dyton mupawaenda
Flora Teckie-Baháí Perspective
True prosperity can be achieved by advancing in material and spiritual aspects of life simultaneously. Our contemporary world, however, is ruled by materialistic values and standards.
People often assume that material means will lead to deeper love, greater esteem from friends, and greater sense of fulfilment. They evaluate success in their lives with materialistic outcomes.
It takes little reflection to recognise that more and better material means do not necessarily bring a more satisfying life. Wealth and luxury, without the spiritual aspect to balance, often breed dissatisfaction.
The Bahá’í Writings state, “It is indeed a good and praiseworthy thing to progress materially, but in so doing, let us not neglect the more important spiritual progress …”.
What makes us distinct and different from the other forms of life is our rational soul, the human spirit.
The soul provides the underlying animation for the body, and is our real self.
As Baháí Writings confirm, when the body dies the soul lives on. It lives everlastingly. Our spiritual capacities and qualities, being part of the immortal soul, will eternally endure, while the body and its capacities will not.
Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, says: “Wert thou to attain to but a dewdrop of the crystal waters of divine knowledge, thou wouldst readily realise that true life is not the life of the flesh but the life of the spirit…”.
Our body being an instrument for the development of soul in this life means that our physical well-being and development should not be neglected.
Material means are essential for humanity to be able to pursue its spiritual and other goals, as long as we use our material means towards the primary goal in life, which is fostering our soul’s progress, and contributing towards the betterment of our communities.
We can compare the body to a vehicle which is being used by the soul for its journey through earthly life. As such it is important to cater for the needs of both the body (the vehicle) and the soul (the driver).
To achieve true prosperity, we need to maintain a balance between the material and spiritual aspects of our lives, while allowing our spiritual nature to take control, in the same way as the driver should be in control of a vehicle, and not vice versa.
Material and spiritual civilisation must advance together The Bahá’í Writings state that: “Material civilisation is like unto the lamp, while spiritual civilisation is the light in that lamp. If the material and spiritual civilisation become united, then we will have the light and the lamp together, and the outcome will be perfect.
For material civilisation is like unto a beautiful body, and spiritual civilisation is like unto the spirit of life. If that wondrous spirit of life enters this beautiful body, the body will become a channel for the distribution and development of the perfections of humanity,” and “… only if material progress goes hand in hand with spirituality can any real progress come about, and the Most Great Peace reign in the world”.
Each one of us should, of course, take charge of our own spiritual development, while also contributing to the development of material and spiritual civilisation.
Development of our spiritual side has several benefits: we develop more and more those qualities that lie at the foundation of both human happiness and social progress. Such qualities include faith, courage, love, compassion, trustworthiness, and humility.
As these qualities become increasingly manifest in individuals, society as a whole advances.
We need to remember that our spiritual capacities and qualities, being part of the immortal soul, will eternally endure, while the body and its capacities will not.
Among the traces of the spiritual side of human nature are the willingness of people to sacrifice immediate self- interest for the higher goal of serving humanity.
(Full story on www.herald.co.zw)
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Spiritual growth and advancement is an educational process for which one needs to assume responsibility, and by which we learn to conform and act in accordance with the laws and teachings of God.
Through daily effort, reflection, prayer and meditation, we all have the potential to cultivate the spiritual aspects of our lives. But in walking a spiritual path, none of us can claim to be perfect. Bahá’u’lláh says: “Let each morn be better than its eve and each morrow richer than its yesterday.”
Recognising the important link between practical and spiritual aspects of human life leads inevitably to a reframing of what brings about true well-being and prosperity and how we can attain these.
The Bahá’í Writings state: “… only if material progress goes hand in hand with spirituality can any real progress come about, and the Most Great Peace reign in the world. If men followed the Holy Counsels and the Teachings of the Prophets, if Divine Light shone in all hearts and men were really religious, we should soon see peace on earth and the Kingdom of God among men”.
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