Bridging Beliefs

Importance of Knowledge, Reason, and Independent Investigation in Bahá'í Writings

June 05, 2018 Rob Cacchioni Season 1 Episode 2
Bridging Beliefs
Importance of Knowledge, Reason, and Independent Investigation in Bahá'í Writings
Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers

A brief introductory study on the concepts of knowledge, reason, and 'independent investigation of truth' found in the Bahá'í Writings.

Sections:

  1.  0:39 The Supreme Gift - Significance of Intellect and Reason
  2.  7:16 The Path of Knowledge - Importance of Knowledge
  3.  17:49 The Independent Search for Truth
  4.  32:43 The Fragrant Sword - Arguments and the Spark of Truth
  5.  50:13 Summoned to Study - Importance in Immersing in Bahá'í Scriptures
  6.  1:10:18 Study of the Holy Texts - Importance in Immersing in All Scriptures
  7.  1:43:04 Study the Administration - Importance of the Bahá'í Administration & Order
  8.  2:03:51 The Coming Dawn - The Vision of Baha'u'llah's Future World Order

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speaker 0:   0:00
thank you very much for joining her study. This is a personal understanding of the BEHI writings. It is only my view on it. For an official view turned to the behind Scriptures themselves. Please and visit behind DOT or GE. I wish to thank the Higher World Administration all those that are serving their communities out there. And please note that there is an audio file so you can listen to this presentation's interviewing it. And also, any quotes that air used will be in a pdf in the description. So the topic will be covering today is called The Path of Knowledge and bridging Beliefs About one the journey of knowledge that we're supposed to undertake according to buy writings and how we're supposed to be using this to actually bridge the various different religious philosophical beliefs and our planet. Our first section here is called the Supreme Gift. The first quote we have is from habitable, huh? And it reads all blessings or divine in origin. But none can be compared with this power of intellectual investigation and research, which is an eternal gift producing fruits of unending delight. Man is ever partaking of these fruits, all other blessings are temporary. This is an everlasting possession. Even sovereignty has its limitations and overthrow. This is a kingship and Dominions, which none may usurp or destroy briefly. It is an eternal blessing and divine missed all the supreme gift of God to men have the ball here. One of the central figure of the by faith is telling us that the supreme gift to humankind is intellectual investigation and research. Not only is it the supreme gift, it is something that is eternal. It is a sovereignty, an aspect of the fullness of humankind that we carry with us into the next world. And he actually says that all other blessings I have an end. But this itself is actually an eternal blessing. And he actually add that it's an eternal delight. And they were going to see this than the theme as we move forward that it's actually not merely that this is a blessed gift into humankind, but it actually is a source of joy when we undertake it. And he compares this sovereignty the sovereignty of intellectual investigation research to kingship that actually, though that kind of softened e the sovereignty of kingship and Dominion has its end, which this sovereignty, the sovereignty of utilizing the supreme gift of God to humankind has no end, the quote continues. Therefore, you should put forager most earnest efforts towards the acquisition of science and arts. The greater your attainment, the higher your standard in the divine purpose. The man of science is perceiving and endowed with vision. Where is he who is ignorant and neglectful of this development is blind. The investigating mind is attentive alive. The callous and indifferent mind is deaf and debt. A scientific man is a true index and representative of humanity for through processes of inductive reasoning and research is informed of all that appertaining to humanity, its status, conditions and happenings. He studies the human body politick, understand social problems and weaves the Web and texture of civilization. This quote remanded ball is actually both inspiring and challenging because he says that we have to put forward earnest efforts towards actually acquiring the science and the arts and that on individual who who actually does this is higher in the divine purpose that we actually come closer to God through our own intellectual investigation and research that the scientific man is the true index of humanity, meaning it is the actual true representation of what humankind should be. And this is one of the teachings of the behind faith, of which there are endless quotes on this topic that really just is quite shocking when you begin to think of it. Not on Lee of the, the station to which humankind is called, but also when you consider what a society would actually be like if they were to see intellectual investigation, the use of induction, of reasoning, of research in the studying of all of the world as actually sacred as a process of drawing closer and closer to God himself. And we'll see in future deepen ing's future studies like this that actually even science itself is seen as a form of prayer, a form of worship of God. Because we ourselves are fulfilling what he created us to be. To utilize this supreme gift of God, the quote finishes. In fact, science may be likened to a mirror where, in the infinite forms and images of existing things are revealed and reflected, it is the very foundation of all individual and national development without this basis of investigation, development is impossible. Therefore, seek with diligent endeavor the knowledge and attainment of all that lies within the power of this wonderful pistol. The end of this quote, Ababa Hall is saying that it is actually the foundation of all individual and national development. Often time. The process of investigation in science and exploring reality can sometimes be seen as something other people are supposed to do because that's good for the nation. Or that's good for the economy, where that's good for humanity. But we ourselves of other things to do. What's so exquisite about many of the talks on this and many of the quotes we could actually find, is that it is actually related not just to the nation the body politick, but to the individual that this is actually a process of progress for ah person themselves that they themselves have to engage with in the study of the world around them as a means for them to progress as a human being that is intrinsic to the duty of humankind and our human nature that this be carried out. Our next session is called the Path of Knowledge. The picture of used is actually a very steep path because while this is a beautiful training, it is at the same time off and difficult to actually fulfill this in our lives. So we're gonna look at some quotes. You're from the central figures of the Bible. The 1st 1 is actually from Abdul Ball, and it reads, I most urgently request the Friends of God to make every effort has Muchas lion within their competence along these lines, the harder they strived wide in the scope of their knowledge. The better and more gratifying will be the result that the loved ones of God, whether young or old, whether male or female, each according to his capabilities Mr Themselves and spare no efforts to acquire the various current branches of knowledge both spiritually and secular and of the arts. So this quote from an edible haw is telling us that we have to make every effort to expand the scope of our knowledge. And it's not only that it will be better for us as we've seen before and for the nation as a whole, but the more gratifying it will actually be, and that these sciences has should have been clear from the previous quote are merely religious science is the study of Scripture or the study of morality in the development of a human being along a moral plane roof in value, but actually of the actual physical sciences themselves, that this is something that is a duty each according to their competence, right to expand their knowledge of the world. This next quote will find is actually from Mahala. Knowledge is as wings to a man's life and the ladder for his ascent. Its acquisition is incumbent upon everyone. The knowledge is of such sciences, however, should be acquired. Is can profit the peoples of the Earth and not those which begin with words and end with words. Great indeed is the claim of scientists and craftsman on the peoples of the world. In truth, knowledge is a veritable treasure for men and source of glory, of bounty, of joy, off exultation of cheer and gladness. Under him thus have the tongue of grandeur spoken in this most great prison, hereby hollow. The prophet, founder of the behind faith, tells us that knowledge itself is a ladder, a letter of ascent towards God, that this is a fundamental aspect of human nature, to use our understanding of the world to draw closer to divinity. And he tells us that great, indeed is the claim of the scientists and craftsman that not only should we choose this as ah has a goal and has a purpose of our own existence. But when we see others in society striving to develop the arts and crafts and sciences, they should be a plaque and that not on Leah's well, once again, is this a story of glory and bound to you to the individual but is actually a source of joy, of cheer and exultation. And I think it's it's really true with it with me. When we explore the paths of knowledge and journey along that process, we really can find sweetness and delight in as Abdul Baha in Another Place says, the solving of difficult problems, the uncovering of the mysteries of reality and the study of the body politick. This quote is from Abdul Ball Oh young Behind Children, he seekers. After true understanding and knowledge, a human being is distinguished from an animal in a number of ways. First of all, he's made in the image of God in the likeness of the supernova light. Even as the Torah safe. Let us make man in her own image after our likeness. This divine image, the token, if all the qualities of perfection, whose lights emanating from the son of truth illumined the realities of men and among the greatest of these attributes of perfection and wisdom, sort of these attributes of perfection or wisdom and knowledge. He must therefore put forth a mighty effort, striving by night and day and resting not for a moment, toe acquire an abundant share, all the sciences and arts that the divine image which shining out from the sun of truth, the aluminum, the mirror of the hearts of men. It is the longing desire of Abba Hall to see each one of you accounted has the foremost professor in the academy's and in the school of inner significance is each one becoming a leader and wisdom. Here I am. The Baja is telling us that were distinguished from the animal kingdom, not by our physical nature but by our ability to reflect the attributes imperfections of God. And then he says that the among the greatest of these is knowledge. Our ability to understand the world around us. And because of this, because this is actually part of the divine image, we actually should not rest for a moment in actually uncovering these realities and exploring as much as we can, both the outer world and as well, the inner world. The world of inner significance is so both our character, our moral like, basically are moral character, but also the world all about us, and that this is actually how we can become a more perfectly polished mirror, reflecting the attributes of perfections, Son of Troop and this one's again like to really consider what this actually means for society with his means for a civilization that is to see science and exploration both of ourselves and the owner world not merely is something pragmatic, not nearly as something that is useful. But actually the science and investigation is sacred. An actual secret act where, and we can actually become more hole as individuals and therefore as a society. The next quote, again is from Abdel Ball, um, during his talks in the early 20th century. God's greatest gift, a man, is that of intellect or understanding. The understanding is the power by which man acquires his knowledge of the several kingdoms of creation various stages of existence as well as much of which is invisible. Possessing this gift, he is in himself the sum of earlier creations. He is able to get in touch with those kingdoms and by this gift, he can frequently through a scientific knowledge, reach out Prophetic vision. Intellect is in truth, the most precious gift bestowed upon man by the divine bounty Man alone among created beings has this wonderful power here. Abdul Ball tells us again that what is the rial true distinguishing feature of humankind is our intellect were understanding. And here he is is a word that is not just our the most supreme gift, but is the most precious. That is something to be shielded and cared for to be protected. And in that we see that this is actually enables us to unravel the mysteries of creation. So how precious gift this actually is. And this is something that needs to be really understanding, especially in the president discourses of society as we live in a world where the fruits of the intellect of an investigation are often under fire, that it is Nece is absolutely necessary that humankind not study things but actually recognize that it is within the very fundamental purpose of humankind. Toe actually reach out with our art of their minds as well of our hearts toe actually begin to understand all of nature and to see intellectual investigation research, the use of inductive reasoning, the sciences in the arts and the fruits that we create from them as a sacred, a fundamentally sacred aspect of the very the very purpose of creation. It is important to point out how refreshing a principle this actually is the by faith makes the exploration of the natural world a sacred act. And this is shockingly refreshing to see that within the holy scriptures of a world embracing religion, we find that the intellect itself, the process of rational investigation in the production of the arts and the fruits of those investigations toe actually be something not tolerated or looked at a scan. So are questioned but actually fully self created as a form of sacred worship and a fulfillment of what we are as human beings. This principle of the by faith it's overarching investigation of the beauty and the preciousness and the exquisite bounty and joy of intellectual investigation needs to be taken account of in the prevalent discourses surrounding religious discussions about faith and reason and also the relationship between science and religion, a topic we will explore and much more depth in the future. We now turn Thio what is often called the ferry First Principle of the Pie Faith, the independent search for truth and our first quote actually really bears considering because this remarkable hall and it reads our father will not hold us responsible for the rejection of dogmas, which we are unable either to believe or comprehend, for he's ever infinitely, just his Children. This is a quote I encountered very early on into investigation by faith. And once again, coming from a religion. I found it astounding. Why? Because we're being told that we're not held responsible for rejecting something that makes no sense, Emperor not being responsible for doing so because God is just and I was a student of comparative religions before it became a buy, and I always found the weight religions were presented to me somewhat frustrating because I would be told that I I just have to have faith, but not just faith in, say, the prophet, founder of that religion, be it Mohammed or Buddha or Christ, but also actually within the particular doctrines within that I actually just had to accept this. And this seemed on Justin because why would God be actually holding me responsible when I'm trying my best actually used my intellect to understand what is supposed to be his revelation of humankind. As I began to study, Huh. The religious scriptures of the various world religions as opposed. Actually listening to what people told me, I came to realize that this is actually a principle found in all the world's religions. Now that might sound talking to some people. But actually we confined the principle of investigation and the necessity of producing strong reasons for one's faith. Sampling your testament, Andi really were actually proving all things is part of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam. We might find it for viewers who are behind has extremely present within by writings. But actually these principles can be found in all previous faiths that this really is the eternal faith of God, that we are being told that once again, this is the purpose of our existence to actually explore the powers thes supreme gift being given to us by God. This next quote is from Amdo Omaha. His talks in the United States and Canada call the promulgation of universal peace and readings. One, whose father was a Jew, invariably proved to be a Jew. A Muslim was born of a Muslim, a Buddhist, was a Buddhist because of the faith of his father before him and so on. In brief, religion was a heritage, sending from father to son ancestry to posterity without investigation of the fundamental reality. Consequently, all religionists, reveille, lled obscured on at variance. This is a very common critique of religious institutions and religious communities, and it's important to notice it. Religion should never be something that is just tied to one's culture. I would suggest that this is actually at variance with the very scriptures and the history of each of these faiths. If any Jew remained. If you're a Christian of any Jew remained a Jew because that was his heritage, then he never could have become Christian, but even within the Jewish faith, if they had held to their heritage. When we hear of the story of Noah, and they could never have accepted Abraham or Moses. We cannot choose our faith based on what we've known or in like a covenant under our parents or our covenant with God to use thes faculties that he's given us so that we can find the truth and that we're told here in this quote that this obscuring and veiling came upon humanity because instead of looking at one's faith, be it Buddhists, Buddhism or Islam or Judaism or Christianity has something that needs to be understood and explored and investigated, we fell into this position where that's just what we d'oh and then, naturally, then we're not willing to look across the border to look at another faith and open our hearts to the understanding of that other community, or even considering there than the possibility that it actually might be another revelation of God. Another tree planted by the divine gardener in another land, Mahala tells us how far from the grace of the all bountiful and from his loving providence and tender mercies, it iss to single out a soul from amongst all men for the guidance of his creatures. And on one hand, to withhold from him the full measure of his divine testimony and on the other, inflict severe retribution on his people from having turned away from his chosen one. In all, the scriptures of the world were told they were held to account for our process of investigation. We cannot say what I'm going to be a Christian because my parents were Christian. I'm gonna be a two because my family's Jewish I'm were told that we actually responsible. We actually have a duty to investigate and about all the years telling us that it would be completely unjust for God to hold us responsible for recognizing his messengers. This singling out of a soul from amongst all people for the guidance and on the other hand toe actually judge humankind for not actually accepting this would be unjust. So we know that God must have given us the ability to use our rational faculty, our power of investigation and research to find out whether his revelation is true. There's a fundamental principle of the by faith this independent search for truth. Mahal again says he happened out every soul with a capacity to recognize the signs of God. How could he otherwise have fulfilled his testimony of two men, if he be of them that ponder his cause in their hearts? He will never deal unjustly with anyone. Neither will the task soul beyond its power. He, verily, is the compassionate, the merciful. Once again, it's not. Oh, we see here that every person has been given the ability everyone has the capacity to recognize the signs of God in his message or else once again, this'll would be unjust. How could God give under you in kind the duty to recognize his message at the same time, not give him the capacity to recognize it within their lifetime? And this puts the onus again on our independent investigation on a rational faculties and for myself, on my ability to share in his pure form as I can, the actual revelation of God, my duty to do the best I can use my rational faculty to help others see the pristine beauty and wonder within the revelation of God. This is remarkable. Man must cut himself free from all prejudice from the result of his own imagination, said he may be able to search for truth unhindered. Truth is one in all religions and by means of it, the unity of the world can be realized. All the peoples have a fundamental belief in common being one truth cannot be divided, and the difference is that appear to exist among the nation's only results from their attachment to prejudice. If only men would search of truth, they would find themselves united has a beautiful part fist quote from Abbottabad because he actually says all peoples have a fundamental belief in common meaning. Whether you're a Buddhist into a secularist, an atheist, we can all agree on this. There is a truth and actually it's cannot be self contradictory so that we must use our rational faculty in order to investigate any claim put for us football for us to see whether it is true. Now we see that truth cannot be divided and at the same time, the behind faith presents the unity of religion. I believe from the fundamental one mix of religion, and that might seem strange to some people in some viewers. But this is that this is actually the question of the binds. Will we put aside our prejudice when we put aside what we think we know and actually investigate to see if they are one. Or do we decide prior to investigation that this cannot be true? If five people meet together to seek for truth, they must begin by cutting themselves free from all their own special conditions and renouncing all preconceived ideas. In order to find truth, we must give up our prejudices. Their own small, trivial notions and open, perceptive mind is essential. If our chalice is full of self, there is no room in it for the water of life. The fact that we imagine ourselves to be right and everybody else wrong is the greatest of all obstacles in the path towards unity and unity is necessary. If we would reach truth for truth is one. Therefore it is imperative that we should renounce our own particular prejudices and superstitions if we earnestly desire to seek the truth. Unless we make a distinction in our minds between dogma, superstition and prejudice on the one hand and truth on the other, we cannot succeed. When we're in earnest in our search for anything, we look for it everywhere his principal. We must carry out her search for truth. There's no doubt that this principle is very difficult to implement. It is an ideal that we have to as individuals and as a society strive to implement just because in the previous court in this court as well we see that truth is one. And if we believe truth, to be one and not to contradict itself week, see that we confined unity in our process of going towards that truth that we have to renounce our prejudices. And in order to do this, we have to assume that it's actually possible that either were wrong or we actually might have an aspect of that truth. At least assumed the possibility of that so we can begin this investigation together and give him. We live in a world just completely divided by ideology that was truly divides humankind. Whether it be political, religious or philosophical, we actually have to come to a place where we can agree. The truth is one and then we actually have to search it in this final statement here that when we're honest in our search for anything, we looked for it everywhere there has to be in a burning desire to actually understand to use that supreme gift for what it was. Navel shall man gifted with the power of reason unthinkingly follow and adhere to dogma, creeds and hereditary beliefs, which will not bear the analysis of reason in this century of a Fulgence reality. Unquestionably, this will not satisfy men of science for when they find premise or conclusion. Contrary to president standards of proof from about real foundation, they reject that which has been formerly accepted a standard and correct and move forward from new foundations. Once again, we see Abdel Bahar talking about this supreme precious gift of God to humankind, and that it would be a violation of that very gift for us to actually accept dogmas and creeds and hereditary beliefs that do not just stand up to the analysis of reason. Now that doesn't mean that hereditary beliefs dog Mr Creed's are wrong. They may be so, but we actually have to investigate them and investigate them anew and see if they're founded an establishment within the original scripture of these faith, and that if we find that they're not, we must reject them on except new standards and new principles. And we see once again and it in the behind ratings. We're told that this process of investigation of rational in chri of the use of deductive and inductive reasoning is really part of ours over what we are. We're not distinguished from other beings, Meyer physicality. It's actually this capacity of us that distinguishes us from other kingdoms. So in a sense for us to actually put aside irrational factually for us to deny that we have this capacity or to leave it idle and neglect, it would be almost as if to take a part of our body off to cut off a limb of our very physical temple. Even more so because this is what makes us what we truly are. This idol, the fragrance sword, arguments in the spark of truth. The reason why is because in the high ratings were supposed to be eloquent and loving and compassionate. We should never mistreat anyone. It is unbecoming our very nature to treat each other inappropriately, to be rude and get angry. So argument in this context doesn't mean an argument has the one full of anger rather argumentation the producing of reasons and ration out rational reasons for why we believe what we believe this first quote will see as a very, very cardinal quote from the buyer ratings. The shining spark of truth calm with fourth on Lee after the clash of differing opinions. I absolutely love this quote because it's telling us that it is when two ideas or two worldviews, two perspectives or more clash into each other. That actually this truth sparks out from that. So rather than debate being something that is supposed to be seen as inappropriate or unbecoming us, it's actually vital. In fact, if you notice in the code, it says on Lee that it's actually only after the clash of different opinions, so that we as BA Highs and his world as a whole, have to become very, very, very comfortable debating because we cannot find truth except for the process of clashing different opinions together. It would be wonderful if in the future, if we had time to look into what Baez call the principal of consultation the means whereby we can actually find truth through debate and dialogue. For now, let's look at some more quotes on argumentation. So here we have another quote from Abitbol. It is at such times that the Friends of God avail themselves of the occasion, seize the opportunity, rush forth and win the prize. If their task is to be confined to good conduct advice, nothing will be accomplished. They must speak out, expound the proofs, set forth clear arguments, draw irrefutable conclusions, establishing the truth of the manifestation of the son of reality. This is one of the clearest quotes I know of within the my ratings regarding argumentation, and it's important to understand the difference between an argument and arguing it might be better called to debate or put forth arguments and fighting in our culture. We generally let me hear the word argument. We usually think of people being angry or upset. Using raised voices is not actually what argumentation or an argument means. It means putting forth the reasons for what you believe. And we have to actually separate thes to understand what the BEHI writings were actually talking about. We can actually be putting forward proofs and arguments for something, either in a contentious way, creating conflict and dissension on people, or we can do that very same thing in a harmonious, loving and compassionate way. It's a Ziff. We really have to be, even if we started out peaceful in our discussion that we're actually really watching our own emotions, our own feelings, lest conflict, dissension or prejudice arise. And it is our duty to actually be able to produce to expound the proof set four of clear arguments because, as this quote says, if we confine our task to advice and good contact sort of good conduct, it says, nothing will be accomplished. It necessitates this clashing of different opinions so that the spark of truth can come forward. So in a sense, we actually have to become very comfortable with people disagreeing with each other so that we can find the truth and understand clearly why It is what we believe so that we can share those with others. And the thing is, we have to come into this process without a belief that we know everything in the other one does not, as we've seen before, that are. Chalice is not full of self that we're not allowing our attachments. Oh, our love of one view our prejudice or hatred of another view or individual or people to actually turn us away from the truth. It is a very challenging objective, but it's a goal that is ultimately more file. So this next quote is from show G. Effendi Recital is the guardian of the faith, one of the central interpretive figures of the pie. And he's as without the assistance of God has given through the message of the whole apiece can never be safely and adequately established. To disregard the behind solution for world peace is to build on foundations of sand. To accept and apply. It is to make peace not a mere dream or an ideal, but a living reality. This is the point which the Guardian wishes you to develop. To emphasize again and again and to support by convincing arguments is a very challenging quote by the Guardian because he's stating very clearly what the behi faith is proclaiming to the world. That without the message of the hola, we cannot come together as a people. That is, through the instrument of behold, his teachings and his administrative order that we can bring the human family together. Yet this is well, makes this not a dream or some vision, but an actual reality. We have to accept it and apply it. But in order to do this, we have to emphasize this again again and support it by convincing arguments again that it is not merely to give our council to give our advice, that this is what we should do. But you give reasons reasoned arguments as to why it is that to disregard the high solution for world peace is to build on foundations of sand. We actually have to be able to show why that ISS and all the high writings bring this home to the body community and once again to distinguish between argument and fighting. So this next quote was from the gleanings of the writings of war. No Salomon, the beloved of the one true God, not to view with two critical and I the sayings and ratings of men let them rather approach such sayings and writings in a spirit of open mindedness and loving sympathy. He then continues, It is incumbent upon all men in each, according to his ability to refute the arguments of those who have attacked the faith of God, He that wishes to promote the cause it continues of the one true God let him promoted through his pen and tongue rather than every course to sword or violence. If any man were to arise to defend in his writings the cause of God against its assailants such a man, however inconsiderable his share shall be so honored in the world to come that the concourse on high, what enemy is glory? So when we're approaching the writings of individuals where to do it in a spirit of open mindedness at the same time it is incumbent, meaning it is the duty of all individuals to refute the attacks. We often think that Arai often here in discussion, that those who actually produce misrepresentations of the behi faith just leave them alone, get the holy here is telling us as well. Sure give Andy as was Abdul Ball that we actually have to given answer backed. And then it is not just that we should do so each according to his capacity, as it says, but that someone who were to arise with her tongue their pen and defend the cause of God. Akins misrepresentations off the by faith that the actual conch Orson High the angelic host would envy is glory. Oh, this next quote is from the secret of divine civilization. Uh, a work that is very dear to my heart was very seminal In my own process of becoming a buy, the quote reads, Public opinion must be directed toward whatever is worthy in this day, and this is impossible, except through the use of adequate arguments and the inducing of clear, comprehensive and conclusive proofs. Swing this quote abnormal is telling us that we must put clear, comprehensive and conclusive proofs that without these, it's actually impossible to direct public opinion that rather again, then just kind of giving our thoughts on the matter. Just as in frank and unfettered consultation within the behind community, each individual must have the time and has the duty to actually present the reasons why he believes what he believes. This is the same in our relationship to the whole body politics. Because if we do not, it is impossible for us to actually help educate humankind. Another aspect of this process. Within the behind writings, he's that once we've put forward these arguments once, we in a frank, unfettered way, have adduced proves that air clear, comprehensive income and conclusive that we then have to be detached from the process not hold to our own beliefs would be actually opened. What comes out of that an investigation through the class of differing opinions to do battle is stated in the sacred verse does not, in this greatest of all dispensations mean to go forth a sword and spear with lance and piercing euro, but rather weapon with pure intent with righteous motives, with counsel's helpful and effective with godly attributes, with deeds pleasing to the Almighty with the qualities of heaven. It's signify of education for all mankind, guidance for all men spreading far and wide the sweet savers of the spirit, the promulgation of God's proofs, the setting for the arguments conclusive and divine the doing of charitable deeds. This quote of Abitbol puts words so many of the facets that we must, as people bring forward good deeds the qualities of haven't pure intentions but also within the topic. The setting forth of arguments come closer than divine. That we must, with all of the most shining qualities we possibly can as a human being, must have those and then share our reasons for what we believe with humanity is from the tablets of divine plan. My comfortable, amongst other things, is the holding of meetings for teaching so that blessed souls on the old ones from amongst the believers may gather together the youths of the love of God and schools of instruction and teach them all the divine proofs and era. Fraggle arguments explain and elucidate the history of the cause and interpret also the prophecies and proofs which were recorded and her extent the Divine Books and pistols regarding the manifestation of the promised one so that the young ones may go and perfect knowledge and all these degrees have the ball here is telling us that is actually a duty of the older behind is to actually gather the youth and actually teach them proofs and arguments. But that is part of what we as a community, must do and that it is through this process of teaching proofs and arguments, of looking at prophecies and interpretations in the history of the cause that they may go in perfect knowledge. This is a part and parcel of what it means to be a behind community, that we actually continue the evolution of that supreme gift of God. In this day, there is nothing more important then the instruction and study of clear proofs and convincing heavenly arguments for their in lye, the source of life in the path of salvation. Another quote, verily Ababa Hall inhaler, fragrance of the love of God from every meeting place where the word of God is uttered and proofs and arguments set forth that shed their raise across the world. Thes two quotes are shockingly clear and powerful because we're told how vital it is that we are studying and putting forward proofs and convincing arguments. And it's fascinating because he says they're in life, the source of life on the path of salvation, and that he inhales habitable and hails the fragrance of the love of God whenever the word of God is uttered and proofs and arguments were being set forth. This is something that stirs the soul of humankind and increases the beauty of our work. Heroes, are they? Oh, my Lord. Leave them to the field of battle guides are they make them to speak out with arguments and proofs. Ministering servants are they caused them to pass round the cup that brim with with a wine of certitude? Oh, my God make them to be Song stirs a carol and fair gardens make them lions that coach in the thickets, whales that plunge and the vast deep and the second. It is my hope that from day to day your gatherings will grow and flourish and that those who are seeking after truth will hearken. They're into reasoned arguments and conclusive proofs. I am with you heart and soul at every meeting. Be sure this after Bahar is calling for heroes to enter a field of battle, to speak out with arguments and proofs, and that this is the process of becoming to a place where the brim with a wine of certitude, that he hopes that meetings will grow and flourish, and that people will hear reasoned arguments clear proofs. Once again, the behi writing is her so clear on this principle that it is through this clash of differing opinions, the spark of truth can come forward that we must use a kindly tongue to attract the hearts of men and that we should use clear arguments, reasoned arguments, comprehensive arguments, conclusive proofs, both a share of people in the outside world giving them reasons for what we believe, but also to nurture and cultivate the community to give them the wine of certitude through gatherings for the fragrance of the love of God can be smelt by producing these for each other so that we can grow is a community in our bid to actually bring unity and peace to the world. So this section is about studying the by writings. We've looked at the path of knowledge, the supreme gift of God to mankind and the independent search for truth. So our first quote here is from Abitbol. There are certain pillars which have been established as the unshakable supports of the faith of God. The mightiest of these is learning and the use of the mind, the expansion of consciousness, an insight into the realities of the universe and the hidden mysteries of Almighty God. So we see. Actually, that study is one of these unshakable supports and the two things that are being brought out, or the investigation into the bodies of the universe and the hidden mysteries of Almighty God. This is like a former quote we were looking at, which talks about a study of both secular and spiritual. And it's stating that the mightiest of these is learned. So the following code is from show GFF To deepen in the cause means to read the writings of the Holland. The master so thoroughly has to be able to give it to others In its pure form, there are many who have some superficial idea what the cause stands for. They therefore presented together with all sorts of ideas that are their own Has the cause is still in its early days. We must be most careful lest we fall under this error and injure the movement. We so much a door. There is no limit to the study of the cause. The more we read the writings, the more truths we're going to find in them. The more we will see that our previous notions are erroneous. This quarter is so important, we're told, actually in another place by alcohol that we should be striving to give the teachings of the hola the bob as in his purest form as we can. This is why we're supposed to memorize Scripture and the Guardian here, showing Effendi is actually telling us that it's natural that people end up putting their own thoughts into what the teachings are and that many of those ideas are their own. So in some sense, when we're not studying the faith, we're not teaching the faith. We're teaching our understanding, and many of those perspectives can come in and sort of cloud the issue. So we're being told here that we should strive as much as we can to study the cause itself so that we can deliver it in its pure form because it is the healing remedy for humankind. Another beautiful part of this is that the Guardian says, the more we read the writings that Wilmore will see that our previous notions were erroneous, which tells us, as he says, there's no limit to the state, the cause. So we should endeavor to be constantly interacting with the word of God so that we can, actually, if you will cleanse our perspective and that therefore, if the word of God is men for humankind, it is their purest message which best resonates with humankind. This idea is very difficult implement. That's what one thing we can say because the high writings air so vast for one, which would include all the central figures. It's more of the principal or the ideal that are actually seeking. We're trying to do our best to actually ensure that that we're constantly interacting with with the writings of the faith so that this erroneous aspect of our own perspective is constantly being filtered out. And our understanding of actually of the hallways revelation itself is being nurtured and grown and developed. Naturally, we're always gonna fall into the problem of having our own perspective or our own take on it. And our own personal interpretation is fine as long as it's not impose on others. But really, it's the ideal that we're trying to look at to make sure that this is a fundamental practice of our spiritual life. This is another quote from Shelby offending the guardian of the by faith. I urged them to study profoundly the revealed utterances of Allah and the discourses of Abdullah Hall, and not to rely on Dooley on the representation and interpretation of the teachings given by behi speakers and teachers. Maybe almighty sustain you and guide you in your work. Obviously, in this context, this is a very important quote because I'm presenting my own personal understanding as I stated at the beginning. My understanding even of these quotes is not an official perspective of the by faith, and we cannot rely on representation by teachers or speakers. Once again, it's his independent investigation of truth that we've already looked at if we wished, oh, exercise the supreme gift God, which is human intellect and get the fruits of this path of knowledge that we've been looking at. We have to implement the independent investigation and event independent investigation of truth. In doing that, we can only achieve an independent investigation of truth if we're constantly reading the writings and this is a fundamental part of our path. So this is another quote. My show, effendi, the guardian of the faith. Shoki, if any has for years ridge the BA highs, who asked his advice and in general also to study history, economics, sociology, etcetera in order to be old Koran, with all the progressive movements and thoughts being put forth today, and so that they could correlate these for the by teachings. What he wants the behinds to do is to study more, not to study less the more general knowledge, scientific and otherwise they possess. The better Likewise, he is constantly urging them to really study the by writings or the by teachings. More deeply. One might like in Bali's teachings to a sphere, their points pulls apart and in between the thoughts and doctrines unite them. So what? Is she okay if any really being asking behinds? He was asking the behinds to study more, not less, and also to be winding the breath of our knowledge. This is what we looked at before were habitable Ha! And behold a spoke of it actually being this delectable fruit that we can find joy and cheer and actually understanding the writings and the world in general more deeply. And he's telling us here that scientific or otherwise, we should be studying these different ideas and trying to correlate with him off the behi writings. But what we were just looking as we can't really do that unless for actually truly, truly understanding what the behind writings say and increasing our understanding of that. And then in the end here, he's telling us that the behind the wholeness teachings air like a sphere right with poles apart, and that there's these thoughts and doctrines that you note them so that oftentimes we might see to things that seem to be in opposition. But if we actually follow through, the reasoning will actually be able to join them once again. We can only do that if we're constantly interacting with the buy ratings themselves. We have here a quote from Abdul Bohol from the work The Secret of divine Civilization. Again, there are those famed and accomplishment of learning, possessed of praiseworthy qualities and vast tradition, who lay hold on a strong handle of the fear of God and keep to the ways of salvation. In the mirror of their minds, the forms of transcendent realities are rejected, and the lamp of their inner vision drives its light from the sun of universal knowledge. They're busy by night and by day with meticulous research into such sciences as our profitable to mankind, and they devote themselves to the training of students of capacity. It is surgeon into that they're discerning taste. The preferred treasures of kings would not compare with a single drop of the waters of knowledge and mountains of gold and silver cannot Oduye a successful solution of a difficult problem to them. The delights that lie outside their work. Our only toys for Children and the cumbersome load of unnecessary possessions is only good for the ignorant and base content. Like the birds, they give thanks for a handful of seeds, and the song of their wisdom dazzles the minds of the world's most wise. Yeah, this is a profoundly heavy court, Abdu Baha, speaking of what the true ideal of alerted man is her alerted person we're being told here get We should be busy day and night with meticulous research, exploring the world again sciences, bull, secular and holy. And that there's a place for before we looked at quotes, for example, that talk about the cheer and joy and gladness of uncovering mysteries and understanding the mysteries of the natural world and of Scripture. And here we're being told that there is, ah, place that we can achieve or actually, the sweetness of actually solving these problems. The sweetness of actually understanding these issues is actually better than the gold of kings, and then we should be trying to detach ourselves from the world and to seek understanding with the application of this supreme gift of God. As another quote written on behalf of the Guardian. He was very pleased. To hear you do a lot of lecturing for the cause is a very important field of service, and when you should devote as much time to as possible, the public must hear of the faith and new ways and means must be devised to bring it to their attention. He also urges you to study the teaching themselves more deeply. The high scholarship is needed really more than worldly. Scholarship, for one is spiritually and the other more or less transient. There is a real lack in the cause of people who know the teachings thoroughly, especially their deeper truths, and who can consequently teach the souls properly and lay a permanent foundation when the tests and trials will not shake down. This quote really speaks to me personally because I see this deep ocean of beautiful things within the buy ratings. There are so many profound social teachings, philosophical concepts and ways to unite all the religions of this planet, and yet that itself can only be achieved through deeply understanding the by writings of that finding out that we were previously erroneous in our views and seeing new bridges to build between these beliefs new ways to bring people together to build, ah, harmonious world, but also that this quote talks about the ability to teach those properly and delay a permanent foundation. When that tests and trials will not shake that this knowledge, this path of knowledge We've been looking at the independent investigation of truth, the supreme gift of humankind to humankind, for God being his rational faculty. When it's actually fed properly, it is part and parcel of actually becoming someone with servitude. A permanent foundation. Uh, the next quote is from the Guardian ones more. He can see quite clearly both your point of view in that expressed by those deer and devoted the highs whom you quoted in your letter. Both are men have much experience and considerable learning in their way. What they no doubt meant was that the solution given to the world's problems holla is the only solution being divine in origin and most desperately needed. Therefore, we, the few who have caught the vision, should not waste our energies beating up and down the paths pursued by humanity, which you're not solving its ghastly present day problems. We should concentrate on the cause because it is what is needed to cure the world. This is a sound attitude, for if we don't devote ourselves to the behind work and teaching who will? On the other hand, there's a big difference between this and learning. If the behinds want to be really effective in teaching the cause, they need to be much better informed and able to discuss intelligently, intellectually the present condition of the world and its problems. We need by scholars not only people far, far more deeply aware of what our teachings really are, but also well read and well educated people capable of correlating our teachings to the current thoughts of the leaders of society. We behind should, in other words, arm our minds with knowledge in order to better demonstrate to, especially the educated classes. The truths enshrined in our faith with The Guardian, however, does not advise the friends to do is to dissipate their time and energies in serving movements that are akin to our principles. But not, we believe, capable of solving the president's spiritual crisis the world finds itself in. We can cooperate with such movements and their promoters to good effect, while the same time openly standing forth as behind with a specific program to offer society. It's very heavy. What? No, I understand to be the essence of this quote, that of a high writings, writings of a holla, the bob of Abdul ball and show you FND and the guidance of the Universal. Also, justices of the supreme elected body by faith presented us a blueprint for the healing of the world and that while we might be pulled, too, and Frode to serve many other causes, that might be a kin to the goals of the by faith that really, if we ourselves do not rise study. This faith correlated with the thoughts and questions, even objections of people as we looked at. Who else is going to do this? And if it is actually the solution to the ghastly problems that humanity is facing, it is a urgent need that we get down to it and actually study. So we hear again from the Guardian. The cause needs more of the heist colors. People were not only devoted to it and believe in it and are anxious to tell others about it, but also have a deep grasp of the teachings and their significance and who can correlate its beliefs with the current thoughts and problems of the peoples of the world. The cause has the remedy for all the world's ills. The reason why more people don't accept it is because the behinds are not always capable of presenting it to them in a way that meets than the immediate needs of their minds. Young buys like yourself was prepared themselves to really bring the message to their generation who needed so desperately, and you can understand the language. It speaks so well. He would advise you, among other books, to study the talks of Abba Hall. Has his method of approaching the mind of the public cannot be surpassed? He also advises you to develop yourself as a public speaker. She will be increasingly able to teach the costs, we're told here. In addition to that, we need to study more deep with cause that we have to learn to be able to speak to people and addressed you needed immediate needs of their minds. Oftentimes we can get into a place where we're so excited about one facet of the by faith. It's social teachings its philosophy, its theology, its relationship to different religions, that instead of actually teaching to the person that we're talking thio to address the questions they have and to speak in a language that they can understand and feel familiar with, We actually just share our own thoughts. We have to learn to be able to truly relate them to the person that's standing in front of us. And once again, the more we actually studied the teachings, the more facets of the faith we actually begin to see and then be able to bring to that person the facet of beholders revelation that best speaks to them. So this quote is from show the offending the Guardian. In their efforts to achieve his purpose, they must study for themselves conscientiously and painstakingly literature of their faith, delve into its teachings, assimilate its laws and principles, ponder its admonitions, tenants and purposes, commit to memory certain of its exhortations and prayers, master the essentials of its administration and keep abreast of its current affairs and latest developments. They must strive to obtain from sources that air authoritative and unbiased, a sound knowledge of the history intense of his long the source and background of their faith and approach reverently with a mind purchased from preconceived ideas. The study of the Koran. He then says, I strongly urge you to devote while you are pursuing your studies as much time as you possibly can tow a thorough study of the history and teachings of our beloved costs. This is the prerequisite of a future successful career of service to the by faith, in which I hope and pray he will distinguish herself in the days to come. So again, we're seeing that we should be devoting as much time as we can to the study of the faith. Of course, everybody has the challenges of service family work. Hey, we're being summoned, actually study writings so that we can once again remove much of what is our own perspective to truly understand what faith is teaching and then to share that with people to be able to correlate it to the problems and questions of humanity into the individual in front of us. The Guardian also says another essential thing is that those who do embrace the faith should be constantly urged to study the literature of the cause. It is not sufficient that our numbers should increase. We want people whose faith stands on a rock and no trial can move. We want people who in turn, arise and carry the message to other people and guide other souls. The following quote is from Universal's of Justice injection. Most commonly raised against the foregoing conception of religion is the assertion that the differences among the revealed faiths are so fundamental that to present them as stages or aspects of one unified system of truth does violence to the fax. Given the confusion surrounding the nature of religion, the reaction is understandable. Chiefly, however, such an objection offers behind an invitation to set the principal's reviewed here Maur explicitly in the evolutionary context provided in the Hollows writings. So in this document, the universals of justice is talking about the fundamental concept of the behind faith of progressive revelation. And how many of these different faiths, in the by view, come from Actually, one source. They're all of God. And it's saying here that the most common objection that buys can encounter is that the difference is between the different world. Religions are just so fundamental that saying that there are aspects of one unified system or different expressions of the same divine underlying reality appears to do violence to the facts. I love this quote because on the one hand it says this thing reaction is understandable, so we shouldn't be shocked that this would be the prevailing view. In addition, that Theobald Jek Shin against the concept of unity of religion and progressive revelation should be seen as an invitation. Tow us to actually set the principals in the concepts within these different face and their relationship together in their evolutionary context. But this can only actually carried out if we're coming increasingly to know what he's really fit, what these phase really say? And the differences that are actually amongst these different faiths themselves are not necessarily just the social teachings on the surface. How many will tell you that, for example, Buddhism teaches a conception of reality with There is no God or Hinduism is polytheistic many. It has extra many gods, so within the realm of theology, the way that say, Christianity sees God or Judaism sees God or Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism. Actually, SW appears to do violence to the facts when you say they're one actual expression on. In addition, say the nature of the founders of these faith does is the claim of Buddha really the same as Jesus Christ? Is the claim of the Prophet Mohammed the same as Krishna on DDE? In order to understand this, we can actually only do it with so through a actual investigation of the original text themselves. And the concept of what their social teachings difference being different and how they're related to the time in which they were communicated is not actually addressing the issue of, say, what is salvation or what is the purpose of existence. So once again, we have she have to go back to the original scriptures themselves to find that out. This next quarter's from Abdul behind the secret of divine civilization. If, for example, a spiritually learning Muslim is conducting a debate with a Christian and he knows nothing of the glorious melodies of the gospel, he will no matter how much he in parts of the Cran and its truths, be unable to convince the Christian and his words will fall on deaf ears should. However, the Christian observed that the Muslim is better versed in the fundamentals of Christianity and the Christian priests themselves and understands the purport of the Scriptures. He even better than they. He will gladly accept the Muslims arguments, and he would indeed have no other recourse. So in the context of this, with this work, Abdel Hadi is telling the most, saying, the Muslim actually has to have an understanding of the previous revelation of God, that if that of Jesus Christ, in order to actually be able to communicate with a person of that faith or else what they say will fall on deaf ears. And it's something really important to note that were actually communicating to, say someone from the Buddhist faith that often times are our lack of knowledge of that community, sacred scriptures and the beliefs contained therein can actually be the single, most largest obstacle between ourselves and then. Yet, if we actually say, for example, understand the terminology and concepts within Buddhism and failures are familiarize ourself, um, with their scriptures, and all of a sudden we can do more deeply understand Buddhism on its own terms and then see its relationships to the behind faith and see how we can bridge that chasm of belief. Another thing I would have actually is that as we begin to familiarize ourselves, stay with the writings of the Buddha or the New Testament of the story of Jesus Christ, we begin to be ableto actually really connect with the light in that lamp that will really begin toe be able to connect with the beauty of the manifestation of God in his expression to that community in that evolutionary context and this far from being merely like an intellectual exercise, we actually begin to truly be able to relate to people because we can see the light in the bounty of the beauty in, for example, the life of the Buddha and his teachings. So remember, speaking with the Buddhist, we can then bridge not only the belief structures, but our communities as well. I've been informed. The purpose of your class meeting is to study the significance is and mysteries of the Holy Scriptures and understand the meaning of the Divine Testaments. It is a cause of great happiness to me that you're turning into the Kingdom of God, that you desire to approach the presence of God and to become informed of the realities and precepts of God. It is my hope that you may put forth your most earnest endeavor to accomplish this. End that you may investigate and study the Holy Scriptures word by word, so that you may attain knowledge of the mysteries hidden. Therein be not satisfied with words, but seek to understand the spiritual meanings hidden in the hearts of words. Stabbed Omaha is commending these people for studying the Holy Testaments, the Old Testament in the New Testament, thes different scriptures and hits his hope that we put earnest endeavor in unlocking the mysteries of them on going beyond like a like a surface knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. So we can actually see what is actually in the heart of the words. What is the import of them that we could become more and more familiar Islands Justus Well, with the fragrance of that dispensation to unlock this scripture so that once again, we can actually build bridges between these communities and see the beauty of the manifestation of God in this contact. What is really important about this truly is if you wish to reach a Christian, let them see your love for Jesus. If you wish to really connect with a Buddhist, let them see and experience your love for the Buddha. And this could only occur from having a familiarity with the life of the Buddha with the beauty of his revelation or the life of Moses, the life of Jesus. So if you wish to actually truly achieve that, we're going to actually have to develop the relationship with that manifestation of God, all the Texan teachings of the Holy Testaments have intrinsic spiritually meanings. They're not to be taken literally. I therefore pray in your behalf that you may be given the power of understanding these inner real meanings of holy scriptures and maybe come informed of the mysteries deposited in the words of the Bible. So you may attain eternal life and that your hearts may be attracted to the kingdom of God. Mayor. Souls be illumined by the light of the words of God, and may you become repositories of the mysteries of God. For no comfort is greater and no happiness sweeter and spiritually comprehension of the divine teachings and another place, he says. Divine things air too deep to be expressed by common words. The heavenly teachings air expressed in parable in order to be understood and preserved for ages to come. When the spiritually minded dive deeply into the ocean of their meaning, they bring to the surface the pearls of their inner significance. There's no greater pleasure than to study God's word with a spiritual mind. Yeah, I love these two quotes, um, primarily because of what it's saying about the process of studying the word of God, that there is no comfort greater, no happiness, sweeter, thin, spiritually comprehension of the divine teachings and at the same time, in the context of studying the holy texts, what we have here Ababa Haw asking us to under gravel the inner meanings of the Holy Scriptures. And he mentions the Bible is an example here and that behind, if you will, the surface of the words there are any inner meanings and spirituals. Significance is that are hidden behind it is the process of actually unlocking. These inner significance is, and spiritually meanings that were ableto actually taste the sweetness of this, that at times we can interact with scriptures, especially if we're not familiar with him. At first I know myself. When I first started saying Buddhist Scripture because it seems slightly more foreign that it took some time for me to understand the rhythms and the patterns in the way the Buddha spoke and the phrases he used until it actually began to be unlocked. And it's almost like I think it it almost was like when you're learning to play like a musical instrument. At first there's the process of slowly accumulating the skills, and then the beauty and sweetness of it actually starts to come through. And you really, truly feel the the experience of the melodies inside yourself and for me. This is what Abner Bahat is talking about talking about and what we ourselves. It's not that, for example, it's the duty of Christians to unlock the Internets trees of the Bible. But it is our duty to do so with the Koran, holy scriptures of these different religions again. So weaken relate what we know off previous dispensations previous religions to the gems that Aaron trying within the behi writings, and we can connect these and by doing this again, as it was talking about a spiritually learned Muslim. We know the melody, say of the gospel. We know the melodies of the bag of Geeta. We know the melodies of the Karan, and then we can actually becoming concert with a believer of another dispensation of God's loved humankind. We can actually maketh, um, reverberate off each other and in this way we can address the needs of the individual are speaking to and at the same time have this the sweetness and joy. I've actually experiencing God's revelation to humankind from that from that region. And it says there's no greater pleasure than to study God's word but the spiritual mind. Not when we're actually looking at it in the sense of just trying to collect data, truly taking thes previous holy books and actually trying to soak in the aroma and the fragrance of those revelations, we actually gained the joy of this at the same time were ableto reach out and connect the by teachings with these previous dispensation and by the process of actually reaching out and being able to be in concert with, um, we begin to see that all the different holy scriptures are in a sense, scenes of one like great tapestry is one profoundly beautiful puzzle that could be brought together and we begin to see them as different if you will different scenes within one greater story and then we can relate that greater story to the people. We're talking thio so that instead of actually people seeing their beloved manifestation our beloved prophet as being reduced in importance. Rather, they see that the fragrances of his love say the love of Christ in the spirit of crisis actually been expressed elsewhere. It's not a dimunition diminution of that messenger, but rather it's actually an expansion of his influence. This is from one common faith which is Ah were commissioned by the worlds of by World Center of the Universe. Also, justice had says the Scriptures have not changed. The moral principles they contain have lost none of their validity. No one who sincerely poses questions to heaven, if he persists, will fail to detect an answering voice in the psalms or in the apartment shots anyone with sun intimation of the reality that transcends this material. One will be touched to the heart by the words in which Jesus or Buddha speaks so intimately of it. I love this quote when I first encountered it because of the different conjoining of different dispensations that were actually brought together in this one quote one that stating that the moral principles themselves in trying within. Actually, these things with these revelations have not changed. And in addition, no one who sincerely poses questions to heaven can fail to hear an answer. And then what is mentioned is the opening shots and the songs. You're pounding shots, being a central taxed in Hinduism on exquisite, beloved work, actually, and at the same time and then mentions Jesus and Buddha in this one quote. It's so beautiful because it's mentioning the songs Judaism, panty shots, a central text of Hinduism, Jesus, the New Testament and the Buddha and is telling the BA heist themselves that actually, they can hear the voice of the divine actually pouring forth from these previous dispensations, and it gives a nen vegetation to actually explore them. Just as Abdul Bob just said that we should be unlocking the mysteries within the Bible. There are delectable fruits and exquisite concepts enshrined within these works, and it is again our job to see that greater, greater tapestry. This is actually from showing offending the Guardian, the garden, but certainly advise and even urged the friends to make a thorough study of the Cran as the knowledge of this sacred scripture is absolutely indispensable for every believer who wishes to adequately understand and intelligently read the writings about is a very powerful quote, because I think that in our hearts, every one of us wishes toe adequately understand and intelligent the writings of a holla. And we're told here that it's actually in indispensable, not just indispensable, but absolutely indispensable that in order for us to really understand what is happening in the revelation of the hola, we actually must make us a thorough study of the crime itself. Personally, I would actually extend this. My own studies of Buddhist scripture and Hindu scripture has enabled me to be able to see things in the in the high ratings, the reins of the bomb and behold Anabel Haw that I don't believe I ever would have seen if it hadn't been for having been schooled within the Buddhist scriptures. I see facets that suddenly that a Buddhist would actually just find breathtaking and away again to have a bridge between these faiths that is actually by the process of studying the opening shots or by the process of studying this arms. They actually give us a greater context. Even in this quote, it's actually talking about having an understanding of the crime being absolutely indispensable. But the crown itself is actually fully imbued with stories of Abraham, of Moses, of lot of Jesus. And in in order to see the crime in its context, we have to see it as actually answering the questions and the challenges posed from the Christian Scriptures and Christian history. Subsequent Jesus Christ, this is a show defending from God passes by to these defamation sze threats and protestations. The learned and resolute champions of misrepresented Faith, following the example of their leader opposed unhesitatingly treat disease commentaries and reputations, assiduously written, cogent in their argument, replete with testimonies. Lucid, eloquent and convincing, affirming their belief in the prophet hood of Mohammed in the legitimacy of the imam's. In the spiritual sovereignty of the sahib Ou Zaman, the Lord of the Age, interpreting in a masterly fashion the obscure the design of the allegorical and abstruse traditions versus and prophecies in the Islamic holy writ and inducing in support of their contention, the meekness and apparent helplessness of the Imam Hussain, who, despite his defeat is discomfiture an ignominious martyrdom had been hailed by their antagonists, is the very embodiment of the matchless symbol of God's all conquering sovereignty and power. This quote from show give any has just riddled with important concepts on I Guarantee, could be studied in an Explorer to great, great depth. And what I see in this quote, um, is that to the defamation threats of protestations of learned, the Islamic community and the followers actually made commentaries and treat disease and papers written in response to these concerns. And, of course, they're affirming their belief in the profit the imams and the coming promised one. But when they're doing so there, interpreting in a masterly fashion, the previous revelation, they're actually interpreting the Alec Oracle and abstruse traditions versus and prophecies of the Islamic holy writ. So they're actually communicating what the Bob has come for what behold had come for through the Karan to the Islamic community, and they actually then used in this context the the sovereignty in order to explain the sovereignty off the Bob. In spite of him being executed, they use the story and the principle of the Imam Hussein to communicate how the Bob actually could have this sovereignty and this Dominion in spite of his his execution, by showing that this is exactly what the Islamic community sees within the martyrdom of the Imam Hussein. This this entire quote, in my understanding, is actually trying to communicate how the bobbies and the behinds were actually utilizing the previous dispensation and their understanding and study of it to actually communicate to the Islamic community what they may not have been able to hear. And this is again on Lee possible by studying the Islamic holy writ or, for example, studying the Hindu holy red or the Buddhist holy writ or the Christian holy writ. So this this idea of actually studying the text itself? No, this is only a small, too small selection of actually ratings of the by faith regarding the duty of study and also regarding the exquisite beauty and sacredness of these previous dispensations and their scriptures. This is written on behalf of showy effendi. First is the importance of the study of Islam, which subject is still new to the majority of the believers, but it was important for a proper and sound understanding of the cause is absolutely indispensable. Your committee should therefore continue to emphasize the study of this all important subject and make every effort to provide the attendance with all the facilities required, such as textbooks, competent lectures and writers who, though not necessarily behinds, to have a crack knowledge and sound appreciation of Islam, so has to be able to impress its true significance and mission upon all the attendants at the school. Of course, in this quote, we have actually to study of this long being brought up once again and the phrase being used again, which is absolutely indispensable. So it's absolutely indispensable for our own understanding of the BEHI writings. What I find fascinating him of this his of course again, the Guardian saying too pretty to provide. These people are trying to understand Islam with all the resources that they could need, even to the point of actually bringing in non behinds and tow lecture. Actually upon this faith to be ableto as best, they can expound the import and beauty of this. This previous dispensation once again show you FND the revelation of which Mahala is the source and center abre gates. None of the religions that have preceded it, nor does it attempt in the slightest degree to distort their features or to belittle their value. It disclaims any intention of dwarfing any of the profits of the past or of whittling down the eternal verity of their teachings. It can, in no wise conflict with spirit that animates their claims. Nor does it seek to undermine the basis of any man's allegiance to their cause. It's declared its primary purpose is to enable every adherent of these face to obtain a fuller understanding of the religion with which he stands identified, and to acquire a clear apprehension of its purpose when it comes to the study of previous for religions. This is one of my favorite colts, one because it is putting before the by community what it is that we're supposed to be actually demonstrating, but at the same time giving an understanding of how we should empathize with how the behind faith this scene two people of previous communities, because when people say of the Christian Islamic are Buddhist or Hindu or Jewish or Zoroastrian communities, they would they see innovative Mahala claim that it is abdicating that it distorts the features of their religion. Many will feel that it is belittling their value, that it is whittling down the eternal verity of their teachings that they necessarily see this because that's why they're not behind, even when they encounter the faith. So how is it that we can show them that it does not conflict in any way with their aims, nor belittle their founders? That that itself is actually answered is declared. Its primary purpose is to enable these adherents to obtain a full or understanding of their religion in a clearer apprehension of its purpose. Well, how is it that we can actually achieve that without understanding the faith we're talking about? So our job, it's declared its primary purpose is to enable every adherent of these faiths to obtain a fuller understanding of the religion with which he stands identified and to acquire a clear apprehension of its purpose, where to take something like the message in the revelation of the blessed Jesus and be able to communicate to the people that this is in no way taking away allegiance off the Christian to Jesus Christ, but rather seeing that same light in a new lamp. This is very receive this, actually within the New Testament, because when Jesus Christ was coming and preaching with within Israel Palestine, he was preaching and people would come up and ask questions. And then the many of the Jewish doctors and Jewish leaders were against Christ. And one point the Jewish divines are asking some questions about Jesus and his followers say Was Actually, Man, he healed says, Also, Do you wish to be his disciple, too? And they get upset. Anything responded. Well, no, we're the disciples of Moses, and this event shows exactly in essence, what often the concern say of a Muslim is more of a Buddhist is or Hindu or Christian. It's a perspective that they would be betraying a love they would be. They would be violating a covenant between themselves and their beloved. And we have to understand this. And it's through actually understanding the Cran through understanding these faiths and being able to communicate to these faiths in their own language through their own scripture, the profundity and beauty of actually the behind faith, but also the a deeper profundity in a deeper beauty of the faith which wish with which they sent identified. And how could we possibly do this if we didn't know it? Even the language I'm using can obscure what the by faith, actually really says about these divine dispensations of God's willing to humankind. When I use the terms previous religion previous dispensation has only two mean historically, like the repeated rising of the sun. Because for me, when I am actually looking hat scriptures of Buddhism, of Christianity, of Islam, of Judaism, I'm not looking at someone else's scripture. We're told that they're the word of God. We're told to study them and to me, um, they were merely really expressions of the same divine plan. We're told that this is the changing face of God, eternal in the past in terms of the future, and I have a word for me. I have often thought of it as if, you know, someone came up to me and actually had, like, a series of letters. And then I find out that these letters were actually from the father I never knew and their safety eight of them. And then he would lay them down. What? I only pick up the last letter that was written and then read it to see what my parents had actually said to me and the council you've given and his expression of love to me. No, I would poor for all of them. I would open each one and I would go over every single line and try to understand the development and expression of the mind of my mother or father and how they had attempted to communicate to me. And in some sense, I wouldn't be able to fully understand the last letter if I hadn't understood the first and the process in between them. So in my own life and I made a study of the behi faith when I say I studied the by faith, I study the writings of the Buddha or review panel. Chan's read the bag of a ghetto, the New Testament, because that that is the Ivies. That is what it is to me. I don't even remember when I was actually investigating the by faith because I can't. I said it wasn't born by. I asked one of my by teachers hold like what is the scripture of the behind faith? You know, I'm wondering, like, what's your current wants your Bible, Um, and he walked out of the room. He said, You know, just wait a minute, walk into the room and then he came back and he had just this stack of cooks and he sat down and kind of put them out and then started placing them in a row. And he said, Well, this is our scripture. As he laid the moat, he laid out the Goths of PSA roster and laid out the Hebrew scriptures was even bound separately. It wasn't a new and old testament of Christianity, and then he laid out the New Testament on the cran, the Buddhist scriptures and ratings of the bomb in Baja la I just ended up being this. It was like just beautiful expression of actually seeing what itwas that he meant by the unity of religion. Because it was just this spread almost like a very mean, like it was like a rainbow of colors. I remember thinking like, this is all yours, and this seems strange to many people, but often we don't recall that ourselves. You know, the me talking with Bible and is actually a series of books, a Siri's of different authors who are thousands of years they don't actually collected together. And it was slowly growing. And obviously, when the Christian community attached the new death and and bounded in a single book, this seems very natural to the to the Christian, not to the jewel brain. And to me, it's almost as if will you hand within the core into the by faith. You could put the crown on and find it, and you could put the Buddhist scriptures bind it. And in the end, you have a book about this. Think so, Uh, this is what I really this section is trying to communicate just just that we have these love letters. There's an in this love letters. They paint this exquisite historical picture a ll these expressions of love to humankind all throughout the ages. Seeing this, it's actually through using again the supreme gift of God to humankind, doing our own invent investigation of truth, being summoned to study, to study the behind writings, but also to study the holy texts and the previous love letters from God and humankind that we begin to see this exquisite tapestry be able to see how all the scenes actually connect to each other and really hear the voice of the beloved from previous ages, but also by studying them. In my old experience, I get to see nuances of what ba Hola said, where he has sung a song to Hindu community, where he is singing outta Carroll to the to the Buddhist community that we begin to see really a symphony. And it's for this that for myself there is no greater joy. There really isn't well so far. We looked at that supreme gift of God to humankind, the path of knowledge, independent investigation of truth, being summoned to study our own writings, but also to study the sacred scriptures of the various expressions of God's love to humankind. Throat history. This is about setting the administration in particular my world order to see what it is that behold has brought to humankind to organize its political affairs social structure. So we're gonna start here are the cold from Shelby, if any. The best way for behind the service country and the world is to work for the establishment of beholders World order which will gradually your night home in and do away with divisive political systems and religious creeds. This quote expresses in the briefest Wayne what I understand to be the rial someone of the hola to those of his servants, the bys that I understand that the best way we conserve our own lives, our family but also our country and the world is to work for the building up of the administrative order and the spreading in the fragrances of his teachings that this is the way we will do away with these divisive political and religious issues that are really inflicting the body of humankind everywhere. The Guardian also says the condition of the world today is such that it is obvious no political solution to its problems is going to be found. We behinds must therefore concentrate on Holly's world order, the true solution. So we see all around us at this point in time the trials and tribulations of humanity, um, almost under unaffected by it. And we can often be pulled two and 40 two different causes or things that some in our attention. And it's really too. Remember that we actually believe that this is actually the true solution remedy for these problems and that we actually have to concentrate on the Hollis World Order as it says The true solution to these issues in doing this, um, we, the few who have caught the vision, should not raise her energies beating up and down the path pursued by humanity and which are not solving its ghastly present problems. We should concentrate on the cause because it is what is needed to cure the world. Without the study, an application of the administration, the teachings of the cause become not only meaningless but lose ineffectiveness and in scope. Showing effendi in 1935 we see here that when we're talking about actually sharing the Hollows teachings of humankind and and sharing the solutions for humanity that he's actually brought, the divine physician has given us that oftentimes I find we can. We can forget that one truly fundamental aspect of that cure the vehicle that actually delivers the remedy to humankind is actually the the administration itself that we're here. He's saying it's not only meaningless but loses and effectiveness, because the by administration is the vehicle, the political order, a structure that will enable humankind to heal the political divisiveness at the same time. It's not a pragmatic, you know, you know, just two pregnant instrument. It is a integral but also sacred administration, a sacred part of what the divine remedy is to humankind. This is again, shall g. Effendi. A careful look at the subject's mentioning your program clearly reveals the fact that friends haven't last come to realize how indispensable it is for them to deepen their knowledge of the background and of the administrative development of because these were indeed the two main points which they have hitherto neglected to study, and the time has come when they have to attach to them all the importance they deserve. Particularly remarkable has been your effort in regard to the study of the administration, an important new feature in the history of the cause, the study of which is becoming increasingly indispensable to every thoughtful student of faith. It is hoped that in the next few years all are behind summer school's, whether in the states or abroad will make a conscious and thorough attempt to fully acquaint the friends with the origin, nature and peculiar significance of the nation. Administrative institutions of the cause, which constitute a humble through a very exact pattern of the world order of the Hola. It is of the utmost importance that from now the believer should get familiar with the rudiments of the administration. Have they may not follow the path which the followers of older religions have trodden, which have led to the revengeful downfall here. The journey is telling us that in order to understand what actually behold us brought even though it may be in a seed like form, especially in 1933 when this is being read that we can actually see in this see the exact pattern of the tree that's actually going to come out of it and that it's indispensable for us to get an understanding of the origin, nature and peculiar significance of the by administration, especially in this day when we actually have it much more flowered, actually truly is a sapling, and we can see, especially now the way it will actually solve the political divisiveness of our world. How much is actually the remedy that behold has brought for the unification of humankind and the protection of all peoples, the court reads. It seems that what we need now is a more profound and coordinated by scholarship in order to attract Suchman as you're contacting the world has at least thinking world caught up by now with all the great and universal principles enunciated by behold over 70 years ago. And so, of course, it does not sound new to them. But we know that the deeper teachings, the capacity of his projective world order to recreate society our new and dynamic it is these we must learn to present intelligently and enticingly to such man. This quote from the Guardian points out with that for many people, uh, certain principles of the behind faith that would immediately get a nap. Formacion, of course, of course. You don't call your men and women in the quality of the race. Um, and this will increasingly happen so and he's telling us that it's actually the deeper teachings of the faith, but also the administrative order. The capacity is projected world order to recreate society that once again, many people might choose hell this principle of the back faith or that principle to fight by faith that they find actually beautiful and can agree with. But it is actually the world order itself. The administrative order that if we showed them intelligently and enticingly that it can actually bring out the deep and profound admiration of all peoples. And we can possibly do this unless we actually do a thorough and deep study of the administrative, or including all the social teachings and the more deeper philosophical, mystical and spirits that Eugene's of the by faith. Because they all come is this 11 remedy for humankind And, I found found myself constantly in my in my own teaching efforts because we'll go through like many of the principles of the behind faith now exquisite, they are. But oftentimes, when I show up in fire sides or getting to dialogue with people who have actually been around the by face for quite some time, they'll know that the behinds do like social activism and they help the neighborhoods and stuff like this, right? But often and I mean very often in my own personal experience, they actually don't know anything about the Ministry of Order. They don't know anything about how the process of behind elections actually protects humanity from corruption. How it actually is the vehicle that can guide us to that Golden Age, the most great piece for predicted and prophecy. Biba. Hola. And I always feel a little bit sad because sometimes it's people who have been around the faith for years that I have no idea that's administrative order and here, showing if any is telling us that is This is what we need to be teaching because that's how it will re create society. And it's new and dynamic and be able to show that two people will finally give them a vision as to how they can transform society. And we just saw that this is the truth solution, the only way we're going to actually be able to solve this. So we really need deep, as he said, coordinated by scholarship, so many people come together to have a deeper and deeper understanding of the political order of the hollow. It's from the universal House of Justice, which is the supreme elected body by faith within the by administration. It is evident then, that has a Ba Hai who is a political scientist. You have a great deal of latitude to comment on social issues. It is also possible to participate in the generation and application of knowledge in your field by dealing with topics that are more directly political in nature. You're no doubt aware of the general advice written on behalf of the Guardian that one way to criticize the social political order of the day without siding with or opposing an existing regime is to offer a deeper analysis on the level of political theory rather than practical politics. We see here that they're universals of justice, is explaining the bike community the way they can be political with their fellow men. I am. I'm regularly asked about politics, and whenever I do, I actually immediately move in to what I believe the political order should be like. And that very nature is a critique. And deeper analysis is on the level of political theory that often times I think the highs could be seen as if we're bystanders, because we're not involved in the political factions of today. We're actually seen as if we're standing aloof. On dear. We've been given away to actually address political issues to share with humanity a new way to look at politics that can actually solve the problems that is so upset. The average person and that could only happen if we actually have a deeper understanding and that deeper understanding needs to be developed by a more coordinated scholarship into the BEHI administration. As individuals who catch the fragrance of all of the love of a hola and actually find the administration itself as a really a facet of that they wish to actually delve into. Then we begin to collect a deeper and deeper understanding top of the administration, because in my own study over the years of the by administration, it truly actually is the solution to so many of the everyday complaints that people have about politics. But they don't know, and they have a right to hear it, he says. The behind Commonwealth of the Future, I wish his vast administrative order is the sole framework, his both of theory and practice not only unique in the entire history of political institutions, but confined no parallel in the annals of any of the world's recognized religious systems. No form of democratic government, no system of a talker, a seer of dictatorship, whether monarchical or Republican, no intermediary scheme of a purely aristocratic order, nor even any of the recognized types of theocracy, whether it be the Hebrew commonwealth or the various Christian ecclesiastical organizations or the imam made or the caliphate in Islam. None of these could be identified or be said to conform with the administrative order, which the master hand of its perfect architect has fashioned. We're being told here by the Guardian that the by administrative order, the world order of the Hola, his framework in structure, it's theory in no way conforms to any of the previous institutions, the previous political structures or ecclesiastical organizations. And it gives us a way to actually really, truly look into the comparative nature of this political system and be able to expound this to people because often times when people need the faith in any framework, they'll say, Oh, you know, I know that because what we do is oftentimes we judge so quickly instead of really, truly listening, really truly studying something, that we immediately slot what we've heard into something that we've previously understood. And it is the behinds job, because again, as we've heard, who else will do it to really show that the by common wealth of the future, of which the administrative order today is the framework actually is none of these former forms of political organization. What else could these weighty words signify? That not point? The inevitable curtailment of unfettered national sovereignty has an indispensable preliminary to the formation of the future commonwealth of all the nations of the world. Some form of world superstate must needs be evolved and whose favor all the nations of the world will have willingly seated every claim to make war certain rights to impose taxation and all rights to maintain armaments except for purposes of maintaining internal order within their respective Dominions. Such a state will have to include within its orbit and international executive adequate to enforce supreme and unchallengeable authority on every recalcitrant member of the Commonwealth, a world parliament whose members shall be elected by the people in their respective countries and whose election should be confirmed by their respective governments and a supreme tribunal whose judgment will have a binding effect. Even in such cases where the parties concerned did not voluntarily agree to submit the case to its consideration, A world community in which all economic barriers we'll have been permanently demolished and the interdependence of capital and labor definitely recognized in which the clamor of religious fanaticism and strife will have been forever stilled, in which the flame of racial animosity will have been finally extinguished. In which a single code of international law the product of the considered judgment of the world's Federated representatives she'll have as its sanction the instant inquires of intervention of the combined forces of the Federated Units and finally, a world community in which the fury of a capricious and militant nationalism will have been transmuted into an abiding consciousness of world citizenship. Such indeed appears, and it's brought us outline the order anticipated Biba Hola, an order that will come to be recorded as the fairest fruit of a slowly maturing age. His quote from Suge Effendi, his emblematic of the profound vision actually put for Biba. Hola. Hey, system touches on international economic order, political order, military order on international law, international courts, a system that we, as buys, have the duty to understand and present to the world way will be looking at this concept in future discussions about what the world order behold A really entails. But in this case, it's usually a quote I use because I'll say you know is the behi faith, non political it is. It is a non political organization. That place is ultimate authority in the respective governments of whatever country they live in, even to the point of actually being willing to dismantle our own administration at the request of any government under which we abide buys after me, the ultimate law abiding citizen had the same time in a different sense of being political not about whether you know, siding with four again, some political party or some political leader or being able to populate partisan politics. And that way we truly are not political at the same time. The way I often have put it is is that there really is no more political faith in human history. We actually have a theory of regional and international economics. We actually have a theory about global security, about political order about what? Whether or not we should have a party system. We actually have fundamental ways of actually running elections that are completely different from the way anybody else on the planet is doing it or has ever done it before. We are asked to actually study the administrative order to use the behi writings to more deeply understand what it is that a holla sharing. We're talking here about a international executive World Tribunal. The removal of trade hears from the controlling of nationalism. What about what shall defend, he says in other places, is Thea acceptance of the same patriotism rate while at the same time curtailment of unlimited or unfettered national sovereignty for the greater good Ah, system of world Federated units again here is not the place to actually go into deeply what the by administrative order in the future lesser piece of most great pieces it's called in by writings will actually look like. But to say that part and parcel of what it means to be behind and being with be deepened as of the highest. To truly understand. What is the vehicle that Hola has brought as the remedy from him, the divine physician to to solve the sickness that it's afflicting humanity by the coming dawn and the title of the section I mean the Coming World Order about him. What We were just looking at the at the rise of the administration, the unification of the whole world and how we should be serving this coming down. Our first quote here it's from Chau. Give Andy. The more we see the crying need of the world for the spiritual teachings of our faith, the more restless we should feel and giving out the message and improving the means of defusing the pre substance. Because I know for myself, because I keep informed quite a bit about the struggles and trials of humanity. Um, it could be very, very, very difficult to see how much suffering there actually is. And the question is, how do we respond to that suffering Some people turn away on Ignore it because it's so difficult to actually see other people become filled with rage. Deep anger. I know myself. I felt anger at the suffering of humankind. But what is the response we should have? We should feel restless, school says. But restless toe act the action itself being to give the message and improve the means of actually sharing that message. So it means we should be wanting to give it, and then final, better ways actually share it with the world. Another quote from Abdul Law has to the terminology I used in my letter, admitting need to consecrate myself to the service in the cause of God. The meaning of it is this limit by thoughts to teaching the faith act by day and night according to the teachings and councils and admonitions of Allah. This is such a striking phrase by Abdel Ball, he says, to limit our thoughts to teaching the faith. I think if we move for some of the other quotes will get a better understanding of why the next quote, which is from show you FND he's a rest assured that your painstaking efforts will in time bear fruit and should not feel discouraged. Therefore, if you have not so far succeeded in accomplishing any tangible results, now is the time of seed sowing and consequently one of slow and painful progress. But the harvest which the future shall reap, will be incalculably rich and great will also be a reward for having so unremittingly toiled. Bringing it about some of the examples that always come to my mind when I read quotes like this is actually the movement for democracy is one of them. I myself live in a democratic country where people can elect the representatives, and I think oftentimes if you actually forget how new, such of experiences for humankind in the long human history. But there's another aspect of its development that we forget as well, which is that it was built by people. It was developed and promulgated by people. The right to do such a thing was actually one on the backs of people, but not just people who strive and struggled and all they could actually forward that cause. But who themselves? Actually, I didn't see the fruit off, the very thing they were working for. Surely effendi here is talking about not being discouraged when you don't see tangible results. Why? Because all great Newman's human history actually had to have people who, at the dawn or the beginning, when that movement was in its seed like form, couldn't pluck the apples referrals from that tree and eat of them. But they actually needed to tend it, or else we would never be able to eat it. And we're trying to develop, as we just saw in the administrative order, a system which will actually cure the ills of humankind and really bring on a golden age of humanity, a united world and until that occurs, the suffering of the patient will continue. So we are being asked in all of these sections that we've been looking at to really Delft both into the writings and into our own hearts, so that we can muster the strength to actually do this. And Abdul Baha telling us to limit or falls to teaching the faith. We have to understand how expensive that is, how much of a human expression that it can actually be. And in here to build up a system for which we will not harvest its fruits. We think, I think often, for example, of the suffragette movement for women's equality. Um, a battle we're still trying to win brain. The people that fought the women that fought for that, uh, didn't actually get to see it. They themselves toiled for it for the emancipation of slaves. The people that were fighting for the emancipation often never saw a world in which slavery was gone. But thank God they sacrificed that we could live in a world where it has been abolished. That's what we're being asked and asked, and not feel discouraged when things do not bear fruit in our time. And we have to realize that this the source of the ills of humankind, the battle raging is not one of money or resources. We have them on your the resources. We actually could solve the world's problems. What is holding us back us? How we see the world, how we see ourselves, the nature of humankind. It is fundamentally a spiritual issue, a malady that is holding us back from becoming what we truly could be as individuals and also as a planet. As a species. There is so much suffering such a great and desperate need for a true remedy. And the behind should realize their sacred obligation is to deliver the message to their fellow men at once and on as large scale as possible. If they fail to do so, they're really partly responsible for prolonging the agony of humanity. This quote from Joe, you have Andy can be very emotionally challenging. Um, we're being told we have a sacred obligation to take a remedy, a medicine to cure humankind. We're being asked to actually take a remedy medicine for the sickness of humankind and bring it to our fellow men as quickly as we can in his larger scale as possible, because if we don't do that, we're prolonging the agony and as a as a behi, but believes in Ba Hollas solution for the world's problems for his remedy. How could I possibly deny this, no matter how emotionally uncomfortable that might be, because it is if we had some transformative technology that could actually solve the world's energy problems or give clean water to everyone or be able to feel like to solve the problems of starvation or malnutrition, and we're holding that technology and we just have to bring it to the right people and actually that technology would be implemented. But we sit back so naturally, that's how she going to prolong their anger if we have the remedy for the sickness of a person and we know they need it, but we sit back. Of course, the sickness continues. It is a very difficult thing to square ourselves with the times, but it's something we have to realize and really, really, really take the heart. One of the signs of a decadent society, a sign which is very evident in the world today, is an almost frenetic devotion to pleasure and diversion, an insatiable thirst for amusement, fanatical devotion to games, sport, reluctance to treat any matter seriously and a scornful, derisory attitude towards virtue and solid worth. Abandonment of a frivolous conduct does not imply that it behind must be sour face to perpetually solo humor. Happiness, joy are characteristics of a true behind life frivolity, Poles and eventually leads to boredom and emptiness. But true happiness and joy and humor that are parts of a balanced life that includes serious thought, compassion and humble servitude to God, our characteristics that enrich life and adds to its radiance. This is an exquisite quote because it's telling us that we're in an environment that is increasingly becoming more distracted, are interested in its own self gratification, which leads to an apathy to treat anything seriously or just summon out of our hearts the compassion for humanity. At the same time, it's not asking us to be solemn or sour face. We're supposed to be joyful, to be happy, to have humor and delight in our life, yet at the same time includes serious thought and compassion and humble servitude, a willingness to go out and actually serve humanity and we have to learn to be able to treat importing topics with the seriousness they deserve, because the healing of humankind depends upon it. We actually have a remedy. Doesn't mean we can't enjoy our lives and have delights. And at the same time, a balanced life is one that actually includes both instead of being having an insatiable thirst or a fanatical devotion to diversions. And if we can actually achieve this balanced life, we can then move out and actually begin to actually heal the problems of our planet. I think that in the end, there is a redefinition of what fund means. It's something we actually have to learn. We actually have to learn even, I believe, a different meaning of the word freedom. There's two different kinds of freedom. There's the freedom to do nothing. But there's also the freedom to learn the violin, a freedom that you gained through sacrifice and training to express herself through music. There's one freedom that might be Sarah watching movies nonstop for watching sport games endlessly. But there's another freedom, the freedom of an acrobat, someone who is trained themselves. Now this I don't mean that we shouldn't have time to relax and enjoy life. But we must have the same time understand that oftentimes when we're relaxing, if not in balance, that we're actually leaving people in agony and prolonging suffering of humankind. So how can we actually come to a place where we're actually serving this coming dawn of the golden Age? Through using our minds through serving humbly for studying the holy text, understanding different faiths and studying the administration to show to our fellow man a purposeful life, a life of integrity and high principles which include joy and simple delights? When we look at relax age rest, which is actually important, we can see it one a cz, a tool for the recuperation, the restoration, if you will, of our energies in order to co out and again serve humankind. It doesn't mean that we can't do it. But how is it taken? A cz Well, what do we do in it? Marigny? Different ways to relax. We can relax and beautiful conversations with friends. We can relax in the arts. We can actually relax. Even in study, I myself find it very, very peaceful to actually take up a sacred letter from the beloved region long ago and inhale the fragrance safe from the Gospel are from the a panty shots. And I believe that, as as we actually come to really nurture ourselves in this way, we get to find Rest and Saul us and places we actually never would have thought. And yes, as I give the example of learning musical instrument, often times deeper and deeper. Solace is in deeper and deeper hole experience of rest in peace comes after the sacrifice and training to achieve a goal off great worth. His next quote is from BA Hola in the Book of Servitude, meditate profoundly to the secrets of things unseen may be revealed unto you, but you may inhale the sweetness of a spiritually and imperishable fragrance that you may acknowledge the truth from time immemorial, even unto eternity. The Almighty have tried and will continue to try his servants so that light may be distinguished from darkness, truth from falsehood, right from wrong, guidance from error, happiness from misery and roses from thorns. Even as he has revealed, Do men think when they say we believe they shall be left alone and not be put to proof this cool from Mahala is a theme that runs whole throat by writings. And I hope, God willing, in the future we can actually look into it very deeply. We're being told that from time immemorial, even into eternity, that God tests his servants. There are allure mons of this world that can draw us away. There are aspects even within the dispensations that can often challenge us. But these things are being used to actually and to enable us to exercise ourselves to surmount obstacles to grow and develop. Um, we all know that the muscles of our body only actually develop under the strain of pressure that our ability, for example, to learn a new skill or lunar new art to learn the science is to learn a new language. Actually, on Lee come as we struggle past obstacles as if slowly climbing the ladder. But in this case were climbing the ladder of assent of our own being that we actually have a world as we're just talking about with these allure mints, right? That may call to us that at times we have to realize that these themselves are the way that we can actually train these air the weights. We actually have to live as we ascend towards being able to have a balanced rich the high life one that includes joy and delight, joys and delights of the higher nature, while the same time being in humble service study and the promotion of a world order that's going to truly solve the problems of humankind. The unity of the human race has envisaged by Mahala implies the establishment of a world commonwealth in which all nations races, creeds and classes are closely and permanently united and in which the autonomy of its state members and the personal freedom and initiative of the individuals that compose them are definitely and completely safe guarded. This commonwealth must, as far as we can visualize it consists of a world legislature whose members will is the trustees of the whole of mankind, ultimately controlled the entire resources of all the component nations. Mm will enact such laws. I shall be required to regulate the life, satisfy the needs and adjust the relationships of all races and peoples. A world executive backed by an international force will carry all the decisions arrived at and apply the laws enacted by this world legislature and we'll save Carter the grand organic unity of the whole come off ah World Tribunal will adjudicate and deliver It's compulsory and final verdict in all and any disputes that may arise between the various elements Constituting this universal system, a mechanism of world inter communication will be devised embracing the whole planet. Freed from national hindrances and restrictions and functioning with marvelous swiftness on perfect regularity, Ah, World metropolis will act as the nerve center of the world civilization. The focus towards which the unifying forces of life will converge and from which it's energizing influences will radiate. Ah, world language will either be invented or chosen from among the existing languages and will be taught in the schools of all. The Federated Nations has an exhilarating to their mother tongue ah world script A world literature, a uniform and universal system of currency of weights and measures will simplify and facilitate intercourse and understanding among the nations and races of mankind. In such a world, society, science and religion to most pork and forces in human life will be reconciled, will cooperate and we'll harmoniously develop the press under the press will under such a system while giving full scope to the expression of the diversified views and convictions of mankind, sees to be mischievous Lee manipulated by vested interests with a private or public, and we'll be liberated from the influence of contending governments and peoples, the economic resources of the world would be organized, sources of raw materials will be tapped and fully utilize, its markets will be coordinated and developed, and the distribution of its products will be equitably regulated. National rivalries, hatreds and intrigues will cease and racial animosity and prejudice will be replaced by racial amity, understanding and cooperation. The causes of religious strife will be permanently removed, economic barriers and restrictions will be completely abolished and the inordinate distinction between classes will be obliterated. Destitution on the one hand, in gross accumulation of ownership on the other will disappear. The enormous energy dissipated and wasted on war, whether economic or political, will be consecrated to such ends as well extend the range of human adventures and technical development to the increase of the productivity of mankind, to the extermination of disease, to the extension of scientific research to the raising of the standard of physical health to the sharpening in the refinement of the human brain to the exploitation of the unused and unsuspected resources of the planet, the prolongation of human life and the further end of any other agency that can stimulate the intellectual, moral and spiritual life of the entire human race. A world federal system ruling the whole Earth and exercising unchallengeable authority over its unimaginably vast resources, blending and embodying the ideals of both the East and the West, liberated from the curse of war in its miseries and bent on the exploitation of all the available sources of energy on the surface of the planet. A system in which force has made the servant of justice whose life is sustained by its universal recognition of one god and by its allegiance to one common revelation such as the gold, such as the goal towards which humanity, impelled by the unifying forces of life, is moving. Some show you FND world order. It's almost impossible to express how glorious Ah vision this actually is. It's so shocking because each sentence have this quote from Georgie FND itself could constitute an entire study itself is a charter for people of different disciplines whether it be from remove the removal of trade barriers. The establishing of an international is a very language to a Supreme Tribunal that the relationship between science and religion, this really is a is a several page list of the fundamental goals of the world order that we in this age we're trying to actually establish. It is a breathtaking, an astounding vision of humankind, and it is something that we can achieve utopian, as it might seem to some people, In order to achieve that, we actually have to. I realize that many of the fruits of this world contest us be willing toe actually summon the resolve to actually skews our minds, tread the path of knowledge, perform our own independent investigation of truth to recognize the vision that BA Hola has actually laid before us and study it deeply correlated to the many problems of humankind as they're listed here, study the philosophical systems of our world to be able to intelligently, comprehensively with clear and conclusive arguments, demonstrate this to humanity to move forward, to be able to actually study the holy text of previous dispensations. Previous expressions of God's love, whether it be in this lama Buddhism and see actually how these air actually brought together in this exquisite tapestry. Also, to be able to understand the melodies and expressions of those previous lamps of the same light so that we can actually share this message with humankind to then study the world order itself the ark, upon which humankind will sail the solution and remedy to the problems of our world. One could spend a lifetime actually just studying one of these topics and people. Will people spend their entire life trying to work out and produce some of the economic, political, scientific, linguistic aspects of the vision that's been put forward here. And that's what we're asked to do and even when we're doing it in her own academic investigations, or to actually reach out to people who are actually serving principles akin. But when we do to stand out as behinds, toe actually put forward the my vision itself. Both within the academic area say that we're in linguistics rate or agriculture and then show that it is a part and organ of a larger body that has meant to terry humankind forward. And of course, this can't be done without actually sacrifice and, as the quote previously said, unremitting toil at times recognizing that we actually won't see the fruit of the vision that actually reading your. But it needs someone, some groups of people to rise up no matter what their shortcomings are, no matter what their capacity and actually fight for this vision to fight with their character, their tongues, their pens to share of humankind so they can finally be given the message that they're actually hoping for. There's a quote not covered here where Abdul Mahan, the selections of the writings of Abdul Boss, says in this order, and this economy of Ba Hola, this divine order is given the hopes and dreams of every community being religious, political, philosophical, moral. It is a bold and shocking claim, but it's a claim that we're here to demonstrate, to do our best over the generations to have coordinated scholarship, as it was said in the Administrative Order of Section, to have places have learned, people studying comparative religion actually bring this message to humankind, and it's for this reason that this presentation has been developed. Please remember that, uh, in the description below. As I said at the beginning, of this, all the quotes ever actually used in this presentation. How will the n a. Pdf file as well as an audio version of this presentation. So if you wish to share with others, you review it yourself. Please download it and you can listen to it on your own deal. We've come to the end of the presentation again. I just wanted to thank that the high administrative order and all those that serve in it to thank anyone who has taken the time to watch this work and to please in whatever way your capacity you can, even if you feel tired or alone at times in the service that you are carrying out in whatever capacity to whatever degree to keep going, Thank you very much.

The Supreme Gift - Significance of Intellect and Reason
The Path of Knowledge - Importance of Knowledge
The Independent Search for Truth
The Fragrant Sword - Arguments and the Spark of Truth
Summoned to Study - Importance in Immersing in Bahá'í Scriptures
Study of the Holy Texts - Importance in Immersing in All Scriptures
Study the Administration - Importance of the Bahá'í Administration & Order
The Coming Dawn - The Vision of Baha'u'llah's Future World Order