In man there are two natures; his spiritual or higher nature
and his material or lower nature. In one he approaches God, in the other he
lives for the world alone. Signs of both these natures are to be found in men.
In his material aspect he expresses untruth, cruelty and injustice; all these
are the outcome of his lower nature. The attributes of his divine nature are
shown forth in love, mercy, kindness, truth and justice, one and all being
expressions of his higher nature. Every good habit, every noble quality belongs
to man’s spiritual nature, whereas all his imperfections and sinful actions are
born of his material nature. If a man’s divine nature dominates his human
nature, we have a saint.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk, November 1, 1911, Paris,
France; ‘Paris Talks’)
