Chapter 10
10
The World of The Kingdom
In our quest throughout the universe we have found traces of God made manifest,
according to the different capacities of the various kingdoms of the world of
creation. These are the expressions of the world of the Kingdom in the
creatures. In this sense, Bahá'u'lláh writes: `Every created
thing in the whole universe is but a door leading into His knowledge, a sign of
His sovereignty, a revelation of His names, a symbol of His majesty, a token of
His power, a means of admittance into His straight path...'[1] These traces are of such great relevance to our purpose of
`comprehending the reality of things, as they exist',[2] that it seems opportune here to summarize them briefly, so
as to focus on what we can understand about the world of the Kingdom.
The world of the Kingdom within the creatures
The traces of the world of the Kingdom become manifest in the world of
creation in different ways and degrees, depending on the capacities of the
creatures. The `power of attraction' binding together the `elemental atoms'[3] of `original matter'[4] is but the simplest expression, in the material level, of
the spiritual reality of love.
The `perpetual motion' which moves those elemental atoms is the expression of
the dynamism of the `universal energy'..[5]
The `law of progression'[6] and the perpetual
evolution to which all beings and the world of creation as a whole are subject
are `the expressions of spirit in the world of matter'[7] as progressiveness.
The `power of growth'[8] typical of the
vegetable world is a further expression of the progress typical of the world of
the Kingdom.
The `power of sense perception'[9] of the animal
world is `the lowest degree of perception'[10]
and yet it is a glimmer of the knowledge of the world of the Kingdom.
Other traces of that supernal world are the continuity of creation, the
infinity of the universe, the infinite variety and `the absolute order and
perfection'[11] of its phenomena, the oneness
of its laws, the intimate relation among created things which are, therefore, a
part of an organic unity and, last but not least, individuality -- in the sense
of uniqueness of phenomena -- as a sign of the divine unity.
Nor are these all the traces of God within our reach. On the one hand, God has
caused the world of creation to be an `outer expression or facsimile of the
inner kingdom of the spirit'[12] and, on the
other, He has bestowed upon man an extraordinary power which `apprehends the
spiritual... (and) sees the world of the Kingdom':[13] the power of knowing through his mind and insight.
Therefore, whenever the world of creation is seen through the eye of the
spirit, the world of the Kingdom will become manifest in each of the phenomena
of existence. This is `the metaphorical nature of material reality' which has
been so keenly discussed by J.S. Hatcher.[14]
Since the world of creation is somehow a metaphor of the world of the Kingdom,
it provides continuous and endless opportunities for reflecting upon and
understanding spiritual reality. The Bahá'í texts, like all other
Holy Scripture, are rich in metaphors offered by the Manifestation of God for
our understanding of spiritual truth. Spiritual truth belongs to a plane of
existence transcending the sense perception to which human beings are bound,
and is therefore difficult to represent or understand. In the
Bahá'í texts, the sun is at various times a metaphor of the
Essence of God, or the Word of God, or spirit, or the Manifestation of God.
Enlarging the metaphor, the succession of the four seasons as the sun makes its
transit through the zodiacal stations is suggested to represent the
evolutionary cycle of the great revealed religions.[15] The lunar cycle is suggested by `Abdu'l-Bahá as a
metaphor of the gradual spiritual growth of human beings.[16] The same concept is expressed through other metaphors as
well: daylight increasing from dawn to noon,[17] or a germinating seed which grows and yields its fruit,[18] or the soil, which must be cultivated if the
seeds thrown upon are to yield their fruit,[19] or a mirror which must be polished and cleaned from dust
if it is to mirror forth the light of the sun,[20] or a bird which, once its wings are grown, does not
remain upon the earth, but wings its flight towards the sky.[21] Water is another metaphor suggesting the Word or the
teachings of God:[22] `rain-showers of
divine mercy' which `cleanse the human heart',[23] or an `ocean' in whose waters men are invited to
immerse themselves that they `may unravel its secrets, and discover all the
pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depth',[24] or `rivers' which water `the soil of
hearts' drawing forth from them `the tender herbs of wisdom and
understanding'.[25] The idea of a
`journey' or `pilgrimage'[26] is suggested as
a metaphor for human life.
The Bahá'í texts are an inexhaustible source of such metaphors
and thus a precious instrument through which we may be trained in our
understanding of that correspondence between the material world (the world of
creation) and the spiritual world (the world of the Kingdom) so that the
ancient dualism between spirit and matter may find its solution. Thus will be
healed the painful fracture in the heart of a man who wants to learn to express
his divine nature in a plane of reality -- material reality -- which tends to
dim it, but which should not for that reason be viewed as inherently evil. When
material reality is illumined through its metaphorical -- or educational --
meaning, it will disclose to our eyes all its beauty, a beauty which is in
itself a metaphor of the Divine beauty of its Creator. And when we discover in
the world of creation His beauteous traces, we will, at long last, be no longer
broken within ourselves -- soul and body, as two enemies -- and we will exclaim
like Doctor Faustus: `Stop, fleeting moment, you are beautiful.' And our
Lucifer will be disappointed, because our love for this earthly life will not
bind our soul to an inferior reality, but will be an instrument for its
edification through that same life whose true meaning we will have at long last
understood and learnt to love.
The world of the Kingdom within man
Among the numberless phenomena of creation, man is the creature intended
to reflect the entire beauty of that world of the Kingdom to which his soul
belongs.
From time immemorial the Manifestations of God have come into the world one
after the other to guide man into the way of virtues in order that man may give
expression to them in this world more completely and perfectly. In His Sermon
on the Mountain[27] Jesus indicated the
heights of spirituality any human being may attain to. In His Hidden
Words[28] and in many other of His
Writings, Bahá'u'lláh -- after almost two thousand years --
renewed and broadened this pattern of spirituality, and at the same time
announced that the day of human spiritual maturity has come.
This is an age when each human being gradually -- the times being ripe -- will
manifest in himself, through his own efforts, the wonders of the world of the
Kingdom, and these wonders will enlighten the world.
In this sense, a man may be viewed as the raw material from which an artist
draws forth an inspiring work through his genius, inspiration and ability. Man
can, metaphorically, be the artist or the creator of himself.[29] If he avails himself of his God-given instruments and of
the `gems'30 he has been endowed with, and if he consciously
and willingly strives -- out of his love of God -- to observe the laws of
revelation, then he will create in himself such incomparable harmony of
spiritual feelings as will be conducive to his own happiness, to the
edification of his fellowmen, and to collective progress. This is the meaning
of the old tale of the Beast transformed into a handsome prince by Beauty out
of her love, or of the ugly duckling which grows into a beautiful swan, or of
that fine Japanese poem introduced to me by H.B. Danesh:
I asked the almond tree
`Sister, speak me of God!'
And the almond blossomed.
That such a goal of inner perfection, of fulfillment of the self, of active and
constructive participation in collective progress should be attained through
such a barren, hard and fatiguing path, which has apparently nothing in common
with the light and joy of the goal it leads to, may seem strange, and even
unjust and cruel.
St Teresa of Avila[31]31 said: `I
am not surprised, my Lord, that Thy friends are so few, if Thou dealest with
them in such a way.' This path has been variously described in the Sacred
Scriptures and in mystical writings. Jesus said: `... strait is the gate, and
narrow is the way which leadeth unto life.'32
Bahá'u'lláh poetically described it as the `valley of
love', but He said also that `the steed of this valley is pain; and if
there be no pain this journey will never end.'[33] `Abdu'l-Bahá mentions the `stony path of
God';[34] in one of His prayers, He
writes: `This, Thy servant, hath advanced toward Thee, is passionately
wandering in the desert of Thy love'35 and describes Himself as
`this wanderer in the wilderness of God's love'.[36] The modern mystic, Thomas Merton, mentions a `night of
the senses' preceding the contemplation of God and describes a heavy `journey
through the desert' filled with `aridness' and `desolation'[37] leading unto the vision of the Lord. In the sixteenth
century, St John of the Cross mentions a `night of sense and spirit' that `the
soul should first traverse, if it is to attain to the stage of perfection'.[38]
However, if man does not of his own free-will tread this path -- the path of
purification from the `satanic self'39 he will not be able to
demonstrate through his deeds that he has chosen the attraction towards the
world of the Kingdom and given up the ties binding him to the world of
creation, and therefore he will not be able to acquire experience of that
divine Kingdom.
Once again the words of a poet can assist us: the Persian mystic `Attár,
who conveys through his verses the eagerness of that inner yearning, a yearning
which, supported by perseverance, endeavour and fortitude, urges man to
painfully climb those heights beyond which an initially remote and unknown joy
will be found in the nearness of God.
Moths gathered in a fluttering throng one night
To learn the truth about the candle's light,
And they decided one of them should go
To gather news of the elusive glow.
One flew till in the distance he discerned
A palace window where a candle burned -
And went to nearer; back again he flew
To tell the others what he thought he knew.
The mentor of the moths dismissed his claim,
Remarking: `He knows nothing of the flame'.
A moth more eager than the one before
Set out and passed beyond the palace door.
He hovered in the aura of the fire,
A trembling blur of timorous desire,
Then headed back to say how far he'd been,
And how much he had undergone and seen.
The mentor said: `You do not bear the signs
Of one who's fathomed how the candle shines'.
Another moth flew out -- his dizzy flight
Turned to an ardent wooing of the light;
He dipped and soared, and in his frenzied trance
Both Self and fire were mingled by his dance -
The flame engulfed his wing-tips, body, head;
His being glowed a fierce translucent red;
And when the mentor saw that sudden blaze,
The moth's form lost within the glowing rays,
He said: `He knows, he knows the truth we seek,
That hidden truth of which we cannot speak'.
To go beyond all knowledge is to find
That comprehension which eludes the mind,
And you can never gain the longed-for goal
Until you first outsoar both flesh and soul;
But should one part remain, a single hair
Will drag you back and plunge you in despair -
No creature's Self can be admitted here,
Where all identity must disappear.[40]
It is obviously impossible to describe the infinite richness and variety of
attributes, qualities, capacities and endowments which a man may express during
his earthly life. As `Man is a creation intended for the reflection of [the]
virtues',[41] of a perfect world of the
Kingdom, so if those virtues are infinite, the potentialities of human nature
are infinite as well. In the Bahá'í texts, there is a wealthy of
passages in which the infinite potentialities vouchsafed unto man are described
through exhortations, loving counsels, descriptions of inner realities or
examples of spirituality. Some of the powers of the soul have been already
discussed. Each of these powers is, so to speak, assisted by infinitely many
spiritual virtues through which it may be brought into operation in daily life.
In the sphere of direct or indirect knowledge there is consciousness,
certitude, wisdom, eloquence and also justice, equity and honesty. In the
sphere of love, there is attraction toward the Kingdom, love of God, charity,
benevolence, selflessness, courtesy, kindness, loving-kindness, goodness,
patience, tolerance, compassion and mercy; and moreover, there is brotherhood,
friendship, respectfulness, purity, chastity and holiness as well as harmony,
trust-worthiness, honesty, sincerity, truthfulness, equity, justice,
faithfulness, loyalty, integrity, uprighteousness, frankness, humility,
meekness, joy and radiance. In the sphere of will, there is tranquility,
moderation, temperance, freedom, fear of God, trust in God, resolution,
steadfastness, fortitude, diligence, perseverance, patience, endurance,
gratitude (even in troubles), spirit of sacrifice and courage. And these are
not all the human possibilities. It is only a short and incomplete list of the
potential qualities that a human being may concretely manifest in the world of
creation, if he only makes an effort. This is the most luminous trace of the
world of the Kingdom that a man may discover. However, at this point, a
personal endeavour is required; a living experience has to be obtained.
Abstract knowledge of these `exemplars'[42]
will not be of much use. It is only through a direct perusal of and meditation
upon the Sacred Words that minds may be enlightened, that the urge to fulfill
them may be kindled in the hearts and the required forces bestowed. Thus may be
attained a knowledge which, far from being an abstract, or merely intellectual,
will be an inner experience, a way of being. And whoever attains that knowledge
will, though he lives on the earth, indeed be getting closer to Paradise, which
is reunion with God and His good-pleasure.[43]
The meeting with God within human hearts is the core of the aim and purpose of
the earthly journey: the soul learns, through deeds performed and feelings
experienced upon the earth, the practice of virtues, and thus becomes aware of
the virtues by its own experience. In this way man discovers `the world of
exemplars' within himself and, in so doing, he knows God, for those `exemplars'
are the reflections of His attributes. This is the meaning of the Islamic
tradition mentioned by Bahá'u'lláh in His
Kitáb-i-Íqán: `He hath known God who knoweth
himself.'[44] This tradition re-echoes the
aphorism `know thyself', attributed to Thales and engraved by Chilon of Sparta
on the pediment of the famous Temple of Delphi. In past ages, these words could
be understood only by a few chosen ones; today they convey a truth that each
human being in the world can understand and practise for himself.
The world of the Kingdom within society
As man comes to realize and know the world of the Kingdom within
himself, he will manifest it in society as well. It is thus that civilization
is born. Civilization itself -- in its twofold aspect of material civilization,
with its offspring of science and technology, and of divine civilization, with
its progressive stages as regards man's awareness of spiritual reality, and the
attainment of higher stages of cooperation and unity within society -- is a
sign and an expression of the world of the Kingdom in the world of creation.
Civilization, on the one hand, manifests the bounties of knowledge and
learning, prosperity and success, and, on the other, is conducive to `complete
attraction and affinity', `unity and harmony', and `eternal happiness, love and
everlasting life'..[45]
Most people today fail to recognize these signs within society. Traversing a
period of great disharmony between material civilization, which is well
advanced, and spiritual civilization, which is quite backward in comparison
with its present potentialities, the majority of mankind consider divine
civilization to be a mere utopia; while material civilization is thought to be
the outcome of unaided human efforts, without God (Whose same existence is
mostly denied) having any part in it.[46] The
Bahá'í view quite different:[47]
it will be for the history of future decades to demonstrate its soundness, as
the driving forces of history, which are always spiritual, bring about a
condition of political peace notwithstanding the present difficulties. Within
the context of this political peace, the new spiritual civilization, for which
mankind is now ready, will flourish in all its unfolding splendour.
According to the Bahá'í teachings, these possibilities and
capacities of peace, cooperation and harmony which are slowly and painfully
making their ways in the world, are among the shining traces of the world of
the Kingdom which spiritual seekers can see. Thus the contemporary flourishing
of material civilization may be viewed not only in its material aspects of
well-being and ease, nor only in its worst aspects of pollution, impoverishment
of the planet's resources, unequal distribution of material wealth, and awesome
possibilities of destruction, but also in its diametrically opposed
possibilities of realizing, through the efforts of spiritually more mature
individuals, such noble goals as the protection of the environment, the
preservation of the resources, the promotion of economical equity, and the
extension of an acceptable standard of life, of education, health and work to
all human beings, as well as the furtherance of spiritual edification.[48] The material means are available. Only the
will is missing, perhaps because most men still do not open their inner eyes
and thus they do not see the bounties of the world of the Kingdom lavished by
an All-Bountiful God throughout His creation, neither do they understand that
those bounties may be seized or ignored by us, His creatures, depending on our
own free choice.
The world of the Kingdom as the world beyond
But man cannot be satisfied with knowing the world of the Kingdom only
through its glimmerings in the creatures of the world and from the feelings he
himself experiences in his heart. Man has always been eager to know what his
condition will be when he somehow returns -- after his physical death -- into
that world. The Bahá'í texts inform us that `the nature of the
soul after death can never be described, nor it is meet and permissible to
reveal its whole character to the eyes of men'.[49] Nevertheless, they refer to that world through metaphors
in order to permit us an understanding within the limits of our capacities, an
understanding that can foster our attraction towards that reality.
It transcends time and space
The world of the Kingdom is often referred to by
Bahá'u'lláh as the `Placeless';[50] and `Abdu'l-Bahá says that it is a kingdom of
`eternal life'[51] which `transcends the
life and limitations of this mortal sphere'..[52] Thus, the world of the Kingdom cannot be explored and
studied through the categories of time and space typical of our material
universe.
When `Abdu'l-Bahá was asked where is the world of the Kingdom, He
answered: `... the Kingdom of God... is within this world. The people of
this world, however, are unaware of that world, and are even as the mineral and
the vegetable that know nothing of the animal and the world of man.' In
fact, `... the world of existence', He writes, `is a single world,
although its stations are various and distinct'.[53] Therefore, we are already in the world of the Kingdom
now, but we must become aware of this fact. And since it is the faculties of
mid and insight which, under the guidance of Revelation, enable us to become
aware of spiritual truth within material reality, these faculties must be
trained and developed in order to acquire such important awareness.
But above all, it should be remembered that the world of the Kingdom is
`nearness to God', and that such a nearness can be attained during this earthly
life through `the attainment of the highest virtues of humanity'.[54] `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `Those souls
that, in this day, enter the divine kingdom and attain everlasting life,
although materially dwelling on earth, yet in reality soar in the realm of
heaven. Their bodies may linger on earth, but their spirits travel in the
immensity of space. For as thoughts widen and become illumined, they acquire
the power of flight and transport man to the Kingdom of God.' Whoever
attains this stage will understand that `... the Kingdom is the real world,
and this nether place is only its shadow stretching out... images reflected in
water'.[55]
Metaphors of the world of the Kingdom in the Bahá'í
texts
Although in its limited ways the material world is only `images
reflected in water' it can yet permit us to conceive a metaphorical idea of
the world beyond.
The Bahá'í texts metaphorically describe the world of the Kingdom
as an earthly kingdom: `the Realm of Immortality', `the Realm of
Glory', the `Abhá Kingdom'.[56]56 In this Kingdom, there is a `Glorious
Height'57 from which the Voice of God is speaking forth.
Bahá'u'lláh describes moreover the `Sacred and inviolable
Sanctuary' of God, the `Celestial Pavilion', all metaphors that
should be perused and deeply meditated upon to be understood. When
Bahá'u'lláh describes that Kingdom, He depicts charming country
scenery: `rustling... leaves', a `whispering breeze', `flowing
waters'58 all raising anthems of praise unto God. In one of His
prayers, He implores that He may drink `from the sweet-scented streams of
Thine eternity', `taste the fruits' of the `tree of Thy
Being'. In that same prayer, He mentions refreshing `crystal springs of
Thy love', `meadows of Thy nearness', where He asks that He may
wander, as well as a `fragrant breeze of Thy joy... melodies of the dove of
Thy oneness... [a] garden of Thine immortality'.[59] In those places of spiritual delight `Maids' or
`Damsels'60 of Heaven as well as `heavenly
armies'61 dwelling in `mansions of Eternity' within
`celestial chambers', `illumine the heaven and all that is
therein' and perfume `all things in the Land of Holiness and
Grandeur'..[62] This world is also
described as `oceans above of God' whose `billows of grace' are
surging over `all mankind'.[63]
These metaphors disclose the beauty and the greatness of that world, when
compared to the limitations of this one, whose beauties are nevertheless a
reflection of the beauties of the former. However, once again, only through a
direct and personal perusal of the revealed Words and meditation upon them can
a glimpse of the deep inner meanings of those metaphors be caught.
Qualities of the world of the Kingdom
The world of the Kingdom is, `Abdu'l-Bahá says, `the Kingdom of
complete attraction and affinity', of `real love', that love `which exists
between God and His servants, the love which binds together holy souls, not the
love of physical bodies and organisms'; the world of the Kingdom is a world of
`light and reality... bliss and joy', of `radiance... illumination', in
comparison with the `darkness and uncertainty' of this world. It is a world of
`absolute immortality, completeness and unchangeable being', in comparison to
the `separation [and] disintegration, which characterize the world of material
existence'. It is a world of `unlimited' virtues, whereas `the virtues of the
material world are limited'. It is `a world of sanctity and radiance... of
spirituality, faith, assurance, the knowledge and love of God... a world of
lights... of love... of perfections... vivified by the breaths of the Holy
Spirit', in comparison to this `world of gloom... of defects... without
enlightenment'.[64] In that world, the veils
will be cleft asunder, `verities will come to light, and all things unknown
before will be made clear, and hidden truths be understood'..[65] It `is the realm of divine bestowals and the
bounties of God. It is attainment of the highest virtues of humanity; it is
nearness to God; it is capacity to receive the bounties of the ancient Lord',
in the sense that in that world the closer the `nearness to God' or the
`likeness unto' Him, the more perfectly will human potentialities be fulfilled.
This unceasing progress, which is typical of the world of the Kingdom is
animated and guided by the Manifestation of God. `In the inner world, the world
of the Kingdom, the Sun of Reality is the Trainer and Educator of minds, souls
and spirits. Were it not for the effulgent rays of the Sun of Reality, they
would be deprived of growth and development; nay, rather, they would be
nonexistent... the radiation of the light and heat of the Sun of Reality gives
growth, education and evolution to minds, souls and spirits toward the station
of perfection'.[66]
The body separates man from that world like a screen. `Abdu'l-Bahá
compares it to an `interposed veil' which must be metaphorically
`lifted away' so that that `world of perceptions and discoveries'
may be perceived. This will undoubtedly occur when the body dies. At that
moment, man will hasten `away from this mortal place into the Kingdom of
God, then he will be born in the spirit; then the eye of his perception will
open, the ear of his soul will hearken, and all the truths of which he was
ignorant before will be made plain and clear.' However, this process may
begin during physical life with that which is called second birth or spiritual
progress.[67]
Human souls in the world of the Kingdom
`Abdu'l-Bahá, dwelling more specifically upon the condition of
the soul after death, informs us that at the physical death when the body is
decomposed, `only consciousness... is left...'; He says moreover: `After death
the condition is one which cannot be clearly explained in words. It is one of
comprehension, understanding, which involves all other things -- feeling, etc.'
He also says: `You will retain your individuality and will not be swallowed up
in one vast spirit. Concerning the condition of the human soul after its
ascension from the material world: the essence of the human soul is clarified
from material substances and purified from the embodiment of physical things.
It is exclusively luminous; it has no body; it is a dazzling pencil of light;
it is a celestial orb of brightness.'[68]
Therefore, if the body disappears, the mind, which depends on the body,[69] disappears as well; and when the mind
disappears, animal and human nature will disappear too. There is no longer that
tension between animal and divine nature, typical of the earthly life of man,
which has been called dual nature of the soul. The unremitting necessity of
choosing between material and spiritual attraction, typical of this earthly
life, disappears. The evolution of the soul will be a progressive and
continuous `approaching unto God',[70] the
supreme Centre of Attraction, through the agency of the bounties of the Sun of
Reality, the Manifestation of God. Thus, in the world of the Kingdom, the
Manifestation of God `continues... to be our means of contact with the
Almighty',[71] and whoever has learnt during
his earthly life how to profit from His bounties, will profit of them all the
more in the next one.
Bahá'u'lláh writes that in the world of the Kingdom, the soul
`... will assume the form that best befitteth its immortality'.[72] And `Abdu'l-Bahá explains that
`... in the other world the human reality doth not assume a physical form,
rather doth it take on a heavenly form, made up of elements of that heavenly
realm',[73] and it remains `in the degree
of purity to which it has evolved during life in the physical body'.[74]
For man as an individual, then, earthly life is nothing but a preparation for
the life beyond, when the soul will take the consequences or reap the fruits of
its life in this world. Bahá'u'lláh writes: `Every pure, every
refined and sanctified soul will be endowed with tremendous power, and shall
rejoice with exceeding gladness'; in fact `... all men shall, after
their physical death, estimate the worth of their deeds, and realize all that
their hands have wrought', and `... the souls of the infidels...
shall... be made aware of the good things that have escaped
them'75 and will suffer.
It is evident that the souls occupy quite different stages in the world beyond
according to `what they acquire of virtues or vices in this world'.[76] `Abdu'l-Bahá writes in this regard:
`Know that immortality belongs to such souls as have been imbued with the
spirit of life. Beside them all the others are lifeless -- they are dead, as
Christ explained in the Gospel.'[77]
However, this condition is not a static one. In fact `... nothing which
exists', says `Abdu'l-Bahá, `remains in a state of repose', and `... as
the spirit continues to develop after death, it necessarily progresses or
declines; and in the other world to cease to progress is the same as to
decline; but it never leaves its own condition, in which it continues to
develop'.[78] Thus, the condition of the soul
after physical death is certainly not stationary. The soul proceeds in the
world of the Kingdom in its never-ending journey back to God.
In the world beyond, the progress of the soul is through the bounties of the
Manifestation of God, as well as by intercession of other souls, both of souls
who are still in the physical stage of their lives -- as will be seen further
on -- and of souls who have ascended into the world of the Kingdom.
`Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... it is certain that -- those who are near the
Divine Court are allowed to intercede, and this intercession is approved by
God. But intercession in the other world is not like the intercession in this
world. It is another thing, another reality, which cannot be expressed in
words.'[79]
Relations between this world and the other
Bahá'u'lláh, further explaining the relation between this
life and the other, writes: `The world beyond is as different from this
world as this world is different from that of the child while still in the womb
of its mother.'[80] Earthly life is
described by `Abdu'l-Bahá as `the condition of a human being in the
womb, where his eyes are veiled, and all things are hidden away from him. Once
he is born out of the uterine world and entereth this life, he findeth it, with
relation to that of the womb, to be a place of perceptions and discoveries, and
he observeth all things through his outer eye. In the same way, once he hath
departed this life, he will behold in that world whatsoever was hidden from him
here: but there he will look upon and comprehend all things with his inner
eye...'81 According to this metaphor, just as whatsoever is
needed for this world is acquired during intrauterine life, even though some of
those instruments are utterly useless inside the womb, so during this life such
instruments are acquired as will prove indispensable in the world beyond, and
which will be used to a certain extent in this life, too.
`... [I]n this world', says `Abdu'l-Bahá, `he must prepare himself for
the life beyond.' And then He enumerates all the qualities which man must equip
himself with: `sanctity and radiance... spirituality, faith, assurance, the
knowledge and love of God... illumination... virtues or perfections... breaths
of the Holy Spirit... everlasting life'.[82]
On the other hand, just as a bodily defect acquired in the womb may have
far-reaching consequences upon the conditions of life once a person is born
into this world, so a defect in one's spiritual evolution will exert its
influence on the conditions of one's life in the world of the Kingdom.
`Abdu'l-Bahá explains the condition of a man at his physical death, in
the light of this same metaphor: `At first the infant finds it very difficult
to reconcile itself to its new existence. It cries as if not wishing to be
separated from its narrow abode and imagining that life is restricted to that
limited space. It is reluctant to leave its home, but nature forces it into
this world. Having come into its new condition, it finds that it has passed
from darkness into a sphere of radiance; from gloomy and restricted
surroundings, it has been transferred to a spacious and delightful
environment... and then it praises God for its release from the confinement of
its former condition and attainment to the freedom of a new realm. This analogy
expresses the relation of the temporal world to the life hereafter -- the
transition of the soul of man from darkness and uncertainty to the light and
reality of the eternal Kingdom. At first, it is very difficult to welcome
death, but after attaining its new conditions the soul is grateful, for it has
been released from the bondage of the limited to enjoy the liberties of the
unlimited. It has been freed from a world of sorrow, grief and trials to live
in a world of unending bliss and joy. The phenomenal and physical have been
abandoned in order that it may attain the opportunities of the ideal and
spiritual.'[83]
A further metaphor suggested by `Abdu'l-Bahá, in order to explain the
relation between this earthly life and the life hereafter, is that of a garden:
`It is as if', He writes, `a kind gardener transferreth a fresh and
tender shrub from a confined place to a wide open area. This transfer is not
the cause of the withering, the lessening or the destruction of that shrub; no,
on the contrary, it maketh it to grow and thrive, acquire freshness and
delicacy, become green and bear fruit. This hidden secret is well known to the
gardener, but those souls who are unaware of this bounty suppose that the
gardener, in his anger and wrath, hath uprooted the shrub. Yet to those who are
aware, this concealed fact is manifest, and this predestined decree is
considered a bounty.'84 Once more the Bahá'í texts
show a benign reality which in its often inscrutable Rationality and
Providential Order is guarantee of rationality and order in its creation. And
whoever understands and complies with the meaning of that rationality and the
harmony of that order will say: `there is nothing more wonderful than that
which already exists',[85] and in that
awareness will find fulfillment and happiness.
Relations between human souls in the world of the Kingdom
As to the relations among human souls in the world of the Kingdom,
Bahá'u'lláh writes that whoever has lived in conformity with the
divine will have blissful joy: `The Maids of Heaven, inmates of the loftiest
mansions, will circle around [him], and the Prophets of God and His chosen ones
will seek his companionship. With them that soul will freely converse, and will
recount unto them that which it hath been made to endure in the path of God,
the Lord of all worlds.'[86] When
`Abdu'l-Bahá was asked `whether the souls will recognize each other
in the spiritual world', He answered: `This fact is certain; for the
Kingdom is the world of vision where all the concealed realities will become
disclosed. How much more the well-known souls will become manifest. The
mysteries of which man is heedless in this earthly world, those he will
discover in the heavenly world, and there will he be informed of the secret
truth; how much more will he recognize or discover persons with whom he hath
been associated... Even they will manifestly behold the Beauty of God in that
world. Likewise will they find all the friends of God, both those of former and
recent times, present in the heavenly assemblage.'[87]
However, mutual awareness among the souls in that world depends on the grade of
their development: `They that are of the same grade and station are fully
aware of one another's capacity, character, accomplishment and merits. They
that are of a lower grade, however, are incapable of comprehending adequately
the station, or of estimating the merit, of those that rank above them.'[88]
Thus a hierarchy exists in the world of the Kingdom: there is a great
difference between those who, having attained the life of the spirit during
their earthly life, are closer unto God; and those who, having not made
spiritual progress, are as dead. `He who is deprived of these divine favours,
although he continues after death, is considered as dead by the people of
truth,' says `Abdu'l-Bahá; and moreover: `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.'[89]
Relationship between human souls in this world and in the other
The Bahá'í texts also describe the relationship between
those souls who have traversed earthly life and ascended into that Kingdom, and
mankind which is wearily making its way here on the earth. `Abdu'l-Bahá
says: `those who have ascended have different attributes from those who are
still on earth, yet there is no real separation.'[90] In fact, pure and holy souls in the Kingdom are -- in the
words of Bahá'u'lláh -- `the pure leaven that leaveneth the
world of being, and furnisheth the power through which the arts and wonders of
the world are made manifest'. `The light which these soul radiate'
He writes moreover, `is responsible for the progress of the world and the
advancement of its peoples. They are like unto leaven which leaveneth the world
of being, and constitute the animating force through which the arts and wonders
of the world are made manifest. Through them, the clouds rain their bounty upon
men, and the earth bringeth forth its fruits... These souls and symbols of
detachment have provided and will continue to provide, the supreme moving
impulse in the world of being..'[91]
As the souls of the Kingdom have an influence upon this world, so the contrary
is true as well. `In prayer there is a mingling of station, a mingling of
condition', says `Abdu'l-Bahá. Then He adds: `Pray for them as they pray
for you.'[92] These concepts need to be
carefully studied and pondered so that both `the despairing slough of
materialism' and `the quagmire of superstition'[93] may be avoided.
These are certainly not all the signs of the world of the Kingdom that may be
discovered in the world of creation, within man, within society, or in the Holy
Scriptures. This brief discussion is just intended as a starting point, as an
encouragement. Seekers will undoubtedly discover other traces, understand other
metaphors, and in so doing will foster such attraction toward the world of the
Kingdom within their own selves as will kindle the eagerness to tread the path
of spirituality, both within their own hearts and in those of others.[94]
End notes:
[1] Gleanings, p.160.
[2] Some Answered Questions, p.221.
[3] Promulgation, pp.268, 284.
[4] Some Answered Questions, p.183.
[5] Promulgation, pp.284, 140.
[6] ibid. p.302.
[7] Paris Talks, p.90.
[8] Some Answered Questions, p.143.
[9] Promulgation, p.29.
[10] Some Answered Questions, p.217.
See ibid. pp.217-9.
[11] Promulgation, p.79.
[12] ibid. p.270.
[13] `Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets,
p.604.
[14] See J.S. Hatcher, The Metaphorical
Nature of Material Reality', in Bahá'í Studies, III, and
The Purpose of Physical Reality. A metaphor is a figure of speech which
`relates to a certain object an image which evokes immediate impressions and
feelings we experience in front of the object'. (A. Ghiselli, C. Casalgrande,
Lingua e Parola, p.394.)
[15] `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... just as
the solar cycle has its four seasons, the cycle of the Sun of Reality has its
distinct and successive periods. Each brings its vernal season or springtime.
When the Sun of Reality returns to quicken the world of mankind, a divine
bounty descends from the heaven of generosity. The realm of thoughts and ideas
is set in motion and blessed with new life. Minds are developed, hopes
brighten, aspirations become spiritual, the virtues of the human world appear
with freshened power of growth, and the image and likeness of God become
visible in man. It is the springtime of the inner world. After the spring,
summer comes with its fullness and spiritual fruitage; autumn follows with its
withering winds which chill the soul; the Sun seems to be going away,
until at last the mantle of winter overspreads, and only faint traces of the
effulgence of that divine sun remain. Just as the surface of the material world
becomes dark and dreary, the soil dormant, the trees naked and bare, and no
beauty or freshness remain to cheer the darkness and desolation, so the winter
of the spiritual cycle witnesses the death and disappearance of divine growth
and extinction of the light and love of God. But again, the cycle begins and a
new springtime appears. In it, the former springtime has returned; the world is
resuscitated, illumined and attain spirituality; religion is renewed and
reorganized, hearts are turned unto God, and life is again bestowed upon man'.
(Promulgation, pp.93-6.) See above, pp.38 n.40; 106 n.29.
[16] `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `... the
brilliant realities and sanctified spirits are likened to a shining crescent.
It has one face turned toward the Sun of Truth, and another face opposite to
the contingent world. The journey of this crescent in the heaven of the
universe ends in (becoming) a full moon. That is, that face of it which is
turned toward the divine world becomes also opposite to the contingent world,
and by this, both its merciful and spiritual, as well as contingent,
perfections become complete.' (Tablets, pp.1089.) See above,
pp.117.
[17] `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... spiritual
advancement may be likened to the light of the early dawn. Although this dawn
light is dim and pale, a wise man who views the march of the sunrise at its
very beginning can foretell the ascendancy of the sun in its full glory and
effulgence. He knows, for a certainty, that it is the beginning of its
manifestation and that later it will assume great power and potency.'
(Promulgation, p.131.) See above, p.117.
[18] `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `... the human
reality may be compared to a seed. If we saw the seed, a mighty
tree appears from it. The virtues of the seed are revealed in the tree;
it puts forth branches, leaves, blossoms, and produces fruits. All these
virtues were hidden and potential in the seed. Through the blessing and
bounty of cultivation these virtues became apparent. Similarly, the merciful
God, our Creator, has deposited within human realities certain latent and
potential virtues. Through education and culture these virtues deposited by the
loving God became apparent in the human reality, even as the unfoldment of the
tree from within the germinating seed.' (Promulgation, p.91.)
[19] `... the human reality is like the soil.
If no bounty of rain descends from the heaven upon the soil, if no heat of the
sun penetrates, it will remain black, forbidding, unproductive; but when the
moistening shower and the effulgent glow of the sun's ray fall upon it,
beautiful and redolent flowers grow from its bosom. Similarly, the human spirit
or reality of man, unless it becomes the recipient of the lights of the
Kingdom, develops divine susceptibilities and consciously reflects the
effulgence of God, will not be the manifestation of ideal bounties...'
(Promulgation, p.30.) See above, p.117.
[20] `Abdu'l-Bahá says: `The most
important thing is to polish the mirrors of the hearts in order that they may
become illumined and receptive of the divine light. One heart may possess the
capacity of the polished mirror; another, be covered and obscured by the dust
and dross of this world. Although the same Sun is shining upon both, in the
mirror which is polished, pure and sanctified you may behold the Sun in all its
fullness, glory and power, revealing its majesty and effulgence; but in the
mirror which is rusted and obscured there is no capacity for reflection,
although so far as the Sun itself is concerned it is shining thereon and is
neither lessened nor deprived. Therefore, our duty lies in seeking to
polish the mirrors of our hearts in order that we shall become reflectors of
that light and recipient of the divine bounties which may be fully revealed
through them.' (Promulgation, pp.14-15.)
[21] See ibid. pp.294, 336. He writes
moreover: `... once a bird hath grown its wings, it remaineth on the ground
no more, but soareth upward into high heaven -- except for those birds that are
tied by the leg, or those whose wings are broken, or mired down.'
(Selections, p.58.)
[22] Bahá'u'lláh often refers to
the `Water of Life' (Gleanings, p.213), as the teachings of the
Manifestation of God which, even as water, quicken the soil of human hearts.
[23] Selections, p.146.
[24] Kitáb-i-Aqdas, in
Synopsis, p.37.
[25] Gleanings, p.43.
[26] Promulgation, pp.294, 336.
[27] See Matt. 5:1-48 and
Luke 6:20-49. With such words does `Abdu'l-Bahá pay a tribute to
the moral teachings of Jesus: `...Jesus... founded the sacred Law and the
foundation of moral character and complete spirituality and to those who
believed in Him traced a special way of living which constitutes the highest
way of acting on the earth.' (Secret of Divine Civilization,
p.82.)
[28] These are the opening words of that
precious collection of aphorisms: `This is that which hath descended from
the realm of glory, uttered by the tongue of power and might, and revealed unto
the Prophets of old. We have taken the inner essence thereof and clothed it in
the garment of brevity, as a token of grace unto the righteous, that they may
stand faithful unto the Covenant of God, may fulfill in their lives His trust,
and in the realm of the spirit obtain the gem of the Divine virtue.'
(Hidden Words, p.3.) A perusal of this booklet and the practice of the
advises offered therein will prove a sufficient means of the spiritual progress
of anyone who will exert his efforts with purity of motives.
[29] G. A. Eyford writes: `Man must work on
himself as he would upon a piece of art. His standards and criteria will be a
blend of the aesthetic and the moral as he strives to achieve beauty, purity,
virtue, goodness, unity, authenticity, and truth.' (`Aesthetics and Spiritual
Education', in World Order, XIV, no.1, p.36.) For a better understanding
of this concept, the perusal of the whole paper by G.A. Eyford is suggested.
30 Gleanings, p.260.
[31] St Teresa from Avila or of Jesus
(1515-1582), mystic, Spanish writer, reformer of the Carmelitan Order together
with her contemporary Spanish mystic St John of the Cross (1542-1591).
32 Matt. 7:14.
[33] Seven Valleys, p.8.
[34] Selections, p.226.
35 Bahá'í Prayers, p.82.
[36] Selections, p.226.
[37] New Seeds of Contemplation.
[38] St John of the Cross, Opere,
pp.350, 15.
39 Seven Valleys, p.11.
[40] Farídu'd-Din `Attár
(1117-1230). These verses are from his most famous poem, Mantiqu't-Tayr (`The
Conference of the Birds'). See ibid. p.206.
[41] Promulgation, pp.302-3.
[42] Promulgation, p.464. The word
exemplar (or archetype) is seemingly used by `Abdu'l-Bahá, in
this context, in its neo-platonic meaning of `ideas [attributes] existing in
the mind of God as models of created things'.. (N. Abbagnano, Dizionario di
Filosofia, p.65.) See above, p.147.
[43]
Bahá'u'lláh writes: `"Where is Paradise, and where is Hell?"
Say: "The one is reunion with Me; the other is thine own self".' (Tablets,
p.118). The Báb writes: `Paradise is attainment of His good-pleasure.'
(Selections, p.158.)
[44]
p.102.
[45] Promulgation, pp.4, 9.
[46] This concept is thus concisely set forth
by The Universal House of Justice in its Promise of World Peace: `...
religion and religious institutions have, for many decades, been viewed by
increasing numbers of people as irrelevant to the major concerns of the modern
world. In its place they have turned either to the hedonistic pursuit of
material satisfactions or to the following of man-made ideologies designed to
rescue society from the evident evils under which it groans.' (p.6.)
[47] Bahá'u'lláh writes:
`Religion... is the chief instrument for the establishment of order in the
world and of tranquility amongst its peoples. The weakening of the pillars of
religion hath strengthened the foolish and emboldened them and made them more
arrogant... The greater the decline of religion, the more grievous the
waywardness of the ungodly. This cannot but lead in the end to chaos and
confusion.' (Tablets, pp.63-4.)
[48] The interested reader would do well to
read Call to the Nations, a compilation of writings by Shoghi Effendi,
published in 1977 by the Universal House of Justice. In this compilation, the
most important Bahá'í texts dealing these and other important
issues are collected.
[49] Gleanings, p.156.
[50] Hidden Words, Persian no. 17.
Bahá'u'lláh mentions in His Hidden Words `the gates
that open on the Placeless', (Persian no. 17. `the realms of the
Placeless', (Bahá'u'lláh, ibid. Persian no. 39) `the
paradise of the Placeless', (Persian, no. 39) as well as in His
Kitáb-i-Íqán, `the domain of the
Placeless.'(p.157.)
[51] Promulgation, p.226.
[52] Selections, pp.194-5.
[53] ibid. pp.194-5, 193.
[54] Promulgation, p.304.
[55] Selections, pp.202, 178.
[56] Gleanings, pp.141, 301, 207.
57 Bahá'u'lláh, Tablet of the Holy Mariner.
58 Gleanings, pp.11-12, 31.
[59] Bahá'í Prayers,
pp.77-8.
60 Bahá'u'lláh, Tablet of the Holy Mariner.
61 `Abdu'l-Bahá writes: `By heavenly armies those souls
are intended who are entirely freed from the human world, transformed into
celestial spirits and have become divine angels. Such souls are the rays of the
Sun of Reality... They are delivered from human qualities and the defects of
the world of nature, are characterized with the characteristics of God, and are
attracted with the fragrances of the Merciful.' (Tablets of the Divine
Plan, p.47.)
[62] Bahá'u'lláh, Tablet of
the Holy Marineer.
[63] Selections, p.252.
[64] Promulgation, pp.4, 9, 256, 47,
332, 47, 90, 205, 226, 332.
[65] Selections, p.177.
[66] Promulgation, pp.304, 148, 271.
[67] Selections, pp.170, 149. To a
seeker, lamenting her separation from Him, `Abdu'l-Bahá wrote:
`We are all under the shade of the unicoloured pavilion of the world of
humanity, but heedlessness forms a veil and an obstacle. When it is removed,
the veil will be rent asunder and we shall see one another gathered up together
and present.' (`Tablets of Abdul-Baha Recently Revealed', in Star
of the West, X, p.7.)
[68] Quoted in `Studies in Immortality', in
Star of the West, XIV, pp.37, 38.
[69]
In the Bahá'í texts, the mind is described as the manifestation
of the mental faculties of the soul through the agency of the brain. Since mind
is not the only cognitive means at man's disposal, it follows that though man's
intelligence (or reason, or intellect) is conditioned by his mind, yet it is
not identical with it.
As to the concept of mind, see above pp.156-7. [9-10, 176-8, 265-70,
306-7.]
[70] Paris Talks, p.66.
[71] Letter on behalf of Shoghi Effendi,
quoted in Dawn of a New Day, p.67. Bahá'u'lláh, describing
a `true believer', writes: `his spirit will everlastingly circle
round the Will of God'. (Gleanings, p.141.)
[72] Gleanings, p.157.
[73] Selections, p.194.
[74] Paris Talks, p.66.
75 Gleanings, pp.154, 171, 170.
[76] Some Answered Questions, p.233.
[77] Selections, p.189. Shoghi Effendi,
explains some passages from the writings of Bahá'u'lláh on the
same subject in the following words written through his secretary: `The word
"perish"... does not mean that the human soul will cease to exist, but will be
deprived of all spiritual capacity and understanding... by "everlasting life"
is meant spiritual felicity, communion with the Divine Spirit'. (quoted in
Bahá'í Institutions (comp.), p.115.)
[78] Some Answered Questions, p.233.
[79] ibid. p.231.
[80] Gleanings, p.157.
81 Selections, p.171.
[82] Promulgation, p.226.
[83] ibid. p.47.
84 Selections, pp.199-200.
[85] Some Answered Questions, p.177.
[86] Gleanings, p.156.
[87] Tablets, p.205.
[88] Bahá'u'lláh,
Gleanings, p.170.
[89] Some Answered Questions, pp.225,
243.
[90] `Abdu'l-Bahá in London,
p.96.
[91] Gleanings, p.157.
[92] `Abdu'l-Bahá in London,
p.157.
[93] Paris Talks, p.143.
[94] For a deeper discussion of this topic
see J. S. Hatcher, The Purpose of Physical Reality.
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