay'], and theknowledge of its qualities [va ma'rifat s.afAt shay']. The essence of a thing isknown through its qualities [dhAt shay' be-s.afAt ma'rUf miishavad], otherwise it isunknown and hidden [va ilA dhAt majhUlast va ghayr ma'lUm].

As our knowledge of things, even of created and limited things, isknowledge of their qualities [s.afAt] and not of their essence [dhAt], how is itpossible to comprehend in its essence [dhAt] the Divine Reality [haqiqat al-wahiyyat],which is unlimited? For the substance [kunh] of the essence [dhAt] of anything is notcomprehended [ma'rUf nist], but only its qualities. For example, the substance [kunh] ofthe sun [AftAb] is unknown, but is understood by its qualities [s.afAt], which are heatand light. The substance [kunh] of the essence [dhAt] of man [insAnii] isunknown and not evident, but by its qualities [s.afAt] it is characterized andknown. Thus everything is known by its qualities [s.afAt]and not by itsessence [dhAt]. Although the mind encompasses all things, and the outward beingsare comprehended by it, nevertheless these beings with regard to their essence [dhAt]are unknown; they are only known with regard to their qualities [s.afAt].

(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 220; Baha'i WorldFaith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, pp. 321-322; [kunh] means "substance; sum, extreme,height, depth (of anything); quantity, species, mode; time; face, aspect" Steingass, p.1056)

602. That is to say, as things can only be known by their qualities[s.afAt] and not bytheir essence [dhAt], it is certain that the Divine Reality [haqiqat rabubiyyat] isunknown with regard to its essence [dhAt] and is known with regard to its attributes[s.afAt].(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, pp. 220-221)

603. Knowing God, therefore, means the comprehension and the knowledge of Hisattributes, and not of His Reality.(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 221)

604. The mystery of Divinity is sanctified and purified from the comprehension of thebeings, for all that comes to the imagination is that which man understands, and thepower of the understanding of man does not embrace the Reality of the Divine Essence.

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All that man is able to understand are the attributes of Divinity, the radiance ofwhich appears and is visible in the world and within mens souls.(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 221)

605. When we consider the world of existence, we find that the essential reality

underlying any given phenomenon is unknown. Phenomenal, or created, things areknown to us only by their attributes. Man discerns only manifestations, orattributes, of objects, while the identity, or reality, of them remains hidden. Forexample, we call this object a flower. What do we understand by this name and title?We understand that the qualities appertaining to this organism are perceptibleto us, but the intrinsic elemental reality, or identity, of it remains unknown. Itsexternal appearance and manifest attributes are knowable; but the innerbeing, the underlying reality or intrinsic identity, is still beyond the ken andperception of our human powers. Inasmuch as the realities of materialphenomena are impenetrable and unknowable and are only apprehendedthrough their properties or qualities, how much more 422 this is true concerningthe reality of Divinity, that holy essential reality which transcends the plane and grasp ofmind and man?(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 421-422)

606. But the question may be asked: How shall we know God? We know Him by Hisattributes. We know Him by His signs. We know Him by His names. We knownot what the reality of the sun is, but we know the sun by the ray, by the heat, byits efficacy and penetration. We recognize the sun by its bounty andeffulgence, but as to what constitutes the reality of the solar energy, that isunknowable to us. The attributes characterizing the sun, however, are

knowable. If we wish to come in touch with the reality of Divinity, we do so byrecognizing its phenomena, its attributes and traces, which are widespread inthe universe. All things in the world of phenomena are expressive of that one reality. Itslights are shining, its heat is manifest, its power is expressive, and its education, ortraining, resplendent everywhere. What proof could there be greater than that of itsfunctioning or its attributes which are manifest?('Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 422)

Baha'u'llah

607. Consider the rational faculty [nafs nAt.iqih] with which God [rabAniyih] hathendowed theessence of man [anfus AnAnniyih nemA'iyad]. Examine thine ownself, and behold how thy motion and stillness, thy will and purpose, thy sight andhearing, thy sense of smell and power of speech, and whatever else is related to, ortranscendeth, thy physical senses or spiritual perceptions, all proceed from, and owetheir existence to, this same faculty. So closely are they related unto it, that if in less

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than the twinkling of an eye its relationship to the human body be severed, each andevery one of these senses will cease immediately to exercise its function, and will bedeprived of the power to manifest the evidences of its activity. It is indubitably clear andevident that each of these afore-mentioned instruments has depended, and will evercontinue to depend, for its proper functioning on this rational faculty [nafs nAt.iqih],

which should be regarded as a sign [Ayih] of the revelation [tajalli] of Him Who is thesovereign Lord of all [sult.An ah.adiyyih ast]. Through its manifestation [z.uhUr] allthese names [asmA'] and attributes [s.afAt] have been revealed [z.Ahir], and by thesuspension of its action they are all destroyed and perish.It would be wholly untrue to maintain that this faculty is the same as the power ofvision, inasmuch as the power of vision is derived from it and acteth in dependenceupon it. It would, likewise, be idle to contend that this faculty can be identified with thesense of hearing, as the sense of hearing receiveth 165 from the rational faculty therequisite energy for performing its functions.This same relationship bindeth this faculty with whatsoever hath been the recipient ofthese names and attributes [al-asmA' wa'l-s.afAt] within the human temple [haykalinsAni]. These diverse names [asmA'] and revealed attributes [s.afAt] have beengenerated through the agency of this sign of God [az iin Ayih ah.adiyyih].Immeasurably exalted is this sign, in its essence and reality, above all suchnames and attributes [asmA' wa s.afAt]. Nay, all else besides it will, whencompared with its glory, fade into utter nothingness and become a thing forgotten.Wert thou to ponder in thine heart, from now until the end that hath no end,and with all the concentrated intelligence and understanding which thegreatest minds have attained in the past or will attain in the future, thisdivinely ordained and subtle Reality, this sign [the rational faculty with whichGod hath endowed the essence of man] of the revelation of the All-Abiding,

All-Glorious God, thou wilt fail to comprehend its mystery or to appraise itsvirtue. Having recognized thy powerlessness to attain to an adequateunderstanding of that Reality which abideth within thee, thou wilt readilyadmit the futility of such efforts as may be attempted by thee, or by any ofthe created things, to fathom the mystery of the Living God [az 'irfAn dhatah.addiyih], the Day Star of unfading glory [shams 'izz qad miyyih], the

Ancient of everlasting days. This confession of helplessness which maturecontemplation must eventually impel every mind to make is in itself the acme166 of human understanding, and marketh the culmination of mans

development.(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, LXXXIII,pp. 164-166)

608. Praise be to God, the All-Possessing, the King of incomparable glory, a praise whichis immeasurably above the understanding of all created things, and is exalted beyondthe grasp of the minds of men. None else besides Him hath ever been able to singadequately His praise, nor will any man succeed at any time in describing the fullmeasure of His glory. Who is it that can claim to have attained the heights of Hisexalted Essence, and what mind can measure the depths of His unfathomable

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mystery?From each and every revelation emanating from the Source of Hisglory, holy and never-ending 61 evidences of unimaginable splendor haveappeared, and out of every manifestation of His invincible power oceans ofeternal light have outpoured. How immensely exalted are the wondroustestimonies of His almighty sovereignty, a glimmer of which, if it but touched

them, would utterly consume all that are in the heavens and in the earth!How indescribably lofty are the tokens of His consummate power, a singlesign of which, however inconsiderable, must transcend the comprehension ofwhatsoever hath, from the beginning that hath no beginning, been broughtinto being, or will be created in the future till the end that hath no end.Allthe Embodiments of His Names wander in the wilderness of search, athirstand eager to discover His Essence, and all the Manifestations of His Attributesimplore Him, from the Sinai of Holiness, to unravel His mystery.

A drop of the billowing ocean of His endless mercy hath adorned all creation withthe ornament of existence, and a breath wafted from His peerless Paradise hathinvested all beings with the robe of His sanctity and glory. A sprinkling from theunfathomed deep of His sovereign and all-pervasive Will hath, out of utter nothingness,called into being a creation which is infinite in its range and deathless in its duration.The wonders of His bounty can never cease, and the stream of His merciful grace cannever be arrested. The process of His creation hath had no beginning, and can have noend. 62

In every age and cycle He hath, through the splendorous light shed by theManifestations of His wondrous Essence, recreated all things, so that whatsoeverreflecteth in the heavens and on the earth the signs of His glory may not be deprived ofthe outpourings of His mercy, nor despair of the showers of His favors. How all-encompassing are the wonders of His boundless grace! Behold how they have pervaded

the whole of creation. Such is their virtue that not a single atom in the entire universecan be found which doth not declare the evidences of His might, which doth not glorifyHis holy Name, or is not expressive of the effulgent light of His unity. So perfect andcomprehensive is His creation that no mind nor heart, however keen or pure,can ever grasp thenature of the most insignificant of His creatures; muchless fathom the mystery of Him Who is the Day Star of Truth, Who is theinvisible and unknowable Essence. The conceptions of the devoutest of mystics,the attainments of the most accomplished amongst men, the highest praise whichhuman tongue or pen can render are all the product of mans finite mind and areconditioned by its limitations. Ten thousand Prophets, each a Moses, are thunderstruckupon the Sinai of their search at His forbidding voice, Thou shalt never behold Me!;

whilst a myriad Messengers, each as great as Jesus, stand dismayed upon theirheavenly thrones by the interdiction, Mine Essence thou shalt never apprehend! 63From time immemorial He hath been veiled in the ineffable sanctity of His exalted Self,and will everlastingly continue to be wrapt in the impenetrable mystery of Hisunknowable Essence. Every attempt to attain to an understanding of His inaccessibleReality hath ended in complete bewilderment, and every effort to approach His exaltedSelf and envisage His Essence hath resulted in hopelessness and failure.

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How bewildering to me, insignificant as I am, is the attempt to fathom the sacreddepths of Thy knowledge! How futile my efforts to visualize the magnitude of the powerinherent in Thine handiworkthe revelation of Thy creative power! How can mineeye, which hath no faculty to perceive itself, claim to have discerned ThineEssence, and how can mine heart, already powerless to apprehend the

significance of its own potentialities, pretend to have comprehended Thynature?How can I claim to have known Thee, when the entire creation isbewildered by Thy mystery, and how can I confess not to have known Thee,when, lo, the whole universe proclaimeth Thy Presence and testifieth to Thytruth? The portals of Thy grace have throughout eternity been open, and themeans of access unto Thy Presence made available, unto all created things,and the revelations of Thy matchless Beauty have at all times been imprintedupon the realities of all beings, visible and invisible.Yet, notwithstanding thismost gracious 64 favor, this perfect and consummate bestowal, I am moved to testifythat Thy court of holiness and glory is immeasurably exalted above the knowledge of allelse besides Thee, and the mystery of Thy Presence is inscrutable to every mind exceptThine own. No one except Thyself can unravel the secret of Thy nature, and naught elsebut Thy transcendental Essence can grasp the reality of Thy unsearchable being. Howvast the number of those heavenly and all-glorious beings who, in the wilderness oftheir separation from Thee, have wandered all the days of their lives, and failed in theend to find Thee! How great the multitude of the sanctified and immortal souls whowere lost and bewildered while seeking in the desert of search to behold Thy face!Myriad are Thine ardent lovers whom the consuming flame of remoteness from Theehath caused to sink and perish, and numberless are the faithful souls who have willinglylaid down their lives in the hope of gazing on the light of Thy countenance. The sighsand moans of these longing hearts that pant after Thee can never reach Thy holy court,

neither can the lamentations of the wayfarers that thirst to appear before Thy faceattain Thy seat of glory.(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, XXVI, pp. 60-64)

700. Man cannot comprehend the Essence of God:

'Abdu'l-Baha

701. To man, the Essence of God is incomprehensible, so also are the worldsbeyond this, and their condition. It is given to man to obtain knowledge, to attain togreat spiritual perfection, to discover hidden truths and to manifest even the attributesof God; but still man cannot comprehend the Essence of God. Where the ever-

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widening circle of mans knowledge meets the spiritual world a Manifestation of God issent to mirror forth His splendour. (Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 66)

702. Therefore, how can man, the created, understand the reality of the pureEssence of the Creator? This plane is unapproachable by the understanding; no

explanation is sufficient for its comprehension, and there is no power to indicate it.What has an atom of dust to do with the pure world, and what relation is there betweenthe limited mind and the infinite world? Minds are powerless to comprehend God, andthe souls become bewildered in explaining Him. The eyes see Him not, but He seeththe eyes. He is the Omniscient, the Knower.[1] [1 Cf. Qurn 6:104.]('Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 147)

703. As our knowledge of things, even of created and limited things, is knowledge oftheir qualities and not of their essence, how is it possible to comprehend in itsessence the Divine Reality, which is unlimited?(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 220)

704. Then how can the eternal everlasting Lord, Who is held sanctified fromcomprehension and conception, be known by His essence? That is to say, as thingscan only be known by their qualities and not by their essence, it is certain thatthe Divine Reality is unknown with regard to 221 its essenceand is knownwith regard to its attributes.Besides, how can the phenomenal reality embrace the Preexistent Reality? Forcomprehension is the result of encompassingembracing must be, so thatcomprehension may beand the Essence of Unity surrounds all and is not surrounded.(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, pp. 220-221)

705. There is also the divine unity or entity which is sanctified above all concept ofhumanity. It cannot be comprehended nor conceived because it is infinite reality andcannot become finite. Human minds are incapable of surrounding that reality because allthoughts and conceptions of it are finite, intellectual creations and not the reality ofdivine being which alone knows itself.('Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 192; Foundations of World Unity,p. 67; Baha'I World Faith, p. 259)

706. Knowing God, therefore, means the comprehension and the knowledge of Hisattributes, and not of His Reality.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 221)

707.The Reality of Divinity may be compared to the sun, which from the height of itsmagnificence shines upon all the horizons; and each horizon, and each soul, receives ashare of its radiance. If this light and these rays did not exist, beings would not exist; allbeings express something and partake of some ray and portion of this light. Thesplendors of theperfections, bounties and attributes of God shine forth and

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radiate from the reality of the Perfect Manthat is to say, the Unique One,the supreme Manifestation of God. Other beings receive only one ray, but thesupreme Manifestation is the mirror for this Sun, which appears and becomes manifestin it, with all itsperfections, attributes, signs and wonders.

The knowledge of the Reality of the Divinity is impossible and

unattainable, but the knowledge of the Manifestations of God is theknowledge of God, for the bounties, splendors and divine attributes areapparent in Them.(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, pp. 221-222; Baha'i World Faith, pp. 322-323)

708. Neither its Essence nor its true [essential] attributeshath any onecomprehended. (Abdu'l-Baha, Tablet to Dr. Forel, p. 24; in Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 346)

709. Know thou that the Divine Essence, which is called the Invisible of the Invisibles,never to be described, beyond the reach of mindis sanctified above any mention, anydefinition or hint or allusion, any acclamation or praise. In the sense that It is that It is,the intellect can never grasp It, and the soul seeking knowledge of It is but a wandererin the desert, and far astray. No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision: He isthe Subtile, the All-Informed.[1][1 Qurn 6:103]('Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha, p. 41)

710. But that Essence of Essences, that Invisible of Invisibles, is sanctified above allhuman speculation, and never to be overtaken by the mind of man. Never shall thatimmemorial Reality lodge within the compass of a contingent being. His is another

realm, and of that realm no understanding can be won. No access can be gainedthereto; all entry is forbidden there. The utmost one can say is that Its existence can beproved, but the conditions of Its existence are unknown.That such an Essence doth exist, the philosophers and learned doctors one and allhave understood; but whenever they tried to learn something of Its being, they wereleft bewildered and dismayed, and at the end, despairing, their hopes in ruins, theywent their way, out of this life. For to comprehend the state and the inner mystery ofthat Essence of Essences, that Most Secret of Secrets, one needs must have anotherpower and other faculties; and such a power, such faculties would be more thanhumankind can bear, wherefore no word of Him can come to them.('Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 53)

710. In like manner for man to comprehend the Divine Essence and the nature of thegreat Hereafter is in no wise possible. The merciful outpourings of that Divine Essence,however, are vouchsafed unto all beings and it is incumbent upon man to ponder in hisheart upon the effusions of the Divine Grace, the soul being counted as one, ratherthan upon the Divine Essence itself. This is the utmost limit for human understanding.

As it hath previously been mentioned, these attributes and perfections that we recount

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of the Divine Essence, these we have derived from the existence and observation ofbeings, and it is not that we have comprehended the essence and perfection of God.(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablet to Dr. Forel, pp. 24-25; in Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section,p. 346)

711. How, then, can the reality of man, which is accidental, ever comprehend theReality of God, which is eternal? It is self-evidently an impossibility. Hence we canobserve the traces and attributes of God, which are resplendent in all phenomenaand shining as the sun at midday, and know surely that these emanate from an infinitesource. We know that they come from a source which is infinite indeed.('Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 423)

Baha'u'llah

712. In one aspect, all that has been said or will be said refers back to the firstassertion, that the glorified and exaltedAbsolute Reality is unknowable,unattainable, and invisible, and this station has been and will continued to besanctified from all references and names, and freed from whatever the peopleof creation may understand of It. The path is barred and the quest denied.(Baha'u'llah, Lawh-I-Basitu'l-Haqiqah, provisional translation by Moojan Momen,corresponding to pp. 107-108 of the published Persian in Iqtidarat, and circa pp. 140-147 in Ma'idiy-I-Asmani, volume VII)

713. In all the Divine Books the promise of the Divine Presence hath been explicitlyrecorded. By this Presence is meant the Presence of Him Who is the Dayspring of thesigns, and the Dawning-Place of the clear tokens, and the Manifestation of

the Excellent Names, and the Source of the attributes, of the true God, exaltedbe His glory. God in His Essence and in His own Self hath ever been unseen,inaccessible, and unknowable. By Presence, therefore, is meant the Presence of theOne Who is His Vicegerent amongst men.(Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 118)

714. The essence of belief in Divine unity consisteth in regarding Him Who isthe Manifestationof God and Him Who is the invisible, the inaccessible, theunknowable Essence as one and the same. By this is meant that whatever pertainethto the former, all His acts and doings, whatever He ordaineth or forbiddeth, should beconsidered, in all their aspects, and under all circumstances, and without any

reservation, as identical with the Will of God Himself. This is the loftiest station to whicha true believer in the unity of God can ever hope to attain. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, p.167)

715. Praise be to God, the All-Possessing, the King of incomparable glory, a praisewhich is immeasurably above the understanding of all created things, and is exaltedbeyond the grasp of the minds of men. None else besides Him hath ever been able tosing adequately His praise, nor will any man succeed at any time in describing the full

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measure of His glory. Who is it that can claim to have attained the heights of Hisexalted Essence, and what mind can measure the depths of His unfathomablemystery?From each and every revelation emanating from the Source of Hisglory, holy and never-ending 61 evidences of unimaginable splendor haveappeared, and out of every manifestation of His invincible power oceans of

eternal light have outpoured. How immensely exalted are the wondroustestimonies of His almighty sovereignty, a glimmer of which, if it but touchedthem, would utterly consume all that are in the heavens and in the earth!How indescribably lofty are the tokens of His consummate power, a singlesign of which, however inconsiderable, must transcend the comprehension ofwhatsoever hath, from the beginning that hath no beginning, been broughtinto being, or will be created in the future till the end that hath no end.Allthe Embodiments of His Names wander in the wilderness of search, athirstand eager to discover His Essence, and all the Manifestations of His Attributesimplore Him, from the Sinai of Holiness, to unravel His mystery.

A drop of the billowing ocean of His endless mercy hath adorned all creation withthe ornament of existence, and a breath wafted from His peerless Paradise hathinvested all beings with the robe of His sanctity and glory. A sprinkling from theunfathomed deep of His sovereign and all-pervasive Will hath, out of utter nothingness,called into being a creation which is infinite in its range and deathless in its duration.The wonders of His bounty can never cease, and the stream of His merciful grace cannever be arrested. The process of His creation hath had no beginning, and can have noend. 62

In every age and cycle He hath, through the splendorous light shed by theManifestations of His wondrous Essence, recreated all things, so that whatsoeverreflecteth in the heavens and on the earth the signs of His glory may not be deprived of

the outpourings of His mercy, nor despair of the showers of His favors. How all-encompassing are the wonders of His boundless grace! Behold how they have pervadedthe whole of creation. Such is their virtue that not a single atom in the entire universecan be found which doth not declare the evidences of His might, which doth not glorifyHis holy Name, or is not expressive of the effulgent light of His unity. So perfect andcomprehensive is His creation that no mind nor heart, however keen or pure, can evergrasp the nature of the most insignificant of His creatures; much less fathom themystery of Him Who is the Day Star of Truth, Who is the invisible and unknowableEssence. The conceptions of the devoutest of mystics, the attainments of the mostaccomplished amongst men, the highest praise which human tongue or pen can renderare all the product of mans finite mind and are conditioned by its limitations. Tenthousand Prophets, each a Moses, are thunderstruck upon the Sinai of theirsearch at His forbidding voice, Thou shalt never behold Me!; whilst a myriadMessengers, each as great as Jesus, stand dismayed upon their heavenlythrones by the interdiction, Mine Essence thou shalt never apprehend! 63From time immemorial He hath been veiled in the ineffable sanctity of Hisexalted Self, and will everlastingly continue to be wrapt in the impenetrablemystery of His unknowable Essence. Every attempt to attain to an

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understanding of His inaccessible Reality hath ended in completebewilderment, and every effort to approach His exalted Self and envisage HisEssence hath resulted in hopelessness and failure.

How bewildering to me, insignificant as I am, is the attempt to fathom the sacreddepths of Thy knowledge! How futile my efforts to visualize the magnitude of the power

inherent in Thine handiworkthe revelation of Thy creative power! How can mineeye, which hath no faculty to perceive itself, claim to have discerned ThineEssence, and how can mine heart, already powerless to apprehend thesignificance of its own potentialities, pretend to have comprehended Thynature?How can I claim to have known Thee, when the entire creation isbewildered by Thy mystery, and how can I confess not to have known Thee,when, lo, the whole universe proclaimeth Thy Presence and testifieth to Thytruth? The portals of Thy grace have throughout eternity been open, and themeans of access unto Thy Presence made available, unto all created things,and the revelations of Thy matchless Beauty have at all times been imprintedupon the realities of all beings, visible and invisible.Yet, notwithstanding thismost gracious 64 favor, this perfect and consummate bestowal, I am moved to testifythat Thy court of holiness and glory is immeasurably exalted above the knowledge of allelse besides Thee, and the mystery of Thy Presence is inscrutable to every mind exceptThine own. No one except Thyself can unravel the secret of Thy nature, and naught elsebut Thy transcendental Essence can grasp the reality of Thy unsearchable being. Howvast the number of those heavenly and all-glorious beings who, in the wilderness oftheir separation from Thee, have wandered all the days of their lives, and failed in theend to find Thee! How great the multitude of the sanctified and immortal souls whowere lost and bewildered while seeking in the desert of search to behold Thy face!Myriad are Thine ardent lovers whom the consuming flame of remoteness from Thee

hath caused to sink and perish, and numberless are the faithful souls who have willinglylaid down their lives in the hope of gazing on the light of Thy countenance. The sighsand moans of these longing hearts that pant after Thee can never reach Thy holy court,neither can the lamentations of the wayfarers that thirst to appear before Thy faceattain Thy seat of glory.(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, XXVI, pp. 60-64)

HUMAN KNOWLEDGE OF ATTRIBUTES

800. Human knowledge of attributes is proportionate to our capacity:

'Abdu'l-Baha

801. This knowledge of the attributes is also proportioned to the capacity and powerof man; it is not absolute. Philosophy consists in comprehending the reality of things as

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they exist, accordin

Documents

Esence and Attributes - Peter Terry [1]