What is The Word of God, Really?

Today's quote from Reality is as challenging as yesterday's.

There have been a number of posts here relating to what's called the "Word of God".

Does that phrase mean only the physical Bible or the book of the Quran or the written Bhagavad gita?

According to today's quote, it means Something Much More Awesome:

"Such as communicate the generating influence and such as receive its impact are indeed created through the irresistible Word of God which is the Cause of the entire creation, while all else besides His Word are but the creatures and the effects thereof. Verily thy Lord is the Expounder, the All-Wise. Know thou, moreover, that the Word of God—exalted be His glory—is higher and far superior to that which the senses can perceive, for it is sanctified from any property or substance. It transcendeth the limitations of known elements and is exalted above all the essential and recognized substances. It became manifest without any syllable or sound and is none but the Command of God which pervadeth all created things. It hath never been withheld from the world of being. It is God’s all-pervasive grace, from which all grace doth emanate. It is an entity far removed above all that hath been and shall be.
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Every thing must needs have an origin and every building a builder. Verily, the Word of God is the Cause which hath preceded the contingent world—a world which is adorned with the splendours of the Ancient of Days, yet is being renewed and regenerated at all times. Immeasurably exalted is the God of Wisdom Who hath raised this sublime structure."

Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, "Lawh-i-Hikmat" or "Tablet of
Wisdom", pp. 140-141

Spiritual Mysteries

There's a lot of information in today's quote from Reality. Plus, the Author states it with great authority.

Still we must use our minds [ guided by our hearts ] to search out not just the obvious meanings but also the symbolic and spiritually metaphoric meanings.

This quote's a good one to practice on...

"Know that, although the human soul has existed on the earth for prolonged times and ages, yet it is phenomenal. As it is a divine sign, when once it has come into existence, it is eternal. The spirit of man has a beginning, but it has no end; it continues eternally. In the same way the species existing on this earth are phenomenal, for it is established that there was a time when these species did not exist on the surface of the earth. Moreover, the earth has not always existed, but the world of existence has always been, for the universe is not limited to this terrestrial globe. The meaning of this is that, although human souls are phenomenal, they are nevertheless immortal, everlasting and perpetual; for the world of things is the world of imperfection in comparison with that of man, and the world of man is the world of perfection in comparison with that of things. When imperfections reach the station of perfection, they become eternal. This is an example of which you must comprehend the meaning."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 38: "The Three
Stations of the Divine Manifestations", p. 151-152

Humans Are Special !

Next time you feel down and not worth much, try recalling these two quotes from Reality.

Actually, if every one would put these Words up in some prominent place, we just might brighten the World a bit...

"Dost thou reckon thyself only a puny form When within thee the universe is folded?"

Bahá’u’lláh quoting ‘Alí: The Seven Valleys and The Four Valleys,
"Valley of Wonderment", p. 34

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"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."

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

Our Mysterious Soul !

Two quotes today from Reality--both similarly about the soul but each significantly different in detail.

Two space pics, too!

"Know, verily, that the soul is a sign of God, a heavenly gem whose reality the most learned of men hath failed to grasp, and whose mystery no mind, however acute, can ever hope to unravel. It is the first among all created things to declare the excellence of its Creator, the first to recognize His glory, to cleave to His truth, and to bow down in adoration before Him. If it be faithful to God, it will reflect His light, and will, eventually, return unto Him."

Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection
LXXXII, pp. 158-159

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"Verily I say, the human soul is, in its essence, one of the signs of God, a mystery among His mysteries. It is one of the mighty signs of the Almighty, the harbinger that proclaimeth the reality of all the worlds of God. Within it lieth concealed that which the world is now utterly incapable of apprehending."

Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection
LXXXII, p. 160

City of Certitude

In this excerpt from Reality, the Word of God is called the City of Certitude. It is also specified to be the Word of God for the Age a person is living in. Past posts have contained ideas about the many Words of God and the Manifestations of God Who bring them to us.

"When the channel of the human soul is cleansed of all worldly and impeding attachments, it will unfailingly perceive the breath of the Beloved across immeasurable distances, and will, led by its perfume, attain and enter the City of Certitude. Therein he will discern the wonders of His ancient wisdom, and will perceive all the hidden teachings from the rustling leaves of the Tree—which flourisheth in that City. With both his inner and his outer ear he will hear from its dust the hymns of glory and praise ascending unto the Lord of Lords, and with his inner eye will he discover the mysteries of "return" and "revival." How unspeakably glorious are the signs, the tokens, the revelations, and splendours which He Who is the King of names and attributes hath destined for that City! The attainment of this City quencheth thirst without water, and kindleth the love of God without fire. Within every blade of grass are enshrined the mysteries of an inscrutable wisdom, and upon every rose-bush a myriad nightingales pour out, in blissful rapture, their melody. Its wondrous tulips unfold the mystery of the undying Fire in the Burning Bush, and its sweet savours of holiness breathe the perfume of the Messianic Spirit. It bestoweth wealth without gold, and conferreth immortality without death. In every leaf ineffable delights are treasured, and within every chamber unnumbered mysteries lie hidden."

Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Íqán, paragraph 217, pp. 182-183

Darkness Into Light

Why are humans so hard to understand?

Why are there some people who are "devils" and some who are clearly "angels"?

How can extremely good people have hidden dark sides?

To begin to reach some understanding, check out this remarkable quote from Reality:

"Man is in the highest degree of materiality, and at the beginning of spirituality—that is to say, he is the end of imperfection and the beginning of perfection. He is at the last degree of darkness, and at the beginning of light; that is why it has been said that the condition of man is the end of the night and the beginning of day, meaning that he is the sum of all the degrees of imperfection, and that he possesses the degrees of perfection. He has the animal side as well as the angelic side, and the aim of an educator is to so train human souls that their angelic aspect may overcome their animal side. Then if the divine power in man, which is his essential perfection, overcomes the satanic power, which is absolute imperfection, he becomes the most excellent among the creatures; but if the satanic power overcomes the divine power, he becomes the lowest of the creatures. That is why he is the end of imperfection and the beginning of perfection. Not in any other of the species in the world of existence is there such a difference, contrast, contradiction and opposition as in the species of man."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 64: "The State of
Man and His Progress after Death", pp. 235-236

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