Paragraph 180

O my beloved! Immeasurably exalted is the celestial Melody above the strivings of human ear to hear or mind to grasp its mystery! How can the helpless ant step into the court of the All-Glorious? And yet, feeble souls, through lack of understanding, reject these abstruse utterances, and question the truth of such traditions. Nay, none can comprehend them save those that are possessed of an understanding heart. Say, He is that End for Whom no end in all the universe can be imagined, and for Whom no beginning in the world of creation can be conceived. Behold, O concourse of the earth, the splendors of the End, revealed in the Manifestations of the Beginning!

On to paragraph 20 of the thirty paragraphs focusing on "pure abstraction and essential unity", the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God. We're getting there, slowly but surely.

"O my beloved!" What a beautiful opening to this paragraph. What a tender way to touch our heart, allowing His words to sink just that little bit deeper.

But what words, what concept is it that He is trying to get us to understand on an even deeper level?

We think it is that "celestial Melody" which has been mentioned numerous times in this book. Now, it's interesting to note that in the previous paragraph, the melody that is intoned by Husayn is not capitalized. It is in the lower case. But here it is capitalized. Perhaps that's because the melody sung by the Manifestation is that capital M Melody, while the "cover version" sung by those lovers is just that, a cover version, to use a modern analogy.

What is this melody? What is it trying to say? We think it is the absolute oneness of the Messengers of God. Remember, this whole section is all about that theme. In fact, one could argue that this whole book, if not the Revelation of Baha'u'llah itself, is all about this exalted theme.

Let's step back a second, though. He also says that it is beyond our ability to "grasp its mystery". Really? It's beyond our ability to understand that the Messengers are all one?

Well, yes.

Think about it for a moment. How can it be that Baha'u'llah is, I mean really is, the same as Muhammad, and Adam, and Moses, and Jesus, and Buddha, and all the other Manifestations of the divine Spirit? Again, think about it. How can they really be one and the same? This is quite the mystery. We might say, on a poetical or metaphorical level, that they are like each other. But Baha'u'llah seems to be going quite a bit further. He seems to say that yes, they really are absolutely identical. "Pure abstraction and essential unity."

How can we, puny mortals that we are, even begin to hope to comprehend this incredible reality?

It's true, He says. Yet, there are those who deny it, those "feeble souls". Why are they called "feeble"? We are not sure, but they are definitely not showing the strength of character to confront the difficulties in their faith. Instead, they just outright deny the statements, claim they are not authentic. Remember, these traditions He just cited, from Ali and Husayn, are not in the Qur'an. They are Hadith. Traditions that have been passed down through the ages. Since these "feeble souls" don't understand them, rather than struggle to come to an understanding they just say that they're not true traditions. They reject the validity of them.

But there are those who do accept them, who do comprehend them to a degree. What distinguishes them from the former? Their heart.

Imagine, for a moment, you grew up as a fundamentalist Christian. And yes, we can use any religion, but we're just choosing one at random. You have been taught the Jesus is the one and only. Now you are being asked to think of Muhammad as a Manifestation, too. It would be very easy to give a blanket denial and say no way. But it takes a special kind of openness, a rare kind of heart, to accept that how you feel about Jesus is how the Muslim feels about Muhammad, and give that respect, too. This is not a condition of the mind. It is a condition of the heart.

Once we accept that others feel about their Messenger as we do about ours, it is a short distance to recognition and love. It is no longer a major leap of faith, but instead becomes a simple step of love.

But what about that last line? "Behold, O concourse of the earth, the splendors of the End, revealed in the Manifestations of the Beginning!" How are we to understand this? Well, there are a number of ways. After all, we're talking about sacred text, so there are numerous levels on which we can understand this.

Given the mystical nature of this question, it may be a good idea to look to His most mystical work, The Seven Valleys. In the Realm of Knowledge, the third valley which is called "Realm" in this new translation, He talks about the lover who is chased by the night watchmen. At first he curses them for the torment he is feeling, but when he climbs over the wall to escape them, finds the lover he has been seeking. Then, after this, he lavishes his praise on these same watchmen, for they were the ones who led him to his goal. Baha'u'llah then says that if he, the lover, had seen the end in the beginning, he would have praised these watchmen all along. But then He mentions that this is the last "station of limitation" before we enter the Valley of Unity.

Perhaps that's where we are here in the Iqan.

By seeing the Messengers as separate, we limit them. We place limits upon creation.

But when we understand their absolute unity, their essential oneness, we begin to recognize that they truly are unique.

Remember, back at the beginning of Part Two Baha'u'llah spoke of how They are at the pinnacle of creation, that central focal point between God and man. In His hierarchy of creation, the Manifestations were clearly at the top, which is one of the reasons why we obey them.

When we understand this, then we cannot imagine a world, a universe, existing without a Messenger of God. We begin to see why they are referred to as having neither beginning nor end. And we begin to get a glimpse of the beauty and majesty of even Adam, who suffered His loss of reputation for having eaten of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, so that we could begin to walk on this millennials-long path to get to this point in history and be shown this truth, and hear this divine Melody.

And remember, one of the attributes of a melody is that it is beautiful to listen to. What could be more beautiful than seeing the love you feel for your Manifestation in all people.

Paragraph 179

Likewise, strive thou to comprehend the meaning of the melody of that eternal beauty, Ḥusayn, son of ‘Alí, who, addressing Salmán, spoke words such as these: “I was with a thousand Adams, the interval between each and the next Adam was fifty thousand years, and to each one of these I declared the Successorship conferred upon my father.” He then recounteth certain details, until he saith: “I have fought one thousand battles in the path of God, the least and most insignificant of which was like the battle of Khaybar, in which battle my father fought and contended against the infidels.” Endeavor now to apprehend from these two traditions the mysteries of “end,” “return,” and “creation without beginning or end.”

Here we are at paragraph 19 of these thirty paragraphs focusing on "pure abstraction and essential unity", the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God.

The first thing that we noticed here is the word "likewise" at the beginning. What is He likening it to? The quote in the previous paragraph, “A thousand Fáṭimihs I have espoused, all of whom were the daughters of Muḥammad, Son of ‘Abdu’lláh, the ‘Seal of the Prophets’”.

You will recall that he, Ali, is not saying that he married a thousand women, all of whom were Muhammad's daughter. No. He is talking about the recurrence of themes that are all under the general category of the "Return".

Similar to his marriage to Fátimih, Ali is saying that all the Messengers had successors, like him. Each and every one of Them also faced these incredible battles. Over and over the similarities between all the Manifestations is evident. This is His overarching theme throughout this book, the absolute oneness of the Messengers.

What really stands out to us in this paragraph, though, are the words "strive" and "endeavor". There is an importance to the effort we make, a value to the striving. While we can never truly understand the full vastness of all of this, we can come to a better and better understanding. As we mentioned so many times in our study of the first paragraphs of this book, the time we take to pray and meditate and make a concentrated effort to study these concepts, the better we will make sense of it all.

So often in religion, we are taught things as if they are in a fixed and firm chronological order. We are taught there is a beginning and an ending, from Genesis to Revelation, with nothing before or after that. But when we read our sacred texts, we see that this is not the case. We see many references to the "beginning that hath no beginning" or the "end that hath no end". We see continual thoughts about the concept of eternity, as well as the explicit statements about a "Return".

How are we to make sense of all this, given the current concepts that are taught?

Well, this goes back to the statements at the beginning of the book, and the idea found throughout all religious texts. We need to see the world through our own eyes, and not through the eyes of others. We need to listen to the voice of the divine with our own ears, not the ears of others.

It's also worth noting that even though we aren't from this culture, the one that these traditions come from, we still have the capacity to understand them. Of course, there's probably a lot more to them than we are aware of, but isn't that always true when dealing with religious ideas?

Through these two traditions, the one about a thousand Adams, and the one about the battle, He is asking us to strive to "apprehend... the mysteries of 'end,' 'return,' and 'creation without beginning or end.'”

The best parallel we can think of is the calendar. The Gregorian year ends on 31 December, and the next one begins the following day. In fact, it begins at the very moment the previous one ends. But is it the end of time? Of course not. The end of December means the "return" of January. Time, outside the imposed boundaries of the calendar system we happen to use, has no beginning and no end. It is continual.

Unlike this post. We could easily continue, but feel this is enough for now.

Paragraph 178

Furthermore, among the “veils of glory” are such terms as the “Seal of the Prophets” and the like, the removal of which is a supreme achievement in the sight of these baseborn and erring souls. All, by reason of these mysterious sayings, these grievous “veils of glory,” have been hindered from beholding the light of truth. Have they not heard the melody of that bird of Heaven, uttering this mystery: “A thousand Fáṭimihs I have espoused, all of whom were the daughters of Muḥammad, Son of ‘Abdu’lláh, the ‘Seal of the Prophets’”? Behold, how many are the mysteries that lie as yet unraveled within the tabernacle of the knowledge of God, and how numerous the gems of His wisdom that are still concealed in His inviolable treasuries! Shouldest thou ponder this in thine heart, thou wouldst realize that His handiwork knoweth neither beginning nor end. The domain of His decree is too vast for the tongue of mortals to describe, or for the bird of the human mind to traverse; and the dispensations of His providence are too mysterious for the mind of man to comprehend. His creation no end hath overtaken, and it hath ever existed from the “Beginning that hath no beginning”; and the Manifestations of His Beauty no beginning hath beheld, and they will continue to the “End that knoweth no end.” Ponder this utterance in thine heart, and reflect how it is applicable unto all these holy Souls.

Moving right along, we find ourselves at paragraph 18 of these thirty paragraphs focusing on "pure abstraction and essential unity", the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God.

The use of the word "Furthermore" indicates to us that He is now introducing another understanding of what He's just been discussing, so let's see what it is.

He's still talking about these "veils of glory", but now He's moved on from them referring to the mis-guided clerics, and is now showing how this phrase can also refer to such statements as "Seal of the Prophets".

But let's be clear here. While He cites this one phrase, the "Seal of the Prophets", He is actually referring to any phrase like it. In Christianity, for example, many have been veiled by the sentence, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." Different words, same veil.

While Baha'u'llah clarifies the former phrase, the Universal House of Justice explained the latter in the book One Common Faith. "If one is not to see in this assertion merely a dogmatic challenge", they write, "to other stages of the one ongoing process of Divine guidance, it is obviously the expression of the central truth of revealed religion: that access to the unknowable Reality that creates and sustains existence is possible only through awakening to the illumination shed from that Realm."

That second sentence in this parargaph, though, took us a while to understand what He was saying, just on a basic level, so let's unpack it, as they say. To refresh our memory, it reads, "All, by reason of these mysterious sayings, these grievous 'veils of glory,' have been hindered from beholding the light of truth." The basic essence of the sentence is "all have been hindered".  Why have they been hindered? Because of "these mysterious sayings", which Baha'u'llah then says are "these grievous 'veils of glory'".

He then gives us another "mysterious saying", namely that quote from Imam Ali about Fatimih. He's married a thousand Fatimih's? And all of them were Muhammad's daughter? Obviously not, for Muhammad did not have a thousand daughters. But it does speak to the theme that Baha'u'llah is addressing here, the Return. It points to the return of the themes, such as the circumstances surrounding the Revelation and the followers, which has been His message for a number of paragraphs now.

If we ever think we understand all there is to know in any of the religions, we just need to remember that there are always more and more mysteries.

He concludes this paragraph by saying that if we were to "ponder this utterance", we would see how it is "applicable unto all these holy Souls". Which utterance is He referring to here? We think it's actually "the beginning that hath no beginning" and "the end that knoweth no end". This would go along with the theme of the Return, as well as the quote from Imam Ali. It's a mystery, for sure, and at the heart of His argument explaining the station of "pure abstraction and essential unity".

We should also note that when He asks us to ponder this, it is in our heart that we ponder it, not our mind. In many ways our mind can be another veil. But when we contemplate these things in our heart, detached from all that is in heaven and on earth, then we can see the beauty of these ideas more clearly.

Paragraph 177

It is clear and evident that whenever the Manifestations of Holiness were revealed, the divines of their day have hindered the people from attaining unto the way of truth. To this testify the records of all the scriptures and heavenly books. Not one Prophet of God was made manifest Who did not fall a victim to the relentless hate, to the denunciation, denial, and execration of the clerics of His day! Woe unto them for the iniquities their hands have formerly wrought! Woe unto them for that which they are now doing! What veils of glory more grievous than these embodiments of error! By the righteousness of God! to pierce such veils is the mightiest of all acts, and to rend them asunder the most meritorious of all deeds! May God assist us and assist you, O concourse of the Spirit! that perchance ye may in the time of His Manifestation be graciously aided to perform such deeds, and may in His days attain unto the Presence of God.

We are now at paragraph 17 of these thirty paragraphs focusing on the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God, namely that of "pure abstraction and essential unity".

And just so we don't forget, this also comes under the larger heading of understanding what is meant by "Return", in the sense of the return of the Messenger of God. He began this particular section by talking about seeing them all as absolutely identical, and what any one of them said about themselves can also refer to them each and all.

He then went on to talk about how many people deny them merely because they don't want to change from the faith of their ancestors. There were some, though, who did and they were truly transformed, as incredibly transformed as copper would be if it suddenly became gold. In every age we can find stories of people who were changed like this, and in this sense we can begin to see a bit of what is meant by "return".

After touching on this subject, He reminded us that just as any of them can claim to be like any of the previous Messengers, they can just as easily and just as truthfully claim to be the last. For in the realm of the Messengers, there is no difference between any of them.

This, however, confuses many lay people. Some blindly follow their religious leaders, and others are blinded by the pomp of the learned and upper classes. They will refuse to accept anything from anyone who does not shine in their eyes, regardless of the sensibility and wisdom these people may teach.

Now, here, in this paragraph, He turns His attention back to the religious leaders. He reminds us that all the Messengers have suffered at the hands of these misguided leaders, and that these same clergy suffered and will suffer for having done so. He points out that teaching people, despite the veils put up by these leaders, is one of the greatest acts we can perform. Then He concludes this paragraph with a prayerful request for aid and assistance.

But let's take a closer look at this paragraph.

The first half is nothing short of a reminder to "Consider the past". We are all familiar with the trend, but so few are willing to admit that it might happen in their lifetime, or that they might not recognize His return. But let's face it, the clerics can be a grievous veil. After all, if we are religious, and love our faith, then we probably also revere our religious leaders, whether or not they are worthy of it. We probably confuse the position for the person. After all, the position of a religious leader is a noble station and worthy of admiration. But unfortunately that position is sometimes filled by someone who is not worthy to be there. The position itself can be like a veil, making them seem glorious, all the while hiding their flaws. It's kind of like a warthog with a wedding veil. Some may be fooled into thinking the animal a beautiful bride.

But then Baha'u'llah offers us some encouragement. He tells us that it is a mighty act to just pierce that veil.

Let's think about that, though. Piercing the veil? Isn't that like poking a hole in it? Allowing us to see a tiny bit of what's underneath? Sure.

And maybe that's why He continues with that "most meritorious of all deeds": completely rending that veil. Ripping it to shreds. Seizing it and tearing it to pieces so that there is nothing left. Fully exposing what is underneath that veil for all to see.

This is His prayer.

"May God assist us", Baha'u'llah Himself, and us, the readers, who He seems to be referring to as the "concourse of the Spirit", to be able to do this in the time of the next Messenger, which is, of course, His own Dispensation.

Paragraph 176

Notwithstanding the divinely inspired admonitions of all the Prophets, the Saints, and Chosen ones of God, enjoining the people to see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears, they have disdainfully rejected their counsels and have blindly followed, and will continue to follow, the leaders of their Faith. Should a poor and obscure person, destitute of the attire of men of learning, address them saying: “Follow ye, O people! the Messengers of God," they would, greatly surprised at such a statement, reply: “What! Meanest thou that all these divines, all these exponents of learning, with all their authority, their pomp and pageantry, have erred, and failed to distinguish truth from falsehood? Dost thou, and people like thyself, pretend to have comprehended that which they have not understood?” If numbers and excellence of apparel be regarded as the criterions of learning and truth, the peoples of a bygone age, whom those of today have never surpassed in numbers, magnificence and power, should certainly be accounted a superior and worthier people.

 

We're still looking at the concept of the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God, that of "pure abstraction and essential unity". And this is the sixteenth of thirty paragraphs dedicated to this lofty theme.

As we read over this paragraph, the phrases about seeing with our own eyes and hearing with our own ears really struck us. Why, we wondered, does Baha'u'llah repeat this here? What is He trying to show us?

As we discussed it, we were also reminded of the second Hidden Word in Arabic, which says, "...The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness..."

What is He saying here? And how does it relate to our recognition of the Manifestation in their own lifetime?

We already know that the religious leaders He is condemning have their own agenda. They are not concerned about Truth, but more concerned about maintaining and expanding their own power. Anything that threatens that power is immediately condemned by them. Naturally, if someone comes along and claims that these leaders are not being obedient to the laws of their own faith, these petty leaders will lash out and attack them.

If we blindly follow these leaders, then we, too, will follow through on those attacks.

But now, look at concept of justice and being fair to others. If we ignore what others say, and look at the actual lives of these Messengers, what do we think? In part one of this book, Baha'u'llah gave us the tools to make a fair comparison and see their unity. If we look back at paragraph 6, He tells us to look at "the indignities heaped upon the Prophets of God", and points out "the more closely you observe the denials... the firmer will be your faith..." He then goes on for another dozen or so paragraphs comparing the lives of some of the Messengers, showing us how they all follow the same arc. Through all of this, He is exhorting us to look at their lives. He is also pointing out to us the problem with taking the word of others regarding these issues

And most importantly, if approach these issues with fairness and justice, ignoring the prejudices of our day, then we will recognize the truth of these divine Messengers.

But if we allow ourselves to be swayed by what others say or think, then we probably will not recognize them in their lifetime.

All of this is to say that it is through our purity of heart, by solely seeking the truth and not the acclamation of our peers nor power within our society, that we will be able to recognize. Anything else will merely get in the way.

After all this, He also points to the issue of the one who may introduce us to these ideas. What if they are poor? What if they are not a recognized authority on religion?

So what?

If what they say is true, or makes sense, why wouldn't we acknowledge it?

How often did the early Babis or Baha'is remind the people of their day that Muhammad told them to be kind to the stranger? How often did they remind them that their own Prophet encouraged them to listen to others and consider what they said? Even if we disagree with someone else, we are still to show them all courtesy. But over and over, these people were being encouraged to attack or even kill those that said anything different from what was the norm of the day.

"Be kind. Show mercy. Treat others with compassion." How, in the name of justice, could anyone find fault with these ideas?

In truth, they couldn't. Instead, they tried to find fault with the one delivering that message. They would point to the messenger's lack of authority, or the state of their clothing. They would point to the fewness of followers of this new way.

They would say, "See? This person wears a big hat. He has golden robes. He must know what he's talking about."

We can, of course, see the shallowness of that argument. After all, Jesus wore simple clothing, and was not a member of the Sanhedrin. Does that mean that He was not telling the truth? Of course not.

All of this is but another of those "veils of glory" obscuring the Messenger from our eyes. We need to be detached, as He says back in paragraph one, "from all that is in heaven and on earth" if we want to have a chance to recognize the Manifestation of God.

Paragraph 175

And, now, strive thou to comprehend the meaning of this saying of ‘Alí, the Commander of the Faithful: “Piercing the veils of glory, unaided.” Among these “veils of glory” are the divines and doctors living in the days of the Manifestation of God, who, because of their want of discernment and their love and eagerness for leadership, have failed to submit to the Cause of God, nay, have even refused to incline their ears unto the divine Melody. “They have thrust their fingers into their ears.” And the people also, utterly ignoring God and taking them for their masters, have placed themselves unreservedly under the authority of these pompous and hypocritical leaders, for they have no sight, no hearing, no heart, of their own to distinguish truth from falsehood.

Paragraph fifteen of thirty paragraphs looking at the first of the two stations of the Manifestations of God, that of "pure abstraction and essential unity". Whew. We're halfway there.

Now, it may seem that this paragraph is familiar. The theme certainly is. We encountered it over and over again in Part 1.

Looking at this paragraph, it seems useful to put it into simple language, ensuring that we understand the very basic message Baha'u'llah is giving here. First, those that are considered "learned" in the time of the Messenger can be seen as veils blocking our vision of the Manifestation. This goes back to many passages in part one, such as paragraph 15. There are too many examples for us to go into here, but simply looking back at part one will amply demonstrate this. The question, though, is why they are like veils in this instance. The answer is, as He states here, "want of discernment and their love and eagerness for leadership". It is because of these two qualities that they have strayed from the guidance given to them in their own scriptures. They have placed leadership above what is being taught to them. Second, though, the people have fallen prey to their sway. These people believe these leaders and follow, without question, what they say. They are seemingly enamoured by the pomp these leaders show, and utterly ignore the hypocrisy.

Understanding this is the basis for the paragraphs to come. All the troubles, all the tribulations, all the trials these great Teachers face is due to the fact that these leaders love the thought of leadership beyond the truth found within their own Writings. And this, too, is one of the reasons that the Messengers need to come. Their love of leadership has led these foolish leaders astray, and the effect of the Writings has been diminished. Society has fallen to pieces. Injustice runs rampant. All the signs He talked about in part one are the result of this. Therefore the next Messenger needs to come and put things right again.

Of course, this is not to condemn all religious leaders. He is not doing that. He is specifically condemning those who have ignored what is in their Scriptures because of their love of leadership. There are others who, as stated back in part one, are merely ignorant. But here it is a very specific condemnation against those who have both this "want of discernment" combined with this love of leadership.

Now, the next question is why does Baha'u'llah bring this up here? What is His methodology in helping bring the uncle closer to recognition?

Earlier on He offered some condemnation of some of the religious leaders, but not so much that it would repel a good Muslim. He drew on what was obvious to any student of religion, and pointed out that there were some today who also loved leadership more than truth. However, He is much further in His argument. The uncle is already far more aware of the similarities between the days of Muhammad and his own day. Baha'u'llah can be much more direct without fear of driving the uncle away. Slowly He builds His argument, allowing the uncle the time to come to agreement. He is so careful to not put any ideas or concepts between the uncle and the truth.

All of this leads us to a strange question. What is the difference between these "veils" and the "clouds" He talked about earlier?

The "clouds", as described in paragraphs 79 - 82, are those things about the Messenger that prevent us from recognizing them and their glory. For example, He cites the fact that they walk and talk just like us, while changing the laws such as altering where we face when praying. They are the things that get us to ask, "Who does he think he is?" They are also things that everyone knows and witnesses.

The "veils", though, cover our own eyes. A desire for leadership, for example, does not get us to question the Messenger specifically. They get us to question anything contrary to our own thoughts. Our love of the pomp that the religious leaders show do not make us question whether or not Baha'u'llah is who He says He is. It has nothing to do with Him. Instead, this pomp distracts us individually from what is important. It is a veil over us, and not the Messenger.

The clouds are there for everyone. The veils are specific to the individual. Everyone knew that Moses stuttered, and the Jesus was regarded as fatherless. Even their followers recognized these truths. They were just not distracted by it.

The veils are specific. Not everyone loves the pomp, but those that do will be prevented from recognizing. For others, the veil might be their own love of leadership. For some, the veil might be the fact that they love their leaders and believe them with absolute certainty.

In these paragraphs, Baha'u'llah is no longer dealing with abstract generalities. He is talking about very specific things that apply to actual people and showing how their misplaced priorities get in the way of them recognizing the next Messenger.

All of this shows how those that turn away have placed something else besides the Messenger at the centre of their heart.

For some, if they have to choose between obedience to their own teachings or doing things that will give more power in a leadership position, they will choose the latter.

For others, if they have to choose between what they read in their own Writings and following the leader of their particular religion, they will choose the leader.

Here, Baha'u'llah is beginning to remind us that the Messenger is the absolute Sovereign. Nothing should be more important than what they say.

All of this is in part two of this incredible book, and the main theme of part two is this sovereignty. So you see how this all ties together? You see how it all flows?

And more importantly, you see where this is all leading?

As we come to recognize the absolute unity of the Messengers, we will see these same themes over and over in their stories. We will recognize the problems of the past in the problems of the present. We can clearly see how the people in the days of Muhammad put obedience to their leaders over obedience to Jesus or Muhammad. And by applying this same keenness of sight to today, we can see the same issues again.

Paragraph 174

Even as in the “Beginning that hath no beginnings” the term “last” is truly applicable unto Him who is the Educator of the visible and of the invisible, in like manner, are the terms “first” and “last” applicable unto His Manifestations. They are at the same time the Exponents of both the “first” and the “last.” Whilst established upon the seat of the “first,” they occupy the throne of the “last.” Were a discerning eye to be found, it will readily perceive that the exponents of the “first” and the “last,” of the “manifest” and the “hidden,” of the “beginning” and the “seal” are none other than these holy Beings, these Essences of Detachment, these divine Souls. And wert thou to soar in the holy realm of “God was alone, there was none else besides Him,” thou wilt find in that Court all these names utterly non-existent and completely forgotten. Then will thine eyes no longer be obscured by these veils, these terms, and allusions. How ethereal and lofty is this station, unto which even Gabriel, unshepherded, can never attain, and the Bird of Heaven, unassisted, can never reach!

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

At this point, it is worth noting that Baha'u'llah is getting far more mystical and abstract here. You may have noticed it. We sure did. It is often said that the Seven Valleys is the mystical book that Baha'u'llah wrote around this time, while the Iqan is far more practical. And while this is certainly true, there is still a lot of mysticism in this book, too.

But what would we expect? After all, He is talking about deep religious issues here. And the faith is, as the Guardian said, fundamentally mystical at its core. So if you feel a bit lost here, don't worry. We do, too. It is, however, good to remember that we need to walk this path with practical, yet mystical, feet.

In this paragraph, Baha'u'llah is further elevating both God and the Manifestations in our eyes. He is reminding us that these various terms not only refer to God, but also to the Manifestations. In beginning to describe the eternal nature of these supreme beings, He points out that they are eternally on their throne, from the beginning that hath no beginning to the end that hath no end.

In many ways it can be seen like mirrors reflecting the sun. On the earth, they are all reflecting the same light. But when we ascend to the sun itself, all there is is light.

If we were to attain that holy realm He mentions towards the end there then all we would experience is that light. The mirrors themselves would seemingly disappear.

However, to even begin to understand this in any real sense, we have to be detached from our previous understanding of religion. And we have to also be detached from the love we may feel for the Messenger we grew up loving, not to mention all the cultural things that go with it. After all, way back in paragraph 27, He cautioned us about the "overpowering majesty of the Word of God", and how it could prevent us "from attaining unto the ocean of His names and attributes" and deprive us of "recognizing the Lamp of God".

So, again, these recent paragraphs were far more abstract and mystical, which also meant that there is very little for us to hold onto. Quite often the concepts will slip through our intellectual fingers like sand.

But, if we can continually remind ourselves that all these various and seemingly contradictory terms, like first and last, manifest and hidden, beginning and seal, all refer to the Messengers of God, and refer to each and every one of them, then we will begin to understand more of what He is saying here.

As we learned in Part One of this book, all the prophecies concerning the return of any one of them refers to all of them. The circumstances of their lives, the sorry state of the society in which they live, and the ascendancy of their followers, and even the eventual rise of their religious teachings, is applicable to each of them.

When we walk into a church and understand that it is Jesus there on the cross, and that it is Muhammad there on the cross, and that it is Buddha and Moses and the Bab and Baha'u'llah there on that cross, then we begin to understand the oneness of their station. When we recognize that each and every one of them are also sitting under the lote tree, along with Buddha, then we will better recognize what Baha'u'llah is talking about here.

As He says so powerfully in Gleanings:

If ye be intent on crucifying once again Jesus, the Spirit of God, put Me to death, for He hath once more, in My person, been made manifest unto you... If ye cherish the desire to slay Muḥammad, the Apostle of God, seize Me and put an end to My life, for I am He, and My Self is His Self... If it be your wish to riddle with your shafts the breast of Him Who hath caused His Book the Bayán to be sent down unto you, lay hands on Me and persecute Me, for I am His Well-Beloved, the revelation of His own Self, though My name be not His name... If ye have resolved to shed the blood of Him Whose coming the Báb hath proclaimed, Whose advent Muḥammad hath prophesied, and Whose Revelation Jesus Christ Himself hath announced, behold Me standing, ready and defenseless, before you. Deal with Me after your own desires.

Understanding this is of such importance that He will continue to explain it to us in a number of different ways over the next dozen or so paragraphs, sixteen to be precise.

But from here on out, He will use more stories and analogies, which give us more to talk about.