Chinese philosophy does not acknowledge a GOD, per se. There is no “person” out there. It’s more like a verb than a noun. It would be more accurate to call It GODNESS. A process, a state of being. One seeks to attain GODNESS. One “becomes” GOD. Or rather, one has always been GOD, but seems to have forgotten along the way, and now must go to seek and find It again.
In the Abrahamic faiths, GOD is often personified as a noun. The Jews call It Yahweh. The Christians call It The Father. The Muslims believe in one God whom they call ALLAH, but ALLAH has Ninety-Nine Names. “One Hundred Minus One,” The Prophet said.
The Names of ALLAH are adjectival, and often contradictory. He is both Giver and Taker, Creator and Destroyer, Absent and Omnipresent. He is Everything and Nothing at the same time.
The question is, what is His One Hundredth Name? Perhaps it’s a well-kept secret. Perhaps we’ll never know. Perhaps ALLAH’s One Hundredth Name is YOU.
Back to chapter one.
