Paragraph 215

These are among the attributes of the exalted, and constitute the hallmark 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,” he shall enjoy the blessing conferred by the words: “In Our ways shall We assuredly guide him.”

The first of these seven paragraphs on the true seeker talked about our perspective, our internal state of being. The second addressed our actions. This one acts a bridge between ourselves and God. When we fulfill the conditions outlined in the previous two paragraphs we can be considered a true seeker. We will have made that effort. Our reward? God will "assuredly guide" us.

He begins this paragraph by referring to the previous, stating that the conditions mentioned in them are the "hallmark of the spiritually minded". A hallmark is an indication of purity, usually found in jewelry. It's that little stamp that says something is 24k gold, or 18k, or sterling silver. Similarly, we can look at the actions of the individual to see if they bear the "hallmark" of someone who is spiritual.

Do they engage in backbiting? Are they mean to animals? Are they boastful? These are some of the questions we can ask. If the answer is "yes" to any of them, then can we consider them spiritual?

Remember that "certain man" from a few paragraphs ago? Remember how he was boastful? Is that the sort of person we want to turn to for spiritual advice?

Another aspect of this is the reminder, yet again, that this is a path. Specifically, this is the "Path of Positive Knowledge", that knowledge that is irrefutable. This phrase, the "Path of Positive Knowledge" comes from the Arabic. Without going too much into it, in Arabic it is "ilm", that type of knowledge that is unquestionable. This is as opposed to"erfan" which is a more earthly knowledge. Erfan would be the type of knowledge you gain from studying Bach, and the mathematics behind his works, and the various styles of composition. Ilm comes from hearing his music and knowing it is beautiful. This is the type of knowledge that this Path leads us to.

Of course, if it's a path, then we are the "wayfarer", the "seeker" on this path.

Throughout the Writings we find these two terms many times, and oftentimes they seem interchangeable. But what do they mean? A wayfarer is someone who has set out on a journey with a specific goal in mind, while a seeker is someone who is looking for something, but are unsure where to find it.

In this paragraph, the wayfarer is qualified as being detached. They have a goal in mind, but are open to finding something else. A great example here would be the uncle of the Bab who set out to find the Promised One, but was searching for that imaginary Sovereign as described by the general populace of his day. By this point in the book, he has likely changed his goal to that more realistic Sovereign as described by the Manifestations of the past. This is why detachment is so important. If he clung to his initial thoughts about the Promised One, he never would have discovered the truth about his Nephew.

He is also a seeker, searching for God, but that is a goal to which we can never reach. We will continually find clues, and perhaps get nearer and nearer to a good understanding of God, but never really achieve it.

He concludes this paragraph with a very interesting quote from the Qur'an. "Whoso maketh efforts for Us, in Our ways shall We assuredly guide him.” Let's picture this.

Imagine you are walking in the woods, trying to find someone's home. You've stumbled off the path, and are kind of lost. You have an idea of where you're going, but maybe you're not sure. Along comes a guide, a guide you were promised would meet you in the woods to lead you to your destination. You were told that they would be wearing a green jacket, and his jacket is green. Then they begin to lead you off to the left. Someone else had told you earlier that you needed to go to the right, and you trust them. Do you follow this new guide? Or do you follow this other person's advice? The latter has no idea where you are, while the former is right there. He sort of fits the description you were given of the guide, but maybe his jacket isn't the same shade of green you imagined. Perhaps he just looks different than what you had in your mind. What do you do?

This is where we are. The guide we are expecting is not quite how we imagined.

"Trust in God" is the advice given a few paragraphs earlier. Trust your guide. He knows where you are, and where you need to be. Knowing both of these pieces of information, he can tell you how to get to your destination.

That quote says that God will "assuredly guide" us, but it is up to us to follow that guidance.

Paragraph 214

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 succor the dispossessed, and never withhold his favor from the destitute. He should show kindness to animals, how much more unto his fellowman, 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 fulfill. With all his heart should the seeker avoid fellowship with evildoers, 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 draft, 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.

Now that Baha'u'llah has given us the guidelines for the internal state, He moves on to the second of the seven paragraphs dedicated to the theme of the true seeker in which He tells us what their external behaviour would look like.

It is almost as if He is following a similar theme to the Seven Valleys, written around the same time. It begins with the perspective necessary for search. Now He is talking about our behaviour when we love something, especially when we love all of creation.

Like the previous paragraph, this one can also be read as a list. And like before, we're going to pull out the specific points on the list for ease of study:

1. regard backbiting as grievous error
2. be content with little
3. be freed from all inordinate desire
4. treasure the companionship of those that have renounced the world
5. regard avoidance of boastful and worldly people a precious benefit
6. At the dawn of every day... commune with God
7. persevere in the quest of (the) Beloved
8. consume every wayward thought with the flame of His loving mention
9. pass by all else save Him
10. succor the dispossessed,
11. never withhold... favor from the destitute
12. show kindness to animals, how much more unto his fellowman
13. should not hesitate to offer up his life for his Beloved
14. nor allow the censure of the people to turn him away from the Truth
15. not wish for others that which he doth not wish for himself
16. nor promise that which he doth not fulfill
17. avoid fellowship with evildoers
18. pray for the remission of their sins
19. forgive the sinful
20. never despise his low estate
21. regard all else beside God as transient, and.. as utter nothingness.

Taking these items one at a time, and looking at the unabridged quote, let's get right into it. So get comfortable, because this could be a long post.

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.

The very first point here is the avoidance of backbiting. It seems strange that, of all things, He would put this first. But let's consider it a bit more closely.

In the Kitab-i-Aqdas, Baha'u'llah says we "have been forbidden to commit murder or adultery, or to engage in backbiting or calumny". Again, strange. The order appears to be something of a decrescendo, except the last two seem to be backwards, for while backbiting implies the truth, calumny is the same but based on a deliberate lie. We are so used to thinking of murder as the worst thing of all, but is that the case? Is Baha'u'llah showing us something with the order in which He places these four?

Murder is the killing of an individual. Horrible as that is, adultery is the killing of a family. Isn't that even worse? But what about backbiting?

'Abdu'l-Baha says, "The worst human quality and the most great sin is backbiting..." and "...backbiting is the cause of Divine Wrath".

If we think about it, backbiting destroys the bonds of trust within a community. It is, in a way, the killing of that community, for without trust, how can it survive?

It quenches the light of the heart and extinguishes the life of the soul? It is so easy to skip this part of the quote, never considering that the idle gossip we engage in can be so destructive. But this is the very first point He mentions here, and in the Aqdas He actually ties it together with murder and adultery. It really is that serious, so perhaps we better pay more attention to ridding ourselves and our communities of it.

He should be content with little, and be freed from all inordinate desire.

This is a common theme in all the world's religions, and while we could write all sorts of things about it, let's just say it's important. And there really isn't much else we could add here that doesn't repeat what we all already know.

He should treasure the companionship of those that have renounced the world, and regard avoidance of boastful and worldly people a precious benefit.

Like the previous point, there are actually two things here, but we are going to treat them as one.

The Oxford dictionary defines the verb form of treasure as "keep carefully", "to cherish".

It seems as if He is saying that while we may have friends, our friendship with "those that have renounced the world" is even more precious. Of course, Baha'u'llah does not tie this in with their beliefs or background. It is based on their perspective.

It reminds us of that other command of His, "Consort with the followers of all religions..." And while some may think this means to be friends with or hang out with, it actually means to "habitually associate with, typically with the disapproval of others".

So here, with the contrast of the second half, He is really encouraging us to remove all barriers and look at every individual with pure eyes.

At the dawn of every day he should commune with God, and with all his soul persevere in the quest of his Beloved.

The first part speaks to how we should begin our day, the attitude with which we should greet the world in front of us.

The second part talks to what we should be doing during that day.

As we have said before, the "quest" to know God is not a journey we can ever complete. We can only know God more and more. Just as the trees reach up towards the sun, but can never reach it, we, too, can reach up towards our Creator, but can never attain Him.

Baha'u'llah began this section about the true seeker by referring to it as "the path leading to the knowledge of the Ancient of Days", and the fact that He refers to it now as a quest implies that it is a long and arduous search. Perseverance is critical in any "quest", as the knights of the Round Table were well aware.

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.

Now that we have embarked upon our day, He gives us this further guidance.

Throughout our day, we will certainly have thoughts that are distracting, difficult to control or predict. No problem. It's part of our being. So what can we do about it? Mention God. Bring our thoughts back to Him.

Our thoughts are what tend to lead us, so if our very thoughts are distracting, then our movement will be fairly random. Thoughts and knowledge are intertwined, and both are likened to veils. Earlier, in paragraph 205, He cites Muhammad: "The most grievous of all veils is the veil of knowledge." And what burns away that veil? "...(T)he fire of the love of the Beloved..." Similarly, our thoughts can be a like a veil, preventing us from seeing or noticing God in our life. But "His loving mention" can be the flame that burns away that veil.

We will see so many things in the world that can distract us, but we should just pass them, ignoring them. Baha'u'llah later described His true follower as someone who, "if he come to a valley of pure gold, will pass straight through it aloof as a cloud, and will neither turn back, nor pause." Once again, this ties together the true seeker with a true follower.

He should succor the dispossessed, and never withhold his favor from the destitute.

Here we found it interesting to note the difference between the two terms. "Dispossessed" implies that you once had these possessions or rights, and they were taken away. "Destitute" implies that the state of poverty is on-going. In other words, the former had wealth and rights while the latter never did. Orphans and widows are a prime example of the "dispossessed", for they lost their family members, and perhaps that is why there is so much importance given to aiding them. Those who are poor are an example of the latter.

Once again, Baha'u'llah is asking us to make no distinction. If someone needs help, we should always offer it, no matter their current or previous station.

He should show kindness to animals, how much more unto his fellowman, to him who is endowed with the power of utterance.

Staying with the theme of helping those less fortunate than ourselves, He reminds us that this also applies to the rest of creation. 'Abdu'l-Baha often described creation in terms of "kingdoms", beginning with the mineral kingdom and moving upwards to the vegetable kingdom. From there we move from that kingdom of growth to the animal kingdom, with its powers of the senses. Continuing onward, we get to the human kingdom with its additional powers of reason and comprehension, and then on to the spiritual kingdom. As the denizens of the "lower" kingdoms cannot comprehend the "higher" ones, it is up to those in the higher realms to aid and assist those in the lower.

And this is not just about being kind to people because they can say something if we are not. It is about the principle of always being of aid and service in whatever way we can.

Showing kindness to animals can occur in many ways. Adopting an animal into our family. Volunteering at a pet shelter. Feeding a stray dog or cat. We could even get a degree in zoology or conduct research on animals in an ethical manner. It is all wonderful.

When we help children learn to be kind to animals, and set the example of this kindness, we are helping them learn to be kind to people, too. And that makes the world a better place.

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.

This is an interesting one, following as it does on the heels of kindness. At the time this book was written, many thousands of Babis had been executed for their Faith. And in most cases, they were asked to renounce their faith first.

We can only imagine that if we were in such a position, being loudly criticized for our belief and tormented by the populace, we would probably be pretty angry at them. But Baha'u'llah just told us to show kindness. In such circumstances, that kindness makes quite the impact on those witnessing it. It is, in a very real way, the ultimate test of the truth of your feelings. Unconditional love is what is necessary under such circumstances, and it is that to which we are being called.

He should not wish for others that which he doth not wish for himself, nor promise that which he doth not fulfill.

Help those in need. Be kind to all. And now He adds in the Golden Rule, a rule found in all religions.

As He just referenced our possible martyrdom, He reminds us that wishing ill upon our abusers goes against the very concept of the Golden Rule. By reminding us of it again, He is reinforcing the importance of forgiving our oppressors.

Then He throws in a bit of a twist: Keep your promises. Be true to your word. Of course, this is not new, either, but the two are not usually put together. So why are they joined here?

It is one thing to wish well for another, but it is another thing altogether to promise aid. When things are difficult, it is nice to hear someone wish you well. It uplifts the spirit at a desperate time. To have them promise aid? That is even more incredible. It relieves a concern, eases a burden. But then to have them fail to fulfill that promise? That crushes you even more than if they just wished you well.

It also speaks to trustworthiness, which Baha'u'llah calls "The goodliest vesture in the sight of God". He says "it is the door of security for all that dwell on earth..." It "is the greatest portal leading unto the tranquility and security of the people. In truth the stability of every affair hath depended and doth depend upon it."

If we truly want to help make the world a better place, being trustworthy goes a long way.

He should forgive the sinful, and never despise his low estate, for none knoweth what his own end shall be.

This follows so well upon the previous sentences. There are probably few who are more sinful than those who are the cause of martyrdom. But remember what we said about the corrosive effects of backbiting? That probably applies here, too. It is so easy to judge someone for killing another, but we must not forget that we have probably engaged in backbiting, either knowingly or inadvertently.

How often hath a sinner, at the hour of death, attained to the essence of faith, and, quaffing the immortal draft, 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.

We are not perfect, and neither are those we encounter. By forgiving others, we will find ourselves being forgiven. And who knows? We may find ourselves at the very end of our own life and making a tragic decision at that time. Perhaps God will be more forgiving if we were more understanding.

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.

This pretty much sums it up. "Regard all else beside God as transient." "Count all things save Him... as utter nothingness."

What more can we say? If we can keep those two points in mind, our actions will follow the path outlined above.

Paragraph 213

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 anyone, 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 smoldering 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.

Here Baha'u'llah begins a seven-paragraph exposition on the nature of the true seeker. It follows all the groundwork He has already laid, helping build up a true understanding of the nature of religion, history, the Manifestations of God and their dual nature, and so many other important issues. With all of these pieces in place, He now switches His focus, turning to the individual, and the attributes they must show in order to truly be considered a seeker, before going on to the actual proofs of the Bab's mission. The nature of these paragraphs, though, focuses on the individual seeking, rather than the world at large.

This opening paragraph outlines the internal conditions necessary, while the next will focus more on actions the individual must take.

Here Baha'u'llah outlines twelve points for us to consider:

1. cleanse and purify his heart... from the obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge
2. purge his breast... of every defilement
3. sanctify his soul from all... ephemeral attachments
4. put his trust in God
5. renounce the peoples of the earth
6. detach himself from the world of dust
7. cleave unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords
8. never seek to exalt himself above anyone
9. wash away from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vainglory
10. cling unto patience and resignation
11. observe silence
12. refrain from idle talk

Before we begin looking at these points, we just want to note that He refers to all of this "search... leading to" God as a path, not a destination. The implication here is that we can never reach the end. It is an eternal search, helping us get closer and closer to an understanding of the divine.

We also want to point out how gently He has gotten us to this point. It all began in the very first paragraph when He told us to "Sanctify your souls, O ye peoples of the world". This is when He first told us in this book to work on ourselves. And why did He do this? So that, with luck, we might "attain that station which God hath destined for you and enter thus the tabernacle..." This is the goal. And this is how we do it.

In the second paragraph, He clarified a bit about what He meant by sanctifying our soul. He said that people must "cleanse themselves of all that is earthly—their ears from idle talk, their minds from vain imaginings, their hearts from worldly affections, their eyes from that which perisheth", which, if you think about it, is what we have read in virtually every other religion out there. And finally, in those opening paragraphs, He added that we have to cease "to regard the words and deeds of mortal men as a standard". All of this amounts to a gentle reminder of what we already know.

Throughout the next couple hundred paragraphs He would add in more reminders, and gently prod us forward in our understanding of our own responsibility in our search, allowing us to become accustomed to the weight of this responsibility. His compassion seems to know no bounds, for He seems very aware of how difficult this will be. But now, here, He lays it on us. We are ready to face this challenge.

The first point is about the heart. As with most things in the Faith, it all begins with the heart. So important is this that He feels it necessary to qualify this, to explain that the heart "is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries of God". Like a mirror, for it to be able to fully reflect the light of God, it must be cleansed "from the obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge, and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy." While knowledge itself is not necessarily a bad thing, it can become a barrier to true understanding. When this occurs, it is like a layer of dust on the mirror. And perhaps this is where detachment comes in. If we become attached to our knowledge, then we won't be able to polish our heart, for we cling to the very dust that is obscuring it. But when we acknowledge that we may be wrong, we may have a misunderstanding, or that we can learn more, then we allow that dust to blow away. We free ourselves of it, and are better able to allow the light to shine in the mirror of our heart.

The second point is about the breast, which He also clarifies as "the sanctuary of the abiding love of the Beloved". This has to be purged "of every defilement". This is not easy. Purging implies an almost violent action, swift and sudden. Is there something in there that defiles the breast? Get rid of it, quickly and completely. Nothing can be allowed to impede the love of God, which must remain strong even in times of great difficulty, for that is the very definition of "abiding".

In short, this all begins with the heart, and the love it must feel for its Creator.

The third point is that we need to "sanctify (our) soul from all that pertaineth to water and clay, from all shadowy and ephemeral attachments". God, of course, is not "ephemeral", but eternal. In other words, now that our heart can reflect the light of God, and our love for God can withstand the tests and trials that we may face, we have to make sure that it is turned towards God, and not towards something that will fade.

What, though, does it mean to "sanctify our soul"? He has told us to do this numerous times. Simply put, it means to make pure and holy, to recognize its sacredness. We need to recognize that it is that part of us that is immortal.

But this is not simple. Our heart is naturally attracted towards love, and will attach itself to pretty much anything. Similarly, it will also feel repelled by those things we don't like. Love and hate are intertwined in that space. And those strong emotions can get in the way of clarity.

Earlier in this volume He talked about the "overpowering majesty of the Word of God". This speaks to how we can be so in love with the sacred text that it may blind us to seeing the next Manifestation. Our very love can become a barrier. Therefore, we must be careful, and attentive. Hate, as He says, can repel us from the truth, but love can blind us to it.

The next 8 points are fairly straightforward. Simple phrases, simply put, and not much to discuss here. Trust in God, not the people of earth. Be detached, but cleave to God. Don't be proud, stay humble. Be patient and resigned in times of trouble. And observe silence.

This last one, of course, ties into the previous point, refraining from idle talk.

Why? Every other point in this paragraph seems to refer to some internal state of being. Cleansing our heart, purifying our breast, trusting in God, detaching ourselves from the world. On and on, they all revolve around that internal state of our being. These last two, though, seem to be more about our interaction with the world around us. So why are they here?

The first ten points are all about our internal state of being. The first three ensure that the slate is clean, so to speak. The next seven are reminders that seem to go with each other. Trust in God, not the people of the earth. Detach yourself from this world and cleave to God. Don't exalt yourself above others, get rid of any trace of pride, unlike that "certain man" we just read about. Then, as we begin to interact with others, we should be patient.

It feels as though this patience is what allows others to ask their questions. And this is when we not only need to be quiet, but take that extra step and actually observe silence. We need to intentionally refrain from speech, quiet not just our tongue but our own internal chatter that desperately seeks to respond. We should listen to understand the other, not listen to answer. We must take the time to achieve that deeper sense of self-reflection and spiritual focus.

Then, if we do feel the need to respond, we should do so, again, intentionally. We should not just talk to talk, speaking of silly or trivial things, but respond to elevate the soul. We should be concise in our speech, and deeply aware of the other person.

So often, our speech is the first sign that another has of what is going on inside our head. Our actions, which either vindicate or contradict our words, come next, just as they do in the very next paragraph.

These last two points seem to be the pivot between the internal and the external, the threshold between what's inside and what's outside of us. They are the last step before we move completely into the realm of action.

Baha'u'llah then reverses our traditional way of thinking about these things. We often hear the phrase, "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me." Here, He implies otherwise.

When we speak with a fiery speech, the effects of that can last a century, whereas the effects of an actual fire fade after a short time.

We may think "they're just words", but here He is confirming that they are much more than a breath of air. They have great influence. And like a fire, our words can either provide warmth and comfort, lighting the way for those who are lost, or they can be destructive, accidentally burning down all in their path.

Paragraph 212

Inasmuch as it hath been clearly shown that only those who are initiated into the divine mysteries can comprehend the melodies uttered by the Bird of Heaven, it is therefore incumbent upon every one to seek enlightenment from the illumined in heart and from the Treasuries of divine mysteries regarding the intricacies of God’s Faith and the abstruse allusions in the utterances of the Daysprings of Holiness. Thus will these mysteries be unraveled, not by the aid of acquired learning, but solely through the assistance of God and the outpourings of His grace. “Ask ye, therefore, of them that have the custody of the Scriptures, if ye know it not.”

One last paragraph before we get into the attributes of the True Seeker, and then embark on the proofs Baha'u''llah offers for the Station of the Bab.

It's interesting here because He reminds us that only specific individuals can "comprehend the melodies uttered by the Bird of Heaven". What are we to understand by that? Who are these people who are "initiated" into those mysteries? Are they only the Manifestations? And if that is the case, then what are we to do when the Manifestation no longer walks the earth?

Clearly this is not the case. As Baha'u'llah has not yet revealed His own station, and is still explaining all these things for our benefit, then anyone can be this sort of teacher. After all, the Apostles did it, as did the other saints and holy ones throughout the ages. Now, to be clear, He is not talking about the revelation of sacred Text, but the explanation of it. So how are we to recognize the "illumined in heart" from whom we should seek guidance?

This is where it begins to make more sense and becomes applicable to anyone reading this book.

Obviously this "certain man" whom Baha'u'llah has been talking about is not one of these. You only need to look at his character to recognize that. Earlier, in paragraph 89, He quoted from the Qur'an, “Our Cause is sorely trying, highly perplexing; none can bear it except a favorite of heaven, or an inspired Prophet, or he whose faith God hath tested.” And as He pointed out, the first two are beyond our control, but the third is one that the Babis of the day were actually facing. It seems that He will be guiding us to that third station with His description of the True Seeker.

It is worth noting that there is so much that is hidden or obscure in these teachings. He refers to "those who are initiated", implying that they are a small group of people who share this perspective. He refers to this as "the divine mysteries". He even alludes to the mythical "language of birds" by saying that these people can understand "the melodies uttered by the Bird of Heaven". Throughout this paragraph He reiterates there is a secret contained within these verses.

Then He reminds us that those who are there, those few and precious souls who can share this information with the seeker, do not get their learning from any school. It is not granted to us by a teacher in a university, nor by a priest or cleric telling us that we understand. It is granted by God alone.

This is where the next series of paragraphs come into play. When He describes for us the attributes of the True Seeker, He is also informing us of the state of being of the one who will be able to comprehend these allusive statements.

Part One of this book revolved around the concept of detachment, for without that as a starting point, nothing else matters. If we are too attached to our limited understanding, then we will never be open enough to receive these new teachings.

Part Two began with reminding us of our position in the hierarchy of creation, and our utter dependence upon the Manifestations. He then went into great detail explaining the role and position of these Manifestations, and why we should be looking to them for guidance. Then, in paragraph 199, He tells us "enlightenment should be sought from the Trustees of the depositories of Knowledge", while reminding us here that these are not necessarily those with a degree. He wants to ensure that we do not seek guidance from those who are lost, that we can recognize someone who is a good source of guidance.

From here, He will help us achieve the most effective stance for searching, giving us many details of what a True Seeker looks like, presumably in the hope that we will adopt that stance ourselves. Then, and only then, does He go into the numerous proofs of the station of the Bab.

Paragraph 211

O my brother! A divine Mine only can yield the gems of divine knowledge, and the fragrance of the mystic Flower can be inhaled only in the ideal Garden, and the lilies of ancient wisdom can blossom nowhere except in the city of a stainless heart. “In a rich soil, its plants spring forth abundantly by permission of its Lord, and in that soil which is bad, they spring forth but scantily.”

A couple more paragraphs about the Qur'an, and the need for understanding it well, before leading us to the qualities of the true seeker. Then He will begin His defense of the Bab, starting with references from the Qur'an itself.

Note how He begins this paragraph with "O my brother!" Once again, Baha'u'llah is making this very personal. So much of what Baha'u'llah talks about is unity, and by warmly embracing the uncle as a brother, He is demonstrating an aspect of this unity. He is saying, in a very simple way, that they are part of one family. This is so consistent with His message, and it seems to be carried into every part of the Revelation. It shows a coherency between what His message is, and how He conveys it.

He then continues with "A divine Mine can only yield the gems of divine knowledge..." What a fascinating phrase. Think about it. If the Manifestation, or the Book they have given us, is the "Mine", what does that actually tell us?

It means that we have go in and explore it. The gems are not just there for the taking. They are not sitting on the surface, clear and evident for us to see. Going into a mine, searching for gemstones, is a dirty and uncomfortable thing. And it's not easy. Imagine walking into a dark tunnel, light strapped to your helmet, which you are wearing so you don't conk your head and knock yourself out. Then, in the midst of this dark tunnel, you have to find something the size of your fingernail on a wall of rock. Of course, when you find one, you probably find a few, after all, gems are usually found together in a seam. But then you have to exert all that energy to smash the rocks and release the raw gemstones.

Once you do that, congratulations, you have a rock.

Now you have to smash and chip and scrape away the matrix to expose the gem. Again, this is not an easy process. It takes time and skill, and a lot of energy. And then, once all that is finished? Congratulations, you still have a rock.

Now it's time to polish it. This is where it is necessary to know the different types of gemstones, for if you polish a diamond like an opal, you will never see the potential beauty of the sparkling diamond. However, if you try to polish an opal like a diamond, it will shatter.

And once it's polished? Now you have a prettier rock.

Time to make the setting.

You get the idea.

Having a mine, even a divine one, is just the beginning of a very long and labour intensive process. Of course, without the mine, you can't even begin the process, for it all starts with the mine.

The mystic Flower, though, is found in the garden. Oh, and not just any garden, but the ideal Garden. And while this particular flower is capitalized, it is certainly not the only flower found there, otherwise it would be a pretty poor garden.

In fact, we are reminded of a detail from paragraph 31 where He is referencing a number of aspects of trees, but then at the end mentions the myrtles, a little flower. Specifically, He talks about "the trees of divine unity, the fruits of His oneness, the leaves of detachment, the blossoms of knowledge and certitude, and the myrtles of wisdom and utterance". When we considered why this would be the case, it occurred to us that trees do not grow on their own. They are part of an ecosystem that includes the flowers growing by its base, on the floor of the forest.

Similarly, this mystic Flower, by growing in a garden, must have other flowers growing around it. This would be like the Manifestation being surrounded by all the Apostles, Saints, and sages. There is only one Manifestation, but there are many of the others.

We could go on and talk about Eden, and Paradise, and Ridvan, and all sorts of metaphors associated with all that, but don't want to go on too long with this.

There is another question, though. Why lilies?

As we saw with the myrtles back in paragraph 31, He does not name these things randomly. So, what is it about lilies that make them appropriate here?

Historically, the lily is associated with purity, rebirth, and divinity. It was said to have sprung from Hera's milk in Greek myth, and in Christian symbology refers to the Virgin Mary. Both of these revolve around the birth motif.

If we are looking at using the Qur'an to help us discover the truth of the Bab, then this reference to "ancient wisdom" giving birth to that which is new makes even more sense.

Finally, this quote from the Qur'an just reinforces all of what He has said and implied in these previous paragraphs.

If you want to learn divine knowledge, you have to go to the divine Mine, presumably the Book of God. If you want to inhale the fragrance of the mystic Flower, you have to go to the ideal Garden. And if you want the lilies of ancient wisdom to blossom in your heart, then it has to be stainless. In just a couple of paragraphs He will begin to explain how to help your heart become stainless.

Paragraph 210

Ponder the blessed verse, so that the meaning of the words “There is neither a thing green nor sere but it is noted in the unerring Book” may be imprinted upon the tablet of thy heart. Notwithstanding, a multitude bear him allegiance. They have rejected the Moses of knowledge and justice, and clung to the Sámirí of ignorance. They have turned away their eyes from the Daystar of truth which shineth in the divine and everlasting heaven, and have utterly ignored its splendor.

 

Baha'u'llah continues to turn us towards the Qur'an, showing how profound it is by pointing out to us that He was able to find a direct reference to this "certain man, reputed for his learning and attainment". Of course, this will help us see how it directly references the Bab, too, just after He guides us towards understanding what it means to be a "true seeker". In other words, He seems to be saying, if we want to find truth, we can find it in the sacred Text. Everything "is noted in the unerring Book".

Once again He is asking us to ponder. This time it is a reminder to the uncle to deeply consider what he already knows about the Qur'an. It is the repository of truth. After all those reminders to stop regarding "the words and deeds of mortal men as a standard for the true understanding and recognition of God and His Prophets" He is guiding us back to the true standard.

We can put our trust in the Word of God. It is what He used in Part One with that quote from Jesus. It is what He has been using throughout this book. And it is what He will use in just a few more paragraphs to help us understand the truth of the Cause of the Bab. "Consider the past" is not just advice to reflect on those aspects of history we already know. It is a reminder that the past can also be our guide to the future.

When He refers to the "unerring Book", though, if we consider the synonymity of the Manifestations He has talked about for so many paragraphs, we can also think of the Books they have revealed as one. The "unerring Book" is not just the Qur'an. It is the "Book of God". It is the truth found in all revelations. We find the "unerring Book" also refers to the Gospels, the Tanakh, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad-Gita, the Buddhist texts, the Zend Avesta, and all the sacred books of the past.

Unfortunately, though, too many people put their trust in people, mortal souls like this "certain man". They ignore the obvious reality in the sacred text and look, instead, to those who are "(c)ontent with a transitory dominion", those "foolish leaders, who lead after their own whims and desire."

But who is "Samiri"? What is his story, that Baha'u'llah would reference him here?

He was one of the Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt into the desert. In the Qur'an, he is the one who is accused of turning the Israelites away from Moses while He was up in the mountain getting the Ten Commandments. He is the one who is said, in Surih 20, to have made the golden calf. While Aaron, Moses' brother, was left in charge, Samiri is the one who usurped that station, claiming that Moses had forgotten about them. He went on and said that the calf was the god of Moses, as well as Israel. Through his ignorance, he grossly mislead them. For this, Samiri was banished from the community.

There are more aspects to this story, though. For starters, Samiri  took the gold from all the jewelry they carried with them as they fled Egypt. This is what he used to make the statue of the calf. And one may reasonably ask why they had this gold in the first place? What good is it in the desert? You can't eat it. It doesn't replace water. You can't even trade it for money to buy anything. There's nothing out there, so all it is is dead weight. It's a burden. Nothing more. Well, perhaps that's not quite true. It is a reminder of what they left behind. It's a sign that somewhere deep in their hearts, perhaps, they longed to be Egyptian, enjoying a life of ease, instead of the trials and torments they faced in the desert.

As we read this paragraph, we were thinking of how Baha'u'llah once again references people turning away, and thought that it might be because of the veils covering their eyes, preventing them from seeing the truth. But as we pondered this, we noticed that He says that they "turned away... from the Daystar... which shineth..." And as we placed ourselves in their position, we realized that we were turning away not because of a veil, but because we were blinded. When faced with a bright light, our natural inclination is to turn away from it simply because it hurts to look at it directly.

Then, when we used the word "natural", we were reminded of paragraph 28, in which Baha'u'llah says, "...in idle fancy they have found the door that leadeth unto earthly riches, whereas in the manifestation of the Revealer of knowledge they find naught but the call to self-sacrifice. They therefore naturally hold fast unto the former, and flee from the latter."

Perhaps this is the crux of the story, for us. Perhaps this is why Baha'u'llah refers to this "certain man" as Samiri.

Both are followers, the one of Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kazim, the other of Moses. Both have already made a difficult choice. The former to step aside from the traditional teachings of other schools of Islamic thought. The other to walk away from that which was comfortable and familiar to him, the life he had in Egypt.

Then, faced with the reality of what their choice entails, they turn aside and choose an easier path.

Samiri could have continued to follow Moses in the desert, but let's face it, that's a difficult choice for one who lived his whole life in the comfort of Egypt's cities.

The "certain man", Karim Khan, could have gone on and followed the Bab, but consider the hardships that those who did faced. How many tens of thousands were eventually executed for their belief? To follow the Bab was, right from the beginning, to step on that path leading to martyrdom, and most of them knew it.

Samiri gathered all this gold to himself, while this "certain man" gathered followers and renown. Both did so, probably not because they were unaware of the Manifestation, but more likely because they knew the risks. "They therefore naturally hold fast unto the former, and flee from the latter."

Paragraph 209

And as to this man’s attainments, his ignorance, understanding and belief, behold what the Book which embraceth all things hath revealed; “Verily, the tree of Zaqqúm shall be the food of the Athím.” And then follow certain verses, until He saith: “Taste this, for thou forsooth art the mighty Karím!” Consider how clearly and explicitly he hath been described in God’s incorruptible Book! This man, moreover, feigning humility, hath in his own book referred to himself as the “athím servant”: “Athím” in the Book of God, mighty among the common herd, “Karím” in name!

Now, with incredible elegance, Baha'u'llah begins His shift from this "certain man, reputed for his learning and attainment", who accounts "himself as one of the preeminent leaders of his people", and turns our attention back to the Qur'an.

This is significant in that He has just given us this negative example of one who has no interest in discovering the truth. He has shown us what happens when one is only concerned about their own ego and reputation. From here, though, He will soon outline the attributes of a true seeker, one who is desperate to discover the truth. From there, He will then use the Qur'an to begin His proof of the Bab's station and mission. By reminding us here of the power inherent in the Qur'an, He is preparing us to use sacred text as a guide for uncovering the truth, just as He did in Part One with that single quote from Jesus guiding us towards the recognition of Muhammad.

Baha'u'llah begins this paragraph with a bit of an outline about this man. He refers to his "attainments, his ignorance, understanding and belief". We have already seen his ignorance, claiming that all these various pseudo-sciences are necessary for understanding spiritual matters. This also touches on his understanding and belief. But what has this man done?

Haji Mirza Karim Khan was a Shaykhi, that school of thought which produced all of the Letters of the Living, those first to believe in the Bab. Karim Khan, however, did not embrace the Cause of the Bab. Instead, he decided to declare himself the leader of this school, even going so far as to claim to be the "fourth pillar of Islam" alongside God, Muhammad, and the Imams. This clearly demonstrates how his humility was, as Baha'u'llah says, merely feigned. However, after significant opposition from other clergymen, he quickly withdrew this claim, but that is how far his ego was out of control. After that, he wrote a number of books and treatises attacking the Bab and His followers.

The uncle, of course, would have been very aware of all this. But enough about this man. Let's look at the rest of this paragraph.

Notice how these quotes call to mind the entirety of Surih 44. That Surih begins with the story of Moses at a time when He been banished from Egypt, just as Baha'u'llah had recently been banished from Iran at the time of this writing. It goes on to show how the Egyptians came to nothing, and those who attacked the Jews lost everything. Their wealth and fame had all been lost. It continues on with the quote that Baha'u'llah cited, referencing how the sinners shall suffer. It then concludes with a mention of the rewards that are awaiting those who believe.

Over and over in this book, Baha'u'llah is referencing those passages in the Qur'an that contrast those who disbelieve from those who believe, those who persecute the believers and those who suffer for their belief. He is continually calling to mind the question of belief itself, and helping us ask which side of history we want to be on.

Throughout this volume, Baha'u'llah reminds us of the nature of "Return", and how not only does the Messenger return, but so do all the surrounding circumstances, including the various types of people, both the oppressors and the believers. He continually draws us back to sacred Text, both the Bible and Qur'an, reminding us of the profundity of these books, and how they can be our guide to the future.

Then there is the word "consider". Consider this book, the Qur'an. Think about it carefully before making your decision regarding the validity of the Station of the Bab.

Study this book, the Qur'an. Notice how it not only talks about the various circumstances attending the lives of the Messengers, it even calls out by name such perfidious individuals as Karim Khan.

It is with such reminders that Baha'u'llah winds down this section of the Iqan, getting us ready to see what the Qur'an has to say about the Bab, Himself.

Of course, before that, there is still the internal preparation we must do to be ready to engage in such a search.