Internal Auditing - Body,Mind and Beyond -Know Yourself: Understanding the Oneness of Being -Series - 13

Know Yourself: Understanding the Oneness of Being

An exploration of Baliani's explanation of the prophetic saying "Whoever knows their self knows their Lord"

Introduction

In the rich tradition of Islamic mysticism (Tasawwuf), few concepts have been as profound and transformative as waḥdat al-wujūd – the Oneness of Being. This philosophical doctrine, articulated by numerous Sufi masters throughout history, posits that nothing truly exists except God (Allah), and what appears as the multiplicity of creation is, in reality, various manifestations of the Divine Being.

Baliani's treatise "Know Yourself" presents a masterful exploration of this concept through the lens of the famous hadith (saying) attributed to Prophet Muhammad: "Whoever knows their self knows their Lord." This article delves into the core ideas of Baliani's text, offering insights into one of the most profound spiritual teachings within Islamic mysticism.

The Absolute Oneness of God

Baliani begins by establishing the absolute unity of God beyond all conception of time, space, or duality:

"He is, and there is not with Him any before or after, above or below, closeness or distance, how or where or when, time or moment or duration, manifested existence or place, and He is now as He has always been."

This description transcends conventional theological understandings of monotheism. It's not merely asserting that God is one deity among many possible deities; rather, it declares that God is the only reality that exists. Everything else that seems to have independent existence – including our own selves – is merely an illusion or, more precisely, a manifestation of God that has no independent reality of its own.

The Illusion of Selfhood

The central paradox Baliani addresses is how we should understand our apparent existence in relation to God's absolute reality. He explains:

"What is meant is that you never were and never will be, whether through yourself or through Him, or in Him or with Him. You have neither ceased to be, nor are you existent. You are Him, and He is you, without any of these imperfections."

This cryptic statement challenges our fundamental sense of selfhood. According to Baliani, what we call "self" has never existed as an independent entity separate from God. Our perception of ourselves as distinct beings is the veil that prevents us from seeing reality as it truly is.

Beyond Passing Away

Baliani distinguishes his teaching from common misconceptions about the spiritual path. Many mystics speak of fanā (passing away of the self) as the goal of the spiritual journey. However, Baliani offers a surprising correction:

"The knowledge of God does not require the passing away of existence or the passing away of that passing away, because things have no existence, and what does not exist cannot pass away."

This subtle point reveals a profound insight: if our selfhood is already non-existent in reality, then there is no need to "annihilate" it. The spiritual journey isn't about destroying the self but rather about recognizing that the self never had independent existence to begin with.

"The benefit of the knowledge of the self is to know for certain that you are neither existent nor non-existent, that you are not, never have been, and never will be."

The Mirror of Attributes

In Baliani's framework, the relationship between God and creation is explained through the metaphor of attributes and essence:

"You will see your attributes to be His attributes, your exterior as His exterior, your interior as His interior, your first as His first, and your last as His last, without any doubt or uncertainty."

Rather than being distinct from God, our qualities are actually divine qualities manifested in particular forms. What we call "our" attributes are merely reflections of divine attributes, just as light reflected in countless mirrors remains the same light. The multiplicity we observe in creation is not a true multiplicity of beings but a multiplicity of divine self-disclosure.

Neither Union Nor Separation

Baliani addresses a common question about mystical union with God. If there is only God and no separate self, how can there be union? His answer is striking:

"There is no doubt that in reality there is neither union nor separation, distance or closeness, since union is only possible between two things, and if there is only one, there can neither be union nor separation."

The concept of union presupposes duality – two separate entities coming together. In Baliani's vision, there was never a separation to begin with, so the idea of "becoming one with God" is itself based on a misunderstanding. The spiritual journey is about recognizing the unity that already exists, not creating it.

Knowledge Through God

One of the most subtle points in Baliani's text concerns the source of spiritual knowledge:

"When knowledge comes upon you, you know that it is through God that you know God, not through yourself."

Even the act of knowing God is not something "we" do as separate entities. Rather, it is God knowing Himself through what appears as us. This circular dynamic – where God is simultaneously the knower and the known – challenges conventional subject-object distinctions in epistemology.

"Therefore, the knower and the known, the one who arrives and what he arrives at, and the seer and the seen are one."

The Practical Implication

While Baliani's teaching may appear abstract and theoretical, it carries profound practical implications for spiritual seekers. By recognizing that our sense of being a separate self is illusory, we can be freed from the limitations of ego-consciousness and the suffering it entails.

The text suggests that proper understanding leads to freedom from the "polytheism of polytheism" – the subtle form of associating something with God that occurs when we affirm the existence of anything alongside Him, including our own selves.

Beyond Intellectual Understanding

Baliani acknowledges that mere intellectual comprehension of these teachings is insufficient:

"Whoever does not see will not see, understand, or comprehend... but whoever does see, sees, understands, and comprehends already. A hint is enough for the one who has reached union."

True understanding comes not through theoretical learning but through direct experience under the guidance of a realized master:

"As for the person who has not reached union, they will not arrive by theoretical teaching, instruction, repetition, reasoning, or learning, but only by putting themselves in the service of an eminent master who has arrived."

Conclusion

Baliani's explanation of "Whoever knows their self knows their Lord" offers a radical reinterpretation of selfhood and divine reality. By challenging our most fundamental assumptions about existence, it opens the door to a transformed perspective in which the apparent multiplicity of creation dissolves into the singular reality of divine being.

This teaching represents one of the most profound articulations of mystical insight not only within Islamic tradition but across mystical traditions worldwide. Its paradoxical language and seeming contradictions serve not to confuse but to point beyond the limitations of dualistic thinking toward a direct apprehension of ultimate reality.

For contemporary seekers, Baliani's text remains a powerful invitation to question our most basic assumptions about who we are and to discover, in the words of another Sufi master, that "the treasure you seek is within you."

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