The Sunday Mail
Flora Teckie
IN order for us to have a materially and spiritually prosperous world civilisation, the practical and spiritual aspects of our lives should advance together.Finding a positive connection and balance between these two aspects of life will lead to individual and social advancement and will provide the energy for building a new world order.
However, our contemporary world is ruled mainly by materialistic values and standards. People evaluate success in the course of their lives with materialistic outcomes. Usually their questions are: Do I have a larger house than my neighbour? Is my business growing faster than the competition? Instead, should we not ask ourselves: Is my family happy?
Am I trusted at my workplace? Is my business serving the customer well?
It takes little reflection to recognise that more and better material means do not bring automatically a more satisfying life. Wealth and luxury, without the spiritual aspect to balance, often breed dissatisfaction.
This is not to say material means are not important.
However, it is not in the nature of the human being to be a material being alone, just as it is not in the nature of the human being to want to live in poverty thinking of the next world only.
According to the Bahá’í Writings, “It is indeed a good and praiseworthy thing to progress materially, but in so doing, let us not neglect the more important spiritual progress . . .”
A human being is the highest form of life, not simply because of the material side of our nature, but because of our spirit. Some think that the body exists by itself and that the spirit depends on it. On the contrary, the body depends on the spirit.
Human nature is fundamentally spiritual. 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 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 human body dies, the soul continues to live.
There is an important link between material and spiritual aspects of human life.
The body is the instrument for the development of the soul in this earthly life, and therefore physical well-being and development should not be neglected.
Material means are essential for humanity to be able to pursue its spiritual and other 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 material and spiritual transformation of our societies.
Spiritual principles are the most beneficial and practical basis for social transformation, since the change for betterment of our societies ultimately depends on the pure motives and good deeds of its members – such as tolerance, compassion, love, justice, humility, sacrifice, trustworthiness, and dedication to the well-being of others.
It is stated in the Bahá’í Writings that: “. . . 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”.
Our spiritual capacities and qualities, being part of the immortal soul, will eternally endure, while the body and its capacities will not.
Therefore proper and full development of our spiritual capacities should be the most worthwhile possible goal in our lives. We can develop our spiritual capacities through prayer, meditation, regular study of the Holy Scriptures and service to humanity.
Acceptance of the teachings of the Messengers of God and obedience to the laws are the essential requirement for the success in our spiritual development and growth.
We should endeavour to maintain a balance between the spiritual and material aspects of our lives, while allowing our spiritual nature to take control.
In the Bahá’í view, “To contribute to the advancement of material and spiritual civilisation, material means need to be used for far higher purposes: to foster unity, to uplift and edify the life of society, and to facilitate access to knowledge for all people, to name but a few.”
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