,foundations of ,world ,unity      by   
#8,abdu'l-,bah          ,edition #a1    
7,september #bjjf7                      
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,,contents      ,baha'i ,terms of ,use  
,,the ,,true ,,modernism  ,,the ,,source
 ,,of ,,reality  ,,the ,,dawn ,,of      
,,peace  ,,the ,,cause ,,of ,,strife    
,,universal ,,peace  ,,the ,,prophets   
,,and ,,war  ,,foundations ,,of ,,world 
,,unity  ,,racial ,,harmony  ,,the      
,,spirit ,,of ,,justice  ,,cooperation  
8,the question of socialization is very 
important4 ,it will not be4440  ,,the   
,,criterions ,,of ,,truth  ,,man ,,and  
,,nature  ,,the ,,microcosm ,,and ,,the 
,,macrocosm  ,,the ,,universal ,,cycles 
,,education  ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit      
,,science  ,,spiritual ,,springtime     
,,eternal ,,unity  ,,the ,,darkened     
,,lights  ,,the ,,need ,,of ,,divine    
,,education  ,,religion3 ,,essential    

,,and ,,non-,,essential  ,,religion     
,,renewed  ,,divine ,,love  ,,the       
,,foundation ,,of ,,religion  ,,the     
,,quickening ,,spirit  ,,the ,,law ,,of 
,,god  ,,continuity ,,of ,,revelation   
,,the ,,true ,,modernism      ,all      
created things have their degree or     
stage of maturity4 ,the period of       
maturity in the life of a tree is the   
time of its fruit-bearing4 ,the         
maturity of a plant is the time of its  
blossoming and flower4 ,the animal      
attains a stage of full growth and      
completeness1 and in the human kingdom  
man reaches his maturity when the lights
 of intelligence have their  greatest   
power and development4    ,from the     
beginning to the end of his life man    
passes through certain  periods or      
stages each of which is marked by       
certain conditions peculiar  to itself4 
,for instance during the period of      
childhood his conditions and            
requirements are characteristic of that 
degree of intelligence and  capacity4   

,after a time he enters the period of   
youth in which his former  conditions   
and needs are superseded by new         
requirements applicable to the  advance 
in his degree4 ,his faculties of        
observation are broadened and  deepened1
 his intelligent capacities are trained 
and awakened1 the  limitations and      
environment of childhood no longer      
restrict his energies  and              
accomplishments4 ,at last he passes out 
of the period of youth and  enters the  
stage or station of maturity which      
necessitates another  transformation and
 corresponding advance in his sphere of 
life-activity4  ,new powers and         
perceptions clothe him1 teaching and    
training commensurate  with his         
progression occupy his mind1 special    
bounties and bestowals  descend in      
proportion to his increased capacities  
and his former period of  youth and its 
conditions will no longer satisfy his   
matured view and  vision4    ,similarly 
there are periods and stages in the life

 of the aggregate world  of humanity    
which at one time was passing through   
its degree of childhood1  at another its
 time of youth but now has entered its  
long presaged period  of maturity1 the  
evidences of which are everywhere       
visible and apparent4  ,therefore the   
requirements and conditions of former   
periods have changed  and merged into   
exigencies which distinctly characterize
 the present age  of the world of       
mankind4 ,that which was applicable to  
human needs during  the early history of
 the race could neither meet nor satisfy
 the demands  of this day and period of 
newness and consummation4 ,humanity has 
emerged  from its former degrees of     
limitation and preliminary training4    
,man must  now become imbued with new   
virtues and powers1 new moralities1 new 
capacities4 ,new bounties1 bestowals and
 perfections are awaiting and  already  
descending upon him4 ,the gifts and     
graces of the period of youth  although 
timely and sufficient during the        

adolescence of the world of  mankind1   
are now incapable of meeting the        
requirements of its maturity4  ,the     
playthings of childhood and infancy no  
longer satisfy or interest the  adult   
mind4    ,from every standpoint the     
world of humanity is undergoing a       
re-formation4  ,the laws of former      
governments and civilizations are in    
process of  revision1 scientific ideas  
and theories are developing and         
advancing to  meet a new range of       
phenomena1 invention and discovery are  
penetrating  hitherto unknown fields    
revealing new wonders and hidden secrets
 of the  material universe2 industries  
have vastly wider scope and production2 
everywhere the world of mankind is in   
the throes of evolutionary activity     
indicating the passing of the old       
conditions and advent of the new age of 
re-formation4 ,old trees yield no       
fruitage2 old ideas and methods are     
obsolete and worthless now4 ,old        
standards of ethics1 moral codes and    

methods of living in the past will not  
suffice for the present age of          
advancement and progress4    ,this is   
the cycle of maturity and re-formation  
in religion as well4  ,dogmatic         
imitations of ancestral beliefs are     
passing4 ,they have been the  axis      
around which religion revolved but now  
are no longer fruitful2 on the          
contrary1 in this day they have become  
the cause of human degradation and      
hindrance4 ,bigotry and dogmatic        
adherence to ancient beliefs have become
  the central and fundamental source of 
animosity among men1 the obstacle to    
human progress1 the cause of warfare and
 strife1 the destroyer of peace1        
composure and welfare in the world4     
,consider conditions in the ,balkans    
today7#a72 fathers1 mothers1 children in
 grief and lamentation1 the  foundations
 of life overturned1 cities laid waste  
and fertile lands made  desolate by the 
ravages of war4 ,these conditions are   
the outcome of  hostility and hatred    

between nations and peoples of religion 
who imitate  and adhere to the forms and
 violate the spirit and reality of the  
divine  teachings4    ,while this is    
true and apparent1 it is likewise       
evident that the ,lord of  mankind has  
bestowed infinite bounties upon the     
world in this century of  maturity and  
consummation4 ,the ocean of divine mercy
 is surging1 the  vernal showers are    
descending1 the ,sun of ,reality is     
shining gloriously4  ,heavenly teachings
 applicable to the advancement in human 
conditions have  been revealed in this  
merciful age4 ,this re-formation and    
renewal of the  fundamental reality of  
religion constitute the true and        
outworking spirit  of modernism1 the    
unmistakable light of the world1 the    
manifest effulgence  of the ,word of    
,god1 the divine remedy for all human   
ailment and the bounty  of eternal life 
to all mankind4            ,,the        
,,source ,,of ,,reality      ,in our    
solar system1 the center of illumination

 is the sun itself4 ,through  the will  
of ,god this central luminary is the one
 source of the existence  and           
development of all phenomenal things4   
,when we observe the organisms of  the  
material kingdoms we find that their    
growth and training are dependent  upon 
the heat and light of the sun4 ,without 
this quickening impulse there  would be 
no growth of tree or vegetation1 neither
 would the existence of  animal or human
 being be possible2 in fact no forms of 
created life would  be manifest upon the
 earth4 ,but if we reflect deeply we    
will perceive that  the great bestower  
and giver of life is ,god2 the sun is   
the intermediary  of ,his will and plan4
 ,without the bounty of the sun         
therefore the world  would be in        
darkness4 ,all illumination of our      
planetary system proceeds or  emanates  
from the solar center4    ,likewise in  
the spiritual realm of intelligence and 
idealism there must be  a center of     
illumination1 and that center is the    

everlasting1 ever-shining  ,sun1 the    
,word of ,god4 ,its lights are the      
lights of reality which have  shone upon
 humanity1 illumining the realm of      
thought and morals1  conferring the     
bounties of the divine world upon man4  
,these lights are the  cause of the     
education of souls and the source of the
 enlightenment of  hearts1 sending forth
 in effulgent radiance the message of   
the  glad-tidings of the ,kingdom of    
,god4 ,in brief1 the moral and ethical  
world  and the world of spiritual       
regeneration are dependent for their    
progressive being upon that heavenly    
center of illumination4 ,it gives  forth
 the light of religion and bestows the  
life of the spirit1 imbues  humanity    
with archetypal virtues and confers     
eternal splendors4 ,this ,sun  of       
,reality1 this center of effulgences is 
the prophet or ,manifestation of  ,god4 
,just as the phenomenal sun shines upon 
the material world producing  life and  
growth1 likewise the spiritual or       

prophetic ,sun confers  illumination    
upon the human world of thought and     
intelligence1 and unless  it rose upon  
the horizon of human existence the      
kingdom of man would  become dark and   
extinguished4    ,the ,sun of ,reality  
is one ,sun but it has different        
dawning-places1 just as  the phenomenal 
sun is one although it appears at       
various points of the  horizon4 ,during 
the time of spring the luminary of the  
physical world  rises far to the north  
of the equinoctial2 in summer it dawns  
midway and  in winter it appears in the 
most southerly point of its zodiacal    
journey4  ,these day-springs or         
dawning-points differ widely but the sun
 is ever the  same sun whether it be the
 phenomenal or spiritual luminary4      
,souls who  focus their vision upon the 
,sun of ,reality will be the recipients 
of light  no matter from what point it  
rises1 but those who are fettered by    
adoration of the dawning-point are      
deprived when it appears in a different 

station upon the spiritual horizon4     
,furthermore1 just as the solar cycle   
has its four seasons1 the cycle of  the 
,sun of ,reality has its distinct and   
successive periods4 ,each brings  its   
vernal season or springtime4 ,when the  
,sun of ,reality returns to  quicken the
 world of mankind a divine bounty       
descends from the heaven of  generosity4
 ,the realm of thoughts and ideals is   
set in motion and blessed  with new     
life4 ,minds are developed1 hopes       
brighten1 aspirations become  spiritual1
 the virtues of the human world appear  
with freshened power of  growth and the 
image and likeness of ,god become       
visible in man4 ,it is the  springtime  
of the inner world4 ,after the spring1  
summer comes with its  fullness and     
fruitage spiritual2 autumn follows with 
its withering winds  which chill the    
soul2 the ,sun seems to be going away   
until at last the  mantle of winter     
overspreads and only faint traces of the
 effulgence of  that divine ,sun remain4

 ,just as the surface of the material   
world becomes  dark and dreary1 the soil
 dormant1 the trees naked and bare and  
no beauty  or freshness remain to cheer 
the darkness and desolation1 so the     
winter of  the spiritual cycle witnesses
 the death and disappearance of divine  
growth  and extinction of the light and 
love of ,god4 ,but again the cycle      
begins  and a new springtime appears4   
,in it the former springtime has        
returned1  the world is resuscitated1   
illumined and attains spirituality2     
religion is  renewed and reorganized1   
hearts are turned to ,god1 the summons  
of ,god is  heard and life is again     
bestowed upon man4 ,for a long time the 
religious  world had been weakened and  
materialism had advanced2 the spiritual 
forces  of life were waning1 moralities 
were becoming degraded1 composure and   
peace had vanished from souls and       
satanic qualities were dominating       
hearts2 strife and hatred overshadowed  
humanity1 bloodshed and violence        

prevailed4 ,god was neglected2 the ,sun 
of ,reality seemed to have gone         
completely2 deprivation of the bounties 
of heaven was a fact2 and so the  season
 of winter fell upon mankind4 ,but in   
the generosity of ,god a new  springtime
 dawned1 the lights of ,god shone forth1
 the effulgent ,sun of  ,reality        
returned and became manifest1 the realm 
of thoughts and kingdom of  hearts      
became exhilarated1 a new spirit of life
 breathed into the body of  the world   
and continuous advancement became       
apparent4    ,i hope that the lights of 
the ,sun of ,reality will illumine the  
whole world  so that no strife and      
warfare1 no battles and bloodshed       
remain4 ,may  fanaticism and religious  
bigotry be unknown1 all humanity enter  
the bond  of brotherhood1 souls consort 
in perfect agreement1 the nations of    
earth  at last hoist the banner of truth
 and the religions of the world enter   
the  divine temple of oneness1 for the  
foundations of the heavenly religions   

are one reality4 ,reality is not        
divisible2 it does not admit            
multiplicity4  ,all the holy            
,manifestations of ,god have proclaimed 
and promulgated the  same reality4 ,they
 have summoned mankind to reality itself
 and reality is  one4 ,the clouds and   
mists of imitations have obscured the   
,sun of ,truth4 ,we  must forsake these 
imitations1 dispel these clouds and     
mists and free the  ,sun from the       
darkness of superstition4 ,then will the
 ,sun of ,truth shine  most gloriously2 
then all the inhabitants of the world   
will be united1 the  religions will be  
one1 sects and denominations will       
reconcile1 all  nationalities will flow 
together in the recognition of one      
fatherhood and  all degrees of humankind
 gather in the shelter of the same      
tabernacle1  under the same banner4     
,until the heavenly civilization is     
founded1 no result will be forthcoming  
from material civilization1 even as you 
observe4 ,see what catastrophes         

overwhelm mankind4 ,consider the wars   
which disturb the world4 ,consider the  
enmity and hatred4 ,the existence of    
these wars and conditions indicates  and
 proves that the heavenly civilization  
has not yet been established4 ,if  the  
civilization of the ,kingdom be spread  
to all the nations1 this dust of        
disagreement will be dispelled1 these   
clouds will pass away and the ,sun of   
,reality in its greatest effulgence and 
glory will shine upon mankind4          
,,the ,,dawn ,,of ,,peace      ,the     
fatherhood of ,god1 ,his loving-kindness
 and beneficence are apparent to  all4  
,in ,his mercy he provides fully and    
amply for ,his creatures and if any     
soul sins ,he does not suspend ,his     
bounty4 ,all created things are visible 
manifestations of ,his fatherhood1 mercy
 and heavenly bestowals4 ,human         
brotherhood is likewise as clear and    
evident as the sun1 for all are         
servants of one ,god1 belong to one     
humankind1 inhabit the same globe1 are  

sheltered beneath the overshadowing dome
 of heaven and submerged in the  sea of 
divine mercy4 ,human brotherhood and    
dependence exist because mutual         
helpfulness and cooperation are the two 
necessary principles underlying  human  
welfare4 ,this is the physical          
relationship of mankind4 ,there is      
another brotherhood1 the spiritual1     
which is higher1 holier and superior  to
 all others4 ,it is heavenly2 it        
emanates from the breaths of the ,holy  
,spirit and the effulgence of merciful  
attributes2 it is founded upon          
spiritual susceptibilities4 ,this       
brotherhood is established by the       
,manifestations of the ,holy ,one4      
,the divine ,manifestations since the   
day of ,adam have striven to unite      
humanity so that all may be accounted as
 one soul4 ,the function and  purpose of
 a shepherd is to gather and not        
disperse his flock4 ,the  prophets of   
,god have been divine shepherds of      
humanity4 ,they have  established a bond

 of love and unity among mankind1 made  
scattered peoples  one nation and       
wandering tribes a mighty kingdom4 ,they
 have laid the  foundation of the       
oneness of ,god and summoned all to     
universal peace4 ,all  these holy1      
divine ,manifestations are one4 ,they   
have served one ,god1  promulgated the  
same truth1 founded the same            
institutions and reflected  the same    
light4 ,their appearances have been     
successive and correlated2  each one has
 announced and extolled the one who was 
to follow and all laid  the foundation  
of reality4 ,they summoned and invited  
the people to love  and made the human  
world a mirror of the ,word of ,god4    
,therefore the divine  religions they   
established have one foundation2 their  
teachings1 proofs  and evidences are    
one2 in name and form they differ but in
 reality they  agree and are the same4  
,these holy ,manifestations have been as
 the coming  of springtime in the world4
 ,although the springtime of this year  

is  designated by another name according
 to the changing calendar1 yet as       
regards its life and quickening it is   
the same as the springtime of last      
year4 ,for each spring is the time of a 
new creation1 the effects1  bestowals1  
perfections and life-giving forces of   
which are the same as  those of the     
former vernal seasons although the names
 are many and  various4 ,this is #aiab1 
last year's was #aiaa and so on1 but in 
fundamental  reality no difference is   
apparent4 ,the sun is one but the       
dawning-points  of the sun are numerous 
and changing4 ,the ocean is one body of 
water but  different parts of it have   
particular designation1 ,atlantic1      
,pacific1  ,mediterranean1 ,antarctic1  
etc4 ,if we consider the names1 there is
  differentiation1 but the water1 the   
ocean itself is one reality4            
,likewise the divine religions of the   
holy ,manifestations of ,god are in     
reality one though in name and          
nomenclature they differ4 ,man must be a

  lover of the light no matter from what
 day-spring it may appear4 ,he must  be 
a lover of the rose no matter in what   
soil it may be growing4 ,he must  be a  
seeker of the truth no matter from what 
source it come4 ,attachment to  the     
lantern is not loving the light4        
,attachment to the earth is not         
befitting but enjoyment of the rose     
which develops from the soil is  worthy4
 ,devotion to the tree is profitless but
 partaking of the fruit is  beneficial4 
,luscious fruits no matter upon what    
tree they grow or where  they may be    
found must be enjoyed4 ,the word of     
truth no matter which  tongue utters it 
must be sanctioned4 ,absolute verities  
no matter in what  book they be recorded
 must be accepted4 ,if we harbor        
prejudice it will be  the cause of      
deprivation and ignorance4 ,the strife  
between religions1  nations and races   
arises from misunderstanding4 ,if we    
investigate the  religions to discover  
the principles underlying their         

foundations we will  find they agree1   
for the fundamental reality of them is  
one and not  multiple4 ,by this means   
the religionists of the world will reach
 their  point of unity and              
reconciliation4 ,they will ascertain the
 truth that the  purpose of religion is 
the acquisition of praiseworthy virtues1
 betterment  of morals1 spiritual       
development of mankind1 the real life   
and divine  bestowals4 ,all the prophets
 have been the promoters of these       
principles2  none of them has been the  
promoter of corruption1 vice or evil4   
,they have  summoned mankind to all     
good4 ,they have united people in the   
love of ,god1  invited them to the      
religions of the unity of mankind and   
exhorted them to  amity and agreement4  
,for example1 we mention ,abraham and   
,moses4 ,by this  mention we do not mean
 the limitation implied in the mere     
names but intend  the virtues which     
these names embody4 ,when we say        
8,abraham0 we mean  thereby a           

,manifestation of divine guidance1 a    
center of human virtues1 a  source of   
heavenly bestowals to mankind1 a        
dawning-point of divine  inspiration and
 perfections4 ,these perfections and    
graces are not limited  to names and    
boundaries4 ,when we find these virtues1
 qualities and  attributes in any       
personality1 we recognize the same      
reality shining from  within and bow in 
acknowledgment of the ,abrahamic        
perfections4 ,similarly  we acknowledge 
and adore the beauty of ,moses4 ,some   
souls were lovers of  the name ,abraham1
 loving the lantern instead of the light
 and when they  saw this same light     
shining from another lantern they were  
so attached to  the former lantern that 
they did not recognize its later        
appearance and  illumination4 ,therefore
 those who were attached and held       
tenaciously to  the name ,abraham were  
deprived when the ,abrahamic virtues    
reappeared in  ,moses4 ,similarly the   
,jews were believers in ,his ,holiness  

,moses1 awaiting  the coming of the     
,messiah4 ,the virtues and perfections  
of ,moses became  apparent in ,his      
,holiness ,jesus ,christ most           
effulgently but the ,jews held  to the  
name ,moses1 not adoring the virtues and
 perfections manifest in  him4 ,had they
 been adoring these virtues and seeking 
these perfections  they would assuredly 
have believed in ,his ,holiness ,jesus  
,christ when the  same virtues and      
perfections shone in him4 ,if we are    
lovers of the light  we adore it in     
whatever lamp it may become manifest but
 if we love the  lamp itself and the    
light is transferred to another lamp we 
will neither  accept nor sanction it4   
,therefore we must follow and adore the 
virtues  revealed in the messengers of  
,god whether in ,abraham1 ,moses1 ,jesus
 or  other prophets but we must not     
adhere to and adore the lamp4 ,we must  
recognize the sun no matter from what   
dawning-point it may shine forth1 be  it
 ,mosaic1 ,abrahamic or any personal    

point of orientation whatever1 for we   
are lovers of sunlight and not of       
orientation4 ,we are lovers of          
illumination and not of lamps and       
candles4 ,we are seekers for water no   
matter from what rock it may gush forth4
 ,we are in need of fruit in  whatsoever
 orchard it may be ripened4 ,we long for
 rain it matters not  which cloud pours 
it down4 ,we must not be fettered4 ,if  
we renounce these  fetters we shall     
agree1 for all are seekers of reality4  
,the counterfeit or  imitation of true  
religion has adulterated human belief   
and the  foundations have been lost     
sight of4 ,the variance of these        
imitations has  produced enmity and     
strife1 war and bloodshed4 ,now the     
glorious and  brilliant twentieth       
century has dawned and the divine bounty
 is radiating  universally4 ,the ,sun of
 ,truth is shining forth in intense     
enkindlement4  ,this is verily the      
century when these imitations must be   
forsaken1  superstitions abandoned and  

,god alone worshiped4 ,we must look at  
the  reality of the prophets and their  
teachings in order that we may agree4   
,praise be to ,god6 the springtime of   
,god is at hand4 ,this century is verily
  the spring season4 ,the world of mind 
and the kingdom of soul have become     
fresh and verdant by its bestowals4 ,it 
has resuscitated the whole realm of     
existence4 ,on one hand the lights of   
reality are shining2 on the other the   
clouds of divine mercy are pouring down 
the fullness of heavenly bounty4        
,wonderful material progress is evident 
and great spiritual discoveries are     
being made4 ,truly this can be called   
the miracle of centuries for it is      
replete with manifestations of the      
miraculous4 ,the time has come when all 
mankind shall be united1 when all races 
shall be loyal to one fatherland1  all  
religions become one religion and racial
 and religious bias pass away4  ,it is a
 day in which the oneness of humankind  
shall uplift its standard  and          

international peace like the true       
morning flood the world with its  light4
 ,therefore we offer supplications to   
,god1 asking him to dispel these  gloomy
 clouds and uproot these imitations in  
order that the ,east and ,west  may     
become radiant with love and unity2 that
 the nations of the world  shall embrace
 each other and the ideal spiritual     
brotherhood illumine the  world like the
 glorious sun of the high heavens4      
,,the ,,cause ,,of ,,strife      ,in the
 estimation of historians this radiant  
century is equivalent to one  hundred   
centuries of the past4 ,if comparison be
 made with the sum total of  all former 
human achievements it will be found that
 the discoveries1  scientific           
advancement and material civilization of
 this present century  have equaled1 yea
 far exceeded the progress and outcome  
of one hundred  former centuries4 ,the  
production of books and compilations of 
literature  alone bear witness that the 
output of the human mind in this century

 has  been greater and more enlightening
 than all the past centuries together4  
,it is evident therefore that this      
century is of paramount importance4     
,reflect upon the miracles of           
accomplishment which have already       
characterized it1 the discoveries in    
every realm of human research1          
inventions1 scientific knowledge1       
ethical reforms and regulations         
established for the welfare of humanity1
 mysteries of nature explored1          
invisible forces brought into visibility
 and subjection1 a veritable            
wonder-world of new phenomena and       
conditions heretofore unknown to man now
  open to his uses and further          
investigation4 ,the ,east and ,west can 
communicate instantly4 ,a human being   
can soar in the skies or speed in       
submarine depths4 ,the power of steam   
has linked the continents4 ,trains      
cross the deserts and pierce the        
barriers of mountains2 ships find       
unerring pathways upon the trackless    

oceans4 ,day by day discoveries are     
increasing4 ,what a wonderful century   
this is6 ,it is an age of universal     
re-formation4 ,laws and statutes of     
governments civil and federal are in    
process of change and transformation4   
,sciences and arts are being moulded    
anew4 ,thoughts are metamorphosed4 ,the 
foundations of human society are        
changing and strengthening4 ,today      
sciences of the past are useless4 ,the  
ptolemaic system of astronomy1          
numberless other systems and theories of
  scientific and philosophical          
explanation are discarded1 known to be  
false  and worthless4 ,ethical          
precedents and principles cannot be     
applied to the  needs of the modern     
world4 ,thoughts and theories of past   
ages are  fruitless now4 ,thrones and   
governments are crumbling and falling4  
,all  conditions and requisites of the  
past unfitted and inadequate for the    
present time1 are undergoing radical    
reform4    ,it is evident therefore that

 counterfeit and spurious religious     
teaching1  antiquated forms of belief   
and ancestral imitations which are at   
variance  with the foundations of divine
 reality must also pass away and be     
re-formed4 ,they must be abandoned and  
new conditions be recognized4 ,the      
morals of humanity must undergo change4 
,new remedy and solution for human      
problems must be adopted4 ,human        
intellects themselves must change and be
  subject to the universal reformation4 
,just as the thoughts and hypotheses  of
 past ages are fruitless today1 likewise
 dogmas and codes of human  invention   
are obsolete and barren of product in   
religion4 ,nay1 it is true  that they   
are the cause of enmity and conducive to
 strife in the world of  humanity2 war  
and bloodshed proceed from them and the 
oneness of mankind  finds no recognition
 in their observance4 ,therefore it is  
our duty in this  radiant century to    
investigate the essentials of divine    
religion1 seek the  realities underlying

 the oneness of the world of humanity   
and discover the  source of fellowship  
and agreement which will unite mankind  
in the  heavenly bond of love4 ,this    
unity is the radiance of eternity1 the  
divine  spirituality1 the effulgence of 
,god and the bounty of the ,kingdom4 ,we
 must  investigate the divine source of 
these heavenly bestowals and adhere unto
  them steadfastly4 ,for if we remain   
fettered and restricted by human        
inventions and dogmas1 day by day the   
world of mankind will be degraded1  day 
by day warfare and strife will increase 
and satanic forces converge  toward the 
destruction of the human race4    ,if   
love and agreement are manifest in a    
single family1 that family will         
advance1 become illumined and spiritual2
 but if enmity and hatred exist  within 
it destruction and dispersion are       
inevitable4 ,this is likewise true  of a
 city4 ,if those who dwell within it    
manifest a spirit of accord and         
fellowship it will progress steadily and

 human conditions become brighter       
whereas through enmity and strife it    
will be degraded and its inhabitants    
scattered4 ,in the same way the people  
of a nation develop and advance  toward 
civilization and enlightenment through  
love and accord1 and are  disintegrated 
by war and strife4 ,finally1 this is    
true of humanity itself  in the         
aggregate4 ,when love is realized and   
the ideal spiritual bonds  unite the    
hearts of men1 the whole human race will
 be uplifted1 the world  will           
continually grow more spiritual and     
radiant and the happiness and           
tranquillity of mankind be immeasurably 
increased4 ,warfare and strife will  be 
uprooted1 disagreement and dissension   
pass away and universal peace  unite the
 nations and peoples of the world4 ,all 
mankind will dwell  together as one     
family1 blend as the waves of one sea1  
shine as stars of  one firmament and    
appear as fruits of the same tree4 ,this
 is the happiness  and felicity of      

humankind4 ,this is the illumination of 
man1 the glory  eternal and life        
everlasting2 this is the divine         
bestowal4 ,i desire this  station for   
you and ,i pray ,god that the people of 
,america may achieve this  great end in 
order that the virtue of this democracy 
may be insured and  their names be      
glorified eternally4                    
,,universal ,,peace      ,today there is
 no greater glory for man than that of  
service in the cause  of the 8,most     
,great ,peace04 ,peace is light whereas 
war is darkness4 ,peace  is life2 war is
 death4 ,peace is guidance2 war is      
error4 ,peace is the  foundation of     
,god2 war is satanic institution4 ,peace
 is the illumination  of the world of   
humanity2 war is the destroyer of human 
foundations4 ,when  we consider outcomes
 in the world of existence we find that 
peace and  fellowship are factors of    
upbuilding and betterment whereas war   
and strife  are the causes of           
destruction and disintegration4 ,all    

created things are  expressions of the  
affinity and cohesion of elementary     
substances1 and  non-existence is the   
absence of their attraction and         
agreement4 ,various  elements unite     
harmoniously in composition but when    
these elements become  discordant1      
repelling each other1 decomposition and 
non-existence result4  ,everything      
partakes of this nature and is subject  
to this principle1 for  the creative    
foundation in all its degrees and       
kingdoms is an expression  or outcome of
 love4 ,consider the restlessness and   
agitation of the human  world today     
because of war4 ,peace is health and    
construction2 war is  disease and       
dissolution4 ,when the banner of truth  
is raised1 peace becomes  the cause of  
the welfare and advancement of the human
 world4 ,in all cycles  and ages war has
 been a factor of derangement and       
discomfort whereas peace  and           
brotherhood have brought security and   
consideration of human  interests4 ,this

 distinction is especially pronounced in
 the present world  conditions1 for     
warfare in former centuries had not     
attained the degree of  savagery and    
destructiveness which now characterizes 
it4 ,if two nations  were at war in     
olden times1 ten or twenty thousand     
would be sacrificed but  in this century
 the destruction of one hundred thousand
 lives in a day is  quite possible4 ,so 
perfected has the science of killing    
become and so  efficient the means and  
instruments of its accomplishment that a
 whole  nation can be obliterated in a  
short time4 ,therefore comparison with  
the  methods and results of ancient     
warfare is out of the question4         
,according to an intrinsic law1 all     
phenomena of being attain to a summit   
and degree of consummation1 after which 
a new order and condition is            
established4 ,as the instruments and    
science of war have reached the degree  
of thoroughness and proficiency1 it is  
hoped that the transformation of  the   

human world is at hand and that in the  
coming centuries all the  energies and  
inventions of man will be utilized in   
promoting the interests  of peace and   
brotherhood4 ,therefore may this        
esteemed and worthy society  for the    
establishment of international peace7#b7
 be confirmed in its  sincere intentions
 and empowered by ,god4 ,then will it   
hasten the time when  the banner of     
universal agreement will be raised and  
international welfare  will be          
proclaimed and consummated so that the  
darkness which now  encompasses the     
world shall pass away4444    ,the powers
 of earth cannot withstand the          
privileges and bestowals which  ,god has
 ordained for this great and glorious   
century4 ,it is a need and  exigency of 
the time4 ,man can withstand anything   
except that which is  divinely intended 
and indicated for the age and its       
requirements4 ,now1  ,praise be to ,god6
 in all countries of the world1 lovers  
of peace are to be  found and these     

principles are being spread among       
mankind1 especially in  this country4   
,praise be to ,god6 this thought is     
prevailing and souls are  continually   
arising as defenders of the oneness of  
humanity1 endeavoring  to assist and    
establish international peace4 ,there is
 no doubt that this  wonderful democracy
 will be able to realize it and the     
banner of  international agreement will 
be unfurled here to spread onward and   
outward  among all the nations of the   
world4 ,i give thanks to ,god that ,i   
find you  imbued with such              
susceptibilities and lofty aspirations  
and ,i hope that  you will be the means 
of spreading this light to all men4     
,thus may the ,sun  of ,reality shine   
upon the ,east and ,west4 ,the          
enveloping clouds shall pass  away and  
the heat of the divine rays will dispel 
the mist4 ,the reality of  man shall    
develop and come forth as the image of  
,god his creator4 ,the  thoughts of man 
shall take such upward flight that      

former accomplishments  shall appear as 
the play of children2--for the ideas and
 beliefs of the  past and the prejudices
 regarding race and religion have ever  
been  lowering and destructive to human 
evolution4 ,i am most hopeful that in   
this century these lofty thoughts shall 
be conducive to human welfare4 ,let     
this century be the sun of previous     
centuries the effulgences of which      
shall last forever1 so that in times to 
come they shall glorify the  twentieth  
century1 saying the twentieth century   
was the century of lights1  the         
twentieth century was the century of    
life1 the twentieth century was  the    
century of international peace1 the     
twentieth century was the century  of   
divine bestowals and the twentieth      
century has left traces which shall     
last forever4            ,,the          
,,prophets ,,and ,,war      ,when we    
review history from the beginning down  
to the present day we find  that strife 
and warfare have prevailed throughout   

the human world4 ,wars1  religious1     
racial or political1 have arisen from   
human ignorance1  misunderstanding and  
lack of education4 ,we will first       
consider religious  strife and conflict4
    ,it is evident that the divine      
prophets have appeared in the world to  
establish love and agreement among      
mankind4 ,they have been the shepherds  
and not the wolves4 ,the shepherd comes 
forth to gather and lead his flock  and 
not to disperse them by creating strife4
 ,every divine shepherd has  assembled a
 flock which had formerly been          
scattered4 ,among the shepherds  was    
,his ,holiness ,moses4 ,at a time when  
the tribes of ,israel were wandering    
and dispersed1 he assembled1 united and 
educated them to higher degrees of      
capacity and progress until they passed 
out of the wilderness of  discipline    
into the holy land of possession4 ,he   
transformed their  degradation into     
glory1 changed their poverty into wealth
 and replaced  their vices by virtues   

until they rose to such a zenith that   
the splendor  of the sovereignty of     
,solomon was made possible and the fame 
of their  civilization extended to the  
,east and the ,west4 ,it is evident     
therefore  that ,his ,holiness was a    
divine shepherd for he gathered the     
tribes of  ,israel together and united  
them in the power and strength of a     
great  nationhood4    ,when the         
,messianic star of ,jesus ,christ       
dawned1 he declared he had come to      
gather together the lost tribes or      
scattered sheep of ,moses4 ,he not only 
shepherded the flock of ,israel1 but    
brought together people of ,chaldea1    
,egypt1 ,syria1 ancient ,assyria and    
,phoenicia4 ,these people were in a     
state  of utmost hostility1 thirsting   
for the blood of each other with the    
ferocity of animals2 but ,his ,holiness 
,jesus ,christ brought them together1   
cemented and united them in his cause   
and established such a bond of love     
among them that enmity and warfare were 

abandoned4 ,it is evident therefore     
that the divine teachings are intended  
to create a bond of unity in the  human 
world and establish the foundations of  
love and fellowship among  mankind4     
,divine religion is not a cause for     
discord and disagreement4 ,if  religion 
becomes the source of antagonism and    
strife1 the absence of  religion is to  
be preferred4 ,religion is meant to be  
the quickening life  of the body        
politic2 if it be the cause of death to 
humanity1 its  nonexistence would be a  
blessing and benefit to man4 ,therefore 
in this day  the divine teachings must  
be sought1 for they are the remedies for
 the  present conditions of the world of
 humanity4    ,at a time when the       
,arabian tribes and nomadic peoples were
 widely  separated1 living in the       
deserts under lawless conditions1 strife
 and  bloodshed continual among them1 no
 tribe free from the menace of attack   
and destruction by another1--at such a  
critical time ,mohammed appeared4 ,he   

gathered these wild tribes of the desert
 together1 reconciled1 united and       
caused them to agree so that enmity and 
warfare ceased4 ,the ,arabian nation    
immediately advanced until its dominion 
extended westward to ,spain and         
,andalusia4    ,from these facts and    
premises we may conclude that the       
establishing of the  divine religions is
 for peace1 not for war and the shedding
 of blood4  ,inasmuch as all are founded
 upon one reality which is love and     
unity1 the  wars and dissensions which  
have characterized the history of       
religion have  been due to imitations   
and superstitions which arise afterward4
 ,religion  is reality and reality is   
one4 ,the fundamentals of the religion  
of ,god are  therefore one in reality4  
,there is neither difference nor change 
in the  fundamentals4 ,variance is      
caused by blind imitations1 prejudices  
and  adherence to forms which appear    
later1 and inasmuch as these differ1    
discord and strife result4 ,if the      

religions of the world would forsake    
these causes of difficulty and seek the 
fundamentals1 all would agree1 and      
strife and dissension would pass away2  
for religion and reality are one  and   
not multiple4    ,other wars are caused 
by purely imaginary racial differences2 
for humanity  is one kind1 one race and 
progeny inhabiting the same globe4 ,in  
the  creative plan there is no racial   
distinction and separation such as      
,frenchman1 ,englishman1 ,american1     
,german1 ,italian or ,spaniard2 all     
belong  to one household4 ,these        
boundaries and distinctions are human   
and  artificial1 not natural and        
original4 ,all mankind are the fruits of
 one  tree1 flowers of the same garden1 
waves of one sea4 ,in the animal kingdom
  no such distinction and separation are
 observed4 ,the sheep of the ,east and  
the sheep of the ,west would associate  
peacefully4 ,the oriental flock would   
not look surprised as if saying1 8,these
 are sheep of the ,occident2 they do    

not belong to our country40 ,all would  
gather in harmony and enjoy the same    
pasture without evidence of local or    
racial distinction4 ,the birds of       
different countries mingle in           
friendliness4 ,we find these virtues in 
the  animal kingdom4 ,shall man deprive 
himself of these virtues8 ,man is       
endowed  with superior reasoning power  
and the faculty of perception2 he is the
  manifestation of divine bestowals4    
,shall racial ideas prevail and obscure 
the creative purpose of unity in his    
kingdom8 ,shall he say1 8,i am a        
,german10 8,i am a ,frenchman10 or an   
8,englishman0 and declare war because of
  this imaginary and human distinction8 
,god forbid6 ,this earth is one         
household and the nativity of all       
humanity2 therefore the human race      
should ignore distinctions and          
boundaries which are artificial and     
conducive to disagreement and hostility4
 ,we have come from the ,east4  ,praise 
be to ,god6 we find this continent      

prosperous1 the climate  salubrious and 
delightful1 the inhabitants genial and  
courteous1 the  government equable and  
just4 ,shall we entertain any other     
thought and  feeling than that of love  
for you8 ,shall we say1 8,this is not   
our native  land1 therefore everything  
is objectionable80 ,this would be gross 
ignorance to which man must not subject 
himself4 ,man is endowed with  powers to
 investigate reality1 and the reality is
 that humanity is one in  kind and equal
 in the creative plan4 ,therefore false 
distinctions of race  and nativity which
 are factors and causes of warfare must 
be abandoned4    ,consider what is      
happening7#c7 in ,tripoli2 how the poor 
are being killed  and the blood of the  
helpless is being shed upon both sides2 
children made  fatherless1 fathers      
lamenting the death of their sons1      
mothers bewailing  the loss of dear     
ones4 ,and what is the benefit after    
all8 ,nothing  conceivable4 ,is it      
therefore justifiable8 ,the domestic    

animals do not  manifest hatred and     
cruelty toward each other2 that is the  
attribute of  the wild and ferocious    
beasts4 ,in a flock of one thousand     
sheep you will  witness no bloodshed4   
,numberless species of birds are        
peaceful in flocks4  ,wolves1 lions1    
tigers are ferocious because it is their
 natural and  necessary means for       
obtaining food4 ,man has no need of such
 ferocity2 his  food is provided in     
other ways4 ,therefore it is evident    
that warfare1  cruelty and bloodshed in 
the kingdom of man are caused by human  
greed1  hatred and selfishness4 ,the    
kings and rulers of nations enjoy luxury
 and  ease in their palaces and send the
 common people to the battlefield2 offer
  them as the food and targets of       
cannon4 ,each day they invent new       
instruments for the more complete       
destruction of the foundations of the   
human race4 ,they are callous and       
merciless toward their fellow-creatures4
  ,what shall atone for the sufferings  

and grief of mothers who have so        
tenderly cared for their sons8 ,what    
sleepless nights they have spent and    
what days of devotion and love they have
 given to bring their children to       
maturity6 ,yet the savagery of these    
warring rulers causes great numbers of  
their victims to be torn and mutilated  
in a day4 ,what ignorance and           
degradation1 yea even greater than the  
ferocious beasts themselves6 ,for a     
wolf will carry away and devour one     
sheep at a time whereas an ambitious    
tyrant may cause the death of one       
hundred thousand men in a battle and    
glory in his military prowess saying1   
8,i am commander-in-chief2 ,i have won  
this mighty victory40 ,consider the     
ignorance and inconsistency of the      
human race4 ,if a man kills another1 no 
matter what the cause may be1 he is     
pronounced a murderer1 imprisoned or    
executed2 but the brutal oppressor  who 
has slain one hundred thousand is       
idolized as a hero1 conqueror or        

military genius4 ,a man steals a small  
sum of money2 he is called a thief  and 
sent to the penitentiary2 but the       
military leader who invades and         
pillages a whole kingdom is acclaimed   
heroic and a mighty man of valor4  ,how 
base and ignorant is man6    ,in ,persia
 previous to the middle of the          
nineteenth century1 among the  various  
tribes and peoples1 sects and           
denominations there existed the         
greatest animosity1 strife and hatred4  
,at that time too all the other  nations
 of the ,east were in the same          
condition4 ,religionists were hostile   
and bigoted1 sects were at enmity1 races
 hated each other1 tribes were          
constantly at war2 everywhere antagonism
 and conflict prevailed4 ,men  shunned  
and were suspicious of each other4 ,the 
man who could kill a number  of his     
fellow-creatures was glorified for his  
heroism and strength4 ,among            
religionists it was esteemed a          
praiseworthy deed to take the life of   

one  who held an opposite belief4 ,at   
this time ,bah'u'llh arose and declared 
his mission4 ,he founded the oneness of 
the world of humanity1 proclaimed  that 
all are servants of the loving and      
merciful ,god who has created1          
nourished and provided for all1         
therefore why should men be unjust and  
unkind to each other1 showing forth that
 which is contrary to ,god8 ,as ,he     
loves us why should we entertain        
animosity and hate8 ,if ,god did not    
love  all ,he would not have created1   
trained and provided for all4           
,loving-kindness is the divine policy4  
,shall we consider human policy and     
attitude superior to the wisdom and     
policy of ,god8 ,this would be          
inconceivable1 impossible4 ,therefore we
 must emulate and follow the divine     
policy1 dealing with each other in the  
utmost love and tenderness4             
,bah'u'llh declared the 8,most ,great   
,peace0 and international arbitration4  
,he voiced these principles in numerous 

epistles which were circulated          
broadcast throughout the ,east4 ,he     
wrote to all the kings and rulers       
encouraging1 advising and admonishing   
them in regard to the establishment  of 
peace2 making it evident by conclusive  
proofs that the happiness and  glory of 
humanity can only be assured through    
disarmament and arbitration4  ,this was 
nearly fifty years ago4 ,because he     
promulgated the message of  ,universal  
,peace and international agreement1 the 
kings of the ,orient arose  against him 
for they did not find their personal and
 national benefits  advanced by his     
admonition and teaching4 ,they          
persecuted him bitterly1  inflicted upon
 him every torment1 imprisoned1         
bastinadoed1 banished him  and          
eventually confined him in a fortress4  
,then they arose against his  followers4
 ,for the establishment of international
 peace the blood of  twenty thousand    
,bah's was spilt4 ,their homes were     
destroyed1 their  children made captives

 and their possessions pillaged yet none
 of these  people waxed cold or wavered 
in devotion4 ,even to this day the      
,bah's are  persecuted and quite        
recently a number were killed1 for      
wherever they are  found they put forth 
the greatest efforts to establish the   
peace of the  world4 ,they not only     
promulgate principles2 they are people  
of action4    ,in ,persia today through 
the teachings of ,bah'u'llh you will    
find people  of various religious       
beliefs and denominations living        
together in the  utmost peace and       
agreement4 ,the former enmities and     
hatred have passed  away and they       
exercise the utmost love toward all     
mankind for they realize  and know that 
all are the creatures and servants of   
one ,god4 ,this is  directly due to the 
divine teachings4 ,at most it is simply 
this2 that the  ignorant must be        
educated1 the ailing must be healed1    
those who are as  children in the scale 
of development must be helped to reach  

the age of  maturity4 ,we must not be   
unfriendly to any one because of        
ignorance1  neither must we reject the  
immature or turn away from the sick but 
administer the remedy for each human    
need until all are united in the        
providence of ,god4 ,therefore it is    
evident that the essential foundations  
of the divine religions are unity and   
love4 ,if religion be productive of     
discord among mankind it is a destroyer 
and not divine for religion  implies    
unity and binding together and not      
separation4 ,mere knowledge of          
principles is not sufficient4 ,we all   
know and admit that justice is good  but
 there is need of volition and action to
 carry out and manifest it4 ,for        
example1 we might think it good to build
 a church but simply thinking of  it as 
a good thing will not help its erection4
 ,the ways and means must be  provided2 
we must will to build it and then       
proceed with the construction4  ,all of 
us know that international peace is     

good1 that it is conducive to  human    
welfare and the glory of man but        
volition and action are necessary       
before it can be established4 ,action is
 the essential4 ,inasmuch as this       
century is a century of light1 capacity 
for action is assured to mankind4       
,necessarily the divine principles will 
be spread among men until the time  of  
action arrives4 ,surely this has been so
 and truly the time and  conditions are 
ripe for action now4 ,all men know that 
verily war is the  destroyer of human   
foundations and in every country of the 
world this is  admitted and apparent4 ,i
 find the ,united ,states of ,america an
 exceedingly  progressive nation1 the   
government just1 the people in a state  
of  readiness and the principle of      
equality established to an extraordinary
  degree4 ,therefore it is my hope that 
inasmuch as the standard of             
international peace must be upraised it 
may be upraised upon this  continent1   
for this nation is more deserving and   

has greater capacity for  such an       
initial step than any other4 ,if other  
nations should attempt to do  this the  
motive will be misunderstood4 ,for      
instance1 if ,great ,britain  should    
declare for international peace it will 
be said that it has been  done to insure
 the safety of her colonies4 ,if ,france
 should hoist the  standard other       
nations will declare some hidden        
diplomatic policy  underlies the action2
 ,russia would be suspected of national 
designs if the  first step were taken by
 that people1 and so on with all the    
,european and  eastern governments4 ,but
 the ,united ,states of ,america could  
not be accused  of any such selfish     
interest4 ,your government has1 strictly
 speaking1 no  colonies to protect4 ,you
 are not endeavoring to extend your     
domain nor  have you need of territorial
 expansion4 ,therefore if ,america takes
 the  first step toward the establishing
 of world peace it is certain to be     
ascribed to unselfishness and altruism4 

,the world will say1 8,there is no      
other motive than altruism and service  
to humanity in this action by the       
,united ,states40 ,therefore it is my   
hope that you may stand forth as the    
first herald of peace and hoist this    
banner2 for this banner will be         
hoisted4 ,raise it aloft1 for you are   
the most qualified and deserving of     
nations4 ,the other countries await this
 summons1 expect this call to the       
standard of reconciliation1 for the     
whole world is distressed because of    
the excessive burden and irreparable    
damage of war4 ,taxes are levied to     
meet its drain4 ,every year the burden  
increases and the people have come  to  
their end4 ,just now7#d7 ,europe is a   
battlefield of ammunition ready for  a  
spark2 and one spark will set aflame the
 whole world4 ,before these             
complications and cataclysmic events    
happen1 take the step to prevent it4    
,the foundations of all the divine      
religions are peace and agreement1 but  

misunderstandings and ignorance have    
developed4 ,if these are caused to      
disappear you will see that all the     
religious agencies will work for peace  
and promulgate the oneness of humankind4
 ,for the foundation of all is  reality 
and reality is not multiple or          
divisible4 ,his ,holiness ,moses        
founded it1 ,his ,holiness ,jesus raised
 its tent1 and its brilliant light  has 
shone forth in all the religions4 ,his  
,holiness ,bah'u'llh proclaimed  this   
one reality and spread the message of   
the 8,most ,great ,peace04 ,even in     
prison he rested not until he lighted   
this lamp in the ,east4 ,praise be to   
,god6 all who have accepted his         
teachings are lovers of peace1          
peacemakers  ready to sacrifice their   
lives and expend their possessions for  
it4 ,now  let this standard be upraised 
in the ,west and many will respond to   
the  call4 ,america has become renowned 
for her discoveries1 inventions and     
artistic skill1 famous for equity of    

government and stupendous  undertakings2
 now may she also become noted and      
celebrated as the herald  and messenger 
of ,universal ,peace4 ,let this be her  
mission and undertaking  and may its    
blessed impetus spread to all countries4
 ,i pray for all of you  that you may   
render this service to the world of     
humanity4            ,,foundations ,,of 
,,world ,,unity      ,there is not one  
soul whose conscience does not testify  
that in this day  there is no more      
important matter in the world than that 
of ,universal  ,peace4 ,every just one  
bears witness to this and adores that   
esteemed  ,assembly7#e7 because its aim 
is that this darkness may be turned into
  light1 this bloodthirstiness into     
kindness1 this torment into bliss1 this 
hardship into ease and this enmity and  
hatred into fellowship and love4        
,therefore the effort of those esteemed 
souls is worthy of praise and           
commendation4    ,but the wise souls who
 are aware of the essential             

relationships emanating  from the       
realities of things consider that one   
single matter cannot1 by  itself1       
influence the human reality as it ought 
and should1 for until the  minds of men 
become united1 no important matter can  
be accomplished4 ,at  present ,universal
 ,peace is a matter of great importance1
 but unity of  conscience is essential1 
so that the foundation of this matter   
may become  secure1 its establishment   
firm and its edifice strong4            
,therefore ,his ,holiness ,bah'u'llh    
fifty years ago1 expounded this         
question of ,universal ,peace at a time 
when he was confined in the fortress  of
 ,akka and was wronged and imprisoned4  
,he wrote about this matter of          
,universal ,peace to all the great      
sovereigns of the world1 and established
  it among his friends in the ,orient4  
,the horizon of the ,east was in utter  
darkness1 nations displayed the utmost  
hatred and enmity towards each  other1  
religions thirsted for each other's     

blood1 and it was darkness upon         
darkness4 ,at such a time ,his ,holiness
 ,bah'u'llh shone forth like the sun    
from the horizon of the ,east and       
illumined ,persia with the light of     
these  teachings4    ,among his         
teachings was the declaration of        
,universal ,peace4 ,people of  different
 nations1 religions and sects1 who      
followed him1 came together to  such an 
extent that remarkable gatherings were  
instituted1 consisting of  the various  
nations and religions of the ,east4     
,every soul who entered  those          
gatherings saw but one nation1 one      
pathway1 one teaching1 one order2  for  
the teachings of ,his ,holiness         
,bah'u'llh were not limited to the      
establishment of ,universal ,peace4     
,they embraced many teachings which     
supplemented and supported that of      
,universal ,peace4    ,among these      
teachings is the independent            
investigation of reality1 so that  the  
world of humanity might be saved from   

the darkness of imitation and  attain to
 the truth2 might tear off and cast away
 this ragged and outworn  garment of one
 thousand years ago and put on the robe 
woven in the utmost  purity and holiness
 in the loom of reality4 ,as reality is 
one and cannot  admit of multiplicity1  
therefore different opinions must       
ultimately become  fused into one4      
,and among the teachings of ,his        
,holiness ,bah'u'llh is the oneness of  
the  world of humanity2 that all human  
beings are the sheep of ,god and ,he is 
the kind ,shepherd4 ,this ,shepherd is  
kind to all the sheep1 because ,he      
created them all1 trained them1 provided
 for them and protected them4  ,there is
 no doubt that the ,shepherd is kind to 
all the sheep2 and should  there be     
among these sheep ignorant ones1 they   
must be educated2 if there  be children1
 they must be trained until they reach  
maturity2 if there be  sick ones1 they  
must be healed4 ,there must be no hatred
 and enmity1 for as  by a kind physician

 these ignorant1 sick ones should be    
treated4    ,and among the teachings of 
,his ,holiness ,bah'u'llh is that       
religion must  be the cause of          
fellowship and love4 ,if it becomes the 
cause of  estrangement1 then it is not  
needed1 for religion is like a remedy3  
if it  aggravates the disease1 then it  
becomes unnecessary4    ,and among the  
teachings of ,bah'u'llh is that         
religious1 racial1  political1 economic 
and patriotic prejudices destroy the    
edifice of  humanity4 ,as long as these 
prejudices prevail1 the world of        
humanity will  have no rest4 ,for a     
period of six thousand years history    
informs us about  the world of humanity4
 ,during these six thousand years the   
world of  humanity has not been free    
from war1 strife1 murder and            
bloodthirstiness4  ,in every period war 
has been waged in one country or        
another1 and that war  was due to either
 religious prejudice1 racial prejudice1 
political  prejudice or patriotic       

prejudice4 ,it has1 therefore1 been     
ascertained and  proved that all        
prejudices are destructive of the human 
edifice4 ,as long  as these prejudices  
persist1 the struggle for existence must
 remain  dominant1 and bloodthirstiness 
and rapacity continue4 ,therefore1 even 
as  was the case in the past1 the world 
of humanity cannot be saved from the    
darkness of nature1 and cannot attain   
illumination1 except through the        
abandonment of prejudices and the       
acquisition of the morals of the        
,kingdom4444    ,and among the teachings
 of ,his ,holiness ,bah'u'llh is the    
origination of  one language that may be
 spread universally among the people4   
,this  teaching was revealed from the   
pen of ,bah'u'llh in order that this    
universal language may eliminate        
misunderstandings from among mankind4   
,and among the teachings of ,his        
,holiness ,bah'u'llh is the equality of 
women and men4 ,the world of humanity   
has two wings-- one is woman and the    

other man4 ,not until both wings are    
equally developed can the bird fly4     
,should one wing remain weak1 flight is 
impossible4 ,not until the world of     
woman becomes equal to the world of man 
in the acquisition of virtues and       
perfections1 can success and prosperity 
be attained as they ought to be4    ,and
 among the teachings of ,bah'u'llh is   
voluntary sharing of one's  property    
with others among mankind4 ,this        
voluntary sharing is greater than       
equality1 and consists in this3 that man
 should not prefer himself to  others1  
but rather should sacrifice his life and
 property for others4 ,but  this should 
not be introduced by coercion so that it
 becomes a law and man  is compelled to 
follow it4 ,nay1 rather should man      
voluntarily and of his  own choice      
sacrifice his property and life for     
others1 and spend willingly  for the    
poor1 just as is done in ,persia among  
the ,bah's4    ,and among the teachings 
of ,his ,holiness ,bah'u'llh is man's   

freedom3 that  through the ,ideal ,power
 he should be emancipated and free from 
the  captivity of the world of nature2  
for as long as man is captive to nature 
he is a ferocious animal1 as the        
struggle for existence is one of the    
exigencies of the world of nature4 ,this
 matter of the struggle for  existence  
is the fountain-head of all calamities1 
and is the supreme  affliction4    ,and 
among the teachings of ,bah'u'llh is    
that religion is a mighty  bulwark4 ,if 
the edifice of religion shakes and      
totters1 commotion and  chaos will ensue
 and the order of things will be utterly
 upset1 for in the  world of mankind    
there are two safeguards that protect   
man from  wrongdoing4 ,one is the law   
which punishes the criminal2 but the law
  prevents only the manifest crime and  
not the concealed sin2 whereas the      
ideal safeguard1 namely1 the religion of
 ,god1 prevents both the manifest  and  
the concealed crime1 trains man1        
educates morals1 compels the adoption   

of virtues and is the all-inclusive     
power which guarantees the felicity of  
the world of mankind4 ,but by religion  
is meant that which is ascertained  by  
investigation and not that which is     
based on mere imitation1 the  foundation
 of divine religions and not human      
imitations4    ,and among the teachings 
of ,bah'u'llh is that although material 
civilization is one of the means for the
 progress of the world of mankind1  yet 
until it becomes combined with divine   
civilization the desired result1  which 
is the felicity of mankind1 will not be 
attained4 ,consider6 ,these  battleships
 that reduce a city to ruins within the 
space of an hour are  the result of     
material civilization2 likewise the     
,krupp guns1 the ,mauser  rifles1       
dynamite1 submarines1 torpedo boats1    
armed aircraft and bombing              
aeroplanes--all these weapons of war are
 malignant fruits of material           
civilization4 ,had material civilization
 been combined with divine              

civilization1 these fiery weapons would 
never have been invented4 ,nay1  rather 
human energy would have been wholly     
devoted to useful inventions  and       
concentrated on praiseworthy            
discoveries4 ,material civilization is  
like a globe of glass4 ,divine          
civilization is the light itself1 and   
the  glass without the light is dark4   
,material civilization is like the body4
  ,no matter how infinitely graceful1   
elegant and beautiful it may be1 it is  
dead4 ,divine civilization is like the  
spirit1 and the body gets its life  from
 the spirit1 otherwise it becomes a     
corpse4 ,it has thus been made  evident 
that the world of mankind is in need of 
the breaths of the ,holy  ,spirit4      
,without the spirit the world of mankind
 is lifeless1 and without  this light   
the world of mankind is in utter        
darkness4 ,for the world of  nature is  
an animal world4 ,until man is born     
again from the world of  nature--that is
 to say1 becomes detached from the world

 of nature1 he is  essentially an       
animal1 and it is the teachings of ,god 
which convert this  animal into a human 
soul4    ,and among the teachings of    
,bah'u'llh is the promotion of          
education4  ,every child must be        
instructed in sciences as much as is    
necessary4 ,if the  parents are able to 
provide the expenses of this education1 
it is all  right2 otherwise the         
community must provide the means for the
 teaching of  that child4    ,and among 
the teachings of ,his ,holiness         
,bah'u'llh are justice and right4       
,until these are realized on the plane  
of existence1 all things will be in     
disorder and remain imperfect4 ,the     
world of mankind is a world of          
oppression and cruelty1 and a realm of  
aggression and error4    ,in fine1 such 
teachings are numerous4 ,these manifold 
principles1 which  constitute the       
greatest basis for the felicity of      
mankind and are of the  bounties of the 
,merciful1 must be added to the matter  

of ,universal ,peace  and combined with 
it1 so that results may accrue4         
,otherwise the  realization of          
,universal ,peace in the world of       
mankind is difficult4 ,as  the teachings
 of ,his ,holiness ,bah'u'llh are       
combined with ,universal  ,peace1 they  
are like a table provided with every    
kind of fresh and  delicious food4      
,every soul can find at that table of   
infinite bounty that  which he desires4 
,if the question is restricted to       
,universal ,peace alone1  the remarkable
 results which are expected and desired 
will not be  attained4 ,the scope of    
,universal ,peace must be such that all 
the  communities and religions may find 
their highest wish realized in it4 ,at  
present the teachings of ,his ,holiness 
,bah'u'llh are such that all the        
communities of the world1 whether       
religious1 political or ethical1 ancient
  or modern1 find in the teachings of   
,bah'u'llh the expression of their      
highest wish4    ,for example1 the      

people of religions find1 in the        
teachings of ,his  ,holiness ,bah'u'llh1
 the establishment of ,universal        
,religion--a religion  that perfectly   
conforms with present conditions1 which 
in reality effects  the immediate cure  
of the incurable disease1 which relieves
 every pain and  bestows the infallible 
antidote for every deadly poison4 ,for  
if we wish to  arrange and organize the 
world of mankind in accordance with the 
present  religious imitations and       
thereby to establish the felicity of    
mankind1 it  is impossible and          
impracticable3 for example1 the         
enforcement of the laws  of the ,old    
,testament and also of the other        
religions in accordance with  present   
imitations4 ,but the essential basis of 
all the divine religions  which pertains
 to the virtues of the world of mankind 
and is the  foundation of the welfare of
 the world of man1 is found in the      
teachings  of ,his ,holiness ,bah'u'llh 
in the most perfect presentation4       

,similarly1 with regard to the people   
who clamor for freedom3 the moderate    
freedom which guarantees the welfare of 
the world of man1 is found in the       
teachings of ,his ,holiness ,bah'u'llh4 
,so with regard to political parties3   
that which is the greatest policy       
directing the world of mankind1 nay1    
rather the divine policy1 is found in   
the teachings of ,his ,holiness         
,bah'u'llh4    ,likewise with regard to 
the party of 8equality0 which seeks the 
solution  of the economic problems3     
until now all proposed solutions have   
proved  impracticable except the        
economic proposals in the teachings of  
,his  ,holiness ,bah'u'llh1 which are   
practicable and cause no distress to    
society4    ,so with the other parties3 
when ye look deeply into this matter1 ye
 will  discover that the highest aims of
 those parties are found in the         
teachings  of ,bah'u'llh4 ,these        
teachings constitute the all-inclusive  
power among  all men1 and are           

practicable4444    ,for example1 the    
question of ,universal ,peace1 about    
which ,his ,holiness  ,bah'u'llh says   
that the ,supreme ,tribunal must be     
established2 although  the ,league of   
,nations has been brought into          
existence1 yet it is incapable  of      
establishing ,universal ,peace4 ,but the
 ,supreme ,tribunal which ,his          
,holiness ,bah'u'llh has described will 
fulfill this sacred task with the       
utmost might and power4 ,and his plan is
 this3 that the national assemblies  of 
each country and nation--that is to say1
 their parliaments--should elect  two or
 three persons who are the choicest men 
of that nation1 and are well  informed  
concerning international laws and the   
relations between  governments and aware
 of the essential needs of the world of 
humanity in  this day4 ,the number of   
these representatives should be in      
proportion to  the number of inhabitants
 of that country4 ,the election of these
 souls who  are chosen by the national  

assembly--that is1 the parliament--must 
be  confirmed by the upper house1 the   
congress and the cabinet and also by the
  president or monarch so that these    
persons may be the elected ones of all  
the nation and the government4 ,from    
among these people the members of the   
,supreme ,tribunal will be elected1 and 
all mankind will thus have a share      
therein1 for every one of these         
delegates is fully representative of his
  nation4 ,when the ,supreme ,tribunal  
gives a ruling on any international     
question1 either unanimously or by      
majority rule1 there will no longer be  
any pretext for the plaintiff or ground 
of objection for the defendant4 ,in     
case any of the governments or nations1 
in the execution of the  irrefutable    
decision of the ,supreme ,tribunal1 be  
negligent or dilatory1  the rest of the 
nations will rise up against it1 because
 all the  governments and nations of the
 world are the supporters of this       
,supreme  ,tribunal4 ,consider what a   

firm foundation this is6 ,but by a      
limited and  restricted ,league the     
purpose will not be realized as it ought
 and should4  ,this is the truth about  
the situation which has been stated4444 
,today nothing but the power of the     
,word of ,god which encompasses the     
realities of things can bring the       
thoughts1 minds1 hearts and spirits     
under the shade of one ,tree4 ,he is the
 potent in all things1 the vivifier  of 
souls1 the preserver and the controller 
of the world of mankind4 ,praise  be to 
,god1 in this day the light of the ,word
 of ,god has shone forth upon  all      
regions2 and from all sects1            
communities1 nations1 tribes1 peoples1  
religions and denominations1 souls have 
gathered together under the shadow  of  
the ,word of ,oneness1 and have in the  
utmost fellowship united and            
harmonized6            ,,racial         
,,harmony      ,today ,i am most happy1 
for ,i see here7#f7 a gathering of the  
servants of  ,god4 ,i see the white and 

colored people together4 ,in the        
estimation of ,god  there is no         
distinction of color2 all are one in the
 color and beauty of  servitude to ,him4
 ,color is not important2 the heart is  
all-important4 ,it  matters not what the
 exterior may be if the heart be pure   
and white  within4 ,god does not behold 
differences of hue and complexion2 ,he  
looks at  the hearts4 ,he whose morals  
and virtues are praiseworthy is         
preferred in  the presence of ,god2 he  
who is devoted to the ,kingdom is most  
beloved4 ,in  the realm of genesis and  
creation the question of color is of    
least  importance4    ,the mineral      
kingdom abounds with many-colored       
substances and compositions  but we find
 no strife among them on that account4  
,in the kingdom of the  plant and       
vegetable1 distinct and variegated hues 
exist but the fruit and  flowers are not
 in conflict for that reason4 ,nay1     
rather1 the very fact  that there is    
difference and variety lends a charm to 

the garden4 ,if all  were of the same   
color the effect would be monotonous and
 depressing4 ,when  you enter a         
rose-garden the wealth of color and     
variety of floral forms  spread before  
you a picture of wonder and beauty4 ,the
 world of humanity is  like a garden and
 the various races are the flowers which
 constitute its  adornment and          
decoration4 ,in the animal kingdom also 
we find variety of  color4 ,see how the 
doves differ in beauty yet they live    
together in  perfect peace1 and love    
each other4 ,they do not make difference
 of color a  cause of discord and       
strife4 ,they view each other as the    
same species and  kind4 ,they know they 
are one in kind4 ,often a white dove    
soars aloft with  a black one4          
,throughout the animal kingdom we do not
 find the creatures  separated because  
of color4 ,they recognize unity of      
species and oneness of  kind4 ,if we do 
not find color distinction drawn in a   
kingdom of lower  intelligence and      

reason1 how can it be justified among   
human beings1  especially when we know  
that all have come from the same source 
and belong  to the same household8 ,in  
origin and intention of creation mankind
 is one4  ,distinctions of race and     
color have arisen afterward4            
,therefore today ,i am exceedingly glad 
that both white and colored people  have
 gathered here and ,i hope the time will
 come when they shall live  together in 
the utmost peace1 unity and friendship4 
,i wish to say one  thing of importance 
to both in order that the white race may
 be just and  kind to the colored and   
that the colored race may in turn be    
grateful and  appreciative toward the   
white4 ,the great proclamation of       
liberty and  emancipation from slavery  
was made upon this continent4 ,a long   
bloody war  was fought by white men for 
the sake of colored people4 ,these white
 men  forfeited their possessions and   
sacrificed their lives by thousands in  
order that colored men might be freed   

from bondage4 ,the colored population   
of the ,united ,states of ,america are  
possibly not fully informed of the      
wide-reaching effect of this freedom and
 emancipation upon their colored        
brethren in ,asia and ,africa where even
 more terrible conditions of slavery    
existed4 ,influenced and impelled by the
 example of the ,united ,states1 the    
,european powers proclaimed universal   
liberty to the colored race and  slavery
 ceased to exist4 ,this effort and      
accomplishment by the white  nations    
should never be lost sight of4 ,both    
races should rejoice in  gratitude1 for 
the institution of liberty and equality 
here became the  cause of liberating    
your fellow-beings elsewhere4 ,the      
colored people of  this country are     
especially fortunate1 for1 ,praise be to
 ,god6 conditions  here are so much     
higher than in the ,east and            
comparatively few differences  exist in 
the possibility of equal attainments    
with the white race4 ,may  both develop 

toward the highest degree of equality   
and altruism4 ,may you  be drawn        
together in friendship and may          
extraordinary development make          
brotherhood a reality and truth4 ,i pray
 in your behalf that there shall be  no 
name other than that of humanity among  
you4    ,therefore strive earnestly and 
put forth your greatest endeavor toward 
the  accomplishment of this fellowship  
and the cementing of this bond of       
brotherhood between you4 ,such an       
attainment is not possible without will 
and effort on the part of each2 from    
one1 expressions of gratitude and       
appreciation2 from the other kindliness 
and recognition of equality4 ,each  one 
should endeavor to develop and assist   
the other toward mutual  advancement4   
,this is possible only by conjoining of 
effort and  inclination4 ,love and unity
 will be fostered between you1 thereby  
bringing  about the oneness of mankind4 
,for the accomplishment of unity between
 the  colored and whites will be an     

assurance of the world's peace4 ,then   
racial  prejudice1 national prejudice1  
limited patriotism and religious bias   
will  pass away and remain no longer4 ,i
 am pleased to see you at this          
gathering1  white and dark1 and ,i      
praise ,god that ,i have had this       
opportunity of  seeing you loving each  
other1 for this is the means of the     
glory of  humanity4 ,this is the means  
of the good-pleasure of ,god and of     
eternal  bliss in ,his ,kingdom4        
,therefore ,i pray in your behalf that  
you may attain  to the fullest of love  
and that the day may come when all      
differences  between you may disappear4 
,,the ,,spirit ,,of ,,justice      ,what
 could be better before ,god than       
thinking of the poor8 ,for the poor  are
 beloved by our heavenly ,father4 ,when 
,his ,holiness ,christ came upon the    
earth those who believed in him and     
followed him were the poor and lowly1   
showing the poor were near to ,god4     
,when a rich man believes and follows   

the ,manifestation of ,god it is a proof
 that his wealth is not an obstacle  and
 does not prevent him from attaining the
 pathway of salvation4 ,after he  has   
been tested and tried it will be seen   
whether his possessions are a  hindrance
 in his religious life4 ,but the poor   
are especially beloved of  ,god4 ,their 
lives are full of difficulties1 their   
trials continual1 their  hopes are in   
,god alone4 ,therefore you must assist  
the poor as much as  possible1 even by  
sacrifice of yourself4 ,no deed of man  
is greater before  ,god than helping the
 poor4 ,spiritual conditions are not    
dependent upon the  possession of       
worldly treasures or the absence of     
them4 ,when physically  destitute1      
spiritual thoughts are more likely4     
,poverty is stimulus toward  ,god4 ,each
 one of you must have great             
consideration for the poor and render   
them assistance4 ,organize in an effort 
to help them and prevent increase  of   
poverty4 ,the greatest means for        

prevention is that whereby the laws of  
the community will be so framed and     
enacted that it will not be possible    
for a few to be millionaires and many   
destitute4 ,one of ,bah'u'llh's         
teachings is the adjustment of means of 
livelihood in human society4 ,under     
this adjustment there can be no extremes
 in human conditions as regards  wealth 
and sustenance4 ,for the community needs
 financier1 farmer merchant  and laborer
 just as an army must be composed of    
commander1 officers and  privates4 ,all 
cannot be commanders2 all cannot be     
officers or privates4  ,each in his     
station in the social fabric must be    
competent2 each in his  function        
according to ability2 but justness of   
opportunity for all4    ,lycurgus1 king 
of ,sparta1 who lived long before the   
day of ,christ1  conceived the idea of  
absolute equality in government4 ,he    
proclaimed laws  by which all the people
 of ,sparta were classified into certain
 divisions4  ,each division had its     

separate rights and function4 ,first1   
farmers and  tillers of the soil4       
,second1 artisans and merchants4 ,third1
 leaders or  grandees4 ,under the laws  
of ,lycurgus the latter were not        
required to  engage in any labor or     
vocation but it was incumbent upon them 
to defend  the country in case of war   
and invasion4 ,then he divided ,sparta  
into nine  thousand equal parts or      
provinces1 appointing nine thousand     
leaders or  grandees to protect them4   
,in this way the farmers of each        
province were  assured of protection but
 each farmer was compelled to pay a tax 
to  support the grandee of that         
province4 ,the farmers and merchants    
were not  obliged to defend the country4
 ,in lieu of labor the grandees received
 the  taxes4 ,lycurgus in order to      
establish this forever as a law1 brought
 nine  thousand grandees together1 told 
them he was going upon a long journey   
and  wished this form of government to  
remain effective until his return4 ,they

  swore an oath to protect and preserve 
his law4 ,he then left his kingdom1     
went into voluntary exile and never came
 back4 ,no man ever made such a         
sacrifice to insure equality among his  
fellowmen4 ,a few years passed and  the 
whole system of government he had       
founded collapsed1 although  established
 upon such a just and wise basis4       
,difference of capacity in human        
individuals is fundamental4 ,it is      
impossible for all to be alike1 all to  
be equal1 all to be wise4  ,bah'u'llh   
has revealed principles and laws which  
will accomplish the  adjustment of      
varying human capacities4 ,he has said  
that whatsoever is  possible of         
accomplishment in human government will 
be effected through  these principles4  
,when the laws he has instituted are    
carried out there  will be no           
millionaires possible in the community  
and likewise no  extremely poor4 ,this  
will be effected and regulated by       
adjusting the  different degrees of     

human capacity4 ,the fundamental basis  
of the  community is agriculture1       
tillage of the soil4 ,all must be       
producers4 ,each  person in the         
community whose income is equal to his  
individual producing  capacity shall be 
exempt from taxation4 ,but if his income
 is greater than  his needs he must pay 
a tax until an adjustment is effected4  
,that is to  say1 a man's capacity for  
production and his needs will be        
equalized and  reconciled through       
taxation4 ,if his production exceeds he 
will pay no tax2  if his necessities    
exceed his production he shall receive  
an amount  sufficient to equalize or    
adjust4 ,therefore taxation will be     
proportionate  to capacity and          
production and there will be no poor in 
the community4            ,,cooperation 
,it seems as though all creatures can   
exist singly and alone4 ,for example1  a
 tree can exist solitary and alone on a 
given prairie or in a valley or  on the 
mountainside4 ,an animal upon a mountain

 or a bird soaring in the  air might    
live a solitary life4 ,they are not in  
need of cooperation or  solidarity4     
,such animated beings enjoy the greatest
 comfort and happiness  in their        
respective solitary lives4    ,on the   
contrary1 man cannot live singly and    
alone4 ,he is in need of  continuous    
cooperation and mutual help4 ,for       
example1 a man living alone in  the     
wilderness will eventually starve4 ,he  
can never1 singly and alone1  provide   
himself with all the necessities of     
existence4 ,therefore1 he is in  need of
 cooperation and reciprocity4    ,the   
mystery of this phenomenon1 the cause   
thereof is this1 that mankind  has been 
created from one single origin1 has     
branched off from one family4  ,thus in 
reality all mankind represents one      
family4 ,god has not created any        
difference4 ,he has created all as one  
that thus this family might live in     
perfect happiness and well-being4       
,regarding reciprocity and cooperation3 

each member of the body politic  should 
live in the utmost comfort and welfare  
because each individual  member of      
humanity is a member of the body politic
 and if one member of  the members be in
 distress or be afflicted with some     
disease all the other  members must     
necessarily suffer4 ,for example1 a     
member of the human  organism is the    
eye4 ,if the eye should be affected that
 affliction would  affect the whole     
nervous system4 ,hence1 if a member of  
the body politic  becomes afflicted1 in 
reality1 from the standpoint of         
sympathetic  connection1 all will share 
that affliction since this 7one         
afflicted7 is a  member of the group of 
members1 a part of the whole4 ,is it    
possible for  one member or part to be  
in distress and the other members to be 
at ease8  ,it is impossible6 ,hence ,god
 has desired that in the body politic of
  humanity each one shall enjoy perfect 
welfare and comfort4    ,although the   
body politic is one family yet because  

of lack of harmonious  relations some   
members are comfortable and some in     
direst misery1 some  members are        
satisfied and some are hungry1 some     
members are clothed in  most costly     
garments and some families are in need  
of food and shelter4  ,why8 ,because    
this family lacks the necessary         
reciprocity and symmetry4  ,this        
household is not well arranged4 ,this   
household is not living under a  perfect
 law4 ,all the laws which are legislated
 do not ensure happiness4  ,they do not 
provide comfort4 ,therefore a law must  
be given to this family  by means of    
which all the members of this family    
will enjoy equal  well-being and        
happiness4    ,is it possible for one   
member of a family to be subjected to   
the utmost  misery and to abject poverty
 and for the rest of the family to be   
comfortable8 ,it is impossible unless   
those members of the family be          
senseless1 atrophied1 inhospitable1     
unkind4 ,then they would say1 8,though  

these members do belong to our          
family--let them alone4 ,let us look    
after  ourselves4 ,let them die4 ,so    
long as ,i am comfortable1 ,i am        
honored1 ,i am  happy--this my          
brother--let him die4 ,if he be in      
misery let him remain in  misery1 so    
long as ,i am comfortable4 ,if he is    
hungry let him remain so2 ,i  am        
satisfied4 ,if he is without clothes1 so
 long as ,i am clothed1 let him  remain 
as he is4 ,if he is shelterless1        
homeless1 so long as ,i have a home1    
let him remain in the wilderness40      
,such utter indifference in the human   
family is due to lack of control1 to    
lack of a working law1 to lack of       
kindness in its midst4 ,if kindness had 
been shown to the members of this family
 surely all the members thereof  would  
have enjoyed comfort and happiness4     
,his ,holiness ,bah'u'llh has given     
instructions regarding every one of the 
questions confronting humanity4 ,he has 
given teachings and instructions  with  

regard to every one of the problems with
 which man struggles4 ,among  them are  
7the teachings7 concerning the question 
of economics that all the  members of   
the body politic may enjoy through the  
working out of this  solution the       
greatest happiness1 welfare and comfort 
without any harm or  injury attacking   
the general order of things4 ,thereby no
 difference or  dissension will occur4  
,no sedition or contention will take    
place4 ,this  solution is this3         
,first and foremost is the principle    
that to all the members of the body     
politic shall be given the greatest     
achievements of the world of humanity4  
,each one shall have the utmost welfare 
and well-being4 ,to solve this  problem 
we must begin with the farmer2 there    
will we lay a foundation for  system and
 order because the peasant class and the
 agricultural class  exceed other       
classes in the importance of their      
service4 ,in every village  there must  
be established a general storehouse     

which will have a number of  revenues4  
,the first revenue will be that of the  
tenth or tithes4    ,the second revenue 
7will be derived7 from the animals4 ,the
 third revenue1  from the minerals1 that
 is to say1 every mine prospected or    
discovered1 a  third thereof will go to 
this vast storehouse4    ,the fourth is 
this3 whosoever dies without leaving any
 heirs all his  heritage will go to the 
general storehouse4    ,fifth1 if any   
treasures shall be found on the land    
they should be devoted  to this         
storehouse4    ,all these revenues will 
be assembled in this storehouse4    ,as 
to the first1 the tenths or tithes3 we  
will consider a farmer1 one of  the     
peasants4 ,we will look into his income4
 ,we will find out1 for  instance1 what 
is his annual revenue and also what are 
his expenditures4  ,now1 if his income  
be equal to his expenditures1 from such 
a farmer  nothing whatever will be      
taken4 ,that is1 he will not be         
subjected to  taxation of any sort1     

needing as he does all his income4      
,another farmer  may have expenses      
running up to one thousand dollars we   
will say1 and his  income is two        
thousand dollars4 ,from such an one a   
tenth will be required1  because he has 
a surplus4 ,but if his income be ten    
thousand dollars and  his expenses one  
thousand dollars or his income twenty   
thousand dollars1  he will have to pay  
as taxes1 one-fourth4 ,if his income be 
one hundred  thousand dollars and his   
expenses five thousand1 one-third will  
he have to  pay because he has still a  
surplus since his expenses are five     
thousand  and his income one hundred    
thousand4 ,if he pays1 say1 thirty-five 
thousand  dollars1 in addition to the   
expenditure of five thousand he still   
has  sixty thousand left4 ,but if his   
expenses be ten thousand and his income 
two hundred thousand then he must give  
an even half because ninety  thousand   
will be in that case the sum remaining4 
,such a scale as this will  determine   

allotment of taxes4 ,all the income from
 such revenues will go to  this general 
storehouse4    ,then there must be      
considered such emergencies as follows3 
a certain  farmer whose expenses run up 
to ten thousand dollars and whose income
 is  only five thousand1 he will receive
 necessary expenses from the            
storehouse4 ,five thousand dollars will 
be allotted to him so he will not  be in
 need4    ,then the orphans will be     
looked after1 all of whose expenses will
 be taken  care of4 ,the cripples in the
 village--all their expenses will be    
looked  after4 ,the poor in the         
village--their necessary expenses will  
be defrayed4  ,and other members who for
 valid reasons are incapacitated--the   
blind1 the  old1 the deaf--their comfort
 must be looked after4 ,in the village  
no one  will remain in need or in want4 
,all will live in the utmost comfort and
  welfare4 ,yet no schism will assail   
the general order of the body politic4  
,hence the expenses or expenditures of  

the general storehouse are now made     
clear and its activities made manifest4 
,the income of this general  storehouse 
has been shown4 ,certain trustees will  
be elected by the people  in a given    
village to look after these             
transactions4 ,the farmers will be      
taken care of and if after all these    
expenses are defrayed any surplus is    
found in the storehouse it must be      
transferred to the national treasury4   
,this system is all thus ordered so that
 in the village the very poor will  be  
comfortable1 the orphans will live      
happily and well2 in a word1 no one     
will be left destitute4 ,all the        
individual members of the body politic  
will thus live comfortably and well4    
,for larger cities1 naturally1 there    
will be a system on a larger scale4     
,were ,i to go into that solution the   
details thereof would be very lengthy4  
,the result of this 7system7 will be    
that each individual member of the  body
 politic will live most comfortably and 

happily under obligation to no  one4    
,nevertheless1 there will be            
preservation of degree because in the   
world of humanity there must needs be   
degrees4 ,the body politic may well  be 
likened to an army4 ,in this army there 
must be a general1 there must be  a     
sergeant1 there must be a marshal1 there
 must be the infantry2 but all  must    
enjoy the greatest comfort and welfare4 
,god is not partial and is no respecter 
of persons4 ,he has made provision  for 
all4 ,the harvest comes forth for       
everyone4 ,the rain showers upon        
everybody and the heat of the sun is    
destined to warm everyone4 ,the  verdure
 of the earth is for everyone4          
,therefore there should be for all      
humanity the utmost happiness1 the      
utmost comfort1 the utmost well-being4  
,but if conditions are such that some   
are happy and comfortable and some in   
misery2 some are accumulating exorbitant
 wealth and others are in dire          
want--under such a system it is         

impossible for man to be happy and      
impossible for him to win the good      
pleasure of ,god4 ,god is kind to all4  
,the good pleasure of ,god consists in  
the welfare of all the individual       
members of mankind4    ,a ,persian king 
was one night in his palace1 living in  
the greatest luxury  and comfort4       
,through excessive joy and gladness he  
addressed a certain  man1 saying3 8,of  
all my life this is the happiest moment4
 ,praise be to  ,god1 from every point  
prosperity appears and fortune smiles6  
,my treasury  is full and the army is   
well taken care of4 ,my palaces are     
many2 my land  unlimited2 my family is  
well off2 my honor and sovereignty are  
great4 ,what  more could ,i want60      
,the poor man at the gate of his palace 
spoke out1 saying3 8,o kind king6       
,assuming that you are from every point 
of view so happy1 free from every  worry
 and sadness--do you not worry for us8  
,you say that on your own  account you  
have no worries--but do you never worry 

about the poor in your  land8 ,is it    
becoming or meet that you should be so  
well off and we in such  dire want and  
need8 ,in view of our needs and troubles
 how can you rest in  your palace1 how  
can you even say that you are free from 
worries and  sorrows8 ,as a ruler you   
must not be so egoistic as to think of  
yourself  alone but you must think of   
those who are your subjects4 ,when we   
are  comfortable then you will be       
comfortable2 when we are in misery how  
can  you1 as a king1 be in happiness80  
,the purport is this that we are all    
inhabiting one globe of earth4 ,in      
reality we are one family and each one  
of us is a member of this family4  ,we  
must all be in the greatest happiness   
and comfort1 under a just rule  and     
regulation which is according to the    
good pleasure of ,god1 thus  causing us 
to be happy1 for this life is fleeting4 
,if man were to care for himself only he
 would be nothing but an animal for     
only the animals are thus egoistic4 ,if 

you bring a thousand sheep to a  well to
 kill nine hundred and ninety-nine the  
one remaining sheep would go  on        
grazing1 not thinking of the others and 
worrying not at all about the  lost1    
never bothering that its own kind had   
passed away1 or had perished  or been   
killed4 ,to look after one's self only  
is therefore an animal  propensity4 ,it 
is the animal propensity to live        
solitary and alone4 ,it is  the animal  
proclivity to look after one's own      
comfort4 ,but man was created  to be a  
man--to be fair1 to be just1 to be      
merciful1 to be kind to all his         
species1 never to be willing that he    
himself be well off while others are  in
 misery and distress--this is an        
attribute of the animal and not of man4 
,nay1 rather1 man should be willing to  
accept hardships for himself in  order  
that others may enjoy wealth2 he should 
enjoy trouble for himself  that others  
may enjoy happiness and well-being4     
,this is the attribute of  man4 ,this is

 becoming of man4 ,otherwise man is not 
man--he is less than the  animal4       
,the man who thinks only of himself and 
is thoughtless of others is  undoubtedly
 inferior to the animal because the     
animal is not possessed of  the         
reasoning faculty4 ,the animal is       
excused2 but in man there is reason1    
the faculty of justice1 the faculty of  
mercifulness4 ,possessing all these     
faculties he must not leave them unused4
 ,he who is so hard-hearted as to  think
 only of his own comfort1 such an one   
will not be called man4    ,man is he   
who forgets his own interests for the   
sake of others4 ,his own  comfort he    
forfeits for the well-being of all4     
,nay1 rather1 his own life  must he be  
willing to forfeit for the life of      
mankind4 ,such a man is the  honor of   
the world of humanity4 ,such a man is   
the glory of the world of  mankind4     
,such a man is the one who wins eternal 
bliss4 ,such a man is near  to the      
threshold of ,god4 ,such a man is the   

very manifestation of eternal           
happiness4 ,otherwise1 men are like     
animals1 exhibiting the same            
proclivities and propensities as the    
world of animals4 ,what distinction is  
there8 ,what prerogatives1 what         
perfections8 ,none whatever6 ,animals   
are  better even--thinking only of      
themselves and negligent of the needs of
  others4    ,consider how the greatest 
men in the world--whether among prophets
 or  philosophers--all have forfeited   
their own comfort1 have sacrificed their
  own pleasure for the well-being of    
humanity4 ,they have sacrificed their   
own lives for the body politic4 ,they   
have sacrificed their own wealth for    
that of the general welfare4 ,they have 
forfeited their own honor for the  honor
 of mankind4 ,therefore it becomes      
evident that this is the highest        
attainment for the world of humanity4   
,we ask ,god to endow human souls with  
justice so that they may be fair1 and   
may strive to provide for the comfort of

 all1 that each member of humanity  may 
pass his life in the utmost comfort and 
welfare4 ,then this material  world will
 become the very paradise of the        
,kingdom1 this elemental earth  will be 
in a heavenly state and all the servants
 of ,god will live in the  utmost joy1  
happiness and gladness4 ,we must all    
strive and concentrate all  our thoughts
 in order that such happiness may accrue
 to the world of  humanity4             
8,,the ,,question ,,of ,,socialization  
,,is ,,very ,,important4 ,,it ,,will    
,,not ,,be4440      ,the question of    
socialization is very important4 ,it    
will not be solved by  strikes for      
wages4 ,all the governments of the world
 must be united and  organize an        
assembly the members of which should be 
elected from the  parliaments and the   
nobles of the nations4 ,these must plan 
with utmost  wisdom and power so that   
neither the capitalist suffer from      
enormous  losses nor the laborers become
 needy4 ,in the utmost moderation they  

should  make the law2 then announce to  
the public that the rights of the       
working  people are to be strongly      
preserved4 ,also the rights of the      
capitalists  are to be protected4 ,when 
such a general plan is adopted by the   
will of  both sides1 should a strike    
occur1 all the governments of the world 
collectively should resist it4          
,otherwise1 the labor problem will lead 
to  much destruction1 especially in     
,europe4 ,terrible things will take     
place4    ,for instance1 the owners of  
properties1 mines and factories should  
share  their incomes with their         
employees and give a fairly certain     
percentage of  their products to their  
workingmen in order that the employees  
may  receive1 beside their wages1 some  
of the general income of the factory so 
that the employee may strive with his   
soul in the work4    ,no more trusts    
will remain in the future4 ,the question
 of the trusts will  be wiped away      
entirely4 ,also1 every factory that has 

ten thousand shares  will give two      
thousand shares of these ten thousand to
 its employees and  will write the      
shares in their names1 so that they may 
have them1 and the  rest will belong to 
the capitalists4 ,then at the end of the
 month or year  whatever they may earn  
after the expenses and wages are paid1  
according to  the number of shares1     
should be divided among both4 ,in       
reality1 so far  great injustice has    
befallen the common people4 ,laws must  
be made because  it is impossible for   
the laborers to be satisfied with the   
present system4  ,they will strike every
 month and every year4 ,finally1 the    
capitalists will  lose4 ,in ancient     
times a strike occurred among the       
,turkish soldiers4 ,they  said to the   
government3 8,our wages are very small  
and they should be  increased40 ,the    
government was forced to give them their
 demands4 ,shortly  afterwards they     
struck again4 ,finally all the incomes  
went to the pockets  of the soldiers to 

the extent that they killed the king1   
saying3 8,why  didst thou not increase  
the income so that we might have        
received more80    ,it is impossible for
 a country to live properly without     
laws4 ,to solve  this problem rigorous  
laws must be made1 so that all the      
governments of  the world will be the   
protectors thereof4    ,in the          
,bolshevistic principles equality is    
effected through force4 ,the  masses who
 are opposed to the people of rank and  
to the wealthy class  desire to partake 
of their advantages4    ,but in the     
divine teachings equality is brought    
about through a ready  willingness to   
share4 ,it is commanded as regards      
wealth that the rich  among the people1 
and the aristocrats should1 by their own
 free will and  for the sake of their   
own happiness1 concern themselves with  
and care for  the poor4 ,this equality  
is the result of the lofty              
characteristics and  noble attributes of
 mankind4            ,,the ,,criterions 

,,of ,,truth      ,during my visit to   
,london and ,paris last year7#g7 ,i had 
many talks with the  materialistic      
philosophers of ,europe4 ,the basis of  
all their conclusions  is that the      
acquisition of knowledge of phenomena is
 according to a fixed1  invariable      
law1--a law mathematically exact in its 
operation through the  senses4 ,for     
instance1 the eye sees a chair2         
therefore there is no doubt of  the     
chair's existence4 ,the eye looks up    
into the heavens and beholds the  sun2  
,i see flowers upon this table2 ,i smell
 their fragrance2 ,i hear sounds        
outside1 etc41 etc4 ,this1 they say1 is 
a fixed mathematical law of  perception 
and deduction1 the operation of which   
admits of no doubt  whatever2 for       
inasmuch as the universe is subject to  
our sensing1 the  proof is self-evident 
that our knowledge of it must be gained 
through the  avenues of the senses4     
,that is to say1 the materialists       
announce that the  criterion and        

standard of human knowledge is sense    
perception4 ,among the  ,greeks and     
,romans the criterion of knowledge was  
reason2 that whatever is  provable and  
acceptable by reason must necessarily be
 admitted as true4 ,a  third standard or
 criterion is the opinion held by       
theologians that  traditions or         
prophetic statement and interpretations 
constitute the basis  of human knowing4 
,there is still another1 a fourth       
criterion upheld by  religionists and   
metaphysicians who say that the source  
and channel of all  human penetration   
into the unknown is through inspiration4
 ,briefly then1  these four criterions  
according to the declarations of men    
are3  ,first--,sense ,perception2       
,second--,reason2 ,third--,traditions2  
,fourth--,inspiration4    ,in ,europe ,i
 told the philosophers and scientists of
 materialism that the  criterion of the 
senses is not reliable4 ,for instance1  
consider a mirror  and the images       
reflected in it4 ,these images have no  

actual corporeal  existence4 ,yet if you
 had never seen a mirror you would      
firmly insist and  believe that they    
were real4 ,the eye sees a mirage upon  
the desert as a  lake of water but there
 is no reality in it4 ,as we stand upon 
the deck of  a steamer the shore appears
 to be moving1 yet we know the land is  
stationary and we are moving4 ,the earth
 was believed to be fixed and the  sun  
revolving about it but although this    
appears to be so1 the reverse is  now   
known to be true4 ,a whirling torch     
makes a circle of fire appear  before   
the eye1 yet we realize there is but one
 point of light4 ,we behold  a shadow   
moving upon the ground but it has no    
material existence1 no  substance4 ,in  
deserts the atmospheric effects are     
particularly productive  of illusions   
which deceive the eye4 ,once ,i saw a   
mirage in which a whole  caravan        
appeared traveling upward into the sky4 
,in the far north other  deceptive      
phenomena appear and baffle human       

vision4 ,sometimes three or  four suns  
called by scientists 8mock suns0 will be
 shining at the same  time whereas we   
know the great solar orb is one and that
 it remains fixed  and single4 ,in      
brief1 the senses are continually       
deceived and we are  unable to separate 
that which is reality from that which is
 not4    ,as to the second              
criterion--reason--this likewise is     
unreliable and not to  be depended upon4
 ,this human world is an ocean of       
varying opinions4 ,if  reason is the    
perfect standard and criterion of       
knowledge1 why are  opinions at variance
 and why do philosophers disagree so    
completely with  each other8 ,this is a 
clear proof that human reason is not to 
be relied  upon as an infallible        
criterion4 ,for instance1 great         
discoveries and  announcements of former
 centuries are continually upset and    
discarded by  the wise men of today4    
,mathematicians1 astronomers1 chemical  
scientists  continually disprove and    

reject the conclusions of the ancients2 
nothing  is fixed1 nothing final2       
everything continually changing because 
human  reason is progressing along new  
roads of investigation and arriving at  
new  conclusions every day4 ,in the     
future much that is announced and       
accepted  as true now will be rejected  
and disproved4 ,and so it will continue 
ad  infinitum4    ,when we consider the 
third criterion--traditions--upheld by  
theologians as  the avenue and standard 
of knowledge1 we find this source       
equally  unreliable and unworthy of     
dependence4 ,for religious traditions   
are the  report and record of           
understanding and interpretation of the 
,book4 ,by what  means has this         
understanding1 this interpretation been 
reached8 ,by the  analysis of human     
reason4 ,when we read the ,book of ,god 
the faculty of  comprehension by which  
we form conclusions is reason4 ,reason  
is mind4 ,if  we are not endowed with   
perfect reason1 how can we comprehend   

the meanings  of the ,word of ,god8     
,therefore human reason1 as already     
pointed out1 is by  its very nature     
finite and faulty in conclusions4 ,it   
cannot surround the  ,reality ,itself1  
the ,infinite ,word4 ,inasmuch as the   
source of traditions  and               
interpretations is human reason1 and    
human reason is faulty1 how can  we     
depend upon its findings for real       
knowledge8    ,the fourth criterion ,i  
have named is inspiration through which 
it is  claimed the reality of knowledge 
is attainable4 ,what is inspiration8 ,it
 is  the influx of the human heart4 ,but
 what are satanic promptings which      
afflict mankind8 ,they are the influx of
 the heart also4 ,how shall we          
differentiate between them8 ,the        
question arises1 ,how shall we know     
whether  we are following inspiration   
from ,god or satanic promptings of the  
human  soul8 ,briefly1 the point is that
 in the human material world of         
phenomena  these four are the only      

existing criterions or avenues of       
knowledge1 and  all of them are faulty  
and unreliable4 ,what then remains8 ,how
 shall we  attain the reality of        
knowledge8 ,by the breaths and          
promptings of the ,holy  ,spirit which  
is light and knowledge itself4 ,through 
it the human mind is  quickened and     
fortified into true conclusions and     
perfect knowledge4 ,this  is conclusive 
argument showing that all available     
human criterions are  erroneous and     
defective1 but the divine standard of   
knowledge is  infallible4 ,therefore man
 is not justified in saying 8,i know    
because ,i  perceive through my senses02
 or 8,i know because it is proved       
through my  faculty of reason02 or 8,i  
know because it is according to         
tradition and  interpretation of the    
holy book02 or 8,i know because ,i am   
inspired40 ,all  human standard of      
judgment is faulty1 finite4             
,,man ,,and ,,nature      ,if we look   
with a perceiving eye upon the world of 

creation1 we find that  all existing    
things may be classified as follows3    
,first--,mineral--that is to  say matter
 or substance appearing in various forms
 of composition4                        
,second--,vegetable--possessing the     
virtues of the mineral plus the power of
  augmentation or growth1 indicating a  
degree higher and more specialized  than
 the mineral4                           
,third--,animal--possessing the         
attributes of the mineral  and vegetable
 plus the power of sense perception4    
,fourth--,human--the highest            
specialized organism of visible         
creation1 embodying the qualities of the
  mineral1 vegetable and animal plus an 
ideal endowment absolutely minus and    
absent in the lower kingdoms--the power 
of intellectual investigation into  the 
mysteries of outer phenomena4 ,the      
outcome of this intellectual  endowment 
is science which is especially          
characteristic of man4 ,this  scientific
 power investigates and apprehends      

created objects and the laws            
surrounding them4 ,it is the discoverer 
of the hidden and mysterious  secrets of
 the material universe and is peculiar  
to man alone4 ,the most  noble and      
praiseworthy accomplishment of man      
therefore is scientific  knowledge and  
attainment4    ,science may be likened  
to a mirror wherein the images of the   
mysteries of  outer phenomena are       
reflected4 ,it brings forth and exhibits
 to us in the  arena of knowledge all   
the product of the past4 ,it links      
together past and  present4 ,the        
philosophical conclusions of bygone     
centuries1 the teachings  of the        
prophets and wisdom of former sages are 
crystallized and reproduced  in the     
scientific advancement of today4        
,science is the discoverer of the  past4
 ,from its premises of past and present 
we deduce conclusions as to  the future4
 ,science is the governor of nature and 
its mysteries1 the one  agency by which 
man explores the institutions of        

material creation4 ,all  created things 
are captives of nature and subject to   
its laws4 ,they cannot  transgress the  
control of these laws in one detail or  
particular4 ,the  infinite starry worlds
 and heavenly bodies are nature's       
obedient subjects4  ,the earth and its  
myriad organisms1 all minerals1 plants  
and animals are  thralls of its         
dominion4 ,but man through the exercise 
of his scientific1  intellectual power  
can rise out of this condition1 can     
modify1 change and  control nature      
according to his own wishes and uses4   
,science1 so to speak1  is the 8breaker0
 of the laws of nature4    ,consider1   
for example1 that man according to      
natural law should dwell upon  the      
surface of the earth4 ,by overcoming    
this law and restriction however  he    
sails in ships over the ocean1 mounts to
 the zenith in aeroplanes and  sinks to 
the depths of the sea in submarines4    
,this is against the fiat of  nature and
 a violation of her sovereignty and     

dominion4 ,nature's laws and  methods1  
the hidden secrets and mysteries of the 
universe1 human  inventions and         
discoveries1 all our scientific         
acquisitions should  naturally remain   
concealed and unknown1 but man through  
his intellectual  acumen searches them  
out of the plane of the invisible1 draws
 them into  the plane of the visible1   
exposes and explains them4 ,for         
instance1 one of  the mysteries of      
nature is electricity4 ,according to    
nature this force1  this energy should  
remain latent and hidden1 but man       
scientifically breaks  through the very 
laws of nature1 arrests it and even     
imprisons it for his  use4    ,in brief1
 man through the possession of this     
ideal endowment of scientific           
investigation is the most noble product 
of creation1 the governor of  nature4   
,he takes the sword from nature's hand  
and uses it upon nature's  head4        
,according to natural law1 night is a   
period of darkness and  obscurity1 but  

man by utilizing the power of           
electricity1 by wielding this  electric 
sword overcomes the darkness and dispels
 the gloom4 ,man is  superior to nature 
and makes nature do his bidding4 ,man is
 a sensitive  being2 nature is minus    
sensation4 ,man has memory and reason2  
nature lacks  them4 ,man is nobler than 
nature4 ,there are powers within him of 
which  nature is devoid4 ,it may be     
claimed that these powers are from      
nature  itself and that man is a part of
 nature4 ,in answer to this statement we
  will say that if nature is the whole  
and man is a part of that whole1 how    
could it be possible for a part to      
possess qualities and virtues which are 
absent in the whole4 ,undoubtedly the   
part must be endowed with the same      
qualities and properties as the whole4  
,for example1 the hair is a part of  the
 human anatomy4 ,it cannot contain      
elements which are not found in other   
parts of the body1 for in all cases the 
component elements of the body are  the 

same4 ,therefore it is manifest and     
evident that man1 although in body  a   
part of nature1 nevertheless in spirit  
possesses a power transcending  nature2 
for if he were simply a part of nature  
and limited to material  laws he could  
possess only the things which nature    
embodies4 ,god has  conferred upon and  
added to man a distinctive power1 the   
faculty of  intellectual investigation  
into the secrets of creation1 the       
acquisition  of higher knowledge1 the   
greatest virtue of which is scientific  
enlightenment4    ,this endowment is the
 most praiseworthy power of man1 for    
through its  employment and exercise1   
the betterment of the human race is     
accomplished1  the development of the   
virtues of mankind is made possible and 
the spirit  and mysteries of ,god become
 manifest4    ,as material and physical 
sciences are taught here7#h7 and are    
constantly  unfolding in wider vistas of
 attainment1 ,i am hopeful that         
spiritual  development may also follow  

and keep pace with these outer          
advantages4 ,as  material knowledge is  
illuminating those within the walls of  
this great  temple of learning1 so also 
may the light of the spirit1 the inner  
and  divine light of the real philosophy
 glorify this institution4 ,the most    
important principle of divine philosophy
 is the oneness of the world of         
humanity1 the unity of mankind1 the bond
 conjoining ,east and ,west1 the tie  of
 love which blends human hearts4        
,therefore it is our duty to put forth  
our greatest efforts and summon all  our
 energies in order that the bonds of    
unity and accord may be  established    
among mankind4 ,for thousands of years  
we have had bloodshed  and strife4 ,it  
is enough2 it is sufficient4 ,now is the
 time to associate  together in love and
 harmony4 ,for thousands of years we    
have tried the  sword and warfare2 let  
mankind for a time at least live in     
peace4 ,review  history and consider how
 much savagery1 how much bloodshed and  

battle the  world has witnessed4 ,it has
 been either religious warfare1         
political  warfare or some other clash  
of human interests4 ,the world of       
humanity has  never enjoyed the blessing
 of ,universal ,peace4 ,year by year the
 implements  of warfare have been       
increased and perfected4 ,consider the  
wars of past  centuries2 only ten1      
fifteen or twenty thousand at the most  
were killed  but now it is possible to  
kill one hundred thousand in a single   
day4 ,in  ancient times warfare was     
carried on with the sword2 today it is  
the  smokeless gun4 ,formerly           
battleships were sailing vessels2 today 
they are  dreadnoughts4 ,consider the   
increase and improvement in the weapons 
of war4  ,god has created us all human  
and all countries of the world are parts
 of  the same globe4 ,we are all his    
servants4 ,he is kind and just to all4  
,why  should we be unkind and unjust to 
each other8 ,he provides for all4 ,why  
should we deprive one another8 ,he      

protects and preserves all4 ,why should 
we kill our fellow-creatures8 ,if this  
warfare and strife be for the sake  of  
religion1 it is evident that it violates
 the spirit and basis of all  religion4 
,all the divine ,manifestations have    
proclaimed the oneness of ,god  and the 
unity of mankind4 ,they have taught that
 men should love and  mutually help each
 other in order that they might         
progress4 ,now if this  conception of   
religion be true1 its essential         
principle is the oneness of  humanity4  
,the fundamental truth of the           
,manifestations is peace4 ,this         
underlies all religion1 all justice4    
,the divine purpose is that men should  
live in unity1 concord and agreement and
 should love one another4 ,consider  the
 virtues of the human world and realize 
that the oneness of humanity is  the    
primary foundation of them all4 ,read   
the gospel and the other holy  books4   
,you will find their fundamentals are   
one and the same4            ,,the      

,,microcosm ,,and ,,the ,,macrocosm     
,when we ponder over the reality of the 
microcosm1 we discover that in the      
microcosm there are deposited three     
realities4 ,man is endowed with an      
outer or physical reality4 ,it belongs  
to the material realm1 the animal       
kingdom1 because it has sprung from the 
material world4 ,this animalistic       
reality of man he shares in common with 
the animals4    ,the human body is like 
animals subject to nature's laws4 ,but  
man is  endowed with a second reality1  
the rational or intellectual reality2   
and  the intellectual reality of man    
predominates over nature4    ,all these 
sciences which we enjoy were the hidden 
and recondite secrets of  nature1       
unknowable to nature1 but man was       
enabled to discover these  mysteries1   
and out of the plane of the unseen he   
brought them into the  plane of the     
seen4    ,yet there is a third reality  
in man1 the spiritual reality4 ,through 
its  medium one discovers spiritual     

revelations1 a celestial faculty which  
is  infinite as regards the intellectual
 as well as physical realms4 ,that      
power is conferred upon man through the 
breath of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,it is  an 
eternal reality1 an indestructible      
reality1 a reality belonging to the     
divine1 supernatural kingdom2 a reality 
whereby the world is illumined1 a       
reality which grants unto man eternal   
life4 ,this third1 spiritual reality  it
 is which discovers past events and     
looks along the vistas of the  future4  
,it is the ray of the ,sun of ,reality4 
,the spiritual world is  enlightened    
through it1 the whole of the ,kingdom is
 being illumined by it4  ,it enjoys the 
world of beatitude1 a world which had   
not beginning and  which shall have no  
end4    ,that celestial reality1 the    
third reality of the microcosm1 delivers
 man  from the material world4 ,its     
power causes man to escape from nature's
  world4 ,escaping1 he will find an     
illuminating reality1 transcending the  

limited reality of man and causing him  
to attain to the infinitude of ,god1    
abstracting him from the world of       
superstitions and imaginations1 and     
submerging him in the sea of the rays of
 the ,sun of ,reality4    ,this fact is 
proved from scientific as well as       
spiritual evidence4    ,when we ponder  
over the conditions of phenomena1 we    
observe that all  phenomena are composed
 of single elements4 ,this singular     
cell-element  travels and has its       
coursings through all the grades of     
existence4 ,i wish  you to ponder       
carefully over this4 ,this cellular     
element has at some time  been in the   
mineral kingdom4 ,while staying in the  
mineral kingdom it has  had its         
coursings and transformations through   
myriads of images and forms4  ,having   
perfected its journey in the mineral    
kingdom1 it has ascended to  the        
vegetable kingdom2 and in the vegetable 
kingdom it has again had  journeys and  
transformations through myriads of      

conditions4 ,having  accomplished its   
functions in the vegetable kingdom1 the 
cellular element  ascends to the animal 
kingdom4    ,in the animal kingdom again
 it goes through the composition of     
myriads of  images1 and then we have it 
in the human kingdom4 ,in the human     
kingdom  likewise it has its            
transformations and coursings through   
multitudes of  forms4 ,in short1 this   
single primordial atom has had its great
 journeys  through every stage of life1 
and in every stage it was endowed with a
  special and particular virtue or      
characteristic4    ,consequently1 the   
great divine philosophers have had the  
following  epigram3 ,all things are     
involved in all things4 ,for every      
single  phenomenon has enjoyed the      
postulates of ,god1 and in every form of
 these  infinite electrons it has had   
its characteristics of perfection4      
,thus this flower once upon a time was  
of the soil4 ,the animal eats the       
flower or its fruit1 and it thereby     

ascends to the animal kingdom4 ,man     
eats the meat of the animal1 and there  
you have its ascent into the human      
kingdom1 because all phenomena are      
divided into that which eats and that   
which is eaten4 ,therefore1 every       
primordial atom of these atoms1 singly  
and indivisible1 has had its coursings  
throughout all the sentient  creation1  
going constantly into the aggregation of
 the various elements4  ,hence do you   
have the conservation of energy and the 
infinity of  phenomena1 the             
indestructibility of phenomena1         
changeless and immutable1  because life 
cannot suffer annihilation but only     
change4    ,the apparent annihilation is
 this3 that the form1 the outward image1
 goes  through all these changes and    
transformations4 ,let us again take the 
example of this flower4 ,the flower is  
indestructible4 ,the only thing that  we
 can see1 this outer form1 is indeed    
destroyed1 but the elements1 the        
indivisible elements which have gone    

into the composition of this flower  are
 eternal and changeless4 ,therefore the 
realities of all phenomena are          
immutable4 ,extinction or mortality is  
nothing but the transformation of       
pictures and images1 so to speak--the   
reality back of these images is         
eternal4 ,and every reality of the      
realities is one of the bounties of     
,god4    ,some people believe that the  
divinity of ,god had a beginning4 ,they 
say  that before this particular        
beginning man had no knowledge of the   
divinity  of ,god4 ,with this principle 
they have limited the operation of the  
influences of ,god4    ,for example1    
they think there was a time when man did
 not exist1 and that  there will be a   
time in the future when man will not    
exist4 ,such a theory  circumscribes the
 power of ,god1 because how can we      
understand the divinity  of ,god except 
through scientifically understanding the
 manifestations of  the attributes of   
,god8    ,how can we understand the     

nature of fire except from its heat1 its
 light8  ,were not heat and light in    
this fire1 naturally we could not say   
that the  fire existed4    ,thus1 if    
there was a time when ,god did not      
manifest ,his qualities1 then  there was
 no ,god1 because the attributes of ,god
 presuppose the creation of  phenomena4 
,for example1 by present consideration  
we say that ,god is the  creator4 ,then 
there must always have been a           
creation--since the quality of  creator 
cannot be limited to the moment when    
some man or men realize this  attribute4
 ,the attributes that we discover one by
 one--these attributes  themselves      
necessarily anticipated our discovery of
 them4 ,therefore1 ,god  has no         
beginning and no ending2 nor is ,his    
creation limited ever as to  degree4    
,limitations of time and degree pertain 
to things created1 never to  the        
creation as a whole4 ,they pertain to   
the forms of things1 not to their       
realities4 ,the effulgence of ,god      

cannot be suspended4 ,the sovereignty of
  ,god cannot be interrupted4    ,as    
long as the sovereignty of ,god is      
immemorial1 therefore the creation of   
our world throughout infinity is        
presupposed4 ,when we look at the       
reality  of this subject1 we see that   
the bounties of ,god are infinite1      
without  beginning and without end4     
,the greatest bounties of ,god in this  
phenomenal world are ,his               
,manifestations4 ,this is the greatest  
postulate4 ,these ,manifestations are   
the ,suns of ,reality4 ,for it is       
through the ,manifestation that the     
reality  becomes known and established  
for man4 ,history proves to us that     
apart  from the influence of the        
,manifestations1 man sinks back into his
 animal  condition1 using even his      
intellectual power to subserve an animal
  purpose4 ,therefore there is no       
cessation whatsoever in the future for  
the  appearance of the ,manifestation of
 ,god1 because ,god is infinite and ,his

  purpose cannot be limited in any way4 
,if we ever dare to limit and           
circumscribe ,god's purpose within any  
bounds1 then of necessity we have  dared
 to set limitations to the omnipotence  
of ,god4 ,the created has dared  to     
define his ,creator6    ,consequently1  
the perfect man ever beholds the rays of
 the ,sun of ,truth4  ,the perfect man  
ever awaits and expects the coming of   
the effulgence of  ,god1 he ever ponders
 over the methods and purposes of ,god1 
knowing that of  certainty the realities
 of the ,divine are not finite1 the     
,divine names and  attributes are not   
finite4 ,god's graces and bounties are  
without limit1  and the coming of the   
,manifestations of ,god are not         
circumscribed by time4            ,,the 
,,universal ,,cycles      ,each one of  
the luminous bodies in this limitless   
firmament has a cycle of  revolution    
which is of a different duration1 and   
every one revolves in its  own orbit1   
and again begins a new cycle4 ,so the   

earth1 every three hundred  and         
sixty-five days1 five hours1 forty-eight
 minutes and a fraction1  completes a   
revolution2 and then it begins a new    
cycle1 that is to say1  the first cycle 
is again renewed4 ,in the same way1 for 
the whole universe1  whether for the    
heavens or for men1 there are cycles of 
great events1 of  important facts and   
occurrences4 ,when a cycle is ended1 a  
new cycle  begins1 and the old one1 on  
account of the great events which take  
place1  is completely forgotten1 and not
 a trace or record of it will remain4   
,as  you see1 we have no records of     
twenty thousand years ago1 although we  
have  before proved by argument that    
life on this earth is very ancient4 ,it 
is  not one hundred thousand1 or two    
hundred thousand1 or one million or two 
million years old2 it is very ancient1  
and the ancient records and traces  are 
entirely obliterated4    ,each of the   
,divine ,manifestations has likewise a  
cycle1 and during the  cycle his laws   

and commandments prevail and are        
performed4 ,when his cycle  is completed
 by the appearance of a new             
,manifestation1 a new cycle begins4  ,in
 this way cycles begin1 end1 and are    
renewed1 until a universal cycle is     
completed in the world1 when important  
events and great occurrences will  take 
place which entirely efface every trace 
and every record of the past2  then a   
new universal cycle begins in the world1
 for this universe has no  beginning4   
,we have before stated proofs and       
evidences concerning this  subject2     
there is no need of repetition4         
,briefly1 we say a universal cycle in   
the world of existence signifies a  long
 duration of time1 and innumerable and  
incalculable periods and  epochs4 ,in   
such a cycle the ,manifestations appear 
with splendor in the  realm of the      
visible1 until a great and universal    
,manifestation makes the  world the     
center of his radiance4 ,his appearance 
causes the world to  attain to maturity1

 and the extension of his cycle is very 
great4  ,afterwards other               
,manifestations will arise under his    
shadow1 who according  to the needs of  
the time will renew certain commandments
 relating to  material questions and    
affairs1 while remaining under his      
shadow4    ,we are in the cycle which   
began with ,adam1 and its universal     
,manifestation  is ,bah'u'llh4          
,,education      ,according to the      
statement of philosophers the difference
 in degree of  humankind from lowest to 
highest is due to education4 ,the proofs
 they  advance are these3 ,the          
civilization of ,europe and ,america is 
an evidence  and outcome of education   
whereas the semi-civilized and barbarous
 peoples  of ,africa bear witness in    
their condition that they have been     
deprived of  its advantages4 ,education 
makes the ignorant wise1 the tyrant     
just1  promotes happiness1 strengthens  
the mind1 develops the will and makes   
fruitless trees of humanity fruitful4   

,therefore in the human world some  have
 attained lofty degrees while others    
grope in the abyss of despair4          
,nevertheless the highest attainment is 
possible for every member of the  human 
race even to the station of the         
prophets4 ,this is the statement and    
reasoning of the philosophers4    ,the  
prophets of ,god are the first          
educators4 ,they bestow universal       
education upon man and cause him to rise
 from lowest levels of savagery to  the 
highest pinnacles of spiritual          
development4 ,the philosophers too are  
educators along lines of intellectual   
training4 ,at most they have only  been 
able to educate themselves and a limited
 number about them1 to  improve their   
own morals and1 so to speak1 civilize   
themselves2 but they  have been         
incapable of universal education4 ,they 
have failed to cause an  advancement for
 any given nation from savagery to      
civilization4    ,it is evident that    
although education improves the morals  

of mankind1  confers the advantages of  
civilization and elevates man from      
lowest  degrees to the station of       
sublimity1 there is nevertheless a      
difference in  the intrinsic or natal   
capacity of individuals4 ,ten children  
of the same  age1 with equal station of 
birth1 taught in the same school1       
partaking of  the same food1 in all     
respects subject to the same            
environment1 their  interests equal and 
in common1 will evidence separate and   
distinct degrees  of capability and     
advancement2 some exceedingly           
intelligent and  progressive1 some of   
mediocre ability1 others limited and    
incapable4 ,one  may become a learned   
professor while another under the same  
course of  education proves dull and    
stupid4 ,from all standpoints the       
opportunities  have been equal but the  
results and outcomes vary from the      
highest to  lowest degree of            
advancement4 ,it is evident therefore   
that mankind differs  in natal capacity 

and intrinsic intellectual endowment4   
,nevertheless  although capacities are  
not the same1 every member of the human 
race is  capable of education4    ,his  
,holiness ,jesus ,christ was an educator
 of humanity4 ,his teachings were       
altruistic2 his bestowal universal4 ,he 
taught mankind by the power of the      
,holy ,spirit and not through human     
agency1 for the human power is limited  
whereas the divine power is illimitable 
and infinite4 ,the influence and        
accomplishment of ,christ will attest   
this4 ,galen1 the ,greek physician and  
philosopher1 who lived in the second    
century ,a4,d41 wrote a treatise upon   
the civilization of nations4 ,he was not
 a ,christian but he has borne          
testimony that religious beliefs        
exercise an extraordinary effect upon   
the  problems of civilization4 ,in      
substance he says1 8,there are certain  
people  among us1 followers of ,jesus   
the ,nazarene who was killed in         
,jerusalem4  ,these people are truly    

imbued with moral principles which are  
the envy of  philosophers4 ,they believe
 in ,god and fear ,him4 ,they have hopes
 in ,his  favors1 therefore they shun   
all unworthy deeds and actions and      
incline to  praiseworthy ethics and     
morals4 ,day and night they strive that 
their deeds  may be commendable and that
 they may contribute to the welfare of  
humanity2 therefore each one of them is 
virtually a philosopher1 for these      
people have attained unto that which is 
the essence and purport of  philosophy4 
,these people have praiseworthy morals  
even though they may be  illiterate40   
,the purpose of this is to show that the
 holy ,manifestations of ,god1 the      
divine prophets1 are the first teachers 
of the human race4 ,they are  universal 
educators and the fundamental principles
 they have laid down are  the causes and
 factors of the advancement of nations4 
,,the ,,holy ,,spirit      ,the         
elemental atoms which constitute all    
phenomenal existence and being in  this 

illimitable universe are in perpetual   
motion1 undergoing continuous  degrees  
of progression4 ,for instance1 let us   
conceive of an atom in the  mineral     
kingdom progressing upward to the       
kingdom of the vegetable by  entering   
into the composition and fibre of a tree
 or plant4 ,from thence it  is          
assimilated and transferred into the    
kingdom of the animal and finally  by   
the law and process of composition      
becomes a part of the body of man4      
,that is to say1 it has traversed the   
intermediate degrees and stations of    
phenomenal existence1 entering into the 
composition of various organisms  in its
 journey4 ,this motion or transference  
is progressive and perpetual1  for after
 disintegration of the human body into  
which it has entered1 it  returns to the
 mineral kingdom whence it came1 and    
will continue to  traverse the kingdoms 
of phenomena as before4 ,this is an     
illustration  designed to show that the 
constituent elemental atoms of phenomena

 undergo  progressive transference and  
motion throughout the material kingdoms4
    ,in its ceaseless progression and   
journeyings the atom becomes imbued with
  the virtues and powers of each degree 
or kingdom it traverses4 ,in the  degree
 of the mineral it possessed mineral    
affinities2 in the kingdom of  the      
vegetable it manifested the virtue      
augmentative or power of growth2 in  the
 animal organism it reflected the       
intelligence of that degree1 and in  the
 kingdom of man it was qualified with   
human attributes or virtues4            
,furthermore1 the forms and organisms of
 phenomenal being and existence in  each
 of the kingdoms of the universe are    
myriad and numberless4 ,the  vegetable  
plane or kingdom for instance has its   
infinite variety of types  and material 
structures of plant life1 each distinct 
and different within  itself1 no two    
exactly alike in composition and detail1
 for there are no  repetitions in       
nature1 and the virtue augmentative     

cannot be confined to  any given image  
or shape4 ,each leaf has its own        
particular identity1 so to  speak1 its  
own individuality as a leaf4 ,therefore 
each atom of the  innumerable elemental 
atoms1 during its ceaseless motion      
through the  kingdoms of existence as a 
constituent of organic composition1 not 
only  becomes imbued with the powers and
 virtues of the kingdoms it traverses   
but also reflects the attributes and    
qualities of the forms and organisms  of
 those kingdoms4 ,as each of these forms
 has its individual and  particular     
virtue1 therefore each elemental atom of
 the universe has the  opportunity of   
expressing an infinite variety of those 
individual virtues4  ,no atom is bereft 
or deprived of this opportunity or right
 of expression4  ,nor can it be said of 
any given atom that it is denied equal  
opportunities  with other atoms2 nay1   
all are privileged to possess the       
virtues existent  in these kingdoms and 
to reflect the attributes of their      

organisms4 ,in the  various             
transformations or passages from kingdom
 to kingdom1 the virtues  expressed by  
the atoms in each degree are peculiar to
 that degree4 ,for  example1 in the     
world of the mineral1 the atom does not 
express the  vegetable form and         
organism1 and when through the process  
of transmutation  it assumes the virtues
 of the vegetable degree1 it does not   
reflect the  attributes of animal       
organisms1 and so on4    ,it is evident 
then that each elemental atom of the    
universe is possessed  of a capacity to 
express all the virtues of the universe4
 ,this is a subtle  and abstract        
realization4 ,meditate upon it1 for     
within it lies the true  explanation of 
pantheism4 ,from this point of view and 
perception1  pantheism is a truth1 for  
every atom in the universe possesses or 
reflects  all the virtues of life1 the  
manifestation of which is effected      
through  change and transformation4     
,therefore the origin and outcome of    

phenomena  is verily the omnipresent    
,god for the reality of all phenomenal  
existence  is through ,him4 ,there is   
neither reality nor the manifestation of
 reality  without the instrumentality of
 ,god4 ,existence is realized and       
possible  through the bounty of ,god1   
just as the ray or flame emanating from 
this  lamp is realized through the      
bounty of the lamp from which it        
originates4  ,even so all phenomena are 
realized through the divine bounty1 and 
the  explanation of true pantheistic    
statement and principle is that the     
phenomena of the universe find          
realization through the one power       
animating  and dominating all things2   
and all things are but manifestations of
 its  energy and bounty4 ,the virtue of 
being and existence is through no other 
agency4 ,therefore in the words of      
,bah'u'llh the first teaching is the    
oneness of the world of humanity4444    
,bah'u'llh has announced that no matter 
how far the world of humanity may       

advance in material civilization1 it is 
nevertheless in need of spiritual       
virtues and the bounties of ,god4 ,the  
spirit of man is not illumined and      
quickened through material sources4 ,it 
is not resuscitated by  investigating   
phenomena of the world of matter4 ,the  
spirit of man is in  need of the        
protection of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,just  
as he advances by  progressive stages   
from the mere physical world of being   
into the  intellectual realm1 so must he
 develop upward in moral attributes and 
spiritual graces4 ,in the process of    
this attainment he is ever in need of   
the bestowals of the ,holy ,spirit4     
,material development may be likened to 
the glass of a lamp whereas divine      
virtues and spiritual susceptibilities  
are the light within the glass4 ,the    
lamp chimney is worthless without the   
light2 likewise man in his material     
condition requires the radiance and     
vivification of the divine graces and   
merciful attributes4 ,without the       

presence of the ,holy ,spirit he is     
lifeless4 ,although physically and      
mentally alive he is spiritually dead4  
,his ,holiness ,christ announced1       
8,that which is born of flesh is flesh  
and that which is born of spirit is     
spirit10 meaning that man must be born  
again4 ,as the babe is born into the    
light of this physical world so must the
 physical and intellectual man be  born 
into the light of the world of divinity4
 ,in the matrix of the mother  the      
unborn child was deprived and           
unconscious of the world of material    
existence but after its birth it beheld 
the wonders and beauties of a new  realm
 of life and being4 ,in the world of the
 matrix it was utterly  ignorant and    
unable to conceive of these new         
conditions but after its  transformation
 it discovers the radiant sun1 trees1   
flowers and an  infinite range of       
blessings and bounties awaiting it4 ,in 
the human plane  and kingdom man is a   
captive of nature and ignorant of the   

divine world  until born of the breaths 
of the ,holy ,spirit out of physical    
conditions of  limitation and           
deprivation4 ,then he beholds the       
reality of the spiritual  realm and     
kingdom1 realizes the narrow            
restrictions of the mere human  world of
 existence and becomes conscious of the 
unlimited and infinite  glories of the  
world of ,god4 ,therefore no matter how 
man may advance upon  the physical and  
intellectual plane he is ever in need of
 the boundless  virtues of divinity1 the
 protection of the ,holy ,spirit and the
 face of  ,god4            ,,science    
,the virtues of humanity are many but   
science is the most noble of them  all4 
,the distinction which man enjoys above 
and beyond the station of the  animal is
 due to this paramount virtue4 ,it is a 
bestowal of ,god2 it is not  material1  
it is divine4 ,science is an effulgence 
of the ,sun of ,reality1  the power of  
investigating and discovering the       
verities of the universe1  the means by 

which man finds a pathway to ,god4 ,all 
the powers and  attributes of man are   
human and hereditary in origin1 outcomes
 of nature's  processes1 except the     
intellect1 which is supernatural4       
,through  intellectual and intelligent  
inquiry science is the discoverer of all
  things4 ,it unites present and past1  
reveals the history of bygone nations   
and events1 and confers upon man today  
the essence of all human knowledge  and 
attainment throughout the ages4 ,by     
intellectual processes and logical      
deductions of reason1 this super-power  
in man can penetrate the mysteries  of  
the future and anticipate its           
happenings4    ,science is the first    
emanation from ,god toward man4 ,all    
created beings  embody the potentiality 
of material perfection1 but the power of
  intellectual investigation and        
scientific acquisition is a higher      
virtue  specialized to man alone4 ,other
 beings and organisms are deprived of   
this  potentiality and attainment4 ,god 

has created or deposited this love of   
reality in man4 ,the development and    
progress of a nation is according to    
the measure and degree of that nation's 
scientific attainments4 ,through  this  
means1 its greatness is continually     
increased and day by day the  welfare   
and prosperity of its people are        
assured4    ,all blessings are divine in
 origin but none can be compared with   
this  power of intellectual             
investigation and research which is an  
eternal gift  producing fruits of       
unending delight4 ,man is ever partaking
 of these  fruits4 ,all other blessings 
are temporary2 this is an everlasting   
possession4 ,even sovereignty has its   
limitations and overthrow2 this is a    
kingship and dominion which none may    
usurp or destroy4 ,briefly2 it is an    
eternal blessing and divine bestowal1   
the supreme gift of ,god to man4        
,therefore you should put forward your  
most earnest efforts toward the         
acquisition of sciences and arts4 ,the  

greater your attainment1 the higher     
your standard in the divine purpose4    
,the man of science is perceiving and   
endowed with vision whereas he who is   
ignorant and neglectful of this         
development is blind4 ,the investigating
 mind is attentive1 alive2 the mind     
callous and indifferent is deaf and     
dead4 ,a scientific man is a true index 
and representative of humanity1 for     
through processes of inductive          
reasoning and research he is informed of
 all that appertains to humanity1  its  
status1 conditions and happenings4 ,he  
studies the human body politic1         
understands social problems and weaves  
the web and texture of  civilization4   
,in fact1 science may be likened to a   
mirror wherein the  infinite forms and  
images of existing things are revealed  
and reflected4  ,it is the very         
foundation of all individual and        
national development4  ,without this    
basis of investigation1 development is  
impossible4 ,therefore  seek with       

diligent endeavor the knowledge and     
attainment of all that lies  within the 
power of this wonderful bestowal4    ,we
 have already stated that science or the
 attribute of scientific  penetration is
 supernatural and that all other        
blessings of ,god are within  the       
boundary of nature4 ,what is the proof  
of this8 ,all created things  except man
 are captives of nature4 ,the stars and 
suns swinging through  infinite space1  
all earthly forms of life and existence 
whether mineral1  vegetable or animal   
come under the dominion and control of  
natural law4  ,man through scientific   
knowledge and power rules nature and    
utilizes her  laws to do his bidding4   
,according to natural limitations he is 
a creature  of earth restricted to life 
upon its surface1 but through scientific
  utilization of material laws he soars 
in the sky1 sails upon the ocean and    
dives beneath it4 ,the products of his  
invention and discovery so familiar  to 
us in daily life were once mysteries of 

nature4 ,for instance1 man has  brought 
electricity out of the plane of the     
invisible into the plane of  the        
visible1 harnessed and imprisoned that  
mysterious natural agent and  made it   
the servant of his needs and wishes4    
,similar instances are many  but we will
 not prolong4 ,man as it were takes the 
sword out of nature's  hand and with it 
for his sceptre of authority dominates  
nature itself4  ,nature is without the  
crown of human faculties and attributes4
 ,man  possesses conscious intelligence 
and reflection2 nature is minus4 ,this  
is  an established fundamental among    
philosophers4 ,man is endowed with      
volition and memory2 nature has neither4
 ,man can seek out the mysteries  latent
 in nature whereas nature is not        
conscious of her own hidden  phenomena4 
,man is progressive2 nature is          
stationary1 without the power of        
progression or retrogression4 ,man is   
endowed with ideal virtues1 for  example
 intellection1 volition1--among them    

faith1 confession and  acknowledgment of
 ,god1 while nature is devoid of all    
these4 ,the ideal  faculties of man1    
including the capacity of scientific    
acquisition are  beyond nature's ken4   
,these are powers whereby man is        
differentiated and  distinguished from  
all other forms of life4 ,this is the   
bestowal of divine  idealism1 the crown 
adorning human heads4 ,notwithstanding  
the gift of this  supernatural power1 it
 is most amazing that materialists still
 consider  themselves within the bounds 
and captivity of nature4 ,the truth is  
that  ,god has endowed man with virtues1
 powers and ideal faculties of which    
nature is entirely bereft and by which  
man is elevated1 distinguished and      
superior4 ,we must thank ,god for these 
bestowals1 for these powers ,he has     
given us1 for this crown ,he has placed 
upon our heads4    ,how shall we utilize
 these gifts and expend these bounties8 
,by directing  our efforts toward the   
unification of the human race4 ,we must 

use these  powers in establishing the   
oneness of the world of humanity2       
appreciate  these virtues by            
accomplishing the unity of the white and
 colored races2  devote this divine     
intelligence to the perfecting of amity 
and accord  among all branches of the   
human family1 so that under the         
protection and  providence of ,god1 the 
,east and ,west may hold each other's   
hands and  become as lovers4 ,then will 
mankind be as one nation1 one race and  
kind2  as waves of one ocean4 ,although 
these waves may differ in form and      
shape1  they are waves of the same sea4 
,flowers may be variegated in colors but
  they are all flowers of one garden4   
,trees differ though they grow in the   
same orchard4 ,all are nourished and    
quickened into life by the bounty of    
the same rain2 all grow and develop by  
the heat and light of the one sun2  all 
are refreshed and exhilarated by the    
same breeze2 that they may bring  forth 
varied fruits4 ,this is according to the

 creative wisdom4 ,if all  trees bore   
the same kind of fruit it would cease to
 be delicious4 ,in their  never ending  
variety man finds enjoyment instead of  
monotony4    ,and now as ,i look into   
your faces ,i am reminded of trees      
varying in color  and form but all      
bearing luscious and delectable fruits1 
fragrant and  delightful to the inner   
and outer senses4 ,the radiance and     
spirituality of  this meeting is through
 the favor of ,god4 ,our hearts are     
uplifted in  thankfulness to ,him4      
,praise be to ,god6 you are living upon 
the great  continent of the ,west       
enjoying the perfect liberty1 security  
and peace of  this just government4     
,there is no cause for sorrow or        
unhappiness  anywhere2 every means of   
happiness and enjoyment is about you1   
for in this  human world there is no    
greater blessing than liberty4 ,you do  
not know4 ,i  who for forty years have  
been a prisoner1 do know4 ,i do know the
 value and  blessing of liberty4 ,for   

you have been and are now living in     
freedom and  you have no fear of        
anybody4 ,is there a greater blessing   
than this8  ,freedom6 ,liberty6         
,security6 ,these are the great         
bestowals of ,god4  ,therefore praise   
,god6            ,,spiritual            
,,springtime      ,in the world of      
existence man has traversed successive  
degrees until he  has attained the human
 kingdom4 ,in each degree of his        
progression he has  developed capacity  
for advancement to the next station and 
condition4  ,while in the kingdom of the
 mineral he was attaining the capacity  
for  promotion into the degree of the   
vegetable4 ,in the kingdom of the       
vegetable he underwent preparation for  
the world of the animal and from  thence
 he has come onward to the human degree 
or kingdom4 ,throughout this  journey of
 progression he has ever and always been
 potentially man4    ,in the beginning  
of his human life man was embryonic in  
the world of the  matrix4 ,there he     

received capacity and endowment for the 
reality of human  existence4 ,the forces
 and powers necessary for this world    
were bestowed  upon him in that limited 
condition4 ,in this world he needed     
eyes2 he  received them potentially in  
the other4 ,he needed ears2 he obtained 
them  there in readiness and preparation
 for his new existence4 ,the powers     
requisite in this world were conferred  
upon him in the world of the  matrix1 so
 that when he entered this realm of real
 existence he not only  possessed all   
necessary functions and powers but found
 provision for his  material sustenance 
awaiting him4    ,therefore in this     
world he must prepare himself for the   
life beyond4 ,that  which he needs in   
the world of the ,kingdom must be       
obtained here4 ,just as  he prepared    
himself in the world of the matrix by   
acquiring forces  necessary in this     
sphere of existence1 so likewise the    
indispensable  forces of the divine     
existence must be potentially attained  

in this world4    ,what is he in need of
 in the ,kingdom which transcends the   
life and  limitation of this mortal     
sphere8 ,that world beyond is a world of
 sanctity  and radiance2 therefore it is
 necessary that in this world he should 
acquire these divine attributes4 ,in    
that world there is need of             
spirituality1 faith1 assurance1 the     
knowledge and love of ,god4 ,these he   
must attain in this world so that after 
his ascension from the earthly to  the  
heavenly ,kingdom he shall find all that
 is needful in that life  eternal ready 
for him4    ,that divine world is       
manifestly a world of lights2 therefore 
man has need  of illumination here4     
,that is a world of love2 the love of   
,god is  essential4 ,it is a world of   
perfections2 virtues or perfections must
 be  acquired4 ,that world is vivified  
by the breaths of the ,holy ,spirit2 in 
this world we must seek them4 ,that is  
the ,kingdom of life everlasting2 it    
must be attained during this vanishing  

existence4    ,by what means can man    
acquire these things8 ,how shall he     
obtain these  merciful gifts and powers8
 ,first1 through the knowledge of ,god4 
,second1  through the love of ,god4     
,third1 through faith4 ,fourth1 through 
philanthropic deeds4 ,fifth1 through    
self-sacrifice4 ,sixth1 through         
severance from this world4 ,seventh1    
through sanctity and holiness4 ,unless  
he acquires these forces and attains to 
these requirements he will surely  be   
deprived of the life that is eternal4   
,but if he possesses the knowledge  of  
,god1 becomes ignited through the fire  
of the love of ,god1 witnesses the      
great and mighty signs of the ,kingdom1 
becomes the cause of love among         
mankind1 and lives in the utmost state  
of sanctity and holiness1 he shall      
surely attain to second birth1 be       
baptized by the ,holy ,spirit and enjoy 
everlasting existence4    ,is it not    
astonishing that although man has been  
created for the knowledge  and love of  

,god1 for the virtues of the human      
world1 for spirituality1  heavenly      
illumination and life eternal1          
nevertheless he continues ignorant  and 
negligent of all this8 ,consider how he 
seeks knowledge of everything  except   
knowledge of ,god4 ,for instance1 his   
utmost desire is to penetrate  the      
mysteries of the lowest strata of the   
earth4 ,day by day he strives to  know  
what can be found ten metres below the  
surface1 what he can discover  within   
the stone1 what he can learn by         
archaeological research in the  dust4   
,he puts forth arduous labors to fathom 
terrestrial mysteries but is  not at all
 concerned about knowing the mysteries  
of the ,kingdom1  traversing the        
illimitable fields of the eternal world1
 becoming informed  of the divine       
realities1 discovering the secrets of   
,god1 attaining the  knowledge of ,god1 
witnessing the splendors of the ,sun of 
,truth and  realizing the glories of    
everlasting life4 ,he is unmindful and  

thoughtless  of these4 ,how much he is  
attracted to the mysteries of matter and
 how  completely unaware he is of the   
mysteries of divinity6 ,nay1 he is      
utterly  negligent and oblivious of the 
secrets of divinity4 ,how great his     
ignorance6 ,how conducive to his        
degradation6 ,it is as if a kind and    
loving  father had provided a library of
 wonderful books for his son in order   
that  he might be informed of the       
mysteries of creation2 at the same time 
surrounding him with every means of     
comfort and enjoyment2 but the son      
amuses himself with pebbles and         
playthings1 neglectful of all his       
father's  gifts and provision4 ,how     
ignorant and heedless is man6 ,the      
,father has  willed for him glory       
eternal and he is content with blindness
 and  deprivation4 ,the ,father has     
built for him a royal palace but he is  
playing  with the dust2 prepared for him
 garments of silk but he prefers to     
remain  unclothed2 provided for him     

delicious foods and fruits while he     
seeks  sustenance in the grasses of the 
field4    ,praise be to ,god6 you have  
heard the call of the ,kingdom4 ,your   
eyes are  opened2 you have turned to    
,god4 ,your purpose is the good-pleasure
 of ,god1  the understanding of the     
mysteries of the heart and investigation
 of the  realities4 ,day and night you  
must strive that you may attain to the  
significances of the heavenly kingdom1  
perceive the signs of divinity1  acquire
 certainty of knowledge and realize that
 this world has a creator1  a vivifier1 
a provider1 an architect1--knowing this 
through proofs and  evidences and not   
through susceptibilities1--nay1 rather1 
through decisive  arguments and real    
vision2 that is to say1 visualizing it  
as clearly as  the outer eye beholds the
 sun4 ,in this way may you behold the   
presence of  ,god and attain to the     
knowledge of the holy1 divine           
,manifestations4            ,,eternal   
,,unity      ,what is real unity8 ,when 

we observe the human world we find      
various  collective expressions of unity
 therein4 ,for instance1 man is         
distinguished from the animal by his    
degree or kingdom4 ,this comprehensive  
distinction includes all the posterity  
of ,adam and constitutes one great      
household or human family which may be  
considered the fundamental or  physical 
unity of mankind4 ,furthermore1 a       
distinction exists between  various     
groups of humankind according to        
lineage1 each group forming a  racial   
unity separate from the others4 ,there  
is also the unity of tongue  among those
 who use the same language as a means of
 communication2  national unity where   
various peoples live under one form of  
government  such as ,french1 ,german1   
,british1 etc42 and political unity     
which conserves  the civil rights of    
parties or factions of the same         
government4 ,all these  unities are     
imaginary and without real foundation1  
for no real result  proceeds from them4 

,the purpose of true unity is real and  
divine outcomes4  ,from these limited   
unities mentioned only limited outcomes 
proceed whereas  unlimited unity        
produces unlimited result4 ,for         
instance1 from the limited  unity of    
race or nationality the results at most 
are limited4 ,it is like a  family      
living alone and solitary2 there are no 
unlimited or universal  outcomes from   
it4    ,the unity which is productive of
 unlimited results is first a unity of  
mankind which recognizes that all are   
sheltered beneath the overshadowing     
glory of the ,all-,glorious2 that all   
are servants of one ,god2 for all       
breathe the same atmosphere1 live upon  
the same earth1 move beneath the  same  
heavens1 receive effulgence from the    
same sun and are under the  protection  
of one ,god4 ,this is the most great    
unity1 and its results are  lasting if  
humanity adheres to it2 but mankind has 
hitherto violated it1  adhering to      
sectarian or other limited unities such 

as racial1 patriotic  or unity of       
self-interests2 therefore no great      
results have been  forthcoming4         
,nevertheless it is certain that the    
radiance and favors of  ,god are        
encompassing1 minds have developed1     
perceptions have become acute1  sciences
 and arts are widespread and capacity   
exists for the proclamation  and        
promulgation of the real and ultimate   
unity of mankind which will  bring forth
 marvelous results4 ,it will reconcile  
all religions1 make  warring nations    
loving1 cause hostile kings to become   
friendly and bring  peace and happiness 
to the human world4 ,it will cement     
together the ,orient  and ,occident1    
remove forever the foundations of war   
and upraise the ensign  of the 8,most   
,great ,peace04 ,these limited unities  
are therefore signs of  that great unity
 which will make all the human family   
one by being  productive of the         
attractions of conscience in mankind4   
,another unity is the spiritual unity   

which emanates from the breaths of  the 
,holy ,spirit4 ,this is greater than the
 unity of mankind4 ,human unity or      
solidarity may be likened to the body   
whereas unity from the breaths of  the  
,holy ,spirit is the spirit animating   
the body4 ,this is a perfect unity4  ,it
 creates such a condition in mankind    
that each one will make sacrifices  for 
the other and the utmost desire will be 
to forfeit life and all that  pertains  
to it in behalf of another's good4 ,this
 is the unity which  existed among the  
disciples of ,his ,holiness ,jesus      
,christ and bound  together the prophets
 and holy souls of the past4 ,it is the 
unity which  through the influence of   
the divine spirit is permeating the     
,bah's so  that each offers his life for
 the other and strives with all         
sincerity to  attain his good-pleasure4 
,this is the unity which caused twenty  
thousand  people in ,persia to give     
their lives in love and devotion to it4 
,it made  the ,bab the target of a      

thousand arrows and caused ,bah'u'llh to
 suffer  exile and imprisonment forty   
years4 ,this unity is the very spirit of
 the  body of the world4 ,it is         
impossible for the body of the world to 
become  quickened with life without its 
vivification4 ,his ,holiness ,jesus     
,christ--may my life be a sacrifice to  
him6--promulgated this unity among      
mankind4 ,every soul who believed in    
,jesus ,christ became revivified and    
resuscitated through this spirit1       
attained to the zenith of eternal glory1
  realized the life everlasting1        
experienced the second birth and rose to
  the acme of good fortune4    ,in the  
,word of ,god there is still another    
unity1 the oneness of the               
,manifestations of ,god1 ,his ,holiness 
,abraham1 ,moses1 ,jesus ,christ1       
,mohammed1 the ,bab and ,bah'u'llh4     
,this is a unity divine1 heavenly1      
radiant1 merciful2 the one reality      
appearing in its successive             
manifestations4 ,for instance1 the sun  

is one and the same but its points  of  
dawning are various4 ,during the summer 
season it rises from the  northern point
 of the ecliptic2 in winter it appears  
from the southern  point of rising4     
,each month between it appears from a   
certain zodiacal  position4 ,although   
these dawning-points are different1 the 
sun is the same  sun which has appeared 
from them all4 ,the significance is the 
reality of  prophethood which is        
symbolized by the sun1 and the holy     
,manifestations  are the dawning-places 
or zodiacal points4    ,there is also   
the divine unity or entity which is     
sanctified above all  concept of        
humanity4 ,it cannot be comprehended nor
 conceived because it is  infinite      
reality and cannot become finite4 ,human
 minds are incapable of  surrounding    
that reality because all thoughts and   
conceptions of it are  finite1          
intellectual creations and not the      
reality of divine being which  alone    
knows itself4 ,for example1 if we form a

 conception of divinity as a  living1   
almighty1 self-subsisting1 eternal      
being1 this is only a concept           
apprehended by a human intellectual     
reality4 ,it would not be the outward1  
visible reality which is beyond the     
power of human mind to conceive or      
encompass4 ,we ourselves have an        
external1 visible entity but even our   
concept of it is the product of our own 
brain and limited comprehension4  ,the  
reality of divinity is sanctified above 
this degree of knowing and  realization4
 ,it has ever been hidden and secluded  
in its own holiness and  sanctity above 
our comprehending4 ,although it         
transcends our realization1  its lights1
 bestowals1 traces and virtues have     
become manifest in the  realities of the
 prophets1 even as the sun becomes      
resplendent in various  mirrors4 ,these 
holy realities are as reflectors1 and   
the reality of  divinity is as the sun  
which although it is reflected from the 
mirrors1  and its virtues and           

perfections become resplendent therein1 
does not stoop  from its own station of 
majesty and glory and seek abode in the 
mirrors2  it remains in its heaven of   
sanctity4 ,at most it is this1 that its 
lights  become manifest and evident in  
its mirrors or manifestations4          
,therefore  its bounty proceeding from  
them is one bounty but the recipients of
 that  bounty are many4 ,this is the    
unity of ,god2 this is oneness2--unity  
of  divinity1 holy above ascent or      
descent1 embodiment1 comprehension or   
idealization2--divine unity--the        
prophets are its mirrors2 its lights are
  revealed through them2 its virtues    
become resplendent in them1 but the ,sun
  of ,reality never descends from its   
own highest point and station4 ,this is 
unity1 oneness1 sanctity2 this is       
glorification whereby we praise and     
adore ,god4            ,,the ,,darkened 
,,lights      ,from the time of the     
creation of ,adam to this day there have
 been two  pathways in the world of     

humanity2 one the natural or            
materialistic1 the  other the religious 
or spiritual4 ,the pathway of nature is 
the pathway of  the animal realm4 ,the  
animal acts in accordance with the      
requirements of  nature1 follows its own
 instincts and desires4 ,whatever its   
impulses and  proclivities may be it has
 the liberty to gratify them2 yet it is 
a  captive of nature4 ,it cannot deviate
 in the least degree from the road      
nature has established4 ,it is utterly  
minus spiritual susceptibilities1       
ignorant of divine religion and without 
knowledge of the ,kingdom of ,god4  ,the
 animal possesses no power of ideation  
or conscious intelligence2 it is  a     
captive of the senses and deprived of   
that which lies beyond them4 ,it is     
subject to what the eye sees1 the ear   
hears1 the nostrils sense1 the taste    
detects and touch reveals4 ,these       
sensations are acceptable and sufficient
  for the animal4 ,but that which is    
beyond the range of the senses1 that    

realm of phenomena through which the    
conscious pathway to the ,kingdom of    
,god leads1 the world of spiritual      
susceptibilities and divine             
religion1--of  these the animal is      
completely unaware1 for in its highest  
station it is a  captive of nature4     
,one of the strangest things witnessed  
is that the materialists of today  are  
proud of their natural instincts and    
bondage4 ,they state that nothing  is   
entitled to belief and acceptance except
 that which is sensible or  tangible4   
,by their own statements they are       
captives of nature1 unconscious  of the 
spiritual world1 uninformed of the      
divine kingdom and unaware of  heavenly 
bestowals4 ,if this be a virtue the     
animal has attained it to a  superlative
 degree1 for the animal is absolutely   
ignorant of the realm of  spirit and out
 of touch with the inner world of       
conscious realization4 ,the  animal     
would agree with the materialist in     
denying the existence of that  which    

transcends the senses4 ,if we admit that
 being limited to the plane  of the     
senses is a virtue the animal is indeed 
more virtuous than man1 for  it is      
entirely bereft of that which lies      
beyond1 absolutely oblivious of  the    
,kingdom of ,god and its traces whereas 
,god has deposited within the  human    
creature an illimitable power by which  
he can rule the world of  nature4       
,consider how all other phenomenal      
existence and beings are captives of    
nature4 ,the sun1 that colossal center  
of our solar system1 the giant stars    
and planets1 the towering mountains1 the
 earth itself and its kingdoms of  life 
lower than the human1--all are captives 
of nature except man4 ,no other  created
 thing can deviate in the slightest     
degree from obedience to  natural law4  
,the sun in its glory and greatness     
millions of miles away is  held prisoner
 in its orbit of universal revolution1  
captive of universal  natural control4  
,man is the ruler of nature4 ,according 

to natural law and  limitation he should
 remain upon the earth1 but behold how  
he violates  this command and soars     
above the mountains in aeroplanes4 ,he  
sails in  ships upon the surface of the 
ocean and dives into its depths in      
submarines4 ,man makes nature his       
servant2 harnesses the mighty energy of 
electricity for instance and imprisons  
it in a small lamp for his uses and     
conveniences4 ,he speaks from the ,east 
to the ,west through a wire4 ,he is     
able to store and preserve his voice in 
a phonograph4 ,though he is a  dweller  
upon earth he penetrates the mysteries  
of starry worlds  inconceivably distant4
 ,he discovers latent realities within  
the bosom of  the earth1 uncovers       
treasures1 penetrates secrets and       
mysteries of the  phenomenal world and  
brings to light that which according to 
nature's  jealous laws should remain    
hidden1 unknown and unfathomable4       
,through an  ideal inner power man      
brings these realities forth from the   

invisible  plane to the visible4 ,this  
is contrary to nature's law4    ,it is  
evident therefore that man is ruler over
 nature's sphere and  province4 ,nature 
is inert1 man is progressive4 ,nature   
has no  consciousness1 man is endowed   
with it4 ,nature is without volition and
 acts  perforce whereas man possesses a 
mighty will4 ,nature is incapable of    
discovering mysteries or realities      
whereas man is especially fitted to do  
so4 ,nature is not in touch with the    
realm of ,god1 man is attuned to its    
evidences4 ,nature is uninformed of     
,god1 man is conscious of ,him4 ,man    
acquires divine virtues1 nature is      
denied them4 ,man can voluntarily       
discontinue vices1 nature has no power  
to modify the influence of its          
instincts4 ,altogether it is evident    
that man is more noble and superior2    
that in him there is an ideal power     
surpassing nature4 ,he has              
consciousness1 volition1 memory1        
intelligent power1 divine attributes and

  virtues of which nature is completely 
deprived1 bereft and minus2  therefore  
man is higher and nobler by reason of   
the ideal and heavenly  force latent and
 manifest in him4    ,how strange then  
it seems that man1 notwithstanding his  
endowment with  this ideal power1 will  
descend to a level beneath him and      
declare himself  no greater than that   
which is manifestly inferior to his real
 station4 ,god  has created such a      
conscious spirit within him that he is  
the most  wonderful of all contingent   
beings4 ,in ignoring these virtues he   
descends  to the material plane1        
considers matter the ruler of existence 
and denies  that which lies beyond4 ,is 
this virtue8 ,in its fullest sense this 
is  animalistic1 for the animal realizes
 nothing more4 ,in fact from this       
standpoint the animal is the greater    
philosopher because it is completely    
ignorant of the ,kingdom of ,god1       
possesses no spiritual susceptibilities 
and is uninformed of the heavenly world4

 ,in brief1 this is a view of the       
pathway of nature4    ,the second       
pathway is that of religion1 the road of
 the divine ,kingdom4 ,it  involves the 
acquisition of praiseworthy attributes1 
heavenly illumination  and righteous    
actions in the world of humanity4 ,this 
pathway is conducive  to the progress   
and uplift of the world4 ,it is the     
source of human  enlightenment1 training
 and ethical improvement2 the magnet    
which attracts  the love of ,god because
 of the knowledge of ,god it bestows4   
,this is the  road of the holy          
,manifestations of ,god for they are in 
reality the  foundation of the divine   
religion of oneness4 ,there is no change
 or  transformation in this pathway4 ,it
 is the cause of human betterment1 the  
acquisition of heavenly virtues and the 
illumination of mankind4    ,alas6 that 
humanity is completely submerged in     
imitations and unrealities              
notwithstanding the truth of divine     
religion has ever remained the same4    

,superstitions have obscured the        
fundamental reality1 the world is       
darkened  and the light of religion is  
not apparent4 ,this darkness is         
conducive to  differences and           
dissensions2 rites and dogmas are many  
and various2  therefore discord has     
arisen among the religious systems      
whereas religion  is for the unification
 of mankind4 ,true religion is the      
source of love and  agreement amongst   
men1 the cause of the development of    
praiseworthy  qualities2 but the people 
are holding to the counterfeit and      
imitation1  negligent of the reality    
which unifies2 so they are bereft and   
deprived of  the radiance of religion4  
,they follow superstitions inherited    
from their  fathers and ancestors4 ,to  
such an extent has this prevailed that  
they have  taken away the heavenly light
 of divine truth and sit in the darkness
 of  imitations and imaginations4 ,that 
which was meant to be conducive to life 
has become the cause of death2 that     

which should have been an evidence of   
knowledge is now a proof of ignorance2  
that which was a factor in the          
sublimity of human nature has proved to 
be its degradation4 ,therefore the      
realm of the religionist has gradually  
narrowed and darkened and the  sphere of
 the materialist has widened and        
advanced2 for the religionist  has held 
to imitation and counterfeit1 neglecting
 and discarding holiness  and the sacred
 reality of religion4 ,when the sun sets
 it is the time for  bats to fly4 ,they 
come forth because they are creatures of
 the night4 ,when  the lights of        
religion become darkened the            
materialists appear4 ,they are  the bats
 of night4 ,the decline of religion is  
their time of activity2 they  seek the  
shadows when the world is darkened and  
clouds have spread over  it4            
,,the ,,need ,,of ,,divine ,,education  
,in the books of the prophets certain   
glad-tidings are recorded which are     
absolutely true and free from doubt4    

,the ,east has ever been the            
dawning-point of the ,sun of ,reality4  
,all the prophets of ,god have appeared 
there4 ,the religions of ,god have been 
promulgated1 the teachings of ,god  have
 been spread and the law of ,god founded
 in the ,east4 ,the ,orient has  always 
been the center of lights4 ,the ,west   
has acquired illumination from  the     
,east but in some respects the          
reflection of the light has been greater
  in the ,occident4 ,this is especially 
true of ,christianity4 ,his ,holiness   
,christ appeared in ,palestine and his  
teachings were founded there4  ,although
 the doors of the ,kingdom were opened  
in that country and the  bestowals of   
divinity were spread broadcast from its 
center1 the people of  the ,west have   
embraced and promulgated ,christianity  
more fully than those  in the ,east4    
,the ,sun of ,reality shone forth from  
the horizon of the ,east  but its heat  
and ray are most resplendent in the     
,west where the radiant  standard of    

,his ,holiness ,christ has been         
upraised4 ,i have great hopes that  the 
lights of ,bah'u'llh's appearance may   
also find the fullest  manifestation and
 reflection in these western regions2   
for the teachings  of ,bah'u'llh are    
especially applicable to the conditions 
of the people  here4 ,the western       
nations are endowed with the capability 
of understanding  the rational and      
peerless words of ,bah'u'llh and        
realizing that the  essence of the      
teachings of all the former prophets can
 be found in his  utterance4    ,the    
teachings of ,his ,holiness ,christ have
 been promulgated by ,his ,holiness     
,bah'u'llh who has also revealed new    
teachings applicable to present         
conditions in the world of humanity4 ,he
 has trained the people of the ,east    
through the power and protection of the 
,holy ,spirit1 cemented the souls of    
humanity together and established the   
foundations of international unity4     
,through the power of his words the     

hearts of the people of all religions   
have been attuned in harmony4 ,for      
instance1 among the ,bah's in ,persia   
there are ,christians1 ,mohammedans1    
,zoroastrians1 ,jews and many others of 
varying denominations and beliefs who   
have been brought together in unity  and
 love in the cause of ,bah'u'llh4       
,although these people were formerly    
hostile and antagonistic1 filled with   
hatred and bitterness toward each       
other1 blood-thirsty and pillaging1     
considering that animosity and attack   
were the means of attaining the         
good-pleasure of ,god1 they have now    
become  loving and filled with the      
radiant zeal of fellowship and          
brotherhood1 the  purpose of them all   
being service to the world of humanity1 
promotion of  international peace1 the  
unification of the divine religions and 
deeds of  universal philanthropy4 ,by   
their words and actions they are proving
 the  verity of ,his ,holiness          
,bah'u'llh4    ,consider the animosity  

and hatred existing today between the   
various  nations of the world4 ,what    
disagreements and hostilities arise1    
what  warfare and contention1 how much  
bloodshed1 what injustice and tyranny6  
,just now there is war in eastern       
,turkey1 also war between ,turkey and   
,italy4 ,nations are devoted to conquest
 and bloodshed1 filled with the  animus 
of religious hatred1 seeking the        
good-pleasure of ,god by killing  and   
destroying those whom they consider     
enemies in their blindness4 ,how        
ignorant they are6 ,that which is       
forbidden by ,god they consider         
acceptable  to ,him4 ,god is love2 ,god 
seeketh fellowship1 purity1 sanctity and
  long-suffering2 these are the         
attributes of divinity4 ,therefore these
  warring1 raging nations have arisen   
against divinity1 imagining they are    
serving ,god4 ,what gross ignorance this
 is6 ,what injustice1 blindness and     
lack of realization6 ,briefly2 we must  
strive with heart and soul in order     

that this darkness of the contingent    
world may be dispelled1 that the  lights
 of the ,kingdom shall shine upon all   
the horizons1 the world of  humanity    
become illumined1 the image of ,god     
become apparent in human  mirrors1 the  
law of ,god be well established and that
 all regions of the  world shall enjoy  
peace1 comfort and composure beneath the
 equitable  protection of ,god4 ,my     
admonition and exhortation to you is    
this3 ,be kind  to all people1 love     
humanity1 consider all mankind as your  
relations and  servants of the most high
 ,god4 ,strive day and night that       
animosity and  contention may pass away 
from the hearts of men1 that all        
religions shall  become reconciled and  
the nations love each other1 so that no 
racial1  religious or political         
prejudice may remain and the world of   
humanity  behold ,god as the beginning  
and end of all existence4 ,god has      
created all  and all return to ,god4    
,therefore love humanity with all your  

heart and  soul4 ,if you meet a poor    
man1 assist him2 if you see the sick1   
heal him2  reassure the affrighted one1 
render the cowardly noble and           
courageous1  educate the ignorant1      
associate with the stranger4 ,emulate   
,god4 ,consider  how kindly1 how        
lovingly ,he deals with all and follow  
,his example4 ,you  must treat people in
 accordance with the divine precepts2 in
 other words1  treat them as kindly as  
,god treats them1 for this is the       
greatest  attainment possible for the   
world of humanity4    ,furthermore1 know
 ye that ,god has created in man the    
power of reason  whereby man is enabled 
to investigate reality4 ,god has not    
intended man to  blindly imitate his    
fathers and ancestors4 ,he has endowed  
him with mind or  the faculty of        
reasoning by the exercise of which he is
 to investigate and  discover the truth2
 and that which he finds real and true1 
he must accept4  ,he must not be an     
imitator or blind follower of any soul4 

,he must not rely  implicitly upon the  
opinion of any man without              
investigation2 nay1 each  soul must seek
 intelligently and independently1       
arriving at a real  conclusion and bound
 only by that reality4 ,the greatest    
cause of  bereavement and disheartening 
in the world of humanity is ignorance   
based  upon blind imitation4 ,it is due 
to this that wars and battles prevail2  
from this cause hatred and animosity    
arise continually among mankind4        
,through failure to investigate reality 
the ,jews rejected ,his ,holiness       
,jesus ,christ4 ,they were expecting his
 coming2 by day and night they  mourned 
and lamented1 saying1 8,o ,god6 hasten  
thou the day of the advent of  ,christ10
 expressing most intense longing for the
 ,messiah but when ,his  ,holiness      
,christ appeared they denied and        
rejected him1 treated him with  arrogant
 contempt1 sentenced him to death and   
finally crucified him4 ,why  did this   
happen8 ,because they were blindly      

following imitations1 believing  that   
which had descended to them as a        
heritage from their fathers and         
ancestors2 tenaciously holding to it and
 refusing to investigate the  reality of
 ,christ4 ,therefore they were deprived 
of the bounties of ,his  ,holiness      
whereas if they had forsaken imitations 
and investigated the  reality of the    
,messiah they would have surely been    
guided to believing in  him4 ,instead of
 this1 they said1 8,we have heard from  
our fathers and have  read in the old   
testament that ,his ,holiness ,christ   
must come from an  unknown place2 now we
 find that this one has come from       
,nazareth40 ,steeped  in the literal    
interpretation and imitating the beliefs
 of fathers and  ancestors they failed  
to understand the fact that although the
 body of  ,jesus came from ,nazareth1   
the reality of the ,christ came from the
 unknown  place of the divine ,kingdom4 
,they also said that the sceptre of ,his
  ,holiness ,christ would be of iron1   

that is to say he should wield a sword4 
,when ,his ,holiness ,christ appeared1  
he did possess a sword but it was the   
sword of his tongue with which he       
separated the false from the true2 but  
the ,jews were blind to the spiritual   
significance and symbolism of the       
prophetic words4 ,they also expected    
that the ,messiah would sit upon the    
throne of ,david whereas ,his ,holiness 
the ,christ had neither throne nor      
semblance of sovereignty2 nay1 rather1  
he was a poor man1 apparently  abject   
and vanquished2 therefore how could he  
be the veritable ,christ8  ,this was one
 of their most insistent objections     
based upon ancestral  interpretation and
 teaching4 ,in reality ,his ,holiness   
,christ was glorified  with an eternal  
sovereignty and everlasting dominion1   
spiritual and not  temporal4 ,his throne
 and kingdom were established in human  
hearts where he  reigns with power and  
authority without end4 ,notwithstanding 
the  fulfillment of all the prophetic   

signs in ,his ,holiness1 the ,jews      
denied  him and entered the period of   
their deprivation because of their      
allegiance to imitations and ancestral  
forms4    ,among other objections1 they 
said1 8,we are promised through the     
tongue of  the prophets that ,his       
,holiness ,christ at the time of his    
coming would  proclaim the law of the   
torah whereas now we see this person    
abrogating  the commands of the         
pentateuch1 disturbing our blessed      
sabbath and  abolishing the law of      
divorce4 ,he has left nothing of the    
ancient law of  ,moses1 therefore he is 
the enemy of ,moses40 ,in reality ,his  
,holiness ,christ  proclaimed and       
completed the law of ,moses4 ,he was the
 very helper and  assister of ,moses4   
,he spread the book of ,moses throughout
 the world and  established anew the    
fundamentals of the law revealed by him4
 ,he abolished  certain unimportant laws
 and forms which were no longer         
compatible with  the exigencies of the  

time1 such as divorce and plurality of  
wives4 ,the  ,jews did not comprehend   
this1 and the cause of their ignorance  
was blind  and tenacious adherence to   
imitations of ancient forms and         
teachings2  therefore they finally      
sentenced ,his ,holiness to death4      
,they likewise said1 8,through the      
tongues of the prophets it was announced
  that during the time of ,christ's     
appearance the justice of ,god would    
prevail throughout the world1 tyranny   
and oppression would be unknown1        
justice would even extend to the animal 
kingdom1 ferocious beasts would         
associate in gentleness and peace1 the  
wolf and the lamb would drink from  the 
same spring1 the lion and the deer meet 
in the same meadow1 the eagle  and quail
 dwell together in the same nest2 but   
instead of this1 we see  that during the
 time of this supposed ,christ the      
,romans have conquered  ,palestine and  
are ruling it with extreme tyranny1     
justice is nowhere  apparent and signs  

of peace in the kingdom are             
conspicuously absent40  ,these          
statements and attitudes of the ,jews   
were inherited from their  fathers2     
blind allegiance to literal expectations
 which did not come to  pass during the 
time of ,jesus ,christ4 ,the real       
purport of these prophetic  statements  
was that various peoples symbolized by  
the wolf and lamb  between whom love and
 fellowship were impossible would come  
together  during ,messiah's reign1 drink
 from the same fountain of life in his  
teachings and become his devoted        
followers4 ,this was realized when      
peoples  of all religions1 nationalities
 and dispositions became united in their
  beliefs and followed ,christ in       
humility1 associating in love and       
brotherhood under the shadow of his     
divine protection4 ,the ,jews1 being    
blind to this and holding to their      
bigoted imitations1 were insolent and   
arrogant toward ,his ,holiness and      
crucified him4 ,had they investigated   

the  reality of ,christ they would have 
beheld his beauty and truth4    ,god has
 given man the eye of investigation by  
which he may see and  recognize truth4  
,he has endowed man with ears that he   
may hear the message  of reality and    
conferred upon him the gift of reason by
 which he may  discover things for      
himself4 ,this is his endowment and     
equipment for the  investigation of     
reality4 ,man is not intended to see    
through the eyes of  another1 hear      
through another's ears nor comprehend   
with another's brain4  ,each human      
creature has individual endowment1 power
 and responsibility in  the creative    
plan of ,god4 ,therefore depend upon    
your own reason and  judgment and adhere
 to the outcome of your own             
investigation2 otherwise  you will be   
utterly submerged in the sea of         
ignorance and deprived of all  the      
bounties of ,god4 ,turn to ,god1        
supplicate humbly at ,his threshold1    
seeking assistance and confirmation1    

that ,god may rend asunder the veils    
that obscure your vision4 ,then will    
your eyes be filled with illumination1  
face to face you will behold the reality
 of ,god and your heart become          
completely purified from the dross of   
ignorance1 reflecting the glories  and  
bounties of the ,kingdom4    ,holy souls
 are like soil which has been plowed and
 tilled with much  earnest labor2 the   
thorns and thistles cast aside and all  
weeds uprooted4  ,such soil is most     
fruitful and the harvest from it will   
prove full and  plenteous4 ,in this same
 way man must free himself from the     
weeds of  ignorance1 thorns of          
superstitions and thistles of           
imitations1 that he may  discover       
reality in the harvests of true         
knowledge4 ,otherwise the  discovery of 
reality is impossible1 contention and   
divergence of religious  belief will    
always remain and mankind1 like         
ferocious wolves will rage and  attack  
each other in hatred and antagonism4 ,we

 supplicate ,god that ,he may  destroy  
the veils which limit our vision and    
that these becloudings which  darken the
 way of the manifestation of the shining
 lights may be dispelled  in order that 
the effulgent ,sun of ,reality may shine
 forth4 ,we implore and  invoke ,god1   
seeking ,his assistance and             
confirmation4 ,man is a child of  ,god2 
most noble1 lofty and beloved by ,god   
his creator4 ,therefore he must  ever   
strive that the divine bounties and     
virtues bestowed upon him may  prevail  
and control him4 ,just now the soil of  
human hearts seems like  black earth1   
but in the innermost substance of this  
dark soil there are  thousands of       
fragrant flowers latent4 ,we must       
endeavor to cultivate and  awaken these 
potentialities1 discover the secret     
treasure in this very  mine and         
depository of ,god1 bring forth these   
resplendent powers long  hidden in human
 hearts4 ,then will the glories of both 
worlds be blended  and increased and the

 quintessence of human existence be made
 manifest4    ,we must not be content   
with simply following a certain course  
because we  find our fathers pursued    
that course4 ,it is the duty of everyone
 to  investigate reality1 and           
investigation of reality by another will
 not do  for us4 ,if all in the world   
were rich and one man poor1 of what use 
are  these riches to that man8 ,if all  
the world be virtuous and a man steeped 
in vice1 what good results are          
forthcoming from him8 ,if all the world 
be  resplendent and a man blind1 where  
are his benefits8 ,if all the world be  
in plenty and a man hungry1 what        
sustenance does he derive8 ,therefore   
every man must be an investigator for   
himself4 ,ideas and beliefs left by  his
 fathers and ancestors as a heritage    
will not suffice1 for adherence to      
these are but imitations and imitations 
have ever been a cause of               
disappointment and misguidance4 ,be     
investigators of reality1 that you may  

attain the verity of truth and life4    
,you have asked why it was necessary for
 the soul that was from ,god to make    
this journey back to ,god4 ,would you   
like to understand the reality of this  
question just as ,i teach it or do you  
wish to hear it as the world teaches    
it8--for if ,i should answer you        
according to the latter way1 this would 
be  but imitation and would not make the
 subject clear4    ,the reality         
underlying this question is that the    
evil spirit1 ,satan or  whatever is     
interpreted as evil1 refers to the lower
 nature in man4 ,this  baser nature is  
symbolized in various ways4 ,in man     
there are two  expressions1 one is the  
expression of nature1 the other the     
expression of  the spiritual realm4 ,the
 world of nature is defective4 ,look at 
it clearly1  casting aside all          
superstition and imagination4 ,if you   
should leave a man  uneducated and      
barbarous in the wilds of ,africa1 would
 there be any doubt  about his remaining

 ignorant8 ,god has never created an    
evil spirit2 all  such ideas and        
nomenclature are symbols expressing the 
mere human or  earthly nature of man4   
,it is an essential condition of the    
soil of earth  that thorns1 weeds and   
fruitless trees may grow from it4       
,relatively  speaking1 this is evil2 it 
is simply the lower state and baser     
product of  nature4    ,it is evident   
therefore that man is in need of divine 
education and  inspiration2 that the    
spirit and bounties of ,god are         
essential to his  development4 ,that is 
to say1 the teachings of ,christ and the
 prophets are  necessary for his        
education and guidance4 ,why8 ,because  
they are the divine  gardeners who till 
the earth of human hearts and minds4    
,they educate man1  uproot the weeds1   
burn the thorns and remodel the waste   
places into  gardens and orchards where 
fruitful trees grow4 ,the wisdom and    
purpose of  their training is that man  
must pass from degree to degree of      

progressive  unfoldment until perfection
 is attained4 ,for instance1 if a man   
should  live his entire life in one     
city1 he cannot gain a knowledge of the 
whole  world4 ,to become perfectly      
informed he must visit other cities1 see
 the  mountains and valleys1 cross the  
rivers and traverse the plains4 ,in     
other  words1 without progressive and   
universal education1 perfection will not
 be  attained4    ,man must walk in many
 paths and be subjected to various      
processes in his  evolution upward4     
,physically he is not born in full      
stature but passes  through consecutive 
stages of foetus1 infant1 childhood1    
youth1 maturity  and old age4 ,suppose  
he had the power to remain young        
throughout his life4  ,he then would not
 understand the meaning of old age and  
could not believe  it existed4 ,if he   
could not realize the condition of old  
age he would not  know that he was      
young4 ,he would not know the difference
 between young and  old without         

experiencing the old4 ,unless you have  
passed through the state  of infancy how
 would you know this was an infant      
beside you8 ,if there was  no wrong how 
would you recognize the right8 ,if it   
were not for sin how  would you         
appreciate virtue8 ,if evil deeds were  
unknown how could you  commend good     
actions8 ,if sickness did not exist how 
would you understand  health8 ,evil is  
non-existent2 it is the absence of good2
 sickness is the  loss of health2       
poverty the lack of riches4 ,when wealth
 disappears you are  poor2 you look     
within the treasure box but find nothing
 there4 ,without  knowledge there is    
ignorance2 therefore ignorance is simply
 the lack of  knowledge4 ,death is the  
absence of life4 ,therefore on the one  
hand we have  existence2 on the other1  
nonexistence1 negation or absence of    
existence4    ,briefly2 the journey of  
the soul is necessary4 ,the pathway of  
life is the  road which leads to divine 
knowledge and attainment4 ,without      

training and  guidance the soul could   
never progress beyond the conditions of 
its lower  nature which is ignorant and 
defective4            ,,religion3       
,,essential ,,and ,,non-,,essential     
,the world of existence is an emanation 
of the merciful attribute of ,god4  ,god
 has shone forth upon the phenomena of  
being through ,his effulgence of  mercy 
and ,he is clement and kind to all ,his 
creation4 ,therefore the world  of      
humanity must ever be the recipient of  
bounties from the eternal ,lord2  even  
as ,his ,holiness ,christ has declared1 
8,be ye perfect even as your  ,father   
which is in heaven40 ,for ,his bounties 
like the light and heat of  the sun in  
the material heavens descend alike upon 
all mankind4  ,consequently man must    
learn the lesson of kindness and        
beneficence from  ,god ,himself4 ,just  
as ,god is kind to all humanity1 man    
also must be kind to  his fellow        
creatures4 ,if his attitude is just and 
loving toward his fellow  men1 toward   

all creation1 then indeed is he worthy  
of being pronounced the  image and      
likeness of ,god4    ,brotherhood or    
fraternity is of different kinds4 ,it   
may be family  association1 the intimate
 relationship of the household4 ,this is
 limited  and subject to change and     
disruption4 ,how often it happens that  
in a  family1 love and agreement are    
changed into enmity and antagonism4     
,another  form of fraternity is manifest
 in patriotism4 ,man loves his          
fellow-men  because they belong to the  
same nativity4 ,this is also limited and
 subject  to change and disintegration1 
as for instance when sons of the same   
fatherland are opposed to each other in 
war1 bloodshed and battle4 ,still       
another brotherhood or fraternity is    
that which arises from racial unity1    
the oneness of racial origin1 producing 
ties of affinity and association4  ,this
 likewise has its limitation and        
liability to change1 for often war  and 
deadly strife have been witnessed       

between people and nations of the  same 
racial lineage4 ,there is a fourth kind 
of brotherhood1 the attitude  of man    
toward humanity itself1 the altruistic  
love of humankind and  recognition of   
the fundamental human bond4 ,although   
this is unlimited it  is nevertheless   
susceptible to change and destruction4  
,even from this  universal fraternal    
bond the looked-for result does not     
appear4 ,what is  the looked-for result8
 ,loving-kindness among all human       
creatures and a  firm1 indestructible   
brotherhood which includes all the      
divine  possibilities and significances 
in humanity4 ,therefore it is evident   
that  fraternity1 love and kindness     
based upon family1 nativity1 race or an 
attitude of altruism are neither        
sufficient nor permanent since all of   
them are limited1 restricted and liable 
to change and disruption4 ,for in  the  
family there is discord and alienation2 
among sons of the same  fatherland      
strife and internecine warfare are      

witnessed2 between those of  a given    
race1 hostility and hatred are frequent2
 and even among the  altruists varying  
aspects of opinion and lack of unselfish
 devotion give  little promise of       
permanent and indestructible unity among
 mankind4    ,therefore the ,lord of    
mankind has caused ,his holy divine     
,manifestations to  come into the world4
 ,he has revealed ,his heavenly books in
 order to  establish spiritual          
brotherhood1 and through the power of   
the ,holy ,spirit  has made it          
practicable for perfect fraternity to be
 realized among  mankind4 ,and when     
through the breaths of the ,holy ,spirit
 this perfect  fraternity and agreement 
are established amongst men1 this       
brotherhood and  love being spiritual in
 character1 this loving-kindness being  
heavenly1  these constraining bonds     
being divine1 a unity appears which is  
indissoluble1 unchanging and never      
subject to transformation4 ,it is ever  
the same and will forever remain the    

same4 ,for example consider the         
foundation of the brotherhood laid by   
,his ,holiness ,christ4 ,observe how    
that fraternity was conducive to unity  
and accord and how it brought  various  
souls to a plane of uniform attainment  
where they were willing to  sacrifice   
their lives for each other4 ,they were  
content to renounce  possessions and    
ready to joyously forfeit life itself4  
,they lived together  in such love and  
fellowship that even ,galen1 the famous 
,greek philosopher1  who was not a      
,christian1 in his work entitled 8,the  
,progress of the  ,nations0 says that   
religious beliefs are greatly conducive 
to the  foundation of real civilization4
 ,as a proof thereof he says1 8,a       
certain  number of people               
contemporaneous with us are known as    
,christians4 ,these  enjoy the          
superlative degree of moral             
civilization4 ,each one of them is a    
great philosopher because they live     
together in the utmost love and         

good-fellowship4 ,they sacrifice life   
for each other4 ,they offer worldly     
possessions for each other4 ,you can say
 of the ,christian people that they  are
 as one person4 ,there is a bond amongst
 them that is indissoluble in           
character40    ,it is evident therefore 
that the foundation of real brotherhood1
 the cause  of loving co-operation and  
reciprocity and the source of real      
kindness and  unselfish devotion is none
 other than the breaths of the ,holy    
,spirit4  ,without this influence and   
animus it is impossible4 ,we may be able
 to  realize some degrees of fraternity 
through other motives but these are     
limited associations and subject to     
change4 ,when human brotherhood is      
founded upon the ,holy ,spirit1 it is   
eternal1 changeless1 unlimited4    ,in  
various parts of the ,orient there was a
 time when brotherhood1  loving-kindness
 and all the praiseworthy qualities of  
mankind seemed to  have disappeared4    
,there was no evidence of patriotic1    

religious or racial  fraternity but     
conditions of bigotry1 hatred and       
prejudice prevailed  instead4 ,the      
adherents of each religion were violent 
enemies of the  others1 filled with the 
spirit of hostility and eager for       
shedding of  blood4 ,the present war in 
the ,balkans furnishes a parallel of    
these  conditions4 ,consider the        
bloodshed1 ferocity and oppression      
manifested  there even in this          
enlightened century2 all of it based    
fundamentally upon  religious prejudice 
and disagreement4 ,for the nations      
involved belong to  the same races and  
nativities1 nevertheless they are savage
 and merciless  toward each other4      
,similar deplorable conditions prevailed
 in ,persia in  the nineteenth century4 
,darkness and ignorant fanaticism were  
widespread2  no trace of fellowship or  
brotherhood existed amongst the races4  
,on the  contrary1 human hearts were    
filled with rage and hatred2 darkness   
and  gloom were manifest in human lives 

and conditions everywhere4 ,at such a   
time as this ,his ,holiness ,bah'u'llh  
appeared upon the divine horizon1  even 
as the glory of the sun1 and in that    
gross darkness and hopelessness  of the 
human world there shone a great light4  
,he founded the oneness of  the world of
 humanity1 declaring that all mankind   
are as sheep and that  ,god is the real 
and true shepherd4 ,the shepherd is one 
and all people are  of his flock4       
,the world of humanity is one and ,god  
is equally kind to all4 ,what then is   
the source of unkindness and hatred in  
the human world8 ,this real shepherd    
loves all his sheep4 ,he leads them in  
green pastures4 ,he rears and  protects 
them4 ,what then is the source of enmity
 and alienation among  humankind8       
,whence this conflict and strife8 ,the  
real underlying cause is  lack of       
religious unity and association for in  
each of the great religions  we find    
superstition1 blind imitation of creeds1
 and theological formulae  adhered to   

instead of the divine fundamentals1     
causing difference and  divergence among
 mankind instead of agreement and       
fellowship4 ,consequently  strife1      
hatred and warfare have arisen1 based   
upon this divergence and  separation4   
,if we investigate the foundations of   
the divine religions1 we  find them to  
be one1 absolutely changeless and never 
subject to  transformation4 ,for example
 each of the divine religions contains  
two  kinds of laws or ordinances4 ,one  
division concerns the world of morality 
and ethical institutions4 ,these are the
 essential ordinances4 ,they instill    
and awaken the knowledge and love of    
,god1 love for humanity1 the virtues  of
 the world of mankind1 the attributes of
 the divine kingdom1 rebirth and        
resurrection from the kingdom of nature4
 ,these constitute one kind of  divine  
law which is common to all and never    
subject to change4 ,from the  dawn of   
the ,adamic cycle to the present day    
this fundamental law of ,god  has       

continued changeless4 ,this is the      
foundation of divine religion4    ,the  
second division comprises laws and      
institutions which provide for  human   
needs and conditions according to       
exigencies of time and place4  ,these   
are accidental1 of no essential         
importance and should never have  been  
made the cause and source of human      
contention4 ,for example during the     
time of ,his ,holiness ,moses--,upon him
 be peace6 --according to the exigencies
  of that period1 divorce was           
permissible4 ,during the cycle of ,his  
,holiness  ,christ inasmuch as divorce  
was not in conformity with the time and 
conditions ,his ,holiness ,jesus ,christ
 abrogated it4 ,in the cycle of ,moses  
plurality of wives was permissible but  
during the time of ,his ,holiness       
,christ the exigency which had          
sanctioned it did not exist1 therefore  
it  was forbidden4 ,his ,holiness ,moses
 lived in the wilderness and desert of  
,sinai2 therefore his ordinances and    

commandments were in conformity with    
those conditions4 ,the penalty for theft
 was to cut off a man's hand4 ,an       
ordinance of this kind was in keeping   
with desert life but not compatible     
with conditions of the present day4     
,such ordinances therefore constitute   
the second or non-essential division of 
the divine religions and are not  of    
importance for they deal with human     
transactions which are ever  changing   
according to the requirements of time   
and place4 ,therefore the  intrinsic    
foundations of the divine religions are 
one4 ,as this is true1  why should      
hostility and strife exist among them8  
,why should this hatred  and warfare1   
ferocity and bloodshed continue8 ,is    
this allowable and  justified8 ,god     
forbid6            ,,religion ,,renewed 
,creation is the expression of motion4  
,motion is life4 ,a moving object is a  
living object whereas that which is     
motionless and inert is as dead4 ,all   
created forms are progressive in their  

planes or kingdoms of existence  under  
the stimulus of the power or spirit of  
life4 ,the universal energy is  dynamic4
 ,nothing is stationary in the material 
world of outer phenomena or  in the     
inner world of intellect and            
consciousness4    ,religion is the outer
 expression of the divine reality4      
,therefore it must  be living1          
vitalized1 moving and progressive4 ,if  
it be without motion and                
non-progressive it is without the divine
 life2 it is dead4 ,the divine          
institutes are continuously active and  
evolutionary2 therefore the  revelation 
of them must be progressive and         
continuous4 ,all things are  subject to 
re-formation4 ,this is a century of life
 and renewal4 ,sciences  and arts1      
industry and invention have been        
reformed4 ,law and ethics have  been    
reconstituted1 reorganized4 ,the world  
of thought has been  regenerated4       
,sciences of former ages and            
philosophies of the past are  useless   

today4 ,present exigencies demand new   
methods of solution2 world  problems are
 without precedent4 ,old ideas and modes
 of thought are fast  becoming obsolete4
 ,ancient laws and archaic ethical      
systems will not meet  the requirements 
of modern conditions1 for this is       
clearly the century of  a new life1 the 
century of the revelation of the reality
 and therefore the  greatest of all     
centuries4 ,consider how the scientific 
developments of  fifty years have       
surpassed and eclipsed the knowledge and
 achievements of  all the former ages   
combined4 ,would the announcements and  
theories of  ancient astronomers explain
 our present knowledge of the sun-worlds
 and  planetary systems8 ,would the mask
 of obscurity which beclouded mediaeval 
centuries meet the demand for clear-eyed
 vision and understanding which         
characterizes the world today8 ,in view 
of this1 shall blind imitations of      
ancestral forms and theological         
interpretations continue to guide and   

control the religious life and spiritual
 development of humanity today8  ,shall 
man gifted with the power of reason     
unthinkingly follow and adhere  to      
dogma1 creeds and hereditary beliefs    
which will not bear the analysis  of    
reason in this century of effulgent     
reality8 ,unquestionably this will  not 
satisfy men of science1 for when they   
find premise or conclusion  contrary to 
present standards of proof and without  
real foundation1 they  reject that which
 has been formerly accepted as standard 
and correct and  move forward from new  
foundations4    ,the divine prophets    
have revealed and founded religion4     
,they have laid  down certain laws and  
heavenly principles for the guidance of 
mankind4  ,they have taught and         
promulgated the knowledge of ,god1      
established  praiseworthy ethical ideals
 and inculcated the highest standards of
 virtue  in the human world4 ,gradually 
these heavenly teachings and foundations
 of  reality have been beclouded by     

human interpretations and dogmatic      
imitations of ancestral beliefs4 ,the   
essential realities which the  prophets 
labored so hard to establish in human   
hearts and minds while  undergoing      
ordeals and suffering tortures of       
persecution1 have now well  nigh        
vanished4 ,some of these heavenly       
messengers have been killed1 some       
imprisoned2 all of them despised and    
rejected while proclaiming the  reality 
of divinity4 ,soon after their departure
 from this world1 the  essential truth  
of their teachings was lost sight of and
 dogmatic  imitations adhered to4       
,inasmuch as human interpretations and  
blind imitations differ widely1         
religious strife and disagreement have  
arisen among mankind1 the light of  true
 religion has been extinguished and the 
unity of the world of humanity          
destroyed4 ,the prophets of ,god voiced 
the spirit of unity and agreement4      
,they have been the founders of divine  
reality4 ,therefore if the nations of   

the world forsake imitations and        
investigate the reality underlying the  
revealed ,word of ,god they will agree  
and become reconciled4 ,for reality is  
one and not multiple4    ,the nations   
and religions are steeped in blind and  
bigoted imitations4 ,a  man is a ,jew   
because his father was a ,jew4 ,the     
,mohammedan follows  implicitly the     
footsteps of his ancestors in belief and
 observance4 ,the  ,buddhist is true to 
his heredity as a ,buddhist4 ,that is to
 say they  profess religious belief     
blindly and without investigation1      
making unity  and agreement impossible4 
,it is evident therefore that this      
condition will  not be remedied without 
a re-formation in the world of religion4
 ,in other  words the fundamental       
reality of the divine religions must be 
renewed1  reformed1 revoiced to mankind4
    ,from the seed of reality1 religion 
has grown into a tree which has put     
forth leaves and branches1 blossoms and 
fruit4 ,after a time this tree has      

fallen into a condition of decay4 ,the  
leaves and blossoms have withered  and  
perished2 the tree has become stricken  
and fruitless4 ,it is not  reasonable   
that man should hold to the old tree1   
claiming that its life  forces are      
undiminished1 its fruit unequalled1 its 
existence eternal4 ,the  seed of reality
 must be sown again in human hearts in  
order that a new  tree may grow         
therefrom and new divine fruits refresh 
the world4 ,by this  means the nations  
and peoples now divergent in religion   
will be brought  into unity1 imitations 
will be forsaken and a universal        
brotherhood in the  reality itself will 
be established4 ,warfare and strife will
 cease among  mankind2 all will be      
reconciled as servants of ,god4 ,for all
 are sheltered  beneath the tree of ,his
 providence and mercy4 ,god is kind to  
all2 ,he is  the giver of bounty to all 
alike1 even as ,his ,holiness ,jesus    
,christ has  declared that ,god 8sendeth
 rain on the just and on the unjust20   

that is to  say1 the mercy of ,god is   
universal4 ,all humanity is under the   
protection  of ,his love and favor1 and 
unto all ,he has pointed the way of     
guidance and  progress4    ,progress is 
of two kinds1 material and spiritual4   
,the former is attained  through        
observation of the surrounding existence
 and constitutes the  foundation of     
civilization4 ,spiritual progress is    
through the breaths of  the ,holy       
,spirit and is the awakening of the     
conscious soul of man to  perceive the  
reality of divinity4 ,material progress 
insures the happiness  of the human     
world4 ,spiritual progress insures the  
happiness and eternal  continuance of   
the soul4 ,the prophets of ,god have    
founded the laws of  divine             
civilization4 ,they have been the root  
and fundamental source of all           
knowledge4 ,they have established the   
principles of human brotherhood or      
fraternity which is of various kinds1   
such as the fraternity of family1 of    

race1 of nation and of ethical motives4 
,these forms of fraternity1 these  bonds
 of brotherhood are merely temporal and 
transient in association4  ,they do not 
insure harmony and are usually          
productive of disagreement4  ,they do   
not prevent warfare and strife2 on the  
contrary they are selfish1  restricted  
and fruitful causes of enmity and hatred
 among mankind4 ,the  spiritual         
brotherhood which is enkindled and      
established through the  breaths of the 
,holy ,spirit unites nations and removes
 the cause of warfare  and strife4 ,it  
transforms mankind into one great family
 and establishes  the foundations of the
 oneness of humanity4 ,it promulgates   
the spirit of  international agreement  
and insures universal peace4 ,therefore 
we must  investigate the foundation     
reality of this heavenly fraternity4 ,we
 must  forsake all imitations and       
promote the reality of the divine       
teachings4 ,in  accordance with these   
principles and actions and by the       

assistance of the  ,holy ,spirit1 both  
material and spiritual happiness shall  
become realized4  ,until all nations and
 peoples become united by the bonds of  
the ,holy  ,spirit in this real         
fraternity1 until national and          
international  prejudices are effaced in
 the reality of this spiritual          
brotherhood1 true  progress1 prosperity 
and lasting happiness will not be       
attained by man4  ,this is the century  
of new and universal nationhood4        
,sciences have  advanced1 industries    
have progressed1 politics have been     
reformed1 liberty  has been proclaimed1 
justice is awakening4 ,this is the      
century of motion1  divine stimulus and 
accomplishment2 the century of human    
solidarity and  altruistic service2 the 
century of universal peace and the      
reality of the  divine ,kingdom4        
,,divine ,,love      ,every subject     
presented to a thoughtful audience must 
be supported by  rational proofs and    
logical arguments4 ,proofs are of four  

kinds3 first1  through sense-perception2
 second1 through the reasoning faculty2 
third1  from traditional or scriptural  
authority2 fourth1 through the medium of
  inspiration4 ,that is to say1 there   
are four criterions or standards of     
judgment by which the human mind reaches
 its conclusions4 ,we will first        
consider the criterion of the senses4   
,this is a standard still held to by    
the materialistic philosophers of the   
world4 ,they believe that whatever is   
perceptible to the senses is a verity1 a
 certainty and without doubt  existent4 
,for example1 they say1 8,here is a lamp
 which you see1 and  because it is      
perceptible to the sense of sight you   
cannot doubt its  existence4 ,there is a
 tree2 your sense of vision assures you 
of its  reality which is beyond         
question4 ,this is a man2 you see that  
he is a man2  therefore he exists40 ,in 
a word1 everything confirmed by the     
senses is  assumed to be as undoubted   
and unquestioned as the product of five 

multiplied by five2 it cannot be        
twenty-six nor less than twenty-five4   
,consequently the materialistic         
philosophers consider the criterion of  
the  senses to be first and foremost4   
,but in the estimation of the divine    
philosophers this proof and assurance   
is not reliable2 nay1 rather1 they deem 
the standard of the senses to be  false 
because it is imperfect4 ,sight1 for    
instance1 is one of the most  important 
of the senses1 yet it is subject to many
 aberrations and  inaccuracies4 ,the eye
 sees the mirage as a body of water1    
regards images  in the mirror as        
realities when they are but reflections4
 ,a man sailing  upon the river imagines
 that objects upon the shore are moving 
whereas he  is in motion and they are   
stationary4 ,to the eye the earth       
appears fixed  while the sun and stars  
revolve about it4 ,as a matter of fact  
the heavenly  orbs are stationary and   
the earth turning upon its axis4 ,the   
colossal  suns1 planets and             

constellations which shine in the       
heavens appear small1  nay1             
infinitesimal to human vision whereas in
 reality they are vastly  greater than  
the earth in dimension and volume4 ,a   
whirling spark appears  to the sight as 
a circle of fire4 ,there are numberless 
instances of this  kind which show the  
error and inaccuracy of the senses4     
,therefore the  divine philosophers have
 considered this standard of judgment to
 be  defective and unreliable4    ,the  
second criterion is that of the         
intellect4 ,the ancient philosophers in 
particular considered the intellect to  
be the most important agency of         
judgment4 ,among the wise men of        
,greece1 ,rome1 ,persia and ,egypt the  
criterion of true proof was reason4     
,they held that every matter submitted  
to the reasoning faculty could be proved
 true or false and must be  accepted or 
rejected accordingly4 ,but in the       
estimation of the people of  insight    
this criterion is likewise defective and

 unreliable1 for these  same            
philosophers who held to reason or      
intellect as the standard of human      
judgment have differed widely among     
themselves upon every subject of        
investigation4 ,the statements of the   
,greek philosophers are contradictory   
to the conclusions of the ,persian      
sages4 ,even among the ,greek           
philosophers  themselves there is       
continual variance and lack of agreement
 upon any  given subject4 ,great        
difference of thought also prevailed    
between the wise  men of ,greece and    
,rome4 ,therefore if the criterion of   
reason or intellect  constituted a      
correct and infallible standard of      
judgment1 those who  tested and applied 
it should have arrived at the same      
conclusions4 ,as they  differ and are   
contradictory in conclusions it is an   
evidence that the  method and standard  
of test must have been faulty and       
insufficient4    ,the third criterion or
 standard of proof is traditional or    

scriptural1  namely1 that every         
statement of conclusion should be       
supported by  traditions recorded in    
certain religious books4 ,when we come  
to consider  even the holy books--the   
books of ,god--we are led to ask1 8,who 
understands  these books8 ,by what      
authority of explanation may these books
 be  understood80 ,it must be the       
authority of human reason1 and if reason
 or  intellect finds itself incapable of
 explaining certain questions1 or if    
the possessors of intellect contradict  
each other in the interpretation of     
traditions1 how can such a criterion be 
relied upon for accurate  conclusions8  
,the fourth standard is that of         
inspiration4 ,in past centuries many    
philosophers have claimed illumination  
or revelation1 prefacing their          
statements by the announcement that     
8this subject has been revealed  through
 me0 or 8thus do ,i speak by            
inspiration40 ,of this class were the   
philosophers of the ,illuminati4        

,inspirations are the promptings or     
susceptibilities of the human heart4    
,the promptings of the heart are        
sometimes satanic4 ,how are we to       
differentiate them8 ,how are we to tell 
whether a given statement is an         
inspiration and prompting of the heart  
through the merciful assistance or      
through the satanic agency8             
,consequently it has become evident that
 the four criterions or standards  of   
judgment by which the human mind reaches
 its conclusions are faulty and         
inaccurate4 ,all of them are liable to  
mistake and error in conclusions4  ,but 
a statement presented to the mind       
accompanied by proofs which the  senses 
can perceive to be correct1 which the   
faculty of reason can accept1  which is 
in accord with traditional authority and
 sanctioned by the  promptings of the   
heart1 can be adjudged and relied upon  
as perfectly  correct1 for it has been  
proved and tested by all the standards  
of  judgment and found to be complete4  

,when we apply but one test there are   
possibilities of mistake4 ,this is      
self-evident and manifest4    ,we will  
now consider the subject of 8,love0     
which has been suggested1  submitting it
 to the four standards of judgment and  
thereby reaching our  conclusions4      
,we declare that love is the cause of   
the existence of all phenomena and  that
 the absence of love is the cause of    
disintegration or nonexistence4  ,love  
is the conscious bestowal of ,god1 the  
bond of affiliation in all  phenomena4  
,we will first consider the proof of    
this through  sense-perception4 ,as we  
look upon the universe we observe that  
all  composite beings or existing       
phenomena are made up primarily of      
single  elements bound together by a    
power of attraction4 ,through this power
 of  attraction1 cohesion has become    
manifest between atoms of these         
composing  elements4 ,the resultant     
being is a phenomenon of the lower      
contingent  type4 ,the power of cohesion

 expressed in the mineral kingdom is in 
reality  love or affinity manifested in 
a low degree according to the exigencies
 of  the mineral world4 ,we take a step 
higher into the vegetable kingdom where 
we find an increased power of attraction
 has become manifest among the          
composing elements which form phenomena4
 ,through this degree of attraction  a  
cellular admixture is produced among    
these elements which make up the  body  
of a plant4 ,therefore in the degree of 
the vegetable kingdom there is  love4   
,we enter the animal kingdom and find   
the attractive power binding  together  
single elements as in the mineral1 plus 
the cellular admixture as  in the       
vegetable1 plus the phenomena of        
feelings or susceptibilities4 ,we       
observe that the animals are susceptible
 to certain affiliation and  fellowship1
 and that they exercise natural         
selection4 ,this elemental  attraction1 
this admixture and selective affinity is
 love manifest in the  degree of the    

animal kingdom4    ,finally we come to  
the kingdom of man4 ,as this is the     
superior kingdom1  the light of love is 
more resplendent4 ,in man we find the   
power of  attraction among the elements 
which compose his material body1 plus   
the  attraction which produces cellular 
admixture or power augmentative1 plus   
the attraction which characterizes the  
sensibilities of the animal  kingdom1   
but still beyond and above all these    
lower powers we discover in  the being  
of man the attraction of heart1 the     
susceptibilities and  affinities which  
bind men together1 enabling them to live
 and associate in  friendship and       
solidarity4 ,it is therefore evident    
that in the world of  humanity the      
greatest king and sovereign is love4 ,if
 love were  extinguished1 the power of  
attraction dispelled1 the affinity of   
human  hearts destroyed1 the phenomena  
of human life would disappear4    ,this 
is a proof perceptible to the senses1   
acceptable to reason1 in accord  with   

traditions and teachings of the holy    
books and verified by the  promptings of
 human hearts themselves4 ,it is a proof
 upon which we can  absolutely rely and 
declare to be complete4 ,but these are  
only degrees of  love which exist in the
 natural or physical world4 ,their      
manifestation is  ever according to the 
requirement of natural conditions and   
standards4    ,real love is the love    
which exists between ,god and ,his      
servants1 the love  which binds together
 holy souls4 ,this is the love of the   
spiritual world1  not the love of       
physical bodies and organisms4 ,for     
example1 consider and  observe how the  
bestowals of ,god successively descend  
upon mankind2 how  the divine           
effulgences ever shine upon the human   
world4 ,there can be no  doubt that     
these bestowals1 these bounties1 these  
effulgences emanate from  love4 ,unless 
love be the divine motive1 it would be  
impossible for the  heart of man to     
attain or receive them4 ,unless love    

exists the divine  blessing could not   
descend upon any object or thing4       
,unless there be love  the recipient of 
divine effulgence could not radiate and 
reflect that  effulgence upon other     
objects4 ,if we are of those who        
perceive1 we realize  that the bounties 
of ,god manifest themselves             
continuously1 even as the  rays of the  
sun unceasingly emanate from the solar  
center4 ,the phenomenal  world through  
the resplendent effulgence of the sun is
 radiant and bright4  ,in the same way  
the realm of hearts and spirits is      
illumined and  resuscitated through the 
shining rays of the ,sun of ,reality and
 the  bounties of the love of ,god4     
,thereby the world of existence1 the    
kingdom  of hearts and spirits is ever  
quickened into life4 ,were it not for   
the  love of ,god1 hearts would be      
inanimate1 spirits would wither and the 
reality of man would be bereft of the   
everlasting bestowals4    ,consider to  
what extent the love of ,god makes      

itself manifest4 ,among the  signs of   
,his love which appear in the world are 
the dawning-point of ,his               
,manifestations4 ,what an infinite      
degree of love is reflected by the      
divine  ,manifestations toward mankind6 
,for the sake of guiding the people they
  have willingly forfeited their lives  
to resuscitate human hearts4 ,they  have
 accepted the cross4 ,to enable human   
souls to attain the supreme  degree of  
advancement1 they have suffered during  
their limited years  extreme ordeals and
 difficulties4 ,if ,his ,holiness ,jesus
 ,christ had not  possessed love for the
 world of humanity1 surely he would not 
have  welcomed the cross4 ,he was       
crucified for the love of mankind4      
,consider the  infinite degree of that  
love4 ,without love for humanity ,john  
the ,baptist  would not have offered his
 life4 ,it has been likewise with all   
the  prophets and holy souls4 ,if ,his  
,holiness the ,bab had not manifested   
love  for mankind1 surely he would not  

have offered his breast for a thousand  
bullets4 ,if ,his ,holiness ,bah'u'llh  
had not been aflame with love for       
humanity he would not have willingly    
accepted forty years' imprisonment4     
,observe how rarely human souls         
sacrifice their pleasure or comfort for 
others2 how improbable that a man would 
offer his eye or suffer himself to  be  
dismembered for the benefit of another4 
,yet all the divine  ,manifestations    
suffered1 offered their lives and blood1
 sacrificed their  existence1 comfort   
and all they possessed for the sake of  
mankind4  ,therefore consider how much  
they love4 ,were it not for their love  
for  humanity1 spiritual love would be  
mere nomenclature4 ,were it not for     
their  illumination1 human souls would  
not be radiant4 ,how effective is their 
love6 ,this is a sign of the love of    
,god2 a ray of the ,sun of ,reality4    
,therefore we must give praise unto     
,god1 for it is the light of ,his bounty
  which has shone upon us through ,his  

love which is everlasting4 ,his divine  
,manifestations have offered their lives
 through love for us4 ,consider then    
what the love of ,god means4 ,were it   
not for the love of ,god all the        
spirits would be inanimate4 ,the meaning
 of this is not physical death2  nay1   
rather1 it is that condition concerning 
which ,his ,holiness ,christ  declared1 
8,let the dead bury their dead1 for that
 which is born of the  flesh is flesh1  
and that which is born of the spirit is 
spirit40 ,were it  not for the love of  
,god the hearts would not be illumined4 
,were it not for  the love of ,god the  
pathway of the ,kingdom would not be    
opened4 ,were it  not for the love of   
,god the holy books would not have been 
revealed4 ,were  it not for the love of 
,god the divine prophets would not have 
been sent to  the world4 ,the foundation
 of all these bestowals is the love of  
,god4  ,therefore in the human world    
there is no greater power than the love 
of  ,god4 ,it is the love of ,god which 

has brought us together here tonight4   
,it  is the love of ,god which is       
affiliating the ,east and the ,west4 ,it
 is the  love of ,god which has         
resuscitated the world4 ,now we must    
offer thanks to  ,god that such a great 
bestowal and effulgence has been        
revealed to us4    ,we come to another  
aspect of our subject--,are the workings
 and effects of  love confined to this  
world or do they extend on and on to    
another  existence8 ,will its influence 
affect our existence here only or will  
it  extend to the life everlasting8     
,when we look upon the human kingdom we 
readily observe that it is superior to  
all others4 ,in the differentiation  of 
life in the world of existence1 there   
are four degrees or kingdoms1--the      
mineral1 vegetable1 animal1 and human4  
,the mineral kingdom is possessed of  a 
certain virtue which we term cohesion4  
,the vegetable kingdom possesses        
cohesive properties plus the power of   
growth or power augmentative4 ,the      

animal kingdom is possessed of the      
virtues of the mineral and vegetable    
plus the powers of the senses4 ,but the 
animal although gifted with             
sensibilities is utterly bereft of      
consciousness1 absolutely out of touch  
with the world of consciousness and     
spirit4 ,the animal possesses no powers 
by which it can make discoveries which  
lie beyond the realm of the senses4  ,it
 has no power of intellectual           
origination4 ,for example1 an animal    
located in ,europe is not capable of    
discovering the continent of ,america4  
,it understands only phenomena which    
come within the range of its senses  and
 instinct4 ,it cannot abstractly reason 
out anything4 ,the animal cannot        
conceive of the earth being spherical or
 revolving upon its axis4 ,it  cannot   
apprehend that the little stars in the  
heavens are tremendous  worlds vastly   
greater than the earth4 ,the animal     
cannot abstractly  conceive of          
intellect4 ,of these powers it is       

bereft4 ,therefore these  powers are    
peculiar to man and it is made evident  
that in the human  kingdom there is a   
reality of which the animal is minus4   
,what is that  reality8 ,it is the      
spirit of man4 ,by it man is            
distinguished above all the  other      
phenomenal kingdoms4 ,although he       
possesses all the virtues of the  lower 
kingdoms he is further endowed with the 
spiritual faculty1 the  heavenly gift of
 consciousness4    ,all material        
phenomena are subject to nature4 ,all   
material organisms are  captives of     
nature4 ,none of them can deviate in the
 slightest from the law  of nature4     
,this earth1 these great mountains1 the 
animals with their  wonderful powers and
 instincts cannot go beyond natural     
limitations4 ,all  things are captives  
of nature except man4 ,man is the       
sovereign of nature2  he breaks nature's
 laws4 ,though an animal fitted by      
nature to live upon  the surface of the 
earth he flies in the air like a bird1  

sails upon the  ocean and dives deep    
beneath its waves in submarines4 ,man is
 gifted with a  power whereby he        
penetrates and discovers the laws of    
nature1 brings them  forth from the     
world of invisibility into the plane of 
visibility4  ,electricity was once a    
latent force of nature4 ,according to   
nature's laws  it should remain a hidden
 secret1 but the spirit of man          
discovered it1  brought it forth from   
its secret depository and made its      
phenomena  visible4 ,it is evident and  
manifest that man is capable of breaking
  nature's laws4 ,how does he accomplish
 it8 ,through a spirit with which ,god  
has endowed him at creation4 ,this is a 
proof that the spirit of man            
differentiates and distinguishes him    
above all the lower kingdoms4 ,it is    
this spirit to which the verse in the   
,old ,testament refers when it states   
that man has been created 8after the    
image and likeness of ,god04 ,the       
spirit of man alone penetrates the      

realities of ,god and partakes of the   
divine bounties4            ,,the       
,,foundation ,,of ,,religion      ,god  
is one2 the effulgence of ,god is one2  
and humanity constitutes the  servants  
of that one ,god4 ,god is kind to all4  
,he creates and provides for  all2 and  
all are under ,his care and protection4 
,the ,sun of ,truth1 the ,word  of ,god 
shines upon all mankind2 the divine     
cloud pours down its precious  rain2 the
 gentle zephyrs of ,his mercy blow and  
all humanity is submerged  in the ocean 
of ,his eternal justice and             
loving-kindness4    ,but we have acted  
contrary to the will and good-pleasure  
of ,god4 ,we have  been the cause of    
enmity and disunion4 ,we have separated 
from each other  and risen against each 
other in opposition and strife4 ,how    
many have been  the wars between peoples
 and nations6 ,what bloodshed6          
,numberless are the  cities and homes   
which have been laid waste4 ,all of this
 has been contrary  to the good-pleasure

 of ,god for ,he hath willed love for   
humanity4 ,he is  clement and merciful  
to all ,his creatures4 ,he hath ordained
 amity and  fellowship amongst men4     
,most regrettable of all is the state of
 difference and divergence we have      
created between each other in the name  
of religion imagining that a  paramount 
duty in our religious belief is that of 
alienation and  estrangement1 that we   
should shun each other and consider each
 other  contaminated with error and     
infidelity4 ,in reality the foundations 
of the  divine religions are one and the
 same4 ,the differences which have      
arisen  between us are due to blind     
imitations of dogmatic beliefs and      
adherence  to ancestral forms of        
worship4 ,his ,holiness ,abraham was the
 founder of  reality4 ,his ,holiness    
,moses1 ,his ,holiness ,christ1 ,his    
,holiness ,mohammed  were the           
manifestations of reality4 ,his         
,holiness ,bah'u'llh was the glory  of  
reality4 ,this is not simply an         

assertion2 it will be proved4    ,let me
 ask your closest attention in          
considering this subject4 ,the divine   
religions embody two kinds of           
ordinances4 ,first1 those which         
constitute  essential or spiritual      
teachings of the ,word of ,god4 ,these  
are faith in  ,god1 the acquirement of  
the virtues which characterize perfect  
manhood1  praiseworthy moralities1 the  
acquisition of the bestowals and        
bounties  emanating from the divine     
effulgences2 in brief1 the ordinances   
which  concern the realm of morals and  
ethics4 ,this is the fundamental aspect 
of  the religion of ,god and this is of 
the highest importance because          
knowledge of ,god is the fundamental    
requirement of man4 ,man must           
comprehend the oneness of divinity4 ,he 
must come to know and acknowledge  the  
precepts of ,god and realize for a      
certainty that the ethical  development 
of humanity is dependent upon religion4 
,he must get rid of all  defects and    

seek the attainment of heavenly virtues 
in order that he may  prove to be the   
image and likeness of ,god4 ,it is      
recorded in the holy  bible that ,god   
said1 8,let us make man in our image1   
after our likeness40  ,it is            
self-evident that the image and likeness
 mentioned do not apply to  the form and
 semblance of a human being because the 
reality of divinity is  not limited to  
any form or figure4 ,nay1 rather the    
attributes and  characteristics of ,god 
are intended4 ,even as ,god is          
pronounced to be just1  man must        
likewise be just4 ,as ,god is loving and
 kind to all men1 man must  likewise    
manifest loving-kindness to all         
humanity4 ,as ,god is loyal and         
truthful1 man must show forth the same  
attributes in the human world4 ,even  as
 ,god exercises mercy toward all1 man   
must prove himself to be the            
manifestation of mercy4 ,in a word1 the 
8image and likeness of ,god0  constitute
 the virtues of ,god1 and man is        

intended to become the recipient  of the
 effulgences of divine attributes4 ,this
 is the essential foundation  of all the
 divine religions1 the reality itself1  
common to all4 ,his  ,holiness ,abraham 
promulgated this2 ,his ,holiness ,moses 
proclaimed it4 ,his  ,holiness ,christ  
and all the prophets upheld this        
standard and aspect of  divine religion4
    ,secondly3 ,laws and ordinances     
which are temporary and non-essential4  
,these  concern human transactions and  
relations4 ,they are accidental and     
subject  to change according to the     
exigencies of time and place4 ,these    
ordinances  are neither permanent nor   
fundamental4 ,for instance during the   
time of  ,noah it was expedient that sea
 foods be considered as lawful2         
therefore  ,god commanded ,noah to      
partake of all marine animal life4      
,during the time  of ,moses this was not
 in accordance with the exigencies of   
,israel's  existence1 therefore a second
 command was revealed partly abrogating 

the  law concerning marine foods4       
,during the time of ,abraham--,upon him 
be  peace6--camel's milk was considered 
a lawful and acceptable food2 likewise  
the flesh of the camel2 but during      
,jacob's time because of a certain vow  
he made1 this became unlawful4 ,these   
are non-essential temporary laws4 ,in   
the holy bible there are certain        
commandments which according to those   
bygone times constituted the very spirit
 of the age1 the very light of  that    
period4 ,for example according to the   
law of the torah if a man  committed    
theft of a certain amount they cut off  
his hand4 ,is it  practicable and       
reasonable in this present day to cut   
off a man's hand for  the theft of a    
dollar8 ,in the torah there are ten     
ordinances concerning  murder4 ,could   
these be made effective today8          
,unquestionably no2 times have  changed4
 ,according to the explicit text of the 
bible if a man should  change or break  
the law of the ,sabbath or if he should 

touch fire on the  ,sabbath he must be  
killed4 ,today such a law is abrogated4 
,the torah  declares that if a man      
should speak a disrespectful word to his
 father he  should suffer the penalty of
 death4 ,is this possible of enforcement
 now8  ,no2 human conditions have       
undergone changes4 ,likewise during the 
time of  ,christ certain minor          
ordinances conformable to that period   
were enforced4    ,it has been shown    
conclusively therefore that the         
foundation of the  religion of ,god     
remains permanent and unchanging4 ,it is
 that fixed  foundation which insures   
the progress and stability of the body  
politic  and the illumination of        
humanity4 ,it has ever been the cause of
 love and  justice amongst men4 ,it     
works for the true fellowship and       
unification of  all mankind for it never
 changes and is not subject to          
supersedure4 ,the  accidental or        
non-essential laws which regulate the   
transactions of the  social body and    

everyday affairs of life are changeable 
and subject to  abrogation4    ,let me  
ask what is the purpose of prophethood8 
,why has ,god sent the  prophets8 ,it is
 self-evident that the prophets are the 
educators of men  and the teachers of   
the human race4 ,they come to bestow    
universal  education upon humanity1 to  
give humanity training1 to uplift the   
human  race from the abyss of despair   
and desolation and enable man to attain 
the  apogee of advancement and glory4   
,the people are in darkness2 the        
prophets  bring them into the realm of  
light4 ,they are in a state of utter    
imperfection2 the prophets imbue them   
with perfections4 ,the purpose of the   
prophetic mission is no other than the  
education and guidance of the  people4  
,therefore we must regard and be on the 
lookout for the man who is  thus        
qualified2 that is to say any soul who  
proves to be the educator of  mankind   
and the teacher of the human race is    
undoubtedly the prophet of  his age4    

,for example let us review the events   
connected with the history of ,his      
,holiness ,moses--,upon him be peace6   
,his ,holiness dwelt in ,midian at a    
time  when the children of ,israel were 
in captivity and bondage in the land of 
,egypt1 subjected to every tyranny and  
severe oppression4 ,they were           
illiterate and ignorant1 undergoing     
cruel ordeals and experiences4 ,they    
were in such a state of helplessness and
 impotence that it was proverbial  to   
state that one ,egyptian could overcome 
ten ,israelites4 ,at such a time  as    
this and under such forbidding          
conditions ,his ,holiness ,moses        
appeared  and shone forth with a        
heavenly radiance4 ,he saved ,israel    
from the bondage  of ,pharaoh and       
released them from captivity4 ,he led   
them out of the land  of ,egypt and into
 the ,holy ,land4 ,they had been        
scattered and broken2 he  unified and   
disciplined them2 conferred upon them   
the blessing of wisdom  and knowledge4  

,they had been slaves2 he made them     
princes4 ,they were  ignorant2 he made  
them learned2 they were imperfect2 he   
enabled them to  attain perfection4 ,in 
a word--he led them out of their        
condition of  hopelessness and brought  
them to efficiency in the plane of      
confidence and  valor4 ,they became     
renowned throughout the ancient world   
until finally in  the zenith and        
splendor of their new civilization the  
glory of the  sovereignty of ,solomon   
was attained4 ,through the guidance and 
training of  ,his ,holiness ,moses these
 slaves and captives became the         
dominating people  amongst the nations4 
,not only in physical and military      
superiority were  they renowned but in  
all the degrees of arts1 letters and    
refinement their  fame was widespread4  
,even the celebrated philosophers of    
,greece journeyed  to ,jerusalem in     
order to study with the ,israelitish    
sages and many were  the lessons of     
philosophy and wisdom they received4    

,among these  philosophers was the      
famous ,socrates4 ,he visited the ,holy 
,land and studied  with the prophets of 
,israel1 acquiring principles of their  
philosophical  teaching and a knowledge 
of their advanced arts and sciences4    
,after his  return to ,greece he founded
 the system known as the unity of ,god4 
,the  ,greek people rose against him and
 at last he was poisoned in the presence
  of the king4 ,hippocrates and many    
other ,greek philosophers sat at the    
feet  of the learned ,israelitish       
doctors and absorbed their expositions  
of  wisdom and the inner truth4         
,inasmuch as ,his ,holiness ,moses      
through the influence of his great      
mission  was instrumental in releasing  
the ,israelites from a low state of     
debasement and humiliation1 establishing
 them in a station of prestige and      
glorification1 disciplining and         
educating them1 it is necessary for us  
to  reach a fair and just judgment in   
regard to such a marvelous teacher4 ,for

  in this great accomplishment he stood 
single and alone4 ,could he have made   
such a change and brought about such a  
condition among these people  without   
the sanction and assistance of a        
heavenly power8 ,could he have          
transformed a people from humiliation to
 glory without a holy and divine        
support8    ,no other than a divine     
power could have done this4 ,therein    
lies the proof  of prophethood because  
the mission of a prophet is education of
 the human  race such as this personage 
accomplished1 proving him to be a mighty
  prophet among the prophets1 and his   
book the very ,book of ,god4 ,this is a 
rational1 direct and perfect proof4     
,in brief1 ,his ,holiness ,moses--,upon 
whom be peace6--founded the law of ,god1
  purified the morals of the people of  
,israel and gave them an impetus  toward
 nobler and higher attainments4 ,but    
after the departure of ,his  ,holiness  
,moses1 following the decline of the    
glory of ,solomon's era and  during the 

reign of ,jeroboam there came a great   
change in this nation4 ,the  high       
ethical standards and spiritual         
perfections ceased to exist4            
,conditions and morals became corrupt1  
religion was debased and the perfect    
principles of the ,mosaic law were      
obscured in superstition and polytheism4
  ,war and strife arose among the tribes
 and their unity was destroyed4 ,the    
followers of ,jeroboam declared         
themselves rightful and valid in kingly 
succession1 and the supporters of       
,rehoboam made the same claim4 ,finally 
the tribes were torn asunder by         
hostility and hatred1 the glory of      
,israel  was eclipsed and so complete   
was the degradation1 that a golden calf 
was  set up as an object of worship in  
the city of ,tyre4 ,thereupon ,god sent 
,elijah the prophet who redeemed the    
people1 renewed the law of ,god and     
established an era of new life for      
,israel4 ,history shows a still later   
change and transformation when this     

oneness and solidarity were followed  by
 another dispersion of the tribes4      
,nebuchadnezzar1 king of ,babylon1      
invaded the ,holy ,land and carried away
 captive seventy thousand ,israelites   
to ,chaldea where the greatest reverses1
 trials and suffering afflicted  these  
unfortunate people4 ,then the prophets  
of ,god again reformed and              
re-established the law of ,god and the  
people in their humiliation again       
followed it4 ,this resulted in their    
liberation1 and under the edict of      
,cyrus1 king of ,persia1 there was a    
return to the holy city4 ,jerusalem and 
the temple of ,solomon were rebuilt and 
the glory of ,israel was restored4      
,this lasted but a short time2 the      
morality of the people declined and     
conditions reached an extreme degree    
until the ,roman general ,titus took    
,jerusalem and razed it to its          
foundations4 ,pillage and conquest      
completed  the desolation2 ,palestine   
became a waste and wilderness and the   

,jews fled  from the ,holy ,land of     
their ancestors4 ,the cause of this     
disintegration  and dispersion was the  
departure of ,israel from the foundation
 of the law  of ,god revealed by ,moses1
 namely the acquisition of divine       
virtues1  morality1 love1 the           
development of arts and sciences and the
 spirit of the  oneness of humanity4    
,i now wish you7#i7 to examine certain  
facts and statements which are worthy   
of consideration4 ,my purpose and       
intention is to remove from the hearts  
of  men the religious enmity and hatred 
which have fettered them and to bring   
all religions into agreement and unity4 
,inasmuch as this hatred and  enmity1   
this bigotry and intolerance are        
outcomes of misunderstandings1  the     
reality of religious unity will appear  
when these misunderstandings  are       
dispelled4 ,for the foundation of the   
divine religions is one  foundation4    
,this is the oneness of revelation or   
teaching2 but alas6 we  have turned away

 from that foundation1 holding          
tenaciously to various  dogmatic forms  
and blind imitation of ancestral        
beliefs4 ,this is the real  cause of    
enmity1 hatred and bloodshed in the     
world2 the reason of  alienation and    
estrangement among mankind4 ,therefore  
,i wish you to be very  just and fair in
 your judgment of the following         
statements4    ,during the time that the
 people of ,israel were being tossed and
 afflicted  by the conditions ,i have   
named1 ,his ,holiness ,jesus ,christ    
appeared among  them4 ,jesus of         
,nazareth was a ,jew4 ,he was single and
 unaided1 alone and  unique4 ,he had no 
assistant4 ,the ,jews at once pronounced
 him to be an  enemy of ,moses4 ,they   
declared that he was the destroyer of   
the ,mosaic laws  and ordinances4 ,let  
us examine the facts as they are1       
investigate the  truth and reality in   
order to arrive at a true opinion and   
conclusion4 ,for  a completely fair     
opinion upon this question we must lay  

aside all we have  and investigate      
independently4 ,this personage ,jesus   
,christ declared ,his  ,holiness ,moses 
to have been the prophet of ,god and    
pronounced all the  prophets of ,israel 
as sent from ,god4 ,he proclaimed the   
torah the very ,book  of ,god1 summoned 
all to conform to its precepts and      
follow its teachings4  ,it is a         
historical fact that during a period of 
fifteen hundred years the  kings of     
,israel were unable to promulgate       
broadcast the religion of  ,judaism4 ,in
 fact during that period the name and   
history of ,moses were  confined to the 
boundaries of ,palestine and the torah  
was a book well  known only in that     
country4 ,but through ,his ,holiness    
,christ1 through the  blessing of the   
,new ,testament of ,jesus ,christ1 the  
,old ,testament1 the  torah1 was        
translated into six hundred different   
tongues and spread  throughout the      
world4 ,it was through ,christianity    
that the torah reached  ,persia4 ,before

 that time there was no knowledge in    
that country of such a  book1 but ,his  
,holiness ,christ caused its spread and 
acceptance4 ,through  him the name of   
,moses was elevated and revered4 ,he was
 instrumental in  publishing the name   
and greatness of the ,israelitish       
prophets and he  proved to the world    
that the ,israelites constituted the    
people of ,god4  ,which of the kings of 
,israel could have accomplished this8   
,were it not for  ,jesus ,christ would  
the bible1 the torah1 have reached this 
land of  ,america8 ,would the name of   
,moses be spread throughout the world8  
,refer to  history4 ,everyone knows that
 when ,christianity was spread1 there   
was a  simultaneous spread of the       
knowledge of ,judaism and the torah4    
,throughout  the length and breadth of  
,persia there was not a single volume of
 the ,old  ,testament until the religion
 of ,jesus ,christ caused it to appear  
everywhere1 so that today the holy bible
 is a household book in that  country4  

,it is evident then that ,christ was a  
friend of ,moses1 that he  loved and    
believed in ,his ,holiness ,moses1      
otherwise he would not have             
commemorated his name and prophethood4  
,this is self-evident4 ,therefore       
,christians and ,jews should have the   
greatest love for each other because    
the founders of these two great         
religions have been in perfect agreement
  in book and teaching4 ,their followers
 should be likewise4    ,we have already
 stated the valid proofs of prophethood4
 ,we find the very  evidences of the    
validity of ,his ,holiness ,moses were  
witnessed and  duplicated in ,his       
,holiness ,christ4 ,his ,holiness       
,christ was also a unique  and single   
personage born of the lineage of        
,israel4 ,by the power of his  ,word he 
was able to unite people of the ,roman1 
,greek1 ,chaldean1 ,egyptian  and       
,assyrian nations4 ,whereas they had    
been cruel1 bloodthirsty and  hostile1  
killing1 pillaging and taking each other

 captive1 he cemented  them together in 
a perfect bond of unity and love4 ,he   
caused them to agree  and become        
reconciled4 ,such mighty effects were   
the results of the  manifestation of one
 single soul4 ,this proves conclusively 
that ,his  ,holiness ,christ was        
assisted by ,god4 ,today all ,christians
 admit and  believe that ,his ,holiness 
,moses was a prophet of ,god4 ,they     
declare that  his book was the ,book of 
,god1 that the prophets of ,israel were 
true and  valid and that the people of  
,israel constituted the people of ,god4 
,what  harm has come from this8 ,what   
harm could come from a statement by the 
,jews  that ,jesus was also a           
manifestation of the ,word of ,god8     
,have the  ,christians suffered for     
their belief in ,moses8 ,have they      
experienced any  loss of religious      
enthusiasm or witnessed any defeat in   
their religious  belief by declaring    
that ,his ,holiness ,moses was a prophet
 of ,god1 that the  torah was a ,book of

 ,god and that all the prophets of      
,israel were prophets  of ,god8 ,it is  
evident that no loss comes from this4   
,and now it is time for  the ,jews to   
declare that ,christ was the ,word of   
,god and then this enmity  between two  
great religions will pass away4 ,for two
 thousand years this  enmity and        
religious prejudice have continued4     
,blood has been shed1  ordeals have been
 suffered4 ,these few words will remedy 
the difficulty and  unite two great     
religions4 ,what harm could follow      
this1--that just as the  ,christians    
glorify and praise the name of ,moses1  
likewise the ,jews should  commemorate  
the name of ,christ1 declare him to be  
the ,word of ,god and  consider him as  
one of the chosen messengers of ,god8   
,a few words concerning the koran and   
the ,mohammedans3 ,when ,his ,holiness  
,mohammed appeared he spoke of ,moses as
 the great man of ,god4 ,in the koran   
he refers to the sayings of ,moses in   
seven different places1 proclaims him  a

 prophet and the possessor of a ,book1  
the founder of the law1 and the  spirit 
of ,god4 ,he said1 8,whosoever believes 
in him is acceptable in the  estimation 
of ,god and whosoever shuns him or any  
of the prophets is  rejected of ,god40  
,even in conclusion he calls upon his   
own relatives1  saying1 8,why have ye   
shunned and not believed in ,moses8 ,why
 have ye not  acknowledged the torah8   
,why have ye not believed in the ,jewish
 prophets80  ,in a certain surat of the 
koran he mentions the names of          
twenty-eight of  the prophets of        
,israel1 praising each and all of them4 
,to this great  extent he has ratified  
and commended the prophets and religion 
of ,israel4  ,the purport is this1--that
 ,mohammed praised and glorified ,his   
,holiness  ,moses and confirmed         
,judaism4 ,he declared that whosoever   
denies ,moses is  contaminated and even 
if he repents1 his repentance will not  
be accepted4  ,he pronounced his own    
relatives infidels and impure because   

they had  denied the prophets4 ,he said1
 8,because you have not believed in     
,christ1  because you have not believed 
in ,moses1 because you have not believed
 in  the gospels you are infidels and   
contaminated40 ,in this way ,mohammed   
has  praised the torah1 ,moses1 ,christ 
and the prophets of the past4 ,he       
appeared  amongst the ,arabs who were a 
people nomadic and illiterate1 barbarous
 in  nature and blood-thirsty4 ,he      
guided and trained them until they      
attained a  high degree of development4 
,through his education and discipline   
they rose  from the lowest levels of    
ignorance to the heights of knowledge1  
becoming  masters of erudition and      
philosophy4 ,we see therefore that the  
proofs  applicable to one prophet are   
equally applicable to another4    ,in   
conclusion2 since the prophets          
themselves1 the founders1 have loved1   
praised and testified of each other1 why
 should we disagree and be  alienated8  
,god is one4 ,he is the shepherd of all4

 ,we are his sheep and  therefore should
 live together in love and unity4 ,we   
should manifest the  spirit of justness 
and good-will toward each other4 ,shall 
we do this or  shall we censure and     
pronounce anathema1 praising ourselves  
and condemning  all others8 ,what       
possible good can come from such        
attitude and action8 ,on  the contrary1 
nothing but enmity and hatred1 injustice
 and inhumanity can  possibly result4   
,has not this been the greatest cause of
 bloodshed1 woe  and tribulation in the 
past8    ,praise be to ,god6 ,you are   
living in a land of freedom4 ,you are   
blessed  with men of learning1 men who  
are well versed in the comparative study
 of  religions4 ,you realize the need of
 unity and know the great harm which    
comes from prejudice and superstition4  
,i ask you1 ,is not fellowship and      
brotherhood preferable to enmity and    
hatred in society and community8 ,the   
answer is self-evident4 ,love and       
fellowship are absolutely needful to win

  the good-pleasure of ,god which is the
 goal of all human attainment4 ,we  must
 be united4 ,we must love each other4   
,we must ever praise each other4  ,we   
must bestow commendation upon all       
people1 thus removing the discord and   
hatred which have caused alienation     
amongst men4 ,otherwise the conditions  
of the past will continue1 praising     
ourselves and condemning others2        
religious wars will have no end and     
religious prejudice1 the prime cause  of
 this havoc and tribulation1 will       
increase4 ,this must be abandoned1 and  
the way to do it is to investigate the  
reality which underlies all the         
religions4 ,this underlying reality is  
the love of humanity4 ,for ,god is one  
and humanity is one1 and the only creed 
of the prophets is love and unity4      
,,the ,,quickening ,,spirit      ,today 
the human world is in need of a great   
power by which these glorious           
principles and purposes may be executed4
 ,the cause of peace is a very  great   

cause2 it is the cause of ,god1 and all 
the forces of the world are  opposed to 
it4 ,governments for instance1 consider 
militarism as the step  to human        
progress1 that division among men and   
nations is the cause of  patriotism and 
honor1 that if one nation attack and    
conquer another1  gaining wealth1       
territory and glory thereby1 this       
warfare and conquest1  this bloodshed   
and cruelty are the cause of that       
victorious nation's  advancement and    
prosperity4 ,this is an utter mistake4  
,compare the nations  of the world to   
the members of a family4 ,a family is a 
nation in  miniature4 ,simply enlarge   
the circle of the household and you have
 the  nation4 ,enlarge the circle of    
nations and you have all humanity4 ,the 
conditions surrounding the family       
surround the nation4 ,the happenings in 
the family are the happenings in the    
life of the nation4 ,would it add to    
the progress and advancement of a family
 if dissensions should arise among  its 

members1 fighting1 pillaging each other1
 jealous and revengeful of  injury1     
seeking selfish advantage8 ,nay1 this   
would be the cause of the  effacement of
 progress and advancement4 ,so it is in 
the great family of  nations1 for       
nations are but an aggregate of         
families4 ,therefore as strife  and     
dissension destroy a family and prevent 
its progress1 so nations are  destroyed 
and advancement hindered4    ,all the   
heavenly books1 divine prophets1 sages  
and philosophers agree that  warfare is 
destructive to human development1 and   
peace constructive4 ,they  agree that   
war and strife strike at the foundations
 of humanity4 ,therefore  a power is    
needed to prevent war and to proclaim   
and establish the oneness  of humanity4 
,but knowledge of the need of this power
 is not sufficient4 ,realizing that     
wealth is desirable is not becoming     
wealthy4 ,the admission that scientific 
attainment is praiseworthy does not     
confer scientific knowledge4            

,acknowledgment of the excellence of    
honor does not make a man honorable4    
,knowledge of human conditions and the  
needed remedy for them is not the  cause
 of their betterment4 ,to admit that    
health is good does not  constitute     
health4 ,a skilled physician is needed  
to remedy existing human  conditions4   
,as a physician is required to have     
complete knowledge of  pathology1       
diagnosis1 therapeutics and treatment1  
so this world physician  must be wise1  
skillful and capable before health will 
result4 ,his mere  knowledge is not     
health2 it must be applied and the      
remedy carried out4    ,the attainment  
of any object is conditioned upon       
knowledge1 volition and  action4 ,unless
 these three conditions are forthcoming 
there is no  execution or               
accomplishment4 ,in the erection of a   
house it is first  necessary to know the
 ground and design the house suitable   
for it2 second1  to obtain the means or 
funds necessary for the construction2   

third1 to  actually build it4 ,therefore
 a power is needed to carry out and     
execute  what is known and admitted to  
be the remedy for human conditions2     
namely1  the unification of mankind4    
,furthermore1 it is evident that this   
cannot be  realized through material    
process and means4 ,the accomplishment  
of this  unification cannot be through  
racial power1 for races are different   
and  diverse in tendencies4 ,it cannot  
be through patriotic power1 for         
nationalities are unlike4 ,nor can it be
 effected through political power  since
 the policies of governments and nations
 are various4 ,that is to say1  any     
effort toward unification through these 
material means would benefit  one and   
injure another because of unequal and   
individual interests4 ,some  may believe
 this great remedy can be found in      
dogmatic insistence upon  imitations and
 interpretations4 ,this would likewise  
be without foundation  and result4      
,therefore it is evident that no means  

but an ideal means1 a  spiritual power1 
divine bestowals and the breaths of the 
,holy ,spirit will  heal this world     
sickness of war1 dissension and discord4
 ,nothing else is  possible2 nothing can
 be conceived of4 ,but through spiritual
 means and the  divine power it is      
possible and practicable4    ,consider  
history4 ,what has brought unity to     
nations1 morality to peoples  and       
benefits to mankind8 ,if we reflect upon
 it we will find that  establishing the 
divine religions has been the greatest  
means toward  accomplishing the oneness 
of humanity4 ,the foundation of divine  
reality in  religion has done this2 not 
imitations of ancestral religious forms4
  ,imitations are opposed to each other 
and have ever been the cause of  strife1
 enmity1 jealousy and war4 ,the divine  
religions are collective  centers in    
which diverse standpoints may meet1     
agree and unify4 ,they  accomplish      
oneness of nativities1 races and        
policies4 ,for instance1 ,his  ,holiness

 ,christ united various nations1 brought
 peace to warring peoples  and          
established the oneness of human kind4  
,the conquering ,greeks and  ,romans1   
the prejudiced ,egyptians and ,assyrians
 were all in a condition of  strife1    
enmity and war but ,his ,holiness       
gathered these varied peoples  together 
and removed the foundations of discord2 
not through racial1  patriotic or       
political power but through divine      
power1 the power of the  ,holy ,spirit4 
,this was not otherwise possible4 ,all  
other efforts of men and  nations remain
 as mere mention in history1 without    
accomplishment4    ,as this great result
 is contingent upon divine power and    
bestowals1 where  shall the world obtain
 that power8 ,god is eternal and        
ancient2 not a new  ,god4 ,his          
sovereignty is of old1 not recent2 not  
merely existent these five  or six      
thousand years4 ,this infinite universe 
is from everlasting4 ,the  sovereignty1 
power1 names and attributes of ,god are 

eternal1 ancient4 ,his  names presuppose
 creation and predicate ,his existence  
and will4 ,we say ,god  is creator4     
,this name creator appears when we      
connote creation4 ,we say ,god  is the  
provider4 ,this name presupposes and    
proves the existence of the  provided4  
,god is love4 ,this name proves the     
existence of the beloved4 ,in  the same 
way ,god is mercy1 ,god is justice1 ,god
 is life1 etc41 etc4  ,therefore as ,god
 is creator1 eternal and ancient1 there 
were always  creatures and subjects     
existing and provided for4 ,there is no 
doubt that  divine sovereignty is       
eternal4 ,sovereignty necessitates      
subjects1  ministers1 trustees and      
others subordinate to sovereignty4      
,could there be  a king without country1
 subjects and armies8 ,if we conceive of
 a time when  there were no creatures1  
no servants1 no subjects of divine      
lordship we  dethrone ,god and predicate
 a time when ,god was not4 ,it would be 
as if ,he  had been recently appointed  

and man had given these names to ,him4  
,the  divine sovereignty is ancient1    
eternal4 ,god from everlasting was love1
  justice1 power1 creator1 provider1 the
 omniscient1 the bountiful4    ,as the  
divine entity is eternal1 the divine    
attributes are co-existent1  co-eternal4
 ,the divine bestowals are therefore    
without beginning1 without  end4 ,god is
 infinite2 the works of ,god are        
infinite2 the bestowals of ,god  are    
infinite4 ,as ,his divinity is eternal1 
,his lordship and perfections are       
without end4 ,as the bounty of the ,holy
 ,spirit is eternal1 we can never say   
that ,his bestowals terminate1 else ,he 
terminates4 ,if we think of the sun  and
 then try to conceive of the cessation  
of the solar flame and heat1 we  have   
predicated the non-existence of the sun4
 ,for separation of the sun  from its   
rays and heat is inconceivable4         
,therefore if we limit the  bestowals of
 ,god we limit the attributes of ,god   
and limit ,god4    ,let us then trust in

 the bounty and bestowal of ,god4 ,let  
us be exhilarated  with the divine      
breath1 illumined and exalted by the    
heavenly  glad-tidings4 ,god has ever   
dealt with man in mercy and kindness4   
,he who  conferred the divine spirit in 
former times is abundantly able and     
capable  at all times and periods to    
grant the same bestowals4 ,therefore let
 us be  hopeful4 ,the ,god who gave to  
the world formerly will do so now and in
 the  future4 ,god who breathed the     
breath of the ,holy ,spirit upon ,his   
servants  will breathe it upon them now 
and hereafter4 ,there is no cessation to
 ,his  bounty4 ,the divine spirit is    
penetrating from eternity to eternity   
for it  is the bounty of ,god and the   
bounty of ,god is eternal4 ,can you     
conceive of  limitation of the divine   
power in atomic verities or cessation of
 the  divine bounty in existing         
organisms8 ,could you conceive the power
 now  manifest in this glass in cohesion
 of its atoms1 becoming non-existent8   

,the energy by which the water of the   
sea is constituted1 failing to exert    
itself and the sea disappearing8 ,a     
shower of rain today and no more        
showers afterward8 ,the effulgence of   
the sun terminated and no more light  or
 heat8    ,when we observe that in the  
kingdom of minerals the divine bounties 
are  continuous1 how much more shall we 
expect and realize in the divine        
spiritual ,kingdom6 ,how much greater   
the radiation of the lights of ,god and 
the bounty of life everlasting upon the 
soul of man6 ,as the body of the        
universe is continuous1 indestructible1 
the bounties and bestowals of the       
divine spirit are everlasting4    ,i    
praise ,god that ,i am privileged to be 
present in this revered  assembly7#aj7  
which is quickened with spiritual       
susceptibilities and  heavenly          
attraction2 its members investigating   
the reality2 their utmost  hope the     
establishment of international peace and
 their greatest purpose  service to the 

world of humanity4    ,when we observe  
the world of created phenomena we       
discover that each atom  of the atoms of
 substance is moving through the various
 degrees and  kingdoms of organic life4 
,for instance1 consider the ethereal    
element  which is penetrating and       
traveling through all the contingent    
realities4  ,when there is vibration or 
movement in the ethereal element1 the   
eye is  affected by that vibration and  
beholds what is known as light4    ,in  
the same manner the bestowals of ,god   
are moving and circulating  throughout  
all created things4 ,this illimitable   
divine bounty has no  beginning and will
 have no ending4 ,it is moving1         
circulating and becomes  effective      
wherever capacity is developed to       
receive it4 ,in every station  there is 
a specialized capacity4 ,therefore we   
must be hopeful that through  the bounty
 and favor of ,god1 this spirit of life 
infusing all created  things shall      
quicken humanity and from its bestowals 

the human world  become a divine world1 
this earthly kingdom the mirror of the  
realm of  divinity1 the virtues and     
perfections of the world of humanity    
become  unveiled and the image and      
likeness of ,god be reflected from this 
temple4            ,,the ,,law ,,of     
,,god      ,surely for everything there 
is an all-comprehending wisdom2         
especially for  the great and important 
affairs of life4 ,the supreme and most  
important  happening in the human world 
is the ,manifestation of ,god and the   
descent  of the law of ,god4 ,the holy1 
divine ,manifestations did not reveal   
themselves for the purpose of founding a
 nation1 sect or faction4 ,they did  not
 appear in order that a certain number  
might acknowledge their  prophethood4   
,they did not declare their heavenly    
mission and message in  order to lay the
 foundation for a religious belief4     
,even ,his ,holiness  ,christ did not   
become manifest that we should merely   
believe in him as the  ,christ1 follow  

him and adore his mention4 ,all these   
are limited in scope  and requirement   
whereas the ,reality of ,christ is an   
unlimited essence4 ,the  infinite and   
unlimited ,reality cannot be bounded by 
any limitation4 ,nay1  rather ,his      
,holiness ,christ appeared in order to  
illumine the world of  humanity1 to     
render the earthly world celestial1 to  
make the human kingdom  a realm of      
angels1 to unite the hearts1 to enkindle
 the light of love in  human souls1 so  
that such souls might become            
independent1 attaining  complete unity  
and fellowship1 turning to ,god1        
entering into the divine  ,kingdom1     
receiving the bounties and bestowals of 
,god and partaking of the  manna from   
heaven4 ,through ,christ they were      
intended to be baptized by the  ,holy   
,spirit1 attain a new spirit and realize
 the life everlasting4 ,all the  holy   
precepts and the announcements of       
prophetic laws were for these  various  
and heavenly purposes4 ,therefore we    

offer thanks to ,god that  although no  
earthly relation obtains among us1      
yet--,praise be to ,god6--ideal  and    
divine bonds blend us together4 ,we have
 gathered here in this meeting1  eagerly
 anticipating the showing forth of the  
divine bestowals4    ,in past centuries 
the nations of the world have imagined  
that the law of  ,god demanded blind    
imitation of ancestral forms of belief  
and worship4 ,for  example the ,jews    
were captives of hereditary racial      
religious observances4  ,the            
,mohammedans likewise have been held in 
the bondage of traditionary  forms and  
ceremonials4 ,the ,christians also have 
been implicit followers of  ancient     
tradition and hereditary teaching4 ,at  
the same time the basic  foundation of  
the religion of ,god which was ever the 
principle of love1  unity and the       
fellowship of humanity has been forsaken
 and cast aside1  each religious system 
holding tenaciously to imitations of    
ancestral forms  as the supreme         

essential4 ,therefore hatred and        
hostility have appeared in  the world   
instead of the divine fruitage of unity 
and love4 ,by reason of  this it has    
been impossible for the followers of    
religion to meet together  in fellowship
 and agreement4 ,even contact and       
communication have been  considered     
contaminating and the outcome has been a
 condition of complete  alienation and  
mutual bigotry4 ,there has been no      
investigation of the  essential         
underlying basis of reality4 ,one whose 
father was a ,jew1  invariably proved to
 be a ,jew2 a ,mohammedan was born of a 
,mohammedan2 a  ,buddhist was a         
,buddhist because of the faith of his   
father before him2 and  so on4 ,in      
brief1 religion was a heritage          
descending from father to son1  ancestry
 to posterity without investigation of  
the fundamental reality2  consequently  
all religionists were veiled1 obscured  
and at variance4    ,praise be to ,god6 
,we are living in this most radiant     

century wherein human  perceptions have 
developed and investigations of real    
foundations  characterize mankind4      
,individually and collectively man is   
proving and  penetrating into the       
reality of outer and inner conditions4  
,therefore it  has come to pass that we 
are renouncing all that savors of blind 
imitation1 and impartially and          
independently investigating truth4 ,let 
us  understand what constitutes the     
reality of the divine religions4 ,if a  
,christian sets aside traditionary forms
 and blind imitation of ceremonials  and
 investigates the reality of the        
gospels1 he will discover that the      
foundation principles of the teachings  
of ,his ,holiness ,christ were mercy1   
love1 fellowship1 benevolence1 altruism1
 the resplendence or radiance of  divine
 bestowals1 acquisition of the breaths  
of the ,holy ,spirit and  oneness with  
,god4 ,furthermore he will learn that   
,his ,holiness declared  that the       
,father 8maketh his sun to rise on the  

evil and on the good and  sendeth rain  
on the just and on the unjust40 ,the    
meaning of this  declaration is that the
 mercy of ,god encircles all mankind2   
that not a  single individual is        
deprived of the mercy of ,god2 and no   
soul is denied  the resplendent         
bestowals of ,god4 ,the whole human race
 is submerged in the  sea of the mercy  
of the ,lord and we are all the sheep of
 the one divine  shepherd4 ,whatever    
shortcomings exist among us must be     
remedied4 ,for  example those who are   
ignorant must be educated so that they  
may become  wise2 the sick must be      
treated until they recover2 those who   
are immature  must be trained in order  
to reach maturity2 those asleep must be 
awakened4  ,all this must be            
accomplished through love and not       
through hatred and  hostility4          
,furthermore ,his ,holiness ,jesus      
,christ referring to the prophecy  of   
,isaiah1 spoke of those who 8having     
eyes1 see not1 having ears1 hear  not1  

having hearts1 understand not10 yet they
 were to be healed4 ,therefore  it is   
evident that the bounties of ,christ    
transformed the eye which was  blind    
into a seeing one1 rendered the ear     
which was formerly deaf1  attentive1 and
 made the hard1 callous heart tender and
 sensitive4 ,in other  words the meaning
 is that although the people possess    
external eyes1 yet  the insight or      
perception of the soul is blind2        
although the outer ear  hears1 the      
spiritual hearing is deaf2 although they
 possess conscious  hearts they are     
without illumination2 and the bounties  
of ,his ,holiness  ,christ save souls   
from these conditions4 ,it is evident   
then that the  manifestation of the     
,messiah was synonymous with universal  
mercy4 ,his  providence was universal   
and his teachings were for all4 ,his    
lights were  not restricted to a few4   
,every 8,christ0 came to the world of   
mankind4  ,therefore we must investigate
 the foundation of divine religion1     

discover  its reality1 re-establish it  
and spread its message throughout the   
world  so that it may become the source 
of illumination and enlightenment to    
mankind1 the spiritually dead become    
alive1 the spiritually blind receive    
sight and those who are inattentive to  
,god become awakened4                   
,,continuity ,,of ,,revelation          
,those who are uninformed of the world  
of reality1 who do not comprehend       
existing things1 who are without        
perception of the inner truth of        
creation1 who do not penetrate the real 
mysteries of material and  spiritual    
phenomena and who possess only a        
superficial idea of universal  life and 
being are but embodiments of pure       
ignorance4 ,they believe only  that     
which they have heard from their fathers
 and ancestors4 ,of themselves  they    
have no hearing1 no sight1 no reason1 no
 intellect2 they rely solely  upon      
tradition4 ,such persons imagine that   
the dominion of ,god is an  accidental  

dominion or kingdom4    ,for instance   
they believe that this world of         
existence was created six or  seven     
thousand years ago2 as if ,god did not  
reign before that time and had  no      
creation before that period4 ,they think
 that divinity is accidental1  for to   
them divinity is dependent upon existing
 things whereas in reality  as long as  
there has been a ,god there has been a  
creation4 ,as long as  there has been   
light1 there have been recipients of    
that light1 for light  cannot become    
manifest unless those things which      
perceive and appreciate  it exist4 ,the 
world of divinity presupposes creation1 
presupposes  recipients of bounty1      
presupposes the existence of worlds4 ,no
 divinity can  be conceived as separate 
from creation1 for otherwise it would be
 like  imagining an empire without a    
people4 ,a king must needs have a       
kingdom1  must needs have an army and   
subjects4 ,is it possible to be a king  
and have  no country1 no army1 no       

subjects8 ,this is an absurdity4 ,if we 
say that  there was a time when there   
was no country1 no army and no subjects1
 how  then could there have been a king 
and ruler8 ,for these things are        
essential to a king4    ,consequently   
just as the reality of divinity never   
had a beginning1--that  is1 ,god has    
ever been a creator1 ,god has ever been 
a provider1 ,god has  ever been a       
quickener1 ,god has ever been a         
bestower1--so there never has  been a   
time when the attributes of ,god have   
not had expression4 ,the sun is  the sun
 because of its rays1 because of its    
heat4 ,were we to conceive of a  time   
when there was a sun without heat and   
light1 it would imply that  there had   
been no sun at all and that it became   
the sun afterward4 ,so  likewise if we  
say there was a time when ,god had no   
creation or created  beings1 a time when
 there were no recipients of ,his       
bounties and that ,his  names and       
attributes had not been manifested1 this

 would be equivalent to  a complete     
denial of divinity1 for it would mean   
that divinity is  accidental4 ,to       
explain it still more clearly1 if we    
think that fifty  thousand years ago or 
one hundred thousand years ago there was
 no  creation1 that there were then no  
worlds1 no human beings1 no animals1    
this thought of ours would mean that    
previous to that period there was no    
divinity4 ,if we should say that there  
was a time when there was a king but    
there were no subjects1 no army1 no     
country for him to rule over1 it would  
really be asserting that there was a    
time when no king existed and that  the 
king is accidental4 ,it is therefore    
evident that inasmuch as the  reality of
 divinity is without a beginning1       
creation is also without a  beginning4  
,this is as clear as the sun4 ,when we  
contemplate this vast  machinery of     
omnipresent power1 perceive this        
illimitable space and its  innumerable  
worlds it will become evident to us that

 the lifetime of this  infinite creation
 is more than six thousand years2 nay1  
it is very1 very  ancient4              
,notwithstanding this1 we read in       
,genesis in the ,old ,testament that the
  lifetime of creation is but six       
thousand years4 ,this has an inner      
meaning  and significance2 it is not to 
be taken literally4 ,for instance it is 
said  in the ,old ,testament that       
certain things were created in the first
 day4  ,the narrative shows that at that
 time the sun was not yet created4 ,how 
could we conceive of a day if no sun    
existed in the heavens2 for the day     
depends upon the light of the sun8      
,inasmuch as the sun had not been made1 
how could the first day be realized8    
,therefore these statements have        
significances other than literal4    ,to
 be brief2 our purpose is to show that  
the divine sovereignty1 the  ,kingdom of
 ,god1 is an ancient sovereignty2 that  
it is not an accidental  sovereignty2   
just as a kingdom presupposes the       

existence of subjects1 of  an army1 of a
 country2 for otherwise the state of    
dominion1 authority and  kingdom cannot 
be conceived of4 ,therefore if we should
 imagine that the  creation is          
accidental we would be forced to admit  
that the creator is  accidental whereas 
the divine bounty is ever flowing and   
the rays of the  ,sun of ,truth are     
continuously shining4 ,no cessation is  
possible to the  divine bounty1 just as 
no cessation is possible to the rays of 
the sun4  ,this is clear and obvious4   
,thus there have been many holy         
,manifestations of ,god4 ,one thousand  
years  ago1 two hundred thousand years  
ago1 one million years ago the bounty of
  ,god was flowing1 the radiance of ,god
 was shining1 the dominion of ,god was  
existing4    ,why do these holy         
,manifestations of ,god appear8 ,what is
 the wisdom and  purpose of their       
coming8 ,what is the outcome of their   
mission8 ,it is  evident that human     
personality appears in two aspects1--the

 image or  likeness of ,god and the     
aspect of ,satan4 ,the human reality    
stands between  these two1--the divine  
and the satanic4 ,it is manifest that   
beyond this  material body1 man is      
endowed with another reality which is   
the world of  exemplars constituting the
 heavenly body of man4 ,in speaking1 man
 says1 8,i  saw10 8,i spoke10 8,i went40
 ,who is this 8,i08 ,it is obvious that 
this 8,i0 is  different from this body4 
,it is clear that when man is thinking1 
it is as  though he were consulting with
 some other person4 ,with whom is he    
consulting8 ,it is evident that it is   
another reality or one aside from  this 
body with whom he enters into           
consultation when he thinks1 8,shall ,i 
do this work or not80 8,what will be the
 result of my doing this80 ,or when  he 
questions the other reality1 8,what is  
the objection to this work if ,i  do    
it80 ,and then that reality in man      
communicates its opinion to him         
concerning the point at issue4          

,therefore that reality in man is       
clearly  and obviously other than his   
body1 an ego with which man enters into 
consultation and whose opinion man      
seeks4    ,often a man makes up his mind
 positively about a matter2 for instance
 he  determines to undertake a journey4 
,then he thinks it over1 that is1 he    
consults his inner reality and finally  
concludes that he will give up his      
journey4 ,what has happened8 ,why did he
 abandon his original purpose8 ,it is   
evident that he has consulted his inner 
reality which expresses to him the      
disadvantages of such a journey1        
therefore he defers to that reality and 
changes his original intention4         
,furthermore man sees in the world of   
dreams4 ,he travels in the ,east1 he    
travels in the ,west1 although his body 
is stationary1 his body is here4 ,it  is
 that reality in him which makes the    
journey while the body sleeps4  ,there  
is no doubt that a reality exists other 
than the outward1 physical  reality4    

,again for instance a person is dead1 is
 buried in the ground4  ,afterward you  
see him in the world of dreams and speak
 with him although  his body is interred
 in the earth4 ,who is the person you   
see in your  dreams1 talk to and who    
also speaks with you8 ,this again proves
 that there  is another reality         
different from the physical one which   
dies and is  buried4 ,thus it is certain
 that in man there is a reality which is
 not the  physical body4 ,sometimes the 
body becomes weak but that other reality
 is  in its own normal state4 ,the body 
goes to sleep1 becomes as one dead but  
that reality is moving about1           
comprehending things1 expressing them   
and is  even conscious of itself4       
,this other and inner reality is called 
the heavenly body1 the ethereal  form   
which corresponds to this body4 ,this is
 the conscious reality which  discovers 
the inner meaning of things1 for the    
outer body of man does not  discover    
anything4 ,the inner ethereal reality   

grasps the mysteries of  existence1     
discovers scientific truths and         
indicates their technical  application4 
,it discovers electricity1 produces the 
telegraph1 the  telephone and opens the 
door to the world of arts4 ,if the outer
 material  body did this1 the animal    
would likewise be able to make          
scientific and  wonderful discoveries1  
for the animal shares with man all      
physical powers  and limitations4 ,what 
then is that power which penetrates the 
realities of  existence and which is not
 to be found in the animal8 ,it is the  
inner  reality which comprehends things1
 throws light upon the mysteries of life
  and being1 discovers the heavenly     
,kingdom1 unseals the mysteries of ,god 
and differentiates man from the brute4  
,of this there can be no doubt4    ,as  
we have before indicated1 this human    
reality stands between the higher  and  
the lower in man1 between the world of  
the animal and the world of  divinity4  
,when the animal proclivity in man      

becomes predominant1 he sinks  even     
lower than the brute4 ,when the heavenly
 powers are triumphant in his  nature1  
he becomes the noblest and most superior
 being in the world of  creation4 ,all  
the imperfections found in the animal   
are found in man4 ,in  him there is     
antagonism1 hatred and selfish struggle 
for existence2 in his  nature lurk      
jealousy1 revenge1 ferocity1 cunning1   
hypocrisy1 greed1  injustice and        
tyranny4 ,so to speak1 the reality of   
man is clad in the  outer garment of the
 animal1 the habiliments of the world of
 nature1 the  world of darkness1        
imperfections and unlimited baseness4   
,on the other hand1 we find in him      
justice1 sincerity1 faithfulness1       
knowledge1 wisdom1 illumination1 mercy  
and pity coupled with intellect1        
comprehension1 the power to grasp the   
realities of things and the ability  to 
penetrate the truths of existence4 ,all 
these great perfections are to  be found
 in man4 ,therefore we say that man is a

 reality which stands  between light and
 darkness4 ,from this standpoint of     
view1 his nature is  threefold1 animal1 
human and divine4 ,the animal nature is 
darkness2 the  heavenly is light in     
light4    ,the holy ,manifestations of  
,god come into the world to dispel the  
darkness  of the animal or physical     
nature of man1 to purify him from his   
imperfections in order that his heavenly
 and spiritual nature may become        
quickened1 his divine qualities         
awakened1 his perfections visible1 his  
potential powers revealed and all the   
virtues of the world of humanity  latent
 within him may come to life4 ,these    
holy ,manifestations of ,god are  the   
educators and trainers of the world of  
existence1 the teachers of the  world of
 humanity4 ,they liberate man from the  
darkness of the world of  nature1       
deliver him from despair1 error1        
ignorance1 imperfections and all  evil  
qualities4 ,they clothe him in the      
garment of perfections and exalted      

virtues4 ,men are ignorant2 the         
,manifestations of ,god make them wise4 
,they  are animalistic2 the             
,manifestations make them human4 ,they  
are savage and  cruel2 the              
,manifestations lead them into kingdoms 
of light and love4 ,they  are unjust2   
the ,manifestations cause them to become
 just4 ,man is selfish2  they sever him 
from self and desire4 ,man is haughty2  
they make him meek1  humble and         
friendly4 ,he is earthly2 they make him 
heavenly4 ,men are  material2 the       
,manifestations transform them into     
semblance divine4 ,they  are immature   
children2 the ,manifestations develop   
them into maturity4 ,man  is poor2 they 
endow him with wealth4 ,man is base1    
treacherous and mean2  the              
,manifestations of ,god uplift him into 
dignity1 nobility and loftiness4        
,these holy ,manifestations liberate the
 world of humanity from the             
imperfections which beset it and cause  
men to appear in the beauty of  heavenly

 perfections4 ,were it not for the      
coming of these holy  ,manifestations of
 ,god all mankind would be found on the 
plane of the  animal4 ,they would remain
 darkened and ignorant like those who   
have been  denied schooling and who     
never had a teacher or trainer4         
,undoubtedly such  unfortunates will    
continue in their condition of need and 
deprivation4    ,if the mountains1 hills
 and plains of the material world are   
left wild and  uncultivated under the   
rule of nature1 they will remain an     
unbroken  wilderness2 no fruitful tree  
to be found anywhere upon them4 ,a true 
cultivator changes this forest and      
jungle into a garden1 training its      
trees to bring forth fruit and causing  
flowers to grow in place of thorns  and 
thistles4 ,the holy ,manifestations are 
the ideal gardeners of human  souls1 the
 divine cultivators of human hearts4    
,the world of existence is  but a jungle
 of disorder and confusion1 a state of  
nature producing  nothing but fruitless1

 useless trees4 ,the ideal gardeners    
train these wild  uncultivated human    
trees1 cause them to become fruitful1   
water and  cultivate them day by day so 
that they adorn the world of existence  
and  continue to flourish in the utmost 
beauty4    ,consequently we cannot say  
that the divine bounty has ceased1 that 
the  glory of divinity is exhausted or  
the ,sun of ,truth sunk into eternal    
sunset1 into that darkness which is not 
followed by light1 into that night      
which is not followed by a sunrise and  
dawn1 into that death which is not      
followed by life1 into that error which 
is not followed by truth4 ,is it        
conceivable that the ,sun of ,reality   
should sink into an eternal darkness8   
,no6 the sun was created in order that  
it may shed light upon the world and    
train all the kingdoms of existence4    
,how then can the ideal ,sun of ,truth1 
the ,word of ,god1 set forever8 ,for    
this would mean the cessation of the    
divine bounty1 and the divine bounty by 

its very nature is continuous and       
ceaseless4 ,its sun is ever shining1 its
 cloud is ever producing rain1 its      
breezes are ever blowing1 its bestowals 
are all-comprehending1 its gifts  are   
ever perfect4 ,consequently we must     
always anticipate1 always be  hopeful   
and pray to ,god that he will send unto 
us his holy ,manifestations  in their   
most perfect might1 with the divine     
penetrative power of his  ,word1 so that
 these heavenly ones may be             
distinguished above all other  beings in
 every respect1 in every attribute1 just
 as the glorious sun is  distinguished  
above all stars4    ,although the stars 
are scintillating and brilliant1 the sun
 is superior to  them in luminous       
effulgence4 ,similarly these holy divine
 ,manifestations  are and must always be
 distinguished above all other beings in
 every  attribute of glory and          
perfection1 in order that it may be     
proven that the  ,manifestation is the  
true teacher and real trainer2 that he  

is the ,sun of  ,truth endowed with a   
supreme splendor and reflecting the     
beauty of ,god4  ,otherwise it is not   
possible for us to train one human      
individual and then  after training him1
 believe in him and accept him as the   
holy  ,manifestation of divinity4 ,the  
real ,manifestation of ,god must be     
endowed  with divine knowledge and not  
dependent upon learning acquired in     
schools4  ,he must be the educator1 not 
the educated2 his standard intuition    
instead  of tuition4 ,he must be perfect
 and not imperfect1 great and glorious  
instead of being weak and impotent4 ,he 
must be wealthy in the riches of  the   
spiritual world and not indigent4 ,in a 
word1 the holy divine  ,manifestation of
 ,god must be distinguished above all   
others of mankind in  every aspect and  
qualification1 in order that he may be  
able to  effectively train the human    
body politic1 eliminate the darkness    
enshrouding the human world1 uplift     
humanity from a lower to a higher       

kingdom1 be able through the penetrative
 power of his ,word to promote and      
spread broadcast the beneficent message 
of universal peace among men1  bring    
about the unification of mankind in     
religious belief through a  manifest    
divine power1 harmonize all sects and   
denominations and convert  all          
nativities and nationalities into one   
nativity and fatherland4    ,it is our  
hope that the bounties of ,god will     
encompass us all1 the gifts  of the     
divine become manifest1 the lights of   
the ,sun of ,truth illumine our  eyes1  
inspire our hearts1 convey to our souls 
cheerful glad-tidings of  ,god1 cause   
our thoughts to become lofty and our    
efforts to be productive  of glorious   
results4 ,in a word1 it is our hope that
 we may attain to that  which is the    
summit of human aspirations and wishes4 
,,footnotes          #a #aiab4        #b
 ,new ,york ,peace ,society4        #c  
#aiab4        #d #aiab4        #e ,the  
members of the ,central ,organization   

for a ,durable ,peace1 ,the             
,hague2 to whom this ,tablet was sent in
 reply to several letters4        #f    
,howard ,university4        #g #aiaa4   
#h ,columbia ,university1 ,new ,york    
,city4        #i ,the congregation of   
,eighth ,street ,temple1 ,washington1   
,d4,c4       #aj ,theosophical ,society4