31 March | a.m

Let each morn be better than its eve and each morrow richer than its yesterday. Man's merit lieth in service and virtue and not in the pageantry of wealth and riches. Take heed that your words be purged from idle fancies and worldly desires and your deeds be cleansed from craftiness and suspicion.

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 138

Every good habit, every noble quality belongs to man's spiritual nature, whereas all his imperfections and sinful actions are born of his material nature. If a man's Divine nature dominates his human nature, we have a saint.

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 60

30 March | p.m

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.

 

- Baha'u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words, no. 12

30 March | a.m

O SON OF THE WONDROUS VISION!

I have breathed within thee a breath of My own Spirit, that thou mayest be My lover. Why hast thou forsaken Me and sought a beloved other than Me?

- Baha'u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words, no. 19

God has created such a conscious spirit within him [man] that he is the most wonderful of all contingent beings. In ignoring these virtues he descends to the material plane, considers matter the ruler of existence and denies that which lies beyond. Is this virtue?

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu’l-Bahá Section, p. 237

29 March | p.m

How resplendent the luminaries of knowledge that shine in an atom, and how vast the oceans of wisdom that surge within a drop! To a supreme degree is this true of man, who, among all created things, hath been invested with the robe of such gifts, and hath been singled out for the glory of such distinction. For in him are potentially revealed all the attributes and names of God to a degree that no other created being hath excelled or surpassed.

 

- Baha'u'llah, The Kitáb-i-Iqán, p. 100

29 March | a.m

If the veil were lifted, and the full glory of the station of those that have turned wholly towards God, and have, in their love for Him, renounced the world, were made manifest, the entire creation would be dumbfounded.

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 190

These souls [who are entirely freed from the human world] are the armies of God and the conquerors of the East and the West…. This is the meaning of the Hosts of God.  Any soul from among the believers of Bahá'u'lláh who attains to this station, will become known as the Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh. Therefore strive ye with heart and soul - so that ye may reach this lofty and exalted position…

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu’l-Bahá Section, p. 424

28 March | p.m

O SON OF SPIRIT!

I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.

 

- Baha'u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words, no. 13

28 March | a.m

The All-Merciful hath conferred upon man the faculty of vision, and endowed him with the power of hearing. Some have described him as the "lesser world," when, in reality, he should be regarded as the "greater world." The potentialities inherent in the station of man, the full measure of his destiny on earth, the innate excellence of his reality, must all be manifested in this promised Day of God.

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 340

Praise be to God! man is always turned toward the heights, and his aspiration is lofty; he always desires to reach a greater world than the world in which he is, and to mount to a higher sphere than that in which he is. The love of exaltation is one of the characteristics of man.

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 188

27 March | p.m

Great and blessed is this Day - the Day in which all that lay latent in man hath been and will be made manifest. Lofty is the station of man, were he to hold fast to righteousness and truth and to remain firm and steadfast in the Cause. In the eyes of the All-Merciful a true man appeareth even as a firmament; its sun and moon are his sight and hearing, and his shining and resplendent character its stars. His is the loftiest station, and his influence educateth the world of being.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 219

27 March | a.m

Great is the station of man. Great must also be his endeavours for the rehabilitation of the world and the well-being of nations. I beseech the One true God to graciously confirm thee in that which beseemeth man's station.

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 174

We must strive unceasingly and without rest to accomplish the development of the spiritual nature in man, and endeavor with tireless energy to advance humanity toward the nobility of its true and intended station.

- Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 60

24 March | p.m

The Great Being saith: The man of consummate learning and the sage endowed with penetrating wisdom are the two eyes to the body of mankind. God willing, the earth shall never be deprived of these two greatest gifts. That which hath been set forth and will be revealed in the future is but a token of this Servant's ardent desire to dedicate Himself to the service of all the kindreds of the earth.

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 171

For every thing, however, God has created a sign and symbol, and established standards and tests by which it may be known. The spiritually learned must be characterized by both inward and outward perfections; they must possess a good character, an enlightened nature, a pure intent, as well as intellectual power, brilliance and discernment, intuition, discretion and foresight, temperance, reverence, and a heartfelt fear of God. For an unlit candle, however great in diameter and tall, is no better than a barren palm tree or a pile of dead wood.

- Abdu’l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 33

24 March | a.m

O people of God! Righteous men of learning who dedicate themselves to the guidance of others and are freed and well guarded from the promptings of a base and covetous nature are, in the sight of Him Who is the Desire of the world, stars of the heaven of true knowledge. It is essential to treat them with deference. They are indeed fountains of soft-flowing water, stars that shine resplendent, fruits of the blessed Tree, exponents of celestial power, and oceans of heavenly wisdom. Happy is he that followeth them.

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 96

The happiness and pride of a nation consist in this, that it should shine out like the sun in the high heaven of knowledge. "Shall they who have knowledge and they who have it not, be treated alike?"[Qur’án 39:12.] And the honor and distinction of the individual consist in this, that he among all the world's multitudes should become a source of social good.

- Abdu’l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 2

23 March | p.m

Knowledge is one of the wondrous gifts of God. It is incumbent upon everyone to acquire it. Such arts and material means as are now manifest have been achieved by virtue of His knowledge and wisdom which have been revealed in Epistles and Tablets through His Most Exalted Pen - a Pen out of whose treasury pearls of wisdom and utterance and the arts and crafts of the world are brought to light.

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 39

Happy are those who spend their days in gaining knowledge, in discovering the secrets of nature, and in penetrating the subtleties of pure truth! Woe to those who are contented with ignorance, whose hearts are gladdened by thoughtless imitation, who have fallen into the lowest depths of ignorance and foolishness, and who have wasted their lives!

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 136

23 March | a.m

Amongst the people is he who seateth himself amid the sandals by the door whilst coveting in his heart the seat of honour. Say: What manner of man art thou, O vain and heedless one, who wouldst appear as other than thou art? And among the people is he who layeth claim to inner knowledge, and still deeper knowledge concealed within this knowledge. Say: Thou speakest false! By God! What thou dost possess is naught but husks which We have left to thee as bones are left to dogs.

- Baha'u'llah, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 31

A humble man without learning, but filled with the Holy Spirit, is more powerful than the most nobly-born profound scholar without that inspiration. He who is educated by the Divine Spirit can, in his time, lead others to receive the same Spirit.

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 163

22 March | p.m

Therefore, hath it been said: "Knowledge is a light which God casteth into the heart of whomsoever He willeth." It is this kind of knowledge which is and hath ever been praiseworthy, and not the limited knowledge that hath sprung forth from veiled and obscured minds. This limited knowledge they even stealthily borrow one from the other, and vainly pride themselves therein!

- Baha'u'llah, The Kitáb-i-Iqán, p. 46

O beloved of God! Is there any giver save God? He chooseth for His mercy whomsoever He desireth. He shall open unto you the doors of His knowledge, fill your hearts with His love, rejoice your spirits by the wafting of His holy fragrances, illumine your faces by the Manifest Light and elevate your names among the people.

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu’l-Bahá Section, p. 386

22 March | a.m

Wert thou to ponder in thine heart, from now until the end that hath no end, and with all the concentrated intelligence and understanding which the greatest minds have attained in the past or will attain in the future, this divinely ordained and subtle Reality, … thou wilt fail to comprehend its mystery or to appraise its virtue. Having recognized thy powerlessness to attain to an adequate understanding of that Reality which abideth within thee, thou wilt readily admit the futility of such efforts as may be attempted by thee, or by any of the created things, to fathom the mystery of the Living God, the Day Star of unfading glory, the Ancient of everlasting days. This confession of helplessness which mature contemplation must eventually impel every mind to make is in itself the acme of human understanding, and marketh the culmination of man's development.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 165

21 March | p.m

We beseech God to strengthen thee with His power, and enable thee to recognize Him Who is the Source of all knowledge, that thou mayest detach thyself from all human learning, for, "what would it profit any man to strive after learning when he hath already found and recognized Him Who is the Object of all knowledge?”

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 176

How can a lamp which has to be lighted be eternal? The divine teacher does not come to acquire knowledge, for this tree of life is a fruit tree by birth and not through grafting. Behold the sacred tree which spreads its shade over the whole world! This is the mission of Bahá’u’lláh - for under this tree all questions are solved!

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Divine Philosophy, p. 53

21 March | a.m

Verily We love those men of knowledge who have brought to light such things as promote the best interests of humanity, and We aided them through the potency of Our behest, for well are We able to achieve Our purpose.

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 150

Before long, material science and learning, as well as the knowledge of God, will make such progress and will show forth such wonders that the beholders will be amazed. Then the mystery of this verse in Isaiah, "For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord," will be completely evident.

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 64

20 March | p.m

We beseech God to strengthen thee with His power, and enable thee to recognize Him Who is the Source of all knowledge, that thou mayest detach thyself from all human learning, for, "what would it profit any man to strive after learning when he hath already found and recognized Him Who is the Object of all knowledge?”

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 176

How can a lamp which has to be lighted be eternal? The divine teacher does not come to acquire knowledge, for this tree of life is a fruit tree by birth and not through grafting. Behold the sacred tree which spreads its shade over the whole world! This is the mission of Bahá’u’lláh - for under this tree all questions are solved!

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Divine Philosophy, p. 53

20 March | a.m

Cleave to the Root of Knowledge, and to Him Who is the Fountain thereof, that thou mayest find thyself independent of all who claim to be well versed in human learning, and whose claim no clear proof, nor the testimony of any enlightening book, can support.

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 176

The sun emanates from itself and does not draw its light from other sources. The divine teachers have the innate light; they have knowledge and understanding of all things in the universe; the rest of the world receives its light from them and through them the arts and sciences are revived in each age.

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Divine Philosophy, p. 53

19 March | a.m

Be discerning, then, and speak ye the truth, the very truth, if ye claim to be honest and high-minded.

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 258

O Sadiq!* Truthfulness, uprightness and integrity are the attributes of the righteous and the hallmarks of the pure. Truthfulness is the goodliest of qualities as it comprehendeth all other virtues. A truthful person will be protected from all moral afflictions, will shrink from every evil deed, and be preserved from every wicked act, inasmuch as all vices and misdeeds are the very antithesis of truthfulness, and a truthful man will hold them all in utter abhorrence.

* The name "Sadiq" means literally "truthful" or "sincere"

- Abdu’l-Bahá, The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 338

18 March | p.m

In every country where any of this people reside, they must behave towards the government of that country with loyalty, honesty and truthfulness. This is that which hath been revealed at the behest of Him Who is the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 22

17 March | a.m

Say: Honesty, virtue, wisdom and a saintly character redound to the exaltation of man, while dishonesty, imposture, ignorance and hypocrisy lead to his abasement. By My life! Man's distinction lieth not in ornaments or wealth, but rather in virtuous behaviour and true understanding.

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 57

As a Bahá'í is enjoined by Bahá’u’lláh to be truthful, he would express his truthfulness, no matter what the formality of the law in any local place required of him. There can be no objection to Bahá'ís conforming to the requirements of the law court whatever they may be in such matters, as in no case would they constitute in any way a denial of their own beliefs as Bahá'ís.

- Shoghi Effendi, The Unfolding Destiny of the British Baha'i Community, p. 368

16 March | p.m

In these days truthfulness and sincerity are sorely afflicted in the clutches of falsehood, and justice is tormented by the scourge of injustice. The smoke of corruption hath enveloped the whole world... We beseech God, the True One, to strengthen the wielders of His power in that which will rehabilitate the world and bring tranquillity to the nations.

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 39

16 March | a.m

O ye friends of God in His cities and His loved ones in His lands! This Wronged One enjoineth on you honesty and piety. Blessed the city that shineth by their light. Through them man is exalted, and the door of security is unlocked before the face of all creation. Happy the man that cleaveth fast unto them, and recognizeth their virtue, and woe betide him that denieth their station.

- Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 22

If any one of you enters a city he must become the center of attraction because of the sincerity, faithfulness, love, honesty, fidelity, truthfulness and loving-kindness of his disposition and nature toward all the inhabitants of the world, that the people of the city may all cry out: "This person is unquestionably a Bahá'í; for his manners, his behavior, his conduct, his morals, his nature and his disposition are of the attributes of the Bahá'ís."

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu’l-Bahá Section, p. 400

15 March | p.m

Reflect upon that whereof ye were created. Every one of you was created of a sorry germ. It behoveth you to observe truthfulness, whereby your temples shall be adorned, your names uplifted, your stations exalted amidst men, and a mighty recompense assured for you before God.

 

- Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts

15 March | a.m

Fair speech and truthfulness, by reason of their lofty rank and position, are regarded as a sun shining above the horizon of knowledge. The waves rising from this Ocean are apparent before the eyes of the peoples of the world and the effusions of the Pen of wisdom and utterance are manifest everywhere.

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 39

Let the Light of Truth and Honesty shine from them [the believers], so that all who behold them may know that their word in business or pleasure will be a word to trust and depend upon.

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Abdu’l-Bahá in London, p. 124

14 March | p.m

Briefly, there hath been revealed in the Kitáb-i-Íqán (Book of Certitude) concerning the Presence and Revelation of God that which will suffice the fair-minded. We beseech Him - exalted be He - to aid every one to become the essence of truthfulness, and to draw nigh unto Him. He, verily, is the Lord of strength and power.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 119

14 March | a.m

Beautify your tongues, O people, with truthfulness, and adorn your souls with the ornament of honesty. Beware, O people, that ye deal not treacherously with any one. Be ye the trustees of God amongst His creatures, and the emblems of His generosity amidst His people.

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 297

Truthfulness is the foundation of all the virtues of the world of humanity. Without truthfulness, progress and success in all of the worlds of God are impossible for a soul. When this holy attribute is established in man, all the divine qualities will also become realized.

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu’l-Bahá Section, p. 384

11 March | p.m

…when the true lover and devoted friend reacheth to the presence of the Beloved, the sparkling beauty of the Loved One and the fire of the lover's heart will kindle a blaze and burn away all veils and wrappings. Yea, all he hath, from heart to skin, will be set aflame, so that nothing will remain save the Friend.

 

- Baha'u'llah, The Seven Valleys, p. 35

11 March | a.m

Wherefore sow the seeds of wisdom and knowledge in the pure soil of the heart, and keep them hidden, till the hyacinths of divine wisdom spring from the heart and not from mire and clay.

- Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words, no. 36

Knowledge is a light which God casteth into the heart of whomsoever He willeth.

  - Qur’án, quoted by Abdu’l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 33

10 March | p.m

The candle of thine heart is lighted by the hand of My power, quench it not with the contrary winds of self and passion.

 

- Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words

10 March | a.m

Incline your hearts, O people of God, unto the counsels of your true, your incomparable Friend. The Word of God may be likened unto a sapling, whose roots have been implanted in the hearts of men. It is incumbent upon you to foster its growth through the living waters of wisdom, of sanctified and holy words, so that its root may become firmly fixed and its branches may spread out as high as the heavens and beyond.

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 97

The earth alone is but a senseless clod - touched by the sun it becomes life and energy. So the Holy Spirit touches the heart of man and awakens him to eternal life.

- Compilations, Baha'i Scriptures, p. 451

9 March | p.m

O SON OF DUST!

All that is in heaven and earth I have ordained for thee, except the human heart, which I have made the habitation of My beauty and glory; yet thou didst give My home and dwelling to another than Me; and whenever the manifestation of My holiness sought His own abode, a stranger found He there, and, homeless, hastened unto the sanctuary of the Beloved. Notwithstanding I have concealed thy secret and desired not thy shame.

 

- Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words

9 March | a.m

O friend, the heart is the dwelling of eternal mysteries, make it not the home of fleeting fancies; waste not the treasure of thy precious life in employment with this swiftly passing world. Thou comest from the world of holiness - bind not thine heart to the earth; thou art a dweller in the court of nearness - choose not the homeland of the dust.

- Baha'u'llah, The Seven Valleys, p. 34

One heart may possess the capacity of the polished mirror; another be covered and obscured by the dust and dross of this world. Although the same Sun is shining upon both, in the mirror which is polished, pure and sanctified you may behold the Sun in all its fullness, glory and power revealing its majesty and effulgence, but in the mirror which is rusted and obscured there is no capacity for reflection

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu’l-Bahá Section, p. 218

8 March | p.m

Cleanse from your hearts the love of worldly things, from your tongues every remembrance except His remembrance, from your entire being whatsoever may deter you from beholding His face, or may tempt you to follow the promptings of your evil and corrupt inclinations.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 273

8 March | a.m

And as the human heart, as fashioned by God, is one and undivided, it behoveth thee to take heed that its affections be, also, one and undivided. Cleave thou, therefore, with the whole affection of thine heart, unto His love, and withdraw it from the love of any one besides Him,

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 237

The more pure and sanctified the heart of man becomes, the nearer it draws to God, and the light of the Sun of Reality is revealed within it.

- Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 147

7 March | p.m

Hearken thou unto the Words of thy Lord and purify thy heart from every illusion so that the effulgent light of the remembrance of thy Lord may shed its radiance upon it, and it may attain the station of certitude.

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 182

Then it is evident that the divine teachings are the heavenly grace and the showers of the mercy of God, which purify the hearts of men.

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu’l-Bahá Section, p. 333