Reading the signs: symbolism and meaning

In another sense, by the terms "sun," "moon," and "stars" are meant such laws and teachings as have been established and proclaimed in every Dispensation, such as the laws of prayer and fasting.

… And now, with fixed gaze and steady wings enter thou the way of certitude and truth. "Say: It is God; then leave them to entertain themselves with their cavilings." Thus, wilt thou be accounted of those companions of whom He saith: "They that say 'Our Lord is God,' and continue steadfast in His way, upon them, verily, shall the angels descend." Then shalt thou witness all these mysteries with thine own eyes.

And He has made the creation of light in His names like unto the creation of souls, wherein no trace of self is observed, and which in their mutual reflection and mirroring reflect the manifestations of His sun of oneness exactly as they are.

Thus, when you wish to express the reality of the spirit and its conditions and degrees, you are obliged to describe them in terms of sensible things, since outwardly there exists nothing but the sensible. For example, grief and happiness are intelligible things, but when you wish to express these spiritual conditions you say, "My heart became heavy", or "My heart was uplifted", although one's heart is not literally made heavy or lifted up. Rather, it is a spiritual or intelligible condition, the expression of which requires the use of sensible terms.

The Holy Books have their special terminologies which must be known and understood. Physicians have their own peculiar terms; architects, philosophers have their characteristic expressions; poets have their phrases; and scientists, their nomenclature. In the scripture we read that Zion is dancing. It is evident that this has other than literal interpretation. The meaning is that the people of Zion shall rejoice.

All religions are written symbolically. This is the only way in which Truth can be written to withstand time and its changes. Languages change, the meaning of words is lost; for these are but the expressions of periods. Symbols never change, since they are the expressions of man's spirit. The realities encased in them are handed down as long as the symbols are preserved. These realities the spirit reawakens.

Reflect upon the books of old and what was revealed therein concerning the signs of the Manifestation. By God! Thou shalt find naught save symbols and allusions, if ye would but understand.

Regarding Paradise, which Muhammad described - these are spiritual realities expressed in physical forms and images, for at that time souls were not capable of comprehending spiritual meanings. It is like Christ saying "I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until I drink it new in my Father's Kingdom." Now it is clear that Christ did not mean this grape, but rather a spiritual state and divine perfection which He expressed as grape. All that was revealed in the Quran is of this nature.

For instance, we might say that the leopard and the kid, the lion and the calf, the sucking child and the asp, represent the various nations, the hostile peoples and contending kindreds of the earth who in their opposition and enmity were even as the wolf and the lamb, and who through the breezes of the messianic Spirit came to be endowed with the spirit of unity and fellowship, were quickened to life, and associated intimately one with another.

And as for the woman who will flee into the wilderness, mentioned in the twelfth chapter of the Book of Revelation - "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet" - this woman signifieth the Law of God, for in the terminology of the Holy Books, it is a metaphor for the Law of God, which is here expressed as a woman. And the two luminaries, the sun and the moon - that is, the Turkish and Persian kingdoms - are under the shadow of the Law of God. The sun is the emblem of the Persian state, and the moon, being a crescent, is the emblem of the Turkish state.

By 'that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God' is meant the holy Law of God, and this is set forth in many Tablets and still to be read in the Scriptures of the Prophets of the past: for instance, that Jerusalem was seen going out into the wilderness.

The meaning of the passage is that this heavenly Jerusalem hath twelve gates, through which the blessed enter into the City of God.

Thus the water of baptism and the fire are one! It cannot mean that the 'water' spoken of is physical water, for it is the direct opposite of 'fire', and one destroys the other.

… Water is the cause of life, and when Christ speaks of water, He is symbolizing that which is the cause of Everlasting Life.

Water symbolizes the knowledge of God which gives eternal life, because all forms of life had their beginning in the water. Fire is the symbol of love, and the baptism by fire means the love of God which descends in the hearts that are turned unto him! Now as fire is used to symbolize love, be sure that water is used also as a symbol, for would it be possible for one to be put into the fire as one is put into the water for baptism?

The spiritual rose hath appeared in the divine Ridvan at the advent of the spring of inner meanings, yet the outward nightingales remain deprived. The rose proclaimeth: "O nightingales! I am your Beloved, and I have appeared in the fullness of My hue and fragrant breath, and in My transcendent grace and freshness. Consort ye with the Friend and flee not from the Beloved."

Know thou that the outward station of this Word among the stars and heavenly bodies is that of the sun; among letters and words it representeth the right pillar; among the ranks of divine action it representeth the Will; among the elements it representeth heat; among the seasons, summer; among measurements, length; in man's outer form it representeth sight, for the station of sight is that of fire; in man's inner being it representeth the heart; among the faculties it representeth the inner heart; among colors it representeth yellow; and among the elements it representeth fire.

Look at the Word of Unity [la ilaha illa Allah] - it has twelve letters, and its foundations are three letters: the Alif representing the station of the Tree, the Lam representing the connection, and the Ha representing the fire.

"The hand is veiled, yet the pen writes as bidden;

The horse leaps forward, yet the rider's hidden."

By this reed is meant the Perfect Man, and the reason for His being likened to a reed is that when the latter is entirely freed and emptied of its pith, it becomes capable of producing wondrous melodies. Moreover, these songs and airs proceed not from the reed itself but from the player who blows into it. In the same way, the sanctified heart of that blessed Being is free and empty of all save God, is averse to and exempt from attachment to every selfish inclination, and is intimately acquainted with the breath of the Divine Spirit.

Rather, the cloud referred to in the Gospel is the human body, so called because the body is as a veil to man, which, even as a cloud, preventeth him from beholding the Sun of Truth that shineth from the horizon of Christ.

Question: What is the meaning of the expression in the "Prayer of the Dawn: I ask Thee, by thy Hair which moves upon the sides of the Face?"

Answer: These are symbols. Always, hair is the symbol of the Glory of GOD, and the Face is the symbol of the Beauty of GOD

(Abdul Baha paused for one second, and then repeated this answer).

We have verily sent forth the caravan of love by God's leave unto this well. When he let down his bucket with the gaze of the heart, he said: "O glad tidings! This verily is the Truth -- this is a youth the like of whom no eye hath seen!"

… O believers! Fear God, lest ye sell him for a counted price apart from the pure ocean of Divine Unity -- and God is aware of what ye do.

Know ye, O servants of God, in truth and by truth, that if ye look upon him with other than the eyes of your hearts, ye have purchased him for a paltry price -- a few counted dirhams -- and God will not judge in your favor in the Book through the knowledge of the Remembrance, for ye have not entered upon the mystery of the heart.

Say: They who hold in their hands white diamonds and engrave upon them "God is Most Glorious" are like unto those who glorify God, their Lord, the All-Merciful, and who never cease. Say: They who hold in their hands yellow topaz and engrave upon them "God is Most Exalted" are like unto those who thank God, their Lord, the All-Merciful, at all times, and who glorify Him with His praise. And they who possess a green emerald and engrave thereon "God is Most Powerful" shall be rewarded on the Day of Resurrection like unto those who proclaim the unity of God at all times and never grow weary. Say: They who possess a red ruby and engrave thereon "God is Most Enduring" shall be rewarded on the Day of Resurrection like unto those who magnify God at all times and never tire.

And there exists not in contingent reality any name whose final manifestation testifies to itself as does the name Muhammad - may God's peace be upon him and his family - for that darkened letter which appears at the end of his noble name represents the earthly element, that it might be exalted above the luminous letters in others.

Upon the shore of this Ocean hath been created a wilderness whose beginning and end none hath encompassed, wherein the call of God hath been raised from every direction. No Prophet or Messenger hath passed by it except that the divine fragrances seized him in this Valley. And when they reached the Most Glorious Dome, which was created from the Light of the Divine Essence in the midst of this Valley, they fell prostrate upon their faces in the dust in humility before this Beauty Who hath appeared in truth in this Garment, from which the sincere ones inhale the fragrance of the All-Merciful.

I seal my words with that which the nightingale of separation sang in the land of 'Iraq, and with that wherewith it summoneth all who dwell in every quarter of the horizons: "The Bird of Eternity hath flown unto the City of the Unseen Cloud; and the Dove of the Spirit hath ascended from one branch, seeking another." Then weep ye, O concourse of lovers, and O people of the world!

When she had mounted the couch of silk and arisen thereon, she moved; and from that movement a few dark points from her locks -- tokens of that luminous darkness -- fell upon the brocaded earth. From those few scattered points these wondrous words were embellished, and the river of love was hidden in the darknesses, in the springs, of these words. Wherefore, O ye winging your flight in the air of holiness, by turning your gaze unto this fleeting world, shut not yourselves out from this everlasting fountain, that haply ye may be granted leave to enter the pavilions of reunion with the Beauty of the Lord of Glory.

That leaf is an explanation of the Word from the Most Exalted Word - may my spirit be His sacrifice. The people of the Gate know through that Exposition all its expressions - may my spirit be a sacrifice for the mystery of the Exposition in their realities. Whoso desires explanation of their words has taken but a drop from that Most Great Water and has colored all with the color of that leaf.

As for the letter, it is the meaning which tells only of connection. When God desired to create the letters, He originated a word of four letters, and God named each letter: for the first, verb; for the second, noun; for the third, preposition; and for the fourth, the hidden secret that sustains them.

This is what I have called upon God, my Lord, in the language of symbols and mysteries, which shall be read by those who desire to quaff the water of life from the hands of the All-Bountiful, whereby the beauty of reality is unveiled and the veils of metaphor are consumed.

As for the symbol of the cross, appointed in former times: Know verily, that the cross form is a wonderful figure and consists of two right lines placed crosswise-one perpendicular to the other--and this figure exists in all things.

Meditate upon these words and pay attention to the tissue in all existing substances, either plant, animal or man, and thou wilt see that they all are formed of the cross figure or two crosswise lines.

Regarding the Vision in the Twenty-second chapter of Revelation: By this is meant that the bounty of God consists of the water of Life which, like a river, flows from the right side of the Almighty, and the promised Lamb of God.

Know thou of a certainty that in the world of existence there are two kinds of trees: First, the Tree of Affirmation, which is the blessed tree, or the Tree of Life. This was the Tree upon which the Fire became manifest to Moses on Mount Sinai, and that was the reality of the manifestations of Divine Appearance: This is the Tree mentioned in the Vision.

Siyyid Kazim also spoke of triliterals and quadriliterals. A triliteral is a word comprising three letters, such as "'Ali", and a quadriliteral is a word comprising four, such as "Muhammad". When these two are combined it makes "'Ali-Muhammad", which is the blessed name of the Bab. In numerous passages of the same book he explicitly refers to the Bab and extols Him with boundless laudations and attributes, saying that the mysteries of all that has been and all that shall be are found in Him.

And the blessed explanation in establishing the reality of the letter "Ha" between the two - this "Ha" is the "Ha" of Identity which falls between "Ba" and "Alif" and indicates that the first Manifestation is contained within the second Manifestation. … And the "Vav" is the throne of "Ha", and that mighty throne occurs between two appointments - the first appointment and the second appointment.

Then look at the phrase which is "Grace unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come." He who was is the King of Peace, He who is is Christ, and He who is to come is the Promised One mentioned in God's books and scriptures.

But these words were symbolic, and the Jewish divines did not understand them. They supposed these conditions would be fulfilled according to their literal and apparent meaning, whereas they were all symbolic.

Thus Christ's rod and His sword were His word. Concerning the promulgation of the law of Moses-He did spread the essence of that law. As to the wolf and the lamb - these were the people of the Fast and the West who, being antagonistic to one another, were like wolves and lambs. Through Christ all of them were gathered under the protection of the Gospel and received light from the same book.

The sun of truth rises on the horizon of divine mercy and sends forth its rays on all. This is the beginning of the spring. When the sun appears at the equinox it causes a movement in all living things. The mineral world is set in motion, plants begin to sprout, the desert is changed into a prairie, trees bud and every living thing responds, including the bodies of animals and men.

He is the light upon the two foreheads, the luminary of the two luminous ones, the radiant one at the dayspring of the two easts and the two wests. He is the pure water in the two gulfs, the fire in the two trees, the camphor water in the two rivers, the mystery of manifestation in the two vessels, and the forgiving cause in the two stations, through the knowledge of the two Imams in the mystery of this Gate, the mystery of the two lights from the temple of the two primary pockets.

Know thou that the Tree which was planted opposite the martyrdom-place of Husayn is the name of Ali which hath been combined with this resplendent, transcendent, mighty and inaccessible Name. And the Maiden that was suspended thereon is indeed the very Remembrance itself, its essence and its reality.

Observe how the chiefs who occupied the highest station descended to the lowest station - this is the mystery of the great reversal, and this reversal appeared from the symbols and intimations of the Sovereign. After the appearance of the blessed word "He" in the garment of "I," heaven was rolled up, the sun was darkened, the stars fell, and the earth was cleft asunder. How many divines who considered themselves oceans of knowledge were, by the aforementioned word, returned to the worst of stations, nay, were brought to naught, and how many servants who were remembered in no gathering were, by virtue of their acceptance, reckoned among the denizens of the highest heaven.

Consider how unmistakably "the first heaven" and "the first earth" refer to the outward aspects of the former religion. For it is said that "the first heaven and earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." That is, the earth is the arena of the last judgment, and in this arena there will be no more sea, meaning that the law and teachings of God will have spread throughout the earth, all mankind will have embraced His Cause, and the earth will have been entirely peopled by the faithful.

However, the second meaning of sacrifice is this: Christ was like a seed, and this seed sacrificed its form so that the tree might grow and develop. Although the form of the seed was destroyed, its reality manifested itself, in perfect majesty and beauty, in the outward form of the tree.

These verses of the Torah have therefore numerous meanings. We will explain one of them and will say that by Adam is meant the spirit of Adam and by Eve is meant His self. For in certain passages of the sacred scriptures where women are mentioned, the intended meaning is the human self. By the tree of good and evil is meant the material world, for the heavenly realm of the spirit is pure goodness and absolute radiance, but in the material world light and darkness, good and evil, and all manner of opposing realities are to be found.

The meaning of the serpent is attachment to the material world.

Question: Christ said: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever." What is the meaning of this utterance?

Answer: By this bread is meant the heavenly sustenance of divine perfections. In other words, whoso partakes of this sustenance--that is, whoso acquires the outpouring grace of God, draws illumination from His light, and obtains his portion of the perfections of Christ--will attain everlasting life. What is meant by blood, likewise, is the spirit of life, which consists in divine perfections, heavenly splendours, and eternal grace.

The nightingales sang the melody of unity and expressed mysteries and meanings.

It became a garden of supreme paradise, and the rose garden sought adornment.

The splitting of the moon has multiple meanings and is not limited to its outward meaning. Among these meanings is the dissolution of those souls who, before the rising of the Sun of Oneness from the Muhammadan horizon, had illumined people with the lights of their sciences, wisdom and knowledge - like those souls who, in the Christian dispensation before the appearance of the Beauty of Ahmad, called people to the straight path and the mighty way, and from whose tongues shone forth the lights of knowledge and wisdom they had borrowed from the lamp of Jesus and the niche of Christ, and by whose guidance and direction and light of wisdom and knowledge people walked the path of guidance.

In this story of our Lord Jesus the Sea of Tiberias represents the Ocean of Creation--the two shores represent earthly truth and spiritual truth. The boat (or ark) stands for the arguments and reasons by which man acquires knowledge and in this boat the disciples of Jesus were tossed in the waves of the Ocean of Creation. The shoes which Jesus left in order to come to them walking on the water, represents earthly knowledge. The haven and shore to which He guided them represented spiritual knowledge.

When the sun rises, no matter from what dawning point on the horizon it appears -- northeast, east, southeast -- the haze and mists disperse, and we have clear vision of its glory mounting to the zenith. Similarly, the nations have been directed to the dawning points of the Sun of Reality, each to a particular rising place from which the light of religion has become manifest; but after a time the dawning point has become the object of worship instead of the Sun itself, which is ever one Sun and stationary in the heavens of the divine Will.

Jesus spoke everything in parables because the ideal sense is, in this way, revealed and understood. This contingent world is like the mirror of the spiritual kingdom; consequently it is better to explain each subject so that the real meaning can be understood.

Again the personality is like the chimney and the Truth is as the light. We can put the light of the lamp in another chimney and it is still the same light. We should not become attached to the chimney and put the light out of our thoughts.

This world is like unto an egg. As long as man lives within the shell of the egg he cannot soar heavenward. All the nostrils are afflicted with cold and they cannot inhale the sweet fragrances. All the eyes are blind and they cannot see the rays of the sun of Reality.

Now, our condition is much the same as that dark Arab's. Outwardly we seem naked and alone, with no support or champion, stand single and alone. But in reality, invisible hosts of the Supreme Concourse are our aid, and whenever they see us attacked or threatened, They immediately rush forth to our assistance.

The interpretation of this is that the bird symbolizes an earthly man, who received spiritual education through the Christ.

Then say: Peace be upon you, O Mystery of Ta-Ha and Temple of Kaf-Ha-Ya-'Ayn-Sad, and the mercy of God and His blessings.

O Lord! Bear Thou witness to that which I have witnessed, and sufficient art Thou as a witness unto me. Know thou that God hath said: "We will show them Our signs in the horizons and in themselves until it becomes clear to them that this is the Truth.

And all that thou findest mentioned of the Blast thou seest in the words "There is no god but God" - be thou of them that are endued with insight.

Then He saith "the Day when the quaking one shall quake," followed by the succeeding one. Then He saith "the Day of Spreading," and verily the Spreading is from the kindling of hearts.

God is the Light of the heavens and earth [Q24:35]. His Light is like a niche wherein is a lamp, a lamp, a lamp, a lamp, within a crystal above a crystal, a crystal, a crystal, well-nigh shining forth of itself even as doth shine the morning star. That is a blessed tree and an exalted word, whose light would well-nigh shine forth even though no fire touched it.

A Book sent down in truth, wherein mention is made of a servant whom God has associated with His servant, that he might give thanks to his Lord and detach himself from those who have denied God and warred against His Self and rejected His signs and associated partners with His Being, and that he might turn his face toward Him Who was named the Quarter of Eternity, then the Sinai of the Cloud, then the Horeb of Origination, then the Crimson Paran, then the Sacred Precinct - thus was the command sent down from the Kingdom of Names, from God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Sovereign, the Unconstrained.

O Lord! Make them signs of guidance and words of God-consciousness and goodly trees whose roots are firmly fixed and whose branches reach to heaven, adorned with the leaves of mysteries, beautified with the flowers of humility and lowliness, decorated with the fruits of divine verses, with branches near at hand yet lofty, fresh and verdant, watered by the outpourings of the Kingdom and the drops of the cloud of Thy bounty on the Day of Resurrection.

But in the Qur'an it is said: "We have sent down water from heaven, and the channels flow, each according to its measure, and the flood beareth along a swelling foam." Then it continues: "As for the foam, it passeth away as scum, while that which is useful to mankind remaineth in the earth." This means that when the flood rises, foam appears, but the foam vanishes while that which is beneficial, namely the water, remains. In other words, the Cause of God is like the sea, and other souls are like the foam. The sea endures while the foam perishes.

Yet when the Sun of Truth ascended to the heaven of sanctification and the Most Great Luminary rose to the Kingdom of uniqueness, these brilliant stars are also attracted in their ascension to that apex of radiant stations, and these stars are drawn to the Kingdom's horizon. Parts are attracted to the center of the whole, and nightingales yearning for the beauty of the rose, after the ascension of the Ancient Beauty - death is life and extinction is true eternality.

O ye friends of God! They call the region of Caucasia Mount Qaf, and it is said that Mount Qaf is the nest and abode of the well-known Simurgh. By Simurgh is not meant a bird with thick plumage, but in the estimation of those who have been awakened and possess divine knowledge it is evident and manifest that the divine Simurgh is the Word of God and the true Phoenix that adorneth the horizon of divine favour like unto the peacock of the most sublime heaven with its blessed feathers.

Sarvistan, praise be to God, has become a rose garden, and through the flowers and fragrant herbs of the knowledge of God has become gardens of divine realities and meanings. It is hoped that those cypress trees will grow and develop day by day, and in the utmost grace and freshness will be stirred and moved by the bounty of the cloud of divine favor in the stream of truth.

O two servants of Truth! In this moment I am offering prayers at the Threshold of the One God, the Most Great Name, saying: "O Lord! Make these two precious souls intimate companions with Thy remembrance, and guide these two longing hearts to the rose-garden of inner meanings and realities. Lead these two fish to the sweet waters of guidance, and bring these two gazelles of the desert of unity to the meadow of Thy bounty.

The sword He carried was the sword of His tongue, with which He divided the good from the evil, the true from the false, the faithful from the unfaithful, and the light from the darkness. His Word was indeed a sharp sword! The Throne upon which He sat is the Eternal Throne from which Christ reigns forever, a heavenly throne, not an earthly one, for the things of earth pass away but heavenly things pass not away.

We have feeling through the five senses and intellectual qualities. We often express these qualities by a material symbol. For instance, my heart is on fire; my heart is broken; I am thirsting for knowledge, or hungry for love; and this explains the verses in Acts 2:2, 3 and 4. The Spirit of Truth was the Advocate, or Comforter (Mohammed).

The real Christ came from the city of light in the eternal realms Christ is a king. His shepherd's staff, that is, his tongue, was a sword dividing the true from the false. The throne of David is not a material throne but an eternal kingdom.

Now this is a symbol, and this word extended after the time of Christ.

What is the symbol? Just as the sheep sacrificed its life, likewise this natural state of man, which is the animalistic state, must be sacrificed. How should it be sacrificed? The vices of the animalistic state of man must be entirely annihilated, and he must be characterized with divine virtues.

Now the things of the kingdom cannot be perceived by the senses and for this reason Christ taught the people always by means of parables and illustrations, because it is only through these outward signs and by comparison that the soul here receives understanding. For this reason Moses and all the prophets gave their teachings by material objects, that through the outward forms the soul might receive the inward knowledge.

So in order to give any shadow of meaning to us of this Infinite, everlasting Kingdom, He compared it to this world as it would seem to a baby still in its mother's womb, etc.

Then a theatrical woman was introduced. She was tall, graceful, and very charming.

"We have also a theatre." The woman immediately becomes all interest, set aglow with enthusiasm. "Yes? Where is it? I love to see it. Can I play in it?" "Our theatre" the Master answering smiling "is built in a county where there is eternal springtime, the streets of that city are as clean as the surface of the Mirror, the light of that play house are the rays of the Sun of Reality, the actors of our drama are the Holy Manifestation of God, the audience is composed of pure and sanctified souls, they play their parts with the most delicate art, they deliver their world with power and potency, the stage of our theatre sis the arena upon which is played the sublimest tragedy, the most terrible dramas, the most trilling and heart-trobling events of life. Come and join our company, you have acted all your life on their material stage, now come and act upon the celestial stage. Your fellow-actors will assist you, will coach you in your part and step by step you will become a star shining in the galaxy of those heavenly inspired dramatists."

The water in this sense bears the meaning of words, for it is the cause of life, in its literal and spiritual interpretation. Therefore Mary desired He would speak to them something that would exhilarate their spirits, like wine for the body.

And from this verse that says in the Torah that the Spirit of God was like a bird above the water - what is meant is the water of divine knowledge which is the cause of heavenly life.

Through their ignorance of these meanings people have always remained veiled from the manifestations of the bounties of Him Who is the Causer of Causes. Although in the divine scriptures mention is made of a heaven and an earth other than the physical heaven and earth, yet they have interpreted these signs literally and have deprived themselves of spiritual worlds and divine knowledge.

In the Gospel it is explicitly stated that in His first coming, although Christ was born to Mary, He Himself said that He came from heaven. Thus, the meaning of 'heaven' is the greatness of the Cause and eminence and might of the Manifestation of God Who spreads this divine Cause by His heavenly power and divine strength and not through material means.

The miracles of Christ were spiritual teachings, not literal.

Hearken ye to the rapturous melody from the Countenance of Him Who sitteth upon the Throne of Nearness, the Point of Manifestation, the Mystery of Concealment, the Hidden Secret of the Book, that verily He is the Truth, there is none other God but Him, and He is God Who hath been witness unto all things.

His words, exalted be His grandeur: "Consider the candle and its light. If you protect it from outward elements through means such as a lantern or otherwise, then as long as the wax and wick remain, it is possible to preserve it from temporal vicissitudes. However, if it reaches its end - that is, if the wax and wick are exhausted - in this case the continuation of light is impossible.

Behold then the veil of this clemency that hath risen and appeared from the two Dawning-Places, and that speaketh in the two Mounts in the form of the two Fires, and uttereth the two most perfect Words at the pole of the two heavens. Say: By God! This is indeed the Light manifest in the two Suns rising from the two Corners after the folding up of the two Stations, that thereby might be revealed the melodies of the Spirit upon the two Branches, that thou mayest know the decree concerning treachery in the two most remote selves.

In these days when the heavens of attraction have been raised up, and the sun of rapture has risen from the horizon of appearance, and the stars of joy have become manifest, and the moons of might have become radiant - so that the garden of beauty might be adorned with the ornaments of majesty, and the earth of splendor might be spread out upon the throne of the cloud, and the nightingale of gladness might warble with verses of joy upon the branches of the Tree of Sinai, and the leaves of the Tree of Paradise and the branches of the Divine Lote-Tree might come into motion and manifestation - that perchance sanctified souls might be drawn to their original homeland, and purified hearts might circle round and prostrate themselves before the jewels and pure camphor essence in the divine throne of manifestation, that they might taste of the endless bounties and drink from the resplendent fountains of the eyes of grace.

O Ghulam-Rida! Consider man as a sword: while it remains in its sheath, its quality remains hidden and concealed. Through God's grace, you must be freed from the sheath of darkness, that your quality may become manifest to all the world. The quality of man lies in his conduct and deeds.

The Tree of Life is full of blossoms, leaves and fruits!--shade thereof is a peace to the soul and a rest to the consciousness. Whosoever is under this Tree will certainly partake of fruit. But shade trees are many in the forest, which, though fresh and verdant, are, nevertheless, fruitless. This truth shall finally become clear and manifest unto thee."

The intent of "heaven" is not this boundless space, but rather the intent of heaven is the world of reality which is higher than all worlds.

The Dove of Holiness has warbled in these gardens, and the Lions of Truth have roared in these thickets, and the Whales of Knowledge have swum in these pools.

Through their mutual reflection, the mystery of unity becomes manifest, and "His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp, the lamp within a glass, the glass as it were a glittering star, lit from a blessed tree" becomes evident.

The Tree is the Tree of Life, the Supreme Horizon, the Divine Lote-Tree, the Tree of Blessedness, and the Furthermost Sanctuary -- the station of Universal Reality, the Divine Essence, the Single Identity, and the Perfect Manifestation, which is distinguished by the mystery of existence and the Praiseworthy Light.

O Jamshid! It is said that Jam possessed a cup in his hand that revealed the world and was set with jewels. Every morning he would gaze into that goblet like a mirror and unveil the mysteries of the realm. This is a tale and tradition, a story and discourse of historians.

But if thou desirest the world-revealing cup, it is the pure heart wherein the mystery of the Self-Sufficing Lord appears manifest and evident in that brilliant mirror. That cup is adorned with the gems of the love of God, therefore it is resplendent and luminous.

O thou servant of the Abha Beauty!

They say that Jamshid possessed a world-reflecting cup, and some maintain it was a goblet adorned with precious jewels. When one drank from that cup, like a whale in the ocean would one surge and cry out from the joy of its wine. Although that cup brought joy and gladness and was the cause of delight and bliss, yet its exhilaration lasted but a moment and its ocean was but a dewdrop. This divine cup, however, is filled to overflowing with the wine of inner meanings, and its exhilaration endureth forever.

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

There is no time to interpret the verse concerning His Holiness Jonah, but briefly: the belly of the whale represents the darkness of the world of nature, and deliverance and salvation from this darkness is a boundless wilderness.

The Caucasus is Mount Qaf in the Persian tongue. In olden times, according to the belief of the people of the world, Mount Qaf was the nest and abode of the Simurgh of grace. Whatever the case may be, it is a good omen, and they used to say that the dwelling place of that mighty bird was the Orient of glory. The truth of this saying might be that the Simurgh was an illustrious personage whose nest and dwelling place was the Caucasian clime, and through divine favors was most dignified and steadfast--that is to say, was a mighty fortress preserved and protected from the deficiencies and base qualities of human souls.

The cave is the Cause of God, that cave is the Divine Cause, it is a refuge. The Cause of God is likewise the refuge of all beings, the cave of security for the people of the world.

The cave mentioned is the Cave of God's Cause - it is the divine shelter. The Cause of God is the refuge of all peoples, the sanctuary of safety for all the inhabitants of the world. The sun referred to is the Sun of Reality, under whose shade the Cause of God was established and founded.

Verse 2: The street means the knowledge of God. The Tree of life means the Branches or teachers who give the Message to the people. Twelve manner of fruits means twelve different nations who will hereafter accept the Truth, yielding fruit every month means to be a great increase and never change their religion from cycle to cycle.

His Holiness the Bab -- may my spirit be a sacrifice to him! -- appeared in Shiraz. Soon after his declaration he wrote his first book, called "The Best of Stories," and in it the Bab confessed his evanescence and acknowledged himself to be in a state of spiritual communication with Baha'u'llah, and many times addressed him. This book has been spread throughout Persia. No one can say it is not the book of the Bab. It is incontestable. It was written in red ink as symbolic of his martyrdom, and in addressing Baha'u'llah wrote: "O thou, my supreme lord, verily I have sacrificed my all for thee, seeking naught but martyrdom in thy path and anathema in thy way."

The Bab wrote another book, called the Beyan, which is divided into nineteen vahids (unities) of nineteen babs (chapters) each. In this book he mentioned Baha'u'llah by the name of "Him whom God will manifest," and one of his commands was "If any soul should displease another he must give nineteen drachmas of diamonds as atonement. He believed this would train people in such wise as to hinder them from injuring the feelings of "Him whom God will manifest," when he should appear. In a word, every chapter culminates in the mention of "Him whom God will manifest."

The prophets of God in past times declared that the coming of the successive manifestations of God would be recognized by certain signs symbolically expressed. For example, Isaiah prophesied that when the promised one should come he would sit upon the throne of David; he would conquer the East and the West; he would organize a new sovereignty; he would uphold the law of the Torah; he would usher all the nations under his dominion; during his time the lamb and the wolf would dwell together; the mountains would depart and the hills would be removed; and the earth and the heavens would pass away. All these were the signs of the coming of the Messiah, but they were only symbols. Therefore, when Christ appeared the Jews did not believe. They said: "Those signs have not come to pass. Where is the sovereignty of the Messiah, and where is his scepter -- the rod of iron?"

In reality all of these prophetic signs did come to pass, that is to say, the inner significances appeared, but not in an outward and literal sense. For instance, it was prophesied that the promised one should come from a place unknown. So the Jews said of Christ: "We know this person. He is from Nazareth. We know his house; whereas the promised one is to come from a place unknown." In truth Christ did come from a place unknown -- for his reality -- the Christ reality -- came in the body of Jesus. Though the body of Jesus came from Nazareth, yet the Christianity -- the spirit of Christ, -- being divine, was placeless. His rod was the iron of the will of God. His sword was his blessed tongue, which separated truth from falsehood. He promulgated the teachings of the Torah, the fundamental law of the prophets. During his time the lamb and the wolf did dwell together, not literally because that would be impossible, but in the sense that antagonistic religionists became pacified and associated together at the fount of Christ. He founded a sovereignty and was enthroned, but the Jews did not understand and said: "Where is it? This man is not possessed of a mat, to say nothing of a throne." His Holiness Christ did establish a sovereignty, -- an eternal spiritual sovereignty. He did not establish a sovereignty like that of Bonaparte or Hannibal. His sovereignty was of God. His dominion was of the heart.

His Holiness the Bab did not condition the appearance of the promised one upon any such signs. On the contrary, he warned his followers lest they should become veiled and as in past times say that certain signs had not come to pass. He said: "When he appears you must believe and accept." This command he gave frequently and with great emphasis. In the Arabic Beyan he said: "When he proclaims himself you must not watch to see whether I become a believer or not. Beware lest you be veiled by me!"

His Holiness the Bab and nearly all his followers were martyred. Upon the death of the Bab, Mirza Yahya, my uncle, who had been appointed viceregent of the Bab, fled, and thus the Babi movement was virtually ended, however there are a few Babis today. These Babis believe that the Bab was the actual founder of the Bahai movement, whereas he was only the herald, even as John the Baptist, who was the herald of Christ, who in some parts of Arabia is still considered to be the essential personage of the Christian movement.

When Baha'u'llah appeared he was recognized as the promised one heralded by the Bab, and every one knows that were it not for the appearance of Baha'u'llah there would not have been a Bahai movement to-day.

During the time Baha'u'llah resided in Mesopotamia he displayed marvelous grandeur and power, notwithstanding the enmity and opposition of the Shah and the noblemen of Persia. Learned men of all nations sought him and were humble in his presence. They received from his holy tongue answers to their questions, and not a single soul left his blessed presence unsatisfied. When the ulama saw that Baha'u'llah exercised such influence in Bagdad they caused him to be exiled to Constantinople. However, he was sent, not as other exiles, but with honorable escort, and the officials en route, including the governor general, showed him great respect.

He remained four months in Constantinople. When it was discovered that he was gaining converts he was sent to Adrianople, where he spent five years. Then, at the instigation of the Shah of Persia, he was banished to the fortress of Acca.

Baha'u'llah was a prisoner, yet at all times, he upheld the banner of his cause with dignity and power.

Then, further, there are certain signs and allegories recorded in the Scriptures relative to the coming of the Messiah. These signs are written in symbols.

Another celebrated poet "Attar" portrays this idea of pantheism in a long wonderful poem called the "Parliament of birds. The poem is written allegorically. It is said that "Hodhod," a very beautiful bird came one day to all the other birds and said, let us all gather together and make a pilgrimage to the Mountain of "Qaff" - where the King of birds "Seymorg" dwells on a lofty peak. (Now "Seymorg" is a fabulous, mythical bird in the ancient literature of Persia but it means literally 30 birds; "Sey" means 30, "Morg," bird.)

The word Angel referred to in any of the Holy books does not refer to physical bodies descending from Heaven. Angel has two meanings. One is Divine Confirmation, which has been metaphorically called Angel; hence, when the word Angel is used, Divine Forces and Confirmations are meant.

The whole chapter 30 of Isaiah of the coming of Baha'u'llah especially verse 26, where the Son shall be as the Father and the Father shall be perfect in the sevenfold light of the seven cycles. The Moon gets its light from the Sun by reflection. The seven days mean seven Appearances.

This "Letter" [BH01125, paragraph 10] means a person. As the world came forth from the Mouth, that person is the reflection of the Light of GOD. It is the Letter in which are all the mysteries of the Holy Books. It is the Letter that came forth from the Mouth of the Blessed Perfection.

You must investigate the sun, not the qualities of the sun. If you investigate the sun you will find that the sun will always be perfect, but attention to the qualities of the sun may cause differences and argument. The sun must be investigated. That is the Reality.

This is a symbol, just as the circumambulation of the Ka'bah must be performed at a specified time and in a specified place where they must remove their garments from their body at once. This is a metaphor meaning that when a person intends to visit the Ka'bah, they must completely cast off their old garment, which represents their former characteristics, and don the garment of sanctification.

Abdu'l Baha: Hell designated the heedlessness of people from God. The meaning of skin is doubts, and whenever one doubt of their doubts is taken away, a new doubt will take place.

O ye dwellers in the realms of the mystic letters in the clouds of heaven! Hearken unto the warbling of the Bird of Servitude [seated upon the crimson throne], even as the Dove of Eternity doth trill upon the Throne of the Divine Realm with verses of splendor, and the Bird of Eternity singeth upon the Seat of Majesty at the White Point, and the Maid of Beauty standeth revealed in chambers of ruby to the right of the Tree of Divine Decree, and the Light of the Mystic Dove gleameth in the chambers of the Divine Essence with ornaments of glory, and the Peacock of Glory hath cried out in the heaven of Divinity with the sighs of the Dove of the Cause in the Garden of Light, and the Raven of the Divine Identity warbleth in the thicket of rapture with songs of ecstasy, and the Phoenix of the Fire of Love speaketh in the Valley of Attraction with the hidden mystery upon the Isle of Verdure, and the Nightingale of Unity twittereth upon the branches of the Divine Tree in the Garden of Beauty with the most hidden of secrets upon yellow leaves, and the Hoopoe of Eternity crieth out upon the twigs of the Lote-Tree of Glory in the thicket of exaltation with the mystery of fidelity, that verily there is no God but Him and that the Primal Point is His servant and His beauty, and that the guides of the Living One are the letters of His Cause, all working by His command.

Through one blessed word He caused the new creation to blaze like a sphere of fire and sent it forth with a mission.

Were We to say it is the sun, this would be true by virtue of My being, for it hath dawned from this praiseworthy horizon. And were We to say it is the heaven, this too would be true, for it hath been adorned with brilliant stars and luminous planets formed of the words of thy Lord, Who in the heaven of eternity was called the Ancient Truth, and in the realm of the cloud the Most High, the Most Great, and in the kingdom of names the Everlasting God, and then by this Name in the world of creation - the Name whereby the dwellers of earth and heaven were seized with trembling, save whom thy Lord, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved, did will.

The spider busies itself catching flies, while the divine Phoenix of Qaf hunts for inner meanings.

O God!

Though chicory appears outwardly bitter, inwardly it is most sweet. This describes the outer chicory that appears in earthly gardens. But you are the chicory of the paradise of sanctification and the leaf of the Divine Lote-Tree - from you every taste perceives a flavor.

The Primal Point, after traversing the realms of the Kingdom, appeared adorned with the seal of finality, and from its composition diverse forms became manifest, culminating in the Most Great Form. And from the different forms that were brought into being through the marriage of the Single Point, that which pertained to the Treasury remained in its own dwellings.

Thus was the Most Great Book completed, and by it were adorned all who are in earth and heaven, that the Daysprings of negation might witness at the station of annihilation what the Tree of Divine decree hath witnessed in the luminous spot, and might turn towards the Dawning-Place of the Call at the station of evanescence - that place wherein the Most Exalted Word donned the crimson robe in the kingdom of creation, and that the people of the Kingdom might hear the melodies of the leaves suspended upon the Tree beyond which there is no passing, in remembrance of this Remembrance Who hath appeared with the standards of verses to all who are in the heavens and the earth.

This is why in every age and century when the Invisible Essence and the Eternal Being hath willed to make manifest and cause to flow that true River and real Ocean through a new temple and fresh garment, all those edifices of existence and palaces of deluded souls were drowned and destroyed. In the depths of thirst and the extremity of their parching, they were submerged and annihilated, never realizing enough to take even a single draught thereof.

Accordingly, when God, glorified and exalted be He, desired to explain the magnificent bounties and abundant favors ordained in His wondrous paradise and beauteous gardens in the kingdom of His holiness and the seat of His intimate companionship, He cast those spiritual realities and divine intellectual essences into molds of forms such as houris, palaces, flowers, rivers, pools, gardens, and groves, that listeners might become aware of those abundant bounties and multiplying favors, of eternal happiness and holy blessed life in the next world, and of divine knowledge and spiritual delights in this first life. This is the wisdom of what God hath sent down in the Qur'an through the breath of the All-Merciful.

Divine nearness is dependent upon attainment to the knowledge of God, upon severance from all else save God. It is contingent upon self-sacrifice and to be found only through forfeiting wealth and worldly possessions. It is made possible through the baptism of water and fire revealed in the Gospels. Water symbolizes the water of life, which is knowledge, and fire is the fire of the love of God; therefore, man must be baptized with the water of life, the Holy Spirit and the fire of the love of the Kingdom.

All praise be to God Who hath established the Throne upon the water and air above the water, and separated between them through the letter Alif. Then He cleft the atmosphere from the realm of the primordial cloud between them, preserving them through the letter Ha, and brought forth from this air the Tree of Sinai, and caused it to hover above the Sea of Glory for the Dawning-Place of the Light of Baha in the innermost crimson chambers, that all might hear from the dawning-place of the white line on the horizon of darkness the call of the crimson leaves upon the green Tree: "There is no God but God, the Lord of the Throne and of Heaven!"

Rather, by this "ram ram" We mean that which increases love for God and love for His chosen ones and love for His friends, and which kindles in hearts the fire of God and His love, then His glory and His grandeur.

For it is of that wine which, should anyone drink a drop thereof, would draw him to the precincts of holiness and nearness and bring him to the presence of God, the King, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

Magnified, O Lord my God, be Thy Name, whereby the trees of the garden of Thy Revelation have been clad with verdure, and been made to yield the fruits of holiness during this Springtime when the sweet savors of Thy favors and blessings have been wafted over all things, and caused them to bring forth whatsoever had been preordained for them in the Kingdom of Thine irrevocable decree and the Heaven of Thine immutable purpose.

Remove from thy bosom and show forth thy snow-white hand. Cast down the rod of certitude and destroy the snakes of doubts. Tear apart the sea of imaginings and march through with the army of knowledge. Transform the blood-river of suspicion into the wellspring of guidance.

The Tree of the Cloud is in motion and the Lote-Tree of Faithfulness is in joy, that the Tree of Eternity might be planted in the land of oneness and the leaf of light might be joined with the mystic dove through the arts of the Divine Presence.

Cleanse thy heart, and cast away thy robe, tear asunder the veils, and raise the banner of the righteous. Be a light that shineth forth in the darkness of the night, and set the world aflame; raise a resounding voice, and break the weighty fetters.

O blessed souls! So long as a pearl lieth within the bosom of its shell, its luster and loveliness will remain unknown.

… The splendor of the pearl is revealed when it is brought to market and freed from the prison of its shell.

But when He declared that He had come from Heaven, it is clear that He did not mean the blue firmament but that He spoke of the Heaven of the Kingdom of God, and that from this Heaven He descended upon the clouds. As clouds are obstacles to the shining of the sun, so the clouds of the world of humanity hid from the eyes of men the radiance of the Divinity of Christ.

Praise be to God Who hath made the embellishment of the Tablets of the Morn of Eternity the embellishment of the Alif standing between the two Ba's. It shone forth and irradiated, after it had been originated, ere it had been devised, when it had been brought into being; it stood upright and spoke, filling thereby the horizons of the divine Cloud in the heaven of Lahut and the earth of Jabarut, until everything arose by virtue of its being, and every thing was illumined through its manifestation.

O my God! I praise Thee for having ordained the Fountain of Life in the Garden of Good-Pleasure, wherein Thou didst join together fire and water and unite them through Thy power, such that they shall never be parted throughout the eternity of Thy might and the perpetuity of Thy sovereignty. Thou didst appoint as keeper of this Fountain the serpent of Thy power and the snake of Thy protection, and didst breathe into this keeper from the essence of Thy spirit, such that all things die save it, and all things sleep save it, as if it were made a sign of movement, for within it is passion and rapture and agitation.

And the pristine being has put on the veil of limitations that it may become a messenger from the cloud of love and find its way to the Sheba of divine love, that it may partake and receive its portion of the overwhelming ecstasy and the attractions of longing.

The Tongue of Grandeur has in all times summoned the servants to the living waters and continues to do so. The Book calls out with the most exalted cry between earth and heaven, giving glad tidings to all and summoning them to the Hidden Name and the Treasured Secret.

A lock of My hair is My Cord. He who layeth fast hold on it shall never to all eternity go astray, for therein is his guidance to the splendours of the Light of His Beauty.

Let each one of you be like a brilliant star in the Cause of God, and a radiant lamp and a rain-shedding cloud, and in steadfastness in the Cause of God be like an immovable mountain, and in the recognition of the Beauty of the All-Merciful be like an endless surging ocean, and in praise of the Beauty of the Beloved be an eloquent tongue, and in holding fast to the divine counsels be renowned throughout all regions, and in teaching the Cause of God be a herald between earth and heaven, and in divine attributes be a mercy unto all mankind.

This is why sometimes it is expressed as the Supreme Paradise, sometimes as the Garden of Refuge, and sometimes as meadows, pools and groves. Otherwise the stations of nearness and reunion in the Most Glorious Kingdom are sanctified from all these aspects and illusions.

Verily the ocean surgeth, the ark is the way and entering it is to be lifted up towards Him. The clouds raineth, the meadows rejoiceth, and the sweet savours wafteth.

The Tree of Anisa is the blessed tree which hath flourished in the Most Great Paradise and casteth its shadow upon all regions.

The candle of the gathering of light was extinguished, and the bat of blindness became the wanton plaything of the arena; the sovereign of the sanctuary of honour sat upon the point of humiliation, and the base-born one of the mine of wretchedness lodged upon the throne of greatness.

Praise be to Him Who made darkness the ornament of light and thereby adorned the beauty of manifestation. This is from a power that no power in the realm has preceded, as though it were the Pen of Creation moving upon the Holy Tablet in Paradise.

My hair is My Phoenix. Therefore hath it set itself upon the blazing fire of My Face and receiveth sustenance from the garden of My Countenance.

The fragrant breath of a physical rose-garden imparteth untold joy unto the dwellers of the material world, imbuing the downhearted with a fresh spirit. It dispelleth the darkness of the hearts, and granteth deliverance from the lethargy of existence. It is clear therefore what effect must be exerted by the spiritual breezes blowing from the garden of compassionate hearts, and from the rose-bower of Divine love.

What is meant is one of the holy Tablets. But it also alludes to the fact that the divine Tablets should be engraved on precious stones. In addition, there is a saying in the East by which the color white symbolizes divine will; red, divine decree and martyrdom; green, predestination; and yellow, execution of the decree.

For all the evidences of Thy Lordship and the manifestations of Thy power have created the Tree of Unity, making its root the Point, its trunk the Letter Sin, its branches and fruits from its own letters, then its leaves from the manifestations of Thy names and the dawning-places of Thy examples.

And the spots on this moon of heaven corresponded to the moon of authority. Those possessed of understanding know that what is there cannot be known except by what is here, and these described spots are indeed a station of the answer. It is what God has written by His hands of power on the face of the two moons: "There is no God but God, Muhammad is God's Messenger, Ali is God's Friend."

Say: The mirror's glory lies in the sun's rays being reflected in it, and this reflection exists within it and appears from it so long as no veils of self and desire intervene between it and its illuminator. Thus is the matter, if you be of those who perceive. After becoming veiled, it can never tell of the sun's sovereignty, and God's lights, grace, providence and bounty are cut off from it. This comes from itself, for it has placed between itself and the sun that which has deprived it of the lights of God, the Mighty, the Merciful.

Praise be to God that the King of power and might is seated upon the throne of glory, and the Sovereign of eternity is established in the realm of meeting, and the sweet-scented breezes of eternity are stirred from the left side of the Beloved's locks, and the fragrant musk of faithfulness wafts from the right side of the Intended One's hair, and the Bird of Light warbles upon the branches of the Tree of Sinai, and the Cock of Glorification sings in the gardens of Divine Unity.

He asked what kind of place it was and where it was. We answered that 'Ama' has weather so pleasant as to be considered divine, trees laden with fruit, is green and verdant, has flowing rivers,and is a gathering-place for spiritual people.

When thou dost carefully consider its manifestations, at times thou shalt find it to be the blessed earth that causeth to grow the sweet herbs of sanctification, the trees of divine transcendence, the flowers of unity, and the roses of divine uniqueness. At every moment it bringeth forth new effects that confound minds and bewilder souls. At times thou shalt find it to be the holy, pure water that descendeth from heaven, causing to flow the valleys of abstract realities freed from limited determinations and essences that unveil the glorious sanctities and rend asunder the veils of self.

Consider, for example, the sun: its transit from one zodiacal sign to the next occurreth within a short period of time, yet only after a long period doth it attain the plenitude of its resplendency, its heat and glory, in the sign of Leo. It must first complete one full revolution through the other constellations before it will enter the sign of Leo again, to blaze out in its full splendor. In its other stations, it revealeth not the fullness of its heat and light.

O cherished maidservant of God! If you knew what bounty you have been granted and to what Kingdom you have found your way, surely from the intensity of joy and gladness the bird of your soul would not be contained in the cage of the body, but rather would take flight from the intensity of joy.

O pure and sanctified leaf! What consolation could be greater than this, that that bird of faithfulness made its nest in the branches of the Divine Lote-Tree, and that spiritual breeze returned to the gardens of the All-Merciful. That drop found its way to the Most Great Ocean, and that nightingale took wing to the rose-garden of the Beloved and became the companion and fellow-singer with the birds of holiness in the Paradise of Heaven.

O Kawkab of the horizon of attraction!

Though the stars of heaven are brilliant and shining, yet at times they are at their zenith, at times at their nadir, at times in auspicious positions, and at times caught in inauspicious stations. However, the stars in the ascendant of the love of God and the luminous orbs rising from the horizon of the knowledge of God are stars that rise and shine in heavens other than the visible firmament, and are free from the evil of inauspiciousness and combustion.

Last night an Hindu professor of music came here, bringing his musical instrument called The Vina with him and played for us certain oriental strains, accompanying them with singing - overhead our neighbor was playing the piano, but as soon as the professor began playing, the piano became silent; and when the Hindou had finished playing we heard again the sound of the piano - this illustrates a lesson, namely that when we listen to a most beautiful song, we must forget inferior music - when a lover of music has listened to the entrancing notes of a great master, his love of music will no longer be satisfied with the playing of the pupil.

… Is it fitting that we turn our backs on the Sun and hold to the flickering dim light of a candle? Is it right to forget the boundless sea to run after a little brook?

The river of Egypt being changed into blood, signifies that for the Egyptians it was very difficult for them to take in and to live by the Religion of God, just as it would have been impossible for them to drink blood. But for the Jews this religion was as the Water of Life. The thick darkness signifies the darkness of error which surrounded Pharaoh's people. The mosquitoes, frogs, and all signify spiritual hardships and trials. The Plague signifies a spiritual disease; the thunder and hail show the anger of God.

Now your troubles are ended and you must wipe away your tears, for you know the parable that Christ spoke of the sower and the seed; and so as in nature the good ground is made ready by rain and storm and ploughing and sunshine for the good seed to be sown, so is it in life, and the heart is made ready by all experience for the seed of life.

This meeting is like the meeting of magnet and iron, like the spring rain and pure, pristine soil, like the meeting of light and mirror, like the meeting of the breeze and trees.

Man must irrigate the Blessed Tree which has eternal fruits and is the cause of life for all on earth. This goodly Tree, though hidden at first, will erelong envelop the whole world, and its leaves and branches will reach the heavens. It is like the Tree which Buddha planted: although at first it was a small sapling, it eventually enveloped the countries of Asia.

As it dropped anchor, I saw a number of birds in the shape of grenades fly up from the ship and over the city. They soared from one part of town to another, yet the grenades did not detonate, and the birds returned to the ship.

For example, the wick in a lamp may burn out or become low, but the oil is still there and the light in that sense is not discontinued; or the chimney may become blackened with smoke, but the light shines within as brightly, though it be not as plainly discernible.

Verily I am the Fruit, I was singing the secret of the Blessed Tree to its leaves. Verily I am the Leaf in the Tree, I was chanting with the secret of Tha upon Mount Sinai. Verily I am the Eternal Fruit with the Primal Leaf in the Final Tree, I was the attractor.

The clouds have gathered over the face of the heaven, and though they may come between the sun and its radiance upon all things, yet they pour forth that which causes the earth to bring forth its burden; soon shall it lay down its load and bring forth its treasures and whatever secrets are stored therein.

Accordingly, "by the Fig" alludeth to Mount Tina and "by the Olive" to Mount Zayta, which are situated on either side of Jerusalem. Both of these blessed mounts are in the Holy Land, for they are places the exalted Prophets of God have used and received inspiration therein, and have been illumined with the effulgent lights of the Spirit. Thus have these mounts become the dayspring of God's boundless grace.

From the ascension of Mirza Nasru'llah there is utmost grief, but the consolation is that when that bird soared to the highest horizon it became a gray falcon and the mightiest eagle, and when that drop passed beyond the realm of contingent being it hastened to the infinite expanse and became a boundless sea.

Their throne is the supreme empyrean and their crown is the effulgence of confirmation from the Kingdom of the Glorious Lord. Their lamp is brilliant and their diadem radiant like the shining moon.

O Lord! This bird with broken wing and lowered primary and secondary feathers is for Your loved ones at all times. Make for it a nest in the branches of Your thicket which You have concealed from the eyes of those heedless of Your favors that are manifest to the righteous.

Though musk and ambergris are sweet-scented and fragrant, their diffusion is confined to a limited distance. But the musk-pods of divine mysteries perfume both East and West, for when a rose from the divine rose-garden blooms in the East, its life-giving fragrance quickens dead hearts in the West.

Wherefore, be thou like unto that bird of the bowers of faithfulness and, even as Shaykh Muhammad Hasan, become a point that hath turned unto Him. Perchance like unto the messenger of the Sheba of certitude thou mayest be crowned with the diadem of bounty and invested with honour, become honey-tongued even as the parrots of heavenly India, and discern among souls even as thou dost separate wheat from tares.

O thou who art intoxicated with the wine of the love of God! Indeed, the wings of the peacock spread out in the midmost heart of paradise and the crow croaked in the ruinous waste. The Dove sang in the thickly planted grove of faithfulness and the owl screeched in the ominous land.

Convey the utmost kindness from me to the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sheber, Marguerite, the daughter of the Kingdom, and say that the olive tree is an emblem of peace and concord, and the olive is the fruit and result thereof. God willing thou shalt attain the delicious fruit of peace and concord and thou shalt place a bouquet of roses from the Garden of the Paradise of Abha at the Heavenly Feast spread before Abdul-Baha, i.e., God willing thou shalt attain such perfections as resemble a bouquet of flowers and thou shalt offer it to the heavenly table.

The day of the Manifestation of God is the divine and spiritual springtime when the trees of human souls become green and flourishing, new beauty and freshness are brought to the gardens of the hearts and new inspiration and fresh bounties are bestowed.

But the 'Heaven' of Christ is that invisible world which is beyond the sight and comprehension of mere man. It is the spiritual condition. Therefore, the 'Heaven' of Christ is the Will of God. The Sun of that Heaven will never set. In it the Moon and Stars are always shining. It is the limitless Kingdom of God. It is sanctified from all place. Christ is always there. There Elijah and the Holy Prophets live eternally.

There are two kinds of sticks which we can imagine to be put aside for the fire. One is a damp stick, the other is of aloe ( a very dry kind of wood). When contact with the fire the damp stick will not ignite but the other is dry and ready to be ignited at once. So some people have the capacity to receive the light of God, others are full of earthliness (dampness) and cannot receive it.

This is why guidance appears blameworthy to such souls, just as the light of the world-illumining sun appears ominous to the bat, or as the fragrance of rose gardens appears to one with a blocked nose. The breath of Christ cannot bring such dead ones back to life, and the divine spring rain cannot make the salt marsh of their hearts bear fruit or effect.

When the other side was unveiled it developed that the Greeks had devoted their time to polishing their side, and it was so perfectly done that the pictures from the opposite side were mirrored therein and depicted even more exquisitely.

So we are to polish our mirrors in this great Day.

"Ridvaniyyih," said the Master, "there is a Garden of God. Human beings are trees growing therein. The Gardener is Our Father.

True religion can be compared to a flower: If you find it in a valley, in a garden, in a vase, it is always a flower. The spirit of religion may be likened to a man, and the laws and forms to the clothes he wears. These he may change, but it is of little import, for he is always living, though the outer garment be altered.

Now you must beg of God to confirm us in this service. The Tree needs rain, and when the rain falls whether it is warm or cold it does not matter.

If a tree was fruit-bearing in the past but is now dead, then it is no longer a tree. Today, it must manifest harvests and fruits.

As an illustration of the Trinity, take light and illumination, there is the light-giver, the Sun (God) the light-receiver, and the ray of light connecting the two. Again there is the giver of the bounty, the receiver of the bounty and the bounty which is the Holy Spirit.

The Altar of Sacrifice is the living heart of man and not a few pieces of dead stones. The fire that came down from heaven was no other than the Fire of the Love of God descending from the heaven of the Divine Will; the bullocks are human and carnal desires and appetites which are entirely burned away by this Ideal Fire, leaving the spiritual Altar, cleansed and pure.

As long as the tree does not send its root to the bowel of the earth it will not become secure and established, neither will it grow and develop into the full stature. But if it is not firmly-rooted, it will be broken before the blowing of one strong wind.

The sun is always shining upon mines, but all of them do not become gold and silver mines. In every mine neither are diamonds to be found. It depends upon the capacity of the mine to become diamond.

Some individuals are like rootless plants, they are pulled out by the slightest breeze. But those who are steadfast are like trees that have strong roots and foundations.

I liken you to the pupil of the eye. You are black and it is black, yet it becomes the focus of light.

In these days when the birds of the realm of existence have gathered and formed ranks in the heaven of manifestation, the hoopoe of divine attraction hath taken flight from the atmosphere of mighty power and turned from the eternal East to the everlasting West, that it may hear what it will from the holy Beauty and the intimate Countenance in the City of Divine Identity and Love, and what tidings it may bring.

Thus hath crowed the Cock of the Divine Throne, and sung the Dove, and warbled the Nightingale of Paradise, did ye but hear it.

Observe the trees: before grafting, their fruit is not worthy of mention, but afterwards that which is worthy of praise appears. A tree, which is counted among plants, through a small measure of cultivation attains to this station.

The eternal candle hath shone forth from within the glass of the eternal, and the lamp of the lights of His Holiness the Everlasting One hath gleamed from within the niche of Ahmad and the lamp of Muhammad, that pure hearts may be cleansed from obscure intimations and frozen signs, and thereafter be seated upon the throne of "Verily we are God's and to Him shall we return."

At the hour when the Sun of the heaven of existence cast aside the veil of manifestation from Its countenance, and the Moon of the cloud of purpose raised high the covering of limitations above the hills of power, the face of the former became sanctified from the multiplicities of the servants, and the rising of the latter became purified from the attractions of the lands.

That which hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen is as a lamp unto the darkened world and as a sun unto the realm of knowledge.

The Wronged One hath heard thy call and hath answered thee with that which was as the gentle rain of mercy unto good and blessed soil, as the breeze of providence unto the gardens of knowledge, as the sun of certitude unto the heaven of utterance, as the river of life unto the thirsty one, and as the fragrance of the All-Merciful unto the people of Baha.

The Imam asked what kind of city it was, and He responded:

"Its suns are ever-shining, its moons ever-rising, its stars ever-gleaming, its lands ever-verdant, its rivers ever-flowing, its trees ever-fruitful, its flowers ever-blooming, its bounties ever-lasting, and its blessings ever-enduring."

Lord! Make their hearts pure mirrors reflecting and displaying the lights of Your oneness, their breasts tablets inscribed with lines from the mysteries of Your gift, their eyes gazing at the horizon of Your sanctity, and their ears delighting in the melodies of the birds of Your unity.

Thou hast invited me to America saying that in that region and in that country there are many fragrant and multicolored flowers, likewise there are thorns and thistles but Abdul-Baha should not look upon the thistles of the desert. But He should hasten to that county for the sake of the flowers.

Nothing that can be imagined will be realized except this mighty Cause, which is like the blessed Tree whose "root is firmly fixed in the earth and whose branch reacheth unto heaven" and "yielding its fruit in all seasons."

The tree whose root is firm will yield luscious fruits. The building whose foundation is solid will stand the rush of torrent and hurricane. The steamer, which is built strongly, will resist the battling waves.

Therefore, desire with your heart and demonstrate humility and lowliness with your soul, show forth the strength of your arms with your body, and strive with all your powers until this brilliant star of bounty may rise from the horizon of heart and soul, and this bird of aspiration may fall into the snare of attainment, this flower may bloom in the gathering, and this dove may sing in that garden.

For what river is mightier than the river of divine forgiveness, and what tea is more fragrant, more ruby-colored, and sweeter than the cup of love for the Most Glorious Beauty? And which stream has a stronger current, flows more swiftly, and brings more grace and blessing than the river of the knowledge of God?

The rose-cheeked Cup-bearer circleth and the fairy-faced Beloved hath appeared from His concealment. The morning draught is passed around and the eternal wine of the All-Glorious is ...

The musician hath begun his melody and the Beloved is privily in feigned disdain.

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The name is like a chalice and the attribute like the wine. I hope that these two cups may overflow with that divine wine....

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This is the Lote-Tree of the Utmost Boundary, and the Farthest Mosque, and "two bow-lengths or even closer" in relation to those souls who dwell in the realm of creation.

...Regarding the rainbow,â€"this rainbow is the Covenant of God and the Testament of the Merciful One. The lights of the Kingdom and the heavenly illumination emanated from this rainbow. This rainbow is the sign of the removal of the wrath of God from all the people and the sign of prosperity, tranquillity, universal peace, the oneness of humanity, and the unity of the world of man....

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O Lord! Make him a nightingale whose song rises in this sublime garden, a lofty tree with low-hanging fruits in this exalted paradise, and a warbling bird in these thickets singing the most wondrous melodies upon the branches and boughs.

O friends of the All-Glorious Lord!

A garden requires graceful trees, wondrous fruits, delicate flowers, divine fragrances, roses and nightingales and hyacinths. Until such a garden is adorned thus, and such trees bear fruit, and such life-giving fruits are cultivated, it will not become a garden or a rose garden. It will not become a divine rose garden or a true meadow. It will not become the supreme paradise or an example of the gardens of the highest realm.

Therefore, O divine friends, become true gardeners and make that land a divine garden and a most merciful paradise. Become trees of oneness and roses and fragrances from the rose bush of detachment.

This greatest gift will only unveil itself, and attain its beauty and perfection, and the beloved of hopes will only reveal its countenance, when the friends of God become sacrificial offerings to the Most Glorious Beauty and those slain in the field of grandeur - that is, when they sacrifice their lives with their whole being and play spiritual melodies with their tongues, when they weep like winter clouds and laugh like spring lightning, when like trees they don the robe of the greatest gift and like flower gardens burst forth with blossoms and roses, when they seek endless freshness and attain radiance and delicacy and purity, when they become gardens of divine qualities and become characterized by the acquisition of infinite bounties.

Let each one become a sign of unity and seek detachment and raise high the banner of transcendence - that is, become completely distinguished from all else. At that time the truth of the purpose will become manifest and the ultimate hope and desire will be achieved and realized.

And upon you be greetings and praise.

O kind friend! In the Torah and Gospel, the divine Kingdom is likened to a garden and vineyard. That is, human souls are like incomparable saplings that have sprouted from that blessed earth. With the hand of ancient power, those blessed and approved trees were planted in the vineyard.

The call has been raised, the Dove has warbled, the verdant garden has been adorned, the streams of the lush garden have gushed forth, the peacock has cried out in the expanse of paradise, and the croaking of the croaker and cawing of the crow have risen.

Kindle these two lamps in the glass of the Kingdom and cause these two shining stars to rise from the eternal horizon. Grant these two free birds flight to the highest heaven that they may build their nests and abodes upon the Tree of Life and engage in Your praise and glorification with melody and song.

O ye two related to two martyrs in the path of God! How much this marriage is a cause of joy, for each of you is related to a martyr in the divine path and are sacrificers for the Infinite Beauty. You are two birds of one nest, and two fledglings of one dwelling, and two moths of one flame.

Today I was thinking over the following subject: The heavenly Farmer came and cleared the ground from thorns and thistles. He harrowed the field and prepared it for plantation. With the utmost trials, sufferings, hardships and vicissitudes he toiled on till the land was cleared of all spines and underbushes. The ground was furrowed deep; pure seeds were sown and young trees planted;- so that in time there may appear a waving field of wheat and a fruitful garden.

Consider the trees yonder; as soon as they peep out of the earth they receive the bounty of the sun, the shower of mercy and the gift of breeze. Although the same bounties are being bestowed upon them when they bring forth leaves, blossoms and fruit, still, there is a great difference between this state and that of the former one."

Every one of you is aware that the tree has a special time for its leaves to come out, another for its flowers, and another for its fruits; but it may happen that icy weather and intense cold may prevail for a while and prevent the Tree from blossoming in due time.

Do you think that if all the people in the world should unite that they can stop the coming of the Spring! No, it must perforce come!

Is there any child who, after being born into the world, desires to return to the womb? Is there any man who, having been freed from prison, desires to be again imprisoned? Is there any bird which, after it has escaped from the cage, will desire to return to it? Not unless it is lame- has broken a wing and cannot fly-will it prefer the cage to the heavens; neither will a man, unless he be imperfect or undeveloped, be attached to material things.

I will take thee through its broad avenues shaded by verdant, never-fading trees. I will unfold before thy vision, the most heavenly panorama, the like of which thou hast never seen. I will, little by little teach thee the secrets of the ever-changing hues of its flowers, the murmuring of its breezes and the divine notes of its music. I will take thee through its imperial palaces and will show to thee the most wonderful scenes.

Surely, a man in a rose garden is to be happy, and now I am in a rose garden. On one side, trees most fruitful and delightful to see, and, on the other hand, I see my children who are flowers and most delightful to look at, and, assuredly, that give joy in such a place.

The teaching of the Cause is like the wafting of the vernal breeze through the trees, it vivifies them but the discussion of material things is as the autumnal gale the blowing of which causes the trees to dry and the leaves to fall on the ground.

When one enters a rose garden, one inhales sweet fragrances, but in a dunghill one encounters foul smells.

Its Sun never sets; its Moon is ever a full moon, it never is on the wane; its stars are all suns; its season is ever Spring; its blossoms and flowers never wither; its trees are ever fruitful.

Faith is like a glowing candle, the human heart like a glass chimney, and the human body like a lamp-niche. That lamp and this glass and this niche - the light of that lamp shines upon the glass and from the glass it is diffused upon the niche.

The sun gives light to the entire world, but its penetrating power is strongest at the equator. The divine teachings should have their strongest effect in Iran.

Know, O thou possessors of insight, that true spirituality is like unto a lake of clear water which reflects the divine. Of such was the spirituality of Jesus Christ. There is another kind which is like a mirage, seeming to be spiritual when it is not.

Man must be like unto the light so that he may illumine the house in which he enters. Man must be like unto a fruit-bearing tree giving luscious fruits to every passer-by. Man must be like a fountain causing every thirsty one to drink from its salubrious water. Man must be like unto the purifying breeze imparting freshness and vigor to every soul.

For instance this flower has identity, qualities, name, and deeds - which is its fragrance, - for instance the sun, it has identity, qualities, name and function - it gives light.

Those four "Bahas" are symbols of these four things.

This seed may be likened to the perfect soul; the souls of men in general are as the leaves and the flowers.

For instance, if your beloved sends you a rose, you appreciate it, kiss it and it is valuable to you. This love is not regarding the personality of the thing itself, but for the sake of the one who has sent it to you. We must love the house for its owner's sake.

In the time of Christ the commands of Moses were as dry bones, and in this time all previous laws are as dry bones, but which are to be refreshed by the Great River of this time, and are to be clothed with the new sinews of Life by his Revelation.

The Kingdom of God is like unto this garden. It contains many kind of trees. In due season the trees must not only produce leaves and blossoms, but fruits.

O God! These children are like unto pearls. Rear them in the shells of Thy Providence. Verily Thou art the Generous! the Clement.

Do not worship the Lantern—worship the light.

The fragrance of the rose leads man to the Garden. Faith and Assurance are the fragrance of the rose which attracts individual believing souls together.

Until the sun rises in the West, the door of repentance will remain open.

Thou hast created naught in existence save two trees: the Tree of Negation and the Tree of Affirmation. Thou hast made Negation the manifestation of "no god" and Affirmation the manifestation of "but God." Thou hast made Negation Thy fire for those who enter therein, and Affirmation Thy paradise for those who enter therein. The former ever descendeth to the depths below, while the latter ascendeth to the heights above.

That which was revealed in the first year is the fruits of the Paradise of the Divine Identity, pertaining to Muhammad (peace be upon Him), and His star pertaineth to the land of Persia, wherein it must be recorded in a book containing the four rivers of divine manifestation.

That which was revealed in the second year is the fruits of the Tree of Divinity, pertaining to Ali (peace be upon Him), and His star pertaineth to the land of Iraq, to be written in a book containing the four stations of creation, sustenance, death and life.

And what you drank from the cup - it was connected to the Most Great Ocean which has no end. This is evidence of your Lord's grace toward you, and He has ordained for you from this ocean that which will never be exhausted, throughout the duration of your Lord's kingdom.

The Youth walked forth and with Him walked the spirits of the near ones and the angels of all worlds, until He stood before the Steed. Then were the pillars of all things shaken, the realities of Paradise were troubled, and the hearts of the mystics swooned away. Then did the Beauty mount the saddle of light, even as the Spirit mounted the mighty throne.

And He passed by thee like lightning flashing from the clouds - nay, faster than that - while thou wert standing in the land of symbols, at Horeb of the Command, Mount Paran, Sinai of the limits, Seir of existence.

Cast a flower into water and it sinks; place a flower upon water and it rests like a crown upon the water's brow. That is, manifestation and permanence are preferable to concealment and evanescence.

Say: O people! Behold the Tree and its fruits. They are before your faces.

Yet not physical houris who possess naught but appetite and desire naught but money, but rather obtain spiritual houris and take delight in the divine gathering, that thou mayest drink of the Kawthar of the spirit and taste of the fruit of light.

His days were but as the days of roses - thus was it ordained by the hidden Pen of might.

The dawn hath broken and the moon hath appeared, and the Sun crieth out: "To Me, to Me, O peoples of the earth!"

I beseech Thee by Thy Fig which was raised up in the Most Exalted Paradise, and by the Olive Tree which stood tall before the crimson chambers, and by Thy binding command which subdued the world, to assist me to remember Thee and praise Thee and to stand firm in Thy Cause.

This water hath been called by all names - at times thou seest it as fire, in such wise that its roaring flame is heard; at other times thou beholdest it as light, kindled and shining.

In the daytime We hear thy cry, in the nighttime thy lamentation, and at dawn thy moaning." Whereupon it cried out saying: "O Lord of the worlds! the ungodly have sunk Thy crimson Ark and slaughtered Thy white She-Camel, and desired to extinguish Thy light through the fire of hatred that blazed in their hearts.

God willing, may you return to the land of emergence from the realm of dawning through the melody of the eternal dove from the Orient of the everlasting heaven's splendor, with holy breaths from the divine cloud, from the essence of the city of faithfulness and the core of the garden of meeting.

God beareth witness that the ocean surgeth, and the breeze bloweth, and the Light shineth forth, and the Fire calleth aloud, and the Sun speaketh, and the Moon uttereth.

This is a remembrance from the Tree of Love which has descended upon the shore of the heart, and a fire from the treasury of nearness which is ignited in the Mount of the Tablet....

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Say: This is the Lote-Tree wherein burneth the Fire of God; hasten ye unto it, O people of glory!

Then We beheld her black tresses upon her white neck, as though night and day had embraced in this Most Glorious Spot and Ultimate Goal.

"O Maid of Baha! Step forth from the court of eternity, but let not thy most pure gaze linger upon the faces of mortal men. I swear by the one true God! None save them that are possessed of true insight can ever hope to behold thee in this most sublime vision. Leave the kingdom of names on thy right and the dominion of attributes on thy left, and shine forth by My leave above the horizon of Mine inviolable protection, divested of all that hath been created in the realm of Revelation and shorn of all that hath appeared in the kingdom of creation, that thou mayest manifest the beauteous image of God in all regions.

Then came forth the Maiden who, from time immemorial, had been concealed in the pavilion of sanctity and protection and glory, and in the tabernacle of purity and might and majesty. And there was inscribed upon her luminous brow, with crimson ink by the Most Exalted Pen: "By God! This is a Maiden whom none but God, the Most Exalted, the Most High, hath ever known, and God hath purified the hem of her sanctity from the knowledge of the Concourse of Names in the empire of eternity, and her beauty from the eyes of all who dwell in the kingdom of creation."

Upon His brow there shone a beauteous crown, which cast its splendour upon all who are in heaven and all who are on earth. Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a mighty cause.

Then when they melted and moved, persisted and swelled, inhaled and became straight, the letter Kaf revolved and connected to the letter Nun. Thereupon it swooned from the majesty of its Lord and prostrated before the grandeur of its Creator, and spoke in praise of its Originator and submitted to the countenance of its Lord, and turned repentant for what its hands had wrought before the face of its Fashioner, and repented and sought forgiveness, saying: "Glory be to Him Who originated the Kaf through Himself for Himself, then created the Nun for Himself through Himself, and split between them as their essences required a splitting.

In these days the letter Alif stands upright, and from its standing the world has arisen in lamentation. The letter Ha weeps from both eyes, and the condition of Ba is beyond mention. None has understood the mysteries of God save His own Self.

And in its manifestation in the form of the serpent are signs for those of insight.

Say: Verily it is the serpent of divine decree by which God protecteth His treasuries and preserveth them from the hands of thieves and the gaze of the treacherous.

Blindness is physical, not spiritual. They say our Lord cured blindness; it was blindness of the soul. ("They have eyes and see not, ears they have and hear not.") He brought on spiritual awakening.

The banquet of divine bounty is spread to overflowing and festive celebrations are in full splendour in the meadow for the chalice of Jamshid is being carried round!

As to the former the occurrence is correctly stated and really happened. In the spiritual significance, we find that Abel represents the Divine Law or Religion, and Cain the human nature.

Upon calling Abdul-Baha's attention to some French warships in the harbor of Alexandria, he said:

"I desire that you may see the divine ships. These ships are the blessed sails who are traversing the sea of divine mercy; their propellers are the powers of spiritual love and their captains are the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

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We have ordained for each one a haykal from Our presence, the like of which all the worlds cannot equal even a single letter thereof.

You are on the seashore and on the shore of a tumultuous sea. When you gaze upon that sea, remember the Sea of the Covenant.

His Holiness Christ on account of the avocation of His disciples called them the fisher of men but the Blessed Perfection designated the Baha'is as the vivifiers of the world.

Today this world is like unto a waving, moving, tumultuous sea.

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

The mountains being shaken before the coming of the messenger means that great peoples -- great as mountains -- are shaken and become transplanted.

"Once again the dove of eternity hath descended from the rizwan of nearness to sing the long-forgotten melody in this gloomy and disastrous age.

When a man is about to take poison, it is right to dash the cup from his hand even with extreme violence. It will inflict injury but at the same time save his life. There must be a law to prevent the wolves , from destroying the lambs at such a period of religious history. That is why the Shepherd sanctioned such vigorous protection for the sheep.

The form of the cross is made by two lines crossing each other at right angles. It is to be found in everything--even in this piece of cloth. It is the symbol of spiritual sacrifice.

I seemed to be standing within a great mosque, in the inmost shrine, facing the Qiblih, in the place of the Imam himself. I became aware that a large number of people were flocking into the mosque. More and yet more crowded in, taking their places in rows behind Me, until there was a vast multitude.

God cannot be described as being elevated above anything or established upon anything, for what was revealed in the Book from the Loving Friend regarding "He is established upon the throne" meant nothing by "throne" except His knowledge and power, which is His very Self and none other. For were it other than Him, it would necessitate conjunction, while He is exalted above peers and likenesses. He has ever been knowing when there was nothing to be known, and will ever be powerful when there is nothing over which to exercise power.

And sometimes in the usage of the people of infallibility, the station of establishment refers to the station of the manifestation of the divine effulgence to other than Him through other than Him, and it is the station of honorary relationship, where God has related it to Himself as a mark of honor for the one so related and as a bounty from Him upon the one mentioned, just as God says "the Kaaba is the House of God," and there is no doubt that God is none other than His creation which He has related to Himself so that all His servants might honor it and circumambulate around His loved ones.

The messenger of Joseph was the bearer of his garment, and this garment was an inarticulate body. Nevertheless, from the garment, Jacob inhaled the sweet fragrance of Joseph from a long distance, and by its touch was endowed with sight. I beseech God that thou mayest become an eloquently-speaking garment, in order to spread the fragrance of the Love of God; that from thee the yearning Jacobs may inhale the vitalizing fragrance of the Garment of the Divine Joseph; and that thou mayest endow, open, and give sight to the eyes of the longing ones.

O perfumer of the fragrant musk of mysteries, open the casket and make the horizons redolent with musk, that minds may become perfumed and sweetly scented from the fragrances of the Most Glorious Paradise.

O servant of the Ancient Lord and tailor of this realm! Enter into the marketplace of the Kingdom and obtain cloth from the fine silk of paradise and holy brocade. Cut and sew a garment befitting the form of the people of Baha and place it upon the temple of faithfulness, that the proportioned figure of the world may become honored and adorned, and the body of nations may find its ultimate radiance and ornament.

Rise up according to your name - the closed door will open and the intimate dove will return. Show the male lion in that forest - there the female hyena will submit.

O 'Abdu'l-Ghafur! "A holy city, and a Lord Ever-Forgiving" is the glorious utterance and the explicit text of the Qur'an. The "holy city" is the City of Love, and the "Lord Ever-Forgiving" is manifest and evident to the friends of that city with His attribute of mercy.

As Adam is the Father of humanity and it means the real man, therefore the product of the number of the Bab and Baha is equal to the number of Adam. There is no great difference between the Greatest Name and the name of Adam. In their nature they are one. Also, 1 plus 2= 3; 3 plus 3 = 6; 6 plus 4= 10; 10 plus 5 = 15; 15 is the number of Eve. By the physical marriage of Adam and Eve the whole race originated, and by the appearance of the Manifestation and the Bab, the Spiritual Generation originated.

For example, the Bab states that in the world of dreams He saw Moses son of Ja'far who gave Him a handful of sugarplums, which in Persian is called "nuql-i hil". When He ate it, these revelations came to Him. This refers back to the Center. Any decree you make about the circle refers back to the Center.

Look at these white lilies---How fragrant and pure they are! an emblem of the spotless heart, a token of graceful life, typifying virginity and harmonious existence.

Abdu'l-Baha: "When I ride on it, it is the Ark of Noah. This aeroplane will become the Ark of Noah."

This world is like unto ant-houses. Have you ever observed how the ants are ever busy to gather provisions, sometimes carrying heavier loads than themselves? But once in a while some of these ants grow wings and soar away.

The cause of God is like unto a house. As long as man has not entered therein he does not know what it contains. In the house there are many precious jewels, many rare objects the like of which can be found nowhere in the world.

'Abdu'l-Baha said: This material food was very simple, just enough for life, but that the spiritual food was varied and abundant. This material food would last for about five hours, and tomorrow we should again be hungry, but the spiritual food was eternal and would forever satisfy.

Someone wished to know if it were a good custom to wear a symbol, as, for instance, a cross. He said: "You wear the cross for remembrance, it concentrates your thoughts; it has no magical power. Baha'is often wear a stone with the greatest name engraved on it: there is no magical influence in the stone; it is a reminder, and companion.

And verily the number of "Lord" corresponds to the seven letters - ponder this!

The wolves of the world have torn apart and beheaded the true Josephs.

O Friend! By the locks of Thy musk-scented hair, which hath cut off the destitute dwellers of the valley of search from all hope and expectation through the majesty of a new affliction, and hath, through the might of severe trials, debarred the captives in the realm of desire from the everlasting sign of the ultimate goal.

Hearken thou unto the call of thy Lord from the right side of the Throne, from behind a thousand veils of luminous silk damask.

Serpent is the symbol of religion, because a serpent swallows everything; so the religion of God swallows up, or removes every doubt.

Bride means Christ; Bridegroom, the cause of God.

The first is faith; the second, action and deeds. (see; Matt.25) In former ages this question was fully understood.

As long as you are on the shore - or as long as the sands of your sins are on the shore - the waves of the sea will wash them for the sea will wash everything.

In short, one finds on this divine table all kinds of spiritual food which constitutes the real Supper of the Lord.

He leads forth the army of love in the field of endeavor and eliminates the forces of enmity, hostility and rancor from the face of the earth.

The story about the dove is simply a metaphor. No dove came down.

When in the embryonic world or condition, we do not realize the necessity of eyes and ears, but when we reach our present state, we then see the great need of them. Are not deaf or blind persons subject to our sympathy? And yet their conditions are but symbols of conditions in the next world.

Paris is like unto a green meadow, the people are like unto the sheep, they graze in this meadow, they drink of the flowing streams. The philosophers cow-like, graze with the rest.