Know thyself — free the angel
Unto each one hath been prescribed a preordained measure…
~ Baha'u'llah ~
Dear Ones,
As we have seen in the preceding article of this series, OUR COSMIC BIRTHPRINT, our human potential is woven in part by our physiology and environment. As Baha'u'llah explained, the perfection of man arises from the composition of the atoms of the elements, from their measure, from the manner of their combination, and from the mutual influence of all beings. Hence the enduring significance of the call to “Know thyself.” In this article, however, our focus will be on the spiritual side of our potentialities.
Know that the soul which is common to all men cometh forth following the commingling of things and after their maturation, as thou dost observe in the germ: once it hath developed to its predestined stage, God manifesteth the soul that was latent within it.
Just as every newborn receives a subtle cosmic birthprint at the threshold of earthly life, so too does each soul, from the very moment of its appearance, receive from the Creator a unique spiritual imprint. This imprint is its destiny — a sacred design woven with infinite wisdom — the personal measure of the capacities that God bestows upon each individual soul. For every soul is endowed with all the divine qualities, yet each receives them in a preordained degree, according to the unique requirements of its own luminous path and of the greater plan of God.
Although the divine creation is purely good, yet the varieties of natural qualities in man come from the difference of degree; all are excellent, but they are more or less so, according to the degree. So all mankind possess intelligence and capacities, but the intelligence, the capacity and the worthiness of men differ.
~ Abdu’l-Baha ~
To recognize this truth fills the heart with humility and a deep willingness to cooperate with the divine Plan — both for ourselves and for the souls entrusted to our care.
In speaking of destiny, three closely related realities may be distinguished through the Baha'i Writings: the unique measure assigned to each soul, the degree in which its capacities are bestowed, and the essential equality that all souls share at the beginning of their journey.
As for what is meant by the equality of souls in the all-highest realm, it is this: the souls of the believers, at the time when they first become manifest in the world of the body, are equal, and each is sanctified and pure. In this world, however, they will begin to differ one from another, some achieving the highest station, some a middle one, others remaining at the lowest stage of being. Their equal status is at the beginning of their existence; the differentiation followeth their passing away.
Which signifies that even though all the perfections of the soul are accessible to every human being, they remain accessible according to a certain degree and a pattern defined not only by free will, but also by fate. For each created being carries within it a particular destiny and an innate station appointed by God.
It is He Who setteth the measure assigned to each and every thing…
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Unto each one hath been prescribed a preordained measure, as decreed in God’s mighty and guarded Tablets. All that which ye potentially possess can, however, be manifested only as a result of your own volition. Your own acts testify to this truth.*
No created thing shall ever attain its paradise unless it appeareth in its highest prescribed degree of perfection.
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No man can attain his true station except through his justice.
Yet beyond this personal paradise, the Writings also open a still higher horizon. According to Baha'u'llah in The Tablet of All Food, there exists a supreme Paradise, JABARUT, accessible by divine grace to the human soul. But it is already a supreme beauty and a profound grace to attain one’s own paradise. Thus every soul, whatever the measure assigned to it, is invited to fully manifest the capacities it has received.
The power of God can entirely transmute our characters and make of us beings entirely unlike our previous selves. Through prayer and supplication, obedience to the divine laws Bahá’u’lláh has revealed, and ever-increasing service to His Faith, we can change ourselves.
Prayer. Obedience. Service. These three become the gentle yet powerful instruments by which the soul can fully unfold the measure entrusted to it. When
it does so, it enters the paradise that belongs uniquely to its own
reality — a crystalline mirror polished to the exact degree for which it
was created.
In this third stage of our journey in the knowledge of the self, we turn our gaze towards the sacred interplay of free will, predestination and destiny. As we have seen, the length of life itself is not the key measure; it is the quality of one’s efforts and openness to divine grace that matters. The gracious Hand of God will weave together all that is required for the fulfillment of His plan for each of us.
Fate and predestination consist in the necessary and indispensable relationships which exist in the realities of things. These relationships have been placed in the realities of existent beings through the power of creation and every incident is a consequence of the necessary relationship.
Thus, inextricably bound by the subtle strands of fate, our interactions, trials and joys — which may seem merely personal — often merge into a sacred harmony for the good of all.
In recognizing the unique spiritual imprint inscribed in every soul, we learn both humility and confidence: humility before the measure assigned by divine wisdom, and confidence in the power of free will to unfold that measure fully. Through prayer, obedience and service, each of us may attain the paradise that belongs to our own reality, while remaining open to the still greater horizons that divine grace may yet unveil.
With this understanding held close to heart, we warmly invite you to continue this blossoming with KNOW THYSELF IV: Spiritual Parenting.
...another step toward our angelic nature.
Be wonderfully blessed !
Loesha
Loesha
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