The 9th Day of Ridvan

The Divine Springtime is come, O Most Exalted Pen, for the Festival of the All-Merciful is fast approaching.  Bestir thyself, and magnify, before the entire creation, the name of God, and celebrate His praise, in such wise that all created things may be regenerated and made new.   Speak, and hold not thy peace. The day star of blissfulness shineth above the horizon of Our name, the Blissful, inasmuch as the kingdom of the name of God hath been adorned with the ornament of the name of thy Lord, the Creator of the heavens.   Arise before the nations of the earth, and arm thyself with the power of this Most Great Name, and be not of those who tarry…

(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 27)

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RIDVAN AND ROSES:   The Festival of Ridvan (Paradise) is associated with roses.   Those souls who were blessed by being present at the Ridvan Garden during those twelve fateful days in 1863, often spoke of the roses there.

“Every day,” Nabil has related, “ere the hour of dawn, the gardeners would pick the roses which lined the four avenues of the garden, and would pile them in the center of the floor of His blessed tent. So great would be the heap that when His companions gathered to drink their morning tea in His presence, they would be unable to see each other across it.  All these roses Bahá’u’lláh would, with His own hands, entrust to those whom He dismissed from His presence every morning to be delivered, on His behalf, to His Arab and Persian friends in the city.”

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ABOUT THE PHOTO:  After hunting unsuccessfully around Sigatoka for some blooming rose bushes – I was happy and very surprised to find TWO beautiful bushes right here at the farm.

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The Feast of Jamal – Beauty, 172 BE

O FLEETING SHADOW!   Pass beyond the baser stages of doubt and rise to the exalted heights of certainty. Open the eye of truth, that thou mayest behold the veilless Beauty and exclaim: Hallowed be the Lord, the most excellent of all creators!

O SON OF DESIRE!    Give ear unto this: Never shall mortal eye recognize the everlasting Beauty, nor the lifeless heart delight in aught but in the withered bloom. For like seeketh like, and taketh pleasure in the company of its kind.

O SON OF DUST!    Blind thine eyes, that thou mayest behold My beauty; stop thine ears, that thou mayest hearken unto the sweet melody of My voice; empty thyself of all learning, that thou mayest partake of My knowledge; and sanctify thyself from riches, that thou mayest obtain a lasting share from the ocean of My eternal wealth. Blind thine eyes, that is, to all save My beauty; stop thine ears to all save My word; empty thyself of all learning save the knowledge of Me; that with a clear vision, a pure heart and an attentive ear thou mayest enter the court of My holiness.

O MAN OF TWO VISIONS!   Close one eye and open the other. Close one to the world and all that is therein, and open the other to the hallowed beauty of the Beloved.

O MY CHILDREN!      I fear lest, bereft of the melody of the dove of heaven, ye will sink back to the shades of utter loss, and, never having gazed upon the beauty of the rose, return to water and clay.

O FRIENDS!    Abandon not the everlasting beauty for a beauty that must die, and set not your affections on this mortal world of dust.

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ABOUT THE PHOTO –  This was simply a beautiful bouquet that my daughter-in-law made one day from flowers in the yard.

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ABOUT THE QUOTATIONS:   I was surprised and happy to find this run of six consecutive passages (numbers 9-14) from the small book known as The Persian Hidden Words, each including the word “beauty”

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“FEAST” or “MONTH” –  The Baha’i Calendar has 19 months, each having 19 days.  The first day of each month is “Feast” – the day when all the Baha’is of a community will gather to have devotions together, to discuss community business, to share a bit of food or drink and to socialize.

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THIS FEAST falls in the middle of the Ridvan festival.   There are 3 Holy Days plus this Feast all within this two week period..  Lots of parties.   (Lots of posts.)

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1st day of Ridvan – 13 Jalal or 21 April

Arise, and proclaim unto the entire creation the tidings that He Who is the All-Merciful hath directed His steps towards the Ridvan and entered it. Guide, then, the people unto the garden of delight which God hath made the Throne of His Paradise. We have chosen thee to be our most mighty Trumpet, whose blast is to signalize the resurrection of all mankind.

Say: This is the Paradise on whose foliage the wine of utterance hath imprinted the testimony: “He that was hidden from the eyes of men is revealed, girded with sovereignty and power!” This is the Paradise, the rustling of whose leaves proclaims: “O ye that inhabit the heavens and the earth! There hath appeared what hath never previously appeared. He Who, from everlasting, had concealed His Face from the sight of creation is now come.” From the whispering breeze that wafteth amidst its branches there cometh the cry: “He Who is the sovereign Lord of all is made manifest. The Kingdom is God’s,” while from its streaming waters can be heard the murmur: “All eyes are gladdened, for He Whom none hath beheld, Whose secret no one hath discovered, hath lifted the veil of glory, and uncovered the countenance of Beauty.”

                –  Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 30

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Riḍván (Arabic: رضوان‎ Riḍwán; Persian transliteration: Riḍván, Persian pronunciation; REZ-wan) is a twelve-day festival in the Bahá’í Faith, commemorating the commencement of Bahá’u’lláh’s prophethood. It begins at sunset on April 20 and continues until sunset, May 2. On the first, ninth and twelfth days of Ridván work and school should be suspended.

“Ridván” means paradise, and is named for the Garden of Ridván outside Baghdad, where Bahá’u’lláh stayed for twelve days after the Ottoman Empire exiled him from the city and before commencing his journey to Constantinople.

It is the most holy Bahá’í festival, and is also referred to as the “Most Great Festival” and the “King of Festivals”.

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ABOUT THE PHOTO :  Tea roses growing in our garden.  The festival of Ridvan is associated with roses, for a reason I will share on the next Ridvan post.

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1 Jalal 172 – the month of Glory

               HE IS THE GLORY OF GLORIES

This is that which hath descended from the realm of glory, uttered by the tongue of power and might, and revealed unto the Prophets of old. We have taken the inner essence thereof and clothed it in the garment of brevity, as a token of grace unto the righteous, that they may stand faithful unto the Covenant of God, may fulfill in their lives His trust, and in the realm of spirit obtain the gem of Divine virtue.

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.

O SON OF MAN!

Upon the tree of effulgent glory I have hung for thee the choicest fruits, wherefore hast thou turned away and contented thyself with that which is less good? Return then unto that which is better for thee in the realm on high.

O SON OF BEING!

If poverty overtake thee, be not sad; for in time the Lord of wealth shall visit thee. Fear not abasement, for glory shall one day rest on thee.

                – Baha’u’llah, The Arabic Hidden Words

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The first day of the month of Jalal (Glory)  begins at sunset on April 8 this year.

The quotations are from a small volume of Baha’i Scripture called The Hidden Words    The first quotation is the prologue to the verses revealed in Arabic.  The following quotations are a small selection of verses that include the word “glory.”

The Hidden Words  are some of the best known and most loved of the Holy Verses.  They are available on line here:  http://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/bahaullah/hidden-words/

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ABOUT THE PHOTO

One morning Austin took a photo of the sun behind one of the wild ferns on our land.

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