,paris ,talks by #8,abdu'l-,bah ,edition #a1 7,september #bjjf7 ,,baha',i ,,terms ,,of ,,use ,you have permission to freely make and use copies of the text and any other information 7,content7 available on this ,site including printing1 emailing1 posting1 distributing1 copying1 downloading1 uploading1 transmitting1 displaying the ,content in whole or in part subject to the following3 #a4 ,our copyright notice and the source reference must be attached to the ,content2 #b4 ,the ,content may not be modified or altered in any way except to change the font or appearance2 #c4 ,the ,content must be used solely for a non-commercial purpose4 ,although this blanket permission to reproduce the ,content is given freely such that no special permission is required1 the ,bah' ,international ,community retains full copyright protection for all ,content included at this ,site under all applicable national and international laws4 ,for permission to publish1 transmit1 display or otherwise use the ,content for any commercial purpose1 please contact us 7http3_/_/reference4bahai4org_/en_/conta ct4html74 ,,contents ,baha'i ,terms of ,use ,,part ,i ,,the ,,duty ,,of ,,kindness ,,and ,,sympathy ,,towards ,,strangers ,,and ,,foreigners ,,the ,,power ,,and ,,value ,,of ,,true ,,thought ,,depend ,,upon ,,its ,,manifestation ,,in ,,action ,,god ,,is ,,the ,,great ,,compassionate ,,physician ,,who ,,alone ,,gives ,,true ,,healing ,,the ,,need ,,for ,,union ,,between ,,the ,,peoples ,,of ,,the ,,east ,,and ,,west ,,god ,,comprehends ,,all3 ,,he ,,cannot ,,be ,,comprehended ,,the ,,pitiful ,,causes ,,of ,,war1 ,,and ,,the ,,duty ,,of ,,everyone ,,to ,,strive ,,for ,,peace ,,the ,,sun ,,of ,,truth ,,the ,,light ,,of ,,truth ,,is ,,now ,,shining ,,upon ,,the ,,east ,,and ,,west ,,the ,,universal ,,love ,,the ,,imprisonment ,,of #8,,abdu',l-,,bah ,,god',s ,,greatest ,,gift ,,to ,,man ,,the ,,clouds ,,that ,,obscure ,,the ,,sun ,,of ,,truth ,,religious ,,prejudices ,,the ,,benefits ,,of ,,god ,,to ,,man ,,beauty ,,and ,,harmony ,,in ,,diversity ,,the ,,true ,,meaning ,,of ,,the ,,prophecies ,,concerning ,,the ,,coming ,,of ,,christ ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit1 ,,the ,,intermediary ,,power ,,between ,,god ,,and ,,man ,,the ,,two ,,natures ,,in ,,man ,,material ,,and ,,spiritual ,,progress ,,the ,,evolution ,,of ,,matter ,,and ,,development ,,of ,,the ,,soul ,,the ,,spiritual ,,meetings ,,in ,,paris ,,the ,,two ,,kinds ,,of ,,light ,,spiritual ,,aspiration ,,in ,,the ,,west ,,lecture ,,given ,,at ,a ,,studio ,,in ,,paris ,,bah',u',,ll,h ,,good ,,ideas ,,must ,,be ,,carried ,,into ,,action ,,the ,,true ,,meaning ,,of ,,baptism ,,by ,,water ,,and ,,fire ,,discourse ,,at #8,l',,alliance ,,spiritualiste' ,,the ,,evolution ,,of ,,the ,,spirit ,,the ,,desires ,,and ,,prayers ,,of #8,,abdu',l-,,bah ,,concerning ,,body1 ,,soul ,,and ,,spirit ,,the ,,bah',s ,,must ,,work ,,with ,,heart ,,and ,,soul ,,to ,,bring ,,about ,a ,,better ,,condition ,,in ,,the ,,world ,,on ,,calumny ,,there ,,can ,,be ,,no ,,true ,,happiness ,,and ,,progress ,,without ,,spirituality ,,pain ,,and ,,sorrow ,,the ,,perfect ,,human ,,sentiments ,,and ,,virtues ,,the ,,cruel ,,indifference ,,of ,,people ,,towards ,,the ,,suffering ,,of ,,foreign ,,races ,,we ,,must ,,not ,,be ,,discouraged ,,by ,,the ,,smallness ,,of ,,our ,,numbers ,,words ,,spoken ,,by #8,,abdu',l-,,bah ,,in ,,pastor ,,wagner',s ,,church 7,,foyer ,,de ,l',,ame7 ,,in ,,paris ,,part ,,ii ,the ,eleven ,principles out of the ,teaching of ,bah'u'llh1 ,explained by #8,abdu'l-,bah in ,paris4 ,,theosophical ,,society1 ,,paris ,,the ,,first ,,principle--,,search ,,after ,,truth ,,the ,,second ,,principle--,,the ,,unity ,,of ,,mankind ,,third ,,principle ,,fourth ,,principle--,,the ,,acceptance ,,of ,,the ,,relation ,,between ,,religion ,,and ,,science ,,the ,,fifth ,,principle--,,the ,,abolition ,,of ,,prejudices ,,the ,,sixth ,,principle--,,means ,,of ,,existence ,,seventh ,,principle--,,equality ,,of ,,men ,,the ,,eighth ,,principle--,,universal ,,peace ,,ninth ,,principle--,,the ,,non-,,interference ,,of ,,religion ,,with ,,politics ,,the ,,tenth ,,principle--,,equality ,,of ,,sex ,,the ,,eleventh ,,principle--,,the ,,power ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit #d ,avenue de ,camens1 ,paris1 ,november #bhth ,,the ,,last ,,meeting ,,address ,,by #8,,abdu',l-,,bah ,,at ,,the ,,friends' ,,meeting ,,house1 ,,st ,,martin',s ,,lane1 ,,london1 ,w4,c4 ,,prayer ,,evil ,,the ,,progress ,,of ,,the ,,soul ,,the ,,four ,,kinds ,,of ,,love ,,tablet ,,revealed ,,by #8,,abdu',l-,,bah ,,part ,i ,,the ,,duty ,,of ,,kindness ,,and ,,sympathy ,,towards ,,strangers ,,and ,,foreigners ,october #afth and #agth1 #aiaa ,when a man turns his face to ,god he finds sunshine everywhere4 ,all men are his brothers4 ,let not conventionality cause you to seem cold and unsympathetic when you meet strange people from other countries4 ,do not look at them as though you suspected them of being evil-doers1 thieves and boors4 ,you think it necessary to be very careful1 not to expose yourselves to the risk of making acquaintance with such1 possibly1 undesirable people4 ,i ask you not to think only of yourselves4 ,be kind to the strangers1 whether come they from ,turkey1 ,japan1 ,persia1 ,russia1 ,china or any other country in the world4 ,help to make them feel at home2 find out where they are staying1 ask if you may render them any service2 try to make their lives a little happier4 ,in this way1 even if1 sometimes1 what you at first suspected should be true1 still go out of your way to be kind to them--this kindness will help them to become better4 ,after all1 why should any foreign people be treated as strangers8 ,let those who meet you know1 without your proclaiming the fact1 that you are indeed a ,bah'4 ,put into practice the ,teaching of ,bah'u'llh1 that of kindness to all nations4 ,do not be content with showing friendship in words alone1 let your heart burn with loving kindness for all who may cross your path4 ,oh1 you of the ,western nations1 be kind to those who come from the ,eastern world to sojourn among you4 ,forget your conventionality when you speak with them2 they are not accustomed to it4 ,to ,eastern peoples this demeanour seems cold1 unfriendly4 ,rather let your manner be sympathetic4 ,let it be seen that you are filled with universal love4 ,when you meet a ,persian or any other stranger1 speak to him as to a friend2 if he seems to be lonely try to help him1 give him of your willing service2 if he be sad console him1 if poor succour him1 if oppressed rescue him1 if in misery comfort him4 ,in so doing you will manifest that not in words only1 but in deed and in truth1 you think of all men as your brothers4 ,what profit is there in agreeing that universal friendship is good1 and talking of the solidarity of the human race as a grand ideal8 ,unless these thoughts are translated into the world of action1 they are useless4 ,the wrong in the world continues to exist just because people talk only of their ideals1 and do not strive to put them into practice4 ,if actions took the place of words1 the world's misery would very soon be changed into comfort4 ,a man who does great good1 and talks not of it1 is on the way to perfection4 ,the man who has accomplished a small good and magnifies it in his speech is worth very little4 ,if ,i love you1 ,i need not continually speak of my love--you will know without any words4 ,on the other hand if ,i love you not1 that also will you know--and you would not believe me1 were ,i to tell you in a thousand words1 that ,i loved you4 ,people make much profession of goodness1 multiplying fine words because they wish to be thought greater and better than their fellows1 seeking fame in the eyes of the world4 ,those who do most good use fewest words concerning their actions4 ,the children of ,god do the works without boasting1 obeying ,his laws4 ,my hope for you is that you will ever avoid tyranny and oppression2 that you will work without ceasing till justice reigns in every land1 that you will keep your hearts pure and your hands free from unrighteousness4 ,this is what the near approach to ,god requires from you1 and this is what ,i expect of you4 ,,the ,,power ,,and ,,value ,,of ,,true ,,thought ,,depend ,,upon ,,its ,,manifestation ,,in ,,action ,october #ahth ,the reality of man is his thought1 not his material body4 ,the thought force and the animal force are partners4 ,although man is part of the animal creation1 he possesses a power of thought superior to all other created beings4 ,if a man's thought is constantly aspiring towards heavenly subjects then does he become saintly2 if on the other hand his thought does not soar1 but is directed downwards to centre itself upon the things of this world1 he grows more and more material until he arrives at a state little better than that of a mere animal4 ,thoughts may be divided into two classes3 7#ast7 ,thought that belongs to the world of thought alone4 7#bnd7 ,thought that expresses itself in action4 ,some men and women glory in their exalted thoughts1 but if these thoughts never reach the plane of action they remain useless3 the power of thought is dependent on its manifestation in deeds4 ,a philosopher's thought may1 however1 in the world of progress and evolution1 translate itself into the actions of other people1 even when they themselves are unable or unwilling to show forth their grand ideals in their own lives4 ,to this class the majority of philosophers belong1 their teachings being high above their actions4 ,this is the difference between philosophers who are ,spiritual ,teachers1 and those who are mere philosophers3 the ,spiritual ,teacher is the first to follow ,his own teaching2 ,he brings down into the world of action ,his spiritual conceptions and ideals4 ,his ,divine thoughts are made manifest to the world4 ,his thought is ,himself1 from which ,he is inseparable4 ,when we find a philosopher emphasizing the importance and grandeur of justice1 and then encouraging a rapacious monarch in his oppression and tyranny1 we quickly realize that he belongs to the first class3 for he thinks heavenly thoughts and does not practise the corresponding heavenly virtues4 ,this state is impossible with ,spiritual ,philosophers1 for they ever express their high and noble thoughts in actions4 ,,god ,,is ,,the ,,great ,,compassionate ,,physician ,,who ,,alone ,,gives ,,true ,,healing ,october #aith ,all true healing comes from ,god6 ,there are two causes for sickness1 one is material1 the other spiritual4 ,if the sickness is of the body1 a material remedy is needed1 if of the soul1 a spiritual remedy4 ,if the heavenly benediction be upon us while we are being healed then only can we be made whole1 for medicine is but the outward and visible means through which we obtain the heavenly healing4 ,unless the spirit be healed1 the cure of the body is worth nothing4 ,all is in the hands of ,god1 and without ,him there can be no health in us6 ,there have been many men who have died at last of the very disease of which they have made a special study4 ,aristotle1 for instance1 who made a special study of the digestion1 died of a gastronomic malady4 ,aviseu was a specialist of the heart1 but he died of heart disease4 ,god is the great compassionate ,physician who alone has the power to give true healing4 ,all creatures are dependent upon ,god1 however great may seem their knowledge1 power and independence4 ,behold the mighty kings upon earth1 for they have all the power in the world that man can give them1 and yet when death calls they must obey1 even as the peasants at their gates4 ,look also at the animals1 how helpless they are in their apparent strength6 ,for the elephant1 the largest of all animals1 is troubled by the fly1 and the lion cannot escape the irritation of the worm4 ,even man1 the highest form of created beings1 needs many things for his very life2 first of all he needs air1 and if he is deprived of it for a few minutes1 he dies4 ,he is also dependent on water1 food1 clothing1 warmth1 and many other things4 ,on all sides he is surrounded by dangers and difficulties1 against which his physical body alone cannot cope4 ,if a man looks at the world around him1 he will see how all created things are dependent and are captive to the laws of ,nature4 ,man alone1 by his spiritual power1 has been able to free himself1 to soar above the world of matter and to make it his servant4 ,without the help of ,god man is even as the beasts that perish1 but ,god has bestowed such wonderful power upon him that he might ever look upward1 and receive1 among other gifts1 healing from ,his divine ,bounty4 ,but alas6 man is not grateful for this supreme good1 but sleeps the sleep of negligence1 being careless of the great mercy which ,god has shown towards him1 turning his face away from the light and going on his way in darkness4 ,it is my earnest prayer1 that ye be not like unto this1 but rather that ye keep your faces steadfastly turned to the light1 so that ye may be as lighted torches in the dark places of life4 ,,the ,,need ,,for ,,union ,,between ,,the ,,peoples ,,of ,,the ,,east ,,and ,,west ,friday1 ,october #bjth #8,abdu'l-,bah said3 ,in the past1 as in the present1 the ,spiritual ,sun of ,truth has always shone from the horizon of the ,east4 ,abraham appeared in the ,east4 ,in the ,east ,moses arose to lead and teach the people4 ,on the ,eastern horizon arose the ,lord ,christ4 ,muammad was sent to an ,eastern nation4 ,the ,bb arose in the ,eastern land of ,persia4 ,bah'u'llh lived and taught in the ,east4 ,all the great ,spiritual ,teachers arose in the ,eastern world4 ,but although the ,sun of ,christ dawned in the ,east the radiance thereof was apparent in the ,west1 where the effulgence of its glory was more clearly seen4 ,the divine light of ,his ,teaching shone with a greater force in the ,western world1 where it has made a more rapid headway than in the land of its birth4 ,in these days the ,east is in need of material progress and the ,west is in want of a spiritual idea4 ,it would be well for the ,west to turn to the ,east for illumination1 and to give in exchange its scientific knowledge4 ,there must be this interchange of gifts4 ,the ,east and the ,west must unite to give to each other what is lacking4 ,this union will bring about a true civilization1 where the spiritual is expressed and carried out in the material4 ,receiving thus the one from the other the greatest harmony will prevail1 all people will be united1 a state of great perfection will be attained1 there will be a firm cementing1 and this world will become a shining mirror for the reflection of the attributes of ,god4 ,we all1 the ,eastern with the ,western nations1 must strive day and night with heart and soul to achieve this high ideal1 to cement the unity between all the nations of the earth4 ,every heart will then be refreshed1 all eyes will be opened1 the most wonderful power will be given1 the happiness of humanity will be assured4 ,we must pray that by the ,bounty of ,god1 ,persia will be enabled to receive the material and mental civilization of the ,west1 and by ,divine ,grace to give in return her spiritual light4 ,the devoted energetic work of the united peoples1 occidentals and orientals1 will succeed in establishing this result1 for the force of the ,holy ,spirit will aid them4 ,the principles of the ,teachings of ,bah'u'llh should be carefully studied1 one by one1 until they are realized and understood by mind and heart--so will you become strong followers of the light1 truly spiritual1 heavenly soldiers of ,god1 acquiring and spreading the true civilization in ,persia1 in ,europe1 and in the whole world4 ,this will be the paradise which is to come on earth1 when all mankind will be gathered together under the tent of unity in the ,kingdom of ,glory4 ,,god ,,comprehends ,,all3 ,,he ,,cannot ,,be ,,comprehended ,friday evening1 ,october #bjth #8,abdu'l-,bah said3 ,numerous meetings are held in ,paris every day for different purposes1 to discuss politics1 commerce1 education1 art1 science and many other subjects4 ,all these meetings are good3 but this assembly has met together to turn their faces towards ,god1 to learn how best to work for the good of humanity1 to seek how prejudices may be abolished1 and the seed of love and universal brotherhood sown in the heart of man4 ,god approves of the motive of our gathering together and gives us ,his blessing4 ,in the ,old ,testament we read that ,god said1 #8,let us make man in ,our own image'4 ,in the ,gospel1 ,christ said1 #8,i am in the ,father1 and the ,father in ,me'47#a7 ,in the ,qur'n1 ,god says1 #8,man is my ,mystery and ,i am his'4 ,bah'u'llh writes that ,god says1 #8,thy heart is ,my home2 purify it for ,my descent4 ,thy spirit is ,my place of revelation2 cleanse it for ,my manifestation'4 ,all these sacred words show us that man is made in ,god's image3 yet the ,essence of ,god is incomprehensible to the human mind1 for the finite understanding cannot be applied to this infinite ,mystery4 ,god contains all3 ,he cannot be contained4 ,that which contains is superior to that which is contained4 ,the whole is greater than its parts4 ,things which are understood by men cannot be outside their capacity for understanding1 so that it is impossible for the heart of man to comprehend the nature of the ,majesty of ,god4 ,our imagination can only picture that which it is able to create4 ,the power of the understanding differs in degree in the various kingdoms of creation4 ,the mineral1 vegetable1 and animal realms are each incapable of understanding any creation beyond their own4 ,the mineral cannot imagine the growing power of the plant4 ,the tree cannot understand the power of movement in the animal1 neither can it comprehend what it would mean to possess sight1 hearing or the sense of smell4 ,these all belong to the physical creation4 ,man also shares in this creation2 but it is not possible for either of the lower kingdoms to understand that which takes place in the mind of man4 ,the animal cannot realize the intelligence of a human being1 he only knows that which is perceived by his animal senses1 he cannot imagine anything in the abstract4 ,an animal could not learn that the world is round1 that the earth revolves round the sun1 or the construction of the electric telegraph4 ,these things are only possible to man4 ,man is the highest work of creation1 the nearest to ,god of all creatures4 ,all superior kingdoms are incomprehensible to the inferior2 how therefore could it be possible that the creature1 man1 should understand the almighty ,creator of all8 ,that which we imagine1 is not the ,reality of ,god2 ,he1 the ,unknowable1 the ,unthinkable1 is far beyond the highest conception of man4 ,all creatures that exist are dependent upon the ,divine ,bounty4 ,divine ,mercy gives life itself4 ,as the light of the sun shines on the whole world1 so the ,mercy of the infinite ,god is shed on all creatures4 ,as the sun ripens the fruits of the earth1 and gives life and warmth to all living beings1 so shines the ,sun of ,truth on all souls1 filling them with the fire of ,divine love and understanding4 ,the superiority of man over the rest of the created world is seen again in this1 that man has a soul in which dwells the divine spirit2 the souls of the lower creatures are inferior in their essence4 ,there is no doubt then1 that of all created beings man is the nearest to the nature of ,god1 and therefore receives a greater gift of the ,divine ,bounty4 ,the mineral kingdom possesses the power of existing4 ,the plant has the power of existing and growing4 ,the animal1 in addition to existence and growth1 has the capacity of moving about1 and the use of the faculties of the senses4 ,in the human kingdom we find all the attributes of the lower worlds1 with much more added thereto4 ,man is the sum of every previous creation1 for he contains them all4 ,to man is given the special gift of the intellect by which he is able to receive a larger share of the light ,divine4 ,the ,perfect ,man is as a polished mirror reflecting the ,sun of ,truth1 manifesting the attributes of ,god4 ,the ,lord ,christ said1 #8,he that hath seen ,me hath seen the ,father'--,god manifested in man4 ,the sun does not leave his place in the heavens and descend into the mirror1 for the actions of ascent and descent1 coming and going1 do not belong to the ,infinite1 they are the methods of finite beings4 ,in the ,manifestation of ,god1 the perfectly polished mirror1 appear the qualities of the ,divine in a form that man is capable of comprehending4 ,this is so simple that all can understand it1 and that which we are able to understand we must perforce accept4 ,our ,father will not hold us responsible for the rejection of dogmas which we are unable either to believe or comprehend1 for ,he is ever infinitely just to ,his children4 ,this example is1 however1 so logical that it can easily be grasped by all minds willing to give it their consideration4 ,may each one of you become a shining lamp1 of which the flame is the ,love of ,god4 ,may your hearts burn with the radiance of unity4 ,may your eyes be illumined with the effulgence of the ,sun of ,truth6 ,the city of ,paris is very beautiful1 a more civilized and well-appointed town in all material development it would be impossible to find in the present world4 ,but the spiritual light has not shone upon her for a long time3 her spiritual progress is far behind that of her material civilization4 ,a supreme power is needed to awaken her to the reality of spiritual truth1 to breathe the breath of life into her dormant soul4 ,you must all unite in this work of arousing her1 in reanimating her people by the help of that ,superior ,force4 ,when an illness is slight a small remedy will suffice to heal it1 but when the slight illness becomes a terrible disease1 then a very strong remedy must be used by the ,divine ,healer4 ,there are some trees that blossom and bear fruit in a cool climate1 others there are which need the hottest rays of the sun to bring them to perfect maturity4 ,paris is one of those trees for whose spiritual unfoldment a great flaming ,sun of the ,divine ,power of ,god is needed4 ,i ask you all1 each one of you1 to follow well the light of truth1 in the ,holy ,teachings1 and ,god will strengthen you by ,his ,holy ,spirit so that you will be enabled to overcome the difficulties1 and to destroy the prejudices which cause separation and hatred amongst the people4 ,let your hearts be filled with the great love of ,god1 let it be felt by all2 for every man is a servant of ,god1 and all are entitled to a share of the ,divine ,bounty4 ,especially to those whose thoughts are material and retrograde show the utmost love and patience1 thereby winning them into the unity of fellowship by the radiance of your kindness4 ,if you are faithful to your great work1 following the ,holy ,sun of ,truth without swerving1 then will the blessed day of universal brotherhood dawn on this beautiful city4 ,,the ,,pitiful ,,causes ,,of ,,war1 ,,and ,,the ,,duty ,,of ,,everyone ,,to ,,strive ,,for ,,peace ,october #bast #8,abdu'l-,bah said3 ,i hope you are all happy and well4 ,i am not happy1 but very sad4 ,the news of the ,battle of ,benghazi grieves my heart4 ,i wonder at the human savagery that still exists in the world6 ,how is it possible for men to fight from morning until evening1 killing each other1 shedding the blood of their fellow-men3 ,and for what object8 ,to gain possession of a part of the earth6 ,even the animals1 when they fight1 have an immediate and more reasonable cause for their attacks6 ,how terrible it is that men1 who are of the higher kingdom1 can descend to slaying and bringing misery to their fellow-beings1 for the possession of a tract of land6 ,the highest of created beings fighting to obtain the lowest form of matter1 earth6 ,land belongs not to one people1 but to all people4 ,this earth is not man's home1 but his tomb4 ,it is for their tombs these men are fighting4 ,there is nothing so horrible in this world as the tomb1 the abode of the decaying bodies of men4 ,however great the conqueror1 however many countries he may reduce to slavery1 he is unable to retain any part of these devastated lands but one tiny portion--his tomb6 ,if more land is required for the improvement of the condition of the people1 for the spread of civilization 7for the substitution of just laws for brutal customs7--surely it would be possible to acquire peaceably the necessary extension of territory4 ,but war is made for the satisfaction of men's ambition2 for the sake of worldly gain to the few1 terrible misery is brought to numberless homes1 breaking the hearts of hundreds of men and women6 ,how many widows mourn their husbands1 how many stories of savage cruelty do we hear6 ,how many little orphaned children are crying for their dead fathers1 how many women are weeping for their slain sons6 ,there is nothing so heart-breaking and terrible as an outburst of human savagery6 ,i charge you all that each one of you concentrate all the thoughts of your heart on love and unity4 ,when a thought of war comes1 oppose it by a stronger thought of peace4 ,a thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love4 ,thoughts of war bring destruction to all harmony1 well-being1 restfulness and content4 ,thoughts of love are constructive of brotherhood1 peace1 friendship1 and happiness4 ,when soldiers of the world draw their swords to kill1 soldiers of ,god clasp each other's hands6 ,so may all the savagery of man disappear by the ,mercy of ,god1 working through the pure in heart and the sincere of soul4 ,do not think the peace of the world an ideal impossible to attain6 ,nothing is impossible to the ,divine ,benevolence of ,god4 ,if you desire with all your heart1 friendship with every race on earth1 your thought1 spiritual and positive1 will spread2 it will become the desire of others1 growing stronger and stronger1 until it reaches the minds of all men4 ,do not despair6 ,work steadily4 ,sincerity and love will conquer hate4 ,how many seemingly impossible events are coming to pass in these days6 ,set your faces steadily towards the ,light of the ,world4 ,show love to all2 #8,love is the breath of the ,holy ,spirit in the heart of ,man'4 ,take courage6 ,god never forsakes ,his children who strive and work and pray6 ,let your hearts be filled with the strenuous desire that tranquillity and harmony may encircle all this warring world4 ,so will success crown your efforts1 and with the universal brotherhood will come the ,kingdom of ,god in peace and goodwill4 ,in this room today are members of many races1 ,french1 ,american1 ,english1 ,german1 ,italian1 brothers and sisters meeting in friendship and harmony6 ,let this gathering be a foreshadowing of what will1 in very truth1 take place in this world1 when every child of ,god realizes that they are leaves of one tree1 flowers in one garden1 drops in one ocean1 and sons and daughters of one ,father1 whose name is love6 ,,the ,,sun ,,of ,,truth ,october #bbnd #8,abdu'l-,bah said3 ,it is a lovely day1 the sun shines brightly upon the earth1 giving light and warmth to all creatures4 ,the ,sun of ,truth is also shining1 giving light and warmth to the souls of men4 ,the sun is the life-giver to the physical bodies of all creatures upon earth2 without its warmth their growth would be stunted1 their development would be arrested1 they would decay and die4 ,even so do the souls of men need the ,sun of ,truth to shed its rays upon their souls1 to develop them1 to educate and encourage them4 ,as the sun is to the body of a man so is the ,sun of ,truth to his soul4 ,a man may have attained to a high degree of material progress1 but without the light of truth his soul is stunted and starved4 ,another man may have no material gifts1 may be at the bottom of the social ladder1 but1 having received the warmth of the ,sun of ,truth his soul is great and his spiritual understanding is enlightened4 ,a ,greek philosopher living in the days of the youth of ,christianity1 being full of the ,christian element1 though not a professing ,christian1 wrote thus3 #8,it is my belief that religion is the very foundation of true civilization'4 ,for1 unless the moral character of a nation is educated1 as well as its brain and its talents1 civilization has no sure basis4 ,as religion inculcates morality1 it is therefore the truest philosophy1 and on it is built the only lasting civilization4 ,as an example of this1 he points out the ,christians of the time whose morality was on a very high level4 ,the belief of this philosopher conforms to the truth1 for the civilization of ,christianity was the best and most enlightened in the world4 ,the ,christian ,teaching was illumined by the ,divine ,sun of ,truth1 therefore its followers were taught to love all men as brothers to fear nothing1 not even death6 ,to love their neighbours as themselves1 and to forget their own selfish interests in striving for the greater good of humanity4 ,the grand aim of the religion of ,christ was to draw the hearts of all men nearer to ,god's effulgent ,truth4 ,if the followers of the ,lord ,christ had continued to follow out these principles with steadfast faithfulness1 there would have been no need for a renewal of the ,christian ,message1 no necessity for a re-awakening of ,his people1 for a great and glorious civilization would now be ruling the world and the ,kingdom of ,heaven would have come on earth4 ,but instead of this1 what has taken place6 ,men turned away their faces from following the divinely illuminated precepts of their ,master1 and winter fell upon the hearts of men4 ,for1 as the body of man depends for life upon the rays of the sun1 so cannot the celestial virtues grow in the soul without the radiance of the ,sun of ,truth4 ,god leaves not ,his children comfortless1 but1 when the darkness of winter overshadows them1 then again ,he sends ,his ,messengers1 the ,prophets1 with a renewal of the blessed spring4 ,the ,sun of ,truth appears again on the horizon of the world shining into the eyes of those who sleep1 awaking them to behold the glory of a new dawn4 ,then again will the tree of humanity blossom and bring forth the fruit of righteousness for the healing of the nations4 ,because man has stopped his ears to the ,voice of ,truth and shut his eyes to the ,sacred ,light1 neglecting the ,law of ,god1 for this reason has the darkness of war and tumult1 unrest and misery1 desolated the earth4 ,i pray that you will all strive to bring each child of ,god into the radiance of the ,sun of ,truth1 that the darkness may be dissipated by the penetrating rays of its glory1 and the winter's hardness and cold may be melted away by the merciful warmth of its shining4 ,,the ,,light ,,of ,,truth ,,is ,,now ,,shining ,,upon ,,the ,,east ,,and ,,west ,monday1 ,october #bcrd ,when a man has found the joy of life in one place1 he returns to that same spot to find more joy4 ,when a man has found gold in a mine1 he returns again to that mine to dig for more gold4 ,this shows the internal force and natural instinct which ,god has given to man1 and the power of vital energy which is born in him4 ,the ,west has always received spiritual enlightenment from the ,east4 ,the ,song of the ,kingdom is first heard in the ,east1 but in the ,west the greater volume of sound bursts upon the listening ears4 ,the ,lord ,christ arose as a bright ,star in the ,eastern sky1 but the light of ,his ,teaching shone more perfectly in the ,west1 where ,his influence has taken root more firmly and ,his ,cause has spread to a greater degree than in the land of ,his birth4 ,the sound of the ,song of ,christ has echoed over all the lands of the ,western ,world and entered the hearts of its people4 ,the people of the ,west are firm1 and the foundations on which they build are of rock2 they are steadfast1 and do not easily forget4 ,the ,west is like a strong sturdy plant2 when the rain falls gently upon it to give it nourishment and the sun shines upon it1 then does it blossom in due time and bring forth good fruit4 ,it is a long time since the ,sun of ,truth mirrored forth by the ,lord ,christ has shed its radiance upon the ,west1 for the ,face of ,god has been veiled by the sin and forgetfulness of man4 ,but now again1 praise be to ,god1 the ,holy ,spirit speaks anew to the world6 ,the constellation of love and wisdom and power is once more shining from the ,divine ,horizon to give joy to all who turn their faces to the ,light of ,god4 ,bah'u'llh has rent the veil of prejudice and superstition which was stifling the souls of men4 ,let us pray to ,god that the breath of the ,holy ,spirit may again give hope and refreshment to the people1 awakening in them a desire to do the ,will of ,god4 ,may heart and soul be vivified in every man3 so will they all rejoice in a new birth4 ,then shall humanity put on a new garment in the radiance of the love of ,god1 and it shall be the dawn of a new creation6 ,then will the ,mercy of the ,most ,merciful be showered upon all mankind and they will arise to a new life4 ,my earnest desire is that you will all strive and work for this glorious end2 that you will be faithful and loving workers in the building of the new spiritual civilization2 the elect of ,god1 in willing joyful obedience carrying out ,his supreme design6 ,success is truly near at hand1 for the ,flag of ,divinity has been raised aloft1 and the ,sun of the ,righteousness of ,god appeareth upon the horizon in the sight of all men6 ,,the ,,universal ,,love ,october #bdth ,an ,indian said to #8,abdu'l-,bah3 #8,my aim in life is to transmit as far as in me lies the message of ,krishna to the world4' #8,abdu'l-,bah said3 ,the ,message of ,krishna is the message of love4 ,all ,god's prophets have brought the message of love4 ,none has ever thought that war and hate are good4 ,every one agrees in saying that love and kindness are best4 ,love manifests its reality in deeds1 not only in words--these alone are without effect4 ,in order that love may manifest its power there must be an object1 an instrument1 a motive4 ,there are many ways of expressing the love principle2 there is love for the family1 for the country1 for the race1 there is political enthusiasm1 there is also the love of community of interest in service4 ,these are all ways and means of showing the power of love4 ,without any such means1 love would be unseen1 unheard1 unfelt--altogether unexpressed1 unmanifested6 ,water shows its power in various ways1 in quenching thirst1 causing seed to grow1 etc4 ,coal expresses one of its principles in gas-light1 while one of the powers of electricity is shown in the electric light4 ,if there were neither gas nor electricity1 the nights of the world would be darkness6 ,so1 it is necessary to have an instrument1 a motive for love's manifestation1 an object1 a mode of expression4 ,we must find a way of spreading love among the sons of humanity4 ,love is unlimited1 boundless1 infinite6 ,material things are limited1 circumscribed1 finite4 ,you cannot adequately express infinite love by limited means4 ,the perfect love needs an unselfish instrument1 absolutely freed from fetters of every kind4 ,the love of family is limited2 the tie of blood relationship is not the strongest bond4 ,frequently members of the same family disagree1 and even hate each other4 ,patriotic love is finite2 the love of one's country causing hatred of all others1 is not perfect love6 ,compatriots also are not free from quarrels amongst themselves4 ,the love of race is limited2 there is some union here1 but that is insufficient4 ,love must be free from boundaries6 ,to love our own race may mean hatred of all others1 and even people of the same race often dislike each other4 ,political love also is much bound up with hatred of one party for another2 this love is very limited and uncertain4 ,the love of community of interest in service is likewise fluctuating2 frequently competitions arise1 which lead to jealousy1 and at length hatred replaces love4 ,a few years ago1 ,turkey and ,italy had a friendly political understanding2 now they are at war6 ,all these ties of love are imperfect4 ,it is clear that limited material ties are insufficient to adequately express the universal love4 ,the great unselfish love for humanity is bounded by none of these imperfect1 semi-selfish bonds2 this is the one perfect love1 possible to all mankind1 and can only be achieved by the power of the ,divine ,spirit4 ,no worldly power can accomplish the universal love4 ,let all be united in this ,divine power of love6 ,let all strive to grow in the light of the ,sun of ,truth1 and reflecting this luminous love on all men1 may their hearts become so united that they may dwell evermore in the radiance of the limitless love4 ,remember these words which ,i speak unto you during the short time ,i am amongst you in ,paris4 ,i earnestly exhort you3 let not your hearts be fettered by the material things of this world2 ,i charge you not to lie contentedly on the beds of negligence1 prisoners of matter1 but to arise and free yourselves from its chains6 ,the animal creation is captive to matter1 ,god has given freedom to man4 ,the animal cannot escape the law of nature1 whereas man may control it1 for he1 containing nature1 can rise above it4 ,the power of the ,holy ,spirit1 enlightening man's intelligence1 has enabled him to discover means of bending many natural laws to his will4 ,he flies through the air1 floats on the sea1 and even moves under the waters4 ,all this proves how man's intelligence has been enabled to free him from the limitations of nature1 and to solve many of her mysteries4 ,man1 to a certain extent1 has broken the chains of matter4 ,the ,holy ,spirit will give to man greater powers than these1 if only he will strive after the things of the spirit and endeavour to attune his heart to the ,divine infinite love4 ,when you love a member of your family or a compatriot1 let it be with a ray of the ,infinite ,love6 ,let it be in ,god1 and for ,god6 ,wherever you find the attributes of ,god love that person1 whether he be of your family or of another4 ,shed the light of a boundless love on every human being whom you meet1 whether of your country1 your race1 your political party1 or of any other nation1 colour or shade of political opinion4 ,heaven will support you while you work in this in-gathering of the scattered peoples of the world beneath the shadow of the almighty tent of unity4 ,you will be servants of ,god1 who are dwelling near to ,him1 ,his divine helpers in the service1 ministering to all ,humanity4 ,all ,humanity6 ,every human being6 never forget this6 ,do not say1 he is an ,italian1 or a ,frenchman1 or an ,american1 or an ,englishman1 remember only that he is a son of ,god1 a servant of the ,most ,high1 a man6 ,all are men6 ,forget nationalities2 all are equal in the sight of ,god6 ,remember not your own limitations2 the help of ,god will come to you4 ,forget yourself4 ,god's help will surely come6 ,when you call on the ,mercy of ,god waiting to reinforce you1 your strength will be tenfold4 ,look at me3 ,i am so feeble1 yet ,i have had the strength given me to come amongst you3 a poor servant of ,god1 who has been enabled to give you this message6 ,i shall not be with you long6 ,one must never consider one's own feebleness1 it is the strength of the ,holy ,spirit of ,love1 which gives the power to teach4 ,the thought of our own weakness could only bring despair4 ,we must look higher than all earthly thoughts2 detach ourselves from every material idea1 crave for the things of the spirit2 fix our eyes on the everlasting bountiful ,mercy of the ,almighty1 who will fill our souls with the gladness of joyful service to ,his command #8,love ,one ,another'4 ,,the ,,imprisonment ,,of #8,,abdu',l-,,bah #d ,avenue de ,camens1 ,wednesday1 ,october #beth ,i regret much that ,i have kept you waiting this morning1 but ,i have so much to do in a short time for the ,cause of the love of ,god4 ,you will not mind having waited a little to see me4 ,i have waited years and years in prison1 that ,i might come to see you now4 ,above all1 ,god be praised1 our hearts are always in unison1 and with one aim are drawn to the love of ,god4 ,by the ,bounty of the ,kingdom our desires1 our hearts1 our spirits1 are they not united in one bond8 ,our prayers1 are they not for the gathering together of all men in harmony8 ,therefore are we not always together8 ,yesterday evening when ,i came home from the house of ,monsieur ,dreyfus ,i was very tired--yet ,i did not sleep1 ,i lay awake thinking4 ,i said1 ,o ,god1 ,here am ,i in ,paris6 ,what is ,paris and who am ,i8 ,never did ,i dream that from the darkness of my prison ,i should ever be able to come to you1 though when they read me my sentence ,i did not believe in it4 ,they told me that #8,abdu'l-amd had ordered my everlasting imprisonment1 and ,i said1 #8,this is impossible6 ,i shall not always be a prisoner4 ,if #8,abdu'l-amd were immortal1 such a sentence might possibly be carried out4 ,it is certain that one day ,i shall be free4 ,my body may be captive for a time1 but #8,abdu'l-amd has no power over my spirit--free it must remain--that can no man imprison'4 ,released from my prison by the ,power of ,god ,i meet here the friends of ,god1 and ,i am thankful unto ,him4 ,let us spread the ,cause of ,god1 for which ,i suffered persecution4 ,what a privilege it is for us to meet here in freedom4 ,how happy for us that ,god has so decided that we may work together for the coming of the ,kingdom6 ,are you pleased to receive such a guest1 freed from his prison to bring the glorious ,message to you8 ,he who never could have thought such a meeting possible6 ,now by the ,grace of ,god1 by ,his wonderful ,power1 ,i1 who was condemned to perpetual imprisonment in a far off town of the ,east1 am here in ,paris talking with you6 ,henceforward we shall always be together1 heart and soul and spirit1 pressing forward in the work till all men are gathered together under the tent of the ,kingdom1 singing the songs of peace4 ,,god',s ,,greatest ,,gift ,,to ,,man ,thursday1 ,october #bfth ,god's greatest gift to man is that of intellect1 or understanding4 ,the understanding is the power by which man acquires his knowledge of the several kingdoms of creation1 and of various stages of existence1 as well as of much which is invisible4 ,possessing this gift1 he is1 in himself1 the sum of earlier creations--he is able to get into touch with those kingdoms2 and by this gift1 he can frequently1 through his scientific knowledge1 reach out with prophetic vision4 ,intellect is1 in truth1 the most precious gift bestowed upon man by the ,divine ,bounty4 ,man alone1 among created beings1 has this wonderful power4 ,all creation1 preceding ,man1 is bound by the stern law of nature4 ,the great sun1 the multitudes of stars1 the oceans and seas1 the mountains1 the rivers1 the trees1 and all animals1 great or small--none is able to evade obedience to nature's law4 ,man alone has freedom1 and1 by his understanding or intellect1 has been able to gain control of and adapt some of those natural laws to his own needs4 ,by the power of his intellect he has discovered means by which he not only traverses great continents in express trains and crosses vast oceans in ships1 but1 like the fish he travels under water in submarines1 and1 imitating the birds1 he flies through the air in airships4 ,man has succeeded in using electricity in several ways--for light1 for motive power1 for sending messages from one end of the earth to the other--and by electricity he can even hear a voice many miles away6 ,by this gift of understanding or intellect he has also been able to use the rays of the sun to picture people and things1 and even to capture the form of distant heavenly bodies4 ,we perceive in what numerous ways man has been able to bend the powers of nature to his will4 ,how grievous it is to see how man has used his ,god-given gift to frame instruments of war1 for breaking the ,commandment of ,god #8,thou shalt not kill'1 and for defying ,christ's injunction to #8,love one another'4 ,god gave this power to man that it might be used for the advancement of civilization1 for the good of humanity1 to increase love and concord and peace4 ,but man prefers to use this gift to destroy instead of to build1 for injustice and oppression1 for hatred and discord and devastation1 for the destruction of his fellow-creatures1 whom ,christ has commanded that he should love as himself6 ,i hope that you will use your understanding to promote the unity and tranquillity of mankind1 to give enlightenment and civilization to the people1 to produce love in all around you1 and to bring about the universal peace4 ,study the sciences1 acquire more and more knowledge4 ,assuredly one may learn to the end of one's life6 ,use your knowledge always for the benefit of others2 so may war cease on the face of this beautiful earth1 and a glorious edifice of peace and concord be raised4 ,strive that your high ideals may be realized in the ,kingdom of ,god on earth1 as they will be in ,heaven4 ,,the ,,clouds ,,that ,,obscure ,,the ,,sun ,,of ,,truth #d ,avenue de ,camens1 ,morning of ,friday1 ,october #bgth ,the day is fine1 the air is pure1 the sun shines1 no mist nor cloud obscures its radiance4 ,these brilliant rays penetrate into all parts of the city2 so may the ,sun of ,truth illumine the minds of men4 ,christ said1 #8,they shall see the ,son of ,man coming in the clouds of ,heaven'47#b7 ,bah'u'llh said1 #8,when ,christ came for the first time ,he came upon the clouds'47#c7 ,christ said that ,he had come from the sky1 from ,heaven--that ,he came forth from ,god--while ,he was born of ,mary1 ,his ,mother4 ,but when ,he declared that ,he had come from ,heaven1 it is clear that ,he did not mean the blue firmament but that ,he spoke of the ,heaven of the ,kingdom of ,god1 and that from this ,heaven ,he descended upon the clouds4 ,as clouds are obstacles to the shining of the sun1 so the clouds of the world of humanity hid from the eyes of men the radiance of the ,divinity of ,christ4 ,men said1 #8,he is of ,nazareth1 born of ,mary1 we know ,him and we know his brethren4 ,what can ,he mean8 ,what is ,he saying8 ,that ,he came forth from ,god8' ,the ,body of ,christ was born of ,mary of ,nazareth1 but the ,spirit was of ,god4 ,the capacities of ,his human body were limited but the strength of ,his spirit was vast1 infinite1 immeasurable4 ,men asked1 #8,why does ,he say ,he is of ,god8' ,if they had understood the reality of ,christ1 they would have known that the body of ,his humanity was a cloud that hid ,his ,divinity4 ,the world only saw ,his human form1 and therefore wondered how ,he could have #8come down from ,heaven'4 ,bah'u'llh said1 #8,even as the clouds hide the sun and the sky from our gaze1 even so did the humanity of ,christ hide from men ,his real ,divine character'4 ,i hope that you will turn with unclouded eyes towards the ,sun of ,truth1 beholding not the things of earth1 lest your hearts be attracted to the worthless and passing pleasures of the world2 let that ,sun give you of ,his strength1 then will not the clouds of prejudice veil ,his illumination from your eyes6 ,then will the ,sun be without clouds for you4 ,breathe the air of purity4 ,may you each and all share in the ,divine ,bounties of the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 ,may the world be for you no obstacle hiding the truth from your sight1 as the human body of ,christ hid ,his ,divinity from the people of ,his day4 ,may you receive the clear vision of the ,holy ,spirit1 so that your hearts may be illumined and able to recognize the ,sun of ,truth shining through all material clouds1 ,his splendour flooding the universe4 ,let not the things of the body obscure the celestial light of the spirit1 so that1 by the ,divine ,bounty1 you may enter with the children of ,god into ,his ,eternal ,kingdom4 ,this is my prayer for you all4 ,,religious ,,prejudices ,october #bgth ,the basis of the teaching of ,bah'u'llh is the ,unity of ,mankind1 and his greatest desire was that love and goodwill should live in the heart of men4 ,as ,he exhorted the people to do away with strife and discord1 so ,i wish to explain to you the principal reason of the unrest among nations4 ,the chief cause is the misrepresentation of religion by the religious leaders and teachers4 ,they teach their followers to believe that their own form of religion is the only one pleasing to ,god1 and that followers of any other persuasion are condemned by the ,all-,loving ,father and deprived of ,his ,mercy and ,grace4 ,hence arise among the peoples1 disapproval1 contempt1 disputes and hatred4 ,if these religious prejudices could be swept away1 the nations would soon enjoy peace and concord4 ,i was once at ,tiberias where the ,jews have a ,temple4 ,i was staying in a house just opposite the ,temple1 and there ,i saw and heard a ,rabbi speaking to his congregation of ,jews1 and he spoke thus3 #8,o ,jews1 you are in truth the people of ,god6 ,all other races and religions are of the devil4 ,god has created you the descendants of ,abraham1 and ,he has showered ,his blessings upon you4 ,unto you ,god sent ,moses1 ,jacob and ,joseph1 and many other great prophets4 ,these prophets1 one and all1 were of your race4 #8,it was for you that ,god broke the power of ,pharaoh and caused the ,red ,sea to dry up2 to you also ,he sent manna from above to be your food1 and out of the stony rock did ,he give you water to quench your thirst4 ,you are indeed the chosen people of ,god1 you are above all the races of the earth6 ,therefore1 all other races are abhorrent to ,god1 and condemned by ,him4 ,in truth you will govern and subdue the world1 and all men shall become your slaves4 #8,do not profane yourselves by consorting with people who are not of your own religion1 make not friends of such men4' ,when the ,rabbi had finished his eloquent discourse1 his hearers were filled with joy and satisfaction4 ,it is impossible to describe to you their happiness6 ,alas6 ,it is misguided ones like these who are the cause of division and hatred upon earth4 ,today there are millions of people who still worship idols1 and the great religions of the world are at war among themselves4 ,for #a1cjj years1 ,christians and ,mussulmans have been quarrelling1 when with very little effort their differences and disputes could be overcome and peace and harmony could exist between them and the world could be at rest6 ,in the ,qur'n we read that ,muammad spoke to his followers1 saying3 #8,why do you not believe in ,christ1 and in the ,gospel8 ,why will you not accept ,moses and the ,prophets1 for surely the ,bible is the ,book of ,god8 ,in truth1 ,moses was a sublime ,prophet1 and ,jesus was filled with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,he came to the world through the ,power of ,god1 born of the ,holy ,spirit and of the blessed ,virgin ,mary4 ,mary1 ,his mother1 was a saint from ,heaven4 ,she passed her days in the ,temple at prayer and food was sent to her from above4 ,her father1 ,zacharias1 came to her and asked her from whence the food came1 and ,mary made answer1 8,from on high40 ,surely ,god made ,mary to be exalted above all other women4' ,this is what ,muammad taught ,his people concerning ,jesus and ,moses1 and ,he reproached them for their lack of faith in these great ,teachers1 and taught them the lessons of truth and tolerance4 ,muammad was sent from ,god to work among a people as savage and uncivilized as the wild beasts4 ,they were quite devoid of understanding1 nor had they any feelings of love1 sympathy and pity4 ,women were so degraded and despised that a man could bury his daughter alive1 and he had as many wives to be his slaves as he chose4 ,among these half animal people ,muammad was sent with ,his divine ,message4 ,he taught the people that idol worship was wrong1 but that they should reverence ,christ1 ,moses and the ,prophets4 ,under ,his influence they became a more enlightened and civilized people and arose from the degraded state in which ,he found them4 ,was not this a good work1 and worthy of all praise1 respect and love8 ,look at the ,gospel of the ,lord ,christ and see how glorious it is6 ,yet even today men fail to understand its priceless beauty1 and misinterpret its words of wisdom4 ,christ forbade war6 ,when the disciple ,peter1 thinking to defend his ,lord1 cut off the ear of the servant of the ,high ,priest1 ,christ said to him3 #8,put up thy sword into the sheath'47#d7 ,yet1 in spite of the direct command of the ,lord they profess to serve--men still dispute1 make war1 and kill one another1 and ,his counsels and teaching seem quite forgotten4 ,but do not therefore attribute to the ,masters and ,prophets the evil deeds of their followers4 ,if the priests1 teachers and people1 lead lives which are contrary to the religion they profess to follow1 is that the fault of ,christ or the other ,teachers8 ,the people of ,islm were taught to realize how ,jesus came from ,god and was born of the ,spirit1 and that ,he must be glorified of all men4 ,moses was a prophet of ,god1 and revealed in ,his day and for the people to whom ,he was sent1 the ,book of ,god4 ,muammad recognized the sublime grandeur of ,christ and the greatness of ,moses and the prophets4 ,if only the whole world would acknowledge the greatness of ,muammad and all the ,heaven-sent ,teachers1 strife and discord would soon vanish from the face of the earth1 and ,god's ,kingdom would come among men4 ,the people of ,islm who glorify ,christ are not humiliated by so doing4 ,christ was the ,prophet of the ,christians1 ,moses of the ,jews--why should not the followers of each prophet recognize and honour the other prophets also8 ,if men could only learn the lesson of mutual tolerance1 understanding1 and brotherly love1 the unity of the world would soon be an established fact4 ,bah'u'llh spent ,his life teaching this lesson of ,love and ,unity4 ,let us then put away from us all prejudice and intolerance1 and strive with all our hearts and souls to bring about understanding and unity between ,christians and ,mussulmans4 ,,the ,,benefits ,,of ,,god ,,to ,,man #d ,avenue de ,camens1 ,october #bgth ,god alone ordereth all things and is all-powerful4 ,why then does ,he send trials to ,his servants8 ,the trials of man are of two kinds4 7a7 ,the consequences of his own actions4 ,if a man eats too much1 he ruins his digestion2 if he takes poison he becomes ill or dies4 ,if a person gambles he will lose his money2 if he drinks too much he will lose his equilibrium4 ,all these sufferings are caused by the man himself1 it is quite clear therefore that certain sorrows are the result of our own deeds4 7b7 ,other sufferings there are1 which come upon the ,faithful of ,god4 ,consider the great sorrows endured by ,christ and by ,his apostles6 ,those who suffer most1 attain to the greatest perfection4 ,those who declare a wish to suffer much for ,christ's sake must prove their sincerity2 those who proclaim their longing to make great sacrifices can only prove their truth by their deeds4 ,job proved the fidelity of his love for ,god by being faithful through his great adversity1 as well as during the prosperity of his life4 ,the apostles of ,christ who steadfastly bore all their trials and sufferings--did they not prove their faithfulness8 ,was not their endurance the best proof8 ,these griefs are now ended4 ,caiaphas lived a comfortable and happy life while ,peter's life was full of sorrow and trial2 which of these two is the more enviable8 ,assuredly we should choose the present state of ,peter1 for he possesses immortal life whilst ,caiaphas has won eternal shame4 ,the trials of ,peter tested his fidelity4 ,tests are benefits from ,god1 for which we should thank ,him4 ,grief and sorrow do not come to us by chance1 they are sent to us by the ,divine ,mercy for our own perfecting4 ,while a man is happy he may forget his ,god2 but when grief comes and sorrows overwhelm him1 then will he remember his ,father who is in ,heaven1 and who is able to deliver him from his humiliations4 ,men who suffer not1 attain no perfection4 ,the plant most pruned by the gardeners is that one which1 when the summer comes1 will have the most beautiful blossoms and the most abundant fruit4 ,the labourer cuts up the earth with his plough1 and from that earth comes the rich and plentiful harvest4 ,the more a man is chastened1 the greater is the harvest of spiritual virtues shown forth by him4 ,a soldier is no good ,general until he has been in the front of the fiercest battle and has received the deepest wounds4 ,the prayer of the prophets of ,god has always been1 and still is3 ,oh ,god1 ,i long to lay down my life in the path to ,thee6 ,i desire to shed my blood for ,thee1 and to make the supreme sacrifice4 ,,beauty ,,and ,,harmony ,,in ,,diversity ,october #bhth ,the ,creator of all is ,one ,god4 ,from this same ,god all creation sprang into existence1 and ,he is the one goal1 towards which everything in nature yearns4 ,this conception was embodied in the words of ,christ1 when ,he said1 #8,i am the ,alpha and the ,omega1 the beginning and the end'4 ,man is the sum of ,creation1 and the ,perfect ,man is the expression of the complete thought of the ,creator--the ,word of ,god4 ,consider the world of created beings1 how varied and diverse they are in species1 yet with one sole origin4 ,all the differences that appear are those of outward form and colour4 ,this diversity of type is apparent throughout the whole of nature4 ,behold a beautiful garden full of flowers1 shrubs1 and trees4 ,each flower has a different charm1 a peculiar beauty1 its own delicious perfume and beautiful colour4 ,the trees too1 how varied are they in size1 in growth1 in foliage--and what different fruits they bear6 ,yet all these flowers1 shrubs and trees spring from the self-same earth1 the same sun shines upon them and the same clouds give them rain4 ,so it is with humanity4 ,it is made up of many races1 and its peoples are of different colour1 white1 black1 yellow1 brown and red--but they all come from the same ,god1 and all are servants to ,him4 ,this diversity among the children of men has unhappily not the same effect as it has among the vegetable creation1 where the spirit shown is more harmonious4 ,among men exists the diversity of animosity1 and it is this that causes war and hatred among the different nations of the world4 ,differences which are only those of blood also cause them to destroy and kill one another4 ,alas6 that this should still be so4 ,let us look rather at the beauty in diversity1 the beauty of harmony1 and learn a lesson from the vegetable creation4 ,if you beheld a garden in which all the plants were the same as to form1 colour and perfume1 it would not seem beautiful to you at all1 but1 rather1 monotonous and dull4 ,the garden which is pleasing to the eye and which makes the heart glad1 is the garden in which are growing side by side flowers of every hue1 form and perfume1 and the joyous contrast of colour is what makes for charm and beauty4 ,so is it with trees4 ,an orchard full of fruit trees is a delight2 so is a plantation planted with many species of shrubs4 ,it is just the diversity and variety that constitutes its charm2 each flower1 each tree1 each fruit1 beside being beautiful in itself1 brings out by contrast the qualities of the others1 and shows to advantage the special loveliness of each and all4 ,thus should it be among the children of men6 ,the diversity in the human family should be the cause of love and harmony1 as it is in music where many different notes blend together in the making of a perfect chord4 ,if you meet those of different race and colour from yourself1 do not mistrust them and withdraw yourself into your shell of conventionality1 but rather be glad and show them kindness4 ,think of them as different coloured roses growing in the beautiful garden of humanity1 and rejoice to be among them4 ,likewise1 when you meet those whose opinions differ from your own1 do not turn away your face from them4 ,all are seeking truth1 and there are many roads leading thereto4 ,truth has many aspects1 but it remains always and forever one4 ,do not allow difference of opinion1 or diversity of thought to separate you from your fellow-men1 or to be the cause of dispute1 hatred and strife in your hearts4 ,rather1 search diligently for the truth and make all men your friends4 ,every edifice is made of many different stones1 yet each depends on the other to such an extent that if one were displaced the whole building would suffer2 if one is faulty the structure is imperfect4 ,bah'u'llh has drawn the circle of unity1 ,he has made a design for the uniting of all the peoples1 and for the gathering of them all under the shelter of the tent of universal unity4 ,this is the work of the ,divine ,bounty1 and we must all strive with heart and soul until we have the reality of unity in our midst1 and as we work1 so will strength be given unto us4 ,leave all thought of self1 and strive only to be obedient and submissive to the ,will of ,god4 ,in this way only shall we become citizens of the ,kingdom of ,god1 and attain unto life everlasting4 ,,the ,,true ,,meaning ,,of ,,the ,,prophecies ,,concerning ,,the ,,coming ,,of ,,christ ,october #cjth ,in the ,bible there are prophecies of the coming of ,christ4 ,the ,jews still await the coming of the ,messiah1 and pray to ,god day and night to hasten ,his advent4 ,when ,christ came they denounced and slew ,him1 saying3 #8,this is not the ,one for whom we wait4 ,behold when the ,messiah shall come1 signs and wonders shall testify that ,he is in truth the ,christ4 ,we know the signs and conditions1 and they have not appeared4 ,the ,messiah will arise out of an unknown city4 ,he shall sit upon the throne of ,david1 and behold1 ,he shall come with a sword of steel1 and with a sceptre of iron shall ,he rule6 ,he shall fulfil the law of the ,prophets1 ,he shall conquer the ,east and the ,west1 and shall glorify ,his chosen people the ,jews4 ,he shall bring with ,him a reign of peace1 during which even the animals shall cease to be at enmity with man4 ,for behold the wolf and the lamb shall drink from the same spring1 and the lion and the doe shall lie down in the same pasture1 the serpent and the mouse shall share the same nest1 and all ,god's creatures shall be at rest'4 ,according to the ,jews1 ,jesus the ,christ fulfilled none of these conditions1 for their eyes were holden and they could not see4 ,he came from ,nazareth1 no unknown place4 ,he carried no sword in ,his hand1 nor even a stick4 ,he did not sit upon the ,throne of ,david1 ,he was a poor man4 ,he reformed the ,law of ,moses1 and broke the ,sabbath ,day4 ,he did not conquer the ,east and the ,west1 but was ,himself subject to the ,roman ,law4 ,he did not exalt the ,jews1 but taught equality and brotherhood1 and rebuked the ,scribes and ,pharisees4 ,he brought in no reign of peace1 for during ,his lifetime injustice and cruelty reached such a height that even ,he ,himself fell a victim to it1 and died a shameful death upon the cross4 ,thus the ,jews thought and spoke1 for they did not understand the ,scriptures nor the glorious truths that were contained in them4 ,the letter they knew by heart1 but of the life-giving spirit they understood not a word4 ,hearken1 and ,i will show you the meaning thereof4 ,although ,he came from ,nazareth1 which was a known place1 ,he also came from ,heaven4 ,his body was born of ,mary1 but ,his ,spirit came from ,heaven4 ,the sword ,he carried was the sword of ,his tongue1 with which ,he divided the good from the evil1 the true from the false1 the faithful from the unfaithful1 and the light from the darkness4 ,his ,word was indeed a sharp sword6 ,the ,throne upon which ,he sat is the ,eternal ,throne from which ,christ reigns for ever1 a heavenly throne1 not an earthly one1 for the things of earth pass away but heavenly things pass not away4 ,he re-interpreted and completed the ,law of ,moses and fulfilled the ,law of the ,prophets4 ,his word conquered the ,east and the ,west4 ,his ,kingdom is everlasting4 ,he exalted those ,jews who recognized ,him4 ,they were men and women of humble birth1 but contact with ,him made them great and gave them everlasting dignity4 ,the animals who were to live with one another signified the different sects and races1 who1 once having been at war1 were now to dwell in love and charity1 drinking together the water of life from ,christ the ,eternal ,spring4 ,thus1 all the spiritual prophecies concerning the coming of ,christ were fulfilled1 but the ,jews shut their eyes that they should not see1 and their ears that they should not hear1 and the ,divine ,reality of ,christ passed through their midst unheard1 unloved and unrecognized4 ,it is easy to read the ,holy ,scriptures1 but it is only with a clean heart and a pure mind that one may understand their true meaning4 ,let us ask ,god's help to enable us to understand the ,holy ,books4 ,let us pray for eyes to see and ears to hear1 and for hearts that long for peace4 ,god's eternal ,mercy is immeasurable4 ,he has always chosen certain souls upon whom ,he has shed the ,divine ,bounty of ,his heart1 whose minds ,he has illumined with celestial light1 to whom ,he has revealed the sacred mysteries1 and kept clear before their sight the ,mirror of ,truth4 ,these are the disciples of ,god1 and ,his goodness has no bounds4 ,you who are servants of the ,most ,high may be disciples also4 ,the treasuries of ,god are limitless4 ,the ,spirit breathing through the ,holy ,scriptures is food for all who hunger4 ,god ,who has given the revelation to ,his ,prophets will surely give of ,his abundance daily bread to all those who ask ,him faithfully4 ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit1 ,,the ,,intermediary ,,power ,,between ,,god ,,and ,,man #d ,avenue de ,camens1 ,october #cast ,the ,divine ,reality is ,unthinkable1 ,limitless1 ,eternal1 ,immortal and ,invisible4 ,the world of creation is bound by natural law1 finite and mortal4 ,the ,infinite ,reality cannot be said to ascend or descend4 ,it is beyond the understanding of man1 and cannot be described in terms which apply to the phenomenal sphere of the created world4 ,man1 then1 is in extreme need of the only ,power by which he is able to receive help from the ,divine ,reality1 that ,power alone bringing him into contact with the ,source of all life4 ,an intermediary is needed to bring two extremes into relation with each other4 ,riches and poverty1 plenty and need3 without an intermediary power there could be no relation between these pairs of opposites4 ,so we can say there must be a ,mediator between ,god and ,man1 and this is none other than the ,holy ,spirit1 which brings the created earth into relation with the #8,unthinkable ,one'1 the ,divine ,reality4 ,the ,divine ,reality may be likened to the sun and the ,holy ,spirit to the rays of the sun4 ,as the rays of the sun bring the light and warmth of the sun to the earth1 giving life to all created beings1 so do the #8,manifestations'7#e7 bring the power of the ,holy ,spirit from the ,divine ,sun of ,reality to give light and life to the souls of men4 ,behold1 there is an intermediary necessary between the sun and the earth2 the sun does not descend to the earth1 neither does the earth ascend to the sun4 ,this contact is made by the rays of the sun which bring light and warmth and heat4 ,the ,holy ,spirit is the ,light from the ,sun of ,truth bringing1 by its infinite power1 life and illumination to all mankind1 flooding all souls with ,divine ,radiance1 conveying the blessings of ,god's ,mercy to the whole world4 ,the earth1 without the medium of the warmth and light of the rays of the sun1 could receive no benefits from the sun4 ,likewise the ,holy ,spirit is the very cause of the life of man2 without the ,holy ,spirit he would have no intellect1 he would be unable to acquire his scientific knowledge by which his great influence over the rest of creation is gained4 ,the illumination of the ,holy ,spirit gives to man the power of thought1 and enables him to make discoveries by which he bends the laws of nature to his will4 ,the ,holy ,spirit it is which1 through the mediation of the ,prophets of ,god1 teaches spiritual virtues to man and enables him to attain ,eternal ,life4 ,all these blessings are brought to man by the ,holy ,spirit2 therefore we can understand that the ,holy ,spirit is the ,intermediary between the ,creator and the created4 ,the light and heat of the sun cause the earth to be fruitful1 and create life in all things that grow2 and the ,holy ,spirit quickens the souls of men4 ,the two great apostles1 ,st ,peter and ,st ,john the ,evangelist1 were once simple1 humble workmen1 toiling for their daily bread4 ,by the ,power of the ,holy ,spirit their souls were illumined1 and they received the eternal blessings of the ,lord ,christ4 ,,the ,,two ,,natures ,,in ,,man ,november #ast ,today is a day of rejoicing in ,paris6 ,they are celebrating the ,festival of #8,all ,saints'4 ,why do you think that these people were called #8,saints'8 ,the word has a very real meaning4 ,a saint is one who leads a life of purity1 one who has freed himself from all human weaknesses and imperfections4 ,in man there are two natures2 his spiritual or higher nature and his material or lower nature4 ,in one he approaches ,god1 in the other he lives for the world alone4 ,signs of both these natures are to be found in men4 ,in his material aspect he expresses untruth1 cruelty and injustice2 all these are the outcome of his lower nature4 ,the attributes of his ,divine nature are shown forth in love1 mercy1 kindness1 truth and justice1 one and all being expressions of his higher nature4 ,every good habit1 every noble quality belongs to man's spiritual nature1 whereas all his imperfections and sinful actions are born of his material nature4 ,if a man's ,divine nature dominates his human nature1 we have a saint4 ,man has the power both to do good and to do evil2 if his power for good predominates and his inclinations to do wrong are conquered1 then man in truth may be called a saint4 ,but if1 on the contrary1 he rejects the things of ,god and allows his evil passions to conquer him1 then he is no better than a mere animal4 ,saints are men who have freed themselves from the world of matter and who have overcome sin4 ,they live in the world but are not of it1 their thoughts being continually in the world of the spirit4 ,their lives are spent in holiness1 and their deeds show forth love1 justice and godliness4 ,they are illumined from on high2 they are as bright and shining lamps in the dark places of the earth4 ,these are the saints of ,god4 ,the apostles1 who were the disciples of ,jesus ,christ1 were just as other men are2 they1 like their fellows1 were attracted by the things of the world1 and each thought only of his own advantage4 ,they knew little of justice1 nor were the ,divine perfections found in their midst4 ,but when they followed ,christ and believed in ,him1 their ignorance gave place to understanding1 cruelty was changed to justice1 falsehood to truth1 darkness into light4 ,they had been worldly1 they became spiritual and divine4 ,they had been children of darkness1 they became sons of ,god1 they became saints6 ,strive therefore to follow in their steps1 leaving all worldly things behind1 and striving to attain to the ,spiritual ,kingdom4 ,pray to ,god that ,he may strengthen you in divine virtue1 so that you may be as angels in the world1 and beacons of light to disclose the mysteries of the ,kingdom to those with understanding hearts4 ,god sent ,his ,prophets into the world to teach and enlighten man1 to explain to him the mystery of the ,power of the ,holy ,spirit1 to enable him to reflect the light1 and so in his turn1 to be the source of guidance to others4 ,the ,heavenly ,books1 the ,bible1 the ,qur'n1 and the other ,holy ,writings have been given by ,god as guides into the paths of ,divine virtue1 love1 justice and peace4 ,therefore ,i say unto you that ye should strive to follow the counsels of these ,blessed ,books1 and so order your lives that ye may1 following the examples set before you1 become yourselves the saints of the ,most ,high6 ,,material ,,and ,,spiritual ,,progress ,november #bnd #8,abdu'l-,bah said3 ,how beautiful the weather is today1 the sky is clear1 the sun shines1 and the heart of man is made glad thereby6 ,such bright and beautiful weather gives new life and strength to man1 and if he has been sick1 he feels once more in his heart the joyous hope of health renewed4 ,all these gifts of nature concern the physical side of man1 for it is only his body that can receive material benefits4 ,if a man is successful in his business1 art1 or profession he is thereby enabled to increase his physical wellbeing and to give his body the amount of ease and comfort in which it delights4 ,all around us today we see how man surrounds himself with every modern convenience and luxury1 and denies nothing to the physical and material side of his nature4 ,but1 take heed1 lest in thinking too earnestly of the things of the body you forget the things of the soul3 for material advantages do not elevate the spirit of a man4 ,perfection in worldly things is a joy to the body of a man but in no wise does it glorify his soul4 ,it may be that a man who has every material benefit1 and who lives surrounded by all the greatest comfort modern civilization can give him1 is denied the all important gift of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,it is indeed a good and praiseworthy thing to progress materially1 but in so doing1 let us not neglect the more important spiritual progress1 and close our eyes to the ,divine light shining in our midst4 ,only by improving spiritually as well as materially can we make any real progress1 and become perfect beings4 ,it was in order to bring this spiritual life and light into the world that all the great ,teachers have appeared4 ,they came so that the ,sun of ,truth might be manifested1 and shine in the hearts of men1 and that through its wondrous power men might attain unto ,everlasting ,light4 ,when the ,lord ,christ came ,he spread the light of the ,holy ,spirit on all around ,him1 and ,his disciples and all who received ,his illumination became enlightened1 spiritual beings4 ,it was to manifest this light that ,bah'u'llh was born1 and came into the world4 ,he taught ,eternal ,truth to men1 and shed the rays of ,divine ,light in all lands4 ,alas6 behold how man disregards this ,light4 ,he still goes on his way of darkness1 and disunity1 and quarrels and fierce war are still rife4 ,he uses material progress to gratify his lust for war1 and he makes destructive implements and appliances to destroy his brother man4 ,but let us rather exert ourselves for the attainment of spiritual advantages1 for this is the only way of true progress1 that which cometh from ,god and is alone ,godly4 ,i pray for you one and all that you may receive the ,bounties of the ,holy ,spirit2 so will you become in truth enlightened1 and progress ever onward and upward to the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,then shall your hearts be prepared to receive the glad tidings1 your eyes shall be opened and you will see the ,glory of ,god2 your ears shall be unstopped and you will hear the call of the ,kingdom1 and with tongue made eloquent shall you call men to the realization of the ,divine ,power and ,love of ,god6 ,,the ,,evolution ,,of ,,matter ,,and ,,development ,,of ,,the ,,soul ,november #crd ,paris is becoming very cold1 so cold that ,i shall soon be obliged to go away1 but the warmth of your love still keeps me here4 ,god willing1 ,i hope to stay among you yet a little while2 bodily cold and heat cannot affect the spirit1 for it is warmed by the fire of the ,love of ,god4 ,when we understand this1 we begin to understand something of our life in the world to come4 ,god1 in ,his ,bounty1 has given us a foretaste here1 has given us certain proofs of the difference that exists between body1 soul and spirit4 ,we see that cold1 heat1 suffering1 etc1 only concern the body1 they do not touch the spirit4 ,how often do we see a man1 poor1 sick1 miserably clad1 and with no means of support1 yet spiritually strong4 ,whatever his body has to suffer1 his spirit is free and well6 ,again1 how often do we see a rich man1 physically strong and healthy1 but with a soul sick unto death4 ,it is quite apparent to the seeing mind that a man's spirit is something very different from his physical body4 ,the spirit is changeless1 indestructible4 ,the progress and development of the soul1 the joy and sorrow of the soul1 are independent of the physical body4 ,if we are caused joy or pain by a friend1 if a love prove true or false1 it is the soul that is affected4 ,if our dear ones are far from us--it is the soul that grieves1 and the grief or trouble of the soul may react on the body4 ,thus1 when the spirit is fed with holy virtues1 then is the body joyous2 if the soul falls into sin1 the body is in torment6 ,when we find truth1 constancy1 fidelity1 and love1 we are happy2 but if we meet with lying1 faithlessness1 and deceit1 we are miserable4 ,these are all things pertaining to the soul1 and are not bodily ills4 ,thus1 it is apparent that the soul1 even as the body1 has its own individuality4 ,but if the body undergoes a change1 the spirit need not be touched4 ,when you break a glass on which the sun shines1 the glass is broken1 but the sun still shines6 ,if a cage containing a bird is destroyed1 the bird is unharmed6 ,if a lamp is broken1 the flame can still burn bright6 ,the same thing applies to the spirit of man4 ,though death destroy his body1 it has no power over his spirit--this is eternal1 everlasting1 both birthless and deathless4 ,as to the soul of man after death1 it remains in the degree of purity to which it has evolved during life in the physical body1 and after it is freed from the body it remains plunged in the ocean of ,god's ,mercy4 ,from the moment the soul leaves the body and arrives in the ,heavenly ,world1 its evolution is spiritual1 and that evolution is3 ,the approaching unto ,god4 ,in the physical creation1 evolution is from one degree of perfection to another4 ,the mineral passes with its mineral perfections to the vegetable2 the vegetable1 with its perfections1 passes to the animal world1 and so on to that of humanity4 ,this world is full of seeming contradictions2 in each of these kingdoms 7mineral1 vegetable and animal7 life exists in its degree2 though when compared to the life in a man1 the earth appears to be dead1 yet she1 too1 lives and has a life of her own4 ,in this world things live and die1 and live again in other forms of life1 but in the world of the spirit it is quite otherwise4 ,the soul does not evolve from degree to degree as a law--it only evolves nearer to ,god1 by the ,mercy and ,bounty of ,god4 ,it is my earnest prayer that we may all be in the ,kingdom of ,god1 and near ,him4 ,,the ,,spiritual ,,meetings ,,in ,,paris ,november #dth ,all over ,europe today one hears of meetings and assemblies1 and societies of all kinds are formed4 ,there are those interested in commerce1 science1 and politics1 and many others4 ,all these are for material service1 their desire being for the progress and enlightenment of the world of matter4 ,but rarely does a breath from the spirit world breathe upon them4 ,they seem unconscious of the ,divine ,voice1 careless concerning the things of ,god4 ,but this meeting in ,paris is a truly spiritual one4 ,the ,divine ,breath is poured forth in your midst1 the light of the ,kingdom is shining in all hearts4 ,the ,divine love of ,god is a power among you1 and with souls athirst1 ye receive the glad tidings of great joy4 ,you are all met here with one accord1 heart drawn to heart1 souls overflowing with ,divine love1 working and longing for the unity of the world4 ,verily this assembly is a spiritual one6 ,it is like unto a beautiful perfumed garden6 ,on it the ,heavenly ,sun sheds the golden rays1 and the warmth thereof penetrates and gladdens each waiting heart4 ,the love of ,christ1 which passeth all knowledge1 is among you1 the ,holy ,spirit is your help4 ,day by day this meeting will grow and become more powerful until gradually its spirit will conquer the whole world6 ,try with all your hearts to be willing channels for ,god's ,bounty4 ,for ,i say unto you that ,he has chosen you to be ,his messengers of love throughout the world1 to be ,his bearers of spiritual gifts to man1 to be the means of spreading unity and concord on the earth4 ,thank ,god with all your hearts that such a privilege has been given unto you4 ,for a life devoted to praise is not too long in which to thank ,god for such a favour4 ,lift up your hearts above the present and look with eyes of faith into the future6 ,today the seed is sown1 the grain falls upon the earth1 but behold the day will come when it shall rise a glorious tree and the branches thereof shall be laden with fruit4 ,rejoice and be glad that this day has dawned1 try to realize its power1 for it is indeed wonderful6 ,god has crowned you with honour and in your hearts has ,he set a radiant star2 verily the light thereof shall brighten the whole world6 ,,the ,,two ,,kinds ,,of ,,light ,november #eth ,today the weather is gloomy and dull6 ,in the ,east there is continual sunshine1 the stars are never veiled1 and there are very few clouds4 ,light always rises in the ,east and sends forth its radiance into the ,west4 ,there are two kinds of light4 ,there is the visible light of the sun1 by whose aid we can discern the beauties of the world around us--without this we could see nothing4 ,nevertheless1 though it is the function of this light to make things visible to us1 it cannot give us the power to see them or to understand what their various charms may be1 for this light has no intelligence1 no consciousness4 ,it is the light of the intellect which gives us knowledge and understanding1 and without this light the physical eyes would be useless4 ,this light of the intellect is the highest light that exists1 for it is born of the ,light ,divine4 ,the light of the intellect enables us to understand and realize all that exists1 but it is only the ,divine ,light that can give us sight for the invisible things1 and which enables us to see truths that will only be visible to the world thousands of years hence4 ,it was the ,divine ,light which enabled the prophets to see two thousand years in advance what was going to take place and today we see the realization of their vision4 ,thus it is this ,light which we must strive to seek1 for it is greater than any other4 ,it was by this ,light that ,moses was enabled to see and comprehend the ,divine ,appearance1 and to hear the ,heavenly ,voice which spoke to him from the ,burning ,bush47#f7 ,it is of this ,light ,muammad is speaking when he says1 #8,allh is the light of the ,heavens1 and of the ,earth'4 ,seek with all your hearts this ,heavenly ,light1 so that you may be enabled to understand the realities1 that you may know the secret things of ,god1 that the hidden ways may be made plain before your eyes4 ,this light may be likened unto a mirror1 and as a mirror reflects all that is before it1 so this ,light shows to the eyes of our spirits all that exists in ,god's ,kingdom and causes the realities of things to be made visible4 ,by the help of this effulgent ,light all the spiritual interpretation of the ,holy ,writings has been made plain1 the hidden things of ,god's ,universe have become manifest1 and we have been enabled to comprehend the ,divine purposes for man4 ,i pray that ,god in ,his mercy may illumine your hearts and souls with ,his glorious ,light1 then shall each one of you shine as a radiant star in the dark places of the world4 ,,spiritual ,,aspiration ,,in ,,the ,,west #8,abdu'l-,bah said3 ,you are very welcome6 ,from ,eastern lands ,i have come to the ,west to sojourn awhile among you4 ,in the ,east it is often said that the people of the ,west are without spirituality1 but ,i have not found it thus4 ,thank ,god1 ,i see and feel that there is much spiritual aspiration among the ,western peoples1 and that in some cases their spiritual perception is even keener than among their ,eastern brothers4 ,if the teaching given in the ,east had been conscientiously spread in the ,west the world today would be a more enlightened place4 ,although in the past all the great ,spiritual ,teachers have arisen in the ,east1 there are still many men there who are quite devoid of spirituality4 ,with regard to the things of the spirit they are as lifeless as a stone2 nor do they wish to be otherwise1 for they consider that man is only a higher form of animal and that the things of ,god concern him not4 ,but man's ambition should soar above this--he should ever look higher than himself1 ever upward and onward1 until through the ,mercy of ,god he may come to the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 ,again1 there are men whose eyes are only open to physical progress and to the evolution in the world of matter4 ,these men prefer to study the resemblance between their own physical body and that of the ape1 rather than to contemplate the glorious affiliation between their spirit and that of ,god4 ,this is indeed strange1 for it is only physically that man resembles the lower creation1 with regard to his intellect he is totally unlike it4 ,man is always progressing4 ,his circle of knowledge is ever widening1 and his mental activity flows through many and varied channels4 ,look what man has accomplished in the field of science1 consider his many discoveries and countless inventions and his profound understanding of natural law4 ,in the world of art it is just the same1 and this wonderful development of man's faculties becomes more and more rapid as time goes on4 ,if the discoveries1 inventions and material accomplishments of the last fifteen hundred years could be put together1 you would see that there has been greater advancement during the last hundred years than in the previous fourteen centuries4 ,for the rapidity with which man is progressing increases century by century4 ,the power of the intellect is one of ,god's greatest gifts to men1 it is the power that makes him a higher creature than the animal4 ,for whereas1 century by century and age by age man's intelligence grows and becomes keener1 that of the animal remains the same4 ,they are no more intelligent today then they were a thousand years ago6 ,is there a greater proof than this needed to show man's dissimilarity to the animal creation8 ,it is surely as clear as day4 ,as for the spiritual perfections they are man's birthright and belong to him alone of all creation4 ,man is1 in reality1 a spiritual being1 and only when he lives in the spirit is he truly happy4 ,this spiritual longing and perception belongs to all men alike1 and it is my firm conviction that the ,western people possess great spiritual aspiration4 ,it is my fervent prayer that the star of the ,east will shed its brilliant rays on the ,western world1 and that the people of the ,west may arise in strength1 earnestness1 and courage1 to help their brethren in the ,east4 ,,lecture ,,given ,,at ,a ,,studio ,,in ,,paris ,november #fth ,this is in truth a ,bah' house4 ,every time such a house or meeting place is founded it becomes one of the greatest aids to the general development of the town and country to which it belongs4 ,it encourages the growth of learning and science and is known for its intense spirituality and for the love it spreads among the peoples4 ,the foundation of such a meeting-place is always followed by the greatest prosperity4 ,the first ,bah' ,assembly that existed in ihrn was singularly blessed6 ,in one year it had grown so rapidly that its members had increased to nine times their original number4 ,today1 in far-away ,persia1 there are many such assemblies where the friends of ,god meet together in the fulness of joy1 love and unity4 ,they teach the ,cause of ,god1 educate the ignorant1 and draw heart to heart in brotherly kindness4 ,it is they who help the poor and needy and give to them their daily bread4 ,they love and care for the sick and are messengers of hope and consolation to the desolate and oppressed4 ,oh1 ye in ,paris1 strive that your assemblies may be like unto this1 and may bear even greater fruits6 ,oh1 friends of ,god6 ,if ye will trust in the ,word of ,god and be strong2 if ye will follow the precepts of ,bah'u'llh to tend the sick1 raise the fallen1 care for the poor and needy1 give shelter to the destitute1 protect the oppressed1 comfort the sorrowful and love the world of humanity with all your hearts1 then ,i say unto you that ere long this meeting-place will see a wonderful harvest4 ,day by day each member will advance and become more and more spiritual4 ,but ye must have a firm foundation and your aims and ambitions must be clearly understood by each member4 ,they shall be as follows3 #a4 ,to show compassion and goodwill to all mankind4 #b4 ,to render service to humanity4 #c4 ,to endeavour to guide and enlighten those in darkness4 #d4 ,to be kind to everyone1 and show forth affection to every living soul4 #e4 ,to be humble in your attitude towards ,god1 to be constant in prayer to ,him1 so as to grow daily nearer to ,god4 #f4 ,to be so faithful and sincere in all your actions that every member may be known as embodying the qualities of honesty1 love1 faith1 kindness1 generosity1 and courage4 ,to be detached from all that is not ,god1 attracted by the ,heavenly ,breath--a divine soul2 so that the world may know that a ,bah' is a perfect being4 ,strive to attain this at these meetings4 ,then1 indeed and in truth will ye1 the friends of ,god1 come together with great joy6 ,render help one to the other1 become as one man1 having reached perfect unity4 ,i pray to ,god that daily ye may advance in spirituality1 that ,god's love may be more and more manifested in you1 that the thoughts of your hearts may be purified1 and that your faces may be ever turned towards ,him4 ,may you one and all approach to the threshold of unity1 and enter into the ,kingdom4 ,may each of you be like unto a flaming torch1 lighted and burning bright with the fire of the ,love of ,god4 ,,bah',u',,ll,h ,november #gth #8,abdu'l-,bah said3 ,i will speak to you today of ,bah'u'llh4 ,in the third year after the ,bb had declared his ,mission1 ,bah'u'llh1 being accused by fanatical ,mulls of believing in the new doctrine1 was arrested and thrown into prison4 ,the next day1 however1 several ministers of the ,government and other influential men caused him to be set free4 ,later on he was again arrested1 and the priests condemned him to death6 ,the ,governor hesitated to have this sentence carried out for fear of a revolution4 ,the priests met together in the ,mosque1 before which was the place of execution4 ,all the people of the town gathered in crowds outside the ,mosque4 ,the carpenters brought their saws and hammers1 the butchers came with their knives1 the bricklayers and builders shouldered their spades1 all these men1 incited by the frenzied ,mulls1 were eager to share in the honour of killing ,him4 ,inside the ,mosque were assembled the doctors of religion4 ,bah'u'llh stood before them1 and answered all their questions with great wisdom4 ,the chief sage in particular1 was completely silenced by ,bah'u'llh1 who refuted all his arguments4 ,a discussion arose between two of these priests as to the meaning of some words in the writings of the ,bb2 accusing ,him of inaccuracy1 they challenged ,bah'u'llh to defend ,him if ,he were able4 ,these priests were entirely humiliated1 for ,bah'u'llh proved before the whole assembly that the ,bb was absolutely right1 and that the accusation was made in ignorance4 ,the defeated ones now put ,him to the torture of the bastinado1 and more infuriated than before brought ,him out before the walls of the ,mosque unto the place of execution1 where the misguided people were awaiting ,his coming4 ,still the ,governor feared to comply with the demand of the priests for ,his execution4 ,realizing the danger in which the dignified prisoner was placed1 some men were sent to rescue ,him4 ,in this they succeeded by breaking through the wall of the ,mosque and leading ,bah'u'llh through the opening into a place of safety1 but not of freedom2 for the ,governor shifted the responsibility from off his own shoulders by sending him to ihrn4 ,here ,he was imprisoned in an underground dungeon1 where the light of day was never seen4 ,a heavy chain was placed about his neck by which ,he was chained to five other ,bbs2 these fetters were locked together by strong1 very heavy bolts1 and screws4 ,his clothes were torn to pieces1 also ,his fez4 ,in this terrible condition ,he was kept for four months4 ,during this time none of ,his friends were able to get access to ,him4 ,a prison official made an attempt to poison ,him but1 beyond causing ,him great suffering1 this poison had no effect4 ,after a time the ,government liberated ,him and exiled ,him and ,his family to ,baghdd1 where ,he remained for eleven years4 ,during this time ,he underwent severe persecutions1 being surrounded by the watchful hatred of ,his enemies4 ,he bore all evils and torments with the greatest courage and fortitude4 ,often when ,he arose in the morning1 ,he knew not whether ,he would live until the sun should set4 ,meanwhile1 each day1 the priests came and questioned ,him on religion and metaphysics4 ,at length the ,turkish ,governor exiled ,him to ,constantinople1 whence ,he was sent to ,adrianople2 here ,he stayed for five years4 ,eventually1 ,he was sent to the far off prison fortress of ,st4 ,jean d',acre4 ,here ,he was imprisoned in the military portion of the fortress and kept under the strictest surveillance4 ,words would fail me to tell you of the many trials ,he had to suffer1 and all the misery ,he endured in that prison4 ,notwithstanding1 it was from this prison that ,bah'u'llh wrote to all the ,monarchs of ,europe1 and these letters with one exception were sent through the post4 ,the ,epistle of ,niri'd-,dn ,shh was confided to a ,persian ,bah'1 ,mrz ,bad ,khursn1 who undertook to deliver it into the ,shh's own hands4 ,this brave man waited in the neighbourhood of ihrn for the passing of the ,shh1 who had the intention to journey by that way to his ,summer ,palace4 ,the courageous messenger followed the ,shh to his ,palace1 and waited on the road near the entrance for several days4 ,always in the same place was he seen waiting on the road1 until the people began to wonder why he should be there4 ,at last the ,shh heard of him1 and commanded his servants that the man should be brought before him4 #8,oh6 servants of the ,shh1 ,i bring a letter1 which ,i must deliver into his own hands'1 ,bad said1 and then ,bad said to the ,shh1 #8,i bring you a letter from ,bah'u'llh6' ,he was immediately seized and questioned by those who wished to elicit information which would help them in the further persecutions of ,bah'u'llh4 ,bad would not answer a word2 then they tortured him1 still he held his peace6 ,after three days they killed him1 having failed to force him to speak6 ,these cruel men photographed him whilst he was under torture47#g7 ,the ,shh gave the letter from ,bah'u'llh to the priests that they might explain it to him4 ,after some days these priests told the ,shh that the letter was from a political enemy4 ,the ,shh grew angry and said1 #8,this is no explanation4 ,i pay you to read and answer my letters1 therefore obey6' ,the spirit and meaning of the ,tablet to ,niri'd-,dn ,shh was1 in short1 this3 #8,now that the time has come1 when the ,cause of the ,glory of ,god has appeared1 ,i ask that ,i may be allowed to come to ihrn and answer any questions the priests may put to ,me4 #8,i exhort you to detach yourself from the worldly magnificence of your ,empire4 ,remember all those great kings who have lived before you--their glories have passed away6' ,the letter was written in a most beautiful manner1 and continued warning the ,king and telling him of the future triumph of the ,kingdom of ,bah'u'llh1 both in the ,eastern and in the ,western ,world4 ,the ,shh paid no attention to the warning of this letter and continued to live in the same fashion until the end4 ,although ,bah'u'llh was in prison the great ,power of the ,holy ,spirit was with ,him6 ,none other in prison could have been like unto ,him4 ,in spite of all the hardships ,he suffered1 ,he never complained4 ,in the dignity of ,his ,majesty1 ,he always refused to see the ,governor1 or the influential people of the town4 ,although the surveillance was unremittingly strict ,he came and went as ,he wished6 ,he died in a house situated about three kilometers from ,st4 ,jean d',acre4 ,,good ,,ideas ,,must ,,be ,,carried ,,into ,,action ,november #hth ,all over the world one hears beautiful sayings extolled and noble precepts admired4 ,all men say they love what is good1 and hate everything that is evil6 ,sincerity is to be admired1 whilst lying is despicable4 ,faith is a virtue1 and treachery is a disgrace to humanity4 ,it is a blessed thing to gladden the hearts of men1 and wrong to be the cause of pain4 ,to be kind and merciful is right1 while to hate is sinful4 ,justice is a noble quality and injustice an iniquity4 ,that it is one's duty to be pitiful and harm no one1 and to avoid jealousy and malice at all costs4 ,wisdom is the glory of man1 not ignorance2 light1 not darkness6 ,it is a good thing to turn one's face toward ,god1 and foolishness to ignore ,him4 ,that it is our duty to guide man upward1 and not to mislead him and be the cause of his downfall4 ,there are many more examples like unto these4 ,but all these sayings are but words and we see very few of them carried into the world of action4 ,on the contrary1 we perceive that men are carried away by passion and selfishness1 each man thinking only of what will benefit himself even if it means the ruin of his brother4 ,they are all anxious to make their fortune and care little or nothing for the welfare of others4 ,they are concerned about their own peace and comfort1 while the condition of their fellows troubles them not at all4 ,unhappily this is the road most men tread4 ,but ,bah's must not be thus2 they must rise above this condition4 ,actions must be more to them than words4 ,by their actions they must be merciful and not merely by their words4 ,they must on all occasions confirm by their actions what they proclaim in words4 ,their deeds must prove their fidelity1 and their actions must show forth ,divine light4 ,let your actions cry aloud to the world that you are indeed ,bah's1 for it is actions that speak to the world and are the cause of the progress of humanity4 ,if we are true ,bah's speech is not needed4 ,our actions will help on the world1 will spread civilization1 will help the progress of science1 and cause the arts to develop4 ,without action nothing in the material world can be accomplished1 neither can words unaided advance a man in the spiritual ,kingdom4 ,it is not through lip-service only that the elect of ,god have attained to holiness1 but by patient lives of active service they have brought light into the world4 ,therefore strive that your actions day by day may be beautiful prayers4 ,turn towards ,god1 and seek always to do that which is right and noble4 ,enrich the poor1 raise the fallen1 comfort the sorrowful1 bring healing to the sick1 reassure the fearful1 rescue the oppressed1 bring hope to the hopeless1 shelter the destitute6 ,this is the work of a true ,bah'1 and this is what is expected of him4 ,if we strive to do all this1 then are we true ,bah's1 but if we neglect it1 we are not followers of the ,light1 and we have no right to the name4 ,god1 who sees all hearts1 knows how far our lives are the fulfilment of our words4 ,,the ,,true ,,meaning ,,of ,,baptism ,,by ,,water ,,and ,,fire ,november #ith ,in the ,gospel according to ,st ,john1 ,christ has said3 #8,except a man be born of water and the ,spirit1 he cannot enter into the ,kingdom of ,heaven4'7#h7 ,the priests have interpreted this into meaning that baptism is necessary for salvation4 ,in another ,gospel it is said3 #8,he shall baptize you with the ,holy ,ghost and with fire'47#i7 ,thus the water of baptism and the fire are one6 ,it cannot mean that the #8water' spoken of is physical water1 for it is the direct opposite of #8fire'1 and one destroys the other4 ,when in the ,gospels1 ,christ speaks of #8water'1 ,he means that which causes life1 for without water no worldly creature can live--mineral1 vegetable1 animal and man1 one and all1 depend upon water for their very being4 ,yes1 the latest scientific discoveries prove to us that even mineral has some form of life1 and that it also needs water for its existence4 ,water is the cause of life1 and when ,christ speaks of water1 ,he is symbolizing that which is the cause of ,everlasting ,life4 ,this life-giving water of which ,he speaks is like unto fire1 for it is none other than the ,love of ,god1 and this love means life to our souls4 ,by the fire of the ,love of ,god the veil is burnt which separates us from the ,heavenly ,realities1 and with clear vision we are enabled to struggle onward and upward1 ever progressing in the paths of virtue and holiness1 and becoming the means of light to the world4 ,there is nothing greater or more blessed than the ,love of ,god6 ,it gives healing to the sick1 balm to the wounded1 joy and consolation to the whole world1 and through it alone can man attain ,life ,everlasting4 ,the essence of all religions is the ,love of ,god1 and it is the foundation of all the sacred teachings4 ,it was the ,love of ,god that led ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 that strengthened ,joseph in ,egypt and gave to ,moses courage and patience4 ,through the ,love of ,god1 ,christ was sent into the world with ,his inspiring example of a perfect life of self-sacrifice and devotion1 bringing to men the message of ,eternal ,life4 ,it was the ,love of ,god that gave ,muammad power to bring the ,arabs from a state of animal degradation to a loftier state of existence4 ,god's ,love it was that sustained the ,bb and brought him to his supreme sacrifice1 and made his bosom the willing target for a thousand bullets4 ,finally1 it was the ,love of ,god that gave to the ,east ,bah'u'llh1 and is now sending the light of ,his teaching far into the ,west1 and from ,pole to ,pole4 ,thus ,i exhort each of you1 realizing its power and beauty1 to sacrifice all your thoughts1 words and actions to bring the knowledge of the ,love of ,god into every heart4 ,,discourse ,,at #8,l',,alliance ,,spiritualiste' ,salle de l',athene1 ,st ,germain1 ,paris1 ,november #ith ,i wish to express my gratitude for your hospitality1 and my joy that you are spiritually minded4 ,i am happy to be present at a gathering such as this1 assembled together to listen to a ,divine ,message4 ,if you could see with the eye of truth1 great waves of spirituality would be visible to you in this place4 ,the power of the ,holy ,spirit is here for all4 ,praise be to ,god that your hearts are inspired with ,divine fervour6 ,your souls are as waves on the sea of the spirit2 although each individual is a distinct wave1 the ocean is one1 all are united in ,god4 ,every heart should radiate unity1 so that the ,light of the one ,divine ,source of all may shine forth bright and luminous4 ,we must not consider the separate waves alone1 but the entire sea4 ,we should rise from the individual to the whole4 ,the spirit is as one great ocean and the waves thereof are the souls of men4 ,we are told in the ,holy ,scripture that the ,new ,jerusalem shall appear on earth4 ,now it is evident that this celestial city is not built of material stones and mortar1 but that it is a city not made with hands1 eternal in the ,heavens4 ,this is a prophetic symbol1 meaning the coming again of the ,divine ,teaching to enlighten the hearts of men4 ,it is long since this ,holy ,guidance has governed the lives of humanity4 ,but now1 at last1 the ,holy ,city of the ,new ,jerusalem has come again to the world1 it has appeared anew under an ,eastern sky2 from the horizon of ,persia has its effulgence arisen to be a light to lighten the whole world4 ,we see in these days the fulfilment of the ,divine ,prophecy4 ,jerusalem had disappeared4 ,the heavenly city was destroyed1 now it is rebuilt2 it was razed to the ground1 but now its walls and pinnacles have been restored1 and are towering aloft in their renewed and glorious beauty4 ,in the ,western world material prosperity has triumphed1 whilst in the ,east the spiritual sun has shone forth4 ,i am very glad to see such an assembly as this in ,paris1 where spiritual and material progress are met together in unity4 ,man--the true man--is soul1 not body2 though physically man belongs to the animal kingdom1 yet his soul lifts him above the rest of creation4 ,behold how the light of the sun illuminates the world of matter3 even so doth the ,divine ,light shed its rays in the kingdom of the soul4 ,the soul it is which makes the human creature a celestial entity6 ,by the power of the ,holy ,spirit1 working through his soul1 man is able to perceive the ,divine reality of things4 ,all great works of art and science are witnesses to this power of the ,spirit4 ,the same ,spirit gives ,eternal ,life4 ,those alone who are baptized by the ,divine ,spirit will be enabled to bring all peoples into the bond of unity4 ,it is by the power of the ,spirit that the ,eastern ,world of spiritual thought can intermingle with the ,western realm of action1 so that the world of matter may become ,divine4 ,it follows that all who work for the ,supreme ,design are soldiers in the army of the ,spirit4 ,the light of the celestial world makes war against the world of shadow and illusion4 ,the rays of the ,sun of ,truth dispel the darkness of superstition and misunderstanding4 ,you are of the ,spirit6 ,to you who seek the truth1 the ,revelation of ,bah'u'llh will come as a great joy6 ,this teaching is of the ,spirit1 in it is no precept which is not of the ,divine ,spirit4 ,spirit cannot be perceived by the material senses of the physical body1 excepting as it is expressed in outward signs and works4 ,the human body is visible1 the soul is invisible4 ,it is the soul nevertheless that directs a man's faculties1 that governs his humanity4 ,the soul has two main faculties4 7a7 ,as outer circumstances are communicated to the soul by the eyes1 ears1 and brain of a man1 so does the soul communicate its desires and purposes through the brain to the hands and tongue of the physical body1 thereby expressing itself4 ,the spirit in the soul is the very essence of life4 7b7 ,the second faculty of the soul expresses itself in the world of vision1 where the soul inhabited by the spirit has its being1 and functions without the help of the material bodily senses4 ,there1 in the realm of vision1 the soul sees without the help of the physical eye1 hears without the aid of the physical ear1 and travels without dependence upon physical motion4 ,it is1 therefore1 clear that the spirit in the soul of man can function through the physical body by using the organs of the ordinary senses1 and that it is able also to live and act without their aid in the world of vision4 ,this proves without a doubt the superiority of the soul of man over his body1 the superiority of spirit over matter4 ,for example1 look at this lamp3 is not the light within it superior to the lamp which holds it8 ,however beautiful the form of the lamp may be1 if the light is not there its purpose is unfulfilled1 it is without life--a dead thing4 ,the lamp needs the light1 but the light does not need the lamp4 ,the spirit does not need a body1 but the body needs spirit1 or it cannot live4 ,the soul can live without a body1 but the body without a soul dies4 ,if a man lose his sight1 his hearing1 his hand or his foot1 should his soul still inhabit the body he lives1 and is able to manifest divine virtues4 ,on the other hand1 without the spirit it would be impossible for a perfect body to exist4 ,the greatest power of the ,holy ,spirit exists in the ,divine ,manifestations of the ,truth4 ,through the power of the ,spirit the ,heavenly ,teaching has been brought into the ,world of ,humanity4 ,through the power of the ,spirit life everlasting has come to the children of men4 ,through the power of the ,spirit the ,divine ,glory has shone from ,east to ,west1 and through the power of the same ,spirit will the divine virtues of humanity become manifest4 ,our greatest efforts must be directed towards detachment from the things of the world2 we must strive to become more spiritual1 more luminous1 to follow the counsel of the ,divine ,teaching1 to serve the cause of unity and true equality1 to be merciful1 to reflect the love of the ,highest on all men1 so that the light of the ,spirit shall be apparent in all our deeds1 to the end that all humanity shall be united1 the stormy sea thereof calmed1 and all rough waves disappear from off the surface of life's ocean henceforth unruffled and peaceful4 ,then will the ,new ,jerusalem be seen by mankind1 who will enter through its gates and receive the ,divine ,bounty4 ,i thank ,god that ,i have been present amongst you this afternoon1 and ,i thank you for your spiritual feeling4 ,i pray that you may grow in ,divine fervour1 and that the power of unity in the ,spirit will augment1 so that the prophecies may be fulfilled1 and that in this great century of the ,light of ,god all the glad tidings written in the ,sacred ,books may come to pass4 ,this is the glorious time of which the ,lord ,jesus ,christ spoke when ,he told us to pray #8,thy ,kingdom come1 ,thy ,will be done on earth as it is in ,heaven'4 ,i hope that this is also your expectation and great desire4 ,we are united in the one aim and hope that all shall be as one and every heart illumined by the ,love of our ,divine ,father1 ,god6 ,may all our actions be spiritual1 and all our interests and affections be centred in the ,kingdom of ,glory6 ,,the ,,evolution ,,of ,,the ,,spirit #ae ,rue ,greuze1 ,paris1 ,november #ajth #8,abdu'l-,bah said3 ,tonight ,i will speak of the evolution or progress of the spirit4 ,absolute repose does not exist in nature4 ,all things either make progress or lose ground4 ,everything moves forward or backward1 nothing is without motion4 ,from his birth1 a man progresses physically until he reaches maturity1 then1 having arrived at the prime of his life1 he begins to decline1 the strength and powers of his body decrease1 and he gradually arrives at the hour of death4 ,likewise a plant progresses from the seed to maturity1 then its life begins to lessen until it fades and dies4 ,a bird soars to a certain height and having reached the highest possible point in its flight1 begins its descent to earth4 ,thus it is evident that movement is essential to all existence4 ,all material things progress to a certain point1 then begin to decline4 ,this is the law which governs the whole physical creation4 ,now let us consider the soul4 ,we have seen that movement is essential to existence2 nothing that has life is without motion4 ,all creation1 whether of the mineral1 vegetable or animal kingdom1 is compelled to obey the law of motion2 it must either ascend or descend4 ,but with the human soul1 there is no decline4 ,its only movement is towards perfection2 growth and progress alone constitute the motion of the soul4 ,divine perfection is infinite1 therefore the progress of the soul is also infinite4 ,from the very birth of a human being the soul progresses1 the intellect grows and knowledge increases4 ,when the body dies the soul lives on4 ,all the differing degrees of created physical beings are limited1 but the soul is limitless6 ,in all religions the belief exists that the soul survives the death of the body4 ,intercessions are sent up for the beloved dead1 prayers are said for their progress and for the forgiveness of their sins4 ,if the soul perished with the body all this would have no meaning4 ,further1 if it were not possible for the soul to advance towards perfection after it had been released from the body1 of what avail are all these loving prayers1 of devotion8 ,we read in the sacred writings that #8all good works are found again'47#aj7 ,now1 if the soul did not survive1 this also would mean nothing6 ,the very fact that our spiritual instinct1 surely never given in vain1 prompts us to pray for the welfare of those1 our loved ones1 who have passed out of the material world3 does it not bear witness to the continuance of their existence8 ,in the world of spirit there is no retrogression4 ,the world of mortality is a world of contradictions1 of opposites2 motion being compulsory everything must either go forward or retreat4 ,in the realm of spirit there is no retreat possible1 all movement is bound to be towards a perfect state4 #8,progress' is the expression of spirit in the world of matter4 ,the intelligence of man1 his reasoning powers1 his knowledge1 his scientific achievements1 all these being manifestations of the spirit1 partake of the inevitable law of spiritual progress and are1 therefore1 of necessity1 immortal4 ,my hope for you is that you will progress in the world of spirit1 as well as in the world of matter2 that your intelligence will develop1 your knowledge will augment1 and your understanding be widened4 ,you must ever press forward1 never standing still2 avoid stagnation1 the first step to a backward movement1 to decay4 ,the whole physical creation is perishable4 ,these material bodies are composed of atoms2 when these atoms begin to separate decomposition sets in1 then comes what we call death4 ,this composition of atoms1 which constitutes the body or mortal element of any created being1 is temporary4 ,when the power of attraction1 which holds these atoms together1 is withdrawn1 the body1 as such1 ceases to exist4 ,with the soul it is different4 ,the soul is not a combination of elements1 it is not composed of many atoms1 it is of one indivisible substance and therefore eternal4 ,it is entirely out of the order of the physical creation2 it is immortal6 ,scientific philosophy has demonstrated that a simple element 7#8simple' meaning #8not composed'7 is indestructible1 eternal4 ,the soul1 not being a composition of elements1 is1 in character1 as a simple element1 and therefore cannot cease to exist4 ,the soul1 being of that one indivisible substance1 can suffer neither disintegration nor destruction1 therefore there is no reason for its coming to an end4 ,all things living show signs of their existence1 and it follows that these signs could not of themselves exist if that which they express or to which they testify had no being4 ,a thing which does not exist1 can1 of course1 give no sign of its existence4 ,the manifold signs of the existence of the spirit are for ever before us4 ,the traces of the ,spirit of ,jesus ,christ1 the influence of ,his ,divine ,teaching1 is present with us today1 and is everlasting4 ,a non-existent thing1 it is agreed1 cannot be seen by signs4 ,in order to write a man must exist--one who does not exist cannot write4 ,writing is1 in itself1 a sign of the writer's soul and intelligence4 ,the ,sacred ,writings 7with ever the same ,teaching7 prove the continuity of the spirit4 ,consider the aim of creation3 is it possible that all is created to evolve and develop through countless ages with this small goal in view--a few years of a man's life on earth8 ,is it not unthinkable that this should be the final aim of existence8 ,the mineral evolves till it is absorbed in the life of the plant1 the plant progresses till finally it loses its life in that of the animal2 the animal1 in its turn1 forming part of the food of man1 is absorbed into human life4 ,thus1 man is shown to be the sum of all creation1 the superior of all created beings1 the goal to which countless ages of existence have progressed4 ,at the best1 man spends four-score years and ten in this world--a short time indeed6 ,does a man cease to exist when he leaves the body8 ,if his life comes to an end1 then all the previous evolution is useless1 all has been for nothing6 ,can one imagine that ,creation has no greater aim than this8 ,the soul is eternal1 immortal4 ,materialists say1 #8,where is the soul8 ,what is it8 ,we cannot see it1 neither can we touch it'4 ,this is how we must answer them3 ,however much the mineral may progress1 it cannot comprehend the vegetable world4 ,now1 that lack of comprehension does not prove the non-existence of the plant6 ,to however great a degree the plant may have evolved1 it is unable to understand the animal world2 this ignorance is no proof that the animal does not exist6 ,the animal1 be he never so highly developed1 cannot imagine the intelligence of man1 neither can he realize the nature of his soul4 ,but1 again1 this does not prove that man is without intellect1 or without soul4 ,it only demonstrates this1 that one form of existence is incapable of comprehending a form superior to itself4 ,this flower may be unconscious of such a being as man1 but the fact of its ignorance does not prevent the existence of humanity4 ,in the same way1 if materialists do not believe in the existence of the soul1 their unbelief does not prove that there is no such realm as the world of spirit4 ,the very existence of man's intelligence proves his immortality2 moreover1 darkness proves the presence of light1 for without light there would be no shadow4 ,poverty proves the existence of riches1 for1 without riches1 how could we measure poverty8 ,ignorance proves that knowledge exists1 for without knowledge how could there be ignorance8 ,therefore the idea of mortality presupposes the existence of immortality--for if there were no ,life ,eternal1 there would be no way of measuring the life of this world6 ,if the spirit were not immortal1 how could the ,manifestations of ,god endure such terrible trials8 ,why did ,christ ,jesus suffer the fearful death on the cross8 ,why did ,muammad bear persecutions8 ,why did the ,bb make the supreme sacrifice and why did ,bah'u'llh pass the years of his life in prison8 ,why should all this suffering have been1 if not to prove the everlasting life of the spirit8 ,christ suffered1 ,he accepted all ,his trials because of the immortality of ,his spirit4 ,if a man reflects he will understand the spiritual significance of the law of progress2 how all moves from the inferior to the superior degree4 ,it is only a man without intelligence who1 after considering these things1 can imagine that the great scheme of creation should suddenly cease to progress1 that evolution should come to such an inadequate end6 ,materialists who reason in this way1 and contend that we are unable to see the world of spirit1 or to perceive the blessings of ,god1 are surely like the animals who have no understanding2 having eyes they see not1 ears they have1 but do not hear4 ,and this lack of sight and hearing is a proof of nothing but their own inferiority2 of whom we read in the ,qur'n1 #8,they are men who are blind and deaf to the ,spirit4' ,they do not use that great gift of ,god1 the power of the understanding1 by which they might see with the eyes of the spirit1 hear with spiritual ears and also comprehend with a ,divinely enlightened heart4 ,the inability of the materialistic mind to grasp the idea of the ,life ,eternal is no proof of the non-existence of that life4 ,the comprehension of that other life depends on our spiritual birth6 ,my prayer for you is that your spiritual faculties and aspirations may daily increase1 and that you will never allow the material senses to veil from your eyes the glories of the ,heavenly ,illumination4 ,,the ,,desires ,,and ,,prayers ,,of #8,,abdu',l-,,bah ,november #aeth #8,abdu'l-,bah said3 ,you are all very welcome1 and ,i love you all most dearly4 ,day and night ,i pray to ,heaven for you that strength may be yours1 and that1 one and all1 you may participate in the blessings of ,bah'u'llh1 and enter into the ,kingdom4 ,i supplicate that you may become as new beings1 illumined with the ,divine ,light1 like unto shining lamps1 and that from one end of ,europe to the other the knowledge of the ,love of ,god may spread4 ,may this boundless love so fill your hearts and minds that sadness may find no room to enter and may you with joyful hearts soar like birds into the ,divine ,radiance4 ,may your hearts become clear and pure like unto polished mirrors in which may be reflected the full glory of the ,sun of ,truth4 ,may your eyes be opened to see the signs of the ,kingdom of ,god1 and may your ears be unstopped so that you may hear with a perfect understanding the ,heavenly ,proclamation sounding in your midst4 ,may your souls receive help and comfort1 and1 being so strengthened1 may they be enabled to live in accordance with the teachings of ,bah'u'llh4 ,i pray for each and all that you may be as flames of love in the world1 and that the brightness of your light and the warmth of your affection may reach the heart of every sad and sorrowing child of ,god4 ,may you be as shining stars1 bright and luminous for ever in the ,kingdom4 ,i counsel you that you study earnestly the teachings of ,bah'u'llh1 so that1 ,god helping you1 you may in deed and truth become ,bah's4 ,,concerning ,,body1 ,,soul ,,and ,,spirit #d ,avenue de ,camens1 ,paris1 ,friday morning1 ,november #agth ,there are in the world of humanity three degrees2 those of the body1 the soul1 and spirit4 ,the body is the physical or animal degree of man4 ,from the bodily point of view man is a sharer of the animal kingdom4 ,the bodies alike of men and animals are composed of elements held together by the law of attraction4 ,like the animal1 man possesses the faculties of the senses1 is subject to heat1 cold1 hunger1 thirst1 etc42 unlike the animal1 man has a rational soul1 the human intelligence4 ,this intelligence of man is the intermediary between his body and his spirit4 ,when man allows the spirit1 through his soul1 to enlighten his understanding1 then does he contain all ,creation2 because man1 being the culmination of all that went before and thus superior to all previous evolutions1 contains all the lower world within himself4 ,illumined by the spirit through the instrumentality of the soul1 man's radiant intelligence makes him the crowning-point of ,creation4 ,but on the other hand1 when man does not open his mind and heart to the blessing of the spirit1 but turns his soul towards the material side1 towards the bodily part of his nature1 then is he fallen from his high place and he becomes inferior to the inhabitants of the lower animal kingdom4 ,in this case the man is in a sorry plight6 ,for if the spiritual qualities of the soul1 open to the breath of the ,divine ,spirit1 are never used1 they become atrophied1 enfeebled1 and at last incapable2 whilst the soul's material qualities alone being exercised1 they become terribly powerful--and the unhappy1 misguided man1 becomes more savage1 more unjust1 more vile1 more cruel1 more malevolent than the lower animals themselves4 ,all his aspirations and desires being strengthened by the lower side of the soul's nature1 he becomes more and more brutal1 until his whole being is in no way superior to that of the beasts that perish4 ,men such as this1 plan to work evil1 to hurt and to destroy2 they are entirely without the spirit of ,divine compassion1 for the celestial quality of the soul has been dominated by that of the material4 ,if1 on the contrary1 the spiritual nature of the soul has been so strengthened that it holds the material side in subjection1 then does the man approach the ,divine2 his humanity becomes so glorified that the virtues of the ,celestial ,assembly are manifested in him2 he radiates the ,mercy of ,god1 he stimulates the spiritual progress of mankind1 for he becomes a lamp to show light on their path4 ,you perceive how the soul is the intermediary between the body and the spirit4 ,in like manner is this tree7#aa7 the intermediary between the seed and the fruit4 ,when the fruit of the tree appears and becomes ripe1 then we know that the tree is perfect2 if the tree bore no fruit it would be merely a useless growth1 serving no purpose6 ,when a soul has in it the life of the spirit1 then does it bring forth good fruit and become a ,divine tree4 ,i wish you to try to understand this example4 ,i hope that the unspeakable goodness of ,god will so strengthen you that the celestial quality of your soul1 which relates it to the spirit1 will for ever dominate the material side1 so entirely ruling the senses that your soul will approach the perfections of the ,heavenly ,kingdom4 ,may your faces1 being steadfastly set towards the ,divine ,light1 become so luminous that all your thoughts1 words and actions will shine with the ,spiritual ,radiance dominating your souls1 so that in the gatherings of the world you will show perfection in your life4 ,some men's lives are solely occupied with the things of this world2 their minds are so circumscribed by exterior manners and traditional interests that they are blind to any other realm of existence1 to the spiritual significance of all things6 ,they think and dream of earthly fame1 of material progress4 ,sensuous delights and comfortable surroundings bound their horizon1 their highest ambitions centre in successes of worldly conditions and circumstances6 ,they curb not their lower propensities2 they eat1 drink1 and sleep6 ,like the animal1 they have no thought beyond their own physical well-being4 ,it is true that these necessities must be despatched4 ,life is a load which must be carried on while we are on earth1 but the cares of the lower things of life should not be allowed to monopolize all the thoughts and aspirations of a human being4 ,the heart's ambitions should ascend to a more glorious goal1 mental activity should rise to higher levels6 ,men should hold in their souls the vision of celestial perfection1 and there prepare a dwelling-place for the inexhaustible bounty of the ,divine ,spirit4 ,let your ambition be the achievement on earth of a ,heavenly civilization6 ,i ask for you the supreme blessing1 that you may be so filled with the vitality of the ,heavenly ,spirit that you may be the cause of life to the world4 ,,the ,,bah',s ,,must ,,work ,,with ,,heart ,,and ,,soul ,,to ,,bring ,,about ,a ,,better ,,condition ,,in ,,the ,,world ,november #aith ,how joyful it is to see such a meeting as this1 for it is in truth a gathering together of #8heavenly men'4 ,we are all united in one ,divine purpose1 no material motive is ours1 and our dearest wish is to spread the ,love of ,god throughout the world6 ,we work and pray for the unity of mankind1 that all the races of the earth may become one race1 all the countries one country1 and that all hearts may beat as one heart1 working together for perfect unity and brotherhood4 ,praise be to ,god that our efforts are sincere and that our hearts are turned to the ,kingdom4 ,our greatest longing is that truth may be established in the world1 and in this hope we draw near to one another in love and affection4 ,each and all are whole-hearted and selfless1 willing to sacrifice all personal ambition to the grand ideal towards which they strive3 ,brotherly love and peace and union among men6 ,doubt not that ,god is with us1 on our right hand and on our left1 that day by day ,he will cause our numbers to increase1 and that our meetings will grow in strength and usefulness4 ,it is my dearest hope that you may all become a blessing to others1 that you may give sight to the spiritually blind1 hearing to the spiritually deaf and life to those who are dead in sin4 ,may you help those sunk in materiality to realize their ,divine son-ship1 and encourage them to arise and be worthy of their birthright2 so that by your endeavour the world of humanity may become the ,kingdom of ,god and of ,his elect4 ,i thank ,god that we are at one in this grand ideal1 that my longings are also yours and that we work together in perfect unity4 ,today1 upon the earth1 one sees the sad spectacle of cruel war6 ,man slays his brother man for selfish gain1 and to enlarge his territories6 ,for this ignoble ambition hate has taken possession of his heart1 and more and more blood is shed6 ,fresh battles are fought1 the armies are increased1 more cannon1 more guns1 more explosives of all kinds are sent out--so does bitterness and hate augment from day to day6 ,but this assembly1 thank ,god1 longs only for peace and unity1 and must work with heart and soul to bring about a better condition in the world4 ,you who are the servants of ,god fight against oppression1 hate and discord1 so that wars may cease and ,god's laws of peace and love may be established among men4 ,work6 ,work with all your strength1 spread the ,cause of the ,kingdom among men2 teach the self-sufficient to turn humbly towards ,god1 the sinful to sin no more1 and await with glad expectation the coming of the ,kingdom4 ,love and obey your ,heavenly ,father1 and rest assured that ,divine help is yours4 ,verily ,i say unto you that you shall indeed conquer the world6 ,only have faith1 patience and courage--this is but the beginning1 but surely you will succeed1 for ,god is with you6 ,,on ,,calumny ,monday1 ,november #bjth ,from the beginning of the world until the present time each #8,manifestation'7#ab7 sent from ,god has been opposed by an embodiment of the #8,powers of ,darkness'4 ,this dark power has always endeavoured to extinguish the light4 ,tyranny has ever sought to overcome justice4 ,ignorance has persistently tried to trample knowledge underfoot4 ,this has1 from the earliest ages1 been the method of the material world4 ,in the time of ,moses1 ,pharaoh set himself to prevent the ,mosaic ,light being spread abroad4 ,in the day of ,christ1 ,annas and ,caiaphas inflamed the ,jewish people against ,him and the learned doctors of ,israel joined together to resist ,his ,power4 ,all sorts of calumnies were circulated against ,him4 ,the ,scribes and ,pharisees conspired to make the people believe ,him to be a liar1 an apostate1 and a blasphemer4 ,they spread these slanders throughout the whole ,eastern world against ,christ1 and caused ,him to be condemned to a shameful death6 ,in the case of ,muammad also1 the learned doctors of ,his day determined to extinguish the light of ,his influence4 ,they tried by the power of the sword to prevent the spread of ,his teaching4 ,in spite of all their efforts the ,sun of ,truth shone forth from the horizon4 ,in every case the army of light vanquished the powers of darkness on the battlefield of the world1 and the radiance of the ,divine ,teaching illumined the earth4 ,those who accepted the ,teaching and worked for the ,cause of ,god became luminous stars in the sky of humanity4 ,now1 in our own day1 history repeats itself4 ,those who would have men believe that religion is their own private property once more bring their efforts to bear against the ,sun of ,truth3 they resist the ,command of ,god2 they invent calumnies1 not having arguments against it1 neither proofs4 ,they attack with masked faces1 not daring to come forth into the light of day4 ,our methods are different1 we do not attack1 neither calumniate2 we do not wish to dispute with them2 we bring forth proofs and arguments2 we invite them to confute our statements4 ,they cannot answer us1 but instead1 they write all they can think of against the ,divine ,messenger1 ,bah'u'llh4 ,do not let your hearts be troubled by these defamatory writings6 ,obey the words of ,bah'u'llh and answer them not4 ,rejoice1 rather1 that even these falsehoods will result in the spread of the truth4 ,when these slanders appear inquiries are made1 and those who inquire are led into a knowledge of the ,faith4 ,if a man were to declare1 #8,there is a lamp in the next room which gives no light'1 one hearer might be satisfied with his report1 but a wiser man goes into the room to judge for himself1 and behold1 when he finds the light shining brilliantly in the lamp1 he knows the truth6 ,again1 a man proclaims3 #8,there lies a garden in which there are trees with broken branches bearing no fruit1 and the leaves thereof are faded and yellow6 ,in that garden1 also1 there are flowering plants with no blooms1 and rose bushes withered and dying--go not into that garden6' ,a just man1 hearing this account of the garden1 would not be content without seeing for himself whether it be true or not4 ,he1 therefore1 enters the garden1 and behold1 he finds it well tilled2 the branches of the trees are sturdy and strong1 being also loaded with the sweetest of ripe fruits amongst the luxuriance of beautiful green leaves4 ,the flowering plants are bright with many-hued blossoms2 the rose bushes are covered with fragrant and lovely roses and all is verdant and well tended4 ,when the glory of the garden is spread out before the eyes of the just man1 he praises ,god that1 through unworthy calumny1 he has been led into a place of such wondrous beauty6 ,this is the result of the slanderer's work3 to be the cause of guiding men to a discovery of the truth4 ,we know that all the falsehoods spread about ,christ and ,his apostles and all the books written against ,him1 only led the people to inquire into ,his doctrine2 then1 having seen the beauty and inhaled the fragrance1 they walked evermore amidst the roses and the fruits of that celestial garden4 ,therefore1 ,i say unto you1 spread the ,divine ,truth with all your might that men's intelligence may become enlightened2 this is the best answer to those who slander4 ,i do not wish to speak of those people nor to say anything ill of them--only to tell you that slander is of no importance6 ,clouds may veil the sun1 but1 be they never so dense1 his rays will penetrate6 ,nothing can prevent the radiance of the sun descending to warm and vivify the ,divine ,garden4 ,nothing can prevent the fall of the rain from ,heaven4 ,nothing can prevent the fulfilment of the ,word of ,god6 ,therefore when you see books and papers written against the ,revelation1 be not distressed1 but take comfort in the assurance that the cause will thereby gain strength4 ,no one casts stones at a tree without fruit4 ,no one tries to extinguish a lamp without light6 ,regard the former times4 ,had the calumnies of ,pharaoh any effect8 ,he affirmed that ,moses was a murderer1 that he had slain a man and deserved to be executed6 ,he also declared that ,moses and ,aaron were fomenters of discord1 that they tried to destroy the religion of ,egypt and therefore must be put to death4 ,these words of ,pharaoh were vainly spoken4 ,the light of ,moses shone4 ,the radiance of the ,law of ,god has encircled the world6 ,when the ,pharisees said of ,christ that ,he had broken the ,sabbath ,day1 that ,he had defied the ,law of ,moses1 that ,he had threatened to destroy the ,temple and the ,holy ,city of ,jerusalem1 and that ,he deserved to be crucified--,we know that all these slanderous attacks had no result in hindering the spread of the ,gospel6 ,the ,sun of ,christ shone brilliantly in the sky1 and the breath of the ,holy ,spirit wafted over the whole earth6 ,and ,i say unto you that no calumny is able to prevail against the ,light of ,god2 it can only result in causing it to be more universally recognized4 ,if a cause were of no significance1 who would take the trouble to work against it6 ,but always the greater the cause the more do enemies arise in larger and larger numbers to attempt its overthrow6 ,the brighter the light the darker the shadow6 ,our part it is to act in accordance with the teaching of ,bah'u'llh in humility and firm steadfastness4 ,,there ,,can ,,be ,,no ,,true ,,happiness ,,and ,,progress ,,without ,,spirituality ,november #bast ,ferocity and savagery are natural to animals1 but men should show forth the qualities of love and affection4 ,god sent all ,his ,prophets into the world with one aim1 to sow in the hearts of men love and goodwill1 and for this great purpose they were willing to suffer and to die4 ,all the sacred ,books were written to lead and direct man into the ways of love and unity2 and yet1 in spite of all this1 we have the sad spectacle of war and bloodshed in our midst4 ,when we look into the pages of history1 past and present1 we see the black earth reddened by human blood4 ,men kill each other like the savage wolves1 and forget the laws of love and tolerance4 ,now this luminous age has come1 bringing with it wonderful civilization and material progress4 ,men's intellects have widened1 their perceptions grown1 but alas1 in spite of all this1 fresh blood is being spilt day by day4 ,look at the present ,turco-,italian war2 consider for a moment the fate of these unhappy people6 ,how many have been killed during this sad time8 ,how many homes are ruined1 wives desolate1 and children orphans6 ,and what is to be gained in exchange for all this anguish and heartache8 ,only a corner of the earth6 ,this all shows that material progress alone does not tend to uplift man4 ,on the contrary1 the more he becomes immersed in material progress1 the more does his spirituality become obscured4 ,in times gone by progress on the material plane was not so rapid1 neither was there bloodshed in such profusion4 ,in ancient warfare there were no cannons1 no guns1 no dynamite1 no shells1 no torpedo boats1 no battleships1 no submarines4 ,now1 owing to material civilization1 we have all these inventions1 and war goes from bad to worse6 ,europe itself has become like one immense arsenal1 full of explosives1 and may ,god prevent its ignition--for1 should this happen1 the whole world would be involved4 ,i want to make you understand that material progress and spiritual progress are two very different things1 and that only if material progress goes hand in hand with spirituality can any real progress come about1 and the ,most ,great ,peace reign in the world4 ,if men followed the ,holy ,counsels and the ,teachings of the ,prophets1 if ,divine ,light shone in all hearts and men were really religious1 we should soon see peace on earth and the ,kingdom of ,god among men4 ,the laws of ,god may be likened unto the soul and material progress unto the body4 ,if the body was not animated by the soul1 it would cease to exist4 ,it is my earnest prayer that spirituality may ever grow and increase in the world1 so that customs may become enlightened and peace and concord may be established4 ,war and rapine with their attendant cruelties are an abomination to ,god1 and bring their own punishment1 for the ,god of love is also a ,god of justice and each man must inevitably reap what he sows4 ,let us try to understand the commands of the ,most ,high and to order our lives as ,he directs4 ,true happiness depends on spiritual good and having the heart ever open to receive the ,divine ,bounty4 ,if the heart turns away from the blessings ,god offers how can it hope for happiness8 ,if it does not put its hope and trust in ,god's ,mercy1 where can it find rest8 ,oh1 trust in ,god6 for ,his ,bounty is everlasting1 and in ,his ,blessings1 for they are superb4 ,oh6 put your faith in the ,almighty1 for ,he faileth not and ,his goodness endureth for ever6 ,his ,sun giveth ,light continually1 and the ,clouds of ,his ,mercy are full of the ,waters of ,compassion with which ,he waters the hearts of all who trust in ,him4 ,his refreshing ,breeze ever carries healing in its wings to the parched souls of men6 ,is it wise to turn away from such a loving ,father1 ,who showers ,his blessings upon us1 and to choose rather to be slaves of matter8 ,god in ,his infinite goodness has exalted us to so much honour1 and has made us masters over the material world4 ,shall we then become her slaves8 ,nay1 rather let us claim our birthright1 and strive to live the life of the spiritual sons of ,god4 ,the glorious ,sun of ,truth has once again risen in the ,east4 ,from the far horizon of ,persia its radiance is spreading far and wide1 dispersing the dense clouds of superstition4 ,the light of the unity of mankind is beginning to illumine the world1 and soon the banner of ,divine harmony and the solidarity of nations will be flying high in the ,heavens4 ,yea1 the breezes of the ,holy ,spirit will inspire the whole world6 ,oh1 peoples and nations6 ,arise and work and be happy6 ,gather together under the tent of the unity of mankind6 ,,pain ,,and ,,sorrow ,november #bbnd ,in this world we are influenced by two sentiments1 ,joy and ,pain4 ,joy gives us wings6 ,in times of joy our strength is more vital1 our intellect keener1 and our understanding less clouded4 ,we seem better able to cope with the world and to find our sphere of usefulness4 ,but when sadness visits us we become weak1 our strength leaves us1 our comprehension is dim and our intelligence veiled4 ,the actualities of life seem to elude our grasp1 the eyes of our spirits fail to discover the sacred mysteries1 and we become even as dead beings4 ,there is no human being untouched by these two influences2 but all the sorrow and the grief that exist come from the world of matter--the spiritual world bestows only the joy6 ,if we suffer it is the outcome of material things1 and all the trials and troubles come from this world of illusion4 ,for instance1 a merchant may lose his trade and depression ensues4 ,a workman is dismissed and starvation stares him in the face4 ,a farmer has a bad harvest1 anxiety fills his mind4 ,a man builds a house which is burnt to the ground and he is straightway homeless1 ruined1 and in despair4 ,all these examples are to show you that the trials which beset our every step1 all our sorrow1 pain1 shame and grief1 are born in the world of matter2 whereas the spiritual ,kingdom never causes sadness4 ,a man living with his thoughts in this ,kingdom knows perpetual joy4 ,the ills all flesh is heir to do not pass him by1 but they only touch the surface of his life1 the depths are calm and serene4 ,today1 humanity is bowed down with trouble1 sorrow and grief1 no one escapes2 the world is wet with tears2 but1 thank ,god1 the remedy is at our doors4 ,let us turn our hearts away from the world of matter and live in the spiritual world6 ,it alone can give us freedom6 ,if we are hemmed in by difficulties we have only to call upon ,god1 and by ,his great ,mercy we shall be helped4 ,if sorrow and adversity visit us1 let us turn our faces to the ,kingdom and heavenly consolation will be outpoured4 ,if we are sick and in distress let us implore ,god's healing1 and ,he will answer our prayer4 ,when our thoughts are filled with the bitterness of this world1 let us turn our eyes to the sweetness of ,god's compassion and ,he will send us heavenly calm6 ,if we are imprisoned in the material world1 our spirit can soar into the ,heavens and we shall be free indeed6 ,when our days are drawing to a close let us think of the eternal worlds1 and we shall be full of joy6 ,you see all round you proofs of the inadequacy of material things--how joy1 comfort1 peace and consolation are not to be found in the transitory things of the world4 ,is it not then foolishness to refuse to seek these treasures where they may be found8 ,the doors of the spiritual ,kingdom are open to all1 and without is absolute darkness4 ,thank ,god that you in this assembly have this knowledge1 for in all the sorrows of life you can obtain supreme consolation4 ,if your days on earth are numbered1 you know that everlasting life awaits you4 ,if material anxiety envelops you in a dark cloud1 spiritual radiance lightens your path4 ,verily1 those whose minds are illumined by the ,spirit of the ,most ,high have supreme consolation4 ,i myself was in prison forty years--one year alone would have been impossible to bear--nobody survived that imprisonment more than a year6 ,but1 thank ,god1 during all those forty years ,i was supremely happy6 ,every day1 on waking1 it was like hearing good tidings1 and every night infinite joy was mine4 ,spirituality was my comfort1 and turning to ,god was my greatest joy4 ,if this had not been so1 do you think it possible that ,i could have lived through those forty years in prison8 ,thus1 spirituality is the greatest of ,god's gifts1 and #8,life ,everlasting' means #8,turning to ,god'4 ,may you1 one and all1 increase daily in spirituality1 may you be strengthened in all goodness1 may you be helped more and more by the ,divine consolation1 be made free by the ,holy ,spirit of ,god1 and may the power of the ,heavenly ,kingdom live and work among you4 ,this is my earnest desire1 and ,i pray to ,god to grant you this favour4 ,,the ,,perfect ,,human ,,sentiments ,,and ,,virtues ,november #bcrd #8,abdu'l-,bah said3 ,you should all be very happy and thankful to ,god for the great privilege that is yours4 ,this is purely a spiritual meeting6 ,praise be to ,god1 your hearts are turned to ,him1 your souls are attracted to the ,kingdom1 you have spiritual aspirations1 and your thoughts soar above the world of dust4 ,you belong to the world of purity1 and are not content to live the life of the animal1 spending your days in eating1 drinking1 and sleeping4 ,you are indeed men6 ,your thoughts and ambitions are set to acquire human perfection4 ,you live to do good and to bring happiness to others4 ,your greatest longing is to comfort those who mourn1 to strengthen the weak1 and to be the cause of hope to the despairing soul4 ,day and night your thoughts are turned to the ,kingdom1 and your hearts are full of the ,love of ,god4 ,thus you know neither opposition1 dislike1 nor hatred1 for every living creature is dear to you and the good of each is sought4 ,these are perfect human sentiments and virtues4 ,if a man has none of these1 he had better cease to exist4 ,if a lamp has ceased to give light1 it had better be destroyed4 ,if a tree bear no fruit1 it had better be cut down1 for it only cumbereth the ground4 ,verily1 it is better a thousand times for a man to die than to continue living without virtue4 ,we have eyes wherewith to see1 but if we do not use them how do they profit us8 ,we have ears wherewith to hear1 but if we are deaf of what use are they8 ,we have a tongue wherewith to praise ,god and proclaim the good tidings1 but if we are dumb how useless it is6 ,the ,all-loving ,god created man to radiate the ,divine light and to illumine the world by his words1 action and life4 ,if he is without virtue he becomes no better than a mere animal1 and an animal devoid of intelligence is a vile thing4 ,the ,heavenly ,father gave the priceless gift of intelligence to man so that he might become a spiritual light1 piercing the darkness of materiality1 and bringing goodness and truth into the world4 ,if ye will follow earnestly the teachings of ,bah'u'llh1 ye shall indeed become the light of the world1 the soul for the body of the world1 the comfort and help for humanity1 and the source of salvation for the whole universe4 ,strive therefore1 with heart and soul1 to follow the precepts of the ,blessed ,perfection1 and rest assured that if ye succeed in living the life he marks out for you1 ,eternal ,life and everlasting joy in the ,heavenly ,kingdom will be yours1 and celestial sustenance will be sent to strengthen you all your days4 ,it is my heartfelt prayer that each one of you may attain to this perfect joy6 ,,the ,,cruel ,,indifference ,,of ,,people ,,towards ,,the ,,suffering ,,of ,,foreign ,,races ,november #bdth #8,abdu'l-,bah said3 ,i have just been told that there has been a terrible accident in this country4 ,a train has fallen into the river and at least twenty people have been killed4 ,this is going to be a matter for discussion in the ,french ,parliament today1 and the ,director of the ,state ,railway will be called upon to speak4 ,he will be cross-examined as to the condition of the railroad and as to what caused the accident1 and there will be a heated argument4 ,i am filled with wonder and surprise to notice what interest and excitement has been aroused throughout the whole country on account of the death of twenty people1 while they remain cold and indifferent to the fact that thousands of ,italians1 ,turks1 and ,arabs are killed in ,tripoli6 ,the horror of this wholesale slaughter has not disturbed the ,government at all6 ,yet these unfortunate people are human beings too4 ,why is there so much interest and eager sympathy shown towards these twenty individuals1 while for five thousand persons there is none8 ,they are all men1 they all belong to the family of mankind1 but they are of other lands and races4 ,it is no concern of the disinterested countries if these men are cut to pieces1 this wholesale slaughter does not affect them6 ,how unjust1 how cruel is this1 how utterly devoid of any good and true feeling6 ,the people of these other lands have children and wives1 mothers1 daughters1 and little sons6 ,in these countries today there is hardly a house free from the sound of bitter weeping1 scarcely can one find a home untouched by the cruel hand of war4 ,alas6 we see on all sides how cruel1 prejudiced and unjust is man1 and how slow he is to believe in ,god and follow ,his commandments4 ,if these people would love and help one another instead of being so eager to destroy with sword and cannon1 how much nobler would it be6 ,how much better if they would live like a flock of doves in peace and harmony1 instead of being like wolves and tearing each other to pieces4 ,why is man so hard of heart8 ,it is because he does not yet know ,god4 ,if he had knowledge of ,god he could not act in direct opposition to ,his laws2 if he were spiritually minded such a line of conduct would be impossible to him4 ,if only the laws and precepts of the prophets of ,god had been believed1 understood and followed1 wars would no longer darken the face of the earth4 ,if man had even the rudiments of justice1 such a state of things would be impossible4 ,therefore1 ,i say unto you pray--pray and turn your faces to ,god1 that ,he1 in ,his infinite compassion and mercy1 may help and succour these misguided ones4 ,pray that ,he will grant them spiritual understanding and teach them tolerance and mercy1 that the eyes of their minds may be opened and that they may be endued with the gift of the spirit4 ,then would peace and love walk hand in hand through the lands1 and these poor unhappy people might have rest4 ,let us all strive night and day to help in the bringing about of better conditions4 ,my heart is broken by these terrible things and cries aloud--may this cry reach other hearts6 ,then will the blind see1 the dead will be raised1 and ,justice will come and reign upon the earth4 ,i beseech you all to pray with heart and soul that this may be accomplished4 ,,we ,,must ,,not ,,be ,,discouraged ,,by ,,the ,,smallness ,,of ,,our ,,numbers ,november #beth ,when ,christ appeared ,he manifested ,himself at ,jerusalem4 ,he called men to the ,kingdom of ,god1 ,he invited them to ,eternal ,life and ,he told them to acquire human perfections4 ,the ,light of ,guidance was shed forth by that radiant ,star1 and ,he at length gave ,his life in sacrifice for humanity4 ,all through ,his blessed life ,he suffered oppression and hardship1 and in spite of all this humanity was ,his enemy6 ,they denied ,him1 scorned ,him1 ill-treated ,him and cursed ,him4 ,he was not treated like a man--and yet in spite of all this ,he was the embodiment of pity and of supreme goodness and love4 ,he loved all humanity1 but they treated ,him as an enemy and were incapable of appreciating ,him4 ,they set no value on ,his words and were not illumined by the flame of ,his love4 ,later they realized who ,he was2 that ,he was the ,sacred and ,divine ,light1 and that ,his words held ,eternal ,life4 ,his heart was full of love for all the world1 ,his goodness was destined to reach each one--and as they began to realize these things1 they repented--but ,he had been crucified6 ,it was not until many years after ,his ascension that they knew who ,he was1 and at the time of ,his ascension ,he had only a very few disciples2 only a comparatively small following believed ,his precepts and followed ,his laws4 ,the ignorant said1 #8,who is this individual2 ,he has only a few disciples6' ,but those who knew said3 #8,he is the ,sun who will shine in the ,east and in the ,west1 ,he is the ,manifestation who shall give life to the world'4 ,what the first disciples had seen the world realized later4 ,therefore1 you who are in ,europe1 do not be discouraged because you are few or because people think that your ,cause is of no importance4 ,if few people come to your gatherings do not lose heart1 and if you are ridiculed and contradicted be not distressed1 for the apostles of ,christ had the same to bear4 ,they were reviled and persecuted1 cursed and ill-treated1 but in the end they were victorious and their enemies were found to be wrong4 ,if history should repeat itself and all these same things should happen to you1 do not be saddened but be full of joy1 and thank ,god that you are called upon to suffer as holy men of old suffered4 ,if they oppose you be gentle with them1 if they contradict be firm in your faith1 if they desert you and flee from before you1 seek them out and treat them kindly4 ,do harm to nobody2 pray for all2 try to make your light shine in the world and let your banner fly high in the ,heavens4 ,the beautiful perfume of your noble lives will permeate everywhere4 ,the light of truth kindled in your hearts will shine out to the distant horizon6 ,the indifference and scorn of the world matters not at all1 whereas your lives will be of the greatest importance4 ,all those who seek truth in the ,heavenly ,kingdom shine like the stars2 they are like fruit trees laden with choice fruit1 like seas full of precious pearls4 ,only have faith in the ,mercy of ,god1 and spread the ,divine ,truth4 ,,words ,,spoken ,,by #8,,abdu',l-,,bah ,,in ,,pastor ,,wagner',s ,,church 7,,foyer ,,de ,l',,ame7 ,,in ,,paris ,november #bfth ,i am deeply touched by the sympathetic words which have been addressed to me1 and ,i hope that day by day true love and affection may grow among us4 ,god has willed that love should be a vital force in the world1 and you all know how ,i rejoice to speak of love4 ,all down the ages the prophets of ,god have been sent into the world to serve the cause of truth--,moses brought the law of truth1 and all the prophets of ,israel after him sought to spread it4 ,when ,jesus came ,he lighted the flaming torch of truth1 and carried it aloft so that the whole world might be illumined thereby4 ,after ,him came ,his chosen apostles1 and they went far and wide1 carrying the light of their ,master's teaching into a dark world--and1 in their turn1 passed on4 ,then came ,muammad1 who in ,his time and way spread the knowledge of truth among a savage people2 for this has always been the mission of ,god's elect4 ,so1 at last1 when ,bah'u'llh arose in ,persia1 this was ,his most ardent desire1 to rekindle the waning light of truth in all lands4 ,all the holy ones of ,god have tried with heart and soul to spread the light of love and unity throughout the world1 so that the darkness of materiality might disappear and the light of spirituality might shine forth among the children of men4 ,then would hate1 slander and murder disappear1 and in their stead love1 unity and peace would reign4 ,all the ,manifestations of ,god came with the same purpose1 and they have all sought to lead men into the paths of virtue4 ,yet we1 their servants1 still dispute among ourselves6 ,why is it thus8 ,why do we not love one another and live in unity8 ,it is because we have shut our eyes to the underlying principle of all religions1 that ,god is one1 that ,he is the ,father of us all1 that we are all immersed in the ocean of ,his mercy and sheltered and protected by ,his loving care4 ,the glorious ,sun of ,truth shines for all alike1 the waters of ,divine ,mercy immerse each one1 and ,his ,divine favour is bestowed on all ,his children4 ,this loving ,god desires peace for all ,his creatures--why1 then1 do they spend their time in war8 ,he loves and protects all ,his children--why do they forget ,him8 ,he bestows ,his ,fatherly care on us all--why do we neglect our brothers8 ,surely1 when we realize how ,god loves and cares for us1 we should so order our lives that we may become more like ,him4 ,god has created us1 one and all--why do we act in opposition to ,his wishes1 when we are all ,his children1 and love the same ,father8 ,all these divisions we see on all sides1 all these disputes and opposition1 are caused because men cling to ritual and outward observances1 and forget the simple1 underlying truth4 ,it is the outward practices of religion that are so different1 and it is they that cause disputes and enmity--while the reality is always the same1 and one4 ,the ,reality is the ,truth1 and truth has no division4 ,truth is ,god's guidance1 it is the light of the world1 it is love1 it is mercy4 ,these attributes of truth are also human virtues inspired by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,so let us one and all hold fast to truth1 and we shall be free indeed6 ,the day is coming when all the religions of the world will unite1 for in principle they are one already4 ,there is no need for division1 seeing that it is only the outward forms that separate them4 ,among the sons of men some souls are suffering through ignorance1 let us hasten to teach them2 others are like children needing care and education until they are grown1 and some are sick--to these we must carry ,divine healing4 ,whether ignorant1 childish or sick1 they must be loved and helped1 and not disliked because of their imperfection4 ,doctors of religion were instituted to bring spiritual healing to the peoples and to be the cause of unity among the nations4 ,if they become the cause of division they had better not exist6 ,a remedy is given to cure a disease1 but if it only succeeds in aggravating the complaint1 it is better to leave it alone4 ,if religion is only to be a cause of disunion it had better not exist4 ,all the ,divine ,manifestations sent by ,god into the world would have gone through their terrible hardships and sufferings for the single hope of spreading ,truth1 unity and concord among men4 ,christ endured a life of sorrow1 pain and grief1 to bring a perfect example of love into the world--and in spite of this we continue to act in a contrary spirit one towards the other6 ,love is the fundamental principle of ,god's purpose for man1 and ,he has commanded us to love each other even as ,he loves us4 ,all these discords and disputes which we hear on all sides only tend to increase materiality4 ,the world for the most part is sunk in materialism1 and the blessings of the ,holy ,spirit are ignored4 ,there is so little real spiritual feeling1 and the progress of the world is for the most part merely material4 ,men are becoming like unto beasts that perish1 for we know that they have no spiritual feeling--they do not turn to ,god1 they have no religion6 ,these things belong to man alone1 and if he is without them he is a prisoner of nature1 and no whit better than an animal4 ,how can man be content to lead only an animal existence when ,god has made him so high a creature8 ,all creation is made subject to the laws of nature1 but man has been able to conquer these laws4 ,the sun1 in spite of its power and glory1 is bound by the laws of nature1 and cannot change its course by so much as a hair's breadth4 ,the great and mighty ocean is powerless to change the ebb and flow of its tides--nothing can stand against nature's laws but man6 ,but to man ,god has given such wonderful power that he can guide1 control and overcome nature4 ,the natural law for man is to walk on the earth1 but he makes ships and flies in the air6 ,he is created to live on dry land1 but he rides on the sea and even travels under it6 ,he has learnt to control the power of electricity1 and he takes it at his will and imprisons it in a lamp6 ,the human voice is made to speak across short distances1 but man's power is such that he has made instruments and can speak from ,east to ,west6 ,all these examples show you how man can govern nature1 and how1 as it were1 he wrests a sword from the hand of nature and uses it against herself4 ,seeing that man has been created master of nature1 how foolish it is of him to become her slave6 ,what ignorance and stupidity it is to worship and adore nature1 when ,god in ,his goodness has made us masters thereof4 ,god's power is visible to all1 yet men shut their eyes and see it not4 ,the ,sun of ,truth is shining in all ,his splendour1 but man with fast shut eyes cannot behold ,his glory6 ,it is my earnest prayer to ,god that by ,his ,mercy and ,loving ,kindness you may all be united1 and filled with the utmost joy4 ,i beseech you1 one and all1 to add your prayers to mine to the end that war and bloodshed may cease1 and that love1 friendship1 peace and unity may reign in the world4 ,all down the ages we see how blood has stained the surface of the earth2 but now a ray of greater light has come1 man's intelligence is greater1 spirituality is beginning to grow1 and a time is surely coming when the religions of the world will be at peace4 ,let us leave the discordant arguments concerning outward forms1 and let us join together to hasten forward the ,divine ,cause of unity1 until all humanity knows itself to be one family1 joined together in love4 ,,part ,,ii ,the ,eleven ,principles out of the ,teaching of ,bah'u'llh1 ,explained by #8,abdu'l-,bah in ,paris4 ,i4--,the ,search after ,truth4 ,,ii4--,the ,unity of ,mankind4 ,,iii4--,religion ought to be the ,cause of ,love and ,affection4 7,not given separately47 ,,iv4--,the ,unity of ,religion and ,science4 ,v4--,abolition of ,prejudices4 ,,vi4--,equalization of ,means of ,existence4 ,,vii4--,equality of ,men before the ,law4 ,,viii4--,universal ,peace4 ,,ix4--,non-,interference of ,religion and ,politics4 ,x4--,equality of ,sex--,education of ,women4 ,,xi4--,the ,power of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,,theosophical ,,society1 ,,paris ,since my arrival in ,paris1 ,i have been told of the ,theosophical ,society1 and ,i know that it is composed of honoured and respected men4 ,you are men of intellect and thought1 men with spiritual ideals1 and it is a great pleasure for me to be among you4 ,let us thank ,god who has drawn us together this evening4 ,it gives me great joy1 for ,i see that you are seekers after truth4 ,you are not held in bondage by the chains of prejudice1 and your greatest longing is to know the truth4 ,truth may be likened to the sun6 ,the sun is the luminous body that disperses all shadows2 in the same way does truth scatter the shadows of our imagination4 ,as the sun gives life to the body of humanity so does truth give life to their souls4 ,truth is a sun that rises from different points on the horizon4 ,sometimes the sun rises from the centre of the horizon1 then in summer it rises farther north1 in winter farther south--but it is always the self-same sun1 however different are the points of its rising4 ,in like manner truth is one1 although its manifestations may be very different4 ,some men have eyes and see4 ,these worship the sun1 no matter from which point on the horizon it may dawn2 and when the sun has left the winter sky to appear in the summer one1 they know how to find it again4 ,others there are who worship only the spot from which the sun arose1 and when it arises in its glory from another place they remain in contemplation before the spot of its former rising4 ,alas6 these men are deprived of the blessings of the sun4 ,those who in truth adore the sun itself will recognize it from whatsoever dawning-place it may appear1 and will straightway turn their faces towards its radiance4 ,we must adore the sun itself and not merely the place of its appearance4 ,in the same way men of enlightened heart worship truth on whatever horizon it appears4 ,they are not bound by personality1 but they follow the truth1 and are able to recognize it no matter from whence it may come4 ,it is this same truth which helps humanity to progress1 which gives life to all created beings1 for it is the ,tree of ,life6 ,in ,his teaching ,bah'u'llh gives us the explanation of truth1 and ,i wish to speak to you briefly about this1 for ,i see that you are capable of understanding4 ,i4--,the first principle of ,bah'u'llh is3 ,the ,search for ,truth ,man must cut himself free from all prejudice and from the result of his own imagination1 so that he may be able to search for truth unhindered4 ,truth is one in all religions1 and by means of it the unity of the world can be realized4 ,all the peoples have a fundamental belief in common4 ,being one1 truth cannot be divided1 and the differences that appear to exist among the nations only result from their attachment to prejudice4 ,if only men would search out truth1 they would find themselves united4 ,,ii4--,the second principle of ,bah'u'llh is3 ,the ,unity of ,mankind ,the one all-loving ,god bestows ,his divine ,grace and ,favour on all mankind2 one and all are servants of the ,most ,high1 and ,his ,goodness1 ,mercy and loving ,kindness are showered upon all ,his creatures4 ,the glory of humanity is the heritage of each one4 ,all men are the leaves and fruit of one same tree1 they are all branches of the tree of ,adam1 they all have the same origin4 ,the same rain has fallen upon them all1 the same warm sun makes them grow1 they are all refreshed by the same breeze4 ,the only differences that exist and that keep them apart are these3 there are the children who need guidance1 the ignorant to be instructed1 the sick to be tended and healed2 thus1 ,i say that the whole of humanity is enveloped by the ,mercy and ,grace of ,god4 ,as the ,holy ,writings tell us3 ,all men are equal before ,god4 ,he is no respecter of persons4 ,,iii4--,the third principle of ,bah'u'llh is3 ,religion should be the ,cause of ,love and ,affection ,religion should unite all hearts and cause wars and disputes to vanish from the face of the earth1 give birth to spirituality1 and bring life and light to each heart4 ,if religion becomes a cause of dislike1 hatred and division1 it were better to be without it1 and to withdraw from such a religion would be a truly religious act4 ,for it is clear that the purpose of a remedy is to cure2 but if the remedy should only aggravate the complaint it had better be left alone4 ,any religion which is not a cause of love and unity is no religion4 ,all the holy prophets were as doctors to the soul2 they gave prescriptions for the healing of mankind2 thus any remedy that causes disease does not come from the great and supreme ,physician4 ,,iv4--,the fourth principle of ,bah'u'llh is3 ,the ,unity of ,religion and ,science ,we may think of science as one wing and religion as the other2 a bird needs two wings for flight1 one alone would be useless4 ,any religion that contradicts science or that is opposed to it1 is only ignorance--for ignorance is the opposite of knowledge4 ,religion which consists only of rites and ceremonies of prejudice is not the truth4 ,let us earnestly endeavour to be the means of uniting religion and science4 #8,al1 the son-in-law of ,muammad1 said3 #8,that which is in conformity with science is also in conformity with religion'4 ,whatever the intelligence of man cannot understand1 religion ought not to accept4 ,religion and science walk hand in hand1 and any religion contrary to science is not the truth4 ,v4--,the fifth principle of ,bah'u'llh is3 ,prejudices of ,religion1 ,race or ,sect destroy the foundation of ,humanity ,all the divisions in the world1 hatred1 war and bloodshed1 are caused by one or other of these prejudices4 ,the whole world must be looked upon as one single country1 all the nations as one nation1 all men as belonging to one race4 ,religions1 races1 and nations are all divisions of man's making only1 and are necessary only in his thought2 before ,god there are neither ,persians1 ,arabs1 ,french nor ,english2 ,god is ,god for all1 and to ,him all creation is one4 ,we must obey ,god1 and strive to follow ,him by leaving all our prejudices and bringing about peace on earth4 ,,vi4--,the sixth principle of ,bah'u'llh is3 ,equal opportunity of the means of ,existence ,every human being has the right to live2 they have a right to rest1 and to a certain amount of well-being4 ,as a rich man is able to live in his palace surrounded by luxury and the greatest comfort1 so should a poor man be able to have the necessaries of life4 ,nobody should die of hunger2 everybody should have sufficient clothing2 one man should not live in excess while another has no possible means of existence4 ,let us try with all the strength we have to bring about happier conditions1 so that no single soul may be destitute4 ,,vii4--,the seventh principle of ,bah'u'llh is3 ,the ,equality of ,men--equality before the ,law ,the ,law must reign1 and not the individual2 thus will the world become a place of beauty and true brotherhood will be realized4 ,having attained solidarity1 men will have found truth4 ,,viii4--,the eighth principle of ,bah'u'llh is3 ,universal ,peace ,a ,supreme ,tribunal shall be elected by the peoples and governments of every nation1 where members from each country and government shall assemble in unity4 ,all disputes shall be brought before this ,court1 its mission being to prevent war4 ,,ix4--,the ninth principle of ,bah'u'llh is3 ,that ,religion should not concern itself with ,political ,questions ,religion is concerned with things of the spirit1 politics with things of the world4 ,religion has to work with the world of thought1 whilst the field of politics lies with the world of external conditions4 ,it is the work of the clergy to educate the people1 to instruct them1 to give them good advice and teaching so that they may progress spiritually4 ,with political questions they have nothing to do4 ,x4--,the tenth principle of ,bah'u'llh is3 ,education and ,instruction of ,women ,women have equal rights with men upon earth2 in religion and society they are a very important element4 ,as long as women are prevented from attaining their highest possibilities1 so long will men be unable to achieve the greatness which might be theirs4 ,,xi4--,the eleventh principle of ,bah'u'llh is3 ,the ,power of the ,holy ,spirit1 by which alone ,spiritual ,development is achieved ,it is only by the breath of the ,holy ,spirit that spiritual development can come about4 ,no matter how the material world may progress1 no matter how splendidly it may adorn itself1 it can never be anything but a lifeless body unless the soul is within1 for it is the soul that animates the body2 the body alone has no real significance4 ,deprived of the blessings of the ,holy ,spirit the material body would be inert4 ,here are1 very briefly explained1 some of the principles of ,bah'u'llh4 ,in short1 it behoves us all to be lovers of truth4 ,let us seek her in every season and in every country1 being careful never to attach ourselves to personalities4 ,let us see the light wherever it shines1 and may we be enabled to recognize the light of truth no matter where it may arise4 ,let us inhale the perfume of the rose from the midst of thorns which surround it2 let us drink the running water from every pure spring4 ,since ,i arrived in ,paris1 it has given me much pleasure to meet such ,parisians as you are1 for praise be to ,god1 you are intelligent1 unprejudiced1 and you long to know the truth4 ,you have in your hearts the love of humanity1 and as far as you are able1 you exert yourselves in the cause of charitable work and in the bringing about of unity2 this is especially what ,bah'u'llh desired4 ,it is for this reason that ,i am so happy to be among you1 and ,i pray for you1 that you may be receptacles for the ,blessings of ,god1 and that you may be the means of spreading spirituality throughout this country4 ,you already have a wonderful material civilization and in like manner shall spiritual civilization be yours4 ,monsieur ,bleck thanked #8,abdu'l-,bah1 and he replied3 #8,i am very grateful to you for the kind sentiments which you have just uttered4 ,i hope that these two movements will ere long be spread all over the earth4 ,then will the unity of humanity have pitched its tent in the centre of the world4' ,,the ,,first ,,principle--,,search ,,after ,,truth #d ,avenue de ,camens1 ,paris ,november #ajth ,the first principle of the ,teaching of ,bah'u'llh is3 ,the ,search after ,truth ,if a man would succeed in his search after truth1 he must1 in the first place1 shut his eyes to all the traditional superstitions of the past4 ,the ,jews have traditional superstitions1 the ,buddhists and the ,zoroastrians are not free from them1 neither are the ,christians6 ,all religions have gradually become bound by tradition and dogma4 ,all consider themselves1 respectively1 the only guardians of the truth1 and that every other religion is composed of errors4 ,they themselves are right1 all others are wrong6 ,the ,jews believe that they are the only possessors of the truth and condemn all other religions4 ,the ,christians affirm that their religion is the only true one1 that all others are false4 ,likewise the ,buddhists and ,muammadans2 all limit themselves4 ,if all condemn one another1 where shall we search for truth8 ,all contradicting one another1 all cannot be true4 ,if each believe his particular religion to be the only true one1 he blinds his eyes to the truth in the others4 ,if1 for instance1 a ,jew is bound by the external practice of the religion of ,israel1 he does not permit himself to perceive that truth can exist in any other religion2 it must be all contained in his own6 ,we should1 therefore1 detach ourselves from the external forms and practices of religion4 ,we must realize that these forms and practices1 however beautiful1 are but garments clothing the warm heart and the living limbs of ,divine truth4 ,we must abandon the prejudices of tradition if we would succeed in finding the truth at the core of all religions4 ,if a ,zoroastrian believes that the ,sun is ,god1 how can he be united to other religions8 ,while idolaters believe in their various idols1 how can they understand the oneness of ,god8 ,it is1 therefore1 clear that in order to make any progress in the search after truth we must relinquish superstition4 ,if all seekers would follow this principle they would obtain a clear vision of the truth4 ,if five people meet together to seek for truth1 they must begin by cutting themselves free from all their own special conditions and renouncing all preconceived ideas4 ,in order to find truth we must give up our prejudices1 our own small trivial notions2 an open receptive mind is essential4 ,if our chalice is full of self1 there is no room in it for the water of life4 ,the fact that we imagine ourselves to be right and everybody else wrong is the greatest of all obstacles in the path towards unity1 and unity is necessary if we would reach truth1 for truth is one4 ,therefore it is imperative that we should renounce our own particular prejudices and superstitions if we earnestly desire to seek the truth4 ,unless we make a distinction in our minds between dogma1 superstition and prejudice on the one hand1 and truth on the other1 we cannot succeed4 ,when we are in earnest in our search for anything we look for it everywhere4 ,this principle we must carry out in our search for truth4 ,science must be accepted4 ,no one truth can contradict another truth4 ,light is good in whatsoever lamp it is burning6 ,a rose is beautiful in whatsoever garden it may bloom6 ,a star has the same radiance if it shines from the ,east or from the ,west4 ,be free from prejudice1 so will you love the ,sun of ,truth from whatsoever point in the horizon it may arise6 ,you will realize that if the ,divine light of truth shone in ,jesus ,christ it also shone in ,moses and in ,buddha4 ,the earnest seeker will arrive at this truth4 ,this is what is meant by the #8,search after ,truth'4 ,it means1 also1 that we must be willing to clear away all that we have previously learned1 all that would clog our steps on the way to truth2 we must not shrink if necessary from beginning our education all over again4 ,we must not allow our love for any one religion or any one personality to so blind our eyes that we become fettered by superstition6 ,when we are freed from all these bonds1 seeking with liberated minds1 then shall we be able to arrive at our goal4 #8,seek the truth1 the truth shall make you free4' ,so shall we see the truth in all religions1 for truth is in all and truth is one6 ,,the ,,second ,,principle--,,the ,,unity ,,of ,,mankind ,november #aath ,i spoke yesterday of the first principle of the ,teaching of ,bah'u'llh1 #8,the ,search for ,truth'2 how it is necessary for a man to put aside all in the nature of superstition1 and every tradition which would blind his eyes to the existence of truth in all religions4 ,he must not1 while loving and clinging to one form of religion1 permit himself to detest all others4 ,it is essential that he search for truth in all religions1 and1 if his seeking be in earnest1 he will assuredly succeed4 ,now the first discovery which we make in our #8,search after ,truth'1 will lead us to the second principle1 which is the #8,unity of ,mankind'4 ,all men are servants of the ,one ,god4 ,one ,god reigns over all the nations of the world and has pleasure in all ,his children4 ,all men are of one family2 the crown of humanity rests on the head of every human being4 ,in the eyes of the ,creator all ,his children are equal2 ,his goodness is poured forth on all4 ,he does not favour this nation nor that nation1 all alike are ,his creatures4 ,this being so1 why should we make divisions1 separating one race from another8 ,why should we create barriers of superstition and tradition bringing discord and hatred among the people8 ,the only difference between members of the human family is that of degree4 ,some are like children who are ignorant1 and must be educated until they arrive at maturity4 ,some are like the sick and must be treated with tenderness and care4 ,none are bad or evil6 ,we must not be repelled by these poor children4 ,we must treat them with great kindness1 teaching the ignorant and tenderly nursing the sick4 ,consider3 ,unity is necessary to existence4 ,love is the very cause of life2 on the other hand1 separation brings death4 ,in the world of material creation1 for instance1 all things owe their actual life to unity4 ,the elements which compose wood1 mineral1 or stone1 are held together by the law of attraction4 ,if this law should cease for one moment to operate these elements would not hold together1 they would fall apart1 and the object would in that particular form cease to exist4 ,the law of attraction has brought together certain elements in the form of this beautiful flower1 but when that attraction is withdrawn from this centre the flower will decompose1 and1 as a flower1 cease to exist4 ,so it is with the great body of humanity4 ,the wonderful ,law of ,attraction1 ,harmony and ,unity1 holds together this marvellous ,creation4 ,as with the whole1 so with the parts2 whether a flower or a human body1 when the attracting principle is withdrawn from it1 the flower or the man dies4 ,it is therefore clear that attraction1 harmony1 unity and ,love1 are the cause of life1 whereas repulsion1 discord1 hatred and separation bring death4 ,we have seen that whatever brings division into the world of existence causes death4 ,likewise in the world of the spirit does the same law operate4 ,therefore should every servant of the ,one ,god be obedient to the law of love1 avoiding all hatred1 discord1 and strife4 ,we find when we observe nature1 that the gentler animals group themselves together into flocks and herds1 whereas the savage1 ferocious creatures1 such as the lion1 the tiger1 and the wolf1 live in wild forests1 apart from civilization4 ,two wolves1 or two lions1 may live amicably together2 but a thousand lambs may share the same fold and a large number of deer can form one herd4 ,two eagles can dwell in the same place1 but a thousand doves can gather into one habitation4 ,man should1 at least1 be numbered among the gentler animals2 but when he becomes ferocious he is more cruel and malicious than the most savage of the animal creation6 ,now ,bah'u'llh has proclaimed the #8,unity of the ,world of ,mankind'4 ,all peoples and nations are of one family1 the children of one ,father1 and should be to one another as brothers and sisters6 ,i hope that you will endeavour in your lives to show forth and spread this teaching4 ,bah'u'llh said that we should love even our enemies and be to them as friends4 ,if all men were obedient to this principle1 the greatest unity and understanding would be established in the hearts of mankind4 ,,third ,,principle #8,that religion ought to be a ,cause of ,love and ,affection' is much emphasized in many of the ,discourses of which the ,notes are given in this book1 as well as in the explanation of several of the other ,principles4 ,,fourth ,,principle--,,the ,,acceptance ,,of ,,the ,,relation ,,between ,,religion ,,and ,,science #d ,avenue de ,camens1 ,paris1 ,november #abth #8,abdu'l-,bah said3 ,i have spoken to you of some of the principles of ,bah'u'llh3 ,the ,search after ,truth and ,the ,unity of ,mankind4 ,i will now explain the ,fourth ,principle1 which is ,the ,acceptance of the ,relation between ,religion and ,science4 ,there is no contradiction between true religion and science4 ,when a religion is opposed to science it becomes mere superstition3 that which is contrary to knowledge is ignorance4 ,how can a man believe to be a fact that which science has proved to be impossible8 ,if he believes in spite of his reason1 it is rather ignorant superstition than faith4 ,the true principles of all religions are in conformity with the teachings of science4 ,the ,unity of ,god is logical1 and this idea is not antagonistic to the conclusions arrived at by scientific study4 ,all religions teach that we must do good1 that we must be generous1 sincere1 truthful1 law-abiding1 and faithful2 all this is reasonable1 and logically the only way in which humanity can progress4 ,all religious laws conform to reason1 and are suited to the people for whom they are framed1 and for the age in which they are to be obeyed4 ,religion has two main parts3 7#a7 ,the ,spiritual4 7#b7 ,the ,practical4 ,the spiritual part never changes4 ,all the ,manifestations of ,god and ,his ,prophets have taught the same truths and given the same spiritual law4 ,they all teach the one code of morality4 ,there is no division in the truth4 ,the ,sun has sent forth many rays to illumine human intelligence1 the light is always the same4 ,the practical part of religion deals with exterior forms and ceremonies1 and with modes of punishment for certain offences4 ,this is the material side of the law1 and guides the customs and manners of the people4 ,in the time of ,moses1 there were ten crimes punishable by death4 ,when ,christ came this was changed2 the old axiom #8an eye for an eye1 and a tooth for a tooth' was converted into #8,love your enemies1 do good to them that hate you'1 the stern old law being changed into one of love1 mercy and forbearance6 ,in the former days the punishment for theft was the cutting off of the right hand2 in our time this law could not be so applied4 ,in this age1 a man who curses his father is allowed to live1 when formerly he would have been put to death4 ,it is therefore evident that whilst the spiritual law never alters1 the practical rules must change their application with the necessities of the time4 ,the spiritual aspect of religion is the greater1 the more important of the two1 and this is the same for all time1 it never changes6 ,it is the same1 yesterday1 today1 and for ever6 #8,as it was the beginning1 is now1 and ever shall be4' ,now1 all questions of morality contained in the spiritual1 immutable law of every religion are logically right4 ,if religion were contrary to logical reason then it would cease to be a religion and be merely a tradition4 ,religion and science are the two wings upon which man's intelligence can soar into the heights1 with which the human soul can progress4 ,it is not possible to fly with one wing alone6 ,should a man try to fly with the wing of religion alone he would quickly fall into the quagmire of superstition1 whilst on the other hand1 with the wing of science alone he would also make no progress1 but fall into the despairing slough of materialism4 ,all religions of the present day have fallen into superstitious practices1 out of harmony alike with the true principles of the teaching they represent and with the scientific discoveries of the time4 ,many religious leaders have grown to think that the importance of religion lies mainly in the adherence to a collection of certain dogmas and the practice of rites and ceremonies6 ,those whose souls they profess to cure are taught to believe likewise1 and these cling tenaciously to the outward forms1 confusing them with the inward truth4 ,now1 these forms and rituals differ in the various churches and amongst the different sects1 and even contradict one another2 giving rise to discord1 hatred1 and disunion4 ,the outcome of all this dissension is the belief of many cultured men that religion and science are contradictory terms1 that religion needs no powers of reflection1 and should in no wise be regulated by science1 but must of necessity be opposed1 the one to the other4 ,the unfortunate effect of this is that science has drifted apart from religion1 and religion has become a mere blind and more or less apathetic following of the precepts of certain religious teachers1 who insist on their own favourite dogmas being accepted even when they are contrary to science4 ,this is foolishness1 for it is quite evident that science is the light1 and1 being so1 religion truly so-called does not oppose knowledge4 ,we are familiar with the phrases #8,light and ,darkness'1 #8,religion and ,science'4 ,but the religion which does not walk hand in hand with science is itself in the darkness of superstition and ignorance4 ,much of the discord and disunion of the world is created by these man-made oppositions and contradictions4 ,if religion were in harmony with science and they walked together1 much of the hatred and bitterness now bringing misery to the human race would be at an end4 ,consider what it is that singles man out from among created beings1 and makes of him a creature apart4 ,is it not his reasoning power1 his intelligence8 ,shall he not make use of these in his study of religion8 ,i say unto you3 weigh carefully in the balance of reason and science everything that is presented to you as religion4 ,if it passes this test1 then accept it1 for it is truth6 ,if1 however1 it does not so conform1 then reject it1 for it is ignorance6 ,look around and see how the world of today is drowned in superstition and outward forms6 ,some worship the product of their own imagination3 they make for themselves an imaginary ,god and adore this1 when the creation of their finite minds cannot be the ,infinite ,mighty ,maker of all things visible and invisible6 ,others worship the sun or trees1 also stones6 ,in past ages there were those who adored the sea1 the clouds1 and even clay6 ,today1 men have grown into such adoring attachment to outward forms and ceremonies that they dispute over this point of ritual or that particular practice1 until one hears on all sides of wearisome arguments and unrest4 ,there are individuals who have weak intellects and their powers of reasoning have not developed1 but the strength and power of religion must not be doubted because of the incapacity of these persons to understand4 ,a small child cannot comprehend the laws that govern nature1 but this is on account of the immature intellect of that child2 when he is grown older and has been educated he too will understand the everlasting truths4 ,a child does not grasp the fact that the earth revolves round the sun1 but1 when his intelligence is awakened1 the fact is clear and plain to him4 ,it is impossible for religion to be contrary to science1 even though some intellects are too weak or too immature to understand truth4 ,god made religion and science to be the measure1 as it were1 of our understanding4 ,take heed that you neglect not such a wonderful power4 ,weigh all things in this balance4 ,to him who has the power of comprehension religion is like an open book1 but how can it be possible for a man devoid of reason and intellectuality to understand the ,divine ,realities of ,god8 ,put all your beliefs into harmony with science2 there can be no opposition1 for truth is one4 ,when religion1 shorn of its superstitions1 traditions1 and unintelligent dogmas1 shows its conformity with science1 then will there be a great unifying1 cleansing force in the world which will sweep before it all wars1 disagreements1 discords and struggles--and then will mankind be united in the power of the ,love of ,god4 ,,the ,,fifth ,,principle--,,the ,,abolition ,,of ,,prejudices #d ,avenue de ,camens1 ,paris1 ,november #acth ,all prejudices1 whether of religion1 race1 politics or nation1 must be renounced1 for these prejudices have caused the world's sickness4 ,it is a grave malady which1 unless arrested1 is capable of causing the destruction of the whole human race4 ,every ruinous war1 with its terrible bloodshed and misery1 has been caused by one or other of these prejudices4 ,the deplorable wars going on in these days are caused by the fanatical religious hatred of one people for another1 or the prejudices of race or colour4 ,until all these barriers erected by prejudice are swept away1 it is not possible for humanity to be at peace4 ,for this reason ,bah'u'llh has said1 #8,these ,prejudices are destructive to mankind'4 ,contemplate first the prejudice of religion3 consider the nations of so-called religious people2 if they were truly worshippers of ,god they would obey ,his law which forbids them to kill one another4 ,if priests of religion really adored the ,god of love and served the ,divine ,light1 they would teach their people to keep the chief ,commandment1 #8,to be in love and charity with all men'4 ,but we find the contrary1 for it is often the priests who encourage nations to fight4 ,religious hatred is ever the most cruel6 ,all religions teach that we should love one another2 that we should seek out our own shortcomings before we presume to condemn the faults of others1 that we must not consider ourselves superior to our neighbours6 ,we must be careful not to exalt ourselves lest we be humiliated4 ,who are we that we should judge8 ,how shall we know who1 in the sight of ,god1 is the most upright man8 ,god's thoughts are not like our thoughts6 ,how many men who have seemed saint-like to their friends have fallen into the greatest humiliation4 ,think of ,judas ,iscariot2 he began well1 but remember his end6 ,on the other hand1 ,paul1 the ,apostle1 was in his early life an enemy of ,christ1 whilst later he became ,his most faithful servant4 ,how then can we flatter ourselves and despise others8 ,let us therefore be humble1 without prejudices1 preferring others' good to our own6 ,let us never say1 #8,i am a believer but he is an infidel'1 #8,i am near to ,god1 whilst he is an outcast'4 ,we can never know what will be the final judgment6 ,therefore let us help all who are in need of any kind of assistance4 ,let us teach the ignorant1 and take care of the young child until he grows to maturity4 ,when we find a person fallen into the depths of misery or sin we must be kind to him1 take him by the hand1 help him to regain his footing1 his strength2 we must guide him with love and tenderness1 treat him as a friend not as an enemy4 ,we have no right to look upon any of our fellow-mortals as evil4 ,concerning the prejudice of race3 it is an illusion1 a superstition pure and simple6 ,for ,god created us all of one race4 ,there were no differences in the beginning1 for we are all descendants of ,adam4 ,in the beginning1 also1 there were no limits and boundaries between the different lands2 no part of the earth belonged more to one people than to another4 ,in the sight of ,god there is no difference between the various races4 ,why should man invent such a prejudice8 ,how can we uphold war caused by an illusion8 ,god has not created men that they should destroy one another4 ,all races1 tribes1 sects and classes share equally in the ,bounty of their ,heavenly ,father4 ,the only difference lies in the degree of faithfulness1 of obedience to the laws of ,god4 ,there are some who are as lighted torches1 there are others who shine as stars in the sky of humanity4 ,the lovers of mankind1 these are the superior men1 of whatever nation1 creed1 or colour they may be4 ,for it is they to whom ,god will say these blessed words1 #8,well done1 ,my good and faithful servants'4 ,in that day ,he will not ask1 #8,are you ,english1 ,french1 or perhaps ,persian8 ,do you come from the ,east1 or from the ,west8' ,the only division that is real is this3 ,there are heavenly men and earthly men2 self-sacrificing servants of humanity in the love of the ,most ,high1 bringing harmony and unity1 teaching peace and goodwill to men4 ,on the other hand there are those selfish men1 haters of their brethren1 in whose hearts prejudice has replaced loving kindness1 and whose influence breeds discord and strife4 ,to which race or to which colour belong these two divisions of men1 to the ,white1 to the ,yellow1 to the ,black1 to the ,east or to the ,west1 to the ,north or to the ,south8 ,if these are ,god's divisions1 why should we invent others8 ,political prejudice is equally mischievous1 it is one of the greatest causes of bitter strife amongst the children of men4 ,there are people who find pleasure in breeding discord1 who constantly endeavour to goad their country into making war upon other nations--and why8 ,they think to advantage their own country to the detriment of all others4 ,they send armies to harass and destroy the land1 in order to become famous in the world1 for the joy of conquest4 ,that it may be said3 #8,such a country has defeated another1 and brought it under the yoke of their stronger1 more superior rule'4 ,this victory1 bought at the price of much bloodshed1 is not lasting6 ,the conqueror shall one day be conquered2 and the vanquished ones victorious6 ,remember the history of the past3 did not ,france conquer ,germany more than once--then did not the ,german nation overcome ,france8 ,we learn also that ,france conquered ,england2 then was the ,english nation victorious over ,france6 ,these glorious conquests are so ephemeral6 ,why attach so great importance to them and to their fame1 as to be willing to shed the blood of the people for their attainment8 ,is any victory worth the inevitable train of evils consequent upon human slaughter1 the grief and sorrow and ruin which must overwhelm so many homes of both nations8 ,for it is not possible that one country alone should suffer4 ,oh6 why will man1 the disobedient child of ,god1 who should be an example of the power of the spiritual law1 turn his face away from the ,divine ,teaching and put all his effort into destruction and war8 ,my hope is that in this enlightened century the ,divine ,light of love will shed its radiance over the whole world1 seeking out the responsive heart's intelligence of every human being2 that the light of the ,sun of ,truth will lead politicians to shake off all the claims of prejudice and superstition1 and with freed minds to follow the ,policy of ,god3 for ,divine ,politics are mighty1 man's politics are feeble6 ,god has created all the world1 and bestows ,his ,divine ,bounty upon every creature4 ,are we not the servants of ,god8 ,shall we neglect to follow our ,master's ,example1 and ignore ,his ,commands8 ,i pray that the ,kingdom shall come on ,earth1 and that all darkness shall be driven away by the effulgence of the ,heavenly ,sun4 ,,the ,,sixth ,,principle--,,means ,,of ,,existence #d ,avenue de ,camens1 ,paris ,one of the most important principles of the ,teaching of ,bah'u'llh is3 ,the right of every human being to the daily bread whereby they exist1 or the equalization of the means of livelihood4 ,the arrangements of the circumstances of the people must be such that poverty shall disappear1 that everyone1 as far as possible1 according to his rank and position1 shall share in comfort and well-being4 ,we see amongst us men who are overburdened with riches on the one hand1 and on the other those unfortunate ones who starve with nothing2 those who possess several stately palaces1 and those who have not where to lay their head4 ,some we find with numerous courses of costly and dainty food2 whilst others can scarce find sufficient crusts to keep them alive4 ,whilst some are clothed in velvets1 furs and fine linen1 others have insufficient1 poor and thin garments with which to protect them from the cold4 ,this condition of affairs is wrong1 and must be remedied4 ,now the remedy must be carefully undertaken4 ,it cannot be done by bringing to pass absolute equality between men4 ,equality is a chimera6 ,it is entirely impracticable6 ,even if equality could be achieved it could not continue--and if its existence were possible1 the whole order of the world would be destroyed4 ,the law of order must always obtain in the world of humanity4 ,heaven has so decreed in the creation of man4 ,some are full of intelligence1 others have an ordinary amount of it1 and others again are devoid of intellect4 ,in these three classes of men there is order but not equality4 ,how could it be possible that wisdom and stupidity should be equal8 ,humanity1 like a great army1 requires a general1 captains1 under-officers in their degree1 and soldiers1 each with their own appointed duties4 ,degrees are absolutely necessary to ensure an orderly organization4 ,an army could not be composed of generals alone1 or of captains only1 or of nothing but soldiers without one in authority4 ,the certain result of such a plan would be that disorder and demoralization would overtake the whole army4 ,king ,lycurgus1 the philosopher1 made a great plan to equalize the subjects of ,sparta2 with self-sacrifice and wisdom was the experiment begun4 ,then the king called the people of his kingdom1 and made them swear a great oath to maintain the same order of government if he should leave the country1 also that nothing should make them alter it until his return4 ,having secured this oath1 he left his kingdom of ,sparta and never returned4 ,lycurgus abandoned the situation1 renouncing his high position1 thinking to achieve the permanent good of his country by the equalization of the property and of the conditions of life in his kingdom4 ,all the self-sacrifice of the king was in vain4 ,the great experiment failed4 ,after a time all was destroyed2 his carefully thought-out constitution came to an end4 ,the futility of attempting such a scheme was shown and the impossibility of attaining equal conditions of existence was proclaimed in the ancient kingdom of ,sparta4 ,in our day any such attempt would be equally doomed to failure4 ,certainly1 some being enormously rich and others lamentably poor1 an organization is necessary to control and improve this state of affairs4 ,it is important to limit riches1 as it is also of importance to limit poverty4 ,either extreme is not good4 ,to be seated in the mean7#ac7 is most desirable4 ,if it be right for a capitalist to possess a large fortune1 it is equally just that his workman should have a sufficient means of existence4 ,a financier with colossal wealth should not exist whilst near him is a poor man in dire necessity4 ,when we see poverty allowed to reach a condition of starvation it is a sure sign that somewhere we shall find tyranny4 ,men must bestir themselves in this matter1 and no longer delay in altering conditions which bring the misery of grinding poverty to a very large number of the people4 ,the rich must give of their abundance1 they must soften their hearts and cultivate a compassionate intelligence1 taking thought for those sad ones who are suffering from lack of the very necessities of life4 ,there must be special laws made1 dealing with these extremes of riches and of want4 ,the members of the ,government should consider the laws of ,god when they are framing plans for the ruling of the people4 ,the general rights of mankind must be guarded and preserved4 ,the government of the countries should conform to the ,divine ,law which gives equal justice to all4 ,this is the only way in which the deplorable superfluity of great wealth and miserable1 demoralizing1 degrading poverty can be abolished4 ,not until this is done will the ,law of ,god be obeyed4 ,,seventh ,,principle--,,equality ,,of ,,men #8,the ,laws of ,god are not imposition of will1 or of power1 or pleasure1 but the resolutions of truth1 reason and justice4' ,all men are equal before the law1 which must reign absolutely4 ,the object of punishment is not vengeance1 but the prevention of crime4 ,kings must rule with wisdom and justice2 prince1 peer and peasant alike have equal rights to just treatment1 there must be no favour shown to individuals4 ,a judge must be no #8respecter of persons'1 but administer the law with strict impartiality in every case brought before him4 ,if a person commit a crime against you1 you have not the right to forgive him2 but the law must punish him in order to prevent a repetition of that same crime by others1 as the pain of the individual is unimportant beside the general welfare of the people4 ,when perfect justice reigns in every country of the ,eastern and ,western ,world1 then will the earth become a place of beauty4 ,the dignity and equality of every servant of ,god will be acknowledged2 the ideal of the solidarity of the human race1 the true brotherhood of man1 will be realized2 and the glorious light of the ,sun of ,truth will illumine the souls of all men4 ,,the ,,eighth ,,principle--,,universal ,,peace #d ,avenue de ,camens1 ,paris ,a ,supreme ,tribunal shall be established by the peoples and ,governments of every nation1 composed of members elected from each country and ,government4 ,the members of this ,great ,council shall assemble in unity4 ,all disputes of an international character shall be submitted to this ,court1 its work being to arrange by arbitration everything which otherwise would be a cause of war4 ,the mission of this ,tribunal would be to prevent war4 ,one of the great steps towards universal peace would be the establishment of a universal language4 ,bah'u'llh commands that the servants of humanity should meet together1 and either choose a language which now exists1 or form a new one4 ,this was revealed in the ,kitb-i-,aqdas forty years ago4 ,it is there pointed out that the question of diversity of tongues is a very difficult one4 ,there are more than eight hundred languages in the world1 and no person could acquire them all4 ,the races of mankind are not isolated as in former days4 ,now1 in order to be in close relationship with all countries it is necessary to be able to speak their tongues4 ,a universal language would make intercourse possible with every nation4 ,thus it would be needful to know two languages only1 the mother tongue and the universal speech4 ,the latter would enable a man to communicate with any and every man in the world6 ,a third language would not be needed4 ,to be able to talk with a member of any race and country without requiring an interpreter1 how helpful and restful to all6 ,esperanto has been drawn up with this end in view3 it is a fine invention and a splendid piece of work1 but it needs perfecting4 ,esperanto as it stands is very difficult for some people4 ,an international ,congress should be formed1 consisting of delegates from every nation in the world1 ,eastern as well as ,western4 ,this ,congress should form a language that could be acquired by all1 and every country would thereby reap great benefit4 ,until such a language is in use1 the world will continue to feel the vast need of this means of intercourse4 ,difference of speech is one of the most fruitful causes of dislike and distrust that exists between nations1 which are kept apart by their inability to understand each other's language more than by any other reason4 ,if everybody could speak one language1 how much more easy would it be to serve humanity6 ,therefore appreciate #8,esperanto'1 for it is the beginning of the carrying out of one of the most important of the ,laws of ,bah'u'llh1 and it must continue to be improved and perfected4 ,,ninth ,,principle--,,the ,,non-,,interference ,,of ,,religion ,,with ,,politics #d ,avenue de ,camens1 ,paris1 ,november #agth ,in the conduct of life1 man is actuated by two main motives3 #8,the ,hope for ,reward' and #8,the ,fear of ,punishment'4 ,this hope and this fear must consequently be greatly taken into account by those in authority who have important posts under ,government4 ,their business in life is to consult together for the framing of laws1 and to provide for their just administration4 ,the tent of the order of the world is raised and established on the two pillars of #8,reward and ,retribution'4 ,in despotic ,governments carried on by men without ,divine faith1 where no fear of spiritual retribution exists1 the execution of the laws is tyrannical and unjust4 ,there is no greater prevention of oppression than these two sentiments1 hope and fear4 ,they have both political and spiritual consequences4 ,if administrators of the law would take into consideration the spiritual consequences of their decisions1 and follow the guidance of religion1 #8,they would be ,divine agents in the world of action1 the representatives of ,god for those who are on earth1 and they would defend1 for the love of ,god1 the interests of ,his servants as they would defend their own'4 ,if a governor realizes his responsibility1 and fears to defy the ,divine ,law1 his judgments will be just4 ,above all1 if he believes that the consequences of his actions will follow him beyond his earthly life1 and that #8as he sows so must he reap'1 such a man will surely avoid injustice and tyranny4 ,should an official1 on the contrary1 think that all responsibility for his actions must end with his earthly life1 knowing and believing nothing of ,divine favours and a spiritual kingdom of joy1 he will lack the incentive to just dealing1 and the inspiration to destroy oppression and unrighteousness4 ,when a ruler knows that his judgments will be weighed in a balance by the ,divine ,judge1 and that if he be not found wanting he will come into the ,celestial ,kingdom and that the light of the ,heavenly ,bounty will shine upon him1 then will he surely act with justice and equity4 ,behold how important it is that ,ministers of ,state should be enlightened by religion6 ,with political questions the clergy1 however1 have nothing to do6 ,religious matters should not be confused with politics in the present state of the world 7for their interests are not identical74 ,religion concerns matters of the heart1 of the spirit1 and of morals4 ,politics are occupied with the material things of life4 ,religious teachers should not invade the realm of politics2 they should concern themselves with the spiritual education of the people2 they should ever give good counsel to men1 trying to serve ,god and human kind2 they should endeavour to awaken spiritual aspiration1 and strive to enlarge the understanding and knowledge of humanity1 to improve morals1 and to increase the love for justice4 ,this is in accordance with the ,teaching of ,bah'u'llh4 ,in the ,gospel also it is written1 #8,render unto ,caesar the things which are ,caesar's1 and unto ,god the things which are ,god's'4 ,in ,persia there are some amongst the important ,ministers of ,state who are religious1 who are exemplary1 who worship ,god1 and who fear to disobey ,his ,laws1 who judge justly and rule their people with ,equity4 ,other ,governors there are in this land who have no fear of ,god before their eyes1 who think not of the consequences of their actions1 working for their own desires1 and these have brought ,persia into great trouble and difficulty4 ,oh1 friends of ,god1 be living examples of justice6 ,so that by the ,mercy of ,god1 the world may see in your actions that you manifest the attributes of justice and mercy4 ,justice is not limited1 it is a universal quality4 ,its operation must be carried out in all classes1 from the highest to the lowest4 ,justice must be sacred1 and the rights of all the people must be considered4 ,desire for others only that which you desire for yourselves4 ,then shall we rejoice in the ,sun of ,justice1 which shines from the ,horizon of ,god4 ,each man has been placed in a post of honour1 which he must not desert4 ,a humble workman who commits an injustice is as much to blame as a renowned tyrant4 ,thus we all have our choice between justice and injustice4 ,i hope that each one of you will become just1 and direct your thoughts towards the unity of mankind2 that you will never harm your neighbours nor speak ill of any one2 that you will respect the rights of all men1 and be more concerned for the interests of others than for your own4 ,thus will you become torches of ,divine justice1 acting in accordance with the ,teaching of ,bah'u'llh1 who1 during ,his life1 bore innumerable trials and persecutions in order to show forth to the world of mankind the virtues of the ,world of ,divinity1 making it possible for you to realize the supremacy of the spirit1 and to rejoice in the ,justice of ,god4 ,by ,his ,mercy1 the ,divine ,bounty will be showered upon you1 and for this ,i pray6 ,,the ,,tenth ,,principle--,,equality ,,of ,,sex #d ,avenue de ,camens1 ,paris1 ,november #adth ,the ,tenth ,principle of the teaching of ,bah'u'llh is the equality of the sexes4 ,god has created all creatures in couples4 ,man1 beast1 or vegetable1 all the things of these three kingdoms are of two sexes1 and there is absolute equality between them4 ,in the vegetable world there are male plants and female plants2 they have equal rights1 and possess an equal share of the beauty of their species2 though indeed the tree that bears fruit might be said to be superior to that which is unfruitful4 ,in the animal kingdom we see that the male and the female have equal rights2 and that they each share the advantages of their kind4 ,now in the two lower kingdoms of nature we have seen that there is no question of the superiority of one sex over the other4 ,in the world of humanity we find a great difference2 the female sex is treated as though inferior1 and is not allowed equal rights and privileges4 ,this condition is due not to nature1 but to education4 ,in the ,divine ,creation there is no such distinction4 ,neither sex is superior to the other in the sight of ,god4 ,why then should one sex assert the inferiority of the other1 withholding just rights and privileges as though ,god had given ,his authority for such a course of action8 ,if women received the same educational advantages as those of men1 the result would demonstrate the equality of capacity of both for scholarship4 ,in some respects woman is superior to man4 ,she is more tender-hearted1 more receptive1 her intuition is more intense4 ,it is not to be denied that in various directions woman at present is more backward than man1 also that this temporary inferiority is due to the lack of educational opportunity4 ,in the necessity of life1 woman is more instinct with power than man1 for to her he owes his very existence4 ,if the mother is educated then her children will be well taught4 ,when the mother is wise1 then will the children be led into the path of wisdom4 ,if the mother be religious she will show her children how they should love ,god4 ,if the mother is moral she guides her little ones into the ways of uprightness4 ,it is clear therefore that the future generation depends on the mothers of today4 ,is not this a vital responsibility for the woman8 ,does she not require every possible advantage to equip her for such a task8 ,therefore1 surely1 ,god is not pleased that so important an instrument as woman should suffer from want of training in order to attain the perfections desirable and necessary for her great life's work6 ,divine ,justice demands that the rights of both sexes should be equally respected since neither is superior to the other in the eyes of ,heaven4 ,dignity before ,god depends1 not on sex1 but on purity and luminosity of heart4 ,human virtues belong equally to all6 ,woman must endeavour then to attain greater perfection1 to be man's equal in every respect1 to make progress in all in which she has been backward1 so that man will be compelled to acknowledge her equality of capacity and attainment4 ,in ,europe women have made greater progress than in the ,east1 but there is still much to be done6 ,when students have arrived at the end of their school term an examination takes place1 and the result thereof determines the knowledge and capacity of each student4 ,so will it be with woman2 her actions will show her power1 there will no longer be any need to proclaim it by words4 ,it is my hope that women of the ,east1 as well as their ,western sisters1 will progress rapidly until humanity shall reach perfection4 ,god's ,bounty is for all and gives power for all progress4 ,when men own the equality of women there will be no need for them to struggle for their rights6 ,one of the principles then of ,bah'u'llh is the equality of sex4 ,women must make the greatest effort to acquire spiritual power and to increase in the virtue of wisdom and holiness until their enlightenment and striving succeeds in bringing about the unity of mankind4 ,they must work with a burning enthusiasm to spread the ,teaching of ,bah'u'llh among the peoples1 so that the radiant light of the ,divine ,bounty may envelop the souls of all the nations of the world6 ,,the ,,eleventh ,,principle--,,the ,,power ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit #d ,avenue de ,camens1 ,paris1 ,november #ahth ,in the teaching of ,bah'u'llh1 it is written3 #8,by the ,power of the ,holy ,spirit alone is man able to progress1 for the power of man is limited and the ,divine ,power is boundless4' ,the reading of history brings us to the conclusion that all truly great men1 the benefactors of the human race1 those who have moved men to love the right and hate the wrong and who have caused real progress1 all these have been inspired by the force of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the ,prophets of ,god have not all graduated in the schools of learned philosophy2 indeed they were often men of humble birth1 to all appearance ignorant1 unknown men of no importance in the eyes of the world2 sometimes even lacking the knowledge of reading and writing4 ,that which raised these great ones above men1 and by which they were able to become ,teachers of the truth1 was the power of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,their influence on humanity1 by virtue of this mighty inspiration1 was great and penetrating4 ,the influence of the wisest philosophers1 without this ,spirit ,divine1 has been comparatively unimportant1 however extensive their learning and deep their scholarship4 ,the unusual intellects1 for instance1 of ,plato1 ,aristotle1 ,pliny and ,socrates1 have not influenced men so greatly that they have been anxious to sacrifice their lives for their teachings2 whilst some of those simple men so moved humanity that thousands of men have become willing martyrs to uphold their words2 for these words were inspired by the ,divine ,spirit of ,god6 ,the prophets of ,judah and ,israel1 ,elijah1 ,jeremiah1 ,isaiah and ,ezekiel1 were humble men1 as were also the apostles of ,jesus ,christ4 ,peter1 the chief of the apostles1 used to divide the proceeds of his fishing into seven parts1 and when1 having taken one part for each day's use1 he arrived at the seventh portion1 he knew it was the ,sabbath day4 ,consider this6 and then think of his future position2 to what glory he attained because the ,holy ,spirit wrought great works through him4 ,we understand that the ,holy ,spirit is the energizing factor in the life of man4 ,whosoever receives this power is able to influence all with whom he comes into contact4 ,the greatest philosophers without this ,spirit are powerless1 their souls lifeless1 their hearts dead6 ,unless the ,holy ,spirit breathes into their souls1 they can do no good work4 ,no system of philosophy has ever been able to change the manners and customs of a people for the better4 ,learned philosophers1 unenlightened by the ,divine ,spirit1 have often been men of inferior morality2 they have not proclaimed in their actions the reality of their beautiful phrases4 ,the difference between spiritual philosophers and others is shown by their lives4 ,the ,spiritual ,teacher shows ,his belief in ,his own teaching1 by ,himself being what ,he recommends to others4 ,an humble man without learning1 but filled with the ,holy ,spirit1 is more powerful than the most nobly-born profound scholar without that inspiration4 ,he who is educated by the ,divine ,spirit can1 in his time1 lead others to receive the same ,spirit4 ,i pray for you that you may be informed by the life of the ,divine ,spirit1 so that you may be the means of educating others4 ,the life and morals of a spiritual man are1 in themselves1 an education to those who know him4 ,think not of your own limitations1 dwell only on the welfare of the ,kingdom of ,glory4 ,consider the influence of ,jesus ,christ on ,his apostles1 then think of their effect upon the world4 ,these simple men were enabled by the power of the ,holy ,spirit to spread the glad tidings6 ,so may you all receive ,divine assistance6 ,no capacity is limited when led by the ,spirit of ,god6 ,the earth of itself has no properties of life1 it is barren and dry1 until fertilized by the sun and the rain2 still the earth need not bewail its own limitations4 ,may you be given life6 ,may the rain of the ,divine ,mercy and the warmth of the ,sun of ,truth make your gardens fruitful1 so that many beautiful flowers of exquisite fragrance and love may blossom in abundance4 ,turn your faces away from the contemplation of your own finite selves and fix your eyes upon the ,everlasting ,radiance2 then will your souls receive in full measure the ,divine ,power of the ,spirit and the ,blessings of the ,infinite ,bounty4 ,if you thus keep yourselves in readiness1 you will become to the world of humanity a burning flame1 a star of guidance1 and a fruitful tree1 changing all its darkness and woe into light and joy by the shining of the ,sun of ,mercy and the infinite blessings of the ,glad ,tidings4 ,this is the meaning of the power of the ,holy ,spirit1 which ,i pray may be bountifully showered upon you4 #d ,avenue de ,camens1 ,paris1 ,november #bhth #d ,avenue de ,camens1 ,paris1 ,november #bhth ,in these gatherings where we have met and spoken together you have all become acquainted with the principles of this dispensation1 and with the reality of facts4 ,unto you it has been given to know these things1 but there are many still unenlightened and submerged in superstition4 ,they have heard but little of this great and glorious ,cause1 and the knowledge they have is for the most part based only on hearsay4 ,alas1 poor souls1 the knowledge they have is not based on truth1 the foundation of their belief is not the teaching of ,bah'u'llh6 ,there is1 assuredly1 a certain amount of truth in what they have been told1 but for the most part their information has been inaccurate4 ,the true principles of the blessed ,cause of ,god are the eleven rules which ,i have given you1 and ,i have carefully explained these1 one by one4 ,you must endeavour always to live and act in direct obedience to the teachings and laws of ,bah'u'llh1 so that every individual may see in all the acts of your life that in word and in deed you are followers of the ,blessed ,perfection4 ,exert yourselves so that this glorious teaching may encircle the globe1 and that spirituality may be infused into the hearts of men4 ,the breath of the ,holy ,spirit shall confirm you1 and although many will arise against you1 they shall not prevail6 ,when the ,lord ,christ was crowned with thorns1 ,he knew that all the diadems of the world were at ,his feet4 ,all earthly crowns1 however brilliant1 powerful and resplendent1 bowed in adoration before the crown of thorns6 ,it was from this sure and certain knowledge ,he spoke1 when ,he said3 #8,all power is given unto ,me1 in ,heaven and in earth'47#ad7 ,now ,i say unto you1 bear this on your hearts and in your minds4 ,verily your light shall illumine the whole world1 your spirituality shall affect the heart of things4 ,you shall in truth become the lighted torches of the globe4 ,fear not1 neither be dismayed1 for your light shall penetrate the densest darkness4 ,this is the ,promise of ,god1 which ,i give unto you4 ,rise6 and serve the ,power of ,god6 ,,the ,,last ,,meeting #ae ,rue ,greuze1 ,paris1 ,december #ast ,when ,i arrived in ,paris some time ago for the first time1 ,i looked around me with much interest1 and in my mind ,i likened this beautiful city to a large garden4 ,with loving care and much thought ,i examined the soil1 and found it to be very good and full of possibility for steadfast faith and firm belief1 for a seed of ,god's love has been cast into the ground4 ,clouds of ,heavenly ,mercy showered their rain upon it1 and the ,sun of ,truth fell warmly upon the young seeds1 and today one can see in your midst the birth of belief4 ,the seed cast into the ground has begun to spring up1 and day by day you will see it grow4 ,the bounties of the ,kingdom of ,bah'u'llh shall indeed bring forth a wondrous harvest6 ,behold6 ,i bring you glad and joyful tidings6 ,paris will become a garden of roses6 ,all kinds of beautiful flowers will spring up and flourish in this garden1 and the fame of their fragrance and beauty will be spread in all lands4 ,when ,i think of ,paris in the future1 ,i seem to see her bathed in the light of the ,holy ,spirit6 ,verily1 the day is dawning when ,paris will receive her illumination1 and the ,goodness and ,mercy of ,god will be visible to every living creature4 ,do not allow your minds to dwell on the present1 but with eyes of faith look into the future1 for in truth the ,spirit of ,god is working in your midst4 ,since my arrival a few weeks ago1 ,i can see the growth of spirituality4 ,at the beginning only a few souls came to me for ,light1 but during my short sojourn among you the numbers have increased and doubled4 ,this is a promise for the future6 ,when ,christ was crucified and left this world1 ,he had only eleven disciples and a very few followers2 but as ,he served the ,cause of truth1 look today at the result of ,his life's work6 ,he has illumined the world1 and given life to dead humanity4 ,after ,his ascension little by little ,his ,cause grew1 the souls of ,his followers became more and more luminous1 and the exquisite perfume of their saintly lives spread on all sides4 ,now today1 thank ,god1 a similar condition has begun in ,paris4 ,there are many souls who have turned to the ,kingdom of ,god1 and who are attracted to unity1 love and truth4 ,try so to work that the goodness and mercy of ,abh may enfold the whole of ,paris4 ,the ,breath of the ,holy ,spirit will help you1 the ,celestial ,light of the ,kingdom will shine in your hearts1 and the blessed angels of ,god from ,heaven will bring you strength and will succour you4 ,then thank ,god with all your hearts that you have attained to this supreme benefit4 ,a great part of the world is plunged in sleep1 but you have been awakened4 ,many are blind1 but you see6 ,the call of the ,kingdom is heard in your midst4 ,glory be to ,god1 you have been born again1 you have been baptized by the fire of the ,love of ,god2 you have been plunged in the ,sea of ,life and regenerated by the ,spirit of ,love6 ,having received such favour be thankful unto ,god1 and never doubt ,his ,goodness and ,loving ,kindness but have undying faith in the ,bounties of the ,kingdom4 ,consort together in brotherly love1 be ready to lay down your lives one for the other1 and not only for those who are dear to you1 but for all humanity4 ,look upon the whole human race as members of one family1 all children of ,god2 and1 in so doing1 you will see no difference between them4 ,humanity may be likened to a tree4 ,this tree has branches1 leaves1 buds and fruit4 ,think of all men as being flowers1 leaves or buds of this tree1 and try to help each and all to realize and enjoy ,god's blessings4 ,god neglects none3 ,he loves all4 ,the only real difference that exists between people is that they are at various stages of development4 ,some are imperfect--these must be brought to perfection4 ,some are asleep--they must be awakened2 some are negligent--they must be roused2 but one and all are the children of ,god4 ,love them all with your whole heart2 no one is a stranger to the other1 all are friends4 ,tonight ,i come to say farewell to you--but bear this in your minds1 that although our bodies may be far apart1 in spirit we shall always be together4 ,i bear you one and all in my heart1 and will forget none of you--and ,i hope that none of you will forget me4 ,i in the ,east1 and you in the ,west1 let us try with heart and soul that unity may dwell in the world1 that all the peoples may become one people1 and that the whole surface of the earth may be like one country--for the ,sun of ,truth shines on all alike4 ,all the ,prophets of ,god came for love of this one great aim4 ,look how ,abraham strove to bring faith and love among the people2 how ,moses tried to unite the people by sound laws2 how the ,lord ,christ suffered unto death to bring the light of love and truth into a darkened world2 how ,muammad sought to bring unity and peace between the various uncivilized tribes among whom he dwelt4 ,and last of all1 ,bah'u'llh has suffered forty years for the same cause--the single noble purpose of spreading love among the children of men--and for the peace and unity of the world the ,bb gave up his life4 ,thus1 strive to follow the example of these ,divine ,beings1 drink from ,their fountain1 be illumined by ,their ,light1 and to the world be as symbols of the ,mercy and ,love of ,god4 ,be unto the world as rain and clouds of mercy1 as suns of truth2 be a celestial army1 and you shall indeed conquer the city of hearts4 ,be thankful unto ,god that ,bah'u'llh has given us a firm and solid foundation4 ,he left no place for sadness in hearts1 and the writings of ,his sacred pen contain consolation for the whole world4 ,he had the words of truth1 and anything that is contrary to ,his teaching is false4 ,the chief aim of all ,his work was to do away with division4 ,the testament of ,bah'u'llh is a ,rain of ,goodness1 a ,sun of ,truth1 ,water of ,life1 the ,holy ,spirit4 ,thus open your hearts to receive the full power of ,his ,beauty1 and ,i will pray for you all that this joy may be yours4 ,now ,i say #8,good-bye'4 ,this ,i say only to your outer selves2 ,i do not say it to your souls1 for our souls are always together4 ,be comforted1 and rest assured that day and night ,i shall turn to the ,kingdom of ,abh in supplication for you1 that day by day you may grow better and holier1 nearer to ,god1 and more and more illumined by the radiance of ,his ,love4 ,,address ,,by #8,,abdu',l-,,bah ,,at ,,the ,,friends' ,,meeting ,,house1 ,,st ,,martin',s ,,lane1 ,,london1 ,w4,c4 ,sunday1 ,january #abth1 #aiac ,about one thousand years ago a society was formed in ,persia called the ,society of the ,friends1 who gathered together for silent communion with the ,almighty4 ,they divided ,divine philosophy into two parts3 one kind is that of which the knowledge can be acquired through lectures and study in schools and colleges4 ,the second kind of philosophy was that of the ,illuminati1 or followers of the inner light4 ,the schools of this philosophy were held in silence4 ,meditating1 and turning their faces to the ,source of ,light1 from that central ,light the mysteries of the ,kingdom were reflected in the hearts of these people4 ,all the ,divine problems were solved by this power of illumination4 ,this ,society of ,friends increased greatly in ,persia1 and up to the present time their societies exist4 ,many books and epistles were written by their leaders4 ,when they assemble in their meeting-house they sit silently and contemplate2 their leader opens with a certain proposition1 and says to the assembly #8,you must meditate on this problem'4 ,then1 freeing their minds from everything else1 they sit and reflect1 and before long the answer is revealed to them4 ,many abstruse divine questions are solved by this illumination4 ,some of the great questions unfolding from the rays of the ,sun of ,reality upon the mind of man are3 the problem of the reality of the spirit of man2 of the birth of the spirit2 of its birth from this world into the world of ,god2 the question of the inner life of the spirit and of its fate after its ascension from the body4 ,they also meditate upon the scientific questions of the day1 and these are likewise solved4 ,these people1 who are called #8,followers of the inner light'1 attain to a superlative degree of power1 and are entirely freed from blind dogmas and imitations4 ,men rely on the statements of these people3 by themselves--within themselves--they solve all mysteries4 ,if they find a solution with the assistance of the inner light1 they accept it1 and afterwards they declare it3 otherwise they would consider it a matter of blind imitation4 ,they go so far as to reflect upon the essential nature of the ,divinity1 of the ,divine revelation1 of the manifestation of the ,deity in this world4 ,all the divine and scientific questions are solved by them through the power of the spirit4 ,bah'u'llh says there is a sign 7from ,god7 in every phenomenon3 the sign of the intellect is contemplation and the sign of contemplation is silence1 because it is impossible for a man to do two things at one time--he cannot both speak and meditate4 ,it is an axiomatic fact that while you meditate you are speaking with your own spirit4 ,in that state of mind you put certain questions to your spirit and the spirit answers3 the light breaks forth and the reality is revealed4 ,you cannot apply the name #8man' to any being void of this faculty of meditation2 without it he would be a mere animal1 lower than the beasts4 ,through the faculty of meditation man attains to eternal life2 through it he receives the breath of the ,holy ,spirit--the bestowal of the ,spirit is given in reflection and meditation4 ,the spirit of man is itself informed and strengthened during meditation2 through it affairs of which man knew nothing are unfolded before his view4 ,through it he receives ,divine inspiration1 through it he receives heavenly food4 ,meditation is the key for opening the doors of mysteries4 ,in that state man abstracts himself3 in that state man withdraws himself from all outside objects2 in that subjective mood he is immersed in the ocean of spiritual life and can unfold the secrets of things-in-themselves4 ,to illustrate this1 think of man as endowed with two kinds of sight2 when the power of insight is being used the outward power of vision does not see4 ,this faculty of meditation frees man from the animal nature1 discerns the reality of things1 puts man in touch with ,god4 ,this faculty brings forth from the invisible plane the sciences and arts4 ,through the meditative faculty inventions are made possible1 colossal undertakings are carried out2 through it governments can run smoothly4 ,through this faculty man enters into the very ,kingdom of ,god4 ,nevertheless some thoughts are useless to man2 they are like waves moving in the sea without result4 ,but if the faculty of meditation is bathed in the inner light and characterized with divine attributes1 the results will be confirmed4 ,the meditative faculty is akin to the mirror2 if you put it before earthly objects it will reflect them4 ,therefore if the spirit of man is contemplating earthly subjects he will be informed of these4 ,but if you turn the mirror of your spirits heavenwards1 the heavenly constellations and the rays of the ,sun of ,reality will be reflected in your hearts1 and the virtues of the ,kingdom will be obtained4 ,therefore let us keep this faculty rightly directed--turning it to the heavenly ,sun and not to earthly objects--so that we may discover the secrets of the ,kingdom1 and comprehend the allegories of the ,bible and the mysteries of the spirit4 ,may we indeed become mirrors reflecting the heavenly realities1 and may we become so pure as to reflect the stars of heaven4 ,,prayer #ig ,cadogan ,gardens1 ,london1 ,december #bfth1 #aiab #8,should ,prayer take the form of action8' #8,abdu'l-,bah4--#8,yes3 ,in the ,bah' ,cause arts1 sciences and all crafts are 7counted as7 worship4 ,the man who makes a piece of notepaper to the best of his ability1 conscientiously1 concentrating all his forces on perfecting it1 is giving praise to ,god4 ,briefly1 all effort and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his heart is worship1 if it is prompted by the highest motives and the will to do service to humanity4 ,this is worship3 to serve mankind and to minister to the needs of the people4 ,service is prayer4 ,a physician ministering to the sick1 gently1 tenderly1 free from prejudice and believing in the solidarity of the human race1 he is giving praise'4 #8,what is the purpose of our lives8' #8,abdu'l-,bah4--#8,to acquire virtues4 ,we come from the earth2 why were we transferred from the mineral to the vegetable kingdom--from the plant to the animal kingdom8 ,so that we may attain perfection in each of these kingdoms1 that we may possess the best qualities of the mineral1 that we may acquire the power of growing as in the plant1 that we may be adorned with the instincts of the animal and possess the faculties of sight1 hearing1 smell1 touch and taste1 until from the animal kingdom we step into the world of humanity and are gifted with reason1 the power of invention1 and the forces of the spirit4' ,,evil #8,what is evil8' #8,abdu'l-,bah4--#8,evil is imperfection4 ,sin is the state of man in the world of the baser nature1 for in nature exist defects such as injustice1 tyranny1 hatred1 hostility1 strife3 these are characteristics of the lower plane of nature4 ,these are the sins of the world1 the fruits of the tree from which ,adam did eat4 ,through education we must free ourselves from these imperfections4 ,the ,prophets of ,god have been sent1 the ,holy ,books have been written1 so that man may be made free4 ,just as he is born into this world of imperfection from the womb of his earthly mother1 so is he born into the world of spirit through divine education4 ,when a man is born into the world of phenomena he finds the universe2 when he is born from this world to the world of the spirit1 he finds the ,kingdom4' ,,the ,,progress ,,of ,,the ,,soul #8,does the soul progress more through sorrow or through the joy in this world8' #8,abdu'l-,bah4--#8,the mind and spirit of man advance when he is tried by suffering4 ,the more the ground is ploughed the better the seed will grow1 the better the harvest will be4 ,just as the plough furrows the earth deeply1 purifying it of weeds and thistles1 so suffering and tribulation free man from the petty affairs of this worldly life until he arrives at a state of complete detachment4 ,his attitude in this world will be that of divine happiness4 ,man is1 so to speak1 unripe3 the heat of the fire of suffering will mature him4 ,look back to the times past and you will find that the greatest men have suffered most4' #8,he who through suffering has attained development1 should he fear happiness8' #8,abdu'l-,bah4--#8,through suffering he will attain to an eternal happiness which nothing can take from him4 ,the apostles of ,christ suffered3 they attained eternal happiness4' #8,then it is impossible to attain happiness without suffering8' #8,abdu'l-,bah4--#8,to attain eternal happiness one must suffer4 ,he who has reached the state of self-sacrifice has true joy4 ,temporal joy will vanish4' #8,can a departed soul converse with someone still on earth8' #8,abdu'l-,bah4--#8,a conversation can be held1 but not as our conversation4 ,there is no doubt that the forces of the higher worlds interplay with the forces of this plane4 ,the heart of man is open to inspiration2 this is spiritual communication4 ,as in a dream one talks with a friend while the mouth is silent1 so is it in the conversation of the spirit4 ,a man may converse with the ego within him saying3 8,may ,i do this8 ,would it be advisable for me to do this work80 ,such as this is conversation with the higher self4' ,,the ,,four ,,kinds ,,of ,,love #ig ,cadogan ,gardens1 ,london1 ,saturday1 ,january #dth1 #aiac ,what a power is love6 ,it is the most wonderful1 the greatest of all living powers4 ,love gives life to the lifeless4 ,love lights a flame in the heart that is cold4 ,love brings hope to the hopeless and gladdens the hearts of the sorrowful4 ,in the world of existence there is indeed no greater power than the power of love4 ,when the heart of man is aglow with the flame of love1 he is ready to sacrifice all--even his life4 ,in the ,gospel it is said ,god is love4 ,there are four kinds of love4 ,the first is the love that flows from ,god to man2 it consists of the inexhaustible graces1 the ,divine effulgence and heavenly illumination4 ,through this love the world of being receives life4 ,through this love man is endowed with physical existence1 until1 through the breath of the ,holy ,spirit--this same love--he receives eternal life and becomes the image of the ,living ,god4 ,this love is the origin of all the love in the world of creation4 ,the second is the love that flows from man to ,god4 ,this is faith1 attraction to the ,divine1 enkindlement1 progress1 entrance into the ,kingdom of ,god1 receiving the ,bounties of ,god1 illumination with the lights of the ,kingdom4 ,this love is the origin of all philanthropy2 this love causes the hearts of men to reflect the rays of the ,sun of ,reality4 ,the third is the love of ,god towards the ,self or ,identity of ,god4 ,this is the transfiguration of ,his ,beauty1 the reflection of ,himself in the mirror of ,his ,creation4 ,this is the reality of love1 the ,ancient ,love1 the ,eternal ,love4 ,through one ray of this ,love all other love exists4 ,the fourth is the love of man for man4 ,the love which exists between the hearts of believers is prompted by the ideal of the unity of spirits4 ,this love is attained through the knowledge of ,god1 so that men see the ,divine ,love reflected in the heart4 ,each sees in the other the ,beauty of ,god reflected in the soul1 and finding this point of similarity1 they are attracted to one another in love4 ,this love will make all men the waves of one sea1 this love will make them all the stars of one heaven and the fruits of one tree4 ,this love will bring the realization of true accord1 the foundation of real unity4 ,but the love which sometimes exists between friends is not 7true7 love1 because it is subject to transmutation2 this is merely fascination4 ,as the breeze blows1 the slender trees yield4 ,if the wind is in the ,east the tree leans to the ,west1 and if the wind turns to the ,west the tree leans to the ,east4 ,this kind of love is originated by the accidental conditions of life4 ,this is not love1 it is merely acquaintanceship2 it is subject to change4 ,today you will see two souls apparently in close friendship2 tomorrow all this may be changed4 ,yesterday they were ready to die for one another1 today they shun one another's society6 ,this is not love2 it is the yielding of the hearts to the accidents of life4 ,when that which has caused this #8love' to exist passes1 the love passes also2 this is not in reality love4 ,love is only of the four kinds that ,i have explained4 7a7 ,the love of ,god towards the identity of ,god4 ,christ has said ,god is ,love4 7b7 ,the love of ,god for ,his children--for ,his servants4 7c7 ,the love of man for ,god and 7d7 the love of man for man4 ,these four kinds of love originate from ,god4 ,these are rays from the ,sun of ,reality2 these are the ,breathings of the ,holy ,spirit2 these are the ,signs of the ,reality4 ,,tablet ,,revealed ,,by #8,,abdu',l-,,bah ,august #bhth1 #aiac ,o ,thou my beloved daughter6 ,thine eloquent and fluent letter was perused in a garden1 under the cool shade of a tree1 while the gentle breeze was wafting4 ,the means of physical enjoyment was spread before the eyes and thy letter became the cause of spiritual enjoyment4 ,truly1 ,i say1 it was not a letter but a rose-garden adorned with hyacinths and flowers4 ,it contained the sweet fragrance of paradise and the zephyr of ,divine ,love blew from its roseate words4 ,as ,i have not ample time at my disposal1 ,i will give herein a brief1 conclusive and comprehensive answer4 ,it is as follows3 ,in this ,revelation of ,bah'u'llh1 the women go neck and neck with the men4 ,in no movement will they be left behind4 ,their rights with men are equal in degree4 ,they will enter all the administrative branches of politics4 ,they will attain in all such a degree as will be considered the very highest station of the world of humanity and will take part in all affairs4 ,rest ye assured4 ,do ye not look upon the present conditions2 in the not far distant future the world of women will become all-refulgent and all-glorious1 ,for ,his ,holiness ,bah'u'llh ,hath ,willed ,it so6 ,at the time of elections the right to vote is the inalienable right of women1 and the entrance of women into all human departments is an irrefutable and incontrovertible question4 ,no soul can retard or prevent it4 ,but there are certain matters1 the participation in which is not worthy of women4 ,for example1 at the time when the community is taking up vigorous defensive measures against the attack of foes1 the women are exempt from military engagements4 ,it may so happen that at a given time warlike and savage tribes may furiously attack the body politic with the intention of carrying on a wholesale slaughter of its members2 under such a circumstance defence is necessary1 but it is the duty of men to organize and execute such defensive measures and not the women--because their hearts are tender and they cannot endure the sight of the horror of carnage1 even if it is for the sake of defence4 ,from such and similar undertakings the women are exempt4 ,as regards the constitution of the ,house of ,justice1 ,bah'u'llh addresses the men4 ,he says3 #8,o ye men of the ,house of ,justice6' ,but when its members are to be elected1 the right which belongs to women1 so far as their voting and their voice is concerned1 is indisputable4 ,when the women attain to the ultimate degree of progress1 then1 according to the exigency of the time and place and their great capacity1 they shall obtain extraordinary privileges4 ,be ye confident on these accounts4 ,his ,holiness ,bah'u'llh has greatly strengthened the cause of women1 and the rights and privileges of women is one of the greatest principles of #8,abdu'l-,bah4 ,rest ye assured6 ,ere long the days shall come when the men addressing the women1 shall say3 #8,blessed are ye6 ,blessed are ye6 ,verily ye are worthy of every gift4 ,verily ye deserve to adorn your heads with the crown of everlasting glory1 because in sciences and arts1 in virtues and perfections ye shall become equal to man1 and as regards tenderness of heart and the abundance of mercy and sympathy ye are superior'4 ,,footnotes #a ,st4 ,john xiv1 ,,ii4 #b ,st ,matthew xxiv1 #cj4 ,st ,matthew xvi1 #bg4 #c ,st ,john iii1 #ac #d ,st ,john xviii1 #aa4 #e ,manifestations of ,god4 #f ,exodus iii1 #b4 #g ,a certain man who was present when ,bad was told he should carry the ,epistle to the ,shh saw him transfigured2 he became radiant4 #h ,st ,john iii1 #e4 #i ,st ,matthew iii1 #aa4 #aj i4e4--,all good actions bring their own reward4 #aa ,a small orange-tree on the table nearby4 #ab i4e4--,divine ,manifestation4 #ac #8,give me neither poverty nor riches4'--,prov4 xxx41 #h4 #ad ,matthew xviii1 #ah4