The Master reflects the qualities of the Manifestations as
if He were a mirror. He reflects not only those of Bahá'u'lláh but also of
Christ as He is the exemplar of the spirit of the Prophet.... 
… this Administrative Order is fundamentally different from
anything that any Prophet has previously established, inasmuch as Bahá'u'lláh
has Himself revealed its principles, established its institutions, appointed
the person to interpret His Word and conferred the necessary authority on the
body designed to supplement and apply His legislative ordinances. Therein lies
the secret of its strength, its fundamental distinction, and the guarantee
against disintegration and schism. Nowhere in the sacred scriptures of any of
the world's religious systems, nor even in the writings of the Inaugurator of
the Bábí Dispensation, do we find any provisions establishing a covenant or
providing for an administrative order that can compare in scope and authority
with those that lie at the very basis of the Bahá'í Dispensation.
The world in the past has been ruled by force, and man has
dominated over woman by reason of his more forceful and aggressive qualities
both of body and mind. But the balance is already shifting; force is losing its
dominance, and mental alertness, intuition, and the spiritual qualities of love
and service, in which woman is strong, are gaining ascendancy. Hence the new
age will be an age less masculine and more permeated with the feminine ideals,
or, to speak more exactly, will be an age in which the masculine and feminine
elements of civilization will be more evenly balanced.
Therefore it is not so much a matter of which is more
important, the teaching work or family and personal responsibilities, but how
we can seek a balance in our lives to accomplish both of these sacred tasks.
But in addition to the progress and development of the spiritual life of each
believer, individually and as a member of a family unit, the foundations of the
administrative institutions of the Faith must likewise be continually
strengthened. ..these two goals go hand in hand. ... (Excerpt of a letter from
the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, dated April 19, 1979;
printed in Duties of an Assembly Member prepared by the Canadian National
Spiritual Assembly)
We call people "saints" who have achieved the
highest degree of mastery over their egos.
… religion is the channel of love unto all peoples.
('Abdu'l-Baha, ‘Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha’)
There is no power nor strength but in God alone.
To understand the condition of the world it is necessary to
step back, so to speak, to gain a clearer view of the panorama of God's great
redemptive Major Plan, which is shaping the destiny of mankind according to the
operation of the divine Will. It should not be surmised that the calamitous
events transpiring in all corners of the globe are random and lack purpose,
though individually they may be difficult to comprehend. According to the words
of our beloved Guardian: "The invisible hand is at work and the convulsions
taking place on earth are a prelude to the proclamation of the Cause of God.”
We can confidently anticipate therefore, the arrival of the "new
life-giving spring" once the destructive icy blasts of winter's tempests
have run their course.
The Great Being saith: The heaven of divine wisdom is
illumined with the two luminaries of consultation and compassion. Take ye
counsel together in all matters, inasmuch as consultation is the lamp of
guidance which leadeth the way, and is the bestower of understanding.
The Guardian ... has stated that God's plan for mankind is
going forward in two ways, that He has, as it were, two plans. One, the Major
Plan, is inexorably driving mankind towards the unity and maturity that God
intends for it. This plan operates in ways that are mysterious to us and as it
pursues its tumultuous course, may even seem at times to interfere with our
work, but we can be confident in the beneficence of its goals. The second plan
is the one that has been given to the Bahá'ís and it is to the achievement of
this that we must devote our attention and energies. It is the part that God
Himself has chosen for us in the working out of His grand design.
The Great Being saith: The man of consummate learning and
the sage endowed with penetrating wisdom are the two eyes to the body of
mankind. God willing, the earth shall never be deprived of these two greatest
gifts. That which hath been set forth and will be revealed in the future is but
a token of this Servant’s ardent desire to dedicate Himself to the service of
all the kindreds of the earth.
O ye loving mothers, know ye that in God's sight, the best
of all ways to worship Him is to educate the children and train them in all the
perfections of mankind; and no nobler deed than this can be imagined.
The spirit [or the soul] acts in two ways: One way is by
instruments; that is, it sees with the eyes, it hears with the ears and speaks
with the tongue. These instruments work by the spirit, which is their motor;
though its senses are manifested by the body, they come from the faculty of the
spirit. The other way is that of being and acting without instruments; as in
dreams and visions, it sees without eyes, hears without ears, speaks without
the tongue, walks without feet. All the faculties of the spirit are clear and
distinct in the world of visions. Hence it is evident that the spirit acts in
two ways: First, by the instruments of the body; second, without the
instruments of the body. …
We must be patient with others, infinitely patient!, but
also with our poor selves, remembering that even the Prophets of God sometimes
got tired and cried out in despair! .. He urges you to persevere and add up
your accomplishments, rather than to dwell on the dark side of things.
Everyone's life has both a dark and bright side. The Master
said: ‘turn your back to the darkness and your face to me.’
O my friend! In all circumstances one should seize upon
every means which will promote security and tranquillity among the peoples of
the world. The Great Being saith: In this glorious Day whatever will purge you
from corruption and will lead you towards peace and composure, is indeed the
Straight Path.
Know assuredly that just as thou firmly believest that the
Word of God, exalted be His glory, endureth for ever, thou must, likewise,
believe with undoubting faith that its meaning can never be exhausted. They who
are its appointed interpreters, they whose hearts are the repositories of its
secrets, are, however, the only ones who can comprehend its manifold
wisdom.
The Mashriqu'l-Adhkar [Baha’i temple] is the most important
matter and the greatest divine institute. Consider how the first institute of
his holiness Moses, after his exodus from Egypt was the 'Tent of Martyrdom'
which he raised and which was the traveling temple. It was a tent which they
pitched in the desert wherever they abode, and worshipped in it. Likewise,
after his holiness Christ - May the spirit of the world be a sacrifice to Him -
the first institute by the disciples was a temple. They planned a church in
every country. Consider the Gospel, (i.e., read it), and the importance of the
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar will become evident.
What every believer, new or old, should realize is that the
Cause has the spiritual power to re-create us if we make the effort to let that
power influence us, and greatest help in this respect is prayer. We must
supplicate Baha’u’llah to assist us to overcome the failings in our own
characters, and also exert our own will-power in mastering ourselves.
The belief in the possibilities of miracles, on the
contrary, implies that God's power is beyond any limitation whatsoever. For it
is only logical to believe that the Creator, Who is the sole Author of all the
laws operating in the universe, is above them and can, therefore, if He deems
it necessary, alter them at His Own Will. We, as humans, cannot possibly
attempt to read His Mind, and to fully grasp His Wisdom. Mystery is therefore
an inseparable part of true religion, and as such, should be recognized by the
believers.
…the purpose of this life is to prepare the soul for the next. Here one must learn to control and direct, one's animal impulses, not to be a slave to them. Life in this world is a succession of tests and achievements, of falling short and of making new spiritual advances. Sometimes the course may seem very hard, but one can witness, again and again, that the soul who steadfastly obeys the law of Bahá'u'lláh, however hard it may seem, grows spiritually, while the one who compromises with the law for the sake of his own apparent happiness is seen to have been following a chimera: he does not attain the happiness he sought, he retards his spiritual advance and often brings new problems upon himself.
The connection between God and His creation is that of the
originator and the originated, of the sun and the dark bodies of the universe,
of the craftsman and his handiwork. Not only is the sun sanctified in its very
essence above all the bodies that receive its illumination, but its light is
also, in its essence, sanctified from and independent of the earth. So, though
the earth is nurtured by the sun and is the recipient of its light, the sun and
its rays are nonetheless sanctified above it. But were it not for the sun, the
earth and all terrestrial life could not exist.
God hath raised up Prophets and revealed Books as numerous
as the creatures of the world, and will continue to do so to everlasting.
...women are
accounted the same as men, and God hath created all humankind in His own image,
and after His own likeness. That is, men and women alike are the revealers of
His names and attributes, and from the spiritual viewpoint there is no
difference between them. Whosoever draweth nearer to God, that one is the most
favoured, whether man or woman. How many a handmaid, ardent and devoted, hath,
within the sheltering shade of Baha, proved superior to the men, and surpassed
the famous of the earth.
Man must be ever thinking of drawing nearer to God…
The basis of the teaching of Baha’u’llah is as follows: Bear
in your heart great love to all races on earth, to the end that unity may be
established between them. Take an interest in everyone and find out how you can
help them, so that all may see that your love is truly universal. Do the will
of God, do not only speak about it; the elect of God do this. People do much
speaking to advance their own glory and to make themselves appear superior to
their neighbors. But if you do the will of God and do not blazon it abroad,
then you will change the whole world. They who do most speak least.
Servitude to God lieth in servitude to the friends. One must
be the essence of humility and the embodiment of meekness. One must become
evanescence itself and be healed of every disease of the self, in order to
become worthy of thraldom to the Threshold of the Almighty.
The ego is the animal in us, the heritage of the flesh which
is full of selfish desires. By obeying laws of God, seeking to live the life
laid down in our teachings, and pray and struggle, we can subdue our egos. We
call people "saints" who have achieved the highest degree of mastery
over their egos.
The World Center of the Faith located in Israel “..
geographically, spiritually and administratively, constitutes the heart of the
entire planet..”.
If thou art sailing upon the sea of God's Names, which are
reflected in all things, know thou that He is exalted and sanctified from being
known through His creatures, or being described by His servants. Everything
thou beholdest hath been called into being through the operation of His Will.
How can such a created thing, therefore, be indicative of His essential
oneness? God's existence in itself testifieth to His Own oneness, while every
created thing, by its very nature, beareth evidence that it hath been fashioned
by God. Such is the proof of consummate wisdom in the estimation of those who
sail the ocean of divine Truth.