گفتگو درباره رابطه تفسیر از انسان و پوچ گرایی

اسدالله رحمان زاده

لطفاً به گفتگوی خیالی ذیل توجه کنید:

--هیچ چیزی بدون هویت وجود ندارد .(no entity without identity) بگو هویت «هستی» چیست؟

--هستی شرط درک هویت اشیا ست و ما هویت هستی را تجربه و از طریق توصیف پدیدارشناسی استنتاج می کنیم. درک هستی فقط به انسان تعلق دارد. منظور تو از «هویت» چیست؟ به من بگو هویت عشق و زیبایی و بیرحمی چیست؟

--«هویت» یعنی توزیع مواد فیزیکی در مختصات(coordinates)  زمان و مکان و یا علائم مشاهده پذیر ریاضی. پس عشق و زیبایی و بیرحمی به خودی خود وجود ندارند. تنها رفتار من با دیگری در متن (context) فیزیکی معینی نمودار عشق و زیبایی و بیرحمی است.

--هویت «مختصات» و «زمان و مکان» چیست؟ اگر من دیگری را در متن معینی می فهمم، هویت «متن» چیست؟  هویت «عشق» من به آن فرد چیست؟ چطور بین «عشق» و «هوس» به آن فرد تمایز قائل می شوم؟

--هویت «متن» و «زمان و مکان»، مجموعه اشیائی است که در روابط معینی با هم قرار دارند. و هویت عشق و هوس را روانشناسی و نوروبیولوژی تعیین می کند.

--این همان دیدن خویش به عنوان فاعلی در مقابل اشیاست. متن اتاقی که من و تو در آن نشسته ایم قابل فهم است به خاطر اینکه من و تو درک غیر تماتیک یا غیر تئوریک یا غیر آگاهانه از اتاق در خانه و خانه در شهر و شهر در کشور معینی داریم که بر روی زمین است. ما دانش غیر تئوریک از بودنمان در جهان داریم. در فلسفه تحلیلی به این می گویند «پس زمینه» (Background) و در فلسفه هایدگر به آن می گویند «هستی». این درک پیش-تأملی شرط امکان درک متن اتاق و رابطه من و تو در آن است. این آفاق فهم (horizons of understanding) را تا حدی می توانیم سوا کنیم (identify). مثلا اتاق و خانه و شهر و کشور و زمین و منظومه شمسی و کهکشانها. اما درک من از هستی که شاخصه انسان بودن من است قابل تعین نیست، ولی قابل استنتاج و فهم است برای اینکه در ساختار وجودی من خانه دارد. از وجود من می آید. نام این را می شود گذاشت «تجربه وجودشناختی هستی». 

--چطور این درک به خرافات فرو نمی افتد؟ اگر نتوانم هویت فیزیکی «هستی» را مشخص کنم، می توانم بگویم آن لاک پشتی است که همه جهان بر آن استوار است. یا آن «خدا» یا «جن» است. چطوری از تصور چیزهای خیالی جلوگیری کنم؟

--بگذار به این موضوع یکی یکی نگاه کنیم. اول از همه بگذار حساب خدا را سوا کنیم. تجربه خدا ماحصل هزاران سال گفتمان و آیین مذهبی است و اصالت و مسندیت آن را با ارزیابی این متون و تجربه هزاران ساله می توان فهمید. دوم، با نشان دادن اینکه چطور در تجربه، «هستی» و «بودن» در وجود من و شما قابل فهم است، ودرک ما از هستی، تعامل انسان را با دنیا و ویژگی های مشخصه انسان به عنوان انسان را توجیه می کند، ما درک-تجربه از بودن مان را بر اساس پدیدارشناسی (ontological phenomenology) توضیح می دهیم. این فرق دارد با فرض موجودات خیالی بی بنیاد. به تعبیر دیگر ما به نوعی وجودی-تجربی هستی را درک می کنیم. در حقیقت هر نوع فلسفه ای که انسان را بر اساس سوژه در مقابل ابژه تعریف می کند، از درک تعامل واقعی انسان با دنیا غافل است و پس تئوریهای او هم در مورد «آگاهی» انسانی نادرست خواهند بود: مثل نظریات هوش مصنوعی  (artificial intelligence)  که آگاهی انسان را یک نرم افزار  (software) می داند. به خاطر امکان این درک نادرست، هایدگر کلمه «آگاهی» (consciousness) را برای انسان بکار نمی برد، بلکه کلمه تکنیکی «دازاین»=«هستی-در-آنجا» (Dasein: Being-there) را استفاده می کند که بر ساختار واحد (unitary structure) وجودی انسان در دنیا (Being-in-the-world) تأکید کند. نه اینکه انسان صرفا یک «آگاهی» یا سیستم باور است در مقابل دنیا.

--یعنی تو می گویی که کواین (Quine) و دنت (Dennett) و امثالهم پدیده انسانی را از اول نادرست فهمیده اند؟

 --بله. من پرسیدم آیا عشق وجود دارد و فرق آن با هوس چیست؟ تو گفتی آنها وجود مستقل ندارند بلکه در حسی به فرد معینی در متن معینی ظاهر می شوند. من پرسیدم اما در این متن، «عشق» و «هوس» را چگونه از هم سوا می کنی؟ برای اینکه یک موجود فضایی در مشاهده رابطه دو نفر انسان بر روی زمین، با رفتار و ایماء و اشاره معینی، حکایت «عشق» و «هوس» نمی خواند. برای او رفتارها، واقعیت های معینی اند، مانند اینکه این سنگ آنجاست. چطور نورو بیولوژی و روانشناسی می توانند ساز و کار مادی عشق را روشن کنند—اگر هرگز بتوانند—اگر نتوانند هویت «عشق» را از پیش بشناسند؟

--ما می توانیم دقیقا رفتار عاشقانه را توصیف کنیم. مرزی بین دنیای درون و بیرون نیست. دنیای درون وجود ندارد.

--دقیقا این منظور منست. این دیدگاه نادیده می گیرد که درک هستی از پیش در درون من یا بهتر در وجود من وجود دارد. «هستی» از طریق هویت مادی تشخیص داده نمی شود. بلکه ما آن را به عنوان پیش زمینه نا خودآگاه و پیش نظریه ی متن روابط موجودات درک می کنیم. هستی خودش را از دانش-چگونه (know-how) در ضمن غرق بودن در کار—ساختن یک میز یا رانندگی یا پیدا کردن راهمان در دنیا پس از بیدار شدن— نشان می دهد. در این لحظات من و دنیا از هم سوا نیستیم. تأمل تماتیک (thematic) فلسفی، این درک-تجربه هستی را تصریح می کند که به آن نظریه هستی شناختی (ontology) می گویند.

--اما دنیا تنها از طریق ۵ حواس ما قابل درک است. اگر هستی از طریق حواس ما قابل درک نیست، پس موجودی خیالی است.

--از کجا میدانی که دنیا تنــــــــــــها از طریق حواس ما قابل درک است؟

--پس چه؟ از طریق جادو و حس ششم دنیا را می فهمیم؟

--نه، برای جلوگیری از خرافات باید با تفکر نقادانه به توضیح و توصیف جهان پرداخت. اگر کسی بگوید از طریق حس ششم دنیا را می فهمد، من ادعای او را ارزیابی نقادانه می کنم. اما ادعای تو که ما دنیا را فقــــــــــط از طریق حواسمان می فهمیم حتی فرق بین ما و حیوانات را مشخص نمی کند. بالاخره آنها هم حواس دارند. از طرف دیگر قابلیت تحقیق ندارد. این یک فرض متافیزیکی است که حتی با مشاهدات پدیدارشناسی ما تطابق ندارد.

--برای قبول اهمیت حواس چه نوع «مشاهده ای» می خواهی جز خود حواس؟

--حواس ما از پیش از طریق زبان و درک هستی سازماندهی می شوند (به تجربه هلن کلر در مقاله کوچک من «معنای زندگی سر میز شام» توجه کن). کسی منکر داشتن حواس نیست. مسئله اینست که گزاره های حسی-مشاهده ای ما، خود ریشه در خاصیت مختص زبان بشری دارند که درک معینی از بودن را حمل می کند. این درک از بودن، جهت کل گرایانه ای (holistic)  به وجود ما می بخشد که موجب حیـــــرت بشری می شود. این درک از بودن، مفهوم مرگ را برای انسان ژرف می کند. این درک هستی، آغاز سؤال «معنای بودن من چیست؟» می شود.

ببین همه اینها مثل زنجیره ای بهم وصل اند: 

۱) دیدن خویش به عنوان یک سوژه در مقابل دنیا.

۲) دیدن خویش به عنوان مجموعه ای از حواس و گزاره های حسی که در تکامل داروینی از طبیعت منشاء گرفته اند. فرق ما با حیوانات در سرعت درک و پیچیدگی است.

۳) انکار دنیای درون یا وجود منحصر به فرد انسانی و تقلیل مادی آن به بیرون یا طبیعت.

۴) بیرون هیچ نیست جز توزیع فضا-مکانی مواد و ذرات مرده.

۵) حیرت از «هستی» و جستجوی «معنا» ی زندگی نوعی خرافات است. برای اینکه «معنا» و «هستی» فاقد هویت مادی اند و پس وجود ندارند. [یا در نوع مادی گرایی غیر تقلیلی اگرچه معانی وجود نــــــدارند، گزاره های معنایی (intensional statements) قابل تقلیل به گزاره های مصداقی (extensional statements) مادی  نیستند. در حقیقت این معانی نمودار روانشناسی معینی در انسان هستند.]

۶) اخلاق و خیرخواهی و عشق و محبت و بیرحم بودن یا نبودن ....همه و همه در خدمت بقای نوع است.

۷) اگر برای بقا نیاز به قتل عام و بیرحمی باشد این اعمال مجاز هستند.

۸) دانستن و کنجکاوی و فلسفه و هنر و ادبیات و همه اینها هیچ ارزش وجودشناختی ندارند. اهمیت آنها در ساز و کار لذتی است که به ما می دهند. لذت جویی (چه خورد و خواب و میل جنسی، چه زیبایی شناسی و تحقق قوا و قدرت طلبی) و بقا تنها معنای زندگی هستند.

من اسم این را می گذارم «پوچ گرایی» و فکر می کنم نه تنها این دیدگاه کاذب است، بلکه بقای بشریت را به مخاطره می اندازد. از این نقطه نظر، تبیین اخلاق و خیرخواهی بر اساس تئوری تکامل داروینی از نظر منطقی قابل توجیه با مبانی خود این تئوری نیست، برای اینکه این نظریه بقای بشر را به خطر می اندازد و نیروی هنجاری (normative force) از خودگذشتگی را تضعیف می کند (همانطور که میبینیم که از قرن ۱۹ خودخواهی و داروینیسم اجتماعی پایه های اجتماع غرب را سست کرده اند.)

The Subtlety of God's Mercy

To me, surah 41 (Made Distinct) & 42 (Consultation), are enough evidence that the Quran is sent by God.  I already discussed parts of surah 41 and its coherency and guidance for perplexed, like me.  In the following verses from surah 42 (Consultation), I single out five parts and reflect on them.  I will reflect on the rest of surah in another note.

1.      “THE HEAVENS ARE ALMOST BROKEN APART FROM ABOVE AS THE ANGELS PROCLAIM THE PRAISES OF THEIR LORD AND ASK FORGIVENESS FOR THOSE ON EARTH. GOD IS INDEED THE MOST FORGIVING, THE MOST MERCIFUL.” (42:5)

2.      “So, We have revealed an Arabic Quran to you, in order that you may warn the capital city and all who live nearby. And warn [especially] about the Day of Gathering, of which there is no doubt, when some shall be in the Garden and some in the blazing Flame.  IF GOD HAD SO PLEASED, HE COULD HAVE MADE THEM A SINGLE COMMUNITY, BUT HE ADMITS TO HIS MERCY WHOEVER HE WILL; THE EVILDOERS WILL HAVE NO ONE TO PROTECT OR HELP THEM.” (42:7-8)

3.      “He made mates for you from among yourselves––and for the animals too––so that you may multiply. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE HIM: HE IS THE ALL HEARING, THE ALL SEEING.  THE KEYS OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH ARE HIS; HE PROVIDES ABUNDANTLY OR SPARINGLY FOR WHOEVER HE WILL; HE HAS FULL KNOWLEDGE OF ALL THINGS.” (42:11-12)

4.      “In matters of faith, He has laid down for you [people] the same commandment that He gave Noah, which We have revealed to you [Muhammad] and which We enjoined on Abraham and Moses and Jesus: ‘UPHOLD THE FAITH AND DO NOT DIVIDE INTO FATIONS WITHIN IT’– what you [Prophet] call upon the idolaters to do is hard for them; God chooses whoever He pleases for Himself AND GUIDES TOWARDS HIMSELF THOSE WHO TURN TO HIM.  They divided, out of rivalry, only after knowledge had come to them, and, if it had not been for a decree already passed by your Lord to reprieve them until an appointed time, they would already have been judged. Those after them, who inherited the Scripture, are in disquieting doubt about it.” (42:13-14)

5.      “God is most SUBTLE towards His creatures; He provides [bountifully] for whoever He will; He is the Powerful, the Almighty.  IF ANYONE DESIRES A HARVEST IN THE LIFE TO COME, WE SHALL INCREASE IT FOR HIM; IF ANYONE DESIRES A HARVEST IN THIS WORLD, WE SHALL GIVE HIM A SHARE OF IT, BUT IN THE HEARAFTER HE WILL HAVE NO SHARE. (42:19-20)

The surah in part 1) starts from the implosion of God’s Mercy, where out of compassion God is almost to change the order of heavens and earth and to save and forgive God’s creatures on the earth. 

In part 2) God declares that if God wanted to create one community of righteous and evildoers, God could do it.  But it is not God’s will.  Why?  There is so much confusion for those who read the Quran and ask: well, God says here EVERYTHING is in God’s hands, so why does God not erase the suffering and wrongdoings from the world?  The Quran repeatedly reveals that the universe and earth are made for a PURPOSE.  What is this purpose?  To erase the DOUBT and to LOVE GOD with understanding and with our whole heart.  Who can doubt?  Those who have autonomy and free will can doubt.  God could make all, the righteous believers and wrongdoer disbelievers, one COMMUNITY, but then what would happen to our having a “self”?  A forced community of worshippers who have not come to God with their own free will, AFTER the signs of God were revealed to them in themselves and in each region of the world and in Scriptures, is a community of automata, not a community of those who have the dignity of being a human. 

And in part 3) of above quotations, after reminding us that God has created mates for us and animals to multiply, God reveals that NOTHING is like God, because God “begot no one nor was He begotten.” (112:3).  God is ineffable and beyond comprehensive comprehension for human beings or any other creature, because God is uncreated, unbegotten, without beginning and end, and beyond space and time; however, God is the most merciful, as everything is sustained in God’s hands and we take them for granted.  God is the most merciful, because only the one who has no need can be the MOST merciful.  God allows us to understand God in degrees through thinking and heart—and this might be the story of our eternal growth—getting closer and closer to the Beloved, literally and figuratively.

In part 4), God clearly expresses the MEASURE of our freedom as autonomous (having free will) and the PURPOSE of creating the universe and the earth, and who will be guided to the right path: those who follow the prophets and don’t make factions between them and those who TURN TO GOD.     

And in part 5), God declares the SUBTELETY of God’s decisions and that the measure of our destiny is in our own desires and discretion and based on our own choice: those who only want a harvest in this world will receive some and those who want a harvest of the world to come will receive what they wish and live by.  “There are some who pray, ‘Our Lord, give us good in this world,’ and they will have no share in the Hereafter; others pray, ‘Our Lord, give us good in this world and in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.’  They will have the share they have WORKED for: God is swift in reckoning.” (2:200-202)

The following is the whole parts of the surah 42, Consultation, from which I mentioned the quotations above:

“This is how God, the Mighty, the Wise, sends revelation to you [Prophet] as He did to those before you.  All that is in the heavens and earth belongs to Him: He is the Exalted, the Almighty.  The heavens are almost broken apart from above as the angels proclaim the praises of their Lord and ask forgiveness for those on earth. God is indeed the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.  As for those who take protectors other than Him, God is watching them; you are not responsible for them.” (42:3-6)

“So, We have revealed an Arabic Quran to you, in order that you may warn the capital city and all who live nearby. And warn [especially] about the Day of Gathering, of which there is no doubt, when some shall be in the Garden and some in the blazing Flame.  If God had so pleased, He could have made them a single community, but He admits to His mercy whoever He will; the evildoers will have no one to protect or help them.  How can they take protectors other than Him? God alone is the Protector; He gives life to the dead; He has power over all things.  Whatever you may differ about is for God to judge. [Say], ‘Such is God, my Lord. In Him I trust and to Him I turn, the Creator of the heavens and earth.’ He made mates for you from among yourselves––and for the animals too––so that you may multiply. There is nothing like Him: He is the All Hearing, the All Seeing.  The keys of the heavens and the earth are His; He provides abundantly or sparingly for whoever He will; He has full knowledge of all things.” (42:3-12)

“In matters of faith, He has laid down for you [people] the same commandment that He gave Noah, which We have revealed to you [Muhammad] and which We enjoined on Abraham and Moses and Jesus: ‘Uphold the faith and do not divide into factions within it’– what you [Prophet] call upon the idolaters to do is hard for them; God chooses whoever He pleases for Himself and guides towards Himself those who turn to Him.  They divided, out of rivalry, only after knowledge had come to them, and, if it had not been for a decree already passed by your Lord to reprieve them until an appointed time, they would already have been judged. Those after them, who inherited the Scripture, are in disquieting doubt about it.  So [Prophet] call people to that faith and follow the straight path as you have been commanded. Do not go by what they desire, but say, ‘I believe in whatever Scripture God has sent down. I am commanded to bring justice between you. God is our Lord and your Lord– to us our deeds and to you yours, so let there be no argument between us and you– God will gather us together, and to Him we shall return.’  As for those who argue about God after He has been acknowledged, their argument has no weight with their Lord: anger will fall upon them and agonizing torment awaits them.  It is God who has sent down the Scripture with Truth and the Balance.  How can you tell? The Last Hour may well be near: those who do not believe in it seek to hasten it, but the believers stand in awe of it. They know it to be the Truth; those who argue about the Hour are far, far astray.” (42:13-18)

“God is most subtle towards His creatures; He provides [bountifully] for whoever He will; He is the Powerful, the Almighty.  If anyone desires a harvest in the life to come, We shall increase it for him; if anyone desires a harvest in this world, We shall give him a share of it, but in the Hereafter he will have no share.” (42:19-20)

Fussilat: Made Distinct

“WE SHALL SHOW THEM OUR SIGNS IN EVERY REGION OF THE EARTH AND IN THEMSELVES, UNTIL IT BECOMES CLEAR TO THEM THAT THIS IS THE TRUTH.  IS IT NOT ENOUGH THAT YOUR LORD WITNESSES EVERYTHING?  TRULY, THEY DOUBT THAT THEY WILL MEET THEIR LORD; TRULY HE ENCOMPASSES EVERYTHING.” (41:53-54)

The above verses are the ending of the surah 41 (Made Distinct) and the ending of this reflection.  

In the following verses, I see the story of our lives.  We find tranquility in our companions.  We need the approval of our friends and family.  It is true.  But how many of us have ever reflected that “their” approval is not enough for “truths”.  We need to step out of the circle of our company and go to the opposite and the side and the above and the below and to the diagonal and the vertical and the horizontal to check out our truths.

“We have appointed, for the disbelievers, COMPANIONS WHO MAKE THEIR PAST AND PRESENT SEEM FAIR AND RIGHT TO THEM, but the sentence has already been passed on them, along with generations of jinn and men before them: they were losers.  The disbelievers say, ‘Do not listen to this Quran; drown it in frivolous talk: you may gain the upper hand.’  We shall certainly give the disbelievers a taste of severe punishment. We shall repay them according to their worst deeds– that is the reward of the enemies of God– the Fire will be their lasting home, a payment for their rejection of Our revelations.  The disbelievers will say, ‘Our Lord, show us those jinn and men who misled us and we shall trample them underfoot, so that they may be among the lowest of the low.’  As for those who say, ‘Our Lord is God,’ and take the straight path towards Him, the angels come down to them and say, ‘Have no fear or grief, but rejoice in the good news of Paradise, which you have been promised.  We are your allies in this world and in the world to come, where you will have everything you desire and ask for as a welcoming gift from the Most Forgiving, Most Merciful One.’” (41:25-32)

In the same surah (41: Fussilat, [Verses] Made Distinct), where God speaks of:

1)      Good and evil are distinct.  Repel evil with what is better.

2)      Our eyes, ears, skins will speak about our abusive behavior and negligence of God in the Day of Judgment.

3)      Don’t be deluded by identity politics and satisfaction in the approval of your companions.

God then expresses that God is never unjust to his creatures: every simple event is registered and counted, from our skins to a wheat coming out of its sheath:

“Whoever does good does it for his own soul and whoever does evil does it against his own soul: your Lord is never unjust to His creatures.  Knowledge of the Hour belongs solely to Him and no crop comes out of its sheath, nor does any female conceive or give birth, without His knowledge. On the Day He asks them, ‘Where are My partners?’ they will answer, ‘We admit to You that none of us can see [them]’: the gods they invoked before will have vanished away; they will know that there is no escape.” (41:46-48)

And in the same surah, where God expresses that good and evil are clearly distinct, and every single event is counted for, and our eyes, ears, and skins will testify about the way we lived, God again calls for reflection that after all these evidence, reflect what if the Quran is the Truth:

“Say [Prophet], ‘Have you ever thought, what if this revelation really is from God and you still reject it? Who could be more astray than someone who cuts himself off so far [from God]?’” (41:52)

And again, in the following verses that reveals the truth about the Truth that will be unfolded in our own self and in the world, God shows us how the truth is in the open and will come into open—as in our time.  This has been ringing in my ears for a long time now.

“We shall show them Our signs in every region of the earth and in themselves, until it becomes clear to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that your Lord witnesses everything?  Truly, they doubt that they will meet their Lord; truly He encompasses everything.” (41:53-54)

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.

______________________________________________

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.