Human potential: bringing hidden gifts into life

The Purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, in revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within the mine of their true and inmost selves.

Suffer not yourselves to be wrapt in the dense veils of your selfish desires, inasmuch as I have perfected in every one of you My creation, so that the excellence of My handiwork may be fully revealed unto men.

The Prophets and Chosen Ones have all been commissioned by the One True God, magnified be His glory, to nurture the trees of human existence with the living waters of uprightness and understanding, that there may appear from them that which God hath deposited within their inmost selves.

Through the Teachings of this Daystar of Truth every man will advance and develop until he attaineth the station at which he can manifest all the potential forces with which his inmost true self hath been endowed. It is for this very purpose that in every age and dispensation the Prophets of God and His chosen Ones have appeared amongst men, and have evinced such power as is born of God and such might as only the Eternal can reveal.

These words have streamed from the pen of this Wronged One in one of His Tablets: "The purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, hath been to bring forth the Mystic Gems out of the mine of man -- they Who are the Dawning-Places of His Cause and the Repositories of the pearls of His knowledge; for, God Himself, glorified be He, is the Unseen, the One concealed and hidden from the eyes of men.

The holy Manifestations of God come into the world to dispel the darkness of the animal, or physical, nature of man, to purify him from his imperfections in order that his heavenly and spiritual nature may become quickened, his divine qualities awakened, his perfections visible, his potential powers revealed and all the virtues of the world of humanity latent within him may come to life.

The aim of the prophet of God is to raise man to the degree of knowledge of his potentiality and to illumine him through the light of the kingdom, to transform ignorance into wisdom, injustice into justice, error into knowledge, cruelty into affection and incapability into progress. In short, to make all the attainments of existence resplendent in him.

What a wonderful meeting this is! These are the children of the Kingdom. The song we have just listened to was very beautiful in melody and words. The art of music is divine and effective. It is the food of the soul and spirit. Through the power and charm of music the spirit of man is uplifted. It has wonderful sway and effect in the hearts of children, for their hearts are pure, and melodies have great influence in them. The latent talents with which the hearts of these children are endowed will find expression through the medium of music. Therefore, you must exert yourselves to make them proficient; teach them to sing with excellence and effect. It is incumbent upon each child to know something of music, for without knowledge of this art the melodies of instrument and voice cannot be rightly enjoyed. Likewise, it is necessary that the schools teach it in order that the souls and hearts of the pupils may become vivified and exhilarated and their lives be brightened with enjoyment.

Today illumined and spiritual children are gathered in this meeting. They are the children of the Kingdom. The Kingdom of heaven is for such souls as these, for they are near to God. They have pure hearts. They have spiritual faces. The effect of the divine teachings is manifest in the perfect purity of their hearts. That is why Christ has addressed the world, saying, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" -- that is, men must become pure in heart to know God. The teachings have had great effect. Spiritual souls! Tender souls! The hearts of all children are of the utmost purity. They are mirrors upon which no dust has fallen. But this purity is on account of weakness and innocence, not on account of any strength and testing, for as this is the early period of their childhood, their hearts and minds are unsullied by the world. They cannot display any great intelligence. They have neither hypocrisy nor deceit. This is on account of the child's weakness, whereas the man becomes pure through his strength. Through the power of intelligence he becomes simple; through the great power of reason and understanding and not through the power of weakness he becomes sincere. When he attains to the state of perfection, he will receive these qualities; his heart becomes purified, his spirit enlightened, his soul is sensitized and tender -- all through his great strength. This is the difference between the perfect man and the child. Both have the underlying qualities of simplicity and sincerity -- the child through the power of weakness and the man through the power of strength.

I pray in behalf of these children and beg confirmation and assistance for them from the Kingdom of Abha so that each one may be trained under the shadow of the protection of God, each may become like a lighted candle in the world of humanity, a tender and growing plant in the rose garden of Abha; that these children may be so trained and educated that they shall give life to the world of humanity; that they may receive insight; that they may bestow hearing upon the people of the world; that they may sow the seeds of eternal life and be accepted in the threshold of God; that they may become characterized with such virtues, perfections and qualities that their mothers, fathers and relatives will be thankful to God, well pleased and hopeful. This is my wish and prayer.

I give you my advice, and it is this: Train these children with divine exhortations. From their childhood instill in their hearts the love of God so they may manifest in their lives the fear of God and have confidence in the bestowals of God. Teach them to free themselves from human imperfections and to acquire the divine perfections latent in the heart of man. The life of man is useful if he attains the perfections of man. If he becomes the center of the imperfections of the world of humanity, death is better than life, and nonexistence better than existence. Therefore, make ye an effort in order that these children may be rightly trained and educated and that each one of them may attain perfection in the world of humanity. Know ye the value of these children, for they are all my children.

Furthermore it is incumbent upon the friends to acquire spiritual perfections as well as these outward attainments. Praise be to God that their capacities are great and they are being aided and confirmed in every turn.

They must at all times think how to become the focal point of these perfections, how to be the collective centre of these mysteries of insight and understanding and how to cause these wondrous deeds to come to fruition.

Day by day you must grow. Day by day you must develop. Day by day you must attain to beauty. Day by day you must draw nearer to maturity.

Whoever strives harder to acquire the perfections of the world of humanity and demonstrates the more virtuous character will be nearer to the threshold of God and make the greater degree of progress.

O friends of 'Abdu'l-Baha! Strive with heart and soul to become manifestations of divine favors and dawning-places of the bounty of the All-Glorious Lord. Consider this opportunity a treasure and strive with heart and soul to become the source of every good and the wellspring of human virtues.

Strive night and day to change men into fruitful trees, virgin forests into divine orchards and deserts into rose gardens of significance. Light these lamps, that the dark world may become illumined.

Whereas formerly he was a coward, he becomes courageous. Whereas before he was debased, he becomes sanctified and holy. Even in his intelligence, his knowledge, his sagacity and his mentality he is a different man.

Consider what was the quickening power of the Christ when He was on earth. Look at His disciples! They were poor and uncultured men. Out of the rough fisherman He made the great Peter, and out of the poor village girl of Magdala He made one who is a power in all the world today.

Ye are the children of God and he has endowed you with the possibilities of infinite progress.

Question: What is the wisdom of the appearance of the spirit in the body?

Answer: The wisdom of the appearance of the spirit in the body is this: The human spirit is a divine trust which must traverse every degree, for traversing and passing through the degrees of existence is the means of its acquiring perfections.

It is the desire of my heart and soul that in this path ye may travel along all the degrees of existence and attain to the loftiest horizon of the ideal virtues and the pinnacles of human excellences; - in order that all the people may witness how the servants of His Highness the Friend are illumined, shining and radiant.

The goal to be reach is perfection according to kind or station, and this perfection is happiness.

A seed has reached to the station of Nirvana once it springs out of the earth, it grows, putting forth trunk, branches, leaves, blossoms, and finally luscious, ripe fruits. The fruit is the Nirvana of the tree.

In short, they have become the image of that which God planned them to be and which the Heavenly Books promised shall be the true station of Man.

This is the power, purpose, and virtue of the Heavenly Springtime.

Human life and spiritual living consist in attaining perfection in all stations - absolutely no deficiency remained in any aspect. In all conditions he was assisted by the favors of the Incomparable Lord.

A person characterized with these attributes will gather the fruits of his labors and will win the happiness of the kingdom.

This station is the ultimate result of human life; this station is the true fruit of existence; this station is the pearl of human consummation, the shining star toward which human destiny points.

This is the outcome of life! This is the result of ceaseless endeavour! This is the prize to be won! This is the illumination of the world of humanity! This is Eternal Life! This is the sublimity of human nature! This is the Heavenly Glory! This is the radiant crown of the Kingdom of Abha!

Therefore we must act in accordance with the teachings of God. We must strive to rescue ourselves from the last stage of the arc of descent and begin ascending the arc of ascent. Thus shall we be enabled to attain to our utmost desires, which are the promulgation of the principle of the oneness of mankind, achievement of deeds beneficial to all humanity, service in the path of international peace, entrance into the kingdom of God, and the acquirement of life everlasting.

Men at all times and under all conditions stand in need of one to exhort them, guide them and to instruct and teach them. Therefore He hath sent forth His Messengers, His Prophets and chosen ones that they might acquaint the people with the divine purpose underlying the revelation of Books and the raising up of Messengers, and that every- one may become aware of the trust of God which is latent in the reality of every soul.

Therefore, in this world he must prepare himself for the life beyond. That which he needs in the world of the Kingdom must be obtained here. Just as he prepared himself in the world of the matrix by acquiring forces necessary in this sphere of existence, so, likewise, the indispensable forces of the divine existence must be potentially attained in this world.

… That world beyond is a world of sanctity and radiance; therefore, it is necessary that in this world he should acquire these divine attributes. In that world there is need of spirituality, faith, assurance, the knowledge and love of God. These he must attain in this world so that after his ascension from the earthly to the heavenly Kingdom he shall find all that is needful in that eternal life ready for him.

He Who is the Dayspring of Truth is, no doubt, fully capable of rescuing from such remoteness wayward souls and of causing them to draw nigh unto His court and attain His Presence. “If God had pleased He had surely made all men one people.” His purpose, however, is to enable the pure in spirit and the detached in heart to ascend, by virtue of their own innate powers, unto the shores of the Most Great Ocean, that thereby they who seek the Beauty of the All-Glorious may be distinguished and separated from the wayward and perverse. Thus hath it been ordained by the all-glorious and resplendent Pen.

Through the pure bounty of His grace and the sublime excellence of His mercy, He hath deposited within all things that are seen and known the sign of His knowledge, that no thing might be deprived of recognizing His presence according to its capacity and station. And this sign is the mirror of His beauty in creation, and the more this most exalted, most wondrous, and most impregnable mirror is polished through striving and endeavor, the more shall the manifestations of His names and attributes and the evidences of His knowledge and signs be impressed and reflected therein, to such degree that every thing may witness in its place and every thing may know its limit and measure, and may hear from all things that there is no God but Him and that 'Ali-Qabli-Nabil is the Manifestation of all names and the Dawning-Place of all attributes, that all were created by His will and all act by His command.

He bore these ordeals, suffered these calamities and difficulties in order that a manifestation of selflessness and service might become apparent in the world of humanity; that the Most Great Peace should become a reality; that human souls might appear as the angels of heaven; that heavenly miracles would be wrought among men; that human faith should be strengthened and perfected; that the precious, priceless bestowal of God -- the human mind -- might be developed to its fullest capacity in the temple of the body; and that man might become the reflection and likeness of God, even as it hath been revealed in the Bible, "Let us make man in our image."

Catalogue reference: ABU0223 · passage alignment is approximate; supplied wording retained.

By the righteousness of the one true God! If one speck of a jewel be lost and buried beneath a mountain of stones, and lie hidden beyond the seven seas, the Hand of Omnipotence would assuredly reveal it in this Day, pure and cleansed from dross.

Catalogue reference: BHU0001 · passage alignment is approximate; supplied wording retained.