Attracting Knowledge

When your hearts are wholly attracted to the one true God you will acquire divine knowledge, will become attentive to the proofs and testimonies and will commit to memory the glad-tidings concerning the Manifestation of the Beauty of the All-Merciful, as mentioned in the heavenly Scriptures. Then ye shall behold how wondrous are His confirmations and how gracious is His assistance.

(‘Abdu’l-Baha, From a Tablet - translated from the Persian) (The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, p. 194)

Last post presented the theme that there are three types and modes of knowledge: knowledge of things gained from perception and evidence, effort and striving; intuitive knowledge, which is simply given, an endowment, a gift deposited in the soul; and divine knowledge which is the special attribute of the Manifestations of God. 

The circle of knowledge gained from effort and study is very limited, due to constraints of time, energy, opportunity, and inborn mental acuity of the individual’s natural intellect, but attainment can be reached.  ‘Abdu’l-Baha says of this knowledge: “The knowledge of things which men universally have is gained by reflection or by evidence—that is to say, either by the power of the mind the conception of an object is formed, or from beholding an object the form is produced in the mirror of the heart.” (Some Answered Questions: 157)  That is, through various forms of inquiry and trial and error, knowledge of the world and of ourselves is built up.

Intuitive knowledge as self-knowledge is the real foundation of human knowledge and learning, especially of human nature and self-consciousness.  Though there is no attainment to this knowledge in the sense that no amount of knowledge gained by effort and striving results in intuitive self-understanding—we are simply born with this capacity—achievements of deeper understanding are, of course, possible as self-awareness awakens and unfolds as a natural result of maturing.

Divine knowledge is given to humanity in the form of a Revelation. Attaining to it is a consequence of opening the heart in a spirit of faith. While divine knowledge can be “acquired”, this is so in a different sense from what we ordinarily mean when we speak of acquiring knowledge.  Acquiring divine knowledge does not start in a separation from mind and what it wants to know objectively “out there” and move toward incorporation or assimilation, like the knowledge of the world gained from effort and perseverance.  Rather it starts within the union of heart and what it wants to love.  The heart does this by acquiring knowledge of what it loves.

Now the heart can love all things.  Knowledge of all creation is in the soul.   In a statement I have often used, Baha’u’llah quotes the Imam Ali: “Dost thou reckon thyself only a puny form, when within thee the universe is folded?” (The Seven Valleys: 34)  The first and fundamental question, then, is not how is knowledge acquired or generated, but, rather, how is it released to become conscious?  Acquiring knowledge connotes the stage of achieving consciousness of knowledge.  Once attaining any stage of knowing further knowledge can be generated from discoveries made with knowledge.

Likewise, knowledge of God, along with love of God, is “infused” into the human reality, (See Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah: 177).  Thus, there is a built in attraction of the heart for God.  This allows the heart to reciprocate the love He had for us. Baha’u’llah wrote, using the Voice of God: “I loved thy creation, hence I created thee.” (The Arabic Hidden Words #4)  This reciprocal and innate attraction and connection can be likened to that of the seed to the light it feels above it.

The heart, then, attracts knowledge of any sort.  It attracts spiritual knowledge when attracted to the divine realm, which means that when the heart and Spirit are connected the divine knowledge already within the heart gushes forth, like the water flowing from the rock when Moses tapped His rod on it. (Book of Numbers 20:8-11) ‘Abdu’l-Baha uses the analogy of the sun and mirror and the requirements of the relation that binds them together, saying “for the connection which exists between the reality of things, whether they be spiritual or material, requires that when the mirror is clear and faces the sun, the light of the sun must become apparent in it.” (Some Answered Questions: 201)  Let us examine the conditions of this relation, which the Master calls in other places “direct connection”.

First, divine knowledge can only be acquired through the power of attraction to the supernal realm.  It is founded in love and thus the heart is the central organ of intelligence that operates here, not the natural intellect which pursues knowledge.  Remember, ‘Abdu’l-Baha stated that “by effort and perseverance, knowledge, science and other perfections can be acquired; but only the light of the Divine Beauty can transport and move the spirits through the force of attraction.” (Some Answered Questions: 130)

If knowledge is attracted then it is an existing reality awaiting discovery and revelation.   It is an inherent part of the creation, even, in the form of love, the power binding all the aspects and parts of creation together.  The Master wrote: “Love is the cause of God's revelation unto man, the vital bond inherent, in accordance with the divine creation, in the realities of things…. Love is the most great law that ruleth this mighty and heavenly cycle, the unique power that bindeth together the divers elements of this material world, the supreme magnetic force that directeth the movements of the spheres in the celestial realms. Love revealeth with unfailing and limitless power the mysteries latent in the universe.” (Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha: 27)

Knowledge, especially divine or sacred knowledge, appears in the heart via “direct connection”.  Divine knowledge is attained only by one in the spirit of faith.  Again the Master tells us: “The human spirit which distinguishes man from the animal is the rational soul, and these two names—the human spirit and the rational soul—designate one thing. This spirit, which in the terminology of the philosophers is the rational soul, embraces all beings, and as far as human ability permits discovers the realities of things and becomes cognizant of their peculiarities and effects, and of the qualities and properties of beings. But the human spirit, unless assisted by the spirit of faith, does not become acquainted with the divine secrets and the heavenly realities. It is like a mirror which, although clear, polished and brilliant, is still in need of light. Until a ray of the sun reflects upon it, it cannot discover the heavenly secrets.” (Some Answered Questions: 2018-209)

The spirit of faith operates through a special faculty of knowing in the heart.  But this is the heart in its higher aspect, not that heart mentioned earlier that operates as one of the natural modes of knowing operating to acquire the knowledge of things through thought and evidence that humans universally have.  This is a consciousness that ‘Abdu’l-Baha calls objective or “discerning faith.” (Baha'i World Faith: 364)

In its higher aspect, the heart is the seat of the spirit.  Through it the human intelligence receives divine knowledge.   Next post will discuss why all knowledge has always existed.