The central theme is the spiritual growth of individuals, emphasizing the importance of understanding the soul and its journey through life and the afterlife, drawing parallels between natural laws and spiritual realities.
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a greatest joy and privilege really to
have been given this opportunity and
this great honor to come and meet with
you friends I was mentioning last night
to some of you who were there but I when
I was a child I grew up amongst the
early believers and they could never
conceive they could never believe in
their in their or use their imagination
that one day the believers from all over
the world and especially from Europe and
America people will embrace this faith
because in those days the faith was
completely limited to a few countries in
the East and when you think of it really
one of the greatest proofs of this
revelation is that in a small little
dirty filthy prison a dungeon in Tehran
the light of this great revelation broke
down broke upon that terrible dark
dungeon and who would have imagined in
those days that that light will shine
all over the world and reach to these
remote places as far as Tehran is
concerned the CRL of Tehran and will
illumine the hearts of many many people
and bring in a new creation and now you
can see the results of this how the
faith has spread how the power of the
how Allah has penetrated into the hearts
of people's all over the world this is
something which I really appreciate it
very much perhaps more than all of you
because I remember those days when we
were so few and when the faith was
limited to just those lands remote far
far from here their culture different
their background different and now look
at what's happened the world has been
conquered by baha'u'llah he has created
a new race of men and you are the new
race of men really and for me therefore
it's the greatest privilege really to be
able to look into your faces on behalf
of the early believers who would have
loved to see one European or American
believer in their lives they would have
loved to gaze upon the face of a person
who says I believe in baha'u'llah coming
feel that this weekend we are going to
be together hopefully to go through some
of the most important in my view aspects
of our faith it's it is marvelous to be
a Baha'i but we have a great challenge
and the challenge is to grow in the
faith that our faith may grow day by day
this is I think the challenge to every
person and if our faith does not grow
every day then it's not good it's like a
child which is born it that child must
grow if the child does not grow then
it's not healthy and this is why Baha
Allah has mentioned in his writings he
says that we must make our life in such
a way that the morning would be better
than the previous evening and tomorrow
would be better than today and we have
to feel it and this is I think the
challenge to all of us it perhaps it's
easy to be of a height or to become
right but it is very difficult to grow
as our high comes
they grow in the faith so that then you
look back upon the earlier days one can
feel that one has grown in the faith and
nobody can say that I have grown enough
nobody we as long as we live here we
have the scope to grow now I I thought
to perhaps share with you some of these
basic thoughts now do not think for one
moment that I have got all this know-how
that I have achieved all of these things
all I'm trying to do is on the writings
of a challah law and the writings and
the history of the faith and the history
of the believers to just bring to your
notice what we can do to grow and I feel
that of the subjects which we should
first begin with and it's a subject
which is really a very important subject
which we often do not think about and
I'm not talking of behind but specially
of the number highs of the outside world
they sell them sell them think or care
about this subject and that is about our
soul because everything begins with the
soul really and I think it is time that
we paid some attention to find out what
is the soul to look at it to see what
condition it is what condition is it now
really our soul and in order to start
this subject I wanted to mention that in
order to appreciate spiritual realities
we should look at two things if you want
to understand the spiritual principle
spiritual reality you should look up two
things and look at them very carefully
one is nature and one is the writings of
baha'u'llah and Abdul wahap and when you
put the two together then we can
understand many spiritual realities now
can teach us an awful lot because God
creation is one entity God has not
created two different worlds the
spiritual world separate and this and
the physical world separate it's not
like this he has created one entity the
spiritual and the physical world is one
and the same and the laws which run
through this life this creation are the
same laws the same laws that run in
nature exactly the same laws apply in
the spiritual realms the same laws that
apply in that adapt you will find them
in nature the same laws are operative in
religion every one of the major
teachings of baha'u'llah has its origin
in nature every one of his teachings it
is very natural religion is very natural
the laws that run within the world of
man within our world or also have their
origin in nature we can learn a great
deal from nature but each one of these
laws are applied on a higher and higher
level as you go higher and higher into
the spiritual realms you see a certain
law you find in nature that law finds
its application in the spiritual world
and but it has added features to it it
has got to be applied on a higher level
but it is the same law and so if you
know something physical if you can
understand the law of nature you can
understand something of its spiritual
laws provided you read the writings I
mentioned that because if you don't then
you can get lost in your efforts to
interaction allies things and to bring
in your rational faculties into it and
try to compare things you could get lost
but if you read the writings and then
look at nature then we can understand many
many
spiritual realities now I will give you
an example of this just to give you an
example of how the laws of God are the
same in this village in the physical
world and the spiritual world you know
I'll give you one example just an
example they all the laws which govern
the creation they they the creation of a
tree for example are the same laws as
those which are given are used in the
creation of man the same principle the
same laws apply to the two things there
there are very much counterparts of each other
other
a tree and a man you see the tree must
will drive its roots down into the
ground to receive its sustenance to get
its sustenance as from the ground
because everything depends on the roots
going down into the ground
it depends its food comes from there but
the tree itself as if it dislikes the
ground the ground is a very dirty place
it's a low one of the lowest kingdoms
and this tree has no choice but to
receive all its sustenance from this
dirty soil but the tree itself doesn't
like the soil it goes in the opposite direction
direction
you noticed it move it as if it dislikes
this earth it moves in the opposite
direction and when it moves in the
opposite directions what happens it
receives the most beautiful thing of all
it receives the Rays of the Sun can you
imagine the difference between the Rays
of the Sun and the dirt of the soil it
receives the Rays of the Sun and as a
result of it it produces beautiful
flowers and beautiful fruits just
because it detached itself from this
earth dislike this earth it moves in the
other direction if the tree would upset
well I owe everything to this earth my
food comes from this earth I love this earth
earth
I'll go into it myself well then this
wouldn't be a tree it wouldn't be a tree
it would never receive the rays of the
Sun now this is exactly can you see the
exact parallel with the creation of man
we have to live in this world it's just
like this dirty soil of them for the
tree this earth this world that we live
in we have to earn a living
we have to live in this world but and we
have to get our food our sustenance our
livelihood from this world but the soul
does not like this world should not like
this world
and that it should move it should
dislike it it should really become
detached from this earth and focus its
attention in the opposite direction and
if we do that if we become detached from
the things of this world then the Rays
of the Sun of truth will shine upon us
and then our soul will produce beautiful
fruits you see just like the tree but if
I attach myself to the things of this
world then there is no such a thing as
the Rays of the Sun of truth shining
upon me now here you see the difference
there's exactly the same principles but
with one difference I mentioned that the
laws which govern the laws which govern
the physical nature and the laws which
govern the spiritual world are the same
but they have added features you see in
the tree in the example of the tree you
will find the tree has no choice but to
grow in the opposite direction it just
grows in the opposite direction that's
the way it's made but we have an added
dimension to this particular law given
to us and that is choice freewill we
have the choice of either going down
into this earth or going the office or
growing in the opposite direction it's
up to us to choose if we choose to go
into the opposite direction then you
become spiritual if you
go into this attach yourself to the
things of this world you become attached
to material things but the choice is up
to us now this I gave you just an
example to share with you how the laws
of nature and the laws of higher realms
are the same but they have got different
they have to be applied on different
levels now we go back to our own story
we wanted to really understand the soul
we were going this morning to really try
and discover what is our soul so that we
understand our place in life again in
order to understand the soul we must
examine another principle and that
principle is what baha'u'llah mentions
he says that in this life everything in
this physical world is a counterpart of
something spiritual everything you see
in this life is not something which is
coming to us in a in a haphazard way for
instance here we were talking of the
tree the tree is not just something
isolated that God has created in this
physical realm you can be sure it has
parallels it has counterparts in all the
realms of God this is only a reflection
the tree is only a reflection of
something spiritual in the spiritual world
world
so everything has a counterpart and if
you can study the counterpart of
something you can understand the other
counterpart if your other if you study
anything in nature you can you can study
its counterpart in the spiritual realms
you see what I mean for instance but how
Allah mentions that the Sun the Sun is a
counterpart of a manifestation of God
what the Sun does to this earth a
manifestation of God does to man so the
Sun he says which is a physical thing is
a counterpart of a manifestation of God
if you want
to study the manifestation of God
therefore to understand something about
the manifestation of God you can study
the Sun really if you really study the
Sun and I mean studying it you will get
a lot of insight into the working of a
manifestation of God because these two
are counterparts now we want to find out
what is the counterpart what is what is
our soul but you see the soul is a
spiritual entity it's not a material
thing and if you want to understand our
soul which is a spiritual entity we have
to try if we could find a counterpart
for it in this physical life and study
that physical thing if you could find
that counterpart and study that physical
thing in this life then we could apply
it all its characteristics the
characteristics of its counterpart in
the spiritual realm do I make myself
clear or follow you see that the soul as
I said is not a material thing it's not
something you can push it into your body
and pull it out of your body it's not
something you can take it to a
laboratory to test it for you it is
bahá'u'lláh says the soul is an
emanation from the worlds of God an
emanation from the spiritual worlds of
God so now where are we we want to find
a physical counterpart for the soul they
returned to the writings they returned
to the writings and when you turn to the
writings and when you study the writings
it appears to us that's all I can say it
appears to us when you read the writings
it appears that the counterpart of the
soul which the spiritual thing its
counterpart in this physical world is
the embryo growing in the womb of the
mother whatever happens to the embryo
thank you very much
whatever happens to the embryo growing
in the womb of the mother the same thing
applies happens to the soul you
but one is a spiritual thing and one is
a physical thing but now we know
everything about the embryo growing in
the womb of the mother and so we can
understand from it a lot of parallel
points which could apply to the soul if
you could give me a piece of paper I
want to make notes some of the things I
forget and it comes to my mind and has sake
sake
thank you very much now we'll take the
first point
bahá'u'lláh mentions that the soul comes
into this life Kriya is created by God
at the sign at the same time of
conception when a child is conceived and
the first cell is created in the embryo
physical cell
the soul of man is also created at the
same time that the soul of man did not
exist before this is one of the prints
one of the basic truths which Baha Allah
has revealed to us it had did not have
an existence before but that it was
created at the time of conception in the
same way that the cell did not exist
before but it came into being at the
time of conception and these two things
are related together they are associated
with each other because the soul being a
spiritual entity cannot enter into anything
anything
you cannot say my soul entered my body
you cannot use the word to describe it
even it cannot have any relationship in
fact with the body but it is somehow
associated with it and abdu l-bahá
describes it as so it says it's similar
today to the association of light in the
mirror the soul in the body is the same
thing he says it's the same example he
gives it's like the light in the mirror
when you look at the mirror you cannot
put your hand in a mirror and pull the
light out you can't touch it it's it's
not it's not in the mirror the
reflection the light is not in the mirror
mirror
but it is somewhat associated with it
reflected on it and if you break the
mirror nothing happens to the light and
bahá'u'llah tells us that it's the same
thing with the soul it's associated with
us it's a spiritual thing it cannot have
any relationship with our body other
than just being associated and even you
cannot say associated because you cannot
use word to describe it in any way but
whatever it is we know that let us say
the nearest we can say it's associated
with us now look at we can find a lot of
similarities here between the embryo
growing in the womb of the mother and
the soul a lot of similarities and from
this we can learn a great deal looking
again at the writings and looking at
nature together because as I said these
two things have to go together now one
of the similarities is this that the
silk is created at the time of
conception the first cell if you look at
it there is nothing that you can see in
the form of limbs or organs or anything
but that cell has the capacity to grow
to multiply to acquire limbs and organs
so that after a period of say nine
months for instance it will have a
perfect if you will have a perfect human
being from that cell it has all the
capacities to acquire limbs and organs
but when you look at the cell there's
nothing nothing really unusual about it
it's just a cell now the soul is the
same when the soul comes to us first at
the time of conception it has no
qualities and perfections it has no
virtues it has no knowledge it has no
wisdom but it can it has the capacity
during a period of say 7080 a hundred
years that we live in this world to
acquire these qualities and perfection
it's just like the cell in the embryo
isn't it you see now the similarities
you can see
these two things or em are really
counterparts of each other another
similarity is that when the cell is
growing in the womb of the mother it is
not designed to live there to stay there
all its existence all the period of its
existence but that it's only there for a
very short period this is not its home
the womb of the mother is not the home
for the body of man it's not this hole
it's only a temporary place for it to
acquire limbs and organs that's all it
is but now exactly the same thing
applies to the soul this world which we
live in is really a worm world is a womb
ball for the soul as if each one of us
is pregnant with the soul
each one of us have the soul in our custody
custody
like shall we say like preserving it so
that during this period of 100 years 80
years that we live or 60 years that we
live our soul may acquire qualities and
perfections but this is not as home it's
a stranger really it's a stranger here
in the same way sorry in the same way
that the child in the womb of the mother
is a stranger there that's not its place
now we go further on and we can go on
again and find out more similarities
another similarity is that when they
look at the cell growing in the womb of
the mother first
it is really very insignificant very
insignificant I mean a cell is not
significant at all and nobody even
notices it
it is so unnoticeable you have to have a
microscope to examine so and and yet
look at what happens nine months later
you have a person
all the faculties of a man see the
difference between the first day and the
last day the entry into the womb or the
creation in the womb and the emerging
from the womb you see that the
difference between the two stages as the
same thing with our soul the day that we
are conceived and the soul is created as
I said it has no identity there's no personality
personality
it has no individuality really but it
will acquire this acquire qualities
perfections individuality and
Baha'u'llah says that we will retain our
individuality and personalities in the
next life so that you are yourself it's
not something that you lose you're
yourself and he says that the Holy Souls
will associate with all the souls the
Holy Souls the prophets and described in
the next life all their sufferings in
the path of God and all the joys and all
the hardships that they have carried on
in this life so you see it's not
something that you will forget it's
something that you you have an identity
individuality and the Halal are mentions
now this is a very beautiful thought
will last although it has a beginning
and that is when one is conceived but it
has no end but it will grow and it will
progress as long as God exists in the
spiritual worlds of God so we see what a
beautiful thing it is to bring children
into the world so that you have a child
coming into the world soul which is
going to be there till eternity and
another feature which again is part of
the teachings of FA the soul is
indestructible you cannot destroy it
once it is created
it belongs to the spiritual worlds of
God and at whatever stage at whatever
stage you dissociated from the body
whether it is at the time that the child
even growing in the womb of the mother
if there is a miscarriage you cannot
destroy the soul the soul is growing
will grow in the spiritual worlds of God
it has not had the chance to acquire
qualities and perfections here but we
are told that God will compensate this
so it's not something which is lost a
child who dies at a young age is the
same he has no chance to develop
qualities and perfections but that it
will grow through the bounties of God
and God will compensate for the things
that he had not been able to acquire in
this life now there are other
similarities we go a little further and
we find that our soul are the body first
of all when we look at the body we find
that as I mentioned this before the womb
of the mother is not a place for it to
live and this is all also this is not
its place this home is very much a
strange place for it this world it's
like being a bird which is kept in a
cage this is another example that up
Baha'u'llah honorable bar given in their
teachings that they have they have given
us an example of a bird being kept in a
cage the bird does not belong to the
cage the bird is there in the cage to be
fed to be nourished so that when the
cage breaks it can take its flight into
its own realms and so again we come to
the same conclusion that this period of
life that we go through that our soul is
in this warm world really and it is here
to acquire qualities and perfections to
acquire love to acquire knowledge to
acquire wisdom to be loving
another similarity is that when the
child is in the womb of the mother it
acquires limbs and organs there but
those limbs and organs are not really
needed in the womb world cannot use them
there it's not really of his been of any
benefit to him he has he uses a little
bit of it for instance he moves his
muscles he uses moves a little bit of a
movement you see but he cannot really
it's not a place for using it you see
the child for instance towards the end
has got perfect eyes but it cannot see
because there is no light but when it is
born all these limbs and organs which
were useless to him and it could never
conceive what it is for we'll find some
use and he'll begin to use them the eyes
now become perfect instruments for
seeing you see the phenomenon of seeing
is a marvelous phenomena when you look
at it can you imagine if nobody could
ever see if there was no such thing as
sight we would be deprived of knowing
something about the light but the light
comes and the combination of the two
makes us see and there we know one of
the attributes of God is the all-seeing
God and then we know something of the
attributes of God but you see these
limbs and organs are not useful in the
womb world but it will be useful when it
is born here it's the same thing with us
with the soul all the qualities and
perfections that the soul acquires in
this life in the in this life of 70 or
80 years I referred to it I don't know
how what is the length of what is this
duration of life in this country I don't
know how many years people live I think
people may live longer lives huh then
other countries I know in my when I was
a young person people used to live to
the age of 100 and 203 see hundred and
ten but in here probably people don't
live that long I'm going to tell you a
little story came to my mind it
not an authentic story it's one of those
pilgrims notes and don't ever take note
of it but it is one of those funny
things that shoghi effendi had a great
sense of humor you know and he used to
tell us that he's told one of the
pilgrims about the American Way of life
now it's no way to belittle anything but
he was telling us it was telling these
problems he said in a very in a humorous
vein he says that the American male
works very hard to please his wife now I
don't know if true or not and he works
very very hard and he provides all the
facilities and means and comfort for his
wife and family and the poor man comes
home tired and exhausted and his wife is
full of energy and he wants to take her
out to go to theaters to do these places
and enjoy themselves and so the man of
course will go and oblige his wife and
then as a result of all this hard work
he dies at the younger age and a woman
becomes a rich person travels around the
world well these are some of the story
often shoghi effendi made a lot of
humorous remarks you know but how allah
had also a great sense of humor you must
not think that he did not have a sense
of humor a great sense of humor abdu
l-bahá had a sense of humor the
believers used to have a sense of humor
and they used to those who had the
capacity to come to bow Allah to a Baba
and make some humorous remarks which
would make them all laugh you know this
was one of those characteristic I'll
tell you now that I said about the
Americans let me go every tell you
everything shoghi effendi had said to
another pilgrim something story I've
heard this now I don't know whether it's
true or not
he was trying to describe again the
various nations and how each nation has
its own characteristics and he said that
in America women dominate over men I
hope you don't mind me saying this
they rule over their husbands in
Germany's it is the opposite it's the
men who were he said in England it's
quite a balance he said it's not a bad
thing if a German man if a German if an
American woman married the German man
and they lived in England so well we
were talking about so I don't know what
happened we went out of it but you know
one of those things that I wanted to
mention about the soul is that we were
saying that the limbs and organs which
the child acquires in the womb of the
mother are not needed there but in this
life is the same thing with the soul
really these qualities and perfections
that we acquire love unity Brotherhood
kindness generosity knowledge although
we can use it in here in this life
somehow to our advantage they are not
they are really needed in the next life
they are for the next life that we
acquire these qualities and perfections
and even if you don't use these
qualities and perfections in this life
you still can live in fact this is what
happens with most people today people
hate people killed and they still can
live they don't use those qualities in
this life they still can live but the
real place the real use of all these
perfections and qualities that we have
to acquire real use of them is not here
it's in the next slide
all these perfections and qualities and
virtues that we must acquire becomes
like our spiritual limbs and organs in
the next life it'll become active just
like the eyes which are not active in
the womb of the mother and suddenly
because the light comes up and it
becomes a very marvelous instrument our
whirring of the quality of love for
instance in the next life we've become
just an instrument through which we can
progress and if you don't acquire them
in here then we cannot use them in the
next slide because there is another
similarity and that similarity is this
that the child must acquire limbs and
organs in the womb of the mother if it
does not it cannot acquire them in this
life if you do not have an eye or if you
do not have an arm
you can't acquire them in this life you
are handicapped you will grow but you're
handicapped and the same thing we
understand is true in the spiritual
sense that the soul must acquire these
qualities and perfections in this life
that is why God has brought the body and
the soul together that's why he has
decreed that we should live a period of
6070 hundred years here to acquire these
qualities and perfection so that these
qualities and perfections become
instruments of growth for us in the next life
life
and that if we do not acquire them here
we cannot acquire them in the next life
that's all we understand and remember we
are not trying to say in this in these
in these talks and in these studies that
we can understand the soul now let me
first of all I should have said this in
the beginning don't think that by
hearing these talks on studying the
writings no matter how much deeply you
study the soul you will never understand
what the soul is this is only the
impressions we get of the soul these are
impressions this is as far as man in
this life can understand the soul we are
limited in our understanding and vision
we cannot understand everything
spiritual we haven't got the tools for
it in this life it's in the next life
that we will see the true reality of our
soul but it is hidden from us because
there is yet another similarity which I
want to mention and that similarity
between the two things between the
embryo and the soul is this
if ever if ever the child the child has
not got the capacity to understand what
a small place is living in what a
limited place a dark place is living in
during the period that he is growing in
the womb of the mother
he has no capacity to understand that he
has no capacity to understand what a
great world expects him to be born into
the vastness the glory the greatness of
this world he cannot see impossible for
him to see because God has not given him
the capacity to understand this the same
God has not given our soul the capacity
to understand anything about the
greatness of the world which awaits us
the spiritual worlds of God and in fact
Baha Allah mentions that if ever the
glory of the next life was revealed to
the extent of a needles eye then man
would commit suicide in the same way
that if a child knew what a small place
is living in and what a vast place is
awaiting him that child you would have
you couldn't live there you would have a
revolution there really wouldn't want to
live there but God the same God which
has not given the child a capacity to
appreciate that period is completely
ignorant about it we are the same in
that sense because we will never be able
to know our soul in fact there is a
passage in Islam which says if you want
to know God you should know yourself
they have asked Baha'u'llah what does
this mean he says it means that when you
look at yourself you will find
everything you have in your body is a
manifestation of the soul for instance
your eyesight is a manifestation of the
soul in the body your hearing is a
manifestation of the soul
your senses are the manifestations of
the soul in the body your brain is a
manifestation of the soul in the body
nabob but he says your heart which loves
is a manifestation of the soul in your
body but he says if you add all these
manifestations together the sum total
does not become the soul then he says
what is the soul and then he says if you
live as long as thousands of years and
if all the peoples of the world put
their thoughts together they shall never
know what that soul is and he says when
you reach to that conclusion that you
will never understand your soul the
reality of the soul the essence of your
soul then you will say to yourself how
can I ever know the essence of my God
who has created that soul and you
realize your impotence to recognize the
essence of God and he says when you
reach to that stage the knowledge of God
has dawned on you this is when you begin
to know God when you realize that you
will never know him impossible to know
the essence of God the essence of God is
hidden from the eyes of men we can never
reach it in fact baha'u'llah mentions
he's mentions that manifestations of God
have no understanding of the essence of
God because if they did they would be
partners with him the manifestations of
God have no access to the essence of God
you know you read some of the passages
that shoghi effendi has translated he
says ten thousand Moses is thunderstruck
I'm paraphrasing is worth at the sinai
of your revelry of god's revelation not
knowing his essence and ten thousand
prophets as great as jesus are dismayed
at this thought of not thou mine essence
thou shalt never know this is the call
they get from God by my essence thou
shalt not know but how Allah mentions is
ten thousand prophets as great as Jesus
stand dismayed at the threshold of God
hearing this voice thou shalt never know
my essence now this
indicates that the essence of God is
beyond the comprehension of anything can
never rise to that he is the creator and
the creator must always stand above his
creation if it was then we would be
equal with him if the mind could ever
grasp anything it means you're equal
with nothing you can only understand
something which is either below you or
about or on on the same level as you you
can never understand something be above
you it's impossible so now how Allah
says this is the meaning when you
realize that you cannot know your own
soul the essence of your soul then you
can say well how can I know the essence
of my God who has created my soul
impossible now we go a little bit
further let me take you a little further
now I what time do we close this session
mr. chairman well what time is it now o
yes o 12 but you can't carry on you mean
the first session is going till 12 o
clock you are very great people you can
listen to all this well any time you get
there's no break between it no yeah all
right well we will see if you feel if I
see you yawning and then I'll say
alright we will have a break actually if
anybody wants to have a little doze off
or something or go to a little bit of
sleep go and sit in the back rows
because you can never see them that's
what they are doing they're probably now
in the back row now I will come back to
your questions if I may if I may if you
just wait till I finish this subject you
might find your answer your questions
that are answered probably because we
haven't even touched upon the subject
well now friends we come to another
similarity here between the embryo and
the soul and that is that when a child
is born it can bring with him whatever
it has it cannot bring anything that it
hasn't it just brings with him forever
it has and in fact one in one of his
tablets ba how Allah says if you needed
anything else in this world I would have
given it to you there
the mother now it's the same thing with
the soul the soul can take with him
whatever it has but you can't take with
you anything which is bad because bad
does not exist in itself it has no
existence now don't take me wrong and
say that I said there's no bad things in
this world there's full of bad things in
this world but bad things are they they
have no outward existence bad is the
negative of good if you say a person is
you mean that the person is a very bad
person you can say a person is very
little good in him that's what it is and
you can take with him that little bit of
good you cannot take all the bad things
and it's an
and some light poverty does not exist in
it has not an existence of its own
poverty means lack of riches if you are
a poor person very poor person you can
say you can't say I'm a very poor person
and I'm coming to your house and I'm
going to bring all my poverty with me
you can't do that you can't do that when
you say you are a very poor man means
you have very little money you have one
cent or you have one dollar
you've just that's very small amount of
money this is the meaning of poverty but
whatever you have is positive and that's
what you can take with you a murderer
for instance is a person who has
impoverished his soul well he can take
with him a little bit of good a saint is
a person who has got a lot of good
qualities and perfections and he carries
with it to the next life and therefore
each one of them it's like having a
capital you begin your life with a
capital one is a very small capital one
is a large capital and everyone grows in
the spiritual worlds of God there is no
such thing as eternal damnation well
there are some souls which we know are
diseased in this life and this is the
only one which God has indicated will
not be forgiven and that is the souls of
the covenant breakers in there in the in
the Christian theology it is they those
who sin against the Holy Ghost and I may
if there is chance I will explain to you
really what is a cabinet breaker as we
Baha'is talk about it in this in nature
looking at nature not to do cut the
philosophy of covenant breaking because
we have no time for it in the faith but
nature again as I said you can
everything in the faith you can look at
nature and find out these things you can
find out what covenant breaking is in nature
nature
now we don't go into that subject now
but maybe I'll make a note of it here
and sometimes we can bring it up so you
see every soul begins its spiritual life
depending on its own qualities and perfection
perfection
that it has acquired in this life and
this is why Baha'u'llah says that in the
next life the souls will be graded we
will be separated each one of us in
accordance with his own accomplishments
in this life will attain a certain
position a certain grade a certain level
and he says those who are in a high
level will encompass those who are in a
lower level and will completely
understand them and will encompass them
and those who are in a lower level will
not understand anything about those who
are in a higher level and their life in
relation to them to those who are in a
higher level is like like non-existence
now this exactly applies in nature
exactly you look at nature you will find
God has created in this nature great
many levels of creation first of all
there are several kingdoms there is the
mineral kingdom that is the vegetable
kingdom there is the animal kingdom
there is the kingdom of man and yet
within each one of these kingdoms there
are grains look at the animal kingdom
there are so many grades on one end of
the scale you come across a creature
like a worm for instance a worm is an
animal and on the other end of the scale
you come across the intelligent animals
and in between there are enormous number
of animals of different degrees you see
and God seems to love this different
levels he loves to have this difference
in his creation we may not love it I
often say to myself really if we were
God we would have it's a pity to for
instance look at creatures like a mouse
for instance what a terrible thing to be
a mouse instead of being a man can you
imagine he could have been a man but
it's a mouse now God still likes this he
likes the mouse he likes to have a mouse
and he likes
he likes to have different grades and
it's the same thing in the spiritual
worlds of God we are going to be greeted
and what the life of a worm in relation
to the life of another high intelligent
animal is like death in relation to life
really but it has its life it's not dead
the more is not dead it has life but
it's life in relation to the life of a
dog for instance is like is like death
in relation to life and so it is the
same thing you are under we understand
in the spiritual realm that men that the
souls will be graded in accordance with
what qualities we are required as I told
you we cannot take bad things with us to
the next life but whatever good things
we can take those good things will
determine the level in which we are
going to be now another important
question which again we can find it from
nature and looking at the writings of
course as I mentioned before we must
look at these two things always and from
that we learn a lot of things is that
when you look at the where is the next
life where is the next world now if you
want to know that look at nature nature
will answer you when you look at the
child in the womb of the mother we said
that the embryo remember growing in the
womb of the mother and the soul are
counterparts of each other when you look
at the child in the womb of the mother
where is he when he's growing in the
womb world where is he he's here isn't
he he's in this world really the
distance is very little there is only a
barrier which prevents him from being in
this world but he's here he's carried
with his mother around have you ever
seen in a farm an egg breaking and a
chicken comes out where was the chick
before the egg breaks it was there but
it couldn't realize it itself until the
shell breaks so but how Allah tells us
that the next world is here it's closer
to us than we can ever imagine but it is
closed before our eyes and as I
mentioned before Baha'u'llah says if we
could only perceive to the extent of a
needles eye the greatness and the glory
of the next life then we would want to
commit suicide to get them so you can
see here how the next life the next
world is just beside us and then there
is another thing we learn from the child
in the womb of the mother and that is
this that once the child is growing in
the womb of the mother there are many
many people who are involved in caring
for that child the mother is the first
person who really is enabling the child
to grow the father the mother the
relatives the doctors the nurses the
community all of them are paying
attention and working hard for enabling
that child to grow once it is in the
womb of the mother and we are told is
the same thing in this life in relation
to the holy souls which have passed away
they are the cause of all the growth and
development which takes place in this
life but you remember I was saying to
you it's a one-way communication they
are they encompass us they help us they
inspire us in ways that we have no way
of understanding it ah how Allah
mentions that martyrs of the faith will
produce such an effect upon the growth
and development of this world that
although that he says that even though
that it takes place rarely it will
produce his tremendous results in this
it's just like the care the attention
the love which the parents the community
as for the child growing in the womb of
the mother but as I mentioned to you we
cannot take with us into the next life
anything which is bad because bad does
not exist in its in its own outward sins
so the souls which are gone on in the
next life everything they can do to us
is for our good
they have no bad things they cannot
influence us in a bad way they can only
influence us in a good way and if it is
anything which we want which is bad for
us they can't give it to you they can
only give you what is good for you and
what is good for you sometime maybe
sufferings maybe it is sufferings the
more our souls suffer the more it
becomes ready to absorb spiritual powers
to itself suffering in the part of God
bearing those sacrifices we do whatever
realm it may be in whatever field you
sacrifice something you give up your
time you're tired but you give up your
time you go and teach the people you go
and promote the faith but you go through
a great deal of hardship that is good
for the soul that enables the soul to
grow and those the Concours on high
those holy souls which are passed away
from this life they will assist us if we
if we walk in the right way but as soon
as you want to go in the wrong way they
cannot assist you because they cannot
influence us in a bad way now I am going
to now go into another aspect of the
soul and maybe before I do that so far
you can we can go on and on and talk
about this quite a lot but I think we
have got an idea here maybe it's not a
bad thing at this point that if you had
any questions about what I have said
which is you have not understood
maybe we can talk about it now and then
we will go to another aspect of the soul
which is very important because all
these things that we have said so far
about the soul the soul coming to us
from the worlds of God we said from the
spiritual realm we said that the soul
has to acquire qualities and perfections
here we we said how everything in this
life has a counterpart in the spiritual
world anything physical is a counterpart
of something spiritual we discuss all
these things and there we will able to
get some idea only an idea an impression
of what the soul is and its qualities
and powers are but now and we said that
the purpose of life so far so far is to
acquire qualities and perfections but
there is a great greater purpose in our
creation far far greater from acquiring
qualities and perfections far greater
and again in order to understand that
I'll take you to nature again but before
we enter into this subject let us see if
there is anything so far which you want
to comment about or question now I'm not
referring to those people who are
sitting in the back row
probably or sleep but that's a place if
you want to rest you know that's a good
place we have this a game in Europe when
we have classes we often say now look
here go into the back row it's a good
place to be right well it seems to me
I don't know one thing we do know is
that the question is this that if you
are in a higher grade will you be able
to influence is that what you're saying
this world more yes well this is what
Baha'u'llah says to us he is not talking
of the influence of those he says the
holy souls in his writings he talks
about the influence of the Holy Souls in
this life is so great that it can
produce all the arts and sciences in
this life and become the cause of growth
it is obviously from the Holy Souls that
will be that this will happen but again
you see these are only as I said our own
limited very very limited understanding
of the realities and the truths we shall
know it in the next slide
fully what's happening yes oh yeah
of course you know there again we are we
right we here in the writings that in
the writings that prayer through prayer
the souls of those who passed away can
can progress through the instrumentality
of prayer through the instrumentality of
some charity work in the name of your
children in the memory of wherever it is
in the service that you yourself render
to the cause all of these things will aid the souls or passed on to progress
aid the souls or passed on to progress and I I will want to mention this to you
and I I will want to mention this to you that when we we people who have come
from the east like myself not nowadays but in the old days days
not nowadays but in the old days days there was a very clear attitude about
there was a very clear attitude about oneself and that was that I am NOT an
oneself and that was that I am NOT an important person that I do not ever
important person that I do not ever celebrate my own birthday I'll just give
celebrate my own birthday I'll just give an example of it nobody in my time when
an example of it nobody in my time when I was young in those kinda in the East
I was young in those kinda in the East would ever consider consider even or
would ever consider consider even or dream of or think about that I have to
dream of or think about that I have to celebrate my birthday they considered
celebrate my birthday they considered that they were so insignificant that you
that they were so insignificant that you don't consider you don't celebrate
don't consider you don't celebrate yourself the only person's birthday
yourself the only person's birthday which was worthy of celebration was that
which was worthy of celebration was that of a prophet that's when it's a holy day
of a prophet that's when it's a holy day and so there was never such a thing as
and so there was never such a thing as doing this because they consider this
doing this because they consider this will create an ego growing and
will create an ego growing and egotistical attitude of turning to
egotistical attitude of turning to yourself and becoming a center of
yourself and becoming a center of attraction or center of attention on
attraction or center of attention on your birthday but I'm not saying that
your birthday but I'm not saying that anything against birthday don't mistake
anything against birthday don't mistake it now I'm not saying you can do what
it now I'm not saying you can do what you like I'm just mentioning to you that
you like I'm just mentioning to you that this was the attitude but instead of
this was the attitude but instead of that instead of celebrating your
that instead of celebrating your birthday
birthday they always commemorated one of their
they always commemorated one of their dear ones who had passed away and would
dear ones who had passed away and would pray for him on the anniversary of his
pray for him on the anniversary of his passing so that the anniversary that you
passing so that the anniversary that you could have was that of your passing when
could have was that of your passing when he passed your family would sit and
he passed your family would sit and would pray for you on the anniversary
would pray for you on the anniversary would invite their friends to come
would invite their friends to come together on that evening on that day in
together on that evening on that day in memory of that person and then they
memory of that person and then they would pray for him they consider this
would pray for him they consider this was much better than celebrating your
was much better than celebrating your own birthday because then your soul will
own birthday because then your soul will progress as a result of the prayers of
progress as a result of the prayers of yourself and your friend who knows how
yourself and your friend who knows how these things will adjust themselves in
these things will adjust themselves in the future the more we pay attention to
the future the more we pay attention to ourselves
ourselves now I don't want you
now I don't want you go around and say I've said something
go around and say I've said something against holding your birthday well go on
against holding your birthday well go on and do it as much as you want and blow
and do it as much as you want and blow all the candles and all the things you
all the candles and all the things you do but all I'm saying is nothing to do
do but all I'm saying is nothing to do with birthdays but what I'm saying is
with birthdays but what I'm saying is that the attitude should be that of not
that the attitude should be that of not playing up our ego but playing it down
playing up our ego but playing it down to subdue our ego which we're talking
to subdue our ego which we're talking about last night somehow you cannot
about last night somehow you cannot destroy it you must not kill it because
destroy it you must not kill it because if we do that we are not we can't live
if we do that we are not we can't live in this life you have to have yourself
in this life you have to have yourself you have to have this is part of you you
you have to have this is part of you you can't but it is a very dangerous animal
can't but it is a very dangerous animal itself an ego and when it comes out you
itself an ego and when it comes out you all you have to do is to put a rein on
all you have to do is to put a rein on it and hold it in your hand and control
it and hold it in your hand and control it probably we will mention a little bit
it probably we will mention a little bit about that I'll make a note of it just
about that I'll make a note of it just to bring this matter up later on now any
to bring this matter up later on now any other questions here that you can do you
other questions here that you can do you want to talk about what so far we've
want to talk about what so far we've said if not then we'll go yes well I'll
said if not then we'll go yes well I'll answer the second question because it's
answer the second question because it's easier to deal with it this way you see
easier to deal with it this way you see this world we are having is the world of
this world we are having is the world of relativity everything in relation to
relativity everything in relation to something else and therefore you come
something else and therefore you come across shadows and lights because
across shadows and lights because everything is relative even a bad man as
everything is relative even a bad man as you call him is very good in relation to
you call him is very good in relation to another band who is worse than him you
another band who is worse than him you see so things are relative and there is
see so things are relative and there is darkness and there is light but abdu
darkness and there is light but abdu l-bahá mentions he says if you were
l-bahá mentions he says if you were living in the Sun there would be no day
living in the Sun there would be no day and no lie
and no lie no day and no night it would be
no day and no night it would be everything would be still and in the
everything would be still and in the next life there is no this is not a
next life there is no this is not a world of relativity it's the world of
world of relativity it's the world of the absolute you see now so that nothing
the absolute you see now so that nothing will will emerge from that world
will will emerge from that world radiates except good and this is my
radiates except good and this is my understanding from the writings and
understanding from the writings and looking at nature but whether despair is
looking at nature but whether despair is a lack of confidence these are matters
a lack of confidence these are matters which we don't want to split here now if
which we don't want to split here now if you think it is all right
you think it is all right Oh in the next world you mean no no no
Oh in the next world you mean no no no no not we are talking I thought you
no not we are talking I thought you meant in this life no no oh yeah no no
meant in this life no no oh yeah no no no in the yeah yeah no in the next life
no in the yeah yeah no in the next life you can see everything is positive and
you can see everything is positive and despair is not there it cannot have
despair is not there it cannot have despair in the spiritual worlds of God
despair in the spiritual worlds of God you see it is all confidence and all
you see it is all confidence and all positive qualities everything is
positive qualities everything is positive yes everything every little bit
positive yes everything every little bit of good it is good it's like having one
of good it is good it's like having one dollar with you one dollar is money it's
dollar with you one dollar is money it's just like hundred dollars except it is
just like hundred dollars except it is less in value but it is of the same
less in value but it is of the same quality you know I think that we cannot
quality you know I think that we cannot understand you must always realize that
understand you must always realize that what we are doing in here we are getting
what we are doing in here we are getting an impression of what's happening and
an impression of what's happening and not the reality but from the writings
not the reality but from the writings the more we read the writings the more
the more we read the writings the more we understand it's not a bad thing if at
we understand it's not a bad thing if at this moment in here or some other stage
this moment in here or some other stage because maybe if you'll have more people
because maybe if you'll have more people in the afternoon I will talk about this
in the afternoon I will talk about this aspect of understanding which is a very
aspect of understanding which is a very important aspect in our life maybe
important aspect in our life maybe believe that later on
believe that later on any other questions now and if not we
any other questions now and if not we will go to that subject we continue with
will go to that subject we continue with it or are you tired now what is the tank
it or are you tired now what is the tank water 211 do you want to give yourself
water 211 do you want to give yourself five minutes of a break everybody wants
five minutes of a break everybody wants five minutes of a break and then we come
five minutes of a break and then we come back again
back again you
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