Developing capacity: preparation, receptivity, and the gift of grace

Therefore, during thy supplications to GOD and thy reciting "Thy Name is my healing" - consider how thine heart is cheered up, thy soul delighteth by the spirit of the Love of GOD, and thy mind becomes attracted to the Kingdom of GOD! By these attractions, one's ability and capacity increase. When the vessel is widened the water increaseth, and when the thirst grows the bounty of the cloud becomes agreeable to the taste of man. This is the mystery of supplication and the wisdom of stating one's wants (praying).

O thou flame of the fire of the love of God!

There is a grace and mercy in existence which can be requested, and this is mostly according to capacity and seeking. And there is a bounty and generosity which depends neither on capacity and receptivity nor on asking and requesting, but is purely a gift.

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The entire world has capacity - it just needs teachers. If the world did not have capacity, there would not have been a Revelation. The very fact of Revelation is proof of capacity, from which magnificent results will appear and minerals and plants will be nurtured.

The world is like the human body and the Cause of God is like the spirit. Until the body has capacity, the spirit will not be manifested. The very appearance of the spirit is proof of the body's capacity.

For instance: The flowers, fruits, and leaves are contained in the seed; and with the heat, light, and soil, the fruits are manifested. The figure is contained in the mirror, but the mirror of itself has not the power to reflect it. Polishing is necessary in order to give out a perfect reflection. Even on this wall there exists the possibility of a reflection, but it needs polishing to bring out the reflection. So study is polishing.

God asks of us according to our capacity. If a man who has only sufficient strength to carry fifty kilos be burdened with a hundred kilos he will fall. Moderation and common sense must be used."

'Abdu'l-Baha: Because you have this intention, that is capacity. The intention is capacity. If you did not have this intention, you would not ask for the capacity.

Therefore, we must ever strive for capacity and seek readiness. As long as we lack susceptibility, the beauties and bounties of God cannot penetrate. Christ spoke a parable in which He said His words were like the seeds of the sower; some fall upon stony ground, some upon sterile soil, some are choked by thorns and thistles, but some fall upon the ready, receptive and fertile ground of human hearts.

For faith, which is life eternal, is a token of grace and not the result of justice. The flame of the fire of love, in this world of earth and water, burns by the power of attraction and not through human effort and striving, although through the latter one may indeed acquire knowledge, learning, and other perfections. It is the light of the divine Beauty, then, that must stir up and move the spirit through its attractive power.

The meaning of the blessed verse "Why hast Thou raised me up blind, whereas I was possessed of sight?" is that all souls are created according to their original nature--"No defect canst thou see in the creation of the God of Mercy"--and "Every child is born according to the natural state, and it is his parents who make him a Jew, or a Christian or a Magian." This tradition is a clear proof of the purity of human nature at the beginning of creation.

No infant is over born bad. All infants are born alike - good, but their education, surroundings and their individuality make them become what they afterwards are.

All things have qualities which are created with them -which are innate in them. The brilliance of the stars, the beauty of the trees, the brightness of the ocean, the fragrance of the flowers, -all these qualities are innate in the objects to which they pertain. Man, also, has innate qualities; but there is in addition a perfection, not innate, which may be acquired by him.

To birds and beasts God has given all those things which it is necessary for them to have. But he has created man without giving him these things; he must acquire them by his own efforts.

When we look upon the human kingdom, we readily observe that it is superior to all others. In the differentiation of life in the world of existence, there are four degrees or kingdoms: the mineral, vegetable, animal and human. The mineral kingdom is possessed of a certain virtue which we term cohesion. The vegetable kingdom possesses cohesive properties plus the power of growth, or augmentative power. The animal kingdom is possessed of the virtues of the mineral and vegetable plus the powers of the senses.

He likened it to the child in the matrix. It has eyes, ears, hands, feet, etc, but these powers are not in activity, not to be used in the matrix world. The whole purpose of the matrix life is the coming forth into this world, so the whole purpose of this life is the coming forth into the world of reality, when all these forces will then be in their proper sphere for activity. They belong to that world.

Q. In what condition is the soul before entering the body?

A. In a state of potentiality, possessing no consciousness as we understand it.

A wise man when looking at an egg, sees in it the whole form of a bird; he sees the beak, the claws, the plumage, the wings and the eyes, as well as the song and melody of the bird; but a child or an unwise man sees nothing but the egg, even unable to go any further than the outward shell and appearance.

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.

It is man who can carry this trust. Consider what a gift and bestowal this is, that it has preceded all created things, and the mightiest forces of the world cannot resist it.

Withhold not thyself from bearing the trust which neither the heavens nor the earth could bear, save whom thy Lord willeth.

The ocean containeth what is in the cup, but the cup cannot contain what is in the ocean. The cup hath been given according to its capacity and the ocean according to its measure. Ponder that thou mayest be of them that comprehend.

For instance, observe how one effect proceeds from a cause. This cause is single, yet in each soul it is transformed according to that soul's capacity and its effects become manifest. In each station it appears with a different manifestation.

In this first age of the Chosen Beauty, the divine bounty exists in its utmost power and encompasses all beings. Yet each created thing receives and benefits according to its capacity.

He said: All believers have attained the Heavenly Gift, but each in a different degree.

Some attain to the highest station because they are so well prepared that they can enter the highest station without earthly preparation. When we see a child wise beyond his years, it is a sign of this preparation, so we cannot question the justice of this. All are created in the same station by the justice of God, but if some of these have become prophets and some teachers, this is from the favors and bounty of God.

Some attain to the highest station because they are so well prepared that they can enter the highest station without earthly preparation. When we see a child wise beyond his years, it is a sign of this preparation, so we cannot question the justice of this.

The essential thing is capacity. One who has capacity and is confirmed will make progress, whether they know a foreign language or not. One who lacks capacity, even if they know multiple foreign languages, will yield no fruit from their existence.

It feeleth the warmth of the sun, but perceiveth not the effulgence of its rays. Yet there were souls who were gladdened by the glad-tidings of God and attracted by the fragrances of God. Had they known Persian and understood Arabic, they would have been greatly moved.

Capacity is in accordance with striving and sincerity.

Each one has in his environment a treasure. Let him seek that treasure eagerly, search for it with patience. Then when he has found it, there is another treasure still to be discovered in the same place for which he must also search. He must dig as the miner digs in his mine, to its uttermost depths, eager to seek, seek, for the jewel that is hidden there in the darkness.

It is the natural law of human life that man should seek thus for the best that is about him. Thus his vital force expands, and man becomes greater in his effort.

Unique glorification, sanctified above limitation and the knowledge of created things, befitteth the court of might of that Eternal One, Who hath been and shall forever be ensconced within His own most holy and exalted sanctuary, and Who, from time immemorial unto time everlasting, shall remain upon the seat and throne of His independence and grandeur. How utterly independent hath His sacred Essence been from the comprehension of all created things, and how immeasurably exalted shall it remain above the praise of all dwellers of earth and heaven! Through the pure bounty of His grace and the sublime excellence of His mercy, He hath deposited within all things that are seen and known the sign of His knowledge, that no thing might be deprived of recognizing His presence according to its capacity and station. And this sign is the mirror of His beauty in creation, and the more this most exalted, most wondrous, and most impregnable mirror is polished through striving and endeavor, the more shall the manifestations of His names and attributes and the evidences of His knowledge and signs be impressed and reflected therein, to such degree that every thing may witness in its place and every thing may know its limit and measure, and may hear from all things that there is no God but Him and that 'Ali-Qabli-Nabil is the Manifestation of all names and the Dawning-Place of all attributes, that all were created by His will and all act by His command.

Although this mirror may draw nigh unto the holy gardens of the All-Merciful and the sacred precincts of divine intimacy through spiritual struggles and heavenly attractions, becoming cleansed of dark impurities and satanic fancies, yet since every matter hath its appointed time and every fruit its determined season, the appearance of this grace and the springtime of this beneficence hath ever been in the Days of God. Though He hath bestowed upon all days a portion of His wondrous favors according to their capacity, yet He hath ordained for the days of His manifestation a station beyond the comprehension of those endowed with understanding. Thus, should all the hearts of those who dwell in the heavens and the earth turn in those divine days towards that Sun of celestial glory and be directed unto Him, they would all find themselves sanctified, illumined and purified. Exalted be this grace, before which no grace hath preceded! Exalted be this bounty, which hath no likeness in creation nor peer in invention! Exalted be He above all that they describe or mention!

Thus in those days none hath needed nor shall need another, as was observed when most of those who sought the divine sanctuary in that heavenly Day spoke forth with such knowledge and wisdom that none besides those holy souls had ever attained nor shall attain to a single letter thereof, even should they engage in study and learning for a thousand years. Thus have the loved ones of God been independent of all knowledge in the days of the manifestation of the divine Sun; nay rather, the springs of knowledge and wisdom have flowed uninterruptedly from their hearts and innate nature.

We must endeavor to increase our capacity daily, to strengthen and enlarge our capabilities for receiving them, to become as perfect mirrors. The more polished and clean the mirror, the more effulgent is its reflection of the lights of the Sun of Truth.

The more refined the surface, the more will the rays of the sun be manifested upon it.

Praise be to God the divine bounty favors all of you, the doors of gifts are open before the faces of you all, and the radiance of the Sun of Truth is shining upon you all. Capacity, worth (or merit) and ability, are necessary, for the clearer and purer the mirror is, the lights of the Sun are more manifest thereon.

The lights of earth are all acceptable, but the center of effulgence is the sun, and we must direct our gaze to the sun. God is the Supreme Center. The more we turn toward this Center of Light, the greater will be our capacity.

Although the bestowal is great and the grace is glorious, yet capacity and readiness are requisite. Without capacity and readiness the divine bounty will not become manifest and evident. No matter how much the cloud may rain, the sun may shine and the breezes blow, the soil that is sterile will give no growth. … Therefore, we must develop capacity in order that the signs of the mercy of the Lord may be revealed in us.

… Therefore, we must endeavor always, cry, supplicate and invoke the Kingdom of God to grant us full capacity in order that the bestowals of God may become revealed and manifest in us.

But the capacity is necessary for the descent of rain, and preparation of soil is of great importance. The heavenly outpouring will develop from the pure ground roses and hyacinths.

Look at this lamp and consider its real condition. When every material of it, as the bowl, the glass, the oil, and the wick have been gathered together, they require a hand to put a flame to it and to light it up, so forming a real lamp. What is the power that attracts the hand to light it? It is the capacity of the lamp itself. When the soil is plowed and the seed scattered in it, a capacity is created which attracts the shower of the mercy of God.

The lamp that is endowed with capacity will be instantly lit when brought close to fire while a wet log when cast amidst the flames will send forth nothing save smoke.

But the oil of the Blessed Tree would well-nigh shine forth even if no fire touched it - this is from capacity.

The good land bringeth forth its vegetation by permission of its Lord, while that which is bad bringeth forth naught but scanty growth.

Know that barren soil wasteth what is cast therein, while good earth bringeth forth what benefiteth its people.

As for the good earth, the blessed soil - it brought forth its vegetation by the leave of its Lord. But that which is corrupt bringeth forth naught but that which is worthless.

O thou who art turned toward the Abha Kingdom! The infinite bounty of God was like the outpouring of the spring rain and the descent of the March showers, but only blessed and holy ground benefits from this bounty, while barren land remains deprived--that is, this bounty produces no effect and yields no growth.

Grace exists but requires capacity for acceptance. For example, rainfall is a grace, but if the earth is salty it will not accept that grace.

What captives of superstitions people are! What troubles they endure for the sake of name and fame! What fruit will these superstitions bear! All are transitory and perishable and no trace of them will remain. It will be as though they had never existed. They are sowing seeds in a barren land. Man ought to sow pure seeds in a fertile soil, not in infertile lands.

O Ustad! Divine confirmation is thy companion and heavenly assistance thy strong support. Yet capacity is needed. Pure soil is required for the rain of mercy to bring forth flowers and sweet herbs, and a pure gem is needed to receive the bounty of the sun of the heavens. Otherwise, black earth can never become the repository of a radiant pearl.

Show forth thy capacity and merit, for without capacity the Gift doth not become manifest.

This gift is very great but complete and sufficient capacity is necessary.

Capacity is essential; the more capacity thou findest, the more assurance shall be attained. The more a mirror is polished, the more will the rays of the sun be reflected therein.

You thank God a hundred thousand times at every moment that you have become the recipient of such bounties. You must make yourselves ready so as to receive more and more of these heavenly Graces.

"Capacity attracts," He answered. "The greater your capacity, the more you will be filled. When the child is hungry and cries for milk, the milk of the mother begins to flow rapidly."

There are certain souls whose thirst is never allayed, while others are satisfied with one drop. The larger the vase the greater its capacity to hold water, but when the vase is small, there will be very little water in it.

The more thirst each handmaiden of God has, the more abundantly will she receive her portion. This is from God's grace which He bestoweth upon whomsoever He willeth.

Only the thirsty crave the 'Salabil of the Euphrates' (Water of Life), but if one be not thirsty he cares not for this Life-giving water. Only the spirits attracted by the fragrances of GOD can enjoy the mention of GOD.

I greatly hope the students are enjoying their vacation on the slope of Mount Carmel. The surrounding scenery is most entrancing, the sweeping panorama of land and sea is truly attractive, the air is always fresh and invigorating and the water is cool and salubrious. To complete this ensemble of heavenly gifts is to possess a spiritual state - the condition of severance, attraction, prayerfulness and enkindlement.

However so much the water is salubrious, if you do not offer it to the thirsty one he shall not enjoy its refreshing taste. However so much the food is toothsome, only the hungry will relish its delicacy.

Ebne Faress, an Arabian scholar addressing Mecca and Medina says: 'O ye objects and Kaabas of the world of humanity! Your soil is my musk-diffusing amber and thy trees and plants are my lotus and ambrosia trees. Under the cool shade of these trees I find rest and health.' Now it is evident that the soil of Arabia was nothing else but hot sand and its trees consist of a kind evergreen firs which resist the encroachment of Arabian heat. Consider how Ebné Faress has called the white sand of Arabia the diffusing musk, its fir trees as lotus trees and their shades as bestowing health!

Then how much more you must be thankful and appreciative of the natural beauty surrounding you on the slope of Mount Carmel, especially on this occasion that you are living in the same sacred building containing the remain of the Herald of the Kingdom! You must be very rejoic[ing,] very happy, very thankful, very joyous! ....

There were thousands of souls who visited Mecca annually. When they returned their friends anxiously inquired from them: What did you see. They answered: 'Oh! We did not see much of everything. We saw vast stretches of desert and sandy hills and cactuses but no water. We saw barren mountains and occasional palm groves. We saw the wild Arab leading his primitive life under his black tent. We saw long trains of camels and goats. We saw the Kaaba, the house of God, it is a large square building and we visited the tomb of the Holy Prophet - the most conspicuous part of it is a high dome.

But if you did put this same question to another group of Pilgrims they would have answered: 'Ah! we entered the most delectable paradise; the bestowals of God have illumined all its horizons; the lights of truth have encircled all its parts; we were vivified with the breathes of the Holy Spirit and inhaled the fragrance of the rose-garden of reality. Whereas before we were dead we became alive. We were inert we became active. We were sleep we became awakened. We were negligent, we became aware.

Now what a vast difference exists between these two groups! It is for this very reason that ability and capability are the revolving axis of our progress. Without the realization of these two qualities, the Favors of God will have [no] effect. A person suffering from cold cannot inhale the sweet odor. A sweet-singing voice is one of the precious gifts of God but the deaf man cannot hear the cadences and harmonies. Through the downpour of the vernal showers, the shining of the Sun of Reality and the wafting of the breeze luxuriant vegetation will grow out of the pure soil ... But if the land is brackish the efforts of all these heavenly beneficient powers will not avail ...

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This is a supreme gift if one knows its value. Otherwise, to the foolish, guidance or misguidance are the same. One who is not thirsty cannot know the sweetness of pure water, and likewise what benefit can saline soil derive from spring clouds, or what portion can a withered tree receive from April showers?

Jesus declares that there is spiritual capacity in some people, for all are not submerged in the sea of materialism. They seek the Divine Spirit; they turn to God; they long for the Kingdom.

O thou who speakest the praise of the Lord! In this realm of existence and arena of manifestation, those souls attain unto holy stations and discover the Most Merciful Lord who have become freed from these conditions that prevent, veil, obstruct and impede, who aim for the heights of the most glorious Kingdom and hasten to the Supreme Concourse.

Man needs illumination, desire and capacity in order to attain these favors.

Some souls, when they drink from the cup of recognition, cry out "Is there more?" Others, on the contrary, upon seeing a mirage consider themselves satisfied and display self-sufficiency, like the Children of Israel in the day of the appearance of Christ.

Some souls come here and return unaltered. It is precisely like one who comes to a fountain and, not being thirsty, returns exactly as he came. Or, like a blind man who goes into a rose garden: he perceives not, and, being questioned as to what he has seen in the rose garden, answers, 'Nothing.'

Many came and attained the hallowed presence of Baha'u'llah, witnessed His heavenly ways, the warmth of His smile, His divine attraction and His infinite bounties, yet they would leave the same way that they came, unchanged. However, others, upon their very arrival, would gain a new life and be thoroughly transformed.

Some come to this Land and are awakened and enkindled [with the love of God]. Others come and return in the same state as before.

Some people stay a short time, and then go and do great service. Other people are here a long time, and they learn nothing.

There is some wood that is very dry; it catches fire quickly and burns well. There is other wood that is so wet that it will not burn even though you should try for a whole day.

'Abdu'l-Baha said: "It is not the length of time which counted but the receptivity. One boy may go to school for ten years and still be a dullard; another may receive but little schooling and be wise. One patient may be given many medicines and yet remain ill, while another receives but one and is cured. One merchant will work hard for years and gain little success; another completes but a single deal and is made rich. So it is not the length of one's sojourn but his receptivity which determines his blessing."

The people of America are noble, energetic, spiritually susceptible and keen. That is why the Bahai cause has spread here. Europe is nearer the Holy Land, but America was first to accept the message. No matter how distant a mirror may be from the sun it will reflect as though it were near, but a stone, no matter how near it may be, can never reflect the sun. Therefore distance is of no importance. Europe was near but did not see the sun. America was far but received illumination because of its capacity.

There are thousands of people in the Holy Land associated with us and yet they are deprived and have no hope in God. This is naught save a blessing from the Heavenly Father which hath enlightened that face (i. e., thy face) and made that heart (thy heart) divine.

Peter was only a catcher of fishes, yet his attainment was very great. Ananias, the High Priest, was much greater in the eyes of the world, yet he was deprived while Peter received the Bounty of God.

Reflect upon God's vast grace and mercy - those who considered themselves the most advanced, ancient, ascetic and God-fearing remained heedless and veiled from the Cause and reason of creation, while you, through divine grace, attained recognition of God, exalted be His glory, on the Lord of Days and turned toward the highest horizon.

To this latter class you belong, and for this reason you are here with us, while others who have been called, are still far away.

The fact is that they have capacity, because they have become believers. Evidently they are endowed with capacity. If they were not, they would not be so ignited.

Wert thou without ability and capacity, thou wouldst not have advanced toward the Kingdom of ABHA.

Consider how there are thousands of heedless souls who are asleep, while there is one who is conscious and awake!

Praise be to God that you had the capacity and potential to hear the call of the Kingdom and attain to this great bounty.

I prayed to God on behalf of the two children whose pictures thou hadst sent that they may grow in the Divine Kingdom. The picture of Elisabeth Hackley was also perused. It is evident that this maidservant is endowed with a great capacity. If she becomes intoxicated with the Love of God, she will in reality progress for she is highly capable. Convey to Mrs. Paine, Mrs. Harding and Mrs. Munz the glorious Abha greeting and extend the utmost kindness on my behalf.

And I beseech God that Mr. Fukuta may progress day by day and that the women of Japan may rend asunder the veils of idle fancies and witness the lights of reality, seek eternal life and desire everlasting bounty.

O thou who art fascinated by the truth!

Your letter was received. It indicates that you have heard the voice of the Kingdom of God and are attracted by the divine breath. It is my hope that you will progress day by day, that you will unveil the dark veils and completely attain the light of truth. Praise be to the one God! You have discerning eyes, hearing ears, an eloquent tongue, and a comprehensive spirit.

Some souls have remained in a state of infancy and deprive themselves continually. They need to be trained that they may attain salvation from this privation and guided that they may become aware of the mercy of the All Merciful.

Therefore we must always consider the mental capacity of an audience and speak to them from their standpoint so that they may not be shocked and run away and degree by degree they may attain to the reality.

Can we give strong food to a suckling babe? If we do such a thing the life of the babe will be in danger. Its constitution cannot assimilate roast chicken- or beef-steak only pure milk will be called forth.

Now just as there are various degrees of capacities, likewise there must needs be different modes of expression, various ways of teaching. Often it has happened that one talk will be the cause of awakening to one soul and of complete indifference to another.

I speak according to the demands of the time and the capacity of my listeners. 'The father makes gurgling sounds for the newborn infant, although his wisdom be capable of measuring the universe.'

Guard ye God's mystery within you, for God hath appointed for you a station upon the Path. Give not wisdom unto the foolish, for they have believed in God, the Most High, and His mystery weakly, upon the ocean of weakness.

"We must strive to transform the morals of the nation and develop the capacity for constitutional government and other matters, otherwise each day difficulties will arise and despair and confusion will increase.

Do not spare any effort in serving your father, for he was the cause of your guidance to the path of salvation and your receiving abundance from the spirit of life.

It is hoped that God, exalted be His glory, through the steadfastness and orientation of His trusted ones and chosen ones, will raise up a people who will take heed and arise for the reformation of the world.

It behooveth thee who hast opened the eyes of inner vision, and hast offered up thy heart to the true beloved and won the prize in the arena of service, to busy thyself in praise and thanksgiving to the Peerless Beloved, haply thou mayest render thanks for these bounties, beseeching Him to grant an increase of His favours.

Praise be to God, you are sowing your seeds in fertile and most blessed soil, wherein they will grow and flourish and yield good fruit. The harvest will be boundless and everlasting. If you be not happy, who could be happy? You have entered the world in the day of Baha'u'llah. You have harkened to the summons of Baha'u'llah. You have turned to the kingdom of Baha'u'llah and are manifesting the favors of Baha'u'llah. Verily the light of the Most Great Guidance has become iridescent in your hearts, and in the wilderness of the world you are proving to be fruitful trees.

Consider then, in such an assembly, at a time when Nasiri'd-Din Shah was at the height of his bloodthirstiness and the Nayibu's-Saltanih at the peak of his recklessness, with attendants and executioners standing by with whips and swords - it is evident with what power and what spirit that noble person (may my soul be a sacrifice unto him) did speak. How pure in faith was this person!

From every direction the doors are closed and the path of deliverance is cut off except through spiritual power and divine confirmations. If they only knew, they would turn to the horizon of the Cause. We do not say they should become believers, but with even a slight inclination and attraction they would receive divine confirmations and heavenly assistance.

If he has the capacity, a single divine word can enkindle him and his life is strengthened by a single word of God. But if he has not the capacity and one speaks to him always of spiritual things, it is of no effect.

These souls, by virtue of their nature, character, sanctity, purity, delicacy and clarity possess the utmost capacity. This is why at the mere casting of a word and the appearance of the outpouring of the verse of guidance, they become the recipients of the gift of the Supreme Concourse.

Yet these servants must consider this mighty grace a precious opportunity and this manifest bounty the greatest blessing, so that they may receive its effects and be illumined by its lights.

Know thou the value of this bounty and preserve it as you would your very life.

The devoted ones must know their station and preserve it in the name of God, for if today something is lost, its recovery will be most difficult.

O thou who hast turned to the Countenance! When thou hast drunk the choice wine of knowledge from the ocean of My utterance, remind the people of what hath been revealed in the Tablet, that they may arise to what they missed in the days of their Lord, the Mighty, the Generous. By My life! We see them not in wakefulness, but rather in their ancient stupor. Remind them with wisdom, that perchance My beautiful remembrance may influence them.

They who have been given insight from God - these do recognize the truth and are not prevented by the veils of the ungodly. They behold the lights of the Kingdom even as they behold the sun in the midst of heaven - these are indeed among those drawn nigh.

Those whose eyes have been opened - these are they who recognize therein what their Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, intended thereby.

Strive thou that perchance thine eyes may be enabled to perceive that for which they were created, and likewise thine ears to hearken unto the Call that is raised.

How blessed is the ear and eye that hath in this divine Day attained to witnessing and hearing.

Whosoever today hath acknowledged that which hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen and confessed to that which the tongue of grandeur hath pronounced, such a one is recorded and inscribed as being possessed of sight and hearing.

Blessed are they who have heard His call with the ear of the soul and beheld His horizon with the most pure vision.

The deaf ear surely heareth not the divine call, and the dumb tongue engageth not in divine praise. Praise be to God that the hearing was so acute that the attentive ear heard the divine Word.

He that was summoned with seeing eyes hath beheld the realm of the visible, and he that possesseth a hearing ear hath attained the court of the call of the Adored One. But the negligent is the manifestation of "Those who were blind in this world will be blind in the hereafter."

Thou art summoned with a seeing eye and invested with a hearing ear.

The season in this, that the unseeing eye is deprived of sight, the man afflicted with cold cannot smell the fragrances, and the unfortunate soul is bereft of the favors of the Beauty of Abha. Thank ye God that you he have heard the call of the Almighty, beheld the effulgences of the Sun of Truth, inhaled the sweet fragrances of the Paradise of Abha, attained to that which was the utmost hope of the sanctified souls, shone forth from the horizon of the love of God, and tasted the sweetness of the knowledge of God.

If eyes are illumined, the lights are manifest, and if nostrils are open, the horizons are perfumed with holy fragrances. But if souls are blind and deaf, they are surely fruitless, for one with a cold cannot smell the fragrance of musk, and the blind one is veiled from beholding the subtle light.

However, the keen sense of smell and acute sensitivities of Jacob are needed if the fragrance of this divine Joseph is to be inhaled. My meaning is that the life-giving perfume of this divine garment has scented all the fields and meadows and gardens of this world of being but the pity of it is that those afflicted with head colds and deficient in capacities of perception are deprived, are disappointed, are incapable of recognising this perfume.

The divine kingdom is like a beautiful garden but if the people who enter into that garden be blind they cannot realize anything from the beauty of the flowers, and if they should be deaf they cannot hear the melodies of the nightingale of that garden, and if they have caught cold they cannot smell the fragrances of the flowers. … And so it is with the divine kingdom of God. Its stores are open - those who have capacity can get the benefit, and if they have not capacity they will get no benefit at all.

As long as man is far from it, he cannot survey its artistic "beauty", he cannot see how many kinds of flowers are planted therein, he cannot inhale the sweet fragrances of the roses.

But when he approaches the garden, he experiences new feelings, he hearkens to the melody of the birds, the delicate perfume is wafted toward him by the gentle breeze; he beholds the variegated flowers, his soul is rejoiced by the charming scene and his spirit is refreshed.

The spiritual eyes and ears are born from a perfect soul, so that he can comprehend. To be born of water and the spirit is the earthly condition, and the signs are clear for all to read and know and see, and if you cannot understand even this, how can you comprehend the spiritual birth, though its signs are as clear as the other signs.

But if they are not attentive all that may be said will yield no result. It is like the playing of the violin for the deaf.

Praise be to God that your hearts are informed, your ears are unstopped, and your hearts are turned toward the Kingdom of Abha; therefore I hope that you will hear always my voice and comprehend the glorification of His Holiness Baha'u'llah.

It is essential to have divine perception in order to see the truth, to hear the call, and obey -- liberating the hearts from all earthly attachment.

The Kingdom of God is like unto the sun, but only those with sight can find the sun - the blind receive not the rays of the sun.

Thus it became clear that metaphor, though it claims truth, has no awareness; the sightless, though praising the sun, is veiled; and one with a cold, though describing fragrant perfume, is deprived.

From what rose shall I inhale the fragrance of this flower? God hath set a seal upon their hearts, and upon their hearing, and over their eyes is a covering. It is evident that none heareth the melody of the spirit save the true ear, and none beholdeth the countenance of the Well-Beloved save the eye of the soul. "They have eyes, but see not thereby; and they have ears, but hear not thereby".

The seeing one beholdeth and witnesseth, while he who is gathered blind neither seeth nor perceiveth.

Yet sight and hearing are lacking and non-existent, save for the sight and hearing that are illumined by the light of divine grace.

The sanctified and pure beings have then been illumined with these shining lights and luminous splendors so long as they are turning towards that rising sun. As to the despondent beings, they have been truly deprived from that sublime grace and generous bounty and manifest light, and rusted mirrors were veiled from the splendors of that Glorious Star and Ancient Revealer.

Should a black stone be placed facing the light of the sun, the signs of brilliancy would not appear, but, in the pure mirror, the sun, with all of its attributes and perfections, becomes reflected instantly.

The perception of the verses of unity is conditional upon sanctified souls, and the witnessing of the signs of the Glorious Lord depends upon penetrating vision. To partake of the heavenly feast requires a healthy constitution, and the eternal blessings of the Ancient Beauty are reserved for worthy souls - else it is deprivation upon deprivation.

There is no grace greater in the world of existence than this love. It is the most mighty sign the most wondrous bounty to the world of humanity. But since its conditions and its prerequisites are mighty indeed, not all things can bear it nor do all creatures have the capacity of reflecting it. They are unable to do so.

But you must become believing and assured, and the light of the love of God must radiate from you, for the prayer to have effect. If you pray for pure earth to become green and verdant, it will be answered, but if you pray for a rock to become a flower garden and meadow, it lacks the capacity. The acceptance of prayer depends upon capacity.

Christ said that the Pharisee's praying was not accepted in the Kingdom of GOD, but the prayer of the poor man was accepted. It is therefore evident that acceptance depends upon the favor of GOD and is not according to capacity.

This was purely through the bounty of the Lord and the favor of the Creator. Otherwise, what capacity and aptitude did we possess, and what receptivity and worthiness?

This is a favor to you on the part of your Lord, and a gift for you.

This dependeth upon divine grace and assistance. We counsel all the friends to that which is the cause of progress and the means of elevation.

We beseech Him, exalted be He, to aid thee and ordain for thee that which shall profit thee. Verily He is the Almighty, the Mighty, the Bountiful.

Excellent is what thou hast desired for thyself, for this is a matter greater and more glorious in the sight of God thy Lord than any other matter, if thou be of those who perceive, and nothing that hath been created between the heavens and earth can compare with it.

This is the most great bounty that hath flowed from the Ancient Pen, and may thou, God willing, attain unto it.

The breezes of grace have at this moment wafted from the direction of a mighty throne.

And for the earth there is a share from the cup of the noble ones.

Verily My fragrances guide the longing ones unto the gardens of My mercy, and the radiance of My countenance leadeth those who desire Me unto the seat of My throne and My power, and then unto the Kawthar of My grace and My gifts.

I hope that you will have a share of this Fountain; that you will inhale the perfume of the roses of this Garden; that you will swim in the water and partake of all the beautiful pearls which exist in the bottom of the Sea.

Praise be to God that through divine grace and merciful bounty thou didst hearken to the divine call and didst attain faith in Him. This is a station which all upon earth have sought and do seek, yet none have attained it save a few.

O 'Inayatu'llah-i-'Attar, upon thee be the glory of the Unconstrained! Mention hath been made of thee, therefore the gaze of loving-kindness is turned toward thee and He hath blessed thee with the signs of the Most Exalted Pen.

Blessed are they who have derived wisdom from the treasury of the utterance of the All-Merciful and who have attained unto the bounties of His days.

Blessed is he who hath attained unto this most exalted station and this most sublime and resplendent horizon, and woe unto the heedless. Through the grace and favor of the Beloved of all creation, may your honor be successful at all times in attaining the supreme gift and greatest bounty, which is the recognition of the Manifestation of God's commandments.

Thus have We commanded thee, as a favor from Our presence upon thee.

Every leaf that hath held fast to the Divine Lote-Tree on this day hath attained unto all good and is recorded and inscribed by the Supreme Pen in the Crimson Tablet.

Blessed is the soul that today acquireth eternal stations and attaineth unto a matter whose mention floweth from the Supreme Pen, and if one attaineth not unto this station, he shall pass from this ephemeral world with utmost regret.

If people were to become aware of even less than a needle's eye of the excellence of this Day, they would sacrifice themselves in the path of their Beloved that they might be mentioned before the Throne - how much more so if their mention were to flow from the Most Exalted Pen!

Strive that thou remain not deprived and portionless of that which is with God.

However, by God's grace, neither the conditions nor the doubts nor the allusions of the world can prevent those souls that are strong and possessed of penetrating vision. They are as ensigns in the days of their Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful.

Those souls who are deprived of the Merciful One's presence by the blowing winds of trials are like autumn leaves that fall from the tree at a single gust.

Nevertheless, because of the word of the lowliest of servants, a soul hath been deprived of the dawning of the Sun of inner meanings and hath returned to darkness upon darkness. Such is the station of the people and the steadfastness and knowledge which they claim to possess.

Among the people are those who cling to their desires, turning away from guidance, and among them are those who cast away what the people possess and take hold of that which they were commanded by the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Nevertheless, when the world was illumined by the Sun of Manifestation, they turned away and objected, except for souls who rent asunder the veils of fancy in the name of God and turned toward the supreme horizon.

Yet many souls in the Days of God have remained deprived of the wine of the All-Merciful's mercy and the Heavenly Fountain of Divine utterance, and wander bewildered in the wilderness of self and passion, while others have attained unto His infinite bounties.

Not every soul hath been or shall be worthy of the Kawthar of inner meanings and receptive to the choice wine of divine love, as is evident when, despite the dawning of the Sun of bounty from the horizon of the world, most remain veiled from it.

The choice wine existeth, the Cause is manifest, and the bounty is evident, yet the people are deprived save whom God willeth, the Mighty, the Beloved.

Not every soul was or is worthy of this most pure Kawthar.

Blessed is he who takes his portion from the Most Great Ocean and arises amidst the peoples with this Name which God has made the Sovereign of names in the kingdom of creation, and through which He has attracted the hearts of those who believe in His unity. Verily, those who are deprived of this bounty wander lost in the wilderness of ignorance.

O beloved of my heart! The heedlessness and lack of capacity of the servants hath reached such a degree that for some time the ocean of utterance hath been stilled, and only occasionally do its drops appear.

I swear by My beauty that were it not for the prevention of preventers, the oppression of oppressors, and the obstruction of deniers from among the people of the Bayan, We would have commanded all things to seek knowledge of what was and what will be, and would have honored them all with this mighty robe and this most glorious garment.

How many souls there are from whom whatever is imparted unto them is seen to be like an impenetrable rock, without effect or fruit; and how many souls there are who, upon merely hearing the rustling of the Divine Tree, are observed with sighs ascending and tears flowing. This is why He says: The companions of the right hand and the companions of the left hand are all seen today struck down by the blast of the trumpet, save whom God willeth.

For verily, people are as yet unformed embryos, unable to reach the holy atmosphere or enter the pavilion of sublime and enduring glory, for they have cut off their wings with their own hands, and are thus barred from the canopy of eternity, falling to the earth of abasement with great remorse, depriving their ears of God's melodies and their eyes of the beauty of God, the Peerless, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

When the blessed Day shineth forth for the discerning eyes, that Day is full of auspicious omen. It is the guidance unto the truth and a comfort for every sorrowful heart. But the ill-omened crazed with unseeing eyes becometh saddened; his face turneth black with his head down in view of this great perdition.

For some the smell of hell is well preferred and the fragrance of paradise is reprehensible. What kind of human nature is it that resembles a dung beetle? What manner of creature is this? The nightingale of the garden of divine mystery is loathed by such as these but the croaking and the cawing of every crow is found acceptable. For as it is stated in the Qur'an: "Pure things are for the pure and men of impurity seek impure things." [Q24:26]

Every calamity can be treated and every ailment can be remedied except that which deserves the wrath of God.

For not every fattened cow can prance in the field of the Covenant, and not every broken-winged crow can soar in the heights of recognition. Birds of the holy gardens are needed to warble of the truths of the ancient covenant, and lions of the valley of glory are needed to raise an uproar in the expanses of steadfastness.

At this stage all things appear in their utmost degree of beauty and refinement, which is the result and perfection of their creation, except these human forms that are far removed from the perfection and result of their life, and like cattle they gather together, and they appear as though they were created to serve the material world, rather than the material world being created for their service and the manifestation of human perfections.

What portion can the hard rock receive from the rain of heaven, and what share can the deaf stone take from the supreme bounty? How can the withered branch be refreshed from the stream of grace, and how can the tree of Zaqqum find freshness from the favor of the Self-Subsisting Lord?

Any soul who is deprived of the Graces of the worlds of God will remain portionless. He is like unto a child who does not possess objectively the irradiations of the intellect. He is like unto a piece of stone which is devoid of any human sensibilities. How pitiful is the condition of that soul who is uninformed with the Graces of the worlds of God.

Iron attracts iron, and as you approach the kingdom of God, you will be attracted by the things of the kingdom. Worldly people are not of the kind to be affected by the magnet.

Second, when God sends a revelation to a soul that is not entirely pure from the world: to such an one He sends visions in symbols and signs, and these experiences need an interpreter.

The third kind is when a soul who is severed from the world receives a revelation from God. In this station everything is clear and pure and needs no explanation.

He then conversed in Persian with others present, and after a long interval, continued "Forty years ago there was no rain at Cairo. Thoughtful scientific men planted trees in that region. Now the country is refreshed by rain. Capacity attracts.

I hope that you may become assisted and confirmed in the good pleasure of the Lord...

May your spiritual perception become keener, your attention to God more complete and your spirituality an example for others.

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Help them, then, O God, to reach forth, through the power of Thy sovereign might, towards such a station that they can readily distinguish every foul smell from the fragrance of the raiment of Him Who is the Bearer of Thy most lofty and exalted name, that they may turn with all their affections toward Thee, and may enjoy such intimate communion with Thee that if all that is in heaven and on earth were given them they would regard it as unworthy of their notice, and would refuse to cease from remembering Thee and from extolling Thy virtues.

Clear away, then, the sight of Thy creatures, O my God, that they may recognize Him Who showeth forth the Godhead as One Who is sanctified from all that pertaineth unto them, and Who, wholly for Thy sake, is summoning them to the horizon of Thy unity, at a time when every moment of His life is beset with peril.

I testify that if Thy servants were to turn towards Thee with the eyes Thou didst create in them and with the ears wherewith Thou didst endow them, they would all be carried away by a single word sent down from the right hand of the throne of Thy majesty.

O my God! These are servants whom the veils of idle fancies have not withheld from knowing Thee and drawing nigh unto the Dawning-Place of Thine inspiration, and whom the veils of mankind have not prevented from beholding the lights of Thy beauty.

O my Lord! Thou seest the weak one clinging to the cord of Thy strength, and him who was far off drawing nigh unto the horizon of Thy nearness. I beseech Thee not to disappoint him of that which lieth with Thee.

I beseech Thee not to withhold from me that which is with Thee. Ordain for me, O my God, what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones, then send down unto me that which will preserve me from all else besides Thee.

O Lord! Take the hand of this poor one with the hand of Thy bounty, then deliver him from the darkness of idle fancies through Thy power and might. Write down for him that which will draw him nigh unto Thee in every world of Thy worlds.

O our God, we beg of Thee by the King of Names and Maker of heaven and earth, by the rustling of the leaves of the Tree of Life and by Thine utterances, through which the realities of things are drawn unto us, to grant that the unity in the Love of God may be speedily established throughout the world; that Thou wilt guide us always and unmistakably to whatever Thou wouldst have us to do, and that we may ever be strong and fully prepared to render instant, exact and complete obedience.

O God, grant capacity and bestow capability so that we may achieve supreme steadfastness and pass beyond this world and its people, and kindle the fire of Your love and like a candle burn and melt away and give light.