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 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 
 
 Mfl[J 16 
 
 DEC 51^77 
 DEI 
 
 ' 
 
 978
 
 The Seven Valleys 
 
 REVEALED 
 
 h 
 
 BAHA'U'LLAH 
 
 AT BAGHDAD, IN ANSWER TO QUESTIONS 
 
 ASKED BY SHEIK ABDUR RAHMAN, 
 
 A GREAT MOHAMMEDAN 
 
 MYSTIC SUFI 
 ' LEADER. 
 
 TRANSLATED 
 
 ft; 
 
 ALI KULI KHAN, 
 
 (ISH'TE-AL, EBN-KALANTER.) 
 BOSTON, MASS., U. S. A. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY 
 
 BAHAI PUBLISHING SOCIETY 
 CHICAGO, ILL., U. S. A.
 
 y T, 
 
 In the Name of God, the Compassionate, 
 the Merciful! 
 
 Praise be unto God, who caused ex- 
 istence to appear from non-existence, 
 inscribed the mysteries of Pre-existence 
 on the tablet of man, and taught him the 
 explanation of that which he knoweth not; 
 made him a manifest book to such as be- 
 lieved and obeyed, enabled him to wit- 
 ness the creation of all things during this 
 gloomy, disastrous age, and caused him 
 to give utterance on the apex of im- 
 mortality to a wonderful melody in 
 the "Most Excellent Temple" (/. <?., the 
 Manifestation of God) ; so that every one 
 may testify in himself (/. e. y in man), by 
 himself, in the seat of the manifestation 
 of his Lord, that "verily, there is no 
 God save Him"; and that all may 
 thereby reach the summit of truth, until 
 no one shall behold anything what- 
 soever, but that he may see God 
 therein. 
 
 And I bless and salute the First Sea, 
 branched out from the sea of the Divine
 
 Essence, the First Morn dawned forth 
 from the horizon of Unity, the First 
 Sun risen in the heaven of Eternity, the 
 First Fire ignited from the lamp of pre- 
 existence in the niche of Oneness; the 
 one who is Ahmad in the kingdom of 
 the worlds, is Mohammed in the con- 
 course of the Chosen, and is Mahmood 
 (/'. e. y praised one) in the realm of the 
 Sincere Ones. "By whichsoever name ye 
 invoke Him, it is (the same); for He 
 hath Names" in the hearts of the know- 
 ing! Abundant, everlasting and eternal 
 peace be on his household and com- 
 panions! 
 
 After these premises, We have heard 
 that which the nightingale of knowl- 
 edge warbled on the twigs of the Sadrat 
 of thy soul; and We have learned what 
 the dove of assurance sang upon the 
 branches of the tree of thy heart. It 
 was as if I discovered sweet fragrances 
 from the garment of thy love, and real- 
 ized thy whole meeting, by perusing thy 
 letter. 
 
 And, since I read thy allusions to thy 
 death in God and thy life through Him,
 
 and thy love for the beloved of God, for 
 the manifestations of his names and 
 dawning-places of his attributes, I, 
 therefore, mention unto thee holy, bril- 
 liant allusions, from the stations of 
 Glory; so that they may attract thee unto 
 the court of holiness, nearness, and 
 beauty, and draw thee unto a state 
 wherein thou shaltsee naught in existence 
 but the countenance of His Highness, 
 thy Beloved One, and shalt not behold 
 the creatures except as in the day where- 
 in no one had any mention! That is the 
 station of which the nightingale of Unity 
 hath sung in the garden of "Ghotheyeh" 
 (the name of a sermon by Ali), viz: 
 "And there shall appear upon the tablet 
 of thy heart, the traces of the subtle 
 mysteries of c fear God and God will 
 instruct you;' and the bird of thy soul 
 shall remember the enclosure of pre- 
 existence, and shall soar on wings of 
 longing in the open of 'walk in the 
 paths of thy Lord with submissiveness,' 
 and partake of the fruits of harmony in 
 the gardens of c then eat of every 
 fruit/ "
 
 By my life, O friend, wert thou to 
 taste these fruits from the verdure of 
 these hyacinths which are planted in the 
 grounds of knowledge, near the mani- 
 festation of the lights of the Essence in 
 the mirrors of Names and Attributes, 
 yearning will take the reins of patience 
 and fortitude from thy grasp, thy soul 
 will stir through the flashes of lights, 
 will uplift thee out of the earthly abode 
 unto the original, divine abode in the 
 centre of significances; and will cause 
 thee to ascend unto such a state that 
 thou wilt fly away in the air just as thou 
 wouldst walk on the earth, and run on 
 the water even as thou wouldst on the 
 ground. May it do good unto me, 
 unto thee, unto whomsoever may as- 
 cend to the heaven of knowledge, and 
 to him whose heart is fascinated by the 
 zephyr of assurance wafting upon the 
 garden of his innate heart, from the 
 Sheba of the Merciful! 
 
 Peace be unto those who follow 
 Guidance! 
 
 Finis.
 
 After these premises, the stages of 
 the journey of travelers from the earthly 
 dwelling to the Divine Home have 
 been designated to be seven; some have 
 spoken of these as "Seven Valleys," 
 and others as "Seven Cities." And 
 they have said: "Not until the trav- 
 eler migrates from self and accomplishes 
 these journeys, will he arrive at the 
 sea of nearness and union, or taste of 
 the peerless Wine." The first is 
 
 THE VALLEY OF SEARCH. 
 The steed upon which to journey 
 through this valley is Patience. 
 
 In this journey, the traveler will 
 reach no destination without patience, 
 nor will he attain to his aim. He must 
 never become dejected. Were he to 
 endeavor for a hundred thousand years 
 and see not the beauty of the Friend, 
 he must not be downhearted; for those 
 who strive after the Ka'aba of "for 
 Us," will be rejoiced at the glad tidings 
 of "We will assuredly direct them 
 into our ways. " * And they, in their 
 
 *" Those who strive strenuously for us, we will 
 assuredly direct them into our ways" Koran.
 
 search, have girt up the loins of service 
 with the utmost firmness, and, at every 
 instant, they travel from the seat of 
 heedlessness to the contingent world of 
 search. No chain can withhold them 
 and no advice can debar them! 
 
 It is conditional upon these servants 
 to purify their hearts which are the 
 source of the Divine Treasury from 
 every blemish, to turn away from blind 
 imitation which is a trace of forefathers 
 and ancestors; and to close the doors of 
 friendship and of enmity with all the peo- 
 ple of the earth. In this journey the 
 seeker reaches such a station that he 
 finds all the existent beings bewildered 
 in search of the Friend. Many a Jacob 
 he sees wandering in quest of Joseph. 
 A world of friends he beholds, who are 
 running in search of the desired, one, 
 and a universe of lovers he finds, who 
 are journeying after the beloved one. 
 At every moment, he perceives a new 
 matter, and at every hour he becomes 
 informed of a mystery; for he has lifted 
 his heart from both worlds and intended 
 (to attain) the Ka'aba* of the Beloved. 
 
 8
 
 At every step, the assistance of the 
 Invisible surrounds him, and the ardor 
 of his search increases! 
 
 Search should be measured by the 
 deed of the Majnoon* of love. It is re- 
 lated that one day Majnoon was seen 
 sifting the dust and shedding tears. 
 They said: "What art thou doing?" 
 He said: "I am searching for Laila." 
 They said: "Woe unto thee! Laila is 
 from the pure spirit, and thou art seek- 
 ing her in the earth!" He said: "I 
 exert myself in her search everywhere; 
 perchance I may find her somewhere." 
 
 Indeed, although seeking the Lord 
 of Lords in the dust is contemptible to 
 the wise, yet it is evidence of utmost 
 endeavor and search. "Whoso seeks 
 with diligence shall surely find." 
 
 A sincere seeker finds naught save 
 union with the desired one, and a lover 
 
 *Lit. "insane." Majnoon is the title of a cele- 
 brated lover belonging to the old Arabian nomadic 
 tribes. His object was Laila, the daughter of an 
 Arab prince. The story is symbolical of pure, hu- 
 man love in its highest degree, and has been the 
 theme of many Persian poets. Nizami's poem on 
 this love story is the masterpiece and greatest of all.
 
 has no aim but to attain to the beloved. 
 A seeker cannot obtain this (spirit of) 
 search, except by the sacrifice of all that 
 exists; that is, he must annihilate all 
 that he has seen, heard or understood, 
 with the negation, "no," so that he may 
 reach the city of the Spirit, which is the 
 city of "but." * 
 
 An effort is needed that we may ex- 
 exert ourselves in search for Him, and 
 an endeavor that we may taste of the 
 honey of union with Him. If we drink 
 of this cup, we will forget the whole 
 world! 
 
 In this journey, the traveler sits on 
 every soil and dwells in every land, and 
 seeks the beauty of the Friend in every 
 face. He searches for the Beloved One 
 in every country; he joins every multi- 
 tude and associates with every head; 
 perchance, he may discover the mystery 
 of the Beloved One in some head, or 
 behold the beauty of the Desired One 
 in some visage. 
 
 * "There is no God but God," is the formula of 
 faith in the Divine Unity. "There is no God, is 
 denial and negation, while "but God" is faith and 
 affirmation. 
 
 10
 
 If, through the assistance of God, he 
 find, in this journey, a trace of the 
 Traceless Friend and inhale the smell of 
 the lost Joseph from the Harbinger of 
 Oneness, he will immediately step into 
 
 THE VALLEY OF LOVE 
 
 and become melted with the fire of 
 love. In this city (or valley) the heav- 
 en of attraction is lifted up, the world- 
 illuminating sun of longing dawns forth 
 and the fire of love becomes ablaze. 
 And when the fire of love is become 
 ablaze, the harvest of reason will be 
 wholly consumed. 
 
 At this time, the traveler is uncon- 
 scious, both of himself and of aught else 
 save himself. He knows neither knowl- 
 edge nor ignorance, neither doubt nor 
 certainty; neither does he recognize 
 the morn of guidance, nor the eve of 
 error. He avoids both infidelity and 
 faith, and deadly poison is agreeable to 
 him. Thus it is said by Attar:* "(Leave) 
 infidelity to the infidel and faith to the 
 
 *0ne of the great, inspired Sufi leaders, poets and 
 philosophers of the middle ages of Islam. 
 
 II
 
 faithful; a single particle of pain (in thy 
 love) is enough for the heart of Attar." 
 
 The steed of this valley is Pain; and 
 without pain this journey will never be 
 accomplished. In this stage the lover 
 has no thought but of the Beloved One, 
 and seeks no shelter but the Desired 
 One. At every moment he freely gives 
 a hundred lives in the path of the Be- 
 loved, and at every step he throws a 
 thousand heads at the feet of the Friend. 
 
 O my brother! Not until thou en- 
 terest the Egypt of the Spirit, wilt thou 
 attain to the Joseph of the beauty of 
 the Friend; not until thou, like Jacob, 
 give up thine outward eye, wilt thou 
 open thine inward eye; and not until 
 thou art ablaze with the fire of love, 
 wilt thou associate with the Friend of 
 Ecstasy ! A lover fears nothing, and no 
 loss can do him harm. Thou wilt see 
 him cool in fire, and find him dry even 
 in the sea. "The sign of a lover is to 
 be cool even in the fire of hell; and the 
 token of a knower (of divine secrets) is 
 to be dry even in the sea!" 
 
 Love accepts not any existence, nor 
 
 12
 
 wishes any life. He finds life in death 
 and glory in shame. Much wit is 
 needed to make one worthy of the ardor 
 of love; and many a head is required to 
 be fit for the noose of the Friend. 
 Blessed is the neck which falleth into 
 His noose, and happy is the head which 
 is dropped on the dust in the path of 
 His love! 
 
 Therefore, O friend! be alien to the 
 self, that thou may'st find thy way to 
 the Incomparable One; abandon the 
 mortal earth that thou mayst take resi- 
 dence in the Divine Nest. Nothing- 
 ness is needed until thou mayst kindle 
 the fire of existence and become accept- 
 able in the path of love. "Love does 
 not accept a soul alive (to material 
 things); a falcon preys not on a dead 
 mouse!" 
 
 At every moment Love consumes a 
 world, and in whatever land he hoists 
 his banner, he makes it desolate. Ex- 
 istence has no being in his realm and 
 men of reason have no foot-hold in his 
 dominion. The whale of love swallows 
 up the erudite in reason and destroys 
 
 '3
 
 the prudent in knowledge. It quaffs 
 the "Seven Seas" and yet the thirst of 
 its heart is not allayed, and still it says : 
 "Is there yet any more?" It becomes 
 alien to self and shuns all that is in the 
 world. "Love is alien to both worlds; 
 in him are involved two-and-seventy 
 insanities!" A hundred thousand op- 
 pressed ones are entangled in his noose 
 and a hundred thousand sages are 
 pierced by his arrow. Whatever redness 
 thou beholdest in the world, know the 
 same to be from his wrath; and what- 
 ever paleness thou seest in cheeks 
 account the same to be from his poison. 
 He confers no remedy but death, and 
 he steps only in the valley of nothing- 
 ness; but to the palate of the lover his 
 poison is more agreeable than honey, 
 and to the eye of the seeker his death is 
 more beloved than a hundred thousand 
 lives ! 
 
 Therefore, the veils of the satanic 
 ego must needs be consumed with the 
 fire of love, so that the spirit may 
 become clean and purified for com-
 
 prehending the grades of the Lord of: 
 "but for thee."* 
 
 " Kindle thou a fire of love and con- 
 sume all possessions (or self); then lift 
 thy foot and step into the mountain of 
 the lovers."** 
 
 If, by the assistance of the Creator, 
 the lover is released in safety from 
 the claws of the falcon of love, he 
 will then arrive at the realm of 
 
 (THE VALLEY OF DIVINE) 
 KNOWLEDGE. 
 
 He will be led from doubt to certainty 
 and directed from the darkness of the 
 error of wordly desire to the light of 
 guidance of piety. His inner eye will 
 be opened, and he will engage in close 
 communion with his Beloved. He will 
 open the portal of truth and devotion 
 and close the doors of superficiality. In 
 this state he will yield to the Divine 
 Decree, will see war as peace, find the 
 
 *A tradition, relating the words of God to the 
 prophet: "But for thee, I would not have created 
 the spheres 1" 
 
 **Verse quoted by Baha'u'llah from one of his 
 own odes.
 
 significances of life in death, perceive 
 the mysteries of the "other world" in 
 the regions of creation and in the souls 
 of the servants (/. e ., creatures) with the 
 outward and inward eye; and, with a 
 spiritual heart, he will behold the Eternal 
 Wisdom in the infinite manifestations of 
 God. In an ocean he will see a drop, 
 and in a drop he will detect the myster- 
 ies of an ocean! "The core of whatever 
 mote thou mayest split, therein thou 
 wilt find a sun." 
 
 In this valley,through absolute vision, 
 a traveler does not see in God's creation 
 any difference or contradiction; and at 
 every moment he will say: "Thou canst 
 not see, in the creation of the Most 
 Merciful One, any difference. Turn 
 thou thine eyes whether thou can see 
 any flaws!" (Koran). He will see justice 
 in injustice and witness grace in justice; 
 he will find many a knowledge concealed 
 in ignorance and realize a hundred 
 thousand wisdoms, manifest and evident, 
 in knowledges. He will break the cage 
 of body and desire, and be attached to 
 the spirit of the people of immortality. 
 
 16
 
 He will ascend on ideal ladders and 
 hasten to the heaven of Significances. 
 He will abide in the ark of "We will 
 surely show them Our signs in the re- 
 gions (of the earth), and in themselves" 
 (Koran), and sail on the sea of "until 
 it becomes manifest unto them that, 
 verily (this Book) is true" (Koran). 
 
 If he experiences any oppression he 
 will endure it with patience, and if he 
 sees any wrath he will show forth 
 affection. 
 
 It is related that a lover was suffer- 
 ing for years in separation from his be- 
 jfoved and burning in the fire of absence 
 from her. By the overwhelming strength 
 of love his breast was void of patience 
 and his body would fain shun the soul. 
 He accounted life in separation as a 
 sham and suffered intense burning on 
 account of the world. Many were the 
 days he found no rest in separation 
 from her, and the nights that he slept 
 not through grief for her. Through the 
 languor of body he had become as a 
 sigh, and by the heart's pain he was (in 
 lament) as a woe. He would freely 
 
 17
 
 give a thousand lives for a single 
 draught of her nearness, and yet this 
 were not feasible! Physicians despaired 
 of healing him, and companions kept far 
 from his fellowship. Yea, physicians 
 know no healing for the one diseased of 
 love, except the favor of the beloved one 
 come to his succor! 
 
 At length, the tree of his hope 
 brought the fruit of despair, and the fire 
 of his expectancy was quenched; until, 
 one night, he was wearied of life and 
 abandoned home for the streets. Sud- 
 denly a patrol pursued him. He was 
 urging on at the front while the patrol 
 sped in his chase. Finally, the patrols 
 formed into a gathering and barred the 
 way of flight to that afflicted one. He, 
 helpless, groaned with all his heart and 
 ran hither and thither, soliloquizing in 
 these words: "This patrol is my angel 
 of death, for he is seeking after me in 
 such haste. Or, is he a tyrant of coun- 
 tries who is intent on oppressing men!" 
 Thus, that one, pierced with the arrow 
 of love, was running with the feet and 
 lamenting in heart, until he reached the 
 
 18
 
 wall of a garden and climbed it with a 
 thousand difficulties and afflictions, for 
 it was found to be a very lofty wall. 
 Then, regardless of his life, he threw 
 himself down into the garden. But 
 behold, there he found his beloved, with 
 a light in her hand, searching for a 
 ring she had lost! When that heart- 
 surrendered lover saw his heart-ravishing 
 beloved-one, he heaved a sigh and 
 stretched forth his hands in prayer: "O 
 God! bestow honor on this patrol, bless 
 him with wealth, and preserve him ; for 
 this patrol was Gabriel, who became the 
 guide of this infirm one. He was a 
 Seraph who imparted life to this humble 
 one!" 
 
 All that he said was indeed right, for 
 it was seen how this wicked injustice of 
 the patrol was pregnant with many a 
 justice, and concealed many a mercy 
 within veils! By one blow of violence 
 he caused the one athirst in the desert 
 of love to reach the sea of the beloved, 
 and illumined the darkness of separation 
 with the light of meeting! He placed 
 a remote one in the garden of nearness, 
 
 19
 
 and led an infirm one to the physician 
 of the heart! 
 
 Now, could that lover foresee the end, 
 he would in the beginning show mercy 
 to the patrol and pray for him, and he 
 would see that injustice as justice. Since 
 he was veiled from seeing the end, he 
 raised his voice in lamentation in the 
 beginning, and loosened his tongue in 
 complaint. But, as the travelers of the 
 Garden of Knowledge see the end from 
 the beginning, they therefore find peace 
 in war and reconciliation in estrange- 
 ment! 
 
 This is the condition of the people 
 of this valley. But the people of the 
 valley beyond this see the beginning 
 and the end as one; nay, rather, they see 
 no beginning and no end "Without 
 beginning, without end." Nay, the 
 denizens of the City of Immortality, who 
 abide in the Verdant Garden, see not 
 even" Without beginning, without end;" 
 they shun all beginnings, and wage war 
 on all ends! For they have traveled 
 through the worlds of Names, and passed 
 over the worlds of Attributes with the 
 
 20
 
 swiftness of lightning. As it is said: "A 
 perfect realization of c Divine Unity' is 
 to strip it from all attributes." And they 
 have taken residence under the shadow 
 of the (Divine) Essence. Hence, in this 
 connection, Khaji Abd' Allah* may 
 God sanctify his excellent innate heart! 
 has set forth a subtle point and consum- 
 mate word in his interpretation of the 
 verse, " Direct us in the Right Way" 
 (Koran). And it is this: Point unto 
 us the right way, that is bless us with 
 Love, Thine Essence; so that, becoming 
 free from all regard for ourselves and 
 for ail else save Thee, we may be wholly 
 captivated by Thee, so as to know none 
 but Thee, to see naught save Thee, to 
 think of naught beside Thee! 
 
 Nay, they pass even beyond this 
 station, as it is said: "Love is a screen 
 between the lover and the Beloved." 
 
 To say more than this I have not 
 permission. At this time, the Morn of 
 
 *A high, mystic Sufi leader of the house of Ansar, 
 in the middle ages of Islam. His tomb is situated in 
 Herat (Afghanistan). "Ansar" literally means "help- 
 ers" hence, a term denominating those people of 
 Medina who first believed in Mohammed. 
 
 21
 
 Knowledge hath dawned, and the Jamps 
 of traveling and wayfaring are put out.* 
 "The mind of Moses, with all his light 
 and genius, became veiled therefrom 
 (/. e. y from seeing God); now, be thou 
 warned not to fly without wings!" 
 
 If thou art a man of prayer and sup- 
 plication, fly on the wings of saintly 
 effort, so that thou may'st see the 
 mysteries of the Friend, and attain to 
 the lights of the Beloved. "We are 
 God's and unto- Him shall we surely 
 return." 
 
 After journeying through the Valley 
 of Knowledge, which is the last station 
 of limitation, the traveler reaches the 
 first stage of 
 
 (THE VALLEY OF DIVINE) UNITY. 
 
 He drinks from the Cup of Abstraction 
 and gazes on the Manifestations of 
 
 *Traveling and wayfaring after Truth, under the 
 direction of the Sufi leaders, are of the characteristics 
 of mystic Sufis. These leaders, Sufis call "lights" 
 whereby to find the Truth. But the appearance of 
 the Manifestations of God Is that of the Sun of Truth 
 itself. Hence, it is said by Ali : "Quench the light 
 (lamp) when the Sun hath already dawned." Here 
 Baha'u'llah teaches that in these days men must depend 
 on the Sun of Truth which has become manifest. 
 
 22
 
 Singleness. At this station he rends 
 asunder the veils of plurality, flies away 
 from the worlds of lust, and ascends to 
 the Heaven of Oneness. He hears 
 with Divine ears, and beholds the 
 mysteries of the Creation of the Eternal 
 One, with Godlike eyes. He steps into 
 the retreat of the Friend, and becomes 
 an intimate in the pavilion of the 
 Beloved. He stretches forth the hand 
 of the True One from the bosom of 
 Omnipotence, and shows forth the 
 mysteries of Power. He sees no com- 
 mendation, name or dignity of himself; 
 he sees his own commendation in the 
 commendation of the True One, and 
 beholds the Name of the True One in 
 his own name. He will know "all voices 
 to be from the King," and hear all the 
 melodies from Him. He will be 
 established on the throne of "Say, all 
 is from God," and rest on the carpet of 
 "There is no power nor might but 
 through God alone." He will look upon 
 things with the view of Oneness; he 
 will find the splendor of the Divine Sun 
 from the Invisible Day-spring equally
 
 upon all the contingent beings, and see 
 the lights of unity manifest and present 
 in all the existent things! 
 
 It is known to thy honor that all the 
 differences which the traveler sees in the 
 world of Being, during the various 
 stages of his journey, are due to the 
 view (gaze or vision) of the traveler 
 himself. For this case we bring an 
 illustration in order that this fact may 
 become thoroughly evident: 
 
 Consider the phenomenal sun which 
 shines forth on all existent and contin- 
 gent beings with the same effulgence, 
 and pours light upon all things by the 
 command of the King of Manifesta- 
 tion. But its appearance in every place, 
 and the light it sheds thereon, is in 
 accord with the degree of the capacity 
 of that place. For instance in a mirror 
 it reflects as forms and disks, and this is 
 due to the clearness of the mirror itself. 
 It creates fire in the crystal, while in 
 other things only the effect of its re- 
 flection is manifest and not its disk; and, 
 through that effect, it develops every- 
 thing according to the capacity of that 
 
 24
 
 thing, by the command of the Causer 
 of effects, even as you see. Likewise, 
 colors also appear in accord with (the 
 nature of) the place; even as in a yellow 
 glass the splendor is yellow, in a white 
 one the ray is white, and in a red one it 
 is red. These differences are therefore 
 due to the place and not to the efful- 
 gence of light, and if the place is 
 confronted by an obstacle, such as walls 
 or ceiling, that place is entirely bereft of 
 the splendor of the sun, and the sun 
 does not shine thereon. 
 
 Thus, some of the weak souls, having 
 enclosed the ground of Knowledge 
 within the wall of self and desire and 
 within the veil of heedlessness and 
 blindness, are therefore screened from 
 the effulgence of the Sun of Significances 
 and the mysteries of the Eternal, Beloved 
 One are kept afar from the gems of 
 Wisdom of the Manifest Religion of 
 the Lord of the Messengers, deprived 
 of the Sacred House of Beauty, and 
 separated from the Ka'aba(//V., sanctum) 
 of Glory. This is the state of the people 
 of the age !
 
 And if a nightingale* abandons the 
 clay of the ego, seeks an abode on the 
 branches of the rose tree of the heart, 
 and utters the mysteries of God in 
 melodies of Hijaz (Arabic) and sweet 
 songs of Irak (Persian), a single word 
 of which confers new, fresh life on all 
 dead bodies and bestows the Holy Spirit 
 on the mouldering bones of contingent 
 beings, thou wouldst find a thousand 
 claws of jealousy and beaks of rancor, 
 intent upon assailing him, exerting 
 themselves with all effort in his destruc- 
 tion! Yea, an agreeable odor is un- 
 pleasant to the beetle, and a fragrant 
 perfume has no effect upon one afflicted 
 with a cold. Hence, for the guidance 
 of the multitude, it has been said : " Re- 
 move the cold from thy head and brain, 
 so that the Fragrance of God may fill 
 thy nostrils." 
 
 Consequently, the difference of place 
 is now made clear and proven. 
 
 When the gaze of the traveler is 
 restricted (i) to a limited place, that 
 
 *A reference to his future Manifestation. 
 26
 
 is when he looks through glasses (of 
 different colors) he then sees yellow, red 
 or white. It is due to such a view of 
 things that conflict is stirred up among 
 the servants (/. e. y mankind), and a 
 gloomy dust, rising from men of limita- 
 tion, has enveloped the world. 
 
 Some extend their gaze to (2) the 
 effulgence of the light; and others drank 
 from the wine of (3) Oneness, and 
 therefore see nothing but the Sun itself. 
 Thus, because of journeying in these 
 three different stations, travelers differ 
 in their understanding and explanation 
 of things. That is why the sign of 
 difference is manifest in the world; for 
 some dwell on the plane of oneness and 
 speak of the world of oneness; some 
 stand in the worlds of limitation, others 
 in the stages of the self, and still others 
 are absolutely veiled. Therefore, the 
 ignorant, of the age. who have gained 
 no portion from the Splendor of the 
 Beautiful One, speak in certain (un- 
 reasonable) words, and in every time and 
 age they inflict upon the people of Unity 
 that which only is worthy of and befits 
 
 27
 
 their own selves. "If God should punisi. 
 men for their iniquity, He would not 
 leave (on the earth) any moving thing; 
 but He giveth them respite unto an 
 appointed time" (Koran). 
 
 O my brother! A pure heart is like 
 unto a mirror: purify it with the polish 
 of Love, and Severance from all else save 
 God, until the Ideal Sun may reflect 
 therein, and the Eternal Morn may 
 dawn. Then wilt thou find clear and 
 manifest the meaning of " Neither doth 
 My earth nor heaven occupy Me, but 
 the heart of My faithful servant occu- 
 pieth Me!" and wilt take thy life in 
 thy hand and sacrifice it, with a thousand 
 longings, to the new Beloved. 
 
 When the lights of the Splendor of 
 the King of Oneness are seated on the 
 throne of the heart and soul, His Light 
 becomes manifest in all the parts and 
 members. Then will the mystery of the 
 well-known (following) tradition emerge 
 from the veil of obscurity: 
 
 "A servant always draws near unto 
 Me with prayers, until I respond unto 
 him. And when I have responded to 
 
 28
 
 liiin, then I become his ear wherewith he 
 heareth," etc. For (in this case) the 
 Owner of the house becomes manifest 
 in His Own house (/. e. y the heart), and 
 the pillars of the house are all illumi- 
 nated and radiative through His Light. 
 The action and effect of the Light is 
 from the Giver of Light: this is why all 
 move through Him, and arise by His 
 Desire. This is that Fountain where - 
 from drink those near unto God; as it 
 is said: "A Fountain whereof those 
 shall drink who are near (unto God)." 
 
 Let no one suppose these explanations 
 to be redolent of anthropomorphism, or 
 indicative of a degrading or restricting 
 of the worlds (or states) of the True One 
 to the planes of the creatures; nor should 
 thy honor imagine such a thing for 
 God, in His Essence, is sanctified above 
 ascent or descent, entrance or exit. He 
 has been, and will be everlastingly inde- 
 pendent of (or free from) the attributes 
 of the creatures: no one has known 
 Him, and no soul has found out His 
 Substance. All the sages are bewildered 
 in the valley of His Knowledge, and all 
 
 29
 
 the saints are perplexed in (their en- 
 deavor to) comprehend His Essence. 
 He is purified from being comprehended 
 by all men of comprehension, and is 
 exalted above the knowing of men of 
 Knowledge. "The road (to His Essence) 
 is barred, and search (therefor) is rejected. 
 His evidence is His Signs, and His 
 Being is His Proof." 
 
 Thus the lovers of the Face of the 
 Beloved One have said:- "O thou whose 
 essence alone bears evidence of the 
 Essence of Him who is sanctified be- 
 yond homogeneity with His creatures/' 
 How can sheer nothingness run its steed 
 in the arena of Pre-existence? How can 
 a mortal shadow compare with the 
 Immortal Sun? The Friend of "Were 
 it not for thee" hath said: "We have 
 not known Thee" (/. e. 9 in Thine Es- 
 sence), and the Beloved of "Ow-Adna"* 
 
 */. e., "or yet nearer." See Koran, ch. 53. v, 4-9: 
 "Afterwards he (God's Angel) approached (Moham- 
 med) , and drew near unto him ; until he was at the 
 distance of two bows' length from him, or yet nearer." 
 This refers to the "Night Tourney" of Mohammed 
 to Heaven. This nearness (" or yet nearer") is taken 
 to be the station of Ali, in relation to God and the 
 Prophet. 
 
 30
 
 hath said: "We have not penetrated" 
 (Thine Essence). 
 
 Yea, such mentions as are made 
 concerning the stages of Knowledge 
 concern only the knowledge of the 
 Splendors of that Sun of Truth, which 
 become manifest in the Mirrors (/'. e., 
 prophets,manifestations). The reflection 
 of that Light is within the hearts; but it 
 is veiled through sensual coverings and 
 accidental conditions, as is the case with 
 a light enclosed within an iron lantern. 
 When the lantern is removed the radi- 
 ance of the light will appear. Likewise, 
 when one rends asunder the illusive veils 
 from the face of the heart the lights of 
 Oneness will dawn therein. Wherefore 
 it is known that even for the Splendors 
 (of the Sun of Divine Essence) there is 
 no entrance nor exit; how much less for 
 that Essence of Beings and that Mystery 
 of the Desired One. 
 
 O my brother! Reflect upon these 
 stations with verification, and not with 
 blind imitation. The repellant "avaunt" 
 of words cannot repulse the traveler 
 (after Truth), nor can the terror of 
 
 3 1
 
 allusions impede him. "What veil can 
 stand between the lover and the beloved? 
 The Wall of Alexander itself can be no 
 obstacle or screen." 
 
 Mysteries are many, and strangers are 
 countless. Books are not sufficient for 
 the Mystery of the Beloved, nor can it 
 (the Mystery) be exhausted in these 
 Tablets, although it is no more than one 
 word and but one allegory. " Knowledge 
 is but one point, but the ignorant have 
 multiplied it." 
 
 From this same standpoint consider 
 the differences of the worlds. Although 
 the Divine Worlds are infinite, yet some 
 have spoken of them under four classes: 
 
 (1) The World of Zaman (/.., time). 
 This is a world which has a beginning 
 and an end. 
 
 (2) The World of Dahhr (///., a time 
 or period) which has a beginning, but its 
 end is invisible. 
 
 (3) The World of Sar'mad, of which 
 no beginning is seen, but its end can be 
 perceived. 
 
 (4) The World of Azal (*. e., Eternity) 
 which has neither beginning nor end. 
 
 32
 
 Though differences (of view) have 
 been many in these explanations, yet if 
 full particulars be given here, it would 
 weary (the readers). Some have spoken 
 of the World of Sar'mad as being with- 
 out beginning or end, and of the World 
 ofAzal as the Invisible, Impregnable, 
 Impenetrable. Others have called these 
 four the World of Lahut (/'. e. y Heavenly 
 court), the World of Jabarroot (/'. e. y the 
 high Empyrean Heaven, the residence 
 of Omnipotence), the World of Mala- 
 koot (/'. e. y Kingdom, also the World of 
 the Angels), and the World of Nasoot 
 (/. e.y the world of mortals, or this earthly 
 world). 
 
 The journeys in the Path of Love 
 have been counted as four: 
 
 (1) From the creatures to the True 
 One. 
 
 (2) From the True One to the 
 creatures. 
 
 (3 ) From the creatures to the creatures. 
 
 (4) From the True One to the True 
 One. 
 
 There are, likewise, various explana- 
 tions given by mystics and philosophers 
 
 33
 
 of the past of which this servant does 
 not undertake to speak. 
 
 I do not wish to mention much of 
 the former sayings; for to speak of the 
 sayings of others would be an evidence 
 of acquired learning (/. e. y mediate 
 knowledge), and not of the Divine 
 Gift (/'. e. y immediate knowledge). 
 Even this much, which is spoken of 
 here, is because of the custom 
 of men, and as a favor to the com- 
 panions. Moreover, such explanations 
 are beyond the limits of this treatise. 
 My forbearing to speak of their sayings 
 is not due to pride, but because of a 
 showing forth of Wisdom and a mani- 
 festing of the Gift. If Knezr (/. e., 
 Elias) broke the ship while on the sea, 
 there are a hundred soundnesses (/'. e. 9 
 wisdoms) in his breaking it. Otherwise, 
 this servant accounts himself as nothing, 
 even in the court of one of the beloved 
 of God (/. e.y believers); how much more 
 so in the presence of the "Holy Ones." 
 Praise be unto my Lord, the Supreme ! 
 Moreover, our purpose is to speak of 
 the stages of the traveler's journey, and 
 
 34
 
 not to relate the sayings of the mystic 
 Sufis. 
 
 Although a short illustration has 
 already been given as to the beginning 
 and end of the relative or dependent 
 (not absolute) world (or plane), yet again 
 we set another example so that all of 
 the meanings may become manifest in 
 the garment of illustration. For instance, 
 let your honor consider himself; how 
 you are the first in relation to your son, 
 and the last in relation to your father; 
 how, outwardly (/'. e., according to the 
 soul), (you bear evidence) of the inward 
 mysteries which, as a Divine Gift, are 
 deposited within you. Consequently, 
 being the first, the last, the manifest, the 
 hidden, becomes true of you in the 
 sense as set forth above, so that in these 
 four grades bestowed on you, you may 
 comprehend the (corresponding) grades 
 of the Divine, and that the nightingale 
 of the heart may call out on all the 
 branches of the rose-garden of Exist- 
 ence, both invisible and visible, in this 
 melody: "Verily, He is the First and 
 the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden ! " 
 
 35
 
 These sayings are mentioned in con- 
 nection with the grades of the "worlds 
 of relation;" otherwise, these men, who 
 have with one step traversed the 
 worlds of relation and limitation, and 
 taken their seat on the blissful carpet of 
 Abstraction, and have pitched their 
 tents in the world of Independence (/'. e., 
 absoluteness) and Command, have con- 
 sumed all these relations with a single 
 flame, and obliterated all these words 
 with a mere moisture. They swim in 
 the sea of Spirit, and roam in the sacred 
 atmosphere of Light. How then can 
 words have any identity (or being) in 
 this stage, so that any grades of the 
 "First" or the "Last", or any other 
 besides these, be distinguished? In this 
 station the "First" is identical with the 
 " Last ", and the "Last" is the same as 
 the " First ". " Enkindle a fire with 
 the Love of the Beloved One, and con- 
 sume therewith every thought and pious 
 work." 
 
 O my friend, Consider thine own 
 self; if thou hadst not become a father 
 nor seen a son, thou wouldst not have 
 
 36
 
 heard even these words. Now, there- 
 fore, forget all these, so that thou may- 
 est learn in the School of Unity, before 
 the Instructor of Love, and come back 
 from the stage - " Verily, we are (from 
 God)" unto ("and to Him) we 
 return/' Thus thou mayest abandon 
 the abode of unreality, and attain unto 
 thine own real station, and abide in the 
 shade of the Tree of Knowledge. 
 
 O excellent One! Impoverish thy- 
 self so that thou mayest arrive at the 
 court of Affluence ; humiliate the body 
 so that thou mayest drink from the 
 river of Glory, and attain unto all the 
 meanings of the poems which thou hast 
 questioned. 
 
 It is evident then that these states 
 depend upon the view of the traveler. 
 In every city he sees a world, in every 
 valley he comes upon a fountain, in 
 every desert he hears a melody. But 
 there are wonderful spiritual tones in 
 the heart of the Royal Falcon of the 
 Ideal Sky, and there is many a sweet 
 Hejazi (Arabic) song in the head of the 
 Iraki (Persian) Bird (/. e. y Himself); 
 
 37
 
 but these have been and will be con- 
 cealed. " If I utter (them) it would 
 astound reasons; if I write them many 
 a quill would break." Peace be on 
 whomsoever accomplisheth this Su- 
 preme Journey, and followeth the True 
 One through the Lights of Guidance. 
 
 After crossing the ascents (or stages) 
 of this lofty, exalted journey, the trav- 
 eler arrives at 
 
 THE CITY (OR VALLEY) 
 OF CONTENTMENT.* 
 
 In this valley he discovers the breezes 
 of Divine Contentment, which waft 
 from the desert of the Spirit, and con- 
 sume the veils of poverty. There he 
 witnesses the Day wherein "God will 
 make all independent out of His Abun- 
 dance" with his outward and inward 
 eye in the visible and invisible parts of 
 of things; he passes from sorrow to 
 happiness, returns from sadness to joy, 
 and he changes depression and dejection 
 into gladness and cheerfulness. 
 
 *Another translation uses the word " Richness " 
 instead of "Contentment." 
 
 38
 
 Though the travelers in this valley 
 outwardly dwell on the earth, yet 
 inwardly they recline on the high couch 
 of significances, and they partake of 
 ideal, imperishable benefits, and quaff 
 pure, spiritual wines. The tongue 
 is unable to give an account of these 
 three valleys, and utterance falls exceed- 
 ingly short. The pen cannot step into 
 this court, and the ink gives no result 
 but blackness. 
 
 Concerning these states the nightin- 
 gale of the heart has other melodies and 
 mysteries which set the heart in agita- 
 tion and the spirit in uproar. But this 
 enigma of significances must be only 
 revealed from heart to heart, and con- 
 fided from breast to breast. " Heart 
 alone can communicate to heart the 
 state of the knower (of divine secrets); 
 this is not the work of a messenger, nor 
 can this be contained in letters." "On 
 many points I keep silent because of 
 my inability ; to state them is beyond 
 speech, and if I say them my words 
 would be insufficient." 
 
 O friend! Not until thou reachest 
 
 39
 
 the garden of these significances wilt 
 thou taste of the immortal wine of this 
 valley. If thou tastest thereof thou 
 wilt close thine eyes to all strangers, and 
 drink from the wine of contentment; 
 thou wilt sever thyself from all, and 
 become united with Him, give up thy 
 life in His Way, and pour out thy soul 
 freely although there is no stranger in 
 this station, that thou would'st close 
 thine eye. "There was God, but there 
 was nothing with Him." Because in this 
 stage the traveler beholds the beauty of 
 the Friend in everything. In fire he 
 sees the face of the Beloved, in unreality 
 perceives the sign of the Reality, and 
 through the attributes he witnesses the 
 mystery of the Divine Substance (or 
 Essence), for he has consumed the veils 
 with a mere sigh, and removed the cov- 
 erings with a single gaze. He looks 
 upon the New Creation with a discern- 
 ing sight, and comprehends subtle signs 
 with a pure heart. "At that Day We 
 will make thy sight discerning" is an 
 evidence of this saying, and is sufficient 
 for this instance. 
 
 40
 
 After traversing the valley of Pure 
 Contentment the traveler reaches 
 
 THE VALLEY OF ASTONISHMENT.* 
 
 He plunges in the seas of Grandeur, 
 and at every moment his amazement 
 increases. Now he sees the body of 
 affluence as indigence itself, and the 
 essence of independence as impotence. 
 Now he becomes astonished at the 
 beauty of the All-Glorious, and now 
 he loathes his own being. Many are the 
 trees of significances uprooted by the 
 blast of astonishment, and many are the 
 souls it exhausted. For this valley sets 
 the traveler in agitation. But such 
 appearances are highly beloved and es- 
 teemed in the eye of one who has 
 attained. At every moment he witnesses 
 a wonderful world and a new creation, 
 he adds astonishment upon astonish- 
 ment, and he becomes dazed at the new 
 creation of the King of Oneness. 
 
 Yes, O brother, if we reflect upon any 
 of the creations we shall behold a 
 
 *Another translation uses the word "Perplexity" 
 instead of "Astonishment."
 
 hundred thousand consummate wis- 
 doms and learn a hundred thousand 
 knowledges. One of these worlds is that 
 of sleep (or dreams): consider what mys- 
 teries are deposited therein, what wisdoms 
 are stored therein! Consider: you sleep 
 in a certain house, the doors of which 
 are closed. All at once you find yourself 
 in a remote city; you enter it without 
 motion of the feet or exhaustion of the 
 body; you see without troubling the 
 eyes, you hear without distressing the 
 ears, and you speak without the use of 
 the tongue. There are times when it 
 happens that ten years afterwards 
 you will witness outwardly in the world 
 of time identically what thou hast seen 
 at this night in a dream. 
 
 Now, there are many wisdoms visible 
 in this dream; but others than the people 
 of this valley cannot comprehend them 
 as they are. First, what is that world 
 wherein, without eye, ear, hand or 
 tongue, one realizes the purpose of these 
 senses? Secondly, this day thou seest 
 in the world of reality the effect of a 
 dream which thou hast experienced ten
 
 years ago in the world of dreams. 
 Reflect upon the differences between 
 these two worlds, and the mysteries 
 deposited therein, so that thou may'st 
 attain unto the Confirmations and Rev- 
 elations of the Glorified One, and enter 
 into the world of Holiness. 
 
 God, the Exalted, has placed these 
 signs within the creatures, so that phil- 
 osophers may not deny the mysteries of 
 the after life, and not make light of that 
 whereunto they have been promised. 
 For some have clung to reason, and deny 
 whatever cannot be grasped by reason, 
 although the feeble reason can never 
 comprehend these same aforesaid con- 
 ditions, but only the Universal, Supreme 
 Reason (can do so). "How can finite 
 reason comprehend the Koran? How 
 can a spider hunt a Simurgh?"* 
 
 All these worlds (i. e., conditions) will 
 present themselves in the Valley of 
 Astonishment, and, at every moment, 
 the traveler seeks for an increase of such 
 
 *A Griffin. A fabulous bird, the conception of the 
 largest and rarest of birds ; mythologically conceived 
 as inhabiting the lofty peaks of Mt. Caucasus. 
 
 43
 
 without becoming exhausted. Hence 
 the " Lord of those gone by, and those 
 who are to come" has said concerning 
 the grades of reflection and the declara- 
 tion of astonishment: "O Lord! 
 Increase my astonishment in thee!" 
 
 Likewise, ponder over the complete- 
 ness of the creation of man: all these 
 worlds and all these grades are enveloped 
 and concealed in him. " Dost thou think 
 thy body a small thing, while in thee is 
 enfolded the universe*(or macrocosm)?" 
 Then an effort is needed that we annihi- 
 late the animal condition, in order that 
 the meaning of the human may become 
 manifest. 
 
 Likewise, Lokman,** who drank from 
 the fount of Wisdom and tasted of the 
 sea of Mercy, in demonstrating the 
 states of resurrection and death to his 
 son Nathan, gave the dream (or sleep) 
 
 *Said by Ali, addressing man. 
 
 **Name of an ancient wise man, said by some to 
 have been a son of Job's sister or aunt ; by others to 
 have been a disciple of David; by others a judge in 
 Israel ; while others declare him to have been an 
 emancipated Ethiopian slave, and author of the fables 
 current under his name. 
 
 44
 
 as a proof, and applied it as an illustra- 
 tion. We speak of it in this place, so 
 that this humble servant may leave here 
 a mention of that youth of the school 
 of Unity, who was aged in the stages of 
 instruction and abstraction. He said: 
 "O son! If thou be able to not sleep, 
 thou wilt be able to not die; and if thou 
 canst manage to not wake up from 
 sleep, thou canst manage to not resurrect 
 after death." 
 
 O friend! The heart is a store of 
 divine mysteries; make it not a recep- 
 tacle for mortal thoughts, and consume 
 not the capital of the precious life by 
 occupying thyself with this evanescent 
 world. Thou art of the world of 
 Holiness; attach not thy heart unto the 
 earth. Thou art a denizen of the court 
 of Nearness; choose not an earthly 
 home. 
 
 In fine, there is no end to mentioning 
 these grades, and this servant has no 
 composure on account of the injuries 
 done by the people of the world. "This 
 speech remained unfinished and incom- 
 plete. I am disheartened and downcast 
 
 45
 
 O forbear!" The pen laments and 
 the ink weeps, and the Jeyhoun (a river) 
 of the heart rolls with waves of blood. 
 Naught shall befall us, save that which 
 God hath decreed unto us! 
 
 Peace bt upon those who 
 follow Guidance! 
 
 After ascending to the lofty heights 
 of Astonishment the traveler arrives at 
 
 THE VALLEY OF ABSOLUTE POVERTY 
 AND ANNIHILATION. 
 
 This is the station of dying from self, 
 and living through God, of being poor 
 of one's self, and rich in the Desired 
 One. In this station poverty is men- 
 tioned as meaning one's indigence in all 
 that is of the world of creation, and 
 one's affluence in all that is of the worlds 
 of Truth. 
 
 For when a sincere lover and agree- 
 able friend attains to the meeting of the 
 beloved and desired one, a fire is 
 enkindled from the radiance of the beauty 
 of the beloved and the heat of the heart 
 of the lover, which consumes all cover-
 
 ings and veils: nay, whatever is with 
 him, even marrow and skin, will thereby 
 be burnt, and naught remain except the 
 friend. "When the attributes of the 
 Ancient One became manifest, then the 
 Interlocutor (Moses) consumed the attri- 
 butes of all things accidental." 
 
 In this station the one who has 
 attained is sanctified from all that per- 
 taineth to the world. If, therefore, those 
 who have attained to the sea of Union 
 do not possess any of the limited things 
 of this mortal world, be these things of 
 material belongings or of selfish 
 thoughts, there is no harm in that. For 
 whatever is possessed by men is confined 
 within its own limits, whereas that 
 which is God's is sanctified (from all 
 limitations). 
 
 Much reflection should be bestowed 
 on this explanation in order that the end 
 may become manifest. "Verily, the 
 just shall drink of a cup mixed 
 with Cafur (camphor)" (Koran). If the 
 meaning of "Cafur" be understood the 
 real aim will become evident. This 
 station is of that poverty, of which it is 
 
 47
 
 said: "Poverty is my glory" (Mo- 
 hammed). Many are the meanings and 
 grades of the outward and inward Pov- 
 erty, which I do not deem appropriate 
 to be mentioned in this place, and which 
 I therefore reserve for some other time, 
 if God will, and the Divine Decree may 
 ordain. 
 
 It is in this stage that the traces of 
 all things are destroyed in the traveler, 
 and the Beauty of the Face unveils itself 
 from the Orient of the Eternal World, 
 and the meaning of "Everything is 
 mortal save the face of God" becomes 
 manifest. 
 
 O my friend! Hearken to the melo- 
 dies of the Spirit with all thy heart and 
 soul, and preserve them as the sight of 
 thine eyes; for the Divine Enlighten- 
 ments will not always flow, like the 
 vernal rain, upon the soil of human 
 hearts. Although the bounty of the 
 Bountiful One is continual and free from 
 interruption, yet for every time and age 
 a certain portion is determined and a 
 certain benefit is ordained; and these 
 are bestowed (on men) according to a
 
 certain quantity and measure. "There 
 is no one thing but the store-houses 
 thereof are in Our Hands, and we 
 distribute not the same save in a 
 determinate measure" (Koran). 
 
 The cloud of Mercy of the Beloved- 
 One will pour down only on the garden 
 of the soul, and it will not bestow this 
 bounty except in times of spring. Other 
 seasons have no portion of this mightiest 
 Grace, and barren soils have no share 
 in this Favor. 
 
 O brother! Not every sea has pearls, 
 not every branch brings forth flowers 
 nor doth the nightingale sing thereon. 
 Therefore, so long as the Nightingale of 
 the Spiritual Planting hath not returned 
 to the Divine Rose-Garden, and the 
 Lights of the Spiritual Dawn have not 
 returned to the Sun of Reality, make 
 an effort perchance in this mortal land 
 thou may'st inhale a fragrance from the 
 Immortal Rose-Garden, and rest forever 
 under the shade of the people of this 
 City. When thou hast reached this 
 lofty, exalted grade and attained to this 
 great station, then wilt thou see the 
 
 49
 
 Friend, and forget strangers (i.e., all else 
 save Him). "The Friend, unveiled, is 
 manifest from every door and wall 
 (everywhere), O ye possessors of sight !" 
 Then thou hast abandoned the drop of 
 life, and reached the ocean of the Beloved 
 One! This is the goal which thou hast 
 demanded; God willing, thou may'st 
 attain thereto. 
 
 In this City even the veils of Light 
 are rent asunder, and vanish! "To His 
 Beauty there are no veils but Light, and 
 His face has no covering save manifes- 
 tation." How wonderful that the Well- 
 Beloved is manifest as the sun, while 
 strangers are in search of vanities and 
 riches (//'/., coins)! Yea, He is con- 
 cealed by the intensity of Manifestation, 
 and He is hidden by the ardor of 
 Emanation. "The True One hath 
 become manifest, like unto the shining 
 sun. Pity that He hath come in the 
 city of the blind!" 
 
 In this valley the traveler journeys 
 through the stages of "Oneness of 
 Existence"* and of Appearance, and will 
 
 *The mystic doctrine of the "Oneness of Exist- 
 ence" is outlined from this formula "Only God ex- 
 ists ; He is in all things, and all things are in Him." 
 
 5
 
 attain to a Oneness which is sanctified 
 above both these stations. (The con- 
 dition of) Ecstasy can penetrate this 
 saying, but not controversy nor conflict. 
 He who hath chosen an abode in this 
 meeting, or discovered a breeze from 
 this Garden, knoweth what I say. 
 
 In all these journeys the traveler must 
 not deviate, even for a hairVbreadth, 
 from the "Shari-at"* which is indeed 
 the mystery of "Tari-kat," and the fruit 
 of the tree of "Hakikat;" but in all the 
 stages he must cling to the hem of 
 obedience to the (Divine) Command- 
 ments, and lay firm hold of the rope 
 of shunning things forbidden by the 
 
 *The three stages of Sufi life are as follows : 
 
 I "Shari-at," i. e., Religious laws, or religious life. 
 
 II "Tari-kat," i. e., Traveling in search of Truth, 
 by finding the Perfect Man who embodies it and 
 guides men to it. This stage also includes "hermit 
 life." 
 
 III "Hakirat," i. e., Truth, to attain to which, 
 according to Sufis, depends upon passing through the 
 two preceding stages. 
 
 Here Baha'u'llah teaches that, contrary to what 
 some Sufis teach or believe, the laws of religion 
 must be the guide even when man has attained the 
 Truth, for Truth itself is embodied in the laws of 
 religion. To abandon the laws in any stage of de- 
 velopment would be sheer antimonianism, and 
 therefore a great error. 
 
 51
 
 Law, in order that he may drink from 
 the cup of "Shari-at" and comprehend 
 the mysteries of "Hakikat." 
 
 Concerning these explanations made 
 by this servant, whatever may not be 
 understood, or lead to perplexity, should 
 be questioned again, so that no doubts 
 may remain, and the object may become 
 manifest like unto the Countenance of 
 the Beloved One, from the "Honorable 
 Station." 
 
 Although these journeys have no 
 visible termination in the world of time, 
 yet, if the Invisible Assistance vouchsafe 
 a devoted traveler (//'/., one severed from 
 all else save God), and if the Guardian 
 of the Command (/'. e., the Manifestation 
 of God) help him, he will traverse these 
 seven stages in only seven steps, nay 
 in seven breaths, nay even in one 
 breath (or moment) if God will or desire. 
 "This is through His Bounty to 
 whomsoever He willeth." 
 
 Those who soar in the sky of One- 
 ness, and who have attained to the 
 sea of Abstraction, have accounted this 
 station, which is the station in this city
 
 of "Immortality in God," to be the 
 ultimate destination of the Arif (one 
 who is intimate with highest mystic 
 thoughts) and the ultimate home of the 
 Lovers. But, to this humble one of the 
 sea of Significances, this station is only 
 the first city-wall of the heart, that 
 is the first arrival of man at the City 
 of the Heart. 
 
 Four stages have been assigned to 
 the heart, of which we will make men- 
 tion, if there be found those who are 
 intimate with such (mysteries). "When 
 the pen reached the point of describing 
 this state, the pen broke and the paper 
 was torn." Finis. 
 
 O my friend! This gazelle of the 
 desert of Oneness is chased by many 
 hounds, and this nightingale of the 
 Garden of Eternity is followed by many 
 beaks; the crow of oppression is lain in 
 ambush for this bird of the Sky of 
 Divinity, and this prey of the Wilder- 
 ness of Love is pursued by the hunter 
 of jealousy. 
 
 53
 
 O Sheik! Make an effort; perchance 
 it may, as a globe, protect this lamp 
 from contrary winds; although it is the 
 hope of this lamp to shine in the Divine 
 Glass, and to be ablaze in the Ideal 
 Niche. For a neck which is lifted in 
 the Love of God will certainly be 
 severed by a sword, a head which is 
 raised in Love will assuredly be blown by 
 the winds, and a heart which is linked 
 to the Commemoration of the Beloved 
 will certainly be filled with blood.* 
 How well it is said (by the poet): 
 
 "Live on free (from love), for the 
 
 very repose of Love is distress : 
 Its beginning is pain, and its end is 
 death." 
 
 Peace be upon those who 
 follow Guidance! 
 
 What you had mentioned from your 
 excellent thoughts concerning the mean- 
 of the (name of) the well known bird, 
 called in Persian " Konjeshk" (sparrow), 
 was noted and realized. It seems that 
 
 *" Filled with blood," a Persian idiom meaning 
 full of grief t or rent asunder. 
 
 54
 
 you have become informed of the mys- 
 teries of significations. But, in every 
 state for every letter, a sense is intended 
 in accord with the requirements of that 
 state. Yea, the traveler (in search of 
 Truth) understands an allegory from 
 every name and a mystery from every 
 letter. 
 
 In one sense, these letters (composing 
 the word " Konjeshk," to-wit: K. N. J. 
 Sh. K.) bear allusion to "Sanctity." 
 "K" (refers to) "Kaffi," i. e. y "Empty" 
 thyself from that which is craved by thy 
 desire (or lust); then advance toward 
 thy Master. "N" (refers to) "Nazih," 
 i. e. y "Purify" thyself from all else save 
 Him, so that thou may'st sacrifice thy 
 soul in His Love. "J" (refers to) 
 "Jamb," i. <?., "Abstain from" the Pres- 
 ence of the True One, if the attributes 
 of the world still remain in thee. "Sh" 
 (refers to) "Ashkor," /. *., "Thank" thy 
 Lord on His earth, so that He may 
 thank (bless) thee in His Heaven; 
 although, in the world of Oneness, 
 Heaven is identical with His earth. "K" 
 (refers to) " Kaffi," /. *., " Remove" from 
 
 55
 
 thyself the limited veils, so that thou 
 may'st know that which thou hast not 
 known of the Stations of Sanctity. 
 
 If thou nearest the Melodies of this 
 mortal bird, thou wilt seek after the 
 Immortal, everlasting Chalice, and 
 abandon the mortal and transient cups. 
 
 Peace be upon those who 
 follow Guidance! 
 
 End of the "Seven Valleys'
 
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