Lesson 1 – Deity Means Pure Existence

This is a new series of lectures given by Sheikh Farrokh based on the book Gnosis of the Soul by Ayatullah Hassanzadeh Amoli.

The first lecture is about existence and the existence of God using the language of human nature (fitrah) allowing all human beings regardless of religion to understand the existence of God.

The book starts with this paragraph that can be an abridged summary of the 150 lessons covered in the book:

“That which is perceived is existence. We exist and other than us whatever is exists. We are nothing but existence. Have nothing but existence. Perceive nothing but existence. And see nothing but existence. The opposite of existence is non-existence which is nothingness. Does not exist. It is not any thing and so cannot be perceived in the first place in the external realm of reality. Even discussing or conceiving it, i.e. mentally, can only be done under the umbrella of existence. Existence is the source of and the origin to infinite vast array of emanations, actualizations and manifestations. Whatever emanates, actualizes, or manifests in reality must have done so through existence, not non-existence. This principal is the most self-evident of principals. In short, other than existence, there is nothing. All is and all manifestations arise through existence. Existence runs the order of the universe. It is rather the universe per se.”

Gnosis of the Soul