Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas Part 94

O thou yearner after the Kingdom! Each Manifestations is the heart of the world and the proficient Physician of every patient. The world of humanity is sick, but that skilled Physician hath the healing remedy and He bestoweth divine teachings, exhortations and advices which are the remedy of every ailment and the dressing for every wound. Undoubtedly, the wise physician discovereth the needs of the patient at every season and prescribeth medicine. Therefore, when thou wilt compare the teachings of the Beauty of Abha with the requisitions and necessities of the present time, thou wilt conclude that they are to the sick body of the world the swift healing antidote; nay, rather they are the remedy of everlasting health. The prescription of the proficient physicians of the past and the future will not be the same; nay, rather they will be in accord with the ailment of the patient. Although the medicine is changed, yet all of these are for the sole purpose of the healing of the sick. In former dispensations the sick body of the world could not bear the strong and overpowering remedies. That is why His Highness the Christ said: "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of the Comforter, who is sent by the Father, is come, He will guide you into all truth." Therefore, in this age of lights, specific teachings have become universal, in order that the outpouring of the Merciful One environ both the East and the West, the oneness of the Kingdom of humanity become visible and the luminosity of truth enlighten the world of consciousness. The descent of the New Jerusalem is the heavenly religion which secures the prosperity of the human world and is the effulgence of the illumination of the realm of G.o.d. In reality Emmanuel was the forerunner of the second coming of His Highness the Christ and the herald of the path of the Kingdom.

This is self-evident that the letter is an organic member of the word.

This members.h.i.+p denotes subordination; that is, the letter draws its life from the word and hath spiritual relations.h.i.+p with it and is accounted a part of it. The apostles were the Letters and His Highness Christ the Essence of the Word; and the significance of the Word, which is the Everlasting Outpouring, cast a splendor upon those Letters,. Since a Letter is a part of the Word itself, it is intrinsically identical with the Word.

I hope that thou shalt arise to perform all that which His Highness Emmanuel hath predicted. Know thou this of a certainty that thou shalt become a.s.sisted. The confirmations of the Holy Spirit are descending uninterruptedly. The power of the Word shall penetrate in such wise that the Letter will become the reflective mirror of the Sun of the Word, and the radiation of the lights of the Word shall illumine the whole earth.

But the heavenly Jerusalem, which is established upon the Apex of the world and the Holy of Holies of the Almighty, which hath hoisted its banner, comprehendeth and includeth in it all the perfections and teachings of the former dispensations. Likewise, it is the herald of the oneness of the world of humanity, the ensign of universal peace, the spirit of eternal life, the lights of divine perfections, the surrounding bestowal of the realm of existence, the adornment and grandeur of the world of creation and the cause of the tranquility of human-kind.

Turn thy attention toward the holy Tablets. Read and reflect upon the Tablets of Ishraghat, Tajalliat, the Words of Paradise, the Glad-tidings, Tarazat and the Book of Akdas.(245) These divine teachings in this day are the remedy of the ailments of the world of man and the dressing for the wounded body of existence; they are the Spirit of Life, the Ark of Salvation, the Magnet of the Everlasting Glory and the penetrative power in the reality of man!

"O thou dear wise man!..."

O thou dear wise man!

They letter *** was considered. Its contents were in the utmost of beauty and great joy was realized therefrom.

Thou hast asked "Is it possible that this new and living Cause is to take the place of the dead religion of England when there hath been organized certain sects who have arrived at high stations of spiritual knowledge and to exalted degrees of merciful powers, and have become distinguished in virtue from all predecessors; notwithstanding this, is it possible that this new Cause will attract the attention of such people to such a degree as to unite their hearts, and gather them under its over-shadowing protection?"

O thou dear friend! Know thou that the Distinguished Individual of every age is according to the virtues of that age. The Distinguished Personage who was in the former cycle, His power and virtues were according to the former age, but in this brilliant age and divine cycle, the n.o.ble Personage, the Radiant Star, the Distinguished One, will manifest with virtues which will eventually amaze the peoples, for He is in spiritual virtues and divine perfections loftier than all the Individuals; any, rather He is the Source of Divine Benediction and the Center of the Radiant Circle. He is certainly comprehensive. There is no doubt that He will reveal Himself to such a degree as to bring all under His over-shadowing shelter.

When thou considerest carefully thou wilt find this order and system to be established in all things. The whole attracted the part, and the center of the circle is the axis of the compa.s.s. Consider His Holiness the Spirit (Christ): Since He was the Center of spiritual power and the Origin of divine benediction, although in the beginning He gathered but few under His power, yet later through that conquering power, He ushered all sects under the shadow of the Christian tabernacle. Compare the present with the past, see the great difference. By this thou canst measure and reach the reality and know for a certainty that the difference among the sects of the world is due to the difference of comprehensions. As long as the perceptive powers differ, surely the opinions and thoughts also differ.

But if One Great Perceptive Power which comprehendeth all, cometh to the Center, the differing opinions become united, and ideal unity and oneness are revealed.

For example: When His Holiness, the Spirit (Jesus Christ) appeared, the comprehensions of the creatures, the susceptibilities and minds of the sects then present, such as the Romans, the Greeks, a.s.syrians and Israelites were different. When the universal power of the Spirit of G.o.d appeared in the Center, eventually after three-hundred years, all the differing minds gathered under the protection of One Center. The same spiritual susceptibilities were attained.

For the sake of ill.u.s.tration (literally, likeness), I will say: When an army is under the command of generals who have differing opinions, certainly it will disagree in regard to maneuvers and in the order of marching to the battlefields. But when the great commander-in-chief who is expert in the arts of warfare cometh to the front, all the differing opinions will be erased and one opinion will prevail; the commander-in-chief will bring all under his own direction. This is an instance and not a likeness.

Now if thou shouldest say, the generals of this army are every one artists in the art of warfare, expert and experienced, why should they obey one person, even though he may have accomplished a great feat-this saying does not deserve attention, for this matter is certain and there is no doubt therein.

Likewise the Holy Manifestations, especially the reality of the Greatest Name, the Beauty of Abha, when unveiled amid the a.s.semblage of the world, like unto Joseph of Canaan, in the divine Egypt, will appear with such Beauty and Sweetness as to make the lovers of the world His captives.

As to the souls who are born into this world radiant ent.i.ties and who through excessive difficulty are deprived of great benefits and thus leave the world-they are worthy of all sympathy, for in reality this is worthy of regret. It is for this purpose (that is, it is with regard to this wisdom) that the great Manifestations (of G.o.d) unveil themselves in this world, bear every difficulty and ordeal-to make these ready souls dawnings of light and confer upon them eternal life. This is the real atonement that His Holiness Christ made-He sacrificed Himself for the life of the world.

As to the question that the holy and spiritual souls influence, help and guide the creatures after they have cast off this elemental mould-this is an established truth of the Bahais. Nay even the Holy Manifestations of G.o.d extend a great Bounty and an evident Light after their ascent from this world. For His Holiness Christ there was more and greater promotion of the Word, manifestation of divine power, conversion of holy souls, and the giving of eternal life, after [His] martyrdom. Likewise for the Blessed Beauty (Baha'o'llah) there was greater bounty and dawning of light, manifestation of divine power, and effectiveness of the Word after His Ascent; and ere long the Sun of His Reality will encircle the world with its motion, heat, radiation and bounty.

Be not sorry on account of the limited extent of the progress of the Bahai Cause in that country(246) . This is the beginning of the dawn. Consider the Cause of His Holiness Christ, which took three-hundred years to produce great effect. Now sixty years have not pa.s.sed since the beginning of this Cause, and Its Lights are shed upon all horizons.

Regarding the Society for healing of which thou art of a member; when it comes under the protection of this Cause, its power will be an hundred fold.

Thou hast observed how extensive is the love of the Bahais and that the foundation is love. As the power of love among the Bahais is in the utmost degree and superior to that in other religions, it is even the same in other relations, for the cause of all is Love.

As to the question of translating the Books and Tablets of the Blessed Beauty; it will soon be done in all languages with the utmost of eloquence and excellence. When the Tablets of His Holiness (Baha'o'llah) are translated in accordance with the original, with excellence and eloquence, then the Lights of Significances will dawn and brighten all the eyes.

Endeavor thou with all thy power to make the translation as the original.

The Blessed Beauty went to Haifa many times, and thou hast seen Him.(247) I hope thou mayest attain the real meeting and that is the witnessing with the eye of insight and not of sight.

The essence of the teachings of His Holiness Baha'o'llah is Universal Love, which comprehendeth all the virtues of the world of humanity, is the cause of eternal life and of the progress of all the individuals of the human race. Soon thou wilt see that these heavenly teachings, like unto the light of reality, will envelope and enlighten the world.

The short prayer which thou hast written at the end of thy letter is in reality original, beautiful, sweet and effective. Chant it always.

"O thou esteemed maid-servant of G.o.d!..."

O thou esteemed maid-servant of G.o.d!

Be thou hopeful and be thou happy and rejoiced. For I have supplicated and beseeched before the Threshold of the Almighty that thy wish may be realized, so thou mayest overcome the self and perform charitable deeds and that the human perfections may appear from thee; that thou mayest be endowed with lofty gifts; find thy way to divine wisdom and show forth the manners and conduct of those who are favored in the Threshold of the Almighty.

The essence of all exhortation is that thou shouldst abandon thyself and sacrifice life, body and heart for the Beloved One of the world.

"O thou servant of G.o.d!..."

O thou servant of G.o.d!

Thy letter was received and the sign of the hand was observed. This sign was a mystery of the perfection of Love. I ask G.o.d that it may become realized, and day by day, thou mayest walk more and more in the path of the Kingdom, in order that thou mayest be freed from the strangers and friends, be disengaged from attachment to the material world and be attached wholly to the divine Kingdom. At that time thou wilt behold the lights of the most great gift.

"O thou maid-servant of G.o.d!..."

O thou maid-servant of G.o.d!

Thy poetry was received. The context was elegant. The words were eloquent and the theme, the Manifest Light. Consequently, it was highly appreciated. Endeavor, so far as it is possible for thee, that day by day thou mayest string the pearls of poesy with sweeter rhythm and more eloquent contents, in order that it may become conducive to the perpetuity of thy name in the spiritual meetings. Upon thee be greeting and praise!

"O thou servant of G.o.d!..."

O thou servant of G.o.d!

What thou hast written was perused. Be thou rejoiced on account of hearing the glad-tidings of the Kingdom. To render thanks for such a bounty is to show forth praiseworthy deeds.

Sacrifice thyself for the well-being of the people and be thou a kind comforter to all the inhabitants of the world. Ask and pray to G.o.d that thou mayest become an enkindled lamp, to shed light upon the a.s.sembly, to become a lover of men and a well-wisher of human kind; nay, rather, thou mayest become the manifestation of the divine providence, finding out the heavenly gifts, enlisting thyself among the soldiers of the kingdom of peace and reconciliation, delivering the people as far as possible from war and carnage, spreading righteousness and friends.h.i.+p and becoming the cause of tranquility and composure to the world of humanity.