Selections from the writings of ‘Abdu'l-BaháʻAbdu'l-Bahá
Religion
Selections from the writings of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá
Bahai Faith
As to the Holy Manifestations of God, They are the focal points where the
signs, tokens and perfections of that sacred, pre-existent Reality appear
in all their splendour. They are an eternal grace, a heavenly glory, and
on Them dependeth the everlasting life of humankind. To illustrate: the
Sun of Truth dwelleth in a sky to which no soul hath any access, and which
no mind can reach, and He is far beyond the comprehension of all
creatures. Yet the Holy Manifestations of God are even as a looking-glass,
burnished and without stain, which gathereth streams of light out of that
Sun, and then scattereth the glory over the rest of creation. In that
polished surface, the Sun with all Its majesty standeth clearly revealed.
Thus, should the mirrored Sun proclaim, ‘I am the Sun!’ this is but truth;
and should It cry, ‘I am not the Sun!’ this is the truth as well. And
although the Day-Star, with all Its glory, Its beauty, Its perfections, be
clearly visible in that mirror without stain, still It hath not come down
from Its own lofty station in the realms above, It hath not made Its way
into the mirror; rather doth It continue to abide, as It will forever, in
the supernal heights of Its own holiness.
And further, all the earth’s creatures require the bounty of the sun, for
their very existence is dependent upon solar light and heat. Should they
be deprived of the sun, they would be wiped out. This is the being with
God, as referred to in the Holy Books: man must be with his Lord.
It is clear, then, that the essential reality of God is revealed in His
perfections; and the sun, with its perfections, reflected in a mirror, is
a visible thing, an entity clearly expressing the bounty of God.
My hope is that thou wilt acquire a perceptive eye, a hearing ear, and
that the veils will be removed from thy sight.
22: O THOU WHO ART TURNING THY FACE TOWARDS GOD! ...
O thou who art turning thy face towards God! Close thine eyes to all
things else, and open them to the realm of the All-Glorious. Ask
whatsoever thou wishest of Him alone; seek whatsoever thou seekest from
Him alone. With a look He granteth a hundred thousand hopes, with a glance
He healeth a hundred thousand incurable ills, with a nod He layeth balm on
every wound, with a glimpse He freeth the hearts from the shackles of
grief. He doeth as He doeth, and what recourse have we? He carrieth out
His Will, He ordaineth what He pleaseth. Then better for thee to bow down
thy head in submission, and put thy trust in the All-Merciful Lord.
23: O THOU WHO DOST SEARCH AFTER TRUTH! THY LETTER OF ...
O thou who dost search after truth! Thy letter of 13 December 1920 hath
come.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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