"Not only has "No man ever seen God," but it is not in the power of man to comprehend Him with the mind. As one said: I know the law and the source, the cause of the law, not only the cause of the law, but also the cause of my life. But how is this not only I cannot understand, but I know I cannot even try to understand. Praise, prayer, repentance are impossible in relation to God. Not that He does not hear them, but it is a meaningless relation in relation to Him. It would be like saying that a bug subject to the law of gravity asks, praises, repents in relation to the movement of the heavenly bodies. But all this is not well said. I understood for the first time that I am one of the manifestations of the infinite trifles of life in relation to the infinitely great life, therefore the relation I am in is this: I am almost nothing, but I am in relation to the All. No, I cannot or do not know how to express not only the concept of God, but also my relation with him.
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Author
Leo TolstoyAll Translations
All Translations
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Not only has "No man ever seen God," but it is not in the power of man to comprehend Him with the mind. As one said: I know the law and the source, the cause of the law, not only the cause of the law, but also the cause of my life. But how is this not only I cannot understand, but I know I cannot even try to understand. Praise, prayer, repentance are impossible in relation to God. Not that He does not hear them, but it is a meaningless relation in relation to Him. It would be like saying that a bug subject to the law of gravity asks, praises, repents in relation to the movement of the heavenly bodies. But all this is not well said. I understood for the first time that I am one of the manifestations of the infinite trifles of life in relation to the infinitely great life, therefore the relation I am in is this: I am almost nothing, but I am in relation to the All. No, I cannot or do not know how to express not only the concept of God, but also my relation with him.
""Nu numai că „Nimeni nu L-a văzut vreodată pe Dumnezeu", dar nu stă în puterea omului să-L cuprindă cu mintea. Cum a spus cineva: cunosc legea și sursa, cauza legii, nu numai cauza legii, ci și cauza vieții mele. Dar cum e cauza asta nu numai că nu pot înțelege, dar știu că nici măcar nu pot încerca să înțeleg. Lauda, ruga, căința sunt imposibile în relația cu Dumnezeu. Nu pentru ca El nu le-ar auzi, dar e o relație fără sens în raport cu El. Ar fi ca și cum am spune că o gânganie supusă legii gravitației cere, laudă, se căiește în raport cu mișcarea corpurilor cerești. Dar toate astea nu sunt bine spuse. Am înțeles pentru prima dată că sunt una din manifestările infinit mărunte ale vieții în raport cu viața infinit măreață, de aceea relația în care mă aflu e următoarea: sunt aproape nimic, dar sunt în relație cu Totul. Nu, nu pot sau nu știu să exprim nu doar conceptul de Dumnezeu, dar nici relația mea cu El."