As the Baha'i burial ring reads:

>We are God's and to Him shall we return.14 (3:11)

This world is a ladder, not a lazy chair. It was not made for resting, but for reaching spiritual perfection. This planet is a place of learning and growing, not of lying idle. Even if we own the whole world, we must let go in the end. An old woman was hospitalized for a long time. She longed to be released from the hospital and to return home. Her wish was finally fulfilled, but not the way she expected. One day both her doctor and priest came to see her at the same time. She thought that this was the day of her release. The priest told her, "I have good news for you. You are such a wonderful person that your home is heaven." Her doctor said, "I have a bit of bad news, you will make the trip this Friday!" (3:12)

Here is a piece of poetry from a small book titled A Messenger of Joy, about the afterlife: (3:13)

O my beloved friends! Gather blossoms of joy while you may. Hang your troubles upon the trees, and cast your cares to the wind (3:14)

Banish the night with your love, wake the dawn with your praise. Sing and dance and be merry, but know there are other songs to sing. Live, but do not cling to your lives. Own, but do not be attached to your possessions (3:15)

Cherish your pearls and rubies, let them dazzle your eyes, but know they are not yours. They belong to earth (3:16)

Celebrate life, but be ready to depart the moment the banquet ends. When life bids you farewell, and death greets you, embrace her with open arms.15 (3:17)

Heaven is our great hope and our everlasting home. Some years ago a beautiful young actress was killed by a stalker in California. I saw the mother of the actress testify in the court. I heard her make this statement, "I wish I'd believed in heaven. Then I would know that I have a beautiful daughter in heaven. But I don't believe. And this creates this absence." There is a vacuum for heaven in every heart. Unless that vacuum is filled, life remains empty (3:18)

Although we know our Creator will reward us for good deeds, that should not be the reason for doing good. Dependency on rewards is a sign of immaturity. Children sometimes eat their dinner in the hope of getting a dessert. A mature person eats dinner for sheer enjoyment and health. To a spiritually advanced person, a good deed is its own reward. Anyone who is in harmony with God lives in heaven on earth (3:19)

Those souls that, in this day, enter the divine kingdom and attain everlasting life, although materially dwelling on earth, yet in reality soar in the realm of heaven. Their bodies may linger on earth but their spirits travel in the immensity of space. (16 'Abdu'l-Baha- ) (3:20)

One way we can predict our spiritual position hereafter, as permanent residents in heaven, is to see how we have related to God and His creatures here as passing residents of the earth. Our Creator observes a simple rule of justice: He will treat us the way we treat Him and His creation. For instance, if we forgive others, He will forgive us; if we love Him, He will love us; if we are for Him, He will be for us; if we ignore His presence in His latest Manifestation or Messenger, He will ignore us; if we feel ashamed of the One He sends to save us, He will be ashamed of us: (3:21)

Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words...of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father [Glory of God]. (Christ- Mark 8:38) (3:22)

God will verily do unto them that which they themselves are doing, and will forget them even as they have ignored His Presence in His day. Such is His decree unto those that have denied Him, and such will it be unto them that have rejected His signs. (17 Baha'u'llah- ) (3:23)

By using this simple standard of "mutual treatment" here as citizens of the earthly kingdom, we can almost predict the state of our souls hereafter as citizens of the heavenly Kingdom (3:24)

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