All the people have formed a god in the world of thought and they
worship that form of their own imagination, while the act is that the imagined
concept is comprehended by the mind Which is comprehensive. Surely that which
comprehends is greater than the comprehended, for imagination is accidental
(non-essential) while the mind is essential. Surely the essential is greater
than the accidental.
Therefore
consider: all the sects and peoples worship their own thought. They create a god
in their own minds and acknowledge him to be the creator of all things, while
that form is a superstition. Thus people adore and worship imagination (or illusion).
That Essence
of the Divine Reality and Unseen of the Unseen is holy above the imagination,
and is beyond thought. Consciousness does not reach it. In the capacity of
every produced (created) reality that Ancient Reality can not be contained. That
is a different world; from it there is no information; arrival thereat is
impossible; attainment thereto is prohibited and inaccessible. This much is known--that it exists, and its
existence is certain and proved, but the condition is unknown.
All the philosophers
and doctors knew that It is, but they were perplexed as to the comprehension of
Its existence, and at last despaired, and in great despair they left this
world. For the comprehension of the condition and mysteries of that Reality of realities
and Mystery of mysteries there is need for another power and another sense.
That power and sense are not possessed by men; therefore they have not found
any information. For example--if a man possess the power of hearing, the power
of tasting, the power of smelling, and the power of feeling, but not the power
of seeing he cannot see. Hence, through the powers and senses present in man, the
realization of that Unseen Reality, which is pure and holy above the reach of
doubts, is impossible. Other powers are needed, and other senses are required.
If these powers and senses be obtained, then information can be had, otherwise
not.
(‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘Baha’i World Faith’)
