January 30, 1913, at 30 rue St. Didier, Paris
One of the ladies present has asked me to speak on the
subject of soul, mind and spirit. She desires an explanation of these terms.
The terminology of ancient philosophers differs from that of our time. In later ages certain terms have developed through which we see these subjects in a different light. According to some ancient philosophers, the words soul, mind and spirit imply the underlying principles of life, expressing the various phases of the one absolute reality. They were different names for the operations of one essence. For instance, we say a man sees, hears and speaks - seeing, hearing and speaking are the different performances of the same power which animates man.
Different schools of thought have given different names to the various operations of the one essence. For instance, when some speak of the emotions of consciousness, they call it soul; When they express the discovering power of man they call it mind, and when they refer to the animating essence of the world of creation, they call it spirit.
The differentiation which we make of these subjects is as follows: By soul we mean that power which is the mover of this physical body which is entirely under its control and lives in accordance with its dictates. The soul that lives in the material world is dark - for in the material world there is aggression, struggle, greed, vice and transgression. If the soul remains in this station, and moves along these paths it will receive no uplift, but if it becomes the recipient of the world of mind, its darkness will be transformed into light; its tyranny into justice, its ignorance into wisdom and its aggression into loving kindness. There will be no more struggle for existence and man will become free from egotism. He will be released from the material world and become the embodiment of justice, the personification of the virtues. He will become a sanctified soul and be the means of the illumination of the world of humanity and an honor to human kind. He will confer life upon the children of men so that all nations will attain to the station of perfection. To such a person we may apply the name of "a holy soul."
The soul in itself cannot unravel the mysteries; but the mind is superior to the soul. The mind is a power whereby man can investigate the reality of every object. It unfolds to his vision the secrets of existence and leads him on and on to the station of divine sublimity. It frees man from the fetters of self and causes him to ascend to the pure heaven of sanctity.
The third power of man is the power of the Spirit. It is an emanation from the Divine Bestower. It is the effulgence of the Sun of Reality, the radiation of the celestial world. In short it is the essence of the Spirit of Faith of which His Holiness Christ speaks when He says, "Those that are born of the flesh are flesh and those that are born of the spirit are spirit.'' The spirit is the axis around which the eternal life revolves. It is conducive to everlasting glory; it is the cause of the exultation of the world of humanity. Again His Holiness Christ says, "Whosoever has not received a portion of the spirit is as dead. Let the dead bury their dead." In another place Christ says, "You must be baptized with the spirit" This Spirit is the life of the world of humanity; the cause of eternal illumination. It inspires man to attain to the virtues and perfections of the divine world.
May each one of you become the recipient of the Spirit. This is my hope.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 2, April 9,
1913)
