Honey

Here's something else that I like: honey.

Honey is so wonderful and yummy! I just had a yummy soy steamer with honey in it and was reminded of something that my wonderful friend Martha told me when we were in Arizona a few years back. She said that 'Abdu'l-Baha, the son of Baha'u'llah, said to take a spoonful of honey and then recite "Ya Baha-ul-Abha!" I looked into that quote, and this is what I found, in the book Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Baha:

"O thou wonderful leaf of the Tree of the Love of God! All that thou hast written was perused. It was read from beginning to end, and it caused joy and fragrance. But we write a brief but useful answer, on account of the lack of leisure. Engage thou in commemorating God at every morn and turn unto the Horizon of Mercifulness. Take some honey, recite "Ya Baha-ul-ABHA," and eat a little thereof for several days. For these thy prevailing diseases are not on account of sins, but they are to make thee detest this world and know that there is no rest and composure in this temporal life."

This was written in response to a letter from a woman ("leaf" in the Baha'i Writings indicates women) who apparantly was not feeling well (either physically or emotionally). 'Abdu'l-Baha counsels her in a loving manner to use honey as a healing medicine, along with remembrance of her Creator. What a lovely image. It is also comforting to note that her sickness or sadness was not because she had done some horrible act to "deserve" such things, but because that is the nature of this life. The physical world can bring us pain, but the spiritual world brings only joy!

Additionally, it got me thinking along the lines on which I have been wandereing this past week or so - particularly about my spiritual nature and my overall emotional state. Winter can be a yucky time - less sunlight (and therefore less Vitamin D production by your body), windy cold weather, and grumpy people who want to be home in bed under blankets.

I have been thinking about how often in the winter I get the blues, and how in such a state, I easily berate myself for my shortcomings. However, as 'Abdu'l-Baha says, it is not that I am a bad person, but that this world - specifically attachment to the things of this world (materialism) - is merely a stepping stone - a lifetime of preparation for the next spiritual world.

So yay for honey! Go right now to your cabinet, take a spoonful of the yummy stuff, and think how wonderful you are! You are a creation of the Universe! Things will be getting better! Have a wonderful day!