December 30, 2016

Cold and heat in the next life

…bodily cold and heat cannot affect the spirit, for it is warmed by the fire of the Love of God. When we understand this, we begin to understand something of our life in the world to come. God, in His Bounty, has given us a foretaste here, has given us certain proofs of the difference that exists between body, soul and spirit.  
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, November 3, 1911, Paris; ‘Paris Talks’)

December 20, 2016

The soul “has its own individuality”

…the soul, even as the body, has its own individuality. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, November 3, 1911, Paris; ‘Paris Talks’)

December 10, 2016

After death, the human soul “remains in the degree of purity to which it has evolved during life in the physical body”

As to the soul of man after death, it remains in the degree of purity to which it has evolved during life in the physical body, and after it is freed from the body it remains plunged in the ocean of God’s Mercy.

From the moment the soul leaves the body and arrives in the Heavenly World, its evolution is spiritual, and that evolution is: The approaching unto God.

In the physical creation, evolution is from one degree of perfection to another. The mineral passes with its mineral perfections to the vegetable; the vegetable, with its perfections, passes to the animal world, and so on to that of humanity. This world is full of seeming contradictions; in each of these kingdoms (mineral, vegetable and animal) life exists in its degree; though when compared to the life in a man, the earth appears to be dead, yet she, too, lives and has a life of her own. In this world things live and die, and live again in other forms of life, but in the world of the spirit it is quite otherwise.

The soul does not evolve from degree to degree as a law—it only evolves nearer to God, by the Mercy and Bounty of God. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, November 3, 1911, Paris; ‘Paris Talks’)

November 16, 2016

Human “soul is a link between the body and the spirit”

The soul is a link between the body and the spirit. It receives bounties and virtues from the spirit and gives them to the body just as the outward senses carry to the inward senses what they receive from the outer world in order that it may remain deposited in the memory and may be made serviceable by man through his power. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Responding to a question aboard the Cedric, April 2, 1912, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

September 26, 2016

Evolution continues in the next life – a person’s “individuality is never lost”

Evolution in the life of the individual starts with the formation of the human embryo and passes through various stages, and even continues after death in another form. The human spirit is capable of infinite development.

Man’s identity or rather his individuality is never lost. His reality as a person remains intact throughout the various stages of his development. He does not pre-exist in any form before coming into this world....

The passage on page 156 of “Gleanings” regarding the evolution of the soul after death clearly proves that the soul after its separation from the body keeps its individuality and its consciousness both in relation to other souls and to the human beings in this world. 
- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 26 November 1939 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Reincarnation and the Nature and Progress of the Soul’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)

August 12, 2016

The human soul ‘begins to lead a new life‘ after its separation from the body

Bahá’u’lláh teaches that after its separation from the body, the human soul begins to lead a new life, of which we can have no definite knowledge, in the same way as the child in the embryo cannot visualize the type of life it is destined to lead in this world. 
- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter dated 10 August 1934 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Reincarnation and the Nature and Progress of the Soul’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)

June 15, 2016

Some human attributes that are “immortal”...

‘Progress’ is the expression of spirit in the world of matter. The intelligence of man, his reasoning powers, his knowledge, his scientific achievements, all these being manifestations of the spirit, partake of the inevitable law of spiritual progress and are, therefore, of necessity, immortal. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, 'Paris Talks’)

May 25, 2016

Attributes of the Spiritual World

… the spiritual world … is the Kingdom of complete attraction and affinity. It is the Kingdom of the One Divine Spirit, the Kingdom of God. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk on 12 April 1912 at Home of Mr. and Mrs. Howard MacNutt; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)

May 5, 2016

“In truth were that lofty and glorious station to be revealed to an extent smaller than a needle's eye…”

O Mother! Grieve not over the loss of thy son; rather pride thyself therein. Indeed this is an occasion for gladness and rejoicing, not for despondency and sorrow.

I swear by the Day-Star of the morn of Truth that thy son hath attained a station such as no pen can depict, nor words adequately describe. His habitation is the realm on high, his associates and companions are sanctified and detached souls, and his sustenance the imperishable and hidden blessings of the Lord. In truth were that lofty and glorious station to be revealed to an extent smaller than a needle's eye before the eyes of them that dwell on earth, they would, one and all, be so filled with joy and ecstasy as to be consumed thereby. Therefore think not that he hath perished. Indeed he will endure in the heavenly kingdom as long as God Himself endureth. And this calleth for gratitude, not grieving. When he findeth that thou art happy he becometh more cheerful, but when he perceiveth that thou art disconsolate, this provoketh anguish in his heart. 
- Baha’u’llah  (Compilation: ‘Fire and Light’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice; The Baha’i World 1979-1983)

April 20, 2016

The “only movement” of the human soul “is towards perfection; growth and progress alone constitute the motion of the soul.”

…it is evident that movement is essential to all existence. All material things progress to a certain point, then begin to decline. This is the law which governs the whole physical creation. Now let us consider the soul. We have seen that movement is essential to existence; nothing that has life is without motion. All creation, whether of the mineral, vegetable or animal kingdom, is compelled to obey the law of motion; it must either ascend or descend. But with the human soul, there is no decline. Its only movement is towards perfection; growth and progress alone constitute the motion of the soul.

Divine perfection is infinite, therefore the progress of the soul is also infinite. From the very birth of a human being the soul progresses, the intellect grows and knowledge increases. When the body dies the soul lives on. All the differing degrees of created physical beings are limited, but the soul is limitless! 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, November 10th, Paris, France; ‘Paris Talks’)

April 5, 2016

We have “three aspects of our humanness, so to speak, a body, a mind and an immortal identity—soul or spirit”

When studying at present, in English, the available Bahá’í writings on the subject of body, soul and spirit, one is handicapped by a certain lack of clarity because not all were translated by the same person, and also there are, as you know, still many Bahá’í writings untranslated. But there is no doubt that spirit and soul seem to have been interchanged in meaning sometimes; soul and mind have, likewise, been interchanged in meaning, no doubt due to difficulties arising from different translations. What the Bahá’ís do believe though is that we have three aspects of our humanness, so to speak, a body, a mind and an immortal identity—soul or spirit. We believe the mind forms a link between the soul and the body, and the two interact on each other.
- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, June 7th, 1946; ‘Arohanui: Letters from Shoghi Effendi to New Zealand’)

March 26, 2016

Human spirit finds “eternal life” in the breath of the Holy Spirit

This spirit is one of the divine bounties, a manifestation of the Sun of Truth; but if the human spirit receives the breath of the Holy Spirit, then it is a pure spirit. The breath of the Holy Spirit is the divine teaching; in it the spirit finds eternal life. It is the heavenly light and illumines the human world by the divine qualities. Hence we must endeavour to act according to the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh. 
‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk at Alliance Spiritualiste of Paris, 9 November 1911; Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 17, January 19, 1912)

March 15, 2016

Soul "manifests itself in... material forms and visages" in the world of vision

When the souls leave the bodies they do not assume elemental bodies. Whatever man thinks regarding this is but his own imagination.

When man desires help and communication from holy souls, he puts himself in a condition of self-unconsciousness and becomes submerged in a sea of meditation; then a spiritual state, which is sanctified from matter and all material things, becomes visible and apparent to him. Then he thinks he beholds a form. Its appearance is like unto a vision.

Man beholds in the world of vision various images, communicates with them and receives benefits, and in that world of vision he thinks they are physical temples and material bodies, while they are purely immaterial.

Briefly, the reality of the soul is sanctified and purified above matter and material things, but, like unto the world of vision, it manifests itself in these material forms and visages. Likewise in the psychic condition, one beholds the spirits like unto the physical forms and visages.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet; Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 15, December 12, 1911)

March 1, 2016

Condition of the soul before connecting with the body

Question:  In what condition is the soul before entering the body?

‘Abdu’l-Baha: In a state of potentiality, possessing no consciousness as we understand it. 
(Notes of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s answer, October 18, 1911, Paris, France; Star of the West’, vol.2, no. 16, December 31, 1911)

February 25, 2016

Can souls in this life help those in the next life to hear about the Baha’i Faith?

Question:  Are we not able, through love and faith, to make those on the other side hear of the Cause who had not heard of it while on earth?

‘Abdu’l-Baha: Yes, surely sincere prayer always has its effect, and it has a great influence in the other world.  We are never cut off from those who are there. The real and genuine influence is not in this world but in that other. 
(Notes of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s answer, October 18, 1911, Paris, France; Star of the West’, vol.2, no. 16, December 31, 1911)

February 13, 2016

Will souls hear about Baha’u’llah in the next life?

Question: If one refuses the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh during his lifetime, may he hear of it after death?

‘Abdu’l-Baha: Yes, he will hear of it in his next life, but through the mercy of God alone, not through his own ability.
(Notes of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s answer, October 18, 1911, Paris, France; Star of the West’, vol.2, no. 16, December 31, 1911)

February 5, 2016

“materializing of spirits through mediums”

Regarding the materializing of spirits through mediums: A person finding himself in a state of trance, or unconsciousness, is like one who sleeps; whatever he feels and sees he imagines to be matter and of material things, but in reality they are wholly immaterial. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet to Ella Goodall Cooper; Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 15, December 12, 1911) 
(To read the entire Tablet please visit Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha in Star of the West)

January 26, 2016

The “progress of the spirit” after death – “it is wholly beyond space and time”

But regarding the progress of the spirit in the world of the Kingdom after its ascension, it is wholly beyond space and time, and developments, after leaving this body, are spiritual and not terrestrial. It is like unto the progress of the child from the world of the foetus to the world of maturity and intelligence, from the world of ignorance to the world of knowledge, from the station of imperfection to the pinnacle of perfection. As Divine Perfections are infinite, therefore the progress of the spirit is limitless. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet to Ella Goodall Cooper; Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 15, December 12, 1911) 
(To read the entire Tablet please visit Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha in Star of the West)

January 15, 2016

The “spiritual reality” of humanity is “penetrative in all things” – It is “the discoverer of things, the seer of things and the comprehender of things”

Humanity consists of the spiritual reality, and that reality is penetrative in all things and it is that reality which discovers the invisible mysteries, and through that reality all sciences, arts and inventions become known and manifest.  Whatever thou beholdest of the works of man is but a faint ray of that reality. It encircles all things and comprehends all things.

Reflect thou, that all these existent sciences, crafts, industries and arts were at one time in the world of invisibility, unknown and unconcealed mysteries. As the spirit of man environs all things, therefore he has discovered them and brought them from the unknown world into the arena of manifestation. Therefore it is evident and established that the human spirit is the discoverer of things, the seer of things and the comprehender of things. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet to Ella Goodall Cooper; Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 15, December 12, 1911) 
(To read the entire Tablet please visit Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha in Star of the West)

January 10, 2016

The “physical body is an instrument over which the human spirit spreads a luminosity.”

Ponder ye, that during sleep the human body and the five physical senses, viz., sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch are passive, i.e., all physical forces are inactive. Notwithstanding this, human reality has spiritual life and the spiritual powers are penetrative, and wonderful disclosures are made in both the East and the West, and perchance one may discover some matters, which, after a long time, may become apparent in the physical world. Therefore it has become evident that the continuity and influence of the human reality does not depend upon the physical instrumentality; nay, rather, the physical body is an instrument over which the human spirit spreads a luminosity.  It is like unto the sun, which shining upon the mirror, causes its brilliancy, and when the reflection is withdrawn from the mirror, it becomes dark.  Likewise, when the luminosity of the human spirit is withdrawn from the body, that instrument becomes useless. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet to Ella Goodall Cooper; Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 15, December 12, 1911) 
(To read the entire Tablet please visit Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha in Star of the West)