The Worlds of God - U.S.Baha'i National Ref Library Committee
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Page 48 of  105

"In man there are two natures: his spiritual or higher nature and his material or lower nature. In one he approaches God; in the other he lives for the world alone." (Pt 60) (48:1)

"Man... has the animal side as well as the angelic side; and the aim of an Educator is to so train human souls, that their angelic aspect may overcome their animal side." "Signs of both of these natures are to be found in men. In his material aspect he expresses untruth, cruelty and injustice; all these are the outcome of his lower nature. The attributes of his divine nature are shown forth in love, mercy, kindness, truth and justice... If a man's divine nature dominates his human nature, we have a saint." (Bwf 331; Pt 60) (48:2)

"Every good habit, every noble quality belongs to man's spiritual nature, whereas all his imperfections and sinful actions are born of his material nature. If a man's divine nature dominates his human nature, we have a saint... But if, on the contrary, he rejects the things of God and allows his evil passions to conquer him, then he is no better than a mere animal." (Pt 60) (48:3)

"Man being the culmination of all that went before and thus superior to all previous evolutions, contains all the lower worlds within himself." (Pt 96- 7) (48:4)

But "man has a gift which the animal does not possess... The animal is the captive of the senses and bound by them; all that is beyond the senses,... the animal can never understand... Hence... in man there is a power of discovery by which he is distinguished from the animals, and this is the spirit of man." (Bwf 305- 6) (48:5)

"Illumined by the spirit through the instrumentality of the soul, man's radiant intelligence makes him the crowning- point of creation." (Pt 97) (48:6)

"Man has two powers, and his development two aspects. One power is connected with the material world and by it he is capable of material advancement. The other power is spiritual and through its development his inner, potential nature is awakened. These powers are like two wings, both must be developed, for flight is impossible with one wing. Praise be to God! Material advancement has been evident in the world; but there is need of spiritual advancement in like proportion. We must strive unceasingly... to accomplish the development of the spiritual nature in man." (RofM 38) (48:7)

"The spirit of man has two aspects: one divine, on satanic;... it is capable of the utmost perfection, or it is capable of the utmost imperfection. If it acquires virtues, it is the most noble of the existing beings; and if it acquires vices, it becomes the most degraded existence." (Saq 164- 5) (48:8)

"Every good habit, every noble quality belongs to man's spiritual nature, whereas all his imperfections and sinful actions are born of his material nature." (Pt 60) (48:9)

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