Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Howard Colby Ives, The Ocean of His Utterances, bahai-library.com.
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The Ocean of His Utterances

by Howard Colby Ives
1963/1977

An advanced study course in the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh
Using the books of Bahá'u'lláh, Ábdu'l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi

As compiled by and with the remarks of Howard Colby Ives
Table of Contents
Preface to the 1977 Edition..................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION:................................................................................................2
BOOK LIST FOR READINGS...............................................................................4
SUGGESTIONS FOR CONDUCTING THE DEEPENING......................................5
The Mysteries of God..........................................................................................6
The Heaven of Significances.............................................................................17
The Two Natures of Man...................................................................................27
The True Station of Man....................................................................................41
Immortality and Eternity..................................................................................51
Real Life and Death..........................................................................................63
The Gift of the Holy Spirit.................................................................................75
The Kingdom of God on Earth..........................................................................83
The Meeting with God.......................................................................................94
Prayer and Meditation.....................................................................................101
The Science of the Love of God........................................................................109
The Word of God.............................................................................................116

The first emanation of the Almighty"

Its importance. Its study. Its effect. Its power.

"The Word of God is the source of all good, all power and all wisdom."

Ábdu'l-Bahá
Preface to the 1977 Edition
[2017 Re-formatted to PDF document, spell checked, recovered lost text except one portion, notes
enclosed in [ ] by Ernie Jones]

In this edition of the Ocean of His Utterances the Readings have been incorporated into the study
guide so that all of the material is in one continuous text. The quotations from the writings have been
indented and labeled so that they stand apart from the commentary by Howard Colby Ives. The
quotations from the writings of Bahá'u'lláh have been typed in script.

This edition is a retyping of the material typed by Muriel Ives Barrow Newhall in 1963 when a copy of
the study guide was given to her by a friend. In this previous edition all readings were typed in one
volume, while the remarks by Howard Colby Ives were in another volume. We have proof read all
quotations against the original texts and have striven for accuracy. Should any questions be raised we
urge you to go to the source material as the best remedy to doubt. The reading lists have been included
at the beginning of each chapter for those who wish to refer to the published texts.

Our gratitude to June Levine and Nicolena Miller whose efforts contributed to this edition.

Reginald G. Barrow/ Laguna Beach, CA / 1977

Preface to the 1995 Edition

This edition of The Ocean of His Utterances has been typed into a word processor, to facilitate the
reproduction and distribution of this material for classes and communities wishing to use this
deepening course. It may also be noted that the machine readable editions of the writings, published as
Refer Twin Manifestations, Refer Ábdu'l-Bahá, and Refer Shoghi Effendi have been used to obtain the
quotations for the last four chapters, as well as some passages in the earlier chapters. One can identify
those passages which were extracted, since the identification placed at the end of the passage by the
Refer software has been retained. Due to the removal of duplicate quotations from the Refer
databases, the citation at the end of an extracted passage may not be the same as the original citation.
Passages in Bahá'í World Faith or Gleanings may have come originally from Promulgation of Universal
Peace or The Kitab-I-Aqdas.

The typing of chapters one to eight by Nya Luc Leapold in 1992, and the proof reading by the youth
class of the Douala community in 1995 contributed to this edition. Members of the youth class of
Douala in 1995 were:

Adam Ives Barrow Shoghi Ettehadulhagh

Isaac Grant Barrow Lua F. Fongod

Payman Bidanjiri Nabil F. Fongod

Nahal Bushuri Ruhullah F. Fongod

Anis Ettehadulhagh Vafa Shahidi

R. G. Barrow/ Douala, Cameroon/ Sept. 1995

THE OCEAN OF HIS UTTERANCES

An Advanced Study Course In the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh

"O peoples of the world! Cast away in my name that transcendeth all other names, the things ye
possess, and immerse yourselves in this ocean in whose depths lay hidden the pearls of wisdom and of
utterance, an ocean that surgeth in my name, the All-Merciful." Gl. pg. 33

INTRODUCTION:
The object of this course of reading and study, of the holy utterance of the Divine Revelation of this day
of God, is a very practical and inspiring one. It is simply this, that we may thereby be induced to take
the first few steps towards the unveiling of the sublime potentialities lying dormant in the true self.
"An effort is needed that we may annihilate the animal condition that the meaning of the human may
become manifest." - Seven Valleys.

In this day, as never before, the true nature of man is revealed, his origin, purpose and destiny
explained, and the techniques of the steps necessary for the tearing away of the mask of the lower,
animal self disclosed.,

That man is composed of two natures, a lower and a higher, has always been recognized to some
extent. The ancient Greek and Roman mysteries dealt with this enigma; our modern theologies are
based upon it. Such well-known phrases as `conviction of sin', `conversion', `conquest of self', and
many others, presuppose its acceptance. '

But all of these, though marking the deepest aspirations of the race over thousands of years, have been
marred by human ignorance, superstitions and prejudice. Upon them have been built orders of
priestcraft, cults of vague, unscientific mysticism and too often organizations of selfish powers and
cruelty which, in spite of much inherent truth and values, have in the course of the centuries, relegated
them to comparative oblivion.

Nevertheless there is a supreme and sublime truth underlying these aspirations and gropings. All of
the prophets have taught it; many of the words of Jesus Christ implied it "Ye must be perfect even as
your Father in Heaven is perfect." "Your life is more than meat", "Let the dead bury their dead". "He
that is born of the spirit is spirit." These are examples-many more could be cited. In fact His whole life
is a trumpet call for man to slough off the false, transient, delusive self that he may live the true life of
reality, freedom and eternality.

But because man, until this Day, has been in the stage of immaturity, the reality of the matter has been
hidden under parables and symbols. That is to say it has been a mystery hidden from the eye and soul
of man because he had not attained to the maturity necessary for its understanding and application.
"God screens us from premature ideas" - though they stare us in the face, we do not see them. But with
the Manifestation of God, in the perfect Mirror of Bahá'u'lláh, with the example of the Perfect Man,

Ábdu'l-Bahá, and with the establishment of the Guardianship and the House of Justice which
pre-supposes the possibility of relatively perfect men to organize and administer the kingdom of God
on earth, all that has heretofore been 'whispered in closets' is now 'shouted on the housetops', and
there is 'nothing hidden which is now concealed from the seeking, sincere, severed and self-renouncing
soul.

This course of reading and study is designed for those who are intellectually convinced of the truth
involved in the revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, who have accepted him as the Manifestation of God the
Father foretold by Christ; who wish to probe further into the hidden mysteries of God as revealed in
utterances, books, tablets of Bahá'u'lláh and Ábdu'l-Bahá, and are willing to pay the price of sacrifice of
the lower self in order that the true self, the divine self, 'The Self of God, 'may manifest.

The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh is a divine mine whence endless wealth of spiritual realm is to be dug.
Endless are these tremendous promises to those who fulfill conditions necessary for their attainment.

IS NOT THE GOAL WORTHY THE STRIVING?

Can there be anything more important than this wisdom, this solution of all problems of life, so
overwhelming in this crisis of human destiny? When the portals of true knowledge are opened to us
should anything deter us from entering? Is any price too great to pay for this understanding which
makes the path of life clear before us and enables us 'to pass from sorrow to happiness, to return from
sadness to joy, and changes depression and dejection to gladness and cheerfulness?'

May the assistance of the invisible attend every sincere heart. The goal set before us is nothing less
than the eternal life of the spirit; the life of ideal happiness and peace; the life of freedom and love;
citizenship and service in God's Kingdom on earth and preparation for boundless, ancient and eternal
life.

BOOK LIST FOR READINGS
Title Abbreviation
Books by Bahá'u'lláh
Gleanings from the writings of Bahá'u'lláh Gl
Hidden Words HW
Kitab-I-Iqan (Book of Certitude) IQAN
Prayers and Meditations P&M

Compilations
Bahá'í Scriptures BS
Bahá'í World Faith BWF
The Divine Art of Living DAL

Books by Ábdu'l-Bahá
Divine Philosophy DP
Foundations of world unity FWU
Promulgation of Universal Peace PUP
Some Answered Questions SAQ
Tablets of Ábdu'l-Bahá TAB
Wisdom of Ábdu'l-Bahá WOA

Books by Shoghi Effendi
Bahá'í Administration BA
The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh DISPEN
World Order of Bahá'u'lláh WOB

Notes:

BS, Bahá'í Scriptures, edited by Horace Holley and published by the Bahá'í Publishing Committee
1923, was replaced by publishing the Bahá'í World Faith in 1943.

Pages for PUP in parentheses are the newer (1982) edition while those in the original citing have been
retained from the 1922 edition, reprinted as one volume in 1943.

Citations for extracted quotations may refer to a source other than the source originally cited. This is
due to the fact that duplicates have been removed from the computer database, and passages in
Gleanings or Bahá'í World Faith have come from other sources.

Permission to quote from the above copyrighted books has been granted by the Bahá'í Publishing
Trust.

SUGGESTIONS FOR CONDUCTING THE
DEEPENING

1. To avoid wandering off the path of the study course, comments will be welcomed on the readings,
but will be avoided when directed to the comments.

2. A short pause for reflection will be observed after each reading from scriptures or prayers.

3. Each participant will read in turn unless for any reason (s)he wishes not to do so. The study outline
commentary will be read by one individual to assist in identifying them, and to avoid confusion
between comments and quotations.

4. We suggest that each participant review the material and concepts covered between classes, and that
a short period at the start of each session be devoted to sharing any insights and observations made
between sessions.

5. The reading lists have been compiled into a separate document, so that each student may have one,
should there not be resources to print the entire deepening for each student.

The Mysteries of God
________________________↩________________________
Lesson I

"Ponder this in thine heart, that the sweet gales of divine knowledge blowing from the meads of mercy,
may waft upon thee the fragrance of the Beloved's utterances, and cause thy soul to attain the Ridvan
of understanding." IQAN pg. 149

With the above quotation in mind, study the following;

1 PUP pg. 221-223 Is it not astonishing...in the cause of God (226-228) . 2 PUP pg. 183 He has created
us. . .encircle you all. (188-189)

3 PUP pg. 192 The mysteries of the holy books...unsealed these mysteries. (197)

4 PUP pg. 460-461 Furthermore man sees ...there can be no doubt. (464-465)

5 WAB pg. 162-3 Bahá'u'lláh says there is a sign...in touch with God.

6 PUP pg. 272-4 Even so is the springtime ...favor of the mercy of God. (278-280)

7 PUP pg. 86-87 Therefore you must... (89-91) ... within the germinating seed.

8 HW P#15, P#16, P#18, P#69.

9 PUP pg. 27-28 Human the highest...scientific enlightenment. (29-31)

10 IQAN pg. 57-8 God conferred upon that essence...divine power.

11 IQAN pg. 175, We have variously...quench their thirst.

Prayer P&M pg. 114-115 Last three paragraphs.

Please Note: Unless these readings are studied carefully, satisfactory results will be greatly minimized.

Note: Pages for PUP in parentheses are the newer (1982) edition while those cited originally from the
earlier (1922) edition have been retained.

Is it not astonishing that although man has been created for the knowledge and love of God, for the
virtues of the human world, for spirituality, heavenly illumination and eternal life, nevertheless, he
continues ignorant and negligent of all this? Consider how he seeks knowledge of everything except
knowledge of God. For instance, his utmost desire is to penetrate the mysteries of the lowest strata of
the earth. Day by day he strives to know what can be found ten meters below the surface, what he can
discover within the stone, what he can learn by archaeological research in the dust. He puts forth
arduous labors to fathom terrestrial mysteries but is not at all concerned about knowing the mysteries
of the Kingdom, traversing the illimitable fields of the eternal world, becoming informed of the divine
realities, discovering the secrets of God, attaining the knowledge of God, witnessing the splendours of

the Sun of Truth and realizing the glories of everlasting life. He is unmindful and thoughtless of these.
How much he is attracted to the mysteries of matter, and how completely unaware he is of the
mysteries of Divinity! Nay, he is utterly negligent and oblivious of the secrets of Divinity. How great his
ignorance! How conducive to his degradation! It is as if a kind and loving father had provided a library
of wonderful books for his son in order that he might be informed of the mysteries of creation, at the
same time surrounding him with every means of comfort and enjoyment, but the son amuses himself
with pebbles and playthings, neglectful of all his father's gifts and provision. How ignorant and
heedless is man! The Father has willed for him eternal glory, and he is content with blindness and
deprivation. The Father has built for him a royal palace, but he is playing with the dust; prepared for
him garments of silk, but he prefers to remain unclothed; provided for him delicious foods and fruits,
while he seeks sustenance in the grasses of the field.

Praise be to God! You have heard the call of the Kingdom. Your eyes are opened; you have turned to
God. Your purpose is the good pleasure of God, the understanding of the mysteries of the heart and
investigation of the realities. Day and night you must strive that you may attain to the significances of
the heavenly Kingdom, perceive the signs of Divinity, acquire certainty of knowledge and realize that
this world has a Creator, a Vivifier, a Provider, an Architect -knowing this through proofs and
evidences and not through susceptibilities, nay, rather, through decisive arguments and real vision -
that is to say, visualizing it as clearly as the outer eye beholds the sun. In this way may you behold the
presence of God and attain to the knowledge of the holy, divine Manifestations.

You must come into the knowledge of the divine Manifestations and Their teachings through proofs
and evidences. You must unseal the mysteries of the supreme Kingdom and become capable of
discovering the inner realities of things. Then shall you be the manifestations of the mercy of God and
true believers, firm and steadfast in the Cause of God. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, pages
226-228)

Science is the investigation of the mysteries of the phenomenal world. Religion, the life of the spirit of
man, is the investigation of the mysteries of the world of Reality, that casual world lying back of
phenomena of which the outer world is merely a 'sign' - a symbol.

The scientist accepts this hypothesis unquestioningly although he rarely approaches it from the angle
which Bahá'u'lláh urges, which is the reason why the scientist tends to a materialistic conception of the
universe. Yet fundamentally it is the same attitude with both the materialist and the spiritist, for both
accept the outer, the visible, the phenomenal as indicative, significant, of the inner, the invisible, the
nominal. Both accept the hidden mystery; the scientist goes after it. He knows, as John Fiske said
many years ago, that behind all phenomena lies a 'mystery which we can neither solve nor elude.' But
he does not, for that reason, dismantle his laboratories and cease research. But the tendency of the
typical religionist is to do that very thing.

The physician recognizes a 'symptom' and seeks the cause. The astronomer seeking a cause for the
perturbations of the planet Uranus because he knows there must be a cause, discovers, uncovers, the
planet Neptune. The Physicist probes again and finds the atom; still hungry for knowledge he probes

again and finds the electron, and yet again and finds something defying analysis in any physical terms.
Someone defined it as 'nothing going very fast.' Eddington refers to the materialistic physicist as a
'cipher expert'. He adds, 'We may decipher our cryptogram but the result is a message in an unknown
language!

How different is the attitude of the typical religionist. He, too often, concludes that in believing
something he has somehow fulfilled all the requirements which God lays upon his soul. It is as if the
physician contented himself with believing in the circulation of the blood never probed the corollaries
of that belief which led to discoveries of bacteria, infection, transfusion of blood, and countless others.

Bahá'u'lláh has brought us back to fundamentals. He tells us that "for everything there is a sign" which
points God-ward; it is possible to understand those 'signs' and find within every atom an illuminating
sun that we may "comprehend the essence of these divine mysteries and grasp the purpose of God."
-Iqan-pg. 57

It is assured that these mysteries may be probed. We are definitely commanded to investigate them.
Note the contrast between divine susceptibility and human susceptibility.
PUP pg. 222

'Divine susceptibility emanates from the breaths of the Holy Spirit and the effulgence of merciful
attributes.' Human susceptibilities are like the ocean tossed by every wind. Divine susceptibility is like
its depths, unaffected by surface conditions and is where the divers find pearls. You will probably
recognize the difference in what people believe to be indicative of the religious and spiritual life. Some
are apt to base their belief and consequent actions upon superficial things, upon indications rather
than causes; upon symptoms rather than disease; upon 'signs' rather than upon the divine mystery
lying behind the sign The do not take seriously Bahá'u'lláh's injunction to' see with the eye of God and
hear with His ear'. They do not' read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the revealed word of God for
this Day, nor, in fact, of any revelation. Yet this is unquestionably the Day for the 'independent
investigation of truth'. Nothing is to be accepted because someone else told us so. And the rewards of
happiness, wisdom usefulness and eternality of spirit that to neglect it is to deprive ourselves of that
wisdom, tranquility and detachment which alone can make this transient life understood and bearable.

READING #2 PUP pg. 183

... He has created us in this radiant century, a century longed for and expected by all the sanctified
souls in past periods. It is a blessed century; it is a blessed day. The philosophers of history have
agreed that this century is equal to one hundred past centuries. This is true from every standpoint.
This is the century of science, inventions, discoveries and universal laws. This is the century of the
revelation of the mysteries of God. This is the century of the effulgence of the rays of the Sun of Truth.
Therefore, you must render thanks and glorification to God that you were born in this age.
Furthermore, you have listened to the call of Bahá'u'lláh. Your nostrils are perfumed with the breezes
of the paradise of Abha. You have caught glimpses of the light from the horizon of the Orient. You were
asleep; you are awakened. Your ears are attentive; your hearts are informed. You have acquired the
love of God. You have attained to the knowledge of God. This is the most great bestowal of God. This is

the breath of the Holy Spirit, and this consists of faith and assurance. This eternal life is the second
birth; this is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. God has destined this station for you all. He has prepared
this for you. You must appreciate the value of this bounty and engage your time in mentioning and
thanking the True One. You must live in the utmost happiness. If any trouble or vicissitude comes into
your lives, if your heart is depressed on account of health, livelihood or vocation, let not these things
affect you. They should not cause unhappiness, for Bahá'u'lláh has brought you divine happiness. He
has prepared heavenly food for you; He has destined eternal bounty for you; He has bestowed
everlasting glory upon you. Therefore, these glad tidings should cause you to soar in the atmosphere of
joy forever and ever. Render continual thanks unto God so that the confirmations of God may encircle
you all. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, pages 188-189)

READING #3 PUP pg 192

The mysteries of the holy books have become explained in the manifestation of Bahá'u'lláh. Before He
appeared these mysteries were not understood. Bahá'u'lláh opened and unsealed these mysteries.

The Bahá'í teachings make all the holy books intelligible to us. We now have scientific meanings
instead of the old religious terms.

READING #4 PUP pg. 460

Furthermore man sees in the world of dreams. He travels in the east he travels in the west, although
his body is stationary, his body is here. It is that reality in him which makes the journey while the body
sleeps. There is no doubt that a reality exists other than the outward physical reality. Again for
instance a person is dead, is buried in the ground. Afterward you see him in the world of dreams and
speak with him although his body is interred in the earth. Who is the person you see in your dreams,
talk to and who also speaks with you? This again proves that there is another reality different from the
physical one which dies and is buried. Thus it is certain that in man there is a 'reality' which is not the
physical body. Sometime the body becomes weak but that other reality is in its own normal state. The
body goes to sleep, becomes as one dead but that reality is moving about, comprehending things,
expressing them and is even conscious of itself.

This other and inner reality is called the heavenly body, the ethereal form which corresponds to this
body. This is the conscious reality which discovers the inner meaning of things, for the outer body of
man does not discover anything. The inner, ethereal reality grasps the mysteries of existence, discovers
scientific truths and indicates their technical application. It discovers electricity, produces the
telegraph, the telephone and opens the door to the world of arts. If the outer material body did this,
the animal would likewise be able to make scientific and wonderful discoveries for the animal shares
with man all the physical powers and limitations. What then is that power which penetrates the
realities of existence and which is not to be found in the animal? It is the inner reality which
comprehends things throws light upon the mysteries of life and being, discovers the heavenly
kingdom, unseals the mysteries of God and differentiates man from the brute. Of this there can be no
doubt.

The study of the mysteries of God and His creation are as necessary, and as productive of practical
results, as the scientist's study of the mysteries underlying natural phenomenon. Mystery has no
relation to mysticism, in the sense which that word is generally used and understood. Mysticism a
word which should not enter Bahá'í terminology, for the experience of God in the soul experienced by
the mystic should be common place with the Bahá'í's, and only to be experienced by plumbing the
depths of the teachings.

READING #5 WAB pg.. 162-163 (Paris Talks, pg. 174-175)

Bahá'u'lláh says there is a sign (from God) in every phenomenon: the sign of the intellect is
contemplation and the sign of contemplation is silence, because it is possible for a man to do two
things at one time - he can not both speak and 'meditate'.

It is an axiomatic fact; while you meditate you are speaking with your own spirit. In that state of mind
you put certain questions to your spirit and the spirit answers: the light breaks forth and the reality is
revealed.

You can not apply the name 'man' to any being void of this faculty of meditation; without it he would
be a mere animal, lower than the beast.

The spirit of man is itself informed and strengthened during meditation; through it affairs of which
man knew nothing are unfolded before his view. Through it he receives Divine Inspiration, through it
receives heavenly food.

Meditation is the key for opening the doors of mysteries. In that state man abstracts himself, in that
state man withdraws himself from all outside objects; in that subjective mood he is immersed in the
ocean of spiritual life and can unfold the secrets of things in themselves. To illustrate this, think of
man as endowed with two kinds of sight; when the power of insight is being used the outward power of
vision does not see.

This power of meditation frees man from the animal nature, discerns the reality of things, puts man in
touch with God.
'Meditate profoundly, that the secret of things unseen may be revealed unto you.' IQAN pg. 8

Meditate on the word with the mind a blank. This is not reasoning nor speculating. We must have the
word to concentrate on. Emanation from the Holy Utterance, the word, is creative. How? The creative
word creates capacity. The Holy Spirit, the Fire of the Burning Bush, burns up all that is not of itself.
Capacity attracts the Supreme concourse.

READING #6 PUP pg.. 272-274

Even so is the spiritual springtime when it comes. When the holy, divine Manifestations or Prophets
appear in the world, a cycle of radiance, an age of mercy dawns. Everything is renewed. Minds, hearts
and all human forces are reformed, perfections are quickened, sciences, discoveries and investigations
are stimulated afresh, and everything appertaining to the virtues of the human world is revitalized.

Consider this present century of radiance, and compare it with the past centuries. What a vast
difference exists between them! How minds have developed! How perceptions have deepened! How
discoveries have increased! What great projects have been accomplished! How many realities have
become manifest! How many mysteries of creation have been probed and penetrated! What is the
cause of this? It is through the efficacy of the spiritual springtime in which we are living. Day by day
the world attains a new bounty. In this radiant century neither the old customs nor the old sciences,
crafts, laws and regulations have remained. The old political principles are undergoing change, and a
new body politic is in process of formation. Nevertheless, some whose thoughts are congealed and
whose souls are bereft of the light of the Sun of Reality seek to arrest this development in the world of
the minds of men. Is this possible?

In the unmistakable and universal reformation we are witnessing, when outer conditions of humanity
are receiving such impetus, when human life is assuming a new aspect, when sciences are stimulated
afresh, inventions and discoveries increasing, civic laws undergoing change and moralities evidencing
uplift and betterment, is it possible that spiritual impulses and influences should not be renewed and
reformed? Naturally, new spiritual thoughts and inclinations must also become manifest. If spirituality
be not renewed, what fruits come from mere physical reformation? For instance, the body of man may
improve, the quality of bone and sinew may advance, the hand may develop, other limbs and members
may increase in excellence, but if the mind fails to develop, of what use is the rest? The important
factor in human improvement is the mind. In the world of the mind there must needs be development
and improvement. There must be reformation in the kingdom of the human spirit; otherwise, no result
will be attained from betterment of the mere physical structure.

In this new year new fruits must be forthcoming, for that is the provision and intention of spiritual
reformation. The renewal of the leaf is fruitless. From the reformation of bark or branch no fruit will
come forth. The renewal of verdure produces nothing. If there be no renewal of fruit from the tree, of
what avail is the reformation of bark, blossom, branch and trunk? For a fruitless tree is of no special
value. Similarly, of what avail is the reformation of physical conditions unless they are concomitant
with spiritual reformations? For the essential reality is the spirit, the foundation is the spirit, the life of
man is due to the spirit; the happiness, the animus, the radiance, the glory of man - all are due to the
spirit; and if in the spirit no reformation takes place, there will be no result to human existence.
Therefore, we must strive with life and heart that the material and physical world may be reformed,
human perception become keener, the merciful effulgence manifest and the radiance of reality shine.
Then the star of love shall appear and the world of humanity become illumined. The purpose is that
the world of existence is dependent for its progress upon reformation; otherwise, it will be as dead.
Consider: If a new springtime failed to appear, what would be the effect upon this globe, the earth?
Undoubtedly it would become desolate and life extinct. The earth has need of an annual coming of
spring. It is necessary that a new bounty should be forthcoming. If it comes not, life would be effaced.
In the same way the world of spirit needs new life, the world of mind necessitates new animus and
development, the world of souls a new bounty, the world of morality a reformation, the world of divine
effulgence ever new bestowals. Were it not for this replenishment, the life of the world would become
effaced and extinguished. If this room is not ventilated and the air freshened, respiration will cease
after a length of time. If no rain falls, all life organisms will perish. If new light does not come, the
darkness of death will envelop the earth. If a new springtime does not arrive, life upon this globe will

be obliterated.

Therefore, thoughts must be lofty and ideals uplifted in order that the world of humanity may become
assisted in new conditions of reform. When this reformation affects every degree, then will come the
very Day of the Lord of which all the prophets have spoken. That is the Day wherein the whole world
will be regenerated. Consider: Are the laws of past ages applicable to present human conditions?
Evidently they are not. For example, the laws of former centuries sanctioned despotic forms of
government. Are the laws of despotic control fitted for present-day conditions? How could they be
applied to solve the questions surrounding modern nations? Similarly, we ask: Would the status of
ancient thought, the crudeness of arts and crafts, the insufficiency of scientific attainment serve us
today? Would the agricultural methods of the ancients suffice in the twentieth century? Transportation
in the former ages was restricted to conveyance by animals. How would it provide for human needs
today? If modes of transportation had not been reformed, the teeming millions now upon the earth
would die of starvation. Without the railway and the fast- going steamship, the world of the present
day would be as dead. How could great cities such as New York and London subsist if dependent upon
ancient means of conveyance? It is also true of other things which have been reformed in proportion to
the needs of the present time. Had they not been reformed, man could not find subsistence.

If these material tendencies are in such need of reformation, how much greater the need in the world
of the human spirit, the world of human thought, perception, virtues and bounties! Is it possible that
that need has remained stationary while the world has been advancing in every other condition and
direction? It is impossible.

Therefore, we must invoke and supplicate God and strive with the utmost effort in order that the world
of human existence in all its degrees may receive a mighty impulse, complete human happiness be
attained and the resuscitation of all spirits and emanations be realized through the boundless favor of
the mercy of God. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, pages 278-280)

Everything is renewed, minds as well.

READING #7 PUP pg. 86-87
Therefore, you must thank God that He has bestowed upon you the blessing of life and existence in the
human kingdom. Strive diligently to acquire virtues befitting your degree and station. Be as lights of
the world which cannot be hid and which have no setting in horizons of darkness. Ascend to the zenith
of an existence which is never beclouded by the fears and forebodings of nonexistence. When man is
not endowed with inner perception, he is not informed of these important mysteries. The retina of
outer vision, though sensitive and delicate, may, nevertheless, be a hindrance to the inner eye which
alone can perceive. The bestowals of God which are manifest in all phenomenal life are sometimes
hidden by intervening veils of mental and mortal vision which render man spiritually blind and
incapable, but when those scales are removed and the veils rent asunder, then the great signs of God
will become visible, and he will witness the eternal light filling the world. The bestowals of God are all
and always manifest. The promises of heaven are ever present. The favors of God are all- surrounding,
but should the conscious eye of the soul of man remain veiled and darkened, he will be led to deny
these universal signs and remain deprived of these manifestations of divine bounty. Therefore, we

must endeavor with heart and soul in order that the veil covering the eye of inner vision may be
removed, that we may behold the manifestations of the signs of God, discern His mysterious graces
and realize that material blessings as compared with spiritual bounties are as nothing. The spiritual
blessings of God are greatest. When we were in the mineral kingdom, although we were endowed with
certain gifts and powers, they were not to be compared with the blessings of the human kingdom. In
the matrix of the mother we were the recipients of endowments and blessings of God, yet these were as
nothing compared to the powers and graces bestowed upon us after birth into this human world.
Likewise, if we are born from the matrix of this physical and phenomenal environment into the
freedom and loftiness of the spiritual life and vision, we shall consider this mortal existence and its
blessings as worthless by comparison.

In the spiritual world the divine bestowals are infinite, for in that realm there is neither separation nor
disintegration, which characterize the world of material existence. Spiritual existence is absolute
immortality, completeness and unchangeable being. Therefore, we must thank God that He has
created for us both material blessings and spiritual bestowals. He has given us material gifts and
spiritual graces, outer sight to view the lights of the sun and inner vision by which we may perceive the
glory of God. He has designed the outer ear to enjoy the melodies of sound and the inner hearing
wherewith we may hear the voice of our Creator. We must strive with energies of heart, soul and mind
to develop and manifest the perfections and virtues latent within the realities of the phenomenal
world, for the human reality may be compared to a seed. If we sow the seed, a mighty tree appears
from it. The virtues of the seed are revealed in the tree; it puts forth branches, leaves, blossoms, and
produces fruits. All these virtues were hidden and potential in the seed. Through the blessing and
bounty of cultivation these virtues became apparent. Similarly, the merciful God, our Creator, has
deposited within human realities certain latent and potential virtues. Through education and culture
these virtues deposited by the loving God will become apparent in the human reality, even as the
unfoldment of the tree from within the germinating seed. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, pages
89-91)

Physical sight may be a veil to insight.

READING #8 HW P15, P16, P18, P69

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.

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. (Persian Hidden Words,
pages 15-16)

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! (Persian
Hidden Words, page 18)

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 day-star of wisdom and of divine mystery that hath shone
above the horizon of the divine will. Blessed are they that turn thereunto. (Persian Hidden Words,
page 69)

Life with freewill, on this plane, limits the time for us.

READING #9 PUP pg. 27-28

...human - the highest specialized organism of visible creation, embodying the qualities of the mineral,
vegetable and animal plus an ideal endowment absolutely absent in the lower kingdoms - the power of
intellectual investigation into the mysteries of outer phenomena. The outcome of this intellectual
endowment is science, which is especially characteristic of man. This scientific power investigates and
apprehends created objects and the laws surrounding them. It is the discoverer of the hidden and
mysterious secrets of the material universe and is peculiar to man alone. The most noble and
praiseworthy accomplishment of man, therefore, is scientific knowledge and attainment.

Science may be likened to a mirror wherein the images of the mysteries of outer phenomena are
reflected. It brings forth and exhibits to us in the arena of knowledge all the product of the past. It
links together past and present. The philosophical conclusions of bygone centuries, the teachings of
the Prophets and wisdom of former sages are crystallized and reproduced in the scientific
advancement of today. Science is the discoverer of the past. From its premises of past and present we
deduce conclusions as to the future. Science is the governor of nature and its mysteries, the one agency
by which man explores the institutions of material creation. All created things are captives of nature
and subject to its laws. They cannot transgress the control of these laws in one detail or particular. The
infinite starry worlds and heavenly bodies are nature's obedient subjects. The earth and its myriad
organisms, all minerals, plants and animals are thralls of its dominion. But man through the exercise
of his scientific, intellectual power can rise out of this condition, can modify, change and control
nature according to his own wishes and uses. Science, so to speak, is the breaker of the laws of nature.

Consider, for example, that man according to natural law should dwell upon the surface of the earth.

By overcoming this law and restriction, however, he sails in ships over the ocean, mounts to the zenith
in airplanes and sinks to the depths of the sea in submarines. This is against the fiat of nature and a
violation of her sovereignty and dominion. Nature's laws and methods, the hidden secrets and
mysteries of the universe, human inventions and discoveries, all our scientific acquisitions should
naturally remain concealed and unknown, but man through his intellectual acumen searches them out
of the plane of the invisible, draws them into the plane of the visible, exposes and explains them. For
instance, one of the mysteries of nature is electricity. According to nature this force, this energy,
should remain latent and hidden, but man scientifically breaks through the very laws of nature, arrests
it and even imprisons it for his use.

In brief, man through the possession of this ideal endowment of scientific investigation is the most
noble product of creation, the governor of nature. He takes the sword from nature's hand and uses it
upon nature's head. According to natural law night is a period of darkness and obscurity, but man by
utilizing the power of electricity, by wielding this electric sword overcomes the darkness and dispels
the gloom. Man is superior to nature and makes nature do his bidding. Man is a sensitive being; nature
is without sensation. Man has memory and reason; nature lacks them. Man is nobler than nature.
There are powers within him of which nature is devoid. It may be claimed that these powers are from
nature itself and that man is a part of nature. In answer to this statement we will say that if nature is
the whole and man is a part of that whole, how could it be possible for a part to possess qualities and
virtues which are absent in the whole? Undoubtedly the part must be endowed with the same qualities
and properties as the whole. For example, the hair is a part of the human anatomy. It cannot contain
elements which are not found in other parts of the body, for in all cases the component elements of the
body are the same. Therefore, it is manifest and evident that man, although in body a part of nature,
nevertheless in spirit possesses a power transcending nature; for if he were simply a part of nature and
limited to material laws, he could possess only the things which nature embodies. God has conferred
upon and added to man a distinctive power - the faculty of intellectual investigation into the secrets of
creation, the acquisition of higher knowledge - the greatest virtue of which is scientific enlightenment.
(Promulgation of Universal Peace*, pages 29-31)

Man's relation to nature and its laws.

READING #10 IQAN pg. 57 - 58

God conferred upon that essence of the spirit, who was known amongst the people as fatherless, the
glory of Prophethood, and made Him His testimony unto all that are in heaven and earth.

Behold how contrary are the ways of the Manifestations of God, as ordained by the King of creation, to
the ways and desires of men. As thou comest to comprehend the essence of these divine mysteries,
thou wilt grasp the purpose of God, the divine Charmer, the Best-Beloved. Thou wilt regard the words
and deeds of that almighty Sovereign as one and the same; in such wise that whatsoever thou dost
behold in His deeds, the same wilt thou find in his sayings, and whatsoever thou dost read in His
sayings, that wilt thou recognize in His deeds. Thus it is that outwardly such deeds and words are the
fire of vengeance unto the wicked, and inwardly the waters of mercy unto the righteous. Were the eye
of the heart to open, it would surly perceive that the words revealed from the heaven of the will of god

are at one with, and the same as, the deeds that have emanated from the Kingdom of divine power.

Bahá'u'lláh should never be identified with the Essence of Divinity Itself. See Disp. pg 22.

As to words and deeds, the Manifestation and God are one and the same.

Reading #11 IQAN pg. 175

We have variously and repeatedly set forth the meaning of every theme, that perchance every soul,
whether high or low, may obtain, according to his measure and capacity, his share and portion thereof.
Should he be unable to comprehend a certain argument, he may, thus, by referring unto another,
attain his purpose. "That all sorts of men may know where to quench their thirst."

Everyone, regardless of position, education, class, etc., may understand. 'The understanding of His
words and the comprehension of the utterances of the Birds of Heaven are in no wise dependent upon
human learning ...' IQAN pg 211.

SUMMARY:

There is a 'heavenly science' as well as an earthly science. There is a science of the love of God as well
as science of the love of earthly things. This science is possible of understanding and of applicability in
life. The study of this science is what is meant by Ábdu'l-Bahá in His injunction to 'Investigate the
mysteries.'

Prayer P&M pg 114-115
Thou knowest, O my Lord, that I am but one of Thy servants. I have tasted of the
sweetness of Thy speech, and acknowledged Thy unity and Thy singleness, and
set my face towards the Source of Thy most excellent names and the Day-Spring
of Thy transcendent attributes, and wished to be enabled by Thee to immerse
myself beneath the ocean of Thy oneness and to be submerged by the mighty
waters of Thy unity.

Assist me, by Thy strengthening grace, O my Lord, to do what Thou didst will, and withhold not from
me the things Thou dost possess. So enravish me with the wonders of Thine utterances that the noise
and distraction of this world may be powerless to deter me from turning unto Thee, and may fail to
shake my constancy in Thy Cause, or to distract my gaze from the horizon of Thy grace. Aid me, then,
O my God, to do what pleaseth Thee, and to carry out Thy will. Write down for me, moreover, the good
of this world and of the world which is to come, and ordain for me a seat of truth in Thy presence.
Potent art Thou to do what Thou willest, and to rule as Thou pleasest. No God is there but Thee, the
Inaccessible, the All-Glorious, the Most Great.

All-praise to Thee, O Lord of the worlds and the Object of the adoration of the entire creation! (Prayers
and Meditations, pages 114-115)

The Heaven of Significances
________________________↩________________________

Lesson II
Prayer To be selected by the students.

1 PUP pg. 455-456 All the text...mysteries of the kingdom. (459-460) 2 HW A#44

3 Gl pg. 62-63 So perfect and comprehensive...Hopelessness and failure.

4 GL pg. 317-318 All that the sages...Ancient of Days.

5 HW A#61

6 PUP pg. 325 (331) It is evident...darkness itself.

7 PUP pg. 149-150 In the beginning was the word...thousands more. (154-155)

8 Gl pg. 195 That which is preeminent...Manifestation in this day.

9 PUP pg. 223 (228) The door of divine knowledge...Holy Spirit.

10 PUP pg. 12 (14-15) Throughout the universe..fully revealed through them.

11 HW A#58

12 HW A#59

13 IQAN pg. 100-101 Nay, whatever is in the heavens...I am His Mystery.

14 IQAN pg. 140 We have demonstrated...fullest adornment.

15 IQAN pg. 175-176 This Bird of Heaven..mysteries of His spirit.

16 HW A#67

17 HW A#81

18 HW A#50 & #51

19 HW A#52

20 HW A#53

21 HW P#82

22 HW A#62

Prayer P&M pg. 114-115 Last three paragraphs.

Note: Pages for PUP in parentheses are the newer (1982) edition while those originally cited in the

1922 edition have been retained.

Prayer

READING #1 PUP pg. 455-456

All the texts and teachings of the holy testaments have intrinsic spiritual meanings. They are not to be
taken literally. I therefore, pray on your behalf that you may be given the power of understanding these
inner real meanings of the holy scriptures and may become informed of the mysteries deposited in the
words of the Bible so that you may attain eternal life and that your hearts may be attracted to the
kingdom of God. May your souls be illumined by the light of the words of God and may you become
repositories of the mysteries of God, for no comfort is greater and no happiness is sweeter than
spiritual comprehension of the divine teachings. If a man understands the real meaning of poet's
verses such as those of Shakespeare, he is pleased and rejoiced. How much greater his joy and pleasure
when he perceives the reality of the holy scriptures and becomes informed of the mysteries of the
kingdom!

'Words', said Tagore, 'are the ineffectual gestures of the dumb.' It is impossible for man to convey his
fullest and deepest thought in words, for he is limited, not only by the different connotations which
others attach to the same words, but also by his own inability to phrase in more or less inflexible
syllables the finer grades of emotion and description. We do the best we can under the inevitable
limitations imposed by language. This is the reason why language, as it develops with man's increasing
desire for self-expression, accumulates a wealth of metaphor and symbolism. He is forced to
extravagant expressions if he wishes to convey even a hint of the majesty of his thought. He compares
a butterfly wing to a rainbow; he speaks of the hills clapping their hands; he hears the brook laugh; he
speaks of the heavenly smile. These words are not intended to be interpreted literally. We do not mean
exactly what we say but far more and yet far less. Far more if we have capacity and imagination, far
less if we interpret the words literally. This ability to suggest grandeur, beauty, grace, simplicity and
many other inexpressible things, is the very essence of poetry, and without such a possibility any
relation would be absolutely inexpressible. For religion, that is the religious experience, is the entrance
of the soul and spirit of man into a realm above the world of material experience. And if it is difficult to
in words the higher emotions, ideals, philosophies, even on the material plane, how utterly impossible
it becomes to express thoughts which relate to a world far surpassing this one. We are reduced to a
terminology almost entirely composed of symbols, metaphors, hyperbole, images - by which we seek to
hint of a beauty, a majesty, a satisfaction beyond anything this world can offer. We see how impossible
this would be to anyone living and thinking entirely on the material plane. To such a soul words mean
exactly what they say. Yes, but what do they say? Words in themselves do not reveal the speaker's full
intent. They can not.

If it is essential that the chemist, the physicist, the astronomer devise a terminology and a set of
symbols suitable to his scientific need, a terminology is needed which is a spiritual terminology to
convey thoughts which 'may change this dark world into a rose garden through the spiritual bounties.'

The tragic problem facing the Manifestation of God, coming to a world immersed in materiality, is that
He is forced to use the language of the people, limited by their capacity to understand, limited by their
consistent mini- interpretation of His meaning, limited by their fixed connotation of such words as
'life', 'death', 'sin', 'heaven'; He is forced to use those terms but somehow He must find a way to convey
meaning and inspiration which applies in a super material, super- worldly sense. In a world of
darkness and ignorance He speaks of splendor and wisdom. He would teach the grandeur and beauty
of the world of the spirit.

If it is difficult, impossible for us to convey a comparatively simple thought how shall even the
Manifestation of God convey the pure word of God to us? Even a slight conception of the problem
helps us to realize why the lives of the prophets must always be lives of sacrifice.

Inner significances of the word, referred to: (IQAN pg. 140)

'The Brides of inner meaning stepping from the chambers of words'.

'The mystic and wondrous Bride ere this beneath the veiling of utterances.'

'Myriads of Mystic tongues find utterance in one speech.' 'Quaff from the tongue of the merciful the
stream of Divine Mystery.'

'Take immortal cups- that thou mayest harken unto the mystic voice calling from the Realm of the
Invisible.' 'Within every garden they will behold the mystic bride of inner meaning.'

Understanding is impossible to anyone living and thinking on the material plane. We must adjust to
spiritual understanding instead of material comprehension.

READING # 2 - HW - A - #44

O SON OF THE THRONE! Thy hearing is My hearing, hear thou therewith. Thy sight is My sight, do
thou see therewith, that in thine inmost soul thou mayest testify unto My exalted sanctity, and I within
Myself may bear witness unto an exalted station for thee.

READING #3 -Gl. pg. 62-63

... So perfect and comprehensive is His creation that no mind nor heart, however keen or pure, can
ever grasp the nature of the most insignificant of His creatures; much less fathom the mystery of Him
Who is the Day Star of Truth, Who is the invisible and unknowable Essence. The conceptions of the
devoutest of mystics, the attainments of the most accomplished amongst men, the highest praise
which human tongue or pen can render are all the product of man's finite mind and are conditioned by
its limitations. Ten thousand Prophets, each a Moses, are thunderstruck upon the Sinai of their search
at His forbidding voice, "Thou shalt never behold Me!"; whilst a myriad Messengers, each as great as
Jesus, stand dismayed upon their heavenly thrones by the interdiction, "Mine Essence thou shalt never
apprehend!" From time immemorial He hath been veiled in the ineffable sanctity of His exalted Self,
and will everlastingly continue to be wrapt in the impenetrable mystery of His unknowable Essence.
Every attempt to attain to an understanding of His inaccessible Reality hath ended in complete

bewilderment, and every effort to approach His exalted Self and envisage His Essence hath resulted in
hopelessness and failure. (Gleanings, pages 62-63)

READING #4 - Gl pg. 317-318

All that the sages and mystics have said or written have never exceeded, nor can they ever hope to
exceed, the limitations to which man's finite mind hath been strictly subjected. To whatever heights
the mind of the most exalted of men may soar, however great the depths which the detached and
understanding heart can penetrate, such mind and heart can never transcend that which is the
creature of their own conceptions and the product of their own thoughts. The meditations of the
profoundest thinker, the devotions of the holiest of saints, the highest expressions of praise from either
human pen or tongue, are but a reflection of that which hath been created within themselves, through
the revelation of the Lord, their God. Whoever pondereth this truth in his heart will readily admit that
there are certain limits which no human being can possibly transgress. Every attempt which, from the
beginning that hath no beginning, hath been made to visualize and know God is limited by the
exigencies of His own creation - a creation which He, through the operation of His own Will and for
the purposes of none other but His own Self, hath called into being. Immeasurably exalted is He above
the strivings of human mind to grasp His Essence, or of human tongue to describe His mystery. No tie
of direct intercourse can ever bind Him to the things He hath created, nor can the most abstruse and
most remote allusions of His creatures do justice to His being. Through His world-pervading Will He
hath brought into being all created things. He is and hath ever been veiled in the ancient eternity of
His own exalted and indivisible Essence, and will everlastingly continue to remain concealed in His
inaccessible majesty and glory. All that is in heaven and all that is in the earth have come to exist at His
bidding, and by His Will all have stepped out of utter nothingness into the realm of being. How can,
therefore, the creature which the Word of God hath fashioned comprehend the nature of Him Who is
the Ancient of Days? (Gleanings, pages 317-318)

There are certain limits which no human being can possibly transgress. We cannot reach beyond the
line between the Manifestation and the Primal Emanation - The word - 'seeking is forbidden'. The
nearest we can get to God is the Primal Emanation - THE WORD - just as the nearest we can get to the
sun is its rays.

READING # 5 HW - A - #6

O SON OF MAN!

Ascend unto My heaven, that thou mayest obtain the joy of reunion, and from the chalice of
imperishable glory quaff the peerless wine. (Arabic Hidden Words, page 61)

Why do these personifications of wisdom and love apply the term 'heaven' to this spiritual realm of
understanding? Because by entrance into this realm we are enabled to breathe an atmosphere of
Truth, Love and Wisdom which, compared to the world of materiality is as heaven compared to hell, or
like the world of the cultured man to that of the unborn babe.

This station is attained through what Ábdu'l-Bahá called the 'second birth'. He speaks of the 'sublimity
of the world of mankind becoming apparent', 'thus you may attain the highest happiness, the life
eternal, the glory everlasting, and become manifestations of the bestowals of God.'

This second birth comes with true recognition of the Revelation of God, brought by His Manifestation
in the Day of Resurrection. Another means of entering this Heaven of Significances is through an
ability to read 'The Creational Book.' This is what is meant by 'seeing with the eye of God and hearing
with His ear.'

READING #6 -PUP -pg. 325

It is evident that the holy Manifestations and divine dawning points are necessary, for these blessed
and glorious Souls are the foremost Teachers and Educators of mankind, and all human souls are
developed through Them by the bounty of the Holy Spirit of God. During the ministry of Jesus Christ
in Palestine He was surrounded by people of various nations, including the Jews, all of them living in
the condition of extreme ignorance, bereft of the Word of God and darkened in consciousness. Christ
educated these people and quickened them with the life of the Word so that they in turn became the
instruments of educating the world, illumining the East and the West. Consider the wonderful effect of
spiritual education and training. By it the fisherman Peter was transformed into the greatest of
teachers. Spiritual education made the disciples radiant lamps in the darkness of the world and caused
the Christians of the first and second centuries to become renowned everywhere for their virtues. Even
philosophers bore testimony to this. Among them was Galen, the physician, who wrote a book upon
the subject of the progress of the nations. He was a celebrated philosopher of the Greeks, although not
a Christian. In his book he stated that religious beliefs exercise a tremendous influence upon
civilization and that the world is in need of such belief. In proof of this, he said, in substance, "In our
time there is a certain people called Christians, who, though neither philosophers nor scholastically
trained, are superior to all others as regards their morality. They are perfect in morals. Each one of
them is like a great philosopher in morals, ethics and turning toward the Kingdom of God." This is
evidence from the testimony of an intelligent outside observer that spiritual education is the light of
the world of humanity and that its absence in the world is darkness itself. (Promulgation of Universal
Peace*, page 331)

READING #7 PUP pg. 149-150

..."In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This
statement is brief but replete with the greatest meanings. Its applications are illimitable and beyond
the power of books or words to contain and express. Heretofore the doctors of theology have not
expounded it but have restricted it to Jesus as "the Word made flesh," the separation of Jesus from
God, the Father, and His descent upon the earth. In this way the individualized separation of the
godhead came to be taught. The essential oneness of Father, Son and Spirit has many meanings and
constitutes the foundation of Christianity. Today we will merely give a synopsis of explanation. Why
was Jesus the Word? In the universe of creation all phenomenal beings are as letters. Letters in
themselves are meaningless and express nothing of thought or ideal - as, for instance, a, b, etc.

Likewise, all phenomenal beings are without independent meaning. But a word is composed of letters
and has independent sense and meaning. Therefore, as Christ conveyed the perfect meaning of divine
reality and embodied independent significance, He was the Word. He was as the station of reality
compared to the station of metaphor. There is no intrinsic meaning in the leaves of a book, but the
thought they convey leads you to reflect upon reality. The reality of Jesus was the perfect meaning, the
Christhood in Him which in the Holy Books is symbolized as the Word. "The Word was with God." The
Christhood means not the body of Jesus but the perfection of divine virtues manifest in Him.
Therefore, it is written, "He is God." This does not imply separation from God, even as it is not possible
to separate the rays of the sun from the sun. The reality of Christ was the embodiment of divine virtues
and attributes of God. For in Divinity there is no duality. All adjectives, nouns and pronouns in that
court of sanctity are one; there is neither multiplicity nor division. The intention of this explanation is
to show that the Words of God have innumerable significances and mysteries of meanings - each one a
thousand and more. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, pages 154-155)

READING #8 Gl pg. 195

That which is preeminent above all other gifts, is incorruptible in nature, and pertaineth to God
Himself, is the gift of Divine Revelation. Every bounty conferred by the Creator upon man, be it
material or spiritual, is subservient unto this. It is, in its essence, and will ever so remain, the Bread
which cometh down from Heaven. It is God's supreme testimony, the clearest evidence of His truth,
the sign of His consummate bounty, the token of His all-encompassing mercy, the proof of His most
loving providence, the symbol of His most perfect grace. He hath, indeed, partaken of this highest gift
of God who hath recognized His Manifestation in this Day. (Gleanings, page 195)

READING # 9 - PUP - pg. 223

he door of divine knowledge has been opened by Bahá'u'lláh, for He has laid the foundation whereby
man may become acquainted with the verities of heaven and earth and has bestowed the utmost
confirmation in this day. He is our Teacher and Adviser; He is our Seer and the One clement toward
us. He has prepared His gifts and vouchsafed His bounties, revealed every admonition and behest,
prepared for us the means of eternal glory, breathed upon us the life-quickening breaths of the Holy
Spirit, opened before our faces the doors of the paradise of Abha and caused the lights of the Sun of
Truth to shine upon us. The clouds of mercy have poured down their precious rain. The sea of favor is
swelling and surging toward us. The spiritual springtime has come. Infinite bounties and graces have
appeared. What bestowal is greater than this? We must appreciate the divine generosity and act in
accordance with the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh so that all good may be stored up for us and in both
worlds we shall become precious and acceptable to God, attain to everlasting blessings, taste the
delicacy of the love of God, find the sweetness of the knowledge of God, perceive the heavenly bestowal
and witness the power of the Holy Spirit. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, page 228)

READING # 10 - PUP - pg. 12

Throughout the universe the divine power is effulgent in endless images and pictures. The world of
creation, the world of humanity may be likened to the earth itself and the divine power to the sun. This
Sun has shone upon all mankind. In the endless variety of its reflections the divine Will is manifested.
Consider how all are recipients of the bounty of the same Sun. At most the difference between them is
that of degree, for the effulgence is one effulgence, the one light emanating from the Sun. This will
express the oneness of the world of humanity. The body politic, or the social unity of the human world,
may be likened to an ocean, and each member, each individual, a wave upon that same ocean. The
light of the sun becomes apparent in each object according to the capacity of that object. The difference
is simply one of degree and receptivity. The stone would be a recipient only to a limited extent; another
created thing might be as a mirror wherein the sun is fully reflected; but the same light shines upon
both.

The most important thing is to polish the mirrors of hearts in order that they may become illumined
and receptive of the divine light. One heart may possess the capacity of the polished mirror; another,
be covered and obscured by the dust and dross of this world. Although the same Sun is shining upon
both, in the mirror which is polished, pure and sanctified you may behold the Sun in all its fullness,
glory and power, revealing its majesty and effulgence; but in the mirror which is rusted and obscured
there is no capacity for reflection, although so far as the Sun itself is concerned it is shining thereon
and is neither lessened nor deprived. Therefore, our duty lies in seeking to polish the mirrors of our
hearts in order that we shall become reflectors of that light and recipients of the divine bounties which
may be fully revealed through them. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, pages 14-15)

READING # 11 - HW - A #58

O SON OF MAN!

The temple of being is My throne; cleanse it of all things, that there I may be established and there I
may abide.

Our understanding is according to the purity, cleansing and dusting of the mirror. Our effort is
important and entails sacrifice of that which forbids us time for study and meditation of the Word.

READING # 12 - HW - A #59

O SON OF BEING!

Thy heart is My home; sanctify it for My descent. The spirit is My place of revelation; cleanse it for My
manifestation.

The heart is the actual recipient of the spiritual influx, the core of being, one of the aspects of the soul.
see Gl - pg. 185

READING #13 IQAN pg. 100-101

Nay, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is a direct evidence of the revelation
within it of the attributes and names of God, inasmuch as within every atom are enshrined the signs
that bear eloquent testimony to the revelation of that most great Light. Methinks, but for the potency
of that revelation, no being could ever exist. How resplendent the luminaries of knowledge that shine
in an atom, and how vast the oceans of wisdom that surge within a drop! To a supreme degree is this
true of man, who, among all created things, hath been invested with the robe of such gifts, and hath
been singled out for the glory of such distinction. For in him are potentially revealed all the attributes
and names of God to a degree that no other created being hath excelled or surpassed. All these names
and attributes are applicable to him. Even as He hath said: "Man is My mystery, and I am his mystery."
(The Kitab-i-Iqan, pages 100-101)

READING # 14 - Iqan - pg. 140

...We have demonstrated that all things are the recipients and revealers of the splendours of that ideal
King, and that the signs of the revelation of that Sun, the Source of all splendour, exist and are
manifest in the mirrors of beings. Nay, were man to gaze with the eye of divine and spiritual
discernment, he will readily recognize that nothing whatsoever can exist without the revelation of the
splendour of God, the ideal King. Consider how all created things eloquently testify to the revelation of
that inner Light within them. Behold how within all things the portals of the Ridvan of God are
opened, that seekers may attain the cities of understanding and wisdom, and enter the gardens of
knowledge and power. Within every garden they will behold the mystic bride of inner meaning
enshrined within the chambers of utterance in the utmost grace and fullest adornment. (The
Kitab-i-Iqan, page 140)

We are told that it is impossible for man to attain such a station that he will live more or less
constantly in that realm in which he sees in all things evidence of the power, love, wisdom, beauty and
guidance of God. He 'walks above the world by the power of the Greatest Name and beholds the
Mysteries of God and knows that which none knows of.' (who knows not this heaven). This, Ábdu'l-
Bahá says, is the paradise obtainable in this world. It transforms a sordid existence into a heaven of
assurance and 'diffuses life with infinite joy'. The word 'heaven' is used with many meanings: 'The
heaven of wisdom', 'the heaven of understanding', etc.

READING #15 - Iqan - pg. 175-176

This Bird of Heaven, now dwelling upon the dust, can, besides these melodies, utter a myriad songs,
and is able, apart from these utterances, to unfold innumerable mysteries. Every single note of its
unpronounced utterances is immeasurably exalted above all that hath already been revealed, and
immensely glorified beyond that which hath streamed from this Pen. Let the future disclose the hour
when the Brides of inner meaning, will, as decreed by the Will of God, hasten forth, unveiled, out of
their mystic mansions, and manifest themselves in the ancient realm of being. Nothing whatsoever is
possible without His permission; no power can endure save through His power, and there is none

other God but He. His is the world of creation, and His the Cause of God. All proclaim His Revelation,
and all unfold the mysteries of His Spirit. (The Kitab-i-Iqan, pages 175-176)

Yet revelation is limited by the conditions and capacity of the people.

READING # 16 HW A#67

O SON OF BEAUTY!

By My spirit and by My favor! By My mercy and by My beauty! All that I have revealed unto thee with
the tongue of power, and have and have written for thee with the pen of might, hath been in
accordance with the capacity and understanding, not with My state and the melody of My voice.

'Tongue of power', 'Pen of Might' - The Reality of the Manifestation speaking and writing.

READING #17 HW P#81

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 these idle and worthless souls.

Importance of the knowledge of the reality of things. 'yield no fruit on earth' -what fruit?

'Through it (knowledge of the realities of things) outward civilization progresses'

SAQ pg. 344

Therefore, the lowest of men are they who neglect the knowledge of the realities of things, thus make
no contribution to the progress of civilization.

READING #18 HW A#50 & A#51

O SON OF MAN!

If adversity befall thee not in My path, how canst thou walk in the ways of them that are content with
My pleasure? If trials afflict thee not in thy longing to meet Me, how wilt thou attain the light of thy
love for My beauty?

O SON OF MAN!

My calamity is My providence, outwardly it is fire and vengeance, but inwardly it is light and mercy.
Hasten thereunto that thou may become an eternal light and an immortal spirit. This is My command
unto thee, do thou observe it.

Proper attitude toward trials and obstacles.

READING # 19 HW A#52

O SON OF MAN!

Should prosperity befall thee, rejoice not, and should abasement come upon thee, grieve not, for both
shall pass away and be no more.

Proper attitude toward success and failure.

READING #20 HW A#53

O SON OF BEING!

If poverty overtake thee, be not sad; for in time the Lord of wealth shall visit thee. Fear not abasement,
for glory shall one day rest on thee.

Proper attitude toward wealth and poverty.

READING #21 HW A#62

O SON OF MAN!

Many a day hath passed over thee whilst thou hast busied thyself with thy fancies and idle imaginings.
How long art thou to slumber on thy bed? Lift up thy head from slumber, for the Sun hath risen to the
zenith, haply it may shine upon thee with the light of beauty. (Arabic Hidden Words, page 62)

Admonition to waste no more time, inasmuch as immortality begins now.

SUMMARY:- 'Heaven of significances' - a symbol of that spiritual exaltation, upliftment above
material thoughts and feelings, perceiving the mysteries of the other world in creation, everything on
this plane being a shadow of that on the spiritual plane.

PRAYER P&M pg. 114-115

Thou knowest, O my Lord, that I am but one of thy servants. I have tasted of the sweetness of Thy
speech, and acknowledged Thy singleness, and set my face towards the source of Thy most excellent
names and the Day- Spring of Thy transcendent attributes, and wish to be enabled by Thee to immerse
myself beneath the ocean of Thy oneness and to be submerged by the mighty waters of Thy unity.
Assist me, by thy strengthening grace, O my Lord, to what thou didst will, and withhold not form me
the things Thou dost possess. So enravish me with wonders of Thine utterances that the noise and
distraction of this world may be powerless to deter me from turning unto thee, and may fail to shake
my constancy in Thy cause, or to distract my gaze from the horizon of Thy grace. Aid me, then, O my
God to do what pleasest Thee, and to carry out Thy will. Write down for me, moreover, the good of this
world of the world which is to come, ordain for me a seat of truth in thy presence. Potent art Thou to
do what Thou willest, and to rule as Thou pleasest. No God is there but Thee, the Inaccessible, the
All-Glorious, the Most Great.

All praise to Thee, O Lord of the worlds and the object of the adoration of the entire creation!

The Two Natures of Man
________________________↩________________________
Lesson III
1 BWF pg. 121 A sign of God.

2 BWF pg. 315 Man's Relation to God

3 BWF pg. 316-317 Soul, Mind and Spirit

4 BWF pg. 318-321 Innate, inherited and acquired character.

5 PUP pg. 57 Man has two powers...than the physical body. (60)

6 PUP pg. 179-181 Man is submerged...joys of its eternal fruits? (184-186)

7 PUP pg. 319-322 It is now the times...the life and love of God. (325-328)

8 PUP pg. 411-413 It is evident fact...in the eternal realm. (417-418)

9 PUP pg. 220-221 In the beginning of his human life...everlasting existence. (225-226)

10 GL pg. 64-66 All praise to the unity of God...light and glory.

11 GL pg. 77-78 All praise and glory...shadow of the tree of knowledge. 12 HW P#38

13 HW P#39

14 BWF pg. 382 Faith and Knowledge.

15 GL pg. 206 The purpose underlying....whatsoever He willeth.

Prayer P&M pg. 114-115 LXIX Last 3 paragraphs.

Note: Pages for PUP in parentheses are the newer (1982) edition while those originally cited in the
1922 edition have been retained.

READING #1 BWF pg. 121 A Sign of God

Thou hast asked Me concerning the nature of the soul. Know verily, that the soul is a sign of God, a
heavenly gem whose reality the most learned of men hath failed to grasp, and whose mystery no mind,
however acute, can ever hope to unravel. It is the first among all created things to declare the
excellence of its creator, the first to recognize His glory, to cleave to His truth, and to bow down in
adoration before Him. If it be faithful to God, it will reflect His light, and will eventually return unto
Him. If it fail, however, in its allegiance to its creator, it will become a victim to self and passion, and
will, in the end, sink in their depths.

Ábdu'l-Bahá summed the matter in these words,

'Be it known that to know the reality or essence of the soul of man is impossible, for in order to know a
thing one must comprehend it, and since a thing cannot comprehend itself, to know oneself is in
substance, or essence, is impossible. In order to obtain knowledge of any reality, or soul, or man, the
student must study the manifestations, qualities, names and characteristics of man.'

Our modern anthropologists and psychologist agree perfectly with this assertion. Nothing is more
generally acknowledged than the narrow limits of man's mental powers. It is even asserted that he uses
no more than a fifth of his brain capability. Is it possible then for him, with the active fifth of his
mentality to grasp the powers of the other four-fifths - to say nothing of the range of his emotional,
imaginative, and complex physical nature?

Bahá'u'lláh, in the seven valleys (the valley of unity) points out that man to a degree possesses a quality
of God in that he is 'the first and the last, the manifest and the hidden' and that outwardly man bears
witness of the inward mysteries which, as a Divine gift, are deposited in him. So we must begin by
assuming (with the authority of human science as well as divine revelation) that man, like every other
phenomenal object, may be known only by his attributes and qualities. As is to be expected, however,
the wisdom of the Mouthpiece of the Eternal Wisdom is far more enlightening and inspiring than the
superficial investigations of the human mind. They base their investigations into man's reality and
potentiality upon his inherent nobility.

READING #2 BWF pg. 315

Man's Relation to God The connection between God and the creatures is that of the creator to the
creation; it is like the connection between the sun and the dark bodies of contingent beings, and is the
connection between the maker and the things that he has made. The sun in its own essence is
independent of the bodies which it lights, for its light is in itself and is free and independent of the
terrestrial globe; so the earth is under the influence of the sun and receives its light, whereas the sun
and its rays are entirely independent of the earth. But if there were no sun, the earth and all earthly
beings could not exist.
The dependence of the creatures upon God is a dependence of emanation - that is to say, creatures
emanate from God; they do not manifest Him. (1) The relation is that of emanation and not that of
manifestation. The light of the sun emanates from the sun; it does not manifest it. The appearance
through emanation is like the appearance of the rays from the luminary of the horizons of the world -
that is to say, the holy essence of the Sun of Truth is not divided and does not descend to the condition
of the creatures. In the same way, the globe of the sun does not become divided and does not descend
to the earth. No, the rays of the sun, which are its bounty, emanate from it and illumine the dark
bodies.

But the appearance through manifestation is the manifestation of the branches, leaves, blossoms and
fruit from the seed; for the seed in its own essence becomes branches and fruits, and its reality enters
into the branches, the leaves and fruits. This appearance through manifestation would be for God, the
Most High, simple imperfection; and this is quite impossible, for the implication would be that the

Absolute Preexistent is qualified with phenomenal attributes. But if this were so, pure independence
would become mere poverty, and true existence would become nonexistence, and this is impossible.

Therefore, all creatures emanate from God - that is to say, it is by God that all things are realized, and
by Him that all beings have attained to existence. The first thing which emanated from God is that
universal reality, which the ancient philosophers termed the "First Mind," and which the people of
Baha call the "First Will." This emanation, in that which concerns its action in the world of God, is not
limited by time or place; it is without beginning or end -beginning and end in relation to God are one.
The preexistence of God is the preexistence of essence, and also preexistence of time, and the
phenomenality of contingency is essential and not temporal, as we have already explained one day at
table. (1)

Though the "First Mind" is without beginning, it does not become a sharer in the preexistence of God,
for the existence of the universal reality in relation to the existence of God is nothingness, and it has
not the power to become an associate of God and like unto Him in preexistence. This subject has been
before explained.

The existence of living things signifies composition, and their death, decomposition. But universal
matter and the elements do not become absolutely annihilated and destroyed. No, their nonexistence
is simply transformation. For instance, when man is annihilated, he becomes dust; but he does not
become absolutely nonexistent. He still exists in the shape of dust, but transformation has taken place,
and this composition is accidentally decomposed. The annihilation of the other beings is the same, for
existence does not become absolute nonexistence, and absolute nonexistence does not become
existence. (Some Answered Questions, pages 202-204)

'This much can be stated, that the reality of man is a pure and unknown essence constituting a
depository emanating from the Light of the Ancient Entity' (God) -Bahá'í Scrip. par 742

READING # 3 BWF pg. 316-317

Soul, Mind and Spirit
It has been before explained that spirit is universally divided into five categories: the vegetable spirit,
the animal spirit, the human spirit, the spirit of faith, and the Holy Spirit.

The vegetable spirit is the power of growth which is brought about in the seed through the influence of
other existences.

The animal spirit is the power of all the senses, which is realized from the composition and mingling of
elements; when this composition decomposes, the power also perishes and becomes annihilated. It
may be likened to this lamp: when the oil, wick and fire are combined, it is lighted; and when this
combination is dissolved - that is to say, when the combined parts are separated from one another -
the lamp also is extinguished.

The human spirit which distinguishes man from the animal is the rational soul, and these two names -
the human spirit and the rational soul - designate one thing. This spirit, which in the terminology of
the philosophers is the rational soul, embraces all beings, and as far as human ability permits

discovers the realities of things and becomes cognizant of their peculiarities and effects, and of the
qualities and properties of beings. But the human spirit, unless assisted by the spirit of faith, does not
become acquainted with the divine secrets and the heavenly realities. It is like a mirror which,
although clear, polished and brilliant, is still in need of light. Until a ray of the sun reflects upon it, it
cannot discover the heavenly secrets.

But the mind is the power of the human spirit. Spirit is the lamp; mind is the light which shines from
the lamp. Spirit is the tree, and the mind is the fruit. Mind is the perfection of the spirit and is its
essential quality, as the sun's rays are the essential necessity of the sun. (Some Answered Questions,
pages 208-209)

Soul, the rational being, the rational soul, the human spirit - are one. The pure page of man's
individuality becomes inscribed during his life's experiences with the record of events which our
human terminology describes as good and evil. The gradual growth of this ability to distinguish
between these is one of the meanings of the story of the Garden of Eden, man's expulsion from that
infantile state of stainless innocence and his eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This
is an essential experience otherwise man would be a colorless automaton devoid of the power of choice
and of the will to act on his choice. This power of choice and will to act is the highest function of man
and is what distinguishes him from the animal.

Reading #4 BWF pg. 318-321

Innate, Inherited and Acquired Character

With regard to the innate character, although the divine creation is purely good, yet the varieties of
natural qualities in man come from the difference of degree; all are excellent, but they are more or less
so, according to the degree. So all mankind possess intelligence and capacities, but the intelligence, the
capacity and the worthiness of men differ. This is evident.

For example, take a number of children of one family, of one place, of one school, instructed by one
teacher, reared on the same food, in the same climate, with the same clothing, and studying the same
lessons - it is certain that among these children some will be clever in the sciences, some will be of
average ability, and some dull. Hence it is clear that in the original nature there exists a difference of
degree and varieties of worthiness and capacity. This difference does not imply good or evil but is
simply a difference of degree. One has the highest degree, another the medium degree, and another the
lowest degree. So man exists; the animal, the plant and the mineral exist also -but the degrees of these
four existences vary. What a difference between the existence of man and of the animal! Yet both are
existences. It is evident that in existence there are differences of degrees.

The variety of inherited qualities comes from strength and weakness of constitution - that is to say,
when the two parents are weak, the children will be weak; if they are strong, the children will be
robust. In the same way, purity of blood has a great effect; for the pure germ is like the superior stock
which exists in plants and animals. For example, you see that children born from a weak and feeble
father and mother will naturally have a feeble constitution and weak nerves; they will be afflicted and
will have neither patience, nor endurance, nor resolution, nor perseverance, and will be hasty; for the

children inherit the weakness and debility of their parents.

Besides this, an especial blessing is conferred on some families and some generations. Thus it is an
especial blessing that from among the descendants of Abraham should have come all the Prophets of
the children of Israel. This is a blessing that God has granted to this descent: to Moses from His father
and mother, to Christ from His mother's line; also to Muhammad and the Bab, and to all the Prophets
and the Holy Manifestations of Israel. The Blessed Beauty (1) is also a lineal descendant of Abraham,
for Abraham had other sons besides Ishmael and Isaac who in those days migrated to the lands of
Persia and Afghanistan, and the Blessed Beauty is one of their descendants.

Hence it is evident that inherited character also exists, and to such a degree that if the characters are
not in conformity with their origin, although they belong physically to that lineage, spiritually they are
not considered members of the family, like Canaan, (2) who is not reckoned as being of the race of
Noah.

But the difference of the qualities with regard to culture is very great, for education has great influence.
Through education the ignorant become learned; the cowardly become valiant. Through cultivation
the crooked branch becomes straight; the acid, bitter fruit of the mountains and woods becomes sweet
and delicious; and the five petaled flower becomes hundred petaled. Through education savage nations
become civilized, and even the animals become domesticated. Education must be considered as most
important, for as diseases in the world of bodies are extremely contagious, so, in the same way,
qualities of spirit and heart are extremely contagious. Education has a universal influence, and the
differences caused by it are very great.

Perhaps someone will say that, since the capacity and worthiness of men differ, therefore, the
difference of capacity certainly causes the difference of characters. (1)

But this is not so, for capacity is of two kinds: natural capacity and acquired capacity. The first, which
is the creation of God, is purely good - in the creation of God there is no evil; but the acquired capacity
has become the cause of the appearance of evil. For example, God has created all men in such a
manner and has given them such a constitution and such capacities that they are benefited by sugar
and honey and harmed and destroyed by poison. This nature and constitution is innate, and God has
given it equally to all mankind. But man begins little by little to accustom himself to poison by taking a
small quantity each day, and gradually increasing it, until he reaches such a point that he cannot live
without a gram of opium every day. The natural capacities are thus completely perverted. Observe how
much the natural capacity and constitution can be changed, until by different habits and training they
become entirely perverted. One does not criticize vicious people because of their innate capacities and
nature, but rather for their acquired capacities and nature.

In creation there is no evil; all is good. Certain qualities and natures innate in some men and
apparently blameworthy are not so in reality. For example, from the beginning of his life you can see in
a nursing child the signs of greed, of anger and of temper. Then, it may be said, good and evil are
innate in the reality of man, and this is contrary to the pure goodness of nature and creation. The
answer to this is that greed, which is to ask for something more, is a praiseworthy quality provided that
it is used suitably. So if a man is greedy to acquire science and knowledge, or to become
compassionate, generous and just, it is most praiseworthy. If he exercises his anger and wrath against

the blood thirsty tyrants who are like ferocious beasts, it is very praiseworthy; but if he does not use
these qualities in a right way, they are blameworthy.

Then it is evident that in creation and nature evil does not exist at all; but when the natural qualities of
man are used in an unlawful way, they are blameworthy. So if a rich and generous person gives a sum
of money to a poor man for his own necessities, and if the poor man spends that sum of money on
unlawful things, that will be blameworthy. It is the same with all the natural qualities of man, which
constitute the capital of life; if they be used and displayed in an unlawful way, they become
blameworthy. Therefore, it is clear that creation is purely good. Consider that the worst of qualities
and most odious of attributes, which is the foundation of all evil, is lying. No worse or more
blameworthy quality than this can be imagined to exist; it is the destroyer of all human perfections and
the cause of innumerable vices. There is no worse characteristic than this; it is the foundation of all
evils. Notwithstanding all this, if a doctor consoles a sick man by saying, "Thank God you are better,
and there is hope of your recovery," though these words are contrary to the truth, yet they may become
the consolation of the patient and the turning point of the illness. This is not blameworthy. (Some
Answered Questions, pages 212-216)

Man's characteristics are sharply divided. One group partakes of the animal nature of man, inherited
from his past. The other partakes of his divine nature inherited from God. Every human being is
possessed of this dual nature. The distinctive quality which separates him from the rest of creation is
the power of choice as to which nature he shall cultivate, which he chooses to dominate his life.

READING #5 PUP pg. 57

Man has two powers; and his development, two aspects. One power is connected with the material
world, and by it he is capable of material advancement. The other power is spiritual, and through its
development his inner, potential nature is awakened. These powers are like two wings. Both must be
developed, for flight is impossible with one wing. Praise be to God! Material advancement has been
evident in the world, but there is need of spiritual advancement in like proportion. We must strive
unceasingly and without rest to accomplish the development of the spiritual nature in man, and
endeavor with tireless energy to advance humanity toward the nobility of its true and intended station.
For the body of man is accidental; it is of no importance. The time of its disintegration will inevitably
come. But the spirit of man is essential and, therefore, eternal. It is a divine bounty. It is the effulgence
of the Sun of Reality and, therefore, of greater importance than the physical body. (Promulgation of
Universal Peace*, page 60)

READING #6 PUP pg. 179-181

Man is submerged in the affairs of this world. His aims, objects and attainments are mortal, whereas
God desires for him immortal accomplishments. In his heart there is no thought of God. He has
sacrificed his portion and birthright of divine spirituality. Desire and passion, like two unmanageable
horses, have wrested the reins of control from him and are galloping madly in the wilderness. This is
the cause of the degradation of the world of humanity. This is the cause of its retrogression into the

appetites and passions of the animal kingdom. Instead of divine advancement we find sensual captivity
and debasement of heavenly virtues of the soul. By devotion to the carnal, mortal world human
susceptibilities sink to the level of animalism.

What are the animals' propensities? To eat, drink, wander about and sleep. The thoughts, the minds of
the animals are confined to these. They are captives in the bonds of these desires. Man becomes a
prisoner and slave to them when his ultimate desire is no higher than his welfare in this world of the
senses. Consider how difficult for man is the attainment of pleasures and happiness in this mortal
world. How easy it is for the animal. Look upon the fields and flowers, prairies, streams, forests and
mountains. The grazing animals, the birds of the air, the fishes neither toil nor undergo hardships;
they sow not, nor are they concerned about the reaping; they have no anxiety about business or politics
- no trouble or worry whatsoever. All the fields and grasses, all the meadows of fruits and grains, all
the mountain slopes and streams of salubrious water belong to them. They do not labor for their
livelihood and happiness because everything is provided and made possible for them. If the life of man
be confined to this physical, material outlook, the animal's life is a hundred times better, easier and
more productive of comfort and contentment. The animal is nobler, more serene and confident
because each hour is free from anxiety and worriment; but man, restless and dissatisfied, runs from
morn till eve, sailing the seas, diving beneath them in submarines, flying aloft in airplanes, delving into
the lowest strata of the earth to obtain his livelihood - all with the greatest difficulty, anxiety and
unrest. Therefore, in this respect the animal is nobler, more serene, poised and confident. Consider the
birds in the forest and jungle: how they build their nests high in the swaying treetops, build them with
the utmost skill and beauty - swinging, rocking in the morning breezes, drinking the pure, sweet water,
enjoying the most enchanting views as they fly here and there high overhead, singing joyously - all
without labor, free from worry, care and forebodings. If man's life be confined to the elemental,
physical world of enjoyment, one lark is nobler, more admirable than all humanity because its
livelihood is prepared, its condition complete, its accomplishment perfect and natural.

But the life of man is not so restricted; it is divine, eternal, not mortal and sensual. For him a spiritual
existence and livelihood is prepared and ordained in the divine creative plan. His life is intended to be
a life of spiritual enjoyment to which the animal can never attain. This enjoyment depends upon the
acquisition of heavenly virtues. The sublimity of man is his attainment of the knowledge of God. The
bliss of man is the acquiring of heavenly bestowals, which descend upon him in the outflow of the
bounty of God. The happiness of man is in the fragrance of the love of God. This is the highest pinnacle
of attainment in the human world. How preferable to the animal and its hopeless kingdom!

Therefore, consider how base a nature it reveals in man that, notwithstanding the favors showered
upon him by God, he should lower himself into the animal sphere, be wholly occupied with material
needs, attached to this mortal realm, imagining that the greatest happiness is to attain wealth in this
world. How purposeless! How debased is such a nature! God has created man in order that he may be
a dove of the Kingdom, a heavenly candle, a recipient of eternal life. God has created man in order that
he may be resuscitated through the breaths of the Holy Spirit and become the light of the world. How
debased the soul which can find enjoyment in this darkness, occupied with itself, the captive of self
and passion, wallowing in the mire of the material world! How degraded is such a nature! What an
ignorance this is! What a blindness! How glorious the station of man who has partaken of the heavenly
food and built the temple of his everlasting residence in the world of heaven!

The Manifestations of God have come into the world to free man from these bonds and chains of the
world of nature. Although They walked upon the earth, They lived in heaven. They were not concerned
about material sustenance and prosperity of this world. Their bodies were subjected to inconceivable
distress, but Their spirits ever soared in the highest realms of ecstasy. The purpose of Their coming,
Their teaching and suffering was the freedom of man from himself. Shall we, therefore, follow in Their
footsteps, escape from this cage of the body or continue subject to its tyranny? Shall we pursue the
phantom of a mortal happiness which does not exist or turn toward the tree of life and the joys of its
eternal fruits? (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, pages 184-186)

Knowledge through the intelligence of the rational soul, can penetrate mysteries, but it is limited.
Innate knowledge, to be aware of all mysteries without search or investigation, is a conscious power
embracing existing realities. This divine intellectual power is the special attribute of the Holy
Manifestations. A share of this power comes to man through the Manifestation, by the Spirit of Faith.

How can we gain the Spirit of Faith? We gain faith, not through effort toward it, but through
worthiness by obedience Instead of seeking qualities we earn them through actions. Faith is not
through man's effort - it is a bounty of God.

Faith and acts are different. Not through lack of Faith, but through weakness; man's actions are not
according to his faith. This strength is gained through effort.

READING #7 PUP pg. 319-322

It is now the time in the history of the world for us to strive and give an impetus to the advancement
and development of inner forces - that is to say, we must arise to service in the world of morality, for
human morals are in need of readjustment. We must also render service to the world of intellectuality
in order that the minds of men may increase in power and become keener in perception, assisting the
intellect of man to attain its supremacy so that the ideal virtues may appear. Before a step is taken in
this direction we must be able to prove Divinity from the standpoint of reason so that no doubt or
objection may remain for the rationalist. Afterward, we must be able to prove the existence of the
bounty of God - that the divine bounty encompasses humanity and that it is transcendental.
Furthermore, we must demonstrate that the spirit of man is immortal, that it is not subject to
disintegration and that it comprises the virtues of humanity.

Material virtues have attained great development, but ideal virtues have been left far behind. If you
should ask a thousand persons, "What are the proofs of the reality of Divinity?" perhaps not one would
be able to answer. If you should ask further, "What proofs have you regarding the essence of God?"
"How do you explain inspiration and revelation?" "What are the evidences of conscious intelligence
beyond the material universe?" "Can you suggest a plan and method for the betterment of human
moralities?" "Can you clearly define and differentiate the world of nature and the world of Divinity?" -
you would receive very little real knowledge and enlightenment upon these questions. This is due to
the fact that development of the ideal virtues has been neglected. People speak of Divinity, but the
ideas and beliefs they have of Divinity are, in reality, superstition. Divinity is the effulgence of the Sun
of Reality, the manifestation of spiritual virtues and ideal powers. The intellectual proofs of Divinity
are based upon observation and evidence which constitute decisive argument, logically proving the

reality of Divinity, the effulgence of mercy, the certainty of inspiration and immortality of the spirit.
This is, in reality, the science of Divinity. Divinity is not what is set forth in dogmas and sermons of the
church. Ordinarily when the word Divinity is mentioned, it is associated in the minds of the hearers
with certain formulas and doctrines, whereas it essentially means the wisdom and knowledge of God,
the effulgence of the Sun of Truth, the revelation of reality and divine philosophy.

Philosophy is of two kinds: natural and divine. Natural philosophy seeks knowledge of physical verities
and explains material phenomena, whereas divine philosophy deals with ideal verities and phenomena
of the spirit. The field and scope of natural philosophy have been greatly enlarged, and its
accomplishments are most praiseworthy, for it has served humanity. But according to the evidence of
present world conditions divine philosophy -which has for its object the sublimation of human nature,
spiritual advancement, heavenly guidance for the development of the human race, attainment to the
breaths of the Holy Spirit and knowledge of the verities of God - has been outdistanced and neglected.
Now is the time for us to make an effort and enable it to advance apace with the philosophy of material
investigation so that awakening of the ideal virtues may progress equally with the unfoldment of the
natural powers. In the same proportion that the body of man is developing, the spirit of man must be
strengthened; and just as his outer perceptions have been quickened, his inner intellectual powers
must be sensitized so that he need not rely wholly upon tradition and human precedent. In divine
questions we must not depend entirely upon the heritage of tradition and former human experience;
nay, rather, we must exercise reason, analyze and logically examine the facts presented so that
confidence will be inspired and faith attained. Then and then only the reality of things will be revealed
to us. The philosophers of Greece - such as Aristotle, Socrates, Plato and others -were devoted to the
investigation of both natural and spiritual phenomena. In their schools of teaching they discoursed
upon the world of nature as well as the supernatural world. Today the philosophy and logic of Aristotle
are known throughout the world. Because they were interested in both natural and divine philosophy,
furthering the development of the physical world of mankind as well as the intellectual, they rendered
praiseworthy service to humanity. This was the reason of the triumph and survival of their teachings
and principles. Man should continue both these lines of research and investigation so that all the
human virtues, outer and inner, may become possible. The attainment of these virtues, both material
and ideal, is conditioned upon intelligent investigation of reality, by which investigation the sublimity
of man and his intellectual progress is accomplished. Forms must be set aside and renounced; reality
must be sought. We must discover for ourselves where and what reality is. In religious beliefs nations
and peoples today are imitators of ancestors and forefathers. If a man's father was a Christian, he
himself is a Christian; a Buddhist is the son of a Buddhist, a Zoroastrian of a Zoroastrian. A gentile or
an idolater follows the religious footsteps of his father and ancestry. This is absolute imitation. The
requirement in this day is that man must independently and impartially investigate every form of
reality.

The great question appertaining to humanity is religion. The first condition is that man must
intelligently investigate its foundations. The second condition is that he must admit and acknowledge
the oneness of the world of humanity. By this means the attainment of true fellowship among mankind
is assured, and the alienation of races and individuals is prevented. ... The purport of our subject is
that, just as man is in need of outward education, he is likewise in need of ideal refinement; just as the
outer sense of sight is necessary to him, he should also possess insight and conscious perception; as he

needs hearing, at the same time memory is essential; as a body is indispensable to him, likewise a
mind is requisite; one is a material virtue, the other is ideal. As human creatures fitted and qualified
with this dual endowment, we must endeavor through the assistance and grace of God and by the
exercise of our ideal power of intellect to attain all lofty virtues, that we may witness the effulgence of
the Sun of Reality, reflect the spirit of the Kingdom, behold the manifest evidences of the reality of
Divinity, comprehend irrefutable proofs of the immortality of the soul, live in conscious at-one-ment
with the eternal world and become quickened and awake with the life and love of God. (Promulgation
of Universal Peace*, pages 325-328)

READING #8 PUP pg. 411-413

It is an evident fact that the body does not conduct the process of intellection or thought radiation. It is
only the medium of the grossest sensations. This human body is purely animal in type and, like the
animal, it is subject only to the grosser sensibilities. It is utterly bereft of ideation or intellection,
utterly incapable of the processes of reason. The animal perceives what its eye sees and judges what
the ear hears. It perceives according to its animal senses, the scent of the nostril, the taste of the
tongue. It comprehends not beyond its sense perceptions. The animal is confined to its feelings and
sensibilities, a prisoner of the senses. Beyond these, in the finer higher processes of reasoning, the
animal cannot go. For instance, the animal cannot conceive of the earth whereon it stands as a
spherical object because the spherical shape of the earth is a matter of conscious reasoning. It is not a
matter of sense perception. An animal in Europe could not foresee and plan the discovery of America
as Columbus did. It could not take the globe map of the earth and scan the various continents, saying,
"This is the eastern hemisphere; there must be another, the western hemisphere." No animal could
know these things for the reason that they are referable to intellection. The animal cannot become
aware of the fact that the earth is revolving and the sun stationary. Only processes of reasoning can
come to this conclusion. The outward eye sees the sun as revolving. It mistakes the stars and the
planets as moving about the earth. But reason decides their orbit, knows that the earth is moving and
the other worlds fixed, knows that the sun is the solar center and ever occupies the same place, proves
that it is the earth which revolves around it. Such conclusions are entirely intellectual, not according to
the senses.
Hence, we know that in the human organism there is a center of intellection, a power of intellectual
operation which is the discoverer of the realities of things. This power can unravel the mysteries of
phenomena. It can comprehend that which is knowable, not alone the sensible. All the inventions are
its products. For all of these have been the mysteries of nature. There was a time when the energy of
electricity was a mystery of nature, but that collective reality which is manifest in man discovered this
mystery of nature, this latent force. Having discovered it, man brought it into the plane of visibility. All
the sciences which we now utilize are the products of that wondrous reality. But the animal is deprived
of its operations. The arts we now enjoy are the expressions of that marvelous reality. The animal is
bereft of them because these conscious realities are peculiar to the human spirit. All the traces are the
outcoming of the perfections which comprehend realities. The animal is bereft of these.

Such evidences prove conclusively that man is possessed of two realities, as it were: a reality connected
with the senses which is shared in common with the animal, and another reality which is conscious

and ideal in character. This latter is the collective reality and the discoverer of mysteries. That which
discovers the realities of things undoubtedly is not of the elemental substances. It is distinct from
them. For mortality and disintegration are the properties inherent in compositions and are referable to
things which are subject to sense perceptions, but the collective reality in man, not being so subject, is
the discoverer of things. Therefore, it is real, eternal and does not have to undergo changes and
transformations. There are many other proofs concerning this vital subject, but I shall conclude with
the words of Jesus Christ: "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit" and is acceptable in the Kingdom
of God. This means that just as in the first birth the fetus comes forth from the matrix of the mother
into the conditions of the human kingdom, even so the spirit of man must be born out of the matrix of
naturalism, out of the baser nature, in order that he may comprehend the great things of the Kingdom
of God. He must be born out of mother earth to find the everlasting life. And this collective reality, or
spirit, of man, being born out of the world of nature, possessing the attributes of God, will continue to
live forever in the eternal realm. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, pages 417-418)

'Collective reality' means all-embracing reality.

See SAQ - pg. 228 That which determines man's destiny, which group of qualities he shall decide to
mold his character around, is his will, or soul. Ábdu'l-Bahá gave a definition of soul: 'when we speak of
the soul we mean the motive power of this physical body which lives under its entire control in
accordance with its dictates.' - Divine Philosophy - pg. 120- 121.

According to the divine terminology soul is will, but 'will' has quite different connotations from these
generally accepted. The dictionary definition of 'will' is to "resolve upon an action or course; to
determine to do." In a certain sense there is not an essential difference, the active volition of the
individual is called upon, but in divine terminology it is summoned to one comprehensive act, not an
almost infinite series of volitions. This one act is a complete surrender of one's individual will to that of
the will of the Manifestation of God. By the surrender of will, man automatically makes the choice
between his animal nature and his divine nature, for the Manifestations of God have come into the
world, not only to reveal God to man, but also to reveal the true station of man to himself. And in this
great Revelation He explains, as never before, the technique by which that station is attained.

READING #9 PUP pg. 220-221

In the beginning of his human life man was embryonic in the world of the matrix. There he received
capacity and endowment for the reality of human existence. The forces and powers necessary for this
world were bestowed upon him in that limited condition. In this world he needed eyes; he received
them potentially in the other. He needed ears; he obtained them there in readiness and preparation for
his new existence. The powers requisite in this world were conferred upon him in the world of the
matrix so that when he entered this realm of real existence he not only possessed all necessary
functions and powers but found provision for his material sustenance awaiting him.

Therefore, in this world he must prepare himself for the life beyond. That which he needs in the world
of the Kingdom must be obtained here. Just as he prepared himself in the world of the matrix by
acquiring forces necessary in this sphere of existence, so, likewise, the indispensable forces of the
divine existence must be potentially attained in this world.

What is he in need of in the Kingdom which transcends the life and limitation of this mortal sphere?
That world beyond is a world of sanctity and radiance; therefore, it is necessary that in this world he
should acquire these divine attributes. In that world there is need of spirituality, faith, assurance, the
knowledge and love of God. These he must attain in this world so that after his ascension from the
earthly to the heavenly Kingdom he shall find all that is needful in that eternal life ready for him.

That divine world is manifestly a world of lights; therefore, man has need of illumination here. That is
a world of love; the love of God is essential. It is a world of perfections; virtues, or perfections, must be
acquired. That world is vivified by the breaths of the Holy Spirit; in this world we must seek them.
That is the Kingdom of everlasting life; it must be attained during this vanishing existence.

By what means can man acquire these things? How shall he obtain these merciful gifts and powers?
First, through the knowledge of God. Second, through the love of God. Third, through faith. Fourth,
through philanthropic deeds. Fifth, through self-sacrifice. Sixth, through severance from this world.
Seventh, through sanctity and holiness. Unless he acquires these forces and attains to these
requirements, he will surely be deprived of the life that is eternal. But if he possesses the knowledge of
God, becomes ignited through the fire of the love of God, witnesses the great and mighty signs of the
Kingdom, becomes the cause of love among mankind and lives in the utmost state of sanctity and
holiness, he shall surely attain to second birth, be baptized by the Holy Spirit and enjoy everlasting
existence. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, pages 225-226)

READING #10 GL pg. 64-66

All praise to the unity of God, and all-honor to Him, the sovereign Lord, the incomparable and allglorious Ruler of the universe, who, from naught, hath brought into being the most refined and subtle
elements of His creation, and who, rescuing His creatures from the abasement of remoteness and
perils of ultimate extinction, hath received them into His kingdom of incorruptible glory. Nothing
short of his all- encompassing grace, His all-pervading mercy, could have possibly achieved it. How
could it, otherwise, have been possible for sheer nothingness to have acquired itself the worthiness and
capacity to emerge from its state of non-existence into the realm of being?
Having created the world and all that liveth and moveth therein, He, through the direct operation of
His unconstrained and sovereign will, chose to confer upon man the unique distinction and capacity to
know Him and to love Him - a capacity that must need be regarded as the generating impulse and
primary purpose underlying the whole of creation... Upon the inmost reality of each and every created
thing He hath shed the light of one of His names, and made a recipient of the glory of one of his
attributes. Upon the reality of man however, He hath focused the radiance of all His names, and made
it a mirror of His own Self. Alone of all created things man hath been singled out for so great a favor,
so enduring a bounty.

These energies with which the Day star of Divine bounty and source of heavenly guidance hath
endowed the reality of man lie, however latent within him even as the flame is hidden within the
candle and the rays of light are potentially present in the lamp. The radiance of these energies may be
obscured by worldly desires even as the light of the sun can be concealed beneath the dust and dross
which cover the mirror. Neither the candle nor the lamp can be lighted through their own unaided

efforts, nor can it be possible for the mirror to free itself from its dross. It is clear and evident that until
a fire is kindled the lamp will never be ignited, and unless the dust is blotted out from the face of the
mirror it can never represent the image of the sun nor reflect its light and glory.

READING #11 GL pg. 77-78

All-praise and glory be to god who, through the power of His might, hath delivered His creation from
the nakedness of non-existence, and clothed it with the mantle of life. From among all created things
He hath singled out for His special favor the pure, the gem-like reality of man, and invested it the
unique capacity of knowing Him and of reflecting the greatness of glory. This twofold distinction
conferred upon him hath cleansed away from his heart the rust of every vain desire and made him
worthy of the vesture with which his creature has designed to clothe him. It hath served to rescue his
soul from the wretchedness of ignorance.

This robe with which the body and soul of man hath been adorned is the very foundation of his
well-being and development. Oh, how blessed is the day when, aided by the grace and might of the one
true God, man will have freed himself from the bondage and corruption of the world and all that is
therein, and will have attained unto true and abiding rest beneath the shadow of the Tree of
knowledge!

READING #12 HW P#38

O SON OF SPIRIT!

Burst thy cage asunder, and even as the phoenix of love soars into the firmament of holiness.
Renounce thyself and, filled with the spirit of mercy, abide in the realm of celestial sanctity.

READING #13 HW P#39

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.

READING #14 BWF pg. 382 Faith and knowledge.

Regarding the 'two wings' of the soul: These signify wings of ascent. One is the wing of knowledge, the
other of faith, as this is the means of ascent of the human soul to the lofty station of divine perfections.

Only a brief hint of the technique may be suggested but it is of utmost importance that this hint be
followed by intensive study of the Creative word and deep meditation.

The task is to keep polishing this mirror until every trace of the lower self disappears and the true self,

the reality of man, the 'self of God' manifests itself with radiance and power.

READING #15 - GL - pg. 206

The purpose underlying the revelation of every heavenly Book nay, of every divinely-revealed verse, is
to endure all men with righteousness and understanding, so peace and tranquillity may be firmly
established amongst them. Whatsoever instilleth assurance into the hearts of men, whatsoever
exalteth their station or promoteth their contentment, is acceptable in the sight of God. How lofty is
the station which man, if he but choose to fulfill his high destiny, can attain! To what depths of
degradation he can sink, depths which the meanest of creatures have never reached! Seize, O friends,
the chance which this Day offereth you, and deprive not yourselves of the liberal effusions of His grace.
I beseech God that He may graciously enable every one of you to adorn himself, in this blessed Day,
with the ornament of pure and holy deeds. He, verily, doeth whatsoever He willeth.

PRAYER P&M pg. 114-115

Thou knowest, O my Lord, that I am but one of Thy servants. I have tasted of the sweetness of Thy
speech and acknowledged Thy unity and Thy singleness, and set my face towards the source of thy
most excellent names and the Day-Spring of Thy transcendent attributes, and wished to be enabled by
Thee to immerse myself beneath the ocean of Thy oneness and to be submerged by the mighty waters
of Thy unity. Assist me, by Thy strengthening grace, O my Lord, to do what thou didst will, and
withhold not from me the things thou dost possess. So enravish me with the wonders of Thine
utterances that the noise and distraction of this world may be powerless to deter me from turning unto
Thee, and may fail to shake my constancy in Thy Cause, or to distract my gaze from the horizon of thy
grace. Aid me, then, O my God to do what pleaseth Thee, and to carry out Thy will. Write down for me,
moreover, the good of this world and of the which is to come, and ordain for me a seat of truth in Thy
presence. Potent art Thou to do what Thou willest, and to rule as Thou pleasest, no god is there but
Thee, the Inaccessible, the All-Glorious, the Most Great.

All praise to Thee, O Lord of the worlds and the object of the adoration of the entire creation!

The True Station of Man
________________________↩________________________
Lesson IV
The True Station of Man

Lesson IV

Prayer P&M pg. 324-339 CLXXXIV

1 HW A#13

2 PUP pg. 296-299 No matter how much... in the Gospels. (302-305)

3 BWF pg. 67 O my servants! Could ye apprehend..Divine knowledge. .

4 PUP pg. 222-223 You must come... Cause of God. (227-228) [130]

5 PUP pg. 220-221 In the beginning...attained in this world. (225-226)

6 Gl pg. 214-215 The heights which ...themselves have been created.

7 Gl pg. 287 The purpose ... inmost selves.

8 Gl pg. 65-66 Having created the world ...reflect its light and glory.

9 Gl pg. 185-186 Wonder not...having drawn nigh unto His throne.

10 HW P#72,#73

Note: Pages for PUP in parentheses are the newer (1982) edition while those originally cited in the
1922 edition have been retained.

PRAYER P & M pg. 324-339

Since Thou hast, O my God, established thyself upon the throne of Thy transcendent unity, and
ascended the mercy seat of Thy oneness, it befitteth Thee to blot out from the hearts of all beings
whatsoever may keep them back from gaining admittance into the sanctuary of Thy Divine mysteries,
and may shut them out from the tabernacle of Thy Divinity, that all hearts may mirror Thy beauty, and
may reveal Thee, and that all created things may show forth the token of thy most august sovereignty,
and shed the splendors of the light of Thy most holy governance, and that all who are in heaven and on
earth may laud and magnify Thy unity, and give Thee glory, for having manifested Thy self unto them
through Him who is the Revealer of Thy oneness.

Divest, the Thy servants, O my God, of the garments of self and desire or grant that the eyes of thy
people may be lifted up to such heights that they will discern in their desires naught except the stirring

of the gentle winds of Thine eternal glory, and may recognize in their own selves nothing but the
revelation of Thy merciful Self, that the earth and all that is therein may be cleansed of whatever is
alien to Thee, or anything that manifesteth aught save Thy Self. All this can be fulfilled throughout Thy
dominion by thy word of command, "Be", and it is! Nay, even swifter than this, and yet the people
understand not.

Glorified, immeasurably glorified art Thou, O my Beloved! I swear by Thy glory! I recognize this very
moment that Thou has granted all for which I have supplicated Thee in this blessed night which, as
decreed by Thee, calleth to remembrance Him who was the Companion of Thy beauty and the
Beholder of Thy face, ere I had been mentioned by Thee, or called into being within the court of Thy
holiness. I perceive that Thou hast made all things to be the manifestations of Thy behest, and
revelations of Thy handiwork, and the repositories of Thy knowledge, and the treasuries of thy
wisdom. I recognize moreover, that were any of the revelations of Thy names and Thine attributes to
be withheld, though it be the weight of the grain of mustard seed, from whatsoever hath been created
by Thy power and begotten by Thy might, the foundations of Thine everlasting handiwork would
thereby be made incomplete and the gems of Thy Divine wisdom would become imperfect. For the
letters of negation, no matter how far they may be removed from the holy fragrances of thy knowledge,
and however forgetful they may become of the wondrous splendors of the dawning light of Thy beauty,
which are shed from the heaven of Thy majesty, must needs exist in Thy realm, so that the worlds
which affirm Thee may thereby be exalted.

Thy might beareth me witness, O my well Beloved! The entire creation hath been called into being to
exalt Thy triumph and to establish Thine ascendency, and all the bounds that have been set by Thee
are but the signs of Thy sovereignty, and proclaim the power of Thy might. How great, how very great,
are the revelations of Thy wondrous power in all things! They are such PUP pg. 296-299 No matter
how much... in the Gospels. (302-305) that the lowliest among Thy creatures hath been made by Thee
a manifestation of Thy most august attribute, and the most contemptible token of Thy handiwork hath
been chosen as a recipient of Thy most mighty name. Poverty as decreed by Thee, hath been made the
means for the revelation of Thy riches, and abasement a path leading to Thy glory, and sinfulness a
cause for the exercise of thy forgiveness. By them Thou hast demonstrated that to Thee belong Thy
most excellent titles, and unto Thee pertain the wonders of thy most exalted attributes.
Since Thou hast purposed, O my God, to cause all created things to enter into the tabernacle of Thy
transcendent grace and favor, and to waft over the entire creation the fragrances of the raiment of Thy
glorious unity, and to look upon all things with the eyes of Thy bounty and thy oneness, I beseech
Thee, therefore, by thy love, Which Thou has made to be the mainspring of the revelations of Thine
eternal holiness, and the flame that gloweth within the hearts of such of Thy creatures as yearn
towards Thee to create, this very moment for those of Thy people who are wholly devoted to Thee, and
for such of Thy loved ones as love Thee, out of the essence of thy bounty and Thy generosity, and from
the inmost spirit of Thy grace and Thy glory, Thy paradise of transcendent holiness, and to exalt it
above everything except thee, and to sanctify it from aught else save Thyself. Create, moreover, within
it O my God, out of the lights shed by Thy throne, handmaidens who will intone the melodies of Thy
wondrous and most sweet invention, that they may magnify Thy name with such words as have not
been heard by any of thy creatures, be they the inmates of Thy heaven or the dwellers of Thine earth,
nor been comprehended by any of Thy people. unlock, then, the gates of this paradise to the faces of

Thy loved ones, that haply they may enter them in Thy name, and by the power of Thy sovereignty,
that thereby the sovereign bounties vouchsafed by Thee unto thy chosen ones and the transcendent
gifts granted unto Thy trusted ones be perfected, that they may extol thy virtues with such melodies as
non can either intone or describe, and that none may fail to discern between Thy friends and Thy
enemies, or to distinguish them that are devoted to Thee from such as stubbornly oppose Thee. Potent
art Thou to do what Thou willest, and powerful and supreme art Thou over all things.

Exalted, immeasurably exalted art Thou, O my Beloved, above the strivings of any of Thy creatures
however learned, to know Thee; exalted, immensely exalted art thou above every human attempt, no
matter how searching, to describe Thee! For the highest thought of men, however deep their
contemplation, can never hope to out soar the limitations imposed upon Thy creation, nor ascend
beyond the state of the contingent world nor break the bounds irrevocably set for it by Thee. How can,
then, a thing that hath been created by Thy will that overruleth the whole of creation, a thing that is
itself part of the contingent world, have the power to soar into the holy atmosphere of thy knowledge,
or reach unto the seat of Thy transcendent power? High, immeasurably high art Thou above the
endeavors of the evanescent creature to soar unto the throne of Thine eternity or of the poor and
wretched to attain the summit of Thine all -sufficing glory! From eternity Thou didst Thyself describe
Thine own Self unto Thy Self, and extol, in Thine own Essence Thine Essence unto Thine Essence. I
swear by Thy glory, O my Best- Beloved! Who is there besides Thee that can claim to know Thee, and
who save Thyself can make befitting mention of Thee? Thou art He who, from eternity, abode in His
realm, in the glory of His transcendent unity, and the splendors of His holy grandeur. Were any one
except Thee to be deemed worthy of mention, in all the kingdoms of Thy creation, from the highest
realms of immortality down to the level of this nether world, how could it, then be demonstrated that
Thou art established upon the throne of Thy unity, and how could the wondrous virtues of Thy oneness
and Thy singleness be glorified?

I bear witness, this very moment, to what Thou hast testified for Thine own self, ere Thou hast created
the heavens and the earth, that Thou art God, and there is none other God besides Thee. Thou hast
from everlasting been potent, through the Manifestations of Thy might, to reveal the signs of Thy
power and Thou hast ever known, through the Day-Springs of thy knowledge the words of Thy
wisdom. No one besides Thee has ever been found worthy to be mentioned before the Tabernacle of
thy unity and none except Thy Self hath proved of himself capable of being praise within the hallowed
court of Thy oneness.

Praise be to Thee, O my God, that Thou hast revealed Thy favors and Thy bounties; and glory be to
Thee, that Thou hast manifested the Day-Star of Thy loving-kindness and Thy tender mercies. I yield
Thee such thanks as can direct the steps of the wayward towards the splendors of the morning light of
Thy guidance, and enable those who yearn towards Thee to attain the seat of the revelation of the
effulgence of Thy beauty, I yield Thee such thanks as can cause the sick to draw nigh unto waters of
Thy healing, and can help those who are far from Thee to approach the living fountain of Thy presence.
I yield thanks as can divest the bodies of Thy servants of the garments of mortality and abasement, and
attire them in the robes of Thine eternity and Thy glory, and lead the poor unto the shores of Thy
holiness and all sufficient riches. I yield thee such thanks as can enable the Heavenly Dove to warble
forth, upon the branches of the Lote-Tree of Immortality, her song,: "Verily Thou art God. No God is
there besides Thee. From eternity Thou hast been exalted above the praise of aught else but Thee, and

been high above the description of any one except Thyself." I yield Thee such thanks as can cause the
Nightingale of Glory to pour forth its melody in the highest heaven: " Ali (the Bab), in truth, is Thy
servant whom Thou has singled out from among Thy Messengers and Thy chosen ones, and made Him
to be the Manifestation of Thyself and all that pertaineth unto Thee, and that concerneth the revelation
of Thine attributes and the evidences of Thy names." I yield Thee such thanks as can stir up all things
to extol Thee, and to glorify Thine Essence, and unloose the tongues of all beings to magnify the
sovereignty of Thy beauty.

READING #1 HW #13

Son of Spirit!

I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith dost
thou abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment
from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with
another? Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful
and self-subsisting.

READING #2 PUP pg. 296-299 No matter how much... in the Gospels. (302-305)

No matter how much man may acquire material virtues, he will not be able to realize and express the
highest possibilities of life without spiritual graces. God has created all earthly things under a law of
progression in material degrees, but He has created man and endowed him with powers of
advancement toward spiritual and transcendental kingdoms. He has not created material phenomena
after His own image and likeness, but He has created man after that image and with potential power to
attain that likeness. He has distinguished man above all other created things. All created things except
man are captives of nature and the sense world, but in man there has been created an ideal power by
which he may perceive intellectual or spiritual realities. He has brought forth everything necessary for
the life of this world, but man is a creation intended for the reflection of divine virtues. Consider that
the highest type of creation below man is the animal, which is superior to all degrees of life except
man. Manifestly, the animal has been created for the life of this world. Its highest virtue is to express
excellence in the material plane of existence. The animal is perfect when its body is healthy and its
physical senses are whole. When it is characterized by the attributes of physical health, when its
physical forces are in working order, when food and surrounding conditions minister to its needs, it
has attained the ultimate perfection of its kingdom. But man does not depend upon these things for his
virtues. No matter how perfect his health and physical powers, if that is all, he has not yet risen above
the degree of a perfect animal. Beyond and above this, God has opened the doors of ideal virtues and
attainments before the face of man. He has created in his being the mysteries of the divine Kingdom.
He has bestowed upon him the power of intellect so that through the attribute of reason, when fortified
by the Holy Spirit, he may penetrate and discover ideal realities and become informed of the mysteries
of the world of significances. As this power to penetrate the ideal knowledges is superhuman,
supernatural, man becomes the collective center of spiritual as well as material forces so that the
divine spirit may manifest itself in his being, the effulgences of the Kingdom shine within the

sanctuary of his heart, the signs of the attributes and perfections of God reveal themselves in a
newness of life, the everlasting glory and eternal existence be attained, the knowledge of God illumine,
and the mysteries of the realm of might be unsealed.

Man is like unto this lamp, but the effulgences of the Kingdom are like the rays of the lamp. Man is like
unto the glass, but spiritual splendors are like unto the light within the glass. No matter how
translucent the glass may be, as long as there is no light within, it remains dark. Likewise, man, no
matter how much he advances in material accomplishments, will remain like the glass without light if
he is deprived of the spiritual virtues. Material virtues are like unto a perfect body, but this body is in
need of the spirit. No matter how handsome and perfect the body may be, if it is deprived of the spirit
and its animus, it is dead. But when that same body is affiliated with the spirit and expressing life,
perfection and virtue become realized in it. Deprived of the Holy Spirit and its bounties, man is
spiritually dead

Children, for instance, no matter how good and pure, no matter how healthy their bodies, are,
nevertheless, considered imperfect because the power of intellect is not fully manifest in them. When
the intellectual power fully displays its influences and they attain to the age of maturity, they are
considered as perfect. Likewise, man, no matter how much he may advance in worldly affairs and
make progress in material civilization, is imperfect unless he is quickened by the bounties of the Holy
Spirit; for it is evident that until he receives that divine impetus he is ignorant and deprived. For this
reason Jesus Christ said, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God.” By this Christ meant that unless man is released from the material world, freed from
the captivity of materialism and receiving a portion of the bounties of the spiritual world, he shall be
deprived of the bestowals and favors of the Kingdom of God, and the utmost we can say of him is that
he is a perfect animal. No one can rightly call him a man. In another place He said, “That which is born
of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” The meaning of this is that if man is a
captive of nature, he is like unto an animal because he is only a body physically born—that is, he
belongs to the world of matter and remains subject to the law and control of nature. But if he is
baptized with the Holy Spirit, if he is freed from the bondage of nature, released from animalistic
tendencies and advanced in the human realm, he is fitted to enter into the divine Kingdom. The world
of the Kingdom is the realm of divine bestowals and the bounties of God. It is attainment of the highest
virtues of humanity; it is nearness to God; it is capacity to receive the bounties of the ancient Lord.
When man advances to this station, he attains the second birth. Before his first or physical birth man
was in the world of the matrix. He had no knowledge of this world; his eyes could not see; his ears
could not hear. When he was born from the world of the matrix, he beheld another world. The sun was
shining with its splendors, the moon radiant in the heavens, the stars twinkling in the expansive
firmament, the seas surging, trees verdant and green, all kinds of creatures enjoying life here, infinite
bounties prepared for him. In the world of the matrix none of these things existed. In that world he
had no knowledge of this vast range of existence; nay, rather, he would have denied the reality of this
world. But after his birth he began to open his eyes and behold the wonders of this illimitable universe.
Similarly, as long as man is in the matrix of the human world, as long as he is the captive of nature, he
is out of touch and without knowledge of the universe of the Kingdom. If he attains rebirth while in the
world of nature, he will become informed of the divine world. He will observe that another and a
higher world exists. Wonderful bounties descend; eternal life awaits; everlasting glory surrounds him.

All the signs of reality and greatness are there. He will see the lights of God. All these experiences will
be his when he is born out of the world of nature into the divine world. Therefore, for the perfect man
there are two kinds of birth: the first, physical birth, is from the matrix of the mother; the second, or
spiritual birth, is from the world of nature. In both he is without knowledge of the new world of
existence he is entering. Therefore, rebirth means his release from the captivity of nature, freedom
from attachment to this mortal and material life. This is the second, or spiritual, birth of which Jesus
Christ spoke in the Gospels.

(READING #3 BWF pg. 67

O My servants!

Could ye apprehend with what wonders of My munificence and bounty I have willed to entrust your
souls, ye would, of a truth, rid yourselves of attachment to all created things,and would gain a true
knowledge of your own selves—a knowledge which is the same as the comprehension of Mine own
Being. Ye would find yourselves independent of all else but Me, and would perceive, with your inner
and outer eye, and as manifest as the revelation of My effulgent

Name, the seas of My loving-kindness and bounty moving within you. Suffer not your idle fancies, your
evil passions, your insincerity and blindness of heart to dim the luster, or stain the sanctity, of so lofty
a station. Ye are even as the bird which soareth, with the full force of its mighty wings and with
complete and joyous confidence, through the immensity of the heavens, until, impelled to satisfy its
hunger, it turneth longingly to the water and clay of the earth below it, and, having been entrapped in
the mesh of its desire, findeth itself impotent to resume its flight to the realms whence it came.
Powerless to shake off the burden weighing on its sullied wings, that bird, hitherto animate of the
heavens, is now forced to seek a dwelling-place upon the dust. Wherefore, O My servants, defile not
your wings with the clay of waywardness and vain desires, and suffer them not to be stained with the
dust of envy and hate, that ye may not be hindered from soaring in the heavens of My divine
knowledge. [GL # 153 CLIII]

My loving-kindness and bounty moving within you. Suffer not your idle fancies, your evil passions,
your insincerity and blindness of heart to dim the luster, or stain the sanctity of so lofty a station. Ye
are even as the bird that soareth, with the full force of its mighty wing and with complete and joyous
confidence, through the immensity of heavens, until, impelled to satisfy its hunger, it turneth longingly
to the water and clay of the below it, and, having been entrapped by the mesh of its desire, findeth
itself impotent to resume its flight to the realms whence it came. Powerless to shake off the burden
weighing on its sullied wings, that bird hitherto an inmate of the heavens is now forced to seek a
dwelling place in the dust. Wherefore, O My servants, defile not your wings with the clay of
waywardness and vain desires, and suffer them not to be stained with the dust of envy and hate, that
ye may not be hindered from soaring in the heavens of My divine knowledge.

The unique position held by the believers lies largely in their ability, providing their self-dedication is
sincere enough and their will strong enough, to visualize themselves in this state of God-likeness, and
to bend every energy expressing in daily life the outward manifestations 'of those inward mysteries
which, as a divine gift, are deposited within you.' The uniqueness of their position consists in their

acceptance of Bahá'u'lláh as the Logos, the Word of God And since He has unequivocally stated that
man is capable of 'clothing himself with the characteristics of God' and commanded him to do so,
those who believe in Him are bound to obey Him. … 'You have no excuse to bring before God if you fail
to live according to His command...' -PUP- pg. 466

But the effort toward this attainment is not made a matter of blind obedience. Far from it.

You must come into the knowledge of the divine manifestations and their teachings through proofs
and evidences. You must unseal the mysteries of the supreme kingdom and become capable of
discovering the inner realities of things. Then shall you be the manifestations of the mercy of God and
true believers, firm and steadfast in the cause of God. [PUP #81) p 130]

The goal is made so supremely attractive; the path marked so plainly and the example of one who
walked that path and attained that goal is held before us so alluring that an enthusiasm is generated, a
determination logically evolved and a will strengthened which makes success certain if the seeker is
steadfast in faith, meditates and prays much, studies the Creative Word daily and gives to others
constantly the Bread of Life which he has received, for the channel must be kept open or else the
supply from the reservoir will become clogged.

READING #4 PUP pg. 222-223 (227-228) [#81 p 130]

You must come into the knowledge of the divine Manifestations and Their teachings through proofs
and evidences. You must unseal the mysteries of the supreme Kingdom and become capable of
discovering the inner realities of things. Then shall you be the manifestations of the mercy of God and
true believers, firm and steadfast in the Cause of God.

READING #5 PUP pg. 220-221

In the beginning of his human life man was embryonic in the world of the matrix. There he received
capacity and endowment for the reality of human existence. The forces and powers necessary for this
world were bestowed upon him in that limited condition. In this world he needed eyes; he received
them potentially in the other. He needed ears; he obtained them there in readiness and preparation for
his new existence. The powers requisite in this world were bestowed upon him in the world of the
matrix, so that when he entered this world of real existence he not only possessed all necessary
functions and powers but found provision for his material sustenance awaiting him.

Therefore, in this world he must prepare himself for the life beyond. That which he needs in the life of
the kingdom he must obtain here. Just as he prepared himself in the world of the matrix by acquiring
forces necessary in this sphere of existence, so likewise the indispensable forces of the divine existence
must be potentially attained in this world.

Man's progress throughout all the 'worlds of God' depends upon his developing those spiritual organs
and characteristics upon the possession of which his full and active life in those worlds is determined.
The cultivation of the attitude of mind which assumes ones own potential ability to reveal those
qualities of the Divine which the Creator has deposited within each of us, is the surest way to insure

their outward manifestation in daily life.

Another aspect of the unique position occupied by the sincere Bahá'í lies in the fact of his absolute
conviction of the endless continuation of his individual existence throughout all 'the worlds of God.'
This will be taken up more exhaustively in the next lesson but it has a direct bearing on man's
achievement of his true station. For, since he has all eternity in which to make progress in this path,
the only thing of immediate necessity is to begin.

Also, we are assured of assistance 'by the invisible powers'. 'Rest thou assured that the Eternal
Outpourings shall descend upon thee and the confirmations of His Holiness Bahá'u'lláh shall encircle
thee.' Ábdu'l-Bahá Tablets

READING #6 Gl pg. 214-215

The heights which, through the most gracious favor of God, mortal man can attain, in this Day, are as
yet unrevealed to his sight. The world of being hath never had, nor doth it yet possess the capacity for
such a revelation. The day, however, is approaching when the potentialities of so great a favor will, by
virtue of His behest, be manifested unto men. Though the forces of the nations be arrayed against
Him, though the kings of the earth be leagued to undermine His Cause, the power of His might shall
stand unshaken. He, verily, speaketh the truth, and summoneth all mankind to the way of Him who is
the Incomparable, the All-Knowing.

All men have been created to carry forward an ever- advancing civilization. The Almighty beareth Me
witness: To act like the beasts of the field is unworthy of man. Those virtues that befit his dignity are
forbearance, mercy compassion and loving-kindness towards all people and kindreds of the earth. Say:
O friends! Drink your fill from this crystal stream that floweth through the heavenly grace of Him who
is the Lord of Names. Let others partake of its waters in My name, that the leaders of men in every
land may fully recognize the purpose for which the Eternal Truth hath been revealed, and the reason
for which they themselves have created.

The purpose for which man has been created is to attain the true station of manhood which is nothing
less than a steadily advancing progress toward likeness to his Creator. This progress and attainment to
this goal depends entirely upon the will of man. 'All that ye potentially possess can, however, be
manifested only as a result of your own volition. GL - pg. 144

READING # 7 Gl pg. 287

The purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, in revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare
those gems that lie hidden within the mine of their true and inmost selves.

The purpose of the coming of the manifestation of God is to aid us in dispelling the darkness of the
animal nature in order to reveal man's true nature which is inherently God- like. And also, to develop a
binding unity amongst such men which shall carry forward the divine civilization, the kingdom of God
on earth.

READING #8 Gl pg. 65-66

Having created the world and all that liveth and moveth therein He, through the direct operation of
His unconstrained and sovereign will, chose to confer upon man the unique distinction and capacity to
know Him and to love Him- a capacity that must need be regarded as the generating impulse and the
primary purpose underlying the whole of creation... Upon the inmost reality of each and every created
thing He hath shed the light of one of His names, and made it the recipient of the glory of one of His
attributes. Upon the reality of man, however, He hath focused the radiance of all His names and
attributes, and made it the mirror of His own Self. Alone of all created things man hath been singled
out for so great a favor, so enduring a bounty.

These energies with which the Day Star of Divine bounty and source of heavenly guidance hath
endowed the reality of man lie, however, latent within him, even as the flame is hidden within the
candle and the rays of light are potentially present in the lamp. The radiance of these energies may be
obscured by worldly desires even as the light of the sun can be concealed beneath the dust and dross
which cover the mirror. Neither the candle nor the lamp can be lighted by their own unaided efforts,
nor can it ever be possible for the mirror to free itself from its dross. It is clear and evident that until
fire is kindled the lamp will never be ignited, and unless the dross is blotted from the face of the
mirror, it can never represent the image of the sun nor reflect its light and glory.

To return to the statement that a steadfast and unwavering conviction of your personal ability to attain
to the high station of which you are potentially capable is essential to its success, Ábdu'l-Bahá makes a
very important statement in speaking of immortality:

"The conception of annihilation is a factor in human degradation, a cause of human debasement and
low minds, a source of fear and abjection. It has been conducive to the dispersion and weakening of
human thought, whereas the realization of existence and continuity has upraised man the sublimity of
ideals, established the foundation of human progress, and stimulated the development of human
virtues..." PUP - pg. 86

This is equally true of the conception of man as primarily influenced by his animal propensities, rather
than by his divine qualities. In fact, it is true that any concept, firmly and consistently held, effects
decisively our whole attitude, morals, life, and determines success or failure in every undertaking.
Nothing will aid so powerfully in stimulating the conviction of our inherent potentialities of relative
perfection as the constant study and meditation upon the words of Bahá'u'lláh and Ábdu'l-Bahá, for
they constantly emphasize the nobility and grandeur of the reality of man. It is our task, then, to hold
before our minds constantly the picture of ourselves as They paint it.

We are not necessarily subject to the habits of reaction to the events of daily life which in the pass have
swayed us. It is quite possible for us to "become free from all the laws of nature." There is no obligation
for us to allow impatience, worry, pride, fear, or any other of the thousand concepts which have made
life miserable for us, to any longer effect us.

READING #9 Gl pg. 185-186

... "Wonder not, if my Best- Beloved be closer to me than my own self; wonder at this, that I, despite
such nearness, should still be so far from Him." ... Considering what God hath revealed, that, "we are
closer to man than his life-vein," the poet hath, in allusion to this verse, stated that though the
revelation of my Best-Beloved hath so permeated my being that He is closer to than my life-vein, yet,
notwithstanding my certitude of its reality and my recognition of my station, I am still so far removed
from Him. By this , he meaneth that his heart, which is the seat of the All- Merciful and the throne
wherein abideth the splendor of His revelation, is forgetful of its Creator, hath strayed from His path,
hath shut out itself from His glory, and is stained with the defilement of earthly desires.

It should be remembered in this connection that the one true God is in Himself exalted beyond and
above proximity and remoteness. His reality transcendeth such limitations. His relationship to His
creatures knoweth no degrees. That some are near and others are far is to be ascribed to the
Manifestations themselves.

That the heart is the throne, in which the Revelation of God the All-Merciful is centered, is attested by
the holy utterances which we have formerly revealed. Among them is the saying: "Earth and heaven
cannot contain Me; what can alone contain Me is the heart of him that believeth in Me, and is faithful
to My Cause." How often hath the human heart, which is the recipient of the light of God and the seat
of the revelation of the all-Merciful, erred from Him who is the source of that light and the Well spring
of that revelation. It is the waywardness of the heart that removeth it far from God, and commandeth it
to remoteness from Him. Those hearts, however, that are aware of His Presence, are close to Him, and
are to be regarded as having drawn nigh unto His throne.

The one supreme act of man's will must be focused upon the surrender of his will to the Will of God as
expressed in the words and example of the Manifestation in this Day.

Your true nature is not expressed in those qualities and characteristics which you share with the
animal, but in those which you share with Bahá'u'lláh and Ábdu'l-Bahá.

READING #10 HW P#72-73
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.

O MY FRIEND!

Thou art the day-star of the heaven 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.

Immortality and Eternity
________________________↩________________________
Lesson V
Study and meditate upon the following readings:

Prayer P&M pg. 197 -198 CXVI

1 HW A#32, #33, #63 -(Note different uses of the word 'Death')

2 HW P#44 (Note closing lines)

3 HW P#70 -"the realm of being" "the domain of Eternality" "the holy ecstasy" "freed from death"

4 HW P#55 "From the well-spring of detachment"

5 HW P#58 "The cup of eternal life which quickens the heart of the dead"

6 HW A#23 "To the eternal I call thee."

7 HW A#64 "My eternity is my creation, I have created it for thee."

8 SAQ pg. 234-236 Soul, mind and spirit.

9 SAQ pg. 277-279 Relation of soul and spirit to the body man.

10 PUP pg. 86 The conception of annihilation ...virtues will cease. (89)

11 PUP pg. 234-236 In the world of existence...spirit is the reality. (239-241)

12 SAQ pg. 280-282 Whole chapter.

13 SAQ pg. 259-262 Whole chapter (note the distinction between immortality and eternality.) Prayer
P&M pg. 42-43 XXXIII

PRAYER P&M pg. 197

Purify, O my God, the hearts of Thy creatures with the power of Thy sovereignty and might, that Thy
words may sink deep into them. I know not what is in their hearts, O my God, nor can tell the thoughts
they think of Thee. Methinks that they imagine that Thy purpose in calling them to Thine all-highest
horizon is to heighten the glory of Thy majesty and power. For had they been satisfied that Thou
summonest them to that which will recreate their hearts and immortalize their souls, they would never
have fled from Thy governance, nor deserted the shadow of the tree of Thy oneness. Clear away, then,
the sight of Thy creatures, O my God, that they may recognize Him Who showeth forth the Godhead as
One Who is sanctified from all that pertaineth unto them, and Who, wholly for Thy sake, is
summoning them to the horizon of Thy unity, at a time when every moment of His life is beset with
peril. Had His aim been the preservation of His own Self, He would never have left it at the mercy of

Thy foes.

I swear by Thy glory! I have accepted to be tried by manifold adversities for no purpose except to
regenerate all that are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth. Whoso hath loved Thee, can never feel
attached to his own self, except for the purpose of furthering Thy Cause; and whoso hath recognized
Thee can recognize naught else except Thee, and can turn to no one save Thee.

Enable Thy servants, O my God, to discover the things Thou didst desire for them in Thy Kingdom.
Acquaint them, moreover, with what He Who is the Origin of Thy most excellent titles hath, in His love
for Thee, been willing to bear for the sake of the regeneration of their souls, that they may haste to
attain the River that is Life indeed, and turn their faces in the direction of Thy Name, the Most
Merciful. Abandon them not to themselves, O my God! Draw them, by Thy bountiful favor, to the
heaven of Thine inspiration. They are but paupers, and Thou art the All-Possessing, the ever-
Forgiving, the Most Compassionate. (Prayers and Meditations, pages 197-199)

READING #1 HW A#31, 32, 63 (note the different uses of the word 'death')

O SON OF BEING!

Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a reckoning; for death, unheralded, shall
come upon thee and thou shall be called to give account of thy deeds.

O SON OF THE SUPREME!

I have made death a messenger of joy to thee. Wherefore does thou grieve? I made the light to shed on
thee its splendor. Why dost thou veil thyself therefrom?

O SON OF MAN!

The light hath shone on thee from the horizon of the sacred Mount and the spirit of enlightenment
hath breathed in the Sinai of thy heart. Wherefore, free thyself from the veils of idle fancies and enter
into My court that thou mayest be fit for everlasting life and worthy to meet me. Thus death may not
come upon thee, neither weariness nor trouble.
Note the different uses of the word 'death'. 'Death unheralded'- physical death - passing into the next
life. "Death a messenger of joy" - passing into the glorious next life. "May death not come upon thee" -
spiritual death or remoteness from God.

READING #2 HW P#44 (note closing lines)

O COMPANION OF MY THRONE!

Hear no evil and see no evil, abase not thyself, neither sigh nor 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 abasement for any one, 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

"mortal frame" - this physical body. "eternal kingdom" - eternality.

READING #3 HW P#70

O SON OF WORLDLINESS! Pleasant is the realm of being, wert thou to attain there to; 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.

"freed from destruction and death" - spiritual, not physical.

READING #4 HW P#55

O SON OF PASSION!

Cleanse thyself from the defilement of riches and in perfect peace advance into the realm of poverty;
that from the wellspring of detachment thou mayest quaff the wine of immortal life.

READING #5 HW P#56

O SON OF MY HANDMAID!

Wouldst thou seek the grace of the Holy Spirit, enter into fellowship with the righteous, for he hath
drunk from the cup of eternal life at the hands of the immortal Cup-bearer and even as the true morn
doth quick and illumine the hearts of the dead.

"cup of eternal life" - the Revelation of God which quickens the hearts of the spiritually dead.
"immortal Cup- bearer" - God's Manifestation.

READING #6 HW A#23

O SON OF THE SUPREME!

To the eternal I call thee, yet thou dost seek that which perisheth. What hath made thee turn away
from Our desire and seek thine own?

"To the eternal I call thee" - To eternal life the Manifestation of God calls man.

READING #7 HW A#64

O SON OF MAN!

My eternity is My creation, I have created it for thee. Make it the garment of thy temple. My unity is

My handiwork; I have wrought it for thee; clothe thyself therewith, that thou mayest be to all eternity
the revelation of My everlasting being. See Gleanings pg, 183.

The Book of God is wide open, and His Word is summoning mankind unto Him. No more than a mere
handful, however, hath been found willing to cleave to His Cause, or to become the instruments for its
promotion. These few have been endued with the Divine Elixir that can, alone, transmute into purest
gold the dross of the world, and have been empowered to administer the infallible remedy for all the
ills that afflict the children of men. No man can obtain everlasting life, unless he embraceth the truth
of this inestimable, this wondrous, and sublime Revelation. (Gleanings, page 183)

The human spirit is immortal but not eternal without the conscious knowledge of the Manifestation of
God. "This is life eternal (true existence) to know God through Jesus Christ whom He hath sent."
-Gospel of John.

See SAQ pg. 226 But if the human spirit will rejoice and be attracted to the Kingdom of God, if the
inner sight becomes opened, and the spiritual hearing strengthened, and the spiritual feelings
predominant, he will see the immortality of the spirit as clearly as he sees the sun, and the glad tidings
and signs of God will encompass him. (Some Answered Questions, page 226)

The rather astonishing fact is, however, that the bone of contention and matter of doubt, even among
the so-called believers in these prophets, is in the reality of this continuation of life, which the
enlightened ones have always taken for granted. The emphasis is upon quality, temp, nature and route
of the life lived here and now.

There is confusion regarding the terms "immortality" and "life eternal" These terms are not only
distinct in meaning but their connotations are so different as to constitute a radically diverging line of
thought. It is true that the endless continuance of the individual spirit, as a necessary and axiomatic
postulate, is essential, for without that the very foundation of being is endangered, but, after all, the
quality of the continuing life is vastly more important.

READING #8 SAQ pg. 243-244
... spirit is universally divided into five categories: the vegetable spirit, the animal spirit, the human
spirit, the spirit of faith, and the Holy Spirit.

The vegetable spirit is the power of growth which is brought about in the seed through the influence of
other existences.

The animal spirit is the power of all the senses, which is realized from the composition and mingling of
elements; when this composition decomposes, the power also perishes and becomes annihilated. It
may be likened to this lamp: when the oil, wick and fire are combined, it is lighted; and when this
combination is dissolved - that is to say, when the combined parts are separated from one another -
the lamp also is extinguished.

The human spirit which distinguishes man from the animal is the rational soul, and these two names -
the human spirit and the rational soul - designate one thing. This spirit, which in the terminology of
the philosophers is the rational soul, embraces all beings, and as far as human ability permits

discovers the realities of things and becomes cognizant of their peculiarities and effects, and of the
qualities and properties of beings. But the human spirit, unless assisted by the spirit of faith, does not
become acquainted with the divine secrets and the heavenly realities. It is like a mirror which,
although clear, polished and brilliant, is still in need of light. Until a ray of the sun reflects upon it, it
cannot discover the heavenly secrets.

But the mind is the power of the human spirit. Spirit is the lamp; mind is the light which shines from
the lamp. Spirit is the tree, and the mind is the fruit. Mind is the perfection of the spirit and is its
essential quality, as the sun's rays are the essential necessity of the sun.

This explanation, though short, is complete; therefore, reflect upon it, and if God wills, you may
become acquainted with the details. (Some Answered Questions, pages 208-209)

Soul, Mind and Spirit.

READING #9 SAQ pg. 277-279

Some think that the body is the substance and exists by itself, and that the spirit is accidental and
depends upon the substance of the body, although, on the contrary, the rational soul is the substance,
and the body depends upon it. If the accident - that is to say, the body - be destroyed, the substance,
the spirit, remains.

Second, the rational soul, meaning the human spirit, does not descend into the body - that is to say, it
does not enter it, for descent and entrance are characteristics of bodies, and the rational soul is exempt
from this. The spirit never entered this body, so in quitting it, it will not be in need of an abidingplace: no, the spirit is connected with the body, as this light is with this mirror. When the mirror is
clear and perfect, the light of the lamp will be apparent in it, and when the mirror becomes covered
with dust or breaks, the light will disappear.

The rational soul - that is to say, the human spirit -has neither entered this body nor existed through
it; so after the disintegration of the composition of the body, how should it be in need of a substance
through which it may exist? On the contrary, the rational soul is the substance through which the body
exists. The personality of the rational soul is from its beginning; it is not due to the instrumentality of
the body, but the state and the personality of the rational soul may be strengthened in this world; it
will make progress and will attain to the degrees of perfection, or it will remain in the lowest abyss of
ignorance, veiled and deprived from beholding the signs of God.

The progress of man's spirit in the divine world, after the severance of its connection with the body of
dust, is through the bounty and grace of the Lord alone, or through the intercession and the sincere
prayers of other human souls, or through the charities and important good works which are performed
in its name.

These infants are under the shadow of the favor of God; and as they have not committed any sin and
are not soiled with the impurities of the world of nature, they are the centers of the manifestation of
bounty, and the Eye of Compassion will be turned upon them. (Some Answered Questions, pages
239-240)

Relation of soul and spirit to the body of man.

READING #10 PUP pg. 86

The conception of annihilation is a factor in human degradation, a cause of human debasement and
lowliness, a source of human fear and abjection. It has been conducive to the dispersion and
weakening of human thought, whereas the realization of existence and continuity has upraised man to
sublimity of ideals, established the foundations of human progress and stimulated the development of
heavenly virtues; therefore, it behooves man to abandon thoughts of nonexistence and death, which
are absolutely imaginary, and see himself ever-living, everlasting in the divine purpose of his creation.
He must turn away from ideas which degrade the human soul so that day by day and hour by hour he
may advance upward and higher to spiritual perception of the continuity of the human reality. If he
dwells upon the thought of nonexistence, he will become utterly incompetent; with weakened
willpower his ambition for progress will be lessened and the acquisition of human virtues will cease.
(Promulgation of Universal Peace*, page 89)

Thoughts of death are degrading and pure imagination.

We will consider the proofs as offered in the Bahá'í Revelation on immortality, the meaning of that
term. We should become so familiar with these proofs, and so filled with unfailing certitude of their
evidence that we are able without any hesitation to answer any questions on the subject There are four
main proofs as detailed by Ábdu'l-Bahá but many side-lights offering corroborative evidence.

First: "The inner and essential reality of man is not composed of elements and therefore cannot be
decomposed." PUP pg. 410

Second: No sign (evidence of existence) can come from a non- existent thing. SAQ pg. 261

Third : The changes or mutilation of the body have no effect upon the spirit of man. PUP pg. 253

Fourth: Total annihilation is impossible. It is unknown in the world of nature. The body is composed
of elements subject to decomposition, but this has no relation, but this has no relation to the spirit.
PUP pg. 84
This conclusion, that the spirit of man is ever-living and active, is inescapable to the accurate thinker.
At any rate, all the burden of proof is on those who deny it. All the evidence we have is in its favor.

READING #11 PUP pg. 234-236

In the world of existence there is nothing so important as spirit, nothing so essential as the spirit of
man. The spirit of man is the most noble of phenomena. The spirit of man is the meeting between man
and God. The spirit of man is the animus of human life and the collective center of all human virtues.
The spirit of man is the cause of the illumination of this world. The world may be likened to the body;
man is the spirit of the body, because the light of the world is the human spirit. Man is the life of the
world, and the life of man is the spirit. The happiness of the world depends upon man, and the
happiness of man is dependent upon the spirit. The world may be likened to the lamp chimney,

whereas man is the light. Man himself may be likened to the lamp; his spirit is the light within the
lamp. Therefore, we will speak of this spirit. The philosophers of the world are divided into two
classes: materialists, who deny the spirit and its immortality, and the divine philosophers, the wise
men of God, the true illuminati who believe in the spirit and its continuance hereafter. The ancient
philosophers taught that man consists simply of the material elements which compose his cellular
structure and that when this composition is disintegrated the life of man becomes extinct. They
reasoned that man is body only, and from this elemental composition the organs and their functions,
the senses, powers and attributes which characterize man have proceeded, and that these disappear
completely with the physical body. This is practically the statement of all the materialists.

The divine philosophers proclaim that the spirit of man is ever-living and eternal, and because of the
objections of the materialists, these wise men of God have advanced rational proofs to support the
validity of their statement. Inasmuch as the materialistic philosophers deny the Books of God,
scriptural demonstration is not evidence to them, and materialistic proofs are necessary. Answering
them, the men of divine knowledge have said that all existing phenomena may be resolved into grades
or kingdoms, classified progressively as mineral, vegetable, animal and human, each of which
possesses its degree of function and intelligence. When we consider the mineral, we find that it exists
and is possessed of the power of affinity or combination. The vegetable possesses the qualities of the
mineral plus the augmentative virtue or power of growth. It is, therefore, evident that the vegetable
kingdom is superior to the mineral. The animal kingdom in turn possesses the qualities of the mineral
and vegetable plus the five senses of perception whereof the kingdoms below it are lacking. Likewise,
the power of memory inherent in the animal does not exist in the lower kingdoms.

Just as the animal is more noble than the vegetable and mineral, so man is superior to the animal. The
animal is bereft of ideality - that is to say, it is a captive of the world of nature and not in touch with
that which lies within and beyond nature; it is without spiritual susceptibilities, deprived of the
attractions of consciousness, unconscious of the world of God and incapable of deviating from the law
of nature. It is different with man. Man is possessed of the emanations of consciousness; he has
perception, ideality and is capable of discovering the mysteries of the universe. All the industries,
inventions and facilities surrounding our daily life were at one time hidden secrets of nature, but the
reality of man penetrated them and made them subject to his purposes. According to nature's laws
they should have remained latent and hidden; but man, having transcended those laws, discovered
these mysteries and brought them out of the plane of the invisible into the realm of the known and
visible. How wonderful is the spirit of man! One of the mysteries of natural phenomena is electricity.
Man has discovered this illimitable power and made it captive to his uses. How many of nature's
secrets have been penetrated and revealed! Columbus, while in Spain, discovered America. Man has
accurately determined that the sun is stationary while the earth revolves about it. The animal cannot
do this. Man perceives the mirage to be an illusion. This is beyond the power of the animal. The animal
can only know through sense impressions and cannot grasp intellectual realities. The animal cannot
conceive of the power of thought. This is an abstract intellectual matter and not limited to the senses.
The animal is incapable of knowing that the earth is round. In brief, abstract intellectual phenomena
are human powers. All creation below the kingdom of man is the captive of nature; it cannot deviate in
the slightest degree from nature's laws. But man wrests the sword of dominion from nature's hand and
uses it upon nature's head. For example, it is a natural exigency that man should be a dweller upon the

earth, but the power of the human spirit transcends this limitation, and he soars aloft in airplanes.
This is contrary to the law and requirement of nature. He sails at high speed upon the ocean and dives
beneath its surface in submarines. He imprisons the human voice in a phonograph and communicates
in the twinkling of an eye from East to West. These are things we know to be contrary to the
limitations of natural law. Man transcends nature, while the mineral, vegetable and animal are
helplessly subject to it. This can be done only through the power of the spirit, because the spirit is the
reality. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, pages 239-241)

But simply to live an endless life has no great attractions in itself. It is the "quality" of that life that
counts, whatever the plane one is considering. One moment of high endeavor, of pure aspiration, of
divine understanding, even on this material plane, far outweighs months and years of the routine of
mere existence.

READING #12 SAQ pg. 280-282

You question about eternal life and the entrance into the Kingdom. The outer expression used for the
Kingdom is heaven; but this is a comparison and similitude, not a reality or fact, for the Kingdom is
not a material place; it is sanctified from time and place. It is a spiritual world, a divine world, and the
center of the Sovereignty of God; it is freed from body and that which is corporeal, and it is purified
and sanctified from the imaginations of the human world. To be limited to place is a property of bodies
and not of spirits. Place and time surround the body, not the mind and spirit. Observe that the body of
man is confined to a small place; it covers only two spans of earth. But the spirit and mind of man
travel to all countries and regions -even through the limitless space of the heavens -surround all that
exists, and make discoveries in the exalted spheres and infinite distances. This is because the spirit has
no place; it is placeless; and for the spirit the earth and the heaven are as one since it makes
discoveries in both. But the body is limited to a place and does not know that which is beyond it.

For life is of two kinds: that of the body and that of the spirit. The life of the body is material life, but
the life of the spirit expresses the existence of the Kingdom, which consists in receiving the Spirit of
God and becoming vivified by the breath of the Holy Spirit. Although the material life has existence, it
is pure nonexistence and absolute death for the holy saints. So man exists, and this stone also exists,
but what a difference between the existence of man and that of the stone! Though the stone exists, in
relation to the existence of man it is nonexistent.

The meaning of eternal life is the gift of the Holy Spirit, as the flower receives the gift of the season, the
air, and the breezes of spring. Consider: this flower had life in the beginning like the life of the mineral;
but by the coming of the season of spring, of the bounty of the clouds of the springtime, and of the heat
of the glowing sun, it attained to another life of the utmost freshness, delicacy and fragrance. The first
life of the flower, in comparison to the second life, is death.

The meaning is that the life of the Kingdom is the life of the spirit, the eternal life, and that it is
purified from place, like the spirit of man which has no place. For if you examine the human body, you
will not find a special spot or locality for the spirit, for it has never had a place; it is immaterial. It has a
connection with the body like that of the sun with this mirror. The sun is not within the mirror, but it
has a connection with the mirror.

In the same way the world of the Kingdom is sanctified from everything that can be perceived by the
eye or by the other senses - hearing, smell, taste or touch. The mind which is in man, the existence of
which is recognized -where is it in him? If you examine the body with the eye, the ear or the other
senses, you will not find it; nevertheless, it exists. Therefore, the mind has no place, but it is connected
with the brain. The Kingdom is also like this. In the same way love has no place, but it is connected
with the heart; so the Kingdom has no place, but is connected with man.

Entrance into the Kingdom is through the love of God, through detachment, through holiness and
chastity, through truthfulness, purity, steadfastness, faithfulness and the sacrifice of life.

These explanations show that man is immortal and lives eternally. For those who believe in God, who
have love of God, and faith, life is excellent - that is, it is eternal; but to those souls who are veiled from
God, although they have life, it is dark, and in comparison with the life of believers it is nonexistence.

For example, the eye and the nail are living; but the life of the nail in relation to the life of the eye is
nonexistent. This stone and this man both exist; but the stone in relation to the existence of man is
nonexistent; it has no being; for when man dies, and his body is destroyed and annihilated, it becomes
like stone and earth. Therefore, it is clear that although the mineral exists, in relation to man it is
nonexistent.

In the same way, the souls who are veiled from God, although they exist in this world and in the world
after death, are, in comparison with the holy existence of the children of the Kingdom of God,
nonexisting and separated from God. (Some Answered Questions, pages 241-243)

Eternal life is here defined by implication. Life of the kingdom is synonymous with Eternal and Life of
the spirit. Material life is non-existence compared with the life of the kingdom. The kingdom, Heaven,
Life Eternal has no place but is connected with man.

READING #13 SAQ pg. 259-262

Having shown that the spirit of man exists, we must prove its immortality.

The immortality of the spirit is mentioned in the Holy Books; it is the fundamental basis of the divine
religions. Now punishments and rewards are said to be of two kinds: first, the rewards and
punishments of this life; second, those of the other world. But the paradise and hell of existence are
found in all the worlds of God, whether in this world or in the spiritual heavenly worlds. Gaining these
rewards is the gaining of eternal life. That is why Christ said, "Act in such a way that you may find
eternal life, and that you may be born of water and the spirit, so that you may enter into the Kingdom."

The rewards of this life are the virtues and perfections which adorn the reality of man. For example, he
was dark and becomes luminous; he was ignorant and becomes wise; he was neglectful and becomes
vigilant; he was asleep and becomes awakened; he was dead and becomes living; he was blind and
becomes a seer; he was deaf and becomes a hearer; he was earthly and becomes heavenly; he was
material and becomes spiritual. Through these rewards he gains spiritual birth and becomes a new
creature. He becomes the manifestation of the verse in the Gospel where it is said of the disciples that
they "were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" - that is to

say, they were delivered from the animal characteristics and qualities which are the characteristics of
human nature, and they became qualified with the divine characteristics, which are the bounty of God.
This is the meaning of the second birth. For such people there is no greater torture than being veiled
from God, and no more severe punishment than sensual vices, dark qualities, lowness of nature,
engrossment in carnal desires. When they are delivered through the light of faith from the darkness of
these vices, and become illuminated with the radiance of the sun of reality, and ennobled with all the
virtues, they esteem this the greatest reward, and they know it to be the true paradise. In the same way
they consider that the spiritual punishment - that is to say, the torture and punishment of existence - is
to be subjected to the world of nature; to be veiled from God; to be brutal and ignorant; to fall into
carnal lusts; to be absorbed in animal frailties; to be characterized with dark qualities, such as
falsehood, tyranny, cruelty, attachment to the affairs of the world, and being immersed in satanic
ideas. For them, these are the greatest punishments and tortures.

Likewise, the rewards of the other world are the eternal life which is clearly mentioned in all the Holy
Books, the divine perfections, the eternal bounties and everlasting felicity. The rewards of the other
world are the perfections and the peace obtained in the spiritual worlds after leaving this world, while
the rewards of this life are the real luminous perfections which are realized in this world, and which
are the cause of eternal life, for they are the very progress of existence. It is like the man who passes
from the embryonic world to the state of maturity and becomes the manifestation of these words:
"Blessed, therefore, be God, the most excellent of Makers." The rewards of the other world are peace,
the spiritual graces, the various spiritual gifts in the Kingdom of God, the gaining of the desires of the
heart and the soul, and the meeting of God in the world of eternity. In the same way the punishments
of the other world - that is to say, the torments of the other world -consist in being deprived of the
special divine blessings and the absolute bounties, and falling into the lowest degrees of existence. He
who is deprived of these divine favors, although he continues after death, is considered as dead by the
people of truth.

The logical proof of the immortality of the spirit is this, that no sign can come from a nonexisting thing
- that is to say, it is impossible that from absolute nonexistence signs should appear - for the signs are
the consequence of an existence, and the consequence depends upon the existence of the principle. So
from a nonexisting sun no light can radiate; from a nonexisting sea no waves appear; from a
nonexisting cloud no rain falls; a nonexisting tree yields no fruit; a nonexisting man neither manifests
nor produces anything. Therefore, as long as signs of existence appear, they are a proof that the
possessor of the sign is existent.

Consider that today the Kingdom of Christ exists. From a nonexisting king how could such a great
kingdom be manifested? How, from a nonexisting sea, can the waves mount so high? From a
nonexisting garden, how can such fragrant breezes be wafted? Reflect that no effect, no trace, no
influence remains of any being after its members are dispersed and its elements are decomposed,
whether it be a mineral, a vegetable or an animal. There is only the human reality and the spirit of man
which, after the disintegration of the members, dispersing of the particles, and the destruction of the
composition, persists and continues to act and to have power.

This question is extremely subtle: consider it attentively. This is a rational proof which we are giving,
so that the wise may weigh it in the balance of reason and justice. But if the human spirit will rejoice

and be attracted to the Kingdom of God, if the inner sight becomes opened, and the spiritual hearing
strengthened, and the spiritual feelings predominant, he will see the immortality of the spirit as clearly
as he sees the sun, and the glad tidings and signs of God will encompass him. (Some Answered
Questions, pages 223-226)

Trace the distinction between "immortality" and "eternality". Paradise and hell of existence are found
in all the worlds of God, whether in this world or in the heavenly spiritual worlds.

"He who is deprived of the Divine Favors, although he continues after death (physical) is considered as
dead (spiritually) by the people of truth. BWF - pg. 325

To the prophets of God the words" life" and "death" have no relation to the physical body. In
proportion to the spiritual development of those who have learned from it is also true. When we speak
of the unborn babe as "alive" we have no mental concept of that "life" in the sense that the adult man
conceives it. To him the babe is comparatively as one "dead". So to one who knows the full, illumined,
creative, ecstatic "life" of the world of the spirit, as God's prophets have known it to a supreme degree
and into which their followers have been ushered, that life of faith which knoweth no death and the
existence which is crowned by immortality - is the only true life.

He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. As Jesus said, 'I am come that ye may have Life and have it more
abundantly.'

Those who do not know that life, are in comparison with those with those who know it and live it, as
truly dead. "Resurrection", then, is nothing but that experience of rising from the cage of the mortal
body into the life of freedom and understanding, a life so much broader and fuller than that
experienced by those who knew it not, as is the life of the adult compared with the "life" of the unborn
babe This is the water of everlasting life of which Jesus spoke, the teachings and example of the
Manifestation of God. This is the "Bread which cometh down from Heaven conferring Everlasting Life"
of which Bahá'u'lláh and Ábdu'l-Bahá speak so often.

This "death" is the "hell", the "outer darkness", the "fire" referred to by all the Prophets of God. These
terms are used as symbols of that absence from God, that darkness and agony which belongs to the
immersion in the world of materiality, to describe which language offers no words. The world
"resurrection" has another meaning, however. It is the trumpet-call of Revelation sounded in the heart
of the universe, the rise of the Manifestation of God to proclaim His Cause. see IQAN pg. 116

If it is borne in mind that no fixed meaning can be ascribed to these symbolic words it will help greatly
to their spiritual understanding. "To every word there are one and seventy meanings." IQAN pg. 225

Heaven, for instance, has many interpretations. This will be referred to more particularly in the next
lesson. In the same way "eternality" has many meanings. So far as our experience of it goes it may be
considered a relative term. Life as we know it is relative. No life is lived to its fullest. So "Eternal Life"
is an ever-broadening, ever- deepening experience through-out all the worlds of God. Our job is to get
on that path, the Path of Life.

Conclusion:

The Manifestation of God in this Day points out the method, the technique of attainment to that Path,
how to travel it. The readings suggested give many hints and instructions.

1 Keep your on Bahá'u'lláh and Ábdu'l-Bahá as the perfect example. Study their words and example.
Immerse yourselves in the Ocean of His Utterances.

2 Through prayer and meditation seek to eradicate every atom of the self, which "tempts every
moment and spreads a new snare at every breath."

3 Watch carefully the little things of daily life. Seek, as for hidden treasure, opportunities for
self-sacrifice.

These are the instructions we have all received. That life is impossible unless the life temporal is
carried on constantly with increasing freedom from the attachment and entanglements of selfish
interests.

IMMORTALITY we cannot escape.

ETERNALITY is ours for the taking, but the price we pay is the sacrifice of all that we have for the love
of the Eternal Beloved.

PRAYER P&M pg. 42-43

Praise be unto Thee, O my God! Thou art He Who by word of His mouth hath revolutionized the entire
creation, and by a stroke of His pen hath divided Thy servants one from another. I bear witness, O my
God, through a word spoken by Thee in this Revelation all created things were made to expire, and
through yet another word all such as Thou didst wish were, by thy grace and bounty, endued with new
life.

I render Thee thanks, therefore, and extol Thee, in the name of all them that are dear to Thee, for that
Thou hast caused them to be born again, by reason of the living waters which have flowed down from
the mouth of Thy will. Since Thou hast quicken them by Thy bounteousness, O my God, make them
steadfastly inclined, through Thy graciousness, towards Thy will; and since Thou didst suffer them to
enter into Thy Tabernacle of thy Cause, grant by Thy grace that they may not be kept back from Thee.

Real Life and Death
________________________↩________________________
Lesson VI
Prayer P&M pg. 160-161 XCVI

1 HW A#23, P#58, P#10

2 HW A#61 P#7

3 IQAN pg. 114-123 When the light ...endeavors will achieve.

4 IQAN pg. 22- 23 This wronged one..quickened by the infinite spirit. .

5 Gl pg. 195 In that which is preeminent...Manifestation in this Day.

6 Gl pg. 31 Arise and proclaim ...resurrection of all mankind.

7 Gl pg. 31- 32 This the paradise ...beauty of their Lord.

8 Gl pg. 45- 46 Say, is there any doubt ...wine that is life indeed.

9 Gl pg. 144-145 Give ear ...rejected the signs of God.

10 SAQ pg. 259-261 The rewards of this life...people of truth.

11 PUP pg. 297-299 Man is like unto this lamp...will be attained (303-305)

12 IQAN pg. 61- 69 And now concerning...... morn of true knowledge.

13 IQAN pg. 69- 72 And now with reference...referred to as clouds.

14 Gl. pg. 95 From the heaven of God's will...of the All-possessing.

Prayer P&M pg. 42-43 XXXIII

Note: Pages for PUP in parentheses are the newer (1982) edition while those originally cited in the
1922 edition have been retained.

PRAYER P&M pg. 160

XCVI

Magnified, O Lord my God, be Thy Name, hereby the trees of the garden of Thy Revelation have been
clad with verdure, and been made to yield the fruits of holiness during this Springtime when the sweet
savors of Thy favors and blessings have been wafted over all things, and caused them to bring forth
whatsoever had been preordained for them in the Kingdom of Thine irrevocable decree and the
Heaven of Thine immutable purpose. I beseech Thee by this very Name not to suffer me to be far from
the court of Thy holiness, nor debarred from the exalted sanctuary of Thy unity and oneness.

Ignite, then, O my God, within my breast the fire of Thy love, that its flame may burn up all else except
my remembrance of Thee, that every trace of corrupt desire may be entirely mortified within me, and
that naught may remain except the glorification of Thy transcendent and all-glorious Being. This is my
highest aspiration, mine ardent desire, O Thou Who rulest all things, and in Whose hand is the
kingdom of the entire creation. Thou, verily, doest what Thou choosest. No God is there beside Thee,
the Almighty, the All- Glorious, the Ever-Forgiving. (Prayers and Meditations, pages 160-161)

READING #1 HW A#23, P#58, P#10

O SON OF THE SUPREME!

To the eternal I call thee, yet thou dost seek that which perisheth. What hath made thee turn away
from Our desire and seek thine own? (Arabic Hidden Words, page 23)

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.

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.

In the first two verses death is contrasted with life. Further light is thrown on the meaning of the first
quotation by comparison with the third verse - that is just as the lovers of life seek the source of life, so
those satisfied with death 'seek that which perisheth.''Like seeks like and hath affinity with its kind.'

READING #2 HW A#61, P#7

O SON OF MAN!
Ascend unto My heaven, that thou mayest obtain the joy of reunion, and from the chalice of
imperishable glory quaff the peerless wine.

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.

The proximity of the two planes, Life and Death, is indicated and the passing from one to the other
(from death to life) dependent upon one's own will and effort. "Take that step (of the soul) and enter
eternity."

It is very plain that in these verses, as in all the Teachings, not only is the reference to spiritual life and

death of the body, but of still more importance, still deeper significance, this transformation from
'death unto life' may happen at any moment here and now and the way, method, technique by which
this transformation is accomplished is indicated. "Give ear to that which hath been revealed by the Pen
of Glory."

READING #3 IQAN pg. 114-123

When the light of Qur'anic Revelation was kindled within the chamber of Muhammad's holy heart, He
passed upon the people the verdict of the Last Day, the verdict of resurrection, of judgment, of life, and
of death. Thereupon the standards of revolt were hoisted, and the doors of derision opened. Thus hath
He, the Spirit of God, recorded, as spoken by the infidels: "And if thou shouldst say, `After death ye
shall surely be raised again,' the infidels will certainly exclaim, `This is nothing but manifest
sorcery.'"(1) Again He speaketh: "If ever thou dost marvel, marvellous surely is their saying, `What!
When we have become dust, shall we be restored in a new creation?'"(2) Thus, in another passage, He
wrathfully exclaimeth: "Are We wearied out with the first creation? Yet are they in doubt with regard
to a new creation!"(3)

As the commentators of the Qur'an and they that follow the letter thereof misapprehended the inner
meaning of the words of God and failed to grasp their essential purpose, they sought to demonstrate
that, according to the rules of grammar, whenever the term "idha" (meaning "if" or "when") precedeth
the past tense, it invariably hath reference to the future. Later, they were sore perplexed in attempting
to explain those verses of the Book wherein that term did not actually occur. Even as He hath revealed:
"And there was a blast on the trumpet, - lo! it is the threatened Day! And every soul is summoned to a
reckoning, - with him an impeller and a witness."(1) In explaining this and similar verses, they have in
some cases argued that the term "idha" is implied. In other instances, they have idly contended that
whereas the Day of Judgment is inevitable, it hath therefore been referred to as an event not of the
future but of the past. How vain their sophistry! How grievous their blindness! They refuse to
recognize the trumpet-blast which so explicitly in this text was sounded through the revelation of
Muhammad. They deprive themselves of the regenerating Spirit of God that breathed into it, and
foolishly expect to hear the trumpet-sound of the Seraph of God who is but one of His servants! Hath
not the Seraph himself, the angel of the Judgment Day, and his like been ordained by Muhammad's
own utterance? Say: What! Will ye give that which is for your good in exchange for that which is evil?
Wretched is that which ye have falsely exchanged! Surely ye are a people, evil, in grievous loss.

Nay, by "trumpet" is meant the trumpet-call of Muhammad's Revelation, which was sounded in the
heart of the universe, and by "resurrection" is meant His own rise to proclaim the Cause of God. He
bade the erring and wayward arise and speed out of the sepulchers of their bodies, arrayed them with
the beauteous robe of faith, and quickened them with the breath of a new and wondrous life. Thus at
the hour when Muhammad, that divine Beauty, purposed to unveil one of the mysteries hidden in the
symbolic terms "resurrection," "judgment," "paradise," and "hell," Gabriel, the Voice of Inspiration,
was heard saying: "Erelong will they wag their heads at Thee, and say, `When shall this be?' Say:
`Perchance it is nigh.'"(1) The implications of this verse alone suffice the peoples of the world, were
they to ponder it in their hearts. ...

Thou dost witness today how, notwithstanding the radiant splendor of the Sun of divine knowledge,
all the people, whether high or low, have clung to the ways of those abject manifestations of the
Prince of Darkness. They continually appeal to them for aid in unraveling the intricacies of their Faith,
and, owing to lack of knowledge, they make such replies as can in no wise damage their fame and
fortune. It is evident that these souls, vile and miserable as the beetle itself, have had no portion of the
musk-laden breeze of eternity, and have never entered the Ridván of heavenly delight. How, therefore,
can they impart unto others the imperishable fragrance of holiness? Such is their way, and such will it
remain forever. Only those will attain to the knowledge of the Word of God that have turned unto Him,
and repudiated the manifestations of Satan. Thus God hath reaffirmed the law of the day of His
Revelation, and inscribed it with the pen of power upon the mystic Tablet hidden beneath the veil of
celestial glory. Wert thou to heed these words, wert thou to ponder their outward and inner meaning
in thy heart, thou wouldst seize the significance of all the abstruse problems which, in this day, have
become insuperable barriers between men and the knowledge of the Day of Judgment. Then wilt thou
have no more questions to perplex thee. We fain would hope that, God willing, thou wilt not return,
deprived and still athirst, from the shores of the ocean of divine mercy, nor come back destitute from
the imperishable Sanctuary of thy heart’s desire. Let it now be seen what thy search and endeavors will
achieve. (The Kitab-i-Iqan, pages 114-123) [26 - 28]

The "Day of Judgement" has diverse meanings. It is the Day of the Manifestation in which all mankind
is tested by their recognition, denial or indifference to Him. It is the time when men judge themselves
whether they are responsive or indifferent to His call and to the heavenly teachings from whatever
source they come.

"The abject beetle can never scent the fragrance of holiness" IQAN pg 117

"That the foulest beetle hath sought the perfume of the musk" IQAN pg 60

The beetle is supposed to have no olfactory organs, just as the bat is almost blind in daylight. Yet so
powerful are these 'sweet savors of God' that 'the beetle hath sought the perfume of the musk and the
bat the light of the sun'.

READING #4 IQAN pg. 22-24

This wronged One will cite but one of these instances, thus conferring upon mankind, for the sake of
God, such bounties as are yet concealed within the treasury of the hidden and sacred Tree, that haply
mortal men may not remain deprived of their share of the immortal fruit, and attain to a dewdrop of
the waters of everlasting life which, from Baghdad, the "Abode of Peace," are being vouchsafed unto all
mankind. We ask for neither meed nor reward. "We nourish your souls for the sake of God; we seek
from you neither recompense nor thanks."(1) This is the food that conferreth everlasting life upon the
pure in heart and the illumined in spirit. This is the bread of which it is said: "Lord, send down upon
us Thy bread from heaven."(1) This bread shall never be withheld from them that deserve it, nor can it
ever be exhausted. It groweth everlastingly from the tree of grace; it descendeth at all seasons from the
heavens of justice and mercy. Even as He saith: "Seest thou not to what God likeneth a good word? To
a good tree; its root firmly fixed, and its branches reaching unto heaven: yielding its fruit in all
seasons."(2)

O the pity! that man should deprive himself of this goodly gift, this imperishable bounty, this
everlasting life. It behooveth him to prize this food that cometh from heaven, that perchance, through
the wondrous favours of the Sun of Truth, the dead may be brought to life, and withered souls be
quickened by the infinite Spirit. (The Kitab-i-Iqan, pages 22-23)

READING #5 Gl pg 195

That which is preeminent above all other gifts, is incorruptible in nature, and pertaineth to God
Himself, is the gift of Divine Revelation. Every bounty conferred by the Creator upon man, be it
material or spiritual, is subservient unto this. It is, in its essence, and will ever so remain, the Bread
which cometh down from Heaven. It is God's supreme testimony, the clearest evidence of His truth,
the sign of His consummate bounty, the token of His all-encompassing mercy, the proof of His most
loving providence, the symbol of His most perfect grace. He hath, indeed, partaken of this highest gift
of God who hath recognized His Manifestation in this Day. (Gleanings, page 195)

The transformation from the lower to a higher form of life, which is so great that the former by
comparison is like death is symbolized by the term 'resurrection'. The contrast between the two is
symbolized by the term 'hell and heaven'. The choice which man makes is symbolized by he 'Day of
judgment'. The path, the 'sirat' (bridge) is the Religion of God, the Revelation.

READING #6 Gl pg. 31

Arise, and proclaim unto the entire creation the tidings that He Who is the All-Merciful hath directed
His steps towards the Ridvan and entered it. Guide, then, the people unto the garden of delight which
God hath made the Throne of His Paradise. We have chosen thee to be our most mighty Trumpet,
whose blast is to signalize the resurrection of all mankind. (Gleanings, page 31)

READING #7 Gl pg. 31-32

This is the Paradise on whose foliage the wine of utterance hath imprinted the testimony: "He that was
hidden from the eyes of men is revealed, girded with sovereignty and power!" This is the Paradise, the
rustling of whose leaves proclaims: "O ye that inhabit the heavens and the earth! There hath appeared
what hath never previously appeared. He Who, from everlasting, had concealed His Face from the
sight of creation is now come." From the whispering breeze that wafteth amidst its branches there
cometh the cry: "He Who is the sovereign Lord of all is made manifest. The Kingdom is God's," while
from its streaming waters can be heard the murmur: "All eyes are gladdened, for He Whom none hath
beheld, Whose secret no one hath discovered, hath lifted the veil of glory, and uncovered the
countenance of Beauty."

Within this Paradise, and from the heights of its loftiest chambers, the Maids of Heaven have cried out
and shouted: "Rejoice, ye dwellers of the realms above, for the fingers of Him Who is the Ancient of
Days are ringing, in the name of the All-Glorious, the Most Great Bell, in the midmost heart of the
heavens. The hands of bounty have borne round the cup of everlasting life. Approach, and quaff your

fill. Drink with healthy relish, O ye that are the very incarnations of longing, ye who are the
embodiments of vehement desire!"

This is the Day whereon He Who is the Revealer of the names of God hath stepped out of the
Tabernacle of glory, and proclaimed unto all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth: "Put
away the cups of Paradise and all the life-giving waters they contain, for lo, the people of Baha have
entered the blissful abode of the Divine Presence, and quaffed the wine of reunion, from the chalice of
the beauty of their Lord, the All-Possessing, the Most High." (Gleanings, pages 31-32)

READING #8 Gl pg. 45-46

Say: Is there any doubt concerning God? Behold how He hath come down from the heaven of His
grace, girded with power and invested with sovereignty. Is there any doubt concerning His signs?
Open ye your eyes, and consider His clear evidence. Paradise is on your right hand, and hath been
brought nigh unto you, while Hell hath been made to blaze. Witness its devouring flame. Haste ye to
enter into Paradise, as a token of Our mercy unto you, and drink ye from the hands of the All- Merciful
the Wine that is life indeed.

Drink with healthy relish, O people of Bahá. Ye are indeed they with whom it shall be well. This is what
they who have near access to God have attained. This is the flowing water ye were promised in the
Qur’án, and later in the Bayán, as a recompense from your Lord, the God of Mercy. Blessed

are they that quaff it. O My servant that hath turned thy face towards Me! Render thanks unto God for
having sent down unto thee this Tablet in this Prison, that thou mayest remind the people of the days
of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, the All-Knowing. Thus have We established for thee, through the waters
of Our wisdom and utterance, the foundations of thy belief. This, verily, is the water whereon the
Throne of thy Lord hath been raised. “His Throne had stood upon the waters.” Ponder this in thine
heart, that thou mayest comprehend its meaning. Say: Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

READING #9 Gl pg. 144-145 [#76 LXXVI]
Give ear, O My servant, unto that which is being sent down unto thee from the Throne of thy Lord, the
Inaccessible, the Most Great. There is none other God but Him. He hath called into being His
creatures, that they may know Him, Who is the Compassionate, the All-Merciful. Unto the cities of all
nations He hath sent His Messengers, Whom He hath commissioned to announce unto men tidings of
the Paradise of His good pleasure, and to draw them nigh unto the Haven of abiding security, the Seat
of eternal holiness and transcendent glory.

Some were guided by the Light of God, gained admittance into the court of His presence, and quaffed,
from the hand of resignation, the waters of everlasting life, and were accounted of them that have truly
recognized and believed in Him. Others rebelled against Him, and rejected the signs of God, the Most
Powerful, the Almighty, the All-Wise.

READING #10 SAQ pg. 259-261 [#60 p 80]

The ultimate rewards, which consist in life everlasting, have been explicitly recorded in all the
heavenly Scriptures. They are divine perfections, eternal bounty, and everlasting joy. The ultimate
rewards are the gifts and perfections that man attains in the spiritual realms after his ascension from
this world, while the existential rewards are those true and luminous perfections which are attained
while still abiding in this world, and which are the cause of everlasting life. For the existential rewards
are the advancement of existence itself and are analogous to the passage of man from the stage of the
embryo to that of maturity and becoming the embodiment of the verse, [146] “Hallowed be the Lord,
the most excellent of all creators!” The ultimate rewards consist in spiritual bounties and bestowals,
such as the manifold gifts of God that are vouchsafed after the ascension of the soul, the attainment of
the heart’s desire, and reunion with Him in the everlasting realm. Similarly, ultimate retributions and
punishments consist in being deprived of the special bounties and unfailing bestowals of God and
sinking to the lowest degrees of existence. And whoso is deprived of these favours, though he continue
to exist after death, is accounted as dead in the eyes of the people of truth.

READING #11 PUP pg. 297-299 [#99 p 172-3]

Man is like unto this lamp, but the effulgences of the Kingdom are like the rays of the lamp. Man is like
unto the glass, but spiritual splendors are like unto the light within the glass. No matter how
translucent the glass may be, as long as there is no light within, it remains dark. Likewise, man, no
matter how much he advances in material accomplishments, will remain like the glass without light if
he is deprived of the spiritual virtues. Material virtues are like unto a perfect body, but this body is in
need of the spirit. No matter how handsome and perfect the body may be, if it is deprived of the spirit
and its animus, it is dead. But when that same body is affiliated with the spirit and expressing life,
perfection and virtue become realized in it. Deprived of the Holy Spirit and its bounties, man is
spiritually dead.

Children, for instance, no matter how good and pure, no matter how healthy their bodies, are,
nevertheless, considered imperfect because the power of intellect is not fully manifest in them. When
the intellectual power fully displays its influences and they attain to the age of maturity, they are
considered as perfect. Likewise, man, no matter how much he may advance in worldly affairs and
make progress in material civilization, is imperfect unless he is quickened by the bounties of the Holy
Spirit; for it is evident that until he receives that divine impetus he is ignorant and deprived. For this
reason Jesus Christ said, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God.” By this Christ meant that unless man is released from the material world, freed from
the captivity of materialism and receiving a portion of the bounties of the spiritual world, he shall be
deprived of the bestowals and favors of the Kingdom of God, and the utmost we can say of him is that
he is a perfect animal. No one can rightly call him a man. In another place He said, “That which is born
of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” The meaning of this is that if man is a
captive of nature, he is like unto an animal because he is only a body physically born—that is, he
belongs to the world of matter and remains subject to the law and control of nature. But if he is

baptized with the Holy Spirit, if he is freed from the bondage of nature, released from animalistic
tendencies and advanced in the human realm, he is fitted to enter into the divine Kingdom. The world
of the Kingdom is the realm of divine bestowals and the bounties of God. It is attainment of the highest
virtues of humanity; it is nearness to God; it is capacity to receive the bounties of the ancient Lord.
When man advances to this station, he attains the second birth. Before his first or physical birth man
was in the world of the matrix. He had no knowledge of this world; his eyes could not see; his ears
could not hear. When he was born from the world of the matrix, he beheld another world. The sun was
shining with its splendors, the moon radiant in the heavens, the stars twinkling in the expansive
firmament, the seas surging, trees verdant and green, all kinds of creatures enjoying life here, infinite
bounties prepared for him. In the world of the matrix none of these things existed. In that world he
had no knowledge of this vast range of existence; nay, rather, he would have denied the reality of this
world. But after his birth he began to open his eyes and behold the wonders of this illimitable universe.
Similarly, as long as man is in the matrix of the human world, as long as he is the captive of nature, he
is out of touch and without knowledge of the universe of the Kingdom. If he attains rebirth while in the
world of nature, he will become informed of the divine world. He will observe that another and a
higher world exists. Wonderful bounties descend; eternal life awaits; everlasting glory surrounds him.
All the signs of reality and greatness are there. He will see the lights of God. All these experiences will
be his when he is born out of the world of nature into the divine world. Therefore, for the perfect man
there are two kinds of birth: the first, physical birth, is from the matrix of the mother; the second, or
spiritual birth, is from the world of nature. In both he is without knowledge of the new world of
existence he is entering. Therefore, rebirth means his release from the captivity of nature, freedom
from attachment to this mortal and material life. This is the second, or spiritual, birth of which Jesus
Christ spoke in the Gospels.

The majority of people are captives in the matrix of nature, submerged in the sea of materiality. We
must pray that they may be reborn, that they may attain insight and spiritual hearing, that they may
receive the gift of another heart, a new transcendent power, and in the eternal world the unending
bestowal of divine bounties.

Today the world of humanity is walking in darkness because it is out of touch with the world of God.
That is why we do not see the signs of God in the hearts of men. The power of the Holy Spirit has no
influence. When a divine spiritual illumination becomes manifest in the world of humanity, when
divine instruction and guidance appear, then enlightenment follows, a new spirit is realized within, a
new power descends, and a new life is given. It is like the birth from the animal kingdom into the
kingdom of man. When man acquires these virtues, the oneness of the world of humanity will be
revealed, the banner of international peace will be upraised, equality between all mankind will be
realized, and the Orient and Occident will become one. Then will the justice of God become manifest,
all humanity will appear as the members of one family, and every member of that family will be
consecrated to cooperation and mutual assistance. The lights of the love of God will shine; eternal
happiness will be unveiled; everlasting joy and spiritual delight will be attained.

… announceth Yahya to thee, who shall bear witness unto the Word from God, and a great one and
chaste."(2) By the term "Word" is meant Jesus, Whose coming Yahya foretold. Moreover, in the

heavenly Scriptures it is written: "John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and
saying, Repent ye: for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand."(1) By John is meant Yahya.

Likewise, ere the beauty of Muhammad was unveiled, the signs of the visible heaven were made
manifest. As to the signs of the invisible heaven, there appeared four men who successively announced
unto the people the joyful tidings of the rise of that divine Luminary. Ruz-bih, later named Salman,
was honoured by being in their service. As the end of one of these approached, he would send Ruz-bih
unto the other, until the fourth who, feeling his death to be nigh, addressed Ruz-bih saying: "O
Ruz-bih! when thou hast taken up my body and buried it, go to Hijaz for there the Day-star of
Muhammad will arise. Happy art thou, for thou shalt behold His face!" [REFERENCE NOT FOUND]

READING #12 IQAN pg. 61- 69 [16]

And now concerning this wondrous and most exalted Cause. Know thou verily that many an
astronomer hath announced the appearance of its star in the visible heaven. Likewise, there appeared
on earth Aḥmad and Káẓim, 51 those twin resplendent lights—may God sanctify their resting-place!

From all that We have stated it hath become clear and manifest that before the revelation of each of
the Mirrors reflecting the divine Essence, the signs heralding their advent must needs be revealed in
the visible heaven as well as in the invisible, wherein is the seat of the sun of knowledge, of the moon of
wisdom, and of the stars of understanding and utterance. The sign of the invisible heaven must needs
be revealed in the person of that perfect man who, before each Manifestation appeareth, educateth,
and prepareth the souls of men for the advent of the divine Luminary, the Light of the unity of God
amongst men.

And now, with reference to His words: “And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall
see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” These words signify
that in those days men will lament the loss of the Sun of the divine beauty, of the Moon of knowledge,
and of the Stars of divine wisdom. Thereupon, they will behold the countenance of the promised One,
the adored Beauty, descending from heaven and riding upon the clouds. By this is meant that the
divine Beauty will be made manifest from the heaven of the will of God, and will appear in the form of
the human temple. The term “heaven” denoteth loftiness and exaltation, inasmuch as it is the seat of
the revelation of those Manifestations of Holiness, the Daysprings of ancient glory. These ancient
Beings, though delivered from the womb of their mother, have in reality descended from the heaven of
the will of God. Though they be dwelling on this earth, yet their true habitations are the retreats of
glory in the realms above. Whilst walking amongst mortals, they soar in the heaven of the divine
presence. Without feet they tread the path of the spirit, and without wings they rise unto the exalted
heights of divine unity. With every fleeting breath they cover the immensity of space, and at every
moment traverse the kingdoms of the visible and the invisible. Upon their thrones is written: “Nothing
whatsoever keepeth Him from being 52 occupied with any other thing”; and on their seats is inscribed:
“Verily, His ways differ every day.” They are sent forth through the transcendent power of the Ancient
of Days, and are raised up by the exalted will of God, the most mighty King. This is what is meant by
the words: “coming in the clouds of heaven.”

In the utterances of the divine Luminaries the term “heaven” hath been applied to many and divers

things; such as the “heaven of Command,” the “heaven of Will,” the “heaven of the divine Purpose,” the
“heaven of divine Knowledge,” the “heaven of Certitude,” the “heaven of Utterance,” the “heaven of
Revelation,” the “heaven of Concealment,” and the like. In every instance, He hath given the term
“heaven” a special meaning, the significance of which is revealed to none save those that have been
initiated into the divine mysteries, and have drunk from the chalice of immortal life. For example, He
saith: “The heaven hath sustenance for you, and it containeth that which you are promised”; 53
whereas it is the earth that yieldeth such sustenance. Likewise, it hath been said: “The names come
down from heaven”; whereas they proceed out of the mouth of men. Wert thou to cleanse the mirror of
thy heart from the dust of malice, thou wouldst apprehend the meaning of the symbolic terms revealed
by the all-embracing Word of God made manifest in every Dispensation, and wouldst discover the
mysteries of divine knowledge. Not, however, until thou consumest with the flame of utter detachment
those veils of idle learning that are current amongst men, canst thou behold the resplendent morn of
true knowledge. (The Kitab-i-Iqan, pages 61-69)

In every instance heaven has a special meaning.

READING #13 IQAN pg. 69-72

Know verily that Knowledge is of two kinds: Divine and Satanic. The one welleth out from the fountain
of divine inspiration; the other is but a reflection of vain and obscure thoughts. The source of the
former is God Himself; the motive-force of the latter the whisperings of selfish desire. The one is
guided by the principle: "Fear ye God; God will teach you;"(1) the other is but a confirmation of the
truth: "Knowledge is the most grievous veil between man and his Creator." The former bringeth forth
the fruit of patience, of longing desire, of true understanding, and love; whilst the latter can yield
naught but arrogance, vainglory and conceit. From the sayings of those Masters of holy utterance, Who
have expounded the meaning of true knowledge, the odour of these dark teachings, which have
obscured the world, can in no wise be detected. The tree of such teachings can yield no result except
iniquity and rebellion, and beareth no fruit but hatred and envy. Its fruit is deadly poison; its shadow a
consuming fire. How well hath it been said: "Cling unto the robe of the Desire of thy heart, and put
thou away all shame; bid the worldlywise be gone, however great their name."
The heart must needs therefore be cleansed from the idle sayings of men, and sanctified from every
earthly affection, so that it may discover the hidden meaning of divine inspiration, and become the
treasury of the mysteries of divine knowledge. Thus hath it been said: "He that treadeth the
snow-white Path, and followeth in the footsteps of the Crimson Pillar, shall never attain unto his abode
unless his hands are empty of those worldly things cherished by men." This is the prime requisite of
whosoever treadeth this path. Ponder thereon, that, with eyes unveiled, thou mayest perceive the truth
of these words.

We have digressed from the purpose of Our argument, although whatsoever is mentioned serveth only
to confirm Our purpose. By God! however great Our desire to be brief, yet We feel We cannot restrain
Our pen. Notwithstanding all that We have mentioned, how innumerable are the pearls which have
remained unpierced in the shell of Our heart! How many the huris of inner meaning that are as yet
concealed within the chambers of divine wisdom! None hath yet approached them; -huris, "whom no

man nor spirit hath touched before."(1) Notwithstanding all that hath been said, it seemeth as if not
one letter of Our purpose hath been uttered, nor a single sign divulged concerning Our object. When
will a faithful seeker be found who will don the garb of pilgrimage, attain the Ka'bih of the heart's
desire, and, without ear or tongue, discover the mysteries of divine utterance?

By these luminous, these conclusive, and lucid statements, the meaning of "heaven" in the
aforementioned verse hath thus been made clear and evident. And now regarding His words, that the
Son of man shall "come in the clouds of heaven." By the term "clouds" is meant those things that are
contrary to the ways and desires of men. Even as He hath revealed in the verse already quoted: "As oft
as an Apostle cometh unto you with that which your souls desire not, ye swell with pride, accusing
some of being impostors and slaying others."(2) These "clouds" signify, in one sense, the annulment of
laws, the abrogation of former Dispensations, the repeal of rituals and customs current amongst men,
the exalting of the illiterate faithful above the learned opposers of the Faith. In another sense, they
mean the appearance of that immortal Beauty in the image of mortal man, with such human
limitations as eating and drinking, poverty and riches, glory and abasement, sleeping and waking, and
such other things as cast doubt in the minds of men, and cause them to turn away. All such veils are
symbolically referred to as "clouds." (The Kitab-i-Iqan, pages 66-72)

READING #14 Gl pg 95

From the heaven of God's Will, and for the purpose of ennobling the world of being and of elevating
the minds and souls of men, hath been sent down that which is the most effective instrument for the
education of the whole human race. The highest essence and most perfect expression of whatsoever
the peoples of old have either said or written hath, through this most potent Revelation, been sent
down from the heaven of the Will of the All-Possessing, the Ever-Abiding God. (Gleanings, page 95)

The Teachings are filled with advices, adjurations, commands regarding the life of holy deeds, clothing
one's self with the attributes of God, living a life of servitude and usefulness, working at one's trade,
business, art, yet "walking above the world by the power of the Greatest Name.

It is this practical living of the higher life right in the middle of material distractions and temptations
which alone proves our resurrection. "By this we know that we have passed from death to life, because
we love the brethren." -John 3:14

Great emphasis is laid upon deeds in the teachings, for thus alone is it possible to prove where our
interests, our true life lies. If we are "the people of insight, of hearing and of heart" we must act like it.
Ábdu'l-Bahá says it is easy to enter the kingdom of God but very difficult to stay there. This is another
significance of the Day of Judgement. Every day our sincerity is tested by our deeds. Just as this Day is
the "DAY of God" and all past "Days" the days of His prophets, so is the station of man in this Day
higher and more demanding in any former Day.

The quality of deeds is indicated in innumerable places in the revealed Words for this Day. And by our
deeds alone may it be demonstrated whether we are dead or alive; in heaven or hell; and have attained
to the resurrection or not.

PRAYER P&M pg. 42-43 XXXIII

Praise be unto Thee, O my God! Thou art He Who by a word of His mouth hath revolutionized the
entire creation, and by a stroke of His pen hath divided Thy servants one from another. I bear witness,
O my God, that through a word spoken by Thee in this Revelation all created things were made to
expire, and through yet another word all such as Thou didst wish were, by Thy grace and bounty,
endued with new life.

I render Thee thanks, therefore, and extol Thee, in the name of all them that are dear to Thee, for that
Thou hast caused them to be born again, by reason of the living waters which have flowed down out of
the mouth of Thy will. Since Thou didst quicken them by Thy bounteousness, O my God, make them
steadfastly inclined, through Thy graciousness, towards Thy will; and since Thou didst suffer them to
enter into the Tabernacle of Thy Cause, grant by Thy grace that they may not be kept back from Thee.

Unlock, then, to their hearts, O my God, the portals of Thy knowledge, that they may recognize Thee as
One Who is far above the reach and ken of the understanding of Thy creatures, and immeasurably
exalted above the strivings of Thy people to hint at Thy nature, and may not follow every clamorous
impostor that presumeth to speak in Thy name. Enable them, moreover, O my Lord, to cleave so
tenaciously to Thy Cause that they may remain unmoved by the perplexing suggestions of them who,
prompted by their desires, utter what hath been forbidden unto them in Thy Tablets and Thy
Scriptures.

Thou art well aware, O my Lord, that I hear the howling of the wolves which appear in Thy servants'
clothing. Keep safe, therefore, Thy loved ones from their mischief, and enable them to cling steadfastly
to whatsoever hath been manifested by Thee in this Revelation, which no other Revelation within Thy
knowledge hath excelled.

Do Thou destine for them, O my Lord, that which will profit them. Illumine, then, their eyes with the
light of Thy knowledge, that they may see Thee visibly supreme over all things, and resplendent amidst
Thy creatures, and victorious over all that are in Thy heaven and all that are on Thy earth. Powerful art
Thou to do Thy pleasure. No God is there but Thee, the All- Glorious, Whose help is implored by all
men.
Praised be Thou, Who art the Lord of all creation. (Prayers and Meditations, pages 42-43)

The Gift of the Holy Spirit
________________________↩________________________
Lesson VII

"Unless the soul of man is quickened by the breaths of the Holy Spirit... all his powers, efforts and
accomplishments are in vain. - Star of the West - vol. iv - pg. 210

Prayer - To be selected by the students.

1 HW A#34

2 HW A#59

3 HW A#63

4 HW P#8

5 Gl pg. 66 Unto this subtle... substance of God Himself.

6 BWF pg. 370 The intermediary.

7 BWF pg. 369 Inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

8 BWF pg. 258-259 Another unity... acme of good fortune.

9 FWU pg. 51 Yet there is a third reality ...shall have no end.

10 BWF pg. 368-369 Turn to the Holy spirit.

11 PUP pg. 67 Let us now discover ...his intelligence and spirit. (70)

12 PUP pg. 326-327 In this second birth...life everlasting. (332-333)

13 PUP pg. 314-315 In the world of existence...presence of the Holy Spirit. (320-321)

14 PUP pg. 271 The point is this... powers more than human. (277)

Prayer - To be selected by the students.

PRAYER

Unless the soul of man is quickened by the Breaths of the Holy Spirit and becomes vivified by the Life
of the Supreme Kingdom, all his powers, efforts and accomplishments are in vain... I am summoning
you to the world of the kingdom... I wish for you Eternal happiness. I am praying to save mankind
from the bondage of this mortal world. I wish you to escape from this hell of materialism. Be not
occupied with material things. Have no anxiety about your affairs. You are under the protection of
Bahá'u'lláh, in His service. Live in the spiritual world as I do. Think of nothing else.

I wish you to live in the world of the spirit...to see the Divine Reality in everything, to behold the

illumination of the world of the kingdom beyond and within the gloomy mask of this mortal existence.
For the world of the kingdom is a world of Lights, a world of happiness, a world of accomplishment,
the real and eternal world. Ábdu'l-Bahá - star of the west vol.4 pg 210

READING #1 HW A#34

O SON OF SPIRIT!

The spirit of holiness beareth unto thee the joyful tidings of reunion; wherefore dost thou grieve? The
spirit of power confirmeth thee in His cause; why dost thou veil thyself ? The light of His countenance
doth lead thee; how canst thou go astray?

READING #2 HW A#59

O SON OF BEING!

Thy heart is My home; sanctify it for My descent. Thy spirit is My place of revelation; cleanse it for My
manifestation.

READING #3 HW A#63

O SON OF MAN!

The light hath shone on thee from the horizon of the sacred Mount and the spirit of enlightenment
hath breathed in the Sinai of thy heart. Wherefore, free thyself from the veils of idle fancies and enter
into My court, that thou mayest be fit for everlasting life and worthy to meet Me Thus may death not
come upon thee, neither weariness nor trouble.

READING #4 HW P#8
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.

READING #5 Gl pg 66

...Unto this subtle, this mysterious and ethereal Being He hath assigned a twofold nature; the physical,
pertaining to the world of matter, and the spiritual, which is born of the substance of God Himself.
(Gleanings, page 66)

READING #6 BWF pg 370

THE INTERMEDIARY

Unless the Holy Spirit become intermediary, one cannot attain directly to the bounties of God. Do not
overlook the obvious truths, for it is a self-evident fact that a child cannot be instructed without a
teacher, and knowledge is a bounty from the bounties of God. The soil is not covered with grass and
green without the rain of the cloud; therefore the cloud is the intermediary between the divine
bounties and the soil. A body doth not develop and grow without the soul; therefore the soul is the
medium of the spiritual life. (Bahá'í World Faith*, page 370)

The symbol of the Sun of Reality is the phenomenal sun. The symbol of the cold heart quickened by the
heat and light of the sun is the phenomenal material world - the soil. The symbol of the Holy Spirit
which is the medium between the sun of Reality and the cold, animalistic heart of man, the life- giving
energy, are the rays of the sun. These rays of the sun of Reality are diffused, universal, constant. To
them is due all that is of value in man, all that distinguishes him from the animal, the world of nature,
the world of beastly qualities, whether in the realm of the intellect, business, statesmanship, morals or
religion.

These Manifestations of God gather these rays and focus them upon the hearts of men (like a burning
glass) and receptive hearts burst into flame of the Love of God. Unless this happens "all man's power,
efforts and accomplishments are in vain" because his powers have no spiritual dynamic, his efforts are
not wisely directed, have no unifying objective and his accomplishments, owing to this lack, are
uncoordinated, limited to selfish ends and are hence futile and often disastrous.

READING #7 BWF pg 369

INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

I now assure thee, O servant of God, that, if thy mind become empty and pure from every mention and
thought and thy heart attracted wholly to the Kingdom of God, forget all else besides God and come in
communion with the Spirit of God, then the Holy Spirit will assist thee with a power which will enable
thee to penetrate all things, and a Dazzling Spark which enlightens all sides, a Brilliant Flame in the
zenith of the heavens, will teach thee that which thou dost not know of the facts of the universe and of
the divine doctrine. Verily, I say unto thee, every soul which ariseth today to guide others to the path of
safety and infuse in them the Spirit of Life, the Holy Spirit will inspire that soul with evidences, proofs
and facts and the lights will shine upon it from the Kingdom of God. Do not forget what I have
conveyed unto thee from the breath of the Spirit. Verily, it is the shining morning and the rosy dawn
which will impart unto thee the lights, reveal the mysteries and make thee competent in science, and
through it the pictures of the Supreme World will be printed in thy heart and the facts of the secrets of
the Kingdom of God will shine before thee. (Bahá'í World Faith*, page 369)

The evidence of the holy spirit is in the effect upon man's spirit.

READING #8 BWF pg 258-259

Another unity is the spiritual unity which emanates from the breaths of the Holy Spirit. This is greater
than the unity of mankind. Human unity or solidarity may be likened to the body, whereas unity from
the breaths of the Holy Spirit is the spirit animating the body. This is a perfect unity. It creates such a
condition in mankind that each one will make sacrifices for the other, and the utmost desire will be to
forfeit life and all that pertains to it in behalf of another's good. This is the unity which existed among
the disciples of Jesus Christ and bound together the Prophets and holy Souls of the past. It is the unity
which through the influence of the divine spirit is permeating the Bahá'ís so that each offers his life for
the other and strives with all sincerity to attain his good pleasure. This is the unity which caused
twenty thousand people in Persia to give their lives in love and devotion to it. It made the Bab the
target of a thousand arrows and caused Bahá'u'lláh to suffer exile and imprisonment forty years. This
unity is the very spirit of the body of the world. It is impossible for the body of the world to become
quickened with life without its vivification. Jesus Christ -may my life be a sacrifice to Him! -
promulgated this unity among mankind. Every soul who believed in Jesus Christ became revivified
and resuscitated through this spirit, attained to the zenith of eternal glory, realized the everlasting life,
experienced the second birth and rose to the acme of good fortune. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*,
pages 191-192)

The world of humanity is the body; the Holy Spirit is the animating power of the body. This is
important. Bahá'u'lláh and all the Manifestations of God in every age teach that the spirit of man may
be brought under the domination of the Spirit of God focused in His Manifestation. Never before has
this been so clearly stated and explained as by Bahá'u'lláh.

READING #9 -FWU pg 51

Yet there is a third reality in man, the spiritual reality. Through its medium one discovers spiritual
revelations, a celestial faculty which is infinite as regards the intellectual as well as physical realms.
That power is conferred upon man through the breath of the Holy Spirit. It is an eternal reality, an
indestructible reality, a reality belonging to the divine, supernatural kingdom; a reality whereby the
world is illumined, a reality which grants unto man eternal life. This third, spiritual reality it is which
discovers past events and looks along the vistas of the future. It is the ray of the Sun of Reality. The
spiritual world is enlightened through it, the whole of the Kingdom is being illumined by it. It enjoys
the world of beatitude, a world which had not beginning and which shall have no end. (Foundations of
World Unity*, page 51)

The spiritual reality of man is acquired through breaths of the Holy Spirit. The path of this attainment
is the sacrifice of the lower self to the self of God. It is the Path of Detachment from the desires of this
world and submission to the bondage of the desire of God as expressed in the command of His
Manifestation. Otherwise we are trying to serve two masters which, Jesus pointed out, is impossible:
"Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

This dependence of the Gift of the Holy Spirit upon severance and self-sacrifice is insisted upon
constantly throughout the Creative Word. Moreover, it is fully explained why it should be so. One
might as well reasonably expect the child, still captive in the matrix, to discover and enter the world of

man, as to think it possible for man still captive to human standard concepts and desire to be able to
enter and enjoy the world of spiritual Reality. "They who worship God must worship Him in spirit,"
said Jesus. That is to say, if you want to know how to worship God you must enter His world, go where
He is, and "God is Spirit."

The graphic and practical realization of this as a spiritual law is all important if one would receive the
Gift and live in the World.

READING #10 BWF pg 368-369

TURN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

Know thou, that letter sent to thee by me, was only because of my perfect love for thee and my pity
upon thee, for I had the desire that the fragrance of the Holy Spirit, which hath perfumed all regions
and imbued the entire body of the world with the Spirit of Life, should pass over thee and abide with
thee. Notwithstanding the high position it occupieth, still, with an eloquent tongue, through which the
Spirit moveth, hearts are attracted and bosoms burn, it speaketh to the pure hearts and to the good
and righteous souls in every spot of the earth. This is the powerful Spirit, the dazzling light, the
brilliant star and the overwhelming and universal abundance. And, from its traces, spread and
divulged everywhere, thou wilt know and realize its influence and comprehend its radiance. I ask God
to expose thee to its fragrance, move thee by its breeze, enkindle thee by its coals of fire and illuminate
thee by its brightness. Turn thyself wholly to it - thus thou shalt be enabled to ascertain its influence
and power, the strength of its life and the greatness of its confirmation. Verily, I say unto thee, that if
for the appearance of that Divine Essence thou desirest to have a definite proof, an indisputable
testimony and a strong, convincing evidence, thou must prepare thyself to make thy heart empty and
thine eye ready to look only toward the Kingdom of God. Then, at that time, the radiance of that
widespread effulgence will descend upon thee successively, and that motion rendered thee by the Holy
Spirit will make thee dispense with any other strong evidence that leadeth to the appearance of this
Light, because the greatest and strongest proof for showing the abundance of the Spirit to the bodies is
the very appearance of its power and influence in those bodies. (Bahá'í World Faith*, pages 368-369)
Ábdu'l-Bahá said: "You must live in the spiritual world constantly, as I do. We are living in the same
kind of world that He did. It follows that we have no anxiety about our material affairs.

Severance is the cutting of the umbilical cord which attaches the soul (mind, conciseness, will) to
limited and ephemeral things and affairs, and sets that conciseness and will free, in an infinitely larger,
more beautiful and effective world. This is the Glorious liberty of the children of God of which the
prophets spoke.

It is impossible to quote exhaustively and enlarge upon this theme as it deserves. A careful study of the
Creative Word makes clear and justifies the said deductions. A clear understanding of this is necessary
if that world is to be attained. Progress in that world is then assured. There must be no question as to
the difficulty of adjusting these commands and advices to the needs of every-day life. We must be able
to answer satisfactorily the natural questions that arise in minds still attached. It is always the mind
that is attached. That is why understanding is the first essential. It is impossible to assume for one

moment that God (His Manifestation) should urge, entreat and command us to live in the world in
which He has placed us. It is precisely because we have refused that glorious world of His that we have
made such a shamble, such a tragic failure of this world.

READING #11 PUP pg 67

Let us now discover more specifically how he is the image and likeness of God and what is the standard
or criterion by which he can be measured and estimated. This standard can be no other than the divine
virtues which are revealed in him. Therefore, every man imbued with divine qualities, who reflects
heavenly moralities and perfections, who is the expression of ideal and praiseworthy attributes, is,
verily, in the image and likeness of God. If a man possesses wealth, can we call him an image and
likeness of God? Or is human honor and notoriety the criterion of divine nearness? Can we apply the
test of racial color and say that man of a certain hue - white, black, brown, yellow, red - is the true
image of his Creator? We must conclude that color is not the standard and estimate of judgment and
that it is of no importance, for color is accidental in nature. The spirit and intelligence of man is
essential, and that is the manifestation of divine virtues, the merciful bestowals of God, the eternal life
and baptism through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, be it known that color or race is of no importance. He
who is the image and likeness of God, who is the manifestation of the bestowals of God, is acceptable at
the threshold of God -whether his color be white, black or brown; it matters not. Man is not man
simply because of bodily attributes. The standard of divine measure and judgment is his intelligence
and spirit.

Therefore, let this be the only criterion and estimate, for this is the image and likeness of God. A man's
heart may be pure and white though his outer skin be black; or his heart be dark and sinful though his
racial color is white. The character and purity of the heart is of all importance. The heart illumined by
the light of God is nearest and dearest to God, and inasmuch as God has endowed man with such favor
that he is called the image of God, this is truly a supreme perfection of attainment, a divine station
which is not to be sacrificed by the mere accident of color. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, page 70)

Baptism of the spirit is essential to the intelligence of man.

READING #12 PUP pg 326-327

...In this second birth he attains the world of the Kingdom. There he witnesses and realizes that the
world of nature is a world of gloom, whereas the Kingdom is a world of radiance; the world of nature is
a world of defects, the Kingdom is a realm of perfection; the world of nature is a world without
enlightenment, the Kingdom of spiritual humanity is a heaven of illumination. Great discoveries and
revelations are now possible for him; he has attained the reality of perception; his circle of
understanding is illimitably widened; he views the realities of creation, comprehends the divine
bounties and unseals the mystery of phenomena. This is the station which Christ has interpreted as the
second birth. He says that just as ye were physically born from the mother into this world, ye must be
born again from the mother world of nature into the life of the divine Kingdom. May you all attain this
second, spiritual birth. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is

spirit."

I pray that the confirmation of God may descend upon you. May you all be born again from this mortal
world into the realm of the Kingdom. May you clearly witness the signs of God, sense the virtues of the
divine, attain the eternal bounties and perceive the reality of everlasting life. (Promulgation of
Universal Peace*, pages 332-333)

Man's circle of understanding is illimitably widened and the mysteries of phenomena are unsealed.
"He has attained the reality of perception." He becomes "freed from the sea of materialism."

READING #13 PUP pg 314-315

In the world of existence there are various bonds which unite human hearts, but not one of these
bonds is completely effective. The first and foremost is the bond of family relationship, which is not an
efficient unity, for how often it happens that disagreement and divergence rend asunder this close tie
of association. The bond of patriotism may be a means of fellowship and agreement, but oneness of
native land will not completely cement human hearts; for if we review history, we shall find that people
of the same race and native land have frequently waged war against each other. Often in civil strife
they have shed the same racial blood and destroyed the possessions of their own native kind.
Therefore, this bond is not sufficient. Another means of seeming unity is the bond of political
association, where governments and rulers have been allied for reasons of intercourse and mutual
protection, but which agreement and union afterward became subject to change and violent hatred
even to the extreme of war and bloodshed. It is evident that political oneness is not permanently
effective.

The source of perfect unity and love in the world of existence is the bond and oneness of reality. When
the divine and fundamental reality enters human hearts and lives, it conserves and protects all states
and conditions of mankind, establishing that intrinsic oneness of the world of humanity which can
only come into being through the efficacy of the Holy Spirit. For the Holy Spirit is like unto the life in
the human body, which blends all differences of parts and members in unity and agreement. Consider
how numerous are these parts and members, but the oneness of the animating spirit of life unites
them all in perfect combination. It establishes such a unity in the bodily organism that if any part is
subjected to injury or becomes diseased, all the other parts and functions sympathetically respond and
suffer, owing to the perfect oneness existing. Just as the human spirit of life is the cause of
coordination among the various parts of the human organism, the Holy Spirit is the controlling cause
of the unity and coordination of mankind. That is to say, the bond or oneness of humanity cannot be
effectively established save through the power of the Holy Spirit, for the world of humanity is a
composite body, and the Holy Spirit is the animating principle of its life.

Therefore, we must strive in order that the power of the Holy Spirit may become effective throughout
the world of mankind, that it may confer a new quickening life upon the body politic of the nations and
peoples and that all may be guided to the protection and shelter of the Word of God. Then this human
world will become angelic, earthly darkness pass away and celestial illumination flood the horizons,
human defects be effaced and divine virtues become resplendent. This is possible and real, but only
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Today the greatest need of the world is the animating, unifying

presence of the Holy Spirit. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, pages 320-321)

Through the Holy Spirit "Divine fellowship and world unity are attained." The Holy Spirit is the only
power able to unite humanity.

READING #14 PUP pg 271

The point is this: that to gain control over physical bodies is an extremely easy matter, but to bring
spirits within the bonds of serenity is a most arduous undertaking. This is not the work of everybody.
It necessitates a divine and holy potency, the potency of inspiration, the power of the Holy Spirit. For
example, Christ was capable of leading spirits into that abode of serenity. He was capable of guiding
hearts into that haven of rest. From the day of His manifestation to the present time He has been
resuscitating hearts and quickening spirits. He has exercised that vivifying influence in the realm of
hearts and spirits; therefore, His resuscitating is everlasting.

In this century of the latter times Bahá'u'lláh has appeared and so resuscitated spirits that they have
manifested powers more than human. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, page 277)

That spirit brings us under the bonds of serenity.

SUMMARY

By the attainment of the station of severance and self- sacrifice, and entering through this gate into the
world of the kingdom, the world of the spirit of Holiness, this world into which God has ushered us
becomes for the first time understandable, correlated, meaningful. Self-sacrifice is found to be a
treasure. Detachment is discovered to be the path to undreamed of freedom. Loss of anxiety about our
material affairs has proven to be the touchstone which makes those same affairs far less complicated
and difficult.

The Kingdom of God on Earth
__________________________↩__________________________
Lesson VIII

1 - Gl. pg. 32 This is the Day...the Most High.

2 - HW P#18

3 - Gl. pg. 31-32 Say: This is...vehement desire!

4 - HW A#68

5 - PUP pg. 186-187 The unity which is productive ...acme of good fortune (191-192) .

6 - WOB pg. 18-22 It behooves us...considerably abated.
7 - WOB pg. 64-67 Let them refrain...His blessed Name.

8 - Gl. pg. 15 Render thanks...He shed His tears.

9 - BA pg. 58-59 We have but to turn ...enduring achievement.

10 - WOB - pg. 16-17 I feel it...heaped upon it!

Note: Pages for PUP in parentheses are the newer (1982) edition while those originally cited in the
1922 edition have been retained.

In our previous lessons we found that the world of phenomena the contingent world, conceals spiritual
mysteries, the investigation of which, through the capacity of man to understand the divine teachings,
leads him to the Heaven of significances. Entrance into this Heaven of Understanding transforms life
because in that world man deals with all things and events on the plane of spirit, the plane of the
supreme Concourse, the plane of the Manifestation of God. He is taught and encouraged by the higher
intelligence of the Supreme World, by the example and Words of the Manifestation of God, and by the
Power of this Word he tests all things and experiences his spiritual standard. Thus he is raised from
the "death" of bondage to the world of illusion, the transitory, evanescent world, and comes under the
bondage of the Holy Spirit, the Cosmic, guiding spirit of the Universe of Bahá'u'lláh.

READING #1 Gl pg. 32

This is the Day whereon He Who is the Revealer of the names of God hath stepped out of the
Tabernacle of glory, and proclaimed unto all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth: "Put
away the cups of Paradise and all the life-giving waters they contain, for lo, the people of Baha have
entered the blissful abode of the Divine Presence, and quaffed the wine of reunion, from the chalice of
the beauty of their Lord, the All-Possessing, the Most High." (Gleanings, page 32)

This transition has become possible only because of the Divine Springtime has come; the revivifying
spirit, focused in the Manifestation of God, has brought to man's spirit a life-giving power which
transforms both the outer, phenomenal world, and the inner, dynamic, creative world of man.

READING #2 HW P#18

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! (Persian
Hidden Words, page 18)

This is the "new heaven and the new earth" spoken of by all the prophets. The heaven of past religions
are rolled together like a scroll and an entirely new outlook spread before the understanding spirit of
man.

READING #3 Gl pg.. 31-32

Say: This is the Paradise on whose foliage the wine of utterance hath imprinted the testimony: "He that
was hidden from the eyes of men is revealed, girded with sovereignty and power!" This is the Paradise,
the rustling of whose leaves proclaims: "O ye that inhabit the heavens and the earth! There hath
appeared what hath never previously appeared. He Who, from everlasting, had concealed His Face
from the sight of creation is now come." From the whispering breeze that wafteth amidst its branches
there cometh the cry: "He Who is the sovereign Lord of all is made manifest. The Kingdom is God's,"
while from its streaming waters can be heard the murmur: "All eyes are gladdened, for He Whom none
hath beheld, Whose secret no one hath discovered, hath lifted the veil of glory, and uncovered the
countenance of Beauty."
Within this Paradise, and from the heights of its loftiest chambers, the Maids of Heaven have cried out
and shouted: "Rejoice, ye dwellers of the realms above, for the fingers of Him Who is the Ancient of
Days are ringing, in the name of the All-Glorious, the Most Great Bell, in the midmost heart of the
heavens. The hands of bounty have borne round the cup of everlasting life. Approach, and quaff your
fill. Drink with healthy relish, O ye that are the very incarnations of longing, ye who are the
embodiments of vehement desire!" (Gleanings, pages 31-32)

This "New Earth" is the kingdom of God which we were commanded by His Holiness Christ to watch
for and pray for constantly. The father has come with His Most Mighty Power among the nations. He
for whose coming we have been praying for 1900 years has appeared in a human Temple with Power
and Dominion, His Holy angels with Him, and has set up His kingdom on earth The constitution of
this kingdom is non other than that governing the Supreme Concourse. It is the eternal law of God
ruling in the higher worlds- all the progressive heavens of spiritual realm. This is what Jesus referred

to when He taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven."

The kingdom of God on earth is exactly what its name implies. It is a government, a kingdom, the laws
of which are the codified commands of the Manifestation of God revealed by the vast literature of the
Word, ad interpreted by the twin institutions of the Guardianship and International House of Justice.

These laws of the kingdom should be carefully studied. Although the Aqdas is not yet available in
English, yet the Tablets Ishrakat, Paradise of the world, Tarazat, Glad Tidings and Tajallleyat, as well
as the two Wills are at hand A working knowledge of their contents is most important if one wishes to
get a clear picture of what the kingdom in its outer manifestation is like.

READING #4 HW A#68

O CHILDREN OF MEN!

Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the
other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from one
same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the
same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the
signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest. Such is My counsel to you, O
concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of
wondrous glory. (Arabic Hidden Words, page 68)

The working efficiency of the government of the kingdom is carried on through the believers. Its
citizens are "Those who reinforced by the power of the spirit, have consumed, with the fire of the love
of God, all human traits and limitations, and have clothed themselves with the attributes of the most
exalted beings."

Through faith in the Manifestation of God ad devoted love for Him they have become so transformed
as to have entirely put off the old and mortal garment of selfish desires, ignoble aims and narrow
horizons, and have become clothed with the new and immortal robe of universal love, cosmic vision
and self-sacrificing decision and dedication to a world encompassing unity and eternal life.

READING #5 PUP pg. 186-187

The unity which is productive of unlimited results is first a unity of mankind which recognizes that all
are sheltered beneath the overshadowing glory of the All-Glorious, that all are servants of one God; for
all breathe the same atmosphere, live upon the same earth, move beneath the same heavens, receive
effulgence from the same sun and are under the protection of one God. This is the most great unity,
and its results are lasting if humanity adheres to it; but mankind has hitherto violated it, adhering to
sectarian or other limited unities such as racial, patriotic or unity of self-interests; therefore, no great
results have been forthcoming. Nevertheless, it is certain that the radiance and favors of God are
encompassing, minds have developed, perceptions have become acute, sciences and arts are
widespread, and capacity exists for the proclamation and promulgation of the real and ultimate unity
of mankind, which will bring forth marvellous results. It will reconcile all religions, make warring

nations loving, cause hostile kings to become friendly and bring peace and happiness to the human
world. It will cement together the Orient and Occident, remove forever the foundations of war and
upraise the ensign of the Most Great Peace. These limited unities are, therefore, signs of that great
unity which will make all the human family one by being productive of the attractions of conscience in
mankind.

Another unity is the spiritual unity which emanates from the breaths of the Holy Spirit. This is greater
than the unity of mankind. Human unity or solidarity may be likened to the body, whereas unity from
the breaths of the Holy Spirit is the spirit animating the body. This is a perfect unity. It creates such a
condition in mankind that each one will make sacrifices for the other, and the utmost desire will be to
forfeit life and all that pertains to it in behalf of another's good. This is the unity which existed among
the disciples of Jesus Christ and bound together the Prophets and holy Souls of the past. It is the unity
which through the influence of the divine spirit is permeating the Bahá'ís so that each offers his life for
the other and strives with all sincerity to attain his good pleasure. This is the unity which caused
twenty thousand people in Persia to give their lives in love and devotion to it. It made the Bab the
target of a thousand arrows and caused Bahá'u'lláh to suffer exile and imprisonment forty years. This
unity is the very spirit of the body of the world. It is impossible for the body of the world to become
quickened with life without its vivification. Jesus Christ -may my life be a sacrifice to Him! -
promulgated this unity among mankind. Every soul who believed in Jesus Christ became revivified
and resuscitated through this spirit, attained to the zenith of eternal glory, realized the everlasting life,
experienced the second birth and rose to the acme of good fortune. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*,
pages 191-192)

The spirit dominating the government of the least of its citizens to the International House of Justice is
the Holy spirit - which animates every part and member just as the spirit of the individual unifies and
animates the human body. The Holy Spirit, then, is the true king of the kingdom of God actually
functioning as the dominant power in the world of humanity.

READING #6 WOB pg. 18-22

It behooves us, dear friends, to endeavor not only to familiarize ourselves with the essential features of
this supreme Handiwork of Bahá'u'lláh, but also to grasp the fundamental difference existing between
this world- embracing, divinely-appointed Order and the chief ecclesiastical organizations of the
world, whether they pertain to the Church of Christ, or to the ordinances of the Muhammadan
Dispensation.

For those whose priceless privilege is to guard over, administer the affairs, and advance the interests of
these Bahá'í institutions will have, sooner or later, to face this searching question: "Where and how
does this Order established by Bahá'u'lláh, which to outward seeming is but a replica of the institutions
established in Christianity and Islam, differ from them? Are not the twin institutions of the House of
Justice and of the Guardianship, the institution of the Hands of the Cause of God, the institution of the
national and local Assemblies, the institution of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, but different names for the
institutions of the Papacy and the Caliphate, with all their attending ecclesiastical orders which the
Christians and Moslems uphold and advocate? What can possibly be the agency that can safeguard

these Bahá'í institutions, so strikingly resembling, in some of their features, to those which have been
reared by the Fathers of the Church and the Apostles of Muhammad, from witnessing the deterioration
in character, the breach of unity, and the extinction of influence, which have befallen all organized
religious hierarchies? Why should they not eventually suffer the self-same fate that has overtaken the
institutions which the successors of Christ and Muhammad have reared?"

Upon the answer given to these challenging questions will, in a great measure, depend the success of
the efforts which believers in every land are now exerting for the establishment of God's kingdom upon
the earth. Few will fail to recognize that the Spirit breathed by Bahá'u'lláh upon the world, and which
is manifesting itself with varying degrees of intensity through the efforts consciously displayed by His
avowed supporters and indirectly through certain humanitarian organizations, can never permeate
and exercise an abiding influence upon mankind unless and until it incarnates itself in a visible Order,
which would bear His name, wholly identify itself with His principles, and function in conformity with
His laws. That Bahá'u'lláh in His Book of Aqdas, and later Ábdu'l-Bahá in His Will - a document which
confirms, supplements, and correlates the provisions of the Aqdas - have set forth in their entirety
those essential elements for the constitution of the world Bahá'í Commonwealth, no one who has read
them will deny. According to these divinely-ordained administrative principles, the Dispensation of
Bahá'u'lláh - the Ark of human salvation -must needs be modeled. From them, all future blessings
must flow, and upon them its inviolable authority must ultimately rest. For Bahá'u'lláh, we should
readily recognize, has not only imbued mankind with a new and regenerating Spirit. He has not merely
enunciated certain universal principles, or propounded a particular philosophy, however potent,
sound and universal these may be. In addition to these He, as well as Ábdu'l-Bahá after Him, has,
unlike the Dispensations of the past, clearly and specifically laid down a set of Laws, established
definite institutions, and provided for the essentials of a Divine Economy. These are destined to be a
pattern for future society, a supreme instrument for the establishment of the Most Great Peace, and
the one agency for the unification of the world, and the proclamation of the reign of righteousness and
justice upon the earth. Not only have they revealed all the directions required for the practical
realization of those ideals which the Prophets of God have visualized, and which from time
immemorial have inflamed the imagination of seers and poets in every age. They have also, in
unequivocal and emphatic language, appointed those twin institutions of the House of Justice and of
the Guardianship as their chosen Successors, destined to apply the principles, promulgate the laws,
protect the institutions, adapt loyally and intelligently the Faith to the requirements of progressive
society, and consummate the incorruptible inheritance which the Founders of the Faith have
bequeathed to the world.

Should we look back upon the past, were we to search out the Gospel and the Qur'an, we will readily
recognize that neither the Christian nor the Islamic Dispensations can offer a parallel either to the
system of Divine Economy so thoroughly established by Bahá'u'lláh, or to the safeguards which He has
provided for its preservation and advancement. Therein, I am profoundly convinced, lies the answer to
those questions to which I have already referred. None, I feel, will question the fact that the
fundamental reason why the unity of the Church of Christ was irretrievably shattered, and its influence
was in the course of time undermined, was that the Edifice which the Fathers of the Church reared
after the passing of His First Apostle was an Edifice that rested in nowise upon the explicit directions
of Christ Himself. The authority and features of their administration were wholly inferred, and

indirectly derived, with more or less justification, from certain vague and fragmentary references
which they found scattered amongst His utterances as recorded in the Gospel. Not one of the
sacraments of the Church; not one of the rites and ceremonies which the Christian Fathers have
elaborately devised and ostentatiously observed; not one of the elements of the severe discipline they
rigorously imposed upon the primitive Christians; none of these reposed on the direct authority of
Christ, or emanated from His specific utterances. Not one of these did Christ conceive, none did He
specifically invest with sufficient authority to either interpret His Word, or to add to what He had not
specifically enjoined.

For this reason, in later generations, voices were raised in protest against the self-appointed Authority
which arrogated to itself privileges and powers which did not emanate from the clear text of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ, and which constituted a grave departure from the spirit which that Gospel did
inculcate. They argued with force and justification that the canons promulgated by the Councils of the
Church were not divinely-appointed laws, but were merely human devices which did not even rest
upon the actual utterances of Jesus. Their contention centered around the fact that the vague and
inconclusive words, addressed by Christ to Peter, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my
Church," could never justify the extreme measures, the elaborate ceremonials, the fettering creeds and
dogmas, with which His successors have gradually burdened and obscured His Faith. Had it been
possible for the Church Fathers, whose unwarranted authority was thus fiercely assailed from every
side, to refute the denunciations heaped upon them by quoting specific utterances of Christ regarding
the future administration of His Church, or the nature of the authority of His Successors, they would
surely have been capable of quenching the flame of controversy, and preserving the unity of
Christendom. The Gospel, however, the only repository of the utterances of Christ, afforded no such
shelter to these harassed leaders of the Church, who found themselves helpless in the face of the
pitiless onslaught of their enemy, and who eventually had to submit to the forces of schism which
invaded their ranks.

In the Muhammadan Revelation, however, although His Faith as compared with that of Christ was, so
far as the administration of His Dispensation is concerned, more complete and more specific in its
provisions, yet in the matter of succession, it gave no written, no binding and conclusive instructions
to those whose mission was to propagate His Cause. For the text of the Qur'an, the ordinances of which
regarding prayer, fasting, marriage, divorce, inheritance, pilgrimage, and the like, have after the
revolution of thirteen hundred years remained intact and operative, gives no definite guidance
regarding the Law of Succession, the source of all the dissensions, the controversies, and schisms
which have dismembered and discredited Islam.

Not so with the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh. Unlike the Dispensation of Christ, unlike the Dispensation of
Muhammad, unlike all the Dispensations of the past, the apostles of Bahá'u'lláh in every land,
wherever they labor and toil, have before them in clear, in unequivocal and emphatic language, all the
laws, the regulations, the principles, the institutions, the guidance, they require for the prosecution
and consummation of their task. Both in the administrative provisions of the Bahá'í Dispensation, and
in the matter of succession, as embodied in the twin institutions of the House of Justice and of the
Guardianship, the followers of Bahá'u'lláh can summon to their aid such irrefutable evidences of
Divine Guidance that none can resist, that none can belittle or ignore. Therein lies the distinguishing
feature of the Bahá'í Revelation. Therein lies the strength of the unity of the Faith, of the validity of a

Revelation that claims not to destroy or belittle previous Revelations, but to connect, unify, and fulfil
them. This is the reason why Bahá'u'lláh and Ábdu'l-Bahá have both revealed and even insisted upon
certain details in connection with the Divine Economy which they have bequeathed to us, their
followers. This is why such an emphasis has been placed in their Will and Testament upon the powers
and prerogatives of the ministers of their Faith.

For nothing short of the explicit directions of their Book, and the surprisingly emphatic language with
which they have clothed the provisions of their Will, could possibly safeguard the Faith for which they
have both so gloriously labored all their lives. Nothing short of this could protect it from the heresies
and calumnies with which denominations, peoples, and governments have endeavored, and will, with
increasing vigour, endeavor to assail it in future. We should also bear in mind that the distinguishing
character of the Bahá'í Revelation does not solely consist in the completeness and unquestionable
validity of the Dispensation which the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh and Ábdu'l-Bahá have established. Its
excellence lies also in the fact that those elements which in past Dispensations have, without the least
authority from their Founders, been a source of corruption and of incalculable harm to the Faith of
God, have been strictly excluded by the clear text of Bahá'u'lláh's writings. Those unwarranted
practices, in connection with the sacrament of baptism, of communion, of confession of sins, of
asceticism, of priestly domination, of elaborate ceremonials, of holy war and of polygamy, have one
and all been rigidly suppressed by the Pen of Bahá'u'lláh; whilst the rigidity and rigor of certain
observances, such as fasting, which are necessary to the devotional life of the individual, have been
considerably abated. (World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, pages 18-22)

Difference between the Bahá'í Faith and Ecclesiastical Organizations.

The Holy Spirit is fully revealed in Bahá'u'lláh; active and expressive in the Center of the Covenant,
Ábdu'l-Bahá, and functions throughout this Day of God, which is not followed by any night, through
the Guardianship and the International house of Justice; through the National Spiritual Assemblies
and the Local Spiritual Assemblies and finally through each and every citizen of he Kingdom. This is
what makes him a citizen. He has drunk from the Cup of Lie (the life of the spirit) passed by the Hand
of the Divine Cup-bearer. His standards of judgement and action are based on Divine Standards and
are entirely different and opposed to the standards of those not yet resurrected from the tomb of self.
The practical application of the principle involved is evident. Just as it is impossible for the adult man
to adjust his ideas and ideals to the point of view of the unborn child, or to those of a child of five or
ten years, so it is impossible for the child of the Kingdom to adjust his ideas and ideals to the souls still
in the dungeon of the matrix of materiality.

How can those motivated by the Holy Spirit adopt or accept the policies, ideals, motives of those not so
actuated? Hence the constant and emphatic expressions of Bahá'u'lláh and Ábdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi
Effendi warning the believers, the citizens of the Kingdom of God, against any close association with
the policies of the so-called leaders of either religious or political affairs.

READING #7 WOB pg. 64-67

Let them refrain from associating themselves, whether by word or by deed, with the political pursuits

of their respective nations, with the policies of their governments and the schemes and programs of
parties and factions. In such controversies they should assign no blame, take no side, further no
design, and identify themselves with no system prejudicial to the best interests of that world-wide
Fellowship which it is their aim to guard and foster. Let them beware lest they allow themselves to
become the tools of unscrupulous politicians, or to be entrapped by the treacherous devices of the
plotters and the perfidious among their countrymen. Let them so shape their lives and regulate their
conduct that no charge of secrecy, of fraud, of bribery or of intimidation may, however ill- founded, be
brought against them. Let them rise above all particularism and partisanship, above the vain disputes,
the petty calculations, the transient passions that agitate the face, and engage the attention, of a
changing world. It is their duty to strive to distinguish, as clearly as they possibly can, and if needed
with the aid of their elected representatives, such posts and functions as are either diplomatic or
political from those that are purely administrative in character, and which under no circumstances are
affected by the changes and chances that political activities and party government, in every land, must
necessarily involve. Let them affirm their unyielding determination to stand, firmly and unreservedly,
for the way of Bahá'u'lláh, to avoid the entanglements and bickerings inseparable from the pursuits of
the politician, and to become worthy agencies of that Divine Polity which incarnates God's immutable
Purpose for all men. It should be made unmistakably clear that such an attitude implies neither the
slightest indifference to the cause and interests of their own country, nor involves any insubordination
on their part to the authority of recognized and established governments. Nor does it constitute a
repudiation of their sacred obligation to promote, in the most effective manner, the best interests of
their government and people. It indicates the desire cherished by every true and loyal follower of
Bahá'u'lláh to serve, in an unselfish, unostentatious and patriotic fashion, the highest interests of the
country to which he belongs, and in a way that would entail no departure from the high standards of
integrity and truthfulness associated with the teachings of his Faith.

As the number of the Bahá'í communities in various parts of the world multiplies and their power, as a
social force, becomes increasingly apparent, they will no doubt find themselves increasingly subjected
to the pressure which men of authority and influence, in the political domain, will exercise in the hope
of obtaining the support they require for the advancement of their aims. These communities will,
moreover, feel a growing need of the good-will and the assistance of their respective governments in
their efforts to widen the scope, and to consolidate the foundations, of the institutions committed to
their charge. Let them beware lest, in their eagerness to further the aims of their beloved Cause, they
should be led unwittingly to bargain with their Faith, to compromise with their essential principles, or
to sacrifice, in return for any material advantage which their institutions may derive, the integrity of
their spiritual ideals. Let them proclaim that in whatever country they reside, and however advanced
their institutions, or profound their desire to enforce the laws, and apply the principles, enunciated by
Bahá'u'lláh, they will, unhesitatingly, subordinate the operation of such laws and the application of
such principles to the requirements and legal enactments of their respective governments. Theirs is
not the purpose, while endeavouring to conduct and perfect the administrative affairs of their Faith, to
violate, under any circumstances, the provisions of their country's constitution, much less to allow the
machinery of their administration to supersede the government of their respective countries.

It should also be borne in mind that the very extension of the activities in which we are engaged, and
the variety of the communities which labor under divers forms of government, so essentially different

in their standards, policies, and methods, make it absolutely essential for all those who are the
declared members of any one of these communities to avoid any action that might, by arousing the
suspicion or exciting the antagonism of any one government, involve their brethren in fresh
persecutions or complicate the nature of their task. How else, might I ask, could such a far-flung Faith,
which transcends political and social boundaries, which includes within its pale so great a variety of
races and nations, which will have to rely increasingly, as it forges ahead, on the good-will and support
of the diversified and contending governments of the earth - how else could such a Faith succeed in
preserving its unity, in safeguarding its interests, and in ensuring the steady and peaceful development
of its institutions?

Such an attitude, however, is not dictated by considerations of selfish expediency, but is actuated, first
and foremost, by the broad principle that the followers of Bahá'u'lláh will, under no circumstances,
suffer themselves to be involved, whether as individuals or in their collective capacities, in matters that
would entail the slightest departure from the fundamental verities and ideals of their Faith. Neither
the charges which the uninformed and the malicious may be led to bring against them, nor the
allurements of honours and rewards, will ever induce them to surrender their trust or to deviate from
their path. Let their words proclaim, and their conduct testify, that they who follow Bahá'u'lláh, in
whatever land they reside, are actuated by no selfish ambition, that they neither thirst for power, nor
mind any wave of unpopularity, of distrust or criticism, which a strict adherence to their standards
might provoke.

Difficult and delicate though be our task, the sustaining power of Bahá'u'lláh and of His Divine
guidance will assuredly assist us if we follow steadfastly in His way, and strive to uphold the integrity
of His laws. The light of His redeeming grace, which no earthly power can obscure, will if we persevere,
illuminate our path, as we steer our course amid the snares and pitfalls of a troubled age, and will
enable us to discharge our duties in a manner that would redound to the glory and the honor of His
blessed Name. (World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, pages 64-67)

That this presents a problem which each individual believer must settle for himself admits of no doubt.
Will it not help in the solution of tins problem if it be borne in mind constantly that, as a citizen of the
kingdom he is under the guidance of the Holy Spirit which in this Great Day of His Manifestation in
the temple of Man is actively functioning through the Local and National Assemblies and the
International house of justice.

The sincere believers, then, should constantly re-orient themselves to this attitude and conviction. We
are of the New Kingdom. The kingdoms of this world are rapidly disintegrating. Upon the complete
unity of the believers, their entire submission to the Divine Plan as enunciated in the Creative Word
and its activity in spreading the Teachings and so enlarging the borders of the Kingdom, depends its
rapid growth and successful functioning.

READING #8 GL pg.. 15

..."Render thanks unto thy Lord, O Carmel. The fire of thy separation from Me was fast consuming
thee, when the ocean of My presence surged before thy face, cheering thine eyes and those of all
creation, and filling with delight all things visible and invisible. Rejoice, for God hath in this Day

established upon thee His throne, hath made thee the dawning-place of His signs and the day spring of
the evidences of His Revelation. Well is it with him that circleth around thee, that proclaimeth the
revelation of thy glory, and recounteth that which the bounty of the Lord thy God hath showered upon
thee. Seize thou the Chalice of Immortality in the name of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, and give thanks
unto Him, inasmuch as He, in token of His mercy unto thee, hath turned thy sorrow into gladness, and
transmuted thy grief into blissful joy. He, verily, loveth the spot which hath been made the seat of His
throne, which His footsteps have trodden, which hath been honored by His presence, from which He
raised His call, and upon which He shed His tears. (Gleanings, pages 15-16)

READING #9 BA pg. 67-68

We have but to turn our eyes to the world without to realize the fierceness and the magnitude of the
forces of darkness that are struggling with the dawning light of the Abha Revelation. Nations, though
exhausted and disillusioned, have seemingly begun to cherish anew the spirit of revenge, of
domination, and strife. Peoples, convulsed by economic upheavals, are slowly drifting into two great
opposing camps with all their menace of social chaos, class hatreds, and world-wide ruin. Races,
alienated more than ever before, are filled with mistrust, humiliation and fear, and seem to prepare
themselves for a fresh and fateful encounter. Creeds and religions, caught in this whirlpool of conflict
and passion, appear to gaze with impotence and despair at this spectacle of increasing turmoil. Such is
the plight of mankind three years after the passing of Him from Whose lips fell unceasingly the sure
message of a fast-approaching Divine salvation. Are we by our thoughts, our words, our deeds,
whether individually or collectively, preparing the way? Are we hastening the advent of the Day He so
often foretold?

None can deny that the flame of faith and love which His mighty hand kindled in many hearts has,
despite our bereavement, continued to burn as brightly and steadily as ever before. Who can question
that His loved ones, both in the East and the West, notwithstanding the insidious strivings of the
enemies of the Cause, have displayed a spirit of unshakable loyalty worthy of the highest praise? What
greater perseverance and fortitude than that which His tried and trusted friends have shown in the
face of untold calamities, intolerable oppression, and incredible restrictions? Such staunchness of
faith, such an unsullied love, such magnificent loyalty, such heroic constancy, such noble courage,
however unprecedented and laudable in themselves, cannot alone lead us to the final and complete
triumph of such a great Cause. Not until the dynamic love we cherish for Him is sufficiently reflected
in its power and purity in all our dealings with our fellowmen, however remotely connected and
humble in origin, can we hope to exalt in the eyes of a self-seeking world the genuineness of the
all-conquering love of God. Not until we live ourselves the life of a true Bahá'í can we hope to
demonstrate the creative and transforming potency of the Faith we profess. Nothing but the
abundance of our actions, nothing but the purity of our lives and the integrity of our character, can in
the last resort establish our claim that the Bahá'í spirit is in this day the sole agency that can translate a
long cherished ideal into an enduring achievement. (Unfolding Destiny, pages 33-34)

Menace of Social Chaos. Characteristics of citizens of the kingdom of God

READING #10 WOB pg. 16-17

I feel it, however, incumbent upon me by virtue of the responsibility attached to the Guardianship of
the Faith, to dwell more fully upon the essential character and the distinguishing features of that world
order as conceived and proclaimed by Bahá'u'lláh. I feel impelled, at the present stage of the evolution
of the Bahá'í Revelation, to state candidly and without any reservation, whatever I regard may tend to
insure the preservation of the integrity of the nascent institutions of the Faith. I strongly feel the urge
to elucidate certain facts, which would at once reveal to every fair-minded observer the unique
character of that Divine Civilization the foundations of which the unerring hand of Bahá'u'lláh has laid,
and the essential elements of which the Will and Testament of Ábdu'l-Bahá has disclosed. I consider it
my duty to warn every beginner in the Faith that the promised glories of the Sovereignty which the
Bahá'í teachings foreshadow, can be revealed only in the fullness of time, that the implications of the
Aqdas and the Will of Ábdu'l-Bahá, as the twin repositories of the constituent elements of that
Sovereignty, are too far-reaching for this generation to grasp and fully appreciate. I cannot refrain
from appealing to them who stand identified with the Faith to disregard the prevailing notions and the
fleeting fashions of the day, and to realize as never before that the exploded theories and the tottering
institutions of present-day civilization must needs appear in sharp contrast with those God-given
institutions which are destined to arise upon their ruin. I pray that they may realize with all their heart
and soul the ineffable glory of their calling, the overwhelming responsibility of their mission, and the
astounding immensity of their task.

For let every earnest upholder of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh realize that the storms which this struggling
Faith of God must needs encounter, as the process of the disintegration of society advances, shall be
fierce than any which it has already experienced. Let him be aware that so soon as the full measure of
the stupendous claim of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh comes to be recognized by those time-honored and
powerful strongholds of orthodoxy, whose deliberate aim is to maintain their stranglehold over the
thoughts and consciences of men, this infant Faith will have to contend with enemies more powerful
and more insidious than the cruellest torture-mongers and the most fanatical clerics who have afflicted
it in the past. What foes may not in the course of the convulsions that shall seize a dying civilization be
brought into existence, who will reinforce the indignities which have already been heaped upon it!
(World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, pages 16-17)
Distinguishing features of Bahá'í World Order.

'How pressing and sacred the responsibility that now weighs upon those who are already acquainted
with the teachings! How glorious the task of those who are called upon to vindicate their truth and
demonstrate their practicality to the unbelieving world' WOB pg. 24

'Ours is the duty to ponder these things in the heart, to strive to widen our vision, and to deepen our
comprehension of this Cause, and to arise, resolutely and unreservedly, to play our part, however
small, in this greatest drama of the world's spiritual history.' WOB pg. 26

The Meeting with God
________________________↩________________________
Lesson IX

Prayer P&M pg. 72-73

1 IQAN pg. 99-100 The door of the knowledge...He is I, myself.

2 IQAN pg. 98 To every discerning...the world of the visible.

3 IQAN pg. 142-143 These Prophets...His all embracing Revelation.

4 GL pg. 49-50 As a token of His mercy...hath disbelieved in God.

5 IQAN pg. 177-178 Through their appearance ...of the divine being.

6 GL pg. 70 The Person of the Manifestation...indivisible and peerless.

7 GL pg. 167 The essence of belief...steadfast in their belief.

8 GL pg. 165-166 Wert thou to ponder... limited the conception of God.

9 HW P#22 Compare with GL pg. 64.

Prayer P&M pg. 32-33 XXVIII

PRAYER - P&M pg. 72-73

Glory be to Thee, O my God! Thou hearest Thine ardent lovers lamenting in their separation from
Thee, and such as have recognized Thee wailing because of their remoteness from Thy presence. Open
Thou outwardly to their faces, O my Lord, the gates of Thy grace, that they may enter them by Thy
leave and in conformity with Thy will, and may stand before the throne of Thy majesty, and catch the
accents of Thy voice, and be illumined with the splendors of the light of Thy face.

Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. None can withstand the power of Thy sovereign might.
From everlasting Thou wert alone, with none to equal Thee, and wilt unto everlasting remain far above
all thought and every description of Thee. Have mercy, then, upon Thy servants by Thy grace and
bounty, and suffer them not to be kept back from the shores of the ocean of Thy nearness. If Thou
abandonest them, who is there to befriend them; and if Thou puttest them far from Thee, who is he
that can favor them? They have none other Lord beside Thee, none to adore except Thyself. Deal Thou
generously with them by Thy bountiful grace.

Thou, in truth, art the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate. (Prayers and Meditations, pages
72-73)

For the highest and most excelling grace bestowed upon men is the grace of "attaining unto the
Presence of God" (The Kitab-i-Iqan, page 138)

Attainment unto the divine Presence is synonymous with Resurrection. See Iqan page 145

'The one who reads that which is revealed in this tablet from the direction of the Throne and doubts
the reality of meeting his Lord, verily, he is of those who deny God, who causeth the mornings to break
forth!' Bahá'í Scriptures para. 276

The meeting with God is essentially a merging of the thoughts, ideal purposes, desires, activities and
will of the lover with the Beloved, of the seeker with the One sought, of the student with the Teacher, of
man with the Manifestation of God.

READING #1 IQAN pg. 99-100

The door of the knowledge of the Ancient of Days being thus closed in the face of all beings, the Source
of infinite grace, according to His saying: "His grace hath transcended all things; My grace hath
encompassed them all" hath caused those luminous Gems of Holiness to appear out of the realm of the
spirit, in the noble form of the human temple, and be made manifest unto all men, that they may
impart unto the world the mysteries of the unchangeable Being, and tell of the subtleties of His
imperishable Essence. These sanctified Mirrors, these Day-springs of ancient glory are one and all the
Exponents on earth of Him Who is the central Orb of the universe, its Essence and ultimate Purpose.
From Him proceed their knowledge and power; from Him is derived their sovereignty. The beauty of
their countenance is but a reflection of His image, and their revelation a sign of His deathless glory.
They are the Treasuries of divine knowledge, and the Repositories of celestial wisdom. Through them
is transmitted a grace that is infinite, and by them is revealed the light that can never fade. Even as He
hath said: "There is no distinction whatsoever between Thee and them; except that they are Thy
servants, and are created of Thee." This is the significance of the tradition: "I am He, Himself, and He
is I, myself." (The Kitab-i-Iqan, pages 99-100)

When the Name of God is mentioned with the connotation of knowing Him, understanding His Word,
being taught by Him, drawing near unto Him, meeting with Him, etc., or in fact any mention whatever
of God, it is the Manifestation which is always understood. For the Primal Essence, the First Cause, is
unknowable.

'No one has known Him and no soul has found out His substance.'

READING #2 Iqan pg. 98

To every discerning and illumined heart it is evident that God, the unknowable Essence, the divine
Being, is immensely exalted beyond every human attribute, such as corporeal existence, ascent and
descent, egress and regress. Far be it from His glory that human tongue should adequately recount His
praise, or that human heart comprehend His fathomless mystery. He is and hath ever been veiled in
the ancient eternity of His Essence, and will remain in His Reality everlastingly hidden from the sight
of men. "No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision; He is the Subtle, the All-Perceiving."(1)

No tie of direct intercourse can possibly bind Him to His creatures. He standeth exalted beyond and
above all separation and union, all proximity and remoteness. No sign can indicate His presence or His
absence; inasmuch as by a word of His command all that are in heaven and on earth have come to
exist, and by His wish, which is the Primal Will itself, all have stepped out of utter nothingness into the
realm of being, the world of the visible. (The Kitab-i-Iqan, page 98)

READING #3 IQAN pg. 142-143

These Prophets and chosen Ones of God are the recipients and revealers of all the unchangeable
attributes and names of God. They are the mirrors that truly and faithfully reflect the light of God.
Whatsoever is applicable to them is in reality applicable to God, Himself, Who is both the Visible and
the Invisible. The knowledge of Him, Who is the Origin of all things, and attainment unto Him, are
impossible save through knowledge of, and attainment unto, these luminous Beings who proceed from
the Sun of Truth. By attaining, therefore, to the presence of these holy Luminaries, the "Presence of
God" Himself is attained. From their knowledge, the knowledge of God is revealed, and from the light
of their countenance, the splendour of the Face of God is made manifest. Through the manifold
attributes of these Essences of Detachment, Who are both the first and the last, the seen and the
hidden, it is made evident that He Who is the Sun of Truth is "the First and the Last, the Seen, and the
Hidden."(1) Likewise the other lofty names and exalted attributes of God. Therefore, whosoever, and in
whatever Dispensation, hath recognized and attained unto the presence of these glorious, these
resplendent and most excellent Luminaries, hath verily attained unto the "Presence of God" Himself,
and entered the city of eternal and immortal life. Attainment unto such presence is possible only in the
Day of Resurrection, which is the Day of the rise of God Himself through His all-embracing Revelation.
(The Kitab-i-Iqan, pages 142-143)

So when one turns his heart towards God in supplication, prayer, meditation or in the slightest
thought, it should always consciously and determinedly be the Manifestation to Whom he turns.

READING #4 GL pg. 49-50
As a token of His mercy, however, and as a proof of His loving-kindness, He hath manifested unto men
the Day Stars of His divine guidance, the Symbols of His divine unity, and hath ordained the
knowledge of these sanctified Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self. Whoso
recognizeth them hath recognized God. Whoso hearkeneth to their call, hath hearkened to the Voice of
God, and whoso testifieth to the truth of their Revelation, hath testified to the truth of God Himself.
Whoso turneth away from them, hath turned away from God, and whoso disbelieveth in them, hath
disbelieved in God. (Gleanings, pages 49-50)

When the meeting with God is spoken of then it is the meeting with the Manifestation of God in His
human temple which is meant; the acceptance of His words as the Words of God Himself.

READING #5 IQAN pg. 177-178

Through their appearance the Revelation of God is made manifest, and by their countenance the
Beauty of God is revealed. Thus it is that the accents of God Himself have been heard uttered by these
Manifestations of the divine Being. (The Kitab-i-Iqan, pages 177-178)

READING #6 GL pg. 70

The Person of the Manifestation hath ever been the representative and mouthpiece of God. He, in
truth, is the Day Spring of God's most excellent Titles, and the Dawning-Place of His exalted
Attributes. If any be set up by His side as peers, if they be regarded as identical with His Person, how
can it, then, be maintained that the Divine Being is One and Incomparable, that His Essence is
indivisible and peerless? (Gleanings, page 70)

In the merging of spirits thus attained, man rises above the realm of material things into the Paradise
of His meeting and approximates the 'station from which shone forth the dawn of his verses.' (Dawn
Prayer). It is this meeting to which Bahá'u'lláh refers, 'The station of revelation and vision before the
Throne of His Grandeur.' (Tablet Ishraqat) Bahá'u'lláh even identifies the Manifestation with the
Unknowable Essence:

READING #7 GL pg. 167

he essence of belief in Divine unity consisteth in regarding Him Who is the Manifestation of God and
Him Who is the invisible, the inaccessible, the unknowable Essence as one and the same. By this is
meant that whatever pertaineth to the former, all His acts and doings, whatever He ordaineth or
forbiddeth, should be considered, in all their aspects, and under all circumstances, and without any
reservation, as identical with the Will of God Himself. This is the loftiest station to which a true
believer in the unity of God can ever hope to attain. Blessed is the man that reacheth this station, and
is of them that are steadfast in their belief. (Gleanings, page 167)

In fact the mind of man is utterly incapable of dealing with this tremendous subject.

READING #8 GL pg. 165-166 Wert thou to ponder in thine heart, from now until the end that hath no
end, and with all the concentrated intelligence and understanding which the greatest minds have
attained in the past or will attain in the future, this divinely ordained and subtle Reality, this sign of
the revelation of the All-Abiding, All-Glorious God, thou wilt fail to comprehend its mystery or to
appraise its virtue. Having recognized thy powerlessness to attain to an adequate understanding of
that Reality which abideth within thee, thou wilt readily admit the futility of such efforts as may be
attempted by thee, or by any of the created things, to fathom the mystery of the Living God, the Day
Star of unfading glory, the Ancient of everlasting days. This confession of helplessness which mature
contemplation must eventually impel every mind to make is in itself the acme of human
understanding, and marketh the culmination of man's development.

Regard thou the one true God as One Who is apart from, and immeasurably exalted above, all created
things. The whole universe reflecteth His glory, while He is Himself independent of, and transcendeth
His creatures. This is the true meaning of Divine unity. He Who is the Eternal Truth is the one Power
Who exerciseth undisputed sovereignty over the world of being, Whose image is reflected in the mirror
of the entire creation. All existence is dependent upon Him, and from Him is derived the source of the
sustenance of all things. This is what is meant by Divine unity; this is its fundamental principle.

Some, deluded by their idle fancies, have conceived all created things as associates and partners of
God, and imagined themselves to be the exponents of His unity. By Him Who is the one true God!
Such men have been, and will continue to remain, the victims of blind imitation, and are to be
numbered with them that have restricted and limited the conception of God. (Gleanings, pages
165-166)

We are warned constantly against making 'partners with God.' It is as if we are being warned not to
give our imaginations and superstitions free sway. Also, it must be remembered that to our limited
intelligence and station of the Manifestation is as infinitely removed from our understanding as that of
the Essence Itself. 'He is a sea upon which no one can sail...' Yet 'Were His servants to know Him as He
is to be known, they would all sever themselves from everything, and would make themselves subject
to Him, their King,...' Bahá'í Scripture par. 377-378

This hastening unto Him, this knowing Him as He may be known, this recognition of His Station as
the Mouthpiece of the Unknowable Essence, this turning to Him in prayer, thought, meditation is the
Meeting with God of which He speaks so often and so alluringly. To deny this possibility is to 'deny
God, Who causeth the mornings to break.'

It is important that this meeting with God should be practically and vividly realized as an intellectual
certainty. it is a simple matter after all. When we read Browning, Emerson, Shelly, Plato and some
great passage strikes us which stirs us to the roots of our being, we enter, according to our capacity
into the spirit of the author and truly meet him at his best, much more truly meets him than if we
talked to him in the flesh. For here we associate with his higher self - his real and spiritual self. By that
'meeting' we are uplifted into a world of thought and emotion which, compared to our everyday
material living in truly a heavenly realm. If this is true of an earthly genius what must be the effect
upon our spirits of a similar meeting with the incarnate Spirit of God.

The perfect man, according to the terminology of the New Day, is he who enters into this
companionship with God. It is none of the connotations with which our limited knowledge, our
unlimited ignorance, associated with the work 'perfection' and 'goodness'. There is none good save
God. The perfect man is he who unreservedly absolutely, sincerely and self-sacrificingly submits his
will, his mind, his spirit to the spirit, Will and Law of God as revealed in the Words of His Prophet,
Bahá'u'lláh. This does not mean that he becomes, in the eyes of his associates, a suddenly transformed
being, identified with certain qualities that set him above and apart from the common herd. On the
contrary he is often an abased rather than an exalted man. Nor is he in his own mine exalted to
anything like his conception of perfection. Rather he is humbled to a condition bordering on
nothingness.

His sole claim to perfection (which, of course, he never makes even in his most fleeing thought) is that

he has attained to the two-fold station of recognition of the Manifestation and obedience to His Law.
'Neither is acceptable without the other.' And because of this recognition and absolute obedience his
character begins to take on the characteristics of God as expressed in the life of Ábdu'l-Bahá. He
becomes the servant of the Glory of God, which servitude expresses itself in servitude to his fellow
men. In every literal and practical sense he becomes as assistant of god upon the earth - he qualifies as
a companion of His Throne.

This has little relation to what men conventionally call 'goodness'. The servant of God is not intent on
being 'good'. He is intent only on submerging himself in the Ocean of His Utterances and in obedience
to His Law. This attitude of subjection to the Will and Law of Bahá'u'lláh tends inevitably to tear away
the veils of the animalistic ego and thus reveal the divine reality of the true man. The qualities of that
reality therein manifest themselves as a result of that recognition and obedience. It is the relation of
the mirror to the sun. How impossible for the mirror to reflect the sun when clouded with the rust or
covered with a cloth. But take away such impediments and how naturally and surely the mirror
manifests the attributes of the sun. Obedience to His Law is the polish which effects this.

'When actions are habitually and conscientiously adjusted to noble standard with no thought of the
words that might herald them, then nobility becomes the accent of life. At such a degree of evolution
one scarcely need try any longer to be good - all acts become the distinctive expression of nobility.'
Bahá'í Scripture Par. 822

'This turning the face towards God is the healing of the body, the mind and the soul. When this
advancement toward God has become complete, one is able to overcome passion and desire, become
protected from sin and transgression and be delivered from heedlessness. It will bestow eternal life
and grant the imperishable gift. Bahá'í Scripture Par. 941

The supreme the inestimable gift to man in this Day lies in the fact that such a perfect Man has been
given us as an example of what all servants can follow. Ábdu'l-Bahá is that embodied Perfection. He
unreservedly acknowledged and obeyed Bahá'u'lláh, His head constantly at the Holy Threshold, His
face never turned from the Face of God, His mirror never clouded with the rust of self. The goals of
relative perfection is made clear in the teachings and the Example it provided.

To dwell on one's unworthiness and imperfections is as great a barrier to attainment as to dwell upon
one's goodness and worthiness. We are not competent to judge of either. 'We are capable of neither
good nor harm'. Any consideration of either is a species of egotism which still further clouds the mirror
of the heart. We are concerned only with the recognition and obedience. The rest follows automatically
and inevitably, never forgetting that we have all eternity in which to make the complete Journey from
self to God. Our job is to get on the Path and stick steadfastly. 'Look not upon the creature (either
oneself or others) look only to the Creator.'

READING #9 HW P22 (Compare with GL pg. 64)

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. (Persian Hidden Words, page 22)

PRAYER P&M pg. 32-33

Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I bear witness that from eternity Thou wert exalted in Thy
transcendent majesty and might, and wilt to eternity abide in Thy surpassing power and glory. None in
the kingdoms of earth and heaven can frustrate Thy purpose; none throughout the realms of revelation
and of creation can prevail against Thee. At Thy command Thou doest what Thou willest, and by the
power of Thy sovereignty Thou rulest as Thou pleasest.

I implore Thee, O Thou Who causest the dawn to appear, by Thy Lamp which Thou didst light with the
fire of Thy love before all that are in heaven and on earth, and whose flame Thou feedest with the fuel
of Thy wisdom in the kingdom of Thy creation, to make me to be of those who have soared in Thine
atmosphere, and surrendered their will to Thy decree.

I am all wretchedness, O my Lord, and Thou art the Most Powerful, the Almighty. Have pity upon me
by Thy grace and bountiful favor, and graciously aid me to serve Thee and them that are dear to Thee.
Potent art Thou to do as Thou willest. No God is there but Thee, the God of strength, of glory and
wisdom. (Prayers and Meditations, pages 32-33)

Prayer and Meditation
_______________________↩________________________
Lesson X

The Ocean of His Utterances Prayer and Meditation

Prayer P&M pg. 4-5 II

1. HW P#79

2. HW A#16

3. GL pg. 321 Arise therefore ... atone for your past failure.

4. PUP pg. 241-242 Spirit has the influence ...it is necessary. (246-247)

5. GL pg. 133-134 Know thou, O fruit of My Tree ...the All-Wise.

6. WAB pg. 163-164 It is an axiomatic fact ... mysteries of the Spirit. (PT pg. 174-176)

7. IQAN pg. 52-53 Were you to ponder ...His realm of glory.

8. IQAN pg. 149 Ponder this in thine heart..knowledge and understanding.

9. IQAN pg. 181-182 Those words uttered ...in every age.

10. IQAN pg. 217 O brother, we should...towards the servants.

11. IQAN pg. 238 The wine of renunciation ...needs be observed.

12. GL pg. 295 Intone, O My Servant...the Source of power and wisdom.

PRAYER

Unto Thee be praise, O Lord my God! I entreat Thee, by Thy signs that have encompassed the entire
creation, and by the light of Thy countenance that hath illuminated all that are in heaven and on earth,
and by Thy mercy that hath surpassed all created things, and by Thy grace that hath suffused the
whole universe, to rend asunder the veils that shut me out from Thee, that I may hasten unto the
Fountain-Head of Thy mighty inspiration, and to the Day-Spring of Thy Revelation and bountiful
favors, and may be immersed beneath the ocean of Thy nearness and pleasure.

Suffer me not, O my Lord, to be deprived of the knowledge of Thee in Thy days, and divest me not of
the robe of Thy guidance. Give me to drink of the river that is life indeed, whose waters have streamed
forth from the Paradise (Ridvan) in which the throne of Thy Name, the All-Merciful, was established,
that mine eyes may be opened, and my face be illumined, and my heart be assured, and my soul be
enlightened, and my steps be made firm.

Thou art He Who from everlasting was, through the potency of His might, supreme over all things,
and, through the operation of His will, was able to ordain all things. Nothing whatsoever, whether in
Thy heaven or on Thy earth, can frustrate Thy purpose. Have mercy, then, upon me, O my Lord,
through Thy gracious providence and generosity, and incline mine ear to the sweet melodies of the
birds that warble their praise of Thee, amidst the branches of the tree of Thy oneness.

Thou art the Great Giver, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate. (Prayers and Meditations,
pages 4-5)

'Man must live in a continual attitude of prayer. His mind an altar, his heart a sanctuary of prayer.'
DAL pg. 50

Prayer is an attitude of mind and heart; a deep spiritual passion at times, but a constant attitude,
expressed in every act and word of life. This may sum up the Bahá'í teachings on this important
subject. It is essential, however, to bring these teachings before the mind as the commands and advises
of God given for the purpose of directing us to the Source of Power. The Creative Word revealed from
God today on this all important subject explains the method, technique, scientific and rational, as well
as its great importance and resulting power.

READING #1 HW P#79

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. (Persian Hidden Words, page
79)

Prayer is a means for developing power. This is an aspect of prayer usually entirely overlooked, seldom
put to practical use and almost never to its full and constant use.

READING #2 HW A#16
O SON OF LIGHT!

Forget all save Me and commune with My spirit. This is of the essence of My command, therefore turn
unto it. (Arabic Hidden Words, page 16)

The essence of prayer is a conscious nearness to the Manifestation of God. This requires preparation of
mind and heart. 'Effort should first be made to make attachment to God.' DAL pg. 52

And when Ábdu'l-Bahá was asked how this attachment was made, He said, 'study listen, try to
understand.' The soil must be fertilized before the seed is sown. 'The worshipper must pray with
detached spirit, surrender of the will, concentrated attention and magnetic spiritual passion.' 'The
preparation for the prayerful attitude is detachment.' DAL pg. 58

There are three obligatory prayers, the use of which daily is laid upon all true believers as a command

from God. In the first two, certain postures are indicated. When Ábdu'l-Bahá was asked why these
postures were necessary, he answered that thus the body is able to partake with the spirit in the
beneficent results. It is certain that these prayers and postures are commanded by the Manifestation of
God. Shoghi Effendi has spoken of their importance and reiterated the necessity of obedience. Those
who over a period of years have obeyed this injunction will testify as to the invaluable results obtained.

These daily prayers as revealed by the Manifestation of God are not meant to be more than the key
unlocking the treasure of Power. The worshipper becomes acquainted according to his capacity with
the mysteries of power; the revealed prayers open to us the doors of the Court of Holiness. 'He hears
with divine ears and beholds with God- like eyes.' That is the object of prayer - to draw near to the
divine world and become a 'companion of God.'

This is why it is so vastly important to obey in every slightest detail the commands of Bahá'u'lláh
regarding prayer as well as all the other commands. For He alone is able to introduce Man into this
Realm of the Spirit; put into his hands the reins of Power and educate him in this communion
regarding the knowledge of the results of human life.

With this obedience, which covers every detail such as posture, frequency etc., must go an inflexible
determination of the will. 'Concentrated attention and magnetic spiritual passion.' 'Effort should be
first made to make attachment of God.' 'The soil must need be fertilized before the seed is sown.' -This
is to say just as in the search for material things the effort necessary is largely in proportion to their
value, so in the search for spiritual wealth union with spiritual Power, it is not to be attained without
supreme effort.

READING #3 GL pg. 321

Arise, therefore, and, with the whole enthusiasm of your hearts, with all the eagerness of your souls,
the full fervor of your will, and the concentrated efforts of your entire being, strive to attain the
paradise of His presence, and endeavor to inhale the fragrance of the incorruptible Flower, to breathe
the sweet savors of holiness, and to obtain a portion of this perfume of celestial glory. Whoso followeth
this counsel will break his chains asunder, will taste the abandonment of enraptured love, will attain
unto his heart's desire, and will surrender his soul into the hands of his Beloved. Bursting through his
cage, he will, even as the bird of the spirit, wing his flight to his holy and everlasting nest.

Night hath succeeded day, and day hath succeeded night, and the hours and moments of your lives
have come and gone, and yet none of you hath, for one instant, consented to detach himself from that
which perisheth. Bestir yourselves, that the brief moments that are still yours may not be dissipated
and lost. Even as the swiftness of lightning your days shall pass, and your bodies shall be laid to rest
beneath a canopy of dust. What can ye then achieve? How can ye atone for your past failure?
(Gleanings, page 321)

Prayer, then, is plainly an attitude of mind, a conscious and determined direction of the Spirit. In this
atmosphere,in which the consciousness is turned toward the World of Reality, toward the Supreme
Concourse, towards God, we cannot refrain from expression in some form. That expression, regardless
of the form it takes, is prayer. The forms it may take are many. The higher the expression, the less the

self is evident, the nearer the approach to God.

The lowest, most selfish form of prayer is supplication. 'True supplication to God must be actuated by
love for God only.' DAL pg. 53

The animal human self has no place in the world of the spirit where God dwells. The highest form of
prayer, considered as a conscious act, is Praise. One can hardly have failed to notice that all the
revealed prayers echo with praise to God. And all close with affirmations implying man's dependence
on and love for the Source and Goal of his spiritual being.

Among other forms which prayer takes are affirmation, communion, servitude, work, radiant
acquiescence, thankfulness under all conditions. In fact there is hardly a single act of life which is not
susceptible to transformation by the injection of the attitude of prayer.

READING #4 PUP pg. 241-242

Spirit has influence; prayer has spiritual effect. Therefore, we pray, "O God! Heal this sick one!"
Perchance God will answer. Does it matter who prays? God will answer the prayer of every servant if
that prayer is urgent. His mercy is vast, illimitable. He answers the prayers of all His servants. He
answers the prayer of this plant. The plant prays potentially, "O God! Send me rain!" God answers the
prayer, and the plant grows. God will answer anyone. He answers prayers potentially. Before we were
born into this world did we not pray, "O God! Give me a mother; give me two fountains of bright milk;
purify the air for my breathing; grant me rest and comfort; prepare food for my sustenance and
living"? Did we not pray potentially for these needed blessings before we were created? When we came
into this world, did we not find our prayers answered? Did we not find mother, father, food, light,
home and every other necessity and blessing, although we did not actually ask for them? Therefore, it
is natural that God will give to us when we ask Him. His mercy is all-encircling.

But we ask for things which the divine wisdom does not desire for us, and there is no answer to our
prayer. His wisdom does not sanction what we wish. We pray, "O God! Make me wealthy!" If this
prayer were universally answered, human affairs would be at a standstill. There would be none left to
work in the streets, none to till the soil, none to build, none to run the trains. Therefore, it is evident
that it would not be well for us if all prayers were answered. The affairs of the world would be
interfered with, energies crippled and progress hindered. But whatever we ask for which is in accord
with divine wisdom, God will answer. Assuredly!

For instance, a very feeble patient may ask the doctor to give him food which would be positively
dangerous to his life and condition. He may beg for roast meat. The doctor is kind and wise. He knows
it would be dangerous to his patient so he refuses to allow it. The doctor is merciful; the patient,
ignorant. Through the doctor's kindness the patient recovers; his life is saved. Yet the patient may cry
out that the doctor is unkind, not good, because he refuses to answer his pleading. God is merciful. In
His mercy He answers the prayers of all His servants when according to His supreme wisdom it is
necessary. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, pages 246-247)

READING #5 GL pg. 133-134

Know thou, O fruit of My Tree, that the decrees of the Sovereign Ordainer, as related to fate and
predestination, are of two kinds. Both are to be obeyed and accepted. The one is irrevocable, the other
is, as termed by men, impending. To the former all must unreservedly submit, inasmuch as it is fixed
and settled. God, however, is able to alter or repeal it. As the harm that must result from such a change
will be greater than if the decree had remained unaltered, all, therefore, should willingly acquiesce in
what God hath willed and confidently abide by the same.

The decree that is impending, however, is such that prayer and entreaty can succeed in averting it.

God grant that thou who art the fruit of My Tree, and they that are associated with thee, may be
shielded from its evil consequences.

Say: O God, my God! Thou hast committed into mine hands a trust from Thee, and hast now according
to the good-pleasure of Thy Will called it back to Thyself. It is not for me, who am a handmaid of
Thine, to say, whence is this to me or wherefore hath it happened, inasmuch as Thou art glorified in all
Thine acts, and art to be obeyed in Thy decree. Thine handmaid, O my Lord, hath set her hopes on Thy
grace and bounty. Grant that she may obtain that which will draw her nigh unto Thee, and will profit
her in every world of Thine. Thou art the Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. There is none other God but
Thee, the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days.

Vouchsafe Thy blessings, O Lord, my God, unto them that have quaffed the wine of Thy love before the
face of men, and, in spite of Thine enemies, have acknowledged Thy unity, testified to Thy oneness,
and confessed their belief in that which hath made the limbs of the oppressors among Thy creatures to
quake, and the flesh of the proud ones of the earth to tremble. I bear witness that Thy Sovereignty can
never perish, nor Thy Will be altered. Ordain for them that have set their faces towards Thee, and for
Thine handmaids that have held fast by Thy Cord, that which beseemeth the Ocean of Thy bounty and
the Heaven of Thy grace.

Thou art He, O God, Who hath proclaimed Himself as the Lord of Wealth, and characterized all that
serve Him as poor and needy. Even as Thou hast written: "O ye that believe! Ye are but paupers in
need of God; but God is the All-Possessing, the All-Praised." Having acknowledged my poverty, and
recognized Thy wealth, suffer me not to be deprived of the glory of Thy riches. Thou art, verily, the
Supreme Protector, the All- Knowing, the All-Wise. (Gleanings, pages 133-134)

The continuance in the attitude of prayer inevitably leads to meditation.

READING #6 WAB (PARIS TALKS) pg. 163-164

It is an axiomatic fact that while you meditate you are speaking with your own spirit. In that state of
mind you put certain questions to your spirit and the spirit answers: the light breaks forth and the
reality is revealed.

You cannot apply the name `man' to any being void of this faculty of meditation; without it he would
be a mere animal, lower than the beasts.

Through the faculty of meditation man attains to eternal life; through it he receives the breath of the
Holy Spirit -the bestowal of the Spirit is given in reflection and meditation.

The spirit of man is itself informed and strengthened during meditation; through it affairs of which
man knew nothing are unfolded before his view. Through it he receives Divine inspiration, through it
he receives heavenly food.

Meditation is the key for opening the doors of mysteries. In that state man abstracts himself: in that
state man withdraws himself from all outside objects; in that subjective mood he is immersed in the
ocean of spiritual life and can unfold the secrets of things-in-themselves. To illustrate this, think of
man as endowed with two kinds of sight; when the power of insight is being used the outward power of
vision does not see.

This faculty of meditation frees man from the animal nature, discerns the reality of things, puts man in
touch with God.

This faculty brings forth from the invisible plane the sciences and arts. Through the meditative faculty
inventions are made possible, colossal undertakings are carried out; through it governments can run
smoothly. Through this faculty man enters into the very Kingdom of God.

Nevertheless some thoughts are useless to man; they are like waves moving in the sea without result.
But if the faculty of meditation is bathed in the inner light and characterized with divine attributes, the
results will be confirmed.

The meditative faculty is akin to the mirror; if you put it before earthly objects it will reflect them.
Therefore if the spirit of man is contemplating earthly subjects he will be informed of these.

But if you turn the mirror of your spirits heavenwards, the heavenly constellations and the rays of the
Sun of Reality will be reflected in your hearts, and the virtues of the Kingdom will be obtained.

Therefore let us keep this faculty rightly directed -turning it to the heavenly Sun and not to earthly
objects -so that we may discover the secrets of the Kingdom, and comprehend the allegories of the
Bible and the mysteries of the spirit. (Paris Talks*, pages 174-176)
Immersed in the Oceans of His Utterance, soaring in the atmosphere of His knowledge, working in the
spirit of servitude, the Valley of Astonishment opens before us. How can we refrain from ecstatic gaze
upon this world of the spirit. The world to which Bahá'u'lláh compares our material world as to 'the
pupil in the eye of a dead ant.'

READING #7 IQAN pg. 52-53

Were you to ponder, but for a while, these utterances in your heart, you would surely find the portals
of understanding unlocked before your face, and would behold all knowledge and the mysteries thereof
unveiled before your eyes. Such things take place only that the souls of men may develop and be
delivered from the prison-cage of self and desire. Otherwise, that ideal King hath, throughout eternity,
been in His Essence independent of the comprehension of all beings, and will continue, for ever, in His

own Being to be exalted above the adoration of every soul. A single breeze of His affluence doth suffice
to adorn all mankind with the robe of wealth; and one drop out of the ocean of His bountiful grace is
enough to confer upon all beings the glory of everlasting life. But inasmuch as the divine Purpose hath
decreed that the true should be known from the false, and the sun from the shadow, He hath,
therefore, in every season sent down upon mankind the showers of tests from His realm of glory. (The
Kitab-i-Iqan, pages 52-53)

READING #8 IQAN pg. 149

Ponder this in thine heart, that the sweet gales of divine knowledge, blowing from the meads of mercy,
may waft upon thee the fragrance of the Beloved's utterance, and cause thy soul to attain the Ridvan of
understanding. As the wayward of every age have failed to fathom the deeper import of these weighty
and pregnant utterances, and imagined the answer of the Prophets of God to be irrelevant to the
questions they asked them, they therefore have attributed ignorance and folly to those Essences of
knowledge and understanding. (The Kitab-i-Iqan, page 149)

READING #9 IQAN pg. 181-182

Those words uttered by the Luminaries of Truth must needs be pondered, and should their
significance be not grasped, enlightenment should be sought from the Trustees of the depositories of
Knowledge, that these may expound their meaning, and unravel their mystery. For it behooveth no
man to interpret the holy words according to his own imperfect understanding, nor, having found
them to be contrary to his inclination and desires, to reject and repudiate their truth. For such, today,
is the manner of the divines and doctors of the age, who occupy the seats of knowledge and learning,
and who have named ignorance knowledge, and called oppression justice. Were these to ask the Light
of Truth concerning those images which their idle fancy hath carved, and were they to find His answer
inconsistent with their own conceptions and their own understanding of the Book, they would
assuredly denounce Him Who is the Mine and Wellhead of all Knowledge as the very negation of
understanding. Such things have happened in every age. (The Kitab-i-Iqan, pages 181-182)
And thus meditation, 'all things are merged into nothingness before the Revelations of His Splendor.'

READING #10 IQAN pg. 217

O brother, we should open our eyes, meditate upon His Word, and seek the sheltering shadow of the
Manifestations of God, that perchance we may be warned by the unmistakable counsels of the Book,
and give heed to the admonitions recorded in the holy Tablets; that we may not cavil at the Revealer of
the verses, that we may resign ourselves wholly to His Cause, and embrace wholeheartedly His law,
that haply we may enter the court of His mercy, and dwell upon the shore of His grace. He, verily, is
merciful, and forgiving towards His servants. (The Kitab-i-Iqan, page 217)

READING #11 IQAN pg. 238

The wine of renunciation must needs be quaffed, the lofty heights of detachment must needs be
attained, and the meditation referred to in the words "One hour's reflection is preferable to seventy
years of pious worship" must needs be observed, (The Kitab-i-Iqan, page 238)

The one path to the effective understanding and application of the Power of prayer is Love. If we truly
love God (His Manifestation) we will wish to talk to Him. That is prayer. If we have a glimmer even, of
the universal love so that our consciousness tends more and more to include all humanity in an
understanding sympathy, that is prayer. If we recognize our work as service performed lovingly for
others, that is prayer.

READING #12 GL pg. 295

Intone, O My servant, the verses of God that have been received by thee, as intoned by them who have
drawn nigh unto Him, that the sweetness of thy melody may kindle thine own soul, and attract the
hearts of all men. Whoso reciteth, in the privacy of his chamber, the verses revealed by God, the
scattering angels of the Almighty shall scatter abroad the fragrance of the words uttered by his mouth,
and shall cause the heart of every righteous man to throb. Though he may, at first, remain unaware of
its effect, yet the virtue of the grace vouchsafed unto him must needs sooner or later exercise its
influence upon his soul. Thus have the mysteries of the Revelation of God been decreed by virtue of the
Will of Him Who is the Source of power and wisdom. (Gleanings, page 295)

The Science of the Love of God
________________________↩________________________
_ Lesson XI

1. PUP pg. 271 In this century...phenomenal world. (277)

2. BS par 790

3. GL pg. 205 Illumine your hearts ...souls of all beings.

4. GL pg. 260-261 If the learned...hath wronged and forsaken.

5. PUP pg. 262-263 'When we observe...conducive to death. (268-269)

6. PUP pg. 183 We were not in ...which precedes asking. (188)

7. SAQ pg. 130 Faith, which is life eternal...not by effort and striving.

8. PUP pg. 183 He has created us...may encircle you all. (188-189)

9. DP pg. 139 By heavenly science...human life.

10. GL pg. 38 Arise O wayfarer ...righteous be gladdened.

PRAYER PUP pg. 270 O Thou kind God!... (276) ...the giver, the generous.

Note: Pages for PUP in parentheses are the newer (1982) edition while those in the original citing have
been retained from the 1922 edition, which was reprinted in one volume in 1943.

Note: BS, Bahá'í Scriptures, edited by Horace Holly and published by the Bahá'í Publishing Committee
1923, was replaced by publishing the Bahá'í World Faith in 1943.

READING #1 PUP pg. 271

In this century of the latter times Bahá'u'lláh has appeared and so resuscitated spirits that they have
manifested powers more than human. Thousands of His followers have given their lives; and while
under the sword, shedding their blood, they have proclaimed, "Ya Baha'u'l-Abha!" Such resuscitation
is impossible except through a heavenly potency, a supernatural power, the divine power of the Holy
Spirit. Through a natural and mere human power this is impossible. Therefore, the question arises:
How is this resuscitation to be accomplished?

There are certain means for its accomplishment by which mankind is regenerated and quickened with
a new birth. This is the second birth mentioned in the heavenly Books. Its accomplishment is through
the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The resuscitation or rebirth of the spirit of man is through the science
of the love of God. It is through the efficacy of the water of life. This life and quickening is the

regeneration of the phenomenal world. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, page 277)

The word science has acquired new connotations. No longer is it confined solely to the field of material
things, it has extended its scope to include the whole field of men's activities - physical, mental, moral
and spiritual. Many scientists have indelibly impressed this point of view upon the unprejudiced mind.
The informed Bahá'í recognizes that it is the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh and the divine Spirit of Love and
Wisdom which He has breathed into the world which are responsible for this breadth of
understanding. Too long have the meanings of the word 'love' been confined to the realms of emotion
and sentiment. For the first time in the history of philosophy the phrase, the science of Love has been
used. It is not too much to say that this is one of the most important discoveries that scientific
investigation and inspiration has ever uncovered, for it has brought into the field of material research a
searchlight which illumines the results of man's activities and gives them worth and meaning. In the
worlds of Ábdu'l-Bahá, it 'reveals the secrets of the degrees of existence and the knowledge of the
results of human life.' This expansion of the meaning of 'Love' is summarized by summarized by
Ábdu'l-Bahá.

READING #2 BS par 790

Have full assurance that love is the mystery of he appearance of God; that love is the divine aspect of
God; that love is spiritual grace; that love is the light of the Kingdom; that love is the breath of the Holy
Spirit in the spirit of man. Love is the cause of the manifestations of truth in the material world. love is
the essential bond of union which exists between God and all things in their ultimate reality. Love is
the source of the greatest happiness of the material and spiritual worlds. Love is the light by which
man is guided in the midst of darkness. Love is the communication between truth and man in the
realm of consciousness. Love is the means of growth for all who are enlightened.

Love is the highest law in this great universe of God. Love is the law of order between simple essences,
whereby they are apportioned and united into compound substances in this world of matter.. Love is
the essential and magnetic power that organizes the planets and the stars which shine in infinite space.
Love supplies the impulse to that intense and unceasing meditation which reveals the hidden
mysteries of the universe.
Love is the highest honor for all the nations of men. To that people in which God causes love to appear
the Supreme Concourse, the angles of heaven, and the hosts of the kingdom of the Glorious One make
salutation. When the hearts of a people are void of this Divine power - the love of God - they will
descend to the lowest estate of mortals, they will wander in the desert of error, they will fall into the
slough of despair and there is no deliverance for them. They become like worms which delight in
grovelling in the earth.

O friends of God! be ye manifestations of the love of God and lamps of guidance in all horizons,
shining by the light of love and harmony.

How beautiful is the shining of this shining!

Every one of these sublime sentences should be memorized and be the subject for meditation until
some measure of understanding is achieved.

READING #3 GL pg. 205

...illumine your hearts with the light of His love. This is the key that unlocketh the hearts of men, the
burnish that shall cleanse the souls of all beings. (Gleanings, page 205)

The necessity for a clear understanding, a workable knowledge, of what this point of view might mean
to the individual in his conduct of life, and to society in its attempt to understand the laws which
govern it, is evident. When the ancient writer of the Book of Proverbs said: 'A soft answer turneth away
wrath while grievous words stir up anger,' he uttered a scientific truth, that is, a statement susceptible
of proof through human experience. When Jesus commanded His disciples to guide their relationship
with men by the formula: 'If thine enemy hunger, feed him and if he thirst give him to drink.' He
brought that scientific dictum into the field of practical action. Is there any possible doubt that if,
during the last 1900 years scientific investigation -tested by its application to human affairs - that has
been applied in the fields of chemistry, biology, etc., the results in terms of human happiness and
prosperity would have been vastly increased.

In this Day, owing solely to the broadening of the mind and soul of man through the Breaths of the
Holy Spirit which Bahá'u'lláh has breathed upon us these gems of eternal Truth which past Prophets
and sages have planted in the soil of humanity, have grown, blossomed and borne fruit. We have, for
the first time in history, a clear pathway to true liberty, peace, composure, wisdom, and happiness.

READING #4 GL pg. 260-261

If the learned and worldly-wise men of this age were to allow mankind to inhale the fragrance of
fellowship and love, every understanding heart would apprehend the meaning of true liberty, and
discover the secret of undisturbed peace and absolute composure. Were the earth to attain this station
and be illumined with its light it could then be truly said of it: "Thou shall see in it no hollows or rising
hills."

The generations that have gone on before you - whither are they fled? And those round whom in life
circled the fairest and the loveliest of the land, where now are they? Profit by their example, O people,
and be not of them that are gone astray.

Others ere long will lay hands on what ye possess, and enter into your habitations. Incline your ears to
My words, and be not numbered among the foolish.

For every one of you his paramount duty is to choose for himself that on which no other may infringe
and none usurp from him. Such a thing - and to this the Almighty is My witness - is the love of God,
could ye but perceive it.

Build ye for yourselves such houses as the rain and floods can never destroy, which shall protect you
from the changes and chances of this life. This is the instruction of Him Whom the world hath
wronged and forsaken. (Gleanings, pages 260-261)

The avenue by which the mind and spirit of man, his total consciousness, is led into an appreciation

and a practical working knowledge of this science is by an immeasurable broadening of his horizon of
thought and experience. This is only accomplished, and can be accomplished only, by contact with an
exponent of that broader life. Just as any student must come into mental and spiritual contact with a
qualified teacher, backed by an utter confidence in his abilities as such in order to attain the desired
knowledge and abilities, so must the eager student in the pathway of Reality seek, follow, love and
trust his Teacher and Guide. By Him he is led into a new world of conciseness and he thenceforth
adjusts his mental, moral, spiritual and even his physical life to these standards. His former standards
are entirely forgotten.

The terminology of the Creative word uses the term 'second birth' in describing this tremendous
experience. No better term could possibly be devised , for just as in the first birth the fetus exchanges
the dark and narrow room in which he has lived for nine months for the light, expansive, active,
colorful world of human life, so in the second birth that world of knowledge, experience, expansion
and color so far in excess of ordinary human life that it is , in actual experience an entirely different
and vastly greater world.

It would seem from a careful study of the Creative Word that this aspect of Love is an essential part of
the Teachings. Love is an emotion, truly, but when applied to the problems of life the methods of
science need to be used. That is the scope must be extended to our thinking and actions to include its
activities in the realms of economics, sociology and politics, as well as in the relations of the human
family.

READING #5 PUP pg. 262-263 (268-269)

When we observe the phenomena of the universe, we realize that the axis around which life revolves is
love, while the axis around which death and destruction revolve is animosity and hatred. Let us view
the mineral kingdom. Here we see that if attraction did not exist between the atoms, the composite
substance of matter would not be possible. Every existent phenomenon is composed of elements and
cellular particles. This is scientifically true and correct. If attraction did not exist between the elements
and among the cellular particles, the composition of that phenomenon would never have been
possible. For instance, the stone is an existent phenomenon, a composition of elements. A bond of
attraction has brought them together, and through this cohesion of ingredients this petrous object has
been formed. This stone is the lowest degree of phenomena, but nevertheless within it a power of
attraction is manifest without which the stone could not exist. This power of attraction in the mineral
world is love, the only expression of love the stone can manifest. Look now upon the next highest stage
of life, the vegetable kingdom. Here we see that the plant is the result of cohesion among various
elements, just as the mineral is in its kingdom; but, furthermore, the plant has the power of absorption
from the earth. This is a higher degree of attraction which differentiates the plant from the mineral. In
the kingdom of the vegetable this is an expression of love, the highest capacity of expression the
vegetable possesses. By this power of attraction, or augmentation, the plant grows day by day.
Therefore, in this kingdom, also, love is the cause of life. If repulsion existed among the elements
instead of attraction, the result would be disintegration, destruction and nonexistence. Because
cohesion exists among the elements and cellular attraction is manifest, the plant appears. When this
attraction is dispelled and the ingredients separate, the plant ceases to exist.

Then we come to the animal world, which is still higher in degree than the vegetable kingdom. In it the
power of love makes itself still more manifest. The light of love is more resplendent in the animal
kingdom because the power of attraction whereby elements cohere and cellular atoms commingle now
reveals itself in certain emotions and sensibilities which produce instinctive fellowship and
association. The animals are imbued with kindness and affinity which manifests itself among those of
the same species.

Finally, we reach the kingdom of man. Here we find that all the degrees of the mineral, vegetable and
animal expressions of love are present plus unmistakable attractions of consciousness. That is to say,
man is the possessor of a degree of attraction which is conscious and spiritual. Here is an
immeasurable advance. In the human kingdom spiritual susceptibilities come into view, love exercises
its superlative degree, and this is the cause of human life.

The proof is clear that in all degrees and kingdoms unity and agreement, love and fellowship are the
cause of life, whereas dissension, animosity and separation are ever conducive to death. (Promulgation
of Universal Peace*, pages 268-269)

That this attitude is foreign to all the preconceived notions of people around us offers no deterrent.
One might as well expect the unborn babe to react to the stimuli experienced by the five year old child
as to expect man, still functioning under the stimuli of the lower self, to understand, much less react to
the stimuli of the twice-born man. This material difference is what denotes the children of the
Kingdom.

READING #6 PUP pg. 183 (188)

We were not in the world of existence, but as soon as we were born, we found everything prepared for
our needs and comfort without question on our part. He has given us a kind father and compassionate
mother, provided for us two springs of salubrious milk, pure atmosphere, refreshing water, gentle
breezes and the sun shining above our heads. In brief, He has supplied all the necessities of life
although we did not ask for any of these great gifts. With pure mercy and bounty He has prepared this
great table. It is a mercy which precedes asking. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, page 188)

READING #7 SAQ pg. 149

For faith, which is life eternal, is the sign of bounty, and not the result of justice. The flame of the fire
of love, in this world of earth and water, comes through the power of attraction and not by effort and
striving. (Some Answered Questions, page 130)

The children of the Kingdom - their gaze is fixed upon a New World Order, the moving principle of
which is the Science of the Love of God.

READING #8 PUP pg. 183 (188-189)

He has created us in this radiant century, a century longed for and expected by all the sanctified souls

in past periods. It is a blessed century; it is a blessed day. The philosophers of history have agreed that
this century is equal to one hundred past centuries. This is true from every standpoint. This is the
century of science, inventions, discoveries and universal laws. This is the century of the revelation of
the mysteries of God. This is the century of the effulgence of the rays of the Sun of Truth. Therefore,
you must render thanks and glorification to God that you were born in this age. Furthermore, you have
listened to the call of Bahá'u'lláh. Your nostrils are perfumed with the breezes of the paradise of Abha.
You have caught glimpses of the light from the horizon of the Orient. You were asleep; you are
awakened. Your ears are attentive; your hearts are informed. You have acquired the love of God. You
have attained to the knowledge of God. This is the most great bestowal of God. This is the breath of the
Holy Spirit, and this consists of faith and assurance. This eternal life is the second birth; this is the
baptism of the Holy Spirit. God has destined this station for you all. He has prepared this for you. You
must appreciate the value of this bounty and engage your time in mentioning and thanking the True
One. You must live in the utmost happiness. If any trouble or vicissitude comes into your lives, if your
heart is depressed on account of health, livelihood or vocation, let not these things affect you. They
should not cause unhappiness, for Bahá'u'lláh has brought you divine happiness. He has prepared
heavenly food for you; He has destined eternal bounty for you; He has bestowed everlasting glory upon
you. Therefore, these glad tidings should cause you to soar in the atmosphere of joy forever and ever.
Render continual thanks unto God so that the confirmations of God may encircle you all.
(Promulgation of Universal Peace*, pages 188-189)

This is the Kingdom whose citizens are ruled not by the prompting of the lower animal-kingdom self,
but by the Self of God. This higher self is under the domination of the science of love applied to all his
thoughts and actions. In the realm of morals this science works out as righteousness; in the realm of
economics it results in equality of opportunity, philanthropy, social justice, altruism; in the realm of
politics it inevitably tends to produce world order, world unity, world peace.

Finally it needs to be emphasized that the doors to the study and understanding of this science have
been opened by the Manifestation of God. Ábdu'l-Bahá develops this theme in many ways and applies
this method to all the fields of human thought and action. That within a reasonable span of years we
shall see this science introduced into our educational systems is beyond doubt.

READING #9 DP pg. 139

By heavenly sciences I mean divine philosophy and spiritual teachings; by the songs and fragrances of
the rose garden I mean the mysteries of the Kingdom of kingdoms, the secrets of the degrees of
existence and the knowledge of the results of human life.

Already we may see the beginning of its appreciation, though under many names and in a pitiably
insignificant measure, in some relations; the psychology of relations between children and parents,
merchant and customer, etc.

It is for the Bahá'í to study this science with profound exactness and to assume its reality and
practicability with the same naturalness and certainty that he does the law of gravity

'Let His Love be a storehouse of treasure for your souls.'

READING #10 GL pg. 38

Arise, O wayfarer in the path of the Love of God, and aid thou His Cause. Say: Barter not away this
Youth, O people, for the vanities of this world or the delights of heaven. By the righteousness of the
one true God! One hair of Him excelleth all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth. Beware,
O men, lest ye be tempted to part with Him in exchange for the gold and silver ye possess. Let His love
be a storehouse of treasure for your souls, on the Day when naught else but Him shall profit you, the
Day when every pillar shall tremble, when the very skins of men shall creep, when all eyes shall stare
up with terror. Say: O people! Fear ye God, and turn not away disdainfully from His Revelation. Fall
prostrate on your faces before God, and celebrate His praise in the daytime and in the night season.

Let thy soul glow with the flame of this undying Fire that burneth in the midmost heart of the world, in
such wise that the waters of the universe shall be powerless to cool down its ardor. Make, then,
mention of thy Lord, that haply the heedless among Our servants may be admonished through thy
words, and the hearts of the righteous be gladdened. (Gleanings, page 38)

PRAYER PUP pg. 270 (276)

O Thou kind God! In the utmost state of humility and submission do we entreat and supplicate at Thy
threshold, seeking Thine endless confirmations and illimitable assistance. O Thou Lord! Regenerate
these souls, and confer upon them a new life. Animate the spirits, inform the hearts, open the eyes,
and make the ears attentive. From Thine ancient treasury confer a new being and animus, and from
Thy preexistent abode assist them to attain to new confirmations.

O God! Verily, the world is in need of reformation. Bestow upon it a new existence. Give it newness of
thoughts, and reveal unto it heavenly sciences. Breathe into it a fresh spirit, and grant unto it a holier
and higher purpose.

O God! Verily, Thou hast made this century radiant, and in it Thou hast manifested Thy merciful
effulgence. Thou hast effaced the darkness of superstitions and permitted the light of assurance to
shine. O God! Grant that these servants may be acceptable at Thy threshold. Reveal a new heaven, and
spread out a new earth for habitation. Let a new Jerusalem descend from on high. Bestow new
thoughts, new life upon mankind. Endow souls with new perceptions, and confer upon them new
virtues. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful. Thou art the Giver, the Generous. (Promulgation
of Universal Peace*, page 276)

The Word of God
________________________↩________________________
_Lesson XII

1. READING #1 PUP pg. 149 The Books of... (154) ...and eternal truth.

2. READING #2 GL pg. 171-172 Certain traditions ...of a corrupt inclination.

3. READING #3 GL pg. 171 This is the Day ...may be pleased to reveal .

4. READING #4 PUP pg. 308 His revelation of the Word...Prophets of the past. (314)

5. READING #5 PUP pg. 148-150 The divine Manifestations...unity of mankind. (154-156)

6. READING #6 GL pg. 286-287 Through the power ...spent itself and vanished

7. READING #7 GL pg. 141-142 Every word that... apprehend this truth.

8. READING #8 IQAN pg. 192 Thus will these mysteries ...if ye know it not."

9. READING #9 IQAN pg. 211 The understanding ...and freedom of spirit.

10. READING #10 IQAN pg. 254-255 It is evident...meanings we can explain."

11. READING #11 IQAN pg. 217 O brother, we should ...towards His servants.

12. READING #12 BS par. 54 Glory be unto Thee...the Self-subsistent!

Note: BS, Bahá'í Scriptures, edited by Horace Holley and published by the Bahá'í Publishing
Committee 1923, was replaced by publishing the Bahá'í World Faith in 1943.

Note: Pages for PUP in parentheses are the newer (1982) edition while those originally cited in the
1922 edition have been retained.

READING #1 PUP pg. 149

The Books of Bahá'u'lláh number more than one hundred. Each one is an evident proof sufficient for
mankind; each one from foundation to apex proclaims the essential unity of God and humanity, the
love of God, the abolition of war and the divine standard of peace. Each one also inculcates divine
morality, the manifestation of lordly graces - in every word a book of meanings. For the Word of God is
collective wisdom, absolute knowledge and eternal truth. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, page 154)

It is essential in this Day that the believers should be armed with certitude when asked to explain the
terminology he uses. Such a phrase as the 'Word of God' for instance, has connotations carried over
from past theologies which are entirely foreign and contradictory to the meanings tied up with it in the
mind of the informed believer.

READING #2 GL pg. 171-172

Certain traditions of bygone ages rest on no foundations whatever, while the notions entertained by
past generations, and which they have recorded in their books, have, for the most part, been
influenced by the desires of a corrupt inclination. (Gleanings, page 171)

This statement is clear and direct, and every student of the evolution of our Bible has long ago come to
the same conclusion. In the mind of the orthodox Christian, the literal interpretationist, the 'Word of
God' means everything included in the King James version of the Old and New Testaments, taken at
their face value, and with equal authority as of divine inspiration. More than this: Included with this is
a more or less vaguely applied body of tradition, theological dogmas and unscientific exegesis which, in
the course of centuries has resulted in the division of Christian believers into several hundred sects, all
based upon this 'Word of God'. In the minds of the Moslem the phrase means all that included in the
Qur'an and the traditions grown up around it, coupled, as with the Christian, with a vast body of
exegesis, commentary etc. So it is with the Jewish understanding of 'The Words', limiting it to that
body of Writings which they believe has descended through their particular Prophet from the Mouth
and Will of God.

The most cursory examination of this state of affairs must result in the acknowledgment that the
original Word of the Prophet of God has become so confused with the words of men that it is all but
impossible to disentangle one from the other. Any attempt so to disentangle them by scholars,
theologians and controversialists must, in the very nature of the case, only add further confusion.

A very different state of affairs is furnished, however, if we have a digest, a summary presentation, of
all the fundamentals of the teachings of all the Prophets of the past, together with an explanation of
their meaning adapted to our modern modes of thought and the needs of the times, by One qualified to
speak with the same authority as the original Mouthpiece of the Divine Word.

READING #3 GL pg. 171
This is the Day when the loved ones of God should keep their eyes directed towards His Manifestation,
and fasten them upon whatsoever that Manifestation may be pleased to reveal. (Gleanings, page 171)

This is the unassailable position of the informed and sincere believers in the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh.

READING #4 PUP pg. 308

His revelation of the Word embodies completely the teachings of all the Prophets, expressed in
principles and precepts applicable to the needs and conditions of the modern world, amplified and
adapted to present-day questions and critical human problems. That is to say, the words of Bahá'u'lláh
are the essences of the words of the Prophets of the past. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, page 314)

According to the divine terminology the 'Word of God' has two distinct meanings: First, The Logos; the
Speaker of the Mount; the First Emanation of the Almighty; the Eternal Truth; the Mother Book; the

Word made Flesh; the Manifestation of God. "The Word of God. All things were made by Him' John 1

READING #5 PUP pg. 148-150

The divine Manifestations have been iconoclastic in Their teachings, uprooting error, destroying false
religious beliefs and summoning mankind anew to the fundamental oneness of God. All of Them have,
likewise, proclaimed the oneness of the world of humanity. The essential teaching of Moses was the
law of Sinai, the Ten Commandments. Christ renewed and again revealed the commands of the one
God and precepts of human action. In Muhammad, although the circle was wider, the intention of His
teaching was likewise to uplift and unify humanity in the knowledge of the one God. In the Bab the
circle was again very much enlarged, but the essential teaching was the same. The Books of Bahá'u'lláh
number more than one hundred. Each one is an evident proof sufficient for mankind; each one from
foundation to apex proclaims the essential unity of God and humanity, the love of God, the abolition of
war and the divine standard of peace. Each one also inculcates divine morality, the manifestation of
lordly graces - in every word a book of meanings. For the Word of God is collective wisdom, absolute
knowledge and eternal truth. Consider the statement recorded in the first chapter of the book of John:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This statement
is brief but replete with the greatest meanings. Its applications are illimitable and beyond the power of
books or words to contain and express. Heretofore the doctors of theology have not expounded it but
have restricted it to Jesus as "the Word made flesh," the separation of Jesus from God, the Father, and
His descent upon the earth. In this way the individualized separation of the godhead came to be
taught.

The essential oneness of Father, Son and Spirit has many meanings and constitutes the foundation of
Christianity. Today we will merely give a synopsis of explanation. Why was Jesus the Word?

In the universe of creation all phenomenal beings are as letters. Letters in themselves are meaningless
and express nothing of thought or ideal - as, for instance, a, b, etc. Likewise, all phenomenal beings are
without independent meaning. But a word is composed of letters and has independent sense and
meaning. Therefore, as Christ conveyed the perfect meaning of divine reality and embodied
independent significance, He was the Word. He was as the station of reality compared to the station of
metaphor. There is no intrinsic meaning in the leaves of a book, but the thought they convey leads you
to reflect upon reality. The reality of Jesus was the perfect meaning, the Christhood in Him which in
the Holy Books is symbolized as the Word.

"The Word was with God." The Christhood means not the body of Jesus but the perfection of divine
virtues manifest in Him. Therefore, it is written, "He is God." This does not imply separation from
God, even as it is not possible to separate the rays of the sun from the sun. The reality of Christ was the
embodiment of divine virtues and attributes of God. For in Divinity there is no duality. All adjectives,
nouns and pronouns in that court of sanctity are one; there is neither multiplicity nor division. The
intention of this explanation is to show that the Words of God have innumerable significances and
mysteries of meanings - each one a thousand and more.

The Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh are many. The precepts and teachings they contain are universal, covering
every subject. He has revealed scientific explanations ranging throughout all the realms of human

inquiry and investigation - astronomy, biology, medical science, etc. In the Kitab-i-Iqan He has given
expositions of the meanings of the Gospel and other heavenly Books. He wrote lengthy Tablets upon
civilization, sociology and government. Every subject is considered. His Tablets are matchless in
beauty and profundity. Even His enemies acknowledge the greatness of Bahá'u'lláh, saying He was the
miracle of humanity. This was their confession although they did not believe in Him. He was eulogized
by Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians and Muslims who denied His claim. They frequently said, "He is
matchless, unique." A Christian poet in the Orient wrote, "Do not believe him a manifestation of God,
yet his miracles are as great as the sun." Mirza Abu'l-Fadl has mentioned many poems of this kind, and
there are numerous others. The testimony of His enemies witnessed that He was the "miracle of
mankind," that He "walked in a special pathway of knowledge" and was "peerless in personality." His
teachings are universal and the standard for human action. They are not merely theoretical and
intended to remain in books. They are the principles of action. Results follow action. Mere theory is
fruitless. Of what use is a book upon medicine if it is never taken from the library shelf? When
practical activity has been manifested, the teachings of God have borne fruit.

The great and fundamental teachings of Bahá'u'lláh are the oneness of God and unity of mankind. This
is the bond of union among Bahá'ís all over the world. They become united among themselves, then
unite others. It is impossible to unite unless united. Christ said, "Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the
salt has lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?" This proves there were dissensions and lack of
unity among His followers. Hence His admonition to unity of action.

Now must we, likewise, bind ourselves together in the utmost unity, be kind and loving to each other,
sacrificing all our possessions, our honor, yea, even our lives for each other. Then will it be proved that
we have acted according to the teachings of God, that we have been real believers in the oneness of
God and unity of mankind. (Promulgation of Universal Peace*, pages 154-156)

Ábdu'l-Bahá sums it all in His response when asked His belief regarding Christ: 'By this, The Word, we
mean the all comprehending Reality and the depository of the infinite divine characteristics.' - DP pg.
149 The second meaning of this phrase, The Word of God, so far as it relates to man's comprehension
and the satisfaction of his intellectual and spiritual needs, are those traces left 'the Word made Flesh,'
that is, written and spoken words as they fell from the lips or pen of the Manifestation of God.

READING #6 GL pg. 286-287

Through the power of the words He hath uttered the whole of the human race can be illumined with
the light of unity, and the remembrance of His Name is able to set on fire the hearts of all men, and
burn away the veils that intervene between them and His glory. One righteous act is endowed with a
potency that can so elevate the dust as to cause it to pass beyond the heaven of heavens. It can tear
every bond asunder, and hath the power to restore the force that hath spent itself and vanished....
(Gleanings, pages 286-287)

What we have, then, in this Day of Days, is a full and complete digest and explanation of all the Words
of all the Prophets of the past so reduced and so annotated by the Manifestation of God Himself as to

be made applicable to every need of man in the conduct of his physical, moral, intellectual and
spiritual life as to cover every contingency relating to his social, educational, legal and governmental
exigencies.

The absolute necessity for the careful and passionate study of this Word is evident. No pains are too
great, no time is more precious, no meditation too deep that is spent upon this literal Word of God. Is
it any wonder that Shoghi Effendi says the true believer should spend upwards of two hours every day
upon its study.

The Word is creative, rending veils, it creates capacity, as a fire burning pre-conceived ideas - 'an
effacement of the conjectured' stated the Bab.

We are reminded that not only have we the Revelation of the Word in this Day but provision has been
made for its explanation and adoption to all the needs of man in perpetuity. First, through the words
and writing of Abdu'l- Baha and later through Shoghi Effendi and the International House of Justice
successive generations have an infallible guide which will enable them to distinguish between truth
and falsehood and to penetrate all the mysteries of the created world and bring them to light through
the medium of arts, science.

READING #7 GL pg. 141-142

Every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God is endowed with such potency as can instill new
life into every human frame, if ye be of them that comprehend this truth. All the wondrous works ye
behold in this world have been manifested through the operation of His supreme and most exalted
Will, His wondrous and inflexible Purpose. Through the mere revelation of the word "Fashioner,"
issuing forth from His lips and proclaiming His attribute to mankind, such power is released as can
generate, through successive ages, all the manifold arts which the hands of man can produce. This,
verily, is a certain truth. No sooner is this resplendent word uttered, than its animating energies,
stirring within all created things, give birth to the means and instruments whereby such arts can be
produced and perfected. All the wondrous achievements ye now witness are the direct consequences of
the Revelation of this Name. In the days to come, ye will, verily, behold things of which ye have never
heard before. Thus hath it been decreed in the Tablets of God, and none can comprehend it except
them whose sight is sharp. In like manner, the moment the word expressing My attribute "The
Omniscient" issueth forth from My mouth, every created thing will, according to its capacity and
limitations, be invested with the power to unfold the knowledge of the most marvellous sciences, and
will be empowered to manifest them in the course of time at the bidding of Him Who is the Almighty,
the All-Knowing. Know thou of a certainty that the Revelation of every other Name is accompanied by
a similar manifestation of Divine power. Every single letter proceeding out of the mouth of God is
indeed a mother letter, and every word uttered by Him Who is the Well Spring of Divine Revelation is
a mother word, and His Tablet a Mother Tablet. Well is it with them that apprehend this truth.
(Gleanings, pages 141-142)

With the foregoing in mind, and corroborative quotations could be multiplied almost indefinitely, it is
evident why Bahá'u'lláh exhorts us to implicit obedience to that Word and speaks so emphatically of its
Power.

And yet, nothing greater than these verses hath ever appeared, nor will ever be made manifest in the
world! (The Kitab-i-Iqan, page 207)

Through the power of the words He hath uttered the whole of the human race can be illumined with
the light of unity, (Gleanings, page 286)

Through the movement of Our Pen of glory We have, at the bidding of the omnipotent Ordainer,
breathed a new life into every human frame, and instilled into every word a fresh potency. (Gleanings,
pages 92-93)

Every verse which this Pen hath revealed is a bright and shining portal that discloseth the glories of a
saintly and pious life, of pure and stainless deeds. (Gleanings, page 96)

...the still greater task of converting satanic strength into heavenly power is one that We have been
empowered to accomplish. ... The Word of God, alone, can claim the distinction of being endowed with
the capacity required for so great and far-reaching a change. (Gleanings, page 200)

Can there be a more urgent reason for the intensive study of this word? And for a determined call upon
our will for its application to life?

Perhaps a final word as to the methods of study may be helpful. Marginal annotations referring to
similar passages often explain each other. At times some of these passages may seem contradictory.
This is because the student has not penetrated deeply enough. Paradoxical statements are inevitable
when speaking of such heights. Bahá'u'lláh refers to this difficulty many times and speaks of pondering
in the heart.

READING #8 IQAN pg. 192

Thus will these mysteries be unravelled, not by the aid of acquired learning, but solely through the
assistance of God and the outpourings of His grace. "Ask ye, therefore, of them that have the custody of
the Scriptures, if ye know it not." Qur'an 6:59 (The Kitab-i-Iqan, page 192)

It is recommended that the seeker ask aid of those more deeply versed in knowledge of these
mysteries.

READING #9 IQAN pg. 211

The understanding of His words and the comprehension of the utterances of the Birds of Heaven are
in no wise dependent upon human learning. They depend solely upon purity of heart, chastity of soul,
and freedom of spirit. (The Kitab-i-Iqan, page 211)

READING #10 IQAN pg. 254-255

It is evident unto thee that the Birds of Heaven and Doves of Eternity speak a twofold language. One
language, the outward language, is devoid of allusions, is unconcealed and unveiled; that it may be a

guiding lamp and a beckoning light whereby wayfarers may attain the heights of holiness, and seekers
may advance into the realm of eternal reunion. Such are the unveiled traditions and the evident verses
already mentioned. The other language is veiled and concealed, so that whatever lieth hidden in the
heart of the malevolent may be made manifest and their innermost being be disclosed. Thus hath
Sadiq, son of Muhammad, spoken: "God verily will test them and sift them." This is the divine
standard, this is the Touchstone of God, wherewith He proveth His servants. None apprehendeth the
meaning of these utterances except them whose hearts are assured, whose souls have found favour
with God, and whose minds are detached from all else but Him. In such utterances, the literal
meaning, as generally understood by the people, is not what hath been intended. Thus it is recorded:
"Every knowledge hath seventy meanings, of which one only is known amongst the people. And when
the Qa'im shall arise, He shall reveal unto men all that which remaineth." He also saith: "We speak one
word, and by it we intend one and seventy meanings; each one of these meanings we can explain."
(The Kitab-i-Iqan, pages 254-255)

It is made quite clear through many forceful and sublime utterances that knowledge of the Word
through intensive and loving study is a touchstone by which the station, the sincerity, the self-sacrifice
in the Path of God is tested.

The Word - its meaning is often difficult, but far from impossible to understand, sufficiently at least to
guide the wayfarer to his eternal home. Hence God asks: How much patience, fortitude, and
steadfastness do you bring to Me?

11. READING #11 IQAN pg. 217

O brother, we should open our eyes, meditate upon His Word, and seek the sheltering shadow of the
Manifestations of God, that perchance we may be warned by the unmistakable counsels of the Book,
and give heed to the admonitions recorded in the holy Tablets; that we may not cavil at the Revealer of
the verses, that we may resign ourselves wholly to His Cause, and embrace wholeheartedly His law,
that haply we may enter the court of His mercy, and dwell upon the shore of His grace. He, verily, is
merciful, and forgiving towards His servants. (The Kitab-i-Iqan, page 217)

12. READING #12 BS par. 54

Glory be unto Thee, O Lord of the world and Desire of the nations, O Thou Who hast become manifest
in the Greatest Name whereby the pearls of wisdom and utterance have appeared from the shells of the
great sea of Thy knowledge, and the heavens of divine revelation have been adorned with the light of
the appearance of the Sun of Thy countenance.

I beg of Thee, by that Word through which Thy proof was perfected among Thy creatures and Thy
testimony was fulfilled among Thy servants to strengthen Thy people in that whereby the face of the
Cause will radiate in Thy dominion, the standards of Thy power will be planted among Thy servants,
and the banners of Thy guidance will be raised throughout Thy dominions.

O my Lord! Thou beholdest them clinging to the rope of Thy grace and holding fast unto the hem
of the mantle of Thy beneficence. Ordain for them that which may draw them nearer unto Thee,
and withhold them from all else save Thee. I beg of Thee, O Thou King of existence and Protector
of the seen and the unseen, to make whosoever ariseth to serve Thy Cause as a sea moving by Thy
desire, as one ablaze with the fire of Thy Sacred Tree, shining from the horizon of the heaven of
Thy Will. Verily Thou art the mighty One Whom neither the power of all the world nor the strength
of nations can weaken. There is no God but Thee, the One, the Incomparable, the Protector, the
Self-Subsistent. (Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, pages 33-34)

选择第二个文本以并排阅读——可以是译本，或任何其他文本。