The Baha'i Studies Listserv Hi Dean, It seems that `Abdu'l-Bahá states that the soul نَفْسْ (nafs) of the Manifestation of God has a beginning.
I think you are talking about the third station or the station of theophany which is called the Logos, Word of God, Holy Spirit, etc. The Holy Spirit works through Them, we common humans could develop only the spirit of faith reflecting as mirrors the Light of Bahá'u'lláh. I heard talks of Mr. Adib Taherzadeh and Hooper Dunbar when they say "there is a Tablet of Bahá'u'lláh" about the preexistence of the souls of the Manifestations, so Their souls have no beginning. Thanks H. ________________________________ De: Dean Betts <fdbe...@mindspring.com> Para: Baha'i Studies <bahai-st@list.jccc.edu> Enviado: Viernes, 4 de enero, 2013 8:47 P.M. Asunto: Re: looking for a Tablet of Bahá'u'lláh where... The Baha'i Studies Listserv But, Hasan, what about the following sentence from the quote which I presented? It explicitly states that the soul of the prophet (manefestation) has no beginning or ending. "Therefore, the reality of prophethood, which is the Word of God and the perfect state of manifestation, did not have any beginning and will not have any end; its rising is different from all others and is like that of the sun." ----- Original Message ----- >From: Hasan Elías >To: Baha'i Studies >Sent: Friday, January 04, 2013 8:19 PM >Subject: Re: looking for a Tablet of Bahá'u'lláh where... > > >The Baha'i Studies Listserv >Hi Dean, > > >Thanks for the searching. The quote that you mentioned is about the "third >station". > > >In SAQ page 69 we found that the soul of the Manifestation of God is the >rational soul it has a beginning: "Then it is evident that the Manifestations >possess three conditions: the physical condition, the condition of the >rational soul, and the condition of the divine appearance and heavenly >splendor. The physical condition will certainly become decomposed, but the >condition of the rational soul, though it has a beginning, has no end: nay, >it is endowed with everlasting life". > > >But in page 70 we found that the soul of Manifestation not a simple "rational > human soul" is different, but it is not clear that it has a beginning or not: >"But the individual reality of the Manifestations of God is a holy reality, >and for that reason it is sanctified and, in that which concerns its nature >and quality, is distinguished from all other things. It is like the sun, >which by its essential nature produces light and cannot be compared to the >moon, just as the particles that compose the globe of the sun cannot be >compared with those which compose the moon. The particles and organization of >the former produce rays, but the particles of which the moon is composed do >not produce rays but need to borrow light. So other human realities are those >souls who, like the moon, take light from the sun; but that Holy Reality is >luminous in Himself". > > >Thanks, > > >Hasan > > > >________________________________ > De: Dean Betts <fdbe...@mindspring.com> >Para: Baha'i Studies <bahai-st@list.jccc.edu> >Enviado: Viernes, 4 de enero, 2013 5:40 P.M. >Asunto: Re: looking for a Tablet of Bahá'u'lláh where... > > > >The Baha'i Studies Listserv >Dear Hasan, >If the following passage does not answer your question, read SAQ #38 and #39. >Greetings, >Dean Betts > > >The third station is that of the divine appearance and heavenly splendor: it >is the Word of God, the Eternal Bounty, the Holy Spirit. It has neither >beginning nor end, for these things are related to the world of contingencies >and not to the divine world. For God the end is the same thing as the >beginning. So the reckoning of days, weeks, months and years, of yesterday and > today, is connected with the terrestrial globe; but in the sun there is no >such thing -- there is neither yesterday, today nor tomorrow, neither months >nor years: all are equal. In the same way the Word of God is purified from all > these conditions and is exempt from the boundaries, the laws and the limits >of the world of contingency. Therefore, the reality of prophethood, which is >the Word of God and the perfect state of manifestation, did not have any >beginning and will not have any end; its rising is different from all others >and is like that of the sun. For example, its dawning in the sign of Christ was with the utmost splendor and radiance, and this is eternal and everlasting. See how many conquering kings there have been, how many statesmen and princes, powerful organizers, all of whom have disappeared, whereas the breezes of Christ are still blowing; His light is still shining; His melody is still resounding; His standard is still waving; His armies are still fighting; His heavenly voice is still sweetly melodious; His clouds are still showering gems; His lightning is still flashing; His reflection is 153 still clear and brilliant; His splendor is still radiating and luminous; and it is the same with those souls who are under His protection and are shining with His light. > > (Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 151) > > >----- Original Message ----- >>From: Hasan Elías >>To: Baha'i Studies >>Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2013 1:14 PM >>Subject: looking for a Tablet of Bahá'u'lláh where... >> >> >>The Baha'i Studies Listserv >>Hi all, >> >> >>I'm looking for a Tablet of Bahá'u'lláh where, according to Hooper Dunbar >>and Adib Taherzadeh, it is mentioned that the Soul of the Manifestation of >>God is not the same as the soul of a human being, the soul of human has a >>beginning. >> >> >>Thanks for help, >> >> >>Best, >> >> >>Hasan > > __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:arch...@mail-archive.com Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:leave-680924-27401.54f46e81b66496c9909bcdc2f7987...@list.jccc.edu Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to ly...@list.jccc.edu Or subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News (on-campus only) - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu
