Detachment, severance, renunciation and patience

That respected one has understood that detachment means detachment of the self from all else save God - that is, to ascend to such a station wherein nothing whatsoever among all that exists between the heavens and the earth can prevent one from the Truth. In other words, neither love of anything nor occupation with it should veil one from divine love and engagement in His remembrance.

Detachment is as the sun; in whatsoever heart it doth shine it quencheth the fire of covetousness and self.

Thus doth He Who is the Lord of all men inform you, did ye but know it.

He whose sight is illumined with the light of understanding will assuredly detach himself from the world and the vanities thereof….

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True reliance is for the servant to pursue his profession and calling in this world, to hold fast unto the Lord, to seek naught but His grace, inasmuch as in His Hands is the destiny of all His servants.

The essence of detachment is for man to turn his face towards the courts of the Lord, to enter His Presence, behold His Countenance, and stand as witness before Him.

Thus in one of His exalted Tablets He hath revealed - the meaning whereof in Persian is: "The people of Baha are those who, should they pass through cities of gold, would not deign to look thereon, and should all the women of the earth appear before them in their finest ornament and most wondrous beauty, they would not gaze upon them with lustful intent."

If the whole earth were to be converted into silver and gold, no man who can be said to have truly ascended into the heaven of faith and certitude would deign to regard it, much less to seize and keep it.

The wealthy friend said: "You are not fit for travel, for you cannot detach from one donkey, while I have left all my glory and wealth at your word and have not thought of return despite having everything. But you are restless about returning though you have nothing but a donkey. Thus detachment is through lack of heart's attachment, not lack of means.

By being severed from the world I do not mean holding in contempt the things of the world, for civilization and education are the means of progress; but I mean that one must not attach his heart to the world. There have been some who have had the capacity of receiving the divine blessings, but, not being detached from the world, they at last became cold in the service of God.

I wish for the happiness and prosperity of the believers even in this material world, but they must not be attracted by it or attached to it. Extreme wealth or utter poverty should be equal to them.

How excellent is the state of that soul whom wealth hath not prevented from recognizing his ultimate end, and whom the imaginings of men have not debarred from knowing the Lord of all beings.

Neither give ear to commendation and praise, nor be saddened or heartbroken by censure and humiliation. Arise amidst the peoples of the world and, wholly detached and sanctified from all save God and stirred by His Covenant and Testament, strive to awaken the heedless; for, in this day, most people are unaware and oblivious of the power of God's Covenant and Testament.

The heart must become wholly detached before it can find rest and relief.

Leave the world and all that is therein to its people, and spread not corruption in the land after it hath been set in order. Be ye of them that are detached.

Be not then afflicted, and occupy thyself at all times with the remembrance of the Well-Beloved. Be not saddened by the sorrows of the world, nor gladdened by its joys, for with the swiftness of lightning both shall pass away and come to naught. Detach thine heart from all that perisheth, and enter thou the imperishable dominion.

O thou who art firm in the Covenant! Thy letter was received and supplication was made at the Threshold of Oneness that the means of comfort and tranquility of heart and soul be prepared for thee. Attachment to this world is not permitted, and immersion in this sea is not necessary. It behoveth one, with utter severance, to attach oneself unto God, so that comfort of soul, tranquility of heart, freedom of spirit and assurance of self may be attained.

Though the mind is busy, the heart must be attracted toward the Kingdom of God in order that the virtues of humanity may be attained from every direction and source.

The people of God have not at all any dependence in this world; they neither get displeased with the bitterness of the cup, nor are they happy with its sweetness.

The happiness of humanity consists in the severance of their minds and hearts from all attachments and affections. Viewed in this light, should a person lack so much as a single cent to his name, he would be glad regardless, and without this detachment, all the world's riches and sovereignty would never bring him happiness. Now imagine that you had been born a hundred years ago! Do not become attached to this world; such attachments befit a child. One must only set one's affections on the outpourings of divine grace, that one may come to personify all perfections, outward and inward alike. Every other affair is limited and fleeting.

How many who are distant are with Me in the loftiest heights of detachment, and how many who are near are in a place remote.

… Be thou detached from all the worlds.

But the spiritual, luminous, divine gathering is the assembly of the loved ones, for these souls have attached their hearts to the true Beloved and have been freed from the bonds of this mortal world, have broken the conditions of ascetics, and have joined the Concourse on High.

One must seek the treasure of contentment and pursue the treasury of divine gifts. In this case, one's days will be joy upon joy. Otherwise, in every situation there will be sorrow upon sorrow.

Avoid all entanglements, all entrapments of security and seek freedom rather, and independence, and liberation.

The essence of retreat and seclusion is that a person should have no attachment of heart to this world, but rather seek freedom, tranquility and wisdom.

An earthly edifice, even if raised as high as the heavens, will ultimately become a ruin, nay, a darkened tomb. Erecting edifices, palaces, mansions, and stately homes is acceptable and praiseworthy in the religion of God, but one should not become attached to them or set one's affections upon them. The intention should be the advancement of the world and the establishment of human civilization.

Detachment consists in refraining from letting our possessions possess us. A prosperous merchant who is not absorbed in his business knows severance. A banker whose occupation does not prevent him from serving humanity is severed. A poor man can be attached to a small thing.

When a person is not bound by transient attachments and is content and happy with whatever occurs in all conditions - this state of submission and contentment is the very paradise that is ordained in this world.

In the Baha'i Cause it is taught that we must devote the utmost attention to the pursuit of our worldly affairs but at the same time be severed from all else save God. How can the mind and the heart be entirely free, and detached from any pursuit, yet occupied with the solution of material problems? … To be in the water and not to get wet; to go through the fire and not to be burned--these are opposite, irreconcilable conditions. Still, in the spiritual world these two antipodes must meet and the two qualities of severance and attachment must be harmoniously combined."

He can never find peace but through effort and resignation, so that, notwithstanding all efforts in worldly affairs, the human heart remains free and happy. He neither becomes proud on attaining wealth and position nor becomes dejected on losing them. This station can be attained only through the power of faith.

Say: Detachment lieth in what your hands acquire and in all whereby ye labor and strive for your livelihood, for this preserveth you from begging and protecteth you from helplessness and abasement in the presence of the assemblage of oppressors. This is the detachment that is mentioned in the earthly realm and which all are commanded to observe, that they may thereby be detached from turning to the fields of the abhorred one.

As for the detachment sought by the people of Paradise, who at all times beseech God their Creator - it is detachment from all save God and from all that ye know today.

When thou knowest Him, thou art independent from all else. When thou art attached to His love, then thou art detached from every kith and kin.

O thou who art rich in God!

The riches of gold and silver become the cause of increasing need and engagement, as thou observest that the greatest of the world's wealthy ones are the crowned heads, yet despite this they are in the most extreme state of need, indebted, disadvantaged and afflicted. But those souls who have drunk from the brimming cup of "God will render everyone independent out of His abundance" - though outwardly poor and possessing not a penny - yet have a flowing treasure in their sleeve, the kingdom of the placeless beneath their signet ring, and the treasures of the Kingdom concealed within.

Whosoever is humble, he is the most noble and whosoever is dispossessed of passion and desire, he possesses everything.

Severance means that the heart must be detached from the things of the world. By this I do not mean that man must not have a business, that he must not be occupied, that he must not be in commerce. In this dispensation, these things constitute devotion. It is incumbent upon every man to be occupied; but his heart must be free and detached.

I am ever anticipating joyous news from America, wishing that all the newspapers and journals might write of the Bahais in the following terms:

"These people are distinguished in all qualities; they have pure intentions; they are truthful to all humanity; they are trustworthy; they exercise kindness towards all mankind; and with heart and soul and life they are engaged in service; they depend upon GOD; they are severed from the attachments of this world, albeit they are all engaged in some profession or work; they serve real civilization ; in reality they are civilized people; they fear nothing whatever; night and day their thoughtful attention is devoted to philanthropic deeds; they wish no harm to any one; they do not annoy anybody; they put forth efforts in general philanthropy; their greatest and highest desire is that bias may be removed from among the nations and sects of the world; that all mankind maybe united with each other; that all wars and battles may be abolished from among the nations and powers of the world; that the standard of universal peace or the Most Great Peace shall be raised; that estrangement may cease entirely; that no religious fanaticism, racial or patriotic bias shall exist, for all are the creatures of GOD, and all are the signs of the Power of GOD."

Severance means that one's heart must not be attached to the things of this world. It does not mean that a man must dispossess himself of them, or that he must not work and earn or practice his profession, whatever it may be, in the world. It does not mean that he must not put on what he has. If he has a silk garb, let him wear that; and if he has not, but has a suit of cotton goods, let him wear that clean. He must feel the same in both.

The world and all that is therein, in relation to God, blessed and exalted be He, are loved and accepted, but if this relationship be severed they are not worth a penny.

Say:

My God, my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Prophets and Thy chosen ones and Thy Books and Thy Scriptures and Thy Tablets to make me one of those whom Thou hast described in Thy Book with Thy words "Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverteth from the remembrance of God."

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Another meaning: the weight of limitations causes sinking, therefore one must be freed from material weight, yet like the flower remain in this same form upon the face of the earthly realm.

Were it not for poverty, the light of detachment would not shine forth in creation.

Turn thy face unto Mine and renounce all save Me; for My sovereignty endureth and My dominion perisheth not. If thou seekest another than Me, yea, if thou searchest the universe for evermore, thy quest will be in vain.

… For everything there is a sign. The sign of love is fortitude under My decree and patience under My trials.

Cast away that which ye possess, and, on the wings of detachment, soar beyond all created things. Thus biddeth you the Lord of creation, the movement of Whose Pen hath revolutionized the soul of mankind.

Say: O people! Forsake all that ye possess, and enter beneath the shadow of your Lord, the All-Merciful. Better is this for you than all your works of the past and of the future.

Blessed is he who hath remained faithful to My Covenant, and whom the things of the world have not kept back from attaining My Court of holiness. Blessed is the man who hath detached himself from all else but Me, hath soared in the atmosphere of My love, hath gained admittance into My Kingdom, gazed upon My realms of glory, quaffed the living waters of My bounty, hath drunk his fill from the heavenly river of My loving providence, acquainted himself with My Cause, apprehended that which I concealed within the treasury of My Words, and hath shone forth from the horizon of divine knowledge engaged in My praise and glorification.

Night hath succeeded day, and day hath succeeded night, and the hours and moments of your lives have come and gone, and yet none of you hath, for one instant, consented to detach himself from that which perisheth. Bestir yourselves, that the brief moments that are still yours may not be dissipated and lost. Even as the swiftness of lightning your days shall pass, and your bodies shall be laid to rest beneath a canopy of dust.

Blessed are they that have soared on the wings of detachment and attained the station which, as ordained by God, overshadoweth the entire creation, whom neither the vain imaginations of the learned, nor the multitude of the hosts of the earth have succeeded in deflecting from His Cause.

Cast ye away one thing and take hold of another. Cast away whatsoever pertaineth to the world and take firm hold of that which the hand of divine providence imparteth unto you.

Renounce and forsake the people of the world. O wise one! Shouldst thou heed the counsel of thy Lord, thou wouldst be released from the bondage of His servants and behold thyself exalted above all men.

Say, O high priests! No man’s acts shall be acceptable, in this Day, unless he forsaketh mankind and all that men possess, and setteth his face towards the Omnipotent One.

O Supreme Pontiff! Incline thine ear unto that which the Fashioner of mouldering bones counselleth thee, as voiced by Him Who is His Most Great Name. Sell all the embellished ornaments thou dost possess, and expend them in the path of God, Who causeth the night to return upon the day, and the day to return upon the night. Abandon thy kingdom unto the kings, and emerge from thy habitation, with thy face set towards the Kingdom, and, detached from the world, then speak forth the praises of thy Lord betwixt earth and heaven.

Cleanse yourselves thoroughly, O people of Bahá, from the defilement of the world, and of all that pertaineth unto it. God Himself beareth Me witness. The things of the earth ill beseem you. Cast them away unto such as may desire them, and fasten your eyes upon this most holy and effulgent Vision.

You must renounce this world and all within it, for it is the source of all sin. Do not pause in your journey, for a lowly dog is better than the people of the marketplace, and the people of the marketplace are those who stand still.

Remember these words which I speak unto you during the short time I am amongst you in Paris. I earnestly exhort you: let not your hearts be fettered by the material things of this world; I charge you not to lie contentedly on the beds of negligence, prisoners of matter, but to arise and free yourselves from its chains!

The spring season of life shall turn into the autumn of death, the bright joy of palace halls give way to moonless dark within the tomb. And therefore is none of this worth loving at all, and to this the wise will not anchor his heart.

All tombs and sepulchres, even of the world's most celebrated monarchs, are dark and gloomy, whereas the holy resting-places of the chosen ones of the All-Merciful are radiant and luminous. Let us then exert ourselves with heart and soul, and lift up our voices in a gladsome chorus, that we may become acceptable at the Threshold of Oneness; be made alive by the the fragrant breaths of holiness; detach ourselves from whatsoever is of the world; become devoted servants at the threshold of Him Who is the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting; be made recipients of His infinite bounty, and attain to everlasting life.

Be thou severed from this world, and reborn through the sweet scents of holiness that blow from the realm of the All-Highest.

Build ye for yourselves such houses as the rain and floods can never destroy, which shall protect you from the changes and chances of this life. This is the instruction of him Whom the world hath wronged and forsaken.

This is the day of those who have detached themselves from all but Him, the day of those who have recognized His unity, the day whereon God createth, with the hands of His power, divine beings and imperishable essences, every one of whom will cast the world and all that is therein behind him, and will wax so steadfast in the Cause of God that every wise and understanding heart will marvel.

Forsake the world, and set your faces towards the all-glorious Horizon. Whoso hath partaken of the wine of His remembrance will forget every other remembrance, and whoso hath recognized Him will rid himself of all attachment to this life and to all that pertaineth unto it."

The wise man, therefore, doth not attach himself to this mortal life and doth not depend upon it; at some moments, even, he eagerly wisheth for death that he may thereby be freed from these sorrows and afflictions.

Say: Beware lest the might of any oppressor frighten you. Soon shall the banners and standards perish, and ye shall behold the sovereignty of your Lord prevailing over the seen and the unseen.

Pass thou beyond the world and all its peoples, and set thy face towards the one true God. For all else but Him is in its essence poor and needy; and being so, is powerless to satisfy even its own needs, how much less the needs of others!

Say: O people! Fear God and make not the world your homeland. Set your faces toward the homeland of the All-Merciful; this is better for you than the kingdoms of the heavens and of the earth.

Whenever thou are overtaken by sorrows, pass by the graves and meditate upon them, that thou mayest find thyself in manifest detachment.

Entreat Him moreover to make His loved ones steadfast therein, for the inflammatory writings of the mischief-makers are widespread and the clamor of the foreboders of evil is raised high. Happy are they that have cast behind their backs all else save God and have held fast unto that which the Lord of strength and power hath enjoined upon them.

For example, if the spiritual health is afflicted with the love of the world, spiritual medicine must be given. These medicines are the advice and the commands of God which will have effect upon it.

Regard the people and what they possess as but a handful of clay which a child fashioneth into the likeness of a seal, then casteth upon it a handful of dust. Thus regard all save God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds, except those who have held fast unto the cord of God and turned their faces purely to the face of God, the Almighty, the Most High, the Most Great.

Know thou, furthermore, that were the world to possess any worth in the sight of God, He would not have surrendered it to its people, nor would His chosen ones have cast themselves into the hands of the wicked, to do with them as they pleased and visit upon them whatsoever they desired.

Strive thou within thyself lest thou sell the Joseph of eternity for whatsoever hath been created in earth and heaven, for through love of Him thou shalt become independent of all who dwell in the heavens and the earth, even shouldst thou possess not so much as a grain or atom of what is ordained on earth.

The changes and chances of the material world, whether good or bad, are like the waves of the sea, which pass away and are no more. They are not worthy of attention....

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Therefore one must not set one's pure heart upon it, but pass over it like a cloud and soar beyond it like an eagle - neither content with its sweetness nor distressed by its bitterness.

How excellent is the state of that soul who hath turned with his heart to the abode of peace and been freed from dwellings more frail than the web of the spider.

Rejoice not in the world and whatsoever it contains. By God's life! Every treasure hath been and is the cause of infinite grief and sorrow and regret. Never hath any perishable thing been the cause of independence, nor shall it ever be.

...This Day is God's Day, and this Cause His Cause. Happy is he who hath renounced this world, and clung to Him Who is the Dayspring of God's Revelation....

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Free thyself from the fetters of this world, and loose thy soul from the prison of self. Seize thy chance, for it will come to thee no more.

… Thou art even as a finely tempered sword concealed in the darkness of its sheath and its value hidden from the artificer's knowledge. Wherefore come forth from the sheath of self and desire that thy worth may be made resplendent and manifest unto all the world.

Worship thou God in such wise that if thy worship lead thee to the fire, no alteration in thine adoration would be produced, and so likewise if thy recompense should be paradise. Thus and thus alone should be the worship which befitteth the one True God.

… Fire and paradise both bow down and prostrate themselves before God. That which is worthy of His Essence is to worship Him for His sake, without fear of fire, or hope of paradise.

Arise, O people, and, by the power of God's might, resolve to gain the victory over your own selves, that haply the whole earth may be freed and sanctified from its servitude to the gods of its idle fancies - gods that have inflicted such loss upon, and are responsible for the misery of their wretched worshippers. These idols form the obstacle that impedeth man in his efforts to advance in the path of perfection.

Bid them issue forth and attain this ethereal invisible station, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

A station wherein the Lord hath in the Flame of His Beauty appeared within the deathless tree; Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Wherein the embodiments of His Cause cleansed themselves of self and passion; Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Center your thoughts in the Well-Beloved, rather than in your own selves.

The melody of the Abha Kingdom reacheth from the Supreme Concourse:

O lifeless one, bereft of heart, gain life, gain life!

O sleeper in water and clay, awake, awake!

O drunken, bewildered and lost, be conscious, be conscious!

The horizons are musk-laden, the eyes filled with light,

The rays are ablaze - from soul and body be free, be free!

The time of sacrifice has come, the divine breaths blow,

The mysteries of the Lord are revealed - for lovers be thou a gibbet, a gibbet!

O thou who art turning thy face towards God! Close thine eyes to all things else, and open them to the realm of the All-Glorious. Ask whatsoever thou wishest of Him alone; seek whatsoever thou seekest from Him alone.

It behoveth you to be free from all attachment, whether to yourselves or to others; nay, ye should renounce existence and non-existence, light and darkness, glory and abasement alike. Sever your hearts from all transitory things, from all idle fancies and vain imaginings, that ye may, pure and unsullied, enter the realm of the spirit and partake with radiant hearts of the splendours of everlasting holiness.

Souls, that is, who will consign their own selves to oblivion, strip from themselves the defects of humankind, and unchain themselves from human bondage, will beyond any doubt be illumined with the heavenly splendours of oneness, and will all attain unto real union in the world that dieth not.

Blessed art thou for having utterly abolished the idol of self and of vain imagination, and for having rent asunder the veil of idle fancy, through the power of the might of thy Lord, the Supreme Protector, the Almighty, the one Beloved.

… And the glory be upon you and upon those who have detached themselves from all else and turned with their hearts to this holy and beloved Scene.

Therefore, we learn that nearness to God is possible through devotion to Him, through entrance into the Kingdom and service to humanity; it is attained by unity with mankind and through loving-kindness to all; it is dependent upon investigation of truth, acquisition of praiseworthy virtues, service in the cause of universal peace and personal sanctification. In a word, nearness to God necessitates sacrifice of self, severance and the giving up of all to Him. Nearness is likeness.

The three things that must be renounced are covetousness, idle fancy, and selfish desire, and the three things to be attained are recognition, acknowledgement, and certitude.

Let us put aside all thoughts of self; let us close our eyes to all on earth, let us neither make known our sufferings nor complain of our wrongs. Rather let us become oblivious of our own selves, and drinking down the wine of heavenly grace, let us cry out our joy, and lose ourselves in the beauty of the All-Glorious.

As to the reference in the Arabic Hidden Words that the human being must become detached from self, here too the meaning is that he should not seek out anything whatever for his own self in this swiftly passing life, but that he should cut the self away, that is, he should yield up the self and all its concerns on the field of martyrdom, at the time of the coming of the Lord.

Do all ye can to become wholly weary of self, and bind yourselves to that Countenance of Splendours; and once ye have reached such heights of servitude, ye will find, gathered within your shadow, all created things.

With reference to what is meant by an individual becoming entirely forgetful of self: the intent is that he should rise up and sacrifice himself in the true sense, that is, he should obliterate the promptings of the human condition, and rid himself of such characteristics as are worthy of blame and constitute the gloomy darkness of this life on earth -- not that he should allow his physical health to deteriorate and his body to become infirm.

Endeavor as much as possible to liberate thyself wholly from human susceptibilities-so that the powers of the Kingdom may gain control over thy heart and thy spirit-to such a degree that although thou art living on the face of the earth, yet thou mayest truly be in heaven; that although outwardly thou an composed of material elements, yet spiritually thou mayest become composed of heavenly elements.

The waves of that sea are continually lapping against the hearts of the friends, and from those waves there come intimations of the spirit and ardent pulsings of the soul, until the heart giveth way, and willing or not, turneth humbly in prayer unto the Kingdom of the Lord. Wherefore do all ye can to disengage your inner selves, that ye may at every moment reflect new splendours from the Sun of Truth.

Leave all thought of self, and strive only to be obedient and submissive to the Will of God. In this way only shall we become citizens of the Kingdom of God, and attain unto life everlasting.

Therefore, O Mihdi, surrender the seed of thy being to the control of God's conquering and omnipotent hand, that He may plant it in the blessed and holy soil of His paradise, that from it may appear everlasting branches, eternal boughs, and never-ending fruits. But observe with keen sight and delicate vision that if a fresh date be planted, it will yield no fruit, for it hath not been divested of its outer garment and hath not been detached from whatsoever pertaineth to this world. Yet when the bare and detached stone returneth to the soil of the Lord of Lords, it is therefore blessed with these supreme honors and countless fruits.

Man must arrive at the point of sacrifice; and the station of sacrifice is that of complete severance--that is, his possessions, his comforts, even his life must be sacrificed for humanity.

Whosoever has lost himself, has found the universe and the inhabitants thereof! Whosoever is occupied with himself is wandering in the desert of heedlessness and regret!

The master-key of self-mastery is self-forgetfulness. The road to the palace of life is through the path of renunciation.

Be silent for God's sake, speak for God's sake, act for God's sake, detached from all else besides Him.

True bravery is in conquering one's own self and passion not in victory over men in the field of battle.

Just as a man who is going to deliver a lecture prepares therefore and his preparations consists of certain meditations and notations: the preparation for the prayerful attitude is detaching one's mind from all other thoughts save the thought of GOD at time of prayer, and then praying, when the prayerful attitude shall be attained.

One of the holy ones said: "O Lord, how can I reach Thee?" He replied: "Cast away thyself, then come."

Turning to me, He said: "Let Me recite for thee a poem by Hakim Sana'i:

Whatsoever thou beholdest save God is an idol - shatter it; Whatsoever thou seest save His good-pleasure - engrave it as true religion in thy heart."

He is able to free his heart from the love of this world. He is able to release himself from anger, greed, ego, passion and all the vices of the material world.

Renunciation or severance does not mean to suppress your noble feelings, to shun the activities of life, to shift the responsibilities that God has laid upon our shoulders. It means to overcome the dark powers of nature, to be freed from the promptings of self, to become a governor over the ego and the passions, to let the susceptibilities of the spirit rule over the body. This is the meaning of renunciation.

One is to forfeit possessions, to forfeit estates. One is to forego name, honor, fame. One is to forsake relatives, station, Et Cetera, et cetera, (ended Abdul-Baha, laughing).

No man shall attain the shores of the ocean of true understanding except he be detached from all that is in heaven and on earth.

… That seeker must at all times put his trust in God, must renounce the peoples of the earth, detach himself from the world of dust, and cleave unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords. He must never seek to exalt himself above anyone, must wash away from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vainglory, must cling unto patience and resignation, observe silence, and refrain from idle talk.

Now is the moment in which to cleanse thyself with the waters of detachment that have flowed out from the Supreme Pen, and to ponder, wholly for the sake of God, those things which, time and again, have been sent down or manifested, and then to strive, as much as lieth in thee, to quench, through the power of wisdom and the force of thy utterance, the fire of enmity and hatred which smouldereth in the hearts of the peoples of the world.

O children of understanding! If the eyelid, however delicate, can deprive man's outer eye from beholding the world and all that is therein, consider then what would be wrought if the veil of covetousness were to descend upon his inner eye. Say: O people! The darkness of greed and envy becloudeth the radiance of the soul even as the clouds obstruct the light of the sun. Should anyone hearken unto this utterance with a discerning ear, he will unfurl the wings of detachment and soar effortlessly in the atmosphere of true understanding.

7 The first is the VALLEY OF SEARCH. The steed of this valley is patience; without patience the wayfarer on this journey will reach nowhere and attain no goal. Nor should he ever become downhearted: If he strive for a hundred thousand years and yet fail to behold the beauty of the Friend, he should not falter.

… 8 It is incumbent upon these servants to cleanse the heart, which is the wellspring of divine treasures, of every marking; turn away from imitation, which is following the traces of their forefathers; and shut the door of friendship and enmity upon all the people of the earth.

O Maryam! Free thyself from the fetters of blind imitation, that thou mayest gain admittance into the blissful realm of detachment. Sever thy heart from the world and all that is therein, that thou mayest attain to the sovereign rule of faith and be not debarred from the Sanctuary of the All-Merciful. Through the power of renunciation, rend asunder the veil of idle fancy and enter the hallowed retreats of certitude.

Know thou of a truth that the seeker must, at the beginning of his quest for God, enter the Garden of Search. In this journey it behoveth the wayfarer to detach himself from all save God and to close his eyes to all that is in the heavens and on the earth. There must not linger in his heart either the hate or the love of any soul, to the extent that they would hinder him from attaining the habitation of the celestial Beauty.

13 The story is told of a mystic knower who went on a journey with a learned grammarian for a companion. They came to the shore of the Sea of Grandeur. The knower, putting his trust in God, straightway flung himself into the waves, but the grammarian stood bewildered and lost in thoughts that were as words traced upon the water. The mystic called out to him, "Why dost thou not follow?" The grammarian answered, "O brother, what can I do? As I dare not advance, I must needs go back again." Then the mystic cried, "Cast aside what thou hast learned from Sibavayh and Qawlavayh, from Ibn-i-Hajib and Ibn-i-Malik, and cross the water!"

First, he must be fair-minded and detached from all save God. His heart must be entirely directed towards the Supreme Horizon and freed from the bondage of vain and selfish desires, for these are obstacles on the path. Furthermore, he must endure every tribulation, embody the utmost purity and sanctity, and renounce the love or hatred of all the peoples of the world, lest his love for one thing hinder him from investigating another, or his hatred for something prevent him from discerning its truth.

If five people meet together to seek for truth, they must begin by cutting themselves free from all their own special conditions and renouncing all preconceived ideas. In order to find truth we must give up our prejudices, our own small trivial notions; an open receptive mind is essential. If our chalice is full of self, there is no room in it for the water of life. The fact that we imagine ourselves to be right and everybody else wrong is the greatest of all obstacles in the path towards unity, and unity is necessary if we would reach truth, for truth is one.

All men, be they high or low, have sought and are still seeking so great an honor.

All, however, have, as soon as the Sun of Truth shed its radiance upon the world, have deprived of its benefits, and have been shut out as by a veil from its glory, except them that have clung to the cord of the unfailing providence of the one true God, and have with complete detachment from all else but Him turned their faces towards His holy court.

As to thy mention of turning in all directions for the sake of the Face of God and detachment from all else beside Him, after being presented before the Throne of His Purpose these resplendent words shone forth from the Dayspring of Divine Knowledge - exalted be His glory: "O Ali, upon thee be My Glory! Well-spoken indeed were thy words, for detachment in itself is influential and attractive. In most Tablets mention of this station hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen. It is the first ornament for drawing near and turning towards God, and the first deed for healing mankind of its ills and ailments.

O ye close and dear friends of 'Abdu'l-Baha!

"In the Orient scatter perfumes, And shed splendors on the West.

Carry light unto the Bulgar, And the Slav with life invest."

One year after the ascension of Baha'u'llah, there came this verse from the lips of the Center of the Covenant. The Covenant-breakers found it strange indeed, and they treated it with scorn. Yet, praised be God, its effects are now manifest, its power revealed, its import clear; for by God's grace, today both East and West are trembling for joy, and now, from sweet waftings of holiness, the whole earth is scented with musk.

The Blessed Beauty, in unmistakable language, hath made this promise in His Book: "We behold you from Our realm of glory, and shall aid whosoever will arise for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the Concourse on high and a company of Our favored angels."

God be thanked, that promised aid hath been vouchsafed, as is plain for all to see, and it shineth forth as clear as the sun in the heavens.

Wherefore, O ye friends of God, redouble your efforts, strain every nerve, till ye triumph in your servitude to the Ancient Beauty, the Manifest Light, and become the cause of spreading far and wide the rays of the Daystar of Truth. Breathe ye into the world's worn and wasted body the fresh breath of life, and in the furrows of every region sow ye holy seed. Rise up to champion this Cause; open your lips and teach. In the meeting place of life be ye a guiding candle; in the skies of this world be dazzling stars; in the gardens of unity be birds of the spirit, singing of inner truths and mysteries.

Expend your every breath of life in this great Cause and dedicate all your days to the service of Baha, so that in the end, safe from loss and deprivation, ye will inherit the heaped-up treasures of the realms above. For the days of a man are full of peril and he cannot rely on so much as a moment more of life; and still the people, who are even as a wavering mirage of illusions, tell themselves that in the end they shall reach the heights. Alas for them! The men of bygone times hugged these same fancies to their breasts, until a wave flicked over them and they returned to dust, and they found themselves excluded and bereft--all save those souls who had freed themselves from self and had flung away their lives in the pathway of God. Their bright star shone out in the skies of ancient glory, and the handed-down memories of all the ages are the proof of what I say.

Wherefore, rest ye neither day nor night and seek no ease. Tell ye the secrets of servitude, follow the pathway of service, till ye attain the promised succor that cometh from the realms of God.

O friends! Black clouds have shrouded all this earth, and the darkness of hatred and malice, of cruelty and aggression and defilement is spreading far and wide. The people, one and all, live out their lives in a heedless stupor and the chief virtues of man are held to be his rapacity and his thirst for blood. Out of all the mass of humankind God hath chosen the friends, and He hath favored them with His guidance and boundless grace. His purpose is this, that we, all of us, should strive with our whole hearts to offer ourselves up, guide others to His path, and train the souls of men--until these frenzied beasts change to gazelles in the meadows of oneness, and these wolves to lambs of God, and these brutish creatures to angelic hosts; till the fires of hatred are quenched, and the flame coming out of the sheltered vale of the Holy Shrine doth shed its splendors; till the foul odor of the tyrant's dunghill is blown away, and yieldeth to the pure, sweet scents that stream from the rosebeds of faith and trust. On that day will the weak of intellect draw on the bounty of the divine, Universal Mind, and they whose life is but abomination will seek out these cleansing, holy breaths.

But there needs must be souls who will manifest such bestowals, there needs must be husbandmen to till these fields, gardeners for these gardens, there needs must be fish to swim in this sea, stars to gleam in these heavens. These ailing ones must be tended by spiritual physicians, these who are the lost need gentle guides--so that from such souls the bereft may receive their portion, and the deprived obtain their share, and the poor discover in such as they unmeasured wealth, and the seekers hear from them unanswerable proofs.

O my Lord, my Defender, my Help in peril! Lowly do I entreat Thee, ailing do I come unto Thee to be healed, humbly do I cry out to Thee with my tongue, my soul, my spirit:

O God, my God! The gloom of night hath shrouded every region, and all the earth is shut away behind thick clouds. The peoples of the world are sunk in the black depths of vain illusions, while their tyrants wallow in cruelty and hate. I see nothing but the glare of searing fires that blaze upward from the nethermost abyss, I hear nothing save the thunderous roar that belloweth out from thousands upon thousands of fiery weapons of assault, while every land is crying aloud in its secret tongue: "My riches avail me nothing, and my sovereignty hath perished!"

O my Lord, the lamps of guidance have gone out. The flames of passion are mounting high, and malevolence is ever gaining on the world. Malice and hate have overspread the face of the whole earth, and I find no souls except Thine own oppressed small band who are raising up this cry:

Make haste to love! Make haste to trust! Make haste to give! To guidance come!

Come ye for harmony! To behold the Star of Day! Come here for kindliness, for ease! Come here for amity and peace!

Come and cast down your weapons of wrath, till unity is won! Come and in the Lord's true path each one help each one.

Verily with exceeding joy, with heart and soul, do these oppressed of Thine offer themselves up for all mankind in every land. Thou seest them, O my Lord, weeping over the tears Thy people shed, mourning the grief of Thy children, condoling with humankind, suffering because of the calamities that beset all the denizens of the earth.

O my Lord, wing them with victory that they may soar upward to salvation, strengthen their loins in service to Thy people, and their backs in servitude to Thy Threshold of Holiness.

Verily Thou art the Generous, verily Thou art the Merciful! There is none other God save Thee, the Clement, the Pitiful, the Ancient of Days!

Consequently, rest ye not, seek ye no composure, attach not yourselves to the luxuries of this ephemeral world, free yourselves from every attachment, and strive with heart and soul to become fully established in the Kingdom of God. Gain ye the heavenly treasures. Day by day become ye more illumined. Draw ye nearer and nearer unto the threshold of oneness.

Detachment and severance are two wings for the flight of those who are captives of self and passion to the atmosphere of nearness and the presence of God.

… At one time this sublime Word was heard from the Tongue of Him Who is the Possessor of all being and the Lord of the throne on high and of earth below—exalted is the glory of His utterance—: Piety and detachment are even as two most great luminaries of the heaven of teaching. Blessed the one who hath attained unto this supreme station, this habitation of transcendent holiness and sublimity.

These shall labour ceaselessly, by day and by night, shall heed neither trials nor woe, shall suffer no respite in their efforts, shall seek no repose, shall disregard all ease and comfort, and, detached and unsullied, shall consecrate every fleeting moment of their lives to the diffusion of the divine fragrance and the exaltation of God's holy Word. Their faces will radiate heavenly gladness, and their hearts be filled with joy. Their souls will be inspired, and their foundation stand secure. They shall scatter in the world, and travel throughout all regions.

O people of Baha! Soar ye on the wings of detachment in the atmosphere of the love of your Lord, the All-Merciful. Arise ye then to render Him victorious in pursuance of that which hath been revealed in the Preserved Tablet.

"Such must be the degree of your detachment, that into whatever city you enter to proclaim and teach the Cause of God, you should in no wise expect either meat or reward from its people. Nay, when you depart out of that city, you should shake the dust from off your feet.

By the life of Baha! Only he who is severed from the world shall achieve this ultimate grace, he who is a captive of divine love, empty of passion and self, from every aspect true unto his God, humble, lowly, supplicating, in tears, submissive in the presence of the Lord.

This supreme word has issued from the Most Exalted Pen specifically for Abu'l-Hasan Ardikani: Forsake the entire world but forsake not an atom's weight of the honor of God's Cause. Blessed are those souls who have truly arisen today to render service and have been enabled to do what is befitting.

It behooveth the people of Baha to die to the world and all that is therein, to be so detached from all earthly things that the inmates of Paradise may inhale from their garment the sweet smelling savor of sanctity, that all the peoples of the earth may recognize in their faces the brightness of the All-Merciful, and that through them may be spread abroad the signs and tokens of God, the Almighty, the All-Wise.

But those who go forth to teach must travel with complete self-effacement and evanescence so that their breath may influence souls. If they move with comfort, ease, luxury and pleasure, it will have absolutely no effect - this has been proven repeatedly.

Forsake thou every other concern, let oblivion overtake the memory of all else. Confine thy thoughts to whatever will lift up the human soul to the Paradise of heavenly grace, and make every bird of the Kingdom wing its way unto the Supreme Horizon, the central point of everlasting honour in this contingent world.

Detachment is the cause of exaltation and piety the means of advancement.

Among these commandments hath been and shall be the decree of detachment from all else but Him, for detachment among virtues is as the sun among the stars. It is the true educator and the cause of the training of the peoples of the world. It is the source of sanctification and the dawning-place of purification. Should a soul attain unto this station, his influence pervadeth the world, and the penetration of his remembrance is swifter than lightning through all things, and more potent than the spirit's influence in the body.

Indeed, independence of all things is as a door of guidance unto His faithful servants. Well is it with them that have severed themselves from the world and have arisen to serve His Cause. Verily, they are numbered with the people of Baha at the court of His resplendent Beauty.

O how pitiful it would be, were we to tarry, to hesitate, or to fail to offer up our souls! How pitiful, were we to set our hearts on ephemeral attachments rather than quaff of this mystic wine! Woe unto us should we remain occupied with our selfish desires, busy ourselves with our own earthly concerns, and follow the promptings of such passions as deprive us of these bounties and deny us a portion of these bright effulgences.

Therefore if they offer to a wise man the acceptance of one of two things: To be the emperor of the whole world or to be a herald of the Kingdom of God. Without one second of hesitation, he will joyfully accept the latter.

Say: O people of Baha! By God, through detachment is God's Cause exalted among His servants. Blessed is he who hath adorned himself with this luminous robe, through a command from God, the Cleaver of the dawn."

Furthermore, the loved ones of God must today be manifestations of divine wealth and independence. In this way, their words will prove effective in hearts. Among all breezes, the breeze of detachment and independence is like the spring winds that cause human fruits to appear in the contingent world. Blessed is he who attains to this glorious and exalted station.

Let thy provision be My love, thy purpose My Cause, and thy armor trust in My Self, Who was alone in the land.

Through them the universes have been adorned, and the Preserved Tablet embellished. They are the ones who have sailed on the ark of complete independence, with their faces set towards the Dayspring of Beauty.

The glory and greatness of the Cause of God lies in detachment, in its transcendent sublimity, in pure-heartedness, in enduring tribulations, and in the self-sacrifice of the loved ones of God in His path.

The fire of the love of God must blaze so intensely in hearts that it creates aversion to the merchandise of pride, awakens from the sleep of heedlessness, and makes one so aware that they see the sovereignty of horizons as tribulation, view the seat of glory as hardship, and count the lowest row of sandals in the path of God as the throne of honor. When they reach this station, they become free and independent.

In these days unless one is cut from the world, one can accomplish nothing. The attachment to God is the only helpful thing upon the earth - no other attachment (not even that of the family) can avail man at all.

The first station in this Cause is detachment from all save God. Read what the All-Merciful has revealed in the Qur'an: "Say: 'God' then leave them to their vain discourse." If a soul discovers the fragrance of this blessed word, he will find himself free and liberated.

He was sanctified and free from every attachment and in the utmost severance. Just as His Holiness Christ says: Shake off the very dust from your feet.

You have observed that while in America many souls in the utmost of supplication and entreaty desired to offer some gifts, but this servant, in accord with the exhortations and behests of the Blessed Perfection, never accepted a thing, although on certain occasions we were in most straitened circumstances.

Our Lord, Who knows all things, bears witness that this Servant seeks nothing but what is right and good; for He, a wanderer in the desert of God's love, has come into a realm where the hand of denial or assent, of praise or blame, can touch Him not. "We nourish your souls for the sake of God; We seek from you neither recompense nor thanks."

Composed, happy, Ustad gave up his work, closed his eyes to his possessions, and left for Iraq, where he lived in poverty.

We did not refuse such material benefits as could relieve Us from Our afflictions. Every one of Our companions, however, will bear Us witness that Our holy court is sanctified from, and far above, such material benefits.

When one is released from the prison of self, that is indeed freedom, for self is the greater prison. When this release takes place, one can never be imprisoned. They used to put my feet in stocks so," and he put out his feet before him to illustrate and laughed as though it were a joke he enjoyed.

When Nimrod's fire was ablaze and that noble one was suspended in the air, Gabriel came and asked: "Hast thou any need?" He replied: "Not from thee." May the spirit of all who dwell in the Kingdom be a sacrifice unto his detachment. O spiritual youth! The attraction of this call hath seized this Wronged One, and repeatedly in these days hath this passage flowed from the tongue of grandeur. Beseech the True One that He may aid all to discover and attain unto the sweetness of detachment. One ray of its effulgence shone upon certain kings; barefooted they sought the wilderness and traversed the deserts.

He was a detached soul possessing an attracted spirit, with a pure and goodly heart and an eloquent tongue. Patient in tribulations, he occupied himself with the guidance of souls.

It is evident that the joy of these homeless wanderers is not found in music or song or play, but rather consisteth in long-suffering in the face of hardships, patience in the midst of calamities, detachment from all created things, exaltation of the Word of God, and diffusion of the holy fragrances.

Thou hast quaffed a cup of the wine of heaven, and hast left an enduring legacy in this transitory world, notwithstanding that those who have renounced the world seek neither name nor fame, and pursue neither ambition nor desire. They show no regard for this world and seek naught save the good-pleasure of God. They tread no path but His, and speak naught save His praise.

As soon as he left my abode I sent a cable to Madam Jackson! 'Beware! Beware! Lest you pay one cent for my freedom. In Prison I am feeling happy!'

The friends in Iran mostly traveled on foot. Wherever they grew tired they would sleep. Under any tree they wished they would rest. Once one entered the presence of a prince. The prince insisted on giving him a gift and gave him a shirt. Later when they grew tired in the wilderness, he put the shirt under his head by a tree to sleep. Due to mental anxiety he could not sleep and repeatedly imagined a thief was planning to steal the shirt. Finally he got up, threw away the shirt and said "As long as this shirt and attachment is with me, I have no peace. Therefore peace lies in abandoning it."

When I read the document which told me of my sentence, I said to the officials: "It is impossible!" And they were astonished. Then I said to them: "If Abdul-Hamid were immortal and I myself were immortal, then would it be possible for him to condemn me to be in prison forever, but as we are not immortal, then it is impossible. My spirit is free and that can no man imprison."

I saw him again some time later, and he said to me, 'I had imagined that reposing on that rug would enhance my sleep, but eventually I realized that it made no difference whether I slept on that rug or on a mat of straw. Having reached this conclusion, I sold the rug.'

However, after accepting it We have bestowed it back upon thee, for We have desired to sit upon the earth in this remote prison, and silk carpets befit not the imprisoned one, if ye be of them that understand.

On the one hand, I was deeply touched, for thou hadst sheared off those fair tresses of thine with the shears of detachment from this world and of self-sacrifice in the path of the Kingdom of God.

O ye flock of the Lord of glory! Blessed are they who have observed the fast during its appointed month, who have gathered together in perfect unity and harmony, have freed themselves from the insinuations of doubt and stood firm in the Covenant, have been graciously enabled to promote the Cause of God, and have arisen with utter self-abnegation for love of Baha'u'llah.

"These to me are so many pebbles. The jewels I treasure are the jewels of the Knowledge of God. Those earthly stones may be broken or lost. Behold my crown! These are eternal gems! For those earthly stones that are doomed to perish, shall I give up this everlasting diadem?"

My happiness was perfect in those dark days of imprisonment and vicissitudes. I was more happy then than now; because I had no will of my own. I was perfectly resigned.

...one must cast the reflection of one's countenance upon the eternal mirror of the celestial realm above, for Abdu'l-Baha seeks neither name nor fame in this world, and in this world anonymity is better and more pleasant. Name and fame in this world are but vain imaginings, vain imaginings!

The available source contains an omission or incomplete wording; sentence boundaries need review.

When one observes that wondrous form in utmost contentment, submission, composure and dignity while captive in the hands of three bloodthirsty ones, a strange state overtakes one and a mighty detachment is achieved.

Having not any money to rent a room he with a number of other believers passed their nights in one of the caves on this mountain while their gladsome songs of thankfulness were raised to heaven.

With a few piastres for his capital he became engaged in business. He had a small wooden box which contained needles, pins, combs, thimbles, rings and spools of thread. Every morning he got out of his case and made a tour around the town. Two or three piastres profit, daily, satisfied him and the hour that this was procured he returned to his natural mountain abode to enjoy the fruit of his labor. He ate his frugal meal with such wealth of spiritual pleasure that even the Kings might envy him.

When the news was brought to him that all his properties had been confiscated and that his possessions had been taken away, he said: "O, how delightful! What glad news you have brought to me! My possessions were always a care to me.

This Cause will be promoted through severance from all else save God. Our capital is severance. I hope each one of us may become the embodiment of this attribute.

When I was in Bagdad I had a coat which I wore over my shirt. It was made of very cheap stuff, the whole thing costing only one dollar. Having no means I wore it till is was threadbare and I associated with all the friends and strangers in it; notwithstanding my happiness was full, my severance was supreme, my joy had no bound.

Despite having an establishment, having first been a chief of ruffians, he abandoned it all and came on foot to Akka.

He would say, "Praise be to God, through the grace and favor of the Blessed Beauty - I was in darkness, I was tormented, I was bound by everything, I was attached to creation like a bird in a cage. I broke the cage and became free.

I once bought a piece of land. There was a man who was very antagonistic and tried to prevent my securing a title: but with great difficulty everything was settled. This man even tried to bribe the government. When it was all settled and my title was clear I sent word to Baha'u'llah and He sent back word: "Leave the earth to the people of the earth" and I immediately destroyed the title and gave the land to the man.

Though at that time I did not have any money, and I had to get along in the cold without an overcoat because I could not afford to buy one, and my old turban needed to be changed, I did not wish to take any of their money.

The companions of the cave [Q18:9-26] were souls who had detached themselves from worldly concerns - those who, through the intensity of their attraction to the divine fragrances and their occupation with the Truth, became wholly unaware of this world.

My affairs are very strange and very few can understand my motives. For example for the last two years and half I have not sent one dollar to my own family to buy clothes with, neither have I bought for them one yard of cloth but I bought just this past winter more than one hundred overcoats for the poor of Acca. One who may hear these things may not believe them but nevertheless they are true.

Know ye that trials and tribulations have, from time immemorial, been the lot of the chosen Ones of God and His beloved, and such of His servants as are detached from all else but Him, they whom neither merchandise nor traffic beguile from the remembrance of the Almighty, they that speak not till He hath spoken, and act according to His commandment. Such is God's method carried into effect of old, and such will it remain in the future. Blessed are the steadfastly enduring, they that are patient under ills and hardships, who lament not over anything that befalleth them, and who tread the path of resignation.

It behoveth whosoever hath set his face towards the Most Sublime Horizon to cleave tenaciously unto the cord of patience, and to put his reliance in God, the Help in Peril, the Unconstrained.

Were it not for the cold, how would the heat of Thy words prevail, O Expounder of the worlds?

Were it not for calamity, how would the sun of Thy patience shine, O Light of the worlds?

Therefore, at no time should one be saddened by the descent of trials and tribulations, nor should one be sorrowful and grief-stricken by the manifestation of ordained events and calamities. Rather, one must hold fast to the firm handle of patience and cleave to the strong cord of forbearance, for the Lord hath ordained a measure and reckoning for the reward of every good deed except patience, concerning which He saith: "Verily, the patient will be paid their recompense without measure."

O concourse of earth! Be patient in God and grieve not for that which befalleth you in the days of the Spirit, for ere long shall ye witness the reward of the patient ones in a holy and inaccessible Paradise. God hath created a garden in the precincts of eternity and named it Patience, a name which until that day had been treasured in the repositories of infallibility.

These tests, even as thou didst write, do but cleanse the spotting of self from off the mirror of the heart, till the Sun of Truth can cast its rays thereon; for there is no veil more obstructive than the self, and however tenuous that veil may be, at the last it will completely shut a person out, and deprive him of his portion of eternal grace.

In these circumstances of tribulation and these calamities that have descended, I have clung to the hem of patience and resignation, held fast to the cord of trust and detachment, and in every moment I say: "There is no power nor strength except in God."

The truth is that infinite harm hath befallen that honored one. Be patient even as We were patient, and in all matters be detached--that is, keep in mind detachment of heart. Whatever may come to pass in this Cause hath been and shall ever be most acceptable in the sight of God.

Be patient in separation and consumed by the fire of longing, for the burning of those who long for Him is beloved in the sight of God, and in their consumption in separation God giveth them the reward of attainment. Thus hath it been ordained in the dominion of destiny.

And if despite this I deserve death, I swear by the Sacred Being of God that I yearn for death with greater longing than a babe for its mother's breast. In the name of God and by God, I await the decree and am content with God's judgment. This decree is sweeter to Me than honey.

Be patient and grateful. Turn thy face to the divine Kingdom and strive that thou mayest acquire merciful characteristics, mayest become illumined and acquire the attributes of the Kingdom and of the Lord. Endeavour to become indifferent to the pleasures of this world and to its comfort, to remain firm and steadfast in the Covenant and to promulgate the Cause of God.

God willing, that leaf shall enter and swim in the depths of the sea of oneness and detachment. This station is mighty, and thus He saith: "So patience is most fitting. And it is God Whose help is sought against that which ye assert." The highest fruit of the tree of detachment hath ever been and shall ever be patience. Blessed is he who hath attained thereunto and recognized its station.

Therefore, thou must widen thy heart, dilate thy breast, have patience in plenty, calmness of soul and cut thyself from everything but God!

Every trial is like a sword cutting the chains of attachment. In truth this is not tribulation but bestowal. It is not cause for complaint but for gratitude - so that you may know that in all the affairs of this world there has never been and is not now anything but regrets and losses.

O Rida! Verily, contentment with God's decree is a characteristic of those who are detached and a practice of those who are attracted by the fragrances of the Most Glorious Kingdom.

Let not the deeds of those who reject the Truth shut you out as by a veil. Such people have warrant over your bodies only, and God hath not reposed in them power over your spirits, your souls and your hearts.

And the very limit of certitude is this: that, with God, thou shouldst fear none. And the very limit of resignation is this: that thou sorrow not for what hath slipped from thee in the life of this world.

Praise be to God that patience, tranquility and detachment have reached such a degree that the friends allow themselves to be slain but do not slay.

Be patient. Verily thy Lord is the All-Patient and commandeth thee to beautiful patience. This is a verse We have revealed in various stations, a command from the presence of an ancient Ordainer.

Know thou further that if thy kinship with him hath been severed thereby, thy kinship with God, the Mighty, the Beautiful, hath been strengthened, and if he hath become distant from thee, God shall soon draw thee nigh unto Himself - and His is the sovereignty of the heavens and earth, and He is powerful over all things.

However, if these stages occur in the path of divine good-pleasure, they are desirable and beloved, and the true lover is content in all conditions and grateful in every circumstance - this is the ultimate goal. In such case, one must choose patience and exchange one's own pleasure for the pleasure of the Friend.

Be not sorrowful, but patient, for He is with them that endure with patience.

O thou who hast certitude in God! Although the tribulations endured by thy relatives have been extremely hard and the pain suffered by thy brother, thy son and thy friend have been bitter to thee remember that patience and fortitude are among the particular attributes of the believers in divine unity and forbearance under diverse calamities is proof of detachment.

Abdu'l-Baha. -- 'To attain eternal happiness one must suffer. He who has reached the state of self-sacrifice has true joy. Temporal joy will vanish.'

Verily thy Lord is the Concealer, and hath commanded all to patience and gracious concealment.

O Muhammad! It behooves you to remember My tribulations, and it behooves Me to manifest the ocean of My patience. Thus have We divided the work between Me and you. Rejoice in these words that have perfumed the worlds.

What We mention of patience and forbearance is for Our servants. By My life! When tribulation appears We give thanks to God, Creator of the heavens, and leave patience to the patient ones.

Help me to be selfless at the heavenly entrance of Thy gate, and aid me to be detached from all things within Thy holy precincts.

Let Thine everlasting melodies breathe tranquillity on me, O my Companion, and let the riches of Thine ancient countenance deliver me from all except Thee, O my Master, and let the tidings of the revelation of Thine incorruptible Essence bring me joy, O Thou Who art the most manifest of the manifest and the most hidden of the hidden!

Purify me of all that is not of Thee, and strengthen me to love Thee and to fulfill Thy pleasure, that I may delight myself in the contemplation of Thy beauty, and be rid of all attachment to any of Thy creatures, and may, at every moment, proclaim: "Magnified be God, the Lord of the worlds!"

I implore Thee, O my Lord, by Thy name the splendors of which have encompassed the earth and the heavens, to enable me so to surrender my will to what Thou hast decreed in Thy Tablets, that I may cease to discover within me any desire except what Thou didst desire through the power of Thy sovereignty, and any will save what Thou didst destine for me by Thy will.

They bound their hearts to Thee, broke free from the snare of estrangement, and laid hold of Thy unity.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Beauty that shineth forth above the horizon of eternity, a Beauty before which as soon as it revealeth itself the kingdom of beauty boweth down in worship, magnifying it in ringing tones, to grant that I may die to all that I possess and live to whatsoever belongeth unto Thee.

These are the days whereon Thou hast bidden all men to observe the Fast, that through it they may purify their souls and rid themselves of all attachment to any one but Thee, and that out of their hearts may ascend that which will be worthy of the court of Thy majesty and may well beseem the seat of the revelation of Thy oneness.

… Unto Him I have turned, wholly detached from all things, and cleaving steadfastly unto the cord of Thy gifts and favors.

Wert Thou to set me king over Thy realms, and to establish me upon the throne of Thy sovereignty, and to deliver, through Thy power, the reins of the entire creation into my hands, and wert Thou to cause me, though it be for less than a moment, to be occupied with these things and be oblivious of the wondrous memories associated with Thy most mighty, most perfect, and most exalted Name, my soul would still remain unsatisfied, and the pangs of my heart unstilled.

I am the one, O my Lord, who hath forgotten all else but Thee, and turned towards the Day-Spring of Thy grace, who hath forsaken all save Thyself in the hope of drawing nigh unto Thy court.

I beseech Thee by the power of Thy sovereignty which hath prevailed over all created things and by the outpourings of Thy bounty that have suffused the entire creation to graciously empower Thy loved ones to become absolutely detached from all things except Thee and to set their hearts upon the horizon of Thy tender mercy.

I am poor, O my Lord, and Thou art the Rich. I have set my face towards Thee, and detached myself from all but Thee.

Blessed is he that observeth the fast wholly for Thy sake and with absolute detachment from all things except Thee.

Blessed is he who, in his sore longing after Thee, hath cast away all else except Thyself. Blessed is he who hath enjoyed intimate communion with Thee, and rid himself of all attachment to any one save Thee.

O Lord! We are poor ones who have detached ourselves from all else but Thee and turned toward the treasury of Thy wealth, and have fled from remoteness in hope of nearness to Thee.

I am he who hath forsaken his all, who hath fled to Thee for shelter, who hath set his face towards the tabernacle of Thy revelation and the adored sanctuary of Thy glory. I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy call whereby they who recognized Thy unity have sought the shadow of Thy most gracious providence, and the sincere have fled far from themselves unto Thy name, the most exalted, the all-glorious, through which Thy verses were sent down, and Thy word fulfilled, and Thy proof manifested, and the sun of Thy beauty risen, and Thy testimony established, and Thy signs uncovered, -- I beseech Thee to grant that I may be numbered with them that have quaffed the wine that is life indeed from the hands of Thy gracious providence, and have rid themselves, in Thy path, of all attachment to Thy creatures, and been so inebriated with Thy manifold wisdom that they hastened to the field of sacrifice with Thy praise on their lips and Thy remembrance in their hearts.

Praise be to Thee, O my God, inasmuch as Thou hast turned the faces of Thy servants towards the right-hand of the throne of Thy gifts, and hast caused them to be detached from all else besides Thee, that they may recognize Thy sovereignty and acknowledge Thy glory. I testify to the potency of Thy Cause, the pervasive influence of Thy decree, the immutability of Thy will, the endlessness of Thy purpose.

We are, O my God, Thy servants and Thy bondsmen. Thou art sufficient unto us so that we can dispense with the world and all that is therein. We are wholly satisfied with all that hath befallen us in Thy path, and exclaim: "Praised be Thou, in Whose hand are the realms of revelation and of creation, and all the kingdoms of earth and heaven!"

Divest, then, Thy servants, O my God, of the garments of self and desire, or grant that the eyes of Thy people may be lifted up to such heights that they will discern in their desires naught except the stirring of the gentle winds of Thine eternal glory, and may recognize in their own selves nothing but the revelation of Thine own merciful Self, that the earth and all that is therein may be cleansed of whatever is alien to Thee, or anything that manifesteth aught save Thy Self.

I swear by Thy might, O my Beloved, that though others may flee from tribulations suffered in Thy path, I am he who, in his love for Thee, yearneth after every woe and trial. I ask Thee, then, by Thy Name through which the seas of names have surged before the evidences of Thy transcendent oneness, and through which Thou hast been exalted above all creation in the hallowed sovereignty of thy Lordship, to send down whatever afflictions Thou hast destined for Thy loved ones upon this Thy servant, lest there should befall them that which would still the quickness of their love for Thee, or dampen the fervency of their devotion.

I implore Thee by Thy Name that hath caused to surge within every drop the oceans of Thy loving-kindness and mercy, and to shine within every atom the luminaries of Thy bountiful blessings and favors, -- I implore Thee to adorn every soul with the ornament of Thy love, that none may remain on Thine earth who hath not turned towards Thee, or hath failed to detach himself from all except Thy Self.

Ignite, then, O my God, within my breast the fire of Thy love, that its flame may burn up all else except my remembrance of Thee, that every trace of corrupt desire may be entirely mortified within me, and that naught may remain except the glorification of Thy transcendent and all-glorious Being.

Behold Thy handmaiden, O my Lord, who hath forgotten all else except Thee, and who hath delighted herself with Thy love, and lamented over the things that have befallen Thee at the hands of the wicked doers among Thy creatures.

As to thee, O handmaid of God, softly recite thou this commune to thy Lord, and say unto Him:

O God, my God! Fill up for me the cup of detachment from all things, and in the assembly of Thy splendors and bestowals, rejoice me with the wine of loving Thee. Free me from the assaults of passion and desire, break off from me the shackles of this nether world, draw me with rapture unto Thy supernal realm, and refresh me amongst the handmaids with the breathings of Thy holiness.

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Withdraw me from all else save Thee. Attract me through Thy fragrances of holiness. Cause me to be associated in Thy Kingdom with those who are severed from all else save Thee, who long to serve Thy sacred threshold and who stand to work in Thy Cause.

Thou knowest, O my God, that I have severed every tie that bindeth me to any of Thy creatures except that most exalted tie that uniteth me with whosoever cleaveth unto Thee, in this the day of the revelation of Thy most august Self, that hath appeared in Thy name, the All-Glorious.

Help Thou Thy loved ones, O my Lord, them that have forsaken their all, that they may obtain the things Thou dost possess, whom trials and tribulations have encompassed for having renounced the world and set their affections on Thy realm of glory.

Were I to inherit from Thee all the delights of Paradise, and to keep them in my possession as long as Thine own Being endureth, and were I to become, for less than a moment, careless of the remembrance of Thee, I would, of a certainty, cast them away from me and cease to consider them. I am the one, O my God, who for love of Thee hath forsaken the world and all its benefits, and willingly accepted every tribulation for the sake of Thy remembrance.

Inspire them, O my Lord, with a sense of their own powerlessness before Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy Self, and teach them to recognize the poverty of their own nature in the face of the manifold tokens of Thy self-sufficiency and riches, that they may gather together round Thy Cause, and cling to the hem of Thy mercy, and cleave to the cord of the good-pleasure of Thy will.

I yield Thee thanks for having enabled me to recognize the Manifestation of Thyself, and for having severed me from Thine enemies, and laid bare before mine eyes their misdeeds and wicked works in Thy days, and for having rid me of all attachment to them, and caused me to turn wholly towards Thy grace and bountiful favors.

I beseech Thee so to enrich me as to dispense with all save Thee, and be made independent of any one except Thyself.

By Thy might, O my God! My soul is wedded to none beside Thee, and my heart seeketh none except Thine own Self.

I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art my Companion in my lowliness, to rain down upon Thy loved ones from the clouds of Thy mercy that which will cause them to be satisfied with Thy pleasure, and will enable them to turn unto Thee and to be detached from all else except Thee.

I am the one who hath forsaken his all and set his face towards the splendors of the glory of Thy countenance, who hath severed every tie and clung to the cord of Thy love and of Thy good-pleasure.

O Lord, help me to be meek and lowly and strengthen me in severing myself from all things and in holding to the hem of the garment of Thy Glory, so that my heart may be filled with Thy love and leave no space for the love of the world and the attachment to its qualities.

O Thou kind Lord! Sanctify my heart from all attachment, and gladden my soul with tidings of joy. Free me from attachment to friend and stranger alike, and captivate me with Thy love, that I may become wholly devoted to Thee and be filled with fervid rapture; that I may desire naught but Thee, seek no one except Thyself, tread no other path besides Thine, and commune only with Thee; that I may, even as a nightingale, be spellbound by Thy love and, by day and night, sigh and wail and weep and cry out, "Ya Baha'u'l-Abha!"

All glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! I bear witness for Thee to that whereto Thou Thyself didst bear witness for Thine own Self, ere the day Thou hadst created the creation or made mention thereof, that Thou art God, and that there is none other God beside Thee. From eternity Thou hast, in Thy transcendent oneness, been immeasurably exalted above Thy servants' conception of Thy unity, and wilt to eternity remain, in Thine unapproachable singleness, far above the praise of Thy creatures. No words that any one beside Thee may utter can ever beseem Thee, and no man's description except Thine own description can befit Thy nature. All who adore Thy unity have been sore perplexed to fathom the mystery of Thy oneness, and all have confessed their powerlessness to attain unto the comprehension of Thine essence and to scale the pinnacle of Thy knowledge. The mighty have all acknowledged their weakness, and the learned recognized their ignorance. They that are possessed of influence are as nothing when compared with the revelations of Thy stupendous sovereignty, and they who are exalted sink into oblivion when brought before the manifestations of Thy great glory. The radiance of the brightest luminaries is eclipsed by the effulgent splendors of Thy face, and the tongues of the most eloquent of speakers falter under the unrestrained effusions of Thy holy utterance, and the foundations of the mightiest structures tremble before the onrushing force of Thy compelling power.

Who is there, O my God, that can be deemed worthy to be remembered when Thou art remembered, and where is he to be found who can be regarded as capable of hinting at Thy nature or worthy of mention in the court of Thy transcendent oneness? From everlasting Thou has been alone with no one else beside Thee, and to everlasting Thou wilt continue to be one and the same. No God is there beside Thee, the God of power, of glory and wisdom.

Glorified be Thy name, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by Him Who is Thine exalted and supreme Remembrance, Whom Thou hast sent down unto all Thy creatures and invested with Thy name, the All-Glorious, Whose will Thou hast ordained to be Thine own will, Whose self Thou hast decreed to be the revealer of Thine own Self, and His essence the Day-Spring of Thy wisdom, and His heart the treasury of Thine inspiration, and His breast the dawning-place of Thy most excellent attributes and most exalted titles, and His tongue the fountain-head of the waters of Thy praise and the well-spring of the soft-flowing streams of Thy wisdom, to send down upon us that which will enable us to dispense with all else except Thee, and will cause us to direct our steps towards the sanctuary of Thy pleasure and to aspire after the things Thou didst ordain for us according to Thine irrevocable decree. Empower us, then, O my God, to forsake ourselves and cleave steadfastly to Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy Self, the Most Exalted, the Most High. Supply us also with that which is best for us, and write us down with such of Thy servants as have repudiated the Idol (Mirza Yahya), and firmly believed in Thee, and been so established on the throne of certitude that the whisperings of the Evil One have been powerless to hinder them from turning their faces towards Thy name, the All-Merciful.

Powerful art Thou to do what Thou pleasest and to ordain what Thou willest. No God is there but Thee, the All-Possessing, the All-Highest, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

I have turned to Thee, forsaking mine own will and desire, that Thy holy will and pleasure may rule within me and direct me according to that which the pen of Thy eternal decree hath destined for me.

O Lord! Hinder them not from attaining the things Thou dost possess, but cause their hearts to be enraptured by the sweet savours of Thy divine Revelation, in such wise that they may, thereby, be detached from all else but Thee and may set their faces towards the court of Thy favour and loving kindness.

I am, O my Lord, Thy handmaiden, who hath hearkened to Thy call, and hastened unto Thee, fleeing from herself and resting her heart upon Thee.

I am the one, O my God, who hath blotted out from his heart the remembrance of all except Thee, and hath graven upon it the mysteries of Thy love.

Whoso hath hasted towards it and attained unto it hath, in his eagerness to gaze on Thy beauty, yielded his life in Thy path, and ascended unto Thee, wholly detached from aught else except Thyself.

Aught else except Thee, O my Lord, profiteth me not, and near access to any one save Thyself availeth me nothing. I entreat Thee by the plenteousness of Thy riches, whereby Thou didst dispense with all else except Thyself, to number me with such as have set their faces towards Thee, and arisen to serve Thee.

I beseech Thee, moreover, O my God, to ordain for me what will make me rich enough to dispense with any one save Thee.

Thou art He Who, through a word of Thy mouth, hath so enravished the hearts of Thy chosen ones that they have, in their love for Thee, detached themselves from all except Thyself, and laid down their lives and sacrificed their souls in Thy path, and borne, for Thy sake, what none of Thy creatures hath borne.

I have stood at the door of Thy grace with utter self-effacement and complete abnegation, and clung to the hem of Thy bounty, and fixed mine eyes upon the horizon of Thy gifts.

I beseech Thee, by Thyself and by whatsoever is of Thee, to grant that I may help Thy Cause and speak of Thy praise, and set my heart on the sanctuary of Thy glory, and detach myself from all that pertaineth not unto Thee.

Naked am I, O my God! Clothe me with the robe of Thy tender mercies. I am sore athirst; give me to drink of the oceans of Thy bountiful favor. I am a stranger; draw me nearer unto the source of Thy gifts. I am sick; sprinkle upon me the healing waters of Thy grace. I am a captive; rid me of my bondage, by the power of Thy might and through the force of Thy will, that I may soar on the wings of detachment towards the loftiest summits of Thy creation.

I beseech Thee, by the embodiments of Thy names whom no grief can hinder from rejoicing in Thy love or from gazing on Thy face, and whom all the hosts of the heedless are powerless to cause to turn aside from the path of Thy pleasure, to supply him with the good things Thou dost possess, and to raise him up to such heights that he will regard the world even as a shadow that vanisheth swifter than the twinkling of an eye.

Thou knowest full well that I have turned away from all things and freed myself of all thoughts. I have no occupation save mention of Thee and no aspiration save serving Thee.

...O Lord! Help this daughter of the Kingdom to be exalted in both worlds; cause her to turn away from this mortal world of dust and from those who have set their hearts thereon and enable her to have communion and close association with the world of immortality. Give her heavenly power and strengthen her through the breaths of the Holy Spirit that she may arise to serve Thee. Thou art the Mighty One.

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Vouchsafe unto me, through Thy grace, what will enable me to dispense with all except Thee, and destine for me that which will make me independent of everyone else besides Thee.

Cause them to be so enraptured by the sweetness of Thy divine melodies that they will rid themselves of all attachment to any one except Thee, and will turn wholly towards Thee, and extol Thee under all conditions, saying: "Praised be Thou, O Lord our God, inasmuch as Thou hast enabled us to recognize Thy most exalted and all-glorious Self.

Guard their faces, O my God, from turning to any one save Thee, and their ears from hearkening unto the sayings of all such as have turned away from Thy beauty and repudiated Thy signs.

Praised be Thou that Thou hast so strengthened Him with Thy strength, and endowed Him by Thine almighty power with such potency, that aught save Thee is in His estimation but a handful of dust. The lights of unfading splendor have so enveloped Him that all else but Thee is in His eyes but a shadow.

Fix, then, mine eyes upon Thee, and rid me of all attachment to aught else except Thyself. Aid me to do what Thou desirest, and to fulfill what Thou pleasest.

Give her to quaff, O my God, by Thy Name, the Manifest and the Hidden, of Thy choice sealed Wine that it may take her away from her own self, and make her to be entirely devoted to Thy remembrance, and wholly detached from any one beside Thee.

O would that they who serve Thee could taste what I have tasted of the sweetness of Thy love!

I implore Thee to supply whosoever hath sought Thee with the living waters of Thy bounty, that they may rid him of all attachment to any one but Thee.

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I beseech Thee by Thy Name, through which the faces of them that are nigh unto Thee have turned white, and the hearts of such as are devoted to Thee have winged their flight towards Thee, to grant that I may, at all times and under all conditions, lay hold on Thy cord, and be rid of all attachment to any one except Thee, and may keep mine eyes directed towards the horizon of Thy Revelation, and may carry out what Thou hast prescribed unto me in Thy Tablets.

Grant, moreover, that they whose hearts yearn over Thee may draw nigh unto the horizon of Thy grace, above which the Day-Star of Thy beauty sheddeth its radiance. Ordain, also, for them what will make them rich enough to dispense with aught else except Thee, and rid them of all attachment to such as have repudiated Thy signs.

For were there to remain in her heart aversion to anything which she did not rid herself of, she would not be free for Thy worship. And this is something which none knoweth save Thee, and none but Thee hath power over this.

These, O my God, are Thy servants who, for love of Thy beauty, have forsaken their homes, and been so stirred up by the gentle winds of their desire for Thee that they have sundered every tie in Thy path.

So enravish me with the wonders of Thine utterances that the noise and distraction of this world may be powerless to deter me from turning unto Thee, and may fail to shake my constancy in Thy Cause, or to distract my gaze from the horizon of Thy grace.

And at the mention of that supreme honor and mighty gift and the attractions of yearning for Thee and the dominions of Thy love and the passions of longing for Thee, I heard the call of one of Thy servants who believed in Thee and Thy verses, who turned away from all existing things and advanced toward the countenance of Thy beauty, who hastened from all directions to the place of Thy settling, until he stood at Thy door and arose at the dawning of the lights of Thy eternal holiness from the horizon of the heaven of Thy oneness and the dayspring of the dawn of Thy eternality.

Whoso hath loved Thee, can never feel attached to his own self, except for the purpose of furthering Thy Cause; and whoso hath recognized Thee can recognize naught else except Thee, and can turn to no one save Thee.

Illumine mine eyes, O my Lord, with the splendors of the horizon of Thy Revelation, and brighten my heart with the effulgence of the Day-Star of Thy knowledge and wisdom, that I may set myself wholly towards Thy face, and be rid of all attachment to any one except Thee, in such wise that the changes and chances of the world will be powerless to hinder me from recognizing Him Who is the Manifestation of Thine own Self, and the Revealer of Thy signs, and the Day-Spring of Thy Revelation, and the Repository of Thy Cause.

Hold Thou me with the hands of Thy power, and grant that I may be so carried away by the sweet melodies of the Dove of Thy oneness, that I will cease to regard in all creation any face except Thy face, O Thou the Goal of my desire, and will recognize in the visible world naught else save the evidences of Thy might, O Thou Who art the God of mercy!

Make them, then, O my God, to be detached from all else but Thee, and enable them to speak forth Thy praise and extol Thy virtues. Supply them, moreover, O my God, with the choice Wine of Thy mercy, that it may cause them to be forgetful of any one except Thee, and to arise to serve Thy Cause, and to be steadfast in their love for Thee.

Whoso hath drunk of the cup which the hand of Thy mercy hath borne round will strip himself of all things except Thee, and will be able, through a word of his mouth, to enrapture the souls of such of Thy servants as have slumbered on the bed of forgetfulness and negligence, and to cause them to turn their faces toward Thy most Great Sign, and seek from Thee naught else except Thyself, and ask of Thee only what Thou hast determined for them by the pen of Thy judgment and hast prescribed in the Tablet of Thy decree.

I pray Thee, by Thy Name through which Thou didst call all mankind unto the horizon of Thy majesty and glory, and didst guide Thy servants to the court of Thy grace and favors, to number me with such as have rid themselves from everything except Thyself, and have set themselves towards Thee, and have not been kept back by such misfortunes as were decreed by Thee, from turning in the direction of Thy gifts.

I implore Thee, O Thou by Whose summons the hearts of all them who were nigh unto Thee have soared into the atmosphere of Thy presence, to send down upon Thy loved ones what will enable them to dispense with all else except Thee.

I implore Thee by Thine Ancient Beauty and Most Great Name, Whom Thou hast sacrificed that all the dwellers of Thine earth and heaven may be born anew, and Whom Thou hast cast into prison that mankind may, as a token of Thy bounty and of Thy sovereign might, be released from the bondage of evil passions and corrupt desires, to number me with those who have so deeply inhaled the fragrance of Thy mercy, and hastened with such speed unto the living waters of Thy grace, that no dart could hinder them from turning unto Thee, nor any spear from setting their faces towards the orient of Thy Revelation.

These have so vehemently rent the veils asunder that the dwellers of the cities of self have wept, and fear and trembling seized the people of envy and wickedness who, adorning their heads and their bodies with the emblems of knowledge, have proudly rejected Thee and turned away from Thy beauty.

I implore Thee, O Thou Who causest the dawn to appear, by Thy Lamp which Thou didst light with the fire of Thy love before all that are in heaven and on earth, and whose flame Thou feedest with the fuel of Thy wisdom in the kingdom of Thy creation, to make me to be of those who have soared in Thine atmosphere, and surrendered their will to Thy decree.

Disencumber yourselves of all attachment to this world and the vanities thereof. Beware that ye approach them not, inasmuch as they prompt you to walk after your own lusts and covetous desires, and hinder you from entering the straight and glorious Path.

Catalogue reference: BH00144 · passage alignment is approximate; supplied wording retained.

O my God! Thou seest me detached from all save Thee, holding fast unto Thee and turning unto the Ocean of Thy Bounty, to the Heaven of Thy Favour, to the Day-Star of Thy Grace

Catalogue reference: BH03109 · passage alignment is approximate; supplied wording retained.

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One may conquer a million men in a single battle; however, the greatest and best warrior conquers himself. (Dhammapada 8.4)

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Be patient, for the Lord is patient.

Catalogue reference: BH00053 · passage alignment is approximate; supplied wording retained.

O you who believe! Be patient, vie in patience, persevere, and reverence God, that haply you may prosper.

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We must not only be patient with others, infinitely patient!, but also with our own poor selves, remembering that even the Prophets of God sometimes got tired and cried out in despair!

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