The Oneness of Being:
Uniting Inner & Outer
1- What is the language of love?
A-The language of love is compassionate looking eyes and a beautiful smile. Everybody understands this language.
2- Is it beneficial to weep under the cross?
A-It will release emotional tension, but will not awaken the mind, unless one becomes ‘one’ with the state (hal) of Christ.
3- What will happen upon the disclosure of the ‘third eye’?
A-You will be in bliss forever.
4- When will our dissatisfaction end?
A-Whenever we understand our dissatisfaction.
5- How should we handle ‘conditioned’ people?
A- Do not invite conditioned people to your house because they will not understand your state of mind.
6- How can we advance the mind?
A-The mind can only advance by means of conversations (sohbets).
7- What is the firewood of Hell?
A-Definitely complaining.
8- What would happen if we left our duties in God’s hands?
A-Everything would remain as they were and nothing would be accomplished.
9- What is God’s desire?
A-God’s desire depends on our desire.
10- Can an ordinary human mind advance?
A-Some minds can not advance.
11- Which eye perceives God?
A-The inner eye, which is also known as the ‘third eye’, perceives God.
12- When will the spiritual pleasure begin?
A-The spiritual pleasure will begin when we learn how to be still/silent/quiet.
13- Is it beneficial to exchange the city life for a farm life?
A-We just have to remove our minds from the city and that will do. A fish grows in accordance to the size of the lake. (Be in the world but do not become of it.)
14- What does abandoning the mind mean?
A-We shall not abandon the mind, but we shall and must abandon negative aspects of the mind.
15- Should we stop thinking about tomorrow?
A-We should learn to perceive the beauty of our present life and our present hour. Otherwise, even ‘tomorrows’ will slip by unperceived.
16- What is this world?
A-This world is the light and reflection of a pure human heart.
17- Does God possess everything?
A-God possesses everything, but the one who is possessed by God possesses Him.
18- How can we measure a person’s character?
A-We measure a person by his behavior and attitude.
19- Is it healthy to consume meat?
A-By consuming meat, we will inherit the nature of the animal as well.
20- Can anybody be inoculated with the Divine love?
A-Yes, it can be done.
21- Why can the one who has not tasted not know?
A-He can not know because the Divine has no comparison or definition. Therefore, the Divine must be experienced and tasted, if we desire to know Him. God is not an experiment but an experience.
22- How can we attain ‘nothingness’?
A-We can attain ‘nothingness’ while conversing with the Perfected man (Insan-i Kamil), who has seen the truth.
23- What does it mean to die before dying?
A-It simply means realizing our helplessness before God and surrendering our strength, mind and will to this Divine power.
24- What is the only way of finding God?
A-The only way of finding God is to be aware of our helplessness before Him.
25- Where can we search for God?
A-In a human being.
26- How can we fall in love with God?
A-In order to fall in love with God we must see Him first.
27- How can we find the true teacher?
A-The true teacher will appear when one admits his helplessness and surrenders to God with all his being.
The Divine is the seeker’s helper.
The teacher is the seeker’s servant.
28- Can we love the one who worships the cross?
A-We love everybody in spite of what his or her beliefs are.
29- Is it possible to observe through a human being?
A-Some people who are reunited with God can.
30- What is the purpose of sohbet?
A- Sohbet is the spiritual light that connects and unites like-minded people.
31- What does it mean to seek God?
A-The one who seeks God also seeks his True Self.
32- How far can words travel?
A-The brain grasps the words, transfers them to the heart, which then distributes them throughout the body, back and forth, repeatedly.
33- What is God?
A-God is beyond the mind’s imagination.
God is all except what the mind imagines.
34- Why do people hold on to their opinions?
A-People hold on to their opinions because the mind is incapable of understanding its own mind (Us).
35- Where is the past and future?
A-The past and future are both present in a human being.
36- What is the cross?
A- The cross is the mundane desires of people.
37- If God informed us all about the Divine knowledge, would it benefit humanity?
A-No, it would not.
38- What is the truth?
A- The truth is acknowledging everything the way they seem to appear without projecting our own values and judgements on to them. The truth is to cease from objecting.
(Just see when you look,
Just hear when you listen!)
39- Where can we acquire ‘spiritual food’?
A- From a human being, from his eyes and face.
40- Is it possible to find God alone?
A-In order to find God the guidance of an experienced teacher (Insan-i Kamil) is needed. Otherwise, we will become confused and lost along the way.
41- Is the Perfected man God?
A-No, he is not God. The Perfected man (Rab) is the instructor of the Divine Knowledge. He is the entrance to God’s hallway.
42- What is the sweetest thing in life?
A-By loving all human beings you already love yourself!
43- Do all humans possess the power of love?
A-Yes, they do.
44- What are we devoted to?
A-We are devoted to whatever we love.
45- What is an answer dependent upon?
A-It depends upon the questioner’s state of mind (hal).
46- What is the knower’s duty?
A-The one who knows is the servant of the one who does not know.
47- Is it possible to be aware of our hal?
A-Human beings are like children for they are not aware of their state of mind.
48- Will the one who claims he is going to become this or that ever become something?
A-In this journey there is no ‘becoming’ but becoming nothing (yokluk).
49- What is the only way of understanding the truth?
A-To understand the truth we must be aware of our ‘not knowing’.
50- Can a lover ever become feeble?
A-Lovers never age!
51- Is it beneficial to meditate (Tevhid) at all times?
A- Being in a state of isolation will not benefit humanity. Lovers must share their knowledge with those people that are willing to learn!
52- Can the concept of God be forced into our minds?
A-God is beyond the power of the mind. It can not be forced!
53- What do you think of philosophy?
A-The philosophers’ sayings are true but incomplete.
54- Can we attain the truth only with love?
A-In finding God, love alone is not enough. Love and science must collaborate together in the process since without science we will not know whom to love and, eventually, we will lose the way!
55- What is the difference between walking and not walking on the path?
A-In this journey the one that stops moving can not comprehend the state of mind of those who are constantly advancing along the path of truth.
56- What is language and semantics?
A-Each nation has their language for communication, whereas semantics belongs to all humanity.
57- Can we rescue others?
A-You must save yourself first; that is you must learn how to swim in order to rescue the one who is drowning.
58- Is it righteous to see the offender as guilty?
A-By extending our judgement we will not only harm the offender, but also we shall be harmed as well. In other words, the offender shall always remain guilty because of our opinion and, consequently, we shall become the offender in the end!
59- Can you name the three most difficult things in the world?
A-To tell the truth, to listen and to digest spiritually.
60- Is it proper to ask from God?
A-No, because God manages everything accordingly. But, if you are asking for Divine love, then you shall receive plenty because God is not poor!
61- Should we accept the things as they are?
A-Yes, we should accept the things as they seem to appear without projecting our own moral values and judgements on to them.
62- Is it right for a person to claim that a certain thing is not in his hands?
A-It is not in my hands because I think it is not in my hands, therefore I am unable to use my freewill in the matter.
63- What imprisons people?
A-People are prisoners of their habits.
64- What is the end effect of explaining?
A-The end effect is being unable to explain.
65- Is there a curtain between God and us?
A-The curtain that separates us from God is our self-existence and the ‘ego’ (the lower self).
66- Where do we stop existing?
A-We stop existing in whatever we love.
67- Is it right to be in a state of attraction at all times?
A-No.
68- What will happen when we fall in love with another?
A-I will become you and you will become me.
69- Does God contain all the good and bad sifats?
A-Yes, he does.
70- How can we take advantage of this world?
A-If we are not possessed by the world, then we are able to benefit from it.
(Be in the world but do not become of it)
71- What do you say to the one that thinks there is no God?
A-There is no God for the one who says so, but only for him is there no God.
72- What is Azrael?
A-Azrael depicts either our fears or desires.
73- Are we dealing with an individual or a sifat (attribute)?
A- We are dealing with an individual.
74- Is anyone capable of finding his true nature?
A-Finding one’s true nature depends on the seeker’s freewill. In other words, the seeker who has made up his mind will triumph.
75- Is it possible to imagine the form of the Individual (God)?
A-The Individual is present in the least expected places. The difficulty of finding Him is
because of His easiness.
76- Where will we go when we die?
A-We shall go wherever our mind is involved.
77- How are we related to our children?
A-Children are the by-products of our bodies, not our minds.
78- Are we humans insane?
A-Anger and rage are characteristics of insanity. Since both sane and insane people get
angry then all humans are crazy. Anger and rage are aspects of the ‘ego’, not
the Divine Self.
79- Where should we settle accounts with God?
A-We must settle accounts with God while living in this world.
80- Where is God manifest?
A-Both God and the devil are manifest in a human being.
81- What is the true profession of man?
A-The true profession of man is to find his true self and to know and to make known.
82- What is our connection to renovation?
A-We are a new human being each and every day. If you can renovate yourself one day, do so day after day. Let there be daily renovation.
83- Can we talk and think simultaneously?
A-No, it is not possible.
84- What do people exaggerate the most?
A-We exaggerate our thoughts!
85- Is there good and bad luck?
A-Good and bad luck are states of mind. To the one who believes in good or bad luck,
they exist, to the one who does not, they do not.
86- Can you describe taste?
A-There is no description for taste.
87-What is Sacred Knowledge? ( Science of Ledun)
A-This is a secret science (science of forgetting).
The one who knows does not speak.
The one who speaks does not know.
88- How many languages are there?
A-There are only two languages:
The language of Love and the language of nations.
89- What is the connection between movement and growth?
A- Both the body and mind grow by means of movement.
90- What is destiny (kismet)?
A-Destiny is the child of our helplessness.
91- What do you think of religions?
A-All religions are ours!
92- What is the connection between the mind and body?
A-The mind is a child, but not the body.
93- How can we evolve along the way?
A-We are already evolving as we contemplate these questions and answers!
94- How do states of mind develop?
A-Each state of mind advances by using people as stepping-stones.
95- Who is the narrator? Who is the listener?
A-The power that speaks through us also listens through you.
The Divine power is both the listener and narrator.
96- What is the relationship of fear to vigor?
A-Only vigor is able to eliminate fear. The one who eliminates fear will be alive.
97- What is the ‘third eye’?
A-God appears to the one who quits existing. The ‘third eye’ is made manifest to the one who eliminates his wantings (nafs).
98- Should we interfere with God’s business?
A-We must get involved with God not His will. Otherwise, we shall attract misery.
99- Where can we attain the truth?
A-The truth is attainable directly from the knower’s eyes and his very core.
100- Can the Perfected man acknowledge himself?
A-No, he can not. Otherwise, he will not be complete. Only the Enlightened one can recognize the
Enlightened.
101- Is just having compassion enough?
A-Only compassion without science is a torture.
102- What is the most difficult thing in the world?
A-The most difficult thing is to make people love each other unconditionally and to unite their minds as one.
103- What will happen after the end of a discussion?
A-Out of a discussion we arrive at a vision, a vision of love and pleasure which can not be understood by the ordinary mind.
104- Can our thoughts be known or read?
A-Those who have mastered the Sacred Knowledge can truly know and read our thoughts.
105- Why are we searching?
A-We search to lose, not to find. After eliminating the ‘ego’ (lower self), God will find Himself by Himself.
106- Can the eye and the mind be aware of their being?
A-The eye can see everything except itself and so too the mind.
It is like trying to bite your teeth with your own teeth.
107- What is the true humanity?
A-The true humanity is to listen to others carefully until the end even if their opinions are contradictory to ours.
108- What does being God’s guest mean?
A-Whenever we think of God we become His guest and ultimately receive His blessing and hospitality in return.
109- Where are the sifats of God visible?
A-They are visible in a human being.
110- Is God interested in each particle?
A-There is a way to myself through each particle (atom).
111- Do we contain different kinds of ethics?
A-We contain all kinds of ethics.
112- What is the connection between an human and the universe?
A-Humans are the entire cosmos.
113- Why do people fear?
A-Fear is the by-product of ‘not knowing’. Therefore, there is no fear for the one who knows.
114- Who is the property owner?
A-God is the property owner.
115- What is the Mind inside the mind? (In it what is in it? - Arabic: fihi ma fihi)
A-The Mind inside of the mind is your True Self. What makes some people unique to others is the virtue of seeking their True Self.
116- What is the connection between rage (celal) and beauty (cemal)?
A-God bestows His beauty upon the one who is hurt and His rage upon the one who harms others.
117- What does it take to hurt someone’s feelings?
A-There is no difference between either hurting someone by means of cursing or insulting. All and all, the effect and harm would be the same.
118- What do we gain at the end of tefekkur (contemplation)?
A-Love and eternal bliss!
119- Is each human being unique?
A-Each one of us is one of a kind in this world. There is no one like you or will there be.
120- What makes us depressed?
A-Our wantings (nafs) make us depressed.
121- What is the meaning of death in tasavvuf?
A- Death simply means the manifestation of a hal while living in the physical body.
122- What is Ledun science (the Sacred Knowledge)?
A- Ledun means God’s place: any place, any spot which is close to God. The science of Ledun is the science of forgetting, that is unlearning the learned. The one who masters this science always will be in eternal bliss.
123- What then will happen to the mind?
A-The mind will definitely not become crazy, but we must discipline the mind by discarding its bad habits, doubts and fears!
124- What is the devil?
A-The devil is nafs.
125- Whom does the mind serve?
A- The mind serves nafs.
126- What imprisons a person?
A-The title, the physical form and the picture imprison the mind.
127- What gives rise to the state of nothingness?
A-Our helplessness before God gives rise to nothingness.
128- What did Mohammed mean when he said show me the things as they are?
A-He said this because he saw everything quite empty. There are no fragments but only One. However, the ordinary mind is incapable of grasping matters as One. This is why the mind separates everything into parts in order to understand.
130- Should we kill the mind?
A-Of course not. Instead, we should educate and discipline the mind by killing its desires.
131- Is it advisable to be in isolation?
A-No, because wherever we choose to go, we shall carry our mind and desires with us. That is why it is much better to remain in society.
132- Who appreciates one’s beauty?
A-The one who is aware of beauty will.
133- What is death without enlightenment?
A-If a person dies without enlightenment, he has to live his life in vain. His death would be similar to the death of germs and he would be considered lower than the animals.
134- What would happen if granny ate unripe grapes?
A-Your teeth would be set on edge and your mouth would turn sour.
135- What portrays humanity?
A-Humanity is not portrayed by words or remarks but by behaviors.
136- How can we discipline nafs?
A-The fastest way is by falling in love.
137- Is everything alive?
A-Everything is alive and opposite to each other.
138- Who is Adam?
A-There is no Adam: he
is a symbol with no past or future. Many
139- Who is the inquirer and the narrator?
A-You are neither the inquirer nor am I the narrator.
140- Can we know God?
A- Yes, we can not only know him but we can also find Him.
141- Is there eternity?
A-There is no eternity but only now.
142- Who is the seed of a human being?
A-A human being is the seed of everything. Whatever he thinks becomes his seed. Whenever he thinks of God, he is with God and therefore becomes the seed of God.
143- What is the effect of hurting someone’s feelings?
A-Since we are not separate from the ones we hurt, we end up hurting ourselves as well.
144-How can the mind attain eternal bliss?
A-When we realize the concept of nothingness, that everything amounts to nothing, that we are no thing but a shadow of the real existence. We shall then attain eternal bliss (deathless state).
145- Who does the understanding?
A-It is not the ordinary mind, but the Mind beyond the mind that does the understanding.
146- What is big and small?
A- Big is the smallest, and the small is the biggest.
147- Why is God eternal?
A-God is eternal because everything else is impermanent.
148- Can we consider everyone’s beliefs as ‘correct’?
A-Everyone’s beliefs according to him are correct yet incomplete.
149- How is love illuminated?
A-Love is illuminated when a person gives up owning things, being somebody and quits existing.
150- What is ‘inside’, ‘outside’ and ‘mystery’?
A-There is no inside, outside or mystery, period.
151- What does ‘to die while living’ mean?
A-It means surrendering one’s individual will to God.
152- Do we have to be selective in choosing people?