16. O SON OF LIGHT!
Forget all save Me and commune with My spirit. This is of the essence of My command, therefore turn unto it.
17. O SON OF MAN!
Be thou content with Me and seek no other helper. For none but Me can ever suffice thee.
(Baha’u’llah, The Arabic Hidden Words)
to my family: I have a pleasant memory of Billie Dunk singing no.17 at children’s classes.
In honor of my son-in-law’s father, Steven Kipruto Marisin, who will be buried Friday, Sept. 18:
14. O SON OF MAN!
Thou art My dominion and My dominion perisheth not; wherefore fearest thou thy perishing? Thou art My light and My light shall never be extinguished; why dost thou dread extinction? Thou art My glory and My glory fadeth not; thou art My robe and My robe shall never be outworn. Abide then in thy love for Me, that thou mayest find Me in the realm of glory.
15. O SON OF UTTERANCE!
Turn thy face unto Mine and renounce all save Me; for My sovereignty endureth and My dominion perisheth not. If thou seekest another than Me, yea, if thou searchest the universe for evermore, thy quest will be in vain.
(Baha’u’llah, The Arabic Hidden Words)
O SON OF SPIRIT!
I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.
(Baha’u’llah, The Arabic Hidden Words)
(–such beautiful imagery for our self worth! –Carol.)
O SON OF BEING!
With the hands of power I made thee and with the fingers of strength I created thee; and within thee have I placed the essence of My light. Be thou content with it and seek naught else, for My work is perfect and My command is binding. Question it not, nor have a doubt thereof.
–Baha’u’llah
O SON OF BEING!
Thou art My lamp and My light is in thee. Get thou from it thy radiance and seek none other than Me. For I have created thee rich and have bountifully shed My favor upon thee.
(Baha’u’llah, The Arabic Hidden Words)
It is almost comical to write about only 7 Bahai’s imprisoned in Iran, when in the past, when the Faith first began in the 1800s, 20,000 were executed by the govt. of Iran, all in the most inhumane ways you can imagine. We know their history because historians, sometimes European historians of that age and time, documented their fates and were appalled at the atrocity of their deaths. Some had holes cut into their chests where lit candles were then placed, as they were paraded through the streets where crowds of people would taunt them as enemies of the State. They were not, of course, but oppressive regimes always see any movements with growing numbers of followers as enemies. Was not Christ welcomed on Palm Sunday and then paraded and taunted with a crown of thorns the next week, crucified while the people laughed and jeered at Him?
These 7 souls are only the latest, and the only difference is this is the 21st century, and these horrific things are still happening. They are not the fault of Muhammed, Who brought Arabia to a new level of tolerance and all forms of science exploded in development with His appearance. The study of algebra and many other advancements were made after Muhammed. The status of women was raised from their being considered lower than the animal, to the level of having a soul of her own. However, the current regimes have turned away from knowledge and truth, as we see in the current President of Iran denying the Holocaust, aligning himself with the utmost ignorance. He is only interested in maintaining his own power, at the expense of his people. The same for the religious leaders around him. Shame on them.
The trial for the current 7 steadfast individuals, who have now been imprisoned more than a year, has once again been moved. We rec’d this announcement:
“We received word today that the trial of the seven Baha’i prisoners in Iran has once again been delayed. The new trial date is October 18, 2009. More infomation can be found on http://iran.bahai.us.”
May God bless their daily existence with His loving presence and surround them with His care. We who are on the outside, especially in a land of freedom and individual rights, should teach the love of God and the oneness of mankind as well as religion, equality of men and women and all peoples under one God, as they are unable to do.
I will close with the 10th “Hidden Word” of Baha’u’llah, from the book, “Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah”.
O SON OF UTTERANCE! Thou art My stronghold; enter therein that thou mayest abide in safety. My love is in thee, know it, that thou mayest find Me near unto thee.
O SON OF BEING!
My love is My stronghold; he that entereth therein is safe and secure, and he that turneth away shall surely stray and perish.
(Baha’u’llah, The Arabic Hidden Words)
For the 1st time in a long time, I am really happy and hopeful about money. My husband has income. We switched banks and started over with a local bank. They know me already there and say hi when I walk in. They do not have a recorded automatic banking service, where if you DO get a “real” human being, you are talking to someone across the world or at least in California. The lady who opened my account for me said, “If you have any problem with your account, you do not call an 800#. You come and see ME.” I was so relieved!! Local service has disappeared with modern times, and it is exactly what we need and want. Recognition for ourselves as human beings, seeing and talking to people who know us personally! Can you imagine?
I am very, very happy in this house and neighborhood. Life is a blessing. There are kids and youth everywhere and we are making contact, gradually. Al walks the neighborhood 3X/day. I refuse to walk at midday. Today it was 103 degrees when I drove past the Methodist church temp. sign!
and now a Hidden Word to sleep by……….
O SON OF SPIRIT!
There is no peace for thee save by renouncing thyself and turning unto Me; for it behooveth thee to glory in My name, not in thine own; to put thy trust in Me and not in thyself, since I desire to be loved alone and above all that is.
(Baha’u’llah, The Arabic Hidden Words, no.8)
Tonight I am really tired. I drove 12 hrs yesterday. There has been a lot of stress regarding money over the last month. Tonight, I could not go for a walk w/ my hubby around the pond. I have to listen to my body and know when it is telling me, “Too much, girl, take it easy and slow down.” Right now at 10:15pm, I feel the sore throat coming on, which is what my body does when it is overloaded. So I have to listen.
Here is “Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah” no.7, to go to sleep to . . .
O SON OF MAN!
If thou lovest Me, turn away from thyself; and if thou seekest My pleasure, regard not thine own; that thou mayest die in Me and I may eternally live in thee.
(Baha’u’llah, The Arabic Hidden Words)
O SON OF BEING!
Thy Paradise is My love; thy heavenly home, reunion with Me. Enter therein and tarry not. This is that which hath been destined for thee in Our kingdom above and Our exalted dominion.
(Baha’u’llah, The Arabic Hidden Words)
Doctor Grandma 