The conversation

Mitheyma of Mezkhon

The teacher said, «The Being was built up for the sake of the Being.» The apprentice asked, «What is the essence of the Being, and what is its meaning?» The teacher said, «Its essence is the life of Life itself. No one has ever known true death, which is the non-being. Everything lives and does not die, – for the Being builds itself, thereby building the life of Life. If there was no Being, there would be nothing; even the non-being would devour itself. Then true death would kill itself, and there would come an enduring emptiness and such deep darkness that it is impossible to express or imagine. This is when the non-being is so absolute that even it is not there. The Being exists for this not to come true.» The apprentice asked, «Is it because the Being cannot be different and cannot be filled with anything else than it is filled with?» The teacher said, «The non-being is one thing, and the Being is another, and there is nothing between them, and there is nothing apart from them. The Being is what the Being is; if it were different, it would be the non-being. It is filled with itself, and has the appearance and properties that it can and should have.» The apprentice asked, «Why does it have so many properties and forms; why is there so much in one?» The teacher said, «The Being is one, and it is one property and one form. The rest are appearances of one appearance and properties of one property.» The apprentice asked, «Why should there be such a great variety?» The teacher said, «The variety that you know is insignificant. It is immeasurably larger. There are more different things in your tear than you could see in your entire life, even if you could fly like a bird. It is the same in everything. But all these things are just a speck of dust in comparison with what is above the sky. And what is in this Universe is a speck of dust in comparison with what is outside of it. Everything is so diverse because Life is accomplishing itself, striving for completeness. It has innumerable faces, for every need it has a proper face. If a proper face was not found, there would be the non-being. Life is so diverse because it fills the Being and acts. Non-action is the same as non-being. Acts cannot be without meaning. In the Being, the meaning of action is that the Being does not get bogged down in non-action and does not turn into the non-being. And the Being should not remain the same, for something that does not act remains eternally the same. Everything that becomes worse and does not change – perishes. Therefore, the Being must become better. And Life is diverse because from this variety a greater variety flows, and further – in the same way. And from these varieties, combinations are made which are better than the previous ones. Thus, the Being is being improved, becoming better and better. Therefore, it exists, and there is no non-being.» The apprentice asked, «If the essence and meaning of the Being are in the Being, then what is the essence and meaning of a grain of sand?» The teacher said, «Its essence and meaning are the same. If rain irrigates the field, then every drop of it also irrigates the field.» The apprentice asked, «So a man is the guardian of the Being, protecting it from the non-being, isn’t he?» The teacher said, «This is truly so, and you have seen the Truth.» The apprentice asked, «What is to be done if a certain person is weak? What if someone is a bad guardian?» The teacher said, «There are no weak people, and everyone is good for the greatest work.» The apprentice asked, «But what if the strength of a soul is not enough for some accomplishment?» The teacher said, «It doesn’t work like this. It happens that aspiration is lacking – but not strength. One cannot lack the strength for what life was given for.» The apprentice asked, «How can one get the strength?» The teacher said, «You cannot get what is already yours. The strength is already in every person, it is given – and you cannot lose it, even if you wish. You must find yourself. Find yourself. The one who has strength. This is how you get strength.» The apprentice asked, «Is it necessary to find oneself to save the Being from the non-being?» The teacher said, «Indeed. The step is taken to follow the path. The aim of the path is the aim of each step. If you don’t remember where and why you are going, you cannot even step properly.» The apprentice asked, «So everything that a person does should be done for the sake of the great aim?» The teacher said, «That is right. How can he not be what he is? His every breath must protect the Being from the non-being. If not, then he will raise the threshold of the non-being in himself.» The apprentice asked, «What if one gave birth to the non-being in himself?» The teacher said, «It is within his power to overcome the creation of his own. And he will strive for this, – for he is a child of the Being. The non-being is not for him. Everyone will overcome what is indecent in them – at one time or another.» The apprentice asked, «Is a person’s life similar to his strength in that way?» The teacher said, «Everything in a person is combined in wondrous harmony, life, and strength, and mind, and feelings, and flesh. Everything is connected properly and has proper power, otherwise, a person could not exist. And if someone has lost this harmony, then he can return to it, – for it does not pass.» The apprentice asked, «How can a person know his strength and his harmony?» The teacher said, «First, this is cognized by the mind, for this cognition there are teachers. Then it is cognized through action, without which mental cognition is useless. Starting a worthy work, you will discover within forces so great that you will be amazed. But this requires an equally great striving, for without proper striving one cannot pull out a hair. When there is a proper aspiration, then you will cognize your harmony and worthily use your strength.» The apprentice asked, «Is the strength of the good done by a man greater than the strength of the evil?» The teacher said, «So much greater than there is nothing to compare. It is more than the sky compared to a nail.» The apprentice asked, «The source of evil is in the non-being, isn’t it?» The teacher said, «Evil is essentially a desire for the non-being. It is the shadow of the non-being, in the struggle against which the Being builds itself.» The apprentice asked, «How to defend against evil?» The teacher said, «By doing good. However, it happens that a sad deed is done for the good, but a bad deed is never done for the good.» The apprentice asked, «What is a man for the Being as its particle?» The teacher said, «This particle is all of it. It’s not only true for a man, it’s true for every particle, for everything that exists. The Being has no insignificant particles and particles larger and smaller. Every particle of it is all of it, if it were different, there wouldn’t be the Being either.» The apprentice asked, «And how can it be if something existed and then perished – and doesn’t exist anymore, but the Being still exists?» The teacher said, «Nothing leaves Being at all, but everything is transformed into something. If something could leave the Being, then the Being would turn into the non-being.» The apprentice asked, «So can something leave the Being?» The teacher said, «Maybe someone in the great infinities knows this.» The apprentice asked, «What are the great infinities?» The teacher said, «They are like a birthing mother in a birthing mother, who is in a birthing mother – and so on without end.» The apprentice asked, «What is the measure of the Being?» The teacher said, «Every measure, whatever is, is a measure of the Being. In its totality, it is its measure. In essence, the measure for it is that there is no non-being.» The apprentice asked, «Is it true that the Being works itself through a person?» The teacher said, «It works itself through itself, and every person is it. Through each of its particles, it builds itself up and acts; and there are many human-like particles in it. You are one of the people by appearance; so a human is one of his kind by thought. In the Being, everything is united, everything is one”. The apprentice asked, «What can one man do?» The teacher said, «One man, even you, can block the path of the non-being. After all, every person is all the Being as a whole, and he can do what it can. The forces for this will be found in him, only the proper striving is needed.» The apprentice asked, «If so, then it means that a man is almighty?» The teacher said, «Although a man is the Being, yet in the Being, he is not almighty.» The apprentice asked, «Is it true that the Being does not have power over itself in itself?» The teacher said, «Necessity is the law of the Being; it does not do what is indecent and harmful to itself, and therefore there are limits to its accomplishment.» The apprentice asked, «How does a person do stupidity or evil?» The teacher said, «He does it as a person, but not as the Being. When a person can’t act stupidly or badly, then he acts like the Being.» The apprentice asked, «How can one learn to be like that?» The teacher said, «You cannot learn if you do not learn; therefore, first of all, let your desire turn into action. Learn who you are, and what you exist for, and what you ought to become, and what you ought to do, and how to do, and how to accept everything that exists. Everything necessary comes from what has been said. Having learned everything that I have said, you will acquire the properties of the Being in yourself.» The apprentice asked, «Isn’t the flesh fragile for the properties of the Being?» The teacher said, «Flesh is the Being itself, – therefore its true properties are in harmony with it. In addition, the flesh is not yet a man, it may or may not be. The flesh, however, does more foolishness than the soul, although its foolishness is not so great; therefore, the bridle of the flesh should be lighter than the bridle of the soul, but tighter.» The apprentice asked, «What then when a man died and left his flesh?» The teacher said, «There is always something great that has to do with the soul, and something petty, which has to do with the soul, comparable to the vices of the flesh.» The apprentice asked, «How can one understand what is vice for the flesh and what is not?» The teacher said, «Without which you or someone cannot live, it is not a vice, but only when there is no harm from it. Only eating or using something that does not think is never a vice and evil, if not done in vain and excessively.» The apprentice asked, «What is austerity for the flesh?» The teacher said, «Austerity for the flesh is abstinence from what is superfluous, for what is superfluous is a hand extended into vice. And it is much easier to abstain flesh from the superfluous than to abstain mind from it. Until you achieve the due with your mind, you will not achieve it with your flesh.» The apprentice asked, «What is austerity for the mind?» The teacher said, «Austerity for the mind is two things, the desire to know and consistency in oneself. The mind works its way step by step, and whoever wishes to walk in two directions at the same time will either stand still or burst.» The apprentice asked, «What is austerity for the soul?» The teacher said, «Austerity for the soul is conscience. But it also cannot do without knowledge – for without knowledge of good and evil, where can conscience take its measure? And if the conscience sees one thing, while not seeing the other, then this is not conscience, but a vice, a stinking vice.» The apprentice asked, «Is it true that a conscientious person only seems weak, but in reality, he is strong?» The teacher said, «Evil strives for the non-being, and conscience overcomes the striving for evil. Therefore, a conscientious person conquers the non-being itself, blocking its path, this is what he is.» The apprentice asked, «Justice grows in a person out of conscience, doesn’t it?» The teacher said, «Truly, justice is the right hand of conscience. But justice will not do without mind, for without mind it is blind and clumsy. Without courage, its spine seems to have been broken, and then it’s time to feel sorry for it.» The apprentice asked, «Is there anything that a person should be afraid of?» The teacher said, «Let him be afraid to use his life for something other than it was given for.» The apprentice asked, «If this happened, then what?» The teacher said, «If so, then he is the same as the non-being. The Being itself was erected to prevent the non-being; how awful is what this man has plunged himself into! It only seems that he exists, in fact, he does not exist, and he will not even find himself.» The apprentice asked, «What is it then if he is visible and tangible?» The teacher said, «This is the same as the sun fire on the water at sunset. It shines, but there is no warmth from it; and in reality, there is no fire at all, but only a mirage on cold water.» The apprentice asked, «The fear mentioned – isn’t it the evidence that a person should be afraid of the non-being?» The teacher said, «Why should a person be afraid of the non-being if he is stronger than it? Let him be afraid to take away from himself something without which it is impossible to exist, – for having lost this, he will give himself up to the non-being.» The apprentice asked, «So can a person be worse than the non-being if he can do with himself what even the non-being cannot do with him?» The teacher said, «As a man does not completely plunge himself into the non-being, otherwise the Being itself would perish. Such a person is wasting his life, it is as if he was not born. It is his happiness that life is given more than once. Whoever has lost himself, will be able to regain himself. Therefore, a person is not worse than the non-being. If the Good could become evil, it would be worse than evil itself. The non-being cannot overcome the Being; but if the Being did not want to watch over itself, it would turn into the non-being. So, if the Being turned into the non-being, it would turn out that it is still stronger than the non-being. But in fact, the Being cannot become the non-being, for in this the essence of the Being is unchanging.» The apprentice asked, «If the meaning of the Being is that there should be no non-being, then isn’t the Being obliged to the non-being?» The teacher said, «There is no one without the probability of the other, and there is no probability of other without one. Although there can be no non-being, if it were not for its probability, there would be no Being. And if not for the Being, the non-being would have devoured itself. Everything owes itself to everything — that’s what is true.» The apprentice asked, «Is the non-being a real evil?» The teacher said, «If there were no Being, why would the non-being be evil? For the Being, there is no worse evil than the non-being.» The apprentice asked, «What if someone wishes to serve the non-being?» The teacher said, «Such a person can do a lot of evil, but he will not achieve his goal. There is no sense in serving something that does not exist. He will not turn himself into the non-being, no matter how hard he tries, for he cannot be so bad.» The apprentice asked, «How free is a person if he has no power to be what he might want to be?» The teacher said, «He is so free that he may wish to collect the stars in a handful, but he cannot. Nothing goes beyond its essence. In addition, stupid or bad aspirations are like litter floating on clear water, they are lightweight. Having reached the limit of evil, visible to the conscience, although for some it’s far away, a person will be horrified and will not want to go further, for his soul longs for good. Then clean water will throw out dirt from itself, and a person will know the way to return.» The apprentice asked, «Is there a desire worse than the desire to serve the non-being?» The teacher said, «Desire to break a blade of grass in vain.» The apprentice asked, «Why is it worse?» The teacher said, «It is impossible to destroy the Being, but it is possible to break a blade of grass in vain. One may wish to do great evil without realizing how terrible it is; but if he knew and understood this, he would not want to. It is easy to break a blade of grass – and who will see evil in it? And if anyone sees, who will spare a blade of grass? The heart hardens not on great evil, but little.» The apprentice asked, «Is it worse – the blade of grass died, or that someone killed it on purpose?» The teacher said, «It died – and he died three times.» The apprentice asked, «What is happening to this world if none of the people even think about the Being?» The teacher said, «Truly, a lot of bad things are happening, and now the darkness in people prevails over the light. However, people will receive their sight, and light will prevail over darkness, and nothing will extinguish it. Do not be afraid, for how will one find the future if he is afraid of the present?» The apprentice asked, «What is fear?» The teacher said, «It is an obstacle in action and on the way. Sometimes strength cannot crush strength, but fear crushes it. There is no flesh in it but its power lies in human cowardice. Someone, fearing something that doesn’t exist, will not accomplish what is necessary – and thus will destroy something good that was or could have been. And there are many people who, out of fear of little evil, commit great evil. The remedy for fear is knowledge, and the weapon against fear is will.» The apprentice asked, «When is it not shameful for a person to be weak?» The teacher said, «It can’t be like this. It happens that you don’t need to do something, but it can’t be that one has to be weak in the necessity. It is beyond man’s power to create the non-being, and this is not necessary. Such weakness is not weakness, but obedience to eternal laws. If someone wished to give birth to the non-being, then his shame is not that he could not achieve it, but that he wished indecent”. The apprentice asked, «What is a man for the eternal laws?» The teacher said, «He is their flesh and their power. They don’t rebel against themselves, and a person who does not rebel against them acquires their properties. They gave birth to men to do their job. Everything in him is from them; he is their manifestation. And if he does proper things, then he will know harmony with these laws and will acquire their properties. A man is like that and other creatures are like that, born by these laws for the same necessity.» The apprentice asked, «Are these laws the same for other creatures, as they are for humans?» The teacher said, «They are the same – for the laws are the same, just like the Being.» The apprentice asked, «What are these laws?» The teacher said, «They are the Being doing itself.» The apprentice asked, «So a man is these laws, isn’t he?» The teacher said, «The Being, eternal laws, and a man are one. Temporal laws flow from eternal laws, which disappear when there is no longer a need for them. Some of these temporal laws can be broken by a man, However, no one can break the great laws. A person may wish to break them, but even this wish is enough for him to lose his harmony with them. He cannot break them because they do not rebel against themselves. Sometimes a person, obeying them by his essence according to the law of unity, loses harmony with them in his desires, this is real evil and grief.» The apprentice asked, «How can you protect yourself from this?» The teacher said, «Through remembering what a man is. It is necessary to remember, to desire with dignity, and to act with dignity. A man worthy of the title of a man is a vessel for the power of the Being.» The apprentice asked, «Are there such people?» The teacher said, «All people are like that in their true essence, there are no people who are different. If a man were not like that, the Being would not need him, and it would not have given birth to him. Those who have forgotten about it will regain this knowledge; those who have lost themselves will find themselves again.» The apprentice asked, «Will a man accomplish what he should do?» The teacher said, «He will accomplish, and thereby he will strengthen the Being.» The apprentice asked, «Is it true that he exists for the sake of the Being itself, although he is so small?» The teacher said, «He is the Being itself; the Being exists for the sake of the Being.»

Translated by Amradkhari