Chapter 3
DEATH AND ETERNAL LIFE
Death is not something we need to fear. It is only the body that dies. The soul
is immortal and cannot be annhilated as Bahá'u'lláh reassures us
in Arabic Hidden Word #14:
"O SON OF MAN! Thou art My dominion and My dominion perisheth not;
wherefore fearest thou thy perishing? Thou art My light and My light shall
never be extinguished; why dost thou dread extinction? Thou art My glory and My
glory fadeth not; thou art My robe and My robe shall never be outworn. Abide
then in thy love for Me, that thou mayest find Me in the realm of
glory."
It is good to know that we need not fear "perishing" or "extinction" and
that we can find Him "in the realm of glory." Indeed, in the next Hidden
Word, # 32 from the Arabic, Bahá'u'lláh describes death as a
"messenger of joy":
"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?"
In the following five Hidden Words, Bahá'u'lláh goes on to
tell us that we should "rejoice" and to expect "the joyful tidings of reunion"
and instructs us as to the only proper reason to "sorrow" and
"rejoice" as well as one of the benefits of rejoicing. He also points
out that to attain to "everlasting life" we must "forsake this mortal
and fleeting sovereignty."
"O SON OF SPIRIT! With the joyful tidings of light I hail thee: rejoice!
To the court of holiness I summon thee; abide therein that thou mayest live in
peace for evermore." [Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words,
No. A33.]
"O SON OF SPIRIT! The spirit of holiness beareth unto thee the joyful
tidings of reunion; wherefore dost thou grieve? The spirit of power confirmeth
thee in His cause; why dost thou veil thyself? The light of His countenance
doth lead thee; how canst thou go astray?" [Bahá'u'lláh,
The Hidden Words, No. A34.]
"O SON OF MAN! Sorrow not save that thou art far from Us. Rejoice not save
that thou art drawing near and returning unto Us."
[Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words, No. A35.]
"O SON OF MAN! Rejoice in the gladness of thine heart, that thou mayest be
worthy to meet Me and to mirror forth My beauty."
[Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words, No. A36.]
"O SON OF BEING! If thine heart be set upon this eternal, imperishable
dominion, and this ancient, everlasting life, forsake this mortal and fleeting
sovereignty." [Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words, No.
A54.]
In the next Hidden Word, # 63 from the Arabic, Bahá'u'lláh tells
us how to avoid the true "death" as well as "weariness" and
"trouble" and to "be fit for everlasting life.," which is surely
a worthwhile goal to pursue.
"O SON OF MAN! The light hath shone on thee from the horizon of the sacred
Mount and the spirit of enlightenment hath breathed in the Sinai of thy heart.
Wherefore, free thyself from the veils of idle fancies and enter into My court,
that thou mayest be fit for everlasting life and worthy to meet Me. Thus may
death not come upon thee, neither weariness nor trouble."
In Persian Hidden Word # 7 which follows, Bahá'u'lláh
tells us how close we are to "the immortal realm" and "the pavilion
of eternity."
"O SON OF LOVE! Thou art but one step away from the glorious heights above
and from the celestial tree of love. Take thou one pace and with the next
advance into the immortal realm and enter the pavilion of eternity. Give ear
then to that which hath been revealed by the pen of glory."
God wants to attain "the eternal" and tells us that
"Paradise" and our "heavenly home" is what He has
"destined" for us, as well has giving us a definition of just what
"Paradise" and our "heavenly home" are, as is shown in the next
two Hidden Words. So let's not "seek that which perisheth."
"O SON OF THE SUPREME! To the eternal I call thee, yet thou dost seek that
which perisheth. What hath made thee turn away from Our desire and seek thine
own?" [Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words, No. A23.]
"O SON OF BEING! Thy Paradise is My love; thy heavenly home, reunion with
Me. Enter therein and tarry not. This is that which hath been destined for thee
in Our kingdom above and Our exalted dominion." [Bahá'u'lláh,
The Hidden Words, No. A6.]
And now a few more Words about eternity and how it relates to us, as well as
some things we can do to help ourselves achieve that eternity, to, for
instance, "become an eternal light and an immortal spirit" and "be to
all eternity the revelation of" His "everlasting being."
"O SON OF MAN! My eternity is My creation, I have created it for thee.
Make it the garment of thy temple. My unity is My handiwork; I have wrought it
for thee; clothe thyself therewith, that thou mayest be to all eternity the
revelation of My everlasting being." [Bahá'u'lláh, The
Hidden Words, No. A64.]
"O SON OF WORLDLINESS! Pleasant is the realm of being, wert thou to attain
thereto; glorious is the domain of eternity, shouldst thou pass beyond the
world of mortality; sweet is the holy ecstasy if thou drinkest of the mystic
chalice from the hands of the celestial Youth. Shouldst thou attain this
station, thou wouldst be freed from destruction and death, from toil and sin."
[Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words, No. P70.]
"O COMPANION OF MY THRONE! Hear no evil, and see no evil, abase not thyself,
neither sigh and weep. Speak no evil, that thou mayest not hear it spoken unto
thee, and magnify not the faults of others that thine own faults may not appear
great; and wish not the abasement of anyone, that thine own abasement be not
exposed. Live then the days of thy life, that are less than a fleeting moment,
with thy mind stainless, thy heart unsullied, thy thoughts pure, and thy nature
sanctified, so that, free and content, thou mayest put away this mortal frame,
and repair unto the mystic paradise and abide in the eternal kingdom for
evermore." [Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words, No. P44.]
"O SON OF MAN! Magnify My cause that I may reveal unto thee the mysteries of
My greatness and shine upon thee with the light of eternity."
[Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words, No. A41.]
"O SON OF MAN! My calamity is My providence, outwardly it is fire and
vengeance, but inwardly it is light and mercy. Hasten thereunto that thou
mayest become an eternal light and an immortal spirit. This is My command unto
thee, do thou observe it." [Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden
Words, No. A51.]
And where do we look for this?
"O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Wouldst thou seek the grace of the Holy Spirit,
enter into fellowship with the righteous, for he hath drunk the cup of eternal
life at the hands of the immortal Cup-bearer and even as the true morn doth
quicken and illumine the hearts of the dead." [Bahá'u'lláh,
The Hidden Words, No. P58.]
"O YE DWELLERS IN THE HIGHEST PARADISE! Proclaim unto the children of
assurance that within the realms of holiness, nigh unto the celestial paradise,
a new garden hath appeared, round which circle the denizens of the realm on
high and the immortal dwellers of the exalted paradise. Strive, then, that ye
may attain that station, that ye may unravel the mysteries of love from its
wind-flowers and learn the secret of divine and consummate wisdom from its
eternal fruits. Solaced are the eyes of them that enter and abide therein!"
[Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words, No. A18.]
Death is not to be feared but we do need to prepare ourselves for it, as
Bahá'u'lláh warns us in the next three Hidden Words:
"O SON OF BEING! Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a
reckoning; for death, unheralded, shall come upon thee and thou shalt be called
to give account for thy deeds." [Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden
Words, No. A31.]
"O OFFSPRING OF DUST! Be not content with the ease of a passing day, and
deprive not thyself of everlasting rest. Barter not the garden of eternal
delight for the dust-heap of a mortal world. Up from thy prison ascend unto the
glorious meads above, and from thy mortal cage wing thy flight unto the
paradise of the Placeless." [Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden
Words, No. P39.]
"O SON OF MAN! Divest not thyself of My beauteous robe, and forfeit not thy
portion from My wondrous fountain, lest thou shouldst thirst for evermore."
[Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words, No. A37.]
Suggested Topics For Discussion:
-- Discuss the importance and significance of the immortality of the
spirit and the mortality of the body
-- Discuss what things we need to learn in this world to prepare for the
next (i.e. how to love, detachment, etc.)
-- Discuss ways we can help ourselves learn these things (i.e. observing
the Fast with a spiritual attitude, as well as all of God's laws)
Suggested Prayer:
O my God! O Thou forgiver of sins, bestower of gifts, dispeller of
afflictions!
Verily, I beseech Thee to forgive the sins of such as have abandoned the
physical garment and have ascended to the spiritual world.
O my Lord! Purify them from trespasses, dispel their sorrows, and change their
darkness into light. Cause them to enter the garden of happiness, cleanse them
with the most pure water, and grant them to behold Thy splendors on the
loftiest mount. --'Abdu'l-Bahá ['Abdu'l-Bahá,
Bahá'í Prayers, 1991 ed. pp., 45-46..]
MARTYRDOM
Everyone will die at some time or another as our bodies are not designed for
immortality; only our souls are. And when we die, we will leave behind us this
world and our life in it. For many, however, the desire is strong to have their
death count as much (or more) as their life.
Just as we desire to serve God and seek His good pleasure by living our lives
in service to Him and humanity, and in accord with His commands and His Will as
it is revealed to us by His Chosen Ones, so do many wish to serve Him as well
with their death by laying down their life in His path. What does
Bahá'u'lláh have to say about martyrdom? Quite a lot, as is noted
in the following two Hidden Words. He says:
"O SON OF MAN! Ponder and reflect. Is it thy wish to die upon thy bed, or
to shed thy life-blood on the dust, a martyr in My path, and so become the
manifestation of My command and the revealer of My light in the highest
paradise? Judge thou aright, O servant!" [Bahá'u'lláh, The
Hidden Words, No. A46.]
"O SON OF MAN! By My beauty! To tinge thy hair with thy blood is greater in
My sight than the creation of the universe and the light of both worlds. Strive
then to attain this, O servant!" [Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden
Words, No. A47.]
He points out that martyrdom is something we must choose, and tells us
"Judge thou aright, O servant!" and "Strive then to attain this, O
servant!" telling us that this "is greater in My sight than the creation
of the universe and the light of both worlds." These are pretty strong
words and a great incentive to indeed "shed" our "life-blood on the
dust, a martyr in" His "path," but though the choice is always ours
to indeed lay down our lives in His path rather than to recant our faith or
remain inactive out of fear; still, we must also remember that whether or not
we are offered this choice is according to His Will, not ours. Note that in
Hidden Word # 45 from the Arabic, presented next, Bahá'u'lláh
tells us "Seek a martyr's death in My path." He says "Seek",not
that we must actually find one. To truly be "content with My pleasure and
thankful for that which I ordain," may mean giving up our lives for Him,
but we might also need to find a way to be "content" and
"thankful" in being denied this great bounty, as He may have other plans
for us. It is all dependent upon His "pleasure" and His Will, not upon
ours. Keep in mind, though, that those who have become
Bahá'u'lláh's chosen servants in this way taught the Faith
fearlessly and boldly and participated in their community's affairs heedless of
the possible consequences to their lives and property.
"O SON OF BEING! Seek a martyr's death in My path, content with My
pleasure and thankful for that which I ordain, that thou mayest repose with Me
beneath the canopy of majesty behind the tabernacle of glory."
Martyrdom is indeed highly praised by Bahá'u'lláh as was
noted in the already quoted Hidden Words. In the next Hidden Word, # 71 from
the Arabic, He continues this, giving "that crimson ink" as one of the
inks with which we may choose to use to "Write all that We have revealed
unto thee" and adding that "Sweeter indeed is this to Me than all else,
that its light may endure for ever."
"O SON OF MAN! Write all that We have revealed unto thee with the ink of
light upon the tablet of thy spirit. Should this not be in thy power, then make
thine ink of the essence of thy heart. If this thou canst not do, then write
with that crimson ink that hath been shed in My path. Sweeter indeed is this to
Me than all else, that its light may endure for ever."
Suggested Topics for Discussion:
-- Discuss the obvious and not-so-obvious advantages of martyrdom
-- Discuss the importance that trust in God has in relation to this
topic
-- Discuss the importance of a living martyrdom
-- Discuss how we can "seek a martyr's death in" His
"path"
Suggested Prayer: He is God!
O Lord my God! O Thou Helper of the feeble, Succorer of the poor and Deliverer
of the helpless who turn unto Thee.
With utmost lowliness I raise my suppliant hands to Thy kingdom of beauty and
fervently call upon Thee with my inner tongue, saying: O God, my God! Aid me to
adore Thee, strengthen my loins to serve Thee; assist me by Thy grace in my
servitude to Thee; suffer me to remain steadfast in my obedience to Thee; pour
forth upon me the liberal effusions of Thy bounty, let the glances of the eye
of Thy loving-kindness be directed towards me, and immerse me in the ocean of
Thy forgiveness. Grant that I may be confirmed in my allegiance to Thy Faith,
and bestow upon me a fuller measure of certitude and assurance, that I may
wholly dispense with the world, may turn my face with entire devotion towards
Thy face, be reinforced by the compelling power of proofs and testimonies, and,
invested with majesty and power, may pass beyond every region of heaven and
earth. Verily Thou art the Merciful, the All-Glorious, the Kind, the
Compassionate.
O Lord! These are the survivors of the martyrs, that company of blessed
souls. They have sustained every tribulation and displayed patience in the face
of grievous injustice. They have forsaken all comfort and prosperity, have
willingly submitted to dire suffering and adversity in the path of Thy love,
and are still held captive in the clutches of their enemies who continually
torment them with sore torment, and oppress them because they walk steadfastly
in Thy straight path. There is no one to help them, no one to befriend them.
Apart from the ignoble and the wicked, there is no one to associate and consort
with them.
O Lord! These souls have tasted bitter agony in this earthly life and
have, as a sign of their love for the shining beauty of Thy countenance and in
their eagerness to attain Thy celestial kingdom, tolerated every gross
indignity that the people of tyranny have inflicted upon them.
O Lord! Fill their ears with the verses of divine assistance and of a
speedy victory, and deliver them from the oppression of such as wield terrible
might. Withhold the hands of the wicked and leave not these souls to be torn by
the claws and teeth of fierce beasts, for they are captivated by their love for
Thee, entrusted with the mysteries of Thy holiness, stand humbly at Thy door
and have attained to Thine exalted precinct.
O Lord! Graciously reinforce them with a new spirit; illumine their eyes
by enabling them to behold Thy wondrous evidences in the gloom of night;
destine for them all good that aboundeth in Thy Kingdom of eternal mysteries;
make them as brilliant stars shining over all regions, luxuriant trees laden
with fruit and branches moving in the breezes of dawn.
Verily, Thou art the Bountiful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent, the
Unconstrained. There is none other God but Thee, the God of love and tender
mercy, the All-Glorious, the Ever-Forgiving. --'Abdu'l-Bahá [
'Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í Prayers, 1991 ed., pp.
265-267.]
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