God & His Manifestations (Prophets, Messengers)

From: Baha’i Scriptures concerning Jesus and Christianity
In every age and cycle He hath, through the splendorous light shed by the Manifestations of His wondrous Essence, recreated all things, so that whatsoever reflecteth in the heavens and on the earth the signs of His glory may not be deprived of the outpourings of His mercy, nor despair of the showers of His favors. How all-encompassing are the wonders of His boundless grace! Behold how they have pervaded the whole of creation. Such is their virtue that not a single atom in the entire universe can be found which doth not declare the evidences of His might, which doth not glorify His holy Name, or is not expressive of the effulgent light of His unity. So perfect and comprehensive is His creation that no mind nor heart, however keen or pure, can ever grasp the nature of the most insignificant of His creatures; much less fathom the mystery of Him Who is the Day Star of Truth, Who is the invisible and unknowable Essence. The conceptions of the devoutest of mystics, the attainments of the most accomplished amongst men, the highest praise which human tongue or pen can render are all the product of man's finite mind and are conditioned by its limitations. Ten thousand Prophets, each a Moses, are thunderstruck upon the Sinai of their search at His forbidding voice, "Thou shalt never behold Me!"; whilst a myriad Messengers, each as great as Jesus, stand dismayed upon their heavenly thrones by the interdiction, "Mine Essence thou shalt never apprehend!" From time immemorial He hath been veiled in the ineffable sanctity of His exalted Self, and will everlastingly continue to be wrapt in the impenetrable mystery of His unknowable Essence. Every attempt to attain to an understanding of His inaccessible Reality hath ended in complete bewilderment, and every effort to approach His exalted Self and envisage His Essence hath resulted in hopelessness and failure. (Baha’u’llah, 'Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah')

The Guardian completed his “hours of rest and meditation” and “renewed” his “hope and vigor”

From: Insights  from Messages to the Baha’i World – by Shoghi Effendi
Now that my long hours of rest and meditation are happily at an end, I turn my face with renewed hope and vigor to that vast continent the soil of which is pregnant with those seeds that our beloved Master has so tenderly and so profusely scattered in the past. Prolonged though this period has been, yet I have strongly felt ever since the New Day has dawned upon me that such a needed retirement, despite the temporary dislocations it might entail, would far outweigh in its results any immediate service I could have humbly tendered at the Threshold of Bahá'u'lláh.

I am now confident that the energies of my beloved brethren and sisters across the seas, far from being damped by my sudden disappearance from the field of service, will henceforth be fully maintained, nay redoubled in their intensity, that we may all together carry triumphantly to the uttermost corners of the world the glorious Standard of Baha. 
(Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated 16, December 1922; ‘Baha'i Administration’; To read the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World – by Shoghi Effendi)

Nettie Tobin & the "corner stone" for Chicago Temple

From: We are Baha’is

Nettie Tobin kneeling by the stone which she carried as her contribution to the Chicago Temple in the very early days. 'Abdu'l-Baha chose it as the "corner stone" when He visited the site in 1912. The stone is now incorporated into the building, and serves as a special place for prayer and meditation. (The Baha'i World 1932-1934)

November 1964: Message from the Universal House of Justice

From: Messages to the Baha’i World Community – by the Universal House of Justice
November 1964

To the Bahá'ís of the world

Beloved friends,

Once again the World Centre of our Faith has been the scene of historic events, affecting profoundly the immediate prosecution of the Nine Year Plan and the future development of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh. The occasion was the gathering in the Holy Land, for a period of fourteen days, of the Hands of the Cause of God to discuss their vital responsibilities, and particularly as Standard-bearers of the Nine Year Plan.

The Universal House of Justice took advantage of this opportunity not only to receive the advice, opinions and views of the Hands on the progress of the Nine Year Plan but to consult them on the highly important goal announced at Ridvan 1964 under World Centre Goals as "Development of the Institution of the Hands of the Cause of God, in consultation with the body of the Hands of the Cause, with a view to the extension into the future of its appointed functions of protection and propagation."

It was apparent that the elucidation of this vital goal, affecting as it does the relationship of the Hands of the Cause of God to all other institutions of the Cause, was imperative to the prosecution of the all-important teaching work and the development of the Bahá'í World Order.

Accordingly, the Universal House of Justice gave its full attention to this matter and, after study of the sacred texts and hearing the views of the Hands of the Cause themselves, has arrived at the following decisions:
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The Message -- a poem by Louis G. Gregory

From: Baha’i Songs and Poems
The Báb
O Herald of the King of Kings
From Whom creation's power springs
The mission thine to blaze the way
Which leads to realms of endless day;
To be thyself the mystic sign
Of perfect love and power divine;
To resurrect the souls of men
And wealth devise beyond our ken.
Thy shining form was sometimes sad
Yet still thou mad'st creation glad;
Through martyrdom did'st plant the seeds
Which fructified in wondrous deeds.
Grant all, through deeds without desire
To witness thy celestial fire.

“…physical ailments, no matter how severe, cannot bring any change in the inherent condition of the soul”

From: Human Soul and Its Eternal Journey
Regarding your questions concerning the condition of the soul during illness. The passages in the "Gleanings" make it quite clear that physical ailments, no matter how severe, cannot bring any change in the inherent condition of the soul. As Bahá'u'lláh says: 'The spirit is permanent and steadfast in its station'. The veil or hindrance that interposes between soul and body during physical disease is sickness itself. Sickness reveals itself. Sickness reveals a lack of balance in human organism, an absence of equilibrium in the forces essential for the normal functioning of the human body. 
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, March 8, 1936; Lights of Guidance)

We should abandon blind imitations and investigate the reality

From: Teachings of the Baha’i faith
The first teaching of Bahá'u'lláh is the investigation of reality. Man must seek the reality himself, forsaking imitations and adherence to mere hereditary forms. As the nations of the world are following imitations in lieu of truth and as imitations are many and various, differences of belief have been productive of strife and warfare. So long as these imitations remain the oneness of the world of humanity is impossible. Therefore we must investigate the reality in order that by its light the clouds and darkness may be dispelled. Reality is one reality; it does not admit multiplicity or division. If the nations of the world investigate reality they will agree and become united. 
(‘Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith)

‘Abdu’l-Baha in a garden near His residence in Haifa

From: ‘Abdu’l-Baha in the Holy Land

'Abdu'l-Baha in a garden at No. 7 Haparsim Street, Haifa

Bayán

From: Baha’i Glossary

Literally means “Explanation, exposition, utterance”. It’s the title given by the Báb to His Revelation, particularly to His Books. The Persian Bayán, revealed by the Báb in the fortress of Mah-Ku is His chief doctrinal work. It is described by Shoghi Effendi in God Passes By as a "monumental repository of the laws and precepts of the new Dispensation and the treasury enshrining most of the Báb's references and tributes to, as well as His warning regarding, ‘Him Whom God will make manifest’” (Baha’u’llah) …this Book of about eight thousand verses, occupying a pivotal position in Bábi literature, should be regarded primarily as a eulogy of the Promised One rather than a code of laws and ordinances designed to be a permanent guide to future generations." The Báb also wrote "the smaller and less weighty Arabic Bayán."

September 2001 Talks by Douglas Martin -- in Atlanta, New York and Massachusetts

From: Baha’i Talks, Messages and Articles

(A collection of 5 sets of notes by various individuals)

Notes: Collection # 1

Lesser Peace

The Lesser Peace is a process that started with Woodrow Wilson, when he created the League of Nations. It will be a long time from now before we fully understand what the Lesser Peace was.

Mr. Martin detailed some of the elements in the following parallel processes mentioned by Shoghi Effendi. "...the two parallel processes of integration and disintegration associated respectively with the rising fortunes of God's infant Faith and the sinking fortunes of the institutions of a declining civilization." (Shoghi Effendi: Messages to the Baha'i World, Page: 102) Disintegration: - military buildup - counter-productive economic system - human weaknesses - prejudices - collapsing moral standards Integration: - individuals of capacity and insight like Woodrow Wilson and Eleanor Roosevelt - revolutions in communications and transportation - artists, musicians, soccer players and more working as agents of the awakening of the oneness of mankind - every barrier separating humans into artificial constructs has collapsed - Universal House of Justice peace statement 

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1907: Thornton Chase, the first Baha’i in the West, visits Baha’is in Cairo, Egypt

From: Worldwide Community of Baha’u’llah

Thornton Chase Visited Cairo in April 1907. Chase is seated second from right. To his left is Mirza Abu'l-Fadl.

“…two ways of healing sickness..”

From: Counsels and Explanations by ‘Abdu’l-Baha -- Daily Readings

There are two ways of healing sickness, material means and spiritual means. The first is by the treatment of physicians; the second consisteth in prayers offered by the spiritual ones to God and in turning to Him. Both means should be used and practised.

Illnesses which occur by reason of physical causes should be treated by doctors with medical remedies; those which are due to spiritual causes disappear through spiritual means. Thus an illness caused by affliction, fear, nervous impressions, will be healed more effectively by spiritual rather than by physical treatment. Hence, both kinds of treatment should be followed; they are not contradictory. Therefore thou shouldst also accept physical remedies inasmuch as these too have come from the mercy and favour of God, Who hath revealed and made manifest medical science so that His servants may profit from this kind of treatment also. Thou shouldst give equal attention to spiritual treatments, for they produce marvellous effects.

Now, if thou wishest to know the true remedy which will heal man from all sickness and will give him the health of the divine kingdom, know that it is the precepts and teachings of God. Focus thine attention upon them. 
(‘Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu'l-Baha)

“Read, in the school of God…”

From: Daily Spiritual Food for Thought

O thou true friend! Read, in the school of God, the lessons of the spirit, and learn from love's Teacher the innermost truths. Seek out the secrets of Heaven, and tell of the overflowing grace and favour of God. 
(‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Baha’i Education)

Agnes Parsons (1861-1934) – She arranged the first “Amity Convention”, termed by the Master "the mother convention", for unity of the colored and white races in America

From: Baha’i Heroes and Heroines

“Greatly deplore loss distinguished handmaid of Baha'u'llah. Through her manifold pioneer services she has proved herself worthy of implicit confidence reposed in her by 'Abdu'l-Baha. Advise American believers hold befitting memorial gatherings. Assure relatives heartfelt sympathy, prayers." (Signed) Shoghi (Cable to National Spiritual Assembly)

"The dress was destroyed, but the one who wore the dress is living." These words are part of a wonderful teaching on immortality which 'Abdu'l-Baha gave to Mrs. Parsons when she supplicated for a word from Him for a friend who was inconsolable because of the passing of a dear one. It seems appropriate now in connection with the going away of our dear sister herself, for in this world "she proved herself worthy of the implicit confidence reposed in her by 'Abdu'l-Baha," as stated in the cable about her from our Guardian.

On Friday, January 19, 1934, at about six p.m., Mrs. Parsons was crossing a street alone and was knocked down by a passing automobile. A serious illness followed, and finally on Tuesday night, January 23rd, about midnight, she ascended to the world of eternal, radiant light and life. "The human spirit comes from God and to Him it returns."

Mrs. Parsons, we are informed, had reached the age of seventy-three years, a long and eventful life which, as far as all earthly measurements are concerned, seemed full of promise for many more years of service.

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Some Impressions about the Báb by His Schoolmaster Shaykh ‘Ábid

From: Baha’i Stories

There are left for posterity some overall recollections about the Báb’s personality by His schoolmaster many years after he became aware that the Báb was the Founder of a new religion for humanity. These impressions were in addition to his shock and amazement concerning the Báb’s depth of intelligence and knowledge at such a young age.

One of the qualities that he noticed about the Báb was the nobility of His character and the charm of His personality. He recalled that the Báb was always very dignified, serene and calm. Although He was very handsome He did not show much interest in pursuing those activities that were common to boys His age.

Shaykh ‘Abid also remembered that every now and then the Bab used to come late to the school. When asked why He was late, the Báb would typically remain silent. On some occasions he would become worried about His absence and would end up sending some of His classmates to go and check on His whereabouts. They would come back and tell him that they had found the Bab at His own home engaged in prayers. This wasn’t commonly expected of children his age – He was about ten years old then.

On one occasion when His schoolmaster questioned the Báb why He was late, He quietly replied that He had been in the house of His 'Grandfather'. This was a common way in which those who were descendents of Prophet Muhammad would refer to their time of devotions in the spiritual presence of Muhammad. When Shaykh ‘Abid angrily said that He was only ten years old and that such rigorous attention to devotions was not required of Him, the Báb calmly said ‘I wish to be like My Grandfather’. His schoolmaster did not make of it much and attributed it to the Báb’s innocence and lack of adequate understanding of the subject being covered. 
(Adapted from ‘The Báb - The Herald of the Day of Days’, by Hand of the Cause Balyuzi)

The Báb's Tablet to the First Letter of the Living -- Mullá Husayn

From: Baha’i Sacred Relics

Facsimile of the Báb's Tablet to the First Letter of the Living

How man’s “essence” can be “brought to light” – Baha’u’llah explains

From: Daily Verses of God

Man is even as steel, the essence of which is hidden: through admonition and explanation, good counsel and education, that essence will be brought to light. If, however, he be allowed to remain in his original condition, the corrosion of lusts and appetites will effectively destroy him. (Baha’u’llah, ‘The Compilation of Compilations’, vol. I, Baha’i Education)

1912: Hospitality provided by Persian Consul General in the United States

From: ‘Abdu’l-Baha Visits the West

Persian Consul General in the United States, Topakyan, provides hospitality for 'Abdu'l-Baha

Baha’u’llah’s Parents

From: Baha’i Historical Facts

The noble families of the Nur district, including Baha’u’llah’s family, had for generations provided the kings of Iran with well-educated government officials: civil servants who would collect taxes, keep accounts, pay the army and generally administer the government. Bahalu’llah’s father, Mirza Buzurg Nuri, rose in the ranks of these civil servants to become the minister to a royal prince who was the commander of the royal guards. He was later a vizier (minister), an official responsible for the collection of taxes, in a province. He was given the village of Takur in the Nur region in lieu of salary and he built a fine mansion there by the side of the Nur river as a family home. … Baha’u’llah’s father was also renowned as a calligrapher. Indeed, his real name was ‘Abbas and he had been given the designation Buzurg (meaning “great”) by the king because of his calligraphic prowess. 

As was customary among Iran’s nobility, Mirza Buzurg had an extensive family. He took three wives and also had three concubines. The mother of Baha’u’llah was his second wife, Khadijih Khanum. She was from the Namadsab family of the village of Fiyul, a short distance south of Takur. This family had preexisting ties to the family of Mirza Buzurg since an older sister of Mirza Buzurg was already married into the family. Khadijih Khanum had been married before to certain Aqa Sultan and had three children from her previous marriage. With Aqa Buzurg she had five further children (two daughters and three sons; one son died while young). It was the custom of the family to spend the winter months in Tehran, where Mirza Buzurg would attend to his government duties, and the summer in the family home in Takur. Baha’u’llah, the fourth child, was born on 12 November 1817 in the family home in the Udlajan quarter of Tehran. His given name was Husayn ‘Ali but he is generally now known by the title he took in later life, Baha’u’llah (the glory of God). (Moojan Momen, ‘Baha’u’llah: A Short Biography’)

Who is the "archetype" of the people of Bahá?

From: Baha’i Points of Interest

Did you know that the Guardian referred to the Greatest Holy Leaf, Bahiyyih Khanum, who was the daughter of Baha’u’llah, as “that archetype of the people of Baha”? (Shoghi Effendi, ‘Bayiyyih Khanum’, p. 30). Archetype is defined in the dictionary as: (1) The original pattern, or model, from which all other things of the same kind are made; a prototype; and (2) a perfect example of a type or group. Notice that the reference from the Guardian doesn’t have a gender distinction. 

Here are some of her qualities that the Guardian highlighted:
• “A purity of life that reflected itself in even the minutest details of her daily occupations and activities;
• "a tenderness of heart that obliterated every distinction of creed, class and colour;
• "a resignation and serenity that evoked to the mind the calm and heroic fortitude of the Báb;
• "a natural fondness of flowers and children that was so characteristic of Bahá'u'lláh;
• "an unaffected simplicity of manners;
• "an extreme sociability which made her accessible to all;
• "a generosity, a love, at once disinterested and undiscriminating, that reflected so clearly the attributes of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá's character;
• "a sweetness of temper;
• "a cheerfulness that no amount of sorrow could becloud;
• "a quiet and unassuming disposition that served to enhance a thousandfold the prestige of her exalted rank;
• "a forgiving nature that instantly disarmed the most unyielding enemy -- these rank among the outstanding attributes of a saintly life which history will acknowledge as having been endowed with a celestial potency that few of the heroes of the past possessed." (Shoghi Effendi, ‘Bahiyyih Khanum’, p. 42)

Unity House -- a song

From: Baha’i Songs and Poems

Words & Music by Doug Cameron

Tablet of visitation for the martyrs of Nayriz, Iran – by 'Abdu'l-Bahá

From: Baha’i Tablets -- provisional translations

--- provisional translation by?

He is God!

O Divine Breezes, wafting over that Most Luminous Spot, convey the fire of the love of my heart, the longing of my soul, the deep attachment of my spirit and the ardent desire of my heart yearning to be at that place where the fallen heads were crowned with the greatest martyrdom adorned with jewels shedding light upon the ages and centuries past as they were separated from their bodies in the Path of God.

Say: May the bright lights shining from the Abhá Kingdom Illuminate that brilliant sepulcher. May the soft breezes blowing from the gardens of the Most Sublime Paradise waft over that Most Luminous Spot. That verdant garden, that sublime meadow was honored by you.

O heads severed in the Path of your Lord! O faces illuminated by the light of the Sun of Guidance! O eyes brightened by turning towards the Splendor of the Daystar of Thy Revelation! O ears made receptive by listening to the Call of the Lord! O nostrils invigorated by inhaling the pure breath of the Guidance of God! O palates refreshed by tasting every bitterness yet sweetened in the path of the Love of God!

May my spirit be a sacrifice for you! May my being be a sacrifice for you! May my reality be a sacrifice for you!

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October 1963: The “Cause of God … enters a new epoch, the third of the Formative Age.”

From: Baha’i Calendar -- this month in history

In October 1963 the Universal House of Justice announced that the Cause of God entered “a new epoch, the third of the Formative Age.”

“Beloved friends, the Cause of God, guarded and nurtured since its inception by God's Messengers, by the Centre of His Covenant and by His Sign on earth, now enters a new epoch, the third of the Formative Age. It must now grow rapidly in size, increase its spiritual cohesion and executive ability, develop its institutions and extend its influence into all strata of society. We, its members, must, by constant study of the life- giving Word, and by dedicated service, deepen in spiritual understanding and show to the world a mature, responsible, fundamentally assured and happy way of life, far removed from the passions, prejudices and distractions of present day society. Relying upon God alone, we can promote His Cause and establish His Kingdom on earth. Only thus can we prove our love for Those Who brought this new day into being. Only thus can we prove the truth of Their Divine Mission and demonstrate how valid was Their Sacrifice.” (The Universal House of Justice, October 1963, ‘The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963-1986’)

'Abdu'l-Baha riding up Mount Carmel

From: ‘Abdu’l-Baha in the Holy Land

'Abdu'l-Baha riding up Mount Carmel

The power and value of true thought depend upon its manifestation in action - from a talk by 'Abdu'l-Baha

From: Talks of ‘Abdu’l-Baha

October 18th, 1912, Paris

The reality of man is his thought, not his material body. The thought force and the animal force are partners. Although man is part of the animal creation, he possesses a power of thought superior to all other created beings.

If a man's thought is constantly aspiring towards heavenly subjects then does he become saintly; if on the other hand his thought does not soar, but is directed downwards to centre itself upon the things of this world, he grows more and more material until he arrives at a state little better than that of a mere animal.

Thoughts may be divided into two classes:

(1st) Thought that belongs to the world of thought alone.

(2nd) Thought that expresses itself in action.

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1910 - Baha'is in Oakland California

From: Worldwide Community of Baha’u’llah

Baha'is in Oakland California at the home of Helen S. Goodall

Mirza Abu’l-Fadl Gulpaygani (1844-1914) -- one of 19 Apostles of Baha’u’llah, a “very excellent and erudite Bahá'í teacher”, and recognized as the most outstanding scholar of the Baha’i Faith

From:  Baha’i Heroes and Heroines

“Pure souls, such as Mirza Abu'l-Fadl, upon him be the Glory of God, spend their nights and days in demonstrating the truth of the Revelation, by adducing conclusive and brilliant proofs and expanding the verities of the Faith, by lifting the veils, promoting the religion of God and spreading His fragrances.” (‘Abdu’l-Baha, from a Tablet to an individual believer; the Compilation of Compilations vol. II)

Mirza Abu’l-Fadl was born in 1844 in Galpaygan, a small Persian town founded by Humay, the daughter of Darius [an ancient Persian king]. The family to which his parents belonged was one of the most distinguished of that city, and, even to the present time [1914], is well known for learning and knowledge. [His given name at birth was Muhammad, but later in life he became known as Abu'l-Fadl, which means the father of virtue. After he became a Baha’i, Abdu'l-Baha frequently addressed him as Abu'l-Fada'il, which means the father of virtues] His father, Mirza-Reza, was one of the most noted Shi'ite doctors of religion in Persia; he died in 1871, at the age of seventy.

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The sanctity of the heavenly Gospel and understanding its passages

From: Baha’i Scriptures concerning Jesus and Christianity

We have also heard a number of the foolish of the earth assert that the genuine text of the heavenly Gospel doth not exist amongst the Christians, that it hath ascended unto heaven. How grievously they have erred! How oblivious of the fact that such a statement imputeth the gravest injustice and tyranny to a gracious and loving Providence! How could God, when once the Day-star of the beauty of Jesus had disappeared from the sight of His people, and ascended unto the fourth heaven, cause His holy Book, His most great testimony amongst His creatures, to disappear also? What would be left to that people to cling to from the setting of the day-star of Jesus … (Baha’u’llah, Book of Certitude)
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Ruhiyyih Khanum with her little namesake, Cameroon, 1972

From: We are Baha’is

Ruhiyyih Khanum with her little namesake, Cameroon, 1972

Paragraph 1.4 of the Surih of Temple

From: Reflecting on Baha’i Writings – The Summons of the Lord of Hosts

“Blessed is He Who, in a well-guarded Tablet, hath prescribed a fixed measure unto all things. Blessed is He Who hath revealed unto His Servant that which shall illumine the hearts and minds of men. Blessed is He Who hath sent down upon His Servant such tribulations as have melted the hearts of them that dwell within the Tabernacle of eternity and the souls of those who have drawn nigh unto their Lord. Blessed is He Who hath showered upon His Servant, from the clouds of His decree, the darts of affliction, and Who beholdeth Me enduring them with patience and fortitude. Blessed is He Who hath ordained for His Servant that which He hath destined for no other soul. He, verily, is the One, the Incomparable, the Self-Subsisting.”

Comments:

· The concept that there is in existence a “well-guarded” Tablet and the fact that God/His Manifestation has, in this Tablet, “prescribed a fixed measure unto all things”, puts things in an interesting perspective, doesn't it. We become aware of our own limitations and how our inner capacity is really controlled by God/His Manifestation.

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