Thou hast asked Me concerning the nature of the soul. 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. If it fails,
however, in its allegiance to its Creator, it will become a victim to self and
passion, and will, in the end, sink in their depths.
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings
from the Writings of Baha'u'llah)