(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken at Dreyfus home in Paris, 1911-Nov-10 -- ABU0054)
The limits of comprehension and the possibility of discovery
the lower is unable to comprehend the higher
Editorial introduction
A flower may know nothing of the person who stands beside it, and its ignorance changes nothing about that person’s existence. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá returns often to this quiet observation because it unsettles a common assumption, that whatever lies beyond our perception must be unreal. The stone cannot conceive of growth, the plant cannot imagine sight, the animal cannot enter the world of intellect; each, if it could speak, would deny the kingdom above it. The unborn child, too, has no notion of the world awaiting it. Yet the teaching is not a counsel of resignation. Rational evidence, signs in creation and the growth of the spirit open real if partial windows, and the soul that rises beyond this life will see what it now only infers. Paul writes of things no eye has seen being made known through the Spirit [1], a kindred hope. Such humility steadies the mind for further steps: toward the way the higher embraces the lower, toward the limits of language and intellect, and toward the unknowable Essence of God.
Selected passages
If the inability of a thing which occupies a lower rank of existence to perceive that which occupies a higher rank was itself indicative of the [non-]existence of that higher rank, then in the estimation of an animal, all the degrees of a person's intellect and perfections would be inscrutable and imperceptible.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken on 1913-Apr-13 in Budapest -- ABU3717)
Man's spirit comprehends the realities of kingdoms which have no knowledge of him, even as the child in the womb has no knowledge of exterior existence; nevertheless, the mother comprehends the child's existence. The superior kingdom understands the inferior, but that the inferior comprehends it is no proof of the non-existence of the superior kingdom. In the human world, if we do not understand the divine world, is that a proof that the world of God does not exist?
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá -- ABU0819)
The people of the world say: 'Where is the immortal world? When we look about us we do not see it. We only see the world of elements.' Therefore the Prophet says: 'Those in the station below cannot see the station above.' We are in this room, we cannot see beyond the ceiling. We are downstairs, we cannot see upstairs.
For example: The mineral kingdom has no knowledge of the vegetable kingdom. The vegetable kingdom knows nothing of the animal kingdom. Nor is it possible that it should know of the animal, because it -- the vegetable -- is of a lower grade; the animal is in the higher condition.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken in late Aug./early Sept. 1911 in Vevey -- ABU0495)
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at Parsons home on 1912-Nov-10 -- ABU0102)
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1910-Jan-07, to Ostburg, George E et al -- AB00409)
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Lawh-i-Dr Forel (Tablet to Dr Forel), 1921-Sep-21, to Auguste Forel -- AB00020)
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1921-May-01, to Mr A A Dan Zidgiz -- AB00103)
That which exists in a lower rank cannot comprehend, much less inquire about, that which exists in a rank above it. Consider the ranks of mineral, plant, animal and man. However much the mineral might progress to the zenith of its perfection, it can never comprehend the reality of the plant, nor its attributes and perfections; rather its ascent and progress remain within the realm wherein it was created, according to that rank and station.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1898-Jun-05, to Siyyid Ali (Pilgrim) -- AB00247)
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 59, Man's Comprehension of God, 1904 ca. -- AB00395)
Consider minerals that are but one of the effulgent rays of creation and constitute the lowest level of this world. No matter how they are perfected, they can never hope to attain unto the station of vegetables. And similarly, vegetables can never develop senses, nor can animals ever aspire to gain rational faculties and command exhibited by men. All the attributes of minerals are limited to the world of minerals, and the vegetables are bounded by their own limitations, as are the animals. They are all confined within the scope of their category of existence. Therefore, creation is hierarchical, and each level is incapable of understanding the higher realm.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to the friends spoken around Dec. 1907 -- ABU0398)
That which is lower cannot perceive the higher. The mineral cannot understand or feel the plant; plants cannot understand or perceive the animals; and animals cannot comprehend man.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá -- ABU0974)
For example, this tree which belongeth to the vegetable kingdom, no matter how much it may progress and acquire freshness and delicacy, can never become aware of the human realm - this is beyond its comprehension.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1913-Aug-11, to George Jacob Augur -- AB01391)
For example, the mineral kingdom, howsoever it may advance, can never conceive of the vegetable kingdom, although both are accidental or created. The vegetable kingdom, howsoever it may advance, can never have any knowledge of the animal kingdom, and can never conceive of the human kingdom, because the animal grade and the human kingdom are above the vegetable kingdom. For instance, a flower can have no knowledge of mind, reason or spirit. The animal, howsoever it may advance, cannot know consciously the human kingdom, cannot conceive of the intellect or of the processes of reason, because the human degree or kingdom is above it, though both are accidental or created.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken on 1912-Oct-10 in San Francisco -- ABU0590)
The lesser can never comprehend the greater; nor the lower comprehend the higher. The mineral cannot comprehend the vegetable, nor the vegetable the animal, not the animal comprehend the man. The animal has no idea of the spiritual life in man.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken ca. 1912-Apr-22 in Washington -- ABU1868)
All phenomena excepting man, whether major or minor, are possessed of one aspect. For example, consider the vegetable kingdom. One piece of ground is fertile, producing fruits and flowers; another produces only thorns and thistles, while another is sterile or desert-like, producing no plants.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken on 1912-Oct-04 in San Francisco -- ABU0214)
Coming to the human Kingdom we observe that the uneducated and uncivilized men are similar to the wild tribes of Africa - lower than the animals. We see that the animal does not tear to pieces and devour those of his own kind but in Africa cannibalism still is practiced in certain parts.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to H.E.H et al, spoken on 1913-Nov-03 -- ABU0605)
Similarly the animal, steeped in the faculty of sense perception does not comprehend the world of intellect. In its own language it cries out: where is the world of intellect? In like manner the unspiritual man denies the Immortality of the soul. Why? Because he is living in an inferior degree. Just as the cow denies the existence of the intellect the materialist negates the immorality of the soul.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to the friends, spoken on 1914-Mar-27 -- ABU0371)
For even as the plant imagines life ends with itself and has no knowledge of our existence, so the materially-minded man has no knowledge of other worlds of consciousness.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá -- ABU1155)
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at All Saints Unitarian Church on 1912-Apr-26 -- ABU0196)
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at Unitarian church on 1912-Jun-09 -- ABU0030)
Although the mineral, vegetable, animal and human are all realities of this world, the difference between their stations prevents the lower from comprehending the higher. In view of this, how could a contingent being comprehend the reality of the Absolute?
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken at St. John Westminster, 1911-Sep-16 (second public address in the West) -- ABU0445)
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Chapter 37, The Connection between God and His Manifestations, 1904 ca. -- AB00105)
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken at Dreyfus home in Paris, 1911-Oct-20 -- ABU0061)
...the reality of Divinity in its fullness cannot be comprehended within human capacity, for that which proceeds from minds and thoughts is limited while the reality of Divinity is unlimited. What is clear and evident are His manifest signs which have set the world of being in motion. But the reality of Divinity is sanctified and exalted above the comprehension of all created things.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to James Morton -- AB00657)
(Bahá’u’lláh, Javahiru'l-Asrar (Gems of Divine Mysteries), to Haji Siyyid Muhammad Mujtahid Isfahani -- BH00012)
No lower thing can comprehend what is above it - just as the stone and tree, no matter how much they progress, cannot comprehend the reality of the animal, and the animal, no matter how much it progresses, cannot comprehend the reality of man. Thus man, no matter how much he progresses, cannot fathom the reality of the Word of God.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1909-Apr-08, to Rev Hartly -- AB04805)
Prophets do not comprehend the God Essence. To comprehend the Sun of Reality we would have to be greater (than the Sun). In order to comprehend the Essence of God a Prophet would have to encompass the Infinite.
The lower can never comprehend the higher, but the higher can comprehend the lower.
The Mirror of the Prophet cannot expand sufficiently to comprehend the Infinite. The Prophet would have to encompass the Essence in order to comprehend It.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to some Indians, spoken on 1912-Oct-11(?) -- ABU2924)
Every being lower in the scale of creation is incapable of comprehending the stages transcending its own. … By the same reasoning, when we consider the human kingdom, we realize that man is incapable of perceiving the world of the soul, which an immaterial reality. He has no knowledge thereof save through rational evidences. But when we enter the world of the spirit, we will see that the soul unquestionably exists, and that it is a luminous and eternal reality.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at Theosophical Society on 1912-May-26 -- ABU0205)
Similarly is man's condition in the womb of this world. When he hastens to the other world, he observes that he has been delivered from a narrow and dark world and has entered into the divine world. If in this merciful existence that universal spiritual existence remains unknown and unrecognized, let there be no wonder or astonishment, for every lower realm is unaware of the higher realm, just as the fetus in the womb is unaware of this world. When it transfers to the higher world it becomes aware and perceives, but before transfer, conception and comprehension are impossible.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1909-Mar-01, to Aqa Abdu'l-Ali Quchani (Ishqabad) -- AB00188)
Concerning what occurreth after man ascendeth from this contingent world to the realm of the placeless - all the conditions of Heaven and Hell are spiritual in nature, although that world is not separated from this world. Its separation, in truth and meaning, is like the separation of the human kingdom from the kingdom of the mineral, for the mineral is unaware of the human world.
As for the unveiling of the beauty of the Holy Manifestations at the time of ascending to the limitless worlds, this pertaineth to the fact that the world of physical senses and material perceptions is metaphorical while the world of the spirit is reality itself.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1914-Mar-05, to Hajar -- AB03862)
When the soul of man ascends to the bountiful realm, it certainly unveils this physical world, for every higher station unveils the station below it, but a lower station cannot unveil a higher station. … But the mineral world has no knowledge of man's pure world.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1920-Aug-19, to Shahriyar Isfandyar Parsi -- AB00576)
Thus we observe that these various Kingdoms of Life are fed upon each other; but they have no conscious knowledge about each other's existence. Hence the inferior degree is entirely out of touch with the superior degree, but the upper can look down upon the lower and help it. that is why while we are living in this world we are not informed of the existence of the Spiritual world but the dwellers of the Spiritual world know about us and can assist and help us.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken on 1913-Aug-24 in Ramleh -- ABU1154)
Further quotations · supplied wording and references
If one looks with the eye of reality it will be found that an inferior being can never perceive the superior even though it may progress to the supreme apex of its existence.
('Abdu'l-Baha, provisional translation, LOI2.99-117, MKT1:098)
If in this uterine world he remaineth unconscious and unaware of that all-embracing spiritual world, one should not be astonished or perplexed, because every inferior world is unaware of the reality of the worlds above it, just as the embryo in the womb is unaware of this world. When it is transferred to this loftier condition, however, it will become aware and perceptive, although before transferal such understanding and perception was impossible.
AvK1.202; PC00508
When the soul of man ascendeth to the world of heavenly bestowals it will certainly lift off the veil from this material world, for every higher state comprehendeth the states inferior to itself. An inferior state, however, is incapable of grasping the reality of whatever transcendeth its station. … Charitable deeds and good works performed on behalf of departed souls will certainly have a beneficial influence.
AvK1.293, MA2.027ff, PC00510
Continue exploring
- God as immanent vs. transcendent reality
- Word of God and human limitations
- higher encompasses the lower
- limits of language
Ask how language serves an understanding it cannot fully contain.
- limits of the intellect
Explore the capacities and limits of human inquiry.
- the animal kingdom
- transcendence; unknowability of God
For thought and discussion
Questions to carry forward
- How does the flower example distinguish a limit of perception from evidence of nonexistence?
- What can the analogies of kingdoms, rooms, and the womb clarify, and what would they be unable to establish by themselves?
- How do the passages leave room for rational evidence and inquiry within acknowledged limits?
- How does Paul’s account of knowledge through the Spirit compare with the accounts of signs and future understanding here?
- How can we read the polemical and racialized historical examples critically while refusing to turn spiritual language into a ranking of peoples?
- What habits would help us remain both open to discovery and careful in judging claims about what we cannot presently perceive?