Look ye not upon the fewness of thy numbers...

Look ye not upon the fewness of thy numbers; rather, seek ye out hearts that are pure. One consecrated soul is preferable to a thousand other souls. If a small number of people gather lovingly together, with absolute purity and sanctity, with their hearts free of the world, experiencing the emotions of the kingdom and the powerful magnetic forces of the divine, and being at one in their happy fellowship, that gathering will exert its influence over all the earth. The nature of that band of people, the words they speak, the deeds they do, will unleash the bestowals of Heaven, and provide a foretaste of eternal bliss.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

O God, refresh and gladden my spirit…

O God, refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved, I will be a happy and joyful being. O God, I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things in life. O God, Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

O ye beloved of God! Know ye, verily…

O ye beloved of God! Know ye, verily, that the happiness of mankind lieth in the unity and the harmony of the human race, and that spiritual and material developments are conditioned upon love and amity among all men.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

The state of prayer is the best of conditions…

The state of prayer is the best of conditions, for man is then associating with God.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Thou has asked Me concerning the nature of the soul…

Thou has asked Me concerning the nature of the soul. Know, verily, that the soul is a sign of God, a heavenly gem whose reality the most learned of men hath failed to grasp, and whose mystery no mind, however acute, can ever hope to unravel. It is the first among all created things to declare the excellence of its Creator, the first to recognize His glory, to cleave to His truth, and to bow down in adoration before Him. If it be faithful to God, it will reflect His light, and will, eventually, return unto Him. If it fail, however, in its allegiance to its Creator, it will become a victim to self and passion, and will, in the end, sink in their depths.

Bahá’u’lláh

Through the faculty of meditation man attains…

Through the faculty of meditation man attains to eternal life; through it he receives the breath of the Holy Spirit–the bestowal of the Spirit is given in reflection and meditation.”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Thy heart is My home…

O SON OF BEING!

Thy heart is My home; sanctify it for my descent. Thy spirit is My place of revelation; cleanse it for My manifestation.

Bahá’u’lláh

Thy Name is my healing, O my God…

Thy Name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my companion. Thy mercy to me is my healing and my succor in both this world and the world to come. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Bahá’u’lláh

Turn to God, supplicate humbly at His threshold…

“Turn to God, supplicate humbly at His threshold, seeking assistance and confirmation, that God may rend asunder the veils that obscure your vision. Then will your eyes be filled with illumination, face to face you will behold the reality of God and your heart become completely purified from the dross of ignorance, reflecting the glories and bounties of the kingdom.”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Among the greatest of all services…

Among the greatest of all services that can possibly be rendered by man to Almighty God is the education and training of children…

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Become as true brethren in the one and indivisible…

Become as true brethren in the one and indivisible religion of God, free from distinction, for, verily, God desireth that your hearts should become mirrors unto your brethren in the Faith so that ye find yourselves reflected in them, and they in you. This is the true Path of God, the Almighty, and He is, indeed, watchful over your actions.

Bahá’u’lláh

Death proffereth unto every confident believer…

Death proffereth unto every confident believer the cup that is life indeed. It bestoweth joy, and is the bearer of gladness. It conferreth the gift of everlasting life.

Bahá’u’lláh

Having created the world and all that liveth…

“Having created the world and all that liveth and moveth therein, He, through the direct operation of His unconstrained and sovereign Will, chose to confer upon man the unique distinction and capacity to know Him and to love Him–a capacity that must needs be regarded as the generating impulse and the primary purpose underlying the whole of creation…”

Bahá’u’lláh

If poverty overtake thee, be not sad…

O SON OF BEING!

If poverty overtakes 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.

Bahá’u’lláh

Investigate and study the Holy Scriptures…

Investigate and study the Holy Scriptures word by word so that you may attain knowledge of the mysteries hidden therein. Be not satisfied with words, but seek to understand the spiritual meanings hidden in the heart of the words….These are the mysteries of God. It is not the reading of the words that profits you; it is the understanding of their meanings. Therefore, pray God that you may be enabled to comprehend the mysteries of the divine Testaments…

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Keep Thou, O God, the door of my heart…

Keep Thou, O God, the door of my heart that no evil thought proceeds from it; and guard my lips that they utter no uncharitable word. Teach me to look for the good in others that I may rejoice in it, and for the evil in myself that I may amend it. Watch over my actions that I do no injustice nor cause unhappiness to anyone. Divest me of pride that I may count myself less than any other, and may become the servant of all for love of Thee, my Lord.

George Townshend

Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust…

O CHILDREN OF MEN!

Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest. Such is my counsel to you, O concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous glory.