From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh
“Just as the conception of faith hath existed from the beginning that hath no beginning, and will endure till the end that hath no end, in like manner will the true believer eternally live and endure. His spirit will everlastingly circle round the Will of God. He will last as long as God, Himself, will last.”
· · * · ·
Bahá’u’lláh
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh

Section I · The Eternal Nature of God

From a Beginning
That Hath No Beginning

Setting the Stage

“From the beginning that hath no beginning” — language deliberately chosen to break the mind free from its habit of locating everything on a timeline. There was no moment when God’s love did not exist. There was no moment when the possibility of your eternal life was not already held. And the promise at the end of this passage is perhaps among the most extraordinary in all of sacred literature: you will last as long as God, Himself, will last.

A Note on Our Journey Together
Meditations on Eternity draws from eight of the world’s great spiritual traditions. The writings of Bahá’u’lláh, which anchor this opening section, are one of eight voices you will encounter throughout the year — each one a different window into the same eternal light.

✦   ✦   ✦

Entering the Stillness

Spend a moment this week simply looking at the night sky — or at a single candle flame, if the sky is not available to you. Hold the question: “What was here before all of this began?” Do not try to answer it. Simply inhabit it. Let the question itself become the prayer.

Questions for Meditation

✦ “The beginning that hath no beginning” deliberately exceeds our comprehension. What do you feel when you let yourself rest in that incomprehension, rather than trying to resolve it?
✦ “His spirit will everlastingly circle round the Will of God” — what image does this evoke for you? A planet and a sun? A bird in sustained flight? Something else entirely?
✦ If you genuinely believed you would last as long as God lasts — what fear would dissolve? What responsibility would deepen?

A Practice for the Week

Spend five minutes this week looking at the night sky — or at a candle flame if the sky is not available. Hold the question: “What was here before all of this began?” Let the question remain open. Do not answer it. Simply inhabit it.

Until next week — may your spirit rest in something larger than time.

With warmth,
The Meditations on Eternity Team