Pillars of Belief – Part 5

The Seedbed of Light, The Third Treatise

The Necessity of Resurrection (page 48)

“The firm coherence, perfect correspondence despite vast distances and perfect individualization of characters despite being formed of the same material, show the Creator having absolute Will, Power, and Knowledge.”

The One who has Absolute Will has Absolute Power and Absolute Knowledge. People who do not want to accept this i.e. belief in a Creator mostly make fun of the idea of belief in God. As far as belief is concerned, we cannot read scriptures to learn that we are required to believe in God. We need to read scriptures to question existence and then conclude the Source of existence.

When we read the scripture according to the definition of the scripture, we cannot say “God created the universe.” It is an absurd language. When someone says that God created the universe, then they are saying that “God decided to create.” How can one speak as if he has witnessed that God is deciding to create, since it requires to see and experience that a being who is called God is within his physical observation field and then narrate what he has seen? It is similar to saying that there was nothing and then God decided to create. How can you say there was “nothingness” since you cannot experience “nothingness” because it does not exist?

• People who do not watch out their language do not follow a sequential line of reasoning.

We mostly imitate the language of the scripture. We can never speak using God’s language, only when we express our conclusion while doing rituals. In prayers, I speak to God in his language which is confirmation of his message. Speaking of God is my conclusion. Rituals are a rehearsal of what I concluded before as a result of my investigation of the source of existence of the things around me, and now after being confident in the news that the scripture brings to me, I am putting my confident conclusion into practice.

• Belief in God is based on what universe demonstrates and what one makes out of it.

We all come from the same matter i.e. ether. What gives existence to ether? How can I explain the existence of matter and the qualities I see on them? Furthermore, how can particles give existence to the order that under which they are being continuously transformed? I first need to be convinced myself in what the universe demonstrates by questioning existence, otherwise dogmatic views as a believer or unbeliever is not human:

1. How come I exist?
2. What is the meaning of existence?

If one inquires the meaning of existence, then one is a human being. Belief must be the conclusion of human inquiry. If you are not convinced that matter needs to be given existence, then that is your choice. Human beings are free to choose but the pre-requisite is to come in with an open mind.

Every moment we are in need to refresh our conclusions. Yesterday’s conclusion is not valid anymore. That is why in ritualistic prayers we keep reciting: “All Praise belongs to God”. This means that we need to express our conclusions as much as we are aware of our existence.

“The coherence of the members of various species, despite the uniqueness of each individual and without the least confusion and fault, is particular to Him Who sees all things and is a witness over them. He can do many things at once, and hears the petition of all things simultaneously without becoming confused.

The perfect correspondence and similarity in structure and form among species vast distances in time and space, and in balance with an absolute variety as if each member expects the order to be given to it by a single director, is particular to Him. Via His Knowledge, Power and Wisdom, he disposes of Earth as He wills.

Each creature, though generated from similar or even the same materials, has unique characters and features, and their structural principles and organization are particular to Him Who has absolute Will and freedom of choice. Each creature’s perfect structure and beauty, despite the vast abundance of species, is particular to One Whose Power is so absolute and inclusive that atoms and galaxies are the same for Him.

While each of these points is enough to manifest the stamp of Divine Oneness, they present a forceful display of the stamp of Divine Oneness when considered together as a single act formed one within the other. Based on this, we can understand the meaning of: Assuredly, if you should ask them who created the heavens and Earth, they will surely say, “God” (39:38). That is, when intellectually and logically awakened to this reality, unbelievers cannot help but admit God’s Existence and Creative Power.”

In the universe, we see everything taking place within a perfect order. Neither the order nor the things within the order can be the Source of existence of their own self. Although we observe that matter acts in an intelligent way, human mind cannot attribute intelligence to matter or natural laws. What we call “natural laws,” which are nothing but human constructions after experiencing the order in the existence of the universe, need to be given existence as well. The order that we observe or the principle in creation is always the same and it keeps recurring within a different context or event.

Nothing happens accidentally in this universe. Both construction and destruction needs to be questioned. What is the meaning behind it? Human mind concludes that everything comes from an Absolute Source. Whoever arranges this universe must be the Absolute Knowledgeable One. Human mind inquires the Source of Existence of anything. Did you shape your organs? Who constructed the cells with their qualities manifesting on them?

• We do not question the Source of Existence of not wanting to die.
• Where did we get the idea of death being the end of existence?
• How come we like/dislike certain events?
• The One who gives existence to this universe must be the One that gives existence to our feelings and qualities. Hence, this Source of existence must have Absolute qualities i.e. not of the nature of this universe.
• Analogy: Author of the book cannot be of the same nature as the book. That is you cannot find with your naked eye the author of the book within the pages of the book. Similarly, we are in the book of the universe. Author is our conclusion. It is not in the book. But the book witnesses to its existence.

Atheistic view: The way universe comes into existence is originally chaotic, and it happened in the course of time that things turned into a perfect order as we see it now.

There is no chaos in the universe because as we said earlier, everything witnesses that it is the result of a deliberate act of creation. I.e., they are being brought into existence by something other than themselves. Even if you look into chaos, how do you explain the existence of chaos? There must be Something who brought the chaos into existence. Otherwise, how can you explain the existence of the perfect order, or even chaos?

Question: Do you believe in God?
Answer: What do you understand by God?

A counter answer is needed because every individuals understanding of God is different. Now, if someone asks: How do you know God? Then you speak through your experience i.e. you observe qualities in the universe and since you cannot attribute the existence of these qualities to anything in the universe, you conclude that the qualities belong to the One that gives existence to the universe. Example: While drinking tea, what are you attributing the Source of existence of the warmth to?

• What is your attitude while drinking tea?

The One who creates water must be the One who creates the universe. “Praise be to God” belongs to the One who creates the universe. The language used in the scripture can only be used to communicate with the Creator. That language cannot be used to communicate with people and the universe. Example: the conclusion that you derived from the tea you drank can be used as evidence to confirm that water is from the Creator of the universe. This language is valid for ritualistic prayers and one’s supplications to God. In conclusion, we have to stop from speculating about the Creator of the universe. Example: A pencil is made and it must have a Maker. Similarly, the universe itself witnesses that it is made and it must have a Maker. Here, there is no speculation about the Maker at all. It is just a logical conclusion.