A Mighty River:

1. PDF (see text below)

2. Text (adapted from bahai.works/A_Mighty_River)

BAHÁ’Í PUBLISHING TRUST Wilmette, Illinois 60091 [Page 2]

Reprinted 1980

Illustrations on pages 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 27, 28, 29, 31, 34, and 35 are used by permission of the publisher, Dover Publications, Inc., from Dorothy Smith Side’s Decorative Art of the Southwestern Indians, first published in 1961.

Other illustrations are adapted from shards collected by the author and from Indian Art of the Americas. The cover design was adapted from a Navajo Rug.

BAHÁ’Í PUBLISHING TRUST Wilmette, Illinois 60091

Printed in U.S.A. [Page 3]

Boundless treasure is in the hand of the King of Kings!

Lift up the hem of thy garment in order to receive it."

"Blessed are your ears, for they have heard the Call! Blessed are your eyes, for they have beheld the signs of their Mighty Lord! Blessed are your tongues, for they have uttered the praise of my Lord, the Supreme!" [Page 4]

“Through Thy name, O my God, all created things were stirred up, and the heavens were spread, and the earth was established, and the clouds were raised and made to rain upon the earth.” [Page 5]

“Thou, truly, art the King of all men. There is no God but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.”

“Thou, truly, art the Lord of all mankind, and the Possessor of this world and of the next. No God is there save Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.” [Page 6]

“Sanctified be the Lord of all mankind, at the mention of Whose name all the atoms of the earth have been made to vibrate. . . .” [Page 7]

“... how vast the oceans of wisdom that surge within a drop!”

“O Son of Being! With the hands of power I made thee and with the fingers of strength I created thee; and within thee have I placed the essence of My light. Be thou content with it and seek naught else, for My work is perfect and My command is binding. Question it not, nor have a doubt thereof.” [Page 8]

“Soon the whole world, as in springtime, will change its garb. The turning and falling of the autumn leaves is past; the bleakness of the winter time is over. The new year hath appeared and the spiritual springtime is at hand.” [Page 9]

“All men will adhere to one religion, will have one common faith, will be blended into one race and become a single people. All will dwell in one common fatherland, which is the planet itself.” [Page 10]

will manifest with virtues which will eventually amaze the peoples, for He is in spiritual virtues and divine perfections loftier than all the Individuals; nay, rather He is the Source of Divine Benediction and the Center of the Radiant Circle.”

“Bahá’u’lláh has drawn the circle of unity, He has made a design for the uniting of all the peoples....” [Page 11]

“Bahá’u’lláh spent His life teaching this lesson of Love and Unity.”

“Although Bahá’u’lláh was in prison the great Power of the Holy Spirit was with Him!” [Page 12]

"Whenever My laws appear like the sun in the heaven of Mine utterance, They must be faithfully obeyed by all...." [Page 13]

The first is steadfastness in His Love . . . .

The second is strict observance of the laws He hath prescribed . . . .”

“He Who is everlastingly hidden from the eyes of men can never be known except through His Manifestation . . . .” [Page 14]

“As the compassionate God has placed such a wonderful crown upon the head of man, man should strive that its brilliant jewels may become visible in the world.” [Page 15]

is the station which man,

if he but choose

to fulfill his high destiny,

can attain!"

"What a power

God has given our spirits!

He has endowed us

with a power to penetrate

the realities of things. . . ."

[Page 17]

"The other power is spiritual. . . . These powers are like two wings. Both must be developed, for flight is impossible with one wing." [Page 18]

“God doth not behold differences of hue and complexion. He looketh at the hearts.... he who is devoted to the Kingdom is most beloved.”

“We are all servants of one Threshold, attendants at one Court, waves of one sea, drops of one stream, the dust before one door and plants of one garden. There must arise no trouble to deprive one from that which is the real purpose.” [Page 20]

“. . . no one should glorify himself over another; . . . no one should look upon another with scorn and contempt and no one should deprive or oppress a fellow-creature. All must be considered as submerged in the ocean of God’s mercy. We must associate with all humanity in gentleness and kindliness. We must love all with love of the heart.” [Page 23]

So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.”

“It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.” [Page 24]

“... if there be no pain this journey will never end.”

“In the ocean he findeth a drop, in a drop he beholdeth the secrets of the sea.”

“Even in fire, he seeth the face of the Beloved.” [Page 25]

"Turn thy sight unto thyself, that Thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting."

"Trust in the favor of God. Look not at your own capacities, for the divine bestowal can transform a drop into an ocean; it can make a tiny seed a lofty tree." [Page 26]

“If it be Thy pleasure,
make me to grow as a Tender herb
in the meadows of Thy grace,
that the gentle winds of Thy will
may stir me up and bend me
into conformity with Thy pleasure,
in such wise that my movement
and my stillness
may be wholly directed by Thee.” [Page 27]

"Chant (or recite) the words of God every morning and evening. The one who neglects this has not been faithful to the Covenant of God and His agreement, and he who turns away from it today is of those who have turned away from God." [Page 28]

". . . prayer and fasting is the cause of awakening and mindfulness and conducive to protection and preservation from tests. . . ." [Page 29]

“I now assure thee, O servant of God, that, if thy mind become empty and pure from every mention and thought and thy heart attracted wholly to the Kingdom of God, forget all else besides God and come in communion with the Spirit of God, then the Holy Spirit will assist thee with a power which will enable thee to penetrate all things. . . .” [Page 30]

“Let your acts be a guide unto all mankind. . . . It is through your deeds that ye can distinguish yourselves from others. Through them the brightness of your light can be shed upon the whole earth.” [Page 31]

"Be ye as the fingers of one hand, the members of one body." [Page 32]

“Men who suffer not, attain no perfection. The plant most pruned by the gardeners is that one which, when the summer comes, will have the most beautiful blossoms and the most abundant fruit.”

“The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust. . . .” [Page 33]

"Love the creatures for the sake of God and not for themselves. You will never become angry or impatient if you love them for the sake of God."

"Truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues. Without truthfulness progress and success, in all the worlds of God, are impossible for any soul."

"Beware lest ye prefer yourselves above your neighbors." [Page 34]

". . . this mystery of inner meaning may be whispered only from heart to heart, confided only from breast to breast." [Page 35]

“The real meeting consists in the communication of heart . . . hearts which are spiritually related to each other, their meetings are eternal, both in this world and in the Universe of God. I hope that thou mayest attain thereunto.” [Page 36]

“Be happy and joyous because the bestowals of God are intended for you and the life of the Holy Spirit is breathing upon you.” [Page 37]

"If any differences arise amongst you, behold Me standing before your face, and overlook the faults of one another for My name’s sake. . . ."

". . . if a person falls into errors for a hundred - thousand times he may yet turn his face to you, hopeful that you will forgive his sins; for he must not become hopeless, neither grieved nor despondent. This is the conduct and the manner of the people of Bahá!" [Page 38]

"O Son of the Supreme! I have made death a messenger of joy to thee. Wherefore dost thou grieve? I made the light to shed on thee its splendor. Why dost thou veil thyself therefrom?" [Page 39]

“And know thou for a certainty, that in the divine worlds, the spiritual beloved ones . . . will recognize each other, and will seek union [with each other], but a spiritual union.” [Page 40]

“. . . in this world he must prepare himself for the life beyond. That which he needs in the world of the kingdom must be obtained here.” [Page 41]

“God, the Exalted, hath placed these signs in men, to the end that philosophers may not deny the mysteries of the life beyond nor belittle that which hath been promised them.

“. . . reflect upon the perfection of man’s ‎creation , creation,‎ and that all these planes and states are folded up and hidden away within him.” [Page 42]

a load which ye would not wish

to be laid upon you,

and desire not for any one

the things ye would not desire

for yourselves.

This is My best counsel

unto you, did ye but

observe it.” [Page 43]

“Be vigilant, that ye may not do injustice to anyone, be it to the extent of a grain of mustard seed. Tread ye the path of justice, for this, verily, is the straight path.” [Page 44]

“Think not that We have revealed unto you a mere code of laws.

Nay, rather, We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and power....

Whenever My laws appear like the sun in the heaven of Mine utterance, they must be faithfully obeyed by all....” [Page 45]

“May they drink from the same fountain. May they be refreshed by the same breezes. May they obtain illumination from the same source.”

“What a great blessing it is when the torrents, streams, currents, tides and drops are all gathered in one place! They will form a great ocean and the real harmony shall overcome and reign....” [Page 46]

“In this day, assemblies of consultation are of the greatest importance and a vital necessity.”

“The first condition is absolute love and harmony amongst the members of the assembly.”

“The members of the Spiritual Assembly must day and night endeavor to create love and unity among the believers, to glorify the Cause of God and to propagate the Divine Faith.” [Page 47]

"If he be kindled with the fire of His love, if he foregoeth all created things, the words he uttereth shall set on fire them that hear him."

"These are the days of seed-sowing. These are the days of tree-planting. . . . He who sows a seed in this day will behold his reward in the fruits and harvest of the heavenly kingdom." [Page 49]

Not for a moment

are ye alone,

Not for a second

are ye left to yourselves.

The Beauty of Abhá

is with you.

The Glorious God

is with you.

The King of Kings

is with you."

[Page 50]

“Today there is no greater glory for man than that of service in the cause of the ‘Most Great Peace.’ Peace is light whereas war is darkness. Peace is life; war is death. Peace is guidance; war is error. Peace is the foundation of God; war is ‎satanic institution a satanic institution‎. Peace is the illumination of the world of humanity....” [Page 51]

This is the blessing and benefit of unity; this is the outcome of love.

This is the sign of the ‘Most Great Peace’; this is the star of the oneness of the human world.

Consider how blessed this condition will be.” [Page 52]

Page

[Page 53]

31 Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings, p. 250. Ibid., p. 140. Zuñi. Santo Domingo.

32 Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings, pp. 264-65. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 51. Bahá’u’lláh, Hidden Words, p. 41. Sioux.

33 Bahá’u’lláh, Seven Valleys, p. 21. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Promulgation, p. 89. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, quoted in Advent of Divine Justice, p. 22. Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings, p. 315. Sioux.

34 Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings, p. 279. Bahá’u’lláh, Seven Valleys, p. 30. Navajo.

35 Bahá’u’lláh, Hidden Words, p. 26. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas, III, 589-90. Navajo.

36 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 165. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Promulgation, p. 209. Ojibway.

37 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas, I, 45. Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings, p. 315. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas, II, 436. Ojibway.

38 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Promulgation, p. 85. Bahá’u’lláh, Hidden Words, p. 11. Ojibway.

39 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas, III, 543. Ibid. I, 206. Ojibway.

40 Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings, p. 155. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Promulgation, 221. Iroquois.

41 Bahá’u’lláh, Seven Valleys, pp. 32-33, 34. Mohawk.

42 Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings, p. 128. Blackfoot.

43 Bahá’u’lláh, Hidden Words, pp. 3-4. Bahá’u’lláh, quoted in The Promised Day Is Come, p. 21. Blackfoot.

44 Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings, p. 332. Slavey. Athabascan.

45 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in Bahá’í World Faith, p. 401. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in Bahá’í Prayers, pp. 43-44. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in Bahá’í World Faith, p. 402. Slavey. Athabascan.

46 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, quoted in Bahá’í Administration, p. 21. Ibid., p. 22. Shoghi Effendi, from a letter dated 1923 to the Eastern Bahá’ís, quoted in “Local Assemblies: Digest of Annual Teaching Reports,” Bahá’í News, no. 135 (Apr. 1940), 3-4. Arapaho.

47 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, quoted in Bahá’í Administration, p. 21. Arapaho.

48 Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings, p. 335. Ibid. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Promulgation, p. 6. Penobscot. Passamaquoddy.

49 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, quoted in “Editorial: Join the Army of Peace!” Star of the West, 13, no. 5 (Aug. 1922), 11. Delaware. Penobscot.

50 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Promulgation, p. 349. Ibid., p. 119. Tlingit.

51 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Promulgation, p. 54. Tlingit.