October 31

Know thou that the Kingdom is the real world, and this nether place is only its shadow stretching out. A shadow hath no life of its own; its existence is only a fantasy, and nothing more; it is but images reflected in water, and seeming as pictures to the eye. 
- ‘Abdu'l-Baha  (‘Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha’)

October 30

Materialists say, ‘Where is the soul? What is it? We cannot see it, neither can we touch it’. This is how we must answer them: However much the mineral may progress, it cannot comprehend the vegetable world. Now, that lack of comprehension does not prove the non-existence of the plant! To however great a degree the plant may have evolved, it is unable to understand the animal world; this ignorance is no proof that the animal does not exist! The animal, be he never so highly developed, cannot imagine the intelligence of man, neither can he realize the nature of his soul. But, again, this does not prove that man is without intellect, or without soul. It only demonstrates this, that one form of existence is incapable of comprehending a form superior to itself. This flower may be unconscious of such a being as man, but the fact of its ignorance does not prevent the existence of humanity.

In the same way, if materialists do not believe in the existence of the soul, their unbelief does not prove that there is no such realm as the world of spirit. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Paris Talks)

October 29

It is evident that the divine nearness is an unlimited nearness, be it in this world or the next one. This is a nearness which is sanctified from the comprehension of the minds. The more a man seeketh light from the Sun of Truth, the nearer he will draw. For instance, a clear body is near unto the sun, and a black stone is far from the sun. This nearness dependeth upon clearness, purity and perfection and that remoteness is due to density, dullness (or obscurity) and imperfection. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  ('Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 1’)

October 28

When the souls of the sincere depart (from this body), then their unreal vision (i.e., seeing) is changed into a vision of reality. Even as man, when in the age of babyhood and imperfection, though he seeth things, yet that vision is superficial and external. But when he reacheth the world (or age) of perfection and becometh endowed with reasoning faculty and (the power of) discrimination and comprehension, then that vision of his is a vision (i.e., seeing) of reality [1] and not the unreality. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  ('Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 1’)
[1] Insight

October 27

Thou hast written concerning the Impersonality of the Divinity. Personality is in the Manifestation of the Divinity, not in the Essence of the Divinity. The reality of the divine world is purified and sanctified from limits and restriction. But the pure Mirror, which is the Manifestor of the Sun of Truth and in which the Sun of Truth is manifest in appearance—that mirror is restricted, not the lights. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  ('Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 1’)

October 26

By seeing God is meant beholding the Manifestation of Himself; for witnessing the sun in its entire splendor, in a clear glassy surface, is identical with witnessing the essence of the sun itself. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 1’)

October 25

In all religions the belief exists that the soul survives the death of the body. Intercessions are sent up for the beloved dead, prayers are said for their progress and for the forgiveness of their sins. If the soul perished with the body all this would have no meaning. Further, if it were not possible for the soul to advance towards perfection after it had been released from the body, of what avail are all these loving prayers, of devotion? 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Paris Talks)

October 24

Praise thou God, for that thou hast found the Light of Guidance, recognized the Lord of the Kingdom, art engaged in the service of the Divine Garden and hast guided a number of souls and led them to the Kingdom of Existence. When thou occupiest thyself with all thy strength in service, thou wilt become a magnet of attraction and cause every seeker to reach the presence of the Desired One; thou wilt raise a great clamor in the world and evince such an ecstasy and rapture that will astonish the minds. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 1)

October 23

Thy letter was received and a sweet odor wafted from the rose-garden of its meanings. Thou hast offered thanks before the threshold of the One God, for that thou hast stepped into the Court of the Manifestation in such a blessed day and hast partaken a share and portion from the bounties of the Pre-existent Beauty. This mortal world is fickle and unstable like unto a shifting shadow, and the human life is like unto a mirage and a reflection on the water. When thou lookest at the result thou wilt consider the preliminaries as important, otherwise, preliminaries without a result are of no fruit or harm; they are pure fancy and sheer darkness. Therefore even a short duration of life is sufficient. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 1)

October 22

The inability of the materialistic mind to grasp the idea of the Life Eternal is no proof of the non-existence of that life. The comprehension of that other life depends on our spiritual birth! 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Paris Talks)

October 21

If the spirit were not immortal, how could the Manifestations of God endure such terrible trials? Why did Christ Jesus suffer the fearful death on the cross? Why did Muhammad bear persecutions? Why did the Báb make the supreme sacrifice and why did Bahá’u’lláh pass the years of his life in prison? Why should all this suffering have been, if not to prove the everlasting life of the spirit? 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Paris Talks)

October 20

…in the sight of God the past, the present and the future are all one and the same—whereas, relative to man, the past is gone and forgotten, the present is fleeting, and the future is within the realm of hope. And it is a basic principle of the Law of God that in every Prophetic Mission, He entereth into a Covenant with all believers—a Covenant that endureth until the end of that Mission, until the promised day when the Personage stipulated at the outset of the Mission is made manifest. Consider Moses, He Who conversed with God. Verily, upon Mount Sinai, Moses entered into a Covenant regarding the Messiah, with all those souls who would live in the day of the Messiah. And those souls, although they appeared many centuries after Moses, were nevertheless—so far as the Covenant, which is outside time, was concerned—present there with Moses. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

October 19

Regarding the statement in The Hidden Words, that man must renounce his own self, the meaning is that he must renounce his inordinate desires, his selfish purposes and the promptings of his human self, and seek out the holy breathings of the spirit, and follow the yearnings of his higher self, and immerse himself in the sea of sacrifice, with his heart fixed upon the beauty of the All-Glorious. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

October 18

Strive thine utmost to become godlike, characterized with His attributes, illumined and merciful, that thou mayest be freed from every bond and become attached at heart to the Kingdom of the incomparable Lord. This is Bahá’í bounty, and this is heavenly light. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

October 17

I hope that in this nether world thou shalt attain unto heavenly light, thou wilt free the souls from the gloom of nature, which is the animal kingdom, and cause them to reach lofty stations in the human kingdom. Today all people are immersed in the world of nature. That is why thou dost see jealousy, greed, the struggle for survival, deception, hypocrisy, tyranny, oppression, disputes, strife, bloodshed, looting and pillaging, which all emanate from the world of nature. Few are those who have been freed from this darkness, who have ascended from the world of nature to the world of man, who have followed the divine Teachings, have served the world of humanity, are resplendent, merciful, illumined and like unto a rose garden. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

October 16

Strive as much as ye can to turn wholly toward the Kingdom, that ye may acquire innate courage and ideal power. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

October 15

The great spiritual lights have always appeared in the East. The Blessed Perfection, Bahá’u’lláh, appeared in the East. Jesus Christ dawned upon the horizon of the East. Moses, Aaron, Joseph and all the Israelitish prophets such as Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah and others appeared from the Orient. The lights of Muhammad and the Báb shone from the East. The eastern horizon has been flooded with the effulgence of these great lights, and only from the East have they risen to shine upon the West. Now—praise be to God!—you are living in the dawn of a cycle when the Sun of Truth is again shining forth from the East, illumining all regions. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, 16 April 1912 at Hotel Ansonia to Bahá’í Friends; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)

October 14

The divine Jerusalem has come down from heaven. The bride of Zion has appeared. The voice of the Kingdom of God has been raised. May you attain supreme capacity and magnetic attraction in this realm of might and power—manifesting new energy and wonderful accomplishment, for God is your Assister and Helper. The breath of the Holy Spirit is your comforter, and the angels of heaven surround you. I desire this power for you. Rest assured that these bounties now overshadow you. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, 16 April 1912 at Hotel Ansonia to Bahá’í Friends; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)

October 13

It is my wish and hope that in the bounties and favors of the Blessed Perfection we may find a new life, acquire a new power and attain to a wonderful and supreme source of energy so that the Most Great Peace of divine intention shall be established upon the foundations of the unity of the world of men with God. May the love of God be spread from this city, from this meeting to all the surrounding countries. Nay, may America become the distributing center of spiritual enlightenment, and all the world receive this heavenly blessing! For America has developed powers and capacities greater and more wonderful than other nations. While it is true that its people have attained a marvelous material civilization, I hope that spiritual forces may animate this great body and a corresponding spiritual civilization be established. May the inhabitants of this country become like angels of heaven with faces turned continually toward God. May all of them become the servants of the Omnipotent One. May they rise from present material attainments to such a height that heavenly illumination may stream from this center to all the peoples of the world. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, 16 April 1912 at Hotel Ansonia to Bahá’í Friends; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)

October 12

…know thou, verily, all the souls are created according to the nature of God, and all are in the state of (unconscious) purity at the time of their birth. But afterward they differ from one another in so far as they acquire excellencies or defects. Nevertheless, the creatures have different degrees in existence in so far as the creation goes; for capacities are many, but all of them are good and pure (in their essence) then afterward they are polluted and defiled.

Although there are different states of creation, yet all of them are beneficial. Glance thou over the temple of man, its members and its parts: Among them is the eye, the ear, smelling and taste, hands and fingers. Notwithstanding the differences between these organs, all of them are useful in their proper sphere. But if one of them is out of order, there is need of a remedy, and if the medicine does not heal, then the amputation of that member becomes necessary. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet, Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 19, March 2, 1915)

October 11

Concerning thy question whether all the souls enjoy Eternal Life: Know thou, those souls partake of the Eternal Life in whom the Spirit of Life is breathed from the Presence of God; and all beside them are dead, without life as Christ has explained (this matter) in the texts of the Gospel. Any person whose insight is opened by God, sees the souls in their stations after the disintegration of the bodies. Verily, they are living and are subsisting before their Lord and see also the dead souls submerged in the gulfs of mortality. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 19, March 2, 1915)

October 10

As to the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, it is of the utmost importance.… It may assume any form, for even if it be an underground pit, that pit shall become a sheltering paradise, an exalted bower, and a garden of delight. It shall become a centre wherein the spirits are gladdened and the hearts attracted to the Abhá Kingdom. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Quoted by the Universal House of Justice in a message dated 18 December 2014, addressed to the Baha’is in Iran, authorized translation)

October 9

Those who are uninformed of the world of reality, and do not study created things, cannot investigate and discover hidden truths. They only have a superficial idea of things, are embodiments of ignorance and blind imitators. They believe that which they have heard from their fathers and do not have any knowledge or understanding of their own and are bereft of hearing and insight. They rely on traditions and tales and follow the path of their ancestors. They imagine that God's dominion is accidental, that this world has existed for but six thousand or eight thousand years and that before that time God had neither creation nor sovereignty. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, December 4, New York, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

October 8

Consider for example the sun itself: It knows neither morning, nor noon, nor evening — all times are one; all moments are the same. But on account of the rising and setting of the sun, the inhabitants of the earth see mornings and evenings and reckon the days and nights. Thus all these times are one in the sun and all these days are identical and indistinguishable.

Likewise, in the realm of truth, past, present, and future are the same, and future events are even as past and present occurrences. From the perspective of that realm, all events and incidents take place in the present and are witnessed by the Prophets and the chosen ones. And so it is that the Prophets herald events that will transpire two or three thousand years hence, for they abide in the realm of truth, wherein the mysteries of the universe are revealed and laid bare. Infer from this statement the truth of the spiritual discoveries of the Holy Ones and reflect and ponder thereon — the matter is indeed clear and manifest. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, New resources available at Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

October 7

…we must not consider our ability and capacity, nay rather we must fix our gaze upon the favors and bounties of God, in these days, Who has made of the drop a sea, and of the atom a sun. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

October 6

Man is endowed with superior reasoning power and the faculty of perception, he is the manifestation of divine bestowals. Shall racial ideas prevail and obscure the creative purpose of unity in his kingdom? 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

October 5

During the lifetime of Jesus Christ the believing, firm souls were few and numbered, but the heavenly blessings descended so plentifully that in a number of years countless souls entered beneath the shadow of the Gospel. God has said in the Qur’án: ‘One grain will bring forth seven sheaves, and every sheaf shall contain one hundred grains.’ In other words, one grain will become seven hundred; and if God so wills He will double these also. It has often happened that one blessed soul has become the cause of the guidance of a nation. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

October 4

Peter, according to the history of the Church, was also incapable of keeping count of the days of the week. Whenever he decided to go fishing, he would tie up his weekly food into seven parcels, and every day he would eat one of them, and when he had reached the seventh, he would know that the Sabbath had arrived, and thereupon would observe it. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

October 3

O loved ones of God! Now is the time to be drunk with the cup of the Covenant. Rend your garments in love for the beauty of the All-Merciful. In the banquet of the Covenant seize ye the chalice of divine knowledge. Drunk and yearning, raise up a song of the purity and sanctity of the Living, the Almighty God, till East and West are bewitched, and North and South set ablaze. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet, New resources available at Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

October 2

The holy realities of the Concourse on high yearn, in this day, in the Most Exalted Paradise, to return unto this world, so that they may be aided to render some service to the threshold of the Abhá Beauty, and arise to demonstrate their servitude to His sacred Threshold. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

October 1

One of the important questions which affect the unity and the solidarity of mankind is the fellowship and equality of the white and colored races. Between these two races certain points of agreement and points of distinction exist which warrant just and mutual consideration. The points of contact are many.... In this country, the United States of America, patriotism is common to both races; all have equal rights to citizenship, speak one language, receive the blessings of the same civilization, and follow the precepts of the same religion. In fact numerous points of partnership and agreement exist between the two races, whereas the one point of distinction is that of color. Shall this, the least of all distinctions, be allowed to separate you as races and individuals? 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)