apex of nobility

“It behoveth man to adhere tenaciously unto that which will promote fellowship, kindliness and unity.”  (Tablets of Baha’u’llah, p. 90)

What would otherwise be there any meaning and truth in professing to believe in God，and where would a perceptive mind and fair conscience and vision find a merit and view a benefit of adhering to any practices in the name of Faith?

“The purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, in revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within the mine of their true and inmost selves. That the divers communions of the earth, and the manifold systems of religious belief, should never be allowed to foster the feelings of animosity among men, is, in this Day, of the essence of the Faith of God and His Religion. These principles and laws, these firmly-established and mighty systems, have proceeded from one Source, and are the rays of one Light. That they differ one from another is to be attributed to the varying requirements of the ages in which they were promulgated.”

(Gleanings from the Writings Baha’u’llah, p. 287)

The revealed Words and the holy Text is the “Divine Elixir” which alone can transmute the crude metal of human nature into pure gold, and will with its nurturing power transform and unfold the potential latent in his and her being to manifest a capacity and perfection worthy of human nobility and the brilliant heights destined for its advancement.

"When divers shades of thought, temperament and character, are brought together under the power and influence of one central agency, the beauty and glory of human perfection will be revealed and made manifest. Naught but the celestial potency of the Word of God, which ruleth and transcendeth the realities of all things, is capable of harmonizing the divergent thoughts, sentiments, ideas and convictions of the children of men."

(Shoghi Effendi, “The World Order of Baha’u’llah”, p. 42)

“O Son of Spirit! Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself. Rise then unto that for which thou wast created.” (Revealed by Baha’u’llah, “Hidden Words”

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Counting our blessings,

We will see as bright as the morning sun that the Blessings and bountiful favors are truly immense.

Instead of habitually and conventionally seeing the things that are lacking, things which we do not have, advantages which are missing for us, we should see how much we already possess, count things that are favored to us, and to count and treasure them with heart and soul.

“The earth is in the motion and growth; the mountains, hills and prairies are green and pleasant; the bounty is overflowing; the mercy universal; the rain is descending from the cloud of mercy; the brilliant Sun is shining; the full moon is ornamenting the horizon of ether; the great ocean-tide is flooding every little stream; the gifts are successive; the favors consecutive; and the refreshing breeze is blowing, wafting the fragrant perfume of the blossoms. Boundless treasure is in the hand of the King of Kings! Lift the hem of thy garment in order to receive it.”

 (`Abdu’l-Baha; “Baha’i World Faith

”, p. 351)

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Understanding and Independence of Soul; Nobility and Distinction of Humanity

Wouldn’t any intelligent mind, a free soul invested with clear, sound and healthy perception, one who enjoys fairness in heart and treasures his and her sight by focusing it on bright and lofty visions, welcome new discoveries and learning, going beyond age-old habits and traditions beclouded with diverse prejudices, inherited bias and hatreds?!  Let’s think a moment and then ask ourselves, why in this time and period which we in the name of freedom sink ourselves so liberally and often in extremes into the floods and flows of commodities and merchandise of every sort—physical, mental and emotional alike—generously unaware and easily uncaring we allow them to dominate and govern our thoughts and sentiments, our time and resources? Domination and influence which often is labeled as ‘motivating the freedom of choice’, but as we may helplessly realize too from time to time, it is in actuality and practice the manipulation and even abuse of all what we possess, our power of differentiation and deducting ability and choice included. Why then, I earnestly wonder and genuinely suggest, not giving ourselves a chance to hear and read these thoughts, receiving the information and learning, exploring and investigating for ourselves whether indeed they bear the truth?  Isn’t the highest advantage of humanity, indeed the very singular reason which distinguishes mankind from the other creatures—however cherished, lovely and charming though they each in relevant degrees and rightful measures may be and are—that the human beings are gifted by intelligence and granted with the power of understanding, vision and sight?  What harm would there be to expose our  searching selves entangled as they are in the whirlpool of this troubled, confused and at times lamentably frightening and morally degenerated society, towards a horizon which breaths light and rains down refreshing insights? Such a blissful break that would be for our silently yearning and innately noble souls, born for and living only to grow and attain the summit of perfection and glory!

“O SON OF SPIRIT!  I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty?  Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself?  Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another?  Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.” (Revealed by Baha’u’llah, “Hidden Words”, Arabic #13)

To a vigilantly perceptive and fairly observing mind of the present society, this should not be hard to be heard in agreement that, “Human character is debased, confidence is shaken, the nerves of discipline are relaxed, the voice of human conscience is stilled, the sense of decency and shame is obscured, conceptions of duty, of solidarity, of reciprocity and loyalty are distorted, and the very feeling of peacefulness, of joy and of hope is gradually extinguished…” (Shoghi Effendi, “WOB”, p. 187)

“The wrong in the world continues to exist just because people talk only of their ideals, and do not strive to put them into practice. If actions took the place of words, the world’s misery would very soon be changed into comfort.” (Talk by `Abdu’l-Baha, “Paris Talks”, pp. 16-17)

“God has given man the eye of investigation by which he may see and recognize truth. He has endowed man with ears that he may hear the message of reality and conferred upon him the gift of reason by which he may discover things for himself. This is his endowment and equipment for the investigation of reality. Man is not intended to see through the eyes of another, hear through another’s ears nor comprehend with another’s brain. Each human creature has individual endowment, power and responsibility in the creative plan of God.” (`Abdu’l-Baha, “Promulgation of Universal Peace”, p. 293)

“Man's distinction lieth not in ornaments or wealth, but rather in virtuous behaviour and true understanding.” (From “Tablets of Baha’u’llah”, p.  57)

“O Thou kind Lord! We are servants of Thy Threshold, taking shelter at Thy holy Door. We seek no refuge save only this strong pillar, turn nowhere for a haven but unto Thy safekeeping. Protect us, bless us, support us, make us such that we shall love but Thy good pleasure, utter only Thy praise, follow only the pathway of truth.”

(From a Prayer by `Abdu’l-Baha, “Selections from theWritings of `Abdu’l-Baha”, p. 232)

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“Love ye all religions and all races with a love that is true and sincere and show that love through deeds and not through tongue; for the latter hath no importance, as the majority of men are, in speech, well-wishers, while action is the best.”

(Revealed by `Abdu’l-Baha, “Selections from the Writings of `Abdu’l-Baha”, p. 69)

War is darkness.  It is immensely destructive, terribly inhuman, unimaginably negative and unfortunate.  In whatever measure the darkness may vanish and disappear, to that extent the light and felicity would take its place.  Of course, there is another way of looking at it as well:  once a light is kindled, however dimly and just a seemingly frail, perturbed and weak flame dancing over a wick, the darkness fears away instantly and diminishes.  The greater the flame and its light, the lighter would be the density of the darkness.  Because, "darkness has no existence; it is only the absence of light". Soon as the light comes to light and is presented, the non-existence disappears and withers away.  On this evident logic and lucid thought, however we may have doubts, ever-disappointed and long on disbelief that "peace"—the real one that is and not the quiet submission and break in conflicts and dissention—could and shall indeed one day be materialized, through the logic, intelligence, and the powers of heart and spirit, we should be able to acquire fair and firm conviction that attentive and conscious efforts and universal focus on the theme, done genuinely, resolutely, and with good-will could indeed contribute greatly to the forces of light, dissipating the darkness, pushing the humanity closer and nearer to the state of "no war".  A stage which while surely is a significant peak on its own and endeavoring to attain it is highly meritorious, is of course not enough.  Once there and standing unburdened and free in celebration and glory, as we turn our visions to the refreshing magnificent sights all around, overwhelmed by awe and enraptured in thrill we shall witness the loftier peaks rising majestically in front of our eyes, chained one after and higher than the other, heralding and leading to the apex of the splendid glory, the culmination of long-awaited promise made by all the Religions of God, having invited and moving the humanity in progressive stages towards its worthy destination and perfection—the realization of the Most Great Peace.

“Blessed is he who mingleth with all people in a spirit of utmost kindliness and love.”

(“Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah”, p. 334)

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Bringing about the beauty of perfection in this contingent world

“Consider, moreover, how the fruit, ere it is formed, lieth potentially within the tree.  Were the tree to be cut into pieces, no sign nor any part of the fruit, however small, could be detected.  When it appeareth, however, it manifesteth itself, as thou hast observed, in its wondrous beauty and glorious perfection.” (“Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah”, p. 155)

The image of God, the essence of His light, placed in the inner reality of each of our beings and gifted by the hands of His power, mercifully, bountifully, is a Truth which while emphatically testifies to the nobility of the human beings—so highly and uniquely distinguished above all other existent beings in the universe by God Himself—it in no ways implies or should ever be misunderstood as such that the Creator’s peerless Essence and absolutely exalted station beyond the understanding and knowledge of every human being is even remotely co-possessed and shared by mortally finite and feebly imperfect humans.  God’s could be likened to the existence and station of the brilliant sun in the firmament of the physical world, that rising from the horizon and enlightening the planet earth, sustains it and its every existent with its light and warmth.  Ours, the humans’, are like the rays of the sun—while emanated from sun and each being  potentially created to carry in relative measures its light and heat and shine brightly—in relation to the sun, ray’s existence is like that of a drifting shadow.  And to the extent the ray is faithful to its potential and free from the veils and clouds, to that extent it can shine out its innate gift and image of the sun, brightening also the day of the other creatures and beings.  Happy and blissful ought to be those rays that recognize their realities and shine truly like one!

“O SON OF BEING! Thou art My lamp and My light is in thee. Get thou from it thy radiance and seek none other than Me.  For I have created thee rich and have bountifully shed My favor upon thee.”

(Revealed by Baha’u’llah, “Arabic Hidden Words”, # 11)

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Thinking and exercise of our free will, using our outer eyes and sight—which observe and register the material world and the outward reflections of realities, and through our power of vision and insight—that if developed and when utilized, inner realities and truths of the realm of universe and its every existent, including the hidden potential and latent gems within our own beings, could be discovered and perceived, we free ourselves from the captivity of ignorance, clean and unburden our wings from the soil and heavy weight of idleness and prejudices, lawlessness and futility, hate and envy; and thus polishing them with the burnish of true understanding, knowledge and learning, we spread them wide and high to soar forward and upward to the apex of progress and glory fit for and worthy of the nobility of the human creation.   

“Ye are even as the bird which soareth, with the full force of its mighty wings and with complete and joyous confidence, through the immensity of the heavens, until, impelled to satisfy its hunger, it turneth longingly to the water and clay of the earth below it, and, having been entrapped in the mesh of its desire, findeth itself impotent to resume its flight to the realms whence it came.  Powerless to shake off the burden weighing on its sullied wings, that bird, hitherto an inmate of the heavens, is now forced to seek a dwelling-place upon the dust. Wherefore, O My servants, defile not your wings with the clay of waywardness and vain desires, and suffer them not to be stained with the dust of envy and hate, that ye may not be hindered from soaring in the heavens of My divine knowledge.” (“Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah”, p. 327)

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