Sunday, January 18, 2009

"Man is organic with the world."



"We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment outside us and say that once one of these is reformed everything will be improved. Man is organic with the world. His inner life moulds the environment and is itself also deeply affected by it. The one acts upon the other and every abiding change in the life of man is the result of these mutual reactions.


- From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer dated 17 February 1933



Corot

Saturday, January 17, 2009

"This light of the intellect is the highest light..."

"This light of the intellect is the highest light that exists, for it is born of the Light Divine.

The light of the intellect enables us to understand and realize all that exists, but it is only the Divine Light that can give us sight for the invisible things, and which enables us to see truths that will only be visible to the world thousands of years hence.

It was the Divine Light which enabled the prophets to see two thousand years in advance what was going to take place and today we see the realization of their vision. Thus it is this Light which we must strive to seek, for it is greater than any other."

-- 'Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 69