Human Nature

Even though I've studied more than my share of science, I never could understand the idea that humans were just very smart apes...

Today's excerpt from Reality explores our true identities:

"....if the perfections of the spirit did not appear in this world, this world would be unenlightened and absolutely brutal. By the appearance of the spirit in the physical form, this world is enlightened. As the spirit of man is the cause of the life of the body, so the world is in the condition of the body, and man is in the condition of the spirit. If there were no man, the perfections of the spirit would not appear, and the light of the mind would not be resplendent in this world. This world would be like a body without a soul."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 52: "The Appearing of the Spirit in the Body", p. 201

The Light of The World

So, have you ever wondered whether society can be less animalistic and more spiritual?

Ever wondered, if it actually could be more spiritual, how it would ever happen?

Try pondering this quote from Reality:

"Material civilization is like a lamp-glass. Divine civilization is the lamp itself and the glass without the light is dark. Material civilization is like the body. No matter how infinitely graceful, elegant and beautiful it may be, it is dead. Divine civilization is like the spirit, and the body gets its life from the spirit, otherwise it becomes a corpse. It has thus been made evident that the world of mankind is in need of the breaths of the Holy Spirit. Without the spirit the world of mankind is lifeless, and without this light the world of mankind is in utter darkness. For the world of nature is an animal world. Until man is born again from the world of nature, that is to say, becomes detached from the world of nature, he is essentially an animal, and it is the teachings of God which convert this animal into a human soul."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
Selection #227, pp. 303-304

Who Are We -- Really ?!

Searching for the meaning of life can be downright dangerous.

It can also be as easy as falling off a log...

I think it all depends on the Guidance you use in the Search--some information is just better.

The quote from Reality for today is one of the shortest and most compelling statements I've every found about our Place in the Scheme of Things and what our True Potential is [Remember, English has no proper sex-neutral words for people. Other languages do. So, we're sort of stuck with "Man" for All of Us...] :

"Man is said to be the greatest representative of God, and he is the Book of Creation because all the mysteries of beings exist in him. If he comes under the shadow of the True Educator and is rightly trained, he becomes the essence of essences, the light of lights, the spirit of spirits; he becomes the center of the divine appearances, the source of spiritual qualities, the rising-place of heavenly lights, and the receptacle of divine inspirations. If he is deprived of this education, he becomes the manifestation of satanic qualities, the sum of animal vices, and the source of all dark conditions."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 64: "The State of
Man and His Progress after Death", p. 236

In His Image

Today's excerpt from Reality explores the well-known idea that humans are created in God's "image".

Even a slight amount of thought brings the awareness that this "image" is far from a concrete replication of God's Powers and Attributes.

There's something metaphorical and spiritual going on.

It should be stressed that a misguided ego could read this quote and get quite a swelled head...

"Without doubt each being is the center of the shining forth of the glory of God—that is to say, the perfections of God appear from it and are resplendent in it. It is like the sun, which is resplendent in the desert, upon the sea, in the trees, in the fruits and blossoms, and in all earthly things. The world, indeed each existing being, proclaims to us one of the names of God, but the reality of man is the collective reality, the general reality, and is the center where the glory of all the perfections of God shine forth—that is to say, for each name, each attribute, each perfection which we affirm of God there exists a sign in man. If it were otherwise, man could not imagine these perfections and could not understand them. So we say that God is the seer, and the eye is the sign of His vision; if this sight were not in man, how could we imagine the vision of God? For the blind (that is, one born blind) cannot imagine sight; and the deaf (that is, one deaf from birth) cannot imagine hearing; and the dead cannot realize life. Consequently, the Divinity of God, which is the sum of all perfections, reflects itself in the reality of man—that is to say, the Essence of Oneness is the gathering of all perfections, and from this unity He casts a reflection upon the human reality. Man, then, is the perfect mirror facing the Sun of Truth and is the center of radiation: the Sun of Truth shines in this mirror. The reflection of the divine perfections appears in the reality of man, so he is the representative of God, the messenger of God. If man did not exist, the universe would be without result, for the object of existence is the appearance of the perfections of God."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 50: "Spiritual
Proofs of the Origin of Man", pp. 195-196

Giving Up To Win

Part of the "mission" of this blog is to provide ideas that can be used to live a more spiritual life.

I feel competent to make comments on the material presented from Reality primarily because I've made so many mistakes in my quest to find a thriving level of spirituality in my own life.

At least I can point and say, "Oh, please reconsider that direction!"

Another thing I feel strongly about is that we don't make ourselves more spiritual. We can only release the death grip on our egos and become receptive enough to let spirituality flow in our lives...

"These energies with which the Day Star of Divine bounty and Source of heavenly guidance hath endowed the reality of man lie, however, latent within him, even as the flame is hidden within the candle and the rays of light are potentially present in the lamp. The radiance of these energies may be obscured by worldly desires even as the light of the sun can be concealed beneath the dust and dross which cover the mirror. Neither the candle nor the lamp can be lighted through their own unaided efforts, nor can it ever be possible for the mirror to free itself from its dross. It is clear and evident that until a fire is kindled the lamp will never be ignited, and unless the dross is blotted out from the face of the mirror it can never represent the image of the sun nor reflect its light and glory."

Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection
XXVII, pp. 65-66

Practical Mystic

I've commented on many quotes from Reality but said nothing about the Individuals being quoted.

Today, I want to make a brief comment about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who wrote the words of today's excerpt.

He was born in Iran in 1844 and lived till 1921. Forty of those years were spent as a prisoner because the Ottoman Empire didn't like His ideas.

He's been referred to as a Mystic who walks with practical feet and His quote below starts out quite simply but flows into some strange and wonderful territory:

"All beings, whether large or small, were created perfect and complete from the first, but their perfections appear in them by degrees. The organization of God is one; the evolution of existence is one; the divine system is one. Whether they be small or great beings, all are subject to one law and system. Each seed has in it from the first all the vegetable perfections. For example, in the seed all the vegetable perfections exist from the beginning, but not visibly; afterward little by little they appear. So it is first the shoot which appears from the seed, then the branches, leaves, blossoms and fruits; but from the beginning of its existence all these things are in the seed, potentially, though not apparently.

"In the same way, the embryo possesses from the first all perfections, such as the spirit, the mind, the sight, the smell, the taste—in one word, all the powers—but they are not visible and become so only by degrees.

"Similarly, the terrestrial globe from the beginning was created with all its elements, substances, minerals, atoms and organisms; but these only appeared by degrees: first the mineral, then the plant, afterward the animal, and finally man. But from the first these kinds and species existed, but were undeveloped in the terrestrial globe, and then appeared only gradually. For the supreme organization of God, and the universal natural system, surround all beings, and all are subject to this rule. When you consider this universal system, you see that there is not one of the beings which at its coming into existence has reached the limit of perfection. No, they gradually grow and develop, and then attain the degree of perfection."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 51: "The Spirit
and Mind of Man have Existed from the Beginning", p. 199

Proof . . .

There are many "proofs" of God's existence. In fact there are many folk who need no proof--to them it seems self-evident.

One of the shortest proofs I've found is in this quote from Reality:

"Can the creation be perfect and the creator imperfect? Can a picture be a masterpiece and the painter imperfect in his art? For it is his art and his creation. Moreover, the picture cannot be like the painter; otherwise, the painting would have created itself. However perfect the picture may be in comparison with the painter it is in the utmost degree of imperfection."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 2: "Proofs and
Evidences of the Existence of God", p. 5

Where Do We Stand ?

For many days now the quotes I've commented on from Reality have extolled the elevated nature of God and His Manifestations.

Today it's our turn.

Just a quick reminder about the English language lacking a specifically sex-neutral pronoun...

"....whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is a direct evidence of the revelation within it of the attributes and names of God, inasmuch as within every atom are enshrined the signs that bear eloquent testimony to the revelation of that most great Light. Methinks, but for the potency of that revelation, no being could ever exist. How resplendent the luminaries of knowledge that shine in an atom, and how vast the oceans of wisdom that surge within a drop! To a supreme degree is this true of man, who, among all created things, hath been invested with the robe of such gifts, and hath been singled out for the glory of such distinction. For in him are potentially revealed all the attributes and names of God to a degree that no other created being hath excelled or surpassed. All these names and attributes are applicable to him. Even as He hath said: 'Man is My mystery, and I am his mystery.' Manifold are the verses that have been repeatedly revealed in all the heavenly Books and the holy Scriptures, expressive of this most subtle and lofty theme. Even as He hath revealed: 'We will surely show them Our signs in the world and within themselves.'(Qur’án 41:53) Again He saith: 'And also in your own selves: will ye not then behold the signs of God?'(Qur’án 51:21) And yet again He revealeth: 'And be ye not like those who forget God, and whom He hath therefore caused to forget their own selves.(Qur’án 59:29) In this connection, He Who is the eternal King—may the souls of all that dwell within the mystic Tabernacle be a sacrifice unto Him—hath spoken: 'He hath known God who hath known himself.'

"....From that which hath been said it becometh evident that all things, in their inmost reality, testify to the revelation of the names and attributes of God within them. Each according to its capacity, indicateth, and is expressive of, the knowledge of God. So potent and universal is this revelation, that it hath encompassed all things, visible and invisible. Thus hath He revealed: 'Hath aught else save Thee a power of revelation which is not possessed by Thee, that it could have manifested Thee? Blind is the eye which doth not perceive Thee.' Likewise, hath the eternal King spoken: 'No thing have I perceived, except that I perceived God within it, God before it, or God after it.' Also in the tradition of Kumayl it is written: 'Behold, a light hath shone forth out of the Morn of eternity, and lo! its waves have penetrated the inmost reality of all men.' Man, the noblest and most perfect of all created things, excelleth them all in the intensity of this revelation, and is a fuller expression of its glory. And of all men, the most accomplished, the most distinguished and the most excellent are the Manifestations of the Sun of Truth."

Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Íqán, paragraphs 107, 109, pp. 92-94

More About The Manifestations

The past few posts have had excerpts from Reality that dealt with the inconceivably High Station of God and the relationship of Him to His Messengers or Manifestations.

However, I feel a strong need to add, once more, the information I have about that male pronoun we use in English for God. I've received information from people who use other languages (Arabic, Hebrew, etc.) who say they have a pronoun which has no sex associated with it. So, in English we choose the best we can and make God male because of His Creative rather than Receptive nature.

Some of the ideas expressed in this blog are well known by many folks but the information in today's quote, in my humble estimation, is quite surprising!

"...the Manifestations have three planes. First, the physical reality, which depends upon the body; second, the individual reality, that is to say, the rational soul; third, the divine appearance, which is the divine perfections, the cause of the life of existence, of the education of souls, of the guidance of people, and of the enlightenment of the contingent world. The physical state is the human state which perishes because it is composed of elements, and all that is composed of elements will necessarily be decomposed and dispersed. But the individual reality of the Manifestations of God is a holy reality, and for that reason it is sanctified and, in that which concerns its nature and quality, is distinguished from all other things. It is like the sun, which by its essential nature produces light and cannot be compared to the moon, just as the particles that compose the globe of the sun cannot be compare with those which compose the moon. The particles and organization of the former produce rays, but the particles of which the moon is composed do not produce rays but need to borrow light. So other human realities are those souls who, like the moon, take light from the sun; but that Holy Reality is luminous in Himself. The third plane of that Being is the Divine Bounty, the splendor of the Preexistent Beauty, and the radiance of the light of the Almighty. The individual realities of the Divine Manifestations have no separation from the Bounty of God and the Lordly Splendor. In the same way, the orb of the sun has no separation from the light. Therefore, it may be said that the ascension of the Holy Manifestation is simply the leaving of this elemental form. For example, if a lamp illumines this niche, and if its light ceases to illuminate it because the niche is destroyed, the bounty of the lamp is not cut off. Briefly, in the Holy Manifestations the Preexistent Bounty is like the light, the individuality is represented by the glass globe, and the human body is like the niche: if the niche is destroyed, the lamp continues to burn. The Divine Manifestations are so many different mirrors because They have a special individuality, but that which is reflected in the mirrors is one sun."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 39: "The Human
Condition and the Spiritual Condition of the Divine Manifestations",
pp. 154-155