“The heart is a divine trust”

The heart is a divine trust; cleanse it from the stain of self-love, adorn it with the coronal of pure intent… (‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘The Secret of Divine Civilization’)

“The state in which one should be to seriously search for the truth”

The state in which one should be to seriously search for the truth is the condition of the thirsty, burning soul desiring the water of life, of the fish struggling to reach the sea, of the sufferer seeking for the true doctor to obtain the divine cure, of the lost caravan endeavoring to find the right road, of the lost and wandering ship striving to reach the shore of salvation.

Therefore, the seeker must be endowed with certain qualities. First of all, he must be just and severed from all else save God; his heart must be entirely turned to the supreme horizon; he must be free from the bondage of self and passion, for all these are obstacles. Furthermore, he must be able to endure all hardships. He must be absolutely pure and sanctified, and free from the love or the hatred of the inhabitants of the world. Why? because the fact of his love for any person or thing might prevent him from recognizing the truth in another, and, in the same way, hatred for anything might be a hindrance in discerning truth. This is the condition of seeking, and the seeker must have these qualities and attributes. Until he reaches this condition, it is not possible for him to attain to the Sun of Reality. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘Some Answered Questions’)

The “fountain-head of all calamities” and man’s “supreme affliction”

And among the teachings of His Holiness Bahá'u'lláh is man's freedom, that through the ideal power he should be free and emancipated from the captivity of the world of nature; for as long as man is captive to nature he is a ferocious animal, as the struggle for existence is one of the exigencies of the world of nature. This matter of the struggle for existence is the fountain-head of all calamities and is the supreme affliction. (Abdu'l-Baha, Tablet to the Hague)

The soul is God’s Sanctuary -- reason is God’s Throne

The soul is the Sanctuary of God; Reason is His Throne. (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, recorded by Julia Grundy during her pilgrimage, ‘Ten Days in the Light of Acca’)

How to become nearer to God

Pray that your hearts may be cut from yourselves and from the world, that you may be confirmed by the Holy Spirit and filled with the fire of the love of Cod. The nearer you are to the light, the further you are from the darkness; the nearer you are to heaven, the further you are from the earth; the nearer you are to Cod, the further you are from the world. (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha quoted by May Maxwell in ‘An Early Pilgrimage’, 1898)

Baha’u’llah has come “for the education and training of all humanity”

… Baha’u’llah has manifested for the education and training of all humanity. He is the Teacher of all, whether rich or poor, black or white, oriental or occidental, northern or southern. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, from a Tablet to Mr. and Mrs. Ostburg, Boston, Mass; Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 5, June 5, 1911)

One’s actions and words

Our actions reveal what we are, no matter what the tongue speaks. (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, recorded by Julia Grundy during her pilgrimage, ‘Ten Days in the Light of Acca’)

How the human reality looks like in the world beyond

The human reality in the other world has no physical likeness, nay, rather, it has the likeness of the Kingdom, which consists of the harmonious element of the realm of the Spiritual Kingdom. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, from a Tablet to Mr. and Mrs. Ostburg, Boston, Mass; Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 5, June 5, 1911)

Baha’i pioneers: Spiritual “principles” by which to abide…

Consequently, strive as far as ye are able to send to those parts fluent speakers, who are detached from aught else save God, attracted with the fragrances of God, and sanctified and purified from all desires and temptations. Their sustenance and food must consist of the teachings of God. First they must themselves live in accordance with those principles, then guide the people. Perchance, God willing, the lights of the Most Great Guidance will illuminate that country, and the breezes of the rose garden of the love of God will perfume the nostrils of the inhabitants of Alaska. Should you be aided to render such a service, rest ye assured that your heads shall be crowned with the diadem of everlasting sovereignty, and at the threshold of oneness you will become the favored and accepted servants. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘Tablets of the Divine Plan’)

Government of one's self and soul

Moral life consists in the government of one's self. Immortality is government of a human soul by the Divine Will. (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, recorded by Julia Grundy during her pilgrimage, ‘Ten Days in the Light of Acca’)

Tests are only in this world

The Divine trials are in this world, not in the world of the Kingdom. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, from a Tablet to Mr. and Mrs. Ostburg, Boston, Mass; Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 5, June 5, 1911)

“We must … try first to acquire the bounties of the Kingdom for ourselves and attain life everlasting, and then endeavor to quicken the nations and give life to the world.” – Prayer to say every “night and day”

Unless a man acquires perfection for himself, he cannot teach others how to attain such perfection; and unless he gets life for himself, he cannot give life to others. We must therefore try first to acquire the bounties of the Kingdom for ourselves and attain life everlasting, and then endeavor to quicken the nations and give life to the world. Thus, we must constantly pray to His Holy Court and seek His eternal bounties. We must acquire pure hearts like unto mirrors, so that the lights of the Sun of Reality may shine.

Every night and day we must supplicate to Him and beg for His assistance, saying: `O Lord, we are weak, make us strong; we are ignorant, make us wise. O Lord, we are poor, give us the wealth of the Kingdom. O God, we are dead, bestow upon us everlasting life; we are in utter lowliness, exalt us in Thy Kingdom. Should Thy heavenly confirmations surround us, each one of us can be a luminous star, otherwise we become lower than dust. O God, help us; make us victorious; assist us to overcome self and desire; and deliver us from the world of nature. O God! Quicken us through the breaths of the Holy Spirit so that we may arise to serve Thee, engage ourselves in worshipping Thee and broadcast the signs of Thy Kingdom with utmost truthfulness and sincerity. Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Generous and the Compassionate. (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, New York, December 3, 1912; Mahmud’s Diary)

We are dependent on God the same way that “the body is dependent upon the soul”

Furthermore, many say, `We have no need of divine Manifestations; we ourselves have direct communication with God.' They do not know that the divine Manifestations are the bright rays of the Sun of Truth and a means of educating the realities of man. Therefore, he who rejects the bounty of the Sun of Truth and thinks himself not in need of it is like the one who says he is not in need of God and rejects both God and reality, in spite of the fact that all creation is receiving incessant bounty from God and is dependent on Him, as the body is dependent upon the soul. (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, New York, November 26, 1912, Mahmud’s Diary)

“Joy is the best cure for your illness”

Joy is the best cure for your illness. Joy is better than a hundred thousand medicines for a sick person. If there is a sick person and one wishes to cure him, let one cause joy and happiness in his heart. (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, quoted by Ali-Kuli Khan, ‘Khan Pilgrim Notes 1906’)

Why we should be like children

Truly, the hearts of the children are very pure. This was why Christ said, `Be ye like children.' (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, New York, November 24, Mahmud’s Diary)

“…we must arise in servitude so that His confirmations may surround us from all sides.”

“…we must arise in servitude so that His confirmations may surround us from all sides.”

I am but one of His servants. After the ascension of the Blessed Beauty, the Ottoman people and government arose against me as did enemies of the area from different nations and religions. In such a state everyone was attacking me from outside and even my brothers from inside opposed me. But in a short time the enemies were frustrated and brought low so that some of them cried, `Would to God that Bahá'u'lláh had not ascended because this Cause has become even greater, its fame has spread to more places, and its support has become stronger.' Therefore, we must arise in servitude so that His confirmations may surround us from all sides. Undoubtedly whenever you arise to serve and proclaim the Cause you shall be assisted and shall attain success. Rest assured. (Words of 'Abdu'l-Baha, Mahmud's Diary)

“Joy is the best cure for your illness”

Joy is the best cure for your illness. Joy is better than a hundred thousand medicines for a sick person. If there is a sick person and one wishes to cure him, let one cause joy and happiness in his heart. (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, quoted by Ali-Kuli Khan, ‘Khan Pilgrimage Notes 1906’)

Pilgrims: some greatly affected and some not touched by the “great force”

Regarding the people who come to Akka; some of them make wonderful progress; extinguished lamps they were, they became ignited, withered were they, they became fresh and young; dead were they, and they became alive, returning to their respective countries electrified with the dynamic forces of the Most Great Glad-Tidings. On the other hand, others have come and left without being touched by this great force. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, from a Tablet to Mr. and Mrs. Ostburg, Boston, Mass; Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 5, June 5, 1911)

Under what conditions “a rich person will become favored in the threshold of the Almighty and accepted by the Lord of the Kingdom.”

His Highness, Baha’u’llah, has appeared for the benefit of all humanity, summoning all to the Divine Table upon which is spread the Heavenly Food. But today the majority of those who partake of this Heavenly Food are poor. That is why His Highness, Christ, said: “Blessed are the poor.” Wealth prevents the people from entering the Kingdom, as it is stated by Christ: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.” But should a rich person not be prevented from entering the Kingdom because of wealth and riches, glory and influence of this world, that rich person will become favored in the threshold of the Almighty and accepted by the Lord of the Kingdom. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, from a Tablet to Mr. and Mrs. Ostburg, Boston, Mass; Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 5, June 5, 1911)

“purified and sanctified” souls enter the “Divine Realm” after death

The center of the Sun of Truth and of the Supreme World is the Divine Kingdom. Those souls who are purified and sanctified, after the disintegration of this elemental tabernacle, hasten to the Divine Realm, and that Realm is in this universe, but the people of this world have no knowledge of it, just as the mineral and vegetable kingdoms have no knowledge of the animal and human kingdoms. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, from a Tablet to Mr. and Mrs. Ostburg, Boston, Mass; Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 5, June 5, 1911)

When teaching the Faith: “…the teacher himself must be detached and devoted so that his breath may affect others.”

You have asked me to speak about how to teach the Cause of God. I have spoken at length on this but I repeat that the teacher himself must be detached and devoted so that his breath may affect others. Whoever has taken a step in this field has succeeded. The doors of knowledge are opened before him, his eyes become seeing and he is assisted with the breaths of the Holy Spirit. He is guided himself and becomes the cause of guidance of others. Of course, a person sings a joyous song only when he himself is delighted and rapturous. Thus when one begins to guide others and adduces proofs, then his taste becomes sweeter and his heart more joyful. (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, October 24, 1912, Oakland, California; Mahmud’s Diary)

Advice to keep in mind when teaching the Cause of God: “…Christ said that whenever you wish to talk do not think about it, the Holy Spirit will inspire you.”

Moreover, everything is limited except the bounty of God and this bounty descends upon man through teaching the Cause of God; then divine inspiration will assist him. It is for this reason that Christ said that whenever you wish to talk do not think about it, the Holy Spirit will inspire you. If you desire eternal honor, everlasting life and heavenly exaltation, then teach the Cause. Divine confirmations shall attend you; this has been experienced. But it calls for firmness and steadfastness. Consider the disciples of Christ and observe with what firmness they arose until the Cause of God advanced. They even sacrificed their lives for this. (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, October 24, 1912, Oakland, California; Mahmud’s Diary)

“The best person is he who wins all hearts and is not the cause of grief to anyone.”

I hope that you will be under the protection of God, will succeed in rendering service to humanity and will always be a source of happiness to every heart. The best person is he who wins all hearts and is not the cause of grief to anyone. The worst of souls is he who causes hearts to be agitated and who becomes the cause of sadness. Always endeavor to make people happy and their hearts joyful so that you may become the cause of guidance to mankind. Proclaim the Word of God and diffuse the divine fragrances. (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, Denver, Colorado, September 26, 1912; Mahmud’s Diary)

The secret to maintaining one’s spiritual progress

I ask the Blessed Beauty to assist you and confirm you. Wherever I go, you will be in my thoughts. I shall not forget any one of you. I beg of God that you may become more enlightened, more severed, more spiritual, more aflame and that you may be humble and submissive, for as long as man does not consider himself to be good but regards himself as weak and deficient, he progresses; but the moment he considers himself good and says, `I am perfect', he falls into pride and retrogresses. (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha when leaving Chicago, September 17, 1912, ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

There is no parallel event in the history of the world that compares to ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s visit to the West

Look at the history of the world and try to find a parallel instance in which a native of the East has come to the countries of the West, particularly America, and called out to them in the churches and meetings there, raised the divine call in many of the large cities and invited everyone to the Abhá Kingdom, with no one taking exception. Nay, on the contrary, those present at the gatherings have heard him with patience and unbounded joy. These things have been achieved solely through the confirmations of the Abhá Kingdom. (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, September 13, 1912, Chicago, 'Mahmud’s Diary')

Tablet revealed in America: “there is no complete solution for the economic question apart from that offered in the new teachings.”

Dublin: To the maidservant of God, Mrs. Parsons.
Upon her be Bahá'u'lláhu'l-Abhá.

He is God.

O thou, my spiritual daughter,

I am on a train on my way to San Francisco. I recalled your praiseworthy qualities and the dear face of little Master Jeffrey, so I wanted to write this letter. Know that my greatest pleasure will be when I shall see you, my dear daughter, enraptured and completely charmed by the paradise of Abhá, and aflame with the fire of the love of God. May my dear daughter burn and melt like a candle to enlighten all people. It is my hope that thou mayest be so.

Regarding the question of economics according to the new teachings, as this caused some difficulty for you because the report you received did not reflect what I said, I shall outline the essence of this matter so that it will be clearly proven that there is no complete solution for the economic question apart from that offered in the new teachings. It is absolutely impossible to resolve the problem by other means.

In solving this problem we must start with the farmer and end with other trades, because there are twice as many farmers, if not more, as there are people engaged in other trades. Thus it is right that we begin with them. The farmer is the primary factor in society.

“God is eternal and his bounties are everlasting.” – His “sovereignty … is eternal”

If the bounties of God should cease existence itself would cease. The darkness of non-existence would then become universal, even as the phenomenal world would perish if the sun that shines upon all phenomena were for one moment to cease shining. If it were reasonable or possible as a hypothesis to suppose that there ever had been a time when the sun had existed without its rays and heat, we should be forced to the conclusion that the sun had never existed, for the essential requirement of the sun is continuous outpouring of light and heat. Likewise, if we assume that there ever had been a time when the bounties of God had had a beginning, we must perforce believe that at one time there had been no divinity; or, if we assume that a time may come when the bounties of God will cease, we must conclude that divinity will sometime cease to exist. But this is impossible, because the essential requirement of divinity is continuous outpouring of bounties, and for the bounties of God there is neither beginning nor ending. God is eternal and his bounties are everlasting.

Human spirit and mind are the same immortal entity

The human spirit is a center of all virtues. The human spirit is a reflector of the bounties of God. The human spirit is destined to advance and to be enveloped with the effulgence of God, because the human spirit is immortal.

An evidence of the immortality of the human spirit is the fact that it is not affected by changes in the body. The body is subject to various conditions. At one time it may be healthy; at another time it may be susceptible to some pathology. At one time it may be weak or ill; at another time it may be well and strong; or a member may become lost. However, the reality within the body -- the human spirit or mind -- is the same. If the body should become lean the spirit would not become lean. If the body should become corpulent the spirit would not become corpulent. If the body should be dismembered the spirit would not be affected. In brief, the spirit is independent of the body, and the disintegrations that take place in the body do not affect the soul, for the human reality or spirit is ever the same.

Another indication that the spirit is distinct from the body is the fact that though the body be slumbering the spirit of man is awake. When man is asleep the body is as dead; the eye does not see, the ear does not hear, the tongue does not speak; all the physical forces are quiescent, are as dead. Notwithstanding this, the spirit sees, hears, converses, discovers realities and latent mysteries. Though the physical functions of the body be impaired the spirit is not affected. Though the body become incapacitated the spirit remains intact. Though the body be paralyzed the spirit is not paralyzed.

The three “aspects” or “molds” of man -- animal, human, and spiritual

Man has three aspects. These have been interpreted according to former terminology as three molds.

One is the animal mold, which is also known as the reality of darkness, -- that is, a reality emanating from the world of nature, -- and in that reality man has faculties and powers in common with the animal.

The second mold is the human reality, sometimes termed the astral reality. It is the mold between darkness and light, in which the soul is able to choose whether it will acquire all the virtues or remain subject to all vices.

The third mold is the spiritual reality, which is light itself.

When man remains in the animal mold, or lingers in the world of nature, he becomes utterly bereft of the light, inasmuch as the world of nature is one of darkness. But when he progresses from the animal mold he enters the human reality, or the stage between darkness and light. From one aspect the human reality is connected with the world of darkness, and from the other aspect it is connected with the world of light, which is represented in man by the third, or spiritual, reality. This third mold comprises the spiritual virtues, and is symbolized by the world of angels….

In brief, there are three realities in man. One is the animal reality, which represents the world of nature, and which is subject to disintegration. The second is the human reality, which reality is everlasting. If it rescues itself from the baser nature, it will constantly progress and will become a radiant spirit, because the divine virtues possible of attainment in the human world are unlimited. Therefore there is no end to the development of humanity. Progress is interminable. Confirmation is everlasting. (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, excerpt from a Talk at Theosophical Society, San Francisco, October 11, 1912; Unpublished Manuscript of Ella Cooper) (To read the entire talk please visit Talks of ‘Abdu’l-Baha)

We are called upon to “glorify God” -- what does that mean?

The glorification of God does not consist in merely saying that God is great. That is only verbal and there is no virtue in it. To glorify God means that the reality deposited within the human temple, the reality which is the image and likeness of God, shall become revealed through man. That reality consists in the virtues and perfections of the human world. It consists in the knowledge of all truth. When such lights become manifest from him, then he has indeed glorified God. Otherwise, the glorification of God is only a verbal ceremony. (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, excerpt from a Talk at Theosophical Society, San Francisco, October 11, 1912; Unpublished Manuscript of Ella Cooper) (To read the entire talk please visit Talks of ‘Abdu’l-Baha)