"The Great Being saith: O ye children of men! The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the
interests and promote the
unity of the
human race, and to foster the
spirit of love and
fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a source of
dissension and
discord, of
hate and
enmity. This is the
straight Path, the
fixed and
immovable foundation. Whatsoever is raised on this foundation, the
changes and
chances of the world can never
impair its
strength, nor will the revolution of countless centuries undermine its structure. Our hope is that the world's religious leaders and the rulers thereof will unitedly arise for the reformation of this age and the rehabilitation of its fortunes. Let them, after
meditating on its needs,
take counsel together and, through anxious and full deliberation, administer to a diseased and sorely-afflicted world the
remedy it requireth... It is incumbent upon them who are in authority to exercise
moderation in all things. Whatsoever passeth
beyond the limits of moderation will cease to exert a
beneficial influence. Consider for instance such things as
liberty,
civilization and the like. However much men of understanding may favorably regard them, they will, if carried to
excess, exercise a
pernicious influence upon men..."
~
Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 215
"
Overstep not the bounds of
moderation, and deal justly with them that serve thee. Bestow upon them
according to their needs, and not to the extent that will enable them to
lay up riches for themselves, to deck their persons, to
embellish their homes, to acquire the things that are of
no benefit unto them, and to be numbered with the extravagant. Deal with them with undeviating justice, so that none among them may either suffer want, or be pampered with
luxuries. This is but manifest
justice."
~
Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 23
"Whoso cleaveth to
justice, can, under
no circumstances, transgress the
limits of moderation. He discerneth the
truth in all things, through the
guidance of Him Who is the
All-Seeing. The civilization, so often vaunted by the learned exponents of arts and sciences, will, if
allowed to overleap the bounds of moderation, bring
great evil upon men. Thus warneth you He Who is the All-Knowing. If carried to
excess,
civilization will prove as prolific a
source of evil as it had been of
goodness when kept within the restraints of
moderation. Meditate on this, O people, and be not of them that wander distraught in the wilderness of error. The day is approaching when its flame will devour the cities, when the Tongue of Grandeur will proclaim: "The Kingdom is God's, the Almighty, the All-Praised!"
"All other things are subject to this same principle of
moderation. Render thanks unto thy Lord Who hath remembered thee in this wondrous Tablet. All-Praise be to God, the Lord of the glorious throne."
~
Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 342
"It is evident that the
changes brought about in every Dispensation constitute the
dark clouds that intervene between the eye of man's understanding and the
Divine Luminary which shineth forth from the day spring of the
Divine Essence. Consider how men for generations have been
blindly imitating their fathers, and have been trained according to such ways and manners as have been laid down by the dictates of their Faith. Were these men, therefore, to discover suddenly that a Man, Who hath been living in their midst, Who, with respect to
every human limitation hath been their
equal, had risen to
abolish every established principle imposed by their Faith --
principles by which for centuries they have been disciplined, and every opposer and denier of which they have come to regard as infidel, profligate and wicked, -- they would
of a certainty be
veiled and
hindered from acknowledging
His truth. Such things are as "
clouds" that
veil the
eyes of those whose inner being hath not tasted the Salsabil of
detachment, nor drunk from the Kawthar of the
knowledge of God. Such men, when acquainted with those circumstances, become so
veiled that, without the least question,
they pronounce the Manifestation of God as infidel, and sentence Him to death.
You must have heard of such things taking place all down the ages, and are now observing them in these days."
~
Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 26
"Happy is the man who will arise to serve My Cause, and glorify My beauteous Name. Take hold of My Book with the power of My might, and cleave tenaciously to whatsoever commandement thy Lord, the Ordainer, the All-Wise, hath prescribed therein. Behold, O Muhammad, how the sayings and doings of the followers of Shi'ih Islam have dulled the joy and fervor of its early days, and tarnished the pristine brilliancy of its light. In its primitive days, whilst they still adhered to the precepts associated with the name of their Prophet, the Lord of mankind, their career was marked by an unbroken chain of victories and triumphs. As they
gradually strayed from the path of their
Ideal Leader and Master, as they
turned away from the
Light of God and
corrupted the
principle of
His Divine unity, and as they increasingly centered their attention upon them who were only the revealers of the potency of His Word,
their power was turned into weakness,
their glory into shame,
their courage into fear. Thou dost witness to what a pass they have come. Behold, how they have joined partners with Him Who is the Focal-Point of Divine unity. Behold how their
evil doings have hindered them from recognizing, in the Day of Resurrection, the
Word of Truth, exalted be
His glory. We cherish the hope that this people will henceforth shield themselves from
vain hopes and
idle fancies, and will attain to a
true understanding of the meaning of
Divine unity."
~
Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 69
To Make Their Views Known to Others the
Young People Should Keep in Touch With
Local Youth Activities:
"... the young Bahá'ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them;
chastity,
politeness,
friendliness,
hospitality,
joyous optimism about the
ultimate future happiness and
well being of mankind, should
distinguish them and win over to them the
love and
admiration of their
fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously
lacking in modern life is a
high standard of conduct and
good character; the
young Bahá'ís must demonstrate
both, if they hope to
seriously win over to the
Faith members of their own generation, so sorely
disillusioned and so
contaminated by the
laxity war gives rise to."
~ From a letter written on behalf of
Shoghi Effendi to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945 (Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 629)
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