– 59 –
ČOVJEKOVO ZNANJE O BOGU
MAN’S KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

1 Pitanje: – U kolikoj mjeri može čovjekovo shvaćanje pojmiti Boga? Question.—To what extent can the understanding of man comprehend God?
2 Odgovor: – To pitanje zahtijeva dosta vremena i objasniti to za stolom nije lako; ipak, govorit ćemo o tome ukratko. Answer.—This subject requires ample time, and to explain it thus at table is not easy; nevertheless, we will speak of it briefly.
3 Postoje dvije vrste znanja: znanje o suštini neke stvari i znanje o njezinim svojstvima. Suština stvari poznata je putem njezinih svojstava; inače je nepoznata i skrivena. Know that there are two kinds of knowledge: the knowledge of the essence of a thing and the knowledge of its qualities. The essence of a thing is known through its qualities; otherwise, it is unknown and hidden.
4 Budući da je naše znanje o stvarima, čak i o stvorenim i ograničenim stvarima, znanje o njihovim svojstvima, a ne o njihovoj suštini, kako je moguće pojmiti Božansku Stvarnost koja je neograničena, u svojoj biti? Jer urođena bit bilo čega ne može se pojmiti; mogu se pojmiti samo njezina svojstva. Na primjer, urođena bit sunca je nepoznata, no shvaća se uz pomoć njegovih svojstava, a to su toplina i svjetlo. Urođena bit čovjeka je nepoznata i nije očita, no uz pomoć njezinih svojstava ona se karakterizira i spoznaje. Tako se sve poznaje po svojim svojstvima, a ne po svojoj suš- tini. Premda um obuhvaća sve stvari, pa su i vanjska bića njime obuhvaćena, ipak su ta bića glede njihove biti nepoznata; ona se poznaju samo po svojim svojstvima. As our knowledge of things, even of created and limited things, is knowledge of their qualities and not of their essence, how is it possible to comprehend in its essence the Divine Reality, which is unlimited? For the inner essence of anything is not comprehended, but only its qualities. For example, the inner essence of the sun is unknown, but is understood by its qualities, which are heat and light. The inner essence of man is unknown and not evident, but by its qualities it is characterized and known. Thus everything is known by its qualities and not by its essence. Although the mind encompasses all things, and the outward beings are comprehended by it, nevertheless these beings with regard to their essence are unknown; they are only known with regard to their qualities.
5 Dakle, budući da se može vječni neprolazni Gospod, Kojega držimo oslobođenim poimanja i shvaćanja, spoznati putem Njegove biti? Drugim riječima, budući da se stvari poznaju samo po njihovim svojstvima, a ne po njihovoj biti, sigurno je da je Božanska Stvarnost nepoznata s obzirom na svoju bit, a poznata s obzirom na svoje pridjevke. Osim toga, kako pojavna stvarnost može obuhvatiti Prapostojeću Stvarnost? Jer poimanje je rezultat obuhvaćanja – obujmljivanja mora biti, da bi moglo biti poimanja – a Bit Jedinstva okružuje sve i nije okružena. Then how can the eternal everlasting Lord, Who is held sanctified from comprehension and conception, be known by His essence? That is to say, as things can only be known by their qualities and not by their essence, it is certain that the Divine Reality is unknown with regard to its essence and is known with regard to its attributes. Besides, how can the phenomenal reality embrace the Preexistent Reality? For comprehension is the result of encompassing—embracing must be, so that comprehension may be—and the Essence of Unity surrounds all and is not surrounded.
6 Razlika u stanjima u svijetu bića također je prepreka poimanju. Na primjer, ovaj mineral pripada mineralnom kraljevstvu; ma koliko se visoko uzdigao, on nikad neće pojmiti moć rasta. Biljke, drveće, ma kakav napredak postigle, ne mogu zamisliti moć vida ili moći ostalih osjetila; a životinja ne može zamisliti stanje čovjeka – tj., njegove duhovne moći. Razlika u stanjima prepreka je u znanju; niži stupanj ne može pojmiti viši. Kako onda može pojavna stvarnost pojmiti Prapostojeću Stvarnost? Poznavati Boga, stoga, znači poimanje i poznavanje Njegovih pridjevaka, a ne Njegove Stvarnosti. To poznavanje pridjevaka proporcionalno je potencijalu i moći čovjeka; ono nije apsolutno. Filozofija se sastoji u poimanju realnosti stvari kakve jesu, prema potencijalu i moći čovjeka. Jer pojavna stvarnost može pojmiti Prapostojeće pridjevke samo unutar granica ljudskog potencijala. Otajstvo Božanstva je oslobođeno i očišćeno od poimanja svih stvari, jer sve ono što se može zamisliti jest ono što čovjek razumije, a moć čovjekova razumijevanja ne obuhvaća Stvarnost Božanske Biti. Sve što čovjek može razumjeti jesu pridjevci Božanstva, zračenje koje se javlja i vidljivo je u svijetu i u dušama ljudi. Also the difference of conditions in the world of beings is an obstacle to comprehension. For example, this mineral belongs to the mineral kingdom; however far it may rise, it can never comprehend the power of growth. The plants, the trees, whatever progress they may make, cannot conceive of the power of sight or the powers of the other senses; and the animal cannot imagine the condition of man—that is to say, his spiritual powers. Difference of condition is an obstacle to knowledge; the inferior degree cannot comprehend the superior degree. How then can the phenomenal reality comprehend the Preexistent Reality? Knowing God, therefore, means the comprehension and the knowledge of His attributes, and not of His Reality. This knowledge of the attributes is also proportioned to the capacity and power of man; it is not absolute. Philosophy consists in comprehending the reality of things as they exist, according to the capacity and the power of man. For the phenomenal reality can comprehend the Preexistent attributes only to the extent of the human capacity. The mystery of Divinity is sanctified and purified from the comprehension of the beings, for all that comes to the imagination is that which man understands, and the power of the understanding of man does not embrace the Reality of the Divine Essence. All that man is able to understand are the attributes of Divinity, the radiance of which appears and is visible in the world and within men’s souls.
7 Kad pogledamo svijet i zavirimo u ljudske duše, vidimo čudesne znakove božanskih savršenstava, koji su jasni i očiti; jer realnost stvari dokazuje Univerzalnu Stvarnost. Stvarnost Božanstva može se usporediti sa Suncem, koje s visina svoje veličanstvenosti sja na sve horizonte; i svaki horizont i svaka duša prima dio njegova zračenja. Kad to svjetlo i te zrake ne bi postojali, ne bi postojala bića; sva bića izražavaju nešto i dionici su neke zrake i nekog dijela tog svjetla. Sjaj savršenosti, milosti i pridjevaka Božjih sja i zrači iz stvarnosti Savršenog Čovjeka – što znači Jedinstvenoga, vrhovne Objave Božje. Ostala bića primaju samo jednu zraku, no vrhovna je Objava zrcalo za to Sunce koje se pojavljuje i objavljuje u njemu sa svim savršenostima, pridjevcima, znakovima i čudima. When we look at the world and within men’s souls, we see wonderful signs of the divine perfections, which are clear and apparent; for the reality of things proves the Universal Reality. The Reality of Divinity may be compared to the sun, which from the height of its magnificence shines upon all the horizons; and each horizon, and each soul, receives a share of its radiance. If this light and these rays did not exist, beings would not exist; all beings express something and partake of some ray and portion of this light. The splendors of the perfections, bounties and attributes of God shine forth and radiate from the reality of the Perfect Man—that is to say, the Unique One, the supreme Manifestation of God. Other beings receive only one ray, but the supreme Manifestation is the mirror for this Sun, which appears and becomes manifest in it, with all its perfections, attributes, signs and wonders.
8 Znanje o Stvarnosti Božanstva nemoguće je i nedostižno, ali znanje o Božjim Objavama je znanje o Bogu, jer su blagodati, sjaj i božanske kvalitete očiti u Njima. Stoga, ako čovjek dosegne znanje o Božjim Objavama, postići će znanje o Bogu; a ako bi čovjek zanemario znanje Svetih Objava, bio bi lišen znanja o Bogu. Dakle, dokazano je i utvrđeno da su Svete Objave središte milosti, znakova i savršenosti Božjih. Blagoslovljeni bili oni koji primaju svjetlo božanskih milosti od prosvijetljenih točaka Osvita! The knowledge of the Reality of the Divinity is impossible and unattainable, but the knowledge of the Manifestations of God is the knowledge of God, for the bounties, splendors and divine attributes are apparent in Them. Therefore, if man attains to the knowledge of the Manifestations of God, he will attain to the knowledge of God; and if he be neglectful of the knowledge of the Holy Manifestations, he will be bereft of the knowledge of God. It is then ascertained and proved that the Holy Manifestations are the center of the bounty, signs and perfections of God. Blessed are those who receive the light of the divine bounties from the enlightened Dawning-points!
9 Nadamo se da će Prijatelji Božji, poput privlačne sile, izvući te milosti iz samoga izvora i da će se ponovno dići s takvom prosvijetljenošću i znakovima da će oni biti očigledni dokazi Sunca Stvarnosti. We hope that the Friends of God, like an attractive force, will draw these bounties from the source itself, and that they will arise with such illumination and signs that they will be evident proofs of the Sun of Reality.