The Necessity of Self-Knowledge and Divine Signs
Without self-knowledge, the knowledge of God lacks any rational and substantial meaning. One who speaks of theology without first knowing themselves does nothing but play with words, merely amusing themselves with empty terms. It is true that God, the Glorified, explicitly declares in His Book that He manifests His signs to humanity both in the horizons and within their own souls. Naturally, it is evident that the macrocosmic signs of the Truth pertain to the objective world external to the human being, whereas the microcosmic signs must be sought within the inner depths of the human soul. However, within the divine utterance of the Blessed and Exalted Truth, there lies a profoundly subtle and delicate point that must never be overlooked.
The Hierarchical Dichotomy of Internal and External
There is no doubt that a certain dichotomy exists between the internal and the external. Consequently, the signs of the horizons and the souls are also recognized in contrast to one another. Yet, one must never presume that the dichotomy between the horizons and the souls—or what is termed external and internal—is a type of opposition where the two sides are situated horizontally (in parallel), being deemed equal, equivalent, and of the same rank. Rather, this is a form of opposition in which the two sides, instead of being horizontal to each other, are positioned longitudinally (hierarchically) and are thus recognized as unequal.
The Superiority of the Esoteric Realm and Meanings
Undoubtedly, the vastness and expansiveness of the realm of meanings far exceed the domain of the realm of words. The superiority of the world of meanings over the realm of words lies in the fact that the esoteric world is perpetually recognized as more expansive than the world of words and letters. Certain theosophical thinkers maintain that wherever human perception and intuition may reach, meaning always remains two steps ahead. Accordingly, it can be stated that the realm of meanings is invariably broader than the realm of words and letters, and the esoteric world is consistently regarded as greater than the exoteric world. A great, tasteful, and highly gifted Persian poet prior to Hafez has remarked on this subject:
You are in the world, yet you are greater than the world,
Like the meaning contained within an utterance.
This poet beholds their beloved within the world, yet considers them to be far greater than the world itself.
In light of what has been discussed here, it can be posited that the vastness and expanse of the microcosm (the world of souls) far exceed the scope of the macrocosm (the world of horizons). Therefore, despite being recognized as mutually contrasting, the macrocosmic signs and the microcosmic signs are neither equal nor of the same rank; rather, the microcosmic signs are considered superior to the macrocosmic signs.
Hafez-e Ma’navi [The Spiritual Hafez] / Volume One / Pages 57-58
4. Notes and References
[1] The text draws its core reference and is excerpted from: Hafez-e Ma’navi [The Spiritual Hafez], Volume One, Pages 57-58.
