SELECTIONS FROM THE WRITINGS OF ABDU'L-BAHA
References to the Qur'an
In footnotes referring to the Qur'an the surihs have been numbered
according to the original, whereas the verse numbers are those in
Rodwell's translation which differ sometimes from those of the Arabic.
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SELECTIONS FROM THE WRITINGS OF ABDU'L-BAHA
1. O peoples of the world! The Sun of Truth hath risen to illumine the
whole earth, and to spiritualize the community of man. Laudable are the
results and the fruits thereof, abundant the holy evidences deriving
from this grace. This is mercy unalloyed and purest bounty; it is light
for the world and all its peoples; it is harmony and fellowship, and
love and solidarity; indeed it is compassion and unity, and the end of
foreignness; it is the being at one, in complete dignity and freedom,
with all on earth.
The Blessed Beauty saith: `Ye are all the fruits of one tree, the leaves
of one branch.' Thus hath He likened this world of being to a single
tree, and all its peoples to the leaves thereof, and the blossoms and
fruits. It is needful for the bough to blossom, and leaf and fruit to
flourish, and upon the interconnection of all parts of the world-tree,
dependeth the flourishing of leaf and blossom, and the sweetness of the
fruit.
For this reason must all human beings powerfully sustain one another and
seek for everlasting life; and for this reason must the lovers of God in
this contingent world become the mercies and the blessings sent forth by
that clement King of the seen and unseen realms. Let them purify their
sight and behold all humankind as leaves and blossoms and fruits of the
tree of being. Let them at all times concern themselves with doing a
kindly thing for one of their fellows, offering to someone love,
consideration, thoughtful help. Let them
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see no one as their enemy, or as wishing them ill, but think of all
humankind as their friends; regarding the alien as an intimate, the
stranger as a companion, staying free of prejudice, drawing no lines.
In this day, the one favoured at the Threshold of the Lord is he who
handeth round the cup of faithfulness; who bestoweth, even upon his
enemies, the jewel of bounty, and lendeth, even to his fallen oppressor,
a helping hand; it is he who will, even to the fiercest of his foes, be
a loving friend. These are the Teachings of the Blessed Beauty, these
the counsels of the Most Great Name.
O ye dear friends! The world is at war and the human race is in travail
and mortal combat. The dark night of hate hath taken over, and the light
of good faith is blotted out. The peoples and kindreds of the earth have
sharpened their claws, and are hurling themselves one against the other.
It is the very foundation of the human race that is being destroyed. It
is thousands of households that are vagrant and dispossessed, and every
year seeth thousands upon thousands of human beings weltering in their
life-blood on dusty battlefields. The tents of life and joy are down.
The generals practise their generalship, boasting of the blood they
shed, competing one with the next in inciting to violence. `With this
sword,' saith one of them, `I beheaded a people!' And another: `I
toppled a nation to the ground!' And yet another: `I brought a
government down!' On such things do men pride themselves, in such do
they glory! Love--righteousness--these are everywhere censured, while
despised are harmony, and devotion to the truth.
The Faith of the Blessed Beauty is summoning mankind to safety and love,
to amity and peace; it hath raised up its tabernacle on the heights of
the earth, and directeth its call to all nations. Wherefore, O ye who
are God's lovers, know
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ye the value of this precious Faith, obey its teachings, walk in this
road that is drawn straight, and show ye this way to the people. Lift up
your voices and sing out the song of the Kingdom. Spread far and wide
the precepts and counsels of the loving Lord, so that this world will
change into another world, and this darksome earth will be flooded with
light, and the dead body of mankind will arise and live; so that every
soul will ask for immortality, through the holy breaths of God.
Soon will your swiftly-passing days be over, and the fame and riches,
the comforts, the joys provided by this rubbish-heap, the world, will be
gone without a trace. Summon ye, then, the people to God, and invite
humanity to follow the example of the Company on high. Be ye loving
fathers to the orphan, and a refuge to the helpless, and a treasury for
the poor, and a cure for the ailing. Be ye the helpers of every victim
of oppression, the patrons of the disadvantaged. Think ye at all times
of rendering some service to every member of the human race. Pay ye no
heed to aversion and rejection, to disdain, hostility, injustice: act ye
in the opposite way. Be ye sincerely kind, not in appearance only. Let
each one of God's loved ones centre his attention on this: to be the
Lord's mercy to man; to be the Lord's grace. Let him do some good to
every person whose path he crosseth, and be of some benefit to him. Let
him improve the character of each and all, and reorient the minds of
men. In this way, the light of divine guidance will shine forth, and the
blessings of God will cradle all mankind: for love is light, no matter
in what abode it dwelleth; and hate is darkness, no matter where it may
make its nest. O friends of God! That the hidden Mystery may stand
revealed, and the secret essence of all things may be disclosed, strive
ye to banish that darkness for ever and ever.
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2. O my Lord! I have drawn nigh unto Thee, in the depths of this
darksome night, confiding in Thee with the tongue of my heart, trembling
with joy at the sweet scents that blow from Thy realm, the All-Glorious,
calling unto Thee, saying:
O my Lord, no words do I find to glorify Thee; no way do I see for the
bird of my mind to soar upward to Thy Kingdom of Holiness; for Thou, in
Thy very essence, art sanctified above those tributes, and in Thy very
being art beyond the reach of those praises which are offered Thee by
the people that Thou hast created. In the sanctity of Thine own being
hast Thou ever been exalted above the understanding of the learned among
the Company on high, and forever wilt Thou remain enwrapped within the
holiness of Thine own reality, unreached by the knowledge of those
dwellers in Thine exalted Kingdom who glorify Thy Name.
O God, my God! How can I glorify or describe Thee inaccessible as Thou
art; immeasurably high and sanctified art Thou above every description
and praise.
O God, my God! Have mercy then upon my helpless state, my poverty, my
misery, my abasement! Give me to drink from the generous cup of Thy
grace and forgiveness, stir me with the sweet scents of Thy love,
gladden my bosom with the light of Thy knowledge, purify my soul with
the mysteries of Thy oneness, raise me to life with the gentle breeze
that cometh from the gardens of Thy mercy --till I sever myself from all
else but Thee, and lay hold of the hem of Thy garment of grandeur, and
consign to oblivion all that is not Thee, and be companioned by the
sweet breathings that waft during these Thy days, and attain unto
faithfulness at Thy Threshold of Holiness, and arise to serve Thy Cause,
and to be humble before Thy loved ones,
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and, in the presence of Thy favoured ones, to be nothingness itself.
Verily art Thou the Helper, the Sustainer, the Exalted, the Most
Generous.
O God, my God! I beg of Thee by the dawning of the light of Thy Beauty
that hath illumined all the earth, and by the glance of Thy divine
compassion's eye that considereth all things, and by the surging sea of
Thy bestowals in which all things are immersed, and by Thy streaming
clouds of bounty raining down gifts upon the essences of all created
things, and by the splendours of Thy mercy that existed before ever the
world was--to help Thy chosen ones to be faithful, and assist Thy loved
ones to serve at Thine exalted Threshold, and cause them to gain the
victory through the battalions of Thy might that overpowereth all
things, and reinforce them with a great fighting host from out of the
Concourse on high.
O my Lord! They are weak souls standing at Thy door; they are paupers in
Thy courtyard, desperate for Thy grace, in dire need of Thy succour,
turning their faces toward the kingdom of Thy oneness, yearning for the
bounties of Thy bestowals. O my Lord! Flood Thou their minds with Thy
holy light; cleanse Thou their hearts with the grace of Thine
assistance; gladden their bosoms with the fragrance of the joys that
waft from Thy Company above; make bright their eyes by beholding the
signs and tokens of Thy might; cause them to be the ensigns of purity,
the banners of sanctity waving high above all creatures on the summits
of the earth; make Thou their words to move hearts which are even as
solid rock. May they arise to serve Thee and dedicate themselves to the
Kingdom of Thy divinity, and set their faces toward the realm of Thy
Self-Subsistence, and spread far and wide Thy signs, and be illumined by
Thy
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streaming lights, and unfold Thy hidden mysteries. May they guide Thy
servants unto gentle waters and to the fountain of Thy mercy that
welleth and leapeth in the midmost heart of the Heaven of Thy oneness.
May they hoist the sail of detachment upon the Ark of Salvation, and
move over the seas of Thy knowledge; may they spread wide the pinions of
unity and by their aid soar upward to the Kingdom of Thy singleness to
become servants whom the Supreme Concourse will applaud, whose praises
the dwellers in Thine all-glorious realm will utter; may they hear the
heralds of the invisible world as they raise their cry of the Most Great
Glad-Tidings; may they, in their longing to meet Thee, invoke and pray
unto Thee, intoning wondrous orisons at the dawn of light--O my Lord Who
disposest all things--shedding their tears at morningtide and even,
yearning to pass into the shadow of Thy mercy that endeth never.
Help them, O my Lord, under all conditions, support them at all times
with Thine angels of holiness, they who are Thine invisible hosts, Thy
heavenly battalions who bring down to defeat the massed armies of this
nether world.
Verily art Thou the Mighty, the Powerful, the Strong, the
All-Encompassing, the One Who hath dominion over all that is.
O holy Lord! O Lord of loving-kindness! We stray about Thy dwelling,
longing to behold Thy beauty, and loving all Thy ways. We are hapless,
lowly, and of small account. We are paupers: show us mercy, give us
bounty; look not upon our failings, hide Thou our endless sins. Whatever
we are, still are we Thine, and what we speak and hear is praise of
Thee, and it is Thy face we seek, Thy path we follow. Thou art the Lord
of loving-kindness, we
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are sinners and astray and far from home. Wherefore, O Cloud of Mercy,
grant us some drops of rain. O Flowering Bed of grace, send forth a
fragrant breeze. O Sea of all bestowals, roll towards us a great wave. O
Sun of Bounty, send down a shaft of light. Grant us pity, grant us
grace. By Thy beauty, we come with no provision but our sins, with no
good deeds to tell of, only hopes. Unless Thy concealing veil doth cover
us, and Thy protection shield and cradle us, what power have these
helpless souls to rise and serve Thee, what substance have these
wretched ones to make a brave display? Thou Who art the Mighty, the
All-Powerful, help us, favour us; withered as we are, revive us with
showers from Thy clouds of grace; lowly as we are, illumine us with
bright rays from the Day-Star of Thy oneness. Cast Thou these thirsty
fish into the ocean of Thy mercy, guide Thou this lost caravan to the
shelter of Thy singleness; to the wellspring of guidance lead Thou the
ones who have wandered far astray, and grant to those who have missed
the path a haven within the precincts of Thy might. Lift Thou to these
parched lips the bounteous and soft-flowing waters of heaven, raise up
these dead to everlasting life. Grant Thou to the blind eyes that will
see. Make Thou the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak. Set Thou the
dispirited ablaze, make Thou the heedless mindful, warn Thou the proud,
awaken those who sleep.
Thou art the Mighty, Thou art the Bestower, Thou art the Loving. Verily
Thou art the Beneficent, the Most Exalted.
O ye loved ones of God, ye helpers of this evanescent Servant! When the
Sun of Reality shed its endless bounties from the Dawning-Point of all
desires, and this world of being was lit with that sacred light from
pole to pole, with such intensity did it cast down its rays that it
blotted out the
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Stygian dark forever, whereupon this earth of dust became the envy of
the spheres of heaven, and this lowly place took on the state and
panoply of the supernal realm. The gentle breeze of holiness blew over
it, scattering abroad sweet savours; the spring winds of heaven passed
by it, and over it, from the Source of all bestowals, were wafted
fruitful airs that carried boundless grace. Then the bright dawn rose,
and there came tidings of great joy. The divine springtime was here,
pitching its tents in this contingent world, so that all creation leapt
and danced. The withered earth brought forth immortal blooms, the dead
dust woke to everlasting life. Then came forth flowers of mystic
learning, and, bespeaking the knowledge of God, fresh greenery from the
ground. The contingent world displayed God's bounteous gifts, the
visible world reflecting the glories of realms that were hidden from
sight. God's summons was proclaimed, the table of the Eternal Covenant
was readied, the cup of the Testament was passed from hand to hand, the
universal invitation was sent forth. Then some among the people were set
afire with the wine of heaven, and some were left without a share of
this greatest of bestowals. The sight and insight of some were illumined
by the light of grace, and there were some who, hearing the anthems of
unity, leapt for joy. There were birds that began to carol in the
gardens of holiness, there were nightingales in the branches of the rose
tree of heaven that raised their plaintive cries. Then were decked and
adorned both the Kingdom on high and the earth below, and this world
became the envy of high heaven. Yet alas, alas, the neglectful have
stayed fast in their heedless sleep, and the foolish have spurned this
most sacred of bestowals. The blind remain shrouded in their veils, the
deaf have no share in what hath come to pass, the dead have no hopes of
attaining thereto, for even as He saith: `They
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despair of the life to come, as the infidels despair that the dwellers
in the tombs will rise again.'+F1
As to you, O ye loved ones of God! Loose your tongues and offer Him
thanks; praise ye and glorify the Beauty of the Adored One, for ye have
drunk from this purest of chalices, and ye are cheered and set aglow
with this wine. Ye have detected the sweet scents of holiness, ye have
smelled the musk of faithfulness from Joseph's raiment. Ye have fed on
the honey-dew of loyalty from the hands of Him Who is the one alone
Beloved, ye have feasted on immortal dishes at the bounteous banquet
table of the Lord. This plenty is a special favour bestowed by a loving
God, these are blessings and rare gifts deriving from His grace. In the
Gospel He saith: `For many are called, but few are chosen.'+F2 That is,
to many is it offered, but rare is the soul who is singled out to
receive the great bestowal of guidance. `Such is the bounty of God: to
whom He will He giveth it, and of immense bounty is God.'+F3
O ye loved ones of God! From the peoples of the world, against the
Candle of the Covenant discordant winds do beat and blow. The
Nightingale of faithfulness is beset by renegades who are even as ravens
of hate. The Dove of God's remembrance is hard pressed by mindless birds
of night, and the Gazelle that dwelleth in the meadows of God's love is
being hunted down by ravening beasts. Deadly is the peril, tormenting
the pain.
The beloved of the Lord must stand fixed as the mountains, firm as
impregnable walls. Unmoved must they remain by even the direst
adversities, ungrieved by the worst of disasters. Let them cling to the
hem of Almighty
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 60:13
+F2. Matthew 22:14
+F3. Qur'an 57:21
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God, and put their faith in the Beauty of the Most High; let them lean
on the unfailing help that cometh from the Ancient Kingdom, and depend
on the care and protection of the generous Lord. Let them at all times
refresh and restore themselves with the dews of heavenly grace, and with
the breaths of the Holy Spirit revive and renew themselves from moment
to moment. Let them rise up to serve their Lord, and do all in their
power to scatter His breathings of holiness far and wide. Let them be a
mighty fortress to defend His Faith, an impregnable citadel for the
hosts of the Ancient Beauty. Let them faithfully guard the edifice of
the Cause of God from every side; let them become the bright stars of
His luminous skies. For the hordes of darkness are assailing this Cause
from every direction, and the peoples of the earth are intent on
extinguishing this evident Light. And since all the kindreds of the
world are mounting their attack, how can our attention be diverted, even
for a moment? Assuredly be cognizant of these things, be watchful, and
guard the Cause of God.
The most vital duty, in this day, is to purify your characters, to
correct your manners, and improve your conduct. The beloved of the
Merciful must show forth such character and conduct among His creatures,
that the fragrance of their holiness may be shed upon the whole world,
and may quicken the dead, inasmuch as the purpose of the Manifestation
of God and the dawning of the limitless lights of the Invisible is to
educate the souls of men, and refine the character of every living
man--so that blessed individuals, who have freed themselves from the
murk of the animal world, shall rise up with those qualities which are
the adornings of the reality of man. The purpose is that earthlings
should turn into the people of Heaven, and those
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who walk in darkness should come into the light, and those who are
excluded should join the inner circle of the Kingdom, and those who are
as nothing should become intimates of the everlasting Glory. It is that
the portionless should gain their share of the boundless sea, and the
ignorant drink their fill from the living fount of knowledge; that those
who thirst for blood should forsake their savagery, and those who are
barbed of claw should turn gentle and forbearing, and those who love war
should seek instead for true conciliation; it is that the brutal, their
talons razor-sharp, should enjoy the benefits of lasting peace; that the
foul should learn that there is a realm of purity, and the tainted find
their way to the rivers of holiness.
Unless these divine bestowals be revealed from the inner self of
humankind, the bounty of the Manifestation will prove barren, and the
dazzling rays of the Sun of Truth will have no effect whatever.
Wherefore, O beloved of the Lord, strive ye with heart and soul to
receive a share of His holy attributes and take your portion of the
bounties of His sanctity--that ye may become the tokens of unity, the
standards of singleness, and seek out the meaning of oneness; that ye
may, in this garden of God, lift up your voices and sing the blissful
anthems of the spirit. Become ye as the birds who offer Him their
thanks, and in the blossoming bowers of life chant ye such melodies as
will dazzle the minds of those who know. Raise ye a banner on the
highest peaks of the world, a flag of God's favour to ripple and wave in
the winds of His grace; plant ye a tree in the field of life, amid the
roses of this visible world, that will yield a fruitage fresh and sweet.
I swear by the true Teacher that if ye will act in accord with the
admonitions of God, as revealed in His luminous
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Tablets, this darksome dust will mirror forth the Kingdom of heaven, and
this nether world the realm of the All-Glorious.
O ye loved ones of the Lord! Praise be to Him, the unseen, welling
bounties of the Sun of Truth encompass you on every side, and from every
direction the portals of His mercy stand ajar. Now is the time to take
advantage of these bestowals, and benefit therefrom. Know ye the value
of this time, let not this chance escape you. Stay ye entirely clear of
this dark world's concerns, and become ye known by the attributes of
those essences that make their home in the Kingdom. Then shall ye see
how intense is the glory of the heavenly Day-Star, and how blinding
bright are the tokens of bounty coming out of the invisible realm.
3. O ye beloved of God! O ye children of His Kingdom! Verily, verily,
the new heaven and the new earth are come. The holy City, new Jerusalem,
hath come down from on high in the form of a maid of heaven, veiled,
beauteous, and unique, and prepared for reunion with her lovers on
earth. The angelic company of the Celestial Concourse hath joined in a
call that hath run throughout the universe, all loudly and mightily
acclaiming: `This is the City of God and His abode, wherein shall dwell
the pure and holy among His servants. He shall live with them, for they
are His people and He is their Lord.'
He hath wiped away their tears, kindled their light, rejoiced their
hearts and enraptured their souls. Death shall no more overtake them
neither shall sorrow, weeping or tribulation afflict them. The Lord God
Omnipotent hath been enthroned in His Kingdom and hath made all things
new. This is the truth and what truth can be greater than that announced
by the Revelation of St. John the Divine?
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He is Alpha and Omega. He is the One that will give unto him that is
athirst of the fountain of the water of life and bestow upon the sick
the remedy of true salvation. He whom such grace aideth is verily he
that receiveth the most glorious heritage from the Prophets of God and
His holy ones. The Lord will be his God, and he His dearly-beloved son.
Rejoice, then, O ye beloved of the Lord and His chosen ones, and ye the
children of God and His people, raise your voices to laud and magnify
the Lord, the Most High; for His light hath beamed forth, His signs have
appeared and the billows of His rising ocean have scattered on every
shore many a precious pearl.
4. Praise be to Him Who hath made the world of being, and hath fashioned
all that is, Him Who hath raised up the sincere to a station of
honour+F1 and hath made the invisible world to appear on the plane of
the visible--yet still, in their drunken stupor,+F2 do men wander and
stray.
He hath laid down the foundations of the lofty Citadel, He hath
inaugurated the Cycle of Glory, He hath brought forth a new creation on
this day that is clearly Judgement Day--and still do the heedless stay
fast in their drunken sleep.
The Bugle+F3 hath sounded, the Trumpet+F4 hath been blown, the Crier
hath raised his call, and all upon the earth have swooned away--but
still do the dead, in the tombs of their bodies, sleep on.
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 17:81
+F2. Qur'an 15:72
+F3. Qur'an 39:68; Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 133
+F4. Qur'an 74:8
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And the second clarion+F1 hath sounded, there hath followed the second
blast after the first,+F2 and the dread woe hath come, and every nursing
mother hath forgot the infant at her breast+F3--yet still the people,
confused and distracted, heed it not.
And the Resurrection hath dawned, and the Hour hath struck, and the Path
hath been drawn straight, and the Balance hath been set up, and all upon
the earth have been gathered together+F4--but still the people see no
sign of the way.
The light hath shone forth, and radiance floodeth Mount Sinai, and a
gentle wind bloweth from over the gardens of the Ever-Forgiving Lord;
the sweet breaths of the spirit are passing by, and those who lay buried
in the grave are rising up--and still do the heedless slumber on in
their tombs.
The flames of hell have been made to blaze, and heaven hath been brought
nigh; the celestial gardens are in flower, and fresh pools are brimming
over, and paradise gleameth in beauty--but the unaware are still mired
down in their empty dreams.
The veil hath fallen away, the curtain is lifted, the clouds have
parted, the Lord of Lords is in plain sight--yet all hath passed the
sinners by.
It is He Who hath made for you the new creation,+F5 and brought on the
woe+F6 that surpasseth all others, and gathered the holy together in the
realm on high. Verily in this are signs for those who have eyes to see.
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 39:68
+F2. Qur'an 79:6
+F3. Qur'an 22:2
+F4. Qur'an 34:39
+F5. Qur'an 29:19
+F6. Qur'an 79:34
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And among His signs is the appearance of omens and joyous prophecies, of
hints and clues, the spreading of many and various tidings, and the
anticipations of the righteous, they who have now attained their goal.
And among His signs are His splendours, rising above the horizon of
oneness, His lights streaming out from the dayspring of might, and the
announcement of the Most Great Glad-Tidings by His Herald, the One, the
Incomparable. Verily in this is a brilliant proof for the company of
those who know.
Among His signs is His being manifest, being seen by all, standing as
His own proof, and His presence among witnesses in every region, among
peoples who fell upon Him even as wolves, and compassed Him about from
every side.
Among His signs is His withstanding powerful nations and all-conquering
states, and a host of enemies thirsting for His blood, intent at every
moment upon His ruin, wheresoever He might be. Verily this is a matter
deserving the scrutiny of those who ponder the signs and tokens of God.
Another of His signs is the marvel of His discourse, the eloquence of
His utterance, the rapidity with which His Writings were revealed, His
words of wisdom, His verses, His epistles, His communes, His unfolding
of the Qur'an, both the abstruse verses thereof and the clear. By thy
very life! This thing is plain as day to whoever will regard it with the
eye of justice.
Again among His signs is the dawning sun of His knowledge, and the
rising moon of His arts and skills, and His demonstrating perfection in
all His ways, as testified by the learned and accomplished of many
nations.
And again among His signs is the fact that His beauty stayed inviolate,
and His human temple was protected as He revealed His splendours,
despite the massed attacks of
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all His foes, who came against Him in their thousands with their darting
arrows, spears and swords. Herein is verily a wonder and a warning to
any fair judge.
And among His signs is His long-suffering, His tribulations and His
woes, His agony in His chains and fetters, and His calling out at every
moment: `Come unto Me, come unto Me, ye righteous! Come unto Me, come
unto Me, ye lovers of the good! Come unto Me, come unto Me, ye dawning
points of light!' Verily the gates of mystery are opened wide--but still
do the wicked disport themselves with their vain cavillings!+F1
Yet another of His signs is the promulgation of His Book, His decisive
Holy Text wherein He reproved the kings, and His dire warning to that
one+F2 whose mighty rule was felt around the world--and whose great
throne then toppled down in a matter of brief days--this being a fact
clearly established and widely known.
And among His signs is the sublimity of His grandeur, His exalted state,
His towering glory, and the shining out of His beauty above the horizon
of the Prison: so that heads were bowed before Him and voices lowered,
and humble were the faces that turned His way. This is a proof never
witnessed in the ages gone before.
Again among His signs are the extraordinary things He continually did,
the miracles He performed, the wonders appearing from Him without
interruption like the streaming down of His clouds--and the
acknowledgement, even by unbelievers, of His powerful light. By His own
life! This was clearly verified, it was demonstrated to those of every
persuasion who came into the presence of the living, the self-subsisting
Lord.
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 6:91; 52:12
+F2. Napoleon III
Page 17
And yet another of His signs is the wide-spreading rays of the sun of
His era, the rising moon of His times in the heaven of all the ages: His
day, which standeth at the summit of all days, for its rank and power,
its sciences and its arts, reaching far and wide, that have dazzled the
world and astonished the minds of men.
Verily is this a matter settled and established for all time.
5. The world's great Light, once resplendent upon all mankind, hath set,
to shine everlastingly from the Abha Horizon, His Kingdom of fadeless
glory, shedding splendour upon His loved ones from on high and breathing
into their hearts and souls the breath of eternal life.
Ponder in your hearts that which He hath foretold in His Tablet of the
Divine Vision that hath been spread throughout the world. Therein He
saith: `Thereupon she wailed and exclaimed: "May the world and all that
is therein be a ransom for Thy woes. O Sovereign of heaven and earth!
Wherefore hast Thou left Thyself in the hands of the dwellers of this
prison-city of Akka? Hasten Thou to other dominions, to Thy retreats
above, whereon the eyes of the people of names have never fallen." We
smiled and spake not. Reflect upon these most exalted words, and
comprehend the purpose of this hidden and sacred mystery.'
O ye beloved of the Lord! Beware, beware lest ye hesitate and waver. Let
not fear fall upon you, neither be troubled nor dismayed. Take ye good
heed lest this calamitous day slacken the flames of your ardour, and
quench your tender hopes. Today is the day for steadfastness and
constancy. Blessed are they that stand firm and immovable as the rock
and brave the storm and stress of this tempestuous
Page 18
hour. They, verily, shall be the recipients of God's grace; they,
verily, shall receive His divine assistance, and shall be truly
victorious. They shall shine amidst mankind with a radiance which the
dwellers of the Pavilion of Glory laud and magnify. To them is
proclaimed this celestial call, revealed in His Most Holy Book: `Let not
your hearts be perturbed, O people, when the glory of My Presence is
withdrawn, and the ocean of My utterance is stilled. In My presence
amongst you there is a wisdom, and in My absence there is yet another,
inscrutable to all but God, the Incomparable, the All-Knowing. Verily,
We behold you from Our realm of glory, and shall aid whosoever will
arise for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the Concourse on
high and a company of Our favoured angels.'
The Sun of Truth, that Most Great Light, hath set upon the horizon of
the world to rise with deathless splendour over the Realm of the
Limitless. In His Most Holy Book He calleth the firm and steadfast of
His friends: `Be not dismayed, O peoples of the world, when the day-star
of My beauty is set, and the heaven of My tabernacle is concealed from
your eyes. Arise to further My Cause, and to exalt My Word amongst men.'
6. O ye peoples of the Kingdom! How many a soul expended all its span of
life in worship, endured the mortification of the flesh, longed to gain
an entry into the Kingdom, and yet failed, while ye, with neither toil
nor pain nor self-denial, have won the prize and entered in.
It is even as in the time of the Messiah, when the Pharisees and the
pious were left without a portion, while Peter, John and Andrew, given
neither to pious worship nor ascetic practice, won the day. Wherefore,
thank ye God for
Page 19
setting upon your heads the crown of glory everlasting, for granting
unto you this immeasurable grace.
The time hath come when, as a thank-offering for this bestowal, ye
should grow in faith and constancy as day followeth day, and should draw
ever nearer to the Lord, your God, becoming magnetized to such a degree,
and so aflame, that your holy melodies in praise of the Beloved will
reach upward to the Company on high; and that each one of you, even as a
nightingale in this rose garden of God, will glorify the Lord of Hosts,
and become the teacher of all who dwell on earth.
7. O ye spiritual friends of Abdu'l-Baha! A trusted messenger hath
arrived and hath, in the world of the spirit, delivered a message from
God's loved ones. This auspicious courier bringeth fragrances of great
ardour and wafteth the life-giving breezes of the love of God. He maketh
the heart to dance for joy and filleth up the soul with an ecstasy of
love and rapture. So intensely hath the glory of Divine Unity penetrated
souls and hearts that all are now bound one to another with heavenly
ties, and all are even as a single heart, a single soul. Wherefore
reflections of the spirit and impressions of the Divine are now mirrored
clear and sharp in the deep heart's core. I beg of God to strengthen
these spiritual bonds as day followeth day, and make this mystic oneness
to shine ever more brightly, until at last all shall be as troops
marshalled together beneath the banner of the Covenant within the
sheltering shade of the Word of God; that they may strive with all their
might until universal fellowship, close and warm, and unalloyed love,
and spiritual relationships, will connect all the hearts in the world.
Then will all humankind, because of this fresh and dazzling bounty, be
Page 20
gathered in a single homeland. Then will conflict and dissension vanish
from the face of the earth, then will mankind be cradled in love for the
beauty of the All-Glorious. Discord will change to accord, dissension to
unison. The roots of malevolence will be torn out, the basis of
aggression destroyed. The bright rays of union will obliterate the
darkness of limitations, and the splendours of heaven will make the
human heart to be even as a mine veined richly with the love of God.
O ye loved ones of the Lord! This is the hour when ye must associate
with all the earth's peoples in extreme kindliness and love, and be to
them the signs and tokens of God's great mercy. Ye must become the very
soul of the world, the living spirit in the body of the children of men.
In this wondrous Age, at this time when the Ancient Beauty, the Most
Great Name, bearing unnumbered gifts, hath risen above the horizon of
the world, the Word of God hath infused such awesome power into the
inmost essence of humankind that He hath stripped men's human qualities
of all effect, and hath, with His all-conquering might, unified the
peoples in a vast sea of oneness.
Now is the time for the lovers of God to raise high the banners of
unity, to intone, in the assemblages of the world, the verses of
friendship and love and to demonstrate to all that the grace of God is
one. Thus will the tabernacles of holiness be upraised on the summits of
the earth, gathering all peoples into the protective shadow of the Word
of Oneness. This great bounty will dawn over the world at the time when
the lovers of God shall arise to carry out His Teachings, and to scatter
far and wide the fresh, sweet scents of universal love.
In every dispensation, there hath been the commandment of fellowship and
love, but it was a commandment
Page 21
limited to the community of those in mutual agreement, not to the
dissident foe. In this wondrous age, however, praised be God, the
commandments of God are not delimited, not restricted to any one group
of people, rather have all the friends been commanded to show forth
fellowship and love, consideration and generosity and loving-kindness to
every community on earth. Now must the lovers of God arise to carry out
these instructions of His: let them be kindly fathers to the children of
the human race, and compassionate brothers to the youth, and
self-denying offspring to those bent with years. The meaning of this is
that ye must show forth tenderness and love to every human being, even
to your enemies, and welcome them all with unalloyed friendship, good
cheer, and loving-kindness. When ye meet with cruelty and persecution at
another's hands, keep faith with him; when malevolence is directed your
way, respond with a friendly heart. To the spears and arrows rained upon
you, expose your breasts for a target mirror-bright; and in return for
curses, taunts and wounding words, show forth abounding love. Thus will
all peoples witness the power of the Most Great Name, and every nation
acknowledge the might of the Ancient Beauty, and see how He hath toppled
down the walls of discord, and how surely He hath guided all the peoples
of the earth to oneness; how He hath lit man's world, and made this
earth of dust to send forth streams of light.
These human creatures are even as children, they are brash and
unconcerned. These children must be reared with infinite, loving care,
and tenderly fostered in the embraces of mercy, so that they may taste
the spiritual honey-sweetness of God's love; that they may become like
unto candles shedding their beams across this darksome world, and may
clearly perceive what blazing crowns of glory the
Page 22
Most Great Name, the Ancient Beauty, hath set on the brows of His
beloved, what bounties He hath bestowed on the hearts of those He
holdeth dear, what a love He hath cast into the breasts of humankind,
and what treasures of friendship He hath made to appear amongst all men.
O God, my God! Aid Thou Thy trusted servants to have loving and tender
hearts. Help them to spread, amongst all the nations of the earth, the
light of guidance that cometh from the Company on high. Verily Thou art
the Strong, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Subduing, the Ever-Giving.
Verily Thou art the Generous, the Gentle, the Tender, the Most
Bountiful.
8. O ye beloved of Abdu'l-Baha and ye handmaids of the Merciful! It is
early morning, and the reviving winds of the Abha Paradise are blowing
over all creation, but they can stir only the pure of heart, and only
the pure sense can detect their fragrance. Only the perceiving eye
beholdeth the rays of the sun; only the listening ear can hear the
singing of the Concourse on high. Although the plentiful rains of
spring, the bestowals of Heaven, pour down upon all things, they can
only fructify good soil; they love not brackish ground, where no results
of all the bounty can be shown.
Today the soft and holy breathings of the Abha Realm are passing over
every land, but only the pure in heart draw nigh and derive a benefit
therefrom. It is the hope of this wronged soul that from the grace of
the Self-Subsistent One and by the manifest power of the Word of God,
the heads of the unmindful may be cleared, that they may perceive these
sweet savours which blow from secret rosebeds of the spirit.
Page 23
O ye friends of God! True friends are even as skilled physicians, and
the Teachings of God are as healing balm, a medicine for the conscience
of man. They clear the head, so that a man can breathe them in and
delight in their sweet fragrance. They waken those who sleep. They bring
awareness to the unheeding, and a portion to the outcast, and to the
hopeless, hope.
If in this day a soul shall act according to the precepts and the
counsels of God, he will serve as a divine physician to mankind, and
like the trump of Israfil,+F1 he will call the dead of this contingent
world to life; for the confirmations of the Abha Realm are never
interrupted, and such a virtuous soul hath, to befriend him, the
unfailing help of the Company on high. Thus shall a sorry gnat become an
eagle in the fulness of his strength, and a feeble sparrow change to a
royal falcon in the heights of ancient glory.
Wherefore, look not on the degree of your capacity, ask not if you are
worthy of the task: rest ye your hopes on the help and loving-kindness,
the favours and bestowals of Baha'u'llah--may my soul be offered up for
His friends! Urge on the steed of high endeavour over the field of
sacrifice, and carry away from this wide arena the prize of divine
grace.
O ye handmaids of the merciful Lord! How many queens of this world laid
down their heads on a pillow of dust and disappeared. No fruit was left
of them, no trace, no sign, not even their names. For them, no more
granting of bestowals; for them, no more living at all. Not so the
handmaids who ministered at the Threshold of God; these have shone forth
like glittering stars in the skies of ancient glory, shedding their
splendours across all the reaches of time.
_____________________
+F1. Believed to be the angel appointed to sound the trumpet on the Day
of Resurrection to raise the dead at the bidding of the Lord.
Page 24
These have fulfilled their dearest hopes in the Abha Paradise; they have
tasted the honey of reunion in the congregation of the Lord. Such souls
as these profited from their existence here on earth: they plucked the
fruit of life. As for the rest, `There surely came upon them a time when
they were a thing not spoken of.'
O ye lovers of this wronged one! Cleanse ye your eyes, so that ye behold
no man as different from yourselves. See ye no strangers; rather see all
men as friends, for love and unity come hard when ye fix your gaze on
otherness. And in this new and wondrous age, the Holy Writings say that
we must be at one with every people; that we must see neither harshness
nor injustice, neither malevolence, nor hostility, nor hate, but rather
turn our eyes toward the heaven of ancient glory. For each of the
creatures is a sign of God, and it was by the grace of the Lord and His
power that each did step into the world; therefore they are not
strangers, but in the family; not aliens, but friends, and to be treated
as such.
Wherefore must the loved ones of God associate in affectionate
fellowship with stranger and friend alike, showing forth to all the
utmost loving-kindness, disregarding the degree of their capacity, never
asking whether they deserve to be loved. In every instance let the
friends be considerate and infinitely kind. Let them never be defeated
by the malice of the people, by their aggression and their hate, no
matter how intense. If others hurl their darts against you, offer them
milk and honey in return; if they poison your lives, sweeten their
souls; if they injure you, teach them how to be comforted; if they
inflict a wound upon you, be a balm to their sores; if they sting you,
hold to their lips a refreshing cup.
O God, my God! These are Thy feeble servants; they are
Page 25
Thy loyal bondsmen and Thy handmaidens, who have bowed themselves down
before Thine exalted Utterance and humbled themselves at Thy Threshold
of light, and borne witness to Thy oneness through which the Sun hath
been made to shine in midday splendour. They have listened to the
summons Thou didst raise from out Thy hidden Realm, and with hearts
quivering with love and rapture, they have responded to Thy call.
O Lord, shower upon them all the outpourings of Thy mercy, rain down
upon them all the waters of Thy grace. Make them to grow as beauteous
plants in the garden of heaven, and from the full and brimming clouds of
Thy bestowals and out of the deep pools of Thine abounding grace make
Thou this garden to flower and keep it ever green and lustrous, ever
fresh and shimmering and fair.
Thou art verily the Mighty, the Exalted, the Powerful, He Who alone, in
the heavens and on the earth, abideth unchanged. There is none other God
save Thee, the Lord of manifest tokens and signs.
9. O thou whose heart overfloweth with love for the Lord! I address thee
from this consecrated spot, to gladden thy bosom with mine epistle to
thee, for this is such a letter as maketh the heart of him who believeth
in God's oneness to wing its flight toward the summits of bliss.
Thank thou God for having enabled thee to enter into His Kingdom of
might. Erelong will thy Lord's bounties descend upon thee, one following
the other, and He will make of thee a sign for every seeker after truth.
Hold thou fast to the Covenant of thy Lord, and as the days go by,
increase thy store of love for His beloved ones. Bend thou with
tenderness over the servitors of the
Page 26
All-Merciful, that thou mayest hoist the sail of love upon the ark of
peace that moveth across the seas of life. Let nothing grieve thee, and
be thou angered at none. It behoveth thee to be content with the Will of
God, and a true and loving and trusted friend to all the peoples of the
earth, without any exceptions whatever. This is the quality of the
sincere, the way of the saints, the emblem of those who believe in the
unity of God, and the raiment of the people of Baha.
Thank thou and bless thou the Lord for He hath allowed thee to offer Him
the Right of God.+F1 This is verily a special favour on His part, for
thee; praise Him then for this commandment that is set forth in the
Scriptures of thy Lord, of Him that is the Ancient of Days.
Verily is He the Loving, the Tender, the Ever-Bestowing.
10. O thou dear handmaid of God! Thy letter hath been received and its
contents noted. Thou didst ask for a rule whereby to guide thy life.
Believe thou in God, and keep thine eyes fixed upon the exalted Kingdom;
be thou enamoured of the Abha Beauty; stand thou firm in the Covenant;
yearn thou to ascend into the Heaven of the Universal Light. Be thou
severed from this world, and reborn through the sweet scents of holiness
that blow from the realm of the All-Highest. Be thou a summoner to love,
and be thou kind to all the human race. Love thou the children of men
and share in their sorrows. Be thou of those who foster peace. Offer thy
friendship, be worthy of trust. Be thou a balm to every sore, be thou a
medicine for every ill. Bind thou the souls together. Recite thou the
verses of guidance. Be engaged in the worship of thy Lord, and rise up
to lead the people aright. Loose thy
_____________________
+F1. Huququ'llah
Page 27
tongue and teach, and let thy face be bright with the fire of God's
love. Rest thou not for a moment, seek thou to draw no easeful breath.
Thus mayest thou become a sign and symbol of God's love, and a banner of
His grace.
11. Service to the friends is service to the Kingdom of God, and
consideration shown to the poor is one of the greatest teachings of God.
12. Know thou of a certainty that Love is the secret of God's holy
Dispensation, the manifestation of the All-Merciful, the fountain of
spiritual outpourings. Love is heaven's kindly light, the Holy Spirit's
eternal breath that vivifieth the human soul. Love is the cause of God's
revelation unto man, the vital bond inherent, in accordance with the
divine creation, in the realities of things. Love is the one means that
ensureth true felicity both in this world and the next. Love is the
light that guideth in darkness, the living link that uniteth God with
man, that assureth the progress of every illumined soul. Love is the
most great law that ruleth this mighty and heavenly cycle, the unique
power that bindeth together the divers elements of this material world,
the supreme magnetic force that directeth the movements of the spheres
in the celestial realms. Love revealeth with unfailing and limitless
power the mysteries latent in the universe. Love is the spirit of life
unto the adorned body of mankind, the establisher of true civilization
in this mortal world, and the shedder of imperishable glory upon every
high-aiming race and nation.
Whatsoever people is graciously favoured therewith by God, its name
shall surely be magnified and extolled by the
Page 28
Concourse from on high, by the company of angels, and the denizens of
the Abha Kingdom. And whatsoever people turneth its heart away from this
Divine Love--the revelation of the Merciful--shall err grievously, shall
fall into despair, and be utterly destroyed. That people shall be denied
all refuge, shall become even as the vilest creatures of the earth,
victims of degradation and shame.
O ye beloved of the Lord! Strive to become the manifestations of the
love of God, the lamps of divine guidance shining amongst the kindreds
of the earth with the light of love and concord.
All hail to the revealers of this glorious light!
13. O thou daughter of the Kingdom! Thy letter dated 5 December 1918 was
received. It contained the good news that the friends of God and the
maidservants of the Merciful have gathered in summer at Green Acre, have
been engaged day and night in the commemoration of God, have served the
oneness of the world of humanity, have shown love to all religions, have
remained aloof from every religious prejudice and have been kind to all
people. The divine religions must be the cause of oneness among men, and
the means of unity and love; they must promulgate universal peace, free
man from every prejudice, bestow joy and gladness, exercise kindness to
all men and do away with every difference and distinction. Just as
Baha'u'llah addressing the world of humanity saith: `O people! Ye are
the fruits of one tree and the leaves of one branch.' At most it is
this, that some souls are ignorant, they must be educated; some are
sick, they must be healed; some are still of tender age, they must be
helped to attain maturity, and the utmost kindness must be shown to
them. This is the conduct of the people of Baha.
Page 29
I hope that thy brothers and sisters will all become the well-wishers of
the world of mankind.
14. O ye two blessed souls! Your letters were received. They showed that
ye have investigated the truth and have been freed from imitations and
superstitions, that ye observe with your own eyes and not with those of
others, hearken with your own ears and not with the ears of others, and
discover mysteries with the help of your own consciences and not with
those of others. For the imitator saith that such a man hath seen, such
a man hath heard, and such a conscience hath discovered; in other words
he dependeth upon the sight, the hearing and the conscience of others
and hath no will of his own.
Now, praise be to God, ye have shown will-power and have turned to the
Sun of Truth. The plain of your hearts hath been illumined by the lights
of the Lord of the Kingdom and ye have been led to the straight path,
have marched along the road that leadeth to the Kingdom, have entered
the Abha Paradise, and have secured a portion and share of the fruit of
the Tree of Life.
Blessed are ye and a goodly home awaiteth you. Upon you be greetings and
praise.
15. O captive of the love of God! The letter which thou didst write at
the time of thy departure hath been received. It brought me joy; and it
is my hope that thine inner eye may be opened wide, so that unto thee
the very core of the divine mysteries may be disclosed.
Thou didst begin thy letter with a blessed phrase, saying: `I am a
Christian.' O would that all were truly Christian! It
Page 30
is easy to be a Christian on the tongue, but hard to be a true one.
Today some five hundred million souls are Christian, but the real
Christian is very rare: he is that soul from whose comely face there
shineth the splendour of Christ, and who showeth forth the perfections
of the Kingdom; this is a matter of great moment, for to be a Christian
is to embody every excellence there is. I hope that thou, too, shalt
become a true Christian. Praise thou God that at last, through the
divine teachings, thou hast obtained both sight and insight to the
highest degree, and hast become firmly rooted in certitude and faith. It
is my hope that others as well will achieve illumined eyes and hearing
ears, and attain to everlasting life: that these many rivers, each
flowing along in diverse and separated beds, will find their way back to
the circumambient sea, and merge together and rise up in a single wave
of surging oneness; that the unity of truth, through the power of God,
will make these illusory differences to vanish away. This is the one
essential: for if unity be gained, all other problems will disappear of
themselves.
O honoured lady! In accordance with the divine teachings in this
glorious dispensation we should not belittle anyone and call him
ignorant, saying: `You know not, but I know'. Rather, we should look
upon others with respect, and when attempting to explain and
demonstrate, we should speak as if we are investigating the truth,
saying: `Here these things are before us. Let us investigate to
determine where and in what form the truth can be found.' The teacher
should not consider himself as learned and others ignorant. Such a
thought breedeth pride, and pride is not conducive to influence. The
teacher should not see in himself any superiority; he should speak with
the utmost kindliness, lowliness and humility, for such speech exerteth
influence and educateth the souls.
Page 31
O honoured lady! For a single purpose were the Prophets, each and all,
sent down to earth; for this was Christ made manifest, for this did
Baha'u'llah raise up the call of the Lord: that the world of man should
become the world of God, this nether realm the Kingdom, this darkness
light, this satanic wickedness all the virtues of heaven--and unity,
fellowship and love be won for the whole human race, that the organic
unity should reappear and the bases of discord be destroyed and life
everlasting and grace everlasting become the harvest of mankind.
O honoured lady! Look about thee at the world: here unity, mutual
attraction, gathering together, engender life, but disunity and
inharmony spell death. When thou dost consider all phenomena, thou wilt
see that every created thing hath come into being through the mingling
of many elements, and once this collectivity of elements is dissolved,
and this harmony of components is dissevered, the life form is wiped
out.
O honoured lady! In cycles gone by, though harmony was established, yet,
owing to the absence of means, the unity of all mankind could not have
been achieved. Continents remained widely divided, nay even among the
peoples of one and the same continent association and interchange of
thought were wellnigh impossible. Consequently intercourse,
understanding and unity amongst all the peoples and kindreds of the
earth were unattainable. In this day, however, means of communication
have multiplied, and the five continents of the earth have virtually
merged into one. And for everyone it is now easy to travel to any land,
to associate and exchange views with its peoples, and to become
familiar, through publications, with the conditions, the religious
beliefs and the thoughts of all men. In like manner all the members of
the human family, whether
Page 32
peoples or governments, cities or villages, have become increasingly
interdependent. For none is self-sufficiency any longer possible,
inasmuch as political ties unite all peoples and nations, and the bonds
of trade and industry, of agriculture and education, are being
strengthened every day. Hence the unity of all mankind can in this day
be achieved. Verily this is none other but one of the wonders of this
wondrous age, this glorious century. Of this past ages have been
deprived, for this century--the century of light--hath been endowed with
unique and unprecedented glory, power and illumination. Hence the
miraculous unfolding of a fresh marvel every day. Eventually it will be
seen how bright its candles will burn in the assemblage of man.
Behold how its light is now dawning upon the world's darkened horizon.
The first candle is unity in the political realm, the early glimmerings
of which can now be discerned. The second candle is unity of thought in
world undertakings, the consummation of which will erelong be witnessed.
The third candle is unity in freedom which will surely come to pass. The
fourth candle is unity in religion which is the corner-stone of the
foundation itself, and which, by the power of God, will be revealed in
all its splendour. The fifth candle is the unity of nations--a unity
which in this century will be securely established, causing all the
peoples of the world to regard themselves as citizens of one common
fatherland. The sixth candle is unity of races, making of all that dwell
on earth peoples and kindreds of one race. The seventh candle is unity
of language, i.e., the choice of a universal tongue in which all peoples
will be instructed and converse. Each and every one of these will
inevitably come to pass, inasmuch as the power of the Kingdom of God
will aid and assist in their realization.
Page 33
16. O ye illumined loved ones and ye handmaids of the Merciful! At a
time when the sombre night of ignorance, of neglect of the divine world,
of being veiled from God, had overspread the earth, a bright morning
dawned and a rising light lit up the eastern sky. Then rose the Sun of
Truth and the splendours of the Kingdom were shed over east and west.
Those who had eyes to see rejoiced at the glad tidings and cried out: `O
blessed, blessed are we!', and they witnessed the inner reality of all
things, and uncovered the mysteries of the Kingdom. Delivered then from
their fancies and their doubts, they beheld the light of truth, and so
exhilarated did they become from draining the chalice of God's love,
that they utterly forgot the world and their own selves. Dancing for joy
they hastened to the place of their own martyrdom and there, where men
die for love, they flung away their heads and hearts.
But those with unseeing eyes were astonished at this tumult, and they
cried, `Where is the light?' and again, `We see no light! We see no
rising sun! Here is no truth. This is but fantasy and nothing more.'
Bat-like they fled into the underground dark, and there, to their way of
thinking, they found a measure of security and peace.
This, however, is but the beginning of the dawn, and the heat of the
rising Orb of Truth is not yet at the fullness of its power. Once the
sun hath mounted to high noon, its fires will burn so hot as to stir
even the creeping things beneath the earth; and although it is not for
them to behold the light, yet will they all be set in frenzied motion by
the impact of the heat.
Wherefore, O ye beloved of God, offer up thanks that ye have, in the day
of the dawning, turned your faces unto the Light of the World and beheld
its splendours. Ye have received a share of the light of truth, ye have
enjoyed a
Page 34
portion of those blessings that endure forever; and therefore, as a
returning of thanks for this bounty, rest ye not for a moment, sit ye
not silent, carry to men's ears the glad tidings of the Kingdom, spread
far and wide the Word of God.
Act in accordance with the counsels of the Lord: that is, rise up in
such wise, and with such qualities, as to endow the body of this world
with a living soul, and to bring this young child, humanity, to the
stage of adulthood. So far as ye are able, ignite a candle of love in
every meeting, and with tenderness rejoice and cheer ye every heart.
Care for the stranger as for one of your own; show to alien souls the
same loving kindness ye bestow upon your faithful friends. Should any
come to blows with you, seek to be friends with him; should any stab you
to the heart, be ye a healing salve unto his sores; should any taunt and
mock at you, meet him with love. Should any heap his blame upon you,
praise ye him; should he offer you a deadly poison, give him the
choicest honey in exchange; and should he threaten your life, grant him
a remedy that will heal him evermore. Should he be pain itself, be ye
his medicine; should he be thorns, be ye his roses and sweet herbs.
Perchance such ways and words from you will make this darksome world
turn bright at last; will make this dusty earth turn heavenly, this
devilish prison place become a royal palace of the Lord--so that war and
strife will pass and be no more, and love and trust will pitch their
tents on the summits of the world. Such is the essence of God's
admonitions; such in sum are the teachings for the Dispensation of Baha.
Page 35
17. O ye who are the chosen ones of the Abha Kingdom! Praise ye the Lord
of Hosts for He, riding upon the clouds, hath come down to this world
out of the heaven of the invisible realm, so that East and West were lit
by the glory of the Sun of Truth, and the call of the Kingdom was
raised, and the heralds of the realm above, with melodies of the
Concourse on high, sang out the glad tidings of the Coming. Then the
whole world of being did quiver for joy, and still the people, even as
the Messiah saith, slept on: for the day of the Manifestation, when the
Lord of Hosts descended, found them wrapped in the slumber of unknowing.
As He saith in the Gospel, My coming is even as when the thief is in the
house, and the goodman of the house watcheth not.
From amongst all mankind hath He chosen you, and your eyes have been
opened to the light of guidance and your ears attuned to the music of
the Company above; and blessed by abounding grace, your hearts and souls
have been born into new life. Thank ye and praise ye God that the hand
of infinite bestowals hath set upon your heads this gem-studded crown,
this crown whose lustrous jewels will forever flash and sparkle down all
the reaches of time.
To thank Him for this, make ye a mighty effort, and choose for
yourselves a noble goal. Through the power of faith, obey ye the
teachings of God, and let all your actions conform to His laws. Read ye
The Hidden Words, ponder the inner meanings thereof, act in accord
therewith. Read, with close attention, the Tablets of Tarazat
(Ornaments), Kalimat (Words of Paradise), Tajalliyyat (Effulgences),
Ishraqat (Splendours), and Bisharat (Glad Tidings), and rise up as ye
are bidden in the heavenly teachings. Thus may each one of you be even
as a candle casting its light, the centre of attraction wherever people
come together; and
Page 36
from you, as from a bed of flowers, may sweet scents be shed.
Raise ye a clamour like unto a roaring sea; like a prodigal cloud, rain
down the grace of heaven. Lift up your voices and sing out the songs of
the Abha Realm. Quench ye the fires of war, lift high the banners of
peace, work for the oneness of humankind and remember that religion is
the channel of love unto all peoples. Be ye aware that the children of
men are sheep of God and He their loving Shepherd, that He careth
tenderly for all His sheep and maketh them to feed in His own green
pastures of grace and giveth them to drink from the wellspring of life.
Such is the way of the Lord. Such are His bestowals. Such, from among
His teachings, is His precept of the oneness of mankind.
The portals of His blessings are opened wide and His signs are published
abroad and the glory of truth is blazing forth; inexhaustible are the
blessings. Know ye the value of this time. Strive ye with all your
hearts, raise up your voices and shout, until this dark world be filled
with light, and this narrow place of shadows be widened out, and this
dust heap of a fleeting moment be changed into a mirror for the eternal
gardens of heaven, and this globe of earth receive its portion of
celestial grace.
Then will aggression crumble away, and all that maketh for disunity be
destroyed, and the structure of oneness be raised--that the Blessed Tree
may cast its shade over east and west, and the Tabernacle of the
singleness of man be set up on the high summits, and flags that betoken
love and fellowship flutter from their staffs around the world until the
sea of truth lift high its waves, and earth bring forth the roses and
sweet herbs of blessings without end, and become from pole to pole the
Abha Paradise.
These are the counsels of Abdu'l-Baha. It is my hope
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that out of the bestowals of the Lord of Hosts ye will become the
spiritual essence and the very radiance of humankind, binding the hearts
of all with bonds of love; that through the power of the Word of God ye
will bring to life the dead now buried in the graves of their sensual
desires; that ye will, with the rays of the Sun of Truth, restore the
sight of those whose inner eye is blind; that ye will bring spiritual
healing to the spiritually sick. These things do I hope for, out of the
bounties and the bestowals of the Beloved.
At all times do I speak of you and call you to mind. I pray unto the
Lord, and with tears I implore Him to rain down all these blessings upon
you, and gladden your hearts, and make blissful your souls, and grant
you exceeding joy and heavenly delights....
O Thou loving Provider! These souls have hearkened to the summons of the
Kingdom, and have gazed upon the glory of the Sun of Truth. They have
risen upward to the refreshing skies of love; they are enamoured of Thy
nature, and they worship Thy beauty. Unto Thee have they turned
themselves, speaking together of Thee, seeking out Thy dwelling, and
thirsting for the waterbrooks of Thy heavenly realm. Thou art the Giver,
the Bestower, the Ever-loving.
18. O thou possessor of a seeing heart! Although, materially speaking,
thou art deprived of physical sight, yet, praise be to God, spiritual
insight is thine. Thy heart seeth and thy spirit heareth. Bodily sight
is subject to a thousand maladies and assuredly will ultimately be lost.
Thus no importance should be attached to it. But the sight
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of the heart is illumined. It discerneth and discovereth the divine
Kingdom. It is everlasting and eternal. Praise God, therefore, that the
sight of thy heart is illumined, and the hearing of thy mind responsive.
Each of the meetings ye have organized, wherein ye feel heavenly
emotions and comprehend realities and significances, is like unto the
firmament, and those souls are as resplendent stars shining with the
light of guidance.
Happy is the soul that seeketh, in this brilliant era, heavenly
teachings, and blessed is the heart which is stirred and attracted by
the love of God.
19. Praise be to Him through Whose splendours the earth and the heavens
are aglow, through Whose fragrant breathings the gardens of holiness
that adorn the hearts of the chosen are trembling for joy, to Him Who
hath shed His light and brightened the face of the firmament. Verily
there appeared luminous and sparkling stars, glittering, shining out,
and casting forth their rays upon the supreme horizon. They derived
their grace and brilliance from the bounties of the Abha Realm, then,
stars of guidance, they poured down their lights upon this earth.
Praise be to Him Who hath fashioned this new era, this age of majesty,
even as an unfolding pageant where the realities of all things can be
exposed to view. Now are clouds of bounty raining down and the gifts of
the loving Lord are clearly manifest; for both the seen and the unseen
worlds have been illumined, and the Promised One hath come to earth and
the beauty of the Adored One hath shone forth.
Salutations, blessings, and welcome to that Universal Reality, that
Perfect Word, that Manifest Book, that
Page 39
Splendour which hath dawned in the highest heaven, that Guide of all
nations, that Light of the world--the billowing ocean of Whose abounding
grace hath flooded all creation, in such wise that the waves thereof
have cast upon the sands of this visible world their shining pearls. Now
hath the Truth appeared, and falsehood fled away; now hath the day
dawned and jubilation taken over, wherefore men's souls are sanctified,
their spirits purged, their hearts rejoiced, their minds purified, their
secret thoughts made wholesome, their consciences washed clean, their
inmost selves made holy: for the Day of Resurrection hath come to pass,
and the bestowals of thy Lord, the Forgiving, have encompassed all
things. Salutations and praise be unto those luminous, resplendent stars
that are shedding down their rays from the highest heaven, those
celestial bodies of the girdling zodiac of the Abha Realm. May glory
rest upon them.
And now, O thou honoured man who hath hearkened unto the Great
Announcement, rise up to serve the Cause of God with the resistless
power of the Abha Kingdom and the breaths that blow from the spirit of
the Company on high. Grieve thou not over what the Pharisees, and the
purveyors of false rumours among writers for the press, are saying of
Baha. Call thou to mind the days of Christ, and the afflictions heaped
upon Him by the people, and all the torments and tribulations inflicted
upon His disciples. Since ye are lovers of the Abha Beauty, ye also
must, for His love's sake, incur the peoples' blame, and all that befell
those of a former age must likewise befall you. Then will the faces of
the chosen be alight with the splendours of the Kingdom of God, and will
shine down the ages, yea, down all the cycles of time, while the deniers
shall remain in their manifest loss. It will be even as was said by the
Lord
Page 40
Christ: they shall persecute you for My name's sake.
Remind them of these words and say unto them: `Verily did the Pharisees
rise up against Messiah, despite the bright beauty of His face and all
His comeliness, and they cried out that He was not Messiah [Masih] but a
monster [Masikh], because He had claimed to be Almighty God, the
sovereign Lord of all, and told them, `I am God's Son, and verily in the
inmost being of His only Son, His mighty Ward, clearly revealed with all
His attributes, all His perfections, standeth the Father.' This, they
said, was open blasphemy and slander against the Lord according to the
clear and irrefutable texts of the Old Testament. Therefore they passed
the sentence upon Him, decreeing that His blood be shed, and they hanged
Him on the cross, where He cried out, `O My beloved Lord, how long wilt
Thou abandon Me to them? Lift Me up unto Thee, shelter Me close to Thee,
make Me a dwelling by Thy throne of glory. Verily art Thou the Answerer
of prayers, and Thou art the Clement, the Merciful. O My Lord! Verily
this world with all its vastness can no longer contain Me, and I love
this cross, out of love for Thy beauty, and yearning for Thy realm on
high, and because of this fire, fanned by the gusts of Thy holiness,
aflame within My heart. Help me, O Lord, to ascend unto Thee, sustain Me
that I may reach unto Thy sacred Threshold, O My loving Lord! Verily
Thou art the Merciful, the Possessor of great bounty! Verily Thou art
the Generous! Verily Thou art the Compassionate! Verily Thou art the
All-Knowing! There is none other God save Thee, the Mighty, the
Powerful!'
Never would the Pharisees have been emboldened to calumniate Him and
charge Him with that grievous sin, but for their ignorance of the inner
core of mysteries and the fact that they paid no heed to His splendours
and regarded
Page 41
not His proofs. Else would they have acknowledged His words, and borne
witness to the verses He revealed, confessed the truth of His
utterances, sought shelter under the protective shadow of His banner,
learned of His signs and tokens, and rejoiced in His blissful tidings.
Know thou that the Divine Essence, which is called the Invisible of the
Invisibles, never to be described, beyond the reach of mind--is
sanctified above any mention, any definition or hint or allusion, any
acclamation or praise. In the sense that It is that It is, the intellect
can never grasp It, and the soul seeking knowledge of It is but a
wanderer in the desert, and far astray. `No vision taketh in Him, but He
taketh in all vision: He is the Subtile, the All-Informed.'+F1
When, however, thou dost contemplate the innermost essence of all
things, and the individuality of each, thou wilt behold the signs of thy
Lord's mercy in every created thing, and see the spreading rays of His
Names and Attributes throughout all the realm of being, with evidences
which none will deny save the froward and the unaware. Then wilt thou
observe that the universe is a scroll that discloseth His hidden
secrets, which are preserved in the well-guarded Tablet. And not an atom
of all the atoms in existence, not a creature from amongst the creatures
but speaketh His praise and telleth of His attributes and names,
revealeth the glory of His might and guideth to His oneness and His
mercy: and none will gainsay this who hath ears to hear, eyes to see,
and a mind that is sound.
And whensoever thou dost gaze upon creation all entire, and dost observe
the very atoms thereof, thou wilt note that the rays of the Sun of Truth
are shed upon all things and shining within them, and telling of that
Day-Star's splendours, Its mysteries, and the spreading of Its lights.
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 6:103
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Look thou upon the trees, upon the blossoms and fruits, even upon the
stones. Here too wilt thou behold the Sun's rays shed upon them, clearly
visible within them, and manifested by them.
Shouldst thou, however, turn thy gaze unto a Mirror, brilliant,
stainless, and pure, wherein the divine Beauty is reflected, therein
wilt thou find the Sun shining with Its rays, Its heat, Its disc, Its
fair form all entire. For each separate entity possesseth its allotted
portion of the solar light and telleth of the Sun, but that Universal
Reality in all Its splendour, that stainless Mirror Whose qualities are
appropriate to the qualities of the Sun revealed within It-- expresseth
in their entirety the attributes of the Source of Glory. And that
Universal Reality is Man, the divine Being, the Essence that abideth
forever. `Say, Call upon God, or call upon the All-Merciful; whichsoever
ye call upon, most beauteous are His Names.'+F1
This is the meaning of the Messiah's words, that the Father is in the
Son.+F2 Dost thou not see that should a stainless mirror proclaim,
`Verily is the sun ashine within me, together with all its qualities,
tokens and signs', such an utterance by such a mirror would be neither
deceptive nor false? No, by the One Who created It, shaped It, fashioned
It, and made It to be an entity conformable to the attributes of the
glory within It! Praised be He Who created It! Praised be He Who
fashioned It! Praised be He Who made It manifest!
Such were the words uttered by Christ. On account of these words they
cavilled at and assailed Him when He said unto them, `Verily the Son is
in the Father, and the Father is in the Son.'+F3 Be thou informed of
this, and learn thou the
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 17:110
+F2. John 14:11
+F3. John 14:10
Page 43
secrets of thy Lord. As for the deniers, they are veiled from God: they
see not, they hear not, neither do they understand. `Leave them to
entertain themselves with their cavillings.'+F1 Abandon them to their
wanderings along river beds where no stream flows. Like grazing beasts
they cannot tell paste from pearl. Are they not shut away from the
mysteries of thy Lord, the Clement, the Merciful?
For thy part, rejoice at this best of all glad tidings, and rise up to
exalt the Word of God and to spread abroad His sweet savours in all that
vast and mighty land. Know thou of a certainty that thy Lord will come
to thine aid with a company of the Concourse on high and hosts of the
Abha Kingdom. These will mount the attack, and will furiously assail the
forces of the ignorant, the blind. Erelong wilt thou behold the flush of
daybreak spreading from out the Most Exalted Realm, and the morn
encompassing all regions. It will put the dark to flight, and the gloom
of night will fade and pass, and the bright brow of the Faith shine
forth, and the Day-Star rise and overspread the world. On that day will
the faithful rejoice, and the steadfast be blissful; then will the
slanderers take themselves off, and the waverers be blotted out, even as
deepest shadows fall away at the first light of the breaking dawn.
Greetings be unto thee, and praise.
O God, my God! This is thy radiant servant, Thy spiritual thrall, who
hath drawn nigh unto Thee and approached Thy presence. He hath turned
his face unto Thine, acknowledging Thy oneness, confessing Thy
singleness, and he hath called out in Thy name among the nations, and
led the people to the streaming waters of Thy mercy, O Thou Most
generous Lord! To those who
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 6:91
Page 44
asked He hath given to drink from the cup of guidance that brimmeth over
with the wine of Thy measureless grace.
O Lord, assist him under all conditions, cause him to learn Thy
well-guarded mysteries, and shower down upon him Thy hidden pearls. Make
of him a banner rippling from castle summits in the winds of Thy
heavenly aid, make of him a wellspring of crystal waters.
O my forgiving Lord! Light up the hearts with the rays of a lamp that
sheddeth abroad its beams, disclosing to those among Thy people whom
Thou hast bounteously favoured, the realities of all things.
Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, the Protector, the Strong,
the Beneficent! Verily, Thou art the Lord of all mercies!
20.+F1 When Christ appeared, twenty centuries ago, although the Jews
were eagerly awaiting His Coming, and prayed every day, with tears,
saying: `O God, hasten the Revelation of the Messiah,' yet when the Sun
of Truth dawned, they denied Him and rose against Him with the greatest
enmity, and eventually crucified that divine Spirit, the Word of God,
and named Him Beelzebub, the evil one, as is recorded in the Gospel. The
reason for this was that they said: `The Revelation of Christ, according
to the clear text of the Torah, will be attested by certain signs, and
so long as these signs have not appeared, whoso layeth claim to be a
Messiah is an impostor. Among these signs is this, that the Messiah
should come from an unknown place, yet we all know this man's house in
Nazareth, and can any good thing
_____________________
+F1. Written especially for Dr. Esslemont's immortal work Baha'u'llah
+F1 and the New Era.
Page 45
come out of Nazareth? The second sign is that He shall rule with a rod
of iron, that is, He must act with the sword, but this Messiah has not
even a wooden staff. Another of the conditions and signs is this: He
must sit upon the throne of David and establish David's sovereignty.
Now, far from being enthroned, this man has not even a mat to sit on.
Another of the conditions is this: the promulgation of all the laws of
the Torah; yet this man has abrogated these laws, and has even broken
the sabbath day, although it is the clear text of the Torah that
whosoever layeth claim to prophethood and revealeth miracles and
breaketh the sabbath day, must be put to death. Another of the signs is
this, that in His reign justice will be so advanced that righteousness
and well-doing will extend from the human even to the animal world--the
snake and the mouse will share one hole, and the eagle and the partridge
one nest, the lion and the gazelle shall dwell in one pasture, and the
wolf and the kid shall drink from one fountain. Yet now, injustice and
tyranny have waxed so great in His time that they have crucified Him!
Another of the conditions is this, that in the days of the Messiah the
Jews will prosper and triumph over all the peoples of the world, but now
they are living in the utmost abasement and servitude in the empire of
the Romans. Then how can this be the Messiah promised in the Torah?'
In this wise did they object to that Sun of Truth, although that Spirit
of God was indeed the One promised in the Torah. But as they did not
understand the meaning of these signs, they crucified the Word of God.
Now the Baha'is hold that the recorded signs did come to pass in the
Manifestation of Christ, although not in the sense which the Jews
understood, the description in the Torah being allegorical. For
instance, among the signs is that of sovereignty. For Baha'is say that
the sovereignty of Christ was a
Page 46
heavenly, divine, everlasting sovereignty, not a Napoleonic sovereignty
that vanisheth in a short time. For well nigh two thousand years this
sovereignty of Christ hath been established, and until now it endureth,
and to all eternity that Holy Being will be exalted upon an everlasting
throne.
In like manner all the other signs have been made manifest, but the Jews
did not understand. Although nearly twenty centuries have elapsed since
Christ appeared with divine splendour, yet the Jews are still awaiting
the coming of the Messiah and regard themselves as true and Christ as
false.
21. O thou distinguished personage, thou seeker after truth! Thy letter
of 4 April 1921, hath been read with love.
The existence of the Divine Being hath been clearly established, on the
basis of logical proofs, but the reality of the Godhead is beyond the
grasp of the mind. When thou dost carefully consider this matter, thou
wilt see that a lower plane can never comprehend a higher. The mineral
kingdom, for example, which is lower, is precluded from comprehending
the vegetable kingdom; for the mineral, any such understanding would be
utterly impossible. In the same way, no matter how far the vegetable
kingdom may develop, it will achieve no conception of the animal
kingdom, and any such comprehension at its level would be unthinkable,
for the animal occupieth a plane higher than that of the vegetable: this
tree cannot conceive of hearing and sight. And the animal kingdom, no
matter how far it may evolve, can never become aware of the reality of
the intellect, which discovereth the inner essence of all things, and
comprehendeth those realities which cannot be seen; for the human plane
as compared with that of the animal is
Page 47
very high. And although these beings all co-exist in the contingent
world, in each case the difference in their stations precludeth their
grasp of the whole; for no lower degree can understand a higher, such
comprehension being impossible.
The higher plane, however, understandeth the lower. The animal, for
instance, comprehendeth the mineral and vegetable, the human
understandeth the planes of the animal, vegetable and mineral. But the
mineral cannot possibly understand the realms of man. And
notwithstanding the fact that all these entities co-exist in the
phenomenal world, even so, no lower degree can ever comprehend a higher.
Then how could it be possible for a contingent reality, that is, man, to
understand the nature of that pre-existent Essence, the Divine Being?
The difference in station between man and the Divine Reality is
thousands upon thousands of times greater than the difference between
vegetable and animal. And that which a human being would conjure up in
his mind is but the fanciful image of his human condition, it doth not
encompass God's reality but rather is encompassed by it. That is, man
graspeth his own illusory conceptions, but the Reality of Divinity can
never be grasped: It, Itself, encompasseth all created things, and all
created things are in Its grasp. That Divinity which man doth imagine
for himself existeth only in his mind, not in truth. Man, however,
existeth both in his mind and in truth; thus man is greater than that
fanciful reality which he is able to imagine.
The furthermost limits of this bird of clay are these: he can flutter
along for some short distance, into the endless vast; but he can never
soar upward to the Sun in the high heavens. We must, nevertheless, set
forth reasoned or
Page 48
inspired proofs as to the existence of the Divine Being, that is, proofs
commensurate with the understanding of man.
It is obvious that all created things are connected one to another by a
linkage complete and perfect, even, for example, as are the members of
the human body. Note how all the members and component parts of the
human body are connected one to another. In the same way, all the
members of this endless universe are linked one to another. The foot and
the step, for example, are connected to the ear and the eye; the eye
must look ahead before the step is taken. The ear must hear before the
eye will carefully observe. And whatever member of the human body is
deficient, produceth a deficiency in the other members. The brain is
connected with the heart and stomach, the lungs are connected with all
the members. So is it with the other members of the body.
And each one of these members hath its own special function. The mind
force--whether we call it pre-existent or contingent--doth direct and
co-ordinate all the members of the human body, seeing to it that each
part or member duly performeth its own special function. If, however,
there be some interruption in the power of the mind, all the members
will fail to carry out their essential functions, deficiencies will
appear in the body and the functioning of its members, and the power
will prove ineffective.
Likewise, look into this endless universe: a universal power inevitably
existeth, which encompasseth all, directing and regulating all the parts
of this infinite creation; and were it not for this Director, this
Co-ordinator, the universe would be flawed and deficient. It would be
even as a madman; whereas ye can see that this endless creation carrieth
out its functions in perfect order, every separate part of it
Page 49
performing its own task with complete reliability, nor is there any flaw
to be found in all its workings. Thus it is clear that a Universal Power
existeth, directing and regulating this infinite universe. Every
rational mind can grasp this fact.
Furthermore, although all created things grow and develop, yet are they
subjected to influences from without. For instance, the sun giveth heat,
the rain nourisheth, the wind bringeth life, so that man can develop and
grow. Thus it is clear that the human body is under influences from the
outside, and that without those influences man could not grow. And
likewise, those outside influences are subjected to other influences in
their turn. For example, the growth and development of a human being is
dependent upon the existence of water, and water is dependent upon the
existence of rain, and rain is dependent upon the existence of clouds,
and clouds are dependent upon the existence of the sun, which causeth
land and sea to produce vapour, the condensation of vapour forming the
clouds. Thus each one of these entities exerteth its influence and is
likewise influenced in its turn. Inescapably then, the process leadeth
to One Who influenceth all, and yet is influenced by none, thus severing
the chain. The inner reality of that Being, however, is not known,
although His effects are clear and evident.
And further, all created beings are limited, and this very limitation of
all beings proveth the reality of the Limitless; for the existence of a
limited being denoteth the existence of a Limitless One.
To sum it up, there are many such proofs, establishing the existence of
that Universal Reality. And since that Reality is pre-existent, It is
untouched by the conditions that govern phenomena; for whatever entity
is subject to
Page 50
circumstances and the play of events is contingent, not pre-existent.
Know then: that divinity which other communions and peoples have
conjured up, falleth within the scope of their imagination, and not
beyond it, whereas the reality of the Godhead is beyond all conceiving.
As to the Holy Manifestations of God, They are the focal points where
the signs, tokens and perfections of that sacred, pre-existent Reality
appear in all their splendour. They are an eternal grace, a heavenly
glory, and on Them dependeth the everlasting life of humankind. To
illustrate: the Sun of Truth dwelleth in a sky to which no soul hath any
access, and which no mind can reach, and He is far beyond the
comprehension of all creatures. Yet the Holy Manifestations of God are
even as a looking-glass, burnished and without stain, which gathereth
streams of light out of that Sun, and then scattereth the glory over the
rest of creation. In that polished surface, the Sun with all Its majesty
standeth clearly revealed. Thus, should the mirrored Sun proclaim, `I am
the Sun!' this is but truth; and should It cry, `I am not the Sun!' this
is the truth as well. And although the Day-Star, with all Its glory, Its
beauty, Its perfections, be clearly visible in that mirror without
stain, still It hath not come down from Its own lofty station in the
realms above, It hath not made Its way into the mirror; rather doth It
continue to abide, as It will forever, in the supernal heights of Its
own holiness.
And further, all the earth's creatures require the bounty of the sun,
for their very existence is dependent upon solar light and heat. Should
they be deprived of the sun, they would be wiped out. This is the being
with God, as referred to in the Holy Books: man must be with his Lord.
It is clear, then, that the essential reality of God is revealed in His
perfections; and the sun, with its perfections, reflected
Page 51
in a mirror, is a visible thing, an entity clearly expressing the bounty
of God.
My hope is that thou wilt acquire a perceptive eye, a hearing ear, and
that the veils will be removed from thy sight.
22. O thou who art turning thy face towards God! Close thine eyes to all
things else, and open them to the realm of the All-Glorious. Ask
whatsoever thou wishest of Him alone; seek whatsoever thou seekest from
Him alone. With a look He granteth a hundred thousand hopes, with a
glance He healeth a hundred thousand incurable ills, with a nod He
layeth balm on every wound, with a glimpse He freeth the hearts from the
shackles of grief. He doeth as He doeth, and what recourse have we? He
carrieth out His Will, He ordaineth what He pleaseth. Then better for
thee to bow down thy head in submission, and put thy trust in the
All-Merciful Lord.
23. O thou who dost search after truth! Thy letter of 13 December 1920
hath come.
From the days of Adam until today, the religions of God have been made
manifest, one following the other, and each one of them fulfilled its
due function, revived mankind, and provided education and enlightenment.
They freed the people from the darkness of the world of nature and
ushered them into the brightness of the Kingdom. As each succeeding
Faith and Law became revealed it remained for some centuries a richly
fruitful tree and to it was committed the happiness of humankind.
However, as the centuries rolled by, it aged, it flourished no more and
put
Page 52
forth no fruit, wherefore was it then made young again.
The religion of God is one religion, but it must ever be renewed. Moses,
for example, was sent forth to man and He established a Law, and the
Children of Israel, through that Mosaic Law, were delivered out of their
ignorance and came into the light; they were lifted up from their
abjectness and attained to a glory that fadeth not. Still, as the long
years wore on, that radiance passed by, that splendour set, that bright
day turned to night; and once that night grew triply dark, the star of
the Messiah dawned, so that again a glory lit the world.
Our meaning is this: the religion of God is one, and it is the educator
of humankind, but still, it needs must be made new. When thou dost plant
a tree, its height increaseth day by day. It putteth forth blossoms and
leaves and luscious fruits. But after a long time, it doth grow old,
yielding no fruitage any more. Then doth the Husbandman of Truth take up
the seed from that same tree, and plant it in a pure soil; and lo, there
standeth the first tree, even as it was before.
Note thou carefully that in this world of being, all things must ever be
made new. Look at the material world about thee, see how it hath now
been renewed. The thoughts have changed, the ways of life have been
revised, the sciences and arts show a new vigour, discoveries and
inventions are new, perceptions are new. How then could such a vital
power as religion--the guarantor of mankind's great advances, the very
means of attaining everlasting life, the fosterer of infinite
excellence, the light of both worlds--not be made new? This would be
incompatible with the grace and loving-kindness of the Lord.
Religion, moreover, is not a series of beliefs, a set of customs;
religion is the teachings of the Lord God, teachings
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which constitute the very life of humankind, which urge high thoughts
upon the mind, refine the character, and lay the groundwork for man's
everlasting honour.
Note thou: could these fevers in the world of the mind, these fires of
war and hate, of resentment and malice among the nations, this
aggression of peoples against peoples, which have destroyed the
tranquillity of the whole world ever be made to abate, except through
the living waters of the teachings of God? No, never!
And this is clear: a power above and beyond the powers of nature must
needs be brought to bear, to change this black darkness into light, and
these hatreds and resentments, grudges and spites, these endless
wrangles and wars, into fellowship and love amongst all the peoples of
the earth. This power is none other than the breathings of the Holy
Spirit and the mighty inflow of the Word of God.
24. O spiritual youth! Praise thou God that thou hast found thy way into
the Kingdom of Splendours, and hast rent asunder the veil of vain
imaginings, and that the core of the inner mystery hath been made known
unto thee.
This people, all of them, have pictured a god in the realm of the mind,
and worship that image which they have made for themselves. And yet that
image is comprehended, the human mind being the comprehender thereof,
and certainly the comprehender is greater than that which lieth within
its grasp; for imagination is but the branch, while mind is the root;
and certainly the root is greater than the branch. Consider then, how
all the peoples of the world are bowing the knee to a fancy of their own
contriving, how they have created a creator within their own minds, and
they call it
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the Fashioner of all that is--whereas in truth it is but an illusion.
Thus are the people worshipping only an error of perception.
But that Essence of Essences, that Invisible of Invisibles, is
sanctified above all human speculation, and never to be overtaken by the
mind of man. Never shall that immemorial Reality lodge within the
compass of a contingent being. His is another realm, and of that realm
no understanding can be won. No access can be gained thereto; all entry
is forbidden there. The utmost one can say is that Its existence can be
proved, but the conditions of Its existence are unknown.
That such an Essence doth exist, the philosophers and learned doctors
one and all have understood; but whenever they tried to learn something
of Its being, they were left bewildered and dismayed, and at the end,
despairing, their hopes in ruins, they went their way, out of this life.
For to comprehend the state and the inner mystery of that Essence of
Essences, that Most Secret of Secrets, one needs must have another power
and other faculties; and such a power, such faculties would be more than
humankind can bear, wherefore no word of Him can come to them.
If, for example, one be endowed with the senses of hearing, of taste, of
smell, of touch--but be deprived of the sense of sight, it will not be
possible for one to gaze about; for sight cannot be realized through
hearing or tasting, or the sense of smell or touch. In the same way,
with the faculties at man's disposal it is beyond the realm of
possibility for him to grasp that unseeable Reality, holy and sanctified
above all the sceptics' doubts. For this, other faculties are required,
other senses; should such powers become available to him, then could a
human being receive some knowledge of that world; otherwise, never.
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25. O thou handmaid of God! It is recorded in eastern histories that
Socrates journeyed to Palestine and Syria and there, from men learned in
the things of God, acquired certain spiritual truths; that when he
returned to Greece, he promulgated two beliefs: one, the unity of God,
and the other, the immortality of the soul after its separation from the
body; that these concepts, so foreign to their thought, raised a great
commotion among the Greeks, until in the end they gave him poison and
killed him.
And this is authentic; for the Greeks believed in many gods, and
Socrates established the fact that God is one, which obviously was in
conflict with Greek beliefs.
The Founder of monotheism was Abraham; it is to Him that this concept
can be traced, and the belief was current among the Children of Israel,
even in the days of Socrates.
The above, however, cannot be found in the Jewish histories; there are
many facts which are not included in Jewish history. Not all the events
of the life of Christ are set forth in the history of Josephus, a Jew,
although it was he who wrote the history of the times of Christ. One may
not, therefore, refuse to believe in events of Christ's day on the
grounds that they are not to be found in the history of Josephus.
Eastern histories also state that Hippocrates sojourned for a long time
in the town of Tyre, and this is a city in Syria.
26. O thou who seekest the Kingdom of Heaven! Thy letter hath been
received and its contents noted.
The Holy Manifestations of God possess two stations: one is the physical
station, and one the spiritual. In other words, one station is that of a
human being, and one, of the Divine Reality. If the Manifestations are
subjected to tests,
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it is in Their human station only, not in the splendour of Their Divine
Reality.
And further, these tests are such only from the viewpoint of mankind.
That is, to outward seeming, the human condition of the Holy
Manifestations is subjected to tests, and when Their strength and
endurance have by this means been revealed in the plenitude of power,
other men receive instruction therefrom, and are made aware of how great
must be their own steadfastness and endurance under tests and trials.
For the Divine Educator must teach by word and also by deed, thus
revealing to all the straight pathway of truth.
As to my station, it is that of the servant of Baha; Abdu'l-Baha, the
visible expression of servitude to the Threshold of the Abha Beauty.
27. In cycles gone by, each one of the Manifestations of God hath had
His own rank in the world of existence, and each hath represented a
stage in the development of humanity. But the Manifestation of the Most
Great Name--may my life be a sacrifice for His loved ones--was an
expression of the coming of age, the maturing of man's inmost reality in
this world of being. For the sun is the source and well-spring of light
and heat, the focal point of splendours, and it compriseth all the
perfections that are made manifest by the other stars which have dawned
upon the world. Make thou an effort that thou mayest take thy place
under the sun and receive an abundant share of its dazzling light. In
truth do I tell thee, once thou hast attained this station, thou shalt
behold the saints bowing down their heads in all humility before Him.
Haste thou to life before death cometh; haste thou to the spring season
before autumn draweth in; and
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before illness striketh, haste thou to healing--that thou mayest become
a physician of the spirit who, with the breaths of the Holy Spirit,
healeth all manner of sickness in this famed and glorious age.
28. O leaf upon the Tree of Life! The Tree of Life, of which mention is
made in the Bible, is Baha'u'llah, and the daughters of the Kingdom are
the leaves upon that blessed Tree. Then thank thou God that thou hast
become related to that Tree, and that thou art flourishing, tender and
fresh.
The gates of the Kingdom are opened wide, and every favoured soul is
seated at the banquet table of the Lord, receiving his portion of that
heavenly feast. Praised be God, thou too art present at this table,
taking thy share of the bountiful food of heaven. Thou art serving the
Kingdom, and art well acquainted with the sweet savours of the Abha
Paradise.
Then strive thou with all thy might to guide the people, and eat thou of
the bread that hath come down from heaven. For this is the meaning of
Christ's words: `I am the living bread which came down from heaven ...
he that eateth of this bread shall live forever.'+F1
29. O thou who art captivated by the truth and magnetized by the
Heavenly Kingdom! Thy long letter hath come and it brought great joy, as
it clearly betokened thy strenuous efforts and high purposes. Praised be
God, thou wishest well to men, and yearnest after the Kingdom of Baha,
and art longing to see the human race press
_____________________
+F1. John 6:51, 58
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forward. It is my hope that because of these high ideals, these noble
intimations of the heart, and these tidings of heaven, thou shalt become
so luminous that down all the ages the light of thy love for God will
shed its glory.
Thou hast described thyself as a student in the school of spiritual
progress. Fortunate art thou! If these schools of progress lead to the
university of heaven, then branches of knowledge will be developed
whereby humanity will look upon the tablet of existence as a scroll
endlessly unfolding; and all created things will be seen upon that
scroll as letters and words. Then will the different planes of meaning
be learned, and then within every atom of the universe will be witnessed
the signs of the oneness of God. Then will man hear the cry of the Lord
of the Kingdom, and behold the confirmations of the Holy Spirit coming
to succour him. Then will he feel such bliss, such ecstasy, that the
wide world with its vastness will no longer contain him, and he will set
out for the Kingdom of God, and hurry along to the realm of the spirit.
For once a bird hath grown its wings, it remaineth on the ground no
more, but soareth upward into high heaven--except for those birds that
are tied by the leg, or those whose wings are broken, or mired down.
O thou seeker after truth! The world of the Kingdom is one world. The
only difference is that spring returneth over and over again, and
setteth up a great new commotion throughout all created things. Then
plain and hillside come alive, and trees turn delicately green, and
leaves, blossoms and fruits come forth in beauty, infinite and tender.
Wherefore the dispensations of past ages are intimately connected with
those that follow them: indeed, they are one and the same, but as the
world groweth, so doth the light, so doth the downpour of heavenly
grace, and then the Day-Star shineth out in noonday splendour.
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O thou seeker after the Kingdom! Every divine Manifestation is the very
life of the world, and the skilled physician of each ailing soul. The
world of man is sick, and that competent Physician knoweth the cure,
arising as He doth with teachings, counsels and admonishments that are
the remedy for every pain, the healing balm to every wound. It is
certain that the wise physician can diagnose his patient's needs at any
season, and apply the cure. Wherefore, relate thou the Teachings of the
Abha Beauty to the urgent needs of this present day, and thou wilt see
that they provide an instant remedy for the ailing body of the world.
Indeed, they are the elixir that bringeth eternal health.
The treatment ordered by wise physicians of the past, and by those that
follow after, is not one and the same, rather doth it depend on what
aileth the patient; and although the remedy may change, the aim is
always to bring the patient back to health. In the dispensations gone
before, the feeble body of the world could not withstand a rigorous or
powerful cure. For this reason did Christ say: `I have yet many things
to say unto you, matters needing to be told, but ye cannot bear to hear
them now. Howbeit when that Comforting Spirit, Whom the Father will
send, shall come, He will make plain unto you the truth.'+F1
Therefore, in this age of splendours, teachings once limited to the few
are made available to all, that the mercy of the Lord may embrace both
east and west, that the oneness of the world of humanity may appear in
its full beauty, and that the dazzling rays of reality may flood the
realm of the mind with light.
The descent of the New Jerusalem denoteth a heavenly Law, that Law which
is the guarantor of human happiness and the effulgence of the world of
God.
_____________________
+F1. cf. John 15:26; 16:12-13
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Emmanuel+F1 was indeed the Herald of the Second Coming of Christ, and a
Summoner to the pathway of the Kingdom. It is evident that the Letter is
a member of the Word, and this membership in the Word signifieth that
the Letter is dependent for its value on the Word, that is, it deriveth
its grace from the Word; it has a spiritual kinship with the Word, and
is accounted an integral part of the Word. The Apostles were even as
Letters, and Christ was the essence of the Word Itself; and the meaning
of the Word, which is grace everlasting, cast a splendour on those
Letters. Again, since the Letter is a member of the Word, it therefore,
in its inner meaning, is consonant with the Word.
It is our hope that thou wilt in this day arise to promote that which
Emmanuel foretold. Know thou for a certainty that thou wilt succeed in
this, for the confirmations of the Holy Spirit are continually
descending, and the power of the Word will exert such an influence that
the Letter shall become the mirror in which the splendid Sun--the Word
Itself--will be reflected, and the grace and glory of the Word will
illumine the whole earth.
As for the heavenly Jerusalem that hath come to rest on the summits of
the world, and God's Holy of Holies, Whose banner is now lifted high,
this comprehendeth within itself all the perfections, all the knowledge
of the dispensations gone before. Beyond this, it heraldeth the oneness
of the children of men. It is the flag of universal peace, the spirit of
eternal life; it is the glory of the perfections of God, the
circumambient grace of all existence, the ornament bedecking all created
things, the source of inner quietude for all humankind.
_____________________
+F1. Regarding this Tablet Shoghi Effendi's secretary wrote on his +F1
behalf, on 9 May 1938, `...this obviously refers to the Bab, as the +F1
text shows clearly, and is in no way a reference to Swedenborg.'
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Direct thine attention to the holy Tablets; read thou the Ishraqat,
Tajalliyyat, the Words of Paradise, the Glad Tidings, the Tarazat, the
Most Holy Book. Then wilt thou see that today these heavenly Teachings
are the remedy for a sick and suffering world, and a healing balm for
the sores on the body of mankind. They are the spirit of life, the ark
of salvation, the magnet to draw down eternal glory, the dynamic power
to motivate the inner self of man.
30. Existence is of two kinds: one is the existence of God which is
beyond the comprehension of man. He, the invisible, the lofty and the
incomprehensible, is preceded by no cause but rather is the Originator
of the cause of causes. He, the Ancient, hath had no beginning and is
the all-independent. The second kind of existence is the human
existence. It is a common existence, comprehensible to the human mind,
is not ancient, is dependent and hath a cause to it. The mortal
substance does not become eternal and vice versa; the human kind does
not become a Creator and vice versa. The transformation of the innate
substance is impossible.
In the world of existence--that which is comprehensible --there are
stages of mortality: the first stage is the mineral world, next is the
vegetable world. In the latter world the mineral doth exist but with a
distinctive feature which is the vegetable characteristic. Likewise in
the animal world, the mineral and vegetable characteristics are present
and in addition the characteristics of the animal world are to be found,
which are the faculties of hearing and of sight. In the human world the
characteristics of the mineral, vegetable and animal worlds are found
and in addition that of the human kind, namely the intellectual
characteristic, which
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discovereth the realities of things and comprehendeth universal
principles.
Man, therefore, on the plane of the contingent world is the most perfect
being. By man is meant the perfect individual, who is like unto a mirror
in which the divine perfections are manifested and reflected. But the
sun doth not descend from the height of its sanctity to enter into the
mirror, but when the latter is purified and turned towards the Sun of
Truth, the perfections of this Sun, consisting of light and heat, are
reflected and manifested in that mirror. These souls are the Divine
Manifestations of God.
31. O thou who art dear, and wise! Thy letter dated 27 May 1906 hath
been received and its contents are most pleasing and have brought great
joy.
Thou didst ask whether this Cause, this new and living Cause, could take
the place of the dead religious rites and ceremonials of England;
whether it would be possible, now that various groups have appeared,
whose members are highly placed divines and theologians, far superior in
their attainments to those of the past, for this new Cause so to impress
the members of such groups as to gather them and the rest into its
all-protecting shade.
O thou dear friend! Know thou that the distinguished Individual of every
age is endowed according to the perfections of His age. That Individual
who in past ages was set above His fellows was gifted according to the
virtues of His time. But in this age of splendours, this era of God, the
pre-eminent Personage, the luminous Orb, the chosen Individual will
shine out with such perfections and such power as ultimately to dazzle
the minds of every community and group. And since such a Personage is
superior to all others in
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spiritual perfections and heavenly attainments, and is indeed the focal
centre of divine blessings and the pivot of the circle of light, He will
encompass all others, and there is no doubt whatsoever that He will
shine out with such power as to gather every soul into His sheltering
shade.
When ye consider this matter with care, it will become apparent that
this is according to a universal law, which one can find at work in all
things: the whole attracteth the part, and in the circle, the centre is
the pivot of the compasses. Ponder thou upon the Spirit+F1: because He
was the focal centre of spiritual power, the wellspring of divine
bounties, although at the beginning He gathered unto Himself only a very
few souls, later on He was able, because of that all-subduing power that
He had, to unite within the sheltering Tabernacle of Christendom all the
differing sects. Compare the present with the past, and see how great is
the difference; thus canst thou arrive at truth and certitude.
The differences among the religions of the world are due to the varying
types of minds. So long as the powers of the mind are various, it is
certain that men's judgements and opinions will differ one from another.
If, however, one single, universal perceptive power be introduced--a
power encompassing all the rest--those differing opinions will merge,
and a spiritual harmony and oneness will become apparent. For example,
when the Christ was made manifest, the minds of the various contemporary
peoples, their views, their emotional attitudes, whether they were
Romans, Greeks, Syrians, Israelites, or others, were at variance with
one another. But once His universal power was brought to bear, it
gradually succeeded, after the lapse of three hundred years, in
gathering together all those divergent minds under the protection, and
within the governance, of one central
_____________________
+F1. Jesus
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Point, all sharing the same spiritual emotions in their hearts.
To use a metaphor, when an army is placed under various commanders, each
with his own strategy, they will obviously differ as to battle lines and
movements of the troops; but once the Supreme Commander, who is
thoroughly versed in the arts of war, taketh over, those other plans
will disappear, for the supremely gifted general will bring the whole
army under his control. This is intended only as a metaphor, not an
exact comparison. Now if you should say that each and every one of those
other generals is highly skilled in the military art, is thoroughly
proficient and experienced, and therefore will not subject himself to
the rule of one individual, no matter how indescribably great, your
statement is untenable, for the above situation is demonstrably what
cometh to pass, and there is no doubt thereof whatever.
Such is the case with the holy Manifestations of God. Such in particular
is the case with the divine reality of the Most Great Name, the Abha
Beauty. When once He standeth revealed unto the assembled peoples of the
world and appeareth with such comeliness, such enchantments-- alluring
as a Joseph in the Egypt of the spirit--He enslaveth all the lovers on
earth.
As to those souls who are born into this life as ethereal and radiant
entities and yet, on account of their handicaps and trials, are deprived
of great and real advantages, and leave the world without having lived
to the full--certainly this is a cause for grieving. This is the reason
why the universal Manifestations of God unveil Their countenances to
man, and endure every calamity and sore affliction, and lay down Their
lives as a ransom; it is to make these very people, the ready ones, the
ones who have capacity, to
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become dawning points of light, and to bestow upon them the life that
fadeth never. This is the true sacrifice: the offering of oneself, even
as did Christ, as a ransom for the life of the world.
As to the influence of holy Beings and the continuance of Their grace to
mankind after They have put away Their human form, this is, to Baha'is,
an indisputable fact. Indeed, the flooding grace, the streaming
splendours of the holy Manifestations appear after Their ascension from
this world. The exaltation of the Word, the revelation of the power of
God, the conversion of God-fearing souls, the bestowal of everlasting
life--it was following the Messiah's martyrdom that all these were
increased and intensified. In the same way, ever since the ascension of
the Blessed Beauty, the bestowals have been more abundant, the spreading
light is brighter, the tokens of the Lord's might are more powerful, the
influence of the Word is much stronger, and it will not be long before
the motion, the heat, the brilliance, the blessings of the Sun of His
reality will encompass all the earth.
Grieve thou not over the slow advance of the Baha'i Cause in that land.
This is but the early dawn. Consider how, with the Cause of Christ,
three hundred years had to go by, before its great influence was made
manifest. Today, not sixty years from its birth, the light of this Faith
hath been shed around the planet.
Regarding the health society of which thou art a member, once it cometh
under the shelter of this Faith its influence shall increase a
hundredfold.
Thou dost observe that love among the Baha'is is very great, and that
love is the main thing. Just as love's power hath been developed to such
a high degree among the Baha'is, and is far greater than among the
people of other
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religions, so is it with all else as well; for love is the ground of all
things.
Regarding the translation of the Books and Tablets of the Blessed
Beauty, erelong will translations be made into every tongue, with power,
clarity and grace. At such time as they are translated, conformably to
the originals, and with power and grace of style, the splendours of
their inner meanings will be shed abroad, and will illumine the eyes of
all mankind. Do thy very best to ensure that the translation is in
conformity with the original.
The Blessed Beauty proceeded to Haifa on many occasions. Thou beheldest
Him there, but thou didst not know Him at that time. It is my hope that
thou wilt attain unto the true meeting with Him, which is to behold Him
with the inner, not the outer eye.
The essence of Baha'u'llah's Teaching is all-embracing love, for love
includeth every excellence of humankind. It causeth every soul to go
forward. It bestoweth on each one, for a heritage, immortal life.
Erelong shalt thou bear witness that His celestial Teachings, the very
glory of reality itself, shall light up the skies of the world.
The brief prayer which thou didst write at the close of thy letter was
indeed original, touching and beautiful. Recite thou this prayer at all
times.
32. O ye handmaids of the Lord! In this century--the century of the
Almighty Lord--the Day-Star of the Realms above, the Light of Truth,
shineth in its meridian splendour and its rays illuminate all regions.
For this is the age of the Ancient Beauty, the day of the revelation of
the might and power of the Most Great Name--may my life be offered up as
a sacrifice for His loved ones.
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In the ages to come, though the Cause of God may rise and grow a
hundredfold and the shade of the Sadratu'l-Muntaha shelter all mankind,
yet this present century shall stand unrivalled, for it hath witnessed
the breaking of that Morn and the rising of that Sun. This century is,
verily, the source of His Light and the dayspring of His Revelation.
Future ages and generations shall behold the diffusion of its radiance
and the manifestations of its signs.
Wherefore, exert yourselves, haply ye may obtain your full share and
portion of His bestowals.
33. O servant of God! We have noted what thou didst write to
Jinab-i-Ibn-Abhar, and thy question regarding the verse: `Whoso layeth
claim to a Revelation direct from God, ere the expiration of a full
thousand years, such a man is assuredly a lying impostor.'
The meaning of this is that any individual who, before the expiry of a
full thousand years--years known and clearly established by common usage
and requiring no interpretation-- should lay claim to a Revelation
direct from God, even though he should reveal certain signs, that man is
assuredly false and an impostor.
This is not a reference to the Universal Manifestation, for it is
clearly set forth in the Holy Writings that centuries, nay thousands of
years, must pass on to completion, before a Manifestation like unto this
Manifestation shall appear again.
It is possible, however, that after the completion of a full thousand
years, certain Holy Beings will be empowered to deliver a Revelation:
this, however, will not be through a Universal Manifestation. Wherefore
every day of the cycle of the Blessed Beauty is in reality equal to one
year, and every year of it is equal to a thousand years.
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Consider, for example, the sun: its transit from one zodiacal sign to
the next occurreth within a short period of time, yet only after a long
period doth it attain the plenitude of its resplendency, its heat and
glory, in the sign of Leo. It must first complete one full revolution
through the other constellations before it will enter the sign of Leo
again, to blaze out in its full splendour. In its other stations, it
revealeth not the fullness of its heat and light.
The substance is, that prior to the completion of a thousand years, no
individual may presume to breathe a word. All must consider themselves
to be of the order of subjects, submissive and obedient to the
commandments of God and the laws of the House of Justice. Should any
deviate by so much as a needle's point from the decrees of the Universal
House of Justice, or falter in his compliance therewith, then is he of
the outcast and rejected.
As to the cycle of the Blessed Beauty--the times of the Greatest
Name--this is not limited to a thousand or two thousand years....
When it is said that the period of a thousand years beginneth with the
Manifestation of the Blessed Beauty and every day thereof is a thousand
years, the intent is a reference to the cycle of the Blessed Beauty,
which in this context will extend over many ages into the unborn reaches
of time.
34. O thou who art serving the world of humanity! Thy letter was
received and from its contents we felt exceedingly glad. It was a
decisive proof and a brilliant evidence. It is appropriate and befitting
that in this illumined age--the age of the progress of the world of
humanity--we should be self-sacrificing and should serve the human race.
Every universal cause is divine and every particular one is
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temporal. The principles of the divine Manifestations of God were,
therefore, all-universal and all-inclusive.
Every imperfect soul is self-centred and thinketh only of his own good.
But as his thoughts expand a little he will begin to think of the
welfare and comfort of his family. If his ideas still more widen, his
concern will be the felicity of his fellow citizens; and if still they
widen, he will be thinking of the glory of his land and of his race. But
when ideas and views reach the utmost degree of expansion and attain the
stage of perfection, then will he be interested in the exaltation of
humankind. He will then be the well-wisher of all men and the seeker of
the weal and prosperity of all lands. This is indicative of perfection.
Thus, the divine Manifestations of God had a universal and all-inclusive
conception. They endeavoured for the sake of everyone's life and engaged
in the service of universal education. The area of their aims was not
limited--nay, rather, it was wide and all-inclusive.
Therefore, ye must also be thinking of everyone, so that mankind may be
educated, character moderated and this world may turn into a Garden of
Eden.
Love ye all religions and all races with a love that is true and sincere
and show that love through deeds and not through the tongue; for the
latter hath no importance, as the majority of men are, in speech,
well-wishers, while action is the best.
35. O army of God! A letter signed jointly by all of you hath been
received. It was most eloquent and full of flavour, and reading it was a
delight.
Ye had written of the fasting month. Fortunate are ye to have obeyed the
commandment of God, and kept this fast
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during the holy season. For this material fast is an outer token of the
spiritual fast; it is a symbol of self-restraint, the withholding of
oneself from all appetites of the self, taking on the characteristics of
the spirit, being carried away by the breathings of heaven and catching
fire from the love of God.
Your letter also betokened your unity and the closeness of your hearts.
It is my hope that the west, through the boundless grace that God is
pouring down in this new era, will become the east, the dawning-point of
the Sun of Truth, and western believers the daysprings of light, and
manifestors of the signs of God; that they will be guarded from the
doubts of the heedless and will stay firm and unmoveable in the Covenant
and Testament; that they will toil by day and by night until they awaken
those who sleep, and make mindful those who are unaware, and bring in
the outcast to be intimates of the inner circle, and bestow upon the
destitute their portion of eternal grace. Let them be heralds of the
Kingdom, and call out to the denizens of this nether world, and summon
them to enter the realm on high.
O army of God! Today, in this world, every people is wandering astray in
its own desert, moving here and there according to the dictates of its
fancies and whims, pursuing its own particular caprice. Amongst all the
teeming masses of the earth, only this community of the Most Great Name
is free and clear of human schemes and hath no selfish purpose to
promote. Alone amongst them all, this people hath arisen with aims
purified of self, following the Teachings of God, most eagerly toiling
and striving toward a single goal: to turn this nether dust into high
heaven, to make of this world a mirror for the Kingdom, to change this
world into a different world, and cause all humankind to adopt the ways
of righteousness and a new manner of life.
O army of God! Through the protection and help
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vouchsafed by the Blessed Beauty--may my life be a sacrifice to His
loved ones--ye must conduct yourselves in such a manner that ye may
stand out distinguished and brilliant as the sun among other souls.
Should any one of you enter a city, he should become a centre of
attraction by reason of his sincerity, his faithfulness and love, his
honesty and fidelity, his truthfulness and loving-kindness towards all
the peoples of the world, so that the people of that city may cry out
and say: `This man is unquestionably a Baha'i, for his manners, his
behaviour, his conduct, his morals, his nature, and disposition reflect
the attributes of the Baha'is.' Not until ye attain this station can ye
be said to have been faithful to the Covenant and Testament of God. For
He hath, through irrefutable Texts, entered into a binding Covenant with
us all, requiring us to act in accordance with His sacred instructions
and counsels.
O army of God! The time hath come for the effects and perfections of the
Most Great Name to be made manifest in this excellent age, so as to
establish, beyond any doubt, that this era is the era of Baha'u'llah,
and this age is distinguished above all other ages.
O army of God! Whensoever ye behold a person whose entire attention is
directed toward the Cause of God; whose only aim is this, to make the
Word of God to take effect; who, day and night, with pure intent, is
rendering service to the Cause; from whose behaviour not the slightest
trace of egotism or private motives is discerned--who, rather, wandereth
distracted in the wilderness of the love of God, and drinketh only from
the cup of the knowledge of God, and is utterly engrossed in spreading
the sweet savours of God, and is enamoured of the holy verses of the
Kingdom of God--know ye for a certainty that this individual will be
supported and reinforced by heaven; that like unto the
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morning star, he will forever gleam brightly out of the skies of eternal
grace. But if he show the slightest taint of selfish desires and self
love, his efforts will lead to nothing and he will be destroyed and left
hopeless at the last.
O army of God! Praise be to God, Baha'u'llah hath lifted the chains from
off the necks of humankind, and hath set man free from all that
trammelled him, and told him: Ye are the fruits of one tree and the
leaves of one branch; be ye compassionate and kind to all the human
race. Deal ye with strangers the same as with friends, cherish ye others
just as ye would your own. See foes as friends; see demons as angels;
give to the tyrant the same great love ye show the loyal and true, and
even as gazelles from the scented cities of Khata and Khutan+F1 offer up
sweet musk to the ravening wolf. Be ye a refuge to the fearful; bring ye
rest and peace to the disturbed; make ye a provision for the destitute;
be a treasury of riches for the poor; be a healing medicine for those
who suffer pain; be ye doctor and nurse to the ailing; promote ye
friendship, and honour, and conciliation, and devotion to God, in this
world of non-existence.
O army of God! Make ye a mighty effort: perchance ye can flood this
earth with light, that this mud hut, the world, may become the Abha
Paradise. The dark hath taken over, and the brute traits prevail. This
world of man is now an arena for wild beasts, a field where the
ignorant, the heedless, seize their chance. The souls of men are
ravening wolves and animals with blinded eyes, they are either deadly
poison or useless weeds--all except for a very few who indeed do nurture
altruistic aims and plans for the well-being of their fellow men: but ye
must in this matter--that is, the serving of humankind--lay down your
very lives, and as ye yield yourselves, rejoice.
_____________________
+F1. Cities in China celebrated for their musk-producing animals.
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O army of God! The Exalted One, the Bab, gave up His life. The Blessed
Perfection gave up a hundred lives at every breath. He bore calamities.
He suffered anguish. He was imprisoned. He was chained. He was made
homeless and was banished to distant lands. Finally, then, He lived out
His days in the Most Great Prison. Likewise, a great multitude of the
lovers of God who followed this path have tasted the honey of martyrdom
and they gave up everything --life, possessions, kindred--all they had.
How many homes were reduced to rubble; how many dwellings were broken
into and pillaged; how many a noble building went to the ground; how
many a palace was battered into a tomb. And all this came about that
humankind might be illumined, that ignorance might yield to knowledge,
that men of earth might become men of heaven, that discord and
dissension might be torn out by the roots, and the Kingdom of Peace
become established over all the world. Strive ye now that this bounty
become manifest, and this best-beloved of all hopes be realized in
splendour throughout the community of man.
O army of God! Beware lest ye harm any soul, or make any heart to
sorrow; lest ye wound any man with your words, be he known to you or a
stranger, be he friend or foe. Pray ye for all; ask ye that all be
blessed, all be forgiven. Beware, beware, lest any of you seek
vengeance, even against one who is thirsting for your blood. Beware,
beware, lest ye offend the feelings of another, even though he be an
evil-doer, and he wish you ill. Look ye not upon the creatures, turn ye
to their Creator. See ye not the never-yielding people, see but the Lord
of Hosts. Gaze ye not down upon the dust, gaze upward at the shining
sun, which hath caused every patch of darksome earth to glow with light.
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O army of God! When calamity striketh, be ye patient and composed.
However afflictive your sufferings may be, stay ye undisturbed, and with
perfect confidence in the abounding grace of God, brave ye the tempest
of tribulations and fiery ordeals.
Last year a number of the unfaithful, both from within and from without,
both known to us and strangers, took before the Sultan of Turkey
slanderous charges against these homeless exiles, bringing against us
grave accusations with no basis in fact. The Government, conformably
with prudence, determined to look into these charges, and dispatched a
Commission of Investigation to this city. It is obvious what an
opportunity this afforded our ill-wishers, and what a storm they
unleashed, all this beyond description by tongue or pen. Only one who
witnessed it could know what a turmoil they created and what an
earthquake of anguish was the result. And notwithstanding this, the
response was to depend utterly upon God, and to remain composed,
confident, long-suffering, undisturbed, to such a degree that a person
knowing nothing of the situation would have thought us easy of heart and
mind, perfectly happy, thriving and at peace.
Then it came about that the accusers themselves, those who had made the
defamatory charges against us, joined with the members of the Commission
to investigate the accusations, so that plaintiffs, witnesses and judge
were all one and the same, and the conclusion was foregone.
Nevertheless, to be fair, it must be stated that up to now His Majesty
the Sultan of Turkey hath paid no heed to these false charges, this
defamation, these fables and traducements, and hath acted with
justice....
O Thou Provider! Thou hast breathed over the friends in the West the
sweet fragrance of the Holy Spirit, and with
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the light of divine guidance Thou hast lit up the western sky. Thou hast
made those who were once remote to draw near unto Thyself; Thou hast
turned strangers into loving friends; Thou hast awakened those who
slept; Thou hast made the heedless mindful.
O Thou Provider! Assist Thou these noble friends to win Thy good
pleasure, and make them well-wishers of stranger and friend alike. Bring
them into the world that abideth forever; grant them a portion of
heavenly grace; cause them to be true Baha'is, sincerely of God; save
them from outward semblances, and establish them firmly in the truth.
Make them signs and tokens of the Kingdom, luminous stars above the
horizons of this nether life. Make them to be a comfort and a solace to
humankind and servants to the peace of the world. Exhilarate them with
the wine of Thy counsel, and grant that all of them may tread the path
of Thy commandments.
O Thou Provider! The dearest wish of this servant of Thy Threshold is to
behold the friends of east and west in close embrace; to see all the
members of human society gathered with love in a single great
assemblage, even as individual drops of water collected in one mighty
sea; to behold them all as birds in one garden of roses, as pearls of
one ocean, as leaves of one tree, as rays of one sun.
Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, and Thou art the God of strength, the
Omnipotent, the All-Seeing.
36. O ye two favoured handmaids of the Lord! The letter from Mother
Beecher hath been received, and truly it spoke for you both, wherefore I
address the two of you together. This seemeth very good to me, for ye
two pure beings are even as a single precious gem, ye are two boughs
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branched from a single tree; ye both adore the same Beloved, ye both are
longing for the same resplendent Sun.
My hope is that all the handmaids of God in that region will unite like
unto the waves of one unending sea; for although blown about as the wind
listeth, these are separate in themselves, yet in truth are they all at
one with the boundless deep.
How good it is if the friends be as close as sheaves of light, if they
stand together side by side in a firm unbroken line. For now have the
rays of reality from the Sun of the world of existence, united in
adoration all the worshippers of this light; and these rays have,
through infinite grace, gathered all peoples together within this
wide-spreading shelter; therefore must all souls become as one soul, and
all hearts as one heart. Let all be set free from the multiple
identities that were born of passion and desire, and in the oneness of
their love for God find a new way of life.
O ye two handmaids of God! Now is the time for you to become as
bounteous cups that are filled to overflowing, and even as the reviving
gusts that blow from the Abha Paradise, to scatter the fragrance of musk
across that land. Release yourselves from this world's life, and at
every stage long ye for non-existence; for when the ray returneth to the
sun, it is wiped out, and when the drop cometh to the sea, it vanisheth,
and when the true lover findeth his Beloved, he yieldeth up his soul.
Until a being setteth his foot in the plane of sacrifice, he is bereft
of every favour and grace; and this plane of sacrifice is the realm of
dying to the self, that the radiance of the living God may then shine
forth. The martyr's field is the place of detachment from self, that the
anthems of eternity may be upraised. Do all ye can to become wholly
weary of self, and bind yourselves to that Countenance of
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Splendours; and once ye have reached such heights of servitude, ye will
find, gathered within your shadow, all created things. This is boundless
grace; this is the highest sovereignty; this is the life that dieth not.
All else save this is at the last but manifest perdition and great loss.
Praise be to God, the gate of boundless grace is opened wide, the
heavenly table is set, the servants of the Merciful and His handmaids
are present at the feast. Strive ye to receive your share of this
eternal food, so that ye shall be loved and cherished in this world and
the next.
37. O ye dear friends of Abdu'l-Baha! A blessed letter hath been
received from you, telling of the election of a Spiritual Assembly. It
hath rejoiced my heart to know that, God be praised, the friends in that
area, with absolute unity, fellowship and love, have held this new
election and were successful in voting for souls who are sanctified, are
favoured at the Holy Threshold and are well known amongst the friends to
be staunch and firm in the Covenant.
Now must those elected representatives arise to serve with spirituality
and joy, with purity of intent, with strong attraction to the fragrances
of the Almighty, and well supported by the Holy Spirit. Let them raise
up the banner of guidance, and as soldiers of the Company on high, let
them exalt God's Word, spread abroad His sweet savours, educate the
souls of men, and promote the Most Great Peace.
Truly, blessed souls have been elected. The moment I read their names, I
felt a thrill of spiritual joy to know that, praised be God, persons
have been raised up in that country who are servants of the Kingdom, and
ready to lay down their lives for Him Who hath neither likeness nor
peer.
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O ye dear friends of mine! Light up this Assembly with the splendour of
God's love. Make it ring out with the joyous music of the hallowed
spheres, make it thrive on those foods that are served at the Lord's
Supper, at the heavenly banquet table of God. Come ye together in
gladness unalloyed, and at the beginning of the meeting, recite ye this
prayer:
O Thou Lord of the Kingdom! Though our bodies be gathered here together,
yet our spellbound hearts are carried away by Thy love, and yet are we
transported by the rays of Thy resplendent face. Weak though we be, we
await the revelations of Thy might and power. Poor though we be, with
neither goods nor means, still take we riches from the treasures of Thy
Kingdom. Drops though we be, still do we draw from out Thy ocean deeps.
Motes though we be, still do we gleam in the glory of Thy splendid Sun.
O Thou our Provider! Send down Thine aid, that each one gathered here
may become a lighted candle, each one a centre of attraction, each one a
summoner to Thy heavenly realms, till at last we make this nether world
the mirror image of Thy Paradise.
O ye dear friends of mine! It is incumbent upon the assemblies of those
regions to be connected one with another and to correspond with one
another, and also to communicate with the assemblies of the east, thus
to become agencies for union throughout the world.
O ye spiritual friends! Such must be your constancy that should the
evil-wishers put every believer to death and only one remain, that one,
singly and alone, will withstand all the peoples of the earth, and will
go on scattering far and
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wide the sweet and holy fragrances of God. Wherefore, should any
fearsome news, any word of terrifying events, reach you from the Holy
Land, see to it that ye waver not, be ye not stricken by grief, be ye
not shaken. Rather, rise ye up instantly, with iron resolve, and serve
ye the Kingdom of God.
This Servant of the Lord's Threshold hath been in peril at all times. He
is in peril now. At no time have I had any hope of safety, and my
dearest wish is this: to drink of the martyr's bounteous and brim-full
cup, and die on the field of sacrifice, delighting in that wine which is
the most precious of God's gifts. This is my highest hope, this my most
vehement desire.
We hear that the Tablets of Ishraqat (Splendours), Tarazat (Ornaments),
Bisharat (Glad Tidings), Tajalliyyat (Effulgences), and Kalimat (Words
of Paradise) have been translated and published in those regions. In
these Tablets will ye have a model of how to be and how to live.
38. O handmaid of God, who tremblest even as a fresh and tender branch
in the winds of the love of God! I have read thy letter, which telleth
of thine abundant love, thine intense devotion, and of thy being
occupied with the remembrance of thy Lord.
Depend thou upon God. Forsake thine own will and cling to His, set aside
thine own desires and lay hold of His, that thou mayest become an
example, holy, spiritual, and of the Kingdom, unto His handmaids.
Know thou, O handmaid, that in the sight of Baha, women are accounted
the same as men, and God hath created all humankind in His own image,
and after His own likeness. That is, men and women alike are the
revealers of
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His names and attributes, and from the spiritual viewpoint there is no
difference between them. Whosoever draweth nearer to God, that one is
the most favoured, whether man or woman. How many a handmaid, ardent and
devoted, hath, within the sheltering shade of Baha, proved superior to
the men, and surpassed the famous of the earth.
The House of Justice, however, according to the explicit text of the Law
of God, is confined to men; this for a wisdom of the Lord God's, which
will erelong be made manifest as clearly as the sun at high noon.
As to you, O ye other handmaids who are enamoured of the heavenly
fragrances, arrange ye holy gatherings, and found ye Spiritual
Assemblies, for these are the basis for spreading the sweet savours of
God, exalting His Word, uplifting the lamp of His grace, promulgating
His religion and promoting His Teachings, and what bounty is there
greater than this? These Spiritual Assemblies are aided by the Spirit of
God. Their defender is Abdu'l-Baha. Over them He spreadeth His wings.
What bounty is there greater than this? These Spiritual Assemblies are
shining lamps and heavenly gardens, from which the fragrances of
holiness are diffused over all regions, and the lights of knowledge are
shed abroad over all created things. From them the spirit of life
streameth in every direction. They, indeed, are the potent sources of
the progress of man, at all times and under all conditions. What bounty
is there greater than this?
39. O handmaid of God! Thy letter hath been received, bringing its news
that an Assembly hath been established in that city.
Look ye not upon the fewness of thy numbers, rather,
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seek ye out hearts that are pure. One consecrated soul is preferable to
a thousand other souls. If a small number of people gather lovingly
together, with absolute purity and sanctity, with their hearts free of
the world, experiencing the emotions of the Kingdom and the powerful
magnetic forces of the Divine, and being at one in their happy
fellowship, that gathering will exert its influence over all the earth.
The nature of that band of people, the words they speak, the deeds they
do, will unleash the bestowals of Heaven, and provide a foretaste of
eternal bliss. The hosts of the Company on high will defend them, and
the angels of the Abha Paradise, in continuous succession, will come
down to their aid.
The meaning of `angels' is the confirmations of God and His celestial
powers. Likewise angels are blessed beings who have severed all ties
with this nether world, have been released from the chains of self and
the desires of the flesh, and anchored their hearts to the heavenly
realms of the Lord. These are of the Kingdom, heavenly; these are of
God, spiritual; these are revealers of God's abounding grace; these are
dawning-points of His spiritual bestowals.
O handmaid of God! Praise be to Him, thy dear husband hath perceived the
sweet scents that blow from the gardens of heaven. Now, as day followeth
day, must thou, through the love of God, and thine own good actions,
draw him ever closer to the Faith.
Those were indeed dire events in San Francisco.+F1 Disasters of this
kind should serve to awaken the people, and diminish the love of their
hearts for this inconstant world. It is in this nether world that such
tragic things take place: this is the cup that yieldeth bitter wine.
_____________________
+F1. The earthquake of 1906
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40. O ye whom Abdu'l-Baha loveth! I have read your reports with great
joy; they are of a nature to cheer and refresh the heart and gladden the
soul. If this Assembly, through the holy breathings of the All-Merciful
and His divine confirmations, endure and remain fixed and firm, it shall
produce notable results and it shall succeed in enterprises of great
moment.
The Spiritual Assemblies to be established in this Age of God, this holy
century, have, it is indisputable, had neither peer nor likeness in the
cycles gone before. For those assemblages that wielded power were based
on the support of mighty leaders of men, while these Assemblies are
based on the support of the Beauty of Abha. The defenders and patrons of
those other assemblages were either a prince, or a king, or a chief
priest, or the mass of the people. But these Spiritual Assemblies have
for their defender, their supporter, their helper, their inspirer, the
omnipotent Lord.
Look ye not upon the present, fix your gaze upon the times to come. In
the beginning, how small is the seed, yet in the end it is a mighty
tree. Look ye not upon the seed, look ye upon the tree, and its
blossoms, and its leaves and its fruits. Consider the days of Christ,
when none but a small band followed Him; then observe what a mighty tree
that seed became, behold ye its fruitage. And now shall come to pass
even greater things than these, for this is the summons of the Lord of
Hosts, this is the trumpet-call of the living Lord, this is the anthem
of world peace, this is the standard of righteousness and trust and
understanding raised up among all the variegated peoples of the globe;
this is the splendour of the Sun of Truth, this is the holiness of the
spirit of God Himself. This most powerful of dispensations will
encompass all the earth, and beneath its banner will all peoples gather
and be sheltered together. Know
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then the vital import of this tiny seed that the true Husbandman hath,
with the hands of His mercy, sown in the ploughed fields of the Lord,
and watered with the rain of bestowals and bounties and is now nurturing
in the heat and light of the Day-Star of Truth.
Wherefore, O ye loved ones of God, offer up thanks unto Him, since He
hath made you the object of such bounties, and the recipients of such
gifts. Blessed are ye, glad tidings to you, for this abounding grace.
41. O thou who art steadfast in the Covenant, and staunch! The letter
which thou didst write ... hath been shown to me, and the opinions
expressed therein were most commendable. It is incumbent upon the
Spiritual Consultative Assembly of New York to be in complete agreement
with that of Chicago, and for these two assemblies of consultation
jointly to approve whatever they consider suitable for publication and
distribution. Following that, let them send one copy to Akka, so that it
may also be approved from here, after which the material will be
returned to be published and circulated.
The question of co-ordinating and unifying the two Spiritual Assemblies,
that of Chicago and of New York, is of the utmost importance, and once a
Spiritual Assembly is duly formed in Washington, these two Assemblies
should also establish ties of unity with that Assembly. To sum it up, it
is the desire of the Lord God that the loved ones of God and the
handmaids of the Merciful in the West should come closer together in
harmony and unity as day followeth day, and until this is accomplished,
the work will never go forward. The Spiritual Assemblies are
collectively the most effective of all instruments for establishing
unity and
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harmony. This matter is of the utmost importance; this is the magnet
that draweth down the confirmations of God. If once the beauty of the
unity of the friends--this Divine Beloved--be decked in the adornments
of the Abha Kingdom, it is certain that within a very short time those
countries will become the Paradise of the All-Glorious, and that out of
the west the splendours of unity will cast their bright rays over all
the earth.
We are striving with heart and soul, resting neither day nor night,
seeking not a moment's ease, to make this world of man the mirror of the
unity of God. Then how much more must the beloved of the Lord reflect
that unity? And this cherished hope, this yearning wish of ours will be
visibly fulfilled only on the day when the true friends of God arise to
carry out the Teachings of the Abha Beauty-- may my life be a ransom for
His lovers! One amongst His Teachings is this, that love and good faith
must so dominate the human heart that men will regard the stranger as a
familiar friend, the malefactor as one of their own, the alien even as a
loved one, the enemy as a companion dear and close. Who killeth them,
him will they call a bestower of life; who turneth away from them, him
will they regard as turning towards them; who denieth their message, him
will they consider as one acknowledging its truth. The meaning is that
they must treat all humankind even as they treat their sympathizers,
their fellow-believers, their loved ones and familiar friends.
Should such a torch light up the world community, ye will find that the
whole earth is sending forth a fragrance, that it hath become a
delightsome paradise, and the face of it the image of high heaven. Then
will the whole world be one native land, its diverse peoples one single
kind, the nations of both east and west one household.
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It is my hope that such a day will come, that such a splendour will
shine forth, that such a vision will be unveiled in its full beauty.
42. O ye co-workers who are supported by armies from the realm of the
All-Glorious! Blessed are ye, for ye have come together in the
sheltering shade of the Word of God, and have found a refuge in the cave
of His Covenant; ye have brought peace to your hearts by making your
home in the Abha Paradise, and are lulled by the gentle winds that blow
from their source in His loving-kindness; ye have arisen to serve the
Cause of God and to spread His religion far and wide, to promote His
Word and to raise high the banners of holiness throughout all those
regions.
By the life of Baha! Verily will the consummate power of the Divine
Reality breathe into you the bounties of the Holy Spirit, and aid you to
perform an exploit whose like the eye of creation hath never looked
upon.
O ye League of the Covenant! Verily the Abha Beauty made a promise to
the beloved who are steadfast in the Covenant, that He would reinforce
their strivings with the strongest of supports, and succour them with
His triumphant might. Erelong shall ye see that your illumined
assemblage hath left conspicuous signs and tokens in the hearts and
souls of men. Hold ye fast to the hem of God's garment, and direct all
your efforts toward furthering His Covenant, and burning ever more
brightly with the fire of His love, that your hearts may leap for joy in
the breathings of servitude which well out from the breast of
Abdu'l-Baha. Rally your hearts, make firm your steps, trust in the
everlasting bounties that will be shed upon you, one following another
from the Kingdom of Abha. Whensoever ye
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gather in that radiant assemblage, know ye that the splendours of Baha
are shining over you. It behoveth you to seek agreement and to be
united; it behoveth you to be in close communion one with the other, at
one both in body and soul, till ye match the Pleiades or a string of
lustrous pearls. Thus will ye be solidly established; thus will your
words prevail, your star shine out, and your hearts be comforted....
Whenever ye enter the council-chamber, recite this prayer with a heart
throbbing with the love of God and a tongue purified from all but His
remembrance, that the All-Powerful may graciously aid you to achieve
supreme victory:
O God, my God! We are servants of Thine that have turned with devotion
to Thy Holy Face, that have detached ourselves from all besides Thee in
this glorious Day. We have gathered in this Spiritual Assembly, united
in our views and thoughts, with our purposes harmonized to exalt Thy
Word amidst mankind. O Lord, our God! Make us the signs of Thy Divine
Guidance, the Standards of Thine exalted Faith amongst men, servants to
Thy mighty Covenant, O Thou our Lord Most High, manifestations of Thy
Divine Unity in Thine Abha Kingdom, and resplendent stars shining upon
all regions. Lord! Aid us to become seas surging with the billows of Thy
wondrous Grace, streams flowing from Thine all-glorious Heights, goodly
fruits upon the Tree of Thy heavenly Cause, trees waving through the
breezes of Thy Bounty in Thy celestial Vineyard. O God! Make our souls
dependent upon the Verses of Thy Divine Unity, our hearts cheered with
the outpourings of Thy Grace, that we may unite even as the waves of one
sea and become merged together as the rays of Thine effulgent Light;
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that our thoughts, our views, our feelings may become as one reality,
manifesting the spirit of union throughout the world. Thou art the
Gracious, the Bountiful, the Bestower, the Almighty, the Merciful, the
Compassionate.
43. The prime requisites for them that take counsel together are purity
of motive, radiance of spirit, detachment from all else save God,
attraction to His Divine Fragrances, humility and lowliness amongst His
loved ones, patience and long-suffering in difficulties and servitude to
His exalted Threshold. Should they be graciously aided to acquire these
attributes, victory from the unseen Kingdom of Baha shall be vouchsafed
to them.
44. The members thereof+F1 must take counsel together in such wise that
no occasion for ill-feeling or discord may arise. This can be attained
when every member expresseth with absolute freedom his own opinion and
setteth forth his argument. Should anyone oppose, he must on no account
feel hurt for not until matters are fully discussed can the right way be
revealed. The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash
of differing opinions. If after discussion, a decision be carried
unanimously well and good; but if, the Lord forbid, differences of
opinion should arise, a majority of voices must prevail.
45. The first condition is absolute love and harmony amongst the members
of the assembly. They must be
_____________________
+F1. Of a Spiritual Assembly
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wholly free from estrangement and must manifest in themselves the Unity
of God, for they are the waves of one sea, the drops of one river, the
stars of one heaven, the rays of one sun, the trees of one orchard, the
flowers of one garden. Should harmony of thought and absolute unity be
nonexistent, that gathering shall be dispersed and that assembly be
brought to naught. The second condition is that the members of the
assembly should unitedly elect a chairman and lay down guide-lines and
by-laws for their meetings and discussions. The chairman should have
charge of such rules and regulations and protect and enforce them; the
other members should be submissive, and refrain from conversing on
superfluous and extraneous matters. They must, when coming together,
turn their faces to the Kingdom on high and ask aid from the Realm of
Glory. They must then proceed with the utmost devotion, courtesy,
dignity, care and moderation to express their views. They must in every
matter search out the truth and not insist upon their own opinion, for
stubbornness and persistence in one's views will lead ultimately to
discord and wrangling and the truth will remain hidden. The honoured
members must with all freedom express their own thoughts, and it is in
no wise permissible for one to belittle the thought of another, nay, he
must with moderation set forth the truth, and should differences of
opinion arise a majority of voices must prevail, and all must obey and
submit to the majority. It is again not permitted that any one of the
honoured members object to or censure, whether in or out of the meeting,
any decision arrived at previously, though that decision be not right,
for such criticism would prevent any decision from being enforced. In
short, whatsoever thing is arranged in harmony and with love and purity
of motive, its result is light, and should the least trace of
estrangement prevail the result shall be darkness upon darkness.... If
this be so regarded, that assembly shall be of God, but otherwise it
shall lead to coolness and alienation that proceed from the Evil One....
Should they endeavour to fulfil these conditions the Grace of the Holy
Spirit shall be vouchsafed unto them, and that assembly shall become the
centre of the
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Divine blessings, the hosts of Divine confirmation shall come to their
aid, and they shall day by day receive a new effusion of Spirit.
46. O ye who are firm in the Covenant! Abdu'l-Baha is constantly engaged
in ideal communication with any Spiritual Assembly which is instituted
through the divine bounty, and the members of which, in the utmost
devotion, turn to the divine Kingdom and are firm in the Covenant. To
them he is whole-heartedly attached and with them he is linked by
everlasting ties. Thus correspondence with that gathering is sincere,
constant and uninterrupted.
At every instant, I beg for you assistance, bounty, and a fresh favour
and blessing, so that the confirmations of Baha'u'llah may, like unto
the sea, be constantly surging, the lights of the Sun of Truth may shine
upon you all and that ye may be confirmed in service, may become the
manifestations of bounty and that each one of you may, at dawn, turn
unto the Holy Land and may experience spiritual emotions with all
intensity.
47. O ye true friends! Your letter hath been received and it brought
great joy. God be praised, ye had made ready an entertainment and
established the feast which is to be held every nineteen days.
Whatsoever gathering is arranged with the utmost love, and where those
who attend are turning their faces toward the Kingdom of God, and where
the discourse is of the Teachings of God, and the effect of which is to
cause those present to advance--that gathering is the Lord's, and that
festive table hath come down from heaven.
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It is my hope that this feast will be given on one day out of every
nineteen, for it bringeth you closer together; it is the very
well-spring of unity and loving-kindness.
Ye observe to what a degree the world is in continual turmoil and
conflict, and to what a pass its nations have now come. Perchance will
the lovers of God succeed in upraising the banner of human unity, so
that the one-coloured tabernacle of the Kingdom of Heaven will cast its
sheltering shadow over all the earth; that misunderstandings among the
world's peoples will vanish away; that all nations will mingle one with
another, dealing with one another even as the lover with his beloved.
It is your duty to be exceedingly kind to every human being, and to wish
him well; to work for the upliftment of society; to blow the breath of
life into the dead; to act in accordance with the instructions of
Baha'u'llah and walk His path--until ye change the world of man into the
world of God.
48. O ye loyal servants of the Ancient Beauty! In every cycle and
dispensation, the feast hath been favoured and loved, and the spreading
of a table for the lovers of God hath been considered a praiseworthy
act. This is especially the case today, in this dispensation beyond
compare, this most generous of ages, when it is highly acclaimed, for it
is truly accounted among such gatherings as are held to worship and
glorify God. Here the holy verses, the heavenly odes and laudations are
intoned, and the heart is quickened, and carried away from itself.
The primary intent is to kindle these stirrings of the spirit, but at
the same time it follows quite naturally that those present should
partake of food, so that the world of
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the body may mirror the spirit's world, and flesh take on the qualities
of soul; and just as the spiritual delights are here in profusion, so
too the material delights.
Happy are ye, to be observing this rule, with all its mystic meanings,
thus keeping the friends of God alert and heedful, and bringing them
peace of mind, and joy.
49. Thy letter hath been received. Thou didst write of the Nineteen Day
festivity, and this rejoiced my heart. These gatherings cause the divine
table to descend from heaven, and draw down the confirmations of the
All-Merciful. My hope is that the breathings of the Holy Spirit will be
wafted over them, and that each one present shall, in great assemblies,
with an eloquent tongue and a heart flooded with the love of God, set
himself to acclaiming the rise of the Sun of Truth, the dawn of the
Day-Star that lighteth all the world.
50. You have asked as to the feast in every Baha'i month. This feast is
held to foster comradeship and love, to call God to mind and supplicate
Him with contrite hearts, and to encourage benevolent pursuits.
That is, the friends should there dwell upon God and glorify Him, read
the prayers and holy verses, and treat one another with the utmost
affection and love.
51. As to the Nineteen Day Feast, it rejoiceth mind and heart. If this
feast be held in the proper fashion, the friends will, once in nineteen
days, find themselves spiritually restored, and endued with a power that
is not of this world.
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52. O servant of the One true God! The Lord be praised, the loved ones
of God are found in every land, and are, one and all, neath the shadow
of the Tree of Life and under the protection of His good providence. His
care and loving-kindness surge even as the eternal billows of the sea,
and His blessings are continually showered from His eternal Kingdom.
Ours should be the prayer that His blessings may be vouchsafed in still
greater abundance, and ours to hold fast to such means as shall ensure a
fuller outpouring of His grace and a greater measure of His divine
assistance.
One of the greatest of these means is the spirit of true fellowship and
loving communion amongst the friends. Remember the saying: `Of all
pilgrimages the greatest is to relieve the sorrow-laden heart.'
53. Verily, Abdu'l-Baha inhaleth the fragrance of the love of God from
every meeting place where the Word of God is uttered and proofs and
arguments set forth that shed their rays across the world, and where
they recount the tribulations of Abdu'l-Baha at the evil hands of those
who have violated the Covenant of God.
O handmaid of the Lord! Speak thou no word of politics; thy task
concerneth the life of the soul, for this verily leadeth to man's joy in
the world of God. Except to speak well of them, make thou no mention of
the earth's kings, and the worldly governments thereof. Rather, confine
thine utterance to spreading the blissful tidings of the Kingdom of God,
and demonstrating the influence of the Word of God, and the holiness of
the Cause of God. Tell thou of abiding joy and spiritual delights, and
godlike qualities, and of how the Sun of Truth hath risen above the
earth's horizons: tell
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of the blowing of the spirit of life into the body of the world.
54. Ye have written as to the meetings of the friends, and how filled
they are with peace and joy. Of course this is so; for wherever the
spiritually minded are gathered together, there in His beauty reigneth
Baha'u'llah. Thus it is certain that such reunions will yield boundless
happiness and peace.
Today it behoveth one and all to forgo the mention of all else, and to
disregard all things. Let their speaking, let their inner state be
summed up thus: `Keep all my words of prayer and praise confined to one
refrain; make all my life but servitude to Thee.' That is, let them
concentrate all their thoughts, all their words, on teaching the Cause
of God and spreading the Faith of God, and inspiring all to characterize
themselves with the characteristics of God; on loving mankind; on being
pure and holy in all things, and spotless in their public and private
life; on being upright and detached, and fervent, and afire. All is to
be yielded up, save only the remembrance of God; all is to be
dispraised, except His praise. Today, to this melody of the Company on
high, the world will leap and dance: `Glory be to my Lord, the
All-Glorious!' But know ye this: save for this song of God, no song will
stir the world, and save for this nightingale-cry of truth from the
Garden of God, no melody will lure away the heart. `Whence cometh this
Singer Who speaketh the Beloved's name?'
55. It befitteth the friends to hold a gathering, a meeting, where they
shall glorify God and fix their hearts upon Him, and read and recite the
Holy Writings of the
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Blessed Beauty--may my soul be the ransom of His lovers! The lights of
the All-Glorious Realm, the rays of the Supreme Horizon, will be cast
upon such bright assemblages, for these are none other than the
Mashriqu'l-Adhkars, the Dawning-Points of God's Remembrance, which must,
at the direction of the Most Exalted Pen, be established in every hamlet
and city... These spiritual gatherings must be held with the utmost
purity and consecration, so that from the site itself, and its earth and
the air about it, one will inhale the fragrant breathings of the Holy
Spirit.
56. Whensoever a company of people shall gather in a meeting place,
shall engage in glorifying God, and shall speak with one another of the
mysteries of God, beyond any doubt the breathings of the Holy Spirit
will blow gently over them, and each shall receive a share thereof.
57. We hear that thou hast in mind to embellish thy house from time to
time with a meeting of Baha'is, where some among them will engage in
glorifying the All-Glorious Lord... Know that shouldst thou bring this
about, that house of earth will become a house of heaven, and that
fabric of stone a congress of the spirit.
58. Thou hast asked about places of worship and the underlying reason
therefor. The wisdom in raising up such buildings is that at a given
hour, the people should know it is time to meet, and all should gather
together, and, harmoniously attuned one to another, engage in prayer;
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with the result that out of this coming together, unity and affection
shall grow and flourish in the human heart.
59. Abdu'l-Baha hath long cherished the desire that a Mashriqu'l-Adhkar
be upraised in that region. Praised be God, thanks to the strenuous
efforts of the friends, in recent days the joyful news of this hath been
announced. This service is highly acceptable at the Threshold of God,
for the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar inspiriteth the lovers of God and delighteth
their hearts, and causeth them to become steadfast and firm.
This is a matter of the utmost significance. If the erection of the
House of Worship in a public place would arouse the hostility of
evil-doers, then the meeting must, in every locality, be held in some
hidden place. Even in every hamlet, a place must be set aside as the
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, and even though it be underground.
Now, praised be God, ye have succeeded in this. Engage ye in the
remembrance of God at dawn; rise ye up to praise and glorify Him.
Blessed are ye, and joy be yours, O ye the righteous, for having
established the Dawning-Point of the Praises of God. Verily I ask of the
Lord that He make you standards of salvation and banners of redemption,
rippling high over the valleys and hills.
60. Although to outward seeming the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar is a material
structure, yet it hath a spiritual effect. It forgeth bonds of unity
from heart to heart; it is a collective centre for men's souls. Every
city in which, during the days of the Manifestation, a temple was raised
up, hath created security and constancy and peace, for such buildings
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were given over to the perpetual glorification of God, and only in the
remembrance of God can the heart find rest. Gracious God! The edifice of
the House of Worship hath a powerful influence on every phase of life.
Experience hath, in the east, clearly shown this to be a fact. Even if,
in some small village, a house was designated as the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar,
it produced a marked effect; how much greater would be the impact of one
especially raised up.
61. O Lord, O Thou Who dost bless all those who stand firm in the
Covenant by enabling them, out of their love for the Light of the World,
to expend what they have as an offering to the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, the
dayspring of Thy wide-spread rays and the proclaimer of Thine evidences,
help Thou, both in this world and the world to come, these righteous
these upright and pious ones to draw ever nearer to Thy sacred
Threshold, and make bright their faces with Thy dazzling splendours.
Verily art Thou the Generous, the Ever-Bestowing.
62. O my well-beloved daughter of the Kingdom! The letter thou hadst
written to Dr. Esslemont was forwarded by him to the Land of Desire [The
Holy Land]. I read it all through with the greatest attention. On the
one hand, I was deeply touched, for thou hadst sheared off those fair
tresses of thine with the shears of detachment from this world and of
self-sacrifice in the path of the Kingdom of God. And on the other, I
was greatly pleased, for that dearly-beloved daughter hath evinced so
great a spirit of self-sacrifice as to offer up so precious a part of
her body in the pathway of the Cause of God. Hadst thou sought my
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opinion, I would in no wise have consented that thou shouldst shear off
even a single thread of thy comely and wavy locks; nay, I myself would
have contributed in thy name for the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar. This deed of
thine is, however, an eloquent testimony to thy noble spirit of
self-sacrifice. Thou hast, verily, sacrificed thy life and great will be
the spiritual results thou shalt obtain. Rest thou confident that day by
day thou shalt progress and wax greater in firmness and in constancy.
The bounties of Baha'u'llah shall compass thee about and the joyful
tidings from on high shall time and again be imparted unto thee. And
though it be thine hair that thou hast sacrificed, yet thou shalt be
filled with the Spirit, and though it be this perishable member of thy
body which thou hast laid down in the path of God, yet thou shalt find
the Divine Gift, shalt behold the Celestial Beauty, obtain imperishable
glory and attain unto everlasting life.
63. O ye blessed souls!+F1 The letter ye had written to Rahmatu'llah
hath been perused. Many and various were the joyful tidings it conveyed,
namely, that through the power of faith and constancy in the Covenant,
numerous gatherings have been convened, and the loved ones are
everywhere astir and active.
Abdu'l-Baha's ardent desire hath ever been that the soil of that
hallowed spot, which in the earliest days of the Cause hath been
refreshed and made verdant with the spring showers of grace, may so
bloom and blossom as to fill every heart with joy.
Praised be the Lord, the Cause of God hath been proclaimed and promoted
throughout the East and the West in
_____________________
+F1. The Baha'is of Najaf-Abad
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such wise that no mind had ever conceived that the sweet savours of the
Lord would so rapidly perfume all regions. This, verily, is only through
the consummate bounties of the ever-blessed Beauty, Whose grace and
Whose triumphing power are time and again abundantly received.
One of the wondrous events that has of late come to pass is this, that
the edifice of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar is being raised in the very heart
of the American continent, and numerous souls from the surrounding
regions are contributing for the erection of this holy Temple. Among
these is a highly esteemed lady of the city of Manchester, who hath been
moved to offer her share.
Having no portion of goods and earthly riches, she sheared off with her
own hands the fine, long and precious tresses that adorned her head so
gracefully, and offered them for sale, that the price thereof might
promote the cause of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar.
Consider ye, that though in the eyes of women nothing is more precious
than rich and flowing locks, yet notwithstanding this, that
highly-honoured lady hath evinced so rare and beautiful a spirit of
self-sacrifice.
And though this was uncalled for, and Abdu'l-Baha would not have
consented to such a deed, yet as it doth reveal so high and noble a
spirit of devotion, He was deeply touched thereby. Precious though the
hair be in the sight of western women, nay, more precious than life
itself, yet she offered it up as a sacrifice for the cause of the
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar!
It is related that once in the days of the Apostle of God+F1 He
signified His desire that an army should advance in a certain direction,
and leave was granted unto the faithful to raise contributions for the
holy war. Among many was one
_____________________
+F1. Muhammad
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man who gave a thousand camels, each laden with corn, another who gave
half his substance, and still another who offered all that he had. But a
woman stricken in years, whose sole possession was a handful of dates,
came to the Apostle and laid at His feet her humble contribution.
Thereupon the Prophet of God--may my life be offered up as a sacrifice
unto Him--bade that this handful of dates be placed over and above all
the contributions that had been gathered, thus asserting the merit and
superiority thereof over all the rest. This was done because that
elderly woman had no other earthly possessions but these.
And in like manner this esteemed lady had nothing else to contribute but
her precious locks, and these she gloriously sacrificed in the cause of
the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar.
Ponder and reflect how mighty and potent hath the Cause of God become! A
woman of the west hath given her hair for the glory of the
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar.
Nay, this is but a lesson unto them that perceive.
In conclusion I am greatly pleased with the loved ones in Najaf-Abad
for, from the very early dawn of the Cause unto this day they have one
and all under all conditions evinced a great spirit of self-sacrifice.
Zaynu'l-Muqarrabin hath throughout his lifetime prayed with all the
sincerity of his stainless soul on behalf of the believers in Najaf-Abad
and implored for them the grace of God and His divine confirmation.
The Lord be praised that the prayers of this gracious soul have been
answered, for the effects thereof are everywhere manifest.
64. The Mashriqu'l-Adhkar is one of the most vital institutions in the
world, and it hath many subsidiary
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branches. Although it is a House of Worship, it is also connected with a
hospital, a drug dispensary, a traveller's hospice, a school for
orphans, and a university for advanced studies. Every Mashriqu'l-Adhkar
is connected with these five things. My hope is that the
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar will now be established in America, and that gradually
the hospital, the school, the university, the dispensary and the
hospice, all functioning according to the most efficient and orderly
procedures, will follow. Make these matters known to the beloved of the
Lord, so that they will understand how very great is the importance of
this `Dawning-Point of the Remembrance of God.' The Temple is not only a
place for worship; rather, in every respect is it complete and whole.
O thou dear handmaid of God! If only thou couldst know what a high
station is destined for those souls who are severed from the world, are
powerfully attracted to the Faith, and are teaching, under the
sheltering shadow of Baha'u'llah! How thou wouldst rejoice, how thou
wouldst, in exultation and rapture, spread thy wings and soar
heavenward--for being a follower of such a way, and a traveller toward
such a Kingdom.
As to the terminology I used in my letter, bidding thee to consecrate
thyself to service in the Cause of God, the meaning of it is this: limit
thy thoughts to teaching the Faith. Act by day and night according to
the teachings and counsels and admonitions of Baha'u'llah. This doth not
preclude marriage. Thou canst take unto thyself a husband and at the
same time serve the Cause of God; the one doth not preclude the other.
Know thou the value of these days; let not this chance escape thee. Beg
thou God to make thee a lighted candle, so that thou mayest guide a
great multitude through this darksome world.
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65. O thou favoured handmaid of the heavenly Kingdom! Thy letter hath
been received. It conveyeth high aspirations and noble goals, saying
that thou hast in mind to make a journey to the Far East, and that thou
art ready to endure extreme hardships, in order to guide the souls, and
to spread far and wide the glad tidings of God's Kingdom. This purpose
of thine betokeneth that thou, dear handmaid of God, dost cherish the
very noblest of all aims.
When delivering the glad tidings, speak out and say: the Promised One of
all the world's peoples hath now been made manifest. For each and every
people, and every religion, await a Promised One, and Baha'u'llah is
that One Who is awaited by all; and therefore the Cause of Baha'u'llah
will bring about the oneness of mankind, and the tabernacle of unity
will be upraised on the heights of the world, and the banners of the
universality of all humankind will be unfurled on the peaks of the
earth. When thou dost loose thy tongue to deliver this great good news,
this will become the means of teaching the people.
Thy projected journey, however, is to a very far-away land, and unless a
group of persons be available, the glad tidings will not take much
effect in that place. If ye think best, travel instead to Persia, and on
the way back, go through Japan and China. This would appear to be much
better, and far more enjoyable. In any case, do whatever seemeth
feasible, and it will be approved.
66. O thou who hast sought illumination from the light of guidance!
Praise thou God that He hath directed thee to the light of truth and
hath invited thee to enter the Kingdom of Abha. Thy sight hath been
illumined and thy
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heart hath been turned into a rose garden. I pray for thee that thou
mayest ever grow in faith and assurance, shine like unto a torch in the
assemblies and bestow upon them the light of guidance.
Whenever an illumined assembly of the friends of God is gathered,
Abdu'l-Baha, although bodily absent, is yet present in spirit and in
soul. I am always a traveller to America and am assuredly associating
with spiritual and illumined friends. Distance is annihilated and
prevents not the close and intimate association of two souls that are
closely attached in heart even though they may be in two different
countries. I am therefore thy close companion, attuned and in harmony
with thy soul.
67. O thou lady of the Kingdom! Thy letter sent from New York hath been
received. Its contents imparted joy and gladness for they indicated that
with a firm resolve and a pure intention thou hast determined to travel
to Paris, that thou mayest in that silent city enkindle the fire of the
love of God and in the midst of that darkness of nature shine like unto
a resplendent candle. This journey is highly praiseworthy and suitable.
When thou reachest Paris, thou must strive, no matter how small the
number of the friends may be, to institute the assembly of the Covenant
and to vivify the souls through the power of the Covenant.
Paris is exceedingly dispirited and is in a state of torpor and so far
it hath not burst into flames although the French nation is an active
and lively one. But the world of nature hath fully stretched its
pavilion over Paris and hath done away with religious sentiments. But
this power of the Covenant shall heat every freezing soul, shall bestow
light
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upon everything that is dark and shall secure for the captive in the
hand of nature the true freedom of the Kingdom.
Arise thou at present in Paris with the power of the Kingdom, with a
divine confirmation, with a genuine zeal and ardour and with a flame of
the love of God. Roar like unto a lion and exhibit such ecstasy and love
among these few souls that praise and glorification may continuously
reach thee from the divine Kingdom and mighty confirmations may descend
upon thee. Rest thou assured. If thou dost act accordingly and hoist the
standard of the Covenant, Paris shall burst into flame. Be constantly
attached to and seek always the confirmations of Baha'u'llah for these
turn the drop into a sea and convert the gnat into an eagle.
68. O ye who are firm in the Covenant and the Testament! Your letter was
received and your blessed names were one by one perused. The contents of
the letter were divine inspirations and manifest bounties because they
were indicative of the union of the friends and the harmony of all
hearts.
Today the most remarkable favour of God centereth around union and
harmony among the friends; so that this unity and concord may be the
cause of the promulgation of the oneness of the world of humanity, may
emancipate the world from this intense darkness of enmity and rancour,
and that the Sun of Truth may shine in full and perfect effulgence.
Today, all the peoples of the world are indulging in self-interest and
exert the utmost effort and endeavour to promote their own material
interests. They are worshipping
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themselves and not the divine reality, nor the world of mankind. They
seek diligently their own benefit and not the common weal. This is
because they are captives of the world of nature and unaware of the
divine teachings, of the bounty of the Kingdom and of the Sun of Truth.
But ye, praise be to God, are at present especially favoured with this
bounty, have become of the chosen, have been informed of the heavenly
instructions, have gained admittance into the Kingdom of God, have
become the recipients of unbounded blessings and have been baptized with
the Water of Life, with the fire of the love of God and with the Holy
Spirit.
Strive, therefore, with heart and soul that ye become ignited candles in
the assemblage of the world, glittering stars on the horizon of Truth
and may become the cause of the propagation of the light of the Kingdom;
in order that the world of humanity may be converted into a divine
realm, the nether world may become the world on high, the love of God
and the mercy of the Lord may raise their canopy upon the apex of the
world, human souls may become the waves of the ocean of truth, the world
of humanity may grow into one blessed tree, the verses of oneness may be
chanted and the melodies of sanctity may reach the Supreme Concourse.
Day and night I entreat and supplicate to the Kingdom of God and beg for
you infinite assistance and confirmation. Do not take into consideration
your own aptitudes and capacities, but fix your gaze on the consummate
bounty, the divine bestowal and the power of the Holy Spirit--the power
that converteth the drop into a sea and the star into a sun.
Praise be to God, the hosts of the Supreme Concourse secure the victory
and the power of the Kingdom is ready
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to assist and to support. Should ye at every instant unloosen the tongue
in thanksgiving and gratitude, ye would not be able to discharge
yourselves of the obligation of gratitude for these bestowals.
Consider: eminent personages whose fame hath spread all over the world
shall, erelong, fade into utter nothingness as the result of their
deprivation of this heavenly bounty; no name and no fame shall they
leave behind, and of them no fruit and trace shall survive. But as the
effulgences of the Sun of Truth have dawned forth upon you and ye have
attained everlasting life, ye shall shine and sparkle forevermore from
the horizon of existence.
Peter was a fisherman and Mary Magdalene a peasant, but as they were
specially favoured with the blessings of Christ, the horizon of their
faith became illumined, and down to the present day they are shining
from the horizon of everlasting glory. In this station, merit and
capacity are not to be considered; nay rather, the resplendent rays of
the Sun of Truth, which have illumined these mirrors, must be taken into
account.
Ye are inviting me to America. I am likewise longing to gaze upon those
illumined faces and converse and associate with those true friends. But
the magnetic power which shall draw me to those shores is the union and
harmony of the friends, their behaviour and conduct in accordance with
the teachings of God and the firmness of all in the Covenant and the
Testament.
O Divine Providence! This assemblage is composed of Thy friends who are
attracted to Thy beauty and are set ablaze by the fire of Thy love. Turn
these souls into heavenly angels, resuscitate them through the breath of
Thy Holy Spirit, grant them eloquent tongues and
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resolute hearts, bestow upon them heavenly power and merciful
susceptibilities, cause them to become the promulgators of the oneness
of mankind and the cause of love and concord in the world of humanity,
so that the perilous darkness of ignorant prejudice may vanish through
the light of the Sun of Truth, this dreary world may become illumined,
this material realm may absorb the rays of the world of spirit, these
different colours may merge into one colour and the melody of praise may
rise to the kingdom of Thy sanctity.
Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent and the Almighty!
69. Thou hast written concerning organization. The divine teachings and
the admonitions and exhortations of Baha'u'llah are manifestly evident.
These constitute the organization of the Kingdom and their enforcement
is obligatory. The least deviation from them is absolute error.
Thou hast written concerning my travel to America. If thou couldst see
how the waves of constant occupation are surging thou wouldst have
considered that time for travel is absolutely lacking; in times of fixed
residence partial rest is even impossible. God willing, I trust, through
the bounty of Baha'u'llah, that as soon as means for the composure of
mind and of heart are provided, I shall determine to journey and shall
inform thee about it.
70. O thou ignited candle! Thy letter was received. Its contents
imparted spiritual gladness, for they were pervaded by spiritual
sentiments and indicated the attraction of thy
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heart, attachment to the Kingdom of God and love for His divine
teachings.
Verily, thou showest a high endeavour, hast a pure and sanctified
purpose, wishest naught save the good-pleasure of God, seekest nothing
but the attainment of limitless bounties, and art engaged in the
promulgation of divine teachings and the explanation of abstruse
metaphysical problems. It is my hope that, by the favour of Baha'u'llah,
thou and thy respected wife may daily increase in firmness and
steadfastness, so that in that exalted land ye may become two upraised
standards and two resplendent lights.
Extensive travel in October, to the north, south, east and west,
accompanied by that candle of the love of God, Mrs. Maxwell, would be
highly acceptable. My hope is that she may entirely recover; this
beloved handmaid of God is like a flame of fire and thinks day and night
of nothing save service to God. For the present, travel throughout the
northern states, and in the winter season hasten to the states in the
south. Your service should consist of eloquent speeches delivered in
gatherings wherein ye may promulgate the divine teachings. If possible,
undertake at some time a voyage to the Hawaiian Islands.
The events which have transpired were all recorded fifty years ago in
the Tablets of Baha'u'llah--Tablets which have been printed, published
and spread throughout the world. The teachings of Baha'u'llah are the
light of this age and the spirit of this century. Expound each of them
at every gathering.
The first is investigation of truth,
The second, the oneness of mankind,
The third, universal peace,
The fourth, conformity between science and divine revelation,
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The fifth, abandonment of racial, religious, worldly and political
prejudices, prejudices which destroy the foundation of mankind.
The sixth is righteousness and justice,
The seventh, the betterment of morals and heavenly education,
The eighth, the equality of the two sexes,
The ninth, the diffusion of knowledge and education,
The tenth, economic questions,
and so on and so forth. Strive that souls may attain unto the light of
guidance and hold fast unto the hem of Baha'u'llah.
The letter thou hast enclosed was perused. When man's soul is rarified
and cleansed, spiritual links are established, and from these bonds
sensations felt by the heart are produced. The human heart resembleth a
mirror. When this is purified human hearts are attuned and reflect one
another, and thus spiritual emotions are generated. This is like the
world of dreams when man is detached from things which are tangible and
experienceth those of the spirit. What amazing laws operate, and what
remarkable discoveries are made! And it may even be that detailed
communications are registered...
Finally, I hope that in Chicago the friends may become united and may
illumine that city, for therein the dawn of the Cause appeared, and in
this lieth its preference over other cities. Therefore it must be held
in respect; perchance it may, God willing, be freed from all spiritual
afflictions, and may attain unto perfect health and become a centre of
the Covenant and Testament.
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71. O thou beloved maidservant of God! Thy letter was received and its
contents revealed the fact that the friends, in perfect energy and
vitality are engaged in the propagation of the heavenly teachings. This
news hath caused intense joy and gladness. For every era hath a spirit;
the spirit of this illumined era lieth in the teachings of Baha'u'llah.
For these lay the foundation of the oneness of the world of humanity and
promulgate universal brotherhood. They are founded upon the unity of
science and religion and upon investigation of truth. They uphold the
principle that religion must be the cause of amity, union and harmony
among men. They establish the equality of both sexes and propound
economic principles which are for the happiness of individuals. They
diffuse universal education, that every soul may as much as possible
have a share of knowledge. They abrogate and nullify religious, racial,
political, patriotic and economic prejudices and the like. Those
teachings that are scattered throughout the Epistles and Tablets are the
cause of the illumination and the life of the world of humanity. Whoever
promulgateth them will verily be assisted by the Kingdom of God.
The President of the Republic, Dr. Wilson, is indeed serving the Kingdom
of God for he is restless and strives day and night that the rights of
all men may be preserved safe and secure, that even small nations, like
greater ones, may dwell in peace and comfort, under the protection of
Righteousness and Justice. This purpose is indeed a lofty one. I trust
that the incomparable Providence will assist and confirm such souls
under all conditions.
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72. O thou true friend! Read, in the school of God, the lessons of the
spirit, and learn from love's Teacher the innermost truths. Seek out the
secrets of Heaven, and tell of the overflowing grace and favour of God.
Although to acquire the sciences and arts is the greatest glory of
mankind, this is so only on condition that man's river flow into the
mighty sea, and draw from God's ancient source His inspiration. When
this cometh to pass, then every teacher is as a shoreless ocean, every
pupil a prodigal fountain of knowledge. If, then, the pursuit of
knowledge lead to the beauty of Him Who is the Object of all Knowledge,
how excellent that goal; but if not, a mere drop will perhaps shut a man
off from flooding grace, for with learning cometh arrogance and pride,
and it bringeth on error and indifference to God.
The sciences of today are bridges to reality; if then they lead not to
reality, naught remains but fruitless illusion. By the one true God! If
learning be not a means of access to Him, the Most Manifest, it is
nothing but evident loss.
It is incumbent upon thee to acquire the various branches of knowledge,
and to turn thy face toward the beauty of the Manifest Beauty, that thou
mayest be a sign of saving guidance amongst the peoples of the world,
and a focal centre of understanding in this sphere from which the wise
and their wisdom are shut out, except for those who set foot in the
Kingdom of lights and become informed of the veiled and hidden mystery,
the well-guarded secret.
73. O daughter of the Kingdom! Thy letter hath come and its contents
make clear the fact that thou hast directed all thy thoughts toward
acquiring light from the realms of mystery. So long as the thoughts of
an individual are
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scattered he will achieve no results, but if his thinking be
concentrated on a single point wonderful will be the fruits thereof.
One cannot obtain the full force of the sunlight when it is cast on a
flat mirror, but once the sun shineth upon a concave mirror, or on a
lens that is convex, all its heat will be concentrated on a single
point, and that one point will burn the hottest. Thus is it necessary to
focus one's thinking on a single point so that it will become an
effective force.
Thou didst wish to celebrate the Day of Ridvan with a feast, and to have
those present on that day engage in reciting Tablets with delight and
joy, and thou didst request me to send thee a letter to be read on that
day. My letter is this:
O ye beloved, and ye handmaids of the Merciful! This is the day when the
Day-Star of Truth rose over the horizon of life, and its glory spread,
and its brightness shone out with such power that it clove the dense and
high-piled clouds and mounted the skies of the world in all its
splendour. Hence do ye witness a new stirring throughout all created
things.
See how, in this day, the scope of sciences and arts hath widened out,
and what wondrous technical advances have been made, and to what a high
degree the mind's powers have increased, and what stupendous inventions
have appeared.
This age is indeed as a hundred other ages: should ye gather the yield
of a hundred ages, and set that against the accumulated product of our
times, the yield of this one era will prove greater than that of a
hundred gone before. Take ye, for an example, the sum total of all the
books that were ever written in ages past, and compare that with the
books and treatises that our era hath produced: these books,
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written in our day alone, far and away exceed the total number of
volumes that have been written down the ages. See how powerful is the
influence exerted by the Day-Star of the world upon the inner essence of
all created things!
But alas, a thousand times alas! The eyes see it not, the ears are deaf,
and the hearts and minds are oblivious of this supreme bestowal. Strive
ye then, with all your hearts and souls, to awaken those who slumber, to
cause the blind to see, and the dead to rise.
74. O bird that singeth sweetly of the Abha Beauty! In this new and
wondrous dispensation the veils of superstition have been torn asunder
and the prejudices of eastern peoples stand condemned. Among certain
nations of the East, music was considered reprehensible, but in this new
age the Manifest Light hath, in His holy Tablets, specifically
proclaimed that music, sung or played, is spiritual food for soul and
heart.
The musician's art is among those arts worthy of the highest praise, and
it moveth the hearts of all who grieve. Wherefore, O thou Shahnaz,+F1
play and sing out the holy words of God with wondrous tones in the
gatherings of the friends, that the listener may be freed from chains of
care and sorrow, and his soul may leap for joy and humble itself in
prayer to the realm of Glory.
75. Strive with heart and soul in order to bring about union and harmony
among the white and the black and prove thereby the unity of the Baha'i
world wherein distinction
_____________________
+F1. Shahnaz, the name given to the recipient of this Tablet, is also
+F1 the name of a musical mode.
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of colour findeth no place, but where hearts only are considered. Praise
be to God, the hearts of the friends are united and linked together,
whether they be from the east or the west, from north or from south,
whether they be German, French, Japanese, American, and whether they
pertain to the white, the black, the red, the yellow or the brown race.
Variations of colour, of land and of race are of no importance in the
Baha'i Faith; on the contrary, Baha'i unity overcometh them all and
doeth away with all these fancies and imaginations.
76. O thou who hast an illumined heart! Thou art even as the pupil of
the eye, the very wellspring of the light, for God's love hath cast its
rays upon thine inmost being and thou hast turned thy face toward the
Kingdom of thy Lord.
Intense is the hatred, in America, between black and white, but my hope
is that the power of the Kingdom will bind these two in friendship, and
serve them as a healing balm.
Let them look not upon a man's colour but upon his heart. If the heart
be filled with light, that man is nigh unto the threshold of his Lord;
but if not, that man is careless of his Lord, be he white or be he
black.
77. O thou revered maidservant of God! Thy letter from Los Angeles was
received. Thank divine Providence that thou hast been assisted in
service and hast been the cause of the promulgation of the oneness of
the world of humanity, so that the darkness of differences among men may
be dissipated, and the pavilion of the unity of nations may cast its
shadow over all regions. Without such unity,
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rest and comfort, peace and universal reconciliation are unachievable.
This illumined century needeth and calleth for its fulfilment. In every
century a particular and central theme is, in accordance with the
requirements of that century, confirmed by God. In this illumined age
that which is confirmed is the oneness of the world of humanity. Every
soul who serveth this oneness will undoubtedly be assisted and
confirmed.
I hope that in the assemblies thou mayest sing praises with a sweet
melody and thus become the cause of joy and gladness to all.
78. O thou who art pure in heart, sanctified in spirit, peerless in
character, beauteous in face! Thy photograph hath been received
revealing thy physical frame in the utmost grace and the best
appearance. Thou art dark in countenance and bright in character. Thou
art like unto the pupil of the eye which is dark in colour, yet it is
the fount of light and the revealer of the contingent world.
I have not forgotten nor will I forget thee. I beseech God that He may
graciously make thee the sign of His bounty amidst mankind, illumine thy
face with the light of such blessings as are vouchsafed by the merciful
Lord, single thee out for His love in this age which is distinguished
among all the past ages and centuries.
79. O respected personage! I have read your work, The Gospel of
Wealth,+F1 and noted therein truly apposite
_____________________
+F1. An article from Andrew Carnegie's book The Gospel of Wealth +F1 was
published in England in the Pall Mall Budget and called The +F1 Gospel
of Wealth, cf. Andrew Carnegie's Autobiography 255n.
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and sound recommendations for easing the lot of humankind.
To state the matter briefly, the Teachings of Baha'u'llah advocate
voluntary sharing, and this is a greater thing than the equalization of
wealth. For equalization must be imposed from without, while sharing is
a matter of free choice.
Man reacheth perfection through good deeds, voluntarily performed, not
through good deeds the doing of which was forced upon him. And sharing
is a personally chosen righteous act: that is, the rich should extend
assistance to the poor, they should expend their substance for the poor,
but of their own free will, and not because the poor have gained this
end by force. For the harvest of force is turmoil and the ruin of the
social order. On the other hand voluntary sharing, the freely-chosen
expending of one's substance, leadeth to society's comfort and peace. It
lighteth up the world; it bestoweth honour upon humankind.
I have seen the good effects of your own philanthropy in America, in
various universities, peace gatherings, and associations for the
promotion of learning, as I travelled from city to city. Wherefore do I
pray on your behalf that you shall ever be encompassed by the bounties
and blessings of heaven, and shall perform many philanthropic deeds in
East and West. Thus may you gleam as a lighted taper in the Kingdom of
God, may attain honour and everlasting life, and shine out as a bright
star on the horizon of eternity.
80. O thou who art turning thy face to God! Thy letter was received.
From its contents it became known that thy wish is to serve the poor.
What wish better than this! Those souls who are of the Kingdom eagerly
wish to be of service to the poor, to sympathize with them, to show
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kindness to the miserable and to make their lives fruitful. Happy art
thou that thou hast such a wish.
Convey on my behalf to thy two children the utmost kindness and love.
Their letters have been received but, as I have no time, separate
letters cannot be written at present. Show them on my behalf the utmost
kindness.
81. Those souls who during the war have served the poor and have been in
the Red Cross Mission work, their services are accepted at the Kingdom
of God and are the cause of their everlasting life. Convey to them these
glad tidings.
82. O thou who art firm in the Covenant, thy letter was received. Thou
hast exerted a great effort for that prisoner, perchance it may prove to
be fruitful. Tell him, however: `The denizens of the world are confined
in the prison of nature--a prison that is continuous and eternal. If
thou art at present restrained within the limits of a temporary prison,
be not grieved at this; my hope is that thou mayest be emancipated from
the prison of nature and may attain unto the court of everlasting life.
Pray to God day and night and beg forgiveness and pardon. The
omnipotence of God shall solve every difficulty.'
83. Convey on behalf of Abdu'l-Baha to thy respected wife my Abha
greetings, and say: `Kindness, training and education extended to
prisoners is exceedingly important. Therefore as thou hast exerted an
effort in this, hast awakened some of them, and hast been the cause of
the
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turning of their faces to the divine Kingdom, this praiseworthy deed is
highly acceptable. Assuredly persevere. Convey on my behalf to the two
prisoners in San Quentin the utmost kindness, and tell them: `That
prison in the sight of wise souls is a school of training and
development. Ye must strive with heart and soul that ye may become
renowned in character and knowledge.'
84. O thou dear handmaid of God! Thy letter hath been received, and its
contents were noted.
Marriage, among the mass of the people, is a physical bond, and this
union can only be temporary, since it is foredoomed to a physical
separation at the close.
Among the people of Baha, however, marriage must be a union of the body
and of the spirit as well, for here both husband and wife are aglow with
the same wine, both are enamoured of the same matchless Face, both live
and move through the same spirit, both are illumined by the same glory.
This connection between them is a spiritual one, hence it is a bond that
will abide forever. Likewise do they enjoy strong and lasting ties in
the physical world as well, for if the marriage is based both on the
spirit and the body, that union is a true one, hence it will endure. If,
however, the bond is physical and nothing more, it is sure to be only
temporary, and must inexorably end in separation.
When, therefore, the people of Baha undertake to marry, the union must
be a true relationship, a spiritual coming together as well as a
physical one, so that throughout every phase of life, and in all the
worlds of God, their union will endure; for this real oneness is a
gleaming out of the love of God.
In the same way, when any souls grow to be true
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believers, they will attain a spiritual relationship with one another,
and show forth a tenderness which is not of this world. They will, all
of them, become elated from a draught of divine love, and that union of
theirs, that connection, will also abide forever. Souls, that is, who
will consign their own selves to oblivion, strip from themselves the
defects of humankind, and unchain themselves from human bondage, will
beyond any doubt be illumined with the heavenly splendours of oneness,
and will all attain unto real union in the world that dieth not.
85. As for the question regarding marriage under the Law of God: first
thou must choose one who is pleasing to thee, and then the matter is
subject to the consent of father and mother. Before thou makest thy
choice, they have no right to interfere.
86. Baha'i marriage is the commitment of the two parties one to the
other, and their mutual attachment of mind and heart. Each must,
however, exercise the utmost care to become thoroughly acquainted with
the character of the other, that the binding covenant between them may
be a tie that will endure forever. Their purpose must be this: to become
loving companions and comrades and at one with each other for time and
eternity....
The true marriage of Baha'is is this, that husband and wife should be
united both physically and spiritually, that they may ever improve the
spiritual life of each other, and may enjoy everlasting unity throughout
all the worlds of God. This is Baha'i marriage.
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87. O thou memento of him who died for the Blessed Beauty! In recent
days, the joyful news of thy marriage to that luminous leaf hath been
received, and hath infinitely gladdened the hearts of the people of God.
With all humility, prayers of supplication have been offered at the Holy
Threshold, that this marriage may be a harbinger of joy to the friends,
that it may be a loving bond for all eternity, and yield everlasting
benefits and fruits.
From separation doth every kind of hurt and harm proceed, but the union
of created things doth ever yield most laudable results. From the
pairing of even the smallest particles in the world of being are the
grace and bounty of God made manifest; and the higher the degree, the
more momentous is the union. `Glory be to Him Who hath created all the
pairs, of such things as earth produceth, and out of men themselves, and
of things beyond their ken.'+F1 And above all other unions is that
between human beings, especially when it cometh to pass in the love of
God. Thus is the primal oneness made to appear; thus is laid the
foundation of love in the spirit. It is certain that such a marriage as
yours will cause the bestowals of God to be revealed. Wherefore do we
offer you felicitations and call down blessings upon you and beg of the
Blessed Beauty, through His aid and favour, to make that wedding feast a
joy to all and adorn it with the harmony of Heaven.
O my Lord, O my Lord! These two bright orbs are wedded in Thy love,
conjoined in servitude to Thy Holy Threshold, united in ministering to
Thy Cause. Make Thou this marriage to be as threading lights of Thine
abounding grace, O my Lord, the All-Merciful, and luminous rays of Thy
bestowals, O Thou the
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 36:36, and cf. 51:49
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Beneficent, the Ever-Giving, that there may branch out from this great
tree boughs that will grow green and flourishing through the gifts that
rain down from Thy clouds of grace.
Verily Thou art the Generous, verily Thou art the Almighty, verily Thou
art the Compassionate, the All-Merciful.
88. O ye my two beloved children! The news of your union, as soon as it
reached me, imparted infinite joy and gratitude. Praise be to God, those
two faithful birds have sought shelter in one nest. I beseech God that
He may enable them to raise an honoured family, for the importance of
marriage lieth in the bringing up of a richly blessed family, so that
with entire gladness they may, even as candles, illuminate the world.
For the enlightenment of the world dependeth upon the existence of man.
If man did not exist in this world, it would have been like a tree
without fruit. My hope is that you both may become even as one tree, and
may, through the outpourings of the cloud of loving-kindness, acquire
freshness and charm, and may blossom and yield fruit, so that your line
may eternally endure.
Upon ye be the Glory of the Most Glorious.
89. O thou who art firm in the Covenant! The letter thou hadst written
on 2 May 1919 was received. Praise thou God that in tests thou art firm
and steadfast and art holding fast to the Abha Kingdom. Thou art not
shaken by any affliction or disturbed by any calamity. Not until man is
tried doth the pure gold distinctly separate from the dross. Torment is
the fire of test wherein the pure gold shineth
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resplendently and the impurity is burned and blackened. At present thou
art, praise be to God, firm and steadfast in tests and trials and art
not shaken by them.
Thy wife is not in harmony with thee, but praise be to God, the Blessed
Beauty is pleased with thee and is conferring upon thee the utmost
bounty and blessings. But still try to be patient with thy wife,
perchance she may be transformed and her heart may be illumined. The
contribution thou hast made for teaching is highly acceptable and it
shall be eternally mentioned in the divine Kingdom for it is the cause
of the diffusion of fragrances and the exaltation of the Word of God.
90. O God, my God! This Thy handmaid is calling upon Thee, trusting in
Thee, turning her face unto Thee, imploring Thee to shed Thy heavenly
bounties upon her, and to disclose unto her Thy spiritual mysteries, and
to cast upon her the lights of Thy Godhead.
O my Lord! Make the eyes of my husband to see. Rejoice Thou his heart
with the light of the knowledge of Thee, draw Thou his mind unto Thy
luminous beauty, cheer Thou his spirit by revealing unto him Thy
manifest splendours.
O my Lord! Lift Thou the veil from before his sight. Rain down Thy
plenteous bounties upon him, intoxicate him with the wine of love for
Thee, make him one of Thy angels whose feet walk upon this earth even as
their souls are soaring through the high heavens. Cause him to become a
brilliant lamp, shining out with the light of Thy wisdom in the midst of
Thy people.
Verily Thou art the Precious, the Ever-Bestowing, the Open of Hand.
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91. O thou who hast bowed thyself down in prayer before the Kingdom of
God! Blessed art thou, for the beauty of the divine Countenance hath
enraptured thy heart, and the light of inner wisdom hath filled it full,
and within it shineth the brightness of the Kingdom. Know thou that God
is with thee under all conditions, and that He guardeth thee from the
changes and chances of this world and hath made thee a handmaid in His
mighty vineyard....
As to thy respected husband: it is incumbent upon thee to treat him with
great kindness, to consider his wishes and be conciliatory with him at
all times, till he seeth that because thou hast directed thyself toward
the Kingdom of God, thy tenderness for him and thy love for God have but
increased, as well as thy concern for his wishes under all conditions.
I beg of the Almighty to keep thee firmly established in His love, and
ever shedding abroad the sweet breaths of holiness in all those regions.
92. O ye two believers in God! The Lord, peerless is He, hath made woman
and man to abide with each other in the closest companionship, and to be
even as a single soul. They are two helpmates, two intimate friends, who
should be concerned about the welfare of each other.
If they live thus, they will pass through this world with perfect
contentment, bliss, and peace of heart, and become the object of divine
grace and favour in the Kingdom of heaven. But if they do other than
this, they will live out their lives in great bitterness, longing at
every moment for death, and will be shamefaced in the heavenly realm.
Strive, then, to abide, heart and soul, with each other as two doves in
the nest, for this is to be blessed in both worlds.
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93. O thou maidservant of God! Every woman who becometh the maidservant
of God outshineth in glory the empresses of the world, for she is
related to God, and her sovereignty is everlasting, whereas a handful of
dust will obliterate the name and fame of those empresses. In other
words, as soon as they go down to the grave they are reduced to naught.
The maidservants of God's Kingdom, on the other hand, enjoy eternal
sovereignty unaffected by the passing of ages and generations.
Consider how many empresses have come and gone since the time of Christ.
Each was the ruler of a country but now all trace and name of them is
lost, while Mary Magdalene, who was only a peasant and a maidservant of
God, still shineth from the horizon of everlasting glory. Strive thou,
therefore, to remain the maidservant of God.
Thou hast praised the Convention. This Convention shall acquire great
importance in future, for it is serving the divine Kingdom and the world
of mankind. It promulgateth universal peace and layeth the basis of the
oneness of mankind; it freeth the souls from religious, racial and
worldly prejudices and gathereth them under the shade of the
one-coloured pavilion of God. Praise thou God, therefore, that thou hast
attended such a Convention and hast listened to the divine Teachings.
94. O handmaids of the beauty of Abha! Your letter hath come, and its
perusal brought great joy. Praised be God, the women believers have
organized meetings where they will learn how to teach the Faith, will
spread the sweet savours of the Teachings and make plans for training
the children.
This gathering must be completely spiritual. That is, the
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discussions must be confined to marshalling clear and conclusive proofs
that the Sun of Truth hath indeed arisen. And further, those present
should concern themselves with every means of training the girl
children; with teaching the various branches of knowledge, good
behaviour, a proper way of life, the cultivation of a good character,
chastity and constancy, perseverance, strength, determination, firmness
of purpose; with household management, the education of children, and
whatever especially applieth to the needs of girls--to the end that
these girls, reared in the stronghold of all perfections, and with the
protection of a goodly character, will, when they themselves become
mothers, bring up their children from earliest infancy to have a good
character and conduct themselves well.
Let them also study whatever will nurture the health of the body and its
physical soundness, and how to guard their children from disease.
When matters are thus well arranged, every child will become a peerless
plant in the gardens of the Abha Paradise.
95. O handmaids of the Lord! The spiritual assemblage that ye
established in that illumined city is most propitious. Ye have made
great strides; ye have surpassed the others, have arisen to serve the
Holy Threshold, and have won heavenly bestowals. Now with all spiritual
zeal must ye gather in that enlightened assemblage and recite the Holy
Writings and engage in remembering the Lord. Set ye forth His arguments
and proofs. Work ye for the guidance of the women in that land, teach
the young girls and the children, so that the mothers may educate their
little ones from their earliest days, thoroughly train them, rear them
to have a goodly character and good morals, guide them to all
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the virtues of humankind, prevent the development of any behaviour that
would be worthy of blame, and foster them in the embrace of Baha'i
education. Thus shall these tender infants be nurtured at the breast of
the knowledge of God and His love. Thus shall they grow and flourish,
and be taught righteousness and the dignity of humankind, resolution and
the will to strive and to endure. Thus shall they learn perseverance in
all things, the will to advance, high mindedness and high resolve,
chastity and purity of life. Thus shall they be enabled to carry to a
successful conclusion whatsoever they undertake.
Let the mothers consider that whatever concerneth the education of
children is of the first importance. Let them put forth every effort in
this regard, for when the bough is green and tender it will grow in
whatever way ye train it. Therefore is it incumbent upon the mothers to
rear their little ones even as a gardener tendeth his young plants. Let
them strive by day and by night to establish within their children faith
and certitude, the fear of God, the love of the Beloved of the worlds,
and all good qualities and traits. Whensoever a mother seeth that her
child hath done well, let her praise and applaud him and cheer his
heart; and if the slightest undesirable trait should manifest itself,
let her counsel the child and punish him, and use means based on reason,
even a slight verbal chastisement should this be necessary. It is not,
however, permissible to strike a child, or vilify him, for the child's
character will be totally perverted if he be subjected to blows or
verbal abuse.
96. O handmaids of the Merciful! Render ye thanks unto the Ancient
Beauty that ye have been raised up and gathered together in this
mightiest of centuries, this most
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illumined of ages. As befitting thanks for such a bounty, stand ye
staunch and strong in the Covenant and, following the precepts of God
and the holy Law, suckle your children from their infancy with the milk
of a universal education, and rear them so that from their earliest
days, within their inmost heart, their very nature, a way of life will
be firmly established that will conform to the divine Teachings in all
things.
For mothers are the first educators, the first mentors; and truly it is
the mothers who determine the happiness, the future greatness, the
courteous ways and learning and judgement, the understanding and the
faith of their little ones.
97. There are certain pillars which have been established as the
unshakeable supports of the Faith of God. The mightiest of these is
learning and the use of the mind, the expansion of consciousness, and
insight into the realities of the universe and the hidden mysteries of
Almighty God.
To promote knowledge is thus an inescapable duty imposed on every one of
the friends of God. It is incumbent upon that Spiritual Assembly, that
assemblage of God, to exert every effort to educate the children, so
that from infancy they will be trained in Baha'i conduct and the ways of
God, and will, even as young plants, thrive and flourish in the
soft-flowing waters that are the counsels and admonitions of the Blessed
Beauty.
98. Were there no educator, all souls would remain savage, and were it
not for the teacher, the children would be ignorant creatures.
It is for this reason that, in this new cycle, education and
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training are recorded in the Book of God as obligatory and not
voluntary. That is, it is enjoined upon the father and mother, as a
duty, to strive with all effort to train the daughter and the son, to
nurse them from the breast of knowledge and to rear them in the bosom of
sciences and arts. Should they neglect this matter, they shall be held
responsible and worthy of reproach in the presence of the stern Lord.
99. Thou didst write as to the children: from the very beginning, the
children must receive divine education and must continually be reminded
to remember their God. Let the love of God pervade their inmost being,
commingled with their mother's milk.
100. My wish is that these children should receive a Baha'i education,
so that they may progress both here and in the Kingdom, and rejoice thy
heart.
In a time to come, morals will degenerate to an extreme degree. It is
essential that children be reared in the Baha'i way, that they may find
happiness both in this world and the next. If not, they shall be beset
by sorrows and troubles, for human happiness is founded upon spiritual
behaviour.
101. O ye who have peace of soul! Among the divine Texts as set forth in
the Most Holy Book and also in other Tablets is this: it is incumbent
upon the father and mother to train their children both in good conduct
and the study of books; study, that is, to the degree required, so that
no child, whether girl or boy, will remain illiterate. Should the father
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fail in his duty he must be compelled to discharge his responsibility,
and should he be unable to comply, let the House of Justice take over
the education of the children; in no case is a child to be left without
an education. This is one of the stringent and inescapable commandments
to neglect which would draw down the wrathful indignation of Almighty
God.
102. O true companions! All humankind are as children in a school, and
the Dawning-Points of Light, the Sources of divine revelation, are the
teachers, wondrous and without peer. In the school of realities they
educate these sons and daughters, according to teachings from God, and
foster them in the bosom of grace, so that they may develop along every
line, show forth the excellent gifts and blessings of the Lord, and
combine human perfections; that they may advance in all aspects of human
endeavour, whether outward or inward, hidden or visible, material or
spiritual, until they make of this mortal world a widespread mirror, to
reflect that other world which dieth not.
O ye friends of God! Because, in this most momentous of ages, the Sun of
Truth hath risen at the highest point of the spring equinox, and cast
its rays on every clime, it shall kindle such tremulous excitement, it
shall release such vibrations in the world of being, it shall stimulate
such growth and development, it shall stream out with such a glory of
light, and clouds of grace shall pour down such plentiful waters, and
fields and plains shall teem with such a galaxy of sweet-smelling plants
and blooms, that this lowly earth will become the Abha Kingdom, and this
nether world the world above. Then will this fleck of dust be as the
vast
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circle of the skies, this human place the palace-court of God, this spot
of clay the dayspring of the endless favours of the Lord of Lords.
Wherefore, O loved ones of God! Make ye a mighty effort till you
yourselves betoken this advancement and all these confirmations, and
become focal centres of God's blessings, daysprings of the light of His
unity, promoters of the gifts and graces of civilized life. Be ye in
that land vanguards of the perfections of humankind; carry forward the
various branches of knowledge, be active and progressive in the field of
inventions and the arts. Endeavour to rectify the conduct of men, and
seek to excel the whole world in moral character. While the children are
yet in their infancy feed them from the breast of heavenly grace, foster
them in the cradle of all excellence, rear them in the embrace of
bounty. Give them the advantage of every useful kind of knowledge. Let
them share in every new and rare and wondrous craft and art. Bring them
up to work and strive, and accustom them to hardship. Teach them to
dedicate their lives to matters of great import, and inspire them to
undertake studies that will benefit mankind.
103. The education and training of children is among the most
meritorious acts of humankind and draweth down the grace and favour of
the All-Merciful, for education is the indispensable foundation of all
human excellence and alloweth man to work his way to the heights of
abiding glory. If a child be trained from his infancy, he will, through
the loving care of the Holy Gardener, drink in the crystal waters of the
spirit and of knowledge, like a young tree amid the rilling brooks. And
certainly he will gather to himself the bright rays of the Sun of Truth,
and through its
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light and heat will grow ever fresh and fair in the garden of life.
Therefore must the mentor be a doctor as well: that is, he must, in
instructing the child, remedy its faults; must give him learning, and at
the same time rear him to have a spiritual nature. Let the teacher be a
doctor to the character of the child, thus will he heal the spiritual
ailments of the children of men.
If, in this momentous task, a mighty effort be exerted, the world of
humanity will shine out with other adornings, and shed the fairest
light. Then will this darksome place grow luminous, and this abode of
earth turn into Heaven. The very demons will change to angels then, and
wolves to shepherds of the flock, and the wild-dog pack to gazelles that
pasture on the plains of oneness, and ravening beasts to peaceful herds,
and birds of prey, with talons sharp as knives, to songsters warbling
their sweet native notes.
For the inner reality of man is a demarcation line between the shadow
and the light, a place where the two seas meet;+F1 it is the lowest
point on the arc of descent,+F2 and therefore is it capable of gaining
all the grades above. With education it can achieve all excellence;
devoid of education it will stay on, at the lowest point of
imperfection.
Every child is potentially the light of the world--and at the same time
its darkness; wherefore must the question of education be accounted as
of primary importance. From his infancy, the child must be nursed at the
breast of God's love,
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 25:55, 35:13, 55:19-25. See also Marriage Prayer revealed by
Abdu'l-Baha beginning `He is God! O peerless Lord! In Thine almighty
wisdom Thou hast enjoined marriage upon the peoples...'
+F2. See Some Answered Questions, pp. 328-9 for Abdu'l-Baha's comments
on the arc of descent and ascent.
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and nurtured in the embrace of His knowledge, that he may radiate light,
grow in spirituality, be filled with wisdom and learning, and take on
the characteristics of the angelic host.
Since ye have been assigned to this holy task, ye must therefore exert
every effort to make that school famed in all respects throughout the
world; to make it the cause of exalting the Word of the Lord.
104. O loved ones of God and handmaids of the Merciful! A large body of
scholars is of the opinion that variations among minds and differing
degrees of perception are due to differences in education, training and
culture. That is, they believe that minds are equal to begin with, but
that training and education will result in mental variations and
differing levels of intelligence, and that such variations are not an
inherent component of the individuality but are the result of education:
that no one hath any inborn superiority over another....
The Manifestations of God are likewise in agreement with the view that
education exerteth the strongest possible influence on humankind. They
affirm, however, that differences in the level of intelligence are
innate; and this fact is obvious, and not worth debating. For we see
that children of the same age, the same country, the same race, indeed
of the same family, and trained by the same individual, still are
different as to the degree of their comprehension and intelligence. One
will make rapid progress, one will receive instruction only gradually,
one will remain at the lowest stage of all. For no matter how much you
may polish a shell, it will not turn into a gleaming pearl, nor can you
change a dull pebble into a gem whose pure rays will light
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the world. Never, through training and cultivation, will the colocynth
and the bitter tree+F1 change into the Tree of Blessedness.+F2 That is
to say, education cannot alter the inner essence of a man, but it doth
exert tremendous influence, and with this power it can bring forth from
the individual whatever perfections and capacities are deposited within
him. A grain of wheat, when cultivated by the farmer, will yield a whole
harvest, and a seed, through the gardener's care, will grow into a great
tree. Thanks to a teacher's loving efforts, the children of the primary
school may reach the highest levels of achievement; indeed, his
benefactions may lift some child of small account to an exalted throne.
Thus is it clearly demonstrated that by their essential nature, minds
vary as to their capacity, while education also playeth a great role and
exerteth a powerful effect on their development.
105. As to the difference between that material civilization now
prevailing, and the divine civilization which will be one of the
benefits to derive from the House of Justice, it is this: material
civilization, through the power of punitive and retaliatory laws,
restraineth the people from criminal acts; and notwithstanding this,
while laws to retaliate against and punish a man are continually
proliferating, as ye can see, no laws exist to reward him. In all the
cities of Europe and America, vast buildings have been erected to serve
as jails for the criminals.
Divine civilization, however, so traineth every member of society that
no one, with the exception of a negligible few, will undertake to commit
a crime. There is thus a great
_____________________
+F1. cf. Qur'an 37:60 (The Tree of Zaqqum)
+F2. cf. Qur'an 24:35
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difference between the prevention of crime through measures that are
violent and retaliatory, and so training the people, and enlightening
them, and spiritualizing them, that without any fear of punishment or
vengeance to come, they will shun all criminal acts. They will, indeed,
look upon the very commission of a crime as a great disgrace and in
itself the harshest of punishments. They will become enamoured of human
perfections, and will consecrate their lives to whatever will bring
light to the world and will further those qualities which are acceptable
at the Holy Threshold of God.
See then how wide is the difference between material civilization and
divine. With force and punishments, material civilization seeketh to
restrain the people from mischief, from inflicting harm on society and
committing crimes. But in a divine civilization, the individual is so
conditioned that with no fear of punishment, he shunneth the
perpetration of crimes, seeth the crime itself as the severest of
torments, and with alacrity and joy, setteth himself to acquiring the
virtues of humankind, to furthering human progress, and to spreading
light across the world.
106. Among the greatest of all services that can possibly be rendered by
man to Almighty God is the education and training of children, young
plants of the Abha Paradise, so that these children, fostered by grace
in the way of salvation, growing like pearls of divine bounty in the
shell of education, will one day bejewel the crown of abiding glory.
It is, however, very difficult to undertake this service, even harder to
succeed in it. I hope that thou wilt acquit thyself well in this most
important of tasks, and successfully carry the day, and become an ensign
of God's abounding
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grace; that these children, reared one and all in the holy Teachings,
will develop natures like unto the sweet airs that blow across the
gardens of the All-Glorious, and will waft their fragrance around the
world.
107. It is the hope of Abdu'l-Baha that those youthful souls in the
schoolroom of the deeper knowledge will be tended by one who traineth
them to love. May they all, throughout the reaches of the spirit, learn
well of the hidden mysteries; so well that in the Kingdom of the
All-Glorious, each one of them, even as a nightingale endowed with
speech, will cry out the secrets of the Heavenly Realm, and like unto a
longing lover pour forth his sore need and utter want of the Beloved.
108. Ye should consider the question of goodly character as of the first
importance. It is incumbent upon every father and mother to counsel
their children over a long period, and guide them unto those things
which lead to everlasting honour.
Encourage ye the school children, from their earliest years, to deliver
speeches of high quality, so that in their leisure time they will engage
in giving cogent and effective talks, expressing themselves with clarity
and eloquence.
109. O ye recipients of the favours of God! In this new and wondrous
Age, the unshakeable foundation is the teaching of sciences and arts.
According to explicit Holy Texts, every child must be taught crafts and
arts, to the degree that is needful. Wherefore, in every city and
village,
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schools must be established and every child in that city or village is
to engage in study to the necessary degree.
It followeth that whatever soul shall offer his aid to bring this about
will assuredly be accepted at the heavenly Threshold, and extolled by
the Company on high.
Since ye have striven hard toward this all-important end, it is my hope
that ye will reap your reward from the Lord of clear tokens and signs,
and that the glances of heavenly grace will turn your way.
110. As to the organization of the schools: if possible the children
should all wear the same kind of clothing, even if the fabric is varied.
It is preferable that the fabric as well should be uniform; if, however,
this is not possible, there is no harm done. The more cleanly the pupils
are, the better; they should be immaculate. The school must be located
in a place where the air is delicate and pure. The children must be
carefully trained to be most courteous and well-behaved. They must be
constantly encouraged and made eager to gain all the summits of human
accomplishment, so that from their earliest years they will be taught to
have high aims, to conduct themselves well, to be chaste, pure, and
undefiled, and will learn to be of powerful resolve and firm of purpose
in all things. Let them not jest and trifle, but earnestly advance unto
their goals, so that in every situation they will be found resolute and
firm.
Training in morals and good conduct is far more important than book
learning. A child that is cleanly, agreeable, of good character,
well-behaved--even though he be ignorant--is preferable to a child that
is rude, unwashed, ill-natured, and yet becoming deeply versed in all
the sciences and arts. The reason for this is that the child who
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conducts himself well, even though he be ignorant, is of benefit to
others, while an ill-natured, ill-behaved child is corrupted and harmful
to others, even though he be learned. If, however, the child be trained
to be both learned and good, the result is light upon light.
Children are even as a branch that is fresh and green; they will grow up
in whatever way ye train them. Take the utmost care to give them high
ideals and goals, so that once they come of age, they will cast their
beams like brilliant candles on the world, and will not be defiled by
lusts and passions in the way of animals, heedless and unaware, but
instead will set their hearts on achieving everlasting honour and
acquiring all the excellences of humankind.
111. The root cause of wrongdoing is ignorance, and we must therefore
hold fast to the tools of perception and knowledge. Good character must
be taught. Light must be spread afar, so that, in the school of
humanity, all may acquire the heavenly characteristics of the spirit,
and see for themselves beyond any doubt that there is no fiercer hell,
no more fiery abyss, than to possess a character that is evil and
unsound; no more darksome pit nor loathsome torment than to show forth
qualities which deserve to be condemned.
The individual must be educated to such a high degree that he would
rather have his throat cut than tell a lie, and would think it easier to
be slashed with a sword or pierced with a spear than to utter calumny or
be carried away by wrath.
Thus will be kindled the sense of human dignity and pride, to burn away
the reapings of lustful appetites. Then will each one of God's beloved
shine out as a bright moon
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with qualities of the spirit, and the relationship of each to the Sacred
Threshold of his Lord will be not illusory but sound and real, will be
as the very foundation of the building, not some embellishment on its
facade.
It followeth that the children's school must be a place of utmost
discipline and order, that instruction must be thorough, and provision
must be made for the rectification and refinement of character; so that,
in his earliest years, within the very essence of the child, the divine
foundation will be laid and the structure of holiness raised up.
Know that this matter of instruction, of character rectification and
refinement, of heartening and encouraging the child, is of the utmost
importance, for such are basic principles of God.
Thus, if God will, out of these spiritual schools illumined children
will arise, adorned with all the fairest virtues of humankind, and will
shed their light not only across Persia, but around the world.
It is extremely difficult to teach the individual and refine his
character once puberty is passed. By then, as experience hath shown,
even if every effort be exerted to modify some tendency of his, it all
availeth nothing. He may, perhaps, improve somewhat today; but let a few
days pass and he forgetteth, and turneth backward to his habitual
condition and accustomed ways. Therefore it is in early childhood that a
firm foundation must be laid. While the branch is green and tender it
can easily be made straight.
Our meaning is that qualities of the spirit are the basic and divine
foundation, and adorn the true essence of man; and knowledge is the
cause of human progress. The beloved of God must attach great importance
to this matter, and carry it forward with enthusiasm and zeal.
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112. In this holy Cause the question of orphans hath the utmost
importance. The greatest consideration must be shown towards orphans;
they must be taught, trained and educated. The Teachings of Baha'u'llah,
especially, must by all means be given to them as far as is possible.
I supplicate God that thou mayest become a kind parent to orphaned
children, quickening them with the fragrances of the Holy Spirit, so
that they will attain the age of maturity as true servants of the world
of humanity and as bright candles in the assemblage of mankind.
113. O handmaid of God!... To the mothers must be given the divine
Teachings and effective counsel, and they must be encouraged and made
eager to train their children, for the mother is the first educator of
the child. It is she who must, at the very beginning, suckle the newborn
at the breast of God's Faith and God's Law, that divine love may enter
into him even with his mother's milk, and be with him till his final
breath.
So long as the mother faileth to train her children, and start them on a
proper way of life, the training which they receive later on will not
take its full effect. It is incumbent upon the Spiritual Assemblies to
provide the mothers with a well-planned programme for the education of
children, showing how, from infancy, the child must be watched over and
taught. These instructions must be given to every mother to serve her as
a guide, so that each will train and nurture her children in accordance
with the Teachings.
Thus will these young plants in the garden of God's love grow and
flourish under the warmth of the Sun of Truth, the gentle spring winds
of Heaven, and their mother's guiding hand. Thus, in the Abha Paradise,
will each become
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a tree, bearing his clustered fruit, and each one, in this new and
wondrous season, out of the bounties of the spring, will become
possessed of all beauty and grace.
114. O ye loving mothers, know ye that in God's sight, the best of all
ways to worship Him is to educate the children and train them in all the
perfections of humankind; and no nobler deed than this can be imagined.
115. O ye two well-loved handmaids of God! Whatever a man's tongue
speaketh, that let him prove by his deeds. If he claimeth to be a
believer, then let him act in accordance with the precepts of the Abha
Kingdom.
Praised be God, ye two have demonstrated the truth of your words by your
deeds, and have won the confirmations of the Lord God. Every day at
first light, ye gather the Baha'i children together and teach them the
communes and prayers. This is a most praiseworthy act, and bringeth joy
to the children's hearts: that they should, at every morn, turn their
faces toward the Kingdom and make mention of the Lord and praise His
Name, and in the sweetest of voices, chant and recite.
These children are even as young plants, and teaching them the prayers
is as letting the rain pour down upon them, that they may wax tender and
fresh, and the soft breezes of the love of God may blow over them,
making them to tremble with joy.
Blessedness awaiteth you, and a fair haven.
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116. O thou daughter of the Kingdom! Thy letters were received. Their
contents indicated that thy mother hath ascended to the invisible realm
and that thou hast been left alone. Thy wish is to serve thy father, who
is dear to thee, and also to serve the Kingdom of God, and thou art
perplexed as to which of the two thou shouldst do. Assuredly engage in
service to thy father, and as well, whenever thou findest time, diffuse
the divine fragrances.
117. O dear one of Abdu'l-Baha! Be the son of thy father and be the
fruit of that tree. Be a son that hath been born of his soul and heart
and not only of water and clay. A real son is such a one as hath
branched from the spiritual part of man. I ask God that thou mayest be
at all times confirmed and strengthened.
118. O ye young Baha'i children, ye seekers after true understanding and
knowledge! A human being is distinguished from an animal in a number of
ways. First of all, he is made in the image of God, in the likeness of
the Supernal Light, even as the Torah saith, `Let us make man in our
image, after our likeness.'+F1 This divine image betokeneth all the
qualities of perfection whose lights, emanating from the Sun of Truth,
illumine the realities of men. And among the greatest of these
attributes of perfection are wisdom and knowledge. Ye must therefore put
forth a mighty effort, striving by night and day and resting not for a
moment, to acquire an abundant share of all the sciences and arts, that
the Divine Image, which shineth out from the Sun of Truth, may illumine
the mirror of the hearts of men.
_____________________
+F1. Genesis 1:26
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It is the longing desire of Abdu'l-Baha to see each one of you accounted
as the foremost professor in the academies, and in the school of inner
significances, each one becoming a leader in wisdom.
119. It is incumbent upon Baha'i children to surpass other children in
the acquisition of sciences and arts, for they have been cradled in the
grace of God.
Whatever other children learn in a year, let Baha'i children learn in a
month. The heart of Abdu'l-Baha longeth, in its love, to find that
Baha'i young people, each and all, are known throughout the world for
their intellectual attainments. There is no question but that they will
exert all their efforts, their energies, their sense of pride, to
acquire the sciences and arts.
120. O my dear children! Your letter was received. A degree of joy was
attained that is beyond words or writing that, praise be to God, the
power of the Kingdom of God hath trained such children who, from their
early childhood, eagerly wish to acquire Baha'i education that they may,
from the period of their childhood, engage in service to the world of
humanity.
My highest wish and desire is that ye who are my children may be
educated according to the teachings of Baha'u'llah and may receive a
Baha'i training; that ye may each become a lighted candle in the world
of humanity, may be devoted to the service of all mankind, may give up
your rest and comfort, so that ye may become the cause of the
tranquillity of the world of creation.
Such is my hope for you and I trust that ye may become
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the cause of my joy and gladness in the Kingdom of God.
121. O thou whose years are few, yet whose mental gifts are many! How
many a child, though young in years, is yet mature and sound in
judgement! How many an aged person is ignorant and confused! For growth
and development depend on one's powers of intellect and reason, not on
one's age or length of days.
Although still in the season of childhood, yet hast thou recognized thy
Lord, while myriads of women are oblivious of Him and are shut away from
His heavenly Kingdom and deprived of His bestowals. Render thou thanks
unto thy Lord for this wondrous gift.
I beg of God to heal thy mother, who is honoured in the Kingdom of
heaven.
122. As to thy question regarding the education of children: it behoveth
thee to nurture them at the breast of the love of God, and urge them
onward to the things of the spirit, that they may turn their faces unto
God; that their ways may conform to the rules of good conduct and their
character be second to none; that they make their own all the graces and
praiseworthy qualities of humankind; acquire a sound knowledge of the
various branches of learning, so that from the very beginning of life
they may become spiritual beings, dwellers in the Kingdom, enamoured of
the sweet breaths of holiness, and may receive an education religious,
spiritual, and of the Heavenly Realm. Verily will I call upon God to
grant them a happy outcome in this.
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123. O thou who gazest upon the Kingdom of God! Thy letter was received
and we note that thou art engaged in teaching the children of the
believers, that these tender little ones have been learning The Hidden
Words and the prayers and what it meaneth to be a Baha'i.
The instruction of these children is even as the work of a loving
gardener who tendeth his young plants in the flowering fields of the
All-Glorious. There is no doubt that it will yield the desired results;
especially is this true of instruction as to Baha'i obligations and
Baha'i conduct, for the little children must needs be made aware in
their very heart and soul that `Baha'i' is not just a name but a truth.
Every child must be trained in the things of the spirit, so that he may
embody all the virtues and become a source of glory to the Cause of God.
Otherwise, the mere word `Baha'i', if it yield no fruit, will come to
nothing.
Strive then to the best of thine ability to let these children know that
a Baha'i is one who embodieth all the perfections, that he must shine
out like a lighted taper--not be darkness upon darkness and yet bear the
name `Baha'i'.
Name thou this school the Baha'i Sunday School.+F1
124. The Sunday school for the children in which the Tablets and
Teachings of Baha'u'llah are read, and the Word of God is recited for
the children is indeed a blessed thing. Thou must certainly continue
this organized activity without cessation, and attach importance to it,
so that day by day it may grow and be quickened with the breaths of the
Holy Spirit. If this activity is well organized, rest thou assured that
it will yield great results. Firmness and steadfastness, however, are
necessary, otherwise it will continue
_____________________
+F1. A Baha'i children's class in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
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for some time, but later be gradually forgotten. Perseverance is an
essential condition. In every project firmness and steadfastness will
undoubtedly lead to good results; otherwise it will exist for some days,
and then be discontinued.
125. The changing of teachers should be neither too frequent nor too
much delayed; moderation is preferable. Holding your meetings when it is
the time of prayer in other churches is not advisable; it would lead to
alienation, since the Baha'i children who have their own Sunday school
would be deprived of it if they tried to attend other Sunday schools.
Moreover, the admission of children of non-Baha'i parents to the school
for Baha'i children is permissible. And if, in this school, an outline
of the fundamental principles underlying all religions be set forth for
the information of the children, it can do no harm.
As the children are few in number, it is not possible to have different
classes and naturally only one is necessary. Concerning the last
question regarding differences among children, act as ye deem advisable.
126. Thy letter was received. Praise be to God it imparted the good news
of thy health and safety and indicated that thou art ready to enter an
agricultural school. This is highly suitable. Strive as much as possible
to become proficient in the science of agriculture, for in accordance
with the divine teachings the acquisition of sciences and the perfection
of arts are considered acts of worship. If a man engageth with all his
power in the acquisition of a science or in the perfection of an art, it
is as if he has been worshipping God in churches and temples. Thus as
thou enterest
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a school of agriculture and strivest in the acquisition of that science
thou art day and night engaged in acts of worship-- acts that are
accepted at the threshold of the Almighty. What bounty greater than this
that science should be considered as an act of worship and art as
service to the Kingdom of God.
127. O thou servant of the One true God! In this universal dispensation
man's wondrous craftsmanship is reckoned as worship of the Resplendent
Beauty. Consider what a bounty and blessing it is that craftsmanship is
regarded as worship. In former times, it was believed that such skills
were tantamount to ignorance, if not a misfortune, hindering man from
drawing nigh unto God. Now consider how His infinite bestowals and
abundant favours have changed hell-fire into blissful paradise, and a
heap of dark dust into a luminous garden.
It behoveth the craftsmen of the world at each moment to offer a
thousand tokens of gratitude at the Sacred Threshold, and to exert their
highest endeavour and diligently pursue their professions so that their
efforts may produce that which will manifest the greatest beauty and
perfection before the eyes of all men.
128. Thy letter was received. I hope that thou mayest be protected and
assisted under the providence of the True One, be occupied always in
mentioning the Lord and display effort to complete thy profession. Thou
must endeavour greatly so that thou mayest become unique in thy
profession and famous in those parts, because attaining perfection in
one's profession in this merciful period is
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considered to be worship of God. And whilst thou art occupied with thy
profession, thou canst remember the True One.
129. O Friends of the Pure and Omnipotent God! To be pure and holy in
all things is an attribute of the consecrated soul and a necessary
characteristic of the unenslaved mind. The best of perfections is
immaculacy and the freeing of oneself from every defect. Once the
individual is, in every respect, cleansed and purified, then will he
become a focal centre reflecting the Manifest Light.
First in a human being's way of life must be purity, then freshness,
cleanliness, and independence of spirit. First must the stream bed be
cleansed, then may the sweet river waters be led into it. Chaste eyes
enjoy the beatific vision of the Lord and know what this encounter
meaneth; a pure sense inhaleth the fragrances that blow from the rose
gardens of His grace; a burnished heart will mirror forth the comely
face of truth.
This is why, in Holy Scriptures, the counsels of heaven are likened to
water, even as the Qur'an saith: `And pure water send We down from
Heaven,'+F1 and the Gospel: `Except a man be baptized of water and of
the spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.'+F2 Thus is it
clear that the Teachings which come from God are heavenly outpourings of
grace; they are rain-showers of divine mercy, and they cleanse the human
heart.
My meaning is this, that in every aspect of life, purity and holiness,
cleanliness and refinement, exalt the human condition and further the
development of man's inner
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 25:50
+F2. cf. John 3:5
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reality. Even in the physical realm, cleanliness will conduce to
spirituality, as the Holy Writings clearly state. And although bodily
cleanliness is a physical thing, it hath, nevertheless, a powerful
influence on the life of the spirit. It is even as a voice wondrously
sweet, or a melody played: although sounds are but vibrations in the air
which affect the ear's auditory nerve, and these vibrations are but
chance phenomena carried along through the air, even so, see how they
move the heart. A wondrous melody is wings for the spirit, and maketh
the soul to tremble for joy. The purport is that physical cleanliness
doth also exert its effect upon the human soul.
Observe how pleasing is cleanliness in the sight of God, and how
specifically it is emphasized in the Holy Books of the Prophets; for the
Scriptures forbid the eating or the use of any unclean thing. Some of
these prohibitions were absolute, and binding upon all, and whoso
transgressed the given law was abhorred of God and anathematized by the
believers. Such, for example, were things categorically forbidden, the
perpetration of which was accounted a most grievous sin, among them
actions so loathsome that it is shameful even to speak their name.
But there are other forbidden things which do not cause immediate harm,
and the injurious effects of which are only gradually produced: such
acts are also repugnant to the Lord, and blameworthy in His sight, and
repellent. The absolute unlawfulness of these, however, hath not been
expressly set forth in the Text, but their avoidance is necessary to
purity, cleanliness, the preservation of health, and freedom from
addiction.
Among these latter is smoking tobacco, which is dirty, smelly,
offensive--an evil habit, and one the harmfulness of which gradually
becometh apparent to all. Every qualified
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physician hath ruled--and this hath also been proven by tests--that one
of the components of tobacco is a deadly poison, and that the smoker is
vulnerable to many and various diseases. This is why smoking hath been
plainly set forth as repugnant from the standpoint of hygiene.
The Bab, at the outset of His mission, explicitly prohibited tobacco,
and the friends one and all abandoned its use. But since those were
times when dissimulation was permitted, and every individual who
abstained from smoking was exposed to harassment, abuse and even death
--the friends, in order not to advertise their beliefs, would smoke.
Later on, the Book of Aqdas was revealed, and since smoking tobacco was
not specifically forbidden there, the believers did not give it up. The
Blessed Beauty, however, always expressed repugnance for it, and
although, in the early days, there were reasons why He would smoke a
little tobacco, in time He completely renounced it, and those sanctified
souls who followed Him in all things also abandoned its use.
My meaning is that in the sight of God, smoking tobacco is deprecated,
abhorrent, filthy in the extreme; and, albeit by degrees, highly
injurious to health. It is also a waste of money and time, and maketh
the user a prey to a noxious addiction. To those who stand firm in the
Covenant, this habit is therefore censured both by reason and
experience, and renouncing it will bring relief and peace of mind to all
men. Furthermore, this will make it possible to have a fresh mouth and
unstained fingers, and hair that is free of a foul and repellent smell.
On receipt of this missive, the friends will surely, by whatever means
and even over a period of time, forsake this pernicious habit. Such is
my hope.
As to opium, it is foul and accursed. God protect us from the punishment
He inflicteth on the user. According to the
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explicit Text of the Most Holy Book, it is forbidden, and its use is
utterly condemned. Reason showeth that smoking opium is a kind of
insanity, and experience attesteth that the user is completely cut off
from the human kingdom. May God protect all against the perpetration of
an act so hideous as this, an act which layeth in ruins the very
foundation of what it is to be human, and which causeth the user to be
dispossessed for ever and ever. For opium fasteneth on the soul, so that
the user's conscience dieth, his mind is blotted away, his perceptions
are eroded. It turneth the living into the dead. It quencheth the
natural heat. No greater harm can be conceived than that which opium
inflicteth. Fortunate are they who never even speak the name of it; then
think how wretched is the user.
O ye lovers of God! In this, the cycle of Almighty God, violence and
force, constraint and oppression, are one and all condemned. It is,
however, mandatory that the use of opium be prevented by any means
whatsoever, that perchance the human race may be delivered from this
most powerful of plagues. And otherwise, woe and misery to whoso falleth
short of his duty to his Lord.+F1
O Divine Providence! Bestow Thou in all things purity and cleanliness
upon the people of Baha. Grant that they be freed from all defilement,
and released from all addictions. Save them from committing any
repugnant act, unbind them from the chains of every evil habit, that
they may live pure and free, wholesome and cleanly, worthy to serve at
Thy Sacred Threshold and fit to be related to their Lord. Deliver them
from intoxicating drinks and tobacco, save them, rescue them, from this
opium that bringeth on madness, suffer them to enjoy the sweet savours
of holiness, that they may drink deep of the mystic cup of heavenly love
and
_____________________
+F1. cf. Qur'an 39:57
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know the rapture of being drawn ever closer unto the Realm of the
All-Glorious. For it is even as Thou hast said: `All that thou hast in
thy cellar will not appease the thirst of my love--bring me, O
cup-bearer, of the wine of the spirit a cup full as the sea!'
O ye, God's loved ones! Experience hath shown how greatly the renouncing
of smoking, of intoxicating drink, and of opium, conduceth to health and
vigour, to the expansion and keenness of the mind and to bodily
strength. There is today a people+F1 who strictly avoid tobacco,
intoxicating liquor and opium. This people is far and away superior to
the others, for strength and physical courage, for health, beauty and
comeliness. A single one of their men can stand up to ten men of another
tribe. This hath proved true of the entire people: that is, member for
member, each individual of this community is in every respect superior
to the individuals of other communities.
Make ye then a mighty effort, that the purity and sanctity which, above
all else, are cherished by Abdu'l-Baha, shall distinguish the people of
Baha; that in every kind of excellence the people of God shall surpass
all other human beings; that both outwardly and inwardly they shall
prove superior to the rest; that for purity, immaculacy, refinement, and
the preservation of health, they shall be leaders in the vanguard of
those who know. And that by their freedom from enslavement, their
knowledge, their self-control, they shall be first among the pure, the
free and the wise.
130. O thou distinguished physician!... Praise be to God that thou hast
two powers: one to undertake physical healing and the other spiritual
healing. Matters
_____________________
+F1. Possibly Abdu'l-Baha was referring to the Sikhs; the +F1
description appears to apply to them.
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related to man's spirit have a great effect on his bodily condition. For
instance, thou shouldst impart gladness to thy patient, give him comfort
and joy, and bring him to ecstasy and exultation. How often hath it
occurred that this hath caused early recovery. Therefore, treat thou the
sick with both powers. Spiritual feelings have a surprising effect on
healing nervous ailments.
131. When giving medical treatment turn to the Blessed Beauty, then
follow the dictates of thy heart. Remedy the sick by means of heavenly
joy and spiritual exultation, cure the sorely afflicted by imparting to
them blissful glad tidings and heal the wounded through His resplendent
bestowals. When at the bedside of a patient, cheer and gladden his heart
and enrapture his spirit through celestial power. Indeed, such a
heavenly breath quickeneth every mouldering bone and reviveth the spirit
of every sick and ailing one.
132. Although ill health is one of the unavoidable conditions of man,
truly it is hard to bear. The bounty of good health is the greatest of
all gifts.
133. There are two ways of healing sickness, material means and
spiritual means. The first is by the treatment of physicians; the second
consisteth in prayers offered by the spiritual ones to God and in
turning to Him. Both means should be used and practised.
Illnesses which occur by reason of physical causes should be treated by
doctors with medical remedies; those
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which are due to spiritual causes disappear through spiritual means.
Thus an illness caused by affliction, fear, nervous impressions, will be
healed more effectively by spiritual rather than by physical treatment.
Hence, both kinds of treatment should be followed; they are not
contradictory. Therefore thou shouldst also accept physical remedies
inasmuch as these too have come from the mercy and favour of God, Who
hath revealed and made manifest medical science so that His servants may
profit from this kind of treatment also. Thou shouldst give equal
attention to spiritual treatments, for they produce marvellous effects.
Now, if thou wishest to know the true remedy which will heal man from
all sickness and will give him the health of the divine kingdom, know
that it is the precepts and teachings of God. Focus thine attention upon
them.
134. O thou who art attracted to the fragrant breathings of God! I have
read thy letter addressed to Mrs. Lua Getsinger. Thou hast indeed
examined with great care the reasons for the incursion of disease into
the human body. It is certainly the case that sins are a potent cause of
physical ailments. If humankind were free from the defilements of sin
and waywardness, and lived according to a natural, inborn equilibrium,
without following wherever their passions led, it is undeniable that
diseases would no longer take the ascendant, nor diversify with such
intensity.
But man hath perversely continued to serve his lustful appetites, and he
would not content himself with simple foods. Rather, he prepared for
himself food that was compounded of many ingredients, of substances
differing one from the other. With this, and with the perpetrating of
vile and ignoble acts, his attention was engrossed, and he
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abandoned the temperance and moderation of a natural way of life. The
result was the engendering of diseases both violent and diverse.
For the animal, as to its body, is made up of the same constituent
elements as man. Since, however, the animal contenteth itself with
simple foods and striveth not to indulge its importunate urges to any
great degree, and committeth no sins, its ailments relative to man's are
few. We see clearly, therefore, how powerful are sin and contumacy as
pathogenic factors. And once engendered these diseases become
compounded, multiply, and are transmitted to others. Such are the
spiritual, inner causes of sickness.
The outer, physical causal factor in disease, however, is a disturbance
in the balance, the proportionate equilibrium of all those elements of
which the human body is composed. To illustrate: the body of man is a
compound of many constituent substances, each component being present in
a prescribed amount, contributing to the essential equilibrium of the
whole. So long as these constituents remain in their due proportion,
according to the natural balance of the whole-- that is, no component
suffereth a change in its natural proportionate degree and balance, no
component being either augmented or decreased--there will be no physical
cause for the incursion of disease.
For example, the starch component must be present to a given amount, and
the sugar to a given amount. So long as each remaineth in its natural
proportion to the whole, there will be no cause for the onset of
disease. When, however, these constituents vary as to their natural and
due amounts --that is, when they are augmented or diminished--it is
certain that this will provide for the inroads of disease.
This question requireth the most careful investigation. The Bab hath
said that the people of Baha must develop the
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science of medicine to such a high degree that they will heal illnesses
by means of foods. The basic reason for this is that if, in some
component substance of the human body, an imbalance should occur,
altering its correct, relative proportion to the whole, this fact will
inevitably result in the onset of disease. If, for example, the starch
component should be unduly augmented, or the sugar component decreased,
an illness will take control. It is the function of a skilled physician
to determine which constituent of his patient's body hath suffered
diminution, which hath been augmented. Once he hath discovered this, he
must prescribe a food containing the diminished element in considerable
amounts, to re-establish the body's essential equilibrium. The patient,
once his constitution is again in balance, will be rid of his disease.
The proof of this is that while other animals have never studied medical
science, nor carried on researches into diseases or medicines,
treatments or cures--even so, when one of them falleth a prey to
sickness, nature leadeth it, in fields or desert places, to the very
plant which, once eaten, will rid the animal of its disease. The
explanation is that if, as an example, the sugar component in the
animal's body hath decreased, according to a natural law the animal
hankereth after a herb that is rich in sugar. Then, by a natural urge,
which is the appetite, among a thousand different varieties of plants
across the field, the animal will discover and consume that herb which
containeth a sugar component in large amounts. Thus the essential
balance of the substances composing its body is re-established, and the
animal is rid of its disease.
This question requireth the most careful investigation. When
highly-skilled physicians shall fully examine this matter, thoroughly
and perseveringly, it will be clearly seen
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that the incursion of disease is due to a disturbance in the relative
amounts of the body's component substances, and that treatment
consisteth in adjusting these relative amounts, and that this can be
apprehended and made possible by means of foods.
It is certain that in this wonderful new age the development of medical
science will lead to the doctors' healing their patients with foods. For
the sense of sight, the sense of hearing, of taste, of smell, of
touch--all these are discriminative faculties, their purpose being to
separate the beneficial from whatever causeth harm. Now, is it possible
that man's sense of smell, the sense that differentiates odours, should
find some odour repugnant, and that odour be beneficial to the human
body? Absurd! Impossible! In the same way, could the human body, through
the faculty of sight--the differentiator among things visible--benefit
from gazing upon a revolting mass of excrement? Never! Again, if the
sense of taste, likewise a faculty that selecteth and rejecteth, be
offended by something, that thing is certainly not beneficial; and if,
at the outset, it may yield some advantage, in the long run its
harmfulness will be established.
And likewise, when the constitution is in a state of equilibrium, there
is no doubt that whatever is relished will be beneficial to health.
Observe how an animal will graze in a field where there are a hundred
thousand kinds of herbs and grasses, and how, with its sense of smell,
it snuffeth up the odours of the plants, and tasteth them with its sense
of taste; then it consumeth whatever herb is pleasurable to these
senses, and benefiteth therefrom. Were it not for this power of
selectivity, the animals would all be dead in a single day; for there
are a great many poisonous plants, and animals know nothing of the
pharmacopoeia. And yet,
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observe what a reliable set of scales they have, by means of which to
differentiate the good from the injurious. Whatever constituent of their
body hath decreased, they can rehabilitate by seeking out and consuming
some plant that hath an abundant store of that diminished element; and
thus the equilibrium of their bodily components is re-established, and
they are rid of their disease.
At whatever time highly-skilled physicians shall have developed the
healing of illnesses by means of foods, and shall make provision for
simple foods, and shall prohibit humankind from living as slaves to
their lustful appetites, it is certain that the incidence of chronic and
diversified illnesses will abate, and the general health of all mankind
will be much improved. This is destined to come about. In the same way,
in the character, the conduct and the manners of men, universal
modifications will be made.
135. According to the explicit decree of Baha'u'llah one must not turn
aside from the advice of a competent doctor. It is imperative to consult
one even if the patient himself be a well-known and eminent physician.
In short, the point is that you should maintain your health by
consulting a highly-skilled physician.
136. It is incumbent upon everyone to seek medical treatment and to
follow the doctor's instructions, for this is in compliance with the
divine ordinance, but, in reality, He Who giveth healing is God.
137. O thou who art voicing the praises of thy Lord!
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I have read thy letter, wherein thou didst express astonishment at some
of the laws of God, such as that concerning the hunting of innocent
animals, creatures who are guilty of no wrong.
Be thou not surprised at this. Reflect upon the inner realities of the
universe, the secret wisdoms involved, the enigmas, the
inter-relationships, the rules that govern all. For every part of the
universe is connected with every other part by ties that are very
powerful and admit of no imbalance, nor any slackening whatever. In the
physical realm of creation, all things are eaters and eaten: the plant
drinketh in the mineral, the animal doth crop and swallow down the
plant, man doth feed upon the animal, and the mineral devoureth the body
of man. Physical bodies are transferred past one barrier after another,
from one life to another, and all things are subject to transformation
and change, save only the essence of existence itself--since it is
constant and immutable, and upon it is founded the life of every species
and kind, of every contingent reality throughout the whole of creation.
Whensoever thou dost examine, through a microscope, the water man
drinketh, the air he doth breathe, thou wilt see that with every breath
of air, man taketh in an abundance of animal life, and with every
draught of water, he also swalloweth down a great variety of animals.
How could it ever be possible to put a stop to this process? For all
creatures are eaters and eaten, and the very fabric of life is reared
upon this fact. Were it not so, the ties that interlace all created
things within the universe would be unravelled.
And further, whensoever a thing is destroyed, and decayeth, and is cut
off from life, it is promoted into a world that is greater than the
world it knew before. It leaveth, for example, the life of the mineral
and goeth forward into the
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life of the plant; then it departeth out of the vegetable life and
ascendeth into that of the animal, following which it forsaketh the life
of the animal and riseth into the realm of human life, and this is out
of the grace of thy Lord, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
I beg of God that He will assist thee to comprehend the mysteries that
lie at the heart of creation, and will draw away the veil from before
thine eyes and thy sister's, that the well-guarded secret may be
disclosed unto thee, and the hidden mystery be revealed as clear as the
sun at noonday; that He will aid thy sister and thy husband to enter the
Kingdom of God, and will heal thee of every ill, whether physical or
spiritual, that assaileth one in this life.
138. O ye beloved of the Lord! The Kingdom of God is founded upon equity
and justice, and also upon mercy, compassion, and kindness to every
living soul. Strive ye then with all your heart to treat compassionately
all humankind --except for those who have some selfish, private motive,
or some disease of the soul. Kindness cannot be shown the tyrant, the
deceiver, or the thief, because, far from awakening them to the error of
their ways, it maketh them to continue in their perversity as before. No
matter how much kindliness ye may expend upon the liar, he will but lie
the more, for he believeth you to be deceived, while ye understand him
but too well, and only remain silent out of your extreme compassion.
Briefly, it is not only their fellow human beings that the beloved of
God must treat with mercy and compassion, rather must they show forth
the utmost loving-kindness to every living creature. For in all physical
respects, and where
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the animal spirit is concerned, the selfsame feelings are shared by
animal and man. Man hath not grasped this truth, however, and he
believeth that physical sensations are confined to human beings,
wherefore is he unjust to the animals, and cruel.
And yet in truth, what difference is there when it cometh to physical
sensations? The feelings are one and the same, whether ye inflict pain
on man or on beast. There is no difference here whatever. And indeed ye
do worse to harm an animal, for man hath a language, he can lodge a
complaint, he can cry out and moan; if injured he can have recourse to
the authorities and these will protect him from his aggressor. But the
hapless beast is mute, able neither to express its hurt nor take its
case to the authorities. If a man inflict a thousand ills upon a beast,
it can neither ward him off with speech nor hale him into court.
Therefore is it essential that ye show forth the utmost consideration to
the animal, and that ye be even kinder to him than to your fellow man.
Train your children from their earliest days to be infinitely tender and
loving to animals. If an animal be sick, let the children try to heal
it, if it be hungry, let them feed it, if thirsty, let them quench its
thirst, if weary, let them see that it rests.
Most human beings are sinners, but the beasts are innocent. Surely those
without sin should receive the most kindness and love--all except
animals which are harmful, such as bloodthirsty wolves, such as
poisonous snakes, and similar pernicious creatures, the reason being
that kindness to these is an injustice to human beings and to other
animals as well. If, for example, ye be tender-hearted toward a wolf,
this is but tyranny to a sheep, for a wolf will destroy a whole flock of
sheep. A rabid dog, if given the chance, can kill a
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thousand animals and men. Therefore, compassion shown to wild and
ravening beasts is cruelty to the peaceful ones-- and so the harmful
must be dealt with. But to blessed animals the utmost kindness must be
shown, the more the better. Tenderness and loving-kindness are basic
principles of God's heavenly Kingdom. Ye should most carefully bear this
matter in mind.
139. O thou handmaid of God! The heavenly glad tidings must be delivered
with the utmost dignity and magnanimity. And until a soul ariseth with
qualities which are essential for the bearer of these tidings, his words
will take no effect.
O bondswoman of God! The human spirit possesseth wondrous powers, but it
should be reinforced by the Holy Spirit. What thou hearest other than
this is pure imagination. If, however, it be assisted by the bounty of
the Holy Spirit, then will its strength be a thing to marvel at. Then
will that human spirit uncover realities, and unravel mysteries. Turn
thy heart fully to the Holy Spirit, and invite others to do the same;
then shall ye witness wonderful results.
O handmaid of God! The stars in the sky do not exert any spiritual
influence on this world of dust; but all the members and parts of the
universe are very strongly linked together in that limitless space, and
this connection produceth a reciprocity of material effects. Outside the
bounty of the Holy Spirit, whatsoever thou hearest as to the effect of
trances, or the mediums' trumpets, conveying the singing voices of the
dead, is imagination pure and simple. As to the bounty of the Holy
Spirit, however, relate whatsoever thou wilt--it cannot be overstated;
believe, therefore, whatsoever
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thou hearest of this. But the persons referred to, the trumpet-people,
are entirely shut out from this bounty and receive no portion thereof;
their way is an illusion.
O handmaid of God! Prayers are granted through the universal
Manifestations of God. Nevertheless, where the wish is to obtain
material things, even where the heedless are concerned, if they
supplicate, humbly imploring God's help--even their prayer hath an
effect.
O handmaid of God! Although the reality of Divinity is sanctified and
boundless, the aims and needs of the creatures are restricted. God's
grace is like the rain that cometh down from heaven: the water is not
bounded by the limitations of form, yet on whatever place it poureth
down, it taketh on limitations--dimensions, appearance, shape--according
to the characteristics of that place. In a square pool, the water,
previously unconfined, becometh a square; in a six-sided pool it
becometh a hexagon, in an eight-sided pool an octagon, and so forth. The
rain itself hath no geometry, no limits, no form, but it taketh on one
form or another, according to the restrictions of its vessel. In the
same way, the Holy Essence of the Lord God is boundless, immeasurable,
but His graces and splendours become finite in the creatures, because of
their limitations, wherefore the prayers of given persons will receive
favourable answers in certain cases.
O handmaid of God! It is with the Lord Christ even as with Adam. Did the
first human being who came into existence on this earth have a father or
mother? It is certain that he had neither. But Christ lacked only a
father.
O handmaid of God! The prayers which were revealed to ask for healing
apply both to physical and spiritual healing. Recite them, then, to heal
both the soul and the body. If healing is right for the patient, it will
certainly be
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granted; but for some ailing persons, healing would only be the cause of
other ills, and therefore wisdom doth not permit an affirmative answer
to the prayer.
O handmaid of God! The power of the Holy Spirit healeth both physical
and spiritual ailments.
O handmaid of God! It is recorded in the Torah: And I will give you the
valley of Achor for a door of hope. This valley of Achor is the city of
Akka, and whoso hath interpreted this otherwise is of those who know
not.
140. Thou didst ask as to the transfiguration of Jesus, with Moses and
Elias and the Heavenly Father on Mount Tabor, as referred to in the
Bible. This occurrence was perceived by the disciples with their inner
eye, wherefore it was a secret hidden away, and was a spiritual
discovery of theirs. Otherwise, if the intent be that they witnessed
physical forms, that is, witnessed that transfiguration with their
outward eyes, then there were many others at hand on that plain and
mountain, and why did they fail to behold it? And why did the Lord
charge them that they should tell no man? It is clear that this was a
spiritual vision and a scene of the Kingdom. Wherefore did the Messiah
bid them to keep this hidden, `till the Son of Man were risen from the
dead,'+F1 --that is, until the Cause of God should be exalted, and the
Word of God prevail, and the reality of Christ rise up.
141. O thou yearning flame, thou who art afire with the love of God! I
have read thy letter, and its contents, well-expressed and eloquent,
delighted my heart, showing as they did thy deep sincerity in the Cause
of God, thy
_____________________
+F1. Matthew 17:1-19; Mark 9:2-9; Luke 9:28-36
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persevering steps along the pathway of His Kingdom, and thy staunchness
in His Faith--for of all great things, this is the greatest in His
sight.
How many a soul hath turned itself unto the Lord and entered into the
protective shadow of His Word, and become famed throughout the
world--for example, Judas Iscariot. And then, when the tests grew harsh
and the violence thereof intensified, their feet slipped on the pathway
and they turned backward from the Faith after having acknowledged its
truth, and they denied it, and fell away from harmony and love into
mischief and hate. Thus became visible the power of tests, which maketh
mighty pillars to tremble and shake.
Judas Iscariot was the greatest of the disciples, and he summoned the
people to Christ. Then it seemed to him that Jesus was showing
increasing regard to the Apostle Peter, and when Jesus said, `Thou art
Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church,' these words addressed
to Peter, and this singling out of Peter for special honour, had a
marked effect on the Apostle, and kindled envy within the heart of
Judas. For this reason he who had once drawn nigh did turn aside, and he
who had believed in the Faith denied it, and his love changed to hate,
until he became a cause of the crucifixion of that glorious Lord, that
manifest Splendour. Such is the outcome of envy, the chief reason why
men turn aside from the Straight Path. So hath it occurred, and will
occur, in this great Cause. But it doth not matter, for it engendereth
loyalty in the rest, and maketh souls to arise who waver not, who are
fixed and unshakeable as the mountains in their love for the Manifest
Light.
Convey thou unto the handmaids of the Merciful the message that when a
test turneth violent they must stand unmoved, and faithful to their love
for Baha. In winter
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come the storms, and the great winds blow, but then will follow spring
in all its beauty, adorning hill and plain with perfumed plants and red
anemones, fair to see. Then will the birds trill out upon the branches
their songs of joy, and sermonize in lilting tones from the pulpits of
the trees. Erelong shall ye bear witness that the lights are streaming
forth, the banners of the realm above are waving, the sweet scents of
the All-Merciful are wafted abroad, the hosts of the Kingdom are
marching down, the angels of heaven are rushing forward, and the Holy
Spirit is breathing upon all those regions. On that day thou shalt
behold the waverers, men and women alike, frustrated of their hopes and
in manifest loss. This is decreed by the Lord, the Revealer of Verses.
As to thee, blessed art thou, for thou art steadfast in the Cause of
God, firm in His Covenant. I beg of Him to bestow upon thee a spiritual
soul, and the life of the Kingdom, and to make thee a leaf verdant and
flourishing on the Tree of Life, that thou mayest serve the handmaids of
the Merciful with spirituality and good cheer.
Thy generous Lord will assist thee to labour in His vineyard and will
cause thee to be the means of spreading the spirit of unity among His
handmaids. He will make thine inner eye to see with the light of
knowledge, He will forgive thy sins and transform them into goodly
deeds. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Compassionate, the Lord of
immeasurable grace.
142. O thou dear handmaid of God! Praise thou God, because thou art
favoured at His Holy Threshold, and cherished in the Kingdom of His
might. Thou art the head of an assembly which is the very imprint of the
Company on high, the mirror-image of the all-glorious realm. Strive
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thou with heart and soul, in prayerful humility and self-effacement, to
uphold the Law of God and spread His sweet savours abroad. Endeavour
thou to become the true president of the assemblies of spiritual souls,
and a companion to the angels in the realm of the All-Merciful.
Thou didst ask as to the tenth to the seventeenth verses of the
twenty-first chapter of Saint John the Divine's Revelation. Know thou
that according to mathematical principles, the firmament of this earth's
brilliant day-star hath been divided among twelve constellations, which
they call the twelve zodiacal signs. In the same way, the Sun of Truth
shineth out from and sheddeth its bounties through twelve stations of
holiness, and by these heavenly signs are meant those stainless and
unsullied personages who are the very well-springs of sanctity, and the
dawning-points proclaiming the oneness of God.
Consider how in the days of the Interlocutor (Moses), there were twelve
holy beings who were leaders of the twelve tribes; and likewise in the
dispensation of the Spirit (Christ), note that there were twelve
Apostles gathered within the sheltering shade of that supernal Light,
and from those splendid dawning-points the Sun of Truth shone forth even
as the sun in the sky. Again, in the days of Muhammad, observe that
there were twelve dawning-points of holiness, the manifestors of God's
confirming help. Such is the way of it.
Accordingly did Saint John the Divine tell of twelve gates in his
vision, and twelve foundations. By `that great city, the holy Jerusalem,
descending out of heaven from God' is meant the holy Law of God, and
this is set forth in many Tablets and still to be read in the Scriptures
of the Prophets of the past: for instance, that Jerusalem was seen going
out into the wilderness.
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The meaning of the passage is that this heavenly Jerusalem hath twelve
gates, through which the blessed enter into the City of God. These gates
are souls who are as guiding stars, as portals of knowledge and grace;
and within these gates there stand twelve angels. By `angel' is meant
the power of the confirmations of God--that the candle of God's
confirming power shineth out from the lamp-niche of those souls--meaning
that every one of those beings will be granted the most vehement
confirming support.
These twelve gates surround the entire world, that is they are a shelter
for all creatures. And further, these twelve gates are the foundation of
the City of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and on each one of these
foundations is written the name of one of the Apostles of Christ. That
is to say, each one maketh manifest the perfections, the joyous message,
and the excellency of that holy Being.
In brief, the Scripture saith: `And he that talked with me had a rod
made out of gold, that is, a measure, wherewith he measured the city and
the gates thereof and the towers thereof.' The meaning is that certain
personages guided the people with a staff grown out of the earth, and
shepherded them with a rod, like unto the rod of Moses. Others trained
and shepherded the people with a rod of iron, as in the dispensation of
Muhammad. And in this present cycle, because it is the mightiest of
Dispensations, that rod grown out of the vegetable kingdom and that rod
of iron will be transformed into a rod of purest gold, taken from out
the endless treasure houses in the Kingdom of the Lord. By this rod will
the people be trained.
Note well the difference: at one time the Teachings of God were as a
staff, and by this means the Holy Scriptures were spread abroad, the Law
of God was promulgated and His Faith established. Then followed a time
when the staff
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of the true Shepherd was as iron. And today, in this new and splendid
age, the rod is even as pure gold. How wide is the difference here!
Know, then, how much ground hath been gained by the Law of God and His
Teachings in this dispensation, how they have reached such heights that
they far transcend the dispensations gone before: truly this rod is
purest gold, while those of other days were of iron and wood.
This is a brief answer that hath been written for thee, because there
was no time for more. It is certain that thou wilt forgive me. The
handmaids of God must rise to such a station that they will, by
themselves and unaided, comprehend these inner meanings, and be able to
expound at full length every single word; a station where, out of the
truth of their inmost hearts, a spring of wisdom will well up, and jet
forth even as a fountain that leapeth from its own original source.
143. O thou who hast drawn nigh unto the spirit of Christ in the Kingdom
of God! Verily the body is composed of physical elements, and every
composite must needs be decomposed. The spirit, however, is a single
essence, fine and delicate, incorporeal, everlasting, and of God. For
this reason whoso looketh for Christ in His physical body hath looked in
vain, and will be shut away from Him as by a veil. But whoso yearneth to
find Him in the spirit will grow from day to day in joy and desire and
burning love, in closeness to Him, and in beholding Him clear and plain.
In this new and wondrous day, it behoveth thee to seek after the spirit
of Christ.
Verily the heaven into which the Messiah rose up was not
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this unending sky, rather was His heaven the Kingdom of His beneficent
Lord. Even as He Himself hath said, `I came down from heaven,'+F1 and
again, `The Son of Man is in heaven.'+F2 Hence it is clear that His
heaven is beyond all directional points; it encircleth all existence,
and is raised up for those who worship God. Beg and implore thy Lord to
lift thee up into that heaven, and give thee to eat of its food, in this
age of majesty and might.
Know thou that the people, even unto this day, have failed to unravel
the hidden secrets of the Book. They imagine that Christ was excluded
from His heaven in the days when He walked the earth, that He fell from
the heights of His sublimity, and afterwards mounted to those upper
reaches of the sky, to the heaven which doth not exist at all, for it is
but space. And they are waiting for Him to come down from there again,
riding upon a cloud, and they imagine that there are clouds in that
infinite space and that He will ride thereon and by that means He will
descend. Whereas the truth is that a cloud is but vapour that riseth out
of the earth, and it doth not come down from heaven. Rather, the cloud
referred to in the Gospel is the human body, so called because the body
is as a veil to man, which, even as a cloud, preventeth him from
beholding the Sun of Truth that shineth from the horizon of Christ.
I beg of God to open before thine eyes the gates of discoveries and
perceptions, that thou mayest become informed of His mysteries in this
most manifest of days.
I am most eager to meet thee, but the times are not propitious. God
willing, we shall let thee know of a better time, when thou canst come
rejoicing.
_____________________
+F1. John 6:38
+F2. John 3:13
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144. O lover of humankind! Thy letter hath been received, and it
telleth, God be praised, of thy health and well-being. It appeareth,
from thine answer to a previous letter, that feelings of affection were
being established between thyself and the friends.
One must see in every human being only that which is worthy of praise.
When this is done, one can be a friend to the whole human race. If,
however, we look at people from the standpoint of their faults, then
being a friend to them is a formidable task.
It happened one day in the time of Christ--may the life of the world be
a sacrifice unto Him--that He passed by the dead body of a dog, a
carcass reeking, hideous, the limbs rotting away. One of those present
said: `How foul its stench!' And another said: `How sickening! How
loathsome!' To be brief, each one of them had something to add to the
list.
But then Christ Himself spoke, and He told them: `Look at that dog's
teeth! How gleaming white!'
The Messiah's sin-covering gaze did not for a moment dwell upon the
repulsiveness of that carrion. The one element of that dead dog's
carcass which was not abomination was the teeth: and Jesus looked upon
their brightness.
Thus is it incumbent upon us, when we direct our gaze toward other
people, to see where they excel, not where they fail.
Praise be to God, thy goal is to promote the well-being of humankind and
to help the souls to overcome their faults. This good intention will
produce laudable results.
145. Thou didst write as to the question of spiritual discoveries. The
spirit of man is a circumambient power that encompasseth the realities
of all things. Whatsoever thou
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dost see about thee--wondrous products of human workmanship, inventions,
discoveries and like evidences--each one of these was once a secret
hidden away in the realm of the unknown. The human spirit laid that
secret bare, and drew it forth from the unseen into the visible world.
There is, for example, the power of steam, and photography and the
phonograph, and wireless telegraphy, and advances in mathematics: each
and every one of these was once a mystery, a closely guarded secret, yet
the human spirit unravelled these secrets and brought them out of the
invisible into the light of day. Thus is it clear that the human spirit
is an all-encompassing power that exerteth its dominion over the inner
essences of all created things, uncovering the well kept mysteries of
the phenomenal world.
The divine spirit, however, doth unveil divine realities and universal
mysteries that lie within the spiritual world. It is my hope that thou
wilt attain unto this divine spirit, so that thou mayest uncover the
secrets of the other world, as well as the mysteries of the world below.
Thou didst ask as to chapter 14, verse 30 of the Gospel of John, where
the Lord Christ saith, `Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the
Prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me.' The Prince of this
world is the Blessed Beauty; and `hath nothing in Me' signifieth: after
Me all will draw grace from Me, but He is independent of Me, and will
draw no grace from Me. That is, He is rich beyond any grace of Mine.
As to thy question regarding discoveries made by the soul after it hath
put off its human form: certainly, that world is a world of perceptions
and discoveries, for the interposed veil will be lifted away and the
human spirit will gaze upon souls that are above, below, and on a par
with itself. It is similar to the condition of a human being in the
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womb, where his eyes are veiled, and all things are hidden away from
him. Once he is born out of the uterine world and entereth this life, he
findeth it, with relation to that of the womb, to be a place of
perceptions and discoveries, and he observeth all things through his
outer eye. In the same way, once he hath departed this life, he will
behold, in that world whatsoever was hidden from him here: but there he
will look upon and comprehend all things with his inner eye. There will
he gaze on his fellows and his peers, and those in the ranks above him,
and those below. As for what is meant by the equality of souls in the
all-highest realm, it is this: the souls of the believers, at the time
when they first become manifest in the world of the body, are equal, and
each is sanctified and pure. In this world, however, they will begin to
differ one from another, some achieving the highest station, some a
middle one, others remaining at the lowest stage of being. Their equal
status is at the beginning of their existence; the differentiation
followeth their passing away.
Thou didst write as to Seir. Seir is a locality near Nazareth in
Galilee.
As to the statement of Job, chapter 19, verses 25-27, `I know that my
Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the
earth,' the meaning here is: I shall not be abased, I have a Sustainer
and a Guardian, and my Helper, my Defender will in the end be made
manifest. And although now my flesh be weak and clothed with worms, yet
shall I be healed, and with these mine own eyes, that is, mine inner
sight, I shall behold Him. This did Job say after they had reproached
him, and he himself had lamented the harms that his tribulations had
wreaked upon him. And even when, from the terrible inroads of the
sickness, his body was covered with worms, he sought to tell those
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about him that still he would be fully healed, and that in his very
body, with his very eyes, he would gaze on his Redeemer.
As to the woman in the Revelation of Saint John, chapter 12, who fled
into the wilderness, and the great wonder appearing in the heavens--that
woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet: what is meant
by the woman is the Law of God. For according to the terminology of the
Holy Books, this reference is to the Law, the woman being its symbol
here. And the two luminaries, the sun and the moon, are the two thrones,
the Turkish and the Persian, these two being under the rule of the Law
of God. The sun is the symbol of the Persian Empire, and the moon, that
is, the crescent, of the Turkish. The twelve-fold crown is the twelve
Imams, who, even as the Apostles, supported the Faith of God. The
newborn Child is the Beauty of the Adored One,+F1 come forth out of the
Law of God. He then saith that the woman fled into the wilderness, that
is, the Law of God was carried out of Palestine to the desert of Hijaz,
where it remained 1260 years--that is, until the advent of the promised
Child. And as is well known, in the Holy Books, every day is accounted
as one year.
146. O thou handmaid afire with the love of God! I have considered thine
excellent letter, and thanked God for thy safe arrival in that great
city. I beg of Him, through His unfailing aid, to cause this return of
thine to exert a powerful effect. Such a thing can only come about if
thou dost divest thyself of all attachment to this world, and dost put
on the vesture of holiness; if thou dost limit all thy thoughts and all
thy words to the remembrance of God and His
_____________________
+F1. The Bab, cf. Some Answered Questions, chap. XIII.
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praise; to spreading His sweet savours abroad, and performing righteous
acts; and if thou dost devote thyself to awakening the heedless and
restoring sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, speech to the mute,
and through the power of the spirit, giving life to the dead.
For even as Christ said of them in the Gospel, the people are blind,
they are deaf, they are dumb; and He said: `I will heal them.'
Be thou kind and compassionate to thine enfeebled mother, and speak to
her of the Kingdom, that her heart may rejoice.
Give thou my greetings to Miss Ford. Convey to her the glad tidings that
these are the days of the Kingdom of God. Say unto her: Blessed art thou
for thy noble aims, blessed art thou for thy goodly deeds, blessed art
thou for thy spiritual nature. Verily do I love thee on account of these
thine aims and qualities and deeds. Tell her further: Remember the
Messiah, and His days on earth, and His abasement, and His tribulations,
and how the people paid Him no mind. Remember how the Jews would hold
Him up to ridicule, and mock at Him, and address Him with: `Peace be
upon thee, King of the Jews! Peace be upon thee, King of Kings!' How
they would say that He was mad, and would ask how the Cause of that
crucified One could ever spread out to the easts of the world and the
wests thereof. None followed Him then, save only a few souls who were
fishermen, carpenters, and other plain folk. Alas, alas, for such
delusions!
And see what happened then: how their mighty banners were reversed, and
in their place His most exalted standard lifted up; how all the bright
stars in that heaven of honour and pride did set; how they sank in the
west of all that vanisheth--while His brilliant Orb still shineth down
out of
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skies of undying glory, as the centuries and the ages roll by. Be ye
then admonished, ye that have eyes to see! Erelong shall ye behold even
greater things than this.
Know thou that all the powers combined have not the power to establish
universal peace, nor to withstand the overmastering dominion, at every
time and season, of these endless wars. Erelong, however, shall the
power of heaven, the dominion of the Holy Spirit, hoist on the high
summits the banners of love and peace, and there above the castles of
majesty and might shall those banners wave in the rushing winds that
blow out of the tender mercy of God.
Convey thou my greetings to Mrs. Florence, and tell her: The diverse
congregations have given up the ground of their belief, and adopted
doctrines that are of no account in the sight of God. They are even as
the Pharisees who both prayed and fasted, and then did sentence Jesus
Christ to death. By the life of God! This thing is passing strange!
As to thee, O handmaid of God, softly recite thou this commune to thy
Lord, and say unto Him:
O God, my God! Fill up for me the cup of detachment from all things, and
in the assembly of Thy splendours and bestowals, rejoice me with the
wine of loving Thee. Free me from the assaults of passion and desire,
break off from me the shackles of this nether world, draw me with
rapture unto Thy supernal realm, and refresh me amongst the handmaids
with the breathings of Thy holiness.
O Lord, brighten Thou my face with the lights of Thy bestowals, light
Thou mine eyes with beholding the signs of Thine all-subduing might;
delight my heart with the glory of Thy knowledge that encompasseth all
things, gladden Thou my soul with Thy soul-reviving
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tidings of great joy, O Thou King of this world and the Kingdom above, O
Thou Lord of dominion and might, that I may spread abroad Thy signs and
tokens, and proclaim Thy Cause, and promote Thy Teachings, and serve Thy
Law, and exalt Thy Word.
Thou art verily the Powerful, the Ever-Giving, the Able, the Omnipotent.
As to the fundamentals of teaching the Faith: know thou that delivering
the Message can be accomplished only through goodly deeds and spiritual
attributes, an utterance that is crystal clear and the happiness
reflected from the face of that one who is expounding the Teachings. It
is essential that the deeds of the teacher should attest the truth of
his words. Such is the state of whoso doth spread abroad the sweet
savours of God and the quality of him who is sincere in his faith.
Once the Lord hath enabled thee to attain this condition, be thou
assured that He will inspire thee with words of truth, and will cause
thee to speak through the breathings of the Holy Spirit.
147. Reflect upon the past events of the time of Christ, and the present
events shall become clear and manifest.
148. O ye sons and daughters of the Kingdom! Thankful, the birds of the
spirit seek only to fly in the high heavens and to sing out their songs
with wondrous art. But the pitiable earthworms love only to tunnel into
the ground, and what a mighty struggle they make to get themselves down
into its depths! Even so are the sons of earth. Their
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highest aim is to augment their means of continuing on, in this
vanishing world, this death in life; and this despite the fact that they
are bound hand and foot by a thousand cares and sorrows, and never safe
from danger, not even for the twinkling of an eye; never at any time
secure, even from sudden death. Wherefore, after a brief span, are they
utterly effaced, and no sign remaineth to tell of them, and no word of
them is ever heard again.
Then let you engage in the praise of Baha'u'llah, for it is through His
grace and succour that ye have become sons and daughters of the Kingdom;
it is thanks to Him that ye are now songsters in the meadows of truth,
and have soared upward to the heights of the glory that abideth forever.
Ye have found your place in the world that dieth not; the breaths of the
Holy Spirit have blown upon you; ye have taken on another life, ye have
gained access to the Threshold of God.
Wherefore, with great gladness, establish ye spiritual assemblies, and
engage ye in uttering the praise and glorification of the Lord, and
calling Him Holy and Most Great. Lift up to the realm of the
All-Glorious your suppliant cries for help, and voice ye at every moment
a myriad thanks for having won this abounding favour and exceeding
grace.
149. O thou who hast eyes to see! That which thou didst witness is the
very truth, and it pertaineth to the realm of vision.
The perfume is intimately commingled and blended with the bud, and once
the bud hath opened the sweet scent of it is spread abroad. The herb is
not without its fruit, although it seemeth so, for in this garden of God
every plant exerteth its own influence and hath its own properties, and
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every plant can even match the laughing, hundred-petalled rose in
rejoicing the sense with its fragrance. Be thou assured of this.
Although the pages of a book know nothing of the words and the meanings
traced upon them, even so, because of their connection with these words,
friends pass them reverently from hand to hand. This connection,
furthermore, is purest bounty.
When the human soul soareth out of this transient heap of dust and
riseth into the world of God, then veils will fall away, and verities
will come to light, and all things unknown before will be made clear,
and hidden truths be understood.
Consider how a being, in the world of the womb, was deaf of ear and
blind of eye, and mute of tongue; how he was bereft of any perceptions
at all. But once, out of that world of darkness, he passed into this
world of light, then his eye saw, his ear heard, his tongue spoke. In
the same way, once he hath hastened away from this mortal place into the
Kingdom of God, then he will be born in the spirit; then the eye of his
perception will open, the ear of his soul will hearken, and all the
truths of which he was ignorant before will be made plain and clear.
An observant traveller passing along a way will certainly recall his
discoveries to mind, unless some accident befall him and efface the
memory.
150. O thou handmaid aflame with the fire of God's love! Grieve thou not
over the troubles and hardships of this nether world, nor be thou glad
in times of ease and comfort, for both shall pass away. This present
life is even as a swelling wave, or a mirage, or drifting shadows. Could
ever a distorted image on the desert serve as refreshing waters? No,
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by the Lord of Lords! Never can reality and the mere semblance of
reality be one, and wide is the difference between fancy and fact,
between truth and the phantom thereof.
Know thou that the Kingdom is the real world, and this nether place is
only its shadow stretching out. A shadow hath no life of its own; its
existence is only a fantasy, and nothing more; it is but images
reflected in water, and seeming as pictures to the eye.
Rely upon God. Trust in Him. Praise Him, and call Him continually to
mind. He verily turneth trouble into ease, and sorrow into solace, and
toil into utter peace. He verily hath dominion over all things.
If thou wouldst hearken to my words, release thyself from the fetters of
whatsoever cometh to pass. Nay rather, under all conditions thank thou
thy loving Lord, and yield up thine affairs unto His Will that worketh
as He pleaseth. This verily is better for thee than all else, in either
world.
151. O thou believer in the oneness of God! Know thou that nothing
profiteth a soul save the love of the All-Merciful, nothing lighteth up
a heart save the splendour that shineth from the realm of the Lord.
Forsake thou every other concern, let oblivion overtake the memory of
all else. Confine thy thoughts to whatever will lift up the human soul
to the Paradise of heavenly grace, and make every bird of the Kingdom
wing its way unto the Supreme Horizon, the central point of everlasting
honour in this contingent world.
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152. As to the question regarding the soul of a murderer, and what his
punishment would be, the answer given was that the murderer must expiate
his crime: that is, if they put the murderer to death, his death is his
atonement for his crime, and following the death, God in His justice
will impose no second penalty upon him, for divine justice would not
allow this.
153. O thou handmaid of God! In this day, to thank God for His bounties
consisteth in possessing a radiant heart, and a soul open to the
promptings of the spirit. This is the essence of thanksgiving.
As for offering thanks by speaking out or writing, although this is
indeed acceptable, yet when compared with that other thanksgiving, it is
only a semblance and unreal; for the essential thing is these
intimations of the spirit, these emanations from the deep recess of the
heart. It is my hope that thou wilt be favoured therewith.
Regarding one's lack of capacity and one's undeserving on the Day of
Resurrection, this does not cause one to be shut out from gifts and
bounties; for this is not the Day of Justice but the Day of Grace, while
justice is allotting to each whatever is his due. Then look thou not at
the degree of thy capacity, look thou at the boundless favour of
Baha'u'llah; all-encompassing is His bounty, and consummate His grace.
I ask of God that with His assistance and strong support thou mayest
teach the inner meanings of the Torah with eloquence, understanding,
vigour and skill. Turn thy face toward the Kingdom of God, ask for the
bestowals of the Holy Spirit, speak, and the confirmations of the Spirit
will come.
As for that mighty solar orb which thou didst behold in
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thy dream, that was the Promised One, and its spreading rays were His
bounties, and the translucent surface of the mass of water signifieth
hearts that are undefiled and pure, while the surging waves denote the
great excitement of those hearts and the fact that they were shaken and
deeply moved, that is, the waves are the stirrings of the spirit and
holy intimations of the soul. Praise thou God that in the world of the
dream thou hast witnessed such disclosures.
With reference to what is meant by an individual becoming entirely
forgetful of self: the intent is that he should rise up and sacrifice
himself in the true sense, that is, he should obliterate the promptings
of the human condition, and rid himself of such characteristics as are
worthy of blame and constitute the gloomy darkness of this life on
earth--not that he should allow his physical health to deteriorate and
his body to become infirm.
I do earnestly and humbly supplicate at the Holy Threshold that heavenly
blessings and divine forgiveness will encompass thy dear mother, as well
as thy loving sisters and relatives. Especially do I pray on behalf of
thy betrothed, who hath suddenly hastened away from this world into the
next.
154. O thou son of the Kingdom! Thy most agreeable letters, with their
pleasing style, ever gladden our hearts. When the song is of the
Kingdom, it rejoiceth the soul.
Praise thou God that thou hast travelled to that country+F1 for the
purpose of raising up His Word and spreading abroad the holy fragrance
of His Kingdom, and that thou art serving as a gardener in the gardens
of heaven. Erelong shall thine efforts be crowned with success.
_____________________
+F1. Germany
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O thou son of the Kingdom! All things are beneficial if joined with the
love of God; and without His love all things are harmful, and act as a
veil between man and the Lord of the Kingdom. When His love is there,
every bitterness turneth sweet, and every bounty rendereth a wholesome
pleasure. For example, a melody, sweet to the ear, bringeth the very
spirit of life to a heart in love with God, yet staineth with lust a
soul engrossed in sensual desires. And every branch of learning,
conjoined with the love of God, is approved and worthy of praise; but
bereft of His love, learning is barren--indeed, it bringeth on madness.
Every kind of knowledge, every science, is as a tree: if the fruit of it
be the love of God, then is it a blessed tree, but if not, that tree is
but dried-up wood, and shall only feed the fire.
O thou loyal servant of God and thou spiritual healer of man! Whensoever
thou dost attend a patient, turn thy face toward the Lord of the
heavenly Kingdom, ask the Holy Spirit to come to thine aid, then heal
thou the sickness.
155. O thou flame of God's love! What thou hast written hath brought
great joy, for thy letter was as a garden from which roses of inner
meanings spread abroad the sweet exhalations of the love of God. In the
same way, my answers will serve as rainshowers and dew, to bestow on
those spiritual plants that have blossomed in the garden of thy heart
more freshness and delicate beauty than words can tell.
Thou didst write of afflictive tests that have assailed thee. To the
loyal soul, a test is but God's grace and favour; for the valiant doth
joyously press forward to furious battle on the field of anguish, when
the coward, whimpering with
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fright, will tremble and shake. So too, the proficient student, who hath
with great competence mastered his subjects and committed them to
memory, will happily exhibit his skills before his examiners on the day
of his tests. So too will solid gold wondrously gleam and shine out in
the assayer's fire.
It is clear, then, that tests and trials are, for sanctified souls, but
God's bounty and grace, while to the weak, they are a calamity,
unexpected and sudden.
These tests, even as thou didst write, do but cleanse the spotting of
self from off the mirror of the heart, till the Sun of Truth can cast
its rays thereon; for there is no veil more obstructive than the self,
and however tenuous that veil may be, at the last it will completely
shut a person out, and deprive him of his portion of eternal grace.
O thou enraptured handmaid of the Lord! When the believers, men and
women, pass in thought before my eyes, I feel myself warmed at the fire
of God's love, and I pray that the Almighty will succour those holy
souls with His invisible hosts. Praised be the Lord that the prophecies
of all His Manifestations have now been clearly fulfilled, in this
greatest of all days, this holy and blessed age.
O thou enraptured handmaid of God! Nearness is verily of the soul, not
of the body; and the help that is sought, and the help that cometh, is
not material but of the spirit; nevertheless it is my hope that thou
wilt attain to nearness in every sense. The bounties of God will verily
encompass a sanctified soul even as the sun's light doth the moon and
stars: be thou assured of this.
Waft thou to each one of the believers, men and women alike, fragrant
breaths of holiness on behalf of Abdu'l-Baha. Inspire them all and urge
them on to shed abroad the sweet savours of the Lord.
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156. O thou servant of the Holy Threshold! We have read what flowed out
from thy pen in thy love for God, and found the contents of thy letter
most pleasing. My hope is that through the bounty of God, the breaths of
the All-Merciful will at all times refresh and renew thee.
Thou didst write of reincarnation. A belief in reincarnation goeth far
back into the ancient history of almost all peoples, and was held even
by the philosophers of Greece, the Roman sages, the ancient Egyptians,
and the great Assyrians. Nevertheless such superstitions and sayings are
but absurdities in the sight of God.
The major argument of the reincarnationists was this, that according to
the justice of God, each must receive his due: whenever a man is
afflicted with some calamity, for example, this is because of some wrong
he hath committed. But take a child that is still in its mother's womb,
the embryo but newly formed, and that child is blind, deaf, lame,
defective--what sin hath such a child committed, to deserve its
afflictions? They answer that, although to outward seeming the child,
still in the womb, is guilty of no sin--nevertheless he perpetrated some
wrong when in his previous form, and thus he came to deserve his
punishment.
These individuals, however, have overlooked the following point. If
creation went forward according to only one rule, how could the
all-encompassing Power make Itself felt? How could the Almighty be the
One Who `doeth as He pleaseth and ordaineth as He willeth'?+F1
Briefly, a return is indeed referred to in the Holy Scriptures, but by
this is meant the return of the qualities, conditions, effects,
perfections, and inner realities of the lights which recur in every
dispensation. The reference is not to specific, individual souls and
identities.
_____________________
+F1. cf. Qur'an 3:35; 2:254
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It may be said, for instance, that this lamplight is last night's come
back again, or that last year's rose hath returned to the garden this
year. Here the reference is not to the individual reality, the fixed
identity, the specialized being of that other rose, rather doth it mean
that the qualities, the distinctive characteristics of that other light,
that other flower, are present now, in these. Those perfections, that
is, those graces and gifts of a former springtime are back again this
year. We say, for example, that this fruit is the same as last year's;
but we are thinking only of the delicacy, bloom and freshness, and the
sweet taste of it; for it is obvious that that impregnable centre of
reality, that specific identity, can never return.
What peace, what ease and comfort did the Holy Ones of God ever discover
during Their sojourn in this nether world, that They should continually
seek to come back and live this life again? Doth not a single turn at
this anguish, these afflictions, these calamities, these body blows,
these dire straits, suffice, that They should wish for repeated visits
to the life of this world? This cup was not so sweet that one would care
to drink of it a second time.
Therefore do the lovers of the Abha Beauty wish for no other recompense
but to reach that station where they may gaze upon Him in the Realm of
Glory, and they walk no other path save over desert sands of longing for
those exalted heights. They seek that ease and solace which will abide
forever, and those bestowals that are sanctified beyond the
understanding of the worldly mind.
When thou lookest about thee with a perceptive eye, thou wilt note that
on this dusty earth all humankind are suffering. Here no man is at rest
as a reward for what he hath performed in former lives; nor is there
anyone so blissful as seemingly to pluck the fruit of bygone anguish.
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And if a human life, with its spiritual being, were limited to this
earthly span, then what would be the harvest of creation? Indeed, what
would be the effects and the outcomes of Divinity Itself? Were such a
notion true, then all created things, all contingent realities, and this
whole world of being--all would be meaningless. God forbid that one
should hold to such a fiction and gross error.
For just as the effects and the fruitage of the uterine life are not to
be found in that dark and narrow place, and only when the child is
transferred to this wide earth do the benefits and uses of growth and
development in that previous world become revealed--so likewise reward
and punishment, heaven and hell, requital and retribution for actions
done in this present life, will stand revealed in that other world
beyond. And just as, if human life in the womb were limited to that
uterine world, existence there would be nonsensical, irrelevant--so too
if the life of this world, the deeds here done and their fruitage, did
not come forth in the world beyond, the whole process would be
irrational and foolish.
Know then that the Lord God possesseth invisible realms which the human
intellect can never hope to fathom nor the mind of man conceive. When
once thou hast cleansed the channel of thy spiritual sense from the
pollution of this worldly life, then wilt thou breathe in the sweet
scents of holiness that blow from the blissful bowers of that heavenly
land.
The Glory rest upon thee, and upon whosoever turneth toward and gazeth
on the Kingdom of the All-Glorious, which the Lord hath sanctified
beyond the understanding of those who are neglectful of Him, and hath
hid from the eyes of those who show Him pride.
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157. O ye who are strongly attracted! O ye who are mindful! O ye who are
advancing unto the Kingdom of God! Verily with all my heart and soul and
with all lowliness do I supplicate the Lord God to make of you ensigns
of guidance, banners of righteousness, well-springs of understanding and
knowledge, that through you He may lead the seekers unto the straight
path and guide them to the broad way of truth in this mightiest of ages.
O ye loved ones of God! Know ye that the world is even as a mirage
rising over the sands, that the thirsty mistaketh for water. The wine of
this world is but a vapour in the desert, its pity and compassion but
toil and trouble, the repose it proffereth only weariness and sorrow.
Abandon it to those who belong to it, and turn your faces unto the
Kingdom of your Lord the All-Merciful, that His grace and bounty may
cast their dawning splendours over you, and a heavenly table may be sent
down for you, and your Lord may bless you, and shower His riches upon
you to gladden your bosoms and fill your hearts with bliss, to attract
your minds, and cleanse your souls, and console your eyes.
O ye loved ones of God! Is there any giver save God? He singleth out for
His mercy whomsoever He willeth. Erelong will He open before you the
gates of His knowledge and fill up your hearts with His love. He will
cheer your souls with the gentle winds of His holiness and make bright
your faces with the splendours of His lights, and exalt the memory of
you amongst all peoples. Your Lord is verily the Compassionate, the
Merciful.
He will come to your aid with invisible hosts, and support you with
armies of inspiration from the Concourse above; He will send unto you
sweet perfumes from the highest Paradise, and waft over you the pure
breathings that blow from the rose gardens of the Company on high.
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He will breathe into your hearts the spirit of life, cause you to enter
the Ark of salvation, and reveal unto you His clear tokens and signs.
Verily is this abounding grace. Verily is this the victory that none can
deny.
158. Grieve thou not over the ascension of my beloved Breakwell, for he
hath risen unto a rose garden of splendours within the Abha Paradise,
sheltered by the mercy of his mighty Lord, and he is crying at the top
of his voice: `O that my people could know how graciously my Lord hath
forgiven me, and made me to be of those who have attained His
Presence!'+F1
O Breakwell, O my dear one!
Where now is thy fair face? Where is thy fluent tongue? Where thy clear
brow? Where thy bright comeliness?
O Breakwell, O my dear one!
Where is thy fire, blazing with God's love? Where is thy rapture at His
holy breaths? Where are thy praises, lifted unto Him? Where is thy
rising up to serve His Cause?
O Breakwell, O my dear one!
Where are thy beauteous eyes? Thy smiling lips? The princely cheek? The
graceful form?
O Breakwell, O my dear one!
Thou hast quit this earthly world and risen upward
_____________________
+F1. cf. Qur'an 36:25
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to the Kingdom, thou hast reached unto the grace of the invisible realm,
and offered thyself at the threshold of its Lord.
O Breakwell, O my dear one!
Thou hast left the lamp that was thy body here, the glass that was thy
human form, thy earthy elements, thy way of life below.
O Breakwell, O my dear one!
Thou hast lit a flame within the lamp of the Company on high, thou hast
set foot in the Abha Paradise, thou hast found a shelter in the shadow
of the Blessed Tree, thou hast attained His meeting in the haven of
Heaven.
O Breakwell, O my dear one!
Thou art now a bird of Heaven, thou hast quit thine earthly nest, and
soared away to a garden of holiness in the kingdom of thy Lord. Thou
hast risen to a station filled with light.
O Breakwell, O my dear one!
Thy song is even as birdsong now, thou pourest forth verses as to the
mercy of thy Lord; of Him Who forgiveth ever, thou wert a thankful
servant, wherefore hast thou entered into exceeding bliss.
O Breakwell, O my dear one!
Thy Lord hath verily singled thee out for His love, and hath led thee
into His precincts of holiness, and made thee to enter the garden of
those who are His close companions, and hath blessed thee with beholding
His beauty.
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O Breakwell, O my dear one!
Thou hast won eternal life, and the bounty that faileth never, and a
life to please thee well, and plenteous grace.
O Breakwell, O my dear one!
Thou art become a star in the supernal sky, and a lamp amid the angels
of high Heaven; a living spirit in the most exalted Kingdom, throned in
eternity.
O Breakwell, O my dear one!
I ask of God to draw thee ever closer, hold thee ever faster; to rejoice
thy heart with nearness to His presence, to fill thee with light and
still more light, to grant thee still more beauty, and to bestow upon
thee power and great glory.
O Breakwell, O my dear one!
At all times do I call thee to mind. I shall never forget thee. I pray
for thee by day, by night; I see thee plain before me, as if in open
day.
O Breakwell, O my dear one!
159. As to thy question, doth every soul without exception achieve life
everlasting? Know thou that immortality belongeth to those souls in whom
hath been breathed the spirit of life from God. All save these are
lifeless--they are the dead, even as Christ hath explained in the Gospel
text. He whose eyes the Lord hath opened will see the souls of men in
the stations they will occupy after their release from the body. He will
find the living ones thriving within
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the precincts of their Lord, and the dead sunk down in the lowest abyss
of perdition.
Know thou that every soul is fashioned after the nature of God, each
being pure and holy at his birth. Afterwards, however, the individuals
will vary according to what they acquire of virtues or vices in this
world. Although all existent beings are in their very nature created in
ranks or degrees, for capacities are various, nevertheless every
individual is born holy and pure, and only thereafter may he become
defiled.
And further, although the degrees of being are various, yet all are
good. Observe the human body, its limbs, its members, the eye, the ear,
the organs of smell, of taste, the hands, the fingernails.
Notwithstanding the differences among all these parts, each one within
the limitations of its own being participateth in a coherent whole. If
one of them faileth it must be healed, and should no remedy avail, that
part must be removed.
160. O thou sincere and loyal handmaid of the Lord! I have read thy
letter. Thou art truly attached to the Kingdom and devoted to the
All-Glorious Horizon. I beg of God in His bounty to make thee to burn
ever more brightly in the fire of His love, as each day passeth by.
Thou wert, it appeareth, in doubt as to whether to write, or to teach
the Faith. Teaching the Faith is essential, and for the present teaching
is preferable for thee. Whensoever thou dost find an opportunity, loose
thy tongue and guide the human race.
Thou didst ask as to acquiring knowledge: read thou the Books and
Tablets of God, and the articles written to demonstrate the truth of
this Faith. Included among them
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are the Iqan, which hath been translated into English, the works of
Mirza Abu'l-Fadl, and those of some others among the believers. In the
days to come a great number of holy Tablets and other sacred writings
will be translated, and thou shouldst read these as well. Likewise, ask
thou of God that the magnet of His love should draw unto thee the
knowledge of Him. Once a soul becometh holy in all things, purified,
sanctified, the gates of the knowledge of God will open wide before his
eyes.
Thou hast written of the dear handmaid of God, Mrs. Goodall. That soul
enraptured of God is truly serving the Faith at all times, and doing
whatever she can to scatter abroad the heavenly splendours. If she
continue in this same way, very great results will follow in a time to
come. The main thing is to remain staunch and firmly rooted, and
persevere to the end. It is my hope that through the high endeavours of
the handmaids of the Lord, those foothills and that ocean+F1 shore will
grow so bright with the love of God as to cast their beams to the ends
of the earth.
Thou didst ask whether, at the advent of the Kingdom of God, every soul
was saved. The Sun of Truth hath shone forth in splendour over all the
world, and its luminous rising is man's salvation and his eternal
life--but only he is of the saved who hath opened wide the eye of his
discernment and beheld that glory.
Likewise didst thou ask whether, in this Baha'i Dispensation, the
spiritual will ultimately prevail. It is certain that spirituality will
defeat materialism, that the heavenly will subdue the human, and that
through divine education the masses of mankind generally will take great
steps forward in all degrees of life--except for those who are blind and
deaf and mute and dead. How can such as they understand
_____________________
+F1. The Pacific
Page 192
the light? Though the sun's rays illumine every darkest corner of the
globe, still the blind can have no share in the glory, and though the
rain of heavenly mercy come down in torrents over all the earth, no
shrub or flower will bloom from a barren land.
161. O thou who seekest the Kingdom of heaven! This world is even as the
body of man, and the Kingdom of God is as the spirit of life. See how
dark and narrow is the physical world of man's body, and what a prey it
is to diseases and ills. On the other hand, how fresh and bright is the
realm of the human spirit. Judge thou from this metaphor how the world
of the Kingdom hath shone down, and how its laws have been made to work
in this nether realm. Although the spirit is hidden from view, still its
commandments shine out like rays of light upon the world of the human
body. In the same way, although the Kingdom of heaven is hidden from the
sight of this unwitting people, still, to him who seeth with the inner
eye, it is plain as day.
Wherefore dwell thou ever in the Kingdom, and be thou oblivious of this
world below. Be thou so wholly absorbed in the emanations of the spirit
that nothing in the world of man will distract thee.
162. O ye dear friends of Abdu'l-Baha! At all times do I await your good
news, longing as I do to hear that ye are making progress from day to
day, and are becoming ever more illumined by the light of guidance.
The blessings of Baha'u'llah are a shoreless sea, and even life
everlasting is only a dewdrop therefrom. The waves of that sea are
continually lapping against the hearts of the
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friends, and from those waves there come intimations of the spirit and
ardent pulsings of the soul, until the heart giveth way, and willing or
not, turneth humbly in prayer unto the Kingdom of the Lord. Wherefore do
all ye can to disengage your inner selves, that ye may at every moment
reflect new splendours from the Sun of Truth.
Ye live, all of you, within the heart of Abdu'l-Baha, and with every
breath do I turn my face toward the Threshold of Oneness and call down
blessings upon you, each and all.
163. O ye two seekers after truth! Your letter was received and its
contents noted. As for the letters ye had previously sent, not all were
received, while some reached here at a time when the cruelty of the
oppressors had so intensified that it was not possible to send a reply.
Now this present letter is here, and we are able to answer it, and I
have therefore set about writing, in spite of much pressing business, so
that ye will know that ye are loved amongst us, and also accepted in the
Kingdom of God.
Your questions, however, can be answered only briefly, since there is no
time for a detailed reply. The answer to the first question: the souls
of the children of the Kingdom, after their separation from the body,
ascend unto the realm of everlasting life. But if ye ask as to the
place, know ye that the world of existence is a single world, although
its stations are various and distinct. For example, the mineral life
occupieth its own plane, but a mineral entity is without any awareness
at all of the vegetable kingdom, and indeed, with its inner tongue
denieth that there is any such kingdom. In the same way, a vegetable
entity knoweth nothing of the animal world, remaining completely
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heedless and ignorant thereof, for the stage of the animal is higher
than that of the vegetable, and the vegetable is veiled from the animal
world and inwardly denieth the existence of that world--all this while
animal, vegetable and mineral dwell together in the one world. In the
same way the animal remaineth totally unaware of that power of the human
mind which graspeth universal ideas and layeth bare the secrets of
creation--so that a man who liveth in the east can make plans and
arrangements for the west; can unravel mysteries; although located on
the continent of Europe can discover America; although sited on the
earth can lay hold of the inner realities of the stars of heaven. Of
this power of discovery which belongeth to the human mind, this power
which can grasp abstract and universal ideas, the animal remaineth
totally ignorant, and indeed denieth its existence.
In the same way, the denizens of this earth are completely unaware of
the world of the Kingdom and deny the existence thereof. They ask, for
example: `Where is the Kingdom? Where is the Lord of the Kingdom?' These
people are even as the mineral and the vegetable, who know nothing
whatever of the animal and the human realm; they see it not; they find
it not. Yet the mineral and vegetable, the animal and man, are all
living here together in this world of existence.
As to the second question: the tests and trials of God take place in
this world, not in the world of the Kingdom.
The answer to the third question is this, that in the other world the
human reality doth not assume a physical form, rather doth it take on a
heavenly form, made up of elements of that heavenly realm.
And the answer to the fourth question: the centre of the Sun of Truth is
in the supernal world--the Kingdom of
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God. Those souls who are pure and unsullied, upon the dissolution of
their elemental frames, hasten away to the world of God, and that world
is within this world. The people of this world, however, are unaware of
that world, and are even as the mineral and the vegetable that know
nothing of the world of the animal and the world of man.
The answer to the fifth question is this: Baha'u'llah hath raised up the
tabernacle of the oneness of mankind. Whoso seeketh shelter under this
roof will certainly come forth from other dwellings.
And to the sixth question: if on some point or other a difference
ariseth among two conflicting groups, let them refer to the Centre of
the Covenant for a solution to the problem.
And the seventh question: Baha'u'llah hath been made manifest to all
mankind and He hath invited all to the table of God, the banquet of
Divine bounty. Today, however, most of those who sit at that table are
the poor, and this is why Christ hath said blessed are the poor, for
riches do prevent the rich from entering the Kingdom; and again, He
saith, `It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than
for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.'+F1 If, however, the
wealth of this world, and worldly glory and repute, do not block his
entry therein, that rich man will be favoured at the Holy Threshold and
accepted by the Lord of the Kingdom.
In brief, Baha'u'llah hath become manifest to educate all the peoples of
the world. He is the Universal Educator, whether of the rich or the
poor, whether of black or white, or of peoples from east or west, or
north or south.
Among those who visit Akka, some have made great forward strides.
Lightless candles, they were set alight;
_____________________
+F1. Matthew 19:24; Mark 10:25
Page 196
withered, they began to bloom; dead, they were recalled to life and went
home with tidings of great joy. But others, in truth, have simply passed
through; they have only taken a tour.
O ye twain who are strongly attracted to the Kingdom, thank ye God that
ye have made your home a Baha'i centre and a gathering place for the
friends.
164. O ye two faithful and assured souls! The letter was received.
Praise be to God, it imparted good tidings. California is ready for the
promulgation of the Teachings of God. My hope is that ye may strive with
heart and soul that the sweet scent may perfume the nostrils....
Convey on my behalf to Mrs. Chase respectful greetings and say: `Mr.
Chase is a twinkling star above the horizon of Truth, but at present it
is still behind the clouds; soon these shall be dispersed and the
radiance of that star shall illumine the state of California. Appreciate
thou this bounty that thou hast been his wife and companion in life.'
Every year on the anniversary of the ascension+F1 of that blessed soul
the friends must visit his tomb on behalf of Abdu'l-Baha and in the
utmost lowliness and humility should with all respect lay on his grave
wreaths of flowers and spend all the day in quiet prayer, while turning
their faces toward the Kingdom of Signs and mentioning and praising the
attributes of that illustrious person.
165. O my God! O my God! Verily Thy servant, humble before the majesty
of Thy divine supremacy, lowly at the door of Thy oneness, hath believed
in Thee
_____________________
+F1. 30 September 1912
Page 197
and in Thy verses, hath testified to Thy word, hath been enkindled with
the fire of Thy love, hath been immersed in the depths of the ocean of
Thy knowledge, hath been attracted by Thy breezes, hath relied upon
Thee, hath turned his face to Thee, hath offered his supplications to
Thee, and hath been assured of Thy pardon and forgiveness. He hath
abandoned this mortal life and hath flown to the kingdom of immortality,
yearning for the favour of meeting Thee.
O Lord, glorify his station, shelter him under the pavilion of Thy
supreme mercy, cause him to enter Thy glorious paradise, and perpetuate
his existence in Thine exalted rose garden, that he may plunge into the
sea of light in the world of mysteries.
Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Powerful, the Forgiver and the
Bestower.
O thou assured soul, thou maidservant of God...! Be not grieved at the
death of thy respected husband. He hath, verily, attained the meeting of
his Lord at the seat of Truth in the presence of the potent King. Do not
suppose that thou hast lost him. The veil shall be lifted and thou shalt
behold his face illumined in the Supreme Concourse. Just as God, the
Exalted, hath said, `Him will we surely quicken to a happy life.'
Supreme importance should be attached, therefore, not to this first
creation but rather to the future life.
166. O servant of Baha! Be self-sacrificing in the path of God, and wing
thy flight unto the heavens of the love of the Abha Beauty, for any
movement animated by love moveth from the periphery to the centre, from
space to the
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Day-Star of the universe. Perchance thou deemest this to be difficult,
but I tell thee that such cannot be the case, for when the motivating
and guiding power is the divine force of magnetism it is possible, by
its aid, to traverse time and space easily and swiftly. Glory be upon
the people of Baha.
167. Thou hadst asked about fate, predestination and will. Fate and
predestination consist in the necessary and indispensable relationships
which exist in the realities of things. These relationships have been
placed in the realities of existent beings through the power of creation
and every incident is a consequence of the necessary relationship. For
example, God hath created a relation between the sun and the terrestrial
globe that the rays of the sun should shine and the soil should yield.
These relationships constitute predestination, and the manifestation
thereof in the plane of existence is fate. Will is that active force
which controlleth these relationships and these incidents. Such is the
epitome of the explanation of fate and predestination. I have no time
for a detailed explanation. Ponder over this; the reality of fate,
predestination and will shall be made manifest.
168. O thou lady of the Kingdom! Praise thou God that in this age, the
age of the dispensation of Baha'u'llah, thou hast been awakened, hast
been made aware of the Manifestation of the Lord of Hosts. All the
people of the world are buried in the graves of nature, or are
slumbering, heedless and unaware. Just as Christ saith: `I may come when
you are not aware. The coming of the Son of Man is
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like the coming of a thief into a house, the owner of which is utterly
unaware.'
In brief, my hope is that from the bounties of Baha'u'llah, thou mayest
daily advance in the Kingdom, that thou mayest become a heavenly angel,
confirmed by the breaths of the Holy Spirit, and mayest erect a
structure that shall eternally remain firm and unshakeable....
These days are very precious; grasp the present opportunity and ignite a
candle that shall never be extinguished, and which shall pour out its
light eternally illuminating the world of mankind!
169. O ye two patient souls! Your letter was received. The death of that
beloved youth and his separation from you have caused the utmost sorrow
and grief; for he winged his flight in the flower of his age and the
bloom of his youth to the heavenly nest. But he hath been freed from
this sorrow-stricken shelter and hath turned his face toward the
everlasting nest of the Kingdom, and, being delivered from a dark and
narrow world, hath hastened to the sanctified realm of light; therein
lieth the consolation of our hearts.
The inscrutable divine wisdom underlieth such heart-rending occurrences.
It is as if a kind gardener transferreth a fresh and tender shrub from a
confined place to a wide open area. This transfer is not the cause of
the withering, the lessening or the destruction of that shrub; nay, on
the contrary, it maketh it to grow and thrive, acquire freshness and
delicacy, become green and bear fruit. This hidden secret is well known
to the gardener, but those souls who are unaware of this bounty suppose
that the gardener, in his anger and wrath, hath uprooted the shrub. Yet
to those
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who are aware, this concealed fact is manifest, and this predestined
decree is considered a bounty. Do not feel grieved or disconsolate,
therefore, at the ascension of that bird of faithfulness; nay, under all
circumstances pray for that youth, supplicating for him forgiveness and
the elevation of his station.
I hope that ye will attain the utmost patience, composure and
resignation, and I entreat and implore at the Threshold of Oneness,
begging for forgiveness and pardon. My hope from the infinite bounties
of God is that He may shelter this dove of the garden of faith, and
cause him to abide on the branch of the Supreme Concourse, that he may
sing in the best of melodies the praise and glorification of the Lord of
Names and Attributes.
170. O thou seeker of the Kingdom! Thy letter was received. Thou hast
written of the severe calamity that hath befallen thee--the death of thy
respected husband. That honourable man hath been so subjected to the
stress and strain of this world that his greatest wish was for
deliverance from it. Such is this mortal abode: a storehouse of
afflictions and suffering. It is ignorance that binds man to it, for no
comfort can be secured by any soul in this world, from monarch down to
the most humble commoner. If once this life should offer a man a sweet
cup, a hundred bitter ones will follow; such is the condition of this
world. The wise man, therefore, doth not attach himself to this mortal
life and doth not depend upon it; at some moments, even, he eagerly
wisheth for death that he may thereby be freed from these sorrows and
afflictions. Thus it is seen that some, under extreme pressure of
anguish, have committed suicide.
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As to thy husband, rest assured. He will be immersed in the ocean of
pardon and forgiveness and will become the recipient of bounty and
favour. Strive thine utmost to give his child a Baha'i training so that
when he attaineth maturity he may be merciful, illumined and heavenly.
171. O thou beloved maidservant of God, although the loss of a son is
indeed heart-breaking and beyond the limits of human endurance, yet one
who knoweth and understandeth is assured that the son hath not been lost
but, rather, hath stepped from this world into another, and she will
find him in the divine realm. That reunion shall be for eternity, while
in this world separation is inevitable and bringeth with it a burning
grief.
Praise be unto God that thou hast faith, art turning thy face toward the
everlasting Kingdom and believest in the existence of a heavenly world.
Therefore be thou not disconsolate, do not languish, do not sigh,
neither wail nor weep; for agitation and mourning deeply affect his soul
in the divine realm.
That beloved child addresseth thee from the hidden world: `O thou kind
Mother, thank divine Providence that I have been freed from a small and
gloomy cage and, like the birds of the meadows, have soared to the
divine world--a world which is spacious, illumined, and ever gay and
jubilant. Therefore, lament not, O Mother, and be not grieved; I am not
of the lost, nor have I been obliterated and destroyed. I have shaken
off the mortal form and have raised my banner in this spiritual world.
Following this separation is everlasting companionship. Thou shalt find
me in the heaven of the Lord, immersed in an ocean of light.'
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172. Praise be to God, thy heart is engaged in the commemoration of God,
thy soul is gladdened by the glad tidings of God and thou art absorbed
in prayer. The state of prayer is the best of conditions, for man is
then associating with God. Prayer verily bestoweth life, particularly
when offered in private and at times, such as midnight, when freed from
daily cares.
173. Those souls that, in this day, enter the divine kingdom and attain
everlasting life, although materially dwelling on earth, yet in reality
soar in the realm of heaven. Their bodies may linger on earth but their
spirits travel in the immensity of space. For as thoughts widen and
become illumined, they acquire the power of flight and transport man to
the kingdom of God.
174. O ye spiritual friends of Abdu'l-Baha! The letter ye had written
hath been noted; its contents were most pleasing and bespoke your
firmness and steadfastness in the Cause of God.
That Assembly resteth in the sheltering shade of the Lord of all
bounties, and it is my hope that, as beseemeth that body, it will be
favoured and invigorated by the breathings of the Holy Spirit, and that
day by day ye will love God in ever greater measure, and become more
tightly bound to the Beauty that abideth forever, to Him Who is the
Light of the world. For love of God and spiritual attraction do cleanse
and purify the human heart and dress and adorn it with the spotless
garment of holiness; and once the heart is entirely attached to the
Lord, and bound
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over to the Blessed Perfection, then will the grace of God be revealed.
This love is not of the body but completely of the soul. And those souls
whose inner being is lit by the love of God are even as spreading rays
of light, and they shine out like stars of holiness in a pure and
crystalline sky. For true love, real love, is the love for God, and this
is sanctified beyond the notions and imaginings of men.
Let God's beloved, each and every one, be the essence of purity, the
very life of holiness, so that in every country they may become famed
for their sanctity, independence of spirit, and meekness. Let them be
cheered by draughts from the eternal cup of love for God, and make merry
as they drink from the wine-vaults of Heaven. Let them behold the
Blessed Beauty, and feel the flame and rapture of that meeting, and be
struck dumb with awe and wonder. This is the station of the sincere;
this is the way of the loyal; this is the brightness that shineth on the
faces of those nigh unto God.
Wherefore must the friends of God, with utter sanctity, with one accord,
rise up in the spirit, in unity with one another, to such a degree that
they will become even as one being and one soul. On such a plane as
this, physical bodies play no part, rather doth the spirit take over and
rule; and when its power encompasseth all then is spiritual union
achieved. Strive ye by day and night to cultivate your unity to the
fullest degree. Let your thoughts dwell on your own spiritual
development, and close your eyes to the deficiencies of other souls. Act
ye in such wise, showing forth pure and goodly deeds, and modesty and
humility, that ye will cause others to be awakened.
Never is it the wish of Abdu'l-Baha to see any being hurt, nor will He
make anyone to grieve; for man can
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receive no greater gift than this, that he rejoice another's heart. I
beg of God that ye will be bringers of joy, even as are the angels in
Heaven.
175. Mortal charm shall fade away, roses shall give way to thorns, and
beauty and youth shall live their day and be no more. But that which
eternally endureth is the Beauty of the True One, for its splendour
perisheth not and its glory lasteth for ever; its charm is all-powerful
and its attraction infinite. Well is it then with that countenance that
reflecteth the splendour of the Light of the Beloved One! The Lord be
praised, thou hast been illumined with this Light, hast acquired the
pearl of true knowledge, and hast spoken the Word of Truth.
176. O thou who art attracted to the Kingdom of God! Every soul seeketh
an object and cherisheth a desire, and day and night striveth to attain
his aim. One craveth riches, another thirsteth for glory and still
another yearneth for fame, for art, for prosperity and the like. Yet
finally all are doomed to loss and disappointment. One and all they
leave behind them all that is theirs and empty-handed hasten to the
realm beyond, and all their labours shall be in vain. To dust they shall
all return, denuded, depressed, disheartened and in utter despair.
But, praised be the Lord, thou art engaged in that which secureth for
thee a gain that shall eternally endure; and that is naught but thine
attraction to the Kingdom of God, thy faith, and thy knowledge, the
enlightenment of thine heart, and thine earnest endeavour to promote the
Divine Teachings.
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Verily this gift is imperishable and this wealth is a treasure from on
high!
177. O living flame of heavenly love! Thine heart hath been so fired
with the love of God that from ten thousand leagues afar its warmth and
radiance may be felt and seen. The fire lit by mortal hand imparteth
light and warmth to but a little space, whereas that sacred flame which
the Hand of God hath kindled, though burning in the east, will set
aflame the west and give warmth to both the north and the south; nay, it
shall rise from this world to glow with the hottest flame in the realms
on high, flooding with light the Kingdom of eternal glory.
Happy art thou to have obtained so heavenly a gift. Blessed art thou to
be favoured with His divine bestowals.
The glory of God rest upon thee and upon them that hold fast unto the
sure handle of His Will and holy Covenant.
178. O maidservant of God! Thy letter dated 9 December 1918 was
received. Its contents were noted. Never lose thy trust in God. Be thou
ever hopeful, for the bounties of God never cease to flow upon man. If
viewed from one perspective they seem to decrease, but from another they
are full and complete. Man is under all conditions immersed in a sea of
God's blessings. Therefore, be thou not hopeless under any
circumstances, but rather be firm in thy hope.
Attendance at the gatherings of the friends is specifically to keep them
alert, vigilant, loving and attracted to the divine Kingdom.
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If thou hast a full and eager desire to travel to Phillsburg, Montana,
thou art permitted, perchance thou mayest be able to ignite a candle
amid that group of miners and may make them awake and vigilant so that
they may turn to God and may acquire a share from the Bounty of the
divine Kingdom.
179. Strive as much as ye can to turn wholly toward the Kingdom, that ye
may acquire innate courage and ideal power.
180. I hope that in this nether world thou shalt attain unto heavenly
light, thou wilt free the souls from the gloom of nature, which is the
animal kingdom, and cause them to reach lofty stations in the human
kingdom. Today all people are immersed in the world of nature. That is
why thou dost see jealousy, greed, the struggle for survival, deception,
hypocrisy, tyranny, oppression, disputes, strife, bloodshed, looting and
pillaging, which all emanate from the world of nature. Few are those who
have been freed from this darkness, who have ascended from the world of
nature to the world of man, who have followed the divine Teachings, have
served the world of humanity, are resplendent, merciful, illumined and
like unto a rose garden. Strive thine utmost to become godlike,
characterized with His attributes, illumined and merciful, that thou
mayest be freed from every bond and become attached at heart to the
Kingdom of the incomparable Lord. This is Baha'i bounty, and this is
heavenly light.
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181. Regarding the statement in The Hidden Words, that man must renounce
his own self, the meaning is that he must renounce his inordinate
desires, his selfish purposes and the promptings of his human self, and
seek out the holy breathings of the spirit, and follow the yearnings of
his higher self, and immerse himself in the sea of sacrifice, with his
heart fixed upon the beauty of the All-Glorious.
As for the reference in The Hidden Words regarding the Covenant entered
into on Mount Paran, this signifieth that in the sight of God the past,
the present and the future are all one and the same--whereas, relative
to man, the past is gone and forgotten, the present is fleeting, and the
future is within the realm of hope. And it is a basic principle of the
Law of God that in every Prophetic Mission, He entereth into a Covenant
with all believers--a Covenant that endureth until the end of that
Mission, until the promised day when the Personage stipulated at the
outset of the Mission is made manifest. Consider Moses, He Who conversed
with God. Verily, upon Mount Sinai, Moses entered into a Covenant
regarding the Messiah, with all those souls who would live in the day of
the Messiah. And those souls, although they appeared many centuries
after Moses, were nevertheless--so far as the Covenant, which is outside
time, was concerned--present there with Moses. The Jews, however, were
heedless of this and remembered it not, and thus they suffered a great
and clear loss.
As to the reference in the Arabic Hidden Words that the human being must
become detached from self, here too the meaning is that he should not
seek out anything whatever for his own self in this swiftly-passing
life, but that he should cut the self away, that is, he should yield up
the self and all its concerns on the field of martyrdom, at the time of
the coming of the Lord.
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182. O ye who are holding fast unto the Covenant and Testament! This
day, from the realms of the All-Glorious, from the Kingdom of Holiness
where hosannas of glorification and praise rise up, the Company on high
direct their gaze upon you. Whensoever their gaze lighteth upon
gatherings of those who are steadfast in the Covenant and Testament,
then do they utter their cry, `Glad tidings! Glad tidings!' Then,
exulting, do they lift up their voices, and shout, `O ye spiritual
communion! O ye gathering of God! Blessed are ye! Glad tidings be unto
you! Bright be your faces, and be ye of good cheer, for ye cling to the
Covenant of the Beloved of all the worlds, ye are on fire with the wine
of His Testament. Ye have plighted your troth to the Ancient of Days, ye
have drunk deep from the chalice of loyalty. Ye have guarded and
defended the Cause of God; ye have not been a cause of dividing up His
Word; ye have not brought His Faith low, but have striven to glorify His
Holy Name; ye have not allowed the Blessed Cause to be exposed to the
derision of the people. Ye have not permitted the Designated Station to
be humbled, nor been willing to see the Centre of Authority discredited
or exposed to mockery and persecution. Ye have striven to keep the Word
whole and one. Ye have passed through the portals of mercy. Ye have not
let the Blessed Beauty slip from your minds, to fade unremembered.'
The Glory rest upon you.
183. O thou daughter of the Kingdom! Thy letter was received. It was
like the melody of the divine nightingale, whose song delighteth the
hearts. This is because its contents indicated faith, assurance and
firmness in the Covenant and the Testament. Today the dynamic power
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of the world of existence is the power of the Covenant which like unto
an artery pulsateth in the body of the contingent world and protecteth
Baha'i unity.
The Baha'is are commanded to establish the oneness of mankind; if they
cannot unite around one point how will they be able to bring about the
unity of mankind?
The purpose of the Blessed Beauty in entering into this Covenant and
Testament was to gather all existent beings around one point so that the
thoughtless souls, who in every cycle and generation have been the cause
of dissension, may not undermine the Cause. He hath, therefore,
commanded that whatever emanateth from the Centre of the Covenant is
right and is under His protection and favour, while all else is error.
Praise be to God, thou art firm in the Covenant and the Testament.
184. O ye blessed souls! Although ye are undergoing crucial tests in
view of the repeated and assiduous attempts of some people to shake the
faith of the friends in Los Angeles, yet ye are under the guarding eye
of the bounty of Baha'u'llah and are assisted by legions of angels.
Walk, therefore, with a sure step and engage with the utmost assurance
and confidence in the promulgation of the divine fragrances, the
glorification of the Word of God and firmness in the Covenant. Rest ye
assured that if a soul ariseth in the utmost perseverance and raiseth
the Call of the Kingdom and resolutely promulgateth the Covenant, be he
an insignificant ant he shall be enabled to drive away the formidable
elephant from the arena, and if he be a feeble moth he shall cut to
pieces the plumage of the rapacious vulture.
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Endeavour, therefore, that ye may scatter and disperse the army of doubt
and of error with the power of the holy utterances. This is my
exhortation and this is my counsel. Do not quarrel with anybody, and
shun every form of dispute. Utter the Word of God. If he accepteth it
the desired purpose is attained, and if he turneth away leave him to
himself and trust to God.
Such is the attribute of those who are firm in the Covenant.
185. O ye friends and maidservants of the Merciful! From the Spiritual
Assembly of Los Angeles a letter hath been received. It was indicative
of the fact that the blessed souls in California, like unto an immovable
mountain, are withstanding the gale of violation, have, like unto
blessed trees, been planted in the soil of the Covenant and are most
firm and steadfast. The hope is entertained, therefore, that through the
blessings of the Sun of Truth they may daily increase in their firmness
and steadfastness. The tests of every dispensation are in direct
proportion to the greatness of the Cause, and as heretofore such a
manifest Covenant, written by the Supreme Pen, hath not been entered
upon, the tests are proportionately more severe. These trials cause the
feeble souls to waver while those who are firm are not affected. These
agitations of the violators are no more than the foam of the ocean,
which is one of its inseparable features; but the ocean of the Covenant
shall surge and shall cast ashore the bodies of the dead, for it cannot
retain them. Thus it is seen that the ocean of the Covenant hath surged
and surged until it hath thrown out the dead bodies--souls that are
deprived of the Spirit of God and are lost in passion and self and are
seeking leadership. This foam of the ocean shall not endure and shall
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soon disperse and vanish, while the ocean of the Covenant shall
eternally surge and roar....
From the early days of creation down to the present time, throughout all
the divine dispensations, such a firm and explicit Covenant hath not
been entered upon. In view of this fact is it possible for this foam to
remain on the surface of the ocean of the Covenant? No, by God! The
violators are trampling upon their own dignity, are uprooting their own
foundations and are proud at being upheld by flatterers who exert a
great effort to shake the faith of feeble souls. But this action of
theirs is of no consequence; it is a mirage and not water, foam and not
the sea, mist and not a cloud, illusion and not reality. All this ye
shall soon see.
Praise be to God, ye are firm and steadfast; be ye thankful that like
unto blessed trees ye are firmly planted in the soil of the Covenant. It
is sure that every firm one will grow, will yield new fruits and will
increase daily in freshness and grace. Reflect upon all the writings of
Baha'u'llah, whether epistles or prayers, and ye shall surely come
across a thousand passages wherein Baha'u'llah prays: `O God! Bring to
naught the violators of the Covenant and defeat the oppressors of the
Testament.' `He who denieth the Covenant and the Testament is rejected
by God, and he who remaineth firm and steadfast therein is favoured at
the Threshold of Oneness.' Such sayings and prayers abound, refer to
them and ye shall know.
Never be depressed. The more ye are stirred by violation, the more
deepen ye in firmness and steadfastness, and be assured that the divine
hosts shall conquer, for they are assured of the victory of the Abha
Kingdom. Throughout all regions the standard of firmness and
steadfastness is upraised and the flag of violation is debased, for only
a few
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weak souls have been led away by the flattery and the specious arguments
of the violators who are outwardly with the greatest care exhibiting
firmness but inwardly are engaged in agitating souls. Only a few who are
the leaders of those who stir and agitate are outwardly known as
violators while the rest, through subtle means, deceive the souls, for
outwardly they assert their firmness and steadfastness in the Covenant
but when they come across responsive ears they secretly sow the seeds of
suspicion. The case of all of them resembleth the violation of the
Covenant by Judas Iscariot and his followers. Consider: hath any result
or trace remained after them? Not even a name hath been left by his
followers and although a number of Jews sided with him it was as if he
had no followers at all. This Judas Iscariot who was the leader of the
apostles betrayed Christ for thirty pieces of silver. Take heed, O ye
people of perception!
At this time these insignificant violators will surely betray the Centre
of the Covenant for the large sum which by every subtle means they have
begged. It is now thirty years since Baha'u'llah ascended, and in that
time these violators have striven with might and main. What have they
achieved? Under all conditions those who have remained firm in the
Covenant have conquered, while the violators have met defeat,
disappointment and dejection. After the ascension of Abdu'l-Baha, no
trace of them shall remain. These souls are ignorant of what will happen
and are proud of their own fancies.
In short, O ye friends of God and maidservants of the Merciful! The hand
of divine bounty hath placed upon your heads a jewelled crown, the
precious gems of which shall shine eternally over all regions.
Appreciate this bounty, loose your tongues in praise and thanksgiving,
and
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engage in the promulgation of the divine teachings, for this is the
spirit of life and the means of salvation.
186. O thou who art firm in the Covenant! Three consecutive letters have
been received from thee. From their contents it became known that in
Cleveland the hearts are afflicted by the murky breaths of the
Covenant-breakers and harmony hath decreased among the friends. Gracious
God! A hundred times it hath been foretold that the violators are lying
in ambush and by every means desire to cause dissension among the
friends so that this dissension may end in violation of the Covenant.
How is it that, notwithstanding this warning, the friends have neglected
this explicit statement?
The point at issue is clear, direct and of utmost brevity. Either
Baha'u'llah was wise, omniscient and aware of what would ensue, or was
ignorant and in error. He entered, by His supreme pen, into such a firm
Covenant and Testament with all the Baha'is, first with the Aghsan, the
Afnan and His kindred, and commanded them to obey and turn toward Him.
By His supreme pen He hath explicitly declared that the object of the
following verse of the Kitab-i-Aqdas is the Most Great Branch:
`When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation
is ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath
branched from this Ancient Root.' Its meaning briefly is this: that
after My ascension it is incumbent upon the Aghsan, the Afnan and the
kindred, and all the friends of God, to turn their faces to Him Who hath
branched from the Ancient Root.
He also plainly saith in the Kitab-i-Aqdas: `O ye people of the world!
When the Mystic Dove will have winged its
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flight from its Sanctuary of Praise and sought its far-off goal, its
hidden habitation, refer ye whatsoever ye understand not in the Book to
Him Who hath branched from this mighty Stock.' Addressing all the people
of the world He saith: When the Mystic Dove flieth away from the orchard
of praise to the Most Supreme and Invisible Station--that is, when the
Blessed Beauty turneth away from the contingent world towards the
invisible realm-- refer whatever ye do not understand in the Book to Him
Who hath branched from the Ancient Root. That is, whatever He saith is
the very truth.
And in the Book of the Covenant He explicitly saith that the object of
this verse `Who hath branched from this Ancient Root' is the Most Mighty
Branch. And He commandeth all the Aghsan, the Afnan, the kindred and the
Baha'is to turn toward Him. Now, either one must say that the Blessed
Beauty hath made a mistake, or He must be obeyed. Abdu'l-Baha hath no
command for the people to obey save the diffusion of the fragrances of
God, the exaltation of His Word, the promulgation of the oneness of the
world of humanity, the establishment of universal peace, and other of
the commands of God. These are divine commands and have nothing to do
with Abdu'l-Baha. Whoever wisheth may accept them, and anyone who
rejecteth them may do as he pleaseth.
Now some of the mischief-makers, with many stratagems, are seeking
leadership, and in order to reach this position they instil doubts among
the friends that they may cause differences, and that these differences
may result in their drawing a party to themselves. But the friends of
God must be awake and must know that the scattering of these doubts hath
as its motive personal desires and the achievement of leadership.
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Do not disrupt Baha'i unity, and know that this unity cannot be
maintained save through faith in the Covenant of God.
Thou hast the desire to travel that thou mayest spread the fragrances of
God. This is highly suitable. Assuredly divine confirmations will assist
thee and the power of the Covenant and Testament will secure for thee
triumph and victory.
187. O thou who art firm in the Covenant! Thy letter was received. Thou
hast expressed satisfaction with the Convention, that this gathering
hath been the means of the elevation of the Cause of God and the
demonstration of the power of His Word. The greatness of the Cause will
clear away these differences and may be compared to health in the body
of man which, when established, cureth all disease and weakness. Our
hope is that no trace of opposition may remain; but some of the friends
in America are restless in their fresh ambitions and strive and seek
under the ground and in the air to discover anything that breedeth
dissension.
Praise be to God, all such doors are closed in the Cause of Baha'u'llah
for a special authoritative Centre hath been appointed--a Centre that
solveth all difficulties and wardeth off all differences. The Universal
House of Justice, likewise, wardeth off all differences and whatever it
prescribeth must be accepted and he who transgresseth is rejected. But
this Universal House of Justice which is the Legislature hath not yet
been instituted.
Thus it is seen that no means for dissension hath been left, but carnal
desires are the cause of difference as it is the case with the
violators. These do not doubt the validity of the
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Covenant but selfish motives have dragged them to this condition. It is
not that they do not know what they do-- they are perfectly aware and
still they exhibit opposition.
In short, the ocean of the Covenant is tumultuous and wide. It casteth
ashore the foam of violation and thus rest ye assured. Be engaged in the
furtherance of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar and prepare the means for the
diffusion of the divine fragrances. Be not engaged in anything but this,
for otherwise thou shalt dissipate thine attention and the work will not
advance.
188. O ye the cherished loved ones of Abdu'l-Baha! It is a long time now
since my inward ear hath heard any sweet melodies out of certain
regions, or my heart been gladdened; and this despite the fact that ye
are ever present in my thoughts and standing clearly visible before my
sight. Filled to overflowing is the goblet of my heart with the wine of
the love I bear you, and my yearning to set eyes upon you streameth like
the spirit through my arteries and veins. From this it is clear how
great is my affliction. At this time and throughout this tempest of
calamities now tossing its waves to high heaven, cruel and incessant
darts are being hurled against me from every point of the compass, and
at every moment, here in the Holy Land, terrifying news is received, and
every day bringeth its quota of horror. The Centre of Sedition had
imagined that it needed but his arrogant rebellion to bring down the
Covenant and Testament in ruins; it needed but this, so he thought, to
turn the righteous away from the Holy Will. Wherefore he sent out far
and wide his leaflets of doubt, devising many a secret scheme. Now he
would cry out that God's edifice had been subverted and His divine
commands annulled, and that
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accordingly, the Covenant and Testament was abolished. Again he would
set himself to sighing and groaning that he was being held a prisoner
and was kept hungry and thirsty day and night. Another day he would
raise an uproar, saying that the oneness of God had been denied, since
another Manifestation had been proclaimed, prior to the expiration of a
thousand years.
When he saw that his calumnies had no effect, he gradually formed a plan
to incite a disturbance. He began stirring up mischief, and went
knocking at every door. He started making false accusations to the
officials of the Government. He approached some of the foreigners, made
himself their intimate, and together with them prepared a document and
presented it to the Seat of the Sultanate, bringing consternation to the
authorities. Among the many slanderous charges was this, that this
hapless one had raised up a standard of revolt, a flag bearing the words
Ya Baha'u'l-Abha; that I had paraded this throughout the countryside, to
every city, town and village, and even among the desert tribes, and had
summoned all the inhabitants to unite under this flag.
O my Lord, verily I seek refuge with Thee from the very thought of such
an act, which is contrary to all the commandments of Baha'u'llah, and
which would indeed be a mighty wrong that none but a grievous sinner
would ever perpetrate. For Thou hast made it incumbent upon us to obey
the rulers and kings.
Another of his slanders was that the Shrine on Mount Carmel was a
fortress that I had built strong and impregnable --this when the
building under construction compriseth six rooms--and that I had named
it Medina the Resplendent, while I had named the Holy Tomb+F1 Mecca
_____________________
+F1. at Bahji
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the Glorified. Yet another of his calumnies was that I had established
an independent sovereignty, and that--God forbid! God forbid! God
forbid!--I had summoned all the believers to join me in this massive
wrongdoing. How dire, O my Lord, is his slander!
Yet again, he claimeth that since the Holy Shrine hath become a point
visited by pilgrims from all over the world, great damage will accrue to
this Government and people. He, the Centre of Sedition, averreth that he
himself hath had no hand in all these matters, that he is a Sunni of the
Sunnites and a devoted follower of Abu-Bakr and Umar, and regardeth
Baha'u'llah as only a pious man and a mystic; all these things, he
saith, were set afoot by this wronged one.
To be brief, a Commission of Investigation was appointed by the Sultan,
may the glory of his reign endure. The Commission journeyed hither and
immediately upon arrival betook themselves to the house of one of the
accusers. They then summoned the group who, working with my brother, had
prepared the accusatory document and asked them whether it was true. The
group explained the contents of the document, stated that everything
they had reported therein was nothing but the truth, and added further
accusations. Thus they functioned at one and the same time as
plaintiffs, witnesses, and judge.
The Commission hath now returned to the seat of the Caliphate, and
reports of a most frightful nature are coming in daily from that city.
However, praised be God, Abdu'l-Baha remaineth composed and unperturbed.
To none do I bear ill will because of this defamation. I have made all
my affairs conditioned upon His irresistible Will and I am waiting,
indeed in perfect happiness, to offer my life and prepared for whatever
dire affliction may be in store. Praise be to God, the loving believers
also accept and remain
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submissive to God's Will, content with it, radiantly acquiescent,
offering thanks.
The Centre of Sedition hath imagined that once the blood of this wronged
one is spilled out, once I have been cast away on the wide desert sands
or drowned in the Mediterranean Sea--nameless, gone without trace, with
none to tell of me--then would he at last have a field where he could
urge his steed ahead, and with his mallet of lies and doubts, hit hard
at the polo ball of his ambitions, and carry off the prize.
Far from it! For even if the sweet musk-scent of faithfulness should
pass, and leave no trace behind, who would be drawn by the stench of
perfidy? And even if some gazelle of heaven were to be ripped apart by
dogs and wolves, who would go running to seek out a ravening wolf? Even
should the day of the Mystic Nightingale draw to its close, who would
ever lend his ear to the raven's croak, or the cawing of the crow? What
an empty supposition is his! What a foolish presumption! `Their works
are like the vapour in a desert which the thirsty dreameth to be water,
until when he cometh unto it, he findeth nothing.'+F1
O ye loved ones of God! Be ye firm of foot, and fixed of heart, and
through the power of the Blessed Beauty's help, stand ye committed to
your purpose. Serve ye the Cause of God. Face ye all nations of the
world with the constancy and the endurance of the people of Baha, that
all men may be astounded and ask how this could be, that your hearts are
as well-springs of confidence and faith, and as mines so rich in the
love of God. Be ye so, that ye shall neither fail nor falter on account
of these tragedies in the Holy Land; let not these dread events make you
despondent. And if all the believers be put to the sword, and only one
be left, let
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 24:39
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that one cry out in the name of the Lord and tell the joyous tidings;
let that one rise up and confront all the peoples of the earth.
Gaze ye not upon the dire happenings at this Illumined Spot. The Holy
Land is in danger at all times, and here, the tide of calamities is ever
at the flood; for this upraised call hath now been heard around the
world, and the fame of it hath gone forth to the ends of the earth. It
is because of this that foes, both from within and from without, have
turned themselves with subtlety and craft to spreading slander. It is
clear that such a place as this would be exposed to danger, for there is
no defender here, none to arise and take our side in the face of
calumny: here are only a few souls that are homeless, hapless, held
captive in this stronghold. No champion have they; there is none to
succour them, none to ward off the arrows of lies, the darts of
defamation that are hurled against them: none except God.
It behoveth you to ponder on all those well-beloved ones who hastened to
the holy field of sacrifice, those precious souls who offered up their
lives. Bear ye in mind what streams of sacred blood were poured away,
how many a righteous heart was commingled with its gore, how many a
breast was the target of tyranny's spear, how many a chaste body was
ripped to shreds. How then could it be right for us even to think of
saving ourselves! To curry favour with stranger or kin, and make a show
of compromise! Should we not, rather, take the pathway of the righteous,
and follow in the footsteps of those great ones gone before?
These few brief days shall pass away, this present life shall vanish
from our sight; the roses of this world shall be fresh and fair no more,
the garden of this earth's triumphs and delights shall droop and fade.
The spring season of life shall turn into the autumn of death, the
bright joy of palace
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halls give way to moonless dark within the tomb. And therefore is none
of this worth loving at all, and to this the wise will not anchor his
heart.
He who hath knowledge and power will rather seek out the glory of
heaven, and spiritual distinction, and the life that dieth not. And such
a one longeth to approach the sacred Threshold of God; for in the tavern
of this swiftly-passing world the man of God will not lie drunken, nor
will he even for a moment take his ease, nor stain himself with any
fondness for this earthly life.
Nay rather, the friends are stars in the high heavens of guidance,
celestial bodies in the skies of divine grace, who with all their powers
put the dark to flight. They break down the foundations of malevolence
and hate. They cherish but one desire for the world and all its peoples:
well-being and peace. By them, the ramparts of warfare and aggression
are battered down. They have truthfulness and honest dealing and
friendship for their goal, and kindness even toward a vicious foe; until
at last they change this prison of treachery, the world, into a mansion
of utmost trust, and turn this gaol-house of hatred and malevolence and
spite, into God's Paradise.
O ye loving friends! Strive ye with heart and soul to make this world
the mirror-image of the Kingdom, that this nether world may teem with
the blessings of the world of God, that the voices of the Company on
high may be raised in acclamation, and signs and tokens of the bounties
and bestowals of Baha'u'llah may encompass all the earth.
Jinab-i-Amin hath expressed the greatest admiration for you honoured men
and enlightened women, naming and commending you each by each, telling
at length of the firmness and constancy ye all have shown, saying that,
God be praised, in all Persia the men and women are standing
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together, straight, strong, unmoveable--a mighty edifice solidly raised
up; and that ye are engaged with love and joy in spreading abroad the
sweet savours of the Lord.
These were tidings of great joy, especially as they have reached me in
these days of extreme peril. For the dearest wish of this wronged one is
that the friends be spiritual of heart and illumined of mind, and once
this grace is granted me, calamity, however afflictive, is but bounty
pouring down upon me, like copious rain.
O God, my God! Thou seest me plunged in an ocean of anguish, held fast
to the fires of tyranny, and weeping in the darkness of the night.
Sleepless I toss and turn upon my bed, mine eyes straining to behold the
morning light of faithfulness and trust. I agonize even as a fish, its
inward parts afire as it leapeth about in terror upon the sand, yet I
ever look for Thy bestowals to appear from every side.
O God, my God! Make thou the believers in other lands to partake of
Thine abounding grace, deliver Thou, by Thine unfailing help and bounty,
whoso among Thy loved ones in the farthermost climes sigheth over the
bitter cruelty of his foe. O Lord, they are the captives of Thy love,
the prisoners taken by Thy troops. They are the birds that fly in the
heavens of Thy guidance, the whales that swim in the ocean of Thy
bestowals, the stars that sparkle on the horizon of Thy gifts. They are
the defenders of the fortress of Thy law. They are the banners of Thy
remembrance amongst men. They are the deep wells of Thy divine
compassion, the fountains of Thy favours, the well-springs of Thy grace.
Keep them ever in safety beneath Thine all-protecting eye. Assist them
to exalt Thy Word; make Thou their hearts to be constant in Thy love;
strengthen Thou their backs that they may serve Thee well; in servitude,
strengthen Thou their powers.
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Spread Thou through them Thy sweet savours far and wide; expound through
them Thy Holy Writ; make known through them Thine Utterance; fulfil
through them Thy Words; through them pour out Thy mercy.
Thou art verily the Mighty, the Powerful. Thou art verily the Clement,
the Compassionate.
189. Today, every wise, vigilant and foresighted person is awakened, and
to him are unveiled the mysteries of the future which show that nothing
save the power of the Covenant is able to stir and move the heart of
humanity, just as the New and Old Testaments propounded throughout all
regions the Cause of Christ and were the pulsating power in the body of
the human world. A tree that hath a root shall bear fruit, while the
tree that hath none, no matter how high and hardy it may be, will
eventually wither, perish and become but a log fit for the fire.
The Covenant of God is like unto a vast and fathomless ocean. A billow
shall rise and surge therefrom and shall cast ashore all accumulated
foam.
Praise be to God that the highest wish entertained by heedful souls is
the exaltation of the Word of God and the propagation of divine
fragrances. This is, verily, the secure and firm foundation.
Now, like unto the morn, the light of the Sun of Truth hath been shed
abroad. Effort must be made that slumbering souls may be awakened, the
heedless become vigilant, and that the divine teachings, which
constitute the spirit of this age, may reach the ears of the people of
the world, may be propagated in the press and set forth with brilliance
and eloquence in the assemblages of men.
One's conduct must be like the conduct of Paul, and one's
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faith similar to that of Peter. This musk-scented breeze shall perfume
the nostrils of the people of the world, and this spirit shall
resuscitate the dead.
The offensive odour of violation hath temporarily arrested the onward
movement of the Cause, for otherwise the divine teachings, like unto the
rays of the sun, would immediately spread and permeate all regions.
Thou intendest to print and publish the addresses of Abdu'l-Baha which
thou hast compiled. This is indeed very advisable. This service shall
cause thee to acquire an effulgent face in the Abha Kingdom, and shall
make thee the object of the praise and gratitude of the friends in the
East as well as in the West. But it is to be undertaken with the utmost
care, so that the exact text may be reproduced and will exclude all
deviations and corruptions committed by former translators.
190. Thou seest me, O my God, bowed down in lowliness, humbling myself
before Thy commandments, submitting to Thy sovereignty, trembling at the
might of Thy dominion, fleeing from Thy wrath, entreating Thy grace,
relying upon Thy forgiveness, shaking with awe at Thy fury. I implore
Thee with a throbbing heart, with streaming tears and a yearning soul,
and in complete detachment from all things, to make Thy lovers as rays
of light across Thy realms, and to aid Thy chosen servants to exalt Thy
Word, that their faces may turn beauteous and bright with splendour,
that their hearts may be filled with mysteries, and that every soul may
lay down its burden of sin. Guard them then from the aggressor, from him
who hath become a shameless and blasphemous doer of wrong.
Verily Thy lovers thirst, O my Lord; lead them to the
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wellspring of bounty and grace. Verily, they hunger; send down unto them
Thy heavenly table. Verily, they are naked; robe them in the garments of
learning and knowledge.
Heroes are they, O my Lord, lead them to the field of battle. Guides are
they, make them to speak out with arguments and proofs. Ministering
servants are they, cause them to pass round the cup that brimmeth with
the wine of certitude. O my God, make them to be songsters that carol in
fair gardens, make them lions that couch in the thickets, whales that
plunge in the vasty deep.
Verily Thou art He of abounding grace. There is none other God save
Thee, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Ever-Bestowing.
O ye my spiritual friends! For some time now the pressures have been
severe, the restrictions as shackles of iron. This hapless wronged one
was left single and alone, for all the ways were barred. Friends were
forbidden access to me, the trusted were shut away, the foe compassed me
about, the evil watchers were fierce and bold. At every instant, fresh
affliction. At every breath, new anguish. Both kin and stranger on the
attack; indeed, one-time lovers, faithless and unpitying, were worse
than foes as they rose up to harass me. None was there to defend
Abdu'l-Baha, no helper, no protector, no ally, no champion. I was
drowning in a shoreless sea, and ever beating upon my ears were the
raven-croaking voices of the disloyal.
At every daybreak, triple darkness. At eventide, stone-hearted tyranny.
And never a moment's peace, and never any balm for the spear's red
wounds. From moment to moment, word would come of my exile to the Fezzan
sands; from hour to hour, I was to be cast into the endless sea. Now
they would say that these homeless wanderers
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were ruined at last; again that the cross would soon be put to use. This
wasted frame of mine was to be made the target for bullet or arrow; or
again, this failing body was to be cut to ribbons by the sword.
Our alien acquaintances could not contain themselves for joy, and our
treacherous friends exulted. `Praise be to God,' one would exclaim,
`Here is our dream come true.' And another, `God be thanked, our
spear-head found the heart.'
Affliction beat upon this captive like the heavy rains of spring, and
the victories of the malevolent swept down in a relentless flood, and
still Abdu'l-Baha remained happy and serene, and relied on the grace of
the All-Merciful. That pain, that anguish, was a paradise of all
delights; those chains were the necklace of a king on a throne in
heaven. Content with God's will, utterly resigned, my heart surrendered
to whatever fate had in store, I was happy. For a boon companion, I had
great joy.
Finally a time came when the friends turned inconsolable, and abandoned
all hope. It was then the morning dawned, and flooded all with unending
light. The towering clouds were scattered, the dismal shadows fled. In
that instant the fetters fell away, the chains were lifted off the neck
of this homeless one and hung round the neck of the foe. Those dire
straits were changed to ease, and on the horizon of God's bounties the
sun of hope rose up. All this was out of God's grace and His bestowals.
And yet, from one point of view, this wanderer was saddened and
despondent. For what pain, in the time to come, could I seek comfort? At
the news of what granted wish could I rejoice? There was no more
tyranny, no more affliction, no tragical events, no tribulations. My
only joy in this swiftly-passing world was to tread the stony path of
God and to endure hard tests and all material griefs. For
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otherwise, this earthly life would prove barren and vain, and better
would be death. The tree of being would produce no fruit; the sown field
of this existence would yield no harvest. Thus it is my hope that once
again some circumstance will make my cup of anguish to brim over, and
that beauteous Love, that Slayer of souls, will dazzle the beholders
again. Then will this heart be blissful, this soul be blessed.
O Divine Providence! Lift to Thy lovers' lips a cup brimful of anguish.
To the yearners on Thy pathway, make sweetness but a sting, and poison
honey-sweet. Set Thou our heads for ornaments on the points of spears.
Make Thou our hearts the targets for pitiless arrows and darts. Raise
Thou this withered soul to life on the martyr's field, make Thou his
faded heart to drink the draught of tyranny, and thus grow fresh and
fair once more. Make him to be drunk with the wine of Thine Eternal
Covenant, make him a reveller holding high his cup. Help him to fling
away his life; grant that for Thy sake, he be offered up.
Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful. Thou art the Knower, the Seer, the
Hearer.
191. O thou who hast been sore afflicted on the pathway of the Covenant!
Anguish and torment, when suffered on the pathway of the Lord, Him of
manifest signs, is only favour and grace; affliction is but mercy, and
grief a gift from God. Poison is sugar on the tongue, and wrath is
kindness, nourishing the soul.
Then praise thou Him, the loving Provider, for having ordained this dire
affliction, which is but bounty unalloyed.
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If I, like Abraham, through flames must go, Or yet like John+F1 a
bloodstained road must run; If, Joseph-like, Thou'd cast me in a well,
Or shut me up within a prison cell-- Or make me e'en as poor as Mary's
Son-- I will not go from Thee, But ever stand My soul and body bowed to
Thy command.
192. Today, the Lord of Hosts is the defender of the Covenant, the
forces of the Kingdom protect it, heavenly souls tender their services,
and heavenly angels promulgate and spread it broadcast. If it is
considered with insight, it will be seen that all the forces of the
universe, in the last analysis serve the Covenant. In the future it
shall be made evident and manifest. In view of this fact, what can these
weak and feeble souls achieve? Hardy plants that are destitute of roots
and are deprived of the outpourings of the cloud of mercy will not last.
What then may be expected from feeble weeds?...
193. It is daybreak, and from the rising-point of the invisible realms
of God, the light of unity is dawning; and streaming and beating down
from the hidden world of the Kingdom of oneness there cometh a flood of
abounding grace. Glad tidings of the Kingdom are sounding from every
side, and wafting in from every direction are the first morning signs of
the exalting of God's Word and the upraising of His Cause. The word of
unity is spreading, the verses of oneness are being sung, the sea of
God's bestowals
_____________________
+F1. John the Baptist
Page 229
is tossing high its waves, and in plunging cataracts His blessings are
pouring down.
The confirmations of Him Who is the Ever-Forgiving have wrapped every
clime in light, the armies of the Company on high are rushing forward to
do battle at the side of the friends of the Lord and carry the day, the
fame of the Ancient Beauty--may my life be offered up for His loved
ones--resoundeth from pole to pole and word of the Holy Cause hath
spread to east and west.
All these things bring joy to the heart, and yet Abdu'l-Baha is sunk
deep in an ocean of grief, and pain and anguish have so affected my
limbs and members that utter weakness hath overtaken my whole body. Note
ye that when, singly and alone, with none to second me, I upraised the
call of God around the world, the peoples thereof rose up to oppose, to
dispute, to deny. On one side, it is clear how the religionists of the
past have mounted their attack at all points; again, there cometh word
of the lying mockers and the extreme limits to which they are going to
pull out the Divine Tree by the roots. What malicious and slanderous
charges they bring against the Ancient Beauty, what pamphlets filled
with wicked and depraved allegations they are busily writing and
spreading against the Most Great Name! And now, in deepest secrecy, they
are straining every nerve to deal this Faith a fearsome blow.
Again have the prideful devised all manner of plots and schemes to
completely disable the Cause of God and to erase the name of Abdu'l-Baha
from the Book of Life.
And now, added to all these tribulations, these miseries, these enemy
attacks, there hath arisen a dust cloud of ill will amongst the
believers themselves. This in spite of the fact that the Cause of the
Ancient Beauty is the very essence of love, the very channel of oneness,
existing only that all may
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become the waves of one sea, and bright stars of the same endless sky,
and pearls within the shell of singleness, and gleaming jewels quarried
from the mines of unity; that they may become servants one to another,
adore one another, bless one another, praise one another; that each one
may loose his tongue and extol the rest without exception, each one
voice his gratitude to all the rest; that all should lift up their eyes
to the horizon of glory, and remember that they are linked to the Holy
Threshold; that they should see nothing but good in one another, hear
nothing but praise of one another, and speak no word of one another save
only to praise.
There are indeed certain ones who tread this way of righteousness, and
God be thanked, these are strengthened and supported by heavenly power
in every land. But others have not arisen as they ought to this gloried
and exalted station, and this doth lay upon the heart of Abdu'l-Baha a
heavy burden of grief, of inconceivable grief. For no tempest more
perilous than this could ever assail the Cause of God, nor could
anything else so diminish the influence of His Word.
It behoveth all the beloved of God to become as one, to gather together
under the protection of a single flag, to stand for a uniform body of
opinion, to follow one and the same pathway, to hold fast to a single
resolve. Let them forget their divergent theories and put aside their
conflicting views since, God be praised, our purpose is one, our goal is
one. We are the servants of one Threshold, we all draw our nourishment
from the same one Source, we all are gathered in the shade of the same
high Tabernacle, we all are sheltered under the one celestial Tree.
O beloved of the Lord! If any soul speak ill of an absent one, the only
result will clearly be this: he will dampen the zeal of the friends and
tend to make them indifferent. For
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backbiting is divisive, it is the leading cause among the friends of a
disposition to withdraw. If any individual should speak ill of one who
is absent, it is incumbent on his hearers, in a spiritual and friendly
manner, to stop him, and say in effect: would this detraction serve any
useful purpose? Would it please the Blessed Beauty, contribute to the
lasting honour of the friends, promote the holy Faith, support the
Covenant, or be of any possible benefit to any soul? No, never! On the
contrary, it would make the dust to settle so thickly on the heart that
the ears would hear no more, and the eyes would no longer behold the
light of truth.
If, however, a person setteth about speaking well of another, opening
his lips to praise another, he will touch an answering chord in his
hearers and they will be stirred up by the breathings of God. Their
hearts and souls will rejoice to know that, God be thanked, here is a
soul in the Faith who is a focus of human perfections, a very embodiment
of the bounties of the Lord, one whose tongue is eloquent, and whose
face shineth, in whatever gathering he may be, one who hath victory upon
his brow, and who is a being sustained by the sweet savours of God.
Now which is the better way? I swear this by the beauty of the Lord:
whensoever I hear good of the friends, my heart filleth up with joy; but
whensoever I find even a hint that they are on bad terms one with
another, I am overwhelmed by grief. Such is the condition of
Abdu'l-Baha. Then judge from this where your duty lieth.
God be praised, wherever we turn, the Ancient Beauty hath opened wide
the gates of grace, and hath in unmistakable words announced glad
tidings of victory through the Lord's sustaining help. Through love hath
He carried off the hearts of the believers, and He hath entrusted their
triumph to the armies of the Concourse on high.
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Now amidst all the peoples of the world must the beloved arise, with a
heart even as the day-star, a strong inward urge, a shining brow, a
musk-scented breath, a tongue speaking ever of God, an exposition
crystal-clear, a high resolve, a power born of heaven, a spiritual
character, a confirmation nothing short of the divine. Let them one and
all become as a splendour on the horizon of heaven, and in the skies of
the world a dazzling star. Let them be fruitful trees in the celestial
bowers, sweet-scented blooms in the divine gardens; let them be verses
of perfection on the page of the universe, words of oneness in the Book
of Life. This is the first age, and the early beginnings of the
dispensation of the Most Great Light, wherefore, within this century,
virtues must be acquired, goodly qualities must be perfected within this
span of time. In these very days the Abha Paradise must pitch its
pavilions on the plains of the world. The lights of reality must now be
revealed, and the secrets of God's bestowals must now be made known, and
now must the olden grace shine forth and this world change into the
pleasure-ground of heaven, the garden of God. And out of pure hearts,
and through heavenly bounties, all the perfections, qualities and
attributes of the divine must now be made manifest.
At all times doth Abdu'l-Baha supplicate and with tears entreat the
Almighty at the sacred Threshold, and crieth out:
O Thou kind Lord! We are servants of Thy Threshold, taking shelter at
Thy holy Door. We seek no refuge save only this strong pillar, turn
nowhere for a haven but unto Thy safekeeping. Protect us, bless us,
support us, make us such that we shall love but Thy good pleasure, utter
only Thy praise, follow only the pathway of truth, that we may become
rich enough to dispense
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with all save Thee, and receive our gifts from the sea of Thy
beneficence, that we may ever strive to exalt Thy Cause and to spread
Thy sweet savours far and wide, that we may become oblivious of self and
occupied only with Thee, and disown all else and be caught up in Thee.
O Thou Provider, O Thou Forgiver! Grant us Thy grace and
loving-kindness, Thy gifts and Thy bestowals, and sustain us, that we
may attain our goal. Thou art the Powerful, the Able, the Knower, the
Seer; and verily Thou art the Generous, and verily Thou art the
All-Merciful, and verily Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, He to Whom
repentance is due, He Who forgiveth even the most grievous of sins.
194. O ye the sincere loved ones of the Abha Beauty! In these days the
Cause of God, the world over, is fast growing in power and, day by day,
is spreading further and further to the utmost bounds of the earth. Its
enemies, therefore, from all the kindreds and peoples of the world, are
growing aggressive, malevolent, envious and bitterly hostile. It is
incumbent upon the loved ones of God to exercise the greatest care and
prudence in all things, whether great or small, to take counsel together
and unitedly resist the onslaught of the stirrers up of strife and the
movers of mischief. They must endeavour to consort in a friendly spirit
with everyone, must follow moderation in their conduct, must have
respect and consideration one for another and show loving-kindness and
tender regard to all the peoples of the world. They must be patient and
long-suffering, that they may grow to become the divine magnets of the
Abha Kingdom and acquire the dynamic power of the hosts of the realm on
high.
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The fleeting hours of man's life on earth pass swiftly by and the little
that still remaineth shall come to an end, but that which endureth and
lasteth for evermore is the fruit that man reapeth from his servitude at
the Divine Threshold. Behold the truth of this saying, how abundant and
glorious are the proofs thereof in the world of being!
The glory of glories rest upon the people of Baha!
195. O thou exalted bough of the divine Lote-Tree! ...When thou art
disdained and rejected by the wicked doers be not cast down; and at the
power and stiffneckedness of the presumptuous be neither vexed nor sick
at heart; for such is the way of heedless souls, from time out of mind.
`O the misery of men! No Messenger cometh unto them but they laugh Him
to scorn!'+F1
Indeed, the attacks and the obstructiveness of the ignorant but cause
the Word of God to be exalted, and spread His signs and tokens far and
wide. Were it not for this opposition by the disdainful, this obduracy
of the slanderers, this shouting from the pulpits, this crying and
wailing of great and small alike, these accusations of unbelief levelled
by the ignorant, this uproar from the foolish--how could news of the
advent of the Primal Point and the bright dawning of the Day-Star of
Baha ever have reached to east and west? How else could the planet have
been rocked from pole to pole? How else could Persia have become the
focal point of scattering splendours, and Asia Minor the radiating heart
of the beauty of the Lord? However else could the flame of the
Manifestation have spread into the south? By what means could the cries
of God have been heard in the far north? How else could His summons have
been heard in
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 36:29
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the continents of America and of Africa the dark? How else could the
cock-crow of Heaven have penetrated those ears? How else could the sweet
parrots of India have come upon this sugar, or nightingales have lifted
up their warblings out of the land of Iraq? What else could set the east
and west to dancing, how else could this Consecrated Spot become the
throne of the Beauty of God? How else could Sinai behold this burning
brightness, how could the Advent's flame adorn that mount? How else
could the Holy Land be made the footstool of God's beauty, and the holy
vale of Towa+F1 become the site of excellence and grace, the sacred spot
where Moses put off His shoes? How could the breaths of heaven be
carried across the Vale of Holiness, how could the sweet-scented, airy
streams that blow out of the Abha gardens ever be perceived by those
that dwell on the Verdant Isle? How else could the pledges of the
Prophets, the joyous tidings of the holy Seers of old, the stirring
promises given unto this Sacred Place by the Manifestations of God, ever
have been fulfilled?
How else could the Tree of Anisa have been planted here, the flag of the
Testament be flown, the intoxicating cup of the Covenant be lifted to
these lips? All these blessings and bestowals, the very means of
proclaiming the Faith, have come about through the scorn of the
ignorant, the opposition of the foolish, the stubbornness of the
dull-witted, the violence of the aggressor. Had it not been for these
things, the news of the Bab's advent would not, to this day, have
reached even into lands hard by. Wherefore we should never grieve over
the blindness of the unwitting, the attacks of the foolish, the
hostility of the low and base, the heedlessness of the divines, the
charges of infidelity brought against us by the empty of mind. Such too
was their way in
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 20:12. Also referred to as the `Sacred Vale'.
Page 236
ages past, nor would it be thus if they were of those who know; but they
are benighted, and they come not close to understanding what is told
them.+F1
Wherefore doth it befit thyself, an offshoot of the Holy Tree of God,
branched out from that mighty Trunk--and it behoveth ourselves as
well--so to burn, through the sustaining grace of the Ancient
Beauty--may my life be offered up for His Most Holy Shrine--with this
kindled flame out of heaven, that we will light the fire of God's love
from pole to pole. Let us take for our example the great and sacred Tree
of the exalted Bab--may my life be offered up for Him. Like Him let us
bare our breasts to the shafts of agony, like Him make our hearts to be
targets for the spears decreed by God. Let us, like candles, burn away;
as moths, let us scorch our wings; as the field larks, vent our
plaintive cries; as the nightingales, burst forth in lamentations.
Even as the clouds let us shed down tears, and as the lightning flashes
let us laugh at our coursings through east and west. By day, by night,
let us think but of spreading the sweet savours of God. Let us not keep
on forever with our fancies and illusions, with our analysing and
interpreting and circulating of complex dubieties. Let us put aside all
thoughts of self; let us close our eyes to all on earth, let us neither
make known our sufferings nor complain of our wrongs. Rather let us
become oblivious of our own selves, and drinking down the wine of
heavenly grace, let us cry out our joy, and lose ourselves in the beauty
of the All-Glorious.
O thou Afnan of the divine Lote-Tree! We must strive, each one of us, to
become as fecund boughs and to yield an ever sweeter and more wholesome
fruit, that the branch may prove itself to be a continuation of the
root, and the
_____________________
+F1. cf. Qur'an 4:80
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part be in harmony with the whole. It is my hope that out of the bounty
of the Greatest Name and the loving-kindness of the Primal Point--may my
soul be offered up for Them both--we shall become the means of exalting
the Word of God around the world; that we may ever render services unto
the Source of our Cause and spread over all the canopy of the true and
holy zeal of the Lord. That from over the fields of grace, we may make
zephyrs to blow, bringing to man the sweet scents that come from the
gardens of God. That we may make of this world the Abha Paradise, and
change this nether place into the Kingdom of Heaven.
It is true that every one of God's servants, and in particular those who
are on fire with the Faith, have been allotted this task of servitude to
Almighty God; still, the duty imposed upon us is greater than that which
hath been laid upon the rest. To Him do we look for grace and favour and
strength.
All praise and thanksgiving be unto the Blessed Beauty, for calling into
action the armies of His Abha Kingdom, and sending forth to us His
never-interrupted aid, dependable as the rising stars. In every region
of the earth hath He supported this single, lonely servant, at every
moment hath He made known to me the signs and tokens of His love. He
hath cast into a stupor all those who are clinging to their vain
illusions, and made them infamous in the sight of high and low. He hath
caused those who run after their fads and fancies to become objects of
general reproach, and hath exposed the arrogant to public view; He hath
made those of the friends who proved infirm of faith to serve as a
warning to every beholder, and hath caused the leaders of those who
waver to love but themselves and sink down in self-conceit. Meanwhile,
by the power of His might, He hath made this broken-winged bird to rise
up before all
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who dwell on earth. He hath shattered the serried ranks of the
rebellious, and hath given the victory to the hosts of salvation, and
breathed into the hearts of those who stand firm in the Covenant and
Testament the breath of everlasting life.
Convey thou the greetings of Abha to each one of the Afnan, branched
from the Holy Tree. The glory rest upon thee and upon all the Afnan who
remain faithful and true to the Covenant.
196. O thou who art steadfast in the Covenant! Thy letter of 9 September
1909 hath been received. Be thou neither grieved nor despondent over
what hath come to pass. This trouble overtook thee as thou didst walk
the path of God, wherefore it should bring thee joy. We addressed the
friends in writing ere this, and made a verbal statement as well, to the
effect that the friends in the West will unquestionably have their share
of the calamities befalling the friends in the East. It is inevitable
that, walking the pathway of Baha'u'llah, they too will become targets
for persecution by the oppressors.
Consider how at the beginning of the Christian era the Apostles were
afflicted, and what torments they endured in the pathway of Christ.
Every day of their lives they were targets for the Pharisees' darts of
mockery, vilification and abuse. They bore great hardship; they saw
prison; and most of them carried to their lips the sweet cup of
martyrdom.
Now ye, as well, must certainly become my partners to some slight
degree, and accept your share of tests and sorrows. But these episodes
shall pass away, while that
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abiding glory and eternal life shall remain unchanged forever. Moreover,
these afflictions shall be the cause of great advancement.
I ask of God that thou, His husbandman, shalt plough the hard and stony
ground, and water it, and scatter seeds therein--for this will show how
skilful is the farmer, while any man can sow and till where the ground
is soft, and clear of brambles and thorns.
197. O thou servant of God! Do not grieve at the afflictions and
calamities that have befallen thee. All calamities and afflictions have
been created for man so that he may spurn this mortal world--a world to
which he is much attached. When he experienceth severe trials and
hardships, then his nature will recoil and he will desire the eternal
realm--a realm which is sanctified from all afflictions and calamities.
Such is the case with the man who is wise. He shall never drink from a
cup which is at the end distasteful, but, on the contrary, he will seek
the cup of pure and limpid water. He will not taste of the honey that is
mixed with poison.
Praise thou God, that thou hast been tried and hast experienced such a
test. Be patient and grateful. Turn thy face to the divine Kingdom and
strive that thou mayest acquire merciful characteristics, mayest become
illumined and acquire the attributes of the Kingdom and of the Lord.
Endeavour to become indifferent to the pleasures of this world and to
its comfort, to remain firm and steadfast in the Covenant and to
promulgate the Cause of God.
This is the cause of the exaltation of man, the cause of his glory and
of his salvation.
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198. O thou who art enamoured of the breaths of God! I have read thy
letter, which cried out with thy love for God and thine irresistible
attraction to His Beauty, and its wondrous theme did cheer my heart.
The intent of what I wrote to thee in my previous letter was this, that
when exalting the Word of God, there are trials to be met with, and
calamities; and that in loving Him, at every moment there are hardships,
torments, afflictions.
It behoveth the individual first to value these ordeals, willingly
accept them, and eagerly welcome them; only then should he proceed with
teaching the Faith and exalting the Word of God.
In such a state, no matter what may befall him in his love for
God--harassment, reproach, vilification, curses, beatings, imprisonment,
death--he will never be cast down, and his passion for the Divine Beauty
will but gain in strength. This was what I meant.
Otherwise, woe and misery to the soul that seeketh after comforts,
riches, and earthly delights while neglecting to call God to mind!
Because calamities encountered in God's pathway are, to Abdu'l-Baha, but
favour and grace, and in one of His Tablets the all-glorious Beauty hath
declared: `I never passed a tree but Mine heart addressed it saying: "O
would that thou wert cut down in My name, and My body crucified upon
thee!"' These were the words of the Most Great Name. This is His path.
This is the way to His Realm of Might.
199. O ye sincere ones, ye longing ones, ye who are drawn as if
magnetized, ye who have risen up to serve the Cause of God, to exalt His
Word and scatter His sweet
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savours far and wide! I have read your excellent letter, beautiful as to
style, eloquent as to words, profound as to meaning, and I praised God
and thanked Him for having come to your aid and enabled you to serve Him
in His widespreading vineyard.
Erelong shall your faces be bright with the radiance of your
supplications and your worship of God, your prayers unto Him, and your
humility and selflessness in the presence of the friends. He will make
of your assemblage a magnet that will draw unto you the bright rays of
divine confirmations that shine out from His kingdom of glory.
It is incumbent upon you to ponder in your hearts and meditate upon His
words, and humbly to call upon Him, and to put away self in His heavenly
Cause. These are the things that will make of you signs of guidance unto
all mankind, and brilliant stars shining down from the all-highest
horizon, and towering trees in the Abha Paradise.
Know ye that Abdu'l-Baha dwelleth in continual delight. To have been
lodged in this faraway prison is for me exceeding joy. By the life of
Baha! This prison is my supernal paradise; it is my cherished goal, the
comfort of my bosom, the bliss of my heart; it is my refuge, my shelter,
my asylum, my safe haven, and within it do I exult amid the hosts of
heaven and the Company on high.
Rejoice in my bondage, O ye friends of God, for it soweth the seeds of
freedom; rejoice at my imprisonment, for it is the well-spring of
salvation; be ye glad on account of my travail, for it leadeth to
eternal ease. By the Lord God! I would not exchange this prison for the
throne of the whole world, nor give up this confinement for pleasures
and pastimes in all the fair gardens on earth. My hope is that out of
the Lord's abundant grace, His munificence and loving-kindness, I may,
in His pathway, be hanged against
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the sky, that my heart may become the target for a thousand bullets, or
that I may be cast into the depths of the sea, or be left to perish on
desert sands. This is what I long for most; this is my supreme desire;
it refresheth my soul, it is balm for my breast, it is the very solace
of mine eyes.
As for you, O ye lovers of God, make firm your steps in His Cause, with
such resolve that ye shall not be shaken though the direst of calamities
assail the world. By nothing, under no conditions, be ye perturbed. Be
ye anchored fast as the high mountains, be stars that dawn over the
horizon of life, be bright lamps in the gatherings of unity, be souls
humble and lowly in the presence of the friends, be innocent in heart.
Be ye symbols of guidance and lights of godliness, severed from the
world, clinging to the handhold that is sure and strong, spreading
abroad the spirit of life, riding the Ark of salvation. Be ye daysprings
of generosity, dawning-points of the mysteries of existence, sites where
inspiration alighteth, rising-places of splendours, souls that are
sustained by the Holy Spirit, enamoured of the Lord, detached from all
save Him, holy above the characteristics of humankind, clothed in the
attributes of the angels of heaven, that ye may win for yourselves the
highest bestowal of all, in this new time, this wondrous age.
By the life of Baha! Only he who is severed from the world shall achieve
this ultimate grace, he who is a captive of divine love, empty of
passion and self, from every aspect true unto his God, humble, lowly,
supplicating, in tears, submissive in the presence of the Lord.
200. O my spiritual loved ones! At a time when an ocean of trials and
tribulations was surging up and flinging its waves to the heavens, when
multitudes were assailing us
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and the tyrannical were inflicting upon us crushing wrongs --at such a
time a band of individuals, intent on defaming us, allied themselves
with our unkind brother, brought out a treatise that was filled with
slanderous charges, and levelled accusations and calumnies against us.
In this way they alarmed and confused the government authorities, and it
is obvious what the condition of this captive then became, in this
dilapidated fortress, and what terrible harm and mischief was done, far
worse than words can tell. In spite of everything, this homeless
prisoner remained inwardly tranquil and secure, trusting in the peerless
Lord, yearning for whatever afflictions might have to be encountered in
the pathway of God's love. For bolts of hate are, in our sight, but a
gift of pearls from Him, and mortal poison but a healing draught.
Such was our state when a letter came to us from the American
friends.+F1 They had covenanted together, so they wrote, to remain at
one in all things, and the signatories one and all had pledged
themselves to make sacrifices in the pathway of the love of God, thus to
achieve eternal life. At the very moment when this letter was read,
together with the signatures at its close, Abdu'l-Baha experienced a joy
so vehement that no pen can describe it, and thanked God that friends
have been raised up in that country who will live together in perfect
harmony, in the best of fellowship, in full agreement, closely knit,
united in their efforts.
The more this compact is reinforced, the happier and the better shall
all things be, for it will draw unto itself the confirmations of God. If
the lovers of the Lord are hoping for grace to win as their friends the
Company on high, they must do all they can to strengthen this compact,
for such an
_____________________
+F1. This letter was signed by four hundred and twenty-two believers +F1
in America, and sent on 4 July 1905.
Page 244
alliance for brotherhood and unity is even as watering the Tree of Life:
it is life everlasting.
O ye lovers of God! Make firm your steps; fulfil your pledge to one
another; go forth in harmony to scatter abroad the sweet savours of
God's love, and to establish His Teachings, until ye breathe a soul into
the dead body of this world, and bring true healing in the physical and
spiritual realms to everyone who aileth.
O ye lovers of God! The world is even as a human being who is diseased
and impotent, whose eyes can see no longer, whose ears have gone deaf,
all of whose powers are corroded and used up. Wherefore must the friends
of God be competent physicians who, following the holy Teachings, will
nurse this patient back to health. Perhaps, God willing, the world will
mend, and become permanently whole, and its exhausted faculties will be
restored, and its person will take on such vigour, freshness and
verdancy that it will shine out with comeliness and grace.
The first remedy of all is to guide the people aright, so that they will
turn themselves unto God, and listen to His counsellings, and go forth
with hearing ears and seeing eyes. Once this speedily effective draught
is given them, then, in accordance with the Teachings, they must be led
to acquire the characteristics and the behaviour of the Concourse on
high, and encouraged to seek out all the bounties of the Abha Realm.
They must cleanse their hearts from even the slightest trace of hatred
and spite, and they must set about being truthful and honest,
conciliatory and loving to all humankind--so that East and West will,
even as two lovers, hold each other close; that hatred and hostility
will perish from the earth, and universal peace be firmly rooted in
their place.
O ye lovers of God! Be kind to all peoples; care for every
Page 245
person; do all ye can to purify the hearts and minds of men; strive ye
to gladden every soul. To every meadow be a shower of grace, to every
tree the water of life; be as sweet musk to the sense of humankind, and
to the ailing be a fresh, restoring breeze. Be pleasing waters to all
those who thirst, a careful guide to all who have lost their way; be
father and mother to the orphan, be loving sons and daughters to the
old, be an abundant treasure to the poor. Think ye of love and good
fellowship as the delights of heaven, think ye of hostility and hatred
as the torments of hell.
Indulge not your bodies with rest, but work with all your souls, and
with all your hearts cry out and beg of God to grant you His succour and
grace. Thus may ye make this world the Abha Paradise, and this globe of
earth the parade ground of the realm on high. If only ye exert the
effort, it is certain that these splendours will shine out, these clouds
of mercy will shed down their rain, these life-giving winds will rise
and blow, this sweet-smelling musk will be scattered far and wide.
O ye lovers of God! Do not dwell on what is coming to pass in this holy
place, and be ye in no wise alarmed. Whatsoever may happen is for the
best, because affliction is but the essence of bounty, and sorrow and
toil are mercy unalloyed, and anguish is peace of mind, and to make a
sacrifice is to receive a gift, and whatsoever may come to pass hath
issued from God's grace.
See ye, therefore, to your own tasks: guide ye the people and educate
them in the ways of Abdu'l-Baha. Deliver to mankind this joyous message
from the Abha Realm. Rest not, by day or night; seek ye no moment's
peace. Strive ye with all your might to bring to men's ears these happy
tidings. In your love for God and your attachment to
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Abdu'l-Baha, accept ye every tribulation, every sorrow. Endure the
aggressor's taunts, put up with the enemy's reproaches. Follow in the
footsteps of Abdu'l-Baha, and in the pathway of the Abha Beauty, long at
every moment to give up your lives. Shine out like the day-star, be
unresting as the sea; even as the clouds of heaven, shed ye life upon
field and hill, and like unto April winds, blow freshness through those
human trees, and bring them to their blossoming.
201. O thou who art carried away by the love of God! The Sun of Truth
hath risen above the horizon of this world and cast down its beams of
guidance. Eternal grace is never interrupted, and a fruit of that
everlasting grace is universal peace. Rest thou assured that in this era
of the spirit, the Kingdom of Peace will raise up its tabernacle on the
summits of the world, and the commandments of the Prince of Peace will
so dominate the arteries and nerves of every people as to draw into His
sheltering shade all the nations on earth. From springs of love and
truth and unity will the true Shepherd give His sheep to drink.
O handmaid of God, peace must first be established among individuals,
until it leadeth in the end to peace among nations. Wherefore, O ye
Baha'is, strive ye with all your might to create, through the power of
the Word of God, genuine love, spiritual communion and durable bonds
among individuals. This is your task.
202. O ye lovers of truth, ye servants of humankind! Out of the
flowering of your thoughts and hopes, fragrant emanations have come my
way, wherefore an inner sense of obligation compelleth me to pen these
words.
Page 247
Ye observe how the world is divided against itself, how many a land is
red with blood and its very dust is caked with human gore. The fires of
conflict have blazed so high that never in early times, not in the
Middle Ages, not in recent centuries hath there ever been such a hideous
war, a war that is even as millstones, taking for grain the skulls of
men. Nay, even worse, for flourishing countries have been reduced to
rubble, cities have been levelled with the ground, and many a once
prosperous village hath been turned into ruin. Fathers have lost their
sons, and sons their fathers. Mothers have wept away their hearts over
dead children. Children have been orphaned, women left to wander,
vagrants without a home. From every aspect, humankind hath sunken low.
Loud are the piercing cries of fatherless children; loud the mothers'
anguished voices, reaching to the skies.
And the breeding-ground of all these tragedies is prejudice: prejudice
of race and nation, of religion, of political opinion; and the root
cause of prejudice is blind imitation of the past--imitation in
religion, in racial attitudes, in national bias, in politics. So long as
this aping of the past persisteth, just so long will the foundations of
the social order be blown to the four winds, just so long will humanity
be continually exposed to direst peril.
Now, in such an illumined age as ours, when realities previously unknown
to man have been laid bare, and the secrets of created things have been
disclosed, and the Morn of Truth hath broken and lit up the world--is it
admissible that men should be waging a frightful war that is bringing
humanity down to ruin? No, by the Lord God!
Christ Jesus summoned all mankind to amity and peace. Unto Peter He
said: `Put up thy sword into the sheath.'+F1
_____________________
+F1. John 18:11
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Such was the bidding and counsel of the Lord Christ; and yet today the
Christians one and all have drawn their swords from out the scabbard.
How wide is the discrepancy between such acts and the clear Gospel text!
Sixty years ago Baha'u'llah rose up, even as the Day-Star, over Persia.
He declared that the skies of the world were dark, that this darkness
boded evil, and that terrible wars would come. From the prison at Akka,
He addressed the German Emperor in the clearest of terms, telling him
that a great war was on the way and that his city of Berlin would break
forth in lamentation and wailing. Likewise did He write to the Turkish
sovereign, although He was that Sultan's victim and a captive in his
prison--that is, He was being held prisoner in the Fortress at Akka--and
clearly stated that Constantinople would be overtaken by a sudden and
radical change, so great that the women and children of that city would
mourn and cry aloud. In brief, He addressed such words to all the
monarchs and the presidents, and everything came to pass, exactly as He
had foretold.
There have issued, from His mighty Pen, various teachings for the
prevention of war, and these have been scattered far and wide.
The first is the independent investigation of truth; for blind imitation
of the past will stunt the mind. But once every soul inquireth into
truth, society will be freed from the darkness of continually repeating
the past.
His second principle is the oneness of mankind: that all men are the
sheep of God, and God is their loving Shepherd, caring most tenderly for
all without favouring one or another. `No difference canst thou see in
the creation of the God of mercy';+F1 all are His servants, all implore
His grace.
His third teaching is that religion is a mighty stronghold,
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 67:3
Page 249
but that it must engender love, not malevolence and hate. Should it lead
to malice, spite, and hate, it is of no value at all. For religion is a
remedy, and if the remedy bring on disease, then put it aside. Again, as
to religious, racial, national and political bias: all these prejudices
strike at the very root of human life; one and all they beget bloodshed,
and the ruination of the world. So long as these prejudices survive,
there will be continuous and fearsome wars.
To remedy this condition there must be universal peace. To bring this
about, a Supreme Tribunal must be established, representative of all
governments and peoples; questions both national and international must
be referred thereto, and all must carry out the decrees of this
Tribunal. Should any government or people disobey, let the whole world
arise against that government or people.
Yet another of the teachings of Baha'u'llah is the equality of men and
women and their equal sharing in all rights. And there are many similar
principles. It hath now become evident that these teachings are the very
life and soul of the world.
Ye who are servants of the human race, strive ye with all your heart to
deliver mankind out of this darkness and these prejudices that belong to
the human condition and the world of nature, so that humanity may find
its way into the light of the world of God.
Praise be to Him, ye are acquainted with the various laws, institutions
and principles of the world; today nothing short of these divine
teachings can assure peace and tranquillity to mankind. But for these
teachings, this darkness shall never vanish, these chronic diseases
shall never be healed; nay, they shall grow fiercer from day to day. The
Balkans will remain discontented. Its restlessness will increase. The
vanquished Powers will continue to agitate.
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They will resort to every measure that may rekindle the flame of war.
Movements, newly-born and world-wide in their range, will exert their
utmost effort for the advancement of their designs. The Movement of the
Left will acquire great importance. Its influence will spread.
Strive ye, therefore, with the help of God, with illumined minds and
hearts and a strength born of heaven, to become a bestowal from God to
man, and to call into being for all humankind, comfort and peace.
203. O thou who art enamoured of the Covenant! The Blessed Beauty hath
promised this servant that souls would be raised up who would be the
very embodiments of guidance, and banners of the Concourse on high,
torches of God's oneness, and stars of His pure truth, shining in the
heavens where God reigneth alone. They would give sight to the blind,
and would make the deaf to hear; they would raise the dead to life. They
would confront all the peoples of the earth, pleading their Cause with
proofs of the Lord of the seven spheres.
It is my hope that in His bounty He will soon raise up these souls, that
His Cause may be exalted. The lodestone which will attract this grace is
staunchness in the Covenant. Render thou thanks unto God that thou art
firmest of the firm.
O my God, aid Thou Thy servant to raise up the Word, and to refute what
is vain and false, to establish the truth, to spread the sacred verses
abroad, reveal the splendours, and make the morning's light to dawn in
the hearts of the righteous.
Thou art verily the Generous, the Forgiving.
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204. O phoenix of that immortal flame kindled in the sacred Tree!
Baha'u'llah--may my life, my soul, my spirit be offered up as a
sacrifice unto His lowly servants--hath, during His last days on earth,
given the most emphatic promise that, through the outpourings of the
grace of God and the aid and assistance vouchsafed from His Kingdom on
high, souls will arise and holy beings appear who, as stars, would adorn
the firmament of divine guidance; illumine the dayspring of
loving-kindness and bounty; manifest the signs of the unity of God;
shine with the light of sanctity and purity; receive their full measure
of divine inspiration; raise high the sacred torch of faith; stand firm
as the rock and immoveable as the mountain; and grow to become
luminaries in the heavens of His Revelation, mighty channels of His
grace, means for the bestowal of God's bountiful care, heralds calling
forth the name of the One true God, and establishers of the world's
supreme foundation.
These shall labour ceaselessly, by day and by night, shall heed neither
trials nor woe, shall suffer no respite in their efforts, shall seek no
repose, shall disregard all ease and comfort, and, detached and
unsullied, shall consecrate every fleeting moment of their lives to the
diffusion of the divine fragrance and the exaltation of God's holy Word.
Their faces will radiate heavenly gladness, and their hearts be filled
with joy. Their souls will be inspired, and their foundation stand
secure. They shall scatter in the world, and travel throughout all
regions. They shall raise their voices in every assembly, and adorn and
revive every gathering. They shall speak in every tongue, and interpret
every hidden meaning. They shall reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom,
and manifest unto everyone the signs of God. They shall burn brightly
even as a candle in the heart of every assembly, and beam forth as a
star upon every horizon. The gentle breezes
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wafted from the garden of their hearts shall perfume and revive the
souls of men, and the revelations of their minds, even as showers, will
reinvigorate the peoples and nations of the world.
I am waiting, eagerly waiting for these holy ones to appear; and yet,
how long will they delay their coming? My prayer and ardent
supplication, at eventide and at dawn, is that these shining stars may
soon shed their radiance upon the world, that their sacred countenances
may be unveiled to mortal eyes, that the hosts of divine assistance may
achieve their victory, and the billows of grace, rising from His oceans
above, may flow upon all mankind. Pray ye also and supplicate unto Him
that through the bountiful aid of the Ancient Beauty these souls may be
unveiled to the eyes of the world.
The glory of God rest upon thee, and upon him whose face is illumined
with that everlasting light that shineth from His Kingdom of Glory.
205. O ye respected souls! From the continual imitation of ancient and
worn-out ways, the world had grown dark as darksome night. The
fundamentals of the divine Teachings had passed from memory; their pith
and heart had been totally forgotten, and the people were holding on to
husks. The nations had, like tattered garments long outworn, fallen into
a pitiful condition.
Out of this pitch blackness there dawned the morning splendour of the
Teachings of Baha'u'llah. He hath dressed the world with a garment new
and fair, and that new garment is the principles which have come down
from God.
Now the new age is here and creation is reborn. Humanity hath taken on
new life. The autumn hath gone by, and the
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reviving spring is here. All things are now made new. Arts and
industries have been reborn, there are new discoveries in science, and
there are new inventions; even the details of human affairs, such as
dress and personal effects--even weapons--all these have likewise been
renewed. The laws and procedures of every government have been revised.
Renewal is the order of the day.
And all this newness hath its source in the fresh outpourings of
wondrous grace and favour from the Lord of the Kingdom, which have
renewed the world. The people, therefore, must be set completely free
from their old patterns of thought, that all their attention may be
focused upon these new principles, for these are the light of this time
and the very spirit of this age.
Unless these Teachings are effectively spread among the people, until
the old ways, the old concepts, are gone and forgotten, this world of
being will find no peace, nor will it reflect the perfections of the
Heavenly Kingdom. Strive ye with all your hearts to make the heedless
conscious, to waken those who sleep, to bring knowledge to the ignorant,
to make the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and restore the dead to
life.
It behoveth you to show forth such power, such endurance, as to astonish
all beholders. The confirmations of the Kingdom are with you. Upon you
be the glory of the All-Glorious.
206. Praise be to Him Who hath rent the dark asunder, hath blotted out
the night, hath drawn aside the coverings and torn away the veils; Whose
light thereupon shone out, Whose signs and tokens were spread abroad,
and His mysteries laid bare. Then did His clouds part and loaded
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down the earth with His bounties and bestowals, and made all things
sweet with rain, and caused the fresh greenery of knowledge and the
hyacinths of certitude to spring forth and to shake and tremble for joy,
till the whole world was scented with the fragrance of His holiness.
Salutations and praise, blessings and glory be upon those divine
realities, those sacred windflowers that have come forth out of this
supreme bestowal, this flooding grace that hath roared like a clashing
sea of gifts and bounties, tossing its waves to the high heavens.
O God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for kindling the fire of divine love
in the Holy Tree on the summit of the loftiest mount: that Tree which is
`neither of the east nor of the west,'+F1 that fire which blazed out
till the flame of it soared upward to the Concourse on high, and from it
those realities caught the light of guidance, and cried out: `Verily
have we perceived a fire on the slope of Mount Sinai.'+F2
O God, my God! Increase Thou this fire, as day followeth day, till the
blast of it setteth in motion all the earth. O Thou, my Lord! Kindle the
light of Thy love in every heart, breathe into men's souls the spirit of
Thy knowledge, gladden their breasts with the verses of Thy oneness.
Call Thou to life those who dwell in their tombs, warn Thou the
prideful, make happiness world-wide, send down Thy crystal waters, and
in the assemblage of manifest splendours, pass round that cup which is
`tempered at the camphor fountain.'+F3
Verily art Thou the Giving, the Forgiving, the
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 24:35
+F2. cf. Qur'an 28:29
+F3. Qur'an 76:5
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Ever-Bestowing. Verily art Thou the Merciful, the Compassionate.
O ye loved ones of God! The wine-cup of Heaven overfloweth, the banquet
of God's Covenant is bright with festive lights, the dawn of all
bestowals is breaking, the gentle winds of grace are blowing, and out of
the invisible world come good tidings of bounties and gifts. In
flower-spangled meadows hath the divine springtime pitched its tents,
and the spiritual are inhaling sweet scents from the Sheba of the
spirit, carried their way by the east wind. Now doth the mystic
nightingale carol its odes, and buds of inner meaning are bursting into
blossoms delicate and fair. The field larks are become the festival's
musicians, and lifting wondrous voices they cry and sing to the melodies
of the Company on high, `Blessed are ye! Glad Tidings! Glad Tidings!'
And they urge on the revellers of the Abha Paradise to drink their fill,
and they eloquently hold forth upon the celestial tree, and utter their
sacred cries. All this, that withered souls who tread the desert of the
heedless, and faded ones lost in the sands of unconcern, may come to
throbbing life again, and present themselves at the feasts and revels of
the Lord God.
Praise be to Him! The renown of His Cause hath reached to east and west,
and word of the power of the Abha Beauty hath quickened north and south.
That cry from the American continent is a choir of holiness, that shout
from far and near that riseth even to the Company on high is `Ya
Baha'u'l-Abha!' Now is the east lit up with a glory, and the west
rose-sweet, and all the earth is fragrant with ambergris, and the winds
that blow over the Holy Shrine are laden with musk. Erelong shall ye see
that even the darkest lands are bright, and the continents of Europe and
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Africa have turned into gardens of flowers, and forests of blossoming
trees.
But since the dawning of this Day-Star was in Persia, and since from
that orient the sun shone upon the west, it is our fondest hope that the
flames of love's fire should blaze ever more vehemently in that land,
and that there the splendour of this Holy Faith should grow ever more
intense. May the tumult of God's Cause so shake that land to its
foundations, may the spiritual force of His Word so manifest itself, as
to make Iran the core and focus of well-being and peace. May rectitude
and conciliation, and love and trust, issuing forth from Iran, bring
immortality to all on earth. May she raise on the highest summits the
banner of public order, of purest spirituality, of universal peace.
O ye loved ones of God! In this, the Baha'i dispensation, God's Cause is
spirit unalloyed. His Cause belongeth not to the material world. It
cometh neither for strife nor war, nor for acts of mischief or of shame;
it is neither for quarrelling with other Faiths, nor for conflicts with
the nations. Its only army is the love of God, its only joy the clear
wine of His knowledge, its only battle the expounding of the Truth; its
one crusade is against the insistent self, the evil promptings of the
human heart. Its victory is to submit and yield, and to be selfless is
its everlasting glory. In brief, it is spirit upon spirit:
Unless ye must,
Bruise not the serpent in the dust,
How much less wound a man.
And if ye can,
No ant should ye alarm,
Much less a brother harm.
Let all your striving be for this, to become the source of life and
immortality, and peace and comfort and joy, to
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every human soul, whether one known to you or a stranger, one opposed to
you or on your side. Look ye not upon the purity or impurity of his
nature: look ye upon the all-embracing mercy of the Lord, the light of
Whose grace hath embosomed the whole earth and all who dwell thereon,
and in the plenitude of Whose bounty are immersed both the wise and the
ignorant. Stranger and friend alike are seated at the table of His
favour. Even as the believer, the denier who turneth away from God doth
at the same time cup his hands and drink from the sea of His bestowals.
It behoveth the loved ones of the Lord to be the signs and tokens of His
universal mercy and the embodiments of His own excelling grace. Like the
sun, let them cast their rays upon garden and rubbish heap alike, and
even as clouds in spring, let them shed down their rain upon flower and
thorn. Let them seek but love and faithfulness, let them not follow the
ways of unkindness, let their talk be confined to the secrets of
friendship and of peace. Such are the attributes of the righteous, such
is the distinguishing mark of those who serve His Threshold.
The Abha Beauty endured the most afflictive of calamities. He bore
countless agonies and ills. He enjoyed not a moment's peace, drew not an
easeful breath. He wandered, homeless, over desert sands and mountain
slopes; He was shut in a fortress, and a prison cell. But to Him, His
pauper's mat of straw was an eternal throne of glory, and His heavy
chains a sovereign's carcanet. By day, by night, He lived under a
whirring sword, and He was ready from moment to moment for death on the
cross. He bore all this that He might purify the world, and deck it out
with the tender mercies of the Lord God; that He might set it at rest;
that conflict and aggression might be put to flight, the lance and
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the keen blade be exchanged for loving fellowship, malevolence and war
turn into safety and gentleness and love, that battlefields of hate and
wrath should become gardens of delight, and places where once the
blood-drenched armies clashed, be fragrant pleasure grounds; that
warfare should be seen as shame, and the resort to arms, even as a
loathsome sickness, be shunned by every people; that universal peace
raise its pavilions on the loftiest mounts, and war be made to perish
forever from the earth.
Wherefore must the loved ones of God, laboriously, with the waters of
their striving, tend and nourish and foster this tree of hope. In
whatsoever land they dwell, let them with a whole heart befriend and be
companions to those who are either close to them, or far removed. Let
them, with qualities like unto those of heaven, promote the institutions
and the religion of God. Let them never lose heart, never be despondent,
never feel afflicted. The more antagonism they meet, the more let them
show their own good faith; the more torments and calamities they have to
face, the more generously let them pass round the bounteous cup. Such is
the spirit which will become the life of the world, such is the
spreading light at its heart: and he who may be and do other than this
is not worthy to serve at the Holy Threshold of the Lord.
O ye loved ones of God! The Sun of Truth is shining down from invisible
skies; know ye the value of these days. Lift up your heads, and grow ye
cypress-tall in these swift-running streams. Take ye joy in the beauty
of the narcissus of Najd, for night will fall and it will be no more....
O ye loved ones of God! Praise be to Him, the bright banner of the
Covenant is flying higher every day, while the flag of perfidy hath been
reversed, and hangeth at half-mast. The benighted attackers have been
shaken to their
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core; they are now as ruined sepulchres, and even as blind creatures
that dwell beneath the earth they creep and crawl about a corner of the
tomb, and out of that hole, from time to time, like unto savage beasts,
do they jibber and howl. Glory be to God! How can the darkness hope to
overcome the light, how can a magician's cords hold fast `a serpent
plain for all to see'? `Then lo! It swallowed up their lying
wonders.'+F1 Alas for them! They have deluded themselves with a fable,
and to indulge their appetites they have done away with their own
selves. They gave up everlasting glory in exchange for human pride, and
they sacrificed greatness in both worlds to the demands of the insistent
self. This is that of which We have forewarned you. Erelong shall ye
behold the foolish in manifest loss.
O my Lord and my Hope! Help Thou Thy loved ones to be steadfast in Thy
mighty Covenant, to remain faithful to Thy manifest Cause, and to carry
out the commandments Thou didst set down for them in Thy Book of
Splendours; that they may become banners of guidance and lamps of the
Company above, wellsprings of Thine infinite wisdom, and stars that lead
aright, as they shine down from the supernal sky.
Verily art Thou the Invincible, the Almighty, the
All-Powerful.
207. O ye who have turned your faces toward the Exalted Beauty! By
night, by day, at morningtide and sunset, when darkness draweth on, and
at early light I remember, and ever have remembered, in the realms of my
mind
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 26:31; 26:44; the reference is to Moses' rod, and the +F1
enchanters.
Page 260
and heart, the loved ones of the Lord. I beg of Him to bestow His
confirmations upon those loved ones, dwellers in that pure and holy
land, and to grant them successful outcomes in all things: that in their
character, their behaviour, their words, their way of life, in all they
are and do, He will make them to achieve distinction among men; that He
will gather them into the world community, their hearts filled with
ecstasy and fervour and yearning love, with knowledge and certitude,
with steadfastness and unity, their faces beauteous and bright.
O ye beloved of the Lord! This day is the day of union, the day of the
ingathering of all mankind. `Verily God loveth those who, as though they
were a solid wall, do battle for His Cause in serried lines!'+F1 Note
that He saith `in serried lines'--meaning crowded and pressed together,
one locked to the next, each supporting his fellows. To do battle, as
stated in the sacred verse, doth not, in this greatest of all
dispensations, mean to go forth with sword and spear, with lance and
piercing arrow--but rather weaponed with pure intent, with righteous
motives, with counsels helpful and effective, with godly attributes,
with deeds pleasing to the Almighty, with the qualities of heaven. It
signifieth education for all mankind, guidance for all men, the
spreading far and wide of the sweet savours of the spirit, the
promulgation of God's proofs, the setting forth of arguments conclusive
and divine, the doing of charitable deeds.
Whensoever holy souls, drawing on the powers of heaven, shall arise with
such qualities of the spirit, and march in unison, rank on rank, every
one of those souls will be even as one thousand, and the surging waves
of that mighty ocean will be even as the battalions of the Concourse on
high. What a blessing that will be--when all shall come
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 61:4
Page 261
together, even as once separate torrents, rivers and streams, running
brooks and single drops, when collected together in one place will form
a mighty sea. And to such a degree will the inherent unity of all
prevail, that the traditions, rules, customs and distinctions in the
fanciful life of these populations will be effaced and vanish away like
isolated drops, once the great sea of oneness doth leap and surge and
roll.
I swear by the Ancient Beauty, that at such a time overwhelming grace
will so encircle all, and the sea of grandeur will so overflow its
shores, that the narrowest strip of water will grow wide as an endless
sea, and every merest drop will be even as the shoreless deep.
O ye loved ones of God! Struggle and strive to reach that high station,
and to make a splendour so to shine across these realms of earth that
the rays of it will be reflected back from a dawning-point on the
horizon of eternity. This is the very foundation of the Cause of God.
This is the very pith of the Law of God. This is the mighty structure
raised up by the Manifestations of God. This is why the orb of God's
world dawneth. This is why the Lord establisheth Himself on the throne
of His human body.
O ye loved ones of God! See how the Exalted One+F1-- may the souls of
all on earth be a ransom for Him--for this high purpose made His blessed
heart the target for affliction's spears; and because the real intent of
the Ancient Beauty--for Him may the souls of the Concourse on high be
offered up--was to win this same supernal goal, the Exalted One bared
His holy breast for a target to a myriad bullets fired by the people of
malice and hate, and with utter meekness died the martyr's death. On the
dust of this pathway the holy blood of thousands upon thousands of
_____________________
+F1. The Bab
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sacred souls gushed out, and many a time the blessed body of a loyal
lover of God was hanged to the gallows tree.
The Abha Beauty Himself--may the spirit of all existence be offered up
for His loved ones--bore all manner of ordeals, and willingly accepted
for Himself intense afflictions. No torment was there left that His
sacred form was not subjected to, no suffering that did not descend upon
Him. How many a night, when He was chained, did He go sleepless because
of the weight of His iron collar; how many a day the burning pain of the
stocks and fetters gave Him no moment's peace. From Niyavaran to Tihran
they made Him run--He, that embodied spirit, He Who had been accustomed
to repose against cushions of ornamented silk-- chained, shoeless, His
head bared; and down under the earth, in the thick darkness of that
narrow dungeon, they shut Him up with murderers, rebels and thieves.
Ever and again they assailed Him with a new torment, and all were
certain that from one moment to the next He would suffer a martyr's
death. After some time they banished Him from His native land, and sent
Him to countries alien and far away. During many a year in Iraq, no
moment passed but the arrow of a new anguish struck His holy heart; with
every breath a sword came down upon that sacred body, and He could hope
for no moment of security and rest. From every side His enemies mounted
their attack with unrelenting hate; and singly and alone He withstood
them all. After all these tribulations, these body blows, they flung Him
out of Iraq in the continent of Asia, to the continent of Europe, and in
that place of bitter exile, of wretched hardships, to the wrongs that
were heaped upon Him by the people of the Qur'an were now added the
virulent persecutions, the powerful attacks, the plottings, the
slanders, the continual hostilities, the hate and malice, of the people
of
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the Bayan. My pen is powerless to tell it all; but ye have surely been
informed of it. Then, after twenty-four years in this, the Most Great
Prison, in agony and sore affliction, His days drew to a close.
To sum it up, the Ancient Beauty was ever, during His sojourn in this
transitory world, either a captive bound with chains, or living under a
sword, or subjected to extreme suffering and torment, or held in the
Most Great Prison. Because of His physical weakness, brought on by His
afflictions, His blessed body was worn away to a breath; it was light as
a cobweb from long grieving. And His reason for shouldering this heavy
load and enduring all this anguish, which was even as an ocean that
hurleth its waves to high heaven--His reason for putting on the heavy
iron chains and for becoming the very embodiment of utter resignation
and meekness, was to lead every soul on earth to concord, to
fellow-feeling, to oneness; to make known amongst all peoples the sign
of the singleness of God, so that at last the primal oneness deposited
at the heart of all created things would bear its destined fruit, and
the splendour of `No difference canst thou see in the creation of the
God of Mercy,'+F1 would cast abroad its rays.
Now is the time, O ye beloved of the Lord, for ardent endeavour.
Struggle ye, and strive. And since the Ancient Beauty was exposed by day
and night on the field of martyrdom, let us in our turn labour hard, and
hear and ponder the counsels of God; let us fling away our lives, and
renounce our brief and numbered days. Let us turn our eyes away from
empty fantasies of this world's divergent forms, and serve instead this
pre-eminent purpose, this grand design. Let us not, because of our own
imaginings, cut down this tree that the hand of heavenly grace hath
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 67:3
Page 264
planted; let us not, with the dark clouds of our illusions, our selfish
interests, blot out the glory that streameth from the Abha Realm. Let us
not be as barriers that wall out the rolling ocean of Almighty God. Let
us not prevent the pure, sweet scents from the garden of the
All-Glorious Beauty from blowing far and wide. Let us not, on this day
of reunion, shut out the vernal downpour of blessings from on high. Let
us not consent that the splendours of the Sun of Truth should ever fade
and disappear. These are the admonitions of God, as set forth in His
Holy Books, His Scriptures, His Tablets that tell out His counsellings
to the sincere.
The glory rest upon you, and God's mercy, and God's blessings.
208. O ye servants of the Sacred Threshold! The triumphant hosts of the
Celestial Concourse, arrayed and marshalled in the Realms above, stand
ready and expectant to assist and assure victory to that valiant
horseman who with confidence spurs on his charger into the arena of
service. Well is it with that fearless warrior, who armed with the power
of true Knowledge, hastens unto the field, disperses the armies of
ignorance, and scatters the hosts of error, who holds aloft the Standard
of Divine Guidance, and sounds the Clarion of Victory. By the
righteousness of the Lord! He hath achieved a glorious triumph and
obtained the true victory.
209. O ye servants of the Blessed Beauty!... It is clear that in this
day, confirmations from the unseen world are encompassing all those who
deliver the divine Message. Should the work of teaching lapse, these
confirmations
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would be entirely cut off, since it is impossible for the loved ones of
God to receive assistance unless they teach.
Under all conditions, the teaching must be carried forward, but with
wisdom. If the work cannot proceed openly, then let them teach in
private, and thus engender spirituality and fellowship among the
children of men. If, for example, each and every one of the believers
would become a true friend to one of the unheeding, and, conducting
himself with absolute rectitude, associate with this soul, treat him
with the utmost kindness, himself exemplify the divine instructions he
hath received, the good qualities and behaviour patterns, and at all
times act in accord with the admonitions of God--it is certain that
little by little he will succeed in awakening that previously heedless
individual, and in changing his ignorance to knowledge of the truth.
Souls are inclined toward estrangement. Steps should first be taken to
do away with this estrangement, for only then will the Word take effect.
If a believer showeth kindness to one of the neglectful, and, with great
love, gradually leadeth him to an understanding of the validity of the
Holy Cause, so that he may come to know the fundamentals of God's Faith
and the implications thereof--such a one will certainly be transformed,
excepting only those seldom-encountered individuals who are even as
ashes, whose hearts are `hard as rocks, or harder still.'+F1
If every one of the friends should strive in this way to guide one soul
aright, the number of believers will double every year; and this can be
accomplished with prudence and wisdom, and no harm whatever would result
therefrom.
Furthermore, the teachers must travel about, and if spreading the
Message openly should cause a disturbance, then instead, let them
stimulate and train the believers,
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 2:69
Page 266
inspire them, delight them, rejoice their hearts, revive and refresh
them with the sweet savours of holiness.
210. O ye roses in the garden of God's love! O ye bright lamps in the
assemblage of His knowledge! May the soft breathings of God pass over
you, may the Glory of God illumine the horizon of your hearts. Ye are
the waves of the deep sea of knowledge, ye are the massed armies on the
plains of certitude, ye are the stars in the skies of God's compassion,
ye are the stones that put the people of perdition to flight, ye are
clouds of divine pity over the gardens of life, ye are the abundant
grace of God's oneness that is shed upon the essences of all created
things.
On the outspread tablet of this world, ye are the verses of His
singleness; and atop lofty palace towers, ye are the banners of the
Lord. In His bowers are ye the blossoms and sweet-smelling herbs, in the
rose garden of the spirit the nightingales that utter plaintive cries.
Ye are the birds that soar upward into the firmament of knowledge, the
royal falcons on the wrist of God.
Why then are ye quenched, why silent, why leaden and dull? Ye must shine
forth like the lightning, and raise up a clamouring like unto the great
sea. Like a candle must ye shed your light, and even as the soft breezes
of God must ye blow across the world. Even as sweet breaths from
heavenly bowers, as musk-laden winds from the gardens of the Lord, must
ye perfume the air for the people of knowledge, and even as the
splendours shed by the true Sun, must ye illumine the hearts of
humankind. For ye are the life-laden winds, ye are the jessamine-scents
from the gardens of the saved. Bring then life to the dead, and awaken
those who slumber. In the darkness of the world be ye radiant flames;
Page 267
in the sands of perdition, be ye well-springs of the water of life, be
ye guidance from the Lord God. Now is the time to serve, now is the time
to be on fire. Know ye the value of this chance, this favourable
juncture that is limitless grace, ere it slip from your hands.
Soon will our handful of days, our vanishing life, be gone, and we shall
pass, empty-handed, into the hollow that is dug for those who speak no
more; wherefore must we bind our hearts to the manifest Beauty, and
cling to the lifeline that faileth never. We must gird ourselves for
service, kindle love's flame, and burn away in its heat. We must loose
our tongues till we set the wide world's heart afire, and with bright
rays of guidance blot out the armies of the night, and then, for His
sake, on the field of sacrifice, fling down our lives.
Thus let us scatter over every people the treasured gems of the
recognition of God, and with the decisive blade of the tongue, and the
sure arrows of knowledge, let us defeat the hosts of self and passion,
and hasten onward to the site of martyrdom, to the place where we die
for the Lord. And then, with flying flags, and to the beat of drums, let
us pass into the realm of the All-Glorious, and join the Company on
high.
Well is it with the doers of great deeds.
211. When the friends do not endeavour to spread the message, they fail
to remember God befittingly, and will not witness the tokens of
assistance and confirmation from the Abha Kingdom nor comprehend the
divine mysteries. However, when the tongue of the teacher is engaged in
teaching, he will naturally himself be stimulated, will become a magnet
attracting the divine aid and bounty of
Page 268
the Kingdom, and will be like unto the bird at the hour of dawn, which
itself becometh exhilarated by its own singing, its warbling and its
melody.
212. It is at such times that the friends of God avail themselves of the
occasion, seize the opportunity, rush forth and win the prize. If their
task is to be confined to good conduct and advice, nothing will be
accomplished. They must speak out, expound the proofs, set forth clear
arguments, draw irrefutable conclusions establishing the truth of the
manifestation of the Sun of Reality.
213. The teaching work should under all conditions be actively pursued
by the believers because divine confirmations are dependent upon it.
Should a Baha'i refrain from being fully, vigorously and wholeheartedly
involved in the teaching work he will undoubtedly be deprived of the
blessings of the Abha Kingdom. Even so, this activity should be tempered
with wisdom--not that wisdom which requireth one to be silent and
forgetful of such an obligation, but rather that which requireth one to
display divine tolerance, love, kindness, patience, a goodly character,
and holy deeds. In brief, encourage the friends individually to teach
the Cause of God and draw their attention to this meaning of wisdom
mentioned in the Writings, which is itself the essence of teaching the
Faith--but all this to be done with the greatest tolerance, so that
heavenly assistance and divine confirmation may aid the friends.
214. Follow thou the way of thy Lord, and say not that which the ears
cannot bear to hear, for such speech is
Page 269
like luscious food given to small children. However palatable, rare and
rich the food may be, it cannot be assimilated by the digestive organs
of a suckling child. Therefore unto every one who hath a right, let his
settled measure be given.
`Not everything that a man knoweth can be disclosed, nor can everything
that he can disclose be regarded as timely, nor can every timely
utterance be considered as suited to the capacity of those who hear it.'
Such is the consummate wisdom to be observed in thy pursuits. Be not
oblivious thereof, if thou wishest to be a man of action under all
conditions. First diagnose the disease and identify the malady, then
prescribe the remedy, for such is the perfect method of the skilful
physician.
215. My hope from the grace of the One true Lord is that thou wilt be
enabled to spread the fragrances of God among the tribes. This is
extremely important....
If thou succeedest in rendering this service thou shalt excel and be the
leader in the field.
216. Rest assured that the breathings of the Holy Spirit will loosen thy
tongue. Speak, therefore; speak out with great courage at every meeting.
When thou art about to begin thine address, turn first to Baha'u'llah,
and ask for the confirmations of the Holy Spirit, then open thy lips and
say whatever is suggested to thy heart; this, however, with the utmost
courage, dignity and conviction. It is my hope that from day to day your
gatherings will grow and flourish, and that those who are seeking after
truth will hearken
Page 270
therein to reasoned arguments and conclusive proofs. I am with you heart
and soul at every meeting; be sure of this.
217. The teacher, when teaching, must be himself fully enkindled, so
that his utterance, like unto a flame of fire, may exert influence and
consume the veil of self and passion. He must also be utterly humble and
lowly so that others may be edified, and be totally self-effaced and
evanescent so that he may teach with the melody of the Concourse on
high--otherwise his teaching will have no effect.
218. O ye close and dear friends of Abdu'l-Baha!
In the Orient scatter perfumes,
And shed splendours on the West.
Carry light unto the Bulgar,
And the Slav with life invest.
One year after the ascension of Baha'u'llah, there came this verse from
the lips of the Centre of the Covenant. The Covenant-breakers found it
strange indeed, and they treated it with scorn. Yet, praised be God, its
effects are now manifest, its power revealed, its import clear; for by
God's grace, today both East and West are trembling for joy, and now,
from sweet waftings of holiness, the whole earth is scented with musk.
The Blessed Beauty, in unmistakable language, hath made this promise in
His Book: `We behold you from Our realm of glory, and shall aid
whosoever will arise for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the
Concourse on high and a company of Our favoured angels.'+F1
God be thanked, that promised aid hath been vouchsafed,
_____________________
+F1. Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, LXXII
Page 271
as is plain for all to see, and it shineth forth as clear as the sun in
the heavens.
Wherefore, O ye friends of God, redouble your efforts, strain every
nerve, till ye triumph in your servitude to the Ancient Beauty, the
Manifest Light, and become the cause of spreading far and wide the rays
of the Day-Star of Truth. Breathe ye into the world's worn and wasted
body the fresh breath of life, and in the furrows of every region sow ye
holy seed. Rise up to champion this Cause; open your lips and teach. In
the meeting place of life be ye a guiding candle; in the skies of this
world be dazzling stars; in the gardens of unity be birds of the spirit,
singing of inner truths and mysteries.
Expend your every breath of life in this great Cause and dedicate all
your days to the service of Baha, so that in the end, safe from loss and
deprivation, ye will inherit the heaped-up treasures of the realms
above. For the days of a man are full of peril and he cannot rely on so
much as a moment more of life; and still the people, who are even as a
wavering mirage of illusions, tell themselves that in the end they shall
reach the heights. Alas for them! The men of bygone times hugged these
same fancies to their breasts, until a wave flicked over them and they
returned to dust, and they found themselves excluded and bereft--all
save those souls who had freed themselves from self and had flung away
their lives in the pathway of God. Their bright star shone out in the
skies of ancient glory, and the handed-down memories of all the ages are
the proof of what I say.
Wherefore, rest ye neither day nor night and seek no ease. Tell ye the
secrets of servitude, follow the pathway of service, till ye attain the
promised succour that cometh from the realms of God.
O friends! Black clouds have shrouded all this earth, and
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the darkness of hatred and malice, of cruelty and aggression and
defilement is spreading far and wide. The people, one and all, live out
their lives in a heedless stupor and the chief virtues of man are held
to be his rapacity and his thirst for blood. Out of all the mass of
humankind God hath chosen the friends, and He hath favoured them with
His guidance and boundless grace. His purpose is this, that we, all of
us, should strive with our whole hearts to offer ourselves up, guide
others to His path, and train the souls of men--until these frenzied
beasts change to gazelles in the meadows of oneness, and these wolves to
lambs of God, and these brutish creatures to angelic hosts; till the
fires of hatred are quenched, and the flame coming out of the sheltered
vale of the Holy Shrine doth shed its splendours; till the foul odour of
the tyrant's dunghill is blown away, and yieldeth to the pure, sweet
scents that stream from the rosebeds of faith and trust. On that day
will the weak of intellect draw on the bounty of the divine, Universal
Mind, and they whose life is but abomination will seek out these
cleansing, holy breaths.
But there needs must be souls who will manifest such bestowals, there
needs must be husbandmen to till these fields, gardeners for these
gardens, there needs must be fish to swim in this sea, stars to gleam in
these heavens. These ailing ones must be tended by spiritual physicians,
these who are the lost need gentle guides--so that from such souls the
bereft may receive their portion, and the deprived obtain their share,
and the poor discover in such as they unmeasured wealth, and the seekers
hear from them unanswerable proofs.
O my Lord, my Defender, my Help in peril! Lowly do I entreat Thee,
ailing do I come unto Thee to be healed, humbly do I cry out to Thee
with my tongue, my soul, my spirit:
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O God, my God! The gloom of night hath shrouded every region, and all
the earth is shut away behind thick clouds. The peoples of the world are
sunk in the black depths of vain illusions, while their tyrants wallow
in cruelty and hate. I see nothing but the glare of searing fires that
blaze upward from the nethermost abyss, I hear nothing save the
thunderous roar that belloweth out from thousands upon thousands of
fiery weapons of assault, while every land is crying aloud in its secret
tongue: `My riches avail me nothing, and my sovereignty hath perished!'
O my Lord, the lamps of guidance have gone out. The flames of passion
are mounting high, and malevolence is ever gaining on the world. Malice
and hate have overspread the face of the whole earth, and I find no
souls except Thine own oppressed small band who are raising up this cry:
Make haste to love! Make haste to trust! Make haste to give! To guidance
come!
Come ye for harmony! To behold the Star of Day! Come here for
kindliness, for ease! Come here for amity and peace!
Come and cast down your weapons of wrath, till unity is won! Come and in
the Lord's true path each one help each one.
Verily with exceeding joy, with heart and soul, do these oppressed of
Thine offer themselves up for all mankind in every land. Thou seest
them, O my Lord, weeping over the tears Thy people shed, mourning the
grief of Thy children, condoling with humankind, suffering because of
the calamities that beset all the denizens of the earth.
O my Lord, wing them with victory that they may soar upward to
salvation, strengthen their loins in service to Thy people, and their
backs in servitude to Thy Threshold of Holiness.
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Verily Thou art the Generous, verily Thou art the Merciful! There is
none other God save Thee, the Clement, the Pitiful, the Ancient of Days!
219. O ye sons and daughters of the Kingdom! Your letter, which was
surely inspired of heaven, hath been received. Its contents were most
pleasing, its sentiments arising out of luminous hearts.
The believers in London are indeed steadfast and true, they are
resolute, they are constant in service; when put to the test, they do
not falter, nor doth their fire abate with the passage of time; rather,
they are Baha'is. They are of heaven, they are filled with light, they
are of God. Without any doubt they will become the cause of raising high
the Word of God, and advancing the oneness of the world of man; of
promoting the teachings of God, and spreading far and near the equality
of every member of the human race.
It is easy to approach the Kingdom of Heaven, but hard to stand firm and
staunch within it, for the tests are rigorous, and heavy to bear. But
the English remain steadfast under all conditions, neither at the first
sign of trouble do their footsteps slip. They are not changeable,
playing fast and loose with some project and soon giving it up. They do
not, for some trivial reason, fail in enthusiasm and zeal, their
interest gone. No, in all they do, they are stable, rock-solid and
staunch.
Although ye dwell in western lands, still, praise be to God, ye did hear
His call from out the east and, even as Moses, did warm your hands at
the fire kindled in the Asian Tree. Ye did find the true path, were lit
like unto lamps, and have come into the Kingdom of God. And now have ye
arisen, out of gratitude for these blessings, and ye are
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asking God's help for all the peoples of the earth, that their eyes as
well may behold the splendours of the Abha Realm, and their hearts, even
as mirrors, reflect the bright rays of the Sun of Truth.
It is my hope that the breaths of the Holy Spirit will so be breathed
into your hearts that your tongues will disclose the mysteries, and set
forth and expound the inner meanings of the Holy Books; that the friends
will become physicians, and will, through the potent medicine of the
heavenly Teachings, heal the long-standing diseases that afflict the
body of this world; that they will make the blind to see, the deaf to
hear, the dead to come alive; that they will awaken those who are sound
asleep.
Rest ye assured that the confirmations of the Holy Spirit will descend
upon you, and that the armies of the Abha Kingdom will grant you the
victory.
220. The Lord of all mankind hath fashioned this human realm to be a
Garden of Eden, an earthly paradise. If, as it must, it findeth the way
to harmony and peace, to love and mutual trust, it will become a true
abode of bliss, a place of manifold blessings and unending delights.
Therein shall be revealed the excellence of humankind, therein shall the
rays of the Sun of Truth shine forth on every hand.
Remember how Adam and the others once dwelt together in Eden. No sooner,
however, did a quarrel break out between Adam and Satan than they were,
one and all, banished from the Garden, and this was meant as a warning
to the human race, a means of telling humankind that dissension--even
with the Devil--is the way to bitter loss. This is why, in our illumined
age, God teacheth that conflicts and disputes are not allowable, not
even with Satan himself.
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Gracious God! Even with such a lesson before him, how heedless is man!
Still do we see his world at war from pole to pole. There is war among
the religions; war among the nations; war among the peoples; war among
the rulers. What a welcome change would it be, if only these black
clouds would lift from off the skies of the world, so that the light of
reality could be shed abroad! If only the darksome dust of this
continual fighting and killing could settle forever, and the sweet winds
of God's loving-kindness could blow from out the well-spring of peace.
Then would this world become another world, and the earth would shine
with the light of her Lord.
If there is any hope, it is solely in the bounties of God: that His
strengthening grace will come, and the struggling and contending will
cease, and the acid bite of blood-dripping steel will be turned into the
honey-dew of friendship and probity and trust. How sweet would that day
be in the mouth, how fragrant as musk the scent thereof.
God grant that the new year will bring a promise of the new peace. May
He enable this distinguished assemblage to conclude a fair treaty and
establish a just covenant, that you may be blessed forever, across the
unborn reaches of time.
[Addressed to the readers of The Christian Commonwealth, 1 January 1913]
221. O ye who are steadfast in the Covenant! The pilgrim hath made
mention of each one of you, and hath asked for a separate letter
addressed to each, but this wanderer in the wilderness of God's love is
withheld from correspondence by a thousand preoccupations and concerns;
and since out of the easts and the wests of the earth there
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poureth a mounting flood of letters upon him, it would be impossible to
send a separate letter to each one, wherefore this one letter is
addressed to each of you, that it may, as sealed wine, rejoice your
souls and warm your hearts.
O ye steadfast loved ones! The grace of God is beating down upon
mankind, even as the rains in spring, and the rays of the manifest Light
have made this earth to be the envy of heaven. But alas, the blind are
deprived of this bounty, the heedless are closed off from it, the
withered despair of it, the faded are dying away--so that even as
flooding waters, this endless stream of grace passeth back into its
primal source in a hidden sea. Only a few receive this grace and take
their share of it. Wherefore, let us put our hopes in whatever the
strong arm of the Beloved can bring about.
We trust that in a time to come the slumberers will waken, and the
heedless will be made aware, and the excluded will become initiates in
the mysteries. Now must the friends work on with heart and soul and put
forth a mighty effort, until the ramparts of dissension are toppled down
and the glories of the oneness of humanity lead all to unity.
Today the one overriding need is unity and harmony among the beloved of
the Lord, for they should have among them but one heart and soul and
should, so far as in them lieth, unitedly withstand the hostility of all
the peoples of the world; they must bring to an end the benighted
prejudices of all nations and religions and must make known to every
member of the human race that all are the leaves of one branch, the
fruits of one bough.
Until such time, however, as the friends establish perfect unity among
themselves, how can they summon others to harmony and peace?
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That soul which hath itself not come alive,
Can it then hope another to revive?
Reflect ye as to other than human forms of life and be ye admonished
thereby: those clouds that drift apart cannot produce the bounty of the
rain, and are soon lost; a flock of sheep, once scattered, falleth prey
to the wolf, and birds that fly alone will be caught fast in the claws
of the hawk. What greater demonstration could there be that unity
leadeth to flourishing life, while dissension and withdrawing from the
others, will lead only to misery; for these are the sure ways to bitter
disappointment and ruin.
The holy Manifestations of God were sent down to make visible the
oneness of humanity. For this did They endure unnumbered ills and
tribulations, that a community from amongst mankind's divergent peoples
could gather within the shadow of the Word of God and live as one, and
could, with delight and grace, demonstrate on earth the unity of
humankind. Therefore must the desire of the friends be this, to bring
together and unify all peoples, that all may receive a generous drink of
this pure wine from this cup that is `tempered at the camphor
fountain.'+F1 Let them make the differing populations to be as one and
induce the hostile and murderous kindreds of the earth to love one
another instead. Let them loose from their shackles the captives of
sensual desires and cause the excluded to become intimates of the
mysteries. Let them give to the bereft a share of the blessings of these
days; let them guide the portionless to inexhaustible treasure. This
grace can come about through words and ways and deeds that are of the
Unseen Kingdom but, lacking such, it can never be.
The confirmations of God are the surety for these
_____________________
+F1. Qur'an 76:5
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blessings; the sacred bounty of God bestoweth these great gifts. The
friends of God are supported by the Kingdom on high and they win their
victories through the massed armies of the most great guidance. Thus for
them every difficulty will be made smooth, every problem will most
easily be solved.
Note ye how easily, where unity existeth in a given family, the affairs
of that family are conducted; what progress the members of that family
make, how they prosper in the world. Their concerns are in order, they
enjoy comfort and tranquillity, they are secure, their position is
assured, they come to be envied by all. Such a family but addeth to its
stature and its lasting honour, as day succeedeth day. And if we widen
out the sphere of unity a little to include the inhabitants of a village
who seek to be loving and united, who associate with and are kind to one
another, what great advances they will be seen to make, how secure and
protected they will be. Then let us widen out the sphere a little more,
let us take the inhabitants of a city, all of them together: if they
establish the strongest bonds of unity among themselves, how far they
will progress, even in a brief period and what power they will exert.
And if the sphere of unity be still further widened out, that is, if the
inhabitants of a whole country develop peaceable hearts, and if with all
their hearts and souls they yearn to cooperate with one another and to
live in unity, and if they become kind and loving to one another, that
country will achieve undying joy and lasting glory. Peace will it have,
and plenty, and vast wealth.
Note then: if every clan, tribe, community, every nation, country,
territory on earth should come together under the single-hued pavilion
of the oneness of mankind, and by the dazzling rays of the Sun of Truth
should
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proclaim the universality of man; if they should cause all nations and
all creeds to open wide their arms to one another, establish a World
Council, and proceed to bind the members of society one to another by
strong mutual ties, what would happen then? There is no doubt whatsoever
that the divine Beloved, in all His endearing beauty, and with Him a
massive host of heavenly confirmations and human blessings and
bestowals, would appear in His full glory before the assemblage of the
world.
Wherefore, O ye beloved of the Lord, bestir yourselves, do all in your
power to be as one, to live in peace, each with the others: for ye are
all the drops from but one ocean, the foliage of one tree, the pearls
from a single shell, the flowers and sweet herbs from the same one
garden. And achieving that, strive ye to unite the hearts of those who
follow other faiths.
For one another must ye give up even life itself. To every human being
must ye be infinitely kind. Call none a stranger; think none to be your
foe. Be ye as if all men were your close kin and honoured friends. Walk
ye in such wise that this fleeting world will change into a splendour
and this dismal heap of dust become a palace of delights. Such is the
counsel of Abdu'l-Baha, this hapless servant.
222. O ye homeless and wanderers in the Path of God! Prosperity,
contentment, and freedom, however much desired and conducive to the
gladness of the human heart, can in no wise compare with the trials of
homelessness and adversity in the pathway of God; for such exile and
banishment are blessed by the divine favour, and are surely followed by
the mercy of Providence. The joy of tranquillity in one's home, and the
sweetness of freedom from all cares
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shall pass away, whilst the blessing of homelessness shall endure
forever, and its far-reaching results shall be made manifest.
Abraham's migration from His native land caused the bountiful gifts of
the All-Glorious to be made manifest, and the setting of Canaan's
brightest star unfolded to the eyes the radiance of Joseph. The flight
of Moses, the Prophet of Sinai, revealed the Flame of the Lord's burning
Fire, and the rise of Jesus breathed the breaths of the Holy Spirit into
the world. The departure of Muhammad, the Beloved of God, from the city
of His birth was the cause of the exaltation of God's Holy Word, and the
banishment of the Sacred Beauty led to the diffusion of the light of His
divine Revelation throughout all regions.
Take ye good heed, O people of insight!
223. O ye sons and daughters of the Kingdom! Your letter was received.
From its contents it was known that, praise be to God, your hearts are
in the utmost purity and your souls rejoice in the glad tidings of God.
The mass of the people are occupied with self and worldly desire, are
immersed in the ocean of the nether world and are captives of the world
of nature, save those souls who have been freed from the chains and
fetters of the material world and, like unto swift-flying birds, are
soaring in this unbounded realm. They are awake and vigilant, they shun
the obscurity of the world of nature, their highest wish centereth on
the eradication from among men of the struggle for existence, the
shining forth of the spirituality and the love of the realm on high, the
exercise of utmost kindness among peoples, the realization of an
intimate and close connection between religions and the practice of the
ideal of self-sacrifice. Then
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will the world of humanity be transformed into the Kingdom of God.
O ye friends, exert ye an effort! Every expenditure is in need of an
income. This day, in the world of humanity, men are all the time
expending, for war is nothing but the consumption of men and of wealth.
At least engage ye in a deed of profit to the world of humanity that ye
may partially compensate for that loss. Perchance, through the divine
confirmations, ye may be assisted in promulgating amity and concord
among men, in substituting love for enmity, in causing universal peace
to result from universal war and in converting loss and rancour into
profit and love. This wish will be realized through the power of the
Kingdom.
224. O thou servant of God! Thy letter was received. Its contents were
lofty and sublime, and its aim high and far-reaching. The world of
humanity is in need of great improvement, for it is a material jungle
wherein trees without fruit flourish and useless weeds abound. If at all
there is a tree that beareth fruit it is overshadowed by the fruitless
ones, and if a flower groweth in this jungle it is hidden and concealed.
The world of mankind is in need of expert gardeners who may convert
these forests into delectable rose gardens, may substitute for these
barren trees ones that yield fruit, and may replace these useless weeds
with roses and fragrant herbs. Thus active souls and vigilant people
rest neither by day nor by night; they strive to be closely linked to
the divine Kingdom and thereby become the manifestations of infinite
bounty and ideal gardeners for these forests. Thus the world of humanity
will be wholly transformed and the merciful bounties become manifest.
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225. O ye concourse of the Kingdom of Abha! Two calls to success and
prosperity are being raised from the heights of the happiness of
mankind, awakening the slumbering, granting sight to the blind, causing
the heedless to become mindful, bestowing hearing upon the deaf,
unloosing the tongue of the mute and resuscitating the dead.
The one is the call of civilization, of the progress of the material
world. This pertaineth to the world of phenomena, promoteth the
principles of material achievement, and is the trainer for the physical
accomplishments of mankind. It compriseth the laws, regulations, arts
and sciences through which the world of humanity hath developed; laws
and regulations which are the outcome of lofty ideals and the result of
sound minds, and which have stepped forth into the arena of existence
through the efforts of the wise and cultured in past and subsequent
ages. The propagator and executive power of this call is just
government.
The other is the soul-stirring call of God, Whose spiritual teachings
are safeguards of the everlasting glory, the eternal happiness and
illumination of the world of humanity, and cause attributes of mercy to
be revealed in the human world and the life beyond.
This second call is founded upon the instructions and exhortations of
the Lord and the admonitions and altruistic emotions belonging to the
realm of morality which, like unto a brilliant light, brighten and
illumine the lamp of the realities of mankind. Its penetrative power is
the Word of God.
However, until material achievements, physical accomplishments and human
virtues are reinforced by spiritual perfections, luminous qualities and
characteristics of mercy, no fruit or result shall issue therefrom, nor
will the happiness of the world of humanity, which is the ultimate aim,
be
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attained. For although, on the one hand, material achievements and the
development of the physical world produce prosperity, which exquisitely
manifests its intended aims, on the other hand dangers, severe
calamities and violent afflictions are imminent.
Consequently, when thou lookest at the orderly pattern of kingdoms,
cities and villages, with the attractiveness of their adornments, the
freshness of their natural resources, the refinement of their
appliances, the ease of their means of travel, the extent of knowledge
available about the world of nature, the great inventions, the colossal
enterprises, the noble discoveries and scientific researches, thou
wouldst conclude that civilization conduceth to the happiness and the
progress of the human world. Yet shouldst thou turn thine eye to the
discovery of destructive and infernal machines, to the development of
forces of demolition and the invention of fiery implements, which uproot
the tree of life, it would become evident and manifest unto thee that
civilization is conjoined with barbarism. Progress and barbarism go hand
in hand, unless material civilization be confirmed by Divine Guidance,
by the revelations of the All-Merciful and by godly virtues, and be
reinforced by spiritual conduct, by the ideals of the Kingdom and by the
outpourings of the Realm of Might.
Consider now, that the most advanced and civilized countries of the
world have been turned into arsenals of explosives, that the continents
of the globe have been transformed into huge camps and battlefields,
that the peoples of the world have formed themselves into armed nations,
and that the governments of the world are vying with each other as to
who will first step into the field of carnage and bloodshed, thus
subjecting mankind to the utmost degree of affliction.
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Therefore, this civilization and material progress should be combined
with the Most Great Guidance so that this nether world may become the
scene of the appearance of the bestowals of the Kingdom, and physical
achievements may be conjoined with the effulgences of the Merciful. This
in order that the beauty and perfection of the world of man may be
unveiled and be manifested before all in the utmost grace and splendour.
Thus everlasting glory and happiness shall be revealed.
Praise be to God, throughout succeeding centuries and ages the call of
civilization hath been raised, the world of humanity hath been advancing
and progressing day by day, various countries have been developing by
leaps and bounds, and material improvements have increased, until the
world of existence obtained universal capacity to receive the spiritual
teachings and to hearken to the Divine Call. The suckling babe passeth
through various physical stages, growing and developing at every stage,
until its body reacheth the age of maturity. Having arrived at this
stage it acquireth the capacity to manifest spiritual and intellectual
perfections. The lights of comprehension, intelligence and knowledge
become perceptible in it and the powers of its soul unfold. Similarly,
in the contingent world, the human species hath undergone progressive
physical changes and, by a slow process, hath scaled the ladder of
civilization, realizing in itself the wonders, excellencies and gifts of
humanity in their most glorious form, until it gained the capacity to
express the splendours of spiritual perfections and divine ideals and
became capable of hearkening to the call of God. Then at last the call
of the Kingdom was raised, the spiritual virtues and perfections were
revealed, the Sun of Reality dawned, and the teachings of the Most Great
Peace, of the oneness of the world of humanity and of the
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universality of men, were promoted. We hope that the effulgence of these
rays shall become more and more intense, and the ideal virtues more
resplendent, so that the goal of this universal human process will be
attained and the love of God will appear in the utmost grace and beauty
and bedazzle all hearts.
O ye beloved of God! Know ye, verily, that the happiness of mankind
lieth in the unity and the harmony of the human race, and that spiritual
and material developments are conditioned upon love and amity among all
men. Consider ye the living creatures, namely those which move upon the
earth and those which fly, those which graze and those which devour.
Among the beasts of prey each kind liveth apart from other species of
its genus, observing complete antagonism and hostility; and whenever
they meet they immediately fight and draw blood, gnashing their teeth
and baring their claws. This is the way in which ferocious beasts and
bloodthirsty wolves behave, carnivorous animals that live by themselves
and fight for their lives. But the docile, good-natured and gentle
animals, whether they belong to the flying or grazing species, associate
with one another in complete affinity, united in their flocks, and
living their lives with enjoyment, happiness and contentment. Such are
the birds that are satisfied with and grateful for a few grains; they
live in complete gladness, and break into rich and melodious song while
soaring over meadows, plains, hills and mountains. Similarly those
animals which graze, like the sheep, the antelope and the gazelle,
consort in the greatest amity, intimacy and unity while living in their
plains and prairies in a condition of complete contentment. But dogs,
wolves, tigers, hyenas and those other beasts of prey, are alienated
from each other as they hunt and roam about alone. The creatures of the
fields and birds of the air
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do not even shun or molest one another when they come upon their mutual
grazing and resting grounds but accept each other with friendliness,
unlike the devouring beasts who immediately tear each other apart when
one intrudes upon the other's cave or lair; yea, even if one merely
passeth by the abode of another the latter at once rusheth out to attack
and if possible kill the former.
Therefore, it hath been made clear and manifest that in the animal
kingdom also love and affinity are the fruits of a gentle disposition, a
pure nature and praiseworthy character, while discord and isolation are
characteristic of the fierce beasts of the wild.
The Almighty hath not created in man the claws and teeth of ferocious
animals, nay rather hath the human form been fashioned and set with the
most comely attributes and adorned with the most perfect virtues. The
honour of this creation and the worthiness of this garment therefore
require man to have love and affinity for his own kind, nay rather, to
act towards all living creatures with justice and equity.
Similarly, consider how the cause of the welfare, happiness, joy and
comfort of humankind are amity and union, whereas dissension and discord
are most conducive to hardship, humiliation, agitation and failure.
But a thousand times alas, that man is negligent and unaware of these
facts, and daily doth he strut abroad with the characteristics of a wild
beast. Lo! At one moment he turneth into a ferocious tiger; at the next
he becometh a creeping, venomous viper! But the sublime achievements of
man reside in those qualities and attributes that exclusively pertain to
the angels of the Supreme Concourse. Therefore, when praiseworthy
qualities and high morals emanate from man, he becometh a heavenly
being, an angel of the
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Kingdom, a divine reality and a celestial effulgence. On the other hand,
when he engageth in warfare, quarrelling and bloodshed, he becometh
viler than the most fierce of savage creatures, for if a bloodthirsty
wolf devoureth a lamb in a single night, man slaughtereth a hundred
thousand in the field of battle, strewing the ground with their corpses
and kneading the earth with their blood.
In short, man is endowed with two natures: one tendeth towards moral
sublimity and intellectual perfection, while the other turneth to
bestial degradation and carnal imperfections. If ye travel the countries
of the globe ye shall observe on one side the remains of ruin and
destruction, while on the other ye shall see the signs of civilization
and development. Such desolation and ruin are the result of war, strife
and quarrelling, while all development and progress are fruits of the
lights of virtue, co-operation and concord.
If one were to travel through the deserts of Central Asia he would
observe how many cities, once great and prosperous like Paris and
London, are now demolished and razed to the ground. From the Caspian Sea
to the River Oxus there stretch wild and desolate plains, deserts,
wildernesses and valleys. For two days and two nights the Russian
railway traverseth the ruined cities and uninhabited villages of that
wasteland. Formerly that plain bore the fruit of the finest
civilizations of the past. Tokens of development and refinement were
apparent all around, arts and sciences were well protected and promoted,
professions and industries flourished, commerce and agriculture had
reached a high stage of efficiency, and the foundations of government
and statesmanship were laid on a strong and solid basis. Today that vast
stretch of land hath become mostly the shelter and asylum of Turkoman
tribes, and an arena for the ferocious display of wild beasts. The
ancient cities of that plain, such
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as Gurgan, Nissa, Abivard and Shahristan, famous throughout the world
for their arts, sciences, culture, industry, and well known for their
wealth, greatness, prosperity and distinction, have given way to a
wilderness wherein no voice is heard save the roaring of wild beasts and
where bloodthirsty wolves roam at will. This destruction and desolation
was brought about by war and strife, dissension and discord between the
Persians and the Turks, who differed in their religion and customs. So
rigid was the spirit of religious prejudice that the faithless leaders
sanctioned the shedding of innocent blood, the ruin of property and the
desecration of family honour. This is to cite only one illustration.
Consequently, when thou traversest the regions of the world, thou shalt
conclude that all progress is the result of association and
co-operation, while ruin is the outcome of animosity and hatred.
Notwithstanding this, the world of humanity doth not take warning, nor
doth it awake from the slumber of heedlessness. Man is still causing
differences, quarrels and strife in order to marshal the cohorts of war
and, with his legions, rush into the field of bloodshed and slaughter.
Then again, consider the phenomenon of composition and decomposition, of
existence and non-existence. Every created thing in the contingent world
is made up of many and varied atoms, and its existence is dependent on
the composition of these. In other words, through the divine creative
power a conjunction of simple elements taketh place so that from this
composition a distinct organism is produced. The existence of all things
is based upon this principle. But when the order is deranged,
decomposition is produced and disintegration setteth in, then that thing
ceaseth to exist. That is, the annihilation of all things is
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caused by decomposition and disintegration. Therefore attraction and
composition between the various elements is the means of life, and
discord, decomposition and division produce death. Thus the cohesive and
attractive forces in all things lead to the appearance of fruitful
results and effects, while estrangement and alienation of things lead to
disturbance and annihilation. Through affinity and attraction all living
things like plants, animals and men come into existence, while division
and discord bring about decomposition and destruction.
Consequently, that which is conducive to association and attraction and
unity among the sons of men is the means of the life of the world of
humanity, and whatever causeth division, repulsion and remoteness
leadeth to the death of humankind.
And if, as thou passest by fields and plantations, thou observest that
the plants, flowers and sweet-smelling herbs are growing luxuriantly
together, forming a pattern of unity, this is an evidence of the fact
that that plantation and garden is flourishing under the care of a
skilful gardener. But when thou seest it in a state of disorder and
irregularity thou inferrest that it hath lacked the training of an
efficient farmer and thus hath produced weeds and tares.
It therefore becometh manifest that amity and cohesion are indicative of
the training of the Real Educator, and dispersion and separation a proof
of savagery and deprivation of divine education.
A critic may object, saying that peoples, races, tribes and communities
of the world are of different and varied customs, habits, tastes,
character, inclinations and ideas, that opinions and thoughts are
contrary to one another, and how, therefore, is it possible for real
unity to be revealed and perfect accord among human souls to exist?
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In answer we say that differences are of two kinds. One is the cause of
annihilation and is like the antipathy existing among warring nations
and conflicting tribes who seek each other's destruction, uprooting one
another's families, depriving one another of rest and comfort and
unleashing carnage. The other kind which is a token of diversity is the
essence of perfection and the cause of the appearance of the bestowals
of the Most Glorious Lord.
Consider the flowers of a garden: though differing in kind, colour, form
and shape, yet, inasmuch as they are refreshed by the waters of one
spring, revived by the breath of one wind, invigorated by the rays of
one sun, this diversity increaseth their charm, and addeth unto their
beauty. Thus when that unifying force, the penetrating influence of the
Word of God, taketh effect, the difference of customs, manners, habits,
ideas, opinions and dispositions embellisheth the world of humanity.
This diversity, this difference is like the naturally created
dissimilarity and variety of the limbs and organs of the human body, for
each one contributeth to the beauty, efficiency and perfection of the
whole. When these different limbs and organs come under the influence of
man's sovereign soul, and the soul's power pervadeth the limbs and
members, veins and arteries of the body, then difference reinforceth
harmony, diversity strengtheneth love, and multiplicity is the greatest
factor for co-ordination.
How unpleasing to the eye if all the flowers and plants, the leaves and
blossoms, the fruits, the branches and the trees of that garden were all
of the same shape and colour! Diversity of hues, form and shape,
enricheth and adorneth the garden, and heighteneth the effect thereof.
In like manner, when divers shades of thought, temperament and
character, are brought together under the power and
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influence of one central agency, the beauty and glory of human
perfection will be revealed and made manifest. Naught but the celestial
potency of the Word of God, which ruleth and transcendeth the realities
of all things, is capable of harmonizing the divergent thoughts,
sentiments, ideas, and convictions of the children of men. Verily, it is
the penetrating power in all things, the mover of souls and the binder
and regulator in the world of humanity.
Praise be to God, today the splendour of the Word of God hath illumined
every horizon, and from all sects, races, tribes, nations, and
communities souls have come together in the light of the Word,
assembled, united and agreed in perfect harmony. Oh! What a great number
of meetings are held adorned with souls from various races and diverse
sects! Anyone attending these will be struck with amazement, and might
suppose that these souls are all of one land, one nationality, one
community, one thought, one belief and one opinion; whereas, in fact,
one is an American, the other an African, one cometh from Asia and
another from Europe, one is a native of India, another is from
Turkestan, one is an Arab, another a Tajik, another a Persian and yet
another a Greek. Notwithstanding such diversity they associate in
perfect harmony and unity, love and freedom; they have one voice, one
thought and one purpose. Verily, this is from the penetrative power of
the Word of God! If all the forces of the universe were to combine they
would not be able thus to gather a single assemblage so imbued with the
sentiments of love, affection, attraction and enkindlement as to unite
the members of different races and to raise up from the heart of the
world a voice that shall dispel war and strife, uproot dissension and
disputation, usher in the era of universal peace and establish unity and
concord amongst men.
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Can any power withstand the penetrative influence of the Word of God?
Nay, by God! The proof is clear and the evidence is complete! If anyone
looketh with the eyes of justice he shall be struck with wonder and
amazement and will testify that all the peoples, sects and races of the
world should be glad, content and grateful for the teachings and
admonitions of Baha'u'llah. For these divine injunctions tame every
ferocious beast, transform the creeping insect into a soaring bird,
cause human souls to become angels of the Kingdom, and make the human
world a focus for the qualities of mercy.
Furthermore each and every one is required to show obedience, submission
and loyalty towards his own government. Today no state in the world is
in a condition of peace or tranquillity, for security and trust have
vanished from among the people. Both the governed and the governors are
alike in danger. The only group of people which today submitteth
peacefully and loyally to the laws and ordinances of government and
dealeth honestly and frankly with the people, is none other than this
wronged community. For while all sects and races in Persia and Turkestan
are absorbed in promoting their own interests and only obey their
governments either with the hope of reward or from fear of punishment,
the Baha'is are the well-wishers of the government, obedient to its laws
and bearing love towards all peoples.
Such obedience and submission is made incumbent and obligatory upon all
by the clear Text of the Abha Beauty. Therefore the believers, in
obedience to the command of the True One, show the utmost sincerity and
goodwill towards all nations; and should any soul act contrary to the
laws of the government he would consider himself responsible before God,
deserving divine wrath and chastisement for his sin and wrongdoing. It
is astonishing that, in spite of
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this, some of the officials of the government consider the Baha'is to be
ill-wishers while they regard the members of other communities as their
well-wishers. Gracious God! Recently, when there was general revolution
and agitation in Tihran and in other provinces of Persia, it was proven
that not a single Baha'i had taken part nor intervened in these affairs.
For this reason they were reproached by the ignorant because they had
obeyed the command of the Blessed Perfection and refrained absolutely
from interference in political matters. They were not associated with
any party, but busied themselves with their own affairs and professions
and discharged their own duties.
All the friends of God bear witness to the fact that Abdu'l-Baha is,
from every standpoint, the well-wisher of all governments and nations,
and prayeth sincerely for their progress and advancement, especially for
the two great states of the east, for these two countries are the native
land and the place of exile of Baha'u'llah. In all epistles and writings
he hath commended and praised these two governments and hath supplicated
divine confirmations for them from the Threshold of the One true God.
The Abha Beauty-- may my life be a sacrifice for His loved ones--hath
offered prayers on behalf of Their Imperial Majesties. Gracious God! How
strange that, notwithstanding these conclusive proofs, every day some
event transpireth and difficulties arise. But we, and the friends of
God, should on no account slacken our efforts to be loyal, sincere and
men of good will. We should at all times manifest our truthfulness and
sincerity, nay rather, we must be constant in our faithfulness and
trustworthiness, and occupy ourselves in offering prayers for the good
of all.
O ye beloved of God, these are days for steadfastness, for firmness and
perseverance in the Cause of God. Ye must
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not focus your attention upon the person of Abdu'l-Baha, for erelong he
will bid you farewell. Rather must ye fix your gaze upon the Word of
God. If the Word of God is being promoted, rejoice and be happy and
thankful, though Abdu'l-Baha himself be threatened by the sword or
burdened by the weight of chains and fetters. For the Holy Temple of the
Cause of God is important, not the physical body of Abdu'l-Baha. The
friends of God must arise with such steadfastness that if, at any
moment, a hundred souls like Abdu'l-Baha become the target for the
arrows of affliction, they will not shift or waver in their resolve,
their determination, their enkindlement, their devotion and service in
the Cause of God. Abdu'l-Baha is himself a servant at the Threshold of
the Blessed Beauty and a manifestation of pure and utter servitude at
the Threshold of the Almighty. He hath no other station or title, no
other rank or power. This is my ultimate Purpose, my eternal Paradise,
my holiest Temple and my Sadratu'l-Muntaha. With the Abha Blessed Beauty
and the Exalted One, His Herald-- may my life be a sacrifice for Them
both--hath ended the appearance of God's independent and universal
Manifestation. And for a thousand years all shall be illumined by His
lights and be sustained by the ocean of His favours.
O ye lovers of God! This, verily, is my last wish and my admonition unto
you. Blessed, therefore, is he who is aided by God to follow that which
is inscribed upon this scroll whose words are sanctified from the
symbols current amongst men.
226. O thou servant of God! Thy letter was received, and was the cause
of gladness. Thou hast expressed thine ardent wish that I should attend
the Peace Congress. I do
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not present myself at such political conferences, for the establishment
of peace is unachievable save through the power of the Word of God. When
a conference is convened, representative of all nations and working
under the influence of the Word of God, then universal peace will be
established but otherwise it is impossible.
At present it is certain that temporary peace is established but it is
not lasting. All governments and nations have become tired of war, of
the difficulties of travel, of huge expenditures, of the loss of life,
of the affliction of women, of the great number of orphans, and they are
driven by force to peace. But this peace is not permanent, it is
temporary.
We hope that the power of the Word of God will establish a peace that
shall eternally remain effective and secure.
227.+F1 O ye esteemed ones who are pioneers among the well-wishers of
the world of humanity!
The letters which ye sent during the war were not received, but a letter
dated February 11th, 1916, has just come to hand, and immediately an
answer is being written. Your intention deserves a thousand praises,
because you are serving the world of humanity, and this is conducive to
the happiness and welfare of all. This recent war has proved to the
world and the people that war is destruction while universal peace is
construction; war is death while peace is
_____________________
+F1. This is the first part of Abdu'l-Baha's reply to a letter addressed
+F1 to Him by the Executive Committee of the Central Organization +F1
for a Durable Peace. The Tablet, described by Shoghi Effendi in +F1 God
Passes By as of `far reaching importance', and dated December +F1 17,
1919, was despatched to the Committee at The Hague by the +F1 hands of a
special delegation.
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life; war is rapacity and bloodthirstiness while peace is beneficence
and humaneness; war is an appurtenance of the world of nature while
peace is of the foundation of the religion of God; war is darkness upon
darkness while peace is heavenly light; war is the destroyer of the
edifice of mankind while peace is the everlasting life of the world of
humanity; war is like a devouring wolf while peace is like the angels of
heaven; war is the struggle for existence while peace is mutual aid and
co-operation among the peoples of the world and the cause of the
good-pleasure of the True One in the heavenly realm.
There is not one soul whose conscience does not testify that in this day
there is no more important matter in the world than that of universal
peace. Every just one bears witness to this and adores that esteemed
Assembly because its aim is that this darkness may be changed into
light, this bloodthirstiness into kindness, this torment into bliss,
this hardship into ease and this enmity and hatred into fellowship and
love. Therefore, the effort of those esteemed souls is worthy of praise
and commendation.
But the wise souls who are aware of the essential relationships
emanating from the realities of things consider that one single matter
cannot, by itself, influence the human reality as it ought and should,
for until the minds of men become united, no important matter can be
accomplished. At present universal peace is a matter of great
importance, but unity of conscience is essential, so that the foundation
of this matter may become secure, its establishment firm and its edifice
strong.
Therefore Baha'u'llah, fifty years ago, expounded this question of
universal peace at a time when He was confined in the fortress of Akka
and was wronged and imprisoned. He wrote about this important matter of
universal
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peace to all the great sovereigns of the world, and established it among
His friends in the orient. The horizon of the east was in utter
darkness, nations displayed the utmost hatred and enmity towards each
other, religions thirsted for each other's blood, and it was darkness
upon darkness. At such a time Baha'u'llah shone forth like the sun from
the horizon of the east and illumined Persia with the lights of these
teachings.
Among His teachings was the declaration of universal peace. People of
different nations, religions and sects who followed Him came together to
such an extent that remarkable gatherings were instituted consisting of
the various nations and religions of the east. Every soul who entered
these gatherings saw but one nation, one teaching, one pathway, one
order, for the teachings of Baha'u'llah were not limited to the
establishment of universal peace. They embraced many teachings which
supplemented and supported that of universal peace.
Among these teachings was the independent investigation of reality so
that the world of humanity may be saved from the darkness of imitation
and attain to the truth; may tear off and cast away this ragged and
outgrown garment of a thousand years ago and may put on the robe woven
in the utmost purity and holiness in the loom of reality. As reality is
one and cannot admit of multiplicity, therefore different opinions must
ultimately become fused into one.
And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is the oneness of the world of
humanity; that all human beings are the sheep of God and He is the kind
Shepherd. This Shepherd is kind to all the sheep, because He created
them all, trained them, provided for them and protected them. There is
no doubt that the Shepherd is kind to all the sheep and should there be
among these sheep ignorant ones, they must be
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educated; if there be children, they must be trained until they reach
maturity; if there be sick ones, they must be cured. There must be no
hatred and enmity, for as by a kind physician these ignorant, sick ones
should be treated.
And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is that religion must be the
cause of fellowship and love. If it becomes the cause of estrangement
then it is not needed, for religion is like a remedy; if it aggravates
the disease then it becomes unnecessary.
And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is that religion must be in
conformity with science and reason, so that it may influence the hearts
of men. The foundation must be solid and must not consist of imitations.
And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is that religious, racial,
political, economic and patriotic prejudices destroy the edifice of
humanity. As long as these prejudices prevail, the world of humanity
will not have rest. For a period of 6,000 years history informs us about
the world of humanity. During these 6,000 years the world of humanity
has not been free from war, strife, murder and bloodthirstiness. In
every period war has been waged in one country or another and that war
was due to either religious prejudice, racial prejudice, political
prejudice or patriotic prejudice. It has therefore been ascertained and
proved that all prejudices are destructive of the human edifice. As long
as these prejudices persist, the struggle for existence must remain
dominant, and bloodthirstiness and rapacity continue. Therefore, even as
was the case in the past, the world of humanity cannot be saved from the
darkness of nature and cannot attain illumination except through the
abandonment of prejudices and the acquisition of the morals of the
Kingdom.
If this prejudice and enmity are on account of religion consider that
religion should be the cause of fellowship,
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otherwise it is fruitless. And if this prejudice be the prejudice of
nationality consider that all mankind are of one nation; all have sprung
from the tree of Adam, and Adam is the root of the tree. That tree is
one and all these nations are like branches, while the individuals of
humanity are like leaves, blossoms and fruits thereof. Then the
establishment of various nations and the consequent shedding of blood
and destruction of the edifice of humanity result from human ignorance
and selfish motives.
As to the patriotic prejudice, this is also due to absolute ignorance,
for the surface of the earth is one native land. Every one can live in
any spot on the terrestrial globe. Therefore all the world is man's
birthplace. These boundaries and outlets have been devised by man. In
the creation, such boundaries and outlets were not assigned. Europe is
one continent, Asia is one continent, Africa is one continent, Australia
is one continent, but some of the souls, from personal motives and
selfish interests, have divided each one of these continents and
considered a certain part as their own country. God has set up no
frontier between France and Germany; they are continuous. Yea, in the
first centuries, selfish souls, for the promotion of their own
interests, have assigned boundaries and outlets and have, day by day,
attached more importance to these, until this led to intense enmity,
bloodshed and rapacity in subsequent centuries. In the same way this
will continue indefinitely, and if this conception of patriotism remains
limited within a certain circle, it will be the primary cause of the
world's destruction. No wise and just person will acknowledge these
imaginary distinctions. Every limited area which we call our native
country we regard as our motherland, whereas the terrestrial globe is
the motherland of all, and not any restricted area. In short, for a few
days we live on this earth and
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eventually we are buried in it, it is our eternal tomb. Is it worth
while that we should engage in bloodshed and tear one another to pieces
for this eternal tomb? Nay, far from it, neither is God pleased with
such conduct nor would any sane man approve of it.
Consider! The blessed animals engage in no patriotic quarrels. They are
in the utmost fellowship with one another and live together in harmony.
For example, if a dove from the east and a dove from the west, a dove
from the north and a dove from the south chance to arrive, at the same
time, in one spot, they immediately associate in harmony. So is it with
all the blessed animals and birds. But the ferocious animals, as soon as
they meet, attack and fight with each other, tear each other to pieces
and it is impossible for them to live peaceably together in one spot.
They are all unsociable and fierce, savage and combative fighters.
Regarding the economic prejudice, it is apparent that whenever the ties
between nations become strengthened and the exchange of commodities
accelerated, and any economic principle is established in one country,
it will ultimately affect the other countries and universal benefits
will result. Then why this prejudice?
As to the political prejudice, the policy of God must be followed and it
is indisputable that the policy of God is greater than human policy. We
must follow the Divine policy and that applies alike to all individuals.
He treats all individuals alike: no distinction is made, and that is the
foundation of the Divine Religions.
And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is the origination of one
language that may be spread universally among the people. This teaching
was revealed from the pen of Baha'u'llah in order that this universal
language may eliminate misunderstandings from among mankind.
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And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is the equality of women and men.
The world of humanity has two wings-- one is women and the other men.
Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly. Should one
wing remain weak, flight is impossible. Not until the world of women
becomes equal to the world of men in the acquisition of virtues and
perfections, can success and prosperity be attained as they ought to be.
And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is voluntary sharing of one's
property with others among mankind. This voluntary sharing is greater
than equality, and consists in this, that man should not prefer himself
to others, but rather should sacrifice his life and property for others.
But this should not be introduced by coercion so that it becomes a law
and man is compelled to follow it. Nay, rather, man should voluntarily
and of his own choice sacrifice his property and life for others, and
spend willingly for the poor, just as is done in Persia among the
Baha'is.
And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is man's freedom, that through
the ideal Power he should be free and emancipated from the captivity of
the world of nature; for as long as man is captive to nature he is a
ferocious animal, as the struggle for existence is one of the exigencies
of the world of nature. This matter of the struggle for existence is the
fountain-head of all calamities and is the supreme affliction.
And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is that religion is a mighty
bulwark. If the edifice of religion shakes and totters, commotion and
chaos will ensue and the order of things will be utterly upset, for in
the world of mankind there are two safeguards that protect man from
wrongdoing. One is the law which punishes the criminal; but the law
prevents only the manifest crime and not the concealed
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sin; whereas the ideal safeguard, namely, the religion of God, prevents
both the manifest and the concealed crime, trains man, educates morals,
compels the adoption of virtues and is the all-inclusive power which
guarantees the felicity of the world of mankind. But by religion is
meant that which is ascertained by investigation and not that which is
based on mere imitation, the foundations of Divine Religions and not
human imitations.
And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is that although material
civilization is one of the means for the progress of the world of
mankind, yet until it becomes combined with Divine civilization, the
desired result, which is the felicity of mankind, will not be attained.
Consider! These battleships that reduce a city to ruins within the space
of an hour are the result of material civilization; likewise the Krupp
guns, the Mauser rifles, dynamite, submarines, torpedo boats, armed
aircraft and bombers--all these weapons of war are the malignant fruits
of material civilization. Had material civilization been combined with
Divine civilization, these fiery weapons would never have been invented.
Nay, rather, human energy would have been wholly devoted to useful
inventions and would have been concentrated on praiseworthy discoveries.
Material civilization is like a lamp-glass. Divine civilization is the
lamp itself and the glass without the light is dark. Material
civilization is like the body. No matter how infinitely graceful,
elegant and beautiful it may be, it is dead. Divine civilization is like
the spirit, and the body gets its life from the spirit, otherwise it
becomes a corpse. It has thus been made evident that the world of
mankind is in need of the breaths of the Holy Spirit. Without the spirit
the world of mankind is lifeless, and without this light the world of
mankind is in utter darkness. For the world of nature is an animal
world.
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Until man is born again from the world of nature, that is to say,
becomes detached from the world of nature, he is essentially an animal,
and it is the teachings of God which convert this animal into a human
soul.
And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is the promotion of education.
Every child must be instructed in sciences as much as is necessary. If
the parents are able to provide the expenses of this education, it is
well, otherwise the community must provide the means for the teaching of
that child.
And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah are justice and right. Until
these are realized on the plane of existence, all things shall be in
disorder and remain imperfect. The world of mankind is a world of
oppression and cruelty, and a realm of aggression and error.
In fine, such teachings are numerous. These manifold principles, which
constitute the greatest basis for the felicity of mankind and are of the
bounties of the Merciful, must be added to the matter of universal peace
and combined with it, so that results may accrue. Otherwise the
realization of universal peace by itself in the world of mankind is
difficult. As the teachings of Baha'u'llah are combined with universal
peace, they are like a table provided with every kind of fresh and
delicious food. Every soul can find, at that table of infinite bounty,
that which he desires. If the question is restricted to universal peace
alone, the remarkable results which are expected and desired will not be
attained. The scope of universal peace must be such that all the
communities and religions may find their highest wish realized in it.
The teachings of Baha'u'llah are such that all the communities of the
world, whether religious, political or ethical, ancient or modern, find
in them the expression of their highest wish.
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For example, the people of religions find, in the teachings of
Baha'u'llah, the establishment of Universal Religion--a religion that
perfectly conforms with present conditions, which in reality effects the
immediate cure of the incurable disease, which relieves every pain, and
bestows the infallible antidote for every deadly poison. For if we wish
to arrange and organize the world of mankind in accordance with the
present religious imitations and thereby to establish the felicity of
the world of mankind, it is impossible and impracticable --for example,
the enforcement of the laws of the Torah and also of the other religions
in accordance with present imitations. But the essential basis of all
the Divine Religions which pertains to the virtues of the world of
mankind and is the foundation of the welfare of the world of man, is
found in the teachings of Baha'u'llah in the most perfect presentation.
Similarly, with regard to the peoples who clamour for freedom: the
moderate freedom which guarantees the welfare of the world of mankind
and maintains and preserves the universal relationships, is found in its
fullest power and extension in the teachings of Baha'u'llah.
So with regard to political parties: that which is the greatest policy
directing the world of mankind, nay, rather, the Divine policy, is found
in the teachings of Baha'u'llah.
Likewise with regard to the party of `equality' which seeks the solution
of the economic problems: until now all proposed solutions have proved
impracticable except the economic proposals in the teachings of
Baha'u'llah which are practicable and cause no distress to society.
So with the other parties: when ye look deeply into this matter, ye will
discover that the highest aims of those parties are found in the
teachings of Baha'u'llah. These teachings constitute the all-inclusive
power among all men
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and are practicable. But there are some teachings of the past, such as
those of the Torah, which cannot be carried out at the present day. It
is the same with the other religions and the tenets of the various sects
and the different parties.
For example, the question of universal peace, about which Baha'u'llah
says that the Supreme Tribunal must be established: although the League
of Nations has been brought into existence, yet it is incapable of
establishing universal peace. But the Supreme Tribunal which Baha'u'llah
has described will fulfil this sacred task with the utmost might and
power. And His plan is this: that the national assemblies of each
country and nation--that is to say parliaments--should elect two or
three persons who are the choicest men of that nation, and are well
informed concerning international laws and the relations between
governments and aware of the essential needs of the world of humanity in
this day. The number of these representatives should be in proportion to
the number of inhabitants of that country. The election of these souls
who are chosen by the national assembly, that is, the parliament, must
be confirmed by the upper house, the congress and the cabinet and also
by the president or monarch so these persons may be the elected ones of
all the nation and the government. From among these people the members
of the Supreme Tribunal will be elected, and all mankind will thus have
a share therein, for every one of these delegates is fully
representative of his nation. When the Supreme Tribunal gives a ruling
on any international question, either unanimously or by majority rule,
there will no longer be any pretext for the plaintiff or ground of
objection for the defendant. In case any of the governments or nations,
in the execution of the irrefutable decision of the Supreme Tribunal, be
negligent or dilatory, the rest of the nations will rise up against
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it, because all the governments and nations of the world are the
supporters of this Supreme Tribunal. Consider what a firm foundation
this is! But by a limited and restricted League the purpose will not be
realized as it ought and should. This is the truth about the situation,
which has been stated....
228. O Servant of the Threshold of Baha'u'llah! Thy letter dated 14 June
1920 hath been received. A letter from some of the members of the Peace
Committee hath also been received and an answer hath been written to
them. Deliver it to them.
It is evident that this meeting is not what it is reputed to be and is
unable to order and arrange affairs in the manner which is befitting and
necessary. However that may be, the matter in which they are engaged is
nevertheless of the greatest importance. The meeting at The Hague should
have such power and influence that its word will have an effect on the
governments and nations. Point out to the revered members gathered there
that the Hague Conference held before the war had as its President the
Emperor of Russia, and its members were men of the greatest eminence.
Nevertheless this did not prevent such a terrible war. Now how will it
be? For in the future another war, fiercer than the last, will assuredly
break out; verily, of this there is no doubt whatever. What can the
Hague meeting do?
But the fundamental principles laid down by Baha'u'llah are day by day
spreading. Deliver the answer to their letter and express the greatest
love and kindness, and leave them to their own affairs. In any case they
ought to be pleased with you, and subject to their approval you may
print and distribute that detailed epistle of mine which hath already
been translated into English.
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As to the Esperantists, associate with them. Whenever you find one with
capacity, convey to him the fragrances of Life. In all the meetings
converse about the teachings of Baha'u'llah, because this will be
effective today in the western countries. And if they ask regarding your
belief in Baha'u'llah, you should reply that we consider Him as the
foremost Teacher and Educator of the world in this age, and make clear,
explaining in detail, that these teachings regarding universal peace and
other subjects were revealed by the pen of Baha'u'llah fifty years ago
and have already been published in Persia and India and spread abroad
throughout the whole world. In the beginning all were incredulous about
the idea of universal peace, considering it an impossibility. Further,
speak of the greatness of Baha'u'llah, of the events that took place in
Persia and Turkey, of the astonishing influence that He exerted, of the
contents of the Epistles which He addressed to all the sovereigns, and
of their fulfilment. Also speak of the spread of the Baha'i Cause.
Associate with the Committee of Universal Peace at The Hague as much as
possible, showing them every courtesy.
It is evident that the Esperantists are receptive and thou art familiar
with and expert in their language. Communicate also with the
Esperantists of Germany and other places. The literature which thou
circulatest should deal only with the teachings. The dissemination of
other literature is at present not advisable. My hope is that the divine
confirmations may continually assist thee....
Grieve not over the apathy and coldness of the Hague meeting. Put thy
trust in God. Our hope is that among the people the Esperanto language
may hereafter have a powerful effect. Thou hast now sown the seed.
Assuredly it will grow. Its growth dependeth upon God.
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229. O sincere servant of the True One! I hear thou art grieved and
distressed at the happenings of the world and the vicissitudes of
fortune. Wherefore this fear and sorrow? The true lovers of the Abha
Beauty, and they that have quaffed the Cup of the Covenant fear no
calamity, nor feel depressed in the hour of trial. They regard the fire
of adversity as their garden of delight, and the depth of the sea the
expanse of heaven.
Thou who art neath the shelter of God, and under the shadow of the Tree
of His Covenant, why sorrow and repine? Rest thou assured and feel
confident. Observe the written commandments of thy Lord with joy and
peace, with earnestness and sincerity; and be thou the well-wisher of
thy country and thy government. His grace shall assist thee at all
times, His blessings shall be bestowed upon thee, and thy heart's desire
shall be realized.
By the Ancient Beauty!--may my life be a sacrifice for His loved
ones--Were the friends to realize what a glorious sovereignty the Lord
hath destined for them in His Kingdom, surely they would be filled with
ecstasy, would behold themselves crowned with immortal glory and carried
away with transports of delight. Erelong it shall be made manifest how
brilliantly the light of His bountiful care and mercy hath shone upon
His loved ones, and what a turbulent ocean hath been stirred in their
hearts! Then will they clamour and exclaim: Happy are we; let all the
world rejoice!
230. O respected personage! Thy second letter dated 19 December 1918 was
received. It was the cause of great joy and gladness, for it showed thy
firmness and steadfastness in the Covenant and Testament and thy
yearning to
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raise the call of the Kingdom of God. Today the call of the Kingdom is
the magnetic power which draweth to itself the world of mankind, for
capacity in men is great. Divine teachings constitute the spirit of this
age, nay rather the sun of this age. Every soul must endeavour that the
veils that cover men's eyes may be torn asunder and that instantly the
sun may be seen and that heart and sight may be illumined thereby.
Now, through the aid and bounty of God, this power of guidance and this
merciful bestowal are found in thee. Arise, therefore, in the utmost
Power that thou mayest bestow spirit upon mouldering bones, give sight
to the blind, balm and freshness to the depressed, and liveliness and
grace to the dispirited. Every lamp will eventually be extinguished save
the lamp of the Kingdom, which increaseth day by day in splendour. Every
call shall ultimately weaken except the call to the Kingdom of God,
which day unto day is raised. Every path shall finally be twisted except
the road of the Kingdom, which straighteneth day by day. Undoubtedly
heavenly melody is not to be measured with an earthly one, and
artificial lights are not to be compared with the heavenly Sun. Hence
one must exert endeavour in whatever is lasting and permanent so that
one may more and more be illumined, strengthened and revived....
I pray and supplicate the Divine Kingdom that thy father, mother and
brother may, through the light of guidance, enter the Kingdom of God.
231. O thou blossom on the Tree of Life! Happy art thou to have girded
thy loins in service; to have risen with all thy power in the
promulgation of the divine teachings, to have convened gatherings and to
have striven for the exaltation of the Word of God.
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In this mortal world every important matter hath an end; and every
remarkable achievement a termination; none having permanent existence.
For instance, consider how the important achievements of the ancient
world have been totally exterminated and not a trace remaineth therefrom
save the great Cause of the Kingdom of God, which hath no beginning and
will have no end. At most, it is only renewed. At the beginning of each
renewal it commandeth no attention in the sight of the people, but when
once definitely established, it will daily advance and in its daily
exaltation will reach the supreme heavens.
For instance, consider the day of Christ, which was the day of the
renewal of the Kingdom of God. The people of the world attached no
importance to it and did not realize its significance to such an extent
that the sepulchre of Christ remained lost and unknown for three hundred
years, until the maidservant of God, Helen, the mother of Constantine
arrived and discovered the sacred spot.
My purpose in all this is to show how unobservant are the people of the
world and how ignorant, and on the day of the establishment of the
Kingdom, they remain heedless and negligent.
Erelong the power of the Kingdom will encompass all the world and then
they will be awakened and will cry and lament over those who were
oppressed and martyred, and will sigh and moan. Such is the nature of
people.
232. As to President Wilson, the fourteen principles which he hath
enunciated are mostly found in the teachings of Baha'u'llah and I
therefore hope that he will be confirmed and assisted. Now is the dawn
of universal peace;
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my hope is that its morn will fully break, converting the gloom of war,
of strife and of wrangling among men into the light of union, of harmony
and of affection.
233. O ye faithful friends, O ye sincere servants of Baha'u'llah! Now,
in the midwatches of the night, when eyes are closed in slumber and all
have laid their heads upon the couch of rest and deep sleep, Abdu'l-Baha
is wakeful within the precincts of the Hallowed Shrine and, in the
ardour of his invocation uttereth this, his prayer:
O Thou kind and loving Providence! The east is astir and the west
surgeth even as the eternal billows of the sea. The gentle breezes of
holiness are diffused and, from the Unseen Kingdom, the rays of the Orb
of Truth shine forth resplendent. The anthems of divine unity are being
chanted and the ensigns of celestial might are waving. The angelic Voice
is raised and, even as the roaring of the leviathan, soundeth the call
to selflessness and evanescence. The triumphal cry Ya Baha'u'l-Abha
resoundeth on every side, and the call Ya Aliyyu'l-'Ala ringeth
throughout all regions. No stir is there in the world save that of the
Glory of the One Ravisher of Hearts, and no tumult is there save the
surging of the love of Him, the Incomparable, the Well-Beloved.
The beloved of the Lord, with their musk-scented breath, burn like
bright candles in every clime, and the friends of the All-Merciful, even
as unfolding flowers, can be found in all regions. Not for a moment do
they rest; they breathe not but in remembrance of Thee, and crave naught
but to serve Thy Cause. In the meadows of truth they are as
sweet-singing nightingales, and in the
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flower-garden of guidance they are even as brightly-coloured blossoms.
With mystic flowers they adorn the walks of the Garden of Reality; as
swaying cypresses they line the riverbanks of the Divine Will. Above the
horizon of being they shine as radiant stars; in the firmament of the
world they gleam as resplendent orbs. Manifestations of celestial grace
are they, and daysprings of the light of divine assistance.
Grant, O Thou Loving Lord, that all may stand firm and steadfast,
shining with everlasting splendour, so that, at every breath, gentle
breezes may blow from the bowers of Thy loving-kindness, that from the
ocean of Thy grace a mist may rise, that the kindly showers of Thy love
may bestow freshness, and the zephyr waft its perfume from the rose
garden of divine unity.
Vouchsafe, O Best Beloved of the World, a ray from Thy Splendour. O
Well-Beloved of mankind, shed upon us the light of Thy Countenance.
O God Omnipotent, do Thou shield us and be our refuge and, O Lord of
Being, show forth Thy might and Thy dominion.
O Thou loving Lord, the movers of sedition are in some regions astir and
active, and by night and day are inflicting a grievous wrong.
Even as wolves, tyrants are lying in wait, and the wronged, innocent
flock hath neither help nor succour. Hounds are on the trail of the
gazelles of the fields of divine unity, and the pheasant in the
mountains of heavenly guidance is pursued by the ravens of envy.
O Thou divine Providence, preserve and protect us! O Thou Who art our
Shield, save us and defend us! Keep us beneath Thy Shelter, and by Thy
Help save us from all ills. Thou art, indeed, the True Protector, the
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Unseen Guardian, the Celestial Preserver, and the Heavenly Loving Lord.
O ye beloved of the Lord! On one side the standard of the One True God
is unfurled and the Voice of the Kingdom raised. The Cause of God is
spreading, and manifest in splendour are the wonders from on high. The
east is illumined and the west perfumed; fragrant with ambergris is the
north, and musk-scented the south.
On the other side the faithless wax in hate and rancour, ceaselessly
stirring up grievous sedition and mischief. No day goeth by but someone
raiseth the standard of revolt and spurreth his charger into the arena
of discord. No hour passeth but the vile adder bareth its fangs and
scattereth its deadly venom.
The beloved of the Lord are wrapped in utter sincerity and devotion,
unmindful of this rancour and malice. Smooth and insidious are these
snakes, these whisperers of evil, artful in their craft and guile. Be ye
on your guard and ever wakeful! Quick-witted and keen of intellect are
the faithful, and firm and steadfast are the assured. Act ye with all
circumspection!
`Fear ye the sagacity of the faithful, for he seeth with the divine
light!'
Beware lest any soul privily cause disruption or stir up strife. In the
Impregnable Stronghold be ye brave warriors, and for the Mighty Mansion
a valiant host. Exercise the utmost care, and day and night be on your
guard, that thereby the tyrant may inflict no harm.
Study the Tablet of the Holy Mariner that ye may know the truth and
consider that the Blessed Beauty hath fully foretold future events. Let
them who perceive take warning. Verily in this is a bounty for the
sincere!
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Even as dust upon the Sacred Threshold, in utter humility and lowliness,
Abdu'l-Baha is engaged in the promulgation of His signs in the daytime
and in the night season. Whensoever he findeth time he prayeth ardently,
and beseecheth Him tearfully and fervently, saying:
O Thou divine Providence, pitiful are we, grant us Thy succour; homeless
wanderers, give us Thy shelter; scattered, do Thou unite us; astray,
gather us to Thy fold; bereft, do Thou bestow upon us a share and
portion; athirst, lead us to the well-spring of Life; frail, strengthen
us that we may arise to help Thy Cause and offer ourselves as a living
sacrifice in the pathway of guidance.
The faithless, however, by day and night, openly and privily do their
utmost to shake the foundations of the Cause, to root out the Blessed
Tree, to deprive this servant of service, to kindle secret sedition and
strife and to annihilate Abdu'l-Baha. Outwardly they appear as sheep,
yet inwardly they are naught but ravening wolves. Sweet in words, they
are but at heart a deadly poison.
O ye beloved ones, guard the Cause of God! Let no sweetness of tongue
beguile you--nay, rather consider the motive of every soul, and ponder
the thought he cherisheth. Be ye straightway mindful and on your guard.
Avoid him, yet be not aggressive! Refrain from censure and from slander,
and leave him in the Hand of God. Upon you rest the Glory of Glories.
234. O thou who art enraptured by the sweet breathings of the Lord! I
have noted the contents of thine eloquent letter, and have learned that
thou sheddest tears
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and thy heart is afire from grieving over the imprisonment of
Abdu'l-Baha.
O thou handmaid of God! This prison is sweeter to me and more to be
desired than a garden of flowers; to me, this bondage is better than the
freedom to go my way, and I find this narrow place more spacious than
wide and open plains. Do not grieve over me. And should my Lord decree
that I be blessed with sweet martyrdom's cup, this would but mean
receiving what I long for most.
Fear not if this Branch be severed from this material world and cast
aside its leaves; nay, the leaves thereof shall flourish, for this
Branch will grow after it is cut off from this world below, it shall
reach the loftiest pinnacles of glory, and it shall bear such fruits as
will perfume the world with their fragrance.
235. O God, my God! Illumine the brows of Thy true lovers and support
them with angelic hosts of certain triumph. Set firm their feet on Thy
straight path, and out of Thine ancient bounty open before them the
portals of Thy blessings; for they are expending on Thy pathway what
Thou hast bestowed upon them, safeguarding Thy Faith, putting their
trust in their remembrance of Thee, offering up their hearts for love of
Thee, and withholding not what they possess in adoration for Thy Beauty
and in their search for ways to please Thee.
O my Lord! Ordain for them a plenteous share, a destined recompense and
sure reward.
Verily, Thou art the Sustainer, the Helper, the Generous, the Bountiful,
the Ever-Bestowing.
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236. O Thou, my God, Who guidest the seeker to the pathway that leadeth
aright, Who deliverest the lost and blinded soul out of the wastes of
perdition, Thou Who bestowest upon the sincere great bounties and
favours, Who guardest the frightened within Thine impregnable refuge,
Who answerest, from Thine all-highest horizon, the cry of those who cry
out unto Thee. Praised be Thou, O my Lord! Thou hast guided the
distracted out of the death of unbelief, and hast brought those who draw
nigh unto Thee to the journey's goal, and hast rejoiced the assured
among Thy servants by granting them their most cherished desires, and
hast, from Thy Kingdom of beauty, opened before the faces of those who
yearn after Thee the gates of reunion, and hast rescued them from the
fires of deprivation and loss --so that they hastened unto Thee and
gained Thy presence, and arrived at Thy welcoming door, and received of
gifts an abundant share.
O my Lord, they thirsted, Thou didst lift to their parched lips the
waters of reunion. O Tender One, Bestowing One, Thou didst calm their
pain with the balm of Thy bounty and grace, and didst heal their
ailments with the sovereign medicine of Thy compassion. O Lord, make
firm their feet on Thy straight path, make wide for them the needle's
eye, and cause them, dressed in royal robes, to walk in glory for ever
and ever.
Verily art Thou the Generous, the Ever-Giving, the Precious, the Most
Bountiful. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Powerful,
the Exalted, the Victorious.
O my spiritual loved ones! Praise be to God, ye have thrust the veils
aside and recognized the compassionate Beloved, and have hastened away
from this abode to the placeless realm. Ye have pitched your tents in
the world of
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God, and to glorify Him, the Self-Subsistent, ye have raised sweet
voices and sung songs that pierced the heart. Well done! A thousand
times well done! For ye have beheld the Light made manifest, and in your
reborn beings ye have raised the cry, `Blessed be the Lord, the best of
all creators!' Ye were but babes in the womb, then were ye sucklings,
and from a precious breast ye drew the milk of knowledge, then came ye
to your full growth, and won salvation. Now is the time for service, and
for servitude unto the Lord. Release yourselves from all distracting
thoughts, deliver the Message with an eloquent tongue, adorn your
assemblages with praise of the Beloved, till bounty shall descend in
overwhelming floods and dress the world in fresh greenery and blossoms.
This streaming bounty is even the counsels, admonitions, instructions,
and injunctions of Almighty God.
O ye my loved ones! The world is wrapped in the thick darkness of open
revolt and swept by a whirlwind of hate. It is the fires of malevolence
that have cast up their flames to the clouds of heaven, it is a
blood-drenched flood that rolleth across the plains and down the hills,
and no one on the face of the earth can find any peace. Therefore must
the friends of God engender that tenderness which cometh from Heaven,
and bestow love in the spirit upon all humankind. With every soul must
they deal according to the Divine counsellings and admonitions; to all
must they show forth kindness and good faith; to all must they wish
well. They must sacrifice themselves for their friends, and wish good
fortune to their foes. They must comfort the ill-natured, and treat
their oppressors with loving-kindness. They must be as refreshing water
to the thirsty, and to the sick, a swift remedy, a healing balm to those
in pain and a solace to every burdened heart. They must be a guiding
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light to those who have gone astray, a sure leader for the lost. They
must be seeing eyes to the blind, hearing ears to the deaf, and to the
dead eternal life, and to the despondent joy forever.
Let them willingly subject themselves to every just king, and to every
generous ruler be good citizens. Let them obey the government and not
meddle in political affairs, but devote themselves to the betterment of
character and behaviour, and fix their gaze upon the Light of the world.
237. Whoso reciteth this prayer with lowliness and fervour will bring
gladness and joy to the heart of this Servant; it will be even as
meeting Him face to face.
He is the All-Glorious!
O God, my God! Lowly and tearful, I raise my suppliant hands to Thee and
cover my face in the dust of that Threshold of Thine, exalted above the
knowledge of the learned, and the praise of all that glorify Thee.
Graciously look upon Thy servant, humble and lowly at Thy door, with the
glances of the eye of Thy mercy, and immerse him in the Ocean of Thine
eternal grace.
Lord! He is a poor and lowly servant of Thine, enthralled and imploring
Thee, captive in Thy hand, praying fervently to Thee, trusting in Thee,
in tears before Thy face, calling to Thee and beseeching Thee, saying:
O Lord, my God! Give me Thy grace to serve Thy loved ones, strengthen me
in my servitude to Thee, illumine my brow with the light of adoration in
Thy court of holiness, and of prayer to Thy Kingdom of grandeur. Help
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me to be selfless at the heavenly entrance of Thy gate, and aid me to be
detached from all things within Thy holy precincts. Lord! Give me to
drink from the chalice of selflessness; with its robe clothe me, and in
its ocean immerse me. Make me as dust in the pathway of Thy loved ones,
and grant that I may offer up my soul for the earth ennobled by the
footsteps of Thy chosen ones in Thy path, O Lord of Glory in the
Highest.
With this prayer doth Thy servant call Thee, at dawntide and in the
night-season. Fulfil his heart's desire, O Lord! Illumine his heart,
gladden his bosom, kindle his light, that he may serve Thy Cause and Thy
servants.
Thou art the Bestower, the Pitiful, the Most Bountiful, the Gracious,
the Merciful, the Compassionate.
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