Yeshua

Today I read a beautiful quote from the Mathnawi of Rumi, the great Islamic Sufi poet and it inspired me to compose a thread devoted to the best quotes from the Holy Scriptures and devotional writings of all the worlds religions. You may quote from your own religious tradition or that of another. Since this is a Baha'i forum I will begin with one of my all-time favourite sayings of Baha'u'llah - in fact for me it is the most stunning and I reflect on it often:

"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."

Amen So true and wise.

Here is the wondrous Sufi adage - courtesy of the infinite wisdom and insight of Rumi - which really touched me this morning and fired off my imagination:

Didn’t I say, "Don’t sit with sad companions?"
Don’t sit with anyone but those whose hearts are glad.
Since you are in the garden, don’t go to thorns.
Sit amidst the roses, jonquils, and jasmine.

Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, Quatrain 1518
Translated by Kabir Helminski

What a wonderfully optimistic outlook on life! :wub

One may also, if they so wish, post quotations ABOUT one of the World's Great Religions. I will initiate this by quoting the words of one of the world's most eminent and spirit-filled followers of Jesus, the Christian Leo Tolstoy, who said of the Baha'i Faith:

We spend our lives trying to unlock the mystery of the universe, but there was a Turkish prisoner, Bahá'u'lláh, in Akka, Palestine who had the Key. ~ Leo Tolstoy

Tolstoy also described the Baha'i Faith as "the highest and purest form of religious teaching."

(Some of you may be interested in the book, "Leo Tolstoy And The Baha'i Faith" http://www.amazon.com/Tolstoy-Bahai-.../dp/0853982155)

bwb

You should sit with a sad companion to cheer him/her up though.

"When you meet a Persian or any other stranger, speak to him as to a friend; if he seems to be lonely try to help him, give him of your willing service; if he be sad console him, if poor succour him, if oppressed rescue him, if in misery comfort him. In so doing you will manifest that not in words only, but in deed and in truth, you think of all men as your brothers."

(Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 16)


When I read the following quotation of Baha'u'llah, I think of you, Yeshua. Thank goodness that you are a part of this forum, because you are such a good example and positive contrast to people who feel that religious differences have to be a cause of unfriendliness and discord.

"Through each and every one of the verses which the Pen of the Most High hath revealed, the doors of love and unity have been unlocked and flung open to the face of men. We have erewhile declared -- and Our Word is the truth -- : "Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship." Whatsoever hath led the children of men to shun one another, and hath caused dissensions and divisions amongst them, hath, through the revelation of these words, been nullified and abolished."

(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 94)

bwb

Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity.
Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face.
Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer of the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge.
Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech.
Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men.
Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression.
Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts.
Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive.
Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring.
Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility.

(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 284)

Yeshua

Amen BWB :wub Beautiful wisdom from Baha'u'llah and Abdul-Baha indeed. And thank you, I am very touched by your words. I say the same for you, who are a shinning example of Baha'u'llah's message of religious love and unity in action. Bless you dear friend. And yes, I agree with Abdul-Baha - it reminds me of the one of the sayings of the Apostle Paul. We are to "rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15) and also the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

bwb

Here is a Bible quotation about love that I find very meaningful:

St. Paul, 1 Corinthians
"13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.

13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.

13:4 Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

13:8 Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Yeshua

Incredible wisdom :wub And the poetic prose is just stunning.

Yeshua

Ah yes. That is one of my all time favourite teachings of St Paul. At this moment in his life he really did connect with the Divine in a close way. Love is indeed the greatest of all emotions. Leo Tolstoy hit the nail on the head when he said: "Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is, everything exists, only because I love. Everything is united by it alone. Love is God, and to die means that I, a particle of love, shall return to the general and eternal source.
Leo Tolstoy in War and Peace (1865-1869)

But Rumi expressedit most succinctly and candidly I think when he said, "Looking at my life
I see that only Love
Has been my soul’s companion
From deep inside
My soul cries out:
Do not wait, surrender
For the sake of Love" :wub:wub:wub

Yeshua

"The world of humanity has two wings -- one is women and the other men. Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly. Should one wing remain weak, flight is impossible. Not until the world of women becomes equal to the world of men in the acquisition of virtues and perfections, can success and prosperity be attained as they ought to be."
-Baha'u'llah

bwb

A one-winged bird is definitely a sad case. When it tries to fly it just falls over.

"2115. The woman of the East has progressed. Formerly in India, Persia and throughout the Orient, she was not considered a human being. Certain Arab tribes counted their women in with the live stock. In their language the noun for woman also meant donkey; that is, the same name applied to both and a man's wealth was accounted by the number of these beasts of burden he possessed. The worst insult one could hurl at a man was to cry out, "Thou woman!"

From the moment Bahá'u'lláh appeared, this changed. He did away with the idea of distinction between the sexes, proclaiming them equal in every capacity. In former times it was considered wiser that woman should not know how to read or write; she should occupy herself only with drudgery. She was very ignorant. Bahá'u'lláh declares the education of woman to be of more importance than that of man. If the mother be ignorant, even if the father have great knowledge, the child's education will be at fault, for education begins with the milk. A child at the breast is like a tender branch that the gardener can train as he wills. The East has begun to educate its women. Some there are in Persia who have become liberated through this cause, whose cleverness and eloquence the 'ulama cannot refute. Many of them are poets. They are absolutely fearless. I hope for a like degree of progress among the women of Europe -- that each may shine like unto a lamp; that they may cry out the proclamation of the kingdom; that they may truly assist the men; nay, that they may be even superior to the men, versed in sciences and yet detached, so that the whole world may bear witness to the fact that men and women have absolutely the same rights. It would be a cause of great joy for me to see such women. This is useful work; by it woman will enter into the kingdom. Otherwise, there will be no results."

("'Abdu'l-Bahá on Divine Philosophy" (Boston: Tudor Press, 1918), pp. 81-83)
(Compilations, The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 368)

bwb

Does a Manifestation of God always have to be a man? Maybe the next Manifestation of God will be a woman. That is a theory among some Baha'is, based on this passage in Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah. It is quite a beautiful word picture of an ideal woman and also refers to her being a victim of persecution.

"Say: Step out of Thy holy chamber, O Maid of Heaven, inmate of the Exalted Paradise! Drape thyself in whatever manner pleaseth Thee in the silken Vesture of Immortality, and put on, in the name of the All-Glorious, the broidered Robe of Light. Hear, then, the sweet, the wondrous accent of the Voice that cometh from the Throne of Thy Lord, the Inaccessible, the Most High. Unveil Thy face, and manifest the beauty of the black-eyed Damsel, and suffer not the servants of God to be deprived of the light of Thy shining countenance. Grieve not if Thou hearest the sighs of the dwellers of the earth, or the voice of the lamentation of the denizens of heaven. Leave them to perish on the dust of extinction. Let them be reduced to nothingness, inasmuch as the flame of hatred hath been kindled within their breasts. Intone, then, before the face of the peoples of earth and heaven, and in a most melodious voice, the anthem of praise, for a remembrance of Him Who is the King of the names and attributes of God. Thus have We decreed Thy destiny. Well able are We to achieve Our purpose.

Beware that Thou divest not Thyself, Thou Who art the Essence of Purity, of Thy robe of effulgent glory. Nay, enrich Thyself increasingly, in the kingdom of creation, with the incorruptible vestures of Thy God, that the beauteous image of the Almighty may be reflected through Thee in all created things and the grace of Thy Lord be infused in the plenitude of its power into the entire creation."

(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 283)

If the next Manifestation of God is going to be a woman, then the Maiden who appeared to Baha'u'llah in a vision at the beginning of His mission may have really been the next Manifestation of God who will appear 1000 or more years in the future. The idea that her compassion on Baha'u'llah was so intense that it broke the laws of time itself when she travelled back in time 1000 years to console Baha'u'llah during His tribulations and loneliness in prison is a very charming fantasy for me.

"In His Suratu'l-Haykal (the Surih of the Temple) He thus describes those breathless moments when the Maiden, symbolizing the "Most Great Spirit" proclaimed His mission to the entire creation: "While engulfed in tribulations I heard a most wondrous, a most sweet voice, calling above My head. Turning My face, I beheld a Maiden -- the embodiment of the remembrance of the name of My Lord -- suspended in the air before Me. So rejoiced was she in her very soul that her countenance shone with the ornament of the good-pleasure of God, and her cheeks glowed with the brightness of the All-Merciful. Betwixt earth and heaven she was raising a call which captivated the hearts and minds of men. She was imparting to both My inward and outer being tidings which rejoiced My soul, and the souls of God's honored servants.""

(Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 101)

"The Word of God is sanctified from time. The past, the present, the future, all, in relation to God, are equal. Yesterday, today, tomorrow do not exist in the sun."

(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 116)

"For God the end is the same thing as the beginning. So the reckoning of days, weeks, months and years, of yesterday and today, is connected with the terrestrial globe; but in the sun there is no such thing -- there is neither yesterday, today nor tomorrow, neither months nor years: all are equal."

(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 152)

"God hath sent down His Messengers to succeed to Moses and Jesus, and He will continue to do so till 'the end that hath no end'; so that His grace may, from the heaven of Divine bounty, be continually vouchsafed to mankind."

(Baha'u'llah, The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 116)

bwb

I was feeling depressed, by the way, before you started this thread, so thankyou for cheering me up and keeping me company with a quotations thread.

BruceDLimber

Here are several of my favorites!:

From the Jewish scriptures:

Deuteronomy 30:19 "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live!

From the Hindu scriptures:

Bhagavad Gita 9:11 "Whenever there is a decline in righteousness..., and the rise of religion, it is then that I send forth My spirit.
"For the salvation of the good, the destruction of the evil-doers, and for firmly establishing righteousness, I manifest myself from age to age."

And this one is sometimes called the "Baha'i Beatitudes":

“… Say: Blessed the slumberer who is awakened by My Breeze. Blessed the lifeless one who is quickened through My reviving breaths. Blessed the eye that is solaced by gazing at My beauty. Blessed the wayfarer who directeth his steps towards the Tabernacle of My glory and majesty. Blessed the distressed one who seeketh refuge beneath the shadow of My canopy. Blessed the sore athirst who hasteneth to the soft-flowing waters of My loving-kindness. Blessed the insatiate soul who casteth away his selfish desires for love of Me and taketh his place at the banquet table which I have sent down from the heaven of divine bounty for My chosen ones. Blessed the abased one who layeth fast hold on the cord of My glory; and the needy one who entereth beneath the shadow of the Tabernacle of My wealth. Blessed the ignorant one who seeketh the fountain of My knowledge; and the heedless one who cleaveth to the cord of My remembrance. Blessed the soul that hath been raised to life through My quickening breath and hath gained admittance into My heavenly Kingdom. Blessed the man whom the sweet savours of reunion with Me have stirred and caused to draw nigh unto the Dayspring of My Revelation. Blessed the ear that hath heard 17 and the tongue that hath borne witness and the eye that hath seen and recognized the Lord Himself, in His great glory and majesty, invested with grandeur and dominion. Blessed are they that have attained His presence. Blessed the man who hath sought enlightenment from the Day-Star of My Word. Blessed he who hath attired his head with the diadem of My love. Blessed is he who hath heard of My grief and hath arisen to aid Me among My people. Blessed is he who hath laid down his life in My path and hath borne manifold hardships for the sake of My Name. Blessed the man who, assured of My Word, hath arisen from among the dead to celebrate My praise. Blessed is he that hath been enraptured by My wondrous melodies and hath rent the veils asunder through the potency of My might. Blessed is he who hath remained faithful to My Covenant, and whom the things of the world have not kept back from attaining My Court of holiness. Blessed is the man who hath detached himself from all else but Me, hath soared in the atmosphere of My love, hath gained admittance into My Kingdom, gazed upon My realms of glory, quaffed the living waters of My bounty, hath drunk his fill from the heavenly river of My loving providence, acquainted himself with My Cause, apprehended that which I concealed within the treasury of My Words, and hath shone forth from the horizon of divine knowledge engaged in My praise and glorification. Verily, he is of Me. Upon him rest My mercy, My loving-kindness, My bounty and My glory. “
--"Lawh-i-Aqdas" (aka "Tablet to the Christians"), Tablets of Baha’u’llah, pp. 16-17.

Best! :-)

Bruce

bwb

I say a little prayer for God to bless and help any present-day Mary Magdelenes out there. (Mary Magdelene was never a prostitute, BTW. That is a myth that the Roman Catholic church has retracted and apologized for.)

"O thou maidservant of God! Every woman who becometh the maidservant of God outshineth in glory the empresses of the world, for she is related to God, and her sovereignty is everlasting, whereas a handful of dust will obliterate the name and fame of those empresses. In other words, as soon as they go down to the grave they are reduced to naught. The maidservants of God's Kingdom, on the other hand, enjoy eternal sovereignty unaffected by the passing of ages and generations.

Consider how many empresses have come and gone since the time of Christ. Each was the ruler of a country but now all trace and name of them is lost, while Mary Magdalene, who was only a peasant and a maidservant of God, still shineth from the horizon of everlasting glory. Strive thou, therefore, to remain the maidservant of God."

(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 122)



"Praise be to God, the hosts of the Supreme Concourse secure the victory and the power of the Kingdom is ready to assist and to support. Should ye at every instant unloosen the tongue in thanksgiving and gratitude, ye would not be able to discharge yourselves of the obligation of gratitude for these bestowals.

Consider: eminent personages whose fame hath spread all over the world shall, erelong, fade into utter nothingness as the result of their deprivation of this heavenly bounty; no name and no fame shall they leave behind, and of them no fruit and trace shall survive. But as the effulgences of the Sun of Truth have dawned forth upon you and ye have attained everlasting life, ye shall shine and sparkle forevermore from the horizon of existence.

Peter was a fisherman and Mary Magdalene a peasant, but as they were specially favoured with the blessings of Christ, the horizon of their faith became illumined, and down to the present day they are shining from the horizon of everlasting glory. "

(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 104)

Yeshua

Bless you BWB. I am delighted that I cheered you up. I will pray for you that whatever anxiety is afflicting you and making you feel depressed dissipates. :wub As Joel Osteen said ,"Troubles are inevitable but misery is optional". Recall the words of the Apostle Paul, meditate upon them, let their message sink into you: "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed". You must foster this attitude at all times within your soul. God will vindicate you in the end and as that beautiful short Baha'i obligatory prayer says, he be your "Help in Peril". God's love and support for you in the dark hours of your life is assured. Whenever I am sad I usually reflect on the Beatitudes of Jesus. (The Baha'i Beatitudes Bruce quoted are wonderful btw, so deep and intuitive)

Here is a good translation of Jesus' words, two of the beatitudes which are relevent to you right now:

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.

Blessed are you when men hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that
is how their fathers treated the prophets.

Blessed are you dear BWB, because you mourn - for God is comforting you with showers of heavenly joy even from the moment in which the first pang of sadness enters your heart! :wub

Orthodox

Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a narration of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 according as they have delivered them unto us, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word: 3 It seemed good to me also, having diligently attained to all things from the beginning, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may know the verity of those words in which you have been instructed.

Luke 1:1-4

I enjoy this passage as it displays the historical efforts Luke has gone through in order to write down an orderly account for THeopholois, is truely one the most defining elements of the Gospel and Gospels collectively.

In the beginning was the Word: and the Word was with God: and the Word was God.

JOhn 1.1

This verse perfectly expounds the triune God that is the word who is Christ was God and was with God the father. And the rest of the chapter is brilliant in terms of explaining God's incarnation.

Just a few verses I love and use the most.

bwb

TRUE SEEKER OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND THE CITY OF GOD - from the Kitab-Iqan by Baha'u'llah

But, O my brother, when a true seeker determineth to take the step of search in the path leading to the knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he must, before all else, cleanse and purify 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, 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 vainglory, must cling unto patience and resignation, observe silence, and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue is a smouldering 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 endure a century.

That seeker should also regard backbiting as grievous error, and keep himself aloof from its dominion, inasmuch as backbiting quencheth the light of the heart, and extinguisheth the life of the soul. He should be content with little, and be freed from all inordinate desire. He should treasure the companionship of those that have renounced the world, and regard avoidance of boastful and worldly people a precious benefit. At the dawn of every day he should commune with God, and with all his soul persevere in the quest of his Beloved. He should consume every wayward thought with the flame of His loving mention, and, with the swiftness of lightning, pass by all else save Him. He should succour the dispossessed, and never withhold his favour from the destitute. He should show kindness to animals, how much more unto his fellow-man, to him who is endowed with the power of utterance. He should not hesitate to offer up his life for his Beloved, nor allow the censure of the people to turn him away from the Truth. He should not wish for others that which he doth not wish for himself, nor promise that which he doth not fulfil. With all his heart should the seeker avoid fellowship with evil doers, and pray for the remission of their sins. He should forgive the sinful, and never despise his low estate, for none knoweth what his own end shall be. How often hath a sinner, at the hour of death, attained to the essence of faith, and, quaffing the immortal draught, hath taken his flight unto the celestial Concourse. And how often hath a devout believer, at the hour of his soul's ascension, been so changed as to fall into the nethermost fire. Our purpose in revealing these convincing and weighty utterances is to impress upon the seeker that he should regard all else beside God as transient, and count all things save Him, Who is the Object of all adoration, as utter nothingness.

These are among the attributes of the exalted, and constitute the hall-mark of the spiritually-minded. They have already been mentioned in connection with the requirements of the wayfarers that tread the Path of Positive Knowledge. When the detached wayfarer and sincere seeker hath fulfilled these essential conditions, then and only then can he be called a true seeker. Whensoever he hath fulfilled the conditions implied in the verse: "Whoso maketh efforts for Us,"[1] he shall enjoy the blessing conferred by the words: "In Our ways shall We assuredly guide him."[2]
[1 Qur'án 29:69.]
[2 Ibid.]

Only when the lamp of search, of earnest striving, of longing desire, of passionate devotion, of fervid love, of rapture, and ecstasy, is kindled within the seeker's heart, and the breeze of His loving-kindness is wafted upon his soul, will the darkness of error be dispelled, the mists of doubts and misgivings be dissipated, and the lights of knowledge and certitude envelop his being. At that hour will the mystic Herald, bearing the joyful tidings of the Spirit, shine forth from the City of God resplendent as the morn, and, through the trumpet-blast of knowledge, will awaken the heart, the soul, and the spirit from the slumber of negligence. Then will the manifold favours and outpouring grace of the holy and everlasting Spirit confer such new life upon the seeker that he will find himself endowed with a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, and a new mind. He will contemplate the manifest signs of the universe, and will penetrate the hidden mysteries of the soul. Gazing with the eye of God, he will perceive within every atom a door that leadeth him to the stations of absolute certitude. He will discover in all things the mysteries of divine Revelation and the evidences of an everlasting manifestation.

I swear by God! Were he that treadeth the path of guidance and seeketh to scale the heights of righteousness to attain unto this glorious and supreme station, he would inhale at a distance of a thousand leagues the fragrance of God, and would perceive the resplendent morn of a divine Guidance rising above the dayspring of all things. Each and every thing, however small, would be to him a revelation, leading him to his Beloved, the Object of his quest. So great shall be the discernment of this seeker that he will discriminate between truth and falsehood even as he doth distinguish the sun from shadow. If in the uttermost corners of the East the sweet savours of God be wafted, he will assuredly recognize and inhale their fragrance, even though he be dwelling in the uttermost ends of the West. He will likewise clearly distinguish all the signs of God -- His wondrous utterances, His great works, and mighty deeds -- from the doings, words and ways of men, even as the jeweller who knoweth the gem from the stone, or the man who distinguisheth the spring from autumn and heat from cold. When the channel of the human soul is cleansed of all worldly and impeding attachments, it will unfailingly perceive the breath of the Beloved across immeasurable distances, and will, led by its perfume, attain and enter the City of Certitude. Therein he will discern the wonders of His ancient wisdom, and will perceive all the hidden teachings from the rustling leaves of the Tree -- which flourisheth in that City. With both his inner and his outer ear he will hear from its dust the hymns of glory and praise ascending unto the Lord of Lords, and with his inner eye will he discover the mysteries of "return" and "revival." How unspeakably glorious are the signs, the tokens, the revelations, and splendours which He Who is the King of names and attributes hath destined for that City! The attainment of this City quencheth thirst without water, and kindleth the love of God without fire. Within every blade of grass are enshrined the mysteries of an inscrutable wisdom, and upon every rose-bush a myriad nightingales pour out, in blissful rapture, their melody. Its wondrous tulips unfold the mystery of the undying Fire in the Burning Bush, and its sweet savours of holiness breathe the perfume of the Messianic Spirit. It bestoweth wealth without gold, and conferreth immortality without death. In every leaf ineffable delights are treasured, and within every chamber unnumbered mysteries lie hidden.

They that valiantly labour in quest of God's will, when once they have renounced all else but Him, will be so attached and wedded to that City that a moment's separation from it would to them be unthinkable. They will hearken unto infallible proofs from the Hyacinth of that assembly, and receive the surest testimonies from the beauty of its Rose and the melody of its Nightingale. Once in about a thousand years shall this City be renewed and re-adorned.

Wherefore, O my friend, it behooveth Us to exert the highest endeavour to attain unto that City, and, by the grace of God and His loving-kindness, rend asunder the "veils of glory"; so that, with inflexible steadfastness, we may sacrifice our drooping souls in the path of the New Beloved. We should with tearful eyes, fervently and repeatedly, implore Him to grant us the favour of that grace. That city is none other than the Word of God revealed in every age and dispensation. In the days of Moses it was the Pentateuch; in the days of Jesus the Gospel; in the days of Muhammad the Messenger of God the Qur'án; in this day the Bayan; and in the dispensation of Him Whom God will make manifest His own Book -- the Book unto which all the Books of former Dispensations must needs be referred, the Book which standeth amongst them all transcendent and supreme. In these cities spiritual sustenance is bountifully provided, and incorruptible delights have been ordained. The food they bestow is the bread of heaven, and the Spirit they impart is God's imperishable blessing. Upon detached souls they bestow the gift of Unity, enrich the destitute, and offer the cup of knowledge unto them who wander in the wilderness of ignorance. All the guidance, the blessings, the learning, the understanding, the faith, and certitude, conferred upon all that is in heaven and on earth, are hidden and treasured within these Cities.

(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 198)

bwb

Shoghi Effendi, apparently commenting on part of the previous quotation:

"4 October 1950

We must never take one sentence in the Teachings and isolate it from the rest: it does not mean we must not love, but we must reach a spiritual plane where God comes first and great human passions are unable to turn us away from Him. All the time we see people who either through the force of hate or the passionate attachment they have to another person, sacrifice principle or bar themselves from the Path of God.

We know absence of light is darkness, but no one would assert darkness was not a fact. It exists even though it is only the absence of something else. So evil exists too, and we cannot close our eyes to it, even though it is a negative existence. We must seek to supplant it by good, and if we see an evil person is not influenceable by us, then we should shun his company for it is unhealthy.

We must love God, and in this state a general love for all men becomes possible. We cannot love each human being for himself, but our feeling towards humanity should be motivated by our love for the Father who created all men."

(Shoghi Effendi, The Unfolding Destiny of the British Baha'i Community, p. 457)

bwb

An everlasting love which is worth more than anything, an eternal treasure which is attained by following the narrow path of righteousness:

"In like manner, it is related that on a certain day, one of the companions of Sadiq complained of his poverty before him. Whereupon, Sadiq, that immortal beauty, made reply: "Verily thou art rich, and hast drunk the draught of wealth." That poverty-stricken soul was perplexed at the words uttered by that luminous countenance, and said: "Where are my riches, I who stand in need of a single coin?" Sadiq thereupon observed: "Dost thou not possess our love?" He replied: "Yea, I possess it, O thou scion of the Prophet of God!" And Sadiq asked him saying: "Exchangest thou this love for one thousand dinars?" He answered: "Nay, never will I exchange it, though the world and all that is therein be given me!" Then Sadiq remarked: "How can he who possesses such a treasure be called poor?""

(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 131)

THERE is no paradise, in the estimation of the believers in the Divine Unity, more exalted than to obey God's commandments, and there is no fire in the eyes of those who have known God and His signs, fiercer than to transgress His laws and to oppress another soul, even to the extent of a mustard seed.

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 78)

bwb

"On the last day in New York I had my final personal interview with Him. I was saying good-bye and my heart was sad. Haltingly, I expressed this sorrow that He was leaving the country and that, in all probability, I should never see Him again. We were standing. It was actually the last good-bye. 'Abdu'l-Bahá laid His arm across my shoulders and walked with me to the door, saying that I should be with Him in all the worlds of God. And then He laughed-a hearty, ringing laugh-and I: my eyes blinded with tears.-"Why does He laugh?" I thought. Nevertheless, these words, and even more, the tone in which they were uttered, and His joyous laughter, have been an illuminating light upon my path through all these years."

(Howard Colby Ives, Portals to Freedom, p. 193)

bwb

"Strive ye by day and night to cultivate your unity to the fullest degree. Let your thoughts dwell on your own spiritual development, and close your eyes to the deficiencies of other souls. Act ye in such wise, showing forth pure and goodly deeds, and modesty and humility, that ye will cause others to be awakened.

Never is it the wish of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to see any being hurt, nor will He make anyone to grieve; for man can receive no greater gift than this, that he rejoice another's heart. I beg of God that ye will be bringers of joy, even as are the angels in Heaven."

(Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, sec. 174, pp. 203-204)

bwb

Thankyou very much for your kind words of comfort and Bible quotations, Yeshua. Your positivity really does benefit my state of mind.
And here is a good quotation from 'Abdu'l-Baha about suffering for you and for everyone:


God alone ordereth all things and is all-powerful. Why then does He send trials to His servants?

The trials of man are of two kinds. (a) The consequences of his own actions. If a man eats too much, he ruins his digestion; if he takes poison he becomes ill or dies. If a person gambles he will lose his money; if he drinks too much he will lose his equilibrium. All these sufferings are caused by the man himself, it is quite clear therefore that certain sorrows are the result of our own deeds. (b) Other sufferings there are, which come upon the Faithful of God. Consider the great sorrows endured by Christ and by His apostles!

Those who suffer most, attain to the greatest perfection.

Those who declare a wish to suffer much for Christ's sake must prove their sincerity; those who proclaim their longing to make great sacrifices can only prove their truth by their deeds. Job proved the fidelity of his love for God by being faithful through his great adversity, as well as during the prosperity of his life. The apostles of Christ who steadfastly bore all their trials and sufferings -- did they not prove their faithfulness? Was not their endurance the best proof?

These griefs are now ended.

Caiaphas lived a comfortable and happy life while Peter's life was full of sorrow and trial; which of these two is the more enviable? Assuredly we should choose the present state of Peter, for he possesses immortal life whilst Caiaphas has won eternal shame. The trials of Peter tested his fidelity. Tests are benefits from God, for which we should thank Him. Grief and sorrow do not come to us by chance, they are sent to us by the Divine Mercy for our own perfecting.

While a man is happy he may forget his God; but when grief comes and sorrows overwhelm him, then will he remember his Father who is in Heaven, and who is able to deliver him from his humiliations.

Men who suffer not, attain no perfection. The plant most pruned by the gardeners is that one which, when the summer comes, will have the most beautiful blossoms and the most abundant fruit.

The labourer cuts up the earth with his plough, and from that earth comes the rich and plentiful harvest. The more a man is chastened, the greater is the harvest of spiritual virtues shown forth by him. A soldier is no good General until he has been in the front of the fiercest battle and has received the deepest wounds.

The prayer of the prophets of God has always been, and still is: Oh God, I long to lay down my life in the path to Thee! I desire to shed my blood for Thee, and to make the supreme sacrifice.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 49)

bwb

The world in its current state is "the world of Satan", (which very much agrees with my own negative perception of the world's condition) but 'Abdu'l-Baha says that it will "become the world of Angels".(Thank heavens, I'm looking forward to seeing what that will be like!)


"I desire for you all that you will have this great assistance and partake of this great bounty, and that in spirit and heart you will strive and endeavor until the world of war become the world of peace; the world of darkness the world of light; satanic conduct be turned into heavenly behavior; the ruined places become built up; the sword be turned into the olive branch; the flash of hatred become the flame of the love of God and the noise of the gun the voice of the Kingdom; the soldiers of death the soldiers of life; all the nations of the world one nation; all races as one race; and all national anthems harmonized into one melody.

Then this material realm will be Paradise, the earth Heaven, and the world of Satan become the world of Angels."

(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v1, p. 39)

whine of astonsihment

I find the following very relevant to the current profoundly sad state of affairs in the world.:dry


"Were men to strictly observe that which the Pen of the Most High hath revealed in the Crimson Book, they could then well afford to dispense with the regulations which prevail in the world."

(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 90)



"The spirit of liberty which in recent decades has swept over the planet with such tempestuous force is a manifestation of the vibrancy of the Revelation brought by Baha'u'llah. His own words confirm it. "The Ancient Beauty," He wrote in a soul-stirring commentary on His sufferings, "hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty."

Might it not be reasonably concluded, then, that "true liberty" is His gift of love to the human race? Consider what Baha'u'llah has done: He revealed laws and principles to guide the free; He established an Order to channel the actions of the free; He proclaimed a Covenant to guarantee the unity of the free.

Thus, we hold to this ultimate perspective: Baha'u'llah came to set humanity free. His Revelation is, indeed, an invitation to freedom -- freedom from want, freedom from war, freedom to unite, freedom to progress, freedom in peace and joy.

You who live in a land where freedom is so highly prized have not, the, to dispense with its fruits, but you are challenged and do have the obligation to uphold and vindicate the distinction between the license that limits your possibilities for genuine progress and the moderation that ensures the enjoyment of true liberty."

(The Universal House of Justice)

bwb

Hi there Penny/Whine ,

"The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty. He hath drained to its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the peoples of the earth may attain unto abiding joy, and be filled with gladness. This is of the mercy of your Lord, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful. We have accepted to be abased, O believers in the Unity of God, that ye may be exalted, and have suffered manifold afflictions, that ye might prosper and flourish. He Who hath come to build anew the whole world, behold, how they that have joined partners with God have forced Him to dwell within the most desolate of cities!"

(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 99)

Essence of GOD

!!!BE ADMONISHED, O POSSESSORS OF INTELLIGENCE!!!

"Nature is subjected to absolute organization."

"God is the origin of perfection."

"The root of the exaltation of man is the good attribute and virtues which are the adornments of his reality."

"(in baptism) the water is knowledge and life, and the fire is love of God."

"All sin comes from the demand of nature."

"Adam signifies the heavenly spirit, and Eve the human soul,... the serpent is attachment to the human world."

"Divine essence surrounds all things."

"When once the human soul has come to existence, it is eternal" (divine sign)

"When imperfections reach the station of perfection, they become eternal."

"All that is composed of elements will necessarily be decomposed and dispersed.

"In the world of God there is no past, no future and NO PRESENT, all are one."

"The spirit surrounds the body and is aware of its sensations and powers."

"The most noble being on earth is man."

"Religion is the essential connection which proceeds from the realities of things."

"This universe has no beginning." (no big bang?)

"Amongst all creatures, Man is the sum of all existing perfections."

"All beings are connected together like a chain."

"The world of existence--that is to say, this ENDLESS universe--has no beginning."

"Existence is eternal."

"The composition of elements in the body of man is more perfect than the composition of any other being."

"Man can resist nature while all other creatures are captives of nature."

"Without man the perfections of divinity would not appear."

"...the reality of man is THE collective reality."

"Divinity of God is the sum of all perfections."

"the essence of ONENESS is the gathering of ALL perfections."

"MAN is the REPRESENTATIVE of God."

"The object of existence is the appearance of the perfections of God."

"The human spirit is a divine TRUST."

"The passage and movement of the human spirit through the conditions of existence will be the means of it acquiring perfections."

"Existence does not become absolute nonexistence and vise versa."

"The MIND is the POWER of the Human SPIRIT."

"In creation there is no evil; all is Good."

"Foundation of all evil , is LYING."

"The inner Essence of anything is not comprehended, but only its qualities."

"The spirit of man is not in the body."

"Man is the end of imperfection, and the beginning of perfection."

"The foundation of success and salvation is the knowledge of God, and that the results of the knowledge of God are the good actions which are the fruits of faith."

"The rational soul is the Substance, and the body depends on it." (not the other way around)

"The meaning of eternal life is the gift of the holy spirit."

"Evil is nothingness"

"Good exists; evil is nonexistent."

"The tent of existence is upheld upon the pillar of JUSTICE and not forgiveness."

"Real existence is all things, but not one of the things."

"The knower, the knowledge and all things known are all one single reality."

"Knowledge is preexistent."

"All thing exist by the Unity."

"The Knowledge of God is the greatest glory of human world."

"The fruit of Human existence is the love of God, for this love is the spirit of life, and the eternal bounty."

"Goodwill is absolute light."

*** "If to the knowledge of God is joined the love of God, And attraction, ecstasy and goodwill, a righteous action is then perfect and complete." ***


All quotes from Some Answered Questions by Abdul-Baha

Yeshua

I love this quote from Rumi:

Be careful not to regret the past. Be a Sufi, don't talk of the past. You are the son of the moment, you are young,you have vanquished time. This short present moment must not be wasted.

I find it so very inspiring. Whenever I feel low or sad I will reflect upon it.

Yeshua

I adore this saying!

It comes from the Gospel of Thomas and other early Christian sources:

Yeshua said: I stood in the midst of the world, and incarnate I was manifest to them. I found them all drunk, I found none among them athirst. And my soul was grieved for the sons of men, for they are blind in their hearts and do not see that empty they have come into the world and that empty they are destined to come forth again from the world. However, now they are drunk—when they have shaken off their wine, then shall they rethink

SomeGuy

" The more we search for ourselves, the less likely we are to find ourselves: and the more we search for God, and to serve our fellow-me, the more profoundly we will become acquainted with ourselves, and the more inwardly assured. This is one of the great spiritual laws of life

Yeshua

Science can purify religion from error and superstition. Religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes. - Pope John Paul II

arthra

The third principle or teaching of Bahá’u’lláh is the oneness of religion and science. Any religious belief which is not conformable with scientific proof and investigation is superstition, for true science is reason and reality, and religion is essentially reality and pure reason; therefore, the two must correspond.

"Religious teaching which is at variance with science and reason is human invention and imagination unworthy of acceptance, for the antithesis and opposite of knowledge is superstition born of the ignorance of man. If we say religion is opposed to science, we lack knowledge of either true science or true religion, for both are founded upon the premises and conclusions of reason, and both must bear its test.

~ Abdul-Baha

Promulgation of Universal Peace p. 470

Yeshua

Christ has no body on earth but yours; no hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassionately on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours - Saint Teresa of Avila, mystical Doctor of the Church

St Teresa's mystical experience is characterized by a sense of oneness. Our eyes ARE Christ's beholding this world.

This experience was described by Teresa as, "a conciousness of the presence of God of such a kind that I could not possibly doubt that God was within me and I was totally engulfed in him".

The eye with which I see God is the same eye with which God sees me - Meister Eckhart

In the days ahead you will either be a mystic (one who has experienced God for real) or nothing at all - Karl Rahner

The finger pointing in the direction of the moon is not the moon - Zen Master

We do not believe in formulas but in the realities they express - The Catechism of the Catholic Church

God is Spirit and they that worship him worship him in spirit and truth - John 4:24

Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus Our Lord! - Romans 8:38-39

Yeshua

Just as a mother would protect her only child at the risk of her own life, even so, cultivate a boundless heart towards all beings. Let your thouhts of boundless love pervade the whole world - Sutta Nipata 149-150

Is that not just stunning? The Sutta Nipata is considered by some scholars to be the oldest of all Buddhist scriptures. Others agree that it contains much very early material, so we can conclude that The Blessed One, Gautama Buddha probably said this.

The Dhammapada is also thought to be among the oldest Buddhist scriptures and thus probably mostly or at least in part stemming from the actual Buddha:

All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him, as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage. 2. All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him. 5. For hatred does not cease by hatred at any time: hatred ceases by love, this is an old rule

Pollwr

"1:4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

1:5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

1:6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

1:7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.

1:8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun."

from the Old Testament
I think I like the sense of perspective given here.

Yeshua

I suggest you read this book: Amazon.com: Ecclesiastes: Annotated & Explained (Skylight Illuminations Series) (9781594732874): Rami Shapiro, Barbara Cawthorne Crafton: Books

It is a commentary on the Book of Eccelsiastes by Rabbi Rami Shapiro.

Description of the book:

Twenty-three hundred years ago an unnamed Hebrew sage known only as Koheleth, the Teacher, rocked the ancient Jewish world with a critique of society that shattered conventional notions of God, piety, politics and power.
Beginning with its opening broadside, "Hevel havalim!"--not futility or vanity as most translations would have it, but "breath, vapor and impermanence," Ecclesiastes teaches you how to live in a world where nothing lasts and justice is illusory; a world devoted to accumulating power, wealth, pleasure and even knowledge that leaves you drowning in anxiety and needless suffering.
Neither revelation nor prophecy, Ecclesiastes is a rational and countercultural guide to living with joy in the midst of uncertainty and insecurity. Ecclesiastes' God demands neither sacrifice nor adherence to commandments, but offers instead a practical lifestyle rooted in moderation, meaningful work, and friendship.
Rami Shapiro's translation of and commentary on Ecclesiastes restores this ancient text to its timeless placeas a guide to living sanely in an often insane world.

Yeshua

The inner purpose of human sexuality is to regain wholeness and manifest the oneness of God - Daniel Chanan Matt (Jewish Zohar translator)

Orthodox

Not from the scripture but I love St Cyril of Jeruselum

On the Body and Blood of Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:23

I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, how that the Lord Jesus, in the night in which He was betrayed, took bread, etc.

1. Even of itself the teaching of the Blessed Paul is sufficient to give you a full assurance concerning those Divine Mysteries, of which having been deemed worthy, you have become of the same body and blood with Christ. For you have just heard him say distinctly, That our Lord Jesus Christ in the night in which He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks He broke it, and gave to His disciples, saying, Take, eat, this is My Body: and having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, Take, drink, this is My Blood. Since then He Himself declared and said of the Bread, This is My Body, who shall dare to doubt any longer? And since He has Himself affirmed and said, This is My Blood, who shall ever hesitate, saying, that it is not His blood?

Pollwr

Orthodox, I clearly remember that quotation from when I was a member of the Church of England. It always made me feel uneasy. In the end I did not get confirmed, so did not take the bread and wine but I felt I would never be worthy and I found the focus on the crucifiction a bit distressing. I was 12 or 13 at the time. I had grown to love and believe in Jesus and the thought of His pain made me sad. I do understand the strength and Joy in the message now but I feel sad at the way Jesus and other Manifestations of God have suffered at the hands of men. It certainly is a memorable quotation as it has stayed with me.

Here is a lovely quotation from a letter by Abdul-Bahá

"Thou didst begin thy letter with a blessed phrase, saying: 'I am a Christian.' O would that all were truly Christian! It is easy to be a Christian on the tongue, but hard to be a true one. Today some five hundred million souls are Christian, but the real Christian is very rare: he is that soul from whose comely face there shineth the splendour of Christ, and who showeth forth the perfections of the Kingdom; this is a matter of great moment, for to be a Christian is to embody every excellence there is. I hope that thou, too, shalt become a true Christian. Praise thou God that at last, through the divine teachings, thou hast obtained both sight and insight to the highest degree, and hast become firmly rooted in certitude and faith. It is my hope that others as well will achieve illumined eyes and hearing ears, and attain to everlasting life: that these many rivers, each flowing along in diverse and separated beds, will find their way back to the circumambient sea, and merge together and rise up in a single wave of surging oneness; that the unity of truth, through the power of God, will make these illusory differences to vanish away. This is the one essential: for if unity be gained, all other problems will disappear of themselves."

(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 29)

Yeshua

Kutadanta accused the Buddha, “…you tear down religion. Your followers despise rituals and abandon sacrifices. But reverence to Gods can only be shown through sacrifices…” The Buddha replied: “Greater than massacring of bullocks is the sacrifices of the self. He who offers up his evil desires will see the uselessness of slaughtering animals at the altar. Blood has no power to cleanse but the giving up of harmful action will make the heart whole. Better than worshiping God(s) is following the ways of goodness. (Digha Nikaya).

Wonderful wisdom is it not?

Compare this extra-canonical saying of Jesus preserved in a fragment from the lost Gospel of the Hebrews:

"I am come to end the sacrifices and feasts of blood; and if ye cease not offering and eating of flesh and blood, the wrath of God shall not cease from you; even as it came to your fathers in the wilderness, who lusted for flesh, and did sat to their content, and were filled with rottenness, and the plague consumed them"

Jesus also said in the New Testament, "I desire mercy not sacrifice".

Yeshua

I know this isn't exactly sacred scripture or devotional but I did think it was witty...

Ghandi was once asked, "What do you think of Western Civilisation?"

He replied, “What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea.” ...

Orthodox

Poll it is not only the crucififxion but it is the physical ressurection by which we are shown that the flesh can be redeemed, that the flesh along with the soul will be ressurected at the end of time. Theosis should be the main focus, looking at the crufixion should be remembered as well.