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The Fifth Lesson: The One and the Many.785
existence. This idea, in many forms has been so frequently advanced that it
is worth while to consider its absurdity. In the first place, what “experience”
could be gained by the Absolute and Infinite One? What could It expect
to gain and learn, that it did not already know and possess? One can gain
experience only from others, and outside things—not from oneself entirely
separated from the outside world of things. And there would be no “outside”
for the Infinite. These people would have us believe that The Absolute
emanated a Universe from Itself—which could contain nothing except that
which was obtained from Itself—and then proceeded to gain experience
from it. Having no “outside” from which it could obtain experiences and
sentences and sensations, it proceeded to make (from Itself) an imitation
one—that is what this answer amounts to. Can you accept it?
The whole trouble in all of these answers, or attempted answers, is that
the answerer first conceives of the Absolute-Infinite Being, as a Relative-
Finite Man, and then proceeds to explain what this Big Man would do. This
is but an exaggerated form of anthropomorphism—the conception of God
as a Man raised to great proportions. It is but an extension of the idea which
gave birth to the savage conceptions of Deity as a cruel chief or mighty
warrior, with human passions, hates, and revenge; love, passions, and desires.
Arising from the same cause, and akin to the theories advanced above
are similar ones, which hold that the Absolute cannot dwell alone, but must
forever bring forth souls from Itself—this was the idea of Plotinus, the Greek
philosopher. Others have thought that the Infinite was possessed of such
a consuming love, that It manifested objects upon which it could bestow
Its affections. Others have thought that It was lonesome, and desired
companionship. Some have spoken of the Absolute as “sacrificing” itself,
in becoming Many, instead of remaining One. Others have taught that the
Infinite somehow has become entangled in Its Manifestations, and had lost
the knowledge of Its Oneness—hence their teachings of “I Am God.” Others,
holding to a similar idea, tell us that the Infinite is deliberately “masquerading”
as the Many, in order to fool and mystify Itself—a show of Itself; by Itself,