God Suffices – Part 3

“Also, through the insight of belief, one knows the existence of the Absolutely Perfect One, the One Who is absolutely beloved, and the innate, intense love for His Essence is satisfied.”

What does the insight of belief entails?

• Our certainty about the existence of an Ownerà Our conclusion about this Owner.
• When we are certain about the existence of an Owner, we are required to internalize our conclusion.
  • Belief is the awareness of our certainty.

• Analogy: An engineer makes a laptop. Are we convinced that the laptop has an engineer?
• Similarly, are we convinced that the universe has a Creator?
  • Belief is our own personal conclusion.

• Are we sure that the Creator of the universe is perfect?
• Example: The existence of everything is perfect, including the existence of any illness. Although we do not like illness.
  • Why am I given the sense of disliking illness?
  • How are the cells of the illness coming into existence?

• We desire a healthy happy life in this existence. It is our essential human need that we need an Eternal Source to everything.
• Why do we desire Eternity?
  • To get a sense of satisfaction in our own existence because ultimately, we are not the Organizers of our lives.
  • The One who gave us this desire must be Eternal.

• Example: We do not appreciate the existence of hunger/injustice. Through our sense of disliking, we are looking for a “Source” of justice.
• Why don’t we like transience? Why don’t we like old age and death? What is the reason in their existence?
  • We need guidance.
  • We need Eternity in everything.

• As conscious beings, we experience the universe.
• If the existence of my feelings is the choice of a perfect conscious Will, then there must be a Conscious Being behind the existence of everything.
  • My Maker has made everything purposefully so I get to know Him.

Agnosticism and Atheism are easy ways to get away from utilizing our human senses and reach human consciousness.  These ideologies are not the solutions to find the purpose of our existence.  We cannot lose ourselves behind these immediate results.

• We need to take responsibility and find the purpose in our existence.
• We should never choose the shortcut to find our reality.
  • When the questioning ends, belief comes to an end and imitation takes over.

We have to see perfection in the existence of everything, although we may not like that which looks imperfect to us.  The ultimate purpose in our existence is to acknowledge and become aware that our Creator is Absolutely Perfect.

• Analogy: The teacher gives the student a bad grade, not because the teacher is not generous but instead the teacher wants to hint to the student that he/she needs to prepare properly.
• Similarly, in order to help us know the ultimate purpose in our existence, the Absolutely Perfect One reminds us that everything is created for us to search whether this Source of existence is perfect.
  • We have to see perfectness in everything so that we may acknowledge that our Creator is “perfect”.

If we question everything that happens to us from an existential point of view, we understand that there is purpose in our existence.  This purpose helps us realize our need for the Eternal Perfect One and so we attach our existence to Him alone instead of the objects/events in the universe.  When we make a mistake, we are reminded not to lose ourselves in the creation of this universe but to look for the Source of our existence.

• Analogy: What we see in the mirror is just a reflection of the object.  Look for the object (which is a real existing object) that manifests itself in the mirror.
• Similarly, the universe is a mirror reflecting the Creator’s manifestations. Do not be attracted by the objects/events in the universe.  They are transient just like the mirror and its reflection.
  • Look for the real Source of existence to everything in this universe.
• Look for the origin of your existence in this universe.  Do not fall in the trap of Agnosticism.

Is death a punishment? Are catastrophic events punishments?

• If we do not talk about God when everything is fine, we should not talk about God when something goes wrong.
• Loving the Creator is only possible when we are certain that this Creator is an Absolutely Perfect One. Love of God is a corollary conclusion to when we are aware of His being the Perfect One.
  • We, human beings are made to only love that which is “perfect”.

• In the Analogy on page 1, the engineer is Perfect, not the machine. This is a call to acknowledge Him and respect His act of creation.  Example:  If we have a tooth ache, we acknowledge our reality as follows: “O the One who gave me my teeth and let me enjoy them until today, now I acknowledge you again (because you are the Absolutely Perfect One), only you can give me healing.  All the health was from you.  I understand that the curing of the pain is also in your hand.”
• We can attain the love of God only after becoming aware that our Source of existence is the Absolutely Perfect One. How?
  • By investigating: Is this the perfect act of creation? Did the Creator forget what he is creating? Are there any signs of forgetfulness?

• Everything in creation is a deliberate act of creation; that is why we have hospitals, medical studies and research to see the rule in the existence of the diseases. Nothing in existence is the result of forgetfulness.  There is a perfect order in diseases: when you find the order in a disease, you look for the cure in the universe.
  • Everything is a sign that the One, who gave us a toothache, provided the cure for it in the root of a plant. Who prepared this order? What is He hinting by creating that which we perceive as good/bad?
• Love of God requires consciousness of belief.
• Knowledge is not belief.
• We can only internalize as much as we know about the essence of the Creator after experiencing the universe.
  • Without questioning/investigating, we cannot believe.

“And through perceiving through the insight of belief the Eternally Enduring One’s eternal existence, the perfections of the universe and of mankind are known and exist, and one’s natural infatuation with perfection is saved from endless pains and becomes the means to pleasure and enjoyment.”

• Are we sure that this universe has a Creator that never fails in its existence/act of creation?
• If we are not happy with our Creator and love His work, we cannot love the other part of His work i.e. the creation (including ourselves).
  • If I do not love my own existence, I do not love the existence of my friend. If I do not respect my own existence, I do not respect the existence of my friend.

• If we are not convinced in the perfection of the Creator, we cannot see perfection in creation. Similarly, if we are not convinced in the perfection of creation, we cannot see the Creator as the Perfect One.
• We can only find perfection through imperfection.
  • We are not perfect. We are in need of perfection.

• If there was no imperfection in my being, I would not be able to find perfection in my Creator.
  • We can only love the Creator and creation through this need of perfection.
• We have to love ourselves through our imperfections because that is how we are made.
• The existence of the ability to make mistakes is perfect.
• He has created us with the ability to make mistakes, therefore we should not despair.
  • It is a process through which we learn.
• He is the Merciful One.
• Use any act to seek forgiveness and get close to Him.
  • “Accept me as I am, I acknowledge you through my shortcomings. Please support me as you are the One who can support me.”

• We can only find eternity through temporariness.
• If there was no transience, there would be no way to find Eternity.
  • We are transient beings and we experience transient universe.
• This dilemma is perfect because now we look for a solution.
• Question the existence of everything: “the pain” and the “want to get rid of the pain”.
• Through questioning the need for solving the pain, we find the Perfect One, calling us that we need perfect peace in our existence.
  • The One who gave us this need is apprising us that He is the Source of its existence.

• The Source of peace/perfection that human beings are seeking cannot be from this created universe.
• But the Creator of this universe is letting us know that He is the Source of the peace.
  • We need to acknowledge Him and question the existence of everything.
• That is the only way we may find peace in our existence.
• This world is the world of training for lailaha (nothing in the universe has the Power to create). Therefore, we conclude illallah (there must be a Source giving existence to everything).
  • Our desires are to be established in His name.
• Peace cannot be expected from this world, it is expected from God, connecting ourselves to God, acting in His name.
• Attaining peace becomes possible only when we acknowledge that we are created beings.
• Prophets are the people who tried to help their enemies by providing them messages/warning to change themselves.
• The scriptures remind us of the transient nature of the universe.
  • Prophets mission is to help the enemy get out of their mistakes.