Re: Beings and creatures

[MATTHEW MENGE]

Thanks Don,   I guess my problem is that when Baha'u'llah said "every planet hath its own creatures", I have been told that the Arabic word here used for "creature" means specifically plants and animals. A certain non-Baha'i named Mahdi Muhammad told me this (he was fluent in Arabic) and I have also heard that our Dr. Maneck made the same assertion.   So my initial reaction to this information was that Baha'u'llah perhaps had a non-conventional understanding of what constitutes a "creature".  So, I studied the Baha'i Writings and sure enough 'Abdu'l-Baha called things like atoms and planets "beings", and Baha'u'llah says that everything other than the Word of God is a "creature", and likewise the Bab called the nineteen Letters of the Living a single composite "creature".  This resolution satisfied me for some time.    But now I am coming to understand that these other references to creature mean what you had implied, it can either mean a living being or simply some kind of self-contained object, like a rock.  For example this is what Persian speakers in my community tell me that the word "mawjuud" mentioned by Khazeh means. But the reference to "creatures" on another planet means only plants and animals.   I realize that this is a rather technical question but it is an important one.  Not only is this a critical question to me personally (Baha'u'llah's reference to creatures on every other planet was in the past perhaps the most difficult passage in the Baha'i Writings for me to swallow) but I was also planning to give a talk that covers this very topic. The talk relied upon a very technical understanding of these words, and now just recently I am beginning to understand that these words mean something somewhat different in the original language.   I know that I can be annoying sometimes.  On occasion when I have an important question I become almost obsessed with it.  I suppose I can go a few more weeks without really resolving this issue, but it would be difficult to give my talk without knowing.   Best Regards,   Matt   ----- Original Message ----- From: Don Calkins Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 4:05 AM To: Baha'i Studies Subject: Re: Beings and creatures   On 8/26/03 6:06 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > 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. > I had to do some checking on this. In English, 'being' and 'creature' had somewhat more general meanings 100 years ago than they typically do now.  'being' was used for that which existed; 'creature' was used for that which was created. Both were also starting to be used for living things.  'Being' for humans and the supernatural; 'creature' for sub-human animals. Don C - - - - - He who believes himself spiritual proves he is not. ---------- 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) ---------- 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)