Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas Part 6

O ye(27) crying voices in the region of America!

Make level the path of the Covenant of G.o.d! BE firm in the Alliance of G.o.d!

I surely read your answer to my words, and my heart overflowed with joy and fragrance, when I heard of your supplication to G.o.d, and of your entreaty to G.o.d, and of your begging a.s.sistance of G.o.d, and of your endeavor in the service of the Cause of G.o.d, and of your effort in publis.h.i.+ng the Alliance of G.o.d, and of your yearning after and your longing for harmony and union in the love of G.o.d.

Ye shall soon behold the lights of confirmation s.h.i.+ning forth unto your hearts and your spirits from the Kingdom of ABHA.

Stand up, as the standing of the souls by whose lights of sincerity in the Cause of G.o.d the horizons are s.h.i.+ning, and guard the sheep of G.o.d with the staff of the instructions of G.o.d.

I beg G.o.d to confirm thee to His will, as He confirmed the Apostles (of Jesus) aforetime.

I know, verily, that the universal, never ending, eternal, bright and divine establishments are only the diffusing of the breaths of G.o.d, and the spreading of the instructions of G.o.d, and all that are beside these, though they be the reigning over all the regions of the earth, or the construction of railroads from the earth to the heavens, or means of transportation with the rapidity of rising lightning from the globe of earth to the globe of the sun, all are but mortal, peris.h.i.+ng, demolis.h.i.+ng and disadvantageous, in comparison with the divine establishments. Because the latter (divine establishments) are intrinsic matters, while the former are but metaphorical matters; the latter are truth, while the former are imaginary.

Verily, I yearn after your visit as the yearning of the thirsty after the fountain of the water of Euphrates (agreeable water), but at present your remaining in that region (America) is obligatory. Please G.o.d, when it will be the occasion, I will inform you to come; and (now) I will circ.u.mambulate instead of you the Holy Tomb.(28) Glory be upon you!

"O thou son of the a.s.sociate and companion of Abdul-Baha!..."

O thou son of the a.s.sociate and companion(29) of Abdul-Baha!

You brought many letters with you from those regions, but on account of the great disturbance it was not possible to write the answers. You saw what a commotion was set up in the Blessed Spot(30) throught the instigation of the jealous brother. It still continues. Therefore you must apologize: Say that Abdul-Baha has considered every one of the letters with the eyes of the spirit, has read each, and through the valid messenger-that is, through the spiritual susceptibilities-has sent each the message of peace and greeting. Therefore, let them turn to the blessed and Radiant Spot with a pure heart and an attracted spirit, that they may receive answer through the lights radiating therefrom.

Communication is not confined to writing. This is a trace, while the spiritual message is fruitful and effective. That is the essential, and without it communication is useless.

"O Thou kind G.o.d! That scattered a.s.sembly is..."

O Thou kind G.o.d! That scattered a.s.sembly(31) is Thine, and that gathering of friends is of Thee. Their eyes are opened, their hearts in tune with Thy love, and their ears in communion with Thy hidden mysteries.

O Thou who art self-sufficient! Let a beautiful song reach this people from the birds of that garden, that they may warble, rejoice and be happy, implore and supplicate the Lord.

O Thou Educator! Train that a.s.sembly of the righteous; comfort them; set their hearts aglow with the fire of Thy love; acquaint them with Thy mystery and commune with them, so that they may find Thy kingdom of mysteries, become of the people of piety and leading in liberty.

Grant them the soul immortal; enrich them above the world, and detach them from the world; usher them into the tent of Thy Kingdom and give them a portion of the divine bounty.

Bestow upon them the everlasting life and bless them with the new teachings. Make every one a lighted torch and a warbling nightingale-the king of the rose in the garden. Reveal to them Thine attractive beauty; make each a growing tree on the sh.o.r.e of Thy guidance, bearing the fruit of Thy grace. Thus may the East illumine the West and the West become the East of the Supreme Heaven.

Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Almighty, and verily Thou art the Precious, the Omnipotent, the Omniscient!

"O ye my divine friends!..."

O ye my divine friends!(32)

At a time when the sea of tests had become tempestuous and the waves of calamity were heaving and the hosts of nations were in the utmost violence and the people of oppression dealt with infinite injustice, some of the calumniators, uniting with our unkind brother, wrote a letter replete with false accusations and engaged in seditions and calumnies.

They confused the mind of the government and agitated the state authorities. From this it is evident how a prisoner in this ruined walled city would fare and how the conditions are so full of perplexity and confusion as to baffle all description! Notwithstanding, this imprisoned exile is in the utmost firmness and calmness, trusts in His Highness the Peerless G.o.d, and wishes for every calamity and affliction in the path of the love of G.o.d! (To us) the arrow of oppression is a rich flow of divine bounty, and deadly poison is a swift-healing antidote.

We were in such a state when a letter came from the friends in America.

The whole of its contents showed an agreement on their part to be in unity and harmony in all respects, and it was signed by all, determined to be self-sacrificing in the path of the love of G.o.d, in order thus to secure eternal life.

Upon perusing that letter and looking at the name signed to it, such a joy and gladness came over Abdul-Baha as is beyond description, and he thanked G.o.d that such friends are found in that country, who in utmost joy and fragrance are in union and accord and one in agreement with each other.

The more this Covenant is strengthened, the happier, the better, the sweeter it will be and it will thus attract the divine confirmations. If the friends of G.o.d are wis.h.i.+ng for confirmation in order to enjoy the friends.h.i.+p of the Supreme Concourse, they must exert themselves to confirm and strengthen this Covenant; for the making of a covenant, and an alliance for brotherhood and unity is like unto the irrigation of the tree of life which is conducive to eternal life!

Briefly, O ye friends of G.o.d! Make your feet firm, make a firm compact, and in union and accord endeavor to diffuse the fragrance of the love of G.o.d and to spread the divine teachings, in order that ye may impart life to the dead body of this world, and bestow a real healing on every one diseased (in soul).

O ye friends of G.o.d! The world is like the body of man-it hath become sick, feeble and infirm. Its eye is devoid of sight, its ear hath become dest.i.tute of hearing and its faculties of sense are entirely dissolved.

The friends of G.o.d must become as wise physicians and care for and heal this sick person, in accord with the divine teachings, in order that-G.o.d willing-it may perchance gain health, find eternal healing and that its lost powers may be restored; and that the person of the world may find such health, freshness and purity that it will appear in the utmost beauty and charm.

The first remedy is to guide the people, so that they may turn unto G.o.d, hearken unto the divine commandments and go forth with a hearing ear and seeing eye. After this swift and certain remedy hath been applied, then according to the divine teachings, they ought to be trained in the conduct, morals and deeds of the Supreme Concourse, encouraged and inspire with the gifts of the Kingdom of ABHA. The hearts should be purified and cleansed from every trace of hatred and rancor and enabled to engage in truthfulness, conciliation, uprightness and love toward the world of humanity; so that the East and the West may embrace each other like unto two lovers, enmity and animosity may vanish from the human world and the universal peace be established!

O ye friends of G.o.d! Be kind to all peoples and nations, have love for all of them, exert yourselves to purify the hearts as much as you can, and bestow abundant effort in rejoicing the souls. Be ye a sprinkling of rain to every meadow and a water of life to every tree. Be ye as fragrant musk to every nostril and a soul-refres.h.i.+ng breeze to every invalid. Be ye salutary water to every thirsty one, a wise guide to every one led astray, an affectionate father or mother to every orphan, and, in the utmost joy and fragrance, a son or daughter to every one bent with age. Be ye a rich treasure to every indigent one; consider love and union as a delectable paradise, and count annoyance and hostility as the torment of h.e.l.l-fire.

Exert with your soul; seek no rest in body; supplicate and beseech with your heart and search for divine a.s.sistance and favor, in order that ye may make this world the Paradise of ABHA and this terrestrial globe the arena of the Supreme Kingdom. If ye make an effort, it is certain that these lights will s.h.i.+ne, this cloud of mercy shall rain, this soul-nouris.h.i.+ng breeze shall waft, and the scent of this most fragrant musk be diffused.

O ye friends of G.o.d! Be ye not concerned with the events transpiring at this Blessed Spot, and give no thought thereto. Whatever may happen is good, for calamities are bestowal itself, hards.h.i.+p is the reality of mercy, discomposure is but composure of mind, and sacrifice of life is a manifest gift. Whatever may happen is a bounty from G.o.d, the Most High. Be ye engaged in your own affairs; be employed in guiding the people; train the souls in the qualities and nature of Abdul-Baha, and convey the glad-tidings of the Kingdom of ABHA to the people. Do not seek rest during night and day and sit not tranquil for a minute. Bring these glad-tidings to the hearing of mankind with the utmost exertion, and accept every calamity and affliction in your love for G.o.d and reliance on Abdul-Baha.

Endure the censure of enemies and bear the reproaches of the people of oppression with patience. Follow the example of Abdul-Baha and at every moment wish to offer yourselves in the path of the Beauty of ABHA. s.h.i.+ne ye like unto the sun and roar and move like unto the sea; impart life to mountain and desert like unto clouds, and similar to the vernal breeze, bestow freshness, grace and elegance on the trees of human temples.

"O ye children of the Kingdom!..."

O ye(33) children of the Kingdom!

It is New Year; that is to say, the rounding of the cycle of the year. A year is the expression of a cycle (of the sun); but now is the beginning of a cycle of Realty, a New Cycle, a New Age, a New Century, a New Time and a New Year. Therefore it is very blessed.

I wish this blessing to appear and become manifest in the faces and characteristics of the believers, so that they, too, may become a new people, and having found new life and been baptized with fire and spirit, may make the world a new world, to the end that the old earth may disappear and the new earth appear; old ideas depart and new thoughts come; old garments be cast aside and new garments put on; ancient politics whose foundation is war be discarded and modern politics founded on peace raise the standard of victory; the new star s.h.i.+ne and gleam and the new sun illumine and radiate; new flowers bloom; the new spring become known; the new breeze blow; the new bounty descend; the new tree give forth new fruit; the new voice become raised and this new sound reach the ears, that the new will follow the new, and all the old furnis.h.i.+ngs and adornments be cast aside and new decorations put in their places.

I desire for you all that you will have this great a.s.sistance and partake of this great bounty, and that in spirit and heart you will strive and endeavor until the world of war become the world of peace; the world of darkness the world of light; satanic conduct be turned into heavenly behavior; the ruined places become built up; the sword be turne dinto the olive branch; the flash of hatred become the flame of the love of G.o.d and the noise of the gun the voice of the Kingdom; the soldiers of death the soldiers of life; all the nations of the world one nation; all races as one race; and all national anthems harmonized into one melody.

Then this material realm will be Paradise, the earth Heaven, and the world of Satan become the world of Angels.

"O ye Cohorts of G.o.d!..."