perfection, then existence would have been imperfect and meaningless, and
in this case creation would have been incomplete. This question needs to
be considered with the greatest attention and thought. For example,
imagine that the contingent world resembles in a general way the body of
man. If this composition, organization, perfection, beauty and
completeness which now exist in the human body were different, it would be
absolute imperfection. Now, if we imagine a time when man belonged to the
animal world, or when he was merely an animal, we shall find that
existence would have been imperfect--that is to say, there would have been
no man, and this chief member, which in the body of the world is like the
brain and mind in man, would have been missing. The world would then have
been quite imperfect. It is thus proved that if there had been a time when
man was in the animal kingdom, the perfection of existence would have been
destroyed; for man is the greatest member of this world, and if the body
was without this chief member, surely it would be imperfect. We consider
man as the greatest member because, among the creatures, he is the sum of
all existing perfections. When we speak of man, we mean the perfect one,
the foremost individual in the world, who is the sum of spiritual and
apparent perfections, and who is like the sun among the beings. Then
imagine that at one time the sun did not exist, but that it was a planet;
surely at such a time the relations of existence would be disordered. How
can such a thing be imagined? To a man who examines the world of existence
what we have said is sufficient.
There is another more subtle proof: all these endless beings which inhabit
the world, whether man, animal, vegetable, mineral--whatever they may
be--are surely, each one of them, composed of elements. There is no doubt
that this perfection which is in all beings is caused by the creation of
God from the composing elements, by their appropriate mingling and
proportionate quantities, the mode of their composition, and the influence
of other beings. For all beings are connected together like a chain; and
reciprocal help, assistance and interaction belonging to the properties of
things are the causes of the existence, development and growth of created
beings. It is confirmed through evidences and proofs that every being
universally acts upon other beings, either absolutely or through
association. Finally, the perfection of each individual being--that is to
say, the perfection which you now see in man or apart from him, with
regard to their atoms, members or powers--is due to the composition of the
elements, to their measure, to their balance, to the mode of their
combination, and to mutual influence. When all these are gathered
together, then man exists.
As the perfection of man is entirely due to the composition of the atoms
of the elements, to their measure, to the method of their combination, and
to the mutual influence and action of the different beings--then, since man
was produced ten or a hundred thousand years ago from these earthly
elements with the same measure and balance, the same method of combination
and mingling, and the same influence of the other beings, exactly the same
man existed then as now. This is evident and not worth debating. A
thousand million years hence, if these elements of man are gathered
together and arranged in this special proportion, and if the elements are
combined according to the same method, and if they are affected by the
same influence of other beings, exactly the same man will exist. For
example, if after a hundred thousand years there is oil, fire, a wick, a
lamp and the lighter of the lamp--briefly, if there are all the necessaries
which now exist, exactly the same lamp will be obtained.
These are conclusive and evident facts. But the arguments which these
European philosophers have used raise doubtful proofs and are not
conclusive.
47: THE UNIVERSE IS WITHOUT BEGINNING; THE ORIGIN OF MAN
Know that it is one of the most abstruse spiritual truths that the world
of existence--that is to say, this endless universe--has no beginning.
We have already explained that the names and attributes of the Divinity
themselves require the existence of beings. Although this subject has been
explained in detail, we will speak of it again briefly. Know that an
educator without pupils cannot be imagined; a monarch without subjects
could not exist; a master without scholars cannot be appointed; a creator
without a creature is impossible; a provider without those provided for
cannot be conceived; for all the divine names and attributes demand the
existence of beings. If we could imagine a time when no beings existed,
this imagination would be the denial of the Divinity of God. Moreover,
absolute nonexistence cannot become existence. If the beings were
absolutely nonexistent, existence would not have come into being.
Therefore, as the Essence of Unity (that is, the existence of God) is
everlasting and eternal--that is to say, it has neither beginning nor
end--it is certain that this world of existence, this endless universe, has
neither beginning nor end. Yes, it may be that one of the parts of the
universe, one of the globes, for example, may come into existence, or may
be disintegrated, but the other endless globes are still existing; the
universe would not be disordered nor destroyed. On the contrary, existence
is eternal and perpetual. As each globe has a beginning, necessarily it
has an end because every composition, collective or particular, must of
necessity be decomposed. The only difference is that some are quickly
decomposed, and others more slowly, but it is impossible that a composed
thing should not eventually be decomposed.
It is necessary, therefore, that we should know what each of the important
existences was in the beginning--for there is no doubt that in the
beginning the origin was one: the origin of all numbers is one and not
two. Then it is evident that in the beginning matter was one, and that one
matter appeared in different aspects in each element. Thus various forms
were produced, and these various aspects as they were produced became
permanent, and each element was specialized. But this permanence was not
definite, and did not attain realization and perfect existence until after
a very long time. Then these elements became composed, and organized and
combined in infinite forms; or rather from the composition and combination
of these elements innumerable beings appeared.
This composition and arrangement, through the wisdom of God and His
preexistent might, were produced from one natural organization, which was
composed and combined with the greatest strength, conformable to wisdom,
and according to a universal law. From this it is evident that it is the
creation of God, and is not a fortuitous composition and arrangement. This
is why from every natural composition a being can come into existence, but
from an accidental composition no being can come into existence. For
example, if a man of his own mind and intelligence collects some elements
and combines them, a living being will not be brought into existence since
the system is unnatural. This is the answer to the implied question that,
since beings are made by the composition and the combination of elements,
why is it not possible for us to gather elements and mingle them together,
and so create a living being. This is a false supposition, for the origin
of this composition is from God; it is God Who makes the combination, and
as it is done according to the natural system, from each composition one
being is produced, and an existence is realized. A composition made by man
produces nothing because man cannot create.
Briefly, we have said that from the composition and combination of
elements, from their decomposition, from their measure, and from the
effect of other beings upon them, resulted forms, endless realities and
innumerable beings. But it is clear that this terrestrial globe in its
present form did not come into existence all at once, but that this
universal existence gradually passed through different phases until it
became adorned with its present perfection. Universal beings resemble and
can be compared to particular beings, for both are subjected to one
natural system, one universal law and divine organization. So you will
find the smallest atoms in the universal system are similar to the
greatest beings of the universe. It is clear that they come into existence
from one laboratory of might under one natural system and one universal
law; therefore, they may be compared to one another. Thus the embryo of
man in the womb of the mother gradually grows and develops, and appears in
different forms and conditions, until in the degree of perfect beauty it
reaches maturity and appears in a perfect form with the utmost grace. And
in the same way, the seed of this flower which you see was in the
beginning an insignificant thing, and very small; and it grew and
developed in the womb of the earth and, after appearing in various forms,
came forth in this condition with perfect freshness and grace. In the same
manner, it is evident that this terrestrial globe, having once found
existence, grew and developed in the matrix of the universe, and came
forth in different forms and conditions, until gradually it attained this
present perfection, and became adorned with innumerable beings, and
appeared as a finished organization.
Then it is clear that original matter, which is in the embryonic state,
and the mingled and composed elements which were its earliest forms,
gradually grew and developed during many ages and cycles, passing from one
shape and form to another, until they appeared in this perfection, this
system, this organization and this establishment, through the supreme
wisdom of God.
Let us return to our subject that man, in the beginning of his existence
and in the womb of the earth, like the embryo in the womb of the mother,
gradually grew and developed, and passed from one form to another, from
one shape to another, until he appeared with this beauty and perfection,
this force and this power. It is certain that in the beginning he had not
this loveliness and grace and elegance, and that he only by degrees
attained this shape, this form, this beauty and this grace. There is no
doubt that the human embryo did not at once appear in this form; neither
did it then become the manifestation of the words "Blessed, therefore, be
God, the most excellent of Makers."(139) Gradually it passed through
various conditions and different shapes, until it attained this form and
beauty, this perfection, grace and loveliness. Thus it is evident and
confirmed that the development and growth of man on this earth, until he
reached his present perfection, resembled the growth and development of
the embryo in the womb of the mother: by degrees it passed from condition
to condition, from form to form, from one shape to another, for this is
according to the requirement of the universal system and Divine Law.
That is to say, the embryo passes through different states and traverses
numerous degrees, until it reaches the form in which it manifests the
words "Praise be to God, the best of Creators," and until the signs of
reason and maturity appear. And in the same way, man's existence on this
earth, from the beginning until it reaches this state, form and condition,
necessarily lasts a long time, and goes through many degrees until it
reaches this condition. But from the beginning of man's existence he is a
distinct species. In the same way, the embryo of man in the womb of the
mother was at first in a strange form; then this body passes from shape to
shape, from state to state, from form to form, until it appears in utmost
beauty and perfection. But even when in the womb of the mother and in this
strange form, entirely different from his present form and figure, he is
the embryo of the superior species, and not of the animal; his species and
essence undergo no change. Now, admitting that the traces of organs which
have disappeared actually exist, this is not a proof of the impermanence
and the nonoriginality of the species. At the most it proves that the
form, and fashion, and the organs of man have progressed. Man was always a
distinct species, a man, not an animal. So, if the embryo of man in the
womb of the mother passes from one form to another so that the second form
in no way resembles the first, is this a proof that the species has
changed? that it was at first an animal, and that its organs progressed
and developed until it became a man? No, indeed! How puerile and unfounded
is this idea and this thought! For the proof of the originality of the
human species, and of the permanency of the nature of man, is clear and
evident.
48: THE DIFFERENCE EXISTING BETWEEN MAN AND ANIMAL
Already we have talked once or twice on the subject of the spirit, but our
words have not been written down.
Know that people belong to two categories--that is to say, they constitute
two parties. One party deny the spirit and say that man also is a species
of animal; for they say: Do we not see that animals and men share the same
powers and senses? These simple, single elements which fill space are
endlessly combined, and from each of these combinations one of the beings
is produced. Among these beings is the possessor of spirit,(140) of the
powers and of the senses. The more perfect the combination, the nobler is
the being. The combination of the elements in the body of man is more
perfect than the composition of any other being; it is mingled in absolute
equilibrium; therefore, it is more noble and more perfect. "It is not,"
they say, "that he has a special power and spirit which the other animals
lack: animals possess sensitive bodies, but man in some powers has more
sensation, although, in what concerns the outer senses, such as hearing,
sight, taste, smell, touch and even in some interior powers like memory,
the animal is more richly endowed than man." "The animal, too," they say,
"has intelligence and perception." All that they concede is that man's
intelligence is greater.
This is what the philosophers of the present state; this is their saying,
this is their supposition, and thus their imagination decrees. So with
powerful arguments and proofs they make the descent of man go back to the
animal, and say that there was once a time when man was an animal, that
then the species changed and progressed little by little until it reached
the present status of man.
But the theologians say: No, this is not so. Though man has powers and
outer senses in common with the animal, yet an extraordinary power exists
in him of which the animal is bereft. The sciences, arts, inventions,
trades and discoveries of realities are the results of this spiritual
power. This is a power which encompasses all things, comprehends their
realities, discovers all the hidden mysteries of beings, and through this
knowledge controls them. It even perceives things which do not exist
outwardly--that is to say, intellectual realities which are not sensible,
and which have no outward existence because they are invisible; so it
comprehends the mind, the spirit, the qualities, the characters, the love
and sorrow of man, which are intellectual realities. Moreover, these
existing sciences, arts, laws and endless inventions of man at one time
were invisible, mysterious and hidden secrets; it is only the
all-encompassing human power which has discovered and brought them out
from the plane of the invisible to the plane of the visible. So
telegraphy, photography, phonography and all such inventions and wonderful
arts were at one time hidden mysteries. The human reality discovered and
brought them out from the plane of the invisible to the plane of the
visible. There was even a time when the qualities of this iron which you
see--indeed of all the minerals--were hidden mysteries; men discovered this
mineral, and wrought it in this industrial form. It is the same with all
the other discoveries and inventions of man, which are innumerable.
This we cannot deny. If we say that these are effects of powers which
animals also have, and of the powers of the bodily senses, we see clearly
and evidently that the animals are, in regard to these powers, superior to
man. For example, the sight of animals is much more keen than the sight of
man; so also is their power of smell and taste. Briefly, in the powers
which animals and men have in common, the animal is often the more
powerful. For example, let us take the power of memory. If you carry a
pigeon from here to a distant country, and there set it free, it will
return, for it remembers the way. Take a dog from here to the center of
Asia, set him free, and he will come back here and never once lose the
road. So it is with the other powers such as hearing, sight, smell, taste
and touch.
Thus it is clear that if there were not in man a power different from any
of those of the animals, the latter would be superior to man in inventions
and the comprehension of realities. Therefore, it is evident that man has
a gift which the animal does not possess. Now, the animal perceives
sensible things but does not perceive intellectual realities. For example,
that which is within the range of its vision the animal sees, but that
which is beyond the range of sight it is not possible for it to perceive,
and it cannot imagine it. So it is not possible for the animal to
understand that the earth has the form of a globe. But man from known
things proves unknown things and discovers unknown truths. For example,
man sees the curve of the horizon, and from this he infers the roundness
of the earth. The Pole Star at Akka, for instance, is at 33--that is to
say, it is 33 above the horizon. When a man goes toward the North Pole,
the Pole Star rises one degree above the horizon for each degree of
distance that he travels--that is to say, the altitude of the Pole Star
will be 34, then 40, then 50, then 60, then 70. If he reaches the North
Pole the altitude of the Pole Star will be 90 or have attained the
zenith--that is to say, will be directly overhead. This Pole Star and its
ascension are sensible things. The further one goes toward the Pole, the
higher the Pole Star rises; from these two known truths an unknown thing
has been discovered--that is, that the horizon is curved, meaning that the
horizon of each degree of the earth is a different horizon from that of
another degree. Man perceives this and proves from it an invisible thing
which is the roundness of the earth. This it is impossible for the animal
to perceive. In the same way, it cannot understand that the sun is the
center and that the earth revolves around it. The animal is the captive of
the senses and bound by them; all that is beyond the senses, the things
that they do not control, the animal can never understand, although in the
outer senses it is greater than man. Hence it is proved and verified that
in man there is a power of discovery by which he is distinguished from the
animals, and this is the spirit of man.
Praise be to God! man is always turned toward the heights, and his
aspiration is lofty; he always desires to reach a greater world than the
world in which he is, and to mount to a higher sphere than that in which
he is. The love of exaltation is one of the characteristics of man. I am
astonished that certain philosophers of America and Europe are content to
gradually approach the animal world and so to go backward; for the
tendency of existence must be toward exaltation. Nevertheless, if you said
to one of them, "You are an animal," he would be extremely hurt and angry.
What a difference between the human world and the world of the animal,
between the elevation of man and the abasement of the animal, between the
perfections of man and the ignorance of the animal, between the light of
man and the darkness of the animal, between the glory of man and the
degradation of the animal! An Arab child of ten years can manage two or
three hundred camels in the desert, and with his voice can lead them
forward or turn them back. A weak Hindu can so control a huge elephant
that the elephant becomes the most obedient of servants. All things are
subdued by the hand of man; he can resist nature while all other creatures
are captives of nature: none can depart from her requirements. Man alone
can resist nature. Nature attracts bodies to the center of the earth; man
through mechanical means goes far from it and soars in the air. Nature
prevents man from crossing the seas; man builds a ship, and he travels and
voyages across the great ocean, and so on; the subject is endless. For
example, man drives engines over the mountains and through the
wildernesses, and gathers in one spot the news of the events of the East
and West. All this is contrary to nature. The sea with its grandeur cannot
deviate by an atom from the laws of nature; the sun in all its
magnificence cannot deviate as much as a needle's point from the laws of
nature, and can never comprehend the conditions, the state, the qualities,
the movements and the nature of man.
What, then, is the power in this small body of man which encompasses all
this? What is this ruling power by which he subdues all things?
One more point remains. Modern philosophers say: "We have never seen the
spirit in man, and in spite of our researches into the secrets of the
human body, we do not perceive a spiritual power. How can we imagine a
power which is not sensible?" The theologians reply: "The spirit of the
animal also is not sensible, and through its bodily powers it cannot be
perceived. By what do you prove the existence of the spirit of the animal?
There is no doubt that from its effects you prove that in the animal there
is a power which is not in the plant, and this is the power of the
senses--that is to say, sight, hearing and also other powers; from these
you infer that there is an animal spirit. In the same way, from the proofs
and signs we have mentioned, we argue that there is a human spirit. Since
in the animal there are signs which are not in the plant, you say this
power of sensation is a property of the animal spirit; you also see in man
signs, powers and perfections which do not exist in the animal; therefore,
you infer that there is a power in him which the animal is without."
If we wish to deny everything that is not sensible, then we must deny the
realities which unquestionably exist. For example, ethereal matter is not
sensible, though it has an undoubted existence. The power of attraction is
not sensible, though it certainly exists. From what do we affirm these
existences? From their signs. Thus this light is the vibration of that
ethereal matter, and from this vibration we infer the existence of ether.
49: THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN RACE
Question.--What do you say with regard to the theories held by some
European philosophers on the growth and development of beings?
Answer.--This subject was spoken of the other day, but we will speak of it
again. Briefly, this question will be decided by determining whether
species are original or not--that is to say, has the species of man been
established from its origin, or was it afterward derived from the animals?
Certain European philosophers agree that the species grows and develops,
and that even change and alteration are also possible. One of the proofs
that they give for this theory is that through the attentive study and
verification of the science of geology it has become clear that the
existence of the vegetable preceded that of the animal, and that of the
animal preceded that of man. They admit that both the vegetable and the
animal species have changed, for in some of the strata of the earth they
have discovered plants which existed in the past and are now extinct; they
have progressed, grown in strength, their form and appearance have
changed, and so the species have altered. In the same way, in the strata
of the earth there are some species of animals which have changed and are
transformed. One of these animals is the serpent. There are indications
that the serpent once had feet, but through the lapse of time those
members have disappeared. In the same way, in the vertebral column of man
there is an indication which amounts to a proof that, like other animals,
he once had a tail. At one time that member was useful, but when man
developed, it was no longer of use; and, therefore, it gradually
disappeared. As the serpent took refuge under the ground and became a
creeping animal, it was no longer in need of feet, so they disappeared;
but their traces survive. The principal argument is this: that the
existence of traces of members proves that they once existed, and as now
they are no longer of service, they have gradually disappeared. Therefore,
while the perfect and necessary members have remained, those which are
unnecessary have gradually disappeared by the modification of the species,
but the traces of them continue.
The first answer to this argument is the fact that the animal having
preceded man is not a proof of the evolution, change and alteration of the
species, nor that man was raised from the animal world to the human world.
For while the individual appearance of these different beings is certain,
it is possible that man came into existence after the animal. So when we
examine the vegetable kingdom, we see that the fruits of the different
trees do not arrive at maturity at one time; on the contrary, some come
first and others afterward. This priority does not prove that the later
fruit of one tree was produced from the earlier fruit of another tree.