"This is the Day whereon the Ocean of God’s mercy hath been manifested unto men ..."

Frank McKelvey RHA, RUA

"This is the Day whereon the Ocean of God’s mercy hath been manifested unto men, the Day in which the Daystar of His loving-kindness hath shed its radiance upon them, the Day in which the clouds of His bountiful favor have overshadowed the whole of mankind. Now is the time to cheer and refresh the down-cast through the invigorating breeze of love and fellowship, and the living waters of friendliness and charity." - Bahá’u’lláh Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh

"It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences ..."

Ballycastle in the distance © 2019 Chuck Egerton

"THIS is the Day in which God’s most excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused into all created things. It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness. It behooveth them to cleave to whatsoever will, in this Day, be conducive to the exaltation of their stations, and to the promotion of their best interests. Happy are those whom the all-glorious Pen was moved to remember, and blessed are those men whose names, by virtue of Our inscrutable decree, We have preferred to conceal."  
 Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh  

Celebrating the Bicentennial of the Báb

Bicentenary of the Báb Video

"Guard ye, with the aid of the one true God—exalted be His glory—the integrity of the station which ye have attained ..."

"Render thanks unto God, inasmuch as ye have attained unto your heart’s Desire, and been united to Him Who is the Promise of all nations. Guard ye, with the aid of the one true God—exalted be His glory—the integrity of the station which ye have attained, and cleave to that which shall promote His Cause. He, verily, enjoineth on you what is right and conducive to the exaltation of man’s station. Glorified be the All-Merciful, the Revealer of this wondrous Tablet." -Bahá’u’lláh (Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh)

"The beginning of all things is the knowledge of God ..."

Bessbrook, Newry Northern Ireland © 2019 Chuck Egerton

"The beginning of all things is the knowledge of God, and the end of all things is strict observance of whatsoever hath been sent down from the empyrean of the Divine Will that pervadeth all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth."

Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh p. 5

" It would draw thee from this abode of dust unto thy true and heavenly habitation in the midmost heart of mystic knowledge ..."

© 2019 Chuck Egerton

By My life, O friend! Wert thou to taste the fruits of these verdant trees that spring from the soil of true understanding, once the effulgent light of His Essence hath been reflected in the Mirrors of His names and attributes, yearning would seize the reins of patience and restraint from out thy hand and stir thy spirit into commotion with the splendours of His light. It would draw thee from this abode of dust unto thy true and heavenly habitation in the midmost heart of mystic knowledge, and raise thee to a station wherein thou wilt soar in the air even as thou treadest upon the earth, and wilt walk upon the water even as thou movest over the land. Wherefore, may it rejoice me, and thee, and whosoever mounteth into the heaven of knowledge, and whose heart hath been revived by the breezes of certitude that waft from the Sheba of the All-Merciful upon the meadow of his inner being. Peace be upon him who followeth the way of guidance!¹⁶-Bahá’u’lláh

"For this—mastery of the Teachings—there is no effective substitute."

© 2018 Chuck Egerton

"The Universal House of Justice has received and read with interest your letter dated 10 December 1995 seeking its guidance in regard to the work of achieving race unity in the United States. We have been instructed to send the following reply.

Since the Writings contain so much material on this subject, already brilliantly

summarized and expounded by the beloved Guardian, the House of Justice does not feel it would be feasible or useful to rehearse that with which you are already very well familiar. The friends, generally, need to digest this material, to study and internalize it, until they have a profound grasp of the Bahá’í perspective on the matters which you have identified as ones on which there is no true unity of thought. For this—mastery of the Teachings—there is no effective substitute.

In essence, the House of Justice feels that methods should be subordinated to purposes and goals, and are to be selected, adapted or discarded, as they show themselves to be effective or not. In this regard, it has often been observed that attempts which set out, self-consciously, to arrive at unity often lose momentum, unless they lead beyond discussion to some form of action. With respect to principles, it will assist the friends greatly if the issue of addressing race unity can be formulated within the broad context of the social development of the community. The distinctiveness of the Bahá’í approach to many issues needs to be sharpened. In our public outreach, we need to correlate the Teachings with current thought, and be very clear about the bases and assumptions upon which various conceptions rest, and not swallow uncritically whatever ideas happen to be in vogue. Likewise, as a community we need to be future oriented, to have a clear vision and to think through the steps necessary to bring it to fruition. This is where consultation with the Bahá’í institutions will provide a critical impulse to your own efforts."

-Written on Behalf of the Universal House of Justice, from a letter dated 25 February 1996

"...O Lord my God! Sanctify mine eye, and mine ear, and my tongue ..."

© 2018 Chuck Egerton

"Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Sanctify mine eye, and mine ear, and my tongue, and my spirit, and my heart, and my soul, and my body, and mine entire being from turning unto anyone but Thee. Give me then to drink from the cup that brimmeth with the sealed wine of Thy glory." 

—Bahá’u’lláh

“He hath let loose the two seas, that they meet each other: Between them is a barrier which they overpass not."

© 2018 Chuck Egerton “I have not created spirits and men, but that they should worship me.” 1 Wherefore, wed Thou in the heaven of Thy mercy these two birds of the nest of Thy love, and make them the means of attracting perpetual grace; that from the union of these two seas of love a wave of tenderness may surge and cast the pearls of pure and goodly issue on the shore of life. “He hath let loose the two seas, that they meet each other: Between them is a barrier which they overpass not. Which then of the bounties of your Lord will ye deny? From each He bringeth up greater and lesser pearls.” 2 —‘Abdu’l-Bahá

1.	Qur’án 51:56.   [ Back To Reference]
2.	Qur’án 55:19–22.   [ Back To Reference]

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"The world of existence came into being through the heat generated from the interaction between the active force and that which is its recipient."

© 2018 Chuck Egerton

"That which hath been in existence had existed before, but not in the form thou seest today. The world of existence came into being through the heat generated from the interaction between the active force and that which is its recipient. These two are the same, yet they are different. Thus doth the Great Announcement inform thee about this glorious structure. Such as communicate the generating influence and such as receive its impact are indeed created through the irresistible Word of God which is the Cause of the entire creation, while all else besides His Word are but the creatures and the effects thereof. Verily thy Lord is the Expounder, the All-Wise."

Bahá'u'lláh LAWḤ-I-HIKMAT (Tablet of Wisdom) p. 140

Birth of the Báb and Birth of Bahá'u'lláh

West Hawk Lake, Manitoba - © 2018 Chuck Egerton

"The Tongue of Wisdom proclaimeth: He that hath Me not is bereft of all things. Turn ye away from all that is on earth and seek none else but Me. I am the Sun of Wisdom and the Ocean of Knowledge. I cheer the faint and revive the dead. I am the guiding Light that illumineth the way. I am the royal Falcon on the arm of the Almighty. I unfold the drooping wings of every broken bird and start it on its flight."

Bahá'u'lláh  Lawḥ-i-Maqṣúd; cf. Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1988), p. 169

" ... so long will men be unable to achieve the greatness which might be theirs.”

St. Boniface Cathedral, Winnipeg © 2018 Chuck Egerton

“As long as women are prevented from attaining their highest possibilities, so long will men be unable to achieve the greatness which might be theirs.”



-‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks: Addresses Given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Paris in 1911 40.33 

Feast of Qudrat (Power) "the new age will be an age less masculine and more permeated with the feminine ideals ..."

St. Boniface, Winnipeg © 2018 Chuck Egerton

“The world in the past has been ruled by force, and man has dominated over woman by reason of his more forceful and aggressive qualities both of body and mind. But the balance is already shifting; force is losing its dominance, and mental alertness, intuition, and the spiritual qualities of love and service, in which woman is strong, are gaining ascendancy. Hence the new age will be an age less masculine and more permeated with the feminine ideals . . . an age in which the masculine and feminine elements of civilization will be more evenly balanced.”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, quoted in Wendell Phillips Dodge, “Abdul-Baha’s Arrival in America,” in Star of the West 3 (April 28, 1912), no. 3, p. 4.) 

“The world of humanity is possessed of two wings: the male and the female. So long as these two wings are not equivalent in strength, the bird will not fly. "

© 2018 Chuck Egerton

“The world of humanity is possessed of two wings: the male and the female. So long as these two wings are not equivalent in strength, the bird will not fly. Until womankind reaches the same degree as man, until she enjoys the same arena of activity, extraordinary attainment for humanity will not be realized; humanity cannot wing its way to heights of real attainment. When the two wings . . . become equivalent in strength, enjoying the same prerogatives, the flight of man will be exceedingly lofty and extraordinary.”

-‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 375

"Thus have their superstitions become veils between them and their own hearts and kept them from the path of God "

Seine River, Winnipeg, MB © Chuck Egerton 2018

"... Rely upon God, thy God and the Lord of thy fathers.  For the people are wandering in the paths of delusion, bereft of discernment to see God with their own eyes, or hear His Melody with their own ears.  Thus have We found them, as thou also dost witness. Thus have their superstitions become veils between them and their own hearts and kept them from the path of God, the Exalted, the Great..." 

-Bahá’u’lláh, Tablet of Ahmad

"O MAN OF TWO VISIONS!"

© Chuck Egerton 2018

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, Persian no. 12

" ... it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul ..."

Red River © Chuck Egerton 2018

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, Arabic no. 68

"The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice ..."

© Chuck Egerton 2018

O SON OF SPIRIT! The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes. 

-Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words, Arabic no. 2

"Bring thyself to account each day ..."

 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 shalt be called to give account for thy deeds.

 -Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words, Arabic no. 31 

" ... ever remember the earth plane is a workshop, not an art gallery for the exhibits of powers."

Charles John Egerton - 1912

"Man in this age has learned the weight of the sun, the path of a star, the movement of an eclipse -- the advance step now is to learn the expansion of the inflexible law of matter into the subtler kingdom of spirit, which contains a finer gravitation which holds the balance of power from age to age unbroken. Blessed is that soul who knows that against all appearances, the nature of things works for truth and right forever . . . . The emancipated soul sees with the eyes of perfect faith because it knows what vast provisions are made to enable it to gain the victory over every difficulty and trial. Yet man must ever remember the earth plane is a workshop, not an art gallery for the exhibits of powers. This is not the plane of perfection, but earth is the crucible for refining and moulding character." –‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Star of the West Vol. 16 Issue 5, p. 518, August 1925 (also quoted in Vol. 24 Issue 11 p. 350, Feb. 1934)

"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