Appendix 8
Relations
with Others
Consort with the
followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship.
(Baha'u'llah: Gleanings, p. 95)
Consort with all
men, O people of Baha, in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship.
If ye be aware of a certain truth, if ye possess a jewel, of which
others are deprived, share it with them in a language of utmost
kindliness and good-will. If it be accepted, if it fulfill its
purpose, your object is attained. If anyone should refuse it,
leave him unto himself, and beseech God to guide him. Beware lest
ye deal unkindly with him. A kindly tongue is the lodestone of
the hearts of men. It is the bread of the spirit, it clotheth the
words with meaning, it is the fountain of the light of wisdom and
understanding.
(Baha'u'llah: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p.
15)
O SON OF DUST!
The wise are they
that speak not unless they obtain a hearing, even as the
cup-bearer, who proffereth not his cup till he findeth a seeker, and
the lover who crieth not out from the depths of his heart until he
gazeth upon the beauty of his beloved. Wherefore sow the seeds of
wisdom and knowledge in the pure soil of the heart, and keep them
hidden, till the hyacinths of divine wisdom spring from the heart and
not from mire and clay. In the first line of the Tablet it is recorded
and written, and within the sanctuary of the tabernacle of God is
hidden:
(Bahá'u'lláh,The Persian Hidden Words, No. 36)
Although forbidden by Bahá'u'lláh from
aggressive proselytizing, Bahá'ís believe that His
message offers specific and important answers to the diverse and grave
problems facing humanity. Accordingly,
they are eager to share this message with anyone who expresses and
interest.
(Baha'i International Community, The Baha'is, p. 11)
Furthermore, those souls who have followed
Baha'u'llah and attained this condition of fellowship and affiliation
are Muslims, Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, Buddhists, Nestorians,
Sunnites, Shiites and others. No discord exists among them.
This is a proof of the possibility of unification among the
religionists of the world through practical means. Imitations and
prejudices which have held men apart have been discarded, and the
reality of religion envelops them in a perfect unity. When
reality envelops the soul of man, love is possible. The divine
purpose in religion is pure love and agreement. The Prophets of
God manifested complete love for all. Each One announced the glad
tidings of His successor, and each subsequent One confirmed the
teachings and prophecies of the Prophet Who preceded Him. There
was no disagreement or variance in the reality of Their teaching and
mission. Discord has arisen among Their followers, who have lost
sight of reality and hold fast to imitations. If imitations be
done away with and the radiant shining reality dawn in the souls of
men, love and unity must prevail. In this way humanity will be
rescued from the strife and wars which have prevailed for thousands of
years; dissensions will pass away and the illumination of unity
dawn. Consider how all the Prophets of God were persecuted and
what hardships They experienced. Jesus Christ endured affliction
and accepted martyrdom upon the cross in order to summon mankind to
unity and love. What sacrifice could be greater? He brought the
religion of love and fellowship into the world. Shall we make use
of it to create discord, violence and hatred among mankind?
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Promulgation of Universal
Peace*, p. 234)
Knowing
The Father (John 14, 7)
Baha'u'llah also affirms that, in the spiritual
realm, there is an "essential unity" between all the Manifestations of
God. They all reveal the "Beauty of God", manifest His names and
attributes, and give utterance to His Revelation. In this regard, He
states:
Were any of the all-embracing
Manifestations of God to declare: "I am God", He, verily,
speaketh the truth, and no doubt attacheth thereto. For it hath
been repeatedly demonstrated that through their Revelation, their
attributes and names, the Revelation of God, His names and His
attributes, are made manifest in the world...
While the Manifestations reveal the names and
attributes of God and are the means by which humanity has access to the
knowledge of God and His Revelation, Shoghi Effendi states that the
Manifestations should "never ... be identified with that invisible
Reality, the Essence of Divinity itself". In relation to
Baha'u'llah, the Guardian wrote that the "human temple that has been
the vehicle of so overpowering a Revelation" is not to be identified
with the "Reality" of God.
(Baha'u'llah: Aqdas: Notes, pp. 233-234)
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