Paragraph 208

Among the sciences which this pretender hath professed is that of alchemy. We cherish the hope that either a king or a man of preeminent power may call upon him to translate this science from the realm of fancy to the domain of fact and from the plane of mere pretension to that of actual achievement. Would that this unlearned and humble Servant, who never laid any pretension to such things, nor even regarded them as the criterion of true knowledge, might undertake the same task, that thereby the truth might be known and distinguished from falsehood. But of what avail! All this generation could offer Us were wounds from its darts, and the only cup it proffered to Our lips was the cup of its venom. On Our neck We still bear the scar of chains, and upon Our body are imprinted the evidences of an unyielding cruelty.

Continuing on with this "certain man, reputed for his learning and attainment", who accounts "himself as one of the preeminent leaders of his people", Baha'u'llah focuses in on a single one of his preposterous claims, the mastery of alchemy.

What makes this most fascinating to us is to compare it to what Baha'u'llah has already said about alchemy in paragraphs 165 - 167. In those paragraphs He refers to the potency of the "Divine Elixir", the Word of God, and how it can transform people from one state of being to another, more golden state of being. Of course, He also points out that those people who have been touched and transformed by the Word of God cannot be compared to themselves from before that transformation. They have so utterly changed, become so much more spiritual, that it is like the copper that has been changed to gold.

Here, in this paragraph, He asks that someone take this man up on his claim. Specifically, He cherishes "the hope" that someone in a position of power do this, as He Himself is essentially seen as a powerless exile at this point.

Further to this, though, He also hopes that someone ask Him to do the same thing. It is very reminiscent of that later challenge when some members of the clergy asked Him to perform a miracle, presuming He wouldn't accept such a challenge. Immediately upon this request, He agreed, provided they chose a single miracle and, upon its performance, accepted His claim. They were unable to do this, and so never followed through.

Over and over Baha'u'llah seems to dare people to challenge Him to do such things, and every single time they do not.

Then, at the end of this paragraph, there is another point He introduces: His sufferings. Why? Why would He introduce this idea here?

This suffering is not the suffering of exasperation, but a literal physical suffering. He had already been bastinadoed, imprisoned, and even exiled for His faith. When He was imprisoned in the Siyyah-Chal, the chains on His neck bent His back and left their scars on Him for life. When He says He bears the scars of their cruelty, and that His body bears the evidence of it, this is not hyperbole. It is a reality.

Of what use is it, He asks, to hope for such a test as to be asked to change copper to gold. This generation, He implies, is not interested in investigating the truth. All that it has given Him is suffering.

And just in case we have forgotten, remember that line from way back in paragraph 6, "the more closely thou observest the denials of those who have opposed the Manifestations of the divine attributes, the firmer will be thy faith in the Cause of God"? In addition to this, in paragraph 80 He said of those same Manifestations, "Each and every one of them fell a prey to the hands of the enemies of His Cause, and had to suffer whatsoever they decreed." As He is just getting ready to embark on the actual proofs of the Mission and Station of the Bab, it seems that this is a hint at how to become more certain of Baha'u'llah's own Station, too.

Paragraph 207

Gracious God! How great is Our amazement at the way the people have gathered around him, and have borne allegiance to his person! Content with transient dust, these people have turned their face unto it, and cast behind their backs Him Who is the Lord of Lords. Satisfied with the croaking of the crow and enamored with the visage of the raven, they have renounced the melody of the nightingale and the charm of the rose. What unspeakable fallacies the perusal of this pretentious book hath revealed! They are too unworthy for any pen to describe, and too base for one moment’s attention. Should a touchstone be found, however, it would instantly distinguish truth from falsehood, light from darkness, and sun from shadow.

We are still looking at this "certain man, reputed for his learning and attainment", who accounts "himself as one of the preeminent leaders of his people".

This paragraph begins with exasperation. "Gracious God!"

Why? What is Baha'u'llah exasperated about? If we look at the last sentence of the previous paragraph, we see that this refers to the "heights of extravagance his claims have reached".

But it's not only that. It's the way "people have gathered around him, and have borne allegiance to his person." As Baha'u'llah says in paragraph 111, quoting the Qur'an, "And if they see the path of righteousness, they will not take it for their path; but if they see the path of error, for their path will they take it." No wonder He is amazed.

For us, it is a good reminder to be cautious about following the crowd. Are we following merely to follow? Or have we consciously thought about it? Remember, we are not to "regard the words and deeds of mortal men as a standard for the true understanding and recognition of God and His Prophets". But that doesn't mean we need to ignore anything anyone else says. It means that we should be cautious, make sure that what is being said makes sense and is in line with the Writings. Being attracted to what another person says is not necessarily bad. But we need to see whether we are attracted like the moth to the light or the fly to the fertilizer. It all hearkens back, of course, to paragraphs 14 and 15, too, and not weighing the Word of God "by the standard of their own knowledge".

But all of this can become a distraction.

Why would we bother paying attention to the cawing of the crow when we can listen to the beautiful melody of the nightingale? Why would we waste our time with the "visage of the raven" when we can surround ourself with the beauty of the rose? We should focus our attention on the positive, spending our precious time building up what is good rather than focusing on the negative. Those petty things that try to divert our attention away from the Word of God and the building of this new civilization are not worthy of our attention.

What a lesson this is for us in this age of social media, which thrives on this distraction and relishes in these petty arguments. No. We shouldn't bother with such things, for once we have the divine Word of God, we can "instantly distinguish truth from falsehood, light from darkness, and sun from shadow".

Paragraph 206

We were surprised exceedingly when We observed that his one purpose was to make the people realize that all these learnings were possessed by him. And yet, I swear by God that not one breath, blowing from the meads of divine knowledge, hath ever been wafted upon his soul, nor hath he ever unraveled a single mystery of ancient wisdom. Nay, were the meaning of Knowledge ever to be expounded unto him, dismay would fill his heart, and his whole being would shake to its foundation. Notwithstanding his base and senseless statements, behold to what heights of extravagance his claims have reached!

In this paragraph, the fourth of ten that looks at this "certain man, reputed for his learning and attainments", Baha'u'llah turns His attention to this man's character.

The first thing that catches our attention is the adverb, "exceedingly". He wasn't just surprised. Baha'u'llah was "surprised exceedingly". Why?

As so often is the case, we don't really know. How can anyone know the mind of a Manifestation? But we suspect it has to do with this man motivations. He wasn't concerned about educating people. He wasn't interested in raising the spiritual state of those who followed him. He wasn't even thinking about guiding people to the Messenger of God, nor even God Himself. No. His only purpose was to boost his own ego.

It seems only natural that this would surprise someone whose very essence was a lack of ego.

And this isn't speculation on Baha'u'llah's part. It is something He actually observed. He saw it, clear as day. He saw this man's behaviour and discerned his motives.

The second point that caught our attention is this man's lack of understanding. He obviously does not possess true knowledge, according to Baha'u'llah, Who has read his book. In fact, so far is he from true knowledge that if he were to encounter it, he would freak out. "...(H)is whole being would shake to its foundation."

To better understand this, we need to look all the way back to paragraphs 14 and 15. There He points out that this man's behaviour, similar to other religious fanatics throughout history, "can be attributed to naught save the petty-mindedness of such souls as tread the valley of arrogance and pride..." Baha'u'llah goes on to say, "Leaders of religion, in every age, have hindered their people from attaining the shores of eternal salvation, inasmuch as they held the reins of authority in their mighty grasp. Some for the lust of leadership, others through want of knowledge and understanding, have been the cause of the deprivation of the people."

In other words, this man's "lust for leadership" has prompted him to ignore the truth. His ego has convinced him to attack anything that might cast a shadow on how others perceive him. As He says in paragraph 28, "With all their power and strength they strive to secure themselves in their petty pursuits, fearful lest the least discredit undermine their authority or blemish the display of their magnificence." This man, "reputed for his learning and attainments", exemplifies these warnings. And were he to gain a bit of true knowledge, he would then see himself as one of those described in that next sentence, one of those "voracious beasts (that) have gathered and preyed upon the carrion of the souls of men."

We can clearly see how his egotism has carried him away to those "heights of extravagance". These claims that he alone knows all these sciences "necessary" for understanding the Miraj shows that he lacks the detachment needed to "attain the shores of the ocean of true understanding".

Contrary to this, Baha'u'llah never claims that anything other than detachment and purity of heart are needed to recognize these truths. Later, in paragraphs 213 to 219, He will go into more depth as to what this entails.

Paragraph 205

In this day, they that are submerged beneath the ocean of ancient Knowledge, and dwell within the ark of divine wisdom, forbid the people such idle pursuits. Their shining breasts are, praise be to God, sanctified from every trace of such learning, and are exalted above such grievous veils. We have consumed this densest of all veils with the fire of the love of the Beloved—the veil referred to in the saying: “The most grievous of all veils is the veil of knowledge.” Upon its ashes, We have reared the tabernacle of divine knowledge. We have, praise be to God, burned the “veils of glory” with the fire of the beauty of the Best-Beloved. We have driven from the human heart all else but Him Who is the Desire of the world, and glory therein. We cleave to no knowledge but His Knowledge, and set our hearts on naught save the effulgent glories of His light.

Here we are at the third of ten paragraphs looking at "a certain man, reputed for his learning and attainments", or as we like to think of it, the tablet of the false seeker. After all the various arguments Baha'u'llah has laid out in this book, this is the final gift he offers us before outlining the qualities of the true seeker in paragraphs 213 - 219. It is an amazing example of what not to do, before clearly guiding us to the proper manner in which to seek the truth.

Before we get into it, note the contrasting elements throughout this one paragraph. We begin with the ocean, and the ark which sails upon it. He then brings us back to our body with the reference to the breast, and then up towards the veil which, presumably covers the face. This veil is then burned with fire and we are left with its ashes. These ashes then form the foundation upon which is built the tabernacle, that sacred tent housing the Holy of Holies. The praise of God is like a burnt offering, soaring up towards the heavens, which brings us right back down to the heart, which has been cleansed and purified. Out to the ocean, in to the heart, up to the heavens, and back down to the heart again. So majestic. So powerful. And so grounding.

Going back to the beginning of this paragraph, we find ourselves at the ocean once again. In paragraph 1 we were trying to "attain the shores of the ocean of true understanding", but now we are "submerged beneath the ocean". We are not just pleasantly swimming on the surface, we are diving deep within it. But we are not in danger. Oh, no. We dwell within the "ark of divine wisdom", safe within its confines, free to dive into the ocean whenever we wish.

But this is not a total freedom to do anything we want. There are some rules that we follow. Of course, we don't follow them merely because they are there. We obey them because they are for our benefit. They are the sort of laws that aid us in our growth and development. One of those laws helps us avoid those senseless disciplines that avail us nothing.

As we move on, we find that these learnings appear to obscure the heart, as He refers to the "shining breasts" being "sanctified from every trace of such learning". This puts us in mind of all the writings that describe the heart as a mirror, from which we must cleanse the dross. These idle teachings espoused by this "man of learning" are like that dross.

Baha'u'llah then refers to this learning as a veil. As we saw earlier in the book, veils are those things that obscure the light of God for the individual. They are closer to us, more personal, than the clouds, which also obscure the light, but do so for everyone.

Now that we recognize the veil, we have to get rid of it, but how? In the Long Obligatory Prayer, Baha'u'llah asks God to "make of my prayer a fire that will burn away the veils which have shut me out from Thy beauty". By turning towards God, facing the true beauty of the All-Beloved, that veil is burned away so that we may see His true beauty in all its glory.

Once this false and obscuring knowledge has been burned away, we find ourselves left with nothing but these ashes which can then be used to help us recognize the true knowledge that He is laying bare before us. This is how we are able to raise the "tabernacle of true knowledge". And again, looking at the concept of the tabernacle, we can see why it would be used here. It is the movable tent that housed the Spirit in the desert for the Jewish peoples, and where they store the Torah today.

By focusing on God, that source of all knowledge, our heart is cleansed. Nothing else remains within it but the love of God.

Back in paragraph 76, Baha'u'llah said, " Know verily that Knowledge is of two kinds: Divine and Satanic. The one welleth out from the fountain of divine inspiration; the other is but a reflection of vain and obscure thoughts. The source of the former is God Himself; the motive-force of the latter the whisperings of selfish desire." Here we are getting rid of the latter and focusing all our energies on the former.

This is where we want to be. This is what we want to do. And the following paragraphs remind us of what happens when we don't, when we turn towards ourselves and use our own limited knowledge as the "standard for the true understanding and recognition of God and His Prophets."