Bezels of Wisdom (fusus al-hikam) Reading Group (Session 12): The chapter of Ishmael
Based on this session, something occurs to me that I should've said in relation to the dark side of wahdat al-wujud. Throughout scripture we read "fear God" (اتق الله) (ittaqi allah). What is usually translated as "fear" also has the following denotations:
The root و-ق-ي (w-q-y) conveys the idea of guarding, protecting, or being cautious. When used in the context of "اتق الله," it implies a state of being aware of God's presence and being careful to live in a way that aligns with divine guidance.
This concept is often translated into English as "God consciousness" or "piety." It encompasses several layers:
1. Fear of God (taqwa): This is not just fear in the conventional sense but a reverence and awe of God's majesty and power, leading one to avoid actions that would displease It. This is the normal pietistic approach.
2. Mindfulness of God: Being constantly aware that God is watching and knowing everything one does. This awareness influences a person's actions and decisions, steering them towards righteousness. This is the basic ethical approach.
3. Piety and Righteousness: Living a life in accordance with God's commandments, striving to do good, and avoiding sin. It includes both external actions and internal states of the heart. This is the basic mystical approach at the beginning of a Path.
4. Protection and Safeguarding: The idea of protecting oneself from God's displeasure by adhering to divine guidance. This involves both avoiding prohibited actions and engaging in prescribed duties. This is the standard religious approach.
In summary, "اتق الله" (ittaqi allah) encourages believers to live with a deep consciousness of God, which manifests in their behavior, ethics, and spirituality. It is a comprehensive term that combines fear, reverence, mindfulness, and piety. So some have begun translating the concept as "God-consciousness" rather just "fear".
Now, from the perspective of wahdat al-wujud, which is the approach of the gnostic, there is yet another layer of what is going on here as well. We said that that once a chain of causality is unleashed, it cannot be stopped because this chain of causality becomes a modality of the Hidden Treasure knowing itself from there on out, i.e. that karma must burn itself out and cannot be stopped. Given this, "fearing God" takes on a different hue of meaning with the gnostic, and esp. given what we learned in the chapter of Ishmael. So "fearing God" in the context of the Unity of Being is being extremely conscious of our own actions and/or the negative causalities that we unleash into the world because once they are God will not stop them. Therefore, fearing God here also denotes being conscious of such a divine dynamic in real time. This now also glosses on the meaning of a famous prayer of the Prophet (ص) Who said:
The root و-ق-ي (w-q-y) conveys the idea of guarding, protecting, or being cautious. When used in the context of "اتق الله," it implies a state of being aware of God's presence and being careful to live in a way that aligns with divine guidance.
This concept is often translated into English as "God consciousness" or "piety." It encompasses several layers:
1. Fear of God (taqwa): This is not just fear in the conventional sense but a reverence and awe of God's majesty and power, leading one to avoid actions that would displease It. This is the normal pietistic approach.
2. Mindfulness of God: Being constantly aware that God is watching and knowing everything one does. This awareness influences a person's actions and decisions, steering them towards righteousness. This is the basic ethical approach.
3. Piety and Righteousness: Living a life in accordance with God's commandments, striving to do good, and avoiding sin. It includes both external actions and internal states of the heart. This is the basic mystical approach at the beginning of a Path.
4. Protection and Safeguarding: The idea of protecting oneself from God's displeasure by adhering to divine guidance. This involves both avoiding prohibited actions and engaging in prescribed duties. This is the standard religious approach.
In summary, "اتق الله" (ittaqi allah) encourages believers to live with a deep consciousness of God, which manifests in their behavior, ethics, and spirituality. It is a comprehensive term that combines fear, reverence, mindfulness, and piety. So some have begun translating the concept as "God-consciousness" rather just "fear".
Now, from the perspective of wahdat al-wujud, which is the approach of the gnostic, there is yet another layer of what is going on here as well. We said that that once a chain of causality is unleashed, it cannot be stopped because this chain of causality becomes a modality of the Hidden Treasure knowing itself from there on out, i.e. that karma must burn itself out and cannot be stopped. Given this, "fearing God" takes on a different hue of meaning with the gnostic, and esp. given what we learned in the chapter of Ishmael. So "fearing God" in the context of the Unity of Being is being extremely conscious of our own actions and/or the negative causalities that we unleash into the world because once they are God will not stop them. Therefore, fearing God here also denotes being conscious of such a divine dynamic in real time. This now also glosses on the meaning of a famous prayer of the Prophet (ص) Who said:
I take refuge in God from God!
اعوذ بالله مِن الله
اعوذ بالله مِن الله
