Preamble
In the Name of the Lord of Utterance, The Mighty.
"1: O YE PEOPLE THAT HAVE MINDS TO KNOW AND EARS TO HEAR!..."
O YE PEOPLE THAT HAVE MINDS TO KNOW AND EARS TO HEAR! The first call of
the Beloved is this: O mystic nightingale! Abide not but in the
rose-garden of the spirit. O messenger of the Solomon of love! Seek thou
no shelter except in the Sheba of the well-beloved, and O immortal
phoenix! dwell not save on the mount of faithfulness. Therein is thy
habitation, if on the wings of thy soul thou soarest to the realm of the
infinite and seekest to attain thy goal.
"2: O SON OF SPIRIT! The bird seeketh its nest; the nightingale the..."
O SON OF SPIRIT! The bird seeketh its nest; the nightingale the charm of
the rose; whilst those birds, the hearts of men, content with transient
dust, have strayed far from their eternal nest, and with eyes turned
towards the slough of heedlessness are bereft of the glory of the divine
presence. Alas! How strange and pitiful; for a mere cupful, they have
turned away from the billowing seas of the Most High, and remained far
from the most effulgent horizon.
"3: O FRIEND! In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the..."
O FRIEND! In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love,
and from the nightingale of affection and desire loosen not thy hold.
Treasure the companionship of the righteous and eschew all fellowship with
the ungodly.
"4: O SON OF JUSTICE! Whither can a lover go but to the land of his..."
O SON OF JUSTICE! Whither can a lover go but to the land of his beloved?
and what seeker findeth rest away from his heart's desire? To the true
lover reunion is life, and separation is death. His breast is void of
patience and his heart hath no peace. A myriad lives he would forsake to
hasten to the abode of his beloved.
"5: O SON OF DUST! Verily I say unto thee: Of all men the most
negligent..."
O SON OF DUST! Verily I say unto thee: Of all men the most negligent is he
that disputeth idly and seeketh to advance himself over his brother. Say,
O brethren! Let deeds, not words, be your adorning.
"6: O SON OF EARTH! Know, verily, the heart wherein the least remnant..."
O SON OF EARTH! Know, verily, the heart wherein the least remnant of envy
yet lingers, shall never attain My everlasting dominion, nor inhale the
sweet savors of holiness breathing from My kingdom of sanctity.
"7: O SON OF LOVE! Thou art but one step away from the glorious..."
O SON OF LOVE! Thou art but one step away from the glorious heights above
and from the celestial tree of love. Take thou one pace and with the next
advance into the immortal realm and enter the pavilion of eternity. Give
ear then to that which hath been revealed by the pen of glory.
"8: O SON OF GLORY! Be swift in the path of holiness, and enter the..."
O SON OF GLORY! Be swift in the path of holiness, and enter the heaven of
communion with Me. Cleanse thy heart with the burnish of the spirit, and
hasten to the court of the Most High.
"9: O FLEETING SHADOW! Pass beyond the baser stages of doubt and rise
to..."
O FLEETING SHADOW! Pass beyond the baser stages of doubt and rise to the
exalted heights of certainty. Open the eye of truth, that thou mayest
behold the veilless Beauty and exclaim: Hallowed be the Lord, the most
excellent of all creators!
"10: O SON OF DESIRE! Give ear unto this: Never shall mortal eye
recognize..."
O SON OF DESIRE! Give ear unto this: Never shall mortal eye recognize the
everlasting Beauty, nor the lifeless heart delight in aught but in the
withered bloom. For like seeketh like, and taketh pleasure in the company
of its kind.
"11: O SON OF DUST! Blind thine eyes, that thou mayest behold My..."
O SON OF DUST! Blind thine eyes, that thou mayest behold My beauty; stop
thine ears, that thou mayest hearken unto the sweet melody of My voice;
empty thyself of all learning, that thou mayest partake of My knowledge;
and sanctify thyself from riches, that thou mayest obtain a lasting share
from the ocean of My eternal wealth. Blind thine eyes, that is, to all
save My beauty; stop thine ears to all save My word; empty thyself of all
learning save the knowledge of Me; that with a clear vision, a pure heart
and an attentive ear thou mayest enter the court of My holiness.
"12: O MAN OF TWO VISIONS! Close one eye and open the other. Close one
to..."
O MAN OF TWO VISIONS! Close one eye and open the other. Close one to the
world and all that is therein, and open the other to the hallowed beauty
of the Beloved.
"13: O MY CHILDREN! I fear lest, bereft of the melody of the dove of..."
O MY CHILDREN! I fear lest, bereft of the melody of the dove of heaven, ye
will sink back to the shades of utter loss, and, never having gazed upon
the beauty of the rose, return to water and clay.
"14: O FRIENDS! Abandon not the everlasting beauty for a beauty..."
O FRIENDS! Abandon not the everlasting beauty for a beauty that must die,
and set not your affections on this mortal world of dust.
"15: O SON OF SPIRIT! The time cometh, when the nightingale of
holiness..."
O SON OF SPIRIT! The time cometh, when the nightingale of holiness will no
longer unfold the inner mysteries and ye will all be bereft of the
celestial melody and of the voice from on high.
"16: O ESSENCE OF NEGLIGENCE! Myriads of mystic tongues find utterance in
one..."
O ESSENCE OF NEGLIGENCE! Myriads of mystic tongues find utterance in one
speech, and myriads of hidden mysteries are revealed in a single melody;
yet, alas, there is no ear to hear, nor heart to understand.
"17: O COMRADES! The gates that open on the Placeless stand wide..."
O COMRADES! The gates that open on the Placeless stand wide and the
habitation of the loved one is adorned with the lovers' blood, yet all but
a few remain bereft of this celestial city, and even of these few, none
but the smallest handful hath been found with a pure heart and sanctified
spirit.
"18: O YE DWELLERS IN THE HIGHEST PARADISE!..."
O YE DWELLERS IN THE HIGHEST PARADISE! Proclaim unto the children of
assurance that within the realms of holiness, nigh unto the celestial
paradise, a new garden hath appeared, round which circle the denizens of
the realm on high and the immortal dwellers of the exalted paradise.
Strive, then, that ye may attain that station, that ye may unravel the
mysteries of love from its wind-flowers and learn the secret of divine and
consummate wisdom from its eternal fruits. Solaced are the eyes of them
that enter and abide therein!
"19: O MY FRIENDS! Have ye forgotten that true and radiant morn,..."
O MY FRIENDS! Have ye forgotten that true and radiant morn, when in those
hallowed and blessed surroundings ye were all gathered in My presence
beneath the shade of the tree of life, which is planted in the
all-glorious paradise? Awe-struck ye listened as I gave utterance to these
three most holy words: O friends! Prefer not your will to Mine, never
desire that which I have not desired for you, and approach Me not with
lifeless hearts, defiled with worldly desires and cravings. Would ye but
sanctify your souls, ye would at this present hour recall that place and
those surroundings, and the truth of My utterance should be made evident
unto all of you.
"20: O YE THAT ARE LYING AS DEAD ON THE COUCH OF HEEDLESSNESS!..."
In the eighth of the most holy lines, in the fifth Tablet of Paradise, He
saith: O YE THAT ARE LYING AS DEAD ON THE COUCH OF HEEDLESSNESS! Ages have
passed and your precious lives are well-nigh ended, yet not a single
breath of purity hath reached Our court of holiness from you. Though
immersed in the ocean of misbelief, yet with your lips ye profess the one
true faith of God. Him whom I abhor ye have loved, and of My foe ye have
made a friend. Notwithstanding, ye walk on My earth complacent and
self-satisfied, heedless that My earth is weary of you and everything
within it shunneth you. Were ye but to open your eyes, ye would, in truth,
prefer a myriad griefs unto this joy, and would count death itself better
than this life.
"21: O MOVING FORM OF DUST! I desire communion with thee, but thou
wouldst..."
O MOVING FORM OF DUST! I desire communion with thee, but thou wouldst put
no trust in Me. The sword of thy rebellion hath felled the tree of thy
hope. At all times I am near unto thee, but thou art ever far from Me.
Imperishable glory I have chosen for thee, yet boundless shame thou hast
chosen for thyself. While there is yet time, return, and lose not thy
chance.
"22: O SON OF DESIRE! The learned and the wise have for long years..."
O SON OF DESIRE! The learned and the wise have for long years striven and
failed to attain the presence of the All-Glorious; they have spent their
lives in search of Him, yet did not behold the beauty of His countenance.
Thou without the least effort didst attain thy goal, and without search
hast obtained the object of thy quest. Yet, notwithstanding, thou didst
remain so wrapt in the veil of self, that thine eyes beheld not the beauty
of the Beloved, nor did thy hand touch the hem of His robe. Ye that have
eyes, behold and wonder.
"23: O DWELLERS IN THE CITY OF LOVE! Mortal blasts have beset the
everlasting candle,..."
O DWELLERS IN THE CITY OF LOVE! Mortal blasts have beset the everlasting
candle, and the beauty of the celestial Youth is veiled in the darkness of
dust. The chief of the monarchs of love is wronged by the people of
tyranny and the dove of holiness lies prisoned in the talons of owls. The
dwellers in the pavilion of glory and the celestial concourse bewail and
lament, while ye repose in the realm of negligence, and esteem yourselves
as of the true friends. How vain are your imaginings!
"24: O YE THAT ARE FOOLISH, YET HAVE A NAME TO BE WISE!..."
O YE THAT ARE FOOLISH, YET HAVE A NAME TO BE WISE! Wherefore do ye wear
the guise of shepherds, when inwardly ye have become wolves, intent upon
My flock? Ye are even as the star, which riseth ere the dawn, and which,
though it seem radiant and luminous, leadeth the wayfarers of My city
astray into the paths of perdition.
"25: O YE SEEMING FAIR YET INWARDLY FOUL! Ye are like clear but bitter
water, which to outward..."
O YE SEEMING FAIR YET INWARDLY FOUL! Ye are like clear but bitter water,
which to outward seeming is crystal pure but of which, when tested by the
divine Assayer, not a drop is accepted. Yea, the sun beam falls alike upon
the dust and the mirror, yet differ they in reflection even as doth the
star from the earth: nay, immeasurable is the difference!
"26: O MY FRIEND IN WORD! Ponder awhile. Hast thou ever heard that
friend..."
O MY FRIEND IN WORD! Ponder awhile. Hast thou ever heard that friend and
foe should abide in one heart? Cast out then the stranger, that the Friend
may enter His home.
"27: O SON OF DUST! All that is in heaven and earth I have ordained..."
O SON OF DUST! All that is in heaven and earth I have ordained for thee,
except the human heart, which I have made the habitation of My beauty and
glory; yet thou didst give My home and dwelling to another than Me; and
whenever the manifestation of My holiness sought His own abode, a stranger
found He there, and, homeless, hastened unto the sanctuary of the Beloved.
Notwithstanding I have concealed thy secret and desired not thy shame.
"28: O ESSENCE OF DESIRE! At many a dawn have I turned from the realms
of..."
O ESSENCE OF DESIRE! At many a dawn have I turned from the realms of the
Placeless unto thine abode, and found thee on the bed of ease busied with
others than Myself. Thereupon, even as the flash of the spirit, I returned
to the realms of celestial glory and breathed it not in My retreats above
unto the hosts of holiness.
"29: O SON OF BOUNTY! Out of the wastes of nothingness, with the clay..."
O SON OF BOUNTY! Out of the wastes of nothingness, with the clay of My
command I made thee to appear, and have ordained for thy training every
atom in existence and the essence of all created things. Thus, ere thou
didst issue from thy mother's womb, I destined for thee two founts of
gleaming milk, eyes to watch over thee, and hearts to love thee. Out of My
loving-kindness, 'neath the shade of My mercy I nurtured thee, and guarded
thee by the essence of My grace and favor. And My purpose in all this was
that thou mightest attain My everlasting dominion and become worthy of My
invisible bestowals. And yet heedless thou didst remain, and when fully
grown, thou didst neglect all My bounties and occupied thyself with thine
idle imaginings, in such wise that thou didst become wholly forgetful,
and, turning away from the portals of the Friend didst abide within the
courts of My enemy.
"30: O BOND SLAVE OF THE WORLD! Many a dawn hath the breeze of My
loving-kindness..."
O BOND SLAVE OF THE WORLD! Many a dawn hath the breeze of My
loving-kindness wafted over thee and found thee upon the bed of
heedlessness fast asleep. Bewailing then thy plight it returned whence it
came.
"31: O SON OF EARTH! Wouldst thou have Me, seek none other than..."
O SON OF EARTH! Wouldst thou have Me, seek none other than Me; and wouldst
thou gaze upon My beauty, close thine eyes to the world and all that is
therein; for My will and the will of another than Me, even as fire and
water, cannot dwell together in one heart.
"32: O BEFRIENDED STRANGER! The candle of thine heart is lighted by the
hand..."
O BEFRIENDED STRANGER! The candle of thine heart is lighted by the hand of
My power, quench it not with the contrary winds of self and passion. The
healer of all thine ills is remembrance of Me, forget it not. Make My love
thy treasure and cherish it even as thy very sight and life.
"33: O MY BROTHER! Hearken to the delightsome words of My honeyed..."
O MY BROTHER! Hearken to the delightsome words of My honeyed tongue, and
quaff the stream of mystic holiness from My sugar-shedding lips. Sow the
seeds of My divine wisdom in the pure soil of thy heart, and water them
with the water of certitude, that the hyacinths of My knowledge and wisdom
may spring up fresh and green in the sacred city of thy heart.
"34: O DWELLERS OF MY PARADISE! With the hands of loving-kindness I
have..."
O DWELLERS OF MY PARADISE! With the hands of loving-kindness I have
planted in the holy garden of paradise the young tree of your love and
friendship, and have watered it with the goodly showers of My tender
grace; now that the hour of its fruiting is come, strive that it may be
protected, and be not consumed with the flame of desire and passion.
"35: O MY FRIENDS! Quench ye the lamp of error, and kindle within..."
O MY FRIENDS! Quench ye the lamp of error, and kindle within your hearts
the everlasting torch of divine guidance. For ere long the assayers of
mankind shall, in the holy presence of the Adored, accept naught but
purest virtue and deeds of stainless holiness.
"36: O SON OF DUST! The wise are they that speak not unless they..."
O SON OF DUST! The wise are they that speak not unless they obtain a
hearing, even as the cup-bearer, who proffereth not his cup till he
findeth a seeker, and the lover who crieth not out from the depths of his
heart until he gazeth upon the beauty of his beloved. Wherefore sow the
seeds of wisdom and knowledge in the pure soil of the heart, and keep them
hidden, till the hyacinths of divine wisdom spring from the heart and not
from mire and clay.
"37: O MY SERVANT! Abandon not for that which perisheth an everlasting..."
In the first line of the Tablet it is recorded and written, and within the
sanctuary of the tabernacle of God is hidden: O MY SERVANT! Abandon not
for that which perisheth an everlasting dominion, and cast not away
celestial sovereignty for a worldly desire. This is the river of
everlasting life that hath flowed from the well-spring of the pen of the
merciful; well is it with them that drink!
"38: O SON OF SPIRIT! Burst thy cage asunder, and even as the phoenix..."
O SON OF SPIRIT! Burst thy cage asunder, and even as the phoenix of love
soar into the firmament of holiness. Renounce thyself and, filled with the
spirit of mercy, abide in the realm of celestial sanctity.
"39: O OFFSPRING OF DUST! Be not content with the ease of a passing
day,..."
O OFFSPRING OF DUST! Be not content with the ease of a passing day, and
deprive not thyself of everlasting rest. Barter not the garden of eternal
delight for the dust-heap of a mortal world. Up from thy prison ascend
unto the glorious meads above, and from thy mortal cage wing thy flight
unto the paradise of the Placeless.
"40: O MY SERVANT! Free thyself from the fetters of this world, and..."
O MY SERVANT! Free thyself from the fetters of this world, and loose thy
soul from the prison of self. Seize thy chance, for it will come to thee
no more.
"41: O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Didst thou behold immortal sovereignty,
thou..."
O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Didst thou behold immortal sovereignty, thou wouldst
strive to pass from this fleeting world. But to conceal the one from thee
and to reveal the other is a mystery which none but the pure in heart can
comprehend.
"42: O MY SERVANT! Purge thy heart from malice and, innocent of..."
O MY SERVANT! Purge thy heart from malice and, innocent of envy, enter the
divine court of holiness.
"43: O MY FRIENDS! Walk ye in the ways of the good pleasure of..."
O MY FRIENDS! Walk ye in the ways of the good pleasure of the Friend, and
know that His pleasure is in the pleasure of His creatures. That is: no
man should enter the house of his friend save at his friend's pleasure,
nor lay hands upon his treasures nor prefer his own will to his friend's,
and in no wise seek an advantage over him. Ponder this, ye that have
insight!
"44: O COMPANION OF MY THRONE! Hear no evil, and see no evil, abase not
thyself,..."
O COMPANION OF MY THRONE! Hear no evil, and see no evil, abase not
thyself, neither sigh and weep. Speak no evil, that thou mayest not hear
it spoken unto thee, and magnify not the faults of others that thine own
faults may not appear great; and wish not the abasement of anyone, that
thine own abasement be not exposed. Live then the days of thy life, that
are less than a fleeting moment, with thy mind stainless, thy heart
unsullied, thy thoughts pure, and thy nature sanctified, so that, free and
content, thou mayest put away this mortal frame, and repair unto the
mystic paradise and abide in the eternal kingdom for evermore.
"45: ALAS! ALAS! O LOVERS OF WORLDLY DESIRE!..."
ALAS! ALAS! O LOVERS OF WORLDLY DESIRE! Even as the swiftness of lightning
ye have passed by the Beloved One, and have set your hearts on satanic
fancies. Ye bow the knee before your vain imagining, and call it truth. Ye
turn your eyes towards the thorn, and name it a flower. Not a pure breath
have ye breathed, nor hath the breeze of detachment been wafted from the
meadows of your hearts. Ye have cast to the winds the loving counsels of
the Beloved and have effaced them utterly from the tablet of your hearts,
and even as the beasts of the field, ye move and have your being within
the pastures of desire and passion.
"46: O BRETHREN IN THE PATH! Wherefore have ye neglected the mention of
the..."
O BRETHREN IN THE PATH! Wherefore have ye neglected the mention of the
Loved One, and kept remote from His holy presence? The essence of beauty
is within the peerless pavilion, set upon the throne of glory, whilst ye
busy yourselves with idle contentions. The sweet savors of holiness are
breathing and the breath of bounty is wafted, yet ye are all sorely
afflicted and deprived thereof. Alas for you and for them that walk in
your ways and follow in your footsteps!
"47: O CHILDREN OF DESIRE! Put away the garment of vainglory, and
divest..."
O CHILDREN OF DESIRE! Put away the garment of vainglory, and divest
yourselves of the attire of haughtiness.
"48: O BRETHREN! Be forbearing one with another and set not your..."
In the third of the most holy lines writ and recorded in the Ruby Tablet
by the pen of the unseen this is revealed: O BRETHREN! Be forbearing one
with another and set not your affections on things below. Pride not
yourselves in your glory, and be not ashamed of abasement. By My beauty! I
have created all things from dust, and to dust will I return them again.
"49: O CHILDREN OF DUST! Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the
poor,..."
O CHILDREN OF DUST! Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor,
lest heedlessness lead them into the path of destruction, and deprive them
of the Tree of Wealth. To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine;
well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues.
"50: O QUINTESSENCE OF PASSION! Put away all covetousness and seek
contentment;..."
O QUINTESSENCE OF PASSION! Put away all covetousness and seek contentment;
for the covetous hath ever been deprived, and the contented hath ever been
loved and praised.
"51: O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Be not troubled in poverty nor confident in..."
O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Be not troubled in poverty nor confident in riches,
for poverty is followed by riches, and riches are followed by poverty. Yet
to be poor in all save God is a wondrous gift, belittle not the value
thereof, for in the end it will make thee rich in God, and thus thou shalt
know the meaning of the utterance, "In truth ye are the poor," and the
holy words, "God is the all-possessing," shall even as the true morn break
forth gloriously resplendent upon the horizon of the lover's heart, and
abide secure on the throne of wealth.
"52: O CHILDREN OF NEGLIGENCE AND PASSION!..."
O CHILDREN OF NEGLIGENCE AND PASSION! Ye have suffered My enemy to enter
My house and have cast out My friend, for ye have enshrined the love of
another than Me in your hearts. Give ear to the sayings of the Friend and
turn towards His paradise. Worldly friends, seeking their own good, appear
to love one the other, whereas the true Friend hath loved and doth love
you for your own sakes; indeed He hath suffered for your guidance
countless afflictions. Be not disloyal to such a Friend, nay rather hasten
unto Him. Such is the daystar of the word of truth and faithfulness, that
hath dawned above the horizon of the pen of the Lord of all names. Open
your ears that ye may hearken unto the word of God, the Help in peril, the
Self-existent.
"53: O YE THAT PRIDE YOURSELVES ON MORTAL RICHES!..."
O YE THAT PRIDE YOURSELVES ON MORTAL RICHES! Know ye in truth that wealth
is a mighty barrier between the seeker and his desire, the lover and his
beloved. The rich, but for a few, shall in no wise attain the court of His
presence nor enter the city of content and resignation. Well is it then
with him, who, being rich, is not hindered by his riches from the eternal
kingdom, nor deprived by them of imperishable dominion. By the Most Great
Name! The splendor of such a wealthy man shall illuminate the dwellers of
heaven even as the sun enlightens the people of the earth!
"54: O YE RICH ONES ON EARTH! The poor in your midst are My trust; guard
ye..."
O YE RICH ONES ON EARTH! The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My
trust, and be not intent only on your own ease.
"55: O SON OF PASSION! Cleanse thyself from the defilement of riches..."
O SON OF PASSION! Cleanse thyself from the defilement of riches and in
perfect peace advance into the realm of poverty; that from the well-spring
of detachment thou mayest quaff the wine of immortal life.
"56: O MY SON! The company of the ungodly increaseth sorrow,..."
O MY SON! The company of the ungodly increaseth sorrow, whilst fellowship
with the righteous cleanseth the rust from off the heart. He that seeketh
to commune with God, let him betake himself to the companionship of His
loved ones; and he that desireth to hearken unto the word of God, let him
give ear to the words of His chosen ones.
"57: O SON OF DUST! Beware! Walk not with the ungodly and seek..."
O SON OF DUST! Beware! Walk not with the ungodly and seek not fellowship
with him, for such companionship turneth the radiance of the heart into
infernal fire.
"58: O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Wouldst thou seek the grace of the Holy
Spirit,..."
O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Wouldst thou seek the grace of the Holy Spirit,
enter into fellowship with the righteous, for he hath drunk the cup of
eternal life at the hands of the immortal Cup-bearer and even as the true
morn doth quicken and illumine the hearts of the dead.
"59: O HEEDLESS ONES! Think not the secrets of hearts are hidden, nay,..."
O HEEDLESS ONES! Think not the secrets of hearts are hidden, nay, know ye
of a certainty that in clear characters they are engraved and are openly
manifest in the holy Presence.
"60: O FRIENDS! Verily I say, whatsoever ye have concealed within..."
O FRIENDS! Verily I say, whatsoever ye have concealed within your hearts
is to Us open and manifest as the day; but that it is hidden is of Our
grace and favor, and not of your deserving.
"61: O SON OF MAN! A dewdrop out of the fathomless ocean of My..."
O SON OF MAN! A dewdrop out of the fathomless ocean of My mercy I have
shed upon the peoples of the world, yet found none turn thereunto,
inasmuch as every one hath turned away from the celestial wine of unity
unto the foul dregs of impurity, and, content with mortal cup, hath put
away the chalice of immortal beauty. Vile is that wherewith he is
contented.
"62: O SON OF DUST! Turn not away thine eyes from the matchless wine..."
O SON OF DUST! Turn not away thine eyes from the matchless wine of the
immortal Beloved, and open them not to foul and mortal dregs. Take from
the hands of the divine Cup-bearer the chalice of immortal life, that all
wisdom may be thine, and that thou mayest hearken unto the mystic voice
calling from the realm of the invisible. Cry aloud, ye that are of low
aim! Wherefore have ye turned away from My holy and immortal wine unto
evanescent water?
"63: O YE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD! Know, verily, that an unforeseen calamity
followeth..."
O YE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD! Know, verily, that an unforeseen calamity
followeth you, and grievous retribution awaiteth you. Think not that which
ye have committed hath been effaced in My sight. By My beauty! All your
doings hath My pen graven with open characters upon tablets of chrysolite.
"64: O OPPRESSORS ON EARTH! Withdraw your hands from tyranny, for I
have..."
O OPPRESSORS ON EARTH! Withdraw your hands from tyranny, for I have
pledged Myself not to forgive any man's injustice. This is My covenant
which I have irrevocably decreed in the preserved tablet and sealed with
My seal.
"65: O REBELLIOUS ONES! My forbearance hath emboldened you and My..."
O REBELLIOUS ONES! My forbearance hath emboldened you and My
long-suffering hath made you negligent, in such wise that ye have spurred
on the fiery charger of passion into perilous ways that lead unto
destruction. Have ye thought Me heedless or that I was unaware?
"66: O EMIGRANTS! The tongue I have designed for the mention of..."
O EMIGRANTS! The tongue I have designed for the mention of Me, defile it
not with detraction. If the fire of self overcome you, remember your own
faults and not the faults of My creatures, inasmuch as every one of you
knoweth his own self better than he knoweth others.
"67: O CHILDREN OF FANCY! Know, verily, that while the radiant dawn
breaketh..."
O CHILDREN OF FANCY! Know, verily, that while the radiant dawn breaketh
above the horizon of eternal holiness, the satanic secrets and deeds done
in the gloom of night shall be laid bare and manifest before the peoples
of the world.
"68: O WEED THAT SPRINGETH OUT OF DUST! Wherefore have not these soiled
hands of thine..."
O WEED THAT SPRINGETH OUT OF DUST! Wherefore have not these soiled hands
of thine touched first thine own garment, and why with thine heart defiled
with desire and passion dost thou seek to commune with Me and to enter My
sacred realm? Far, far are ye from that which ye desire.
"69: O CHILDREN OF ADAM! Holy words and pure and goodly deeds ascend..."
O CHILDREN OF ADAM! Holy words and pure and goodly deeds ascend unto the
heaven of celestial glory. Strive that your deeds may be cleansed from the
dust of self and hypocrisy and find favor at the court of glory; for ere
long the assayers of mankind shall, in the holy presence of the Adored
One, accept naught but absolute virtue and deeds of stainless purity. This
is the daystar of wisdom and of divine mystery that hath shone above the
horizon of the divine will. Blessed are they that turn thereunto.
"70: O SON OF WORLDLINESS! Pleasant is the realm of being, wert thou to
attain..."
O SON OF WORLDLINESS! Pleasant is the realm of being, wert thou to attain
thereto; glorious is the domain of eternity, shouldst thou pass beyond the
world of mortality; sweet is the holy ecstasy if thou drinkest of the
mystic chalice from the hands of the celestial Youth. Shouldst thou attain
this station, thou wouldst be freed from destruction and death, from toil
and sin.
"71: O MY FRIENDS! Call ye to mind that covenant ye have entered into..."
O MY FRIENDS! Call ye to mind that covenant ye have entered into with Me
upon Mount Paran, situate within the hallowed precincts of Zaman. I have
taken to witness the concourse on high and the dwellers in the city of
eternity, yet now none do I find faithful unto the covenant. Of a
certainty pride and rebellion have effaced it from the hearts, in such
wise that no trace thereof remaineth. Yet knowing this, I waited and
disclosed it not.
"72: O MY SERVANT! Thou art even as a finely tempered sword concealed..."
O MY SERVANT! Thou art even as a finely tempered sword concealed in the
darkness of its sheath and its value hidden from the artificer's
knowledge. Wherefore come forth from the sheath of self and desire that
thy worth may be made resplendent and manifest unto all the world.
"73: O MY FRIEND! Thou art the daystar of the heavens of My holiness,..."
O MY FRIEND! Thou art the daystar of the heavens of My holiness, let not
the defilement of the world eclipse thy splendor. Rend asunder the veil of
heedlessness, that from behind the clouds thou mayest emerge resplendent
and array all things with the apparel of life.
"74: O CHILDREN OF VAINGLORY! For a fleeting sovereignty ye have abandoned
My..."
O CHILDREN OF VAINGLORY! For a fleeting sovereignty ye have abandoned My
imperishable dominion, and have adorned yourselves with the gay livery of
the world and made of it your boast. By My beauty! All will I gather
beneath the one-colored covering of the dust and efface all these diverse
colors save them that choose My own, and that is purging from every color.
"75: O CHILDREN OF NEGLIGENCE! Set not your affections on mortal
sovereignty..."
O CHILDREN OF NEGLIGENCE! Set not your affections on mortal sovereignty
and rejoice not therein. Ye are even as the unwary bird that with full
confidence warbleth upon the bough; till of a sudden the fowler Death
throws it upon the dust, and the melody, the form and the color are gone,
leaving not a trace. Wherefore take heed, O bondslaves of desire!
"76: O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Guidance hath ever been given by words, and
now..."
O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Guidance hath ever been given by words, and now it
is given by deeds. Every one must show forth deeds that are pure and holy,
for words are the property of all alike, whereas such deeds as these
belong only to Our loved ones. Strive then with heart and soul to
distinguish yourselves by your deeds. In this wise We counsel you in this
holy and resplendent tablet.
"77: O SON OF JUSTICE! In the night-season the beauty of the immortal..."
O SON OF JUSTICE! In the night-season the beauty of the immortal Being
hath repaired from the emerald height of fidelity unto the
Sadratu'l-Muntaha, and wept with such a weeping that the concourse on high
and the dwellers of the realms above wailed at His lamenting. Whereupon
there was asked, Why the wailing and weeping? He made reply: As bidden I
waited expectant upon the hill of faithfulness, yet inhaled not from them
that dwell on earth the fragrance of fidelity. Then summoned to return I
beheld, and lo! certain doves of holiness were sore tried within the claws
of the dogs of earth. Thereupon the Maid of heaven hastened forth unveiled
and resplendent from Her mystic mansion, and asked of their names, and all
were told but one. And when urged, the first letter thereof was uttered,
whereupon the dwellers of the celestial chambers rushed forth out of their
habitation of glory. And whilst the second letter was pronounced they fell
down, one and all, upon the dust. At that moment a voice was heard from
the inmost shrine: "Thus far and no farther." Verily We bear witness to
that which they have done and now are doing.
"78: O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Quaff from the tongue of the merciful the
stream..."
O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Quaff from the tongue of the merciful the stream of
divine mystery, and behold from the dayspring of divine utterance the
unveiled splendor of the daystar of wisdom. Sow the seeds of My divine
wisdom in the pure soil of the heart, and water them with the waters of
certitude, that the hyacinths of knowledge and wisdom may spring up fresh
and green from the holy city of the heart.
"79: O SON OF DESIRE! How long wilt thou soar in the realms of desire?..."
O SON OF DESIRE! How long wilt thou soar in the realms of desire? Wings
have I bestowed upon thee, that thou mayest fly to the realms of mystic
holiness and not the regions of satanic fancy. The comb, too, have I given
thee that thou mayest dress My raven locks, and not lacerate My throat.
"80: O MY SERVANTS! Ye are the trees of My garden; ye must give forth..."
O MY SERVANTS! Ye are the trees of My garden; ye must give forth goodly
and wondrous fruits, that ye yourselves and others may profit therefrom.
Thus it is incumbent on every one to engage in crafts and professions, for
therein lies the secret of wealth, O men of understanding! For results
depend upon means, and the grace of God shall be all-sufficient unto you.
Trees that yield no fruit have been and will ever be for the fire.
"81: O MY SERVANT! The basest of men are they that yield no fruit..."
O MY SERVANT! The basest of men are they that yield no fruit on earth.
Such men are verily counted as among the dead, nay better are the dead in
the sight of God than those idle and worthless souls.
"82: O MY SERVANT! The best of men are they that earn a livelihood..."
O MY SERVANT! The best of men are they that earn a livelihood by their
calling and spend upon themselves and upon their kindred for the love of
God, the Lord of all worlds. The mystic and wondrous Bride, hidden ere
this beneath the veiling of utterance, hath now, by the grace of God and
His divine favor, been made manifest even as the resplendent light shed by
the beauty of the Beloved. I bear witness, O friends! that the favor is
complete, the argument fulfilled, the proof manifest and the evidence
established. Let it now be seen what your endeavors in the path of
detachment will reveal. In this wise hath the divine favor been fully
vouchsafed unto you and unto them that are in heaven and on earth. All
praise to God, the Lord of all Worlds.