Tuesday, March 31, 2015

"Thus man must strive that his reality may manifest virtues and perfections, the light whereof may shine upon everyone."



"O ye beloved of the Lord! In this sacred Dispensation, conflict and contention are in no wise permitted. Every aggressor deprives himself of God’s grace. It is incumbent upon everyone to show the utmost love, rectitude of conduct, straightforwardness and sincere kindliness unto all the peoples and kindreds of the world, be they friends or strangers. So intense must be the spirit of love and loving kindness, that the stranger may find himself a friend, the enemy a true brother, no difference whatsoever existing between them. For universality is of God and all limitations earthly. Thus man must strive that his reality may manifest virtues and perfections, the light whereof may shine upon everyone. The light of the sun shineth upon all the world and the merciful showers of Divine Providence fall upon all peoples. The vivifying breeze reviveth every living creature and all beings endued with life obtain their share and portion at His heavenly board. In like manner, the affections and loving kindness of the servants of the One True God must be bountifully and universally extended to all mankind. Regarding this, restrictions and limitations are in no wise permitted."


'Abdu’l-Bahá, Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Monday, March 30, 2015

"Teaching the Cause is of utmost importance for it is the head corner-stone of the foundation itself."




"In these days, the most important of all things is the guidance of the nations and peoples of the world. Teaching the Cause is of utmost importance for it is the head corner-stone of the foundation itself. This wronged servant has spent his days and nights in promoting the Cause and urging the peoples to service. He rested not a moment, till the fame of the Cause of God was noised abroad in the world and the celestial strains from the Abhá Kingdom roused the East and the West. The beloved of God must also follow the same example. This is the secret of faithfulness, this is the requirement of servitude to the Threshold of Bahá!"

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá





Rembrandt

Sunday, March 29, 2015

" ... they must raise in every land the triumphal cry “O Thou the Glory of Glories!” (Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá) ..."




" ... It behooveth them not to rest for a moment, neither to seek repose. They must disperse themselves in every land, pass by every clime, and travel throughout all regions. Bestirred, without rest and steadfast to the end they must raise in every land the triumphal cry “O Thou the Glory of Glories!” (Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá), must achieve renown in the world wherever they go, must burn brightly even as a candle in every meeting and must kindle the flame of Divine love in every assembly; that the light of truth may rise resplendent in the midmost heart of the world, that throughout the East and throughout the West a vast concourse may gather under the shadow of the Word of God, that the sweet savors of holiness may be diffused, that faces may shine radiantly, hearts be filled with the Divine spirit and souls be made heavenly."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Saturday, March 28, 2015

"O God, my God! Shield Thy trusted servants from the evils of self and passion ..."



"O God, my God! Shield Thy trusted servants from the evils of self and passion, protect them with the watchful eye of Thy loving kindness from all rancor, hate and envy, shelter them in the impregnable stronghold of Thy care and, safe from the darts of doubtfulness, make them the manifestations of Thy glorious Signs, illumine their faces with the effulgent rays shed from the Dayspring of Thy Divine Unity, gladden their hearts with the verses revealed from Thy Holy Kingdom, strengthen their loins by Thy all-swaying power that cometh from Thy Realm of Glory. Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Protector, the Almighty, the Gracious!"

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Friday, March 27, 2015

"We have taken the inner essence thereof and clothed it in the garment of brevity ..."




"HE IS THE GLORY OF GLORIES

THIS is that which hath descended from the realm of glory, uttered by the tongue of power and might, and revealed unto the Prophets of old. We have taken the inner essence thereof and clothed it in the garment of brevity, as a token of grace unto the righteous, that they may stand faithful unto the Covenant of God, may fulfill in their lives His trust, and in the realm of spirit obtain the gem of divine virtue."

-Bahá’u’lláh, The Hidden Words

Thursday, March 26, 2015

" ... we are forbidden to utter slander, are commanded to show forth peace and amity, are exhorted to rectitude of conduct, straightforwardness and harmony with all the kindreds and peoples of the world."



"According to the direct and sacred command of God we are forbidden to utter slander, are commanded to show forth peace and amity, are exhorted to rectitude of conduct, straightforwardness and harmony with all the kindreds and peoples of the world. We must obey and be the well-wishers of the governments of the land, regard disloyalty unto a just king as disloyalty to God Himself and wishing evil to the government a transgression of the Cause of God." ...

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

" ... upon them that have believed, rested assured ..."




... "Salutation and praise, blessing and glory rest upon that primal branch of the Divine and Sacred Lote-Tree, grown out, blest, tender, verdant and flourishing from the Twin Holy Trees; the most wondrous, unique and priceless pearl that doth gleam from out the Twin surging seas; upon the offshoots of the Tree of Holiness, the twigs of the Celestial Tree, they that in the Day of the Great Dividing have stood fast and firm in the Covenant; upon the Hands (pillars) of the Cause of God that have diffused widely the Divine Fragrances, declared His Proofs, proclaimed His Faith, published abroad His Law, detached themselves from all things but Him, stood for righteousness in this world, and kindled the Fire of the Love of God in the very hearts and souls of His servants; upon them that have believed, rested assured, stood steadfast in His Covenant and followed the Light that after my passing shineth from the Dayspring of Divine Guidance—for behold! he is the blest and sacred bough that hath branched out from the Twin Holy Trees. Well is it with him that seeketh the shelter of his shade that shadoweth all mankind." ...

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá



‘Abdu’l-Bahá, (Servant of Bahá) son of Bahá'u' lláh

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

"THE substance wherewith God hath created Me is not the clay out of which others have been formed."



"THE substance wherewith God hath created Me is not the clay out of which others have been formed. He hath conferred upon Me that which the worldly-wise can never comprehend, nor the faithful discover.… I am one of the sustaining pillars of the Primal Word of God. Whosoever hath recognized Me hath known all that is true and right and hath attained all that is good and seemly, and whosoever hath failed to recognize Me hath turned away from all that is true and right and hath succumbed to everything evil and unseemly." ...

 -The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb

Monday, March 23, 2015

"I swear by the truth of God! Wert thou to know that which I know, thou wouldst forgo the sovereignty of this world and of the next ..."



"In this mountain I have remained alone, and have come to such a pass that none of those gone before Me have suffered what I have suffered, nor any transgressor endured what I have endured! I render praise unto God and yet again praise Him. I find Myself free from sorrow, inasmuch as I abide within the good-pleasure of My Lord and Master. Methinks I am in the all-highest Paradise, rejoicing at My communion with God, the Most Great. Verily this is a bounty which God hath conferred upon Me; and He is the Lord of unbounded blessings.

I swear by the truth of God! Wert thou to know that which I know, thou wouldst forgo the sovereignty of this world and of the next, that thou mightest attain My good-pleasure, through thine obedience unto the True One.… Wert thou to refuse, the Lord of the world would raise up one who would exalt His Cause, and the Command of God would, verily, be carried into effect."

-The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb


Chiriq Prison

Sunday, March 22, 2015

"O children of men! If ye believe in the one True God, follow Me ..."



"O children of men! If ye believe in the one True God, follow Me, this Most Great Remembrance of God sent forth by your Lord, that He may graciously forgive you your sins. Verily He is forgiving and compassionate toward the concourse of the faithful. We, of a truth, choose the Messengers through the potency of Our Word, and We exalt Their offspring, some over others, through the Great Remembrance of God as decreed in the Book and concealed therein.…"

-The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, Excerpts from the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Happy Naw-Rúz! - 172 Bahá’í Era



"Praised be Thou, O my God, that Thou hast ordained Naw-Rúz as a festival unto those who have observed the fast for love of Thee and abstained from all that is abhorrent unto Thee. Grant, O my Lord, that the fire of Thy love and the heat produced by the fast enjoined by Thee may inflame them in Thy Cause, and make them to be occupied with Thy praise and with remembrance of Thee.

Since Thou hast adorned them, O my Lord, with the ornament of the fast prescribed by Thee, do Thou adorn them also with the ornament of Thine acceptance, through Thy grace and bountiful favor. For the doings of men are all dependent upon Thy good pleasure, and are conditioned by Thy behest. Shouldst Thou regard him who hath broken the fast as one who hath observed it, such a man would be reckoned among them who from eternity had been keeping the fast. And shouldst Thou decree that he who hath observed the fast hath broken it, that person would be numbered with such as have caused the Robe of Thy Revelation to be stained with dust, and been far removed from the crystal waters of this living Fountain." ...

-Bahá’u’lláh, Bahá’í Prayers: A Selection of Prayers Revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá pp. 262-263

Friday, March 20, 2015

" ... for on the Day of Resurrection ye shall, upon the Bridge, be, in very truth, held answerable for the position ye occupied."



"O concourse of divines! Fear God from this day onwards in the views ye advance, for He Who is Our Remembrance in your midst, and Who cometh from Us, is, in very truth, the Judge and Witness. Turn away from that which ye lay hold of, and which the Book of God, the True One, hath not sanctioned, for on the Day of Resurrection ye shall, upon the Bridge, be, in very truth, held answerable for the position ye occupied.… And unto you We have sent down this Book which truly none can mistake.…"

-The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, Excerpts from the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’

Thursday, March 19, 2015

" ... However, shouldst thou return unto Us, We would convert thy negation into affirmation."





"In truth We tested thee and found that thou wert not of them that are endowed with understanding, wherefore We passed upon thee the sentence of negation, as a token of justice from Our presence; and verily We are equitable.

However, shouldst thou return unto Us, We would convert thy negation into affirmation. Verily We are the One Who is of immense bounteousness. But should the Primal Point cease to be with you, then the judgment given in the Words of God shall be final and unalterable and every one will assuredly uphold it."

-The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

“Is not the rising of the Morn, foreshadowed in the Mother Book, to be near at hand?"



"THE angels and the spirits, arrayed rank upon rank, descend, by the leave of God, upon this Gate 1 and circle round this Focal Point in a far-stretching line. Greet them with salutations, O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn , for the dawn hath indeed broken; then proclaim unto the concourse of the faithful: “Is not the rising of the Morn, foreshadowed in the Mother Book, to be near at hand? …”"
2

-The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, Excerpts from the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’


1 cf. Qur’án 78:38. 
∑ In these passages of the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’ the name Qurratu’l-‘Ayn (Solace of the Eyes) refers to the Báb Himself. 
2. cf. Qur’án 11:83.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

"Thou hast inspired my soul to offer its supplication to Thee, and but for Thee, I would not call upon Thee."



"I beg Thy forgiveness, O my God, and implore pardon after the manner Thou wishest Thy servants to direct themselves to Thee. I beg of Thee to wash away our sins as befitteth Thy Lordship, and to forgive me, my parents, and those who in Thy estimation have entered the abode of Thy love in a manner which is worthy of Thy transcendent sovereignty and well beseemeth the glory of Thy celestial power.

O my God! Thou hast inspired my soul to offer its supplication to Thee, and but for Thee, I would not call upon Thee. Lauded and glorified art Thou; I yield Thee praise inasmuch as Thou didst reveal Thyself unto me, and I beg Thee to forgive me, since I have fallen short in my duty to know Thee and have failed to walk in the path of Thy love."

-The Báb, Bahá’í Prayers: A Selection of Prayers Revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Monday, March 16, 2015

“Would that we had followed the path of the Báb! Would that we had sought refuge only with Him ..."



"DO men imagine that We are far distant from the people of the world? Nay, the day We cause them to be assailed by the pangs of death1 they shall, upon the plain of Resurrection, behold how the Lord of Mercy and His Remembrance were near. Thereupon they shall exclaim: “Would that we had followed the path of the Báb! Would that we had sought refuge only with Him, and not with men of perversity and error! For verily the Remembrance of God appeared before us,2 behind us, and on all sides, yet we were, in very truth, shut out as by a veil from Him.” Chapter VII."

-The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, Excerpts from the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’


1. cf. Qur'an 68:42
2. cf. Qur’án 7:63, 69

Sunday, March 15, 2015

"INDEED We conversed with Moses by the leave of God from the midst of the Burning Bush in the Sinai ..."



"INDEED We conversed with Moses by the leave of God from the midst of the Burning Bush in the Sinai and revealed an infinitesimal glimmer of Thy Light upon the Mystic Mount and its dwellers, whereupon the Mount shook to its foundations and was crushed into dust.…

O peoples of the earth! I swear by your Lord! Ye shall act as former generations have acted. Warn ye, then, yourselves of the terrible, the most grievous vengeance of God. For God is, verily, potent over all things. Chapter LIII."

-The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb , Excerpts from the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’

Saturday, March 14, 2015

"I AM the Mystic Fane which the Hand of Omnipotence hath reared. ..."



"I AM the Mystic Fane which the Hand of Omnipotence hath reared. I am the Lamp which the Finger of God hath lit within its niche and caused to shine with deathless splendor. I am the Flame of that supernal Light that glowed upon Sinai in the gladsome Spot, and lay concealed in the midst of the Burning Bush. Chapter XCIV."

-The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, Excerpts from the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’

Friday, March 13, 2015

" ... Indeed they will not lay plots but against themselves...."



"ARE ye wickedly scheming, according to your selfish fancies, an evil plot against Him Who is the Most Great Remembrance of God? By the righteousness of God, all who are in the heaven and on earth and whatsoever lieth between them are regarded in My sight even as a spider’s web,1 and verily God beareth witness unto all things. Indeed they will not lay plots but against themselves. God hath caused this Remembrance to be, in very truth, independent of all the dwellers of earth and heaven. Chapter XXV."

-The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, Excerpts from the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’


1. c.f. Qur'án 29:40

Thursday, March 12, 2015

"Follow ye the Book which His Remembrance hath revealed in praise of God, the True One."



"O concourse of the people of the Book! Fear ye God and pride not yourselves in your learning. Follow ye the Book which His Remembrance hath revealed in praise of God, the True One. He Who is the Eternal Truth beareth me witness, whoso followeth this Book hath indeed followed all the past Scriptures which have been sent down from heaven by God, the Sovereign Truth. Verily, He is well informed of what ye do.… "

-The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, Excerpts from the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

" ... 'no created thing comprehendeth Him' ..."





"He hath everlastingly existed and will everlastingly continue to exist. He hath been and will ever remain inscrutable unto all men, inasmuch as all else besides Him have been and shall ever be created through the potency of His command. He is exalted above every mention or praise and is sanctified beyond every word of commendation or every comparison. No created thing comprehendeth Him, while He in truth comprehendeth all things. Even when it is said “no created thing comprehendeth Him,” this refers to the Mirror of His Revelation, that is Him Whom God shall make manifest. Indeed too high and exalted is He for anyone to allude unto Him. II, 8."

- The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

" ... it is this divine Tree that hath raised and will raise up Messengers, and hath revealed and will ever reveal Scriptures."



"THE revelation of the Divine Reality hath everlastingly been identical with its concealment and its concealment identical with its revelation. That which is intended by “Revelation of God” is the Tree of divine Truth that betokeneth none but Him, and it is this divine Tree that hath raised and will raise up Messengers, and hath revealed and will ever reveal Scriptures. From eternity unto eternity this Tree of divine Truth hath served and will ever serve as the throne of the revelation and concealment of God among His creatures, and in every age is made manifest through whomsoever He pleaseth. ..."

-The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb

Monday, March 9, 2015

"THE One true God may be compared unto the sun and the believer unto a mirror."



"THE One true God may be compared unto the sun and the believer unto a mirror. No sooner is the mirror placed before the sun than it reflects its light. The unbeliever may be likened unto a stone. No matter how long it is exposed to the sunshine, it cannot reflect the sun. Thus the former layeth down his life as a sacrifice, while the latter doeth against God what he committeth. Indeed, if God willeth, He is potent to turn the stone into a mirror, but the person himself remaineth reconciled to his state. Had he wished to become a crystal, God would have made him to assume crystal form. For on that Day whatever cause prompteth the believer to believe in Him, the same will also be available to the unbeliever. But when the latter suffereth himself to be wrapt in veils, the same cause shutteth him out as by a veil...."

-The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, Excerpts from the Persian Bayán

Sunday, March 8, 2015

“Verily, verily, I am God; no God is there but Me."



“Verily, verily, I am God; no God is there but Me. I have called into being all the created things, I have raised up divine Messengers in the past and have sent down Books unto Them. Take heed not to worship anyone but God, He Who is My Lord and your Lord. This indeed is the undoubted truth. However, alike shall it be to Me; if ye believe in Me, ye will provide good for your own souls, and if ye believe not in Me, nor in that which God hath revealed unto Me, ye will suffer yourselves to be shut out as by a veil. For verily I have been independent of you heretofore, and shall remain independent hereafter. Therefore it behooveth you, O creatures of God, to help your own selves and to believe in the Verses revealed by Me.…” III, 13.

-The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, Excerpts from the Persian Bayán

Saturday, March 7, 2015

"AS this physical frame is the throne of the inner temple, whatever occurs to the former is felt by the latter."



"AS this physical frame is the throne of the inner temple, whatever occurs to the former is felt by the latter. In reality that which takes delight in joy or is saddened by pain is the inner temple of the body, not the body itself. Since this physical body is the throne whereon the inner temple is established, God hath ordained that the body be preserved to the extent possible, so that nothing that causeth repugnance may be experienced. The inner temple beholdeth its physical frame, which is its throne. Thus, if the latter is accorded respect, it is as if the former is the recipient. The converse is likewise true. Therefore, it hath been ordained that the dead body should be treated with the utmost honor and respect. V, 12."

-The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, Excerpts from the Persian Bayán

Friday, March 6, 2015

“Thousand upon thousand of what thou hast asked for thy parents shall be thy recompense!”



"IT is seemly that the servant should, after each prayer, supplicate God to bestow mercy and forgiveness upon his parents. Thereupon God’s call will be raised: “Thousand upon thousand of what thou hast asked for thy parents shall be thy recompense!” Blessed is he who remembereth his parents when communing with God. There is, verily, no God but Him, the Mighty, the Well-Beloved. VIII, 16."

-The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, Excerpts from the Persian Bayán

Thursday, March 5, 2015

" ... for the path is very strait, even while it is more spacious than the heavens and the earth and what is between them."



"Consider with due attention, for the path is very strait, even while it is more spacious than the heavens and the earth and what is between them. For instance, if all those who were expecting the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus had been assured of the manifestation of Muḥammad, the Apostle of God, not one would have turned aside from the sayings of Jesus. So likewise in the Revelation of the Point of the Bayán, if all should be assured that this is that same Promised Mihdí [One Who is guided] whom the Apostle of God foretold, not one of the believers in the Qur’án would turn aside from the sayings of the Apostle of God. So likewise in the Revelation of Him Whom God shall make manifest, behold the same thing; for should all be assured that He is that same “He Whom God shall make manifest” whom the Point of the Bayán hath foretold, not one would turn aside. IX, 3."

-The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, Excerpts from the Persian Bayán

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

"Let not thy tongue pay lip service in praise of God while thy heart be not attuned to the exalted Summit of Glory, and the Focal Point of communion."



"THE reason why privacy hath been enjoined in moments of devotion is this, that thou mayest give thy best attention to the remembrance of God, that thy heart may at all times be animated with His Spirit, and not be shut out as by a veil from thy Best-Beloved. Let not thy tongue pay lip service in praise of God while thy heart be not attuned to the exalted Summit of Glory, and the Focal Point of communion. Thus if haply thou dost live in the Day of Resurrection, the mirror of thy heart will be set towards Him Who is the Daystar of Truth; and no sooner will His light shine forth than the splendor thereof shall forthwith be reflected in thy heart. For He is the Source of all goodness, and unto Him revert all things. But if He appeareth while thou hast turned unto thyself in meditation, this shall not profit thee, unless thou shalt mention His Name by words He hath revealed. For in the forthcoming Revelation it is He Who is the Remembrance of God, whereas the devotions which thou art offering at present have been prescribed by the Point of the Bayán, while He Who will shine resplendent in the Day of Resurrection is the Revelation of the inner reality enshrined in the Point of the Bayán—a Revelation more potent, immeasurably more potent, than the one which hath preceded it. IX, 4."

-The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, Excerpts from the Persian Bayán

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

"NO created thing shall ever attain its paradise unless it appeareth in its highest prescribed degree of perfection. ..."



"NO created thing shall ever attain its paradise unless it appeareth in its highest prescribed degree of perfection. For instance, this crystal representeth the paradise of the stone whereof its substance is composed. Likewise there are various stages in the paradise for the crystal itself.… So long as it was stone it was worthless, but if it attaineth the excellence of ruby—a potentiality which is latent in it—how much a carat will it be worth? Consider likewise every created thing."

-The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, Excerpts from the Persian Bayán

Monday, March 2, 2015

Bahá'í Fast Sunrise Sunset Time

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"The Lord of the universe hath never raised up a prophet nor hath He sent down a Book unless He hath established His covenant with all men ..."



"The Lord of the universe hath never raised up a prophet nor hath He sent down a Book unless He hath established His covenant with all men, calling for their acceptance of the next Revelation and of the next Book; inasmuch as the outpourings of His bounty are ceaseless and without limit. VI, 16."

-The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, Excerpts from the Persian Bayán

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Feast of Alá (Loftiness) March 2, 2015




"... Thou hast bidden all men to observe the fast, that through it they may purify their souls and rid themselves of all attachment to any one but Thee ..."

 -Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations, p. 79

Happy Ayyám-i-Há 2015



"God, my Fire and my Light! The days which Thou hast named the Ayyám-i-Há (the Days of Há, Intercalary Days) in Thy Book have begun, O Thou Who art the King of names, and the Fast which Thy most exalted Pen hath enjoined unto all who are in the kingdom of Thy creation to observe is approaching. I entreat Thee, O my Lord, by these days and by all such as have during that period clung to the cord of Thy commandments, and laid hold on the handle of Thy precepts, to grant that unto every soul may be assigned a place within the precincts of Thy court, and a seat at the revelation of the splendors of the light of Thy countenance. ..."

-Bahá’u’lláh, Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh, XLV




Cezanne