Planes of existance

The only Being has manifested Himself through seven different planes of existence, to accomplish His desire of being recognized:

Tanzih
1. Zát — the unmanifested
2. Ahadiat — plane of Eternal Consciousness

1. Wahdat — plane of consciousness
1. Wahdaniat — plane of abstract ideas

Tashbih
5. Arwah — the spiritual plane
6. Ajsam — the astral plane
7. Insan — the physical plane

There are, again, seven aspects of manifestation:

1. Sitara — planetary
2. Mahtab — lunar
3. Aftab — solar
4. Madeniat — mineral kingdom
5. Nabitat — vegetable kingdom
6. Haywanat — animal kingdom
7. Insan — human kingdom

Insan, being the ideal manifestation, recognizes God by the knowledge of his own self. Man reaches this perfection by development through five grades of evolution:

1. Nasut — material plane
2. Malakut — mental plane
3. Jabarut — astral plane
4. Lahut — spiritual plane
5. Hahut — plane of consciousness

Each grade of development prepares a person for a higher one, and perfects him in five different grades of humanity:

1. Adam — the ordinary man
2. Insan — the wise man
3. Wali — the holy man
4. Qutb — the saint
5. Nabi — the prophet

The five natures corresponding to these five grades are:

1. Ammara — who acts under the influence of his senses;
2. Lauwama — one who repents of his follies;
3. Mutmaina — one who considers before taking action;
4. Alima — one who thinks, speaks and acts aright;
5. Salima — one who sacrifices himself for the benefit of others.

The following is a diagram illustrating the planes of Nuzul and Uruj (evolution and involution):

All planes of existence consist of vibrations, from the finest to the grossest kind; the vibrations of each plane have come from a higher one, and have become grosser. Whoever knows the mystery of vibrations, he indeed knows all things. Vibrations are of five different aspects, appearing as the five elements:

1. Nur — ether
2. Baad — air
3. Atesh — fire
4. Aab — water
5. Khaak — earth

In relation to these elements, mankind has five senses:

Senses Organs
Basarat — sense of sight the eyes
Samat — sense of hearing the ears
Naghat — sense of smell the nose
Lazzat — sense of taste the tongue
Muss — sense of touch the skin

Through these senses and different organs of the mental and physical existence the Ruh, the soul, experiences life; and when the Ruh receives the highest experience of all phases of existence by the favor of the murshid, then it will have that peace and bliss, the attainment of which is the only object of manifestation.

From book of Pir Inayat Khan