Food for the soul, spiritual food from God.

 

77. Food for the soul, spiritual food from God: The word and teachings of God are sometimes referred to as spiritual food and nourishment in the writings of God in the various religions of God. It is not uncommon for words that seem to have a literal content to have a spiritual symbolic under tone to the true meaning of the words.  JUDAISM: Amos: 8:11 “Behold, the days come, saith The Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of The LORD:” Amos: 8:12 “And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of The LORD, and shall not find it.” Deuteronomy: 8:3 “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of The LORD doth man live.”  CHRISTIANITY: Matthew: 4:4 “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Luke: 4:4 “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Luke: 6:25 “Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.” 1 Corinthians: 10:1 “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud;” (the Hebrew children in the wilderness. following the lead of Moses). 1 Corinthians: 10:3 “And did all eat the same spiritual meat;” 1 Corinthians: 10:4 “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them.”

BAHA’I FAITH: “Verily the teachings which flowed from the lips of His Highness Christ were spiritual, celestial, heavenly and the cause of the eternal life; therefore it is explained as heavenly food and the divine table.”

(Abdu’l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu’l-Baha v2, p. 454)

CHRISTIANITY: Matthew: 26:26 “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.” 26:27 “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;” 26:28 “For this is my blood.” 1 Corinthians: 11:23 “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That The Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:” 11:24 “And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.” 11:25 “After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.” 11:26 “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew The Lord’s death till he come.” 11:27 “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of The Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of The Lord.” 11:28 “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.”

BAHA’I FAITH: “Through the manifestation of Christ, the divine teachings, which are an eternal bounty, were spread abroad, the light of guidance shone forth, and the spirit of life was conferred on man. Whoever found guidance became living; whoever remained lost was seized by enduring death. This bread which came down from heaven was the divine body of Christ, His spiritual elements, which the disciples ate, and through which they gained eternal life.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 98)

 ISLAM: “Therefore, the best thing for you to do is to seek guidance of One who has created you, Who maintains and nourishes you, Who has given you a balanced mind and a normally working body. Your invocations should be reserved for Him only, your requests and solicitations should be alone to Him and you should only be afraid of Him.”

(Islam, Ali b. Abi Taalib, Letters from Nahjul Balaagh)

 “Knowest thou what is meat untoiled for? Tis the food of spirits.”

(Islam, Mathnavi of Rumi (E.H. Whinfield tr), The Masnavi Vol 3)

 “God has other reasons Which will procure for you heavenly nourishment.”

(Islam, Mathnavi of Rumi (E.H. Whinfield tr), The Masnavi Vol 5)

 ZOROASTRIANISM: 2. “That which Gathas (may) be to us, which are our guardians and defenders, and our spiritual food, yea, which (may) be to our souls both food and clothing, such are these Gathas to us, guardians, and defenders, and (spiritual) food, even such they are, both food and clothing to the soul. And (may) they be to us (for this our offering) abundant givers of rewards, and just and righteous ones, for the world beyond the present, after the parting of our consciousness and body.”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 55)

 Denkard. Zoroaster, “The deeds holding a high rank are the nourishment of the soul.” “Man does not get the idea of obtaining food for strengthening the soul, himself without the agency of the Yazads. (Angels)”

 HINDUISM: “Dearer than the food to mortals, Truth as nourishment is given, Truth sustains the wide creation, Truth upholds the highest heaven,”

(Hindu, Ramayana (R. Dutt,  abridged tr))

 4. “Pour down in plenty here upon the people the choicest of Your fair celestial water. Let the priest bring you, Fair Ones, through oblations. The nourishment.”

(Hindu, Vedas, Rig Veda – Book 7)

 22. “What time the loving spirit’s word had formed him Chief of all food”

(Hindu, Vedas, Rig Veda – Book 9)

 BUDDHISM: “Whatever Samadhis, psychic faculties and teachings are realized by the Bodhisattvas, they are made possible only by the sustaining power of the Buddhas; if it were otherwise, the ignorant and the simpleminded might attain the same fruitage.” (Spiritual food or content found in the teachings of the Buddha). (Buddha, Lankavatara Sutra)

 SABEANISM: “Ask on earth and I will supply you with heavenly fruit, ask from below, (from) reed, swamp, mud, and I will supply you from the lofty heavens.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 35)

 “Set up for me a kana d-zidqa, a Table and good fortune so that they are fully supplied (of the spirit) Thou, Manda-d-Hiia, (God) callest the caller, nourishest the nourisher, buildest the builder,” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 76 and 410)

 BABI RELIGION: “Blessed be he that gives his heart nourishment from the letters of paradise.”

(The Bab (unauthorized translation), The Persian Bayan)

 “You have understood, I think, that the religious law and the precepts of morality are the food of the Spirit.”

The Bab: (Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 38)

BAHA’I FAITH: “Among some of the nations of the Orient, music and harmony was not approved of, but the Manifested Light, Bahá’u’lláh, in this glorious period has revealed in Holy Tablets that singing and music are the spiritual food of the hearts and souls.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i World Faith – Abdu’l-Baha Section, p. 378)

“Through the manifestation of Christ, the divine teachings, which are an eternal bounty, were spread abroad, the light of guidance shone forth, and the spirit of life was conferred on man. Whoever found guidance became living; whoever remained lost was seized by enduring death. This bread which came down from heaven was the divine body of Christ, His spiritual elements, which the disciples ate, and through which they gained eternal life.”

“The disciples had taken many meals from the hand of Christ; why was the last supper distinguished from the others? It is evident that the heavenly bread did not signify this material bread, but rather the divine nourishment of the spiritual body of Christ, the divine graces and heavenly perfections of which His disciples partook, and with which they became filled.”

“In the same way, reflect that when Christ blessed the bread and gave it to His disciples, saying, “This is My body,”[1] and gave grace to them, He was with them in person, in presence, and form. He was not transformed into bread and wine; if He had been turned into bread and wine, He could not have remained with the disciples in body, in person and in presence.” [1 Matt. 26:26.]

“Then it is clear that the bread and wine were symbols which signified: I have given you My bounties and perfections, and when you have received this bounty, you have gained eternal life and have partaken of your share and your portion of the heavenly nourishment.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 98)