Appendix. Bahá’í Scriptures Available in English
Bahá’u’lláh’s Works
Seek ye out the book of Jehovah and read… _Isaiah 34:16
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh
The most complete and comprehensive reference on Bahá’u’lláh’s Works available in English. This book, which is a compilation from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, covers a wide spectrum of precepts ranging from the purpose of man’s creation, his duty and destiny, to the manifold mysteries of divine Wisdom.
Prayers and Meditations By Bahá’u’lláh
Bahá’u’lláh has left a rich repository of prayers pertaining to every human hope and aspiration, dream or desire. Thus, in this dispensation, the seekers of serenity, guidance, and inspiration can select and recite prayers and meditations revealed and blessed by the Pen of the Redeemer of the age, the revealer of divine Purpose.
Bahá’u’lláh has also written many prayers expressing His own supplication and servitude before God. Such prayers offer an intimate knowledge of Bahá’u’lláh’s own self—His indomitable spirit, His unswerving love for the Creator and for humanity, His steadfastness in His claim, His determination before the onrush of adversities, His absolute trust in God, and His loving counsel to all those athirst for truth.
The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh
No other of Bahá’u’lláh’s works so succinctly offers the reader as complete and as representative a sample of the ethical fruits of the new Revelation as The Hidden Words. It is a small book filled with gems, a treasure-house of celestial Wisdom, a divine guide to the unfoldment and ennoblement of the human spirit.
All the requirements for attaining purity and self-fulfillment are stated in the most exquisite and lofty language. Everything that the soul must seek or surrender, everything that a spiritual seeker must know or must do to direct the course of his or her spiritual destiny is concisely and clearly revealed and set forth by the pen of the Supreme Messenger—the Revealer of hidden wisdom and divine mysteries.
The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys
Perhaps the most mystical of Bahá’u’lláh’s works available in English. It unfolds and enumerates the stages of seeker’s journey towards God; revealing, in a language at once poetic and perplexing, his potential for attaining perfection and nobility, and his sublime and celestial destiny, if he but turns to the light instead of darkness, seeks the gems of divine wisdom instead of the perishable joys of flesh, and undertakes to tread the long but wondrous and enchanting path of purification and illumination.
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf
Addressed to a cruel and cunning Muslim clergyman who, along with his father, inflicted death, distress, and torment on some of Bahá’u’lláh’s most beloved and most distinguished disciples. Though addressed to a symbol of denial, it is a call to humanity as a whole. This weighty volume covers and clarifies many illuminating and inspiring arrays of precepts.
The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh
Contains some of Bahá’u’lláh’s Epistles or Tablets addressed to the kings and rulers of the world, to its religious leaders, and to humanity in general. These Tablets comprise Bahá’u’lláh’s most emphatic words on His claim and on His station as the supreme Savior of humankind, the King of Kings, the Glory of the Lord, the Desire of the Nations, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, the Lord of the Vineyard, Christ returned in the Glory of the Father, the Inaugurator of the Cycle of Fulfillment, and the Promised One of all ages and religions.
The Book of Certitude498
This book responds to questions raised by a seeker of truth. It unseals “the sealed Wine of mysteries,” and unveils the symbolism and the essence of all the scriptures of the past, indicates how the seeker of truth can rise above the prevailing perplexity and confusion, how he or she can move from doubt to certitude, and from unbelief to belief.
It offers proofs of divine Revelation, portrays in a moving language man’s refusal to accept and acknowledge, in every age, the gift of divine Guidance, and conveys in a unique tone and style the dramatic story of the unfoldment of the perennial Faith of God, the unveiling of the eternal Truth.
By Bahá’u’lláh:
The Most Holy Book Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh
Other Bahá’í Writings Available in English
By the Báb:
Selections from the Writings of the Báb
By ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:
Some Answered Questions
Foundations of World Unity
The Secret of Divine Civilization
Paris Talks
Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá The Promulgation of Universal Peace
A Traveller’s Narrative
On Winds of Destiny
We are like seeds planted in a garden. Our goal is to grow and manifest ourselves. Every day we reveal a little more of the world within and experience a little more of the destiny that awaits us.
No two destinies are alike. Consider just one aspect of the author’s life—his numerous encounters with death:
1. One night when he was a baby, while asleep outdoors, he rolled and gently fell into a pond. Everyone was sound asleep except the family dog, Fidel, who got his parents up in time to save him.
2. Another night a kerosene heater caused a fire in his bedroom. A resident living in a separate part of the house awoke during the night and detected the fire. The author was saved from a room filled with smoke.
3. One night, while asleep, a terrible storm caused the roof of his bedroom to collapse. Heavy lumps of brick fell around his pillow, but none touched him.
4. Once he was attacked by the family dog, Tiger, afflicted with rabies. He received scratches but no treatment. His shirt may have saved him by serving as a shield.
5. In one incident he lost so much blood, it is incredible that he survived without receiving a blood transfusion.
6. During an operation, he was given too much ether, an anesthetic used years ago. The nurse later told him: “We were close to losing you.”
7. Some European countries use separate gas stoves to heat their baths. While he was taking a shower in Milan, Italy, the flame in the stove died and the gas continued to pour into the air with no detectable odor. At a critical time, when he was becoming breathless, the host came in to check if everything was ok! Saved again!
8. Another time he had a terrible reaction to a drug. The reaction was so severe that after it was alleviated, he dropped into a sleep and dreamed that he was about to enter a new country without a passport!
9. While driving, he stopped for an oncoming train, but then changed his mind. The train was extremely close. He pressed on the accelerator to make it across. The car barely crossed the tracks and then stalled. The time was so short, he would not have got out of his car in time.
10. Yet another time he was extremely sick. He had many dreams that pointed to an imminent death. A friend called from a faraway city to inquire about his health. When asked why she had called, she said, “While praying I heard a voice saying, ‘Hugh’s life is in danger!’”
Now draw up a similar list of your own close brushes with death, or those of your family.
Were these all coincidences or was there an invisible protective hand shaping the course of events? Can there be “accidents” in a perfectly designed universe?
The Changing Face of the Cloud
The physical world is a cloud that conceals the splendor of the spiritual. Our goal is to break through the clouds and join with the greater lights beyond. If we fail to reach out for our divine destiny, we remain in darkness.
Our physical form has little if any significance. It is entrusted to us as a garment for just a little while and then taken back. The light within is everlasting, but the cloud —our physical form— keeps changing.
A few pictures from the author’s album show the changing form of his clouds:
