self-improvement; self-perfection; discipline
Editorial introduction
We are tender plants in Thy garden, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá prays; make us trees laden with fruit. The work of character starts from that confidence that something is already planted, and then asks for effort: look within to find your own errors, tear down the weak point, and build a good quality in the place where the bad one stood. The same counsel refuses morbidity. Spend your time on what brings joy to heart and soul, do not be occupied with your failings, and remember that mistakes are how a person learns and unfolds the higher self within. Aristotle’s observation that we become just by doing just acts names the habituation that runs under these teachings, though here prayer and grace do work that habit alone cannot [1]. And the purpose is never private: refine your own soul, Bahá’u’lláh says, and then arise to reform others. The road leads on into bringing oneself to account each day, the education of capacity, the discipline of mindfulness, and the fruit by which a tree is known.
We are tender plants in Thy garden, sown by the hand of Thy mercy, our brows inscribed with the traces of Thy love. Make Thou all to become trees laden with fruit, each of us abounding in yield. We are but single letters; make us resplendent words. We are but brief phrases; transform us into perspicuous verses. We are but worthless pages; fashion us into a lucid book. We are but lowly dots; change us into exalted letters.
The true love of self is that which leads forward and upward in a direct course toward higher life and being.
As much as thou art able, spend thy time in matters that are the cause of joy to heart and soul, so that in every moment thou mayest find new life, and in every day seek new strength, and in every night kindle an illumined lamp, and become a spring of the water of life to quicken souls.
We should not be occupied with our failings and weakness, but concern ourselves about the Will of God so that It may flow through us, thereby healing these human infirmities.
Tests reveal strength as well as weakness and provide opportunity to remedy defects.
The soul also becomes aware of its strength, a former weakness is overcome and a surprise awaits the soul; it realizes its growth, and so the heavy discipline is proved to be nutritive and a new confidence and trust is born in the consciousness, and this leads to mastery, self-discipline becomes self-mastery.
When the believers are insistent, Abdul Baha must give them answers, and it is their wish always that Abdul Baha grants them. He knows what their wish in reality is. They must make mistakes to learn, and to unfold the higher which is within themselves.
Each man must look to himself and within himself to find his errors and weaknesses.
When we find weak points in our character we must begin to tear down; and also we must not neglect to build up good qualities in place of the evil ones which we discard. It is a law of our nature that to remove a characteristic permanently another must be developed in its stead.
Divine qualities are unlimited. For this reason you must not be satisfied with one quality, but must try to attain all. Each of us must improve himself, that he may attain nothing short of the best.
Question: Is there any predominant quality which man should develop in order to obtain especial excellence or power after death?
Answer: No, man should develop all his qualities for each quality has its own use and function.
No matter what level a human being reaches, he can still attain higher ones, so he is always making effort and desiring more.
His aim must be to rise day unto day in the scale of divine and human virtues; his today be better than yesterday and his tomorrow better than today.
Every person should first think about their own education, should think about perfecting themselves, for self-education is primary.
You ought first to be perfect, then to think about the perfections of others. Until you are perfect you cannot make others perfect; until you are rich you cannot make others rich; until you are alive you cannot give life to others.
As long as a soul is not perfected how can he efface the defects of others? Unless he is detached from aught else save God how can he teach severance to others?
Before teaching others, one must first teach oneself. A person should first test their knowledge within themselves to see whether it is practically applicable or merely theoretical.
All must occupy themselves with the refinement of their own souls and thereafter arise for the reformation of others.
Today, every soul must occupy himself with his own reformation, and manifest pure deeds and praiseworthy, acceptable conduct.
Dissatisfaction with one's self is a sign of progress. The souls who is satisfied with himself is the manifestation of Satan and the person who is not contented with himself is the manifestation of the Clement One. The self-adoring individual - the egoist - does not advance. If a person has one thousand good qualities he must not look at them; nay rather he must strive to find out his own defects and imperfections.
The person who is satisfied with himself is the manifestation of Satan and the one who is not satisfied is the manifestation of the Merciful One. An egotist does not progress but the one who thinks himself imperfect will seek perfection for himself and will progress.
If a person does not sense the same, remains unaware of his shortcomings, exerts no efforts to improve himself, then he is no better than a stone.
Praising oneself is the sign of selfishness. Commending others is the passport to the realm of spiritual progress.
In any case, 'Abdu'l-Baha undertakes this perilous journey with the hope that perhaps he may find some relief from intense shame and seek deliverance from embarrassment, for until now he has not drawn a single breath in servitude to the Sacred Threshold nor rendered any service to the servants of the Blessed Beauty. Perhaps during this absence divine aid and favor will arrive and he may take a step on the path of His good-pleasure.
He said thoughtfully: "I think we should learn to live in the body as if it were a glass case, through which we can look clearly on all sides. But we must remember that we can not see through glass unless it is clean, and no one can dust his own case but himself."
Say: O friends! Strive that the jewels of human beings may become manifest and evident through the burnishing of divine grace.
Whosoever hath planted the tree of divine love in the garden of his heart must needs preserve it, water it with the rain of remembrance, and keep it pure from the weeds of self and passion.
Moral life consists in the government of one's self. Immortality is government of a human soul by the Divine Will.
O servant of God! A sovereign in this human world is one who inhales the sweet fragrances of the other world, and whose spirit, in the kingdom of the body, ascends the throne of the heart and vanquishes and subdues the hosts of self and passion.
O valiant one! True valor lies in man's triumph over self and desire, in vanquishing the hosts of darkness, in demolishing the edifice of ignorance and raising high the palace of knowledge, in putting to flight the foxes of violation and routing the dogs that break the Covenant. Truly thou art valiant and brave. Upon thee be greetings and praise.
Physical champions and earthly men, although outwardly possessing strength and power, are yet captives of desire and passion, and are caught and debased by the lowest of things.
When the wayfarer reaches this most exalted and supreme station, firstly no anger arises in him that he should need to suppress it, and no self remains that should need to forgive.
You are now in your youth; however you train yourself, so shall you remain. Therefore, engage in sanctification and detachment, and ever act contrary to the promptings of self.
If someone shows laziness or feigns ignorance, it is proof of lifelessness, withering and depression.
If he cannot rise to th[is] height he may at least school himself in those tasks which are beneath his endurance. If he cannot come under the range of these two classes he has disqualified himself for any useful service and will be classed as a social[l] cumberer and freak.
One can do it very easily if he makes up his mind fully, resolving to quit it forever. It is all a matter of character and determination.
Even food should only be for meeting needs - excess beyond necessity leads to depression, listlessness and ultimately to illness and affliction.
Up to the time I was 32 years I never slept in bed, preferring always a piece of mat and as cushion I chose one or two books. I went to sleep without changing my dress fearing that it will take me some time to dress in the morning.
The Master apropos of revolver shooting said:- "When I was young they would light ten candles and at the range of a very long distance I would put out the lights one after another without missing one."
Therefore if by the Grace of God and your own effort, your life is simple, do not make it complicated, do not let it be entangled with outside matters, keep it always full of the fragrance of pure trust and unalloyed confidence; but if through some unavoidable causes it has become a tangled skein of intricacies, try your best to unloose the confused mass, get another hold of the silken thread of life and start again on the royal path of artless and frank simplicity.
How often I argued with him to set aside his will and follow the Will of God. He did not listen. I loved him. I wished him [to] become like unto a glorious sun irradiating the rays of severance and holiness but he preferred to wallow in the filth and quagmire of human propensities.
Then know that when We found the one named Ali-Akbar who was there immersed in the depths of fancy and desire, We sent down from the heaven of divine will a tablet and sent it to him by the hand of Salman, and We have now sent a copy of it to thee that thou mayest read it and convey it to him, that perchance he may reflect within himself and sanctify himself from the doubts that were in his heart and be purified from the uncertainties of the age.
For now, in that land, make silence and quietude your course of action and occupy yourself with the cultivation of virtuous character and the improvement of conditions.
This being so, strive to become a man of the arena of divine knowledge and a luminous star in the heaven.
Everything in life ministers to our development. Our lesson is to study and learn. Money and difficulties are alike advantages to us. Tests are either stumbling blocks or stepping-stones, just as we make them.
In the world of humanity "good intentions" is the greatest means of personal development.
I hope that, day by day, thou mayest step further, become characterized with a godlike nature and disposition, manner and morals, in order that thou mayest become the cause of the guidance of many souls and the instrument for the illumination of a region.
Devotion to one's calling, effort in its speedy execution, simplicity of sprit and steadfastness through all the ups and downs, these are the hallmarks of success.
Night and day think on acquiring outer and inner perfections, and day and night draw illumination from pure springs so that through the grace of the Ancient Beauty each of you may become, in all conditions, a great sign of the Most Glorious Beauty and the manifestation of one of the names of the Self-Subsisting, Ever-Living Lord.
Assuredly, neglect not, throughout thy days and nights, the acquisition of spiritual and outward perfections, that the fruits of existence may be made manifest through thee. This is the counsel and testament of a faithful counselor.
Man must work and in that work show the qualities of GOD and thus do good. His work, both material and spiritual, must show what he is. By his arts, sciences, inventions and all of his work he must show his best ability.
Be ye the fruit-bearing trees of the garden of Abha, the shining lamps in the gathering of the friends, the fragrant flowers of the meadows of the world and the efficient members of the body polity.
Be ye original, invent your thoughts and deeds. Do not let the sphere of your ideals be contracted. Be not imitators. Seek the radiant path of Divine Glory. Be ye attracted and enkindled.
Perfection is impossible without humility;
Humility unattainable without the love of God;
The love of man is essential to the love of God;
The love of God is inaccessible without the love of humanity;
The love of humanity is a glittering generality without social service;
Social service is a mere catch-word without sacrifice and severance.
For I have supplicated and beseeched before the Threshold of the Almighty that thy wish may be realized, so thou mayest overcome the self and perform charitable deeds and that human perfections may appear from thee; that thou mayest be endowed with lofty gifts; find thy way to divine wisdom and show forth the manners and conduct of those who are favored in the Threshold of the Almighty.
Man must become the educative origin of divine perfections. Man must become the embodiment of good works. Man must become the means of the wellbeing and prosperity of the commonwealth of humanity.
Become adorned with the ornament of chastity and purity of the good ones, and be characterized by those perfections which are the adornment of the world and the glory of humankind.
O thou intoxicated with the wine of wakefulness! The vigilant and noble are they whose forebears are as an ocean of munificence and as the adorned heaven; who shine resplendent in the world even as the sun and moon, and who, like unto the stars of the heaven of God, lend adornment unto the universe. Strive thou, therefore, that thou mayest become one of those high-born and illustrious souls.
This is the cause of eternal glory, this is the cause of the adornment of human reality, and this is what befitteth the youth in this glorious century. This is what beseeming those who are young in this sacred epoch.
Thus I encouraged those believers who were there and urged them to acquire human perfections.
The friends must show determination and display strength and might in the field of His service, and win the ball of precedence, so that this withered and dejected soul of Abdul-Baha may find spirit and fragrance and become hopeful.
I hope therefore that at the Divine Threshold thou mayest secure favor, may become connected with the Kingdom by ideal ties and may daily progress so that thou mayest be accepted in the Sight of His Holiness Baha'u'llah!
Therefore, strive to become true human beings who attain their heart's desire, not merely sculptured idols of Farkhar.
Strive thou, therefore, to become a dawning-place of highest excellence.
"Endeavor and strive eagerly that you may progress and advance rapidly. You are born in this holy day, attaining this great privilege by the favor of God, therefore you must not waste or throw away this bounty and mercy.
This Wronged One counsels the friends of God to perform such deeds as will conduce to the exaltation of His Cause and the elevation of His Word amongst His servants.
We have commanded all to that which shall preserve them from the promptings of self and passion and draw them nigh unto God, the Lord of the Day of Return.
Keep thyself from self and be not neglectful in the Cause of God. Be in the utmost state of submission and contentment, and follow not thy desires but rather follow what this needy servant conveyeth unto thee, for he desireth for thee naught save what he desireth for himself, and teacheth thee not a letter except by that which he hath taught himself, and remembereth thee not save by that which he remembereth his own soul, and loveth thee now as he loved thee before.
If you follow My way, verily He will guide you to the straight path. Whoso is adorned with the ornament of My character traits verily shines forth in the kingdom and by him the horizons are illumined.
God willing, mayest thou be possessed of zeal and enthusiasm and not be remiss in acquiring virtues.
For thought and discussion