Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas

O thou dear wise man!

They letter *** was considered. Its contents were in the utmost of beauty and great joy was realized therefrom.

Thou hast asked “Is it possible that this new and living Cause is to take the place of the dead religion of England when there hath been organized certain sects who have arrived at high stations of spiritual knowledge and to exalted degrees of merciful powers, and have become distinguished in virtue from all predecessors; notwithstanding this, is it possible that this new Cause will attract the attention of such people to such a degree as to unite their hearts, and gather them under its over-shadowing protection?” 541

O thou dear friend! Know thou that the Distinguished Individual of every age is according to the virtues of that age. The Distinguished Personage who was in the former cycle, His power and virtues were according to the former age, but in this brilliant age and divine cycle, the Noble Personage, the Radiant Star, the Distinguished One, will manifest with virtues which will eventually amaze the peoples, for He is in spiritual virtues and divine perfections loftier than all the Individuals; any, rather He is the Source of Divine Benediction and the Center of the Radiant Circle. He is certainly comprehensive. There is no doubt that He will reveal Himself to such a degree as to bring all under His over-shadowing shelter.

When thou considerest carefully thou wilt find this order and system to be established in all things. The whole attracted the part, and the center of the circle is the axis of the compass. Consider His Holiness the Spirit (Christ): Since He was the Center of spiritual power and the Origin of divine benediction, although in the beginning He gathered but few under His power, yet later through that conquering power, He ushered all sects under the shadow of the Christian tabernacle. Compare the present with the past, see the great difference. By this thou canst measure and reach the reality and know for a certainty that the difference among the sects of the world is due to the difference of comprehensions. As long as the perceptive powers differ, surely the opinions and thoughts also differ. But if One Great Perceptive Power which comprehendeth all, cometh to the Center, the differing opinions become united, and ideal unity and oneness are revealed. 542

For example: When His Holiness, the Spirit (Jesus Christ) appeared, the comprehensions of the creatures, the susceptibilities and minds of the sects then present, such as the Romans, the Greeks, Assyrians and Israelites were different. When the universal power of the Spirit of God appeared in the Center, eventually after three-hundred years, all the differing minds gathered under the protection of One Center. The same spiritual susceptibilities were attained.

For the sake of illustration (literally, likeness), I will say: When an army is under the command of generals who have differing opinions, certainly it will disagree in regard to maneuvers and in the order of marching to the battlefields. But when the great commander-in-chief who is expert in the arts of warfare cometh to the front, all the differing opinions will be erased and one opinion will prevail; the commander-in-chief will bring all under his own direction. This is an instance and not a likeness.

Now if thou shouldest say, the generals of this army are every one artists in the art of warfare, expert and experienced, why should they obey one person, even though he may have accomplished a great feat—this saying does not deserve attention, for this matter is certain and there is no doubt therein.

Likewise the Holy Manifestations, especially the reality of the Greatest Name, the Beauty of Abha, when unveiled amid the assemblage of the world, like unto Joseph of Canaan, in the divine Egypt, will appear with such Beauty and Sweetness as to make the lovers of the world His captives. 543

As to the souls who are born into this world radiant entities and who through excessive difficulty are deprived of great benefits and thus leave the world—they are worthy of all sympathy, for in reality this is worthy of regret. It is for this purpose (that is, it is with regard to this wisdom) that the great Manifestations (of God) unveil themselves in this world, bear every difficulty and ordeal—to make these ready souls dawnings of light and confer upon them eternal life. This is the real atonement that His Holiness Christ made—He sacrificed Himself for the life of the world.

As to the question that the holy and spiritual souls influence, help and guide the creatures after they have cast off this elemental mould—this is an established truth of the Bahais. Nay even the Holy Manifestations of God extend a great Bounty and an evident Light after their ascent from this world. For His Holiness Christ there was more and greater promotion of the Word, manifestation of divine power, conversion of holy souls, and the giving of eternal life, after [His] martyrdom. Likewise for the Blessed Beauty (Baha’o’llah) there was greater bounty and dawning of light, manifestation of divine power, and effectiveness of the Word after His Ascent; and ere long the Sun of His Reality will encircle the world with its motion, heat, radiation and bounty.

Be not sorry on account of the limited extent of the progress of the Bahai Cause in that country 1 . This is the beginning of the dawn. Consider the Cause of His Holiness Christ, which took three-hundred years to produce great effect. Now sixty years have not passed 544 since the beginning of this Cause, and Its Lights are shed upon all horizons.

Regarding the Society for healing of which thou art of a member; when it comes under the protection of this Cause, its power will be an hundred fold.

Thou hast observed how extensive is the love of the Bahais and that the foundation is love. As the power of love among the Bahais is in the utmost degree and superior to that in other religions, it is even the same in other relations, for the cause of all is Love.

As to the question of translating the Books and Tablets of the Blessed Beauty; it will soon be done in all languages with the utmost of eloquence and excellence. When the Tablets of His Holiness (Baha’o’llah) are translated in accordance with the original, with excellence and eloquence, then the Lights of Significances will dawn and brighten all the eyes. Endeavor thou with all thy power to make the translation as the original.

The Blessed Beauty went to Haifa many times, and thou hast seen Him. 2 I hope thou mayest attain the real meeting and that is the witnessing with the eye of insight and not of sight.

The essence of the teachings of His Holiness Baha’o’llah is Universal Love, which comprehendeth all the virtues of the world of humanity, is the cause of eternal life and of the progress of all the individuals of the human race. Soon thou wilt see that these 545 heavenly teachings, like unto the light of reality, will envelope and enlighten the world.

The short prayer which thou hast written at the end of thy letter is in reality original, beautiful, sweet and effective. Chant it always.