Bahai Faith; Peace -- Religious aspects -- Bahai Faith
I am very happy to greet you here today. This is the second time the
breeze of God has wafted over Boston. I am expecting results from this
visit and hope that my coming may not be fruitless. The results I expect
are these: that the individual soul shall be released from self and desire
and freed from the bondage of satanic suggestions. May the mirrors of
hearts be cleansed from dust in order that the Sun of Truth may be
reflected therein.
Man possesses two kinds of susceptibilities: the natural emotions, which
are like dust upon the mirror, and spiritual susceptibilities, which are
merciful and heavenly characteristics.
There is a power which purifies the mirror from dust and transforms its
reflection into intense brilliancy and radiance so that spiritual
susceptibilities may chasten the hearts and heavenly bestowals sanctify
them. What is the dust which obscures the mirror? It is attachment to the
world, avarice, envy, love of luxury and comfort, haughtiness and
self-desire; this is the dust which prevents reflection of the rays of the
Sun of Reality in the mirror. The natural emotions are blameworthy and are
like rust which deprives the heart of the bounties of God. But sincerity,
justice, humility, severance, and love for the believers of God will
purify the mirror and make it radiant with reflected rays from the Sun of
Truth.
It is my hope that you may consider this matter, that you may search out
your own imperfections and not think of the imperfections of anybody else.
Strive with all your power to be free from imperfections. Heedless souls
are always seeking faults in others. What can the hypocrite know of
others’ faults when he is blind to his own? This is the meaning of the
words in the Seven Valleys. It is a guide for human conduct. As long as a
man does not find his own faults, he can never become perfect. Nothing is
more fruitful for man than the knowledge of his own shortcomings. The
Blessed Perfection says, “I wonder at the man who does not find his own
imperfections.”
TALKS ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ DELIVERED IN DUBLIN
5 August 1912
Talk at Dublin Inn
Dublin, New Hampshire
Notes by Howard MacNutt
The people of Christianity have clung to literal interpretation of the
statement in the Gospel that Christ came from heaven. The Jews, likewise,
at the time of His manifestation held to outward and visible expectation
of the fulfillment of the prophecies. They said, “The Messiah shall appear
from heaven. This man came from Nazareth; we know his house; we know his
parents and people. It is only hearsay that he descended from heaven; this
cannot be proved.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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