Tulips

Spring is coming. Really, I promise.

The two meters of snow in front of my snow try to convince me otherwise, but I know it's on its way.

In just a few weeks comes Ayyam-i-Ha, then the Fast, and then, as promised, spring.

And you know what comes with spring? Besides warmer weather, rain, and a ton of mud? Flowers.

Now, I've already written an article on hyacinths, one of my favourite flowers, but there is another one that arrives around the same time: Tulips. I love variety of colours and textures, and even the amazing history, what with them commanding a king's fortune in price, only to plummet to near worthlessness, sadly bankrupting whole families but teaching us a valuable lesson in economic bubbles and the dangers of unbridled capitalism and greed.

But, no, I don't want to go into the sordid history of that flower. I'd far rather talk about their beauty, metaphorical significance, and how they are used in the Writings. What can we learn from this simple flower? After all, in the Kitab-i-Iqan, paragraph 109 in case you're interested, He says that "all things, in their inmost reality, testify to the revelation of the names and attributes of God within them." So what is it that these beautiful blossoms testify?

He mentions them twice in that inspiring book. First in paragraph 217, where He is describing the City of Certitude, which He later identifies as "the Word of God revealed in every age and dispensation" (paragraph 219). He says of this City that its "wondrous tulips unfold the mystery of the undying Fire in the Burning Bush".

Later, in paragraph 233 He refers to those souls who have accepted the new Revelation. He says that in their hearts we will see "the roses of wisdom and the tulips of understanding". And yes, I know I included the roses in there, but it is so that we can compare and contrast the wisdom with the understanding. But let's not go there just yet.

Why tulips?

Historically, they have signalized a re-birth, as they are one of the first flowers to emerge after the long winter. But they have also symbolized a fleeting beauty, one that fades rather quickly. Throughout history they have also come to represent a passionate and unconditional love, as well as self-acceptance. They are a humble flower that does not try to be the rose, content in themself.

In other words, they are a flower that has been given much meaning in different cultures throughout the ages.

Let's begin by looking at that first quote, they "unfold the mystery of the undying Fire in the Burning Bush" in the City of Certitude, which is the Word of God in the new Revelation.

The Word of God can lead us to all sorts of insights and understandings. They are the guide on that path to truth. But over time that Word can become familiar. We can hear an interpretation that sounds good and go with it, failing to seek new and more wondrous truths within it. There are countless examples of this, one of which is about the Return of the next Messenger. Too many people take these spiritual statements as literal truths and deny the next Manifestation when they appear.

There are, of course, other examples that apply more directly to our immediate life. Many people have heard the phrase, "Turn the other cheek", which effectively has come to be understood as "if someone slugs you, let them slug you again". Not much learned there, except perhaps to avoid such confrontations in the first place.

But when you search that phrase in a good translation of the Bible, you will not find it. Instead what you will discover is that Jesus said, "If a man strikes you on the right cheek, offer him your left." This is far more specific, and if you act it out, you will notice that it refers to a backhanded slap. It's more of an insult than an angry expression of violence. Then, if you merely turn your face a bit to offer the other cheek, too, you find that you are putting the aggressor into a position in which they will learn a spiritual truth, no matter what they do. In a sense, you are daring them to strike again, but if they do the exact same motion, strike in the same manner, they will get you square in the face. They may be willing to slap your cheek, but striking your face is another matter altogether. If they back off, they've learned shame. But if they do strike, then all around them people will call them out on unnecessary violence, and they will learn about collective security,

If we are too familiar with the phrase, though, and don't look beyond the commonly accepted understanding, we will miss the true depth and profundity of the lesson.

The new Message forces us to re-examine the old, giving us new flowers in that garden. And one of the most important things we learn, is that the Message that was given to Moses on Mount Sinai has returned. The flame that burned then, giving the Divine Message to the Manifestation, is still burning. That is one mystery that is revealed.

The second quote, though, is a bit different. He refers to "the roses of wisdom and the tulips of understanding".

Ok, first, the difference between wisdom and understanding. Understanding is in the head, while wisdom is in the heart. Understanding can refer to facts, but wisdom tells us how to put them to use. Understanding is knowing you made a mistake, but wisdom is not making it again.

When it comes to understanding, facts can change with the times. For example, if you have a headache, understanding can lead you to take an aspirin. But if you have a stomach ache, and you remember that the last you felt bad aspirin helped, taking the aspirin now could be dangerous because the symptoms are different.

Another example is that you tell the aggressive child to calm down, but you counsel the timid child to be more assertive. Totally different advice, both leading to a more moderate behaviour.

The tulips are the understanding, and as beautiful as they are, they don't have the heady scent that is noticed from far away. The rose, however, is the wisdom, and that is detectable from a far greater distance.

And that wisdom, just like the rose, usually comes later.

For now, it is the tulips that we await. And they're coming. Soon. I promise.

Oh, and 98 more to go.