God’s Purpose Unfolding in Time

Once again, I feel inadequate to the task of commentary...

At least there's a variety of quotes from Reality so their meanings can be compared.

I'll rely on something that was given commentary by me in a past post: it doesn't take high brain intelligence to understand Scripture; just a relatively Pure Heart...

"In every age and century, the purpose of the Prophets of God and their chosen ones hath been no other but to affirm the spiritual significance of the terms 'life, 'resurrection,' and 'judgment.'"

Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Íqán, paragraph 128, p. 110

"....in every age the light of God hath, to outward seeming, been quenched by the peoples of the earth, and the Lamps of God extinguished by them."

Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Íqán, paragraph 136, p. 117

"In every age and cycle He hath, through the splendorous light shed by the Manifestations of His wondrous Essence, recreated all things, so that whatsoever reflecteth in the heavens and on the earth the signs of His glory may not be deprived of the outpourings of His mercy, nor despair of the showers of His favors. How allencompassing are the wonders of His boundless grace! Behold how they have pervaded the whole of creation."

Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection XXVI, p. 62

"....He ["God"] hath ordained that in every age and dispensation a pure and stainless Soul be made manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven."

Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection XXVII, p. 66

Child Abuse

Blog Catalog is promoting a Bloggers Unite Against Abuse day, today !

So, I began searching for an appropriate quote in Reality...

Didn't find one seemingly appropriate enough.

But, the Scriptural Writings that Reality comes from are like an Ocean.

Here's the quote I chose, to unite with other bloggers against abuse:

"Let the mothers consider that whatever concerneth the education of children is of the first importance. Let them put forth every effort in this regard, for when the bough is green and tender it will grow in whatever way ye train it. Therefore is it incumbent upon the mothers to rear their little ones even as a gardener tendeth his young plants. Let them strive by day and by night to establish within their children faith and certitude, the fear of God, the love of the Beloved of the worlds, and all good qualities and traits. Whensoever a mother seeth that her child hath done well, let her praise and applaud him and cheer his heart; and if the slightest undesirable trait should manifest itself, let her counsel the child and punish him, and use means based on reason, even a slight verbal chastisement should this be necessary. It is not, however, permissible to strike a child, or vilify him, for the child's character will be totally perverted if he be subjected to blows or verbal abuse."

Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 125

Seven Candles of Unity

Most folk, if they thought about it, would claim that we need Peace in the World before we can have Unity.

Well, here's another example that people need guidance from beyond their ego consciousness to find Truth.

Turns out we need Unity before Peace can flourish.

Think about it...

Today's quote from Reality explores seven "candles" of unity that humanity is striving to light.

"In cycles gone by, though harmony was established, yet, owing to the absence of means, the unity of all mankind could not have been achieved. Continents remained widely divided, nay even among the peoples of one and the same continent association and interchange of thought were well nigh impossible. Consequently intercourse, understanding and unity amongst all the peoples and kindreds of the earth were unattainable. In this day, however, means of communication have multiplied, and the five continents of the earth have virtually merged into one. And for everyone it is now easy to travel to any land, to associate and exchange views with its peoples, and to become familiar, through publications, with the conditions, the religious beliefs and the thoughts of all men. In like manner all the members of the human family, whether peoples or governments, cities or villages, have become increasingly interdependent. For none is self-sufficiency any longer possible, inasmuch as political ties unite all peoples and nations, and the bonds of trade and
industry, of agriculture and education, are being strengthened every day. Hence the unity of all mankind can in this day be achieved.

"Verily this is none other but one of the wonders of this wondrous age, this glorious century. Of this past ages have been deprived, for this century — the century of light — hath been endowed with unique and unprecedented glory, power and illumination. Hence the miraculous unfolding of a fresh marvel every day. Eventually it will be seen how bright its candles will burn in the assemblage of man.

"Behold how its light is now dawning upon the world’s darkened horizon. The first candle is unity in the political realm, the early glimmerings of which can now be discerned. The second candle is unity of thought in world undertakings, the consummation of which will erelong be witnessed. The third candle is unity in freedom which will surely come to pass. The fourth candle is unity in religion which is the corner-stone of the foundation itself, and which, by the power of God, will be revealed in all its splendour. The fifth candle is the unity of nations—a unity which in this century will be securely established, causing all the peoples of the world to regard themselves as citizens of one common fatherland. The sixth candle is unity of races, making of all that dwell on earth peoples and kindreds of one race. The seventh candle is unity of language, i.e., the choice of a universal tongue in which all peoples will be instructed and converse. Each and every one of these will inevitably come to pass, inasmuch as the power of the Kingdom of God will aid and assist in their realization."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selection #15, pp. 31-32

Order in the World

Hardly any commentary on today's excerpt from Reality...

To me, it's just completely perfect...

"O ye the elected representatives of the people in every land! Take ye counsel together, and let your concern be only for that which profiteth mankind and bettereth the condition thereof, if ye be of them that scan heedfully. Regard the world as the human body which, though at its creation whole and perfect, hath been afflicted, through various causes, with grave disorders and maladies. Not for one day did it gain ease, nay its sickness waxed more severe, as it fell under the treatment of ignorant physicians, who gave full rein to their personal desires and have erred grievously. And if, at one time, through the care of an able physician, a member of that body was healed, the rest remained afflicted as before. Thus informeth you the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

"We behold it, in this day, at the mercy of rulers so drunk with pride that they cannot discern clearly their own best advantage, much less recognize a Revelation so bewildering and challenging as this. And whenever any one of them hath striven to improve its condition, his motive hath been his own gain, whether confessedly so or not; and the unworthiness of this motive hath limited his power to heal or cure.

"That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an allpowerful and inspired Physician. This, verily, is the truth, and all else naught but error."

Bahá’u’lláh addressing Queen Victoria: Summons of the Lord of Hosts, "Súriy-i-Haykal" or "Súrih of the Temple", paragraphs 174- 176, pp. 90-91

True Paradise

It's been said that Heaven and Hell are not places we might inhabit when we die but "states of being" we live through here on Earth.

Consider this excerpt from Reality:

"....there is no greater torture than being veiled from God, and no more severe punishment than sensual vices, dark qualities, lowness of nature, engrossment in carnal desires. When they are delivered through the light of faith from the darkness of these vices, and become illuminated with the radiance of the sun of reality, and ennobled with all the virtues, they esteem this the greatest reward, and they know it to be the true paradise."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 60: "The Immortality of the Spirit", p. 224

I have to do WHAT ?!?

It seems the hardest thing for Seekers to do is Submit to God's Will.

In fact, so many people say with apparent pride, "I'm spiritual but not religious."

Modern "spirituality" has a lot of room for personal willfulness and merely "human" desires...

If we conceived of God as our Creator, you'd think that obedience would be rather swift and happy.

Thing is, He gave us the ability to choose...

Most of us choose our own small, selfish worlds instead of God's Worlds.

So, today's quote from Reality could be rather hard to swallow:

"O thou who hast surrendered thy will to God! By self-surrender and perpetual union with God is meant that men should merge their will wholly in the Will of God, and regard their desires as utter nothingness beside His Purpose. Whatsoever the Creator commandeth His creatures to observe, the same must they diligently, and with the utmost joy and eagerness, arise and fulfil. They should in no wise allow their fancy to obscure their judgment, neither should they regard their own imaginings as the voice of the Eternal."

Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection CLX, p. 337

A Clear Message

One of the lessons I've learned about Spirituality by pondering the Writings represented in the compilation Reality is that understanding the Scriptures doesn't depend on high marks in intellectual subjects.

People who have a relatively pure heart are in the "position" to understand the Words of the Prophets and Messengers of God.

Today's quote from Reality is an example and also a "definition" of the Pure Heart we all need...

"O YE PEOPLE THAT HAVE MINDS TO KNOW AND EARS TO HEAR!

"The first call of the Beloved is this: O mystic nightingale! Abide not but in the rose-garden of the spirit. O messenger of the Solomon of love! Seek thou no shelter except in the Sheba of the well-beloved, and O immortal phoenix! dwell not save on the mount of faithfulness. Therein is thy habitation, if on the wings of thy soul thou soarest to the realm of the infinite and seekest to attain thy goal."

Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words, Persian #1

The Cause of God

In many activities of life [especially in the realm of Spirit] it can be extremely helpful to compare a number of versions, views, or visions of what you're studying.

Today's quotes from Reality explore a number of facets of the Cause of God--what God intends and what He does to help us understand...

"…it hath been made indubitably clear that in the kingdoms of earth and heaven there must needs be manifested a Being, an Essence Who shall act as a Manifestation and Vehicle for the transmission of the grace of the Divinity Itself, the Sovereign Lord of all. Through the Teachings of this Day Star 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."

Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection XXVII, pp. 67-68

"O SON OF BEING! With the hands of power I made thee and with the fingers of strength I created thee; and within thee have I placed the essence of My light. Be thou content with it and seek naught else, for My work is perfect and My command is binding. Question it not, nor have a doubt thereof."

Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words, Arabic #12

"O SON OF MAN! Thou art My dominion and My dominion perisheth not, wherefore fearest thou thy perishing? Thou art My light and My light shall never be extinguished, why dost thou dread extinction? Thou art My glory and My glory fadeth not; thou art My robe and My robe shall never be outworn. Abide then in thy love for Me, that thou mayest find Me in the realm of glory."

Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words, Arabic #14

"O SON OF MAN! Upon the tree of effulgent glory I have hung for thee the choicest fruits, wherefore hast thou turned away and contented thyself with that which is less good? Return then unto that which is better for thee in the realm on high."

Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words, Arabic #21

"O SON OF WORLDLINESS! Pleasant is the realm of being, wert thou to attain thereto; glorious is the domain of eternity, shouldst thou pass beyond the world of mortality; sweet is the holy ecstasy if thou drinkest of the mystic chalice from the hands of the celestial Youth. Shouldst thou attain this station, thou wouldst be freed from destruction and death, from toil and sin."

Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words, Persian #70

What, Really, is Eternal Life ?

Here's my opinion about today's excerpt from Reality:

Every spirituality based on Truth shows us that the Real Life is the spiritual existence that enfolds "this life".

Some would say it follows "this life" and they'd be right.

The Whole Truth is, we're eternal souls Right Now and "this life" has that Life embracing it...

Most "spiritual practice" is to clear our sight so we can "enter the Kingdom" now...

"You question about eternal life and the entrance into the Kingdom. The outer expression used for the Kingdom is heaven; but this is a comparison and similitude, not a reality or fact, for the Kingdom is not a material place; it is sanctified from time and place. It is a spiritual world, a divine world, and the center of the Sovereignty of God; it is freed from body and that which is corporeal, and it is purified and sanctified from the imaginations of the human world. To be limited to place is a property of bodies and not of spirits. Place and time surround the body, not the mind and spirit. Observe that the body of man is confined to a small place; it covers only two spans of earth. But the spirit and mind of man travel to all countries and regions -- even through the limitless space of the heavens -- surround all that exists, and make discoveries in the exalted spheres and infinite distances. This is because the spirit has no place; it is placeless; and for the spirit the earth and the heaven are as one since it makes discoveries in both. But the body is limited to a place and does not know that which is beyond it. For life is of two kinds: that of the body and that of the spirit. The life of the body is material life, but the life of the spirit expresses the existence of the Kingdom, which consists in receiving the Spirit of God and becoming vivified by the breath of the Holy Spirit. Although the material life has existence, it is pure nonexistence and absolute death for the holy saints. So man exists, and this stone also exists, but what a difference between the existence of man and that of the stone! Though the stone exists, in relation to the existence of man it is nonexistent.

"The meaning of eternal life is the gift of the Holy Spirit, as the flower receives the gift of the season, the air, and the breezes of spring. Consider: this flower had life in the beginning like the life of the mineral; but by the coming of the season of spring, of the bounty of the clouds of the springtime, and of the heat of the glowing sun, it attained to another life of the utmost freshness, delicacy and fragrance. The first life of the flower, in comparison to the second life, is death.

"The meaning is that the life of the Kingdom is the life of the spirit, the eternal life, and that it is purified from place, like the spirit of man which has no place. For if you examine the human body, you will not find a special spot or locality for the spirit, for it has never had a place; it is immaterial. It has a connection with the body like that of the sun with this mirror. The sun is not within the mirror, but it has a connection with the mirror.

"In the same way the world of the Kingdom is sanctified from everything that can be perceived by the eye or by the other senses -- hearing, smell, taste or touch. The mind which is in man, the existence of which is recognized -- where is it in him? If you examine the body with the eye, the ear or the other senses, you will not find it; nevertheless, it exists. Therefore, the mind has no place, but it is connected with the brain. The Kingdom is also like this. In the same way love has no place, but it is connected with the heart; so the Kingdom has no place, but is connected with man.

"Entrance into the Kingdom is through the love of God, through detachment, through holiness and chastity, through truthfulness, purity, steadfastness, faithfulness and the sacrifice of life.

"These explanations show that man is immortal and lives eternally. For those who believe in God, who have love of God, and faith, life is excellent -- that is, it is eternal; but to those souls who are veiled from God, although they have life, it is dark, and in comparison with the life of believers it is nonexistence.

"For example, the eye and the nail are living; but the life of the nail in relation to the life of the eye is nonexistent. This stone and this man both exist; but the stone in relation to the existence of man is nonexistent; it has no being; for when man dies, and his body is destroyed and annihilated, it becomes like stone and earth.

"Therefore, it is clear that although the mineral exists, in relation to man it is nonexistent.

"In the same way, the souls who are veiled from God, although they exist in this world and in the world after death, are, in comparison with the holy existence of the children of the Kingdom of God, nonexisting and separated from God."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 67: "Eternal Life and Entrance into the Kingdom of God", pp. 241-243