The Theosophists and the Súfís are divided into two branches: one,
comprising the mass, who, simply in the spirit of imitation, believe
pantheism without comprehending the meaning of their renowned savants; for
the mass of the Súfís believe that the signification of Being is general
existence, taken substantively, which is comprehended by the reason and
the intelligence—that is to say, that man comprehends it. Instead of that,
this general existence is one of the accidents which penetrate the reality
of beings, and the qualities of beings are the essence. This accidental
existence, which is dependent on beings, is like other properties of
things which depend on them. It is an accident among accidents, and
certainly that which is the essence is superior to that which is the
accident. For the essence is the origin, and the accident is the
consequence; the essence is dependent on itself, and the accident is
dependent on something else—that is to say, it needs an essence upon which
to depend. In this case, God would be the consequence of the creature. He
would have need of it, and it would be independent of Him.
For example, each time that the isolated elements combine conformably to
the divine universal system, one being among beings comes into the world.
That is to say, that when certain elements combine, a vegetable existence
is produced; when others combine, it is an animal; again others combine,
and they produce different creatures. In this case, the existence of
things is the consequence of their reality: how could it be that this
existence, which is an accident among accidents, and necessitates another
essence upon which it depends, should be the Preexistent Essence, the
Author of all things?
But the initiated savants of the Theosophists and Súfís, who have studied
this question, think there are two categories of existence. One is general
existence, which is understood by the human intelligence; this is a
phenomenon, an accident among accidents, and the reality of the things is
the essence. But pantheism does not apply to this general and imaginary
existence, but only to the Veritable Existence, freed and sanctified from
all other interpretation; through It all things exist, and It is the Unity
through which all things have come into the world, such as matter, energy
and this general existence which is comprehended by the human mind. Such
is the truth of this question according to the Theosophists and the Súfís.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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