mysteries and their discovery; the mystical vision
Editorial introduction
Wind in the leaves, the murmur of a stream, a line of scripture read a hundred times: Bahá’u’lláh teaches that each holds a meaning that waits on the one who perceives it. Mystery, in this light, is less a puzzle to be solved than a depth that opens as the knower changes. The inner eye is clouded by malice and idle fancy, and cleared by love, learning, prayer and a heart washed of prejudice; what it then finds in every atom is a door. Yet the same teachings keep a sober distinction between insight and imagination, between the mysteries a wayfarer may discover and the Essence no mind will ever reach, and they counsel care about when, and to whom, a discovery is told. The Tao-te Ching’s doubt whether the named is still the mystery, and Paul’s wisdom discerned only through the Spirit, press the point from other directions. From here the road runs into contemplation, into the spirit of faith that lights the mirror of the mind, and into the transformation and virtuous life in which understanding bears fruit.
The Wronged One was walking in the house and gazing upon things and the mysteries of the Revelation concealed within them.
O thou who gazest upon the Kingdom of Verses! The time hath come for thee to witness all the signs within thine inmost being and to observe all the signs in the universe in every atom, that thou mayest behold with both outer and inner vision how each and every thing containeth the meaning of all things.
Journey in the land of wonder and of mystery and travel far and wide within the realms of power in order to behold the proofs and signs of God. Open thou the eye of true discernment so as to see for thyself the blazing fire kindled on Sinai, and open the ear of truth that thou mayest hearken to the call of the divine Beloved summoning thee from the Supreme Horizon.
He hath ever been, in the heights of inaccessibility, sanctified above all else but Himself, and will forever remain, in the summit of His exaltation, hallowed above all that is besides Him. No one hath known Him as He should be known, and no soul hath comprehended Him as He should be comprehended, for this station hath been and shall ever be sanctified and exalted.
… The glory of existence is for one to make his own will fade away in God's will - that is, to have no will, thought or imagination of his own, but to move by God's will and act accordingly.
Say: This is an ocean unto whose shore none hath attained, how much less unto its depths, were ye of them that perceive. Say: By God! Should all who are in the heavens and on earth dive therein, they would not be able to hear the call of a single pearl of its pearls, nor would they be able to bring forth what is treasured therein, save what the hand of grace may cast upon them.
Verily I beseech God, with all humbleness, to remove the covering from thine insight and to show unto thee His great signs, and to make thee a banner of guidance, severed from all else save Him, enkindled with the fire of His love, engaged in His praise and apprehending the realities of things; so that thou mayest see with thine eyes, hear with thine ears and not imitate any of the fathers and ancestors; have perception in the matter of thy Lord, for the people are in dark veils.
For the holy melodies of the spirit a new ear is needed, and for the fragrances of the paradise of the soul an exalted heart is required, and for the wondrous divine knowledge an illumined heart is befitting, so that with heavenly assistance through these spiritual means one may perceive the gems of divine wisdom.
This befits one such as yourself, for man cannot discover the hidden mystery in the unseen realm of contingent existence except after plunging into the depths of the seas and attaining the profound secrets. Only then does he perceive the dazzling signs, the brilliant proofs, the decisive evidence, and the resplendent arguments.
In a brief span, through the bounty of the Lord, the All-Merciful, they should manifest the highest degree of advancement, open their eyes, discover the realities of things, acquire consummate skill in every branch of knowledge, and apprehend the mysteries of phenomena even as they are. This high distinction is among the resplendent effects of servitude at the Holy Threshold.
O thou who advancest to the Kingdom of God! If thou shouldst turn with the whole of thy being unto God and be attracted to the lights of the Kingdom of God and be enkindled by the fire of the love of God, then wilt thou see that which thou canst not see today, and wilt comprehend the inner meanings of the Word of God and thoroughly understand the mysteries contained in the holy Books.
O thou who art advancing toward God!
Verily, I read thy long letter, which showed thine abundant joy for the appearance of the Kingdom of God and longing of thy heart for the knowledge of God. Endeavor with thy soul, so that the fountain of knowledge may flow within thy heart and the bounties of mysteries may pour upon thee from the Kingdom of Lights. Then thou wilt understand the meanings hidden and recorded in the symbols in the Holy Scriptures.
Now, thou hast reached development and apprehended the degree of maturity: Gaze at the grades of the existence, the realities of beings, the allegories in the epistles of God, and the mysteries in the Old and New Testament. By the life of Baha', the covering will be removed from off thee (i. e., facts will be unfolded to thee), and thou wilt be informed of that which all the philosophers and wise men are unable to apprehend. Verily, this is a gift which God assigns only to such of His chosen servants as He willeth.
Be not grieved on account of lack of information of the mysteries of this great Cause. If thou keepest firm in the religion of God, the covering shall be removed for thee and thou shalt become informed of the allegories and mysteries of the Kingdom of God.
Shouldst thou make firm thy feet in the love of God and hold steadfast to the Great Cause, God will reveal unto thee mysteries unheard by the ears and incomprehensible by the intellects.
O thou who walkest in the path of glory and righteousness, and travellest on the way of thy Most Exalted Lord! If thou acceptest what We have counselled thee, thou shalt attain unto all that We have promised thee and witness what none before thee hath witnessed, if Satan preventeth thee not from the ways of the All-Merciful.
O falcon of the heaven of the love of God! Now is the time for flight and the discovery of divine mysteries.
Therefore, wander and roam in this meadow of inner meanings, drink of the spiritual wine, inhale the divine fragrance, and draw forth the chalice of true wine until its lights shine upon those horizons.
How many a wise one hath been veiled from the Sun by clouds of fancy, and how many a child hath rent asunder the veils! How many a person of understanding hath been confounded within himself, and how many a heedless one hath advanced until he entered the Kingdom of his Lord, the Exalted, the Most High!
For thou hast become aware of mysteries of which all mystics and scholars are deprived, and discovered secrets of which all philosophers are heedless and remote.
Praise be to God that those without portion have received their share and those far off have drawn near, and those deprived have become privy to the mystery.
Thou art a servant of the divine threshold and art fully aware of the mystery of spiritual truth. Strive with all thy power in prayers and communions at the hour of dawn to increase thine alertness day by day, to strip away the misgivings that veil the people of doubt and lead them towards the Most Great Guide with the potent knowledge of God so that like unto a candle thou mayest illuminate every meeting with the light of recognition.
With a detached heart, an attracted spirit, and an enkindled soul, burning with the fire that was ignited on Mount Sinai, seek the outpourings of the Spirit from all directions. Verily I say unto thee, the mysteries of the divine Spirit will be unveiled to thee, thy radiant heart will be stirred, and thou wilt say: "Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds!"
O thou who hast held fast to the Sure Handle! Open the eye of insight and behold the light of truth. The effects of the outpourings of the Abha Kingdom have encompassed the hidden world and the universe.
And when thou discoverest such an outpouring rain and fountain of mysteries, say: "Glorified, Holy is the Lord of the angels and the Spirit!"
The eye of the Ancient Beauty's loving-kindness is open, and His grace and bounty encompass every free servant.
Souls who are prepared are like candles, coming in contact with fire. They become illumined. They are swayed by the wafting of a breeze. They become green and verdant from a drop of the sprinkling of the cloud of favor. They find merciful susceptibilities by hearing a word.
Though the lights are brilliant and the mysteries radiant, yet veils conceal and darkness envelops, until the impelling force of divine confirmation and the vanguard of heavenly success comes to whomsoever it may.
The glance of love has ever been directed towards you, and it is hoped that through divine assistance you will emerge from the bewilderment you mentioned and enter the paradise of holy unveiling and witnessing, and arrive at the city of certitude and assurance.
O ye who are related to that one assured in God! Open an eye unto the Most Glorious Kingdom and become privy to His mystery, and harmonious with His holy fragrances, that ye may behold the Most Great Sign and taste the honey of faithfulness and spread the wings of knowledge and soar in the infinite space.
O wanderer in the divine path! Wander and roam in this endless desert, and in this destination of the people of knowledge, seek your dwelling and abode. Drink from the living waters from the spring of certitude, and from this tree of certitude pluck the fruit of the highest heaven. The door of bounty is open and the glad tidings of the invisible Kingdom are continuous and successive. When you reach the shore of the sea of life, fill your skirt with the pearls from the shells of grace, so that those brilliant jewels may shine forth in the crowns of existence.
Again, the sea has innumerable pearls in its depths. A good and trained diver will obtain therefrom abundant pearls, whereas one unacquainted with and incapable of this attainment can only obtain the shells.
We must immerse ourselves in this sea and reach its depth;- so that we may gather the unseen, brilliant pearls of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God; otherwise like unto broken debris and splinters the waves will carry us to the shore of remorsefulness and regret.
In but one letter thereof lieth treasured the mysteries of knowledge and wisdom from the presence of One mighty and wise. Were We to expound a single letter thereof, all the tablets would not suffice, nor would all pens complete it, nor could any scroll encompass it. For each letter thereof hath its interpretation, and each interpretation its inner meaning, and each inner meaning yet deeper meanings, and symbols and allusions unto whatsoever God willeth.
This is what hath been sent down in the outward sense of the Command, but whoso gazeth upon the inner meaning is assured that in every letter revealed from the heaven of the utterance of your Lord, the All-Merciful, there lieth treasured the spirit of all former and latter generations, and nothing that hath been created between the heavens and earth can equal it.
For if all on earth were freed from veils, this single page would suffice them all, and all spiritual meanings are hidden as pearls in this divine ocean.
Most of the mysteries of this Revelation have remained concealed. Verily it cannot be compared with aught else. Should one reflect upon the Bayan, God will open unto his heart such gates of understanding for recognizing this Revelation as have never been opened unto any among His servants.
He had inquired about the blessed phrase "The mystery of reversal hath been manifested." This phrase is from the writings of the late Shaykh Ahmad. A detailed treatise has been written about this but has not yet been copied. God willing, it will be copied and distributed. The meaning of that phrase refers to the passage in the Hidden Words, namely that the true morn is the Dawn of the Manifestation when the Bab appeared, and the blessed Tree refers to the Ancient Beauty, and that space refers to the space of heart and soul, and the presence of the people refers to spiritual presence, not physical presence, and the divine call was raised in the space of heart and soul, and since the people did not awaken, they became unconscious.
"O Son of Justice! In the night-season the beauty of the immortal Being hath repaired from the emerald height of fidelity unto the Sadratu’l-Muntaha" The station and the Emerald Height, in the terminology of the illustrious Shaykh Ahsa'i and His Holiness the Bab - may my spirit be a sacrifice unto Him - is the world of destiny, and that Height is most difficult to traverse.
"and asked of their names, and all were told but one. And when urged, the first letter thereof was uttered, whereupon the dwellers of the celestial chambers rushed forth out of their habitation of glory. And whilst the second letter was pronounced they fell down, one and all, upon the dust. At that moment a voice was heard from the inmost shrine: 'Thus far and no farther.' Verily We bear witness to that which they have done and now are doing." That great Name is the Most Great Name, meaning the Blessed Beauty, and what is available today is the meaning of two letters of the Most Great Name, and these are "B" and "H".
The Books and Words of God have been sealed and the meanings locked. All the sacred mysteries were sealed, but now Baha'u'llah has broken the seals, revealed the meanings, and we can understand the Realities.
As to what thou hast asked concerning the esoteric sciences, know thou that most of what thou hast heard regarding these sciences neither nourishes nor profits, even should one master them. That which truly profiteth is the knowledge that lieth concealed within the treasuries of thy Lord's knowledge, which none hath discovered save God, the Most High, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. By the tongue of the wise it hath been called the Hidden Art and the Treasured Secret.
More explicit than what hath been mentioned is not permitted, and in the Tablets a clearer exposition than what hath been given is not desired, inasmuch as the unveiling of this most great mystery hath ever been forbidden.
Verily it hath been sent down upon the Temple of the Youth in the heaven of immortality, then upon the Temple of the Command in the kingdom of glory, then in the form of a Tablet in this fashion which was witnessed from the direction of God. Even thus do We cast down mysteries with veils and coverings, that the believers might ascend to the heaven of knowledge and the demons be prevented from ascending to the court of holy recognition.
Within this verse lie hidden the mysteries of the unseen and stored the treasures of knowledge. Well is it with him who knoweth them and concealeth their secrets in his heart.
Know then the allusion, for it has been sent down from behind seventy thousand veils.
Know thou that the mystics who have reached the depths of the seas of grace and recognized the mysteries of the beginning in the end speak with words that have outward meanings while intending inner significances, and this is their way and custom. Therefore some of the ignorant denounce them as unbelievers, and the contentious ones revile them, and the people of error dispute with them in speech. And among their utterances is this word, which is a light and mercy unto the righteous, and a retribution and wrath unto the wicked.
While We were seated upon the throne, there entered a radiant leaf, clad in fine white raiment, appearing as the full moon rising from the horizon of heaven. Exalted be God Who created her! No eye hath ever seen her like.
When she lifted her veil, the heavens and earth were illumined as though the Ancient Essence had shed upon her its splendors.
As for what is intended by Knowing, know thou, O wayfarer upon the path of guidance that the path to knowing the innermost Essence of the Absolute is closed to all beings and seeking and hoping for this station is not acceptable. Never will the spiders of vain imaginings weave their web upon the branches of the knowledge of the reality of the Almighty, Omniscient One; nor will the flea in the dust circle about the stars of the heavenly spheres. How can the reality of non-existence ever understand the ipseity of being? How can utter annihilation [fana] be informed of the essence of eternity [baqa]? For the subtleties of the realities of essences of Possible Being have been created by a word of His Command and one of His Verses and have come into being through one ray of the effulgences of the Sun of His Will. And if those who wish to ascend to the heaven of mystic knowledge and climb to the kingdom of wisdom and certitude were to fly towards the eternity of that Essence of Primal Oneness in the never-ending air of the knowledge of the being of that Essence of Essences, they would not advance one cubit nor penetrate to the reality:
"All understanding rides on on lame donkeys, While the True One rides the wind, flying like an arrow."
This is why the Lord of the First and Last [Muhammad] has considered that expressions of inability and poverty concerning this matter are perfect knowledge and the apex of wisdom. he has counted this ignorance as the essence of knowledge. Thus has he said: "We have not known Thee as thou shouldst be known" and similarly: "O Lord! Increase my wonder at Thee!".
In this station, no truth can be found except utter bewilderment and absolute confusion. Because for one thing to understand another depends on two things:
First is encompassment. This means that until one thing encompasses another, it cannot understand its inner nature. And it is well-known that no-one can encompass the Essence of the Absolute in such a way as to penetrate Its true nature or to inhale a fragrance from the garden of the knowledge of the reality of Its Essence. Knowledge and understanding can never be achieved without encompassment.
Secondly is similarity and likeness. Until one thing can be likened to something else its reality can never be imagined. For if one lacks its stages and worlds, how can one think or imagine it. For example, animals, vegetables and minerals can never imagine the reality of man. For with regard to [their] realities, there is not nor has ever been any similarity or comparison between mankind and these types of matter. And this is sufficiently clear and evident proof that, for the Essence of the Absolute, there is not nor ever has been any likeness or similarity. For according to the philosophers, similarity is when there there is identity of qualities. And until two things agree with respect to their qualities, they cannot be said to be similar. For example, bright shining day can not be likened to dark gloomy night and a bright burning fire cannot be compared to frozen waters. For they are not similar in any quality such as their brightness and darkness, their burning or their crystallisation. But if you were to say that this red ruby glitters like a lighted lamp, this similarity holds for they match each other in their quality of shining. Moreover qualities are accidents which are conditions and non-essentials of bodies. And it is clear and evident that the Essence of the Absolute is not a body that can become the locus for accidents. Nor can a correspondence in Its qualities be imagined so that any similarity can be discovered to It and that similarity bring about an understanding of the true nature of the Essence of the True One (praised be He) and penetrate His reality. Exalted be the True One above what those that describe Him have said of His Loftiness and Greatness!
Therefore the meaning of Knowing in this noble Tradition is not and never has been the knowledge of the true nature of the Absolute for that is beyond the province of Possible Being. Rather it is the knowledge of the traces and effulgences of that Most Holy and Forbidden Mystery. For however much detached minds and pure souls seek to penetrate the worlds of Inner Knowledge, their understanding will never penetrate more than that station which is a sign pointing towards the Monarch of Primal Oneness which He has placed as a trust within the reality of man. And however much they may fly with triumphant wings in the limitless space of what is knowable and observable, they will read naught but the letters of the book of their own selves. Thus it is that He has said: "Read your own book, your self is sufficient to give an account against you today." For example, consider a circle; however much a compass moves, it can only move around the point which is the centre of the circle. This illumined verse, in the reality of angelic souls, has the same role as that point, for all of the senses and understanding of man revolve around that Divine verse. But this verse, shining forth from the Sun of essence, this trust from the Monarch of Primal Unity is hidden and concealed within the veils and clouds of the self just as the luminous flame is hidden and concealed invisible within the candle or lamp before it is lit. And so while this light of the firmament of Unity is concealed beneath the horizon of the reality of man, no-one is aware of the Divine states which are hidden beneath of the reality of man.
Thus it is that when the Sun of Divine Essence rises and shines forth from the dawning-places of eternity [qayyumiyyat], those souls who have attained the knowledge of the rising-places of Oneness and the Dawning-places of the Divine Morn will be educated under the shadow of their instruction until that verse of the All-Merciful shall, like the dawning of light, raise its head from out of the reality of those assured souls and raise its banner atop the flag-pole of the heart. And these Dawning-Places are the Prophets and Holy Ones of the Absolute; from this horizon, the Sun of Reality shines out over all things with unlimited light.
And the wayfarer, when he attains this most mighty and most lofty station, becomes the place of manifestation of the hidden Divine secrets and the dawning-place of the concealed Heavenly light. At each instant he enters a wondrous paradise and at every second he is fortified with a new blessing. He observes within his joyful breast, the Hidden Guarded Tablet within which is concealed the secrets of what has been and what will be. His illumined heart shall become a pure mirror reflecting the images of all the worlds. All the veils of the worlds of plurality and oppression he will burn away with one flame from the fire of the love of God.
And so the meaning of Knowing in this Holy [qudsi] Tradition is recognising the Manifestation of the Absolute in the holy Dawning-Places of Primal Unity, that is to say the Prophets and Holy Ones. Otherwise the true nature of Its Essence has never been nor will ever be knowable to any soul.
O thou wayfarer upon the path of the Beloved, know thou that the fundamental purpose of this Holy Tradition is to mention the stages of the appearance and concealment of the Absolute within the thrones of Reality which are the Dawning-Places of the Grandeur of Its Essence [huwiyyat]. For example, before the kindling and manifestation of the fire of Primal Unity by itself and for itself, the totality of the manifestations are within the Invisible Essence. This is the station of the "Hidden Treasure". And when that blessed tree is lighted by itself and for itself and that Divinely-kindled fire is alight by its essence [dhat] for its essence, this becomes the station of "and I desired to be known ." And when there has shone forth, with all the limitless Divine Names and Attributes, from the Dawning Place of Creation [ibda'] upon and for the sake of Possible Being, that is the station of the appearance of a wondrous creation and a new handiwork which is the station of "and so I created the Creation." And when holy souls have burned away the veils of all worlds and the trappings of all degrees and have hastened to the station of witness and attainment and have achieved knowledge of the Place of Manifestation and come to the most great sign of God within the core of their being, at that instant, they bear witness to the cause of the creation of all Contingent Being, the knowledge of God.
Therefore it is clearly proven that the meaning of Knowledge is the recognition of the Manifestations of Primal Unity for all stages and stations are made attainable by the favours of these Holy Figures. These gates have always been open to the faces of the servants but the people have deprived themselves of the bounties of the day of reunion through their pre-occupation with false matters. Thus in these days the Sun of Spiritual Guidance [or Spiritual Dominion, vilayat] is dawning forth and is resplendent from the All-Glorious [abha] Horizon and is speaking these Divine words: "The Primal Point has been cut off and the Divine Alif has arisen and the Dominion of God, the Help-in-Peril, the Self-Subsisting has appeared." But all are heedless of Him and are pre-occupied with their own desires.
The elders used to flee from both friend and stranger. But now the Ravisher of hearts rides forth on His wind-swift steed, prancing in the arena of truth, revealing all that was hidden.
O thou who hast turned unto the world of the Kingdom! At this moment, as I sit by the Sea of Galilee, detached from all save the Friend, and expectantly awaiting the universal outpourings of the All-Merciful, I have taken up my pen to write this brief letter. If you but knew the state in which I write, you would surely be moved to ecstasy and rapture, and in the excess of your joy and yearning you would dance as you sang this verse: "Whence comes this musician? What has he uttered - the name of the Friend?
The divine spirit which is from God's command refers to the holy power, divine confirmations, eternal assistance, divine knowledge and heavenly sciences with which God aids whomever He wishes among His righteous servants. Through it they attain spiritual unveilings and certain visions, and they achieve complete, precedent mercy and abundant grace. They enter the paradise of oneness and the eternal garden where they rejoice and delight in what God has given them of His bounty and thank Him for His favors and blessings.
There is, however, a third reality in man, that is the spiritual reality. Through that medium come spiritual revelations. This is a celestial power which is infinite as regards the intellectual as well as the physical realms. This power is conferred upon man through the breath of the Holy Spirit.
He will perceive infinite realms, become aware of supernatural powers, find deliverance from the mortal world, and attain divine life and heavenly illumination. He will discover the realities of things and comprehend the mysteries of the sacred books.
The human body is in need of material force, but the spirit has need of the Holy Spirit. If it is aided by the bounty of the Holy Spirit it will attain great power; it will discover realities; it will be informed of the mysteries.
But the Divine Spirit discovers divine realities and universal mysteries in the heavenly realm. I hope that you will be assisted by the Divine Spirit so that you may discover the mysteries of the heavenly realm and become aware of the secrets of this earthly world.
Praise be to God that like unto a torch thou hast been ignited, and like unto a star thou hast shone. This light is the light of reality, which is divine guidance, and not a material one. It is a heavenly lamp and not an earthly one which, although it reveals objects, yet it does not discover and comprehend them, i.e., it is unaware of the world of things, and simply reveals them to the eye; while on the other hand, the light of Truth both reveals and discovers objects and does moreover comprehend them.
Pure and transparent souls, which were clear from the rest of matter, immediately became enlightened and luminous and reflected the lights upon the world of contingent beings. This effulgence, to those pure hearts, was like unto a Call, a Revelation, a Splendor and Hearer by music. Therefore each one acquired a special effulgence and made manifest and apparent a certain Divine Glory.
When it reaches the chamber of sight, the mysteries of the Kingdom are witnessed. When it reaches the window of hearing, the call to wakefulness and awareness from the Abha Kingdom and the anthem of glorification from the Concourse on High are heard. When it rises from the horizon of the brow, the radiance of the All-Merciful is manifested.
O thou servant of the Sacred Threshold!
The mystery of servitude is revealed when the light of the Divine Identity shines forth upon the world of the heart and the lamp of reality is kindled within the inner chamber of the soul. When its radiance touches the tongue, utterance becomes the essence of Divine Unity, and when its rays fall upon the pillars of being, there proceed such deeds, actions, ways, conduct and behavior as constitute the very life of existence. And when it casts its effulgence upon the realm of minds, the mysteries of the seen and unseen become manifest.
Mrs. Harrison asked what was the cause of the sensation often experienced by both of us which felt as if an essence were falling upon the top of the head, and a sensation flowing down around the face and on into the heart (she mentioned Aaron's beard)--also like irrigation. Was it merely a physical sensation? Imaginary? Or wrong?
'Abdu'l-Baha: "No it is not a physical condition, but spiritual, a very high one which is so intense it reaches the nerves and these react upon the body.
You have intuition. You must follow it always, because when you follow it, it increases and becomes more clear. Only a few have this gift. It is like the tinkling of bells, a sixth sense, like the voice of God speaking. The more one follows intuition, the more it increases.
He looked at me and, putting out his hand, said: You have been taught right; it is because the mirror of your heart has been clear enough to reflect them. You must lock them in your breast. To speak of them prevents your own growth.
Arise and wash thy body, wear a pure gown, and , directing thyself to the Kingdom of God, supplicate and pray to Him. Sleep in a clean, well prepared and ventilated place, and ask for appearance (or display) in the world of vision. Thou wilt have visions which will cause the doors of doubts to be closed, which will give you new joy, wonderful dilation, brilliant glory. Thou wilt comprehend realities and meanings.
As for what thou asked regarding the state of the spirit and its conditions, know of a certainty that the dream world is equivalent to the spirit and like unto the sun in its station; nothing hath departed from the body. Nay rather, by its light whatever is in the heavens and the earth may be witnessed. Were a devout believer enabled to see all things by this divine agency, still would he reap the fruit of his belief, and naught can alter it; and were an unbeliever enabled to see all things upon the reflected forms, still on account of his unbelief would he reap, in justice, its fruit, and naught can alter it.
O thou Godlike person and spiritual friend!
Verily God hath, through His bounty and grace, removed the covering from off thine eyes and inspired thee the night in which the Morn of Guidance dawned and the Holy Spirit breathed in the being of "The Exalted, the Supreme". Ye went out, desirous to witness and visit the Lord, and awaited the appearance of the Great Bounty in that brilliant night.
Verily I have seen the Kingdom of God with its doors open, the garden of El-ABHA with extensive sides and regions, with dazzling lights, rolling seas, verdant and beautiful orchards, overflowing beds, green trees, fresh and bright leaves, perfumed flowers, sweet rivers, gentle breeze, beautiful air, magnificent views, elegant and handsome lips and mouths."
O thou who art illumined by the Greater Sun of Guidance! His Holiness Moses beheld a blazing Fire from the verdant Tree and heard a Voice. He fell unconscious and became the confidant of the celestial Herald and Angel. He brought forth the manifest serpent and drew forth the white hand from the mighty bosom.
O servant of the Divine Threshold! Praise be to God that thy heart hath become the Valley of the sacred Mount, and thy breast the Sinaic plain. The flame of light hath been kindled, and the mount of heart and soul hath become illumined and radiant. Thou hast heard the divine call and from the sacred Mount hast hearkened to the melody of "Thou shalt not see Me."
This is the Day in which the Beloved Who declared "Thou shalt not see Me" now proclaims "Look and thou shalt see Me."
That station is devoid of limitations and analogies, sanctified beyond change or suspension, removed from the bounds of contingency, severed from all names and attributes - an impenetrable mystery that none in the realm of multiplicities can comprehend. It is veiled without a veil and concealed without a covering, hidden from all the worlds by the exaltation of its glory, yet most manifest beyond all things through the majesty of its station.
The answer is this: "And there is none like unto Him." [Q112:4] Unto the intelligent, a mere hint sufficeth, and he standeth in no need of speaker or transmitter. His Holiness the Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon Him, hath said: "The splendors of glory were unveiled without allusion." Thus did they not even deem allusion itself permissible.
Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Haydar-'Ali, upon whom be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, is now present and says that this unknown reality has become clear and evident in this Most Great Manifestation, and that you, Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad-'Ali, are one who has become a man of the unseen and are known by this title among the people of doubt.
… What a wondrous matter this is and what a strange tale - that a human should attain the station of angels and a person should become one who derives understanding from the verses of the All-Merciful, such that the effects are visible while the one affecting them remains hidden.
So, when one is spiritually developed, a sublimity of nature is obtained, a delicacy of vision such as could not otherwise be found.
There is a station destined for man that if he reaches to it, he will find all the created phenomena holding conversation with him; he will see that everything is speaking with him.
I have journeyed through the unseen worlds and invisible realms of the Almighty collecting New Thoughts, New Conceptions, New Proofs and New Evidences.
Say: O people! This is the sealed and guarded Scroll which was inscribed by the Finger of Holiness and concealed behind the veils of the Unseen, and hath now been sent down through grace from One mighty and ancient. Therein have We ordained the destinies of all who dwell in the heavens and on earth, and the knowledge of the ancients.
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.
These are the similitudes We strike for mankind that they might be certain of the signs of God. The veils have been lifted for those who stand in the place of glory.
Thus do We impart unto the servants that which was hidden from them, that perchance a soul may understand and there may appear in creation that which would bewilder the minds of the wise, the hearts of the sages, and the souls of all created things.
Guard thou the mystery of God, for it was made manifest in the year sixty.
By God, this is a mystery more manifest than the sun at high noon, yet when We bestowed the Name apart from Our Self, the servants knew Us not. This mystery was veiled within mystery upon mystery, shrouded by yet another mystery, which none among all created things could fathom.
When the idolaters persisted and thy Lord's appointed time was fulfilled, then did the Hand of Power lift from the face of mystery a veil of mystery.
That which was hidden in the treasury of knowledge hath been revealed, and that which was concealed in the repositories of wisdom hath been sent down.
O friends! This is the Day wherein all the mysteries of the divine Books have become manifest and evident. Blessed is he who hath heard His call and partaken of His sealed wine.
This is a Day wherein mysteries have been revealed, fruits have appeared, and the heavenly table hath been sent down; yet the people remain in grievous blindness.
All this is evident unto those who have eyes as this emanates from the world of the Interior. Those who are outside have been and still are unaware of this great mystery.
Soon shall the veils be lifted, the covering removed, and darkness shall be dispelled by a brilliant dawn shining upon the horizons. The banners of the Word of God shall be raised, the fragrances of the breaths of God shall be diffused, the dawn of eternity shall appear, and the lamp of God's bounty shall reveal the hidden secret and concealed mystery.
O thou who art set ablaze with the fire kindled in the Tree of Sinai! We have broken the seal of the perfume of spirits, and the horizons have become fragrant with the sweet-smelling breeze of holiness. The gates of paradise have been opened, and the gardens of the love of God have been adorned with the flowers of fellowship. 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.
I swear by the Ancient Beauty that the effects of the Greatest Name will become so manifest and evident in the soul and conscience, even in bone and flesh, that the mind will be bewildered and confounded.
Every day and every moment, the mysteries hidden within the shell of utterance become manifest through the command of the All-Merciful.
O Ghulam! Remember the days when thou wert present before the Countenance and didst witness what no eyes have witnessed throughout ages and centuries, and didst hear what no ears have heard.
Whosoever truly attaineth unto this most exalted station and most glorious horizon, the hidden mysterious manifestations and the veiled maidens of inner meanings from every direction without direction and from every station without veils will be unveiled and revealed unto him. And he will become so immersed in the manifestations of the lights that are neither of the East nor of the West that the world and whatsoever hath been ordained therein of the manifestations of beauty and the signs of glory and adorned things and diverse bounties will not prevent him from the eternal bounties which is the station of recognition of the Primal Point.
Thus have the channels of allusion, like ships in motion, coursed upon the sea of contingent beings, that the countenance of love might become visible from all created things, and the essence of affection might appear within the realities of all mentioned things.
Blessed art Thou, O resplendent Mystery, O radiant Light, O Mount of ascension, O rain-laden Cloud, O Mystery concealed on the Night of Ascension for the Beloved seated in the realm of rapture!
The trees have yielded their fruit, the mysteries have been revealed, and that which was hidden in God's knowledge, the Lord of existence, hath appeared.
Say: This is the Mystery that was hidden behind the veils, and this is verily a sealed Book that was treasured in the vaults of might and power, and preserved within the sanctuaries of infallibility and patience, and inscribed by the Pen of God, the Holy, the Mighty, the Beloved.
Then didst Thou bring forth, through Thine ancient craftsmanship, the pearls of oneness, and then didst veil them, O my God, behind the veils of Thy protection and the coverings of Thy concealment. How blessed, then, is he who hath burned away the veils and rent asunder the shrouds and entered, by the key of Thy Name, into the city of Thy attributes, and entered, by Thy leave, into the pavilion of Thy knowledge.
O Lord! I was sleeping when the breeze of Thy Day of Manifestation stirred me. When it awakened me, it inspired me with that of which I was heedless in Thy days. O Lord! I caught Thy fragrance and hastened unto Thee.
O my God and my King!
This is a day wherein the vibration of Thy Most Glorious Name hath seized all who are in earth and heaven, and through it the veil was rent asunder and the pearls of Thy mysteries that were hidden within the shell of Thy protection and the sea of Thy knowledge were revealed.
O enchanted one! Open the musk-laden casket of mysteries of the Merciful Beloved and scatter its fragrant breeze throughout the world.
Ye have heard the harmony of the Supreme Concourse and listened to the glad songs of the nightingale of the orchard of guidance, ye received a share and a portion from the heavenly Food, and became associates and partners in the outpouring of the Kingdom of Abha!
O thou who wanderest in the wilderness of signs and swimmest in the seas of mysteries! How canst thou be perplexed when thou art like a fish in the depths of this sweet and flowing sea? By thy life! If for a moment thou wouldst turn thy gaze toward the Kingdom of God from which the gates have been opened, the glad-tidings of the Glorious Lord would seize thee and the melodies of that matchless Garden would attract thee with such power that thou wouldst rend thy garments and tatters, cast off all restraint, and cry out: "Hasten to witness the Unseen made manifest! Hasten to the water that hath been poured forth! Hasten to the support that hath been granted! Hasten to the glorious station beneath this raised standard and under this outstretched shade!"
O servants of the Friend! It is morning and the lights of the bounty of grace are shining and gleaming from the invisible Kingdom of the Most Glorious Realm. Pure hearts are receiving endless divine manifestations and hidden outpourings, while successive glad tidings from the unseen world arrive and holy fragrances spread from the gardens of oneness.
O thou from whom the veil hath been lifted and whose certitude hath increased! Give thanks unto God for this supreme gift and bounty through the witnessing of which the eyes of the people of Baha have been gladdened - namely, the lifting of the veil, the removal of the covering, the rending of the curtain, and the appearance of the hidden Mystery and the guarded Symbol that was promised in the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, the preserved Qur'an, and the described Bayan.
The fragrance of the garment of Joseph bestoweth life anew upon the Jacob of desire, and the delicate savours of the divine rose-garden delighteth the mystic nightingale that warbleth amid its blooms.
Ye are clinging to the hem of grandeur and are wanderers in the path of the Abha Beauty.
This is bounty upon bounty, and this door of hope hath been opened before the face of all the peoples of the world. Yet some are privy to these mysteries while others are deprived of this bestowal and supplication.
O thou who art holding fast to the Sure Handle!
Verily the exquisite chalice hath overflowed with the choice wine, and verily the delicate glass hath sparkled with the luminous lamp, and verily the manifest horizon hath been illumined by the brilliant, radiant star, and verily the precious necklace hath been adorned with rubies and unique pearls, and verily the sweet, flowing river hath surged with mighty waves.
Know thou verily, the hand of divine Providence hath attracted thee to the Throne of the Kingdom, and the divine glad-tidings hath caused such joy and happiness in thee, that thou hast removed the covering and lifted the veiling from the Countenance of the Divine Beauty, beheld the Brilliant Face through thine insight, and became cognizant of the mysteries of purity and sanctity in this divine Cause!
Verily the hidden secret and the concealed mystery, veiled within the breasts and enshrined in the pavilions of the heart's recesses, hath been revealed through a sign, or a word, or a letter - nay, through a single point from the traces of the Supreme Pen on the day when the Sun of Glory dawned forth.
O friends of the Best-Beloved! A spiritual fragrance is wafting toward the souls--that is, from the gardens of the Abha Kingdom holy breathings are being diffused and the nostrils of the people of Paradise are stirred and perfumed. This fragrance bestoweth life and conferreth eternal existence.
You have caught the fragrance of Joseph's garment and discovered the divine Egypt, and like Jacob you have gained seeing eyes. I hope that you may behold the divine Joseph's countenance and attain the station of unveiling.
Having inhaled the fragrances of divine mysteries within the signs of their own hearts, and having become that Bird of Truth soaring in the eternal realms of the Concourse on High, ascending to the holy station, they witness at every moment the endless outpourings of God, the All-Glorious, within their heart, soul, spirit and body.
And if thou desirest to soar in the atmosphere of thy Lord's nearness and become aware of that which hath been veiled from the eyes of His servants, say 'In the Name of God', then soar in the atmosphere of attraction and detachment until thou reachest the garden of the chosen ones. And when thou dost arrive at that spot and behold what it containeth and the state whereunto they have attained, say: In the Name of my Lord, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate!
Thus have We revealed unto you from the mysteries of this Youth, and explained unto you less than the eye of a needle, nay, less than can be numbered, of the wondrous matters of the Command which had been preserved behind the veils of eternity by God's protection in the holy Tablet.
To the poor there cometh glad tidings; to the abased there arriveth a sign; from the hidden treasure the verses of wealth pour forth. Rend, then, the veils of glory from heart and soul, that through them into this world the lights of splendor may stream.
Today the gate of the most exalted Paradise hath been opened in the name of the Lord of Names, and hidden mysteries have become manifest and evident without any veil or concealment.
Through it are all suppositions and imaginings effaced, and through it hath the sun of certitude shone forth from the horizon of the will of the All-Merciful.
It hath been known to that honorable one that the essence of the Cause and its reality have until now remained concealed, such that none hath become aware of it save those possessed of illumined hearts who have been freed from attachment to all else but God. For this reason the divine Lote-Tree became the object of rejection by the manifestations of negation who have sprouted forth and appeared from the land of Bayan, as thou hast heard. And yet it remained concealed behind a hundred thousand veils of glory and majesty.
Thus at all times the manifest resurrection is apparent and visible, even though people may be heedless of recognizing it.
… The incomprehensible resurrection has been and shall be dependent upon the unknowable Beauty, just as on this blessed night I have resurrected My servants through these revealed letters in such wise that none but My Self is aware of those souls and the nature of this spiritual resurrection.
We have caused the Ark of Inner Meanings to sail upon the sea of utterance, that thy heart may rejoice thereat and thou mayest be of the thankful.
This is the Day whereon the seas surge and the rivers flow and the mysteries are revealed, yet the people are behind a thick veil.
A secret that was forever hidden and stored in the treasury of divine protection has become evident and manifest.
Thus does the Dove teach you from the mysteries of eternity and draw you near unto God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Generous.
We testify that thou hast heard and turned thyself, and hast attained unto that which was hidden in knowledge and treasured in the hearts of them that are nigh unto God.
At that moment there came from the direction of the Most Exalted Paradise a breeze from which I detected the fragrance of the Beloved, and through it I came to know what none in the worlds had known, and I found what none among the mystics had found.
And the hidden treasured Mystery, whereof all divine Books and Scriptures and Tablets have made mention, hath appeared unveiled and unconcealed.
I say in truth this is the Day when the horizons of the cities of the world have been illumined by the lights of the Most Great Name. The hidden pearls that were concealed within the shells of the ocean of knowledge have become manifest and evident.
That which was hidden in the treasury of God's protection hath appeared, and that which was inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Preserved Tablet hath come to pass.
Say: Through Him the hidden was revealed and the treasured appeared, and the sealed wine was unsealed. Drink ye in the name of your Lord, the Most High, the Most Great.
The Hidden Mystery hath appeared and the Preserved Tablet been detailed, and they that draw nigh read while the deniers look to the right and to the left, and they are bewildered.
The veils of vain imaginings are to be rent asunder in such wise that the denizens of the sacred pavilions of divine holiness will hear its call and all will exclaim "Blessed be God, the Most Powerful of the powerful ones!"
I swear by My Beauty that all that hath been heard hath proceeded from Mine own Self, and none beside Me hath been or shall ever be My partner. Yet in the concealment of matters there lie hidden wisdoms which none save the discerning and perspicacious can comprehend.
How many meanings are there that words cannot contain! How many of them have no expression and have been given neither statement nor allusion! And how many of them cannot be uttered because their time hath not come, as it hath been said: "Not all that is known can be disclosed, nor is the time ripe for all that can be disclosed, nor are the people capable of hearing all for which the time is ripe." And there are those whose mention dependeth upon knowledge of the Dawning-Places wherein We have expounded the sciences and revealed what was hidden.
It is said in the Persian language that when a man is taught the mystery of God, his eyes are opened but his lips are sealed.
These mysteries can neither be written nor uttered. Whenever the eye of insight is opened, the reality of meanings is understood.
We have disclosed in this Tablet one of the mysteries of this Revelation, and have concealed that which is hidden lest the clamor of the ungodly be raised. By God! None hath comprehended it save according to his capacity.
This Wronged One hath ever mentioned and will continue to mention the people of divine unity. However, He is forbidden from mentioning spiritual insights and divine realities, inasmuch as some souls are unable to comprehend their meanings and interpret them according to their own desires, thereby causing hardship and speaking harshly to the companions in prison.
And were We to find one who hath attained maturity, We would impart unto him that which We have concealed from all who are in the heavens and on earth since the beginning that hath no beginning. But since We found the servants veiled and heedless, then in weakness and frailty, We have therefore concealed the mysteries and that which is better for them than all that hath been and shall be created, if thou be of them that know.
We have veiled this through Our wisdom, and none knoweth it save those who have entered the Most Great Scene and are among those who have witnessed and seen. Were We to lift the veil from the face of the Cause, they would discover what is hidden, but We have concealed it until God shall reveal it in truth.
The Pen hath been forbidden to mention the mysteries of pre-existence, and the doors of entry and exit have been closed before our faces. Therefore We have withheld the Pen from revealing that which was treasured of mysteries, for the dogs among the people of the Bayan have taken up positions of ambush, and inform the people and fabricate against Us that which they have not witnessed.
Observe thou the consummate wisdom of God, that in that Guidance which was previously revealed and sent forth from the Pen of Command, We concealed two stations, and thou didst enquire about them. Nevertheless, from the Pen of Will there appeared no fitting explanation concerning the mention of those two stations. We concealed them in the divine treasuries of knowledge for these days, that thou mightest become aware of them and ask about the wisdom of their concealment.
And thereby He separated what was separated in the time of all the Prophets and Messengers, and before them in times that the knowledge of the wise cannot encompass, and He shall separate thereby all that shall be separated in future times. And verily this is a hidden mystery preserved in holy treasuries, and none knoweth it save him whom God hath given insight that is veiled from eyes of steel. And verily this is such insight that were the people of the world of reality and the dwellers in the repositories of the Cause in the inmost sanctuaries of glory to perceive it, they would gasp within themselves and shudder in their beings, and would be unable to witness it.
Since the preservation of souls for the triumph of God's Cause is observed according to divine wisdom's requirements, therefore this station remains unrevealed and hidden behind the veils of the unseen.
We beseech God to rend asunder, with the finger of His power, the veils of the world and not to deprive His servants of the ocean of inner meanings.
Concerning what you mentioned about the stations of the heart, it was presented. He said that whatever was mentioned before regarding these stations was specific to those days. In these days all must gaze toward the Most Exalted Horizon and witness, without veil or covering, the effulgences of the lights of the Manifestation of God's Cause.
The affairs of this land are veiled and the poisons of enemies concealed. Were the veil to be rent, death would result.
Alas, alas for what is concealed and must not be revealed! Soon will its covering be removed.
Regarding the question you had asked - this indeed is a mystery preserved in the shell of the inevitable decree like a hidden pearl, and its lights shall shine forth, its effects shall radiate, and its secrets shall be revealed.
Rather, the purpose was that this hidden secret and guarded mystery remained concealed in the days of the Holy Manifestations. Its disclosure is not permitted now, for the order of the world would be disrupted and affairs would become disordered.
We have not revealed this matter lest any humiliation come upon him, and thus were We among the concealers. And ye both must conceal it such that it not pass from your lips. Thus doth the Pen of Command bid you be among the doers. For this is a mystery from the mysteries of God, the Help in Peril, the Mighty, the All-Wise.
In all matters wisdom must be observed, and this matter has been so firmly established that one day this exalted word was heard from the blessed tongue, His word, blessed and exalted is He: "Acknowledgment and confession are not permitted. If someone confesses to lack of understanding and knowledge, he speaks truth, for no one has been or is truly cognizant of it as it deserves."
And if thou hearest of My departure from that land, be not grieved or troubled, for therein lie mysteries that none can comprehend save those who perceive with the eye of God in His Cause.
Were the veil to be lifted, you would soar with longing in this sanctified and luminous atmosphere. Preserve the elixir of your Lord's love within your heart, lest Our faithless servants discover it.
But God's consummate wisdom has kept this hidden mystery preserved and protected, so that the stranger might not find the path to the One Lord, and the unworthy might not receive a portion from this boundless ocean.
However, in this secret are hidden a hundred thousand divine wisdoms, evident and manifest to those possessed of insight.
O seeker of the mystery of the Sister of Prophethood! This mighty mystery is the Hidden Treasure of the Ancient of Days, and its preservation is an imperative command. Therefore, the Hand of Divine Power and Zeal conceals it. In its appointed time it shall be unveiled.
When you return to America, call together those sincere souls who have asked this question and say: The most important thing in this day is the speedy erection of this Edifice (the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar). Its mystery is great and cannot be unveiled just yet. In the future it will be made plain.
In this there is wisdom none knoweth save God, and ye shall come to know it when the mysteries are unveiled and the Cock of the Throne crieth out.
The tongue of the Wronged One testifies that He is the sovereign Actor and none may question His bidding, for He is the All-Wise and the mysteries of His wisdom are concealed - none knoweth them save His Own Self and those to whom He hath given a portion in the Book.
Although this station is veiled due to the lack of capacity in this time, yet this veil shall be lifted and will become manifest in the assemblage of the world.
They have passed beyond names and have made for and attained unto the sea of inner meanings, reaching a station which the Pen is powerless to mention and the tongue fails to describe.
By the life of God! If the veil were lifted, those who turned away would circle around those who turned towards God, and would flock from all directions to attain their presence and meeting. However, consummate wisdom has concealed this, so that there might be manifested from them in His days what was hidden within them and stored in their inmost beings.
Therefore strive to bring forth, through the divine will, the treasures hidden from mortal eyes. This is the counsel of this imprisoned servant to that servant.
This is a bounty greater than the creation of all who are in the heavens and on earth, and this is a manifest truth. Though this universal divine mercy is now veiled and hidden from all eyes and sight, yet ere long all shall behold its effects and mysteries in the Kingdom of God.
Were that which We have ordained for thee at this hour to be unveiled, thou wouldst be thunderstruck with longing.
Know thou that the question thou hast asked hath explanations and interpretations that cannot be set forth today, nor can ears bear to hear them, for souls are veiled by veils of darkness and eyes are covered by a veil of fire.
Was not the world of the womb, when compared with this world, but as illusions and dreams? Even so is this earthly life but illusion when compared with the life hereafter. When man passed from the world of the womb into the world of sense, the veil was lifted from before him, the covering removed, and he perceived that which in the world of the womb he had neither comprehended nor could ever have imagined, even in dream and fancy.
As for the unveiling of the beauty of the Holy Manifestations at the time of ascending to the limitless worlds, this pertaineth to the fact that the world of physical senses and material perceptions is metaphorical while the world of the spirit is reality itself. When the morning of reality dawneth, the realities of all created things will become apparent, the heedless will become conscious, the slumberer will awaken, and they will behold the Manifestations of Truth clearly and unmistakably. "We have removed from thee thy veil, and thy sight is sharp this day."
The Lord God pleased to give the human being three great mysteries (secrets, riddles) on his journey through life. The final unveiling of them will only occur when our soul has shed its earthly body.
"If the veil were to be lifted, ye would not prefer the present life."
Moreover, after the Supreme Affliction, ascending unto God is the greatest gift. I swear by God, before Whom there is none other, that were the veil to be removed, all would desire that they themselves, and their dearest relatives and friends, should return unto God as soon as possible. Divine wisdom, however, hath concealed this secret.
The Blessed Perfection has revealed a Tablet called 'Tablet of the Spiritual World.' All who read it are filled with an anxious desire to leave this world and enter the next condition, so wonderful are the gloriesof the Spiritual Kingdom. In Persia, one man who read this Tablet killed himself. he could not wait for the happiness it promised him. Another, a youth of Isfahan, could not stand the spiritual food contained in this Tablet, and lost his reason.
As for Mr. Breakwell who has ascended to the Kingdom of God, in his ascension there is wisdom which none knows except him whom God has taught the mystery of mysteries.
Wert thou to discover what hath been ordained for thee in the Most Glorious Kingdom, thou wouldst spread the pinions of longing and grow the plumes of yearning, and soar unto the Supreme Companion. However, the all-encompassing divine wisdom hath required the concealment of this magnificent bounty and ancient generosity, lest every heedless blameworthy one covet it.
Were God, exalted be His glory, to unveil the hidden mysteries even to the extent of a needle's eye, all would turn to Him and seek ascension. However, in accordance with the requirements of wisdom, they remain concealed.
Were We to lift the veil from the face of the Cause, people would surely sever their own necks with their own hands in this path. Bear witness that what remaineth concealed is like unto an ocean, while that which We have manifested among the servants is but as a drop that none can reckon save those endowed with keen vision.
Were the hidden mysteries to be revealed, all would hasten to the place of sacrifice, but the veils remain drawn through His wisdom.
Say: O people! Were We to lift the veil of concealment from the face of mysteries by a finger's breadth, ye would surely detach yourselves from your possessions and wealth, and would sacrifice your souls in the path of God, your Creator. Yet We have not lifted it, by reason of a wisdom that remaineth hidden from the eyes of the idolaters.
The Ancient Beauty declareth: The mysteries of this Revelation remain concealed, and were they to be revealed, verily would the people of the earth be struck with terror, save him whose heart God hath purified with this Kawthar.
Although now, due to the veil and covering, this supreme triumph is concealed and this manifest light is hidden, yet in the realms of the Kingdom of existence it is clear and evident.
When this bounty removes the veil and lifts the covering, a bright morn shall dawn and a radiant sun shall shine forth, and the hidden mysteries shall become manifest.
When the veils of the elemental world and the dark curtain of this earthly realm are lifted from sight, the vast expanse and broad space of the divine world becomes manifest, and the Beloved of divine bestowals unveils His face, and the gifts of the All-Merciful become evident. One sees the gates of the Kingdom opened and finds the breasts of the dwellers of the realm of might expanded. The realities of mysteries become manifest and the subtleties of lights become apparent.
However, at present this is hidden from sight - none know of it save those possessed of insight and lofty thoughts whose traces are sublime. These lights shall shine forth and these signs shall appear, and it shall be proven that servitude at the Sublime Threshold is a glorious crown whose most resplendent jewels shall gleam upon the horizons.
Yet the non-existence and evanescence of the shadow becomes the cause of its nearness and reunion and its very existence. None but the righteous have had or will have a share of this cup.
If thou openest the eye of thy soul and gazest upon the Kingdom of the Best-Beloved, thou wilt observe that this is a letter of liberation whereby thou shalt gain admittance to the divine Kingdom, and when thou takest flight from this dusty realm of darkness to the luminous world, thou shalt hasten to the private chamber of the Truth.
Should a soul become aware of but one fruit from the tree of divine decree and comprehend it, joy and gladness, delight and expansion, submission and contentment would never depart from him.
Extinction is the gate to immortality, and immortality the gate to extinction. Non-existence is the door to existence, and existence the door to non-existence.
Without divine civilization the mysteries of the Kingdom are not revealed and the bounties of heaven are not ascertained; supernatural wisdom and power do not manifest themselves; the intelligence of humanity does not reach maturity; the world of humanity does not become the mirror of the world above; spiritual powers fail to over-come animal influences of nature.
These teachings are what the world needs in this luminous age, for this is not an age of blind imitation; it is the age of light, and the century in which mysteries will be made manifest.
"Arise to serve the Cause of God in the vineyard of God and water the developed and flourishing trees with the waters of mysteries which are deposited in the innermost parts of the words of the Books; and be assured that the fountain of assurance will gush out in the hearts of the firm and steadfast women believers, and the divine graces will strengthen them from all sides, and the Lord will enable them to diffuse the fragrances.
Accordingly, it would be possible that a certain servant of the servants of the Merciful might discover a treasured mystery or a preserved sign, whatever his shortcomings or defects might be; yet we do indeed rely upon God the Forgiver.
For instance, if the Blessed Beauty asked after someone's health, although outwardly a common expression, it could give to a person who was perceptive hints as to the wisdom and mystery hidden in the words spoken on that occasion.
Hearken with the ear of the heart to the hidden secrets and heavenly Mysteries in the world of soul and spirit and listen to the Divine Glad-tidings.
For His Holiness Baha'u'llah has so united the hearts that they correspond together without the means of pen and paper, explaining the Mysteries of the Kingdom.
Therefore, O knower of mysteries, strive that people may gain the insight of the righteous and become manifestations of the favors of the Lord. May they open another eye to witness the Divine Spirit.
May they become the soaring heights of mystical knowledge and privy to hidden mysteries. May they become the breeze of the rose garden of divine unity and the manifestation of the favors of the Glorious Lord.
Would that thou knewest the surging waves of this Most Great Ocean and what lieth concealed therein of the pearls of the mysteries of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Praised!
Before the multitudes of men, its inhabitants will take pride and glory in this, that they are the descendants of the compatriots of the Blessed Beauty, that their forefathers had attained His presence and partaken of that surpassing bounty, and that even though they were unaware thereof, they were like unto the fish of the deep, which are immersed in the sea without knowing it, and are beneath the gaze of the Concourse on high.
Assuredly mysteries will be successively revealed, thou wilt become aware of divine traces, veils will be rent asunder, and the dominion of the mystery will become manifest. The imaginary will vanish and the real beauty will be revealed.
O thou who art assured of the Day of Resurrection!
On the Day of Manifestation, the trumpet was sounded and the bugle was blown. Both the assured and the doubtful were gathered together, but the assured one awakened and became conscious, became aware of death and life, crossed over the bridge, and entered the paradise of sanctification. But the heedless remained unaware of both death and life, and "they perceive not when they shall be raised."
O Bassar! On the Day of Splendor you opened the eye of insight and beheld the lights, penetrated the Kingdom of mysteries and pondered the signs, becoming aware of the hidden truth and the veiled reality.
If thou wert to know what We intended for thee in the depths of these allusions, joy and longing would seize thee to a station wherein thou wouldst find thyself detached from all directions.
Therefore I beseech God that thou mayest become the essence of knowledge and gain insight into the hidden secret and guarded mystery of the All-Merciful.
I, too, immediately proceeded to pen this letter, and I have hoped and continue to hope through the grace and favors of the Blessed Beauty that the divine friends will attain such attraction that they will grasp divine mysteries without letters and become discoverers of secrets.
The outpourings of the Abha Kingdom are the Preserved Tablet, the Written Book and the Outspread Parchment, and all mysteries are inscribed in that letter. Study that detailed letter carefully so that you may become informed of the mysteries of what was and what will be.
I beseech God to remove the veil and reveal to you the simple, universal truth that is sanctified from the understanding of the people of vain imaginings.
For I am with thee wherever thou dwellest; that place is overflowing with spiritual susceptibilities, and the light of the Kingdom casteth its effulgence upon it.
We must endeavor to gain heavenly enlightenment, to understand the mysteries of the holy books, to become the cause of guidance to others and to illumine hearts.
O my Lord! Open unto them the gates of mysteries and admit them into the company of the righteous and bring them back from mere traces to the Dawning Place of lights until each one among them becomes like a globe of fire, his face radiant among the chosen ones, his brow illumined from the orient of remembrances, the fragrance of musk wafting from him to all regions, hearing what God casts upon him through the harbingers of glad tidings and angels of bounty, giving glad tidings to hearts through conclusive proofs and clear evidences from all directions.
Verily, I reveal unto thee in spirit and address thee in heart, a speech which will open unto thee the doors of mysteries which are concealed behind veils.
At that moment, the reality of "Read thy book: sufficient is thy soul this day to make an account against thee" becomes manifest and apparent, and all the spiritual meanings that lie hidden and concealed in human consciousness become clear and evident.
I beseech Thee by the outpouring of Thy bountiful Kingdom and the rain from the clouds of Thy abundant generosity and the lion of Thy forest, to assist this servant to discover the mysteries and the meanings of Thy recorded Book and Thy unfurled scroll and Thy preserved tablet, O my Chosen Lord.
Then protect him from the arrows of doubts and the spears of allusions, and make manifest to him the clear proofs and show him the signs, O King of earth and Compeller of the heavens.
Lord, lift the veil and acquaint him with the hidden secret and the protected mystery concealed from the eyes of humanity, so that the realities of things may be unveiled to him and he may discover secrets for which the ancient philosophers and people of insight in later centuries died in regret.
O thou perfumer, scatter the musk of mysteries throughout this world, that the nostrils of all people may be perfumed thereby and their eyes illumined by the vision of these lights.
My hope is that thou mayest become, moment by moment, more hopeful and discover the hidden mystery of the Lord God.
O God! Through the effusions of the cloud of bounty, transform this assemblage into a rose garden and meadow, that they may be delivered from waiting, witness the lights of the Sun of Truth, receive tidings from the invisible realm, and discover the mysteries of the concealed world. Thou art the Guide.
O my Lord! Confirm this revered personage, that he may attain the Essential Purpose; travel in these Seven Valleys; enter the silent chamber of realities and significances, and enter the Kingdom of Mysteries. Verily, Thou art the Confirmer, the Helper, the Kind.
May God open your inner sight, so that you may know his secrets, attain to the highest degree of existence, become manifestors of a spiritual humanity and have your share of the heavenly wisdom that Baha'u'llah bestows. … I commend you to turn towards the kingdom of El-Abha, so that the divine mysteries may be revealed.
If thou couldst measure the height and depth of the marvelous events which have transpired and are transpiring in the Cause thou wouldst write down every word I utter with the pen of diamond upon the page of gold.
Perhaps God, exalted is He, will inspire us with knowledge of His mystery after a while or before, and we hope from the Most High, the Great, that He will hasten relief for the oppressed by the right of the family of God upon Him and His decree upon all the family of God.
Therefore turn to thy Most Exalted Lord and say:
O Lord! Awaken us from slumber and make us conscious and aware, so that we may become acquainted with the mysteries of Thy Holy Book and discover the hidden meanings of Thy words.
I beseech Thee by the hearts wherein are treasured the pearls of Thy hidden knowledge, and which Thou hast made the dawning-places of the mysteries of what was and what will be, to draw Thy seeking servants nigh unto the seat of the glory of Thy oneness, then cause them to enter, O my God, the pavilion of Thy mercy and favors, and the canopy of Thy nearness and kindness.
O Thou Kind God! We are Thy humble servants; endear us in Thy Kingdom! We are poor; enrich us through Thy heavenly Treasury! We are ignorant; suffer us to become informed with Thy Mysteries. We are dead; quicken us with the Breaths of Thy Holy-Spirit. We are extinct; enkindle us with the Fire of Thy Love, O God! Do not look upon our capabilities, but deal with us according to Thy infinite Mercy!
I beseech Thee by the mysteries of Thy knowledge which none hath known save Thee, and Glory be unto Thee, O my God!
Further quotations · supplied wording and references
The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. (Albert Einstein)
What is it that flashes now and again upon me and pierces my heart without wounding me? I shudder and burn. Inasmuch as I am unlike it, I shudder; inasmuch as I am like it, I burn. It is Wisdom, Wisdom itself, that flashes upon me, rending the cloud that surrounds me.
The core of religious faith is that mystical feeling which unites man with God. This state of spiritual communion can be brought about and maintained by means of meditation and prayer.... It is not sufficient for a believer to merely accept and observe the teachings. He should, in addition, cultivate the sense of spirituality, which he can acquire chiefly by means of prayer. The Baha'i Faith, like all other Divine Religions, is thus fundamentally mystic in character.... prayer is absolutely indispensable to their inner spiritual development, and this, as already stated, is the very foundation and purpose of the religion of God.
In a Tablet to me, Abdu';-Baha once wrote, "Turn with thy heart to the heart of Abdu'l-Baha and the hidden mysteries will be revealed to thee." I have obeyed this command, and the mystery has been revealed to me--but I cannot express it in words--not even He can do that. The Mystery, however, is no mystery at all to those who met Abdu'l-Baha heart to heart...
We must learn to commune with Their Souls, and this is what the Martyrs seemed to have done, and what brought them such ecstasy of joy that life became nothing. This is the true mysticism, and the secret, inner meaning of life which humanity has at present, drifted so far from.
If a man is moved to love God apart from any sweetness he feels, he is already focusing his love upon God, whom he does not feel. If he sets his will upon pleasurable and consoling feelings, thinking about them and resting in them, he is setting his will on creatures or related things, making them into an end instead of a means. That man would be very ignorant who thinks that because sweetness and delight are failing him, God is failing him, or should think that in having these he is having God. He would be still more ignorant if he followed God looking for sweetness, and rejoiced and rested in it when obtained.
And it must be known that, although these things may happen to the bodily senses in the way of God, we must never rely upon them or accept them, but must always fly from them, without trying to ascertain whether they be good or evil; ... for the bodily sense is as ignorant of spiritual things as is a beast of rational things, and even more so. So he that esteems such things errs greatly and exposes himself to great peril of being deceived; in any case he will have within himself a complete impediment to the attainment of spirituality.
Briefly, there is no question that visions occasionally do come to individuals, which are true and have significance. On the other hand, this comes to an individual through the grace of God, and not through the exercise of any of the human faculties. It is not a thing which a person should try to develop. When a person endeavours to develop faculties so that they might enjoy visions, dreams etc., actually what they are doing is weakening certain of their spiritual capacities; and thus under such circumstances, dreams and visions have no reality, and ultimately lead to the destruction of the character of the person.
Truly mystical experiences based on reality are very rare, and we can readily see how dangerous it is for people to go groping about in the darkness of their imagination after the true thing.... If we are going to have some deeply spiritual experience we can rest assured God will vouchsafe it to us without our having to look for it.
People like Emerson were undoubtedly inspired by God, for many of the thoughts that quicken us in this day were uttered and stimulated by them. Only gradually will we come to appreciate their work and place them in the growing world of ours. The tendency of these writers, however, is rather to diminish, rather than to enhance the position of the Prophet in civilization. These bid us come into communion with God by looking within us. They tell us that the Prophets were humans and that we can become like Them if we only strive. This renders religion, the religion of the few, the religion of only those who have experiences.
Were all the things that lie enshrined within the heart of Baha, and which the Lord, His God, the Lord of all names, hath taught Him, to be unveiled to mankind, every man on earth would be dumbfounded.
I ask God that He may open the gate of the knowledge of these stations to thine heart so that thou mayest apprehend whatever is necessary and proper, garner spiritual bounties from the heaven of the All-Merciful, obtain the effulgences of knowledge from the Sun of Reality, and become a manifestation of inspiration from the Unseen and a source of glad-tidings from the All-Merciful.
And if he arrives at that most exalted station and transcendent home it behooveth him to be entrusted with the treasures of the knowledge of God, and to be the keeper of the pearls of His wisdom. It behooveth the wayfarer to guard this knowledge deposited in the receptacles of enlightened hearts by God the creator of mankind, to protect it as his eyes, and to conceal it in his breast. Were he to reveal one letter of these secrets other than to those who are worthy, he shall have perpetuated three serious crimes.
For thought and discussion