We can perceive something because of its properties, qualities, and attributes but cannot have access to its reality and the real existences that underlie the appearance To elucidate this let us consider this one thing from everyday life. There lives a person named Mr. X. It is the characteristics of Mr. X that he is a very gentle, generous, and kindhearted person who shares the problems of others. Contrary to him, character-wise, there is another person Named Mr. Y who is harsh cruel, has a superiority complex, creates troubles for others, and likes to tease his fellow beings. When we happen to mention these two persons because of their habits and characteristics their personalities can be easily identified but what actually Mr. X and Y are we are not sure about that. It is quite possible that today’s Mr. X undergoes a personality transformation and become what he is not today. This is also possible that Mr. Y changes and starts helping others become polite and kindhearted. One may have an idea about the personality of the same one in view of his habits and characteristics but what qualities one actually possesses and what actually he is, it is difficult to say something with certainty. Because of the moods. Characteristics and qualities keep on varying but the actual self; the real being of a person seldom changes. If today Mr. X is a soft polite and kindhearted person and in future he becomes a harsh and difficult-to-deal-with person then this, in fact, would be a change in his qualities and characteristic only but the person would remain the same Mr. X. He was Mr. X when he was a kind and polite person and when he became a harsh and strict person he was still Mr. X.
Law: – Modes of identification and recognition are predetermined. One of them is to identify something because of its qualities and apparent characteristics and the other is to recognize something because of its intrinsic character, its real being, and the actual self.
Example: – Let us consider the example of a piece of iron. When we happen to mention the properties of iron, in fact, we think about various things which possess the properties of iron. A knife is manufactured from iron and the railway track is also manufactured from iron. The knife manufactured from iron, besides the properties of iron has its own properties as well. This knife is used for peeling and slicing fruits and vegetable and can be used for many other useful and constructive things. The same knife can also be used for stabbing someone. One of the properties of water is that it satiates thirst. Another property of water is that because of it we generate hydro-electrical power. Although we know about various uses of water, what is water in actual fact? In fact, we do not yet know much about it. Although the scientists have identified the elements which constitute the water when compounded, the water prepared in a laboratory could not be declared as good as the natural water.
Human knowledge, philosophies, reason and intellect might be able to explore the properties, qualities and attributes of one thing but to find out the real essence and the real existence underlying the appearance is beyond the range of human conscious and intellect. What, actually, is water? What are its real constituents? This fact is revealed upon those who being the spiritual heirs of Holy Prophet (PBUH) are the vicegerents of God.
When we invent something the expenses, sometimes, exceeds billions and trillions of rupees but still the harms remains more than the benefits sought. Our inventions lack in harmony and balance of their constructiveness and progress. The wonderful inventions of modern age have left us bewildered because of their enchanting novelties and it is said that science is advancing, man has achieved the excellence and perfected his knowledge and has conquered time and space but the fact is that all our inventions are related with those things that already existed on the earth. Our inventions could not benefit us as much as it was expected from them because our knowledge is limited. What is the real substance, the real existence underlying the appearance and the significance of an object, after its properties were taken into consideration; we have not paid any attention to this. Labyrinths of properties, apparent qualities and attributes cannot trap a spiritual person. He uses them as medium of his advancement or light to guide him. He remains in pursuit of that absolute being which is the real source and root-cause of every energy. In the lessons of meta-physical science it is very much stressed and its students are made to note is carefully that the attributes are only a reflections and the reflection is always temporary in its existence.
Wherever the attributes have been mentioned in the holy books and divine scriptures God has declared these attributes as His signs so that the Absolute Being existing behind the attributes could be explored with deliberated contemplation. In different times different methods have been determined to explore the attributes and this also is right that religions, too, have supported these methods but no book has declared the attributes as the ultimate target and aim.
The first and basic thing, amongst these methods, is to concentrate, that is, for acquiring a particular knowledge one is required to focus ones attention concentrative on one predetermined point making one oblivious of the existing views and knowledge about that thing. For teaching to develop ones concentrative abilities many methods like yoga, breathing exercises, hypnotism, mesmerism, telepathy, Muraqbah (transcendental meditation) etc. have been devised. When the purposefulness and benefits of these exercises are taken into consideration it is concluded that one is desirous of observing that real being within oneself which is the basis and root-cause of every attribute. Or to say, one intends to get that perception activated in oneself, which could enable him to behold the ultimate and real existence underlying the attributes.