Jamál, 04 Qawl (Speech), 180 B.E.
Reflections on the Life of the Spirit
Quote for Reflection:
Having created the world and all that liveth and moveth therein, He, through the direct operation of His unconstrained and sovereign Will, chose to confer upon man the unique distinction and capacity to know Him and to love Him—a capacity that must needs be regarded as the generating impulse and the primary purpose underlying the whole of creation.… Upon the inmost reality of each and every created thing He hath shed the light of one of His names, and made it a recipient of the glory of one of His attributes. Upon the reality of man, however, He hath focused the radiance of all of His names and attributes, and made it a mirror of His own Self. Alone of all created things man hath been singled out for so great a favor, so enduring a bounty. — Bahá’u’lláh 1
Question for Consideration:
For what special favor has the human being been singled out? 2
Google Bard Response:
According to the provided quote from Baháʼuʼlláh, the human being has been singled out for the special favor of being able to know and love God. This capacity is considered to be the “generating impulse and the primary purpose underlying the whole of creation.”
This means that the human being is the culmination of God’s creation, and the purpose of everything that exists is to provide the conditions for the human being to develop its capacity for knowing and loving God. This is a tremendous privilege and responsibility, and it is something that we should all strive to fulfill.
The quote also states that upon the reality of man, “He hath focused the radiance of all of His names and attributes, and made it a mirror of His own Self.” This means that the human being is a reflection of God and that we have the potential to manifest all of God’s qualities in our own lives.
This is a profound and inspiring thought, and it suggests that we are capable of great things. We should all strive to live up to our potential and to become more fully human by reflecting the attributes of God in our own lives.
- Bahá’u’lláh. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. Translated by Shoghi Effendi. Bahá’í Reference Library. Accessed November 25, 2023. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/bahaullah/gleanings-writings-bahaullah/3#441185340. ↩
- Ruhi Institute. Reflections on the Life of the Spirit. 4.1.2.PE May 2020. Vol. Book 1. 6 vols. Embarking on a Path of Service. Cali, Columbia: Ruhi Institute, 2020, 42. https://www.ruhi.org/en/walking-a-path-of-service/#RLS ↩
Frameworks for Understanding the World 