Baha’i
Writings
3. Material / Physical
3.1 The
World of Creation & Human Station
(Minerals, Plants, Animals & Human Beings)
3.1.1
The World of Creation - Human Distinction & Capacity
Having created the world and all that liveth and moveth therein, He,
through the direct operation of His unconstrained and sovereign Will, chose to
confer upon man the unique distinction and capacity to know Him and to love Him
-- a capacity that must needs be regarded as the generating impulse and the
primary purpose underlying the whole of creation....
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 65)
3.1.2
The World of Creation - The Purpose of Human Creation
All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing
civilization. The Almighty beareth Me witness: To act like the beasts of the
field is unworthy of man. Those virtues that befit his dignity are forbearance,
mercy, compassion and loving-kindness towards all the peoples and kindreds of
the earth.
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 214)
3.1.3
The world of creation - The Purpose of the Creation of Man
The purpose of the creation of man is the attainment of the supreme
virtues of humanity through descent of the heavenly bestowals.
(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 4)
3.1.4
The World of Creation - Knowledge of Self
Could ye apprehend with what wonders of My munificence and bounty I have
willed to entrust your souls, ye would, of a truth, rid yourselves of attachment
to all created things, and would gain a true knowledge of your own selves -- a
knowledge which is the same as the comprehension of Mine own Being.
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 326)
3.1.5
The World of Creation - Human Station
Say: O men! This is a matchless Day. Matchless must, likewise, be the
tongue that celebrateth the praise of the Desire of all nations, and matchless
the deed that aspireth to be acceptable in His sight. The whole human race hath
longed for this Day, that perchance it may fulfil that which well beseemeth its
station, and is worthy of its destiny.
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 39)
3.1.6
The World of Creation - The Cause of Human Upliftment
It is incumbent upon thee to summon the people, under all conditions, to
whatever will cause them to show forth spiritual characteristics and goodly
deeds, so that all may become aware of that which is the cause of human
upliftment, and may, with the utmost endeavor, direct themselves towards the
most sublime Station and the Pinnacle of Glory.
(Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 27)
3.1.7
The World of Creation - Words Befitting Human Station
The Great Being saith: One word may be likened unto fire, another unto
light, and the influence which both exert is manifest in the world. Therefore an
enlightened man of wisdom should primarily speak with words as mild as milk,
that the children of men may be nurtured and edified thereby and may attain the
ultimate goal of human existence which is the station of true understanding and
nobility. And likewise He saith: One word is like unto springtime causing the
tender saplings of the rose-garden of knowledge to become verdant and
flourishing, while another word is even as a deadly poison. It behoveth a
prudent man of wisdom to speak with utmost leniency and forbearance so that the
sweetness of his words may induce everyone to attain that which befitteth man's
station.
(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 172)
3.1.8
The World of Creation - Creation of man, Capacity & Volition
And now, concerning thy question regarding the creation of man. Know thou that
all men have been created in the nature made by God, the Guardian, the
Self-Subsisting. Unto each one hath been prescribed a pre-ordained measure, as
decreed in God's mighty and guarded Tablets. All that which ye potentially
possess can, however, be manifested only as a result of your own volition. Your
own acts testify to this truth. Consider, for instance, that which hath been
forbidden, in the Bayan, unto men. God hath in that Book, and by His behest,
decreed as lawful whatsoever He hath pleased to decree, and hath, through the
power of His sovereign might, forbidden whatsoever He elected to forbid. To this
testifieth the text of that Book. Will ye not bear witness? Men, however, have
wittingly broken His law. Is such a behavior to be attributed to God, or to
their proper selves? Be fair in your judgment. Every good thing is of God, and
every evil thing is from yourselves. Will ye not comprehend? This same truth
hath been revealed in all the Scriptures, if ye be of them that understand.
Every act ye meditate is as clear to Him as is that act when already
accomplished. There is none other God besides Him. His is all creation and its
empire. All stands revealed before Him; all is recorded in His holy and hidden
Tablets. This fore-knowledge of God, however, should not be regarded as having
caused the actions of men, just as your own previous knowledge that a certain
event is to occur, or your desire that it should happen, is not and can never be
the reason for its occurrence.
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 149)
3.1.9
The World of Creation -The Four Kingdoms of the World of Existence
In the differentiation of life in the world of existence, there are four
degrees or kingdoms, -- the mineral, vegetable, animal, and human. The mineral
kingdom is possessed of a certain virtue which we term cohesion. The vegetable
kingdom possesses cohesive properties plus the power of growth or power
augmentative. The animal kingdom is possessed of the virtues of the
mineral and vegetable plus the powers of the senses. But the animal although
gifted with sensibilities is utterly bereft of consciousness, absolutely out of
touch with the world of consciousness and spirit. The animal possesses no powers
by which it can make discoveries which lie beyond the realm of the senses. It
has no power of intellectual origination. For example, an animal located in
Europe is not capable of discovering the continent of America. It understands
only phenomena which come within the range of its senses and instinct. It cannot
abstractly reason out anything. The animal cannot conceive of the earth being
spherical or revolving upon its axis. It cannot apprehend that the little stars
in the heavens are tremendous worlds vastly greater than the earth. The animal
cannot abstractly conceive of intellect. Of these powers it is bereft. Therefore
these powers are peculiar to man and it is made evident that in the human
kingdom there is a reality of which the animal is minus. What is that reality?
It is the spirit of man. By it man is distinguished above all the other
phenomenal kingdoms. Although he possesses all the virtues of the lower kingdoms
he is further endowed with the spiritual faculty, the heavenly gift of
consciousness.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity, p. 90)
3.1.10
The World of Creation - The Limitations of the World of Creation
… A mineral, however far it may progress in the mineral kingdom,
cannot gain the vegetable power.
Also in a flower, however far it may progress in the vegetable kingdom, no power
of the senses will appear. So this
silver mineral cannot gain hearing or sight; it can only improve in its own
condition and become a perfect mineral, but it cannot acquire the power of
growth, or the power of sensation, or attain to life; it can only progress in
its own condition.
(`Abdu'l-Baha:
Some Answered Questions
Pages 230-231)
3.1.11
The World of Creation - Man and Nature
All material phenomena are subject to nature.
All material organisms are captives of nature.
None of them can deviate in the
slightest from the laws of nature.
This earth, these great mountains,
the
animals with their wonderful powers and instincts cannot
go
beyond natural limitations. All
things are captives of nature except
man.
(`Abdu'l-Baha:
Promulgation of Universal Peace*
Pages 258)
3.1.12
The World of Creation -
Comprehension of Higher Degree
Although the mineral, vegetable, animal and man himself are actual
beings, the difference between their kingdoms prevents members of the lower
degree from comprehending the essence and nature of those of the superior
degree. This being so, how can the temporal and phenomenal comprehend the Lord
of Hosts?
(Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 22)
3.1.13
The world of Creation - The beginning and …..the end
As to thy question concerning the origin of creation. Know assuredly that God's
creation hath existed from eternity, and will continue to exist forever. Its
beginning hath had no beginning, and its end knoweth no end. His name, the
Creator, presupposeth a creation, even as His title, the Lord of Men, must
involve the existence of a servant.
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 150)
3.1.14
The world of Creation - The world of existence
Know that it is one of the most abstruse spiritual truths
that the world of existence - that is to say, this endless
universe - has no beginning.
We have already
explained that the names and attributes
of the Divinity themselves require the existence of
beings. Although this subject has
been explained in detail,
we will speak of it again briefly.
Know that an educator
without pupils cannot be imagined; a monarch without
subjects could not exist; a master without scholars cannot
be appointed; a creator without a creature is impossible; a
provider without those provided for cannot be conceived;
for all the divine names and attributes demand the existence
of beings.
`Abdu'l-Baha: Some Answered
Questions
Page 180
3.1.15
The world of Creation – The evolution of human form
… as man in the womb of the mother passes from form to form, from shape to
shape, changes and develops, and is still the human species from the beginning
of the embryonic period -- in the same way man, from the beginning of his
existence in the matrix of the world, is also a distinct species -- that is, man
-- and has gradually evolved from one form to another. Therefore, this change of
appearance, this evolution of members, this development and growth, even though
we admit the reality of growth and progress, does not prevent the species from
being original. Man from the beginning was in this perfect form and composition,
and possessed capacity and aptitude for acquiring material and spiritual
perfections, and was the manifestation of these words, "We will make man in Our
image and likeness." He has only become more pleasing, more beautiful and more
graceful. Civilization has brought him out of his wild state, just as the wild
fruits which are cultivated by a gardener become finer, sweeter and acquire more
freshness and delicacy.
The gardeners of the world of humanity are the Prophets of God.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 194)
3.1.16 The
world of Creation - The development and growth of man
…Thus it is evident and confirmed that the development and growth of man on this
earth, until he reached his present perfection, resembled
the growth and development of the embryo in the womb of the mother:
by degrees it passed from condition to condition, from form to form, from
one shape to another, for this is according to the requirement of the universal
system and Divine Law.
`Abdu'l-Baha: Some Answered
Questions
Pages 183-184
3.1.17 The
world of Creation - Man….. a distinct species
… Man was always a distinct species, a man, not an animal.
So, if the embryo of man in the womb of the mother passes from one form
to another so that the second form in no way resembles the first, is this a
proof that the species has changed?
`Abdu'l-Baha: Some Answered
Questions
Pages 184-185
3.1.18 The
world of Creation - The Universal Cycle of Manifestations
Each of
the Divine Manifestations has likewise a cycle, and during the cycle His laws
and commandments prevail and are performed. When His cycle is completed by the
appearance of a new Manifestation, a new cycle begins. In this way cycles begin,
end and are renewed, until a universal cycle is completed in the world, when
important events and great occurrences will take place which entirely efface
every trace and every record of the past; then a new universal cycle begins in
the world, for this universe has no beginning.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 160)
3.1.19 The
world of Creation -
The Adamic
Cycle
"The
Adamic Cycle inaugurated 6000 years ago by the Manifestation of God called Adam
is only one of the many bygone cycles. Bahá'u'lláh, as you say, is the
culmination of the Adamic Cycle. He is also the Inaugurator of the Bahá'í Cycle.
"Obviously
there must have been Prophets and Manifestations in the ages preceding the
Adamic Cycle. This is supported by the following statement revealed by
Bahá'u'lláh.
"And now
regarding thy question, 'How is it that no records are to be found concerning
the Prophets that have preceded Adam, the Father of Mankind, or of any reference
to them is no proof that they did not actually exist. That no records concerning
them are now available, should be attributed to their extreme remoteness, as
well as to the vast changes which the earth hath undergone since their time."
(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 500)
3.1.20
The world of
Creation -
Baha’i
Cycle & Dispensation
"Concerning your question relative to the duration of the Bahá'í Dispensation.
There is no contradiction between Bahá'u'lláh's statement in the Íqán about the
renewal of the City of God once every thousand years, and that of the Guardian
in the Dispensation to the effect that the Bahá'í cycle will extend over a
period of at least 500,000 years. The apparent contradiction is due to the
confusion of the terms cycle and dispensation. For while the Dispensation of
Bahá'u'lláh will last for at least one thousand years, His Cycle will extend
still farther, to at least 500,000 years.
"The
Bahá'í cycle is, indeed, incomparable in its greatness. It includes not only the
Prophets that will appear after Bahá'u'lláh, but all those who have preceded Him
ever since Adam. These should, indeed, be viewed as constituting but preliminary
stages leading gradually to the appearance of this supreme Manifestation of
God."
(Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, p. 7)