A Study of the “Secret of
Divine Civilization”
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Response to Question 45 – by Sharma Gopaul
Question 45
SPIRITUALITY- Holistic aspect of mind, body and soul of an invividual
Concept:
Spiritual (non-material)
Definition: Spirituality is the process of the full, adequate, proper, and harmonious development of one’s spiritual capacity.
The process of development one’s spiritual capacity is called spiritual growth or simply spirituality. Ref: Baha’i World
Definition: spiritualization is defined as the process whereby individual develop and manifest those inherent qualities and attributes identified by the world’s religious as characteristic of the intrinsically spiritual human nature.
Key clement: spiritual qualities are inherent
Where is spirituality expressed?
When is spirituality expressed?
How is spirituality expressed?
Mind: Mind, therefore, is not the brain or human spirit alone, nor the intellectual faculties by themselves but rather the interactive of all these (brain, body, human spirit).
Brain: Brain alone has the capacity to investigate, discover, and decide.
Body: physical frame is the throne of the inner temple whatever occurs to. The former is felt by the later. God has ordained that the body be preserved to the extent possible.
The body is like a horse which carries the personality and spirit which and such should be will cared for so it can do its work.
Human spirit: consists of rational, logical reason faculty which apprehend general ideas and things intelligibly and perceptibly.
Note: reason cannot be utilized below human kingdom.
Human spirit act upon soul and body.
There is a physical life, including reason when human spirit ceases to act upon the body and soul. The body no longer exist but soul endures.
Some Characteristic of the soul gleaned from the writing
Note: entrance into the kingdom is not a matter of chance, it is a result of deliberate choice/action
How to get spiritual forces:
Based on the writing of ‘Abdu’l-Baha:
In man five outer powers exist, which are the agents of perception – that is to say, through these five powers man perceives material beings. These are sight, which perceives visible forms; hearing which perceives audible sounds; smell which perceives odors; taste which perceives foods, and feeling, which is in all parts of the body and perceives tangible things. These five powers perceive outward existences.
Man has also spiritual powers: imagination, which conceives things; thought, which reflects upon realities; comprehension, which comprehends realities; memory, which retains whatever man imagines, thinks and comprehends.
Some Answered Questions
FEAR
OF GOD – A SPIRITUAL VIRTUE
“The essence of wisdom is the fear of God, the dread of His scourge and punishment, and the apprehension of His justice and decree.” Words of Wisdom
Wisdom is defined as true comprehension and insight, the discovery, through
experience, consultation, reflection, inspiration and an understanding of
spirituality. Source:
Scourge: calamity
Dread: fear
Punishment: to inflict a penalty for an offense
Apprehension: act of understanding
Decree: one of the eternal purposes of God by which events are foreordained
Justice: judgment
Can you relate fear of God with submission to the Will of God
Is there any difference between moral virtue and spiritual virtue?
Spiritual virtue connect most intimately the individual and God.
A. Faith in God: hope, love and knowledge of Him, righteousness, prayer, sanctity, piety, trustworthiness.
B. Fear of God: integrity
C. Submission to the Will of God implies contentment and reliability
D. Belief in God: implies honesty
Fear of God: a spiritual virtue
“Verily I say: The fear of God hath ever been a sure defence and a safe stronghold for all the peoples of the world. It is the chief cause of the protection of mankind, and the supreme instrument for its preservation. Indeed, there existeth in man a faculty which deterreth him from, and guardeth him against, whatever is unworthy and unseemly, and which is known as his sense of shame. This, however, is confined to but a few; all have not possessed, and it.”
SOUL,
MIND AND SPIRIT
It has been before explained that spirit is universally divided into five categories: the vegetable spirit, the animal spirit, the human spirit, the spirit of faith, and the Holy Spirit.
The vegetable spirit is the power of growth which is brought about in the seed through the influence of other existences.
The animal spirit is the power of all the senses, which is realized from the composition and mingling of elements; when this composition decomposes, the power also perishes and becomes annihilated. It may be likened to this lamp: when the oil, wick and fire are combined, it is lighted; and when this combination is dissolved – that is to say, when the combined parts are separated from one another – the lamp also is extinguished.
The human spirit which distinguishes man from the animal is the rational soul, and these two names – the human spirit and the rational soul – designate one thing. This spirit, which in the terminology of the philosophers is the rational soul, embraces all beings, and as far as human ability permits discovers the realities of things and becomes cognizant of their peculiarities and effects, and of the qualities and properties of beings. But the human spirit, unless assisted by the spirit of faith, does not become acquainted with the divine secrets and the heavenly realities. It is like a mirror which, although clear, polished and brilliant, is still in need of light. Until a ray of the sun reflects upon it, it cannot discover the heavenly secrets.
But the mind is the power of the human spirit. Spirit is the lamp; mind is the light which shines from the lamp. Spirit is the tree, and the mind is the fruit. Mind is the perfection of the spirit and is its essential quality, as the sun’s rays are the essential necessity of the sun.
(‘Abdu’l-Baha: Some Answered Questions, pages 208-209)
Can you think that soul and human spirit are related but separate.
When the human spirit acts upon the body and soul, there is a physical life including reason. When the human spirit (force) ceases to act upon the body and soul, the body no longer exists but the souls still endures.
Power of the Soul
As outer circumstances are communicated to the soul by the eyes, ears, and brain of a man, so does the soul communicate its desires and purposes through the brain to the hands and tongue of the physical body, thereby expressing itself. The spirit in the soul is the very essence of life.
(‘Abdu’l-Baha: Paris Talks*, page 86)
Soul
“Know thou that the soul of man is exalted above, and is independent of all infirmities of body or mind… When it (the soul) leaveth the body, however, it will evince such ascendancy, and reveal such influence as no force on earth can equal”.
Baha’u’llah