The life of the spirit: becoming a source of life

When a soul has in it the life of the spirit, then does it bring forth good fruit and become a Divine tree.

Man becomes human only through spiritual life, and the foundation of such a life is made up of heavenly perfections, divine attributes, service to humanity, eagerness to receive eternal bounties, praiseworthy morals, unity, love of God, wisdom and knowledge of God.

One must not seek comfort for oneself nor rest until successful in performing good works and leaving behind an enduring trace in this transient world, so that one may attain eternal life in the divine Kingdom and achieve the most exalted station in the realm above.

O you who speak in praise of your Creator! Holding fast to the hem of the spiritual Lord of Hosts and heavenly power delivers man from the abyss of ignorance and raises him to the zenith of perfection, calls him to virtuous qualities and saves him from base characteristics, educates him in divine manners and makes him a light among the lights of God and a brilliant star in the horizon of existence and a radiant lamp in the glass of the visible world.

Q. [What is the spiritual life?]

A. Characterize thyself with the characteristics of God, and thou shalt know the spiritual life!

Now, life is of two kinds: that of the body and that of the spirit. The life of the body consists in material life, but the life of the spirit is a heavenly existence which consists in receiving the grace of the Divine Spirit and being quickened through the breath of the Holy Spirit.

Wert thou to attain to but a dewdrop of the crystal waters of divine knowledge, thou wouldst readily realize that true life is not the life of the flesh but the life of the spirit. For the life of the flesh is common to both men and animals, whereas the life of the spirit is possessed only by the pure in heart who have quaffed from the ocean of faith and partaken of the fruit of certitude. This life knoweth no death, and this existence is crowned by immortality.

Consider that Christ reckoned as dead those who were nonetheless outwardly and physically alive; for true life is life eternal and true existence is spiritual existence. Thus if the Sacred Scriptures speak of raising the dead, the meaning is that they attained everlasting life; if they say that one who was blind was made to see, the meaning of this seeing is true insight; if they say that one who was deaf was made to hear, the meaning is that he acquired an inner ear and attained spiritual hearing.

The purport of these words is that, through the manifestation of Christ, the sacred teachings, which are everlasting grace, were spread abroad, the lights of guidance shone forth, and the spirit of life was conferred upon human realities. Whosoever was guided aright found life, and whosoever remained astray was overtaken by everlasting death.

Let him whose is dead bury their dead, for those souls who have not believed in God, though they possess a human spirit, are deprived of the true spirit of faith and are therefore counted as dead. Though they have earthly life, they are bereft of heavenly life. The Prophets were sent to quicken this human spirit with the divine spirit. This is the spirit that causes the unity of the human world, the spirit that bestows eternal life, the spirit that confers everlasting felicity, the spirit that enables entry into the Kingdom of God, the spirit that transforms the earthly human into a divine being, the spirit that makes the terrestrial celestial, the spirit that changes darkness into light.

Those souls who are not vivified and attracted by the Holy Spirit, are accounted among the dead, because their souls are deprived of the Breath of the Holy Spirit, and these persons after physical death are in a certain condition, having feeling and discernment in their environment, but in comparison with the pure souls who have been vivified by the Holy Spirit, they are as dead and deprived.

Especially in these countries which are exceedingly prosperous - in truth it is like a beehive. All are immersed in materialism.

… All are bereft of the outpourings of the Holy Spirit and are heedless and deprived of eternal life.

And whoso hath not drunk, verily he is dead - the designation of life cannot be applied to him.

O friends! Strive with all your hearts that perchance ye may drink this heavenly Kawthar from the hand of divine favors, for it hath ever been and shall remain the quickener of hearts and the gladdener of souls. Whosoever attaineth unto it and drinketh a draught thereof is numbered among the people of eternity in the Kingdom of Names, and whosoever remaineth deprived thereof is accounted among the dead.

This is that Kawthar whose description was sent down aforetime in the divine Books, and this is that Choice Wine for which the divines and mystics waited. This water hath been called by all names - at times thou seest it as fire, in such wise that its roaring flame is heard; at other times thou beholdest it as light, kindled and shining. O people of Baha! God willing, through the bounty of the Lord of Names, ye shall attain unto it and drink therefrom. Whosoever attaineth unto it hath attained unto everlasting life.

The divine Kawthar in this day is the sweet savour of holiness, which bestoweth new life upon every soul.

O loved ones of God! Do not deprive yourselves of this spiritual fragrance, that perchance through its wafting breaths you may remain alive and enduring.

Some people among the companions of the right hand have discovered the manifest Light, have drunk from flowing waters, have quaffed from the fountain of certitude, have been guided to Thy straight path, have cast off restraint in their love for Thee among the sincere ones, and have been set ablaze with the fire of Thy love that quickeneth even old bones. The breeze of Thy tender mercy hath wafted over them, the pure wine of Thy bounty hath intoxicated them, and the attraction of Thy radiant beauty hath seized them.

How can we render thanks that He brought us into being from nothingness, bestowed the spirit of existence upon us when we were utter void, granted us divine manifestation when we were sheer nothingness, guided us to the fountain of life when we were thirsting, clothed us in the garment of "Blessed be God, the Best of Creators" when we were naked, gave us direction when we were wandering, led us to His shelter when we were lost, granted seeing eyes when we were blind, bestowed hearing when we were deaf, gave us eternal life when we were dead, and granted spiritual freshness and grace when we were withered.

Like the rays of dawn from the Orient of God's love, you have become world-adorning. Through the life-giving breath you have been quickened, and through the heart-delighting fragrance you have become fresh and verdant. You have lit a lamp in the heart whose radiance is heavenly. You have planted a tree in the garden of being whose fruit is divine. You have donned a garment whose adornment is eternal brilliance, and you have drunk from a cup whose intoxication is everlasting felicity.

O thou who hast obtained guidance from the light of the truth! The human temple is like unto a niche, and the heart is like unto a glass globe, and the love of God is like unto the light within that glass. When that lamp is ignited, the globe becometh illumined and the physical niche also becomes full of light and brilliance.

O thou who art radiant with the lights of faith and dawning-place of the signs of certitude!

The heart is like a niche, and faith is like the lamp, and the pillars are like the glass globes. When these lights are kindled in this niche, it becomes a rose garden, and the lights of divine outpourings become manifest and radiant through these glass globes.

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O thou who art illumined by the light of divine guidance!

When the candle of guidance is kindled within the glass of the heart, it dispels the darkness of error that stems from worldly limitations. The lights of sanctification and the rays of unity shine upon all parts and members, senses and faculties.

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I pray God to illumine thy heart with the light of the Manifestation, to nurture thee in His mercy so that thou mayest attain maturity in His love; thy spirit be enlightened with beholding His light and thy spirit revived by the bounty of the Holy Spirit, so that thou mayest be a sign of the love of God, speaking in the name of God, joyous by the favors of God, attaining unto the sea of the mercy of God, and being baptized with the water of life, the fire of love and the spirit of attraction.

O thou maidservant of God! The physical life is sustained by respiration, eating of food and drinking of water; but the spiritual life consists of the mentioning of the True One, the Love of God, the explanation of the Knowledge of God and attraction to the Beauty of Abha. This is Everlasting Life. This is eternal Spirituality and this is Effulgence of His Highness the True One in the hearts of Humanity!

O thou who art alive with the remembrance of God! True life on this earth below consisteth in the remembrance of the Almighty, and in the realms above is attained only in the shelter of the All-Merciful.

Serve God day and night and seek happiness from His name.

I hope that thou mayest be a cause of guidance to people and that thou mayest seek absolute spirituality.

May thy call be the source of life and the melodies and tunes of thy harp and harpsichord cause all those regions to be moved. This becomes the servants of the Blessed Beauty that at all times they may sing a new song and that they may become the cause of radiant spirituality unto all and an instrument of joy to the servants of the one true Lord.

O daughter of the Kingdom! Your letter was received and it indicated that you attended the Convention and witnessed the radiant lights of the divine teachings in that gathering, and saw souls brought to life with the spirit of eternal life.

And the Blessed Cause and effects of the Most Great Manifestation are like the spirit of life in this mighty body and the most upright, greatest magnet. If the world and universe were not alive through this spirit, which is the qualities and perfections of the Beloved and the Most Merciful Lord, and were not freshened by these divine breaths, it would have the state of a dead body and the condition of a motionless corpse and carcass.

If a soul is not severed, if he is not pure and holy, if he is not thoughtful of others, if he is not radiant, if he is not divine, if he is not god-like and celestial, -- no one can say he is a Baha'i.

As for the spiritual perfections they are man's birthright and belong to him alone of all creation. Man is, in reality, a spiritual being, and only when he lives in the spirit is he truly happy.

Therefore, it is evident that life (in its true sense) is the life of the spirit and that life is the love of God, divine inspiration, spiritual joys and glad tidings of God. Seek, O servant of God, this life until day and night you remain in limitless joy.

Therefore, if you seek joy, turn to the delightful realm above, and if you seek comfort of soul and peace of conscience, make your way to the most gracious threshold.

This happiness is eternal, and this life is life everlasting.

But if he possesses merciful susceptibilities, and if he is quickened with the divine spirit and if he realizes that he has attained to the eternal life - then these things will confer upon him a happiness which shall last throughout eternity.

Therefore My greatest happiness is to see you spiritually happy.

O thou who gazest upon the Kingdom of existence!

The people of prostration must needs have a countenance radiant as the most luminous sun through the bounty of the Praised Station, and those assured of the Most Great Signs should have faces illumined by the favors of the All-Glorious. Those inebriated with the divine cup must needs experience ecstasy and joy, and those who receive glad-tidings of the Kingdom's gifts must attain unto rapture. The sighs and cries of those intoxicated are necessary, and the tumult and clamor of the lovers are essential - otherwise hard stone is better than a dead heart and a frozen existence.

O you who are intoxicated with the wine of reunion and bound by the chain of that musk-laden hair.

I ask God to increase thy intoxication with this wine and gladden thy spirit with this great gospel.

There are three paths through which man obtains spiritual happiness. The first path is the path of ordeals, trials and difficulties. His feet are torn with thorns and thistles, he goes through many pains and torments but finally he reaches to his destination.

The second path is a pleasant path but the traveler makes slow progress. He advances surely but slowly. Step by step he comes nearer and nearer to the goal. It may take many years but the persevering, determined, cheerful traveler goes on and on.

The third path is the path of faith. With one step the traveler finds himself in the Kingdom; even less than the twinkling of an eye the change is wrought. In one moment, he travels from the world of negation into the world of affirmation. We have seen this with our own eyes. A man who has been the collective center of all the vices, having become a Baha'i is changed completely in less than a second. He has become another man. He has entered a new world of light.

Be lowly, that you may become noble. Be humble, that you may become as a rising star. Become effaced and evanescent, that you may find the ecstasy of the eternal wine.

Blessed art thou for becoming intoxicated with the cup of tribulation and enkindled with the fire of the love of God.

As to those souls who are born into this life as ethereal and radiant entities and yet, on account of their handicaps and trials, are deprived of great and real advantages, and leave the world without having lived to the full -- certainly this is a cause for grieving. This is the reason why the universal Manifestations of God unveil Their countenances to man, and endure every calamity and sore affliction, and lay down Their lives as a ransom; it is to make these very people, the ready ones, the ones who have capacity, to become dawning points of light, and to bestow upon them the life that fadeth never.

The length of life has no importance - what matters is salvation. Praise be to God, he has attained the fruit of life in the Kingdom of the All-Merciful, for the purpose of physical life is spiritual life and eternal existence in the divine realm. That gift has been secured and that noble quality established.

The ultimate truth is that physical life was transformed into divine life, metaphorical existence was changed into true existence. You will find those radiant faces in the divine rose garden, you will see those incomparable saplings by the divine stream.

That was not death, it was life. It was not annihilation, it was existence itself. It was not calamity, it was divine grace. … This world will become a paradise, this world will be seen as heavenly, and the station of these souls will become apparent and known.

O heavenly friends! Earthly life is something that becomes contaminated with the impurities of this world, while the heavenly essence seeks the comfort of that eternal world.

There is no appointed length of life for man. Lengthen your life by living according to God's spiritual laws. Then you will live forever. This is the true longevity, the real life. The real life is eternal happiness and existence in the Knowledge of God.

The souls of the believers and the loved ones of God will attain, through the requisite of the spiritual world, everlasting vision and eternal reunion.

Every soul who is spiritually born - through the assistance of the Holy-Spirit - that soul which receives the Breath of the Holy Spirit will have an upward journey and attain to a lofty station in the spiritual world.

God be praised that now you are on a Ship bearing you to immortal worlds. Day by day your signs will become clearer.

Therefore, thou art ever present before me and art, in truth, successful in visiting the Sacred Threshold, for thy heart and soul are here, thy spirit is soaring, and thou art ever consumed with the fire of the love of God.

Thou hast truly understood the Ultimate Purpose, traversed the realm of contingent being, reached the world beyond space, and drunk from the cup of faith and certitude.

They are destitute; ye enjoy intimate access to the inmost secrets. They are counted as among the dead; ye are quickened and set free by the water of life, have become manifestations of divine favours, daysprings of guidance and centres of bestowals.

If such be the blessings conferred on all created things, how superior must be the destiny of the true believer, whose existence and life are to be regarded as the originating purpose of all creation.