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For instance, the Qur’án was an impregnable stronghold unto the people of Muḥammad. In His days, whosoever entered therein was shielded from the devilish assaults, the menacing darts, the soul-devouring doubts, and blasphemous whisperings of the enemy. Upon him was also bestowed a portion of the everlasting and goodly fruits—the fruits of wisdom from the divine Tree. To him was given to drink the incorruptible waters of the river of knowledge and to taste the wine of the mysteries of divine Unity.

We now find ourselves at an entirely new section of the Iqan. Now that Baha'u'llah has taught us how to read sacred Text in Part One, explained the nature and station of the Manifestations of God, as well as gone into great detail about their two stations, and now that He has outlined for us our role as a true seeker, He is ready to dive into His proofs of the Bab and His mission. He will offer us four types of proof: proofs from the Qur'an, proofs from His followers, proof from His own life, and then, albeit reluctantly, proofs from the traditions of the uncle's faith. The first one, looking at the proofs from the Qur'an, will be unfolded over the next 26 paragraphs.

When describing the nature and station of the true seeker, at the very end of those seven paragraphs He explained to us that what it is we are seeking, that City of God, is, in truth, the Word of God for our day. Just as it was the Pentateuch in the days of Moses, and the Gospel in the time of Jesus, and the Qur'an for those companions of Muhammad, it is now the Bayan in the days of the Bab when this book was written. Of course, following that, it is the word of Baha'u'llah, for we have moved on to a new Day yet again. The important thing here is to recognize the Day in which we are living and to seek out God's guidance specific to our own time.

In this particular paragraph, this moment of transition to the proofs He has been so patiently waiting to use, He is fully stressing the importance of Muhammad and the Qur'an. He is giving great importance to how it protected the people of His day.

In fact, it is worth remembering that He has just fully vindicated all the Books of the past. They are all, as He said, that City of God which we can fully explore once we enter. Attainment unto that City is not the end of our journey. Once we arrive within it, we then need to search it. We need to explore "every blade of grass", "every rosebush", "Its wondrous tulips", "every leaf", and go searching "within every chamber".

As we do so, we should be conscious of the fact that this City will protect us, just as any good city will do. Just as the Tanakh and the Gospel were the impregnable strongholds for the Jewish and Christian peoples, the Qur'an is the same for the Muslims. Each and all of them, as well as all the other sacred books, fulfill the same function, and should be treated with the same regard.

It is interesting to note, as we often do in our explorations of this text, that He begins with the protective qualities of the Word of God. It protects us from "assaults", which tend to be of a more physical nature, close in proximity, as well as the "darts", which tend to be hurled from a greater distance. While the former are fairly easy to try and sidestep, the latter are more dangerous in that we may not see them coming, nor know from which direction they arose. But as Baha'u'llah usually does, He continues with His crescendo. More dangerous than the physical attacks, both near and distant, are the "doubts" and "blasphemous whisperings". And this is where the Word of God really helps us the most. By turning back to the Writings, looking at what the good Book actually says, we will be able to avoid the doubts and whisperings that lead so many astray.

Beyond that, though, even beyond our physical and mental safety, we are also being given both food and drink, which are necessary for sustaining us. The fruits, interestingly, bring us in mind of the book of Genesis, with the Garden of Eden and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. From there we move on the water and wine, which, of course, remind us of Jesus. At every step Baha'u'llah continually reminds us of the great spiritual path upon which we, humanity, have been walking. Not content with only looking at the Qur'an, He constantly brings us back to the other books of God, affirming them as good sources of knowledge, worthy of the title "City of God".

When we read these books, we acquire a taste of the simple "waters" of "knowledge" contained within them. But when we dive deep within them and explore with both our heart and soul, then we can imbibe of the far more complex "wine" and recognize those "mysteries of divine unity".

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Wherefore, O my friend, it behooveth us to exert the highest endeavor to attain unto that City, and, by the grace of God and His loving-kindness, rend asunder the “veils of glory”; so that, with inflexible steadfastness, we may sacrifice our drooping souls in the path of the New Beloved. We should with tearful eyes, fervently and repeatedly, implore Him to grant us the favor of that grace. That City is none other than the Word of God revealed in every age and dispensation. In the days of Moses it was the Pentateuch; in the days of Jesus the Gospel; in the days of Muḥammad the Messenger of God the Qur’án; in this day the Bayán; and in the dispensation of Him Whom God will make manifest His own Book—the Book unto which all the Books of former Dispensations must needs be referred, the Book which standeth amongst them all transcendent and supreme. In these Cities spiritual sustenance is bountifully provided, and incorruptible delights have been ordained. The food they bestow is the bread of heaven, and the Spirit they impart is God’s imperishable blessing. Upon detached souls they bestow the gift of Unity, enrich the destitute, and offer the cup of knowledge unto them who wander in the wilderness of ignorance. All the guidance, the blessings, the learning, the understanding, the faith, and certitude, conferred upon all that is in heaven and on earth, are hidden and treasured within these Cities.

He we are at the seventh paragraph describing the nature and station of the true seeker. Our inner being, our outer actions, the object of our quest, along with a glimpse of what we will see and experience when we attain that goal, as well as our total attachment to it: He has described it all. Now He removes the veil and says, in plain terms, that this goal is the Word of God for today.

Back in paragraph 102, at the very beginning of Part Two, Baha'u'llah said, "Thus We reveal unto thee the mysteries of the Cause of God..." It is also like Jesus said in John 16:25, when He told us "a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly" about all these things. That time, it seems, has come.

All these mysterious allusions, all these metaphors and analogies? They are all leading us to the recognition of the new Manifestation in His Day.

All those beautiful promises of those miraculous things we will see? They are all found in the Word of God. And that great transformation we will undergo? It happens when we recognize the new Message whenever it appears.

We could simplify this by saying that He is talking about Progressive Revelation, but it is so much more than that. It is another affirmation of the absolute unity, the complete oneness, of all the religions, their Founders, and their Books.

Note how He is showing how every single one of these Books of God is the firm and irrefutable guide. He is showing us that they all contain this guidance, and they all can be used to help us find the way. They, each and all, give us the "bread of heaven". They all "impart... God's imperishable blessing". Everything we are searching for is found in all of them.

"Beware," Baha'u'llah says elsewhere, "O believers in the Unity of God, lest ye be tempted to make any distinction between any of the Manifestations of His Cause, or to discriminate against the signs that have accompanied and proclaimed their Revelation."

When speaking of these various books here, He refers to them all as "the City of God" in the singular, and then later refers to them as "these Cities", in the plural. It is exactly the same as how He refers to the two stations of the Manifestations, that of essential unity and that of differentiation. That virtue He has mentioned since the beginning, detachment, is what allows us to recognize that they are all the same City, just moving through time. Without detachment, we will see them all as separate cities, but if we are detached, we will recognize them all as the same.

All of the attributes described of this City in paragraph 217 are actually found in all of these Cities. The Word of God is the Word of God, no matter when and where it occurs. It is very similar, if not identical, to His description of the Manifestations in paragraph 110 where He says that they all "are, without exception, the bearers of His names, and the embodiments of His attributes."

This is the last paragraph in which He focuses on the true seeker. He has now revealed to us that what we are seeking is, in fact, the new Word of God for today. This is important because He will now use the Qur'an, the Word of God from Muhammad, to offer His first proof of the Cause of the Bab.

From there He will continue and talk about the actions of his followers, and then the proofs from the life of the Bab Himself.

Everything up to this point has been in preparation for this great proof, His argument in defense of the Cause of the Bab.

And all of these seven paragraphs relating to the true seeker and their goal? It has all been a reminder that what we are seeking is the new Manifestation whenever and wherever they may appear, which, for the uncle to whom this was written, was truly "nearer than his life vein".

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They that valiantly labor in quest of God will, when once they have renounced all else but Him, be so attached and wedded to that City that a moment’s separation from it would to them be unthinkable. They will hearken unto infallible proofs from the Hyacinth of that assembly, and receive the surest testimonies from the beauty of its Rose and the melody of its Nightingale. Once in about a thousand years shall this City be renewed and readorned.

He began this section on the true seeker by describing our internal state, and then our actions. He reminded us of the object of our quest and gave us a glimpse of where are going. He spoke about what we will discover when we get there, this "City of Certitude", and the miracles we will encounter within it. Now He is ready to speak of our attachment to it, once we've attained.

This paragraph, short though it is, contains numerous references to other aspects of the Writings.

We'll start with the idea that we are labouring valiantly. We're not just doing a bit of work. We're struggling, striving with great determination and showing tremendous courage. Just a couple of paragraphs ago, He spoke of our search with phrases such as "earnest striving... longing desire... passionate devotion... fervid love... rapture, and ecstasy". It implies a phenomenal effort, and great dedication.

But all of this is predicated on "detachment from all else save Him". From the very beginning of the book He has continually reminded us of this, beginning with that oft-mentioned phrase from paragraph 1, that we need to "be detached from all that is in heaven and on earth".

If we succeed in this detachment, then we will be unable to even think about leaving that "City". With the benefit of having read the next paragraph already, we know that this City is the eternal religion of God, and the use of the word "wedded" here reminds us of the importance of interfaith. Baha'u'llah says that we are to "consort with the followers of all religions". Consort, of course, means more than just hanging out with. As a verb, it means to habitually be with, typically with the disapproval of others. As a noun, a consort is a spouse, literally wedded to. By reminding us of this in this manner, He is also referring to the Eternal Covenant found in all religions.

The nature metaphors here are also rich.

In the previous paragraph we encountered various things we will see in this city, from the blades of grass to the nightingales that sing their melody on every rosebush. We encountered the tulips and the "sweet savors" of this city.

In this paragraph Baha'u'llah adds in the hyacinth and the rose. And just to be clear, the previous paragraph referred to the nightingales that were on the rose. Here it's the roses, upon which sit those birds. Same image, different focus.

Grass speaks to the widespread nature of these "mysteries of inscrutable wisdom", and the melodies imply that you are aware of it from beyond the line of sight.

The tulips are indicative that it is spring, for those flowers are the herald of the season to come, the promise of something great.

As for those "sweet savors of holiness", it is a scent that is "pleasing unto the Lord" and speaks to the devotion of those that reside in, or even just visit, that City. It lets us know that this is a holy city.

The Burning Bush and the Messianic Spirit bring to mind both Moses and Jesus, foreshadowing the revelation that this all refers to "the Word of God revealed in every age and dispensation", as mentioned in the next paragraph. We don't often jump ahead in our study, but here we feel we have no choice.

Hyacinths are a metaphor for wisdom, while roses are often used to refer to the spiritual realms.

It ends with the simple statement that this City is "renewed and readorned" on a regular basis, namely every thousand years or so.

As this City is being likened to the Word of God, what does it mean that it is "renewed and readorned"?

Imagine a house. Over time it needs to undergo a bit of a renovation. Perhaps the walls need to be re-painted, or the windows redone. The bricks certainly need to be tuck-pointed on a regular basis, or they will begin to fall out. And it's the same thing with the furniture. That, too, needs to be fixed up on a regular basis. Even in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, He says that we "have been enjoined to renew the furnishings of your homes after the passing of each nineteen years."

We are not told that we have to move, or that we should buy a new house. No. We are told to fix up the old one. Keep it clean. He is "desirous of refinement", which is a form of beauty.

This City of God is the same City throughout history. It does not move. It is not torn down. It is just "renewed and readorned".

In terms of religion, this implies that the laws will be changed to reflect the needs of the day. It suggests that there will be change, but it will be a change that is beneficial to those that live there.

It is a succinct description of what 'Abdu'l-Baha later said:

Note thou carefully that in this world of being, all things must ever be made new. Look at the material world about thee, see how it hath now been renewed. The thoughts have changed, the ways of life have been revised, the sciences and arts show a new vigor, discoveries and inventions are new, perceptions are new. How then could such a vital power as religion—the guarantor of mankind’s great advances, the very means of attaining everlasting life, the fosterer of infinite excellence, the light of both worlds—not be made new? This would be incompatible with the grace and loving-kindness of the Lord.

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I swear by God! Were he that treadeth the path of guidance and seeketh to scale the heights of righteousness to attain unto this glorious and supreme station, he would inhale at a distance of a thousand leagues the fragrance of God, and would perceive the resplendent morn of a divine Guidance rising above the dayspring of all things. Each and every thing, however small, would be to him a revelation leading him to his Beloved, the Object of his quest. So great shall be the discernment of this seeker that he will discriminate between truth and falsehood even as he doth distinguish the sun from shadow. If in the uttermost corners of the East the sweet savors of God be wafted, he will assuredly recognize and inhale their fragrance, even though he be dwelling in the uttermost ends of the West. He will likewise clearly distinguish all the signs of God—His wondrous utterances, His great works, and mighty deeds—from the doings, words and ways of men, even as the jeweler who knoweth the gem from the stone, or the man who distinguisheth the spring from autumn and heat from cold. When the channel of the human soul is cleansed of all worldly and impeding attachments, it will unfailingly perceive the breath of the Beloved across immeasurable distances, and will, led by its perfume, attain and enter the City of Certitude. Therein he will discern the wonders of His ancient wisdom, and will perceive all the hidden teachings from the rustling leaves of the Tree—which flourisheth in that City. With both his inner and his outer ear he will hear from its dust the hymns of glory and praise ascending unto the Lord of Lords, and with his inner eye will he discover the mysteries of “return” and “revival.” How unspeakably glorious are the signs, the tokens, the revelations, and splendors which He Who is the King of names and attributes hath destined for that City! The attainment of this City quencheth thirst without water, and kindleth the love of God without fire. Within every blade of grass are enshrined the mysteries of an inscrutable wisdom, and upon every rosebush a myriad nightingales pour out, in blissful rapture, their melody. Its wondrous tulips unfold the mystery of the undying Fire in the Burning Bush, and its sweet savors of holiness breathe the perfume of the Messianic Spirit. It bestoweth wealth without gold, and conferreth immortality without death. In every leaf ineffable delights are treasured, and within every chamber unnumbered mysteries lie hidden.

The first of these seven paragraphs talked about our internal state. The second discussed our external state of being. The third paragraph reminded us of our quest for truth, and the fourth gave us a glimpse of where we are going. Now, with this paragraph, He talks a little bit about what we will discover.

"I swear by God!" What a powerful phrase, if we pause to think about it. What does it mean? Why does He use it here? In short, it's a firm promise. He is telling us that it is an absolute thing, no question about it. What He is about to say is true, beyond the shadow of a doubt, it's a guarantee.

The second sentence, though, can be a bit confusing, what with all the clauses, so we found it helpful to abridge it for clarity before going back to re-read it. When we do so, it reads, "Were he... to attain unto this... station, he would inhale... the fragrance of God, and would perceive the resplendent morn..." Once we understood the essence of this sentence, the rest of the sentence, not to mention the rest of the paragraph, fell into place.

Let's look at a bit more closely, though.

We're treading the "path of guidance", and hoping to "scale the heights of righteousness". Both of these imply effort. The first seems to refer not only to the path, but the fact the we are helping the path exist. When we tread on a path, the very weight of our footsteps reinforces the path for others to follow.

Scaling the heights gives the impression of climbing up a great mountain. When you scale something, that thing is very steep and difficult to climb. Here we're scaling the "heights of righteousness", struggling to keep doing that which is ethical and moral. It's not easy, given all the distractions around us, but the view is magnificent.

The first refers to guidance, and this is part of why so much of Part One is dedicated to analyzing that quote from Jesus. Baha'u'llah is reminding us of this incredible "path of guidance" found in all the great religions. He is helping us learn how to read it and find our way through the mists of allegory and metaphor to that greater understanding that allows us to recognize the Light of God no matter where it shines.

The second refers to living a righteous life, which He described so well in paragraph 214. But this life is not easy. It is very difficult to maintain, with all the social pressures and everything trying to get us to live a more self-centred life. When we succeed, though, people notice. It is as if we are standing on top of a mountain, exposed for all to see. We may not even realize it, but when we live such a life, we have an influence on so many people we don't even know.

Then He refers to "this glorious and supreme station". Which station? The station of absolute certitude. And remember, certitude is that knowledge beyond the mind. It is the knowledge you get when you listen to the music of Mozart and just know that it is beautiful. When we achieve this station to which He is referring, we will recognize the divine verses no matter where they occur. We will know that the Messenger comes from God, no matter where they live on earth. We will exemplify that concept from the second paragraph of not accepting "the words and deeds of mortal men as a standard". We will see that divine light rising in the east, even though we may live in the far, far west. After all, a thousand leagues is about 5000 km, so He is talking a very great distance. That's how perceptive we shall become.

Again there is this reference to sunrise, a regular reminder that all He is talking about regarding the Bab is just the very beginning. And when we are on the mountaintop looking toward the east, that sunrise is so much more evident.

Finally, at least in regards to this sentence, He reminds us that this new Revelation recreates the world itself, for the "dayspring of all things" is the dawn. It is the beginning of all things. It might even be a reference to when the Bab said, "I am the Primal Point from which have been generated all created things."

Now that He has brought us to this great height and shown us how the entirety of creation comes from this Revelation, He sort of reverses course and shows us its relation to even the smallest of things. Everything, "however small", is also a sign of God for us once we have attained this station of "absolute certitude".

Once we achieve that station, we are able to enter the "City of Certitude".

That entire first part of the paragraph seems to be all about getting us to this point. In other words, if we achieve this "supreme station" of "absolute certitude", then we will find ourselves endowed with these incredible powers of observation. All of those powers will lead us to our goal, namely that "City of Certitude". It is as if our absolute certitude has granted us permission, or perhaps the ability, to find and enter this city.

Once there we will "discern the wonders of His ancient wisdom" and "perceive all the hidden teachings". We will even "hear from its dust the hymns of glory and praise ascending unto the Lord of Lords" and "discover the mysteries of 'return' and 'revival'", which were at the core of the initial questions of the uncle. All of this, though, is in relation to us.

As for the city itself, Baha'u'llah gives us a beautiful and awe-inspiring description of it. Just getting to it quenches our thirst "without water", and kindles the love of God "without fire". Once we're inside, we will discover such wonders. The grass, the rosebushes with their nightingales, the tulips, and even from the very scent of the city itself you can "breathe the perfume of the Messianic Spirit", so strongly that you can practically taste it. You even attain true wealth, not the fleeting wealth of gold, and true immortality, that of the spirit, not of the body.

If you were to actually take the time to explore the city, you would find countless mysteries everywhere, "in every chamber", just like if you were to dive deep and explore the "ocean of true understanding".

We could go on at length describing even more about this city, and what we can learn from His description, but we're going to leave it for now and return to this theme in the next couple of paragraphs, where He helps us contextualize it a bit more.n

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Only when the lamp of search, of earnest striving, of longing desire, of passionate devotion, of fervid love, of rapture, and ecstasy, is kindled within the seeker’s heart, and the breeze of His loving-kindness is wafted upon his soul, will the darkness of error be dispelled, the mists of doubts and misgivings be dissipated, and the lights of knowledge and certitude envelop his being. At that hour will the mystic Herald, bearing the joyful tidings of the Spirit, shine forth from the City of God resplendent as the morn, and, through the trumpet-blast of knowledge, will awaken the heart, the soul, and the spirit from the slumber of negligence. Then will the manifold favors and outpouring grace of the holy and everlasting Spirit confer such new life upon the seeker that he will find himself endowed with a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, and a new mind. He will contemplate the manifest signs of the universe, and will penetrate the hidden mysteries of the soul. Gazing with the eye of God, he will perceive within every atom a door that leadeth him to the stations of absolute certitude. He will discover in all things the mysteries of divine Revelation and the evidences of an everlasting manifestation.

We began this section of seven paragraphs with our internal state, followed by our actions. The third paragraph reminded us of our quest for truth. Here we are reminded that it's a path on which we embark, and are given a glimpse of where we are going.

"Path?", we hear you ask. "Where does He talk about a path?" Great question. Thanks for asking. To answer, let's look a bit more closely at this first sentence here.

He begins it by referencing search, striving, desire, devotion, love, rapture, and ecstasy. With each word He draws us closer and closer. A search may be a very laid back sort of affair, without much effort put into it. But the next step is striving. That implies a great effort. As we put more effort into our search, our desire to attain the goal becomes even stronger. At some point, though, we make a commitment. We become devoted to what we have found. As we serve the Cause and become even more familiar with its goals, our love for it increases. As that love increases, it moves from a simple love to a far more intense love, eventually becoming rapture, a far more intense feeling. Eventually even this can grow to such an extent that we find ourselves lost in the ecstasy of nearness, a feeling so overwhelming that it becomes that mystic sort of transcendence.

Once all this occurs, and even while it is happening, we find ourselves moving along the parallel path from doubt to misgiving, from knowledge to certitude. Doubt is a feeling of uncertainty, while misgivings are a lesser form of doubt, not as powerful. Once we get past that, we have knowledge. But knowledge can be tentative, and so we move on to certitude, a far more stable form of knowledge. Knowledge may be knowing all the intricacies of a piece by Bach, understanding the mathematics behind it. Certitude is listening to it and knowing it is beautiful.

Remember, though, this is all in relation to the lamp of the heart. Every one of these attributes in the first part are developed through the kindling of that lamp. It is very emotional, and can be staggering. It may do a lot for convincing us of the truth of what we are finding, but it does not necessarily translate well to others.

Loving-kindness, though, does translate well. People remember it. It can act as oxygen to the flame within that lamp. It can make it burn brighter, and allow others to see it from further away. It can offer heat to those who are cold, and become a guide to those that are lost and wandering in the mists of confusion. This loving-kindness, though, is His loving-kindness. It is a breeze that cools us off as the heat of this flame threatens to envelop us. With all these metaphors Baha'u'llah carefully moves us back and forth, helping us burn brighter, but ensuring we don't burn away by that love. As He said earlier, even that love can lead us to error, so this restraint seems appropriate.

Baha'u'llah then gives us a reference to time: "At that hour..." Which hour? Dawn. All of this is occurring in the early morning, with His references to the morn, and the alarm clock blast of the trumpet waking us up. So much in the Iqan, and all His writings fro m this period, remind us that this is just the beginning.

But what happens after that? God showers His bounties upon us. It is a new day, and we have a whole new world in front of us.

Beyond that, we find ourselves a new person. At the very beginning of this book, we were told that those who seek must "cleanse... their ears from idle talk, their minds from vain imaginings, their hearts from worldly affections, their eyes from that which perisheth." Now we are told that when we awaken to this new message, we will find ourselves "endowed with a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, and a new mind." Same attributes, different order. Previously we noticed that what we listen to affects how we think, which impacts what we love, which determines how we look at the world. Now we find ourselves looking at the world in a new way. This can change how we hear those around us. We can see past the illusions to their common humanity and love them in a whole new way. When we find ourselves in this position, we will discover that our very thoughts change. We have become transformed. And make no mistake, it is a gift. When Baha'u'llah says that we will be "endowed" with these things, it means that they are given to us by someone else. We take the step, but it is God who transforms us.

At that point we will find ourselves discovering new wonders, new mysteries.

As we look at the world with these new eyes, the eyes that God has given us, we will find that all of creation leads us forward. We will see the sign of God in all things. We will look at the world with the eye of unity, seeing everything as part of that divine creation. We will recognize all the various religions as part of that same continuous Revelation of God, rather than separate paths. We "will discover in all things the mysteries of divine Revelation and the evidences of an everlasting manifestation."

In the next paragraph He will explain a little bit about what that means in practical terms.

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.