Many forms, one world: the necessity of diversity

In answer we say that differences are of two kinds. One is the cause of annihilation and is like the antipathy existing among warring nations and conflicting tribes who seek each other's destruction, uprooting one another's families, depriving one another of rest and comfort and unleashing carnage. The other kind which is a token of diversity is the essence of perfection and the cause of the appearance of the bestowals of the Most Glorious Lord.

… This diversity, this difference is like the naturally created dissimilarity and variety of the limbs and organs of the human body, for each one contributeth to the beauty, efficiency and perfection of the whole.

It wouldn't do for all phenomenal beings to be mineral, animal or vegetable--or for all phenomenal beings to be man. For instance, it isn't possible for man to be given all eyes--he must have ears, nose, legs, etc. For if man were only an eye, perfection couldn't become visible in him.

Answer: Know that the order and perfection of the universe require that existence should appear in countless forms. Created things cannot therefore be realized in a single degree, station, manner, kind, or species: Differences of degree, distinctions in form, and a multiplicity of kinds and species are inevitable. So there must necessarily be mineral, vegetable, animal, and human kingdoms; for through man alone the world of existence could not be adequately arranged, adorned, organized, and perfected.

God created the mineral, the vegetable, the animal, and man. Had He created only man there would be no world.

There are two kinds of differences: one kind is essential and innate differences, which do not prevent the manifestation of general unity and fellowship, but rather support it - like the different colors and types of flowers in a garden that contribute to its increased beauty and adornment, or like the different members of the human body which all assist one another and cause the appearance and manifestation of each other's perfections.

It is clear that human realities differ one from another, that opinions and perceptions vary, and that this divergence of thoughts, opinions, understandings and sentiments among individuals is an essential requirement. For differences of degree in creation are among the essential requirements of existence, which is resolved into countless forms. We stand therefore in need of a universal power which can prevail over the thoughts, opinions and sentiments of all, which can annul these divisions and bring all souls under the sway of the principle of the oneness of humanity. And it is clear and evident that the greatest power in the human world is the love of God.

These differences of color are in truth an adornment. If all flowers in a garden were of one color, what fragrance would it have? But if you see a garden where flowers of different colors have bloomed, it appears supremely delicate and beautiful to behold. Likewise if the human world were of one color what distinction would it possess? But differences of color are the cause of the manifestation of the power of the All-Merciful.

'Abdu'l-Baha replied that diversity is really harmony. If our food were to be all of one kind it would become monotonous.

The Kingdom of God is also likened unto a garden of trees. We all know that a garden, in order to be beautiful, must contain a good number of trees, various in size and different in colours, flowers, and fruits. Some of the trees are tall and some are short, some bear good and sweet fruits, some sour and some bitter, but all the trees are necessary to form a garden.

Though the greenness of tree leaves may appear outwardly to be of one hue, yet in their effects and qualities they are so distinct that none save God can enumerate their characteristics. Know that each leaf of every tree has its own effect, and another has a different effect - who has been able to enumerate them and who has encompassed them?

The vegetable plane or kingdom, for instance, has its infinite variety of types and material structures of plant life -- each distinct and different within itself, no two exactly alike in composition and detail -- for there are no repetitions in nature, and the augmentative virtue cannot be confined to any given image or shape. Each leaf has its own particular identity -- so to speak, its own individuality as a leaf. Therefore, each atom of the innumerable elemental atoms, during its ceaseless motion through the kingdoms of existence as a constituent of organic composition, not only becomes imbued with the powers and virtues of the kingdoms it traverses but also reflects the attributes and qualities of the forms and organisms of those kingdoms.

Fundamentally all existing things pass through the same degrees and phases of development, and any given phenomenon embodies all others. An ancient statement of the Arabian philosophers declares that all things are involved in all things. … For example, we will say the cellular elements which have entered into the composition of a human organism were at one time a component part of the animal kingdom; at another time they entered into the composition of the vegetable, and prior to that they existed in the kingdom of the mineral.

There is no doubt that the completeness seen in each and every thing arises, by divine creation, from the component elements, their appropriate combination, their proportionate measure, the manner of their composition, and the influence of other created things. For all beings are linked together like a chain; and mutual aid, assistance, and interaction are among their intrinsic properties and are the cause of their formation, development, and growth. It is established through numerous proofs and arguments that every single thing has an effect and influence upon every other, either independently or through a causal chain.

By nature is meant those inherent properties and necessary relations derived from the realities of things. And these realities of things, though in the utmost diversity, are yet intimately connected one with the other. For these diverse realities an all-unifying agency is needed that shall link them all one to the other.

For all creatures are eaters and eaten, and the very fabric of life is reared upon this fact. Were it not so, the ties that interlace all created things within the universe would be unravelled.

All created beings are dependent upon peace and coordination, for every contingent and phenomenal being is a composition of distinct elements.

When we look upon all forms of phenomena we observe that they are the results of composition. For example, certain single atoms are brought together through the inherent law of elective affinity existing between these various particles, the result of which is the human being.

Nature is that condition or reality which outwardly is the source of the life and death, or, in other words, of the composition and decomposition, of all things.

Some define existence as the expression of reality or being and nonexistence as nonbeing, imagining that death is annihilation. This is a mistaken idea, for total annihilation is an impossibility. At most, composition is ever subject to decomposition or disintegration—that is to say, existence implies the grouping of material elements in a form or body, and nonexistence is simply the decomposing of these groupings.

If we study the forms of existence in the material universe, we find that all created things are the result of composition. Material elements have grouped together in infinite variety and endless forms. Each organism is a compound; each object is an expression of elemental affinity.

And it is through this universal force that the individual essences of the different simple elements come together, and due to the diversity and differences of parts, the multiplication and contrast of the infinite diverse realities of existing things come into being.

If the atoms which compose the kingdom of the minerals were without affinity for each other, the earth would never have been formed, the universe could not have been created. Because they have affinity for each other, the power of life is able to manifest itself, and the organisms of the phenomenal world become possible.

Consider the world of created beings, how varied and diverse they are in species, yet with one sole origin. All the differences that appear are those of outward form and color. This diversity of type is apparent throughout the whole of nature.

It is therefore evident that originally matter was one; and that one matter appeared in a different form in each element. Thus various forms appeared, and as they appeared they each assumed an independent form and became a specific element.

… It is therefore evident that the original matter, which is like unto the embryo, initially took the form of composed and combined elements, and that composition gradually grew and developed over a myriad ages and centuries, passing from one shape and form to another, until through the consummate wisdom of God it appeared with such completeness, order, arrangement and soundness.

Know thou that all that is infinite hath been created by One Who is infinite. Limitations are a characteristic of the finite, and restriction is a quality of existent things, not of the reality of existence.

I testify that no sooner had the First Word proceeded, through the potency of Thy will and purpose, out of His mouth, and the First Call gone forth from His lips than the whole creation was revolutionized, and all that are in the heavens and all that are on earth were stirred to the depths. Through that Word the realities of all created things were shaken, were divided, separated, scattered, combined and reunited, disclosing, in both the contingent world and the heavenly kingdom, entities of a new creation, and revealing, in the unseen realms, the signs and tokens of Thy unity and oneness.

Question: What is to be said about reincarnation, which is a belief upheld by the followers of certain religions?

Answer: Our purpose in what we are about to say is to express the truth and not to denigrate the beliefs of others: it is merely to explain the facts of the matter and nothing more. Otherwise, we are neither inclined to dispute anyone's deeply held beliefs, nor do we sanction such conduct.

Know, then, that the reincarnationists are of two kinds. The first do not believe in spiritual rewards and punishments in the next world. They hold instead that man receives his punishment or recompense through reincarnation and return to this world; they regard heaven and hell to be confined to this material realm; and they do not believe in the world beyond. This group is itself divided in two: One division holds that, as a severe punishment, man may at times assume an animal form in returning to this world, and that after enduring this painful torment he proceeds from the animal realm into the human world, and this they call transmigration. The other division holds that man returns to the same human world whence he departed, and that the rewards and punishments of the former life are experienced in his return, and this they call reincarnation. Neither of these divisions believe in a world beyond this one.

The second group of reincarnationists believe in the next world and see reincarnation as the means of becoming perfect, in that man gradually acquires perfections by departing from and returning again to this world until he attains to the very heart of perfection. That is, man is composed of matter and energy: In the beginning, or in the first cycle, the matter is imperfect, but upon returning repeatedly to this world it progresses and acquires refinement and subtlety until it becomes like a polished mirror; and then the energy, which consists in the spirit, is fully realized therein with all its perfections.

Such is a brief account of the beliefs of the reincarnationists and transmigrationists. Were we to enter into the details, much time would be lost--this summary will suffice. Such persons have no rational proofs or arguments for their belief, which is based on mere conjecture and circumstantial inference and not on conclusive proofs. It is proofs that one must demand from the reincarnationists and not inference, conjecture and presentiment.

The outward is the expression of the inward; the earthly realm mirrors the heavenly kingdom; and the material world correspondeth with the spiritual world. Observe thou that in the sensible world divine appearances are not repeated, for no created thing can be identical with another in all ways. The sign of the Divine Unity is present and visible in all things. If all the granaries of the world were filled with grain, thou wouldst be hard pressed to find two grains that are absolutely identical and indistinguishable in every respect: some difference or distinction must needs remain between them.

Now, as the proof of the Divine Unity existeth within all things, and the oneness and singleness of God is visible in the realities of all beings, the recurrence of the same divine appearance is in no wise possible. Therefore, reincarnation, which is the repeated manifestation in this world of the same spirit with its former essence and conditions, would be the self-same appearance and is thus impossible. And since the recurrence of the same divine appearance is impossible for material beings, the repeated assumption of the same station, whether on the arc of descent or on the arc of ascent, is likewise impossible for spiritual beings, for the material world correspondeth to the spiritual world.

With respect to the species, however, return and recurrence are plainly visible in material realities; that is, the trees which in years past bore leaves, blossoms and fruits will in the years to come bear the same leaves, blossoms and fruits. This is called recurrence of species.

Were anyone to object that the leaf, the blossom and the fruit have decomposed, have descended from the vegetable to the mineral world, and have returned again to the former, and that there has thus been a recurrence, we would reply that the blossom, the leaf and the fruit of last year were decomposed, and their component elements were disintegrated and dispersed. It is not that the same particles of last year's leaf and fruit that had decomposed have recombined and returned, but that the essence of the species has returned through the combination of new elements.

Likewise, the human body is fully disintegrated after the decomposition and dispersion of its constituent parts. Were this body to return from the mineral or vegetable world, it would not comprise the self-same constituents as the former person, for its elements were decomposed, disintegrated and dispersed in space. Afterwards other elemental constituents were combined and another body was formed. And while it may be the case that certain constituents of the former body entered into the composition of the latter, those constituents have not been exactly and completely conserved, without any addition or diminution, so as to be composed again and to give rise through their composition and combination to another individual. One cannot deduce, then, that this body has returned with all its constituent parts; that the former individual has become the latter; and hence that a recurrence has taken place, that the very same spirit, like the body, has returned, and that after death its essence has regained this world.

And were we to claim that reincarnation is intended to bring about perfection, so that matter might gain in purity and refinement and that the light of the spirit might appear therein with the utmost perfection, this too would be mere imagination. For even if we granted such an assumption, the renewal of an object's existence cannot bring about the transformation of its essence. For the substance of imperfection, by returning, will not become the reality of perfection, total darkness will not become a source of light, abject weakness will not become power and strength, and an earthly essence will not become a heavenly reality. However often it may return, the infernal tree will never bring forth a sweet fruit, nor will the good tree bear a bitter one. It is thus clear that recurrence and return to the material world are not the means of attaining perfection, and that this supposition rests on no proof or evidence; it is merely a conjecture. No, the attainment of perfection is in reality dependent upon the grace of God.

The Theosophists believe that man will return time and again on the arc of ascent until he reaches the Supreme Centre, where matter becomes as a spotless mirror, the light of the spirit shines forth in the plenitude of its power, and essential perfection is attained. However, those who have thoroughly investigated the questions of divinity know of a certainty that the material worlds terminate at the end of the arc of descent; that the station of man lies at the end of the arc of descent and the beginning of the arc of ascent, which is opposite the Supreme Centre; and that from the beginning to the end of the arc of ascent the degrees of progress are of a spiritual nature. The arc of descent is called that of "bringing forth" and the arc of ascent that of "creating anew." The arc of descent ends in material realities and the arc of ascent in spiritual realities. The point of the compass in describing a circle does not reverse its motion, for this would be contrary to the natural movement and the divine order and would disrupt the regularity of the circle.

Moreover, this material world is not of such worth or advantage that one who has been freed from its cage should seek once again to be caught in its snare. No: Through God's eternal grace the true capacity and receptivity of the human reality is made clear and manifest through traversing the degrees of existence and not through recurrence and return. When the shell is opened but once, it is made plain and clear whether it conceals a shining pearl or worthless matter. When a plant has grown but once, it puts forth either flowers or thorns: it need not grow again. Apart from this, advancing and moving through the worlds in a direct line and according to the natural order is the cause of existence, and moving against the natural order and arrangement of things is the cause of extinction. The return of the spirit after death is incompatible with the natural movement and contrary to the divine order.

Thus it is in no wise possible to attain existence through returning: it is as if man, after being freed from the world of the womb, were to return to it. Consider how unfounded the conceptions of the reincarnationists and transmigrationists are! They conceive of the body as a vessel and the spirit as its contents, like water and cup, with the water being emptied from one cup and poured into another. This is indeed a childish notion: They do not reflect deeply enough to realize that the spirit is an entirely incorporeal thing, that it does not enter or exit, and that at most it is connected with the body as the sun is with the mirror. If the spirit could indeed traverse all the degrees and attain to essential perfection by repeatedly returning to the material world, then it would have been better if God had prolonged the life of the spirit in this material world in order for it to acquire virtues and perfections, and hence there would be no need for it to taste of the cup of death and enter this life a second time.

This idea has its origin in the fact that certain reincarnationists imagine existence to be confined to this fleeting world, and deny the other worlds of God, whereas in reality the latter are infinite. If the worlds of God were to culminate in this material world, then all creation would be in vain and existence itself would be a childish game. For the ultimate result of this endless universe, the most noble reality of man, would go hither and thither for a few days in this ephemeral abode and receive his rewards and punishments. In the end, all would attain perfection, the creation of God with its infinite beings would be completed and consummated, and thus the Divinity of the Lord and the names and attributes of God would cease to have any effect and influence upon the spiritual beings which now exist. "Far from the glory of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, be that which His creatures affirm of Him!"

The limited minds of the philosophers of old, such as Ptolemy and others, held that the realm of life and existence was confined to this terrestrial globe and imagined that this infinite space was contained within the nine celestial spheres, all of which were void and empty. Witness how limited were their thoughts and how deficient their reasoning! The reincarnationists likewise imagine the spiritual worlds to be confined to those realms that the human mind can conceive. Some of them, such as the Druze and the Nusayris, even imagine existence to be confined to this material world. What an ignorant supposition this is! For in this universe of God's, which appears in the utmost perfection, beauty and grandeur, the luminous bodies of the material universe are infinite. Pause to infer, then, how infinite and unbounded the spiritual realms of God, which are the very foundation, must be! "Take ye good heed, O people of insight!"

But let us return to our original theme. In the holy books and sacred scriptures there is mention of a "return," but the ignorant have failed to grasp its meanings and have imagined it to refer to reincarnation. For what the Prophets of God meant by "return" is not the return of the essence but of the attributes; it is not the return of the Manifestation Himself but of His perfections. In the Gospel it is said that John the son of Zacharias is Elijah. By these words is not meant the return of the rational soul and personality of Elijah in the body of John, but rather that the perfections and attributes of Elijah became plain and manifest in him.

A lamp was lit in this room last night: when another lamp is lit tonight, we say that the light of last night is shining again. When the water that had ceased to flow from a fountain flows a second time, we say that it is the same water flowing once again; or we say that this light is the same as the former light. Likewise, last spring flowers and sweet-scented herbs bloomed and delicious fruits were produced; next year we say that those delicious fruits and those blossoms, flowers and sweet herbs have returned. It is not that the very same constituents of last year's flowers, after decomposing, have recombined and returned. No, the meaning is that the same freshness and delicacy, the same pleasing fragrance and wondrous colour that characterized last year's flowers are to be exactly found in the flowers of this year. Briefly, the point is the resemblance and similarity between the former and the latter flowers. This is the "return" which is mentioned in the heavenly scriptures. It is fully explained by Baha'u'llah in the Book of Certitude: Refer to it, that you may be informed of the truth of the divine mysteries. Upon you be greetings and praise.

Change and transformation are essential to it, for if there were no change and transformation, the composition and development of things would not occur. And since change, transformation, decomposition and composition are necessary, opposites appear, but in reality there is no opposition.

Question: Does this refer to an evil power such as psychic control? Is there some other power in the world beside God?

Answer: This is a deep and lengthy subject, but, briefly, there is, as we know, a power that composes and a power that decomposes. The world of existence is constantly revolving through the changes of building up and tearing down. When elements are attracted, something is composed, and when these same elements are repelled, that form is decomposed. As by the will of God the power of composition exists, so, also by will of God the power of decomposition exists.

Life is the expression of composition; and death, the expression of decomposition. … Therefore, it is evident that life is the expression of composition, and mortality, or death, is equivalent to decomposition. As the spirit of man is not composed of material elements, it is not subject to decomposition and, therefore, has no death. It is self-evident that the human spirit is simple, single and not composed in order that it may come to immortality, and it is a philosophical axiom that the individual or indivisible atom is indestructible.

When we look upon the world of existence, we realize that all material things have a common bond; and yet, on the other hand, there are certain points of distinction between them. For instance, all earthly objects have common bodily ties. The minerals, vegetables and animals have elemental bodies in common with each other. Likewise, they have place in the order of creation. This is the common tie or point of contact between them.

Are the wise and the foolish equal? Or can Canopus and the dim star be the same? Nay! God hath created souls in diverse stages and appointed for each a station and measure. Among them are flies and eagles, weak birds and mighty falcons. Among them are blessed trees bearing delicious fruits and zaqqum trees bearing deadly poison. Among them are delicate shells and crude clay, brilliant gems and black stones.

O Lion of the divine thickets! Souls are like birds - one is an eagle soaring to the heights of glory, another a white falcon that hunts its prey, another a turtledove of meadow and garden, another a partridge of mountain, desert, tulip field and valley. "And God created souls in diverse kinds."

All are from God but all have different stations. Both men and animals are from God but what a difference there is between them.

If all men were birds instead of human beings, there would be no minds to comprehend any of His attributes. Thus there must be different conditions and stations that the Mercy of God may be appreciated and known.

This variety in forms and colorings which is manifest in all the kingdoms is according to creative wisdom and has a divine purpose.

Nature manifests in various forms, but the basic element is the same. There is unity of essence and variety of expression.

For the shapes also, of man for instance, are composed of so many different elements, though that over all is one. And they are better and worse than each other, eye and finger, but they belong to one; the the whole is not worse but, because it is so, is better...

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The forms of life are infinite, therefore the transferences of this primordial unit throughout the degrees of creation are infinite.

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...the wisdom of God necessitates diversity and distinction in the earning of livelihood. If there were no diversity there would be no order in affairs and no perfection in existence.

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So it is with regard to the universe and its corruption, existence and non-existence. Every contingent being is made up of different and numerous elements and the existence of everything is a result of composition. That is to say, when between simple elements a composition takes place, a being arises; the creation of beings comes about in this way. And when that composition is upset, it is followed by decomposition, the elements disintegrate, and that being becomes annihilated That is to say, the annihilation of everything consists in the decomposition and the separation of elements.

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...when diverse shades of thought, temperament and character, are brought together under the power and influence of one central agency, the beauty and glory of human perfection will be revealed and made manifest.

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