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Do Baha'is Believe in the Afterlife? (1:)

Without remembering, we have all made a journey from heaven to the earth, and now we are on the way back home (1:)

All men have proceeded from God and unto Him shall all return. All shall appear before Him for judgment. (1 The Bab- ) (1:)

The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7) (1:1)

O Lord, my soul shall live with thee; do thou give my spirit rest. (Isaiah 38:16) (1:2)

It is so easy to forget that we are travelers on a long journey, paying only a brief visit to the earth. It is so easy to forget that we are passengers on a spacecraft, that we have a chance to revolve around the sun a few times and then we must leave. We often get so attached to the spacecraft we don't want to go home. We should leave this world in the same spirit in which we arrived. When we came, we did not say 'why' or 'nay'. Why should we complain when we are leaving for a better world? (1:3)

Therefore it behooveth you to return unto God even as ye were brought forth into existence, and to utter not such words as why or nay, if ye wish your creation to yield fruit at the time of your return. (2 The Bab- ) (1:4)

Our Creator, in expectation of our return to heaven, has prepared magnificent mansions with grand banquet halls. He wants us to get ready, to become pure, radiant, and fragrant. No one with a bad odor or sweaty clothes can enter the banquet. Its gates are quite sensitive to pollution; they simply do not open. Imagine if people with all kinds of odors and baggage entered the banquet! Then heaven would become as chaotic and polluted as the earth (1:5)

What happens to those who fail to prepare themselves for the banquet? Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall, and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. "Lord, Lord, " they said, "open the door for us, " But he replied, "I tell you solemnly, I do not know you." (Christ- Matt. 25:10-12) (1:6)

Many of us lose hope and faith and can't see a reason for going through this life. Others can't wait; they want their rewards instantly. But our Creator asks us to be patient and faithful, and to keep reminding ourselves that the best is yet to come. "Art Linkletter told the children that 'life begins at forty' and asked the children if that were true. One little lad said: 'Life begins at three for me.' 'How's that?' Linkletter asked. 'Well, three is when school lets me out.'" (1:7)

Those who have had near-death visions often report traveling through a dark tunnel, and then reaching the light. The tunnel symbolizes this life, the light the next life. To reach our destination, we must go through the tunnel, we must complete the journey- experience sickness, pain, and death. "A little girl went to a doctor for a checkup and noticed the picture of an angel on the wall. 'What's that for?' the girl asked. 'That reminds me that someday I will go to heaven, ' the doctor replied. 'Wouldn't you like to go to heaven?' 'Sure, ' the girl answered. 'Well, what do you think we must do to get there?' the doctor asked. 'We must die first.' 'That's right, ' the doctor smiled, 'but what must we do before that?' The girl pondered and then said, 'We must get sick and send for you!'" (1:8)

Heaven is blessed with perfect rest, but the blessing of the earth is toil. While in this world, we have a choice to focus either on the light or on the tunnel. Only by looking up to the light does living and traveling in the tunnel make any sense. Only little children who die enjoy the privilege of getting to the light without going through the tunnel. And only our lack of faith and attachment to the world prevents us from recognizing this. The awareness of our immortality keeps us from apathy, pessimism, and despair; or apathy, pessimism, and despair keep us from the awareness of our immortality (1:9)

Baha'u'llah teaches that the worlds of God are infinite, and that this life is the first stage among the infinite stages of our spiritual development. The transition from this life to the next does not result in the loss of any of our spiritual powers: our intelligence, our individuality, and the memory of our lives here. In fact, it results in the gaining of new and greater powers. Now we see a poor reflection; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully. (I Corinthians 13:12) (1:10)

The next world is far superior to this one, especially for those who have lived a noble life on this plane and have pleased the Lord. For them it is so splendid, so grand and enchanting that, if they could experience it, they would no longer wish to continue to live. They would deem this world a dark and gloomy prison (1:11)

Such is the station ordained for the true believer that if to an extent smaller than a needle's eye the glory of that station were to be unveiled to mankind, every beholder would be consumed away in his longing to attain it. For this reason it hath been decreed that in this earthly life the full measure of the glory of his own station should remain concealed from the eye of such a believer.(3 Baha'u'llah- ) (1:12)

Didst thou behold immortal sovereignty, thou wouldst strive to pass from this fleeting world. But to conceal the one from thee and to reveal the other is a mystery which none but the pure in heart can comprehend. (4 Baha'u'llah- ) (1:13)

A friend asked: "How should one look forward to death?" 'Abdu'l-Baha answered: (1:14)

How does one look forward to the end of any journey? With hope and with expectation. It is even so with the end of this earthly journey.5 (1:15)

Baha'u'llah teaches that this realm is a place of planting, not of harvesting; hence, we should not always expect to receive the rewards of our good deeds here. He who plants a seed does not receive an instant harvest. God wishes us to show our trust in Him by being patient (1:16)

Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Christ (John 20:29) (1:17)

"A wealthy man died and went to heaven. An angel took him on a guided tour of the celestial city. He came to a beautiful mansion. 'Who lives there?' asked the wealthy man. 'Oh, ' the angel answered, 'on earth he was your servant.' The rich man got excited. If his servants lived this way, think of the kind of mansion he would have. Then they came to an even more magnificent mansion. 'Who's is this?' asked the rich man, almost overwhelmed. The angel answered, 'She spent her life teaching little children.' The rich man was really getting excited now. Finally they came to a tiny shack. It was the most modest home the rich man had ever seen. 'This is your home, ' said the angel. The wealthy man began to cry. 'I'm sorry, ' said the angel. 'We did all we could with what you sent us.'" (1:18)

This world is a school and this life a test. If it weren't a test, we would have been subjected to binding controls and commands as are given to cats and crocodiles. Our prime purpose in the school of life is to get "a good report card."

Teacher: "Johnny, give me a sentence with a direct object."
Johnny: "Teacher, everybody thinks you're beautiful."
Teacher: "Thank you, Johnny, but what is the object?"
Johnny: "A good report card!" (1:19)

In this school, we have the choice of being an honor student, a mediocre one, or a dropout. Whatever grade we receive here will be ours forever. In fact, our grade is the only thing we can carry beyond the grave. Have you ever seen anyone take gold to the grave? A man thought he could. Before his death, he told his friend, "People say you can't take anything with you, I am going to prove them wrong." Shortly before his death, he turned his wealth into cash, put the cash in three envelopes, gave one envelope to his friend, one to his lawyer, and one to his minister. In his will he specified that when his body was lowered to the grave, the three envelopes were to be dropped on to his coffin. His will was followed- but not quite. After the man was buried, the lawyer asked the other two if they had faithfully followed the will. The dead man's friend said, "Thoughts and thanks are more precious than money. Instead of cash, I put a thank-you note in his envelope." The lawyer said that he was not so wordy. He summarized his message in only three words. He wrote, "Are you kidding?" The minister said, "You both are so untrustworthy. I wrote him a personal check for the total amount!" (1:20)

Some people are quite good at gambling with the gifts of life. They act like a man who went to a casino in a $50, 000 Cadillac and returned on a $350, 000 bus! (1:21)

We are worth not as much as we have but as much as we are (1:22)

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