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THE AIMS
OF THE HUMAN LIFE
O my
heedless self! If you would
like to understand to some
degree the aim of your life
and its nature, its apparent
form and meaning, and the
perfect happiness in your
life, then look! The aims of
your life can be summarized as
the following nine articles:
The first
is that you should weigh up on
the scales of the senses
established in your body the
bounties stored up in the
treasuries of the Divine
Mercy, and offer general
thanks on behalf of all your
body.
The second
is that, through the feelings,
tendencies and faculties
embedded in your nature, you
should discover the hidden
treasuries-the works and
manifestations-of the Divine
Sacred Names, and recognize
the Most Holy One through
those Names.
The third
is that in this place of
exhibition-the world-you
should consciously display
through your life before the
whole creation the subtle
manifestations of the Divine
Names in your being [such as
your senses, faculties and
abilities].
The fourth
is that you should proclaim
your worship and servanthood
to the Court of the Creator’s
Lordship verbally and through
the tongue of your
disposition.
The fifth
is that you should do like a
soldier who, appearing on
ceremonial occasions before
the king with the decorations
he has received from him,
displays the marks of the king’s
favor towards him. You should
consciously adorn yourself in
the “jewels” of subtle
human senses and faculties
embedded in your being through
the manifestations of the
Divine Names and present
yourself to the view of the
Eternal Witness.
The sixth
is that the main purpose for
the creation of living beings
is that they should worship
and glorify their Creator.
They fulfill this duty by
submission to Him-by obeying,
consciously or unconsciously,
the laws He established for
their lives. Thus, you should
consciously observe the
obedience of living beings to
their Creator-their
glorification and worship of
Him-and reflect on them and
acknowledge them through
testifying to them.
The seventh
is that, through taking as
units of measurement the small
samples of attributes like the
partial knowledge, power and
will given to your life, you
should recognize the absolute
Attributes and sacred
qualities of the Majestic
Creator. For example, seeing
that by using your partial
knowledge, will and power, you
have made a beautiful,
well-ordered house for
yourself , you should know
that the Maker of this palace
of the universe is powerful,
wise and capable to the degree
it is greater than your house.
The eighth
is that you should understand
the speech of each being in
the world in its particular
tongue concerning the Oneness
of the Creator, the Lordship
of the Maker.
The ninth
is that from your impotence
and weakness, and poverty and
neediness, you should infer
the degrees of the
manifestations of the Divine
Power and the Richness of the
Lord. Just as the pleasures
and varieties of food are
understood or distinguished in
relation to the degrees of
hunger and kinds of need, so
too you should understand the
degrees of the infinite Divine
Power and Richness through
your infinite impotence and
poverty.
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