Paragraph 170

Purge thy sight, therefore, from all earthly limitations, that thou mayest behold them all as the bearers of one Name, the exponents of one Cause, the manifestations of one Self, and the revealers of one Truth, and that thou mayest apprehend the mystic “return” of the Words of God as unfolded by these utterances. Reflect for a while upon the behavior of the companions of the Muḥammadan Dispensation. Consider how, through the reviving breath of Muḥammad, they were cleansed from the defilements of earthly vanities, were delivered from selfish desires, and were detached from all else but Him. Behold how they preceded all the peoples of the earth in attaining unto His holy Presence—the Presence of God Himself—how they renounced the world and all that is therein, and sacrificed freely and joyously their lives at the feet of that Manifestation of the All-Glorious. And now, observe the “return” of the selfsame determination, the selfsame constancy and renunciation, manifested by the companions of the Point of the Bayán. Thou hast witnessed how these companions have, through the wonders of the grace of the Lord of Lords, hoisted the standards of sublime renunciation upon the inaccessible heights of glory. These Lights have proceeded from but one Source, and these fruits are the fruits of one Tree. Thou canst discern neither difference nor distinction among them. All this is by the grace of God! On whom He will, He bestoweth His grace. Please God, that we avoid the land of denial, and advance into the ocean of acceptance, so that we may perceive, with an eye purged from all conflicting elements, the worlds of unity and diversity, of variation and oneness, of limitation and detachment, and wing our flight unto the highest and innermost sanctuary of the inner meaning of the Word of God.

 

Now that we have crossed the bridge of the previous two paragraphs, we are at the tenth of thirty paragraphs looking at the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God, that of "pure abstraction and essential unity".

Here, in this paragraph, Baha'u'llah is asking us to do something very different than anything we have heard in the past. He is asking us to look beyond the simplistic differences and focus on the similarities. For example, some will claim that Christians worship God, while Muslims worship Allah, without realizing that they are the same. God. Dieu. Ahura Mazda. Gitchi Manitou. They are all referring to the same divine essence.

Some will claim that Jesus spoke Aramaic, while Muhammad spoke Arabic, but we are being asked to recognize that they both spoke of the divine teachings.

If we want to better understand the concept of "Return", He is suggesting that we look at the companions. See how they were changed upon their encounter with the divine teachings, that copper to gold scenario we just looked at. Reflect on their wonderous behviour. Notice how they arose to those great heights of detachment, determination, constancy, and renunciation. And now, reflect on the Babis. Did they not show the same attributes?

Finally, He is asking us to look beyond the obvious "conflicting elements" and find the greater points where they come together. For example, it is easy to see unity and diversity as mutually exclusive, but He is asking us to recognize where they come together in a greater harmony. Unity, for example, without diversity is uniformity. As we often see in the natural world, without diversity, the ecosystem is weaker, more susceptible to disease. But with great diversity, the unity of the ecosystem is far stronger, more resilient.

But, as usual, there is more to this paragraph than just the summary we have offered. Let's take a look at some of the hidden details.

In that first sentence, He says that if we look beyond these earthly limitations, we will "behold them all as the bearers of one Name, the exponents of one Cause, the manifestations of one Self, and the revealers of one Truth". Who is the "them"? The followers. When we read this sentence on its own, it feels as if He's talking about the Messengers, but when you go back a paragraph and see this in the context, He is clearly referring to the followers, those great heroes who spread the Word of God amongst their compatriots. And while we could talk about the movement from Name to Cause to Self to Truth, let's move on.

We are asked to "reflect" on their behaviour, and "consider" the effect of the Word of God upon them. They were cleansed from thinking only about themselves, delivered from those desires, and this enabled them to be detached from everything but God. As you can see, it begins with being cleansed, which brings us back to the very beginning of this book. We must be "detached from all that is heaven and on earth" if we want to attain to this ocean. And we have to sanctify our soul and cleanse ourselves of all that is earthly, "their ears from idle talk, their minds from vain imaginings, the hearts from worldly affections, their eyes from that which perisheth". If we do this, if we trust in God, then "will they be made worthy... and become the recipients of a grace that is infinite and unseen..."

It is also worth noting that these same companions are being referred to as the "Light" that has "proceeded from but one Source". They are seen as the "fruits of one tree". And we are told that we will see "neither difference nor distinction among them". Isn't it remarkable how Baha'u'llah has moved us from seeing the Messengers in this way to now seeing the followers in the same light? Just as there is no difference between the Manifestations at this stage, He is elevating our vision to seeing no difference between the followers, too. Those heroes of our religion that we revere? They are our very companions.

This is such an important concept that He even finishes this paragraph with a sentence that can be seen as a prayer, beseeching God's assistance. We are hoping to avoid these pitfalls, this denial, these seeming conflicts, and instead see the oneness that He is talking about. The very phrasing of this brings us back to paragraph 102, the first one in Part 2, where He hopes that we will "soar... to those heights that are veiled from the eyes of men."

Paragraph 169

Therefore, those who in every subsequent Dispensation preceded the rest of mankind in embracing the Faith of God, who quaffed the clear waters of knowledge at the hand of the divine Beauty, and attained the loftiest summits of faith and certitude, these can be regarded, in name, in reality, in deeds, in words, and in rank, as the “return” of those who in a former Dispensation had achieved similar distinctions. For whatsoever the people of a former Dispensation have manifested, the same hath been shown by the people of this latter generation. Consider the rose: whether it blossometh in the East or in the West, it is nonetheless a rose. For what mattereth in this respect is not the outward shape and form of the rose, but rather the smell and fragrance which it doth impart.

 

Here we are at the ninth of thirty paragraphs looking at the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God, that of "pure abstraction and essential unity". And we thought it might be a good idea to review how we got here.

Part 1, as you may recall, was essentially about how to recognize a Messenger of God. By looking at how a passage from Jesus related to Muhammad, Baha'u'llah showed us that it also related to all the Messengers. He showed us the pattern they follow in their lives, allowing us to apply that recognition to Muhammad, and therefore to the Bab, too. Incidentally, it also works for recognizing Baha'u'llah, so He is giving us a great bit of foreshadowing there.

Part 2 begins with a recognition of the sovereignty of the Messengers of God, which you may recognize as the basis of a question from the uncle of the Bab that led to this book. He then points out that we can never directly know God, but can learn about Him through His Messengers. Everything in creation shows a sign of God. Humanity shows all the signs of God. And the Messengers show those signs to the highest degree. This, basically, is a hierarchy of creation helping us understand why we follow them. It is a defense of their sovereignty. He then points out that all the Manifestations show all the attributes, to a greater or lesser degree depending on the needs of the age in which they appeared.

From there He demonstrates, quite clearly, how this sovereignty is not the earthly sovereignty that we often imagine. He spends many paragraphs demonstrating that their sovereignty is of a spiritual nature, and includes all the aspects of an earthly sovereignty, such as enacting laws, making pronouncements of judgement, and so forth.

To get to where we are now in the book, He talks about what it means to "attain the presence of God" and how it really means attaining the presence of the Manifestation in their lifetime. This leads to a discussion of their lifetime, and how it includes the return of all the things that happen in the life of a Messenger. Not only is it about their return, but also the return of the social circumstances in their life, as well as a return of the type of people that become their followers. And that, pretty much, is where we are now.

In the first sentence, He essentially points out that those believers in each Dispensation that arose during the life of the Messenger, and showed those qualities of heroism and wisdom that we honour, can be seen as the "return" of those similar followers  from the past. His definition of "return" is, in short, a return of those same qualities.

This is further emphasized by His observation of the rose. A rose is a rose, as Shakespeare famously said, no matter where it grows. Those distinguishing characteristics, such as its beautiful scent are what define it, and allow us to recognize it wherever it may be.

He also mentions some ways in which we can regard these followers throughout history. He says that we can see them all as having the same name, reality, deeds, words, and rank. It's an interesting list that we want to look at a bit more closely, as we always do when we see a list like this.

In name, we can say that they are all the "apostles" of that Messenger. Their "reality" is that spiritual reality that He talks about so often. They themselves have recognized that aspect of their being, and that is why they were willing to arise and sacrifice what they did. Those are their deeds. As for their words, they all speak of love, compassion, devotion, and all the other eternal teachings of the Messengers throughout the ages. Their rank is that high station to which they have all been hailed and lauded throughout history, which is a direct result of their deeds and words.

Do we not wish to attain to such a lofty station, too? Do we not want to be seen through the lens of history as a rose? The choice is ours, and much will depend on how we see ourselves, what we do, and what we say.

Paragraph 168

O brother, behold how the inner mysteries of “rebirth,” of “return,” and of “resurrection” have each, through these all-sufficing, these unanswerable, and conclusive utterances, been unveiled and unraveled before thine eyes. God grant that through His gracious and invisible assistance, thou mayest divest thy body and soul of the old garment, and array thyself with the new and imperishable attire.

 

We are at the eighth of thirty paragraphs looking at the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God, that of "pure abstraction and essential unity".

Now, this paragraph ties in closely with the next, and could easily be read with it, but we're going to continue with our methodology of looking at one paragraph at a time.

This one begins "O brother", and don't worry, it is not an expression of exasperation. It is obviously showing a sense of closeness to the uncle of the Bab. Throughout this book, and throughout His whole dispensation, He consistently shows this sense of closeness and camaraderie with the reader.

He then goes on to say that the terms "rebirth", "return", and "resurrection" have been clearly defined and explained. But where has He done this? In paragraph 153, He said we should "strive... to grasp the meaning of resurrection". In paragraph 160, He went on to tell us to "strive to understand the meaning of return". And in paragraph 163 He said, "Have not this people exemplified the mysteries of 'rebirth' and 'return'?"

By looking back at these previous paragraphs, we can see that the Resurrection is the Day of the Messenger of God on Earth, the time when they are literally walking amongst us. So, in this manner, the Return is not only the return of the Messenger, but also of the similarity of the times, and this would necessarily include a similarity of their followers. The spirit of love and generosity, of noble sacrifice, is found in the followers of all the Messengers, so in that sense, they could be said to be reborn in each age. But as they are also changed from how they were before they believed, the followers are also said to be reborn within their own life.

As we can all agree that these miraculous occurrences happened in the time of the religion we espouse, to deny them in another religion would be to deny them within our own, too. It would be using a different standard. And as we learned in Part 1, whatever criteria we apply to our own faith should be applied to all faiths. This is where we will undoubtedly see the unity of all religions.

Now we can better see why all this is in a section about the essentially unity of the Messengers.

Another question for us is what is a garment? It is a piece of clothing that both hides our body, and is how we present ourselves to others. It is how others see us. So, in the Persian Hidden Words, number 47, He tells us to "Put away the garment of vainglory", seemingly implying that this vainglory is not a part of our essential reality, but just a covering we wear that others can see. Now we can more readily remember how easy it is to shed this ugly garment and wear something more worthy and beautiful.

In the Arabic Hidden Words, number 14, He tells us "thou art My robe and My robe shall never be outworn". But how can we be His garment? Perhaps because it is through His followers that others can see Him. It is the followers that are quite often someone's first encounter with a religion, so we should strive to be worthy of representing something so marvelous.

So when He tells us to put on this new garment, He seems to be telling us to be far more aware of how we present ourselves to the world. Of course, then the question is how does He want us to present ourselves. And this is what He will tell us not only in the rest of this book, but throughout His whole dispensation.

Paragraph 167

Likewise, these souls, through the potency of the Divine Elixir, traverse, in the twinkling of an eye, the world of dust and advance into the realm of holiness; and with one step cover the earth of limitations and reach the domain of the Placeless. It behooveth thee to exert thine utmost to attain unto this Elixir which, in one fleeting breath, causeth the west of ignorance to reach the east of knowledge, illuminateth the darkness of night with the resplendence of the morn, guideth the wanderer in the wilderness of doubt to the wellspring of the Divine Presence and Fount of certitude, and conferreth upon mortal souls the honor of acceptance into the Riḍván of immortality. Now, could this gold be thought to be copper, these people could likewise be thought to be the same as before they were endowed with faith.

Here we are at the seventh of thirty paragraphs looking at the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God, that of "pure abstraction and essential unity", and the last of those four paragraphs that talk about this miraculous elixir. 

Baha'u'llah begins with the word "likewise", so there is a connection to the previous paragraph, which He will undoubtedly develop in this one. When He says "these souls", He is obviously referring to those mentioned at the end of paragraph 163, those souls that have been transformed by the Divine Teachings. So we figure that when He is pointing out that this copper which has changed to gold cannot be considered as the same as it was before He is saying that a soul which has encountered the divine teachings and been transformed can no longer be considered the same as prior, especially when this touchstone is there to prove its value.

When we read these four paragraphs as a group, and understand that they are all referring back to paragraph 163, then all these references to the divine elixir and the transmutation of copper to gold make more sense.

And just in case we are still in doubt, we can look at other references to the "Elixir" in the Writings. For example, in Prayers and Meditations, XXXVIII, He refers to "Thy most exalted Word which Thou hast ordained as the Divine Elixir unto all who are in Thy realm, the Elixir through whose potency the crude metal of human life hath been transmuted into purest gold". This is but one of many such references.

Of course, there is much more in this paragraph, so let's move on.

While we may have a concept of what "the realm of holiness" might be, what is the "domain of the Placeless"? This is an impossible question to answer, but Baha'u'llah gives it a bit more context when He tells us to "abandon the habitation of self and desire and step into the placeless realm of eternal glory". By calling it "placeless", He is putting it beyond any specific location. It is not, for example, somewhere in the Middle East, nor is it a "place" like Heaven. Any time we run the risk of beginning to pin something like this down, giving it a specific definition, He raises our vision above such earthly limitations. This is something He has done throughout this book, and the rest of His writings. He takes our preconceptions of such things and raises our vision. Whether it is a concept of God, the station of the Messengers, or what is implied by the oneness of humanity, He always tries to help us see more than we previously imagined.

Looking at that longer sentence, we want to apply a technique we have used throughout our study of this book and see if we can discern a path He is showing to us. In His description of what this Elixir can do, He offers the following four points. It can:

• causeth the west of ignorance to reach the east of knowledge
• illuminateth the darkness of night with the resplendence of the morn
• guideth the wanderer in the wilderness of doubt to the wellspring of the Divine Presence and Fount of certitude
• conferreth upon mortal souls the honor of acceptance into the Riḍván of immortality

In other words, it can cause the movement of:

• ignorance to knowledge
• night to morn
• doubt to certitude
• mortal to immortal

Could the latter elements be seen as the same as the former? Is knowledge the same as ignorance? Is the morning the same as the night? Can certainty be seen as the same as doubt? And is there a difference between those that which is immortal and that which is mortal? Obviously the answer is "no".

But why is this all a concern? Why should any of this matter?

To us it is a reminder that whatever someone may have done in the past, once they have been transformed by these divine teachings, they are no longer the same person.

Of course, this transformation occurs in every Dispensation, which is probably why it is included in this larger section of "pure abstraction and essential unity". This transformation of the people is a fundamental part of every religion.

Remember Saint Paul? We just mentioned him in the previous paragraph. As we said there, the challenge for the early Christians was for them to see him in a new light. He had been one of their great persecutors, but was now one of their great champions.

Perhaps this is why we see over and over again in many sacred books that the past has been forgiven.

But then, lest we get egotistical about this, there are also warnings from the Pen of Baha'u'llah that this transformation may not be eternal. Later in this very book, He cautions us not to despise the "sinner", for:

...none knoweth what his own end shall be. How often hath a sinner attained, at the hour of death, to the essence of faith, and, quaffing the immortal draught, hath taken his flight unto the Concourse on high! 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!

This could be why we need to regularly pray and meditate, read the Writings every morn and eve, engage in the Fast, purify our material goods through the Right of God, and so forth. Maybe there is a tendency of the human heart to revert back to its copper-like state even after it has transformed to pure gold, and obedience to the teachings, coupled with humility, mitigates this reversion back to a lower state.

One last point we feel is important to put in here. Baha'u'llah does not seem to be concerned about what we refer to as a conversion of faith. He does not seem to be concerned about what some have referred to as "wearing the team jacket". There are many examples in religious history of those who were highly regarded as devoted followers of a faith who only later turned out to be their worst enemy. Consider Judas Iscariot, who was seen to be one of Jesus's closest disciples. Or call to mind, from Baha'i history, Ibrahim Khayrullah who is regarded as having brought the Faith to North America, only to later be recognized as a Covenant Breaker. These are but two of countless examples of those who had been touched by the Faith of God, transformed, in the eyes of men, into purest gold, only to fall back to the most tarnished of coppers.

We find in these paragraphs about copper and gold both a great promise, but also a profound warning.

Paragraph 166

Be that as it may, the real elixir will, in one instant, cause the substance of copper to attain the state of gold, and will traverse the seventy-year stages in a single moment. Could this gold be called copper? Could it be claimed that it hath not attained the state of gold, whilst the touchstone is at hand to assay it and distinguish it from copper?

 

This is the sixth of thirty paragraphs looking at the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God, that of "pure abstraction and essential unity", and the third of four paragraphs that talk about that miraculous elixir.

We begin, of course, with the reminder of the previous paragraph. We don't think He is talking about the alchemical transformation of stones from one substance to another, but rather that He is referring to the transformation of the soul that occurs when one encounters the divine. He does, after all, refer back to this "seventy-year" concept, which is the average life of a person. So we can imagine the wisdom that can come with age, and understand how a spiritual encounter of this nature could lead us quickly to this same wisdom.

But there is also the question of what is a touchstone? Fortunately one of us has experience as a jeweler. A touchstone is a piece of fine-grained dark stone formerly used for testing alloys of gold by observing the color of the mark which they made on it. Today, though, it is a standard or criterion by which something is judged or recognized. In other words, the touchstone is the ultimate test by which we judge something.

Baha'u'llah, in this paragraph, asks the question, "Could this gold be called copper?"  While it seems like it might be a rhetorical question, is it? We don't think so. In fact, it seems to be a reminder that people can change.  After all, if the copper is tested and found to be gold, then it is gold. There really isn't a question about it. If the test has been done to verify its composition, then the reality is that it is now gold.

Looking at the concept of understanding this as people, we can look at St Paul. He was a really unlikable person who was persecuting Christians at the time. Then he had this encounter with the Spirit of Jesus on the road to Damascus and was transformed from this awful individual to one who was later recognized as a saint. He had, in a sense, gone from copper to gold. The challenge, of course, was for the early Christians who knew him as their persecutor to recognize him for who he had become. Could he still be called copper? No, for the tests of the day proved him to be golden in character.

But what are these tests? What is the touchstone for character? For that we need to go back to paragraph 89:

"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.” These leaders of religion admit that none of these three specified conditions is applicable to them. The first two conditions are manifestly beyond their reach; as to the third, it is evident that at no time have they been proof against those tests that have been sent by God, and that when the divine Touchstone appeared, they have shown themselves to be naught but dross.

He seems to be saying that the Messenger Himself is the touchstone. But if we look way back to paragraph 8, where He asks for what reason the promises of Noah were not fulfilled, we find the following:

Meditate profoundly, that the secret of things unseen may be revealed unto you, that you may inhale the sweetness of a spiritual and imperishable fragrance, and that you may acknowledge the truth that from time immemorial even unto eternity the Almighty hath tried, and will continue to try, His servants, so that light may be distinguished from darkness, truth from falsehood, right from wrong, guidance from error, happiness from misery, and roses from thorns.

In fact, all throughout Part 1 we see constant reference to the various tests that the followers of different faiths underwent. Whether it was the fact of Moses committing murder, or Muhammad changing the direction of the Qiblih, it was always done to test the people for their sincerity of belief.

In other words, were they actually turned into gold, or were they still copper.

Paragraph 165

For instance, consider the substance of copper. Were it to be protected in its own mine from becoming solidified, it would, within the space of seventy years, attain to the state of gold. There are some, however, who maintain that copper itself is gold, which by becoming solidified is in a diseased condition, and hath not therefore reached its own state.

This is the fifth of thirty paragraphs looking at the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God, that of "pure abstraction and essential unity", and the second of four paragraphs that talk about the transformation of copper to gold. It is also worth noting that the very next phrase, in paragraph 166, is "Be that as it may", so this is not necessarily to be taken as what Baha'u'llah literally believes.

Let's begin with the obvious, though. Is He talking about the actual changing of copper to gold? Although it is easy to dismiss this as mere fictitious alchemy, it is worth noting that scientists have already created gold in nuclear reactors. But we don't think that this is what Baha'u'llah is talking about. We think He is referring more to the alchemy of the soul, the transformation of the individual from one concerned about earthly affairs to one who is more concerned about spiritual matters. After all, everything else He writes seems to be concerned with the human heart, so why not here, too?

It is also worth noting the use of the very specific number "seventy years". This seems to be an allusion to the length of a human's life, again implying that it can be the transformation of the human heart through the wisdom of years.

Ok. So we think it's referring to the transformation of the heart, not the stone.

Keeping that in mind, let's look at the actual metaphor itself, turning copper to gold. One of the major differences between copper and gold is the tendency of copper to tarnish. Gold, though, does not tarnish. Through this transformation that Baha'u'llah seems to be talking about, the heart will no longer tarnish. But we can never be fully transformed, at least not without the grace of God. We will still have some copper, so to speak, within us. We will still need polishing. Hence prayer and fasting, and so forth.

At this point we are also reminded of that phrase from the Bab in which He says "The substance wherewith God hath created Me is not the clay out of which others have been formed." It is as if He is saying that we are all pure copper, while He is made of gold. So, through this transformation of the heart, we become more like the Messenger, still copper, but more gold-like. And isn't that what we see in history? As the early heroes of the Faith arise to serve, they take on those qualities of spirit that are more noble, more divine, more like the Messenger they follow.

Finally, there is the word "consider" again. "Consider the substance of copper." As we do that, as we consider this element and its uses, in comparison to the uses of gold, this analogy becomes more interesting to us.

Copper has been used in pennies, and have that value in them. But gold is worth more.

Copper is a very useful conductor of electricity, and is the foundation of our electrical grid. But gold is a better conductor.

Copper, with its ability to tarnish, is very useful in the making of jewelry, producing all sorts of beautiful effects. But, as you know, gold is far more useful in jewelry.

Both have their uses, but gold is far more useful.

Similarly, the everyday average human is both noble and worthy. But the one who has arisen to develop those very qualities of nobility, such as courage and compassion, is far more useful to society. Just look at the early heroes of any faith, and compare them to the average person of that same day. While most may have been like copper, those heroes are the true gold in history.

Paragraph 164

It is evident that nothing short of this mystic transformation could cause such spirit and behavior, so utterly unlike their previous habits and manners, to be made manifest in the world of being. For their agitation was turned into peace, their doubt into certitude, their timidity into courage. Such is the potency of the Divine Elixir, which, swift as the twinkling of an eye, transmuteth the souls of men!

 

This is the fourth of thirty paragraphs looking at the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God, that of "pure abstraction and essential unity". But it is also the first of four paragraphs that talks about the "divine elixir", and the transformation wrought by it.

How are these two related? What does the "divine elixir" have to do with that station of "pure abstraction and essential unity"?

Great question. Thanks for asking.

Let's begin by looking at what this divine elixir does, and then we can go back and see how the two are related.

Baha'u'llah says here that this incredible and magical potion, the divine elixir, turns agitation into peace, doubt into certitude, and timidity into courage

Here we, of course, notice a path of development. Once you have found the peace within yourself, after recognizing the new revelation, you then become more convinced of its absolute truth. Once your simple belief has grown into full-fledged certainty, then you have no fear proclaiming it. We move from peace to certitude to courage.

In many ways it is like the very path this book takes. It begins with the peace we find in our own religion. From there, He builds our certainty not only in our own faith, but in all faiths. He shows us how they are all essentially the same message. In a sense, that is the end of Part One. Now in Part Two He is asking us to arise to serve the Cause. He is asking us to take that next step and move from a personal belief to an outward demonstration of the truths we have discovered. He is asking us to overcome our own timidity and arise to the station of courage. Of course, He will develop this theme at length later in the book.

Back to the divine elixir and what it does.

As we sought to try and describe it, we found we could do no better than to quote the Universal House of Justice from the letter "One Common Faith". And while it is a bit longer than we generally like to quote, we found ourselves unable to change or remove a single word:

Throughout history, the primary agents of spiritual development have been the great religions. For the majority of the earth’s people, the scriptures of each of these systems of belief have served, in Bahá’u’lláh’s words, as “the City of God”, a source of a knowledge that totally embraces consciousness, one so compelling as to endow the sincere with “a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, and a new mind”. A vast literature, to which all religious cultures have contributed, records the experience of transcendence reported by generations of seekers. Down the millennia, the lives of those who responded to intimations of the Divine have inspired breathtaking achievements in music, architecture, and the other arts, endlessly replicating the soul’s experience for millions of their fellow believers. No other force in existence has been able to elicit from people comparable qualities of heroism, self-sacrifice and self-discipline. At the social level, the resulting moral principles have repeatedly translated themselves into universal codes of law, regulating and elevating human relationships. Viewed in perspective, the major religions emerge as the primary driving forces of the civilizing process. To argue otherwise is surely to ignore the evidence of history.

Here we see that this effect of transformation and inspiration are found in every faith. It is, in fact, one of the defining characteristics of a faith. After all, if it is not inspiring, why would anyone follow it?

This leads us to another point, namely that of conversion. While it is important to teach the faith, no matter what your faith is, it is also important to recognize that our job is just to share these ideas. They will take root in whichever heart's God desires. And as more people find inspiration from these teachings, they will respond accordingly.

But it is really important to recognize that the Messengers do not require converts. They are truly independent of anything we can do. So why do They come? Why do They suffer? For our transformation. As 'Abdu'l-Baha so beautifully said,

"The purpose of the appearance of the Manifestations of God is the training of the people. That is the only result of Their mission, the real outcome. The outcome of the whole life of Jesus was the training of eleven disciples and two women. Why did He suffer troubles, ordeals and calamities? For the training of these few followers. That was the result of His life. The product of the life of Christ was not the churches but the illumined souls of those who believed in Him. Afterward, they spread His teachings."

In the end it is all about this transformation of hearts.

Once the heart is changed, everything else follows. People become more just. The laws become more just. The society itself begins to change. And before long, a new and better civilization is born.

But it all begins with the transformation of the individual, which is also why we are told that this faith of Baha'u'llah's will spread through our teaching efforts, and not by the sword.

We could easily go on and on about how the heart is central to all this, but really, we think we're just going to leave this here for now. After all, there are three more paragraphs that talk about this divine elixir.