Word 44: The one who recognizes himself as the farm, the farmer, and the seed will work on his cultivation more than anything else
Word 44: The one who recognizes himself as the farm, the farmer, and the seed will work on his cultivation more than anything else
Dear ones, if you remember, in the preliminary sessions of self-knowledge, we explained a philosophical rule and emphasis that this is one of the key rules in philosophy for understanding the topics of resurrection, grave and purgatory, ascension, and generally subjects related to the metaphysical world or the Hereafter. It is called the “Unity of perceived and perceiver” or “Unity of intellected (things that are perceived by intellect) and intellectual (The one who uses intellect power)”. Allameh Hassanzadeh wrote a book describing this in detail, which is called “Ittihad Aqil and Ma’qul”.
In summary, The Unity of Perceived and Perceiver says that whatever we perceive or rationalize unites with us. Allameh Hassanzadeh provided many philosophical proofs for this subject in his book.
It means when we see something, we unite with the image we saw of that object. When we hear something, we become one with the voice that is being heard. When we understand something, we unite with it. When we imagine something, we establish a union with that imaginary image of ourselves. Our Nafs (our “I”) is immaterial and are not like the material body. The body cannot unite with a chair or form a unity with another body, but the “Nafs” or “I” is separate from matter and does not have the properties of matter; Therefore, it can be united with another immaterial being.
When we see this book, we unite with the face of this book, not with this book itself, which is outside of us. We said that we have two types of known: 1- Known by essence (Ma’lum Bi-Zzat) and 2- Known by intermediary (Ma’lum Bil-Araz). When we see an object, an image of that object appears before our Nafs. We perceive the image that appears before our Nafs. In this way, the image is called a known by essence. The outside object is called a “known by intermediary”.
Therefore, when we say that we establish unity, we mean that we establish unity with the “known by essence” or immaterial image or truth that is present before our Nafs, not with an object outside of us. For example, when we say that we unite with this book, we unite with the immaterial image of this book that is present in our Nafs. For example, when we hear a sound, we do not unite with the sound itself, which is produced by the movement of air, but we will be united with an immaterial image or truth that is present before our Nafs.
Lets discuss more about the unity of perceived and perceiver, or known and knower, or intellected and intellectual. You know, in the case of seeing, hearing, smelling, or in general, all perceptions, we and materialists share the same view up to a point; they stop at a point, but we continue.
How do we see: “When light hits the retina (a light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye), special cells called photoreceptors turn the light into electrical signals. These electrical signals travel from the retina through the optic nerve to the brain” (National Eye Institute). We completely agree with this statement up to this point. Therefore, even though we have two eyes, we see one thing because a nerve fiber transmits the electrical signal to the brain.
From this point, we deviate from the materialist viewpoint because they say: “Then the brain turns the signals into the images we see”. But we say that the brain is material and can not be an immaterial place for perceptions. We have proved that perceptions are immaterial and can not happen with material objects. Therefore, the brain cannot see. It is only a tool that is used by our Nafs (“I”). We see objects in our immaterial Nafs. The truth and image of outside objects become immaterial with many intermediaries and will be present for us (our “I” or our “Nafs”) then we see, hear, smell, or perceive objects. That is the reason we say that “I” see this, “I” hear this, and “I” perceive this, not that “Brain” perceives this.
The critical point is that if we assume the immaterial image of the object by different tools appears and is presented in front of me, how do “I” or the Nafs see the image? Let us explain the question a bit more. We said that external objects will be present immaterially for us in us (our Nafs); the question is, how do we see the immaterial images within ourselves? Do we need light or another tool again? We said that the immaterial image that is present in our Nafs or in us is called “Known by essence”. How do we perceive that particular image? Does a light hit and return to the Nafs’s eye, for example? What happened here? Do we need another tool, then we can keep asking the same question, which will cause infinite continuation, which is false in philosophy.
Avicenna says: “Objects must be immaterialized and be present for the Nafs (for us) to be able to be perceived, but Mula Sadra (Islamic philosopher) says: “The Nafs creates these truths or immaterial images using brain signals within itself. Therefore, no intermediary is needed, and we will perceive objects within ourselves. The image that is present for us becomes one with us; it becomes united. Since the immaterial image corresponds to the outside object, and we perceive the image within ourselves, we perceive the external objects.
Imam Sajjad (A) said: “O Lord, show me things as they are. Show me the truth and then success me to follow it and show me the falsehood and then keep me away from it”. Imam Sadiq (A) said, “O Lord, Show me the truth so that I may follow it, and show me the falsehood so that I may avoid it. Do not make the truth and falsehood vague and unclear for me so that I do not follow the whims of my soul and I obey only your guidance”.
Let’s give an example of our touch sense. When we touch something, how do we feel it? How do we perceive the feeling when we touch something? Are you touching it yourself? Do we perceive the outside object, or do we perceive the electrical signal through our nerve system, which is transferred to our brain? We touch the carpet and say it is soft; the question is, what and how do we perceive it? We perceive the electrical signals that have reached the brain through the nerve chain, not the carpet that is outside.
Here, we would like to understand the difference between “Knonw by Essence” and “Known by Intermediary”. In reality, we don’t perceive external objects; we perceive the image or truth that is created for us in us (our Nafs). How do we know if our hand burns when we touch the fire? We perceive the electrical signals, not the fire itself. The image from electrical pulses is “known by essence.” Since it corresponds to outside objects, we say that we perceive external objects.
The “Known by essence” truths are, in fact, united with us; since we know ourselves, we will know them as well. What we see, hear, smell, touch, and taste is united with our Nafs (us); they become one. Similarly, when we imagine something, our imaginations also unite with us, which is why we can perceive it. It is created. It is important to know that we see things that are within us (our Nafs).
What we perceive through our material senses, our thinking, our intentions, our feelings, and our imaginations become one with us. This is the summary of the “Unity of Perceived and Perceiver”. For a detailed discussion and philosophical proof, refer to the book of Allameh Hassanzadeh called “Ittihad Aqil wa Ma’qul”.
This rule is very important for understanding many branches of the Holy Quran, philosophy, mysticism, and even supernatural topics. Everything we sense and imagine unites with us, and since we proved that the Nafs is eternal, these perceptions will remain with us in this world and the Hereafter.
“Read your book; today there will be none but yourself to call you to account” (Al-Isra:14). What is the book? It is the book of our Nafs. When people die, they say: “Woe to us! What is with this book that leaves nothing, small or big, but it has enumerated it? They will find everything they had done present. Your Lord does not wrong anyone” (Al-Kahf:49). There is no book like what we think with paper, sheets, etc. Their own Nafs are opened up for them, and they read and see what has been united with them.
Any small action, thinking, intentions, and imagination are united with us. “He knows the deceptions of the eyes, and what the hearts conceal” (Ghafir:19). Betrayal of the eye is also recorded. Your smile, cry, cheating, mocking, joking, and helping are also recorded. They unite with us without any doubt. “Whoever has done an atom’s weight of good will see it. (7) And whoever has done an atom’s weight of evil will see it” (Zalzala:7-8).
In the Hereafter, we will see what we have done but elected pious and guardians of Gods will see people’s actions’ effects even in this world. If we hurt someone here or have a sinful intention, it will all be recorded in our existence, and we will see it. There is no place to escape because we cannot escape from ourselves. So whatever we do, good or bad, we do for ourselves and not for anyone else. You sweep the door of your neighbor’s house out of kindness; you didn’t do any work for them. This action is united with you, and you get the reward yourself. “On that Day, no soul will be wronged in the least, and you will be recompensed only for what you used to do” (Ya-Sin:54).
The great mystic and guardian of God, Ayatullah Bahjat, said: “Know that whatever you do is for yourself, you cannot do any action for anyone else. Whatever you do, good or bad, it becomes one with you”.
Our Nafs is a farm for us. Whatever we plant and water, we will harvest later. We should be careful what we plant and grow in our existence. Prophet Muhammad (S) said: “This world is the field of the Hereafter”.
This means that your Nafs is the farm of your Hereafter. Sometimes, the existence farm of some people is full of filth, the seed of envy, the seed of malice, the seed of stinginess, wrong words, and ugly acts. In contrast, there is a farm full of good actions, trees of knowledge, politeness, humility, kindness, and generosity. There is also some land which is empty of any plants.
Regarding spiritual affairs, when you hate an action, your Nafs take a stand against it; for example, if someone gives a speech and says blasphemous words and you hate it, your Nafs dislike it; therefore, his words do not affect you. Only the things that you are happy with or obey will affect you. We make the heaven and hell within ourselves by our actions and knowledge.
Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali (A) said: “You are that clear book whose letters reveal hidden meanings”. The big world is in you; don’t look at your small body. There are skies and mountains in your existence, and there are angels. Your actions affect all of these, and they make you a heaven and hell person. An angel said I want to measure the kingdom of God. This angel could travel around the earth with one wing. The angel flew so much that its wings got tired of flying and sat on a stone. The angel saw another angel and asked: Where am I? The other angel said, “You have not yet left the property of a believer”.
How great our Nafs is? All that we hear about life in the Hereafter, including enjoyments or punishments, are the effect of our actions and love. Prophet Muhammad (S) said, “In “Me’raj”(ascension), I saw some angels that were making castles and then stopped for a while, then started again. I asked Angel Gabriel (A), “Why are they not working?” Angel Gabriel (A) replied, “Because they have not yet received the material for the castles. I asked, “What is the material?” and the angel Gabriel replied, “Remembering God”. Some have asked, “What is the remembering of God?”. Prophet (S) replied, “Saying Al-Hamd u Lillah (praise all to God) or Subhan Allah (Glory to God)”. Another person asked if this is the case, then we have lots of gardens and castles there; the Holy Prophet (S) replied, “If you do not sin and burn them”.
That is why some people pray for 60 years and do not see anything. The prayer is the ascension of a believer. We must ascend with our prayer. When he goes home, his children run in front of him, and he becomes angry and hits them. They are also God’s creations like you; you have no right to beat them. His wife comes with kindness, and he shouts at her. In the street, a car passes and splashes water on him, and he starts cursing. These are the fires that burn all those prayers and good deeds. Man is a plant, a sower, and a field. We sow ourselves, we sow in ourselves, and we also reap.
God does not send anyone to hell. God is the Most Merciful. He sent us all the Prophets, the guardians, the scholars, the sages, the elected pious so that people do not sin. They had been sent to warn us to be careful and guide us to the straight path. It’s like someone telling us, don’t eat acid because your stomach will get hurt. If we do and get hurt can not blame the one who gave us the warning.
During one of his trips, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S) and his companions arrived in an empty and grassless area. They needed fire, so the Prophet (S) instructed them to “collect firewood”. His companion said, “O Messenger of God! Look at how vacant this terrain is! There is no firewood to be seen. “Anyone tries to collect any amount”, Prophet Muhammad (S) said. The Companions proceeded to the desert, looked closely at the ground, and picked up any little branches they spotted. Everyone gathered as much as they could and brought them back. As soon as everyone joined together, a large amount of firewood was collected. The Holy Prophet (S) said, “Tiny sins are like these tiny sticks. It may not appear so at first, but there is always a seeker and a pursuer. Just as you sought and chased, so much firewood was collected; your sins are likewise collected and counted, and one day, you will find that a massive pile has been gathered from the minor sins that were invisible to the sight.
If people understand that whatever they do, they do it for themselves, life will be very beautiful. The one who is cursing you is making himself poor. For example, they say to you: “You thief,” and curse you. Please don’t start the fight; tell yourself that I am not a thief, and I know it. It is as if you have a gem in your hand. Someone says, for example, you have a walnut in your hand. You know this is a gem; let others say whatever they want to say.
“And relate to them the true story of Adam’s two sons: when they offered an offering, and it was accepted from one of them, but it was not accepted from the other. He Said, “I will kill you.” He Said, “God accepts only from the righteous.” (27) “If you extend your hand to kill me, I will not extend my hand to kill you; for I fear God, Lord of the Worlds. I would rather you bear my sin and your sin (and bear the burden of both sins), and you become among the inmates of the Fire. Such is the reward for the evildoers” (Al-Ma’ida:29). He said, I will not kill you, and I want my guilt to fall on you.
In God’s justice system, no one may mistreat anybody unless he suffers retribution, even if he does not comprehend it in this life. Of course, if a thief climbs over the wall of your house, we didn’t say let him steal, we said take care of yourself and don’t pay attention to people’s nonsense. Take care of your farm. Be careful what you are doing. God willing, we will think, wake up, and correct the farm of our existence.
Muhammad Mahdi Me’marian
All praise is to God to the extent that He deserves it.
