1. By the righteousness of God! Idle fancies have debarred men
from the Horizon of Certitude, and vain imaginings withheld
them from the Choice Sealed Wine. In truth I say, and for
the sake of God I declare: This Servant, this Wronged One,
is abashed to claim for Himself any existence whatever, how
much more those exalted grades of being! Every man of
discernment, while walking upon the earth, feeleth indeed
abashed, inasmuch as he is fully aware that the thing which
is the source of his prosperity, his wealth, his might, his
exaltation, his advancement and power is, as ordained by
God, the very earth which is trodden beneath the feet of all
men. There can be no doubt that whoever is cognizant of this
truth, is cleansed and sanctified from all pride, arrogance,
and vainglory. Whatever hath been said hath come from God.
Unto this, He, verily, hath borne, and beareth now, witness,
and He, in truth, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
-Epistle to the Son
of the Wolf, by Bahá'u'lláh, pp. 44-45
2. The first Taráz
and the first effulgence which hath dawned from the horizon of
the Mother Book is that man should know his own self and
recognize that which leadeth unto loftiness or lowliness, glory
or abasement, wealth or poverty. Having attained the stage of
fulfilment and reached his maturity, man standeth in need of
wealth, and such wealth as he acquireth through crafts or
professions is commendable and praiseworthy in the estimation of
men of wisdom, and especially in the eyes of servants who
dedicate themselves to the education of the world and to the
edification of its peoples. They are, in truth, cup-bearers of
the life-giving water of knowledge and guides unto the ideal
way. They direct the peoples of the world to the straight path
and acquaint them with that which is conducive to human
upliftment and exaltation. The straight path is the one which
guideth man to the dayspring of perception and to the
dawning-place of true understanding and leadeth him to that
which will redound to glory, honour and greatness.
We cherish the hope
that through the loving-kindness of the All-Wise, the
All-Knowing, obscuring dust may be dispelled and the power of
perception enhanced, that the people may discover the purpose
for which they have been called into being. In this Day
whatsoever serveth to reduce blindness and to increase vision is
worthy of consideration. This vision acteth as the agent and
guide for true knowledge. Indeed in the estimation of men of
wisdom keenness of understanding is due to keenness of vision.
The people of Bahá must under all circumstances observe that
which is meet and seemly and exhort the people accordingly.
-Tablets of
Bahá'u'lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, pp. 34-35
3. Say: Honesty,
virtue, wisdom and a saintly character redound to the exaltation
of man, while dishonesty, imposture, ignorance and hypocrisy
lead to his abasement. By My life! Man's distinction lieth not
in ornaments or wealth, but rather in virtuous behaviour and
true understanding. Most of the people in Persia are steeped in
deception and idle fancy. How great the difference between the
condition of these people and the station of such valiant souls
as have passed beyond the sea of names and pitched their tents
upon the shores of the ocean of detachment. Indeed none but a
few of the existing generation hath yet earned the merit of
hearkening unto the warblings of the doves of the all-highest
Paradise. `Few of My servants are truly thankful.'
-Tablets of
Bahá'u'lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, pp. 57-58
4. O peoples of the
world! Forsake all evil, hold fast that which is good. Strive to
be shining examples unto all mankind, and true reminders of the
virtues of God amidst men. He that riseth to serve My Cause
should manifest My wisdom, and bend every effort to banish
ignorance from the earth. Be united in counsel, be one in
thought. Let each morn be better than its eve and each morrow
richer than its yesterday. Man's merit lieth in service and
virtue and not in the pageantry of wealth and riches. Take heed
that your words be purged from idle fancies and worldly desires
and your deeds be cleansed from craftiness and suspicion.
Dissipate not the wealth of your precious lives in the pursuit
of evil and corrupt affection, nor let your endeavours be spent
in promoting your personal interest. Be generous in your days of
plenty, and be patient in the hour of loss. Adversity is
followed by success and rejoicings follow woe. Guard against
idleness and sloth, and cling unto that which profiteth mankind,
whether young or old, whether high or low. Beware lest ye sow
tares of dissension among men or plant thorns of doubt in pure
and radiant hearts.
-Tablets of
Bahá'u'lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, pp. 137-138
5. The beginning of
magnanimity is when man expendeth his wealth on himself, on his
family and on the poor among his brethren in his Faith.
The essence of
wealth is love for Me; whoso loveth Me is the possessor of all
things, and he that loveth Me not is indeed of the poor and
needy. This is that which the Finger of Glory and Splendour hath
revealed.
-Tablets of
Bahá'u'lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 156
6. O MY SERVANTS!
Ye are the trees of My garden; ye must give forth goodly and
wondrous fruits, that ye yourselves and others may profit
therefrom. Thus it is incumbent on every one to engage in crafts
and professions, for therein lies the secret of wealth , O men
of understanding! For results depend upon means, and the grace
of God shall be all-sufficient unto you. Trees that yield no
fruit have been and will ever be for the fire.
-The Hidden Words
of Bahá'u'lláh (Persian), p. 79
7. After journeying
through the planes of pure contentment, the traveler cometh to
The Valley of Wonderment and is tossed in the oceans of
grandeur, and at every moment his wonder groweth. Now he seeth
the shape of wealth as poverty itself, and the essence of
freedom as sheer impotence. Now is he struck dumb with the
beauty of the All-Glorious; again is he wearied out with his own
life. How many a mystic tree hath this whirlwind of wonderment
snatched by the roots, how many a soul hath it exhausted. For in
this Valley the traveler is flung into confusion, albeit, in the
eye of him who hath attained, such marvels are esteemed and well
beloved. At every moment he beholdeth a wondrous world, a new
creation, and goeth from astonishment to astonishment, and is
lost in awe at the works of the Lord of Oneness.
-The Seven Valleys
and the Four Valleys, pp 30-31
8. No riches,
wealth, comfort or ease of the material world is equal to the
wealth of a bird; all the areas of these plains and mountains
are its dwelling, and all the seeds and harvests are its food
and wealth, and all the lands, villages, meadows, pastures,
forests and wildernesses are its possessions. Now, which is the
richer, this bird, or the most wealthy man? for no matter how
many seeds it may take or bestow, its wealth does not decrease.
Then it is clear that the honor and exaltation of man must be
something more than material riches. Material comforts are only
a branch, but the root of the exaltation of man is the good
attributes and virtues which are the adornments of his reality.
These are the divine appearances, the heavenly bounties, the
sublime emotions, the love and knowledge of God; universal
wisdom, intellectual perception, scientific discoveries,
justice, equity, truthfulness, benevolence, natural courage and
innate fortitude; the respect for rights and the keeping of
agreements and covenants; rectitude in all circumstances;
serving the truth under all conditions; the sacrifice of one's
life for the good of all people; kindness and esteem for all
nations; obedience to the teachings of God; service in the
Divine Kingdom; the guidance of the people, and the education of
the nations and races. This is the prosperity of the human
world! This is the exaltation of man in the world! This is
eternal life and heavenly honor!
-Some Answered
Questions, pp. 77-78
9. Man's highest
station, however, is attained through faith in God in every
Dispensation and by acceptance of what hath been revealed by
Him, and not through learning; inasmuch as in every nation there
are learned men who are versed in divers sciences. Nor is it
attainable through wealth; for it is similarly evident that
among the various classes in every nation there are those
possessed of riches. Likewise are other transitory things. True
knowledge, therefore, is the knowledge of God, and this is none
other than the recognition of His Manifestation in each
Dispensation. Nor is there any wealth save in poverty in all
save God and sanctity from aught else but Him--a state that can
be realized only when demonstrated towards Him Who is the
Dayspring of His Revelation. This doth not mean, however, that
one ought not to yield praise unto former Revelations. On no
account is this acceptable, inasmuch as it behooveth man, upon
reaching the age of nineteen, to render thanksgiving for the day
of his conception as an embryo. For had the embryo not existed,
how could he have reached his present state? Likewise had the
religion taught by Adam not existed, this Faith would not have
attained its present stage. Thus consider thou the development
of God's Faith until the end that hath no end.
-Selections From
the Writings of the Bab pp 88-89
