Who Are Our eyes, Ears, Skin?

There is a blaze of light and awareness in every single cell and atom.  We are all of God and God is not of us.  We need to learn to learn to learn the hidden language of our eyes, who ask us to tame our soul in refinement and beauty and not to fall into unbridled lust and desires.  We need to listen to our ears, who ask us to curb our volcano's of wild noises to the songs of winds and flowers, to the hymn and words of God.  We need to listen to our skins, who ask us to desire harmlessly, purely, softly, gently, lovingly.  Every single part of our body is speaking to us, if we can hear.  The act of listening itself is an act of responding.

“On the Day when God’s enemies are gathered up for the Fire and driven onward, THEIR EARS, EYES, AND SKINS WILL, WHEN THEY REACH IT, TESTIFY AGAINST THEM FOR THEIR MISDEEDS.  They will say to their skins, ‘Why did you testify against us?’ and their skins will reply, ‘God, who gave speech to everything, has given us speech– it was He who created you the first time and to Him you have been returned– yet you did not try to hide yourselves from your ears, eyes, and skin to prevent them from testifying against you. You thought that God did not know about much of what you were doing, so it was the thoughts you entertained about your Lord that led to your ruin, and you became losers.’  The Fire will still be their home, even if they resign themselves to patience, and if they pray to be allowed to make amends, they will not be given permission to do so.” (41:19-24)

The above verses are startling, because they indicate something about our bodies.  The body, the eyes and ears and skin will speak.  Resurrection is physical.  Our body and organs are witnesses to what we are doing.  They come to “speak” and “testify”.  Such a sanctification of body as the source of goodness and righteousness, who will complain about their being abused, is striking.

There is a blaze of light and awareness in every single cell and atom.  We are all of God and God is not of us.  We need to learn to learn to learn the hidden language of our eyes, who ask us to tame our soul in refinement and beauty and not to fall into unbridled lust and desires.  We need to listen to our ears, who ask us to curb our volcano's of wild noises to the songs of winds and flowers, to the hymn and words of God.  We need to listen to our skins, who ask us to desire harmlessly, purely, softly, gently, lovingly.  Every single part of our body is speaking to us, if we can hear.  The act of listening itself is an act of responding.

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In 1936, two physicists at the Biological Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, New York, reported that red blood cells in the bodies of people and animals carry enough electricity to light up a lamp.

They reported their findings at the American Physical Society in Rochester, New York, stating that the red blood cells carry a surface charge of 15,000,000 electrons.

They stated that, ‘if the charges from blood of a full-grown person could be collected and made to pass through a 25-watt electric bulb, it would burn for at least 5 minutes.’

https://www.lesscomplicated.net/philosophy/your-cells-can-light-up-the-world-the-cast-off-cell

Tireless Worship

Why is the first commandment: “you shall have no other gods before Me”?  Why is “no god but the God” central to Islam and religions of the Book?  What does ‘having a god’ or ‘God’ connote?  It connotes love.  If I say this is my god, I mean I love him or her or this artistic work or that thought, or this object or that perspective.  God means the most important thing, the most loving one.  So, is it strange that the most joyous action for a believer is praying to God?  When I was an atheist, and even for a while after believing in God, the verses below was difficult for me to accept and digest:

“The night, the day, the sun, the moon, are only a few of His signs. DO NOT BOW DOWN IN WORSHIP TO THE SUN OR THE MOON, but bow down to God who created them, if it is truly Him that you worship.  IF THE DISBELIEVERS ARE TOO ARROGANT, [REMEMBER, PROPHET, THAT] THOSE WHO ARE WITH YOUR LORD GLORIFY HIM TIRELESSLY NIGHT AND DAY.  Another of His signs is this: you see the earth lying desolate, but when We send water down on to it, it stirs and grows. He who gives it life will certainly give life to the dead. He has power over everything.” (41:37-39)

In my own personal experience, and with the grace of God, I came to understand what it means to glorify God tirelessly night and day.  My selfish and seemingly independent existence didn’t accept tirelessly worshipping God, day and night.  For what?  Why non-stop?  Does God need my and others’ worship?  It seemed to me intolerable and unacceptable to worship day and night.  I went through so much in life to fathom the verses above—that can misguide some, as the following verses mention: “Those who distort the meaning of Our message are not hidden

from Us.” (41:40)

What are the other options?  For children and youths, color and pleasure, play and fun are the most important things—however, curiosity, family and social interactions, sexual intimacy, seeing the world and discovering one’s capabilities are the context of this having fun and playing.  We learn from childhood the enthusiasm of learning, an endless abyssal process.

For adults career, family, sexual pleasure, travel, business, scientific, artistic, philosophical, or religious explorations also come into play.  After I exhausted all my options, I felt utter despair as nothing could satisfy me.  Of course, we need all of these, but there is an unfathomable hole and indefatigable yearning in our soul, in the core of our ‘not-knowing-of-the-meaning-of-our-being-here-and-our-death-destiny’. After philosophy, religion was my latest adventure.  Philosophy opened a path for me to truth—to the fact that philosophy and science cannot reveal to us the ultimate truth.  They help us to think clearly and stimulate our imagination.

When, with the grace of God, I turned to God in a revived and reflected faith, I found prayer the only meaning and source of satisfaction, that no pleasure and fun can substitute.  I came to it out of truth, not imitation or soothsaying, denial of death, or self-deception.  I examined it closely, because my motto all my life was and is that I don’t want to live a lie, and I don’t want to seek God just to calm my qualms. I wanted my faith to be ‘proven’ to me.  This proof is not a mathematical proof, but a proof that comes from transformation of consciousness, an informed, digested experience of God, to which different people arrive from different routes.

When one arrives at this destination, then indefatigable praying and worshipping God is not something imposed on us but is the essence of life as such.  What is love after all?  When you love a person or a career, or devote yourself to political, artistic, scientific, philosophical endeavor, do you get tired of it?  Do you get tired of seeing the eyes of the spouse or the child whom you love?  Do you get tired of breathing air? 

I concluded that it is the other way around: Not only glorifying God is not an imposition, but it is the essence of life.  This is the way existence works, God holds the worlds through their attending God-Love.  Then I realized everything else is secondary in comparison to glorifying God (which means loving God), if you come to the conclusion that everything that is important to us is a gift by God to us, including sexual pleasure, food, work, travelling, explorations, and scientific and philosophical thoughts, and the most essential and real is God and the only direction is to God, then the verses above will make complete sense to you.

معنای زندگی در سر میز شام

دیشب باهمسرم، ماریان (Marianne) ،  پسر هشت ساله مان، جوستوس (Justus) ، و دختر دایی نه ساله اش، نینا (Nina) ، و دختر دایی دیگرش، زلی (Zeli) ، که ۱۶ سالش است، مشغول شام بودیم. بعد از شام قرار بود دور هم جمع باشیم و شروع المپیک زمستانی در سئول (Seoul) را تماشا کنیم. مناسک ما برای میز شام، مثل هر خانواده دیگر گفتگو و بعد هر کس از بهترین قسمت روزش صحبت می کند و شام را با تأمل بر اینکه برای چه چیزی شکرگزار خداوندیم تمام می کنیم.  از همسرم پرسیدم که آیا داستان هلن کلر را، که آن روز با هم بحث کرده بودیم، بگویم؟ گفت: بگو. با او وارسی می کنم برای اینکه بعضی مواقع موضوعاتی که طرح می کنم برای بچه ها ثقیل است. پس این داستان را گفتم:

«هلن کلر در یک سال و هفت ماهگی به دلیل بیماری ای کور و کر شد. پس تا سن هفت سالگی که معلمش، سالیوان، به او زبان را آموخت، نمی توانست خودش را از طریق کلمات بیان کند و حتی بعد از یاد گرفتن زبان تا مدتها حتی نمی توانست حرف بزند.

پسرم پرسید: اما لال نبود، چطور نمی توانست حرف بزند؟

گفتم: برای اینکه کور و کر بود و ما زبان را در درجه اول از طریق شنیدن و دیدن و در ضمن فعالیت و کاربرد زبان یاد می گیریم. اما هلن کلر می توانست نیاز هایش را با صدا و اطوار و لجاجت، و بعضی علائمی که برای درخواست چیزهای مختلف خلق و در عمل تکرار کرده بود، ابراز کند.

روز بعد از اینکه معلمش، سالیوان، سررسید، سالیوان او را به اتاقش برد و عروسکی را که با خود آورده بود به او داد. در حالی که هلن مشغول بازی با عروسک بود، معلمش روی کف دستش حروف کلمه «ع-ر-و-س-ک» را به آرامی هجی کرد.

پسرم پرسید: چطور هجی کرد؟

 گفتم: با نواختن منقطع هر حرف در کف دستش. یک نوع علائم قراردادی است برای بچه های کر.  هلن کلر کنجکاوانه حرکات انگشت معلمش را تقلید کرد و به زودی توانست آن را تکرار کند، اما نمی دانست که دارد یک کلمه را هجی می کند. او تقلید کردن را بلد بود، نه هنوز فهمیدن را.

یک روز که هلن کلر داشت با عروسکی که معلمش به او داده بود بازی می کرد، خانم سالیوان عروسک خود هلن را در دستش قرار داد و دوباره حروف کلمه «ع-ر-و-س-ک» را در کف دستش هجی کرد. و سعی کرد که به او بفهماند که کلمه «عروسک» به هر دو عروسک اطلاق می شود. قبلا در طول روز با معلمش درگیری داشت و عصبانی بود برای اینکه معلمش تلاش داشت که به او بفهماند که «لیوان»، لیوان است، و «آب»، آب است و این دو کلمه متفاوت هستند، و او این دو را قاطی می کرد.  حال که معلمش اصرار داشت که عروسک خودش و عروسکی که معلمش به او هدیه داده بود، هر دو «عروسک» اند، کاسه صبرش لبریز شد و عروسک جدید را آنقدر بر زمین زد که از هم پاشید. هلن کلر احساس رضایت خاصی از در هم شکستن آن عروسک کرد. در خاطراتش می گوید که نه غم و نه تأسفی از عصبانیّت اش و شکستن عروسک حس می کرد. در کتاب خاطراتش نوشته است که «در دنیای تاریکی که من زندگی می کردم، حس عمیقی از محبت و شفقت وجود نداشت.»

(In the still, dark world in which I lived there was no strong sentiment of tenderness.)

حس کرد که معلمش قطعات شکسته عروسک را جمع کرد و هلن احساس خوشی داشت که عامل عصبانیتش از میان رفته بود. بعد معلمش کت و کلاهش را آورد که بروند بیرون برای قدم زدن. هلن کلر می گوید که این «فکر، اگر یک حس بدون کلام بتواند «فکر» نامیده شود، او را به شعف آورد.»

 

در حال قدم زدن در اطراف یک چاه-خانه (well-house) بودند که بوی گلهای پیچ امین الدوله   (honeysuckle) که دیوارش را پوشانده بودند، آنها را به خویش جذب کرد.  یک کسی داشت از چاه آب می کشید و معلم هلن دست او را زیر آبفشانه (spout) گذاشت و در حالی که آب خنک بر روی دست او جریان داشت، کلمه «آب» را در کف دستش هجی کرد. «در این لحظه بود که هلن ناگهان نوعی «آگاهی مه آلود» از چیزی فراموش شده را حس کرد—هیجان برگشتن یک فکر؛ و گویی راز زبان برایش گشوده شد. در آن لحظه فهمید که «آ-ب» یعنی یک چیز خنک شگفت انگیز که بر دست او جریان داشت. آن کلمه زنده، روح او را بیدار کرد، و به آن نور، امید، و سرشاری داد و آن را آزاد کرد.»

We walked down the path to the well-house, attracted by the fragrance of the honeysuckle with which it was covered. Someone was drawing water and my teacher placed my hand under the spout. As the cool stream gushed over one hand she spelled into the other the word water, first slowly, then rapidly. I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the motions of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness as of something forgotten–a thrill of returning thought; and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me. I knew then that "w-a-t-e-r" meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand. That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free! There were barriers still, it is true, but barriers that could in time be swept away. 

در اینجا نینا گفت: پس بالاخره فهمید که کلمه «آب»، برای آب، هرجا که هست به کار برده میشود.

گفتم: آره، اما مهم تر از آن چیزی است که بعد اتفاق افتاد.

وقتی آن چاه-خانه را ترک کردند، هلن کلر با شوق آموختن به خانه برگشت. حال هر چیزی اسمی داشت و هر کلمه فکر جدیدی را به دنیا می آورد. هلن کلر در کتاب خاطراتش نوشت که وقتی برگشتند خانه «هر شیئ را که لمس می کرد گویی با زندگی می تپید. به خاطر اینکه هر چیزی را در نور عجیب جدیدی که بر او برآمده بود می دید.» وقتی وارد خانه شدند، یاد عروسکی افتاد که شکسته بود. راهش را به شومینه که معلمش عروسک شکسته را آنجا گذاشته بود پیدا کرد. عروسک را برداشت و سعی کرد که آن را دوباره سرهم بگذاره که نمیشد. پس چشمانش پر اشک شد، برای اینکه تشخیص داد که چه کرده است. و برای اولین بار احساس پشیمانی و اندوه کرد. 

I left the well-house eager to learn. Everything had a name, and each name gave birth to a new thought. As we returned to the house every object which I touched seemed to quiver with life. That was because I saw everything with the strange, new sight that had come to me. On entering the door,[1] I remembered the doll I had broken. I felt my way to the hearth and picked up the pieces. I tried vainly to put them together. Then my eyes filled with tears; for I realized what I had done, and for the first time I felt repentance and sorrow.

همه برای لحظه ای ساکت شدند ودر چشمهای بچه ها و زلیِ نو جوان برای لحظه ای برق شناسایی چیزی متفاوت لرزید. گفتم: توجه کنید، وقتی معنای نامیدن اشیاء را فهمید. وقتی معنای «مفهوم عمومی» آنچیز هایی که وجود دارند را فهمید، برای اولین بار در زندگی اش معنای شفقت و محبت را هم فهمید. این عجیب نیست؟ همه تصدیق کردند که عجیب است.

بعد من با خنده گفتم: وقتی این داستان را در بالا برای مامان تعریف کردم، هر دو همیدگر را در آغوش گرفتیم و گریه کردیم، تا گریه مان به خنده تبدیل شد. و مامان گفت: «زوج پیر دیوانه» (crazy old couple) . در اینجا زلی چشمشهایش را، از اینهمه فوران احساسات، در ناخوشایندی تنگ کرد.

در انتهای شام برگشتیم به تم شکر گزاری از خدا. جوستوس گفت شکر گذار خداست برای «لیوان». نینا گفت که شکر گزار خداست برای «آب». زلی گفت: برای «غذا». مامان گفت: برای «این بچه های خوب». و من گفتم: برای «مفهوم کلی» .(universal concept)

در کتاب «داستان زندگی من»، هلن کلر دوران کودکی اش و آنچه را که پیش از بیماری به یاد می آورد توصیف می کند. او در طول ۱۹ ماهی که گوش و چشم داشت، خاطرات گنگی از مزارع وسیع سبز، آسمانی درخشان، درختها و گلها را ضبط کرده است.

But during the first nineteen months of my life I had caught glimpses of broad, green fields, a luminous sky, trees and flowers which the darkness that followed could not wholly blot out. If we have once seen, "the day is ours, and what the day has shown." (p.11)

هلن کلر می گوید که در اواخر ۱۹ ماه اول زندگیش کلماتی را یاد گرفته بود که به نحوی تقلید وار تکرار می کرد. حتی بعد از بیماری، تا زمانی که معنای کلمه «آب» را معلمش به او یاد داد، او عادت داشت که «آ...آب» را تکرار کند.

I am told that while I was still in long dresses I showed many signs of an eager, self-asserting disposition. Everything that I saw other people do I insisted upon imitating. At six months I could pipe out "How d'ye," and one day I attracted every one's attention by saying "Tea, tea, tea" quite plainly. Even after my illness I remembered one of the words I had learned in these early months. It was the word "water," and I continued to make some sound for that word after all other speech was lost. I ceased making the sound "wah-wah" only when I learned to spell the word.

از مرحله تولد تا انتهای ۱۹ ماهگی، هلن کلر گفتار دیگران را می شنید و دنیای اطراف را همزمان حس-درک می کرد. در توافق با نظر دکتر شمس، اساسا اینکه بگوییم «حس» و «درک» دو مرحله متفاوتند، مخدوش کردن آن چیزی است که برای بهتر فهمیدن ما تفکیک می کنیم ، یعنی با قواعد معینی توضیح دهیم، با آنطور که چیزها بالواقع هستند. یعنی در بسیاری مواقع، دنیا بر اساس قواعدی که ما دنیا را با آن توضیح می دهیم، اداره نمیشوند.  یک نوزاد از همان روز اول حس-درک خام از محیط اطرافش دارد. این حس-ادراک در طول زمان و به کمک زبان-فعالیت رشد می کند. میگویم زبان-فعالیت برای اینکه اساسا شناخت و آموزش از طریق درگیری پویا در دنیا اتفاق می افتد. نه اینکه یک «ذهن» (subject, mind) در مقابل اشیاء (object, world) عقب کشیده است و درباره آنها فکر می کند.

در حین این رشد، دنیای انسان از حیوان جدا می شود. در این مسیر، انسان از مرحله دنیای حیوانی در می آید و به یمن زبان-فعالیت وارد مرحله بودن-در-دنیا (این یک ساختار واحد است) می شود. این «دنیا»، همانطور که قبلا گفتم، کره زمین و جهان نیست. این دنیا در درجه اول از رابطه ما با ابزارها و کاربردشان به عنوان یک کل ساخته میشود. در و دیوار و لباس و قلم و خانه و محله و شهر و کشور و ... همه ابزار ساخته شده انسانی هستند و دنیای انسان در این کل ابزاری که لزوما انسانهای دیگر در آن اشتراک دارند شکل می گیرد و محیط طبیعی و آسمان وستاره ها همهنگام به آن تعلق دارند (نــه اینکه به آن «افزوده» میشوند).

هلن کلر تا زمانی که زبان را یاد گرفت (یعنی در سن ۷ سالگی) و اشیاء با نامیدنشان برای او به جان آمدند، حاوی نوعی دنیای حیوانی بود. او اشیاء را تشخیص می داد، میتوانست درب را به عنوان درب و قفل را به عنوان قفل تشخیص دهد. در خاطراتش می گوید:

«من مقدار زیادی از آنچه دور و برم میگذشت را می فهمیدم. در پنج سالگی یاد گرفتم که لباسهای تمیز را که از لباسشویی می آوردند، تا بزنم و لباسهای خودم را از دیگران تشخیص می دادم. از حالتی که مادر و عمه ام لباس می پوشیدند، میتوانستم تشخیص بدهم که می خواهند بیرون بروند و از آنها خواهش می کردم که من را با خود ببرند.» (ص ۱۲)

“I understood a good deal of what was going on about me. At five I learned to fold and put away the clean clothes when they were brought in from the laundry, and I distinguished my own from the rest. I knew by the way my mother and aunt dressed when they were going out, and I invariably begged to go with them.” (p. 12)

او فرق خودش را با دیگران تشخیص می داد. گاهی میان افرادی که با هم حرف می زدند، می ایستاد و لبهایشان را لمس می کرد. اما نمی توانست بفهمد که چه می گذرد.

I do not remember when I first realized that I was different from other people; but I knew it before my teacher came to me. I had noticed that my mother and my friends did not use signs as I did when they wanted anything done, but talked with their mouths. Sometimes I stood between two persons who were conversing and touched their lips. I could not understand, and was vexed. I moved my lips and gesticulated frantically without result. This made me so angry at times that I kicked and screamed و until I was exhausted.

او یاد گرفته بود که چگونه درب را قفل کند. یکبار مادرش را برای سه ساعت در آبدارخانه زندانی کرد. درحالی که در بیرون روی پله های ایوان نشسته بود و با ذوق می خندید وقتی که تکان کوبیدن درب را حس می کرد. و وقتی معلمش، سالیوان، تازه وارد خانه شده بود، یکبار درب اتاق او را قفل کرده بود و کلید را زیر کمد توی دالان قائم کرده و حاضر نشده بود که جای کلید را به کسی بگوید. تا آنجا که پدرش ناچار شد خانم سالیوان را از پنجره بیرون آورد. و او از اینهمه لذت می برد.

About this time I found out the use of a key. One morning I locked my mother up in the pantry, where she was obliged to remain three hours, as the servants were in a detached part of the house. She kept pounding on the door, while I sat outside on the porch steps and laughed with glee as I felt the jar of the pounding. This most naughty prank of mine convinced my parents that I must be taught as soon as possible. After my teacher, Miss Sullivan, came to me, I sought an early opportunity to lock her in her room. I went upstairs with something which my mother made me understand I was to give to Miss Sullivan; but no sooner had I given it to her than I slammed the door to, locked it, and hid the key under the wardrobe in the hall. I could not be induced to tell where the key was. My father was obliged to get a ladder and take Miss Sullivan out through the window–much to my delight. Months after I produced the key.  (p.14)

سؤال اینست: اگر هلن نمی توانست مفهوم عمومی «آب» و «درخت» را بفهمد، چگونه می توانست قفل و در و کمد و ... را مکررا تشخیص دهد و از هم تفکیک کند؟  احتمالا همانطور که گربه ها و سگ ها قادر به تشخیص محیط دور و بر خویش هستند. حس-ادراک شامل درجات است و با زبان وارد یک تغییر کیفی می شود. با فهم زبان-فعالیت، انسان به «دنیای» انسانی وارد میشود و «هستی» را می فهمد. از زمانی که هلن کلر مفهوم «آب» را فهمید، همانطور که خود او توضیح می دهد: انگار اشیاء به جان آمدند و او همزمان وارد بودن-در-دنیا شد. با آموزش فقط یک کلمه، «آب»، او نه تنها مفهوم «پدر» و «مادر» و «خانواده» و «خانه» را یاد گرفت، بلکه شفقت و محبت را یاد گرفت. توجه کنید: این یاد گرفتن یک امر صرفا ذهنی نیست، بلکه «وجودی» است. هلن کلر از آن کلمه به عنوان «کلمه زنده» ای (living word) یاد می کند که «روح او را بیدار کرد، و به آن نور، امید، و سرشاری داد و آن را آزاد کرد.»

در نحله های فلسفی متفاوت، تلاش می شود که «تاسیس» اشیاء و دنیای «بیرونی» را در آگاهی انسانی توضیح دهند و آن را با امر «ذهنی» و «گزاره های مشاهده ای» و امثالهم از نظر هستی شناختی «تخت» می کنند. کلمات، پس، آنجا هستند: در «ذهن». اول ما دنیا را «حس» می کنیم و بعد آن حواس را در ذهن به هم ترکیب می کنیم و به درک اشیاء نائل می شویم. و یا نه: ما کلمات را به نوعی در بستر زبان و گزاره های مشاهده ای می فهمیم و منشاء «عمومیت» (universality) کلماتی مثل «آب» و «درخت» و «خانه» در تحلیل نهایی به تئوری مجموعه ها و «مجموعه تهی» ختم میشود. این تخت کردن (levelling) تجربه زبان در عمل به نوعی پوچ گرایی منجر می شود. 

اما اگر به تجربه هلن کلر توجه کنیم، در لحظه ای که هلن کلر مفهوم «آب» را می فهمد، همه هستی برای او به زندگی می آید. اینست که هایدگر می گوید: «زبان، خانه هستی است.» این به این معنا نیست که «هستی» امری «ذهنی» است. بلکه با درک کل گرایانه زبان-فعالیت و مفاهیم عمومی، ما از بودن حیوانی وارد «بودن-در-دنیا» ی انسانی میشویم و بیرون از وجود حیوانی—مثل وقتی که هلن کلر میتوانست قفل و درب را تشخیص دهد و مادر و معلمش را نا مشفقانه در اتاقشان زندانی کند- به بیرون از این زندانِ درونیِ حیوانی پا می گذاریم (transcendence) و همزمان به شفقت و پروا (care) وارد می شویم. از این رو هایدگر می گوید که انسان همیشه همواره «بیرون» است، یعنی در دنیاست، یعنی استعلایی  (transcendental) است.  این به این معنا نیست که انسان «درونی» یا ماهیتی مجزا دارد که بعد از طریق زبان و مفاهیم به «بیرون» وصل میشود. یا انسان دارای جوهری است که از طریق زبان بالفعل شده و  به وجود می آید. درست است که این «درون» گاه فقط برای خود فرد قابلیت تحقیق و تأیید دارد، مانند تجربه عارفان و پیامبران و هنرمندان یا مردمی که مشمول رحمت تجربه ای منحصر به فرد می شوند و «درونی» است یعنی قابل تحقیق جمعی نیست. این تجربه درونی، خود یک تجربه وجودی است و ما آن را از «بیرون» با میوه ای که به بار می آورد تشخیص می دهیم . هلن کلر از پیش دارای زمینه درک هستی-شفقت-دنیا است. این همان فطرت الهی است که با درک مفاهیم و شفقت شروع میشود و از آن حدود هم می گذرد. یعنی از حد مفاهیم و زبان هم می گذرد. اما این فطرت یک جوهر ایستا نیست، بلکه خودش را در «وجه» (mode) وجود نشان می دهد. وجه وجود هلن کلر در درک مفهوم «آب» تغییر کیفی کرد. در این مقطع، ظهور این وجه وجود همان ظهور فطرت الهی است، که ایستا نیست. در تفکیک «وجود» و «ماهیت» ما ممکن است که همان اشتباهی را کنیم که برخی از فلاسفه در تفکیک «حس» و «ادراک» می کنند. اینکه ما در ذهن این دور را جدا می کنیم به این معنا نیست. که «جوهر» منتظر «به فعل» آمدن است.  در نفس بیداری هلن کلر به دریافت دنیا، یعنی در نفس وجود او، این فطرت خود را نشان می دهد. فقط زمانی این تحول وجودشناختی اتفاق می افتد او از این دنیای حیوانی پا بیرون می گذارد. این استعلاء، خود وجود-جوهر یا ماهیت اوست. در این مرحله وقتی کلمه زنده میشود، وجود و جوهر و ماهیت هلن کلر بر هم منطبق میشوند.

این «بودن-در-دنیا» (به عنوان یک ساختار یگانه) مشخصا در این «دنیا» داشتن—مشخصا وقتی هلن کلر مفهوم «آب» را فهمید و پس همه زبان و شفقت را فهمید—عصاره یا ماهیت (جوهر substance) خود را نشان می دهد.  اینست که هایدگر کلمه «وجود» را تنها برای انسان بکار می برد ونه برای حیوانات و گیاهان. و آن هم «به وجود آمدن» به معنای «به فعل آمدن» نیست، بلکه اک-زیستنس (Ek-sistence) به معنای «بیرون-از-خویش-ایستادن» در هستی است. به این معنا فقط انسان «هستی» را می فهمد و دارای «دنیا» (ابزارها-خانه-محله-شهر-طبیعت-جهان-پروا-شفقت) است. و زبان، خانه هستی است. از لحظه ای که هلن کلر کلمه «آب» را فهمید، به وجود آمد.

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[1]  در صفحات قبل، هلن کلر اذعان می کند که وقتی چیزی را می خواست و کنترلش را از دست می داد و به پرستارش  لگد می زد، احساس نوعی «تأسف» می کرد، اما این «تأسف» اثر پیشگیری کننده نداشت و جلوی او را نمی گرفت که وقتی چیزی را می خواست چنین رفتاری را تکرار  نکند.

 “I think I knew when I was naughty, for I knew that it hurt Ella, my nurse, to kick her, and when my fit of temper was over I had a feeling akin to regret. But I cannot remember any instance in which this feeling prevented me from repeating the naughtiness when I failed to get what I wanted.” (p.13)

 The Logic of Divine Punishment

“Say, ‘[God says], My servants who have harmed yourselves by your own excess, do not despair of God’s mercy. God forgives all sins: He is truly the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.  Turn to your Lord. Submit to Him before the punishment overtakes you and you can no longer be helped.  Follow the best teaching sent down to you from your Lord, before the punishment suddenly takes you, unawares, and your soul says, “Woe is me for having neglected what is due to God, and having been one of those who scoffed!”  Or it says, “If God had guided me, I would have joined the righteous!”  Or, faced by punishment, it says, “If only I could have another chance, I would join those who do good!”  No indeed! My messages came to you and you rejected them: you were arrogant and rejected the truth.’” (39:53-59)

Questioning “punishment” is a common place between disbelievers, to whom I belonged just 12 years ago.  We are all now seemingly for “restoration”, not “retribution” or “retaliation”.  But do we really believe in restoration instead of punishment?  Look at the world, where is the restoration in the US criminal justice system?  But let’s move to the topic of this reflection: does God not prioritize restoration to punishment?  If one reads the Quran carefully, one realizes that this is, as it were, a book of warning and good news.  The warning is the punishment for spreading corruption on the earth and disbelief in God or the Origin of Life, the Living.  And the reward is for those who do good and believe in the Origin of Life and Connect with that Origin.  Disconnection is the karmic effect ending to reside in Hell.  Now, we have all sort of gestures of wisdom against the notion of “Hell” in our modern discourse.  Why should God punish wrongdoers forever in Fire in Hell?  Is this God merciful and compassionate? 

Every surah in the Quran (except for one), starts with “In the Name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy."  So, what is Hell about?  Only through reading the Quran with principle of charity and empathy, as with any other text, we can connect with the message.  The message is clear, and it is restorative and based on redemption.  If we really abandon our criminal justice retributive system, we will come to the restorative message of the Quran.  In a restorative system, even a murderer can be forgiven, IF AND ONLY IF, he or she has realized one’s wrongdoing and is ready to restore the corruption and destruction that one has created.  However, if the guilty is not awakened to the horror of his or her crime, punishment will ensue.  This punishment is not for ‘retaliation’.  After providing the possibility of redemption and restoration, which means after creating a just society, we will be disgusted by those who won’t be awakened to the restorative path.  In that case, we have no choice but to punish the criminal.  This is also the same in the Quran.  Hell is for those who have corrupted their soul and never woke up from following their desires and whims and alienation from the Origin of Life.  Whether Hell is for eternity or not, is the question we don’t have any answer to it.  We can find both Hell is for eternity and also as long as God wills.  In our societies, if they are just and not constituted on the principle of exclusion and discrimination, those who can’t go to the path of restoration will be sentenced to death or life in prison.  Do we have any other option?  And if we corrupt our soul to the point of no return, do we have any option but Hell?  In the Quran, God constantly says, God forgives all sins and wrongdoing, if they redeem and restore their actions and character before the Day of Resurrection:

“This Scripture is sent down from God, the Almighty, the All Knowing, Forgiver of sins and Accepter of repentance, severe in punishment, infinite in bounty. There is no god but Him; to Him is the ultimate return.” (40:2-3)

“Those [angels] who carry the Throne and those who surround it celebrate the praise of their Lord and have faith in Him. They beg forgiveness for the believers: ‘Our Lord, You embrace all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who turn to You and follow Your path. Save them from the pains of Hell and admit them, Lord, to the lasting Gardens You have promised to them, together with their righteous ancestors, spouses, and offspring: You alone are the Almighty, the All Wise.  Protect them from all evil deeds: those You protect on that Day from [the punishment for] evil deeds will receive Your mercy– that is the supreme triumph.’  But those who disbelieved will be told, ‘When you were called to the faith and rejected it, God’s disgust with you was even greater then than the self-disgust you feel [today].’  They will say, ‘Our Lord, twice You have caused us to be lifeless and twice You have brought us to life. Now we recognize our sins. Is there any way out?’  [They will be told], ‘This is all because when God alone was invoked you rejected this, yet when others were associated with Him you believed [in them].’ Judgement belongs to God the Most High, the Most Great.” (40:7-12)

“Have they not traveled through the land and seen how those who lived before them met their end? They were more numerous than them, stronger than them, and made a more impressive mark on the land, yet what they achieved was of no use to them at all.  When messengers came to them with clear signs, they reveled in the knowledge they had, and so they were engulfed by the very punishment they mocked: when they saw Our punishment, they said, ‘We believe in God alone; we reject any partner we ascribed to Him,’ but believing after seeing Our punishment did not benefit them at all– this has always been God’s way of dealing with His creatures– there and then the disbelievers were lost.” (40:82-85)

Die Before Dying

O you who possess sincerity, (if) you want that (Reality) unveiled, choose death and tear off the veil--
Not such a death that you will go into a grave, (but) a death consisting of (spiritual) transformation,
so that you will go into a Light.
...
Hence the messenger of good tiding said, (speaking) symbolically, “Die before ye die, O nobles,

Even as I have died before death and brought from Yonder this fame and renown.”

Do thou, then, become the (spiritual) resurrection and (thereby) see (experience) the resurrection: this (becoming) is the necessary condition for seeing (knowing and experiencing the real nature of) anything.

Until thou become it, thou wilt not know it completely, whether it be light or darkness.

(If) thou become Reason, thou wilt know Reason perfectly; if thou become Love, thou wilt know Love’s (flaming) wick.  

(Moulavi Rummi, Book VI, 754-759)

The followings are one of the most consistent and startling truth in the Quran to which I was blind most of my life.  Now reading them, I ask myself why did I never read them?  Or if I read them, not with principle of charity to set my heart straight and connect with the truth so plainly mentioned in them.  I was too sure of my ‘scientific outlook’ and my faith in the ‘verifiable world of appearance’.  What a fool I was!  But God brought the Day of Judgement to me before dying and my face darkened, before becoming dark after my death in the Day of Judgement.  Do you know what is ‘darkening the face’?  How you ever felt absolute despair and being trapped completely in the evil of your own deeds?  I remember the time that I felt the light is moving out of my body and I clearly felt the darkening of my face and body, when I was seduced by Satan to see myself as ‘unforgiven’ and ‘doomed’ for the disbelief in most of my life and the impossible undoing of the mistakes that I made.  God allowed Satan to seduce me into utter disappointment and unredeemable state of falling into Hell, both in this world and in the world to come, similar to his own destiny and state of being.  Thus, I died before dying.  I can’t thank God more for this suffering before the suffering of the Day, of this darkening of my face, before the darkening of my face in the Day that I have no time to change the course of my action and will carry my darkened face into Hell for eternity or as long as God wills. 

“When man suffers some affliction, he cries out to Us, but when We favor him with Our blessing, he says, ‘All this has been given to me because of my knowledge’– it is only a test, though most of them do not know it.  Those who lived before them said the same. What they did was of no use to them; they suffered its evil effects. Today’s wrongdoers will also suffer the evil effects of their deeds: they will not escape.  Do they not know that God provides abundantly for anyone He will and gives sparingly to anyone He will?  There truly are signs in this for those who believe.” (39:49-52)  

“Say, ‘[God says], My servants who have harmed yourselves by your own excess, do not despair of God’s mercy. God forgives all sins: He is truly the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.  Turn to your Lord. Submit to Him before the punishment overtakes you and you can no longer be helped.  Follow the best teaching sent down to you from your Lord, before the punishment suddenly takes you, unawares, and your soul says, “Woe is me for having neglected what is due to God, and having been one of those who scoffed!”  Or it says, “If God had guided me, I would have joined the righteous!”  Or, faced by punishment, it says, “If only I could have another chance, I would join those who do good!”  No indeed! My messages came to you and you rejected them: you were arrogant and rejected the truth.’” (39:53-59)

“On the Day of Resurrection, you [Prophet] will see those who told lies against God, their faces darkened. Is there not ample punishment for the arrogant in Hell?  But God will deliver those who took heed of Him to their place of safety: no harm will touch them, nor will they grieve.  God is the Creator of all things; He has charge of everything; the keys of the heavens and earth are His. Those who have rejected the revelations of God will be the losers.” (39:60-63)

“Say, ‘Do you order me to worship someone other than God, you foolish people?’  It has already been revealed to you [Prophet] and to those before you: ‘If you ascribe any partner to God, all your work will come to nothing: you will be one if the losers. 66No! Worship God alone and be one of those who are grateful to Him.’  These people have no grasp of God’s true measure. On the Day of Resurrection, the whole earth will be in His grip. The heavens will be rolled up in His right hand– Glory be to Him! He is far above the partners they ascribe to Him!– the Trumpet will be sounded, and everyone in the heavens and earth will fall down senseless except those God spares. It will be sounded once again and they will be on their feet, looking on. 69 The earth will shine with the light of its Lord; the Record of Deeds will be laid open; the prophets and witnesses will be brought in. Fair judgement will be given between them: they will not be wronged 70 and every soul will be repaid in full for what it has done. He knows best what they do.” (39:64-69)

“Those who rejected the Truth will be led to Hell in their throngs.  When they arrive, its gates will open and its keepers will say to them, ‘Were you not sent your own messengers to recite the revelations of your Lord to you and warn you that you would meet this Day?’ and they will say, ‘Yes indeed we were.’ But the sentence of punishment will have been passed against those who rejected the truth.  It will be said, ‘Enter the gates of Hell: there you will remain. How evil is the abode of the arrogant!’” (39:71-72)

“Those who were mindful of their Lord will be led in throngs to the Garden. When they arrive, they will find its gates wide open, and its keepers will say to them, ‘Peace be upon you. You have been good.  Come in: you are here to stay,’ and they will say, ‘Praise be to God who has kept His promise to us and given us this land as our own.  Now we may live wherever we please in the Garden.’ How excellent is the reward of those who labor! You [Prophet] will see the angels surrounding the Throne, glorifying their Lord with praise. True judgement will have been passed between them, and it will be said, ‘Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds.’” (39:73-75)

Prophet: "Die before ye die."  

At this time there is no (means of) making (God) known except (by) denying the opposite: in this (earthly) life no moment is without a snare.

O you who possess sincerity, (if) you want that (Reality) unveiled, choose death and tear off the veil--

Not such a death that you will go into a grave, (but) a death consisting of (spiritual) transformation, so that you will go into a Light.

(When) a man grows up, his childhood dies; (when) he becomes a (fair-complexioned) Greek, he washes out the dye (swarthy color) of the Ethopian.

(When) earth becomes gold, its earthly aspect remains not; (when) sorrow becomes joy, the thorn of sorrowfulness remains not.

Hence Mustafa (Mohammad) said,: “O seeker of the mysteries, (if) you wish to see a dead man living---

Walking on the earth, like living men; (yet he is) dead and his spirit is gone to heaven;

(One) whose spirit hath a dwelling-place on high at this moment, (so that) if he die, his spirit is not translated,

Because it has been translated before death: this (mystery) is understood (only) by dying, not by (using one’s) reason;

Translation it is, (but) not like the translation of the spirits of the vulgar: it resembles a removal (during life) from one place to antoher—

If any one wish to see a dead man walking thus visibly on the eath,

Let him behold Abu Bakr, the devout, (who) through being a true witness (siddiq) became the Prince of the Resurrected.

In this (earthly) life look at the Siddiq (Abu Bakr), that you may believe more firmly in the Resurrection.”

Mohammad, then, was a hundred (spiritual) resurrections here and now, for he was dissolved (naughted) in dying to (temporal) loosing and binding.

Ahmad (Mohammad) is the twice-born in this world: he was manifestly a hundred resurrections.

They asked him concerning the Resurrection, saying, “O (thou who art the) Resurrection, how long is the way to the Ressurction?”

And often he would say with mute eloquence, “Does any one ask (me who am) the Resurrection concerning the Resurrection?”

Hence the messenger of good tiding said, (speaking) symbolically, “Die before ye die, O nobles,

Even as I have died before death and brought from Yonder this fame and renown.”

Do thou, then, become the (spiritual) resurrection and (thereby) see (experience) the resurrection: this (becoming) is the necessary condition for seeing (knowing and experiencing the real nature of) anything.

Until thou become it, thou wilt not know it completely, whether it be light or darkness.

(If) thou become Reason, thou wilt know Reason perfectly; if thou become Love, thou wilt know Love’s (flaming) wick.  (Moulavi Rummi, Book VI, 736-759)

۷۳۹	نَفیْ ضِدّ هست باشد بی‌شَکی		تا زِ ضِدّْ ضِد را بِدانی اَنْدکی
۷۴۰	این زمان جُز نَفیِ ضِدْ اِعْلام نیست		اَنْدَرین نَشْات دَمی بی‌دام نیست
۷۴۱	بی‌حِجابَت باید آن ای ذو لُباب		مرگ را بُگْزین و بَر دَرّان حِجاب
۷۴۲	نه چُنان مرگی که در گوری رَوی		مرگِ تبدیلی که در نوری رَوی
۷۴۳	مَردْ بالِغ گشت آن بَچْگی بِمُرد		رومی‌یی شُد صِبْغَت زَنگی سُتُرد
۷۴۴	خاکْ زَر شُد هیات خاکی نَمانْد		غَمْ فَرَج شُد خارِ غَمْناکی نَمانْد
۷۴۵	مُصْطَفی زین گفت کِی اَسْرارجو		مُرده را خواهی که بینی زنده تو؟
۷۴۶	می‌رَوَد چون زندگان بر خاکْدان		مُرده و جانَش شُده بر آسْمان
۷۴۷	جانْش را این دَمْ به بالا مَسْکَنی ست		گر بِمیرَد روحِ او را نَقْل نیست
۷۴۸	زان که پیش از مرگْ او کرده‌ست نَقْل		این به مُردنْ فَهْم آید نه به عقل
۷۴۹	نَقْل باشد نه چو نَقْلِ جانِ عام		هَمچو نَقْلی از مَقامی تا مَقام
۷۵۰	هرکِه خواهد که بِبینَد بر زمین		مُرده‌یی را می‌رَوَد ظاهِر چُنین
۷۵۱	مَر ابوبکرِ تَقی را گو بِبین		شُد زِ صِدّیقی اَمیرُالْمُحْشَرین
۷۵۲	اَنْدَرین نَشْاَت نِگَر صِدّیق را		تا به حَشْر اَفْزون کُنی تَصدیق را
۷۵۳	پَس مُحَمَّد صد قیامَت بود نَقْد		زان که حَل شُد در فَنایِ حَلّ و عَقْد
۷۵۴	زادهٔ ثانیست اَحْمَد در جهان		صد قیامَت بود او اَنْدَر عِیان
۷۵۵	زو قیامَت را هَمی‌پُرسیده‌اند		ای قیامَت تا قیامتْ راهْ چند؟
۷۵۶	با زبانِ حالْ می‌گفتی بَسی		که زِ مَحْشَر حَشْر را پُرسَد کسی؟
۷۵۷	بَهْرِ این گفت آن رَسولِ خوشْ‌پیام		رَمْزِ موتوا قَبْلَ مَوْتٍ یا کِرام
۷۵۸	هم‌چُنان که مُرده‌ام من قَبْلِ مَوْت		زان طَرَف آورده‌ام این صیت و صَوْت
۷۵۹	پس قیامَت شو قیامَت را بِبین		دیدنِ هر چیز را شَرط است این
۷۶۰	تا نگردی او ندانی‌اَش تَمام		خواه آن اَنْوار باشد یا ظَلام
۷۶۱	عقل گردی عقل را دانی کَمال		عشق گردی عشق را دانی ذُبال