Knowledge (‘Ilm) 2012

Haifa, Israel

“Through meditation doors of deeper knowledge and inspiration may be opened.” -Shoghi Effendi

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St. Peter, USA

“For knowledge is light, life, felicity, perfection, beauty and the means of approaching the Threshold of Unity.” -‘Abdu’l-Baha

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Victoria, Canada

Consider This

“Consider carefully: all these highly varied phenomena, these concepts, this knowledge, these technical procedures and philosophical systems, these sciences, arts, industries and inventions — all are emanations of the human mind. Whatever people has ventured deeper into this shoreless sea, has come to excel the rest. The happiness and pride of a nation consist in this, that it should shine out like the sun in the high heaven of knowledge. “Shall they who have knowledge and they who have it not, be treated alike?”” -Abdu’l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization

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Chicago, USA

The city dyed the fountain to reflect the season here. It was fun and a little creepy.

“Although to acquire the sciences and arts is the greatest glory of mankind, this is so only on condition that man’s river flow into the mighty sea, and draw from God’s ancient source His inspiration. When this cometh to pass, then every teacher is as a shoreless ocean, every pupil a prodigal fountain of knowledge. If, then, the pursuit of knowledge lead to the beauty of Him Who is the Object of all Knowledge, how excellent that goal; but if not, a mere drop will perhaps shut a man off from flooding grace, for with learning cometh arrogance and pride, and it bringeth on error and indifference to God.” -Abdu’l-Baha

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Adelaide, Australia

A Superb Fairy-wren (commonly known as the Blue Wren) in breeding plumage.

“From the exalted source, and out of the essence of His favor and bounty He hath entrusted every created thing with a sign of His knowledge, so that none of His creatures may be deprived of its share in expressing, each according to its capacity and rank, this knowledge. This sign is the mirror of His beauty in the world of creation. The greater the effort exerted for the refinement of this sublime and noble mirror, the more faithfully will it be made to reflect the glory of the names and attributes of God, and reveal the wonders of His signs and knowledge. Every created thing will be enabled (so great is this reflecting power) to reveal the potentialities of its pre-ordained station, will recognize its capacity and limitations, and will testify to the truth that “He, verily, is God; there is none other God besides Him.”…” -Baha’u’llah, Gleanings From the Writings of Baha’u’llah

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Akka, Israel

“..the children of men are in need of education and civilization, and they require to be polished, till they become bright and shining.
Man and woman both should be educated equally and equally regarded.
It is racial, patriotic, religious and class prejudice, that has been the cause of the destruction of Humanity.” -Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London

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Sydney, Australia

“It is better to guide one soul than to possess all that is on earth, for as long as that guided soul is under the shadow of the Tree of Divine Unity, he and the one who hath guided him will both be recipients of Gods tender mercy, whereas possession of earthly things will cease at the time of death. The path to guidance is one of love and compassion, not of force and coercion. This hath been Gods method in the past, and shall continue to be in the future!” -The Bab

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Pasadena, USA

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Vancouver, Canada

“O Son of the Throne!! Thy hearing is My hearing, hear thou therewith. Thy sight is My sight, do thou see therewith, that in thine inmost soul thou mayest testify unto My exalted sanctity, and I within Myself may bear witness unto an exalted station for thee.” -Baha’u’llah

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Sydney, Australia

The seeds of awareness can be blinding at their pinnacle

“Grant that I may reap the benefit of my life in this world and in the next.  Open my face to the portals of Thy grace, and graciously confer upon me Thy tender mercy and bestowals.” -The Bab

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Perth, Australia

“Split the atom’s heart, and lo!
Within it thou wilt find a sun”
-Persian Mystic Poem cited in the Valley of Knowledge

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London, England

“O SON OF SPIRIT!
The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes.”-Baha’u’llah, The Hidden Words, Arabic #2