God grants our prayers through His universal Manifestations

O handmaid of God! Prayers are granted through the universal Manifestations of God. Nevertheless, where the wish is to obtain material things, even where the heedless are concerned, if they supplicate, humbly imploring God's help- even their prayer hath an effect. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá’; The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. II, The Importance of Prayer, Meditation and the Devotional Attitude)

Means through which “union and harmony among nations” will be achieved

...every great Cause in this world of existence findeth visible expression through three means: first, intention; second, confirmation; third, action. Today on this earth there are many souls who are promoters of peace and reconciliation and are longing for the realization of the oneness and unity of the world of humanity; but this intention needeth a dynamic power, so that it may become manifest in the world of being. In this day the divine instructions and lordly exhortations promulgate this most great aim, and the confirmations of the Kingdom also support and aid the realization of this intention. Therefore, although the combined forces and thoughts of the nations of the world cannot by themselves achieve this exalted purpose, the power of the Word of God penetrateth all things and the assistance of the divine Kingdom is continuous. Erelong it will become evident and clear that the ensign of the Most Great Peace is the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, and the tent of union and harmony among nations is the Tabernacle of the divine Kingdom, for therein the intention, the power and the action, all three, are brought together. The realization of everything in the world of being dependeth upon these three elements. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, Peace)

We can receive “grace from the bounty of the Holy Spirit which appears in the Manifestations of God”

It is evident that the souls receive grace from the bounty of the Holy Spirit which appears in the Manifestations of God, and not from the personality of the Manifestation. Therefore, if a soul does not receive grace from the bounties of the Holy Spirit, he remains deprived of the divine gift, and the banishment itself puts the soul beyond the reach of pardon. (‘Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 128)

“man must be born again”

Christ announced, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit," meaning that man must be born again. As the babe is born into the light of this physical world, so must the physical and intellectual man be born into the light of the world of Divinity. In the matrix of the mother the unborn child was deprived and unconscious of the world of material existence, but after its birth it beheld the wonders and beauties of a new realm of life and being. In the world of the matrix it was utterly ignorant and unable to conceive of these new conditions, but after its transformation it discovers the radiant sun, trees, flowers and an infinite range of blessings and bounties awaiting it. In the human plane and kingdom man is a captive of nature and ignorant of the divine world until born of the breaths of the Holy Spirit out of physical conditions of limitation and deprivation. Then he beholds the reality of the spiritual realm and Kingdom, realizes the narrow restrictions of the mere human world of existence and becomes conscious of the unlimited and infinite glories of the world of God. Therefore, no matter how man may advance upon the physical and intellectual plane, he is ever in need of the boundless virtues of Divinity, the protection of the Holy Spirit and the face of God. ('Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 288)

“freedom is not a matter of place. It is a condition.”

When the ship came abreast of the Statue of Liberty, ‘Abdu'l-Baha stood erect facing the Statue and held up His arms in salutation.

“There is the new world's symbol of liberty and freedom,” He said. “After being forty years a prisoner I can tell you that freedom is not a matter of place. It is a condition . . . When one is released from the prison of self, that is indeed a release.”

‘Abdu'l-Baha waved farewell to the Statue as the ship turned towards Manhattan. To the reporters He said, “In former ages it has been said, "To love one's native land is faith." But the tongue in this day says, "Glory is not his who loves his native land, but glory is his who loves his kind - humanity." (Quoted in ‘The Flame, the Story of Lua’, by William Sears & Robert Quigley)

What happens when the human spirit is “reinforced by Holy Spirit”

The human spirit possesseth wondrous powers, but it should be reinforced by the Holy Spirit. What thou hearest other than this is pure imagination. If, however, it be assisted by the bounty of the Holy Spirit, then will its strength be a thing to marvel at. Then will that human spirit uncover realities, and unravel mysteries. Turn thy heart fully to the Holy Spirit, and invite others to do the same; then shall ye witness wonderful results. ('Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha, p. 160)

How to “cleanse and purify” one’s heart and “adorn it with the spotless garment of holiness”

… love of God and spiritual attraction do cleanse and purify the human heart and dress and adorn it with the spotless garment of holiness; and once the heart is entirely attached to the Lord, and bound over to the Blessed Perfection, then will the grace of God be revealed. (Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 202)

The “color" of one’s "servitude to God”

There are no whites and blacks before God. All colors are one, and that is the color of servitude to God. Scent and color are not important. The heart is important. If the heart is pure, white or black or any color makes no difference. God does not look at colors; He looks at the hearts. He whose heart is pure is better. He whose character is better is more pleasing. He who turns more to the Abha Kingdom is more advanced. ('Abdu'l-Baha, excerpt from a talk given at Howard University on 23 April 1912; The Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 44-45) (To read the entire talk please visit Talks of ‘Abdu’l-Baha)

We can expect difficulties and hardships when attempting to serve the Cause of God

O maid-servant of God! Everything of importance in this world demands the close attention of its seeker. The one in pursuit of anything must undergo difficulties and hardships until the object in view is attained and the great success is obtained. This is the case of things pertaining to the world. How much higher is that which concerns the Supreme Concourse! That Cause involves every favor, glory and eternal bliss in the world of God. The seeker after the great guidance and eternal happiness necessarily will encounter difficulties. He must be patient under such circumstances. The chosen believers of the past quaffed the chalice of suffering and sank deep in the ocean of trials until they attained to that blessed station and sublime beatitude. (‘Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 265)

The “light” of a human being

The light of man depends on the light of the love of God. (‘Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 249)

“Do ye not look upon the beginning of the affairs; attach your hearts to the ends and results.”

Do ye not look upon the beginning of the affairs; attach your hearts to the ends and results. The present period is like unto the sowing time. Undoubtedly it is impregnated with perils and difficulties, but in the future many a harvest shall be gathered and benefits and results will become apparent. When one considers the issue and the end, exhaustless joy and happiness will dawn.
Live thou as far as thou art able according to the divine commands and advices, because they are conducive to eternal life. (‘Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 264)

Spiritual vs. material light

The light is divided into two kinds, material and spiritual. The material light is a vanishing matter and is known by etheric vibrations. But the spiritual light is the divine, eternal and never-ending quality and is a truth of the Kingdom. Blessed is thy face for that it hath taken a portion and a radiance from that Light. (‘Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 249)

How can one have an “effect upon the hearts” of others so they become attracted to “the Kingdom of God”

O maid-servant of God! Forget all else save God, be in communion with Him, supplicate and pray to Him to make thee conqueror over the material things, impressed by the bounties of the Kingdom, commemorating the name of thy Lord, pure from all else save Him, and imbued with the spiritual attributes of those who are holy (and high); then shall thy breaths have effect upon the hearts, and attract the hearts of thy son and husband unto the Kingdom of God. (‘Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 246)

We should always "rely upon the confirmation of the Holy Spirit.“

O ye beloved of Baha'! Do not look at your weakness, nay, rely upon the confirmation of the Holy Spirit. Verily, It maketh the weak strong, the lowly mighty, the child grown, the infant mature and the small great. (‘Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of ‘Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 273)

Before giving a talk one should “turn” his “face toward the kingdom of Abha”

O thou maid-servant of God! Whenever thou art intending to deliver a speech, turn thy face toward the kingdom of Abha and, with a heart detached, begin to talk. The breaths of the Holy Spirit will assist thee. (‘Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 246)

One’s “face is the mirror of” his “heart”

Thou hast forwarded thy photograph and it was considered. In thy face a brilliant light is apparent and that sparkling light is the love of God. All faces are dark except the face which is a mirror of the light of the love of divinity. This light is not accidental -- it is eternal. It is not temporal but real. When the heart hath become clear and pure then the face will become illuminated, because the face is the mirror of the heart. (‘Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 244)

Meaning of becoming “entirely” forgetful of self

As to the fact that man must entirely forget himself, by this is meant that he should arise in the mystery of sacrifice and that is the disappearance of mortal sentiments and extinction of blamable morals which constitute the temporal gloom, and not that the physical health should be changed into weakness and debility. ('Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 243)

We “should speak in the language of heaven – in the language of the spirit”

‘Abdu'l-Baha said we should speak in the language of heaven -- in the language of the spirit -- for there is a language of the spirit and heart. It is as different from our language as our own language is different from that of the animals, who express themselves only by cries and sounds.
When we pray to God a feeling fills our hearts. This is the language of the spirit which speaks to God.

When in prayer we are freed from all outward things and turn to God, then it is as if in our hearts we heard the voice of God. Without words we speak, we communicate, we converse with God and hear the answer. It is said that Moses in the wilderness heard the voice of God. But that wilderness, that holy land was his own heart. All of us when we attain to a true spiritual condition can hear the voice of God speaking to us in that wilderness. We must strive to attain to that condition by being separated from all things and from the people of the world and by turning to God alone. It will take some effort on the part of man to attain to that condition but he must work for it, strive for it. We can attain to it by thinking and caring less for material things and more for the spiritual. The further we go from the one, the nearer we are to the other the choice is ours!

Our spiritual perception, our inward sight must be opened so that we can see the signs and traces of God's spirit in everything. Everything can reflect to us the light of the spirit. (Words of ‘Abdul-Baha; extract from a talk given to Miss Laura Barney; Star of the West, vol. 8, no. 4, May 17, 1917)

Music “moves and awakens” whatever “is in the heart of man”

Whatever is in the heart of man, melody moves and awakens. If a heart full of good feelings and a pure voice are joined together, a great effect is produced. For instance: if there be love in the heart, through melody, it will increase until its intensity can scarcely be borne; but if bad thoughts are in the heart, such as hatred, it will increase and multiply. For instance: the music used in war awakens the desire for bloodshed. The meaning is that melody causes whatever feeling is in the heart to increase. ('Abdu'l-Bahá's words to Mrs. Mary L. Lucas, as quoted in "A Brief Account of My Visit to Acca" (Chicago: Bahá'í Publishing Society, 1905), pp. 11-14; The Compilation of Compilations vol II, pp. 78) (To read the entire talk please visit Talks of ‘Abdu’l-Baha)

Human voice has a “connection with spiritual realities”

In the world of existence physical things have a connection with spiritual realities. One of these things is the voice, which connects itself with the spirit; and the spirit can be uplifted by this means -- for though it is a physical thing, it is one of the material, natural organizations -- therefore, it is effective. ('Abdu'l-Bahá's words to Mrs. Mary L. Lucas, as quoted in "A Brief Account of My Visit to Acca", Chicago Bahá'í Publishing Society, 1905, pp. 11-14; The Compilation of Compilations vol II, pp. 78) (To read the entire talk please visit Talks of ‘Abdu’l-Baha)

“Do not listen to anything that is prejudiced”

I shall ask you a question: Did God create us for love or for enmity? Did He create us for peace or discord? Surely He has created us for love; therefore, we should live in accordance with His will. Do not listen to anything that is prejudiced, for self-interest prompts men to be prejudiced. They are thoughtful only of their own will and purposes. They live and move in darkness. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, excerpt from a talk given on 21 April 1912 in Washington D.C.; Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 42) (To read the entire talk please visits Talks of ‘Abdu’l-Baha)

The “physical” versus the “merciful or divine” aspects of a human being

Man has two aspects: the physical, which is subject to nature, and the merciful or divine, which is connected with God. If the physical or natural disposition in him should overcome the heavenly and merciful, he is, then, the most degraded of animal beings; and if the divine and spiritual should triumph over the human and natural, he is, verily, an angel. The Prophets come into the world to guide and educate humanity so that the animal nature of man may disappear and the divinity of his powers become awakened. The divine aspect or spiritual nature consists of the breaths of the Holy Spirit. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, excerpt from a talk given on 21 April 1912 in Washington D.C.; Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 39) (To read the entire talk please visits Talks of ‘Abdu’l-Baha)

Contrary to animals a human being should “not follow his own natural impulse but govern his action by the light of” the “precept and example” shown by Prophets of God

In the world of existence the animal is a captive of nature. Its actions are according to the exigencies and requirements of nature. It has no consideration or consciousness of good and evil. It simply follows its natural instinct and inclination. The Prophets of God have come to show man the way of righteousness in order that he may not follow his own natural impulse but govern his action by the light of Their precept and example. According to Their teachings he should do that which is found to be praiseworthy by the standard of reason and judgment of intellect, even though it be opposed to his natural human inclination; and he should not do that which is found to be unworthy by that same standard, even though it be in the direction of his natural impulse and desire. Therefore, man must follow and manifest the attributes of the Merciful. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, excerpt from a talk given on 21 April 1912 in Washington D.C.; Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 39) (To read the entire talk please visits Talks of ‘Abdu’l-Baha)

We should become “the expressions of the Merciful”

The Prophets have appeared in this world with the mission that human souls may become the expressions of the Merciful, that they may be educated and developed, attain to love and amity and establish peace and agreement. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, excerpt from a talk given on 21 April 1912 in Washington D.C.; Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 38) (To read the entire talk please visits Talks of ‘Abdu’l-Baha)

“prejudices arising from adherence to religious forms and imitation of ancestral beliefs” are like “mirage of imitations”

It is evident that prejudices arising from adherence to religious forms and imitation of ancestral beliefs have hindered the progress of humanity thousands of years. How many wars and battles have been fought, how much division, discord and hatred have been caused by this form of prejudice! But inasmuch as this century is a century of the revelation of reality -- praise be to God! -- the thoughts of men are being directed toward the welfare and unity of humanity. Daily the mirage of imitations is passing away, and the ocean of truth is surging more tumultuously. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, excerpt from a talk given on 21 April 1912 in Washington D.C.) (To read the entire talk please visits Talks of ‘Abdu’l-Baha)

Our “minds and spirits” need to “come into the knowledge of the verities of God” so that “the realities of the Kingdom be made manifest in human hearts.”

Just as human intellects have revealed the secrets of matter and have brought forth from the realm of the invisible the mysteries of nature, may minds and spirits, likewise, come into the knowledge of the verities of God, and the realities of the Kingdom be made manifest in human hearts. Then the world will be the paradise of Abha, the standard of the Most Great Peace will be borne aloft, and the oneness of the world of humanity in all its beauty, glory and significance will become apparent. (Abdu'l-Baha, excerpt from a talk; The Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 36-38) (To read the entire talk please visit Talks of ‘Abdu’l-Baha)

How to view each other: “The only real difference that exists between people is that they are at various stages of development.”

Consort together in brotherly love, be ready to lay down your lives one for the other, and not only for those who are dear to you, but for all humanity. Look upon the whole human race as members of one family, all children of God; and, in so doing, you will see no difference between them.

Humanity may be likened to a tree. This tree has branches, leaves, buds and fruit. Think of all men as being flowers, leaves or buds of this tree, and try to help each and all to realize and enjoy God's blessings. God neglects none: He loves all.

The only real difference that exists between people is that they are at various stages of development. Some are imperfect -- these must be brought to perfection. Some are asleep -- they must be awakened; some are negligent -- they must be roused; but one and all are the children of God. Love them all with your whole heart; no one is a stranger to the other, all are friends. (Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, pp. 170-171)

Our human mind cannot comprehend God -- Man's concept of God is his own creation

"All the people have formed a God in the world of thought and they worship that form of their own imagination, while the act is that the imagined concept is comprehended by the mind Which is comprehensive. Surely that which comprehends is greater than the comprehended, for imagination is accidental (non-essential) while the mind is essential. Surely the essential is greater than the accidental.

"Therefore consider-all the sects and peoples worship their own thought. They create a God in their own minds and acknowledge him to be the creator of all things, while that form is a superstition. Thus people adore and worship imagination (or illusion).

"That Essence of the Divine Reality and Unseen of the Unseen is holy above the imagination, and is beyond thought. Consciousness does not reach it. In the capacity of every produced (created) reality that Ancient Reality cannot be contained. That is a different world; from it there is no information; arrival thereat is impossible; attainment thereto is prohibited and inaccessible. This much is known--that it exists, and its existence is certain and proved, but the condition is unknown.

“When man is attached to the Love of God, music has a great effect upon him.”

… musical melodies form an important role in the associations, or outward and inward characteristics, or qualities of man, for it is the inspirer or motive power of both the material and spiritual susceptibilities. What a motive power it is in all feelings of love! When man is attached to the Love of God, music has a great effect upon him. (From a “Table Talk” by ‘Abdu’l-Baha, Acca, July 1909, quoted in “Herald of the South”, January 13, 1933, pp. 2-3; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. 2. pp. 76-78) (To see the entire talk please visit Talks of ‘Abdu’l-Baha)

“If our chalice is full of self, there is no room in it for the water of life.”

If five people meet together to seek for truth, they must begin by cutting themselves free from all their own special conditions and renouncing all preconceived ideas. In order to find truth we must give up our prejudices, our own small trivial notions; an open receptive mind is essential. If our chalice is full of self, there is no room in it for the water of life. The fact that we imagine ourselves to be right and everybody else wrong is the greatest of all obstacles in the path towards unity, and unity is necessary if we would reach truth, for truth is one.

Therefore it is imperative that we should renounce our own particular prejudices and superstitions if we earnestly desire to seek the truth. Unless we make a distinction in our minds between dogma, superstition and prejudice on the one hand, and truth on the other, we cannot succeed. When we are in earnest in our search for anything we look for it everywhere. This principle we must carry out in our search for truth.