"O thou lamp of the Love of G.o.d!..."
O thou lamp of the Love of G.o.d!
Thou hast made the wish for the great martyrdom in the path of Baha", that thou mayest become intoxicated with that overflowing cup and sacrifice this ephemeral life upon the divine altar, in order that thou mayest walk in the road of faithfulness and show forth firmness and steadfastness for the sake of the love of Baha".
This is the ultimate desire of the people of sanct.i.ty. If the eternal prosperity favor and befriend thee, thou wilt undoubtedly attain to this bounty. But for the present this very att.i.tude is sacrifice and martyrdom.
Blessed art thou, and again, blessed art thou!***
"O thou daughter of the Kingdom!..."
O thou daughter of the Kingdom!
Thy letter was received; its contents were of the utmost sweetness. No sooner had I heard it, than I supplicated to G.o.d in thy behalf that thou mayest become a strong growing tree, protected and guarded from the winds of tests and attain to heavenly guidance.
Know thou the value of Miss ......... Truly I say, she was an angel of heaven and a light beaming and sparkling. Endear thy beloved daughter, ........ Entreat G.o.d that she and ......... may become two shining lamps in the a.s.semblage of the world and the cause of the grandeur and promotion of the divine teachings.
Blessing be upon thy dear son ......... and his family. Endeavor thou in their training.
Convey on my behalf, spiritual greeting to the new bridegroom and bride ......... and say to them: "You must become the young trees in the divine garden and produce good fruits."
Convey my love to ......... I prayed in behalf of all the family that they may be confirmed with the most great guidance and sacrifice their abilities, talents and possessions in the Path of G.o.d.
O thou maid-servant of G.o.d! This celestial music hath moved the hearts of the people in the world and the Blessed Tree embraced all communities and nations under its shade!
"O thou who art attracted toward the Kingdom!..."
O thou who art attracted toward the Kingdom!
Be thou not unhappy; the tempest of sorrow shall pa.s.s; regret will not last; disappointment will vanish; the fire of the love of G.o.d will become enkindled, and the thorns and briars of sadness and despondency will be consumed! Be thou happy; rest thou a.s.sured upon the favors of Baha", so that uncertainty and hesitation may become non-existent and the invisible outpourings descend upon the arena of being!
If thou art seeking after spiritual tranquility, turn thy face at all times toward the Kingdom of Abha. If thou art desiring divine joy, free thyself from the bands of attachment. if thou art wishing for the confirmation of the Holy Spirit, become thou engaged in teaching the Cause of G.o.d.
If the friends and relatives are keeping themselves at a distance from thee, be thou not sad, for G.o.d is near to thee. a.s.sociate thou, as much as thou canst, with the relatives and strangers; display thou loving kindness; show thou forth the utmost patience and resignation. The more they oppose thee, shower thou upon them the greater justice and equity; the more they show hatred and opposition toward thee, challenge thou them with great truthfulness, friendship and reconciliation.
Praise be to G.o.d, thou art near to the Kingdom of Abha! Rest thou a.s.sured.
With all my soul and spirit, I am thy companion at all moments. Know thou this of a certainty!
I prayed in behalf of thy relatives and family, supplicating from G.o.d confirmation and a.s.sistance for them.
"O ye friends of Abdul-Baha!..."
O ye(256) friends of Abdul-Baha!
The glad-tidings of your attraction and enkindlement, ecstasy and exhilaration, hath reached us before and a special Rablet hath been forwarded to you. Mr. ......... and Mr. ......... arrived and praised you with the utmost enthusiasm, that "the friends of Hoboken are firm, steadfast and eloquent (in delivering the Truth)." In that region they have adorned a meeting with the fragrances of holiness and organized an a.s.sembly like unto the delectable paradise. Each one of them is like unto a lamp brilliant with the light of guidance and a conquering host invincible with the power of the love of G.o.d. Likewise, they gave the utmost praise to all the beloved throughout the regions of America, and they were extremely happy and grateful. They praised and commended highly the spiritual a.s.sembly of New York, saying that day and night they were engaged in the service of the Kingdom; likewise they were very grateful to Mr. .........
Briefly, four days and four nights were they the guests in the house of this imprisoned one, continually praising and commending the beloved of G.o.d and giving the glad-tidings of the attraction of the friends with the fragrances of G.o.d. In this prison, Abdul-Baha hath no happiness except the arrival of the good news of the believers. Whenever one praises them, the heart is dilated and the soul is rejoiced.
Therefore, O ye companions of Abdul-Baha, display ye an effort, so that ye may make that region (America) the Paradise of Abha, hoisting the banner of the Most Great Peace and spreading the teachings of the Beauty of Abha; in order that the slumbrous world become awakened, the unconscious become mindful, the universe become another universe, the human world become the realm of the Kingdom, earthly emotions become heavenly attractions, cruelty and oppression be changed into love and faithfulness, the clattering of the sword be transformed into the sweet melody of the pen and the discordant sound of war become the wonderful song of love and intelligence; in order that all the individuals of humanity embrace each other and live among themselves in perfect love and affinity.
"O thou who hast addressed Abdul-Baha!..."
(257) O thou who hast addressed Abdul-Baha!
Verily, I pray my Lord to teach thee a language and writing of the Kingdom which will satisfy thee, so as to dispense with all things; for that spiritual writing and instructive tongue are eloquent, clear, laudable, legible, read by the tongue and preserved in the heart. Blessed is he who knows it in the world of man!
Know, verily, that the Ocean is waving, the Sun shining, the Stars dawning. (Understand what I say!)
The tree will grow, the earth will send forth hyacinths(258) and give blessings, and man will become of the heavenly angels. Feed on the light of guidance and impart light to the people. The bird will warble melodies unknown save by the birds of heaven; then tear asunder the veil and see the realities of things with the eye of G.o.d. Verily, thy Lord guideth whomsoever He willeth unto the Straight Path!
The Promised Spot will be made a racecourse for the steeds of the race of Knowledge and the lights of the Merciful will shine upon it. The dispersed ones will return to the Center of Gathering and the birds will return from the meadows of the world unto the Nest of Harmony. This is a preordained matter.
As to thee: Thou hast borne every difficulty and hardship and soon will be rewarded by G.o.d with a good reward. He will destine to thee all that is good, and choose for thee the manifestation of His mercy among the servants; that they may thus see that the Sons of the Kingdom have gone out(259), while there hath come a soul from the remotest horizon who hath entreated the Kingdom of G.o.d.***
"O thou who art the single one of j.a.pan and the unique..."
O thou who art the single one of j.a.pan and the unique one of the extreme Orient!
That country hath been deprived of the divine breath until this time; now, G.o.d be praised! thou art initiated in the mysteries and conscious of the secrets of the lights.
Thou hast been earthly, I hope that thou wilt become heavenly; thou hast been gloomy, I desire that thou wilt become luminous. Thou wert wandering in the wilderness, thou hast found a way to the abode of the Beloved One; thou wert a thirsty fish, thou hast attained to the endless Ocean; thou wert a roving bird, thou hast reached the divine Rose-garden; thou wert spiritually sick and thou hast found real health!
Now is the time that thou shouldest entirely abandon the comfort, ease, enjoyment and the life of this transient world, and wholly arise to guide the people of j.a.pan, illuminating faces, perfuming nostrils and conquering, through the heavenly hosts and divine reinforcements, the hearts of the people of that region.
Do not wonder at the favor and bounty of the Lord. By the favor of G.o.d, how often a drop hath become undulating like a sea, and an atom hath become shining like the sun!
The sun of Truth hath enlightened the divine world and illumined the universe. The rays of His grace have shone upon the East and West, and His heat hath caused vegetation in all countries. So the lights and the heat of the Sun of Truth being help and a.s.sistance, what more dost thou need?