Reality, Soul and the Worlds of God
IV. The Workshop of Interacting Souls
[
Compiler: “The Workshop of Interacting Souls” is a continuation of the “
Life Path of the Soul” in Section III. E., but emphasizing the macrocosmic repercussions and macrocosmic environment of souls’ lives interacting with each other.]
E. God’s Purpose for Man in Fulfillment
1. God Calling Each Soul
[from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh:]
1385.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.
1386.Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths. Take heed that ye do not vacillate in your determination to embrace the truth of this Cause—a Cause through which the potentialities of the might of God have been revealed, and His sovereignty established. With faces beaming with joy, hasten ye unto Him. This is the changeless
Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future. Let him that seeketh, attain it; and as to him that hath refused to seek it—verily, God is Self-Sufficient, above any need of His creatures.
1387.Whatever duty Thou hast prescribed unto Thy servants of extolling to the utmost Thy majesty and glory is but a token of Thy grace unto them, that they may be enabled to ascend unto the station conferred upon their own inmost being, the station of the knowledge of their own selves.
(Bahá’u’lláh:
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection I,
pp. 4-5)
1388.....immerse yourselves in this Ocean in whose depths lay hidden the pearls of wisdom and of utterance, an ocean that surgeth in My name, the All-Merciful.
(Bahá’u’lláh:
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection XIV,
p. 33)
1389.My sorrows are for those who have involved themselves in their corrupt passions, and claim to be associated with the Faith of God, the Gracious, the All-Praised.
(Bahá’u’lláh:
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection XLVI,
p. 100)
1390.Incline your ears, O friends of God, to the voice of Him Whom the world hath wronged, and hold fast unto whatsoever will exalt His Cause. He, verily, guideth whomsoever He pleaseth unto His straight Path. This is a
Revelation that infuseth strength into the feeble, and crowneth with wealth the destitute.
(Bahá’u’lláh:
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection XCII,
pp. 183-184)
1391.It is incumbent upon thee, and upon the followers of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, to summon all men to whatsoever shall sanctify them from all attachment to the things of the earth and purge them from its defilements,....
(Bahá’u’lláh:
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection C,
p. 202)
1392.We verily behold your actions. If We perceive from them the sweet smelling savor of purity and holiness, We will most certainly bless you.
(Bahá’u’lláh:
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection CXLI,
p. 307)
1393.Should any man, in this Day, arise and, with absolute detachment from all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, set his affections on Him Who is the
Day Spring of God’s holy Revelation, he will, verily, be empowered to subdue all created things, through the potency of one of the Names of the Lord, his God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
(Bahá’u’lláh:
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection CXLIX,
p. 319)
1394.Release yourselves, O nightingales of God, from the thorns and brambles of wretchedness and misery, and wing your flight to the rose-garden of unfading splendor. O My friends that dwell upon the dust! Haste forth unto your celestial habitation. Announce unto yourselves the joyful tidings: “He Who is the Best-Beloved is come! He hath crowned Himself with the glory of God’s Revelation, and hath unlocked to the face of men the doors of His ancient
Paradise.” Let all eyes rejoice, and let every ear be gladdened, for now is the time to gaze on His beauty, now is the fit time to hearken to His voice. Proclaim unto every longing lover: “Behold, your Well-Beloved hath come among men!” and to the messengers of the Monarch of love impart the tidings: “Lo, the Adored One hath appeared arrayed in the fullness of His glory!” O lovers of His beauty! Turn the anguish of your separation from Him into the joy of an everlasting reunion, and let the sweetness of His presence dissolve the bitterness of your remoteness from His court.
(Bahá’u’lláh:
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection CLI,
pp. 319-320)
1395.O My servants! My holy, My divinely ordained Revelation may be likened unto an ocean in whose depths are concealed innumerable pearls of great price, of surpassing luster. It is the duty of every seeker to bestir himself and strive to attain the shores of this ocean, so that he may, in proportion to the eagerness of his search and the efforts he hath exerted, partake of such benefits as have been pre-ordained in God’s irrevocable and hidden
Tablets. If no one be willing to direct his steps towards its shores, if every one should fail to arise and find Him, can such a failure be said to have robbed this ocean of its power or to have lessened, to any degree, its treasures? How vain, how contemptible, are the imaginations which your hearts have devised, and are still devising! O My servants! The one true God is My witness! This most great, this fathomless and surging Ocean is near, astonishingly near, unto you. Behold it is closer to you than your life-vein! Swift as the twinkling of an eye ye can, if ye but wish it, reach and partake of this imperishable favor, this God-given grace, this incorruptible gift, this most potent and unspeakably glorious bounty.
(Bahá’u’lláh:
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selection CLIII,
p. 326)
1396.Thou comest from the world of holiness—bind not thine heart to the earth; thou art a dweller in the court of nearness—choose not the homeland of the dust.
(Bahá’u’lláh:
The Seven Valleys and The Four Valleys, “Valley of Contentment”,
p. 35)
1397.Do not busy yourselves in your own concerns; let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts and souls of men. This can best be achieved through pure and holy deeds, through a virtuous life and a goodly behaviour.
(Bahá’u’lláh:
Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, “Lawḥ-i-Dunyá” or “Tablet of the World”,
p. 86)
[from the talks of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (no authority):]
1398.We must look higher than all earthly thoughts; detach ourselves from every material idea, crave for the things of the spirit; fix our eyes on the everlasting bountiful Mercy of the Almighty, who will fill our souls with the gladness of joyful service to His command “Love One Another”.
1399.We must use our utmost endeavors in order that the
Holy Spirit may influence minds and hearts toward peace, the bounties of God surround, the divine effulgences become successive, human souls advance, minds expand in wider vision, souls become more holy and the world of humanity be rid of its great menace.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá:
Promulgation of Universal Peace, “16 September 1912, Talk at Home of Mrs. Corinne True, 5338 Kenmore Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, Notes by Gertrude Buikema”,
p. 322)
1400.Verily, God has chosen you for His love and knowledge; God has chosen you for the worthy service of unifying mankind; God has chosen you for the purpose of investigating reality and promulgating international peace; God has chosen you for the progress and development of humanity, for spreading and proclaiming true education, for the expression of love toward your fellow creatures and the removal of prejudice; God has chosen you to blend together human hearts and give light to the human world. The doors of His generosity are wide, wide open to us; but we must be attentive, alert and mindful, occupied with service to all mankind, appreciating the bestowals of God and ever conforming to His will.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá:
Promulgation of Universal Peace, “24 September 1912, Talk at Home of Mrs. Roberts, Denver, Colorado, From Stenographic Notes”,
pp. 334-335)