Why Pray? – Part 2

What are the bounties of God we have already received?

24^th Word, Fifth Branch, SECOND FRUIT (page 369 continuation):

“Because, O soul! Since the All-Glorious Creator, who clothed you in (1) existence which is pure good, has given you a stomach and appetite, through His Name of Provider, He has placed before you all foods on a table of bounties.

It is said that a companion once came to the Prophet and asked the following:

Companion: Does God know everything?
Prophet: Yes.
Companion: If God knows everything, then why should I bother doing anything?
Prophet: Do what you are supposed to do but everything is already decided.

• LESSON: MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS. It means that:

1. Worship should not be done in order to affect determining.
2. One has to take care of their responsibility instead of messing up with God’s responsibility.

What is God?

• It is the Absolute. Just reflecting on this is the gateway to solving all problems because it leads you to attaching your being to a Merciful One.

What is worship?

• It is not a transaction but a vertical connection. It is acknowledgment of my being given existence.

Why do I have to worship?

• I have to worship because I have been given existence. As much as I am aware of my existence, that much I worship.
• Please note that any argument without existential component to it is bound to fail.

As a human being, I am given endless human qualities that is how I am made. Existence is an awareness of my consciousness which cannot be explained in terms of this physical world. Realizing that I exist is what my consciousness requires of me.

• There is only existence in creation. Its alternative is unimaginable. In other words, non-existence does not exist, however, I may choose to imagine it.
• Existence is extremely valuable.

Everyone has something lacking in appreciating their existence, which only becomes apparent when one compares their existence to others that is how we are made. Example: Jack has one eye. He wishes if only my Creator created me with two eyes, I will be happy. What is wrong with Jack’s reasoning? Jack needs to divert his attention to the Source of existence of one eye. Once he finds the Source of existence, nothing bothers him anymore. He realizes that this world has a temporary existence where everything is constantly changing with the blink of an eye. That is to say, the Source of his existence is revealing by giving that desire to him that there will be a perfect creation where all his desires will be met.

Some questions to think about:

• Who gave you your existence?
• Can I find the Source of existence of anything in the universe?

Problems lie in NO acknowledgment of the Source of existence.

• Knowledge is not essential for worship.
• Worship necessitates an awareness and consciousness of existence.
• When you are aware of your existence only then can you refer it to a One that gives existence.

The purpose of my existence is to notice my existence and the purpose of my feelings and human qualities. It means I need to use my consciousness and take care of my responsibility. My responsibility is to acknowledge the Source of existence of my existence and say thank you to It. The teacher (Prophet pbuh) teaches us how to say thank you or how to acknowledge It. Even my appreciating the existence of two eyes is given to me, I need to question the Source of existence of this sense. Who is the One who gave me this sense? Then appreciate the value of this sense which prefers two eyes over one eye. The One who gave you this sense is the One who created everything from the beginning to the end. Even your ability to search for the Source of existence of two eyes is given by It. The same Source of existence is doing everything for one purpose, to introduce my senses to Itself so I may realize the reality which is that I am given existence.

• Only through realizing the existence of my senses do I get to know about the Absolute One. “You preferred that I get a happy life because this sense is coming from You. I understand that it is a promise from You.”
• Otherwise I may get stuck thinking that I am the owner of my senses and I will not question the Source of existence of any sense. Instead of criticizing the Creator, we need to use the sense which is given to us in order to realize the reality i.e. I am given existence and the existence Giver must be acknowledged and defined i.e. by asking, what is the Source of existence?
• Through the wisdom given to you, see what can the wisdom in the creation of this sense be?

What is the wisdom in me being given existence?

In order to make conclusion that nothing has the power to give existence to anything, everything is in need to be given existence (lailaha illallah), I need to start with realizing existence, otherwise I cannot talk about God or the Absolute. I am subject to space-time limitations. That is to say, my human qualities in the universe are bound to space-time dimension. For Absolute, It creates in Absolute terms i.e. there is no space-time limitations. According to Absolute, everything is known from space-time dimension i.e. act of creation is constantly happening and everything is known at every moment to It. Hence, I have to take care of my responsibility within space-time i.e. I need to think about my reality within space-time not in Absolute terms because I am subject to space-time. I have to start thinking about my own position in existence. When I find my position in existence, I realize that everything is given to me. I ask: Who can be the Giver? If I realize that anything in this universe cannot be the Creator (lailaha), I can solve all problems because I will find the Absolute. This frame of thought is the fundamental teaching of all Prophets.

Very few people realize being constrained in this universe by space-time. Most people feel constrained in this universe because they cannot fulfill what they want to have. That is why they cannot be happy. The universe is created in such a way that no one can be absolutely happy with this universe. Only by realizing the Creator of the universe can you be happy. That is to say, by attributing your existence to the Creator of the universe can you get out of feeling constrained. There is no other way. Some people are hoping that their actions will save them i.e. by doing actions here, they will gain Paradise because they do not feel free here.

Any action one does here must be done with awareness of the Source of one’s existence. Furthermore, doing actions with the intention of seeking reward for the hereafter is baseless because if you feel constrained here and not happy with your Creator then what are you hoping to get in the hereafter? In the hereafter you will be treated according to your awareness of God (marifetullah.)

• Usually, when I cannot fulfill what I want, I am unhappy. Hence, I need to refer existence to its Source. That is, only by realizing the Source of my existence am I happy.

How do I gain freedom or get out of the chain of space-time constraint?

1. Work on realizing the Source of existence.
2. I exist now at one point only; no one can guarantee existence at the next moment.
3. Only by attributing my sense to the Source of its existence, I can find freedom. That is to say, when I attach my desire to its Source, I feel secure in my existence. Nothing bothers me anymore because I know that I belong to the Absolute. The one who gives existence will definitely give me Eternal happiness (illallah). That is what “God suffices us” means as well.

Only through God consciousness, can I be free here and Eternally. In the example, Jack was able to gain freedom by becoming aware that one eye is given by the Absolute One. He questioned the Source of existence of his desire of wanting two eyes and realized that: “Nothing in this universe can give existence to one eye (lailaha)”. Being given one eye is an opportunity given to Jack to realize that we do not have the power to get or create things as we want.

Similar to Jack, we need to understand that the Source of existence of the desire for wanting anything is only given by the Absolute One. There is no other way, it’s like you either choose 0 or 1. You fulfill the purpose of your existence when you choose the right option. If you do not recognize the giver of the eye, you are bound to get frustrated. In other words, not realizing existence leads to frustration. Getting frustrated is a call to question the Source of existence of this feeling and hence, connect to the Source of existence of one eye.

Every attempt that I take to accomplish something is created by the Absolute One. Every attempt is a means of acknowledgment or obeying the will of the Creator. Our actions within this universe are just prayers i.e. I express my neediness and awareness that I cannot guarantee anything by myself. I just expect the result to be created. I cannot give existence to anything. All senses are needed to acknowledge that I am created. We are given continuous moments of reminders about the reality i.e. I cannot create anything. Only through this acknowledgment, we can be free from getting frustrated.

In conclusion, the universe and all your senses together are being given existence. When you attach your being to the Source of your existence, any comparison that you have been stuck with becomes less significant. Hence, existence of anything is “pure good” as referred by the author.