Where Do We Stand ?

For many days now the quotes I've commented on from Reality have extolled the elevated nature of God and His Manifestations.

Today it's our turn.

Just a quick reminder about the English language lacking a specifically sex-neutral pronoun...

"....whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is a direct evidence of the revelation within it of the attributes and names of God, inasmuch as within every atom are enshrined the signs that bear eloquent testimony to the revelation of that most great Light. Methinks, but for the potency of that revelation, no being could ever exist. How resplendent the luminaries of knowledge that shine in an atom, and how vast the oceans of wisdom that surge within a drop! To a supreme degree is this true of man, who, among all created things, hath been invested with the robe of such gifts, and hath been singled out for the glory of such distinction. For in him are potentially revealed all the attributes and names of God to a degree that no other created being hath excelled or surpassed. All these names and attributes are applicable to him. Even as He hath said: 'Man is My mystery, and I am his mystery.' Manifold are the verses that have been repeatedly revealed in all the heavenly Books and the holy Scriptures, expressive of this most subtle and lofty theme. Even as He hath revealed: 'We will surely show them Our signs in the world and within themselves.'(Qur’án 41:53) Again He saith: 'And also in your own selves: will ye not then behold the signs of God?'(Qur’án 51:21) And yet again He revealeth: 'And be ye not like those who forget God, and whom He hath therefore caused to forget their own selves.(Qur’án 59:29) In this connection, He Who is the eternal King—may the souls of all that dwell within the mystic Tabernacle be a sacrifice unto Him—hath spoken: 'He hath known God who hath known himself.'

"....From that which hath been said it becometh evident that all things, in their inmost reality, testify to the revelation of the names and attributes of God within them. Each according to its capacity, indicateth, and is expressive of, the knowledge of God. So potent and universal is this revelation, that it hath encompassed all things, visible and invisible. Thus hath He revealed: 'Hath aught else save Thee a power of revelation which is not possessed by Thee, that it could have manifested Thee? Blind is the eye which doth not perceive Thee.' Likewise, hath the eternal King spoken: 'No thing have I perceived, except that I perceived God within it, God before it, or God after it.' Also in the tradition of Kumayl it is written: 'Behold, a light hath shone forth out of the Morn of eternity, and lo! its waves have penetrated the inmost reality of all men.' Man, the noblest and most perfect of all created things, excelleth them all in the intensity of this revelation, and is a fuller expression of its glory. And of all men, the most accomplished, the most distinguished and the most excellent are the Manifestations of the Sun of Truth."

Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Íqán, paragraphs 107, 109, pp. 92-94

More About The Manifestations

The past few posts have had excerpts from Reality that dealt with the inconceivably High Station of God and the relationship of Him to His Messengers or Manifestations.

However, I feel a strong need to add, once more, the information I have about that male pronoun we use in English for God. I've received information from people who use other languages (Arabic, Hebrew, etc.) who say they have a pronoun which has no sex associated with it. So, in English we choose the best we can and make God male because of His Creative rather than Receptive nature.

Some of the ideas expressed in this blog are well known by many folks but the information in today's quote, in my humble estimation, is quite surprising!

"...the Manifestations have three planes. First, the physical reality, which depends upon the body; second, the individual reality, that is to say, the rational soul; third, the divine appearance, which is the divine perfections, the cause of the life of existence, of the education of souls, of the guidance of people, and of the enlightenment of the contingent world. The physical state is the human state which perishes because it is composed of elements, and all that is composed of elements will necessarily be decomposed and dispersed. But the individual reality of the Manifestations of God is a holy reality, and for that reason it is sanctified and, in that which concerns its nature and quality, is distinguished from all other things. It is like the sun, which by its essential nature produces light and cannot be compared to the moon, just as the particles that compose the globe of the sun cannot be compare with those which compose the moon. The particles and organization of the former produce rays, but the particles of which the moon is composed do not produce rays but need to borrow light. So other human realities are those souls who, like the moon, take light from the sun; but that Holy Reality is luminous in Himself. The third plane of that Being is the Divine Bounty, the splendor of the Preexistent Beauty, and the radiance of the light of the Almighty. The individual realities of the Divine Manifestations have no separation from the Bounty of God and the Lordly Splendor. In the same way, the orb of the sun has no separation from the light. Therefore, it may be said that the ascension of the Holy Manifestation is simply the leaving of this elemental form. For example, if a lamp illumines this niche, and if its light ceases to illuminate it because the niche is destroyed, the bounty of the lamp is not cut off. Briefly, in the Holy Manifestations the Preexistent Bounty is like the light, the individuality is represented by the glass globe, and the human body is like the niche: if the niche is destroyed, the lamp continues to burn. The Divine Manifestations are so many different mirrors because They have a special individuality, but that which is reflected in the mirrors is one sun."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 39: "The Human
Condition and the Spiritual Condition of the Divine Manifestations",
pp. 154-155

Divine Unity

I'm sure you've heard the statement, "God is One".

Not as many people have heard that His Prophets and Messengers are One.

I believe this is the source of all Unity and is the theme of today's quote from Reality:

"If thou be of the inmates of this city within the ocean of divine unity, thou wilt view all the Prophets and Messengers of God as one soul and one body, as one light and one spirit, in such wise that the first among them would be last and the last would be first. For they have all arisen to proclaim His Cause and have established the laws of divine wisdom. They are, one and all, the Manifestations of his Self, the Repositories of His might, the Treasuries of His Revelation, the Dawning-Places of His splendour and the Daysprings of His light. Through them are manifested the signs of sanctity in the realities of all things and the tokens of oneness in the essences of all beings. Through them are revealed the elements of glorification in the heavenly realities and the exponents of praise in the eternal essences. From them hath all creation proceeded and unto them shall return all that hath been mentioned. And since in their inmost Beings they are the same Luminaries and the self-same Mysteries, thou shouldst view their outward conditions in the same light, that thou mayest recognize them all as one Being, nay, find them united in their words, speech, and utterance."

Bahá’u’lláh: Gems of Divine Mysteries, paragraph 44, pp. 33-34

Are God's Messengers The Same As God?

We've been exploring quotes from Reality that stress the unimaginable Power and Grace of God. We've also recently looked at some excerpts that claim there have been a number of Manifestations of God Who Each have brought humanity a Word of God.

Today's quote compares these Most Holy Manifestations and God Himself...

"Ten thousand Prophets, each a Moses, are thunderstruck upon the Sinai of their search at His forbidding voice, "Thou shalt never behold Me!"; whilst a myriad Messengers, each as great as Jesus, stand dismayed upon their heavenly thrones by the interdiction, "Mine Essence thou shalt never apprehend!" From time immemorial He hath been veiled in the ineffable sanctity of His exalted Self, and will everlastingly continue to be wrapt in the impenetrable mystery of His unknowable Essence. Every attempt to attain to an understanding of His inaccessible Reality hath ended in complete bewilderment, and every effort to approach His exalted Self and envisage His Essence hath resulted in hopelessness and failure."

Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection
XXVI, pp. 62-63

The Word of God

Yesterday's quote from Reality was about the various Manifestations of God, Each sent at a specific time to carry forward a deeper sense of the very same Truths.

As I said yesterday, some folk will fight tooth-and-nail to discredit this idea and others see it as refreshingly true.

Today's quote is about the Word of God.

If there have been different Manifestations over time, it follows there have been a number of Words of God...

"The Word of God is the king of words and its pervasive influence is incalculable. It hath ever dominated and will continue to dominate the realm of being. The Great Being saith: The Word is the master key for the whole world, inasmuch as through its potency the doors of the hearts of men, which in reality are the doors of heaven, are unlocked."

Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, "Lawh-i-Maqsúd" or "Tablet of
Maqsúd", p. 173

God's Manifestations

The quote I selected from Reality for today could be the most challenging yet; even for those who definitely believe in God.

The key concept of this quote is the "Manifestation". It doesn't specify but other Writings of the Author stipulate that Abraham, Moses, Christ, Krishna, Buddha, and Muhammad, among others, are Manifestations of God.

Some folks balk big-time at this idea and others say, "Well, right on, that sounds extremely correct."

How do you feel about it?

"The door of the knowledge of the Ancient Being hath ever been, and will continue for ever to be, closed in the face of men. No man’s understanding shall ever gain access unto His holy court. As a token of His mercy, however, and as a proof of His loving-kindness, He hath manifested unto men the Day Stars of His divine guidance, the Symbols of His divine unity, and hath ordained the knowledge of these sanctified Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self. Whoso recognizeth them hath recognized God. Whoso hearkeneth to their call, hath hearkened to the Voice of God, and whoso testifieth to the truth of their Revelation, hath testified to the truth of God Himself.. Whoso turneth away from them, hath turned away from God, and whoso disbelieveth in them, hath disbelieved in God. Every one of them is the Way of God that connecteth this world with the realms above, and the Standard of His Truth unto every one in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. They are the Manifestations of God amidst men, the evidences of His Truth, and the signs of His glory."

Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection
XXI, pp. 49-50

God Alone

Today, again, I'm selecting a powerful quote from Reality that, in no uncertain terms, stresses the Glory and Inscrutability of God.

When I was a young man, I was a fairly bothersome know-it-all.

Now that I'm in my sixties and facing the most debilitating health challenges of my life, I'm much more tractable, more willing to let others' lack of knowledge slide, and question myself closely about whether I really do know what I think I know.

I'll attempt to summarize the following eloquent quote in a few words: I am far above a rock in development and complexity. God is so much farther above me than I am above the rock that it's near silly to even try to contemplate by how much...

"The Essence of the Divine Entity and the Unseen of the unseen is holy above imagination and is beyond thought. Consciousness doth not reach It. Within the capacity of comprehension of a produced (or created) reality that Ancient Reality cannot be contained. It is a different world; from it there is no information; arrival thereat is impossible; attainment thereto is prohibited and inaccessible. This much is known: It exists and Its existence is certain and proven— but the condition is unknown. All the philosophers and the doctors know that It is, but they were perplexed in the comprehension of Its existence and were at last discouraged, and in great despair they left this world. For the comprehension of the condition and mysteries of that Reality of realities and Mystery of mysteries there is need for another power and another sense. That power and sense is not possessed by mankind, therefore they have not found any information."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in the compilation Japan Will Turn Ablaze, "Tablet of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Mr. Kanichi Yamamoto", p. 23

GOD

I leave all discussions about whether there is a God to other venues.

This blog is for Believers or, at least, Seekers...

Assuming God Is, God must be All-Powerful, -Seeing, -Knowing, -Understanding, -Etc...

I'm a writer but I can't depict God with words.

I'm one of His creatures but I don't understand Him.

It even gets a little frustrating when I try...

That's one reason I've shifted my focus in this blog to commentary on quotes from the Compilation Reality--I get to speak but I can also share True Eloquence:

"All that the sages and mystics have said or written have never exceeded, nor can they ever hope to exceed, the limitations to which man’s finite mind hath been strictly subjected. To whatever heights the mind of the most exalted of men may soar, however great the depths which the detached and understanding heart can penetrate, such mind and heart can never transcend that which is the creature of their own conceptions and the product of their own thoughts. The meditations of the profoundest thinker, the devotions of the holiest of saints, the highest expressions of praise from either human pen or tongue, are but a reflection of that which hath been created within themselves, through the revelation of the Lord, their God. Whoever pondereth this truth in his heart will readily admit that there are certain limits which no human being can possibly transgress. Every attempt which, from the beginning that hath no beginning, hath been made to visualize and know God is limited by the exigencies of His own creation—a creation which He, through the operation of His own Will and for the purposes of none other but His own Self, hath called into being. Immeasurably exalted is He above the strivings of human mind to grasp His Essence, or of human tongue to describe His mystery. No tie of direct intercourse can ever bind Him to the things He hath created, nor can the most abstruse and most remote allusions of His creatures do justice to His being. Through His world-pervading Will He hath brought into being all created things. He is and hath ever been veiled in the ancient eternity of His own exalted and indivisible Essence, and will everlastingly continue to remain concealed in His inaccessible majesty and glory. All that is in heaven and all that is in the earth have come to exist at His bidding, and by His Will all have stepped out of utter nothingness into the realm of being. How can, therefore, the creature which the Word of God hath fashioned comprehend the nature of Him Who is the Ancient of Days?"

Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection
CXLVIII, pp. 317-318

It's Certainly Worth The Effort !

Two posts ago, I wrote this:

"Then follows a listing of traits that we certainly expect in our Saints but, in each one of us?!? Appears so... Also appears there's a Supreme Reason to ask this of us all: 'In this way, the light of divine guidance will shine forth, and the blessings of God will cradle all mankind....'"

And, if that listing of spiritual traits we all should work to own seemed only for potential Saints, today's quote from Reality specifies how we should go about attaining those traits...

Seems like we should all strive to be "Saints", eh?

"Only when the lamp of search, of earnest striving, of longing desire, of passionate devotion, of fervid love, of rapture, and ecstasy, is kindled within the seeker’s heart, and the breeze of His lovingkindness is wafted upon his soul, will the darkness of error be dispelled, the mists of doubts and misgivings be dissipated, and the lights of knowledge and certitude envelop his being. At that hour will the Mystic Herald, bearing the joyful tidings of the Spirit, shine forth from the City of God resplendent as the morn, and, through the trumpet-blast of knowledge, will awaken the heart, the soul, and the spirit from the slumber of heedlessness. Then will the manifold favors and outpouring grace of the holy and everlasting Spirit confer such new life upon the seeker that he will find himself endowed with a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, and a new mind. He will contemplate the manifest signs of the universe, and will penetrate the hidden mysteries of the soul. Gazing with the eye of God, he will perceive within every atom a door that leadeth him to the stations of absolute certitude. He will discover in all things the mysteries of Divine Revelation, and the evidences of an everlasting Manifestation."

Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection
CXXV, p. 267

Response from one of our Email Reporters to "Time Is So Short"

Alex,
The other day I found these quotes below on OCEAN [ed: a free program of searchable spiritual Writings]. They seem to contradict each other but I know they don't in reality. To me there is an interesting juxtaposition of the points made in these quotes because there are instances where we are not to show kindness but we are told to always show kindness even if people are not nice to us.... What are your thoughts? ~ Sandy

Well, I've often found apparent contradictions in spiritual writings. One solution is to analyze the context and historical period. Another solution is to broaden one's perspective.

How about Christ saying in one place, "I and my Father are one." and in another, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."

So, in the last post I said, "Some souls may say, 'Gee, I thought spiritual people were supposed to talk nice! '"

And, here are Sandy's two apparently contradictory quotes:

"One of the teachings is that love and faithfulness must so prevail in the hearts that men may see the stranger as a friend, the sinner as an intimate fellow, may count enemies as allies, regard foes as loving comrades, call their executioner the giver of life, consider the denier as a believer and the unbeliever as a faithful one -- that is, men must behave in such a manner as may befit the believers, the faithful, the friend and the confidant."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha'i World Faith - ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Section, p. 413

MERCY AND JUSTICE

"The foundation of the Kingdom of God is laid upon justice, fairness, mercy, sympathy and kindness to every soul. Then strive ye with heart and soul to practice love and kindness to the world of humanity at large, except to those souls who are selfish and insincere. It is not advisable to show kindness to a person who is a tyrant, a traitor or a thief because kindness encourages him to become worse and does not awaken him. The more kindness you show to a liar the more he is apt to lie, for he thinks that you know not, while you do know, but extreme kindness keeps you from revealing your knowledge."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha'i World Faith - ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Section, p. 412

Time Is So Short . . .

Today's quote from the compilation Reality is, I feel, beautiful and very true but awesomely challenging.

It begins with "Soon will your swiftly-passing days be over...." and this is the constant challenge during such a short earthly existence...

Then the Writer calls the world a "rubbish-heap". Some souls may say, "Gee, I thought spiritual people were supposed to talk nice! " Well, in other Writings it is explained that the use of the term "world" means "only worldly" or "merely materialistic".

Then follows a listing of traits that we certainly expect in our Saints but, in each one of us?!? Appears so... Also appears there's a Supreme Reason to ask this of us all: "In this way, the light of divine guidance will shine forth, and the blessings of God will cradle all mankind...."

This may be the most challenging quote from Reality yet but it certainly promises a purely heavenly result.

"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. Summon ye, then, the people to God, and invite humanity to follow the example of the Company on high. Be ye loving fathers to the orphan, and a refuge to the helpless, and a treasury for the poor, and a cure for the ailing. Be ye the helpers of every victim of oppression, the patrons of the disadvantaged. Think ye at all times of rendering some service to every member of the human race. Pay ye no heed to aversion and rejection, to disdain, hostility, injustice: act ye in the opposite way. Be ye sincerely kind, not in appearance only. Let each one of God’s loved ones centre his attention on this: to be the Lord’s mercy to man; to be the Lord’s grace. Let him do some good to every person whose path he crosseth, and be of some benefit to him. Let him improve the character of each and all, and reorient the minds of men. In this way, the light of divine guidance will shine forth, and the blessings of God will cradle all mankind: for love is light, no matter in what abode it dwelleth; and hate is darkness, no matter where it may make its nest. O friends of God! That the hidden Mystery may stand revealed, and the secret essence of all things may be disclosed, strive ye to banish that darkness for ever and ever."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
Selection #1, p. 3

Who Can Find The Truth ?

Christ's disciples were mostly people of no social account. In the early days of His Mission, Muhammad was not known for social power or renown. Moses was a murderer...

Yet we all know folk who pride themselves on what they own or who they control or, who feel better in direct proportion to who bows down to them.

Today's quote from Reality addresses this:

"How often the most insignificant of men have acknowledged the
truth, while the most learned have remained wrapt in veils. Thus in
every Dispensation a number of souls enter the fire by reason of
their following in the footsteps of others."

The Báb: Selections from the Writings of the Báb, "Excerpts from
the Persian Bayán", pp. 90-91, citing Váhid IV, Chapter 18

Who are You listening to for the Truth ?

I think The One wrong action that confuses more people about religion, spirituality and God than anything else is to rely exclusively on what other humans think and say (including what the clergy says...).

We may want to talk to others we trust to check-in with their opinions but we must never forget that it is opinion.

Yes, Truth is Truth, no doubt. Yet, humans are humans with our well-known ability to refract the Truth through the lens of our egos into partial truths.

We must face God ourselves to find the Truth then celebrate the muti-faceted expression of it with our fellow humans!

I find the following quote from Reality particularly powerful:

"… they that tread the path of faith, they that thirst for the wine of
certitude, must cleanse themselves of all that is earthly—their ears
from idle talk, their minds from vain imaginings, their hearts from
worldly affections, their eyes from that which perisheth. They
should put their trust in God, and, holding fast unto Him, follow in
His way. Then will they be made worthy of the effulgent glories of
the sun of divine knowledge and understanding, and become the
recipients of a grace that is infinite and unseen, inasmuch as man
can never hope to attain unto the knowledge of the All-Glorious, can
never quaff from the stream of divine knowledge and wisdom, can
never enter the abode of immortality, nor partake of the cup of
divine nearness and favour, unless and until he ceases to regard the
words and deeds of mortal men as a standard for the true
understanding and recognition of God and His Prophets."

Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Íqán, paragraphs 1-2, pp. 3-4

Humans really DO need help running their lives !!!

Very short commentary today since the quote below is a "follow-on" to yesterday's excerpt from Reality. Here we have more about how mere humans have tried and failed to guide humanity...

"We can well perceive how the whole human race is encompassed
with great, with incalculable afflictions. We see it languishing on its
bed of sickness, sore-tried and disillusioned. They that are
intoxicated by self-conceit have interposed themselves between it
and the Divine and infallible Physician. Witness how they have
entangled all men, themselves included, in the mesh of their
devices. They can neither discover the cause of the disease, nor have
they any knowledge of the remedy. They have conceived the straight
to be crooked, and have imagined their friend an enemy."

Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection
CVI, p. 213

"But... Do I have to believe in God?

Onward we trudge through select quotes from the compilation, Reality.

~~~

Happens mostly when we're young--doin' whatevah we damn well wanna do...

I'm into my sixth decade and glad for all the experience but sobered by all I must now do because back then I didn't...

"Yeah, but isn't God an illusory concept we can live without--haven't philosophers given us a Human code of ethics?

Nope.

If you look carefully enough, you'll see that all the merely human theories have failed miserably and led humanity to the brink of hopeless loss.

My parents were both ministers and I still went "astray"...

Because of certain "Godless" activities I engaged in in my 20s, I'm now taking a very debilitating treatment for Hepatitis C--no fun but reminding me clearly that I should have paid better "attention"...

"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 everyone may become aware of the trust of
God which is latent in the reality of every soul."

Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, "Lawh-i-Maqsúd" or "Tablet of
Maqsúd", p. 161