The Book of the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf CHAPTER SIXTY TWO 7 страница
rid his heart from attachment to aught save Him,
and attained unto the loftiest heights of everlasting life,
the seeker will see no annihilation either for himself or for any other soul.
521.
He will quaff from the cup of immortality,
tread on its land, soar in its atmosphere,
consort with them that are its embodiments,
522.
partake of the imperishable and incorruptible fruits of the tree of eternity,
and be forever accounted, in the lofty heights of immortality,
amongst the denizens of the everlasting realm.
523.
All that existeth in this city shall indeed endure and will never perish.
524.
Shouldst thou, by the leave of God, enter this sublime and exalted garden,
thou wouldst find its sun in its noontide glory, never to set, never to be eclipsed.
525.
The same holdeth true of its moon, its firmament, its stars, trees, and oceans,
and of all that pertaineth thereunto or existeth therein.
526.
By Him besides Whom there is none other God!
Were I to recount, from this day unto the end that hath no end, its wondrous attributes,
the love that My heart cherisheth for this hallowed and everlasting city would never be exhausted.
527.
I shall, however, bring My theme to a close, since time is short and the inquirer impatient,
and since these secrets are not to be openly divulged save by the leave of God,
the Almighty, the All-Compelling.
528.
Erelong shall the faithful behold, in the day of the latter Resurrection,
Him Whom God shall make manifest descending with this city from the heaven of the Unseen,
together with a company of His exalted and favoured angels.
529.
Great, therefore, is the blessedness of him that attaineth unto His presence
and beholdeth His countenance.
530.
We all, verily, cherish this hope, and exclaim:
"Praise be unto Him,
for verily He is the Eternal Truth, and unto Him do we return!"
531.
Know, moreover, that should one who hath attained unto these stations
and embarked upon these journeys fall prey to pride and vainglory,
he would at that very moment come to naught and return to the first step without realizing it.
532.
Indeed, they that seek and yearn after Him in these journeys are known by this sign,
that they humbly defer to those who have believed in God and in His verses,
that they are lowly before those who have drawn nigh unto Him
and unto the Manifestations of His beauty,
and that they bow in submission to them that are firmly established
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upon the lofty heights of the Cause of God and before its majesty.
533.
For were they to reach the ultimate object of their quest for God and their attainment unto Him,
they would have but reached that abode which hath been raised up within their own hearts.
534.
How then could they ever hope to ascend unto such realms as have not been ordained for them or created for their station?
535.
Nay, though they journey from everlasting to everlasting,
they will never attain unto Him Who is the midmost Heart of existence
and the Axis of the entire creation,
536.
He on Whose right hand flow the seas of grandeur,
on Whose left stream the rivers of might,
and Whose court none can ever hope to reach, how much less His very abode!
537.
For He dwelleth in the ark of fire,
speedeth, in the sphere of fire, through the ocean of fire,
and moveth within the atmosphere of fire.
538.
How can he who hath been fashioned of contrary elements ever enter or even approach this fire?
540.
Were he to do so, he would be instantly consumed.
Tablet of the Gems of Divine Mysteries CHAPTER NINETEEN
Divisons 541-565
GEMS OF DIVINE MYSTERIES
541.
Know, moreover, that should the cord of assistance
binding this mighty Pivot to the dwellers of earth and heaven be severed,
they would all assuredly perish.
542.
Great God!
How can the lowly dust ever reach unto Him Who is the Lord of lords?
543.
Immeasurably exalted is God above that which they conceive in their hearts,
and immensely glorified is He beyond that which they attribute to Him.
544.
Yea, the seeker reacheth a station wherein that which hath been ordained for him knoweth no bounds.
545.
The fire of love so blazeth in his heart that it seizeth the reins of constraint from his grasp.
546.
At every moment his love for his Lord increaseth and draweth him nearer unto his Creator,
547.
in such wise that if his Lord be in the east of nearness,
and he dwell in the west of remoteness
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and possess all that earth and heaven contain of rubies and gold,
he would forsake it all and rush forth to the land of the Desired One.
548.
And shouldst thou find him to be otherwise,
know assuredly that such a man is a lying impostor.
549.
We, verily, all belong unto Him Whom God shall make manifest in the latter Resurrection,
and through Him shall we be raised again to life.
550.
In these days, inasmuch as We have lifted not the veils that conceal the glory of the Cause of God,
nor disclosed unto men the fruits of these stations which We have been forbidden to describe,
thou beholdest them drunk with heedlessness.
551.
Otherwise, were the glory of this station to be revealed unto men
to an extent smaller than a needle's eye,
thou wouldst witness them gathering before the threshold of divine mercy
and hastening from all sides to the court of nearness in the realms of divine glory.
552.
We have concealed it, however, as mentioned before,
that those who believe may be distinguished from them that deny,
and that those who turn unto God may be discerned from them that turn aside.
553.
I verily proclaim:
"There is no power nor strength except in God,
the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting."
554.
From this station the wayfarer ascendeth unto a City that hath no name or description,
and whereof one heareth neither sound nor mention.
555.
Therein flow the oceans of eternity, whilst this city itself revolveth round the seat of eternity.
556.
Therein the sun of the Unseen shineth resplendent above the horizon of the Unseen,
a sun that hath its own heavens and its own moons,
which partake of its light and which rise from and set upon the ocean of the Unseen.
557.
Nor can I ever hope to impart even a dewdrop of that which hath been decreed therein,
as none is acquainted with its mysteries save God, its Creator and Fashioner,
and His Manifestations.
558.
Know, moreover,
that when We undertook to reveal these words and committed some of them to writing,
it was Our intention to elucidate for thine eminence,
in the sweet accents of the blessed and the well-favoured of God,
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all that We had previously mentioned of the words of the Prophets
and the sayings of the Messengers.
559.
Time, however, was lacking,
and the traveller who came from thy presence was in great haste and eager to return.
560.
Thus have We cut short Our discourse and contented Ourself with this much,
without completing the description of these stages in a seemly and befitting manner.
561.
Indeed, We have omitted the description of major cities and mighty journeys.
562.
Such was the haste of the courier
that We even forsook the mention of the two exalted journeys of Resignation and Contentment.
563.
Yet, should thine eminence reflect upon these brief statements,
thou wouldst assuredly acquire every knowledge,
attain, unto the Object of all learning,
and exclaim:
"Sufficient are these words unto all creation both visible and invisible!"
564.
Even so, should the fire of love burn within thy soul,
thou wouldst ask:
"Is there yet any more?"[67]
565.
And We say:
"Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds!"
[2] Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Íqán (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1994), p. 26.
[3] cf. Qur'án 67:3.
[4] cf. Qur'án 24:35.
[5] Matt. 24:19.
[6] cf. Matt. 24:29-31.
[7] Mark 13:19.
[8] cf. Luke 21:25-28.
[9] John 15:26-27.
[10] John 14:26.
[11] John 16:5-6.
[12] John 16:7.
[13] John 16:13.
[14] The Imáms of Shí'ih Islám.
[15] Jesus.
[16] cf. Matt. 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33.
[17] The Antichrist, who it was believed would appear at the advent of the Promised One, to contend with and be ultimately defeated by Him.
[18] Another figure who it was believed would raise the banner of rebellion between Mecca and Damascus at the appearance of the Promised One.
[19] Qur'án 16:43.
[20] A magician in the court of Pharaoh during the time of Moses.
[21] Qur'án 83:6; 2:89.
[22] The Imáms of Shí'ih Islám.
[23] Qur'án 29:2.
[24] Qur'án 2:156.
[25] Qur'án 29:69.
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[26] Qur'án 2:282.
[27] From Hadíth.
[28] ibid.
[29] Qur'án 30:30.
[30] Qur'án 48:23.
[31] Qur'án 67:3.
[32] Qur'án 17:110.
[33] Qur'án 57:3.
[34] The twelfth Imám, Muhammad al-Mahdí, the son of Hasan al-'Askarí.
[35] According to Shí'ih traditions, the twin cities of Jábulqá and Jábulsá are the dwelling place of the Hidden Imám (the Promised One), whence He will appear on the Day of Resurrection.
[36] Muhammad.
[37] Qur'án 33:40.
[38] Qur'án 13:2.
[39] Qur'án 74:50.
[40] cf. Qur'án 13:5.
[41] Qur'án 11:7.
[42] Qur'án 3:185.
[43] Qur'án 16:97.
[44] Qur'án 3:169.
[45] From a Hadíth.
[46] Qur'án 7:179.
[47] cf. Qur'án 9:109; 3:103.
[48] Qur'án 6:122.
[49] John 3:5-7
[50] cf. Rev. 1:14-16; 2:18; 19:15.
[51] cf. Qur'án 80:41; 83:24.
[52] Qur'án 11:112.
[53] cf. Luke 12:53.
[54] cf. Qur'án 1:4.
[55] Qur'án 14:48.
[56] Qur'án 14:5.
[57] cf. Qur'án 21:23.
[58] From a saying of the Imám 'Alí.
[59] From the Díván of Ibn-i-Fárid.
[60] ibid.
[61] cf. Qur'án 10:61; 34:3.
[62] From a Hadíth.
[63] From the Díván of Ibn-i-Fárid.
[64] cf. Qur'án 39:10.
[65] Qur'án 2:156.
[66] Qur'án 4:130.
[67] cf. Qur'án 50:30.
Tablet of the Temple CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-25
THE TEMPLE
1.
This is the Súrih of the Temple
which God hath ordained to be the Mirror of His Names between the heavens and the earth,
and the Sign of His Remembrance amidst the peoples of the world.
2.
He is the Most Wondrous, the All-Glorious!
.
3.
Glorified is He Who hath revealed His verses to those who understand.
4.
Glorified is He Who sendeth down His verses to those who perceive.
5.
Glorified is He Who guideth whomsoever He pleaseth unto His path.
6.
Say:
I, verily, am the Path of God unto all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth;
well is it with them that hasten thereunto!
7.
Glorified is He Who sendeth down His verses to those who comprehend.
8.
Glorified is He Who speaketh forth from the Kingdom of His Revelation,
and Who remaineth unknown to all save His honoured servants.
9.
Glorified is He Who quickeneth whomsoever He willeth by virtue of His word "Be", and it is!
10.
Glorified is He Who causeth whomsoever He willeth to ascend unto the heaven of grace,
and sendeth down therefrom whatsoever He desireth according to a prescribed measure.
11.
Blessed is He Who doeth as He willeth by a word of His command.
12.
He, verily, is the True One, the Knower of things unseen.
13.
Blessed is He Who inspireth whomsoever He willeth with whatsoever He desireth,
through His irresistible and inscrutable command.
14.
Blessed is He Who aideth whomsoever He desireth with the hosts of the unseen.
15.
His might is, in truth, equal to His purpose,
and He, verily, is the All-Glorious, the Self-Subsistent.
16.
Blessed is He Who exalteth whomsoever He willeth by the power of His sovereign might,
and confirmeth whomsoever He chooseth in accordance with His good pleasure;
well is it with them that understand!
17.
Blessed is He Who, in a well-guarded Tablet,
hath prescribed a fixed measure unto all things.
18.
Blessed is He Who hath revealed unto His Servant
that which shall illumine the hearts and minds of men.
19.
Blessed is He Who hath sent down upon His Servant such tribulations
that they have melted the hearts of them who dwell within the Tabernacle of eternity
and the souls of those who have drawn nigh unto their Lord.
20.
Blessed is He Who hath showered upon His Servant, from the clouds of His decree,
the darts of affliction, and Who beholdeth Me enduring them with patience and fortitude.
21.
Blessed is He Who hath ordained for His Servant that which He hath destined for no other soul.
He, verily, is the One, the Incomparable, the Self-Subsistent.
22.
Blessed is He Who hath caused to rain down upon His Servant from the clouds of hostility,
and at the hands of the people of denial, [rained down] the shafts of tribulation and trial;
and yet seeth Our heart filled with gratitude.
23.
Blessed is He Who hath laid upon the shoulders of His Servant
the burden of the heavens and of the earth burden for which We yield Him every praise,
though none may grasp this save them that are endued with understanding.
24.
Glorified is He Who hath surrendered the embodiment of His Beauty
to the clutches of the envious and the wicked,
a fate unto which We are fully resigned,
though none may perceive this save those who are endued with insight.
25.
Glorified is He Who hath left Ḥusayn to make His dwelling amidst the hosts of His enemies,
and exposed His body with every breath to the spears of hatred and anger;
yet do We yield Him thanks for all that He hath destined to befall His Servant
Who repaireth unto Him in His affliction and grief.
Tablet of the Temple CHAPTER TWO
Divisions 26-50
THE TEMPLE
26.
While engulfed in tribulations I heard a most wondrous, a most sweet voice,
calling above My head.
27.
Turning My face, I beheld a Maiden the embodiment of the remembrance of the name of My Lord suspended in the air before Me.
28.
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.
29.
Betwixt earth and heaven she was raising a call which captivated the hearts and minds of men.
30.
She was imparting to both My inward and outer being tidings which rejoiced My soul, and the souls of God's honoured servants.
31.
Pointing with her finger unto My head, she addressed all who are in heaven and all who are on earth, saying:
32.
By God! This is the Best-Beloved of the worlds, and yet ye comprehend not.
33.
This is the Beauty of God amongst you, and the power of His sovereignty within you, could ye but understand.
34.
This is the Mystery of God and His Treasure, the Cause of God and His glory unto all who are in the kingdoms of Revelation and of creation, if ye be of them that perceive.
35.
This is He Whose Presence is the ardent desire of the denizens of the Realm of eternity, and of them that dwell within the Tabernacle of glory, and yet from His Beauty do ye turn aside.
36.
O people of the Bayán! If ye aid Him not, God will assuredly assist Him with the powers of earth and heaven, and sustain Him with the hosts of the unseen through His command "Be", and it is!
37.
The day is approaching when God will have, by an act of His Will, raised up a race of men the nature of which is inscrutable to all save God, the All-Powerful, the Self-Subsistent.
38.
He shall purify them from the defilement of idle fancies and corrupt desires, shall lift them up to the heights of holiness, and shall cause them to manifest the signs of His sovereignty and might upon earth.
39.
Thus hath it been ordained by God, the All-Glorious, the All-Loving.
40.
O people of the Bayán!
Would ye deny Him Whose presence is the very object of your creation, while ye rejoice idly upon your couches?
41.
Would ye laugh to scorn and contend with Him, a single hair of Whose head excelleth, in the sight of God, all that are in the heavens and all that are on the earth?
42.
O people of the Bayán!
Produce, then, that which ye possess, that I may know by what proof ye believed aforetime in the Manifestations of His Cause, and by what reason ye now wax so disdainful!
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