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Bahá'í World Faith (`Abdu'l-Bahá's Section Only)
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Pages 370-371
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THE SPIRIT OF FAITH
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Now as to what thou askest concerning the spirit and its "return"
to this world of humanity and this elemental space: Know
that spirit in general is divided into five sorts--the vegetable spirit,
the animal spirit, the human spirit, the spirit of faith, and the
divine spirit of sanctity.
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The vegetable spirit is the virtue augmentative, or growing or
vegetative faculty, which results from the admixture of the simple
elements, with the cooperation of water, air and heat.
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The animal spirit is the virtue perceptive resulting from the
admixture and absorption of the vital elements generated in the
heart, which apprehend sense-impressions.
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The human spirit consists of the rational, or logical, reasoning
faculty, which apprehends general ideas and things intelligible
and perceptible.
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Now these "spirits" are not reckoned as Spirit in the terminology
of the Scriptures and the usage of the people of the Truth, inasmuch
as the laws governing them are as the laws which govern
all phenomenal being in respect to generation, corruption, production,
change and reversion, as is clearly indicated in the Gospel
where it says: "Let the dead bury their dead;" "That which is
born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is
Spirit"; inasmuch as he who would bury these dead was alive with
the vegetative, animal and rational human soul, yet did Christ--
to whom be glory!--declare such dead and devoid of life, in that
this person was devoid of the spirit of faith, which is of the
Kingdom of God.
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In brief, for these three spirits there is no restitution or "return,"
but they are subordinate to reversions and production and
corruption.
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But the spirit of faith which is of the Kingdom consists of the
all-comprehending grace and the perfect attainment and the
power of sanctity and the divine effulgence from the Sun of Truth
on luminous light-seeking essences from the presence of the divine
Unity. And by this Spirit is the life of the spirit of man, when
it is fortified thereby, as Christ saith: "That which is born of the
Spirit is Spirit." And this Spirit hath both restitution and return,
inasmuch as it consists of the Light of God and the unconditioned
grace. So, having regard to this state and station, Christ announced
that John the Baptist was Elias, who was to come before
Christ. And the likeness of this station is as that of lamps kindled:
for these in respect to their glasses and oil-holders, are different,
but in respect to their light, One, and in respect to their illumination,
One; nay, each one is identical with the other, without imputation
of plurality, or diversity or multiplicity or separateness.
This is the Truth and beyond the Truth there is only error.
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