Flash XVII

The first Epiphany is a pure unity and a simple potentiality, which contains all potentialities, including not only that of being unconditioned by modes and qualities, but also that of being conditioned thereby. Viewed as unconditioned by modes and qualities, including even the potentiality of being thus unconditioned, it is the stage termed "Unity"; and so possesses Concealment, Priority, and Existence from eternity. On the other hand, when viewed as conditioned by modes and qualities, it is the stage termed "Singleness", and in this aspect it is marked by Manifestation, Posteriority, and Duration to all eternity. Among these modes of the stage "Singleness", some are such that the qualification of the One Being by them has regard to the stage called the "Whole", whether they imply the realization in the universe of things corresponding to the names "Creator" and "Sustainer", etc., or merely attributes, such as Life, Knowledge, and Will. This is the class of attributes which pertain to the Divinity and the Sovereignty. The forms under which the One Real Being is conceived, when clothed with these names and attributes, are the “divine substances ”.3 3 The clothing of the outward aspect of Beings with these forms does not necessitate multiplicity of beings. Other modes are such that the qualification of the One Real Being by them has relation

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1 Ta'ayyun. The first emanation is "Unity "with the "Truth as being His image and mind (Logos endiathetos), but when evolved to view (Logos prophorikos), and as the channel of Being downwards, it is "Unity" with a difference, which is sought to be expressed by the term ‘Singleness” ( Wāḥidīyat instead of Aḥadīyat).

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2 Martaba i Jam'. The second emanation, Universal Soul, which comprehends in itself all particular souls, rational, animal, and vegetive. This Aristotelian doctrine of the soul became a commonplace of the schools, and is referred to by Milton, Dryden, etc.

3 Substance is quod substat, i.e. the reality underlying sensible phenomena. Haqāiq i ilāhīya.

i.e. the first stage of His revelation.

to the various grades of "mundane existences", as, for instance, Difference, Property, and the phenomena which distinguish external objects from one another. The forms under which the One Real Being is conceived, when clothed with these modes, are "the mundane substances ",3 and the clothing of the outward aspect of Being with these forms does necessitate a multiplicity of beings. Among these mundane substances, some are such that when Being, considered in the stage of the "Unity of the Whole", is interfused in them, and His effects and properties manifest themselves therein, these substances have the potentiality of being theatres exhibiting all the Divine names—save those peculiar to the Divine Essence— according to the varying strength of the manifestations, which may be powerful or feeble, irresistible or defeasible. These are the perfect individuals of the human raceto wit, prophets and saints. Others, again, are such that they have the potentiality of being theatres exhibiting only some of the Divine names, and not all of them, according to the aforesaid varying strength of the manifestation. These are the rest of the human race.

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The Majesty of the One Real Being, viewed under the aspect of the Unity of the Whole ", which comprehends all His modes, both Divine and mundane,5 is for ever immanent in all these substances, and manifesting Himself in them. These substances are the parts of the whole Unity, whether they exist in the world of spirits or in that of "ideas "," in the sensible and visible world, in the

1 Marātib i kaunīya.

2 Difference, property, accident, genus, and species are the five heads under which Aristotle classed the general terms capable of being used as predicates.

3 Haqaiq i kauniya.

Aḥadiyat i Jam'. This is the second emanation (see Flash XXIV). It is usually called nafs i kull, or Universal Soul.

5 i.e. plurality summed up in Unity.

6 The world of "ideas" is the Platonic "intelligible" world of ideas or archetypes, apprehended only by Reason (nous) as opposed to the

world that now is, or in that which is to come. The final Cause1 of all this process is the realization or manifestation of the perfection of the Divine names, which is termed jalā and istijlā. Jalā signifies their outward manifestation according to their various modes; and istijlā their display to the Deity Himself, according to these same modes. Jala is a visible and intelligible manifestation or representation, just as the whole is represented by its parts. Contrariwise, the perfection of the Divine Essence is the manifestation of the One Real Being to Himself, for Himself, without relation to anything beside Himself. This is a secret and intelligible manifestation.

Absolute self-sufficiency is a quality involved in Divine Perfection. It signifies this, that in a general and universal manner all the modes, states, and aspects of the One Real Being with all their adherent properties and qualities, in all their presentations, past, present, or future, manifested in all grades of substances, Divine and mundane, are present and realized in the secret thought of that Divine Being, in such wise that the sum of them all is contained in His Unity. From this point of view He is independent of all other existences, as it is said, "God most glorious can do without the world

"2

The robe of Love is independent, free
From need to soil with dust its purity;

When Actor and Spectator are the same

What means this we" and "thou"? There is

"sensible" world of phenomena apprehended by the senses—‘ālam i 'ilmi as opposed to 'alam i ‘ainī.

1 In Aristotle's language the end (telos) of a thing is its "final cause i.e. the reason of its existence.

2 Koran, xxix, 5.

3 Cf. Omar Khayyām, Quatrain 475, and Gulshan i Rāz, p. 15, 1. 143. "He [God] is at once seer and thing seen."

All modes and attributes of Very Being
Are realized and present in that Being;

To see them He needs not contingent beings :
'Tis the contingent needs the Very Being.

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He needs not to see good and ill set out,
The One needs not to count its numbers out;
The Truth can view all things within Himself;
What need, then, to review them all without?

Flash XVIII

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When you abstract the appearances and characteristics of the individual which constitute the various species included in the genus "animal", the individuals are gathered up into their respective species. When, again, you abstract the characteristics of each species, i.e. their "differences" and "properties", all such species are gathered up into the reality of the genus "animal". Again, when you abstract the characteristics of the genus animal" and those of all other genera included in the higher genus "growing body", all such genera coalesce under that genus "growing body". So when you abstract the characteristics of "growing body", and all other genera included along with it under the higher genus "body", all such genera are united in the reality of the genus body". Furthermore, when you abstract the characteristics of "body" and those of all other genera included therewith in the higher genus "substance", to

1 Contingent being is opposed to necessary being. It is, so to speak, unreal matter permeated with Real Being. "It thus is, and is not, and partakes both of existence and of non-existence," as Jowett says.

2 So Manṣur-i-Hallaj: "The numbers of Unity are only the counting of Unity."

3 The controversy of realism and nominalism raged among Moslems as well as among European Schoolmen (see Schmölders, Documenta, etc., p. 3). Jāmī was evidently a realist. He holds genus and similar general terms to be actual realities (ma‘nī), and not mere names. The whole argument in this section rests on the assumption that these genera are real entities.

wit, the "intelligences" and "souls", all such genera will be united in the reality of the higher genus "substance"; so when you abstract the characteristics distinctive of substance" and "accident", these two genera are united into the [reality of the genus] "contingent". Finally, when you abstract the characteristic distinctions of " contingent" and "necessary ", these two are united in the "Absolute Existence", which is the veritable Being, existing of Himself, and not through another being beyond Himself. "Necessity" is His external quality, and "Contingency" His internal quality-i.e. they are the archetypal ideas "1 generated by His self-revelation to Himself when assuming His "modes".

All these distinctions, whether called "difference" and "property" or or "appearances" and "characteristics", are "Divine Modes", contained and involved in the "Unity of the One Real Being ". First, these modes are represented under the form of the "archetypal ideas" in the stage called the " Divine Thought" (or knowledge);2 in the next place, in the stage of the "sensible world", when clothed with the properties and attributes of external existence-which is the theatre of manifestation, a mirror reflecting the inner Divine Being-these modes assume the forms of external objects.

It follows, therefore, that in the external world there is only One Real Being, who, by clothing Himself with different modes and attributes, appears to be endued with multiplicity and plurality to those who are confined in the narrow prison of the "stages", and whose view is limited to visible properties and results.

1 A'yān i thābitah, the “Ideas" of Plato's "Intelligible World", the archetypes or patterns of all things in the external and "sensible world". In the system of Plotinus these ideas are all contained in the first emanation, reason (nous). Jāmī expresses intelligible world" by 'ālam i 'ilm, and "sensible world" by 'alam i ‘ain.

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2 Martaba i 'ilm, i.e. ‘aql i kull, nous, or Logos, the first epiphany or emanation.