GUIDANCE FOR A TRUE SEEKER

O My brother!

When a true seeker determineth to take the step of search in the path leading unto
the knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he must, before all else, cleanse and purify
his heart, which is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from
the obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge, and the allusions of the
embodiments of satanic fancy.

He must purge his breast, which is the sanctuary of the abiding love of the Beloved,
of every defilement, and sanctify his soul from all that pertaineth to water and clay,
from all shadowy and ephemeral attachments.

He must so cleanse his heart that no remnant of either love or hate may linger therein,
lest that love blindly incline him to error, or that hate repel him away from the truth.
Even as thou dost witness in this Day how most of the people, because of such
love and hate, are bereft of the immortal Face, have strayed far from the
Embodiments of the Divine mysteries, and, shepherdless, are
roaming through the wilderness of oblivion and error.

That seeker must, at all times, put his trust in God, must renounce the peoples of
the earth, must detach himself from the world of dust, and cleave unto Him
Who is the Lord of Lords.

He must never seek to exalt himself above any one, must wash away from the
tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vain-glory, must cling unto patience
and resignation, observe silence and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue is
a smoldering fire, and excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire
consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both
heart and soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time,
whilst the effects of the latter endureth a century.

That seeker should, also, regard backbiting as grievous error, and keep himself
aloof from its dominion, inasmuch as backbiting quencheth the light of the
heart, and extinguisheth the life of the soul.

He should be content with little, and be freed from all inordinate desire.

He should treasure the companionship of those that have renounced the world, and
regard avoidance of boastful and worldly people a precious benefit.

At the dawn of every day he should commune with God, and, with all his soul,
persevere in the quest of his Beloved.

He should consume every wayward thought with the flame of His loving mention,
and, with the swiftness of lightning, pass by all else save Him.

He should succour the dispossessed, and never withhold his favour from the destitute.

He should show kindness to animals, how much more unto his fellow-man,
to him who is endowed with the power of utterance.

He should not hesitate to offer up his life for his Beloved, nor allow the censure
of the people to turn him away from the Truth.

He should not wish for others that which he doth not wish for himself,
nor promise that which he doth not fulfil.

With all his heart he should avoid fellowship with evil-doers,
and pray for the remission of their sins.

He should forgive the sinful, and never despise his low estate, for none
knoweth what his own end shall be. How often hath a sinner attained, at
the hour of death, to the essence of faith, and, quaffing the immortal
draught, hath taken his flight unto the Concourse on high! And how
often hath a devout believer, at the hour of his soul's ascension,
been so changed as to fall into the nethermost fire!

Our purpose in revealing these convincing and weighty utterances is
to impress upon the seeker that he should regard all else beside
God as transient, and count all things save Him, Who is the
Object of all adoration, as utter nothingness.

These are among the attributes of the exalted, and constitute the hall-mark
of the spiritually-minded. They have already been mentioned in
connection with the requirements of the wayfarers that
tread the path of Positive Knowledge.

When the detached wayfarer and sincere seeker hath fulfilled these essential
conditions, then and only then can he be called a true seeker.

Whensoever he hath fulfilled the conditions implied in the verse:
"Whoso maketh efforts for Us,"
he shall enjoy the blessings conferred by the words:
"In Our Ways shall We assuredly guide him."

Only when the lamp of search, of earnest striving, of longing desire,
of passionate devotion, of fervid love, of rapture, and ecstasy,
is kindled within the seeker's heart, and the breeze of
His loving-kindness is wafted upon his soul,
will the darkness of error be dispelled,
the mists of doubts and misgivings be dissipated,
and the lights of knowledge and certitude envelop his being.

At that hour will the Mystic Herald, bearing the joyful tidings of the Spirit,
shine forth from the City of God resplendent as the morn, and, through
the trumpet-blast of knowledge, will awaken the heart, the soul,
and the spirit from the slumber of heedlessness.

Then will the manifold favours and outpouring grace of the holy and everlasting Spirit
confer such new life upon the seeker that he will find himself endowed with
a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, and a new mind.

He will contemplate the manifest signs of the universe, and will penetrate the
hidden mysteries of the soul.

Gazing with the eye of God, he will perceive within every atom a door that leadeth
him to the stations of absolute certitude.

He will discover in all things the mysteries of Divine Revelation, and the evidences
of an
everlasting Manifestation.

Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh

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