e affirmation of the Sufis requires
that the Independent Wealth should descend to the degree of poverty, that
the Preexistent should confine itself to phenomenal forms, and that Pure
Power should be restricted to the state of weakness, according to the
limitations of contingent beings. And this is an evident error. Observe
that the reality of man, who is the most noble of creatures, does not
descend to the reality of the animal, that the essence of the animal,
which is endowed with the powers of sensation, does not abase itself to
the degree of the vegetable, and that the reality of the vegetable, which
is the power of growth, does not descend to the reality of the mineral.

Briefly, the superior reality does not descend nor abase itself to
inferior states; then how could it be that the Universal Reality of God,
which is freed from all descriptions and qualifications, notwithstanding
Its absolute sanctity and purity, should resolve Itself into the forms of
the realities of the creatures, which are the source of imperfections?
This is a pure imagination which one cannot conceive.

On the contrary, this Holy Essence is the sum of the divine perfections;
and all creatures are favored by the bounty of resplendency through
emanation, and receive the lights, the perfection and the beauty of Its
Kingdom, in the same way that all earthly creatures obtain the bounty of
the light of the rays of the sun, but the sun does not descend and does
not abase itself to the favored realities of earthly beings.

After dinner, and considering the lateness of the hour, there is no time
to explain further.

Salutations.

83: THE FOUR METHODS OF ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE

There are only four accepted methods of comprehension--that is to say, the
realities of things are understood by these four methods.

The first method is by the senses--that is to say, all that the eye, the
ear, the taste, the smell, the touch perceive is understood by this
method. Today this method is considered the most perfect by all the
European philosophers: they say that the principal method of gaining
knowledge is through the senses; they consider it supreme, although it is
imperfect, for it commits errors. For example, the greatest of the senses
is the power of sight. The sight sees the mirage as water, and it sees
images reflected in mirrors as real and existent; large bodies which are
distant appear to be small, and a whirling point appears as a circle. The