How Do We Reach the Purpose of Our Creation Through Setting Priorities?
Everything in this world, whether intentionally or unintentionally, moves toward a goal or an outcome. This goal may be consciously set or may result from certain decisions or choices. As we mentioned in previous lessons, the creation of humans is not in vain; for us, as comprehensive beings who are the center of creation, there is a purpose in setting priorities, which is to become similar to God. However, this similarity has prerequisites, one of which is to reform the structure of our existence.
Do you agree that some issues are so intertwined that without one, the other cannot be realized? In other words, these issues have a cause-and-effect relationship, or one is the result of the other. For example, consider a surgeon who successfully completes almost all of his surgeries. Such success is certainly not coincidental; it is the result of a lifetime of learning, research, and experience in his field. Similarly, if an engineer is unsuccessful in his field, it means he either lacks the necessary knowledge and experience or does not apply what he has learned. Likewise, the purpose of our creation has conditions and requirements that are realized through setting priorities—priorities that must be properly arranged to achieve this purpose. Of course, the time it takes to fulfill these conditions may vary for everyone, but it is something necessary.
Just as water does not freeze until it loses a certain amount of heat, or a person cannot have children before reaching physical maturity, we cannot reach the purpose of our creation either until we have reprioritized the dimensions of our existence. In other words, reaching the purpose of our creation is the result of setting priorities and proper organization of our hierarchy of love.
Moving Toward the Purpose of Creation
We know that the proper arrangement and organization of the hierarchy of love means prioritizing the supra-rational faculty over all other beloveds and faculties. This means that all our decisions and relationships must be controlled and managed by the human dimension of our existence. Our field of study, place of residence, spouse, and lifestyle must all be organized according to the desires and plans of our human dimension. In such conditions, we achieve a state of human balance and equilibrium, and since we have entrusted all matters to our supra-rational faculty, we inevitably move toward the purpose of our creation.
In fact, any faculty that dominates our existence will also align the other faculties toward achieving its goals and desires. For instance, if our imaginal faculty dominates our existence, we spend most of our time daydreaming, lack the patience for academic or scholarly work, or allow our imagination to run wild while watching and listening. Among our faculties, the supra-rational faculty is the only one that fully respects the rights of our other faculties and places us in a state of human balance. Because it is connected to the Infinite and Absolute Perfection, it directs us toward fulfilling our desires, which is the acquisition of the names and attributes of the Absolute Perfection. Thus, through setting priorities or properly organizing our hierarchy of love, we move toward realizing the purpose of our creation. If we have placed our supra-rational faculty at the top of and in control of our existence, regardless of our religion, we are moving toward the purpose of our creation.
The Result of a Healthy Hierarchy of Love
Earlier, in the destiny and decree section, we mentioned that when we choose a decree, the fulfillment of its destiny and outcome is inevitable. The purpose of creation is also a destiny and outcome that follows the organization of a healthy hierarchy of love and the setting of priorities. That is, if the supra-rational faculty governs us, we gradually acquire divine names and attributes in various situations and circumstances. Otherwise, any good deed will ultimately lead to reward but will not result in growth or ‘becoming’ within us. In other words, the supra-rational faculty and organizing the hierarchy of love direct our actions and lives toward a healthy birth into the hereafter and becoming like God.
Our life never stops for a moment; we either move toward becoming and having a healthy birth into the hereafter or against it. In other words, either through setting priorities and properly organizing our hierarchy of love, we become more like God day by day, or we are captivated by the beloveds of the lower dimensions of our existence, distancing ourselves from the purpose of our creation with every action or decision. In fact, when our decisions and choices are not aligned with our supra-rational dimension, instead of moving toward the purpose of our creation, we are directed toward the desires and needs of the lower dimensions of our existence. Since this does not play a role in our eternal bliss, it merely acts as a veil for our souls. Therefore, self-knowledge, knowledge of the human being, or any science or knowledge that does not lead to the reform of our hierarchy of love only wastes our time and complicates the path back to God.
When the lower dimensions of our existence dominate our soul, our existential capacity becomes equally small and insignificant. It is natural that a soul constantly seeking to change furniture and enhance its car’s capabilities leaves no room for becoming like God and acquiring His names and attributes. It is the supra-rational faculty that possesses the capacity to become like God, and when it governs us, it can actualize all the divine names and attributes within itself. The difference between the supra-rational dimension and other dimensions of our existence is like the difference between an ocean and a bowl; no matter how hard we try, we cannot fit an infinite amount into a small bowl. Therefore, expecting the actualization of divine names and attributes and reaching the purpose of our creation in a soul governed by anything other than the supra-rational dimension is an impossible expectation.
In this lesson, we explored the relationship between the hierarchy of love and the result of setting priorities with the purpose of creation. We stated that fulfilling the purpose of creation or becoming like God is a destiny that is realized when our supra-rational faculty governs us. In conditions other than the governance of this faculty, we do not achieve the correct organizing of priorities, and all our actions, decisions, and choices become fruitless, only distancing us from the purpose of our creation.
How much do you see yourself on the path to achieving the purpose of your creation? Have you made any efforts to organize your hierarchy of love?