which it depends, should be the Preexistent Essence, the
Author of all things?

But the initiated savants of the Theosophists and Sufis, who have studied
this question, think there are two categories of existence. One is general
existence, which is understood by the human intelligence; this is a
phenomenon, an accident among accidents, and the reality of the things is
the essence. But pantheism does not apply to this general and imaginary
existence, but only to the Veritable Existence, freed and sanctified from
all other interpretation; through It all things exist, and It is the Unity
through which all things have come into the world, such as matter, energy
and this general existence which is comprehended by the human mind. Such
is the truth of this question according to the Theosophists and the Sufis.

Briefly, with regard to this theory that all things exist by the Unity,
all are agreed--that is to say, the philosophers and the Prophets. But
there is a difference between them. The Prophets say, The Knowledge of God
has no need of the existence of beings, but the knowledge of the creature
needs the existence of things known; if the Knowledge of God had need of
any other thing, then it would be the knowledge of the creature, and not
that of God. For the Preexistent is different from the phenomenal, and the
phenomenal is opposed to the Preexistent; that which we attribute to the
creature--that is, the necessities of the contingent beings--we deny for
God; for purification, or sanctification from imperfections, is one of His
necessary properties. So in the phenomenal we see ignorance; in the
Preexistent we recognize knowledge. In the phenomenal we see weakness; in
the Preexistent we recognize power. In the phenomenal we see poverty; in
the Preexistent we recognize wealth. So the phenomenal is the source of
imperfections, and the Preexistent is the sum of perfections. The
phenomenal knowledge has need of things known; the Preexistent Knowledge
is independent of their existence. So the preexistence of the
specification and of the individualization of beings which are the things
known of God the Most High does not exist; and these divine and perfect
attributes are not so understood by the intelligence that we can decide if
the Divine Knowledge has need of things known or not.

Briefly, this is the principal argument of the Sufis; and if we wished to
mention all their proofs and explain their answers, it would take a very
l