Part I
From the Arabic
He is the Glory of Glories
This is that which hath descended from the realm of glory, uttered by the
tongue of power and might, and revealed unto the Prophets of old. We have
taken the inner essence thereof and clothed it in the garment of brevity,
as a token of grace unto the righteous, that they may stand faithful unto
the Covenant of God, may fulfil in their lives His trust, and in the realm
of spirit obtain the gem of Divine virtue.
My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine
may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting.
2. O SON OF SPIRIT!
The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom
if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid
thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and
shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbour.
Ponder this in thy heart how it behoveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift
to thee and the sign of My loving kindness. Set it then before thine eyes.
3. O SON OF MAN!
Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew
My love for thee: therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image
and revealed to thee My beauty.
4. O SON OF MAN!
I loved thy creation, hence I created thee. Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I
may name thy name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life.
5. O SON OF BEING!
Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise
reach thee. Know this, O servant.
6. O SON OF BEING!
Thy Paradise is My love; thy heavenly home, reunion with Me. Enter therein and
tarry not. This is that which hath been destined for thee in Our kingdom above
and Our exalted dominion.
7. O SON OF MAN!
If thou lovest Me, turn away from thyself; and if thou seekest My pleasure,
regard not thine own; that thou mayest die in Me and I may eternally live in
thee.
8. O SON OF SPIRIT!
There is no peace for thee save by renouncing thyself and turning unto Me; for
it behoveth thee to glory in My name, not in thine own; to put thy trust in Me
and not in thyself, since I desire to be loved alone and above all that is.
9. O SON OF BEING!
My love is My stronghold; he that entereth therein is safe and secure, and he
that turneth away shall surely stray and perish.
10. O SON OF UTTERANCE!
Thou art My stronghold; enter therein that thou mayest abide in safety. My love
is in thee, know it, that thou mayest find Me near unto thee.
11. 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 favour upon thee.
12. O SON OF BEING!
With the hands of power I made thee and with the fingers of strength I created
thee; and within thee have I placed the essence of My light. Be thou content
with it and seek naught else, for My work is perfect and My command is
binding. Question it not, nor have a doubt thereof.
13. 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.
14. O SON OF MAN!
Thou art My dominion and My dominion perisheth not, wherefore fearest thou thy
perishing? Thou art My light and My light shall never be extinguished, why dost
thou dread extinction? Thou art My glory and My glory fadeth not; thou art My
robe and My robe shall never be outworn. Abide then in thy love for Me, that
thou mayest find Me in the realm of glory.
15. O SON OF UTTERANCE!
Turn thy face unto Mine and renounce all save Me; for My sovereignty endureth
and My dominion perisheth not. If thou seekest another than Me, yea, if thou
searchest the universe for evermore, thy quest will be in vain.
16. O SON OF LIGHT!
Forget all save Me and commune with My spirit. This is of the essence of My
command, therefore turn unto it.
17. O SON OF MAN!
Be thou content with Me and seek no other helper. For none but Me can ever
suffice thee.
18. O SON OF SPIRIT!
Ask not of Me that which We desire not for thee, then be content with what We
have ordained for thy sake, for this is that which profiteth thee, if therewith
thou dost content thyself.
19. O SON OF THE WONDROUS VISION!
I have breathed within thee a breath of My own Spirit, that thou mayest be My
lover. Why hast thou forsaken Me and sought a beloved other than Me?
20. O SON OF SPIRIT!
My claim on thee is great, it cannot be forgotten. My grace to thee is
plenteous, it cannot be veiled. My love has made in thee its home, it cannot be
concealed. My light is manifest to thee, it cannot be obscured.
21. O SON OF MAN!
Upon the tree of effulgent glory I have hung for thee the choicest fruits,
wherefore hast thou turned away and contented thyself with that which is less
good? Return then unto that which is better for thee in the realm on high.
22. O SON OF SPIRIT!
Noble I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself. Rise then unto that for which
thou wast created.
23. O SON OF THE SUPREME!
To the eternal I call thee, yet thou dost seek that which perisheth. What hath
made thee turn away from Our desire and seek thine own?
24. O SON OF MAN!
Transgress not thy limits, nor claim that which beseemeth thee not. Prostrate
thyself before the countenance of thy God, the Lord of might and power.
25. O SON OF SPIRIT!
Vaunt not thyself over the poor, for I lead him on his way and behold thee in
thy evil plight and confound thee for evermore.
26. O SON OF BEING!
How couldst thou forget thine own faults and busy thyself with the faults of
others? Whoso doeth this is accursed of Me.
27. O SON OF MAN!
Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art thyself a sinner. Shouldst
thou transgress this command, accursed wouldst thou be, and to this I bear
witness.
28. O SON OF SPIRIT!
Know thou of a truth: He that biddeth men be just and himself committeth
iniquity is not of Me, even though he bear My name.
29. O SON OF BEING!
Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst not have ascribed to thee, and
say not that which thou doest not. This is My command unto thee, do thou
observe it.
30. O SON OF MAN!
Deny not My servant should he ask anything from thee, for his face is My face;
be then abashed before Me.
31. O SON OF BEING!
Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a reckoning: for
death, unheralded, shall come upon thee and thou shalt be called to give
account for thy deeds.
32. O SON OF THE SUPREME!
I have made death a messenger of joy to thee. Wherefore dost thou grieve? I
made the light to shed on thee its splendour. Why dost thou veil thyself
therefrom?
33. O SON OF SPIRIT!
With the joyful tidings of light I hail thee: rejoice! To the court of holiness
I summon thee; abide therein that thou mayest live in peace for evermore.
34. O SON OF SPIRIT!
The spirit of holiness beareth unto thee the joyful
tidings of reunion; wherefore dost thou
grieve? The spirit of power confirmeth thee
in His cause; why dost thou veil thyself? The light
of His countenance doth lead thee; how canst
thou go astray?
35. O SON OF MAN!
Sorrow not save that thou art far from Us. Rejoice not save that thou art
drawing near and returning unto Us.
36. O SON OF MAN!
Rejoice in the gladness of thine heart, that thou mayest be worthy to meet Me
and to mirror forth My beauty.
37. O SON OF MAN!
Divest not thyself of My beauteous robe, and forfeit not thy portion from My
wondrous fountain, lest thou shouldst thirst for evermore.
38. O SON OF BEING!
Walk in My statutes for love of Me and deny thyself that which thou desirest if
thou seekest My pleasure.
39. O SON OF MAN!
Neglect not My commandments if thou lovest My beauty, and forget not My
counsels if thou wouldst attain My good pleasure.
40. O SON OF MAN!
Wert thou to speed through the immensity of space and traverse the expanse of
heaven, yet thou wouldst find no rest save in submission to Our command and
humbleness before Our Face.
41. O SON OF MAN!
Magnify My cause that I may reveal unto thee the mysteries of My greatness and
shine upon thee with the light of eternity.
42. O SON OF MAN!
Humble thyself before Me, that I may graciously visit thee. Arise for the
triumph of My cause, that while yet on earth thou mayest obtain the victory.
43. O SON OF BEING!
Make mention of Me on My earth, that in My heaven I may remember thee, thus
shall Mine eyes and thine be solaced.
44. O SON OF THE THRONE!
Thy hearing is My hearing, hear thou therewith. Thy sight is My sight, do thou
see therewith, that in thine inmost soul thou mayest testify unto My exalted
sanctity, and I within Myself may bear witness unto an exalted station for
thee.
45. O SON OF BEING!
Seek a martyr's death in My path, content with My pleasure and thankful for
that which I ordain, that thou mayest repose with Me beneath the canopy of
majesty behind the tabernacle of glory.
46. O SON OF MAN!
Ponder and reflect. Is it thy wish to die upon thy bed, or to shed thy
life-blood on the dust, a martyr in My path, and so become the manifestation
of My command and the revealer of My light in the highest paradise? Judge thou
aright, O servant!
47. O SON OF MAN!
By My beauty! To tinge thy hair with thy blood is greater in My sight than the
creation of the universe and the light of both worlds. Strive then to attain
this, O servant!
48. O SON OF MAN!
For everything there is a sign. The sign of love is fortitude under My decree
and patience under My trials.
49. O SON OF MAN!
The true lover yearneth for tribulation even as doth the rebel for forgiveness
and the sinful for mercy.
50. O SON OF MAN!
If adversity befall thee not in My path, how canst thou walk in the ways of
them that are content with My pleasure? If trials afflict thee not in thy
longing to meet Me, how wilt thou attain the light in thy love for My beauty?
51. O SON OF MAN!
My calamity is My providence, outwardly it is fire and vengeance, but inwardly
it is light and mercy. Hasten thereunto that thou mayest become an eternal
light and an immortal spirit. This is My command unto thee, do thou observe
it.
52. O SON OF MAN!
Should prosperity befall thee, rejoice not and should abasement come upon thee,
grieve not, for both shall pass away and be no more.
53. O SON OF BEING!
If poverty overtake thee, be not sad; for in time the Lord of wealth shall
visit thee. Fear not abasement, for glory shall one day rest on thee.
54. O SON OF BEING!
If thine heart be set upon this eternal, imperishable dominion, and this
ancient, everlasting life, forsake this mortal and fleeting sovereignty.
55. O SON OF BEING!
Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We test the gold and with gold
We test Our servants.
56. O SON OF MAN!
Thou dost wish for gold and I desire thy freedom from it. Thou thinkest thyself
rich in its possession, and I recognize thy wealth in thy sanctity therefrom.
By My life! This is My knowledge, and that is thy fancy; how can My way accord
with thine?
57. O SON OF MAN!
Bestow My wealth upon My poor, that in heaven thou mayest draw from stores of
unfading splendour and treasures of imperishable glory. But by My life! To
offer up thy soul is a more glorious thing couldst thou but see with Mine eye.
58. O SON OF MAN!
The temple of being is My throne; cleanse it of all things, that there I may be
established and there I may abide.
59. O SON OF BEING!
Thy heart is my home; sanctify it for My descent. Thy spirit is My place of
revelation; cleanse it for My manifestation.
60. O SON OF MAN!
Put thy hand into My bosom, that I may arise above thee, radiant and
resplendent.
61. O SON OF MAN!
Ascend unto My heaven, that thou mayest obtain the joy of reunion, and from the
chalice of imperishable glory quaff the peerless wine.
62. O SON OF MAN!
Many a day hath passed over thee whilst thou hast busied thyself with thy
fancies and idle imaginings. How long art thou to slumber on thy bed? Lift up
thy head from slumber, for the Sun has risen to the zenith, haply it may shine
upon thee with the light of beauty.
63. O SON OF MAN!
The light hath shone on thee from the horizon of the sacred Mount and the
spirit of enlightenment hath breathed in the Sinai of thy heart. Wherefore,
free thyself from the veils of idle fancies and enter into My court, that thou
mayest be fit for everlasting life and worthy to meet Me. Thus may death not
come upon thee, neither weariness nor trouble.
64. O SON OF MAN!
My eternity is My creation, I have created it for thee. Make it the garment of
thy temple. My unity is My handiwork; I have wrought it for thee; clothe
thyself therewith, that thou mayest be to all eternity the revelation of My
everlasting being.
65. O SON OF MAN!
My majesty is My gift to thee, and My grandeur the token of My mercy unto thee.
That which beseemeth Me none shall understand, nor can any one recount. Verily,
I have preserved it in My hidden storehouses and in the treasuries of My
command, as a sign of My loving-kindness unto My servants and My mercy unto My
people.
66. O CHILDREN OF THE DIVINE AND INVISIBLE ESSENCE!
Ye shall be hindered from loving Me and souls shall be perturbed as they make
mention of Me. For minds cannot grasp Me nor hearts contain Me.
67. O SON OF BEAUTY!
By My spirit and by My favour! By My mercy and by My beauty! All that I have
revealed unto thee with the tongue of power, and have written for thee with the
pen of might, hath been in accordance with thy capacity and understanding, not
with My state and the melody of My voice.
68. 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.
69. O YE SONS OF SPIRIT!
Ye are My treasury, for in you I have treasured the pearls of My mysteries and
the gems of My knowledge. Guard them from the strangers amidst My servants and
from the ungodly amongst My people.
70. O SON OF HIM THAT STOOD BY HIS OWN ENTITY IN THE KINGDOM OF HIS SELF!
Know thou, that I have wafted unto thee all the fragrances of holiness, have
fully revealed to thee My word, have perfected through thee My bounty and have
desired for thee that which I have desired for My Self. Be then content with
My pleasure and thankful unto Me.
71. O SON OF MAN!
Write all that We have revealed unto thee with the ink of light upon the tablet
of thy spirit. Should this not be in thy power, then make thine ink of the
essence of thy heart. If this thou canst not do, then write with that crimson
ink that hath been shed in My path. Sweeter indeed is this to Me than all
else, that its light may endure for ever.
Part II
From the Persian
In the Name of the Lord of Utterance, the Mighty.
1. O YE PEOPLE THAT HAVE MINDS TO KNOW AND EARS TO HEAR!
The first call of the Beloved is this: O mystic nightingale! Abide not but in
the rose-garden of the spirit. O messenger of the Solomon of love! Seek thou
no shelter except in the Sheba of the well-beloved, and O immortal phoenix!
dwell not save on the mount of faithfulness. Therein is thy habitation, if on
the wings of thy soul thou soarest to the realm of the infinite and seekest to
attain thy goal.
2. O SON OF SPIRIT!
The bird seeketh its nest; the nightingale the charm of the rose; whilst those
birds, the hearts of men, content with transient dust, have strayed far from
their eternal nest, and with eyes turned towards the slough of heedlessness
are bereft of the glory of the divine presence. Alas! How strange and pitiful;
for a mere cupful, they have turned away from the billowing seas of the Most
High, and remained far from the most effulgent horizon.
3. O FRIEND!
In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love, and from the
nightingale of affection and desire loosen not thy hold. Treasure the
companionship of the righteous and eschew all fellowship with the ungodly.
4. O SON OF JUSTICE!
Whither can a lover go but to the land of his beloved? And what seeker findeth
rest away from his heart's desire? To the true lover reunion is life, and
separation is death. His breast is void of patience and his heart hath no
peace. A myriad lives he would forsake to hasten to the abode of his beloved.
5. O SON OF DUST!
Verily I say unto thee: Of all men the most negligent is he that disputeth idly
and seeketh to advance himself over his brother. Say, O brethren! Let deeds,
not words, be your adorning.
6. O SON OF EARTH!
Know, verily, the heart wherein the least remnant of envy yet lingers, shall
never attain My everlasting dominion, nor inhale the sweet savours of holiness
breathing from My kingdom of sanctity.
7. O SON OF LOVE!
Thou art but one step away from the glorious heights above and from the
celestial tree of love. Take thou one pace and with the next advance into the
immortal realm and enter the pavilion of eternity. Give ear then to that which
hath been revealed by the pen of glory.
8. O SON OF GLORY!
Be swift in the path of holiness, and enter the heaven of communion with Me.
Cleanse thy heart with the burnish of the spirit, and hasten to the court of
the Most High.
9. O FLEETING SHADOW!
Pass beyond the baser stages of doubt and rise to the exalted heights of
certainty. Open the eye of truth, that thou mayest behold the veilless beauty
and exclaim: Hallowed be the Lord, the most excellent of all creators!
10. O SON OF DESIRE!
Give ear unto this: Never shall mortal eye recognize the everlasting beauty,
nor the lifeless heart in aught but in the withered bloom. For like seeketh
like, and taketh pleasure in the company of its kind.
11. O SON OF DUST!
Blind thine eyes, that thou mayest behold My beauty; stop thine ears, that thou
mayest hearken unto the sweet melody of My voice; empty thyself of all
learning, that thou mayest partake of My knowledge; and sanctify thyself from
riches, that thou mayest obtain a lasting share from the ocean of My eternal
wealth. Blind thine eyes, that is, to all save My beauty;
stop thine ears to all save My word;
empty thyself of all
learning save the knowledge of Me; that with a clear vision, a pure heart and
an attentive ear thou mayest enter the court of My holiness.
12. O MAN OF TWO VISIONS!
Close one eye and open the other. Close one to the world and all that is
therein, and open the other to the hallowed beauty of the Beloved.
13. O MY CHILDREN!
I fear lest, bereft of the melody of the dove of heaven, ye will sink back to
the shades of utter loss, and, never having gazed upon the beauty of the rose,
return to water and clay.
14. O FRIENDS!
Abandon not the everlasting beauty for a beauty that must die, and set not your
affections on this mortal world of dust.
15. O SON OF SPIRIT!
The time cometh, when the nightingale of holiness will no longer unfold the
inner mysteries and ye will all be bereft of the celestial melody and the
voice from on high.
16. O ESSENCE OF NEGLIGENCE!
Myriads of mystic tongues find utterance in one speech, and myriads of hidden
mysteries are revealed in a single melody; yet, alas, there is no ear to hear,
nor heart to understand.
17. O COMRADES!
The gates that open on the Placeless stand wide and the habitation of the loved
one is adorned with the lovers' blood, yet all but a few remain bereft of
this celestial city, and even of these few, none but the smallest handful hath
been found with a pure heart and sanctified spirit.
18. O YE DWELLERS IN THE HIGHEST PARADISE!
Proclaim unto the children of assurance that within the realms of holiness,
nigh unto the celestial paradise, a new garden hath appeared, round which
circle the denizens of the realm on high and the immortal dwellers of the
exalted paradise. Strive, then, that ye may attain that station, that ye may
unravel the mysteries of love from its wind-flowers and learn the secret of
divine and consummate wisdom from its eternal fruits. Solaced are the eyes of
them that enter and abide therein!
19. O MY FRIENDS!
Have ye forgotten that true and radiant morn, when in those hallowed and
blessed surroundings ye were all gathered in My presence beneath the shade of
the tree of life, which is planted in the all-glorious paradise? Awe-struck ye
listened as I gave utterance to these three most holy words: O friends! Prefer
not your own will to Mine, never desire that which I have not desired for you,
and approach Me not with lifeless hearts, defiled with worldly desires and
cravings. Would ye but
sanctify your souls, ye would at this present hour recall that place and
those surroundings, and the truth of My utterance should be made evident
unto all of you.
In the eighth of the most holy lines, in the fifth Tablet of Paradise, He
saith:
20. O YE THAT ARE LYING AS DEAD ON THE COUCH OF HEEDLESSNESS!
Ages have passed and your precious lives are well-nigh ended, yet not a single
breath of purity hath reached Our court of holiness from you. Though immersed
in the ocean of misbelief, yet with your lips ye profess the one true faith of
God. Him whom I abhor ye have loved, and of My foe ye have made a friend.
Notwithstanding, ye walk on My earth complacent and self-satisfied, heedless
that My earth is weary of you and everything within it shunneth you. Were ye
but to open your eyes, ye would, in truth, prefer a myriad griefs unto this
joy, and would count death itself better than this life.
21. O MOVING FORM OF DUST!
I desire communion with thee, but thou wouldst put no trust in Me. The sword of
thy rebellion hath felled the tree of thy hope. At all times I am near unto
thee, but thou art ever far from Me. Imperishable glory I have chosen for
thee, yet boundless shame thou hast chosen for thyself. While there is yet
time, return, and lose not thy chance.
22. O SON OF DESIRE!
The learned and the wise have for long years striven and failed to attain the
presence of the All-Glorious; they have spent their lives in search of Him, yet
did not behold the beauty of His countenance. Thou without the least effort
didst attain thy goal, and without search hast obtained the object of thy
quest. Yet, notwithstanding, thou didst remain so wrapt in the veil of self,
that thine eyes beheld not the beauty of the Beloved, nor did thy hand touch
the hem of His robe. Ye that have eyes behold and wonder.
23. O DWELLERS IN THE CITY OF LOVE!
Mortal blasts have beset the everlasting candle, and the beauty of the
celestial Youth is veiled in the darkness of dust. The chief of the monarchs
of love is wronged by the people of tyranny and the dove of holiness lies
prisoned in the talons of owls. The dwellers in the pavilion of glory and the
celestial concourse bewail and lament, while ye repose in the realm of
negligence, and esteem yourselves as of the true friends. How vain are your
imaginings!
24. O YE THAT ARE FOOLISH, YET HAVE A NAME TO BE WISE!
Wherefore do ye wear the guise of shepherds, when inwardly ye have become
wolves, intent upon My flock? Ye are even as the star, which riseth ere the
dawn, and which, though it seem radiant and luminous, leadeth the wayfarers of
My city astray into the paths of perdition.
25. O YE SEEMING FAIR YET INWARDLY FOUL!
Ye are like clear but bitter water, which to outward seeming is crystal pure but of
which, when tested by the divine Assayer, not a drop is accepted. Yea, the
sunbeam falls alike upon the dust and the mirror, yet differ they in reflection
even as doth the star from the earth: nay, immeasurable is the difference!
26. O MY FRIEND IN WORD!
Ponder awhile. Hast thou ever heard that friend and foe should abide in one
heart? Cast out then the stranger, that the Friend may enter His home.
27. O SON OF DUST!
All that is in heaven and earth I have ordained for thee, except the human
heart, which I have made the habitation of My beauty and glory; yet thou didst
give My home and dwelling to another than Me; and whenever the manifestation
of My holiness sought His own abode, a stranger found He there, and, homeless,
hastened unto the sanctuary of the Beloved. Notwithstanding I have concealed
thy secret and desire not thy shame.
28. O ESSENCE OF DESIRE!
At many a dawn have I turned from the realms of the Placeless unto thine abode,
and found thee on the bed of ease busied with others than Myself. Thereupon,
even as the flash of the spirit, I returned to the realms of celestial glory
and breathed it not in My retreats above unto the hosts of holiness.
29. O SON OF BOUNTY!
Out of the wastes of nothingness, with the clay of My command I made thee to
appear, and have ordained for thy training every atom in existence the essence
of all created things. Thus, ere thou didst issue from thy mother's womb, I
destined for thee two founts of gleaming milk, eyes to watch over thee, and
hearts to love thee. Out of My loving-kindness, 'neath the shade of My mercy I
nurtured thee, and guarded thee by the essence of My grace and favour. And My
purpose in all this was that thou mightest attain My everlasting dominion and
become worthy of My invisible bestowals. And yet heedless thou didst remain,
and when fully grown, thou didst neglect all My bounties and occupied thyself
with thine idle imaginings, in such wise that thou didst become wholly
forgetful, and, turning away from the portals of the Friend, didst abide
within the courts of My enemy.
30. O BOND SLAVE OF THE WORLD!
Many a dawn hath the breeze of My loving-kindness wafted over thee and found
thee upon the bed of heedlessness fast asleep. Bewailing then thy plight it
returned whence it came.
31. O SON OF EARTH!
Wouldst thou have Me, seek none other than Me; and wouldst thou gaze upon My
beauty, close thine eyes to the world and all that is therein; for My will and
the will of another than Me, even as fire and water, cannot dwell together in
one heart.
32. O BEFRIENDED STRANGER!
The candle of thine heart is lighted by the hand of My power, quench it not
with the contrary winds of self and passion. The healer of all thine ills is
remembrance of Me, forget it not. Make My love thy treasure and cherish it
even as thy very sight and life.
33. O MY BROTHER!
Hearken to the delightsome words of My honeyed tongue, and quaff the stream of
mystic holiness from My sugar-shedding lips. Sow the seeds of My divine wisdom
in the pure soil of thy heart, and water them with the water of certitude, that
the hyacinths of My knowledge and wisdom may spring up fresh and green in the
sacred city of thy heart.
34. O DWELLERS OF MY PARADISE!
With the hands of loving-kindness I have planted in the holy garden of paradise
the young tree of your love and friendship, and have watered it with the
goodly showers of My tender grace; now that the hour of its fruiting is come,
strive that it may be protected, and be not consumed with the flame of desire
and passion.
35. O MY FRIENDS!
Quench ye the lamp of error, and kindle within your hearts the everlasting
torch of divine guidance. For ere long the assayers of mankind shall, in the
holy presence of the Adored, accept naught but purest virtue and deeds of
stainless holiness.
36. O SON OF DUST!
The wise are they that speak not unless they obtain a hearing, even as the
cup-bearer, who proffereth not his cup till he findeth a seeker, and the
lover who crieth not out from the depths of his heart until he gazeth upon
the beauty of his beloved. Wherefore sow the seeds of wisdom and knowledge in
the pure soil of the heart, and keep them hidden, till the hyacinths of
divine wisdom spring from the heart and not from mire and clay.
In the first line of the Tablet is recorded and written, and within the
sanctuary of the tabernacle of God is hidden:
37. O MY SERVANT!
Abandon not for that which perisheth an everlasting dominion, and cast not away
celestial sovereignty for a worldly desire. This is the river of everlasting
life that hath flowed from the well-spring of the pen of the merciful; well is
it with them that drink!
38. O SON OF SPRIT!
Burst thy cage asunder, and even as the phoenix of love soar into the firmament
of holiness. Renounce thyself and, filled with the spirit of mercy, abide in
the realm of celestial sanctity.
39. O OFFSPRING OF DUST!
Be not content with the ease of a passing day, and deprive not thyself of
everlasting rest. Barter not the garden of eternal delight for the dust-heap
of a mortal world. Up from thy prison ascend unto the glorious meads above,
and from thy mortal cage wing thy flight unto the paradise of the Placeless.
40. O MY SERVANT!
Free thyself from the fetters of this world, and loose thy Soul from the prison
of self. Seize thy chance, for it will come to thee no more.
41. O SON OF MY HANDMAID!
Didst thou behold immortal sovereignty, thou wouldst strive to pass from this
fleeting world. But to conceal the one from thee and to reveal the other is a
mystery which none but the pure in heart can comprehend.
42. O MY SERVANT!
Purge thy heart from malice and, innocent of envy, enter the divine court of holiness.
43. O MY FRIENDS!
Walk ye in the ways of the good pleasure of the Friend, and know that His
pleasure is in the pleasure of His creatures. That is: no man should enter the
house of his friend save at his friend's pleasure, nor lay hands upon his
treasures nor prefer his own will to his friend's, and in no wise seek an
advantage over him. Ponder this, ye that have insight!
44. O COMPANION OF MY THRONE!
Hear no evil, and see no evil, abase not thyself, neither sigh nor weep. Speak
no evil, that thou mayest not hear it spoken unto thee, and magnify not the
faults of others that thine own faults may not appear great; and wish not the
abasement of anyone, that thine own abasement be not exposed. Live then the
days of thy life, that are less than a fleeting moment, with thy mind
stainless, thy heart unsullied, thy thoughts pure, and thy nature sanctified,
so that, free and content, thou mayest put away this mortal frame, and repair
unto the mystic paradise and abide in the eternal kingdom for evermore.
45. ALAS! ALAS! O LOVERS OF WORLDLY DESIRE!
Even as the swiftness of lightning ye have passed by the Beloved One, and have
set your hearts on satanic fancies. Ye bow the knee before your vain
imaginings, and call it truth. Ye turn your eyes towards the thorn, and name
it a flower. Not a pure breath have ye breathed, nor hath the breeze of
detachment been wafted from the meadows of your hearts. Ye have cast to the
winds the loving counsels of the Beloved and have effaced them utterly from
the tablet of your hearts, and even as the beasts of the field, ye move and
have your being within the pastures of desire and passion.
46. O BRETHREN IN THE PATH!
Wherefore have ye neglected the mention of the loved one, and kept remote from
His holy presence? The essence of beauty is within the peerless pavilion, set
upon the throne of glory, whilst ye busy yourselves with idle contentions. The
sweet savours of holiness are breathing and the breath of bounty is wafted,
yet ye are all sorely afflicted and deprived thereof. Alas for you and for
them that walk in your ways and follow in your footsteps!
47. O CHILDREN OF DESIRE!
Put away the garment of vainglory, and divest yourselves of the attire of
haughtiness.
In the third of the most holy lines writ and recorded in the Ruby Tablet by
the pen of the unseen this is revealed:
48. O BRETHREN!
Be forbearing one with another and set not your affection on things below.
Pride not yourselves in your glory, and be not ashamed of abasement. By My
beauty! I have created all things from dust, and to dust will I return them
again.
49. O CHILDREN OF DUST!
Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest heedlessness lead them
into the path of destruction, and deprive them of the Tree of Wealth. To give
and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth
himself with My virtues.
50. O QUINTESSENCE OF PASSION!
Put away all covetousness and seek contentment; for the covetous hath ever been
deprived, and the contented hath ever been loved and praised.
51. O SON OF MY HANDMAID!
Be not troubled in poverty nor confident in riches, for poverty is followed by
riches, and riches are followed by poverty. Yet to be poor in all save God is a
wondrous gift, belittle not the value thereof, for in the end it will make thee
rich in God, and thus thou shalt know the meaning of the utterance, "In truth
ye are the poor," and the holy words, "God is the all-possessing," shall even
as the true morn break forth gloriously resplendent upon the horizon of the
lover's heart, and abide secure on the throne of wealth.
52. O CHILDREN OF NEGLIGENCE AND PASSION!
Ye have suffered My enemy to enter My house and have cast out My friend, for ye
have enshrined the love of another than Me in your hearts. Give ear to the
sayings of the Friend and turn towards His paradise. Worldly friends, seeking
their own good, appear to love one the other, whereas the true Friend has
loved and doth love you for your own sakes; indeed He hath suffered for your
guidance countless afflictions. Be not disloyal to such a Friend, nay rather
hasten unto Him. Such is the day-star of the word of truth and faithfulness,
that hath dawned above the horizon of the pen of the Lord of all names. Open
your ears that ye may hearken unto the word of God, the Help in peril, the
Self-existent.
53. O YE THAT PRIDE YOURSELVES ON MORTAL RICHES!
Know ye in truth that wealth is a mighty barrier between the seeker and his
desire, the lover and his beloved. The rich, but for a few, shall in no wise
attain the court of His presence nor enter the city of content and
resignation. Well is it then with him, who, being rich, is not hindered by his
riches from the eternal kingdom, nor deprived by them of imperishable
dominion. By the Most Great Name! The splendour of such a wealthy man shall
illuminate the dwellers of heaven, even as the sun enlightens the people of
the earth!
54. O YE RICH ONES ON EARTH!
The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust, and be not intent only
on your own ease.
55. O SON OF PASSION!
Cleanse thyself from the defilement of riches and in perfect peace advance into
the realm of poverty; that from the well-spring of detachment thou mayest quaff
the wine of immortal life.
56. O MY SON!
The company of the ungodly increaseth sorrow, whilst fellowship with the
righteous cleaneth the rust from off the heart. He that seeketh to commune
with God, let him betake himself to the companionship of His loved ones; and
he that desireth to hearken unto the word of God, let him give ear to the
words of His chosen ones.
57. O SON OF DUST!
Beware! Walk not with the ungodly and seek not fellowship with him, for such
companionship turneth the radiance of the heart into infernal fire.
58. O SON OF MY HANDMAID!
Wouldst thou seek the grace of the holy spirit, enter into fellowship with the
righteous, for he hath drunk the cup of eternal life at the hands of the
immortal Cup-bearer and even as the true morn doth quicken and illumine the
hearts of the dead.
59. O HEEDLESS ONES!
Think not the secrets of hearts are hidden, nay, know ye of a certainty that in
clear characters they are engraved and openly manifest in the holy Presence.
60. O FRIENDS!
Verily I say, whatsoever ye have concealed within your hearts is to Us open and
manifest as the day; but that it is hidden is of Our grace and favour, and not
of your deserving.
61. O SON OF MAN!
A dewdrop out of the fathomless ocean of My mercy I have shed upon the peoples
of the world, yet found none turn thereunto, inasmuch as everyone hath turned
away from the celestial wine of unity unto the foul dregs of impurity, and,
content with mortal cup, hath put away the chalice of immortal beauty. Vile is
that wherewith he is contented.
62. O SON OF DUST!
Turn not away thine eyes from the matchless wine of immortal Beloved, and open
them not to foul and mortal dregs. Take from the hands of the divine Cup-bearer
the chalice of immortal life, that all wisdom may be thine, and that thou
mayest hearken unto the mystic voice calling from the realm of the invisible.
Cry aloud, ye that are of low aim! Wherefore have ye turned away from My holy
and immortal wine unto evanescent water?
63. O YE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD!
Know verily that an unforeseen calamity is following you and that grievous
retribution awaiteth you. Think not the deeds ye have committed have been
blotted from My sight. By My beauty! All your doings hath My pen graven with
open characters upon tablets of chrysolite.
64. O OPPRESSORS OF EARTH!
Withdraw your hands from tyranny, for I have pledged Myself not to forgive any
man's injustice. This is My covenant which I have irrevocably decreed in the
preserved tablet and sealed it with My seal of glory.
65. O REBELLIOUS ONES!
My forbearance hath emboldened you and My long-suffering hath made you
negligent, in such wise that ye have spurred on the fiery charger of passion
into perilous ways that lead unto destruction. Have ye thought Me heedless or
that I was unaware?
66. O EMIGRANTS!
The tongue I have designed for the mention of Me, defile it not with
detraction. If the fire of self overcome you, remember your own faults and not
the faults of My creatures, inasmuch as everyone of you knoweth his own self
better than he knoweth others.
67. O CHILDREN OF FANCY!
Know verily, that while the radiant dawn breaketh above the horizon of eternal
holiness, the satanic secrets and deeds done in the gloom of might shall be
laid bare and manifest before the peoples of the world.
68. O WEED THAT SPRINGETH OUT OF DUST!
Wherefore have not these soiled hands of thine touched first thine own garment,
and why with thine heart defiled with desire and passion dost thou seek to
commune with Me and to enter My sacred realm? Far, far are ye from that which
ye desire.
69. O CHILDREN OF ADAM!
Holy words and pure and goodly deeds ascend unto the heaven of celestial glory.
Strive that your deeds may be cleansed from the dust of self and hypocrisy and
find favour at the court of glory; for ere long the assayers of mankind shall,
in the holy presence of the Adored one, accept naught but absolute virtue and
deeds of stainless purity. This is the day-star of wisdom and of divine
mystery that hath shone above the horizon of the divine will. Blessed are they
that turn thereunto.
70. O SON OF WORLDLINESS!
Pleasant is the realm of being, wert thou to attain thereto; glorious is the
domain of eternity, shouldst thou pass beyond the world of mortality; sweet is
the holy ecstasy if thou drinkest of the mystic chalice from the hands of the
celestial Youth. Shouldst thou attain this station, thou wouldst be freed from
destruction and death, from toil and sin.
71. O MY FRIENDS!
Call ye to mind that covenant ye have entered into with Me upon Mount Paran,
situate within the hallowed precincts of Zaman. I have taken to witness the
concourse on high and the dwellers in the city of eternity, yet now none do I
find faithful unto the covenant. Of a certainty pride and rebellion have
effaced it from the hearts, in such wise that no trace thereof remaineth. Yet
knowing this, I waited and disclosed it not.
72. O MY SERVANT!
Thou art even as a finely tempered sword concealed in the darkness of its
sheath and its value hidden from the artificer's knowledge. Wherefore come
forth from the sheath of self and desire that thy worth may be made
resplendent and manifest unto all the world.
73. O MY FRIEND!
Thou art the day-star of the heavens of My holiness, let not the defilement of
the world eclipse thy splendour. Rend asunder the veil of heedlessness, that
from behind the clouds thou mayest emerge resplendent and array all things with
the apparel of life.
74. O CHILDREN OF VAINGLORY!
For a fleeting sovereignty ye have abandoned My imperishable dominion, and have
adorned yourselves with the gay livery of the world and made of it your boast.
By My beauty! All will I gather beneath the one-coloured covering of the dust
and efface all these diverse colours save them that choose My own, and that is
purging from every colour.
75. O CHILDREN OF NEGLIGENCE!
Set not your affections on mortal sovereignty and rejoice not therein. Ye are
even as the unwary bird that with full confidence warbleth upon the bough;
till of a sudden the fowler Death throws it upon the dust, and the melody, the
form and the colour are gone, leaving not a trace. Wherefore take heed, O
bondslaves of desire!
76. O SON OF MY HANDMAID!
Guidance hath ever been given by words, and now it is given by deeds. Every one
must show forth deeds that are pure and holy, for words are the property of all
alike, whereas such deeds as these belong only to Our loved ones. Strive then
with heart and soul to distinguish yourselves by your deeds. In this wise We
counsel you in this holy and resplendent tablet.
77. O SON OF JUSTICE!
In the night-season the beauty of the immortal Being hath repaired from the
emerald height of fidelity unto the Sadratu'l-Muntahá, and wept with such a
weeping that the concourse on high and the dwellers of the realms above wailed
at His lamenting. Whereupon there was asked, Why the wailing and weeping? He
made reply: As bidden I waited expectant upon the hill of faithfulness, yet
inhaled not from them that dwell on earth the fragrance of fidelity. Then
summoned to return I beheld, and lo! certain doves of holiness were sore tried
within the claws of the dogs of the earth. Thereupon the Maid of heaven
hastened forth unveiled and resplendent from Her mystic mansion, and asked of
their names, and all were told but one. And when urged, the first letter
thereof was uttered, whereupon the dwellers of the celestial chambers rushed
forth out of their habitation of glory. And whilst the second letter was
pronounced they fell down, one and all, upon the dust. At that moment a voice
was heard from the inmost shrine: "Thus far and no farther." Verily we bear
witness to that which they have done and are now doing.
78. O SON OF MY HANDMAID!
Quaff from the tongue of the merciful the stream of divine mystery, and behold
from the dayspring of divine utterance the unveiled splendour of the day-star
of wisdom. Sow the seeds of My divine wisdom in the pure soil of the heart,
and water them with the waters of certitude, that the hyacinths of knowledge
and wisdom may spring up fresh and green from the holy city of the heart.
79. O SON OF DESIRE!
How long wilt thou soar in the realms of desire? Wings have I bestowed upon
thee, that thou mayest fly to the realms of mystic holiness and not the
regions of satanic fancy. The
comb, too, have I given thee that thou mayest
dress My raven locks, and not lacerate My
throat.
80. 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.
81. O MY SERVANT!
The basest of men are they that yield no fruit
on earth. Such men are verily counted as
among the dead, nay better are the dead in
the sight of God than those idle and worthless
souls.
82. O MY SERVANT!
The best of men are they that earn a livelihood
by their calling and spend upon themselves and
upon their kindred for the love of God, the Lord
of all worlds.
The mystic and wondrous Bride, hidden ere this beneath the
veiling of utterance, hath now, by the grace of God and His
divine favor, been made manifest even as the resplendent light
shed by the beauty of the Beloved. I bear witness, O friends!
that the favor is complete, the argument fulfilled, the proof
manifest and the evidence established. Let it now be seen what
your endeavors in the path of detachment will reveal. In this
wise hath the divine favor been fully vouchsafed unto you
and unto them that are in heaven and on earth. All praise
to God, the Lord of all Worlds.
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