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Reflections on the Life of the Spirit is a book which helps individuals to understand the spiritual life. Three units comprise the book:
Unit 1: Understanding the Baha'i Writings--Using short quotes from the Baha'i Writings, the participant learns how to understand spiritual writings using the Baha'i Writings as examples. The participant is asked to consider three levels of comprehension in understanding the Writings. Questions concerning these three levels are included to help the participant gain greater understanding:
1. Understanding--Understanding the meaning of the Writings: what do the words say and what do the words mean?
2. Application--How do these quotes apply to every day life?
3. Implication--What are the implications of the quote in everyday life?
Unit 2: Prayer--The goals of this unit are to (1) clarify the concept of prayer and understand its importance to a spiritual life, (2) to awaken a desire to "converse with God" and feel the joy of being near to Him, and (3) to examine the attitudes with which prayer should be approached: how to enter a state of prayer.
Unit 3: Life and Death--an understanding of the soul, the life of the soul in the path of service both in this world and in the world hereafter.
Samples of quotations from each Unit follow:
Unit 1: Understanding the Baha'i Writings:
"The betterment of the world can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly conduct."
"Truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues."
"Speak no evil, that thou mayest not hear it spoken unto thee, and magnify not the faults of others that thine own faults may not appear great."
Unit 2: Prayer
"I beseech Thee...to make of my prayer a fire that will burn away the veils which have shut me out from Thy beauty, and a light that will lead me unto the ocean of Thy Presence."
"In the highest prayer, men pray only for the love of God, not because they fear Him or hell, or hope for bounty or heaven..."
Unit 3: Life and Death
"And now concerning thy question regarding the soul of man and its survival after death. Know thou of a truth that the soul, after its separation from the body, will continue to progress until it attaineth the pesence of God, in a state and condition which neither the revolution of ages and centuries, nor the changes and chances of this world, can alter. It will endure as long as the Kingdom of God, His sovereignty, His dominion and power will endure. It will manifest the signs of God and His attributes, and will reveal His loving-kindness and bounty."
"The purpose of God in creating man hath been, and will ever be, to enable him to know his Creator and to attain His Presence..."