Abdul Baha says present cycle began with Adam

Abdul Baha says present cycle began with Adam:


What does the Baha'i Faith say about the universe and existenceuniv? Does our universe have an end, a beginning? Does very existence itself have a beginning and an end?

"It is certain that this world of existence, this endless universe, has neither beginning nor end," states ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Bahá'í World Faith. "Yes, it may be that one of the parts of the universe, one of the globes, for example, may come into existence, or may be disintegrated, but the other endless globes are still existing; the universe would not be disordered nor destroyed; on the contrary, existence is eternal and perpetual.

"As each globe has a beginning, necessarily it has an end, because every composition, collective or particular, must of necessity be decomposed; the only difference is that some are quickly decomposed, and others more slowly, but it is impossible that a composed thing should not eventually be decomposed."

In Foundations of World Unity,  ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explains the cycles of existence and Divine Manifestations.

"Each one of the luminous bodies in this limitless firmament has a cycle of revolution which is of a different duration, and every one revolves in its own orbit, and again begins a new cycle," he explains in Foundations of World Unity. "So the earth, every three hundred and sixty-five days, five hours, forty-eight minutes and a fraction, completes a revolution; and then it begins a new cycle, that is to say, the first cycle is again renewed.

"In the same way, for the whole universe, whether for the heavens or for men, there are cycles of great events, of important facts and occurrences. When a cycle is ended, a new cycle begins, and the old one, on account of the great events which take place, is completely forgotten, and not a trace or record of it will remain.

"As you see, we have no records of twenty thousand years ago, although we have before proved by argument that life on this earth is very ancient. It is not one hundred thousand, or two hundred thousand, or one million or two million years old; it is very ancient, and the ancient records and traces are entirely obliterated."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá goes on to explain the cycles of Divine Manifestations in Foundations of World Unity.

"Each of the Divine Manifestations has likewise a cycle, and during the cycle his laws and commandments prevail and are performed," he said. "When his cycle is completed by the appearance of a new Manifestation, a new cycle begins. In this way cycles begin, end, and are renewed, until a universal cycle is completed in the world, when important events and great occurrences will take place which entirely efface every trace and every record of the past; then a new universal cycle begins in the world, for this universe has no beginning. We have before stated proofs and evidences concerning this subject; there is no need of repetition.

"Briefly, we say a universal cycle in the world of existence signifies a long duration of time, and innumerable and incalculable periods and epochs. In such a cycle the Manifestations appear with splendor in the realm of the visible, until a great and universal Manifestation makes the world the center of his radiance. His appearance causes the world to attain to maturity, and the extension of his cycle is very great. Afterwards other Manifestations will arise under his shadow, who according to the needs of the time will renew certain commandments relating to material questions and affairs, while remaining under his shadow."

So what cycle did ‘Abdu’l-Bahá say we are in now?

"We are in the cycle which began with Adam, and its universal Manifestation is Bahá'u'lláh," ‘Abdu’l-Bahá concluded in  Foundations of World Unity.

(Images and Slideshow images: NASA/JPL/Caltech. Modified by Glenn Thomas Franco Simmons. Excerpts © Bahá'í International Community.)

Sources:
Bahá'í World Faith
Foundations of World Unity