Difference between revisions of "Worlds of God"
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<blockquote>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.<ref>Bahá’u’lláh, [https://www.bahai.org/r/098486368 Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh]</ref></blockquote>Apart from this world, the world of God which we know most about is the next world. In Christianity humanity learned about heaven and hell, and in the Bahá'í Faith we learn that these are essentially different parts of the next world. The Bahá'í Faith describes the next world to some extent but at the same time explains that since the above quote is true, it is very difficult to understand what the next world is like. This website describes it to some extent.<blockquote>Know thou of a truth that the worlds of God are countless in their number, and infinite in their range. <ref>Bahá'u'lláh, [https://www.bahai.org/r/695072637 Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh]</ref></blockquote>On our journey back to God, we pass through these worlds. The worlds beyond the next world have been mentioned in Hinduism and Sikhism as well as in the Bahá'í Faith<ref>Bahá'í Library Forum, [https://bahai-library.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1858&view=next The Infinite Worlds of God]</ref>. Here we will mostly be concerned with the lower worlds since they are the most relevant to our purpose. | <blockquote>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.<ref>Bahá’u’lláh, [https://www.bahai.org/r/098486368 Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh]</ref></blockquote>Apart from this world, the world of God which we know most about is the next world. In Christianity humanity learned about heaven and hell, and in the Bahá'í Faith we learn that these are essentially different parts of the next world. The Bahá'í Faith describes the next world to some extent but at the same time explains that since the above quote is true, it is very difficult to understand what the next world is like. This website describes it to some extent.<blockquote>Know thou of a truth that the worlds of God are countless in their number, and infinite in their range. <ref>Bahá'u'lláh, [https://www.bahai.org/r/695072637 Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh]</ref></blockquote>On our journey back to God, we pass through these worlds. The worlds beyond the next world have been mentioned in Hinduism and Sikhism as well as in the Bahá'í Faith<ref>Bahá'í Library Forum, [https://bahai-library.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1858&view=next The Infinite Worlds of God]</ref>. Here we will mostly be concerned with the lower worlds since they are the most relevant to our purpose. | ||
== Kingdoms == | |||
[[File:Kingdoms.png|thumb|A diagram of how the kingdoms are arranged]] | |||
‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke about five kingdoms: the Kingdom of God, the mineral kingdom, the plant kingdom, the animal kingdom and the human kingdom. These kingdoms correspond to the numbers 1-5. The way five is the human kingdom corresponds to how the five-pointed star is used as a symbol of the human temple in the Faith. There are four more kingdoms which are the spirit of the mineral to human kingdoms in the next world. To the right is a diagram of how they are arranged. | |||
The pattern continues into the higher worlds, with groups of four kingdoms in each world. | |||
In general, kingdoms 2-5 and kingdoms 6-9 can be seen as the visible and invisible worlds. Of the invisible worlds, the one we know most about is number 6. Modern physics explains that there are four fundamental forces: gravitational, electromagnetic, strong nuclear and weak nuclear. Electromagnetic includes light and heat radiation. These are all part of the invisible spirit of the mineral kingdom, with the exception of light which is visible and does not fit neatly into this category. | |||
The invisible plant kingdom is where the basis of spiritual growth and development takes place, since growth and development are fundamental characteristics of the plant kingdom. It is in this kingdom that human beings are like trees, and they grow, attain maturity, bear fruit and reproduce in that way. | |||
The invisible animal kingdom is where our carnal feelings and emotions live, such as sexual feelings, feelings about food, and feelings about survival. Our animal intuition is what allows us to hone our skills in sports, and leads us to decide in a lower way who is a good prospective partner. | |||
In the human invisible kingdom are the higher and more abstract parts of human life, such as platonic love, ideas, human education, the human aspects of families, other structures of social organisation, and the human aspects of religion. | |||
Much of the Bahá’í Faith is in the kingdoms above these, in the third world and beyond, and these planes are higher and more spiritual. | |||
Revision as of 14:57, 20 March 2022
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.[1]
Apart from this world, the world of God which we know most about is the next world. In Christianity humanity learned about heaven and hell, and in the Bahá'í Faith we learn that these are essentially different parts of the next world. The Bahá'í Faith describes the next world to some extent but at the same time explains that since the above quote is true, it is very difficult to understand what the next world is like. This website describes it to some extent.
Know thou of a truth that the worlds of God are countless in their number, and infinite in their range. [2]
On our journey back to God, we pass through these worlds. The worlds beyond the next world have been mentioned in Hinduism and Sikhism as well as in the Bahá'í Faith[3]. Here we will mostly be concerned with the lower worlds since they are the most relevant to our purpose.
Kingdoms
‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke about five kingdoms: the Kingdom of God, the mineral kingdom, the plant kingdom, the animal kingdom and the human kingdom. These kingdoms correspond to the numbers 1-5. The way five is the human kingdom corresponds to how the five-pointed star is used as a symbol of the human temple in the Faith. There are four more kingdoms which are the spirit of the mineral to human kingdoms in the next world. To the right is a diagram of how they are arranged.
The pattern continues into the higher worlds, with groups of four kingdoms in each world.
In general, kingdoms 2-5 and kingdoms 6-9 can be seen as the visible and invisible worlds. Of the invisible worlds, the one we know most about is number 6. Modern physics explains that there are four fundamental forces: gravitational, electromagnetic, strong nuclear and weak nuclear. Electromagnetic includes light and heat radiation. These are all part of the invisible spirit of the mineral kingdom, with the exception of light which is visible and does not fit neatly into this category.
The invisible plant kingdom is where the basis of spiritual growth and development takes place, since growth and development are fundamental characteristics of the plant kingdom. It is in this kingdom that human beings are like trees, and they grow, attain maturity, bear fruit and reproduce in that way.
The invisible animal kingdom is where our carnal feelings and emotions live, such as sexual feelings, feelings about food, and feelings about survival. Our animal intuition is what allows us to hone our skills in sports, and leads us to decide in a lower way who is a good prospective partner.
In the human invisible kingdom are the higher and more abstract parts of human life, such as platonic love, ideas, human education, the human aspects of families, other structures of social organisation, and the human aspects of religion.
Much of the Bahá’í Faith is in the kingdoms above these, in the third world and beyond, and these planes are higher and more spiritual.
- ↑ Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh
- ↑ Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh
- ↑ Bahá'í Library Forum, The Infinite Worlds of God