I died as mineral and became a plant.
I died as plant and rose to animal.
I died as animal and I was man.
Why should I fear?
When was I less by dying?
Yet, once more, I shall die as man,
To soar with angels blessed.
But even from angelhood
I must pass on.
All except God doth perish.
When I sacrified my angel soul,
I shall become what no mind e'er conceived.
Oh, let me not exist
For non-existence proclaim in organ tones,
"To Him we shall return."

                  Rumi

Tom Hickey comments:
The ancient esoteric tradition, clarified by Meher Baba in our time, holds that every being from the Universe itself to the tiniest sub-atomic particle has awareness, intelligence and bliss, since nothing
is actually separate from the one indivisible Reality the atributes of which are Sat-Chit-Ananda. Every being of apparently separated existence either is on the path of evolution to the human form or having attained the human form, is on the path of involution to God-Realization. Every being is involved in the process of restoration, so to speak, through mutual-interaction. Forms lower than the human are gudied by the Infinite Intelligence (the Lord) through basic laws such as the strong and weak forces in the case of atoms, gravity in the case of stones and metals, tropism in the case of vegetables, and instinct in the case of animals. Human being, on the other hand, having reached full development of consciousness through evolution are guided by reason and will (from about  age seven). Once having entered the Path, those on the planes are guided  by intuition, then inspiration, then illumination, on the way to final realization.

According to the ancient wisdom also, the primary human means of salvation is through unconditional love, compassion for all beings, and selfless service of all, as evinced, for example, in the summary of Torah by Hillel and Jesus, and the Buddha's emphasis on compassion and lovingkindness (metta).
 

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