The human spirit is
a center of all virtues. The human spirit is a reflector of the bounties of
God. The human spirit is destined to advance and to be enveloped with the
effulgence of God, because the human spirit is immortal…. [It] is not affected
by changes in the body. The body is subject to various conditions. At one time
it may be healthy; at another time it may be susceptible to some pathology. At
one time it may be weak or ill; at another time it may be well and strong; or a
member may become lost. However, the reality within the body -- the human
spirit or mind -- is the same. If the body should become lean the spirit would
not become lean. If the body should become corpulent the spirit would not
become corpulent. If the body should be dismembered the spirit would not be
affected. In brief, the spirit is independent of the body, and the
disintegrations that take place in the body do not affect the soul, for the
human reality or spirit is ever the same.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (From
a talk at Theosophical Society in San Francisco, October 11, 1912; Unpublished
Manuscript by Ella Cooper) (To read the entire talk please visit Talks of ‘Abdu’l-Baha)
