the people of the Kingdom of Perfection.
"O thou who art esteemed and guarded!..."
O thou who art esteemed and guarded!
Thank God for that by reason of which thy picture hath come into the court
of holiness of perfumed breaths. I supplicate to God to confirm thee in
that which beseemeth this station.
"O thou who art rejoiced by the Appearance of God!..."
O thou who art rejoiced by the Appearance of God!
Blessed art thou for that thine eyes were brightened by the light of
guidance, thine ears heard the calling of God from the Supreme Concourse,
thine heart was gladdened by the love of God and attracted unto the Beauty
of God. Verily, by the Lord of Hosts, thou wilt find thyself in the
Kingdom surrounded by favors on the part of thy Lord, the Clement, and the
angels of mercy will herald to thee glad-tidings which are the greatest
gift from the King of Might.
Upon thee be El-Baha and upon thee be praise! O thou who art attracted by
the fragrance of God in this manifest day!
"O thou who art exhilarated by the Wine of the Love of..."
O thou who art exhilarated by the Wine of the Love of God--young in age and
old in soul!
Truly, truly, I say unto thee, thy thanksgiving for my brilliant letter,
which was sent thee, caused me to address thee repeatedly with the
greatest affection of soul and spirit. By the life of God! verily, this
letter will make thee and thine household [rejoice] throughout the
eternity of the eternities, because the tongue of Abdul-Baha is addressing
thee from this lofty and sublime threshold of the Blessed Perfection.
I assuredly cast mine eyes on the picture traced by thine hand and smelled
the fragrance of the love of God from its flowers, because it is painted
while thine heart hath been overflowing with the love of Baha' and thou
hast made it as a token for thy remembrance.
I beg of God to make thee cut thine heart from this world and whatever is
in it, to devote thy life to the service of the maid-servants of God, to
kneel down, worship and glorify the affectionate Lord, the Exalted, the
Lord of angels and spirit!***
The brilliant leaves (i.e., the ladies of the household) who are
overshadowed by the protection of Baha', present their greetings and love
to thee.
"To the servant of God!..."
To the servant of God!
I ask God to make thee a growing, developing branch in His vineyard,
bearing flowers, leaves and fruits, with widespread branches, blooming,
verdant and watered by the abundance of the clouds of His Kingdom and the
heat of the sun of His Word.
"To the servant of God, .........:..."
To the servant of God, .........:
What thou hast written is understood. In reply I will elucidate briefly,
the purport of which you, with your intelligence, will surely comprehend:
The world of humanity is encompassed by the darkness of conventionalities,
disagreements, discords, avoidance, animosity, enmity, ignorance, folly,
lustful desires and animal tendencies; the gloomy night had darkened the
horizon of the world in such manner that all had forgotten the light and
deemed the darkness inevitable in the world of humanity, and its solution
impossible; when, unexpectedly, the Light of Reality appeared and
enlightened the horizon of the world, diffusing its rays throughout the
East and West, the beholding of which instantly delighted the perfect and
perceiving eyes; but the imperfect eyes, afflicted by the darkness, were
dazzled by the radiance, while the negligent closed theirs and turned away
entirely. That light is the Love of God, the Spirit of God, unity,
concord, science and knowledge, bounty and perfection, redemption of life,
spiritual perception, universal peace, alliance of the nations,
unification of all peoples and the reality of the attributes of the
Merciful One, which I hope thou wilt fully attain.
"O seeker of the truth!..."
O seeker of the truth!
There are two ways of healing diseases, the material way and the spiritual
way. The first is the remedies of the physician; the second prayers and
turning one's self to God. Both must be practiced and followed. The
diseases that happen to be caused by physical accident are cured by
medical aid; others, which are due to spiritual causes, will disappear by
spiritual means. For instance: For a disease due to grieving, fear,
nervous impressions, the spiritual remedies will take more effect than the
physical. Therefore, these tow kinds of remedies must be followed; neither
is an obstacle to the other. You must take care of the physical remedies.
These also came from the bounty and mercy of God who revealed and made
evident the science of medicine, so that His servants may also be
benefited by this mode of healing. In the same way take care of the
spiritual healing, because it giveth wonderful results.
And if thou art looking for the divine remedy which will cure the spirit
of man of all diseases and make him obtain the health of the divine
Kingdom, know that it is the precepts and teaching of God. Take the
greatest care of them.
"Thy letter was received and its contents noted. In..."
(294) Thy letter was received and its contents noted. In truth, thou hast
been thrown amid dire ordeals, enduring agonizing afflictions. These
trials were according to the consummate wisdom, therefore they were for
the best. It is good for man to endure (in such moments).
Reflect upon his holiness Job: What trials, calamities and perplexities
did he not endure! But these tests were like unto the fire and his
holiness Job was like unto pure gold. Assuredly gold is purified by being
submitted to the fire and if it contain any alloy or imperfection, it will
disappear. That is the reason why violent tests become the cause of the
everlasting glory of the righteous and are conducive to the destruction
and disappearance of the unrighteous.
The wisdom of all these tribulations that poured successively upon thee
was this, that thou shouldst be prepared and made ready for this Cause,
that thou mightiest expect the attainment to the greatest guidance, for
all these trials were but a preparation for thine entrance into the Most
Exalted Paradise and the beginning of obtaining this most great benefit.
Unless the season of winter appear, thunder roll, lightening flash, snow
and rain fall, hail and frost descend and the intensity of cold execute
its command, the season of the soul-refreshing spring would not come, the
fragrant breeze would not waft, the moderation of temperature would not be
realized, the roses and hyacinths would not grow, the surface of the heart
would not become a delectable paradise, the trees would not bloom, neither
would they bring forth fruits and leaves. That was the beginning of the
manifestation of these roses, hyacinths, buds, blossoms and fruits.
Therefore, be not distressed on account of those adversities which fell
upon thee; nay, rather, arise and render thanks that the ultimate goal is
the attainment to this eminent bounty and the enjoyment of this highest
gift of the almighty God. Consequently gird up the loins of thine
endeavor, that thereby some results might be produced, some fruits
gathered, the lamp of everlasting life ignited and the gifts of the Lord
of the Kingdom be manifest, so that thou mayest accomplish again, with
great yearning and exaltation, the worship of the Lord of Hosts.
"O thou who art firm in the Covenant!..."
O thou who art firm in the Covenant!
Thy last letter, sent by Mirza ........., hath arrived. It is not a very
long time since I wrote thee a letter in which I said how contented I was
with thee and I explained to thee the importance of thy visit to India and
showed thee the results and the fruits of that visit.
At this moment hath arrived a letter in which thou hast praised the
believers of Rangoon, especially Seyed ........., Mirza ........., Mirza
......... and Khai Khosroe(295) who sacrificed his life for thine; ea,
this is the truth! Consider what a difference exists between his country
and thine and what a great effect this Bahai spirit hath manifested that
an oriental sacrificed his life for an Occidental! What attraction, what
love, what relationship is this! Blessed are those who are able to arrive
at an understanding of the reality of the power of this love!
Concerning Mr. ........., one of the Hindus of whom thou hast written: Say
to him, "To me thou art not a stranger, but a friend; thou art not
unknown, but known."
Thou hast spoken of a spiritual wave. This is not a wave, but a sea; nay,
the very ocean! But his is not to destroy the cities, but to purify them;
and soon it will submerge them all. This does not mean destruction, but
salvation; it is not death, but life; it is not enmity, but love; it is
not pain; it is a remedy. The world of existence is the body, and this is
its spirit; this immense world is the glass [chimney], and this is the
lamp [lighted wick]; humanity is the heaven, and this is its sun. The
signs of this bounty are clear and visible. The proof is the changing of
the characters of the friends and the perfection that the believers have
made in their actions and words: They were dark, they became luminous;
they were terrestrial, they became celestial; they were human, they became
divine; they were diabolic, they became angelic; they were a drop, they
became the sea; they were an atom, they became the sun. These are the
signs of those who are entirely submerged by this wave; that is to say,
this ocean.
O thou .........! I hope that thou wilt progress more and more; that thou
wilt increase thy knowledge and science; and that thou wilt ever strive
for gentleness and love.
Perhaps it will be possible for thee, next winter, to go to Persia.
"O thou maid-servant of God!..."
O thou maid-servant of God!
Thank ye that God hath enkindled the light of guidance in this darkness of
ignorance, hath quickened those who were asleep, made mindful those who
were heedless, made unproductive trees full of blossoms and fruit, and old
men laden with years, fair and graceful youths.
Praise be unto God! What an effect there lies in divine guidance! It
endoweth the blind with sight, granteth strength to the impotent, maketh
the darkened ones illuminated, changeth youth to the aged; nay, rather it
breatheth life into the dead!
O thou maid-servant of God! If thou seeketh after a work which is brighter
and more attractive, sweeter and more delightful than all the affairs, it
is the thralldom in the Threshold of the Almighty and servitude to His
Highness the Lord of Might.
Forget thou entirely the ease, tranquility, composure and living of this
transitory world and occupy thyself with the well-being and the service of
the human world and conduct thyself in accord with the advices and
exhortations of God.
"O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God!..."
O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God!
I have read thy beautiful letter containing beautiful significances and
indicating that which hath occurred to thy heart of spiritual events, and
that which hath encompassed thy spirit of merciful thoughts. This is from
the bounty of Thy Lord upon thee and upon every maid-servant chosen by His
mercy in this new age.
(Question: "Master, who art thou? Art thou the Christ?")
As to what thou asked concerning me: Verily, I say unto thee, that I am
indeed an humble, submissive and imploring servant of God; a servant of
His Beloved; a messenger of the exaltation of His Word; a spreader of His
Fragrances; an extoller of the banner of love and harmony; a promoter of
the greatest peace among all nations and tribes; a kindler of the fire of
the love of God in the hearts of the people; a runner to the place of
martyrdom in the Cause of God; a yearner for every calamity in the love of
God; a longer for suspension upon the cross for the love of the beloved; a
herald of the Kingdom of God among the sects of all horizons. This is my
station and condition; this is my blazing crown; this is my glorious
throne; because my servitude to the Holy Threshold is my brilliant light,
my shining star and my drawn sword; and beside this I have no other name.
Then know that for the dominion of the reality of Christ there is no
beginning and there is no end. Everlastingly that luminous Entity hath
been sitting on the throne of might and everlastingly It will have a
penetrating dominion over the worlds of existence. This dominion is
eternal and everlasting and has no abrupt end.
(Question: "When is the time of the millenium? Will I see it?)
Concerning the one thousand years as recorded in the Book: It signifieth
the beginning of this Manifestation until the end of its predominance
throughout the contingent world; because this Cause is great, its powers
are growing and its signs are dazzling. It shall continue in elevation,
exaltation, growth, promulgation and promotion until it shall reach the
apex of its glory in one thousand years--as the day of this Manifestation
is one thousand years. Thou shalt see its conquering power, its manifest
dominion, its eternal might and its everlasting glory.
(Question: "At the time of thy departure will there not be some great
spiritual manifestation all over the earth?")
As to the question of "after my departure" to the neighborhood of the
mercy of my Lord: Know there shall appear wonderful traces; the breath of
God shall pass by; the fragrance of God shall spread and the Spirit of God
shall run in the body of the contingent world both before and after my
departure; but I supplicate God that He may grant the greatest
spirituality in these days. Endeavor, therefore, that thou mayest have a
great portion in it.
(Question: "What did the vision of a paper signify in my dream?")
Concerning the appearance of a paper in thy dream, before thine eyes,
which thou wast unable to read: Thou shalt read it through the permission
of God and thou shalt comprehend its meanings. It is a diary of the Word
of God and the divine mysteries.
"O ye who are attracted by the Fragrances of God!..."
O ye(296) who are attracted by the Fragrances of God!
Verily, this mundane world is as the mirage of the desert, but the Kingdom
is like unto a sea of great surges and rolling waves. Those who longed for
the mirage have indeed become more thirsty the more they hastened toward
it and have perished in grief after a drop of water.
Ye see, as the condition really is, that the people of the world are
striving day and night for the sake of attaining perfect happiness and
tranquil life, but the result is none other to them than disappointment,
affliction, lamentation and destruction.
But those who have advanced to the Kingdom of God have assuredly advanced
to a sea of clear and limpid water and thus have attained unto the
greatest bounty, the perfect rest and the eternal life to which there is
no abrupt end. Their faces have shined with joy, their souls delighted
with pleasure, their hearts illumined and their cups overflowed with
abundance. Their edifice hath risen high, their palaces have been adorned,
their suns shone, their stars gleamed and their diadems radiated with a
dazzling light. Their dominions have expanded and their lights have spread
to all ages and generations. These are their set-up thrones, their high
palaces, their luminous lamps and their shining moons throughout all
horizons. These are their traces in the world; how much more then would be
their lights in the highest of the high--consider, therefore, O ye
maid-servants of the Merciful!
This being the case, care no more for the world and its desires, but cling
to the spiritual world and its gifts, spread the fragrances of God, be
submissive to the Word of God, establish a spiritual meeting-place
wherefrom theincense of sanctity and purity will rise up to God, assemble
there with fragrance and spirituality and celebrate the Name of your Lord
by day and by night. At that time ye would become illumined lamps,
spiritual stars; rather, eternal suns. This is a favor that was longed for
by the spirits of the godly people and the hearts of the queens in the
former ages.
"O ye maid-servants of God and leaves of the Tree of..."
O ye maid-servants(297) of God and leaves of the Tree of Eternal Life!
Blessed are ye for attaining to that which was the greatest hope of Mary
the Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jacob! This gift was shining on the
face of the Virgin Mary like unto a brilliant gem glistening on the great
crown of glory.
Happy are ye for this favor, the likeness of which was not seen by the eye
of existence, not its similitude heard by the ears of the creatures;
because it is the greatest favor on the part of the Lord of the Kingdoms
in the world of existence; that is, the greatest guidance, the attainment
unto the day of the Lord and listening unto the call of God. How blessed
is this great favor!
O ye maid-servants of God! All the palaces shall be destroyed and become
like graves, buried beneath the ground, but god, through His mighty hand,
will build for ye solid palaces in His Kingdom which will not be destroyed
forever and evermore; nay, rather its foundation will be strengthened in
the course of ages and centuries.
Therefore, call in His Name, spread the fragrances of God, guide unto the
path of God and cause souls to enter the Kingdom of God!
"If you arise in accord with the exhortations and commands..."
(298) If you arise in accord with the exhortations and commands of the
Blessed Perfection--may my life be a sacrifice to His beloved ones! --before
long agreeable results will be obtained, the great newspapers of the world
will all engage in praising you and such activity will be brought about in
the West as will increase the motion and activity in the East.
You have written concerning the meetings in Cambridge and Boston. The more
such meetings increase, it will increase the diffusing of the fragrances.
The news concerning the unity, harmony, affinity and oneness of the
maid-servants of the Merciful One and the friends of God in those parts,
imparted the utmost joy and happiness (to me). This indicated that the
Cause will before long yield results in that country.
Convey on my behalf respectful greeting to the favored and attracted
maid-servant of God, the daughter of the Kingdom, Miss .........
O thou .........! Exhort thou all the believers and say: "The Beauty of
Abha--may my life be a sacrifice to the dust of His footsteps! --hath opened
a great door before your faces and bestowed a weighty gift upon you. We
must know the value of this and sacrifice ourselves entirely; nay, we must
forget ourselves. We must wish for no rest and seek no joy. We must seek
no name nor fame, no ease, amplitude nor convenience; nay, we must
sacrifice everything in order that we may be clad in the kingdom of
immortality!"(299)
The letter which thou hast written was received and its perusal brought me
joy, for it indicated that you are extremely pleased with the beloved ones
(i.e., men) and the maid-servants of God in Persia. forsooth, their love
is heartfelt and real; they are devoted in service with all their soul and
they are attracted by the love of the friends with all their heart. If any
occasion befalleth and cases of tests come up, they will sacrifice their
precious lives for the sake of the friends and freely give up all their
possessions.
Briefly, O thou dear maid-servant of God! Praise be to God! thou didst see
with thine own eyes, thou didst hear with thine own ears and thou didst
comprehend with thine own heart. Thou didst witness the qualities and the
life and conduct of Abdul-Baha and thou didst behold the love and
kindness, faith and assurance of the friends of Persia. Thou didst see the
exaltation (or progress) of the Cause of God and thou didst test the
general character (or qualities) of the friends; and thou didst know with
perfect assurance that the Cause of Baha'o'llah is the means for the
quickening of the world and for the extraordinary progress of mankind;
that it hath quickened Persia and hath removed the darkness of ignorance,
that the friends are kind unto all the people of the world and
self-sacrificing servants of mankind.
"O thou who art firm in the Covenant!..."
O thou who art firm in the Covenant!
I am ever busy with the remembrance of the friends, praying and
supplicating at the threshold of His Majesty, the Merciful One, and seek
aid and assistance for the beloved.
Concerning the journey of Mr. .........: The friends of the west put forth
their efforts and helped until the means for the trip were made ready and
he left for India in perfect comfort and is now busy with the diffusion of
the fragrances. This service of the beloved to the Kingdom of Abha will be
the means of great bounty, a magnet of strength and power attracting
assistance and providence in the divine realm.
The beloved of God must take thought night and day for the spread of the
fragrances and for the promotion of the Word of God. They must send criers
and messengers (teachers) to all parts of the world. Every soul who is
himself able must ignite the candle of guidance, illumine the hearts with
the light of knowledge and, if possible, they must travel to other
countries of God. Thus may the confirmation of the Holy Spirit arrive and
the breath of life reach other souls.
The purport is this: I am made happy and am pleased with the souls who
have furnished the means for the journey of Mr. ......... I pray for them
and supplicate for bounty and blessing on their behalf.
"Convey my respectful greeting to Mr. ......... and..."
(300) Convey my respectful greeting to Mr. ......... and say: "Praise be
to God! that there exists in thee capacity and endowment to enter into the
Kingdom of God, and that thy wisdom and intelligence are known to the
republic.(301) Therefore, tarry thou not. Enter thou immediately into the
Kingdom of God. Enlist thyself in the roll of the army of the Lord of
Hosts, in order that thou mayest become the cause of salvation to the
people, endow sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf and life to the
dead. This is the divine gift! This is the supreme guidance! make thou thy
meetings a palace for the heavenly beloved and thy residence a glass for
the light of Deity. Suffer thy home to become a nest for the dove of the
Holy Spirit and thine eye the mirror for the reflection of the Beauty of
the Almighty."
"O ye beloved friends of Abdul-Baha!..."
O ye beloved friends of Abdul-Baha!(302)
The news of your spiritual assembly reached this Illumined Spot and the
heart of this yearning one was rejoiced on account of your concord, unity
and affinity. What wonderful meetings and brilliant gatherings were those,
whose fame will become world-wide and whose melody will ere long reach to
all the kingdoms! that in the region of America the believers are real
companions and associates with each other and are as beloved friends among
themselves; that they bring about gatherings of friendship, engage
themselves in the praise and glorification of the glorious Lord, deliver
eloquent speeches, establish the proofs and arguments of the Manifestation
of the Sun of Truth, spread the divine teachings and shed broadcast the
musk-diffusing fragrances of the Kingdom, so that the nostrils become
perfumed and the eyes become brightened.
O ye friends! O ye maid-servants of the Merciful! Those assemblies are the
emblems of the Supreme Concourse and the prototypes of the congregations
of the spirits in the Kingdom of Abha. Avail yourselves of the
opportunities of this time, neither let the occasion slip by unheeded. The
season of the soul-refreshing springtime will not appear at all time,
neither will the breezy dawn be at every moment. Now is the time of
proclamation and the occasion of supplication and invocation toward the
Kingdom of Abha.
Therefore, sing ye the sweet melody in the assemblages, entreat ye at the
Threshold of the Kingdom of the Lord of Hosts and beg ye for confirmation
and assistance. The Guide of Providence will appear and the "beloved of
divine gift" will unveil her luminous countenance.
"O thou dear maid-servant of God!..."
O thou dear maid-servant of God!