Bahai Faith; Peace -- Religious aspects -- Bahai Faith
This great power must evidently be differentiated from the physical body
or temple in which it is manifested. Observe and understand how this human
body changes; nevertheless, the spirit of man remains ever in the same
condition. For instance, the body sometimes grows weak, it becomes strong
or stout, sometimes it grows smaller or may be dismembered, but there is
no effect upon the spirit. The eye may become blind, the foot may be
amputated, but no imperfection afflicts the spirit. This is proof that the
spirit of man is distinct from his body. Defects in the body or its
members do not imply defects in the spirit. This leads to the accurate
conclusion that if the whole body should be subjected to a radical change,
the spirit will survive that change; that even if the body of man is
destroyed and becomes nonexistent, the spirit of man remains unaffected.
For the spirit of man is everlasting. Sometimes the body sleeps, the eyes
do not see, the ears do not hear, the members cease to act, every function
is as inactive as death; nevertheless, the spirit sees, hears and soars on
high. For it is possessed of these faculties which operate without the
instrumentality of the body. In the world of thought it sees without eyes,
hears without ears and travels without the motion of foot. Without
physical force it exercises every function. This makes it evident that
during sleep the spirit is alive though the body is as dead. In the world
of dreams the body becomes absolutely passive, but the spirit still
functions actively, possessed of all susceptibilities. This leads to the
conclusion that the life of the spirit is neither conditional nor
dependent upon the life of the body. At most it can be said that the body
is a mere garment utilized by the spirit. If that garment be destroyed,
the wearer is not affected but is, in fact, protected.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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