Ä Area: The Baha'i International Echo ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
  Msg#: 44                                           Date: 08-29-96  11:05
  From: Zaynab Richmond                              Read: Yes    Replied: No 
    To: All                                          Mark:                     
  Subj: Love 1/10
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
I know I started posting this deepening some time ago... but didn't get
far before my daughter's problems took me away from the echo for a while.
I hope that you will enjoy reading it, and that if you have comments you
will post them so that we can learn more from each other.  -ZR

Part 1

Learning how to love in a hateful world.
A compilation from the Baha'i Writings


Opening Prayer

   O Thou kind Lord!  We are servants of Thy
Threshold, taking shelter at Thy holy Door.  We seek no
refuge save only this strong pillar, turn nowhere for a
haven but unto Thy safekeeping.  Protect us, bless us,
support us, make us such that we shall love but Thy good
pleasure, utter only Thy praise, follow only the pathway
of truth, that we may become rich enough to dispense
with all save Thee, and receive our gifts from the sea of
Thy beneficence, that we may ever strive to exalt Thy
Cause and to spread Thy sweet savours far and wide, that
we may become oblivious of self and occupied only with
Thee, and disown all else and be caught up in Thee.

   O Thou Provider, O Thou Forgiver!  Grant us Thy
grace and loving-kindness, Thy gifts and Thy bestowals,
and sustain us, that we may attain our goal.  Thou art the
Powerful, the Able, the Knower, the Seer; and verily
Thou art the Generous, and verily Thou art the All-Merciful,
and verily Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, He to
Whom repentance is due, He Who forgiveth even the
most grievous of sins.

   (Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, pp. 232-233)



Where we got the idea for this topic:    A passage from the 
letter to the Feast of Sharaf

                         December 31, 1994

To the American Baha'i Community
     for the Feast of Sharaf

Dear Friends,
    
Shoghi Effendi teaches us that the turmoil of the present age evokes 
sorrow and excites fear, provokes revolts and engenders grievances.  
In short, the breakdown of the present order wreaks havoc and chaos in 
every life.  It is no wonder that everywhere one looks, one sees conflict 
and heartache, lives full of difficult tests and heartbreaking struggles.  

In their letter of May 19, the Universal House of Justice reminds us 
that even in the Baha'i community we struggle to free ourselves from 
the grip of the world's diseased condition.  They also tell us that we 
have a power over the chaos;  it is the power of understanding God's 
purpose for His people, teaching His Faith and building His Kingdom.  
We do this first personally, then in our families, in our Baha'i 
communities and in our nation.  The Supreme Body writes, "Painful as 
may be the decadent scene, deep as is your sympathy for those who
suffer from the terrible decline of society, you must see the 
possibilities which are thus provided for augmenting the healing 
forces of an emerging World Order."

Clarity of purpose and discipline in obedience are our protection from 
the chaos.  If we know what we must do --  draw close to God and carry 
out His Instructions -- we will not be afraid of the crumbling world 
around us.   Then we can proceed to build the new world, exploiting the 
turmoil and the anxiety it produces, to spread the knowledge of the 
redemptive power of Baha'u'llah's Faith.

To purify our souls and make us strong, `Abdu'l-Baha promised that He 
would send repeated mental tests.  Perhaps the most difficult test we 
face is to be indiscriminately loving and kind, forgiving and encouraging, 
to every soul in a society of people who pride themselves on being bitterly 
critical in order to justify their conflicts with others.  Baha'u'llah 
Himself anticipated this problem and instructed His followers to note 
that The Kitab-i-Aqdas is Itself a testament of God's patience with our 
weakness and a model for all to follow in their treatment of others.

Perhaps it all boils down to this:  the primary job of a Baha'i is to 
learn how to love in a hateful world, to share that learning with others, 
and to tell them Who It is that taught us how to love again.   We must 
love everyone -- our enemies, those different from ourselves, those 
who do not appear to be lovable.  Love is the immutable condition of 
the Divine Plan, the gift that Baha'is must give to a world completely 
divided by carefully justified conflict. The world is waiting, and 
suffering, as it waits. 

                         With warm regards,

                         Robert C. Henderson
                         Secretary-General

continued
... Happiness is not a destination. It is a way of traveling.
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Ä Area: The Baha'i International Echo ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
  Msg#: 45                                           Date: 08-29-96  11:05
  From: Zaynab Richmond                              Read: Yes    Replied: No 
    To: All                                          Mark:                     
  Subj: Love 2/10
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Part 2

Love of God

    The essence of love is for man to turn his heart to the 
Beloved One, and sever himself from all else but 
Him, and desire naught save that which is the desire of his 
Lord. 
    True remembrance is to make mention of the Lord, the 
All-Praised, and forget aught else beside Him. 
    True reliance is for the servant to pursue his 
profession and calling in this world, to hold fast unto the 
Lord, to seek naught but His grace, inasmuch as in His Hands 
is the destiny of all His servants.
 (Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 155)

Loving others for the sake of God

 Be most loving one to another. Burn away, wholly for the 
sake of the Well-Beloved, the veil of self with 
the flame of the undying Fire, and with faces joyous and 
beaming with light, associate with your neighbor.
 (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah,  p. 316)

Be in perfect unity.  Never become angry with one another.   
Let your eyes be directed toward the kingdom of truth and not 
toward the world of creation.  Love the creatures for the sake 
of God and not for themselves.  You will never become angry or 
impatient if you love them for the sake of God.  Humanity is 
not perfect.  There are imperfections in every human being, 
and you will always become unhappy if you look toward the 
people themselves.   But if you look toward God, you will love 
them and be kind to them, for the world of God is the world of 
perfection and complete mercy.  Therefore, do not look at the 
shortcomings of anybody; see  with the sight of forgiveness.  
The imperfect eye beholds imperfections.   The eye that covers 
faults looks toward the Creator of souls.   He created them, 
trains and provides for them, endows them with  capacity and 
life, sight and hearing; therefore, they are the signs of  
His grandeur.

 (Abdu'l-Baha,  Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 93)

continued

... Let's see your tagline hunting permit, sir.
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Ä Area: The Baha'i International Echo ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
  Msg#: 46                                           Date: 08-29-96  11:05
  From: Zaynab Richmond                              Read: Yes    Replied: No 
    To: All                                          Mark:                     
  Subj: Love 3/10
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Part 3

THE DUTY OF KINDNESS AND SYMPATHY TOWARDS STRANGERS AND 
FOREIGNERS
    October 16th and 17th, 1912
   When a man turns his face to God he finds sunshine 
everywhere.  All men are his brothers. Let not 
conventionality cause you to seem cold and unsympathetic 
when you meet strange people from other 
countries.  Do not look at them as though you suspected them 
of being evil-doers, thieves and boors. You 
think it necessary to be very careful, not to expose 
yourselves to the risk of making acquaintance with 
such, possibly, undesirable people.
   I ask you not to think only of yourselves.  Be kind to 
the strangers, whether come they from Turkey, 
Japan, Persia, Russia, China or any other country in the 
world.
   Help to make them feel at home; find out where they are 
staying, ask if you may render them any 
service; try to make their lives a little happier.
   In this way, even if, sometimes, what you at first 
suspected should be true, still go out of your way to be 
kind to them - this kindness will help them to become 
better.
   After all, why should any foreign people be treated as 
strangers?
   Let those who meet you know, without your proclaiming the 
fact, that you are indeed a Baha'i.
   Put into practice the Teaching of Baha'u'llah, that of 
kindness to all nations.  Do not be content with 
showing friendship in words alone, let your heart burn with 
loving kindness for all who may cross your 
path.
   Oh, you of the Western nations, be kind to those who come 
from the Eastern world to sojourn among 
you.  Forget your conventionality when you speak with them; 
they are not accustomed to it.  To Eastern 
peoples this demeanour seems cold, unfriendly.  Rather let 
your manner be sympathetic.  Let it be seen 
that you are filled with universal love.  When you meet a 
Persian or any other stranger, speak to him as to 
a friend; if he seems to be lonely try to help him, give him 
of your willing service; if he be sad console 
him, if poor succour him, if oppressed rescue him, if in 
misery comfort him.  In so doing you will manifest 
that not in words only, but in deed and in truth, you think 
of all men as your brothers.
   What profit is there in agreeing that universal 
friendship is good, and talking of the solidarity of the 
human race as a grand ideal?  Unless these thoughts are 
translated into the world of action, they are 
useless.
   The wrong in the world continues to exist just because 
people talk only of their ideals, and do not strive 
to put them into practice.  If actions took the place of 
words, the world's misery would very soon be 
changed into comfort.
   A man who does great good, and talks not of it, is on the 
way to perfection.
   The man who has accomplished a small good and magnifies 
it in his speech is worth very little.
   If I love you, I need not continually speak of my love - 
you will know without any words.  On the other 
hand if I love you not, that also will you know - and you 
would not believe me, were I to tell you in a 
thousand words, that I loved you.
   People make much profession of goodness, multiplying fine 
words because they wish to be thought 
greater and better than their fellows, seeking fame in the 
eyes of the world.  Those who do most good use 
fewest words concerning their actions.
   The children of God do the works without boasting, 
obeying His laws.
   My hope for you is that you will ever avoid tyranny and 
oppression; that you will work without ceasing 
till justice reigns in every land, that you will keep your 
hearts pure and your hands free from 
unrighteousness.
   This is what the near approach to God requires from you, 
and this is what I expect of you. 
 (Paris Talks  pp. 15-17)


continued

... The next best thing to laughing is gardening.  -- M. Prem Zareen
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Ä Area: The Baha'i International Echo ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
  Msg#: 47                                           Date: 08-29-96  11:05
  From: Zaynab Richmond                              Read: Yes    Replied: No 
    To: All                                          Mark:                     
  Subj: Love 4/10
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Part 4

Exhortations to love each other, to have a sweet tongue,
and to avoid that which causes sadness to the hearts.

  O ye beloved of the Lord! Commit not that which defileth 
the limpid stream of love or destroyeth the 
sweet fragrance of friendship. By the righteousness of the 
Lord! Ye were created to show love one to 
another and not perversity and rancour. Take pride not in 
love for yourselves but in love for your fellow-
creatures. Glory not in love for your country, but in love 
for all mankind. Let your eye be chaste, your 
hand faithful, your tongue truthful and your heart 
enlightened. Abase not the station of the learned in 
Baha and belittle not the rank of such rulers as administer 
justice amidst you. Set your reliance on the 
army of justice, put on the armour of wisdom, let your 
adorning be forgiveness and mercy and that which 
cheereth the hearts of the well-favoured of God.

 (Tablets of Baha'u'llah,  p. 138)

  Consort with all men, O people of Baha, in a spirit of 
friendliness and fellowship. If ye be aware of a 
certain truth, if ye possess a jewel, of which others are 
deprived, share it with them in a language of 
utmost kindliness and good-will. If it be accepted, if it 
fulfil its purpose, your object is attained. If any one 
should refuse it, leave him unto himself, and beseech God to 
guide him. Beware lest ye deal unkindly with 
him. A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men. 
It is the bread of the spirit, it clotheth the 
words with meaning, it is the fountain of the light of 
wisdom and understanding....

 (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah,  p. 289)

  The aim of this Wronged One in sustaining woes and 
tribulations, in revealing the Holy Verses and in 
demonstrating proofs hath been naught but to quench the 
flame of hate and enmity, that the horizon of the 
hearts of men may be illumined with the light of concord and 
attain real peace and tranquillity. From the 
dawning-place of the divine Tablet the day-star of this 
utterance shineth resplendent, and it behoveth 
everyone to fix his gaze upon it: We exhort you, O peoples 
of the world, to observe that which will elevate 
your station. Hold fast to the fear of God and firmly adhere 
to what is right. Verily I say, the tongue is for 
mentioning what is good, defile it not with unseemly talk. 
God hath forgiven what is past. Henceforward 
everyone should utter that which is meet and seemly, and 
should refrain from slander, abuse and whatever 
causeth sadness in men. Lofty is the station of man! Not 
long ago this exalted Word streamed forth from 
the treasury of Our Pen of Glory: Great and blessed is this 
Day - the Day in which all that lay latent in 
man hath been and will be made manifest. Lofty is the 
station of man, were he to hold fast to 
righteousness and truth and to remain firm and steadfast in 
the Cause. In the eyes of the All-Merciful a 
true man appeareth even as a firmament; its sun and moon are 
his sight and hearing, and his shining and 
resplendent character its stars.  His is the loftiest 
station, and his influence educateth the world of being.

 (Tablets of Baha'u'llah)

Avoiding backbiting, calumny, dwelling on faults from others

     Backbiting, slander and dwelling on the faults of 
others  have been repeatedly condemned by 
Baha'u'llah.  In the  Hidden Words, He clearly states:  "O 
Son of Being!  How  couldst thou forget thine 
own faults and busy thyself with the faults  of others?  
Whoso doeth this is accursed of Me."  And again:  
"O  Son of Man!  Breathe not the sins of others so long as 
thou art  thyself a sinner.  Shouldst thou 
transgress this command, accursed  wouldst thou be, and to 
this I bear witness."  This strong  admonition 
is further reiterated in His last work, "the Book  of My 
Covenant":  "Verily I say, the tongue is for 
mentioning what  is good, defile it not with unseemly talk.  
God hath forgiven what is  past.  
Henceforward everyone should utter that which is meet and  
seemly, and should refrain from slander, 
abuse and whatever  causeth sadness in men." 
 (Kitab-i-Aqdas, Note 37, page 181-182)


continued

... Be nice to your kids. They'll choose your nursing home.
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Ä Area: The Baha'i International Echo ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
  Msg#: 48                                           Date: 08-29-96  11:05
  From: Zaynab Richmond                              Read: Yes    Replied: No 
    To: All                                          Mark:                     
  Subj: Love 5/10
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Part 5

Guidelines and images to assist us in loving when tested.

 Act in accordance with the counsels of the Lord:  that is, 
rise up in such wise, and with such qualities, as 
to endow the body of this world with a living soul, and to 
bring this young child, humanity, to the stage of 
adulthood.  So far as ye are able, ignite a candle of love 
in every meeting, and with tenderness rejoice and 
cheer ye every heart.  Care for the stranger as for one of 
your own; show to alien souls the same loving 
kindness ye bestow upon your faithful friends. Should any 
come to blows with you, seek to be friends with 
him; should any stab you to the heart, be ye a healing salve 
unto his sores; should any taunt and mock at 
you, meet him with love.  Should any heap his blame upon 
you, praise ye him; should he offer you a 
deadly poison, give him the choicest honey in exchange; and 
should he threaten your life, grant him a 
remedy that will heal him evermore. Should he be pain 
itself, be ye his medicine; should he be thorns, be 
ye his roses and sweet herbs.  Perchance such ways and words 
from you will make this darksome world 
turn bright at last; will make this dusty earth turn 
heavenly, this devilish prison place become a royal 
palace of the Lord--so that war and strife will pass and be 
no more, and love and trust will pitch their tents 
on the summits of the world. Such is the essence of God's 
admonitions; such in sum are the teachings for 
the Dispensation of Baha.

 (Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 34)


Conflict and contention forbidden

  Conflict and contention are categorically forbidden in His 
Book. This is a decree of God in this Most 
Great Revelation. It is divinely preserved from annulment 
and is invested by Him with the splendour of 
His confirmation. Verily He is the All-Knowing, the All-
Wise.

 (Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 221)




Drawing close to each other, and not permitting the 
shortcomings of others to be a source of disunity 
that would deprive thirsty souls of this message.

    The believers, as we all know, should endeavour to set 
such an example in their personal lives and 
conduct that others will feel impelled to embrace a Faith 
which reforms human character. However, 
unfortunately, not everyone achieves easily and rapidly the 
victory over self.  What every believer, new or 
old, should realise is that the Cause has the spiritual 
power to re-create us if we make the effort to let that 
power influence us, and the greatest help in this respect is 
prayer.  We must supplicate Baha'u'llah to 
assist us to overcome the failings in our own characters, 
and also exert our own will-power in mastering 
ourselves.
    He will certainly pray for the work of the beloved Cause 
there and especially that new souls may be 
attracted and embrace the Faith.  He will also pray that the 
believers may, for the sake of God, draw close 
to each other and not permit each other's short-comings to 
be a source of disunity and consequently a 
means of depriving thirsty souls of this life-giving 
Message!  The world is full of evil and dark forces and 
the friends must not permit these forces to get hold of them 
by thinking and feeling negatively towards 
each other....  (Unfolding Destiny:  Messages of the 
Guardian, p. 442)

continued

... Dogs come when called; Cats have answering machines.
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Ä Area: The Baha'i International Echo ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
  Msg#: 49                                           Date: 08-29-96  11:05
  From: Zaynab Richmond                              Read: Yes    Replied: No 
    To: All                                          Mark:                     
  Subj: Love 6/10
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Part 6

Keeping aloof from backbiting.  (Guidance to a true seeker)

  But, O my brother, when a true seeker determines to take 
the step of search in the path leading to the 
knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he must, before all else, 
cleanse and purify his heart, which is the seat 
of the revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from the 
obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge, and the 
allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy. He must purge 
his breast, which is the sanctuary of the 
abiding love of the Beloved, of every defilement, and 
sanctify his soul from all that pertaineth to water and 
clay, from all shadowy and ephemeral attachments. He must so 
cleanse his heart that no remnant of either 
love or hate may linger therein, lest that love blindly 
incline him to error, or that hate repel him away 
from the truth. Even as thou dost witness in this day how 
most of the people, because of such love and 
hate, are bereft of the immortal Face, have strayed far from 
the Embodiments of the divine mysteries, and, 
shepherdless, are roaming through the wilderness of oblivion 
and error. That seeker must at all times put 
his trust in God, must renounce the peoples of the earth, 
detach himself from the world of dust, and cleave 
unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords. He must never seek to 
exalt himself above any one, must wash away 
from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and 
vainglory, must cling unto patience and resignation, 
observe silence, and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue 
is a smouldering fire, and excess of speech a 
deadly poison. Material fire consumeth the body, whereas the 
fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and 
soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time, whilst 
the effects of the latter endure a century.  
   That seeker should also regard backbiting as grievous 
error,
and keep himself aloof from its dominion, inasmuch as 
backbiting quencheth the light of the heart, and 
extinguisheth the life of the soul. He should be content 
with little, and be freed from all inordinate desire. 
He should treasure the companionship of those that have 
renounced the world, and regard avoidance of 
boastful and worldly people a precious benefit. At the dawn 
of every day he should commune with God, 
and with all his soul persevere in the quest of his Beloved. 
He should consume every wayward thought 
with the flame of His loving mention, and, with the 
swiftness of lightning, pass by all else save Him. He 
should succour the dispossessed, and never withhold his 
favour from the destitute. He should show 
kindness to animals, how much more unto his fellow-man, to 
him who is endowed with the power of 
utterance. He should not hesitate to offer up his life for 
his Beloved, nor allow the censure of the people to 
turn him away from the Truth. He should not wish for others 
that which he doth not wish for himself, nor 
promise that which he doth not fulfil. With all his heart 
should the seeker avoid fellowship with evil 
doers, and pray for the remission of their sins. He should 
forgive the sinful, and never despise his low 
estate, for none knoweth what his own end shall be. How 
often hath a sinner, at the hour of death, attained 
to the essence of faith, and, quaffing the immortal draught, 
hath taken his flight unto the celestial 
Concourse. And how often hath a devout believer, at the hour 
of his soul's ascension, been so changed as 
to fall into the nethermost fire. Our purpose in revealing 
these convincing and weighty utterances is to 
impress upon the seeker that he should regard all else 
beside God as transient, and count all things save 
Him, Who is the Object of all adoration, as utter 
nothingness.  
 (Kitab-i-Iqan, pp. 192-194)

continued

... Solitude is bliss
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Ä Area: The Baha'i International Echo ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
  Msg#: 50                                           Date: 08-29-96  11:05
  From: Zaynab Richmond                              Read: Yes    Replied: No 
    To: All                                          Mark:                     
  Subj: Love 7/10
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Part 7

Dealing with backbiting, and praising others.

  O beloved of the Lord!  If any soul speak ill of an absent 
one, the only result will clearly be this:  he will 
dampen the zeal of the friends and tend to make them 
indifferent.  For backbiting is divisive, it is the 
leading cause among the friends of a disposition to 
withdraw.  If any individual should speak ill of one 
who is absent, it is incumbent on his hearers, in a 
spiritual and friendly manner, to stop him, and say in 
effect:  would this detraction serve any useful purpose? 
Would it please the Blessed Beauty, contribute to 
the lasting honour of the friends, promote the holy Faith, 
support the Covenant, or be of any possible 
benefit to any soul?  No, never!  On the contrary, it would 
make the dust to settle so thickly on the heart 
that the ears would hear no more, and the eyes would no 
longer behold the light of truth.   If, however, a 
person setteth about speaking well of another, opening his 
lips to praise another, he will touch an 
answering chord in his hearers and they will be stirred up 
by the breathings of God.  Their hearts and 
souls will rejoice to know that, God be thanked, here is a 
soul in the Faith who is a focus of human 
perfections, a very embodiment of the bounties of the Lord, 
one whose tongue is eloquent, and whose face 
shineth, in whatever gathering he may be, one who hath 
victory upon his brow, and who is a being 
sustained by the sweet savours of God.   Now which is the 
better way?  I swear this by the beauty of the 
Lord:  whensoever I hear good of the friends, my heart 
filleth up with joy; but whensoever I find even a 
hint that they are on bad terms one with another, I am 
overwhelmed by grief.  Such is the condition of 
Abdu'l-Baha. Then judge from this where your duty lieth.

 (Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, pp. 230-231)


Love of God, overlooking deficiencies of others.

   For love of God and spiritual attraction do cleanse and 
purify the human heart and dress and adorn it 
with the spotless garment of holiness; and once the heart is 
entirely attached to the Lord, and bound over 
to the Blessed Perfection, then will the grace of God be 
revealed.
   This love is not of the body but completely of the soul. 
And those souls whose inner being is lit by the 
love of God are even as spreading rays of light, and they 
shine out like stars of holiness in a pure and 
crystalline sky.  For true love, real love, is the love for 
God, and this is sanctified beyond the notions and 
imaginings of men.
...
   Wherefore must the friends of God, with utter sanctity, 
with one accord, rise up in the spirit, in unity 
with one another, to such a degree that they will become 
even as one being and one soul.  On such a plane 
as this, physical bodies play no part, rather doth the 
spirit take over and rule; and when its power 
encompasseth all then is spiritual union achieved.  Strive 
ye by day and night to cultivate your unity to the 
fullest degree.  Let your thoughts dwell on your own 
spiritual development, and close your eyes to the 
deficiencies of other souls.  Act ye in such wise, showing 
forth pure and goodly deeds, and modesty and 
humility, that ye will cause others to be awakened.
   Never is it the wish of Abdu'l-Baha to see any being 
hurt, nor will He make anyone to grieve; for man 
can receive no greater gift than this, that he rejoice 
another's heart.  I beg of God that ye will be bringers 
of joy, even as are the angels in Heaven.

 (Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, pp. 202-204)

continued

... one to the power of infinity indicates the unity of all!
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Ä Area: The Baha'i International Echo ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
  Msg#: 51                                           Date: 08-29-96  11:05
  From: Zaynab Richmond                              Read: Yes    Replied: No 
    To: All                                          Mark:                     
  Subj: Love 8/10
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Part 8

Look not upon the purity or impurity of others, rather look 
to God.

  O ye loved ones of God!  In this, the Baha'i dispensation, 
God's Cause is spirit unalloyed.  His Cause 
belongeth not to the material world.  It cometh neither for 
strife nor war, nor for acts of mischief or of 
shame; it is neither for quarrelling with other Faiths, nor 
for conflicts with the nations.  Its only army is 
the love of God, its only joy the clear wine of His 
knowledge, its only battle the expounding of the Truth; 
its one crusade is against the insistent self, the evil 
promptings of the human heart.  Its victory is to submit 
and yield, and to be selfless is its everlasting glory.  In 
brief, it is spirit upon spirit:
      Unless ye must,
      Bruise not the serpent in the dust,
      How much less wound a man.
      And if ye can,
      No ant should ye alarm,
      Much less a brother harm.

  Let all your striving be for this, to become the source of 
life and immortality, and peace and comfort and 
joy, to every human soul, whether one known to you or a 
stranger, one opposed to you or on your side.  
Look ye not upon the purity or impurity of his nature:  look 
ye upon the all-embracing mercy of the Lord, 
the light of Whose grace hath embosomed the whole earth and 
all who dwell thereon, and in the plenitude 
of Whose bounty are immersed both the wise and the ignorant.  
Stranger and friend alike are seated at the 
table of His favour.  Even as the believer, the denier who 
turneth away from God doth at the same time 
cup his hands and drink from the sea of His bestowals.
  It behoveth the loved ones of the Lord to be the signs and 
tokens of His universal mercy and the 
embodiments of His own excelling grace.  Like the sun, let 
them cast their rays upon garden and rubbish 
heap alike, and even as clouds in spring, let them shed down 
their rain upon flower and thorn. Let them 
seek but love and faithfulness, let them not follow the ways 
of unkindness, let their talk be confined to the 
secrets of friendship and of peace.  Such are the attributes 
of the righteous, such is the distinguishing 
mark of those who serve His Threshold.

   (Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, pp. 256-257)


Behold Him, overlook faults

CXLVI. It is Our wish and desire that every one of you may 
become a source of all goodness unto men, 
and an example of uprightness to mankind. Beware lest ye 
prefer yourselves above your neighbors. Fix 
your gaze upon Him Who is the Temple of God amongst men. He, 
in truth, hath offered up His life as a 
ransom for the redemption of the world. He, verily, is the 
All-Bountiful, the Gracious, the Most High. If 
any differences arise amongst you, behold Me standing before 
your face, and overlook the faults of one 
another for My name's sake and as a token of your love for 
My manifest and resplendent Cause. We love 
to see you at all times consorting in amity and concord 
within the paradise of My good-pleasure, and to 
inhale from your acts the fragrance of friendliness and 
unity, of loving-kindness and fellowship.  Thus 
counselleth you the All-Knowing, the Faithful. We shall 
always be with you; if We inhale the perfume of 
your fellowship, Our heart will assuredly rejoice, for 
naught else can satisfy Us. To this beareth witness 
every man of true understanding.

continued

... I'm known as a crank who doesn't wear socks - Einstein
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Ä Area: The Baha'i International Echo ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
  Msg#: 52                                           Date: 08-29-96  11:05
  From: Zaynab Richmond                              Read: Yes    Replied: No 
    To: All                                          Mark:                     
  Subj: Love 9/10
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Part 9

CXLVII. The Most Great Name beareth Me witness!  How sad if 
any man were, in this Day, to rest his 
heart on the transitory things of this world! Arise, and 
cling firmly to the Cause of God. Be most loving 
one to another. Burn away, wholly for the sake of the Well-
Beloved, the veil of self with the flame of the 
undying Fire, and with faces joyous and beaming with light, 
associate with your neighbor.  Ye have well 
observed, in all its aspects, the behavior of Him Who is the 
Word of Truth amidst you. Ye know full well 
how hard it is for this Youth to allow, though it be for one 
night, the heart of any one of the beloved of 
God to be saddened by Him.
   The Word of God hath set the heart of the world afire; 
how regrettable if ye fail to be enkindled with its 
flame!  Please God, ye will regard this blessed night as the 
night of unity, will knit your souls together, 
and resolve to adorn yourselves with the ornament of a 
goodly and praiseworthy character. Let your 
principal concern be to rescue the fallen from the slough of 
impending extinction, and to help him 
embrace the ancient Faith of God. Your behavior towards your 
neighbor should be such as to manifest 
clearly the signs of the one true God, for ye are the first 
among men to be re-created by His Spirit, the first 
to adore and bow the knee before Him, the first to circle 
round His throne of glory. I swear by Him Who 
hath caused Me to reveal whatever hath pleased Him!  Ye are 
better known to the inmates of the Kingdom 
on high than ye are known to your own selves. Think ye these 
words to be vain and empty?  Would that ye 
had the power to perceive the things your Lord, the All-
Merciful, doth see - things that attest the 
excellence of your rank, that bear witness to the greatness 
of your worth, that proclaim the sublimity of 
your station!  God grant that your desires and unmortified 
passions may not hinder you from that which 
hath been ordained for you. 

   (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah,  pp. 315- 317)





Closing Prayer


  Glory be unto Thee, O Lord of the world and Desire of
the nations, O Thou Who hast become manifest in the
Greatest Name whereby the pearls of wisdom and utterance
have appeared from the shells of the great sea of Thy 
knowledge,
and the heavens of divine revelation have been
adorned with the light of the appearance of the Sun of Thy
countenance.
  I beg of Thee, by that Word through which Thy proof
was perfected among Thy creatures and Thy testimony was
fulfilled among Thy servants to strengthen Thy people in
that whereby the face of the Cause will radiate in Thy
dominion, the standards of Thy power will be planted
among Thy servants, and the banners of Thy guidance will
be raised throughout Thy dominions.
  O my Lord! Thou beholdest them clinging to the rope
of Thy grace and holding fast unto the hem of the mantle
of Thy beneficence. Ordain for them that which may draw
them nearer unto Thee, and withhold them from all else
save Thee. I beg of Thee, O Thou King of existence and
Protector of the seen and the unseen, to make whosoever
ariseth to serve Thy Cause as a sea moving by Thy desire,
as one ablaze with the fire of Thy Sacred Tree, shining
from the horizon of the heaven of Thy Will. Verily Thou
art the mighty One Whom neither the power of all the
world nor the strength of nations can weaken. There is no
God but Thee, the One, the Incomparable, the Protector,
the Self-Subsistent.

   (Tablets of Baha'u'llah, pp. 33-34)

continued

... Angels of holiness welcome you by the glad-tidings of God.
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Ä Area: The Baha'i International Echo ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
  Msg#: 53                                           Date: 08-29-96  11:05
  From: Zaynab Richmond                              Read: Yes    Replied: No 
    To: All                                          Mark:                     
  Subj: Love 10/10
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Part 10

Excercise 1:   Identifying key points for loving others:

Find passages in this compilation, or elsewhere in the Baha'i writings, 
that explain these points, or other points you find...

1) Love of God     ____________________

2) Loving others for the sake of God     __________________

3) Rather than judging others, look to God. _______________

4) Ignore the bad, look to the good     ___________________

5) Sweet tongues     ____________________

6) Conflict and contention are forbidden __________________

7) Being kind to all, even strangers and enemies __________

8) Avoiding backbiting     ____________________

9) Praising others.     ____________________

10) ____________________     ____________________

11) ____________________     ____________________

12) ____________________     ____________________




Exercise 2:  Applying what we've learned to particular 
relationships:

Think of a person in your life whom you feel challenged to 
feel more loving towards.  (You can do this 
exercise for more than one person, but pick one person 
first).

Part 1:
List the qualities about that person that you find 
attractive, good, positive.  At least one.







Part 2:
List some particular things you can do in the near term in 
your relationship with that person to increase 
your bonds of love.










... "Hail to thee, then, O LOVE, sweet madness!"  -- Rumi --
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