And among the marks of temporal origination are imperfections such as ignorance, blindness, deafness, and muteness. Anything possessing such qualities can only have a temporal beginning, for the Eternal, who has no beginning, is free of them. He possesses the opposites of these qualities, and the attributes of perfection are inseparable from Him. An inseparable attribute cannot cease to exist unless that which possesses it ceases to exist. His Essence is eternal, without beginning, necessarily existent in itself, and independent of everything besides itself. Nonexistence and cessation are utterly impossible for it. Its inseparable attributes therefore cannot cease to exist, nor can it possess their opposites. Only a temporally originated being can possess those opposites. They are thus marks of temporal origination, necessarily entailing that whatever possesses them has a temporal beginning. This falls within the statement:

“The Lord is free of anything that entails temporal origination or imperfection.”

An imperfection contrary to His attributes of perfection necessarily entails that whatever possesses it has a temporal beginning. Temporal origination, in turn, necessarily entails the imperfection inherent in created beings. Every created being depends upon another, comes into existence after not having existed, knows only what it has been taught, and can do only what it has been enabled to do. It is encompassed and subject to another’s power.

These imperfections, inherent in every created being, necessarily accompany temporal origination: wherever there is temporal origination, they are present. Temporal origination likewise necessarily accompanies them: wherever there is a temporally originated being, these imperfections are present. Thus, our statement is true:

“The Lord is free of anything that entails imperfection or temporal origination.”