2,000 Greater & Lesser Mysteries/2,000 Greater and Lesser Mysteries.iso/bahi/mys00171.txt

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Lawh-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Tablet) of Baha'u'llah
(Sometimes referred to as Tablet to the Christians)

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This is the Most Holy Tablet sent down from the holy kingdom
unto the one who hath set his face towards the Object of the
adoration of the world, He Who hath come from the heaven of
eternity, invested with transcendent glory

In the name of the Lord, the Lord of great glory.

  This is an Epistle from Our presence unto him
whom the veils of names have failed to keep back
from God, the Creator of earth and heaven, that
his eyes may be cheered in the days of his Lord,
the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
  Say, O followers of the Son [Jesus]! Have ye shut out
yourselves from Me by reason of My Name? Wherefore ponder
ye not in your hearts? Day and night ye have been calling
upon your Lord, the Omnipotent, but when He came
from the heaven of eternity in His great glory, ye turned
aside from Him and remained sunk in heedlessness.
  Consider those who rejected the Spirit when He came
unto them with manifest dominion. How numerous the
Pharisees who had secluded themselves in synagogues in
His name, lamenting over their separation from Him, and
yet when the portals of reunion were flung open and the
divine Luminary shone resplendent from the Dayspring of
Beauty, they disbelieved in God, the Exalted, the Mighty.
They failed to attain His presence, notwithstanding that
His advent had been promised them in the Book of Isaiah
as well as in the Books of the Prophets and the Messengers.
No one from among them turned his face towards the
Dayspring of divine bounty except such as were destitute of
any power amongst men. And yet, today, every man
endowed with power and invested with sovereignty prideth
himself on His Name. Moreover, call thou to mind the one
who sentenced Jesus to death. He was the most learned of
His age in His own country, whilst he who was only a
fisherman believed in Him. Take good heed and be of them
that observe the warning.
  Consider likewise, how numerous at this time are the
monks who have secluded themselves in their churches,
calling upon the Spirit, but when He appeared through the
power of Truth, they failed to draw nigh unto Him and are
numbered with those that have gone far astray. Happy are
they that have abandoned them and set their faces towards
Him Who is the Desire of all that are in the heavens and all
that are on the earth.
  They read the Evangel and yet refuse to acknowledge
the All-Glorious Lord, notwithstanding that He hath come
through the potency of His exalted, His mighty and
gracious dominion. We, verily, have come for your sakes,
and have borne the misfortunes of the world for your
salvation. Flee ye the One Who hath sacrificed His life that
ye may be quickened? Fear God, O followers of the Spirit,
and walk not in the footsteps of every divine that hath gone
far astray. Do ye imagine that He seeketh His own interests,
when He hath, at all times, been threatened by the swords
of the enemies; or that He seeketh the vanities of the world,
after He hath been imprisoned in the most desolate of
cities? Be fair in your judgement and follow not the footsteps
of the unjust.
  Open the doors of your hearts. He Who is the Spirit
verily standeth before them. Wherefore banish ye
Him Who hath purposed to draw you nigh unto a
Resplendent Spot? Say: We, in truth, have opened unto
you the gates of the Kingdom. Will ye bar the doors of
your houses in My face? This indeed is naught but a
grievous error. He, verily, hath again come down from
Heaven, even as He came down from it the first time.
Beware lest ye dispute that which He proclaimeth, even as
the people before you disputed His utterances. Thus
instructeth you the True One, could ye but perceive it.
  The river Jordan is joined to the Most Great Ocean, and
the Son, in the holy vale, crieth out: 'Here am I, here am I
O Lord, my God!', whilst Sinai circleth round the House,
and the Burning Bush calleth aloud: 'He Who is the
Desired One is come in His transcendent majesty.' Say,
Lo! The Father is come, and that which ye were promised
in the Kingdom is fulfilled! This is the Word which the
Son concealed, when to those around Him He said: 'Ye
cannot bear it now.' And when the appointed time was
fulfilled and the Hour had struck, the Word shone forth
above the horizon of the Will of God. Beware, O followers
of the Son, that ye cast it not behind your backs. Take ye
fast hold of it. Better is this for you than all that ye possess.
Verily He is nigh unto them that do good. The Hour
which We had concealed from the knowledge of the
peoples of the earth and of the favoured angels hath come
to pass. Say, verily, He hath testified of Me, and I do testify
of Him. Indeed, He hath purposed no one other than Me.
Unto this beareth witness every fair-minded and understanding
soul.
  Though beset with countless afflictions, We summon the
people unto God, the Lord of names. Say, strive ye to
attain that which ye have been promised in the Books of
God, and walk not in the way of the ignorant. My body
hath endured imprisonment that ye may be released from
the bondage of self. Set your faces then towards His
countenance and follow not the footsteps of every hostile
oppressor. Verily, He hath consented to be sorely abased
that ye may attain unto glory, and yet, ye are disporting
yourselves in the vale of heedlessness. He, in truth, liveth in
the most desolate of abodes for your sakes, whilst ye dwell
in your palaces.
  Say, did ye not hearken to the Voice of the Crier, calling
aloud in the wilderness of the Bayan, bearing unto you the
glad-tidings of the coming of your Lord, the All-Merciful?
Lo! He is come in the sheltering shadow of Testimony,
invested with conclusive proof and evidence, and those
who truly believe in Him regard His presence as the
embodiment of the Kingdom of God. Blessed is the man
who turneth towards Him, and woe betide such as deny or
doubt Him.
  Announce thou unto the priests: Lo! He Who is the
Ruler is come. Step out from behind the veil in the name of
thy Lord, He Who layeth low the necks of all men.
Proclaim then unto all mankind the glad-tidings of this
mighty, this glorious Revelation. Verily, He Who is the
Spirit of Truth is come to guide you unto all truth. He
speaketh not as prompted by His own self, but as bidden by
Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
  Say, this is the One Who hath glorified the Son and hath
exalted His Cause. Cast away, O peoples of the earth, that
which ye have and take fast hold of that which ye are
bidden by the All-Powerful, He Who is the Bearer of the
Trust of God. Purge ye your ears and set your hearts
towards Him that ye may hearken to the most wondrous
Call which hath been raised from Sinai, the habitation of
your Lord, the Most Glorious. It will, in truth, draw you
nigh unto the Spot wherein ye will perceive the splendour
of the light of His countenance which shineth above this
luminous Horizon.
  O concourse of priests! Leave the bells, and come forth,
then, from your churches. It behoveth you, in this day, to
proclaim aloud the Most Great Name among the nations.
Prefer ye to be silent, whilst every stone and every tree
shouteth aloud: 'The Lord is come in His great glory!'?
Well is it with the man who hasteneth unto Him. Verily,
he is numbered among them whose names will be eternally
recorded and who will be mentioned by the Concourse on
High. Thus hath it been decreed by the Spirit in this
wondrous Tablet. He that summoneth men in My name is,
verily, of Me, and he will show forth that which is beyond
the power of all that are on earth. Follow ye the Way of
the Lord and walk not in the footsteps of them that are sunk
in heedlessness. Well is it with the slumberer who is stirred
by the Breeze of God and ariseth from amongst the dead,
directing his steps towards the Way of the Lord. Verily,
such a man is regarded, in the sight of God, the True One,
as a jewel amongst men and is reckoned with the blissful.
  Say: In the East the light of His Revelation hath broken;
in the West have appeared the signs of His dominion.
Ponder this in your hearts, O people, and be not of
those who have turned a deaf ear to the admonitions
of Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Praised. Let
the Breeze of God awaken you. Verily, it hath wafted over
the world. Well is it with him that hath discovered the
fragrance thereof and been accounted among the well-assured.
  O concourse of bishops! Ye are the stars of the heaven of
My knowledge. My mercy desireth not that ye should fall
upon the earth. My justice, however, declareth: 'This is
that which the Son hath decreed.' And whatsoever hath
proceeded out of His blameless, His truth-speaking, trustworthy
mouth, can never be altered. The bells, verily, peal
out My Name, and lament over Me, but My spirit
rejoiceth with evident gladness. The body of the Loved
One yearneth for the cross, and His head is eager for the
spear, in the path of the All-Merciful. The ascendancy of
the oppressor can in no wise deter Him from His purpose.
We have summoned all created things to attain the presence
of thy Lord, the King of all names. Blessed is the man that
hath set his face towards God, the Lord of the Day of
Reckoning.
  O concourse of monks! If ye choose to follow Me, I will
make you heirs of My Kingdom; and if ye transgress
against Me, I will, in My long-suffering, endure it patiently,
and I, verily, am the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
  O land of Syria! What hath become of thy righteousness?
Thou art, in truth, ennobled by the footsteps of thy
Lord. Hast thou perceived the fragrance of heavenly reunion,
or art thou to be accounted of the heedless?
  Bethlehem is astir with the Breeze of God. We hear her
voice saying: 'O most generous Lord! Where is Thy great
glory established? The sweet savours of Thy presence have
quickened me, after I had melted in my separation from
Thee. Praised be Thou in that Thou hast raised the veils,
and come with power in evident glory.' We called unto her
from behind the Tabernacle of Majesty and Grandeur: 'O
Bethlehem! This Light hath risen in the orient, and travelled
towards the occident, until it reached thee in the evening of
its life. Tell Me then: Do the sons recognize the Father, and
acknowledge Him, or do they deny Him, even as the
people aforetime denied Him (Jesus)?' Whereupon she
cried out saying: 'Thou art, in truth, the All-Knowing, the
Best-Informed.' Verily, We behold all created things
moved to bear witness unto Us. Some know Us and bear
witness, while the majority bear witness, yet know Us not.
  Mount Sinai is astir with the joy of beholding Our
countenance. She hath lifted her enthralling voice in glorification
of her Lord, saying: 'O Lord! I sense the fragrance
of Thy garment. Methinks Thou art near, invested with the
signs of God. Thou hast ennobled these regions with Thy
footsteps. Great is the blessedness of Thy people, could they
but know Thee and inhale Thy sweet savours; and woe
betide them that are fast asleep.'
  Happy art thou who hast turned thy face towards My
countenance, inasmuch as thou hast rent the veils asunder,
hast shattered the idols and recognized thine eternal Lord.
The people of the Qur'an have risen up against Us without
any clear proof or evidence, tormenting Us at every
moment with a fresh torment. They idly imagine that
tribulations can frustrate Our Purpose. Vain indeed is that
which they have imagined. Verily, thy Lord is the One
Who ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth.
  I never passed a tree but Mine heart addressed it saying:
'O would that thou wert cut down in My name, and My
body crucified upon thee.' We revealed this passage in the
Epistle to the Shah that it might serve as a warning to the
followers of religions. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Knowing,
the All-Wise.
  Let not the things they have perpetrated grieve thee.
Truly they are even as dead, and not living. Leave them
unto the dead, then turn thy face towards Him Who is the
Life-Giver of the world. Beware lest the sayings of the
heedless sadden thee. Be thou steadfast in the Cause, and
teach the people with consummate wisdom. Thus enjoineth
thee the Ruler of earth and heaven. He is in truth the
Almighty, the Most Generous. Ere long will God exalt thy
remembrance and will inscribe with the Pen of Glory that
which thou didst utter for the sake of His love. He is in
truth the Protector of the doers of good.
  Give My remembrance to the one named Murad and
say: 'Blessed art thou, O Murad, inasmuch as thou didst
cast away the promptings of thine own desire and hast
followed Him Who is the Desire of all mankind.'
  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
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.

(Tablets of Baha'u'llah, pp. 9-17)