From Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha p. 136: "Self-love is a strange trait and themeans of the destruction of many important souls in the world. If man be imbued with all good qualities but be selfish, all the other virtues will fade or pass away and eventually he will grow worse."
This is an interesting passage. Is it possible to be imbued with all good qualities while being selfish? I would have thought a selfish person would be lacking in the other qualities. Certainly if their other virtues were tested their selfishness would show them to be lacking in those virtues. One would lie if it was to their advantage, etc. I am also confused about the words "eventually he will grow worse." Why eventually instead of immediately?
'Abdu'l-Baha wrote:
Truthfulness is the foundation of all the virtues of the world of humanity. Without truthfulness, progress and success in all of the worlds of God are impossible for a soul. When this holy attribute is established in man, all the divine qualities will also become realized.
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Baha'i World Faith*, Page: 384)
The question then is how to tie this in with the other passage. Of course probably both aren't translated perfectly, so there might be some issue there. This passage says that once a person has truthfulness they will posess all virtues, which would include selflessness or detachment. Apparently a truthful person cannot be selfish. The prior person allows for the possibility that a person posessing all good qualities (which would include truthfulness) can be selfish, while this one doesn't seem to. Of course it then says that those virtues will pass away, but it does say that one can have the virtues yet be selfish. Is truthfulness just an exception to the rule? I would say being imbued with good qualities is the same as having them established, which makes me wonder how a truthful person could be selfish, given the latter quote. As I see it, truthfulness and selflessness are connected, since people generally lie for their own benefit. If you are truthful you are selfless.
Regards,
David
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