The reality of man is his thought, not his material body.
The thought force and the animal force are partners. Although man is part of
the animal creation, he possesses a power of thought superior to all other
created beings.
If a man’s thought is constantly aspiring towards heavenly
subjects then does he become saintly; if on the other
hand his thought does not soar, but is directed downwards to centre itself upon
the things of this world, he grows more and more material until he arrives at a
state little better than that of a mere animal. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, from a talk,
Paris, October 18, 1911; ‘Paris Talks’)
