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Tablets of the Divine Plan
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Pages 98-107
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14: TABLET TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA
Revealed on March 8, 1917,
in the summerhouse (Ismá'íl Áqá's room)
at `Abdu'l-Bahá's house in Haifa, and
addressed to the Bahá'ís of the
United States and Canada.
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He is God!
O ye heavenly souls, sons and daughters
of the Kingdom:
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GOD says in the Qur'án: "Take ye hold of the Cord of God, all of you, and become ye not disunited."
[1]
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In the contingent world there are many collective centers which are conducive to association and unity
between the children of men. For example, patriotism
is a collective center; nationalism is a collective center;
identity of interests is a collective center; political alliance
is a collective center; the union of ideals is a collective
center, and the prosperity of the world of humanity
is dependent upon the organization and promotion of
the collective centers. Nevertheless, all the above institutions
are, in reality, the matter and not the substance,
accidental and not eternal--temporary and not everlasting.
With the appearance of great revolutions and upheavals,
all these collective centers are swept away. But
the Collective Center of the Kingdom, embodying the
institutions and divine teachings, is the eternal Collective
Center. It establishes relationship between the East
and the West, organizes the oneness of the world of humanity,
and destroys the foundation of differences. It
overcomes and includes all the other collective centers.
Like unto the ray of the sun, it dispels entirely the darkness
encompassing all the regions, bestows ideal life, and
causes the effulgence of divine illumination. Through
the breaths of the Holy Spirit it performs miracles; the
Orient and the Occident embrace each other, the North
and South become intimates and associates, conflicting
and contending opinions disappear, antagonistic aims
are brushed aside, the law of the struggle for existence is
abrogated, and the canopy of the oneness of the world
of humanity is raised on the apex of the globe, casting
its shade over all the races of men. Consequently, the real
Collective Center is the body of the divine teachings,
which include all the degrees and embrace all the universal
relations and necessary laws of humanity.
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Consider! The people of the East and the West were in the utmost strangeness. Now to what a high
degree they are acquainted with each other and united
together! How far are the inhabitants of Persia from the
remotest countries of America! And now observe how
great has been the influence of the heavenly power, for
the distance of thousands of miles has become identical
with one step! How various nations that have had no
relations or similarity with each other are now united
and agreed through this divine potency! Indeed to God
belongs power in the past and in the future! And verily
God is powerful over all things!
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Consider the flowers of a garden. Though differing in kind, color, form, and shape, yet, inasmuch as
they are refreshed by the waters of one spring, revived
by the breath of one wind, invigorated by the rays of one
sun, this diversity increaseth their charm, and addeth
unto their beauty. How unpleasing to the eye if all the
flowers and plants, the leaves and blossoms, the fruits,
the branches and the trees of that garden were all of the
same shape and color! Diversity of hues, form and
shape, enricheth and adorneth the garden, and heighteneth
the effect thereof. In like manner, when divers
shades of thought, temperament and character, are
brought together under the power and influence of one
central agency, the beauty and glory of human perfection
will be revealed and made manifest. Naught but the
celestial potency of the Word of God, which ruleth and
transcendeth the realities of all things, is capable of harmonizing
the divergent thoughts, sentiments, ideas, and
convictions of the children of men.
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Therefore, the believers of God throughout all the republics of America, through the divine power, must
become the cause of the promotion of heavenly teachings
and the establishment of the oneness of humanity.
Every one of the important souls must arise, blowing
over all parts of America the breath of life, conferring
upon the people a new spirit, baptizing them with the
fire of the love of God, the water of life, and the breaths
of the Holy Spirit so that the second birth may become
realized. For it is written in the Gospel: "That which is
born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit."
[2]
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Therefore, O ye believers of God in the United States and Canada! Select ye important personages, or
else they by themselves, becoming severed from rest and
composure of the world, may arise and travel throughout
Alaska, the republic of Mexico, and south of Mexico
in the Central American republics, such as Guatemala,
Honduras, Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama
and Belize; and through the great South American republics,
such as Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil,
French Guiana, Dutch Guiana, British Guiana, Venezuela,
Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile; also in the
group of the West Indies islands, such as Cuba, Haiti,
Puerto Rico, Jamaica and Santo Domingo, and the
group of islands of the Lesser Antilles, the Islands of
Bahama and the Islands of Bermuda; likewise to the islands
to the east, west and north of South America, such
as Trinidad, Falkland Islands, Galapagòs Islands, Juan
Fernandez and Tobago. Visit ye especially the city of Bahia,
on the eastern shore of Brazil. Because in the past
years this city was christened with the name, BAHIA,
there is no doubt that it has been through the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit.
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Consequently, the believers of God must display the utmost effort, upraise the divine melody throughout
those regions, promulgate the heavenly teachings
and waft over all the spirit of eternal life, so that those
republics may become so illumined with the splendors
and the effulgences of the Sun of Reality that they may
become the objects of the praise and commendation of
all other countries. Likewise, ye must give great attention
to the Republic of Panama, for in that point the
Occident and the Orient find each other united through
the Panama Canal, and it is also situated between the
two great oceans. That place will become very important
in the future. The teachings, once established there,
will unite the East and the West, the North and the
South.
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Hence the intention must be purified, the effort ennobled and exalted, so that you may establish affinity
between the hearts of the world of humanity. This glorious
aim will not become realized save through the
promotion of divine teachings which are the foundations
of the holy religions.
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Consider how the religions of God served the world of humanity! How the religion of Torah became conducive
to the glory and honor and progress of the Israelitish
nation! How the breaths of the Holy Spirit of His
Holiness Christ created affinity and unity between divergent
communities and quarreling families! How the
sacred power of His Holiness Muhammad became the
means of uniting and harmonizing the contentious
tribes and the different clans of Peninsular Arabia--to
such an extent that one thousand tribes were welded
into one tribe; strife and discord were done away with;
all of them unitedly and with one accord strove in advancing
the cause of culture and civilization, and thus
were freed from the lowest degree of degradation, soaring
toward the height of everlasting glory! Is it possible
to find a greater Collective Center in the phenomenal
world than this? In comparison to this divine Collective
Center, the national collective center, the patriotic collective
center, the political collective center and the cultural
and intellectual collective center are like child's
play!
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Now strive ye that the Collective Center of the sacred religions--for the inculcation of which all the
Prophets were manifested and which is no other than
the spirit of the divine teachings--be spread in all parts
of America, so that each one of you may shine forth
from the horizon of reality like unto the morning star,
divine illumination may overcome the darkness of nature,
and the world of humanity may become enlightened.
This is the most great work! Should you become
confirmed therein, this world will become another world,
the surface of the earth will become the delectable paradise,
and eternal Institutions be founded.
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Let whosoever travels to different parts to teach, peruse over mountain, desert, land and sea this supplication:
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O GOD! O God! Thou seest my weakness, lowliness and humility before Thy creatures; nevertheless, I
have trusted in Thee and have arisen in the promotion
of Thy teachings among Thy strong servants, relying on
Thy power and might.
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O Lord! I am a broken-winged bird and desire to soar in Thy limitless space. How is it possible for me
to do this save through Thy providence and grace, Thy
confirmation and assistance.
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O Lord! Have pity on my weakness, and strengthen me with Thy power. O Lord! Have pity on my impotence,
and assist me with Thy might and majesty.
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O Lord! Should the breath of the Holy Spirit confirm the weakest of creatures, he would attain all to
which he aspireth and would possess anything he desireth.
Indeed, Thou hast assisted Thy servants in the past
and, though they were the weakest of Thy creatures, the
lowliest of Thy servants and the most insignificant of
those who lived upon the earth, through Thy sanction
and potency they took precedence over the most glorious
of Thy people and the most noble of mankind.
Whereas formerly they were as moths, they became as
royal falcons, and whereas before they were as brooks,
they became as seas, through Thy bestowal and Thy
mercy. They became, through Thy most great favor,
stars shining on the horizon of guidance, birds singing
in the rose gardens of immortality, lions roaring in the
forests of knowledge and wisdom, and whales swimming
in the oceans of life.
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Verily, Thou art the Clement, the Powerful, the Mighty, and the Most Merciful of the merciful.
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Notes
1. [Qur'án 3:103]
2. [John 3:6]
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