Desire for Detachment
"Ye are even as the bird which soareth, with the full force of its mighty wings and with complete and joyous confidence, through the immensity of the heavens, until, impelled to satisfy its hunger, it turneth longingly to the water and clay of the earth below it, and, having been entrapped in the mesh of its desire, findeth itself impotent to resume its flight to the realms whence it came. Powerless to shake off the burden weighing on its sullied wings, that bird, hitherto an inmate of the heavens, is now forced to seek a dwelling-place upon the dust."
~Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 326
"Just as the plough furrows the earth deeply, purifying it of weeds and thistles, so suffering and tribulation free man from the petty affairs of this worldly life until he arrives at a state of complete detachment."
~Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 177
"O Son of Being! Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We test the gold and with gold We test Our servants."
~Baha'u'llah, Hidden Words #55
"By detachment is not meant, however, that we should force ourselves to endure excessive deprivations. On the contrary, Baha’u’llah assures us that it is perfectly acceptable to enjoy the things of this world, as long as we remember God and follow His teachings. Nor does detachment imply that we should not be concerned with the affairs of the world. Rather, we should devote ourselves to the betterment of humanity and service to others."
~Kenneth E. Bowers, God Speaks Again: An Introduction to the Baha’i Faith, p. 116
"O Son of Man! If thou lovest Me, turn away from thyself; and if thou seekest My pleasure, regard not thine own; that thou mayest die in Me and I may eternally live in thee."
~Baha'u'llah, Hidden Words #7
“Detachment does not imply a lack of means; it is marked by the freedom of the heart”
~Abdu’l-Baha
~Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 326
"Just as the plough furrows the earth deeply, purifying it of weeds and thistles, so suffering and tribulation free man from the petty affairs of this worldly life until he arrives at a state of complete detachment."
~Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 177
"O Son of Being! Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We test the gold and with gold We test Our servants."
~Baha'u'llah, Hidden Words #55
"By detachment is not meant, however, that we should force ourselves to endure excessive deprivations. On the contrary, Baha’u’llah assures us that it is perfectly acceptable to enjoy the things of this world, as long as we remember God and follow His teachings. Nor does detachment imply that we should not be concerned with the affairs of the world. Rather, we should devote ourselves to the betterment of humanity and service to others."
~Kenneth E. Bowers, God Speaks Again: An Introduction to the Baha’i Faith, p. 116
"O Son of Man! If thou lovest Me, turn away from thyself; and if thou seekest My pleasure, regard not thine own; that thou mayest die in Me and I may eternally live in thee."
~Baha'u'llah, Hidden Words #7
“Detachment does not imply a lack of means; it is marked by the freedom of the heart”
~Abdu’l-Baha