Il testo è in inglese per buona parte poiché ho trovato molto materiale in inglese. Ma ci sono importanti citazioni in italiano.

In breve, all’uomo sono date due nature: l’una tende verso la sublimità morale e la perfezione intellettuale, l’altra è incline a bestiale degradazione e imperfezioni carnali. (Abdu’l-Bahá, Antologia, p. 270)

Sappi che nell’uomo vi sono due nature: la natura fisica e la natura spirituale. la prima è la fonte di tutte le imperfezioni, la seconda è la fonte di tutte le perfezioni. (Abdu’l-Bahá, Le lezioni di San Giovanni d’Acri, p.122 )

Ma lo spirito dell’uomo ha due aspetti: Uno divino ed uno satanico; cioè, esso è capace della più grande perfezione, come pure della più grande imperfezione. Se esso acquista virtù è il più nobile degli esseri viventi, se acquisisce vizi, diventa l’essere più abietto. (Abdu’l-Bahá, Le lezioni di San Giovanni d’Acri, p.146)

Man has two aspects: the physical, which is subject to nature, and the merciful or divine, which is connected with God. If the physical or natural disposition in him should overcome the heavenly and merciful, he is, then, the most degraded of animal beings; and if the divine and spiritual should triumph over the human and natural, he is, verily, an angel. The Prophets come into the world to guide and educate humanity so that the animal nature of man may disappear and the divinity of his powers become awakened. The divine aspect or spiritual nature consists of the breaths of the Holy Spirit. The second birth of which Jesus has spoken refers to the appearance of this heavenly nature in man. It is expressed in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and he who is baptized by the Holy Spirit is a veritable manifestation of divine mercy to mankind. Then he becomes just and kind to all humanity; he entertains prejudice and ill will toward none; he shuns no nation or people.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 41)

Man possesses two kinds of susceptibilities: the natural emotions, which are like dust upon the mirror, and spiritual susceptibilities, which are merciful and heavenly characteristics. There is a power which purifies the mirror from dust and transforms its reflection into intense brilliancy and radiance so that spiritual susceptibilities may chasten the hearts and heavenly bestowals sanctify them. What is the dust which obscures the mirror? It is attachment to the world, avarice, envy, love of luxury and comfort, haughtiness and self-desire; this is the dust which prevents reflection of the rays of the Sun of Reality in the mirror. The natural emotions are blameworthy and are like rust which deprives the heart of the bounties of God. But sincerity, justice, humility, severance, and love for the believers of God will purify the mirror and make it radiant with reflected rays from the Sun of Truth. (Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 244)

In his physical body and its functions man is a captive of nature; for instance, he cannot continue his existence without sleep, an exigency of nature; he must partake of food and drink, which nature demands and requires. But in his spiritual being and intelligence man dominates and controls nature, the ruler of his physical being. This would indicate that man is deprived of the bounties of God, that he is retrograding toward the station of the animal, that his keen superintelligence is without function and that he estimates himself as an animal, without distinction between his own and the animal’s kingdom. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 81)

In the human plane and kingdom man is a captive of nature and ignorant of the divine world until born of the breaths of the Holy Spirit out of physical conditions of limitation and deprivation. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 288)

The meaning of this is that if man is a captive of nature, he is like unto an animal because he is only a body physically born — that is, he belongs to the world of matter and remains subject to the law and control of nature. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 304)

In breve, è mia speranza che per la grazia di Bahá’u’lláh, tu progredirai quotidianamente nel Regno, che tu divenga angelo del cielo, confermato dagli aliti dello Spirito Santo, e che tu eriga una struttura che permanga ferma e incrollabile per l’eternità. (Abdu’l-Bahá, Antologia, # 168)

The material world, in relation to the spiritual world, is a world of imperfections. It is full of dangers and difficulties which have been greatly aggravated by man’s neglect and misuse of his responsibilities. Human society itself, which exists in the material world, is in disastrous disarray. Our appetites and inclinations are strongly influenced by the condition of our physical makeup, and our bodies are in varying degrees of health, depending upon factors such as heredity, environment, nourishment and our own treatment of them. Genetic variations occur, producing conditions which can create problems for the individual. Some conditions are of an emotional or psychological nature, producing such imbalances as quickness to anger, recklessness, timorousness, and so forth; others involve purely physical characteristics, resulting not only in unusual capacities but also in handicaps or diseases of various kinds. (Letters of The Universal House of Justice, 1995 Sept 11, Homosexuality)

Were it not for the favors of the Blessed Perfection, no one would have given us any importance. There are some who become proud and haughty and forget this fact. In their utter blindness they consider themselves to be important. Then they fall from their high pedestal, and great is the noise thereof.  (Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha’i Scriptures, p. 449)

Il mondo materiale

Oggi il cielo è chiaro, il sole risplende, e perciò il cuore dell’uomo si rallegra! Un’atmosfera così chiara e bella dà nuova vita e forza all’uomo, e se egli è ammalato sente una volta di più nel suo cuore la dolce speranza della guarigione. Questi doni della natura riguardano soltanto il lato fisico dell’uomo, perché solo il corpo può ricevere benefizi materiali. Se un uomo riesce nei suoi affari, nella sua arte o nella sua professione, egli può aumentare il suo benessere fisico e dare al suo corpo quegli agi nei quali si compiace. Vediamo oggi intorno a noi come l’uomo si circonda di ogni lusso e di tutte le comodità moderne, e come non nega niente al lato fisico e materiale della sua natura. Ma state attenti che pensando troppo al benessere del corpo non vi accada di dimenticare ciò che è necessario per l’anima; perché i vantaggi materiali non elevano lo spirito dell’uomo. La perfezione nelle cose del mondo rende felice il corpo dell’uomo, ma non può in alcun modo elevare l’anima sua. (Abdu’l-Bahá, La saggezza)

Spirito umano e spirito della fede

Ma lo spirito umano, se non è assistito dallo spirito della fede, non può venire a conoscenza dei segreti divini e delle realtà celestiali. Esso è simile a uno specchio che, sebbene terso, lucido e brillante, ha bisogno di luce. Fino a che un raggio di sole non vi si riflette, lo specchio non può scoprire i segreti celesti. (Abdu’l-Bahá, Le lezioni di San Giovanni d’Acri, p.209)

La Divina Realtà si può paragonare al sole, e lo Spirito Santo ai raggi del sole. Come i raggi del sole portano la luce ed il calore del sole alla terra, dando vita a tutti gli esseri creati, così le Manifestazioni di Dio portano all’umanità dal Sole della divina essenza il potere dello spirito per dare luce e vita alle anime. (Abdu’l-Bahá, La Saggezza, p. 67)

Physical/spiritual birth

Therefore, for the perfect man there are two kinds of birth: the first, physical birth, is from the matrix of the mother; the second, or spiritual birth, is from the world of nature. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 304)

Purpose of the coming of the Manifestations of God

The holy Manifestations of God come into the world to dispel the darkness of the animal, or physical, nature of man, to purify him from his imperfections in order that his heavenly and spiritual nature may become quickened, his divine qualities awakened, his perfections visible, his potential powers revealed and all the virtues of the world of humanity latent within him may come to life. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 465)

The Christ sacrificed Himself so that men might be freed from the imperfections of the physical nature and might become possessed of the virtues of the spiritual nature. This spiritual nature, which came into existence through the bounty of the Divine Reality, is the union of all perfections and appears through the breath of the Holy Spirit. It is the divine perfections; it is light, spirituality, guidance, exaltation, high aspiration, justice, love, grace, kindness to all, philanthropy, the essence of life. It is the reflection of the splendor of the Sun of Reality. (Abdu’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 118)

They come to educate and illuminate mankind, to bestow spiritual susceptibilities, to quicken inner perceptions and thereby adorn the reality of man — the human temple — with divine graces. (Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 330)

To this end He has sent the Prophets of God, the holy Manifestations of the Word, in order that the fundamental reality and religion of God may prove to be the bond of human unity, for the divine religions revealed by these holy Messengers have one and the same foundation. (Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 338)

Immerse in the Teachings: life will be safe

Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths. (Bahá’u’lláh, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 85)

Praise be to God that the spirit of the Holy Writings and Tablets which have been revealed in this wondrous Dispensation concerning matters of major or minor importance, whether essential or otherwise, related to the sciences and the arts, to natural philosophy, literature, politics or economics, have so permeated the world that since the inception of the world in the course of past Dispensations and bygone ages nothing like it has ever been seen or heard. Indeed if an avowed follower of Bahá’u’lláh were to immerse himself in, and fathom the depths of, the ocean of these heavenly teachings, and with utmost care and attention deduce from each of them the subtle mysteries and consummate wisdom that lie enshrined therein, such a person’s life, materially, intellectually and spiritually, will be safe from toil and trouble, and unaffected by setbacks and perils, or any sadness or despondency. [13 January 1923 to the Bahá’ís of Adhirbayjan] (Compilations, The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, p. 204)

Cleanse and purify the soul

 

A little earnestness and endeavor is incumbent upon you, so that the pages of the soul may be cleansed and purified from the rust of attachment to this ephemeral world. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets v2, p. 445)

This test is just as thou hast written: it removeth the rust of egotism from the mirror of the heart until the Sun of Truth may shine therein. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets v3, p. 722)

Lode sia a Dio che lo spirito dei Sacri Scritti e delle Tavole rivelate in questa mirabile Dispensazione su temi di maggiore o minore importanza, essenziali o no, relativi alle scienze, alle arti, alla filosofia naturale, alla letteratura, alla politica o all’economia, ha permeato il mondo in tal guisa che nulla di simile s’è mai visto o udito sin dall’inizio del mondo nel corso delle passate Dispensazioni e nelle antiche età. Ogni seguace dichiarato di Bahá’u’lláh che s’immerga a scandagliare le profondità dell’oceano di questi divini insegnamenti, e da ognuno di loro deduca con somma cura e attenzione i sottili misteri e la perfetta saggezza che vi giacciono racchiusi, sarà materialmente, intellettualmente e spiritualmente in salvo da pene e tribolazioni e non lo turberanno ostacoli e pericoli, o sorta alcuna di tristezza o scoramento. (13 gennaio 1923, agli amici dell’Adhirbáyján, tradotto dal persiano)