The Soul’s Purposes and Objectives

How many times have you wondered about the Purpose of Life?

Why are we here?

What's the best and most "profitable" way to live?

What's The Principle we should base our principles on?

I'm including a number of shorter excerpts from Reality on this theme--looking at many Facets of the Gem of Virtue...

[ Please remember that English uses "man" or "men" for "all people" because we don't have an appropriate gender-neutral word... ]

"All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization."

Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection CIX, p. 215

"Ye were created to show love one to another and not perversity and rancour."

Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, Lawh-i-Hikmat or Tablet of Wisdom, p. 138

"The essence of all that We have revealed for thee is Justice, is for man to free himself from idle fancy and imitation, discern with the eye of oneness His glorious handiwork, and look into all things with a searching eye."

Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, Asl-i-Kullu’l-Khayr or Words of Wisdom, p. 157

"The fruits of the tree of man have ever been and are goodly deeds and a praiseworthy character. Withhold not these fruits from the heedless. If they be accepted, your end is attained, and the purpose of life achieved."

Bahá’u’lláh: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 26

"....Thou hast created Thy servants to aid Thy Cause and exalt Thy Word...."

Bahá’u’lláh: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 37

"The first, the fundamental purpose underlying creation hath ever been, and will continue to be, none other than the appearance of trustworthiness and godliness, of sincerity and goodwill amongst mankind, for these qualities are the cause of peace, security and tranquillity."

Bahá’u’lláh: from a Tablet translated from Persian, quoted in the compilation Trustworthiness: A Cardinal Bahá’í Virtue, Selection #7

The Reason to Pursue Spirituality

Some say this life is a training-ground, a "school" to learn the virtues we'll need in the Next Life.

Yet, having a vision of why we need to work at our virtues is absolutely helpful!

Today's quote from Reality is one of the most beautiful visions I've ever read about our Infinite Future:

"Know thou of a truth that the soul, after its separation from the body, will continue to progress until it attaineth the presence of God, in a state and condition which neither the revolution of ages and centuries, nor the changes and chances of this world, can alter. It will endure as long as the Kingdom of God, His sovereignty, His dominion and power will endure. It will manifest the signs of God and His attributes, and will reveal His loving-kindness and bounty.

"The movement of My Pen is stilled when it attempteth to befittingly describe the loftiness and glory of so exalted a station. The honor with which the Hand of Mercy will invest the soul is such as no tongue can adequately reveal, nor any other earthly agency describe. Blessed is the soul which, at the hour of its separation from the body, is sanctified from the vain imagining of the peoples of the world. Such a soul liveth and moveth in accordance with the Will of its Creator, and entereth the all-highest Paradise."

Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection
LXXXI, pp. 155-156

Psychic "vs" Spiritual

Of all the excerpts from the book Reality, this is one of those that absolutely stuns me!

With so much confusion in the world about what is or isn't Spiritual, this stark answer is a deep challenge!

"To tamper with psychic forces while in this world interferes with the condition of the soul in the world to come. These forces are real, but, normally, are not active on this plane. The child in the womb has its eyes, ears, hands, feet, etc., but they are not in activity. The whole purpose of life in the material world is the coming forth into the world of Reality, where those forces will become active. They belong to that world."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, quoted in Esslemont: Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, p.
193

Spiritual Reality Check

A Spiritual Life needs periodic Inspirations to keep its batteries charged against the intrusions of Materialism.

How can we make sure the inspirations we have or the inspirations we seek are Real?

We all know how easy it is to fool ourselves...

Today's quote from Reality is like warm, nourishing Light in the Darkness of our Times:

"Question.—Some people believe that they achieve spiritual discoveries—that is to say, that they converse with spirits. What kind of communion is this?

"Answer.—Spiritual discoveries are of two kinds: one kind is of the imagination and is only the assertion of a few people; the other kind resembles inspiration, and this is real—such are the revelations of Isaiah, of Jeremiah and of St. John, which are real.

"Reflect that man’s power of thought consists of two kinds. One kind is true, when it agrees with a determined truth. Such conceptions find realization in the exterior world; such are accurate opinions, correct theories, scientific discoveries and inventions.

"The other kind of conceptions is made up of vain thoughts and useless ideas which yield neither fruit nor result, and which have no reality. No, they surge like the waves of the sea of imaginations, and they pass away like idle dreams.

"In the same way, there are two sorts of spiritual discoveries. One is the revelations of the Prophets, and the spiritual discoveries of the elect. The visions of the Prophets are not dreams; no, they are spiritual discoveries and have reality. They say, for example, 'I saw a person in a certain form, and I said such a thing, and he gave such an answer.' This vision is in the world of wakefulness, and not in that of sleep. Nay, it is a spiritual discovery which is expressed as if it were the appearance of a vision.

"The other kind of spiritual discoveries is made up of pure imaginations, but these imaginations become embodied in such a way that many simple-hearted people believe that they have a reality. That which proves it clearly is that from this controlling of spirits no result or fruit has ever been produced. No, they are but narratives and stories.

"Know that the reality of man embraces the realities of things, and discovers the verities, properties and secrets of things. So all these arts, wonders, sciences and knowledge have been discovered by the human reality. At one time these sciences, knowledge, wonders and arts were hidden and concealed secrets; then gradually the human reality discovered them and brought them from the realm of the invisible to the plane of the visible. Therefore, it is evident that the reality of man embraces things. Thus it is in Europe and discovers America; it is on the earth, and it makes discoveries in the heavens. It is the revealer of the secrets of things, and it is the knower of the realities of that which exists. These discoveries corresponding to the reality are similar to revelation, which is spiritual comprehension, divine inspiration and the association of human spirits. For instance, the Prophet says, 'I saw, I said, I heard such a thing.' It is, therefore, evident that the spirit has great perception without the intermediary of any of the five senses, such as the eyes or ears. Among spiritual souls there are spiritual understandings, discoveries, a communion which is purified from imagination and fancy, an association which is sanctified from time and place. So it is written in the Gospel that, on Mount Tabor, Moses and Elias came to Christ, and it is evident that this was not a material meeting. It was a spiritual condition which is expressed as a physical meeting.

"The other sort of converse, presence and communications of spirits is but imagination and fancy, which only appears to have reality. The mind and the thought of man sometimes discover truths, and from this thought and discovery signs and results are produced. This thought has a foundation. But many things come to the mind of man which are like the waves of the sea of imaginations; they have no fruit, and no result comes from them. In the same way, man sees in the world of sleep a vision which becomes exactly realized; at another time, he sees a dream which has absolutely no result.

"What we mean is that this state, which we call the converse and communications of spirits, is of two kinds: one is simply imaginary, and the other is like the visions which are mentioned in the Holy Book, such as the revelations of St. John and Isaiah and the meeting of Christ with Moses and Elias. These are real, and produce wonderful effects in the minds and thoughts of men, and cause their hearts to be attracted."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 71: Visions and
Communication with Spirits, pp. 251-253

Why The Mind Is Important In Spirituality

I'm not making much commentary on today's quote from Reality. Suffice it to say, the Information below is Vital!

"In explaining these intellectual realities, one is obliged to express them by sensible figures because in exterior existence there is nothing that is not material. Therefore, to explain the reality of the spirit—its condition, its station—one is obliged to give explanations under the forms of sensible things because in the external world all that exists is sensible. For example, grief and happiness are intellectual things; when you wish to express those spiritual qualities you say: 'My heart is oppressed; my heart is dilated,' though the heart of man is neither oppressed nor dilated. This is an intellectual or spiritual state, to explain which you are obliged to have recourse to sensible figures. Another example: you say, 'such an individual made great progress,' though he is remaining in the same place; or again, 'such a one’s position was exalted,' although, like everyone else, he walks upon the earth. This exaltation and this progress are spiritual states and intellectual realities, but to explain them you are obliged to have recourse to sensible figures because in the exterior world there is nothing that is not sensible.

"So the symbol of knowledge is light, and of ignorance, darkness; but reflect, is knowledge sensible light, or ignorance sensible darkness? No, they are merely symbols. These are only intellectual states, but when you desire to express them outwardly, you call knowledge light, and ignorance darkness. You say: 'My heart was gloomy, and it became enlightened.' Now, that light of knowledge, and that darkness of ignorance, are intellectual realities, not sensible ones; but when we seek for explanations in the external world, we are obliged to give them a sensible form.

"Then it is evident that the dove which descended upon Christ was not a material dove, but it was a spiritual state, which, that it might be comprehensible, was expressed by a sensible figure. Thus in the Old Testament it is said that God appeared as a pillar of fire: this does not signify the material form; it is an intellectual reality which is expressed by a sensible image. Christ says, 'The Father is in the Son, and the Son is in the Father.' Was Christ within God, or God within Christ? No, in the name of God! On the contrary, this is an intellectual state which is expressed in a sensible figure.

"We come to the explanation of the words of Bahá’u’lláh when He says: 'O king! I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing.' (Bahá’u’lláh’s letter to Násiri’d-Dín Sháh, published in Summons of the Lord of Hosts, Súriy-i-Haykal / Súrih of the Temple, paragraph 192) This is the state of manifestation: it is not sensible; it is an intellectual reality, exempt and freed from time, from past, present and future; it is an explanation, a simile, a metaphor and is not to be accepted literally; it is not a state that can be comprehended by man. Sleeping and waking is passing from one state to another. Sleeping is the condition of repose, and wakefulness is the condition of movement. Sleeping is the state of silence; wakefulness is the state of speech. Sleeping is the state of mystery; wakefulness is the state of manifestation. For example, it is a Persian and Arabic expression to say that the earth was asleep, and the spring came, and it awoke; or the earth was dead, and the spring came, and it revived. These expressions are metaphors, allegories, mystic explanations in the world of signification.

"Briefly, the Holy Manifestations have ever been, and ever will be, Luminous Realities; no change or variation takes place in Their essence. Before declaring Their manifestation, They are silent and quiet like a sleeper, and after Their manifestation, They speak and are illuminated, like one who is awake."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 16: Outward Forms and Symbols Must be Used to Convey Intellectual Conceptions, pp. 84-86

BODY & SOUL

Of course, it's just my opinion, but if we could clearly get the body and soul properly sorted into their appropriate realms, We'd all be Spiritual...

Here's the quote from Reality:

"To be limited to place is a property of bodies and not of spirits. Place and time surround the body, not the mind and spirit. Observe that the body of man is confined to a small place; it covers only two spans of earth. But the spirit and mind of man travel to all countries and regions—even through the limitless space of the heavens—surround all that exists, and make discoveries in the exalted spheres and infinite distances. This is because the spirit has no place; it is placeless; and for the spirit the earth and the heaven are as one since it makes discoveries in both. But the body is limited to a place and does not know that which is beyond it. For life is of two kinds: that of the body and that of the spirit. The life of the body is material life, but the life of the spirit expresses the existence of the Kingdom, which consists in receiving the Spirit of God and becoming vivified by the breath of the Holy Spirit. Although the material life has existence, it is pure nonexistence and absolute death for the holy saints. So man exists, and this stone also exists, but what a difference between the existence of man and that of the stone! Though the stone exists, in relation to the existence of man it is nonexistent."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 67: Eternal Life and Entrance into the Kingdom of God, pp. 241-242

SOUL & MIND

Today's excerpt from Reality discusses the extremely important relationship between our souls and our minds.

"Now concerning mental faculties, they are in truth of the inherent properties of the soul, even as the radiation of light is the essential property of the sun. The rays of the sun are renewed but the sun itself is ever the same and unchanged. Consider how the human intellect develops and weakens, and may at times come to naught, whereas the soul changeth not. For the mind to manifest itself, the human body must be whole; and a sound mind cannot be but in a sound body, whereas the soul dependeth not upon the body. It is through the power of the soul that the mind comprehendeth, imagineth and exerteth its influence, whilst the soul is a power that is free. The mind comprehendeth the abstract by the aid of the concrete, but the soul hath limitless manifestations of its own. The mind is circumscribed, the soul limitless. It is by the aid of such senses as those of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch, that the mind comprehendeth, whereas the soul is free from all agencies. The soul as thou observest, whether it be in sleep or waking, is in motion and ever active. Possibly it may, whilst in a dream, unravel an intricate problem, incapable of solution in the waking state. The mind, moreover, understandeth not whilst the senses have ceased to function, and in the embryonic stage and in early infancy the reasoning power is totally absent, whereas the soul is ever endowed with full strength. In short, the proofs are many that go to show that despite the loss of reason, the power of the soul would still continue to exist. The spirit however possesseth various grades and stations."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Tablet to August Forel, pp. 8-9

What's More Real ?

Today's quote from Reality echoes a number of past posts.

The uniqueness of this excerpt is its putting the Soul in its proper "place".

"Some think that the body is the substance and exists by itself, and that the spirit is accidental and depends upon the substance of the body, although, on the contrary, the rational soul is the substance, and the body depends upon it. If the accident—that is to say, the body—be destroyed, the substance, the spirit, remains. Second, the rational soul, meaning the human spirit, does not descend into the body—that is to say, it does not enter it, for descent and entrance are characteristics of bodies, and the rational soul is exempt from this. The spirit never entered this body, so in quitting it, it will not be in need of an abiding-place: no, the spirit is connected with the body, as this light is with this mirror. When the mirror is clear and perfect, the light of the lamp will be apparent in it, and when the mirror becomes covered with dust or breaks the light will disappear. The rational soul—that is to say, the human spirit—has neither entered this body nor existed through it; so after the disintegration of the composition of the body, how should it be in need of a substance through which it may exist? On the contrary, the rational soul is the substance through which the body exists."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 66: The Existence of the Rational Soul after the Death of the Body, pp. 239-240

There Is No Evil !?

To say there is no evil may seem the height of either ignorance or perversion.

Today's quote from Reality needs close attention plus the awareness that there is a difference between qualities and powers people may have and the use to which they put those qualities and powers.

"In creation there is no evil; all is good. Certain qualities and natures innate in some men and apparently blameworthy are not so in reality. For example, from the beginning of his life you can see in a nursing child the signs of greed, of anger and of temper. Then, it may be said, good and evil are innate in the reality of man, and this is contrary to the pure goodness of nature and creation. The answer to this is that greed, which is to ask for something more, is a praiseworthy quality provided that it is used suitably. So if a man is greedy to acquire science and knowledge, or to become compassionate, generous and just, it is most praiseworthy. If he exercises his anger and wrath against the bloodthirsty tyrants who are like ferocious beasts, it is very praiseworthy; but if he does not use these qualities in a right way, they are blameworthy."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 57: The Causes of the Differences in the Characters of Men, p. 215