Page 156
CHAPTER FOUR
THE DEGREES OF DEVOTION
138. Read the Verses of God every morning and evening, and he who does
not read will not be known by the Covenant of God and His Testament. And he who
turns away from them in this Day, verily he is of those who have turned away
from God since the eternity of eternities. O ye servants, fear God! Be not
deluded by meaningless repetition of prayers, but worship by day and by night.
Should any one read but one Verse of the Verses with fragrance and spirituality,
it shall avail more unto him than to read with slothfulness all the Books of
God, the Protector, the Self-existent.
139. Teach your children that which is caused to descend from the
heaven of might and greatness that they, in the
Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, may read the Tablets of the
Merciful in the sweetest of tones. Verily, he who is overtaken by the
attraction of the love of My Name, the Merciful, will assuredly read the Verses
of God in such wise as to charm the hearts of those who are asleep.
140. He who knoweth Me hath known the Intended, and he who turneth
unto Me hath turned unto the Adored.
141. The Sun of Truth is the Word of God, upon which depends the
training of the people of the country of thought. It is the Spirit of Reality
and the Water of Life. All things owe their existence to it. Its manifestation
is ever according to the capacity and coloring of the mirror through which it
may reflect. For example: Its Light, when cast upon the mirrors of the wise,
gives expression to wisdom; when reflected from the minds of artists, it
produces manifestations of new and beautiful arts; and when it shines through
the minds of students, it reveals knowledge and unfolds mysteries.
142. All things of the world arise through man and are manifest in
him, through whom they find life and development; and man is dependent for his
(spiritual) existence upon the Sun of the Word
Page 157
of God. All the good names and lofty qualities are of the Word. The
Word is the fire of God which, glowing in the hearts of people, burns away all
things that are not of God. The minds of the lovers are ever aflame with this
fire. Outwardly, it is burning fire, while inwardly it is calm light. This is
the Water which giveth life to all things.
143. We beg of God that we may partake of this life-giving Water of
Heaven, and quaff from the spiritual chalice of rest, and thus be free from all
that tends to withhold us from approaching His love.
Glory be upon the people of glory!
144. O Son of Man! Wert thou to observe mercy, thou wouldst not
regard thine own interest, but the interest of mankind. Wert thou to observe
justice, choose thou for others what thou choosest for thyself.
145. Verily, man is uplifted to the heaven of glory and power through
meekness; again, through pride, is he degraded to the lowest
station.
146. O ye discerning ones of the people: Verily, the Words which have
descended from the heaven of the will of God are the source of unity and harmony
for the world. Close your eyes to racial differences and welcome all with the
light of oneness. Be the cause of comfort and the promotion of humanity. This
handful of dust, the world, is one home: let it be in unity. Forsake pride, it
is a cause of discord. Follow that which tends to harmony.
147. Consort with all the people in love and fragrance. Fellowship is
the cause of unity, and unity is the source of order in the world. Blessed are
they who are kind and serve with love.
148. In this day he who seeks the light of the Sun of Truth must free
his mind from the tales of the past, must adorn his head with the crown of
severance, and his temple with the robe of virtue. Then shall he arrive at the
ocean of Oneness and enter the presence of Singleness. The heart must become
free from the fire of superstitions, that it may receive the light of assurance,
and that it may perceive the Glory of God.
149. Oneness, in its true significance, means that God alone should be
realized as the one power which animates and dominates all things, which are but
manifestations of Its energy.
Page 158
150. God, singly and alone, abideth in His place which is holy above
space and time, mention and utterance, sign, description and definition, height
and depth.
151. O my God! O my God! Adorn the heads of Thy chosen ones with the
crown of love, and their temples with the robe of virtue.
152. The people of Bahá must serve the Lord with wisdom, teach
others by their lives and manifest the light of God in their deeds. The effect
of deeds is in truth more powerful than that of words.
153. The progress of man depends upon faithfulness, wisdom, chastity,
intelligence and deeds. He is ever degraded by ignorance, lack of faith,
untruth and selfishness. Verily, man is not called man until he be imbued with
the attributes of the Merciful. He is not man because of wealth and adornment,
learning and refinement. Blessed is he who is free from the names, seeking the
shore of the sea of purity, and loving the melody of the dove of
virtue.
154. In this day all must serve God with purity and virtue. The effect
of the word spoken by the teacher depends upon his purity of purpose and his
severance. Some are content with words, but the truth of words is tested by
deeds and dependent upon life. Deeds reveal the station of the man. The words
(of the teacher) must be according to what has proceeded from the mouth of the
will of God and is recorded in Tablets.
155. The source of all good is trust in God, obedience to His command,
and satisfaction in His will.
156. The principle of religion is to acknowledge what is revealed by
God, and to obey the laws established in His Book.
157. The origin of glory is to be content with that which God has
provided, and to be satisfied with what He has ordained.
158. The source of love is to advance to the Beloved and to abandon
all else save Him, and to have no hope save His will.
159. The principle of faith is to lessen words and to increase deeds.
He whose words exceed his acts, know verily that his nonbeing is better than his
being, and death better than his life.
160. The root of all knowledge is the knowledge of God: Glory be to
Him! And this knowledge is impossible save through His
Manifestation.
161. The beginning of courage is effort to promote the Word of God and
to remain firm in His love.
Page 159
162. The cause of all benefit is to manifest the blessings of God and
to be thankful under all conditions.
163. The source of all these utterances is justice. It is the freedom
of man from superstition and imitation, that he may discern the Manifestations
of God with the eye of oneness, and consider all affairs with keen
vision.
164. In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful! Praise be
unto God, who caused existence to appear from nonexistence, inscribed the
mysteries of pre-existence on the tablet of man, and taught him the explanation
of that which he knoweth not; made him a manifest book to such as believed and
obeyed, enabled him to witness the creation of all things during this gloomy,
disastrous age, and caused him to give utterance on the apex of immortality to a
wonderful melody in the “Most Excellent Temple”; so that every one
may testify in himself, by himself, in the seat of the Manifestation of his
Lord, that “verily, there is no God save Him”; and that all may
thereby reach the summit of truth, until no one shall behold anything
whatsoever, but that he may see God therein.
165. And I bless and salute the First Sea, branched out from the sea
of the Divine Essence, the First Morn dawned forth from the horizon of Unity,
the First Sun risen in the heaven of Eternity, the First Fire ignited from the
lamp of pre-existence in the niche of Oneness; the one who is Ahmad in the
kingdom of the worlds, is Muhammad in the Concourse of the Chosen, and is
Muhammad in the realm of the sincere ones. “By whatsoever name ye invoke
Him, it is the same; for He hath names” in the hearts of the knowing!
Abundant, everlasting and eternal peace be on his household and
companions!
166. By my life, O friend, wert thou to taste these fruits from the
verdure of these hyacinths which are planted in the grounds of knowledge, near
the manifestation of the lights of the Essence in the mirrors of Names and
Attributes, yearning will take the reins of patience and fortitude from thy
grasp, thy soul will stir through the flashes of light, will uplift thee out of
the earthly abode unto the original, divine abode in the center of
significances; and will cause thee to ascend unto such a state that thou wilt
fly away in the air just as thou wouldst walk on the earth, and run on the water
even as thou wouldst on the ground. May it do good unto
Page 160
me, unto thee, unto whosoever may ascend to the heaven of knowledge,
and to him whose heart is fascinated by the zephyr of assurance wafting upon the
garden of his innate heart, from the Sheba of the Merciful!
Peace be unto those who follow guidance!
167. The stages of the journey of travelers from the earthly dwelling
to the home have been designated to be seven; some have spoken of these as
“Seven Valleys,” and others as “Seven Cities.” And they
have said: “Not until the traveler migrates from self and accomplishes
these journeys, will he arrive at the sea of nearness and union, or taste of the
peerless wine.” The first is
THE VALLEY OF SEARCH
168. The steed upon which to journey through this valley is
patience.
In this journey, the traveler will reach no destination without
patience, nor will he attain to his aim. He must never become dejected. Were he
to endeavor for a hundred thousand years and see not the beauty of the Friend,
he must not be downhearted!
It is conditional upon these servants to purify their hearts -- which
are the source of the divine treasury -- from every blemish, to turn away from
blind imitation which is a trace of forefathers and ancestors; and to close the
doors of friendship and enmity to all the people of the earth. In this journey
the seeker reaches such a station that he finds all the existent beings
bewildered in search of the Friend. Many a Jacob he sees wandering in quest of
Joseph. A world of friends he beholds, who are running in search of the desired
one, and a universe of lovers he finds, who are journeying after the beloved.
At every moment, he perceives a new matter, and at every hour he becomes
informed of a mystery; for he has lifted his heart from both worlds, and
intended to attain the Ka’aba of the Beloved.
In this journey, the traveler sits on every soil and dwells in every
land, and seeks the beauty of the Friend in every face. He searches for the
Beloved One in every country; he joins every multitude and associates with every
mind; perchance, he may discover the mystery of the Beloved One in some mind, or
behold the beauty of the Desired in some countenance.
Page 161
If, through the assistance of God, he find, in this journey, a trace
of the traceless Friend and breathe the perfume of the lost Joseph from the
harbinger of oneness, he will immediately step into
169. THE VALLEY OF LOVE
and become melted with the fire of devotion. In this valley the heaven
of attraction is lifted up, the world-illuminating sun of longing dawns forth
and the fire of love becomes ablaze. And when the fire of love is become
ablaze, the harvest of reason will be wholly consumed.
At this time, the traveler is unconscious, both of himself and of
aught else save himself. He knows neither knowledge nor ignorance, neither
doubt nor certainty; neither does he recognize the morn of guidance, nor the eve
of error.
The steed of this valley is pain; and without pain, this journey will
never be accomplished. In this stage, the lover has no thought but of the
Beloved, and seeks no shelter but the Desired. At every moment, he freely gives
a hundred lives in the path of the Beloved, and at every step he throws a
thousand heads at the feet of the Friend.
O my brother! Not until thou enterest the Egypt of the Spirit, wilt
thou attain to the Joseph of the beauty of the Friend; not until thou, like
Jacob, give up thine outer eye, wilt thou open thine inner eye; and not until
thou art ablaze with the fire of love wilt thou associate with the friend of
ecstasy! A lover fears nothing, and no loss can do him harm. Thou wilt see him
cool in fire, and find him dry even in the sea.
Love accepts not any existence, nor wishes any life. He finds life in
death and glory in shame. Much wit is needed to make one worthy of the ardor of
love; and many a head is required to be fit for the noose of the Friend.
Blessed is the neck which falleth into His noose, and happy is the head which is
dropped on the dust in the path of His love!
Therefore, O friend! be alien to the self, that thou mayest find thy
way to the Incomparable One; abandon the mortal earth that thou mayest take
residence in the divine nest. Nothingness is needed until thou canst kindle the
fire of existence and become acceptable in the path of love. “Love does
not accept a soul
Page 162
alive to its own desires: a falcon preys not on a dead mouse!”
If, by the assistance of the Creator, the lover is released in safety
from the claws of the falcon of love, he will then arrive in the realms
of
THE VALLEY OF KNOWLEDGE
170. He will be led from doubt to certainty and directed from the
darkness of the error of worldly desire to the light of guidance of piety. His
inner eye will be opened, and he will engage in close communion with his
Beloved. He will open the portal of truth and devotion, and close the doors of
superficiality. In this state, he will yield to the divine decree, will see war
as peace, find the significance of life in death, perceive the mysteries of the
“other world” in the regions of creation and in the souls of the
servants with the outward and inward eye; and, with the spiritual heart, he will
behold the eternal wisdom in the infinite manifestations of God. In an ocean he
will see a drop, and in a drop he will detect the mysteries of an ocean!
“The core of whatever mote thou mayest split, therein thou wilt find a
sun.”
In this valley, through absolute vision, a traveler sees in
God’s creation neither difference nor contradiction; and at every moment
he will say: “Thou canst not perceive any difference in the creation of
the most Merciful. Turn thou thine eyes, whether thou canst behold any
flaws!” He will see justice in injustice and witness grace in justice; he
will find many a knowledge concealed in ignorance, and realize a hundred
thousand wisdoms, manifest and evident, in knowledge. He will break the cage of
body and desire, and be attached to the spirit of the people of
immortality.
If he experiences any oppression he will endure it with patience, and
if he sees any wrath he will show forth affection.
This is the condition of the people of this valley. But the people of
the valley beyond this see the beginning and the end as one; nay, rather they
see no beginning and no end. For they have traveled through the worlds of
names, and passed over the worlds of attributes with the swiftness of lightning.
As it is said: “A perfect realization of ‘Divine Unity’ is to
strip it from all attributes.”
Nay, they pass even beyond this station, as it is said: “Love
is a screen between the lover and the Beloved.” To say more
than
Page 163
this, I have not permission. At this time, the morn of knowledge hath
dawned, and the lamps of travelling and wayfaring are put out.
If thou art a man of prayer and supplication, fly on the wings of
saintly effort, so that thou mayest see the mysteries of the Friend, and attain
to the lights of the Beloved. “We are God’s, and unto Him shall we
surely return.”
After journeying through the Valley of Knowledge, which is the last
station of limitation, the traveler reaches the first stage of
THE VALLEY OF UNITY
171. He drinks from the cup of abstraction and gazes on the
manifestations of singleness. In this station, he rends away the veils of
plurality, flies away from the worlds of lust, and ascends to the heaven of
oneness. He hears with divine ears, and beholds the mysteries of the creation
of the Eternal One with the eyes of God. He steps into the retreat of the
Friend, and becomes an intimate in the pavilion of the Beloved. He stretches
forth the hand of the True One from the bosom of omnipotence, and shows forth
the mysteries of power. He sees no commendation, name or dignity of himself; he
sees his own commendation in the commendation of the True One, and beholds the
name of the True One in his own name. He will know “all voices to be from
the King,” and hear all melodies as from Him. He will be establishes on
the throne of -- “Say, all is from God,” and rest on the carpet of
-- “There is no power nor might but through God alone.” He will
look upon things with the view of oneness; he will find the splendor of the
divine Sun from the invisible Dayspring shining equally upon all the contingent
beings, and see the lights of unity manifest and present in all existent
things!
All the differences which the traveler sees in the world of Being,
during the various stages of his journey, are due to the perception of the
traveler himself.
Consider the phenomenal sun which shines forth on all existent and
contingent beings with the same effulgence, and pours light upon all things by
the command of the King of Manifestation. But its appearance in every place, and
the light it sheds thereon, is in accord with the degree of capacity of the
place itself. For
Page 164
instance -- in a mirror it reflects as forms and disks, and this is due
to the clearness of the mirror itself. It creates fire in the crystal, while in
other things only the effect of its reflection is manifest and not its disk;
and, through that effect, it develops everything according to its capacity, by
the command of the Causer of effects, even as you see. Likewise, colors also
appear with respect to the condition of the place; even as in a yellow glass the
splendor is yellow, in a white one the ray is white, and in a red one it is red.
These differences are therefore due to the place and not to the effulgence of
light; and if the place is confronted by an obstacle such as walls or ceiling,
that place is entirely bereft of the splendor of the sun, and the sun shines not
thereon.
Thus, some of the weak souls, having enclosed the ground of knowledge
within the wall of self and desire and within the veil of heedlessness and
blindness, are therefore screened from the effulgence of the Sun of
Significances and the mysteries of the Eternal Beloved -- are kept afar from the
gems of wisdom of the manifest religion of the Lord of the Messengers, deprived
of the sacred home of beauty, and separated from the Ka’aba of glory. This
is the state of the people of the age!
When the gaze of the traveler is restricted to a limited place, that
is, when he looks as through a colored glass, he then sees (the limitations of)
yellow, red or white. It is due to such a view of things that conflict is
stirred up among the servants, and a gloomy dust, rising from men of limitation,
hath enveloped the world.
Some, however, extend their gaze to the effulgence of the light; and
other have drunk from the wine of oneness, and therefore see nothing but the Sun
itself. Thus, because of journeying in these three different stations,
travelers differ in their understanding and explanation of things. That is why
the sign of difference is manifest in the world; for some dwell in the plane of
oneness and speak in the world of oneness; some stand in the worlds of
limitation, others in the stages of the self, and still others are totally
veiled. Therefore, the ignorant of the age, who have gained no portion from the
splendor of the Beautiful One, speak in certain words, and in every time and age
they inflict upon the people of unity that which only is worthy of and befits
their own selves. “If God should punish men for the iniquity, He would
not leave on earth any moving thing; but He giveth them respite unto an
appointed time.”
Page 165
O my brother! A pure heart is like unto a mirror; polish it with the
purity of love and severance from all else save God, until the ideal sun may
reflect therein, and the eternal morn may dawn. Then wilt thou find clear and
manifest the meaning of: “Neither doth My earth nor My heaven occupy Me,
but the heart of My faithful servant occupieth Me” -- and wilt take thy
life in thy hands and sacrifice it, with a thousand longings, to the new
Beloved.
When the lights of the splendor of the King of Oneness are seated on
the throne of the heart and soul, His light becomes manifest in all the parts
and members. Then will the mystery of the well-known tradition emerge from the
veil of obscurity:
“A servant always draws near unto Me with prayers, until I
respond unto him. And when I have responded unto him, then I become his ear
wherewith he heareth. ...” For the Owner of the house becomes manifest in
His house, and the pillars of the house are illumined and effulgent through His
light. The action and effect of the light is from the Giver of Light; this is
why all move through Him and arise by His desire. This is that Fountain whereof
those shall drink who are near unto God.
Let no one suppose these explanations to be redolent of
anthropomorphism, or indicative of a degrading or restricting of the worlds of
the True One; for God, in His essence, is sanctified above ascent or descent,
entrance or exit. He has been, and will be everlastingly independent of the
attributes of the creatures: no one has known Him, and no soul has found out His
substance. All the sages are bewildered in the valley of His knowledge, and all
the saints are perplexed in their endeavor to comprehend His essence. He is
purified from being comprehended by all men of comprehension, and is exalted
above the knowing of men of knowledge. “The road is barred, and search
therefore is rejected. His evidence is His signs, and His being is His
proof.”
Yea, such mentions as are made concerning the stages of knowledge
apply only to the knowledge of the splendors of that Sun of Truth, become
manifest in the Mirrors. The reflection of that light is within the hearts; but
it is veiled through sensual coverings and accidental conditions, as is the case
with a light enclosed within an iron lantern. When the lantern is removed the
radiance of the light will appear. Likewise, when one rends
asunder
Page 166
the illusive veils from the face of the heart, the lights of Oneness
will dawn therein. Wherefore it is known that even for the Splendors there is
no entrance nor exit; how much less for that Essence of Beings and that Mystery
of the Desired One!
Mysteries are many, and strangers are countless. Books are not
sufficient for the mystery of the Beloved, nor can it be exhausted in these
Tablets, although the mystery is but one word and one allegory.
“Knowledge is but one point, but the ignorant have multiplied
it.”
The journeys in the path of Love have been counted as four: From the
creatures to the True One. From the True One to the creatures. From the
creatures to the creatures. From the True to the True One.
Consider how you are the first in relation to your son, and the last
in relation to your father; how, outwardly, you bear evidence of the inward
mysteries which, as a divine gift, are deposited within you. Consequently,
being the first, the last, the manifest, the hidden, becomes true of you in the
sense (of the four classes of worlds), so that in these four grades bestowed
upon you, you may comprehend the grades of the Divine, and that the nightingale
of the heart may call out on all the branches of the rose garden of Existence,
both invisible an visible, in this melody: “Verily, He is the First and
the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden!”
These sayings are mentioned in connection with the grades of the
“worlds of relation”; otherwise, these men who have with one step
traverse the worlds of relation and dependence, have taken their seat on the
blissful carpet of abstraction, and pitched their tents in the world of
independence and command, have consumed all these relations with a single flame,
and obliterated all these words with a mere moisture. They swim in the sea of
spirit, and roam in the sacred atmosphere of light. How then can words have any
identity in this stage, so that any grades of the “First” or the
“Last,” or any other besides these, be distinguished? In this
stage, the “First” is identical with the “Last,” and the
“Last is the same as the “First.” “Enkindle a fire with
the love of the Beloved One, and consume therewith every thought and pious
work.”
Peace be on whosoever accomplisheth this supreme journey, and
followeth the True One through the lights of guidance.
Page 167
After crossing the stages of this lofty, exalted journey, the traveler
arrives at
THE VALLEY OF CONTENTMENT
172. In this valley he discovers the breezes of divine contentment,
which waft from the desert of the spirit and consume the veils of poverty.
There he witnesses the Day wherein “God will make all independent out of
His abundance” with his outer and inner eye in the visible and invisible
parts of things; he passes from sorrow to happiness, returns from sadness to
joy, and changes depression and rejection into gladness and
cheerfulness.
Though the travelers in this valley outwardly dwell on the earth, yet
inwardly they recline on the high couch of significances, and they partake of
ideal, imperishable benefits, and quaff pure, spiritual wine. The tongue is
unable to give an account of these three valleys, and utterance falls exceeding
short.
Concerning these states the nightingale of the heart has other
melodies and mysteries which set the heart in agitation and the spirit in
uproar. But this enigma of significance must be revealed only from heart to
heart, and confided from breast to breast.
O friend! Not until thou reachest the garden of these significances
wilt thou taste of the immortal wine of this valley. If thou tastest thereof
thou wilt close thine eyes to all strangers, and drink from the wine of
contentment; thou wilt sever thyself from all, and become united with Him, give
up thy life in His way, and pour out thy soul freely -- although there is no
stranger in this station, that thou shouldst close thine eye. “There was
God, but there was nothing with Him.” Because in this stage the traveler
beholds the beauty of the Friend in everything. In fire he sees the face of the
Beloved, in unreality perceives the sign of reality, and through the attributes
he witnesses the mystery of the divine substance, for he has consumed the veils
with a mere sigh, and removed the coverings with a single gaze. He looks upon
the new creation with a discerning sight, and comprehends subtle signs with a
pure heart. “At that Day We will make thy sight discerning” is an
evidence of this saying, and is sufficient for this instance.
Page 168
After traversing the valley of Pure Contentment the traveler
reaches
THE VALLEY OF ASTONISHMENT
173. He plunges in the seas of grandeur, and at every moment his
amazement increases. Now he sees the body of affluence as indigence itself, and
the essence of independence as impotence. Now he becomes astonished at the
beauty of the All-glorious, and now he loathes his own being. Many are the
trees of significance uprooted by the blast of astonishment, and many are the
souls it has exhausted. For this valley sets the traveler in agitation. But
such appearances are highly beloved and esteemed in the eye of one who has
attained. At every moment he witnesses a wonderful world and a new creation, he
adds astonishment upon astonishment, and he becomes dazed at the new creation of
the King of Oneness.
Yea, O brother, if we reflect upon any of the creations we shall
behold a hundred thousand consummate wisdoms and learn a hundred thousand
knowledges. One of these worlds is that of sleep. Consider what mysteries are
deposited therein, what wisdoms are therein stored! You sleep in a certain
house, the doors of which are closed. All at once you find yourself in a remote
city; you enter it without motion of the feet or exhaustion of the body; you see
without troubling the eyes, you hear without distressing the ears, and you speak
without the use of the tongue. There are occasions when it will happen that,
ten years afterwards, you will witness outwardly in the world of time that same
thing you have seen this night in dream.
Now, there are many wisdoms visible in this dream; but others than the
people of this valley cannot comprehend them as they are. First, what is that
world therein, without eye, ear, hand or tongue, one realizes the purpose of
these senses? Secondly, this day thou seest in the world of reality the effect
of a dream which thou hast experienced in the world of dreams ten years ago.
Reflect upon the differences between these two worlds, and the mysteries
deposited therein, so that thou mayest attain unto the confirmations and
revelations of the Glorified One, and enter into the world of
holiness.
Page 169
God, the Exalted, has placed these signs within the creatures, so that
philosophers may not deny the mysteries of the after life, and not make light of
that whereunto they have been promised. For some have clung to reason, and deny
whatever cannot be grasped by reason, although the feeble reason can never
comprehend these same conditions which have been mentioned, but only the
Universal, Supreme Reason can do so.
All these worlds will present themselves in the Valley of
Astonishment, and at every moment the traveler seeks for an increase of such
worlds without becoming exhausted.
Likewise, ponder over the completeness of the creation of man: all
these worlds and all these grades are enveloped and concealed within him.
“Dost thou think thy body a small thing, while in thee is enfolded the
universe?” Then an effort is needed that we annihilate the animal
condition, in order that the meaning of the human may become
manifest.
O friend! The heart is a store of divine mysteries; make it not a
receptacle for mortal thoughts; and consume not the capital of this precious
life by occupying thyself with the evanescent world. Thou art of the world of
holiness; attach not thy heart unto the earth. Thou art a denizen of the court
of nearness; choose not an earthly home.
Naught shall befall us, save that which God hath decreed unto us!
Peace be upon those who follow guidance!
After ascending the lofty heights of astonishment, the traveler
arrives at
THE VALLEY OF ABSOLUTE POVERTY AND
ANNIHILATION
174. This is the station of dying from self, and living through God,
of being poor of one’s self, and rich in the Desired One. In this station
poverty is mentioned as meaning one’s indigence in all that is of the
world of creation, and one’s affluence in all that is of the worlds of
truth.
For when a sincere lover and agreeable friend attains to the meeting
of the beloved and desired one, a fire is enkindled from the radiance of the
beauty of the beloved and the heat of the heart of the lover, which consumes all
coverings and veils: nay, whatever is with him, even marrow and skin, will
thereby be burnt,
Page 170
and naught remain except the Friend. “When the attributes of the
Ancient became manifest, then the Interlocutor consumed the attributes of all
contingent things.”
In this station the one who has attained is sanctified from all that
pertaineth to the world. If, therefore, those who have attained to the sea of
union do not possess any of the limited things of this mortal world, be these
things of material belongings or of selfish thoughts, there is no harm in that.
For whatever is possessed by men is confined within its own limits, whereas that
which is God’s is sanctified from every limitation.
Much reflection should be given this explanation is order that the end
may become manifest. “Verily, the just shall drink of a cup mixed with
camphor.” If the meaning of “Camphor” be understood the real
aim will become evident. This station is that of poverty, of which it is said,
“Poverty is my glory.” Many are the meanings and grades of the
outward and inward poverty, which I do not deem appropriate to mention in this
place, and which I therefore reserve for some other time, if God will and the
divine decree ordain.
It is in this stage that the traces of all things are destroyed in the
traveler, and the beauty of the Face reveals itself from the orient of the
eternal world, and the meaning of “Everything is mortal save the face of
God,” becomes manifest.
O my friend! Hearken to the melodies of the Spirit with all thy heart
and soul, and preserve them as the sight of thine eyes; for the divine
enlightenments will not always flow, like the vernal rain, upon the soil of
human hearts. Although the bounty of the Bountiful One is continual and free
from interruption, yet for every time and age a certain portion is determined
and a certain benefit is ordained; and these are bestowed according to a certain
quantity and measure. “There is no one thing but the storehouses thereof
are in Our Hands, and we distribute not the same save in a determinate
measure.”
The cloud of mercy of the Beloved One will pour down only on the
garden of the soul, and it will not bestow this bounty except in times of
spring. Other seasons have no portion of this mightiest grace, and barren souls
have no share in this favor.
Therefore, so long as the Nightingale of the spiritual planting hath
not returned to the divine Rose Garden, and the Lights of the spiritual dawn
have not returned to the Sun of Reality,
Page 171
make an effort -- perchance in this mortal land thou mayest inhale a
fragrance from the immortal Rose Garden, and rest forever under the shade of the
people of this City. Then thou hast abandoned the drop of life, and reached the
ocean of the Beloved One! This is the goal which thou hast demanded; God
willing, thou mayest attain thereto.
In this City even the veils of light are rent asunder, and vanish!
“To His Beauty there are no veils of Light, and His Face hath no covering
save Manifestation.” How wonderful that the Well Beloved is manifest as
the sun, while strangers are in search of vanities and riches. Yea, He is
concealed by the intensity of manifestation, and He is hidden by the ardor of
emanation. “The True One hath become manifest, like unto the shining sun.
Pity that He hath come to the city of the blind!”
The condition of Ecstasy can penetrate this saying, but not
controversy nor conflict. He who hath chosen an abode in this meeting, or
discovereth a breeze from this garden, knoweth what I say.
Although these journeys have no visible termination in the world of
time, yet, if the Invisible Assistance vouchsafe a devoted traveler, and if the
Guardian of the Command help him, he will traverse these seven stages in only
seven steps, nay, even in a single breath, if God will or desire. “This
is through His bounty to whomsoever He willeth.”
Those who soar in the sky of oneness, and who have attained to the sea
of abstraction, have accounted this station, which is the station in this city
of “Immortality in God,” to be the ultimate destination of the Arif
and the ultimate home of the lovers. But, to this humble one of the sea of
significances, this station is only the first city-wall of the heart, that is,
the first arrival of man at the city of the heart.
175. He is the Glory of The Most Glorious!
This is that which descended from the Source of Majesty, through the
tongue of power and strength upon the Prophets of the past. We have taken its
essences and clothed them with the garment of brevity, as a favor to the
beloved, that they may fulfil the Covenant of God; that they may perform in
themselves that which He has entrusted to them, and attain the victory by virtue
of devotion in the land of the Spirit.
176. O Son of Spirit! The first counsel is: Possess a good,
a
Page 172
pure, an enlightened heart, that thou mayest possess a Kingdom,
eternal, immortal, ancient and without end.
177. O Son of Spirit! Justice is loved above all. Neglect it not, if
thou desirest Me. By it thou wilt be strengthened to perceive things with thine
own eyes and not by the eyes of men, to know them by thine own knowledge and not
by the knowledge of any in the world. Meditate on this -- how thou oughtest to
be. Justice is of My Bounty to thee and of My Providence over thee; therefore,
keep it every before thy sight.
178. O Son of Man! In My Ancient Entity and in My Eternal Being was I
hidden. I knew My Love in thee, therefore I created thee; upon thee I laid My
Image, and to thee revealed My Beauty.
179. O Son of Man! I loved thy creation, therefore I created thee.
Wherefore love Me, that I may acknowledge thee and in the spirit of Life confirm
thee.
180. O Son of Existence! Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou
lovest Me not, My Love can never reach thee. Know this, O servant!
181. O Son of Spirit! No peace is ordained for thee save by departing
from thyself and coming to Me. Verily, thy glory should be in My Name, not in
thy name; thy trust be upon My Countenance, not upon thine own; for I will to be
loved above all that is.
182. O Son of Existence! My Love is My Fortress. Whoso enters
therein is rescued and safe; whoso turns away from it is led astray and
perishes.
183. O Son of Existence! By the Hands of Power I have made thee, and
by the Fingers of Strength have I created thee. I have placed within thee the
essence of My Light: therefore depend upon it and upon nothing else, for My
Action is perfect and My Command has effect. Doubt this not, and have no
uncertainty therein.
184. O Son of Spirit! I have created thee rich: why dost thou make
thyself poor? Noble have I made thee: why dost thou degrade thyself? Of the
Essence of Knowledge have I manifested thee: why searchest thou for another than
Me? From the Clay of Love I have kneaded thee: why desirest thou another? Turn
thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, Powerful,
Mighty and Supreme.
185. O Son of Man! Thou art My Possession, and My Possession shall
never be destroyed: why art thou in fear of thy destruction?
Page 173
Thou art My Light, and My Light shall never become extinct: why dost
thou dread extinction? Thou art My Glory (Bahá), and My Glory shall not
be veiled: thou art My Garment, and My Garment shall never be outworn.
Therefore abide in thy love for Me, that thou mayest find Me in the Highest
Horizon.
186. O Son of Light! Forget all else save Me, and be comforted by My
Spirit. This is from the essence of My Command: therefore direct thyself to
it.
187. O Son of Spirit! Boast not of thine own glory over the poor, for
I walk before him, and I see thy miserable condition and ever grieve for
thee.
188. O Son of Man! Breathe not the sins of any one as long as thou
art a sinner. If thou doest contrary to this command, thou art not of Me: to
this I bear witness.
189. O Son of Spirit! Know verily that he who exhorts men to equity
and himself does injustice, is not of Me, even though he bear My
Name.
190. O Son of Existence! Examine thy deeds each day, before thou art
judged, for death will suddenly overtake thee, and then thy deeds shall judge
thee.
191. O Son of the Supreme! I made death for thee as glad tidings: why
art thou in despair at its approach? I made light for thee a splendor: why dost
thou hide from it?
192. O Son of Spirit! The Gospel of Light I herald to thee: rejoice
in it. And to the state of Holiness I call thee: abide in it, that thou mayest
be in peace for ever and ever.
193. O Son of Spirit! The Holy Spirit heralds comfort to thee: why
dost thou grieve? The Spirit of Command confirms thee in the Cause: why dost
thou remain apart? The Light of the Face walks before thee: why dost thou seek
darkness?
194. O Son of Man! Lift up thy heart with delight, that thou mayest
be fitted to meet Me, and to mirror forth My Beauty.
195. O Son of Man! Clothe thyself with My Beautiful Garment and
forfeit not thy portion from My Living Fountain, that thou mayest not thirst
forever.
196. O Son of Existence! Remember Me in My earth that I may remember thee in My Heaven. Thus may our eyes delight therein.
197. O Son of the Throne! Thy hearing is My hearing: hear thou with
it. Thy sight is My Sight: see thou with it. Thus mayest
Page 174
thou attest within thyself My Holiness, that I may attest within Myself
a place of exaltation for thee.
198. O Son of Man! For everything there is a sign. The sign of love
is patience through My Ordeal and long-suffering for My Sake.
199. O Son of Man! The sincere lover longs for suffering as the rebel
craves forgiveness, and the sinner prays for mercy.
200. O Son of Man! If calamity befall thee not in My path, how wilt
thou tread in the way of those who are content in My will? If affliction
overtake thee not in thy longing to meet Me, how canst thou attain the Light of
the Love of My Beauty?
201. O Son of Man! My Calamity is My Providence. In appearance it is
fire and vengeance; in reality it is Light and Mercy. Therefore approach it,
that thou mayest become an Eternal Light and an Immortal Spirit. This is My
Command; know thou it.
202. O Son of Humanity! Rejoice not if fortune smile upon thee, and
if humiliation overtake thee mourn not because of it, for, in their time, they
both shall cease and be no more.
203. O Son of Existence! If thou lovest the Immortal and Eternal
Kingdom, the Ancient and Everlasting Life, then forsake this mortal and
vanishing kingdom.
204. O Son of Man! Thou desirest gold, and We desire thy separation
from it. Thou hast realized therein the riches of thyself, while I realize thy
wealth to consist in thy freedom from it. By My Life! This is My Knowledge,
while that is thine imagining: how can My Thought agree with thine?
205. O Son of Man! Distribute My possessions among My Poor, that in
heaven thou mayest receive from the boundless treasures of Glory and from the
stores of Eternal Bliss. But by My Life! The sacrifice of the spirit is more
glorious, couldst thou see with My Vision.
206. O Son of Man! The Light has shone upon thee from the horizon of
the Mount, and the Spirit of Purity has breathed in the Sinai of thy heart.
Therefore empty thyself of doubts and fancies; then enter into this Mansion,
that thou mayest be prepared for the Eternal Life, and ready to meet Me. Herein
there is no death, no trouble nor burden.
207. O Son of Man! My Eternity is My creation. I have created it for
thee; therefore make it the garment of thy temple.
Page 175
My Oneness is My design. I have designed it for thee; therefore clothe
thyself with it. Thus thou mayest be a star of My Omnipresence
forever.
208. O Son of Man! My Greatness is My Bounty to thee. My Majesty is
My Mercy to thee, but that which is due to Me none can realize or comprehend:
verily I have treasured it in the stores of My Secrets, in the treasury of My
Command -- as a favor to My servants and a mercy to My people.
209. O Son of Beauty! By My Spirit and by My Providence! By My Mercy
and by My Beauty! All that I uttered for thee by the Tongue of Power and wrote
with the Pen of Strength, verily, We revealed it according to thy capacity and
perception, not according to My State and Reality.
210. O Children of Men! Do ye know why We have created you from one
clay? That no one should glorify himself over the other. Be ye mindful of how
you were created. Since We created you all from the same substance, ye must be
as one soul, walking with the same feet, eating with one mouth and living in one
land, that ye may manifest with your being, and by your deeds and actions, the
signs of unity and the spirit of oneness. This is My Counsel to you, O people
of Lights! Therefore follow it, that ye may attain the fruits of holiness from
the Tree of Might and Power.
211. O Children of the Spirit! Ye are My treasures, for in you I have
treasured the pearls of My Mysteries and the Gems of My Knowledge. Guard them,
lest the unbelievers among My people, the wicked ones among My creatures, should
discover them.
212. O Son of Him Who Stood By His Own Entity in The Kingdom of
Himself! Know that I have sent unto thee the fragrances of Holiness, have
accomplished the Word in thee, have fulfilled the Bounty through thee, and have
willed for thee what I have willed for Myself. Therefore be content in Me and
thankful to Me.
213. O Son of Man! On the Tablet of the Spirit write all We have
uttered to thee, with the ink of Light; and, if thou canst not do this, then
make the ink of the essence of thy heart; and, if thou art still unable, then
write with the red ink shed in My Path. Verily, this is more precious to Me than
all else, for this radiance shall last forever.
Page 176
214. In the Name of the Mighty Speaker! O ye possessors of
intelligence and hearing, the first melody of the Beloved is: O nightingale of
Significance, seek no refuge save in the rose garden of significances! O
messenger of the Solomon of Love, dwell not save in the Sheba of the Beloved! O
phoenix of Immortality, choose no abode except in the Mount of Faithfulness!
This is thy station, if thou art soaring to the Placeless on the wings of
Love.
215. O Son of Dust! Verily, I say, the most negligent of the servants
is he who disputes and prefers himself to his brother. Say, O brethren! Adorn
yourselves with deeds rather than with words.
216. O Sons of Earth! Know the truth that a heart wherein lingers the
least trace of envy shall never attain unto My Immortal Dominion, nor feel the
fragrances of purity from My Holy Kingdom.
217. O Son of Love! Only one step separates thee from the plain of
nearness and the exalted Tree of Love. Plant the first foot and, with the
other, step into the Kingdom of Eternity and enter the Pavilion of Immortality.
Then hearken to what has descended from the Pen of Glory.
218. O Son of Desire! Listen truly: mortal eye shall never perceive
the Everlasting Beauty, and the dead mind delights only in lifeless clay; for
like seeks like and has affinity with its own kind.
219. O My Children! I fear that, without having enjoyed the melody of
the Nightingale, ye may return to the region of mortality; and, without seeing
the beauty of the Rose, ye may return to the water and clay.
220. O Son of Spirit! The time cometh when the Nightingale of
Holiness will be prevented from unfolding the Inner Significances, and all shall
be bereft of the Merciful Melody and Divine Call.
221. O Essence of Negligence! Alas, that a hundred thousand ideal
languages are spoken by One Tongue, and that a hundred thousand hidden meanings
are unfolded in One Melody, and there is no ear to hearken, nor any heart to
perceive a single letter!
222. O Comrades! The doors of the Placeless are opened, and the City
of the Beloved is adorned with the blood of the lovers, but all are bereft of
this spiritual City except a few; and of this few have appeared but very few
with pure hearts and holy souls.
Page 177
223. O People of the Delectable Paradise! Let the people of certainty
know that a new Garden has appeared near the Ridván in the Open Court of
Holiness, and that all the people of the Heights, and the temples of the Exalted
Heaven, are around it. Therefore endeavor to reach that Station, and discover
the truths of the mystery of Love from its red tulips, and unveil abundant
knowledge of the Oneness from its eternal fruits. Radiant are the eyes of him
who has entered therein with trust.
224. O My Friends! Have ye forgotten that true, bright morn when ye
were all in My Presence on that blessed pain under the shade of the Tree of
Life, planted in the Great Paradise, when I addressed to thee three Holy Words;
ye heard them and were overwhelmed!
225. The Words are these: “O Friends, prefer not your will to
Mine; desire not that which I have not desired for thee; approach Me not with
dead minds stained with desire and hope.” If ye purify your breasts, that
condition, and the view of that Open Court, will appear to you, and My
Explanation will become manifest.
226. O Dead Men on the Bed of Negligence! Centuries have passed, and
ye have ended your precious lives; yet not a single breath of purity hath ever
come from you to Our Holy Presence. Ye are drowned in the sea of polytheism
while talking of Oneness. Ye have loved that which hateth Me, and ye have taken
My foe to be your friend. Ye are walking with mirth and pleasure upon My earth,
heedless that it detests you, and that the things of the earth are fleeing from
you. Should ye open your eyes but a little ye shall know that a hundred
thousand griefs are preferable to this pleasure, and ye will consider death to
be preferred to this life.
227. O Son of Passion! The people of wisdom and insight struggled for
years, and failed to attain the meeting of the Exalted One, hastened all their
lives, and did not see the Most Beautiful; while thou hast arrived at home
without hastening, and hast attained the goal without search. Yet, after
gaining all these degrees and ranks, thou wert so veiled with thyself that thine
eyes did not behold the Beauty of the Beloved, and thy hand did not reach to the
Hem of the Friend. Therefore marvel at this, O possessors of
insight!
228. O People of the Country of Love! The Eternal Candle is beset by
mortal winds, and the beauty of the Spiritual Servants is
Page 178
shrouded by the darkness of dust. The King of kings of Love is
oppressed under the hand of the subjects of tyranny, and the Dove of Holiness is
clutched in the talons of owls. All the people of the Pavilion of Glory and of
the Supreme Concourse are mourning and wailing, while ye are living at ease upon
the earth of negligence, counting yourselves among the sincere lovers.
Therefore that which ye have assumed is false.
229. O Ignorant Ones Who Have a Reputation for Knowledge! Why do ye
outwardly claim to be shepherds while inwardly ye have become wolves of My
sheep? Your example resembles the star preceding the dawn, which is apparently
bright and luminous, but in reality leads the caravans of My City astray, and
causes their destruction.
230. O Perfect in Appearance, and Inwardly Defective! Your example is
like unto a clear but bitter water, which outwardly seems pure and clean, but
when it falls into the hand of the Divine Assayer, not one drop of it is
accepted. Yea, the radiance of the sun is cast upon the dust and upon the
mirror, but the difference is great between the earth and the guiding stars;
nay, that distance is vast.
231. O Son of Generosity! Thou wert in the deserts of nonbeing and,
by means of the earth of command, I made thee to appear in the world of
possession. I charged all the atoms of dependence and the realities of creation
with thy training, so that, before thou didst issue from the womb of thy mother,
I ordained for thee two fountains of bright milk. I appointed eyes to guard
thee, set thy love in all hearts, and with pure generosity I reared thee under
the shadow of My Mercy, and protected thee with the essence of My Grace. The
purpose of all this was to enable thee to arrive at Our Eternal Might and to
deserve Our Invisible Favors. But thou, O heedless one, when thou didst reach
maturity, neglected all My Bounties, and engaged thyself in thy fancy to such a
degree that thou didst entirely forget Me and, leaving the house of the Beloved,
went and dwelt in the porch of the enemy.
232. O Son of the Earth! If thou desirest Me, desire no other than
Me. If thou seekest My Beauty, withdraw thy glance from the people of the
world, for My Will and the will of another is like fire and water which cannot
be contained in the same mind and heart.
233. O Stranger to the Friend! The candle of thy mind is
Page 179
lighted by the hand of My Power; extinguish it not with the contrary
winds of desires and passions. The healer of all thy troubles is remembrance of
Me; forget it not. Make My Love thy capital, and cherish it as the spirit of
the eye.
234. O My Friends! Extinguish the lamp of ignorance and kindle the
ever-burning torch of guidance in the heart and mind. For in a short while the
Assayers of Being shall accept naught but pure virtue in the portico of the
Presence of the Adored One, and will receive none but holy deeds.
235. O Son of Dust! The wise men of the people are those who speak
not unless they find a listener; as the cup-bearer never offers a cup unless he
find one who desires; nor does the lover cry out from the depth of his heart
until he attains to the beauty of the beloved. Therefore sow the seeds of
knowledge and wisdom in the fertile ground of the mind, and conceal them there
until the hyacinth of Divine Wisdom springs up in the heart and not in the
clay.
236. O Son of Spirit! Break the cage, and like unto the bird of love
soar in the atmosphere of holiness; leave the self, and rest with heavenly souls
upon the sacred Plain of God.
237. O My Servant! Free thyself from the worldly bond, and escape
from the prison of self. Appreciate the value of the time, for thou shalt never
see it again, nor shalt thou find a like opportunity.
238. O Son of My Maid-Servant! Wert thou to see the immortal Kingdom,
verily thou wouldst abandon the mortal possessions of earth; yet there is a
wisdom in the former being concealed and in the latter being manifest, and this
is known only to hearts that are pure.
239. O Companion of My Throne! Hear no evil and see no evil; degrade
not thyself, neither lament. That is -- speak no evil, that thou mayest not
hear it; think no the faults of others to be great, that thine own may not seem
great; approve not the abasement of any soul, that thine own abasement may not
be exposed. Then with stainless mind, holy heart, sanctified breast, and pure
thoughts, thou mayest be free during all the days of thy life which are counted
less than an instant, and with freedom may return from this mortal body to the
paradise of Inner Significances, and abide in the Immortal Kingdom.
240. O Brothers of the Path! Why are ye heedless of the
remembrance
Page 180
of the Beloved, and why are ye far from the Presence of the Friend?
The Absolute Beauty is established upon the Throne of Glory, under the Peerless
Canopy, while ye are engaged in contention according to your own desire. The
fragrances of holiness are wafted, and the breezes of generosity are blowing,
but ye have lost the power of scent, and are bereft of them all. Alas for you,
and for them who follow in your steps and walk after your ways.
241. O Children of Dust! Let the rich learn the midnight sighing of
the poor, lest negligence destroy them and they be deprived of their portion of
the tree of wealth. Giving and generosity are qualities of Mine. Happy is he
who adorns himself with My virtues.
242. O Son of My Maid-Servant! Let not poverty trouble thee, nor rest
assured in wealth. All poverty is succeeded by wealth, and all wealth is
followed by poverty. But to be poor in all save God is a great blessing; make
it not small, for in the end it will make thee rich in God. This condition is
hidden in the verse of the Qur’án: “Ye are poor,” but
the blessed word, “God only is rich” shall appear, shine forth and
illumine, like the true morn, from the horizon of the lover’s mind, and
shall be established upon the Throne of Wealth.
243. O Ye Who Boast Because of Mortal Possessions! Know ye that
wealth is a strong barrier between the seeker and the Desired One, between the
lover and the Beloved. Never shall the rich arrive at the abode of nearness,
nor enter into the city of contentment and resignation, save only a few. Then
good is the state of that wealthy one, whose wealth preventeth him not from the
Everlasting Kingdom, and depriveth him not of the Eternal Possessions. Verily, I
declare by the Greatest Name that the light of that wealthy one shall illumine
the people of Heaven, as the sun shines upon the people of the
earth.
244. O Ye Who are Wealthy on Earth! The poor among you are My trust.
Therefore guard My trust, and be not wholly occupied with your own
ease.
245. O My Son! The company of the wicked increaseth sorrow, and the
fellowship of the righteous removeth the rust of the mind. He who desires to
associate with God, let him associate with His beloved; and he who desires to
hear the Word of God, let him hear the words of His Chosen Ones.
Page 181
246. O Heedless Ones! Think not that the mysteries of hearts are
concealed; nay, rather know with certainty that they are inscribed in clear
type, and are openly manifest in the Presence.
247. O Son of Dust! Close not thine eye to the peerless Wine of the
Eternal Beloved, and open not thine eye to the turbid and mortal wine. Take
immortal Cups from the hand of the Cup Bearer of Oneness, and thou shalt become
all consciousness, and hear the invisible Utterances of Reality. Say: O
worthless ones --
248. O Ye Oppressors on Earth! Withdraw your hands from oppression,
for I have vowed to pass not over any one’s oppression. This is a Covenant
which I have decreed in the Preserved Tablet, and sealed it with the seal of
Power.
249. O Rebellious Ones! My forbearance hath made you bold and My
patience hath made you negligent, so that ye fearlessly ride upon the steeds of
the fire of passion in the pathways of destruction. Perchance ye have thought Me
heedless, and considered Me to be ignorant.
250. O Plant of the Earth! How is it that thou wilt not touch thine
own garment with hands soiled with sugar, while with thy mind soiled with the
filth of passion and lust, thou seekest companionship with Me, and desirest to
be directed to the dominions of My Holiness. Alas! Alas! for that which thou
hast desired!
251. O Sons of Adam! “The good word” and pure and holy
deeds ascend to the glorious Heaven of Oneness. Strive that thy deeds may be
cleansed from the dust of hypocrisy and from the turbidness of self and passion,
and thus enter the glorious Presence of Acceptance. For soon the Assayers of
Existence, in the portico of the Presence of the Worshipped One, shall accept
naught but pure virtue, and shall admit none but pure deeds. This is the sun of
Wisdom and Significances which has dawned from the horizon of the Mouth of the
Divine Will. Blessed are they who advance.
252. O Son of Delight! The plain of being is a pleasant plain, if
thou dost reach it; the home of immortality is a good home, if thou wilt step
beyond the dominion of mortality; the ecstasy of wine is sweet, if thou drinkest
it from the Chalice of Inner Significances passed by the hand of the Divine
Servant. Shouldst thou attain to these degrees thou shalt become free from
mortality, affliction and error.
Page 182
253. O My Friends! Remember the Covenant ye entered into with Me upon
the Mount of Parán, situated under the blessed Shrine of Teman. I took
as witness to that Covenant the Supreme Concourse and the dwellers in the City
of Life. Now I find none steadfast in that Covenant. Pride and disobedience
have indeed effaced it from the minds to such a degree that not a trace of it
has remained and, although knowing this, I have endured it patiently and have
not divulged it.
254. O My Servant! Thou art like unto a jeweled sword concealed in a
dark sheath, by reason of which its value is unknown to the jewelers. Then come
forth from the sheath of self and desire, that thy jewels may become open and
manifest to the people of the world.
255. O My Friend! Thou art the sun of the heaven of My Holiness;
defile not thyself with the eclipse of the world. Tear asunder the veil of
negligence, that thou mayest emerge from behind the veil, be uncovered from the
cloud, and array all beings with the robe of Life.
256. O Child of My Maid Servant! Guidance hath ever been by words,
but at this time it is by deeds. That is, all pure deeds must appear from the
temple of man, because all are partners in words, but pure and holy deeds belong
especially to Our friends. Then strive with your life to be distinguished among
all people by deeds. Thus We exhort you in the holy and radiant
Tablet.
257. O Son of Justice! In the eve of beauty, the Temple of
Immortality returned to the Sadratu'l-Muntahá from the “emerald
hill” of Faithfulness, and wept with such a wailing that the Supreme
Concourse and the Cherubim wept because of His grief. When He was asked the
cause of lamentation and grief, He answered: I was waiting, as commanded, upon
the hill of Faithfulness, and found not the fragrance of fidelity from the
dwellers of the earth. Therefore I returned and declared unto them that many
doves of holiness are suffering under the claws of the dogs of the
earth.
Thereupon the Divine Houri hastened, unveiled, from the Spiritual
Palace, and questioned their names. All were mentioned save one of the names.
And when they insisted, the first letter of that name flowed from the tongue,
whereupon the people of the upper chambers hurried forth from their retreats of
honor. When the second letter was mentioned, all dropped down upon
the
Page 183
dust. Then came forth from the Retreat of Nearness this Voice: More
than this is not permissible. Verily, We were witness to that which they have
done and are doing at this time!
258. O Child of My Maid Servant! Drink the wine of Significances from
the Tongue of the Merciful, and behold the lights of the Sun of Explanation,
without veil or cover, from the Dawning-place of the Word of God. Spread the
seeds of My Immediate Wisdom in the fertile soil of the heart, and water it with
the water of certainty: thus shall the hyacinths of My Knowledge and Wisdom
spring up verdantly from the holy city.
259. O My Servants! Ye are the trees of My garden; ye must bear fresh
and beautiful fruits, that ye and others may be profited by them. Therefore it
is necessary for you to engage in arts and business. This is the means of
attaining wealth, O ye possessors of intellect. Affairs depend upon means, and
the blessing of God will appear therein and will enrich you. Fruitless trees
have been and will be only fit for fire.
260. O My Servant! The lowest of men are those who bear no fruit upon
the earth; they are indeed counted as dead. Nay, the dead are preferred in the
Presence of God before those who are indolent and negligent.
O My Servant! The best of people are they who gain by work, and
spend for themselves and their kindred in the Love of God, the Lord of the
creatures.
262. The bride of wonderful Significances, who was concealed behind
the veils of words, hath appeared through Divine Providence and Heavenly
Bounties, like unto the radiance of the Beauty of the Beloved. I testify, O
friends, that the Bounty has become complete, the Evidence is accomplished, the
Argument manifested, and the Reason affirmed. Now what will your endeavors show
forth from the degrees of devotion? Thus are the favors perfected unto all who
are in the Heavens and earths. Praise be unto God, the Lord of all mankind!
PRAYERS AND SUPPLICATIONS
263. Praise be to Thee, O God of Names and Creator of Heaven! Praise
be to Thee, for Thou hast made known unto Thy servants Thy Day, wherein the
River of Life streamed forth from the finger of Thy Generosity, and the Fountain
of Revelation and Unity became
Page 184
manifest by Thy Manifestation, to all who are in Thy earth and
heaven.
O God! This is a Day the Light of which Thou hast sanctified above
the sun and its effulgence. I testify that this Day is illumined by the Light
of Thy Face and by the effulgence of the dawning Lights of Thy
Manifestation.
O Thou, my God, and the Beloved of my heart! With the name of this
Day Thou hast adorned Thy Tablet, which is known only to Thee. Thou hast called
it The Day of God. Nothing is to be seen therein but Thy Supreme Self, and
naught is to be remembered save Thy sweetest Name. Wherefore, when He appeared,
the foundations of nations trembled, the learned were bewildered and the wise
men were confounded, save those who came near unto Thee, took from the Hand of
Favor the pure wine of Thy Inspiration, and drank in Thy Name, saying:
“Praise be unto Thee, O Desire of the Nations! Praise be to Thee, O
Beloved of the hearts of the yearning!”
264. Glory be unto Thee, O God, for Thy Manifestation of Love to
mankind! O Thou, who art our Life and Light, guide Thy servants to Thy Way, and
make them rich in Thee and free from all save Thee.
O God, teach them Thy Oneness, and give unto them a realization of Thy Unity; that they may see no one save Thee. Thou art the Merciful and the Giver
of Bounty!
O God, create in the hearts of Thy beloved the fire of Thy Love, that
it may burn away the thought of everything save Thee.
Reveal unto them, O God, Thy Exalted Eternity; that Thou hast ever
been and will always be, and that there is no God save Thee. Verily, in Thee
will they find comfort and strength!
265. I testify, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and
to adore Thee. I testify at this instant to my powerlessness and to Thy Power;
to my poverty and to Thy Wealth. There is no God but Thee, the Protector,
Self-Subsistent.
266. Thou art my God and my Beloved! Shower upon me, from the right side of Thy Mercy and Providence, the holy waves of Thy Beneficence, to lift me
from myself and from the world, unto the shore of Thy Presence and Communion.
For Thou art
Page 185
powerful to do whatsoever Thou wishest and Thou art ever pervading the
universe!
267. I arise in Thy Shelter, and it behooveth him who seeketh Thy
Protection to be under the shield of Thy Guard and in the fortress of Thy
Defence. O my Lord, enlighten me inwardly by the lights of the daybreak of Thy
Manifestation, as Thou hast enlightened me outwardly by the light of the dawn of
Thy Favor.
268. Thou art the Praiser and the Praised One! O my God, and my
Master, and my Desire! This, Thy servant, desireth to sleep in the shelter of
Thy Mercy and to rest under the shadow of the dome of Thy Favor, assisted by Thy
Protection and Thy Guard. O my Lord, I invoke Thee, by Thine Eye which sleepeth
not, to protect my sight from beholding aught beside Thee: then increase its
light by witnessing Thy Signs and by looking toward the horizon of Thy
Manifestation. Thou art He before whose appearance of might the existence of
power is subdued. There is no God but Thee, the Powerful, the Conquerer, the
Unconstrained!
269. Praise be to Thee, O God my Lord! Every time I try to mention
Thee my dreadful sins and awful crimes prevent me, and by them I find myself
removed from Thee and prevented from calling upon Thee for help. But my
assurance of Thy Generosity and my full trust in Thy Bounty enables me to
mention Thee and ask of Thee what Thou hast to give.
O my God! I beg of Thee -- by Thy Mercy, which was before all things
existing, and to which all those who are in the depths of the seas of Names did
bear witness -- leave me not to myself, for it always desires to do what is
wrong. Keep me in the stronghold of Thy Shelter and amid the surroundings of
Thy Protection.
O my God! I do not want but what was appointed to me by Thy Power;
and this is what I have chosen to myself -- that Thy good Destiny and Judgment
may confirm me, and that I may be exalted by what Thou hast written and ordained
for me.
I beg of Thee, O Thou, Beloved of the hearts of Thy lovers -- by the
manifestation of Thy Commandments, by the depths of Thine Inspiration, by the
heights of Thine Exaltation, and by the stores of Thy Wisdom -- forbid me not
from visiting Thy sacred house
Page 186
and holy abode. Permit me, O my God, the privilege to drink from the
fountain of its holy place, to wander about its courts, and to stand beside its
gates. For Thou art He who is, was and ever shall be Powerful and Mighty!
Nothing can be hidden from Thy Knowledge! Thou art He who has all power,
majesty and glory! Praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds!
270. O Thou, by whose Name the sea of joy moveth and the fragrance of happiness is wafted! I ask Thee to show me, from the wonders of Thy Favor, that
which shall brighten my eyes and gladden my heart.
271. In Thy Name, the Sufficer, the Healer, the Fulfiller, the
Loftiest, the Supreme, the Bahá-El-Abhá!
I ask Thee by Thine Ancient Beauty, and I supplicate Thee by the
manifestation of Thy Greatest Majesty, and Thy Name, around which the heavens of
the Manifestations revolve; by which the waters of the oceans overflow, the full
moons appear, the lights diffuse, and verily, the visible and the invisible, the
mysterious and the celebrated; by which all sorrow will be turned into joy and
all disease will be turned into health, and by which every sick, afflicted,
unfortunate and constrained one may be healed, to suffice to heal this weary,
sick-worn one of the seen and the unseen disease.
Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Conqueror, the Mighty, the Living,
the Forgiver!
272. O our God, we beg of Thee by the King of Names and Maker of
heaven and earth, by the rustling of the leaves of the Tree of Life and by Thine
utterances, through which the realities of things are drawn unto us, to grant
that the unity in the Love of God may be speedily established throughout the
world; that Thou wilt guide us always and unmistakably to whatever Thou wouldst
have us to do, and that we may ever be strong and fully prepared to render
instant, exact and complete obedience.
273. A pure heart create within me, O my Lord! A tranquil soul renew
within me, O my Hope! Through the spirit of command make me firm in Thy Cause,
O my Beloved! By the light of guidance show unto me Thy Path, O my Desire! By
the might of loftiness cause me to ascend to the heaven of Thy
Sanctity,
Page 187
O my Beginning! Through the worlds of immortality cause me to rejoice,
O my Lord! By the melodies of eternity tranquilize me, O my Companion! By the
riches of Thy Pre-existent Countenance deliver me from all else save Thee, O my
Lord! And by the interpretation of Thy Everlasting Identity rejoice me! O Thou
who art more apparent than my appearance, O Thou who art hidden in my inmost
heart!
274. O my God! Make Thy Beauty to be my food and let Thy Presence be my drink. Let my truth be in Thy Will, and my deeds according to Thy Command.
Let my service be acceptable to Thee, and my action a praise to Thee. Let my
help come only from Thee, and ordain my home to be Thy Mansion, boundless and
holy. Thou art the Precious, the Ever-present, the Loving.
275. O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants, and
reveal to them Thy Great Purpose. May they follow Thy Commandments and abide in
Thy Law. Help them, O God, in their endeavor, and grant them strength to serve
Thee. O God, leave them not to themselves, but guide their steps by the light
of Knowledge, and cheer their hearts by Thy Love. Verily, Thou art their Helper
and their Lord!
276. He is the Everlasting Being!
This is a message which We have appointed as Our meeting for those who advance toward God in this Day in which all countries are changed.
The one who reads that which is revealed in this Tablet from the
direction of the Throne, and doubts the reality of meeting his Lord; verily, he
is of those who deny God, who causeth the mornings to break forth!
O birds of Paradise! Hear the voice of the Beloved in these days
wherein the feet of the people deviate.
On account of your advancement the Supreme Concourse hath rejoiced;
but because of your not having attained the meeting, and being thirty while near
the ocean, the cry of mourning and weeping has been raised by the inhabitants of
the cities of eternity.
This is indeed good; that this rejoicing and sorrow seem to unite and
to embrace one another in the Day of God, the Omnipresent, the Dear, the
Chosen!
Page 188
The bellies of the polytheists are burned by that which We have
uttered aforetime, and for this reason they dissemble day and night against My
soul.
Blessed are you, since ye have entered the city and attained that
which your Lord, the Dear, the Giver, desireth.
It is incumbent upon you that gladness and exultation shall be
manifest in your faces; so that every soul may find in you submission and
forbearance. Thus it is preordained from the Pen of El-Abhá. Verily,
your Lord the Merciful is the knower of that which is secret and
manifest!
Ye are in the shadow of My providence and under the Dome of My mercy. Verily, the sight of God is directed toward you, O ye possessors of clear
insight.
Blessed are ye; those who love you and those who advance toward you
sincerely, for the sake of God, the Dear, the Almighty!
God beareth witness, and those who are encircling the Throne, that ye
have victoriously attained His meeting, and have circulated around the Holy of
Holies of His Cause, and were present before His Face. Verily, He is the
powerful over all that He wisheth! There is no God but He, the Dear, the
Bestower!
By Myself! We have accepted from you that which ye desired, and We
will be with you in all times.
El-Bahá be upon you on the part of the Dear, the
Helper!
Previous Section
Contents
Next Section 