Prayers of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

“O ye loved ones of God!  Know ye that the world is even as a mirage rising over the sands, that the thirsty mistaketh for water.  The wine of this world is but a vapor in the desert, its pity and compassion but toil and trouble, the repose it proffereth only weariness and sorrow.  Abandon it to those who belong to it, and turn your faces unto the Kingdom of your Lord the All-Merciful, that His grace and bounty may cast their dawning splendors over you, and a heavenly table may be sent down for you, and your Lord may bless you, and shower His riches upon you to gladden your bosoms and fill your hearts with bliss, to attract your minds, and cleanse your souls, and console your eyes.”  —‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá