No Greater Bliss

Today's quote from Reality is beautifully clear and complete to me.

So...

No comment...

"Is any larger bounty conceivable than this, that an individual, looking within himself, should find that by the confirming grace of God he has become the cause of peace and well-being, of happiness and advantage to his fellow men? No, by the one true God, there is no greater bliss, no more complete delight."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: The Secret of Divine Civilization, pp. 2-3

Spiritual Road Map

I just love the way this excerpt from Reality begins with rather specific methods and actions for our Spiritual Journey; then, it begins to fly; and then, soars in Realms Beyond...

"Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer of the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility."

Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection CXXX, p. 285

True Unity

There's way too much dissension, discord, confrontation, division, and dissonance in our poor ol' world...

Where will it lead?

I firmly believe that God is in charge and all this suffering will purge humanity's selfishness so we all can experience the Spiritual State extolled in today's excerpt from Reality:

"O CHILDREN OF MEN!

"Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest. Such is My counsel to you, O concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous glory."

Bahá’u’lláh: The Hidden Words, Arabic #68

Perfections are without Limit

Get ready to Soar!

Today's quote from Reality continues a focus on prayer but takes its effects to the Next World and Back Again!!

"As we have power to pray for these souls here, so likewise we shall possess the same power in the other world, which is the Kingdom of God. Are not all the people in that world the creatures of God? Therefore, in that world also they can make progress. As here they can receive light by their supplications, there also they can plead for forgiveness and receive light through entreaties and supplications. Thus as souls in this world, through the help of the supplications, the entreaties and the prayers of the holy ones, can acquire development, so is it the same after death. Through their own prayers and supplications they can also progress, more especially when they are the object of the intercession of the Holy Manifestations."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 62: "Perfections are without Limit", p. 232

A Proper Attitude

There is a Very Special Person I've been quoting quite a bit in this blog: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

He was the son of the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá'í Faith.

He visited Europe and the USA in the early 1900s; but, that was after 40 years of imprisonment in the Middle East.

He was imprisoned for his Spiritual Beliefs...

Today's excerpt from Reality is a prayer He wrote:

"Whoso reciteth this prayer with lowliness and fervour will bring gladness and joy to the heart of this Servant; it will be even as meeting Him face to face.

"He is the All-Glorious!

"O God, my God! Lowly and tearful, I raise my suppliant hands to Thee and cover my face in the dust of that Threshold of Thine, exalted above the knowledge of the learned, and the praise of all that glorify Thee. Graciously look upon Thy servant, humble and lowly at Thy door, with the glances of the eye of Thy mercy, and
immerse him in the Ocean of Thine eternal grace.

"Lord! He is a poor and lowly servant of Thine, enthralled and imploring Thee, captive in Thy hand, praying fervently to Thee, trusting in Thee, in tears before Thy face, calling to Thee and beseeching Thee, saying:

"O Lord, my God! Give me Thy grace to serve Thy loved ones, strengthen me in my servitude to Thee, illumine my brow with the light of adoration in Thy court of holiness, and of prayer to Thy Kingdom of grandeur. Help me to be selfless at the heavenly entrance of Thy gate, and aid me to be detached from all things within Thy holy precincts. Lord! Give me to drink from the chalice of selflessness; with its robe clothe me, and in its ocean immerse me. Make me as dust in the pathway of Thy loved ones, and grant that I may offer up my soul for the earth ennobled by the footsteps of Thy chosen ones in Thy path, O Lord of Glory in the Highest.

"With this prayer doth Thy servant call Thee, at dawntide and in the night-season. Fulfil his heart's desire, O Lord! Illumine his heart, gladden his bosom, kindle his light, that he may serve Thy Cause and Thy servants.

"Thou art the Bestower, the Pitiful, the Most Bountiful, the Gracious, the Merciful, the Compassionate."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, pp. 319-320

Staying Far From God

In my life's struggles to understand God's Will and Purpose [ 61 years worth of effort ], I've repeatedly come up against my own false opinions, arrogant attitudes, and selfish blindness.

We really can't fight God--it's impossible!

What we do is construct complex barriers to keep Him away.

The True Wonder is that He Remains So Close To Us...

Here's the quote from Reality:

"Arise, O people, and, by the power of God’s might, resolve to gain the victory over your own selves, that haply the whole earth may be freed and sanctified from its servitude to the gods of its idle fancies—gods that have inflicted such loss upon, and are responsible for the misery of their wretched worshippers. These idols form the obstacle that impedeth man in his efforts to advance in the path of perfection."

Bahá’u’lláh: Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, "Lawh-i-Dunyá" or "Tablet of the World", p. 86

What's the Use of Praying ?

Today's selection from Reality is another one that compels me to keep my commentary brief.

Seems to be extremely clear advice...

"As to thy question, 'Why pray? What is the wisdom thereof, for God has established everything and executes all affairs after the best order and He ordains everything according to a becoming measure and puts things in their places with the greatest of perfection— therefore what is the wisdom in beseeching and supplicating and in stating one’s wants and seeking help?'

"Know thou, verily, it is becoming in a weak one to supplicate to the Strong One, and it behooveth a seeker of bounty to beseech the Glorious Bountiful One. When one supplicates to his Lord, turns to Him and seeks bounty from His Ocean, this supplication brings light to his heart, illumination to his sight, life to his soul and exaltation to his being.

"During thy supplications to God and thy reciting, 'Thy Name is my healing,' consider how thine heart is cheered, thy soul delighted by the spirit of the love of God, and thy mind attracted to the Kingdom of God! By these attractions one’s ability and capacity increase. When the vessel is enlarged the water increases, and when the thirst grows the bounty of the cloud becomes agreeable to the taste of man. This is the mystery of supplication and the wisdom of stating one’s wants."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, quoted in Esslemont: Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, p. 93

We Are Eternal Souls !

Most of you have undoubtedly heard the saying, "We are souls with a physical body, not physical bodies with a soul."

I feel today's quote from Reality could be chanted as spiritual therapy when we're having trouble accessing our Higher Selves...

"Thou comest from the world of holiness—bind not thine heart to the earth; thou art a dweller in the court of nearness—choose not the homeland of the dust."

Bahá’u’lláh: The Seven Valleys and The Four Valleys, "Valley of Contentment", p. 35

Renewal of Religion

It's quite understandable to me how a person could look at the current religions and decide they want none of the organized brands of spirituality.

Thing is, as long as someone is judging the religions by the member's actions, they'll only see the differences and lack of unity.

Today's excerpt from Reality gives us a means to reconcile the differences by looking to the Essence...

"In the beginning the tree was in all its beauty, and full of blossoms and fruits, but at last it became old and entirely fruitless, and it withered and decayed. This is why the True Gardener plants again an incomparable young tree of the same kind and species, which grows and develops day by day, and spreads a wide shadow in the divine garden, and yields admirable fruit. So it is with religions; through the passing of time they change from their original foundation, the truth of the Religion of God entirely departs, and the spirit of it does not stay; heresies appear, and it becomes a body without a soul. That is why it is renewed."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 43: "The Two Classes of Prophets", p. 166