the state of enkindlement in teaching
Editorial introduction
Can a soul that has not itself come alive hope to revive another? ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s question sits at the centre of what it means to be enkindled. He describes the teacher’s fire in bodily terms, a bright face, clear speech, deeds that bear out words, a warmth that anyone who draws near can feel, and then surrounds those homely signs with larger images: a lamp, a vernal shower turning black soil into a rose garden, a second birth out of the womb of the world of nature. None of this is mere excitement. The flame is fed by purity of intention, by study in the school of the Covenant, by humility and supplication, and it is meant to pass from heart to heart until a whole gathering is warm. Luke tells of two disciples whose hearts burned within them as the scriptures were opened on the road [1], a reminder that understanding and inward fire belong together. Asking how such warmth is kindled and kept leads toward being a channel for the Holy Spirit, toward love understood as fire, toward teaching oneself first, and toward the confirmations that meet a heart already alight.
Whosoever I send to America must at first gain the regenerative power of the second birth, be baptized with the water of universal ideals and be a living torch of the Fire of the Love of God.
Whilst thou still hast breath within thy body, therefore, strive to abide in a state of enkindlement at all times, be sure to be in motion and inner joy at every moment of thy life.
In this Day, divine confirmations and assistance reach those who are enkindled in heart and soul, those who are studious in the school of the Covenant.
Be submissive and humble. Be enkindled and soul-consumed. Be mindful and suppliant.
O servant of God! rejoice through the glad-tidings of God, be happy by the wafting of the fragrance of God, and cling to the Kingdom of God in such wise that it makes thee separate thyself from the world and kindle in thy heart the fire of the love of God to such an extent that any one who approaches thee will feel its warmth; and if thou desirest to attain to this station, thou shouldst turn thyself wholly unto God.
God willing, mayest thou be so enkindled by the fire of the utterance of the All-Merciful that its warmth shall influence those who are with thee, that all may attain to the most great bounty and turn their faces toward the Countenance of the Ancient of Days.
God willing, may you ever abide beneath the shade of the providence of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High, and become so enkindled with the fire of the love of God that you may cause others to be set ablaze thereby.
Convey greetings from this Wronged One to the loved ones of that land and region, and cause all to be enkindled with the warmth of divine love and illumined by the lights of the Luminary of His utterance.
O handmaids of the All-Merciful! Through the favors and bounties of the Ancient Beauty, may my spirit be sacrificed for Him, it is hoped that each one of those handmaids of the All-Merciful will be so enkindled with the divine fire that she will illumine the world with the heat of the love of God, and will, through eloquent speech and fluent tongue and the confirmations of the Holy Spirit, expound the essence of divine explanation in such wise that the learned ones, the wise ones and the mystics of the earth will be amazed.
One must become so enkindled with the fire of the love of God that hearts are completely attracted.
O thou dear maid-servant of God! Be thou aglow and illumined and be thou enkindled in soul with the fire of the love of God in every assemblage. Be not quiet for a moment and do not seed composure even for an hour (i.e., be active in spreading the light). Be thou a cause for the illumining of hearts and spiritualizing of souls.
If love did not exist, what of reality would remain? It is the fire of the love of God which renders man superior to the animal. Strengthen this superior force through which is attained all the progress in the world.
Every morning sing a new song and every evening think a new thought. Every day shed a new light over the dark minds of humanity and every hour cast a new joy in the minds of men. Let the pillars of the earth shake with the thunder of your voice and send a new reverberation through the columns of mankind.
Teaching is like unto a candle which is lighted in the soul of man; it is the Fire of the Love of God. When this condition of enkindlement is obtained, man becomes entirely unconscious and his words will penetrate through the rock.
Similarly there are some enkindled souls whose very presence in a meeting changes its atmosphere, suffering the people to become truly spiritual, turning their faces towards God; others like unto the black smoke, darken the horizon of the minds.
This is because at that time there was a real genuine, enthusiastic Baha'i there and he kept all the friends in a state of enkindlement and activity.
But I hope that this meeting became as the wick of the lamp and the fire--that as soon as it was touched it became ignited. I am expecting the results of this meeting, that I may see thee lighted as a candle and burning thyself as a moth with the fire of the love of God, weeping like unto the cloud by the greatness of love and attraction, laughing like unto the meadow and stirred into cheerfulness like unto the young tree by the wafting of the breeze of the Paradise of ABHA!
I can hardly forget the days in Iraq, the day of radiance, when you were like a flame of fire among the righteous and chosen ones - the heat of your love burning the attracted hearts within breasts while people were in doubt and lethargy, occupied in play.
O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of Holiness!
Be dilated in thy heart by the gentle breeze which emanates from the garden of Eternal Life and enkindled in the Tree of Sinai in the center of Paradise; so that thou mayest be a pillar of fire and a cloud of light in this age, wherein a drop grows into a large wave of the sea, and a lamp glistens with the light of the dazzling stars, and this is from the power which is manifested by thy Lord, the Clement, the Merciful. [...]
O thou who art guided by the light of guidance!
The luminous flame of guidance was ignited in the Sinai of manifestation and its heat reached all regions. Now that divine flame from the invisible Kingdom of the Most Glorious Concourse sheds its radiance upon all horizons. Strive that thou mayest be enkindled by its effulgence and attain the utmost attraction through its revelation.
Now that thou hast been enkindled and dost hold the embers of this fire within thyself spread far and wide thy flames and fan the heat of this divine fire that the veils of vain imaginings may be entirely consumed and burnt away in both the east and west.
I hope that through the invisible confirmations, thou mayest, from whatever door thou enterest, be confirmed and assisted, and become so enkindled with the fire of God as to set the world aflame.
O thou radiant light! Every countenance that is illumined by the light of guidance is a luminous lamp, a merciful candle, and a heavenly star. Therefore, since thou hast been enkindled with the love of God, thou art radiant, brilliant and effulgent.
The leaves of the garden of the knowledge of God have unfurled, and hearts have been refreshed by their sweet fragrance, and breasts have been gladdened by the scent of its blossoms. And thou, O thou who art attracted by the verses of God, be thou gladdened in spirit, set ablaze in heart, and moved in soul by this breeze which hath wafted from it the fragrance of the Spirit.
How are the Believers? Are they enkindled? Are they brilliant stars in the Assembly? Do they serve the Cause of God in Love and Harmony? In the meetings of Believers is there a real quickening, or is it cold?
A teacher like Esmollah Asdag was very enkindled. His talk effected the hearts of men, no matter how cold and indifferent. There were some amongst the believers who were most learned and erudite but because "the Flame of the Spirit" was not burning in their souls they could not teach one person. He had a very attractive, smiling, winsome face. Whenever he began to speak he himself was so stirred by the 'urge of the spirit' that the listeners were moved profoundly and accepted the Truth before he had come to the end of his talk.
By My life, whoso attaineth unto His knowledge soareth in the atmosphere of His love and detacheth himself from all who dwell on earth, let alone those who speak according to their desires that which God hath not permitted them.
… Hear ye the voice of the Wronged One. Speak ye in the name of Truth, and be adorned with the ornament of His remembrance and illumined by the lights of His love. This is the key to hearts and the polish of existence.
Further quotations · supplied wording and references
O thou lamp who art enkindled with the fire of the Love of God! Verily, I read thy recent letter which showed thy strong love, thy being ablaze with the fire of the love of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Praised, and the penetration of the Spirit of Truth in thy limbs, nerves, veins, arteries, bones, blood and flesh, until it hath taken the reins of power from thy hands and moveth thee as it willeth, causeth thee to speak in what it willeth and attracted thee as it willeth. This is becoming of whatever heart is replenished with the spirit of the love of God.
They that have forsaken their country for the purpose of teaching Our Cause -these shall the Faithful Spirit strengthen through its power. A company of Our chosen angels shall go forth with them, as bidden by Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Wise.... If he be kindled with the fire of His love, if he forgoeth all created things, the words he uttereth shall set on fire them that hear him.
O My servants! Be as resigned and submissive as the earth, that from the soil of your being there may blossom the fragrant, the holy and multicolored hyacinths of My knowledge. Be ablaze as the fire, that ye may burn away the veils of heedlessness and set aglow, through the quickening energies of the love of God, the chilled and wayward heart. Be light and untrammeled as the breeze, that ye may obtain admittance into the precincts of My court, My inviolable Sanctuary.
having obtained a clear understanding of the true character of our mission, the methods to adopt, the course to pursue, and having attained sufficiently the individual regeneration -- the essential requisite of teaching -- let us arise to teach His Cause with righteousness, conviction, understanding and vigor. Let this be the paramount and most urgent duty of every Baha'i. Let us make it the dominating passion of our life.
For thought and discussion