The Seedbed of Light, The Third Treatise
Arguments for the Resurrection (page 54 continuation)
“Manifests in these decaying mansions, perishable grounds, and transitory places of exhibition the works and traces of His Wisdom, Favor, Justice, and Mercy. Anyone with discernment must conclude that one cannot find a more perfect wisdom, a more liberal favor, a more encompassing mercy, and a more glorious justice than His.
For His Wisdom, Favor, Mercy, and Justice to be manifested, each with Its essential or original truth, the center of His Sovereignty must contain permanent lofty abodes, everlasting elevated mansions, and inhabitants to reside in them eternally. Otherwise, one would have to deny this Wisdom, Favor, Mercy, and Justice. Moreover, the doer of these acts, the owner of these instances of wisdom and munificence, would have to be considered a playful, capricious, and unjust tyrant. This, in turn, would require transforming truths into their opposites, which is inconceivable to those with sound judgment and reasoning but not to those who, like the sophists, deny the existence of everything, including themselves.”
How do we know that the Producer of these productions displayed in this temporary world must have made a permanent place?
Through my interaction with what is exhibited in the fair (this universe) and by examining the objects, I see that the One creating the objects must be able to produce them continuously. After all, human needs are made in a way that want things permanently.
Why are objects exhibited here?
- To introduce its Producer.
How do I know that the objects are a sample here?
- They decay, don’t they? Example: where did your youth go? What happened to the flowers in the garden?
Who tells me that there must be a permanent existence beyond this universe?
- The representatives of the objects exhibited i.e. messengers alongside with the fact that the human beings are given the desire for eternal existence.
By studying the production, I come to the conclusion that the Producer must be Wise. Transience is appropriate to human needs as it prompts us to listen to ourselves and desire something permanent i.e. Eternity. This desire for Eternity cannot be met in this universe. But since the need is there, then it must be fulfilled in another abode beyond this universe. The need for Eternity and realizing the contradiction of this need in this universe acts as a Promise from the One that gives it to us.
Any word that we use to conclude about the Producer is relative to human capacity. This does not mean that we cannot comprehend the Absolut because we have limited capacity. But we are dependent creatures for our existence and the Absolute must be in another dimension of existence. Our capacity expands and develops based on how much we train it but it never changes its nature of existence which is dependent and temporary. Therefore, no one can claim that they have found the Absolute truth. Our capacity is expandable but it does not allow us to speak in Absolute terms.
- I cannot claim that I know the essence of the Absolute.
- I want a permanent creation and I know that I cannot get it here. Therefore, I look for the qualities of the Source of my existence by developing my capacity. In this regard, my capacity has such potentiality that I cannot get to its end.
Question: How do I develop the concept of ‘‘perfection”?
- The capacity of wanting perfection is given to each one of us.
- Whether we are training or working on expanding this capacity to get to know the Source of its existence, is the real question and struggle.
- The Creator must be the Source of existence of perfection is our conclusion. We are responsible for our capacity.
Question: Do I desire the need for permanence?
- Yes, that need is given to each of us.
There is a verse that goes along: “we glorify You in a way that does not make justice to Your Glory (because what we conclude here is relative to us i.e. not the real qualities.)
Being sure of the existence of the essence of the Absolute does not legitimize that one knows the essence. We can only conclude that: “I am absolutely sure within me that such a Being that gives existence to everything exists”
Analogy: Your mother prepares dinner. You get to know about how compassionate your mother is through her action e.g. the food she prepares. If you do not see the mother acting in a compassionate way, then you cannot conclude that she is compassionate.
- Similarly, in this universe, we cannot know the qualities of the Compassionate One unless they are displayed to us.
Some may argue that when food is not prepared, where is Compassion?
- Well, any interruption is to help you realize that all this time that you were getting food it was from the Compassionate One. You cannot create the food, neither can anything of this world.
- Also, when you are sick, the mother acts in a Compassionate way by not giving you food that will harm you.
We exercise in the universe and come to the conclusion about an Absolute Source of Compassion. We cannot compare ourselves to the Absolute Source. This incomparability should not be the reason for us to deny the existence of the Absolute. When we deny the action, we deny the actor.