In every culture and epoch, human beings have yearned for heaven - the kingdom of God, abode of the elect, fount of enlightenment, mirror of hopes and desires. This work is an anthology of writings about heaven, drawing from scriptures, myths, epics, poems, prayers, sermons, novels and spells. Acknowledgments xi Introduction 3(8) I. The Journey Introduction 11(4) Paradiso, Canto 1 15(6) Dante Alighieri From ``The Vision of Drythelm'' in Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People 21(6) St. Bede the Venerable From The Pilgrim's Progress 27(8) John Bunyan From A Journey from This World to the Next 35(7) Henry Fielding From Adonais 42(18) Percy Bysshe Shelley ``How the Weaver Went to Heaven'' 47(2) From The Tibetan Book of the Dead 49(5) ``The Far-Off Journey'' 54(6) From Memories, Dreams, Reflections 60(7) C. G. Jung Poems, Prayers, and Spells From The Greek Magical Papyri 67(2) ``The Mithras Liturgy'' From The Second Book of Jeu 69(2) ``Spell for Ascending through the Heavens'' From The Book of the Craft of Dying 71(2) ``Commendation of the Soul'' ``The Passionate Mans Pilgrimage'' 73(2) Sir Walter Ralegh From League of the Ho-de-no-sau-nee 75(1) Iroquois Mother's Lament From Hobo News 76(7) ``The Hobo's Last Lament'' II. Lands of Bliss Introduction 79(4) ``Where Is No More Sea'' 83(2) ``Fysh'' ``Heaven'' 85(2) Rupert Brooke ``Rangi and Papatua'' 87(2) ``The First Day'' From The Legends of the Jews 89(4) Louis Ginzberg ``The Deluding of Gylfi'' From The Prose Edda 93(13) Snorri Sturluson From The Sukhavativyuha Sutra 102(4) From ``The Dream of Scipio'' in On the Republic 106(5) Marcus Tullius Cicero ``The Celestial Orchestra'' 111(8) Howard Schwartz The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity 116(3) From Black Elk Speaks 119(8) John G. Neihardt From Experimental Investigation of the Spirit Manifestations 127(8) Robert Hare From The Gates Ajar 135(18) Elizabeth Stuart Phelps III. The Vision of God Introduction 149(4) From Confessions 153(2) St. Augustine From La'ali al-masnu`a 155(13) As-Suyuti From The Shi`ur Qomah 158(3) From The Kausitaki Upanishad 161(5) From The Sukhavativyuha Sutra 166(2) Paradiso, Canto 33 168(6) Dante Alighieri From Sermon VIII on Romans 2:10 174(2) Jonathan Edwards From A Romance of Two Worlds 176(7) Marie Corelli Songs of Adoration Pygmy Hymn 182(1) Psalm 104:1-4 183(1) Bible Ezekiel 1 184(3) Isaiah 6:1-7 187(1) Revelation 4,5 188(5) From the Hekhalot Rabbati 191(2) From ``An Hymne of Heavenly Beautie'' 193(4) Edmund Spenser ``God Is All in All'' 197(6) John Henry Cardinal Newman IV. The Celestial Court Introduction 199(4) From The Iliad 203(4) Homer From The Celestial Hierarchy 207(14) Pseudo-Dionysius From The Vision of Adamnan 210(8) From the Bhagavata Purana 218(3) From Paradise Lost 221(5) John Milton From A Vision of Judgment 226(2) Robert Southey From The Vision of Judgment 228(5) George Gordon Lord Byron From On the Fitness of the Glories of Mary 233(4) John Henry Cardinal Newman Assumption Prayer 237(2) Pope Pius XII From The Man Who Was Thursday 239(16) G. K. Chesterton V. Heavenly Society Introduction 251(4) From Extract from Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven 255(11) Mark Twain From Heaven and Its Wonders and Hell 266(7) Emanuel Swedenborg From The Land of Mist 273(13) Sir Arthur Conan Doyle From A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters 286(9) Julian Barnes ``Concerning the Heavenly Joys of Virgins,'' from The Book of the Rewards of Life 295(3) Hildegard of Bingen Tales of Heavenly Intercession From Story of a Soul 298(3) St. Therese of Lisieux ``The Window of Paradise,'' from The Miracles of Our Lady Saint Mary 301(3) Evelyn Underhill ``Elijah'' 304(7) Louis Ginzberg ``The spirit of the Saints'' 311(6) Jalal ad-Din ar-Rumi VI. Heaven on Earth Introduction 313(4) From Phaedo 317(3) Plato From The Voyage of Bran 320(10) From The Romance of the Rose 330(11) Guillaume de Lorris Jean de Meun From Paradise Lost 341(8) John Milton From the Bhagavata Purana 347(2) From ``The Knowledge-bearing Messenger'' 349(6) Rinpung Ngawang Jigdag From Centuries 355(2) Thomas Traherne ``A Leaf from Heaven'' 357(3) Hans Christian Andersen From the Preface to Theorie de l'unite universelle 360(2) Charles Fourier From ``What Makes a Life Significant'' 362(6) William James Songs and Poems ``An Invitation to Lubberland'' 365(3) ``Prayer'' 368(1) George Herbert ``The Angel'' 369(1) Mikhail Lermontov ``Simple Gifts'' 370(1) Shaker songs ``Heavenly Display'' 371(7) VII. New Heaven, New Earth Introduction 373(4) From Legends of the Hasidim ``Belief'' 377(1) ``On the Sea'', from In the Heart of the Seas 378(7) Shmuel Yosef Agnon Daniel 12:1--3 Bible 384(1) Isaiah 65:17--25 385(1) 1 Corinthians 15:35--54 386(2) Revelation 21:1--4 388(8) Sura 55:37-78 Qu'ran 389(2) From the Bundahishn 391(5) Report on the Ghost Dance, From James Mooney, The Ghost-Dance Religion and the Sioux Outbreak of 1890 396(4) George Sword From The City of God 400(5) St. Augustine From The Last Battle 405(11) C. S. Lewis Songs and Poems ``Easter-day'' 416(1) Henry Vaughan ``Easter Hymn'' 417(1) ``At the round earths imagin'd corners, blow...'' 418(1) John Donne ``In That Great Getting-up Morning'' 419(3) Spirituals ``I'll Hear the Trumpet Sound'' 422(3) Credits 425(6) Name Index 431