Table Talks of ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

Mr & Mrs Osborne

in 1906

Live so as to be in peace with all your environments. To be happy is to serve GOD and serve yourself from the world. Radical Love everywhere, you will then become Love. Goodness was ever flowing from

Christ, because He was one with the Father. Outwardly I am a prisoner, considered as one, but no one is as free. I rejoice evermore, much do I prefer to be absolutely free, at one with GOD, fearing nothing, wanting, desiring nothing, but that shall know the fullness of GOD, than to possess the material wealth of the world. To be free and yet to possess ___ ___ heart bound to the world and a slave to self, must not, cannot we compare with being a so-called prisoner, yet possessing supreme happiness, perfectly sound in mind and body and in loving relation to the universal order.

It is possible to overcome the world, the flesh and all evil by walking constantly in the path of GOD, by burying all negation, weakness, fear, selfishness and all doubt under mountain or positive, intense living Truth. Few attain this station.

The more obstacles one has to overcome, the more difficulties one meets successfully, the stronger will be. Never become discouraged.

To be weak is not necessarily to be unwilling to be strong. Rejoice, be glad if in the Cause or GOD you are made to suffer. To be misrepresented to be misunderstood for the sake of GOD is of no consequence. All sincere followers of GOD are misjudged and have been.

“Beware when all men speak well of you is true now if one is conscious of error in ones life.

Certainly one may belong to a church, be a member of a Christian Society and continue to call one’s self a Baha’i, because the teachings of Baha’u’llah in no way conflict with the teachings of Christ.

They are in perfect harmony. One accepts the true teachings of true disciples of GOD. It is not necessary to label one’s self.

One may call one’s self a Baha’i, and in no way live the life, on the other hand one may live the life, and never be known as a Baha’i. It is not so much by what name you are called, but what you are in your heart. Are you loving and serving GOD? Love and service are the greatest requisites of a good life. Endeavor in every possible way to do some favour, some service for someone else, do this daily, no matter how small or trivial the act of kindness may be. Even a smile counts for mush.

I am the most humble servant of GOD. I would rather be a doormat, door-keeper in the house of GOD than to be the ruler of nations. Christ said unto His Disciples “ Why callest thou me good? There is none good save the Father.” – “Be ye therefore, perfect” Jesus said unto him: “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead” and “For all things are yours, whether Paul, or Appollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come: all are yours, and ye are Christ’s and Christ is GODS.” Prayer is communion, aspiration, soul contact with GOD. Every prayer for the best is eternally answered on GOD’S part, but not to us unless we come into at-one-ment.

“All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for believe that ye have received them.”

If ruling desire binds use to GOD, we shall receive what is GOD like. I link myself there and not to dust. If one prays to be whole, on GOD’S part the answer is eternally complete. We must fulfil the conditions to expect GOD to fulfil His promises. To pray is to lift the soul into unison with the Eternal Goodness. Wholeness is the natural result of abiding in GOD.

Science is systematized Truth. The laws of spiritual science are as exact as those of mathematics.

Every hour of positive, high affirmation of the ideal perfection of mind and body tends directly to actualize such conditions. There is no more uncertainty about its trend than there is about our nearing an object if we walk towards it.

The universal order speaks only of wholeness and harmony. We should never speak of faults and weaknesses of others: we are, as yet, imperfect. We must concentrate on the good qualities of others. Virtues are to be found in every person, if sought. Accusations against others are wrong; should there be lacking evidence and proof, woe unto the Accusation. Especially must one be kind, loving and charitable towards another in the household of Faith and seek to serve someone in the Cause of GOD.

The higher should control the lower. The body becomes not only service able, but beautiful, if it occupies a secondary place. Spiritual victory must be achieved and old things become new. Desire and aspirations are laws of growth. Demand brings supply. Every soul is invested with a divine dignity, and should reign in its own kingdom. Everyone should deny the rule of the seen, the sensuous and the material.

There are invisible threads which connect us with every object which makes up our environment. Vibrations are ever pausing over these connections, backward and forward, and it is for us to control their purpose and quality. We receive in turn the kind we send out, love for love, antagonism for antagonism. Love gilds every object upon which we project it, and its sheen is reflected back in rays of golden light. Love thinketh no evil. By projecting thought only of the good we create a harmonious environment. The fact that ye are GOD’S children must rule our consciousness until like the setting sun, it dissipates the fogs and mists of ancestral inharmony. The divine heredity overlaps all inherited human ills, Things which we hold in our consciousness soon become our possession .The imperfection of today is the steppingstone for tomorrow. Life is richer, love stronger truth more beautiful, nature fairer, music sweeter, art diviner, than we have ever dreamed. GOD is infinitely better than we can imagine. We must look upward, we are pressing on towards the Supreme Ideal, which includes wholeness on every plane for the individual and the race. Paul declared “I die daily” This is to grow spiritually. It is an elimination of the base, the earthy, the sensual.

I am not bound by the chains of appetite, passion, impulse, custom, creed, fashion, necessities, politics, traditionalism or the animal nature. I am in absolute perfect freedom. My body maybe in restraint, I am kept in Acca by law, but my spiritual self is free. We must welcome Truth from whatever source it may come.” Where the spirit of GOD is there is liberty.”The scripture says: “For the law of the spirit of the life Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and death.”

I am glad you can go to India. You will see many believers in the Cause of GOD. May the blessings of Baha’u’llah be upon you all. Rejoice that the West and the East are growing closer together. You, a handmaiden in GOD’S Cause from the New World, have been permitted to see and speak with your

Brothers and sisters of the Old World. When you reach India you will meet with many believers from various castes, creeds and sections, speaking different tongues .They may not be able to speak with you in English, nor may you understand their native tongues, but you will be in no sense a stranger you will all be as one large family.

I send to believers in the East greetings from the household, and may many rich and abundant blessing attend your stay in the Orient and wherever you may be.

Whenever and wherever an opportunity presents itself favorably to speak of the Truth of the Teachings of Baha’u’llah, I enjoin you, not to allow or permit that opportunity to pass by. But we must never at any time create strife by thrusting the teachings upon unwilling listeners, nor must we argue, we must live the life. You will be surrounded and enveloped by love, for brothers and sisters in the spirit are much nearer and dearer than those in the flesh. What matters it if the physical father and mother are not here? I am thy father, thy mother, thy sister, thy brother. I have many children. I am the same to all. Every true Baha’i is all to another believer. Although I cannot be with you in body, remember this. I am always with you in spirit, my spirit shall go with you and be with you all the way.

I am glad of what you tell me concerning the kindness and love of name of the believers whom you mention. I ......... has been in the household for months at a time and is much loved by us all. I thank you for the greetings and love. I pray GOD she will ever be your faithful friend and help you know the Love of GOD. I am glad he has help you, I beg GOD to bind you yet closer, - by this way we know that ye are my disciples if you love one another.

“It is a great blessing and privilege to live here. Here are living true followers of GOD. I am glad L___ carried the spirit and you partake. I beg GOD to make you mutually helpful. None of your own being real believers of GOD, as much as L___ follows GOD, make her a very close friend, this will be wise. I pray and beseech GOD to make her an instrument to increase His Kingdom. It is a wonderful priceless been, to be a vessel carrying food from GOD. It cannot be bought with gold. Believers of GOD may have many difficulties which they will overcome if the will serve truly. I am glad you have not become disheartened and discouraged. My heart swells with joy that you know GOD in your heart and are trying to follow Him. You must point the way and be a guide that others may find the path leading to never ending peace and happiness.”

Thank you for bringing me greetings from Mr. and Mrs. L___ I am glad to hear of their hospitality and kindness to those in the Cause. This is as it should be. We must daily see to do some service to believers. I send them love and salutations.

Faith is absolutely essential. We must believe or we will never move. Doubt and unbelief and in stagnation and death. Positive belief, even if mixed by error, leads by degrees towards Truth. Humanity is one. We must love and not love for ourselves, but for the race. If we rise, we help to lift all about us, and if we fall, we drag others down. Our highest privilege and office is to be channels through which the divine life shall flow out to invigorate and inspire. If the soul currents do not course from within outwards, they sing in a deadly vortex. Giving out our ministration is the highest and greatest law. Love sent out never returns void.

I am sorry that it is so that you may not visit the Tomb or go out for exercise. I fear you feel somewhat a prisoner here. These are difficult times for believers to come. Had you not been on your way to India. I would not have granted you permission to come just at this time. We are glad of your stay here, and wish that we might have you and all believers everywhere all the time. I grant you permission now to return to Acca on your return from India, or at a future time, when it will be permissible for you to see more of the place in which we are happy to live. There is no change in anything. I thank it may have been ordained that you came just now and were closeted as closely that you might become more familiar with the teachings of Baha’u’llah and more in touch with His children. I grant you permission now as we are hard workers here and have much correspondence, and while I may not be able to write you often, I am always with you in spirit.

*this talk was presented to H. G. Pauli & Mr. and Mrs. Osborne, Dec. 1923 and received December 31st 1923.