LECTURE – 9 : BEATIFIC VISION

 

It is an article of our faith that some has created this universe and the very same deity is governing this universe. Urges are transferring to the creatures continuously at the universal level. We intrinsically know that the ability to see has been transferred to us from the one who is the All Seeing and Omnipotent to grant this ability to others, that is, our ability to see is a manifestation and reflection of the God's Attribute of Seeing.

Basically the universe is a reflection of the Attributes of the Creator and each one of them is represented by an appellation. Every Appellation of God is a Beatific Vision that is wrapped up in attributes of Omni potency and Mercy, or in other words, every Appellation of God is a collection of three Beatific Visions; namely,

1. Mercy,

2. Omni potency, and

3. The Attribute represented by that Appellation.

When we mention God, utter verbally or mentally any of the Names of God, the Beatific Vision related to with that particular Appellation along with Mercy and Omnipotence, is activated. When, for instance, God is mentioned using His Name Baseer (All Seeing), this name is recited or chanted, the knowledge about the Sight of God, His Omni potency and Mercy with regards to the sight is activated in us. Omnipotence with regards to sight is that God is All Powerful to see things as He Wills and Mercy is the continuity and continuation of the process of seeing.

Universe is an embodied form of knowledge, the knowledge that is being displayed in the form of senses. This knowledge consists of three aspects. First is the Beatific Vision that descends into the Latent Subtlety (Akhfa) and turns into knowledge about the Beatific Vision. The second aspect is the characteristics or the details of the Beatific Vision, that activate in the Arcanum Subtlety. Third aspect is the structural formation of the characteristics, that is, the details of the Beatific Vision are translated into form and features, This thing takes place in the Subtlety of Heart and the very same thing is known as the Sight. And, when besides sight other senses of hearing, smell, taste, touch and speech, after taking a form, become activated a colorful vibrant shape attracts the Subtlety of the Self towards itself. This interaction between the Subtleties of Heart and Self cause us to witness something in a manifested form.

Three movements take place simultaneously. First movement is to know something. When we intend to know or when curiosity causes our mind to move to know something, this process occurs in the Obscure Subtlety (akhfa).

After knowing, the second movement is to have realization about that thing, which we wanted to know and this process is carried out by the Arcanum Subtlety (sirri). After having realization about something, a desire about that thing is produced, which causes us to make a move or to take an action. The desire and action are the movements of the Subtleties of the Heart and the Self (qalbi and nafsi) respectively. The knowledge or the movement to know something commences from sabita and concludes at jowiyah and this knowledge is recorded at every stage and at every descent.

The knowing process, after occurring in akhfa, is recorded in khafi. The realization that starts in sirri is recorded in roohi(The Subtelty of the Spirit). The action, followed by knowing and having realization, takes place in qalbi and is recorded in nafsi.

Akhfa and khafi or the Great Soul carried the process of knowing, sir and roohi or the Human Soul had the realization and, qalbi and nafsi or the Animal Soul acted. The knowing, realization and action take place, simultaneously and are concluded concurrently. It means that the attribute of the Beatific Vision, along with omni potency and Mercy, descends in the form of knowledge to activate the process of knowing and then this process is concluded when the initial knowledge is converted into the sensual knowledge.

This formula or the rule is equally valid at the cosmic, species and individual levels equally. Since at the moment the aim of our discussion is to explore the spiritual potentials of an individual person, therefore, we would state this formula in this way that the knowledge, about all the Beatific Visions of the Elohistic Appellations pertaining to the life of an individual along with the Attributes of omnipotency and Mercy, exists in sabita or the Great Soul. All the Beatific Visions pertaining to the perceptual thinking are found in the aayan or the Human Soul of an individual. After knowing and perceiving, action takes place and all the templates of the action are set up in jowiya or the Animal Soul.

Deliberation upon this formula reveals this fact very clearly that the Cosmic Program, as God has chalked it out, exists in every individual. And, for the very same reason, every existent whether it is an inanimate, plant, vegetable or animal is related to other existents. This very relation is the cause of one another’s recognition and identification. If no hidden relation exists between a human being and a goat then, neither man would be able to know the goat nor the goat would have been able to acknowledge the man’s existence. One, who could explore this hidden relation, deserves to know the secrets of the spiritual domain. A spiritual person inevitably deliberates upon this thing that he knows that this is a goat and the goat also knows that he is a man or that is a lion and the lion also identifies him as a man. He also reflects upon he existence of the celestial bodies. When a spiritual associate makes pondering a habit, the knowledge of the Beatific Vision is activated in him and he comes to know that all the celestial bodies of the cosmos and all the living and nonliving existents of these heavenly bodies are related with one another in a hidden relationship. When we look at the sun or a a star, the sun or the star never forbids us from looking at it. If there had not been a hidden relationship between man and the star and the sun, these must have been hindering us from witnessing them, for one or the other reason.

All the existents of the universe are connected to with one another because of this very relation of the Beatific Vision of God, which is commonly shared by every individual. The whole universe is linked in a hidden tie because it is owned by one single entity. If the individuals and the universe had been the property of various owners or different rulers had governed the individuals then, they were sure to remain in conflict in acknowledging one another. Belongings of one owner would have never liked to be having intimacy with the possessions of another owner. This one and the only owner and master of the universe have been introduced by different names by the prophets of different religions. Quran introduces Him by the name of Allah because this is the personal innate Name of God amongst all the known and the unknown Names of God.

It has been already elaborated that every Name or Appellation of God represents a particular Beatific Vision and every Beatific Vision is founded upon two Attributes of Omnipotency and Mercy, therefore, every Appellation of God represents three Attributes of God, simultaneously. These very two Attributes of Omnipotency and the Mercy are the hidden relationship between all the existents of the universe.

The sunlight or the moonlight cannot deny serving the earthlings because the earthlings, the sun and the moon all are creatures created and owned by one Creator and, as God is Absolute in His Omnipotency therefore, His Mercy and Omnipotency do not allow His possessions to negate one another. Two Names of God that govern establishment, management and governance system of the universe, one of these two appellations is Allah(The Personal Name of God) and the other is Qadeer (Omnipotent) and all the rest of the Appellations are linked with these two Names.

 

Synopsis

 

God taught the knowledge of Names to Adam and his descendents so that they should observe the various angles of life and ponder upon them in their life in its cosmic perspective. When a person strives and makes endeavors to meet the obligations of the Elohistic Law, the gates of cognition open up for him.

Cognition is of two types. One is the cognition of the Attributes and the other one is cognition of the Being. The person versed with the cognition of the Attributes witnesses the inner features of the manifestations, or to say, he is bestowed upon with the perception of the cosmic spirit and the record of all the realms is brought before him. He becomes familiar with the angels, Erebus, Purgatory, High Throne, Heavens and the Day of Judgment. He also knows that there are countless other worlds like the one we live in. The other worlds also have creatures similar to those that we have in our world.

The other type of cognition of the Being is to knowthe Godhead as He is. Cognizer of the Being enjoys the knowledge that what are formulae that are operative in the creation of the universe at different levels and that what is the holy Will of God about the universe. In order to have cognition whether it is of the Attributes or the Being, cognition of one’s own soul is of basic importance. It must be remembered that every Appellation of God in its capacity of knowledge is Aleem; the Knower (both the senses of having knowledge and the ability to bestow it upon others are implied here) and, in its faculty of the Creator is Qadeer (Omnipotent).

Every Appellation of God is a combination of three Beatific Visions having its jurisdiction is extended into the whole of the universe. These Beatific Visions descend in stages and phases. The lights that are related to the cognition of the Being are, technically, known as the Channel of Black Draught (tasweed).

There are four channels in total. It demands great care to understand that four channels of lights feed the three tiers of the soul. Name of the first one is tasweed, which falls in akhfa (the Obscure Subtlety) and all the species that have akhfa, know one another because of this channel of lights. In order to preserve the knowledge the memory is put to use, lights of this very channel become memory in man, jinns and other living things. When we try to recall or when we feel a forgotten thing in our perception, this function is carried out by the memory.

In simple and easy words it would be said that the whole record of information pertaining to the universe, from the very Beginning of the universe till its final Ending, is stored in tasweed (the channel of Black Draught) and if a spiritual associate succeeds in activating the ability of having access to this store, can see any event that has taken place in the universe millions of years ago, is happening now or will happen million of years hence. All the components about the cosmic program that transfer into akhfa are carried over through the rays of tasweed, it means, that the related part of the program of the creation of the universe as was finalized by God, prior to the creation keep on descending into akhfa through the Channel of Black Draught.

Every movement and every change that is taking place in the universe commences from the Channel of Black Draught or tasweed and is concluded at the Channel of Manifestation or tazheer. This chain of commencing and concluding is ever continuing. Every movement of life starts from the Mind of God and finally returns to Him and for the very reason it is not possible to come into being if it is not supported by the Attributes of God.

Man was in a state of obliviousness, lost in the wilderness of the universe, without any sight or hearing and therefore was insignificant. When God addressed the creatures, the creatures become aware of their status as creatures. The universe including man has an unbreakable relation with God Almighty. This relationship is responsible for two things. One is perception and the other one is the act of perceiving. The way man realized, after seeing God that he is a creature, subjugated and dominated by someone, in the very same way when two persons happen to see each other, they accept the influence of each other. One of the two is a person who exerts influence and the other one accepts the influence. And, both form their respective opinions about each other, that is, one realizes the qualities and characteristics of the other. Acceptance of one’s qualities is an acknowledgement of one’s own subjugation and acceptance of dominance of the other person.

This law is common for all the creatures equally, be that an inanimate object, a celestial body, a plant, an animal or the human being. We cannot acknowledge the existence of a tree unless the characteristics of the tree are accommodated in us; similarly, a tree acknowledges the presence of man when the human attributes dominate its characteristics.

It is the style of witnessing that every individual creature witnesses the other individual only when it is sighted within, which is possible only when one negates oneself. This negation is the subjugation and the acceptance of the other’s dominance.

Sighting or witnessing is also of two types, direct and indirect. In direct sighting every individual is witnessing the sighting of others. And, the indirect sighting is that in which one considers that he is witnessing at his own. When we happen to see ourselves in a mirror and consider that we are looking at ourselves and not that we are viewing at our image. This is known as indirect sighting. In direct sighting, we know that we are view what the mirror is causing us to view.

It is the quality of the human beings only that the approach of direct sighting is activated in a person. All the Prophets of God were gifted with this approach of sighting. In order to have this faculty activated in a person, there are two possible methods. One is to get this faculty administered in one’s thinking pattern and the other to get it through austere exercises which were practiced and taught by the auliyas of supererogatory rites of worship, to get it established in their thinking pattern that the relation between the individuals of the universe and themselves is only because of the Lordship of God Almighty, that is, the whole universe is held in close affinity and God is the central point of this affinity. They practice to get it firmly resolved and incorporated in their thinking that God is the root cause of everything said and done and, to do so they try to develop the habit of associating everything with God alone. Gradually, this practice enables them to have this thinking with conviction that nothing has any direct association with them and anything comes in their contact, it is only because of God who is the master of both, the person and the things that is connected to him.

When, for instance, the water and the thirst is taken into consideration, it is observed that water is the creation of God, man also is a creation of God and the urge of the thirst, too, is a creation of God and, all these three things are closely associated with one another because these all are the creations of God. If God had not created water, the thirst would also have not been there nor would the urge to drink water would have been there in us.

Likewise, deliberation on all the resources of life leads to this only conclusion that our association with anything is only because of the fact that God has created it. If God had not created it, it could have not had any connection with us. Continuous practice helps in developing this habit that one starts thinking in these terms that he is directly associated with God. When this thinking approach is developed in a spiritual associate the power to influence others develops in him.

Sahib-e-Irshad, those who are assigned with the duty of preaching and Auliya; the Friends of God, attempt to have the direct approach of thinking by austere exercises and endeavors at their own accord but those who are chosen to perform the administrative duties for God are bestowed upon with this thinking approach, or to say, they are gifted with the direct approach of thinking. But before this thinking approach could be bestowed upon a spiritual associate, his mentor or the spiritual teacher trains him in such a way that the agency, responsible for ascribing meanings to things in him, is made neutral and he gets into the habit of not ascribing meanings to anything of his own choice and his mind learns to refrain from offering resistance of any kind.