Transience; worthlessness of the physical world

The world is a manifest book which, at every moment, has borne and continues to bear witness to its own transience. Indeed, from the beginning of the world until now it has proclaimed "Depart! Depart!" and with most eloquent utterance declares: "O servants! Observe the changes in me.

Say: Rejoice not in the things ye possess; tonight they are yours, tomorrow others will possess them. Thus warneth you He Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Say: Can ye claim that what ye own is lasting or secure? Nay! By Myself, the All-Merciful, ye cannot, if ye be of them who judge fairly. The days of your life flee away as a breath of wind, and all your pomp and glory shall be folded up as were the pomp and glory of those gone before you. Reflect, O people! What hath become of your bygone days, your lost centuries?

The days have no constancy. The changes and transformations of the world are like a tongue giving news to its people of the passing away and extinction of all that exists therein. Therefore, those possessed of vision, whose eyes are illumined with the light of divine knowledge, turn to that which endureth and is befitting.

The world hath ever been and will continue to be the realm of change and transformation. Therefore it hath no station before God, and that which is enduring and lasting existeth with the Truth.

O servant of God! The mill of the world is turning, and all creatures are like soft grains being crushed by this motion. With each turn of this mill, millions of grains are pulverized.

The leaf springeth from the tree and cleaveth unto it, moveth upon it and smileth at its rustling, drawing hearts by its ways - all this thou beholdest in the morning, yet in the evening thou seest it fallen, yellowed, upon the ground.

In one of the Tablets this blessed word hath been revealed: "No one save its people can read any book, for the scripts are diverse. For example, none but its people can read the Hebrew script, and likewise the Syriac and other scripts. But the Book of the world can be read by every soul, for upon every tablet of the world is inscribed and recorded the word of change and evanescence, and all behold this and are aware of it.

Say: O people of Baha! Observe the world as though it were a book, wherein are inscribed in clear characters change and extinction, discord and revolution. In truth, every leaf of its leaves, every spot of its spots, and every tree of its trees crieth out and saith: "Observe my transformations and take warning thereby, reflect upon the passing of my manifestations and become aware, that perchance ye may not exchange the enduring divine bounties for these transient things."

Behold the world and its changes. Take heed lest thou place thy reliance upon it. Place thy reliance upon the grace of thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. It shall pass away in a day, but that which God hath desired for thee shall endure and not perish, and thy Lord is, to what I say, a witness.

Behold the world and ponder upon it. Do ye find its morning like unto its evening? Nay, by the Lord of the worlds! Rather doth it change every moment, as ye yourselves do witness and are of them that testify. Despite this, doth it beseem the loved ones of God to turn unto it in such wise as to be distracted from the remembrance of God, the Mighty, the Gracious?

Death is truth; its messenger cometh from the presence of One mighty and powerful. When this is established, it behooveth not the seeing one to turn unto the world and whatsoever is therein.

Another time the Bahai Master said: "This world is a theatre. It is not an eternal world: it is a stage where every kind of play is enacted.

Which house hath not been seized by ruin? Which garden hath not lost its splendor to autumn winds? Blessed is the structure not followed by a destroyer. The house that is not seized by extinction and remains protected from the vicissitudes of time is a deed performed for God's sake.

In the Sacred Writings He says that if the loved ones of God reach a valley of gold and silver, they should pass through it like lightning flashing from clouds with utmost speed.

73 O friend, the heart is the dwelling-place of eternal mysteries: Make it not the home of fleeting fancies. Waste not the treasure of thy precious life occupied with this swiftly passing world. Thou comest from the world of holiness: Bind not thine heart to the earth. Thou art a dweller in the court of reunion: Choose not the homeland of the dust.

The world hath no permanence, and its seekers shall find no faithfulness therein. Place not thy trust in the world; reflect upon its changes and vicissitudes. Where are they who built Al-Khawarnaq and As-Sadir? Where are they who sought to ascend to the heavens? How many a palace wherein its builder reposed at eventide in health and prosperity, yet on the morrow belonged to another!

Had the world been of any worth in His sight, He surely would never have allowed His enemies to possess it, even to the extent of a grain of mustard seed.

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

See how the people are utterly enraptured by the drop, but bereft of the boundless ocean; see how they yearn for the atom, and are blind to the Sun of Truth. They have set their affections on physical existence but refuse life everlasting, and busying themselves with water and clay, remain unaware of the kingdom that pertains to the heart and soul.

O servants! Hearken unto the counsel of the faithful counselor and in these fleeting days acquire eternal blessings. The world is and has ever been transient. Set not your hearts upon it, and deprive not yourselves of that which is with God because of it.

You have experienced and tested these trades - ancient wealth became evident loss and total profit became great harm. Enormous gain became severe detriment and abundant profit and benefit became manifest loss. Profit became loss and treasure became endless regret.

Be not grieved by the happenings of the time. The world hath never had, nor doth it now possess, any constancy. Woe unto him who hath clung to it and relied upon it, and light and mercy be upon him who hath remained detached therefrom and placed his trust in God, its Creator.

O thou who hast lost thy way in the wilderness of the love of God! Beseech God that in this brief span of life in this faithless world, thou mayest be enabled to achieve that which shall endure forever in His divine realm.

O fragrant flower of the rose-garden of divine knowledge! All garments and robes that the hand of contingent being has woven and the fingers in the realm of created things have knitted are but borrowed attire and customary garments that grow old and ancient, worn and tattered.

God has given man a heart and the heart must have some attachment. We have proved that nothing completely worthy of our heart's devotion save reality, for all else is destined to perish. Therefore the heart is never at rest and never finds real joy and happiness until it attaches itself to the eternal. How foolish the bird that builds its nest in a tree that may perish when it could build its nest in a ever-verdant garden of paradise!

Say, this earthly life shall come to an end, and everyone shall expire and return unto my Lord God Who will reward with the choicest gifts the deeds of those who endure with patience.

… This mortal life is sure to perish; its pleasures are bound to fade away and erelong ye shall return unto God, distressed with pangs of remorse, for presently ye shall be roused from your slumber, and ye shall soon find yourselves in the presence of God and will be asked of your doings.

When the Day-Star of Baha will shine resplendent above the horizon of eternity it is incumbent upon you to present yourselves before His Throne. Beware lest ye be seated in His presence or ask questions without His leave. Fear ye God, O concourse of the Mirrors.

Beg ye of Him the wondrous tokens of His favour that He may graciously reveal for you whatever He willeth and desireth, inasmuch as on that Day all the revelations of divine bounty shall circle around the Seat of His glory and emanate from His presence, could ye but understand it.

It behooveth you to remain silent before His Throne, for indeed of all the things which have been created between heaven and earth nothing on that Day will be deemed more fitting than the observance of silence. Moreover, take ye good heed not to be reckoned among those of the past who were invested with knowledge, yet by reason of their learning waxed proud before God, the Transcendent, the Self-Subsisting, inasmuch as on that Day it is He Who is the All-Knowing, the Omniscient, the Source of all knowledge, far above such as are endued with learning; and it is He Who is the Potent, the All-Compelling, the Lord of power, in the face of those who wield power; and it is He Who is the Mighty, the Most August, the Most Glorious before such as display glory; and on that Day it is He Who is the Lofty, the All-Highest, the Source of exaltation, far above those who are elevated in rank; and it is He Who is the Almighty, the Source of glory and grandeur, far above the pomp of the mighty; and it is He Who is the Omnipotent, the Supreme Ruler, the Lord of judgement, transcending all such as are invested with authority; and it is He Who is the Generous, the Most Benevolent, the Essence of bounty, Who standeth supreme in the face of such as show benevolence; and it is He Who is the Ordainer and the Supreme Wielder of authority and power, inconceivably high above those who hold earthly dominion; and it is He Who is the Most Excellent, the Unsurpassed, the Pre-eminent in the face of every man of accomplishment.

Ye have, one and all, been called into being to seek His presence and to attain that exalted and glorious station. Indeed, He will send down from the heaven of His mercy that which will benefit you, and whatever is graciously vouchsafed by Him shall enable you to dispense with all mankind. Verily on that Day the learning of the learned shall prove of no avail, neither the accomplishments of the exponents of knowledge, nor the pomp of the highly honoured, nor the power of the mighty, nor the remembrance of the devout, nor the deeds of the righteous, nor the genuflexion of the kneeling worshipper, nor his prostration or turning towards the Qiblih, nor the honour of the honoured, nor the kinship of the highly born, nor the nobility of those of noble descent, nor the discourse of the eloquent, nor the titles of the prominent -- none of these shall be of any avail unto them -- inasmuch as all these and whatever else ye have known or comprehended were created by His word of command 'Be' and it is. Indeed if it be His Will He can assuredly bring about the resurrection of all created things through a word from Himself. He is, in truth, over and above all this, the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the Omnipotent.

Beware, O concourse of Mirrors, lest on that Day titles make you vainglorious. Know ye of a certainty that ye, together with all those who stand above you or below you, have been created for that Day. Fear ye God and commit not that which would grieve His heart, nor be of them that have gone astray. Perchance He will appear invested with the power of Truth while ye are fast asleep on your couches, or His messengers will bring glorious and resplendent Tablets from Him while ye turn away disdainfully from Him, pronounce sentence against Him -- such sentence as ye would never pass on yourselves -- and say, 'This is not from God, the All-Subduing, the Self-Existent'.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God, Thou art well aware that I have proclaimed Thy Word and have not failed in the mission Thou didst enjoin upon me. I entreat Thee to guard the people of the Bayan on that Day in order that they may not pronounce censure against Thee nor contend with Thy signs. Protect them then, O my God, through the power of Thy might which pervadeth all mankind.

Say unto them: Repent unto God and return from that wherein ye fell short, for the kingdom of the world and its pleasures are passing and have no permanence, while that which is with God endureth; and this is better for you, did ye but know.

Every person possessed of understanding and wisdom testifieth to the transience of the world and all that is therein; nevertheless, they cling to it and turn away from the Truth, having exchanged the everlasting divine bounty for fleeting benefits that are limited to numbered days, as thou dost witness.

Time makes humans nameless. Consider that the famous ones and renowned kings have crept into the corner of forgetfulness "and thou hearest not from them any sound or whisper." Given this, what permanence, what remedy, what existence and what self-worship remains for you and me?

All that comes within one's imagination as well as all that appearance in external reality whether potential or actual existence all are in truth absolute non entities, they are nothing itself except that which is to be related to the Ancient Beauty or which can be attributed to His Holiness our Merciful Lord.

Be not occupied with the world in such wise as would make thee heedless of God, thy Lord. It shall perish while sovereignty remaineth unto the Omnipotent, the Ancient of Days.

O 'Ali! The world hath no permanence, but religion hath no end. Therefore, thou must never sell religion for the world, that thou mayest soar on the wings of might and power toward the heaven of the All-Merciful at the time when it was raised up and spread forth in truth.

Will your wealth profit you and will your children protect you? No, by My Self, but the people perceive not.

With all their soul they strive after wealth and glory, heedless of to whom this wealth shall revert the following day and who shall inherit this glory.

"All this lavish display and these elaborate devices," he replied, "the king, the princes, and the ministers, their pomp and glory, their might and power, everything you saw, are now contained within this box."

I swear by My Lord Who, through a single word of His Mouth, hath brought into being all created things! Ever since that day, all the trappings of the world have seemed in the eyes of this Youth akin to that same spectacle. They have never been, nor will they ever be, of any weight and consequence, be it to the extent of a grain of mustard seed.

They say that Sebüktekin possessed the utmost glory and power - a palace like the highest paradise, delightful chambers, a colorful feast, a life of honey and sweetness, well-stocked treasuries and abundant wealth. At the height of his joy and delight, he was suddenly afflicted with consumption and melted away like a candle, playing sorrowful melodies of regret.

By the life of God! The world and whatsoever is therein of kings and subjects, of gold and silver, and whatsoever is above them and below them, and whatsoever attracteth the eyes - all shall pass away. Take ye from it according to your needs, then leave what exceedeth.

Ignorance has created anxiety and confusion in the world and the powers of self and greed have bound all in chains. No one is mindful that this world is ephemeral and unworthy of the heart's attachments and thus it is that most of mankind are lost in their passionate desires, are enslaved by the ego's selfishness.

"No one owns anything," as the Quran states: "And you have come to Us individually, just as We created you the first time, and you have left behind what We bestowed upon you." It states that when you came into this world, you were naked with empty hands, and likewise when you depart from this world, you will leave naked and destitute with empty hands, abandoning whatever wealth and possessions you imagine you have. Naked and alone, in utmost poverty and need, you go beneath the earth. Therefore, one should not attach importance to these matters....

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O Jamshid! Jamshid had a way of truthfulness, wisdom, good nature and kindliness, and in reward for this supreme virtue he attained a renowned name and left an eternal remembrance. Therefore, observe how the throne of sovereignty bore no fruit, while this way and conduct left such an effect. And upon thee be greetings and praise.

Shall a man's wealth endure forever, or protect him from the One Who shall, erelong, seize him by his forelock? Gazing upon those who sleep beneath the gravestones, embosomed in the dust, could one ever distinguish the sovereign's crumbling skull from the subject's mouldering bones?

Exultest thou over the treasures thou dost possess, knowing they shall perish? Rejoicest thou in that thou rulest a span of earth, when the whole world, in the estimation of the people of Baha, is worth as much as the black in the eye of a dead ant? Abandon it unto such as have set their affections upon it, and turn thou unto Him Who is the Desire of the world. Whither are gone the proud and their palaces? Gaze thou into their tombs, that thou mayest profit by this example, inasmuch as We made it a lesson unto every beholder.

In brief, when you fathom the truth and end and result and fruit of all these conflicts, you will observe with the eye of certainty that it is a mirage in the desert, and its honey is deadly poison. Days shall not pass before all these conditions become as though they had never been, and vanish into nothingness.

O thou who art consumed by the fire of Hell and its stones! Reflect for a moment on Solomon's son and Alexander, then their dominion in God's good-pleasure - exalted be His remembrance. Then consider the son of Shaddad and Nimrod, and their dominion in God's wrath - exalted be His remembrance. Did they not both die and become as though they had never been? And they have no escape forever.

Think ye that the things ye possess shall profit you? Soon others will possess them and ye will return unto the dust with none to help or succour you. What advantage is there in a life that can be overtaken by death, or in an existence that is doomed to extinction, or in a prosperity that is subject to change? Cast away the things that ye possess and set your faces toward the favours of God which have been sent down in this wondrous Name.

Where is he who built As-Sadir? Where is he who sought to ascend to the ether? Where are the Pharaohs and where are the kings of old? Where are their trellised gardens and furnished houses? Where is he who drank pure water while beauties circled round him? Where are their couches and crowns and might and dominion? They have descended from their strongholds to their graves.

All know that this world hath no permanence, and when death's messenger cometh, no veil can conceal him, no power can prevent him, no tyrant's might can turn him back.

Say: O ye ignorant ones! Turn ye toward Zawra that ye may behold the palace of the King of Kings. Perchance ye may take warning and become somewhat aware. Let not the pomp and riches and majesty and glory of two days prevent you from everlasting glory and abiding bounty and heavenly sustenance.

Where is the might of the Russian Emperor? Where is the glory of the German Emperor? Where is the greatness of the Austrian Emperor? In a short time all these palaces were destroyed and these mighty foundations fell. No fruit, no trace remains, and they are caught in eternal ruin.

How strange it is to contemplate which souls these are whose trade is profitable unto eternity, while those who amassed treasures in this world found their commerce ended in evident loss. What became of the trade of ancient kings? It ended in manifest loss.

Methinks thou dost imagine that I wish to gain some paltry substance from this earthly life. Nay, by the righteousness of My Lord! In the estimation of them that have fixed their eyes upon the merciful Lord, the riches of the world and its trappings are worth as much as the eye of a dead body, nay even less. Far from His glory be what they associate with Him!

I counsel thee, O human being, see not the kingdom in thy hands as enduring, for every soul must taste of death as an obligation, and all shall return unto God.

Say: By God! The glory of ministers and the might of princes and the palaces of kaisers and the pyramids of pharaohs shall pass away, while that which We have ordained for you in the Kingdom shall endure.

All on earth will pass away except the face of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Whenever thou are overtaken by sorrows, pass by the graves and meditate upon them, that thou mayest find thyself in manifest detachment. Canst thou distinguish the kings from the downtrodden, or the rich from the poor?

O spiritual friends of the Great One! In the mighty Qur'an, this world has been likened to a desert mirage, and human souls to one who thirsts for water. The parched person imagines the mirage to be water and races with utmost speed across the desert, only to end up disappointed and at a loss, perishing from thirst. Similarly, the seeker of this world pursues it with all his soul, striving day and night, even becoming predatory in his pursuit of ephemeral ornaments, testing his sharp claws like wolves, harming the helpless and oppressing the downtrodden.

When we were in Tihran, Mirza Aqa Khan of Nur was the Prime Minister, and the Nuri family held official honors and positions, and had a great distinction among men. A little while and that court of glory was closed and it became the turn of Amin-id-Dawlih of Kashan to be appointed Prime Minister. His carpet was also folded up and his time ended. Then Mirza Husayn Khan "The Commander in Chief" was given the rein of afairs. He too passed away and was no more. Then Mustawfi-ul-Mamalik became Premier. He too went by and his time changed. Finally Amin-us-Sultan became Prime Minister. He too went by, his carpet of fame was folded up.

While sitting on his throne he looked regretfully now on this scene, now on another and again on all this matchless array of grandeur and magnificence and wept most bitterly, crying aloud: 'Oh! Why must I be deprived of this imperial sovereignty and royal prerogatives? Why should I not enjoy this life and bid farewell to all these things? How can I leave you behind, and empty-handed hasten from this world to another world?' He wept and wept till he drew his last breath.

Accordingly, I wrote the Aminu's-Sultan to the following effect: 'Every edifice shall ultimately fall into ruin, except for service to the threshold of God. Render service, then, to the court of God, that you may find the path to His threshold.'

Tell the socialists that sharing of property and land in this mortal world is the source of strife and warfare but sharing and inheritance in the Kingdom is the cause of love and unity.

How often the victor became vanquished and how often the vanquished became victor. In the time of Frederick I, Germany conquered France. In Napoleon's time, he triumphed over Germany. In Wilhelm's time, Germany again defeated and subdued France. The point is that physical conquests cannot be relied upon, but the conquests of Christ remain to this day firm and established, and the conquests of the Prophet Muhammad endure like a solid and stable foundation.

To God belongs the inheritance of the heavens and earth. Soon the inherited property will be scattered and dispersed, but grief and sorrow will remain. Therefore it is better that all should close their eyes to this inheritance and strive for love, affection and unity. This remains and endures, while all else is like a mirage of vain imaginings in wilderness and desert.

O blessed maidservant of Baha'u'llah! The ancient Balqis possessed a throne and crown of beautiful gold and precious stones, yet in the end these too were scattered to the winds, for they were of dust and to dust returned.

Recently the government of Japan has undergone a change. A new emperor has come to the throne. The sovereignty of the former Mikado has come to an end; all the hue and cry have ceased, a handful of dust was thrown over him and covered all his imperial regalia.

The earth is our endless tomb.

Is it worthy of us to wage war and shed blood for this tomb while God has destined that we win the cities of men's hearts and bestowed upon us an eternal Kingdom? Is it worthy of us to shut our eyes to such an everlasting honor and instead make war over dust?

Do jewels and ornaments and palaces and thrones preserve man from divine chastisement? Nay, by God's Self! Soon all they witness shall return to nothingness. Both witness and witnessed shall become extinct and lost.

Consider how many a queen hath failed to attain unto God and His presence, while thou hast attained unto the Desired One and His mention, which is incomparable to aught else created in the heavens and earths.

Say: O oppressor! Dost thou imagine that the world will endure for thee while perishing for others? Nay, by My life! Thou art in grievous error.

They rejoice in the ornaments that have accumulated in their possession. Say: Soon will the fire come between you and these things, as testified by Him through Whom the tongue of dawn spoke and by Whom the horizons were illumined. They rejoice in the world and its prosperity, but soon they shall lament with a grief that pens are powerless to describe.

Soon all these affairs will pass away and "the face of thy Lord of glory and honor" will endure. Therefore sorrow and grief are not fitting, and regret and remorse are not proper. There is no partnership but it disperses, no committee but it scatters, no unity but it multiplies.

For as much as the earthly dominion is like unto the kingdom of Edward VII, king of England, his coronation day became unto him the day of griefs, the day of sorrows, and the days of moaning; his joy was changed into abundant sorrow, and the light of happiness was transformed into the darkness of a gloomy night. This is the condition of the world, its honor, its dominion, its glory and affluence.

His late Excellency Mu'tamidu'd-Dawlih Manuchir Khan, governor of Isfahan during the time of Muhammad Shah (may God exalt his station) was an eminent person at the height of glory and power, possessing twenty-four crores of wealth. But that grandeur, riches and glory completely vanished into oblivion.

Verily, the crowns which are on the heads of the noble women--the queens of the world--all their bases will be finally broken, their gems scattered away, their luster removed and will become as dispersed dust. But your magnificent crowns are everlastingly brilliant and permanently glorious and mighty and their gems scintillating throughout cycles and ages.

In this transient world no matter continues permanently. Sometimes there is dismissal and sometimes appointment, sometimes there is success and sometimes lack of joy.

The sovereigns of this world are slaves chained to material attachments compared to the friends of God who are lords in the realm of true freedom and heavenly stars of purity and sanctity.

Indeed firmness and steadfastness is a sovereign that surpasses the sovereignty of the world and the glory of the kings of old and of latter times.

These childish demonstrations are most shallow in their motives, because they are based on the conquest of the earth which in itself is not permanent. For the Conquest of today may turn into the defeat of tomorrow and a fall at this time may lead to a rise at another time. The final fortune of war, cannot however be decided by a few desultory so-called victories.

Fifty people have been slain in the twinkling of an eye, yet they know not why they rush headlong to their doom. The honored Shaykh 'Ali-Akbar-i-Quchani was martyred, and all Iran raised a cry of lamentation. In the fields of battle they march forth in countless throngs.

In any case, human life must come to an end, but there is a difference between ending one's life in matters of no importance and childish pursuits--such as merely eating, sleeping and wandering about--or spending it in matters of government, in pursuit of glory, rank and station, in war and conflict--in short, in matters pertaining to this world--or having one's life end in the path of God. It is like a person drowning in a filthy pit versus drowning in the ocean. Or like one who spends his capital on vile deeds versus spending it in commerce and industry. From this latter course he derives great profit, while from the former he falls into manifest loss.

Life must end in any case. This person completes his day having amassed great wealth, while that other person completes his day at a loss, having gambled away all that he had and had not.

Now it is thus: millions of souls march forth and perish in the cause of this world, for the sake of countries, either in struggle or in warfare with enemies--it has no importance. Like in these days when so many in Europe are being annihilated, so many fathers are being rendered sonless, so many children fatherless, so many homes are being laid waste, so many mothers throughout the world are crying and lamenting for their children--it has no importance. Soon no trace of it remains.

But should one person be martyred in the path of God, it becomes a great event. That blood shall surge until the end of eternity. Still does the blood of the Prince of Martyrs surge forth. These are its effects in the realm of dust; how much more so in the Kingdom of the Lord of Lords! The wise soul sacrifices his life for a mighty Cause, not for dust--for the life of souls, not for their death.

Will armies profit you? Nay, by the Self of the Worshipped One! Or will treasures suffice you? Nay, by this resplendent Beauty! We created you from dust and unto it shall We return you - a promise binding upon Us.

Say: Where is the might of those who entered therein, and where is their power and dominion, and where their wealth and glory and grandeur? They have returned to dust, alone, solitary, fearful, helpless, abject, humbled.

The world hath so deluded them that they have shed the blood of My loved ones without any clear proof or evidence.

Soon will your swiftly passing days be over, and the fame and riches, the comforts, the joys provided by this rubbish-heap, the world, will be gone without a trace.

O companion! Earthly pleasures and bounties are limited and fleeting. If you behold the truth and consider it deeply, the pleasures of this world are the means of dispelling vexation and pain. Thirst is hardship and calamity; water soothes its heat. It is not that water, in its essence, brings any pleasure. Likewise, hunger inflicts harm; food dispels that suffering. It is not that food, in its essence, brings any pleasure. Likewise, fatigue is hardship; sleep dispels that hardship. It is not that sleep, in its essence, brings any pleasure. All the pleasures of this ephemeral world are of this type.

Consider the human world. See how nations have come and gone. They have been of all minds and purposes. Some were mere captives of self and desire, engulfed in the passions of the lower nature. They attained to wealth, to the comforts of life, to fame. And what was the final outcome? Utter evanescence and oblivion. Reflect upon this. Look upon it with the eye of admonition. No trace of them remains, no fruit, no result, no benefit; they have gone utterly -- complete effacement.

The world has had and has no value. Be not grieved, for if one were to become the apparent owner of the whole earth, he would surely spend it all rather than see even one of the friends saddened, let alone anything beyond that.

The life of this world is temporary - soon all kings and subjects alike will find their resting place beneath the earth. However, human life must yield divine results, and these are benevolent intentions, goodly deeds, praiseworthy actions and merciful characteristics.

For the days of a man are full of peril and he cannot rely on so much as a moment more of life; and still the people, who are even as a wavering mirage of illusions, tell themselves that in the end they shall reach the heights. Alas for them! The men of bygone times hugged these same fancies to their breasts, until a wave flicked over them and they returned to dust, and they found themselves excluded and bereft--all save those souls who had freed themselves from self and had flung away their lives in the pathway of God.

Wert thou to consider this world, and realize how fleeting are the things that pertain unto it, thou wouldst choose to tread no path except the path of service to the Cause of thy Lord.

By the righteousness of God! The world and its vanities, and its glory, and whatever delights it can offer, are all, in the sight of God, as worthless as, nay, even more contemptible than, dust and ashes. Would that the hearts of men could comprehend it!

They come into this world naked, and they must go from it naked. All they possess they must leave behind and pass away solitary, alone.

O friends! While time remaineth, let not the everlasting dominion slip from your grasp. All that is visible shall perish and be no more, save that which appeareth for God's sake and that soul which ariseth for God's sake.

Say: O friends! The world hath never had, nor doth it now possess, any significance. Man must inevitably pass through it. Now if this passage be made in the name of Truth, it shall endure throughout the eternity of God's dominion and kingdom.

These few brief days shall pass away, this present life shall vanish from our sight; the roses of this world shall be fresh and fair no more, the garden of this earth's triumphs and delights shall droop and fade. The spring season of life shall turn into the autumn of death, the bright joy of palace halls give way to moonless dark within the tomb. And therefore is none of this worth loving at all, and to this the wise will not anchor his heart.

Know thou the worth of these days, and gird thy loins therein for the triumph of My Cause. Let not the world and what befalleth therein grieve thee. That which thou seest shall soon pass away, and abiding glory and power shall remain with God, the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the Chosen.

Know thou that worldly conditions, even if they be the dominion of the whole earth, are transient, have no end result, and are worth not even the wing of a gnat in the sight of God. Where are the kings and queens? Where are the palaces and pavilions? Where are the thrones and magnificent crowns of the Persian, Greek and Roman kings? Those thrones have crumbled, those palaces have been demolished, and those crowns have fallen.

Those were indeed dire events in San Francisco. Disasters of this kind should serve to awaken the people, and diminish the love of their hearts for this inconstant world. It is in this nether world that such tragic things take place: this is the cup that yieldeth bitter wine.

The fleeting hours of man's life on earth pass swiftly by and the little that still remaineth shall come to an end, but that which endureth and lasteth for evermore is the fruit that man reapeth from his servitude at the Divine Threshold.

O Friends of God! Now is the time for joy and gladness, for acquiring the characteristics of the All-Merciful. This transitory world is passing even as a fleeting shadow, and the days of life are speeding by. When finally we hasten from this world to the next, we should do so with a candle in our hand, a brightness in our countenance, and a spirit in our heart.

By God!--There is no God but Him!--should man become the king of the East and the West, it would not be a particle of benefit to him. The result is nothing but loss. Where is Nassir-el-Din Shah? Where is Mohammed Shah? Where is Abdul-Hamid? Where is Bonapart? Where is Wilhem? No trace, no fruit!

Consider the world as a book; at every moment obliteration seizeth its words, as every person of insight can perceive. But the words of God have a station that neither obliteration can seize nor extinction approach.

Soon will this carpet of life be rolled up, and these pleasures and bounties will come to an end. Souls will fall into despair and every purpose and desire will prove vain. Therefore, while there is yet life in the body, one must make an effort and establish a foundation that centuries and ages will not weaken, and that eras and cycles will not destroy - one that will be eternal and everlasting, so that sovereignty over spirit and consciousness may be firmly established in both worlds.

The days of human existence are like vanishing shadows. In the utmost rapidity they are brought to a close. From amongst mankind those who live a heedless life are at the end afflicted with manifest loss. For the days of their lives will come to a sudden end with no trace, no leaves, no blossom and no fruit. They shall remain in the lowest degree and no mention will be left behind from them. From the Kings to the servants all live in this path and live in this circle except those souls who are freed from all the ties.

O ye loved ones of God! In this fleeting world nothing shall endure. All men put forth some degree of exertion for a brief period but without result. They eventually take up their abode in the city of silence, beneath layers of dust, motionless, worthless, fruitless and futile with lives utterly wasted.

Fix not your gaze upon the world and what is therein, for all shall perish. Strive ye that deeds and actions may appear from you whose traces shall be eternal and everlasting.

Ere long will everything visible perish and only that which hath been revealed by God, the Lord of lords, shall endure.

Give them the glad-tidings of the loving-kindness of the Best-Beloved of the worlds. All have been and are remembered. They must strive for unity and harmony, and not occupy themselves with these fleeting days more than is necessary. Let them sometimes spend their days preparing for the countless worlds to come.

O spiritual friends! This mortal world has no permanence or stability, and this worldly life has no constancy or firmness. "All that is on earth shall perish; but there shall abide the face of thy Lord in its majesty and bounty."

All worldly joys and pleasures have an allure from afar, but when approached they are a mirage and an appearance without reality. Surely you have read in the wisdom of Solomon - Solomon says: When I was a child, I thought pleasure was in wandering and riding. When I reached youth and experienced excursions, riding and wandering, I saw there was no pleasure in it. I said to myself pleasure is in sovereignty, in power, in ruling.

The world will soon perish and vanish, and what endures for the friends of God is the service that today manifests from them purely for His sake.

Reflect upon the world's differences, and the graves therein, and the souls that repose therein. Where are their riches, their sciences, their arts, their strongholds, their treasuries, their hosts, their ranks, their pride, their palaces, their might and their power? They have returned to dust with great loss, save he who ascended unto the Most Exalted Companion through the love of God, the Lord of Names.

It is most clear and evident that the world hath neither fidelity nor permanence, nor shall it ever have. All shall return to nothingness save the righteous deeds that have appeared from holy souls in the Cause of the King of Oneness.

The world is like unto a mirage that shall soon return to nothingness. Today, every deed performed for God's sake shall have its mention preserved and enduring.

Thus will they be awakened from the slumber of selfish desire and behold the mighty signs of their Lord in this exalted creation. Better is this for thee than all the glory and dominion of the world.

The world is like a bazaar where expensive items are bought and sold. Every morning each person hurrieth to the marketplace to engage in trade, and when the day is over, he returneth to his home. If he hath made a profit, he is happy; but if at times he faileth to produce a profit, he is sad and disappointed.

The dwellers of this ephemeral world, high and low alike, spend their days and nights in pursuit of worldly matters only to suffer, in the end, manifest loss.

For when, in a public memorial meeting, man heareth the verses and prayers, he is admonished and aroused to the truth that this mortal world endureth not: it is a mirage, not water; a shadow, not the sun.

The life of man is in truth like the twinkling of an eye, for minerals, stones and trees have a longer life than humans. Therefore human life in this transient world has not had and will not have importance.

And this giving and bestowing made his name endure in this transient world. But his food was the flesh of desert camels and his drink the water from dangerous wilderness pits.

This earthly existence is but a bridge towards the true life granted by the Lord and our recognition of our powerlessness and supplication for His assistance the sole means of approaching the Unconstrained.

Not for one moment did he think of his antecedents nor brood over his former position of leisure, ease and worldly honor.

But remember that the essential health is Spiritual Health, for by means of Spiritual Health eternal life is obtained; whereas, through physical health only temporary results are obtained.

O 'Azim! If the servants would observe with pure and penetrating eyes and illumined and sincere hearts the evanescence of things and their transformation and variation, they would assuredly sacrifice their lives and property in the path of God. They would pay no attention whatsoever to the riches of the world, let alone the property of others.

O Hudhud! Say: By God! The life of this world shall pass away more swiftly than a moment. Soon all that is witnessed shall return to nothingness, and that which endureth forever is pure deeds.

The world and all that is therein are ever-passing, and that which shall endure and last is faith in God and deeds performed in accordance with His commandments.

Soon they will rush from the prosperous world to the ruined tomb, and this transient life yields no fruit except when seeds of truth are sown in the soil of guidance and fruitful trees are planted in the gardens of spirituality, so that the results of this striving and effort may be witnessed in the eternal world and everlasting realm.

Although this world appears outwardly adorned, its adornment is like the delicacy of meadow flowers that have splendor for but a brief time and quickly wither from the sun's heat and blowing wind. But the trees of the Kingdom are ever green and verdant, ever more blossoming, constantly bearing fruit, and forever remain in the utmost delicacy, freshness and vigor.

All that you observe in the realm of possibility has no lasting end and is absolute nothingness, except service at the threshold of the Divine Unity.

O my beloved friend! Know thou this that the sovereignty of this world cannot equal servitude to the sanctified threshold for the former is perishing and the latter enduring and abiding. The former is ephemeral and the latter is everlasting.

O nightingale of the rose-garden of God! Singing melodies will bring animation and happiness to the world of humanity, the hearers will be delighted and joyful and their deeper emotions stirred. But this gladness, this sense of emotion is transitory and will be forgotten within a short time. However, praise be to God, thou hast blended thy tunes with the melodies of the Kingdom, wilt impart solace to the world of the spirit and wilt everlastingly stimulate spiritual feelings. This will last for ever and endure the revolution of ages and centuries.

If the German Emperor or the Emperor of Russia or of Austria had been alert and attentive, they would never have had any connection with the transitory dominion and would never have cared about it. The veil of negligence has weakened their vision. They could not see this decline and destruction. They could not even imagine that these magnificent buildings (of the empires) could be destroyed in a short time.

It is therefore clearly evident that there is nothing in this fleeting, transitory world on which one should depend and to which one should feel attached.

If the hope of man be limited to the material world, what ultimate result is he working for? A man with even a little understanding must realize that he should not emulate the worm that holds to the earth in which it is finally buried. How can man be satisfied with this low degree? How can he find happiness there?

If we spend our talent in the Cause of God its outcome will be everlasting, but if we waste it over worldly affairs, it is like drawing pictures over the surface of the water. For example if we write a book, it may perpetuate our name for a thousand or two thousand years, it will be forgotten afterwards.

This transitory existence and this temporary, illusory comfort must be devoted to the service of the Cause and be made a sacrifice unto its altar. Anything else is utter loss.

Just as there are political relations between Germany and Austria, spiritual relations should also be established, for the foundation of these relations is spiritual, since political relations can be disrupted in a single day, but divine relations and spiritual love and fellowship are eternal.

Know ye the value of this Day. I swear by the ocean of meanings and the sun of wisdom that whatsoever is lost by any soul today can never be regained.

Convey My greetings to thy son and remind him of the divine verses, that perchance he may expend the gift of life in service at the court of verses and not allow transient ornaments to deprive him of enduring wealth.

Soon shall the world pass away, and the tyranny of those who have wronged, and that wherein every remote ignorant one taketh pride.

The world has been and will ever be transient, and that which endureth are the good deeds of the loved ones which have been recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the Preserved Tablet.

These numbered days shall soon end, and both comfort and hardship, ease and difficulty, shall pass away. Neither the crown and diadem of rulers shall endure, nor the privation and hardship of the destitute. How blessed, then, are the souls who have shone like the sun with the light of the love of God in the dawning-place of creation, and who in this transient world have arisen to accomplish that which has led them to everlasting life.

O longtime friend! Whatever is witnessed will ultimately become illusion, imagination, reflections in mirrors, or shadows - except for the divine universal forms that become embodied and personified in the mirror of the Abha Kingdom and cast their radiance below and show their image in the world of earth, so that the truth "all things perish save His Face" may be inscribed on the scroll of the horizons.

In this world of water and clay, happiness is impossible and unattainable unless one attaches their heart to another world and journeys in a different realm, unless their purpose is lofty and their intention noble. When one finds themselves successful, the doors of joy open and the beloved of hopes and desires appears. This joy is eternal and this delight everlasting. Otherwise, every gladness is followed by sorrow and every success by regret.

Be ye engaged with your own occupations. Do not trouble yourselves with these statements. Such articles are like unto the mirage; they will vanish. That which is real will remain firm and established in the world of existence.

In the world of existence, whatever you see will ultimately become nonexistent and lost except services to the Loving Lord. Even if a hundred thousand years pass, day by day it becomes fresher and more perfect.

The days of our life shall pass away and this ephemeral existence will come to an end; the lamp of the physical life will be extinguished but if this same flame were to burn in the gatherings of the spirit, instead of being utterly wasted it would attain unto eternity and blaze everlastingly.

Truly I say, were it not for these glad-tidings of God how could a man console himself and live in this dark world which is brimful with infinite hardshops and sufferings. This is inexplainable! The ordeals of this mortal world are like unto a dark night and the Glad-tidings like the brilliant lamps. If mankind live in this darkness without the light of these lamps, unquestionably they will perish through the intensity of grief and affliction.

I supplicate at the Threshold of Oneness that you may be preserved and protected in His shelter of protection, and be assisted in spreading the verses of unity, and be confirmed in guiding others, so that in this transient world you may establish eternal life and in this darkness of the natural world you may light a bright lamp.

This effect is greater for you than Victoria's statue and is more conducive to happiness and good name, for Victoria's statue will not endure - a day will come when no trace of it will remain, just as no trace remains of those who came before.

The days shall pass and nothing but regret shall remain for the people of the world. The nobility of the human world lies in divine inspirations, not in worldly adornments.

The politicians of old created a certain splendor in the world of existence, but after a brief time they crept into the corner of oblivion and did not achieve eternal results. But the servants of God shine like brilliant stars from the eternal horizon.

O thou servant of the friends of God!

It behoveth thee to glory over the kings of the earth. For their sovereignty will have no permanence but the honour of serving the friends of God is lasting in the world of God.

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All that you strive for in this transient world will ultimately result in loss upon loss, except loving-kindness, truthfulness, reconciliation and service in the divine bounty.

We beseech from the favors of the Hidden Essence of Identity that you may place that crown of service and servitude to the Court of Divine Unity upon your head and glory over all the nobles of the world, for the jewels and rubies of the crown of servitude are from the mine of reality while the gems of crowns are from the mine of dust.

Otherwise, physical medicine will have its influence for just a few days and, like a candle, will eventually be extinguished.

Should he gain a fortune and anchor his happiness to that he may hypnotize himself into a state of so-called joy for a few days, and then that very fortune will become a millstone around his neck, the cause of his worry and melancholy.

If we follow our own inclination and pursue our own desires in worldly riches we may become like Abboud! All that he amassed availed him nothing. In his lifetime he was feared and respected and whenever he walked in the streets of Acca the people lined up and saluted him; or we may through our own strivings become the prime Minister of Persia - Mirza Aga-See, who sentenced the Bab to death and for many years ruled that country through his wit and experience; or we may become a great religious leader like Sheikh Morteza who was the absolute head of fifty millions Shiites.

A worldly man, if he reviews his past life, may soliloquize thus: "I have been in the world a long time and I have toiled day and night. I have sown many seeds, but what are the results?" He discovers that he is absolutely empty handed. What greater remorse could be imagined? What greater misfortune could there be? What greater deprivation is there than this? Consider it carefully. Is it not true? At his death mention will be made of him for only two or three days at most. It will be said that So-and-so was a good man, nothing more.

That great overmastering joy which overwhelmed all the outward difficulties and overrode all the visible obstacles of the journey is now lacking. How I love to be a wanderer and a traveler over mountains and deserts! How much one gains spirituality, illumination and attraction! Now what are we doing? We are sitting in this lovely garden, eating, drinking and sleeping.

Though to some the world may appear slow in its movements and progress, yet in truth, in the eyes of the people of Baha, it is seen to be swifter than lightning and closer to extinction than the twinkling of an eye. In such circumstances, the friends of God must hold fast to that which is enduring and everlasting.

Another submission: Convey greetings and praise to the friends on behalf of this evanescent servant and tell them to appreciate the value of this day. I swear by the Ancient Beauty that the like of this day has never been witnessed. Strive that the conditions and colors of this world may not make you heedless of the Lord of earth and heaven. These lives are observed to be most fleeting; through the grace of the Beloved of all creation, you must attain a station which neither decline can seize nor change can approach.

Convey greetings from this evanescent one to all and say: The world at all times proclaimeth its own evanescence and extinction, but only the hearing ears hearken. … The atoms of dust cry out at all times saying: O children of Adam! Time passeth like lightning. Ye were not created for the world, rather it was created for you.

The world has never had, nor has it now, any constancy. Soon will this spread be rolled up by the hand of power, save the spread of deeds of souls who act for God's sake and speak for God's sake.

In the sight of the All-Seeing, the entire world and all that is therein cannot equal a single one of God's names, for the former is transient while the latter endureth.

The renewal of the world is a clear proof of its origination, and its very origination is a manifest evidence of its ultimate extinction.

We love to see thee among those whom no blame of the blamer nor scorn of the scorner nor rejection of any heedless one deterreth in God. The world and all that is therein shall perish, and there shall endure for thee what appeareth from thee in service to thy Lord, Who overshadoweth all that was and shall be.

Ere long all shall return to dust. At that time nothing shall profit save pure deeds.

That which thou beholdest today shall perish, while the recompense of deeds shall endure with a guardian faithful.

All that the wealthy pride themselves upon today, and the learned boast of, and the possessors of riches are made vain by - all shall pass away.

Say: O friends! In this transient abode ye can attain unto an everlasting station. By the life of God! This is a truth in which there is no doubt.

The world and all that is therein shall perish, save the Divine Word. Blessed is the soul that hath attained thereunto, and likewise the deed that hath appeared for the sake of God.

However, since those two saplings were uprooted from the furnace of this world, they were planted and took root in the eternal divine garden, attaining endless freshness and grace, becoming adorned with leaves, blossoms and fruit.

Reflect upon the world and its changes. When thou beholdest it thus, hold fast unto the Sure Handle which changeth not.

Before long the Queens of the world will be nameless and forgotten, but thou art shining and luminous like unto a star on the eternal horizon; during future centuries thy name will be on all tongues and thy eternal glory shall be clear and manifest, though this bounty is not at present clear and manifest, but in the future it will before long become visible and evident.

Abandon these fleeting shadows, O Maryam, and turn towards the Day-Star of unfading splendour. Every shadow oweth its existence and motion to the presence of the sun; for were the latter to withhold its grace for a single moment, all things would sink beneath the veil of non-existence. How sad and regrettable indeed that one should occupy oneself with the transitory things of this world and be debarred from the Dayspring of eternal holiness!

Be not grieved by the world and its transient affairs, for these have never endured and never shall endure, and the honored servants pay no heed to that which is destined to perish. How many were the mighty who were suddenly afflicted with abasement, and how many were the wealthy who returned to poverty.

Complain not of the heights and depths, the glory and abasement of this world. In all conditions, keep your gaze fixed upon the end, for all that is visible shall pass away.

That thou witnessest some among men who are gladdened by worldly glory and made proud by its elevation--this stems from the heedlessness of such souls. Every person of insight and vision testifies that these words are true and that this utterance hath shone forth from the Dayspring of exposition. For all know that these matters are neither worthy nor lasting, and when the messenger of death arrives, all things change.

In this inferior corporeal world, reversals and generation and corruption continually occur, and the decree of "Thou exaltest whom Thou willest, and Thou abasest whom Thou pleasest; Thou quickenest whom Thou desirest, and Thou takest life away from whom thou wishest" is effective. For this reason, its exaltation is degradation, its existence is nonexistence, its light is darkness, its unveiling is obscurity, its glory is abasement, its tranquility is hardship, its possession is deprivation, its gain is loss, and its benefit is disadvantage, for its end is bereavement and its outcome is separation.

Earthly possessions are transient, their owner transient, their possession transient - but the grace of God endures, His favors endure, His remembrance endures, His generosity endures, His verses endure, His evidences endure. Blessed is the one whom transient affairs do not hinder.

O thou handmaid aflame with the fire of God's love! Grieve thou not over the troubles and hardships of this nether world, nor be thou glad in times of ease and comfort, for both shall pass away. This present life is even as a swelling wave, or a mirage, or drifting shadows. Could ever a distorted image on the desert serve as refreshing waters? No, by the Lord of Lords! Never can reality and the mere semblance of reality be one, and wide is the difference between fancy and fact, between truth and the phantom thereof.

The days of life pass away, existence comes to an end, hardship and ease conclude, grief and joy remain not, happiness and sorrow pass into nothingness, palaces are transformed into graves, honor and abasement both terminate, failure and success endure not, the oppressed and the oppressors ultimately both become concealed beneath layers of earth.

You see all round you proofs of the inadequacy of material things -- how joy, comfort, peace and consolation are not to be found in the transitory things of the world. Is it not then foolishness to refuse to seek these treasures where they may be found? The doors of the spiritual Kingdom are open to all, and without is absolute darkness.

Every life at last must end in death, and every lasting thing must finally fade away. This cup is full for all, and every soul must eventually drink a draught thereof and hasten to the other world.

This life is like unto vapour in a desert and the existence of every thing is as a mere illusion, evanescent and bound to extinction.

Consider the Emperor of Russia, who was the greatest of monarchs with drums and cymbals - see how he became despondent and his entire royal family became intimate companions with blood-stained hearts. And likewise other nobles and chiefs - each one's turn comes. The point is that the foremost people of the world are kings, and when kings are thus subjugated, consider then the condition of others.

This is the true union and meeting that is endless and has no termination. Otherwise every union is destined for separation, and every connection is fated for disconnection.

Length or the brevity of life is of little consequence. What difference does it make to live for a hundred years or just a few years? This is a relative matter and is of no importance. What matters is the result of life. If a person drives benefit from his life, then dying sooner or later is the same because he had realized his benefits. However, if one's life has not borne fruits, then even if he lives for a thousand years it matters not. Consider this rock which has lived for twenty or thirty thousands years, but of what use?

Verily, whosoever becometh aware of the changeability, transformation and evanescence of the world, no earthly thing can wither his spirit or deprive him of joy and delight. His gladness is in God, and his pleasure is for God's sake. His intimate companion is "We are God's" and his close associate is "and to Him shall we return."

Whenever those endowed with insight observe the signs of the mortality of anything that existeth in the world of being, they bear witness, nay, each thing in itself with its inner tongue doth testify, to the evanescence of all things. The royal seat becometh the perch of the owl and the spider replaceth the the chamberlain. With its inner tongue it declareth: "O discerning ones! Where have your thrones gone; where are your mighty palaces?" Ruin followeth behind every edifice, as death followeth behind every life.

Ere long the world and all that is therein shall be as a thing forgotten, and all honor shall belong to the loved ones of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful.

Be ye united in this Cause, that no enmity or hatred arise between you. Thus have ye been commanded in the Tablet of Decree. He is verily the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. By My life! All that is on earth shall perish, and glory shall remain with those who have turned to the Dayspring of the Cause and were of them that have attained. And the splendor rest upon thee and upon those who have acted according to what they were commanded by One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

You had a peaceful heart and a soul free from every affliction. You had tranquility of conscience and were intimate with comfort of spirit. You transformed the composure of your mind into distraction and exchanged the repose of your heart for the contamination of tribulation.

Consider that the palaces of former kings, from the day of Adam to the present time, are destroyed and ravaged by the relentless hand of time, but the towering palace of the believers of God are eternally built and never subject to destruction.

All calamities and afflictions have been created for man so that he may spurn this mortal world -- a world to which he is much attached.

Such is this mortal abode: a storehouse of afflictions and suffering. It is ignorance that binds man to it, for no comfort can be secured by any soul in this world, from monarch down to the most humble commoner. If once this life should offer a man a sweet cup, a hundred bitter ones will follow; such is the condition of this world.

Days are passing, and no trace remains of any state - neither the glory of this ephemeral dust-heap endures, nor do its abasement and trials persist. All tends toward decline except matters that occur in the path of God - these have been and will forever remain eternal and enduring.

Know that, by God, besides Whom there is no other God, all existence is not worth the skin of a peanut. It will give no benefit or reward. The only thing that remains is service to His Cause, exaltation of His Faith and diffusion of divine fragrance.

Under all conditions hold fast to patience. Behold the world as a passing shadow. Soon it shall perish and vanish away. That which endureth is the mention of God that hath been sent down in His Book in praise of His loved ones.

Every bird and moving creature must cease its flight and motion, and every iron cage must surely break, allowing the bird to take flight. In this light, what effect has a long or short delay, and what difference between today and tomorrow?

O leaf who supplicates unto God! In this world countless women beyond measure have come and gone who, in utmost joy and comfort, have reposed upon silken pillows and spent their days in ease of soul and attachment to the world. Yet now consider what fruit that comfort and glory yielded, and what result that luxury and joy produced. It was a mirage, ephemeral, and an illusion that, like a passing shadow, did not endure. Neither the majesty of Bilqis remained, nor the beauty of Zulaykha, nor the grandeur of Huma, nor the fame of other queens of this earthly realm.

In short, the day is approaching when the gay trappings of this earthly life will have been rolled up and the sorry plight and adversity of the people of iniquity will have waxed more grievous than those experienced by the oppressed. The inmates of palaces will have been subjected to the confinement of graves, and such as occupy the seats of honour will have fallen upon the dust of misery and abasement.

The days of this life are passing swiftly, and all created things, day and night, are seeking to survive and propagate themselves. All creatures are targets for the arrow of destiny, and are liable to various kinds of tyranny, for the contingent world is subject to change and transformation, and there is no doubt that hardship and suffering must occur.

O thou who art blessed in the Kingdom! Let not thy heart be troubled by the vicissitudes of this transient world and the changing conditions of material affairs, and let not thy soul be companion to grief and sorrow. The rise and fall, appointment and dismissal in this ephemeral world are like unto the waves of a mirage, or the reflection of forms in mirrors and waters - they appear and disappear in succession.

This world of existence is founded on mutability and transformation and because of this constant law of change it moves from one condition to the next continuously. It is impossible for material affairs to remain in one fixed and immutable state.

In the presence of spiritual confirmation, if there is some weakness in the physical realm, it matters not, for this earthly frame is composed of elements of the transient world. Surely health and wellness cannot be continuous - it is of no importance.

This world of dust is the place where thorns and thistles grow, and fragrant herbs and flowers as well. Yet how swiftly this can change, and its peace is suddenly reversed. At one moment, musk-laden breezes waft; at another noxious substances destroy. In one state, it is spring flourishing; in another, autumn declining. Therefore, there is no constancy in any of its states.

At the beginning of Our imprisonment We sacrificed a Branch from the Branches for a matter none knoweth save God, thy Lord. The world hath no worth, neither had it any. That Branch, in the prime of youth, laid down his life and sought another station. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of inner meanings that were there to be revealed less than a needle's eye of thy son's station who ascended unto God, all would be thunderstruck with joy.

The world laughs at those who desire it and says: "Have you seen from me any good or faithfulness?" Should anyone reply "Yes," it cries out saying: "Thou hast lied, by the Lord of the exalted Throne!"

This life will surely pass away like unto a fleeting shadow and the gay trappings of this earthly existence will soon be rolled up. The cup of bitter death will be borne round and the fire of anguish and despair will be set ablaze. The foundation of human life will crumble and this clamorous outcry and tumult will be hushed to silence and stillness.

This body is the abode of ills and this darkened self a cage to every warbling bird. One's corporeal frame shall become dust and a target to dreadful darts. Therefore if it were offered up in the field of sacrifice for the sake of God, no favour or blessing could be greater than this. Earthly possessions will certainly be lost, and what hath been accumulated will be dispersed; excessive riches will be cast adrift, and the flush of fortune will wither away and fade into nothingness; immense treasures will be squandered, and the wealth gathered up by the wind will eventually be blown away by the wind.

Although outwardly tribulations are hard to bear, in truth, they are gain upon gain. If in this world humiliation and troubles are destined for us, in the spiritual world this will be the cause of everlasting honor.

All mankind is in peril, for the life of this world is fleeting. There is a difference, however, between those souls who pass away slumbering on the couch of heedlessness and those who quaff the cup of the most great bounty on the field of martyrdom.

Every habitation is destroyed by the vicissitudes of time and circumstances and every home is finally uprooted by the impetuous cruelty of fate. But now, since these events have happened in the path of the one true God, it is a bestowal and a bounty that will have everlasting consequences.

These earthly houses are flimsier than a spider's web. Every edifice shall be laid low, but the shelter of God is the most exalted of palaces.

'No! No! No!' the girl answered back. 'My heart is not attracted by any one of thy fair promises. After a few years they are all perished. Now I know that none of you can supply my need.

Certain souls come and believe, and leave behind them an eternal light or radiance, which is equivalent to a candle that never goes out. From the time of Christ, how many kings and rulers have come, but no trace of them remains. It is as though they were beneath the lowest strata of the earth. Their existence has passed away, but of the least of the servants, like the disciples, who left the world two thousand years ago, their stars glisten with everlasting radiance.

Happiness that comes from physical matters must inevitably undergo transformation, for a person is healthy one day and sick another, wealthy at one time and needy at another, in comfort at one moment and afflicted with hardship at another. Their thoughts are always troubled and every moment their spirit is tormented by some suffering.

When you look at reality, there is no one without desire, and no desire is free from trouble and weariness.

Therefore every kind of hope becomes the cause of difficulty and burden, and prevents joy and happiness - except the hopes of souls who bind themselves to the divine world.

However, the perpetuation of outward traces, whether through children or otherwise, is limited and transitory, and is reckoned among perishable things in the sight of God. That which is greater than this, which endureth in the divine Kingdom, is the Word of God, which abideth forever in the divine Book of the All-Merciful and the heavenly Scripture, and is more exalted and greater in the sight of the Lord, the Chosen One, than a hundred thousand children and traces.

The entire world is beheld as a handful of dust. Its taking and giving is not worthy of mention. How many matters that are pure good, yet man is saddened and grieved by them. How many hardships that became the cause of ease. How many instances of taking from which flowed the waters of giving.

Hearken unto My words and grieve not over the world. When sorrows intensify upon thee, find solace in those from whom waft the sweet fragrances of love for My Self, the Gracious, the Ancient.

Consider those who oppressed aforetime - where are their lofty palaces? Those are their houses, fallen into ruin with their trellises. Say: By my Lord, the Most Glorious! That which was created shall perish even as the kings and palaces perished, and today thou seest not their traces.

… By God! The world and its riches shall not profit you.

The world proclaimeth, saying: "O people! Behold my morning and my evening, and the time when the sun standeth at its zenith." Thus doth it inform them of the changes it undergoes, all of which testify to its transience and its imminent passing away.

The world and all that is therein shall perish, and there shall endure for you what ye have wrought in My love, the Beloved.

Be not grieved at what hath befallen thee. God Himself hath been and will ever be thy Helper and Succourer. The world hath no permanence, and that which endureth and lasteth forever is the love of God.

These pleasures, comforts, positions, feasts and conflicts are like sea foam - they dissolve and disappear. But hardship and tribulation in the path of the One God have an enduring effect like the waters of the sea.

This pattern is fixed and enduring on the tablet of possibility and page of existence - all else is "like a mirage in the desert which the thirsty mistakes for water." Whatever causes the life of the world endures and persists, while all else is but borrowed raiment without permanence.

As for the mention of that illustrious scholar in earthly newspapers, it has no importance whatsoever, for it will be forgotten in a short time. Observe how the world's newspapers raise such a commotion in mourning kings, yet after a brief time it is entirely forgotten. Since this is so, what importance does it have?

Days pass and breaths come to an end, but there is a difference between one who passes them in comfort, ease and desires, and one who spends them in calamity, hardship, tribulation and captivity in God's path.

How many great ones spent their days in worldly glory and never heard a word of reproach or blame - rather, poets praised and lauded them in odes that were on everyone's lips. Now no trace remains of them - no name, no sign, no glory or dignity.

O mother, the world is a prison, and here is a palace. There is a heap of dust, and here is a pure realm. Thank God that I have reached this eternal world."

A child in early childhood considers stones and toys important and laments their loss, but upon reaching maturity becomes free of such thoughts and considers their existence or non-existence equal. Likewise when the friends of God reach spiritual maturity, they consider all affairs of this unstable world as confused dreams and products of vain imaginings.

O Handmaiden of Baha! Victoria was the Empress of India and Queen of England. Her star has set and her lamp is extinguished. But you shall not be extinguished nor set, for you are ignited with the fire of the love of God.

But since all conditions - every comfort and distress - are transient and in no way permanent, whatever form they take is pleasant and attractive.

One must pass through days of hardship with the utmost joy. The poet says: "These times more bitter than poison shall pass." We say: These bitter days full of sweetness shall pass, and these dark yet luminous times, and this trouble full of comfort, and this constraint full of relief, and this hardship embracing ease. In brief, all conditions and states are transient, while the love of God endures.

The days of our lives shall end and be of no avail but thy life shall be fulfilled in these signs of eternal glory, in these bounties of the Most Great Beauty. Not every tree doth bear such fruits as these.

Bodily companionship is transient, but heavenly reunion is eternal. Whensoever thou rememberest this lasting union, thou wilt be cheered and comforted.

O wayfarer among the hills and valley pathways of the All-Merciful God! Every gathering will be dispersed, every home laid to waste and every hearth scattered but thank God that thou are lost in His path! Thank the Blessed Beauty that thou hast forsaken thy hearth and home for the sake of His love.

To be lost and wandering in His way is better than to rest in comfort and tranquillity in a hundred happy homes and to suffer affliction and exile in His path is preferable to staying in a myriad havens.

In this earthly dust-heap, separation is inevitably decreed, but the eyes of these yearning ones are fixed upon the horizon of eternal, everlasting reunion.

Be not disheartened by the accidents of this mortal world, and become not dejected by sudden calamities, for the end of life is divine spirit and fragrance, and ultimate joy and gladness.

This separation is temporary and this parting is in this transient world. That spiritual union and eternal nearness and everlasting companionship is permanent - there is never any lessening or separation.

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

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Earthly happiness endures but for an hour or two. A poor man who becomes rich will be happy for a few days only. After a time he will forget his good fortune and will again be a captive of sorrow and sadness.

The transience of the world and the passing away of all things therein is a matter about which there can be no doubt, and no person of understanding would set his heart upon that which will assuredly pass away, nor would he be content with the comfort of numbered days. What wise traveler would be satisfied with the ornaments of wayside inns and forsake his homeland and destination?

Had the world any worth before God, the Wronged One would not have been imprisoned in this mighty fortress, nor would the Point of the Bayan have been suspended in the air, nor would the Spirit have been afflicted among the Jews.

Fix your gaze upon this blessed verse which hath been sent down from the heaven of the All-Merciful's will in the Qur'an: "Wealth and children are an adornment of the life of this world: but good deeds, the fruit whereof endureth forever, are of more merit with thy Lord as a hope, and of more merit as an object of reliance."

Were the book of the world to be observed with the eye of truth, naught would be seen save the words "Departure! Departure! Extinction! Extinction!" The eye seeth "Departure! Departure!" and the ear heareth "Departure! Departure!" and all the limbs bear witness to extinction.

The world itself at every moment testifieth to its own evanescence. What joy is there that grief hath not overtaken? What exaltation that change hath not pursued? What abode from which the wailing of weeping hath not arisen? And what might and power that the talons of weakness and impotence have not seized?

Say: Are ye content with this earthly life, and have ye forgotten Him in Whose possession is the decree of beginning and return?

The tyranny of the oppressors and the hosts of the heedless move for a day or two like bubbles upon the surface of water, and then return to a state which, were anyone to behold it, they would seek refuge with God from its heat and from whatsoever hath been created therein.

For a time, due to lack of means, the sending of a reply was delayed....

...the world hath no worth or station in the sight of God, and both its hardship and ease are fleeting. We hope that outward means will also be made available, for the divine favors have ever encompassed and continue to encompass all from every direction.

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Otherwise, what importance, worth, and value can mere animal life and powers possess? Even as an idle fancy, in a few days it will pass. For instance, if an unlit lamp is lighted, it will be extinguished again, but the light of the sun always shines resplendent, and this is what is important.

For example, in the East when a loving mother wisheth to wean a nursing child from her breast milk, so that it will partake of wholesome foods, she smeareth her breasts with bitter aloe so that the bitterness will turn the child away and cause it to give up nursing. In like manner, the loving Lord hath created diseases, tribulations, and afflictions in this evanescent realm so that souls will not be so enamored and captivated by it.

O Samandar! Say: The world and all its ornaments and bounties, its kings and subjects and paupers, shall pass away, and there shall endure that which hath been ordained for God's chosen ones and His loved ones. Thus doth the Tongue of Grandeur speak - blessed be they that hear!

Man is bewildered, nay the world is bewildered, for it is observed that mortal life--which in the eyes of the people of insight is less than naught--all are occupied in securing its means and livelihood; yet for that world which has no end, they have neither thought nor contemplation, nor are they engaged in any preparation thereof.

This material world is a transient life; of necessity it shall come to an end. The life and pleasures of this world are fleeting. Its ease endeth in toil; its honor endeth in abasement; its life endeth in death; its continuance endeth in extinction. Whatsoever hath no permanence possesseth, in the sight of the wise, no radiance; for the man of understanding turneth not his gaze toward the world that passeth away, but directeth it toward the world that abideth. He is not content with a temporary life, but seeketh life everlasting.

By Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand! If God's infinite worlds were limited to this world, and its delights confined to what is witnessed by its people, I would never have subjected Myself to these countless afflictions.

Mortal charm shall fade away, roses shall give way to thorns, and beauty and youth shall live their day and be no more. But that which eternally endureth is the Beauty of the True One, for its splendour perisheth not and its glory lasteth forever; its charm is all-powerful and its attraction infinite.

Consider that since the appearance of Christ, how many skilled sages, righteous philosophers, noble scribes, holders of lofty thoughts, possessors of high ambitions, and famous geniuses of ages and centuries have come and gone, and today you hear neither sound nor mention of them. But the divine principle and merciful project which Christ explained and established is eternally fixed, everlasting in effects, strong in pillars, firm in foundation - the vicissitudes of time do not shake it and weakness does not affect it through the passage of ages and centuries.

Consider the nature of material happiness. It is something. Which but slightly removes one's afflictions; yet the people imagine it to be joy, delight, exultation and blessing. All the material blessings, including food, drink etc. tend only to ally thirst, hunger and fatigue. They bestow no delight on the mind nor pleasure on the soul; nay, they furnish only the bodily wants. So this kind of happiness has no real existence.

When one enters the other world, he sees and knows so much that is now hidden that this world seems but a dark and narrow prison from which he has escaped.

As to the subject of returning to this perishing world, this world is the abode of suffering, the abode of wretchedness, returning to it is a punishment for every man be he a vassal or a king. … In truth the soul is as a bird imprisoned in the cage of this body. Whenever the cage is broken, it flies to the meadows of the Kingdom with great happiness and joy.

Man is created in the image of the Merciful [God], that is, with divine attributes. Therefore, while physical characteristics will perish, divine qualities will endure. The soul is a divine emanation while the body is an earthly composition. Upon you be the divine attributes.

By the life of God! verily, the gift of guidance, during this great century and this age of lights, is greater than reining over the earth and all that is in it; because the earthly reign is mortal, vanishing, imaginary and of no permanence, but this gift is permanent, eternal, everlasting and endless.

One craveth riches, another thirsteth for glory and still another yearneth for fame, for art, for prosperity and the like. Yet finally all are doomed to loss and disappointment. One and all they leave behind them all that is theirs and empty-handed hasten to the realm beyond, and all their labours shall be in vain. To dust they shall all return, denuded, depressed, disheartened and in utter despair.

The earthly things have an existence, though they must perish. All creatures have this same existence; all created things must die. The wise man sees them as perished. But that which belongs to the Divine Kingdom of Heaven is everlasting.

The Sovereignty of the world is like unto the mirage and the Sovereignty of the Kingdom is like unto the ocean of water. The latter is the Reality, the former is superficiality. One is comfort; the other is hardship. That is the Sublimity of the Kingdom, this is the sublimity of the earth.

Ere long will the carpet of life be rolled up and another carpet spread out in another world.

The utmost happiness of the human being in this world is similar to the comfort of the sheep and the cow, for both the birds and animals are in the utmost state of comfort and happiness. If this is going to be the portion of the human being the animal world is superior and the animal's existence is better. In this case what distinction is there for man?

In worldly matters and the affairs of this transient abode, skill and power are no proof of insight and distinction. For the spider is an unequaled geometrician, and the bee is a wondrous and strange architect. The dog is alert and conscious, the ant is prudent and mindful of seasons and times of night and day. The lowly worm beneath the earth displays a hundred thousand masteries, cleverness and intelligence, and shows forth capability and competence - yet all these qualities belong to the lowest depths, not to the manifestation of the evident signs of the highest heaven.

This is why thou observest that these shadows and forms are continuously being renewed. They are not permanent, but the succession of similar forms and like states is such as to give the appearance of constancy. In the end, however, it will become clear that it was a mirage, not real water; illusions, not the realities of the signs.

O thou who art attracted to the light of the Incomparable Beauty!

The whole world is transient, and the Face of the Lord endureth. All things perish, and that which is attributed to Truth remains forever and is free from destruction.

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All that thou seest will pass away and all that thou dost witness will disappear. The only thing that endures is the knowledge of God and servitude of the Merciful One, for in that lies eternal light, everlasting happiness and spiritual joy. This is what remains, all else is transient.

O ye who are assured of God's Oneness! Such was the effulgence and manifestation that He made the contingent world a mirror of the realm of the infinite, and transformed the earth into an everlasting paradise. Yet alas, the children knew not its worth, and the ignorant counted it not as significant. They darkened that pure and subtle horizon with the dense clouds of doubts, and obscured that luminous face of the full moon with the blemishes of selfish desires and passions.

If the felicity and exaltation of the human station were confined to this earthly world, this would be a grievous loss and manifest ruin.

A great steamship has been lost at sea. Today newspaper accounts of the Titanic are reflecting the sorrow and mourning of the whole world, all the power of man, all his pride and the skill of human invention were helpless against the power of the sea. Men of great wealth, men of prominence and celebrity, likewise men who were unimportant and unknown in the eye of the world,--all have found the same tomb under the waves. If this fate marked the end of human accomplishment, if this death was oblivion to human hopes and possibilities, the whole world might mourn.

This world is a world of darkness, affliction, and work. It is like the womb; one must bear in patience its troubles and its pains. The world of the womb is not a world of pleasure: as long as one is in it, he must submit to its narrowness, darkness, and gloom.

Whatever exists in the visible world will perish, but whatever appears from any doer for the sake of God will remain eternal, enduring and everlasting.

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

The days of our human lives shall pass away, like a vapour in the desert. When thou dost turn thine eyes upon the end of things thou shalt see nothing remains of all of this but vain imaginings and dreams.

O ye who are strongly attracted! O ye who are mindful! O ye who are advancing unto the Kingdom of God! Verily with all my heart and soul and with all lowliness do I supplicate the Lord God to make of you ensigns of guidance, banners of righteousness, well-springs of understanding and knowledge, that through you He may lead the seekers unto the straight path and guide them to the broad way of truth in this mightiest of ages.

O ye loved ones of God! Know ye that the world is even as a mirage rising over the sands, that the thirsty mistaketh for water. The wine of this world is but a vapour in the desert, its pity and compassion but toil and trouble, the repose it proffereth only weariness and sorrow. Abandon it to those who belong to it, and turn your faces unto the Kingdom of your Lord the All-Merciful, that His grace and bounty may cast their dawning splendours over you, and a heavenly table may be sent down for you, and your Lord may bless you, and shower His riches upon you to gladden your bosoms and fill your hearts with bliss, to attract your minds, and cleanse your souls, and console your eyes.

O ye loved ones of God! Is there any giver save God? He singleth out for His mercy whomsoever He willeth. Erelong will He open before you the gates of His knowledge and fill up your hearts with His love. He will cheer your souls with the gentle winds of His holiness and make bright your faces with the splendours of His lights, and exalt the memory of you amongst all peoples. Your Lord is verily the Compassionate, the Merciful.

He will come to your aid with invisible hosts, and support you with armies of inspiration from the Concourse above; He will send unto you sweet perfumes from the highest Paradise, and waft over you the pure breathings that blow from the rose gardens of the Company on high. He will breathe into your hearts the spirit of life, cause you to enter the Ark of salvation, and reveal unto you His clear tokens and signs. Verily is this abounding grace. Verily is this the victory that none can deny.

The world passeth away, and that which is everlasting is the love of God.

O servant of God! Every soul hath testified and doth testify to the transience of this world; nevertheless they cling to it in such wise as transcendeth the reckoning of those who reckon.

Blessed be the one who comprehendeth Thine enduring reality and the evanescence of all else but Thee, and who acknowledgeth Thy sovereign authority and the powerlessness of all save Thyself. And as the evanescence of all things is established before the surging ocean of Thy remembrance, O King of all names, it likewise becometh evident that their every mention and description falleth short of Thy might and grandeur and ill beseemeth Thy loftiness and power.

By Thy Glory! Were the world to last as long as Thine own kingdom will last, to set their affections upon it would still be unseemly for such as have quaffed, from the hands of Thy mercy, the wine of Thy presence; how much more when they recognize its fleetingness and are persuaded of its transience. The chances that overtake it, and the changes to which all things pertaining unto it are continually subjected, attest its impermanence.

For the world, its adornments and finery, shall pass away in less than the blink of an eye. Therefore, exert yourself in what will be everlasting for you in the highest kingdom, so that you will be safeguarded in the worlds of the spirit that revolve around the tree of immortality.

Whosoever has drunk from that Kawthar through the name of God, the grace of God, and the confirmation of God - the troubles of this transient world shall not prevent him from eternal stations, nor shall the sorrows of this realm hold him back from the remembrance of the Ancient King.

A material love for a person will sometimes change. All material ties will sooner or later pass away, but the spiritual love never changes, - it is eternal.

Their highest aim is to augment their means of continuing on, in this vanishing world, this death in life; and this despite the fact that they are bound hand and foot by a thousand cares and sorrows, and never safe from danger, not even for the twinkling of an eye; never at any time secure, even from sudden death. Wherefore, after a brief span, are they utterly effaced, and no sign remaineth to tell of them, and no word of them is ever heard again.

O Lord! These stainless souls grew contemptuous of the world of dust and have ascended unto Thy kingdom. From this dreary world they have winged their flight unto the realm of resplendent glory. Weary and dejected they languished in this puny nest, eagerly waiting to set out for their celestial habitation.

Soon shall the world and all that is therein perish, and that which is everlasting and enduring hath been and shall ever be the recognition of Truth.

Soon all that is visible shall vanish, and that which is everlasting and enduring hath been and shall ever be the Word of God.

O maid-servant of God! Every star hath a setting, but the star of the knowledge of God in the divine heaven; every light shall darken save the light of the guidance of God; every dignity shall vanish away save the glory under the shadow of the Word of God.

Will you exchange such a Garden as this for thousands of other gardens?

I am not in possession of any garden now, but had I many gardens, I would not exchange them for such a garden as this.

Then ordain for me that which shall endure through the endurance of Thy dominion and Thy kingdom, for I know, O my God, that all else besides Thee shall perish and that whatsoever is attributed unto Thee shall endure through the endurance of Thy most excellent names and most exalted attributes.

We beseech God to make the evanescence of the world and its differences ever-apparent and visible before the eyes of souls who have turned towards Him, and to make manifest the permanence of exalted stations, that all may hold fast to that which is befitting this Day and not be deprived of the Most Great Name by reason of what existeth in the world.

O my Lord! I know with the knowledge of certainty the evanescence of all things, therefore have mercy upon me, O my God, through Thy great mercy.