As to what thou hast written concerning "Reincarnation": Believing in
reincarnation is one of the old tenets held by most nations and creeds, as
well as by the Greek and Roman philosophers and wise men, the old
Egyptians and the chief Assyrians. But all these sayings and superstitions
are vanity in the sight of God.
The greatest argument produced by those who held to reincarnation has been
this: "That it is necessary to the justice of God to give every one his
due. Now everybody who is afflicted by any calamity is said to have
sinned; but when a little child, which is still in the womb of its mother
and hath just been formed, is found to be blind, deaf or imperfect, how
could it have committed any sin that we might say this imperfection is
given to it as a punishment therefor--so, though such a child hath not done
outwardly any sin in the womb of its mother, yet they say it must have
sinned when it was in its former body, which hath caused it to suffer this
punishment."
Indeed, these people have been negligent of the fact that had the creation
been carried out in a uniform fashion, how could the statement be true,
that "God doeth whatever He wisheth and God doeth whatever He desireth!"
Though the fact of "Return" is mentioned in the Divine Books, by this is
intended the return of the qualities, characters, perfections, truths and
lights, which re-appear in every age, and not of certain persons and
souls. For example: If we say this lamp is the return of that of last
night, or that the last year's flower hath returned in the garden, in this
sense the return of the individual, or identity, or personality is not
meant; nay, rather, it is intended that the same qualities and states
existing in that lamp or flower, which are now seen in this lamp or
flower, have returned. That is, the same perfections and virtues and
properties which existed in the past springtime have returned during this
present springtime. For instance: When one says, these fruits are the same
as those of last year; in this sense, he hath reference to the freshness
and delicacy of the fruit, which hath returned, although there is no doubt
that the identical fruit of last year hath not returned.
Have the friends of God found such enjoyments and repose during their
existence on this visible earth, that they might wish to have their return
renewed and repeated constantly? Are all these calamities, injuries,
trials and difficulties of the once coming not sufficient for them that
they should wish a repeated life in this world? Hath this cup been of such
sweetness that they should long for it successively and repeatedly? No!
the friends of the Beauty of El-Baha never seek any recompense or reward
except the meeting and the visit in the Kingdom of El-Baha; and they never
walk but in the valley of desire to attain the Supreme Height. They only
wish the immortal blessing and the eternal gift, which are sanctified
above the worldly understanding.
Because, when thou lookest with the iron sight, thou wilt find that all
mankind is suffering in this earthly world; there is no one in such
tranquillity that this state might have been a reward for his good deeds
in a former life and there is no soul so happy that this might be the
fruit of his past pain! Had the life of a man in his spiritual being been
only confined to his life in this world, the creation would have proved
useless; the divine qualities would have no result and effect; nay, all
things, created beings and the world of creation would have proved
abortive. I ask pardon of God for such false imaginations and for such
errors!
As the usefulness and powers of the life were not seen in that dark and
narrow world, but when it is brought into this vast world, all the use of
its growth and development becometh manifest and obvious in it, so
likewise, reward and punishment, paradise and hell, and the requital of
deeds and actions done by it in the present life become manifest and
evident when it is transferred to the world to come--which is far from this
world! Had the life and growth of the child in the womb been confined to
that condition, then the existence of the child in the womb would have
proved utterly abortive and unintelligible; as would the life of this
world, were its deeds, actions and their results not to appear in the
world to come.
Therefore, know thou that the True One possesseth invisible worlds which
human meditation is unable to comprehend and the intellect of man hath no
power to imagine. When thou wilt purify and clarify thy spiritual nostrils
from every worldly moisture, then thou wilt inhale the holy fragrances
diffusing from the merciful gardens of these worlds.