Beings and creatures

[MATTHEW MENGE]

Dear Khazeh,   Thank you very much for your help.  I guess I should tell you the reason why I brought up this question.  In English, the word "being" and the word "creature" are somewhat synonymous.  In fact, a being is often though of as a creature with intelligence, that is, more than a creature.   So when Baha'u'llah says:   "Know thou that every fixed star hath its own planets, and every planet its own creatures, whose number no man can compute."  (Gleanings LXXXII)   and when 'Abdu'l-Baha says:   "Universal *beings* resemble and can be compared to particular *beings*, for both are subjected to one natural system, one universal law and divine organization.  So you will find the smallest atoms in the universal system are similar to the greatest beings of the universe."  (SAQ, p. 182)   It sounds like 'Abdu'l-Baha and Baha'u'llah are talking about the same thing, creatures.  Or at least it does in English.   I guess my point is that I have a very hard time with the notion that *every* planet harbors plants and animals.  I could see how every planet harbors some kind of mineral entities, but not plants and animals, i.e. life as we understand it.   Likewise when Baha'u'llah says, in the Tablet of Hikmat that:   "...all else besides [God's] Word are but the creatures and the effects thereof.  Verily thy Lord is the Expounder, the All-Wise."   I assume that He is referring to the same kind of creature as He is in the previous quote from Gleanings.  That is, that practically everything is some sort of "creature" or at least part of one.   The problem I have been encountering is that the more I become acquainted with people knowledgeable of Persian and Arabic, the more it seems like the first quote is talking about plants and animals, and the latter two quotes are simply talking about inanimate objects.  And I find this difficult because it suggests that Baha'u'llah did indeed believe there were plants and animals on planets like Venus and Mercury.   So guidance on this subject would be greatly appreciated.   Best Regards,   Matt   ----- Original Message ----- From: Khazeh Fananapazir Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2003 3:28 PM To: Baha'i Studies Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: beings and existents   In the first instance all I can do for you dear Matt is to transliterate the Words of the Master from the Original MufadAt [SAQ] and then hopefully so many many wonderful scholars Moojan, Todd Lawson, Keven Brown, Vahid Brown, William MacCants, Stepehn Lambden, Chris Buck, Robert Stockman, Franklin Lewis, Iraj Ayman and so many wonderful other souls can help you. I will cc this to Tarjuman and Vahid Brown too You quote: "But it is clear that this terrestrial globe in its present form did not come into existence all at once, but that this universal *existence* gradually passed through different phases until it became adorned with its present perfection.  Universal *beings* resemble and can be compared to particular *beings*, for both are subject to one natural system, one universal law and divine organization." (p.182) SAQ and you also quote Eberhard's Translation: the translation by Eberhard von Kitzing reads, you say, "But it clear that this terrestrial globe in its present form did not come into existence all at once, but that this universal *existent* gradually passed through different stages until it became adorned with its present perfection.  Universal *existents* can be compared to particular *existents*, for both are subject to one natural system, one universal law, and one divine organization." The original sacred words of His holiness 'Abdu'l-Baha are: *ammA een korah ye arz., be hay'at e h.Azera, wAzeh. ast, keh yek daf'ah takawwon na-yAfteh balkeh be-tadreej een MAWJUUD E KULLI at.wAr e mokhtalefeh t.ayy namuudeh taa be een mukammaliyyat jelweh yAfteh. Wa MAWJUUDAAT E KULLIYAH  be Mawjuudaat e juz'iyyah tat.beeq mee -shavad wa qiyAs gardad. Zeera MAWJUUD E KULLI wa MAWJUUD E JUZ'EE kull dar tah.te yek naz.me t.abee'ee, wa qAnun e kulli, wa tarteeb e ElAhi hastand.* Mufavad.At page 138*** It seems Eberhard has translated MAWJUUD as existent. As this servant mentioned it may be that Kaa'en and MAWJUUD are exactly the same. It may be that they are slightly different. This non being would be happy if others come to your [and my] aid. khazeh ---------- You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://list.jccc.net/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=bahai-st news://list.jccc.net/bahai-st http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist (public) http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] (public)