Tinaye Agere
A Bahá’í Perspective
Flora Teckie
We all wish to have a happy and prosperous life. This can be achieved through a combination of material and spiritual welfare and well-being. Prosperity, in its fullest sense, is achievable only when material and spiritual civilization advance together.
According to the Bahá’í Writings: “Material civilization is like unto the lamp, while spiritual civilization is the light in that lamp. If the material and spiritual civilization become united, then we will have the light and the lamp together, and the outcome will be perfect. For material civilization is like unto a beautiful body, and spiritual civilization 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”.
Cultivating the spiritual aspects of our lives is motivated through the realization that our earthly life is a small part of a life that is eternal, and that our essential identity is our immortal soul.
The progress and happiness of our everlasting soul
Although human beings exist on earth in physical bodies, the essential identity of each person is defined by an invisible, rational, and everlasting soul. Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, confirmed the existence of a separate, rational soul for every human being. In this life, He said, the soul is related to the physical body. It provides the underlying animation for the body, and is our real self. When the body dies, the soul lives on. It lives everlastingly.
Our body can be compared to a vehicle, which is being used by the soul for its journey through this earthly life. As such, we need to cater for the needs of both the body (the vehicle) and the soul (the driver). We need material means to be able to pursue our spiritual and other goals. But considering that the eternal part is our soul, we should not live on earth as if only our physical life and pleasures are all that matter.
Our spiritual capacities and qualities, being part of the immortal soul, will eternally endure, while the body and its capacities will not. The progress and happiness of our everlasting soul requires purposeful focus, and attention on developing our spiritual characteristics and capacities.
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. The laws of God may be likened unto the soul and material progress unto the body. If the body was not animated by the soul, it would cease to exist”.
Link between material and spiritual aspects in life
There is a link between the practical and spiritual aspects of our lives. The body is the instrument of the soul’s development in this earthly life, and as such physical health and development should not be neglected. Material means are necessary for us to be able to pursue our 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 spiritual transformation of society.
The Bahá’í Writings state: “… we must thank God that He has created for us both material blessings and spiritual bestowals. He has given us material gifts and spiritual graces, outer sight to view the lights of the sun and inner vision by which we may perceive the glory of God”.
It is, of course, important to take charge of our own spiritual development, while also contributing to the development of material and spiritual civilization.
We can develop our spiritual capacities through our individual relationship with God. This relationship is fostered through prayer, meditation, regular study of the Holy Writings, moral self-discipline, and service to humanity. Acceptance of the teachings of the Messengers of God, and obedience to the laws They reveal, are the essential requirements for success in our spiritual growth and development.
Furthermore, the process of human development requires moral and spiritual choices, often involving challenges, which represent opportunities for spiritual growth. If we pass our tests and trials in life with courage and fortitude, we will grow stronger spiritually.
We need to assume responsibility for our own spiritual growth and advancement. Spiritual advancement is an educational process 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”.
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