The human soul is an essence spiritual in entity and material or physical in function. It is defined as essence because it is independent in itself, while the body is accidental and dependent upon the soul.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk, quoted by Lua Getsinger in her talk in San Francisco on December 17, 1911; Book: ‘Lua Getsinger – Herald of the Covenant’, by Velda Piff Metelmann)