The Baha'i Studies Listserv On Behalf Of Stephen Gray So, do Baha'i s believe a Baha'i can acheive the station of a seer like Joseph Smith II?
Stephen Gray, dear brother on this list. In this "Dispensation", in this Day of Baha'u'llah, the "Day of God" we are not encouraged to seek stations. In the Tablet of Wisdom (A Tablet revealed by ar-Rah.maan) God the All-Merciful He says:*** Let each morn be better than its eve and each morrow richer than its yesterday. (Baha'u'llah: Tablets of Baha'u'llah, Page: 138) *** But this sense of betterness [faz.l] => merit is in service & virtue ** Man's merit lieth in service and virtue and not in the pageantry of wealth and riches. (Baha'u'llah: Tablets of Baha'u'llah, Page: 138) ** all other "stations" are subservient/dependent/ on the station of servitude. ** Cling, O ye people of Baha, to the cord of servitude unto God, the True One, for **thereby your stations shall be made manifest, your names written and preserved, your ranks raised and your memory exalted in the Preserved Tablet.** Beware lest the dwellers on earth hinder you from this glorious and exalted station. Thus have We exhorted you in most of Our Epistles and now in this, Our Holy Tablet, above which hath beamed the Day-Star of the Laws of the Lord, your God, the Powerful, the All-Wise. (Baha'u'llah: The Kitab-i-Aqdas, Pages: 62-63) notice dear Stephen for **thereby your stations shall be made manifest, your names written and preserved, your ranks raised and your memory exalted in the Preserved Tablet.** ** so by studying deeply as you are, "your station" as a seeker a la "The Book of Certitude" will be revealed. If for example dear Dr Susan Maneck or Brent Poirier confirm me, you, and others in our knowledge of the Covenant they are providing a "service" and their stations as "servants" is revealed. our highest station is clinging unto the cord of servitude. [al-'ubuudiyyat] whose most perfect Exemplar was the 'Abdu'-Baha. believe me i am not writing this in a patronizing way or being nice to Susan or Brent_ rather as exemplifying a point that the "Son of God" the "Suffering Servant" showed 2000 years ago **John 13:2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; 13:3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; 13:4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. John 13:5 After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 13:6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 13:7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. 13:8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 13:9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. 13:10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. 13:11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. 13:12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. (King James Bible, John) hopefully your servant too khazeh __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[email protected] Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[email protected] Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [email protected] Or subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[email protected] Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News (on-campus only) - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
