A compass needle far from the pole swings toward it, while the rock lying at the pole feels nothing. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s image shifts the question of spiritual recognition from distance to receptivity, and the Bahá’í writings answer it generously: every human being has been made able, of himself, to appreciate the beauty of God, and no one will be excused on the plea that everybody else turned away. Yet the flame is latent in the candle and the light in the lamp, and neither can kindle itself; the mirror cannot clear its own dust. Upbringing, vain imaginings, effort and help from others all bear on whether a capacity becomes a life, and the Manifestation of God is the fire that lights the wick. Mencius placed compassion, shame and discernment in everyone while admitting how often they go unreflected upon [1], a confidence worth setting beside this account of cultivation and grace. The journey continues toward the development of capacity through education, toward the bounty and mercy of God that reach every soul, and toward the oneness of humanity that such confidence demands.
The iron compass needle, though far from the magnetic center, points toward it, while the rock and soil near the magnetic center are unaware and have no feeling of it.
Question: "If the spirit is free from place, then what is in us which receives the Light?"
Answer: "The Bounty of God is within the heart; it receives the Light."
Question: "Is this Bounty universal, that is, is every soul endowed with it?"
Answer: "Certainly, yes. But it is as follows: The bounty is dormant or latent in the hearts. Belief and faith make it appear, and become manifest. For instance, the capacity of burning is latent in every candle, but the one which is ignited, makes the bounty of illumination to manifest and to become evident."
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words spoken in Feb. 1910 -- ABU3088)
03
The greatest bestowal of God to man is the capacity to attain human virtues.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at Hotel Sacramento on 1912-Oct-26 -- ABU0119)
04
God has created man lofty and noble, made him a dominant factor in creation. He has specialized man with supreme bestowals, conferred upon him mind, perception, memory, abstraction and the powers of the senses.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address at Stanford University on 1912-Oct-08 -- ABU0008)
05
From among all created things He hath singled out for His special favor the pure, the gem-like reality of man, and invested it with a unique capacity of knowing Him and of reflecting the greatness of His glory. This twofold distinction conferred upon him hath cleansed away from his heart the rust of every vain desire, and made him worthy of the vesture with which his Creator hath deigned to clothe him.
Say: The first and foremost testimony establishing His truth is His own Self. Next to this testimony is His Revelation. For whoso faileth to recognize either the one or the other He hath established the words He hath revealed as proof of His reality and truth. This is, verily, an evidence of His tender mercy unto men. He hath endowed every soul with the capacity to recognize the signs of God.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Lawh-i-Ashraf, to Ashraf -- BH00597)
07
This humble servant is filled with wonder, inasmuch as all men are endowed with the capacity to see and hear, yet we find them deprived of the privilege of using these faculties.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Lawh-i-Maqsud, 1299-02-29 [1882-Jan-20], to Mirza Maqsud -- BH00140)
08
It is most clear that every soul has been and will be a seeker after the knowledge of God, and the cause of rejection, objection, heedlessness and ignorance has been the vain imaginings with which they were formerly raised.
Not every heart is capable of acting as a repository for divine love. For not every soul is suited for growing wondrous herbs--only the heart of a human being who continues to bear the trustworthiness of the All-Merciful and to give the fruit of wisdom and eloquence.
Behold how the generality of mankind hath been endued with the capacity to hearken unto God's most exalted Word - the Word upon which must depend the gathering together and spiritual resurrection of all men.
… The Word of God may be likened unto a sapling, whose roots have been implanted in the hearts of men. It is incumbent upon you to foster its growth through the living waters of wisdom, of sanctified and holy words, so that its root may become firmly fixed and its branches may spread out as high as the heavens and beyond.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Lawh-i-Dunya (Tablet of the World), 1308 ? [1890-1891], to Mirza Siyyid Muhammad Afnan (known as Aqa Mirza Aqa Nurud-Din) -- BH00238)
11
Similarly, in the contingent world, the human species hath undergone progressive physical changes and, by a slow process, hath scaled the ladder of civilization, realizing in itself the wonders, excellencies and gifts of humanity in their most glorious form, until it gained the capacity to express the splendours of spiritual perfections and divine ideals and became capable of hearkening to the call of God.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Lawh-i-Du-Niday-i-Falah va Najah (Two Calls to Success and Prosperity), 1908-Aug-04, to Bahais of the West et al -- AB00022)
12
Say: Today all things stand equal, such that distinctions between created things have been removed. Whoever turns to God is among the most exalted of creation, and whoever turns away has no mention with God, the Sovereign, the Beautiful. The mirror today is he who has detached himself from self and desire and has turned to the holy court, this radiant and luminous scene. Without this, the decree of existence in the heaven of eternity cannot apply to it, let alone this station, if you be of those who know.
The grace of the True One hath been and shall ever be vouchsafed unto all, and He hath summoned all with one call to the supreme horizon.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1298-06-03 [1881-May-3], to Aqa Abdul-Ali -- BH09133)
14
The breaths of the verses have encompassed all created things, and they have been sent down at all times from the presence of the All-Merciful. Blessed is the soul that hath inhaled them and circled round them! Were the peoples of the East and West to purify their ears, they would hear them, and thy Lord is verily a witness unto what I say. This bounty is not confined to anyone, but hath encompassed all worlds. Blessed is he who hath turned unto Him, and woe betide them that have turned aside!
The True One, exalted be His glory, hath created all mankind for His knowledge, and hath adorned all with the ornament of understanding and wisdom, that none might be deprived of the living waters which are the recognition of the All-Merciful.
Reflect a little: the whole world hath been created for the knowledge of God. In all the heavenly Books, they were given the glad-tidings of the Most Great Manifestation.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1296 ? [1878-1879], to Jinab-i-Mim Shin -- BH03331)
17
As to the belief of the American Indians in the Great Spirit, this is explained by the fact that worship is inherent in the nature of man, who must have something above himself upon which he may depend. Even men who are unconscious of this and deny it, depend upon it notwithstanding.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Louis Gregory, spoken on 1911-Apr-11 -- ABU2395)
18
It followeth, therefore, that every man hath been, and will continue to be, able of himself to appreciate the Beauty of God, the Glorified. Had he not been endowed with such a capacity, how could he be called to account for his failure? If, in the Day when all the peoples of the earth will be gathered together, any man should, whilst standing in the presence of God, be asked: “Wherefore hast thou disbelieved in My Beauty and turned away from My Self?”, and if such a man should reply and say: “Inasmuch as all men have erred, and none hath been found willing to turn his face to the Truth, I, too, following their example, have grievously failed to recognize the Beauty of the Eternal,” such a plea will, assuredly, be rejected.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Lawh-i-Nasir, to Haji Muhammad Nasir -- BH00049)
19
Having created the world and all that liveth and moveth therein, He, through the direct operation of His unconstrained and sovereign Will, chose to confer upon man the unique distinction and capacity to know Him and to love Him -- a capacity that must needs be regarded as the generating impulse and the primary purpose underlying the whole of creation, as mentioned in the well-known sacred tradition.
… These energies with which the Daystar of Divine bounty and Source of heavenly guidance hath endowed the reality of man lie, however, latent within him, even as the flame is hidden within the candle and the rays of light are potentially present in the lamp. The radiance of these energies may be obscured by worldly desires even as the light of the sun can be concealed beneath the dust and dross which cover the mirror. Neither the candle nor the lamp can be lighted through their own unaided efforts, nor can it ever be possible for the mirror to free itself from its dross. It is clear and evident that until a fire is kindled the lamp will never be ignited, and unless the dross is blotted out from the face of the mirror it can never represent the image of the sun nor reflect its light and glory.
(Bahá’u’lláh, to Sarih Khanum sister of Baha'u'llah -- BH00690)
Further quotations · supplied wording and references
20
The Cause of God has room for all. It would, indeed, not be the Cause of God if it did not take in and welcome everyone -- poor and rich, educated, and ignorant, the unknown and the prominent -- God surely wants them all, as He created them all.
LG#232, LG#1785, COC#1829, COC#1953 (2 Dec. 1942 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi)
Supplied quotation · catalogue passage not verified