The Life of the Spirit
Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation affirms that the purpose of our lives is to know God and to attain His presence. Our true identity is our rational soul, whose spiritual development is the very purpose of life.
Four topics are examined below. Under each heading there are reflections, selections from the Bahá'í writings, and further resources.
Every human being possesses an immortal, rational soul that passes through this world for a brief time and continues for eternity to advance towards God. The human soul is the seat of understanding, spiritual perception and free will.
Bahá'u'lláh wrote that the soul is "a sign of God, a heavenly gem whose reality the most learned of men hath failed to grasp." Death is not an end but a doorway — a transition in which the soul, freed from the limitations of the physical body, continues its journey of spiritual growth in worlds beyond this one, drawing nearer to its Creator.
"O Son of Man! I loved thy creation, hence I created thee. Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I may name thy name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life."
— Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words
Acts of devotion such as prayer, meditation, fasting, pilgrimage, and service to others are inherent to religious life. Through them, individuals and communities gain access to spiritual energy and draw ever closer to God.
Bahá'ís have no obligatory rituals beyond daily prayer, but devotional life flourishes through simple, heartfelt gatherings — devotional meetings open to people of any or no religious background, where prayers and readings from the world's sacred scriptures are shared in an atmosphere of warmth and reflection.
Just as a candle's purpose is to provide light, the human soul was created to give generously. We fulfil our highest purpose in a life of service in which we expend our God-given talents, time and material resources for the benefit of others.
This spirit of generosity is expressed in countless ways: through Huqúqu'lláh, a voluntary spiritual law of giving back a portion of one's surplus wealth; through neighborhood service projects; and through simply offering one's time, skills, and presence to those in need, expecting nothing in return.
The cultivation of spiritual qualities in this world is inseparable from an ongoing refinement of our conduct in which our actions increasingly come to reflect the beauty of our inner spiritual life.
Bahá'u'lláh exhorted His followers to be "a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty" — through honesty, trustworthiness, kindliness, and the elimination of backbiting and prejudice from daily life. Character, more than ritual or creed, is regarded as the truest measure of spiritual progress.