On Prayer: ....for were a man to read a single verse with joy and radiance it would be better for him than to read with lassitude all the Holy Books of God

In the following Writing of Baha’u’llah, which is one of my favorites on the subject of prayer, He reveals certain qualities and attitudes regarding prayer as well as still more attributes of God. 

Earlier on in the sequence of posts on this blog on the subject of confession we were show some of the qualities of God in The Ninth Glad Tidings.  In this, among other clarifications that are 180 degrees from what one might think on this subject, I find at the very root of the matter He (God) wants us to know without any uncertainty that “Verily He is the Compassionate, the Merciful”.    No matter what it is that we have done …still He …  exalted be His glory -- wisheth not the humiliation of His servants.

Beautiful, yes?  

Here, once again this same theme comes into play but this time on the subject of prayer.   That is, contrary to what we might think about prayer such as….BIGGER is better, higher frequency is more praiseworthy, the greater the length the more acceptable, the amount and quality of our pious deeds, or what company we are in would be the standard by which our prayers are graded, yes?  We see instead, the following: 

Recite ye the verses of God every morn and eventide. Whoso faileth to recite them hath not been faithful to the Covenant of God and His Testament, and whoso turneth away from these holy verses in this Day is of those who throughout eternity have turned away from God. Fear ye God, O My servants, one and all. Pride not yourselves on much reading of the verses or on a multitude of pious acts by night and day; for were a man to read a single verse with joy and radiance it would be better for him than to read with lassitude all the Holy Books of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.  Read ye the sacred verses in such measure that ye be not overcome by languor and despondency.  Lay not upon your souls that which will weary them and weigh them down, but rather what will lighten and uplift them, so that they may soar on the wings of the Divine verses towards the Dawning-place of His manifest signs; this will draw you nearer to God, did ye but comprehend.

(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Book), p. 73)

There is a lot contained in this passage but I found this portion of particular interest today.  I say today because, tomorrow it easily could be another sentence in this passage.  Static does not exist in this plane. 

…”Read ye the sacred verses in such measure that ye be not overcome by languor and despondency.  Lay not upon your souls that which will weary them and weigh them down, but rather what will lighten and uplift them”…

In summary, from my limited insight, it appears to me the main message is to point to condition….  condition of the heart.  It kind of reminds me of when my mother would clutch me by the arm and pull me over to my brother and have me apologize to him for whatever misgivings I had done.   If she couldn’t detect any REAL “I’m sorry”…it didn’t count.  My brother included.  Strange how after all these years my brother was replaced by my wife.  Lol  Once again… an apology doesn’t count if the condition of the heart is “off” shall we say.  If both my wife and my brothers can detect the slightest subtlety of where my heart is, it seems clear I am not going to get any false pretense past “The Big Guy”. 

So here in lies the work.  Trying to achieve that “condition” as it were, “joy and radiance”.   This is very helpful knowledge to be privy to but like anything and everything… it is not the end but, rather the beginning.  It would be like your coach, instructor, or teacher telling you at the beginning of the season/class what you will need and how to prepare for the season at hand.  From my experience, this is where you learn and grow, not by having the syllabus in hand; it is the conditioning as a team and/or individual, the essays, the labs, the books you read, the commitment to a group with a unified vision or goal. Therefore, the only question is, do you acknowledge the coach and his or her wisdom enough that you can and will commit?

Here is a little gem about this Days Coach (Physician)…

CVI. The All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind. He perceiveth the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the remedy. Every age hath its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world needeth in its present-day afflictions can never be the same as that which a subsequent age may require. Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and center your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.

We can well perceive how the whole human race is encompassed with great, with incalculable afflictions. We see it languishing on its bed of sickness, sore-tried and disillusioned. They that are intoxicated by self-conceit have interposed themselves between it and the Divine and infallible Physician. Witness how they have entangled all men, themselves included, in the mesh of their devices. They can neither discover the cause of the disease, nor have they any knowledge of the remedy. They have conceived the straight to be crooked, and have imagined their friend an enemy.

Incline your ears to the sweet melody of this Prisoner. Arise, and lift up your voices, that haply they that are fast asleep may be awakened. Say: O ye who are as dead! The Hand of Divine bounty proffereth unto you the Water of Life. Hasten and drink your fill. Whoso hath been re-born in this Day, shall never die; whoso remaineth dead, shall never live.

        (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 212)

Peace…