O my Lord! I have drawn nigh unto Thee, in the depths of this darksome
night, confiding in Thee with the tongue of my heart, trembling with joy
at the sweet scents that blow from Thy realm, the All-Glorious, calling
unto Thee, saying:
O my Lord, no words do I find to glorify Thee; no way do I see for the
bird of my mind to soar upward to Thy Kingdom of Holiness; for Thou, in
Thy very essence, art sanctified above those tributes, and in Thy very
being art beyond the reach of those praises which are offered Thee by the
people that Thou hast created. In the sanctity of Thine own being hast
Thou ever been exalted above the understanding of the learned among the
Company on high, and forever wilt Thou remain enwrapped within the
holiness of Thine own reality, unreached by the knowledge of those
dwellers in Thine exalted Kingdom who glorify Thy Name.
O God, my God! How can I glorify or describe Thee inaccessible as Thou
art; immeasurably high and sanctified art Thou above every description and
praise.
O God, my God! Have mercy then upon my helpless state, my poverty, my
misery, my abasement! Give me to drink from the generous cup of Thy grace
and forgiveness, stir me with the sweet scents of Thy love, gladden my
bosom with the light of Thy knowledge, purify my soul with the mysteries
of Thy oneness, raise me to life with the gentle breeze that cometh from
the gardens of Thy mercy--till I sever myself from all else but Thee, and
lay hold of the hem of Thy garment of grandeur, and consign to oblivion
all that is not Thee, and be companioned by the sweet breathings that waft
during these Thy days, and attain unto faithfulness at Thy Threshold of
Holiness, and arise to serve Thy Cause, and to be humble before Thy loved
ones, and, in the presence of Thy favoured ones, to be nothingness itself.
Verily art Thou the Helper, the Sustainer, the Exalted, the Most Generous.
O God, my God! I beg of Thee by the dawning of the light of Thy Beauty
that hath illumined all the earth, and by the glance of Thy divine
compassion's eye that considereth all things, and by the surging sea of
Thy bestowals in which all things are immersed, and by Thy streaming
clouds of bounty raining down gifts upon the essences of all created
things, and by the splendours of Thy mercy that existed before ever the
world was--to help Thy chosen ones to be faithful, and assist Thy loved
ones to serve at Thine exalted Threshold, and cause them to gain the
victory through the battalions of Thy might that overpowereth all things,
and reinforce them with a great fighting host from out of the Concourse on
high.
O my Lord! They are weak souls standing at Thy door; they are paupers in
Thy courtyard, desperate for Thy grace, in dire need of Thy succour,
turning their faces toward the kingdom of Thy oneness, yearning for the
bounties of Thy bestowals. O my Lord! Flood Thou their minds with Thy holy
light; cleanse Thou their hearts with the grace of Thine assistance;
gladden their bosoms with the fragrance of the joys that waft from Thy
Company above; make bright their eyes by beholding the signs and tokens of
Thy might; cause them to be the ensigns of purity, the banners of sanctity
waving high above all creatures on the summits of the earth; make Thou
their words to move hearts which are even as solid rock. May they arise to
serve Thee and dedicate themselves to the Kingdom of Thy divinity, and set
their faces toward the realm of Thy Self-Subsistence, and spread far and
wide Thy signs, and be illumined by Thy streaming lights, and unfold Thy
hidden mysteries. May they guide Thy servants unto gentle waters and to
the fountain of Thy mercy that welleth and leapeth in the midmost heart of
the Heaven of Thy oneness. May they hoist the sail of detachment upon the
Ark of Salvation, and move over the seas of Thy knowledge; may they spread
wide the pinions of unity and by their aid soar upward to the Kingdom of
Thy singleness to become servants whom the Supreme Concourse will applaud,
whose praises the dwellers in Thine all-glorious realm will utter; may
they hear the heralds of the invisible world as they raise their cry of
the Most Great Glad-Tidings; may they, in their longing to meet Thee,
invoke and pray unto Thee, intoning wondrous orisons at the dawn of
light--O my Lord Who disposest all things--shedding their tears at
morningtide and even, yearning to pass into the shadow of Thy mercy that
endeth never.
Help them, O my Lord, under all conditions, support them at all times with
Thine angels of holiness, they who are Thine invisible hosts, Thy heavenly
battalions who bring down to defeat the massed armies of this nether
world.
Verily art Thou the Mighty, the Powerful, the Strong, the
All-Encompassing, the One Who hath dominion over all that is.
O holy Lord! O Lord of loving-kindness! We stray about Thy dwelling,
longing to behold Thy beauty, and loving all Thy ways. We are hapless,
lowly, and of small account. We are paupers: show us mercy, give us
bounty; look not upon our failings, hide Thou our endless sins. Whatever
we are, still are we Thine, and what we speak and hear is praise of Thee,
and it is Thy face we seek, Thy path we follow. Thou art the Lord of
loving-kindness, we are sinners and astray and far from home. Wherefore, O
Cloud of Mercy, grant us some drops of rain. O Flowering Bed of grace,
send forth a fragrant breeze. O Sea of all bestowals, roll towards us a
great wave. O Sun of Bounty, send down a shaft of light. Grant us pity,
grant us grace. By Thy beauty, we come with no provision but our sins,
with no good deeds to tell of, only hopes. Unless Thy concealing veil doth
cover us, and Thy protection shield and cradle us, what power have these
helpless souls to rise and serve Thee, what substance have these wretched
ones to make a brave display? Thou Who art the Mighty, the All-Powerful,
help us, favour us; withered as we are, revive us with showers from Thy
clouds of grace; lowly as we are, illumine us with bright rays from the
Day-Star of Thy oneness. Cast Thou these thirsty fish into the ocean of
Thy mercy, guide Thou this lost caravan to the shelter of Thy singleness;
to the wellspring of guidance lead Thou the ones who have wandered far
astray, and grant to those who have missed the path a haven within the
precincts of Thy might. Lift Thou to these parched lips the bounteous and
soft-flowing waters of heaven, raise up these dead to everlasting life.
Grant Thou to the blind eyes that will see. Make Thou the deaf to hear,
the dumb to speak. Set Thou the dispirited ablaze, make Thou the heedless
mindful, warn Thou the proud, awaken those who sleep.
Thou art the Mighty, Thou art the Bestower, Thou art the Loving. Verily
Thou art the Beneficent, the Most Exalted.
O ye loved ones of God, ye helpers of this evanescent Servant! When the
Sun of Reality shed its endless bounties from the Dawning-Point of all
desires, and this world of being was lit with that sacred light from pole
to pole, with such intensity did it cast down its rays that it blotted out
the Stygian dark forever, whereupon this earth of dust became the envy of
the spheres of heaven, and this lowly place took on the state and panoply
of the supernal realm. The gentle breeze of holiness blew over it,
scattering abroad sweet savours; the spring winds of heaven passed by it,
and over it, from the Source of all bestowals, were wafted fruitful airs
that carried boundless grace. Then the bright dawn rose, and there came
tidings of great joy. The divine springtime was here, pitching its tents
in this contingent world, so that all creation leapt and danced. The
withered earth brought forth immortal blooms, the dead dust woke to
everlasting life. Then came forth flowers of mystic learning, and,
bespeaking the knowledge of God, fresh greenery from the ground. The
contingent world displayed God's bounteous gifts, the visible world
reflecting the glories of realms that were hidden from sight. God's
summons was proclaimed, the table of the Eternal Covenant was readied, the
cup of the Testament was passed from hand to hand, the universal
invitation was sent forth. Then some among the people were set afire with
the wine of heaven, and some were left without a share of this greatest of
bestowals. The sight and insight of some were illumined by the light of
grace, and there were some who, hearing the anthems of unity, leapt for
joy. There were birds that began to carol in the gardens of holiness,
there were nightingales in the branches of the rose tree of heaven that
raised their plaintive cries. Then were decked and adorned both the
Kingdom on high and the earth below, and this world became the envy of
high heaven. Yet alas, alas, the neglectful have stayed fast in their
heedless sleep, and the foolish have spurned this most sacred of
bestowals. The blind remain shrouded in their veils, the deaf have no
share in what hath come to pass, the dead have no hopes of attaining
thereto, for even as He saith: 'They despair of the life to come, as the
infidels despair that the dwellers in the tombs will rise again.'(1)
As to you, O ye loved ones of God! Loose your tongues and offer Him
thanks; praise ye and glorify the Beauty of the Adored One, for ye have
drunk from this purest of chalices, and ye are cheered and set aglow with
this wine. Ye have detected the sweet scents of holiness, ye have smelled
the musk of faithfulness from Joseph's raiment. Ye have fed on the
honey-dew of loyalty from the hands of Him Who is the one alone Beloved,
ye have feasted on immortal dishes at the bounteous banquet table of the
Lord. This plenty is a special favour bestowed by a loving God, these are
blessings and rare gifts deriving from His grace. In the Gospel He saith:
'For many are called, but few are chosen.'(2) That is, to many is it
offered, but rare is the soul who is singled out to receive the great
bestowal of guidance. 'Such is the bounty of God: to whom He will He
giveth it, and of immense bounty is God.'(3)
O ye loved ones of God! From the peoples of the world, against the Candle
of the Covenant discordant winds do beat and blow. The Nightingale of
faithfulness is beset by renegades who are even as ravens of hate. The
Dove of God's remembrance is hard pressed by mindless birds of night, and
the Gazelle that dwelleth in the meadows of God's love is being hunted
down by ravening beasts. Deadly is the peril, tormenting the pain.
The beloved of the Lord must stand fixed as the mountains, firm as
impregnable walls. Unmoved must they remain by even the direst
adversities, ungrieved by the worst of disasters. Let them cling to the
hem of Almighty God, and put their faith in the Beauty of the Most High;
let them lean on the unfailing help that cometh from the Ancient Kingdom,
and depend on the care and protection of the generous Lord. Let them at
all times refresh and restore themselves with the dews of heavenly grace,
and with the breaths of the Holy Spirit revive and renew themselves from
moment to moment. Let them rise up to serve their Lord, and do all in
their power to scatter His breathings of holiness far and wide. Let them
be a mighty fortress to defend His Faith, an impregnable citadel for the
hosts of the Ancient Beauty. Let them faithfully guard the edifice of the
Cause of God from every side; let them become the bright stars of His
luminous skies. For the hordes of darkness are assailing this Cause from
every direction, and the peoples of the earth are intent on extinguishing
this evident Light. And since all the kindreds of the world are mounting
their attack, how can our attention be diverted, even for a moment?
Assuredly be cognizant of these things, be watchful, and guard the Cause
of God.
The most vital duty, in this day, is to purify your characters, to correct
your manners, and improve your conduct. The beloved of the Merciful must
show forth such character and conduct among His creatures, that the
fragrance of their holiness may be shed upon the whole world, and may
quicken the dead, inasmuch as the purpose of the Manifestation of God and
the dawning of the limitless lights of the Invisible is to educate the
souls of men, and refine the character of every living man--so that blessed
individuals, who have freed themselves from the murk of the animal world,
shall rise up with those qualities which are the adornings of the reality
of man. The purpose is that earthlings should turn into the people of
Heaven, and those who walk in darkness should come into the light, and
those who are excluded should join the inner circle of the Kingdom, and
those who are as nothing should become intimates of the everlasting Glory.
It is that the portionless should gain their share of the boundless sea,
and the ignorant drink their fill from the living fount of knowledge; that
those who thirst for blood should forsake their savagery, and those who
are barbed of claw should turn gentle and forbearing, and those who love
war should seek instead for true conciliation; it is that the brutal,
their talons razor-sharp, should enjoy the benefits of lasting peace; that
the foul should learn that there is a realm of purity, and the tainted
find their way to the rivers of holiness.
Unless these divine bestowals be revealed from the inner self of
humankind, the bounty of the Manifestation will prove barren, and the
dazzling rays of the Sun of Truth will have no effect whatever.
Wherefore, O beloved of the Lord, strive ye with heart and soul to receive
a share of His holy attributes and take your portion of the bounties of
His sanctity--that ye may become the tokens of unity, the standards of
singleness, and seek out the meaning of oneness; that ye may, in this
garden of God, lift up your voices and sing the blissful anthems of the
spirit. Become ye as the birds who offer Him their thanks, and in the
blossoming bowers of life chant ye such melodies as will dazzle the minds
of those who know. Raise ye a banner on the highest peaks of the world, a
flag of God's favour to ripple and wave in the winds of His grace; plant
ye a tree in the field of life, amid the roses of this visible world, that
will yield a fruitage fresh and sweet.
I swear by the true Teacher that if ye will act in accord with the
admonitions of God, as revealed in His luminous Tablets, this darksome
dust will mirror forth the Kingdom of heaven, and this nether world the
realm of the All-Glorious.
O ye loved ones of the Lord! Praise be to Him, the unseen, welling
bounties of the Sun of Truth encompass you on every side, and from every
direction the portals of His mercy stand ajar. Now is the time to take
advantage of these bestowals, and benefit therefrom. Know ye the value of
this time, let not this chance escape you. Stay ye entirely clear of this
dark world's concerns, and become ye known by the attributes of those
essences that make their home in the Kingdom. Then shall ye see how
intense is the glory of the heavenly Day-Star, and how blinding bright are
the tokens of bounty coming out of the invisible realm.