Directions
One of the most fundamental aspects of the physical world is the concept of the three dimensions of space. These can be most easily understood spiritually by looking at the six main directions. The English language reveals the meaning of most of them.
Up and down relate to loftiness and lowliness in English, and these have spiritual meaning. Because of gravity, material things fall downwards. This means that lowliness is associated with materiality, and loftiness is associated with spirituality, since spiritual things are not subject to gravity and God is the 'Most High'.
Forward and backward in English are not only directions of travel, they also relate to progress and retrogression, which are spiritual.
However, English does not really explain the meaning of left and right. For that we need to refer to the Bahá’í Writings:
Give ear unto the Voice of this trustworthy Counsellor: direct thy steps from the left unto the right, that is turn away from idle fancy unto certitude.[1]
In order to interpret this, we can refer to science. The place in nature where the difference between left and right has been studied is in the sides of the brain. While there doesn’t appear to be a scientific consensus, many scientists have asserted that each side of the brain relates to a different type of thought. Wikipedia says this:
This has led British psychiatrist Iain McGilchrist to say that the two hemispheres as having different value systems, where the left hemisphere tends to reduce complex matters such as ethics to rules and measures, where the right hemisphere is disposed to the holistic and metaphorical.[2]
To connect this with Bahá'u'lláh's quote, it can be interpreted that the left side is associated with rational thought (which in excess leads to idle fancy) and the right side is associated with abstract thought and certitude. Since science arises from rational thought and religion arises from certitude, left and right can also be said to correspond to science and religion.
- ↑ Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh
- ↑ Wikipedia, Lateralization of Brain Function