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Pitanje: – Koliko je vrsta prapostojanja i pojava? |
Question.—How many kinds of preexistence and of phenomena are there? |
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Odgovor: – Neki mudraci i filozofi vjeruju da postoje dvije vrste prapostojanja: suštinsko prapostojanje i prapostojanje vremena. Također postoje dvije vrste pojava, suš- tinske pojave i pojave vremena. |
Answer.—Some sages and philosophers believe that there are two kinds of preexistence: essential preexistence and preexistence of time. Phenomena are also of two kinds, essential phenomena and that of time. |
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Suštinsko prapostojanje je postojanje kojem ne prethodi uzrok, dok suštinskim pojavama prethode uzroci. Prapostojanje vremena je bez početka, ali pojave vremena imaju početke i svršetke; jer postojanje svega ovisi o mnogim uzrocima – djelotvornom uzroku, materiji, obliku i konačnoj svrsi. Na primjer, ovaj stolac ima tvorca koji je tesar, tvar od koje je načinjen je drvo, ima oblik stolca i svrhu da bude korišten za sjedenje. Stoga je ovaj stolac u biti pojavan, jer mu prethodi uzrok i njegovo postojanje ovisi o uzrocima. To se naziva suštinskim i stvarno pojavnim. |
Essential preexistence is an existence which is not preceded by a cause, but essential phenomena are preceded by causes. Preexistence of time is without beginning, but the phenomena of time have beginnings and endings; for the existence of everything depends upon four causes—the efficient cause, the matter, the form and the final cause. For example, this chair has a maker who is a carpenter, a substance which is wood, a form which is that of a chair, and a purpose which is that it is to be used as a seat. Therefore, this chair is essentially phenomenal, for it is preceded by a cause, and its existence depends upon causes. This is called the essential and really phenomenal. |
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Dakle ovaj je svijet postojanja u odnosu na svoga tvorca stvarna pojava. Budući da duh održava tijelo, ono je u odnosu na duh suštinska pojava. Duh je neovisan o tijelu i u odnosu na njega duh je suštinsko prapostojanje. Premda su zrake uvijek neodvojive od sunca, sunce je prapostojeće, a zrake su pojavne, jer postojanje zraka ovisi o postojanju sunca. Ali postojanje sunca ne ovisi o postojanju zraka, jer sunce je davatelj, a zrake su dar. |
Now this world of existence in relation to its maker is a real phenomenon. As the body is sustained by the spirit, it is in relation to the spirit an essential phenomenon. The spirit is independent of the body, and in relation to it the spirit is an essential preexistence. Though the rays are always inseparable from the sun, nevertheless, the sun is preexistent and the rays are phenomenal, for the existence of the rays depends upon that of the sun. But the existence of the sun does not depend upon that of the rays, for the sun is the giver and the rays are the gift. |
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Sljedeća pretpostavka jest da su i postojanje i nepostojanje relativni. Kad bi se reklo da je neka stvar nastala iz nepostojanja, to se ne odnosi na apsolutno nepostojanje, nego znači da je njezino ranije stanje u odnosu na sadašnje stanje bilo ništavilo. Jer apsolutno ništavilo ne može prijeći u postojanje, budući da nema nikakvog potencijala postojanja. Čovjek, kao i mineral, postoji; ali je postojanje minerala u odnosu na postojanje čovjeka ništavilo, jer kad se tijelo čovjeka raspadne – postaje prah i mineral. No, kad prah uznapreduje do ljudskog svijeta, ovo mrtvo tijelo oživi, čovjek započne postojati. Premda prah – to jest, mineral – ima postojanje u svom vlastitom stanju, u odnosu na čovjeka to je ništavilo. Oba postoje, no postojanje praha i minerala u odnosu na čovjeka su nepostojanje i ništavilo; jer kad čovjek prestane postojati, vraća se prahu i mineralu. |
The second proposition is that existence and nonexistence are both relative. If it be said that such a thing came into existence from nonexistence, this does not refer to absolute nonexistence, but means that its former condition in relation to its actual condition was nothingness. For absolute nothingness cannot find existence, as it has not the capacity of existence. Man, like the mineral, is existing; but the existence of the mineral in relation to that of man is nothingness, for when the body of man is annihilated it becomes dust and mineral. But when dust progresses into the human world, and this dead body becomes living, man becomes existing. Though the dust—that is to say, the mineral—has existence in its own condition, in relation to man it is nothingness. Both exist, but the existence of dust and mineral, in relation to man, is nonexistence and nothingness; for when man becomes nonexistent, he returns to dust and mineral. |
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Zato, premda prolazni svijet postoji, u odnosu na postojanje Boga on je nepostojeći i ništavan. I čovjek i prah postoje, ali golema je razlika između postojanja čovjeka i postojanja minerala! Jedno je naspram drugoga nepostojanje. Na isti način, postojanje stvaranja u odnosu na postojanje Boga jest nepostojanje. Tako je jasno i očito da premda bića postoje, u odnosu na Boga i Riječ Božju ona su nepostojeća. To je početak i kraj Riječi Božje, Koja kaže: “Ja sam Alfa i Omega”; On je početak i kraj Milosti. Tvorac je uvijek imao stvaranje; zrake su uvijek sjale i blistale iz sunčeve stvarnosti, jer bez zraka sunce bi bilo neprozirna tama. Imena i pridjevci Božji traže postojanje bića, a Vječna Milost ne prestaje. Kad bi prestala, bilo bi to protivno savršenostima Božjim. |
Therefore, though the world of contingency exists, in relation to the existence of God it is nonexistent and nothingness. Man and dust both exist, but how great the difference between the existence of the mineral and that of man! The one in relation to the other is nonexistence. In the same way, the existence of creation in relation to the existence of God is nonexistence. Thus it is evident and clear that although the beings exist, in relation to God and to the Word of God they are nonexistent. This is the beginning and the end of the Word of God, Who says: “I am Alpha and Omega”; for He is the beginning and the end of Bounty. The Creator always had a creation; the rays have always shone and gleamed from the reality of the sun, for without the rays the sun would be opaque darkness. The names and attributes of God require the existence of beings, and the Eternal Bounty does not cease. If it were to, it would be contrary to the perfections of God. |
