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Chapter 24
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Meanings of "dust" in the Baha'i writings.
1)
CXXV. O My brother! When a true seeker determineth to take the step of
search in the path leading unto the knowledge of the Ancient of Days,
he must, before all else, cleanse his heart, which is the seat of the
revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from the obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge, and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy.
He must purge his breast, which is the sanctuary of the abiding love of
the Beloved, of every defilement, and sanctify his soul from all that
pertaineth to water and clay, from all shadowy and ephemeral
attachments. He must so cleanse his heart that no remnant of either
love or hate may linger therein, lest that love blindly incline him to
error, or that hate repel him away from the truth. Even as thou dost
witness in this Day how most of the people, because of such love and
hate, are bereft of the immortal Face, have strayed far from the
Embodiments of the Divine mysteries, and, shepherdless, are roaming
through the wilderness of oblivion and error.
That seeker must, at all times, put his trust in God, must renounce the
peoples of the earth, must detach himself from the world of dust, and
cleave unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords. He must never seek to exalt
himself above any one, must wash away from the tablet of his heart
every trace of pride and vain-glory, must cling unto patience and
resignation, observe silence and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue
is a smoldering fire, and excess of speech a deadly poison. Material
fire consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both
heart and soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time, whilst
the effects of the latter endureth a century.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 264
2)
O army of God! Today, in this world, every people is wandering astray
in its own desert, moving here and there according to the dictates of
its fancies and whims, pursuing its own particular caprice. Amongst all
the teeming masses of the earth, only this community of the Most Great
Name is free and clear of human schemes and hath no selfish purpose to
promote. Alone amongst them all, this people hath arisen with aims
purified of self, following the Teachings of God, most eagerly toiling
and striving toward a single goal: to turn this nether dust into high
heaven, to make of this world a mirror for the Kingdom, to change this
world into a different world, and cause all humankind to adopt the ways
of righteousness and a new manner of life.
O army of God! Through the protection and help vouchsafed by the
Blessed Beauty -- may my life be a sacrifice to His loved ones -- ye
must conduct yourselves in such a manner that ye may stand out
distinguished and brilliant as the sun among other souls. Should any
one of you enter a city, he should become a centre of attraction by
reason of his sincerity, his faithfulness and love, his honesty and
fidelity, his truthfulness and loving-kindness towards all the peoples
of the world, so that the people of that city may cry out and say:
'This man is unquestionably a Bahá'í, for his manners, his behaviour,
his conduct, his morals, his nature, and disposition reflect the
attributes of the Bahá'ís.' Not until ye attain this station can ye be
said to have been faithful to the Covenant and Testament of God. For He
hath, through irrefutable Texts, entered into a binding Covenant with
us all, requiring us to act in accordance with His sacred instructions
and counsels.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 70
3)
The first Taraz 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 Baha must under all circumstances
observe that which is meet and seemly and exhort the people accordingly.
-- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 34
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