I dream'd in a dream I saw a city invincible to the attacks of the whole of the rest of the earth,
I dream'd that was the new city of Friends,
Nothing was greater there than the quality of robust love, it led the rest,
It was seen every hour in the actions of the men of that city,
And in all their looks and words.
Walt Whitman
I have not secured permission from publishers holding copyright
on these quotations. This list is for private use, although I am happy to
share it with friends who are curious about dreams in the Baha'i Faith.
Day and night, while confined in that dungeon, We meditated
upon the deeds, the condition, and the conduct of the Babis, wondering
what could have led a people so high-minded, so noble, and of such
intelligence, to perpetrate such an audacious and outrageous act against
the person of His Majesty. This Wronged One, thereupon, decided to
arise, after His release from prison, and undertake, with the utmost
vigor, the task of regenerating this people.
One night, in a dream, these exalted words were heard on every
side: "Verily, We shall render Thee victorious by Thyself and by Thy
Pen. Grieve Thou not for that which hath befallen Thee, neither be
Thou afraid, for Thou art in safety. Erelong will God raise up the
treasures of the earth--men who will aid Thee through Thyself and
through Thy Name, wherewith God hath revived the hearts of such as
have recognized Him."
-
In one of His writings revealed in the year '60 A.H., the Bab
declares the following: "The spirit of prayer which animates My soul is
the direct consequence of a dream which I had in the year before the
declaration of My Mission. In My vision I saw the head of the Imam
Husayn, the Siyyidu'-sh-Shuhada', which was hanging on a tree. Drops of
blood dripped profusely from His lacerated throat. With feelings of
unsurpassed delight, I approached that tree and, stretching forth My hands,
gathered a few drops of that sacred blood, and drank them devoutly. When
I awoke, I felt that the Spirit of God had permeated and taken possession of
My soul. My heart was thrilled with the joy of His Divine presence, and
the mysteries of His Revelation were unfolded before My eyes in all their
glory."
Among the Prophets was Abraham, the Friend of God. Ere He
manifested Himself, Nimrod dreamed a dream. Thereupon, he summoned
the soothsayers, who informed him of the rise of a star in the heaven.
Likewise, there appeared a herald who announced throughout the land the
coming of Abraham.
When Baha'u'llah was still a child, the Vazir, His father, dreamed a
dream. Baha'u'llah appeared to him swimming in a vast, limitless ocean.
His body shone upon the waters with a radiance that illumined the sea.
Around His head, which could distinctly be seen above the waters, there
radiated, in all directions, His long, jet-black locks, floating in great
profusion above the waves. As he dreamed, a multitude of fishes
gathered round Him, each holding fast to the extremity of one hair.
Fascinated by the effulgence of His face, they followed Him in whatever
direction He swam. Great as was their number, and however firmly they
clung to His locks, not one single hair seemed to have been detached
from His head, nor did the least injury affect His person. Free and
unrestrained, He moved above the waters and they all followed Him.
The Vazir, greatly impressed by this dream, summoned a
soothsayer, who had achieved fame in that region, and asked him to
interpret it for him. This man, as if inspired by a premonition of the
future glory of Baha'u'llah, declared: "The limitless ocean that you have
seen in your dream, O Vazir, is none other than the world of being.
Single-handed and alone, your son will achieve supreme ascendancy over
it. Wherever He may please, He will proceed unhindered. No one will
resist His march, no one will hinder His progress. The multitude of
fishes signifies the turmoil which He will arouse amidst the peoples and
kindreds of the earth. Around Him will they gather, and to Him will they
cling. Assured of the unfailing protection of the Almighty, this tumult
will never harm His person, nor will His loneliness upon the sea of life
endanger His safety."
That soothsayer was subsequently taken to see Baha'u'llah. He
looked intently upon His face, and examined carefully His features. He
was charmed by His appearance, and extolled every trait of His
countenance. Every expression in that face revealed to his eyes a sign of
His concealed glory. So great was his admiration, and so profuse his
praise of Baha'u'llah, that the Vazir, from that day, became even more
passionately devoted to his son. The words spoken by that soothsayer
served to fortify his hopes and confidence in Him.
"When Baha'u'llah was a child of five or six years, He dreamt that
he was in a garden where huge birds were flying overhead and attacking
Him, but they could not harm Him; then he went to bathe in the sea, and
there he was attacked by fishes, but they too could cause Him no injury.
Baha'u'llah related this strange dream to His father, and Mirza Buzurg sent
for a man who claimed to interpret dreams. After making his calculations,
he told Mirza Buzurg that the expanse of the sea was this world in its
entirety, and the birds and fishes were the peoples of the world assailing his
Son, because He would promulgate something of vital importance related to
the minds of men. But they would be powerless to harm Him, for He
would triumph over them all to achieve a momentous matter.
In truth, from the age of twelve until I stood in the Most Holy
Presence, I had many dreams which are worth hearing-which can make one
heedful, so that when one is subjected to difficulties and trials he may be able
to bear them patiently. He will know that there is a wisdom hidden behind the
mystic veil, and he will not become sorrow-stricken or dejected. . . .
When the believers dispersed from Niyala in groups, each taking a
different route, the inhabitants of Niyala followed them and martyred
whoever they could lay their hands on. My brother and I and several other
people continued on our way [after the attack], when suddenly my brother
was overcome with a feeling of great weakness. We arrived at a ruined
caravanserai, and here we spent the night. My brother died there, and the
other friends, fearing attack by our enemies, each crept away in some
direction during the night. So, only I and my brother's corpse remained. In
the morning, I left the caravanserai and stood bewildered and confused at the
roadside, wondering how to go about burying my brother and how to save
my own skin from the enemies.
Suddenly, I saw a women coming toward me from a distance.
When she reached me she asked: "Who are you and why are you standing
here?"
I told her: "My brother died in this caravanserai last night, and I am
at a loss as to how to go about burying him."
The woman said, "Do not worry about this, for I have come to
perform this very service. Last night I dreamt that her holiness Fatimih
Zahra, upon her be peace, said to me, 'One of my children has died in this
caravanserai. You must go tomorrow and bury him.' Now, I have come to
fulfil her command. . .
. . . Finally, one night I came down from the roof in a bad temper
and found myself very depressed. That night I dreamed I was walking in a
wilderness, and someone was following me. Suddenly he caught up with me,
and I saw that he was riding a horse. He asked, "Why are you afraid? Come,
climb up behind me and I will take you wherever you want to go." He helped
me mount and asked: "What is your desire?"
I said, "I beg God to give me two wings, so I can fly."
The rider took hold of me and helped me up. Suddenly, I realized
that I had two wings and was flying. I flew for some time until I reached a
vast arena full of people. I saw a high pulpit on which the Prophet
Muhammad stood. All the prophets and messengers were seated there. At
that moment, I turned into a dove. I flew up and settled in one of the niches
on the pulpit.
The Prophet placed a necklace around my neck and I flew away to
unseen places that no words can describe. There I saw people in a state of
prayer, among them my mother. I gave her the necklace and flew away again.
Then, I awoke. I was exhilarated and began to cry. My poor mother
came to me to find out what was wrong. All that day I felt strange. After
that, on most nights I would dream that I was soaring. And I was extremely
happy because I knew that dreams of flying are good omens.
One night I dreamt that Fatimih Zahra had come to our house to
propose that one of us marry her son. My sister and I went forward with
joy and delight to welcome her. She arose and kissed me on the forehead.
In my dream, I understood she had selected me. I awoke in the morning
exhilarated, and yet modesty forbade me from telling my dream to
anyone. ON that very day at noon, the Bab's mother came to our house.
My sister and I went to greet her in the same way we had done in my
dream. She arose and kissed me on the forehead and held me in her arms,
then she left. My older sister told me that she had come to ask for my
hand, and I said, "O, how fortunate I am!" I related the dream I had had
and said, "This dream has brought joy to my heart."
I dreamt that I was walking in a vast wilderness. A pearl necklace
that I was wearing suddenly broke, and all the pearls fell to the ground.
With a heavy heart, I started to pick them up. Then I suddenly saw that
each pearl was growing until it became the size of an egg or even larger.
Some had joined together. They sparkled and shone so much that they
illuminated the wilderness. It was so beautiful and pleasing that the words
of the Bab recorded in the Persian Bayan came to mind: "Endeavor ye, to
present every unique and precious object to him who God shall make
manifest." I told myself that it would be good to take these pearls and
present them to the Blessed Beauty when I attained his presence. A
container appeared, and I placed the pearls in it and lifted it onto my head.
In a loud voice I called, "O Thou whom God shall make
manifest! O Thou whom God shall make manifest!" After proceeding for
some time, I saw that a branch had grown out of the middle of the
container. It seemed to be guiding me to the holy land by alternately
rising and prostrating. As it did so, a melodious voice could be heard
coming from the branch, intoning "Allah-u-Akbar! Allah-u-Azam!
Allah-u-Abha!" I joined in with this glorification and praise.
My moans and exclamations in my sleep were so loud that my
brother, Sayyid Yahya, awoke and roused me saying, "Sister, sister, what
has happened to you that you moan and cry out so much?"
I told him of my dream, but I could not describe it adequately.
Right then and there, I wrote down all that had occurred in my dream and
sent it to my mother in Isfahan.
ON THE eve of the Bab's arrival at Kashan, Haji Mirza Jani,
surnamed Parpa, a noted resident of that city, dreamed that he was
standing at a late hour in the afternoon at the gate of Attar, one of the
gates of the city, when his eyes suddenly beheld the Bab on horseback
wearing, instead of His customary turban, the kulah usually worn by the
merchants of Persia. Before Him, as well as behind Him, marched a
number of horsemen into whose custody He seemed to have been
delivered. As they approached the gate, the Bab saluted him and said:
"Haji Mirza Jani, We are to be your Guest for three nights. Prepare
yourself to receive Us."
When he awoke, the vividness of his dream convinced him
of the reality of his vision. This unexpected apparition constituted in his
eyes a providential warning which he felt it his duty to heed and observe.
He accordingly set out to prepare his house for the reception of the
Visitor, and to provide whatever seemed necessary for His comfort. As
soon as he had completed the preliminary arrangements for the banquet
which he had decided to offer the Bab that night, Haji Mirza Jani
proceeded to the gate of Attar, and there waited for the signs of the Bab's
expected arrival. At the appointed hour, as he was scanning the horizon,
he descried in the distance what seemed to him a company of horsemen
approaching the gate of the city. As he hastened to meet them, his eyes
recognised the Bab surrounded by His escort dressed in the same clothes
and wearing the same expression as he had seen the night before in his
dream. Haji Mirza Jani joyously approached Him and bent to kiss His
stirrups. The Bab prevented him, saying: "We are to be your Guest for
three nights. To-morrow is the day of Naw-Ruz; we shall celebrate it
together in your home." Muhammad Big, who had been riding close to
the Bab, thought Him to be an intimate acquaintance of Haji Mirza Jani.
Turning to him, he said: "I am ready to abide by whatever is the desire
of the Siyyid-i-Bab. I would ask you, however, to obtain the approval of
my colleague who shares with me the charge of conducting the Siyyid-i-
Bab to Tihran." Haji Mirza Jani submitted his request and was met with a
flat refusal. "I decline your suggestion," he was told. "I have been most
emphatically instructed not to allow this youth to enter any city until his
arrival at the capital. I have been particularly commanded to spend the
night outside the gate of the city, to break my march at the hour of
sunset, and to resume it the next day at the hour of dawn. I cannot depart
from the orders that have been given to me." This gave rise to a heated
altercation which was eventually settled in favour of Muhammad Big,
who succeeded in inducing his opponent to deliver the Bab into the
custody of Haji Mirza Jani with the express understanding that on the third
morning he should safely deliver back his Guest into their hands. Haji
Mirza Jani, who had intended to invite to his home the entire escort of
the Bab, was advised by Him to abandon this intention. "No one but
you," He urged, "should accompany Me to your home." Haji Mirza Jani
requested to be allowed to defray the expense of the horsemen's three
days' stay in Kashan. "It is unnecessary," observed the Bab; "but for My
will, nothing whatever could have induced them to deliver Me into your
hands. All things lie prisoned within the grasp of His might. Nothing is
impossible to Him. He removes every difficulty and surmounts every
obstacle." The horsemen were lodged in a caravanserai in the immediate
neighbourhood of the gate of the city. Muhammad Big, following the
instructions of the Bab, accompanied Him until they drew near the house
of Haji Mirza Jani. Having ascertained the actual situation of the house, he
returned and joined his companions.
According to the "Memorials of the Faithful" (pp. 291-8), Tahirih
had two sons and one daughter, none of whom recognised the truth of the
Cause. Such was the degree of her knowledge and attainment, that her
father, Haji Mulla Salih often expressed his regret in the following terms:
"Would that she had been a boy for he would have shed illumination upon
my household, and would have succeeded me!" She became acquainted
with the writings of Shaykh Ahmad while staying in the home of her
cousin, Mulla Javad, from whose library she borrowed these books, and
took them over to her home. Her father raised violent objections to her
action and, in his heated discussions with her, denounced and criticised
the teachings of Shaykh Ahmad. Tahirih refused to heed the counsels of
her father, and engaged in secret correspondence with Siyyid Kazim, who
conferred upon her the name of "Qurratu'l-'Ayn." The title of "Tahirih"
was first associated with her name while she was staying in Badasht, and
was subsequently approved by the Bab. From Qazvin she left for
Karbila, hoping to meet Siyyid Kazim, but arrived too late, the Siyyid
having passed away ten days before her arrival. She joined the
companions of the departed leader, and spent her time in prayer and
meditation, eagerly expecting the appearance of Him whose advent Siyyid
Kazim had foretold. While in that city, she dreamed a dream. A youth, a
Siyyid, wearing a black cloak and a green turban, appeared to her in the
heavens, who with upraised hands was reciting certain verses, one of
which she noted down in her book. She awoke from her dream greatly
impressed by her strange experience. When, later on, a copy of the
"Ahsanu'l-Qisas," the Bab's commentary on the Surih of Joseph, reached
her, she, to her intense delight, discovered that same verse which she had
heard in her dream in that book. That discovery assured her of the truth
of the Message which the Author of that work had proclaimed. She
herself undertook the translation of the "Ahsanu'l-Qisas" into Persian,
and exerted the utmost effort for its spread and interpretation. For three
months her house in Karbila was besieged by the guards whom the
Governor had appointed to watch and prevent her from associating with
the people. From Karbila she proceeded to Baghdad, and lived for a time
the house of Shaykh Muhammad-i-Shibl, from which place she
transferred her residence to another quarter, and was eventually taken to
the home of the Mufti, where she stayed for about three months.
The night before his arrival at Mah-Ku, which was the eve of the
fourth Naw-Ruz after the declaration of the Mission of the Bab, and
which fell in that year, the year 1264 A.H., [1848 A.D.] on the thirteenth
of the month of Rabi'u'th-Thani, Ali Khan dreamed a dream. "In my
sleep," he thus relates his story, "I was startled by the sudden intelligence
that Muhammad, the Prophet of God, was soon to arrive at Mah-Ku, that
He was to proceed directly to the castle in order to visit the Bab and to
offer Him His congratulations on the advent of the Naw-Ruz festival. In
my dream, I ran out to meet Him, eager to extend to so holy a Visitor
the expression of my humble welcome. In a state of indescribable
gladness, I hastened on foot in the direction of the river, and as I reached
the bridge, which lay at a distance of a maydan from the town of Mah-
Ku, I saw two men advancing towards me. I thought one of them to be
the Prophet Himself, while the other who walked behind Him I supposed
to be one of His distinguished companions. I hastened to throw myself at
His feet, and was bending to kiss the hem of His robe, when I suddenly
awoke. A great joy had flooded my soul. I felt as if Paradise itself, with
all its delights, had been crowded into my heart. Convinced of the
reality of my vision, I performed my ablutions, offered my prayer,
arrayed myself in my richest attire, anointed myself with perfume, and
proceeded to the spot where, the night before in my dream, I had gazed
upon the countenance of the Prophet. I had instructed my attendants to
saddle three of my best and swiftest steeds and to conduct them
immediately to the bridge. The sun had just risen when, alone and
unescorted, I walked out of the town of Mah-Ku in the direction of the
river. As I approached the bridge, I discovered, with a throb of wonder,
the two men whom I had seen in my dream walking one behind the other,
and advancing towards me. Instinctively I fell at the feet of the one
whom I believed to be the Prophet, and devoutly kissed them. I begged
Him and His companion to mount the horses which I had prepared for
their entry into Mah-Ku. 'Nay,' was His reply, 'I have vowed to
accomplish the whole of my journey on foot. I will walk to the summit
of this mountain and will there visit your Prisoner.'"
This strange experience of Ali Khan brought about a
deepening of reverence in his attitude towards the Bab. His faith in the
potency of His Revelation became even greater, and his devotion to Him
was vastly increased.
It came to pass at that time that a prominent official of high
literary ability, Mirza Asadu'llah, who was later surnamed Dayyan by the
Bab and whose vehement denunciations of His Message had baffled those
who had endeavoured to convert him, dreamed a dream. When he
awoke, he determined not to recount it to anyone, and, fixing his choice
on two verses of the Qur'an, he addressed the following request to the
Bab: "I have conceived three definite things in my mind. I request you
to reveal to me their nature." Mirza Muhammad-'Ali was asked to
submit this written request to the Bab. A few days later, he received a
reply penned in the Bab's handwriting, in which He set forth in their
entirety the circumstances of that dream and revealed a the exact texts of
those verses. The accuracy of that reply brought about a sudden
conversion. Though unused to walking, Mirza Asadu'llah hastened on
foot along that steep and stony path which led from Khuy to the castle.
His friends tried to induce him to proceed on horseback to Chihriq, but
he refused their offer. His meeting with the Bab confirmed him in his
belief and excited that fiery ardour which he continued to manifest to the
end of his life.
The night preceding their arrival, the guardian of the shrine
dreamed that the Siyyidu'sh-Shuhada', the Imam Husayn, had arrived at
Shaykh Tabarsi, accompanied by no less than seventy-two warriors and
a large number or his companions. He dreamed that they tarried in that
spot, engaged in the most heroic of battles, triumphing in every
encounter over the forces of the enemy, and that the Prophet of God,
Himself, arrived one night and joined that blessed company. When
Mulla Husayn arrived on the following day, the guardian immediately
recognised him as the hero he had seen in his vision, threw himself at his
feet, and kissed them devoutly. Mulla Husayn invited him to be seated
by his side, and heard him relate his story. "All that you have witnessed,"
he assured the keeper of the shrine, "will come to pass. Those glorious
scenes will again be enacted before your eyes." That servant threw in his
lot eventually with the heroic defenders of the fort and fell a martyr
within its walls. The night preceding their arrival, the guardian of the
shrine dreamed that the Siyyidu'sh-Shuhada', the Imam Husayn, had
arrived at Shaykh Tabarsi, accompanied by no less than seventy-two
warriors and a large number or his companions. He dreamed that they
tarried in that spot, engaged in the most heroic of battles, triumphing in
every encounter over the forces of the enemy, and that the Prophet of
God, Himself, arrived one night and joined that blessed company. When
Mulla Husayn arrived on the following day, the guardian immediately
recognised him as the hero he had seen in his vision, threw himself at his
feet, and kissed them devoutly. Mulla Husayn invited him to be seated
by his side, and heard him relate his story. "All that you have witnessed,"
he assured the keeper of the shrine, "will come to pass. Those glorious
scenes will again be enacted before your eyes." That servant threw in his
lot eventually with the heroic defenders of the fort and fell a martyr
within its walls.
"We were awakened one night, ere break of day, by Mirza Abdu'l-
Vahhab-i-Shirazi, who was bound with Us to the same chains. He had left
Kazimayn and followed Us to Tihran, where he was arrested and thrown
into prison. He asked Us whether We were awake, and proceeded to
relate to Us his dream. 'I have this night,' he said, 'been soaring into a
space of infinite vastness and beauty. I seemed to be uplifted on wings
that carried me wherever I desired to go. A feeling of rapturous delight
filled my soul. I flew in the midst of that immensity with a swiftness and
ease that I cannot describe.' 'To-day,' We replied, 'it will be your turn
to sacrifice yourself for this Cause. May you remain firm and steadfast to
the end. You will then find yourself soaring in that same limitless space
of which you dreamed, traversing with the same ease and swiftness the
realm of immortal sovereignty, and gazing with that same rapture upon
the Infinite Horizon.'
"That morning saw the gaoler again enter Our cell and call out
the name of Abdu'l-Vahhab. Throwing off his chains, he sprang to his
feet, embraced each of his fellow-prisoners, and, taking Us into his arms,
pressed Us lovingly to his heart. That moment We discovered that he had
no shoes to wear We gave him Our own, and, speaking a last word of
encouragement and cheer, sent him forth to the scene of his martyrdom.
Later on, his executioner came to Us, praising in glowing language the
spirit which that youth had shown.
How thankful We were to God for this testimony which the
executioner himself had given!"
Siyyid Kazim, in his book entitled "Dalilu'l-Mutahayyirin,"
writes as follows: "Our master, one night, saw the Imam Hasan; upon
him may the blessing of God rest! His Holiness put in his mouth his
blessed tongue. From the adorable saliva of His Holiness he drew forth
the sciences and the assistance of God. To the taste it was sweeter even
than honey, more perfumed than the musk. It was also quite warm.
When he came to himself and wakened from his dream, he inwardly
radiated the light of divine contemplation; his soul overflowed with the
blessings of God and became entirely severed from everything save God.
"The Shah felt his good will and respect for the Shaykh grow
increasingly from day to day. He felt obliged to obey him and would have
considered it an act of blasphemy to oppose him. However, at this time, a
succession of earthquakes occurred in Rayy and many were destroyed.
"The Shah had a dream in which it was revealed to him that, if
Shaykh Ahmad had not been there, the entire city would have been
destroyed and all the inhabitants killed. He awakened terrified and his
faith in the Shaykh grew apace."
"As to thy question concerning the worlds of God. Know thou of a
truth that the worlds of God are countless in their number, and infinite in
their range. None can reckon or comprehend them except God, the All-
Knowing, the All-Wise. Consider thy state when asleep. Verily, I say, this
phenomenon is the most mysterious of the signs of God amongst men, were
they to ponder it in their hearts. Behold how the thing which thou hast seen
in thy dream is, after a considerable lapse of time, fully realized. Had the
world in which thou didst find thyself in thy dream been identical with the
world in which thou livest, it would have been necessary for the event
occurring in that dream to have transpired in this world at the very moment
of its occurrence. Were it so, you yourself would have borne witness unto
it. This being not the case, however, it must necessarily follow that the
world in which thou livest is different and apart from that which thou hast
experienced in thy dream. This latter world hath neither beginning nor end.
It would be true if thou were wert to contend that this same world is, as
decreed by the All-Glorious and Almighty God, within thy proper self and is
wrapped up within thee. It would equally be true to maintain that thy spirit,
having transcended the limitations of sleep and having stripped itself of all
earthly attachment, hath, by the act of God, been made to traverse a realm
which lieth hidden in the innermost reality of this world. Verily I say, the
creation of God embraceth worlds besides this world, and creatures apart
from these creatures. In each of these worlds He hath ordained things which
none can search except Himself, the All-Searching, the All-Wise. Do thou
meditate on that which We have revealed unto thee, that thou mayest
discover the purpose of God, thy Lord, and the Lord of all worlds..."
In several of Our Tablets We have referred to this
theme, and have set forth the various stages in the
development of the soul. Verily I say, the human soul is
exalted above all egress and regress. It is still, and yet it
soareth; it moveth, and yet it is still. It is, in itself, a
testimony that beareth witness to the existence of a world
that is contingent, as well as to the reality of a world that
hath neither beginning nor end. Behold how the dream
thou hast dreamed is, after the lapse of many years, re-
enacted before thine eyes. Consider how strange is the
mystery of the world that appeareth to thee in thy dream.
Ponder in thine heart upon the unsearchable wisdom of God,
and meditate on its manifold revelations....
"In prayer there is a mingling of station, a mingling of
condition. Pray for them as they pray for you! When you do not know
it, and are in a receptive attitude, they are able to make suggestions to
you, if you are in difficulty. This sometimes happens in sleep; but there is
no phenomenal intercourse! That which seems like phenomenal
intercourse has another explanation." The questioner exclaimed; "But I
have heard a voice!" Abdu'l-Baha said: "Yes, that is possible; we hear
voices clearly in dreams. It is not with the physical ear that you heard; the
spirit of those that have passed on are freed from sense-life, and do not
use physical means. It is not possible to put these great matters into
human words; the language of man is the language of children, and man's
explanation often leads astray."
Often a man makes up his mind positively about a matter; for
instance he determines to undertake a journey. Then he thinks it over,
that is, he consults his inner reality and finally concludes that he will give
up his journey. What has happened? Why did he abandon his original
purpose? It is evident that he has consulted his inner reality which
expresses to him the disadvantages of such a journey, therefore he defers
to that reality and changes his original intention.
Furthermore man sees in the world of dreams. He travels in the
East, he travels in the West, although his body is stationary, his body is
here. It is that reality in him which makes the journey while the body
sleeps. There is no doubt that a reality exists other than the outward,
physical reality. Again for instance a person is dead, is buried in the
ground. Afterward you see him in the world of dreams and speak with
him although his body is interred in the earth. Who is the person you see
in your dreams, talk to and who also speaks with you? This again proves
that there is another reality different from the physical one which dies
and is buried. Thus it is certain that in man there is a reality which is not
the physical body. Sometimes the body becomes weak but that other
reality is in its own normal state. The body goes to sleep, becomes as one
dead but that reality is moving about, comprehending things, expressing
them and is even conscious of itself.
The visions of the Prophets are not dreams; no, they are
spiritual discoveries and have reality. They say, for example: "I saw a
person in a certain form, and I said such a thing, and he gave such an
answer." This vision is in the world of wakefulness, and not in that of
sleep. Nay, it is a spiritual discovery. ...
...Among spiritual souls there are spiritual understandings,
discoveries, a communion which is purified from imagination and fancy,
an association which is sanctified from time and place. So it is written in
the Gospel that on Mount Tabor, Moses and Elias came to Christ, and it is
evident that this was not a material meeting. It was a spiritual condition.
...
...[Communications such as] these are real, and produce
wonderful effects in the minds and thoughts of men, and cause their hearts
to be attracted.
As in a dream one talks with a friend while the mouth is silent,
so is it in the conversation of the spirit. A man may converse with the
ego within him saying: "May I do this? Would it be advisable for me to
do this work?" Such as this is conversation with the higher self.
Consider man while in the state of sleep; it is evident that all his
parts and members are at a standstill, are functionless. His eye does not
see, his ear does not hear, his feet and hands are motionless; but,
nevertheless, he does see in the world of dreams, he does hear, he speaks,
he walks, he may even fly in an airplane. Therefore, it becomes evident
that though the body be dead, yet the spirit is alive and permanent. Nay,
the perceptions may be keener when man's body is asleep, the flight may
be higher, the hearing may be more acute; all the functions are there, and
yet the body is at a standstill. Hence, it is proof that there is a spirit in the
man, and in this spirit there is no distinction as to whether the body be
asleep or absolutely dead and dependent. The spirit is not incapacitated
by these conditions; it is not bereft of its existence; it is not bereft of its
perfections. The proofs are many, innumerable.
Sometimes the body sleeps, the eyes do not see, the ears do not hear,
the members cease to act, every function is as inactive as death;
nevertheless, the spirit sees, hears and soars on high. For it is possessed
of these faculties which operate without the instrumentality of the body.
In the world of thought it sees without eyes, hears without ears and travels
without the motion of foot. Without physical force it exercises every
function. This makes it evident that during sleep the spirit is alive though
the body is as dead. In the world of dreams the body becomes absolutely
passive, but the spirit still functions actively, possessed of all
susceptibilities. This leads to the conclusion that the life of the spirit is
neither conditional nor dependent upon the life of the body. At most it
can be said that the body is a mere garment utilized by the spirit. If that
garment be destroyed, the wearer is not affected but is, in fact, protected.
Second, consider the world of dreams, wherein the body of
man is immovable, seemingly dead, not subject to sensation; the eyes do
not see, the ears do not hear nor the tongue speak. But the spirit of man
is not asleep; it sees, hears, moves, perceives and discovers realities.
Therefore, it is evident that the spirit of man is not affected by the change
or condition of the body. Even though the material body should die, the
spirit continues eternally alive, just as it exists and functions in the inert
body in the realm of dreams. That is to say, the spirit is immortal and
will continue its existence after the destruction of the body.
"A few days before the arrival of the Commission of Enquiry 'Abdu'l-
Baha had a dream which He related to the Baha'is. He dreamt that a ship
sailed into the bay of Haifa, and birds resembling dynamite flew inland from
it. The people of 'Akka were terrified, and he stood among them, calm and
collected, watching these birds. They circled and circled over the town and
then went back whence they had come. There was no explosion. 'Abdu'l-
Baha said that danger loomed, but it would pass and no harm would result.
Out of the many signs of the approach of the hour when he could
say of his work on earth: 'It is finished', the following two dreams seem
remarkable. Less than eight weeks before his passing the Master related this
to his family:
'I seemed to be standing within a great Mosque . . . in the place of
the Imam himself. I became aware that a large number of people were
flocking into the Mosque; more and yet more crowded in, taking their places
in rows behind me, until there was a vast multitude. As I stood I raised
loudly the "Call to Prayer". Suddenly the thought came to me to go forth
from the Mosque.
'When I found myself outside I said within myself, "For what
reason came I forth, not having led the prayer? But it matters not; now that
I have uttered the Call to Prayer, the vast multitude will of themselves chant
the prayer. . ."'
A few weeks after the preceding dream the Master come in from
the solitary room in the garden, which he had occupied of late, and said:
'I dreamed a dream and behold the Blessed Beauty . . . came and
said unto me, "Destroy this room!"'
The family, who had been wishing that he would come and sleep in
the house, not being happy that he should be alone at night, exclaimed, 'Yes
Master, we think your dream means that you should leave that room and
come into the house.' When he heard this from us, he smiled meaningly as
though not agreeing with our interpretation. Afterwards we understood that
by the 'room' was meant the temple of his body.
The letter thou hast enclosed was perused. When man's soul is
rarified and cleansed, spiritual links are established, and from these bonds
sensations felt by the heart are produced. The human heart resembleth a
mirror. When this is purified human hearts are attuned and reflect one
another, and thus spiritual emotions are generated. This is like the world
of dreams when man is detached from things which are tangible and
experienceth those of the spirit. What amazing laws operate, and what
remarkable discoveries are made! And it may even be that detailed
communications are registered...
As for that mighty solar orb which thou didst behold in thy dream,
that was the Promised One, and its spreading rays were His bounties, and
the translucent surface of the mass of water signifieth hearts that are
undefiled and pure, while the surging waves denote the great excitement
of those hearts and the fact that they were shaken and deeply moved, that
is, the waves are the stirrings of the spirit and holy intimations of the
soul. Praise thou God that in the world of the dream thou hast witnessed
such disclosures.
The other manifestation of the powers and actions of the spirit is
without instruments and organs. For example, in the state of sleep
without eyes it sees; without an ear it hears; without a tongue it speaks;
without feet it runs. Briefly, these actions are beyond the means of
instruments and organs. How often it happens that it sees a dream in the
world of sleep, and its signification becomes apparent two years
afterward in corresponding events. In the same way, how many times it
happens that a question which one cannot solve in the world of
wakefulness is solved in the world of dreams. In wakefulness the eye sees
only for a short distance, but in dreams he who is in the East sees the
West. Awake he sees the present; in sleep he sees the future. In
wakefulness, by means of rapid transit, at the most he can travel only
eighty miles an hour; in sleep, in the twinkling of an eye, he traverses the
East and West. For the spirit travels in two different ways: without
means, which is spiritual traveling; and with means, which is material
traveling: as birds which fly, and those which are carried.
In the time of sleep this body is as though dead; it does not see
nor hear; it does not feel; it has no consciousness, no perception--that is to
say, the powers of man have become inactive, but the spirit lives and
subsists. Nay, its penetration is increased, its flight is higher, and its
intelligence is greater. To consider that after the death of the body the
spirit perishes is like imagining that a bird in a cage will be destroyed if
the cage is broken, though the bird has nothing to fear from the
destruction of the cage. Our body is like the cage, and the spirit is like
the bird. We see that without the cage this bird flies in the world of
sleep; therefore, if the cage becomes broken, the bird will continue and
exist. Its feelings will be even more powerful, its perceptions greater,
and its happiness increased. In truth, from hell it reaches a paradise of
delights because for the thankful birds there is no paradise greater than
freedom from the cage. That is why with utmost joy and happiness the
martyrs hasten to the plain of sacrifice.
Furthermore, this immortal human soul is endowed with two
means of perception: One is effected through instrumentality; the other,
independently. For instance, the soul sees through the instrumentality of
the eye, hears with the ear, smells through the nostrils and grasps objects
with the hands. These are the actions or operations of the soul through
instruments. But in the world of dreams the soul sees when the eyes are
closed. The man is seemingly dead, lies there as dead; the ears do not
hear, yet he hears. The body lies there, but he-that is, the soul-travels,
sees, observes. All the instruments of the body are inactive, all the
functions seemingly useless. Notwithstanding this, there is an immediate
and vivid perception by the soul. Exhilaration is experienced. The soul
journeys, perceives, senses. It often happens that a man in a state of
wakefulness has not been able to accomplish the solution of a problem, and
when he goes to sleep, he will reach that solution in a dream. How often it
has happened that he has dreamed, even as the prophets have dreamed, of
the future; and events which have thus been foreshadowed have come to
pass literally.
Therefore, we learn that the immortality of the soul, or spirit,
is not contingent or dependent upon the so-called immortality of the body,
because the body in the quiescent state, in the time of sleep, may be as
dead, unconscious, senseless; but the soul, or spirit, is possessed of
perceptions, sensations, motion and discovery. Even inspiration and
revelation are obtained by it. How many were the prophets who have had
marvelous visions of the future while in that state! The spirit, or human
soul, is the rider; and the body is only the steed. If anything affects the
steed, the rider is not affected by it. The spirit may be likened to the light
within the lantern. The body is simply the outer lantern. If the lantern
should break, the light is ever the same because the light could shine even
without the lantern. The spirit can conduct its affairs without the body.
In the world of dreams it is precisely as this light without the chimney
glass. It can shine without the glass. The human soul by means of this
body can perform its operations, and without the body it can, likewise,
have its control. Therefore, if the body be subject to disintegration, the
spirit is not affected by these changes or transformations.
It is through the power of the soul that the mind comprehendeth,
imagineth and exerteth its influence, whilst the soul is a power that is
free. The mind comprehendeth the abstract by the aid of the concrete,
but the soul hath limitless manifestations of its own. The mind is
circumscribed, the soul limitless. It is by the aid of such senses as those
of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch, that the mind comprehendeth,
whereas the soul is free from all agencies. The soul as thou observest,
whether it be in sleep or waking, is in motion and ever active. Possibly it
may, whilst in a dream, unravel an intricate problem, incapable of
solution in the waking state. The mind, moreover, understandeth not
whilst the senses have ceased to function, and in the embryonic stage and
in early infancy the reasoning power is totally absent, whereas the soul is
ever endowed with full strength. In short, the proofs are many that go to
show that despite the loss of reason, the power of the soul would still
continue to exist. The spirit however possesseth various grades and
stations.
'Abdu'l-Baha interprets a woman's dream.
As to that great Sun which thou sawest in a dream: That is His
Holiness the Promised One and the lights thereof are His bounties. The
surface of the water is transparent body--that is, pure hearts. Its waves
are the moving of the hearts, the cheering of the souls-- that is, spiritual
feelings and merciful sentiments. Thank tho God for that thou hast had
such a revelation in the world of dreams.
Thank thou God that thou hast stepped into the arena of existence
in such a blessed Age and hast opened thine ears and thine eyes in such a
Promised Day. The Splendor of the Sun of Truth thou hast beheld and the
divine Call thou hast heard. To thine ultimate desire thou hast attained
and from the sweetness of the love of God thou hast tasted. Consequently,
supplicate ardently for spiritual attraction and ecstacy.
O thou beloved maid-servant of God! If thou art not seeing
dreams (and visions), be thou not sad. Thou are going to see, whilst thou
art awake. A wakeful eye is acceptable in the Threshold of the Almighty.
Therefore, I hope that thou wilt open the eye of thine insight, travel in all
the realms of God, see the splendor of the Kingdom and behold the
effulgence of the Realm of Might.
O thou who art ablaze with the fire of the Love of God!
As to thy vision that thou wert traveling to Acca in a ship with
the maid-servant of God .........: this ship is the ship of the Covenant,
which is surrounded by the winds of discord from the people of
hypocrisy. Be rejoiced that ye two are preserved and have reached the
shore of salvation.
Know thou, verily, the winds of confirmation shall surely
surround the Ark of Deliverance, the sails of the covenant shall be
unfurled, and it shall reach the shore of the Kingdom of God. Blessed art
thou, for thou hast entered this Ark and art saved from afflictions!
As to what thou hast seen in the dream, concerning the letter
which reached thee from me, and angels were enclosed in it and they
surrounded thee: Know thou verily, that letter is this glorious writing
whereby I address thee; and, verily, this is full of angels of confirmation
from the Kingdom off God and they will assist thee to serve the Cause of
God in the vineyard of God. O thou seeing one!
Know thou, verily, God hath preferred the insight to the
sight, because the sight seeth the material things, while the insight
apprehendeth the spiritual. the former witnesseth the earthly world, while
the latter seeth the world of the Kingdom.
O thou maid-servant of God! Blessed art thou, for the Temple
of the Covenant (Abdul-Baha) hath become manifest to thee in a dream
with incomparable humility and submission toward God, and that thou
hast beheld that countenance overflowing with yearning, attraction and
love toward the Beauty of the Almighty. Ere long thou shalt witness a
great effect through this observation, whereby the spirit of life will
become manifest in thee, which is now flowing in the veins of the
contingent beings. Then thou shalt behold that which none have seen! At
that time thou shalt fall upon the ground before God the True One, for He
hath favored thee with this most great bounty.
As to the difference between inspiration and imagination:
Inspiration is in conformity with the Divine Texts, but imaginations do not
conform therewith. A real, spiritual connection between the True One
and the servant is a luminous bounty which causeth an ecstatic (or divine)
flame, passion and attraction. When this connection is secured (or
realized) such an ecstasy and happiness become manifest in the heart that
man doth fly away (with joy) and uttereth melody and song. Just as the
soul bringeth the body in motion, so that spiritual bounty and real
connection likewise moveth (or cheereth) the human soul.
As to truthful dreams: I beg of God that thy inner eye (insight)
may be so opened that thou mayest thyself differentiate between truthful
and untruthful dreams.
"...That truth is often imparted through dreams no one who is
familiar with history, especially religious history, can doubt. At the same
time dreams and visions are always coloured and influenced more or less
by the mind of the dreamer and we must beware of attaching too much
importance to them. The purer and more free from prejudice and desire
our hearts and minds become, the more likely is it that our dreams will
convey reliable truth, but if we have strong prejudices, personal likings and
aversions, bad feelings or evil motives, these will warp and distort any
inspirational impression that comes to us.... In many cases dreams have
been the means of bringing people to the truth or of confirming them in
the Faith. We must strive to become pure in heart and 'free from all save
God'. Then our dreams as well as our waking thoughts will become pure
and true. We should test impression we get through dreams, visions or
inspirations, by comparing them with the revealed Word and seeing
whether they are in full harmony therewith."
"Briefly, there is no question that visions occasionally do come to
individuals, which are true and have significance. On the other hand, this
comes to an individual through the grace of God, and not through the
exercise of any of the human faculties. It is not a thing which a person
should try to develop. When a person endeavors to develop faculties so
that they might enjoy visions, dreams etc., actually what they are doing is
weakening certain of their spiritual capacities; and thus under such
circumstances, dreams and visions have no reality, and ultimately lead to
the destruction of the character of the person."
As to your moving to another city: Meditate thou, perform the
ablution and pray to God before sleeping; and whatever the Merciful One
may inspire unto thee at the time of revelation in a dream, that will be
consistent with obtaining thy wishes. But the greatest motive for the
happiness (or felicity) of that family, both in this world and the next one,
is that thy revered husband and thy dear son-in-law should become
believers in the lights of the Kingdom which have surrounded all regions
at this age of effulgence.
Compared with the eighteenth century the present time is as the
dawn after darkness, or as the spring after winter. The world is stirring
with new life, thrilling with new ideals and hopes. Things that but a few
years ago seemed impossible dreams are now accomplished facts. Others
that seemed centuries ahead of us have already become matters of
"practical politics." We fly in the air and make voyages under the sea. We
send messages around the world with the speed of lightning. Within a few
decades we have seen miracles too numerous to mention.
-
When the summons to International Peace is raised by America, all the rest of the world will cry: "Yes, we accept." The nations of every clime will join in adopting the teachings of Baha'u'llah, revealed over fifty years ago. In His Epistles He asked the parliaments of the world to send their best and wisest men to an international world parliament that should decide all questions between the peoples and establish peace ... then we shall have the Parliament of Man of which the prophets have dreamed.
No sooner had Abdu'l-Baha stepped upon the shores of the
European and American continents than our beloved Khanum found
herself well-nigh overwhelmed with thrilling messages, each betokening
the irresistible advance of the Cause in a manner which, notwithstanding
the vast range of her experience, seemed to her almost incredible. The
years in which she basked in the sunshine of Abdu'l-Baha's spiritual
victories were, perhaps, among the brightest and happiest of her life.
Little did she dream when, as a little girl, she was running about, in the
courtyard of her Father's house in Tihran, in the company of Him Whose
destiny was to be one day the chosen Centre of God's indestructible
Covenant, that such a Brother would be capable of achieving, in realms so
distant, and among races so utterly remote, so great and memorable a
victory.
The illustrious wife of the Bab recounted for me [i.e. the author, Mirza Habib]:
One night I dreamt that a fearsome lion was roaming the courtyard of our house with my hands around the neck of the lion. The beast dragged me twice round the whole perimeter of the courtyard, and once round half of it. I then woke up and was profoundly alarmed and trembled with fright. His Holiness asked of me the cause of my agitation, to which I related the dream. His comment was: "You awoke too soon, as [your dream portends that] our life together will not last more than two-and-a-half years." And what He said, transpired.
Found in at: http://h-net2.msu.edu/~bahai/trans/vol1/babshir1.htm
By the time I was a year-and-a-half old, my father was quite frightened of me. I knew several words that he didn't. It was at this time that I first had the dream. When I told Mother about my dream she told Father. He wanted to take me to a doctor, but mother said, "He's just precocious." ...
...Mother told me about these things in detail years later. All I could recall myself about the dream the first time I had it was that the room had been full of a wonderful bright light, that I was very happy, and that I wanted to remain there...
...The date I had the first dream was September 20, 1912....
I began to read. It was about two o'clock when I found out why Marguerite had become so excited when I mentioned my boyhood dream. I felt a stab-like thrill myself as I turned one of the pages and saw the date: September 20, 1912.
It was the very day and year of my first dream.
'Abu'l-Baha had spoken in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on that day. He had been speaking only a short distance away from the little town in which I had lived and dreamed. I read the words of his talk very carefully. There was something vaguely familiar about them. He warned mankind to investigate the truth for themselves, and not to follow in the footsteps of those who accepted all things blindly.
I closed my eyes, and I could see our old living-room with the green velvet drapes, the faded wallpaper, and the thread-bare sofa. Father put down his morning paper, picked me up, and put me astraddle his toe. I was a cock-horse and he was going to ride me to Banbury Cross.
"The man came last night," I told him.
Father laughed. "Who came?"
"The man."
"What man?"
"In my dream."
I got off before Banbury Cross. Father was upset. "Ethel!" he called. "He's at it again."
Mother hurried in. "What's wrong?"
Father was already putting on his coat. "He's seen that man in a light in his dream again."
Mother picked me up tenderly and kissed me. "Of course, he has." She hugged me to her. "We all have nasty bad dreams."
"It was a good dream." I told her.
"What did the man look like?"
"I don't know."
"What did he say?"
"He said, 'Don't follow in their footsteps'."
Mother put me down. Father turned in the doorway.
"Thank God I work in an underground mine and don't have to come back up until it's dark."
The next morning Father was shaving when I came into the bathroom.
"What's my name?" I asked him.
We had often played this came before. "Your name," he said, "Is William Bernard Patrick Michael Terence Sears."
"Then why did he call me Peter?"
"Who?"
"The man."
"What man?"
"The man who came in my dream."
Father cut his chin with the razor. "Ethel!"
Mother appeared from nowhere. She was very patient with me.
"Are you sure he called you Peter, dear?"
I nodded. "He said, 'Fish, like Peter.'"
Father went to work that morning with his face half-shaved. He told Mother to take me to a doctor before he came home.
I put Marguerite's book down, got up, and made another cup of coffee. Then I began to read once more. Later that same day, 'Abdu'l-Baha had spoken in St. Paul, just across the river. He called upon mankind to be like the "fisherman Peter" in their unwavering faith, and to fish energetically for the souls of men.
Be like Peter!
I put the book down. Suddenly, I was very wide awake.
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