Manifestations of God

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Sunday, December 9, 2007

Divine Revelation Regenerates the Soul

I've had quite a bit to say about the Manifestations of God in this blog.

For new visitors, the Manifestations include but are not limited to: Abraham, Moses, Krishna, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, the Báb, and Bahá’u’lláh.

Individually Each is and collectively All are the Word of God.

The Writings I access for this blog have much to say about these All-Powerful Messengers of God...

"Since the Sanctified Realities, the supreme Manifestations of God, surround the essence and qualities of the creatures, transcend and contain existing realities and understand all things, therefore, Their knowledge is divine knowledge, and not acquired—that is to say, it is a holy bounty; it is a divine revelation."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 40: "The Knowledge of the Divine Manifestations", pp. 157-158


"….the Power of the Holy Spirit shineth radiantly in the realities of the Messengers of God, and strengtheneth Their will in such wise as to influence a great nation for thousands of years and to regenerate the human soul and revive mankind."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Tablet to August Forel, p. 27

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Wednesday, November 21, 2007

"In the beginning was the Word"

Today's quote is so crystal clear to me I really can't comment . . .

"The solar system is dark and obscure, and in it the sun is the center of light, and all the planets of the system revolve around its might and are partakers of its bounty. The sun is the cause of life and illumination, and the means of the growth and development of all the beings of the solar system; for without the bounty of the sun no living being could exist: all would be dark and destroyed. Therefore, it is evident and clear that the sun is the center of light and the cause of the life of the beings of the solar system.

"In like manner, the Holy Manifestations of God are the centers of
the light of reality, of the source of mysteries, and of the bounties of love. They are resplendent in the world of hearts and thoughts, and shower eternal graces upon the world of spirits; They give spiritual life and are shining with the light of realities and meanings. The enlightenment of the world of thought comes from these centers of light and sources of mysteries. Without the bounty of the splendor and the instructions of these Holy Beings the world of souls and thoughts would be opaque darkness. Without the irrefutable teachings of those sources of mysteries the human world would become the pasture of animal appetites and qualities, the existence of everything would be unreal, and there would be no true life. That is why it is said in the Gospel: 'In the beginning was the Word,' meaning that it became the cause of all life."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 42: "The Power and Influence of the Divine Manifestations", pp. 162-163
 
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Friday, June 29, 2007

More About The Manifestations

The past few posts have had excerpts from Reality that dealt with the inconceivably High Station of God and the relationship of Him to His Messengers or Manifestations.

However, I feel a strong need to add, once more, the information I have about that male pronoun we use in English for God. I've received information from people who use other languages (Arabic, Hebrew, etc.) who say they have a pronoun which has no sex associated with it. So, in English we choose the best we can and make God male because of His Creative rather than Receptive nature.

Some of the ideas expressed in this blog are well known by many folks but the information in today's quote, in my humble estimation, is quite surprising!

"...the Manifestations have three planes. First, the physical reality, which depends upon the body; second, the individual reality, that is to say, the rational soul; third, the divine appearance, which is the divine perfections, the cause of the life of existence, of the education of souls, of the guidance of people, and of the enlightenment of the contingent world. The physical state is the human state which perishes because it is composed of elements, and all that is composed of elements will necessarily be decomposed and dispersed. But the individual reality of the Manifestations of God is a holy reality, and for that reason it is sanctified and, in that which concerns its nature and quality, is distinguished from all other things. It is like the sun, which by its essential nature produces light and cannot be compared to the moon, just as the particles that compose the globe of the sun cannot be compare with those which compose the moon. The particles and organization of the former produce rays, but the particles of which the moon is composed do not produce rays but need to borrow light. So other human realities are those souls who, like the moon, take light from the sun; but that Holy Reality is luminous in Himself. The third plane of that Being is the Divine Bounty, the splendor of the Preexistent Beauty, and the radiance of the light of the Almighty. The individual realities of the Divine Manifestations have no separation from the Bounty of God and the Lordly Splendor. In the same way, the orb of the sun has no separation from the light. Therefore, it may be said that the ascension of the Holy Manifestation is simply the leaving of this elemental form. For example, if a lamp illumines this niche, and if its light ceases to illuminate it because the niche is destroyed, the bounty of the lamp is not cut off. Briefly, in the Holy Manifestations the Preexistent Bounty is like the light, the individuality is represented by the glass globe, and the human body is like the niche: if the niche is destroyed, the lamp continues to burn. The Divine Manifestations are so many different mirrors because They have a special individuality, but that which is reflected in the mirrors is one sun."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, Chapter 39: "The Human
Condition and the Spiritual Condition of the Divine Manifestations",
pp. 154-155