touch. The mind which is in man, the existence of which is
recognized--where is it in him? If you examine the body with the eye, the
ear or the other senses, you will not find it; nevertheless, it exists.
Therefore, the mind has no place, but it is connected with the brain. The
Kingdom is also like this. In the same way love has no place, but it is
connected with the heart; so the Kingdom has no place, but is connected
with man.

Entrance into the Kingdom is through the love of God, through detachment,
through holiness and chastity, through truthfulness, purity,
steadfastness, faithfulness and the sacrifice of life.

These explanations show that man is immortal and lives eternally. For
those who believe in God, who have love of God, and faith, life is
excellent--that is, it is eternal; but to those souls who are veiled from
God, although they have life, it is dark, and in comparison with the life
of believers it is nonexistence.

For example, the eye and the nail are living; but the life of the nail in
relation to the life of the eye is nonexistent. This stone and this man
both exist; but the stone in relation to the existence of man is
nonexistent; it has no being; for when man dies, and his body is destroyed
and annihilated, it becomes like stone and earth. Therefore, it is clear
that although the mineral exists, in relation to man it is nonexistent.

In the same way, the souls who are veiled from God, although they exist in
this world and in the world after death, are, in comparison with the holy
existence of the children of the Kingdom of God, nonexisting and separated
from God.

68: FATE

Question.--Is the predestination which is mentioned in the Holy Books a
decreed thing? If so, is not the effort to avoid it useless?

Answer.--Fate is of two kinds: one is decreed, and the other is conditional
or impending. The decreed fate is that which cannot change or be altered,
and conditional fate is that which may occur. So, for this lamp, the
decreed fate is that the oil burns and will be consumed; therefore, its
eventual extinction is a decree which it is impossible to alter or to
change because it is a decreed fate. In the same way, in the body of man a
power of life has been created, and as soon as it is destroyed and ended,
the body will certainly be decomposed, so when the oil in this lamp is
burnt and finished, the lamp will undoubtedly become extinguished.

But conditional fate may be likened to this