Thursday, September 4, 2014

"O CHILDREN OF THE DIVINE AND INVISIBLE ESSENCE!




"O CHILDREN OF THE DIVINE AND INVISIBLE ESSENCE! Ye shall be hindered from loving Me and souls shall be perturbed as they make mention of Me. For minds cannot grasp Me nor hearts contain Me."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Arabic No. 66, p. 19

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

"Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other."



"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."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Arabic No. 68, p. 20

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

"Ye are My treasury ..."



"O YE SONS OF SPIRIT! Ye are My treasury, for in you I have treasured the pearls of My mysteries and the gems of My knowledge. Guard them from the strangers amidst My servants and from the ungodly amongst My people."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Arabic No. 69, p. 20

Monday, September 1, 2014

" .. 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 for ever."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Arabic No. 71, p.21

Sunday, August 31, 2014

" ... O immortal phoenix! dwell not save on the mount of faithfulness."



"O YE PEOPLE THAT HAVE MINDS TO KNOW AND EARS TO HEAR!
The first call of the Beloved is this: O mystic nightingale! Abide not but in the rose-garden of the spirit. O messenger of the Solomon of love! Seek thou no shelter except in the Sheba of the well-beloved, and O immortal phoenix! dwell not save on the mount of faithfulness. Therein is thy habitation, if on the wings of thy soul thou soarest to the realm of the infinite and seekest to attain thy goal."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 1, p. 22

Saturday, August 30, 2014

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



"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, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 3, p. 23

Friday, August 29, 2014

"Open the eye of truth, that thou mayest behold the veilless Beauty ..."




"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 Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 9, p. 25

Thursday, August 28, 2014

"Close one eye and open the other."




"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, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 12, p. 26

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

" ... the heart wherein the least remnant of envy yet lingers, shall never attain My everlasting dominion ..."





"O SON OF EARTH! Know, verily, the heart wherein the least remnant of envy yet lingers, shall never attain My everlasting dominion, nor inhale the sweet savors of holiness breathing from My kingdom of sanctity."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 6, p. 24

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

" ... set not your affections on this mortal world of dust."



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

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 14, p. 26

Monday, August 25, 2014

" ... none but the smallest handful hath been found with a pure heart and sanctified spirit."




"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, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 17, p. 27

Sunday, August 24, 2014

" Awe-struck ye listened as I gave utterance to these three most holy words ..."



"O MY FRIENDS! Have ye forgotten that true and radiant morn, when in those hallowed and blessed surroundings ye were all gathered in My presence beneath the shade of the tree of life, which is planted in the all-glorious paradise? Awe-struck ye listened as I gave utterance to these three most holy words: O friends! Prefer not your will to Mine, never desire that which I have not desired for you, and approach Me not with lifeless hearts, defiled with worldly desires and cravings. Would ye but sanctify your souls, ye would at this present hour recall that place and those surroundings, and the truth of My utterance should be made evident unto all of you."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 19, pp. 27-28

Saturday, August 23, 2014

"Ye that have eyes, behold and wonder."





"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."


-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 22, p. 29

Friday, August 22, 2014

" ... To the court of holiness I summon thee ..."



"O SON OF SPIRIT! With the joyful tidings of light I hail thee: rejoice! To the court of holiness I summon thee; abide therein that thou mayest live in peace for evermore."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 33, p. 11

Thursday, August 21, 2014

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



"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, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No.27, p. 31

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

'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, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 33, pp. 33-34

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

" ... wouldst thou gaze upon My beauty, close thine eyes to the world and all that is therein ... "






"O SON OF EARTH! Wouldst thou have Me, seek none other than Me; and wouldst thou gaze upon My beauty, close thine eyes to the world and all that is therein; for My will and the will of another than Me, even as fire and water, cannot dwell together in one heart."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 31. p. 33

Monday, August 18, 2014

" ... 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, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 35 p. 34

Sunday, August 17, 2014

"Barter not the garden of eternal delight for the dust-heap of a mortal world."



"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."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 39, p. 36

Saturday, August 16, 2014

" ... wish not the abasement of anyone, that thine own abasement be not exposed."



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

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh. Persian No. 44, p. 37

Friday, August 15, 2014

"Be forbearing one with another ..."


"In the third of the most holy lines writ and recorded in the Ruby Tablet by the pen of the unseen this is revealed:

 O BRETHREN! Be forbearing one with another and set not your affections on things below. Pride not yourselves in your glory, and be not ashamed of abasement. By My beauty! I have created all things from dust, and to dust will I return them again."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 43, 9. 39

Thursday, August 14, 2014

" ... for poverty is followed by riches, and riches are followed by poverty ..."



"O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Be not troubled in poverty nor confident in riches, for poverty is followed by riches, and riches are followed by poverty. Yet to be poor in all save God is a wondrous gift, belittle not the value thereof, for in the end it will make thee rich in God, and thus thou shalt know the meaning of the utterance, “In truth ye are the poor,” and the holy words, “God is the all-possessing,” shall even as the true morn break forth gloriously resplendent upon the horizon of the lover’s heart, and abide secure on the throne of wealth."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 51, p. 40

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

"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, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 49, p. 39

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

"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, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 53, p. 41

Monday, August 11, 2014

" ... in perfect peace advance into the realm of poverty ..."




"O SON OF PASSION! Cleanse thyself from the defilement of riches and in perfect peace advance into the realm of poverty; that from the well-spring of detachment thou mayest quaff the wine of immortal life."


-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 55, pp. 41-42

Sunday, August 10, 2014

" ... fellowship with the righteous cleanseth the rust from off the heart."



"O MY SON! The company of the ungodly increaseth sorrow, whilst fellowship with the righteous cleanseth the rust from off the heart. He that seeketh to commune with God, let him betake himself to the companionship of His loved ones; and he that desireth to hearken unto the word of God, let him give ear to the words of His chosen ones."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Persian No. 56, p. 42

Saturday, August 9, 2014

" ... whatsoever ye have concealed within your hearts is to Us open and manifest as the day ..."




"O FRIENDS! Verily I say, whatsoever ye have concealed within your hearts is to Us open and manifest as the day; but that it is hidden is of Our grace and favor, and not of your deserving."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, No. 60 Persian, p. 43.

Friday, August 8, 2014

" ... enter into fellowship with the righteous ...."





"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."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, No. 58 Persian, p. 42

Thursday, August 7, 2014

"Take from the hands of the divine Cup-bearer the chalice of immortal life ..."






"O SON OF DUST! Turn not away thine eyes from the matchless wine of the immortal Beloved, and open them not to foul and mortal dregs. Take from the hands of the divine Cup-bearer the chalice of immortal life, that all wisdom may be thine, and that thou mayest hearken unto the mystic voice calling from the realm of the invisible. Cry aloud, ye that are of low aim! Wherefore have ye turned away from My holy and immortal wine unto evanescent water?"

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, No. 62 Persian, pp. 43-44

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

" ...By My beauty! All your doings hath My pen graven with open characters upon tablets of chrysolite."



"O YE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD! Know, verily, that an unforeseen calamity followeth you, and grievous retribution awaiteth you. Think not that which ye have committed hath been effaced in My sight. By My beauty! All your doings hath My pen graven with open characters upon tablets of chrysolite."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, No. 63 Persian, p. 44

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

"O REBELLIOUS ONES!"



"O REBELLIOUS ONES! My forbearance hath emboldened you and My long-suffering hath made you negligent, in such wise that ye have spurred on the fiery charger of passion into perilous ways that lead unto destruction. Have ye thought Me heedless or that I was unaware?"

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, No. 65 Persian, pp. 44-45













Horse puzzle Isfahan 1616

Monday, August 4, 2014

"A dewdrop out of the fathomless ocean of My mercy I have shed upon the peoples of the world ..."



"O SON OF MAN! A dewdrop out of the fathomless ocean of My mercy I have shed upon the peoples of the world, yet found none turn thereunto, inasmuch as every one hath turned away from the celestial wine of unity unto the foul dregs of impurity, and, content with mortal cup, hath put away the chalice of immortal beauty. Vile is that wherewith he is contented."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, No. 61 Persian, p. 43

Sunday, August 3, 2014

"The tongue I have designed for the mention of Me, defile it not with detraction."




"O EMIGRANTS! The tongue I have designed for the mention of Me, defile it not with detraction. If the fire of self overcome you, remember your own faults and not the faults of My creatures, inasmuch as every one of you knoweth his own self better than he knoweth others."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, No. 66 Persian, p. 45

Saturday, August 2, 2014

"O CHILDREN OF FANCY!"




"O CHILDREN OF FANCY! Know, verily, that while the radiant dawn breaketh above the horizon of eternal holiness, the satanic secrets and deeds done in the gloom of night shall be laid bare and manifest before the peoples of the world." -

 Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, No. 67 Persian, p. 45

Friday, August 1, 2014

... "Far, far are ye from that which ye desire."




"O WEED THAT SPRINGETH OUT OF DUST! Wherefore have not these soiled hands of thine touched first thine own garment, and why with thine heart defiled with desire and passion dost thou seek to commune with Me and to enter My sacred realm? Far, far are ye from that which ye desire."


-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, No. 68 Persian, p. 45

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Feast of Kamal - Perfection



"With fixed and steady gaze, born of the unerring eye of God, scan for a while the horizon of divine knowledge, and contemplate those words of perfection which the Eternal hath revealed, that haply the mysteries of divine wisdom, hidden ere now beneath the veil of glory and treasured within the tabernacle of His grace, may be made manifest
unto you. The denials and protestations of these leaders of religion have, in the main, been due to their lack of knowledge and understanding. Those words uttered by the Revealers of the beauty of the one true God, setting forth the signs that should herald the advent of the Manifestation to come, they never understood nor fathomed. Hence they raised the standard of revolt, and stirred up mischief and sedition. It is obvious and manifest that the true meaning of the utterances of the Birds of Eternity is revealed to none except those that manifest the Eternal Being, and the melodies of the Nightingale of Holiness can reach no ear save that of the denizens of the everlasting realm. The Copt of tyranny can never partake of the cup touched by the lips of the Sept of justice, and the Pharaoh of unbelief can never hope to recognize the hand of the Moses of truth. Even as He saith: “None knoweth the meaning thereof except God and them that are well-grounded in knowledge.” 15 And yet, they have sought the interpretation of the Book from those that are wrapt in veils, and have refused to seek enlightenment from the fountain-head of knowledge."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Íqán , pp. 16-17

 15. Qur’án 3:7.







Leonardo DaVinci

" ... the beauty of the immortal Being hath repaired from the emerald height of fidelity unto the Sadratu’l-Muntahá ..."



"O SON OF JUSTICE! In the night-season the beauty of the immortal Being hath repaired from the emerald height of fidelity unto the Sadratu’l-Muntahá, and wept with such a weeping that the concourse on high and the dwellers of the realms above wailed at His lamenting. Whereupon there was asked, Why the wailing and weeping? He made reply: As bidden I waited expectant upon the hill of faithfulness, yet inhaled not from them that dwell on earth the fragrance of fidelity. Then summoned to return I beheld, and lo! certain doves of holiness were sore tried within the claws of the dogs of earth. Thereupon the Maid of heaven hastened forth unveiled and resplendent from Her mystic mansion, and asked of their names, and all were told but one. And when urged, the first letter thereof was uttered, whereupon the dwellers of the celestial chambers rushed forth out of their habitation of glory. And whilst the second letter was pronounced they fell down, one and all, upon the dust. At that moment a voice was heard from the inmost shrine: “Thus far and no farther.” Verily We bear witness to that which they have done and now are doing."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, No. 77 Persian, pp. 49-50

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

" ... that from behind the clouds thou mayest emerge resplendent and array all things with the apparel of life."




"O MY FRIEND! Thou art the daystar of the heavens of My holiness, let not the defilement of the world eclipse thy splendor. Rend asunder the veil of heedlessness, that from behind the clouds thou mayest emerge resplendent and array all things with the apparel of life."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, No. 73 Persian, p. 47

Monday, July 28, 2014

"Set not your affections on mortal sovereignty and rejoice not therein."



"O CHILDREN OF NEGLIGENCE! Set not your affections on mortal sovereignty and rejoice not therein. Ye are even as the unwary bird that with full confidence warbleth upon the bough; till of a sudden the fowler Death throws it upon the dust, and the melody, the form and the color are gone, leaving not a trace. Wherefore take heed, O bondslaves of desire!"

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh,  No. 75 Persian, p.48







Leonardo DaVinci

Sunday, July 27, 2014

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






"O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Quaff from the tongue of the merciful the stream of divine mystery, and behold from the dayspring of divine utterance the unveiled splendor of the daystar of wisdom. Sow the seeds of My divine wisdom in the pure soil of the heart, and water them with the waters of certitude, that the hyacinths of knowledge and wisdom may spring up fresh and green from the holy city of the heart."


-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, No. 78 Persian, p. 50








Leonardo DaVinci

Saturday, July 26, 2014

" ...Thus it is incumbent on every one to engage in crafts and professions, for therein lies the secret of wealth, O men of understanding!"




"O MY SERVANTS! Ye are the trees of My garden; ye must give forth goodly and wondrous fruits, that ye yourselves and others may profit therefrom. Thus it is incumbent on every one to engage in crafts and professions, for therein lies the secret of wealth, O men of understanding! For results depend upon means, and the grace of God shall be all-sufficient unto you. Trees that yield no fruit have been and will ever be for the fire."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, No. 80 Persian, pp. 50-51





Robert Hayden

Friday, July 25, 2014

"The basest of men are they that yield no fruit on earth."




"O MY SERVANT! The basest of men are they that yield no fruit on earth. Such men are verily counted as among the dead, nay better are the dead in the sight of God than those idle and worthless souls"

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, No. 81 Persian, p. 51

Thursday, July 24, 2014

"The best of men are they that earn a livelihood by their calling ..."



"O MY SERVANT! The best of men are they that earn a livelihood by their calling and spend upon themselves and upon their kindred for the love of God, the Lord of all worlds."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, No. 82 Persian. p. 151

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

"I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might ..."




"I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth. There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, pp. 100-101
Short Obligatory Prayer

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

..."I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art God, and that there is none other God beside Thee."...



"Let him, then, be seated and say: I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art God, and that there is none other God beside Thee. Thou hast, verily, revealed Thy Cause, fulfilled Thy Covenant, and opened wide the door of Thy grace to all that dwell in heaven and on earth. Blessing and peace, salutation and glory, rest upon Thy loved ones, whom the changes and chances of the world have not deterred from turning unto Thee, and who have given their all, in the hope of obtaining that which is with Thee. Thou art, in truth, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 100

Excerpt from Medium Obligatory Prayer

Monday, July 21, 2014

..."O God, my God! My back is bowed by the burden of my sins, and my heedlessness hath destroyed me." ...



"Let him then rise and say:

O God, my God! My back is bowed by the burden of my sins, and my heedlessness hath destroyed me. Whenever I ponder my evil doings and Thy benevolence, my heart melteth within me, and my blood boileth in my veins. By Thy Beauty, O Thou the Desire of the world! I blush to lift up my face to Thee, and my longing hands are ashamed to stretch forth toward the heaven of Thy bounty. Thou seest, O my God, how my tears prevent me from remembering Thee and from extolling Thy virtues, O Thou the Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below! I implore Thee by the signs of Thy Kingdom and the mysteries of Thy Dominion to do with Thy loved ones as becometh Thy bounty, O Lord of all being, and is worthy of Thy grace, O King of the seen and the unseen!"

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 97

Sunday, July 20, 2014

"I testify ... that He Who hath been manifested is the Hidden Mystery, the Treasured Symbol, through Whom the letters B and E (Be) have been joined and knit together."



..."Let him then seat himself and say:

I testify unto that whereunto have testified all created things, and the Concourse on high, and the inmates of the all-highest Paradise, and beyond them the Tongue of Grandeur itself from the all-glorious Horizon, that Thou art God, that there is no God but Thee, and that He Who hath been manifested is the Hidden Mystery, the Treasured Symbol, through Whom the letters B and E (Be) have been joined and knit together. I testify that it is He whose name hath been set down by the Pen of the Most High, and Who hath been mentioned in the Books of God, the Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below." ...

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 96

Excerpt from Long Obligatory Prayer

Saturday, July 19, 2014

..."O God, my God! Look not upon my hopes and my doings, nay rather look upon Thy will that hath encompassed the heavens and the earth." ...



... "Let him then raise his hands in supplication toward God—blessed and exalted be He—and say:

O Thou the Desire of the world and the Beloved of the nations! Thou seest me turning toward Thee, and rid of all attachment to anyone save Thee, and clinging to Thy cord, through whose movement the whole creation hath been stirred up. I am Thy servant, O my Lord, and the son of Thy servant. Behold me standing ready to do Thy will and Thy desire, and wishing naught else except Thy good pleasure. I implore Thee by the Ocean of Thy mercy and the Day-Star of Thy grace to do with Thy servant as Thou willest and pleasest. By Thy might which is far above all mention and praise! Whatsoever is revealed by Thee is the desire of my heart and the beloved of my soul. O God, my God! Look not upon my hopes and my doings, nay rather look upon Thy will that hath encompassed the heavens and the earth. By Thy Most Great Name, O Thou Lord of all nations! I have desired only what Thou didst desire, and love only what Thou dost love." ...


-Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, pp. 92-93 

 Excerpt from Long Obligatory Prayer

Friday, July 18, 2014

" ... Can ye claim that what ye own is lasting or secure? ..."



"Say: Rejoice not in the things ye possess; tonight they are yours, tomorrow others will possess them. Thus warneth you He Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Say: Can ye claim that what ye own is lasting or secure? Nay! By Myself, the All-Merciful, ye cannot, if ye be of them who judge fairly. The days of your life flee away as a breath of wind, and all your pomp and glory shall be folded up as were the pomp and glory of those gone before you. Reflect, O people! What hath become of your bygone days, your lost 34 centuries? Happy the days that have been consecrated to the remembrance of God, and blessed the hours which have been spent in praise of Him Who is the All-Wise. By My life! Neither the pomp of the mighty, nor the wealth of the rich, nor even the ascendancy of the ungodly will endure. All will perish, at a word from Him. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling, the Almighty. What advantage is there in the earthly things which men possess? That which shall profit them, they have utterly neglected. Erelong, they will awake from their slumber, and find themselves unable to obtain that which hath escaped them in the days of their Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised. Did they but know it, they would renounce their all, that their names may be mentioned before His throne. They, verily, are accounted among the dead."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas , pp. 33-34

Thursday, July 17, 2014

"We have exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship of the one true God."




"O people of Bahá! It is incumbent upon each one of you to engage in some occupation—such as a craft, a trade or the like. We have exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship of the one true God. Reflect, O people, on the grace and blessings of your Lord, and yield Him thanks at eventide and dawn. Waste not your hours in idleness and sloth, but occupy yourselves with what will profit you and others. Thus hath it been decreed in this Tablet from whose horizon hath shone the day-star of wisdom and utterance. The most despised of men in the sight of God are they who sit and beg. Hold ye fast unto the cord of means and place your trust in God, the Provider of all means."

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 30