The Victory (Assisted by Selena Styan)
Chorus: "Gain the victory over your own selves". 1
Love all people greater than yourselves.
Say: Color me... humanity.
"Gain the victory over your own selves".
Love all people greater than yourselves.
Please color me: humanity.
"Gain the victory over your own selves".
Love all people greater than yourselves.
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We gotta serve the Cause of God! We have to love everyone and give them a hug! (repeat)
"Ye are the beautiful gardens... the most brilliant stars" and the brave lovers devoted to God! 2
Let's gain the victory, the most great victory. (repeat) Entry by troops. (repeat)
Love with all of your heart! Give with all of your heart! Serve with all of your heart! Love!
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Part of last chorus: With the love of God, win the great triumph.
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References:
1: "Every man of insight will, in this day, readily admit that the counsels which the Pen of this wronged One hath revealed constitute the supreme animating power for the advancement of the world and the exaltation of its peoples. Arise, O people, and, by the power of God's might, resolve to gain the victory over your own selves, that haply the whole earth may be freed and sanctified from its servitude to the gods of its idle fancies -- gods that have inflicted such loss upon, and are responsible for the misery of, their wretched worshipers. These idols form the obstacle that impedeth man in his efforts to advance in the path of perfection. We cherish the hope that the Hand of Divine power may lend its assistance to mankind, and deliver it from its state of grievous abasement."
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 92)
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2: "By the life of God! The hearts are cheered whenever you are mentioned, the souls are comforted in your love, the holy spirits are captivated by your fragrance, the eyes are expecting to see you and the hearts are longing to meet you, owing to the fact that your hearts were kindled with the fire of the love of God, your ears were charmed by hearing the Word of God and your souls were rested in the appearance of the mysteries of God.
Blessed are ye, O children of the Kingdom of God! Glad-tidings to ye, O friends of God! as He hath made your destiny great and your share victory and happiness, your lamps lighted and your spring to yield supply!
Ye are the most brilliant stars! Ye are the most dazzling lamps! Ye are the green branches! Ye are the ripe fruits! Ye are the beautiful gardens! Ye are the overflowing bowls!
God is merciful and compassionate! His bounty is great and great! He appropriateth by His mercy those whom He liketh and chooseth for His love those of whom He approveth. This is in accordance with what Christ said: "Many are called, but few chosen."
God maketh your endeavor praiseworthy, your reward great and your days in El-Baha feasts and pleasures, because of your casting away the imaginary god and accepting the Knowable, for your discarding every evil spirit, craving for the witnessed Light and for turning your faces to the Exalted Position.
God will show forth your endeavor, increase your spirit and fragrance, perfume the different directions with your perfume, enlighten the horizon with your light and quicken the hearts with that which is treasured within you; will cheer the souls with what you have accomplished and cause the verses of thankfulness to be recited in all places; the banner in remembrance of you to wave through all the ages; your fame and praise to encircle the horizon and the tongues to speak of your virtues and good endeavors.
By the living Truth! That bounty is great and great and the Lord is supreme in majesty! The confirmation is successive and success is continuous, and the kindness of your God, the Merciful, the Compassionate, will surround you from all sides."
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 347)
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"Considering this most mighty enterprise, it beseemeth them that love Him to gird up the loins of their endeavor, and to fix their thoughts on whatever will ensure the victory of the cause of God, rather than commit vile and contemptible deeds."
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 242)
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Spread abroad the sweet savors of thy Lord, and hesitate not, though it be for less than a moment, in the service of His Cause. The day is approaching when the victory of thy Lord, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Bountiful, will be proclaimed.
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 42)
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Be pure, O people of God, be pure; be righteous, be righteous.... Say: O people of God! That which can ensure the victory of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, His hosts and helpers on earth, have been set down in the sacred Books and Scriptures, and are as clear and manifest as the sun. These hosts are such righteous deeds, such conduct and character, as are acceptable in His sight. Whoso ariseth, in this Day, to aid Our Cause, and summoneth to his assistance the hosts of a praiseworthy character and upright conduct, the influence flowing from such an action will, most certainly, be diffused throughout the whole world.
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 287)
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CXXXIII. The ordinances of God have been sent down from the heaven of His most august Revelation. All must diligently observe them. Man's supreme distinction, his real advancement, his final victory, have always depended, and will continue to depend, upon them. Whoso keepeth the commandments of God shall attain everlasting felicity.
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 289)
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CL. When the victory arriveth, every man shall profess himself as believer and shall hasten to the shelter of God's Faith. Happy are they who in the days of world-encompassing trials have stood fast in the Cause and refused to swerve from its truth.
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 319)
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Say: From My laws the sweet smelling savor of My garment can be smelled, and by their aid the standards of victory will be planted upon the highest peaks. The Tongue of My power hath, from the heaven of My omnipotent glory, addressed to My creation these words: "Observe My commandments, for the love of My beauty." Happy is the lover that hath inhaled the divine fragrance of his Best-Beloved from these words, laden with the perfume of a grace which no tongue can describe. By My life! He who hath drunk the choice wine of fairness from the hands of My bountiful favor, will circle around My commandments that shine above the Day Spring of My creation.
Think not that We have revealed unto you a mere code of laws. Nay, rather, We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and power. To this beareth witness that which the Pen of Revelation hath revealed. Meditate upon this, O men of insight!...
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 332)
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I am well aware, O my Lord, that I have been so carried away by the clear tokens of Thy loving-kindness, and so completely inebriated with the wine of Thine utterance, that whatever I behold I readily discover that it maketh Thee known unto me, and it remindeth me of Thy signs, and of Thy tokens, and of Thy testimonies. By Thy glory! Every time I lift up mine eyes unto Thy heaven, I call to mind Thy highness and Thy loftiness, and Thine incomparable glory and greatness; and every time I turn my gaze to Thine earth, I am made to recognize the evidences of Thy power and the tokens of Thy bounty. And when I behold the sea, I find that it speaketh to me of Thy majesty, and of the potency of Thy might, and of Thy sovereignty and Thy grandeur. And at whatever time I contemplate the mountains, I am led to discover the ensigns of Thy victory and the standards of Thine omnipotence.
(Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 271)
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However, since Our loving providence surpasseth all things, We have ordained that complete victory should be achieved through speech and utterance, that Our servants throughout the earth may thereby become the recipients of divine good. This is but a token of God's bounty vouchsafed unto them. Verily thy Lord is the All-Sufficing, the Most Exalted.
(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 197)
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O My Name! Utterance must needs possess penetrating power. For if bereft of this quality it would fail to exert influence. And this penetrating influence dependeth on the spirit being pure and the heart stainless. Likewise it needeth moderation, without which the hearer would be unable to bear it, rather he would manifest opposition from the very outset. And moderation will be obtained by blending utterance with the tokens of divine wisdom which are recorded in the sacred Books and Tablets. Thus when the essence of one's utterance is endowed with these two requisites it will prove highly effective and will be the prime factor in transforming the souls of men. This is the station of supreme victory and celestial dominion. Whoso attaineth thereto is invested with the power to teach the Cause of God and to prevail over the hearts and minds of men.
O My Name! The Day-Star of utterance, shining resplendent from the dayspring of divine Revelation, hath so illumined the Scrolls and Tablets that the kingdom of utterance and the exalted dominion of understanding vibrate with joy and ecstasy and shine forth with the splendour of His light, yet the generality of mankind comprehend not.
(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 198)
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HE Who leadeth to true victory is come. By the righteousness of God! He is fully capable of revolutionizing the world through the power of a single Word. Having enjoined upon all men to observe wisdom, He Himself hath adhered to the cord of patience and resignation.
(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 259)
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Erelong shall God draw forth, out of the bosom of power, the hands of ascendancy and might, and shall raise up a people who will arise to win victory for this Youth and who will purge mankind from the defilement of the outcast and the ungodly. These hands will gird up their loins to champion the Faith of God, and will, in My name the Self-Subsistent, the Mighty, subdue the peoples and kindreds of the earth. They will enter the cities and will inspire with fear the hearts of all their inhabitants. Such are the evidences of the might of God; how fearful, how vehement is His might, and how justly doth He wield it! He, verily, ruleth and transcendeth all who are in the heavens and on the earth, and revealeth what He desireth according to a prescribed measure.
(Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 20)
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Verily, We behold you from Our realm of glory, and shall aid whosoever will arise for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the Concourse on high and a company of Our favoured angels.
(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 39)
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Happy are ye, O ye the learned ones in Baha. By the Lord! Ye are the billows of the Most Mighty Ocean, the stars of the firmament of Glory, the standards of triumph waving betwixt earth and heaven. Ye are the manifestations of steadfastness amidst men and the daysprings of Divine Utterance to all that dwell on earth. Well is it with him that turneth unto you, and woe betide the froward. This day, it behoveth whoso hath quaffed the Mystic Wine of everlasting life from the Hands of the loving-kindness of the Lord his God, the Merciful, to pulsate even as the throbbing artery in the body of mankind, that through him may be quickened the world and every crumbling bone.
(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 82)
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Know this: That today whoever turns to the Kingdom of the Glorious God, holds communion with the Almighty One, the Omniscient, and lives wholly the true and good life, the doors of progress and help will be opened unto him everywhere; such an one will be aided, victorious and protected.
Therefore, turn to the Supreme Kingdom, forget thyself entirely and remain firm in the spiritual trials, so that thou mayest see the favors of the Kingdom and realize the heavenly confirmation.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v1, p. 54)
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Be patient, that thou mayest be rendered victorious in thy greatest wishes, and know thou that verily, thou art with me in the nearness of my Lord, the Supreme.
Verily, this is a glad-tidings unto thee forevermore!
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 311)
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But as to you, O ye firm and steadfast, be straightforward in the Cause of God, let your feet be firm in the Religion of God, and arise with every effort within your power to render victorious the Covenant of God.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 351)
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But as to you, O ye firm and steadfast, be straightforward in the Cause of God, let your feet be firm in the Religion of God, and arise with every effort within your power to render victorious the Covenant of God.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 351)
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O God! The clay (or being) of these servants is kneaded with water of fidelity and the nature of these maid-servants is adorned with love! They believe and are assured. They are firm and steadfast; they are kneeling and worshipping; they are uttering (the Words) and are informed. Render them confirmed and victorious with the hosts of strength. Aid and gladden them through the angels of the Kingdom of Abha! At every moment reveal a new power to them and with every breath confer a great bounty. Thus with a heavenly power, divine strength, merciful fragrance, supreme light, and conscious attraction, may they arise to serve Thee, to perfume the East and the West with the fragrances of holiness, establish the universal peace, promulgate integrity and honesty, to adore the truth, become a means of life to the people of the world, a cause of comfort and rest to them; to help the spiritual meeting, to serve the gathering of the Lord, to send well-informed souls (teachers) to other regions and climes, to be self-sacrificing with life and heart, to build the Mashrak-el-Azcar, to raise the anthem of sanctity to the Supreme Kingdom, to live in perfect love with one another; nay, rather, to be the cause of rest to the whole world, to adorn the realm of creation, to destroy the edifice of jealousy and envy and to establish the law of love and unity, to be truthful servants of mankind and conscientious well-wishers of the human race!
O God! Thou art the Able, the Powerful! Thou are the Confirmer and the Helper in all conditions and circumstances!
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 355)
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The holy souls who are free from the ties of this mortal world and attain the confirmation of the Holy Spirit, although they live on earth, yet, verily, they are heavenly, illuminated, spiritual, divine. Such souls must appear and engage, with simplicity, freedom and purity, in training the public and in guiding all people. If such souls arise, the Holy Spirit will aid them, the hosts of the heavenly angels will render them victorious, the bounties of the Kingdom of ABHA will surround them the ray of the Sun of Truth will shine, the breezes of the Paradise of ABHA will give spirit, the ocean of favors will boil and the good scent of the fragrances of holiness will perfume the nostrils of the inhabitants of the world.
By the bounty and grace of the Educator, I hope thou mayest attain to this providence and bounty!
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 417)
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If a few souls gather together in a beloved meeting with the feelings of the Kingdom, with the divine attractions, with pure hearts and with absolute purity and holiness, to consort in spirit and fragrance, that gathering will have its effect upon all the world. The conditions, the words and deeds of that gathering will lead a world to eternal happiness and will be an evidence of the favors of the Kingdom. The Holy Spirit will strengthen them and the hosts of the Supreme Concourse will render them victorious and the angels of ABHA will come in succession.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v3, p. 508)
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And it is my hope that through the favors of Bahá'u'lláh He may continue to attract you to His Kingdom and render you victorious and triumphant in your service to the oneness and solidarity of mankind. May He assist all who are firm in establishing the unity of the inhabitants of this earth.
(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 418)
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O my Lord! Illumine their eyes by the light of love, and enkindle their hearts by the rays streaming from the heaven of the Supreme Concourse. Suffer them to become the signs of Thy bestowal amongst the people and the standards of Thy grace amongst mankind. O Lord! Make those who are here the hosts of heaven, and through their service and instrumentality subdue the hearts of humanity. Cause Thy great mercy to descend upon them, and render all Thy friends victorious. Direct them that they may turn toward Thy Kingdom of mercy and proclaim Thy name among the people. May they lead the people to the bounty of Thy most great guidance.
(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 441)
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Know ye of a certainty that He will render you victorious, will exalt you among the peoples of the world and will demonstrate your high rank before the gaze of all nations. Surely He will not suffer the reward of His favoured ones to be lost.
(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 246)
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Rest assured and persevere. He, verily, rendereth victorious those who love Him, and His might is equal to all things. Whoso turneth unto Him brighteneth thereby the faces of the Concourse on high, and unto this God Himself is My witness.
(Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 154)
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O God, my God! I beg of Thee by the dawning of the light of Thy Beauty that hath illumined all the earth, and by the glance of Thy divine compassion's eye that considereth all things, and by the surging sea of Thy bestowals in which all things are immersed, and by Thy streaming clouds of bounty raining down gifts upon the essences of all created things, and by the splendours of Thy mercy that existed before ever the world was -- to help Thy chosen ones to be faithful, and assist Thy loved ones to serve at Thine exalted Threshold, and cause them to gain the victory through the battalions of Thy might that overpowereth all things, and reinforce them with a great fighting host from out of the Concourse on high.
O my Lord! They are weak souls standing at Thy door; they are paupers in Thy courtyard, desperate for Thy grace, in dire need of Thy succour, turning their faces toward the kingdom of Thy oneness, yearning for the bounties of Thy bestowals. O my Lord! Flood Thou their minds with Thy holy light; cleanse Thou their hearts with the grace of Thine assistance; gladden their bosoms with the fragrance of the joys that waft from Thy Company above; make bright their eyes by beholding the signs and tokens of Thy might; cause them to be the ensigns of purity, the banners of sanctity waving high above all creatures on the summits of the earth; make Thou their words to move hearts which are even as solid rock. May they arise to serve Thee and dedicate themselves to the Kingdom of Thy divinity, and set their faces toward the realm of Thy Self-Subsistence, and spread far and wide Thy signs, and be illumined by Thy streaming lights, and unfold Thy hidden mysteries. May they guide Thy servants unto gentle waters and to the fountain of Thy mercy that welleth and leapeth in the midmost heart of the Heaven of Thy oneness. May they hoist the sail of detachment upon the Ark of Salvation, and move over the seas of Thy knowledge; may they spread wide the pinions of unity and by their aid soar upward to the Kingdom of Thy singleness to become servants whom the Supreme Concourse will applaud, whose praises the dwellers in Thine all-glorious realm will utter; may they hear the heralds of the invisible world as they raise their cry of the Most Great Glad-Tidings; may they, in their longing to meet Thee, invoke and pray unto Thee, intoning wondrous orisons at the dawn of light -- O my Lord Who disposest all things -- shedding their tears at morningtide and even, yearning to pass into the shadow of Thy mercy that endeth never.
Help them, O my Lord, under all conditions, support them at all times with Thine angels of holiness, they who are Thine invisible hosts, Thy heavenly battalions who bring down to defeat the massed armies of this nether world.
Verily art Thou the Mighty, the Powerful, the Strong, the All-Encompassing, the One Who hath dominion over all that is.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 5)
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Day and night I entreat and supplicate to the Kingdom of God and beg for you infinite assistance and confirmation. Do not take into consideration your own aptitudes and capacities, but fix your gaze on the consummate bounty, the divine bestowal and the power of the Holy Spirit -- the power that converteth the drop into a sea and the star into a sun.
Praise be to God, the hosts of the Supreme Concourse secure the victory and the power of the Kingdom is ready to assist and to support. Should ye at every instant unloosen the tongue in thanksgiving and gratitude, ye would not be able to discharge yourselves of the obligation of gratitude for these bestowals.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 104)
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O ye loved ones of God! Know ye that the world is even as a mirage rising over the sands, that the thirsty mistaketh for water. The wine of this world is but a vapour in the desert, its pity and compassion but toil and trouble, the repose it proffereth only weariness and sorrow. Abandon it to those who belong to it, and turn your faces unto the Kingdom of your Lord the All-Merciful, that His grace and bounty may cast their dawning splendours over you, and a heavenly table may be sent down for you, and your Lord may bless you, and shower His riches upon you to gladden your bosoms and fill your hearts with bliss, to attract your minds, and cleanse your souls, and console your eyes.
O ye loved ones of God! Is there any giver save God? He singleth out for His mercy whomsoever He willeth. Erelong will He open before you the gates of His knowledge and fill up your hearts with His love. He will cheer your souls with the gentle winds of His holiness and make bright your faces with the splendours of His lights, and exalt the memory of you amongst all peoples. Your Lord is verily the Compassionate, the Merciful.
He will come to your aid with invisible hosts, and support you with armies of inspiration from the Concourse above; He will send unto you sweet perfumes from the highest Paradise, and waft over you the pure breathings that blow from the rose gardens of the Company on high. He will breathe into your hearts the spirit of life, cause you to enter the Ark of salvation, and reveal unto you His clear tokens and signs. Verily is this abounding grace. Verily is this the victory that none can deny.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 185)
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Thou hast the desire to travel that thou mayest spread the fragrances of God. This is highly suitable. Assuredly divine confirmations will assist thee and the power of the Covenant and Testament will secure for thee triumph and victory.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 214)
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God be praised, wherever we turn, the Ancient Beauty hath opened wide the gates of grace, and hath in unmistakable words announced glad tidings of victory through the Lord's sustaining help. Through love hath He carried off the hearts of the believers, and He hath entrusted their triumph to the armies of the Concourse on high.
Now amidst all the peoples of the world must the beloved arise, with a heart even as the day-star, a strong inward urge, a shining brow, a musk-scented breath, a tongue speaking ever of God, an exposition crystal-clear, a high resolve, a power born of heaven, a spiritual character, a confirmation nothing short of the divine. Let them one and all become as a splendour on the horizon of heaven, and in the skies of the world a dazzling star. Let them be fruitful trees in the celestial bowers, sweet-scented blooms in the divine gardens; let them be verses of perfection on the page of the universe, words of oneness in the Book of Life. This is the first age, and the early beginnings of the dispensation of the Most Great Light, wherefore, within this century, virtues must be acquired, goodly qualities must be perfected within this span of time. In these very days the Abha Paradise must pitch its pavilions on the plains of the world. The lights of reality must now be revealed, and the secrets of God's bestowals must now be made known, and now must the olden grace shine forth and this world change into the pleasure-ground of heaven, the garden of God. And out of pure hearts, and through heavenly bounties, all the perfections, qualities and attributes of the divine must now be made manifest.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 232)
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204. O phoenix of that immortal flame kindled in the sacred Tree! Bahá'u'lláh -- may my life, my soul, my spirit be offered up as a sacrifice unto His lowly servants -- hath, during His last days on earth, given the most emphatic promise that, through the outpourings of the grace of God and the aid and assistance vouchsafed from His Kingdom on high, souls will arise and holy beings appear who, as stars, would adorn the firmament of divine guidance; illumine the dayspring of loving-kindness and bounty; manifest the signs of the unity of God; shine with the light of sanctity and purity; receive their full measure of divine inspiration; raise high the sacred torch of faith; stand firm as the rock and immoveable as the mountain; and grow to become luminaries in the heavens of His Revelation, mighty channels of His grace, means for the bestowal of God's bountiful care, heralds calling forth the name of the One true God, and establishers of the world's supreme foundation.
These shall labour ceaselessly, by day and by night, shall heed neither trials nor woe, shall suffer no respite in their efforts, shall seek no repose, shall disregard all ease and comfort, and, detached and unsullied, shall consecrate every fleeting moment of their lives to the diffusion of the divine fragrance and the exaltation of God's holy Word. Their faces will radiate heavenly gladness, and their hearts be filled with joy. Their souls will be inspired, and their foundation stand secure. They shall scatter in the world, and travel throughout all regions. They shall raise their voices in every assembly, and adorn and revive every gathering. They shall speak in every tongue, and interpret every hidden meaning. They shall reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom, and manifest unto everyone the signs of God. They shall burn brightly even as a candle in the heart of every assembly, and beam forth as a star upon every horizon. The gentle breezes wafted from the garden of their hearts shall perfume and revive the souls of men, and the revelations of their minds, even as showers, will reinvigorate the peoples and nations of the world.
I am waiting, eagerly waiting for these holy ones to appear; and yet, how long will they delay their coming? My prayer and ardent supplication, at eventide and at dawn, is that these shining stars may soon shed their radiance upon the world, that their sacred countenances may be unveiled to mortal eyes, that the hosts of divine assistance may achieve their victory, and the billows of grace, rising from His oceans above, may flow upon all mankind. Pray ye also and supplicate unto Him that through the bountiful aid of the Ancient Beauty these souls may be unveiled to the eyes of the world.
The glory of God rest upon thee, and upon him whose face is illumined with that everlasting light that shineth from His Kingdom of Glory.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 251)
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O ye loved ones of God! In this, the Bahá'í dispensation, God's Cause is spirit unalloyed. His Cause belongeth not to the material world. It cometh neither for strife nor war, nor for acts of mischief or of shame; it is neither for quarrelling with other Faiths, nor for conflicts with the nations. Its only army is the love of God, its only joy the clear wine of His knowledge, its only battle the expounding of the Truth; its one crusade is against the insistent self, the evil promptings of the human heart. Its victory is to submit and yield, and to be selfless is its everlasting glory. In brief, it is spirit upon spirit:
(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 256)
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208. O ye servants of the Sacred Threshold! The triumphant hosts of the Celestial Concourse, arrayed and marshalled in the Realms above, stand ready and expectant to assist and assure victory to that valiant horseman who with confidence spurs on his charger into the arena of service. Well is it with that fearless warrior, who armed with the power of true Knowledge, hastens unto the field, disperses the armies of ignorance, and scatters the hosts of error, who holds aloft the Standard of Divine Guidance, and sounds the Clarion of Victory. By the righteousness of the Lord! He hath achieved a glorious triumph and obtained the true victory.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 264)
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O my Lord, wing them with victory that they may soar upward to salvation, strengthen their loins in service to Thy people, and their backs in servitude to Thy Threshold of Holiness.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 273)
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Rest ye assured that the confirmations of the Holy Spirit will descend upon you, and that the armies of the Abha Kingdom will grant you the victory.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 275)
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Set aside every mention save the mention of God and abandon everything save the divulgence of the Testament, be attracted by the magnet of the Covenant that thou mayest see the triumph of the angels of the King of the Kingdom and the valor of the hosts of the Lord of Might. By the life of the Lord! The Invincible Power will indeed strengthen, the Holy Spirit will speak in thy mouth, the Word of God will be revealed in thy heart, the sound of the trumpet of the Lord will gladden thee, the light of unity will shine from thy brow, the doors of success and prosperity will be opened upon thy face and the secrets of the Holy Books will be unfolded. Then, at that time, thou shalt cry at the top of thy voice, saying: "Blessed I am for this great bounty! Blessed I am for this evident victory! Blessed I am for this power which could not be resisted by the powers of whomsoever is upon the earth!"
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v1, p. 160)
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I supplicate God, my Lord and thy Lord, to illumine thy forehead with the light of success and victory, strengthen thy spirit by the breath of God, quicken thee by the spirit of God and make thee a pillar of guidance set up in the firmament of the Kingdom of God.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 258)
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O thou who art attracted to the Fragrances of God!
By God the Truth, verily the angels of the Supreme Assembly pray for thee every morn and eve and announce to thee glad-tidings! O blessed art thou who hast devoted thyself to diffusing the fragrances of God! Know thou that, verily, thy Lord will surely strengthen thy hands and assist thee through the hosts which are hidden from the sight of the heedless ones, and will give the victory through a numerous army from the Supreme Assembly and will illuminate thy heart with the rays shining from the Kingdom of ABHA, the Most Glorious!
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 281)
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You ask if, through the appearance of the Kingdom of God, every soul hath been saved. The Sun of Reality hath appeared to all the world. This Luminous Appearance is salvation and life; but only he who hath opened the eye of reality and who hath seen these lights will be saved.
You also ask about the eventual victory of spirituality in this Bahai age. It is certain that spirituality will overcome materiality and that the divine will have the victory over the human; it is also true that by divine education souls in every condition of existence will be elevated, except those that are blind, deaf, dumb and dead. How can such souls comprehend the light? The sun lighteth up all the dark world, but the blind man hath no portion in its brilliancy; the cloud of mercy poureth forth streams of water, but the sterile land will never produce plants and flowers.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 322)
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O ye friends of God! The real friends are the skillful physicians and the divine instructions are the antidote of the Merciful One and the remedies of the hearts. They (the believers) heal the nostrils affected with rheum, make mindful the negligent ones, give a share to the deprived ones and make hopeful the hopeless ones. In this day if anyone liveth in accord with the heavenly teachings and instructions, he shall become a spiritual physician to the world of humanity and the trumpet of Israfel [1] to quicken the dead; for the confirmations of the Kingdom of ABHA are uninterrupted and the victory of the Supreme Concourse is the associate of every one who is pure in heart. The weak gnat will become the strong royal falcon and the sparrow is transformed into the eagle soaring toward the apex of the Ancient Glory. Therefore, look ye not upon your own capability and merit, nay rather, lay your confidence in the bounty and protection, favor and grace of the Blessed Perfection -- may my life be a sacrifice to His beloved ones! -- and, mounting upon the charger of magnanimity, rush ye toward the arena of martyrdom, so that ye may win the polo of favors in this vast field of God!
[1 One of the angels of the "Resurrection day," mentioned in the Koran.]
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v2, p. 388)
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May God help and send victory from the Supreme Kingdom, the heavenly powers become supporters and the mercy and bestowal of His Highness the Merciful One become the helpers! Be ye engaged in prayer.... Much prayer is needed so that God may help and protect.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v3, p. 493)
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The Blessed Perfection, in a clear text, hath promised us in the Book: "Verily I behold you from the Horizon of ABHA and will make victorious whomsoever will arise in the service of my cause with the hosts of the Supreme Concourse and the cohorts of the favored angels!" Praise be to God! that this victory and confirmation became visible and manifest and hath shone forth from the horizon of the world like unto the sun.
Therefore, O ye friends of God! Show ye forth an earnest endeavor and display ye a resolute effort, so that ye may become assisted in the adoration of the Ancient Beauty and the Manifest Light; to be the cause of spreading the light of the Sun of Truth; to infuse into the dead, antiquated body of the world a new spirit; to cast in the fields of the hearts pure seeds; to arise in the service of the Cause; to speak with eloquent tongues; to become candles of guidance in the assemblage of the world; to become shining stars in the horizon of existent being; to become merciful birds in the rose-garden of oneness; to sing the melodies of realities and significances; to spend every breath of your lives in the most great Cause; and to devote the period of your existence to the service of this conspicuous Light; so that in the end ye may be freed from loss and failure and attain to the inexhaustible treasury of the Kingdom. For the life of man is wholly subject to danger and impermanency. A person cannot put his assurance even in one moment's continuity.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v3, p. 566)
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O thou fragrant rose blooming in the Garden of Guidance!
Thank thou God for that He hath removed from off thine eye the covering, made thee to see the signs of the Kingdom of thy Lord, the Supreme, filled for thee the cup of bounty and gave thee to drink the pure wine of fidelity which He hath promised to the sincere in the holy Books and Tablets.
O thou my dear! The cup of knowledge is overflowing; blessed are they who partake in draughts! The fountain of life is issuing forth; blessed are they who drink! The doors of the Kingdom are opened; O what good news to those who advance! The garden of paradise is drawn near; O what a pleasure to those who enter! The dove of holiness is cooing; O what a happiness to those who hear! The gates of Heaven are open; blessed are they who see! The hosts of angels are standing in battle order; what a joy to those who gain the victory! The trumpet of life is sounding; how good it is to those who are awake!
As to thee: Realize the bounty of thy Lord as it is, and thank thou thy Lord and praise Him for that He hath directed thee to the right path.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v3, p. 620)
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And if God wisheth, through the clearness of the heart, we will be continually in the assembly of alliance and friendship, resting permanently in the spiritual and heavenly realm, adoring and worshipping God, meeting and uniting by the holy fragrances, drawn by the magnet of the love of God and thanking Him for this great bounty and evident victory.
As to our meeting materially (i.e., face to face), I ask God that He may ordain this for us in the way He deemeth best.
Then know, O thou virtuous soul, that as soon as thou becomest separated from aught else save God and dost cut thyself from the worldly things, thy heart will shine with lights of divinity and with the effulgence of the Sun of Truth from the horizon of the Realm of Might, and then thou wilt be filed by the spirit of power from God and become capable of doing that which thou desirest. This is the confirmed truth.
As to the desire shown by thee towards serving holy and spiritual souls, it is indeed of the best desires and of the most noble qualities. Blessed is he who is strengthened and confirmed by such a desire during all his life, in the hope of attaining eternal life.
As to thee, O thou being who art attracted to God, announce the glad-tidings of the Kingdom of God through the breaths of the Holy Spirit; for He will confirm thee in similar manner to the confirmation He bestowed upon the holy souls in the past decades and former ages.
O thou who art attracted to the "Spirit of Truth!"
At this moment I remember thee while the cup of my tongue is overflowing with the wine of God's praise and I address thee in a spirit whereby the hearts of all the creation are cheerfully moved.
Know thou, verily, the Spirit hath indeed so surrounded my limbs that it moveth them as it willeth and my tongue uttereth the most wonderful speeches and most sweet words while addressing thee, so that thou mayest be moved by these holy fragrances which perfume all regions and be dilated with joy by this address which is raised from my abundant love for thee and my excessive kindness and great affection unto thee.
O maid-servant of God! Verily, the Holy Spirit breathes, in this day, unto the hearts which are moving, beating, pure and attracted by the love of God.
Abandon thou every occupation and be engaged in the affairs of thy Lord and serve the "Spirit of Truth" which hath poured a spiritual, divine and everlasting life upon the brilliant hearts.
O maid-servant of God! By God the True One, verily, the crown of mighty gift is suspended betwixt heaven and earth and the angels of holiness are awaiting a lofty head which may be worthy of this great bestowal, so that it may descend upon that head, that it may wear that glorious crown, the most precious gems of which illumine the eyes of all the world.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v3, p. 711)
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Should they show forth such a magnanimity, it is assured that they will obtain universal divine confirmations, the heavenly cohorts will reinforce them uninterruptedly, and a most great victory will be obtained.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 27)
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All the Prophets have come to promote divine bestowals, to found the spiritual civilization and teach the principles of morality. Therefore, we must strive with all our powers so that spiritual influences may gain the victory. For material forces have attacked mankind. The world of humanity is submerged in a sea of materialism.
(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 12)