Chapter 5- Table of Contents 5 Five main scriptural entities ..................................................................................... 2 5.1 Earth ................................................................................................................ 2 5.2 Heavens ........................................................................................................... 3 5.3 Paradise ........................................................................................................... 5 5.4 Gardens of Eden .............................................................................................. 6 5.5 World .............................................................................................................. 8 5.5.1 Vishnu and the World............................................................................... 9 5.5.2 Tower of Babel and the World................................................................ 10 5.5.3 Alignment .............................................................................................. 11 www.ScripturesAndI.com 1 5 Five main scriptural entities For any organized religion followers, scriptural readers, and researchers five major scriptural entities play crucial role in scripture interpretations and outcomes. Every major religious teaching circumvents around these entities and we all are familiar with them though meaning varies depending on our orientations. They are Earth, Heaven, Paradise, Garden of Eden and the world. I will not discuss Hell here but will discuss in detail in a later section as it requires special attention and analysis. If you are of any Abrahamic religion followers and reside in West, chances are high that you’re not familiar with the Eastern scripture identifications. I will use both terminologies along side to show how they align and are the same. I will use Quran as the primary scripture to describe these entities and then align with other scriptures as applicable, such as, Bible, Vedas, etc. It may be confusing to begin with but as you go through next topics it will slowly become evident to you. Also, it will contradict your current understanding but these entities will not contradict each other within any scripture. Five Major Entities 5.1 Earth Earth is this blue planet, a physical object, where we live and Heavens are everything else outside. Scriptures are in line with earth but has dual representations when it comes to heavens. Earth and World are also two different objects not the same though usually used interchangeably. Earth is called “Ard” in Arabic and “Bhumi” in Sanskrit. www.ScripturesAndI.com 2 Earth or Bhumi (Sanskrit) 5.2 Heavens There are two types of Heavens mentioned in Quran; Heaven and the “Seven Heavens”. Heaven is the representation of physical cosmos made of planets, stars, galaxies etc. “Seven heavens”, on the other hand, is the psychological construction of heavens in layers as we grow and usually described by scholars where God lives. These layers of Heavens are constructed by the generations of Cain’s or Seven Avatars of Vishnu as we grow old as we will see in later chapters. It also contains the physical Heaven as the lowest of the “Seven Heavens”. Cosmos or Heaven www.ScripturesAndI.com 3 Usually, the heaven and the “Seven Heavens” are used interchangeably in colloquial terms but they are quite different. Our current scientific knowledge confirms cosmos has no beginning or end and without any layers. This definition of cosmos is in line with the definition of scriptural Heaven. However, the “Seven Heavens” as layers within the heavens are not supported by science or Quran as I understand. Let’s look at the verses in Quran chapter 41. Q [41:9-12] Say, "You disbelieve in the One who created the earth in two days, and you set up idols to rank with Him, though He is Lord of the universe." He placed on it stabilizers (mountains), made it productive, and He calculated its provisions in four days, to satisfy the needs of all its inhabitants. Then He turned to the Heaven, when it was still gas, and said to it, and to the earth, "Come into existence, willingly or unwillingly." They said, "We come willingly." Thus, He completed the seven universes in two days, and set up the laws for every universe. And we adorned the lowest heaven with lamps, and placed guards around it. Such is the design of the Almighty, the Omniscient. God took two days, a day is a yardstick not 24 hours, to create earth and the “Seven Heavens, and took four days to complete the provision of earth followed by the union of heaven and earth. The two day is the time when we separated the union of heaven and earth, we came down to earth and we created the “Seven Heavens” in our psychology. If you are pointing God in Heaven, you’re facing the “Seven Heavens”. Quran chapter 65 also in line with the creation while comparing the paradise to “earth and seven heavens”. Q [65:11-12] An Apostle who recites to you the clear communications of Allah so that he may bring forth those who believe and do good deeds from darkness into light; and whoever believes in Allah and does good deeds, He will cause him to enter gardens beneath which rivers now, to abide therein forever, Allah has indeed given him a goodly sustenance. Allah is He Who created seven heavens, and of the earth the like of them; the decree continues to descend among them, that you may know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah indeed encompasses all things in (His) knowledge. www.ScripturesAndI.com 4 The “Seven Heavens” This “Seven heavens” is the same as Swarga in Mahabharata. “Swargarohana” or “ascend to Heaven” is the last chapter of Mahabharata. At the end of this chapter, Yudhisthira, the righteousness synonym to Jesus, finds all his brothers in a cave suffering, and Goddess Indra came down to take him up there along with his dog (dharma). In Swarga, he meets all of his enemies or devilish entities ensuring a reincarnation in process or the cycle continues. Liberation or Paradise realization didn’t occur in this living. Quran also confirms ascend of Jesus in chapter 4 verse 157 – He was not killed. Q [4:157] And for claiming that they killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of GOD. In fact, they never killed him, they never crucified him - they were made to think that they did. All factions who are disputing in this matter are full of doubt concerning this issue. They possess no knowledge; they only conjecture. For certain, they never killed him. Indra Descended from Swarga for Yudhisthira 5.3 Paradise Q [3:133] You should eagerly race towards forgiveness from your Lord and a Paradise whose width encompasses the heavens and the earth; it awaits the righteous www.ScripturesAndI.com 5 Q [57:21] Therefore, you shall race towards forgiveness from your Lord, and a Paradise whose width encompasses the heaven and the earth. It awaits those who believed in GOD and His messengers. Such is GOD's grace that He bestows upon whomever He wills. GOD is Possessor of Infinite Grace. Paradise is the union of Heavens and Earth has two definitions; 1) for righteous, it encompasses the Heaven or cosmos, the “Seven Heavens” and the Earth, and 2) for believers, it encompasses the Heaven or Cosmos and the earth as heavens already shattered above them. Paradise in Arabic is “Jannah” which actually means “to cover or hide something”. Paradise is the psychological realization of the creation – the awesome beauty in nature and in the cosmos. It’s at that point when God is realized on earth and within SELF – psychophysically. Creation can’t be sustained without the creator yet we separated the paradise into “Seven Heavens and earth” by pushing God to Heaven or “Seven Heavens” thereby finding ourselves helpless in Earth thus Adam fell. Q [2:35-36] We said, "O Adam, live with your wife in Paradise, and eat therefrom generously, as you please, but do not approach this tree, lest you sin." But the devil duped them, and caused their eviction therefrom. We said, "Go down as enemies of one another. On Earth shall be your habitation and provision for awhile." Q [8:24] O you who believe, you shall respond to GOD and to the messenger when he invites you to what gives you life. You should know that GOD is closer to you than your heart, and that before Him you will be summoned. 5.4 Gardens of Eden Q [35:33] They will enter the gardens of Eden, where they will be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls, and their garments in it will be made of silk. Q [18:31] They have deserved gardens of Eden wherein rivers flow. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and will wear clothes of green silk and velvet, and will rest on comfortable furnishings. What a wonderful reward; what a wonderful abode! Both righteous destinies, Paradise and Gardens of Eden, "jannātu ʿadnin" in Arabic, are derived from root “Jiim Nun Nun” which means “to cover” as noted earlier. Both are veiled and have different connotations and identifications. Like Paradise, Gardens of Eden, also hidden from us psychologically. As I understand, it’s our physical aspect or our body where we truly reside. In Judaism, it’s termed as Promised Land, in Sanatana Dharma, it’s termed as Vrindhavhan. “Vrinda’ means “cluster of flowers” and “Vhan” means jungle in Sanskrit. In other words, Vrindhavhan means gardens of clustered flowers. Usually, Sanatan Dharma followers relate Tulsi to “Vrinda” and Tulsi flowers grow in clusters. Gardens of Eden or the Promised Land are internal not external. Promised Land or Gardens of Eden also have other names in scriptures depending on www.ScripturesAndI.com 6 where we are in our journey or realization. In unconscious paradigm, it is known as Ayodhya in Ramayana or Yathrib in Quran. Q [33:13] A group of them said, "O people of Yathrib, you cannot attain victory; go back." Others made up excuses to the prophet: "Our homes are vulnerable," when they were not vulnerable. They just wanted to flee. Our body is full of flowing rivers in a precise design carrying nutrients and excreting wastes every moment thereby nourishing our existence.