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Paris Talks
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Pages 88-94
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THE EVOLUTION OF THE SPIRIT
15 Rue Greuze, Paris,
November 10th
`Abdu'l-Bahá said:
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Tonight I will speak of the evolution or progress
of the spirit.
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Absolute repose does not exist in nature. All things
either make progress or lose ground. Everything moves
forward or backward, nothing is without motion.
From his birth, a man progresses physically until he
reaches maturity, then, having arrived at the prime of
his life, he begins to decline, the strength and powers
of his body decrease, and he gradually arrives at the
hour of death. Likewise a plant progresses from the
seed to maturity, then its life begins to lessen until it
fades and dies. A bird soars to a certain height and
having reached the highest possible point in its flight,
begins its descent to earth.
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Thus it is evident that movement is essential to all
existence. All material things progress to a certain
point, then begin to decline. This is the law which
governs the whole physical creation.
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Now let us consider the soul. We have seen that
movement is essential to existence; nothing that has
life is without motion. All creation, whether of the
mineral, vegetable or animal kingdom, is compelled
to obey the law of motion; it must either ascend or
descend. But with the human soul, there is no decline.
Its only movement is towards perfection; growth and
progress alone constitute the motion of the soul.
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Divine perfection is infinite, therefore the progress
of the soul is also infinite. From the very birth of a
human being the soul progresses, the intellect grows
and knowledge increases. When the body dies the soul
lives on. All the differing degrees of created physical
beings are limited, but the soul is limitless!
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In all religions the belief exists that the soul survives
the death of the body. Intercessions are sent up for
the beloved dead, prayers are said for their progress
and for the forgiveness of their sins. If the soul perished
with the body all this would have no meaning. Further,
if it were not possible for the soul to advance towards
perfection after it had been released from the body, of
what avail are all these loving prayers, of devotion?
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We read in the sacred writings that `all good works
are found again'.
[1]
Now, if the soul did not survive,
this also would mean nothing!
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The very fact that our spiritual instinct, surely never
given in vain, prompts us to pray for the welfare of
those, our loved ones, who have passed out of the
material world: does it not bear witness to the continuance
of their existence?
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9 |
In the world of spirit there is no retrogression. The
world of mortality is a world of contradictions, of
opposites; motion being compulsory everything must
either go forward or retreat. In the realm of spirit
there is no retreat possible, all movement is bound to
be towards a perfect state. `Progress' is the expression
of spirit in the world of matter. The intelligence of
man, his reasoning powers, his knowledge, his scientific
achievements, all these being manifestations of the
spirit, partake of the inevitable law of spiritual progress
and are, therefore, of necessity, immortal.
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My hope for you is that you will progress in the
world of spirit, as well as in the world of matter; that
your intelligence will develop, your knowledge will
augment, and your understanding be widened.
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You must ever press forward, never standing still;
avoid stagnation, the first step to a backward movement,
to decay.
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The whole physical creation is perishable. These
material bodies are composed of atoms; when these
atoms begin to separate decomposition sets in, then
comes what we call death. This composition of atoms,
which constitutes the body or mortal element of any
created being, is temporary. When the power of attraction,
which holds these atoms together, is withdrawn,
the body, as such, ceases to exist.
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With the soul it is different. The soul is not a combination
of elements, it is not composed of many
atoms, it is of one indivisible substance and therefore
eternal. It is entirely out of the order of the physical
creation; it is immortal!
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Scientific philosophy has demonstrated that a simple
element (`simple' meaning `not composed') is indestructible,
eternal. The soul, not being a composition
of elements, is, in character, as a simple element, and
therefore cannot cease to exist.
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The soul, being of that one indivisible substance, can
suffer neither disintegration nor destruction, therefore
there is no reason for its coming to an end. All things
living show signs of their existence, and it follows that
these signs could not of themselves exist if that which
they express or to which they testify had no being. A
thing which does not exist, can, of course, give no sign
of its existence. The manifold signs of the existence of
the spirit are for ever before us.
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The traces of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the influence
of His Divine Teaching, is present with us today, and
is everlasting.
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A non-existent thing, it is agreed, cannot be seen by
signs. In order to write a man must exist--one who
does not exist cannot write. Writing is, in itself, a sign
of the writer's soul and intelligence. The Sacred
Writings (with ever the same Teaching) prove the
continuity of the spirit.
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Consider the aim of creation: is it possible that all is
created to evolve and develop through countless ages
with this small goal in view--a few years of a man's
life on earth? Is it not unthinkable that this should be
the final aim of existence?
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The mineral evolves till it is absorbed in the life of
the plant, the plant progresses till finally it loses its life
in that of the animal; the animal, in its turn, forming
part of the food of man, is absorbed into human life.
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Thus, man is shown to be the sum of all creation, the
superior of all created beings, the goal to which countless
ages of existence have progressed.
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At the best, man spends four-score years and ten in
this world--a short time indeed!
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Does a man cease to exist when he leaves the body?
If his life comes to an end, then all the previous
evolution is useless, all has been for nothing! Can one
imagine that Creation has no greater aim than this?
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The soul is eternal, immortal.
Materialists say, `Where is the soul? What is it? We cannot see it, neither can we touch it'.
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This is how we must answer them: However much
the mineral may progress, it cannot comprehend the
vegetable world. Now, that lack of comprehension
does not prove the non-existence of the plant!
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To however great a degree the plant may have
evolved, it is unable to understand the animal world;
this ignorance is no proof that the animal does not
exist!
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The animal, be he never so highly developed, cannot
imagine the intelligence of man, neither can he realize
the nature of his soul. But, again, this does not prove
that man is without intellect, or without soul. It only
demonstrates this, that one form of existence is incapable
of comprehending a form superior to itself.
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This flower may be unconscious of such a being
as man, but the fact of its ignorance does not prevent
the existence of humanity.
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In the same way, if materialists do not believe in the
existence of the soul, their unbelief does not prove that
there is no such realm as the world of spirit. The very
existence of man's intelligence proves his immortality;
moreover, darkness proves the presence of light, for
without light there would be no shadow. Poverty
proves the existence of riches, for, without riches, how
could we measure poverty? Ignorance proves that
knowledge exists, for without knowledge how could
there be ignorance?
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Therefore the idea of mortality presupposes the
existence of immortality--for if there were no Life
Eternal, there would be no way of measuring the life
of this world!
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If the spirit were not immortal, how could the Manifestations
of God endure such terrible trials?
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Why did Christ Jesus suffer the fearful death on the
cross?
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Why did Muhammad bear persecutions?
Why did the Báb make the supreme sacrifice and why did Bahá'u'lláh pass the years of his life in prison?
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Why should all this suffering have been, if not to
prove the everlasting life of the spirit?
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Christ suffered, He accepted all His trials because of
the immortality of His spirit. If a man reflects he will
understand the spiritual significance of the law of progress;
how all moves from the inferior to the superior
degree.
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It is only a man without intelligence who, after considering
these things, can imagine that the great scheme
of creation should suddenly cease to progress, that
evolution should come to such an inadequate end!
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Materialists who reason in this way, and contend
that we are unable to see the world of spirit, or to
perceive the blessings of God, are surely like the
animals who have no understanding; having eyes they
see not, ears they have, but do not hear. And this lack
of sight and hearing is a proof of nothing but their
own inferiority; of whom we read in the Qur'án,
`They are men who are blind and deaf to the Spirit.'
They do not use that great gift of God, the power of
the understanding, by which they might see with the
eyes of the spirit, hear with spiritual ears and also
comprehend with a Divinely enlightened heart.
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The inability of the materialistic mind to grasp the
idea of the Life Eternal is no proof of the non-existence
of that life.
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The comprehension of that other life depends on
our spiritual birth!
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My prayer for you is that your spiritual faculties and
aspirations may daily increase, and that you will never
allow the material senses to veil from your eyes the
glories of the Heavenly Illumination.
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Notes
1. [i.e.--All good actions bring their own reward.]
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