"My claim on thee is great, it cannot be forgotten."

"O SON OF SPIRIT! 
My claim on thee is great, it cannot be forgotten. My grace to thee is plenteous, it cannot be veiled. My love has made in thee its home, it cannot be concealed. My light is manifest to thee, it cannot be obscured."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"These Magi said: “Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east and are come to worship Him!” "

© 2017 Chuck Egerton

"In like manner, when the hour of the Revelation of Jesus drew nigh, a few of the Magi, aware that the star of Jesus  had appeared in heaven, sought and followed it, till they came unto the city which was the seat of the Kingdom of Herod. The sway of his sovereignty in those days embraced the whole of that land.

These Magi said: “Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east and are come to worship Him!”48 When they had searched, they found out that in Bethlehem, in the land of Judea, the Child had been born. This was the sign that was manifested in the visible heaven. As to the sign in the invisible heaven—the heaven of divine knowledge and understanding—it was Yaḥyá, son of Zachariah, who gave unto the people the tidings of the Manifestation of Jesus. Even as He hath revealed: “God announceth Yaḥyá to thee, who shall bear witness unto the Word from God, and a great one and chaste.”49 By the term “Word” is meant Jesus Whose coming Yaḥyá 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.”50By John is meant Yaḥyá."

~Bahá'u'lláh

Note: 48 - Matthew 2:2
Note: 49 - Qur’án 3:39
Note: 50 - Matthew 3:1–2.

" ... I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image ..."

© 2017 Chuck Egerton

"O SON OF MAN! 
Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"I have made death a messenger of joy to thee."

© 2017 Chuck Egerton

"O SON OF THE SUPREME! 
I have made death a messenger of joy to thee. Wherefore dost thou grieve? I made the light to shed on thee its splendor. Why dost thou veil thyself therefrom?"



~Bahá'u'lláh

"Ask not of Me that which We desire not for thee ..."

© 2017 Chuck Egerton

"O SON OF SPIRIT! 
Ask not of Me that which We desire not for thee, then be content with what We have ordained for thy sake, for this is that which profiteth thee, if therewith thou dost content thyself."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"Forget all save Me and commune with My spirit."

© 2017 Chuck Egerton

"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."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself?"

© 2017 Chuck Egerton

"O 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."

~Bahá'u'lláh

" ... Rise then unto that for which thou wast created."

© 2017 Chuck Egerton

"O SON OF SPIRIT! 
Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself. Rise then unto that for which thou wast created."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"If thou seekest another than Me, yea, if thou searchest the universe forevermore, thy quest will be in vain."

© 2017 Chuck Egerton

"O SON OF UTTERANCE! 
Turn thy face unto Mine and renounce all save Me; for My sovereignty endureth and My dominion perisheth not. If thou seekest another than Me, yea, if thou searchest the universe forevermore, thy quest will be in vain."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"Write all that We have revealed unto thee with the ink of light upon the tablet of thy spirit. "

"O SON OF MAN! 
Write all that We have revealed unto thee with the ink of light upon the tablet of thy spirit. Should this not be in thy power, then make thine ink of the essence of thy heart. If this thou canst not do, then write with that crimson ink that hath been shed in My path. Sweeter indeed is this to Me than all else, that its light may endure forever."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"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 Cupbearer and even as the true morn doth quicken and illumine the hearts of the dead."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"Know ye in truth that wealth is a mighty barrier between the seeker and his desire, the lover and his beloved. ..."

"O YE THAT PRIDE YOURSELVES ON MORTAL RICHES! 
Know ye in truth that wealth is a mighty barrier between the seeker and his desire, the lover and his beloved. The rich, but for a few, shall in no wise attain the court of His presence nor enter the city of content and resignation. Well is it then with him, who, being rich, is not hindered by his riches from the eternal kingdom, nor deprived by them of imperishable dominion. By the Most Great Name! The splendor of such a wealthy man shall illuminate the dwellers of heaven even as the sun enlightens the people of the earth!"

~Bahá'u'lláh

"Put away the garment of vainglory ..."

"O CHILDREN OF DESIRE! 
Put away the garment of vainglory, and divest yourselves of the attire of haughtiness."

~Bahá'u'lláh

" The chief of the monarchs of love is wronged by the people of tyranny and the dove of holiness lies prisoned in the talons of owls. ..."

"O DWELLERS IN THE CITY OF LOVE! 
Mortal blasts have beset the everlasting candle, and the beauty of the celestial Youth is veiled in the darkness of dust. The chief of the monarchs of love is wronged by the people of tyranny and the dove of holiness lies prisoned in the talons of owls. The dwellers in the pavilion of glory and the celestial concourse bewail and lament, while ye repose in the realm of negligence, and esteem yourselves as of the true friends. How vain are your imaginings!"

~Bahá'u'lláh

"Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor ..."

"

O CHILDREN OF DUST! 
Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest heedlessness lead them into the path of destruction, and deprive them of the Tree of Wealth. To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"Ye turn your eyes towards the thorn, and name it a flower."

"ALAS! ALAS! O LOVERS OF WORLDLY DESIRE! 
Even as the swiftness of lightning ye have passed by the Beloved One, and have set your hearts on satanic fancies. Ye bow the knee before your vain imagining, and call it truth. Ye turn your eyes towards the thorn, and name it a flower. Not a pure breath have ye breathed, nor hath the breeze of detachment been wafted from the meadows of your hearts. Ye have cast to the winds the loving counsels of the Beloved and have effaced them utterly from the tablet of your hearts, and even as the beasts of the field, ye move and have your being within the pastures of desire and passion."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"Live then the days of thy life, that are less than a fleeting moment, with thy mind stainless ..."

© 2017 Chuck Egerton

"O COMPANION OF MY THRONE! 
Hear no evil, and see no evil, abase not thyself, neither sigh and weep. Speak no evil, that thou mayest not hear it spoken unto thee, and magnify not the faults of others that thine own faults may not appear great; and wish not the abasement of anyone, that thine own abasement be not exposed. Live then the days of thy life, that are less than a fleeting moment, with thy mind stainless, thy heart unsullied, thy thoughts pure, and thy nature sanctified, so that, free and content, thou mayest put away this mortal frame, and repair unto the mystic paradise and abide in the eternal kingdom forevermore."

~Bahá'u'lláh

" ... none but the pure in heart can comprehend."

"O SON OF MY HANDMAID! 
Didst thou behold immortal sovereignty, thou wouldst strive to pass from this fleeting world. But to conceal the one from thee and to reveal the other is a mystery which none but the pure in heart can comprehend."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"Sow the seeds of My divine wisdom in the pure soil of thy heart, and water them with the water of certitude ..."

"O MY BROTHER! 
Hearken to the delightsome words of My honeyed tongue, and quaff the stream of mystic holiness from My sugar-shedding lips. Sow the seeds of My divine wisdom in the pure soil of thy heart, and water them with the water of certitude, that the hyacinths of My knowledge and wisdom may spring up fresh and green in the sacred city of thy heart."

~Bahá'u'lláh

" ... I have planted in the holy garden of paradise the young tree of your love and friendship ..."

"O DWELLERS OF MY PARADISE! 
With the hands of loving-kindness I have planted in the holy garden of paradise the young tree of your love and friendship, and have watered it with the goodly showers of My tender grace; now that the hour of its fruiting is come, strive that it may be protected, and be not consumed with the flame of desire and passion."

~Bahá'u'lláh

" ... kindle within your hearts the everlasting torch of divine guidance."

"O MY FRIENDS! 

Quench ye the lamp of error, and kindle within your hearts the everlasting torch of divine guidance. For ere long the assayers of mankind shall, in the holy presence of the Adored, accept naught but purest virtue and deeds of stainless holiness."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"Sow the seeds of My divine wisdom in the pure soil of thy heart ..."

"O MY BROTHER! 
Hearken to the delightsome words of My honeyed tongue, and quaff the stream of mystic holiness from My sugar-shedding lips. Sow the seeds of My divine wisdom in the pure soil of thy heart, and water them with the water of certitude, that the hyacinths of My knowledge and wisdom may spring up fresh and green in the sacred city of thy heart."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"Make My love thy treasure and cherish it even as thy very sight and life."

"O BEFRIENDED STRANGER! 
The candle of thine heart is lighted by the hand of My power, quench it not with the contrary winds of self and passion. The healer of all thine ills is remembrance of Me, forget it not. Make My love thy treasure and cherish it even as thy very sight and life."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"Out of My loving-kindness, ’neath the shade of My mercy I nurtured thee ..."

© 2017 Chuck Egerton

"O SON OF BOUNTY! 
Out of the wastes of nothingness, with the clay of My command I made thee to appear, and have ordained for thy training every atom in existence and the essence of all created things. Thus, ere thou didst issue from thy mother’s womb, I destined for thee two founts of gleaming milk, eyes to watch over thee, and hearts to love thee. Out of My loving-kindness, ’neath the shade of My mercy I nurtured thee, and guarded thee by the essence of My grace and favor. And My purpose in all this was that thou mightest attain My everlasting dominion and become worthy of My invisible bestowals. And yet heedless thou didst remain, and when fully grown, thou didst neglect all My bounties and occupied thyself with thine idle imaginings, in such wise that thou didst become wholly forgetful, and, turning away from the portals of the Friend didst abide within the courts of My enemy."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"All that is in heaven and earth I have ordained for thee, except the human heart ..."

Yarrow © 2017 Chuck Egerton

"O SON OF DUST! 
All that is in heaven and earth I have ordained for thee, except the human heart, which I have made the habitation of My beauty and glory; yet thou didst give My home and dwelling to another than Me; and whenever the manifestation of My holiness sought His own abode, a stranger found He there, and, homeless, hastened unto the sanctuary of the Beloved. Notwithstanding I have concealed thy secret and desired not thy shame."

~Bahá'u''lláh

"Pass beyond the baser stages of doubt and rise to the exalted heights of certainty."

"O FLEETING SHADOW! 
Pass beyond the baser stages of doubt and rise to the exalted heights of certainty. Open the eye of truth, that thou mayest behold the veilless Beauty and exclaim: Hallowed be the Lord, the most excellent of all creators!"

~Bahá'u'lláh

"The gates that open on the Placeless stand wide ..."

© 2017 Chuck Egerton

"O COMRADES! 
The gates that open on the Placeless stand wide and the habitation of the loved one is adorned with the lovers’ blood, yet all but a few remain bereft of this celestial city, and even of these few, none but the smallest handful hath been found with a pure heart and sanctified spirit."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"Abandon not the everlasting beauty for a beauty that must die ..."

© 2017 Chuck Egerton

"O FRIENDS! 
Abandon not the everlasting beauty for a beauty that must die, and set not your affections on this mortal world of dust."

~Baha'u'llah

"Close one eye and open the other."

© 2017 Chuck Egerton

"O MAN OF TWO VISIONS! 
Close one eye and open the other. Close one to the world and all that is therein, and open the other to the hallowed beauty of the Beloved."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"Blind thine eyes, that thou mayest behold My beauty..."

© 2017 Dawn Egerton

"O SON OF DUST! 
Blind thine eyes, that thou mayest behold My beauty; stop thine ears, that thou mayest hearken unto the sweet melody of My voice; empty thyself of all learning, that thou mayest partake of My knowledge; and sanctify thyself from riches, that thou mayest obtain a lasting share from the ocean of My eternal wealth. Blind thine eyes, that is, to all save My beauty; stop thine ears to all save My word; empty thyself of all learning save the knowledge of Me; that with a clear vision, a pure heart and an attentive ear thou mayest enter the court of My holiness."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"To the true lover reunion is life, and separation is death."

© 2017 Chuck Egerton

"O SON OF JUSTICE! 
Whither can a lover go but to the land of his beloved? and what seeker findeth rest away from his heart’s desire? To the true lover reunion is life, and separation is death. His breast is void of patience and his heart hath no peace. A myriad lives he would forsake to hasten to the abode of his beloved."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"Let deeds, not words, be your adorning."

© 2017 Chuck Egerton

"O SON OF DUST! 
Verily I say unto thee: Of all men the most negligent is he that disputeth idly and seeketh to advance himself over his brother. Say: O brethren! Let deeds, not words, be your adorning."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love ... "

© 2017 Chuck Egerton

"O FRIEND! 

In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love, and from the nightingale of affection and desire loosen not thy hold. Treasure the companionship of the righteous and eschew all fellowship with the ungodly."

~Bahá'u'lláh

“…whose oil would well nigh shine out, even though fire touched it not! It is light upon light.”

© 2017 Chuck Egerton

"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 mayest become an eternal light and an immortal spirit. This is My command unto thee, do thou observe it."

~Bahá'u'lláh

"As commanded by the Blessed Beauty, Mírzá Javád of Turshíz went to their house one night. Mírzá Javád had hardly opened his mouth when they accepted the Faith. They did not hesitate for an instant, for they had amazing receptivity. This is what is meant by the Qur’ánic verse: “…whose oil  would well nigh shine out, even though fire touched it not! It is light upon light.”1 That is, this oil is so fully prepared, so ready to be lit, that it almost catches fire of itself, though no flame be at hand; which means that the capacity for faith, and the deserving it, can be so great, that without the communication of a single word the light shines forth. This is how it was with those pure-hearted men; truly they were loyal, staunch, and devoted to God."

'Abdu'l-Bahá, Memorials of the Faithful

1. Qur’án 24:35.



In Memory of Morgan Walker