Posted by Brent Reed (216.12.97.23) on May 09, 2002 at 13:20:12:
In Reply to: Re: Do animals go to heaven? posted by Annie Kenoyer on April 19, 2002 at 23:49:54:
Dear Annie,
Your post about your dear feline friend conveys so much love and tenderness. In many ways dogs and cats can be our very best friends. My little dog Ginger Bear has for thirteen years taught me much about the beauty of pure, innocent, angelic energy. Ginger is not only interested in her own interests, as some who have little experience with living with animals would say. Ginger wants to be with me all the time. She is lost without me.
While 'Abdu'l-Baha' and Shoghi Effendi apparently believed that animals lacked immortal souls, I am not sure that their comments should be taken by Baha'is as being absolute truth, since the infallibility of the Master and Shoghi Effendi was limited. In fact, among Baha'is today, there is a growing interest in coming to a more mature understanding of the infallibility's meaning as it pertains to the interpretation.
Through my years of friendship with many varieties of animals - especially or precious canine (dog) friend - I have observed that when they sleep they dream. Frequently during the night I have been awakened by Ginger's dreaming. Sometimes she starts huffing and puffing and barking as if she's seeing a cat that she's chasing. A few years ago, in the wee hours of the morning, I lay on my bed sound asleep. All of a sudden, in a dream like state Ginger comes into full view and looks up at me. She starts barking. At first I just ignored her, but she continued to bark. Her barking got louder. I then said, "Ginger, please stop barking. I would like to sleep. You are going to awaken me if you don't stop your barking." That seemed to irritate her and her barking became even more incessant and louder. She moved closer to my face. I sensed now that Ginger was in some kind of danger, and wanted me to awaken! When I opened my eyes, Ginger was sitting next to my bed shaking. The little angel was ill or in pain. She had been alone and needed me, and somehow she was able to communicate to me in my dream state.
Why am I telling you all of this about animals dreaming and about Ginger contacting me in my dream state? It is because I am certain that these are sure signs that animals have immortal souls. They're not human immortal souls, but they are animal immortal souls. When any creature dreams about itself being in another place, it is actually there, in another world, in another body. It is not the physical world, nor is it its physical body. It is traveling in another body, which has been referred to in sacred texts or mystical literature as the "body of light." I believe that Baha'u'llah's Writings support this. This is not the forum for a very lengthy writing on the subject about the immortality of animal souls, but I would like to leave you to reflect on one particular passage in the Seven Valleys, written by the Pen of Baha'u'llah, that says that dreaming is a sign of immortality:
"Indeed, O Brother, if we ponder each created thing, we shall witness a myriad perfect wisdoms and learn a myriad new an wondrous truths. Onc oe the created phenomena is the dream. Behold how many secrets are deposited therein, how many wisdoms treasured up, how many worlds concealed. Observe how thou art asleep in a dwelling, and its doors are barred; on a sudden thou findest thyself in a far-off city, which thou enterest without moving thy feet or wearying thy body; without using thine eyes, thou seest; without tasing thine ears, thoud hearest; without a tongue thou speakest.
"God, the exalted, hath placed these signs in men, to the end that philosophers may not deny the mysteries of the life beyond nor belittle that which hath been promised them. For some hold to reason and deny whatever the reason comprehendeth not, and yet weak minds can never grasp the matters which we have related, but only the Supreme, Divine Intelligence can comprehend them....
Annie, I feel certain, that if the love bond between you and your cat is strong, you will be able to find her after you make your own transition into the higher world.
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