"Much hath been written in the books of old concerning
the various stages in the development of the
soul, such as concupiscence, irascibility, inspiration,
benevolence, contentment, Divine good-pleasure, and
the like; the Pen of the Most High, however, is disinclined
to dwell upon them. Every soul that walketh
humbly with its God, in this Day, and cleaveth unto
Him, shall find itself invested with the honor and
glory of all goodly names and stations."
-Baha'u'llah (Gleanings, page 159)
"Verily I say, the human soul is, in its essence, one
of the signs of God, a mystery among His mysteries.
It is one of the mighty signs of the Almighty, the
harbinger that proclaimeth the reality of all the
worlds of God. Within it lieth concealed that which
the world is now utterly incapable of apprehending.
Ponder in thine heart the revelation of the Soul of
God that pervadeth all His Laws, and contrast it with
that base and appetitive nature that hath rebelled
against Him, that forbiddeth men to turn unto the
Lord of Names, and impelleth them to walk after
their lusts and wickedness. Such a soul hath, in truth,
wandered far in the path of error...
Thou hast, moreover, asked Me concerning the
state of the soul after its separation from the body.
Know thou, of a truth, that if the soul of man hath
walked in the ways of God, it will, assuredly, return
and be gathered to the glory of the Beloved. By the
righteousness of God! It shall attain a station such
as no pen can depict, or tongue describe. The soul
that hath remained faithful to the Cause of God,
and stood unwaveringly firm in His Path shall, after
his ascension, be possessed of such power that all the
worlds which the Almighty hath created can benefit
through him. Such a soul provideth, at the bidding of
the Ideal King and Divine Educator, the pure leaven
that leaveneth the world of being, and furnisheth the
power through which the arts and wonders of the
world are made manifest. Consider how meal needeth
leaven to be leavened with. Those souls that are the
symbols of detachment are the leaven of the world.
Meditate on this, and be of the thankful.
In several of Our Tablets We have referred to this
theme, and have set forth the various stages in the
development of the soul. Verily I say, the human soul
is exalted above all egress and regress. It is still,
and yet it soareth; it moveth, and yet it is still.
It is, in itself, a testimony that beareth witness to
the existence of a world that is contingent, as well as
to the reality of a world that hath neither beginning nor
end. Behold how the dream thou hast dreamed is,
after the lapse of many years, re-enacted before thine
eyes. Consider how strange is the mystery of the
world that appeareth to thee in thy dream. Ponder in
thine heart upon the unsearchable wisdom of God,
and meditate on its manifold revelations...
-Baha'u'llah (Gleanings, pages 160-162)
"And now concerning thy question regarding the soul
of man and its survival after death.
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.
-Baha'u'llah (Gleanings, pages 155-156)
"Blessed is the soul which, at the hour
of its separation from the body, is sanctified from the
vain imaginings 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.
The Maids of Heaven, inmates of the loftiest mansions,
will circle around it, and the Prophets of God
and His chosen ones will seek its companionship. With
them that soul will freely converse, and will recount
unto them that which it hath been made to endure
in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds. If any
man be told that which hath been ordained for such
a soul in the worlds of God, the Lord of the throne
on high and of earth below, his whole being will
instantly blaze out in his great longing to attain
that most exalted, that sanctified and resplendent
station. The nature of the soul after death can
never be described, nor is it meet and permissible to
reveal its whole character to the eyes of men. The
Prophets and Messengers of God have been sent down
for the sole purpose of guiding mankind to the
straight Path of Truth. The purpose underlying their
revelation hath been to educate all men, that they
may, at the hour of death, ascend, in the utmost
purity and sanctity and with absolute detachment, to
the throne of the Most High. The light which these
souls radiate is responsible for the progress of the
world and the advancement of its peoples. They are
like unto leaven which leaveneth the world of being,
and constitute the animating force through which
the arts and wonders of the world are made manifest.
Through them the clouds rain their bounty upon
men, and the earth bringeth forth its fruits."
-Baha'u'llah (Gleanings, pages 156-157)
"The world beyond is as different from this
world as this world is different from that of the
child while still in the womb of its mother. When
the soul attaineth the Presence of God, it will assume
the form that best befitteth its immortality and is
worthy of its celestial habitation. Such an existence
is a contingent and not an absolute existence, inasmuch
as the former is preceded by a cause, whilst the
latter is independent thereof. Absolute existence is
strictly confined to God, exalted be His glory. Well is
it with them that apprehend this truth. Wert thou
to ponder in thine heart the behavior of the Prophets
of God thou wouldst assuredly and readily testify
that there must needs be other worlds besides this
world."
-Baha'u'llah (Gleanings, pages 157-158)
Provided by: The Spiritual Assembly of Sunrise, FL