Q. Is man a divine being, or does he by participation in the divine nature be or become a divine being? A. Man has two natures, haivaniat and ferishtagi. Haivaniat is man's body, and that nature that needs food and drink and sleep and the satisfaction of all its passions. In this man is the same as the animals. Ferishtagi is that nature by which man is different from the animals, which goes back to its source. It is not his intelligence. The animals also have intelligence, but the animals' intelligence cannot ask, "From where have I come? And for what purpose am I?" When man knows this, when he recognizes his origin, then he is a divine being. |
|